James

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Transtic Nerve [/i] [B] Saddam is far from any type of terrorist. [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]Didn't Saddam ambush political leaders and blow things up when he took over power? There was even a movie made about it. I don't remember the specifics...but terrorists create terror. They hurt innocent people. As far as I know, that's what Saddam has been doing for the last thirty years.[/color]

[color=#707875]I love the AI in Double Dash. It's so much better than the old games. You do get hit by a lot when you're in first place...but that's to be expected. Really, no matter where you are in the field (in 150cc anyway), you're getting attacked quite a lot. It's nice, because you don't get a free ride even when you pull away from the pack. But at the same time, they don't catch up with you in five seconds.[/color]

[center][img]http://www.otakuboards.com/killadam/KIlogo.gif[/img] [size=4]Chapter 2: Gakuya Abazure [/size][/center] [b]Summary:[/b] In this chapter, Joshua's past is revealed in greater detail. We learn about his last few months in prison and we discover how he came to work for Adam. [b]Characters:[/b] Joshua (AKA "Cowboy") [b]Setting:[/b] Osaka Note: This chapter will probably only take up one post, as it is solely based on Joshua. This might be compared to the anime sequence in Kill Bill, where we learn about Oren Ishii's past. Of course, the length and breadth of the post relies entirely on how much is uncovered about this character. Again, I urge creativity and uniqueness throughout. ~_^

[color=#707875]I'm not even American, but I will throw my hat into the ring anyway, since Cloricus already has. In terms of the war in Iraq, I won't even comment. If anyone has read my lengthy posts on the subject, you'll understand my viewpoint and you'll have read my in-depth reasoning on it. The biggest problem surrounding the war isn't what President Bush is doing; it's the misinformation that exists, particularly on the part of anti-war campaigners. It's fine to be anti-war. Hell, I'm anti-war myself. Who would be "pro-war"? The label itself is a stupid one. The question isn't whether one likes or wants war, but whether or not war is necessary -- a tool at your disposal in a given situation. I'm already moving away from my point, so I won't continue with that. If I were American, the question is whether or not I'd vote for Bush, in contrast to the current Democrat candidates. Well, for me, it's not so much a question of Bush being some amazing leader -- it's a question of the Democrats having such an awful field of contenders. They're a sloppy and unprofessional bunch. They're all over the place on such a wide variety of issues. The front runner, Howard Dean, is hard for me to place. I've seen him interviewed a couple of times...and while he [i]is[/i] an intelligent person, who seems to have a grasp of the issues, he also seems to be a supremely arrogant person who doesn't [i]really[/i] have a clear agenda on various issues. If he becomes the candidate, I'd vote for Bush. Bush is also probably one of the most misunderstood politicians that I've seen. His biggest critics are also the [b]most[/b] ignorant about his policies. I'm not even American, and I know far more about his domestic and international policies than many anti-Bush Americans I've spoken to. It's a sad state of affairs in that regard. I mean, people often talk about Bush being stupid. But he isn't stupid. He's actually a very clever politician. Obviously that doesn't come across because his demeanour tends to be more warm and playful, rather than intelligent and clinically accurate. His words in speeches are rarely particularly clever or intelligent, but by the same token, they aren't designed to be. They are [i]designed[/i] to be digested by your average Joe. Surely that is obvious. But of course, people will call him stupid and so on because there isn't much substance there. It's an easy attack. It requires no effort to call someone an idiot. It requires far more effort to systematically point out where their policies have gone wrong. In my discussions with Cloricus about the war, I believe that I have (on at least two occasions), pointed out how and where Cloricus has misinterpreted the current situation. But having read my thorough rebuttals, his position hasn't changed. He's chanting the same silly, adolescent, regurgitated political stuff that he's been chanting all along. It makes me wonder why I bother. Some people have decided to hate Bush regardless of his policies. I disagree with Bush on many issues. I believe that some of his social commentary is absolutely backward, in terms of how conservative it is. But at the same time, I'm not going to rip the man to shreds on ignorant and baseless grounds. I know what he stands for and I know what his intentions are. I'm not going to paint him as the devil just because I'm somewhat different, ideologically speaking.[/color]

The warm bath house air disappeared and a canvas of loosely-painted stars blanketed the darkened sky above. The air was cool and it swirled around them, making each combatant accutely aware of their open wounds. The far end of the roof appeared to drop away suddenly. It had, in fact, been damaged in a storm a week earlier and was in the process of being rebuilt. Beyond the bath house roof lay a sea of white, red and gold lights; an ocean of warm colours and a fitting backdrop to the current scene. Lelia and Jamie held their weapons at the ready and circled the central pyramid-like protrusion in the roof. Their eyes remained locked on one another. Lelia, despite her injuries, appeared to be calm, almost serene. Jamie breathed heavily, but maintained his focus on Lelia. A sound broke the silence. A soft and gentle melody floated up across the roof from below. It was the shamisen. A lone Geisha sat in the courtyard below the bath house, playing Lelia's favourite Italian folk tune. It was a tune that always made her more confident. A smile spread across Lelia's lips slowly, as she continued to stare into Jamie's eyes. It was a smile that made Jamie feel uneasy; a smile not just of confidence, but of an absolute sense of superiority and dominance. Jamie didn't want to see the end result of Lelia's increased sense of confidence; he leapt over the roof and forcefully jabbed his katana at Lelia's soft flesh. Sure enough, the katana sliced down past her collarbone and across to her shoulder. The wound was not particularly deep, but it caused Lelia to momentarily step back and waver, as though she were about to fall. Jamie took several steps backward and held his bloody katana at the ready. Lelia's expression changed from one of confidence and delight, to one of shock. Her eyes opened wide and she ran her fingers across the gash. Lelia's fingers were covered with a thick, deep crimson liquid. She gazed at her fingers for a moment in what seemed like disbelief. And then, with apparent ease, her demeanour changed yet again; calm spread across her face. "Very good," said Lelia softly. Her tone was less airy than before. She now seemed to speak very deliberately and purposefully. Lelia ran her hands along her chest and neck, toward her hair. She seemed to be almost confused, but Jamie knew better. "Do you give up?" he asked, still waving his katana menacingly at her. Lelia glared at Jamie and bluntly spat a mouthful of blood at his feet. "[b]Fuck you[/b]," she snarled. Her playful nature had disappeared and Jamie now knew that she was incredibly serious. This was Lelia at her most dangerous, too. Within seconds, Lelia pulled another four pairs of scissors from her hair. These appeared to be smaller and lighter than before. Another smile spread across her lips. A smile of viscious delight. Jamie barely had time to leap backwards, as small pairs of open scissors streamed toward him. Just beyond them, he caught a glimpse of Lelia; she was tearing pair after pair of them out of her hair and firing them off rapidly, in Jamie's direction. Pair after pair, they kept coming at him. Jamie swung his katana through the air rapidly, attempting to block as many blades as he could. But it was too difficult; they kept coming at him. And soon, he could feel them lodging into his shoulders and chest and stomach. They were small, but [b]dozens[/b] of them at once were unbearable. He could hear Lelia's dry laugh over the metallic clink and clank of blades zipping through the air. Jamie stumbled backwards and collapsed against the rectangular tiles. The katana slipped from his hand and tumbled from the rooftop, settling its blade in the soil of the courtyard below. Jamie also slid backwards, down the sharp slope, toward the edge. As he slid down, he caught site of several wooden scaffolds, which had been assembled in a hole in the roof, where the storm had struck previously. Jamie reached out and grabbed at thin air. He felt a thick wooden beam meet his open palm and he grasped it as firmly as he could. As his descent ceased, he pulled himself up toward the beam carefully. Lelia's footsteps were clearly audible nearby, as was the clink and clank of leftover scissors in her hair and hands. She began to laugh again. "How pathetic," she said, as she looked down over his bloody white cloak. "Such a disappointment, Kidd...I was expecting more from you. You did ruin my poor kimono, though. You know you owe me for that." By now, Jamie's face and arm lay directly over the gap in the ceiling. Jamie could see the rafters below. A small shelf had been temporarily erected and it appeared to be holding several machine tools. One of them was a nail gun, still plugged into the wall by a careless worker. Jamie reached down into the hole slowly, but as he did so, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder blade. Above him, Lelia was gleefully digging a scissor blade into his back. "Stupid asshole," breathed Lelia, "you ruined my kimono. It was a gift from Adam." She twisted the blade around, through the cloak, apparently taking pleasure in seeing sprouts of blood squirt up in front of her. Jamie grit his teeth and grabbed at the nail gun. As his fingers wrapped around it, he felt another sharp stab of pain in his shoulder. Another blade had gone in. With what seemed like his last ounce of effort, Jamie reached out with his free arm and grabbed Lelia by the neck. He could hear her choking and he could feel her hands on his wrist. Jamie pushed hard, sending Lelia backwards against the roof. He grabbed the nail gun and pulled it up through the gap in the ceiling, resting it against his cloak. Lelia was holding her throat and gasping for air. She returned to her feet quickly and held a single pair of scissors open. "You need a haircut," she said, as she dived forward, aiming the scissor blades squarely at Jamie's forehead. But in a second, it was over. Jamie had squeezed the trigger and the scissors had fallen from Lelia's hand, slicing the skin on her fingers in the process. She collapsed to her knees and ran a hand over her forehead. "You...you...didn't...," she gasped, in a confused and almost groggy tone. As she got to her feet awkwardly, the moonlight revealed a dark patch between Lelia's eyes. A single nail, driven through the skull to its base. Blood trickled from the wound and began escaping from Lelia's nostrils and the corner of her lips. Lelia licked her lips slowly and blinked in Jamie's direction. "D-don't worry," she stuttered, "A-Adam will fix you..." And with that, Lelia tumbled from the edge of the bath house roof, into the neatly-manicured rose garden below. Jamie crawled to the edge of the roof and peered over it. There she was, laying in the garden, surrounded by roses. Her arms and legs apart and a look of composed serenity on her face. Even in death, she managed to look confident and delicate. Several Geisha crowded around her, speaking excitedly to one another, shaking their heads and weeping. [center][img]http://www.otakuboards.com/killadam/KIlogo.gif[/img] [size=4]Chapter 8: Lelia, Meet Arianna[/size][/center] [b]Summary:[/b] In this chapter, we look at the first meeting of Arianna and Lelia. Lelia is, of course, the very first Angel. But Arianna is the second. Adam is not entirely sure of Arianna's loyalty at this point and so, he encourages her to fight with Lelia. Not only does this test the loyalty of both women, but it also provides Adam with a little sadistic pleasure. [b]Characters:[/b] Arianna Love, Lelia Angelo. [b]Setting:[/b] Adam's Penthouse in L.A. It'll be interesting to see where you guys take this. Remember, nobody is getting killed in this fight. Be as creative and crazy as you like. The entire battle doesn't have to take place inside the penthouse, nor does the entire breadth of this chapter have to be a battle; you can include your own elements here, to flesh things out and provide us with more story. All up to you. ^_^

[color=#707875]I'm not too surprised by this. I think this is the natural progression of things. All human beings in free societies are bound to be awarded their civil rights gradually. To me, this is just another sign that we are slowly moving in a better direction.[/color]

[color=#707875][b]hide forever[/b] I like this one, primarily because of the colour and text. I wouldn't say that it's a favourite of mine, out of your works, but it's quite dark and gothic looking. So, I like it. [b]hakkyou sakadachi ONANISUTO[/b] This one's very cool. It has a kind of graffiti look, to me. You haven't over-edited it, but at the same time, you've made it complex enough to be visually interesting. I particularly like the text in the background and the filter covering the figures. [b]fragment of memory[/b] For some reason, this banner reminds me of Ring a little. I mean, with the way the text looks...the way it appears on film. Or maybe I'm just Ring crazy? Who knows. Either way, again, it's a nice banner. A little less interesting than some others you've made, but I like the simplicity on this one. [b]komorebi[/b] Very cool banner, particularly the border. I always like it when people do unique things with their borders. So you get a big thumbs up from me on that account. I like the text, but the bevels aren't entirely attractive to me...partly because I've seen so many bevels used on various works, that maybe I'm tired of them. I think you used them effectively though -- you didn't seem to use them just for the sake of doing it. [b]for dear[/b] I think you have a good stock image here, but I don't really like the text covering it. I would personally like to see the text done differently...or perhaps the stock image itself could be edited, without the use of text. It's nice, but not a favourite of mine personally. [b]kyokutou I LOVE YOU[/b] I really like this banner. It's so vibrant and bold...what's not to love? ~_^ The text is well-edited and the background is painted with great care; it comes off looking very textured and bold. [b]FREESIA[/b] I like the text you've used on this one and the subtle editing on that. The photo works pretty well and I think everything looks pretty balanced. Good combination of colours, too. [b]saigo no yoru[/b] I like the feathers/leaves in the background; they came out well with the inverted look. Otherwise, I'm not a huge fan of inverted graphics. I think more needs to be done beyond inverting the colours, for it to really attract my attention. Nevertheless, it's a nice design. It stands out. [b]New Temptation[/b] This banner is rather cool; great use of typography here. I like the fact that it's [i]just[/i] text -- there's so much you can do with text. Text can be a powerful visual tool, as much as imagery. The layering and effects are great and I like the colour too. Very cool. [b]POPular UPrising[/b] I like the background also. But I'm not a huge fan of the text. Maybe it's the font, or maybe it's the kind of white shadow behind it...but it just looks a bit muddy to me. [b]Re:plica[/b] This would probably have to be my favourite. Apart from the fact that it kinda hurts my eyes to watch it (lol), I really like the style you've used. The stock imagery is fantastic and the background fits it perfectly. Good use of typography, too. [b]shinkai[/b] This is also a pretty funky image; the text on the right [i]does[/i] look great. The background works well and the border is pretty inventive. It comes off looking sharp, rather than clumsy. I like. ^_^ [b]THE LAST LIVE[/b] I think you've captured the scene pretty well in this banner, although I dislike the text on the bottom. It's hard to read...and it almost looks like it's interfering with the banner, rather than complimenting it. But a change in text could quickly rectify that. Anyway, as I am sure I've told you before...I tend to like your banners. You don't follow that "look at me, I'm using pixels and putting my name in the corner and being all simple and stylish because I'm awesome" crowd. It's a trend...and for the most part, an unimaginative one. Anyone can do it. I don't think it demonstrates any visual flair. Of course, there are exceptions to that rule. But too many people follow the rule...it's like with lense flares and things of that nature. Everyone jumps on the bandwagon, which is one reason why I make very few "technical banners". When I look at your signature, I can be guaranteed that I'll see something unique and visually interesting. And, for me, it's something I appreciate. [/color]

[color=#707875]It's a very difficult line to walk. The truth is that we've always allowed people to make "mature" RPGs -- and many have in the past. I doubt that most who do are 18 years or older. So, it's very difficult. I don't think we can restrict ages because that just wouldn't work. It's something nearly impossible to verify for many people. I've seen people post on here who are in their 20s, but who post as though they're 12. It's really hard to decide. The main thing is to ensure that people post warnings about the kind of content they're including, so that people who don't want to see that kind of content won't see it. This is no different to fan fiction or any other type of creative medium; I want to allow people to have freedom in what they write, within reason (as in, I don't want them to begin abusing or insulting other people or something).[/color]

[color=#707875]We had some people on N-Sider play it and comment in the forums. And they really liked it. They were saying that you have to play it on the harder difficulties/tracks to really get the most out of it. And, you use A to use weapons as well as to slow down. So you have to balance your weapons useage with your braking as well. So, apparently it is quite a deep game in those terms. I personally want to buy it, but I can't afford it right now.[/color]

[color=#707875]Okay, the first Chapter Introduction has been posted. This chapter includes myself and BabyGirl. I will post first, to introduce things (as per the summary). Then BabyGirl posts a follow-on to me and so on, until the Chapter concludes. Hopefully we'll get the hang of this style. Remember guys; no other participant may post in this Chapter. You must wait until a Chapter comes along with your own character. I expect anywhere from three to five posts per Chapter, depending on how many characters are involved. For this first Chapter, maybe four to five posts at the very highest -- therefore, posts should probably be an appropriate length. So, anyway. Here we go. Also: Double posting will sometimes be necessary in this RPG, because of its structure. I apologize if that makes things confusing, but it might be unavoidable, because someone has to introduce new chapters (me) and sometimes I'll also be the first character to post. I might edit the original post, but we'll see how it goes.[/color]

[center][img]http://www.otakuboards.com/killadam/KIlogo.gif[/img] [size=4]Chapter 10: Bath House Reflections[/size][/center] [b]Summary:[/b] In this chapter, Jamie Kidd continues his discussion with ****. After the brief discussion, he reflects on the infamous Bath House Fight between himself and Lelia Angelo. [b]Characters:[/b] Jamie Kidd, Lelia Angelo. [b]Setting:[/b] Alcatraz Prison Complex --> Osaka Bath House. [b][i]|Fingertips trace a scar on the hand...|[/i][/b] "Yeah, not quite finished." [font=trebuchet ms]"She did that to you?"[/font] "She did, yes. Bitch." [b][i]|A pause|[/i][/b] "Well, maybe I didn't finish things the way I wanted. But I sure finished [i]her[/i] off." [font=trebuchet ms]"You make it sound easy..."[/font] "Hah, no, it wasn't easy. She put up a good fight, I'll admit. Tricky thing, she is. But she couldn't escape a nail gun." [b][i]|Laughter|[/i][/b] "I'll never forget the Bath House..." [i]I had come so far already. I had spilled so much blood and committed so many crimes, all for the sake of vengeance. And, truthfully, I was starting to feel better about myself. But on that night, things weren't the same as they normally were. That is, the occasion was special. I couldn't enter the Bath House with my clothes in tatters from previous encounters. I couldn't walk in there with blood stains on my jacket. It just wouldn't have been right. Although she was a violent killer -- a murderer -- she was also undeniably enchanting. She was enchanting, mysterious and above all, dangerous. She was the first. He hired her before he hired anyone else. And so, she was his most trusted agent. This meant that killing her wouldn't simply be a matter of walking in and diving my sword into her stomach. Being able to fight her wasn't a choice that [b]I[/b] would make. She would make the choice; she would decide whether or not I was worthy of such an honour. In that sense, what I attempted was almost certain suicide. If the Fallen Angel hadn't accepted my challenge, she could easily have finished me off with a click of her fingers, such was the size of her personal entourage...[/i] Jamie approached the old bath house, which was nestled between two lush gardens, in Osaka's pleasure district. The night air was crisp and fresh, and the green earth had expelled lush cherry blossoms in great plumes across the landscape. A beautiful night -- one which the local residents were taking full advantage of. The bath house was ablaze with light and sound. As Jamie entered via the enormous wooden doors, he came across a sea of wooden floorboards, bathed in vivid yellow light. Bath attendants were scampering around like timid mice, fetching bath salts and gathering towels. The bath house was full to the rafters with clients. To his right, Jamie saw a long hallway, which appeared to continue forever into the distance. It was punctuated by thin paper doors, which periodically opened and closed, either ejecting or accepting yet another bath attendant. To his left, Jamie saw a large, open room. The room was dotted with elaborate furniture, over which dozens of attractive women were draped. Every now and then, he could hear the gruff laugh of a drunk Japanese businessman, followed by hysterical female giggling. Jamie approached the front desk and stood still, waiting for a response from the clerk. The clerk -- a short and round man, with a ratty little moustache and beady little eyes -- shuffled papers and barked orders at attendants, apparently without noticing the white-and-black figure just beyond his counter. Jamie raised a balled fist to his mouth and coughed, in an attempt to attract the clerk's attention, but to no avail. "Excuse me," said Jamie in a deliberate tone, "I would like to rent your most expensive tub for the evening." At this, the clerk paused and looked up. [i]Now[/i] he noticed the white-haired Gaijin. "Er...sorry sir, but that room is being used at the moment," said the clerk, with an obvious note of annoyance in his voice. He then continued to shuffle papers and bark orders, as though Jamie had simply disappeared. Jamie smiled to himself and raised his voice ever so slightly. "I said, I would like to rent your most expensive tub for the evening." The clerk paused once more and this time, he glared directly at Jamie and tapped the desk rapidly with his fingers. "Is there something wrong with you? Are you deaf? I told you -- [b]the room is being used right now[/b]. Either you buy a cheaper tub or you get lost." Jamie stepped back from the counter slightly and glanced around him. It was as if nobody had noticed the clerk's outburst; attendants were still dashing back and forth, with armfuls of towels and bath salts. Jamie rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and proceeded to unsheath his katana. The blade glinted and shimmered under the glaring yellow lights of the bath house foyer. The soft leather handle felt cool and comfortable in Jamie's grip. By the time several nearby attendants had noticed the sword, Jamie had turned his body sharply and flicked the blade through the air, in a half-circle around his body. As the clerk's head -- with its still-busy expression -- slipped off his neck and hit the floor with an unmistakably heavy [b]thud[/b], Jamie resheathed the sword and grabbed the clerk's microphone from his desk. "[b]If somebody doesn't take me to the most expensive tub in the fucking building, I'm going to keep on cutting.[/b]" In response to his little announcement, several attendants dropped their loads and gathered around Jamie, pointing upwards and frantically blurting vague directions at him. Jamie raised his hand (prompting several attendants to jump back several feet), and smiled. "I only need one of you to escort me," he said cheerfully. A young woman in a white and pink kimono stepped forward and bowed, her hands still shaking slightly. [u]"* **** ****** ***, ***,"[/u] she said politely, in her native tongue. [i]"I will escort you, sir."[/i] Jamie nodded, as the woman walked toward the hallway and gestured for him to follow. As Jamie walked behind her, through the hallway with slightly dimmer lighting than the rest of the building, he could see silhouettes of various bathrooms on either side. Most of the silhouettes looked like a man and several women had been plugged together to form some kind of odd new shape. Jamie found it mildly amusing, but not unusual. The woman in front shuffled quietly on her little toba, as she climbed the third flight of stairs, which opened out onto another enormous foyer. Beyond the foyer, which was decorated with dozens of black and white wall scrolls, stood a very large and ornate pair of double doors. The doors were heavy oak, unlike the rice paper that had been used throughout the rest of the building. Jamie smiled, as the woman in front bowed and gestured toward the doors. He grasped the ornate wooden handle and turned it slowly. It creaked gently under his grasp and felt heavy and old. As the door opened, Jamie came across a vast room beyond, which contained a very large bath in the center. Several men in suits were dotted around the room, either pacing back and forth or talking to one of the several Geisha who had been invited. This was definitely her room; who else in Osaka could afford the company of so many Geisha, especially when many were not only entertaining the bodyguards? The walls were covered with ornate paintings and calligraphy, and the far end of the room contained an enormous window, which looked out over the city below. The air carried a soft scent of fruit and in the corner of the room, a lone Geisha was playing what sounded like a traditional Spanish tune on a Japanese shamisen. This only reinforced the idea that the Fallen Angel was here. And as Jamie's eyes focused on the tub in the center of the room, he saw her... [center][img]http://www.otakuboards.com/killadam/babygirlintro.gif[/img][/center] But just as Jamie began to approach, a pair of nearby Geisha jumped in front of him, with handfuls of thin hairpins at the ready. Apparently, these were not ordinary Geisha. Jamie raised his hands slowly. "Hey, it's okay...I'm not here for any of you. Just her," he gestured toward the tub. The Geisha to his right arched her neck slightly and looked at Lelia, who was sprawled back in the tub, with her eyes closed and a slight grin across her lips. She waved her hand dismissively. "Leave him alone, girls," she sighed, with a soft yet distinct Spanish accent. Jamie smiled and lowered his arms to his sides. The Geisha pair returned the pins to their wigs and withdrew, bowing as if to apologize for any inconvenience. Lelia opened her eyes and emerged from the tub with the grace that Jamie had come to expect of her. She was naked. A nearby Geisha held out an elaborate robe for her, which she stepped into. She tied the robe around her waist and approached Jamie, immediately locking her eyes upon his as soon as they faced one another. "So, you made your way here finally," she said softly. Jamie merely nodded in response. He knew better than to take his eyes off her for a moment; such a mistake could cost him his life. "I can't say that I appreciate the job you did on my sisters," sighed Lelia, her eyes unflinching. "They got what was coming to them," said Jamie flatly. "Perhaps," said Lelia airily. "And you want to kill me too, don't you?" Jamie withdrew his katana and gripped it tightly in his fist. It was more than enough of an answer for Lelia. "At least have the patience to wait for a lady to get dressed," said Lelia, with a playful wink. Lelia untied the robe and let it drop to her feet. She smiled at Jamie once more and walked over to a red and white silk screen, which had been assembled near the tub. Several Geisha followed her behind the screen, and Jamie saw the silhouettes busily applying Lelia's kimono, hairpins and other accessories. Finally, the screen was folded away and Lelia re-emerged. A white and red kimono had been draped over her. The pattern matched the screen which had been used to hide her metamorphosis. An elaborate black and white obi embraced her around the waist. Jamie noticed that her hair -- rather than holding hairpins -- held several pairs of scissors of different sizes, colours and shapes. Lelia glanced at the bodyguards and Geisha around her. Immediately, they collected up the screen, shamisen and other items and exited the room on either side. "It's just us now," said Lelia quietly. Jamie moved into a battle-ready stance, tracing through the air with his katana delicately. Lelia reached into the bun on the back of her head and produced four pairs of scissors. As she waved her hands around, the scissors snapped open and shut rapidly. Lelia smiled; her manipulation of the scissors was effortless. She was somehow able to coordinate two pairs in each hand with her fingers. They snapped sharply and somewhat resembled metallic fans, as the blades fanned out and retracted repeatedly. "You'll regret coming here, Kidd," whispered Lelia, with a smirk. Jamie pulled the blade over his head, ready to lunge at her. "No I won't," he said calmly. [b]Note:[/b] Jenna, I only have two requests for your post. The first is not to finish the fight completely (you can stretch the fight out for as long as you like -- you can include any dialogue, you can incorporate whatever you want) and the second is to ensure that by the end of your post, Jamie and Lelia are on the roof of the bath house. ~_^ Have fun!

[color=#707875]Thank you, Hittokiri. I've learned one important thing, studying Graphic Design at BA level: Artists are not always Designers. I think this is very true. Someone can produce pretty art, but might not be a real problem solver or a "true designer". I prefer to think of myself more as a designer than an artist. But anyway, I think your post really summed up the effect I'm going for. Very simple, yet very visually powerful. I don't want to complicate things with pointless busywork. ^_^ (Not that it's always a bad thing -- if the finished product looks great). EDIT: Here is my newest banner: [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/banners/pheonix.jpg[/img] Again, I thought I'd put it here rather than just leave it in rotation. I like using PSP8's brushes. ^_^;; I also changed the border colour for this one, even though the format is the same as the others.[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by cloricus [/i] [B]IQ2 the Xbox's specs beat the ps2's by about 100 fold (check maths I'm to tired, ps2 is 32bit and xbox is 64meg) so there is no point upgrading the xbox for the ps3 since it will be on the same spec level as the ps2 and still be far inferior to the xbox. [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]What are you talking about? PS3 will be on the same spec level as PS2? o_O And...where did you get the idea that Xbox's technical specifications "beat" the PS2's by 100 fold? I think you need to re-calculate your ideas there, Cloricus.[/color] [quote][b]Theoretically if the PS2 used 100% of its video capability, its video quality would be better.[/quote][/b] [color=#707875]I don't think drivers are the issue at all. The biggest problem for PS2 is bottlenecking. VU01 and VU02 are allocated very little memory compared to the Xbox's GPU. And that seems to be the primary issue with PS2's hardware. If you look at a game like Gran Turismo 4, it's pretty obvious that PS2 can come very close to matching Xbox. GameCube can come even closer still. So, Xbox certainly doesn't run away from the competition when it comes to graphics. I've seen very few Xbox games that demonstrate a particularly noteable improvement over PS2/GCN counterparts. As far as PS3 and Xbox 2 are concerned...to my knowledge, Microsoft hasn't said anything about Xbox 2's specifications. With PS3, very little has also been mentioned. So I think it's a little premature to make too many predictions on these points.[/color]

[color=#707875]I've asked Adam to do this several times now...and I thought it'd been fixed. Oh well. I assure you that Adam is aware of the problem and we'll get it fixed as soon as possible. ^_^[/color]

[color=#707875]Emme, my personal opinion is that you should wait a few years until you make any decision. You're only 15...wait until you're about 20 or so, before you really decide what to do. If larger breasts are going to attract more men, then you have to wonder what kind of men you're attracting -- and whether or not it's really worthwhile for you. And if you're making this decision with the aim of attracting men...I don't think that's necessarily the right reason. Plastic surgery is an option for some, but generally, I think it's more a question of whether or not you're happy with the way you are -- regardless of what others say or how they react. I think that for now, you should forget implants. Wait until you're older before you revisit the issue. There are so many risks associated with implants...and at your age, I think it would be incredibly tragic for anything to go wrong. But that's just my opinion. I don't think you need larger breasts to be beautiful; if a guy falls for you, he's going to love your body no matter what, because it's [i]your[/i] body. [/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Harry [/i] [B] That sucks. Just dont' cheat on him while he's away and when he comes back you give him the divorce papers, he'd most likely kill you and your lover. [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]How can you justify such blatant rudeness? Regardless of whether or not you agree with Chibi on her views of the military and such, she's obviously going through a tough time. Having a partner sent away to a dangerous situation for a long period of time is obviously incredibly tough and stressful. I'm sure that she doesn't need you or anyone else to make cruel and inappropriate comments about the situation. [/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Mitch [/i] [B][size=1] I totally agree I should put a little sketch of what the poem is about before I post it. I guess I just wasn't thinking the first time. Well, I at least thought that it was obvious enough that I was making fun of people saying that diet coke causes cancer. But I guess some people cannot read between the lines, and nor will they enjoy my post. Ah well. [/size] [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]Just to clarify; I didn't delete the post because your poem wasn't clear or understandable. It was. It made sense. I'm sure that the visitors at OB would have been able to understand it. It wasn't that. I deleted it because a poem on its own really isn't the same as telling us directly what your opinion is and why you hold the opinion. What I recommend is to use your post to give us your opinion...and then perhaps tell us that you've written a poem about it and post that in the same post. That way, you're killing two birds with one stone. It's mostly just a question of keeping things reasonable for everyone. The poem itself was fine though. And don't worry about being off topic in this case; it's probably better that members see the discussion in public, incase they themselves are wondering what to do. ^_^[/color]

[color=#707875]Rememberence...you may want to include a bit more detail in your posts. As it stands, I don't know where this topic can go. Maybe you can be more specific and detailed with your question.[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Mitch [/i] [B]Whoever deleted my last post is not in good demeanor with me. My post was very appropriate. Can't anyone see humor when it hits them square in the face? I guess not. This is why I refuse to have my post deleted, and I shall revise it. If you don't know, this poem was basically making fun of diet cola and how people seem to even care if it causes cancer. But I guess people can't see this. I'm guessing it was TN that deleted it lol. [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#707875][b]I[/b] deleted your post. I deleted it because I considered it to be spam. It was kinda like that Kanojo guy who keeps responding to things with poetry. The reason why it was removed [i]should[/i] be plainly obvious; it was a piece of poetry, not a comment/discussion. We can get all technical about that, but you know what I mean. In any case, at least you've included a little comment before it this time. I guess that's something to be happy about.[/color]

[color=#707875]Holy mother of god, PT. What have you done to your character?! lol. Geeze. Everything was great before...all I needed you to do was get rid of the gun and replace it with a melee weapon. *eyelid twitches* Anyway. Again, sorry for the delays; the final cast will go up tonight. [b]EDIT:[/b] Okay. It's all done. The final cast has been chosen. At this point, it's important for me to mention a few things. Firstly, if you didn't make it in, please do not be too discouraged. It wasn't necessarily because your sign up was good or bad -- it relates more to what kind of characters I want in the story. I have a relatively strong idea of how many I want on each side and who they should be. So, this was mostly a question of your character showing me something that I really wanted to include. Also, I wanted many more Adam's Angels than Southern Vipers. Bear in mind that the SV are a pretty small group of individuals who are trying to get back at Adam for personal reasons -- they aren't necessarily "guns for hire" and so on. The SV obviously don't go around recruiting people and whatnot. It just doesn't work that way. It's the same in Kill Bill; The Bride wasn't going around recruiting random people to join her cause -- anyone who helped her did so because there were personal reasons involved. Adam's Angels is a bit different. It's more of an organization than anything else. Yes, each member has personal reasons for being involved with Adam, but money and other things play a role there. With some of you, (many of you actually) I came very close to adding you to the cast. But I didn't for a variety of reasons -- either your character's profile and their reasons for being in the story didn't seem valid or logical to me, or there were minor issues elsewhere, or I didn't feel that you really grasped the style of what I'm trying to do. Again, that's not really a criticism of you guys so much -- I had to edit things because I wasn't too clear in the first place. But by the same token, I did not expect many people to get in who hadn't seen Kill Bill. You really just have to see it to understand what's going on here -- it's not so much a plot issue, it's more a question of the style and how everything fits together. But enough of that. It's time for me to briefly discuss how this movie will play out. Unlike most RPGs, Kill Adam will not be a case of one person simply posting after another. Nope. Instead, Kill Adam will play out much more like an event -- it will have a specific structure. Let me see if I can explain. Let's say that the movie is divided into a dozen "chapters", like a DVD or something. And those chapters have a particular chronological order, from 1 to 12. In a movie, every single character isn't involved in every single chapter. Sometimes, certain characters only show up for one or two chapters in the whole movie -- or they only show up for half the chapters, etc. And sometimes, an entire chapter will only talk about one particular character or one aspect of their lives. As the "director" of this movie, I am going to decide when certain chapters appear and in what order. Therefore, I will introduce new chapters to the story at certain intervals (ie: when the previous chapter has been completed). So, again, each chapter will have a special introduction. The chapter introduction will provide certain details. For example, it will tell you the name of the chapter, a summary of what the chapter is about (or what the "end goal" of the chapter is) and [b]which characters[/b] are in the chapter. Let me see if I can give you a very quick example. [b]Chapter 1: Two Characters Meet[/b] [b]Summary:[/b] Character A and Character B meet at Place X for a fight to the death, where Character A murders Character B. [b]Characters Involved:[/b] Character A, Character B. Now, that's an incredibly rough idea. But as you can see, in that chapter, only two characters are involved. And in that chapter, they have a fight -- where we essentially know the ending. Bear in mind that with Kill Adam, we knew that The Bride was going to kill Oren Ishii. The question is, [i]how[/i] does it happen? What does it look like? What leads up to it? Where one person might write about this encounter in a very direct way (they might simply write that the two characters meet in an abandoned carpark and fight), another person might be more elaborate and write about all the minions that The Bride has to kill first -- and how she ends up fighting in the Winter Garden. See what I mean? The chapter introduction will provide you with a basic "skeleton" or "overview" of what happens in the chapter. In other words, it will present those involved with some sort of end goal or basic scenario. It is up to the individuals involved to flesh that out -- to bring it alive. As long as they meet the end target and as long as they conclude the chapter based on the summary and introduction, they can be as creative as they like. They can include their own dialogue, their own specific scenarios, etc etc. They can write in first person or third person. They can include midi music files for background ambience, they can use imagery and unique background colours to achieve greater effects...and so on. The sky is the limit -- [b]as long as the basic summary/introduction is followed[/b]. When the chapter concludes (by having the conditions met), I will step in and introduce a new chapter. The new chapter might jump right to Chapter 10...or it might be Chapter 3...and so on. The idea is that by the very end, we will have built an entire "movie" full of chapters. I've chosen this system for a few reasons. One, it follows the whole Kill Bill theme. Two, it relieves some of the traditional pressures of RPGs; you don't have to post all the time -- only when your character is needed. And three, it ensures that the RPG doesn't go on forever -- that it [i]does[/i] have a definable ending and that it will be completed. In this way, we will have created a story with a beginning and an end...and we'll have truly finished it. If this concept works out, then you can be sure that I'll develop a new "movie" in the future, with a similar structure. If there are any questions, please use this thread. I will be posting the first chapter very soon, so watch out for it.[/color]

[color=#707875]If he's looking for multiplayer, I'd also recommend Mario Kart. It's very cool; I've been playing all day today. ^_^[/color]

[color=#707875]Well, I'm a pretty avid Coca-Cola drinker. And I can't say that I've ever had dental problems from it, or weight problems, or anything of that sort. Then again, I do make sure to take care of myself. I find it funny that so many people believe that Coke is some kind of nasty toxic chemical. What is it, really? It's carbonated water with sugar, flavour additives, colour, food acid and caffine. Maybe "food acid" is what makes people think that it's acidic...even though food acid is found in many products. Even if it were acidic, it's not nearly as powerful as the acids in your digestive system. So, I personally think that there are many misnomas about soda drinks. Of course, they [i]aren't[/i] healthy -- no soda drink is truly healthy. But by the same token, I'd say that they are no worse than any other sugary snack or drink.[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Solo Tremaine [/i] [B][COLOR=#503F86]In terms of speed... isn't 50cc the slowest/easiest level to start off with in MK games? It's possible the other cc levels have a greater deal of speed and power behind the karts. [/COLOR] [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]Yep, that's true. I played both 50cc and 100cc. 100cc is marginally faster, though there isn't a huge difference. But that could be because other players are also faster and thus, you feel slower in relation to them. Still, good fun. I really have no problems whatsoever with the game's speed. [/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Transtic Nerve [/i] [B][/b] You keep up the smartass comments, you won't be here much to make 'em. I think this thread has run it's course, and judging from your lack of responce, i assume that I am right and you are wrong... jackass [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]Transtic...he's having a debate with you. What is so smartass about that? This isn't the kind of response I expect to see from you. To me, this comes across as you simply closing a thread because of a debate -- a debate which, until now, hasn't been too personalized. Calling members names doesn't help either. I'm really disappointed about this thread being closed.[/color]

[color=#707875]Yubaba: Rhinoplasty. Dragon Ball Characters: A job, so that they stop wasting their time worrying about fighting. D: A very thick glove. Mimiru: A muzzle; her voice in the Japanese version is insanely annoying. That's all I can think of for now. ;)[/color]