Mardrax

Sure rev, that advice has a point. At times. Sometimes though, some people write to convey something particular. Sometimes you can't just take out that thing which is in awkward place, because that awkward place is the one right place for it, awkward though it may be. And that particular thing might not mean much to the reader, but in general, I write for me, not for "you". If it's critical to me, I leave it. I'll perhaps try to find a way to fix the awkwardness, but if I can't, it's staying.

1. Anywhere where no one else is. Anywhere quiet, that is. 2. *grin* Quit school and do basically nothing for about a year to reach the conclusion school really isn't that bad. 3. Finding out what I wanted to after graduation. 4. As long as it seemed self destructive or in any way out of the ordinary, everyone I was hanging around with seemed to be doing it. I had all the wrong friends. Still feel like I do sometimes. 5. If you're asking about the first time I was in my graduation year, I really wouldn't have known. The second time 'round I would say "get my life back on track" 6. Again the duality. First time, I wouldn't have known. Second time I'd say "goals" 7. At first thought, I'd copy rev's answer here, going back to my early childhood and try living like a normal kid would be something for my parents. However, I wouldn't be the person I am today if I were to do that, so that's out. Being able to go back in time seems like a good solution to things, but it usually probably isn't. Besides that, you can set most things straight in the present. To actually answer the question, I wouldn't do anything I'm not doing now, -or was doing then- as I'm already trying to help everyone I can in any way I can. People will just have to be satisfied with what little I can give. 8. Something to make people, and especially politicians, think straight, do what's actually best for the people and just generally get along; again, humanity, or probably a better one: the world. 9. Make a world tour, giving a visit to all the great people I've met and talked so many times with, but never had a chance to actually see. On a more realistical note, that probably would have been a desillusioning experience. Perhaps a bit too specific, but have fun with it, and good luck

Cowabunga!

Hey

Yepyep... chocolate rocks, letters or no Having seen a cambodian friend of mine eat meat that was black almost all the way through on force of pepper alone, I'd think dyeing meat green shouldn't be too much of a problem with a regular green food dye. Still I wonder how anyone could ever want to eat green meat

Rosanna

"People" - 1.490.000.000 or 1,49 billion hits "We" - 3.790.000.000 or 3,79 billion hits "Us" - 4.070.000.000 or 4,07 billion hits ofcourse, that would be 4.070.000.001 hits for "Us" now in other words, to make any word win, you just need to post a new topic containing that word several billion times

Kansas

Yeah, I would guess that stem from the Dutch Sinterklaas holiday. Like Sweet explained, that's the day St. Nicolaas' supposed birthday is celebrated. By historically accurate terms however, december 6th is actually the day in which he officially died according to christianity. Ofcourse, this is hardly a reliable fact, and the coincidence with an ancient germanic holiday relating to a figure named Nikolaus I percieve with alot of skepticism. Along those lines, a lot of the tradition associated with the Dutch celebration stem from germanic customs and holidays. Especially the similarity between Nicholas and germanic Woden is striking, whom was mainly celebrated through the days surrounding the turn of the year. -On a sidenote, St. Nicolaas (Nicholas, and -propably- popularly Nick) lived around the turn of the 4th century AD, (from the top of my head) and was the bishop of a town called Myra, in Asia Minor (present day Turkey). He is considered patron saint of sailors, children and some other things, including alot of port cities. He is still heavily revered in Russian Orthodox christianity today.- December 5th was used from somewhere in the 1400's (again from the top of my head) by the St. Nicholaschurch in a major Dutch city to let the poorer inhabitants of the city leave a shoe there, where the richer inhabitants would leave things, which the poor would collect on december 6th. I couldn't tell anyone wether or not that's the actual origin of the setting of shoes, however I can say the tradition had emerged into living rooms in the 1600's, as there is a paining by Jan Steen (a famous Dutch painter) depicting it. In current times I know it to be celebrated in some (albeit small) measure by pretty much all northwestern European countries, and pockets of mainly Dutch immigrants in Australia, New Zealand and the US, however you'll probably find it everywhere you'll find a Dutch family. Especially if you have a dutch heritage running through your family that you know of, I wouldn't be surprised at all if your Nick would be our Nicholas. About missing it, give me an adress and I'll send you a chocolate letter to try to compensate *deep breath* Alright, after that little history lesson... Actually answering the question. Personally I dislike pretty much all holidays. I'm not one to go around being nice to people because the calendar tells me I should. Instead, I rather just always try to be as nice as I can. The ammount of force that accompanies holidays unsettles me. That said, there is one holiday I like: new year's. Although I don't spend any of it with my family, unless my mom decides to visit her sister, who is the only person in my family I can actually stand, I usually follow my own little ritual. I usually pick up my guitar and go sit by (or on, would be a better description, on a three foot wide stone pier, at most a foot above the water surface, 20 metres from the mainland or so) the sea here. It's a mixture of grounding myself, and trying to get as far away as possible from the people that insist on ruining a perfectly good night with bangs, flashes and a whole lot of smoke. Not to mention my mother attempting to get me to like her. I depress myself at times

I really... enjoyed this, for lack of a better word. It connects with an old me, especially through the second and fourth stanzas. A good bit of nostalgia The third stanza lost me halfway through though. The switch in direct subject falls awkwardly for me I guess, which is kindof odd. I'd consider the entirety of it a look at, or into the self, (wether that concerns narrator or reader, does it really matter?) but still switching to adressing that self directly, I balk at. Anyway, ignoring my rambling, a good piece indeed

Mardrax walks into the room, a slightly disoriented look on his face. "Oh, I really didn't mean to come in here. I was headed for the toilet, actually. But you people will forgive me my intrusion upon your party, will you not? It's just that... What occasion is this party in honour of? Oh wait, isn't today the anniversary of the Cabaret Room? No. Wait a minute." He reaches into one of his pockets, taking out a rubber ball, tossing it away behind him, reaching in again and resurfacing with a small book in his hand. He opens it and starts turning pages when he suddenly lights up. "Ayshela! Today's your birthday isn't it? Or no, that was yesterday! Better late than never, I always say. Now which one of you is Ayshela? Ah, it must be the one with the chocolate." Walking towards the little group of people, he extends a hand at Mynx. "Hello there Ayshela, I'm Mardrax. Nice to finally meet you, and a happy birthday!" Leaving Mynx with a baffled look on her face, he turns towards the not-a-dragon with the picture in his claws. "Mister Wyvern, so nice to meet you here, and to see you've fully recovered.... Just what are you doing with that picture of Abraham Lincoln as a baby?" OOC: Happy b-day to those others as well ofcourse, though I fear I know you even less than I know 'Shela... An issue to be solved some day

Carrie looked after the guard, as he led Mr. Coolio away. Her mood had just gotten a whole lot worse. She was gathering her thoughts when a voice emerged from the murmur surrounding her: "Wait a minute, what just happened?" She looked around for a source of the voice, then found it. Turning away, she raised her hands in a gesture filled with anoyance and despair. "Don't tell me every god-damned soul in this room is drunk! Can't anyone control the urge for free booze anymore? Look at you, you're barely my age. You know, people like us aren't even allowed to drink by law, and here you are so drunk you don't even realise what's going on around you!" She started to walk off, blissfully devoid of the tick-ticking of her heels that had been nagging her all evening, when a hand on her shoulder stopped her in her stride. Carrie whirled around, casting an angry look into Charmaine's face, who started talking to her calmly. "I'm not drunk... really. I just got in here, actually. You know how bad traffic can be." -A smile livened her face up a bit then- "Honestly, what did just happen?" Carrie breathed a sigh of relief. "This drunken bastard who's just got carried away by that clothing cabinet in a suit. You seen him?" "Yeah, I passed him on my way there just then." "Good. Or, bad really, or really... I don't know anymore! This guy has been causing trouble for the whole half an hour I've known him. Turns out this girl singer, with an even worse outfit than mine, has had a pre-release cd of her stuff released that didn't live up to her expectations of masking her lack of singing skill, so she started flinging accusations. That guy you've seen being dragged away? He continued it. Started spewing venom about Vanessa, I mean, she's my agent and all, ended up in her being dragged away by security. Did you just this man being dragged away by this place's security? That was THE Mr. Coolio. That was also because of his accusations. If he wasn't as drunk as he is, I would swear he's trying to cover up for himself. Oh by the way," she extended her hand again, "My name's Carrie. Carrie Dee. And sorry for lashing out at you like I did just now." ~~ OOC: again, not casting any accusation until some of you get their stuff together

Toss 'em out as far as I care *sets up a burial site for the time the mouse will die of smoke-poisoning* Rest

[swallowed]

Ofcourse, there will always be things popping up that come in between having just a bit of fun. I completely understand too. Was just saying it'd be quite pointless to keep it up if I'd have to be the only one posting, not voting and keeping Ayshela with having to think up another NPC to kill off every phase shift And thanks Hope to see you back in less busy times

Carrie tore herself from the conversation with Alexia by a profound muteness. The lack of any matching interest quickly outgrew anything to talk about. So soon, Carrie found herself wandering through the room again. What she saw struck her deeply. Here was the same man, again flinging drunken insults at another easy victim. This time, however, his accusations didn't even have a proper base to stand on. People like her, offering things like access into the label's system to people like Mr. Coolio? The idea made her snicker despite herself... Was that THE Mr. Coolio he was ranting to? He had some guts, she had to admit that. Not only would this cost him the rest of the party, it could cost him his career too, if the subject of his tirade wished it. She watched a suit escort the drunkard away, then watched Mr. Coolio for a while as he attempted to strike back into a conversation with the DJ, then walked away into the center of the room. As she walked back over to the bar to drop off her empty glass and pick up a new one, she continued to look at him from the high vantage point her heels offered her. She had seen him on several occasions, but she had never seen him like this. Alone. She felt sorry for him, reflecting the feelings for her agent upon him in her absence. "Ow! Could you watch where you're going Missy?" "Oh... Sorry, I really didn't mean to..." He was gone into the crowld already. She took another few steps toward the bar, but suddenly felt a thousandfold more wobbly than she did before. Damn. One of her heels had broken off. Three more quick steps towards the bar left her sitting on a barstool, taking the shoes off and leaving them there, on the floor, while heading out to where she last saw Mr. Coolio. Barefoot, with a full glass in hand. She'd have to watch out if she didn't want to end with her head over a toilet before the night was over. He was still standing there, surrounded by people, but impossibly alone. The screaming colour of his suit not at all reflecting the look in his eyes. She walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm. Suddenly, she was at a loss for words, having admired this man so many times, but never having spoken a word to him, let alone touched him. "I... I wouldn't worry about it too much. A drunkard's words will fade from tipsy minds... Wanna go and ask around for someone to escort this man out before he does his credibility even more harm?" She removed the hand from his arm and extended it to him. "I'm Carrie... Carrie Dee... and you are?" ~~ OOC: Accusing Gryphon/Seth Able

Doesn't seem strange to me, with the absence of votes and all. I was actively restraining mine for lack of at least one other. Come on people, either everyone who said they'd be in actually comes in, or we might as well call this whole 2nd take off.

[swallowed]

*stops chanting to catch the rest of the week* Sorry 'bout that, it's an anoying habit I picked up once. Chanting can become obsessive you know Even though technically it's saturday, when I woke up it was friday alright, so I'll take it as a friday night. Just got out of a rehearsal room, finally on the playing end for once. Made a woman-and-friend's week/month/year, got the drummer I've been looking up to for years to play with me next monday, and hey, I haven't drunk a single beer either. Here's to the rest of the week, which makes that one day stand out best. Wether or not that's friday, I'll leave up to you. And here's to things coming together, to old friends and new ones And yes, that does potentially include all of you, everyone even 0_o

Rambling is good in a way, as within every ramble are bound to be the words meant to say, wether or not literally so. Thanks for the ramble Cerulean, and the thoughts are gladly given

Carrie walked away from Seth, pushing herself through the crowd that had surrounded them again. In the other direction, but this time all fire from her step was gone. She didn't think of pulling her skirt down yet again, as it had inevitably crept up over her tirade. She didn't think of picking her glass up, which was still standing next to the sound tech, unattended. The click-click-clicking of her stilleto's against the concrete floor could barely be heard over the murmur of the crowd, even by her. But she had other things on her mind right now. With Nessa gone from the hall, she was left facing the prospect of spending the entire night alone. Surrounded by strangers she was supposed to mingle with. She arrived at her old spot on the bar and ordered two more rum-cokes. This time, she needed it. A minute later, she walked away from the bar, one half-empty glass in hand, the other glass fully empty on the bar. She wandered aimlesly through the crowd, allowing the alcohol a chance to settle in without having her stagger all over the place. Balancing on these heels was enough of an issue as it was. EVentually, she passed Alexia and halted. "Hey there honey. You gotta tell me which agent hooked you up with that outfit 'cause I ain't wanna be havin' whatever he's been havin'"

[swallowed]

[swallowed]

Carrie arose from her leaning position on the bar, her head turning around the room once again to try to spot anyone familiar, Vanessa in particular. From her vantage point though, she still could catch a glimpse of her, although apparently she was in the room somewhere. Carrie turned her head at the drunken man a few feat away from her, who had adressed her agent so blatantly. She pulled her skirt down again and walked right up to him. Loud click from the high-heeled shoes she was wearing echoing around the suddenly quiet room with each determined step. The crowd surrounding him carefully stepped aside before she had to push through. "Now listen to me buddy!" She shouted, one finger pointing straight into Seth's face. "I know Vanessa isn't the most giving of agents, but she certainly wouldn't stoop anywhere near that low! I don't know what your idea is, but she was with you the other day because we are working on a demo tape for me! And yes, I can prove that, actually she should be carrying a bunch of copies of them if she'd ever show up here. So please, unless you have some proof, or even just a little bit of viability hidden behind that drunken gaze of yours, maybe you should just go home, or just shut up at least. Order a few pints of water, that might do more good for you than just washing your pants. Isn't there a bouncer around here to escort people out who've had just a bit too much drink?" She removed the finger from Seth's face and planted it firmly on her hip, taking a big gulp from the glass she'd been holding in her other hand. She shivered as the drink went down, her throat warming up, her stomach filling with that nauseating feeling she'd grown accustomed to when drinking. As the hand went down, she placed the glass on the bar and planted the other hand on her other hip, trying to hide feeling as small as she did with a gaze straight into the drunkard's eyes. ~~ OOC: Accusing Gryphon - Seth Able

I'll have to jump on Mynx's bandwagon and say there really isn't any movie that's actually scared me. Kept me interested and wondering? Sure. Disturbed? Rarely. The only movie I ever turned off halfway through because of that was Passion of the Christ. Not because I was really disturbed by it, rather getting bored. My then-girlfriend didn't like it too much though The Shining... That really didn't do anything for me. Then again, King-movies mostly leave a bad aftertaste in my mouth. I'm too much a fan of his books, and too little of a movie-fan I guess. The only King movie that freaked me out when I first saw it was It, but probably only because I was about 8 when I saw it, and I hadn't read the book by then Then again, I am looking forward to the It remake the Sci-fi channel announced. Ahh, reliving childhood memories Verdant gang rape? Sounds like someone'd been watching too much hentai But yeah... most horror flicks just crack me up. Will be adding Lynch to my to-look-out-for list though