Write a new post CHAO BBS

It has been an unbelievable 24 hours (or so)


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/21 03:50:09
Note. . . I -DON'T- smile. It's not in my nature.

But these things have made me smile sinve i've been home. . .

Light's new girlfriend.
Diva's cut-throat sexual habbits.

The fact that Gigazubyte and Blacklady will never breed because they see their future (her surly nature, his verbosity)spawns in me.

DCD talked to me.
Firestorm doesn't loathe me as much as he thought.
Falco's kinda back.
I'm appearantly in Chaclons inner circle (with Gigazubyte and Firestorm)

Kirby likes to talk Anime.

I got a new scar.

And i must have annoyed a dozen people today.

Also you guys don't seem to correct my typos, though I spell like a ten year old who replaced his ridlin with crack
(although the words are in the proper context)

My fucking cheeks hurt. You guys aren't too bad after all.

Don't let it go to your heads. . .


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/21 04:02:42
I still hate most of you. . .
but today was a pretty good day for my having insomnia.

You know what'd make this day perfect?


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/21 04:04:11
If i could ruin someone elses day
(names mentioned in the topic string are exempt)

Re: You know what'd make this day perfect?


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/21 04:06:01
Shit it's already 4?

Hey DCD


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/21 04:28:58
if you mannage to see this before I amble off into the abyss for the day, I'd like you to tell me about Deviant Art or whatever that is.

Re: Hey DCD


†Ðark Celestial Ðragon™ ID:011103 2008/01/21 06:21:21
Basically it's an art site where you can post up your art (any type of art, i.e. digital drawing, sculpture, skins, textiles, movies (I'm not sure what the format has to be, though), etc... but except music I THINK, as I've never seen a music entry). People can comment/critique or favourite it (unless you disable commenting or discourage critique). And now, recently, there is a feature where you can sort your gallery into custom categories/folders. There's also a scraps section.

Oh, and also, you get a journal that you can use if you want that shows up on the other side of the page. And some other stuff.

Pitty. . .


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/21 22:13:16
My forte extends to digital music.
Though not limited to it.

Although. . .


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/21 22:23:46
I'm quite the poet and story writer.
But it's nothing in comparison to my musical ability with a freeware midi composer full of limitations and glitches.

I'd let you hear. . .


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/21 22:29:25
But the fact is that I'd have to compose something new for you upon request, due to my current 30 or so songs aren't copyrighted, and I plan to use them for something in the future.

Although I get the feeling you wouldn't reproduce them, and if requested to, wouldn't let anyone else hear.

Well i'll be back in a few hours.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/21 22:33:09
Decorater's comming to work today and i've gotta be there to make sure she doesn't fuck my place up again. Ditzy girl.

The place was rented out for a birthday, and the last time that girl came by she put some frilly shit on the rafters using some adhesive that only just recently peeled off.

If it's no imposition. . .


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/21 22:35:29
Tell me a little about your artwork? it seems interesting (or did the last time I looked at that site of yours. . . )

I'd like to know what inspires such things.

Re: If it's no imposition. . .


†Ðark Celestial Ðragon™ ID:011103 2008/01/22 03:38:48
I'm not sure how to really explain, to be honest. There is still a lot that I haven't posted, though. Lately I have been posting gift art for my friends rather than things I draw only for my own view (nor things I drew for the art classes I took last semester). Either way, I'm actually not the only one here who has a page there. Giga, Black Lady (known as Ryuura there), and a few others here that I don't think you've met yet have a deviantART page as well.

I'm "Dying" to see Black Ladies page


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 03:45:22
. . . I suppose I could go see "Scott's" too. . .

Re: I'm "Dying" to see Black Ladies page


†Ðark Celestial Ðragon™ ID:011103 2008/01/22 04:00:58
Do you need the links? I can't tell if you might have already found them already, so yeah... Well, of the two you know so far, here are the links:

http://ryuura.deviantart.com/

http://gigazubyte.deviantart.com/

Thanks. i've found them though. :)


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 04:01:59

Re: I'm "Dying" to see Black Ladies page


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 04:33:22
Scot's good at copy-sketching fanart it seems. His writing could use work. It's not the worst i've seen, but it could use work.

Sparing honesty for the sake of someones feelings is regressive.

The only one of those really worth reviewing is the Iron Empire...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 04:58:27
Both Age of Chaos chapters are massively outdated, and were most likely edited half a dozen times elsewhere since I posted them at DA, then scrapped in favor of a complete rewrite. The first chapter was always pretty bad, mainly because I had no clue what I was doing with the chao and Spike's dialogue is really stilted.

That's precisely what i would have said


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 05:18:26
but I was being a little reserved about the criticism. There's a fine line between constructive criticism and flaming. At least as far as most people are concerned. However, knowing the weak points in your product is 5 steps in the right dirrection. The sixth can be the final step in saying "It's not important enough to me to correct them"

The afore mentioned step 6 is usually the step i take


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 05:23:38
except in my music. i'm meticulous.

Dialogue has always been my weak point...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 05:23:41
And pretty much every constructive review has told me to improve it. Easier said than done, but I've been working on it and I'm much more satisfied with the new version. At any rate according to reviews my action is much better, by my own judgement and that of the few people who've read it. Which is why I have a propensity for writing stories based mainly on what makes for an interesting fight.

. . . Read this.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 05:43:38
- . . .He stood before Aelior, the mightiest of the orox, Grothatungh the Butcher. . . A massive beast built more like a gorilla than a man, with dagger like fangs protruding from his extended lower jaw. His tusks reached upward past his rounded and extended upper lip, and barely to his ape-like nostrils. His eyes beamed with pure malice as his maw opened, as though in slow motion. Strands of saliva and mucus splayed from his maw and sprayed forth while his frame haunched foreward to ascert a mighty roar.
"Blaspheme!" Gtoth roared to the slightened Geldar who stood mere feet away. In response, Aelior steeled his pose, a slender humanoid figure adorned with imaculate blue-grey skin. His ears protruded from an ornate golden trimm dark-steel helm which hid his true weapon. Strapped to his flowing and ornate golden robed and leather padded (sewen into the fabric) garb, was the Acrylah. . . Fiercest blade ever created since the Gal'ruh roamed the world. It's ferocity was not in it's size, heft or edge. . . But in the force which it represented. "You pig-monkey fool. . . Your army has fallen, your world is comming to an end, and yet here you stand, defying me? You -KNOW- who I am fool. I AM THE DEVOURER!" Aelior roared with just as much ferocity.
With the words spent, the last orox clenched hard in his fist, the size of Aelior's head, his weapon, the likes of which was exclusive to the orox, though it slightly resembled a Halberd with a crooked handle allowing the blade a broader slashing radius, and a blade that curved with the handle. In rebuttal, Aelior had reached up behind his head, and drawn the beautiful Acrylah, Harbinger of the Chaos God Dargaroth, and all that Chaos stood for. As the aura of the blade bled like smoke from the scabbard, the blade itself shone eerily haunting in the crimson, smoke filled atmos. The blade, shaped similar to a curved saber, bore a hilt reminescent of an ornate rapier, though it's end bore the dragon of Dargaroth, and an amethyst locked between it's fangs. The blade itself bore smaller downward curved blades upon the dull side of the sabre, three of them. Two massive triangular teeth protruded from the front. And adorning this, the eerie violet glow granted to any of Dargaroths most destructive relics. . . The soul eaters.

The aura seemed to taint Aelior's visage, his armaments shattering leaving nothing but his unclothed and shameless form before the orox champion. In that instant, blackened bones erupted from his back, like spiders legs unfolding to engulf their prey. Oozing from those bones, more bones, forming giant hand-like skeletal protrusions. From the bones, now a membrane slid down between the digits, forming the trademarked wings of the dark dragon. His silver hair had erupted forth, billuwing upward as if blown by an unfelt wind. As his hair flowed gently, constantly moving, he looked upon the orox, whos courage now began to waver. Aeliors eyes had now focused full on Groth, and an eruption of the same violet energy poured from his eyes, windows to his soul, flowing upward and desipating into the ether like the aura of the blade. The devourer reborn, moved as malice crossed his Sylvan features. A blur of violet had assaulted the orox's line of site and the end, had finally come to the thousand years of war between Orox and Geldar.

Nice description, but most of the names mean little out of context...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 05:50:06
It certainly promises a pretty spectacular fight, but this is just a prelude.

Re: . . . Read this.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 06:02:20
Aelior's form was fast, but no ammount of minor attacks would fell the beast Groth. This was common knowledge as it was often said "An Orox is to stubborn to fall when it's already dead. They like to bring their killers to the abyss with them".
The blade, Acryllah sung as it panged against the orox's heavy plated armor, slicing through it easily enough and deep into his flesh from behind. Though such a wound is hardly fatal to an orox. At that instant Groth roared once again, his mucus spewing forth while his lumbering form turned to face the assailant. His Kahgurn Garr (weapon) swung to the exact possition Aelior had been when the assault struck, but Groths eyes met only that blur. Howling and enraged, he looked up to see Aelior standing upon the massive weapon, and plunging the sword Acryllah towards his gaping maw to silence him once and for all. The orox's maw swiftly clamped down upon the blade, and with a jerk of his swift neck muscles sent Aelior reeling to the left. Again his massive weapon was almost instantly raised it seemed, and sent crashing for Aelior's form, only to meet the earth in a deep cleaving embrace. From the sky, the blur came, and for an instant, Aelor was visible. . . Like an archangel sent straight from heaven to strike the orox, his blade held straight downward to the orox's head and his form reversed, ebon wings spread wide for another killing blow. The blade struck soundly against Groth's horned helm, and it did crack the metal, but once the blade hit the skull it deflected, leaving only a bloody gash. Again Aelior was gone, and now the orox's howls and flying spittle were accompanied by bloodsplatter dripping down the front of his beastly visage. Releasing the massive axe-thing in the earth, his hands raised up, in an ape-like gesture of pounding his chest once with both metal-clad hands. "Come at me foul thing! Orox fear no flying bite-bug!" the beast roared, blood dripping onto his fangs, flowing like water.

As if to mock the beast, in a blur of violet, Aelior appeared right in front of him, just behind the range of his fists, and were they the same size, they'd have been face to face. "Come then "oh mighty warrior". . . Acryllah thirsts for blood, and will be sated this day." His voice was normal, even slightly whispered. And in that tone, the Geldar sounded quite dainty, to the contrary of his ability.
Almost instantly, Acrylah protruded just beneath the bulge of Groth's shoulders, and silence fell. . .

A roar of desparation erupted as his fist slammed into Aelior's face, sending the geldar reeling, though the blade remained a fatal blow. The lumbering hulk charged for Aelior's downed form, and as his grasp on the blade had lifted, his form had begun to change back. The drool mixed with blood dripped forth from the orox as he loomed over Aelior. His hands reached now for the helpless Geldar, intent upon breaking him and rending his limbs. Aelior had a look of acceptance, knowing that even were the orox to have his way, the deed was done. he steeled himself for the bloody deed aead, and with defiance and pride, glared onto the beast by whom he was now fated.

Good stuff, I approve. It was a pretty quick fight though.


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 06:06:12

The orox was outclassed.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 06:17:57
In every way. If it was a more fair fight, then it'd have lasted a while.

Re: . . . Read this.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 06:17:08
As blood and vile smelling mucus spilled upon Aelior's face, the orox halted, and a strange look, almost of surprise (If you could see expression upon an orox's already mangled face) covered him. Aelior had by this time closed his eyes awaiting his gruesome fate. Now returned to his normal slender form, the Geldar slowly opened his eyes. Staring down at him was the orox, and his heart nearly jumped from his chest. . . A few seconds had passed before he realised the hulking brute stood there, dead as a stone. Once he had realized this, instantly relief had fell over him, and a sigh escaped him, while his hand held his chest where still his heart beated. Reassured of his survival, and checking for wounds, he stood, still beneath the orox's slouched form, resting on squating legs and an arm. He had also just come to the realization that his garments were splayed and sent into the abyss upon transforming.

Shrugging lightly he moved away from the corpse and stood surveying the landscape where so many of his brothers and sisters had fallen in the strugle with Dargaroth's favored spawns. Destroyed by Dargaroth's own creation, his minions were defeated.

But something wasn't right. . . The Victorious feeling that should have caressed Aelior's heart was replaced by a nagging feeling, which was slowly growing into a feeling of absolute dread. . . A voice had entered his thoughts, at first a mumble, but by now a roaring demand. "Take me up. Take me up. You are mine. Your soul is mine. Your heart is mine. Your hand is mine. Take me up. Take me up."

The dread had now sent shivers down and up his spine as he turned to see the blade, falling from the orox's chest. Imediately he was compelled to retrieve it, though struggling against himself, he walked forth. Each step strained and the horror that he had never known in his life now took root and flourished. . . Aelior, the fearless self made champion of the Geldar was now in the hands of Dargaroth, and the blade. Before he could even think to deside a way to resist, the sword was already within his grasp, and the aura, eminating from unseen tendrils which permeated his skin, and wrapped arround his bone in an indestructible constriction. The transformation took place, and there he stood, the devourer. . . Trapped by a god whom he believed he had outwitted, the world had no idea of the fate that was now upon them. The thousand years of war that the geldar had endured with the orox would be nothing in comparrison to the millenia ahead. . . Aelior's soul, too was drained, and captured within the amethyst on the hilt, and his mortal coil was now the vessel and avatar of Dargaroth. In the death of the old evil, a new, more powerful darkness had befell the land.


(Prelude to "The Devourer")

(Off the top of my head)

Hey DCD


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 06:34:40
What do you think?
I made it up on the spot, but i'm using some of the "names" in another story i've been working on for years (it's an entire timeline from a worlds inception to it's apocalyptic end)

The Orox, Geldar, Acryllah, Aelior, and Groth particularly. I just made groths weapon up on the spot. And i hadn't visualized either groth or Aelior till just now. . .

I'd like to know what other people think, but . . .


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 06:49:44
You two seem like the only ones present.

Think she left. Oh well. next time maybe.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 07:14:05

. . . I'm rather fond of winged characters as well. . .


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 04:01:11
But pink isn't a colour i'd go with. I like her pictures.
My own would consist of winged characters as well most likely, but with much less contrastig colours. I'm fond of olive and grey, but my favorite is Violet (though it's hard to work violet into a character unless it's in the eyes and hair (which I admittedly can't draw well no matter how many years i've spent trying)

I'd let Black Lady draw in my notebooks as well.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 04:04:19
Regardless of the highly contrasting colours, it's still very well done (if not a bit cartoony (Though it's anime based, so cartoony is totally acceptable))

And as for your drawings.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 03:41:18
That SuperGiga drawing is just funny as hell.
I like the way you draw eyes, though if i may say so, the retinae are a little exagerated. Common amongst anime style eyes. My personal preference is a tad less exagerated.

And the human form looks a little like a 2d paper cutout. Don't get the wrong idea, i think your pictures are great.
I can draw the human form in a relatively good likeness myself but when it comes to details and facial features, i'm lacking greatly.

But i think the eyes are quite well done. Some a little misproportioned, but otherwise i'd let you draw in my personal notebooks. That's saying a lot seeing as I don't allow people to touch my notebooks, let alone draw in them.

It may also seem that i'm treating you a tad differently than the others.

Simply put, my responses to people are a mirror of their own input.

Giga gets the smart stuff, falco gets the mindnumbed insults, firestorm gets the tormenting replying to myself to bother him and the acerting of the fact that SLA is his girlfriend.

I respond differently to each indivisual, and gender has no bearing on it. If Black Lady spoke to me more i'd probably talk with her about the bleakness of humanity, and how insipid most of these wretched creatures are.

Atribute my "way" with you to your own personality.

Chameleonesque

I'm not fond of posting in too many places, otherwise i'd have posted this on your artsite. But i thought you might check here first, and my identity's already been established here.


From what I can tell you've got an eye for perspective photography, which isn't all that common either. It takes an ability to visualize the different angles and what best would suit what you're trying to portray. Most people (I don't understand how this is possible) lack the ability to visualize things beyond a few steps. Poor chess players.

I'd like to play chess with you some time.

There's a certain ammount of creativity to your creative world. That ammount is quite nice, especially due to the fact that it would seem your creative world is simmilar to those of Tim Burton, and the girl from Mirrormask (An excelent movie if you've not seen it, though it's a bit of a childrens flick)

I can't make an unbiased examination of such a thing due to the fact that as far back as i can remember, my own creativity stemmed from similar tastes. If I were to attempt an unbiased ascessment, i'd have to say only what's been previously stated about the 2d cutouts.

The light hurts my eyes (metaphorically) and I'm assuming it hurts yours too. (unfortunately sunlight is the most readily accessible source of Vitamin D. . . Otherwise I'd skip daytime alltogether).

Wether it's a Cutesy world in the twilight, or a dark and morbid world of chaos and depravity. . . As long as it's always Dusk in that world, I'd love to be there.

Re: And as for your drawings.


†Ðark Celestial Ðragon™ ID:011103 2008/01/22 04:18:30
I actually wasn't intending for that one to be funny, but I don't really mind that it is, since it's being interpreted differently and such... But yeah, as for the eyes, I was aiming for it to be more cartoon-y than realistic. I like the anime style way, though, because the expressions are more clear, and also because the black line around it usually shows that it's more of eyelashes and not the border of the eye.

I'm actually not surprised that it looks sort of like a cut-out, though. That one in particular technically is a cut-out, because I didn't draw the same background on that paper. But also because the way I colored them (the ones that are shaded by pencil, I mean), I used the multiply effect so that it won't override the pencil shading, and for each layer, erased the excess color. Anyway, thanks. I have not seen Mirrormask, though. There are things that I want to draw so badly that I've had in my mind for over a year, but I just can't think of the right pose. My younger sister actually seems to have much more creativity than I do, she doesn't really make anything she draws public, though. It's rare when she does. Umm, the light does hurt my eyes, actually, whether I want it to or not. Sometimes I would like to be in the sunlight more, because I feel like a plant, which probably has to do with the Vitamin D thing, but then sometimes it starts to make me feel blind and I get light-headed. Then again, I can't stand being in dim light either and similar things occur. It would be cool to just be able to rely on moonlight at most. Anyway, I don't seem to be as good as I thought I was at chess, I don't get to play often. I lost to Giga a year ago. I then lost to someone else, as well as a draw shortly before that.

That's generally why they make Vitamin D milk


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 04:30:30
For the winter months when the sunshine doesn't come so often.

But a lot of people can't stand drinking Vitamin D milk.

I personally drink a ton, because i like milk, and I dislike sunlight.

Sorry if my responses are a little slow


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 04:35:00
I'm working on my third ton of pellets.

I just kinda wish i didn't have to draw to be in you guys' clique


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 04:39:55

You don't. I joined to pester BL...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/03/21 05:20:09
then put up some stuff because I felt guilty about an empty account. I hardly ever check my own page, let alone update. I mean, hell, I don't post the vast majority of the writing I do there, just enough so that I have more than nothing.
Our actual headquarters is here: secret You have to register, but our semi secret club the best place to find us.

Re: You don't. I joined to pester BL...


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 05:10:49
Well if I don't gotta pay and I don't gotta draw too much, I'd like to join your "The Skulls" order. Do I get a decoder ring?
Or a manditory book of protocals?

We don't have stuff like that, unfortunately...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 05:16:14
I tried to set it up so that everybody had about seventeen unecessary titles (I really wanted to be minister of propaganda) but nobody was with me. They didn't even go for extra holidays based purely on things like "The day Giga smote Demonchao a good one and made the bastard so angry he quit shortly thereafter".

Actually, there is a similar holiday...


†Ðark Celestial Ðragon™ ID:011103 2008/01/22 05:20:04
The day that UFME got owned :(

It is in fact on the calendar.

So tell me (before i sign my soul away)


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 05:21:02
By the way I haven't had a valid email address for years. The address i use here belongs to my mother.

So what manners of things are on this site?
What does it facilitate as far as anything but a chatroom?

Pretty much another chatroom...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 05:29:40
but organized in a way that allows for stupid games to continue for hundreds of pages without taking up more than a topic. There were some RPs attempted once, but they flopped, which is not to say if regular posters weren't interested we couldn't make it work, and there's more of my story stowed away somewhere. Of course, it's the old version, of which I really only recommend chapter 25 (badass fight with a fire elemental, natch) and Iron Empire, which was written more recently, and is much better since it's pretty much an excuse to have Sonic and company kick a metric ton of robot ass. And make Robotnik a credible threat for the first time since SA2. At some point I'll probably get the rewrite up for review, once I'm satisfied it does a decent job of representing how my writing has advanced and I won't have to retcon it for a while.

Re: Pretty much another chatroom...


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 06:30:43
In my old Roleplay days. . .
We made post after post (regardless of turn but if you're interacting it's curteous to wait for a post from someone you're interacting with)

However our fighting system was basically this.

You can make one move per turn. One spell prep (strong spells take lots of preps)
a prep works for spells and other skills and takes up one turn. If your post was too long to be placed in one post you type (cont.) after it.

Now as for the attack turn, you can attack, dodge, or dodge and counter. but you -can not- force a hit. Wether the other feels their character can evade the attack or not is up to them. It's based on character skill and the best way to keep it fair is to keep track of all legit characters.

And the dodge and counter is only if your character is capable of that. No character is immortal, and none can regenerate in the battle unless it takes up a prep or two.
teleportation is limited to those who've legitimately learned mater manipulating techniques, or speed enough to move and seem like they teleported (lots of demons/vampires/other critters in that rp)

Mosstly it's only fair if everyone starts out as mortals and the upper classes can all infect the mortals or something (otherwise learning magic).

Ahem. And i'd love to RP but I'm not on as frequently as it seems I am.

I prefered the longer style...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 06:34:07
where you're capable of making several moves per post, mainly because I dislike the choppy look of one sentence of action per post, but that typically only works if you're either teaming up against something or both players are really good at not stepping on toes by dictating action, and prefereably both.

Re: I prefered the longer style...


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 06:43:24
Oh no no no. not one sentance. Those sort of players were frowned upon.

Flavour and description. a sample. . .


Faehul moved in swiftly, his feet positioning left behind right, and right flank to Daegon. his arm pressed foreward, rising quickly to catch the man's jaw. While this motion took place, his left foot shifted slightly backward to add a small spin to his hip, allowing him to move in for a second attack before Daegon can catch his ballance.


Daegon had seen the shift in Faehul's feet beforehand, and had already caught a glimpse of the flash-instant movement into range for the punch. His right foot had been extended lightly to the front for leverage in moving backward at the proper instant. Once the fist had shrugged past his jaw, he captured his balance with the left foot and stepped back with the right. At this range he would be able to strike Faehul square in the chest with his foot with a roundhouse kick using the right foot. His leg extended and hip swiveled using his left leg as a folcrum, hespun his hips foreward and sent his foot for Faehul's chest.

Faehul, still positioned for the second attack was poised well enough to evade and attack as well. His upstreatched fist moved to latch on to the leg as it came to him, and his foot positioning shifted the weight to his left foot in order to pivot his right flank away and soften the blow. The blow struck, but at the cost of grappling the leg. Faehul holding the leg in his left, lashed out with his right fist for Daegon's crotch, while he bent his own knees slightly to be able to make a square contact.

Re: I prefered the longer style...


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 06:48:51
It got a little switched up.. i'm tired. but those sorts of mistakes generally merited a re-post or an explaination on how the post actually should have gone.

I once fought with a guy like that for 3 days straight. no breaks


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 06:50:58
we took mutual bathroom and food rests, but we never left the comp for more than 10 minutes at a time.

That battle ended in a draw. Our characters were demons, father and son.

Most battles end in stalemates...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 07:02:29
unless one character is acknowledgedly far more powerful. Even then, not getting your ass completely kicked by someone who far outclasses you can still be considered a victory of sorts.

Re: Most battles end in stalemates...


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 07:09:12
It all depends.

I've had quite a few victories and defeats from equally matched characters.

It's like chess really. Looking 10 moves ahead at all times and constantly being able to recalculate based on their retaliations (well more like Shogi, but same idea.)

It was widely known that a successful tactic was that of the Rope-a-dope (like when Faehul positioned himself and caught Daegon's leg)
make a post preparing your character while visualizing the combatants, then look a few moves ahead, planning out a strategy. I've actually beaten stronger characters (A vampire with a Human) using that tactic.

Always describe the positioning, and make sure that it's a maneuverable position allowing a multitude of tactics. not like
"standing on one leg with the other foot pressed against your knee"

Use martial arts as a base-point for your movements. A proper stance is legs spread apart slightly, knees bent so that your weight is equally distributed on either foot, and arms at the ready (Like young goku from Dragon Ball)
That's a good stance to try to maintain, because you can either attack, or dodge and attack from a stance like that even if they attack from the rear (Using that stance I leapt foreward, dropped to my hands and feet and jumped up for a double donkey kick to someones face. Which surprisingly worked well.)

For anyone who doesn't know Rope-a-dope


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 07:11:01
It's a boxing term used for the tactic of guarding yourself, and letting the opponent pound on you while getting confident, and making the mistake of getting in close, allowing you to swivel, and uppercut (among other possible rope-a-dope retaliations)

The decisiveness of a battle like this depends completely on. . .


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 07:12:39
your ability to reel your opponent into a position where they can't possibly avoid taking the hit.

Guess he left too.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 07:19:38

Which works perfectly well for martial arts...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 07:23:47
less so when you add in things like magic.

Although in that case...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 07:27:05
messing with terrain is always fun. Like making an earthquake on an opponent who tries to burrow, or preparing a shield and then bringing a cave down on the both of you.

Magic example. Focal based (wand)


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 07:45:43
Focal based magic is generally when you use an item to focus the swirling energies that surround all things. It's simmilar to Chi based attacks in it's concept, but it's more about expelation of force and manipulating physical reality (without breaking the laws of physics) whereas chi is generally augmentation of ones own ability through energetic forces within and without the user.


Focal magic example.
You could still use the stance approach and combine it with prepatory posts (preping your spell while evading)


Remember prepatory posts.


Ja'agil stood idly, waiting the onslaught from the opponent that stood before him. Wand in hand, he began to visualize the spell he intended to use, while preparing to evade. His legs were poised to jump, and his eyes were fixed on Rax's movement. The wand then began to sputter and spark as the energy swelled (prepatory part there. and this isn't in the post) within it's tip, drawn in in streams from the air arround them.

Rax leapt foreward, brandishing his handaxe in the left hand. His positioning upon landing was nearly 4 feet away from Ja, and his axearm had moved to the side while in mid air in order to add heft to the strike. his axe swept foreward to catch the extended wand-hand side of Ja's ribs, in an upward slashing motion as to separate the ribs and cleave into the organs.

Ja, upon rax's agressive move, used his posture to sidestep the attack ending up to the front-right flank of Rax. All the while, the energy in his wand grew, acumulating from unseen resivoires arround him (second prep). The wand began to glow, as his feet rested him facing the front right flank of Rax, and now poised for another tactical retreat.


Rax stepped into the swing, trying to halt it before it fell forth and left him spinning off balance. With his other hand clenching the axe he now turned to face Ja, hoisting the axe behind him, and raising it for a skullcracking slam to Ja's head "or shoulder given the ability to change trajectory with it's range of movement". The axe came crashing downward for the mans head, at breakneck speeds.

Ja seeing this simply evadable maneuver uses his positioning to simply step backward, and again, leaving a good 3 and a half feet from he and the asailants shoulder streach, leaving the handaxe "assuming it's a standard handaxe since no special description was given" a safe number of inches from striking him. All the while the energy continued to grow, and the tip (prepatory statement) was now glowing a fierce red colour. Heat began eminating from the wand's tip and seemed to blow in the dirrection of Rax. Durring this, Ja again poised his feet to face rax squarely (incase the movement deviated his position).


Rac's axe fel to the ground, but his strength allowed him to slow it enough to keep it from sticking. He quickly thrusted forth from his current position to cover the ground between he and Ja, while slashing horizontally in the hopes of catching Ja in the guts. This time, the blade faced the opposite side of ja's wand arm.

Ja muttered the word "infernus" as the energies swelled and were released, forming several balls of hellfire arround him (the balls equaled the number of preps). He, being the summoner, was able to handle each ball as though it were simply a ball, but the flames would consume anything else it touched. He took up one of the balls as quickly as he could, and wound for a toss towards Rax's feet. The flaming ball shot forth and even were it to miss Rax's feet, it would still create an inferno at the point of impact.

Other magic types are similar in the way you prep them


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 07:59:02
however the energy acumulation is replaced by preparing in other ways such as the Tongues approach for arcane, the symbol approach (like fullmetal alchemist alchemy) for summoning, and the advanced meditation approach for Chi. In advanced meditation one can focus their own Chi while having full motion.

Tongues each word in a spell takes one prep and each word adds to the power of the spell (though some require a minimum of 2 preps or more (such as localized earthquakes))

And as for summoning it doesn't have to be big symbols, but each character or glyph symbol represents a certain element (not as in earth fire wind water, but as in component) in the summoning. if you want to summon a wall of flames you'll need only a few symbols. one for the fire and it's type, one for the way you wish the flame to behave, and one for summoning it (all preps after that add to the durration)
These small symbols are drawn in the air by incantors, or on the earth by darklings (well in my old rp anyhow)

A demon summoning would take the demons character symbol name, it's elemental afinity, the number of turns you want it to last, and depending on it's type (minor fiend or grand master of dark fire) the name consists of 2 to 4 characters.

But these rules don't apply


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:01:46
because over the course of 6-7 years I had played out my character as preparing to destroy the entire realm. Later his father slew him, took all of his power, and took all of his preparations. Some time after that his father destroyed the world (summoning a star comprised of the energy produced by the burning of all the spirits that he had consumed (soulfyre)) and sent the thing crashing into the place. it didn't burn anything except the spirits of all living (and unliving) creatures.
:)

I think it's pretty much assumed that people start from a decent stance...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 08:03:40
Unless bizarre stances are part of the character, they're unlikely to try hopping on one foot mid fight unless they're attacking or some kind of moron.

Indeed. It was assumed that all combatants had a combat stance


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:06:55
Though some stances define the abilities the character is capable (feats of dexterity and feats of acrobatics). In those circumstances, to avoid conflicts like (he can't do that) it's customary to describe what he's wearing and what stance he takes.

Those years of Roleplaying


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:09:23
are Actually what gave me my writing style.
If more people roleplayed like that, there'd be an influx of people who write excelent fight scenes.

and equally important. . .


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:11:51
The ability to describe via words what one visualizes.

They said i was good at the game. . .
I guess that's why i kept getting asked to Private RP.
Although I regarded private RP as something of a bore, so I wrote it in that my character, being designed from flesh and energy, as a manufactured creature had no genitalia. That put a halt to that.

I'd be interested in seeing what kind of rules you could develop...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 08:14:38
For Chaos Powers. It functions kind of like magic, but it seems to take less prep, , little to no training (at least in some special cases it can be activated instinctively) no focus, and certain things, like teleportation, are accomplished much more easily than with most magic systems. However, it seems to work on pure force, without any sort of elemental (Aristotle's four) components. Also time manipulation is possible, which most magic avoids (paradoxes, obviously)

Reality hates paradoxes.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:22:28
A time paradox in particular.

Now Chaos (as i see it) is a concept more than a force. one shouldn't be able to cast streams of chaos or be able to completely control it.

I suppose one could consider it void gone awry.
(Void being nothingness and the power of void being the ability to -erase- stuff. Void is ultimate order lacking in variables)

I suppose you could use a summoned bit of chaotic force to turn someones attacks on them, but i'd think it would require a dice-roll program to effectively incorperate chaos into RP.

Pure chaos is unpredictable, and should have a chance of turning on the caster. I would imagine if imbued to an already existing ability (such as summoning one of the primary elements) to summon one at random, with random behavior. Also I would suppose that it should have a chance to also fizzle and not do anything. The force of chaos has no alignment for it feeds from all things (save Void), therefore it can be constrewed as an alignment all it's own. If one's to incorperate chaos into a fighting style, it'd have to be in controlled ammounts, otherwise there'd be the chance of obliterating the entire Roleplay World.
Chaos could be used to randomly reshape reality, random teleportation and whatnot, but the complexity of the matter would require a very clever dice method. You could limit it to 10 possible outcomes for each chaos-based skill and just roll a 10 sided dice (after making the prepatory statements. Summoning something purly chaotic without any prepatory statements seems cheesy.)

Re: Reality hates paradoxes.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:25:14
And Time manipulation would have to be limited for that matter, due to the fact that so many other people are in the Roleplay with you. To turn back time would -force- all of their progress to that point to regress. Limited time change, such as contained within a field of some sort) would be a paradox. To -slow- someone in time would undoubtably create a paradox at the instant of -slow-ing them and at that location so that time itself would strain and shudder beneath the strain and colapse in on itself in order to reset and correct the problem (at least that's my theory on it)

If you incorperated Chaos and Time into a Roleplay system


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:26:47
You'd have to incorperate the possible paradoxes and ill effects it could bring.

I put a lot of thought and research into it


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:28:21
due to the fact that my main characters patron alignment in ability and skill was Chaos (and even in using chaotic abilities, it wasn't actually a fair tribute to the reality of Chaos as a force rather than a concept)

With Chaos


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:29:42
there is no ammount of controll for the very meaning of chaos is unpredictable, unstable behavior (wether of a force or a physical embodiment)

Tell me


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:30:51
what are the GDL's rules? I cant access them without making an account.

Aside from a ban on double posting...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 08:42:04
there really aren't any you should have to worry about. I don't think anyone's been warned for anything but spamming/ tpynig leik tihs in quite a while.

Re: Aside from a ban on double posting...


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:52:34
os tpyieng leik hits lwil egt em nabned

wot. you guys don't like annograms(spelling)?


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:53:41

Anagrams and terrible typing are different things.


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 08:57:27

So. . . Uhh how can I join w/o an email?


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 09:09:14

And who're the mods?


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 09:11:42

Empress, DCD, several other people...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 09:19:32
I used to be one, until there was a prank war. Then Empress (black lady, that is) removed all our powers. Then she gave them back to everyone but me as a mean practical joke.

Re: Empress, DCD, several other people...


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 09:23:49
That's pretty mean, but funny.

your names in the title.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 09:24:34
you should at least be a mod >_<

It wasn't named after me...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 09:27:53
I didn't even join until like two months after it started. But people think that a lot for some reason. Maybe because Empress' name when she joined the BBS was Dragon. It in no way implies a relation between us, it just means "The lair of a big MF dragon"

You shouldn't need one...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 09:17:45
unless they changed the rules again, you register and we validate. The email is only for email validation, which wasn't turned on last time I checked, and for recieving messages. As long as there's an actual account, you should be able to get on even if you can't access it. Otherwise you may need a yahoo or Gmail or some such. I got one just because it's easier to register places with one I can check from any computer and frankly don't care about having spam.

. . .


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 09:22:45
that you will not use this BB to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law

There goes my entire lexicon.
What now?

Pssh, everybody breaks that one. We should all be banned by now.


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 09:24:31

Re: Pssh, everybody breaks that one. We should all be banned by now.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 09:28:05
The board administrator has chosen to require validation for all email addresses. Within the next 10 minutes (usually instantly) you'll receive an email with instructions on the next step. Don't worry, it won't take long before you can post!
I have Idonthave1@idonthave1.com or something like that

I'll get right on that.


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 09:34:07

Re: Pssh, everybody breaks that one. We should all be banned by now.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 09:35:44
I'm on dial up and loading this shit is taking SUPREMELY ANNOYING ammounts of time. I am angry with whomever designed that site, but not enough to bother asking who.

It's set up to keep spambots out, sorry. We're fixing it.


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 09:36:58

okay, it should be fixed.


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 09:40:36

I think i'm in. lemme see if i can post.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 09:49:05

Yer handle the same there that it is here?


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 09:50:36

Almost always is. I stick with what works.


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 12:53:57

It's disappointing I know,


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:31:58
but it's the truth. Chaos is one of those forces that you have to be careful with, otherwise you'll lose the reality of its meaning alltogether.

Agreed you wouldn't have to prep it much


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:34:43
and you'd have to -aply- it to some other existing skill spell or defense. . .

But you have no way of really knowing how it will behave when brought into the mix. It's like putting a questionmark in an algebraic equasion.

I suppose


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:40:47
you could begin casting a spell and then infuse it with chaos to have a random spell effect of that spell type if you state the spell type (elemental offense, telekenetic, etc.) then just make one prep for the chaos addition.

Wrong kind of Chaos. Sorry, I should have clarified...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 08:39:39
I meant the kind Shadow taps into to launch Chaos Spears. And of course, Chaos Control, which makes no sense whatsoever. But it sounds cool, which is I think how they named Chaos Emeralds and then just stuck with the theme by naming everything related Chaos something or other, even though it's not chaotic. Chaos as opposed to Order would of course just be random crap. Try to summon a fire ball, you're just as likely to get hit with a trout, or turn your ears plaid.

Precisely


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:49:21
which is why I never understood the fixation sonic team had with the word, for it didn't have a double meaning till they gave it one.

As for that, i suppose you could use it as a force like any other (but i suggest not naming it chaos). It's energy that allows certain abilities (like the spear or the teleport)

There can be a multitude of different types of "force" and "energy" in a roleplay, and all of which with different properties. The thing with that though, is that anyone who learns how can manipulate those forces and energies. And in order to use them, you'd have to play out learning them (unless you create that force or energy, and the mods accept it as a legitimate force or energy)

A force is something unseen, that creates energy. An energy is something that's used to fuel an attack of some kind. The chaos you're reffering to is an energy, and it's force is whatever made the emeralds. In order for energy to exist, it must come from some sort of sub-atomic force driving, or compelling it to behave in the way that it does (fire burning is considered an energy, but the force behind it is "Oxidation". Burning is rapid oxidation and the effect is fire, where as electricity is electrons moving from atom to atom to balance out the lack of electrons on one end of the stream, whereas the force that creates it is the universal need for balance in atomic structure. If an atom has less electrons than it likes it'll steal them from it's surroundings, and they theirs, and they theirs, unless there's a material that is comprised of something that doesn't like to pass on it's electrons)

RP energies i've encountered


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 08:59:40
wrathplasma a condensed darkmater which is consumed in a plasmic state (like a star)
Soulfyre (burning souls)
Darkfire (never made sense but they okayed it. it's just like flame but has gravitational effect)

Baelfire (flames so hot they consume anything instantly which could more likely be constrewed as RAPID RAPID oxidation)

Umbra (not really an energy, but a pocket in reality where the laws of physics are jumbled, and those who used umbral magic simply alter the laws of physical reality for short times)

Void (again not a force, and previously described the voiding ability is the ability to erase things)

Also on the list (or should be)


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 09:07:07
Mana (obviously the inherant ability to call forth magical effects through a resivoire of energy within the caster)

Chi (simmilar, but it's considered ones life energy (Like Kao-Ken (spelling)))

Chakra (simmilar to Chi, but Chakra stems to life energy being used outside the body (like kamehameha))

Limbo (the grandmaster of Limbo was the only one who could use this, but he used it as a sort of chaotic ability altering the rules of reality. Of course he could not leave limbo and use the powers, nor could he choose the rulechange (clever mikey got arround that by making a 50/50 chance things wouldn't go the way he wanted in character). Only in limbo was he able to change the laws. as an avatar in the prime, he was just like anyone else. . .)

Even so, you're limited to three or four sentences tops.


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 06:59:52

That kinda sucks. . .


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 07:02:05
But you could always simply do it like this. . .

Faehul blahblahblah at the end of post (Cont.)

Faehul then Blahblahblah End of post (Cont.)

Faehul was now in position blahblahblah end of post (End)

Re: So tell me (before i sign my soul away)


†Ðark Celestial Ðragon™ ID:011103 2008/01/22 06:11:16
I think if you don't register a valid email address, we could just validate it for you. The only thing would be that you just wouldn't receive email notifications of Personal Messages that you may receive.

I'll get a freemail if i'll get personal messages from you ;)


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 06:20:37
Joke in case you hadn't realised. Although i wouldn't hate getting mail from you.

It tells you on the board when you have one anyway...


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 06:27:35
I turned off my email notification anyway because I didn't need 543 emails saying You got a Personal Message from So and So!

Re: I'll get a freemail if i'll get personal messages from you ;)


†Ðark Celestial Ðragon™ ID:011103 2008/01/22 06:27:37
Don't worry, I laughed when I first read that and figured you were joking. But anyway, I don't send PMs that often unless I need to say something to a person while they are offline, but normally you'll still receive them the next time you visit, you get a pop-up (or a flashing red inbox if you have popups blocked) telling you that you have received one. So receiving an email notification as well isn't really a big deal unless you haven't been visiting, etc.

I have at least 100 of them from you, liar.


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/22 06:31:07

You sent 100 first! >:(


†Ðark Celestial Ðragon™ ID:011103 2008/01/22 06:32:35
Actually that WAS me, nevermind.

By the way Scott. . .


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 05:16:20
Since i know your name it's only fair that I enlighten you to my own.
Some call me Lee, some Joe, some Oli or bubba
Leland.

Re: That's generally why they make Vitamin D milk


†Ðark Celestial Ðragon™ ID:011103 2008/01/22 04:39:44
I actually didn't know that milk had Vitamin D, or could have if not all of them do. I drink it a lot whenever we have any, regardless of whether it is healthy or not. It just tastes good. I've tasted rootbeer milk before, also. Whenever I say it, most think it sounds gross, but it really just tastes like a more liquid form of Root Beer Float. I liked the orange milk that Bordens (I think?) used to sell, but I never see it sold anywhere anymore.

-just grins-


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 04:44:24
Another comonality it seems. And Vitamin D milk is just the red cap milk. just past 2%.
Skim-1%-2%-Vitamin D-Half anf Half
in that order.

I actually like milk so much that i'd drink powdered milk with no complaint.
But then again i drink nearly a gallon of fluids throughout the day.
Water, milk, juices, soda on occasion, koolaid sometimes, but i could survive on just milk water and juice.

But quite litterally, if i have the chance i'll drink constantly throughout the day (and no i'm no alky, so i'm not dehydrated from the night before)

(possible TMI alert)
It has given me a bladder that holds about 16 ounces. 20 maximum but that's extremely rare.

Milk, in it's versatility is my favorite.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 04:52:03
Although there's much to be said for keeping hydrated with water. Milk is great tasting, but drinking lots of water (beside the downfall that you'll be -going- a lot more) makes a person fele quite extrordinary. Those little "ailments" that most people get and cant explain what it is. . .Those "yuckies" you get when you just cant get motivated after you wake up. . . The sudden tiredness for no reason at all. . .
All of these are symptoms of dehydration, and almost 65% of all citizens of the united states live their lives partialy dehydrated and don't even realise it.

83% of the human body is fluid. The best and purest form of fluid to absorb (without being processed) is water.

When a person uses the restroom (wether number 1 or 2) they can expend up to 2 cups of water.

Even in breathing you're losing fluid.
sweating, crying, bathroom, and breathing combined makes for quite a bit of fluid loss per day. (up to 1.5 quarts per day to be exact (and that's a healthy, not fat or built like arnold, not tall or short subject)

The excess will be expelled (through increased "going")
but eventually your bladder grows a little and the frequent going ceases.

(TMI warning)
I've been drinking that much water for a few years now, and I've gone from going every hour or two, to 2-4 times a day (which seems normal enough to me)

Don't ask how i measured.


®Prof. NohmNohmz™ ID:017807 2008/01/22 11:58:39
It was in a doctors office though.

Re: It has been an unbelievable 24 hours (or so)


Firestorm ID:014893 2008/01/21 06:03:58
I never hated you to begin with.. Just got annoyed by your talking to yourself while bitching about it..

This kind of inanity is normal for us. And is why we stick around.


Gigazubyte ID:015441 2008/01/21 08:07:08

CHAO BBS To view new posts, use the R Trigger to display the menu, then select "Reload."