Solo Tremaine

[COLOR=#503F86]Since it's more of an internet fad than an actual anime, I'm not sure this really belongs here (so I'm moving it to the Manga Workshop). Anyone looking for more information about the series should go [URL=http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/science_fair_projects_encyclopedia/OS-tan]here[/URL].[/COLOR]

[quote name='Syk3']Really? That's insane. I won't say that it's entirely that surprising that they tried it, but the fact that they have admitted it and that it's so well known is astonishing in and of itself, heh. I would be interested to know where they stand on the subject of legalizing marijuana, and marijuana in general.[/quote][color=#503f86]I'm not too sure where they stand individually, but it's all on a party system here anyway, rather than individual candidates. The drug's already had its status lowered to a Class C drug (as opposed to A or B, which contain things like ecstacy and heroin). So it's still illegal, but carries less of a sentence with it.[/color] [QUOTE]They do have an effect on the body during the high, which is the entire point of the drug. But when you get right down to it, are these effects actually bad (other than in frequent high does)? They just describe what your body does when you get high. I've never heard of nausea and vomiting, though, but I suppose it's different for different people.[/QUOTE][color=#503f86]Those were the effects of THC (which you said yourself could be stored in the body for up to three months if smoking was done on a regular basis), not the joints themselves.[/color] [color=#503f86]But even at a low rate of one joint a day for a few weeks, the drug can lead to shrinkage and death of brain cells. The connections between the brain cells will be altered, which in turn leads to a change in the way cannabis users see themselves and everyone around them- often they become demotivated, which would confound those who use tham as an escape from other burns of society (information from a newspaper article by Susan Greenfield, Professor of Pharmacology at Oxford University, Director of the Royal Institute and who has studied the brain for over 30 years).[/color] [QUOTE]I think people who look to alcohol as a legal solution to drowning their troubles and abuse it have a very good chance of switching to pot because it's clearly so much safer. As such, drunk driving will go down, and pot driving very well might replace it, but I'm saying that this is something that I support. I don't have any evidence to back this up, but I do believe that drunk driving, as opposed to with marijuana, is much more likely to lead to an accident.[/QUOTE][color=#503f86]No no no no no, not in th UK. There's a [i]huge[/i] culture of binge-drinking for fun, not for trying to drink away problems. People (especially younger people and adults) go out specifically to get drunk and will happily smoke at the same time. People will continue to follow that traditions that they know, but will simply swap the cigarettes for the cannabis because it's new and supposedly better, which leads to a much nastier combination than cigarettes and alcohol in terms of driving safety. That said, there is a proportion of people who use alcohol to dive into unreality to get away from problems. But letting them take cannabis instead will not change their situation for the better. You need about 7,000 milligrams of alcohol to achieve the desired mind-altering effect of being drunk and the relaxation that comes with it. Cannabis needs only 0.3 milligrams to achieve the same desired effect, and the skills you need for driving are impaired for a full 24 hours after smoking them. A study made on airline pilots showed that cannabis was still influencing the brain up to 50 hours after a single joint. A joint is a far quicker and cheaper way to induce nirvana, so for your money you can get far greater amount of chemical with the same essential effect on the brain. Drugs can also cause sensations of paranoia, disorientation and panic, which, setting people off against each other in clubs, bars and on the road could be a lethal combination. Yes, it affects people in different ways, but you can't blow off the fact that these effects [i]will[/i] happen in people, however small the minority may be. A report on Australia's drug and alcohol usage said that: [QUOTE]A sixfold difference in marijuana/cannabis use is observed between drinkers and non-drinkers, while drinkers have a smoking prevalence about twice that of non-drinkers.[/QUOTE]It's been shown in numerous studies that while cannabis on its own may not have a high lethal toxicity, when used in conjunction with alcohol they have an additive effect on each other, and a combined use with that and other drugs can increase the chances of overdosing on other things.[/color] [QUOTE]The fact of the matter is that the health risks for cigarettes and the poisons that they are laced with go hand in hand. Marijuana has [i]similar[/i] risks to cigarettes because of the smoke, but they are in no way exactly the same because of the risks from the poisons. Hell, there are safer methods in smoking marijuana than just getting it out of a joint. A water bong filters out bad chemicals, smoking it with a magnifying glass takes the chemicals from a lighter out of the equation, and eating it with food gets rid of the smoke issue altogether, to name a few. [/QUOTE][color=#503f86]Okay, let's say cannabis does get legalised to the same extent as cigarettes, then. That means manufacturers can sell them legally en mass in the same way they do with the cigarettes, which means they'll add as many chemicals as they can to make their brand better than anyone else's, bringing the health risks with regards to the toxins up to the same level. Of course, if it's legalised to the same extent as in Holland that shouldn't be too much of an issue, but I sincerely doubt every marijuana dealer is as clean as they make out to be- if someone likes their brand more than someone else's, the chanced are it's been laced. And I don't think that's particularly uncommon. So it might free up crime-fighting services and save money used for the fight on narcotics. That's an incredibly defeatist point of view-you're saying we should let criminals get away with what they've been doing for so many years? The illicit trading won't stop, and even if it were licensed and heavily taxed then they'd be far more expensive than anything you could buy on the streets from your local drug dealer. Why bother spending £20 on something when you could spend £5 on the same amount? The criminal dealers would make millions, and that gives them greater scope to perform more serious crimes and deal much more expensive, harder drugs. Selective legalisation in Holland hasn't worked as well as some studies suggest, and the repercussions are felt by other countries. 80 per cent of the heroin seized by UK customs officials has come from Holland, and this is as a direct result of their cannabis legalisation. Between 198 and 1997 there's been a 50% increase in heroin addiction, while the level of cocaine use by 14-16 year olds is the highest in Europe. If cannabis isn't the cause of this, then it has to be something to do with the mixed messages the state sends out as a result of the decriminalisation: While you're trying to persuade them that underage smoking is illegal, you're opening up a whole new debate of substance abuse encouragement. From an editorial in the Daily Mail: "The lagalisation of cannabis would have an explosive effect on those sections of society- i.e. the underclass -which have the most to lose. Obviously, many people smoke cannabis, but at least the disapproval of the law acts as a sort of brake, so long as the police continue to arrest teenagers smoking cannabis. Jettison that law and usage is bound to increase among the most vulnerable." When I went to Amsterdam there were people on the streets in broad daylight asking you if you wanted to buy cocain or heroine. Whether that's as a result of cannabis being legalised I don't know, but it was certainly unpleasant. My guess is they prey on tourists who think that because cannabis is legal there, it entitles them to take more harmful drugs as well. Which leads me to this point: [QUOTE]You answered your question right there. Only a very small number of marijuana users go on to harder drugs. [b]Most[/b] pot users never do any other drug. Once again, anti-weed organizations will use this to skew facts in their advantage. Marijuana has nothing to do with it, because those with the addictive personalities would have gone on to harder drugs regardless of whether or not it even existed.[/QUOTE]Claims on both sides of this argument are highly subjective- since marijuana is illegal it's unclear whether the illigal use of that and harder drugs in combination is as a result of the illegal activity or the plant's high-inducing effects. In Holland the harder drug use seems to have decreased, but looking at selective studies on places in North America it seems that there is still a [i]chance[/i], if only a small one that people will go on to do harder drugs. I'm not saying it's always a gateway drug but if anything I think it will make you [i]more likely[/i] to try something else, even if you eventually decide not to. [/color][quote name='Stephen Glover, Daily Mail Editorial']It may not be a 'gateway' drug for users with well regulated lives, but for those who feel that they have been forgotten by society, those without hope or prospects, cannabis is much more likely to be a getway to drugs that offer an even more dramatic escape from reality.[/quote][color=#503f86] A report released by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2002 said that "the younger children are when they first use marijuana, the more likely they are to use cocaine and heroin and become dependent on drugs as adults. It concludes that postponing people's first use could prevent progression to other illicit drugs." [/color][quote name='New Scientist vol 175 issue 2359 - 07 September 2002, page 6']"These findings are of grave concern because studies show smoking marijuana leads to changes in the brain similar to those caused by cocaine, heroin and alcohol," says Charles Curie of the administration. "Heavy marijuana abuse impairs the ability of young people to retain information during their peak learning years when their brains are still developing."[/quote][COLOR=#503F86]So young people are probably more susceptible to it than adults. And since many smokers start at the age of about 13/14, this could be quite a damaging prospect unless underage smoking is cracked down on considerably. But making cannabis more widely available will not stop the problem from ocurring in the first place.[/COLOR][color=#503f86] To quote [url="http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/ledain/cannabis_and_other_drugs.htm"]this site[/url]:[/color] [QUOTE]In summary, a positive statistical relationship exists between the use of cannabis and a variety of other psychoactive drugs. Marijuana is often the first illicit drug (other than alcohol and tobacco in adolescence) taken by multi-drug users. The role of cannabis, if any, in the progression to other drugs is not yet well understood; it is unclear whether it plays a specific predisposing role, or is causally unrelated to other drug use and is often used earlier simply because of its wider availability and social acceptance. Specific pharmacological properties of marijuana (or any other drug) which might lead to a need or craving for other drugs have not been discovered. It would appear that dynamic and changing social and personal factors play the dominant role in the multi-drug-using patterns reported, and that the specific pharmacology of the compounds involved is secondary.[/QUOTE][color=#503f86]Hence, trying to support an argument for either side is still relatiely unsteady. But this site [url="http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00.n1533.a05.html"]here[/url] perhaps shows why I'm more concerned about this. I'll admit that were cannabis legal already then I may not think them that different to cigarettes, but having them labelled as an illegal drug carries with it dogmas that any other illegal drug does, and having been brought up with a dad who sees the effects of chronic drug-users almostv every day I can safely say that it's an area I never want to go into. But I think if children are willing to do something illegal in a sense of rebellion, once they've done one illegal thing then what's to stop them wanting another to rebel even further? Adult and even late teen use of cannabis is probably more responsible than that in those aged 13-17 because they understand more what they're trying to do and its consequences. The same Australian report I quoted earlier also said this: [QUOTE]Users of marijuana/cannabis appeared to have much higher prevalence of other recent drug use compared with non-users of marijuana/cannabis (Table 11.3). While there was only a moderate difference observed in alcohol prevalence among the user and non-user groups, tobacco prevalence was three times higher in marijuana/cannabis users compared with nonusers (57.0% and 18.2% respectively). This was consistent with smoking behaviour, as ?joints? were the most common form of marijuana/cannabis consumption. There were up to 100-fold differences in prevalence for drugs such as hallucinogens. The gradients were generally larger for females than males. The relatively high use of amphetamines and ecstasy among marijuana/cannabis users (compared with non-users, or the general population) suggests a user group for which all three substances are available and used.[/QUOTE]And this was a 2002 study- much more recent than the ones on Marijuana.com's site.[/color] [quote name='Zeta']And there are no conclusive tests to show it lowers sperm count.[/quote][color=#503f86]Actually, there is. Take a look at [url="http://www.spermconfirm.com/MARIJUANA.html"]this site[/url]. [url="http://www.talktofrank.com/azofdrugs/C/Cannabis.aspx"]This site[/url], set up by government health organisations, goes over the effects of cannabis completely, including the decrease of sperm count. Granted, once you stop cannabis smoking, as with any other drug, a detox should set you body relatively back to normal, but it still has an effect.[/color]

[color=#503f86]I wish I'd had time to reply this morning, heh. Damned college >.> Anyway, having a dad who works as a major consultant for drug and alcohol addicts and a mother who conducted scientific research on the affects on drugs on the body hopefully what I know should stand for something, even though I dn't proclaim to know about anything. Doesn't prevent my bias, though ^_~ And I apologise if I appear rude, but I do feel incredibly strongly about this, probably due to my heavy anti-drug upbringing. The last thing I'd want to do is flame anyone, heh (especially Syk, as he's where most of my comments are aimed towards). [quote name='Syk3][font=Verdana][size=2]All four products are "drugs" that alter your state of mind, but only cigarettes and alcohol are addicting and slowly kill you, and with alcohol you can even overdose. [b]You cannot become physically addicted to, over overdose on, marijuana.[/b][/size][/font][/QUOTE][QUOTE]What your story relates to is a [i]psychological[/i'] addiction, in which the guy just really wanted to feel the high. I'm not saying that psychological addictions aren't bad as well, far from it, but the simple fact that this problem resides in the mind makes it much different from something like heroin, and easier to cure as well. Also, extreme cases such as this do not reflect the norm.[/quote]'Feel' in this case seems like a physical basis to me. You can experience it with your mind, but the mind by nature is part of the body anyway, so nothing can be purely one or the other. An addiction isn't either mental or physical- it's a balance of both. You can become addicted to pretty much anything if your need for said substance isn't satiated. Why do people smoke in the first place- most people do it for the initial hit which as has already been said, is due to the ammonia in the cigarettes. I understand that 'pure' marijuana shouldn't have that in it, but the point is it is the body's chemical imbalance that causes the high in the first place. If you want to get high, it's because your body feels in need of something to pick it up. The decision to do it may be a cognitive thing, but the initial drive to have it is always physical. That's the same with pretty much anything else- caffiene, nicotine, food, sex... you name it, every drive has some kind of physical drive behind it. The research Zeta brought up showed only cocaine research and is flawed- It shows [i]High School Seniors[/i]. It's University research, not substantial evidence taken from a wide representation of the drug-using population. And it's eleven years out of date. A lot can and will happen in ten years regarding rise and fall of drugs. It may be a completely different case in the UK, but drug use is certainly not on the decline.[/color] [font=Verdana][size=2][QUOTE]In terms of legalizing marijuana on a whole, you should be able to see where I stand on the issue. The problem is that I don?t see it happening. By making it legal, hundreds of organizations will lose money, including alcohol businesses since people will see that weed is a much safer alternative, funeral homes will lose money from drunken driving accidents, and prisons will lose money from the lack of inmates who don?t deserve to be in there in the first place. And that?s just naming a few. Also, to publicly support marijuana is suicide for any political figure, due to the fact that they will instantly be labeled as a "druggy".[/QUOTE][color=#503f86]Not forgetting all these crime organisations that will lose millions smuggling the drugs into the country in the first place. For shame, heh. Many UK politicians have already admitted to having taken cannabis during their University years, and I sincerely doubt there is a single one of them that hasn't. They haven't been labelled as 'druggies' because everyone else has done it to. For anyone to carry out a character assassination on that level here would certainly be hypocritical; I'm not sure what it's like in the States, though.[/color] [QUOTE]And the reason that no one can publicly support marijuana is due to the misinformed public. People oppose marijuana because that?s what they?ve been taught. Everywhere are warnings saying that it?s bad, without clear, standing evidence to support it. Don?t assume something because someone told it to you, go out and look on the internet or whatever, and find evidence proving or disproving the point.[/QUOTE][QUOTE][/size][/font]Fact: Unless you consistently use marijuana on a daily basis, you will not see any effects, and nothing has been proven that it leads to effects in the long run, as opposed to cigarettes which are shown to lead to lung cancer and other such life-threatening diseases. Any effects seen with pot will generally go away if you do not use it for a period of time.[/QUOTE][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#503f86]Marijuana carries [b]exactly the same health risks as smoking[/b] because you are inhaling carbon monoxide and dioxide which are both serious carcinogens. They may not be laced with ammonia or rat poison but the fact is that you're still ingesting poisonous chemicals into your body. Smokers cough- cannabis users get it to because [i]they smoke it.[/i] There's no debate over the heath risks of smoking anything- this is only a comparative of the effects of cannabis and smoking which have different effects on the chemicals inside the body but still do exactly the same things to your lungs. Except marijuana tar is about five times more concentrated. [url="http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/marijuana/moreharmful.jsp;jsessionid=KAMHPNAHDIEM"]"Marijuana Special Report"[/url]- New Scientist article about research carried out by the British Lung Foundation. Admittedly you only have to look at who carried out the research as to what it's going to say, but that's going to be the same with anything. Research carried out by cannabis users is going to support claims that it's 'not as bad for you as smoking' because they want hard evidence to back up their claims. likewise people who are against it will do the same. Looking at articles on oth sides of the argument I can see flaws in both but that doesn't change the fact that I still view it as a rather disgusting habit. [QUOTE]The number of toxins isn?t the cause for the extended amount of time that pot stays in your system. The simple reason is that THC is stored in fat cells, and depending on how often you smoke, it could stay in your body for up to 3 months. How you smoke it is a factor as well. Getting it from joints and small bowls will generally put more toxins into your body, as opposed to a water bong that filters out certain chemicals that do more harm than good. And if you ever see the resin in a bong and how gross it looks, keep in mind that those chemicals are created from exhaling; it?s not what would be found if someone were to check inside of your throat.[/QUOTE]Perhaps so, but they will still have an effect on the body for the duration of their stay, some of which include: [font=Times New Roman][size=5][/size][/font] [/color][/size]-Decreased attention span -Decreased coordination -Decreased motor control -Decreased Short-Term Memory (which may have been what people refer to when talking about 'brain' damage- it affects the area known as the [i]hippocampus[/i]) -Increased appetite (possibly) -Changes in sensory awareness -Increased bronchodilation -Analgesia -Iecreased body temperature -Decreased libido & sperm count (high doses, heh) -Decreased nausea, vomiting -Decreased fertility (high doses again) [color=#503f86]I appreciate that the changes might be slight, but they still have an effect. And if you take into further account the fact that people have a tendency to smoke in groups not all of what they ingest will be as well-filtered as stuff in a water bong, so the various amounts of chemicals that are absorbed will vary, especially if people get incredibly ambitious with their rolies.[/color][/font][color=#000080] [/color][font=Verdana][size=2][QUOTE]Do you know how many car accidents are alcohol-related? And what percentage of the 40 can be related to pot rather than another drug? I won?t deny that driving while high is NOT a good idea, but like I said before, legalizing it would cut back on drunk driving, which is far more dangerous on its own.[/QUOTE][color=#503f86]Drunk-driving is only so prevalent because alcohol is so widely available on a legal standing. Legalise marijuana and you'll probably have the same problem as an added bonus to drinking. I doubt that just because marijuana would be legalised, it would decrease people's motivation to drink. If anything they'd drink more if the claims that cannabis increases your appetite are accurate (and I'm not saying they are). but the point is that the binge drinking culture will always stick- people smoke cigarettes constantly in pubs and clubs while downing drinks- what makes you think cannabis will be any different there?[/color] [QUOTE]That?s another reason that people smoke marijuana. I don?t condone either way, but by legalizing it, it will bring off the pressure from having to say yes because you would be able to do it when you get older anyway and have time to decide whether or not it?s right for you.[/QUOTE][color=#503f86]I'd have thought saying 'no' to something illegal would be much easier than saying 'no' to something legal. If you're caught in possession of marijuana you can still get arrested and that would be my major factor if anyone asked me if I wanted a tote. But if it were legal there wouldn't be a problem with me accepting under the law- it's all down to myself. That's the harder fight.[/color] [/size][/font][QUOTE]Fact: Like Zeta pointed out, most users of harder drugs have tried marijuana, but most people who smoke pot have not gone on to other drugs. Marijuana is much more accessible, so it?s easy to see why people who do things like ecstasy start there, but the ads manipulate the facts to trick you into thinking that everyone who smokes marijuana will somehow go on to other drugs.[/QUOTE][size=2][font=Verdana] [color=#503f86]The research also said that everyone who had done harder drugs had done marijuana at some point. So if you're going to do serious drugs the chances are you're going to do anything including the stuff less 'potent', but the fact is if you're willing to do an illegal substance you are [i]more likely[/i] to try something more illegal especially if you've an addictive personality, even if it's only the small majority of people who do so. But while they may not do cocaine, it's well-documented that many cannabis users also use amphetamines, something which you can overdose on. And just because you can't overdose doesn't mean that you can't become addicted.[/color] [/font][/size] [QUOTE]Fact: Marijuana is [b]not physically addictive[/b]. There is no proof in any way to say that you become dependant on the drug. You could be smoking for years, and suddenly decide to stop and it wouldn?t be much of a problem. You can become mentally addicted to a degree, but that is in no way different from becoming addicted to something like video games. Cigarettes and alcohol are addictive though. Gotta watch out for them.[/QUOTE][size=2][font=Verdana][color=#503f86]I haven't any research to back this up but I am still incredibly dubious as to whether this is actually a fact.[/color] [/font][/size][QUOTE]Fact: You do not need more marijuana to achieve the dame effect. My friend has been smoking since 8th grade and he is often gone after the second or third hit. It will usually take the same amount to make someone high, but I do believe that mindset plays an important role. For example, if you think to yourself that you won?t get high from a hit, you won?t get high.[/QUOTE][color=#503f86]I find that incredibly hard to believe, sorry. That's almost like willing yourself not to get fat after eating a whole chocolate gateau. When people are high, their own self-perception alters and they ca't see things in the same way as others do. Likewise if two people get high at the same time they believe they're experiencing great inspirational conversation but are actually just in the same state of mind as each other.[/color] [quote name='Syk3][color=black']If you don't do it more than once every week or so, there isn't too much potential harm.[/quote][/color] [color=#503f86]Like cigarettes, once or twice a week won't do you incredibly serious long-term harm in any case (although there are stories that one lungfull of cigarette smoke decreases your life by five minutes, but if it takes you five mionutes to have a cigarette then the statement's more or less redundant anyway). But you're still exposing your lung lining to some really nasty stuff. I'm not denying that there are good points to cannabis- the chemicals inside might be able to prevent pregnancies in which the embryo develops outside of the womb. But I still think legalising it for general public use would not be a very good idea. [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/cannabis/index.shtml"]BBC Science and Nature- Cannabis[/url]. That's a good place for a summary of the whole argument in a nutshell. I'm still heavily biased against smoking both tobacco and marijuana, but that's a personal opinion I've always held and I will probably never let go of, heh.[/color]

[quote name='Zeta']Marijuana is in fact, not as bad as cigarettes. It is a common mis-conception.[/quote][COLOR=#503F86]N[/COLOR][color=#503f86]ot in terms of the damage it does to your body- marijuana is a lot worse than you might think. It releases far more dangerous toxins into your body and the effect they have lasts for weeks after the initial effects. Studies (I can't name any, but I'll gladly find them if you want to) have shown that traces of the drug can still be found in people weeks after smoking even the tiniest bit. The way it effects you can be quite severe. Do you know how many car accidents are drug-raleted? Well over 40%, certainly in the UK. Legalise it and you'll get a hell of a lot more people doing it in places they wouldn't have before. Considering the huge amount of smokers about, hypothetically if they all changed over to marijuana we'd be in deep trouble. It's not just the body it releases harmful toxins into- it releases them into the air, as well. Forget car exhausts- if you got everyone in the world to stop smoking I'm sure there'd be a huge decrease in the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. I am incredibly opposed to all of this, cigarettes included. I can't understand why someone would willingly ingest all these disgusting things into their bodies. I'll admit that there are times I've been saying things that it would look 'suitable' to have a cigarette in my hand, but I hate the media for having created that image in my head. Frankly I feel much better knowing my body's in a far better state of health than the rest of the chain smokers and druggies about, even if they might be having a better time.[/color] [QUOTE]Because they are not legally allowed to smoke it perhaps? Either way you look at it, they are still breaking the law. Legally they cannot be smoking it, but adults can. So naturally they smoke because they are breaking the law, a law that many don't care about, but still a law.[/QUOTE][color=#503f86]They don't do it just because it's a law to brea. A lot of the people I know who smoke did it underage not because they wanted to break the law, but because it was something they felt pressured into doing- "I want to smoke socially because everyone else is." And even then, the others must have been affected by something. If you legalise it all you're allowing people to do is get something dangerous more easily. Medicinal usage of marijuana isn't the same as what druggies sell- it's far less concentrated and is specially refined to aid the specific symptoms of the person they're prescribed to. I don't mind it being used for that if it genuinely helps someone get better. But using the 'medicinal properties' as an excuse to get normal cannabis legalised to the same extent as cigarettes seems disgusting to me, because they aren't the same sort of stuff.[/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]I think the answer's simple- people sweat when they get embarrassed or nervous, but rather than have to draw little beads of sweat on a character that might potentially be moving very fast or that you might not be able to see properly (say, from behind the head), it's more convenient to draw one big one that can be seen. And that in turn adds to comic value. Anyway, plese try and add more detail to threads when you start them- and to posts in general. Excessively short posts are deleted as spam on OB, so you need to take care to put as much detail in as you can, and making full use of proper punctuation is always appreciated, too. Thread closed.[/COLOR]

[quote name='fluffyfan']i don't know any others......sorry...[/quote][COLOR=#503F86]That's as well as may be, but please don't post like this in future. This really is spam- it's too short and doesn't add anything helpful to the topic anyway. Please be sure to check the [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?]Rules[/URL] for further information.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]It's all very well knowing what you've seen, but what you like is more important when it comes to taking recommendations. And really, there's not much help we can do here. Any trailers you can see will help you out (the ADV website has quite a range on offer), and theOtaku Redifined sections on specific anime should be able to give you a decent clue as to what you will or won't like. Thread closed- it's really not going to go anywhere, I'm afraid.[/COLOR]

[quote name='KiraStrike29']i think gundam seed has some of the best looking effects around.[/quote][COLOR=#503F86]Guys, please watch the length of your posts. If they continue to get shorter I'll close the thread. I know it's merely stating an opinion, but it's much more interesting to think about [i]why[/i] you think a particular anime looks great- what about it in particular makes it better than other high-budget animes, for example. Detail is appreciated.[/COLOR]

[color=#503f86]There's also The Anime Network/Channel (I'm not too sure what it's called). You need cable to see it, but it shows a lot of the serii that've been dubbed by ADV.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Naruto is undergoing heavy arguments as to who'll get the English licensing rights to it. So it's not being broadcast on any Western stations yet. Please try and create a little more coherency when starting a thread, Jin. Even paragraphs would help, heh. I hope your questions have been answered. But now, I'm going to close the thread. Many of these questions could be answered using a Search Engine- my initial suggestion when trying to look for any anime-related information is to scour them [i]first[/i], and then ask if you're truely stumped.[/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]See, I was put off buying Pretear because from the trailers it looed to me like an incredible Magic Knight Rayearth rip-off. I love Rayearth, and I know I'd have a skewed view of the series even before I started watching it. The theme tune didn't exactly grab my attention much- I've heard so many more like it on the StarChild Best CDs it just didn't seem original enough. There are bits that look interesting, but I can't help thinking 'That's Ascott', or 'That's Hikaru' whenever I see the characters. It makes me angry. But if people can tell me what's good about it then I might give it a shot. 13 episodes seems pretty good: Magic Knight Rayearth became slow and repetitive fairly frequently, even though I enjoyed it all. 58 episodes was a few too many, though.[/COLOR]

[color=#503f86]I'm going to leave this thread open for the moment because I think it provides a more interesting question than the usual 'Who is your favourite character' threads, but if it turns into that sort of discussion I'll merge the two. But please be mindful of your post quality, animewiseman. I was close to closing this because the post looked pretty spammy on first glance- a little consideration to spelling checks and adding a little more detail would work quite nicely, heh. You can check the [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?"]Rules[/url] and [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/faq.php?"]FAQ[/url] pages if there's anything you're unsure of. Anyway, I think good characters come in may forms, and usually it's in the delivery of the dialogue that the character comes across. I don't mean in terms of the voice-acting necessarily, but more interms of the actual dialogue itself. i tend to prefer characters who have more complex emtotional bases and histories- the more ambiguity and balance a certain character shows, the more I'm interested. Simple stereotyped characters can be just as effective if played off another stereotype, but they run the risk of being two-dimensional. The emotions conveyed to make compelling characters will depend on the situation: a comedy can create characters as interesting to watch as a serious production, but generally it's the moments of tension that create the most interesting characters, for me- perhaps moments of rage, ambivalence, sadness- any emotion shown by the character should evoke an emotion from the audience, and if it's emotive enough we start feeling empathy towards the character and hence they become compelling to watch. Although usually it's the rapport that you develop with the character that makes you want to follow their story through, not necessarily just follow their character for the sake of seeing them in a context. In Trigun I found both Wolfwood and Vash compelling because of the way they acted together and alone- the writing of their characters and the arguments both of them presented I found incredibly interesting and very relevant to life in general. But at the same time, a more 'simple' character (in terms of his role) like Legato I found interesting t watch too, for the main reason that he was so brutally evil. So it works both ways, really.[/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]As happens with most things, the more meticulously you plan something, the more likely it is to fall apart. But then, if you have no direction then the thing's likely to get lost. I tend to have a clear vision of what ending I want to an RPG so that, in an emergency, I can write that up and pretty much finish it there and then (as I did with my Yu-Gi-Oh: Exodia's Legacy RP ages and ages ago). I think if you try and create too much unneccessary detail that doesn't actually relate to the plot then people could get bored, unless it's really interesting stuff. But at the same time, I've not seen any RPGs recently that I've felt I've wanted to sign up for because nothing's really interested me. There has to be something original about it, otherwise it's the same of the same and doesn't leave you any scope to actually develop a new journey for a character. I like giving people free reign with their characters as much as possible: I have quite particular tastes myself so I appreciate other RPGs which do the same for me, heh. And as much as possible I'll try and choose people I know to be dedicated enough to see an RPG through regardless of the complexity of the plot- even if one I've signed up for gets incredibly complicated I still try my best to keep on with it and I'll ask if there's something I don't understand. But if people decide not to ask, that's when you can get dropping out- they don't know where they are and just don't try to find out, which leaves everyone else in a state working out whether this particular character's there or not. But that's something else entirely >.>[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]I really don't think this thread is appropriate. They've happened several times over in the past and have always degenerated into somewhat of a problem with poor-quality posts and questions of who posts the next question. And if there are only going to be 25 questions anyway, that's not allowing for very free discussion. So I'm going to have to close the thread. Sorry, heh. If you have any further questions, feel free to send me a PM.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]DarkBladez, I'd seriously recommend you look at the [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?]Rules[/URL] before posting again. Your post quality is well below the standards we expect from OtakuBoards- please refrain from using abbreviations where possible and please try and add more detail to your posts, especially if you're starting a thread about a specific anime. Unfortunately we don't have a Bastard! thread on OB at the moment, so you'll probably do better to try and find a fansite to answer your questions about the series. Thread closed.[/COLOR]

[color=#503f86]The date in the first one refers to the year the series was first made/released in Japan, the Amazon link refers to the release of the DVD itself. At least, that's what I assume: it's just the way they choose to display their information. Otherwise they look exactly the same. I had to remove your links, though- unfortunately we can't allow links to commercial sites on OB.[/color]

[quote name='Keoki']uh hi everybody!!! im kinda new (like you cant tell all ready) but uh, what the hells goin on here??? im lost and confused.....[/quote][COLOR=#503F86]Welcome to OtakuBoards, Keoki. Try not to post questions like this in unrelated threads, heh- it counts as spam. If there's something you're unsure of have a look through the FAQ and Rules pages in the blue menu to the left, and if there's something that you're still not sure of you're welcome to PM a Moderator about it. But you'd need to be more specific about what it is you want help with ^_~.[/COLOR]

[quote name='LashamaruChaos']What the hell? Someone used my name! Someone hacked into my name! Wd that is gonna get a serious whoopin! Unless that's my evil twin talking. :D[/quote] [COLOR=#503F86]Please try and keep replies to the topic at hand. If you think someone has hacked into your account, the best thing you can do is change your password, or talk to an Administrator if it gets really severe. Otherwise, not in unrelated threads ^_~[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]If this thread is to go any further, I'd like to ask people to at least explain why a certain anime character is their favourite. Posts which lack detail (and unfortunately these threads tend to attract them in droves) will cause the thread to be closed. And Captain Jack Sparrow, please don't play mod.[/COLOR]

[color=#503f86][b]Part 3: Mirrored Images[/b] She buried her face in the pillow, muffling the sound of her sobs with its warm comfort, her tears slowly soaking into the soft material. She remembered every moment she spent with him. [i]It had been an hour or two- they were slowly walking along the river side, watching swans gracefully pass by as their conversation carried into the soothing autumn breeze.[/i] [i]"Have you come far?" she asked, trying to hide her embarrassed smile.[/i] [i]The boy tilted his head. "Quite far. I've been travelling for a long time, so I can't really remember where I first started from."[/i] [i]"Really? How long as it been?"[/i] [i]She gazed at him intently. His eyes were so deep- he always looked as if he were thinking about something- even when he was in one place he was still journeying with his mind. His long hair moved gently in the breeze. Slowly, she edged her hand towards his, lightly brushing his fingers with hers. [/i] [i]A tiny stroke, almost invisible.[/i] [i]He drew his hand back slightly. "A long time. It's hard to say."[/i] [i]Blushing, she moved her hand again. "I've lived here my whole life. I've barely been outside the village, except to travel to the city for school." She stretched her fingers towards his hand, hoping for an approach that could allow her to touch, to hold it firmly in hers. [/i] [i]He twitched slightly, moving away. She held her hand and rubbed it gently- it was getting a little cold, but buzzed from the drive of her emotions.[/i] [i]"A-are you cold?" she mumbled, pulling her jacket closer in. "The wind here bites quite a lot, and you're not wearing gloves, so..." A tingling wave of anticipation crept down her spine as he drew breath in to reply.[/i] [i]"There's something I like about the cold." he replied quietly. "It's almost comforting, feeling it on my skin as I walk."[/i] [i]She blushed again. She must look like an idiot. But more than anything she wanted to be close to him. "Well, but... I'm getting rather cold, and I'm wearing a scarf. I just thought that..."[/i] [i]She stopped suddenly, her cheeks almost glowing red. He stopped and looked to her quizically.[/i] [i]"Do you want to wear my scarf? It's quite warm, and I'm really quite used to the cold," she stammered, determination in her eyes meeting his soulful gaze once again.[/i] [i]There was a tense pause. The boy stepped closer...[/i] * * * He was dreaming again. He could feel it. He always dreamt of his memories. [i]"How long has it been?"[/i] [i]The boy could feel her fingers playing over his. Startled, he drew his hand back and kept it closer to his side. Was that an accident?[/i] [i]"A long time," he said quietly, almost trying to retreat into himself. He didn't want to run away from her, but this was unexpected. He glanced over to her and saw a glimmer of disapppointment flash over her eyes.[/i] [i]Do you really want this already?[/i] [i]"It's hard to say," he added, trying to curb his air of avoidance. It wasn't that he hadn't been seeking contact, but...[/i] [i]She was blushing. He could feel her hand move closer again as she began searching for a way to reconnect. Her voice was a little wavy- he could tell her mind was distracted.[/i] [i]"I've lived here my whole life." Her fingers touched his and tried to slide between them. "I've barely been outside the village, except to travel to the city for school."[/i] [i]Slowly enough to keep her from noticing his retreats, he drew his fingers into a ball. She withdrew her hand and clasped it in her other, as if trying to console it.[/i] [i]"A-are you cold?" she stammered. "The wind here bites quite a lot, and you're not wearing gloves, so..."[/i] [i]No. I know what you want, but I can't give it to you. Not yet.[/i] [i]"There's something I like about the cold." he replied quietly. "It's almost comforting, feeling it on my skin as I walk."[/i] [i]He wasn't watching her, but looked ahead as they talked, focusing on the pathway the were taking. Suddenly, he sensed her slipping back. Turning, she saw her holding her scarf out to him, arms outstretched, barely making eye contact. And then he saw something he'd rarely seen before. In her eyes, her face- something touchingly beautiful. Stunned slightly, it took his body a few seconds to decide what to do.[/i] [i]Can I risk this? Will I hurt you if I decide either way?[/i] [i]She shuffled her feet slightly, still offering the scarf to him. Her beautiful humanity presented to him. In this way, she looked perfect. Perhaps against his rational judgement, he stepped forwards. But even rational judgement could not keep him from smiling.[/i] [i]"Actually, that would be nice."[/i] He awoke with a start. Behind him, he could hear raised voices. [b]Part 4: Devil's Advocate[/b] "What the hell did you say?" "I hate you! I hate you, I hate you! How dare you be so callous? I loved you!" A girl's voice, shrill and bursting with pain. "Well, you said I should be honest! How long would you have wanted me to lie to you, to pretend I loved you if only for your sake? Tell me!" A man roared. There was a brief moment of slience, then the boy heard the sound of sobs escaping into the distance. He didn't chance a look round. A creak of the tree's bark alerted him to a nearby presence. "I didn't wake you, did I?" A young man asked, eyeing the boy. "Oh, no." The boy lied, shuffling himself into a more upright posiiton. The man sat down next to him, sighing. "Must have scared a few birds, though." A brief silence. "Relationships are nothing but trouble," the man said quietly, staring at the ground in front of him, jabbing the earth with a twig. "Are they?" the boy replied, a hint of disagreement colouring his voice. The man turned to look at him. "Well, they're not [i]just[/i] trouble. But they certainly cause a lot of it." The boy shrugged. "I guess they do. But... it doesn't have to be like that. You just need to find the right person." "Yeah, but once you find them, they have to find you back. Love isn't a one-way process." There was another awkward silence. The boy glanced over at the man, who had thrown the twig away and was now staring into the leaves of the trees above them. "Is that why you two had an argument?" The man laughed. "Not really. I doubt there was ever any real love in it. When we met she was lonely and I was unsatisfied. The circumstances forced us into something that wasn't really tangible. So we were never right for each other in the first place." "Ah, I see." The boy rested his head against the tree and looked out onto the landscape. The sun had appeared, shedding its golden light over the cliffs, hills and trees. The river weaved its shimmering path through them, trailing off into the distance. "So what about you?" The man's broken silence caused the boy to jump. He smiled nervously. "Sorry?" "What's your take on love?" "Oh... I don't really know." The man drew back. "What do you mean 'You don't know'? Haven't you ever fallen in love with someone?" "I don't know. People have fallen in love with me, but I don't think I ever gave myself a chance to love them back." "What were they like?" The boy gave a questioning look to the man, who gestured for him to answer. "Well... they were all nice. I'd certainly be friends with all of them, but..." "Okay, so why didn't you love them?" "I didn't want to hurt them." The man laughed. "That's absurd! How can loving them hurt them?" The boy tensed. "It's not that I'd hurt them by loving them, it's more that I didn't want to commit myself to something when I didn't know what I wanted for myself yet. I'd hurt them if I discovered that I would be happier elsewhere." "So what, did you just run away?" "I told them I'd give them an answer once I knew what I was looking for." "And have you answered any of them?" The boy fell silent. They wouldn't still be waiting for him, would they? "I see." The man leant forwards, resting his elbows on his knees. "You're quite dangerous, kid." "Dangerous?" "Yeah. Love won't wait for you- you have to take it while it's there, otherwise all you'll feel is regret." "But how do you know when it's real love? People have told me that they love me but I haven't loved them back. Does that mean I should take them and be done with it?" "No, but you should at least be honest with them. Leaving them hanging on like you have only leads them to disingegrate until they're a shadow, merely waiting for you to come back. And even if you did, they probably wouldn't be the same as when you left." "You don't know that! What's to say they won't forget about me and find someone else?" "Listen, you know people and I know people. And I get the feeling you're the kind of guy a girl could get very attached to. A rarity. If you aren't honest with them then all they'll do is keep trying to find you, even though all they're doing is chasing an unreachable dream." "But... I don't know if I love them or not." "Choose one." "What?" "Choose [i]one[/i]. You can't love everyone." "But I don't know..." "You don't know much, do you? Just pick the one you like best and go with her." The boy rose to his feet. "That's ridiculous. It doesn't work like that!" "Oh, then how does it work?" "I..." "You don't know, do you? Are you honestly going to tell me you're going to search the entire world first and [i]then[/i] make your decision? That's impossible!" The boy bit his lip, turning away. "Even if you did manage to do it, by the time you did you'd be too old and you'd have forgotten to live. You die, alone, having never reached anything despite having the opportunities handed to you." The boy said nothing, but his hands shook. "Okay, maybe I phrased it wrong," The man said, more quietly. "But my point is that you won't know what love you want unless you let yourself experience it. Believe it or not, once you've given them a chance to love you then they'll be more prepared to let you go if it's not suitable. Just do it." "You mean I should say I love them [i]knowing[/i] it's not going to be forever, like you did to that girl? I don't want to hurt people in that way. If I know it's not going to last then they're better off finding someone who will really love them." There was another silence. The wind began to blow again. "How many people have told you that they loved you?" The man asked. "Five," the boy whispered. "In those exact words?" "Not all of them." "What did you say to them?" "I said... When someone says they love you it's only right that you should return their feelings. There were different forms of love being shown to me: sexual, crushes, kindred spirit. They all wanted to hear my love in return. I wanted to return it, and in some cases I did. But I didn't lie. I did love them, but love itself is too broad a term for an affection that can be felt in hundreds of different ways. The love I felt for some was stronger than that which I felt for others and it manifested itself in different ways, but even then I didn't see what I was looking for." "Then what are you looking for?" "I don't know yet. But I think I'll know when I find it." "And how are you going to find it if you don't look properly?" The wind blew again. The two of them stared at each other in silence. Finally, the boy picked up his bag and slung it over his back. "If you can tell someone that you don't love them, that's half the battle. Never mind how that may hurt them- if you don't do it, all you'll do is hurt them more. And if you [i]can't[/i] tell someone that you don't love them, then I think you'll have found what you're looking for." "So where should I go?" The man stood up and brushed off his coat "I think your first task should be to give those who you promised answers to an answer. You can't let yourself be blinded by sentiment when something so important is on the line." The boy nodded. "I've been doing this the whole way. I didn't mean to lead people on like this. But I didn't want to be nasty to them." "Hey, it's alright. We all make mistakes. And some people are just more attractive than others, even as friends. Just make sure in future that they know from the start where you stand, and anything else should be theirs to deal with. If you try to take everything upon yourself all you'll end up with is a trail of uncertainty and trapped grief. Have faith in people that they can heal themselves over time, but they can only if you hand them the key with which to do so: your answer." The boy smiled. "All right. Thank you, sir." A hearty slap on the back almost knocked the boy over. "Go on, get out of here. You've some people to catch up with." A grateful smile spread over the boy's face. He gave a last grateful look back over his shoulder, a quick wave goodbye, and began walking back towards the village he'd left that morning.[/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]If the monsters were originally summoned correctly, then it's probably the same process as using Monster Reborn. But if a card specifically says 'This card can only be summoned by a Fusion/Ritual/Tribute', then you wouldn't be able to do it. So Dark Paladin would be out of the question, for example. Do you mean, as if Jinzo was summoned by the effect? Return to the Different Dimension's effect would still be applied, because it reolves when all of the Monsters are summoned. So Jinzo's effect would come into play after that.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]Pain is only one of many different aspects of love. To say that love only hurts is silly, because if it's right then it brings a great mutual sense of euphoria for both people. There are times when everyone thinks 'I'll never fall in love again', and I've even thought it myself. But it's part of human instinct to want and need to be close to other people, specifically to one person in particular above all others. So it's only natural that people continue to find someone who they will always want to be with and that will always want to be with them. But as much as people are humans, humans are people. And people argue, get drunk, sleep with other people and all that jazz... if someone's prepared to do that to someone else then the chances are they're not really in love with anyone. Love does hurt, but for the right reasons. It hurts when you're not with the person that you love, or if the love isn't being requited as much as it should, if it feels wrong in some way, or if love has ended. It's a sign that something needs to be sorted out, as some kind of warning. But that doesn't mean that love is bad. It's just something to be very careful with, because it consumes so much of you that when it's not there, you will be hurt,[/COLOR]

[color=#503f86]Fantastic! ^_____^ This is the kind of stuff I want to see, heh. If anyone else has any ideas for classes or homework assignments, feel free to put them in whenever you like. [/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]And I'm glad the lesson descriptions helped. Sorry I've been so long posting myself, but college starting has thrown up a few problems. Anyway, as soon as I can I'll type up a list of which students are in which classes to make things easier for character interaction.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]EDIT: Okay, here are the lesson lists for each student character (excluding all the compulsory ones). Correct me if there's anything that needs to be added.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][b]Soushi:[/b] Bishieology, Kendo, Counselling, Transformation, Hero Ethics and Villain Ethics.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][b]Oberon:[/b] Use of Oversized Weapons, Magic Casting, Bishieology, Hero Ethics.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][b]Vegitable:[/b] Creative Writing, ?Extra? Sports, Metalwork and Forgery, Transformation, Counselling, Villain Ethics[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][b]Kiyoshi:[/b] [color=#000000]Use of Oversized Weapons, Creative Writing, Hair and Beauty, Metalwork and Forgery[/color] [/color] [color=#503f86][b]Suzuki:[/b] Use of Oversized Weapons, Monster Control w/ Applied Spirt Taming, Hair and Beauty, Transformation, Hero Ethics[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][b]Jessica:[/b] [color=#000000]Bishieology, Psychology of the Hero, Counseling, Creative Writing, Villain Ethics[/color] [/color] [color=#503f86][b]Imric:[/b] [color=#00bfff]Magic casting, Bishieology, Hair and Beauty, Creative Writing[/color] [/color] [color=#503f86][b]Sabre:[/b] Use of Oversized Weapons, Villain Ethics, Hero Ethics, Metalwork and Forgery, Bishieology, Creative Writing[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][b]Katamaru (Kat):[/b] [color=#00008b]Monster Control w/ Applied Spirit Taming, Metalwork and Forgery, Transformation[/color] [/color] [color=#503f86][b]Yabaku28:[/b] [font=Arial][color=#000000]Monster Control w/ Applied Spirit Taming, Magic Casting, Metalwork and Forgery, Transformation, Cooking[/color][/font] [/color] [color=#503f86][b]Rei-rargh:[/b] [/color][color=#000000]Bishieology, Counselling, Hair and Beauty, Transformation, Use of Oversized Weapons[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][b]Aya:[/b] [/color]Hair and Beauty, Bishieology, Transformation, Counseling [color=#503f86][b]Mima:[/b] [color=#808080] Creative Writing, Magic Casting, Transformation[/color][/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]A thought occurs: Would it be easier to make all lessons compulsory? [/color]

[i]The dark mass at the centre of the blood-red plateau groaned quietly as a horde of Digimon trooped towards it, each holding onto the edge of a massive piece of glowing metal. As they reached the cliff-face overlooking the gigantic crater, the metal glowed a brilliant cyan. Ripples of green energy flowed from it, in synergy with a green throbbing pulse being emitted from veis running up the side of the large dark structure. [/i] [i]The Digimon threw the metal to the ground below. Its sharp end plunged into the ground before the whole thing toppled over. Dark geen tendrils pushed their way through steaming valves in the plateau floor and crept towards the metal. As soon as the first touched it, they sprang into action, completely enveloping it. [/i] [i]The mass in the centre of the plateau hummed quietly, satisfied, before a deep rasping breath echoed through the desolate land...[/i] * * * The General licked his lips. The blood of his enemies flowing from their bodies, draining their life, purifying [i]his[/i] Earth... such a feeling. He drew his fist back from the prisoner's stomach- the guards watched with pale faces, sickened more and more with each passing second. The prisoner wretched, ejecting blood from his mouth. He let in a rasping breath, lurching back in his restraining chair with each movement of his bruised diaphragm. "I will not tolerate the silence." The General hissed."I know you have important information for me. For the world. The world wants to hear what you have to say, so that it can be saved." Chain's muscles were twitching in errattic spasms. He forced his hea up and stared directly into the General's human eye. "Bite me. I'm just working for a small human colony delivering-" [i]SLAM.[/i] The General's hand crashed across Chain's face, knocking the entire chair to the floor. "Do you expect me to believe your heinous lies? You've the Devil inside you! Repent and give me your information now, or be forever cursed under his Lord's ground." Chain gritted his teeth, spitting out another mouthful of blood. Sloewly, he felt the world around him begin to slip away as he passed into unconsciousness. ?Filthy creature." The General muttered, clicking his fingers sharply. The two guards removed Chain from the chair and carefully laid him on a stretcher, carrying him silently out of the room. As he left, the General scowled at a guard outside the door, who looked as if he were about to vomit at the sight of Chain's battered body. "You!" The General spat. "Bring me Imahori!" * * * [color=#503f86]The cells along the high-security section of the prison wing stood eerily silent. A cold breeze swept though the corridor like a phantom, carrying with it the faint scent of death. The door at the end shot open and the soldiers wheeled the gurney towards the empty cell, where they upturned it, slammed he door shut and left, having deposited their patheticaly beaten cargo. When the guards had disappeared, one of the subjects in an adjoining cell made a move. "Chain? Chain, is that you? Say something, buddy." Crossfire was relieved to hear his friend's voicebu it sounded desperately hurt. "Geez, I feel like crap. Somebody get me a stuff drink or I'll pass out." Chain replied, unable to move. Just as Crossfire was about to move again, the door at the end crashed open. A familiar but shakey figure hurried inside...[/color] * * * "S-sir, there's no sign of Imahori anywhere in the building. H-his keycard and uniform have been found inside his bedroom, and the security cameras have been deactivated..." The soldier's voice trailed off as The General rose to his feet, a look of furious terror sweeping over his face. "He wouldn't dare..." he whispered. "He wouldn't... FIND HIM! Search every corner of this building- I want him found and brought to me IMMEDIATEY!" But it was too late. A low rumbling shook the room. Bits of plaster fell from the walls and the table shook violently. An explosion from an adjoining corridor shattered the walls- The General toppled to his feet, desperately trying to claw his way free. When the shockwave passed over him, he could hear voices crying out in agony. His soldiers. His followers. His family, dying... Pulling himself to his feet, he ripped open a piece of metal on the wall. The secret tunnel he'd had installed was crippled, but passable. He leapt down the steps and into the darkness. * * * [color=#503f86]Gatomon nimbly leapt over a crack in the ground, wary of the low rumbling noises echoing throughout the caverns behind them. "Hurry up, you three! We don't want to be stuck down here when another tremor hits!" Fladramon ran his claw over the wall of the cave. "Are you sure it was a tremor? This rock feels burnt..." "We'll worry about it [i]later[/i]!" Gatomon scowled. "Right now, we-" Her outburst was interrupted by a loud booming noise. Behind them the ground split in two- a huge section of rock slipped downwards into a newly-formed chasm and disappeared into the darkness. The ground shook violently- they desperately tried to keep their balance while escaping the rapidly-crumbling ground at their heels. The cave ahead split into two- with Fladramon hauling Andromon onto his back, they sprinted into the left-hand pathway. Almost immediately, the quake stopped. They could hear the rumbling close by, and small rocks tumbled into the tunnel behind them, but the bit they were standing on seemed irregularly solid. They carried on running- up ahead they could see a dim light shimmering on the cave walls. [i]"The control room?"[/i] Fladramon thought. No, they hadn't travelled that far back yet. Then what... His question was answered instantaneously. They burst into a huge cavern, in the centre of which was a large plate of shimmering turquoise metal. It had a charred tinge to it and looked as if it were only part of a larger structure- its edges were jagged and torn. On its surface were tiny hieroglyph-esque carvings, each pulsating with light. "What's that?" Deciperemon gasped. In a normal situation, Gatomon would have admitted her interest, but for now they still had an earthquake to escape from. "Look at the Christm decorations later- we have to go!" "This could be important!" Fladramon protested as Andromon slid from his back and onto his now fully-funtional body. "For what?" Gatomon spat. "It's going to burden us too much- this whole cave could collapse at any moment." Andromon tilted his head. "Actually..." He ran his scanners over the surrounding area, sweeping as much of the cavern as possible. "...this area appeas to be stable. My analysis would be that this artifact, whatever it is, is keeping the surrounding structure stable. Perhaps we should take it back to the control room for analysis." "They won't be up to analysing much after that earthquake." Deciperemon pondered, moving closer to the sheet of metal. "Well, we need to get back anyway. This could be helpful to them." Fladramon motioned to Andromon to grab the other side- the two of them pulled hard and it slid free from the surrounding earth. After locating a narrow exit tunnel, they slowly began making their way back- Andromon's scanners listened through the walls for noise of other beings to suggest whether they were on the right track. Soon enough, they emerged from a long, pitch-black tunnel at the end of which they could see a series of flashlight bulbs scanning the rocky corridor. Fladramon summoned a small fireball into his hand as a signal for the search party. "Hey, over here!"[/color]

[color=#503f86]I will. The next posts's going to be a pretty long one that goes over a lot of action, explanations and really sets in motion the final segments of the RPG. I started writing it a few days ago, but unfortunately I got distracted and I didn't manage to finish it when I wanted to. Figures, heh. But I'll try and get it up tonight- while a heck of a lot will be in this next post, some of the important character interaction (like Azufe finding out what happened) may have to wait until the next. I'll see what I can do, heh ^_~. EDIT: I'm sorry it took so long. This post really sets in motion the beginning of the end of this RPG. Takuya/Wondershot/Ouka, if you could get your characters to somewhere central in the mountain base it would be handy, heh. Then the full situation can be explained.[/color]

[b]2.23pm, September 6th[/b] [color=#503f86]Sabre watched the students pile into their Transformation classroom, half-interested to know what it was like to study. He'd applied to take it in his first Senior year, but had been banned from doing so by his father for some unknown reason. Sabre really really hated his parents. Well, his dad counted for both of them, since his mother had run off with some other wolf-hybrid thing just after he was born. His older brothers had said it was a change for the better, as they got to do more of whatever they liked and their scores on evil subjects almost tripled in school. It certainly gave his father a lot more press, too, and it was about that time that he'd gotten to know Principal Okari. He started walking back towards his apartment, so deep in thought that he didn't notice the first-year he trampled underneath his feet in the locker corridor. Sabre half-wished [a lot of his activities he did by 'half'] he was one of his older brothers. At least then he'd have known what he was missing with a mother's influence. One of Principal Okari's praimary theories in the rise of villainy was a missing parent or unloving family member. And really, it wasn't that his famly didn't love him (his four older brothers thought him quite an entertaining oddiy and frequently engaged in rough games whenever he or they came over to visit), it was that he just wasn't as evil as they were and hence, they didn't get along. But it wasn't even as if he was particularly good at being good, either. Most of the time he came off as a grouch, neither here nor there and probably most destined to become an overbearing janitor, hotel receptionist or travelling salesman or something. As he reached the frint doors of the school, a loud growling noise erupted from his stomach. "Eh, I could do with some lunch." He whirled round on his heel, knocking someone to the ground with a satisfying squishy noise, and made a wolf-beeline for the cafeteria.[/color]