James

[quote name='Nathan'][FONT="Arial"] So I don't see this as being genetic attraction. That tends to refer to people who meet up and genuinely [I]don't[/I] know they are related. That's not the case here. [/FONT][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Actually, most cases of genetic attraction involve reunited parents and children who [i]know[/i] that they are related. Of course this usually happens with no contact in the interim years, but I doubt slight contact (as suggested by the news item in your post) would make much difference there. In any case, does it matter if this is so-called "genetic attraction" or not? (Even though I think it clearly is). I mean, at the end of the day, I think the big question is about the impact this has on their family - particularly any children.[/font]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']I'd be curious to see the thread you're alluding to. Since I don't recall seeing one here at all in the past few months. It might be old news to you since you live in Australia, but it's not something I've been running into. [/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]I didn't mention a thread - I talked about the coverage here in Australia (specifically the evening TV shows). It was wall-to-wall for a while, which is lame even for our local news. Haha. In any case, I certainly [i]do[/i] think that this is newsworthy... it just falls into a different category than regular news. Obviously you posted it because it was extraordinary and there's nothing wrong with that. :catgirl: So yeah, I didn't mean to imply that the thread itself is wrong at all. It's a weird story and, frankly, it's entertaining for a lot of people...and it raises a lot of questions too. I actually just found it kind of funny that it's turned up here so long after the event. I even remember discussing the story at work a few months back. :animeswea[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to say that I have no issue with what this pair are doing... on the other hand, I sort of feel that it's not my business anyway. Having said that, my biggest issue with this whole story is definitely the circus surrounding it. I suppose they are willing participants, but I wonder how the rest of their family would feel about it. Still, I also think part of my reaction comes from the fact that this story was being repeated ad-nauseum months ago here... so it's sort of like seeing a fly you thought you'd swatted months ago. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]This is kind of an old story. It was played out a lot on TV here, to the extent that one of the main entertainment/news nightly shows had this pair on to discuss their relationship. The whole thing was like some kind of circus - clearly nobody was seriously interested in what they had to say. The update to this story is that, apparently, these two are no longer together. I did read that a few weeks ago. On the more serious side, there is apparently a phenomenon that may have occurred here... I forget the specific name, but it's something like "genetic attraction". It seems to happen in cases where a child is away from their parents for many years and then meets up with them again as an adult. It's actually quite a common phenomenon - so much so that it's now a fairly recognized issue. I thought that aspect was actually more important and newsworthy than the whole "ew how could they do that" circus. Everyone who saw this report locally here had the exact same reaction, so in that sense it's fairly predictable stuff.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Regarding Bavaria, I don't think we should be too surprised about the general negative reaction to her. While some of her attitudes are understandable (especially people moving into her house, etc)... it must be pointed out that she's generally been written as a snide, arrogant and somewhat nasty woman. So perhaps this is our fault, in that we've only ever portrayed her that way. It may be a good idea to try to inject some extra dimension to her character, by way of exploring her motives a bit more.[/font]

[indent][center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest%202/gustave_achard-1.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest%202/Victoria_Ann.jpg[/img] [img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest%202/edith_grimoire.jpg[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4][right][B]Ancient Symbols[/B][/right][/font][/size] [font=palatino linotype]The dining room was dark and gloomy, its walls enveloped in a luxurious wallpaper that was peppered with dust. The curtains were drawn. Large portraits punctuated the walls; each of these characters seemed to stare down at Gustave and Victoria, who sat together at one end of a long dining table. Each held a small cup of tea, which they were sipping tepidly. Victoria blinked as she examined her tea cup. ?Why is it so dark in here? It?s still day time outside.? ?I?m really not sure,? shrugged Gustave. ?Don?t worry though, we won?t be staying long. We must finish our tea; after all, Edith was kind enough to provide it.? Kindness was not something Victoria associated with Edith. They had only briefly met and once her guests had been ushered into the dining room, Edith promptly disappeared. ?Well I think it?s very rude to just leave us here by ourselves,? huffed Victoria. ?I thought adults were supposed to set good examples?? Gustave chuckled. ?You?re right, it is rude. But then again, our airship [i]did[/i] crash in her backyard.? ?Well we were [i]in[/i] the airship. We could have died. I still think she?s rude?? Victoria's youth may have been responsible for her relatively naive view of the world, but at the same time, she was unburdened by the need to save face or to uphold a jingoistic loyalty - certainly this sharpened her perspective at times. The doors at the end of the dining room swung open rather suddenly and although the hallway beyond was lit, this did not make the dining room any warmer. Edith stood in the doorway, her silhouette bordered by its frame. 'Enjoying your tea?' Her voice was airy and light, yet somehow implied that a wrong answer would be judged harshly. At least, that is how the two guests felt. 'Very much,' replied Gustave with a smile that was barely visible in the darkened room. He was not merely being polite; the tea was, in fact, some of the finest he'd had. It reminded him, though, that a large part of enjoying one's tea involved the pleasantness of his surroundings. 'Good,' said Edith. 'Actually, I have a request for you.' Gustave and Victoria shared a surprised glance. 'Oh?' Edith's silhouette grew as she stepped into the room. 'As my backyard shall likely be in ruins for several weeks, the least you can do is a small favor. If you can help me to solve a riddle, I will also pay for what's left of your ship to be transported to...well, wherever it needs to go. I assume you'll want to repair her?' Gustave rose to his feet. 'If she's repairable, yes. Very much so. What's the favor?' For a brief moment, Edith paused. Gustave was sure he could hear her muttering something under her breath, but it was very faint. 'I need you to visit the State Library in town. I have some symbols to show you and I want further information on their origin.' Gustave's eyes widened. Why on Earth would Edith ask such a simple request? After all, the cost of transporting a highly damaged airship - especially by land - would be enormous. It could require several specialized streamtrucks at the very least. Perhaps sensing Gustave's confusion, Edith spoke again. 'I have many books on many subjects,' she said cautiously, 'but very few on ancient symbols. I do believe that these symbols are of ancient origin, but I can not say how they appeared on my latest clothing designs. Nobody can. It is the first time in our history that we have experienced something like this. Only the State Library of Anova would carry enough information to make it worth investigating there. It is quite urgent - the show begins tomorrow...and I must know before then...' Just as Gustave was about to accept the proposal, Victoria spoke up. 'So all you want us to do is visit a library? That's it? Why don't you--' 'Because,' interrupted Edith, 'I rarely leave this place.' Her voice became somehow different, her silhouette more imposing. 'I...am not accustomed to...that is to say...' Again, she paused, apparently speechless. Victoria felt a shiver creep down her spine - surely embarrassing someone like Edith would upset her greatly. Even the thought of Edith raising her voice frightened Victoria. Surprisingly, Edith did not become angry. Her voice softened. 'Please,' she sighed, 'I must know what these symbols are. If you can return here later tonight with an answer, I will be in your debt.' And with that, Edith swept out of the room, leaving Gustave and Victoria speechless. Victoria looked up at Gustave thoughtfully. 'We should do it,' she said with apparent resolve. Gustave laughed quietly. 'Really? I didn't think you'd want to be running errands for a dragon like her.' Victoria shook her head slowly. 'No, it's just...something is wrong. She seems really worried. And the last time we dealt with strange symbols it was...' 'A catastrophe,' whispered Gustave. 'But surely this is very different to what happened in those tunnels under Czenovia three years ago.' 'Probably,' replied Victoria, 'but Edith said that these symbols came out of nowhere. She may be many things, but I can't imagine she would normally worry about something like that... and I have a feeling she wouldn't lie to us either... she has no reason to.' These were all things Gustave had sensed as well, but he was again surprised by Victoria's perception. So far, she seemed to have read Edith very well. And perhaps, deep down, she had some sympathy for the woman. It was admittedly strange, after all, to see such a strong figure become confused and slightly paranoid. There must have been more to it. Gustave checked his pocket watch. 'Well, it's already afternoon...we should leave immediately. I will use Edith's phone and call a steamcar from Achard Hall. That will take us into the city.' 'Right,' said Victoria, 'this could actually be fun! It's like a treasure hunt.' 'Heh, you say that now,' replied Gustave calmly, 'but wait until you see the State Library. You may change your mind.'[/indent][/font]

[quote name='chibi-master']WHOA, WTF?! I'm sorry if it spams the thread up, but I need to hear about this! Help, somebody! TELL MEEE!!! (I think I read something about this in Solo's [B]Enter The Net[/B]...)[/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]I think there is something about this in Otakupedia. We literally lost everything, although in hindsight that wasn't such a bad thing. Of course if something similar happened now, I don't know if any of us would have the energy to re-make OB... when you think about the years of posts we've accumulated, that's a lot of history. I don't get on AIM at the same times as I used to, but there are plenty of people I miss talking to. Feel free to IM me if you see me around, people. :catgirl:[/font]

[quote name='Shy'][size=1]Oh, James, this is wrong. Czenovia still has ownership of Brigit Town. The controversy is that Cole, an Anovan, now owns the mines after purchasing them from Magitech. And since the mines' resources are invaluable to the production of Czenovian magitechnology it creates a bit of a conflict of interest for the Anovans to have any authority over them. Undoubtedly there are forces conspiring to return Brigit Town to Anova, but as of right now Czenovia and The Dynast have control. -Shy[/size][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Oh I see. I'm not sure where I got this other idea from.. but it means I'll have to change that item on the front page (not a big deal) [i]and[/i] my really long RP post. I'll do that now. Edit: Fixed. There wasn't too much to edit luckily.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Phew, just goes to show what can be done with a half-stable Internet connection! :catgirl: Anyway, I've now added a section called The Globe, which includes a map (you can click to make it bigger) as well as a summary of nations and cities so far. As we add locations I will add those to the summary. I am thinking of putting a third section in called "Regions" or "Places of Interest" or something... since I guess Vosper isn't so much a city, but more a region or geographical landmark. So that'll be my next thing. I've also added the first Ahmari city, Istanakh. I'm sure there will be more detail posted about that eventually. As you guys can see, most of the map is faded out. Right now we're only dealing with those three countries. If and when we "discover" more, I will add those (although perhaps I should add Moresang? I saw that referenced but I'm not sure if there are any details yet). Also if you guys want to create any new cities/territories as we go... I will make sure to add them as well. Hopefully these summaries on the first page will be a good quick reference guide for everybody. It'll be good to finally see a map, so we can all judge distances and be on the same page as to where everything is located. As you can see, the Globe is far bigger than many New Globe residents even realise. :catgirl:[/font]

[quote name='SunfallE'][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]I don't think they encourage it. [/quote][/color] [font=franklin gothic medium]No, I don't believe they encourage it.[/font] [quote][color=royalblue]It sounds more like a problem of having more material than they can keep up with. That's a lot of videos being uploaded. o_O It would be interesting to see just how much stuff that is flagged by users actually gets removed though. [/quote][/color] [font=franklin gothic medium]That would be a logical explanation, except for the fact that they seem to be able to keep up with sexual content pretty well. And I would guess that a lot of people probably try to upload that type of stuff regularly. So I'm not sure why there's such a discrepancy, except perhaps that overt sexual content is a bit clearer and easier to identify. In any case, I also don't believe that YouTube really bears a great deal of responsibility (I only bring up their approach in reference to their own stated goals). I really believe that those who upload the videos and who engage in the fights hold the ultimate responsibility. And I really hate to see the buck being passed in that sense - it isn't YouTube's fault that people are stupid and violent, for instance.[/font]

[quote]I thought LoZ: Ocarina of Time was super scary. Those undead things? Scared me to death. I couldn't beat the whole undead dungeon until I was 19 (am 22 now) because it was pretty terrible. If I got stuck in Hyrule field when the sun went down, I would hide in the river next to the castle all night (until I had the Sun's Song) so the skeleton dog things wouldn't get me.[/quote] [font=franklin gothic medium]It's interesting how some people - apparently quite a few - really found that scary. I loved exploring Hyrule Field at night! :catgirl: I think the scariest game for me is still the original Silent Hill. Silent Hill 2 had some brilliantly scary moments, but SH was such a new experience... I'd never come across anything like that before. I never played SH4 or beyond that, so I can't comment on those. Resident Evil has always been somewhat scary (I found the original a bit scary when it came out, again because it was so "new" and unexpected). But I think RE4 had its scary moments... although those moments were more like heart-pounding cliffhanger moments. It's a different kind of fear when everything is moving fast and you have to keep your wits about you and react so quickly.[/font]

[quote name='ChibiHorsewoman'][color=#9933ff][font=monotype corsiva][size=4] And I blame youtube as well. I wonder if we could start a petition to get this banned. Hey it';s a thought.[/color][/font][/size][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]While I'm not generally a fan of censorship, I think any web site has to decide whether it will or won't moderate content. If YouTube is going to take a moral stance against sexual content, then I don't see why they should simultaneously allow highly violent content. And really it's a slippery slope, because if you ban violence on YouTube then you could potentially ban a massive percentage of its content (is the slapstick jokey stuff considered violence, for instance?) What annoys me really is the double-standard I think. I mean YouTube probably wouldn't allow video of, say, a viscious dog fight or something - so why allow videos of children getting into often serious brawls? At least maybe an attempt should be made to rate videos, but I suppose that has its own pitfalls too.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]A few radio stations here are suggesting that this phenomenon equates to a general increase in violence within society. I think, though, that it isn't so much the overall violence that has increased - instead I'd just say that the violence is now far more publicised. And now, of course, kids can publicise it themselves, which is inherently dangerous. I suspect that if kids in the 50's or 60's had access to YouTube, the end result may be pretty similar.[/font]

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]What about Iron Man? I personally liked that more than the Dark Knight, possibly because Iron Man's voice wasn't run through a heavy distortion pedal worthy of any riot grrl with a microphone. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Yeah, I forgot about Iron Man. That was especially a pleasure for me because I haven't read the comic - so I was fresh to the story when I saw the film. I can't speak to how it captured the comic; all I can say is that it was a fantastic movie in its own right. I think the biggest problem facing Watchmen is simply that even with a 160 minute movie, you just can't cover every detail of the comic. It's just physically impossible. I mean we caught one glimpse of The New Frontiersman towards the end... and really nobody in the audience (who weren't Watchmen fans) could understand the relevance of it. Still, I'm not very harsh about things like that because I never really thought that Watchmen could be condensed into a feature length film [i]at all[/i]. That it was done successfully at all is a real testament to Snyder I think. Also I would just say that I think his signature is all over this film. There are quite a few shots that weren't in the comic but that easily could have been. Also there's a ton of technical artistry here that you just don't see in a lot of films - tight, precise shots and long, flowing shots with only a single camera used. That requires pretty strong discipline. Anyway, I doubt I will see this again before it hits DVD - it's just too long. And unfortunately I was stuck right at the front of the cinema so my neck was killing me by the end, haha. I think I may have enjoy it more in my own home, on a smaller screen. But it definitely needs to be viewed more than once to catch all of the visual detail, I think.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]So I've not long gotten back from seeing this... it's 2am, so I'll just post some random thoughts. The opening credits are brilliant. Some parts of them were almost tear-inducing for me...fairly surprising. It's almost worth seeing the movie on this basis, I think (as ridiculous as that may sound). The film pretty much covered every necessary element of the comic, except the Black Freighter (which is an indulgence the comic can obviously afford). The movie was just fine without it and there's a little cameo towards the end that will make fans smile related to this. Casting was generally very well done. I even didn't mind Ozymandias, primarily because the actor portrayed him just as he came across in the comic - narcissistic and incredibly certain of his own designs. My only issue would possibly be that in the comic he seemed to have somewhat more personality than in the movie. Rorshach was great throughout and I really can't imagine him being potrayed in any other way. The actor involved even [i]looked[/i] like him. The only downside was that when his face was covered, his voice was somewhat muffled - one would expect this, but at times his frequent monologues were difficult to understand. Still, a minor complaint. The other characters - including the marvelous Dr. Manhattan - both looked and were portrayed as accurately as I could ever ask for really. I was particularly impressed with The Comedian and Dr. Manhattan - the former just dived off the screen in the same way he dived off the page... and Dr. Manhattan was just fantastic. Billy Crudup was an ideal choice - even his monotone voice and faint hints of emotion were absolutely spot on. The visuals were gorgeous and, again, it's clear that a ridiculous amount of attention was paid to the comic. Those frames of the comic that you can clearly remember are not only portrayed precisely in the film... but they came alive with incredible energy and vividness. One of my bigger concerns was that the movie simply couldn't do justice to the overall plot, given the obvious time constraints. But seriously, it really did. Of course there were omissions as one would expect from any book-to-film adaption, but really I can't think of any critically important elements that were left out. The backstories of each character were beautifully crafted and, again, they were stunningly vivid. Even the music throughout the movie directly reflected the songs represented in the source material. They took on a new life when you could actually hear them as part of the story. I was happy with two other things. First, the movie didn't tone down the violence; it was an incredibly violent film where it needed to be. I am really pleased that this wasn't dumbed down in any sense. Also... I know this is a small point, but they left Dr. Manhattan naked. I had originally wondered if he would be covered up all the time in an effort to remain sensitive to the mass audience. The fact that he was portrayed exactly as in the source material further demonstrates the extent to which Snyder went to preserve the original material. The only potential issue I can really see for hardcore fans is the way the ending was altered from the comic. I think when you see the film though, it will make sense. In fact, I wonder if the comic's specific ending would have worked so well on screen. The movie version manages to be more reasonable while also still tying in with everything else. Plenty more I could say, but I'll leave it there. Having seen it only once I'm not sure how I would rate it or anything - it needs a couple of viewings to be honest. All I can say that, as a fan of the original comic, I'm more than happy. I honestly can't imagine a film being closer to the source material than this, while still being relevant to a general audience. It's eye-poppingly vivid and colourful, sounds fantastic and manages to evoke all kinds of emotions - from outright disgust to laughter. This movie definitely shows that the director cares greatly for Moore's remarkable original work. And I think this, along with The Dark Knight, shows that "comic book movies" have well and truly stepped into a new era.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I think there are going to be people around who have already decided not to like the movie. So nothing is going to change that, even if it's a genuinely good film. I've read a few reviews already and most seem quite positive (both from Watchmen and non-Watchmen fans). I'm seeing it tonight, so I'll post my thoughts here then. I'm pretty much going in with an open mind. I love the comic and I can understand the sensitivity surrounding a film adaption, but I guess if anyone can adapt such material, it'd probably be Zack Snyder. As far as Rorschach's voice goes, I barely remember his voice from the trailer... seemed ok to me at the time. Having said that, I didn't at all like Batman's voice in The Dark Knight. Still, despite the fact that his voice annoyed me, it didn't ruin what was still a solid film. If anything, it just ensured that The Joker overshadowed Batman (which perhaps wasn't so good, depending on your perspective). Anyway, here's hoping.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Okay so, my post is up... apologies in advance for the length of it. >_>; I can probably trim it down a bit, but there was a fair amount I wanted to include here... and I felt some lead up was necessary to the major part at the end. If there are any issues with the details please let me know and I'll be happy to do edits.[/font]

[indent][center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest%202/gustave_achard-1.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest%202/Victoria_Ann.jpg[/img] [img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest%202/edith_grimoire.jpg[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4][right][B]From Gryphons to Grimoire[/B][/right][/font][/size] [font=palatino linotype]The Brigit Town aerodrome was an odd structure, sitting in the middle of the desert and looking rather like a hunched-over animal of some kind. It took more than an hour to drive to the aerodrome by steam car from Brigit Town itself and it was mostly used by mine workers and construction engineers. Large magitech airships ferried thousands of workers to and from Brigit Town; many workers did not live in the town itself and commuted in from Anova or Czenovia. There were, of course, non-mining businesses in Brigit Town; although mining was still the city’s primary industry. The city was one of the oldest and most colourful in the New Globe – partly due to this fact, as well as its abundant natural resources, it had changed hands many times throughout history. Prior to the Mine War (a relatively recent event in terms of New Globe history), the town was part of Anova. In the war, Czenovia annexed the region and Brigit Town remained in Czenovian hands forever after. The city still bore heavy Czenovian influences; the Magitech Corporation was pervasive and nearly every building or vehicle carried its famous (or infamous) logo. Many Anovans disliked the continuing Czenovian influence, but Gustave was far more philosophical about it. The mine workers were almost evenly divided between both nationalities, which made Brigit Town a truly unique place. Gustave thought it interesting that so many thousands of workers could intermingle without any trouble and, in fact, the atmosphere within most Brigit Town mines was enthusiastic and cordial. Moreover, it was the Czenovian influence (via Magitech Corp) that had allowed the mines to grow and prosper. Magitechnology underpinned the city and without it, Brigit Town was at risk of dying out completely. For this critical reason, the Czenovian presence was tolerated – if not entirely accepted – by most Anovans. Gustave balanced himself inside a long, wooden trailer. It shook and rattled along the uneven road as the caravan made its way towards the aerodrome, which loomed in the distance. A sudden bump caused the entire wagon to lurch to one side; Gustave almost toppled over completely. He gripped the side handrail tightly and glared over at Victoria Ann, who stood on the opposite side. Lucy was between them, and she at least had the benefit of a roof-mounted harness to keep her from hitting the deck. ‘Remind me why we are here again?’ shouted Gustave over the thunderous noise. It was hard to decide what was louder: the rush of wind from outside or the heavy thud and rattle of the large wheels and metal joints protesting with each undulation. Victoria grinned broadly. A large sack of greens sat by her feet; both she and Lucy didn’t seem to notice the turbulence whatsoever. ‘Because it’s fun, of course! Besides, the scenery is so boring here [i]and[/i] we’re keeping Lucy company.’ Lucy certainly seemed happy. And it was true that she was far more relaxed with Victoria Ann around. Gustave grinned ever so slightly. Standing in the wooden trailer, where he could see the road rush past through gaps in the timber floor, he was reminded of the days when he used to explore the world. In those days, he often slept under the stars or navigated treacherous jungles – mostly on his own. Since then, though, he had become used to life in the city; he had been able to use his money for comfort rather than adventure. All it took was Victoria’s youthful sense of fun and excitement to raise this memory. Far from being annoyed, Gustave was thankful; he’d never have attempted anything like this without Victoria. At the same time, his mind wandered back to the project he had been working on for more than two years. He wanted to show it to Victoria. Despite its scale, the entire venture felt like Gustave’s tenuous, fading link to his former life. Would he ever get to make use of it? He had initially thought not, although the faint scent of impending adventure had a way of opening up all kinds of possibilities in his mind. Victoria Ann dived out of the trailer as its side opened. Several of Gustave’s staff had to move the heavy wooden door, which sat on thick metal rails. As Victoria and Gustave exited into the aerodrome, the staff moved in and prepared to remove Lucy’s restraints. The caravan had pulled into the aerodrome’s freight area, which was typically used for mining materials and equipment, but which was the only place where chimaera could be loaded and unloaded. Gustave examined the caravan (which consisted of several steamcars and trailers) and, once satisfied, he looked down at Victoria who was waving to Lucy as she was being led away. She looked up at Gustave. ‘What now?’ Gustave examined his pocket watch. ‘Time for another flight, I’m afraid. Platform seven.’ Victoria blinked. ‘But we left the [i]Alaina[/i] behind!’ ‘Oh, we aren’t returning on the [i]Alaina[/i]. She’s been docked back in the city for maintenance and cleaning. We are taking a smaller airship, it’s a little faster.’ As the pair walked towards platform seven, Victoria finally caught a glimpse of the new ship. It was far smaller than the [i]Alaina[/i]. As they walked, Gustave told her about it. ‘This is the [i]Zurich[/i]. It’s a smaller Anovan-built airship, made by Crank & Coyle.’ ‘Crank & Coyle? What’s that?’ ‘It’s one of the larger Anovan airship builders. The two founders are originally from Czenovia and they import magitech engines to use in their ships.’ As they came closer to the ship, they saw that it was standing on platform seven between two other much larger ships. The two larger ships were enormous industrial freighters and the [i]Zurich[/i] looked odd sitting between them. Not only different in size, the [i]Zurich[/i] was radically different in style. The freighters were enormous, grey airships with what looked like miles of external pipes running around their hulls and breathing steam into the air from numerous vents. The [i]Zurich[/i] looked to be made primarily of wood, with parts of the hull coated in silver plating. Where the freighters hovered noisily just above their platforms, the [i]Zurich[/i] was propped silently on four legs. The legs were shiny silver and they looked to have moulded gryphon paws on their ends. Victoria giggled to herself. ‘Gryphon paws? I’ve never seen an airship with feet before!’ ‘Oh yes, those are the landing props. Aren’t they pretty? The gryphon is one of Anova’s national animals, although they are very rare now. There are few in the wild, except perhaps in Vosper…’ ‘I feel so unworldly,’ Victoria admitted sheepishly. ‘What is Vosper?’ ‘You’ve never been anywhere near it,’ replied Gustave calmly, ‘so it makes sense that you may not be familiar with it. Besides, I don’t think Czenovian schools teach much Anovan geography!’ Victoria smiled and her nose crinkled. ‘It’s kind of a shame really. I never did understand all this rivalry… seems like a pointless adult thing to me.’ Gustave nodded. ‘Yes, you’re probably right about that. Sometimes adults make things far too complicated. In any case, Vosper is actually a mountain. Well, I guess the entire region is known as “Vosper” as well. It’s in the north east of Anova and as far as I know, Vosper is the tallest peak in the New Globe. It’s a very treacherous place indeed.’ ‘But gryphons still live there?’ ‘Oh yes,’ replied Gustave as they stopped in front of the [i]Zurich[/i]. ‘I believe gryphons are one of the few animals capable of living there. If you wanted to travel to Vosper, you couldn’t even take an airship – the pressures are so great closer to the peak that most airships would malfunction. Not to mention the fact that Vosper is known for some very strange weather phenomenon in general.’ Gustave gestured towards the ramp which led to the [i]Zurich’s[/i] deck. ‘So, if you want to go to Vosper, you really have to be prepared. You need all the right equipment and the right breed of chimaera. Preferably you want a flying chimaera too, in case it loses its footing on some of those icy cliffs.’ Victoria shivered at the thought. ‘It sounds like a scary place,’ she said. ‘Actually, Vosper is incredibly beautiful,’ said Gustave with a faint smile. ‘Few people have reached the summit and even fewer have explored the Shadow Valley nearby. But those who have been say the views are stunning. There are all sorts of rumors about Vosper… it plays a big role in Anovan legend.’ Finally, they were aboard the [i]Zurich’s[/i] deck and the ramp retracted. ‘How did we end up talking about Vosper and gryphons anyway?’ Victoria laughed. ‘I’m not sure, I think we started talking about gryphon feet,’ chuckled Gustave, ‘but Anova is a pretty interesting place anyway. Most people only think of Le Monde, but there is so much more out there. Anyway, I think we are just about ready to depart. Feel free to make yourself comfortable for the trip – it should only take a couple of hours. The fashion show awaits!’ Golden yellow desert gave way to rolling green plains, as the [i]Zurich[/i] sailed through Anova’s sapphire sky. Gustave sat in his drawing room, while Victoria Ann had returned to the cargo hold to spend time with Lucy. Victoria’s commitment to Lucy was impressive, especially because everybody knew she didn’t like travelling. Gustave’s desk was littered with paperwork. He had not yet finalized the sale of his airship business, which had always been relatively small. Crank & Coyle in Le Monde had made the highest bid and Gustave was prepared to sell, but he was still using the company’s factory to produce parts for his special project. He figured he’d need the factory for another few weeks, but Crank & Coyle wanted to buy immediately. If he rejected the sale, however, it was unlikely that any other bidders would be interested. Perhaps, after the fashion show, Gustave might visit their offices in the city. He had never met the mysterious and secretive leaders of the company – in fact, few had. There were various rumors about the company figureheads, who were rarely seen even in their own offices. Other managers ran the company day-to-day. As he sorted through the paperwork, Gustave’s mind shifted to the outburst he’d witnessed aboard the [i]Alaina[/i] during the wedding. What was Olivier’s document and why was he discussing it with Leonhart? He had told Gustave that more would be revealed upon his return to Le Monde, but he just couldn’t wait for that. Gustave’s thoughts were interrupted by the crackling of a speaker on his desk. ‘Sir, we are now approaching Le Monde via Bourgade. Please prepare for landing.’ [i]It’s been two hours?[/i] Gustave suddenly felt tired. As he went to stand up and walk to the deck, the [i]Zurich[/i] lurched sharply to the right. It was so sudden that Gustave came off his feet and tumbled sideways. He twisted his ankle and landed with full force against his shoulders. ‘Ugh, my god, what was that?’ he said to himself. The [i]Zurich[/i] righted herself quickly, but strong vibrations pulsated through the hull. Gustave could feel them running up his boots. When he finally pushed the door open and stepped out onto the deck, he could not believe what he saw. The ship’s crew were madly running back and forth, most carrying armfuls of tools. Victoria Ann emerged onto the deck as well and she looked straight at Gustave with large, frightened eyes. ‘Uncle Gustave, what’s going on?!’ He could barely hear her over a deep grinding sound that was coming from somewhere beneath their feet. He ran to her and took her hand. ‘I don’t know, but we must try to find a safe place until this is sorted out! Must be something wrong with the engine!’ Several thick bands of black smoke billowed from both sides of the ship. They looked like long black chains, reaching up into the pearlescent clouds. As the [i]Zurich[/i] began descending rapidly towards Bourgade, Gustave realized that there was no escape. Luckily the ship was dropping slowly enough that they [i]might[/i] have a chance. ‘Quickly,’ he gasped, ‘grab the ropes just near you and hold on tight! We’re going down!’ There were many thick ropes running up and down from the railing to the cabin roof. Victoria obeyed Gustave’s command and grabbed a pair of ropes. She wrapped them around her arms and closed her eyes. Gustave stood by her and put his arms around her, while also grabbing the ropes. He thought he could at least shield her from some of the impact. Gustave opened his eyes. The air was thick with dust and at first he couldn’t see much of anything. Eventually, he heard what sounded like dozens of people scurrying around him. As he came to and sat up, the reality dawned on him. Amazingly, the deck of the [i]Zurich[/i] was mostly intact. It was clear from the angle, though, that most of the hull had given way. The area surrounding the ship was covered with debris, including large planks of wood and smoking metal. [i]Oh my god, what about Victoria?![/i] Gustave scrambled to his feet and looked around. Through the smoke he saw Victoria standing on the other side of the deck. She was holding her stomach and coughing. ‘Victoria! Are you all right?’ he called as he made his way to her. Victoria looked up and nodded weakly. ‘Yes, I think so… I have a terrible headache… this was so sudden…’ She coughed again and Gustave patted her back. As the pair gathered themselves, they heard a loud metallic wailing sound coming from the street nearby. It was the Special Security Force, no doubt arriving in steamcars to investigate. It looked as though the crew had come through unscathed, although several crew members were tending to shipmates who were bruised and bleeding from the impact. It was a miracle they had all come through relatively unscathed. Gustave looked down at Victoria who seemed to be gathering herself surprisingly quickly. ‘Where are we?’ It was a good question. As he mentally mapped out their descent, Gustave thought aloud. ‘Last I remember, we were about to fly over Bourgade,’ he looked around, ‘and it looks like we are, uh…well, we’ve landed in someone’s backyard.’ ‘And not just anyone’s backyard,’ said a sharp, light voice from somewhere nearby. Startled, Gustave and Victoria both spun around at once. A slender woman was walking down the rear steps of an enormous nearby house – apparently the backyard belonged to it, although it appeared that the house was on a different block. Gustave immediately recognized the woman; it was Edith Grimoire. She almost seemed to float down the stairs and towards them with unnerving speed. ‘Do you know how long it took to landscape these grounds? Who are you?’ Victoria blinked and stood slightly behind Gustave. This strange woman with her flame-like hair and sharp, piercing eyes was perhaps more frightening than the crash landing itself. Gustave smiled as earnestly as he could. ‘Gustave Achard,’ he said. ‘You must be Edith Grimoire.’ ‘Oh!’ Edith clapped her hands together. ‘The famous chimaera jockey. What a shame you aren’t as talented with airship flight as you are with chimaera racing.’ Her eyes flickered across steaming wreckage in her yard. Gustave grinned through his teeth. ‘And this,’ he added, ‘is Miss Victoria Ann Almagest. We were headed back to the city from a wedding.’ Victoria smiled. ‘Pleased to meet you,’ she said politely. ‘Yes, a pleasure,’ replied Edith. Her eyes shifted back to Gustave. She did not seem to blink – or if she did, it was difficult to notice. 'Actually, we were on our way here partly to view your fashion show. Victoria Ann has come all the way from High Czenoble to see it,' said Gustave, sensing an opportunity. For a moment Edith said nothing, but eventually her expression softened ever so slightly. 'Well, the show doesn't begin until tomorrow morning and with this mess in my yard, I will have trouble concentrating. However, I [i]suppose[/i] you must be shaken up from your brush with death...' Gustave scratched his head. 'Er, well, you could say that. And with the SSF here, we must move out of the yard to give them space to investigate. Not to mention the fact that I have just lost one of my family's most prized airships...' 'Indeed,' replied Edith sharply. Her eyes moved over the wreck once more. She appreciated good design and clearly, losing a ship as beautiful as the [i]Zurich[/i] would pain anyone - especially a woman with an artistic eye. 'In that case, you may be best to come inside for some tea before you move on. My staff will organize this for you.' For a moment Victoria seemed to be tugging on Gustave's arm, as if to encourage him to leave immediately. But he knew that they had to collect themselves after such an incident. Achard Hall was only a few blocks away, but Gustave thought it best to wait, given that one or both of them could still be in some kind of shock. 'You are most kind,' said Gustave with as cheerful a smile as he could manage. Edith nodded and began walking back towards the house. 'Uncle Gustave!' cried Victoria, 'do you really want to go in there with that woman? I'm already feeling sick, I don't think I can handle the stress of having to talk to her again...' Gustave patted Victoria on the shoulder. 'I understand, Victoria. But look... we are lucky to even be standing here unscathed. And the SSF may want to talk to me about this. We are best to wait here for a couple of hours before moving off. Perhaps you can have some tea and lie down for a little while. Then, I promise you, I will take you to my home and you'll be more comfortable.' Victoria reluctantly nodded. [/font][/indent]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Wow, this is pretty incredible. Congratulations to all the nifties and especially congratulations to those members who put this together. This looks great and it's a lot of fun to read. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]As a major fan of the comic (despite having only read it this year), I must say that I'm pretty excited about the film. I tend to like Zack Snyder's stuff - I liked 300, although I never read the comic it was based on - and from what I've seen of the Watchmen footage, I think he's staying pretty true to the visual style of the comic. Of course there have to be some changes, but that always happens with films for a variety of reasons. My only real concern is that I think the film will have difficulty capturing the complexity of the comic. Snyder has said it could weigh in at 3 hours or so, but still, there are so many subtle-yet-critical aspects to the comic that could be lost in the movie. One of the biggest issues, I think, is the in-depth backgrounds of all the characters. It would be very easy to portray these people as glossy and shallow on the screen. I mean, Rorshach makes no sense whatsoever until you understand something of his world view and what made him who he is. Even Silk Spectre II makes far less sense if you don't know the history behind her family (especially her mother) and their relationship with The Comedian. So yeah. Like any movie based on a book/comic, it will be physically impossible to cover everything. With that in mind, I'm sure this film will probably be as good as any film based on this comic [i]can[/i] be. I will always prefer the comic no doubt - it's fast become a favourite book - but I think we have to be realistic about the limitations of a movie. I also have to say, despite how much it made sense, I thought Ozymandias looked utterly laughable in the comic. I guess in some ways that was part of the charm though. The movie seems to dull that down quite a lot, which is sort of bad for fans, but possibly more palatable for general audiences. Again, I guess it's always a compromise. I will go into this film trying to enjoy it as a stand alone interpretation - not as a perfect recreation of the comic, which is an utterly impossible standard. [b]Edit:[/b] Watchmen is now out in Australia (as of today). IGN AU gave it five stars and if you read the review itself, the early comments are positive. Apparently the general early reviews are quite good too, although I haven't read any other than IGN. I'm not sure if I'll see this tonight - maybe tomorrow. But I'll make sure to post my thoughts here.[/font]

[quote name='Drizzt Do'urden']So...an easy fix to the decreased membership would be an email every.....day or so? [I]"If you send it...they will come!"[/I] [I][B]Edit:[/B] For some reason I can't errase that, so whoever added the omnipotent message..NOT COOL![/I][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Ah, well, there's really no easy fix. And there's really nothing broken as such. I mean... as I said earlier, OB is the message board for theOtaku.com. As such, these forums really rely on Otaku members to make it a success or a failure. I think it's worth keeping OB open a) for the people who use it regularly and b) so that new Otakuites can discover it. But in terms of outside marketing, OB can only really get as much attention as theOtaku.com can provide. And from there, it's really a question of whether those members are willing to join. Another disadvantage is that you need two accounts - one for theO and one for OB. There's no way to have a global Otaku account, which makes life a lot tougher. So yeah, there's sort of a lot involved... but I figure, we can do whatever we can now and then to get the word out about some of the great stuff we're doing here, but beyond that it's really in members' hands. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]OB's activity increased quite a bit during Jan and Feb, but it's down again a bit now (this is anecdotal, but I can easily check the figures - I've checked Jan and Feb's figures and we saw good increases then). I really think it just comes down to advertising ourselves, mostly. We are theOtaku's official forums, but we have no way of posting our announcements on theOtaku at all. So that's obviously a factor. Still, I also think a lot of things have changed in general. For example, a lot more people are using the chat system now. And since you can easily dive in there for a few minutes and dive out again... it's a pretty attractive alternative. Speaking of this though, I must sent out a member email about the new FMA forum. With a new series starting, the timing should be about right. And I think a lot of lapsed members just don't pay attention to new updates. So this thread reminded me. Usually when an email goes out, people do come in to check out the updates. [/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Also I might as well jump in and mention that my next post is about 2/3 finished... and it's pretty long. And it includes Aaryanna's character (but not Darren's - I don't know whether he wants Liana to be included or not). So maybe Aaryanna you can post when mine is up. I only mention this now because it's fairly long and I'd hate to have to wind it back haha.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I guess I'd just ask you - without knowing the entire background here - do you basically trust that your husband's side of the family will care for your daughter? In other words, are you confident she is at least not in any danger? If so - and again, without knowing the ins and outs - I wouldn't worry too much. It's an awkward situation, especially where the step mother is the wife of your ex-husband. It could just be that she doesn't know how to approach the situation in a mature manner. It's really hard to say I guess. I figure, you know when you're picking your daughter up...so really, unless they're doing something horrible with your daughter while she's there, you at least know you'll have her back shortly. My personal concern would be if I felt she was in danger or if I felt they were grossly irresponsible. Those are things you have to toss up. But by the same token you probably don't want to fly off the handle if it's unwarranted - that could hurt your chances later on.[/font]

[indent][center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest%202/edith_grimoire.jpg[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4][b][right]Phantom Symbols[/right][/b][/font][/size][font=palatino linotype]Twelve wooden men and women stood in the center of a large, featureless room. Each was adorned with a unique, exotic garment of its own; they were a collection of shapes and angles that had never been seen before within Anova and possibly the entire Globe itself. A further perimeter of men and women – half in number and more flesh than wood – watched over them. Each had a notepad and pen and several were cocking their heads and scribbling madly. The only design feature in the room was the large black double door at one end. They were made of a heavy Czenovian oak and carved with elaborate fretwork around their edges. The imposing “G” logo was etched deeply into the center. As the six sets of critical eyes moved over the lifeless mannequins, the double-door swung open behind them. Edith Grimoire swept into the room and as she hovered past each of them, their pens stopped scribbling and their eyes nervously scanned the room. They were trying to check their peripheral vision without actually looking at her. A lone wooden chair stood at the end of the room and Edith promptly perched herself against it. She wore a deep grey suit, with matching gloves. Her birds’ nest hair reached for the ceiling like black flames. Her eyes were fixed on some intangible point in the distance. ‘So,’ she began softly, ‘any thoughts on this year’s line-up?’ The room’s other occupants exchanged glances and flipped through their note pads. One design assistant cleared his throat. ‘The skirt on number six is a bit long,’ he said earnestly. The other staff looked at the sixth mannequin. ‘We are previewing the winter collection at this show,’ replied Edith flatly, rubbing her forehead. ‘What alternative would you preview? A mini-skirt?’ The design assistant nervously flipped through his notepad. ‘Er, well, I didn’t think…’ ‘No, you didn’t,’ said Edith coldly. She looked over her glasses at the assistant for a moment and then glanced around the room. ‘This show will be our largest ever. Representatives from our biggest importers will be there. These garments must be nothing less than flawless and you’re complaining about a winter skirt being too long?’ The entire room fell silent. After several awkward moments, an arm went up at the back of the room. A short, slightly dishevelled-looking woman stepped forward. Her hair was pulled back into a lazy pony tail and she continually adjusted her shirt. The expression on Edith’s face was so clear that it was impossible to misinterpret: [i]Who hired this girl and why are they still working for us?[/i] As Edith raised a gloved finger at her, the girl interrupted. ‘I have noticed some strange symbols on several of these garments,’ she said quietly as she began walking among the mannequins. ‘This one,’ she tugged at the edge of a jacket, ‘it has some overlapping triangles on the pocket. And this one too,’ she turned a mannequin around. A long dress was draped over it and the rear of the dress was stitched with a tight web of geometric shapes. ‘None of these patterns were on the preview brochures though. They seem to have been added later on.’ All eyes in the room fell upon Edith. She had personally finalized the designs. As she examined the faces with their eyes focused on her, she slowly retracted her finger and settled her gaze on the slightly dishevelled staff member who had raised the issue. In truth, Edith could not even remember adding these designs to the clothing. Some dresses had been almost completely remodelled to reflect the odd geometric shapes. Interlocking triangles, sharp conflicting angles and highly complex stitching. It wasn’t unattractive, but the design was so unique and so utterly different than she had envisioned originally, that Edith was almost lost for words. She approached one of the dresses and took a closer look. The symbols were interwoven with such complexity that she almost gasped audibly. None of her machinery could do this – and she certainly couldn’t do it by hand – so how was it possible? A grin spread across Edith’s face. ‘It looks like this is a lucky break,’ she declared. The other staff whispered amongst themselves. ‘Who else in the New Globe – or the Old Globe for that matter – can attest to such craftsmanship?’ ‘But how will we duplicate it if we don’t know how it happened?’ The girl adjusted her skirt once more and cocked her head. ‘I don’t think any of our machinery can achieve this.’ Edith glared over her glasses at the girl. ‘Our machinery [i]must[/i] have achieved this, how else would it be possible?’ The girl shrugged. Everybody knew that Edith was the last person to view the garments and that she had personally overseen their production. If anybody knew, it would have to be her. But apparently she didn’t and this fact unnerved the other staff – was Edith Grimoire losing the plot? The very idea struck fear into all of them, for as much as they feared Edith herself, they knew that the fashion house could not survive without her. ‘I want a solution to this before the show starts,’ declared Edith. ‘If we can not duplicate these designs in our final garments, we will upset many customers. And the House of Grimoire has [i]never[/i] upset a customer.’ The girl who had first raised the unexplained designs appeared to be preparing to open her mouth again, but Edith cut her off. ‘I expect a solution. Your jobs depend on it.’ As Edith left the room and closed the double doors behind her, she heard a sudden explosion of whispers from the staff she’d left behind. For a moment her expression changed and a glimmer of uncertainty crossed her face. She genuinely couldn’t remember creating those designs, but she also couldn’t remember approving them at any stage – or even seeing them before the preview. How was this possible? They’d obviously appeared from [i]somewhere[/i] and it was unlike Edith not to know every detail, especially for fashion shows. As she considered the patterns, it also dawned on her that she was sure she’d seen them somewhere before. But where? She had to find out.[/font][/indent]