Rachmaninoff

I use to make a point of watching Christmas specials, but the last couple of years I've sort of lost interest in them. I still go to concerts and such, I just don't watch any television programming or movies anymore. Though I do usually check out any new holiday movies for the season. Though I've yet to check for any at the theaters this year. lol

[quote name='Deus ex Machina;800309][COLOR="DarkOrange"]May the doujin community rain hellfire on you XD[/COLOR][/QUOTE]What for? She was psycho in a good way, or rather one that was fun to watch. lol[quote name='Deus ex Machina;800325][COLOR="DarkOrange"]Crazy [i]awesome[/i'] maybe, lol. Ah, fangirls... but the difference is instead of bl doujins she's obsessed with yuri ones! Well, I'm sure she'd do either, but still!!! That alone made her one of my favorite chara's all year. And her awesome tuck-roll to prevent falling on her drawing arm XDDDD[/COLOR][/quote]:p That's why I said she was hilarious. I like her and I'd love to see more with her in it. She's a fun character. Heh[QUOTE=Desbreko'][color=#4B0082]Awesome, yes, but still crazy. It's hard to resist the walking pillar of moe that is Yutaka, but I think Hiyori is actually my favorite of the first-year students. My favorite scene with her was when she was trying to stop Konata from letting Yutaka read her work. Watching her get so panicked as her worlds started to collide was great.[/color][/QUOTE]Exactly... psycho... great... hilarious... fun... all of that and more. Plus I loved that bit with Konata as well. :catgirl:

[quote name='SunfallE;800297][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]The only thing I don't like about cooking is cleaning things up when I'm done! XP I like making it and eating it, but the clean up? I'm just glad for dishwashers since the cleanup was a lot more work when I was on the road. I often relied on paper plates to keep that fuss down to the bare minimum. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]When I was still living at home, I had no problem whatsoever doing the cleaning. But then my mom wasn't one to make a huge mess when she cooked so it wasn't that hard to do. That and I shared that responsibility with my brothers. So I only had to do it a couple times a week. [quote name='Tombstone'][COLOR="Navy"][FONT="Times New Roman"]The good old fashion way. My mom. XD However, I also use the microwave as well as the George Foreman grill. XD (Yeah, veggies don't exist. lol..) But when I get my own place and whatnot, I'll probably be living off of Hot Pockets. XD That way I wouldn't have to dirty up any dishes. (I really hate washing dishes, so I try to stick with the simple stuff.)[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote]I guess I forgot to mention that I live on my own already, since my roommates do not count. It's been a long time since I could rely on my mom to cook stuff. XP Not that I'd ever move back though, I like being out on my own too much. I also stick with the simple stuff, to avoid having much in the way of dishes as well, it's just easier that way, even if it gets pretty boring at times. I'll also pick something up at the cafeteria at the university since the food there isn't too bad and reasonably priced for premade food.

I finally got around to finishing this and though it had a fantastic ending, I'm already wanting more. Some of the newer characters, especially that psycho student who [spoiler] imagines her friends in all sorts of weird situations for her drawings [/spoiler] were totally hilarious to watch. It would be great to see another season revolving around the life of the other characters who came along later in the series. Like Des, I'm less than thrilled at the prospect of them spreading 24 episodes over six disks. If I get this, I'll be waiting for a later release in a thin pack version. I've become far more picky on what I'll pay for a show and forking out at least $20 per disk just isn't going to happen.

I forget which episode it was since I watched a whole bunch of them the other day... but right now the stalker episode takes the cake for being the most insane. It was creepy as all get out to see that line of [spoiler]stalkers walking down the street, with every pole hiding someone stalking someone and so on. o_O [/spoiler] That was so bizarre that I just laughed and laughed over it. Every time I think this show can't possibly get any weirder, it does. lol

If your first thought upon entering this thread is that you are indeed a good cook, then what are your favorite things to make? Or if you?re like me, someone who isn?t much of a cook at all, how do you get by? I got to thinking about this since it seems that cooking should be fairly simple and yet I completely and totally suck at it. lol To give an example, I can make spaghetti and though it?s editable, when my girlfriend makes it? it?s obvious that I do not know how to cook since hers is a thousand times better than what I make. XP Now since I do not fall under the first question, I have to go with the second one and that?s basically to say that the microwave oven is my best friend. I love just about anything that can be prepared in the microwave so long as it?s simple. Though at the same time? It makes my choice of food pretty pathetic. I mean there is just no comparison between the frozen dinners and homemade ones. About the only thing I don?t do is fast food. That stuff just makes me tired so I rarely go to a place like Wendy?s or McDonalds. I do go out to restaurants on occasion but that?s usually on a date or with friends and most of the time, the food is better than a hamburger joint.

[quote name='Desbreko'][color=#4B0082]Is it just me or was anyone else wanting to see Haruka and Seiko get together? I kept expecting there to at least be some hints towards that but there never were, which was kind of disappointing. On one hand they seem like a good match; on the other, knowing [spoiler]Seiko is actually a guy[/spoiler] made it seem a bit weird because I usually don't go for that kind of thing.[/color][/QUOTE]You're not the only one. >_> I just wasn't going to say anything since I find it kind of creepy that I keep thinking that those two needed to get together. Because Seiko is so damn [spoiler]feminine looking for a guy, that I would forget that he actually is one.[/spoiler] So every time it crossed my mind that those two fit one another... It just brought me up short when I remembered that. Not that I object, only that the mental image just didn't fit. The only way a [spoiler]guy would look so much like a woman is through extensive surgery and even then... [/spoiler] Well you get the picture... only in anime I suppose. XP

[quote name='Blayze'][SIZE=1]I'm looking forward to things getting "very interesting," and with all the nefarious deeds he's doing, I'm not sure how much longer Kreid can stay undercover. Someone must have noticed by now, heh. [/SIZE][/QUOTE]Hahaha. Kreid's pretty ruthless. I swear every time you post, the first thing that goes through my mind is to wonder just how many people he's going to do in. :p Anyway, again, sorry for the delay Beth. After I finished my finals I sort of went into a bit of a brain dead mode for a couple of days. It's extremely hard to not be lazy when you have absolutely nothing that needs to be done. XP

[quote name='cancer'][SIZE="1"]So is there anyone else on the boards that troops around in TK armor, or any uniform of the 501st Legion for that matter? I enjoy trooping as a TK. Below are some pictures from today.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]I don't dress up myself, nor do any of my friends, however there is a group called the Alpine Garrison that is affiliated with the 501st Legion of Imperial Stomrtroopers in my area. They often dress up and do toys for tots around Christmas as well as taking part in a light parade north of where I live. I didn't go this year to check it out, but I have in the past. It's fun to see, especially all the little kids who's reactions are much like the kids in the picture you posted. Heh. Anyway, definitely film it next time if you can. I know I'd enjoy seeing that as much as I did the pictures.

[quote name='Chabichou;799449][COLOR="#004a6f"]Anyway, I've noticed a lot more young people using canes these days. I just find it odd I've only seen this in the past couple of years. What gives? [/COLOR].[/QUOTE]When you say a lot more... What type of numbers are you talking about here? Also, are you sure that it really is something new or something you've just never given much thought to before?[quote name='Chabichou;799449][COLOR="#004a6f"]Sure, It's common to see someone using crutches if they've sprained a leg or something, but I'm seeing as many young adults in their 20s using canes as old people. Weird[/COLOR'].[/quote]I don't know if I would say it's weird, but then I've seen what you are talking about off and on for as long as I can remember. I mean, even I have used one since I was in a car accident last year that resulted in my right leg being broken. Between the surgeries and time spent using crutches to get around, I ditched the unwieldy crutches the moment I could in favor of using a cane while I went through a phase of physical therapy to get back the strength in my leg. [QUOTE=Chabichou'][color="#004a6f"]But canes are more often used because either the person has an injury that results in longterm problems or because the person is weak in their bones. Are young people getting themselves into more serious injuries that result in long lasting damages (for instance, they use crutches for a while, but when they heal, they still limp and need to use a cane), or cases of arthritis or other bone problems increasing in young people?[/COLOR][/QUOTE]I think your confusing the generally accepted stereotype that only older people use canes with the reality that depending on need, they've always been used regardless of someone's age. I'd be curious to know if the people in question that you saw really did have a more permanent condition or really were just using a cane since it was more convenient for them than other means such as crutches. Especially since price wise, it's easy to get both for the same amount of money. So that really does put it into the stance of picking whichever works best. It was well worth the twenty bucks I spent to be able to get around a lot easier for those few months while I did physical therapy. XP

Kerstin didn?t know how long she had been out when she finally started to come too. For the longest time she couldn?t seem to shake the groggy feeling or even open her eyes to see where she was. She could tell that she was lying on something and that something was covering everything but her face, but that was it. As the feeling slowly returned to her body she started to open her eyes but other than a glance at the built in lighting in the ceiling she saw nothing else. Kerstin started to move and then hastily closed her eyes and stayed still when the hiss of an automatic door opening sounded. She unconsciously tensed at the sound of two people approaching and nearly jumped out of sheer surprise when they started talking in low tones. ?[B]So we?re suppose to put her in the quarters prepped for her until the ship arrives?[/B]? One of them, a man asked. ?[B]Guess so, don?t know why the boss even cares. We should have taken care of her like we did with the other Imperial scum.[/B]? The second one said coldly. [I]Timothy[/I]? Kerstin cringed, wondering if he was even still alive. ?[B]I heard that the order came straight from Williams. Though why he?d care what happens to her is beyond me. Anyway, why are we waiting? It?s not like she needs to be awake for us to simply move her.[/B]? The first one said. ?[B]Besides, I?m more interested in checking out the report for sector three. I just bet they?re pissed that it won?t be possible to reattach the sections to the ship yards there.[/B]? The second one laughed snidely, ?[B]Oh it gets better. The word out is that sector?s three and four are on the verge of breaking off and joining the New Alliance.[/B]? The door opened again and a third voice spoke up. ?[B]What are you two waiting for? There?s no need to wait since Miss Anderson is already awake.[/B]? Kerstin tensed again and then opened her eyes as she turned her head to look at who had spoken. To her surprise she was in a private room in what appeared to be a medical center. There were three people in the room, two of them wearing the uniform of the local police force for sector eight and the third, the one standing just inside the door to the room was obviously a doctor or at the very least he was wearing the uniform of one. It was with trepidation that Kerstin pushed the blanket down and swung her legs over the side, moving into a sitting position. She wanted to say something but couldn?t bring herself to do so. For one thing it was obvious that they knew who she was and she knew all to well that what she had been doing meant she couldn?t rely on being a civilian for fair treatment. Even if Fleet Admiral Stevens had made it clear that she had no choice, it would make no difference and she knew it. Kerstin looked at each of them in turn before simply looking down at her hands that she had clasped together in her lap. Concentrating on suppressing the urge to shake as she remembered just how horrible it had been when she had been kidnapped by Blaine. Even though it was clear they were with the official law, it couldn?t stop the reaction since she knew full well they?d be within their rights to interrogate her. She looked back up at the sound of the one who was a doctor sighing and shooting the two members of the police an irritated glance. ?[B]What have you idiots been saying?[/B]? He walked over until he was closer to Kerstin. ?[B]Nothing is going to happen to you Miss Anderson. I don?t know what propaganda the High Council is spreading, but the New Alliance is adapting the policy that the Resistance has always held. No form of torture will ever be used in an interrogation. I can?t rule out the use of truth drugs, but no one is going to harm you.[/B]? ?[B]I see. So what's going to happen then?[/B]? Kerstin finally asked. ?[B]You?re being transferred to another sector. Until the ship arrives to pick you up you?re being moved to a more secure room. You?ll find a selection of clothing for you to change into waiting there for you.[/B]? He motioned to the two police who came over. ?[B]Now before we move you, is there anything I need to know about? The scans indicate that other than some bruises and blisters on your feet you should be fine.[/B]? Kerstin carefully stood up, noticing how the doctor must have already treated the soles of her feet since other than a tiny bit of soreness they were fine. ?[B]I?m fine. Thank you doctor.[/B]? She said politely. ?[B]All right, Lets get going then.[/B]? The first of the police force motioned for her to follow him. Something that Kerstin did without objection. If Kerstin had been hoping to get a glimpse as to where she was, she was disappointed as the hallway outside the room was not only deserted, but there were no windows letting her see if she was still in the city. The featureless white walls only served to make her feel isolated as she didn?t even know if it was day or night. And after traveling down several corridors with one of the police in front to lead the way and the other following along just behind her she still had no clue as to where she was. But then a moment later as they headed through a set of double doors that opened automatically upon their approach, she realized that they were putting her in an isolation ward. A suspicion that was confirmed as they approached the first door and opened it up. It was similar to a cell with the only difference being that it was a nicer room since isolation rooms were used for medical purposes. Kerstin didn?t say a word but merely entered when ordered, ignoring the sound of the door closing behind her as she surveyed her new location. A bed, a small desk and a computer terminal that she was certain was most likely offline. True to the doctor?s word several sets of clothing were sitting on the bed. She looked down at the dirty tattered remains of the dress she was wearing. After all that had happened, it was a wonder that she was still covered. [I]I might not get another chance to change into something more decent,[/I] she thought as she grabbed the simple grey pants and shirt along with the other simple underwear to go along with it. Kerstin took them with her into the small wash room attached to the main room and closed the door behind her.

At the moment I'm watching The Vision of Escaflowne, for the simple reason that there are episodes of it in the on demand section of my cable service. I'm not sure what I think of it yet since I only just finished the first episode. Well other than the dubbing already has me wishing I just had the disk so I could switch to subtitles instead. Beyond that it looks like it will be an interesting show.

Well if you had asked about my school life a few months ago I would have indicated that I was pulling my hair out a bit. XP But now, with finals done and over with as well as knowing that I did well, my school life is coming along great. I've yet to get my diploma in the mail since finals only just finished last Friday, but still I'm thrilled to finally have my Masters in Music. >_> Now I just have to remind myself that there is no need to worry over the next part when I start working on my Ph.D. next semester, continue teaching, giving and getting lessons, classes and all that jazz. I just hope I have time to breathe with all that coming up next year.

Right now I'm listening to The [B]Brandenburg Concertos[/B] by Johann Sebastian Bach. Here's a clip of part of the third one: [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ9qWpa2rIg"][U]Music[/U][/URL] The third one, though it is often played differently, is meant to be an exploration of the tonal and contrapuntal possibilities inherent in three groups of strings. Each group is suppose to have three violins, three violas and three cellos for nine equal parts. Unfortunately, finding a recording of it done like that isn't exactly simple. XP Though the one I linked to is a good recording just the same. Well as good as you can get from youtube.

Well, it's been a while, but I did finally finish this series. Overall I really enjoyed it and got quite a few laughs out of the whole process. Even though I found myself hoping the two would get together, there were times that I wanted to take Otani and shove him out a window for being so damn clueless. lol Probably the only thing I didn't care for was some of the final episodes and additional characters. Some of them were fun and yet barely in there at all and some of the wrap up episodes on the [spoiler]other couples[/spoiler] felt like they were just tossed in there to get to that magic number of twenty four episodes. They just didn't fit really. However, that can be forgiven since it had an excellent ending that really fit the show. Now I just need to get the manga so I can read it to see not only the differences, but to see how much if any of it was left out. The way some of those last episodes went really have me wondering if it was a case of condensing stuff just to get it in there.

One of the first I ever read, after being dared by one of my friends to do so since I still thought manga was silly back then. Anyway one of the first I read was Yu-Gi-Oh. That pretty much blew the concept that manga was for kids out of the waters for me. I've seen a tiny bit of the show and there's just no comparison at all. After that others that I have read have been Pieces of a Spiral, DNAngel-which made me glad I had seen the anime first since they really left out a lot, plus it sort of doesn't end and I've no clue when they'll get around to finishing it. A few others I've read a bit of have been Case Closed and one called Earthian I believe. In all honesty, other than to collect the Yu-Gi-Oh series, there isn't much manga that I buy or read.

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/alexanderedward-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/alecialeanna-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] It was clear to Alexander that Alecia was upset when she arrived at the small restaurant where they had agreed to meet for lunch. A fact that the owner of the restaurant who was well acquainted with the young couple seemed to pick up on as well as he took them to one of the more private rooms usually reserved for those who were willing to pay a little extra for the additional privacy. Alexander gave him an odd look but the man just leaned forward and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, speaking loud enough for only Alexander to hear. ?[B]Don?t you go worrying about it, no one has booked this room for lunch.[/B]? He smiled a bit. ?[B]You take all the time you need to get things sorted out.[/B]? And then he let go and left, discreetly closing the door behind him. ?[B]What happened?[/B]? Alexander asked Alecia as he took a seat next to her on the padded bench against the wall, carefully moving her bag and setting it on the table. ?[B]I?m sorry Alex,[/B]? She was looking down at her hands that were tightly clasped together. ?[B]I lost my temper and slapped one of the head Potionists,[/B]? She looked up at him, her gaze troubled. ?[B]The one I?ve told you about that disagrees with my views about equal treatment.[/B]? ?[B]What did he do?[/B]? Alecia sighed, ?[B]I treated the son of one of the workers from New Czenoble who was sick. If I hadn?t, the simple illness could have claimed his life and you know how treatment in New Czenoble is?[/B]? Alexander put his left hand up to her mouth to hush her. ?[B]It?s alright, you don?t have to justify your actions to me. I agree with you.[/B]? He smiled reassuringly, getting a tiny smile back in return. ?[B]Let me guess, that pompous fool attempted to dress you down for wasting resources on someone from New Czenoble, or something like that.[/B]? Alecia laughed a bit. ?[B]It does sound rather silly doesn?t it? I know that it?s procedure and all, but still, it?s just wrong to let someone who most likely got sick from being exposed to those he was working for go without treatment.[/B]? Alecia moved until she was free from the table and stood up, pacing back and forth a bit before she turned to face Alexander who had gotten up as well, grasping her by the shoulders, stopping her from getting worked up again. ?[B]There?s nothing silly about it.[/B]? He assured her. ?[B]There is if I get myself dismissed.[/B]? Alecia said with a tiny quaver in her voice as she unconsciously bit her lower lip, looking as if tears were about to spill forth. Alexander just pulled her close, hugging her tightly, ?[B]Then you?ll just find a better place to work.[/B]? He pulled back, reaching up to take her chin in his right hand. ?[B]There is always work for a Potionist, especially one who has no qualms about caring equally for everyone.[/B]? Alecia just sighed a bit and then smiled. ?[B]I?m sorry Alex.[/B]? ?[B]I thought we already covered that.[/B]? He teased her. ?[B]I meant for making us miss lunch.[/B]? She said contritely as she showed him her pocket watch, indicating that the time for their break was almost over with. ?[B]Well it won?t be the first time I?ve had to go without lunch.[/B]? He said with a chuckle. ?[B]Anyway, let?s get you back over to the center, I?m sure you can smooth things over.[/B]? Alexander opened the door, taking Alecia by the arm as they headed for the exit to the restaurant. The owner just nodded in their direction as they left and Alexander gave him a tiny nod of thanks for having the good sense to notice something was amiss and place them where they could talk in private. It didn?t take long for them to get to the medical center and Alexander had managed to relieve a good amount of Alecia?s tension with tales of some of the silly things he had encountered in the last month at work. As they walked up the path to the center, that feeling of good cheer was lost when they realized that the head of the facility was waiting at the front doors for Alecia. Upon seeing them he hurried to where they were, causing Alecia to tense and grasp Alexander?s arm tightly. ?[B]There you are![/B]? He exclaimed as he got closer. ?[B]I was about to send someone to find both of you.[/B]? ?[B]What?s going on?[/B]? Alexander inquired, instantly alerted to trouble by virtue of his speech that he was about to look for both of them. ?[B]I just got a message from one of your colleagues of the RPG who was looking for you two, there was an accident at Prometheo Labs.[/B]? He handed over the message to Alexander who looked it over. ?[B]I?m sure that you?ll want to head home to wait for news of your family lady Almagest,[/B]? He seemed a bit nervous. ?[B]As for what happened earlier, I?ve decided to assign you to someone else, even if you went against policy, it was most unprofessional for him to have made a scene over that in public, such a thing should have been handled privately instead of disgracefully in front of the patients.[/B]? ?[B]I?m sorry.[/B]? Alecia said quietly. ?[B]Don?t be.[/B]? He said kindly. ?[B]Just go and see to your family, I?ll make sure things are taken care of.[/B]? He turned and then headed back into the facility. ?[B]Alex?[/B]? She didn?t like the grim look on his face. ?[B]He?s right, we should head back to the Estate, at the time this message was sent, there was no word as to the safety of Leonhart or Macey.[/B]? He placed his arm around her shoulders at her tiny gasp of dismay. ?[B]What about your work?[/B]? Alecia finally asked as he started heading towards the train station. In answer Alexander just handed her the note, which clearly detailed that he was to take her home, seeing to her safety, excusing him from work for the rest of the day.

[quote name='The13thMan'][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic]I generally really dislike censorship, and even more so i hate being censored (****ing otakuboards! jk). But i do think it has its place. ...but that place is quite small. Instead of censorship i believe warning would be more effective. Just like ESRB warnings on video games and on tv and in movies. I like this system. It gives people that want to stay away from that sort of thing the deserved opportunity to. I don't consider this censorsihp as Rachmaninoff seems to. Censorship, to me, is the altering of art, literature, whatever on some grounds, be them moral, political, or anything. ESRB does not change anything in the movie or video game, only warn of it, which is perfectly acceptable to me. Haha, or in some cases preferable. As i recall the parental advisory warning sticker on CDs often times have adverse effects and actually end up increasing sells. ;D [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]I'm not sure if I follow you, I don't really consider ratings true censorship, other than they give someone the ability to censor what they view. More like informed censorship instead of outright cutting out ideas. I consider that beneficial and yet not limiting. :p So it is censorship and yet it's really more of giving people the freedom to choose what they want instead of someone else making that choice for them. Though since censorship usually includes outright banning or deletion of said offensive materials, that was probably not clear on what I really think. XP

Just to let all of you know... I do have a plan for getting us started on the Count... And yet at the same time with it being the week before finals I'm finding myself with not enough time to really plan the post out. Or you could say that at the moment I'm in too many rpgs. XP Still I do plan on getting something up in the next day or two or at the very latest, this weekend. I've got a surprise in mind so I hope all of you like it. [B] EDIT:[/B] And now that I have gotten past finals and everything, I have finally posted. Sorry for taking so long. XP Anyway, the basic deal here is that the Count has cursed the Shinigami in the room with him. That curse is slowly stripping everyone of the connection between the two worlds, which means that with each passing moment, we are all becoming weaker. The only one not affected is Nathan since he was not in the room at the time the spell was cast. So the idea is that unless they manage to deal with the Count and soon, before long they will lack the strength to be able to put an end to him. :p Oh and as you saw, it's made it easier for us to get hurt as well as he clobbered Alex a bit.

"Goddammit! Nathan, you arrogant BASTARD!!" "Adrian! Not now!" Alex hissed at him, causing Adrian to turn at the hint of panic in his voice. Or perhaps it was the serious tone or hint of fear, something that Adrian was not use to hearing from Alex. "What's the matter with..." Adrian stopped as his eyes traveled over the room, taking in where they were. "Excellent advice." The Count's voice echoed across the chamber as he slowly stood up, his black cape falling to the floor to pool around his feet. Exorbitantly dressed in the finest silks and satin materials, fitting in with the overly lavish decorations of the room itself. A room that was easily twice as large as the chamber they had just been in. It was clear that the Count liked living in total comfort with all the plush furniture strewn about the room. If there was another way out, Alex did not see it. Though like the other room, he imagined there was some sort of key that only the Count could use. He readied himself just as Nall did, his claws digging into his shoulder where he was perched. Lucia and Ruby moved to the left while Adrian moved to the right. Aeru, without a word stood between the Count and the little vampire girl, a look of fury on her childlike face. "So inhospitable," The Count sighed mockingly as he watched the three Shinigami move cautiously towards him. "Your hospitality is severely lacking, leaving you in no position to complain." Lucia observed dispassionately. "I'm afraid this just won't do." The Count said as he held up his right hand, palm facing upwards as a sphere of dark energy, similar to what had sealed them into the mansion appeared. With a maniacal laugh he sent it upwards until it slammed into the ceiling and then in a flash expanded until it covered the entire room. Startled, Alex barely had time to even register that the energy was approaching until it was already too late as it swept past and through all of them. He only blinked for a moment, but in that moment, everything in the room other than the Shinigami and the Vampires vanished. The only difference this time was that other than a short tingling sensation when the energy had passed through him, it did not harm him like it had when he attempted to open the doors to the mansion. "What a waste," Adrian taunted the Count. "Using that to move your possessions out of harm's way. You won't be around to bring them back." The Count just put his hands together, his finger tips barely touching as if he was actually considering what Adrian had just said. "There is that possibility," He smiled mischievously. "However, it did far more than that." He moved forward until he was in the center of the room. "Why don't you attack me and find out?" The Count looked at each one, sighing with regret upon resting his gaze on Lucia who was using her crystal communicator. "What a disappointment, It seems I must bring the fight to you." And then, to the surprise of all the Shinigami, he seemed to vanish. "What the hell?" Alex muttered as he took a step backwards, looking around frantically for the Count. All he got was a tiny warning, the barest hint of movement, a shout from Adrian to look out that came too late for him to react. A shadow slammed into him, sending his scythe flying to vanish and Nall lost his grip and was left behind. Then pain blossomed as he was slammed into the wall and he felt something snap in his chest. What just happened? He wondered as he felt himself starting to slide to the floor as the shock of the blow stunned him momentarily. For a moment it was as if he couldn't move. He found himself staring right into the eyes of the Count and then choking a bit as powerful hands grabbed him by the throat. Weakly he reached up in an attempt to pry them loose. With a laugh the Count let go and leaped out of range as Lucia's scythe came down with lethal force where he had just been standing. Alex didn't even realize that he was bleeding until Lucia asked him if he was alright. "Idiot," Adrian growled as he stood between the Count and the others. "Next time pay attention to his movements." "Alex!" Nall shrieked as he finally settled back on his shoulder. All of them turned to face the Count as he laughed at them. "I forgot to mention that I just cursed all of you, dragging you partially into the mortal realm." He smirked. "Unless you manage to take care of me and quickly, the longer you are here, the more mortal you will become." "Lucia," Alex started to say. "What he says is correct, whatever that energy was, it has destabilized our connection with this world and that of the Shinigami, if we don't find a way to counter it, I estimate that within a few hours, we will die." She looked briefly at Alex. "It's also the reason he managed to hurt you so easily, we've already lost part of the protection that comes from not truly being a part of this world." "Lovely," Alex snarled as he called his scythe back and took up a guarded stance, trying to tune out the Count's mocking laughter.

I got to thinking about this on account of some of the criticism I?ve heard towards the movie The Golden Compass, that criticism going along the lines of calling the film anti-Christian and that the theaters shouldn?t play it. Because as I have heard it said? that it?s basically a story where evil wins and they want to kill God. Now honestly, I don?t know a lot about it, other than I was planning on seeing it when it came out, and there isn?t too much of a protest here in SLC, Utah. But still it got me to thinking just how censorship plays a role in our society. A question of when does the attempt to censor something infringe on someone?s right to see things differently? And by differently I mean that the author is suppose to be an atheist. Anyway, on some level I think censorship is a good thing, for example rating movies, not allowing swearing or profanity unless in a specific area. Much like how the filter is enabled for most of OtakuBoards and yet is not enabled for the Theater area. Just as censorship is potentially damaging, I also think it serves a purpose that actually benefits society. So seriously, what are your thoughts? When it comes to ideas in movies, so long as it?s clear that the movie in question is considered fake and considering the content of The Golden Compass I can?t see it being taken any other way? I think attempting to remove it because it doesn?t conform to religious ideas is absurd and an attempt to censor anyone who doesn?t believe in god. It?s not like those who object have to watch it after all. lol Also, by all means, broaden this topic into all forms of censorship if you wish since it plays a huge role in our world.

[quote name='Shy;799733][size=1] Kudos to Rach for tricking everyone into thinking that Marta was Sandy's, heh.[/size][/QUOTE]>_> It was Sandy's fault. After all, I couldn't very well contradict you guys when some of you expressed the opinion that Marta's was Sandy's character. >_

[QUOTE][COLOR="Indigo"] Some have experienced that in a more [I]profound[/I] manner... you know who you are. :p[/COLOR][/QUOTE]Haha, cute Crystia, real cute. Anyway, I suppose the thing that affected me the most was that it sort of dragged me into being more active online since before myOtaku and OtakuBoards, other than to browse a bit I never was into being part of any online community. But then some of the other sites I visited just didn't have anything that really attracted me to the place, where OB already had a strong point in it's favor. A best friend from real life already being here and new friends I had made since joining myOtaku. So it's had a positive affect in how I enjoy coming here and in how I've since gained friends in real life that I met here first. It's also made me realize just how easily a place can keep dragging you back. But then it's fun so I don't mind too much. :catgirl:

[quote name='dragoonreaper;799757]1: Why does this site exist?[/QUOTE]Why does any site exist? Because someone decided to make it. ;) Seriously though, I would imagine it still exists because people still come around to visit it.[quote name='dragoonreaper;799757]2: What does this site do?[/QUOTE]The same as any other forum, it provides a place for people to discuss topics that they find interesting, or to engage in storytelling, making graphics, etc.[QUOTE=dragoonreaper;799757]3: Who post here? (Eamples: Gamers, Anime and Manga fans, etc.)[/QUOTE]I'd say a little of all groups you've mentioned and more. And in all age brackets as well. [QUOTE=dragoonreaper;799757]4: How did this site become this?[/QUOTE]Like any site, I would imagine that it just changed over time to become what it is today. I've not quite been here a year yet, so I couldn't really say on that one.[QUOTE=dragoonreaper;799757]5: Do you beleive that this site is the best forum site around?[/QUOTE]You do realize just how silly that question is right? Regardless of what I believe, unless I visit every site on the Internet, which I don't see happening, there just isn't a way to answer that. What I can say is that out of the few sites I visit, it is the best one. [QUOTE=dragoonreaper'']6: Do you have fun?[/quote]Obviously, or I wouldn't bother to visit. ;)

[quote name='Panda']As for energy drinks, I've never had one. [/QUOTE]Same here, about the only thing I've ever have that would come close is the occasional Coke or Pepsi. I do drink tea, but as far as I know it's not meant to give one energy. One of my roommates does like different energy drinks, but after seeing how wired those things make him... I just stay clear of the stuff.