Gavin

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. Personally I'm in agreement with the majority of people here, if you're not happy with your old work, delete it, plain and simple. Like most Oldies from V3, I'll be chalking up by fifth year come September which means over the course of the last half decade I've posted a lot of stuff I don't relish looking back on. However regardless of whether or not I'm happy with those posts, they are my posts and I'm not going to go getting in a bunch because people can see I was a newbie just like everyone else back in the day.[/SIZE] [quote name='Sara][color=#b0000b][size=1]Yeah, you can find some great dirt on anyone who's been here more than a couple years. But aside from the humor in finding the early posts by respected members, no one really cares.[/size'][/color][/quote] [SIZE=1]This is true, my good friend Bill, the current Moderator of the Underground takes great pleasure in digging up my old work to annoy me.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. I read about the incident in yesterday's paper, but I have to admit I'm taking the whole "anti-Semitism" thing with a grain, or in this case a bag of salt due to the fact there was absolutely no mention of it anywhere in the paper and if someone like Mel Gibson made anti-Jewish statement I think it'd be plastered all over the front page, as sad as that is. I don't condone his drink driving, it's way beyond the realm of stupid and dangerous, and there are enough road deaths in the world caused by exactly that kind of behaviour. [/SIZE]

[quote name='Sara][color=#b0000b][size=1]1000 words is three typed pages, and in most RPGs, I think that's long enough for any one person to have control of the story.[/size'][/color][/quote] [quote name='Retribution][size=1']If you're only allowed something like 500 words, one of three things will happen. 1) You will have utilitarian posts that scrap all detail to further the plot, 2) you will have detailed and descriptive posts that move the story no where, or 3) you will have some mix of both which proves to be ineffective due to the limited length. I could see how something like this might be beneficial to a fight scene, in that it would force the two to think harder about their moves, but it might actually hurt things. You might just have people intent on making a certain move, and so they have zero detail and just a string of actions.[/size][/quote] [SIZE=1]Alex, if 1,000 words is roughly 3 pages, then 500 words is a completely acceptable upper limit. I don't know about you, but the vast majority of my RPG submissions never go beyond a page and a half in Microsoft Word. So I don't know where you get off saying that limiting replies to 500 words would create havok in the Arena, because most replies are under 500 words anyway from what I can see. Besides, Josh isn't talking about implementing this system across the entire Arena, this is simply an idea we were discussing for a possible future RPG in order to encourage people to be able to post more often.[/SIZE] [quote name='Retribution][size=1']Furthermore, longer posts can be very beneficial in an RPG. For something like Kill Adam, you could have both a flashback and action in the same post, where the story is told from one perspective. Such posts both enrich the universe and move things along, with the latter being superfluous in many cases. With a limit of 500 words, you limit the complexity of the universe being played in as well as cripple creative control of the RPer.[/size][/quote] [SIZE=1]True, longer posts under certain circumstances can be beneficial, but raising the case of Kill Adam as an example is a bit unfair. Kill Adam featured some of the very, very best role-players in the Arena, people who were around and were willing to wait a long time to finish Kill Adam Volume One. How long did it take from start to finish ? Seven months over only three pages. I don't think it's even remotely realistic to use KA as an example of how longer posts can be beneficial to most RPGs in the Arena. As for 1,000 + word posts enriching stories, again this is true, but what you're not saying it that it also creates a strain on the writers to be able to submit that kind of addition in timely fashions in order to keep the fluidity of an RPG. What Josh is suggesting by adding an upper word limit is that people can add a reply and then work off what the next person submits, the fluidity is kept and people don't spend a week working on one posts. For those of us in multiple, often four or five RPGs at the one time, this is also a blessing because 5,000 words every two or three days is very difficult to do.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Sigma wasn't comfortable, that was to put it mildly. This city just didn't feel right, malice was common in places on Earth, but not this strong nor on it's own, there was nothing here he could sense that was generating the emotion, this was a dead space. He'd heard other psychers theorise dead space, a biological void that retained it?s last great emotional surge, locations of genocide were supposed to generate these phenomena but John had never actually experienced it before. ?[b]Just my luck to be the only esper in this whole fucking group.[/b]? He sighed out in frustration. ?[b]Sometimes, just sometimes I wish I didn?t let my greed get the better of my intelligence.[/b]? This place was a graveyard, there was no doubt about it and despite all his training, Sigma couldn?t help but feel intimidated. This place just didn?t feel right, it wasn?t just the essence of malice in the air, plenty of cities generated their own auras, one of the major reasons espers never stayed in the same place for too long was that it could have a negative effect. If that happened, then the only option was psychokinetic purification and that was something no esper ever wanted to have to go through. The buildings around him were mostly residential, skyscrapers measuring above thirty or so storeys, hundreds of people packed together like cattle in a crush. John hated being confined, another typical psycher tendency; in many way it had been argued that psychers were a complete subspecies to humans, but for many the idea of being separated from humans brought back unpleasant memories of childhood. The manifestation of psychic powers among children was enough to drive some into depression and suicide, some radical elements of society continued to fight against what they called the ?psycher threat?. God damn it, why did they have to go and split up to search this God forsaken place, sure it was empty, sure there wasn?t a soul for kilometres, but this place still didn?t feel right. He respect the commander, but this wasn?t a sound tactical move from the point of view of moral, scaring the shit out of the troops beneath you was a very good way to cause descent in the ranks. He wasn?t far from the rendezvous point, and the his search was almost complete, another minute and he?d meet back up with the rest of the team, and that couldn?t come soon enough. [CENTER]||||||||||[/CENTER] Sorry for the lateness, I?ve just not been able to write anything lately.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. I have to admit I picked up on the Jay and Silent Bob thing before Papa Smurf even pointed it out, Steven's speech just gave it away completely, but seeing as I'm a big fan of Kevin Smith, that only enhanced the enjoyment. I gotta say I was a little disturbed by my own behaviour, seeing as I'm a cheap bastard who hates the crew of my local Gamestop and buys any new game off the net. In fact it's quite weird but Mike's character reminds me of an asshole I have to deal with on the occasions I darken Gamestop's door. Also Mike is right, [b]Big Boss would pwn Solid Snake in a fair fight.[/b] Funny as hell, I just hope I don't make too many appearances...[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. Well personally I think it's a very interesting idea, I'm known for making long posts in RPGs, something I've become accustomed to and comfortable with, so this would be a challenge for me to trim them down. However as I said over AIM, I think having a mandate for shorter posts would really help get things along as people know have an idea how long their posts need to be and won't spend ages like I do writing larger and more detailed replies. Combined with a posting order and a time limit, I think it could be very useful.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]?[B]You planning to race tomorrow ?[/B]? Kanaye grinned at Michael as he spoke. ?[B]Yeah, might take the Koenigsegg out and show that Zonda of yours what a real racing machine looks like.[/B]? Michael had met Kanaye in New York a few years back, the two young men had become fast friends, quite literally, despite the fact that Michael was eight years older. When you raced, age made no differences, it was all about who reached the finish line first. In a lot of ways, Michael had grown up in New York, he wasn?t known the same way as he was in Ireland, he earned his own respect based on his own skills. He still kept the silver and blue Honda in his garage, but it?s racing days were over, now it was an old friend that deserved to rest and be respected. ?[B]You always talk big Michael, if you didn?t have the wins to back it up, I might not take you seriously.[/B]? Michael laughed at the sentiment, Kanaye had beaten him a few times before, but they held roughly level pegging in races together. ?[B]I talk big ? You?re always the one who wants to put some silly bet down before we race. You remember the time we both had to run around Manhattan in nothing but our briefs because neither of us won and you wouldn?t admit I?d beaten you.[/B]? Kanaye chuckled recalling the incident with nostalgic glee. ?[B]If I remember right, the main reason you didn?t want to do it was because you were wearing big red hearts on your black boxers.[/B]? Michael scowled at the statement. ?[B]I?ve absolutely no qualms about what boxers I wear, and I?ll have you know old friend that most of the girls loved those boxers.[/B]? ?[B]I?m sure they did.[/B]? This was typical Michael and Kanaye, firm friends who took the piss out of one another for fun, never intentionally hurtful, but they?d never let one another live down their less proud moments. Had they looked more alike, you could nearly mistake them for a pair of brothers. ?[B]So what?re you up to now Kanaye ? Don?t suppose you?ve an office job like the rest of us ?[/B]? ?[B]I?m a mechanic.[/B]? ?[B]Big surprise.[/B]? Michael chuckled, despite the fact that Kanaye rarely stuck for long periods in any one job, he always seemed to take the same jobs. ?[B]Suppose you?re moonlighting as a barman as well ?[/B]? ?[B]Is that your way of asking for a drink Irishman ?[/B]? ?[B]Is that your way of offering a man a drink ?[/B]? Michael winked, leading Kanaye to sigh in defeat. ?[B]Don?t worry, there?s a lovely little pub down about a hundred meters from here, you buy the first round, I?ll get the second.[/B]? The pair continued walking, though most of their talking would wait until they actually had somewhere to sit and talk properly. The ?little pub? as Michael called it was one of the more exclusive bars in Monaco, maybe his new lifestyle as the ?reputable head of Banque de Monaco?s security? was getting to him. The vigilant sentry at the entrance smiled at Michael before casting a gaze towards Kanaye. ?[B]Afternoon Mr Mulcahy. New client ?[/B]? ?[B]No Robert, this is an old friend I just ran into.[/B]? ?[B]Any friend of Mr Mulcahy is welcome here.[/B]? Moving through the door, Kanaye leaned beside Michael. ?[B]Mr Mulcahy ?[/B]? Michael could hear the amusement in his voice. ?[B]Don?t start.[/B]? ?[B]Oh I don?t want any trouble... Mr Mulcahy.[/B]? Michael exhaled, exasperated by his friend. ?[B]Just get the drinks Kanaye. I?ll take a whiskey, order whatever you like.[/B]? ?[B]Of course... Mr Mulcahy.[/B]? Kanaye flashed a grin, leaving Michael to simply collapse into his usual seat.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=musical_kitten]Would you rather have every anime and manga that you've ever wanted at your fingertips Or......... Would you rather stay with your loved one forever???[/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Well that depends on what you mean by "loved one", if you're referring to a person it's no contest, I take a person over TV any day. If you're referring however to my favourite anime over every anime, well, actually that ends the same way as DBZ and Zoids pwn every other anime. [B]Would you rather be a child forever ?[/B] Or [B]Would you rather be a teen forever ?[/B][/SIZE]

[FONT=Verdana][CENTER][SIZE=4][i][B]Codex Mortem[/B][/I][/SIZE] [SIZE=1][B]The Book of the Dead[/B][/CENTER][left] "[B]I feared death once, a childish fear of something that will come regardless of how long we run from it, or how hard be pray to be guarded against it. Death is as inevitable as the rising of Meridian's great sun.[/B]" Several blood stains obscure words in the next passage. "[B]But I am beyond death now, at least beyond it in the understanding of most mortals. I have become death incarnate, I am merely a guide on a journey all life, Ancient, human, animal and plant must make when their time ends. All life is granted by the Elder God, and so it is that when that life transcends the mortal coil it is rejoined with him in the great beyond.[/B]" The elegantly styled writing continues for several more pages before documenting Uriel's encounter with another of his kind, another Pillar Guardian. "[b]He calls himself The Alchemist and though no older than I, he seems wiser than his physical age. Kin we are, the blending of human and Ancient, saviours of mankind foretold in myth and legend. The Necromancer, a strange title for one with such power, my dominion is that of the dead, life and rebirth are also under my command. And yet I am without mercy in this regard, should I not return the child of a loving couple to them ? Should I not grant the child a full life ? But it is not my task to interpret the will of the Elder God, only to be an instrument of his will.[/b]" The proceeding paragraphs detail long conversations The Necromancer held with his brother, mostly about the Guardians own nature in the world, but also how they might better seek out their brothers and sisters. "[b]I have agreed to leave with him, in search of others like us. Death has no need for a fixed abode and while I exist in this realm, I also exist in the spirit world to guide those along their journey. Many fear me, they tell me that I look more dead than they do, some have called me Ancient trickery to steal their souls, I respond that their soul is already mine and I have no need for such trickery. The Alchemist believes it may take us many days to find the rest of our unique family, but I believe it shall be much sooner than that...[/b]"[/left] [CENTER]||||||||||[/CENTER] [left]Resting comfortably in front of their home's fire, Uriel awaited his brother's return with the final family member. The Mentalist sat opposite him, they had spoken at length about the nature of their respective powers, each growing more and more curious with every answer given. Originally Uriel had mistaken Mordred for a woman, and though promptly apologised for, it had caused a mild strain to develop between them. The black leather bound text of The Necromancer sat in his lap, carefully he entered his newest journal entry, detailing the souls he had dispatched in previous hours. "[B]Do you keep no tome brother ?[/B]" Mordred's eyes fluttered open, locking with Uriel's own before responding. "[b]The mind if ordered properly becomes it's own tome, when dealing with the complex emotions of Man certain concepts lack words to adequately define them, the mind does not have these limits and proves a better keeper of my thoughts.[/b]" The Necromancer's head bowed in acknowledgement, he himself preferred the tactile sensation of writing, it allowed him to better order his thoughts and record his own experiences. The very nature of the world was repetition, eventually there would be more Guardians to replace them, and when that time came, The Necromancer's codex would be passed to his successor. The fire's warmth was more comforting after the world of the nether, it was not cold there, but neither was it warm, it was grey and lifeless, like those passing through it. Uriel did not proceed further down the path of the dead than to where it forked apart, where those who had committed evils would be cast into damnation and those who had lived in piety would be admitted to paradise. He would have liked to see paradise, eventually perhaps he would, but not yet. Several raps struck the door in rapid succession, Malekith had returned at last. Rising from the chair, Uriel advanced to greet them before thinking better of it, the might be human spies, or worse Ancients come to slay them and prevent their downfall. Moving towards the doorway he bade them to identify themselves. Malekith?s voice came through clearly and Uriel opened the door to greet them, Mordred had also risen from his seat, the rest of their brethren would stir soon as well. As the newcomer strode upstairs, Uriel and Mordred sought answers from The Alchemist.[/SIZE][/left][/FONT]

[QUOTE=Sojiro47]Would you rather gain a new friend and lose an old friend? Or... Would you stay in your bubble of friends and meet no one new?[/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Given the path my life has weaved, I usually lose contact with all but a handful of friends on a rough five year basis, so it's not that big a deal for me. For those not following, that's the first one. [B]Would you rather fight Mike Tyson ?[/B] Or [B] Would you rather fight Chuck Norris ?[/B][/SIZE]

[QUOTE][SIZE=1][I][B]#2[/b] [INDENT] It's not the size of this that matters But the quality they have instead They can be added or removed very easily[/I][/SIZE][/INDENT][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]I'm going to take a shot and say Replies, given that they can be created by any member and deleted by any Moderator or the posting member, where as signatures and banners can only be removed by more senior staff.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=kingN]take a bullet for someone you hate or see someone you love get shot[/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Hmm, I'll go with taking a bullet for someone I hate, because that way they owe me, no questions asked. And it's always better to be owed by an enemy than to lose a friend. [B]Would you rather die on the toilet ?[/B] Or [B]Would you rather die in the bath ?[/B][/SIZE]

[FONT=Verdana][LEFT][size=1]Interesting, most interesting. [B]Name:[/B] Uriel Arcan [B]Age:[/B] 29 [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Appearance:[/B] [url=http://www.cinefantastico.com/images/dracul011.jpg][B]Uriel[/B][/url]. Deathly pale by complexion, many would be forgiven for believing that Uriel had never seen daylight in his entire life. Tall and thin, but not gaunt, at 6?3? Uriel could be described as looking malnourished, but taking in account his piercing blue eyes, his appearance reflects someone of mad brilliance, or perhaps simply madness rather than self-imposed starvation. Most disturbing of all Uriel has sprouted a pair of pitch black wings from his shoulders, which are kept tied to his back to prevent others from realising his truly stark differences to normal humans. [B]Personality:[/B] [INDENT]"I am that which chills the heart, stifles joy and wroughts but grief. I am he who knows not love, knows not mercy, knows no peace. I am that which creeps in shade, stealing in the moonlight pale. I am he who takes your soul and guides it to it's resting place. On the road that we shall meet, where your mortal soul shall seek. On this path that we shall share, passed the darkness and the bleak. And on our journey you shall ask, where my heart doth lie on the earth. What my name was ? Whom I loved ? Whether I was a man of worth ? And I will answer if I can, I was Uriel." [B]- The Tragedy of Uriel[/B][/INDENT] [B]Weapons:[/B] [url=http://www.mwart.com/images/pl/Axes_New_Imperium_Polearm_M600442_1544.jpg][B]The Spear of Longinus[/B][/url]. The Necromancer with all his power has no need for human weapons, capable of shattering a soul with a single thought. The spear's main function is to instil fear in those whom he deals with and on very rare occasions, defence. The shaft is 4'8" in length surmounted by the 1'10" spear head giving the weapon a total length of 6'6". [B]Pillar:[/B] The Guardian of Death, aka The Necromancer[/SIZE][/LEFT][/FONT]

[QUOTE=Boo][size=1][b]Would you rather have an Otaku Lounge full of game threads.[/b] or [b]Would you rather see them all deleted, forbidden and never to come back again?[/b][/size][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]I must admit I actually enjoy a lot of the game threads in the Lounge, so it's no surprise I'll take the former rather than the latter. [B]Would you rather lose your entire music collection ?[/B] Or [B]Would you rather lose your entire movie collection ?[/B][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. I took up judo in my local dojo at about eight I think, it was good exercise and seemed to be fun. Well dojo mightn't be the best worst as we actually only trained once a week in the town hall for an hour or so, the instructor was a friend of my dad's although the fact we live in a small village means that everyone is a friend/acquaintance of everyone else. I have to admit I actually enjoyed sparring a lot because nobody could ever manage to pin me unless they were two of three belts higher than me. Our sensei wanted me to compete in competitions but the fact that I was overweight meant that I'd end up competing against guys older than me which wasn't exactly something I wanted to do. After three years there I gave it up because I was never graded, I don't know why, but three years as a white belt one tip will annoy the hell out of you. I'm thinking about taking up Karate with my brother this year, although seemingly the instructor, another friend of my dad's is a complete psychopath with new members, the fact that I know him outside of karate will probably earn me no mercy.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Ryo the Tactician][SIZE=1]Would you rather work outside in the blazing sun and burning weather for 3 hours? or Work inside doing monotonous paperwork for five?[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]I'll take manual labour for three hours in the blazing sun for two reasons, one it's summer so I do it every so often anyway and two you actually get a decent tan if you can avoid sunburn. [B]Would you rather do your mom's favourite activity for an hour ?[/B] Or [B]Would you rather do your dad's favourite activity for an hour ?[/B][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. Well I'm 19 and I think I act pretty much like a normal sober 19 year old ought to, though I am a bit beige compared to friends. In terms of physical appearance, since growing a goatee, I've been told I look in my early/mid twenties and the fact that I lift weights regularly means people often assume I'm older than I actually am. Really I don't care what age people really think I am, I'm old enough to drink legally, drive legally, so there's no real bonus to look any older than I actually am. Besides, I looked younger than my peers for long enough and that always sucked, being asked at 15 whether you're old enough to go into a movie is annoying as hell.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Thanks for letting my join so late Vicky. [b]Name:[/b] Niall Ryan [b]Age:[/b] 32 [b]Nationality:[/b] Irish [b]Faction:[/b] Hunters [b]Weapons/Items:[/b] [list][*][url=http://www.sigarms.com/Products/ShowCatalogProductDetails.aspx?categoryid=35&productid=114][B]SIG 556[/B][/url]: As is the case with most of his brethren in the hunt, Niall has gained access to civilian restricted rifles with which to hunt the beast. [*][url=http://www.sigarms.com/Products/ShowCatalogProductDetails.aspx?categoryid=6&productid=146][B]SIG SAUER P220R Equinox[/B][/URL]: Niall's "day gun" if you like, this is the weapon he's more than likely to carry on his person on a day to day basis, as it's rather difficult to hide a SIG 556 from plain sight. [*][b]Martial Arts Training:[/b] Despite being rather partial to the Equinox, Niall knows it?s certain possible to lose access to his weapons for a period of time. In response, although this is the case with many hunters, he?s trained excessively in martial arts, in his own case, Shotokan Karate.[/list] [B]Appearance:[/B] [url=http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~mq6s-tgsk/ewan/pic/0313.jpg][b]Niall[/b][/url]. Pretty much as seen there, though without the tattoo or jewellery as Niall is a bit of a neat freak. Stands roughly 6'1" and is athletically toned, like many of the Hunters, as you?re not going to catch very much if you?re overweight and unable to give chase. Not overly concerned with what clothes he wears, choosing comfort and functionality over style and fashion trends. [b]Personality:[/b] Quiet, unassuming and an eternal optimist, the very fact that Niall is a member of the hunters seem to be a contradiction. Although he is one of the younger hunter by chorological age, there is little doubt that Niall finds himself more at home and more comfortable intellectually with the elder hunters, those now unable to hunt the beast and so mentor their successors with their vast experience and wisdom. Most of the time he can be found in libraries or museums, trying to sate his unquenchable thirst for knowledge and buried up to his eyes in books from several different eras and genres. Due to the fact that his family have been hunters for generations leaves him slightly superior in tone to younger and newer hunters, it?s not intentional, it?s just that he can sometimes sound condescending without meaning to. [b]Biography/Snippet:[/b] The letter recalling Niall had been left on the table of his sparse apartment, his training regiment would not allow him even a moments rest for the next hour. He?s torn open the letter the moment it arrived, it?s contents quickly filtered into his mind and left him deeply troubled. ?[b]It?s not possible...[/b]? The words were hollow, it was possible, it was happening, the Beast was back. He?d spent hours in his father?s library as a child, Kevin Ryan had been one of the wealthier hunters, but truly dedicated to the cause, and of his three sons, he?s brought Niall the eldest into his confidence. At first the boy had been sceptical, a hidden history of a monster unknown to but a handful of people, it seemed more like a bedtime story his father would tell him. But reading more and more of his father?s library, books concealed from those who were not hunters, Niall came to realise his father was telling the truth. He pledged himself to his father?s training and to the hunter?s brotherhood against the beast. ?[b]996... 997... 998... 999... 1000[/b]? Niall was gulping in air at this stage, the muscles in his abdomen screamed for mercy, not yet, he had more training to do, he had to be ready. Despite being his son, his father had trained Niall as a drill instructor would train a new recruit, mercilessly, they would run for miles without stopping, train for hours without rest and after it all his father will still tell him it was not enough. He never hated his father for being so harsh, he knew what was at stake, knew that the hunters were losing members, fathers not training their sons to follow their path, Niall had to be ready for what he would eventually face. He remembered the day he had been officially welcomed into the hunters, he was not the son of Kevin Ryan on that day, he was Niall Ryan, hunter in his own right. His father?s eyes had been filled with pride on that day, it was not fair he had not lived to see Niall progress further. Of all the things to kill a hunter as great as his father, cancer seemed unfair, to watch his father wither from within until he had no further strength tore Niall to shreds inside. Sweat dripped down onto his training mat, a few more minutes and he would be finished for today. It would have been better to be able to spar against an opponent, but for now his katas would simple have to suffice. After his father?s death he had been brought even further into the hierarchy of the hunters, it had been his father?s wish that his son replace him, but the elders disagreed, even for one so respected as Kevin Ryan, his son was too young to hold such a position of responsibility. He was only eighteen, had he been a decade older there may have been some chance, but he for now he was too young. There was also the fact that the hunters no longer operated together as a cohesive brotherhood, families stayed in contact, this was true, but there was no need to reform the elder council as the beast had disappeared, not seen in generations. Fourteen years had now passed, and now a letter confirming his worst fears law on his table, he needed to be ready.[/SIZE]

[size=1]Balthazar sat watching the HK-50 droid from his room, foolish machine, he found it mildly entertaining that the droid felt capable of inflicting harm on Cisa in a compound where his every movement was being watched. The medical droid in the sickbay was a temporary replacement Balthazar?s usual physician, a Mon Calamari named Ackan who had served with the Admiral for as long as Balthazar could remember. He considered having the droid terminated but perhaps thought better of it to leave him roam for a while, he could be shut down if necessary and reprogrammed, droids might walk and talk like sentients but they were nothing more than machines at the end of the day. He stroked the weapon in his lap, perhaps the droid would make a decent sparring partner, it had been a long time since he?d managed to find someone who had proved a challenge, though he would eventually spar against Kratos. Grabbing the weapon, he strode from his room towards the medical bay, he wasn?t sure how he was going to play the encounter, but he would play it somehow. He also made a mental note to fire whoever had left that nerf meat in the chilling unit, his head chef would have a suffer cardiac arrest if he found out that one of his sub-ordinates had left such a low quality material in the kitchen for so long. Moving through the hallways of the mansion, the medical bay came into sight after a few moments, as expected, the HK droid was to be found tinkering away over it?s deactivated medical kin. Coughing as to attract the droid?s attention, Balthazar watched it?s one working photoreceptor turn towards him. ?[b]Query: How may I help you sir ? Apology: It seems this medical droid is in need of repair and for the time being unavailable for usage.[/b]? The droid's obviously false introduction made Balthazar smile. ?[b]Indeed ? How odd, why I had the droid completely retrofitted and upgraded not one standard week ago. It is such a shame. However droid what is even more shameful is how completely incompetent you regard your master to be in his own home.[/b]? ?[b]Query: Is not the young human female my master ?[/b]? The smile faded from Balthazar?s face. ?[b]No droid, I?m afraid she?s not your master, she is my servant, thus I am your master. Now seeing as you?ve gone out of your way to acquire weapons from different sections of this compound, I can only assume that you mean to cause injury and/or death to the organics there. Am I correct ?[/b]? The droid continued to focus on Balthazar, reassigning his contract of death to the older human male. ?[b]Statement: It is in my programming to terminate my master whoever he/she or in the cases of Hutts and other multi-gendered species, they may be.[/b]? ?[b]And you intend to terminate me then, as I am your master ?[/b]? ?[b]Affirmation: Indeed Master, I gleefully look forward to dispatching you in whatever manner you enable me to. Despondent Statement: Unfortunately as you have been aware of my actions for some time, I will need to improvise a new method of death for you.[/b]? Balthazar stood completely calm faced with the homicidal machine, Republic Intelligence had been aware of the later HK unit series abilities and missions since Revan?s re-emergence. The fact that the droid sought to kill him and Cisa concerned him slightly, it was unlikely he knew the truth about Balthazar?s origins but still, the fact that HK units sought to kill Jedi by their very programming meant it was unlikely to be sheer coincidence. ?[B]Well HK, it seems we are at an impasse, you wish to terminate me and I wish to continue existing, two mutually exclusive goals. If you are interested however in pursuing this course of action, we would be better advised to move to the gym where it is unlikely we will be interrupted.[/B]" ?[b]Statement: If that is you wish master then we will do as you please. After all there are many heavy weights in the gym, any number of which to be used to cause immense physical damage to your organic form from blunt trauma.?[/b] The pair moved through the corridors of the mansion, the gym was located near the medical bay for emergency purposes, a simple and yet effective planning procedure. The HK unit had been correct in assume there would be many weights in the gym, however had been quite wrong to assume he would be capable of injuring his master with them. The gym was empty thankfully, the large training circle in the middle for duelling would suffice for their exercise, taking one side of the circle for himself he watched as the droid took hold of a nearby barbell removing the weights to create an effective staff. Balthazar merely sighed, removing his own weapon from his side, the droid seemed to hesitate for a moment but Balthazar would not grant him time to hesitate, the snap-hiss of the lightsaber was a sound Balthazar had not heard since his own and Cisa?s last spar. Leaping towards the droid, Balthazar prepared his offensive. [CENTER]||||||||||[/CENTER] I?ve been meaning to make a post in this thread for the last fortnight, but unfortunately have been unable to do so. If people are still interested then they?re welcome to post, Farto I assume you?re going to have some fun with HK trying to work out whether he should kill his Jedi master which should be an interesting read. The fact that Balthazar is a Jedi is one of the surprises I?ve been hold back, but I felt that I needed to add to the RPG so this seemed a good way. There are still more to come and as you might accept Balthazar?s bio background is in fact only a cover. Oh and for Farto, Balthazar?s lightsaber is blue. [/size]

[SIZE=1]Michael wasn't in a good mood to say that least, Banque de Monaco was the largest bank in the principality and as such a target by thieves. He sighed frustrated by a lack of sleep and a nagging ache in his lower back, if people wanted to make money illegally, why could they just race for it ? Maybe he should have rethought taking the job of security chief but then it was a useful cover against the likes of Interpol who for some reason were now it seemed more interested in street racers than drug runners and terrorists. He needed to race again soon, the Z4 was a powerful machine, but nothing compared to the Koenigsegg he also owned, and Michael needed to get into the driving seat of it and watch the scenery blur by. He was a drag racer by nature, but could compete in sprints and drifts if it meant racing. "[b]Mr. Mulcahy ?[/b]" He knew the voice, soft and sultry, his assistant Sophie was standing less than a meter behind him. She was classically beautiful and one of the few perks that hadn't come expected with the job. She was also a damn good assistant and the best right hand that Michael could have looked for, and made his job as head of security considerably easier. "[b]Yes Sophie, what can I do for you ?[/b]" Michael Mulcahy, smooth operator and ladies man. Her golden hair and soft blue eyes made her the object of desire and infatuation for most men in the building, hell probably most men, married or not who saw her. "[b]You're after receiving a message on your mobile phone, I thought you would like to read it straight away.[/b]" She held the slim piece of communications technology in her hand, and was one of the few people he trusted to handle his equipment. Flipping open the phone, he activated the message and read the content, his heart began to beat more quickly, he didn't think that Interpol were on to him, his position meant he worked with Interpol on a semi-regular basis and he would have some idea from outside contacts if they were after him. But the fact remained that there was a race, a sprint unfortunately but still there was a race and he intended to compete, quickly entering his reply, Michael deleted the message from his phone. He didn't think Interpol would have his office bugged, nor would they be able to tap his mobile phone, a few tricks he'd picked up on his travels ensured that. "[b]Sophie, tell Mr. Davidov that I will unfortunately be unable to meet him for dinner tomorrow evening, something has come up which I?m afraid I cannot postpone. Reschedule the meeting for the following morning at that little café he likes to eat in.[/b]? She didn?t ask for any explanation thankfully, he?d come to depend upon her more than he realised. After a few minutes she returned and confirmed the new meeting time, Michael sighed in relief Boris Davidov was a wealthy client of Banque de Monaco and there?d be hell to pay if he was upset. Glancing at the clock, Michael realised it was considerably later than he had assumed, in fact he should have finished up nearly fifteen minutes before hand. Grabbing his coat, he dashed out of his office, the head of the Banque de Monaco would have his head if he thought he was working overtime when he wasn?t necessary and Maurice du Blanche was not a man to get on the bad side of. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Sorry Phil, I've been meaning to post here for a while but couldn't get anything that sounded right. I know it's been a while since the last post, but hopefully this is still going. Brother had left the other lost punks within a few moments of greeting the Darlings, moving back into the thick undergrowth that prevented Hook from being able to located the punk's homes. He was hungry now, but in no mood for the slop that the rest of them would eat, he needed meat, he needed to kill something with his bare hands and consume it's flesh to strengthen him. He wiped a layer of sweat from his forehead, mixed in with it was dried blood he had not cleaned that morning, more and more often now he was missing blood stains, he needed someone to help him clean in the morning but didn't want to ask any of the sinners he was surrounded by. He heard a several twigs break in the bushes near him, his nostrils flared, taking in the scent, a deer, he begged God's forgiveness for what he was about to do, but he required proper sustenance to do His work. Crashing over the bush, the two meter tall goliath hurtled onto the frightened creature. It was larger than he had expected, an adolescent stag, good he thought, there would be plenty of meat on this creature. He wrapped his large muscular forearm around the creature's throat, larger than the deer by a good degree, it struggled futilely . "[b]Shush now young deer, your pain will end soon and you will be free from this mortal coil.[/b]" Barely whispered, Brother tightened his grip against the stag's windpipe, eventually it stopped resisting and finally fell motionless beneath the lost punk. Raising himself up, a single tear fell from his eye, he did not enjoy killing helpless creatures, but he needed food and this young deer would provide it, in exchange Brother had given the creature up to the Lord to do with as He pleased. Wiping himself down, Brother slung the stag over his back and moved back to the punk's camp, it has only been a few minutes since he'd left the newcomers, still plenty of time to skin the creature and cook it. The camp was empty, everyone was inside in the food hall, everyone but Tiger Lily who stood staring at Brother has he walked with the dead animal over his immense shoulders. Tiger Lily had always looked like a young woman to Brother more than he had ever looked like a man. "[b]There's food inside you know Brother, you didn't need to go off and kill something to eat.[/b]" The comment was not derisive, simply fact stated, Tiger Lily rarely insulted other people and like all the other Lost Punks was careful about insulting the largest and strongest member of their group. Brother nodded back, a greeting rather than an acceptance of what the fourteen year old had said. His own cabin was at the edge of the camp, he'd skin the animal and then cook it for a while before giving it to Peter, there was a lot that did not sit well with Brother about their leader, but he was the eldest and their leader so he was due his respect. Burying the decapitated head of the deer, along with the skin and lower legs, Brother moved off towards the food hall. As he opened the door, Brother could hear the conversations held by the Lost Punks inside, nobody paid him any attention, it was not the first time he'd brought in a skinned animal to be cooked, and it would not be the last time. Only one of the newcomers gasped in surprise to see the immense Russian carrying in a dead creature in his arms, Peter stood up as to greet Brother and avoid potential bloodshed. "[b]Ah Brother I was wondering when you'd get here, I see you brought more food, thank you. Your seat is here, once you're finished, please sit and we can talk.[/b]" Peter was well aware how quickly Brother could change from a quiet giant into a fierce colossus, and he knew the importance of being polite. Setting the deer up on the spit, Brother took his seat near Peter, drinking some water he placed his hands together and waited for the others to do the same. This was a known procedure, when Brother prayed, everyone prayed, those who didn't paid the price. After a minute or so, Brother unlocked his fingers and noticed the same newcomer who had gasped as he walked into was looking at him now. "[b]You wish to speak to me ?[/b]" Having learned English from an Irish priest in Russia, Brother spoke English with an Irish lilt to it, leading many to assume he was Irish as opposed to Russian. Truth was, Brother didn't consider himself Russian, he was a child a God and that superseded any nationalistic title. John Darling opened his lips to reply to the far larger boy.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Bah, sorry about being so late Lan, I've just not had time of late. Melchior continued to merely stare out at the bay, having already removed his sunglasses and tossed them back into his pack, sometimes he wondered how he'd ended up with such an immature team. He sighed out, Giga Omega Ki was one of, if not the strongest teams in all of Delta and yet sometimes they could act like complete children, it was frustrating to say the least. However Boushin was right, Melchior had felt something although he had not said it to the rest of the team, he didn't want to worry them with unnecessary baggage. He was surprised that Talia hadn't felt anything, but she was still young yet, only a Level 2 Paladin, and her power would grow as the months passed, of all the team members he enjoyed her company the most, perhaps because they shared the same class and thus were alike in persona. ?[b]Alright Team, let's move out, it's getting late here and we're all due a good nights sleep. We're only a few minutes out from Giga's guild house, and I'll be the first to admit I'd like a warm bed more than many things at the moment.[/b]? The rest of the team nodded in agreement, it was getting late and the First District of Elysium could turn quite cold when it wanted to. The guild houses had been established soon after Callipso had gone missing, as a way for wandering teams to be able to find rest when they needed it without having to part with their money. Giga?s house had been located in Elysium, something Melchior had been thankful for, it was a pain to have to crash in another teams guild house, as it inevitably lead to a favour being owed. The red brick building came into full view after a few minutes of walking, Melchior exhaled gratefully before realising they had no groceries at the house. ?[b]What?s wrong Melchior ?[/b]? They question had come from Talia, a measure of concern on her soft face. The same question was poised on the other team members lips but Talia had beaten them to the punch. ?[b]Team Gamma Tau Epsilon stayed here a few days ago and I don?t think they replaced the groceries they used up, you three go ahead, I?ll get some food for tonight and tomorrow and be back. Just have the heat on, my bones are freezing.[/b]?. Boushin remained stone stiff, his way of asking if Melchior needed a hand, after all the longer it took for the Level 4 Paladin to get the food, the longer it was before they ate. ?[b]Go on before I demote you all down a rank.[/b]? Talia turned to Xavier ?[b]Can he do that ?[/b]? The old mage shook his head. ?[b]Doesn?t matter to me, I?m still level one, he can?t demote me lower. Besides I don?t think even Melchior has that kind of authority.[/b]? The Paladin sighed again, sometimes his team?s loyalty would royally irritate him, oh well, there was no point in arguing with them further and the shop was only a hundred or so meters down from the house. The owner was an ex-adventurer who knew exactly how important a full stomach was to the completion of a quest, Tugo had been one of the senior members of the team Melchior started out on, and never failed to give him sagely advice. The shop was styled similar to the surrounding building, but Tugo was there, as always with a newspaper in his hand and a smile on his face. ?[b]Seems you?re in the paper again Melchior, you and your team took care of some bandits way out from the city. Whatever happened to that cocky young Paladin who wanted to go after dragons and other high difficulty level monsters ?[/b]? Melchior?s cheeks began to redden, the rest of the team stared at him with disbelief, Melchior cocky ? The couldn?t be right. ?[b]Save it Tugo, Gamma Tau Epsilon used our building and cleared out the stores, we need to replenish them for out next ?high difficulty level? quest.[/b] He was smiling, as was Tugo, he just hated it when Tugo brought up his old team?s past. Melchior turned towards the other team members before raising an eyebrow. ?[b]Well ? I thought you guys were hungry, where are the new supplies ?[/b]? Tugo chuckled. ?[b]You?re getting more and more like Ares every time I see you. Same stoical old bastard who runs his team like a team ought to be run.[/b]? After a few minutes the rest of the team had reassembled next to the till, each with an armful of supplies, Tugo let out a faux-impressed whistle. ?[b]All that then ? My, my Melchior, these three would give Sanga a run for his money.[/b]? Melchior blew out his breath derisively, Sanga had been a warrior on their team, a giant of a man who ate more than the rest of the team combined, it had given Ares, Tugo and Melchior a lot of financial headaches over the team?s lifetime. Drawing out a handful of Deltan banknotes, Melchior paid for the goods before the team moved out of the store. A few minutes later they arrived back in their team house, spotlessly clean as it had been left and the heating was activated, within thirty seconds Xavier and Talia were in the kitchen preparing food while Boushin and Melchior sat in the team?s living room soaking up some much needed heat. Boushin turned to Melchior, a enquiring look on his face. ?[b]Why didn?t you say you felt it too ??[/b] [center]||||||||||[/center] Probably could have been shorter but I just wanted to set out somewhere the team could call home. Tugo for anyone who might be interested would be pronounced with a soft U and thus sound like ?2Go?.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. Personally I just finished watching Advent Children, and while I haven't played Final Fantasy VII in years, I must admit I found it rather enjoyable. The animation was very impressive, as were the fight scenes, but honestly I did find that all the male characters look slightly androgynous with the exceptions of Barrett and maybe Cid. I suppose the only other nitpick and really this is more something I was slightly disappointed by was Red XIII's voice, I was hoping he'd have a deep rough voice but I guess you can't have it every way. Over all a good film, far better than Spirits Within, hopefully maybe the beginning of a series of Final Fantasy movies.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Kurayami Oji]Would you rather shoot yourself in the head or Would you rather your friend shoot you in the head?[/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Wow, tough call that, but seeing as I don't believe in suicide I suppose I'll have to go with having my friend shoot me in the head, I just hope he has a good reason for doing so. [B]Would you rather have a trampoline of jelly (jello for our American users) ?[/B] Or [B]Would you rather have a pool of 7Up ?[/B] Weird I admit, but it's 01:30 AM and I'm a bit tired.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. Heh I never noticed that about White's username before, strange really. I'm not going to bother disabling the font smoothing effect for the sake of one person's username, heh I don't think there'd be any real point as usually stuff looks a lot rougher without it. [/SIZE]