See the ezAnnouncement I've made visible for information on the board's unavailability on Sunday.

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

While poking about to find the right way to turn Offsides into a moderator, I also got around to making a few changes to the way the boards are laid out.
1. Graphic smilies have been graphically eliminated. I just got utterly sick of them.
2. Based on extensive user feedback, I've moved the "members online" display to the top of the page.
3. I've tweaked the odd setting here and there, but I doubt you'll notice anything soon.
Your overall enjoyment of the forums should not be adversely affected and will remain positive. Or else.
Thanks.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

In order that I might have a backup while I am fully immersed in the Book from Hell, I have asked Offsides to act as a moderator for the discussion forum. Luckily for me, he accepted.
You shouldn't see much change in the way things work; given how well behaved our community is, I doubt he'll have to exercise his vast moderator powerz any time soon.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

As I've mentioned elsewhere in the last 24 hours, I am putting the DW3 project on hold until I re-evaluate my plotting. In the mean time I will be proceeding directly to Drunkard's Walk V.

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

...so Shinji lays the 400% smack down on Zeruel and gets absorbed into 01 as per spec... and while the techs are working on pulling him out via tried-and-failed technology, Doug experiments with some tunes and eventually comes up with one that works: -Mother and Child Reunion-.
And isn't everyone surprised when it works a hell of a lot -better- than Doug expected...!
Up side: bloody obvious, innit?
Down side: might significantly degrade Shinji's sync fu... but at that point he probably wouldn't mind! Also, if Asuka isn't already far down the road to wellness, this could really set her back (a la the Sabers and resurrection)...
(Could Doug -see- the various distinct souls/life forces in there, I wonder...?)
--Sam Ashley
"I'm here because... a big clown hit me!"

"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.