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  Another Teaser for a future project
Posted by: Bob Schroeck - 04-17-2008, 12:26 AM - Forum: Drunkard's Walk S: Heart of Steel - Replies (32)

I've been feeling guilty about how slowly chapter 6 has been going recently, so my conscience (or something...) has been nudging me to post bits and pieces of other projects as a kind of apology.

I guess I'm feeling apologetic again, because here's another enigmatic but suggestive sequence for people.



Doug was wearing his helmet by the time she caught up with him.
Makoto was already at his side, posed almost like a bodyguard
with a grim look on her face. "<System,>" Rei heard him say as
she slipped into place on his other side, "<load song
'Starlight Express'. Play song.>"

Rei's eyes widened and she turned her head with a snap to stare
at him. *He's not seriously going to try...?" She couldn't even
complete the thought. She *knew* that song -- one of the last
times she and her father had spent a civil evening together, he
had taken her to see a production of the musical of the same
name. She'd thought it a little silly and cheesy, with people on
rollerskates singing and pretending to be trains, but the title
song had sent, *still* sent, chills up and down her spine -- even
in English the plaintive cry for certainty and assurance in the
dark of night resonated with the core of her own calling as a
miko.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to see what happened, or run away
from it.

"<When your goodnights have been said
And you are lying in bed
With the covers pulled up tight,
And though you count every sheep
You get the feeling that sleep
Is going to stay away tonight,
That's when you hear it coming
That's when you hear the humming
Of the midnight train.
Here again, can't explain
That midnight train, that midnight train...>"

Almost against her will, Rei found herself turning her eyes to
the night sky above; it was darker and more star-strewn this
night than it had been in years thanks to the blackouts caused by
the Dark Kingdom's attacks.

"<Starlight Express, you must confess
Are you real, yes or no?
Starlight Express, answer me yes
I don't want you to go...>"

Although she had been waiting for it, when it happened it still
took her by surprise.

One moment she'd been studying the stars, looking for something,
anything to move. The next she jumped as a steam whistle that
belonged on a cruise ship sounded so close that it seemed to be
in her ear, so strong that she was almost bowled over by the
force of its cry. Her eyes snapped shut involuntarily at the
overwhelming intensity of it even as she clapped her hands over
her ears. A gust of wind followed, and she was caught in a blast
of hot, moist air as something huge and metallic roared to a stop
somewhere in front of her.

Lowering her hands, Rei opened her eyes to find herself staring
at the front of a steam locomotive larger than any she had ever
seen in her life, too big to run on any track she knew of. Its
cowcatcher, the foremost tip of which was less than ten
centimeters from the toes of her red pumps, had to be at least
four meters wide and was made of two interlocking sets of bars
that reminded her of nothing so much as bared teeth. From there,
her eyes tracked up at least five meters before resting upon the
circular end of an immense boiler. Two huge headlamps, each
easily a meter across, hung on either side of its three-meter
diameter and emitted blazing yellow beams that shot out over all
their heads. Dust motes and insects drifted through them,
briefly illuminated and in turn making the beams themselves
almost visible objects in their own right.

And the beams were not the only light emitted by the huge
machine. As Rei's eyes traced its antique-seeming lines she
realized that faint shimmers raced along its edges and angles,
glistening traces of silvery starlight that were constantly in
motion, limning the locomotive and giving it an unearthly glow.

She was about to reach out and touch one of the racing glimmers
of light when the headlamps swivelled to shine their beams down
upon herself, Makoto and Doug. The cowcatcher flexed like a
mouth as the locomotive looked at them and said in a voice almost
too loud to bear, "Who has flagged me down, and why?"

Rei's head snapped up and she stared. Somehow, without any
detail of its construction having changed, she no longer was
looking at the front end of a machine. She was staring into a
face -- a proud, aristocratic face.

The voice, as loud and overpowering as it was, was a blend of
familiar sounds: the basso rumble of distant wheels on rails,
the hiss of released steam, even the ringing of bells and the
shriek of whistles. Still, it spoke in Japanese, or so she
thought, and still it was comprehensible for all the wild noise
that made it up.

"I have, Elder," Doug said softly but firmly, "to see if you
would pick up passengers." On his other side, Makoto still
stood, unmoving, solid as rock.

*Elder.* Rei's eyes widened with realization. She had expected
Doug would somehow *create* a train with the song. She now
realized that Doug had done something else entirely. No matter
what it looked like, this was no mere machine, no mere construct
of magical power, in front of them.

It was a kami. Just as in the play, the Starlight Express was a
kami.



-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

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  Edit: New CPU problems
Posted by: Wiregeek - 04-16-2008, 08:18 PM - Forum: General Chatter - Replies (16)

The new Intel Core 2 Duo Wolfdale-cored 3.0ghz got in stock at Newegg earlier this week, and I couldn't resist. This little beast should be hitting my
front door this evening, and will replace my 2.4ghz Allendale core 2 duo.

I wish there was a compelling video card upgrade past the 8800 GTS, but alas..
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

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  Nano-Stagger: The Bat and The Loon
Posted by: Wiregeek - 04-16-2008, 07:34 PM - Forum: Future Steps - Replies (10)

One of the biggest things I was going to miss, I reflected as I swam up through the murky waters of unconsciousness, was Bell's cooking. She'd said
that the breakfast she had prepared for me would 'help with the recovery' after I Gated, and it appeared she was right. I was still drained, but I
didn't feel like Loon Soup, more like a thick chunky stew. I took a deep breath to brace myself, and opened my eyes.

A looming sky was overhead, dark clouds reflecting the sullen light of a city. I did another physical check, and figuring I might as well, sat up. It
didn't hurt nearly as much as I expected.Looking around, I appeared to be on a common rooftop. Air exchangers poked their blunt snouts into the night air,
and a low retaining wall masked the city from me. I rolled over and began to lever myself to my feet, when a menacing roll of a voice froze me in a rather
awkward posture.

"Care to explain what you're doing in my city, stranger?"

I held my position for a moment while my mind raced. The unfamiliar voice was confident, aggressive, and firm. Obviously someone on his own turf, and secure in
his power.

"At the moment, standing up. Then I was planning on checking out my bike. From there, I'm not sure." I replied, inwardly pleased with the
stability I managed to put in my own voice. Bell's cooking helped a lot, but I was still as weak as the proverbial kitten. I resumed my movement, standing
slowly and keeping my hands in plain sight, and looked around me with more focus. As I scanned past a pool of darkness at the corner of a roof entrance, my
peripheral vision caught movement, and I looked straight at it, to see a cowled figure in light body armor step out of the concealing shadow.

"So you're saying that you appeared out of nowhere in a flash of light, in the middle of _my_ city, and you're 'not sure' why you're
here?" The menacing figure in black ground out. My mind had spun back up to full speed surprisingly fast, and I considered his language and body language
for the split second I had before my next move. While aggressive, and intimidating, my rooftop stranger had made no actual threats, unless I counted him
keeping his upper body concealed by his cape - which I thought was a very sound tactical idea. That fairly well dictated my next step.

"I'm afraid that's exactly correct, sir. If you'll permit, I'll right my bike, and get out my ID. It should help explain things. To start
with.. I'm not from around here." I finished my statement facing the man, who I had dubbed 'Mr. Spookypants', due to his predilection for
theatrics. He was starting to remind me of Chris, in fact, and I kept that in mind, given my initial meeting with that Guardian type..

Mr. Spooky nodded, one short chop of his square chin under the half-mask, and I followed through, slowly righting my bike and giving it a once-over, shutting
off the key and verifying that all the bits that were supposed to be on, were on. I turned to face Spooky again, and slowly went for my ID pocket, with the
police-approved two fingers. I opened the ID on my palm, and let it run through it's spiel. Mr. Spooky seemed interested, and I closed my ID with a snap
(that failed to startle him), and opened my face shield.

"My name is Douglas Q. Sangnoir, Sir, and I am not from this world, or even this dimension. Given that you're a 'good guy' here, I'm
pleased to meet you." And I extended my hand on the last beat. Mr. Spooky considered it for a moment, then extended his and shook my hand. His grip
matched the rest of his persona - firm and strong, without the knuckle-crusher that some men needed to prove themselves with. He release my hand and took a
step back.

"Welcome to my City, Mr. Sangnoir. For now, I'll take your word that you are who you say you are, so welcome to Gotham. I'm Batman."
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

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  another Gatesong
Posted by: Norgarth - 04-16-2008, 06:24 PM - Forum: The Game Everyone Loves To Play - Replies (9)

Movin' Right Along (Kermit and Fozzie)

Kermit

Movin' right along in search of good times and good news,

With good friends, you can't lose,

Fozzie:

This could become a habit.

Kermit:

Opportunity just knocked, let's reach out and grab it,

Together we'll nab it.

Fozzie:

Ya! We'll hitch-hike, bus, or yellow cab it.

Kermit (spoken): Cab it?

Kermit & Fozzie:

Movin' right along

Kermit:

Foot-loose and fancy free.

Gettin' there is half the fun; come share it with me.

Kermit & Fozzie:

Movin' right along!

Kermit:

Doog-a-doon, doog-a-doon

We'll learn to share the load.

Fozzie:

We don't need a map to keep this show on the road.

(Dialogue)

Kermit: (looking at the map) Hey, Fozzie, I want you to turn left when you get to a fork in the road.

Fozzie: Yessir: turn left at the fork in the road.

(A giant fork appears in a fork in the road)

Fozzie: KERMIT!

Kermit: I don't believe that.

Kermit:

Movin' right along we found a life on the highway,

Fozzie:

And your way is my way--

Kermit:

So trust my navigation.

Fozzie:

California here we come, come pie-in-the-sky land.

Kermit:

Palm trees and warm sand--

Fozzie:

Though sadly we just left Rhode Island.

Kermit: (spoken) We did what?

Fozzie: (spoken) Just forget it.

Kermit & Fozzie:

Movin' right along

Kermit:

Hey, L.A., where have you gone?

Fozzie:

Send someone to fetch us, we're in Saskatchewan.

Kermit & Fozzie:

Movin' right along

Kermit:

Doog-a-doon, doog-a-doon)

You take it, you know best.

Fozzie:

Hey, I've never seen the sun come up in the West.

Fozzie: (spoken) A bear in his natural habitat! A studabaker!

(Dialogue)

Kermit: Hey, Fozzie, look up ahead.

(A tall creature is walking on the other side of the quiet empty highway)

Fozzie: What is that?

Kermit: Maybe we should give him a ride.

Fozzie: I dunno. He's pretty big.

(The studabaker pulls alongside the creature)

Fozzie: Hey, there. Wanna lift?

Big Bird (Carroll Spinney) Oh, no, thanks. I'm on my way to New York City to try to break into public television!

Fozzie: Ah...hmmm, good luck.

(The studabaker keeps on moving the other direction)

Kermit & Fozzie:

Movin' right along

Fozzie:

We're truly birds of a feather,

We're in this together--

Kermit:

And we know where we're goin'.

Fozzie:

Movie stars with flashy cars and life with the top down.

Kermit:

We're stormin' the big town.

Fozzie:

Yeah! Storm is right, should it be snowin'?

Kermit: (spoken) No, I don't think so.

(On the Soundtrack but not in the Movie)

Kermit & Fozzie:

Movin' right along

Fozzie:

Do I see signs of men?

Kermit:

Yeah, "welcome" on the same post that says "come back again."



Kermit & Fozzie:

Movin' right along

Kermit:

Foot-loose and fancy free.

Fozzie:

You're ready for the big time--

Kermit:

Is it ready for me?

Kermit & Fozzie:

Movin' right along!

Movin' right along!

(repeat to fade)



-----

This is even more appropriate as a gatesong since (judging by some of Fozzie's lines) they experienced their own drunkard's walk.
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin

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  COH trial accounts.
Posted by: WengFook - 04-16-2008, 10:28 AM - Forum: General Chatter - Replies (7)

Does anyone have one to spare? My curiousity about it has recently been piqued enough to spur me to try it Tongue
_________________________________
Take Your Candle, Go Light Your World.

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  Steven Speilberg's Ghost in the Shell
Posted by: Epsilon - 04-16-2008, 04:12 AM - Forum: General Chatter - Replies (10)

No kidding.

----------------

Epsilon

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  Shinji/Rei Eva fic recs?
Posted by: jpub - 04-16-2008, 04:06 AM - Forum: Other People's Fanfiction - Replies (3)

Anyone have some faves? I'm hitting a boredom wall with most of my ficdoms, and would like to read some entertaining S/R Eva.

Thanks.

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  Macross Frontier
Posted by: Evil Midnight Lurker - 04-15-2008, 11:21 PM - Forum: General Chatter - Replies (130)

...Discussion thread GO! [Image: smile.gif]

Shinsen-Subs haven't come through with their take on episode 2 yet, but the two existing versions aren't half bad.

Opening credits... hm. No one there who obviously isn't part of the Frontier Fleet; not really possible to point at any of them and say "here is the
Enemy du Jour!"

Careful pausing during the opening sequence reveals one of the new variable configuration Monsters and a lady who is, presumably, its pilot. (Do those things
qualify as Destroids or Battroids? Is it a Destroid with a Battroid mode? Ah, terminological confusion.)

Ranka's hair continues to mystify. At minimum, it seems to be under a lighter gravity field than everything else in the area. [Image: smile.gif] As we figured, she's
part Zentradi. (And has anyone else noticed, last episode, that she works at what seems to be a franchise of the Lynn family restaurant? ^.^)

Further confirmation that the civilian government and Spacy were expecting these Vajra things to attack; there are
cover-up protocols in place already... the galaxy is known to be a hostile place, why bother with this secrecy crap?

BOMBER!!!

...and Alto is a nineteenth generation Kabuki performer. That explains a lot. n.n; For starters, it looks like he wants to get the heck out of the family
business. Expect to see some nasty parental confrontations in future episodes.

Huh, he had no idea that his classmates were in SMS. This ought to be amusing.

Looks like they're dispensing with a long buildup and cutting straight to the love triangle...

ETA: On the one hand, we've got a massive homage to the original first couple of episodes, what with the Ranka-rescue and all. On the other, Alto is in
one sense a reverse Hikaru, as he WANTS to be a fighter pilot but there are all kinds of obstacles in his way...

--Sam

"Sarsaparilla and fresh horses for all my men!"

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  Just for fun...
Posted by: Bob Schroeck - 04-15-2008, 06:47 PM - Forum: Future Steps - Replies (4)

I don't know if I'll ever write this story, but it's fun coming up with bits and pieces and slowly stringing them together in a development file.



When the song faded, so did the golden light around Aldonza,
evaporating in tiny motes that streaked meteorlike into the night
sky. She just stood there, stunned, looking at herself as best
she could without a mirror.

As I had promised, she was dressed in fine silks and satins,
bejewelled and bangled as befit the lady of quality that Don
Quixote saw within her. She was bathed and clean for possibly
the first time in her adult life, and her long raven hair had
been repaired and styled, its gleaming waves now piled upon her
head in a grand cascade held in place by a fleet of combs linked
with small golden chains.

To my surprise, she looked far more like her movie counterpart
Sophia Loren than I had thought possible. I nodded, and then, as
her eyes lifted from her hands to look at me, I made a leg and
bowed deeply to her. "My lady," I murmured with complete
sincerity.

"Who *are* you?" she whispered, her shock evident in her voice.

I straightened up. "I am Douglas Quincy Sangnoir, humble student
of magic, sworn to the service of Heaven and my Lord Don Quixote
de la Mancha."



(No, I don't have a specific song in mind. When I need it, I'll find one.)
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

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  NEWS! Additional Character slots!
Posted by: CrimsonKMR - 04-15-2008, 05:22 PM - Forum: The Legendary - Replies (3)

As per Positron

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat ... st10600404

NCsoft NorCal Studios is pleased to announce the pricing and details for the coming Optional Additional Character Slot feature. As we
previously announced, we
heard the request for a system to allow more characters on a single server and this is our answer. City of Heroes is a unique game that offers many playstyle
options; options that are growing in a large way due to Powerset
Proliferation and the addition of the Villain Epic Archetypes in the next free expansion, Issue 12: Midnight Hour. To accommodate playing more characters on your favorite server, we will be including the following features in Issue 12:

  • All current subscribers will receive 2 free character slots, each of which can be used on the specific server of their choice. This is
    to help you make new characters to take advantage of the new features of Issue 12, even if you already have maxed out your "home" server's
    character slots.




  • 1 free character slot will be granted retroactively on a yearly basis through the current Veteran Reward system. Every 12 months that a subscription is maintained will
    unlock an additional free character slot that the user can apply to the server of their choice. Thus, existing players will be eligible for up to 4
    additional character slots at the launch of Issue 12. This will continue into the future for Veteran Rewards given out every 12 months, so you get another
    slot for 5 years, another one for 6 years, etc.




  • Additional Optional Character Slots will be available on a purchasable basis. These are one-time fees, not an addition to your monthly
    subscription rate. The additional slots can be had at the following price points:




    • 1 Optional Character Slot for a one-time fee of $5.99


    • 2 Optional Character Slots for a one-time fee of $9.99


    • 5 Optional Character Slots for a one-time fee of $19.99




  • Players can have up to 36 slots per server, with an update to the character selection screen that lets you re-organize your character
    list by Drag and Drop, as well as easily flip between up to three pages of characters available on that server. All customers benefit from these great new
    User Interface features included with the revisions for Optional Character Slots.

The above features are planned to be made available at the launch of Issue 12: Midnight Hour, which is currently in closed beta testing. Be sure to check out
this feature, along with the rest of Issue 12 when we enter the open beta testing period that should be starting in several more weeks.
There is no coincidence, only necessity....
- Clow Reed

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