The Big Pointy One

Search for the mysterious ninja... I'm not going to claim that I actually know him personally, but I may have connections. Join the revolution!

I just thought I'd post the lyrics to this song I heard a couple weeks ago. I'll be completely honest, it moved me to tears the first time I heard it. It's that beautiful. Of course, the lyrics alone aren't really enough to really 'get it' so I'd recommend acquiring the song one way or another. Also, I'd recommend 'This Years Love' by the same artist. 'Sail Away' by David Gray Sail away with me honey I put my heart in your hands Sail away with me honey now, now, now Sail away with me What will be will be I wanna hold you now Crazy skies all wild above me now Winter howling at my face And everything I held so dear Disappeared without a trace Oh all the times Ive tasted love Never knew quite what I had Little darling if you hear me now Never needed you so bad Spinning round inside my head Sail away with me honey I put my heart in your hands Sail away with me honey now, now, now Sail away with me What will be will be I wanna hold you now Ive been talking drunken gibberish Falling in and out of bars Trying to find some explanation here For the way some people are How did it ever come so far Sail away with me honey I put my heart in your hands Sail away with me honey now, now, now Sail away with me What will be will be I wanna hold you now Sail away with me honey I put my heart in your hands Sail away with me honey now, now, now Sail away with me What will be will be I wanna hold you now Repeat chorus

I also recently saw the Fountain. It was a really nice flick that kinda had the "huh?" factor of Donnie Darko, in my opinion. I don't think it's actually clear what's going on for sure, the way it switches around and certain plot events unfold. (For instance, whether or not the 'flashbacks' and the part where the main character is ascending towards the nebula with the tree are actually real or not...) Anyways, great movie, my only complaint is did they really have to make the sap white? Really? Anyways, that's that. I haven't seen the other one, but Pi was also really great. I was reading a little bit about Kabala at the time (forgive me if I spelled that wrong) so I found it especially interesting.

Best of luck, friend. ...money is such a nightmare, but if you can live the dream, well, cheers!

Much thanks ^.^ Yeah, I should start titling them... I have a rough organizing scheme on my harddrive and such, but maybe I'll fix it through editing.

I don't know if I've posted this one before... I couldn't find it, but this is one of my favourites that I've written. Again, mostly formless, but I think there's a couple good lines in there. (Especially the quaint FF reference worked in.) Lately I've felt so empty on the inside I don't know quite what it is I'm not sure if this pain will ever subside All I've known lately is this hollow feeling and it just destroys my mind To know at some point I left my heart behind What part of me snapped What made me throw it to the side Just when did I turn to stone Since when has my touch been ice I think it's when you left me alone WIth nothing better to do than cry Three times the scar; I want to die Do they know what it means WHen I want to erase myself WHen I can't stand to face myself The only feeling I'm capable of is self-resent Disgust in my reflection, it haunts my eyes Perhaps its my fault as I push you all away The safety device it may well be Unfortunately it seems to hurt you all less than me The seed is planted, it just needs to grow But it can't do that without your love Maybe then I'll have something to fill me Maybe if you nurture that seed 'til it's a tree Then maybe that emptiness will be filled with life and maybe I will be cleared of all this strife But I'm having trouble waiting Because everyday is gradual petrification.

Mostly random words here. Alone in painful contemplation ivory keys striking painful chords deep within let it all go running down my cheeks I have no words just solitude don't wanna be alone no more can't stand feeling this way give me release fill in the hurt empty the sorrow lie with me till dawn let me resonate with you let's steal away into the night grey sky's coming nobody's here but me

Looking to the tank briefly, Nabeshin shrugs and takes a step towards the tank. Although he hadn't really done much swimming during or before his training, he did know how to swim a little bit. Plus, this was as good as a chance as any other to try and improve his skill. Unless any of the other party members object, Nabeshin begins to remove his vest as he takes another step towards the tank...

As he slowly makes his way up, Nabeshin notices Guerrero bump the satyr and send it flying in his direction. He judges for distance, tightens his grip on the rope and sends up a silent prayer to Muta that he doesn't muck this up. Letting go of the rope with his left hand and dropping the nunchaku from his mouth simultaneously, he snags the nunchaku and swings away... OOC: I hope I don't have to roll to catch the nunchaku... anyways, I'm assuming I *do* have to make some sorta use rope/climb check so I'll go ahead and do that. Also, I can't seem to find where my character sheet was linked... but I found the actual thing... anyways. here's that link: Nabeshin Attack Roll (1d20+2=22) Critical! Critical check (1d20+2=4) Maybe not. Damage (1d6+1=6) Not too shabby. Climb/use rope check (1d20+1=18) If it *is* a use rope check, tack on another 2. Apparently I have 2 ranks in use rope. Regardless of which ability it is, I do have the +1 in (relative stat) for both. Weee....

Sighing as one of his support ropes hits the ground, Nabeshin pulls out his nunchaku. He bites down on one of the handles, then gives the remaining rope a strong tug. Satisfied, he grabs the rope with both hands and attempts to climb up the hard way. Climb check: 1d20+1=9

Following Xander's introduction, the spotlight swings over to the somber monk Nabeshin who was standing silently near the edge of the stage. He hadn't said a word since arriving; he just seemed to stand around in contemplation. The announcer's voice rung out over the crowd, "Next up is Nabeshin Hitsurugi from the Nogales region of the southern Rockies. A member of the obscure Order of the Silent Fist, Sir Hitsurugi isn't here for your money *or* your adoration, no no, he's just here for himself... how selfish is that?" The crowd mutters a bit, not really sure how to react. A few people clap and one person cheers, but uin general, they don't really know if they should get excited over this competitor or not. Of course, it made little difference to Nabeshin. He briefly scanned the crowd and noticed a tan figure in an earth-coloured robe with a long, flowing white beard; this man was one of his masters from the monastery, no doubt in attendance to view and rate Nabeshin's performance. Mentally, he shrugged and made his way over to the pear tree and got ready to climb. OOC: From the OOC Thread: I guess he'll just go for the regular climb up the pear/11:00 o'clock tree. He isn't really proficient in climbing anyways. Also, next rolls I make will be formatted better.

"That's just low. C'mon, you know I'm anemic. I swear I'd be in the crawl right now, if I wasn't anemic. . ." She harrumphed and just shoved her arm holding the ball randomly into the crowd into the first passerby. Her hand stopped abrubtly as if hitting a brick wall. The person she had inadvertently smacked in the chest wasn't very tall, standing only a few inches higher than she, but had a lean muscular build that suggested years of physical conditiong and training. On his chest was a tattoo in writing she couldn't read, partly because it was in Latin and partly because it was partially obscured by a light purple vest that was currently hanging open. (In fact, it looked like it wasn't meant to be closed from the trim.) He wore loose black leggings that were cinched to his waist with a thing white silk rope. Oddly, he wasn't wearing any sort of foot wear so his feet looked pretty dirty. He didn't really have any hair except for some stubble that implied he had recently shaved it off; but between the stubble and his eyebrows, she figured he had black hair. He looked blankly at her for a moment then sidestepped around her and continued on his way. She looked back to her date for a moment, partially stunned then looked back. On the back of the fellow's vest inside a white-bordered circle was the profile of a dignified looking woman from the shoulders up, with her right index finger lightly pressed against her pursed lips. Beneath was some writing similar to that tattooed onto his chest; someone slightly more educated would recognize the dignified-looking woman as Muta, the Goddess of silence. Nabeshin Hitsurugi was from a small monastery in the mountains. Their sect was devoted to only one thing: enlightenment through personal improvement. They believed ardorous labour and harsh physical training hardened the body and the soul. When not training their bodies, the monks devoted their time to silent meditation and contemplation. Initiates took a vow of silence upon commencing their training; masters rarely spoke. It wasn't required that anyone worship any deity in the pantheon, however it was easier politically to say they were devoted to Muta. In Spanish they were referred to as 'La orden del puño silencioso' or 'The Order of the Silent Fist'. The monk made his way over to the registration table for the XCrawl, and handed over some signed papers. His monastery was sponsoring him; the masters of past ages had agreed that the Crawl was an excellent way to test one's self not only physically, but also mentally. Not really certain what to do next, Nabeshin simply walked over to the side of the table, sat down and closed his eyes. He began to meditate silently. This wasn't about money. This wasn't about pride. To Nabeshin, this was just another test. When he 'won' (and he was confident enough in his ability that victory was the only logical outcome) he was gonna give all but a tiny amount of the prize money to whomever seemed to deserve it the most.

In regards to the Critics' Corner... is there not a way to have it as a subforum for both forums as opposed to creating a new one? In other words, when the subforum is set up, can it be set up as a link to the current Critics' Corner? I suppose it wouldn't be that bad to have two Critics' Corners, although the one barely seems to find much use as is.

Slowly, days turned into weeks and weeks to months. Months turned into years as the sun shined and the wind blew. Dierden and his family rolled with the wheels of time in the small town of Hamira. Stahl eventually had a decent sized farm, and Aemi ran a small general store that mostly sold goods from the farm. Shortly after Aidan was born Dierden started taking classes at the local school. He learned to read and write, and seemed to show and advanced understanding of math and science. By the time Aidan had reached his fifth and joined his brother at school, Dierden had managed to skip ahead a grade. Of course, he didn't really care much for school. No, Dierden much preferred the outdoors. He would go hunting and trapping with the men when they would allow him. The rest of the time he and the other village boys would go hiking into the hills and hunt on their own. Dierden was also known for his sense of humour. No matter the situation, he would always find a way to slip in the exact right comment to have everyone laughing at a critical moment. By the time he was 13 and his in school education had stopped (the school wasn't very fancy, it was a one building classroom and the students studied for 10 years in most cases. Most people who wanted to further their education would leave to a larger city with an academy, usually the capital of Feraus, Nargo.) he started to work more on his father's farm. Around this time he had also started to grow quite a bit. He was slim and tall, which combined with his love for the outdoors is how he got the nickname 'Stick'. He wasn't too fond of the nickname, but whatever people wanted to call him, he was fine with. Little Aidan was growing up just fine too, although he had a slightly meaner side to him. Although he was never outwardly rude or mean to anyone, he seemed to lack Dierden's sense of humour. Instead, he was actually more quick to anger. There were a few times that if not for his older brother, Aidan would have been beaten up by some of the older boys at school. But that's how it was. Aidan would get into trouble and Dierden would be there to fix the situation with a sarcastic quip that usually cooled everyone down. Still, Aidan was a good natured boy and he tended to follow his brother around all the time, which is probably how he got the nickname 'Sliver' (not only was he like a smaller version of his brother, but he was kind of annoying if you let him get under your skin... but that didn't really happen that much.) The Norelia brothers, Stick and Sliver as they were labeled were best of friends. Dierden didn't really have anyone that he was truly close with in the village. He had lots of friends, but no one except for Aidan he really called one of his 'best' friends. Whenever he thought about it, he shrugged and remembered some advice his father had given him one day. "Friends will always come and go, Dierden. Remember that. Nothing is forever, except the ties you have with your family." Come to think of it, that was awfully cryptic of him to say, but that's the way Stahl usually talked. He always seemed to have some sort of advice that Dierden didn't really understand but he remembered, because it seemed important. So things were good. Things were peaceful. Eventually though, for Dierden, things got boring. He had explored a lot of the area around Hamira, going even as far as Kelemar Swamp in the west, over The King's Knell Mountains. Still he needed more. He needed... out. So one night, with no advanced warning, no notice, he slipped away into the night, alone and he left. He left his friends, his family, his hometown, he left it all behind. The world was waiting for him, and he didn't care to disappoint. Edit: a few points in there I could have expanded on, I know... but I want to get to the fun stuff. Background is boring/hard. Anyways, I'll expand one day. Also, I heart commas.

Tayne hesitated for a moment. Although this demon had saved his life, he knew better than to trust her. He knew better than to trust any demon. However, he didn't exactly have many options. He was weaponless and in some lab that could be in the Abyss for all he knew. He weighed his options and nervously he grabbed the ruby. "Bounty or no, revenge will be mine." he snarled, looking down at where his hand used to be. At some point between jumping out the window and landing, his hand was lost. At least I have my life, I suppose. he thought to himself. "So, what is this, demon?" "Just hold on to it. Focus on it. Concentrate. You'll see soon enough." she replied, eyeing Tayne like he was a wild dog ready to attack. The burly warrior shrugged, then focused his attention on the ruby. After a few scant moments, the room seemed to be getting darker, no blurrier. It wasn't like it was foggy, but that everything was going dim. He felt lightheaded, and soon things began to spin. Finally, the only thing Tayne could see was the ruby. All he could feel was rage. "What sort of vile contraption is this, fiend!?" Kael'vera just smirked. "You'll see, when the time is right." But the time was not now. Everything went completely black, including the ruby. Tayne slipped into unconsciousness. To anyone observing, the ruby shimmered a bright red, then furiously and Tayne seemed to evaporate into nothingness. The pendant fell to the ground with a clinking sound that was forboding in the silence.

This was his chance. Somehow, he had managed to avoid Daryl ripping his throat as he scampered around the room, getting everything possible between him and the werefox. When the demon dropped her cloud of yellow whatever, he leaped towards his bloody hand and scooped it up. Halfway between the window and the door, he made the quick decision to jump after the marilith. Throwing a tumbled-over chair at Daryl, he made another bound just after Kael'vara leaped out. "Demon wench, cushion my fall!" he yelled as he passed through the window. He was weaponless as he fell, and he hoped the landing wouldn't kill him.

Sure you can, you just need to get out of the way really fast, or it'll clip you right back. My recommendation? Use a baseball bat.

Amidst the giggling and ballyhooing, there is the soft padding of leather followed by a light clinking of metal. Somewhere in the background a familiar old tune is playing. "...law! I am the law..." Eventually, the sound picks up, and all eyes dart towards the door. He has arrived, dressed the same as normal, except pinned to vist is a 7-pointed star that reads 'Sheriff'. On top of his head sits a grey 3/4 gallon hat. Resting on each of his hips, holsters holding revolvers; one emblazoned 'Law' and the other 'Order'. It is of course, none other than The Big Pointy One, BigPointyStick. As always at his side is the faithfull Mr.Bunny. Looking somehow grittier than normal, despite the tiny hat strapped to his head and the cute little deputy badge. Nodding, they take a few more steps into the room, squinting. "I reckon you're not planning on causing any trouble up in here Mr.Wyvern, right?" The half dragon looks over towards stick and grins. "But of coursssse Sheriff Sssstick. I wasss jussst ssselling little Sssweetie here sssome horsies." "Hey!" Piped up Sweetcherrie, "Those are *MY* horsies!" "Well, after I get my geld, anywayss..." Wyvern's eyes glittered when he mentioned the word 'geld'. "Now Mr.Wyvern, you wouldn't be trying to sell Sweet miss... Sweetcherrie her own horses, would you?" He accentuated his question by tapping on the revolver marked 'Law'. Mr.Bunny squinted more. (alright, jumping in. let me know if I took too much liberty yet.)

7 Months later: Thanks for the criticism (positive) Wyv, I agree on all counts. Perhaps if I think of some better ideas, I'll go back and flesh it all out. That speech *is* a bit cliche, and the battle part was a bit weak. I like the idea of telling it through the perspective of revelling soldiers. Tam: oh, there will be orcs. Will they pwn any villages? Well, you'll have to wait and see. Maybe you should update your story, and I might be encouraged to update mine more

Chapter 1: The Early Years It was a humid summer night, not more than five years after the birth of Dierden Norelia. The sky was clear, although the air was damp and smelled of rain. The moon was bright and shining its beams in through the windows of the Norelia home. An anxious Stahl paced back and forth, hand rubbing his head nervously. His wife Aemi was in the other room with the local wisewoman giving birth. He winced every time she yelled out in pain. Young Dierden just looked to his father, not entirely certain what was going on. His parents had explained that a new brother or sister was coming soon, but he didn't really understand how that worked. Back and forth, back and forth, Stahl paced for what must have been hours at this point. Then... there was silence. He stopped, looking to the bedroom door. It opened up, and the midwife nodded and motion for Stahl and Dierden to enter. Stahl looked to Aemi, who looked exhausted and relieved. She was holding their new son. "A boy then?" he asked. Smiling, she nodded as Dierden climbed into the bed next to her to get a good look at the baby. Stahl took a few steps forward and clasped his wife's hand. "Aidan it is then." he said. They had decided if the child was a girl it would be named Sierra. If it was a boy, Aidan. "Aidan it is." she replied, still smiling and tired looking. "Well, it's been one hell of a night... Dierden, off to bed. You can see little Aidan in the morning. Your mother needs to rest now." "Aw, but dad..." "No buts, son... say goodnight to your mom and off to bed you go." "Okay. Goodnight mom. Goodnight little Aidan." Dierden leaned over to kiss his mom on the cheek then hopped off the bed and scampered off to his room. Stahl made his way over to Aemi and scooped up the baby. He held Aidan up towards the window, the moon illuminating his frail new body. "I've been thrice gifted now Aemi. First, you. Then Dierden, and now, Aidan." he smiled and set baby Aidan into his bed, and then climbed into rest with Aemi. Things had been great the last five years, and they just got better. He offered a small prayer silently that things stayed just as great. *** (bleh, to be continued)

It says I got twisted. (can't get the html to work) Lies.

I just want The Pen to be as awesome as always. Things change, people come and go, but I know when I come around, I'm usually met with patience and warmth, as is everyone else. As part of The Pen, I do what I can (although I should do more) just as I expect everyone else to do. Continue to make this a fun and warm environment for everyone here, be it guests or members. Oh, and I'd really like to see some more Conservatory action that isn't the form of a Werewolf. They seem fun, but some good ol' freeform RP is where it's at in my opinion.

(Author's note: I edited this post, because the original one was too cheezey. Also, remember he was wearing an earring that was some sorta magic detecting device...) Although his left hand had just been sliced off, Tayne wasn't ready to give up. He'd seen trolls grow limbs back before, and if the ring was any bit as powerful as the merchant who sold it to him said it was, he might be able to stand a chance again. His eyes darted between Gyrfalcon and Daryl quickly as he pondered fervently how he could scoop up his hand and make a temporary retreat. "So you must be the Succubus that I heard about." A distraction! His ears were ringing now. He had managed to ignore the buzzing in his ear from all the latent enchantments in the keep up until this point, but in the last few minutes it had gotten louder. Now, it was starting to get annoying. "Very well Gyrfalcon." Keal'vera muttered. She pulled off the ring on her right hand. In an instant her body shimmered, her legs seemed to mend together and form a huge black and red tail and two sets of arms grew out of her torso. "Happy now Gyrfalcon?" So this is what was following him. Some magic-wielding demonness. Another victim, he supposed. Trying his hardest to concentrate, he waited for his opportunity...

Superman Returns As noted above, not a big Superman fan, but this was a great movie. To sum it up: Lois Lane: pwned. Lex Luthor: [the best]

In the coolest manner possible Stick waves a friendly wave.