Solo Tremaine

[color=#503f86]Well done, you two. A most deserved victory if ever there was one ^_^[/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]Krystal watched with guilty satisfaction as the two karts carrying three of her former teammates spiralled into a temporary oblivion. She hoped Mog wouldn't get too annoyed for having to fish out two at the same time. Streaming ahead were Plumber and Plunder; she just caught sight of them leaping over a gap in the track and skidding down a circular slope. As the road's surface undulated underneath them, she deftly twitched the wheel enough for DK Jumbo to pass over the boost patches, rocketing them forwards at a sickening pace. Crash mumbled something about feeling sick; for a split second she was distracted and scraped the kart alongside the barriers after the jump. "Careful!" Crash yelped. "Grab something!" Krystal yelled back, trying hard to change the colour of the sparks under the rear wheels to provide them with a boost. The kart passed through a double-block, causing items to materialise in both the driver and the passenger's hands. Krystal grumbled; trying to drive this thing by itself was bad enough, trying to do so with only one hand would be even worse. Crash leant forwards. "Look at this! It's [i]pink[/i]!" "I can't look, Crash- just use it!" Crash shrugged and threw the item onto the floor. Two pink hearts with saccharin faces encircled the kart, providing a protective barrier around their wheels. Krystal was impressed, but they still hadn't been able to catch up with Team Plumber & Plunder. From out of nowhere, a red shell thundered up the road behind them and popped one of the hearts; the presumptuous projectile zipped into Crash's hand with a high-pitched 'zipping' noise, probably more surprised than he was. He threw it back, hearing a satisfied scream from Xiayou. They had one heart barrier left, and in Krystal's hand was held another red shell. They were on their way...[/COLOR] 1. Team Plumber & Plunder 2. Team Furry Flurry 3. Team Kickarse 4. Team Oriental Beauty

[color=#503f86][b]Nomad Tical[/b] I have a great deal of admiration for him for religiously going through every thread in the OB Anthology and posting his comments on them. It can't be easy to do, but he does it. One comment in one thread might seem like something tiny, but each one of those has been created by someone who wants feedback, and he's kind enough to give it to them. Aside from the OB fanfics which always get a fair deal of activity, or threads created by writers who already have a reputation on the site, very few others have any kind of comment at all, and I think he should be commended for all the posts he makes there. [b]Custom Titles[/b] I just love these. I always think mine pales in comparison to everyone else's, but they just add that much more dynamic to your username. Moreso, I think, than even banners and avatars. They're that damn good. [b]Oldies[/b] Been here four years or more? You are officially part of OB lore and, as such, immortalised. And it's not just because everyone knows who you are, but your legacy runs through the veins of the very site. DeathKnight, Desbreko, Tony, Adam, James, Dragon Warrior, Shy and Lore to name only a few of the most influential members on the board. They are not Nifty. Nifty is them. [b]Sakura[/b] Sakura sort of appeared on the Boards very quietly a few years back, but I'd safely say that she's one of the best roleplayers around- dedicated to everything she takes part in and a good writer to boot. Without her, it's almost not an RPG. [b]JJ[/b] From my point of view I think he tends to be overlooked on the Boards, but if you get the chance to talk to him you'll know what a fantastic guy he actually is. I can never think of the right words to do him justice, but I know I'd miss him if he weren't here. [b]OtakuBoards Survivor: Game On![/b] I've never had to work so hard at an RPG ever, and I think it's a credit to Sandy that he can organise something so huge without letting it fall. He was away from the 'Boards for over two weeks and still managed to keep it running because of the amounts of ingenuity he's pumped into it. I think more RPGs should be made that really force you to challenge your own writing quality- it makes playing that much more exciting.[/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]I've had [i]Double Dash[/i] for ages and I've never used the DK Jumbo before (My personal favourite's always been the Parade Car). I honestly didn't know it was that good a kart >.>; I was just trying to pick one that I thought Baron would approve of.[/COLOR]

[color=#503f86]Krystal greeted Crash happily; it was good to see him again. Despite the fact she was going up against nearly everyone else, half of the remaining contestants were from the Adventurers team. It was comforting to know that even if she weren't to make it to the final, at least some of her friends here still had the chance to. But of course, she wouldn't think like that. She didn't want to let Crash down, after all. The Bandicoot tuttled at the duo's dubbed name. "Team Furry Flurry..." Krystal smiled. "I think it's cool." With a quick twirl and a flourishing point at the carts with her Staff, Krystal indicated the karts. "Which would you like?" Crash looked at the stats carefully. A Heavy car would mean they'd pack a heftier punch if it came to ramming another car off the track, but probably wouldn't be as speedy or handle as well... but when was he about being careful, anyway? "DK Jumbo!" he sang, striding up to the car and leaping into the driver's seat. Krystal was a little confused. If he was driving, what was she to do exactly? "Have you ever driven anything like this before?" Crash shrugged. "I've done a few races in my time." Krystal bit her tongue when the thought of mentioning that as part of her training in Starfox she'd had to drive virtually every different kind of vehicle under at least three different suns crossed her mind; she instead hauled herself onto the back and lent over to look at the controls over his shoulder. Accelerate, brake, steer. Not exactly complicated, then... "Let me know if you want to take over at any point during the race."[/color]

[color=#503f86]One of the biggest problems I find with writing stories like this is that it's very easy to fall into the habit of making yourself the main protagonist, something which I'm loath to do. Reading about other people writing about themselves is fine, cause its not me, heh. But I'm always striving to make these as much about everyone as they are about individuals. Which is why it's always good to have sites being updated, because you can play on changes to the same effect as describing a newly-rennovated house. And there are other interpretations you can throw onto immaterial places such as websites, but trying to keep things on the realistic side of fantastical is fairly difficult ^_^; The more time I spend online and on AIM, the more inspiration I get for writing things. But I'm going through a fair bit of stress right now so writing isn't a top priority, I'm sorry to say. There's certainly story scope enough to cover another update, heh. ^_~ And, in fact, one of the four chapters I had planned was the whole reason I started Enter the Net in the first place...[/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]I like writing inbetweeny-posts, but it's kind of difficult to get motivated to do it if you know nobody else is going to reply. I love playing as Krystal because there's a lot I can do with her as a character, but at the same time there is only so much more you can do before you know you're repeating yourself. I think I over-exhausted myself writing her feelings about the last merger :p[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]Well, that was one of the problems ^_^; I just didn't know who would be suitable, and I'm always very conscious about how many liberties I can take when it comes down to writing relationships between people. Besides, I feared being lynched by everyone who wasn't picked ^_~ Short answer- Mimmi. I didn't mention who her partner was either, heh. More chapters... it's a possibility, but I can't say for sure. Some days I think I'll never be able to manage it, and other days I really want to go ahead with it. I know there is more I can write, and there was more that I was planning to do. But, if anything, it'd only be a maximum of four more. I'm just not as in tune with everyone as I once was, and sadly enough I don't think it's realistic for me to keep going. We'll see, though ^_^[/COLOR]

[color=#503f86]The car skidded to an uneasy halt, the driver and passengers very well-aware of the massive police line in front of them. Each and every gunbarrel of the extensive law enforcement team was aimed at them. "Turn around?" Lara suggested loudly, loading new clips into her guns whilst gripping the wheel. Samus scanned the skies. The ominous whirr of a police helicopter rumbled across the sky, its piercing searchlight illuminating the car. Several officers began edging towards the vehicle, their guns raised. "Step away from the vehicle! Come out of the car with your hands behind your heads!" Lara poked her head out of the driver's side window. "Get lost!" With that, she revved the engine and screeched the car into reverse, bullets peppering the side panels of the car. Krystal dived to the floor, actvating her Staff's shield to protect herself from the bullets. Windows shattered, showering the plush leather interior with shards of glass. Samus dropped into the passenger seat and fired covering shots to prevent Lara from being hit- her suit was more than a match for an armour-piercing bullet. Fumbling around on the floor whilst being rocked by Lara's violently evasive driving, Krystal felt something drop out of her pocket. It was a grenade, one she'd picked up from the crate Mog had sent them. She sat up, narrowly missing taking a bullet in her right ear and pulled the pin, hurling the explosive into the crowd of police. They scattered, the small green object rolling undereath one of their patrol cars. The grenade exploded in a cascade of fire, cremating the car above it and launching the burning wreckage several feet into the sky. For a few seconds, the police had been dispersed. Lara saw her opportunity. Skidding the car round, she stomped the accelerator to the floor and belted away from the blockade. In the distance, she could see flashing blue and red lights fastly approaching their position. The car screeched past the walls of the Pay 'n' Spray, scraping the bodywork against the crumbling brickwork. Suddenly, the car skidded out of control- a bullet had pierced the back left wheel. The front of the car whirled past the One Stop Autoshop and ground to a halt, the driver's airbag punching Lara in the face. Krystal picked herself up from the floor, her head spinning. "Does this mean we need another car?" she groaned. "Later! We need to move!" Lara hissed, kicking open her door and helping Samus to her feet. They grabbed the weapons that had spilled over the floor and began sprinting towards the finish. Out of the corner of her eye, Krystal noticed a shining black vehicle barely hidden behind a metal fence. It was a vintage motorcycle, complete with sidecar. "What about this?" Were it not for the dire urgency of their situation, Lara could have hugged Krystal. Lara leapt onto the motorcycle, leaving for a brief moment Samus and Krystal looking rather incredulously at the tiny sidecar space they both had to fit into. After a quick altercation, Krystal sat down and Samus planted her feet behind her, hoping her suit would give her the stability she needed to hang on.[/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]Damn, Des >.>; Never mind, heh. It's been great playing with you (er, so to speak), and reading your posts. I'd like to apologise for not posting in this challenge so far. I'm going through a fair amount of stress stuffs and am not feeling too well either. I fully intend to continue for as long as I can though, so this should (hopefully) only be a temporary lapse.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE=Flame_Alchemist]I live in the UK and we get no anime conventions here at all, not one! So I have never been although I would really love to go to one they sound awesome. I was hoping to go to an anime convention soon but I don't know anything at all about where they are held or even what the dates are. I think I'll have to save up some money and make a trip to one of them either this year or next year. If anyone would suggest some places for a good anime convention I would be very gratefull.[/QUOTE][COLOR=#503F86]Yes, we do. There's Ayacon in Warwick, sometime in August, and the guys who organise the [URL=www.londonexpo.org]London Expo[/URL] are planning an entirely anime-based event sometime in July, as well as having their Anime Villages at normal Expos. And there are more, smaller, local events from time to time, too. Despite living in the UK, I'm hoping to fly out to California later this year to attend a few days of the Anime Expo in Anaheim. Should be fun if I can manage it ^_^[/COLOR]

[color=black][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#503f86]The second part is complete! Taking into account the comments on the first half I was just able to squeeze in a couple of extra paragraphs, heh ^_~[/color][/size][/font][/color] [color=black][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#503f86]By the way- a list of internet slang definitions will probably be handy when deciphering a piece later on in the chapter. I won't spoil it, hehe.[/color][/size][/font][/color] [font=Verdana][size=2][color=#503f86]And I can see Raina and Alan are OB's new A-List celebrities, heh ^_^; I didn't know so many were going to pop up at once. I've been planning this chapter since November last year. I'm just crap at timekeeping >.>;[/color][/size][/font] [color=#503f86][b]Chapter 7 Part 2: Rockin' The Taskbar[/b] With the evening drawing ever-closer, the preparations for the prom were intensifying, and the people preparing for the prom were intensifying even moreso. Asuka had her Plushies working at full steam, and while it took twenty of them to carry one decent-sized dining table, they were working incredibly well. Minis Ken and Flash were her subordinates, and made sure every one of the other Plushies pulled their weight? although considering each one was made of fluff, this was the metaphorical kind of weight, rather than the literal. Hence, Ken and Flash had complete power to slave-drove as much as they saw fit. Their faces had never been more alight with happiness. The hall itself was very lavishly decorated. The Community Events dome had been decked out like a Georgian dance hall, albeit with some rather more modern elements twisted into it- fewer oil paintings and mirrors covered the walls; in their place hung more tasteful banners and stylish wallpapers. While Justin and Adam put together the sound and lighting systems (aided by designers from the Art by Request forum), Dagger and James were constructing the food. Alongside the compulsory foods such as hors d?ouvres, crisps, cold sandwiches and sub-standard party snacks, specialities such as massive bowls of Pocky, Oreos and an assortment of punches stood along the long table at the edge of the room. [font=Verdana][color=#503f86][font=Verdana][/font][/color][/font] Dagger couldn?t shake the image of Naruto?s Rock Lee whenever somebody mentioned ?alcoholic punch?? which reminded her: ?Are you sure this is such a good idea? I mean, I?m sure more than half the members here aren?t of legal age to do anything these proms encourage.? A frenzied cry of ?More Sparkliness!? rang throughout the hall. James shrugged. ?Well, they know what they should and shouldn?t be doing. I?ll be barman for this evening, so I can check everyone?s profile ages when serving them. Des is acting as chaperone, so if he sees anyone doing anything they shouldn?t his boot?s all nicely dressed for the occasion.? And sure enough, Des entered, his infamous Boot of Nad-Kicking wearing its own tuxedo. He straightened its bow tie, then headed towards the sound system. Shinmaru was already there, instructing them on which music they should put on, with great reference to his Shinmaru Zone recommendations. A few minutes later, the exhausted and overworked Plushies collapsed in a heap in the centre of the room, sighing in unison a sigh of joint fatigue and relief that shook the rafters. Mini-Ken and Min-Flash shook hands, both satisfied with the other?s good work. They hadn?t even needed to use the [i]big[/i] cattle prod. Queen Asuka twirled around the heap of exploited mini-members, giggling happily. ?We?re ready!? * * * Alan twirled his trenchcoat over his shoulders while studying himself in the mirror. Dark, elegant and sexy, or just dark and sexy? He didn?t want to overdo it- after all, he was already pushing it by just being there, let alone dressing up. A single pink rose lay on his bed, ready to be attached to his chest. He smiled, thinking back to his conversation with Hevn earlier that day? [i]Alan followed her lead without any hesitation as she took him to the balcony. The view was amazing, and he wasn?t even looking at the landscape.[/i] [i]Raina tried to hide her expectancy and hopefulness as much as possible, although with Alan carrying roses it was all-too-obvious what was going to come next. She?d been waiting for this for a long time now, and wanted it to be just right. He had to ask.[/i] [i]?Raina?? he began. Somehow inbetween the beginning and the end of the word he?d become lost in his own thoughts; this was just perfect. It must?ve been about ten seconds before Raina laid a hand on his to bring him around again.[/i] [i]?I don?t know if you?re busy tonight,? he continued, feeling as if he could take off at any moment, ?but if you?re interested, I?d like to take you to the prom this evening.?[/i] [i]Raina?s eyes swelled with happiness and she flung her arms around him. ?Of course I will, my sexy sexy knight,? her voice oozed delight, and she radiated warmth. Alan could barely stand.[/i] [i]She drew herself away and took a rose from the bunch still tightly held in Alan?s grasp. She pressed it to his chest lovingly. ?Why don?t we each wear one of these? They?re lovely.?[/i] [i]Alan nodded, taking his flower and gently handing the rest to her. ?I?ll meet you outside the hall tonight at half seven.?[/i] [font=Verdana][color=#503f86][font=Verdana][/font][/color][/font] Yes, definitely with the jacket. He punched his arms down the sleeves, closed his various cupboards and wardrobes, then pivoted round to reach for the rose. Something stopped him, however. Something hideous- a malformed member sat hunched over on his bed, inspecting his flower. ?What the hell are you doing here?? Alan growled. The half-l33t member slowly raised its Hyper-Sonic head to stare him directly in the eyes, his maddened gaze alight with anticipation and fear. ?j00 r3m3m83R M3, D0N?T j00?? it drawled. Alan backed towards his shotgun. ?Yes, I remember you?? A sickening, toothless smile spread across the l33t-creature?s face. ?Sonic Blaster.? * * * Hevn wrung her hands. She was so nervous, yet so happy at the same time. Any moment now, Alan would be appearing by her to take her inside the Community Events dome, and then? She stifled a giggle just in time to avoid looking silly in front of a troop of male tuxedo-clad members strolling past. None of them could hold a candle to him. Well, maybe they could, but Alan?s candle was always brightest in her eyes. And bigger, too. ?Hey Hevn!? She looked up to see Ezekiel and Unborn Lord Xion walking down the path towards her. She waved back eagerly; the two hugged each other excitedly. ?This is so cool!? Jamie cooed, grabbing Xion and pulling him closer. Trevor smiled, placing a loving arm on her shoulder. ?Are you waiting for someone?? he asked politely. Hevn nodded. ?Yeah. Alan?s going to be here soon." ?Awesome! Well, we?ll catch you inside.? The two disappeared inside, arm in arm. Hevn smiled, a warm feeling inside. Scanning the surrounding streets, she continued waiting. * * * [i]BLAM![/i] [font=Verdana][color=#503f86][font=Verdana][/font][/color][/font] The shotgun blast blew a massive crater in Dead-Seraphim?s HTML background, missing Sonic Blaster?s backside by mere centimetres. ?Sit still, you obnoxious wretch!? Alan roared, firing another round at the floor where Sonic Blaster was previously standing. The foul being somersaulted over the blast and landed clumsily on Alan?s computer desk, laughing maniacally. ?1?ve b33n w41t1n 4 th15 4 y34r5!? Blaster shrieked. ?1 h4d my 4cc0unt r3st0red 4nd n0w 1?m str0ng3r th4n eva! J00 C4NN0T B34T M33333!? Alan flicked the shotgun barrel into place, having just loaded another two rounds. ?We?ll see about that, n00b-worm.? Both rounds screamed into the desk, rocking the site with the explosion. Sonic Blaster careened out of the smoke and rolled around on the floor, his code-generated half sprawling about the floor?s surface in an effort to stay together. ?D4mn j00!? he hissed. ?j00 4lm0st had m3!? Alan swiped the smoke from in front of him. ?Yeah, I was disappointed too. How are you moving so fast?? Sonic Blaster let out a piercing laugh. ?1?ll n3v4 tell! But n0w 1 can \/\/R34K H4V0K on 0takuB0ards! S33 j00 l4t4h, L4M3R!? With that, Blaster launched himself at Alan?s chest, knocking him flat on the ground. Before the hunter had a chance to move, the creature had followed the link out of Dead-Seraphim and was hurtling towards OtakuBoards. Alan threw himself to his feet, ripping the machete from its holster on the wall and jamming it into his belt. As he left, he caught sight of the rose still lying on the bed. Taking hold of the precious flower, he pushed it through the buttonhole on his lapel and sprinted after Sonic Blaster. * * * ?Do you think everything?s alright?? Hevn asked her companion as she waited outside the prom hall. Almost everyone was inside now; she was beginning to worry about her Alan?s whereabouts. ?I?m sure he?s fine, sweetums,? Mimmi soothed, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. ?Why not wait inside? It?s really lovely, and there?s plenty to see,? she added, hiding her collection of pants behind her back. Hevn looked unsure. ?There?s a bowl of strawberries?? the Swedish delight said in her most temping voice. Hevn?s face broke into a grin; she followed Mimmi inside, giving a quick glance over her shoulder in case Alan was approaching. Much nearer the ground, a pink-furred object was glowing its way towards the Events dome, burping and wheezing with each clumsy jump it made. It leapt into the road and looked at the sign. ?0t4ku Pr0n?? it burbled. On the other side of the road, a green-furred bottom jaw hit the ground with a slap. It had never seen such a vision of beauty. The fur, the eyes, the traces of spam on its garish pink lips? ?n00bie?? the n00b croaked, its legs acting before its brain had time to engage. The pink n00bie disappeared through the double-doors; n00b?s libido took over and with its tongue lolling out of both side of its mouth at once, it lumbered after the she-thing. * * * ?Get back here, Blaster!? Alan boomed, reloading his shotgun. A vicious cackle pierced the shadows, signalling Blaster?s continuing existence. ?N0t a chance, b00b Hunter! 1?s g01n 2 d3str0y yur pr0m n th3r3?s n0th1n j00 cn d00 t0 st0p m33 AHAH4HAH4!1!!!1!? Alan fired off another two rounds in the direction of the voice- unfortunately neither hit. Either Sonic Blaster had gained some incredibly sinister help in his account rejuvenation or he?d lost his touch. And he knew he wasn?t even at full potential yet. He rounded the corner and came face to face with the Community Events dome. He just saw Blaster?s leg slip through the doors? * * * The dance floor was alive with activity; about half the members on the island had appeared to take part; so many had piled in at once that the dimensions of the hall had to be extended by several hundred pixels on all sides. James looked over the top of his punch bowl, watching the dancers contentedly. He?d had to turn down several offers to dance himself. As much as he wanted to, he felt the event belonged to everyone else. Many protested, but his near-infallible stoicism beat them down in the end. Operating the sound system was Justin, who?d successfully managed to incorporate the audio HTML seamlessly onto the stage. Tony (and Shinmaru, self-appointedly) had been consulted on what the best music to play was, and nobody seemed to have any complaints. At least, if they did they kept them to themselves- you could never tell where Des?s boot was going to land next. The dancers and diners all seemed to be content, also. Vicky and Jokopoko were dancing merrily, despite a brief moment earlier in the evening when he turned into Waluigi upon the discovery that there were no sausage rolls left. Dragon Warrior had titled himself Teh Sexyfier and was busy parading around the room with the Sexy Five in tow. By now, of course, everyone had gathered their respective partners and didn?t pay too much notice. Neuvoxraiha and Gavin drew a fair amount of attention on their entrance, though? and the less said about that the better. Alex and Drix insisted on their arrival at the ball being announced over the speakers- the Hetero Lifemate being one of the most unusual companionships on the Boards, afterall. Alan tore through the doors to the dance floor, almost dropping his shotgun in the process. He darted from group to group, desperately searching for any signs of Sonic Blaster. Just as he neared a large group of Goku look-a-likes, something grabbed him by the shoulder. He whirled round, and- ?Raina!? She tried her best to smile, but could only manage a look of confusion and disappointment. ?Alan, are you alright? Where have you been?? Alan took her hand tenderly and led her to the other end of the room behind the dining tables, keeping his shotgun poised to shoot at any moment. ?Raina, I?m so sorry I?m late. But something came up.? ?What happened?? ?Sonic B-? [i]Click. Whine?[/i] [font=Verdana][color=#503f86][font=Verdana][/font][/color][/font] The painful screech of microphone feedback shot through the room. Everyone turned to the sound system to see? ?a n00b. Illuminated by a mystery spotlight, it cleared its throat by vomiting huge lumps of spam all over the stage, then took in a deep breath, swelling to twice its size. In the middle of the food table, stuffing its mouth with cocktail sausages, n00bie turned round and gazed at n00b in an intensely vacant stare. ?I R N0W D0 BE THE SING!!1!!? n00b yelled at the top of its lungs. "OMFG I r luv u U b t3h b3st0rs I r w4nt 2 r0xx0rs u N Botmaster ur p4nts Lu\/ suxx0rs BTDT 8ut MORF I av u 2 b wiv m3 n 1up an I r t3h h4ppi OMFG I R LUV U I SP3LL UR NAM IN CAPS COZ u R0xx N00bs hu dis u stfu utfg!1! U av l33t 4$$! Wen u afk n u say gtg I mi55 u; YMMV Mi h4rt di till u bac now I w8 4 u 4 eva I luv ur 8008135 o rly th3y 81g AFAICS

[quote name='vicky][size=1']So that's what Jokopoko spent all my money on... damn...[/size][/quote][COLOR=#503F86]That marriage section was actually based on a real chat, heh- when Chris asked me to 'marry' you and him ages and ages ago. It's been quite heavily adapted, but I still have the original log ^_^ I've just finished the first draft of the second half; I think I still need to add some more stuff in to give it a little more balance, but I'm very pleased with it. Watch this space ^_~[/COLOR]

[color=#503f86]Here be the first half (unless the formatting's buggered) of the all-new chapter of Enter the Net, dedicated to Alan and Raina. The second half is almost finished, but I wanted to get this up as soon as possible, heh. Enjoy, and thanks for your continued support ^_^ [b]Chapter 7 Part 1: Luv Is In The HTML[/b] OtakuBoards v7 stood proudly in its slightly-less-little-than-it-was-before portion of the web. The sun was shining, the waves of the Otaku Sea lapped gently at the Otaku Beach, where many Otaku Sunbathers were tanning their skins to a slightly darker shade of Otaku. The building itself had undergone some fairly drastic changes- the individual anime forums had been logged into archives, a new Manga forum had been introduced and the Series forum had been reduced to all but a memory? and a large Zelda forum shrine in Desbreko?s bedroom. Everyone seemed happy with the new design (apart from AzureWolf) and continued to post in much the same way they used to, except with more extras and in rather military greys and blues. Avatar dimensions had changed, giving everyone a chance to show off how anamorphic they could look, in accordance with the new style. But when you?re stuck inside a particular messageboard with only the highlights of what Cartoon Network?s new schedule?s going to be, tensions can run high. In the Moderator forum, the Staff were desperately trying to think of ways to keep everyone occupied? ?We?re overdue for another Otaku Big Brother, any news on that?? Lady Katana suggested quietly. The awkward silence that followed hinted gave the very slightest of hints that no-one had any ideas at all as to what to do. ?How about some kind of big communal thing that everyone can get involved in?? Solo asked. Charles ran his fingers through his hair. ?That?s the idea of a forum event anyway?? ?A Battle Tournament?? Arcadia gestured, toning down her [b]Badness[/b] levels. James shook his head. ?A prom?? Asuka said cheerily. ?Kill Adam Volume III?? ?More Legionnaires?? ?A prom?? Asuka repeated, somewhat less cheerily. ?Anti-Spam-a-thon?? ?A race to Dead-Seraphim?? ?A [i]PROM?[/i]? ?n00b-thwacking?? ?Nad-kicking?? [i]BANG![/i] Asuka slammed her PlushieWand down on the table, showering the entire room with pink sparkly glitter. Everyone froze, transfixed by a furious stare of exasperation given by her one eye. Remembering herself, she straightened, politely cleared her throat and sat back down with a sheepish smile. ?What about an Otaku Prom?? The Mods looked at each other for cues of opinion. Satisfied that nobody looked horrified at the idea, they nodded in approval. ?Then it?s settled then!? Asuka chirruped, grinning widely. Immediately she drew up a window of banners and backgrounds, each item in the decorations catalogue as startlingly pink as the next. James could feel his eyesight deteriorating already. * * * Within minutes, banners had been flung over each and every walkway, thread and forum on OB so nobody could escape their pink, tempting promise of dressing up and dancing in style with their crushes. Or locking themselves in their rooms until it all blew over. Nevertheless, cynical or not, they were drawing a lot of attention. Pink rose petals floated gracefully down from the saccharin advertisements, and even the most cynical members were forced to admit that it was very? pink. OtakuBot?s expression grew more murderous than usual as he watched the floor slowly disappear under the shower of flower. ?I hope they?re not expecting me to clean that up.? While he was muttering to himself, the forum doors slid open. A small object with mis-shapen eyes and electric pink fur hopped around the corner and disappeared, humming quietly to itself through ghastly pink frog-lips. * * * Alan sighed. Not only could he not think of another username for himself to don, the thoughts of the prom were leaving him in a rather unusual state of unangriness. He?d recently hung up his n00b Hunter shotgun and long leather trenchcoat (after all, it was almost a perpetual summer on Otaku Island, so was rather impractical at the best of times), and was missing the people he worked with in the story?s creation. Juuthena, AJehman? He lay back on the sandy beach and closed his eyes in satisfaction, remembering how many different ways he?d annihilated Sonic Blaster. Good times, they were. He partly wished the n00b would show up again so he could plant a boot in him, but for the moment he had to satiate himself with another kind of fantasy. A wide grin spread across his face. Hevn? A sudden flux of people nearby shot him into an upright position; his face reddened slightly at the realisation of his expression. He didn?t mind people seeing him happy, but when you?re grinning that widely in the sand with your eyes closed people?ll start to suspect something. Once they?d passed, he lay back down again, folding his arms behind his head and letting out a deep, silent sigh. As good an opportunity as the prom would be, it just seemed like too much hassle. After all, he was perfectly capable of making an advance by himself. It?s just that? Another grin crept slyly across his face. She was so cool. Yeah, this would work. He clapped his hands together and stood up, his mind racing. He didn?t have much time (especially as he had so many pairs of tights to choose from), but this was going to work. He raced off, eagerly awaiting his and (all being well) Hevn?s ascension into OB canon. * * * Of course, there were already several well-established relationships on the Boards, but for some people this was to be an opportunity to further their commitment. Deciding which one of their several wives, husbands, secret lovers, mistresses, etc to take was proving too difficult for some, however. Delirium in particular was involved in eight marriages, most of whom were related to each other in some way. Thankfully, the Freudian psychologists were nowhere to be seen and nobody seemed to complain otherwise. Elsewhere, unattached members were frantically marrying each other left, right and centre margin so that they could have somebody to go with. The amount of affairs happening was astounding- even managing to surpass most soap operas in volume and dramatic quality. Dragon Warrior felt proud of himself for being OtakuBoards? Most Eligible Bachelor, hogging for his own pleasure the entire of the Sexy Six (or Sexy Five, since Ezekiel?s attachment to Unborn Lord Xion), and also leaving himself open to the wrath and envy of almost every other member of the forums. Jokopoko cracked his knuckles in anticipation, watching the little Black Mage disappear into the Otaku Lounge. His avatar changed from a sleek and stylish-looking football-playing Luigi into a fuming, steam-venting Waluigi. The added height gave him extra menace as he released his dagger-pointed curse. ?Damn that DW!? he hissed, his gloved fist shaking with fistiness. Without taking another moment to idly fume, he sprinted away, skidding to a halt just outside Vicky?s MyO. He banged his fists on the door, then stopped suddenly. Checking himself against common courtesy, he quietly cleared his throat and, signalling a change back to a much more approachable Luigi, rapped his knuckles calmly against the woodwork. A groggy-looking Girl Robin slid open the door, rubbing her mask. ?Wherrsat? Er, yes, Joko?? ?[i]We need to get[/i]-! I mean, would you like to get married? Just OB-stylee, you know?? Vicky tilted her head quizzically, then smiled. ?Sure.? As they grabbed each other?s hands (and Vicky used her various utility belt items to swing them through the air), they were noticed by a lone female member. One of the few members to choose just to look like herself (after being convinced by Alan that she was in fact that sexiest creature on both Earth and cyberspace), she pulled her red jacket tighter over her shoulders and watched the two crazy characters disappear through a skylight. Unorthodox, but fairly romantic all the same. Hevn quietly opened the door to her MyO site, which transferred her directly to Strawberry-Princess.net. She was greeted by a large, pale-walled bedroom covered in strawberry-covered drapes. The bed sheets adorning her ultra-comfortable double-bed were covered in designs of the ripest-looking strawberries in the world, only disturbed by the ruffles created from having been recently slept under. She placed her bag of food and various bits of other provisions on a simple, black-framed table and wandered over to her balcony which gave a sprawling view of the Otaku Island. Leaning on the stone parapet, she let out a long, wistful sigh. ?I wonder where Alan is?? * * * Solo looked around the Otaku Lounge for the thread he was supposed to take part in. He?d had less than a few minutes to browse the internet to look for any helpful information about weddings. Finding nothing, he guessed (and hoped) that none of the other members present would object if he got anything wrong. After all, it?s not as if they were ordained either? and he was already wearing a dog collar. He caught sight of a makeshift chapel in the corner of the room, constructed rather efficiently from piles of armchairs and hijacked Prom banners. Peeling back the shockingly pink curtains, he stepped inside. ?It must be some crazy tear in the fabric of time and space,? he heard Shinmaru state in a very matter-of-fact way. ?Must be what?? Vicky grunted, raising a sceptical eyebrow in the Moderator?s direction. ?Dunno,? Shinmaru shrugged. Syk3 leant forwards, cupping his hand away from Shinmaru to ?prevent? him from hearing. ?He doesn?t listen to himself talk.? Solo stepped round Jokopoko to the altar- a statue of Mario taken from near the forum?s entrance. He cleared his throat authoritatively and everyone took their places? not that there was much room for people to ?take? a place- they just squeezed in where there was room to breathe and where they weren?t going to cause any structural disturbances to the armchairs. ?Anyway,? Solo began. ?I gather we are gathered to witness the bringing together in true OB chaotic style of Vicky and Jokopoko.? ?Finally, I figure out who?s getting married!? Shinmaru?s excited exclamation brought sighs of exasperation from everyone else in the chapel. Solo addressed the congregation. ?We ready?? Jokopoko looked to Vicky. ?I think so.? ?Alright.? Solo took a brief second for everyone to stop fidgeting and to compose himself. It wasn?t every day you were asked to marry your friends. ?We are gathered here today to make sure Vicky and Jokopoko get it on?? Strange looks. ?Er, I mean, to see them be married and be happy together for as long as they want to keep the vows in their signatures.? ?Wait!? The Luigi-faced Joko looked concerned. ?What?? ?Wait what?? Vicky growled. A large sweatdrop drooped down the back of Joko?s head. ?Just so we?re clear on this? just because we?re married doesn?t mean we can?t fool around with other people, right?? Solo shrugged. ?That?s up to you, not me. Unless you want to fool with me.? Joko shook his head, smiling nervously. ?Not really. Too much fur.? A shrug once again adorned the Team Leader?s shoulders. ?Fair enough.? Sensing that the wedding was about to dissolve into a typical OB chat, he continued with his address. ?Anyway: Jokopoko, do you take Vicky to be your OB wife, to have and to hold through spam and good posts?? Jokopoko looked into the white area of Vicky?s mask, not entirely sure where her eyes were. ?I do.? ?Vicky, do you take Jokopoko to be your husband through good times and bad, even if he blows all your money on Transformers memorabilia?? A look of confusion flashed across Vicky?s face. ?Transformers??? she looked back at Jokopoko, who was squirming nervously. ?Um, anyway, yes I do.? Everyone in the congregation smiled; the sun gleaming through the skylight in the Otaku Lounge cast the chapel in a deeply cheesy pink and sparkly light, and the pink rose petals began pouring from the displaced banners again. ?Fantastic!? Solo whistled. ?In which case, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss each other whenever you?re ready.? Syk3 took out his camera in preparation. During the following seconds everyone taking part in the wedding either felt ineptly awkward or incredibly warm and fuzzy. While most opted for the former or latter, Shinmaru decided to buck both trends and feel ineptly warm and fuzzy. Once the two had solidified their ?vow?, Solo leant forwards. ?Is there a reception?? Lady Katana had been watching from the entrance; she poked her head through the banner with a stern look on her face. ?There must be!? she commanded, performing a near-perfect imitation of her avatar Sheena, from Tales of Symphonia. ?It would not be a wedding without the cake.? Solo nodded in agreement. ?Cheesecake is amazing.? ?Mmm, cheesecake?? Syk?s eyes glazed over just in time to ignore Alan peering inside. A few more members had poked their heads inside to see what was going on. Vicky hid her (newly generated) cake behind Jokopoko, giving him charge of its possession. ?They is just here for the cake,? she muttered gravely. Sensing the urgency in her voice, Joko carefully placed the cake behind the Mario statue. Seeing as the main ceremony was over, everyone began to disperse and head about getting themselves ready for the prom. As Solo moved through the drapes, Kei touched him on the arm. He turned to her, smiling. ?Yes?? ?Um, I wanted to ask you something?? Back inside the chapel, a long, pink tongue wrapped itself around the furtively hidden cake. In a flash it disappeared into an awaiting mouth, which grinned a satisfied grin about twice the size of the face it was attached to. As a parting gift, the creature let out a colossal (but somehow dainty) belch, bubbling out a huge heart-shaped smiley, which floated gracefully through the chapel?s banners to the ceiling of the Lounge. * * * Alan paused at the entrance to Hevn?s MyO. He?d never really been shy about anything before; it was annoying that something so ultimately important to him would stop him in his tracks. His fingers tightened around the bunch of pink roses he clutched in his hand. He hoped she?d like them. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hands and knocked firmly on the door. His heart was pounding in the seconds of tense silence that followed. Was she in? Had she already been asked? Did he look alright? Should he have showered bef- The door slid open. ?Hi, Raina.? Hevn blushed wildly, grabbed Alan?s hand and pulled him inside. [font=Times New Roman][font=Verdana][size=2]From the bushes opposite, a set of misshapen eyes watched them, the owner?s electric-green fur almost blending in with the plants around it, in the same way an orange blends in with tomato soup. Dribbling spam from its lips, it crawled from the flowerbed and flopped away in the direction of Community Events.[/size][/font][/font] [font=Times New Roman][font=Verdana][/font][/font] [font=Times New Roman][font=Verdana][size=2]PART 2 TO FOLLOW SHORTLY...[/size][/font][/font][/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]Wrapped up loose ends; I thought someone else was going to step in to write our final conclusion. Sorry for running away with it at the end there, guys.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]"I can field that question." Dr Edison stepped forward again, so that he was almost out of the room now. "I had given my hamster a new performance drug that would amplify his hamster qualities; unfortunately this proved to amplify not only those behaviours that made him a hamster, but also those behaviours that made him less hamster beforehand, making him the epitome of his ENTIRE SPECIES! When he slept, he slept POWERFULLY, and when he moved, he moved WITH THE QUALITY OF SEVEN HAMSTERS!" Ada twitched. "So, you drugged him as part of an experiment, Green put him inside a sandwich which Purple then ate. The only one with real malicious intent to kill him was Purple, who, although perhaps not knowing it, did so by eating him." Yuna tapped her pencil on her notepad. "So, I think it's safe to conclude that Purple is guilty of the actual murder, but he was assisted by both Dr Edison and Green as a result of unfortunate, accidental circumstances." Krystal scratched her ears thoughtfully. "Doesn't that make it manslaughter instead?" A grim silence collapsed over the room. Feeling very self-conscious, Krystal retracted her statement. "Never mind."[/COLOR]

[color=#503f86]Reah, right ^_~ I wasn't sure how much time we had left, so I thought I'd (almost) wrap things up, if nobody else minds.[/COLOR]

[color=#503f86]There was another crash and a tray full of teacups and sandwiches lay sprawled across the floor, hot tea steaming on the stony surface. The sandwiches steamed considerably less, although gave off a rather pungent smell. "Like, whoa, man," Surfer suspect Jeff Woodie droned. "Green was like, totally holding that tray with no arms." Everybody's suspicious eyes cast themselves over the trembling piece of green octopus, who quivered in terror. "Oh n-no!" it stammered. "Ha-have you c-come for l-lunch?" "Unfortunately not," Krystal hummed, pushing one of the teacups into an upright position on the floor with her foot. "We're conducting a murder investigation. Do you happen to know who killed Dr Edison's hamster?" The Green tentacle twitched. "I thought you'd say that," Ada sighed in exasperation, edging away from the tea (that was looking less and less like tea every second) slowly creeping across the floor towards her. "I-I- don't really know what..." [i]Rustle.[/i] A clearing formed around Chuck the Plant, who had mysteriously managed to move himself three feet forwards. "B-but Chucky..." [i]Rustle. Rustle?[/i] The Green Tentacle dissolved into a fit of wobbles, as if to signify breaking down in tears. "A-alright..." it sobbed. Wiping its tentacle with its tentacle, it straightened itself and addressed the group. "I was down in the dungeon with Purple in our flat last night; we'd been watching some theatre earlier in the day and j-just wanted to unw-wind. At some point d-during the evening h-he started getting hungry, and ordered me to-" "STOP RIGHT THERE!" Purple Tentacle burst into the room, his tentacle shaking with rage. "Green, what are you doing?" "I-I-I-I-'m t-telling them the truth," Green muttered, clearly in deep distress. [i]Rustle.[/i] "You!" Purple seethed. "How could you do this to him, after all we've been through? You just want to get him out of thw way, don't you? Well, I won't have it!" [i]Rustle![/i] "Protect [i]me[/i]? I never should have listened to you in the first place, you vile palm!" "P-Purple, stop it!" The rest of the room was shocked into silence. Krystal glanced round at the other Heroines. Xiayou looked as if she was about to be sick, Ada was desperately trying not to collapse into fits of hysterical laughter, Samus' visor was fogging up, Lara's expression of shocked disbelief was frightening to behold and Yuna was desperately scribbling notes on her notepad. Green Tentacle continued, his voice (and tentacle) trembling. "...this is what I want to do." He straightened himself again and wrung his suction cups nervously. "Purple tends to g-get rather demanding w-when he's hungry, so I had to go to the kitchen and make him a sandwich. O-on the way I bumped into Chuck, who-" [i]Rustle!![/i] "SILENCE!" [i]Rus...[/i] Green's wobbles were becoming more uncontrollable. "W-we, er... talked for some time, before I r-realised we- I had to b-be in the kitchen. I moved as f-fast as I could to get there and took our special food cage out of the c-cupboard. J-just as I did so-" Purple squidged forward. "[i]I[/i] came in." He paused for a second for Ada to let out a burst of derisive laughter. The stress looked to be taking its toll on her. He cleared his throat and continued, tears rolling down Ada's cheeks. "I must admit that I was rather forceful towards Green for taking so long, and I caught sight of a leaf on one of his suction cups. naturally, I was incensed at this betrayal of lyalty, and we got into a bit of a scrap. Green being moderately stronger than I am, managed to rip off a piece of my tentacle. I threatened to kill him once I got back from Dr Edison's medicine cabinet if he didn't make the sandwich, and I left." Green wobbled even more. "O-once h-he'd gone I was in a terrible st-st-state. I m-must have got the two cages confused, and before I kn-knew it-" Dr. Edison leapt forwards. "YOU PUT MY HAMSTER INTO A SANDWICH!" Green dissolved into a fit of wobbling sobs. "Y-yes!" "And I ate it." Purple concluded, not sounding particularly remorseful. Lara shook off her shocked expression and stepped forwards. "Surely you noticed it was alive, though? Most food items don't crawl around when you take them out of the packaging." Green paused. "Well, it wasn't moving..."[/color]

[color=#503f86]"This is the worst mansion I've ever been in," Krystal groaned, lowering herself into the hole Yuna had made. She landed deftly on the concrete ground, closely followed by Samus, Xiayou, Lara and Ada. They rushed to the door, weapons at the ready, as they faced the creature that stood ahead of them.[/color] [color=#503f86]"Hello," it squelched. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"[/color] [color=#503f86]Disbelief spread through the Heroines at the weird mass's politeness.[/color] [color=#503f86]"We-we're conducting a murder investigation," Krystal stammered. "Can you help us with our enquiries?"[/color] [color=#503f86]The purple mass made some rather disgusting noises in reply, then turned (or appeared to change shape) in the direction of the darkness beyond.[/color] [color=#503f86]"Sir?" Lara called after it. There was a brief exchange of questioning looks, then the group burst ahead to surround the purple object, who spurted in alarm and twitched in jerky, panicked movements.[/color] [color=#503f86]"Purple Tentacle, am I right?" Ada hissed, point her gun directly at its... tentacle.[/color] [color=#503f86]Purple Tentacle tentacled rudely back at her. "What if I am? What is it to you? Who are you? Are you after my plant?"[/color] [color=#503f86]"We're asking the questions, Tentacle!" Lara yelled in an effort to get the frenzied creature to shut up. It was clear who the bad cops and good cops were in the Heroines' team.[/color] [color=#503f86]"Do you know anything about the death of Dr Edison's hamster?" Samus asked pressingly.[/color] [color=#503f86]Purple shook his tentacle. "I don't know anything about his hamster. I don't get my food from the kitchen."[/color] [color=#503f86]Krystal lunged upon his statement. "So you do eat hamsters, then?"[/color] [color=#503f86]"What? No, I don't! I just know he kept it in the kitchen, that's all. He's always talking about it, stupid bloody idiot. He said it liked to watch him make dinner for and out of all the guests he brings home. I couldn't care less for that dead family up there, so why would I bother myself with killing his pet?"[/color] [color=#503f86]"But if you hate them so vehemently," Yuna pitched in, "what would be the better crime to get back at him?"[/color] [color=#503f86]Purple Tentacle writhed in agony at their piercing accusations. "Stop being so accusatory! I don't leave the dungeon, you can't prove I did and [i]I'm not letting you take my plant away from me![/i]"[/color] [color=#503f86]With that, the creature (or bit of creature) burst through the gap between Krystal and Xiayou and disappeared into the dim darkness of the dungeon.[/color] [color=#503f86]"Well, I think we've found our prime suspect," Ada mused, twirling her gun around her index finger.[/color] [color=#503f86]"Should we follow him?" Krystal asked, attaching her Staff to her backpack.[/color] [color=#503f86]"We-"[/color] [color=#503f86]A crash came from behind them. They turned to see a tray full of teacups strewn across the floor, and a petrified-looking Green tentacle shivering in their wake.[/color] [color=#503f86]"Oh-oh dear!" it mumbled.[/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]To be honest, when I started reading through this, I didn't like it very much. Rhyming 'armour' wirh 'charmer' was clever, though- I wouldn't have thought of that. But once I reached the sixth verse -"I wish I could do this for you" -everything got a whole lot better. I don't know what it is exactly- maybe the choice of words, maybe the way the rhymes fit together. I'm not a great fan of rhyming poetry because I tend to find it fairly bland if it's not in an interesting rythym, and there is a tendency to find the same rhyming pairs across numerous poems. I'd be careful not to get into habits of using particular words- 'woe' to me has rather melodramatic connotations and doesn't seem all that serious. I (and this is a thing personal to me, so don't pay too much attention to it) have hangups about particular words being used, depending on the effect you're going for. If you do want it to be more emotional rather than adding in bits of slang to make it fit, I wouldn't rhyme 'warm' with 'norm', but perhaps include something to do with 'shelter from a storm', or something like that. Just be aware of what kind of imagery you want to put across, as altering one word can really affect the feel of the entire piece. Aside from those beginning bits, I think the rest of it's really nice. There's a much nicer, softer, more emotional feel to it, where a lot of the earlier verses sound a little like boy band lyrics ^_^; Overall, good stuff ^_^[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]I think if you're going to make this as a fanfic version (i.e. as a novel rather than a comic) then you'll need at least some indication as to narrative between lines of dialogue lines- what a character does, what he sees, etc and at least some indication of how he gets into a situation in the first place. Here's there's no explanation of anything, no introduction, things are mentioned without any prior knowledge of them even having existed in the first place and expected at act as major plot points. When you draw a story in comic form you don't need that so much because you can see what kind of situation the character's in and how they react. But here, it's lacking pretty much everything. It's all very well saying 'he wakes up in another world', but there's nothing beforehand to even suggest it wasn't his world in the first place. Where did he find the portal? What kind of world did he live in before? Where does this strange world exist? Did he know about it? Are we supposed to know about it? Although judging by the way the plot um... unravels, I'm guessing we should. Set up the story first, then go into the action. Jokes are really only funny if they're well-presented or have some kind of set-up beforehand- just capitalising insults or lengthening sounds won't work. Timing and phrasing is incredibly important to provide the right effect, and that's equally so when it comes to action and character development. But that's only scratching the surface of what needs doing to make this presentable. I'd suggest reading over a basics of storywriting tuorial or something before writing anything else, if you can find one.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]Upon arriving back at the Lotus Temple the team of Heroines burst into fits of raucus cheering and relieved laughter with the advent of their latest victory. Almost at once everyone was excitedly comparing stories, Pokemon and bruises with each other, their tales becoming both more passionate and more tired as they went. It had been an incredibly straining challenge for everyone, and as elated as they were, the feeling of succumbing to tiredness was growing increasingly strong. Krystal was the first to break off, something else occupying her mind. "Well, I'm off to bed. Sleep well, guys!" she said almost too cheerfully; she couldn't escape a knowing glance from Lara as she turned to leave and almost let herself be stopped by it. The voices behind her died out as she plodded back to her bedroom through the atmospherically-lit stone corridors of the temple. Her shoulders began drooping further with each step; several times she had to check herself to make sure she stood properly. When she reached her bed she completely collapsed, letting out a pained and dejected sigh as she landed. So he had been voted out. She crawled up to her pillow and clutched it tightly, staring blankly at the flickering torch on the wall. The only indication of the consequences of being voted out was when Pac-Man disappeared- well, dissolved -out of the CPU. Would he ba back on the Great Fox? Did he know she was here? She rolled onto her back and sat up, wiping her eyes. "Can't do this," she mumbled. "Fox'd think I'm stupid if I cried now. Just need some rest." She lay back down and threw the bedsheets over her. It felt so soft and warm...[/COLOR]

[quote name='Retribution][size=1']Enjoy that. Cherish it. Revel in the fact that there is nothing that the world is asking of you, for soon that will change.[/size][/quote][color=#503f86]I recently spent a few days at home, not being asked to go out and pick anyone up, write anything, draw anything, not seeing friends, or doing anything at all, really. I loved the first two-three days, but after that it really started to hit me how much I like activity, albeit in manageable chunks. Most of the time I look at the same websites over and over again in an ever-slowing cycle of boredom and hope that someone'll post. Being in a different timezone from most other forums users is quite irritating at times, heh. Although it's not as if I post a great deal anyway, but meh. Thankfully right now I have Tales of Symphonia to while away my boredomtime, and it suits incredibly well ^_^ That's been my lack of activity lifeline at the moment... that and [strike]drawing[/strike] painstakingly copying a world map onto a piece of card about a metre wide >.>; That'll soak up a spare week.[/color]

[color=#503f86]Well, now we know how the [color=#503f86]Pokémon TV writers feel :p[/color][/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]Krystal and Lara were both back at full strength now- so much so that they couldn't even sleep, and were instead showing off their collections of [color=#503f86]Poké[/color]mon with great glee. "...and this one's... Zangoose, I think. It was just sleeping in the middle of the forest." Lara laughed in reply, her [color=#503f86]Pokéballs piled up in front of her, having just been subjected to a rather girly show-and-tell.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Well, Magmar was certainly the most dangerous for me," she said, holding the lava Pokémon's ball catiously as if the fiery creature were about to leap out at any moment. "I almost lost my hair."[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Krystal giggled. "That would be a shame. You have nice hair."[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Although it desperately needs a wash!" Lara inspected her long ponytail, which was close to matted with dust, dirt, soot... the Lotus Garden and its luxurious lakes was looking incredibly appealing now. "And you're not so clean yourself," she added, with more than a hint of mischief.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Krystal feigned shock. "You mean I'm [i]less beautiful[/i] with all these rips, bruises and dirt marks?"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]The two began to laugh uncontrollably. The relief of no longer being in hideous bodily pain was too much for them, and the exhausting demands of the challenge were starting to take their toll on the Heroines' sanity. Plus, Krystal began to wonder whether Chansey's eggs didn't also have other, rather more recreational side effects.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][SIZE=1]"[i]Hoowwwwl...[/i]"[/SIZE][/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"What did you say, Lara?"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"I didn't say anything."[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Oh, heh. I thought-"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"[i]Hoowwwwwl[/i]!"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Ah."[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Instantly, the two of them grabbed a Pokéball each from their pockets and headed towards the cource of the noise. They crept quietly through the grass, moving as swiftly and smoothly as possible to avoid rustling the leaves.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"[i]HooooWWWWWL[/i]!"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]It was much closer now; the creature's voice sounded unsuitable for howling, and had a much higher, piercing tone to it. Lara and Krystal drew about twenty feet away from a large rock in the centre of the long grasses, on which a shadowy Pokémon stood braying to the sky. They readied themselves for its capture.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]After one last, piercing howl, the Pokémon lowered its head and sniffed the rock underneath it. Its deep red eyes pierced the darkness, fierce and threatening. It moved to jump into the grass; as it did so Lara hurled a Pokéball at it, deftly avoided by the targeted creature. It let out a growling yelp then charged into the grass. Lara leapt over to retrieve her Survivor Pokéball while Krystal did her best to track the monster.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Her telepathy wasn't being as useful as she'd hoped. All she had to go on were her fox eyes; she could see alright in the dark, but this creature probably had the adventage.[/color] [color=#503f86] Something pounced at her side- without thinking she swung her foot round and clouted it with her metal-soled boot. The object reeled into the dark, righted itself and growled again. Before it had a chance to attack again Krystal lobbed the ball. It hit the target squarely in the face, and the Pokémon disappeared in a flash of red light. She took in a deep breath, then whistled out a sigh. '[i]Ding[/i]'. "Mighyena. Bite Pokémon. Mightyena gives obvious signals when preparing to attack. It starts to growl deeply and then flattens its body. This Pokémon will bite savagely with its sharply pointed fangs." Thrusting the chatty Pokédex int her pocket, Krystal looked around for her companion. "Lara, are you alright?"[/COLOR][/color]