RPG OtakuBoards Survivor 4: Team Argo [E]

[Sandy]

[font=Century Gothic][center][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/4-flag-argo.png[/IMG][/center]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Welcome to OtakuBoards Survivor 4 and your Team Thread, [b]Team Argo[/b]! This thread is meant for only you guys and me, and I hope that you will use this place to communicate with each other rather than private messages. Feel free to talk about whatever you want in this thread, because it all serves to your team spirit.

Here are the profiles of your members:
[indent][strike][b]Allamorph/Shade[/b]
19 years old male from USA
Strengths: Discussion/Debates, Creative Writing
Weaknesses: Art/Graphics, Anime/Manga[/strike]

[strike][b]kalon[/b]
16 years old female from USA
Strengths: Creative Writing, RPGs
Weaknesses: Social Interaction, Art/Graphics[/strike]

[/indent][/COLOR]

---

Your first challenge is quite simple, and it?s the same for all four teams.

[center][size=5]First Challenge: Teaming Up[/size][/center]

In order to build up your team, you will have to decide upon several things. Here?s a task list that you must [b]complete within a week[/b], meaning everything must be done by January 27th.
[indent][b]1.[/b] First things first, each of you must [b]introduce yourself[/b] to your team mates. How you do this is up to you, just at least tell them a little something about yourself.
[b]2.[/b] Having your team named after an administrator doesn?t describe you guys very well, so why don?t you [b]come up with a team name of your own[/b]. It can be whatever you want, within reason, and it will replace the name your team has now. Just don?t make it too long so that it?ll fit everywhere.
[b]3.[/b] Then decide your team?s [b]color[/b] out of those listed in the color-menu. The color must also clearly differ from those of all other teams, so one team cannot have plain red while another has dark red. Its first come first served with this one, so you might want to reserve a color you want at the main thread.
[b]4.[/b] You also have to decide who will be your first [b]Team Captain[/b]. You can do it by voting or by a battle of wills, whatever you choose.
[b]5.[/b] Using your team?s new name and color, make a [b]flag[/b] for your team to replace the holder I put to the top of this post. The flag must be [b]300x100 pixels[/b] in size, no more, no less. The flag [b]must[/b] contain the name and color of your team, but nothing stops you from adding more details to it. You are free to use the flag as a banner in your signature if you so choose.
[b]6.[/b] After these tasks, your chosen [b]captain will report everything[/b] you?ve come up (captain, team name, color and flag) [b]to the main OBS4 thread[/b]. The team with the most effective teamwork, the most describing name and the most creative flag will win this challenge, while the other three teams will face their first Team Council, where three players will be voted off.
[b]7.[/b] Please note that if a player doesn?t post even once during this first challenge, he or she will be [b]replaced by a standby player[/b] before the Team Councils.[/indent]

If any questions rise about this challenge or about the use of this thread, don?t hesitate to ask. Now, [b]Team Adam, GO![/b][/font]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]Well, guess I'll be the one to kick things off then! I'd like to start off by saying how excited I am to have been placed in this team, seeing as I've never really interacted with any of you before, save for Shy on a few rare occasions. It's really great to be with people I don't know.

There's not much to know about me, but I'll go ahead anyway. Being from the UK means I'm currently in college, studying A levels. I'm hoping to study Creative Writing or Japanese History at University, which will be starting for me next year.

I'm learning to drive in a couple of months, and looking forward to it like crazy. I love art and design, specifically fashion as well as drawing my own original characters in manga style. When I was in the last Survivor I played as Kuja, from Final Fantasy 9, and as some may know I usually prefer to play male characters or strong, masculine females. I'm not sure why, I've just always been that way inclined which is why I like having masculine usernames (and is what usually leads people to think I'm male).


As far as our colour goes, I'd like to suggest [COLOR=DarkOrange][B]Dark Orange[/B][/COLOR], because I love bright colours and it stands out nicely. I see I'm the only one who listed art as a strength, so I'd really love it if everyone was happy with me doing the flag after we've discussed it.

As for a team captain, I'd like to suggest [B]Kathy[/B]. I honestly can't think of a better person to guide us through the challenges and to be our spokeswoman. As for our name, well?I really can?t say I have any suggestions. Just something short, snappy and unique is what I?d like to go for, but I?m pretty easy-going in that sense.[/SIZE]

[kalon]

Hello, my lovely team. I'm kalon, a teenager with way too much time on her hands, a Legend of Zelda obsession, and a tendency to be random enough to scare people. I spend a whole lot of my time reading rare word dictionaries, and I'm writing a novel. Neil Gaiman and Lewis Carroll are my favorite authors, so it's a given that I love [i]Alice's Adventures in Wonderland[/i] and [i]The Sandman[/i] series.

I'm free thinking, stubborn as the mules my town holds a holiday for (spring break in Columbia Tennessee is centered around when Mule Day falls), and try my best to get along with people. Ironically, I'm shyer about approaching people on the internet than I am in real life. Which is why I'm here, hoping to get to know everyone better.

I'm a bit under the weather right now, having just been sent home from school, but I'll be fine to participate.

For a name, I adore the word [i]Xenomancy[/i]. It's a noun meaning, to quote the Luciferous Logolepsy dictionary, "fortunetelling by studying the first stranger that appears." It just strikes my fancy.

I'm not sure about Team Captain. [b]Allamorph[/b] is the only person here I've ever interacted with, and I'd definitely follow him if he wanted to be leader. Maybe we could make it like school student elections and anyone who wants to be captain can give us a speech?

I like [color=DarkOrchid]Dark Orchid[/color] as a color. It's one that people seem to ignore, but I feel it's pretty.

And [b]Zeke[/b], I think it would be great if you'd do our flag after we pick a color/name. I love your spiffy Mello set. (I've only read up to volume five, so I haven't officially met Mello yet.)

[Shy]

[size=1]First and foremost, I'm a nerd the likes of which rarely see the light of day. I know a lot about Comic Books, and I know a tremendous amount about Animation. Beyond that, my obsessions are fairly diverse: including Journalism, Public Radio, Useless Trivia, and Disneyland. I often worry that I devote too much of my time to pursuing these interests, but I'm certain that these will lead me to a life far more exciting than the straight-and-narrow course would provide.

Currently I'm enrolled in college, although my major is undecided and subject to change without notice. Chances are it will be something involving writing, since that's always been a passion of mine. I've been on OB for nearly 6 years, and during that time have held just about every staff position. More importantly, I've made some wonderful, life-changing friendships over the years.

Like Zeke, I've had little experience working with the various members of this team. Kathy and Zeke I have spoken to on a few occasions, but this will give me a good chance to get to know my team much better.

As a way to get to know one another, I suggest we have an ongoing interview in this thread. I will post the first question, and the next person to post has to answer it. Then they post a question of their own, rinse and repeat. These questions can be anything, but my question is: [b]What do you do for fun outside of the internet?[/b]

Personally I prefer [b][color=green]Green[/color][/b] to [b][color=darkorange]Dark Orange[/color][/b], but agree that orange is a more exciting color. As for a team name, I'd love to hear everyone else's suggestions. My idea is based in mythology: [i]The Argonauts[/i], or [i]Team Argo[/i] for short.

[b]Kathy[/b] would be a fantastic leader, and I second the nomination to put her in in charge.

-Shy[/size]

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]Hey.

Right. I am quite pleased to be up here with you guys, especially you, [COLOR=Blue]Kathy[/COLOR], ma'am. Good to be back with you. Perhaps our good fortune will continue.

Aaaaaalll [I]RIGHT[/I]-y, then. I am (as of now) Shade, though if you prefer 'Shades', go right ahead. I was raised in the South (South Carolina, where the food is second to none) by a Yankee, and thus, combined with my love of reading, I was gifted with the ability to alter my accent on a whim. I am as insufferably British as an American can possibly be (no offense, [COLOR=Blue]Zeke[/COLOR]), and I have been informed that I have an incredibly dry sene of humor. Personally, I am glad I actually [I]possess[/I] said sense, as I have found people without one, and they are always terribly depressing to hang with.

Because I find the process of learning fascinating, I am good at a variety of things. I am currently a music major, but I enjoy higher level mathematics, science, literature, baseball, Ultimate Frisbee, anime (obviously, else I probably wouldn't have come here), video games, and generally doing diddley-squat. I also fancy myself a writer, and I find talking about myself somewhat rather odd, so forgive me for being squirrelly.

No doubt other of my characteristics will come to light as time progresses, so I shall move onwardly.

Oh, yes. This is random, but I have learned how to sleep with my ears turned on.

I am gratified to have been nominated for captain, and should I be appointed, I will do everything in my power to fulfill the position's requirements, but I would prefer the role to go to someone who's had a little more time here. I will second [COLOR=Blue]Kathy[/COLOR]'s nomination, as she is most definitely my elder and thus worthy of the position, and we shall see what we shall see.

As for a color, I'm open. I am in favor of either [COLOR=DArkGreen]Green[/COLOR] or [COLOR=DarkOrange]Dark Orange[/COLOR], since I would rather not make us any more morbid-looking than necessary. (My personal favorites are black, white, silver, and deep blue.) [COLOR=DarkOrange]Dark Orange[/COLOR] would be just fine, since, as [COLOR=Blue]Shy[/COLOR] put it, it is definitely more exciting.

[center]------------------------[/center][/FONT]

[SIZE=1][B]What do you do for fun outside the internet?[/B][/SIZE]
[FONT=Arial]
See above listing. I read, write fiction, hike, play trombone (orchestral, symphonic, and jazz), play video games, Ultimate Frisbee, and participate in the occasional Nerf Wars in our dorm. I also like to just think sometimes; it can be very relaxing.

[B][strike]What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?[/strike][/B]

Just kidding.

[B]What is your favorite season, and why?[/B][/FONT]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1][B]What do you do for fun outside of the internet?[/B]
-I'm a very boring person, and I find the most joy in personal things rather than with a group of people. I love drawing and creative writing, and do both outside the internet and probably for longer. I also play video games, with KHII being my vice of the moment. Reading is a big thing in my life as well, whether it be something by Stephen King, Terry Pratchett or a historical book (right now I'm getting through [I]Legends of the Samurai[/I]), as well as a good old manga.

[B]What is your favorite season, and why?[/B]
-For me, it's probably Spring. I don't like extremes of weather as I have a problem with my nervous system that seems to cause me not to regulate temperature very well. I have extreme reactions to too much heat and suffer very badly in the cold, so something in between is nice for me. While I prefer cold to hot, the only thing I really can't stand is strong winds. They frighten me terribly.

Next:[B] Are there any odd tricks you've discovered you can pull off?[/B]
(Something like touching your eyeball--you know, the cool gross things. :p )[/SIZE]

[kalon]

[B]What do you do for fun outside of the internet?[/B]
There's a life outside of internet? Seriously though, reading, writing, and video games fill my time. Like Zeke, I like the personal things, where you can make our own decisions without worrying too much about other people.

Right now, although I don't know if most would count this as fun, I'm working on my mock trial case. (I'm a lawyer on my team.) We got it in November, and the competition where we play out the trial against other schools is in February. It's hard work, but by the time we compete, it's well worth it. You never know what the other team's going to try, and since this year's case is murder with an insanity defense, it's going to be interesting.

[B]What is your favorite season, and why?[/B]
Fall would definitely be my favorite. The clear blue skies are just gorgeous, there's that little stretch of the time where the air is comfortably chill, and, of course, the leaves are gorgeous.

[B] Are there any odd tricks you've discovered you can pull off?[/B]
(Something like touching your eyeball--you know, the cool gross things. :p )
Being the kind of child that knows better than to touch the pretty fire, yet always wants to, I just tried to touch my eyeball. It turns out I can.

New question: [b]If you could take a trip to any one place in the world, where would you want to go and why?[/b]

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]Mmm. I had hoped to wait until [COLOR=Blue]Mrs. Kathy[/COLOR] had joined us, but my time today is limited, and so....
[quote name='Ezekiel][Size=1']There's not much to know about me....[/Size][/quote]
I disagree, but then I am a staunch optimist when it comes to persons; I refuse to believe anyone is a boring vegetable of a person. Don't be so self-depricating. (^_^)

It occurs to me that we've given almost no thought to a team name. This is only Day 1, so naturally things are a little slow, but since we are currently the most active team, I feel we need to keep these things in mind. I kind of like [B]The Argonauts[/B] myself, but then I get the feeling that we're all just deferring to the first person to say [I]"Hey, what about this?"[/I]. Besides, it's catchy and all, but does it really describe us?
[quote name='Sandy][FONT=Century Gothic']Having your team named after an administrator doesn?t describe you guys very well....[/FONT][/quote]
I feel certain that [COLOR=DarkRed]Sandy[/COLOR] didn't just say that to hear himself talk ... er, type, so I'm assuming that it's inherent in the challenge. When [COLOR=Blue]Mrs. Kathy[/COLOR] arrives, we'll know a bit more.

...of course, we could always go with [B]The Unmistakables[/B]. :smirk:

[COLOR=Blue]Zeke[/COLOR], by all means be our flag designer. You're the only one among us who claims giftedness in that area, so I feel you the most qualified. Take it and roll with it.

Oh, and [B]Team Dagger[/B] is also looking at [COLOR=Green]Green[/COLOR], and somewhat at [COLOR=DarkOrange]Orange[/COLOR], so if we really want either of them, we'd better grab them now.

[center]---------------------------------[/center][/FONT]

[Size=1][B]What do you do for fun outside the internet?[/B][/size]
[FONT=Arial]Answered, but left up for [COLOR=Blue]Mrs. Kathy[/COLOR]'s benefit.

[B]What is your favorite season, and why?[/B]

I prefer winter; it's colder, snows occasionally, and I get to wear long sleeves and my black wool overcoat without being overly uncomfortable. Also, like [COLOR=Blue]Zeke[/COLOR], I don't cope well in heat: I get migraines very easily and find it difficult to breath. Winter feels wonderful.

Although, I also like that really short period of time in late Fall / early Spring when the temperature is about 76 or so and there's always a breeze blowing. That's the best time to go adventuring.[/FONT]

[Size=1][B]Are there any odd tricks you've discovered you can pull off?[/B][/size]

[FONT=Arial]I can fold my tongue over itself like an envelope (tip to back) and hold it there with my saliva. (Nothing says "gross" like "saliva". :p ) Also, after a rather long ear infection, I was forced to hear everything in one ear a half-tone lower than in the other. It was like always playing two keys on a piano next to each other, except in conversation. And I can cross one eye at a time. :drunk: The difference is that that smilie's drunk, and I don't do that. I plan on tasting liquor at some point, but not to excess.

Incidentally, touching one's eyeball only requires a small exertion of will. (Translation: I can do that, too....)[/FONT]

[B]If you could take a trip to any one place in the world, where would you want to go and why?[/B]

[FONT=Arial]Aww crap. I can't choose one. I gotta go two again?Ireland and Russia.

Reasons:
[U]Ireland[/U]
[list][*]Language ? I love the Irish/Gaelic accent. It's gorgeous to hear, and difficult for me to accurately immitate.
[*]Land ? Well, duh. It's Ireland. It's not the U.S., and therefore is probably beautiful in its own right. I don't know enough to say anything specific, but I just want to see it.
[*]Liquor ? Ale and mead (at least, I hope there's mead). They're both ancient, and one's made with honey.[/list]
[U]Russia[/U]
[list][*]Language ? I've wanted to learn Russian for about three years now. It too sounds beautiful, but in a different, borschty way.
[*]Land ? It's cold there, for one. Also, looking at all the old cathedrals (and the new ones) would just make my life.
[*]Liquor ? Vodka. Not Smirnoff, mind, though I've hear that it's good too. Real Russian Vodka, from the inventors of vodka. If you want the good stuff, you go to the source.[/list]

Right. Since we seem to be answering everything (a rather good idea), I shall ask this:
[B]What is your Residual Self Image (RSI)?[/B]
In other words, how do you appear to yourself when you're on the OB? (Think [I]The Matrix[/I], but less of the massive hordes of guns and general kick-a**ery.)[/FONT]

[Shy]

[size=1][b]What do you do for fun outside of the internet?[/b]

I like to travel whenever I can. Sometimes that means a few days in Northern California or Las Vegas, while others it means an afternoon in Los Angeles or San Diego. Being in Southern California, I feel like I'm truly blessed to have so much to do at my doorstep... it would be a waste not to go out and enjoy it.

When I can't travel (as is often the case during the school semester) I play a lot of video games, read a lot of comic books and spend a lot of time with my friends. I've recently rediscovered the joy of board games, so I'm forcing everyone I know to play marathon sessions of Monopoly and Risk.

[b]What is your favorite season, and why?[/b]

We don't really have seasons in Southern California. It's either incredibly hot, or incredibly windy. I prefer 'windy' for the most part, so I guess Fall and Winter are my favorites.

[b]Are there any odd tricks you've discovered you can pull off?[/b]

I don't know if this is a trick, but I'm so tall and thin that I was able to break into a friend's house via her doggy door. She was pretty surprised to find me sitting on her couch when she got home from work.

[b]If you could take a trip to any one place in the world, where would you want to go and why?[/b]

There are so many places I'd like to visit, but one that stands out above the rest. I've had a childhood dream of visiting DisneyWorld in Orlando, Florida since I was a small child. Theme parks have always been a passion of mine, so much so that I took up a job at Disneyland for a few years. One day I know I'll get there, but it's just a matter of finding the time and money to do so.

[b]What is your Residual Self Image (RSI)?[/b]

What an odd question! I honestly can say this is something I've put much thought into, but there was once a popular series of OB fan-fictions called 'Enter the Net.' The basic premise was that the internet sucked in all of the OtakuBoards members, and their appearance was their residual self image. In that story I was 'Bosko,' an old Looney Tunes character from the days of black and white cartoons. Let's go with that.

My new question is: [b]What is your favorite animal?[/b]

---

As for the team name, since Kathy is going to be our captain (assuming she accepts the position) why don't we be 'The Family,' or 'The Siblings' or something? If she's our Mom, we might we well be brothers and sisters.

-Shy[/size] :whoops:

[Aaryanna_Mom]

Oh my, first of all this is going to be so much fun. :catgirl: And I admire Sandy?s work in putting this together in the first place.

Now on to the introduction: Though I currently live in Utah I?m from a very small town east of Dallas Texas known as Mt. Pleasant Texas. I moved to Utah shortly after I got married since my husband took a job offer here when he graduated from college.

I?m a great fan of music having studied and played both the Piano and the Organ since I was a little girl and it?s something I still do as I teach both Piano and Organ to a number of children in my Church Ward.

I love nature in that any chance to go on a drive and visit different areas such as lakes, waterfalls, national parks, etc. I take. I never get tired of seeing God?s creations. Which brings up another aspect of who I am. Even though I am very religious I believe that all religions have some form of truth in them and I love getting to know people of different faiths and walks of life.

The things I like to do are sewing, crafts, scrap booking, reading and spending time with my friends.

And lastly, though far from being the least, I love being a Mom, my older children may have moved on, but I love having my youngest one Aaryanna still at home. Words can?t even begin to describe how much I love my daughter. Oh and I love being a grandmother as one of my oldest has two children. My only regret is that they don?t live close so I have to make due with pictures of those cute little kids.

Now as for the team Captain, I?m not only surprised to be nominated, but grateful as well. I was thinking of nominating Shy due to their excellent work as an Event Master. If chosen, I will certainly do my best and seeing that I?ll have such talented people to represent, it will be fun. And if the rest of you agree I do accept.

Out of all the colors mentioned so far, I like the Dark Orange, though green and orchid are nice as well. I?m not good at doing graphics but I?ll certainly try though I?m thinking Ezekiel would do a far better job.

As for a name I rather like The Argonauts or Team Argo. I also like the other suggestion of The Family or The Siblings.

Lets see now as for the questions?

[B]What do you do for fun outside of the Internet?[/B]

[Points to hobbies] Though recently my favorite thing is watching Murder She Wrote with Angela Lansbury.

[B]What is your favorite season, and why?[/B]

Goodness, there are so many different things I love in each season. But in the end my favorite is spring. I just love watching everything turn green, the flowers coming up to bloom for the first time. It?s a season I never get tired of. And the getting out into the yard to garden as well is equally as fun.

[B]Are there any odd tricks you?ve discovered you can pull off?[/B]

Hmmm? well I suppose you could say I can raise only one nostril of my nose in the same way someone can lift just one eyebrow. It?s something I would do when I dressed up as a witch for the Halloween parties for the kids at school. Just for the funny face aspect. They seemed to enjoy it.
[B]
If you could take a trip to any one place in the world, where would you want to go and why?[/B]

I would want to go up in a space shuttle and see the world from above. I grew up first on western shows and then on space shows such as Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica [not to be mistaken for that overdramatic soap opera currently running on the sci-fi channel]

So for me to finally see our world from space would be the ultimate trip of a lifetime.
[B]
What is your Residual Self Image (RSI)?[/B]

At the risk of sounding boring, I never thought of myself as looking any different than the gray-haired woman that I am.
[B]
What is your favorite animal?[/B]

I love all sorts of animals, but seeing that my daughter has a dog currently, one that is quite the affectionate breed, my current favorite animal would be dogs.

And finally my own question:
[B]
What is your favorite type of book and why?[/B]

Mine is a combination of romance, fantasy and science fiction. I love happy endings; I love exploring worlds that could never exist in our own. And being able to explore our universe before our technology advances to that point makes for an enjoyable experience when it comes to reading.

[kalon]

[b]Kathy[/b], congratulations, I think you're going to be an awesome captain. By the way, I love [i]Murder She Wrote[/i], too! (I'm just always amazed how no one ever notices that a murder happens wherever Jessica Fletcher goes. :catgirl: )

As for Team Names - The Unmistakables, hmm, [b]Shade[/b]? - I like the suggestion of [u]Team Argo[/u] the best, since I'm such a mythology buff. The name really has a nice ring. Unmistakables, although I'm happy for the reference, would be a little long. [u]The Family[/u] would be my second choice. My ears are agreeing with it.

For color, I perfer [color=Green]Green[/color] over [COLOR=DarkOrange]Dark Orange[/COLOR], but either one of those would be fine.


For the other questions, it's the previous post.

[b]If you could take a trip to any one place in the world, where would you want to go and why?[/b]
Most of my friends would expect me to say Japan, but recently, I've wanted so badly to go to France. I'm hoping to learn French within the next year or two, and maybe go there as an exchange student someday. France has such beautiful countryside, and there are so many gorgeous historical buildihngs and structures, like the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Louvre, and, of course, the Eiffel tower.

[b]What is your Residual Self Image (RSI)?[/b]
A harmless-seeming child sitting in a chair, unnoticed by most, but able to make an impression on people after talking to them one-on-one for awhile.

[b]What is your favorite animal?[/b]
Definitely the cat. All species of feline are beautiful to me. Some think cats are solitary and unloving, but I've never found this true personally. My cats (I have five <_<) are all individuals with very distinct personalities, and each is sweet in its own way.

[b]What is your favorite type of book and why?[/b]
For me, it's not so much the genre as it is the author. But I suppose, although this is a very specific type, I like something funny or whimsical with an underlying sense of horror to it. Like [i]Alice's Adventures in Wonderland[/i], where you can interpret it as funny and fantastical or fantastical and frightening.

New question: [b]What would be your preferred method of world domination?[/b]
I'll answer this for myself now. I'd use Attack Kittens of Cuddly Doom Equipped with Avocado Lasers. They would be fluffy. And they would have lasers on their backs to turn people into avocados. I could not be turnd into an avocado, because I would already be a kiwi. (See my first post, specifically the "random enough to scare people" bit.)

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]Seeing as Team Dagger are using green in their flags, I'd like to suggest we go for [COLOR=DarkOrange]Dark Orange[/COLOR] and I can start working on it this afternoon. If eveyone isn't happy then I can do a variation of colours so we can at least get something up.

I wasn't sure on Team Argo at first, but now I really like the sound of it. The Family makes me think of The Godfather, and that's a cool thing, too. My vote goes for [B]Team Argo[/B]!

[B]If you could take a trip to any one place in the world, where would you want to go and why?[/B]
I'm afraid I'm going to have to be predictable and say Japan. I'm already looking into a TEFL course (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) which will allow me to go to Japan or China and teach over there, which would be incredible. I've always loved travelling, but the closest I've been to Japan was Thailand where I lived when I was younger.

I'd also like to go back to New York, or visit South Africa again, if only to see all my old school friends and how they've changed in the last few years.

[B]What is your Residual Self Image (RSI)?[/B]
Well, I'm...me. I don't think I've ever imagined myself to be drastically different. However, if I ever were to be sucked into the OB I'd hope the end product was male, taller and cooler. =p

[B]What is your favorite animal?[/B]
Either a wolf or cheetah, definately. I adore dogs and wolves are such beatiful creatures with so much emotion in their expression, and cheetah are the most gorgeous animals to watch. During my time in South Africa I only managed to get close to a cheetah twice, but both times were incredibly worth it.

[B]What is your favorite type of book and why?[/B]
I enjoy lots of books, but I guess horror would have to be my choice. I love scary things, but I can't watch horror movies without getting a little too freaked out. Books allow me to block out some of the creepiness that movies don't. Stephen King is, and has been, my favourite auther for a long time followed by Terry Pratchett.

[B]What would be your preferred method of world domination?[/B]
I wouldn't want to dominate the world, it's too much hard work. I'd collect a group of crazy scientists and suchlike to do it for me if I absolutely had to.

I apologise for not following up with a question, I can't think of one right now and I need to eat breakfast. D:

EDIT: Ah, something I think I should ask:
[B]What sort of design elements would you like to see in our flag?[/B] Whether it be actual pictures, abstract etc. I'm going to PM the design to everyone to keep things sekrit (hur hur), but comments can be posted here. [/SIZE]

[Shy]

[size=1]Team Argo it is!

[b]What is your favorite animal?[/b]

I love dogs. My family has four of them currently, and they basically run the household. One of them in particular, Hank, is quite fond of me ansd tackles me whenever I enter the house.

[b]What is your favorite type of book and why?[/b]

I prefer non-fiction memoirs or historical books to fiction generally. Growing up I read a lot of fantasy and I guess I just grew tired of it. One book I recently read that I love was 'Assassination Vacation' by Sarah Vowell, which goes into great detail about all of the presidential assassinations in U.S. history. It's much more interesting than it sounds.

[b]What would be your preferred method of world domination?[/b]

I don't really want the world, but I'd take it over with giant robots if I had to. You can't go wrong with giant robots.

[b]What sort of design elements would you like to see in our flag?[/b]

I'd like it to remain simple, but beyond thrat I don't have any specific ideas. 'The Argo' was actually the name of The Argonauts ship, so maybe it could have a ship somewhere on it? I trust Zeke to come up with something great.

[b]What board games or card games are your favorite?[/b]

-Shy[/size]

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]Right, then it's decided. [COLOR=Blue]Kathy[/COLOR], ma'am, you are our Fearless Leader. And if everyone seems to like [B]Team Argo[/B], let's roll with it. And hey, argonauts, the golden fleece, [COLOR=DarkOrange]dark orange[/COLOR]?it all fits together. (^_^)

As for banner thoughts ? jays, I can't think of anything right now. My artistic vision is decent, but it takes about a couple of hours to boot up, like a Dell from '98.

Back to the questions. (This is most entertaining.)

[B]What is your RSI?[/B]

This question came up because after nineteen years I have refused to relenquish even a microt of my imagination to the inevitable maturity (which makes for a very interesting combination, let me tell you), so my mind is always visualizing anything I can't directly see. And occasionally even revisualizing the things I [I]can[/I] see.

I tend to see myself as a man in a black formal suit with a light, black overcoat, black gloves, a black cane, and a black fedora with a medium-length, dark red plume in the band, leaning against some wall or other. The fedora usually covers my eyes, and I typically don't move when I speak unless I wish to add to my words' effect.

If I ever decide to request an avi/banner set, it'll probably reflect this.[/FONT]

[Size=1][B]What is your favorite animal?[/B][/Size]

[FONT=Arial]I have four, and they're related by like pairs. I am at the same time a dog- and cat-lover; my favorite cat would be the Russian Blue because its fur is so quietly beautiful, and my favorite dog is the Siberian Husky because they're about as close to wolves as I am ever going to get.

Which moves me on to the next two, the Black Panther and the Wolf. I feel a lot of kinship to these two because they both embody characteristics I desire: the panther, with its calm, deadly grace; the wolf, with its fierce nobility. Also, I believe my preference of domestic animals is a reflection of these two.[/FONT]

[B]What is your favorite type of book and why?[/B]

[FONT=Arial]I sway back and forth in my reading material, so I don't really have a favorite [I]type[/I], per sé. I do stay away from romance (it's too cheesy) and all the StarWars/D&D/Halo spinoffs, but as long as it's well written, I enjoy it. And if it's real, then more points. Comedy (Douglas Adams), fantasy (McCaffrey/Brooks/Tolkien), sci-fi (Orson Scott Card), action (Ian Fleming), murder/mystery (Conan Doyle, Christie), reality (Sigrid Undset) etc., I just love reading.[/FONT]

[B]What would be your preferred method of world domination?[/B]

[FONT=Arial]Like [COLOR=Blue]Zeke[/COLOR], I am not interested in world domination, but for different reasons. I am the guy who sits back in the shadows and watches the world until his intervention is necessary. I keep all those peculiar people who wish for world domination in check. I'm not so much the hero, though, as the anti-villain.[/FONT]

[size=1][B]What board games or card games are your favorites?[/B][/size]

[FONT=Arial]I enjoy thought-related games, like Risk, Axis and Allies, Stratego, Scrabble (unless my mother's playing?even with my vocabulary, I can never beat her), and Monopoly (unless my father's playing, but I have no idea how [I]he[/I] always wins).

I actually know how to play Bridge. Don't laugh at me.

[I]Stop it!![/I]
:(
(I'm going to go cry now.)

As for other games, I enjoy ERS, rummy, and hearts, and I have the layouts to the Sidewalk, TriPeaks, Tut's Tomb, and Freecell versions of Solitaire memorized. I prefer Freecell, because it is ridiculously hard.

Righty-O. Next up (and I'm sorry if I sound like another Guru quiz):
[B]What is your favorite color?[/B]

[center]-----------------------------------[/center]
[quote name='kalon]The Unmistakables, hmm, [B]Shade[/B']?[/quote]
Oh, cut me some slack. I was planning on citing you. (^_^)[/FONT]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

Time for more questions?
[B]
What would be your preferred method of world domination?[/B]

Well besides the obvious of not wishing to dominate, I?d use love and peace, a tactic of having everyone love each other to the point that they can?t fight with one another anymore. Whether or not it will work is another story.
[B]
What sort of design elements would you like to see in our flag?[/B]

As much as I love pictures, with such a small banner I?m thinking something abstract would look better. Abstract and yet simple. And I?m all for the orange color.

[B]What board games or card games are your favorites?[/B]

I don?t play them very often, but I do enjoy scrabble and upwords. I don?t really play any card games. So don?t feel bad Allamorph, I don?t even know how to play bridge!
[B]
What is your favorite color?[/B]

I always hate this question, for the simple reason that there are so many colors that I do like! I love the deep purples in flowers, the soft pinks in roses, the cool greens of the plants, the soft blue of the sky, the list just goes on and on. If I had to pick a color, I would say a type of off white, because when you are decorating, anything goes with off white! Then I can change my decorations or blankets on my bed to match whatever color I?m into at the moment.

As for another question, I?ll have to think about that.

[kalon]

[B]What sort of design elements would you like to see in our flag?[/B]
Well, for text, something thats pretty but clean. For instance, [b]Zeke's[/b] banner has a stylish font, but it's easily read. You all will probably kill me for suggesting this, especially since this is OB [i]Survivor[/i], but I think it would be cute to have some small image of a sheep/ram, tying into our name and our color. (Or it can be a fierce angry ram if you want.) Anything, though, is good with me. Like [b]Aaryanna_Mom[/b], I'd also be happy with something simple and abstract.

[B]What board games or card games are your favorites?[/B]
For board games, I really like Clue/Cluedo. It can be hard to find enough people for it sometimes, but for me it's the perfect balance between skill and chance. Plus, I really like the film based on the game. For card games, I like solitaire or a nice game of blackjack.

[B]What is your favorite color?[/B]
Without a doubt, it's blue, from the glowing dark blue of twilight to the bright azure on the OB layout. It's a common favorite color, but I love it and all of its shades. Lately though, I find myself being split between blue and green, because I'm writing a story where the main character is obsessed with the latter color. So I'm especially pleased by shades of teal.

[quote name='Aaryanna_Mom']As for another question, I?ll have to think about that.[/quote]
I'll edit when there's a question. :animesmil

Until then: [b]What superpower would you most like to have?[/b]
I'd enjoy some sort of flying power. It doesn't matter if I could fly with wings or some sort of levitation, I'd be happy floating aound, doing flips midair, rescuing cats from trees. All that lovely stuff.

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]So, a PM has been sent to everyone with the two flag designs. Like I said, I want everyone to be really honest with what they want doing, seeing as I'm determined to win this round and I don't want it to be because of my lacking designs that we lost, yeah? ^_^;

[B]GO GO TEAM ARGO[/B][/SIZE]

[kalon]

I vote for Two. I like the golden fleece idea, therefore two. But both are lovely, [b]Zeke[/b], thanks for making them.

[Shy]

[size=1]Both of these images are beautiful, but I think I like the first one the most. I'm having some difficulty seeing what the image in the second banner is. I see that the fleece is there, but is someone in armor holding it? I'd much rather have an image of the fleece being alive than um... yeah.

The skeleton image seems more fun to me, but maybe that's just me. As for the other details, I like the coloring, border and font of the first banner the most. My vote goes for the first, but I'll be putting the winning banner in my signature regardless.

Good work.

---

[b]What board games or card games are your favorites?[/b]
I'm currently obsessed with Monopoly and Risk. I grew up playing these games, but haven't played them for years until recently. It doesn't matter how old you are, it's always fun to have soimeone land on your property.

[b]What is your favorite color?[/b]

Royal Blue. Beyond that, black and white are my two favorite colors.

[b]What superpower would you most like to have?[/b]

Telekenisis. Being able to move object with your mind has always seemed incredibly cool and useful to me.

[b]Tell us about a fun trip you took.[/b]

-Shy[/size]

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]Great job on the banners, [COLOR=Blue]Zeke[/COLOR]. I like both of them. And good choice of font. (I know that sounds odd, but still.)

As far as personal preference goes, I'd vote for #2?I like the darker tone and the shading near the corners. Incidentally, I can see the hero perfectly, and I like the detail for the armor and the ram's head, which is another reason I'll call for it.

I will ask this, though: what would #2 look like if it had the black border from #1?

[center]---------------------------[/center]

Ah! I completely forgot about Clue. And Sorry, and Chutes and Ladders, and Othello, and Checkers, and Mancala, and....

But not Parchesi. Parchesi is bad.

I don't even care if I misspelled it. :p

[B]What is your favorite color?[/B]
[quote name='Aaryanna_Mom']I always hate this question, for the simple reason that there are so many colors that I do like![/quote]
I know what you mean. I love the way everything outside fits together, too. I had to ask, though, 'cause there are random people who adore one specific shade of a color, say, Lavender, and don't care so much about anything else.

I like dark colors, in the same way that I like those gloomy, misty, wet days that everyone else seems to think are completely gross. It ? or they ? is/are quite soothing. My room is painted navy blue (which is admittedly a little too dark, and terrible for waking up, because sunlight doesn't actually light the room that much, so I never know it's daylight untill about 10:30 ? it kind of feels like a cave, or a den), but I also like the royalty shade of purple, and dark green, burgundy, deep orange, etc. Yellow always feels a little offensive.[/FONT]

[B]What superpower would you most like to have?[/B]

[FONT=Arial]I'd initially go for some elemental control power, but I can't make up my mind. I kind of feel like Robert Frost, actually:

[indent][I][U]Fire and Ice[/U]

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
[indent]-Robert Frost[/indent][/I][/indent]

Upon further thought, I do have another one. Mental projection, for lack of a better phrase, and not to be confused with being psychic. (What do you call that, anyway? Psychic-ness? Psychicality? Psychosis? :) ) The ability to allow others to see what I see in my head, or to project it onto my surrounding environment. Kind of like a living holodeck.[/FONT]

[size=1][B]Fun trip:[/B][/size]

[FONT=Arial]In the spring of my junior year of high school, our band was invited to march in Chicago's Saint Patrick's Day parade, and we accepted the invitation as our semi-annual band trip. (My freshman year we went to the Bahamas. :D ) On the way into Chi', we drove through a snowfall. Being from good ole' Tan-ah-say, us poor rednecks had never had a decent snow?a quarter-inch was considered a blizzard. So we were understandably geeking out to see quarter-sized [I]flakes[/I] falling outside the bus windows, and when we arrived at our hotel a snowball fight tried to break out. Unfortunately, one of the chaperones didn't like fun that much, so the fight died pretty quickly.

The parade day was [I][B]frikkin' cold[/B][/I], more so because of the biting wind than the actual temperature. (There must have been a wind chill of twenty degrees.) So instead of braving the possibility of frosbite and lips permanently frozen to cold, metal mouthpieces, we adopted the penguins' tactic and made a gigantic brass huddle for warmth. (With our black jackets and white dress bibbers, we probably [U]looked[/U] a lot like peguins, too.) Everyone took their turn on the outside and the inside, so all were happy. (It was the closest that certain tuba players were ever going to get to women.)

So we marched a relatively short parade, for the wait we had to put up with, and I had a camera shoved in my face (I was sorely tempted to bap the cameraman with my slide, but I was in full Band Pride mode and refused to even acknowledge his presence), and afterwards some random people handed out free cans of Coke with Lime, which made us happy. Mountain Dew would have made me very happy....

Our town was announced incorrectly by the emcee, who somehow got the impression that we were from Kentucky. (Kentucky is to Tennessee as Mississippi is to The South....) We got that rectified, though.

The rest of the day was spent recovering until that evening, when we went to hear the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which was a major deal. The program included some piece or other by Mozart (now, I like Mozart, but I can't seem to stay awake for any of his music), a cello concerto (which was pretty good), and Béla Bartók's [I]Concerto for Orchestra[/I], which was the highlight of the evening and [U]simply[/U] [U]amazing[/U]. The timpanist played so hard that his mallet snapped at the end of the concerto and the head (the part with the fuzzy knob-lookin' thing, for all you poor non-music people) flew up as high as the seating behind the orchestra pit, which is about thirty feet.

We toured the city the next day, which included the Sears Tower. The elevator up to the top of the Tower goes about 70 MPH, so if you ever ride it, yawn all the way up so your ears won't pop continuously. Or chew some gum at about 70 MPH. Either way.

While up there, we were basically able to see the entire city, which was pretty cool, especially the green river. (The right to pour the green dye in had been sold on eBay, incidentally.) We also got a tour of all the cultural mini-cities around the area, went to the Aquarium, attended a medieval joust/tourament/play/thingummy, and took a dinner cruise out on the bay. I naturally had to ask for sweet tea, just to mess with our poor northern waiter. He then told me he was from the South as well, and he was pretty much forced to tell us that "the sugar was on the table" because no one up there knew how to make the stuff. Silly Yankees. (^_^) All they have to do is ask.

Aside from the CSO, my favorite parts of the whole trip were actually seeing the Chicago Transit Authority building (if you're not a [I]Chicago[/I] fan, then not only do I pity you, but you have no idea what I'm talking about) and getting to eat authentic Chicago Deep Dish Pizza at [B]Pizzaria Uno's[/B], where the style was invented. Holy Moses, but that was an amazing pizza. The crust was fesh and spongey (that sounds nasty, but trust me, it's not), soaking up the sauce, and there were fresh peeled tomato chunks on it. I hate tomatos, but that still says something to me. (One of my friends wondered if we said it was horrible, would we get a second pizza free. We couldn't bring ourselves to say it, though. It was that good. And I could only eat a slice and a half of the medium size we ordered, which is a very low count for me.)

I've rambled enough. Time for another question.

[B]Do you play/enjoy video games, and if so, what are your five favorites?[/B]

[center]------------------------------[/center]

So, [COLOR=Blue]Shy[/COLOR], [COLOR=Blue]Zeke[/COLOR], you've been here longest. What do you think [COLOR=DarkRed]Sandy[/COLOR] might have up his sleeve?

Oh, and [COLOR=Blue]Kathy[/COLOR], ma'am, I am in a rather awkward situation. My nature makes me uncomfortable calling you by your first name, even if you don't particularly mind that much, but saying "Mrs. Kathy" feels ever so slightly elementary. What would you have me do?[/FONT]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

Those flags are beautiful. I like the background of the first one the best and the border of the second one the best, in addition to the color of the font in the second one. I?m sorry if that makes me sound indecisive. But it?s hard to chose between the two.

I don?t really have time for the questions right now so I?ll answer those tomorrow if that?s all right with everyone.

Allamorph, I know exactly what you mean when it comes to the name part. I remember all too well as a child how it was yes ma?am and yes sir, calling an adult by their first name earned a well deserved smack from my parents for being disrespectful. I?ve gotten use to the other way for the simple reason that up here in Utah, Mormons tend to use the title Brother or sister so and so. They just tag their last name in that spot. And even us old folk outright use each other?s names. At least with those people we do know.

Anyway, in the end since I think adding my last name in here would be confusing, I?m not sure what to tell you other than your polite and gentlemanly behavior has in my opinion given you the right to use my first name. Not that I think you needed to earn it mind you, I just understand where you are coming from in that respect. Though I suppose you could just use the abbrevation of my user name A_Mom for short, that would work too. ;)

[Shy]

[quote name='Sandy][b]The team with the most effective teamwork, the most describing name and the most creative flag will win this challenge[/b'], while the other three teams will face their first Team Council, where three players will be voted off.[/quote]
[size=1]I've been thinking about this portion carefully, and I believe we may need to rethink the team name. We need something representative of all of us, but also something creative and catchy. All of the other teams are coming up with very similar, and very generic names. I don't want to see any of us voted out, so I'd like us all to focus on this. What do we have in common... what common bond do we share that can unite us as a team?

As for coming up wth a creative flag, I'm very happy with what Zeke has come up with so far. My biggest concerns lie with the team name not being descriptive enough.

-Shy[/size]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]You've got a point there, Shy. We've got enough time yet to come up with something creative and it will be very easy for me to make a couple of new flag designs.

I quite liked the suggestion around being a family, even if 'The Family' was a little too...flat. I think it shows more than just picking a nice sounding name because we can tie it back to our team members.[/SIZE]

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]You know, this is just me being dorky, but seeing as we've got one Mom and four ... "children", as it were, what about [B]Team Sitcom[/B]?

:animesigh
I'm not really serious, of course....

(Honestly, I still haven't got a stinkin' clue. I always hated the "team name" part of group events.)

Oh, wait a second. Looking back at our listed strengths, we all said either Creative Writing or RPGs. Aren't RPGs just a subset of writing creatively? I mean, the only difference is that RPers have to work together with their group instead of controlling everything themselves. What if we looked at names from [U]that[/U] angle? (I'm pretty boring when it comes to name selection, so I'd prefer to leave that little bit of creativity to you guys. Otherwise we might end up sounding like we're all a hundred and thirty years old. :p )[/FONT]

[kalon]

Well, I did like the name "The Family," even if it was a bit plain. [u]Team Sitcom[/u] doesn't sound half bad to me. Or maybe something like [u]Team Extended[/u], because we're an extended family that plans to be here for an extended amount of time.

That's all that really comes to mind at the moment, unless you want more odd words like [i]xenomancy[/i]. But I'll keep thinking on it.

____________

Oops. Forgot the questions.

[b]Tell us about a fun trip you took.[/b]
It was a short trip, just a couple counties up to Nashville, Tennessee, but the last week of July, the week before I started high school a couple years back, my mom and I went to see comedian Jerry Seinfeld. We always like to have plenty o extra time on trips, so we left a couple of hours early.

Well, it was a good thing we did, because on the highway at seventy miles per hour, the left front tire blew out. It went completely to shreds, and we were lucky we didn't lose control of the car. We changed the tire ourselves, something neither of us had ever done before. And then, we got safely to Nashville to see a hilarious comedian, so the trip was both fun [i]and[/i] exciting.

[b]Do you play/enjoy video games, and if so, what are your five favorites?[/b]
Video games are my passion. Oddly enough, my writing is more inspired by video games than other books. I usually go with RPGs which suck up my life. For instance, I played all the way through Tales of Symphonia at eighty hours per file about three times. What? I swear I don't have an addiction.

1: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
2: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
3: Tales of Symphonia
4: Sword of Mana
5: Pokemon Gold