(Previously on The DA *insert creepy lost theme music* ...)

She could feel Lit's stare piercing the back of her as her own violet gaze remained fixed on the chair covered in thick grey dust.  This outpost they found had been abandoned, no doubt a relic of one of the previously destroyed iterations.  The hardware was ancient and out of date but between the two of them and the knowledge stored in Tex's databanks they had done their best to restore and upgrade the communications systems.  Still Lit was uneasy.  As usual Liliane was feeling almost suicidally reckless.
 
"I feel compelled to once again express my strong feelings of uneasiness regarding this plan of yours, Commander." Lili rolled her eyes and her chin dropped as she shook her head, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips. "Lit... please... stop calling me that." She only heard the subtle sound of a smirk from behind her.  "A Commander of one is just silly, and besides you're not here due to my orders, you're here because for some silly reason you refuse to abandon me."
 
Lit smiled.  "I have no intentions of returning to Zion, and the barrens can be a cold and lonely place.  Besides, you know as well as I do you need me here."  Lil would have liked to point out that she didn't need anyone...but what the red headed stubborn woman said was true.  "It's difficult enough to try and dissuade you from pulling dangerous stunts like jacking in through ancient hardware, who knows what you would put yourself through if there wasn't at least one voice of reason to talk you down off your cliffs."
 
Lili's eyes dropped from the chair, the weight of the past hanging heavily in the dark circles below those lids as her voice dropped to almost a whisper, hallow and numb.  "Maybe you shouldn't..."
 
Lit's smile faded and her tone grew serious.  "Kabell isn't the only person in this world who loves you, Lili."
 
Lil's eyes closed tight, fighting away the memories that name invoked. Small hints of his continued existence haunted her, as did his continued distance for whatever reasons were known only to him.  It agonized her and Lit instantly regretted the mention of him, sensing her best friend's distress.  Lili shook her head, her long disheveled black curls sweeping away the thoughts as she took a deep breath and regained her focus and resolve at the current task at hand.  "You confirmed the meeting time and place with him?"

Lit dropped the topic and allowed the moment to pass from emotional to business as usual. "Yes.  The confirmation was encrypted but your request was confirmed.  When the Merovingian catches word of your intentions you know he will not like them.  No one just up and resigns without paying a hefty price for it."

"He won't know until Hattah passes it along once the meeting is completed, and then good luck to the Merovingian ever finding us. If GreatWyrm and ..." she stopped herself from repeating his name," so many others can pull such convincing disappearing acts I am sure I can do the same."  Lil stepped closer to the chair, kneeling before it with rag in hand as she began wiping the dust from it with such slow care you would have thought it meant more to her than it really did, like some fossilized relic that might crumble under too much pressure.  The only purpose of her actions was to lesson the focus off her own trepidation and turn them toward something, anything else.

"Yes but as far as we know neither of them enter the Matrix any longer, and you don't intend on giving up your little playground."  Lit's arms crossed.  No, she did not like this plan of Lili's at all."

"I have no intentions of following Wyrm on his whimsical archaeological digs."  For the first time the hint of a grin curled at the corner of her lips. "I still have my own little games to play within that digital world."

"Hmm... very dangerous games."

Lil stood "Hey..."  She turned toward her, that flash of malicious intent burning below dark lashes, her voice dark.  "I told you before, if you don't want to play you are more than welcome to leave, but you know you want to play just as much as I do."

Lit's arms uncrossed and her hands raised in the air as if to concede. "Like I said...just being the voice of reason you refuse to listen to."

Lili really did love that woman.  They balanced each other out in a way no other partnership could.  The sister she never had, the conscience she long ago lost.  Her rock to lean against in a seemingly endless sea of treachery.  She smiled warmly at her partner in crime and then glanced toward the clock, smile fading once again.  "Alright, countdown to showtime.  We're low on water and I'm not spending a week with this chair's grime caked in my hair so grab a rag and get over here and help me."

One of our faction members is doing a study for school and I'm posting the link here to our forum for him.  If you wouldn't mind taking a second to read this and hop over to cast your vote, it would be much appreciated. <3

 "Read the following discription and honestly choose a rating E-M (Or AO). In 24 hours I will reveal what the game actually is. Please dont be a smart *** and name what you think it is or anything like that.

Join a rebel faction of a foreign kingdom to rescue their leader, a wealthy and beautiful woman. Gain powerful abilities by eating red and green mushrooms and local "flowers". Slaughter and stomp on your enemies without mercy as you single handedly engage in combat in a race to beat the clock as well as pillage town after town. Destroy the local wildlife for kicks and then use their bodies to add insult to injury by using them as weapons! Circumvent entire squadrons of enemies by using the kingdoms sewer system to your advantage. Brutally kill appointed leaders with an axe and by throwing them into a pit of lava with little to no remorse! Play with a friend for added enjoyment! Only you can bring the kingdom into a new world order! "

http://www.devilsadvocates.net/foru...read.php?t=3402

I've got $i, and hugs.... and candy.

Starting image:

w/the text "Liliane" and "The Devil's Advocates"

<3 <3 please

If you have any of these, please contact me and we will negotiate.

Enhanced Light Teal Arasiki Sleeveless Vinyl Dress
Melee Damage Resistance (33pts)
Stun Duration Bonus (2%)
Thrown Resistance (33pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 50

Enhanced Black N'Wing Sunglasses
Viral Accuracy Bonus (2%)
Melee Damage Resistance (33pts)
Viral Resistance (33pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 50

Enhanced Pink Pearl Fash Skirt
Ballistic Damage Resistance (33pts)
Melee Damage Resistance (33pts)
Powerless Duration Bonus (2%)
Thrown Resistance (33pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 50

Enhanced Ninja Mask
Ballistic Damage Resistance (32pts)
Blind Duration Bonus (2%)
Viral Resistance (32pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 49

Enhanced Sea Green Pearl Fash Skirt
Melee Damage Resistance (32pts)
Confuse Duration Bonus (2%)
Viral Resistance (32pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 49

Enhanced Green Pearl Fash Skirt
Ballistic Damage Resistance (32pts)
Debuff Area Radius Bonus (2%)
Thrown Resistance (32pts)
Viral Resistance (32pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (1%)
Min Character Level at 48

Enhanced Red and Indigo Dada Short Boots
Melee Damage Resistance (30pts)
Ballistic Damage Bonus (1%)
Upgrade Crafting (2pts)
Viral Resistance (30pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 46

Enhanced Teal Arasiki Zipperpants
Ballistic Damage Resistance (30pts)
Melee Damage Resistance (30pts)
Viral Resistance (30pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 46

Enhanced Point Reinforced Gauntlets
Ballistic Damage Resistance (30pts)
Melee Damage Resistance (30pts)
Powerless Duration Bonus (2%)
Viral Resistance (30pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 45

Enhanced Purple Milleri Fade Dress Combo
Melee Damage Resistance (30pts)
Thrown Resistance (30pts)
Viral Resistance (30pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 45

Enhanced Face Mask
Ballistic Damage Resistance (29pts)
Melee Damage Resistance (29pts)
Melee Resistance Bonus (2%)
Viral Resistance (29pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (1%)
Min Character Level at 44

Enhanced Purple Arasiki Zipperpants
Ballistic Damage Resistance (29pts)
Melee Damage Resistance (29pts)
Thrown Resistance (29pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 44

Enhanced Geoman Gauntlets
Melee Damage Resistance (26pts)
Innerstrength Regen Bonus (2%)
Viral Resistance (26pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 39

Enhanced Archer Fedora
Ballistic Damage Resistance (26pts)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (2%)
Melee Damage Resistance (26pts)
Thrown Resistance (26pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (1%)
Min Character Level at 39

Enhanced Deep Brown Consular Short Coat
Ballistic Damage Resistance (23pts)
Confuse Duration Bonus (1%)
Upgrade Crafting (1pts)
Viral Resistance (23pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (1%)
Min Character Level at 35

Enhanced Red N'Wing Sunglasses
Ballistic Damage Resistance (23pts)
Thrown Resistance (23pts)
Code Writing (2pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (1%)
Min Character Level at 35

Enhanced Black N'Wing Sunglasses
Viral Accuracy Bonus (2%)
Melee Damage Resistance (33pts)
Viral Resistance (33pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 50

Enhanced Pink Pearl Fash Skirt
Ballistic Damage Resistance (33pts)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (2%)
Debuff Area Radius Bonus (2%)
Thrown Resistance (33pts)
Min Character Level at 50

Enhanced Black N'Wing Sunglasses
Ballistic Damage Resistance (32pts)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (3%)
Thrown Resistance (32pts)
Min Character Level at 49

Enhanced Brown Pearl Fash Skirt
Ballistic Damage Resistance (32pts)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (2%)
Melee Damage Resistance (32pts)
Pacify Duration Bonus (1%)
Viral Resistance (32pts)
Min Character Level at 49

Enhanced Brown and Dark Purple Dada Short Boots
Ballistic Damage Resistance (32pts)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (3%)
Viral Resistance (32pts)
Min Character Level at 48

Enhanced Pale Teal Masseli Moon V-Neck Dress
Ballistic Damage Resistance (31pts)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (2%)
Thrown Resistance (31pts)
Viral Resistance (31pts)
Min Character Level at 47

Enhanced Dirty Green Milleri Albine Silk Tailcoat
Invis Movement Speed Bonus (1%)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (2%)
Decompile Skill (2pts)
Thrown Resistance (30pts)
Viral Resistance (30pts)
Min Character Level at 46

Enhanced Point Reinforced Gauntlets
Viral Accuracy Bonus (2%)
Melee Damage Resistance (30pts)
Thrown Resistance (30pts)
Viral Resistance (30pts)
Min Character Level at 46

Enhanced Green Silk Blossom Jacket Highcollar
Ballistic Damage Resistance (30pts)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (2%)
Ballistic Defense Bonus (1%)
Thrown Resistance (30pts)
Viral Resistance (30pts)
Min Character Level at 45

Enhanced Brown Holster Jacket Highcollar
Ballistic Damage Resistance (30pts)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (2%)
Viral Resistance (30pts)
Code Writing (1pts)
Max Innerstrength Bonus (2%)
Min Character Level at 45

Enhanced Black and Red Dada Short Boots
Ballistic Damage Resistance (30pts)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (3%)
Viral Resistance (30pts)
Min Character Level at 45

Enhanced Point Reinforced Gauntlets
Viral Accuracy Bonus (1%)
Melee Damage Resistance (28pts)
Withdraw Bonus (1%)
Thrown Resistance (28pts)
Viral Resistance (28pts)
Min Character Level at 43

Enhanced Green Yozomaki Sidestrap Boots
Viral Accuracy Bonus (1%)
Melee Damage Resistance (26pts)
Movement Speed Bonus (1%)
Thrown Resistance (26pts)
Viral Resistance (26pts)
Min Character Level at 39

Enhanced Green Yozomaki Sidestrap Boots
Ballistic Damage Resistance (26pts)
Invis Movement Speed Bonus (1%)
Repair Skill (1%)
Thrown Resistance (26pts)
Viral Resistance (26pts)
Min Character Level at 39

Enhanced Archer Fedora
Ballistic Damage Resistance (26pts)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (2%)
Melee Damage Resistance (26pts)
Thrown Resistance (26pts)
Viral Damage Bonus (1%)
Min Character Level at 39

Enhanced Purple Yozomaki Sidestrap Boots
Ballistic Damage Resistance (25pts)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (1%)
Initiative Bonus (2%)
Health Regen Bonus (1%)
Viral Resistance (25pts)
Min Character Level at 38

Enhanced Teal Vash Vinyl Cargopants
Ballistic Damage Resistance (23pts)
Viral Accuracy Bonus (1%)
Concentration Bonus (1%)
Thrown Damage Bonus (1%)
Viral Resistance (23pts)
Min Character Level at 35

WHY do they wait until a few days before to announce this!?

 http://forums.station.sony.com/mxo/..._id=36300016381

I'm only a few hours away.  Who's coming with me!?

(sadly, I don't get out of work until 6:30, so I will not actually be there )

{DA} Liliane: I just had a revelation

LiterateMisfit: oh?

{DA} Liliane: Matrix 1 is about Zion

{DA} Liliane: Matrix two educates about the Merovingians/exiles

{DA} Liliane: Matrix 3 teaches us about the machine point of view

{DA} Liliane: AMAZING

LiterateMisfit: whoa...i' never thought of it like that until now. you're right

{DA} Liliane: I'm a genius, dude

old? possibleh, but it never occured to me before!

Not that I assume everyone on the planet is interested, but I have received a number of questions regarding my return, my reluctance in abandoning our once great faction, and our plans for it.  Hopefully this will save me some time as I gather my strength back instead of standing around repeating myself, as I detest doing so.  Perhaps this will also help to aleviate rumors that do tend to rampage through Megacity like a horde of missinformed locusts, although I have no delusions they will stop completely.

Yes, the Devil's Advocates are back.

Yes, we will be recruiting again in the future, if not just yet.

Yes, most former members will be welcomed back into the fold should they desire.

Yes, some former members will have difficulty rejoining our ranks. I am not happy with how the faction was allowed to perish in our absence. I have regained the right to be selective, and I intend on using it.

((Yes, we will be RPing, creating storylines, involving ourselves in others' storylines.))

No, I have no desires of building our faction up to the huge mass it once was.

No, I will not be attempting to steal back former faction members from their new homes.

Yes, The Devil's Advocates are back, for fun and profit.

She stands in the hatchway gaping open so carelessly, looking out to the horizon. Body thinned, sharp angles beneath draping masses of tangled black curls. Dirt smudged. Eyes lowered. Lids rising again to gaze at the skies. She is momentarily rapt with fascination as the dark sky manages to grow shades darker, even more thunder than before rumbling in the hills afar. Eye close. Her thumb traces the journal given to her so long ago. How long had she been out here? How could it seem so long ago, and yet not long enough at the same time?

Why?

He was gone. She felt it was only right that she become a ghost as well. She had fled the remains of civilization for exile. If the Universe willed it, sentinels would find her. She couldn't imagine continuing within the Matrix without him there by her side. A smile crept across her lips and a tear fell in remembrance of his features.

He was gone.

Smile fading.

Eyes opening. She sighed and the moment passed. She turned away back to the even darker depths of her stranded ship. Months, possibly years, of isolation had taken its toll on her, only eating when the mortal recesses of her brain willed her to against her own wishes. Such was life, waiting for death, until the dreams began. Her promise to Kabell was not the only promise she'd made. A figure both terrifying and familiar reminded her of the promise she made to him long ago, sealed with her own blood. And now he needed her again, for purposes she was not to understand, only obey. No commands came but one. "Return."

The ship had decayed in the harsh environment that remained of a long ago blue earth, and its energy sources were near drained by sustaining her, all beyond her own repairs. Setting aside the journal she said a small prayer to whatever might exist, although she suspected nothing heard her, that the power cells held. Lights suddenly flickered to life, green screens flashing with code, as she powered on all that was required, and nothing more, in the control room. Pupils dilated and for a moment she had to shield her eyes so used to searching shadows.

She went to work quickly, programing the machine to automatically jack her in and out within a set amount of time. Once she hit run there was no turning back from this new path set before her. She tried to give up, to give in, to lay down and die. The sentinels never came. Only he did, and she still did not know how he found her, how he reached her, but he did.

At any rate, she was bored to death with the wastelands.

She took a breath and entered the run command, then wasted no time settling in the chair, shoving off a wave of apprehension.

The rush. The ecstasy. Falling headlong from one existence to another. She would be running blind through the matrix without an operator to guide her. She didn't even know if she'd find anyone in time, and the thrill of not knowing excited her more than she had anticipated. She felt almost... giddy as she fell face first from the phone booth. A moment of laughter as she gazed down at the body of her RSI, clean and clad in the same purple leather she remembered. How long had it been since she'd seen the color purple? "Don't forget," she thought to herself, and set her watch as she stood and shook it off. Quickly she flipped out her com and checked for a friendly frequency.

She had to laugh again, this time louder. Only one online, and she wasn't sure he would even answer her. Bringing the receiver to her lips. "It's so strange, the air in here...."

"That isn't air you're breathing." He replied.

She grinned.

They met up in the yellow line subway and spoke briefly. She nearly wept seeing Hattah's face, which amused her to no end considering their tumultuous past. He referred to Lili as Commander, to her shock, and informed her she was all that was left of her beloved Advocates. All the rest had become ghosts like herself, or abandoned their name for other factions.

"It would be good to see the Advocates have a presence in the Matrix once again."

She hadn't even thought of it, considered it, but in that moment she remembered words she had said many times over. That she would be an Advocate until the day she died. And she wasn't dead...yet. "I'll think about it," she replied, "but right now I have more pressing matters to attend to, such as the fact that I am stranded in the middle of nowhere, very possibly with a ship that will not run. Send the coordinates of the new Merovingian base to me, and I will be there when I can manage. I'll walk if I have to."

"I'll send them as soon as possible," replied the liaison. "I'll retrieve you myself if I..."

She could only blink and laugh again as she gave her thanks and departed. Time was running out and she had a hardline to catch.

((The journal: http://liliane-mxo.livejournal.com/  for those who don't know her))

I'm certainly not a new recruit by any means, I have been a member of this community for a long long time, yet I cannot upload my own avatar unlike some n00bs that are listed as "free minds"?

 Dissapointing.

ok I will consider coming back now.

Oh *CENSORED*, dudes, these smileys are weak.

http://forums.station.sony.com/mxo/..._id=36300000167

 While I understand the seriousness of this, I don't recall any of us signing non disclosure agreements.... or did we?

Message Edited by Liliane on 10-29-2005 08:01 PM

Ok, try to follow me here… I tested this theory on Kabell the other night and he seemed to follow me, somewhat, so I’m bringing it to the community.

Now, we know that the two programs were looking for a safe haven for their daughter, Sati.  We know that they were waiting for the Trainman, who works for the Merovingian, and that the Merovingian was assisting them, to help protect their daughter from deletion.

The next time we see Sati, however, she is with the Oracle making cookies.  This thought suddenly hit me as I was drifting off to sleep the other night.  If the Oracle and the Merovingian are enemies, how did Sati end up with her?  My conclusion?  They are not enemies.  In fact, I think they are much closer than we realize.

In my opinion The Oracle floats somewhere in between the machine world and the human world.  She was created as a system of control for the humans that chose not to be a part of the Matrix, even if that choice was at a subconscious level.  She seems to be her own entity, though, with her own thoughts and decisions that do not always go specifically along the lines of what the Architect may intend, which makes her somewhere between the Machine world and the Exile world, as well.  What if her design to be somewhat sympathetic to humans who choose not to be simply fed upon by the Matrix somehow overflowed to those programs who did not want to simply be deleted when their time had come, as well?

I propose that The Oracle actually created the Merovingian.  That they are not enemies at all, but instead have a closer connection than they would let on out in the open.  Why does he ask for the eyes of the Oracle, then, when Trinity comes to him for help?  Because he is close to the Oracle, because he already knows what is going to happen.  Because he knows it does not matter what outrageous demand for compensation for his assistance in retrieving Neo he makes, and he will make a request for compensation as it is his way, because in a few more seconds he’s going to have Trinity’s gun pointed at his head.  He does still have that image to maintain for the rest of the exiles, but he already knows what will happen.

The Architect commented that if he were the father of the Matrix, she would undoubtedly be considered its mother.  With that programming in mind, a mother would be concerned for the well being of all her children, which would be any programs created to help run the Matrix.  Why not create a new program as a means of protecting some of those children instead of allowing them to be deleted by the father when they no longer served a specific purpose?  Sati’s parents spoke of love, even though they are machines.  I think The Oracle holds this same sense of love for the programs she has created, and created the Merovingian out of this love for her children, even though due to her programming and closeness to The Architect she could not directly intervene in the affairs of such programs meant for deletion.

Thoughts?