James

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Squashed Snail [/i] [B]What's the graphics like? Are they the same as Super Mario World on the NES? Oh yeah, that's a good RPG too.... [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]So you don't even know what it looks like? lol You just said before, something like "by the looks of things I don't want to either" or something... Uhh, you're starting to sound somewhat like Jabroni...God help us all...:nervous: :worried: [/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Justin [/i] [B] Seeing as how most animals don't have sex for pure pleasure anyway it must be something deeper than just sex. -Justin [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]Exactly. This is why I can't see sexuality being such a big deal to everyone. I mean, your being heterosexual is more than just your desire to have sex with women lol. Your sexuality is much deeper than just sex itself. The fact that various animal species have multiple sexualities involved suggests to me that there is some natural reason why different sexualities are apparent in living things.[/color] [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by BabyGirl[/i] [b] [color=deeppink]Octopi ;) I made the mistake once of saying "cactuses" instead of "cacti" and got yelled at by a teacher. Now I always make sure I know when to use the "i"![/color][/b][/quote] [color=royalblue]Ah yes, how foolish of me. I knew I was doing something wrong lol.[/color]

[size=1]Uhh Steven...I'm sorry, but can you [b]please[/b] try to improve your spelling? If you can't, you may risk being removed from this RPG. Sorry, but we have to maintain [b]some[/b] level of coherance in the story...otherwise it becomes difficult to follow. :)[/size] [i]It was now the second day in the Icicle Area. The large Shinra MCVs had unpacked and were constructing a military outpost in an open field. Most of the troops had fanned out around the area to form a defensive barrier, while many of the defensive vehicles began to patrol the local snowfields. A lone soldier stood near the edge of the nearby forest. He looked around him, but noticed that nobody was there. He'd lost his designated group.[/i] Soldier 140: Dammit...I knew I'd lose them in this blizzard. I can't see a thing...[i] The solider turned and began to walk back toward the base. But after only a few steps, he heard a rustling in the tree behind him. He spun around and aimed his blaster at the tree -- it was primed and set on the "destruct" setting. The blaster was powerful enough to take out the entire tree if the soldier had been so inclined. Despite the noise, he saw nothing. He turned again and began walking away...but this time, he heard a loud cracking noise. The snow became heavier...and he could barely see. He squinted and pulled his hat forward a little, trying to shield his eyes from the thickening blanket of snow. And then he saw it...something black in the snow...it was only a few metres ahead of him, but it was difficult to see. It was growing larger...coming closer... It was standing infront of him. And whatever it was, it was breathing... All he saw was the black. And soon after, all he saw was red. Red on his hands, red on his uniform...and red in the snow all around him. He closed his eyes as the life drained from his body. He was dead. And the black -- whatever it had been -- was moving closer to the Shinra base...[/i]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Solid Snake [/i] [B] [COLOR=teal]Strange, but I never thought that I would see the day when an administrator would bring back a topic almost 20 days old. I am sure that someone must be messing around with the dates. [/COLOR] [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]I don't consider this topic to be old. :) It was still on the first page, around the middle. Please remember, this forum (and some others here) tend to move fairly slowly. And thus, the definition of an "old topic" is perhaps different here to what it would be in General Discussion. Also, the use of old topics isn't against the rules at all -- it's preferable to creating an entirely new topic which would essentially be the same as the old one. Just thought you'd like to remain updated on the rules. ;)[/color]

[i]The raging sea was fiercly lapping up against the shores of the Icicle Area continent. In the distance, three enormous ships were barely visible in the fog. They were black, with red Shinra Corporation logos on the sides. The huge vessels approached the beach. And as they landed, large hatches on the front of them slid open. Various vehicles began to emerge in formation. First came the All Terrain Vehicles, each carrying two soliders. There were at least sixty of these vehicles -- they lined up along the beach. Following them came slightly larger vehicles which had plasma cannons mounted on their rooftops. They had six large wheels and carried groups of soliders in the rear compartment. There were at least twenty of these. And finally, two gigantic vehicles slowly made their way out of the Amphibious Transport Vessels...they were Mobile Construction Vehicles. They moved incredibly slowly and were flanked on either side by Shinra Strike Vehicles; very small car-like vehicles which seated one single solider and which were equipped with a roof-mounted machine gun. The large convoy lay itself out over the white sand as the waves crashed up against the big black Shinra Amphibious Transports. A man in uniform stepped out toward the group, followed by several hundred soliders. The soliders lined up behind the group of vehicles (there were 4500 soldiers in total). While the man in the uniform continued to walk ahead so that he was standing directly before the group of units on the sand. He reached down into a black bag and took out a large megaphone, which he somewhat awkardly managed to turn on.[/i] Fleet Commander: Okay! Is this thing on...ugh...oh, ok...ahem...attention Naval Fleet 178! I hope that nobody has forgotten anything! Please make sure that you have the required amount of ammunition and please perform final weapon checks before we embark on our mission![i] His words were met with some frantic weapon-checking by the less-prepared soldiers. [/i] Fleet Commander: Okay! We are going to move 80 miles north of here...five miles west of the Forgotten Capital. The two MCVs will unload and those of you assigned to construction duty will begin work on the base. The rest of you are assigned to defend the surrounding area from attackers. Remember, we don't know what is lurking around here...we have no idea about the various creatures that we may find in the snow and ice up here. So please be on the lookout and keep your radar beacons switched on at all times! [i]The Fleet Commander put his megaphone away and signaled for the fleet to move out. He had decided it was too cold to go in person...so he made his way back to the transport ship which had brought him originally. He'd settle down for a warm cup of tea while he waited. He hoped it wouldn't take too long to get the base ready... ...but just as he began making his way back across the beach, he heard a distant howl. He (and several other soldiers) turned instantly to the direction from where the howl originated: the north west. The Fleet Commander didn't know if it was just him...if it was just some noise on the wind...or something more sinister. But nonetheless, he didn't see the need to report it to home base. It was probably nothing...[/i]

[color=royalblue]I doubt that OtakuBoards will be around for another twenty or thirty years...so even if you intend to stick around, it may not matter anyway. :) [/color]

[i]The next morning, Satoru Shinra sat down in his office and turned on the TV monitor, which folded out from his desk. The Midgar News was on...[/i] [b][i]"A twin explosion at the Mako Reactor in Junon City yesterday killed 60 people and injured 40. First signs of the leak appeared at around 8am Junon Time, however, six local Reactor Crews were unable to repair the problem. Soon after the leak occured, an explosion rocked one side of the building and caused tonnes of pure Mako Energy to spill out onto the surrounding areas. At least five major buildings on the outskirts of Junon were totally destroyed in the blast, and all the work crews have been killed. Shinra Corp. officials have said that two special work crews are being sent from Midgar, who will be able to repair the damage. The Junon Mako Reactor has since been shut down remotely from Shinra Corporation's Midgar headquarters. The more than 20,000 residents of Junon City were evacuated before the blast into Shinra Frieghter Vessels offshore. However, this incident brings into question the safety of Mako Reactors...[/i][/b] Satoru Shinra: Ugh...of course, one little accident brings safety into question. Even after decades of no accidents... [i]The doors to Satoru Shinra's office flew open, just as the news report concluded. It was General Schwartz. He strode into the room looking rather nervous. [/i] Satoru Shinra: Take a seat, General. General Schwartz: Thank you, Mr. President. [i]The General sat down and produced a map of the Icicle Area. Toward the southwest of the map were several red dots which had been drawn in red ink.[/i] General Schwartz: The red dots here represent the Shinra Naval Fleet. The fleet we have sent consists of the following: 2x Shinra Heavy Aircraft Carrier 3x Shinra Amphibious Assault Vehicle 2x Shinra Naval Transport Ship As you can see, were are sending considerable resources to the Icicle Area. Satoru Shinra: So what do you plan to do, exactly? Where will the base be set up? General Schwartz: Well sir, it's a very difficult operation. The ships will dock and they will unload various transport vehicles. Those vehicles will be sent about five miles west of the Forgotten Capital. We intend to set up a base there. Satoru Shinra: And what is so difficult about that? General Schwartz: Well...there are unknown elements in this area of the world...monsters that we've never before encountered. Satoru Shinra: Ahh I see. I presume we have a good compliment of soldiers up there, then? General Schwartz: Yes sir, we've sent 4500 Shinra Infantry on the mission. Satoru Shinra: Excellent. I want you to arrange for two Shinra Airships to rendevous with the building party at the chosen location...the Airships will be useful incase an evacuation is needed...or incase there is any trouble. General Schwartz: Certainly, sir. Satoru Shinra: Anything else, General? General Schwartz: One other thing, sir...it's Miss Scarlet... Satoru Shinra: What about her? General Schwartz: She has changed. She seems to eager to push this whole Icicle Area military base for some reason...but honestly, I have no evidence of any disturbances in the region. I think that this is a waste of Shinra Corp's valuable money. Satoru Shinra: This area of the world is relatively unexplored by civilized people...I think it might be worth the investment. If the area isn't too inhospitable, it might be a useful area for setting up Mako Reactors. If we could increase power output...we could perhaps build a ski-resort up there, who knows. ;) General Schwartz: Yes...okay sir. [i]The General stood up and packed the map away. He pushed the chair aside and walked out of the office. President Shinra was locked deep in thought. His dream last night had been a bad omen...something was wrong. Was he wrong in ordering his military to the Icicle Area? Surely not. What could possibly be dangerous there? It was an uninhabitable wasteland... But still, the thoughts played on his mind. These thoughts were compounded by the tragedy in Junon. Something needed to be done to smooth over the PR damage to Shinra. Perhaps a festival...perhaps Shinra could pay to reconstruct lost buildings...or perhaps something even more grand could be done...[/i]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sephiroth [/i] [B] maybe people use text messaging in their mobile/cellular phones too much :smooch: [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]Nah, as much as I'd like to suspect that...I'm more inclined to suspect sheer laziness. lol But thanks for the smooch smiley, you're one step closer to your beloved Yaoi forum...lol! :drunk: [/color]

[color=royalblue]This is interesting. There was a show on TV ages ago where they were discussing homosexuality and debating whether it was "natural" or not. And one of the doctors on the program showed a video tape of two male octopuses (sp?) "getting it on" lol Basically, from all the data that's been collected...it seems that animals can have such tendancies as well as humans...which means that it must be a part of nature. I personally think it's nature's way of keeping large animal populations in check...lol.[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Dragonballzman [/i] [B]Well, why don't you just use ":laugh:"? HAHA! :toothy: :devil: :D See? It's alot easier! Whats that James? What if you've used too many smilies in your post and can't fit ":laugh:"? Well, just...Uh...Damn. Uhhh...Say "I'm laughing my *** off!!!" HAHA! Or just use my little kirby friend here...! I can think of loadz of other stuff to say instead of "lol"! :lecture: [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]Hmm...have you taken your medication lately? :laugh: Heheh... All I'm saying is that the use of "u" and "ur" etc looks stupid. How in god's name did we get into this irrelevant side area? lol [/color]

[i]Satoru put his hand to his forehead. He sat up in bed and turned to his sidetable, which had a jug of water and a glass sitting upon it. He poured himself a glass of water and stood up. Just as he did so, the phone rang. He put down his glass and picked up the phone. The voice on the other end was shaky and cutting out every few seconds...there was a strong static coming from the other end... [/i] ???: Sir...sir...emergency...they...all...ead...al...gone...came here...HUGE, HUGE...illed everyone! Satoru: Who is this?? What's going on? *click* [i]The other end cut out. Satoru couldn't hear everything that had been said...but he'd soon know in no uncertain terms what had happened, it was on the TV news that morning...[/i]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Dragonballzman [/i] [B] O_o I'm not THAT stupid...o_O [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]I realize that. :rolleyes: I pointed it out to demonstrate that saying "u" instead of "you" is different from saying "lol" instead of "laugh out loud". As saying the latter would look pretty dumb. :laugh: [/color]

[color=royalblue]The only RPGs I know of for GameCube are Rune (complex card-based RPG), Magic Mountain/Mystical Mountain (I forget the name) and there is a third RPG by a smaller Japanese developer...but once again, I can't remember the name. There is also the rumored Golden Sun RPG for GameCube...which we may hear about at E3 in May.[/color]

[i]That night, President Shinra had disturbing dreams...[/i] [URL=http://jamesotaku.tripod.com/images/sephdream1.gif]Sequence 1[/URL] [i]He rolled over in his sleep...moaning as his eyelids fluttered uncontrollably...[/i] [url=http://jamesotaku.tripod.com/images/sephdream2.gif]Sequence 2[/url] [i]Satoru sat up in a cold sweat. He stared forward...unblinking...his hand clutching his chest tightly.[/i] [size=1]Ugh GOD...I've been going insane trying to find somewhere to host these damn images without some idiotic "hosted by" symbol appearing. I've tried at least four different hosts...does anyone know of somewhere I can put 'em where they'll actually show up on the page? lol[/size]

[i]Satoru finished reading the report and stood up at his desk. He took his briefcase and walked toward the entrance doors of his office, when suddenly, they flew open. Standing in the doorway of his office was Miss Scarlet. Her aunt had had the same name, but her aunt was definitely a different person...at least, her aunt was more "extreme". Miss Scarlet wasn't the nicest of people, but unlike her aunt, she didn't devote her time to doing inappropriate work for Shinra. Miss Scarlet stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips.[/i] M. Scarlet: You're late again! Satoru: What? M. Scarlet: You're late for another meeting! This is the second time this month that you've been late for a Shinra board meeting... Satoru: Oh, I'm sorry. We have had an emergency at the Junon Mako Facility... M. Scarlet: Oh I see. Well, are you going to sit-in on the rest of the meeting? Satoru: Sure, lead the way. [i]Miss Scarlet walked down the corridor of the newly-renovated Shinra building. The new building was much taller than the old one -- it was 120 stories high. The President's offices were on the 120th floor. They finally approached the Executive Board Room. The twin doors slid open automatically, as Miss Scarlet approached (she had a level 10 access chip attached to her clothing). The group inside the board room, who consisted of everyone from the Mayor to the Shinra Energy Planning Manager stood up to greet the President. Satoru Shinra sat down in a leather chair at the end of the conference table.[/i] Satoru: So what is today's agenda? General Schwartz: We're discussing the crisis in Junon. I assume you were briefed earlier, Mr. President? Satoru: Yes I was. I have ordered that the people of Junon be evacuated into Shinra Freighters until the crisis is over. Mayor: Do you really think that is a wise move? Can the leak be contained? Satoru: I am sure that the two teams were are sending from Midgar can be of assistance. I expect us to have the problem fixed within a couple of days. Mayor: Excellent...Midgar has a strong trading relationship with Junon City...I'd hate for that to be compromised. Miss Scarlet: Is trading all you think about, Mayor? Mayor: Well er...it's very important. :D Miss Scarlet: Hmph. I have been campaigning for the re-opening of the Junon Cannon. What if there is another Weapon attack on Midgar? General Schwartz: I highly doubt that will happen, Scarlet. We have adopted an environmentally friendly policy. What reason could Weapon have for attacking us now? Miss Scarlet: But surely you've heard of the disturbances to the north west...there are disturbing reports coming through. There is increased activity up there... General Schwartz: I am doubtful that these reports hold any water. We have no evidence of any problems... Miss Scarlet: Nonetheless, I believe that Shinra should establish a military outpost in that region to make sure. We have no presence there as yet, it's going to be an important area to maintain calm in the rest of Gaia. Satoru: I agree. General, I want you to authorize the construction of a new military outpost up there... General Schwartz: Sir...don't you think that's a bit risky? We've never sent a fleet of Shinra vessels so far north...it could be dangerous. Satoru: Hahah...General, we have the most powerful military in the world. Don't tell me you're worried. :rolleyes: General Schwartz: Alright, sir....I'll make the commands known. [i]The meeting continued for several more hours. It seemed to Satoru that Scarlet had her own agenda. She seemed very eager to give Shinra a presence in the north...but for what reason, he didn't know.[/i]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by BabyGirl [/i] [B] [color=deeppink] If you feel the need to express this [i]plethora of words you harbor[/i]...then use that gift to write or something. Put this obvious passion you have into essays for school or journal writing...channel it in a positive way...not in one that hurts others around you.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]That's all fine and good...but I believe DBZChika is saying that her friends insult her because of the larger words she uses. I particularly hate it when people make some joke or something if a large word is used...as if using large words is somehow a bad thing. So I think that DBZChika is actually bearing the brunt of "anti-big-word" friends...as opposed to her proactively saying "they're dumb". And I think many of us get that sometimes...others making a joke when bigger words are used. 'tis a shame...but I do agree that by the same token, if you ARE infact more intelligent than someone (and there is no shame in being more intelligent than someone lol), you shouldn't rub it in their face etc..[/color]

[i]Eventually, Karu could see a spot of light up ahead. The Trunk Beetle continued scurrying closer and closer to the exit and Calya put out the light on the end of his staff. Finally, the beetle emerged from the darkness of the trunk and scrambled out onto an enormous branch of the Great Tree. The branch looked somewhat like a street. There were houses on either side (they were hanging down from the branch above), which had gigantic leaves stretching from the actual branch to the front doors of the houses themselves. The large, spherical houses looked somewhat like giant coconuts, but with a door and windows carved into the sides. On the left of the beetle was a large twig, which protruded up from the side of the branch. It had a giant leaf stuck to it which read "Quogabble 137".[/i] Calya: Ahh, here we are! [i]Calya and Karu climbed down off the giant beetle and Calya gave the rest of the Quogabble 137 greens to it. They began walking along the branch. Karu was looking around him in wonder, it was like a secret universe that nobody outside knew about. He was particularly amazed at the sheer number of Quart who lived in the Great Tree. Calya and Karu had to stay close, as there were constantly large beetles (and some rather ruffled gold chocobos) moving back and forth along the branch, using it as a kind of road. Finally, Calya stopped and pointed to a nearby house. The numbers "46" were carved above the door.[/i] Calya: Here we are!! Let's go! [i]Calya and Karu approached the house. Karu made the mistake of looking down as he walked over the leaf which connected the front door to the branch. The sheer sight of being so high -- and with no guide rails or anything -- made him nearly lose his balance. Calya knocked on the door and it opened rather quickly. A nervous looking Quart woman stood at the door.[/i] Woman: Calya! Where have you been?! Calya: Just wen' to look for Karu! Don' be mad! :( Woman: Oh, I see...okay...come inside then! [i]The woman opened the door and Calya walked in, followed by Karu. They were standing in a neat little kitchen. The entire house looked like something from a fairy tale. Everything was made of wood...and all the furniture had a "hand-carved" look about it. Karu sat down at the kitchen table and put his backback on the floor next to him. Calya sat opposite him and rubbed his sore feet.[/i] Calya: Oh, by the way...this is my mom! Karu: Hello...err... Woman: My name's Elenor. Pleased to meet you, Karu. [i]Elenor smiled warmly at Karu and offered him some hot tea, which he gladly accepted.[/i] Karu: Calya said that you were looking for me...that you wanted to bring me here. Elenor: Yes, that's right. It may come as a shock to you...but we are friends of your biological parents. Karu: My parents?! Elenor: Yes, Karu. They have not been here for quite some time...but they asked us to find you if we could and bring you back here. Karu: But I thought they gave me to my Windhyte foster parents... Elenor: Windhyte foster parents? Noo...your parents left the Great Tree to go on a mission of some kind. I never asked them where they were going...but they never came back. About two weeks after they left, your mother sent me a letter which said that she'd had a baby on her travels...and that she had left it at an orphanage in the Kingdom of Physar. Karu: If you were so concerned, why didn't you just go there? [i]Elenor looked somewhat taken aback.[/i] Elenor: Well...Quart people rarely leave the Great Tree...it's a very dangerous world out there for us! Karu: Hmm...well you've found me finally...but, I love my Windhyte parents very much...I want to return home to them! Elenor: You do? Why don't you, then? Karu: For one thing, I wouldn't know how to get home from here...and for another, my parents were kidnapped. Elenor: Kidnapped?! Karu: Yes...I was travelling with two friends when your son's chocobo kidnapped [i]me[/i]. Elenor: Well, it hardly [i]kidnapped[/i] you... Karu: It did! I didn't want to be taken away from my friends! Elenor: Karu...maybe it was for the best...you have much to learn. Karu: What could possibly be so important? Elenor: Well for one thing, you don't have your staff. And for another, you needn't be so worried about your friends. We can contact them if you need to. Karu: Oh...alright then. How do I get my staff? Elenor: We'll need to see the King of the Great Tree in order to make one for you. Only the King is capable of issuing such an order. Karu: Okay. So how do I contact my friends? Elenor: To do that, we can just use simple magic. I have a crystal ball in the cupboard...we can use that to contact them. Karu: Ohh...okay...let's try it... [i]Elenor walked out of the kitchen. Calya and Karu heard some shuffling in the next room and in a few minutes, Elenor returned with a large, crystal ball. She sat it down on the table infront of Karu, who had just finished his tea.[/i] Elenor: Now...all you need to do is hold the ball in your hands and concentrate. Think about your friends...the best way to contact them is to conjour up the most emotional moments you had in their presence.[i] Karu stared into the ball. He thought hard...but nothing came to him. No images...just the clear crystal of the ball. But then he started thinking about the incident on the boat...with Sephiroth and Jasmine. He started thinking about the giant serpent...and its menacing eyes. He hadn't seen Sephiroth kill Jasmine, but he had seen the snake...and he remembered seeing blood all over Sephiroth's white hair. Then it came to him...a mist within the ball started to swirl and eventually, a clear picture began to form. It was Sephiroth and Chole standing in a field beyond the forest where Physar's temple had been... [/i]Karu: Guys?! Can you hear me?? [i]The two figures inside the ball looked around in wonderment...having no idea where the voice had come from.[/i] Chole: Karu?! Is that you?! Karu: Yes!! It's me!! Chole: Where are you? Karu: I'm in the Great Tree of Ephra! I'm at my parents' friends' house! Chole: What?!! How did you end up so far away? Karu: Their son's golden chocobo flew me there...it wasn't exactly by choice though. Sephiroth: Are you alright, Karu? Karu: Yes...yes I'm fine...but they're going to help me. They're going to get me a staff... Chole: Oh...well, what do you want us to do? Karu: Do whatever you have to...did you get the Pheonix Tail? Sephiroth: Yeah, we got it... Karu: Good job! You should find a way to cure Jasmine...when I am finished here, I will contact you again and we can find a way of meeting up! Chole: Sounds like a plan. Sephiroth: Be safe Karu...look after yourself... Karu: You too, Seph...bye Chole! Chole: Bye! [i]The two figures in the crystal ball's mist waved and faded away slowly. Karu was amazed at what had just happened. He'd never used a crystal ball, let alone any sort of magic before...[/i]

[size=1]Hm, I think I'm going to back out of this RPG. It's gone very far very fast...lol, I don't know if I'd be able to catch up. I've joined the FF7-Return RPG instead. :)[/size]

[i]Satoru Shinra stood infront of the large window at the side of his office. The room was dark - the verticle blinds were half-drawn. Since his father's reign, Midgar had become a very different place. Satoru Shinra had campaigned for the rights of lower-class citizens and as a result, Shinra Corporation had spent more than 10 Billion Gil (G10 Billion) redeveloping the lower plate. It had taken more than ten years, but the lower plate was now not what it used to be. It was cleaner, there were good quality schools in place and crime was at an all-time low. The Mayor was also given more power since Satoru Shinra had entered position was President of Shinra Corp. The Mayor of Midgar now had full control of the city's Government and had a strong say in what was done in the city. In addition, Shinra had since pulled back much of its army from around the world. The Shinra army had taken the old cannon in Junon and redeveloped it into a thriving city and marketplace. The cannon was still there, but now it had become more of a centerpiece...a reminder of the way things were. On the whole, Shinra had changed itself a great deal. It had gone from being a loathesome enterprise to a savior for the poor and sick. However, Shinra still had a great deal of influence around the world. It continued to mine Mako energy, which was the sole source of power for the world's inhabitants. But based on the incidents and conflicts with the Weapons, Satoru Shinra had consulted with various sorcerers and village leaders from across Gaia. And upon their advice, he had created what was called "The Mako Relocation Program". That is, power which had been used would be redeveloped into pure Mako energy and filtered back down into the soil. Mako Reactors had been modified to include the changes. But President Shinra was cautious...he felt unnerved...he knew something was wrong. But he couldn't put his finger on it. Something in the world was changing... The door to President Shinra's office opened and his secretary walked in. She stood infront of his desk and bowed.[/i] Secretary: Mr. President...we have a problem. [i]Satoru turned around to face his secretary. He sat down in his black leather chair and looked at her through his glasses.[/i] Satoru: Yes? Secretary: Well, it is regarding the Junon Mako Facility. [i]The secretary reached into a folder she was holding and lay several documents on Satoru's desk. He picked them up and scanned through them.[/i] Secretary: There appears to be a leak in the Primary Pressureization Chamber. More than five work teams have been called in to correct the issue, however, the leak is growing. Raw Mako energy is toxic...and so far, it has killed ten workers. Satoru: So what do you want me to do about it? Surely more work crews are being sent to the site? Secretary: Yes, we are flying another two expert work crews there from the Shinra Central Air Base in Sector Five of Midgar. However, we fear that they may not reach the facility in time to save Junon... Satoru: Are you telling me that the entire city of Junon is at risk? Secretary: I'm afraid so. Satoru: Hmm...issue an order to evacuate the citizens from the city. I want you to arrange for Shinra Freighter Vehicles to pick them up on the coastline, just incase there is an explosion. Secretary: Certainly, Mr. President. Anything else? Satoru: Just get those work crews there as fast as you can... Secretary: I'll give it my best, sir. [i]The secretary strode out of the room and closed the door behind her. Satoru continued reading the papers. This would be a PR nightmare for Shinra...[/i]

[size=1]Oo...I haven't been in a FFVII RPG yet...might as well try it out. :)[/size] Name: Satoru Shinra Age: 37 Gender: Male Bio: Satoru Shinra, son of Rufus Shinra (who was the son of former President Shinra)...Satoru Shinra took over as President of Shinra Corporation when Rufus was killed in the "Weapon Incident". Appearance: Short black hair (with grey coming through) and a black business suit. His black tie has a white Shinra Corp. logo printed on the front. Weapon: Katana - S. Shinra keeps a katana in his office. He rarely uses it in real combat, but practices with it whenever he has free time. It always accompanies him on business trips. Limit Break: Wrath of Shinra - The Wrath of Shinra calls the President's top bodyguards as an attack. There are eight bodyguards in total, each one having their own ferocious attacks. However, it is very rare that President Shinra can actually call up such an attack. [size=1]I hope that my choosing this character wasn't too "unbalanced"...but I understand the plot of FFVII and I've chosen this character more for story purposes. I doubt he'll get into much fighting himself...but I can assure everyone that he won't be insanely powerful -- as you know, former Shinra presidents were rarely involved in fights...and when they were, they were usually beaten anyway.[/size]

[i]The giant chocobo landed infront of the tree. The large open area directly infront of the tree was surrounded by two large roots. They formed a kind of circle, carving out a kind of field directly infront of the tree. The field was filled with large stalls on either side, brimming with excited chatter and bright colours. Karu stepped down from Cho-Cho and looked around. There were Quarts everywhere. Some were busily going about their shopping, some were chatting and one disgruntled-looking Quart woman was telling her noisy children that they'd receive some candy if they stopped whining. It was the most amazing sight Karu had ever seen. He'd never before seen so many of his own kind in one place. The small boy hopped off the chocobo's back and tapped Karu on the shoulder.[/i] Boy: C'mon...let's get going! Karu: Oh, yes...by the way, I forgot to ask you what your name is. Boy: Ohh, hehe...ma name is Calya. Karu: Hm, I've never heard that name... Calya: Yeah, it's a traditional Quart name. Anyhoo...let's go and see ma parents!! [i]Calya hopped up and down in excitement and began to make his way through the crowded field towards the trunk of the tree. Karu followed, still looking around him in awe. As the two approached the base of the tree, they saw at least ten large holes at the bottom of the trunk. Coming in and out of the holes were large beetles with Quarts on their back. One Quart was trying to ride a chocobo into the hole, but as chocobos aren't very good at climbing vertical slopes...it continually refused to enter and kept trying to throw him off. Karu leaned over to Calya and asked...[/i] Karu: Uhh, what are these holes for? Calya: Well...sometimes there isn't enough room on the raw trunk for people to move. So these holes were set up...these are tunnels which were carved from underneath the bark of the tree...they are kinda like highways. You have to hire a beetle and then you have to tell it which branch to go to. Karu: Oh...but how does it know which branch to go to? Calya: Hehehe...you'll see! [i]Calya led Karu over to a pen which was full of beetles. The man standing next to the pen kept poking the beetles with a long stick, telling them to be quiet and to stop moving. Though of course, the beetles couldn't understand a word of what he was saying, and the prodding from his stick only made the more aggrivated. Calya approached the man and asked for a "two person Trunk Beetle". He handed the man some money (which Karu didn't recognize) and the man then asked...[/i] Man: So, which branch will it be, eh? Calya: Quogabble 137. Man: Ah yes, what a lovely branch...such a good view of the forest from there. Here you go. [i]The man handed Calya a small black bag. On the front, the words "Quogabble 137" were embroidered in gold lettering. The man opened the gate and one of the beetles sluggishly crawled out onto the grass infront of them. Karu stood behind Calya for a moment, as the Trunk Beetle was enormous and didn't look too friendly. Calya reached into the bag and pulled out what looked like chocobo greens. He put his hand out infront of the beetle and it began to eat the greens slowly.[/i] Karu: Why are you feeding it? Calya: Didn't you read what was on the front of the bag? Karu: Yeah...Quogabble 137...so? Calya: We can't communicate with Trunk Beetles by talking to them. The only thing they understand is food...soo...I'm feeding him greens from Quogabble 137...and that means he'll take us there to get more. I feed him about half the bag and that will make him do ANYTHING we want...he'll do whatever he has to to get to Quogabble 137. Karu: Ahh! Very clever...but what if he doesn't like those greens? Calya: Trunk Beetles are stupid...they like any greens you feed them. They always want more! [i]Within moments, the Trunk Beetle had lay down on the ground, with its legs outstretched. Karu and Calya climbed up onto its back and sat down on the two seats which had seemingly been glued to its shell. Almost instantly, the Trunk Beetle stood up and began making its way to the nearest "Underbark Entrypoint". As it climbed inside the dark hole, Karu was blinded by the darkness. He could hear the scratching sounds of the beetle's claws as it moved further into the darkness. He could also hear distant echos of other beetles moving around above...and distant chatter of Quarts who were riding on them. And very soon, he felt the inertia of the beetle moving upwards.[/i] Karu: Do we have some light or something that we can use to see? Calya: Yeah...hang on a sec... [i]All of a sudden, a yellow light began to shine infront of them. Calya was holding a small staff in his hand. The end of the staff had a crystal attached to it, which was glowing bright yellow.[/i] Karu: Hm...is that...magic? [i]Calya nodded.[/i] Calya: Sure is. Where's your staff? Karu: I erm...don't have one... Calya: Oh?! :nervous: Karu: Yeah, I was adopted you see...by Windhyte parents. Calya: Hmm, well...every Quart has their own staff. And you can't use just any staff...it has to be your own. Usually they are crafted by your parents...and then given to you. So maybe we can talk to the King of the Great Tree and see if we can get you a staff. Karu: Oh okay...that sounds great! [i]The two continued chatting for more than an hour. The trip took at least two hours -- the tree was so enormous that despite the speed of the Trunk Beetle's scurrying, it still took a very long time to reach Quogabble 137. Along the way, thoughts of Sephiroth and Chole entered Karu's mind again. He wondered if they were okay...and what they were doing right now. And then he wondered whether or not he'd be able to communicate with them from here. Surely there was a magical force in the Great Tree which would allow such communication...[/i]

[color=royalblue]I agree 100% with Sephiroth. It's a shame more people don't think that way. When you seriously consider the way some people talk...and the justifications they use for bashing gay people, you realize how foolish and pathetic it really is. And that there isn't any point to it...it doesn't achieve anything...all it does is make people angry and make more problems than solutions.[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Dragonballzman [/i] [B]Well, I guess that means ppl like James think I'm a complete and utter dumbass! :cross: Oh and James, if using short-hand words makes you look stupid, then why did you put "lol" at the end of your post? :naughty: [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]"lol" stands for "laugh out loud". Yet, do I use "u" and "ur" in the rest of my posts? lol Nope, I sure don't. "lol" is fine to use...because who in their right mind is going to type "laugh out loud"...:rolleyes: But it doesn't take too much effort to type "you", "your", "you are" etc... Big difference. :)[/color]

[color=royalblue]I agree...the principal is acting like a total jerk. Good luck to your friend...I hope he can get his story noticed on a broader level. :)[/color]

[color=royalblue]Everyone's brought up some interesting points, but Anti, I don't think you really understood my "family" analogy. I'm trying to say that, in my opinion, what someone says about themselves isn't really my concern. But when someone else starts verbally abusing them with some of the words mentioned, it becomes offensive. So when someone calls themselves a "nigga" or if they use that word in their own group...in my view, it's their own business. But if someone came along and started saying it to them in a discriminatory way...I would view that was being wrong.[/color]