Allamorph

[quote name='TimeChaser']Regardless of what the Bible says concerning ethical treatment of slaves, and how that might have been twisted down the centuries to the form of slavery we are familiar with in American history, I'm sure you will agree that it is morally wrong to have slaves in the first place. That is not something we can learn from the Bible, but is what we know from our objective view of morality.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Actually, no. Commerce is what corrupted slavery into the treatment of people as nothing more than cheap goods and labor. The slavery I'm talking about had ethical roots. Servitude was originally a means to free oneself from debt. If a man was indebted to another man, and he was incapable of reconciling what he owed, then he had the option to work off his debt through service to the other. Remember that money was originally a representation of your value, determined by the work which you did. All servitude did was to say that since you owe this person so much of so much, they will now receive your work as payment until you have assuaged your debt. Along with that concept were laws concerning slaves and their masters: lawful treatment of slaves, and punishment if any of these were violated (which often resulted in the slave's freedom as well); what the slave [I]and[/I] the master are to do if a slave commits a crime or wrongs another person; punishment of slaves, especially limits thereof; limits on time of servitude (slaves were to be freed in the seventh year; and so forth. (Actually, [COLOR="DarkRed"]Darren[/COLOR], I was wrong; this was in Exodus.) But in plantational slavery (and likewise in the Spanish territories), there was no debt nor hope of freedom, there were really no laws, and slaves were not viewed as goods but as [I]things[/I]. If you were made a slave, you were always a slave. If you were born a slave, you were always a slave. If your master wanted to beat you to death, no one would lift a finger to help you, for you were "only a slave", and "not a person". This is what is unethical, the reduction of a human being to an item, and so now whenever we speak of the practice we are left with a foul taste in our mouths because of the massive injustice done through that institution. So is it morally wrong to hold slaves? Only if doing so violates their rights as humans. BUT. Do I see it as something that should be widespread practice, or even infrequent practice? Certainly not. I think we're definitely past that now.[/FONT]

[quote name='Darren']But you've obviously heard of the promotion of slavery through christianity or wouldn't presume to know of whatever verse I'm talking about...[/quote] [FONT=Arial]More accurately, I'm familiar with the laws governing the treatment of slaves—the majority of which were designed with the slave, and not the owner, in mind. And no, not that you [I]will[/I] twist the context. Rather, I think it's a poor idea to try and use someone else's reference point to argue against them if you're unfamiliar with it, which you just admitted. So my impression is that you heard there were sections in the Bible about slavery and assumed that that was the same institution as the one that rooted itself in the Southern states. Point is, I know what you would have quoted if you had quoted, and already know what it's really talking about. So I was just curious to see how you'd had it twisted [I]for[/I] you; I don't believe you would twist it yourself, just that you might have heard someone else do the twisting and thought it made sense.[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]Exactly. That's all I've been trying to get across. Instead of focusing on how this was a major slight against homosexuals, try looking at how it might help their cause.[/FONT]

[quote name='Darren']If/when I find the bible verse that I think promoted a large portion of slavery, I'll post it here.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Try Leviticus. I'd post it myself, but I'm curious to see you spin the context. [quote name='Katakidoushi][QUOTE=TimeChaser']What I am saying is there comes a point when it has to be constitutionally recognized and no longer up for a popular vote that will never resolve the issue.[/quote] I agree withh TimeChaser 100%.[/QUOTE] As do I, actually. But nothing will ever be constitutionally recognised unless some of [I]the people[/I] push for it. It has to start with the people, period. If the people screw it up, then those who are wronged are able to appeal to a higher authority, put in place by [I]the people[/I]. And I understand your frustrations over the issue; but remember that while you're railing about this being an affront to homosexuals, someone else is drafting a court case so it can go through the necessary channels. I'm not saying that I believe the country incapable of change, only that change comes about through patience and perseverance. This was a setback for homosexuals, and it will only be a defeat if they stop acting. It will take time. All other civil right cases have taken time. It is not a failed system, just one you have to work at. And basically, TC and I are agreeing about this. I just think you all are seeing the end you think is right, and I'm seeing the process that's necessary to get there. [QUOTE=TimeChaser]Slavery was something that took so long to resolve partially because those who supported and believed in it got their justification from scripture just as much as those who fought against it. [CENTER]/~/[/CENTER] And the rights of women and minorities, and slavery could also, at one time, be considered religious issues because people's beliefs told them that A) women were in a subordinate position to men and had to defer to them, and B) for many centuries, people considered all non-Christians "barbarians" who either had to be subjugated or exterminated.[/QUOTE] Yes. But I think you agree with me that this was not a doctrinal stance, but a means to justify an attitude. Slavery at its core was rooted in Southern economy. Opposition to women's suffrage was because men feared losing their dominance and public image. Racism . . . well, that was just because of a century-plus of slavery indoctrinating people into thinking black people were inferior. And unless I'm mistaken, the "racial hierarchy"was European in origin, and not exclusive to the States. And even then, Christianity was far more prevalent in the colonial/industrial years than it is now, so it was probably more understandable if a law passed or failed because of religion. Now, though, I don't believe Christianity has that kind of pervasiveness. Anyway, I think we're just yakkin' at each other about this now, and essentially agreeing between the two of us. So. [quote name='Korey][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"']I'm going to take a stab at what Allamorph is referring to here and say that if you take it straight to the decision makers first without going through the people, you present a horrible abuse of the system. The judge who hears on this case may be anti-gay rights and if he decides to pass the law to outlaw it, then wouldn't you consider that a tad bit unfair? I believe in the hands of people, that what the people decide as a collective is a better representation of public policy than that of a single group or single person. It's a flaw of our representative democracy, for sure.[/FONT][/quote] Right concept, wrong illustration. What I meant was more that if laws were made every time a minority "felt oppressed", regardless of the truth of that statement, eventually the point to democracy would be ruined and the hands of the majority would be completely tied. The system and its channels exist to protect both, so that if your steadfastly believe in your cause you will have no qualms fighting through to get to the top. Think of it as a weeding-out concept, where each barrier tests the mettle of those who would pass through it. And while I was replying, another bounces up. :D [QUOTE=TimeChaser]Just like gay rights today, the "will of the people" was very much divided on this issue. You had people fighting for rights, but you also has many (particularly in the South) that were against it. You had Jim Crow laws and other legislation in place that was specifically meant to curtail the rights of blacks. Due to this division, the federal government finally bypassed the people and passed civil rights legislation, which, while not ending the conflict, finally made rights constitutionally protected on a national level.[/QUOTE] And yet this decision was made because of the continual push from the Negro community, as well as backing from the Northern states. The federal government did not arbitrarily say "oh, we think you should have rights"; in fact, several times it denied blacks their rights before finally conceding to their wrong. And that brings be back to my point about the will of the people. If there had been no push for justice in African-American rights, there would have been no concession.[/FONT]

[quote name='Katakidoushi']But it requires sudden action of legalizing it, because the longer we wait the longer it is going to take for gay marriage to be accepted. If we waited for the abolishment of slavery to be "accepted" we'd probably still have slavery in the U.S and Britain. Every other act of civil rights was thrusted upon the country and of course their was resistance at first, but the longer we maintain the idea that this type of prejudice is acceptable, the longer it will be.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]And there you miss the parallel I was drawing between the two. Slavery was not suddenly abolished, or suddenly frowned upon. Controversy over slavery had been happening for several decades prior to its abolition. In fact, it even predates Oregon's status as a [I]territory[/I]; before and during Andrew Jackson's presidency there was a direct balance between 'free' and 'slave' states, and the admission of Oregon as a 'free state' allowed the admission of Texas as a 'slave' state. Texas had been denied annexation prior to Oregon's admission because it was feared the addition of a state below the Mason-Dixon without a counterbalance would upset the northern population, and Jackson wanted to avoid the controversy. But even then, the northern states and territories did not find slavery an acceptable practice, and the southern states were constantly worried that their institution would be infringed upon. This was in 1828; Lincoln didn't "free" the slaves until 1863. My point is that, like the abolition of slavery, nationwide civil rights will not happen instantly, nor will it be followed by acceptance. Legislation is based on acceptance, and does not preclude it. Rather, a civil rights 'victory' for homosexuals will be the [I]climax[/I] of their struggle for acceptance, not the beginning of the path to it. [QUOTE][I]What I'm saying is that gay marriage should not be decided by the people. It is a civil rights situation, and the rights of others should not be decided by the masses, especially when the decision does not influence those masses.[/I][/QUOTE] Civil rights have always fallen to the masses to decide first, and then gone through the system afterwards. I have a feeling that this decision may be appealed on the grounds of being unconstitutional. The Supreme Court does not exist to dictate what laws should be made, but to tell the masses (and the other branches of the government) when they are on the right track and when they are totally effing wrong. :p I agree that it is a civil rights case. But since all legislation is initially based on the will of the people, excluding them from the process and going straight to the top, regardless of the case, could be seen as an abuse of the system. And sorry, but the decision [I]does[/I] influence the masses. The issue may not affect them directly, but there will still be an impact on society. Just look at what happened since [I]Rowe v. Wade[/I]. [QUOTE][I]How would you like it if they put heterosexual marriage to a vote? It's not ethical.[/I][/QUOTE] How did the Negros like it when their status as 3/5 of a person was decided by people who didn't even know them? How did the Cherokee like it when the US told them their nation wasn't really a [I]foreign[/I] nation, but a domestic nation dependent on the US? That "how would you like it" argument is so irrelevant it sounds childish. The issue is not whether or not I like it. The issue is how changes in policy are made. [QUOTE=Darren]I can't speak for everyone, only a few of my friends from California who did vote yes for it. And even though they're self-proclaimed atheists, when I asked them why they voted yes on it, they replied because they thought it was wrong. When I asked them why, they had no real answer. [CENTER]/~/[/CENTER] The point is that even if someone had alternative motives for voting yes on the proposition, I believe that [C]hristianity played a large role in it. Why? Because Christian doctrine and theology are so well rooted in this country that it's instilled into many peoples brains to this day even if they claim not to be a [C]hristian.[/QUOTE] It sounds to me like you're putting words in your friends' mouths while trying very hard to make a scapegoat for the issue. I find this faulty; for instance, although servitude is established in Judaic law, there are multiple clauses protecting the slave from oppression, and much of the Southern plantation slavery ran completely counter to that. In other words, American slavery is condemned by Christian doctrine, and yet it pervaded our country from colonial establishment until some time after the Civil War. Yes, homosexuality is not accepted within Christian doctrine. But that is our sphere, and the rest of the issue is social, not religious. Likewise, racism was a social issue, women's suffrage was social, and slavery was a financial and economical issue; none were religious. I can understand you being frustrated by people blindly following ideals they barely understand, but you really need to stop blaming us for things like this that don't go the way you wanted. [quote name='TimeChaser']But we're talking about a matter of civil rights, which historically have not been put to a popular vote.[/quote] Like I said to [COLOR=DarkRed]Kataki[/COLOR] above, matters of civil rights have [I]ultimately[/I] been decided by authorities beyond the direct influence of the people, but the issues themselves sat at the common level for years before being reconciled. Women's suffrage was an issue before the Revolutionary War, even. How long was it before they received acknowledgment of the right to vote, again? This kind of change doesn't happen overnight. And perception of time is greatly distorted by history books, where you can read in a matter of minutes what took years to achieve.[/FONT]

[quote name='Kenso][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=1]Therein lies the problem, Darren. These aren't just about getting married in a church. Marriage is its own legal status, aside from being a religious thing. Even if it's done by a JoP, it's still a marriage. Even if 'gay marriage' was legal, a church has the right to deny performing the ceremony based on religious reasons (thanks to our religious freedom).[/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote] [FONT=Arial]I think this raises a fair point, actually. It's been glossed on once or twice before in the thread, but I believe that pointing to the Christian community as the reason for the bill's locational pass is flawed. Certainly most Christians are opposed to the idea (note I said [I]most[/I]; there are those dissenting), but I sincerely doubt Christianity holds enough of the majority to influence policy in that way. Also, I think patience is in order. Remember how strongly the abolition of slavery was resisted, or how long it took for racism to disappear once it was declared unconstitutional? (Still hasn't totally vanished, sadly.) People don't resist change so much as they resist [I]sudden[/I] change. I doubt we'll see any significant differences/progress (depending on your perspective) on the issue for at least a few decades. [quote name='Katakidoushi']Marriage is a state issue, not a religious one. Couples need to aquire a marriage license from the state for their marriage to be legal, and for some reason we've put that to a vote.[/quote] Democracy is about rule based on the will of the people, to protect both the majority and the minority from oppression by the other. So what you're saying is that state policy should not be decided by state inhabitants? Help me here.[/FONT]

[CENTER][YOUTUBE="Sarabande Suite (Aeternae) ? Globus"]AeSOO8Alb1U[/YOUTUBE][/CENTER] [FONT=Arial]I think I'm almost as excited about this as I am about finding out E.S. Posthumus released their second album. (^_^) Almost.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I'm [I]trying[/I] to listen to "Orbitals" by Acroma, but this dad-blasted campus is so idiotic with its bandwidth that I can't listen to anything ever after 7:00 Sunday through Friday. Good song, though. I may look into getting the album.[/FONT]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3][align=justify]Aldric Sauvage sighed at his reflection and brushed aimlessly at the errant strands of hair that insisted on falling down his forehead. No matter how hard he tried to tame the rest of his thick, ragged mane, nor how much he slicked it back, those few hairs refused to join their black brethren. It was just as well, since his hair never laid down all that obediently anyway. His thick black eyebrows were equally unruly, sticking out every which way as if trying to compete with his eyelashes; altogether, he tended to look like a wild man in the mornings, before he could fight his hair into protesting submission. The general effect of the ensemble was that his silver eyes positively gleamed from underneath his brow. And combined with his chiseled features�including a grim slash of a mouth�and a powerful frame that towered imposingly over most of his crewmen, Sauvage never came across initially as a friendly person. Those used to him knew he was an amiable, if stern, individual, but most of his fresh crewmen shied away from him until they were essentially forced to work alongside him. Which was fine, Sauvage had decided long before taking command of the covert unit. If nothing else, it was a good way to naturally gain respect, and that made for an efficient force. Nothing to be ashamed of at all. It had been a full day since he had sent his message to William for review, and so far there had been no answer. He could understand the man�s reluctance; Sauvage�s report had contained not only the initial success of the transport array�along with a caveat about further testing�but a suggestion which bordered on the perverse. He knew William might have a difficult choice to make, but even though he understood the situation�s gravity, he had a schedule to maintain. Accordingly, he had told William that if he heard nothing for two days, which would be tomorrow evening, he would assume the answer to be no. The thought of reports reminded him of the prisoner being held several thousand kilometers forward. Sauvage allowed himself a slight smile; he was certain Scorer would have appreciated the use of an asteroid as essentially a maximum-security prison. [i]�Hell of a place to leave someone,[/i] he thought. He paused. [i]�Then again, that�s not a bad idea....[/i] He pushed the intercom for the [i]Bastion[/i] control room. [b]�Sauvage to Tourney. How�re we doing?�[/b][/size][/font] [center][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]-----------------------[/size][/font][/center] [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=3]Gillam strode to the intercom and pressed the respond sensor. [b]�So far so good,�[/b] he said, [b]�as far as I can tell from Major Sewall. We�re about twenty-seven hours in, sir, and Jared has just started to crest the first panic stage.�[/b] He glanced at the monitor, on which the submerged prisoner was thrashing and apparently roaring, though the sound was temporarily muted. On either side of Jared, two divers were maneuvering delicately around him, keeping him from becoming tangled in his air hose as he twisted like a gyroscope in slow motion. It seemed being so far down in the liquid had completely removed Jared�s sense of direction as well; the night shift crew had said he�d spent half of last night upside down. Gillam shook himself. [b]�Apparently Sewall wasn�t expecting the first stage to hit until later this afternoon.� [/b]He darted a look at the eager-eyed scientist across the room. [b]�He is . . . definitely pleased.�[/b] [b]�Actually,�[/b] answered Sauvage, [b]�I�m not all that surprised.�[/b] [b]�Sir?�[/b] [b]�The actual isolation process has already had a good bit of assistance from sources outside our control. In the first place, his initial captors were afraid of him, so while they were attempting to pry information out of him they allowed their fear to translate into brute force, which as we know doesn�t work. After that, he was transported in essentially a coffin, then stuck in a holding cell until we got hold of him, and finally stuck in a single room for two weeks with no contact with anyone. �The last meaningful interaction Scorer had was with my aide. So right now the effects of the prolonged isolation before he arrived and the confusion over being suddenly handled as if he was no longer feared are stacking against him. None of what I mentioned was under our control at all, except for the two-week journey here, but all of it is working in our favor.�[/b] [b]�So what you�re saying is that we�ve inadvertently shortened the process?� [/b]asked Gillam. [b]�Yes. And given that he�s already gong through the first panic stage, from what Sewall and I have discussed, I would be surprised if he breaks the fifty hour mark.�[/b] Gillam nodded. [b] �Barring anymore circumstances out of our control, you mean,�[/b] he added. [b]�Yes, that�s right. Thank you, sub-commander. I�ll check back in this evening.�[/b] [b]�I�ll be expecting it, sir.�[/b] [b]�Oh, and be sure to let me know when Scorer gets through the second stage. I have something for my aide to take care of.�[/b] [b]�Of course, sir. Tourney out.�[/b] Gillam shook his head as he stepped away from the intercom panel. Fifty hours. That was barely more than two days. The officer returned his gaze to the screen and tried not to imagine the kind of hell a man could put himself through that would tear him apart in such a short time.[/align][/size][/font]

[quote name='Korey][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]Apparently Allamorph doesn't like getting all snuggly with the ladies after all....[/CENTER'][/FONT][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Well, it's kinda awkward.....[/FONT]

[CENTER][B][U][FONT=Arial]Damage King[/FONT][/U][/B][/CENTER] [SIZE="1"][align=justify][B]“Shit, man, this sucks balls.”[/B] The dark-haired man leaned back from his console and stretched his muscle-bound arms behind his head. [B]“There’s a goddamn bloodsport goin’ on upstairs, and they tell us to stay down and watch the entrance? Bullshit.”[/B] He glanced at his partner, who was rooting through a half-full box of donuts. [B]“I mean hell, the least they could have done is sent one of the sons of bitches down to us, for Chrissake.”[/B] [B]“Mmm,”[/B] his partner grunted without looking up. [B]“There any more raspberry-filled in here?”[/B] [B]“If there aren’t, you’ve probably eaten them all. I’ve only had two of the damn things since you brought the box in.”[/B] The dark-haired man snorted. [B]“Do you even care that you’re stuck down here?”[/B] The other, a moderately-built redhead of shorter stature, shrugged. [B]“Not really,”[/B] he said around the cinnamon donut between his teeth. Setting aside the box again, he brushed some sugar dust off his slight ponch and bit into his treat. [B] “I get nervous around blood. Makes me feel strange.”[/B] [B]“The hell?”[/B] The dark-haired man shook his head. [B]“You’re a goddamn vampire, and you get squeamish at the sight of something you drink. [I]That[/I] makes a shit-ton of sense.”[/B] The redhead shrugged again. [B] “I don’t have to look at it while I drink it.” [/B] He took another bite. [B]“Now can we stop talking about it? You’re making me feel—oh hey.” [/B] [B]“What?”[/B] The dark-haired man leaned out to look at his partner’s monitor. The redhead pointed at what had caught his attention. [B]“Someone’s in the lobby.”[/B] [B]“The lobby?”[/B] The dark-haired man stood. [B]“How the hell’d they get in—hot damn, man, that bitch is smokin’! And no receptionist on duty.” [/B] He smirked. [B]“Tell ya what. I’ll go see what she wants, tell her we’re closed temporarily, and . . . escort her out.”[/B] He strode for the door and opened it. [B] “Might be a few minutes....”[/B] The redhead jumped as his partner’s body flew past him and crashed into the monitors on the back wall. He barely got turned around to see his assailant before a fiery dart tore a hole through his forehead, and he slumped n his chair, his head lolling to the side, right hand still clutching the donut. [B]“Hmm,” [/B]said Nathan, stepping around the dead vampire to gaze at the camera displays. [B] “Conference room, third floor.”[/B] He grinned at Isen, who had joined him from the lobby. [B]“These people sure do like their arenas.”[/B] She nodded. [B]“Fine by me. Up, then?”[/B] [B]“Up indeed. Straight up.”[/B] The two spirits rose into the air and passed through the ceiling. [CENTER]---------------------------------[/CENTER] Nathan blew that door open as well. [B]“Okie dokie, arti-CHOK-ie!”[/B] he yelled from the doorway, [B]“why wasn’t I invited to this here shindig?”[/B] He fired a shot to the ceiling, sending the chandelier in the center of the room crashing to the floor. [B]“Are you going to blow up everything in the place today?” [/B]asked Isen when no one answered. [B]“I might,” [/B]said Nathan. [B]“I’m in kind of an explosive mood. Boom boom, you are done, sir. Besides, I think I got one with the light bulbs there.” [/B] He grinned at the shaken reaper whose assailant he had indeed crushed with the heavy light fixture. [B]“Always wanted to do that.”[/B] [B]“What’s going on!”[/B] shouted one of the vampires. [B]“Who are you? Why are you here, and what have you done with the others?”[/B] [B]“Hunh?”[/B] said Nathan. [B]“What others? We just got here, thought we’d drop by, give our friends here a break. Unless you mean Bob and Tom downstairs,”[/B] he added thoughtfully. [B]“I killed those two. Caught them leering at my lady friend.”[/B] [B]“...what?”[/B] [B]“Desmond and Rupert,”[/B] provided Isen. When Nathan glanced at her, she shrugged. [B]“I looked at their nametags.”[/B] [B]“Rupert?”[/B] asked Nathan incredulously. [B]“[I]Seriously?[/I] Tom sounded so much better.”[/B] He shook his head. [B]“Who on earth names their kid ‘Rupert’? Anyway,”[/B] he went on, returning his attention to the vampires, [B]“playtime’s over. They’re out, we’re in.”[/B] He smiled. [B]“Been nice knowing ya.”[/B] A vampire near the side of the room cursed violently. [B]“The hell it has! We’ll kill these faggots and you, too!”[/B] He raised a sword over his head and swung for the shinigami on the ground in front of him. Nathan grabbed his scythe and vanished, reappearing in front of the vampire and catching the sword with his blade. Jerking the weapon to his right, he sent his left fist smashing into the vampire’s cheekbone. The vampire reeled and rammed into a table. [B]“Let me rephrase that,”[/B] the blue shinigami said icily. [B] “Reapers, fall back. We’ll handle the trash.”[/B] He looked slowly around the room. [B]“The next one who tries to stop them dies.”[/B] None of the vampires in the room moved for a moment. As the stunned shinigami collected themselves and headed for the doorway, one of the vampires began hyperventilating. [B]“Screw this,”[/B] he managed before fleeing for the fire exit. With a snarl, Isen took two steps and hurled herself across the room, drawing midair and splitting the fleeing man at the waist. She sheathed her katana, turned, and glowered at the rest of the room. Nathan grinned again. [B]“As you can see,”[/B] he said sweetly, [B]“we’ve got all the exits covered.”[/B] [CENTER]---------------------------------[/CENTER] When Alex, Adrian, and their familiars made it to the conference room, the floor was littered with bodies and body parts. Two vampires had died right in front of the kitchen door, through which the reapers had entered, the main doors looked like they had been ripped off their hinges, and there was a grotesque bloody handprint on one of the other exits. [B]“Good grief,”[/B] said Nall. [B]“Looks like someone scared them shitless,”[/B] remarked Adrian smugly. [B]“I think they all died trying to escape.”[/B] [B]“Something like that,”[/B] said Nathan, who was sitting on the only upright table in the room, cleaning his scythe blade with a napkin. [B]“To be honest, I think Isen scared them more than I did. Dunno why....”[/B] The reapers surveyed the room for a moment in silence. The place had been completely demolished, chairs and tables and light fixtures strewn everywhere. Over by the destroyed front doors was Isen, who seemed to be talking to a group of recovering shinigami. [B]“Man,”[/B] said Adrian respectfully. [B]“What the hell do you two eat for breakfast?”[/B] [B]“Angst,”[/B] Nathan quipped. [B]“Angst and razor blades in a bowl, floating in tears of hopelessness. After that, a serving of the fruit of despair.”[/B] [B]“What?”[/B] [B]“I dunno.”[/B] [B]“Oh!”[/B] said Alex suddenly. [B] “I have something you might be interested in, Nathan.”[/B] He pulled a sheathed sword from inside his tunic and presented it to the blue man. [B]“One of the vampires was carrying this. It feels different from the other weapons they’ve been using.”[/B] [B]“Hmm,”[/B] Nathan pronounced, taking the weapon. He studied it for a moment, then glanced back to Alex. [B]“I’m not sure whether or not to be depressed that talking about angst in a bowl reminds you of things to give me.”[/B] Adrian snorted.[/align][/SIZE]

[quote name='Katakidoushi']Then he's no longer invited to dinner. He'll have to stand and play a soothing composition whilst (yes whilst) we enjoy our creepy yet satisfying meal.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]I'll eat. It'll be dark. And there will apparently be cello music. Am I missing the creepy factor here? If you're planning on gazing at me for long periods of time, I guarantee you I can make you feel silly. Like, say, a pea in the eye. Or stealing your food once I'm done with mine. Also, the fact that you had to say "yes, whilst" amuseth me to no end.[/FONT]

[quote name='Katakidoushi]I do not see how this is trolling. [U]I have not brought up any slanderous material about anyone else.[/U'] My enitire stance from the beginning has been to defend someone who is having slander thrown against them.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Right, because that's [I]flaming.[/I] Trolling is posting in order to get a rise, reaction, or some form of response from the target. Incidentally, I'd suggest [COLOR=DarkRed]Raiha[/COLOR] put a sock in it also. So far as I've seen, ain't [I]nobody[/I] innocent on the trolling count; there's a large difference in putting your opinion out in the open and putting it up so people will get mad at it. And here I thought the "OMG ARMAGEDDON" deal was moronic enough. But no. We have to go back to the old, tired, worn out, [I]POINTLESS[/I] "conservatives versus liberals" crap again. SHUT. UP.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]IMMA FIRIN MAH LAZER That is all. :animesmil [B]Edit:[/B] And since Ace seems to care little about posting anymore, I'll just say here that Schroedinger's cat has nothing on Fighter.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]No, I mean the pink text. Obviously you were reacting honestly. ....if a little overzealously.[/FONT]

[QUOTE=Nerdsy][color=deeppink]I'm just glad that all the hubbub is over. The sidewalks on campus here have been a literal warzone. You can't walk a foot without seeing some attack ad written in chalk (or a more innocent "Vote so and so" ad that's been defaced). I'm not usually one to chide one for immaturity (overrated!), but the way the College Republicans and Democrats have acted offends even my sensibilities. I'm pretty apathetic about the results. I didn't care for either candidate, and when that happens it's real easy to get burned out on elections.[/color][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Amen, brotha', [I]preach[/I] it![/FONT]

[QUOTE=Neko]...And again, I'll ask it. Where the heck is all of this coming from?![/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]That one there was called sarcasm. Enough of this foolishness, guys. I have never seen anything so stupidly blown out of proportion in my life. [U][B]Armageddon doomsayers:[/B][/U] Lay off. It is not our place to become this esoteric with the scripture. Grow up and quit shouting what you barely understand. [B][U]Everyone else:[/U][/B] You think maybe these threads would die faster if [I]no one bothered replying?[/I] Half of this moronic mess is your fault for aggravating it. Good gosh, people. It's one frikkin' election. We'll have more. Oh wait, [I]that's right[/I], the Mayan calendar says the world will end in December 2012. So we only [I]get[/I] one more election, and it won't matter, will it? [I]*rolls eyes*[/I] What a total waste of time.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Which is, you know, the point of the chat in the first place. (^_^)[/FONT]

[CENTER] [IMG]http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2008/10/28/128696644111095188.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER]

[quote name='Kei][color=darkblue][size=1][i]*shoots you*[/i][/size'][/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]So mean..... ó_ò [QUOTE][I][color=darkblue][size=1]No, Kuro-puu only got suckered in because of the fact that F-Dub (I find that name highly amusing) essentially killed both his parents (his mother through actual stabbing and his father as a consequence of that). And, as we saw, that [i]really[/i] didn't go over well (though I have no idea how it would). Yay, taking out almost entire ninja squads.[/size][/color][/I][/QUOTE] Yeah, I'm aware of Wong's machinations to get at Kurogane, but if I recall correctly Yuuko intervened and placed Tomoyo in his path, which essentially kept him free of becoming a puppet. But even apart from that, the only real way in which Kurogane was affected was an insane rage. Yuui believed that his brother's death was his fault (and possibly that Ashura's actions were his fault as well, dunno), and "Syaoran" believed that the entire chain of events was his fault for winding back time. Kuro-tan knew someone else was to blame; so far as I'd seen he hadn't been holding himself responsible for anything. [QUOTE][I][color=darkblue][size=1]From what I remember of the past chapters, though, Fei Wong said that the original Sakura's body "fell apart and disappeared" when he created her clone. If that's the case, the gang may be a little screwed as the only thing left is Clone Sakura's body. Unless there's a way to revive a soul... :/[/size][/color][/I][/QUOTE] Yes, but then remember when clone Sakura's soul was stabbed (should we start calling her Cherry to distinguish? :p), she turned back to "Syaoran" and told him the real Sakura was waiting for him. So now we have an apparent paradox, as well as having only one body left, no souls to speak of, and a fistful of [strike]dollars[/strike] [strike]feathers[/strike] memories. [QUOTE][I][color=darkblue][size=1](Oh, snap! Could it be that the gang would actually have to rely on Fei Wong's wish to get Sakura back?! :O)[/size][/color][/I][/QUOTE] And he would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids and that dumb white pork bun![/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I deleted your duplicate thread, [COLOR=DarkRed]Kaimaster[/COLOR], but in the future if all you want to do is alter the format of your post or change some words around, please use the Edit function at the bottom of the post box instead of creating another thread. It helps to avoid clutter that way. Thanks, ?A[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]And it might be later in the week before I can move. I've got a test tomorrow, a test Wednesday, and an audition Thursday, so I'm going to be a bit busy with no time for late hours. Just hang on, Sloopy.[/FONT]

[quote name='Kei][color=darkblue][size=1]Now let's all play "Who Does Fei Wong Want to Revive?"! First prize is a toffee [i]and[/i] a shiny new penny. :P [/color'][/size][/quote] [FONT=Arial]I'm sure the truth will out as F-dub attempts the revival OR as he lays dying (har har), since I don't see CLAMP doing the long villainic monologue thing. But that doesn't interest me quite so much at this point. I'm more interested in how CLAMP will handle the clones. They've gone to great lengths so far to distinguish each one from his/her counterpart, so I wonder if they'll use separate realities to allow both to keep living, if the clones will go back to Clow and the 'realies' will head to Yuuko and thence....wherever, or if people will start dying. And since it has been made clear that Sakura has two bodies but only one soul (as opposed to Syaoran), that promises to make things a little difficult. And of course I wonder if Yuui will get his magic back and cease to be a vampire. The condition was not that he regain all his magic, just his lost eye. But that means that Syaoran has to give it up, and as we've already seen removing one's eye is nearly fatal. So things don't look so good for the clones right now, without some serious wishing going down. I'm also intrigued by the character development so far. Seems like the only one who hasn't yet fallen into the guilt-by-causality trap, for which Fei Wong seems to be notorious, has been Kurogane. Yuui got suckered into the "I killed my brother" deal, and "Syaoran" got suckered into the "everything now is because of my choice" deal. (Can't say anything for Sakura because we just haven't been given that much head time with her.) I wonder if Fei Wong is in the same trap.[/FONT]

[quote name='Sangome][SIZE="1"']Staring contest.[/SIZE][/quote] [CENTER]•_•[/CENTER] [FONT=Arial]And now that I'm done being a twerp, I'll go skipping off [I]this[/I] way....[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]All I can think of is that [COLOR=DarkRed]Raiha[/COLOR] will be voting in eight different precincts this year, or she'll come in and pummel me because she's beyond that sort of thing. Or both. In any case, I'm already running. :D[/FONT]