PeabodySam

Very well, then. That is all I wanted to hear. Thank you all for doing all that you could... it's just a shame that there isn't anything more that can be done to save the archives. I was not really expecting someone to be so easily amused by something so simple as seeing someone else put their name in quotes. This being the internet, and all I have to work with is purple text on a white background, I could not tell if you were being genuinely sincere, snidely sarcastic, or all "high and mighty". But I digress.

Don't humor yourself. Putting your name in quotation marks was simply my way of expressing, "This is the name that was used to refer to this individual on another website. While there is a member here on BZPower who goes by that name, I currently do not have the time to confirm that they are, indeed, the same person, simply because this is a different website and no one has the ability to copyright a username so it is still a possibility that the member who goes by Lime Paradox on BZPower is not the same person mentioned on the different website. Therefore, I am putting this person's name in quotes to signify that this is only a name by which this person is referred on another website, rather than this person's real name or even possibly the name that this person goes by on BZPower. On top of that which is aforementioned, I have no reason to trust anything said by the individual who mentioned this name, and therefore by putting this in quotes I am showing that these are not my own words and rather the words of another person which may or may not be truthful, and you can see that I am further signifying my doubt of this other person's sincerity by preceding these quoted words with the word 'supposedly' put in italics for emphasis," in a far less gaudy fashion. It's not my way of saying, "OOH HAY GUIZE DIS GUI IZ SOOOOOOOO MYSTERIOUS LOL I LOVE BIONICLES!!1!", like you imply it is. Black Six, if you don't mind me asking for absolute confirmation, there is absolutely nothing, nothing at all, in your (or any other BZPower staff member's) possession that contains a complete archive, not even from 2009 or 2008, not a single backup on any older computers or external hard-drives or even a thumb-drive (though, despite being admittedly inept when it comes to this expertise, I doubt a thumb-drive has enough space capacity to hold such an archive), nowhere at all, just nothing? I do not doubt your word when you say that you and the others have already done all you can, but I just want to have confirmation that you are absolutely sure that there is not the slightest sliver of hope before we give up and declare that the current destroyed state of the archives is literally all that is left. And if that is the case, then I politely yet strongly recommend that the new forums receive extensive backup treatment to prevent them from being obliterated by some impish kid wearing a mask of anonymity to usher forth a virtual apocalypse and replace everything with a black screen with white text reading, "You've met a terrible fate, haven't you?" We've just lost ten years of our history, and all the writing, creation, effort, and people contained within. Let's not lose what little we have left to the same fate.

As I figured. It was a fool's hope at best, but desperation can lead to foolishness. Now, just out of curiosity, when is the latest complete backup of the pre-2011 BZPower forums that we have? I know that, at one point, the forums were completely backed up in September 2008, which some of you may remember as the backup that we had to revert to following the Time Slip/Great Dataclysm of March 2009. Yes, that backup would still be missing over two and a half years of content, but it would have much more than we have right now. Since I'm not involved with the running and maintenance of this website, I have no idea how often backups are made or how long they're kept around before being deleted to make room for more disc space or something, but I would hope that there might have been at least a few more backups made since then. And, if such a backup exists, would you be willing to... well, shall I say, "take requests"? By that, I mean, if I member wanted to have access to a particular topic that he/she wants archived for personal purposes, would you be willing to send them a HTML, TXT, or other such file containing only that topic, in a similar vein to the archived Official Greg Discussion that was posted earlier in this topic? As I said, it doesn't even have to be a backup from 2011, especially since it sounds like all complete 2011 backups have been corrupted in this incident. But so long as it's a complete backup that isn't missing posts (i.e. containing all posts from July 2005 through September 2008, as opposed to five posts from 2005, twelve from 2006, two from 2007, so on and so forth... which, incidentally, is the state of numerous topics in the current archive), it would be very useful and very much appreciated. As they say, "better two-thirds than nothing".. or maybe it's a different expression I'm thinking of...?

It is... difficult... to put my feelings into words in an acceptable manner. Yes, I understand that the archives being unstable means that they can be a target for more potential hacking incidents. Yes, I understand that the archives existed as BZPower frozen in time, a place where no one can post and there is nothing to do, a relic of the past. Yes, I can see that many of us are overjoyed to see their old noobish days stricken from the internet forever. Yes, I understand that we must move on from the past and focus on the future. But given that BZPower was such a large part of my life for those six years, from the day I joined in September 2004 to the day in April 2011 when the forums went offline without notice, it pains me to see all those years of my life vanish into oblivion. Yes, all my own noobish days will be gone for good, for whatever that's worth. But in the later years, I spent a lot of my time writing, and while I wrote most of my stuff in Microsoft Word before posting it on BZPower, I would always tinker and edit my work to improve it over the years, and I never got a chance to save these improvements. And not just my own posts, either. Dino Attack RPG was over two hundred pages and nearly six years of a large collaborative group effort, and I was actually in the process of archiving it when the forum archives went offline without notice again thanks to... someone who has too much time on his hands yet lacks the maturity to do anything good with it. And there were many other topics, too, from the Alpha Team RPGs to the Official Rock Raiders Topic, where I have many nostalgic memories of the times I spent there and the people I knew there. And now, I don't even get the chance to properly archive them, since many of them have been reduced to empty topics without posts. Again, I understand the reasons behind this decision. But, however selfish it may seem of me to feel frustration over this final outcome, it's not just me who is losing those years, but countless other members as well. Supposedly, there is another individual out there known as "Lime Paradox" who has "the SQL file that the staff needs to restore the database". Although the means by which he acquired this file are... rather distasteful, has any effort to investigate this been made?

Long after their famous mission to Planet U, the LEGO Rock Raiders have traveled to a jungle planet on the far side of the galaxy. Beneath the planet's surface, they have discovered that the planet is rich in Brickonium Energy Crystals and other rare minerals. However, much like Planet U, these underground caverns are home to beings of living rock and crystal. But then, as the Rock Raiders stumble the ruins of an underground insectoid civilization, they uncover some dark secrets of the past... including one of the insectoids' "little" experiments. Calcite Copter The Rock Raiders Calcite Copter is a one-man aircraft designed for quick travel in underground caverns. Its sleek design lets it cut through the air with ease during flight, while its propeller, stabilized by means of advanced Rock Raider technology, gives it full vertical access to descend into the deepest underground trenches. The Calcite Copter also has a mounted mining laser turret that, when powered up with blue Brickonium, can cut through even hard rock with ease, although it expends much of the crystal's energy in doing so. Although designed for speed and maneuverability, the Calcite Copter is not particularly well-armored, and Jet was in for a horrific surprise when she stumbled upon this cybernetic rock monster! Gallery Cybernetic Rock Monster There is no name for this monstrosity, although some of the Rock Raiders have taken to referring to it by the nickname "Mad Jack". This ancient creature was once made of living rock and crystal, much like most of the rock monsters throughout the LEGO Universe. However, it was cybernetically enhanced by a civilization long since ruined, which replaced entire parts of its rock body with incredible machinery powered by a powerful energy crystal implanted into its chest. Now, this terror roams the underground caverns of the planet, posing a nightmare to anyone unfortunate to meet its rock claws and steel teeth. Gallery ----- This was a project I was working on since late 2010. The idea for the cybernetic rock monster was loosely inspired by Mad Jack from Donkey Kong 64. Here's concept artwork, if you're interested. If you want to see 360o rotations of the models and some of the ways they can be moved, here's a video showcasing the models. Comments and constructive criticism are welcome!

Ah, the memories... I still have the original offline 2006 edition on my older laptop, but I haven't gotten around to downloading an offline version from a certain project for my newer, current laptop, so I'm glad to be able to play this game again and relive this nostalgia from BIONICLE's early days. Although I haven't been able to sit down and play through it yet, I did notice something interesting about this version. Whereas the official 2006 edition has changed most instances of "Tohunga" and "Koronan/Kornan" to "Matoran", this version retains the original terminology. It was quite a shock to read Tahu saying the line "But... you are but a Tohunga!" for the first time in nearly ten years. However, the menu and the fact that you start off with the backpack and Lightstone (rather than collecting them in Ga-Koro) are both exclusive to the 2006 version, not the original version that I played back in 2003. And Turaga Nokama still refers to Papu and Rangi under very specific conditions, just like in the 2006 edition, but I cannot remember of those conditions were required for the 2003 version. Andrewnuva199 and I speculate that this might be a "prototype" for the 2006 edition, since it has the menu and backpack/Lighstone at start but leaves the Tohunga and Koronan/Kornan uncensored.

If I may, I might as well throw in my input concerning the two in-development LEGO Universe RPGs. From my understanding, most former LEGO Universe players, as well as those who would have been interested in the game had it not met such an untimely demise, would essentially like to pick up where the original LEGO Universe left off, and only then from there, much like LEGO Universe, the RPG could receive periodic updates to include new worlds and new quests as the hosts see fit, which is what I see in the RPG proposed by Jacks and Brikman McStudz. To start off the RPG right away with such a drastic change from the original, such as the corruption of Paradox and Venture League in sonyaxe's RPG, might put off some would-be players. Back in the days of LEGO General Discussion RPGs, I actually saw that one criticism of Dino Attack RPG was that it was no longer focused on Dino Attack and the players were fighting Maelstrom instead of dinosaurs. Granted, this is a bit of Did Not Do The Research, since the critics were not actually DARPG players and thus did not know that the Maelstrom's involvement in the RPG was directly related to fighting the dinosaurs, but this just goes to show that if you stray too far from the source material, you run the risk of losing your audience. As a former LEGO RPG and LEGO Universe player, if I were to hypothetically join a LEGO Universe RPG, I would be interested in playing as Captain Greybeard the Venture League Buccaneer, who was my primary character in the original game (not the same Greybeard who appeared in the Dino Attack RPG). Venture League suits Captain Greybeard the best, so he'd be unlikely to be a member of Sentinel or Assembly. However, if the entire Venture League has been corrupted as it is in sonyaxe's RPG, then that means that Captain Greybeard cannot be a hero in this RPG and would be immediately branded a villain. If I had a Paradox character, the same would apply. But I don't want Captain Greybeard to be a villain; I want him to be a hero. This would make me less likely to join sonyaxe's RPG. Since Venture League and Paradox are still heroic factions in Jacks and Brikman's RPG, I would be more inclined to join that one. Although, if Jacks and Brikman feel the need to start off with "something completely different" for their own RPG, I would recommend making Stromlings a playable faction. I have a feeling that the corruption of Venture League and Paradox in sonyaxe's RPG is to give players the chance to play as the villain if they so choose, but the simpler way to go is simply to keep Venture League and Paradox as heroic factions while allowing players to play as Stromlings. And the plus side of playable Stromlings over corrupted Nexus Force factions is that Venture League and Paradox can still be heroic, but Stromling players can choose to play as "fallen" Venture League or Paradox (as well as Sentinel or Assembly) members. This allows for more choices in character creation, without going into the "too many choices" pit that the Pirates RPG and Castle RPG proposed by Atton Rand and imperial officer in the old LEGO General Discussion RPGs Topic fell into, since it can still be easily divided into two generalized factions: "good" Nexus Force and "evil" Maelstrom. Of course, seeing as I'm unofficially retired from LEGO RPGs, everything that I said about joining a LEGO RPG must be taken as theoretical, and also remember that not everyone has the same tastes as me. But, I figured that, while I'm still here, I might as well toss my two cents into the wishing well and hope that said well isn't actually the Kakariko Village well inhabited by a Dead Hand that wants to eat my face. Also, I must also throw in my support for the notion that LEGO RPGs do not need to be connected to the Dino Attack RPG. The RPG must be able to stand on its own merit, not on that of a previous successful RPG. While the Dino Attack references might appeal to former DARPG players, they will also turn off those who did not participate in DARPG. This reached a ridiculous extreme in Atton Rand's proposed Castle RPG, which literally had the plot of "In 2010, these castles and kingdoms will be wrecked by dinosaurs, but until then, have fun!" Remember that, while Dino Attack RPG did have Alpha Team: Mission Deep Freeze RPG to thank for its early success, I felt that Dino Attack RPG was only truly successful when it stopped trying to be Alpha Team RPG and started to be its own thing, starting around the beginning of the Goo Caverns story arc. Also, while Alpha Team RPG: Ogel's Last Stand was intended to bridge the gap between Alpha Team: Mission Deep Freeze RPG and Dino Attack RPG, it felt rather odd to see most of the cast as "the cast of Dino Attack RPG, who all just happened to be Alpha Team agents!"

OOC: By the skin on our teeth, Benton Kabrinsky, Atton Rand, Jackson Lake, and a surprise post from that guy from that show have made it in. And now, here we are... midnight, December 21, 2012, forever an important date of Dino Attack RPG history. I've made sure that I did some necessary things today. I finally finished the Rock Raiders PC game. Five minutes to midnight, I began listening to Majora's Mask "Final Hours". And now, I post the final post of Dino Attack RPG. This is it. It's been fun, guys.I might recommend reading this next post while listening to "One Day" by Hans Zimmer.IC:January 1, 20116:00 AMWaves crashed upon the sand, and a gentle breeze carried the voices of gulls across the water to Peter Abody's ears. It had been a beautiful night on LEGO Island, but here on Adventurers' Island, everything felt so calm and serene in comparison to the excitement of the New Year's Eve party.The tranquility had allowed Peter to reflect upon recent events. The last message from the ATLANTIS Deep Sea Salvage Crew claimed that they were closer than ever to finding the lost city at last, but no news had been heard from the divers since they passed through the Portal of Atlantis. The war in Castle Cove between the Lion Knights and the Dragon Knights continued in full force. Although reconstruction was going smoothly, the crime rate in LEGO City had risen since 2009, causing some trouble for the police department. Even worse, there were reports from various sources around the galaxy that a fleet of alien invaders were approaching the LEGO System.Even after the end of the Dino Attack war, there was still much to worry about in the LEGO Universe. It seemed there would be no rest to conflict between opposing factions, and for many, the Dino Attack had shaken the belief that such factions could be easily divided into "good" and "evil", for the truth was far more complicated than that.But despite it all, this was a place where Peter could escape his concerns. Here on Adventurers' Island, there was no strife. With the expulsion of Maelstrom from the Temple of Creation, the barren wasteland left by the destructive energies was being repopulated once more. The Mutant Dino war was over, leaving the local dinosaurs free to continue nature's circle of life. The Islanders and the Adventurers had no quarrels with one another, and with Sam Sinister going on a pharaoh's quest, there would be no conflict. All was at peace.Peter closed his eyes and took in a long breath of fresh sea air as he listened to the sounds of waves. He heard footsteps in the sand, and when he opened his eyes once again, Peter saw Greybeard standing beside him."Aye," sighed the old, grizzled pirate. "T' a buccaneer such as meself, thar be nothin' quite like th' sea. T' a pirate, th' sea be freedom... th' sea be life.""I'm glad you could come," grinned Peter. "LEGO Island isn't too far from here. I stayed until midnight to join in the 'HAPPY NEW YEAR!', and then I took the first helicopter to Adventurers' Island. Being my old home, LEGO Island will always hold a special place in my Creative Spark... but I have to say, finally seeing Adventurers' Island in peacetime, this place is definitely something special."Greybeard nodded. "Reminds me a bit o' home. Th' Phanta Sea certainly carries th' same air o' adventure an' mystery that make th' Tropical Seas th' best place on th' entire planet, an' this island... I can smell th' hordes o' treasure that would make King Kahuka jealous. Aye, it be a pirate's life, me lad... it be a shame that I must give it all away.""What?" blinked Peter in surprise.Greybeard sighed and shook his head. "I be a grandfather now, I suppose, an' I must settle down t' take care o' Mary Rose." He gestured inland to the edge of the jungle, where the little girl slept comfortably as a T-Rex stood protectively over her. "It be somethin' I had ne'er thought o' before, but in my decision t' take th' girl under me wing, I must bid farewell t' th' sea. It be... rath'r bitt'rsweet fer me. I do love her, but I be missin' th' sea."Peter patted Greybeard's shoulder, to comfort the old pirate. "Well, you can always take a ferry or bring Mary on a cruise or something. Take her to the beach every now and then so you never truly have to say goodbye to the sea.""Aye," Greybeard nodded half-heartedly.Peter glanced around, as though he was making sure that no one was listening, and then leaned in closely. "I personally would not approve of this," he whispered, "and don't tell the royal nations I said this, or else Dash Justice will never let me live it down, but... I suppose, once she's old enough, there's nothing to stop you from training her to be a pirate. Most girls her age dream of growing up to become princesses... maybe her dream is to become a swashbuckling adventurer like you."Greybeard beamed at that prospect. He gestured towards the T-Rex and inquired, "Now, I don't have t' worry about th' big lizard o'er thar, says ye?"Peter nodded to the T-Rex, who nodded back. "Don't worry," grinned Peter, "Chompy won't let anything on this island lay a tooth or a claw on her."Peter's expression turned more solemn as he remembered his reuniting with his old T-Rex friend. Chompy was overjoyed to see him, but when Peter delivered the sad news of Rex's passing... Chompy's cynical attitude let nothing get him down, and his duties as alpha male meant that he could never show any weakness, but Peter could tell that Chompy secretly mourned the loss of his brother."Thinkin' o' Rex?"Sighing, Peter nodded grimly. "He was a good man. I'm going to miss him. I heard that they're going to open a museum dedicated to the Dino Attack, and Dr. Cyborg was planning on a special tribute in the memory of Rex.""We all miss 'im," murmured Greybeard. "Th' Dino Attack be a long war, an' now that it be over, wi' so many great men like Rex... Joseph Race... Robert Batrick... havin' given them lives t' save th' rest o' us... nothin' be ev'r be th' same, says I. So much be chang'd. O'er th' past few years, I be gone from a pirate t' a racer t' a freedom fighter... t' a grandfather. Th' LEGO world may rebuild, but only a fool be sayin' that all be as it once be. Nay... ev'rythin' be chang'd.""I still can't believe that... it's over," Peter whispered incredulously. "It might have only been eight months, but it felt like nearly eight years. And now, for the first time... for the first time, I can walk down the street without fear of being attacked by a Mutant Lizard. With Evil Ogel's recent departure from LEGO Planet and Dr. Inferno finally behind bars, there might not even be a need for Alpha Team anymore. It's... a very peculiar feeling. There will always be war and conflict... you needn't look farther than Castle Cove... but for once, I might very well face the prospect of peace... something I have not known for so long. For the first time since 2004, I might have no battle to fight.""It must be hard t' adjust t' peacetime society again," mused Greybeard, "much like a sealegged scallywag such as meself t' find meself rooted on land.""Yes," nodded Peter. "Exactly."They were both silent for a moment."Now that Chompy is the alpha male of Adventurers' Island," murmured Peter, "he is busy with his duties to his pack. Sam Throramebi's heading back out into space soon. We'll all keep in touch with one another... maybe have a reunion every so often..." Peter sighed. "Is this the end?""Look, me hearty." Greybeard gestured out towards the ocean. Peter did as he was told, and saw the first rays of the sun light up the sky over the water: sunrise on Adventurers' Island."It's beautiful," whispered Peter."Th' end?" repeated Greybeard. "This be th' end... o' this chapter o' our lives. Before us lies th' vast possibilities o' th' future... an' as th' new year begins, thus we turn th' page t' th' next chapter o' our lives, says I."Peter nodded in response."Aft'r all," continued Greybeard, "th' Dino Attack be o'er, an' ye be findin' yerself an' yer ol' hearties chartin' separate courses an' sailin' t' different seas. But new relations can still blossom... anythin' new about that Shannon lass?"Peter grinned, raising a hand to conceal his blush. "She... kissed me at the last party we went to together. I think that, after fighting Ogel's zombies and Dr. Rex's dinosaurs, I should have the courage to pursue a serious relationship with her. No more incidents like senior year... no, this time, I'm taking her out on a date.""Good man!" chuckled Greybeard. His face turned serious again. "An' one more thing... I know ye talk'd sev'ral times about yer father. Do ye think ye'll see him again?"Peter turned serious as well. Sighing, he stared out into the sunrise again and was silent for a moment. Then, at last, he murmured, "I don't. After all these years, with no news on my father's status, I don't even know if he's still alive after all this time. And if he is... well, it's a fool's hope to hope that we'll ever meet again.""I be sorry," whispered Greybeard.Peter locked eyes with Greybeard. "Don't worry," smiled Peter. "I'll always keep him alive in my heart. And if it makes you feel any better about it... these past few months, you've been like a father to me. I'll always miss him, but I'm glad that my life, no matter how dark or bleak the battles have been, has left me with a family I will always have, dad."Placing his hand on Peter's shoulder, Greybeard smiled. "Then ye have me blessin' t' make th' best ye can possibly make o' yer life, son. Just imagine."Like father and son, Peter Abody and Grisbarba L. Pirata togther stared out into the sunrise over Adventurers' Island, a truly beautiful sight. Neither of them knew what the future had in store for them. What seemed like the longest chapter in their lives yet had finally ended.But Greybeard was right. So many lives had been changed forever, and nothing would ever be the same again. As the sun rose on the first day of 2011, a brand new year to start anew after the Dino Attack apocalypse of 2010, this was not the end.It is a new beginning.OOC:On July 1, 2005, a player from Alpha Team: Mission Deep Freeze RPG received approval from Hahli Husky to start his own RPG based on the brand-new Dino Attack line. There was no way that he could have possibly known that, one day, he would consider this relatively-obscure RPG based on an unpopular LEGO line... to be his greatest accomplishment.It's been nearly seven and a half years. In that time, I've grown up and matured in many ways. This is visible in my writing, and you can see a vast yet gradual improvement over the course of Dino Attack RPG. Thanks to Dino Attack RPG, I've become a much better writer, and I do think that Dino Attack RPG is one of the things that inspired me to become a writer.Over the years, Dino Attack RPG has become my pride and joy. It started off as something that I merely did for fun but had no real commitment to. But, I suppose after the death of the Pirates RPG, my involvement with Dino Attack RPG became far more serious. I was determined not to let it suffer the same fate as Pirates RPG and Alpha Team RPG. However, I knew that all things had to end someday, so I came up with the idea of having a final battle to end the RPG, and it was met with players' approval.And it was around this time where Dino Attack RPG grew the beard. While I will always have fond memories of the early days with Kotua, Databoard, Rev Raptor, Zero, and the others, Dino Attack RPG finally had a goal to strive for, and that was the final battle. This brought about a change where Dino Attack RPG was no longer the random and unrelated adventures of various individuals that happened to take place in the Dino Attack. Instead, it was developing into the epic tale of a team to end the Dino Attack for once and for all, tying together the LEGO Universe and all our favorite themes in a truly unforgettable journey.But what truly matters about Dino Attack RPG... is you guys. Dino Attack RPG could never possibly have been what it is today if it were not a multiplayer RPG. This is not my story. This is our story. I could not have dreamed of doing it without you guys. You were the people I was thinking about when I committed myself to sticking with Dino Attack RPG until the end. You were the people I was thinking about when I was trying to make Dino Attack RPG the best experience it could possibly be.Years from now, Dino Attack RPG will fall into obscurity. Less than a dozen players are still active, and time will take its toll. But I can only hope that you guys will never forget the Dino Attack. I hope that it will continue to follow you and remain with you for the rest of your lives. I hope to see more writing from you guys, kindled by the time you spent here, joined together in one of the greatest experiences of our lives to this point.And I hope that this is not goodbye. Whether it's deviantART or Steam or everybody's favorite forbidden video-hosting site, I hope we stay in contact with each other, like old school buddies who have graduated and gone to separate colleges.TakunuvaC01 and Jackson Lake... you two have stuck around the longest. Even if you might have taken a couple breaks during your stay here, in the end, you kept coming back, and that really means a lot to me. You both had great Pratchett-influenced writing styles, and your stories were always engaging, from Magma's Alpha Team operations to Kat's quest of self-discovery. Being senior members of Dino Attack RPG, you were looked up to by your fellow players, and they couldn't have had better role models.Atton Rand... you and I might not always see eye-to-eye, especially regarding themes such as realism. However, you were one of several players who kept Dino Attack RPG alive during its dark age, the time between the Kotua crisis and the battle for the Power Station, and you have my eternal gratitude for that. Your writings have always offered a unique perspective on Dino Attack RPG, and I always enjoy a Steam chat.Benton Kabrinsky... your appearances these last few months were so few and far between that I was unsure about whether or not you'd stick with us to the end. But you did, and I am definitely glad to see that commitment in you. Thanks!Andrewnuva199 and Brikman McStudz... your love for LEGO lore, optimistic yet down-to-earth attitude, and lovably genre-savvy cast of lampshade hangers made both of you into more-than-welcome additions to Dino Attack RPG's writers. Whenever I see a new post from either of you guys, I can always count on enjoying reading it. And on more than one occasion, Andrewnuva, you've seemed like the voice of reason among the rest of us lunatics.that guy from that show... I must admit, when you first joined, I did not know what to think. Dust was definitely a unique addition to the cast, and I could tell that you had big plans, but I was unsure whether or not Dino Attack RPG was the right place for either of them. But as the days passed by, I quickly realized that you are possibly the greatest character writer in all of Dino Attack RPG's long run. The complex characterizations of Dust, Pharisee, Koplowitz, and others made them feel like they were the most real. You took Dust, who could have easily been as unlikeable as Duke or Snake, and made him into one of the most memorable and enjoyable characters. I hope you continue to write in the future.avmatoran... you are our youngest member, and you were certainly brave to join Dino Attack RPG so late in the game. While I'm afraid that we might not have gotten off on the right foot together, I quickly learned to admire your undeniable enthusiasm and dedication for Dino Attack RPG. Thanks for being there with us.Kotua in Space and Chronicler of Ko-Koro... you were the greatest friends any LEGO RPGer could have asked for back in 2004-2005. You two were definitely an unforgettable part of the early Dino Attack RPG experience.Victor Draven... if it wasn't for you, none of this would have happened. You were my first BZPower friend, and while you have long ago outgrown LEGO and BZPower and you will probably never read this... thanks."One last embrace... before we say goodbye... until we meet again."Thank you. Thank you all... for everything.- PeabodySam, Dino Attack RPG host (2005-2012)

OOC: Just a friendly reminder that, counting today, there are only four days left to post your final posts. That, and this way, should Atton finish his final post before Jacks, he'll be able to go ahead and post it without worrying about double-posting. Also, I'm thinking that, once all is said and done, I should report this topic to a moderator so that it can be closed. We can still continue RPG discussion on the wiki, if you so please, and the fact that most of us are acquainted with one another on other websites or through Steam means that we won't fall out of touch. It's just that, if we leave this topic open, that runs the risk of... say, two years from now, some noob stumbles upon Dino Attack RPG and goes "Ooh, I want to join!" and posts a sign-up form, neglecting to notice that the final battle has ended and all the other players have left, forcing a moderator to step in and close the topic anyway due to revival. That would be a rather undignified end to Dino Attack RPG, I'd say, in comparison to closing the topic once we're finished here. Any thoughts or opinions on this? Before I forget, that guy, you might want to ask TC01 to canonize your Iron Hammer MOC before it's too late to do so.

OOC: Okay guys, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to be a little more strict. I understand that you two have been busy with college finals, Jacks and Atton, but this can't go on forever. Seriously though, this was supposed to have ended several months ago! Therefore, I am now officially imposing a deadline. All final posts must be in by December 20, 2012. That's right: I'm giving you guys a week to finish up. Hopefully, by next week, finals should be over. I do not mean to be mean to you guys, and I understand that real life gets in the way, but... all things must come to an end, and I want to see Dino Attack RPG finally end.After all, there's very little actual roleplay going on right now, as most of recent events have been arguing about sci-fi, reuniting with Zephyria (by the way, hi!), and casting an IMDB list. [/ENDQUOTE]I already talked to you about this via Steam, but I thought it was a very odd casting choice to choose James Woods as Sindstorme's replacement when I rejected De Niro for being too old, since Woods is only three years younger than Douglas! Surely, there must be someone younger than 50 who can pull off the Corrupt Corporate Executive role.As shown by Sean Connery in The Last Crusade versus Jeff Bridges in TRON: Legacy, it's much easier to make an actor look older than it is to make an actor look younger. I don't think Michael Douglas needs to look any older to play Korrupte, which means that Sindstorme's actor must be considerably younger, not "three years younger". [/ENDQUOTE]You were warned, but I give you props for trying.When I saw that Dr. Cyborg had reconfigured his arm, I just basically erased whatever I wrote about the injection saw and did not save it, so I cannot tell you for sure. However, if my memory serves me well (which if often does not), then the extent of the lampshading would have simply been Rex silently remarking that he did not know where Dr. Cyborg got the injection saw that he was using. [/ENDQUOTE]Ooh, another LEGO Digital Designer project? I look forward to seeing this.I myself wrecked an Iron Predator in LEGO Digital Designer and stuck Rex, Amanda, Glados, Trouble, and a couple Mutant Lizards on the scene to represent Amanda's death. Of course, the result was far more satisfactory in my Flash mock-up of the scene, which you can find on the wiki. I also composed another music mix entirely for the scene, too, which you can find on everybody's favorite forbidden video-hosting site.[/shamelessplug] [/ENDQUOTE]*raises glass*Farewell, avmatoran. As the "youngest" member of Dino Attack RPG (not in terms of age, just in terms of how long you've been with us), it's been great to have a fresh pair of hands typing this epic story alongside us. I'm sure we'll cross paths again someday, but for now... well, as Bea Arthur said, "goodnight but not goodbye".

OOC: Ugh, this new update makes it such a hassle to try reading quotes in posts. I stand by what I said earlier when I said that, to old LEGO Island fans such as myself, there's only one true Brickster, and that's David L. Lander. Surely, seeing him reprise the role (even if this is all only a hypothetical fun little project) would be a great nostalgic treat. It's certainly not impossible... I mean, Pixar got Erik von Detten to reprise his role as Sid in Toy Story 3, and Sid didn't even have a speaking role in that movie!I still like the idea of Michael Gambon as Ben Gunn, though after some consideration (as well as a list on IMDb someone made titled "Actors that you wish were your grandparents"), I could see Christopher Plummer in the role, possibly.If I may, I imagined Uærlig Sindstorme as being considerably younger than Edward Korrupte, as part of the idea that Dacta was old and Mindstorms was new. I'm afraid I don't have a suggestion for a replacement, but Robert De Niro is too old for the role in my eyes.By the way, Dr. Provencal's first name is Carolyne, not Chell. And this is more of a nitpick, but the name "Andrew Jackson Orange" is no longer canon; it's just "Andrew Jackson" now.

OOC: And then, there were four. that guy, it's truly been a great honor to have you writing Dino Attack RPG with us for the past... a-little-more-than-two years. Your unique writing style led to some of the exceptionally strongest characters that I've ever seen in the past seven years, and I've always anticipated reading your next IC post. Thanks for being here with us and truly making these last few years of Dino Attack RPG the greatest they could possibly be. And yes, I have been watching this topic like an eagle, checking as often as I can every day. I'm ready to post my final post and end this for good... I'm just waiting for the rest of you to wrap up first. As one might say, "Ready whenever you are." And I do understand, Jacks and Atton, what with college finals right around this time of year, you guys have been exceptionally busy. I do find it amusing, though, that I originally intended to end this in July, and here we are at the end of November. Let's... do our best to wrap things up before December 21, 2012, eh? ----- As for the cast list... well, as I said before, I usually don't imagine any of my original characters as being portrayed by actors or actresses. It certainly doesn't help that I am unfamiliar with most of the actors/actresses in the list, or I know them from a role that makes me think, "Okay, maybe that's not the most fitting role for this character..." However, I do have a few comments: While I'm still not familiar enough with Ben Affleck (again, I've only really seen him in Good Will Hunting) to truly make a call as to whether he'd make a good Rex, I realized today that whoever plays Rex would also have to be dually-cast as Dr. Rex. So, whoever plays Rex must not only be able to portray a strong, heroic character but also a tragic villain falling into insanity. I already said this in the Steam chat with Atton (who went ahead and reported it here), but, again, while I don't see my characters as portrayed by any individual actors or actresses, I must say that I am impressed by your choice for Amanda. Unlike Atton, I'm not going to make judgments on who is the "real" Lisbeth Slander (What is "real"? How do you define "real"? If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then "real" is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain), but I will say that, having seen the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Rooney Mara's performance as Lisbeth Slander did have a subconscious effect on how I wrote Silencia Venomosa, and I do feel like Mara could do an excellent job at portraying the character of Amanda. Alan Arkin as Frank Einstein is... probably not my first choice for the character (while I have no doubt he's a great actor, the only two roles that I'm familiar with are Bill in Edward Scissorhands and the grandfather in Little Miss Sunshine, neither of which really inspire "brilliant scientist" in my mind). If I had to pick an actor, John Noble would probably come to mind, mainly because of the relationship of Einstein and Bishop (if Einstein is played by Noble, he would be able to pull off a very convincing Bishop disguise!). I do notice, however, that Noble might be too young for the role, while Arkin is the perfect age, so I can see why you chose Arkin. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with Matthew McConaughey, so I can't judge whether or not he'd make a good Specs (I know Specs isn't my character and belongs to LEGO, but I still feel like I want to offer commentary on this one). However, when I wrote Specs, Lance Reddick's performance as Colonel Phillip Broyles served as my main inspiration. Of course, there's the race issue... and if Specs receives a Race Lift for this hypothetical movie, Ata would need one as well (or else his Specs disguise would fail miserably). But even if Reddick specifically could not work for Specs, someone who could match Reddick's portrayal of a soft-spoken man with a powerful sense of authority and command, yet an undeniable and ever-present concern for the safety of his men, would be perfect for the role. Ah, Jim Parsons is that actor who plays that geeky-looking guy from that show that everyone tells me that I need to watch... Big Bang Theory, right? Well, despite my family and friends all telling me that I need to watch this show, I haven't watched it, so I can't offer much commentary on this choice, I'm afraid. However, while I can see why you chose Parsons as Frozeen, he might be a little... too geeky for the role, I think. Feel free to prove me wrong, though. To be honest, it is an overstatement to say that Greybeard is based on Captain Hector Barbossa. While it is true that Greybeard's wedding ceremony was an obvious tribute to Barbossa's wedding, and Barbossa does stand out rather strongly in my mind as the pirate archetype that Greybeard follows, Greybeard is for the most part his own original character. Nonetheless, when I hear Greybeard in my head, it's Geoffery Rush's voice that comes closest. I admit, while I imagine Greybeard as sounding slightly deeper, slightly older, and slightly more hoarse than Rush's performance of Barbossa, if I had to pick an actor that could come closest to Greybeard in my mind, it would probably be Geoffery Rush. Since Greybeard is only loosely inspired by Barbossa, you wouldn't have to worry about that principle of casting expies (which, I see, you had no problem with casting Noomi Rapace as Noomi Shaw). Again, I'm afraid that I must admit to being unfamiliar with Frank Langella. However, I must comment on the fact that I did sort of imagine General as having Christopher Lee's voice. What's notable about this? Christopher Lee and Frank Langella both portrayed Count Dracula. I found this sort of amusing. Sean Bean as Pyro/Andrew Jackson could possibly work... although, when Atton mentioned Johnny Depp in his recent post, I realized that Johnny Depp would probably be my first choice for the role. As shown by his portrayal of Jack Sparrow, he can easily pull off the role of someone who has... err... his head not quite screwed on quite right, and he can easily match Andrew Jackson's Large Ham. It's a too perfect of a match, I think. Although, in one degree of separation, I think that Tim Burton's physical appearance is closest to how I imagine Andrew Jackson. Heh. Maybe Tim Burton should make a film starring Johnny Depp as a psychotic pyromaniac. Although Evil Ogel is not my own (being an official LEGO character), his original voice actor, Oliver Fredericks, stands out in my mind as the definitive Evil Ogel. Can't seem to find him on IMDB, though. Looking at Terence Stamp (whom I know best as Ramsley in The Haunted Mansion), he's definitely got the right look for the role, and much like Fredericks, he's got a nice deep voice with a light British accent... but I'm having trouble imagining Ramsley the reserved and rather-subtle butler as the deliciously-Large Ham that is Evil Ogel (but as I said, this is the only role of his that I'm really familiar with, so I could be very, very wrong about that). Martin Freeman as Sam Race? At first, I was about to comment that Freeman might be too old for the role... but then, when I thought about it, I realized that Sam Race might actually be older than how I imagined him (it has, after all, been nearly ten years in-universe since the Galactic Racing Championship), so age might not be an issue. Unfortunately, again, this is another actor whose roles I'm not familiar with, and I doubt that I'll be seeing many Sam Race-esque traits in Bilbo Baggins... but I think it was Jacks who recommended the actor, so I'm sure there must be some role he played that made Jacks think, "This guy could be a great Sam Race." Malcolm McDowell as Walter Breen... I suppose that could work. McDowell might be a little too hammy for Breen, but I easily could see it working. Shame that Wallace Breen's original voice actor passed away, though. SNAPE KILLED RACE! Hah, couldn't resist, after seeing Atton's suggestion for Michael Gambon as King Joseph Race. It could work, I suppose. Thinking of Gambon's performance of Dumbledore, however, leaves me unsure if he could physically pull off half of Race's racing and laser saber stunts, but in moments of calm... yeah, I could see this working. As for more suggestions? I don't have much to offer, as usual, but... In my eyes (and in the eyes of most LEGO Island fans), there's only one true Brickster, and that's David L. Lander... although, he might possibly be getting a little too old for the role.Bruno Ganz, also known as the one and only Adolf Hitler to have been mercilessly parodied endless times (Atton should know what I'm talking about), could easily pull off the "angry German mad scientist" archetype that Zed Provhezor is modeled after.If not King Joseph Race, we could always cast Michael Gambon as Ben Gunn. He could easily pull off the role, I think. If I think of anything else, I'll say so. Maybe not right away (I like to compile my thoughts over the week and post a long post at the end of the week, especially since I'm too busy to do so during the course of the week itself), but I'll get back to you. I promise. And, again, it was great to have you writing Dino Attack RPG with us. I hope this isn't the last we see of you, and if you write a book, we'll be sure to buy it (... right, guys?)! Also, I can't wait to see the finished 13th floor of Dino Attack Headquarters, and if you have time, I know you mentioned that you wanted to do some analyses of Dino Attack RPG, and I'd be eager to read those.

OOC: Remember how I said my next IC would be my last? I lied. Seeing Atton Rand write about Sarah Bishop made me remember one last loose end that I wanted to tie up. I cannot remember all the details of the post off the top of my head, since I only read it over very briefly before going to breakfast (and when I came back, it was gone!). However, I will say that Andrewnuva brought up a very strong case as to why the original scene would not work. As for Pterisa being a Story Hook, Andrewnuva and I discussed the bounds and limits of Story Hooks over Steam, and we both agreed that something as drastic as an origin story might be outside those bounds (a rather amusing hypothetical example he came up with is that, even though Sam Throramebi was listed as a Story Hook, that did not mean that Andrewnuva could explain his animosity towards Power Miners as stemming from the deaths of his parents at the hands of a Power Miner).By "both of us", I was actually referring to me and Pterisa, not me and you (although this issue might possibly bother you as well, but that wasn't what I was talking about). Sorry for the lack of clarity.Sure, Why Not? Although the author that may or may not be me said that he'll cut down on complex backstories and histories (such as the one that Dr. Cyborg has) in his novel, I see no reason as to say "no" to this request. 'Twas nice writing with you as well.I'll still be lingering around on BZPower after Dino Attack RPG is over, though I probably won't ever be as active as I once was before. I remember your Alpha Team short stories, and if you've got any more stories like that up your sleeves, I'll be sure to check them out. In the meantime, we found each other on Steam, and if you ever want to chat (provided I'm not busy), I'm always up for a little conversation. Holy crud. At over 8,000 words, this is the longest IC post in Dino Attack RPG's entire history, easily trumping Dr. Rex's defeat and the Bartholomew Enderson confessions.And, as the others have said... Don't feel bad. You did a fine job! Heck, you did a magnificent job. What can I say that hasn't been said? Your incredible ability to dive psychologically into the minds of your characters and make us feel for them, even a dirty conman like Dust and a Knight Templar like Pharisee, never ceases to leave the rest of us amazed in your wake. I sure hope that you continue to write, even after Dino Attack RPG, and you can probably expect me buying your book along with Jacks. Don't worry, the romance could have been a lot worse (I speak from experience). And for the way that it was done, it was done well. A little out of left field, I admit, but as Jacks said, the disclaimer actually helped prepare me for such an event.Also, I notice that ending your last IC post in the RPG while playing as Magma really helped things come full circle. Reptile might be your current primary character, after all, but you began as Magma... and now, you end as Magma. As I said, full circle. And I enjoy seeing things come full circle.And so, our second-longest member of Dino Attack RPG departs. I'm going to miss all the great times we spent together. Man, this feels a lot like graduation... saying goodbye to faces and friends that you've known for years, uncertain of the next time you'll ever meet again. But I'll never forget Dino Attack RPG... and I'll never forget any of you.*raises glass*And now, to my penultimate IC, which takes place at whatever time, 2011.IC: "Are you sure that this is the right thing to do?" inquired Alan Pierce.Sarah Pierce sighed. "I don't know. I haven't seen him in years, not since the accident. I'm not even sure if he'll recognize me. But it's worth a shot... I admit, I have become curious to see what has become of him."Alan shook his head. "I mean... do you think that this is what is best for Kate?" he whispered.Looking down at her daughter, who was resting her head on her mother's shoulder, Sarah nodded slowly. "She deserves to know. If there's one thing I learned, it's that it was wrong to keep family secrets from her, even ones of... this nature. Besides, Kate specifically requested this... I would hope that this means she's ready to know the truth."At last, the door opened, and a tall man with dark hair, glasses, and a well-kept suit stepped through. Sarah shook her daughter awake as they stood to greet the man. "Mr. Bonaparte," the man introduced himself. "Now I understand that you three wish to speak with me?"It was difficult getting this far, as the receptionist had initially denied their request to speak with Mr. Bonaparte, the administrator of Napoleon XIV Mental Institution, due to Bonaparte's work allegedly keeping him too busy to speak with anyone. It was only a death glare by Sarah Pierce that finally convinced the receptionist to let them in."Yes," nodded Sarah, shaking Bonaparte's hand. "I'm Sarah Pierce, and this is my husband Alan and my daughter Kate. We're here to see one of your patients, my brother, by the name of Wallace Bishop."Mr. Bonaparte's features hardened. "Mr. Bishop suffers from a severe mental condition that has only worsened since the time that he was committed. For his own health, we cannot allow any guests to see him. Especially family members, as his state of being has reduced him to violent breakdowns by the mere thought of his family outside Napoleon. I'm sorry, Mrs. Pierce, but it is strictly against protocol and I simply cannot allow it.""Kate?" urged Alan. "Is there something you would like to tell Mr. Bonaparte, my dear?"Kate's mouth was dry, but she swallowed and quietly murmured, "William's bell is ringing."Mr. Bonaparte blinked in surprise. "What was that?" he asked, leaning in closer to hear. When Kate repeated the message in a louder voice, Bonaparte pursed his lips and adjusted his glasses. "Well, then... this is an unexpected... surprise. I never thought that Dr. Einstein would... well, never mind. Come with me."Bonaparte led the Pierce family to a secure room which only had a few chairs and a table, all of which were bolted down onto the floor to prevent anyone from doing anything dangerous with them. Telling them to make themselves comfortable, Bonaparte left briefly and returned with a pair of nice young men in clean white coats, who were escorting a man in an orange jumpsuit with unkempt hair, a bushy beard, and eyes sunken so far into his skull that they were only barely visible. The man walked stiffly, his hands trembling uncontrollably, and his eyes fixated upon the floor.Instinctively, Sarah stood upon seeing her brother, Wallace, enter the room. "Oh my Builder..." she whispered, lightly pressing her hand to her bosom as her heart rate quickened. She recognized him; there was no doubt about it, it was definitely her brother Wallace... but at the same time, she felt like she was looking at an entirely different man who bore only the faintest semblance to her brother.As the two nurses helped a trembling Wallace sit down in the chair opposite the Pierces, Mr. Bonaparte cleared his throat. "I must apologize for Wallace's current state. We have just given him new medications. Most likely, he will be... unresponsive. I doubt he will even notice your presence."Alan frowned as he looked upon Wallace. Bonaparte's meaning was evident, as Wallace had not once taken notice of the Pierces. His eyes remained fixated upon the floor, but Alan wondered if he was even looking at the floor or if he was just staring off into blank space. "What sort of medications are you giving your patients?" muttered Alan."That would be classified, Mr. Pierce," stiffened Mr. Bonaparte. "However, I assure you that we are only prescribing what is best for our patients here at Napoleon XIV."Sarah took a seat opposite Wallace at the table. He did not respond to her presence. "Wallace," whispered Sarah. "It's me, your sister. Sarah. Do you remember me?"Silence.Leaning in closely, Sarah continued. "Remember, Wally? Your sister, Sarah? Do you remember our dad, Roy? He fought in World War I. Remember? This is your niece, Kate. You two used to spend so much time together when she was only a baby. Don't you remember anything at all?"Silence.Mr. Bonaparte cleared his throat. "Wallace Bishop may not remember you, Mrs. Pierce, or even your family. His memory, sadly, has been deteriorating after the severe cranial trauma that he suffered after a head injury...""What sort of institution do you run here?" gasped Alan, aghast. "How could you let one of your patients get away with a head injury? How could you get him so high on medications that he cannot respond to his own sister talking to him? Blasphemous madness! This place is more insane than the LEGO Island Medical Center!"Bonaparte frowned. "Insane, Mr. Pierce? You think you know insane? What is insane to you, but a pair of paramedics who think that sharks and trees are part of proper medicinal procedure? Here, insanity is not a series of amusing antics... insanity is so much worse. Howling every night at the top of their lungs without knowing why. Inability to stay in one place and time. Unstoppable rambling about the unimaginable. Violent breakdowns at the slightest provocation. Losing everything that you hold dear. Having nothing to live for. Insanity? You do not know insanity, Mr. Pierce."Kate tried her best to lock eyes with her uncle, which was difficult when Wallace was not looking at her. She knew that this was the man who convinced Frank Einstein to do everything in his power to protect the Bishop family. If it were not for him, Kate would have been subjected to the horrors of Dr. Strangebrick's experiments, used as a human shield by Walter Breen, and never could have defeated the Darkitect himself. As Kate reflected upon this, she realized that she owed a lot to Wallace. Gently, she placed her hand on Wallace's own and whispered, "I love you, uncle."Silence.As tears began to form in Kate's eyes, Sarah sighed in defeat. "I'm afraid we must get going.""I'm sorry it had to be this way," Mr. Bonaparte stroked his chin. "You see, I'm afraid Mr. Bishop's case is incurable. He will never be fit for society ever again, and that's something that not even Dr. Frank Einstein could change. He will have to remain here for the rest of his life.""Will we at least be able to visit him?" inquired Sarah. She hated the thought of her brother spending the last years of his life all alone, even in this incapacitated state.Bonaparte was about to say "No", but then hesitated. Sighing, he decided: "If that is what you wish, seeing as Dr. Einstein has indeed given you authorization to see him."As Sarah, Kate, and Alan stood to leave, Kate shot one last look at the lonely man that was once her uncle. As tears filled her eyes, the young girl forced herself to look away. However, just as they were about to exit the room, Kate heard a male voice that sounded aged and weary, but sounded familiar, as if it were from a dream:"Someone once told me... Love... is an emotion... too powerful... to be simply forgotten."Sarah stopped in the doorway and slowly turned around to look at Wallace, who did not appear to have moved at all. However, she rushed to his side, ignoring Bonaparte's warnings, and got a close look at his face. There were tears in Wallace's sunken eye sockets, and although his lips quivered and trembled weakly, his smile was unmistakeable."Oh, Wallace!" smiled Sarah, who felt tears of her own coming to her eyes. For the first time in years, she wrapped her arms around Wallace Bishop in the embrace of a sister who dearly missed her beloved brother.OOC: Okay, so my next IC should be my last. I was actually planning this particular IC long in advance (and you can see the Frank Einstein quotes that were put into place to set it up), and I nearly forgot about it until I read Sarah's name in one of Atton's recent ICs.This loose end is tied in a more... bittersweet fashion than most of my loose ends. One one hand, Wallace is doomed to be committed for life, and his mental state is too unfit for him to have any place in society anymore, and he only barely remembers his family. On the other hand, he has been reunited with his family and does not have to live out the remainder of his life alone.

OOC: Err... Yes, yes, now tell me. Did anyone happen to kill a RED Spy on the way here? Are any of these characters any less of an "expy in the usual sense" than Solid Snake is of Snake Plissken? No? Then why is it justifiable to not punish any of your expies and ersatzes while continuously hounding on poor old Solid Snake for being a tip-of-the-hat to Snake Plissken?Because by your rationale (not mine; I was simply taking your logic and applying it to the Dino Attack RPG cast to show why it is flawed), anyone who is an expy, an ersatz, or even a tribute to another character deserves to be punished for not being an original character. "By popular demand"? By whose popular demand? Mine? As I said, I was simply taking your logic and applying it to Dino Attack RPG in a way that dripped of verbal irony; I did not actually mean that Snake Plissken should beat up agent Snake in RPG canon. Besides, I thought "popular demand" was that the original agent Snake was going to come back to beat up the new agent Snake.As for the crossover itself... well, it goes against the whole point of having expies and ersatzes in Dino Attack RPG if the original characters themselves show up in the canon. I'd write a long-winded rant about this... except I already have: I'd be hypocritical to have said all that, all in response to someone briefly mentioning Halo, and then let the actual character appearances of Snake Plissken and Solid Snake slide, especially due to the first paragraph of the quoted section.-----In other news, I figured that I'd let everyone know that, unless something new comes up, my next IC might very well be my final IC... and then I, too, will say goodbye.

OOC: You know, I find it amusing that my original plan was to end At War's End on July 1... and here we are, more than halfway through October, and we still have some ends to wrap up. And while you're at it, the real Snake Plissken should come in and beat up agent Snake for being a shameless knock-off. Then Clint Eastwood and John Wayne come in and beat up Clint Wayne; Daniel Jackson shoots Barry Jackson; Dr. Strangelove stops worrying and throws a bomb at Dr. Strangebrick; Major "King" Kong drops a nuke on Cam O'Cozy; Trudy shoots down Cabin's T-1 Typhoon; and Lt. Colonel Bill Kilgore kills Rotor. All for being shameless knock-offs of the real thing.Really? The first two times, with the second time kicking him while he's down, weren't enough? You're really intent upon punishing someone for being a loving tribute, not a shameful rip-off, to Snake Plissken.I suppose part of the problem is that Plastic Serpent is Unintentionally Sympathetic, and no matter how many times you beat him up and tell us that he's a bully, we're going to sympathize with him simply because we've never seen Plastic Serpent act like the shameless thief. Take Grease for example. Rather than Grease being introduced by Rex and Amanda come in and beat the snot out of him, we actually see Grease act like a bully, and not just to Rex and Amanda, but also to everyone he meets. This makes the reader want to see Grease finally get his due because we've had some time to get to know Grease and we hate him for it. Nobody tells us that Grease is a bully; we see that he is a bully as soon as he's introduced, and it's his Defining Character Moment. Plastic Serpent didn't have that Defining Character Moment, and it's too late for such a moment to happen, because now, in the mind of the reader, it's fully justified if Plastic Serpent acts like aj erk to the very person who beat him up twice. That is my analysis as to why Plastic Serpent is Unintentionally Sympathetic.It also probably doesn't help that Plastic Serpent is based upon a videogame character that some of us may like, while Grease is based on a bully I know... and no one likes bullies.Although, I must say that I agree with Jackson Lake that it would be quite amusing if the original agent Snake from Dino Attack RPG's early days came back to beat up both your agent Snake and Plastic Serpent for stealing his codename. Probably not going to happen (what with the rule against using other players' characters after they leave) and it might end up being an OOC moment for Snake if it were to happen, but... *slow clap*It's really a bittersweet moment, seeing everyone leave one by one. Bitter in the loss and the parting of ways... sweet in the memories that we'll cherish. It's been so much fun, guys. I'll miss you all. Good luck out there, in the mystery and adventure of the future that is waiting for you all. A little late to reply to this, but I just found it so amusing that the night you posted this, I had not yet read your post. I laid in bed, unable to sleep, and was pondering about a number of things... including Pterisa. I was thinking about this comic that I wanted to do, a la "XERRD: For Science!", and it would star Pterisa going on a long-winded rant about an issue that bothers both of us. But one of the highlights of the rant is that Pterisa explains that most, if not all, of her sexual organs are reptilian... which is why, when I got up early in the morning and read your post, I had a laugh when I saw Dr. Cyborg telling Pterisa that her reproductive system was that of a Minifig. In honesty, I sort of worry about whether or not this is the case with Ben Gunn as well. I intended for the switch from the senile philosopher to the serious badman to be a jarring switch so that it would come as a surprise when his identity was revealed to Rex after delivering Dr. Rex's message. However, in the process, we lost so much of what made Ben Gunn... well, Ben Gunn. The senile Ben Gunn was fun to write and funny to read, and it's just not the same anymore. It was a necessary switch, in my opinion, but I cannot help but miss the old Ben Gunn.IC: It is true that Peter Abody was not exceptionally fond of parties. LEGO Island parties were generally the exception, but they were so unique and so different from all other parties that this was not much of a surprise. But most parties, which generally involve dancing, loud music, and socializing with others, were not something that Peter usually went out of his way to go to.As he adjusted his bowtie in front of the bathroom mirror, Peter reflected upon the reasons why he was attending this party. Maybe it was the fact that Shannon Grimton was also at the party, and now that they had finally put aside their bitterness, Peter was eager to see her again so that they could catch each other up on stories of what they had been doing for the past fifteen-or-so years. Maybe it was the fact that he was swept up in the post-war enthusiasm, so much so that even he could enjoy a party. Maybe it was the fact that some of the music at this party would be performed live by the Maraca Men, which was enough to make Greybeard eat his hat over his earlier statement that "Ye younglin's be not knowin' how t' party nowadays, says !", since even the elderly pirate enjoyed the lively music performed by the mariachi band.Peter heard a toilet flush, then saw out of the corner of his eye as a tall man with dark hair dressed in a formal suit jacket emerged from a stall, made his way to the sink, and washed his hands. As he went to dry his hands, the man looked up at Peter with an intrigued expression. Clearing his throat, the man asked, "Excuse me, sir, you wouldn't happen to be Alpha Team agent Frozeen, are you?"Peter blinked in surprise, but then nodded his head. "Yes, but I only go by that codename when I'm on duty. As it turns out, for the first time in maybe a couple years, I'm off-duty. Name's Abody. Peter Abody." While it was true that Alpha Team agents often adopted codenames to protect their identities, Peter really stopped caring about that since, if his identity needed to be covered, then it was blown countless times over the years anyways.The other man smiled politely and extended a hand. "It is an honor to meet you in person, Mr. Abody. Down in Antarctica, I listened to some of J. Theano's news reports, and he mentioned several times how you and other Alpha Team agents provided aid to the Dino Attack Team. Sure sounds like an exciting life; infiltrating Ogel's base one year and fighting prehistoric reptiles the next.""Just another day in the life of an Alpha Team agent," chuckled Frozeen as he shook the man's hand."As for me," the man introduced himself, "I'm not exactly a thrill-seeker... not in that way, at least, although one can argue that I seek thrills in another way. You see, I'm a writer."Peter blinked, interested. "Really? That's actually pretty cool! Maybe I've read some of your work... what have you written?"The writer smiled sheepishly, scratching his head. "Well, actually, you probably haven't read any of my work. I'm not particularly well-known in most circles. I have published a few short stories, actually... there's one about a Martian and a scientist who travel through time, and there's another about these four men trapped in an elevator... but I feel like I need to do something bigger. A novel. My magnus opus, if you will.""Any ideas for what your novel will be?" inquired Peter.The writer stroked his chin. "I've never really been fond of writing nonfiction... but right now, I feel like there's a plethora of inspiration just waiting to be explored in recent events. An epic tale about how all hope for humanity was nearly lost, but a brave group of survivors overcame the incredible odds and fought for freedom. Just imagine the sort of exciting novel that can be written... based on the Dino Attack!"Peter thought it over for a moment. "You know, now that you mention it, it does sort of feel like the Dino Attack was one big fantasy," murmured Frozeen."And while everyone in Antarctica followed the Dino Attack closely by listening to J. Theano's reports," continued the writer, "a news report is very different from a novel. In a novel, you're free to tell the whole story and get to know each one of your characters. When you read a novel... it's as though you're right there, in the middle of the action.""And you want to turn the Dino Attack into a novel," deduced Peter, "so that the world can get the full story, or at least an exciting adaptation, of what happened during these eight months. Of course, you're going to need accounts from people who participated in the Dino Attack war if you want to know the full story yourself, so that you, as the writer, can get a better feel for the events that took place and the characters who are involved.""Exactly," nodded the writer. "I'd most likely use some artistic license and maybe make a few alterations to the story and characters for the sake of drama, and I'd probably have to cut down on some of the overly-complex and confusing backstories that predate the Dino Attack if I want to make a pragmatic adaptation... it is a novel, after all, and not a history book.""Good point," agreed Peter. "And I suppose that the reason that you're talking to me is...?"The writer grinned sheepishly. "Well, yes. I was sort of hoping that I could interview you, since you helped out the Dino Attack Team, so I could at least have a starting point for my novel."Peter smiled politely. "I'm afraid that I don't know every detail and every account of what happened... if you want to know that, I'd probably recommend speaking to Dino Attack agent Andrew. I'll be seeing him later this week at the LEGO Island New Year's Party, so if you want, I can give him your information so you can keep in contact. But, I suppose, as a starting point... yeah, sure, I can do that.""Great!" grinned the writer. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a card containing his contact information. "If you don't mind calling me or shooting me an email sometime later," concluded the writer, "so that we can schedule our first interview... I mean, I think you'd probably want to get back to the party right now, so I won't keep you any longer.""Yeah, sure, no problem," nodded Peter. "I'll see you around - oh wait!" He paused before leaving the bathroom.. "I don't think I caught your name."The writer blinked in surprise, and then chuckled in incredulity. "Oh, wow. I'm so sorry!" As he shook Peter Abody's hand one last time, the writer introduced himself: "My name is Samuel Piaker."

OOC: Anything that can be said about the incident with Papa Brickolini and Nick Brick has already been said and better than I could have said myself. Heck, when you think about it, Jacks, Andrewnuva, and Brikman captured the ethos (catching that I never actually said that the super-spicy-tongue-melting-jail-cell-door-opening-hot pizza was a Brickolinis' pizza), pathos (the emotional bond long-time LEGO Island fans have to these characters), and logos (using facts from LEGO Island canon to point out other flaws and inconsistencies), respectively, so all grounds of literary analysis were covered. I'm just glad that this is out of the way and we can resume our celebration. PepperxLuna is canon in this timeline?!Blame PeabodySam. He's a bit more believing in it, plus he doesn't feel Sky Lane could make it back to the island in time for the party due to the timing of the LEGO Universe "Return to the Venture Explorer" mission.To elaborate, while Pepper and Luna obviously shared a close partnership in the LEGO Island Comic Adventures, in hindsight I never really got that same impression from Pepper and Sky. They were friends, sure, but during Island Xtreme Stunts, Sky and Pepper were also hanging out with Snap Lockitt, so it wasn't so much a dynamic duo as it was a power trio. And, from what I hear, in the Island Xtreme Stunts game, Sky Lane is basically treated on the same level as all other LEGO Island citizens.To be fair, while I do personally believe that Pepper and Sky share a close bond, I didn't think it was so strong that Sky Lane absolutely needed to catch the next 10-day-express-flight spaceship back home just to reunite with Pepper. And even if it was... well, considering that Johnny Thunder's appearances in April had to be retconned so that he could believably be in Nimbus System by October and that Sky Lane was involved in the return to the Venture Explorer in early December, it didn't seem (gasp!) realistic enough for such a 10-day-express-flight spaceship to exist. At least, not without Wenn Wuzzit's help, but he didn't build his Time Twister until the following February... but then again, it's a Time Twister, so once built, it could potentially exist at any time... argh, this is why I hate Timey Wimey Balls! *raises glass*It's truly been a pleasure working with you, Andrewnuva. I'm really going to miss writing Dino Attack RPG with all you guys. And if you see me on BZPower, Steam, or that-site-which-must-not-be-named, don't be a stranger and feel free to say "Hi!" I tried to come up with a response to this question, but found myself in a strange position where, no matter how hard I tried, I could not put it into words. But, seeing as you have pointed out that, occasionally, memetic images can universally represent that which we cannot put into words, I think there's one particular meme image that best suits my response:Seriously, though, I'm still debating whether or not I'll reveal Ben Gunn's identity. The two big questions are "how?" and "when?"IC: Frozeen sat with Shannon Grimton, Greybeard, Mary Rose, and Sam Throramebi, glad that he was able to find a group of familiar faces in the massive crowd of people that had gathered in the LEGO City park. Frozeen knew that, very soon, he had a party to attend at LEGO Island, where he was supposed to make an honorary appearance for being a LEGO Island citizen who participated in the war against the Mutant Dinos. While he was not exceptionally fond of parties, a party at LEGO Island was never something that he wanted to miss out on.The entire crowd of people attending tonight's event was gathered around the newly-built open-air theater. The famed Lorin Nelson Orchestra was all set up and ready to perform, but first, there were a few speeches that needed to be delivered. Mayor Frictionfit delivered his own speech, which he erroneously referred to as "short and sweet" when in actuality it was long and dull, and then invited four figures onto the stage. Three of them, Frozeen immediately recognized as Shadow, Digger, and Viper."Who be that?" Greybeard had inquired when they were brought onstage, gesturing to the fourth Minifig. "I ne'er seen th' likes o' him while working fer Dino Attack Team, says I."Frozeen did not recognize the fourth Minifig either, but when he saw Shadow, Digger, and Viper, he quickly calculated the Minifig's identity. And when he made his way to the podium and spoke into the microphone, Frozeen's calculations were proven correct."Shiver me timbers!" whispered Greybeard. "I don't believe it - that be Specs?""Sure looks different when he's not wearing that balaclava, huh?" murmured Frozeen.For most of Dino Attack Team and its allies, Specs was a mysterious figure whose very identity seemed forever bound to that mask he always wore. Now that the war was over and he had to make a public appearance, Specs apparently saw fit to taking off his famous balaclava. To his fellow Dino Attack agents, it was almost as though everything they knew about Specs was changed just by finally seeing his face for the first time. But to someone like Frozeen, who was used to looking at things from an analytical point of view, he could hyper-focus on Specs's eyes, see the same qualities and strengths of a powerful leader who would never give up, and know that it was the same person after all.Specs's speech was a crowning moment of awesome and heartwarming, combining all the greatest elements of every speech delivered by himself, Semick, Greybeard, and other notable motivational speakers of the Dino Attack. He briefly summarized the struggles faced by Dino Attack Team over the course of the war. He commended the entire Dino Attack Team for such bravery and honor displayed throughout the course of the agents' service. He gave thanks to Dino Attack Team's allies across the globe; not just Alpha Team and Agents Defense Organization, which helped in battle, but also to sponsors such as Octan which gladly supplied Dino Attack Team's vehicles with precious fuel.Specs even gave thanks to the allied villains: Evil Ogel, Lord Sam Sinister von Barron, the Brickster, and Lord Vladek. However, only three of the villains showed up at the ceremony. The Brickster and Lord Vladek were both basking in their glory, which Frozeen imagined would probably be the first time they ever received such recognition from anyone aside from their own minions, and Lord Sinister proudly announced that, next year, he was going on an expedition to Egypt, where he would go on a quest to recover the legendary golden treasures of Pharaoh Amset-Ra."Should someone break the news to him that Archibald Hale and his team beat him to it by 87 years?" Shannon whispered to Frozeen.Amused, Frozeen shook his head. "Nah. He'll figure it out on his own... eventually."Although Lord Sinister's ignorance concerning the status of Amset-Ra's treasures lightened the mood, Frozeen was secretly concerned about the lack of appearance by Evil Ogel. Reports had shown that Evil Ogel was somehow killed three times by Dr. Rex over the course of the final battle. However, every Skeleton Drone claimed that Evil Ogel was, somehow, still alive. Alpha Team scouts had reported that, mere minutes before the Galactic Council's quarantine on LEGO Planet was ended, a red-and-black rocket launched from the Ogel Control Center on Ogel's Island. The Space Police were unable to track the rocket, but its course appeared to be set for Nimbus System. Frozeen shuddered to imagine what undecipherable plans lied behind Ogel's helmet... what dreams of power and control could possibly involve Nexus Force... or the Maelstrom.After the three villains had spoken their input, Specs resumed his speech and devoted a moment of silence in memory of all those who had fallen during the Dino Attack. Frozeen thought of Rex, Amanda, PBB, the alpha female T-Rex, Libo, General, and, of course, Kotua and Databoard... although neither were confirmed to be killed in action, there was still no word from either of Frozeen's close Mission Deep Freeze friends. After Specs wrapped up his speech with a grand conclusion, the audience erupted into applause for Dino Attack Team's leader."Huh," grunted Greybeard. "What hogwash. A moment o' silence? That be it? That be all th' due t' th' dead that he be payin'? What better time t' honor th' sacrifice o' those like Rex, an' instead he does not even say Rex's name!""You do realize how many Dino Attack agents died during this war," murmured Frozeen. "It would be impractical to list them all, here and now, or else we'd be here all night long.""Peter's right," added Shannon. "Besides, even as we speak, there's a memorial being built that will have the names of every Dino Attack agent who died engraved in stone for all to see. Don't worry; the name Rex Alexander will not be forgotten."Shadow, Digger, and Viper gave their own speeches; while they were all well-written and excellently-delivered, none of them held a candle to what Specs had to say. It was likely that they knew what their audience wanted to get to, and they were not going to stall for much longer, for once the speeches were finished, Mayor Frictionfit handed it over to the famous Lorin Nelson Orchestra.The Lorin Nelson Orchestra performed old classics like "Sunny Hill Park" and "Baroque in Brick", and Frozeen relished at the sound of the latter's clarinet solo. The audience was in for a great surprise when Annie Wallis herself showed up to perform her famous song, "Think I'm Gonna Build Me a Bridge Today". One can only imagine how wildly the audience cheered when "Brick Barrel Polka - Baja On The Bayouu" started playing.But the highlight of the night was definitely the final piece performed by the Lorin Nelson Orchestra: the "2010 Overture". According to rumors Frozeen had heard, Lorin Nelson himself had been writing the song over the course of the entire Dino Attack, with the orchestra named after him learning it bit by bit, and he had not finished until he was struck by great inspiration while listening to J. Theano covering Dino Attack Team's exploits during the final battle on December 21. If this story was true, then the Lorin Nelson Orchestra certainly did not show that they had only a few days to practice the finished piece, for what they performed was one of the greatest orchestral performances Frozeen had ever heard.As someone who had seen the entire history of the Dino Attack with his own eyes, Frozeen was surprised by how well the "2010 Overture" served as an overture for the Dino Attack. It began slow and dark, even a little sinister, but then a more patriotic motif that seemed to represent the Dino Attack Team was introduced. From there, there were fierce and intense bursts of orchestral hits representing the battle against the Dino Attack; a rather adventurous-sounding section that sounded like it could cover the Adventurers' Island mission; there was even one part where Frozeen swore that he could recognize Lorin Nelson quoting some of his earlier works, such as "The Jail", and it most certainly had to represent the LEGO Island mission. At the end, the song painted a picture where it seemed that evil had triumphed and all hope was lost, but then the Dino Attack Team's motif returned in full force to conquer evil and save the day in the greatest orchestral climax Frozeen had ever heard, backed spectacularly by a full fireworks display over the LEGO City bay. When the "2010 Overture" ended, the audience erupted into so much noise, Frozeen thought he would go deaf.The "2010 Overture", and the events and people that inspired it, would go down in history. Feeling a tear come to his eye, Frozeen was just happy that he could have been a part of it all.

OOC: For the convenience of people who don't want to do a ton of scrolling every time they read this page, I've placed the bulk of the post under a spoiler tag. However, considering the... disclosed subject matter of what lies within the spoiler tag, I think this works rather well as a meta-example of a spoiler tag!IC: ***** The following morning, Bartholomew Enderson sat behind the brand-new counter of his freshly-rebuilt bar. It awed him how quickly LEGO construction crews could work, and combined with the post-war enthusiasm, his bar was restored to more or less exactly how it was before it was originally wrecked by a swarm of hungry Mutant Lizards, a Mutant Raptor that was too intelligent to be locked in the wine cellar, and a Mutant T-Rex with poor eyesight.As he reflected upon the interview he had last night, he stared off into space and continuously wiped a glass with a cloth even though it was already sparkling clean. He was not sure what it was all going to amount to. She was dead, and there were no charges placed upon him. So what was the point of it all?Bartholomew snapped back to Earth when he saw a Minifig approach his counter. From his bright blue uniform and hat, Bartholomew recognized that he was a mailman; if the clothes didn’t tip him off, the giant sack of mail did. The mailman stopped at the bar counter, rummaged through his bag, and pulled out an envelope.Just for an instant, as he watched the mailman, Bartholomew Enderson had a brief relapse of all the countless envelopes that had been handed to him in this very bar to be delivered to her.“Mr. Bartholomew Enderson?” the mailman read the name off the envelope in a weary voice.“Yes, sir,” nodded Bartholomew, “that’s me.”“I’ve got a letter for you.” With that, the mailman handed the envelope to Bartholomew.Bartholomew felt a feeling of surprise mixed with a hint of amusement. All those years, he had been handed envelopes in this very diner, but not one of them was addressed to him; they were always for her. And now, he finally had a letter to himself. “Thank you,” smiled Bartholomew. “Have a good day, sir.”Chuckling softly to himself, the mailman picked up the huge sack of mail and turned to leave. “Oh, I’ll have just as good a day as any other day because every day is a good day for a mailman because there’s always mail that needs delivering. A good day to you too, Mr. Enderson.” With that, the mailman left the bar.Bartholomew Enderson looked over the envelope. Indeed, it was addressed to him. However, what caught his eye was the return address: Dino Attack Headquarters, LEGO City. Puzzled, he opened the envelope, took out the letter inside, and read it.Dear Bartholomew Enderson,I am sorry.As much as I fear that the word “sorry” does not even begin to cover my feelings, I cannot think of another word to use, as I was never particularly eloquent in speech. I am sorry, Bartholomew, for all the trouble I have caused you in the past. It’s all my fault that a great burden has been placed upon you, for in order for you to be my secret-keeper, you had to sacrifice so much and not say a word about it. I have done you so much wrong, and it pains me to remember that I threatened your family just to keep your mouth shut.And I am sorry for leaving you without even saying goodbye.I’ve changed, Bartholomew. Or, at least, I am trying as hard as I can. For now, I’ve joined D.I.N.O. Attack in the battle against Mutant Dinos, in hopes that maybe by helping to save the world, I can redeem myself of all that I have done. After the war, I intend to settle down, live a normal life, and never have to pick up a weapon ever again. But I am writing to you now, for I am not certain that I will survive this war, and I don’t know if I can ever meet you again, face-to-face, and tell you my feelings in person.I need you to understand something… that is, if you haven’t figured it out on your own; I do not doubt your intelligence. During the time that we worked together, I was utterly alone in the world. I had no one… no one, but you. You were the sole person that I could truly trust. And, while our relationship remained strictly a business one… you might have also been the only person I genuinely cared for. Because I trusted you, you were almost like a father to me.And thus, I wish to thank you for all that you have done for me. You are now free, Bartholomew, and our business is finished. You no longer need to suffer the burden I had placed upon you. Take care of yourself for me, okay?Once again, I am sorry. Can you forgive me?With sincere gratitude,Amanda “Silencia Venomosa” RemousBartholomew Enderson read the letter over again. Once more. Twice more. Each time, he let its words sink in deeper and deeper. “It is true, then,” he murmured. “She’s gone.” He folded the letter, placed it back inside the envelope, and pocketed the envelope. Sitting down, he smiled to himself, feeling free at last.And yet, he could not but wipe tears from his eyes. Despite all that she had done, he really did care for her, and knowing that she felt the same way made it feel as though he had lost a daughter. Looking upward, Bartholomew Enderson nodded gently and whispered: “Yes. I forgive you.”OOC: I do believe that's the last of the major posts that I had in mind before I wrap things up for good. Like Andrewnuva, I'm always susceptible to a bit of spontaneity between now and the end of the RPG, so there will most likely be a few more posts between now and then, but this is the last major one I have in mind.

OOC: Oh, yes, Andrewnuva. As a long-time LEGO Island fan who celebrated its 15th Anniversary two days ago, that was a great read, and I loved catching all the references to the original games and LEGO Island's involvement in the RPG itself. About time that this showed up in the canon! It took an In The Maelstrom Temple and a Dino Attack: Legacy, but now it's here... to stay!IC: Over the past few days, Frozeen and Greybeard had never seen so many helicopters as they now saw. With the majority of the Mutant Dinos defeated and the survivors being hunted and captured in the outskirts, LEGO City's population was returning in full force from the Alpha Team refugee facilities in Antarctica. The first to arrive were the construction crews and, aside from a mishap involving a billboard and a stray Mutant Raptor, the rebuilding efforts were met with incredible success. There were certain advantages to post-war enthusiasm in a world built of LEGO. In no time at all, Frozeen figured, LEGO City would be even bigger and better than it ever was before.After the police and fire departments were reestablished, civilians returned to their newly-rebuilt houses and apartments. Much had been lost in the Dino Attack and nothing would ever be the same, but there was some strange unanimous feeling of high hopes for the future that filled the air, and everyone was ready to start anew. What would they make of it? Just imagine...One helicopter landed at the meeting point set up by Frozeen and Greybeard. Among the many civilians who stepped off the helicopter, there were three familiar faces."Grandpa!" cried Mary Rose, her excitement nearly too much for her small body to contain. She rushed towards Greybeard with open arms, and Greybeard caught her in his embrace, laughing jollily as he did so. Observing this, Frozeen noted that Rex was right in choosing to sacrifice himself instead of Greybeard.Next, Frozeen found himself patted on the back and gently elbowed in the ribs by Sam Throramebi. "Oh, man!" grinned the Rock Raider. "You would not believe what it was like down there! When we arrived at the facilities, everyone was huddled around their radios and hanging off of every word spoken by J. Theano. It was just like the Golden Age of Radio! And then, when he announced that the Mutant Dinos were defeated... well, the noise was louder than the eruption down in Quadrant 14!"Laughing, Frozeen patted Sam on the shoulder. "If you think the noise down there was loud, you should have heard what was going up here after the victory! Half the time, you couldn't hear yourself think while Williams and Zimmer were warring with each other with 'The Throne Room/End Title (Medley)' and 'One Last Shot'!""Throw in some '1812 Overture' and some fireworks," smirked Sam, "and the entire world's population cheering at once, and then we'll talk about 'loud'!""Oh! Hi, Talia!" waved Frozeen, catching the Dino Attack agent's attention as she stepped off the helicopter.After spotting Frozeen, Greybeard, and the others, Talia Kaahs smiled and rushed towards them. "Hello again, Frozeen!" she grinned. "I'm glad to see you again; I admit, I was unsure if I'd ever see any of you again, but then I found confidence and strength in telling myself that you'd pull through, as George said you would.""It's great to see you too, Talia," nodded Frozeen. Although the Alpha Team agent smiled, there was sadness in his eyes, as he knew that there was news that he would have to deliver.The look in Frozeen's eyes did not go unnoticed, and Talia faltered. "George...?" she dared to inquire. "Did he...?"Frozeen sighed and, slowly, shook his head. "He didn't make it. He... he wanted me to tell you that he was sorry."Life drained out of the scarred face of Talia Kaahs. Even to Frozeen, who tended to be rather aloof towards others' feelings, could not be mistaken about the pure sorrow betrayed in her features. She pressed a hand to her chest and caught her breath. Talia looked as though she was about to say something, but could not voice any words, and instead lowered her head and slowly took a seat on a nearby bench.Frozeen was unsure of what to do. He remembered how Rex refused to let anyone pity him, and feared that something that he might say could only make things worse for her. Finally, he resolved to ask a simple question: "Is there anything I can do?""When and how?" inquired Talia, her voice shaking. It was a simple, yet understood, question."In the last few minutes of the battle," explained Frozeen, "George volunteered to hold back the Mutant Dinos while the rest of us boarded T-1 Typhoons to fight Dr. Rex. However, when Dr. Rex arrived, we were not ready for him, and I think Baron Typhonus must have given Dr. Rex the strength fueled by his anger regarding your relationship with General... we fired everything we had upon him, but it was not enough to stop him from crushing George beneath his heel. George really helped us out against the Mutant Dinos and put up a great fight against Dr. Rex himself, and I thought for sure that he was going to pull through... but it was just not enough. His death was not in vain, and he died a great hero."Frozeen pulled out the G.E. Body helmet and handed it to Talia. She took it and stared at it, her sorrowful face reflecting off its metallic surface.Sighing, Talia wiped tears from her eyes. "We both knew it wasn't going to last much longer," she whispered. "We both knew that old age was catching up to George... and George was certain that if his brother ever found out about me, he'd kill us both. I just... I just wish that I was there with him when he confronted Dr. Rex.""I think... you were," murmured Frozeen, "in a way. If it weren't for you, General would never have stood a chance against Dr. Rex. I'm certain that you were in George's heart and mind during the final battle, and you granted him strength so powerful, only the Maelstrom itself could come close enough to tear you two apart.""I... I think I need a moment," sniffed Talia as she buried her face in her hands and sobbed."Avast," grunted Greybeard. "Do ye think General would 'ave wanted t' see you actin' like this? He died wi' th' knowledge that ye lov'd 'im dearly, an' if thar be a Heaven o' some sort, then he be watchin' o'er ye now, says I. Would he want ye t' be sobbin' o'er 'im, mournin' 'im fer finally redeemin' himself in his own deadlights? Talia, listen t' me. General be a great Minifig, an' thar ne'er be ano'er like 'im, but I be thinkin' that he would want ye t' move on, says I.""Yeah, there are plenty of other great Minifigs," suggested Sam Throramebi, "like me!"Frozeen and Greybeard shot Sam a pair of disapproving glares."What?" frowned Sam. "Can't a guy hope that there's someone up there feeling nice enough to Pair The Spares down here?""General wasn't the only one who died in the war, you know," Frozeen shook his head. "I'm certain the name Semick might ring a bell?"Sam Throramebi blinked in surprise. "Semick?" he repeated. Taking off his helmet and scratching his head, he murmured: "Man, that's... really... something. After the LEGO Island mission, I began to put aside my distaste for the Power Miners and see that Semick really was a great guy. He was a great commander and wasn't afraid of anything. I mean... he knew I didn't like him 'cause he's a Power Miner, and he still made an effort to get past that barrier between us out of respect for his fellow teammate. Ah, well. I kind of wish I got to know him a little better. But from what I know of him... I think I'll miss him."Frozeen wanted to say something more to Talia, but then a message came in over Frozeen's headset. "Dash Justice to elite agent Frozeen. Come in, elite agent Frozeen!""Yes?" responded Frozeen, turning away from his comrades. "This is elite agent Frozeen. Have you got an update on the case?""Roger that. We found the civilian you told us about and we're currently holding him in the local Agents Headquarters, seeing as our main LEGO City base is still under reconstruction. We are waiting for you to commence with the investigation. Are you certain that this man will provide us with the information necessary to close this case for good, agent?""Yes," nodded Frozeen, "I am quite certain. I am on now my way. 10-4, over and out."Turning back towards Talia, Frozeen scratched his head. "I'm sorry, I've got to go now. Alpha Team duties and all. But, look... if there's anything you need, just feel free to contact me, okay?"Slowly, Talia Kaahs nodded.OOC: Sorry about the Mood Whiplash. However, seeing as this post is intended to take place before Andrewnuva's post, think of it as a happy Mood Whiplash instead of a depressing Mood Whiplash.I can only promise you that my next IC post... will be excruciatingly long!

OOC: It's rather late where I live, so I was almost not going to post tonight... but then I get a NEWSFLASH FROM JAMESSTER! Today happens to be the 15th anniversary of LEGO Island! How could I not celebrate by posting?Quite an interesting cast, that guy. Some of them, such as Faran Tahir as Dust and Michelle Rodriguez as Cabin, were pretty obvious choices. However, I did have a laugh at seeing names like Shia LaBeouf and Robert Pattison on the list. As for the two of my characters on the list... well, the only time I've ever seen Ben Affleck was in Good Will Hunting, and I admittedly have never seen anything with Max von Sydow in it before, so unfortunately I'm not really in much of a position to say whether or not I think they would be fitting. Part of the problem is that, if a character of mine is completely original (and I actually mean "completely original", not "ORIGINAL THE CHARACTER (DO NOT STEAL)!") I don't really think about actors or actresses who would fit into the role.Anyways, let's celebrate with some good ol' LEGO Island...ness... and stuff... yeah.I also happen to have no idea when this takes place in relation to any of my other posts. Yay for anachronic order!IC: "Ladies and gentlemen, it is I! The lord of the bricks! The king of the bricks! The this of that! The brick of brack!"Frozeen glanced upward at the sound of a familiar nasally laugh. Descending upon the torn-up road was a famous criminal who was being carried by a pair of his robotic henchmen, flying around on their jetpacks. "Long live the Brickster!" he declared triumphantly."Hello, again," Frozeen rolled his eyes, then tried his best to look away."Hey, what's the matter?" the Brickster raised an eyebrow. "Embarrassed to be around your infamous big brother? I'd think that after what happened last night, you'd be proud to call me 'brother'!"Frozeen sighed. "Yeah, actually. What you did out there... flying that T-1 Typhoon into battle and blasting that music... taking on Dr. Rex himself... I've got to admit it, you did good out there. Real good. And not to mention what I heard about your exploits at Dinosaur Island." He looked the Brickster in the eyes and smiled, patting him on the back. "You made me proud, for once.""Yeah, yeah, yeah," shrugged the Brickster. "Let's cut the Znap. Now, a little less of the mushy stuff, and on to the glory! You know, before this whole apocalypse stuff happened, if I so much as stepped out of line, they were going to hang me and my laundry out to dry. Now, I'm thinking they'll probably grant me a full pardon!""Keep dreaming," smirked Frozeen. "You and I both know you're not going straight.""We'll see about that," sneered the Brickster. "I heard some of them talking about this guy they hired and they were going to pardon him if they fought for us. Well, turns out he was an idiotic coward and ditched us on the battlefield, and it sounds like they're revoking the pardon and locking him back up. Meanwhile, I single-handedly destroyed that laboratory and wreaked more havoc and destruction upon the Mutant Dinos before taking on Dr. Rex himself! They'd be ungrateful not to give me some reward! I mean, if all they're going to do is give me the chair after this, they might as well throw in a lovely matching table for good behavior!""You know, you're quite lucky," murmured Frozeen. "You met Dr. Rex face-to-face and lived to tell the tale, and then you fought against him and you're still standing here today. So many others... didn't make it.""Ah, yes," frowned the Brickster. "I heard about the grasshopper guy... eh, what was his name? General Hopper? Meh, I wasn't too fond of the guy, myself. He was an obstruction to me proving my worth to Evil Ogel. Maybe now that General Hopper's gone, Ogel will need a new general following him around. I'm no grasshopper, but hey, he can call me 'Thumper' and we'll call it a day."Just then, a Fire Hammer passed them, blasting a loud, triumphant victory march. The two Brickster-Bots standing on either side of the Brickster started dancing.The Brickster scowled. "Stop that dancing!" he ordered them. "Don't you know what happens when you don't stop dancing? One of these days, you're going to die dancing!"As soon as the Fire Hammer was out of earshot and the Brickster-Bots stopped dancing, the Brickster turned to Frozeen. "Well, Brickthief, it's been nice knowin' ya," he shrugged. "I don't think things are ever going to be the same now that we've spent some quality time together, working for the same side for once. Maybe in some alternate 'what-if?' universe, we could have been great partners in crime.""Perhaps," nodded Frozeen, "but in this timeline, circumstances and fate allowed it be so that a law-enforcer and a deranged criminal could work together for the greater good. It's been good working with you, Brickster."Frozeen extended a hand, and the Brickster was honestly too stunned to do anything for a moment. Then, with some hesitation, the Brickster shook Frozeen's hand, both of them feeling as though this would be the last time they would ever do so.OOC: So, that's my LEGO Island 15th anniversary tribute for tonight. If I had known a little earlier today, I would have probably done something more, but hey, I'll make do with this.<His name is David L. Lander. Remember that.>Also, isn't it just funny when you realize that there are familiar voices in other movies?

OOC: Apologies for not posting for a while. Things are pretty busy up here, just as I predicted they would be. Admittedly, I am very glad to have ended the final battle so I wouldn't have to worry about posting on a tight schedule when I've got so much real-life work to do.Atton, we've chatted about this via Steam, so you already know what I'm going to say. However, I just thought I'd say it out loud that I pretty much agree with everyone else when it comes to the issues that you have brought up (i.e. realism, post-war consequences), namely that we're writing a LEGO fan-fiction and you should just think of the MST3K Mantra. And as for the issue with Firecracker, seeing as Jacks and that guy are not "your audience" but actually your fellow co-writers, you might want to listen to their advice.I'm kind of conflicted about the Darklling battle. On one hand, it is a very engaging read and I do very much enjoy reading it. On the other hand, being a post-final boss who can fight so many of our characters, crash a Fire Hammer into a graveyard, and still manage to shrug off a blast of pure Maelstrom, Darkling is feeling ever-so-slightly like a Villain Sue. Of course, Brikman, part of the problem was that you intended only for your characters to be involved, but everyone else got involved and things escalated from there, so I'm not really "blaming" anybody for this. I just find it a little bit odd that, it seems, Darkling is even tougher to defeat than Dr. Rex, an invincible Mutant T-Rex possessed by the Maelstrom. But, as I said, I am enjoying reading this and I eagerly await its conclusion.So, you promise that Zach and Holly won't die? Then, based on how DARPG writers use Exact Words, I fear for the lives of Zelda and Minerva... Why, yes, I do. I see now that Kara Wise is a very interesting case, for she is not only a Tuckerization, but also The Danza. I'm pretty much on the same scale as Jacks and Brikman. Whenever possible, I imagine things as taking place in a LEGO world with LEGO people. However, sometimes I flip-flop a little and think of them as humans, and when I do fan art of Dino Attack RPG, I usually depict my characters as human. Nonetheless, much like Brikman, having an image to work with, especially one on the wiki, helps cement a picture in my mind of how a character should look, and as our wiki uses LEGO-based imagery, that should answer a few questions for you.And despite what you and Atton say, it is very possible to imagine serious drama with LEGO Minifigs. While Brickfilms tend to be on the silly and humorous side, there are a number of very serious and dramatic Brickfilms. Heck, even LEGO has a few "official" videos that succeed in making Minifigs look dramatic (the Rock Raiders intro, the LEGO Universe intro, and the Wizard Act 1 cutscene of LEGO Battles come to mind). And not just Minifigs, either. Some Source Filmmaker videos such as "The First Wave" show that cartoonish caricatures from an over-the-top game like Team Fortress 2 can be genuinely emotional. Pixar taught us that CGI toys can make us cry. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that one should not dismiss a medium as "not dramatic enough" when that medium can always play against type. I don't know if it will be possible, but there is another website I know of, which I was recently convinced to join for the sole purpose of keeping in touch with people with whom I have parted ways, and it might be possible that we could find each other there. I know that I found Atton and Jacks on that website, and Toa Antrakha should still be on there too, if I'm not mistaken. The problem is that this requires knowledge of our real names (and where we live, if we have a common name), and some of us (cough, cough) are a little hesitant about producing such information at the present time.Key word: present. The future holds many possibilities... It's definitely a possibility, but one that I'm not currently considering a high priority. Seeing as I still have to finish up HTTYML, would like to rewrite my own Romantic Plot Tumor, and already have two other "What If?" ideas in mind (namely, "What if Silencia Venomosa never retired?" and another short story about Future Frozeen from Alpha Team: Mission Deep Freeze RPG, which may feature a few familiar faces from Dino Attack RPG...)... Heck, yes!Anyways, since it's been nearly two weeks since the death of Dr. Rex and we're still only a few hours after the final battle (while the projected time for the end of Dino Attack RPG is New Years, 2011), I may have to start initiating some Anachronic Order to get all that I want to wrap up... well, wrapped up in time. For example, you'll notice that this next post takes place at dawn.IC: Slowly, Frozeen inhaled a breath of fresh air. The atmosphere had that cool, refreshing, after-rain taste to it. It had finally stopped raining, or at least it was drizzling so lightly that Frozeen no longer even noticed, although Frozeen could feel a bit of a cold wind picking up. It was colder than before, finally starting to feel like winter, but the rejuvenation brought upon by the victory over the Mutant Dinos had certainly kept Frozeen warm.But as winter, the season of death, had begun, Frozeen now found himself in a place of death. Since Rex had no Minifig family, and Frozeen personally doubted that Chompy believed in custom Minifig memorial and burial services, it seemed only fitting to look for the family plot of his late wife, Amanda. Only a quick bit of research told him where to find the Remous family plot. A bit more research informed Frozeen of some background history on the Remous family, including their rather wealthy status... and a terrible fate that shivered Frozeen's spine.But as much as Frozeen wished it were not true, the evidence laid before him. Two headstones stood before him, rather small and plain in comparison to what might have once been the more extravagant tombstones of their ancestors, but if the sources were true, then these two, small, plain headstones were all that the Remous family could afford. Still, they had miraculously survived the apocalypse itself, still standing to tell the tales of the dead.AMADEUS EDWARD REMOUS1945-1993ROSARIA MAE REMOUS1947-1993"I remember reading about it in the newspaper when it happened."Frozeen was not alone in the graveyard. Accompanying him was Shannon "Gromtin" Grimton, who surveyed the area from her seat in the wheelchair. "It was when we were all assigned that mandatory 'fire safety' research project that we did as freshmen in high school, remember?" she inquired.Frozeen nodded. "Vaguely. I do seem to recall that our sophomore year chemistry teacher told us that we should have committed acts of arson to get true hands-on experience on the subject. He always was not-so-secretly a pyromaniac."Shannon grinned. "Ah, good old Dr. Juhász; we'll never forget a teacher like him." The smile disappeared from her lips as she continued her story. "A few of my friends and I got together one weekend to work on the project, and we took a bunch of recent newspapers and looked for anything interesting. And, well, we were all horrified to read about what happened. And, although nowadays it's pretty much public knowledge that Bricassius was responsible, back then, it was all covered up; unfortunately, this city's police and government were corrupt at the time.""Did you get a chance to properly meet Amanda before the final battle?" inquired Frozeen.Shannon shook her head. "Sadly, I'm afraid not. After I broke my legs in that fall, I wasn't allowed to go on missions out of fear for my safety; this was before I started making... adjustments... to my wheelchair. Rex was lucky to have had someone who cared for him so much that she would always be there, by his side, to ensure that he would never have to leave the battlefield where he was needed most just because of his condition.""If there's one thing that Rex taught us," Frozeen glanced at Shannon's wheelchair, "it's that you don't have to stand to take a stand.""Stop it!" smiled Shannon."I'm serious," smirked Frozeen."You are right, though," nodded Shannon. "If Rex's legacy will be half of what Andrew says it will, then it will certainly send out a strong and motivational message for people like... well, myself, right now. And, although you haven't met my brother yet, I think you can imagine how active I am in supporting challenged people.""Indeed," noted Frozeen. "Anyways, to backtrack a bit, after the death of her parents, Amanda took a vow of silence for a long time.""They really must have loved her," murmured Shannon."Makes sense, when you think about it," pointed out Frozeen. "You see, when you look at the Latin etymology for the name 'Amanda', you see that it means 'worthy of love'. And, you know, I really do think that this was a very fitting name for her.""You didn't tell me you were into linguistics," mused Shannon.Frozeen chuckled. "Thanks to Alpha Team training and private lessons from PBB, I've improved my ability to read and speak other languages. I'm still no expert, but... hey, at least I can point out a nerdy thing or two about etymology. And, seeing as it's a rather recent development, it makes sense that you wouldn't have known. There's been a few other... recent developments... that you still need to catch up on.""For example, the fact that you've decided that you actually are in love with me after all?" Although Frozeen startled at this comment, Shannon raised her hands and shook her head. "I'm sorry; I think I was a little blunt there. I apologize for that."Frozeen sighed. "You know, Shannon? The funny thing is... after years of therapy and counseling, plus a few years in Alpha Team, I've felt like I've been in control of my Asperger's syndrome. I mean, I know it's incurable, but I never really thought of it as presenting itself as a problem during my years in Alpha Team; if anything, it might have even helped me be more effective at my work. And despite all those years of counseling and feeling like I was in control... when I'm with you, I feel like I'm in high school again, flustered and confused about my emotions, and not sure what to do or how to cope. It's almost like Frozeen is the cool, collected Alpha Team agent while Peter is the dorky, insecure kid."Shannon leaned in towards Frozeen, locking her soothing eyes with his own. "Peter, think. What would all your therapists and counselors, the people who helped guide you through your life, tell you to do right now?"Frozeen averted his eyes and was silent for a moment. "They would want me to clearly project how I really feel," he murmured."And how do you really feel?" inquired Shannon in a quiet yet compelling tone. "Peter, speak to me."Slowly, Frozeen managed to raise his eyes back up to meet Shannon's gaze. "How I really feel?" he whispered. "What I told you during the final battle, after I learned what happened to Amanda... all of it was true. I love you, Shannon. I always have. And I know I'm as bad at handling romance as a socially-inept college freshman writing a poor fan fiction full of lousy Romantic Plot Tumors, but... I do."Shannon nodded slowly. "Good, Peter. I'm proud of you. However, I know what you're thinking, and it's the same question that drives every lover mad. And, I'm afraid I must tell you that I'm not ready to take you back. It's been too long, Peter, and you did hurt me pretty badly, even if you did not meant to do so. I'm not ready to just take you back with open arms after convincing myself that you did not actually love me. It's going to take a little more time, I'm afraid."Silently, Frozeen averted his gaze and stared at the ground."But don't worry," urged Shannon. "Time will heal. And I do feel that, once I'm ready, I will be ready. It's a little something you can look forward to. I just need you to understand how much you hurt me, and after that, I will forgive you.""I... probably deserved this," murmured Frozeen. "I do understand what you mean, Shannon. But until you're ready, can we not be bitter around each other? I'd just like things to go back to the way they were, when we were... friends."Shannon nodded. "Of course we can be friends, Peter. We're friends right now, aren't we?"Frozeen smiled. "I suppose so."Glancing back at the headstones of Mr. and Mrs. Remous, Frozeen changed the subject. "Anyways, I was thinking that we could, you know, have Amanda's burial and Rex's memorial service held here, seeing as Rex does not really have a family plot of his own, despite his connections to the Alexander and Schattenberg families. It would be a bittersweet ending, but I would think that Rex and Amanda would have wanted to be together forever, even in death, and it's only fitting that their tombstones should be together. And, of course, Roger too; the man deserves some recognition for all that he's done for his sister.""At last," murmured Shannon, "the Remous family would be reunited, together in the end."OOC: I wanted a scene with Frozeen and Shannon, and I wanted a scene in the Remous family plot, so I decided to kill two Mutant Pterosaurs with one PLARXX Radar Ray. Again, sorry about the Romantic Plot Tumor, but even though Gromtin was added pretty late in the game, I do feel like this love story needs some resolution.And that's the thing we should all strive for before the end of Dino Attack RPG: resolution.

OOC: So, I was going to write this post yesterday, but instead I played TF2 with Atton and Andrewnuva. For most of the match, we were the only people on the server... which allowed us to do all sorts of crazy things together than no one else would understand (for example, at one point, I was playing as a Spy and Andrewnuva called me out on it, so his Soldier shouted, "Boys, we have a traitor!", and Andrewnuva followed up by saying, "And his name is Ata!"). Nobody expected the Medic Inquisition, and I discovered that shouting "MEDIC!" is an effective way to trick an enemy Soldier into firing rockets at you... and then airblast them right back at him.I had a blast, guys! Feel free to invite me to another TF2 "get-together" any time I'm not busy! OOC: Sounds like an interesting prospect, but I see my story ending more around the New Years Day thing when I actually put my money where my mouth is with a post or two about the Big LEGO Island Party I keep talking about.Same here. I'm picturing my final post of the RPG as taking place at New Years, most likely featuring the sunrise or sunset. Sunrise might make more sense if it's the dawn of the New Year, but sunset works better as the end of my RPG characters' story... I don't know. ... Wow. Just, wow. I admit, I was in the process of trying to recreate Cyrista's Bane in Flash... but that sketch alone just blows me away. It's so epic! I can't wait to see the finished, colored version.IC: Greybeard limped over to the crash site of the Joseph's Heir. There, he found Prince Samuel Race, helped by Bill Ding and a few other mechanics, in repairing the damage caused to the T-1 Typhoon during the final battle. The old pirate was relieved to see that Sam was doing better since the untimely death of his father. He gently tapped Sam on the shoulder, and the LEGO Racer flinched in response. Upon seeing Greybeard, he caught his breath and shook his head. "Oh, come now, Greybeard! Don't sneak up on me like that!""Sorry, matey," shrugged Greybeard. "I just want'd t' check up on ye. Ye be a brave man, flyin' that ship into th' flames o' Dr. Rex himself! Yer father would be proud t' see how much ye grew up, says I.""Thanks for your kind words," Sam smiled and nodded, but his eyes had a very sad look.Greybeard noticed that Sam Race was wearing earbuds connected to one of those fancy new gizmos for listening to music that Greybeard had occasionally seen during his time working with Dino Attack Team. Gesturing to the iPod, the old pirate inquired, "So, what be ye listenin' t'? Some sort o' victory music? A lot o' them Dino Attack agents, such as Williams an' Zimmer, be playing loud an' triumphant victory songs."Sam sighed and shook his head. "Right now? 'Soldier Side' by System of a Play.""System o' a Play?" repeated Greybeard, with the raise of an eyebrow.Sam Race chuckled. "I know, it doesn't really seem like the sort of music I would listen to. Sam Throramebi is more fond of the band than I am; he's more into that style of music, I guess. I'm not a huge fan of System of a Play, but compared to most bands of that genre, I daresay, I personally think System of a Play is actually pretty tolerable. The singers don't always scream, and instead of just thrashing their instruments as loudly as they can, they actually play distinct and, sometimes, even pretty melodies.""Avast," snorted Greybeard. "Ye can keep yer System o' a Play. I be listenin' t' me Beatles, Eric Clapton, an' Yes."Sam Race laughed. "Yeah, those are some pretty awesome bands." Then, the laughter and smile disappeared as Sam Race looked down at his iPod and sighed solemnly. "You know, the thing about 'Soldier Side'... I never truly understood what it was about. Then again, I'm not sure what most System of a Play songs are about, anyway. But now... after the final battle... I feel like I truly understand what 'Soldier Side' means. When you go to war, you don't come back... because even if you survive, what you have seen has changed you forever.""An' ye?" Greybeard bit his lip, concerned. "Ye feel that way?"Sam nodded grimly. "I'll never be the same. Not after seeing my father die in war. I've always enjoyed competition, and I just thought of the Dino Attack war as just another competition. But now... now I can understand why my father did all in his power to keep the Space Knights out of the many wars that have taken place in Castle Cove. War is MegaBlokland. Sons go to war, never to return. Families wait for their loved ones, never coming home. And even after I finish my scheduled sessions with Dr. Saran... I'll never be the same again. I'm done, Greybeard. I'm doe.""So what be ye goin' t' do?" inquired Greybeard. "What if thar be another Dino Attack? What if Castle Cove be in danger?"Glancing up at the night sky, Sam murmured: "I think... perhaps the best thing to do is to leave Castle Cove and LEGO Planet forever. We Space Knights certainly have the technology to form our own satellite colony off of LEGO Planet. There, we'll be out of the way. We won't have to worry about the wars in Castle Cove. We won't find ourselves in danger of another Dino Attack. It might sound extreme... but I don't want anyone in my kingdom to know firsthand what I know now."Shrugging, Sam Race added: "I might pop in once in a while for a LEGO Racing Championship or something, but... I think this is the last time in the foreseeable future that we might be able to hang out together, Greybeard.""If that be what ye think be best fer yer kingdom," nodded Greybeard, "then fair winds, me hearty." Greybeard and Sam Race embraced one another, and Greybeard whispered in his ear: "No matter what ye do, I know yer father be proud o' ye. Do not forget that.""I won't," promised Sam Race.OOC: Wanted to write about Frozeen and Shannon too, but having some difficultly properly diagnosing that Romantic Plot Tumor...I thought that "Soldier Side" by System of a Down is a great way to describe some of our more shellshocked veterans of the Dino Attack, such as Sam Race. And yes, if you're curious, my opinion on System of a Down is the same as Sam Race's opinion on System of a Play.