James

[font=franklin gothic medium]Good to see that you're thinking about this. Here are a few options I can think of: [list] [*]The story could take place in Al Ahmar. I'm pretty interested in the idea of creating that country - I imagine it to be a really fantastic spin on Arabian Nights or something. It would be a kind of hyper-real place, full of colour and magic. I guess it'd be more magic-based than Czenovia anyway. I imagine Czenovia to be largely muted in colour...very British-centric. Whereas Al Ahmar would be vividly colourful. Maybe our characters could search for some kind of amazing treasure or something - we could include new characters and some original characters might join in as well. It'd be fun to see some of them in a very different setting. [*]We could do a direct sequel taking place only months later, centered in Anova. This would allow us to take what little we know of it and expand upon that. I have a lot of ideas about how the different States in Anova could posess very different themes. [*]In either of the above settings, we could feature characters in a time period close to that of the original story [i]or[/i] we could advance the story by a couple of decades. It would be interesting for some characters to re-unite years after the events in Czenovia - they would all look different and have had different experiences. I think it'd be kind of interesting to see the progress of some of the relationships in the family. [*]Again following on from that... what if they all reunited at a funeral? One of the characters might have heard of this treasure in Al Ahmar... and there may be some discussion after the funeral about characters wanting to leave Czenovia for a while to get away from the daily grind there. Could be a possibility. [*]We could do a - gasp - prequel? Set back in the early days of the Almagest family? [*]Or we could do an RPG set a couple of generations later, where there is a weird fusion of steam and cyber punk. We could look at how the Almagest family and the political struggle in the original RPG has influenced the nation's history in the longterm. [*]No matter what we do, if it's within a few days/months/decades of the original story... I would like for us to be able to use both old and new characters. It'd be good to refer back to the original story quite a bit, to give everything some context. [*]Um...I have a really cool font that I'd love to use for the logo of Almagest 2. So I'd like to help out with graphics if I can. :D [*]That's all I can think of for now. [*]Oh! Nearly forgot - one important point to bear in mind. While it'll be great to refer back to The Almagest Legacy's original plot, we should make sure that any sequel can really stand on its own two feet and have its own great story. If we let it hang too much on the original for support, it has a good chance of being hollow and uninteresting. Those are my thoughts on it, anyhoo. [/list] [/font]

[quote name='jigglyness'][size=1]Count me in. :D When do the submissions need to be in by? [like a certain day/time][/size][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]No specific time as such, but I am likely to be choosing a submission this coming Sunday. That way it can be put up for next week and we can display it until New Year's Eve. So for you guys in America that'd be Saturday night - let's say midnight on Saturday or something. Is that ok? Hopefully I am leaving you with enough time.[/font] :catgirl:

[center][size=6]Christmas Banner Competition[/size] [size=10][color=red]2 0 0 8[/color][/size][/center] [font=franklin gothic medium]It's that time of the year again! :catgirl: Admittedly I'm a bit late this year, but I hope we'll still have enough time to see some fun entries. Basically it works like this: any and all members are welcome to submit Christmas-themed banners for OtakuBoards (the banner being the image at the top of the page with our logo on it). The winner's banner will be displayed on [b]all[/b] skins up until New Year's Eve. You can submit as many banners as you want and you can ask questions in this thread too if you have any. Here is a basic list of requirements: [list] [*]The banner [b]must[/b] be exactly 597 x 127 pixels in size. [*]It must contain a 1 pixel thick black border on the bottom and sides (but [b]not[/b] the top). [*]The theme is Christmas, but please feel free to interpret this however you like. You can be traditional or you can do something totally different. Also try to keep to Christmas colours if you can (I guess you can make an exception if you have a really stellar design). Remember, your banner will be used on all skins so it won't match one particular skin anyway. [*]Make it stand out! The banner should be bold, fun and welcoming. [*]And uh...that's it I think. Oh! Actually, the format must be JPEG. Try to keep it relatively uncompressed, so that the image quality doesn't suck. [/list] So there you have it. Hopefully I have put enough details in there. But again if you have questions, just ask here. I will be looking to choose a banner by the weekend and as mentioned above, it will remain up until NYE. So not long, but hopefully it'll be a fun challenge for you guys. I would like to have another "official" challenge like this in the new year, so watch out for that (with a bit more preparation time!) :catgirl: [/font]

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Currently I find myself on a MGMT bender. The song specifically is "Electric Feel." I won't pretend there's any actual real meaning behind the song, except for a perverse desire to be badly electrocuted by a woman without clothing on. I also won't pretend that the music video readly available on Youtube makes any sense either... But the beauty of it all is that while MGMT looks and sounds exactly like an 80's band, they're very current. Like 2008 current. That's how strange it is. At least they're fun to listen to. Album: Oracular Spectacular. Note the very lovely curly hair.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Yeah, I've been listening to MGMT a bit lately. Electric Feel is great. Unfortunately I missed them playing in Melbourne this month... I was going to book tickets but I ended up getting other stuff and I missed out, haha. It sucks. And yeah, I'm a fan of the curly hair. I'm also still listening to Empire of the Sun a bit here and there (which I think I mentioned earlier in this thread). I'm starting to get into some of their other songs. They're not typically my type of group, but I'm finding them pretty interesting. Like Pnau, they're something that has to grow on you I think.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]This is a difficult situation because, in terms of her relationship with this man... it really is none of your business. Unfortunately people that we know and love can make very foolish decisions when it comes to partners - especially when they have children. Her taste in men notwithstanding, I do think that the bigger issue is the children. If you feel that the children are in a dangerous environment (and they obviously are), then I would certainly consider involving the authorities. But as others have said, if you do that, you must be prepared for the consequences - she is obviously not going to appreciate your intervention. Having said that, I certainly know nothing about this woman... it may be enough for you to also offer your support if she needs it. By that I mean, when you speak to her, offer her your help and support rather than your judgment. Remind her that your door is always open. Let her know that if she wants a break, you can babysit her kids for a while or something. You know? Again it's hard to really say what to do here because none of us really know these people well enough. But I find that sometimes people in her situation are very defensive if they feel they're being judged - but they may look more favourably upon someone who just wants to be there to support them. In any case, good luck with it. It sounds like a very difficult situation.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Phew, posted. I hope I have not written Jamie against character or anything - please let me know if this is the case. I know that he is supposed to be a warm character, but I also wanted to hint at him being somewhat nervous. He talks about his career in such terms because he's sort of shutting out the horror around him to some extent. Hopefully it makes some sense. Anyway, the meaning of those funny letters at the beginning of the Backstage thread are now revealed. I will make more revelations in my next post, in an effort to give you guys more to discuss between your characters. At this stage I'm very open to anything happening. So Arthur might bump into these guys along the way... or whatever. I really don't mind. Jamie might go it alone, or he might stay with Zahir. It's in your hands, guys. Having said that, the next landmark will come shortly and it will involve our evacuation from the Von Braun. I'll let Indi think up the devious ways in which Samantha might end up triggering this. :P[/font]

[font="tahoma"][size="2"][color="#202020"][center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8279/jamiekingse9.jpg[/img][/center] 'Where the fuck could he possibly be?! It doesn't make sense!' Jamie King's typing was now the only sound within the expansive central lobby. Zahir stood on the other side of the reception desk. His head moved back and forth, peering down the endless hallways that branched out like never-ending spokes from the lobby. Most of the hallways were barely lit; the odd flicker of light materialized here and there, but it was always fleeting. Being in that lobby full of lifeless bodies and darkened hallways made Zahir's skin crawl. Being without anyone he knew well - including Arthur - made him feel even more uneasy. Zahir scolded himself internally for this; why couldn't he just stand on his own two feet for once? He tried to forget those thoughts and turned his attention back to Jamie, who's face glowed in the darkness, as his eyes darted across the screen. 'No luck yet?' Zahir leaned over the desk and glanced at the upside-down screen. Jamie shook his head. 'No, I'm afraid not. This locator tool doesn't make any sense. I left Alex in the bar, which is not far from here. Yet the reading on this terminal [i]clearly[/i] shows him as being several sectors from here. And what's even weirder...' Jamie paused, as though it was too unbelievable to mention. He looked over his glasses at Zahir. 'This says he's [i]outside[/i] the ship.' For a moment they simply stared at each other. How was it possible? At first, Zahir thought that Alex had possibly been thrown from the ship upon impact. It was the only explanation that made sense. 'If he's outside the ship,' said Zahir slowly, 'maybe it isn't worth looking, I mean...' Jamie straightened up and coughed. 'I know. I know what you mean - believe me, I've thought of that too. He could be dead...he...he probably [i]is[/i] dead...' Zahir walked around the desk and put a hand on Jamie's shoulder. His body stiffened. 'Look...we just don't know. How can we possibly say what happened? A few of us are still alive...there's still hope...' Jamie removed his glasses and wiped his eyes before putting them back on. He looked at the computer screen again. 'It's not so much the idea that he might have died,' replied Jamie, 'but...how could he have gone so far in such a short amount of time? I mean, look...the locator is pointing to this room on the map. It's not his room. It's nowhere near his room. It is near the outer rim of the ship. And even more than that, it's on the side of the ship that took the impact. Doesn't that seem strange to you?' '[i]Nothing[/i] seems strange to me anymore,' Zahir shrugged. 'After what we saw on that outpost, I don't know what's true now...' There was something odd about the image on the computer screen, apart from what Jamie had noticed about Alex's location. 'Wait,' whispered Zahir, 'look at that.' He traced his finger from their current location to Alex's position. His finger ran directly passed a room that was labeled "SW". 'What's that?' Jamie shook his head. 'I don't know. Storage... something?' 'It's the only room with a label on the computer. I mean, other than the engineering sections. Why would the staff have a label like that on a private room?' Zahir looked up at Jamie, who seemed to be coming to the same realization. 'Samantha Wells,' they both whispered. [center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8279/jamiekingse9.jpg[/img][/center] The air became cooler as they moved down the north hall. Zahir and Jamie had been walking for fifteen minutes or so, but it was hard to have any true impression of time. They would walk through large sections of hallway that was almost completely dark; Jamie activated the flash on his camera to light the way, although he tried to use it sparingly. Now and then they would come across a light fixture dangling helplessly from the ceiling, flicking on and off as if its last dying breaths were escaping. There was no light at the end of the hall, only a pitch black void. As they walked it did not seem to come closer, but instead it grew farther and farther away, like an unreachable horizon. When there was light, they could see silver numbers on each door. The rooms progressed from one (nearest the lobby) to one hundred (nearest the outer rim of the ship). They had just passed room forty-three. Jamie put his hand in his pocket. He was feeling around for something. Finally he produced a small, wrinkled cigarette packet. 'Do you mind?' He briefly glanced in Zahir's direction. Zahir shook his head. 'Not at all.' 'Thanks.' Jamie took a small lighter from inside the packet, as well as a cigarette. As he flicked the lighter, it glowed ominously in the darkened hallway. The cigarette's tip began to glow and Jamie took a long, slow drag. He coughed and then breathed out a long plume of white smoke. 'Oh man,' he breathed, 'that's better. I needed that.' He clicked the camera flash on again, as they came upon another dark spot. 'I wonder how the others are doing,' thought Zahir aloud. 'Katelyn and Viktor...' Jamie shrugged. 'I'm sure they're all right. If anything happens they know to meet us back at the lobby, anyway.' 'How is it that you can stay so calm?' blurted Zahir. 'Well,' Jamie held up the cigarette, 'this, for one. But I've never really been someone to worry anyway. It doesn't suit me.' Zahir raised an eyebrow. 'You mean you aren't concerned that we won't make it? We're shipwrecked on an alien planet, after all...' 'Granted,' replied Jamie, 'but I'm a newspaper photographer. It may sound glamorous, but it ain't quite so glamorous when you're being shot at in a trench in some godforsaken war zone. Trust me, we do earn every dollar for the photos we take.' 'At least in a war zone you know you might have a chance of going home...' Jamie shrugged. 'I guess. But you never have a [i]story[/i] like this. I mean, shit, I took snaps of real life [i]aliens[/i] back there! Those shots are going to become some of the most famous shots in the world one day. They'll be right up there with the moon landing.' Zahir rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'But what does it matter if you don't get back to Earth?' 'Look, one way or another, my shots will get back to Earth. Even if I have to transmit them somehow from here, it'll happen. And if I never get back? Well, as long as everyone knows they're [i]my[/i] shots.' 'That seems, well...' Zahir tried to choose his words carefully, 'a little cold.' Jamie chuckled as he breathed another cloud of smoke into the air. 'Let me put it this way, Zahir: I could go through life on Earth like any other photojournalist. In other words, I could be content snapping celebrities or whatever else. I could probably have a good life as a talented-yet-tame photographer. But who would remember me? What difference would it make?' The flash clicked off again, as they walked through a rare pool of light cast from the ceiling. 'My point is, I could be "just another photographer" but that isn't enough for me. At least here, I have the chance to make an impact. What do you think the reaction will be once those photos become widely-publicized on Earth? No matter what, they will become part of history. And that means I'll have reached the pinnacle of my profession. It's like a lawyer getting the best case, or a politician becoming a president...' Zahir nodded. 'Yeah, I think I understand. I don't have any of those ambitions, but I respect people who do...' 'You'll find your place one day,' said Jamie thoughtfully, 'sometimes it just takes a little longer to work it out.' And with that, they fell silent again. Zahir looked at the door numbers. Seventy-one. Only a few doors away from the room marked "SW". 'Ah, here we are, right here,' said Jamie. The hall was dark again. He switched on the flash and aimed it at the door. 'This is it. Only question is, how to get in...' At first Zahir thought they would have no hope of getting in without a key, but upon closer examination, he noticed that the door looked slightly buckled near the handle. 'Oh, look at that,' he whispered. 'It must have been from the impact; the frame near the handle looks chipped.' Jamie held out the camera. 'Here, can you hold this?' As Zahir took the camera, Jamie reared back and kicked the door with all his strength. They both heard a loud [i]snap[/i], but the door did not move. 'Don't tell me that was your leg,' groaned Zahir. Jamie laughed. 'No, thank god. I think I've well and truly broken the door though...' He pushed against it with an open fist. The door began to open slowly, but then it promptly fell off its hinges and slammed against the floor with a thud. 'I feel like I'm on one of those cop shows,' said Jamie as he took the camera back. 'C'mon, let's check it out.' [center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8279/jamiekingse9.jpg[/img][/center] Zahir had expected a luxurious cabin, with beautiful furniture and an expansive bar. Samantha Wells was, after all, one of the most senior people on board the Von Braun. Instead, he found a quite ordinary room. It did not look at all like a regular cabin, but rather like an office. There was a plain desk, several filing cabinets and a wall of shelves. Papers and books were strewn everywhere, no doubt a result of the crash. 'Jackpot!' cried Jamie, as he scanned the room with the flash. 'If only Alex could see this...' His enthusiasm seemed momentarily tempered by the memory of his colleague. [i]I guess he is human after all,[/i] thought Zahir. 'We might find some clues here,' said Jamie. 'I'll start at one end, you start at the other. Maybe we can get a better idea of what's going on here.' Zahir immediately went for Samantha's desk. It was covered in paperwork, which made it difficult to know where to begin. He sifted through several piles before coming across a thin folder, with the words "Case Notes" typed neatly on the front. [i]'Seems as good a place as any to start,'[/i] thought Zahir. He began flipping through the folder. Surprisingly, it was fairly light on documents. As he leafed through it he saw pages of hand-written notes. The first few pages seemed to refer to meetings between Samantha and the NAC. [i]'North Atlantic Congress,'[/i] Zahir went over it in his mind. The notes mentioned several hearings related to the Von Braun. He removed one page that looked type-written. It appeared to be part of a transcript: [i]"With all due respect, Ms. Wells, the monthly reports we receive from the Von Braun Corporation only tell half the story. It is my view - and certainly that of my fellow Senators - that significant portions of this project remain highly secretive. I understand the sensitivity of some of the technological developments, but I do not see the need for the continued involvement of NARSIA."[/i] It looked like Samantha had attended numerous Senate hearings about the Von Braun itself. [i]'Why would the Senate want to know about a hotel ship in so much detail?'[/i] thought Zahir. He scanned down the page further. [i]"Senator, you may have heard of several rumors in the press about NARSIA involvement, but let me assure you that the objective is to preserve national security. The Von Braun contains many innovations and if these technologies fell into the hands of rogue states, well, one can only imagine the consequences."[/i] It all seemed rather dull. Zahir flipped several more pages, until he came upon another set of notes. These carried the NARSIA seal in the top left corner. Buried among the text were several sub-headings: [center][b]RSK AMT DMG CTRL CBT AVD PLASURV[/b][/center] Where had he seen these before? Somehow he remembered them. 'Oh!' he said aloud. Jamie looked over at him from a nearby filing cabinet. 'What is it?' 'Oh it's just... I remember these phrases,' muttered Zahir. 'I think they were on the news or something. I'm not sure.' Jamie walked over and looked at the document. 'Oh, I know where we saw these...on those canisters at the outpost. Remember? They had these weird jumbled letters on them. And when were in the cargo bay with those large crates, the cloth they were covered in contained the same letters.' Zahir ran his finger down the page, looking for them again. He flipped through a few more pages before coming across what looked like a report summary. [b]RSK AMT[/b] [RISK ASSESSMENT] [i]"To assess any and all risks related to the [b]Titans[/b]. Risk assessment must be carried out before [b]Operation B[/b], as referenced later in this document."[/i] [b]DMG CTRL[/b] [DAMAGE CONTROL] [i]"To ensure that the full extent of the [b]Titan Security Apparatus[/b] is contained as much as is realistically possible, therefore ensuring minimal NARSIA losses. Information handling procedures must also be reviewed, particularly relating to NAC. Containment and control is best achieved via [b]Operation B[/b] and subsequent PLASURV.[/i] [b]CBT AVD[/b] [COMBAT AVOIDANCE] [i]"To avoid direct confrontation with the [b]Titan Security Apparatus[/b] where realistically possible. This point can not be over-emphasized. Any direct confrontation - especially as a result of revealing NARSIA capability - will invariably result in heavy losses."[/i] [b]PLASURV[/b] [PLANETARY SURVEILLANCE] [i]"To survey and document results of [b]Operation B[/b] on target planet [b]Phorus[/b]. Three surveillance missions are to be conducted within two weeks, twelve weeks and twenty four weeks respectively. Soil samples are to be returned to NARSIA outpost and tested locally. Atmospheric scans to be completed prior to soil samples."[/i] Zahir and Jamie looked at each other. The document went on for many pages. 'This has nothing to do with the Von Braun, though,' said Zahir as he scratched his head. 'I don't get it. These read more like war plans than anything else. What is this?' 'I don't know,' said Jamie, 'but you should put some of those loose documents into the folder and bring it with us. Maybe we can read it more thoroughly when we find the others.' Zahir agreed. He collected several papers and stuffed them into the folder. It was time to look for Alex. 'According to the locator, he isn't far from here,' said Jamie as he began heading for the door. 'We could spend hours in this office... I think we need to find Alex and show him these papers too.'[/color][/size][/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]If you haven't already, you should put that avatar making guide into our FAQ or something Des - in fact, I almost think it could have its own page. Brilliant stuff. Very useful for people who aren't as familiar with graphics software. I'm so pleased to see that our library keeps filling out. :catgirl: Thanks for your submissions, guys.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I notice that this is the Oxford [i]Junior[/i] Dictionary. That changes everything. It seems as though they've removed some words and added others that they feel are more relevant to younger people (like "MP3 Player"). I don't entirely agree with that, but then again, I suppose they want to keep the dictionary at a particular maximum size (which means some words get the cut). Many of those mentioned are [i]not[/i] "Christian" words, either - such as the majority of those under the "nature" banner. So yeah, I don't really see this as a big deal. If the full-size adult dictionaries started cutting all of this stuff out, then I'd be concerned. Still, I'd rather have a bigger dictionary for kids rather than try to keep the size down and therefore remove words.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium][b][i][size=6]Congratulations Indi and Nathan!! :D :D :D :D :catgirl:[/size][/i][/b] Heheh. I think this will have to go down as Thread of the Year on OB World. Seems a fitting way to close 2008![/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Ah well, as long as things don't go awkward I guess nothing bad will happen from it. Although if she wanted to get to know you better in an effort to date you, she should make sure she ends her current relationship first! :catgirl: In general though I think love letters are great things. Receiving one is very exciting and flattering...and sending one can nearly give you a heart attack (especially if you don't know the person well, haha). :D[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I guess I'm going to be the only one to go along these lines, but...[/font] [quote]Although I'd love to be with her, it wasn't an intention to break them up.[/quote] [font=franklin gothic medium]o_O; So what's the point? Just to let her know how you feel? Why would you do that unless you want a relationship? I think that sometimes feelings are better left unsaid, in an effort to avoid awkward situations (and, frankly, so as not to disrespect her boyfriend). I mean sure, if she were single, I'd say go ahead. No harm really. But she's in a relationship, so... I don't think a love letter is going to help anyone really. I mean look at the options. Let's say she's not interested - well in that case, now you have to continue performing with her on stage and it will be [i]incredibly[/i] awkward for both of you (especially her). Let's say she IS interested, but won't leave her boyfriend. That then puts totally unnecessary strain on her relationship with her boyfriend. It's not fair to him and it's also not fair to her. It puts her in the middle of something very difficult. And then let's say she does break up with her boyfriend for you. Well, sure, that's the best outcome for you. And sure, if she's going to break up with the boyfriend then it can't have been a great relationship in the first place. But still, unless you're extremely careful, you will risk being "the other man", which is not a good position to be in for so many reasons. Love letters are wonderful things, but I have to admit, I personally don't agree with what you did here. If you really felt you had to do it, I'd probably look at doing it when the play is over or something - I mean, when you won't have to work with each other every day. That way she can take it or leave it and it won't cause an ongoing issue. Sorry, Gav. :([/font]

[center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img][/center] [font=tahoma][b][i]Afghanistan, four years ago...[/b][/i] Zahir’s eyes opened to the sound of rustling nearby. Soft moonlight flooded in through the large opening in his bedroom wall. The small house was mudbrick with no glass, which allowed the gentle desert breeze into every corner of the room. As his eyes adjusted to the soft blue light, Zahir could barely make out a figure near the bed. Khalid was struggling with something heavy. ‘Damn this thing!’ he whispered under his breath in Arabic. Zahir sat up on his elbow and yawned. ‘What’s the matter?’ ‘Oh,’ Khalid turned around, apparently having not realized the noise he was making. ‘Sorry. Go back to sleep.’ ‘Too late, I’m awake now,’ replied Zahir croakily. He pushed himself up into a sitting position. ‘What are you doing up at this hour anyway?’ Khalid resumed the struggle with whatever he was wearing. It was difficult for Zahir to see in the dark; he could only hear the rustling of fabric and the occasional clip and un-clip of plastic. ‘If I tell you, you won’t let me sleep next to you anymore.’ ‘What? Don’t tell me… [i]Khali![/i] I thought that was all over now,’ replied Zahir angrily. ‘C’mon, Zee, you know why I have to do it. It won’t be over until we get our country back.’ Khalid turned away from Zahir again and attempted to adjust his clothing once more. ‘What the hell did I do to this thing? Ugh.’ Zahir sighed deeply. He understood Khalid’s reasoning, but the sacrifice did not seem worthwhile. During the day, Khalid had a regular job and behaved like a regular person. Yet during some nights, he was someone else entirely – slinking around town with a group of nameless strangers, doing things Zahir could not even imagine. It was political and Zahir knew that. Like many other young Afghans, he did not want his country to act merely as a State of the Republic. While Afghanistan had been engaged in war for many years, at least during those times Afghans fought under their own national flag. Now – in peace – they lived under the flag of a distant Republic, which bore little relevance to them. Zahir sympathized with those political groups who were pushing for independence and he even agreed with some of the more extreme groups, so long as they did not disrupt the lives of everyday Afghans. And yet, he could not bear this life. For weeks, he would sleep in Khalid’s arms. During these times, he was most happy. They may have lived in an ancient home with few conveniences – unlike their parents – but it was [i]their[/i] home. Zahir studied and Khalid worked. During the weekends they took long walks in Kabul’s many enormous gardens, where they would lay under their favourite tree and Khalid would read old 20th century stories out loud. Zahir always looked forward to these moments. He could close his eyes and let Khalid’s deep, rhythmic voice swirl around in his mind for what seemed like hours. Often he fell asleep. These weeks of happiness were occasionally interrupted by nights like tonight, where Zahir would wake in an empty bed. He knew Khalid was out there somewhere and every time it happened, he was terrified that morning would come with no sign from him. As he watched Khalid struggle, he realized that there was nothing he could do to interfere with his determination to fight for the country’s independence, no matter how dangerous it was. If Khalid did not return hours later, their last conversation would involve an argument. Zahir could not bear the thought and he reached out in the darkness. ‘Here, Khali…come here. I’ll help,’ he whispered. Khalid stopped and looked up. ‘You sure, Zee?’ Zahir nodded quickly, fighting back tears. ‘Yes, I’m sure. What’s the matter with it?’ ‘I’m not sure,’ replied Khalid, ‘I think something is stuck. It’s my vest.’ As he approached the bed, Zahir reached out and touched the vest. It was even heavier than it sounded. Thick straps enveloped it from all angles. The padding was firm and weighty. Perhaps it was bullet proof. Zahir felt somewhat better with this thought in mind. He reached around Khalid’s waist and fastened a loose plastic clasp. It squeaked slightly in protest, but then snapped into place. ‘There. You had it plugged into the wrong spot. No wonder it didn’t feel right.’ Khalid chuckled to himself quietly. ‘I want to save Afghanistan, but I can’t even dress myself.’ Zahir smiled, but did not laugh. Khalid was standing directly in front of the window now and the moonlight washed over him. He was taller than Zahir, with large brown eyes and long, dark eyelashes. Even in the dim moonlight, his large smile was easily visible – it balanced his harder features, which included a growing five o’clock shadow. He ran his hand through Zahir’s hair. ‘I know you’re worried, but I will be ok. I always come back to you, don’t I?’ A tear ran down Zahir’s cheek. He was angry at himself for allowing it; he did not want to put extra pressure on Khalid. If he were to become distracted for even a moment out there, it could mean the difference between life and death. Zahir simply nodded. Khalid leaned down and kissed Zahir gently. ‘My desert flower,’ he whispered. And with that, he turned and approached the large window, ready to face whatever the night had in store.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'm liking this a lot. I'm having trouble with my next post, partly because I'm not really sure if/where we'll find Alex. I need to check with that. I may, however, include a post that contains a flashback to look at Zahir's earlier life. We'll see how it goes. But everyone else, please feel free to move the story forward in your posts if you wish - I really don't mind where it goes. We can work with whatever comes up. Edit: Posted. This latest post is a flashback. I'm thinknig of putting all flashbacks in quote boxes from now on, to make it easier for others. What do you guys think? We could do that or just literally say "flashback" or whatever at the start. Not sure. Anyway, I am hoping to flesh things out in terms of Zahir's history a bit more.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Nice posts, guys. When reading Indi's post I was a bit freaked out that Samantha was going to try to open up those canisters or something... *shiver* I am hoping to have a post here tomorrow sometime. I'm not sure where to take things with Katelyn, Jamie and Zahir... but it seems logical that they should seek out that secret deck. I think Zahir would be a bit apprehensive, after experiencing a little of Samantha's insanity. Still, I think their goal will now be to find each other and leave the ship before anything happens with the Shirota Strain - if that stuff were to leak out into the Von Braun... well, I doubt anyone would last very long. >_>;[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I guess the main reason is that theOtaku's system isn't linked to OB in any way. So you can't apply an OB avatar over there. But also, just as importantly, our avatars don't fit the size restrictions of theOtaku. Each site has different layouts and formats for these things. I have an idea that may help with this in future, but I have to talk to Adam about it first. Sorry to disappoint! For now your best bet is to request an avatar within our Art by Request forum. Just give the dimensions and the style you want and I'm sure someone will help you.[/font] :catgirl:

[font=franklin gothic medium]I don't really understand the whole emo phenomenon at all. My limited impression has always just been that "emo" fans are supposedly in touch with their feelings. I am not sure how this relates to a musical style, but I digress... I think my biggest issue with the whole emo thing is primarily that it is associated with depression. And that has kind of made light of depression, because people often joke about "emos" and their unhappiness. The problem is that depression is a very serious illness and in many cases, depressed people [i]do not[/i] show outward signs of "unhappiness". In fact, it's erroneous to say that depression = unhappiness. The two are not mutually exclusive at all. So more than anything, I think the whole emo thing cheapens the real plight of people with various degrees of [i]actual[/i] depression. Some of the kids who say they have depression are either seeking attention or are simply mistaking other emotional problems for a different illness. But as I said, I have no real knowledge of "emo" music or anything...so I can't comment on that. I just tend to think of emo as a particular style more than anything, which some kids seem to follow. I just assume they will move past it once the next thing comes along.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I think it's nice to be told by anyone that you're doing a good job. But I think you have to be careful about that. For instance, even with OB here, I have personally had a lot of critics over the years. That's really died down now, because I think there have been a lot of changes on all sides. However, there's a difference between some random person saying "OMG your work is horrible" and someone you know and value giving you the same reaction. There are a lot of people whose opinions I really value and there are also a lot of people who I personally admire/respect. It may seem lame, but I really value the approval of all of our members. Even though I can't please everybody, I really don't like it when one person feels that something is wrong. I think every person within the community is valuable and we do try as much as we can to deliver what people want. In terms of "real life", I'd say there are work colleagues and family members whose approval I value more than others... but no matter what, I just try to do what I think is right at the time. I think I mostly get the approval I'm looking for, but also, I don't think you can live your life based on winning the approval of others. As I said, whether it's online or real life, you will [i]never[/i] get [i]every[/i] person's approval. That's when you have to decide whose approval really matters fundamentally. For me personally... first and foremost, I try to "approve" of myself and what I do. In other words, I have to be happy with my decisions and actions as much as possible before I can worry about what others think. A lot of people don't listen to themselves enough, I'd say. In terms of online again, I could list so many people who I admire. But if I had to choose one, I'd be Adam. I have known him for many years now and I've seen him grow and develop. He has always been an exceptionally wise person for his age and I think this basic wisdom has seen him through many tough times. He knows when it's right to stand up against majority opinion in order to pursue paths that you feel are important. And he also knows when it's necessary to back down and be conciliatory to others. Also, I think he is aware of his own limitations and gaps in his skills/knowledge...and understanding that is so important. It's the first step to actually overcoming limitations. Anyway I could ramble on and on, but yes, there are really a lot of people right here who I admire, as well as those I know in day-to-day life.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Well, I bought Mirror's Edge a couple of days ago and I'm a few chapters in. I have to admit, this was kind of an impulse buy for me. I hadn't bought a game in a while (at least for console) and I did have only a mild interest in this one from what I'd read. I hadn't played the demo or anything - I just went and bought it. And I must say, despite reading some negative reviews, I am [i]loving[/i] this game. Maybe it's because my expectations were lower, but a lot of the criticisms I've read just don't really gel with me. First of all, combat seems to be the most-heavily criticized element. But I found combat to be reasonably fun. I mean this game isn't [i]about[/i] combat, but when it happens, it's just fine. The key thing to remember though, is that going around disarming bad guys isn't really the best way to do things. It's slower and really isn't very useful. Instead, you're better off choosing a single nearby enemy and getting up close before they can shoot you. You can then get into a physical fight (which works pretty well). Once you've knocked them out you can take their gun and use it on the other enemies. Or, of course, you can simply run (often this is the best course, but I do enjoy the FSP aspects when they occur - they offer a bit of additional variety and are quite realistic as well). Speaking of that realism factor, I like that you have limited ammo in each weapon and that you only take a few hits before you die. It adds to the sense of urgency, but isn't too difficult. The actual free run aspect is really fantastic. It's amazing how this game does make you feel like you [i]are[/i] Faith. There are many subtle things going on that give you the ability to perceive depth and your own limbs/weight in a way that no other first person game has ever done. And that is largely what makes the "platforming" successful. The only issue I have really is that the game is still mostly pretty linear. This is not a problem in and of itself, but sometimes in order to get past an area you have to perform a fairly complex or awkward move that you may have trouble with. If you fail, you have to repeat it until you get it right. This can be frustrating, but on the other hand, it forces you to learn all the moves and when you do achieve something spectacular, you really feel a great sense of achievement. There's SO much more I could say about this game (from the wonderful cut scenes, the above average story/acting, the pretty visuals and awesome graphic design, the cool and atmospheric music, etc etc). One thing I must mention is that, perhaps surprisingly, even the free run aspects of the game (which is probably 95% of it) are surprisingly varied. [spoiler]You spend much of your time on rooftops, but sometimes you're underground, other times you're in subways (pretty amazing sequences in there!), other times you're running through offices...[/spoiler] you'd be surprised how varied this game can be. So, I'm kind of amazed that I like Mirror's Edge as much as I do, but I am finding the flaws to be minimal. I mean, really, there are no greater downsides here than any other game. I think it will really come down to whether you enjoy the first person running aspect. If not, you just won't like the game. But if you pick it up and enjoy that aspect, I think this one's really worth getting.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]So I've now added the Plot Overview Dossier to the front page of this thread. At this stage it doesn't say anything terribly new, but I've divided the entire plot into several segments that can be easily filled in. The parts with the missing files are really still to be fully revealed...but I guess now I can put specific points in when I want to. I am just trying to work out how much to reveal and when, haha. I suppose some of these points can be revealed pretty soon. After all, we'll be meeting those aliens pretty shortly. ~_^ Now, hopefully I can get an RP post in tomorrow and push things a little further forward. Brilliant posts so far everyone - I'm really pleased with how the crash was handled. It was really good fun reading your posts! Edit: Okay, posted. I hope that the part involving Katelyn and Jamie is okay! Please let me know if there are any issues. I figured that in such a traumatic experience, they'd be very glad to see a friendly face. I'm just hoping the details are correct, haha. Please feel free to take this wherever you want, guys. If there are any plot elements that you want to involve that I don't know about, just bring my character along for the ride. :catgirl:[/font]

[center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img][/center] Zahir's eyes opened slowly. It took great effort to open them; all he wanted to do was sleep. Recent days had been so traumatic and frenzied that he had only survived on adrenaline - save for a brief moment of peace in Arthur's room. Fatigue had caught up with him and was wearing down on his muscles and bones. The air was thick with dust and smoke. Zahir blinked weakly, but his vision did not improve. His body felt numb. For a moment he wondered if the impact had caused him serious damage. He tried to move his feet; it was slow and difficult, but they moved. He could feel them. [i]Thank god,[/i] he thought. With his hands against the floor, Zahir propped himself up carefully. This did not help a great deal, as he still found it difficult to get his bearings. As his eyes adjusted, Zahir noticed that the entire hangar looked as though it had caved in. Shuttles lay strewn about as though they were toys. Shattered glass blanketed twisted pylons and exhaust vents had broken open, spewing steam from deep within the bowels of the ship. 'Arthur...' Zahir spun around, momentarily forgetting his pain and exhaustion. 'Arthur!' he called. There was no answer. As his eyes traveled the walls and ceiling, it appeared that he'd been thrown well across the hangar. Enormous mountains of debris separated him from the spot where he had curled up under Arthur's protective arms. His knees almost gave up as he attempted to stand, but he was determined to force them to work. It couldn't end like this. [center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8279/jamiekingse9.jpg[/img] [img]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/img][/center] Zahir walked slowly, his hand running along the cool metallic wall in the hallway. He was lucky to be able to leave the hangar at all, but the entrance nearest him was still accessible. It was not where he'd first entered with Arthur, but he tried as best he could to navigate along the hall, back to the main lobby. As he walked, Zahir considered himself lucky. There may very well have been some kind of internal damage that he wasn't aware of, but he did not seem to have any broken bones. He was bruised and had some grazes and cuts to his forehead and arms, but for the most part, he felt healthy enough. His vision was still somewhat blurred and his head was throbbing - perhaps he had concussion from hitting the floor - but at least, he thought, he had not died. When the lobby finally came into view, Zahir was not prepared for what he saw. A sea of bodies littered the enormous lobby. Paperwork from the reception desks had flown everywhere. Lights had smashed and some flickered pathetically, as their final gasps of life ebbed away. Some people had obviously survived and were attempting to pick themselves up. The ship's doctor was moving from body to body, checking pulses and directing what was left of the ship's staff in the area. There were perhaps a handful of people left alive in that lobby, out of the hundreds he'd seen only moments earlier. Zahir noticed two people in particular. A young woman and a tall man with glasses. He recognized them; they had been on the Outpost. He thought it strange that upon seeing these people - whom he could only describe as "acquaintances" - his entire body filled with a sense of warmth. He did not genuinely know these two passengers and yet, their somewhat familiar faces seemed to dull the surrounding chaos. Zahir stumbled through the lobby, past the bodies, trying as hard as possible not to look down. The man was giving something to the woman, just as her head turned. When she saw Zahir, she smiled. 'Katelyn?' Zahir suddenly felt foolish. [i]Of course[/i] he knew her name, but somehow he felt like he had not seen her in years. Katelyn smiled faintly and opened her arms. They embraced as though they were siblings. Zahir buried his face in Katelyn's hair. They could feel each others tears. 'I haven't seen Arthur,' Katelyn whispered, as if predicting Zahir's question. He just nodded. 'He's a survivor, I'm sure he'll be around somewhere.' As they broke apart, Zahir tried as hard as possible to smile. 'Thank you,' he said. 'It's good to see a friendly face.' Katelyn nodded. She gestured toward the man, who held out his hand. Zahir shook it and cocked his head unintentionally. 'Jamie,' said the man. 'Jamie King. We only met briefly, out there on the Outpost. I was taking snaps of those things in the lab...' 'Oh, of course,' replied Zahir. 'I'm sorry, I feel so...' Jamie shook his head. 'Don't worry. You're allowed to be a bit confused right now.' Katelyn looked at both men and then glanced around the lobby. Every time her eyes came close to the floor, they immediately snapped up again. 'What do we do now?' she asked, as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. There was a matter-of-fact tone in her voice that Zahir felt reassuring. 'Well, I guess we all have people to find first,' said Jamie. 'I've got to find Alex, you've got to find Viktor and...' 'I must find Arthur,' said Zahir. Jamie straightened his shirt. 'Perhaps we should split up and then meet back here?' 'Split up?' Katelyn seemed uncomfortable with the idea. Under the circumstances, Zahir wondered if it would be more traumatic to split up or whether it'd be better to simply stay together. 'Er, well, maybe we can look together,' said Jamie. 'But who would be closest to us?' 'I'm sure Viktor would have been headed for the lobby here,' replied Katelyn. 'He can't be far away.' Jamie nodded. 'And Alex...the last time I saw him was at the bar...' He scratched his head. 'This is not going to work,' said Zahir. 'We need another way. Do you guys still have your passenger tags on you?' Katelyn and Jamie looked at each other. 'Oh, er, yes,' Jamie produced his tag. 'We're supposed to keep them on so that we can access the areas we've paid for on our tickets... so every passenger should have one.' 'Exactly,' said Zahir. His earlier fuzziness seemed to be disappearing now. Katelyn looked over toward the nearest reception desk. 'So if any of those computers are still working, maybe we can zero in on the passenger tags...' '...and find out where the others are,' muttered Jamie. 'It's certainly possible.' 'We don't have any time to lose, in that case,' said Katelyn. 'C'mon, let's try to find the others.' [i]'What then?'[/i] thought Zahir. [i]'We find the others and then what? We've crash landed god knows where! The air outside may not even be breathable...we'd have to live on whatever's left in the Von Braun's kitchens and who knows how long that'll last us.'[/i] Zahir shook his head. He had to avoid thinking too much. There had to be a way out of this mess. Even if one single shuttle was still functioning, it might be possible to leave. For now, though, he just wanted to see Arthur again. Part of him wondered if Arthur had survived, but he did not want to go down that path..

[font=franklin gothic medium]If you want a banner, you could visit the [b]Art by Request[/b] forum (underneath the Art Studio forum). In there, you can just create a thread and ask for what you want. We have some guidelines in there that you can follow so that people will better understand what you're looking for. I'll just close this thread since this question doesn't relate to the original question here. If you have any further trouble, just send me a Private Message. :catgirl: Edit: Ack! Already answered. Thanks, Allamorph. [/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Yes, you'd better post... [i]or your character will be presumed dead![/i] Haha. Ahem. :drunk: Anyway, wonderful posts to those who have posted. You have captured the crash so vividly - far better than I had originally imagined. I am hoping to post this weekend. In addition to my post I'm going to [i]finally[/i] try to put this plot summary up. It's important because it'll clarify everything that's happened so far and it will also reveal some new elements. In particular, I'm thinking of revealing a lot more about who these aliens are and how they relate to the story. Hopefully it'll be easy to follow. I was going to end this thing with the ship's survivors reaching the alien homeworld, but... I am also wondering if we should end this with a cliffhanger of sorts (where the aliens discover and abduct the survivors from the surface of Artenas). There's a lot more plot - a lot more potentially interesting plot too - but if I start introducing much of it now, it may stop us from being able to end this sooner rather than later. It may be better left for a future sequel, which would be a pretty different RPG. Anyway I'll post some of it in here shortly so you guys can decide.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]In terms of the content, I think it's going to be necessary to cover both OB specifically and OB-related things. After all, what we do we talk about here? Apart from the fact that we seem to talk a lot about ourselves, we do spend most of our time discussing various other things. Part of my logic is that I would want this podcast to appeal to non-OBers too (particularly Otakuites across the network). This may help to foster an interest in OB and it can show some of our more unique qualities in an easily-digestible and entertaining way. I think finding good hosts will be 90% of the battle though. We've got to be very careful there.[/font]

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"] But don't count your eggs before they're fertilized and whatnot. Most pregnancies end in spontaneous abortions anyway but woah. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Way to offer congratulations! :rolleyes: Anyway, seriously, congratulations - at least, if she really does turn out to be pregnant! Hopefully it all works out for her. It will be exciting for you to have a baby around and you'll be able to get a feel for what it's like to care for a child (even just as an uncle). I think that's always a good thing. You'll have to let us know if her pregnancy gets confirmed. I think she won't have to wait long to know for sure, anyway.[/font]