text:
Today's post comes from Ricki Heller, of Diet, Dessert, and Dogs. She's another dear friend of mine. We share more than just a love of healthier food – we both love animals (dogs in particular!), are both teachers (ok, she still teaches; I quit…), and are both passionate about helping others transform their lives. Ricki has the biggest, most loving heart of anyone I know. If you're not a regular reader of Diet, Dessert, and Dogs you really should be.
When it comes to sweet treats, brownies are a classic with universal appeal. I mean, how many of us would turn down one of these chocolatey, chewy, dense and fudgy confections? Now that I'm following a gluten free, sugar-free, low glycemic diet, I often do fall into that "No, thanks, I think I'll pass on the brownies" category when someone else offers them (often with a heavy sigh, of course).
After following an anti-candida diet for more than three years now, I've reproduced innumerable favorite desserts in a lower-glycemic, gluten-free and sugar-free form, all without losing the appeal or sweet satisfaction of the original recipe. I've discovered that there really is no dessert too difficult to recreate in a healthier way. In fact, today's brownies take the transformation a step further, eliminating all flour entirely from the recipe—they are also grain-free!
What you'll want to know most about these brownies isn't that they're sugar-free, or that they're filled with heart-healthy almonds, or that they contain one of the best sources of Omega 3 fats around (hemp seeds). No, what you'll want to know is that they taste every bit as decadent and delicious as "regular" brownies—and that they're ridiculously easy to make (simply throw everything in your food processor, then scoop and bake). They also work beautifully as a take-along snack, school lunch dessert, or after work treat.
And since these bites are actually good for you, you won't have to bypass your own brownie tray next time. Just don't wait too long to try one—or you may find they're all gone before you have your sample. After all, everyone loves a classic.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 9 brownies
- ¼ cup (60 ml) coconut sugar
- 30-35 drops liquid vanilla stevia, to your taste
- 3 Tbsp (45 ml) water
- 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp (20 ml) olive or nut oil (I used macadamia nut; walnut oil would be great in these, too)
- 1 cup (160 g) raw natural almonds, with skin
- ¼ heaping cup (30 g) hemp seeds
- 2 heaping Tbsp (15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp (1 ml) baking soda
- ¼ tsp (1 ml) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line 9 mini muffin cups with mini paper liners. If you can't find or don't have the liners, spray nine compartments of a mini muffin tin with nonstick spray or grease with coconut oil, then dust with cocoa. Tap out any excess cocoa by inverting the pan and tapping on the bottom of each compartment; place upright and set aside.
- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine the coconut sugar, vanilla, water and oil and stir to begin dissolving the sugar. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, whir together the remaining ingredients until you have what looks like a powder (there should be no pieces of almond or hemp seed visible--this may take a few minutes). Add the wet ingredients and blend for a second or two, just until combined. Scrape the sides of the processor bowl if necessary. The batter will be thick and sticky.
- Using a small scoop or tablespoon, divide the evenly among the the muffin cups; they will be very full. Bake in preheated oven 15-18 minutes, until a tester comes out barely clean (it's okay if it still has a few moist crumbs clinging to it). Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely before consuming. Makes nine two-bite brownies. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. May be frozen.
Ricki Heller is the author of Sweet Freedom: Desserts You'll Love without Wheat, Eggs, Dairy or Refined Sugar (one of only three cookbooks endorsed by Ellen DeGeneres on her website) as well as three e-cookbooks. She writes the popular food blog Diet, Dessert and Dogs, where, for the past three years, she has chronicled her journey with candida and posted almost 600 sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan, whole-foods recipes.


text:
Wireless N300 ADSL2+ Modem Router
- Product Status: Live
- All-in-one router with integrated ADSL2+ modem
- Wireless N300 (300 Mbps on 2.4 GHz)
- 4 x Fast Ethernet LAN
List Retailers
The DSL-2745 Wireless N300 ADSL2+ Modem Router is a versatile, high-performance router for a home or small office. With integrated ADSL2/2+, supporting download speeds up to 24 Mbps, firewall protection, Quality of Service (QoS), 802.11n wireless LAN, and 4 Ethernet switch ports, the DSL-2745 provides all the functions that a user needs to establish a secure and high-speed link to the Internet.
Featuring Wireless N300 technology, the DSL-2745 supports wireless speeds of up to 300 Mbps1, 4 times faster than 802.11g. Featuring 2 x 2 MIMO antenna configuration, wireless devices can take advantage of expanded wireless coverage.
The Wireless N300 ADSL2+ Modem Router offers Quality of Service (QoS), which allows priority queues to enable a group of home or office users to experience the benefit of a smooth network connection without worrying about traffic congestion.
This router's security features prevent unauthorised access to your private network from wireless devices or from the Internet. These features include firewall security, such as Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) and hacker attack logging.
Additionally, it supports WPA/WPA2 and WEP for flexible security and data encryption while a WPS button provides an easy way to establish a secure wireless connection.
1 Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE standard 802.11n specifications which are subject to change. Actual data throughput will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate. Environmental factors may adversely affect wireless signal range.
Related Products
Technical Specifications
Device Interfaces
• RJ-11 ADSL port
• 4 x RJ-45 10/100BASE-TX Ethernet ports with auto MDI/MDIX
• Factory reset button
• Built-in 802.11n wireless LAN
• WPS button
• Wireless on/off switch
• Power on/off switch
ADSL Standards
• Multi-mode
• ANSI T1.413 Issue 2
• ITU G.992.1 (G.dmt) Annex A
• ITU G.992.2 (G.lite) Annex A
• ITU G.994.1 (G.hs)
ADSL2 Standards
• ITU G.992.3 (G.dmt.bis)
• Annex A/L/M, ITU G.992.4 (G.lite.bis) Annex A
• ITU G.992.5 Annex L/M (optional)
• 802.11b/g/n standards
• Wireless speed: up to 54 Mbps (802.11g), 300 Mbps (802.11n)1
• G.dmt: 8 Mbps downstream, 832 Kbps upstream
• G.lite: 1.5 Mbps downstream, 512 Kbps upstream
• ADSL2: 12 Mbps downstream, 1 Mbps upstream
• ATM Forum UNI3.1/4.0 PVC (up to 8 PVCs)
• Frequency range: 2.4 GHz to 2.484 GHz
• Antennas: Dual 2x2 MIMO antennas
• ADSL2+: 24 Mbps downstream, 1 Mbps upstream
• VC and LLC based multiplexing
• PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE)
• PPP over ATM (RFC 2364)
• ATM Adaptation Layer Type 5 (AAL5)
• ATM QoS (Traffic Shaping)
• Bridged or routed Ethernet encapsulation
Router Features
• DHCP server/client/relay
• Static Routing, RIP v.1, v.2
• Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) compliant
• Dynamic Domain Name System (DDNS)
• Virtual server
• SNTP, DNS proxy and IGMP proxy
• Built-in NAT firewall
• Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
• DoS attacks prevention
• Packet filtering (IP/ICMP/TCP/UDP)
• Supports IPv6
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
• Multiple PPTP/IPSec/L2TP pass-through
Device Configuration/Management
• Installation wizard
• Web-based GUI for configuration, firmware upgrade
• Code lock to prevent improper firmware upgrade
• Telnet
• Syslog monitoring
Quality of Service
• 802.1p (0 to 7) traffic tagging
• IGMP snooping with 32 Multicast groups
• PVC/VLAN port mapping (bridge mode)
• PVC/VLAN port mapping (bridge mode) 64/128 bits
• WEP data encryption
• WPA/WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) security
• MAC address-based access control
Power Input
• Through 0.5A external power adapter
Status LEDs
• Power
• LAN (1 to 4)
• Internet
• 68 x 42 x 51 mm (2.68 x 1.65 x 2 inches)
• 113.4 grams (4 ounces)
• Input: 100 to 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz
• Operating: 0 to 40 °C (32 to 104 °F)
• Storage: -20 to 65 °C (-4 to 149 °F)
• Operating: 0% to 90% non-condensing
• Storage: 5% to 95% non-condensing
• Anatel
1 Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE standard 802.11n specifications which are subject to change. Actual data throughput will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate. Environmental factors may adversely affect wireless signal range.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Watch Billy Joel's 'Authentic Rock and Roll F— Up' – and Absolutely Perfect Response
We never did like the wise-asses who cheered derisively when a kid dropped his lunch tray in the cafeteria. So instead of focusing on how Billy Joel briefly messed up the tongue-twisting lyrics to his 1989 hit 'We Didn't Start the Fire' in concert earlier this week, can we instead talk about how wonderfully he reacted?
As you can see above, about 30 seconds into performing the song in Toronto on March 9, Joel loses his place, quickly stops his band and addresses the crowd. First off, it's good to know that there are no backing tracks that needed to be shut off along with the drums, keyboards and guitars. And it's also refreshing to see that, unlike many performers of his era these days, Joel doesn't use a TelePrompter in case moments like these arise.
But more importantly, Joel handled the moment with humor and self-deprecation, calling 'Fire' "One of the worst melodies I ever wrote," and explaining why it's so easy to get lost singing it: "It's the same thing, verse after verse. Just the words change." Then, after briefly considering skipping the song altogether, he starts it over and everybody goes home happy. And let's also give full credit to his band, who kick back into the song without missing a step.


text:
May serves as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the Thomasville Police Department is working to do its part in spreading the message.
May serves as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the Thomasville Police Department is working to do its part in spreading the message concerning the subject.
As part of the month designated by the N.C. Governor's Highway Safety Program, the TPD is reminding motorists to safely share the road with motorcycles. Motorcyclists also are reminded to make themselves visible to other motorists and wear a helmet that complies with the Federal Department of Transportation.
Sgt. John Elgin of the TPD said the message of safety concerning mopeds and motorcycles not only is highlighted in May but also needs to be carried out year long.
"We can't forget about them," Elgin said, referring to motorcycles and mopeds.
In the past 30 days, four crashes have been recorded in Thomasville in which motorcyclists were involved and injured, the TPD stated in a news release issued Friday. Two of the four crashes were a result of the motorist failing to see the motorcyclist.
Elgin reminds motorcyclists to wear protective equipment and make sure they have regular maintenance on their motorcycles. The TPD also explained in the news release that motorists can be held liable of two particular laws in North Carolina by depriving motorcyclists of full use of lanes and safe movement violations causing motorcyclists to crash.
According to the TPD's news release, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 4,612 motorcyclists were killed nationally in motor vehicle crashes in 2011. This is a 2 percent increase from 4,518 motorcyclists who were killed nationally in motor vehicle crashes in 2010.
As part of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the TPD will conduct extra observations of motorcyclists for helmet compliance, proper equipment of motorcycle/mopeds and compliance of roadway laws.
In an effort to promote motorcycle safety, the Thomasville Police Traffic Safety Unit will sponsor a free class of BikeSafe NC on Friday and again June 7. Interested riders can register on the website of www.bikesafenc.com or call TPD Officer James Shores at 475-5528. BikeSafe NC is a program of the N.C. Governor's Highway Safety Program, and motorcycle officers from the Greensboro Police Department and Guilford County Sheriff's Office will participate in Thomasville's courses.
Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
r3p1ns wrote:You can even give your poem a name of "your" choice.
You can even give your poem a "name" of your choice.
BTW, excellent hint
r3p1ns wrote:You can even give your poem a name of "your" choice.
Slahd wrote:Okay, so I just solved it and I'm at a complete loss. I read through the thread and read up on Directory Traversal. Unfortunately, it all confuses me so much. So I would appreciate it if someone who does have an understand come PM me and explain the solution to me. I do have some kind of idea, but really, I'm grasping at straws here.
Thank you.
MRFREE wrote:Uhm I got a page that told me I was a weirdo. Thats not true right?
Return to (Real 3) Peace Poetry: HACKED
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests


text:
Emeco's Parrish Collection Designed for Less Waste
Practical and minimal, the outdoor furniture designed by Konstantin Grcic and produced by Emeco utilizes as little materials as possible. Created for Long Island's Parrish Art Museum, the line, which just debuted at I Saloni, is now available for purchase.
The Parrish Art Museum finally opened in 2012, after being built for less than a third of its original budget. Minimizing waste and keeping costs low was a high priority for the outdoor furniture as well as the building. The the singular tube of the curved back was a conscious effort by Grcic to use as little steel as possible.
The collection is available in three steel colors: white, red, and black, with a variety of wood seat options. See the full collection at Emeco.
Read more: Outdoor Furniture Designed For More Comfort, Less Waste
(Images: Emeco)


text:
Tagged: Guns N' Roses
The Worst/Best Trade Of My Life
Ohhh, Cashman, you don't make blockbuster deals on Friday the 13th. You just don't.
And you definitely don't make this deal.
I'm sure the entire baseball world knows the news by now. I was supposed to have this post up right away, but every time I started it, I had to stop. I figured I could just type through the tears, but then I thought an overly-emotional post would be irrational and unfair. So I waited until I regained some composure. Here I am now, still in shock, but over my initial state or mourning. I haven't cried yet today, though that may be because I depleted everything I had last night.
This is without a doubt the hardest thing I have been forced to go through in my life as a Yankees fan.
I don't even know where to start. There's so much running through my head. I guess I'll talk about what happened when I found out that the Yankees traded Jesus Montero for Michael Pineda (along with Hector Noesi for Jose Campos, but it's the Montero part that sent me over the edge).
I saw the news on facebook first on a baseball page that I liked. It wasn't official then. But my heart stopped a little, and I gasped. I immediately headed over to MLBtraderumors, they had it up with the little times next to each sentence, as if they were monitoring every move. I knew that was a bad sign -that meant it was legit.
I began to panic.
The Yankees website had nothing, just as I feared. Throughout my life as a Yankees fan, being surprised by Brian Cashman and his stealthy moves became quite a regular thing. He never lets you know what's up. I went on some other site about the Pineda/Montero swap, and it wouldn't load – too much traffic.
I knew right there that it was happening. I admit it: I started to cry a little.
Aww, who am I kidding. My brother wrote it on facebook anyway, so everyone knows: I was bawling like a baby. The kind of tears that flow without you even knowing, then you rejoin reality and think, "What the heck, I'm crying?"
Yeah I'm a nut. But I can't help it.
I've been hearing about Jesus Montero for God knows how long. The highlight of the 2011 season was the 18 games that Montero played in during September. The .328 avg, the 4 HR (some of which were opposite field line drives, which totally turned me on to the kid), the 12 RBI, the handsome young man with the high socks and the boyish smile, I was swept off my feet. He looked like everything I heard he would be. And I thought it was just the beginning of what would be a 20-year superstar successful career in Yankee pinstripes. A home-grown, superstar Yankee to be part of a new core of young Yankees. I figured, since they held on to him for this long, he was safe. I penciled him into my 2012 lineup. I said goodbye to Posada, which was tough, but the thought of Jesus Montero eventually catching eased the pain of losing one of my favorite Yankees. In my public presentation class, I even did my persuasive speech on the claim "The Yankees should not trade Jesus Montero," and I got an A. I never thought he would be traded, because frankly, the Yankees did nothing up to this point in the offseason.
Losing Jesus Montero – I can't even believe this happened. I just can't trust Brian Cashman anymore. I never know what's going to happen. I'm beginning to wonder if we'll ever see this new generation of prospects play in the Bronx. Everyone knows what his potential is. Shouldn't we want that kind of talent on our team, especially because he's home-grown? This trade is an example of the things I don't like about the Yankees. The immediate-gratification thing, where they don't want to wait. Sure, Montero's not a full-time catcher yet, but he can be eventually. Now I heard that the Yankees are thinking about expanding payroll a bit. Although Michael Pineda is at a bargain price, I'm worried now that Montero won't be the DH, that they'll go out and sign someone. Like Prince Fielder. Which is exactly what I don't want: a big free-agent contract, probably ridiculously expensive and around 8-10 years, for a guy who will probably decline soon who we'll be stuck with. Like A-Rod. Like Teixeira. Partially why I was so into Jesus Montero, was that he was different. Young blood, a new start. He can't decline. He can only improve. So even if he didn't start out like the superstar I believe he will one day be, if we wait, he'd learn and improve. I wanted to see that happen to him as a Yankee.
Never in my wildest nightmares did I ever suspect that this would happen. That's partially why I don't like this trade, because I'm a little embarrassed. I've been saying how he's going to be on the team in 2012, despite the frequent debates with another Yankees fan. So not only was I upset that the one thing I wanted for the 2012 season was gone, but I was also dreading the remarks of this fellow Yankees fan. I mean it's not like I'm stupid. No one expected this. I thought Cashman was serious about doing nothing. He let all the other pitchers go by, but little did I know that he'd go for someone that we didn't even know was on the market. Losing Jesus Montero has left me bombarded with the worst feelings: anguish, dismay, disinterest for the coming season, distrust of the organization, and humiliation for being wrong about it all.
So from a purely emotional perspective, this is the worst trade of my life. And on Friday the 13th, I can't help but to think it may be bad luck for the Yankees.
But this girl knows that there shouldn't be any crying in baseball.
I feel bad about feeling bad about this trade. It's unfair to Michael Pineda. It makes it seem like I hate him. I can't hate the guy, he didn't do anything. I mean sure, if asked if I would make the Montero/Pineda trade, I would have said NO (maybe that's why I'm not in charge of the Yankees). But that doesn't mean I don't want Pineda. He's almost 23 and he had a pretty fine rookie season. Okay, maybe he's not as cute as Montero on the surface, but maybe he's got a cuter personality – I heard rumblings of Jesus Montero having an attitude.
And who am I kidding? I know the Yankees needed pitching. I didn't think they'd get any, but I shouldn't be upset that they improved in the area that they needed to most. Michael Pineda, as well as Hiroki Kuroda, who I found out was going to be signed about five minutes after the big trade, can definitely strengthen the rotation. And Pineda will be under team control for years to come before he gets to make the big money, which will give him every reason to play heard and reach his fullest potential. I should like that, since I hate the long contracts that I feel create laziness and a sense of entitlement. Another good sign: according to my brother, the Red Sox fans are nervous about the moves the Yankees have made.
That's always a good sign.
This deal, as with all deals, is a risk. And on Friday the 13th, you know…I can't help but to think negatively.
Last night in the midst of my meltdown, I was seeking distractions from the news. I had 5 conversations going on facebook, I was blasting Guns N' Roses in my headphones, hoping the song "Don't Cry" would actually help my cause ("…there's a Heaven above you, baby…"), I was contemplating hitting the liquor cabinet (kidding, underage over here!), and I was just trying to avoid reality. Then Grandma comes in my room (brave of her when I'm unstable), and asks if I'm busy, and if not, if I could check to see what the numbers were to see if she won.
She didn't win, but the number made me a little happy anyway. It was 777.
A sign of things to come? Maybe this is a lucky trade for the Yankees. Maybe the good can counteract the bad here. Maybe I can like, get over this? Maybe there was something about Jesus Montero that I just didn't know, and maybe this was for the better. Maybe I should trust Brian Cashman, after all, he's done pretty well for me in my lifetime.
And maybe I should get excited for this upcoming season again. Maybe Pineda will help my boys reach their next goal: #28. And maybe Michael Pineda can be one of "my boys" the way I thought Jesus Montero would be.
Maybe this'll actually be the best thing that's ever happened in my lifetime for the Yankees.
We'll see.


text:
Roofers in Portland, ME
Finding a quality roofing contractor in Portland, Maine is simpler with Hometown. We verify roofing services and credentials, along with gathering trusted reviews from real customers. Find the most reliable and affordable roofers in your hometown.
Filter Contractors >>
Unverified Roofing Contractors
Tips on Roofing in Portland, ME
What factors go into the estimate prices of roofing companies?
Estimate prices from local roofing contractors may vary widely based on the details of your particular roof. Here' a few of the key factors that have the biggest impact on roofing cost.
- Roof size - Roof size is quoted in "squares" (100 square feet = 1 square).
- Roof slope - Steeper sloped roofs are more challenging to work on and will require higher labor costs.
- Roofing material - Metal roofing lasts longer than shingles, but costs more. Architectural shingles cost more than 3-tab shingles. Specialty roofing materials like slate roofing or shake roofing, cost more for the material and the installation than a basic shingle roof installation.
- Material grade - Better quality materials will cost significantly more. For example, a shingle with a 30 year warranty will cost more than a shingle with a 15 year warranty.
- Existing roofing material to be removed - If the existing roof needs to be removed, significant cost will be added to your estimate. Tear off and proper disposal of existing roof layers is a significant part of the cost of any re-roofing project. More layers cost more to remove and more to dispose of.
How do I know if a roofing contractor is properly licensed and insured?
For roofers listed on Hometown, we've done the initial homework for you. At the time a roofing company was listed, they provided the appropriate state license (if required by your state) and liability insurance. Select the name of a contractor you're interested in to see more information, including a list of verified credentials for that contractor.
Hometown's screening process means the roofer produced a valid Maine license (if required) and insurance certificates at the time of the screening, but it's possible that the status of the license or insurance could have changed in the meantime. So, it's a best practice to ask to see evidence of the roofers' license and insurance certificates at the time of your estimate.


text:
|2004-02-03, 22:56
|Link #1
Do you Gentoo?
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: The GTA
Age: 31
Suggestions for Anime with very limited fantasy?
Hey, I hope that this isn't a duplicate thread... but..
Can anyone recommend any anime (available on AnimeSuki) for me?
Two series that I've really enjoyed are Full Metal Panic (and Fumoffu) and Stellvia of the Universe.
Full Metal Panic was a good combination of what I like. School kids, comedy, action, a little romance, little science fiction.
Stellvia of the Universe seemd to have some of this blend too.
I don't really like anime with heavy fantasy and supernatural. I prefer more "realistic" animes (with science fiction being okay).
I've watched a couple episodes of PlanetES, but I didn't really enjoy them that much... Would anyone recommend that I continue watching it? Does it get better in the later episodes?
I also watched the first episode of Uninhabited Planet Survive, but it looked really odd.. The voices sounded odd to me and the animation was different from most others (at least in the case of the main character's friend whom she meets.. Sharla I think her name was?).
So, I guess what I'm looking for is preferably no fantasy/supernatural, but some sci-fi is okay. Something with some comedy and/or action. I guess, something a long the lines of Full Metal Panic (Fumoffu too), and Stellvia of the Universe?
Thanks in advanced.
|2004-02-04, 02:01
|Link #3
~ notoriously off topic ~
Join Date: Jan 2004
About PlanetES, I'm not sure if it's fair for me to respond since I've always liked the show, but you might want to give it a couple of more episodes to see if the characters grow on you.
If you're looking for something similar to Stellvia, Twin Spica comes to mind. It's a lot more emotional and doesn't have as much action as Stellvia, but so far it's looking like it'll be a great show. One thing I didn't like about Stellvia was Shipon's 10 episode long mood swing.. so far no signs of that in Twin Spica.
|2004-02-04, 23:33
|Link #4
Do you Gentoo?
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: The GTA
Age: 31
Thanks for the suggestions! After I clear up some hard disk space, I will download some episodes.
Although, some questions, does "Sakigake!! Cromartie High" have a story though? I like some comedy, but not to the point of a farce. See, one of the things that I liked about Full Metal Panic and Stellvia, were that they had comedy, but they also had serious moments (Although, I agree that Shima's moodswings were a little out there). Obviously, I haven't seen Cromartie High yet, but if this is the case, would you still recommend it? (There don't seem to be very many seeds out on AnimeSuki right now, so it will be hard to get...)
Also, about Twin Spica, if I'm not mistaken, there's a talking lion in it? Hmm.. I'm usually a little skeptical towards talking animals, but I think I will give it a shot.
SomeName, I think I may try out a few more episodes of PlanetES. Just a question, does a story develop? Because so far, the first couple episodes were just different missions that they did. It didn't really seem to build on anything yet. I assume that a story does start to build, however? I prefer an anime in which each episode makes me eager to watch the next one.
Thanks again!
|2004-02-05, 06:41
|Link #5
~ notoriously off topic ~
Join Date: Jan 2004
Though there is the talking "lion" in Twin Spica, the anime isn't centered around that aspect... or at least, doesn't appear to be so far. It's got the school kid going through academy thing going which reminded me of that aspect of Stellvia.
From the episodes I've seen, PlanetES is very episodic until the most recently released sub. From what I understand, that's when a main aspect of the plotline emerges. It's always been the characters and the realistic treatment of the sci-fi material that kept me into the show. After watching the first 4 or 5 episodes you should have a good feel for the show and know if you want to stick with it or not.
|2004-02-05, 12:14
|Link #6
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
i definitely mirror the Twin Spica sentiment. the talking lion... it isn't a talking lion. its a lion head that a person wears. but regardless, as somename already mentioned, that isn't the focus of the story. only thing that sucks is that only 6 eps are subbed, and the last one was released a loooong time ago.
you might check out Infinite Ryvius. granted, there are a few out of the ordinary things involved in the plot, and it's very sci-fi.. but the emphasis is on character development and i feel like the characters are very real. give a few episodes a shot.
Get Backers is definitely a comedy/action blend, with only a bit of the supernatural (special abilities), and is decent.
and i dont think you'd like planetes any more if you keep watching it. the tone definitely stays the same.. fairly episodic, and very heavily based on character development.
|2004-02-05, 20:02
|Link #7
Team the box!
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Badside
Give Uninhabited Planet Survive, a shot. No one seems to like Shara's voice but it's really a great show, regardless.
You might also like Scrapped Princess. There is fantasy in the form of "magic" but it's not what it seems. I don't care for fantasy, either and almost stopped watching that series as soon as I saw the first spell. Glad I kept watching.
|2004-02-07, 01:15
|Link #8
Do you Gentoo?
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: The GTA
Age: 31
Hmm, I will take a closer look at Twin Spica I suppose. I've been able to watch the first half of the first episode. The whole "ghost" lion guy is a little weird, but I will give it a chance. However, my main concern is that it has not been completely subbed yet. I'd really hate to love the series and not be able to finish it...
Infinte Ryvius sounds interesting, but unfortunately, it's licensed.. So I can't get it on fansub anymore.
Get Backers looks interesting too.. Will take a look at it. Although, there are quite a lot of episodes. Longest series I've watched so far have been 26 episodes.
Hmm.. Perhaps I will give Uninhabited Planet Survive another chance. I really disliked Shara's voice and animation, but perhaps the story will make up for it?
Thanks again for all your suggestions! I'd love to hear any other suggestions.
Oh yah, and another anime that I enjoyed was Geneshaft. I saw some of it at an anime conference, and loved the whole computer programming/spaceship intergration. Interesting concept.
|Thread Tools


text:
Is A Naked Danica Patrick Working To Quell GoDaddy Boycott Efforts?
from the timing-is-everything dept
However, GoDaddy seems to be focusing on what's worked for it in the past: advertising with scantily clad women (and Danica Patrick in particular). Apparently it's been putting full page ads in the NY Times (and other papers?) with Patrick covered strategically by a sign.
And... the strategy may have worked so far.
While tons of domains transferred out at the end of last week, this week has been a bit of a different story. On Monday, it looks like GoDaddy basically broke even, with 18,401 new registrations and 14,853 transfers in... vs only 8,862 transfers out and 24,120 domains deleted. That netted out to an increase for GoDaddy of 272 domains. Tuesday was even more positive for the company. Even though another 16,662 domains were transferred out and another 27,564 were deleted, there was a big bump in new registrations: 31,574 (perhaps driven by new ads?) and another 15,452 transferred in. Net change? 2,800 in the plus column for GoDaddy. Finally, that same trend continued for Wednesday: an impressive 33,251 new registrations and 17,549 transfers in. That goes against 15,524 transfers out and 30,634 deletions. Net: 4,642 more domains under GoDaddy control.
Left unanswered: is this a lull before a bunch of transfers today? Or has the whole boycott issue subsided?


text:
Americans, roughly half or 144 million of them, will head to the polls this November and more than likely pick either one of two candidates to serve as their chief executive for the next four years. The masses will vote for either the Democrat (Barack O'Bama) or the Republican (Mitt Romney) like they have since 1856. Yet, neither seem to be incredibly popular among voters being tied in most national polls. In this land of true democracy there are over one hundred hopeful presidential nominees on (and off) voting ballots that do not have the money, cache, or websites in some cases, that their bigger and more powerful donkey and elephant counterparts do.
Here are some overlooked Irish-American presidential and vice-presidential candidates to consider when posting your ballot (or writing in) on November 6th.
1. George McMahon, Vice Presidential Candidate, Grass Roots Party (Only in Minnesota)
The Iowa native joins Jim Carlson on the Grass Roots ticket in their bid for the White House, The "grass" in "Grass Roots" relates to the party's platform of legalizing marijuana. Their politics is in line with the Green Party. McMahon, a vocal proponent of legalizing marijuana in the Minnesota legislature, last ran for Vice President in 1996.
2. Cindy Sheehan, Vice Presidential Nominee, Peace and Freedom Party
Sheehan is overshadowed by her much higher profile running mate, comedienne and actress Roseanne Barr. The potential veep gained fame as an anti-war activist who protested outside President Bush's Texas ranch and as the author of the memoir Peace Mom: A Mother's Journey Through Heartache to Activist" The 60's-formed Peace and Freedom party, self described on its website as "California's Feminist Socialist Party", sticks to its socialist name with an agenda that includes the protection of the environment, access to free education and healthcare along with nationalization of the financial industry and natural resources.
3. Jerry Carroll, President (Write-in candidate, Independent)
A Stockton California resident, Jerry "Leon" Carroll established his own personal political committee in 1979 and has been off and running for various public offices in California ever since including two failed bids for the presidency in 2000 and '04. Carroll's platform as listed in his biography on votesmart.com is to "restore the American dream of the Monroe Doctrine (Manifest Destiny) a united people, one God, one language, one constitution from North Pole to South Pole…" He also lists "(becoming) crowned emperor of Earth by all peoples of Earth" as his goal before he dies.
4. Dr. David McFadden, Presidential Candidate, (Write in Candidate, Independent)
This candidate is solely devoted to the improvement of transportation in America and the nation's dependence on oil. The Ohioan proposes a solution an electric rail system that would run on alternative renewable energy sources such as solar, wind etc. So devoted is the doctor to the people that he pledges "not to play golf" if elected president but rather "review the visas of OPEC nations trying to visit the US to increase their sales."
5. Richard McCormick (Write In Candidate, Independent)
McCormick prides himself on being the Washington outsider whose 40 years in advising those in politics gives him a strong insight into current political and economic events. His goals include revamping the tax code, sweeping financial reform (reenacting Glass-Steagall) and the promotion of alternative energy through higher gas taxes.
6. James Hatton McCall (Write In Candidate, Independent)
A true man of the people, McCall works in the big box retail industry and works at Home Depot, as he puts it, to "have some beer money" for the American legion. This will be McCall's second run at the big office. His radical plans as the chief of state include completely sealing off the country's borders, a balanced budget and spending freeze, along with a withdrawal of the US from the UN. He makes a strong case for his presidency in describing himself as a leader with a "strong sense of humor, perfect driving record, and no criminal record…" He does have presidential experience to boot. He served as the head of the singles club "New Horizons" in Northwest Indiana.
7. Bill Harney (write in Candidate, Independent)
A true patriotic Candidate, Harney was a prisoner of war, earning a purple heart for his efforts in Vietnam in managing to escape and save fellow American prisoners from torture camps. Once Unemployed and without a home, he can relate to most Americans today. As your head of the oval office you can count on President Harney to force banks to refinance loans in fixing the housing crisis, provide every American with effective affordable healthcare along with healthcare professionals trained in nutritional therapy, and institute a lower corporate rate tax.
So come November remember there are other names to consider besides O'Bama and Romney. Try Sheehan, Carroll, McCormick or even McCall.


text:
NKJV Big Picture Interactive Bible, Make-It-Your-Own, Cross, by Unknown
Note: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.
- Cover: Leather Bound
- Copyright: 2/1/2016
Bring the Bible to life for kids!
As kids read the NKJV Big Picture Interactive Bible, they will see scenes from the Bible literally pop off the page via a free downloadable app that lets them view the images in an augmented-reality format. And they'll listen to a narration of the event by Jenna Lucado Bishop.Plus, kids can use fine-point, permanent markers to color the unique cover and endsheets and make this Bible all their own! Other features include:
- Make-It-Your-Own Cover can be colored with any fine-point, permanent markers
- Augmented Reality on 146 full-page color illustrations
- "Christ Connection" feature that shows how each Bible story points to Christ
- "Big Questions?" feature to tell kids what they want to know
- 100 Top Memory Verses for kids to learn
- "Seeing the Big Picture" feature that digs into key Bible stories and provides parents with discussion material
- "Big Words" feature that acts as a four-color Bible dictionary
- Introductions for every book of the Bible, written for kids to understand
- Complete text of the New King James Version (NKJV)
- Full-color maps on 8 pages


text:
|2012-01-24, 16:53
|Link #41
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Boston
Age: 28
This is fun The choices are better constructed in this than in some commercial VNs I've read By that, I mean that it definitely feels like the decisions will and should have lasting effects on your relationships with the other characters, which is nice. I'm looking forward to seeing how much branching will happen and how far away the individual routes are going to get from the original storyline.
|2012-01-26, 03:39
|Link #42
Senior Member
Chapter 6
"I'll go get Mami right away!"
That's what I had shouted to Sayaka before racing off to get Mami's help. Thankfully it didn't take me long to find Mami, and tell her about the witch's barrier about to form at the hospital. But by the time I had brought Mami to where I had seen the Grief Seed, Kyubey and Sayaka were already gone, as was the Grief Seed itself! They must have been sucked into the witch's barrier!
"Here, huh?" Mami stated, as a mystical glow emanating from a crack in the wall was still visible.
Mami then gestured forward with her left arm and open palm, which caused a ring she was wearing to shine brightly and make a piercing high-pitched sound. I then saw a brilliantly bright white light shimmering outwards from the crack in the wall, in the form of some sort of intricate symbol. Mami then tightened one arm against her chest, and closed her eyes. It looked like she was concentrating very hard on something!
I found all of this pretty perplexing, but I guess that she was trying to telepathically reach Kyubey. I hope that she's able to reach him. Him and Sayaka!
'Kyubey!' I heard Mami's telepathic message in my mind, 'What's the situation?'
'We're still Okay.' he responded, 'It doesn't seem like it's about to do anything.'
'Sayaka, are you okay?' I desperately asked with my own thoughts.
'I'm getting bored in here.' she responded.
Hearing that was a big relief to me! It allowed me to smile, and become more calm over the situation.
'It's probably better to avoid provoking the egg by using strong magic.' stated Kyubey, 'You don't have to hurry, but try to keep it stealthy.'
'Got it.' replied Mami.
Mami then turned to look me in the face. I could tell from her body language that she wanted to know if I was ready to enter into the witch's barrier. I made my intentions clear by taking a step towards Mami. As frightened as I may be, there's no way I would abandon my friends now! So Mami and I then walked through the magical portal.
As with the other witch's barriers I've seen, this one was very strange and creepy. I saw medicine bottles with various items in them, like scissors, cakes, and weird looking candies. In fact, this witch's barrier seemed to have a food or medical theme to it. It made me think of what the interior of the Gingerbread House from Hansel and Gretel would look like! I guess it's only appropriate that we'd find a witch in here...
Mami took me by the hand, and took the lead, as we walked further into the witch's barrier. Feeling Mami's gentle but firm grip further relaxed me, and helped to take away a lot of my nervousness over the situation.
"I'm glad we made it in time." I stated to her, as we continued walking forward.
"I should be scolding you for overdoing it, but it was Sayaka's idea, wasn't it?" she replied, "At least we don't have to worry about the witch getting away."
But then, Mami and I heard footsteps behind us! Mami was the first one to turn around to address whoever was walking behind us, and then I turned around right after her. The person following us was Homura!
"I told you!" Mami stated angrily towards her, "I never wanted to see you again."
"Today's hunt is mine." Homura replied, "Back off."
"Can't do that." Mami responded, "We have a date with Miki-san and Kyubey."
"I guarantee their safety." Homura replied, while bowing her head slightly.
"You think I'll believe you?" Mami asked, in a slightly sarcastic tone.
Mami then suddenly gestured forward with her left arm and an open palm! I saw some sort of magical energy come shooting out of her hand. The next thing I knew, Homura was all tied up in orange ribbons with a yellowish chain design on them. She was firmly held in place just above the ground, with a cute red bow and a "1st Place" award on top! While it made for a strangely appealing visual, I couldn't help but feel deep regret over our continuous inability to get along with Homura...
"F-fool!" she shouted at Mami, while struggling against the ribbons that bound her, "This is no time to..."
"I don't want to have to hurt you." Mami said, interrupting Homura, "But I need a little security."
"This witch is completely different from the ones you've fought!" exclaimed Homura breathlessly.
"If you stay quiet, I'll let you go when I'm done." stated Mami, as I could tell she didn't find Homura's words compelling.
But I had to admit that Homura's words strangely rang true to me, as they usually do...
"Let's go, Madoka." Mami said to me, while she tilted her head towards me.
I really didn't like the idea of leaving Homura like this, and not heeding her advice. I know that Mami has been very patient with Homura, and has tried so hard to get along with her! I can understand why Mami has finally had enough of trying to be friendly with Homura. I also know that Mami means no real harm here, and just wants Homura to stay out of our way for a bit. Still, in spite of all of this, I couldn't shake the feeling that we should let Homura go, and listen to what she was saying to us. But... I don't know if I feel up to arguing the point with Mami-san...
"...Okay" I say to Mami's request for us to go.
Mami started walking away from Homura, and with steady confidence, while I walked away much slower, feeling very uneasy about all of this...
"Wait!" cried out Homura, before her binds tightened around her at the sound of her voice.
Well, it was now or never. I wanted to tell Mami-san that I didn't feel comfortable with the decision to not heed Homura's words. But I wasn't sure if it was my place to say that to Mami, as she's the magical girl, and I'm just a regular girl...
Affection Calculation Time! To determine your affection level with Mami Tomoe, refer to the following data and calculate the net effect of your choices.
Spoiler for Mami Tomoe Affection Data:
Your overall affection level with Mami must be +3 or higher in order for Option B of Opportunity Choice 3 to become available. Otherwise, you must select A.
Opportunity Choice 3:
A) Abide by Mami's decision to leave Homura tied up like this.
B) "Mami, I think we should let Homura go. Just to be on the safe side, you know!"
Spoiler for Response A:
Spoiler for Response B:
I could hear very squeaky mice-like voices just beyond a cookie-shaped door. Mami opened it up a bit, and peeked through the opening to make sure the coast was clear. After doing so we continued on our way. We then came to another door, this one looking more normal than the last. Mami carefully opened it up, once again made sure that the coast was clear, and we again continued on our way. Mami also took hold of my hand again, which I found comforting given how bizarrely mesmerizing this room was! Surreal grey walls were all about us, and many medicine bottles floated throughout the air, as far as the eye could see.
"Um... Mami..." I said to her.
"What?" she asked.
"I've been thinking about my wish." I answered.
"Have you come up with something?" she asked.
"Yes." I replied, "But I think you might get mad about it..."
"What wish do you want fulfilled?" she asked me.
"I've never been good at anything or had anything to be proud of." I began in answer, "I thought I'd always be a bother rather than ever being able to help people."
If you've achieved +2 affection or higher with Mami Tomoe, read the "Mami disagrees" section. Otherwise, skip over it.
Spoiler for Mami disagrees:
"Even though I hate that, I couldn't do anything about it." I continued, as Mami and I made our way through another door, "But then I met you, and you showed me how to fight for the sake of others. You told me that maybe I could do the same thing. That would make me happier than anything. So just becoming a magical girl is my wish!"
I said all of this while Mami led me by the hand through delicious looking rooms of cakes, candies, cookies, desserts, and birthday cake candles.
"Helping people and being proud of myself..." I continued, as all sorts of wondrous dreams flew through my imagination, "That's my dearest wish."
"It's tough, you know." Mami said to me, a bit sternly, "You'll get hurt. You won't have time for boys or hanging out."
"But when I see you trying your hardest, I look up to you!" I replied to her with a big smile.
"I'm not the kind of person you want to admire." Mami said, after coming to a stop.
If you chose B for Opportunity Choice 2, read section OC2B. Otherwise, read section A.
Spoiler for Section A:
Spoiler for Section OC2B:
"That's... You're right." Mami replied.
Mami then turned around, and faced me with tears in her eyes. She quickly took hold of my hands, causing me to gasp a bit. She held my hands tightly in hers while she looked into my eyes with such emotion and passion...
"Will you really fight by my side?" she asked of me, "Will you really stay by me?"
"Yes, if you'll have me." I answered.
"I make such a terrible Senior, don't I?" Mami asked, while wiping the tears from her eyes, "I'm really no good at this."
"Mami-san..." I uttered with a smile, as I must admit I found her more transparent self very cute.
Mami and I then talked about what my wish should be. She suggested that I wish for a cake so that we could eat it during a celebration for her and I teaming up as magical girls! While the thought was nice, that wish idea did seem kind of underwhelming compared to some of the more extravagant wishes that I had heard suggested. Before we could discuss it further, though, we both heard Kyubey crying out to us.
'Mami!' he exclaimed, 'The Grief Seed's started moving! Hurry up!'
"All right, got it!" Mami replied, "Let's blow this thing away!"
Mami then gestured her left hand forward, and transformed into her magical girl outfit! She formed a protective barrier of red ribbons around me while she jumped and twisted through the air, leaping into action! As she landed on her feet, she summoned forth seven rifles, and twirled one about in the air as though it were a baton. It looked like Mami was standing in the midst of great, giant cakes!
Mami started shooting off her rifles in rapid succession, while also swinging some as though they were a baseball bat. She did this to bring down several polka-dotted black foes that were attacking her. She briefly leaned backwards, to cause many rifles to appear right below her breasts! She then used those rifles to blow away more and more of the smaller enemies. She was so breathtakingly beautiful and effortlessly cool in how she fought! I couldn't help but smile at her in open mouth awe as she landed in front of me.
She then took me by the hand, and raced onwards. I sprinted behind her with such excitement in my steps!
We then walked through one more door. Just beyond it, we finally found Sayaka and Kyubey! They were crouched down behind a humongous pinkish doughnut.
"Sorry we took so long." Mami said to Sayaka.
"Great, you made it." stated Sayaka with a smile of relief.
"Look out!" exclaimed Kyubey, "It's coming!"
We then saw a surprisingly cute pink doll come exploding out of what looked to me like a large cereal box. That doll then landed on a chair, with a fork and a spoon on either side of it.
"Let's finish this off right away!" exclaimed Mami, as she swung her rifle to knock the chair out from under the doll.
I guess this cute pink doll must actually be the witch!
Mami then swung about in a wide circular motion, striking her rifle against the pink witch with the motion of a bat swing. The doll was sent streaking across the air crashing into a candy-coated pinkish wall. Mami fired off four rifle shots at the witch. The shots missed their target, but the witch fell to the ground anyway.
Mami then stepped right next to where the witch was laying, and pointed her rifle directly over the witch's head. She then fired off a shot! The witch was then catapulted into the air, as yellow strands came pouring out of where the witch had been shot.
"All right!" exclaimed Sayaka, as she pumped a fist into the air.
Sayaka and I were both cheering Mami on, and it did look like Mami was winning decisively!
Mami smiled warmly at the cheers of Sayaka and I, but then turned her attention back to the fight at hand. Mami transformed her rifle into the gigantic glistening gun that she uses for her "Tiro Finale!" blasts! Surely this would be it, as Mami prepared to fire off her patented finishing move!
"TIRO FINALE!!!" exclaimed Mami, as she executed that attack!
The blast went straight through the witch!
But then... some large zeppelin-shaped creature came popping out of the seemingly destroyed body of the witch. This creature had rainbow-coloured eyes, two yellow cheeks, one blue ear, one orange ear, and a star-shaped orange nose. Mami looked as stunned by all of this as Sayaka and I were!
The zeppelin-shaped creature quickly shot downwards at Mami, as an elongated polka-dotted tail stretched out behind it. It had a malicious grin on its face. It began to open its mouth to reveal large, sharp pointy teeth! Mami gasped in horror here, and seemed to freeze up a bit. Sayaka and I gasped in horror as well!
If you chose B for Opportunity Choice 3, read Section OC3B. Otherwise, read Section "Mami dies!".
Spoiler for Mami dies!:
Spoiler for Section OC3B:
Homura leaped through the air to land right next to the witch!
The witch opened its massively menacing maw over Homura's entire body, and it seemed to swallow her whole!
But... Homura somehow was now standing outside of it. That's strange. Does Homura have a magical ability to teleport?
Sayaka and I stayed close to one another while Homura continued to fight the witch. Homura jumped from one pincushion pin platform to the next to the next, stealthily avoiding all of the witch's attempts to eat her!
Just when I feared that the witch had managed to catch Homura, I heard a loud explosion. Smoke then came billowing out of the mouth of the witch. The witch was clearly hurt a bit by that, as it tilted its head to the side, with its tongue sticking out.
Then a violent chain of explosions came in a a steady succession, as the witch's new zeppelin-shaped body was totally rocked by them. At the same time, Homura slowly landed on the witch's old body, which in turn lay on a really high chair. The witch briefly made a very angry face towards Homura, but that didn't last for long, as the final explosion was a particularly loud and destructive one, leaving the witch annihilated!
If you chose B for Opportunity Choice 3, read Section Mami Lives! Prologue and disregard the rest of the chapter. Otherwise, skip over it and read the rest of this chapter.
Spoiler for Mami Lives! Prologue:
Homura leaped off of the really high chair, and started walking towards Sayaka and I.
"That was a close call." Homura stated.
Homura then came to a stop right in front of Sayaka and I. She gazed downwards at us with such haunting eyes...
"Take a good close look." she said, while she gestured one hand towards... towards a mess of blood and shattered remnants, "This is what it means to be a magical girl."
The witch's barrier then dissipated, as Sayaka and I found ourselves sitting just outside of the hospital. A Grief Seed slowly descended from the sky. Homura walked over to pick it up.
"Give it back..." Sayaka said to Homura, in a hoarse voice.
Sayaka was still traumatized by Mami's apparent death, just as I was. But while that made me stunned silent as I looked down at the ground, it made Sayaka increasingly flustered.
Homura walked over to Sayaka as Sayaka continued to address her.
"Give that back!" Sayaka cried, as tears were in her eyes, "That's Mami's! Come on! Give it back to her!"
Sayaka couldn't accept Mami's apparent death. Nor could I, really. And yet a part of me felt like I should speak up for Homura here. Homura did save us after all. Also, I think that Sayaka might have the wrong idea here, based on the unfortunate late timing of Homura's arrival. But... I wasn't sure if I had the strength to say much of anything given the horrifying circumstances of this wretched moment.
Opportunity Choice 4
If you made the choices necessary to have Opportunity Choice 1 become available and you achieved an affection level of +2 or higher with Mami, then you may now choose to explain the full situation to Sayaka. If you opt to do so, please read section OC4A. Otherwise, read -OC4.
Spoiler for OC4A:
Spoiler for -OC4:
Homura then walked away, while Sayaka and I wept bitterly to mourn Mami's death...
I thought I was so sure I wanted to be a magical girl, but now... now I'm not sure at all. Now the idea frightens me to the very core of my being! I was also very frightened over the idea of what might happen next.
Last edited by Triple_R; 2012-03-04 at 16:51.
|2012-01-26, 08:41
|Link #43
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Under the piercing blue sky
Assuming it goes in that direction, of course.
I was also a bit surprised that I even qualified to choose for Opportunity Choice 2, since I was intending to avoid getting too emotionally involved with Mami, but I guess I made the wrong prior choices.
This time, I picked [5A] + [LE] -> [6AB] -> [7B] -> [8B] + [OC2A] for my choices.
I think I have an idea about the path I want to take now. I want to try to save a certain someone, if that's even possible.
Last edited by Coldlight; 2012-01-26 at 09:30. Reason: whoops, Ch. 6 was also already out, this post doesn't cover that yet
|2012-01-27, 11:24
|Link #44
Kneel Before Your King!
And with that, I can't go any farther (possibly excluding the "Mami Lives!" route) without risking blatant spoilers, due to the fact I haven't watched beyond this point due to technical difficulties. Alternately, I could just ignore the anime and stick with this, or possibly just not care for said spoilers. I'm at a bit of a loss on this.
Anyway, pretty good so far. I just barely managed to qualify for the last two Opportunity Choices, though.
Perhaps honestly selecting choices wasn't a good idea...
|2012-01-27, 12:44
|Link #45
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Age: 29
Mami lives! Haha, the outcome was quite a bit more dramatic than I initially imagined, but Homua's criticisms and Mami's reaction to it both make perfect sense. Really intrigued to see how the story proceeds from here.
The other opportunity choice, with Madoka explaining to Sayaka the circumstances behind Homura's arrival, also is a rather key point which has interesting implications for the story. Fascinating stuff;
Spoiler for anime:
All of the subtle, shorter effects of past choices in the story make this fic quite fun to imagine in the form of a VN. I'll be looking forward to that too once its done.
Good work on this chapter!
I do think even the "Mami Lives" route will have quite heavy potential for spoilers...hopefully you/we can work something out.
|2012-01-28, 00:49
|Link #46
Senior Member
Coldlight, Kogetsu, and Sol Falling - Thank you all for your feedback.
I'm glad that the immediate results of "Mami Lives!" worked well for you, Sol. Like yourself, I think it makes sense for Homura to take advantage of the situation to make a compelling argument to Madoka, while Mami's insecurities would come bubbling to the surface big-time after needing Homura to save her.
Now I'm going to once more ask people for specific feedback (this will probably be the last time I do this). This narrative is going to start branching out a lot now. There's the obvious main split of "Mami Lives" vs. "Mami Dies", and for each of those two main splits there will be different romance routes and also potential different routes when it comes to questions like "Will Madoka become a magical girl? Will Sayaka?".
In order for me to keep it all straight in my mind, I now intend to write two diverging sets of chapters - Chapter 7 on for "Mami Dies", and Chapters for a "Mami Lives" fanfic extension off of the first six chapters.
This can be formatted one of two ways:
1. I alternate between the two main diverging routes. In other words, I would make one update devoted entirely to the "Mami Lives" route and the update after that one will be devoted entirely to the "Mami Dies" route, and I would keep going back-and-forth between the two.
2. Each update I put up would be split in half with a thick bold red line highlighting the split. The top half would be devoted to "Mami Dies" route, while the bottom half is devoted to "Mami Lives" route. So you'd get some of each different main route for each update.
Which of the two formats would readers prefer?
|2012-01-28, 01:38
|Link #47
The Opened Ultimate Gate
Join Date: Dec 2011
Age: 24
but it seem that finding artwork for the VN will get much hader for Mami Live routes. that why i think we should go for wikitan visual novel style (dialog boxes and sprites denoting the speaker). it would be much easier to do the VN. the problem here is we still don't have an artist to do so
|2012-01-28, 03:07
|Link #49
Kneel Before Your King!
There's multiple factors to look at. One, does "Mami Lives!" lock onto the Mami Route or will other routes still be accessible through it? Two, will two normal-length updates fit within a single post, assuming you intend on going through with that? Three, if this is a Mami Route exclusive branch, will you be able to continue doing this once you reach the points where other story branches occur? Four, how much easier would it be to write these as separate updates?
Please keep in mind that I'm not actually expecting responses to those questions, I'm just giving these as examples of what to think of. If you want, you can go ahead and answer the ones you'd feel comfortable answering.
Anyway, while it may seem inelegant at first, I would actually suggest going with format 1 to avoid complications down the line. However, whichever you go with, I would suggest considering spoiler tags for future updates, even if it's just to simulate the VN approach you're taking.
|2012-01-28, 13:04
|Link #50
Kana Hanazawa ♥
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: France
Age: 32
Finally found time to catch up. I'm enjoying the story even more than I thought I would. You've done an excellent job so far. The narrative flows naturally, the choices/branching are well integrated, and Madoka stays in character for the most part.
I read all the options at first, but I decided to strictly abide by the rules to get the experience possible after the second chapter. Unfortunately for me, I'm making shitty choices. Didn't get a single opportunity choice so far and my Homura-chan affection point have dropped
If there is a forever alone ending, I'm I'll get it
2) Seems perfect to me.
3) A or D are the best if you want to stick to a visual novel narrative structure. A appeals to me the most as it would reduce the amount of repeated scenes from the anime.
4) It all depends on who that character is (if it's a villain I love as well then of course I want to see him!), and whether he wouldn't feel too out of place in this story. Hated the Guilty Crown crossover by the way
Incidentally, it might be nice to include an index in your first post, preferably broken down into multiple sections (one for the main path and one for each route). It's not necessary right now, but it will eventually be as the story progresses and the thread gets bigger.
|2012-01-30, 04:58
|Link #51
Senior Member
Mami Lives Chapter 1
"Mami-san, wait! Please let me talk to you!"
That's what I shout out to her as I race behind her. But it doesn't help as she just keeps sprinting away, with tears in her eyes and shame in her heart.
I eventually lost sight of her, but I then made a quick guess that she was headed towards her home. So I decided to head there myself. I really hope that I find Mami there!
After arriving at her home, I came to a complete stop in order to catch my breath, and relax my aching legs. I then slowly walked up the flight of stairs that lead to the door to Mami's home.
"Mami-san, are you there?" I ask, after knocking on the door.
No response.
So I then tried for the handle, as I wanted to make sure if she was home or not. The door was locked. I wasn't sure if that was because Mami had locked her door when she left her home earlier today, or if it was because she was now inside her home with the intention of locking everybody else out while she stayed inside alone. Just to be on the safe side, I decide to shout out to her.
"Mami, if you're there, please let me in!" I exclaimed.
No response.
"I really want to talk to you." I continued in a softer voice, "You're my friend, and so I want to help you out if you're not feeling well. Don't shut your friends out when you need help!"
Still no response.
If Mami was there, she had made a choice to not talk with me. There's nothing I could do about that, so after feeling a bit dejected, I decided to turn around and try to meet back up with Sayaka to discuss what to do next. But just as I went for my cell-phone, I heard Mami call out to me.
"Kaname-san..." She managed weakly, addressing me through the closed door, "I'm sorry, but I'm not really in a mood to talk right now."
"Mami!" I shouted in response, as I could feel a sudden burst of excited energy over the sound of her voice.
"...Are you sure you're Ok?" I asked, after that burst had worked its way through me.
"I... well..." She responded, clearly unsure of herself.
"If you don't want to talk right now, I understand." I said, "But if that's your decision, I want to make sure you're Ok before I leave."
I wanted that out of sincere concern for Mami's well-being, but also for my own peace of mind.
After a tense pause, I heard the door lock become unfastened, and the door before me was slowly pulled back. Standing behind the door I could make out Mami, with slightly reddened cheeks, her eyes appearing tired, and her head hung low. I could instantly tell how rough the past hour had been for her. So I instinctively gave Mami a quick hug, while I thanked her for letting me in. After hugging her, I closed the door behind me, but neither Mami or I locked it.
"I'm sorry for running away from you and Miki-san without saying anything to you." she said to me, after composing herself, "I know that was irresponsible of me, but Akemi-san's words certainly left their mark. After hearing them, I felt... I felt completely unworthy of even being your friend, let alone your Senior."
As Mami said that, she walked into the room with the transparent glass dining table, but instead sat on the pink couch just behind it. While thinking carefully on what she was saying, I sat next to her.
"Homura may be right about how Sayaka and I shouldn't become magical girls..." I admitted, "But that doesn't change the good you've done as a magical girl. You've already saved lives and helped people! Maybe there are some witches you can't defeat on your own, but that doesn't mean you have anything to be ashamed of."
While stting next to Mami, I lean sideways to look closely into her eyes and the side of her face, searching for any sign that she was accepting what I was saying, as I dearly wanted to uplift her spirits. I did get the sense that Mami was carefully taking in what I was saying to her, but I fear that my words weren't resonating with her.
"It is true that I've helped a few people that are strangers to me." Mami replied at last, speaking very clearly, but as tears formed in her eyes, "But I've also recklessly endangered the only friends I have. ...I'm horrible. I deserve the harsh fate that has been given me."
"That's not true!" I exclaimed in reply, as I leaned closer towards Mami, and place my hands over her's.
Her head than titled towards me with such a deep and penetrating look of need and sadness.
"I appreciate your attempt to comfort me, but it is unwarranted." Mami responded, as she looked a bit away from me, "I have lost everything. After the tragic passing of my parents, I was left with no close family members and no true friends. My actions gravely endangered the only friends I've made since that tragic passing. ...I'm unwanted and unloved, and that's the way it should be."
You must have chosen A for Choice M1 in order for Option B of M Opportunity Choice 1 to become available. Otherwise, you must select A.
M Opportunity Choice 1:
A) "That's also not true. Sayaka and I both value you as a friend."
B) "You're not unwanted and unloved! I... I love you, Mami!"
Spoiler for Response A:
Spoiler for Response B:
Sayaka and I both headed to our respective homes, with us coming to my home first. It was a bit late, but mama wasn't home, so at least she wasn't going to be upset about me missing curfew.
I changed into my pajamas, and lay upon my bed. My mind was simply flooded in thoughts over this very eventful day! But even amidst that flood, I noticed Kyubey was now in my room, situated amongst my beloved plushies.
"If you want to make sure that Mami never gets killed by a witch" he said, "The best course of action would be for you to become a magical girl ally to her!"
"You might be right" I replied to him, "But it's important to me to honor my promises, so I'm going to wait awhile before making a decision on that."
Kyubey didn't press the issue further, which allowed me to focus more on the events of today. I had to remember to thank Homura tomorrow at school, for how she saved all of us. I also wanted to do what I could to bring Homura and Mami closer together, as I think that would be to the benefit of both of them.
With these thoughts in my mind, and many more besides, I slowly drifted to sleep. As horrible as a couple of today's events were, I still couldn't wait to see what tomorrow would bring!
That one scene went much longer than I thought it would, after I covered every possibility for it. I know this chapter might look really short, but trust me, once you click open the spoiler spaces it'll get much longer.
So, yeah, with apologies to naamio, I'm definitely going to go with Format 1.
Given the great advice/feedback of Kogetsu and Kanon, I've already plotted out 4 basic "chain of events": 2 for Mami Lives, and 2 for the more anime-based main branch. Managing 4 different chains per chapter would just be too hard, so I'll be alternating between "Mami Lives" and the more anime-based main branch from now on.
The "Mami Lives" route will be almost entirely "fanfic-original", so I'm really interested in knowing how that route is coming off to readers.
Anyway, I hope that everybody enjoys this update! ^_^
Last edited by Triple_R; 2012-02-01 at 03:19.
|2012-01-30, 06:25
|Link #52
Kneel Before Your King!
As much as I really did not want to "friend zone" Mami while she was in that state of mind, I honestly feel that it was a more "correct" choice. The confession itself is perfectly fine, and that's actually a very appropriate time to do it, but it just seems like what comes after it within the choice itself feels like Madoka is trying to take advantage of her. If it were perhaps part of the resulting section I wouldn't have had a problem with it, but as it stands, she's doing it immediately after the confession, and Mami really doesn't have any time to react to what was said.
At any rate, I don't feel guilty about my choice, as I genuinely do like what came of it. However, I will point out that C1B (which I would have gotten normally, for those wondering) is hilariously awkward, and part of me wishes I would have actually went that route instead.
Last edited by Kogetsu Shirogane; 2012-01-30 at 07:17. Reason: I looked back, and found my previous post to be rather rude. Therefore, I replaced it.
|2012-01-30, 12:37
|Link #53
Senior Member
Based on Kogetsu's feedback, I made a slight alteration to Mami Lives Chapter 1.
Originally, choice B of M Opportunity Choice 1 read... "You're not unwanted and unloved! I... I love you, Mami!" I then kiss her.
The kiss part has now been put into the first paragraph of the result of the choice.
If people prefer it the original way, please let me know. Otherwise, I'll be sticking with this edit.
|2012-02-01, 02:56
|Link #54
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Age: 29
That's a pretty sensible edit. Actually, I originally chose response A for Mami's Opportunity Choice 1 too but now I might have to rethink it a little.
My bad on taking so long to comment this time. What I thought was going to be a fairly straightforward cramming/procrastination session actually ran on a fair bit longer than I expected it to. These original developments with Mami were certainly a pleasant distraction, however.
In the end, I think I'll stick with response A for MOC1 after all. Aside from being my original choice, it also includes the somewhat important development of Madoka pushing Sayaka to reconcile with Homura. In comparison with choice B had I proceeded into section C1A, too, I'm glad to avoid alienating Sayaka (however temporarily) due to appearing to have hidden lesbian relationships or lesbian tendencies from her.
lol, I wonder how Mami would take to the possibility of Madoka cheating... Their relationship seems very emotionally intense already. Section C1B seems like it would've been the most lenient towards a harem direction as it looked like Mami was comfortable putting on a little show even with Sayaka present .
I'm looking forward to more developments on the "cooperation" front with Homura.
Spoiler for anime:
Good work on the chapter! I'll still be very glad for the next one.
(The Nisemonogatari reference in this one was kinda subtle, I liked that too .)
|2012-02-01, 10:34
|Link #55
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Earth
Wow, how did I miss this thread. When I saw the Madoka Magica, Pure Pink Pretty Lovers thread title I was overcome with intense curiosity and it seemed to have paid off exponentially. Before I begin, I would like to thank TripleR for making this you have rekindled my passion for Madoka that I re-watched the series again. I've forgotten how awesome it is so Thank you x 1000.
Anyway, I've noticed that everyone seems to be saying what choice and route they're after as Triple R goes along. For me, I'll try to do the harem route (if its possible) or at the very least I'll be picking choices that will make everyone survive until Walpurgis night. Btw, its not cheating to look at the result of the choices after choosing right?
I'll put spoilers in the reason why I choose so it won't feel text blocky.
Spoiler for why:
Spoiler for why:
Spoiler for Why:
Opportunity choice : AWWW, I didnt qualify for it.
Spoiler for review for opportunity choice:
Spoiler for Why:
Spoiler for why:
The First lingering effect is pretty cool.
Spoiler for Spoiler:
Spoiler for why:
Spoiler for why:
Yes I qualified again for Opportunity Choice 2
Spoiler for why:
And I qualified for an observation choice ..
Spoiler for review of opportunity choice:
And following my route I get another M opportunity:
Spoiler for ....:
Finally caught with you guys... Thanks again Triple R for making this VN... Thumbs up its great!
|2012-02-01, 20:09
|Link #56
Senior Member
In case anybody's curious, the title is actually inspired by Mashiro-iro Symphony (i.e. "Love is Pure White"). I felt that a similar title would make it pretty clear that this fanfic is a VN-style romance routes narrative.
Overall, you've been making very good choices! If there is a harem route, you may well get a shot at it.
Chapter 7 of the "Main Route" should be up within a day or two.
|2012-02-02, 07:49
|Link #57
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Earth
Spoiler for regarding Mami romance and the order that romance option is followed:
|2012-02-03, 05:08
|Link #58
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Under the piercing blue sky
Upon continuing from my previous choices, in chapter 6 the story started developing down a path I didn't like. I didn't want to simply repeat the events of the anime, not now that I have my "mission" already defined in front of me. So, while it might be quite "gamey" to do this, I... "loaded from a previous save" in chapter 5 and chose [8A] + OC2A, replacing my previous choice of [8B] + OC2A.
Ch.5: [8A] + [OC2A] -> Ch.6: [OC3B] -> Mami Lives Ch.1: [MOC1A]
While reading through MOC1A, (and noticing a nice reference to the Fire Sisters from Nisemonogatari) I couldn't help but notice that Kyuubey seemed to be less... insidious, or perhaps opportunistic by telling Mami something encouraging. In my mind I could already imagine him doing the opposite by trying to push Mami "over the edge" emotionally. I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or not, but I do like the seemingly unusual response.
I did have to resist starting over with a new "playthrough", though. For now, I just have that one certain goal in mind. Fully ideal playthroughs can wait later. I'm sticking to most of my earlier choices while I (apparently) haven't made some fatal mistakes yet.
I also find myself in agreement with Kanon's suggestion of an index on page 1 once more releases are out and the pages in the thread increase. Good work on everything so far.
|2012-02-03, 14:54
|Link #59
Senior Member
Chapter 7
"Take a good close look. This is what it means to be a magical girl."
Those words from Homura, and the traumatic images that I now associate with them, have haunted me since I witnessed Mami's grisly and tragic death. They gave me very dark and violent nightmares last night. But unlike my other recent strange dreams, these were more random, horrific, troubling... scary.
And yet, I now eat breakfast with my family. Everything seems peaceful, pleasant, pretty.
Mama makes amusing coos and grunts towards my little brother while she keeps his face clean and helps feed him. Papa seems relaxed and very content as he watches on from behind the counter. Mornings like this would typically make me feel happy and tranquil. But given what I have witnessed lately, it all seemed like a thin veneer hiding something very different and dark underneath...
I become lost in such thoughts, related to the more private memories of recent days, while I stare down at my eggs.
"Madoka." mama stated, startling me back into the present, "Hurry up and eat, you're going to be late."
I instinctively bowed my head in agreement, but still finding it hard to focus on the here and now. As I place a piece of my eggs into my mouth, I feel... I feel so overwhelmed by a debilitating sadness.
I can't stop thinking about her. I can't hold back my tears and whimpers from coming out. She was such a nice person. Such a caring, considerate, courageous person. I had looked up to her with such total admiration. It was so hard... so abysmally hard... to accept what has happened to her!
Why did that have to happen to her?!
"What's wrong, sis?" my little brother asks me, as he and my parents notice my crying.
"You don't like it?" Papa asks, thinking that my crying is a result of the eggs tasting bad.
"No... it's really, really tasty..." I reply to him, while shaking my head back-and-forth, as I really don't want him to think that his cooking is bad when it's actually very good.
"Just being alive and able to taste your cooking..." I continue in thanks, while losing track of exactly what I want to say.
I can tell as I leave home that my parents are very worried about me. I hate worrying them like that, but it's really difficult to hide how disturbed and sad I feel right now. Maybe talking to Sayaka about it will make me feel better...
But as I meet up with Hitomi and Sayaka at our usual morning meeting place, I notice that Sayaka is talking to Hitomi about all sorts of school gossip. This continues as we make our way to school, with me walking between Hitomi and Sayaka.
"Can you believe Yuka?" Sayaka asks Hitomi, while the three of us walk on towards school, "She still hasn't picked up on it!"
Sayaka then re-enacts her conversation with our classmate Yuka, to more clearly convey what she is saying about her. But I can tell that Sayaka doesn't really care about what she's talking about right now. She just wants to fill the air with white noise in order to force out thoughts over Mami. I can understand why Sayaka is taking this approach, but I think it's just delaying the inevitable.
'Sayaka, about yesterday...' I say telepathically towards her, taking advantage of Kyubey walking closely behind us.
'Sorry, I don't want to talk about it right now.' she responds telepathically to me while continuing to talk to Hitomi, 'Maybe later.'
I sigh over Sayaka's response, but I guess not everybody deals with tragedy and grief the same way. In fact, I envy Sayaka's ability to act like everything is perfectly normal and fine. But while I envy that ability, it also makes me wonder how typical this might be of the world as a whole. How much death, sadness, and tragedy is lying just beneath the surface, hidden by people putting on a brave face and acting like everything is Ok when it really isn't.
With that in mind, the school morning progressed as though nothing was out of the ordinary at all. Saotome-Sensei gave a lecture on the ideal age for reproduction and marriage during Biology class. Normally I'd find it a bit funny how she was stressing how getting married at a late age is no big deal since Saotome-Sensei herself is a single woman over thirty. But neither Sayaka nor myself was able to find much amusement this morning, as our minds were in very dark and serious places...
Come lunch break, Sayaka and I went to our usual spot on the pure white rooftop of the school. Daytime weather has been exceptionally beautiful lately, with one bright sunny day after the next after the next. The irony of this was not lost on either of us, however.
"I almost feel like I'm in a strange land..." I utter uneasily, breaking the tense somber silence in the air, "Everyone here at school hasn't changed a bit from yesterday, but they're like total strangers now."
"None of them know." Sayaka replies, "About the witches, about Mami... We know, and they don't. So we live different lives, in a different world."
"Sayaka-chan..." I say, while shifting to look at her, as what she's saying so painfully resonates with me.
"We'd already changed even before what happened yesterday." she continued, "We should have realized sooner."
I swallowed hard over those words. Sayaka is right. We now know of a hidden world, of unimaginable horrors, and of the magical root causes of problems and tragedies that are complete mysteries to most people.
Now that we know of that hidden world, can we truly turn away from it? Can we truly go back to normal? It occurs to me that what I should do, if I was strong and courageous, was to wish for Mami to be brought back to life, and to then fight as a magical girl.
But... I'm scared. I think that I'm too scared to do that. I'm afraid that what happened to Mami will happen to me.
"Madoka, do you still want to become a magical girl?" Sayaka asked of me, while looking towards me.
I could tell that Kyubey perked up at that question, as he was carefully listening in on the conversation between Sayaka and I.
But I was very uncertain over what my answer should be. I knew, or at least I think I know, what would be the most useful choice I could make. The choice that would help other people the most. But I also knew that the safest choice for me personally was something different...
And so I sighed a bit over Sayaka's question, and was unable to answer it. From that, though, Sayaka correctly perceived an implicit answer.
"You're right." she said, while placing a hand on my shoulder to comfort me, "Of course not."
My eyes started to water up, and I became a bit choked up, due to feeling deep shame over my inability to overcome my fears.
"I know it's no fair, but I'm just too afraid" I replied, "I just can't..."
"Just remembering it makes me too scared to even breathe..." I continued, "I'm scared! I don't want to!"
Sayaka then wrapped her arms around my neck and shoulders to comfort me while I started to cry and emotionally break down a bit. I cried into the sleeve of her uniform.
"Mami was so kind." Sayaka said, "Showing us what we must be prepared for if we're to fight."
After continuing to comfort me a bit, Sayaka turned her attention to someone else and a different concern.
If you chose to explain the full situation to Sayaka in response to Opportunity Choice 4 then now read Section "Homura becomes Batman to Sayaka's Commissioner Gordon". Otherwise, read Section "Kyubey breaks the bad news".
Spoiler for Homura becomes Batman to Sayaka's Commissioner Gordon:
Spoiler for Kyubey breaks the bad news:
"Sorry, Kyubey." I say towards him, as I still felt some shame over my decision here.
"I'm sorry I involved you in it." he responds, "We only knew each other for a short time, but thanks, Madoka. I enjoyed it."
And with that, Kyubey slowly walked away.
After school, I decided to go over to Mami's place, to see if anybody was there in the wake of her death and not coming home. I rang the doorbell for her home, but there was no response. So I took the handle, and was a bit surprised to find it unlocked. I then walked into Mami's home.
I could tell that Mami's home had been left untouched over the previous 24 hours. It seemed dustier and more unkempt than when I had been in it before. Unwashed dishes and utensils were in the sink. A half-drank cup of coffee was situated on the transparent glass table in her room.
On that table, I placed the notebook that I had made my magical girl doodles in. I felt that this would be a good way for me to make a clean break from my previous desire to become a magical girl.
But in the stillness and emptiness of the moment, a wretched melancholy overcame me. I started to weep bitterly over the current circumstances. It occurred to me that not only had Mami died, but her dream for Sayaka and I had died with her. If Mami was still here, I think she'd be disappointed in the decisions that Sayaka and I have made.
"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, as though Mami was in the room with me, "I'm sorry I'm so weak!"
After drying off reddened cheeks, but with some tears still in my eyes, I slowly left Mami's place. I was hanging my head low as I carried a heavy guilt on my shoulders. But my somber stillness was interrupted at the startling sight of Homura now standing near to me!
"Huh?" I said, startled by her appearance, "Homura?!"
I then quickly wiped my eyes so I wouldn't look like a mess in front of her.
Homura then started walking towards me.
"Madoka Kaname." she said towards me, "You're being too hard on yourself. Nobody can blame you for what you've done. I won't forgive anyone who does."
Homura's words sounded so strong and reassuring. But amidst my confusion over why Homura was being so nice to me, I was left more perplexed than comforted.
"I'm glad you heeded my warning." Homura continued.
I nodded to that, indicating agreement with her.
After that, Homura accompanied me for a walk. We walked over a long bridge, with a massive industrial area including an oil refinery, just off to the side of us. The sun was beginning to set, so everything was covered in a misty golden hue.
"If I had only listened to you earlier..." I said to Homura.
"That would not have changed Mami Tomoe's fate." Homura responded, "But it changed yours. I'm happy I was able to save at least one person."
Was this... was this why Homura had shown such concern for me? Has she witnessed many magical girls fail? Magical girls that were ill-suited for the role?
Maybe Homura knew that Kyubey was choosing both Sayaka and I simply due to magical potential alone, when neither of us had the right personality for the magical girl role. Perhaps Kyubey and Mami didn't recognize those weaknesses in Sayaka and I, but Homura did. This was giving me a new appreciation for Homura-san!
"Homura, you..." I began, while smiling over this observation, "You seem like an old pro in a different way than Mami."
"Perhaps." Homura responded, "I can't argue with that."
But upon thinking more deeply on what I was observing here, I became a bit saddened.
"You must have seen so many people die like Mami did yesterday..." I said.
"Yes." Homura quickly confirmed, with an almost troubling ease.
"How many?" I asked.
"I no longer keep count." Homura answered.
With that answer disturbing me, I started to think more on Mami.
"I wonder if her room will just stay like that." I expressed.
"Only distant relatives survive Mami Tomoe." Homura replied, "They won't receive notice of her disappearance for quite some time."
"No one realizes she's gone?" I asked.
"Of course." Homura answered, "If you die over there, you don't leave a corpse. In this world, she'll eternally be "missing". That's how magical girls die."
The way Homura explained it made it all seem so horribly sad to me. It caused me to start tearing up again, and become a bit choked up.
I then came to a complete stop, as tears came falling down off of my cheeks. Thankfully, Homura noticed I had stopped and so she stopped walking as well.
"That's terrible!" I expressed, "She fought alone for our sakes for so long. No one realizing she's gone is so lonely!"
"That contract is what gives us our power." Homura replied, trying to explain why the situation was what it is, "It's not for anyone else. We fight for our own wish. Even if we're ignored, even if we're forgotten... That's part of the contract."
With these words, I felt a certain moral indignation rise up from within me. I didn't have the strength to be a magical girl, but I could do something here!
"I'll remember her." I said, referring to Mami, "I'll never forget Mami. Ever!"
"I see." Homura said, turning shyly away from me, "I'm sure that would make her happy. I'm jealous."
I don't know if I was meant to hear that last line, but even so, I felt compelled to address it! I wanted to let Homura know that I would also always remember her! But I wasn't sure if I felt up to saying that to her.
Choice 9
A) "You too, Homura! I'll never forget you! I'll never forget how you saved me yesterday!"
B) Pretend that I didn't hear Homura express jealousy.
Spoiler for Response A:
Spoiler for Response B:
With that, Homura began to walk away from me, in a different direction.
She had left me with a lot to think about. Homura seemed like a very nice and caring person once you get to know her. I could only hope that she alone would be enough to protect my city, as I no longer had any intention of becoming a magical girl, and nor did I want to see Sayaka suffer the same fate as Mami did...
__________________________________________________ _________
The above Chapter is continuing off of the main "Mami Dies" route, and hence ties tightly in with the canon anime narrative.
After this chapter, though, both the "Mami Lives" chapter route and the "Main" Route will split into two sections each.
This results in four basic "chains" overall. Those chains are...
1) Mami Lives, Madoka enters into a romance with Mami
2) Mami Lives, Madoka does not enter into a romance with Mami.
3) Mami Dies, Sayaka becomes a magical girl (i.e. the same as the anime)
4) Mami Dies, Sayaka relies on Homura
There will be some variations within each of these four chains, but I'm pretty sure they can be taken care of by spoiler space sections (different romances will arise in each, but they'll probably start late enough to avoid issues). However, the difference between each of the four chains is so substantive that they will each necessitate their own separate section.
So starting with "Mami Lives Chapter 2" and "Chapter 8", each chapter will be split in half, with each half devoted to a narrative chain.
This may become tricky to follow, so I will soon put up an index in the first post of this thread to keep everything clear. I thank both Kanon and Coldlight for the welcomed advice there.
I'll also keep your feedback on Kyubey in mind, Coldlight.
Last edited by Triple_R; 2012-02-03 at 23:42.
|2012-02-03, 22:37
|Link #60
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Age: 29
Interesting stuff. One advantage of reading this fic here over playing the VN (though I still plan to do so, of course) is that we'll get to see the whole story play out in one go. Even though I opted into the Mami lives route, this chapter was fascinating too and I plan to keep up with all of them.
I like how you brought in some added depth to the story with Madoka's thoughts in the narration. I remember there were complaints about Madoka not explicitly voicing the possibility of resurrecting Mami in this episode, although I thought Madoka's thoughts on the idea were clearly conveyed through her fear and her guilt, so it was good to see those thoughts fully laid out in this version of the story.
I'm gonna throw out another guess based on all the harem jokes we've been mentioning lately, but could "HS" possibly stand for Homura + Sayaka? lol. I quite like the developments hinted at in result HB.
Choice 9, meanwhile, is extremely interesting. Answering A corresponds with the anime and seems like the clear preferred option for maintaining Madoka's relationship growth with Homura, but that's why it is very intriguing to think about the existence of the other option at all. I look forward to seeing how the effects of that choice might play out later on in the storyline.
Keep it up!
|Thread Tools