Jullian's Movie Reviews and Rants

3:58am: Oh!
I never put up the answers to that puzzle of movie quotes, which nobody finished/won. So, I'll post them now before bed!

1. The Crow

2. Hero

3. Love Actually

4. Boondock Saints (this line is funny because Willem Dafoe says it, and his character is downright flaming, but an @$$hole)

5. May

6. Dark City

7. Brotherhood of the Wolf

8. Romeo Must Die

9. Bubbha Ho-Tep

10. Death to Smoochy

There ya go, not that anyone cares. ^^ LoL.

3:48am: Tired, too tired, no real entry.



^FUN stuff!

3:51pm: Surveys again.
To stall and procrastinate on my Onimusha Trilogy review (I want to play through the first two again before writing this), here are some random surveys stolen from my friends!

A is for - Age: 18
B is for - Boyfriend/Girlfriend: Not really. ^^
C is for - Career in Future: Writer, hopefully director too, of movies.
D is for - Dead person you would like to meet: Phil Hartman or Brandon Lee, tough to choose.
E is for - Essential item: Laptop
F is for - Favorite song at the moment: Iris by the GooGoo Dolls
G is for - Guy/Girls you've kissed: I think 8 or 9 girls, 1 guy.
H is for - Hometown: Tucson, Az... sadly...
I is for - Instruments you play: Does a DDR pad count?
K is for - Kicks Ass: Troy! Despite what lots of people say.
L is for - Living places: Tucson, Az... sadlt...
M is for - Most memorable moment of today: Waking up from my freaky nightmare and then having a panic attack right on the spot. ^^;
N is for - Number of people you've slept with: Slept with? 5 or 6. Sex with? Himitsu.
O is for - Overnight hospital stays: 6 or 7.
P is for - Phobias: Some claustrophobia, mostly.
Q is for - Quotes you like: "Oro?"
R is for - Relationship that lasted the longest: 2 years on and off, solid run though a little over a year.
S is for - Sexuality: Straight but tolerant and secure. ^^
T is for - Time: 4 PM on the dot, at least at this question. o.O
U is for - Unique trait(s): Double jointed thumb, hypnotic sex powers.
V is for - Vegetable you love: PICKLED VEGETABLES! ... no, seriously!
W is for - Worst habit: Picking my lower lip while watching good movies.
X is for - X-amount of times I tell you, you could have gone to Xavier to study the Xylophone: ... (X-pletevie deleted) you, for trying to mess with my head!
Y is for - Yummy food you make: Tacos, enchiladas, burgers, and cookies!
Z is for - Zodiac sign: Taurus. ^^

Then here's another!

Pick ten of your favorite movies, and type a classic quotation from it. DON'T write the movie, See if your friends can guess the movie and who said it! Try to avoid putting the name of the movie or the character in the quote.

* I'll put up an answer key for this one in a week or two! But if you can get them all right, I'll buy you a videogame or anime dvd or manga book. ^^

1. "Let me do a little impression for you. CAW-CAW! BANG! FUCK, I'M DEAD!"
2. "All under Heaven."
3. "Kids, don't buy drugs. Become a pop star and then they give you the drugs for free."
4. "Cuddle? You fucking fag." (this line is funny due to the irony, if I go into further detail though I spoil the movie, but no offense is intended!)
5. "You have really beautiful hands. I could care less about you, but those hands... I want them."
6. "Do you know the way to Shell Beach?"
7. "The wolves are growing restless."
8. "Your brother was not suited to lead. He didn't have the discipline."
9. "They dyed me this color, that was their plan!"
10. "I can't tell how I feel, I'm pretty fucked up in general so it's hard to guage."

I hope these occupy you well, enjoy! ^^ Onimusha Trilogy review is in the works, but still a ways off!

8:12am: Survey Thingy! (Do my thingy or DIE!!! .V. )
1. Who are you?
2. Are we friends?
3. When and how did we meet?
4. Do you have a crush on me?
5. Would you kiss me?
6. Give me a nickname and explain why you picked it.
7. Describe me in one word.
8. What was your first impression?
9. Do you still think that way about me now?
10. What reminds you of me?
11. If you could give me anything, what would it be?
12. How well do you know me?
13. When's the last time you saw me?
14. Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn't?
15. Are you going to put this on your LiveJournal and see what I say about you?

On another note.. Onimusha 3 completely rocks and (even though I think its dumb for them to be making video games into "trilogies" now) it is an awesome and fitting end to the Onimusha trilogy. At least, so far it is, a full review is getting posted when I complete it (of the entire trilogy, really).

10:25am: Stuff of uh... the stuff...
Heya all!

I use the word "all" loosely seeing as likely none of you read this anymore. But anyways...

I've felt really conflicted about tons of things these days, and its really starting to bug me. For example... TASS. I still love it there very much, and enjoy it immensly every time I go there, but it feels to me like a lot of the passion has been sucked out of the entire experience for everyone (almost) else.

Dustin and Karl, the two people I used to always go with, both don't really enjoy going anymore. I still have Zara, Bix, and the others, who are always a joy (Bixy left a shoeprint on my back last time cause I didn't stay for longer! ^.^ I felt so loved... maybe I need some help, lol), but it's not quite the same without the old guys, ya know? On top of that, the people running TASS have lost a lot of conviction. The website, normally well maintained, has been a joke lately. The entire reason I didn't stay longer this past Saturday was because I've already seen the feature, twice, and so I was sort of "Meh" about it.

Which is another area of complaint, overall the quality of their features has gone way, way, WAY down this past few semesters. Several of them I have already seen, and some are even out in the U.S. before their TASS screening! My main reasons for going to TASS are friends and free anime, but really, the features have always been something to me that introduce me to new animes I never thought were out there. With Paragate, Appleseed, and Ghost in the Shell 2 coming out in Japan this summer, I really hope next semester TASS tries harder. I really want to see all three of those.

But on the plus side, I'm 70 pages into my movies script! ^___^ The script rule is 1 page = 1 minute usually, which means I'm over an hour through it!

The film is called Ballad of the Fallen, and the short story I began earlier in this very journal is a loosely-similar thing. Although, this is much further in concept and also very near half-finished... it looks like the movie, when done, will be 140-180 pages! I'm excited though about getting so much work done so soon, it's turning out really well I think too. ^^

Hope everyones doing okay. And Bixy, feel free to kick me more and such, but we'll hang out this summer, or die trying. >.>

Bai bai!

5:55pm: Survey.... ohhhh yes.
Well, here's a survey dingy... fill it out, or its doooooooooooom for you!

1. Give me a nickname and explain why you picked it.
2. How long have you known me?
3. When and how did we first meet?
4. What was your first impression?
5. Do you still think that way about me now?
6. What do you think my weakness is?
7. Do you think I'll get married?
8. What makes me happy?
9. What makes me sad?
10. What reminds you of me?
11. If you could give me anything what would it be?
12. How well do you know me?
13. Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn't?Want to tell me now?
14. Do you think I could kill someone?
15. Describe me in one word.
16. Do you think our friendship is getting stronger, weaker, or staying the same?
17. Do you feel that you could talk to me about anything and I would listen?
18. Are you going to put this on your live journal and see what I say about you?

12:19pm: Ubber Fast Update
Just for whoever can see this and still reads it:

I'm sick, which is why no appearance at class (today at least).
I'm feeling very optimistic over recent evolutions in my relationship with Christin, I'm starting to think my original view of her and I wasn't so far off at this point.
And finally, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is out! AHHHHHH! I want it! x.x

Ja ne!

5:08am: 2003 Review
Introduction:

2003 has been a year full of things. Little things, big things, fun things, sad things, and dumb things. Looking back, it's almost hard to believe how the year began and how it ended. How everything fell together and mixed into the melting pot that it was. It was hard to do, but I've finally decided upon my favorites of the year, and so without further adieu... here they are!

Note: They go in this order -- least favorite to favorite.

I. Best Manga:

Shaman King -- This series falls dead last almost entirely because we only got one volume this year! Admittedly, a lot of the mangas in my list this year are newer ones, but that's because nearly all of them are ones which I've held a certain degree of anticipation for. Shaman King is a very delightful supernatural action manga which has hints of Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and even Pokemon. Though the overall idea behind it is much fresher and more unique than the aforementioned franchises. It centers around a young boy training to become a Shaman, and as such he must capture and train ghosts (a la Pokemon) and allows them to possess his body and fight (in battles more reminiscent of Naruto or Dragon Ball). A very nice little series.

Berserk -- A fantasy epic of unrivaled gore and malice. This is a dark tale of revenge that is as moving as it is revolting. You can't help but feel for our hero, but at the same time it seems almost wrong to call such an angry man a hero. The leads hate for a sinister group known as the Godhand goes unexplained where the manga is now, but those who have seen the anime can only shutter as they contemplate his disturbing motivations, and at last anticipate discovering if vengeance shall be his or not (the anime has not yet been finished, and it is unknown if it ever will be).

Kare Kano -- Teens are popular subjects for fiction. Why? Because they're dumb and they'll spend money on most anything. Okay, so the corporate way of seeing it is mean, but seriously, this is a wonderful series. It holds both beautiful artwork and endearing characters. Like Berserk, this manga goes on beyond the material presented in the anime, like many mangas do, and so fans of the series likely look forward to a much less confusing ending. We hope.

Rurouni Kenshin -- This series has recently found a much broader audience thanks to Cartoon Network, and so many "hardcore" anime fans thus shun it. Make no mistake though, this is one of the greatest mangas of our time. Style in the art, intriguing characters, sinister villains, powerful emotional realizations, and an epic story all come together into one of the best products we will see in some time. This series follows Himura Kenshin, also known as Hitokiri Battousai, a notorious assassin who has vowed to never kill again. He finds himself at the center of Japan as it changes, and through his experiences he faces and affects those changes as best he can. Buy this, period.

Battle Royale -- Another very dark tale, this is the story of The Program and it's victims. Selected at random, high school students must murder each other in a future envisioned by creators Koushun Takami and Masayuki Taguchi. It follows the various students as they go through the horror and drama in these events. Excellent character development and vivid artwork bring this graphic and almost sick storyline richly to life. Although it isn't for the faint of heart, those who are a bit bold should read this series. I cannot recommend it enough.

II. Best Games:

Kya The Dark Lineage -- This game blends well the genres of adventure, platforming, and role playing. A rich storyline follows a young girl from our world as she is taken to an alternate reality, a reality where a kind race of forest creatures finds themselves hunted by her father, who has become possessed with madness and dark powers, leading an army against those who oppose him. The heroine must come to terms with her family and past, find her brother, and find a way home. A great game akin to Zelda in game play, easily a gem from the year.

Final Fantasy X-2 -- It had never been done. Many said it was never going to happen. It has now been done, it has happened. A direct sequel to a Final Fantasy. Arriving with mixed player acclaim, and an audience who refuse to play it, this game has had more of a struggle than any previous game in the series. Yet, despite the cynics and those who would claim it nothing more than a cheap excuse to wring more money from us, underneath the obviously differant surface lies an incredible game. Fun battles, enjoyable characters, and an interesting storyline all come together into a package worthy of Square's name.

The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker -- Another game originally taken uneasily by the fans. Why? Graphics. The graphics made gamers nervous, thinking this would be dumbed down and made for children. The reality? Not only was it the most complex game in the series for its storyline, but the sheer amount of fun and entertainment were overwhelming. The different directions the game took all fit together perfectly and combined to make one of the most memorable gaming experiences in recent years.

Xenosaga Episode 1 -- This game was easily the one I anticipated most all year. Upon getting my copy, I found myself greeted by exactly what I was expecting. A tale that is both dark and uplifting, complex and profound, even if it isn't the whole story. The characters are memorable, the storyline was excellent (although pacing was a little slow at some points), and the game followed an excellent trend where voice acting wasn't taken as a joke. If you enjoy rpgs, this game should not be avoided, as it is one of the greatest in history, and a fine beginning to (what I'm told will be) a six game epic.

Dark Cloud 2 -- Far and away the most under looked game of the year. Excellent graphics, excellent storyline, excellent characters, excellent game play, and more variety than has been seen in a game for a very long time. I won't spoil much of what happens, but I will say you find yourself wandering a vast and lush forest labyrinth, facing demons, traveling through time in a train, piloting a giant robot, and taking pictures of your adventure all the way. Gameplay combines many of the elements of Kingdom Hearts, The Legend of Zelda, and Sim City as you build cities while trying to repair history. The original was very similar in concept, but the execution and mastery of the design are beyond what you can imagine. Everything was flawless, and so this is my choice for Game of the Year.

III. Anime:

Samurai Deeper Kyo -- A new samurai epic following historical facts with strange fantasy plots, this is a unique series in many ways, but also a lot of the same old thing one has come to expect from anime. Gorgeous women who sometimes use their endowment to their advantage, a perverted hero or two, and some excellent fight scenes. Though a notch cliché, the series executes all the right elements with all the proper taste.

Wolfs Rain -- I get the impression that this would be much, much higher on this list if I had gotten to see more, but at the moment it is here (since the U.S. release is in 2004, it gets its better chance to climb the ranks this time next year). A post-apocalyptic epic with everything from super wolves to a barren wasteland to a giant talking flower that eats moonlight(I'm not kidding). Its entertaining, and the soundtrack by Yoko Kano (as always) rules.

Full Metal Panic -- What is it about giant robots and girls with blue hair? I mean, come on! Everything from Gundam to Evangelion has done it! I'll tell you what it is, they're sexy. Really, blue hair makes giant robots sexier. Why am I ranting about blue hair instead of the show though? It's because the show speaks for itself with it's excellent everything, from animation to story. Buy it and enjoy, okay? Even if you don't like giant robot shows, neither do I, and I still can't get enough of this series. Or girls with blue hair standing next to suitably-sized giant mechanical soldiers.

Last Exile -- Wow. This animation is gorgeous. Wow. These characters are memorable. Wow. GOD this animation is amazing. Wow, wow, wow. This series is awesome. High flying adventure amongst the clouds set during an incredible war, with fully developed culture and intense storylines. The show is only just getting started, but I get the feeling it's going to be amazing.

Great Teacher Onizuka -- The show is old and the animation looks a bit dated, but at the same time this is a series which goes on strong writing alone. Very strong writing, and I have to say it works. My favorite anime I've discovered all year, this show is incredible. All the characters have three dimensions and considerable depth. Some are likable, some are mean, some are sad, and some are hard to understand fully. Although at times it seems akin to a soap opera, it's still an awesome series. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next, and I was at the edge of my seat several times while watching.

IV. Movies:

Daredevil -- X-Men began the trend of superhero movies making big bucks, and Spiderman was the film which set the benchmark for these films. As such, it was inevitable that this film would be compared to the high standard set by Spiderman, and it certainly was. Tons of people claim, however, this is the inferior of the two films. I disagree. First of all, I think Ben Affleck did an awesome job in the movie, and that he fit the part well. The darker tone was a lot more interesting to me than Spiderman, and the villains had much more in the way of personality than the Green Goblin had. But, whatever side you're on in this argument, it doesn't really matter since they're just movies and all.

Cold Mountain -- Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Renee Zellweger. All three are, most certainly, A-list stars. First class ones, too, since those don't always overlap. They bring energy and life to a strong script and powerful lessons about war and humanity. This focuses on a man named Inman who, after a traumatic battle during the Civil War, deserts his post to return to the love of his life. It's a strong movie, and easily worthy of this list. If you like any of the stars, you should see it, as the movie was incredible.

The Last Samurai -- Another civil war epic like Cold Mountain, only this one is about a civil war in Japan! What sets this apart from the majority of movies this year is an absolutely killer rising (I hope) star in the form of Ken Watanabe. Tom Cruise gives a very strong performance, but Watanabe steals the show as the final samurai leader Katsumoto. A dark piece about losing tradition in the face of a new age, it teaches about how roots are an important thing to always remember, in all places.

Kill Bill Volume 1 -- The best samurai epic in ages. Well, the first half of it, at least. This is the fourth (and part two will be the fifth) film from director Quentin Tarantino. Did anyone expect him to make a samurai movie? Because I didn't. Uma Thurman is The Bride, a blood-thirsty former assassin seeking revenge for the murder of her fiancé and unborn child. Gore, stylistic action scenes, and beautiful set pieces bring vibrantly to life a world of deception and hatred, a dark portrait of how far someone can go just to get revenge. It's both powerful and entertaining at the same time, and should not be overlooked.

X2 X-Men United -- Superhero movies. As I said in my Daredevil review, the X-men film started this trend. Is it not fitting then that the sequel, X-men United, should be the strongest entry in the superhero genre to date? Interesting characters ravel around a strong plot, pushed forward by brilliant special effects and excellent action sequences, to form a tapestry of delightful extravagance. If you liked X-men, this improved upon all the originals weaknesses and adds to its strengths. If the original seemed less-than-spectacular to you, I still recommend you give this movie a shot. It is so much better than its predecessor that it makes you say “This is why you make a sequel!”

The Matrix Revolutions -- I easily consider this the most underrated game of the year. My main reason for this is because it delivered pretty much exactly what I expected. Where many wanted to learn an absolute universal truth, I just wanted to see how the war was to end, and that’s exactly what this film does. The characters aren’t very fleshed out, although by now you know who they are, and the storyline takes very few turns in it. But this is because the first two films set the stage, and basically its just time to see all the pieces find their purpose. Excellent special effects and an unpredictable ending add to what I consider a very strong finale to a trilogy which people simply expected too much from.

Bubba Ho-Tep -- Have you seen Evil Dead? Evil Dead 2? Army of Darkness? If you haven’t, then there is no way you can possibly understand just how great Bruce Campbell is. In this unusual film, he plays Elvis. Yes, it’s time at last to truly hail to the king. After a mix-up with an Elvis impersonator, nobody believes Elvis is who he is anymore, and so he has spent the years rotting in a retirement home waiting for death with a weird growth on his... well, ahem. Anyways, a mummy escapes, and begins to consume the souls of old people. And so its up to the senile Elvis, and a man who thinks he’s JFK, to stop this mummy before it’s too late. It’s comedy, it’s horror, it’s just plain fun!

***SPECIAL NOTE*** The top three films of this year are not in order, because I just plain can’t put one ahead of another. All three of the proceeding films are masterpieces of cinema in their own ways, and if you miss any of them you are truly missing out. I highly recommend you see all three of these as soon as physically possible if you haven’t.

Love Actually -- Many things can be said about romance movies. Nearly every single storyline that can be done has been done. Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, boy meets boy, girl meets girl, it’s all happened time and time again in one form or another. Romance in film is not considered a unique creature, and so doing something which has a fresh feel is near-impossible in this overly used genre. This pertains, also, to the genre of romantic comedy. Well, this film doesn’t try to be unique. In fact, every last piece of it is nearly a cliché. But what this film does instead is weave ten seemingly separate stories into a statement, this film does its best to show the world that love is everywhere around us if we only look. The love for a father and son, for a man and his wife, for a woman and her brother. All come into play in their own little storylines, and all are told with grace and care. The writing is not only human, but the plots are things we see in everyday life, and things we will never see in our lifetime. This movie aims to make you feel good from the musical opening to the triumphant ending, and with every scene between them. The most shocking thing about it, though, is that because of an all-star cast and some incredible writing, it actually pulls it off. Even if romance and comedy don’t usually speak your language, its impossible to dislike this film on every level.

The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King -- For the past two years, you see, there have been these movies about furry short dudes looking for a big volcano to throw some metal into. If you haven’t heard of it, you better have been in one hell of a coma. I’m talking edge of your life, painful, without mercy, seeing angels in their underwear dancing for your amusement coma. This final installment brings to end what is, most certainly, the finest trilogy of our time and (debatably) the best film project history has ever known. Elijah Wood as the conflicted hobbit hero Frodo, Sean Astin as the heroic Sam, Viggo Mortenson as the heroic and valiant Aragorn, and many more wonderful actors and actresses put forth the performances of their lifetime as their characters face the great battle of their era. The story reaches a magnificent crescendo as Aragorn accepts his destiny as the king of men, and at last Frodo is given his chance to destroy the ring which has troubled an entire world. Epic battle sequences fueled by the worlds best special effects accent a perfectly realized storyline, pushed further and further by the powerful steam of excellent acting and pacing. Although very long, this final chapter seems to end too soon, and the final goodbyes are all brought at the exact right times. We’ve spent since December 2001 with these lovable heroes, and it is at last time for an end to it all, but it is an end which in no way disappoints.

Pirates of the Caribbean The Curse of the Black Pearl -- Live action Disney films. These are always things which have been considered a mixed bag, unlike there rather uniformly excellent animated features. Live action Disney films based on their theme park rides... well, until this film, only one other had come out (The Country Bears) and it was an abysmal piece of cinematic hogwash. Pirate movies. I think people prefer Peewee Herman more. This movie had so much going against it. There was certainly more of a chance that it would be a hurtful experience than what has happened. What’s happened? This is one of the most charming and engrossing films to ever be made. The storyline is rather simple, and the action scenes (while very good) don’t hold up to what we’ve seen in X2, Return of the King, or The Matrix sequels. So what would it be which makes this pirate film excel? Johnny Depp, in the “breakout role” (i.e. the role that made some people very, very rich) of his career has nailed audiences to their seats as Captain Jack Sparrow. Easily the best character conceived all year, he is dashing, heroic, and at the same time unbelievably entertaining. Nobody knows why he acts as eccentric as he does, and he seems to be only on his own side, but then that’s the kind of thing people love in movies these days. We wanted him to win the day, and he did. This movie is not only the surprise hit of the year, and not only is it surprisingly good, but it comes with it some excellent news. Disney has every intention of making more of them, in fact rumor has it that two sequels are going to be filmed in succession. If this is true, I can hardly wait!

Farewell:

Sorry it took me nearly a month into 2004 to write this, but things have been busy (and I had to re-watch a few of these movies to make sure I had the order right). I hope 2003 has treated you all as well as it has treated me, ranging from a broken engagement to a present girlfriend being... okay, I hope 2003 was BETTER for you than it was for me, but there was still a lot of fun stuff this year. Until next time!

11:50pm: Thank ye, thank ye very much!
Okay.

My girlfriend's okay, and it's been a while, so I'm cooled down enough to write a little more. Not about that, but about the good things which happened before (Christmas) and after (mostly tonight) the incident which took place late at night on Christmas day (pardon the obvious lack of linguistic finesse, I'm tired).

Christmas was pretty decent, got some great stuff and had a lot of fun. Christin's brother, Josh, spent the day with my family and I felt sort of sorry for him. Aside from my parents and I, none of my family got him anything, and so obviously not many gifts went his way in comparison to the others (my aunt, my cousins, my uncles, and whatnot all were there).

Since everyone has been doing it on their LJs, I'll now give a brief list of what I got:

* Pirates of the Caribbean dvd
* Great Teacher Onizuka boxed set
* A Ferret 2004 calendar
* A copy of Rhapsody (a fantasy novel)
* Filmmaking for Dummies
* A model pistol (in PotC style)
* Vodka! (came in handy the next day, too, believe me)
* Fists of Fury (old Bruce Lee movie!)

Then around 11PM on Christmas I got the stressful call and whatnot, but she's doing better as I mentioned before. New Years was good. Uneventful, but good.

And then there was tonight. Me, Karl, Christin, and Dustin all went to see Bubba Ho-Tep. What's that? It's the new Bruce Campbell film, and the director was at this screening talking about the movie, about Bruce, and signing autographs.

It's about Elvis, living in a retirement home where a mummy has begun harvesting the souls of the old people. Bruce is, obviously, an inspired Elvis. And the climactic showdown with the mummy is very awesome. The writing is both witty and intelligent, especially for a parody film, and shows a level of care not common in films (one scene in particular, where the mummy has written something on the mens room wall about Cleopatra, is hilarious).

So, go see it! It's playing at The Loft, and is easily the best thing in a theatre right now!

Now I'd just like to say something that may or may not have been clear before to others, and perhaps not to the person that matters most. It also was something I didn't quite see, until the terrible thing which has happened. I love you, Alexia. I love you very much.

3:57am: Try It...
Merry Christmas.

My girlfriend was raped.

Merry Christmas.

I dare whoever is responsible to come forward.

Merry Christmas.

I want someone to die.

Merry... fucking... Christmas...

Definately not me or her, I'll say that much...

3:18pm: Sigh of Relief
Okay, to start off, and give a bit of closure - Sandra turned out to be okay and unhurt. I don't know the specific details, but she apparently wound up at a friends house.

Now that that is over, though, time for a recommendation! www.gameforms.com has, for nearly a year now, had a very comprehensive essay uploaded bit by bit on a game I hold very dear to my heart. It's of considerable length, I know, but if you don't go read it I'll kill you and feed your children to rabid bunnies. The article is called "Backtracking - Xenogears".

The majority of it is a summary of the game more or less, but the final entries are some amazing writing where the author gives his personal opinions on the massive amounts of symbolism and what impressions he has been left with upon beating the game. He's one of the few people ever to give my favorite video game in history so much attention (in case you haven't picked up on it yet, the game is Xenogears) and so I want more people to hear what he has to say.

This article has also inspired me to try a project which I have been tinkering with the concept of for some time, but never really had the motivation to do: a Xenogears fanfiction novelization. Though I'm not sure when I can begin this project (my copy of Xenogears has been broken/scratched for some time and as such I haven't played it in a while), but with the coming of a new Xenogears Greatest Hits Edition I'll get a new copy and begin some time soon.

For those unaware of the games existance, I'll educate you a bit. Xenogears is a game which has gotten a considerable amount of press because it draws heavy inspirations from the Bible, and as such Christians hate it because it makes their religion look cooler than it actually is. The game is the story of Fei, a young man with amnesia who lives as a painter in peace. Though he's always wondered who he is, Fei has at the same time found peace with the world around him, and cannot help but be happy with what he has. Until a tragic event unfolds one day.

After he destroys his own home, and all the people who live in it save for the town doctor, Fei begins to have blackouts and slight flashes of memory from his past. Hinting at a dark and chaotic truth about himself, he goes just a little bit insane from the guilt of what he's done, but it isn't long before this beginning turns into an adventure.

I use the term adventure loosely here. Because, quite frankly, there isn't a word adequate to describe the events in Xenogears. This is a game of such gargantuan, epic, massive scope that the size of its quest makes many novels, series, and films pale in comparison. This 80-120 hour long game goes from such beginnings to an unimaginable war, moves on from that into an atrocious holocaust-like era, and Fei is there for all of it as he tries his best to discover who he is in the madness of it all. This is far and away the most expansive epic I have ever seen, and the characters along with the storyline grow and mature into the most complex ones you'll ever find in a video game.

This game was developted by Squaresoft, but released shortly before Final Fantasy 7, and so the game never got the recognition it deserved. I urge you to go out and purchase it when it gets its long-overdue rerelease... but if you don't, at least read the brilliant article over at Gameforms.com.

12:03pm: Oh dear...
Wow, this is something I never really thought I would have to write about.

I know I said that I don't really feel like writing about my life anymore, but today's incident has caught me by surprise. I first want to apologize to Zara and all my friends at Pima for not showing up yet again, but the post here should explain why shortly, my apologies.

Sandra is missing. Now, nearly everyone who reads this obviously would wonder "Who is Sandra?"

To answer this. My mother, for a number of years, dated a man named Devery. The two almost married. Sandra is his daughter, and one of my largest regrets. When I knew her I was too infantile and petty to admit it, but I had very deep feelings for her. She and I were pretty close, and we didn't date or anything like that, but looking back on it I wish I'd tried.

Anyways, she called Devery earlier today hysterical and weeping, she and her boyfriend (whom she's living with) were having a terrible fight. Suddenly, the phone just stopped working, and so her father sent the police over there. The police found an empty apartment, with the phone ripped out of the wall. I'm so worried...

So, I'm staying put in the ouse in case she tries to contact me or my mom (we remained close pretty much, so it may be the case). That's why I'm not going out today and all...

Venting over. I just really hope she's okay.

2:26pm: From Tokugawa to Meiji
It has been a bumpy road. When I first heard of the upcoming film The Last Samurai, the concept seemed good enough. I figured Tom Cruise might have what it takes to make the role really work, and that the director had thus far created very well rounded war epics. Then with the trailers my faith waned, and now as I have read the script, my urge to see the movie returns to a powerful one.

Based on the things I have noticed from audiences since last Christmas when the teaser trailer appeared for The Last Samurai (attached to The Two Towers), anticipation for this upcoming film seems rather mild in the general populace. People frequently laughed at seeing Tom Cruise in the Meiji Era of Japan, and I'm sure more than a fair share of people are seeing this movie as his ego taking a little trip to Asia and nothing more. After all, what's an American doing in Japan around then?

It seems entirely foolish to try and craft such a movie, and what's worse is that although he has legions of fans, Cruise hasn't really been the most versatile of actors in his day.

For the record, in general I have a very strong disliking of Tom Cruise. Though the previous comment suggested it, I feel it's important to have this out in the open right now, so there's no misunderstanding at all. Many of the decisions he has made in his personal life offend me, his vanity brings about a growling in my stomach, and the choices he makes using his own personal production company are questionable in my mind, at best.

That being said, having read the script for Samurai, this film has a very good chance of being incredible. I will see it despite my disdain for Cruise, and I won't let my own personal grudge ruin the film in my mind.

The overall historical aspects are without question perfect, from the tone to the morals of the story. Everything has an authenticity to it, the dialogue to descriptions. And although it was hard to picture Cruise as a samurai from the trailers in theatres, he will seem perfectly in place, my guess is, when the actual product rolls out next Friday.

He's not going to pretend to be Japanese, and this is why it works perfectly. His role is as an American soldier who, traumatized by his experiences in the Civil War, seeks to escape his life in Japan. Offered a position to train their armies he takes it, and flees the country in which he has so many dark memories.

He learns some very basic Japanese over the course of the story, and he does transform into a better man, but it comes in a very natural pace and doesn't seek to reinvent him as the "great white samurai."

This is a humble beginning to a rather complex and human plot. A storyline where there are villains and heroes, but the separation of good and evil seem much less tangible. By the end your first impressions of some characters turn out to be mistaken and others you hit it right on the nose. There are a couple of people who are flat-out good and flat-out evil, but the ones with depth have it in perfect stride.

My favorite thing to see in any movie is a truly 3-dimensional character. Someone who has so much depth and so many layers that it seems impossible to understand them completely in a single viewing of the film. I get the strong feeling that Katsumoto, leader of the rogue samurai, is going to be this sort of character when I watch the movie with my own eyes. This, of course, depends entirely on how the actor portrays him.

But it was a pleasure to see someone with such charisma as a character put into a film which could have ended up very bland in itself. Era-piece movies too commonly fall into clichés and don't even try to avoid these pitfalls, but that is not the case with Samurai.

This epic tale of revolution tells a strong moral revolving around change and what it takes to create a new world. It’s not something new, and it is going to remind you of many other movies or novels you’ve read in your lifetime. The plot has been done before in many ways, and so the key will obviously be the execution and events within the story. Unless it flows well and manages to capture the audience then an old story also becomes a dull story. Moving at a calm and cool pace, never rushing and only dragging in a few points, I'm happy to say the exaction of the events comes at a well met harmony. The film doesn’t start to feel familiar until near the end, and by that point you already want to know how things will turn out.

What sets it apart is exactly what I mention earlier: its feelings of harmony. You get a true glimpse at the world of the samurai, and a genuine feeling of quiet agony from knowing the fate of this amazing group. This world is both unpleasant and peaceful at the same time. A strange contradiction held together by finite honor and trust in ones own enemies. They are brutal and gentle, kind and killers. Their tragic fall from glory with the coming of the modern era is romanticized perfectly in the script, and doesn't come off as cheesy or forced at any point.

As Algren puts it at one point in a voice over, "I have never met a more disciplined people."

It should be noted that the script I read was not a final draft, but that after reading it I could recognize every single scene in the trailers and perfectly identify what was going on, and so it is at least very close to the finished product. A few lines could change, and who knows? Perhaps the end result is going to be even better.

My genuine hope though is that the ending, which seemed out of place, will turn up different. This seems an unlikely hope, but the ending of the script I read seemed very Hollywood, and the film is the kind that really would do justice if it were to take a more foreign turn.

It should also be noted that the film is going to be very brutal. There were many descriptions of graphic carnage throughout the epic battle sequences, and so it may not be a movie for the faint of heart. These brutal acts include missing limbs, people’s faces being blown in half, and a mountain of corpses dripping blood on a man pinned inside of them.

If Kill Bill, the recent Quentin Tarantino samurai epic, was too bloody for you then this film is also not something I’d recommend. Kill Bill took an almost surreal turn with its gore, but I think The Last Samurai is going to be as realistic and painful to the eyes as possible in this respect.

Should this movie fail, it will not be due to the writing or a lack of genuine truth. The script it top-notch and so as long as the actors and the imagery keep up, this film is going to be something special. An important theme or two ties together a strong plot.

If you have a liking for historical films, go see it.

If you enjoy samurai epics, this is definitely the movie for you.

A Tom Cruise fan? There's a good chance that this is going to be some of the best acting he showcases in his career (Oscar buzz is out there for this film, truly!).

Kill Bill volume 1 (released this past October, volume 2 is coming in February. A review of volume 2s first draft script will be up later) was an incredible samurai epic, but this film trades off the campy "exploitation" element for genuine humanity and a more historical atmosphere. If you felt Kill Bill was good, but also prefer a more serious tone over the tongue-in-cheek humor, then the odds are this will be exactly what you're looking for.

3:24pm: New Beginning
Well, friends have been a bit insistant that I be more active on here. So, I will now be changing the LJ a bit. Not really in format much (aside from an icon which has the sole purpose of making Zara wish harm upon me), but in what I write down. I don't have that much desire to write in here about my life anymore, so I'll be posting rants and reviews of movies, and my impressions of scripts that I've read recently. Some time in the near-future I'll be putting up script reviews for The Last Samurai and an (unbelievably) early draft of Kill Bill volume 2's script.

1:49am: Change the world...
"There are some battles that save the world, and some battles that change the world."
--Jasmine Evergrey

I've not posted here in a long time. I have little reason for this other than the unbelievable.

Many unusual things have been happening lately, and lots of my friends are starting to sense a coming change I believe. I find myself wondering how this will all end, even though I have the keys to see that ending which I seek. But the future is always changing, always erratic. How did she avoid going insane with this?

The odds that anyone will be reading this are low, but I still have to be vague because people I care about are involved. I can't involve others, but those who read this and do care do not fret. In all of the ways that truly matter everything is fine.

I have a guide and these dreams, but I still feel lost. I wonder why that is? Could it be those which are working to put to rest this dream making such things tangible? It's hard to tell.

With how much that's happening, and how little of it I can talk about, I simply needed to vent. I'll be going back to bed now for more dreams. Maybe this time my dreams will give me the closure I seek.

9:36pm: Swords, Sorcery, Friendship, Honor, and Glory
Hey all!

It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, I got the new Star Wars game, Knights of the Old Republic, and have been more than a little obsessed. For those weird people who don't know, Knights of the Old Republic is a Star Wars rpg set over the course of seven planets, detailing the war with the Sith. It is, in a word, amazing. The characters, graphics, storyline, and gameplay are all top notch thus far. I dont own an X-box, but my stepbrother was amazingly generous enough to loan me his while I play through the game. Though, I'm giving due consideration to saving up to buy my own X-box so I can play through the game a few more times.

Now, on to the REAL point of this post! Advertisement!

Over the course of the last week, I have begun writing a fanfic. The title is Final Fantasy Saga, and it is going to be a 55 chapter epic. I just finished writing the first major plot arc, and am going to start posting it soon on a multitude of fanfiction sites. Well, at the moment just fanfiction.net and Yahoo!Groups, but that's the reason for the post. If anyone knows some larger, more popular fanfiction sites that take submissions, please let me know in an E-mail or a reply to this!

That out of the way, here's my official "preview" text for the fic, sort of how novels have brief plot bits on the back:

"The Mana Academy. This is a place of great majesty and extraordinary adventure. A boarding school where the most elite young men and women of the world come to learn how to be heroes, it is also a gathering place for villains who would see this new generation destroyed. Enter a sophmore named Ark d'Speare, a promising young man with a wild streak and a good heart. His rival and his best friend Gren Ashforn, a quiet but strong senior with a dark past. Then finally Eliza Knight, the freshman who would not only be the catalyst for Ark's greatest battle, but a woman with a mysterious link to the three scars which line Ark's back. In this world of mystery, intrigue, fantasy, and chaos, these young heroes are part of an epic saga which shall unfold over the course of six distinct storylines. This is the beginnings of Final Fantasy Saga."

Basically, think original characters in a Harry Potter-style academy which is run (and attended) by various heroes and villains from the Final Fantasy universe. Which is coming soon to fanfiction.net (in the Final Fantasy section), and Yahoo!Groups (do a group search for Final Fantasy Saga and it should turn up, though the group wont open until the fic is finished, since it is going to be a PBEM taking place three years after the story). Not to mention it will likely show up on any of the fanfiction listings you guys send me, and I'm looking for someone to make an official site for it as well (which would have chapters uploaded as well).

Now, why put it so many places? Well, I'm making a 55 chapter long epic sword and sorcery battle... if I'm going to put so much effort into writing something, I wan as many people as possible to read it! So help me out, ne? ^^

I'll write again later, bye all!

2:06pm: Movies and Reviews and Pirates, oh my!
Okay, in the recent days I've seen two movies that I feel like giving reviews of, and so here they are. ^^

Name: Pirates of the Caribbean
Rating: PG-13
Score: *** 1/2
Review: A swash buckling adventure filled with excitement and thrills. It starts off slowly, but as soon as Captain Jack Sparrow enters the picture things begin to grow more and more entertaining. I won't go into massive detail about the plot, which has a satisfying number of twists actually, but I would like to simply say that Jack Sparrow is one of the single most impressive heroes I have ever seen. Seeing as nearly everyone who reads this is an otaku, I'll put it in terms that you'll understand well. Sparrow is a hero in the style of Vash the Stampede or Spike Spiegal, a badass whose skill is sometimes overlooked due to his unusual style. This makes for one of the several performances by Johnny Depp (Sleepy Hollow, Don Juan Demarco) which really makes you realize how versatile he is as an actor. The movies action scenes, characters, and storyline all drive home quite well. Though I found myself let down with Orlando Bloom's (Lord of the Rings) performance, as he seemed very stale compared to everyone else in the film. Add to this a slight feeling of repition to the end, and this film is taken down just a notch in quality from what it could have been, but it is one of the most entertaining films of the summer. It lacks the completely intense action scenes of The Matrix, and doesn't hold the special effects of The Hulk, it has very sharp writing and a great sense of adventure. Gore Verbinski (director of The Ring) has done very well, and considering the movies high box office numbers I do believe we get to look foward to a sequel in some number of years.

Name: May
Rating: R
Score: ****
Review: A thrilling and dark drama about a young girl who yearns to be among people that love her. This is movie making at it's best with intense writing, perfect performances by the actors and actresses involved, and a cutting edge plot that just won't let go. The movie isn't for everyone, as it has lesbian content, very graphic gore, twisted psychological issues inherent in the storyline, and is just in general not a "feel good, family movie." As a person who finds such topics an important side to movies (if we don't confront such things some day as part of the world, we'll always live in the dark) I found this all quite okay. From a technical standpoint though, anyone would be a fool to not see how much love and care went into making this film as good as it could possibly be. The music is also very eerie and melodic, haunting in its simplicity but at the same time powerful in its emotion. This is a must-see for anyone who likes great moviemaking, and I genuinely wish I had made it to Sundance this year. It would have been awesome to attend the world premiere of this film, and an honor to me.

Anyways, I'm off later tonight to see Whale Rider, another Sundance film which I'd have seen in January if I hadn't bought an engagement ring on a whim instead (THAT ended well, lol). Next time, when I'm considering choosing a woman over a bunch of movies, hit me in the head someone. Really, really hard.

3:21pm: Sweaty Panda Love
It's hooooooooooooooot!

x.x

Pirates of the Caribbean was aweeeeesome!

^.^

It's hoooooooooooooot!

X.X

That's all I really have to say.

^.^

3:17pm: Don't Hit Me!
It's been forever, ne? ^^;;; Well, the strange thing is that not a lot has been going on. Christin and I have been hanging out a lot, with my friend Dustin and my friend Chris both hassling me to just get together with her already. x.x

So to them I say BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Yes, I'm attracted to her, VERY attracted to her, but we're having fun as things are and I'll try for more when I'm damn good and ready!

Aside from that and the huge fire, which rules, not much is happening. I uh... went to see Terminator 3? o.O Which was pretty cool actually, Claire Danes made a better cold hearted killer than I imagined.

Well, thats the basic update, later!

4:47pm: Awwwwww-ish
The sound of the wind blowing in the leaves... the cool, distant hum of childrens laughter... a warm, but calm and peaceful, night...

Life... is... good. ^___^

First of all a minor correction. Her name is spelled Christin, not Christen.

Secondly, Reefer Madness is a brialliant piece of cinematic B-movie hilarity. "The evil pot smokers hacked eachother apart with axes after engaging in lude sexual orgies!" Classic!

I've been having a great time hanging out with Christin and such. I'm sorry to everyone I've lost track of! I'll try and get on more, but I've just been sort of spacing out... a lot, lol.

Anyways, we're gonna go job hunting together then see The Two Towers. So, I'll talk to everyone later hopefully!

4:28pm: Well.... whoa... O.O
My friend Dustin has a theory about my personal life...

His theory is as follows: It is a romantic comedy. As in the movie genre. He believes that if I become truly aware of this, it will be like awakening in the Matrix, and realizing that some of the conventional rules can be bent, while others can be broken. There's even a chance that if I undertake complete understanding I could become like Neo, omnipotent in a romantic way.

It's a very odd theory, yes, but he's supported it with a decent amount of evidence thus far. From previous relationships and how they ended, mostly.

Due to the events which have taken place in the past five hours, I now believe him. I heard this morning that Christen was moving today (I had not gotten to spend much time with her recently due to all of the family circumstances so I didn't know). So, I decided to risk it, and go try to tell her the full extent of my feelings. When I did so, I was prepared to give a long speech about how and why I'm in love with her, and test Dustin's theory. But something even more incredible happened.

Long story short, she is now my room mate. Christen didn't want to leave Tucson, but was going to have to if she didn't find somewhere to live. So I offered her the spare room here, and she is now taking a nap no more than thirty feet from me. This means we aren't really together yet, but it is identical to a situation in an actual romantic comedy I saw recently (titled Someone Like You, starring Hugh Jackman). My mother is going to freak, my father is going to take some convincing but be okay with it, and I can only imagine the upcoming field day from my friends.

However, none of that matters. I took a chance, and was given a reward for doing so. This will give me a shot to really see if we're meant to be, and if we aren't then at least I'm doing a damned nice favor for a good friend.

Later!

9:02pm: Well... >.>
First thing's first...

Koda Kumi is hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~falls over~

For those who don't know her, she's a Japanese musician. I don't think she's been around that long, since she only has around two cds out, but she's doing two of the vocal tracks for the upcoming Final Fanasy X-2. To top it off, one of the characters in the game is modeled to look almost exactly like her, and she's doing the voice acting for that character. I was told this by a friend, and said "There aren't people that pretty, though!" But... he linked me to a fansite of her, and damn... x.x

Moving on, today was pretty good. Gonna head to the mall tomorrow and likely stick around the other place for a while, I need a change of setting. Other than that nothings new, and I suppose that's that. Later!

8:23pm: Eventful!
Wow, where to begin. ^^

Let's start with the bad and get it out of the way, seeing as I like to end on happier notes.

The worst of the wrost, my aunt almost died. We're very close so it has been wreaking havoc on me for some time now, but it looks like she's going to make it actually! And so that's pretty great, but it's kept me out of the loop for a while.

Making things a little worse, I find myself missing Julie once in a while now. We were together for some time though, and so I suppose it's natural that after some time I'd start to miss things. Oh well, I'm sure it will pass.

That's actually about it in the vein of bad stuff, weird. o.O

My cousin Ariel has found the Livejournal! ^^ She did it through a search engine oddly enough, and has been reading for a while. She told me on her visit here, which has pretty much ended tonight. So, in the spirit of family love...

~moons Ariel~

Now then. Going to go see Christen tomorrow, probably to hang out but we might decide to do something. Either way it's been a while, I've been spending some time alone because of the whole thing with my aunt, and so it's been something in the range of a week or two weeks since I've gotten to hang out with Christen.

Also going to go see a very old friend of mine soon. It's my friend Amanda, also known as Hoshi, whom I've known since I was around 14. She lives in Michigan right now. I'm planning to go on a trip to visit her either at the end of this month or beginning of next month, and can't wait. ^^ A lots happened since I've met her and I feel as though we're completely differant people now, it'll be odd to see her. Oh well, it's an excuse to leave this barren wasteland for a week!

Other than that, things have just been... well, peaceful. I like it this way. Resting, relaxing, and all of that... it's very good to do. Especially in times of great stress like my aunts situation brought. I've been getting a lot of writing done, and can't wait for the project I'm working on to be finished. I think it stands a chance of being published. ^^

3:21am: Echo of Ashes (Second Tale - Encounter)
Her eyes slowly opened. She couldn't stop herself from smiling at what she saw when she opened them-- he was still there. She wrapped her slender fingers around his firm hand, and stared with her deep sky blue eyes at him as he slept. She listened to the way he breathed, observed the way his chest moved back and forth with each breath he took. It was as if he entirely captivated her by sleeping; like an angel drawn to light her attention was locked upon him.

Eventually, his eyes opened, and he looked to her with the exact same smile that she had. He ran his hand through her short red hair, and he said to her, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Rose said in return. She leaned over and gently kissed him; closing her eyes as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. When their lips parted she added, "You're still here."

"Where else would I be?" he gave her a playful smirk and ran his hand across her cheek, "I'm amazed that last night happened. All this time and..."

"...and you never thought I loved you back?" she smiled after finishing his sentence, "Of course I do."

Rose had met Thomas three years ago. His family moved to the city after living in the countryside; a dangerous place. He'd always been so scared and paranoid. She'd lived in the city her entire life, and had never known the fears of the Neo. He had a scar across his back she had noticed at one point the night before. She knew where it came from, and yet had no idea just how close he must have come to death from it.

His family had decided to seek out a city after it happened, he and his sister were attacked by one of the Neo. His sister was killed in the attack, and he had nearly died as well. Their family would have moved earlier, but a group of travelling humans was easy prey for most kinds of Neo. So those who live outside cities tend to stay there; simply because the risk of being slaughtered outweighs the chances Neo could ever discover where they are without it.

Over the years the two had fallen in love, but neither of them had thought the other felt the same. That was... until last night.

The thought brought a satisfied smile to her face. Rose hadn't made love before last night, and it had been everything she dreamt of. She sat up, holding the sheets to her body, and giggled a bit. "Why don't we go and get some breakfast?" she asked, looking down at her newly-gotten lover.

"Sounds good," he answered and sat up beside her; putting an arm around her. "Where to?"

*******

Rain. The entire world seemed to be filled with it on this bleak and dreary day. Every rooftop, inch of ground, and slab of pavement was hit by an almost constant onslaught of water falling from the sky. The cold brought with it a mist that seemed to shroud the entire city in artificial darkness.

"We are the same," Sydney said as he looked to his old friend. "Why do you not see what must be done?"

"I can't accept it," Gren responded, "And I will not allow it. Do you think of the consequences?"

"Consequences? If fate did not wish to be averted it would not have been such a beast."

"You assume fate has a choice," Gren snapped. His green eyes focused purely on his friend, and on his nemesis now.

Sydney felt the rain sinking into his shoulder-length blond hair. His violet eyes returning Gren's stare. "I hate this." His vinyl coat felt very unusual under the rain, blocking his skin from it and yet doing nothing to change the impacts of the drops upon his flesh. The coat seemed much like a standard trench coat, except that the left arm had no cloose. Instead on that arm Sydney wore an elbow-length black leather glove. It was an odd outfit, especially for the weather, but a being of his status needed to have some style.

His friend has always complimented him perfectly. Where Sydney abandoned function for style, Gren did the exact opposite. He was clad in a thick wool cloak, hood pulled over casting a shadow upon his face. This made him look like a wet sheep to Sydney, but then his friend was likely much warmer than him. What did he care of warm and cold though?

Gren slowly drew his sword. Sydney recognize that sword right away-- one of the Relics.

"So... Heavan is backing your cause?" Sydney sighed as he revealed his two hidden daggers.

"After what you have become, Heavan is willing to do anything to put an end to you, they're even sending her after you," Gren added as he began to twirl the sword in a clockwise motion. Raindrops were deflected from the motion, sending a strange sort of spiral of rain to Sydney. It was like a wind pushing the rain against him.

Were they truly going to send her to kill him? That would prove most interesting. "Very well," Sydney did his own little part, spinning each of his knives on one finger in a way similar to Gren with the Divine; the sword forged from the blood of the angel Michael.

The two stood still for several moments, and then it all began...

*******

It was raining out, but Rose didn't mind it one bit. She actually liked the scent of the rain, it reminded her of the scent of flowers. So to her when it rained the entire world became a bouquett, and so it was as if Heavan were offering her flowers. She held onto Thomas by his arm; staying close both because he had the umbrella and because she couldn't feel anything but beside him.

"It's really odd," Thomas laughed a bit, "Everything seems so differant now."

"We'll get used to it," Rose giggled.

Nodding, Thomas responded, "I know. But I also love this feeling-- this feeling of something new."

Suddenly Rose realized just how quiet it was. Aside from them and the sound of the raindrops there wasn't even a single noise in the city. She looked around a bit and felt something; like an ache within her heart. "Thomas... let's go home."

"Go home?"

"Yes," Rose said very quickly, "Something isn't right. I just... I..."

Then she saw it. A Neo was in the city. Everyone had likely locked their homes down. It was the first she had ever seen. It was a hideous beast. It stood about seven feet tall on its hind legs. It seemed to be a Werewolf-type Neo. It slouched over onto all four and growled. It's fangs etended as its lips curled; the bloodlust obvious in its eyes.

"Run," Thomas said, "I'll... I'll stop it. Somehow."

"No..." tears ran down Rose's cheeks, hidden by the rain which whipped her body when Thomas dropped the umbrella at the sight of the Neo. "I... I..."

The dark brown beast began to come closer. Slowly though; it was stalking them with great pride. That was truly the word; pride. This thing, this monster, was happy that it was about to destroy everything Rose ever loved. It's entire body tensed when it was about twenty feet away and then it snapped, it's body pushing itself foward and thrusting towards the two. It soared in the air and howled. But before the beast got to them, a sword slammed into it from the side.

The speed the sword flew at, as well as the sword itself, were unlike anything Rose had ever seen. The sword had a ong golden handle with patterns resembling angelic wings grafted upon it. The two extentions of the hilt appearing as hands embracing the sky. The blade itself was covered in runes which seemed to say nothing, and yet Rose understood what they meant perfectly. The sword was more than human as well.

The wolf screamed and its skin bubbled. Until finally it was no more than a carcass of rotten flesh. When it was done dying, the swords owner came and claimed it. He wore a wool cloak, and Rose could not see his face, but could tell from his hands that he was male.

"Th-thank you," Thomas said to the man, obviously shaken by the fact that the wolf had been no more than a foot away when it had died.

The man pulled the hood of his cloak down. His short blond hair was promptly soaked, and his captivating green eyes found Rose and Thomas. "That was a pretty close call, now wasn't it?" the man laughed a bit and smiled, "You two should be more careful." For someone so obviously deadly, he had a gentleness that was pretty amazing. "I'm Gren Ashforn. I'm actually a Neo Hunter."

"A Neo Hunter?" Thomas said with an exclaimed tinge to his voice. Neo were the most feared beings on the planet, and so to see a real life Neo Hunter was rare-- very few lived longer than a week after beginning to work.

"Is there any way we can repay you?" Rose asked; finally finding words to speak.

Gren looked around a bit and asked calmly, "Some food would be very appreciated, and perhaps some refuge from the rain for the night?"

"Absolutely," Thomas answered, "We were headed to eat right now actually. Feel free to join us."

*******

An encounter. Encounters represent the meeting of two foreign elements. These encounters were the beginning, weren't they? He laughed to himself, or did he really laugh? It was so hard to tell. Gren's story held so much interest to him. Yet it also brought him pain. From meeting Rose would begin war, from meeting Sydney would begin fate, and the next encounters to be held would be held the truth of one man and one destiny. How dark this time truly was, and how revealing the world would be. It all began from one simple seed.

12:45am: What we say and what we don't, the paths we walk and the paths we ignore
Anyone who reads all my entires and pays attention to the dates likely looks upon this and says to themselves one of the following:

"This guy doesn't have a clue."
"This guy doesn't know what the hell he wants."
"This guy is a nerd."

Well, the third one I honestly could care less of. The first two, however, are mistaken. Very mistaken. Why is that? Because I do have a clue, and although I don't know what I want... who does? Life is nothing but a series of paths our souls walk. Every single person in the world, their soul is on a journey somewhere. We only know the destination truly when we reach the end of the path, and so how can anyone know the truth? It isn't possible. I admit that where I go, I go based upon the wind. This creates a very erratic path, as the wind sometimes forces me backwards. But it is mine.

This entry is dedicated to my dear aunt Robin... a wonderful, beautiful woman who may have gotten to the end of the path... it will only be a matter of days before we know for sure.