Wet Cement

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]I hate the beach. And I like the water and sea-life and all that fun stuff. I hate the beach for two reasons: ONE - The sand. The ****ing sand. Gets everywhere and it angers me; in your trunks, in your toes, and everywhere else that's wet. And I can't stand it. Sand pisses me off. TWO - The heat. Most beaches are at least somewhat warm, and I hate that. Anything above 20C is too hot for me, and almost all beaches are like that. I can't understand the appeal - I can get sweaty and agitated without leaving my bedroom, why would I compound the problem by getting covered in sand? BONUS - Beach people enrage me. That's a generalization that I've yet to see proved false.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Ok, damn. I've been, er, out of town for... what's it been, ten days now? Long time - sorry I didn't mention it in advance but it was sudden. I havn't had access to a computer for that same length of time, too. And so I assume I've missed quite a bit. Looks like I've got a lot of reading to do to get caught up... Can I just assume no one did anything with my character, or what? Anyway, sorry and I'll try to get caught up. [/COLOR]

[COLOR="darkorange"]Levon hadn't waited long to see if Vanyel would return. He figured they'd probably run into each other at some point later on anyway, and the cafeteria might still be serving - there was no time to stand around when there's free food to eat! So down the stairs he went, periodically checking his map to see how many more flights to go, before reaching the correct floor sweating and out of breath. It couldn't have been more than four-hundred steps in all, but to Levon it felt like climbing the Temple of the Sun and the Moon. However, he didn't stop to rest, but pressed on in the direction of the cafeteria, navigating the crowds deftly. He found the cafeteria largely as he'd left it, which was disappointing because he'd hoped the line would have diminished by now. Regardless, he took his place and than took his food, finding a table near a window to sit at. The view, even from the third floor, managed to be dizzyingly high, so Levon stared at the wall while he ate. He noticed the crowd was much denser along that wall. That meal - which was as large as the three he'd enjoyed previously - finished, he decided to go and check out what the fuss along the wall was. Rather than shove his way through the crowd, he bent the light around it, allowing him to see right through them. There was a bulletin board, covered in white sheets with big bold titles and slots to write you're name; classes, Levon speculated, as the words began to come into focus. He briefly wondered whether or not he should sign up for something, or if he should go back to his room and have a nap. He scanned the crowd of paper's from names that caught his attention. He dwelled on teleportation for a moment, but the paper that he was interested in most read simply - [i]Audio/Visual Club for the Thusly Inclined.[/b] Despite the awkward title, it seemed like something Levon was interested in - he'd been a big fan of cinema ever since he spent a week sleeping in a dark corner of a movie theatre. That done, Levon fought his way through the clouds and back up to his room. He needed a rest. [/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]This topic should be extended for terms that already exist but just don't do justice to the definition. [b]*definition*[/b]: *possible words* [b]He of the Long Wind[/b]: Zephedextrous, Blowmein, Copycatalyst, Proustophile [b]Predisinclined Towards Fat People[/b]: Fatcist, Starvin' Stalin, Afatocious [b]Often Angry or Unusually Aggressive[/b]: Krautoscholastic, Timurial, Napoleatric [b]Funderful or, alternately, Funtastic[/b]: Shpadoinkle [b]Unrequitedly Dull or Intentionally Boring[/b]: Ayndolific, Randy, Quixotepolytronic Good on ya if you get even half those references...[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]I'm out to prove that a man can lead a happy existence without proving a damn thing to anybody. So far, so good. The key is understanding that success is pointless, because at the end of the day we're all gonna be just as dead-and-gone as the next person - just enjoy life anyway you want. That's what I'm out to prove. Oh ya, and that big fat lazy losers get lucky sometimes. I'm out to prove that too. [/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Just a few more things I'd like to add: The SUCKIT Brigade, when you first join, is just getting things into swing. Our secret base, for example, wasn't some diabolical bit of ingenuity dreamed up by a resident evil architect; we found it accidentally when we had to travel to Fiji to pick up lost luggage. It was abandoned, so we enslaved the Natives and had them fix it up... which means it's not exactly in tip-top shape. Hah. We're a minor evil empire as of now, with a few contacts and some enemies, but things will grow quickly. The way this RPG'll work is that it won't be particularily based on character development, but action almost constantly. Me and DB will assign you're characters various missions - sometimes in teams or solo, but always with a bunch of nameless underlings - and you're free to go about it any way you like. Make sure you provide as much opportunity for absurdist combat as possible. Hopefully this lasts a long time - as the RP progresses me may introduce new Henchmen and kill off old ones as we see fit. If you don't post enough or you lose sight of what the RP is about, never forget we reserve the right the kill you're character when we see fit :P[/COLOR]

[quote name='Sojiro47'][font="Book Antiqua"]Well, God knows I hope you're right. I know that there are people who will see it for sole reason that the Church disagrees with it. But there are more who won't, for fear of angering God. Not that I give a damn. I God doesn't want me to see it, He'll kill me on my way in. That's how I see it.[/font][/QUOTE] Not really... most Christians hate fundies as much as I do. Half of them'd go see the movie just so they aren't associated with those sign-carrying nutters. Depends where, though - in the rural South, for example, I doubt it'll last very long in theatres, but it'll be intensely popular in the UK and most of North America. That's how I see it going down, anyway.

[quote name='Sojiro47'][FONT="Book Antiqua"]Ok, So I'm a Christian, and I'm currently working on finishing the third book, [I]The Amber Spyglass[/I]. I love the series and am looking forward to the movie, but I'm afraid that [i]the Subtle Knife[/i] and [i]The Amber Spyglass[/i] will not make it to theaters because of how the church will react. I mean, remember how pissed they got when [I]The Devinci Code[/i] said that [spoiler]Christ had a child[/spoiler]? Well, imagine how they'll act when they find out that, in these books, [SPOILER]God is no more than an angle, and that angles can be killed.[/SPOiLER] I cant wait for this superstar cast and the movie holding them to come out. It's going to totaly trump every other movie this year.[/FONT][/QUOTE] I think that's exactly [i]why[/i] the Subtle Knife and the Amber Spyglass will be made into movies. The only way I see it not happening is if the Golden Compass flops - controversy sells. A movie that pisses off the fundies just means it gets more exposure, and people will either see it because it looks cool or because they want to piss off said fundies. Besides, anyone who thinks that HDM is a dig at Christianity is a fool. The series is about organized religion as a whole, and how it binds and restricts the mind.

[COLOR=DarkOrange][b]Treble,[/b] I don't know what to make of your username. I assume it's a reference to the 'treble' knob on you're speakers that no one knows what to do with but turns anyway in the hopes that it'll improve the sound quality. Sadly, the treble knob always comes second to bass. *sad* You're sig, avi, and personal message tell me you've got a thing for 70's cartoons - and what taste! Inspector Gadget was pretty rocking, and Grape Ape could kick Captain Caveman's *** any day of the week![/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Every year, new movies come out with all kinds of hype and Oscar buzz. Sometimes, they turn out alright, and sometimes they turn out to be not so great. But it seems that sometimes the best movies are the ones that no one seems to notice. This is a thread for these movies. List you're favourite under-the-radar flicks, old or new. [B]Screamers[/B] - Ok, it's no [I]Alien[/I] and the effects are pretty B-movie, but Screamers is a cool sci-fi movie with a lot of great action sequences and some of the creepiest bad guys in the history of cinema. Adapted from a Philip K. Dick short-story. [B]Johnny Mnemonic[/B] - Another bit of B-grade sci-fi gold. Stars Keanu Reeves in a role designed for him - an empty-headed, emotionless man who's carrying information in his head that's going to kill him if he can't get rid of it. [B]Bubba Ho-Tep[/B] - Like everything else Bruce Campbell did in his life, this was so freakin' underrated. What happens when an aging Elvis Presley and a black man who thinks he's JFK meet in an old-folks home and team up to bring down a soul-sucking mummy? Got good reviews but never got the exposure. [B]Darkman[/B] - Sam Raimi's least-appreciated work is IMO his second-best (Behind Army of Darkness, which isn't really underrated anymore). Liam Neeson gets his face melted off, so he builds himself a new one and becomes a sort-of-superhero, kicking all kinds of *****. Man, B-movies are so awesome. [B] Heavy Metal[/B] - Ok, so maybe a Canadian anime made in the 80's based on a German magazine seems like just a nerdy guilty pleasure... and that's why I love it so much. Completely irreverent, funny and entertaining, Heavy Metal is just plain fun to watch... unless you're one of them plot-nazis. So, what are your favourite underrated movies? I could go on forever (Santa With Muscles, anyone?) but I'll spare ya.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Freakin' subway sandwiches, man. I don't know what it is - obviously, there's a lot of things to love about a sandwich. It's customizable, hand-held, the perfect size for biting, all kinds of good stuff; but I've had two all-meat-and-cheese subs virtually every day for the past six months. Can't get enough of them - get some blackforest ham and some Mexican smoked turkey in there with Genoan salami and some bacon and you've got yourself an awesome lunch. Another thing I'm partial, but not addicted, too is poutine. I know that very few places in the world have this dish, but sweet turnbuckle of Christ it's good. Take fries, deep-fry em' in lard, put them in a bowl. Than take cheese curds - which are another thing that's pretty rare in most places -and put them on top of this pile of french fries... than cover the whole mess in thick gravy. Enjoy. (Seriously, if you don't have cheese curds where you live don't even try to replicate the amazingness of a poutine.)[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Ok... social interaction should never be so awkward, but my latest post is up. I decided to not really mention Liam or his plans (or whatever they are), because honestly Levon just isn't interested. Apathy got him this far in life, figures it'll get him the rest of the way. For the sake of the story, I suppose he'll have to be forced into either side of the conflict (if that's even what it is), but for now he's not picking sides.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Out of curiosity, Levon had taken out his map as soon as he was past the doors. As he'd suspected, they were on the top floor, which seemed to, oddly enough, be comprised only of that one room. There were no hallways outside, not even a landing - once you stepped out the doors you were on a stairway going down. Just more of the Hall's mysteries. [b]"Well, that was abrupt..."[/b] Levon said, tucking the map into his pocket and starting down the stairs to catch up with the rest of the group. While his comment had been aimed generally, no one felt reason to respond, so the poorly-dressed procession made it's way down the stairs in silence. It must have been two hundred steps before they made it to the next floor, and half the group was already out of breath. Most of the group kept going downwards, drawing out their maps to find their way back to where they'd been, but a few stayed on the floor. Levon was one of these. He drew his map out and scanned down the floors until he saw the cafeteria; easily twelve stories straight down from their location. He groaned audibly. [b]"This place is really weird."[/b] It was one of the others on the floor, a woman with dark hair and the closed air that Levon recognized instantly as belonging to someone with experience on the streets. [b]"Ya. Laws of physics don't apply here too much, eh? Wonder who built it."[/b] Levon was thinking outloud more than he was having a conversation; he was used to people not responding anyway. So he was somewhat surprised when she said: [b]"Probably someone with a lot of money."[/b] Something about the obviousness of that statement raised a chuckle from Levon. Not willing to let the conversation slip into awkward silence, Levon said, [B]"Well, my name's Levon LeVaughn."[/B] His face flushed a bit when she didn't respond, but he rescued himself, saying [b]"You don't have to be so quiet, ya know... I was homeless too, I know what it's like."[/b] He smiled and hoped it was comforting. [b]"Vanyel Ashkevron,"[/b] she said, smiling back. [/COLOR]

[QUOTE]and so help me if you think a gun will have effect on espers, you're sorely misguided to my intentions.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=DarkOrange] I figure a nut with a Deagle could do some decent damage before someone turned the gun into steam or transported the shooter to the moon or something. Not that I advocate that or anything, just sayin' that this RP seems so filled with angsty post-teens that such a thing would be practically unavoidable. In any case, you could make that one of the events - an NPC shows up with a minor ESP power and a big gun and goes to town on the Hall and than have the 'chapter' be about how everyone reacts. Kind of thing you'd do later on in the RP when things start to stagnate. But I'm just thinking outloud... disregard it if that's not the direction you want to go in.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][b]2007DigitalBoy[/b], you're username tells me many things; first off, it's 2007, and secondly that you're a cyberpunk, at least to a certain extent. "It's a trap!" is an obvious Admiral Akbar reference - and a fitting one. Like a venus fly trap, you draw people in with a soft orange font, and than beat them over the head with poor grammar and misplaced capitals. Your sig and banner tell me you're a shameless self-promoter. The fact that you have an internet marriage compounds my conclusion that you're a supreme nerd. As for your avi? Tells me that you're a sick, disgusting pedophile with a cross-dressing fetish, just like myself. All in all? Like lookin' in a mirror.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE]Know what's sad? DB, Prem, Clurr, Wet Cement, and Fyxe are all younger than me. Indi is 11 years older than me. Jiazu is 4 years older than me. Darren is just barely older than me, by about a year. And yet, the ones going "Yes! Up the rating so there can be sex!" are the younger ones. o_O That's just a tad bit scary.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=DarkOrange] Hey, unfair. I don't want to up the rating to make room for descriptive sex/public masturbation scenes, I want it upped as a precaution to the unavoidable Postal-like rampage that one of our less stable characters is likely to embark on. Seriously, I don't want a mod on my case if my character decides to whip out a semi-auto and go to town on the library. I mean, not that my character intends to do it, or anything, just that uh... you can never be too careful. Ok, so we've established that the RP will have graphic and totally, erm, unnecessary sex scenes. Now we've got to establish the classes a little more; we've got a few basics, like teleportation and divination but we really need some more nerdy classes. Like a sort of ESP-based A/V Club and a Mental Chess Team, know what I mean? In any event, I'll get another post up soon... enough.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Dramatic Announcer: Enter the Puss-ee! (cursed asterisks) Cat Lee: Why you stuff my teacher! WHY! WHY! WHY! Oh, I really hope someone else watched Bruce Lee movies and that doesn't get me banned...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Even though the halls were crowded, Levon didn't look up from the map as he briskly made his way towards the cafeteria. He didn't have to look up, afterall; he just had to bend the light around the map so he could see what was on the other side, something he had come to do passively. The compound was far, far larger on the inside than it had appeared from outside; and it wasn't just a miscalculation on his part, either. Evidently, the laws of conservation of mass failed to apply in Esper Hall; what a strange, strange place, Levon thought. The map should have been huge, but it wasn't - only one floor was displayed. When one wanted to know the location of a room on another floor, you merely [I]thought[/I] about it and that floor was displayed. But Levon had no time for such mysteries - he smelled food, and he was just one turn away from the stairs. He came to the stairs, with long and high steps that looked to be made of [URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labradorite]labradorite[/URL]; extravagant and spacey, fitting. Despite the daunting massiveness of the flight, a hungry man is a motivated man, so Levon made his way to the cafeteria in no time. [b]"There's always a line... this is just like a soup kitchen!"[/b] Levon remarked, as he tucked the map into his pocket and negotiated his way to the food line. There was a definite contrast between the awe-inspiring stairwell and the white, featureless cafeteria; the tables were set up in rows, with benches stuck on the side of them, just like elementary school. Levon waited dutifully - something you learn quickly as a vagrant is how to hold your stomach - and than filled his tray with anything and everything they would give him, another thing he picked up on the street. Fully intent on going back for seconds, he made his way to a table that seemed fairly uncrowded. There were only two people there, and something about how they carried themselves indicated they weren't veterans of Esper Hall; Levon hated being around people who knew what they were doing when he was clueless, anyway. [B] "Hey, I'm Levon LeVaughn, which means Levon the Vaughn in French... Er..." [/B]Levon's intro was more awkward than he'd planned. He put his tray down and sat.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][B]XxXLolitaGothXxX[/B] LoliGoth, you're name tells me many things. First off, I assume the XxX's are for cool, and they certainly imply as much. 'Lolita' is a little harder to decipher, but the book was pretty hardcore so you get points there. As for the Goth part, I must say I'm lost. As for your banner and avi set, well, it certainly adds a level of unique mystique to your posts - a depressing theme on the internet? Wonderfully bold. Oh, and your sig tells me you have a thing for boxes. [/COLOR]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy][COLOR=Magenta'] I find it funny how indiff's char seems better at being homeless than Wet's. His needs to take lessons from hers lol. [/COLOR][/quote] [COLOR=DarkOrange] It's not my fault Levon's a spoiled hobo... I guess some homeless people just get all the luck, eh? He occasionally slept in a bed (although the last time he slept in a bed, it's former occupants hadn't been doin' much sleeping, if ya know what I'm saying... it was like lyin' in glue) and even once found a whole pizza in a garbage can, no rats or anything! Anyway, let's hope this RP gets going smoothly and quickly, because I'm definitely curious as to who this 'Guest One' is. (What? Already been done? Damn!) Let's lock and roll![/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]It was with a heavy intake of breath that Levon dropped the suitcase onto his bed. He placed his hands on his hips and took in a few more breaths; for someone who'd spend so much time living on the streets he really wasn't in terrific shape. The suitcase wasn't his; he'd had no clothes or belongings to put in one anyway, so why bring it? He'd stolen it from the airport's baggage retrieval belt just hours before, taking the most expensive-looking and big one of the lot and slinked away with it. He'd not had a chance to look inside it until now. [b]"Let's see what we got here..."[/b] he said to himself, drawing the zipper along the side the bag and drawing back the flap to reveal the contents. [b]"Ah, god dammit!"[/b] He muttered as he upended the bag and poured a pile of women's clothes onto the bed. He stood back from the mess with the empty bag in his hand, and shook his head. [b]"Now that's going to be fun to explain..."[/b] He ran his hand along the inside of the bag slowly, feeling for any hidden compartments or something else of interest, but found nothing. He tossed the bag to the foot of the bed, and picked the pile up in his arms and dumped it down with the bag. He'd put it away later and give it to Salvation Army, he figured. He lay down on the bed and propped himself up on the pillow. He was tired; it was late, anyway. He wanted to stay awake and think about his new life, but he simply couldn't pull it off. Fully clothed and with the lights still on, Levon fell asleep. [CENTER] [B]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=[/B][/CENTER] Levon's alarm rang at exactly nine o'clock. As he rolled over to smack it off the bedside table, he hazily realized he couldn't remember having an alarm clock, let alone setting it for nine. With a start, he realized that the ringing was inside his own head - [I]Man, this place really [b]is[/b] freaky[/I], he thought. The ringing stopped after exactly one minute, but it wasn't enough to get him out of bed. He was never one for being on time, and he was still tired, so he lay there awake for a time. Eventually, though, the urge to wash overcame him and he got up and plodded to the small phone-booth-of-a-bathroom in the corner of his room, disrobed, and took the first real shower he'd had in months. Dressed again and feeling refreshed, Levon walked out the door and into his new life. He wondered whether or not this new life would have free food or if he'd have to pay for it; to this end he set out to find someone in charge.[/COLOR][COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1][INDENT][B]Wet Cement[/B], next time use less dash's and equal signs. If you're stretching OB's layout, you need to change it. Thanks. ~indifference[/INDENT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman][color=#9933ff][font=lucida calligraphy] [b]3.) Young Frankenstein- I don't know who was in it[/b] This was just a hilarious take on Mary Shelley's (?) Frankenstein. I hope TCM or AMC airs it again [/color][/font][/QUOTE] [COLOR=DarkOrange] The amazingly funny and tragically late Gene Wilder (Willy Wonka, the Waco Kid, et cetera) starred in that little bit of cinema history. Fantastic movie, definitely a favourite, but not really top five for me. I happen to prefer older movies to new ones. Here's my list: 1 - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Clint Eastwood, Lee van Cleef, and the awesome Eli Wallach) The third, and best, of Sergio Leone's Dollar's Trilogy is the epitome of awesome. Clint Eastwood personified cool. I'm not even a fan of westerns, but this movie simply transcends; in my opinion the best thing ever put on film, Godfather be damned! 2 - It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (Sid Caesar, Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle) Hilarious absurdest comedy about a bunch of simple people who really, really, really, really want that freakin' money! The best 'rat race' movie ever made, even if some of the jokes are a bit dated today, I can always watch it. 3 - Midnight Cowboy (Dustin Hoffman and than-newcomer John Voight) Ok, so maybe a movie about a male prostitute and his perpetually-ill friend is a bit odd, but the move is powerful. It's about friendship, but mostly it's about a guy who comes to New York trying to become a 'kept man' for some of the ladies around but ends up an everyday hustler. Sounds a bit off base, but it's a very, very, very good movie. Most importantly, it gave us the line "I'm walkin' here!" 4 - The Life of Brian (The Monty Python Crew) The 'forgotten' of the three Python films, the Life of Brian is one of my favourites. Imagine being born in a stable in Bethlehem on the same night as Jesus Christ and living your whole life in his shadow. Hilarious biblical farce, even if it did earn the Pythons some flack from the fundis. 5 - Soylent Green (Charlton Heston, and who cares who else) "Soylent Green is people!" That line will go down as one of the best in cinema history. Amazing sci-fi movie about a creative solution to overpopulation and starvation; round of dissenters and make em' into food! Great, if dated, action-adventure. HM - Anything by Mel Brooks, including Dracula: Dead and Loving It! There are a lot of other more recent, but still oldish, movies out there that would make my top-five, like Platoon or Screamers or Jaws, but this thread seems to be more about older-than-that movies. So, there it is.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]To get away from the trend of really bad, overlong poetry, here's a really bad, overlong short story that I just wrote in ten minutes. CC would be nice, as I intent to write a second, improved draft. [B][CENTER]The Lucid Last Stand at Bacon Hill [L-V][/CENTER][/B] [B]?Why do you think they call it Bacon Hill, Sir??[/B] I say to the Sir, looking over at him where he lies, propped up on the lip of a glass crater carved into the shattered floor. He looks happy. [B]?Hell do I know, lemur? Maybe they made bacon here.? [/B]He sounds angry, but I suspect he's happy on the inside. [B]?Do you think they?ll give us any bacon, Sir??[/B] I look back into the rusty-red sky through the gape in the ceiling. The moon is big and pleasant looking, like a big silver gumball in the sky. I wonder what a silver gumball would taste like; probably sugar. The Sir laughs a hacking, wheezing laugh and says, [B]?Ya! They?ll give us bacon, all right. All the bacon we can handle, simian. Be up to our knees in [I]bug[/I] bacon by sunup.?[/B] He stops laughing then, taking in a few ragged breaths around his cigar. I begin to think that maybe the Sir is going insane. I?ve always wanted to have a conservation with an insane man. [B]?But Sir, why bug bacon? That doesn?t sound pleasant, not one bit.?[/B] I continue to gaze through the crack in the ceiling, almost like being inside a tiny room and looking out through a keyhole. [B]?Shit, they?re making you monkeys dumber than ever, aren?t they?? [/B]The Sir spits out his cigar as he finishes this sentence. It falls into the bottom of the glassy crater and smoulders there. He continues, [B]?I swear, back when I first got into the smoke house, we had real men, flesh and blood and neurons and all that other good stuff, not tankheads like you. Programmed for efficiency my ass!...? [/B] I drift off as he continues. It?s not that he?s being boring; I?ve always liked being reprimanded by the officers. Part of me even wants to listen. But in my mind I?m flying through that keyhole into the sky. [B]?? bullshit, that?s what this is! I- Hey, ape, ya hear that??[/B] He laughs again. I distantly note the insanity this laugh holds and continue to soar. [B] ?Yes, Sir.?[/B] I agree, nodding absently. Miles away. [B]?No, you dumb shit, shut up and listen.?[/B] I comply. [B]?Hear it? Like a thousand ex-wives angrily gnashing their teeth at once? Bugs, knuckle-dragger, lots of em?. Missed us the first time around. Comin? back to finish the job! Hand me that gun. I always wanted to go down in a muzzle flash o? glory.?[/B] He wiggles himself further up the side of the crater, only to slide back down again once he stops to rest. [B]?But Sir, you?ve got no arms.?[/B] I state this fact in the tone it deserves, but the Sir will have none of it. He just shakes his bloody stump at me and says, in a cracking voice: [B]?God dammit, shut up! I?ll pull the damn trigger with my toes if I have too; just get me some firepower!?[/B] I decide not to tell the Sir he?s also missing his feet, and most of his legs to the hip. [B]?God dammit,?[/B] he mutters, almost inaudible over the sound of the swarm approaching. My finger tightens around the trigger of my combine. I wonder if our new guests will stay for bacon. The Sir begins to cry than, small droplets of moisture paving a path down his grimy and blackened face. He voice rises in raggedy sobs and he cries out,[B] ?God damn this whole fucking planet, and this whole fucking outfit, and this whole fucking empire!?[/B] He accentuates this statement by craning his neck to the left as far as it goes and sinking his teeth into the patch on his shoulder. With a great rip the RSF?s patch ? a black-outlined red hand gripping a black-outlined red planet on a black field specked with red stars ? tears free from his uniform and he spits it down into the crater with his cigar. [B]?Sons a bitches knew the bugs were here, knew these new tankheads were a bunch of spazzies; sent us in anyway! Bunch of bureaucrats and technophiles can never get enough of their god-damned new toys!?[/B] I begin to deduce he?s no longer talking to me, and so I stop listening as he continues to ramble. I sit up suddenly, and drew myself into a fighting position, on one knee with my combine resting on my shoulder. I look down the sight and realize that our friends will be here soon. [B]?Sir, what do you think this building was? I mean, before it became ruined and all its people became bacon farmers.? [/B] [B]?You don?t quit, eh??[/B] He laughs again; not the insane laugh of before, but a soft and pleasant one. I don't think I've ever heard it from him before. [B]?How?m I supposed to know, simian? Probably a church ? those damn farmers always gotta worship something. Judging by these circles with swords growin? out of em?, and all these stars, probably some Liberal god of peace and love. The kind of crap. Didn?t do them no good anyway. Goodbye, monkey boy.? [/B]He says this with a sort of finality that evokes a feeling of pressure at the base of my neck. I want to scratch it but can?t take my hands off my gun. [B]?Goodbye sir. Until we meet again.?[/B] The swarm arrives than, pouring through cracks in the wall, the main, crashed doorway, and through the hole in the roof. I fire in five-shell bursts, robotically dispatching one target before moving onto another. For a time, I manage to keep them back ? they are large and clumsy beasts and have difficulty coordinating with each other, but there are a lot of them. Eventually my gun begins to make a clicking sound; I reach for a magazine at my hip but find nothing. The bugs swarm forward. They get to the Sir before they get too me. I hear him scream. Out of the corner of my eye I see them converge on him, tearing at him and making his insides his outsides. He fights back, but his teeth are much smaller than the bugs?. Before long, he looks like a walking birthday partying decoration; well, perhaps not walking. I smile at this; I like birthday parties. Than the bugs reach me. Well, there it is. No, there's no hidden meaning to it, not really anyway. It is what it is; there's no real point to the story, I just wrote it because I wanted to finally put something into print after attempting and failing over and over to write more complex stories. I basically wrote it because I've always wanted to explore the perspective of a clone or a programmed human being. Anyway, that's that. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Ok, I have a settings question here. What exactly is Esper Hall supposed to look like? Is it set up like a collage campus, with a main building and a series of other buildings in the same 'campus', or is it more like a little town? Or is it just one big complex? Also, what kind of architecture is it, your standard, oppressive red-brick square-buildings, or something more Victorian?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]The G-Man from Half-Life is easily the best villain ever. He's so insidious! The fact that you never engage him in open combat just makes him freakier, since he's a puppet master controlling the whole course of history, or at least manipulating everything in it. Definitely, the G-Man is the best villain in video game history![/COLOR]