"Holy, Holy, Holy... Cow!" is simply the working title I came up with, mostly as a gag, when I started laying out the itinerary for the Walk. I always intended to change it to something better, but to date, nothing has really occurred to me. If anyone wants to throw title suggestions up for consideration and discussion, here's the thread in which to do it.

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

Just to inaugurate the new forum.
-- Bob
"In this time and place," Verdandi said quietly, "we are chargedto answer to Another.""Office politics, huh?" I sneered. "Must be a major comeuppancefor you three. Took a big fall, did you?"There was a swish of wind, and my reflexes took over. A momentlater, I found myself holding the shaft of something that lookedlike a croquet mallet by way of Star Trek. Its head was merecentimeters from mine, and Skuld throttled its handle in a double-fisted deathgrip. "We didn't *Fall*!" she shouted as she triedto free her weapon from my grasp. "No one Fell!"I inclined my head toward her as I looked at the other two."Discipline problem, eh?" Then a thought struck me. "Those twoyou sent out of the room. Do they know what kind of creaturesyou are? Or are they living in danger and ignorance?""Megumi's just visiting," Urd said off-handedly. "And Keiichi isBell's...""Keiichi is my love," whispered Verdandi.This shocked me so much I let go of the mallet, and Skuldpromptly nailed me in the foot with it.When I got done yelping and jumping around, I relieved the kidof her hammer and turned back to Verdandi. "Your *what*?""My love," she repeated, almost too softly for me to hear.I blinked at her, then shook my head. "You know, that's...that's..." I *was* going to say something like "pathetic", ormaybe "disgusting". We'd had quite enough of that stuff with theGreek gods, after all; with all the other damage that they do tothe world, deities should *not* play with human hearts. Plus,the relative power levels made it pretty damn likely that itwasn't exactly the most equitable of relationships. Poor guy.Talk about being pussy-whipped. But my danger sense chose thatmoment to smack me on the back of the head, and I realized thatinsulting a god-human relationship to the involved god's face wasprobably not the wisest course of action.Okay, now those who know me and the Warriors will say, "Hey, younever had a problem with Hexe dating men." Well, for all thatHexe is bossy, dominant, pushy *and* an avatar, she is also oneof the most *human* beings I have ever known. When I see herwith a guy, I don't see a monstrous, alien creature of immensepower manipulating some poor schlmazel for its own amusement. Isee a woman with a guy. Say what you will about her abrasive andoverbearing personality, Hexe is a woman first, and a deitysecond. And in my experience, that was *unique*. I had noreason to believe Verdandi's relationship with Keiichi Morisatowas anything but a sadistic and/or exploitative dalliance forher.Anyway, it was at that moment that a shriek erupted from theother side of the door to save me from my own mouth. "Belldandyis *WHO*?"I raised an eyebrow. "I take it she didn't know?"Urd smirked. "Nope," she said as Verdandi pursed her lips andSkuld's eyes grew large."DOES THAT MEAN..." came from the hallway, then Megumi's voicedropped to an outraged mumble."I think," I said, "that somebody's in trouble."The door burst open, and Megumi stormed back into the room,dragging her brother behind her. "Where's this Marllercharacter?" she roared, and all three goddesses jumped, then asone turned to look at her. "Turn *me* into a car, will she?Possess *my* body, will she? When I get my hands on her, she'llbe one dead..." She jabbed a finger at Urd. "You! How couldyou let me think that was just a *dream*, that it was myimagination? Do you *know* what it's done to my self-image?"She whirled on Skuld, who eeped. "And *you*, you're just as bad.You can't believe what it felt like to think I was crazy becauseof all the strange crap that goes on around here because of you!""Why aren't you yelling at Belldandy?" Urd muttered, but Megumievidently heard her.The mortal girl suddenly dropped completely out of rage and intoutter embarrassment. "I couldn't!" she replied, doing some odd,rhythmic twiddling thing with the tips of her forefingers."She's so nice, I'd just feel so *guilty* afterwards."I hazarded a glance at the divinity in question, who simplysmiled a beatific smile. Uh-huh.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

I'd like to announce the opening of this new forum. As mentioned elsewhere, I've decided that my plotting difficulties with DW3 and DW4 are currently insurmountable, and I have put them on hiatus in favor of progressing directly to DW5. As the events of DW5 have a small but noticeable impact on most of the subsequent Steps, it is a vital bottleneck I have to traverse, anyway. In its favor, though, is the fact that I have it completely plotted, and have much of its Chapter 1 already written. So you should see it rather quickly after I complete DW2 later this year.
Anyway, as with everything else here, feel free to jump on in.
Thanks.

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

Although it's probably obvious to anyone looking at the board's top page, I've added a forum for Drunkard's Walk V to the Drunkard's Walk area. For the reason why, see this post in the General DW Chatter area.
I've also moved the DW5 Teasers thread from Future Steps into the new forum.
Enjoy.

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

After some weeks of thought, I've come to the conclusion that the plotting problems I'm having on DW3 and DW4 are not going to let me produce material in those two steps promptly enough to satisfy my readers. Subsequently, I'm putting those two Steps on hold and I will be proceeding directly to DW5 after I complete DW2 later this year.
Because I've moved it up in the production queue, I've added a new DW5 forum for discussion, criticism, and enthusiastic fanboy raving.
Thanks.

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

Okay, Peg and I just got done watching the ADV rereleases of Devil Hunter Yohko on DVD last night. And this absolute bozo idea struck me. Yohko and Rei from Eva are both voiced by Amanda Winn Lee (in a pair of performances that are so different they might as well be by different actresses, although Yohko has much in common with the alternate-universe Rei from ep. 26 of Eva); Yohko's best friend and business manager Chigako is voiced by Asuka's Tiffany Grant.
I think I should stop right there and let you, the reader, work out what my twisted imagination came up with on your own. Suffice it to say, some of it involves Rei in a high-cut red Chinese-style dress with a yin-yang on the chest...
No, it's not going into DW-Eva.
I think.

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

In the last four days I've watched the Registered users count go from 37 to 38 and then drop to 35 today. Of course, I can see no visible difference in the actual list of users...
This is going to drive me mad, I swear...

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

I was just listening to this in the car last night, and I realized that it wasn't a bad choice for the overall musical theme of chapter 12. (Although arguably "A Little Help From My Friends" is probably the more reasonable candidate.) Anyway, enjoy.
-- Bob

Are you ready Steve?
Uh-huh
Andy?
Yeah
Mick?
Okay
All right fellas - let's go!
Oh it's been getting so hard
Living with the things you do to me
Uh-huh
My dreams are getting so strange
I'd like to tell you everything I see
Mm-hmm.
Oh I see a man at the back as a matter of fact
His eyes are as red as the sun
And the girl in the corner let no one ignore her
Cause she thinks she's the passionate one
Oh Yeah! It was like lightning
Everybody was fighting
And the music was soothing
And they all started grooving
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
And the man in the back said everyone attack
And it turned into a ballroom blitz
And the girl in the corner said boy I want to warn you
It'll turn into a ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz
Oh reaching out for something
Touching nothing's all I ever do
Oh I softly call you over
When you appear there's nothing left of you
Uh-huh
Now the man in the back is ready to crack
As he raises his hands to the sky
And the girl in the corner is everyone's woman
She could kill you with a wink of her eye
Oh Yeah! It was electric
So perfectly hectic
And the band started leaving
Cause they all stopped breathing
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
And the man in the back said everyone attack
And it turned into a ballroom blitz
And the girl in the corner said boy I want to warn you
It'll turn into a ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz
Oh Yeah! It was like lightning
Everybody was fighting
And the music was soothing
And they all started grooving
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
And the man in the back said everyone attack
And it turned into a ballroom blitz
And the girl in the corner said boy I want to warn you
It'll turn into a ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz
It's it's a ballroom blitz
It's it's a ballroom blitz
It's it's a ballroom blitz
Yeah, it's a ballroom blitz
-- Ballroom Blitz
by Sweet, from "Desolation Boulevard" (1974)
(written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman)
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Birds of Prey.
Having only seen one episode, I can't really be certain, but I think I agree with the reviewer - It's very good.
Unfortunately, it's also cancelled. Still, I can sort of see Doug trying to set up a local version of the Warriors, complete with UN charter.
Or, howsabout Firefly?
Likewise excellent, likewise cancelled, and a place that would, if you play his arrival right, be interestingly hard for Doug to deal with. I picture him standing in the middle of a dusty street staring after a town's worth of fleeing people going, "Um, what's a reaver?" Immediately followed by him kicking ass, which in turn would lead to a visit by The Men With Blue Hands, which would leave him in need of a ship that wouldn't go somewhere it'd attract attention...
After all, when They're after you, you have to keep flying.
Blessed be.
-n
(It's decisions like -that- that breed communists.)
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

Are you only accepting plot lines from books and anime series? Would you be ok with sending Doug into a videogame world? I know that most videogames have poor plots or a good plot but with a very short timeline but I know of a couple that have good plot and a long enough timeline till the game ends. Actually, now that I think about it I only know one game, but I'd still like to know if you accept videogame ideas.