Gavin

[SIZE=1]Nice post Retri, exactly what I was looking for. Although slightly taken aback by Alexander's outburst, and perhaps even a little unnerved the man's obviously drunken state Neil still felt it his duty to provide some form of assistance, though regretfully he knew no more of this place than Alexander did. The man was still staring vacantly at the table, as Neil tried to order his thoughts into a proper response, clearing his throat he reached across and laid his hand on Alexander's shoulder. "[b]We all make choices in life my son, such is the miracle of the Lord that He created this entire world for us to explore the vast potential of our own being. Whether a man goes to mass every day or only once in his lifetime is not important, if a man cannot see God in his life then there is no point in merely celebrating the blessed Eucharist because we fear what will happen if we don't. God Almighty is in all of us my son, he is all around us, in every living thing in this world, human, animal and even hybrid, all are God's creations and he loves them equally. If we cannot see him then there is something wrong with our sight.[/b]" Alexander was staring directly at Neil now, the twenty-seven year old priest felt he was off to the right track but there were still so many gaps to be filled, he could not give a definitive answer without knowing more. But he would at least try and allay this man's worries. Sipping the water in front of him, he continued. "[b]I admit my son that I have always believed in God, that never for a moment in my life have I doubted He is with me always. This has provided a great pillar with which I can remain strong, but I often wonder what great leap of faith those who stopped believing and then began to believe again must make. To see God is to truly see the wonders of this world, to look upon the beauty of nature, the mighty sequoia, the life-giving Nile and the immense magnificence of the stars above our heads, the wonders and mysteries of the universe around us. To glimpse the Lord in much of his splendour is merely to gaze into the cloudless night and see the absolute greatness of His work.[/b]" Neil was about to continue before Alexander began to speak again, his tone was again frightened, but with an edge of frustration, even anger. "[b]But our families, our lives, why would God do this do us ? If the hybrids have turned against humanity then why does God not intervene and save us. For all you know Father the Vatican itself may be nothing more than a graveyard.[/b]" True, Neil did not know whether or not the Vatican still stood, whether the centre of all Christ's teachings for him still continued as a beacon for mankind. In his heart he hoped that it still was, Italy was not a particularly valuable military target, unless one were to be attacking from the north coast of Africa, or perhaps the Vatican itself proved a target because of it's value to humans in the war. He drained the last of the water from the glass in front of him, again trying to reorder his thoughts, but there was so little solid fact. "[b]Alexander we are here because it is the will of God, I can give you no further explanation because I have no further explanation to give. Like you, and like everyone else here I have lost those around me, my father, my friends, my flock and yet I take solace in the fact that even if they are no longer in this world, that they are with God in Heaven. From my perspective last week I presided over the funeral mass of a sixteen year old who had been killed in a traffic accident, a young girl who had her entire life ahead of her. After the mass her father asked me why God would take his daughter from him, I answered as best I could, that his daughter had received God's call to return home, and that this briefest of life is but a test for us. We cannot scientifically prove that there is life after this, but in my heart I know that she is with the Lord and watching all of us. Life is what we make of it, love, joy, war, death, we have had the burden of choice placed upon us, to live by the tenets of Christ or to stray from the path and become a lost soul that must be returned to the flock . While we are the children of God, does not any parent allow their children to make mistakes and to grow wiser because of it ? The lesson may seem harsh, but how many died every day because of famine created by a lack of compassion from one man to the next ? As I said I know little about this conflict, in time when I know more I will try to give you a better answer, a more complete answer. But for now I can only ask you to be thankful that we are alive now, and that we are somewhere where we are not being ill-treated in our vulnerability.[/b]" Exhaling Neil hoped that he had done something of value for this man, he was not sure himself of their surroundings, and the Devil might very well cloak his most evil acts in great kindnesses.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Retribution][size=1]Well, I'm assuming you're going off the conventional definition of utopia. And if you are I highly disagree with you. There is no such thing as a benevolent dictatorship. Sure, there can be one, perhaps even a few Philosopher Kings, but all it takes is one ambitious, greedy person to screw everything up. And trust me, humans have plenty of those to spare. That, and theocracy are exactly like communism in the respect that if you add the human element, their flaws are tragic.[/size][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Well a utopia Retri is basically a perfect society, I know the current incarnation of the word has come to mean a governing system too optimistic to be achieved, but the base meaning of utopia is a perfect society. Now what I was saying is that different people have different ideas as to what "perfection" is, and perhaps therein lies the problem, however given humanity's ability to move beyond simply differences for the betterment of society I personally think it is pessimistic to assume that humanity will never achieve a harmonious and good society. Maybe I'm wrong but I think there are more good people to the world than bad. As for whether this society would be communist of theocratic, well I was merely giving examples of what shape it might take. It all depends on the leaders, benevolent dictatorships can be destroyed by a single monarch, but just as easily a country can be ruined by a bad politically elected leader. As I said it all depends on the person in charge. [/SIZE]

[size=1]Interesting, most interesting.[/size] [QUOTE=liveinmybubble]They're getting revenge for... :animestun for us taking their jobs by being great posters! if everyone posted great who would need site administartors! :animestun I've just fainted out of confusion... Smelling salt anyone? :animestun[/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Let me get this straight in my head, you're saying that moderators and administrators edit and/or delete posts and/or threads which break OB's rules and then warn the member in question simply because your "great" posts would mean that they'd be out of a job otherwise ? Is that what you're saying ? Because if it is, this image sums things up fairly well. [CENTER][IMG]http://zeitgeistglee.250free.com/Uhuh.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. Personally I think a Utopia is very much a personal definition, after all different people will have different ideas of what a utopia should and should not be. To some people a utopian society might be very left wing and liberal, to others it could be very right wing and staunchly conservative. As to whether or not we'll eventually see some form of utopia, personally I think it will eventually happen, maybe not in my lifetime or even in the next century, but given the social movements and improvements of the last hundred years it's bound to happen eventually. Perhaps it will be a benevolent dictatorship, perhaps a theocracy, who knows. As for communism, an excellent idea on paper, but add a human element to the equation and it can never work, some people always want more than they have and that's never going to change. [/SIZE]

[FONT=Verdana][LEFT][SIZE=1][b][Edit][/b] Done and dusted, anyone who complains about my CCX is just jealous they've not got such an awesome car. [CENTER] ************************************************** [B][U]Rap Sheet[/U][/B] ************************************************** [B]Report filed by:[/B] An Garda Síochána [Irish Police Force][/center] [INDENT] [B]Name:[/B] Michael Mulcahy [B]Age:[/B] 29 [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Appearance:[/B] [URL=http://zeitgeistglee.250free.com/Mulcahy.jpg]Michael[/url] [B]Occupation:[/B] Currently works as head of security in a Monaco bank. [B]Nationality:[/B] Irish [B]Short Bio:[/B] Regular traffic offender Michael Mulcahy first came to the attention of An Garda Síochána at age sixteen when he was found driving his father?s Volkswagen without a licence, is recorded to have attempted to talk his way out of the situation, a now known tactic of Mulcahy. Sergeant Noel Prendergast records that while the boy was cooperative with him, he refused to admit any wrong-doing, stating that he was merely test driving the ?bucket?. Left off with a warning, it was hoped that this incident would have an effect on the young man. Less than six months later, having turned seventeen and acquired his own licence, Mulcahy was caught for six separate traffic violations including Speeding, Reckless Driving, Failure to Stop at Traffic Lights and Driving Uninsured. While the case proceeded to the Circuit Courts, all but the Failure to Stop at Traffic Lights and Driving Uninsured were dropped, it is unknown why the other four offences were dismissed, but given the inherent wealth of Mulcahy?s own family, there may have been outside influence. Mulcahy was left off with a fine of £500 and told not to appear before the court again. By nineteen Michael had broken into the London underground racing circuit, and had paced up some impressive victories in drag races. Over the next twelve years, and dozens of traffic violations in and outside of Ireland, as well as racing victories in the United States, Germany and Russia, Mulcahy moved to Monaco, seeing the tiny nation as a nice getaway from the more oppressive law enforcement. Given his family?s suspected connections to illegal Republicanism in Ireland, it is likely he will be guarded when not racing, and will show little respect to the established organised crime families.[/INDENT] [center]************************ [B]Traffic Offences:[/B] Speeding: 9 Counts [3 Dismissed] Reckless Driving: 2 Counts Public Endangerment: 1 Count Driving Without a Licence: 2 Counts Driving Uninsured: 4 Counts Public Nudity: 3 Counts Obscene Behaviour in a Vehicle: 2 Counts Failure to Pull-Over: 6 Counts Failure to stop at Traffic Lights: 17 Counts [[B]Currently banned from driving in the Republic of Ireland.[/B]] ************************ [B]Preferred Rides:[/B] [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koenigsegg_CCX][B]Koenigsegg CCX[/B][/url][/center][INDENT]Mulcahy?s Koenigsegg was purchased upon his moving to Monaco, with the expressed purpose of being his racing machine. Aside from having the car repainted a metallic midnight blue from it's original factory metallic black, Michael has made no alterations, see the car as a perfect already. The CCX model Michael uses for racing features the optional rear spoiler to give better control at high speeds, but reduces the overall top-speed by a small degree. [CENTER][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_Z4][B]BMW Z4 Roadster[/B][/url][/CENTER] Mulchahy's everyday work car, given the Koenigsegg would most certainly draw unwanted attention. It's silver metallic finish better reflects his position of prestige as head of Banque de Monaco security. If he feels the CCX is warranted for a race, he has been known to use the Z4, but not often as he doesn't usually compete in races he feels are unwarranted.[/INDENT] [center]************************ [B]Known Associations:[/B] Fudokawa Kanaye Jackie Meyer Mike Drossopoulos [/center][/SIZE][/LEFT][/FONT]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.[/SIZE] [quote name='Wikpedia][FONT=Trebuchet MS']Chronokinesis is the ability to mentally affect the flow of time.[/FONT][/quote] [SIZE=1]Honestly it was a toss-up between this and super-human strength, the ability to effectively do anything I want with absolutely no repercussions is far too tempting to pass up. Teacher irritates you to the point you want to slug him, do it, rewind time and feel so much better. I think honestly if you had this power you'd probably grow so accustomed to changing things you'd stop giving a crap about which timeline is better or worse in the eyes of temporal nazis who want to keep things as they were. If anyone had the power to make the world a genuine better place, it's their responsibility to do it. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. No real choice for me, like DW there's something about being a Pirate that is inescapably attractive to Gavins, sailing the oceans, plundering other ships for their "booty", engaging in insult swordfights, that's the life of a real man. Then of course when you get back onto land you get all the wenches and grog your ill-gotten riches can buy you before robbing the public house, setting it on fire to cover your tracks and returning to your ship with as many wenches are you could grab hold of. Yep, a pirates life for me. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. After SaiyanZRealm mysteriously closed down in 2001 I started looking for a new source of DBZ info, eventually that lead me to The[B]Otaku[/B]'s Dragonball section and after a few weeks when it was taken offline for revamping and suggested members check out Otaku[B]Boards[/B] to keep sane I had a look and eventually joined. That was September/October 2001 and I've been here ever since, stalking the Arena and occasionally allowing people to become my students.[/SIZE] [quote name='DeathKnight][color=crimson']A grim day for all.[/color][/quote] [SIZE=1]Let's not even go there Ken. ;) [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. I must admit I'm getting a bit of an anti-male sentiment from this thread, although with Heero yuy's opening post I can understand why. Personally I think you probably should have done a little more than just get in his face, if someone made a statement like that about my friends and then spat at me I'd probably kick a few shades out of him for it. People like that never realise how ignorant they sound spouting that kind of crap. It really does annoy me when a small percentage of red-necks like that can tarnish the reputation of the whole gender, I mean I think most males aren't that disrespectful towards women but I guess I could be wrong. Generally I think most men who've been raised right treat women with the respect they deserve and it's only a small number of jackasses are still holding on to the women = property line.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. I'm trying to think of any times when it's happened but I'm drawing a blank, mostly I'd say this is down the that I'm either aware the person changed their username or I've not yet realised Member A was Member B from way back when. I think a lot of Oldies have kept their original usernames or at least kept to an older username so that makes them easier to distinguish. However if I'm to include times when people recall me by my previous username then it happens every once in a while, one of the more memorable ones I can recall is probably Outlaw when he realised that I'd been Red XIII, or was it Outcast... Anyway it was funny as I'd always thought he'd known that I had changed my username and we had a bit of a laugh about it.[/SIZE] [quote name='Tical']Did any of you have similar experience? I mean I only just found out that Gavin was Red XIII... mayybe I'm just behind, but someone else musta gone through this!!![/quote] [SIZE=1]I suppose I should bring up Tical that I was Red XIII back between late 2001 and mid 2002, and that the name was chosen again by other people so I may not be who you're thinking of.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Tical][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Name:[/COLOR] KKC [COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Profile:[/COLOR] [URL=http://otakuboards.com/member.php?u=4923]Here[/URL] [COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Last Seen[/COLOR] - Sometime in 2003 [COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Why?[/COLOR] KKC was cool and fun. She hated me... a LOT for ruining some Zoids RP XD I miss her being around, though. She was a .hack fan too, I remember joining the 'We hate BP' clup :P What's strange is, her profile says shes been gone 2 years but I could swear she was here more recently...[/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]I read that an had a WTF ?! moment, I think Tical you were looking at her Join Date rather than the Last Online one. According to her profile KKC was last online back in late April, still it's a pity she's not still around, as she was a hell of a nice girl. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Neil watched the ball get into swing, while he could dance quite well he had never picked up a liking for it and was internally quite thankful that nobody had come over and asked him to dance. Instead while others danced, Neil occupied himself with the stunning artworks, statues and architecture of the ballroom, much of it was unfamiliar to him, though classical styling of the works and his own lack of knowledge meant that many of these were likely centuries old or new works based on the same technique. Having read the Chancellor's letter it was entirely possible that the outbreak of Second Faction had led to a reembracing of past artists and their methods. Certainly a lot of the architecture was similar to that in the Vatican, either way he supposed eventually he would have the opportunity to go to a museum or art gallery and would find out. He cast his attention back to the ball for a few moments, it was somewhat strange and yet reassuring to see people talking together as if old friends or family, he wondered if his appearance had meant people had shied away from speaking to him. It didn?t bother him really, he was used to being alone although he would have been appreciative if someone had come over and spoken to him, even if it mean he may have had to dance. He returned his attention to the series of busts he?d been studying, he could not place the figures in past or modern history, at least modern from his perspective, so it was likely these individuals were patrons of Paris 2. Neil?s mind had been so focused on the marble faces that he had not even realised the quietness around him, hairs pricked up on the back of his neck and he turned to face an older gentlemen who at first glance appeared in his late fifties. [b]?I have heard people say that never before have so great a collection of individuals shared a single platform, if this is the case then I wish they had been kinder with my nose.?[/b] Neil chuckled as the man grasped his hand and shook it by way of an introduction, he was not overly tall, a few centimetres taller than Neil and of a similar build. The bemused smile on his face was countered by sharp eyes which seemed to radiate a very keen intelligence, without intending to, Neil had mentally compared the nose of the Supreme Chancellor with that of his bust and had to admit the sculptor could have been kinder. [b]?Supreme Chancellor Vilette I assume ??[/b] The Chancellor?s smile broke even wider, into a full grin, perhaps it was so rare that someone had to actually hazard a guess at who he was, that he found it quite entertaining. [b]?You are correct, I am Dominique Vilette. Now if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that you must be Father Gratzner. Although I must admit your collar and cassock make you easier to identify than a stranger would identify me, to be fair however you were looking directly at my statuette before we spoke.?[/b] While finding the Chancellor to be quite pleasant, Neil could not shake a nagging feeling of doubt about the man. [B]?I am Father Gratzner Chancellor, and now that we are both introduced I had hoped you might be able to answer some questions about Paris 2 and the events surrounding our arrival. I can only speak for myself but it seems as though I have been in this coma for a long, long time.?[/b] A curious expression creased the Chancellor?s brow but faded an instant later. [b]?I would be happy to answer your questions Father, but for the moment I?m afraid I must make my official introduction. Please excuse me.?[/b] As the Chancellor left his presence, Neil was left to wonder exactly what that expression had meant. [center]||||||||||[/center] I?d be appreciative if anyone would care to interact with Neil a bit.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Heh, I have to admit I was worried for a while before you posted the cast list. I'm not too knowledgeable about Peter Pan, but I'm never one to let a little thing like a lack of knowledge hold me back. Just out of curiosity Phil, how exactly is Neverland going to be set up and how are the Lost Punks going to be distributed ?[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Dare][size=1]Why do you change your username? Do you feel that a specific username you've used has been given a certain personality by other users?[/size][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Well I've had seven different usernames over three accounts in the nearly five years I've been here, I know that sounds confusing, but my first two username changes came before we could actually get the changed so I just created a new account with a new name. I suppose I should list the seven names and give an explanation as to why I chose it and how it reflected my personality. [list][*][B]MajinGogeta:[/B] When I first joined OB I was pretty much obsessed with Dragonball Z, as most of the denizens were, unfortunately as I recall a lot of the good usernames were taken so I went with MG because I simply liked the character and liked the idea of the Majin transformation. My spelling, grammar, post quality back then was dire, I'm glad the account's not around any more, as I'd hate to look back on that stuff. [*][b]Shadowed Demise:[/b] Second username and second profile, created in November 2001 in or around six weeks after the first one, I can't recall exactly what made me change from MG, aside from the fact that I'd found the Games and Stories forums and was more interested in RPing than talking about DBZ. SD seemed a more original username and better reflected my improving quality, although not by much. [*][b]Red XIII:[/b] The first username of my current account, and the one most people from back in the day see and recall me as, although that leads to the inevitable "I never realised you were still around" comment. Red XIII as you might imagine came from Final Fantasy VII which I had just started playing in or around the time when I wasn't happy with Shadowed Demise any more. I chose this username mainly because I liked the character Red XIII mainly due to the fact I saw some parallels between our personalities. [*][b]Outcast:[/b] Can't recall exactly when I changed from Red XIII to Outcast, nor can I really remember the reasons for it. It came about in the second wave of username changes and I suppose really reflected my going back to the Adventure Arena full time. Strangely most people who knew me as Red XIII didn't realise it was me as Outcast. [*][b]Lynx:[/b] Borrowing the term "The Lynx Effect" from the deodorant company, I set out with this username, mainly I felt a need to change Outcast as a name, and really I suppose I just liked the name Lynx as it reflected a slightly more exuberant personality. [*][b]Kane:[/b] One of my longer lasting usernames, although I suppose that's only really to say that I got tired of Lynx fairly quickly, Kane was probably my longest lasting username before my current one. Kane I think reflected a more mature, slightly darker roleplayer persona developed during the Black Horizon series. There are a few sources for the name, Kane from Command & Conquer, Kane from the WWF and Mr Kane a teacher I had in primary school.[/list] And finally... [list][b]Gavin:[/b] My current username, my own first name, the longest lasting one and really the one that best reflects my overall personality. Came about when everyone started changing their usernames to their first names and really I'd been getting sick of people calling me Kane all the time in posts and PMs.[/list] So, five years and seven names, and that's the best explanation I can give.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. There's definitely a bunch of people I'd like to see back from the back in the day, so it's hard to pick one, the weird part is a lot of friends who went off for a time came back and have started posting at least semi-regularly again. [B]Name:[/B] Shikaku Kitoku [B]Profile:[/B] [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/member.php?u=4509]SK[/url] [B]Last seen:[/B] 04-17-2004 [B]Why?[/B] Three reason really, one he was a fellow Irishman and there's not too many of us on OB. Two he was a Star Wars fan and could always be relied upon to join my SW RPGs, much like Juu and Dave back years ago. Three he was a good friend and could always make me laugh, so much so that he's sitll in my Buddy List despite the fact he's not been around in two years.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Raiyuu][font=trebuchet ms]If I read Grace's earlier posts correctly, I think she's trying to say Mormons (as a rule) don't make a big deal out of the jokes made at their expense, whereas the Catholic Church can be trusted to get prickly and make a hoo-hah out of a piece of controversial fiction. I don't know whether that's true. I've never knowingly met a Mormon, I didn't actually know they once practised polygamy, I don't know any jokes about them and thank goodness I've never had one knocking on my door with pamphlets.[/font][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Ah, thanks for the interpretation Raiyuu, as I said I wasn't sure exactly what Grace was trying to say. However I still feel that religious people have a right to become offended when someone offends them, just as any one else has the right when they're insulted.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Grace][SIZE=1']Erm, no it's not. It's one of the most important events in Christian history (my opinion). And the religion is not funny at all, I don't start laughing at Catholics because their leaders are old, wear big hats, and sit in a room discussing who will be the next "Pope". I don't. I really don't know what your religion is, so I'm not going to go more in-depth into this comment.[/SIZE][/quote] [SIZE=1]Eh Grace I must admit I don't follow your logic there, just out of curiosity why would anyone laugh at the election of a successor to a religious post, or any post for that matter ? The hats aside, as I know mitres tend to draw a few chuckles, what you are effectively saying is that you don't laugh at an old man assuming office, I don't mean to burst your bubble but not very many politicians are young men when they assume political power either.[/SIZE] [quote name='Grace][SIZE=1']And the church made a big deal about the film didn't they? Yep, they did. My point EXACTLY. When I wrote that last part of the post I was thinking of the Da Vinci Code, and that's what I meant by "the church will go crazy".[/SIZE][/quote] [SIZE=1]OK this too confuses me slightly, you knew that a Catholic would respond by saying we would make a big deal of the Da Vinci Code and yet you made the statement that somehow Mormons take more flack than other Christians, even when you knew the Da Vinci Code was the biggest piece of flack ever hurled. Now really any Christian denomination, not only we Catholics should oppose the Da Vinci Code as being portrayed in any way as fact, I mean Christ is one third of the Holy Trinity so somehow claiming that he was a fraud should offend all Christians. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. Honestly I've never met Mormons/Latter Day Saints so I can't really comment on their activities/belief system. However they seem to be rather reminiscent of the Jehovah's Witnesses and I have had the distinct displeasure of having just got home from Mass and then ten minutes later having to deal with a family of JWs at the door. I mean why bring the kids ? Do they think it will make me slightly more pliable to join the Witnesses ? Fat chance, all I end up thinking is what a crap Sunday these kids must have. [B][url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints[/url][/B] Anyway there's the LDS Wiki article for all of you who like me knew relatively little about the group.[/SIZE] [quote name='Grace][SIZE=1']I mean, God forbid someone makes a crack on a Catholic (no offence people, really). The whole church would go crazy and the person who said it will go under fire.[/SIZE][/quote] [SIZE=1]Oh yeah, because everyone knows that nobody ever takes shots at the Catholic Church. I seem to recall a film with Tom Hanks recently based on a book that cast doubts on the entire foundation and structure of the Catholic church based on no more than a Renaissance artists painting from five hundred years ago. I mean sure it's easier to believe that Leonardo da Vinci happened to recreate the exact setting of the Last Supper than to simply acknowledge The Da Vinci Code is a load of crap. Anyway I digress, however the point remains that we Catholics get way more flack than any other Christian denomination.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. There are simply loads of people off OB who I'd love to meet, unfortunately all of them live more than a quick trip in the car away. Anyway might as well get to the list seeing as the normal format. [list][*][B]Jokopoko:[/b] What can I say about Bill ? Enormously talented role-player, great friend and good man. There really are no end to compliments I can give to my good friend and ex-padawan. Bill has always been there with me creating RPGs since the very beginning, in fact I don't think there's ever been a Star Trek or Transformers RPG we've not been a part of, Zoids too for that matter. [*][b]Ezekiel:[/b] As I said in the Nifty Fifty thread, I can't believe I've known Jamie for less than a year, as it seems so much longer than that. She's been a great friend to me for as long as I've known her, kind, respectful and always genuine. She reminds me of Mimmi in a lot of ways, if only because she like Mia can make me smile and feel good so easily, it?s also well known she?s one of the foremost role-players in the entire Arena, a feat she is too modest to accept, but it remains the truth. [*][b]Blayze:[/b] Phil like Jamie is someone I only met in recent months, however we haven?t talked nearly as much as Jamie and I have so that makes this ?would like to meet? nomination based purely off the respect he has earned from me. Blayze has basically struck out of nowhere and become one of the top RPers in the Arena, his RPGs are always a breathe of fresh air and always an intrigue to read and excellent fun to participate in. [*][b]Yoda and Andrew:[/b] I?m going to throw Craig and Andy in together for the simple reason that we?ve done so much over the years as a trio it?s hard to really want to meet you guys separately. For a while we were the kings of Dragonball RPGs, and even now after so many years, nearly five, we?re still around and kicking. I love it when we get together for something as it?s always a great trip down memory lane. [*][b]Corey:[/b] Heh, how could I leave out Corey, the short answer is I couldn?t. He?s been as good a friend as I could ask for since I?ve known him, a terrific role-player and a man with a great passion for his Irish heritage, there?s should be more people like him in the world. There really should. [*][B]Neuvoxraiha:[/b] D?Ann has been my beautiful bride for more than two years at this stage, despite the fact I?ve now realised I missed our last anniversary, though I was in Australia with little internet access, though that really shouldn?t be an excuse. A wonderful women and kind friend, I really don?t deserve her. [*][B]Athena:[/b] Despite the fact we?re not as close as we used to be, I still love the bones of Annie and always will, when I was having problems a few years ago I always felt I could turn to her and I still feel that way. She helped me when things looked at their worst and I can only hope I was able to return the favour, it?s a shame she?s not as active in the Arena as she used to be because it?s our loss. [*][b]Aaryanna:[/b] The more I read from Aaryanna the more I?m impressed by her, while we differ in opinions I?ve always found her to be exceptionally polite, gives well thought-out responses and generally is a breath of fresh air in most debates which so often turn into flamefests. I really find it hard to believe someone this mature is only just turned fourteen. [*][B]Everyone else:[/b] I could continue this list on ad-infinitum as there are simply dozens of people who I?d love to meet, unfortunately I neither have the space nor the will to keep typing. You all know who you are, from [b]The Boss[/b], to [b]Shy[/b] to everyone else who knows I?d love to meet them, hopefully someday I might have the luck to serve in your local parish and we can reminisce about old times.[/list][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. Oh boy do I have a few misconceptions from childhood I'm not proud of, or rather that is to say I think back on them now and am damn glad I never said them to anyone. First one up, back when I was about seven or eight, I thought that pads for menstruation were used by women as a preventative from wetting themselves through a lack of bladder control. My little sister had bed-wetting problems at the time, so I kind of assumed this was something all women had, I can't imagine I actually thought that at one stage but it's true. Second one, when I watched the second Brady Bunch movie, or was it the first ? Anyway I recall the eldest of the girls mentioning the phrase [I]Menage a Troi[/I], and having started studying French in school, I think I'd have been about twelve at the time, I resolved to translate this unknown phrase. Eventually all I could come up with was Eat at Three which didn't sound right at all, I don't know what prevented me, a small miracle surely, but I was going to ask my French teacher one day and decided not to. Not too long after that I learned what it meant and was eternally grateful for not doing so. That's it really.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Dodeca][SIZE=1][B]Infantry > Diffusion[/B'][/SIZE][/quote] [SIZE=1]Okie dokie, let's see how this one goes. [B]Infantry[/B] > [B]Missile[/B] > [B]Nuclear Weapon[/B] > [B]Enriched Uranium[/B] > [B]Isotope Separation[/B] > [B]Diffusion[/B] Now for your article hunting pleasure. [B]Michael Collins [Irish Leader][/B] > [B]Auric Goldfinger[/B] Doable in six, that's six including the first and last links.[/SIZE]

[spoiler][SIZE=1]I have to admit I didn't see all the match between the Dutch and Portuguese teams, however having just asked my brother he confirms most of what's been said here. That said he was actually up for Portugal to win so wasn't all that quick to admit that Figo had been guilty of misconduct. I'll have to watch the highlights later, but right now it seems that a generally poor World Cup is getting a bit more vicious.[/SIZE][/spoiler]

[FONT=Verdana][LEFT][COLOR=WHITE][SIZE=1][b][Edit][/b] Finished Phil, hope this is all OK, I decided to go a completely different angle to the way everyone else has submitted characters. [B]Name:[/B] Sergei Boroskov, better known in Neverland as simply "Brother" [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Age:[/B] 15 [B]Sexuality:[/B] Strictly heterosexual, abhors any other behaviour in his presence. [b]Appearance:[/b] A monster in human form, by his very appearance Sergei seems as though he has not been part of civilisation for a long, long time. Standing over 6'7" tall he towers over all in his path, broad and stalwart, his rugged frame has been enough to drive some of the more aggressive predators of Neverland directly from his path. His long black hair is matted and oily, drawn into a single rough ponytail with a piece of dirty cloth, his eyes are a deep dark blue, an expression perhaps of the utter ruthlessness that fills his heart, or even the madness that fills his mind. His clothing is considerably better than the rest of his physical appearance, in keeping with his belief that he is God's servant in Neverland Brother dons what appears at a glance to be some kind of cassock. Of course the construction is coarse, mainly pieces of black clothing sewn roughly together to fit his massive form, but the effect of increasing his already imposing self is accomplished, leading to Brother's infamy among the other Lost Punks. The collar fitted around his neck is kept spotlessly clean, woe be tide the poor soul who should get even a speck of dirt on it, for it would surely mean his brutal death. Underneath Brother's clothing, his flesh is a gruesome sight, having exited puberty, his bodily hair is growing but not yet thick, leaving the ritualistic scars from his corporal mortification apparent. His back is covered in these thick scars, some are noticeably newer than others, leaving trails of tried blood down his back that he has been unable to wash off. His chest is a similar mix of these wounds, although these have been made with a blade or other sharp object as opposed to the whip marks his back is covered with. Overall his naked form is as intriguing a sight as it is grisly, for him to wound himself to this degree obviously shows the level of pain he is capable of tolerating. [b]Personality:[/b] A child raised on conflicting emotions, Sergei was never going to be normal, his abnormal appearance, the loss of his parents and the betrayal of Fr Gregory have all simply steeled his resolve to survive with the aid of only God. To this end Brother has abandoned all tenets of civilisation, he lives on his own supported only by his fervour to see the Will of God done in Neverland. Inside however Brother is quite different, underneath his madness is simply a young man crying out for someone to help him make sense of what life is, why everyone who has ever been nice to him has disappeared and why he simply can?t hold on to them. If someone were to be able to show a truly kind act to Brother, something that would break through all his self imposed barriers, to Sergei, to his heart then they may find something quite different to what they expect. In the now however, Brother is someone to be feared and respected, as one would fear a wild beast that could kill you as easily as look at you. [b]Biography:[/b] Sergei Boroskov was born in less than usual circumstances, his father Dimitri Boroskov was "The Man of Steel" pride of the Imperial Circus of Moscow, a giant of a man who stood over eight feet tall and has the strength to tear boards of wood to shreds with his bare hands. His mother Nadia was also a member of the circus, one of the trapeze artists who would so often risk their lives for the entertainment and bemusement of the Russian children who would come to see them. Thus Sergei's youth was the dream of so many children, to grow up in the circus, to live among the elephants and lions, the clowns and acrobats, all were his friends, for it was his home. His father cared for the young boy with all his large heart, his mother did not. Nadia Boroskov felt cheated for having fallen pregnant, in the months she was unable to perform she had become disfavoured by the circus master, a younger woman was brought in to take her place and she found herself thrust from the spotlight in a heartbeat. When the infant Sergei cried his mother would ignore his tears, leaving him for hours without being fed, until his father would return him and note the boy was hungry and ask his wife to feed him. Nadia expertly hid her mistreatment of her son from Dimitri, and of course the Imperial Circus? Man of Steel was simply too kind and naive to believe that his beloved would endanger their own flesh and blood. It is perhaps tragic then that Dimitri would not be long for the world to see his son grow, with his enormous size, he was not going to live a long life, but barely a decade after his son?s birth, the Man of Steel collapsed on stage and died of a heart attack. Some would say that perhaps ?Brother? was born at this moment, when his father, the only family who has shown kindness to him vanished from his life, his mother, freed of the only thing that had kept her in the circus? employ fled in the middle of the night, leaving the Sergei an orphan in one day. To add salt to an already grievous wound, the circus master had little compunction of throwing the ten year old out onto the streets of Moscow, his reasoned that since the boy?s father had been all that kept him part of the circus, he no longer belonged there. Sergei was left with nothing, less than nothing, for what little human compassion he had accumulated over his brief childhood was lost to him, he began to believe that kindness was something to be feared, because those who showed it to him so quickly disappeared from his life. By chance he wandered into a church in Moscow and was taken in, the priests their found Sergei to be a most complex child, while quiet and generally untroublesome, he would recoil at the slightest affection or kindness done to him, he had been a large child, over five and a half foot from when he had been found lying on the chapel?s steps and he merely continued to grow over the five years he had been there. Eventually one of the priests, Father Gregory managed to pry the truth from Sergei as to his origins, the revelation was greeted with sadness and understanding as to why the boy would be so slow to accept compassion. It was resolved that to truly reach the boy, to give him some hope for the future outside the teachings of God, he would need to act as a child again, to this end he was given a ticket to visit Captain Hook?s Neverland Theme Park with Father Gregory, the first person who had been able to earn Sergei?s trust. Unfortunately this would prove to be the final linchpin in Sergei?s mental coffin, after entering the park and finding himself unable to leave, Sergei believed that he had been once again abandoned and began to totally shun human contact, even those other children who had been trapped there with him. Eventually Sergei simply accepted that he would not be able to leave, around this time he began to actively identify himself as Brother. His home, such as it can be called is a roughly built cabin made from the trunks of trees, it is not the most comfortable of dwellings, but suffices and Brother spends most of his time in or around this area. [b]Vices:[/b] Even someone like Brother is not above the temptations of the flesh, offer him up a nice young virgin girl around fourteen and he?ll show her the meaning of ?Earthly desires?. Of course afterwards, in repentance for his sins, Brother subjects himself and his conquest to corporal punishment to ask forgiveness for their trespasses. It has been known for him to ?repent? himself and the poor soul with him to such a degree that she dies from blood loss or injury. In these cases, though there has been only one, Brother digs her a shallow grave with his bare hands, but in his own mind she was too weak or too sinful to be forgiven. [b]Useful Items:[/b] Brother carries with him only three things at all times, the first is a somewhat worn black leather-bound bible which has been his primary possession since coming to Neverland, he will routinely preach from this bible to the other children in Neverland. The second is a hand crafted wooden crucifix tied to a string which is kept around Sergei?s neck, it is one of the few objects to which he has shown any personal concern, the bible in his eyes belongs to everyone and he is merely the best to interpret it. Those who interrupt him or do not show the proper respect for the Holy Scripture may become intimately familiar with his third possession, a crudely built but quite deadly scratch awl which is covered in dried blood, both Brother?s from his corporal mortifications, and others who have earned the contempt of God. [b]Notes:[/b] Despite being faced daily with those who have complete disregard for the laws of God, Brother has been rarely shown physical violence to any member of Peter's group. Whether this is some small part of Sergei present in Brother's madness, or Brother himself hasn't received "instructions" from God to deal with them yet is unknown. Perhaps, just perhaps these people, for all their sins are the closest thing to family he has left and is unwilling to harm them.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/LEFT][/FONT]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting. I think I'm probably guilty of reusing character ideas, although perhaps the most common variant of that is the fact I use the same name where applicable in RPGs. Most of the time however I try to come up with a fairly unique character for the RPGs I'm involved in, some parallels can be drawn through them all I guess, my character's heights rarely vary from the 6' mark, or are rarely non Irish in origins. But this is purely down to the fact that I'm Irish and 6' tall and so it's easier for me to write from those perspectives. I don't think I've ever actually gone into an RPG with the expressed intention of recycling a character from something else, not only would I be unhappy with the end result, I think it would be a sheer sign of laziness on my part.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Dodeca][SIZE=1]Here you go, have fun. [I][B]Antichrist > Nephropathy[/B][/I][/SIZE][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]For a while this game really confused the hell out of me but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. [B]Antichrist[/B] > [B]Al Pachino[/B] > [B]Insomnia (2002 Film)[/B] > [B]Insomnia[/B] > [B]Parasomnia[/B] > [B]Category: Medical Stubs[/B] > [B]Nephropathy[/B] OK, let's see how long this one takes. [B]Ireland[/B] > [B]Large Magellanic Cloud[/B][/SIZE]