James

[font=franklin gothic medium]When I clicked on that second screenshot I got a whole bunch of weird pop-ups. Anyway, I do think those girls make good mascots for OB... I'll make sure to check out that Wikipedia article. [/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'm loving the banner. Just a reminder also... pranks/jokes/etc are no problem, but anything that either messes with the way OB functions or equates to really annoying spam isn't too good. Does anyone know who the girls in the banner are? Maybe they should be our new mascots.[/font] :catgirl:

[quote name='Aaryanna'][COLOR="DarkGreen"][FONT="Book Antiqua"]Anyway, that brings me to my main reason for posting, and that is wondering who wants to have fun with the group trying to make their way free of the tunnels? Shy, Raiha, you or even my mom could have Catherine and the others eventually catching up. Though I have to wonder if that's possible, Catherine and the others catching up, since unlike our group, they are on foot. And I'm sure Chimeras move a lot faster. [B]EDIT:[/B] Oh yeah... I can't post, after all, that would mean a double post after all. :p [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]You can still edit your original post to include another post (separated by an HR tag), if you like. Up to you. In terms of where we are going with the tunnels...are there any particular plans for that? I think it's pretty wide open in terms of what can be posted at this stage. I would personally be happy for anyone to continue on from this point. As far as posts go in general, I do think we have a responsibility to try to keep things as clear as possible. And mostly everyone's done a great job. Unfortunately, there will be times where one person will interpret things one way and someone else will interpret them another way. All we can do is keep the writing as clear and concise as possible, which isn't always easy. Still, as this thread proves, if in doubt... we can always ask for clarification here.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I think at the end of the day, the post could probably have been clearer - even a simple indicator about timing would have helped. This is especially true when one person is given certain information and another is not (in terms of what my next post would be and its timing). Ultimately it doesn't matter now; we do not need to emphasize the same point too much. Now that I have the information I need, I can at least ensure that there won't be any conflicts with my next post. If I'd posted sooner... I'd probably have had to delete the entire post. Oh, also: Malkav says he's been busy and will post soon. Next time I think he should drop in himself to say that, though. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Actually I have been interested in military service for some time. It's just that right now I don't think it is the right thing for me. I think there are many advantages to it and I have great respect for those who choose to go into the military (even if, for instance, it's just so that they can do a degree or something). I personally think it's a great way to get an education. In Australia, the Government pays for your degree....and you earn a salary while you're learning. Plus you get all of the other benefits of being associated with the military. I assume the US is similar. So, yeah. If you feel it's right for you and you have the time/ability to do it...then certainly, it can be highly beneficial.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Yeah, I doubt this would affect anyone else. It only affected me because my character was directly involved - in reality, Malkav probably should have let me know what he was planning earlier on, so that I would know when to post (and what to include). So that was a slight misstep. But indifference has now sent me a PM with the details and it's all good. Once Malkav posts we can move things on. This won't affect other characters though, so anyone else is obviously free to post at any time.[/font]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]Heh, sorry about that James, in reality, I should have posted before Crys, I just never got around to it, and I guess that messed up the timeline a little for you. ^_^; What Crys is right, the first half of my post was basically a recap from Daedalus point of view, while the later half including Daedalus' death would occur within a few minutes of Jack capturing Harrison.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]No worries, it's all sorted out now. Crystia sent me a PM explaining what is going to be happening before Audrey picks up Jack - unfortunately I knew nothing about that until now. So that means I can avoid putting in a redundant post. It also means, though, that I'll have to wait for Malkav to post until I post anything. It wouldn't make any sense for me to post just at the moment. [/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Aha, no wonder I'm confused! It's all getting a bit convoluted. I think the whole timeshift thing is what's confused me most. Now that I know, that makes things quite a bit easier for me. Again, I hope I'm not holding anyone up too much - I just really want to avoid putting in a filler post that doesn't contribute anything worthwhile. :catgirl: [b]Edit:[/b] indifference/Malkav, if you can possibly send me a PM about what exactly is supposed to happen (i.e. before Jack gets picked up by Audrey), that would be most appreciated. I haven't got all the relevant information and that way I can post when it's the right time.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Sorry for the delay in posting yet again. I was working on a post but I realized that I have no idea what has happened to Jack. One moment he's fighting Harrison...and then Harrison is with Daedalus. I'm not quite sure what to write without hurting the continuity. Hm. Perhaps Malkav can write about Jack's escape from the Sentinel and I can write about them flying to safety. *shrug* I'm sorry, I'm all out of ideas as far as this goes.[/font]

[quote]When I read the name 'Lolita' I think of the objectification of young women, and a loss of innocence... but when Japanese people see the name they probably think it sounds 'kawaii' and put it on their backpacks. That's the Japanese for you.[/quote] [font=franklin gothic medium]Maybe young girls do, but I think you'll find that the Japanese spin is generally decidedly sexual. This is true even if you look generally at anime and anime-based character design. Just look at the cosplay events in Japan, where photographers often want to see high skirt lines and provocative poses. Although I don't know much about "Elegant Gothic Lolita" fashion, I would definitely say that there's an underlying sexual element to it. This is no doubt not true for 99% of the actual girls who particpate in the fashion - I do think, however, that the whole genesis of it (particularly in Japan) bears some relationship with Japanese sexualization of almost everything - especially fashion and entertainment. In all honesty, even the most benign female character designs in anime regularly have sexual undertones. It might be skin-tight clothing or ridiculously high skirts...but I think it's pretty clear that the Japanese incorporate sex and sexual overtones in even the most innocent of entertainment mediums. So yes, Shy, you are right I think. As I said, this doesn't mean that the average American who is involved in this type of fashion views it as sexual for themselves - viewing it as overtly sexual is missing the point. The point is that there's an obvious sexual undertone, which, as Shy pointed out, should be seen in a cultural context. When you view it in a Japanese cultural context, that makes even more sense.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Sorry for my lack of posting this week, everyone. I've been sick and I'm just starting to recover. I will be posting again either tonight or tomorrow. ^_^;;[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]As far as I know, this is related to the site upgrade to Version Vibrant. I spoke to Adam about this recently and he is looking at ways to fix the quiz display issue. Hopefully we will hear something soon![/font] :catgirl:

[font=franklin gothic medium]Okay, looks good. Thanks for that, guys. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Is there any image of the Sentinel? I may have missed it. I will post within the coming day. My post will basically involve Audrey taking one or two crew members and leaving on one of the smaller away vessels connected to the Sentinel. I imagine they will circle around the area until Jack is ready to leave. After that, you'll no doubt see my final post with Audrey. :catgirl:[/font]

[quote name='Zed']Hey, I found this website searhing for good wallpapers and ended up joining the forum as I liked a couple of the threads. Plus, I also like the atmosphere here. Looking forward to getting to know you all.[/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Welcome to OB, Zed and Sabrina! Hope you enjoy your stay here. Does this mean we have yet another member of the Utah Crew in our midst? :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I just have to include a post about the Cygnus entering the battle, where Jack will board the Sentinel. I won't make too much reference to that because I don't know what Malkav's plans are once the Sentinel is boarded. Malkav, can you maybe just send me a PM with a bit more detail on your plans/motivations for that? I do know how Audrey will get away... so I can handle that (and she'll probably hang around to pick up Jack), but I might need a bit more info on why he's doing what he's doing. Just so that I can include some conversation about it or something. Once I've done that... it will probably be my second-last post featuring Audrey. Then my final post will come. And I'll probably only do one or two more posts with Gustave. [b]Edit:[/b] Sandy, your final post was wonderful. I very much enjoyed reading it. Great job! :catgirl:[/font]

[quote name='Aaryanna'][COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Oh of course. :p But it would be fun for either Fonty or Gustave to pick up on her restlessness and talk seriously with her, to help her understand. I don't plan on having her actually manage to run off... I just think it would be in character for her to struggle with understanding why they didn't just go there and get Catherine and Leonhart. Heh. So it's mainly just something people can use in a post if they wish. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Yeah, I think that goes without saying. I figure Victoria has already had her major disobedient moment when it came to entering the tunnels. :catgirl: Anyway I've posted and I've referred to the fact that the Underdogs' fleet from New Czenoble is currently headed towards High Czenoble. So whoever wants to commence the air battle can probably do that now. (Also when I say "Underdogs fleet", I assume that the Underdogs aren't as advanced as the actual military. Presumably they are a rag-tag group who simply have high numbers of fairly ordinary airships at their disposal. I don't know if Shy/Sandy have given consideration to this aspect or not, so this is just what I assumed.)[/font]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/maceyellen-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/fauntleroy-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/victoriaann-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/marieevangeline-chronicle.jpg[/img] [/center] The two Chimaera began making their way back through the tunnels. Luckily the group did not need a map anymore; both Lucy and Lazarus were capable of retracing their steps easily. At first, the journey was quiet. Gustave was riding Lucy, with Victoria sitting just in front of him. He let her hold the reigns again. Macey Ellen sat on another saddle behind Gustave (Chimaera were regularly dual-saddled when carrying multiple riders). Behind them, Lazarus was diligently carrying Fonty at the front and Eva at the back. Both Chimaera were still loaded with heavy leather bags. The tunnels were an odd mixture of elements. Despite the darkness underground, it was clear - from what they could see - that it had taken great engineering skill to build a network of tunnels as extensive as they were. The group made their way back to one of the larger open areas that punctuated the lengthy tunnels. These areas were like giant rooms with great domed ceilings. The walls surrounding them were littered with half-crumbled columns and there seemed to be small structures all around them. 'What do you think these were for?' asked Victoria, her voice echoing in the darkness. Gustave shook his head. 'I have no idea,' he said quietly. 'Clearly, though, a lot of people used these tunnels at one point.' Victoria craned her neck so that she could see Gustave; she was almost entirely twisted around where she sat. 'You're telling me you don't know what these big rooms are for? And I thought you were an explorer!' She seemed genuinely shocked that Gustave didn't know the answer to her question. He chuckled to himself. 'I'm afraid I do not know very much about this place. So few people do, including Czenovian scholars. I suppose very few people come down here...' Victoria Ann nodded to herself. 'Too creepy...' As the path in front of them widened, Lazarus caught up to Lucy and walked beside her. As they walked, they nuzzled one another momentarily. 'What're they doing that for?' asked Victoria. Gustave put his hand on her shoulder. 'They are reassuring one another. They're as worried as we are.' Victoria did not reply, but she seemed to understand as she watched the two Chimaera. Their affection seemed to calm her for a moment. As they walked through the great room, Gustave wondered about Gadget. Could a single young man do anything to save Catherine and Leonhart? On the surface it seemed ridiculous. Yet there was something about Gadget; despite his age, he had seen many things and lived a tough life. Perhaps he did know what he was doing. Gustave didn't know Gadget, but he did know that Gadget had once been Vincent's lover. Above all - and despite their disagreements - Gustave respected his cousin's views. He was like an older brother and he always seemed reasonable and mature. For him to fall in love with Gadget [i]must[/i] have meant that Gadget had qualities that were not readily apparent to strangers. Gustave noticed that Macey continually looked down at the small golden compass in her hand. She now seemed obviously worried about Gadget. And Fonty - his eyes were fixed ahead of them and he did not speak. Gustave wondered what must have been going through his mind at the moment. Two of his dearest relatives were being held only a short distance away, yet he could not save them. He had to rely on a boy who he did not know. Gustave could not possibly imagine his anguish. After what seemed like an eternity of traveling in near silence (other than the patter of Chimaera feet on the cold stone ground), something caught their attention. 'What was that?' asked Fonty. His immediate reaction was to look at the ceiling. 'I hope this doesn't cave in on us...' Macey shook her head. 'It's not that,' she replied. 'There's something else.' Everyone went quiet and strained their ears. A few moments later, they all heard it; a deep, audible hum. And then, seconds later, something that sounded like a dull bang or crack. 'That reminds me of something,' said Gustave thoughtfully. 'But surely we wouldn't be able to hear it from down here.' Everyone turned to him. 'What are you talking about?' asked Eva, as her eyes widened. 'Those sound like airship engines,' said Gustave calmly. 'But for us to be able to hear them all the way down here... well....' 'What?' 'It means there must be many of them flying together at the same time. A fleet or something.' They all looked at each other. 'By the sounds of it,' said Gustave, who was now concentrating intently on the distant droning, 'they are moving [i]towards[/i] High Czenoble.' 'Where could they be from?' asked Victoria, who had also been listening intently. 'Well,' replied Gustave, 'there's only one other major Aerodrome anywhere near here. And that's the one in New Czenoble. Now that the Guard have no ships there...well, they can't be Guard ships, anyway.' Fonty looked at the others. 'If they aren't Guard ships, they can only be owned by one group: the Underdogs.' Macey and Eva gasped simultaneously. 'So this is it? They're on their way to our home now?' Her chin quivered slightly as she spoke. 'Yes, I think so,' said Gustave quietly. 'That means we are going to have to be very careful. When we exit the tunnels we'll have to stay hidden nearby. Luckily the tunnel entrance is near my summer house, rather than High Czenoble. We should be safe for a little while.' 'Okay,' said Fonty, 'we need to get a move on then.' And with that, he flicked the reigns against Lazarus, causing him to up his pace. Lucy matched his canter. In the distance, they could see a bloom of light that was fading rapidly. Evening was approaching.

[font=franklin gothic medium]I think there might be times where Victoria will simply have to be told by the adults...she is a child, after all. I'm sure she'd understand later on. :catgirl: I'm sorry for how long it's taking me to post, I've been too busy to catch up on the story. But I'm going to do that today. Malkav, as discussed I'm happy to write about the Cygnus's entry into the air battle. It won't matter much whether the air battle starts by then or not - I'll see how it goes.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I did have a longer post typed up, but I don't think it was necessary in the end. I guess my only comment would be that none of this, as far as I know, is personal. In fact a number of members have talked about how much they like you. The issue is purely based on substance. And it's kind of...undeniable, really. In any case, I don't want to turn this thread into a critical exercise (constructive or otherwise). I agree that we should all just move on and end this thing as best we can. My feeling is that each person should do a final post (not yet, but shortly) to wrap up their characters...and that should be it. No contrived/shoehorned end post. Just everyone's last posts and then, perhaps, some credits or something like that. That's just my view though. Others may disagree. [/font]

[quote]The day will end after the battle, although we will be doing a 'final day' for each of the players to give their characters a proper send off with a final post.[/quote] [font=franklin gothic medium]That's cool. It's a good opportunity. I'm sort of hesitant to begin talking about the air battle because I don't want to step on any toes. Also I don't fully understand Jack's relationship with Daedalus and so on... I wouldn't want to mess up anything in that regard. And I'm not sure how they'll get out of the tunnels... it may be that Jack saves them, but we don't want to draw too long a bow in terms of how believable everything is. [/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Gadget's purpose was to be a walking bomb! How did I not get that... heheh. :catgirl: Anyway it's cool (and somewhat strange) that this RPG is now coming to an end. I am assuming I will end Audrey's story arc during or just after the air battle. (Will the game end AFTER the air battle?) As for Gustave...I will likely do another post with him, but since I'm not sure how things will end in the tunnels, I'll likely leave the rest to others.[/font]

[center][img] http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/8797/audreyavatarxe5.jpg[/img] [img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/jackavatar.jpg[/img] [/center] Audrey sat down at the desk again. The window was directly in front of her. She wondered how Jack could stand there and browse maps for hours without being distracted by the view beyond the glass. The Cygnus was now high above Muldova. In the distance, Mount Grail’s peak intermittently broke through low clouds. Through gaps in the clouds, Audrey could clearly see High Czenoble sprawled along the lower cliffs of the mountain. From so high up, the entire city looked like one giant, moulded piece of gold. Towers and spires glinted playfully in the dwindling sunlight. Audrey put her hand to her cheek, where Jack had kissed her. She smiled to herself, as she watched the clouds drift by lazily. In truth, Audrey knew that she had been incredibly lucky to meet Jack. Although it had been her who had saved his life upon their escape, it was also true that she would never have escaped the camp on her own. She had Jack to thank for her freedom. In the back of her mind, Audrey wondered whether or not her affection for Jack was simply for this reason; after all, he was not typically the type of man she would find herself attracted to. He did not possess any of the qualities of his aristocratic family, at least on the surface. However, despite his bravado and outer roughness, there was no question in Audrey’s mind that Jack was still a well-bred man. A casual observer might consider him “just another sky pirate”. But this did not ring true. He had designed his own airship and started his own business. He had defied his father’s (and much of his family’s) wishes by choosing his current path in life; and not, thought Audrey, because he was simply a rebel without a cause, but because he had made an informed decision and pursued his true passion. He had chosen to carve out his own direction, despite what was expected of him. That courage, combined with the sheer discipline to realize his ambition, was largely what made him appealing. It only helped his case that he seemed genuinely interested in Audrey’s mind, as well as her body. Audrey thought about the men she had met during her time as a diplomat. Her mother had occasion to put a man with solid credentials in her path, with the hope that she might marry. And these men looked good – especially on paper. They were handsome, wealthy, educated and were often highly influential. And yet, they were all in some measure slaves to the trappings of aristocracy. Many of them were obsessed with the frequent parties and social engagements. Some were [i]so[/i] diplomatic and well-spoken that they seemed to lack any thoughts that were definitively of their own making. This often frustrated Audrey and ultimately, it was a factor that was regularly responsible for prematurely ending relationships. It was hard to believe that she was now sitting in the bedroom of a sky pirate captain. It was even more difficult to entertain the possibility that she might be falling in love with him. Audrey shook her head, as if to clear her mind. The dull drone of the Cygnus’s engines made her feel comfortable – so much so that she wanted to sleep. She raised her quill and dipped it in the nearby well. The ink was a stunning velvety ebony; she actually wondered for a moment where it had come from. As she wrote with it, she could almost feel its richness. [i]Dear Mother and Father, I am truly sorry that you have not heard from me in some time. You are no doubt aware of the ongoing conflict in this country, but please do not worry about me. I am safe and it is my sincere hope that this struggle will not last for much longer. I have seen some horrible things in recent days, which I do not want to detail for you here. Suffice to say that I have a new found appreciation for the freedom I grew up with at home. I hope that you are both well and that the business is going strong. I will be coming home as soon as I can to see you; I might bring a friend or two as well (don’t get too excited, mother; I have no major announcements to make)…[/i] Audrey chuckled quietly to herself. She tried to imagine her mother’s reaction to Jack, if she were to bring him into the house. [i]His automail arm might raise some eyebrows,[/i] she thought to herself. As she continued to write the letter, she tried to avoid giving her parents any details about her plans to join Jack on his upcoming mission. She did not want to worry them. At the same time, she wondered whether the letter was giving them false hope. After all, she did not know if she would ever see them again. Still, she thought, Jack was determined that his life have more meaning – he apparently did not want to be remembered as just a sky pirate, but as a man who would fight for his principles. Perhaps there was a message in this for her, too.

[center][img] http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/8797/audreyavatarxe5.jpg[/img] [img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/jackavatar.jpg[/img] [/center] Audrey sat down at the oak desk in Jack's room. She reached down to her thigh, where the new leather holster was strapped. As she flicked the clasp open and withdrew the silver and ivory revolver, she held it on one hand and ran her fingers over it. It was, without doubt, one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen; how was it that a weapon designed for killing could be crafted so lovingly and with such attention to detail? The door behind her clicked open and she heard footsteps. It was Jack. She already knew how his footsteps sounded. He came up behind her and spoke quietly. 'Are you okay, Lass?' She smiled. 'I'm fine. I needed somewhere to sit so that I could write a letter.' 'A letter?' asked Jack. 'Yeah,' she nodded and produced a notepad from one of the desk drawers. 'It's for my parents. They haven't heard from me in a few weeks and they must be worrying. If they try to call my office, well...' She paused and looked up at him. 'I don't know what they will hear. I don't even know if my office is still standing.' Jack put his hand on her shoulder. 'I'm sure your parents will be happy to hear from you.' 'Yeah...' Audrey looked at the window. The sky was beginning to darken ever so slightly. It was early evening. 'I don't think the worst is behind us,' said Audrey quietly. Jack adjusted his automail arm, which made a whirring click. 'Definitely. I can guarantee that.' Audrey's eyes widened. She stood up and faced Jack. Her expression was unequivocal. 'Jack...you're not planning anything, are you? Haven't we been through enough?' Jack looked away. 'There's more. There's a score to settle.' Audrey could not understand it; what was left to do? Why couldn't they just sail away to a distant land and be happy? Audrey had had enough of Czenovia. The thought of being in the country any longer than was absolutely necessary made her feel physically ill. 'Always a score,' said Audrey coldly. 'You've lost an arm, for god's sake. You're lucky to be alive and you want to tempt fate further?' Jack looked Audrey in the eye. A tear ran down her cheek. 'My life will have been worth nothing if I don't do what's necessary. My crew expects it of me and more importantly, I expect it of [i]myself[/i].' He wiped her tear away. 'You don't have to come with me, though. You aren't part of this...you aren't part of my history here.' Audrey shook her head and looked out the window again. 'I'm not ready to leave yet,' she said defiantly. 'If you're going to stay here, I'm going to stay with you. Just promise me you will know when to stop.' Jack leaned forward and kissed Audrey on the cheek. It was such a light kiss - surprisingly delicate for a man of his stature. 'I promise.' And with that, Jack swept out of the room, leaving Audrey by herself. She sat down on the wooden chair and looked at the blank page in front of her. How could she put the last week into words? Her parents must have known at least something of what was happening in Czenovia through the Anovan newspapers, but how was she to explain having been arrested? Having witnessed her superior gunned down before her eyes? And, perhaps most surprising of all, her current status as a defacto sky pirate? The last thought actually brought about a slight grin. [i]How ironic; spending most of my career as a diplomat, only to become a law-breaking, gun-toting sky pirate[/i], she thought.

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'm happy with my Siberian Husky - she's the only dog I've ever owned so I can't really comment on other breeds as such. Although I've had plenty of family who have own other types of dogs. I personally don't mind smaller dogs, but I really can't stand tiny/yappy dogs (those dogs that let off high-pitched yelps every five seconds annoy the hell out of me).[/font]