Sara

[size=1]When I was little, I always had half a dozen stories--parts of books I'd read, a movie I'd seen, a dream from last week, something I'd just made up--that I would think about, and add on to, and jus sort of fade to sleep... I loved doing that. I never had any problems going to sleep, because I liked the story-part just as much as the sleeping. There's a level I go to, where I can stay for hours. Not doing anything, and not quite sleeping, just being there and quiet. I don't even half to close my eyes. And another: Sometimes, when I'm off by byself, I find myself acting things out. I don't plan to, or anything, but I'll move around, and act out the parts of several characters in one story or another of mine. I love this stuff.[/size]

[size=1]I agree with Ken: A lot of people just don't realize that, no matter what the medium, feelings and friendships are very real and very important. I've ben rather fortunate in that one of my closest friends IRL is also an internet person who's made some very good friends via message boards and chats. I've solved the problem with other people, somewhat, by using the term "pen pal." If asked about it. Or simply saying, "you don't know her." [i]I want advice on the situation. I'm not asking if you think the relationship is valid.[/i] In the past two years, I've made more and closer friends online than I had in fifteen years of mucking about IRL. ;) [/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Justin [/i] [B]Heh, Shaun, God has different ways of touching different people. Clearly, He touched you through this, and that's great. :) -Justin [/B][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]That's the most perfect thing I've heard all day.[/SIZE]

[size=1]The stick people are awesome.[/size]

[SIZE=1][b]Harlequin[/b] [list] [*]A cask of Amontillado. I'm sorry, that just made me smile. [*]Like Lady A said, you sort of skipped between dialogue and screenplay form. Vagely disconcerting, that. [*]I liked reading about Lacroix. It'll be much easier to write for him next round now that you've posted. [*]Jynesee. I didn't at all expect her character to be like that, but I like it. Jittery, heh. Took me by surprise. [*]Not a lot of character interaction, I'd've liked to read how Lacroix sees the others' speaking with eachother. [/list] [b]Sara[/b] [list] [*]Overdid it with Burman a bit, don't you think? [*]Don't like the characterization of Calonice, ugh. [*]Relee's very nice to tell a story from. ^_^ [Love you, Juu, for having such a wonderful character.] [*]Nothing actually [i]happened.[/i] [*]But you got all the characters in there, good job! It only took you three tries.[/list] [b]Shy[/b] [list] [*]Love Miles. Especially, like Lady A said, when he gets "huffy." [b]No manners at all.[/b] Heh. [*]Missing Tylenia and Calonice, but I really like the way you portrayed everyone else. [Xii!] [*]Good ending, very...end-of-chapter-ish. [*]All in all, I love what you wrote.. It just seems very unpolished, which is weird for me to see from you.[/list] [b]Lady A[/b] [list] [*][i]I[/i] like your ending. The whole fox thing was pretty interesting to throw in there, too. [*]Good job with all the characters. [*]I like Tylenia. She's very down-to earth and honest, the way you show her and what happens. [*]You threw some other little good moments in there, too. Calonice taking care of her horse--which threw me off, a bit, but I like it. [Have you read [i]Song of the Lioness?[/i] Reminds me of Alanna.] [*]Heh, more dialect. ^_^ I like that, it gives the whole thing a very honest feel.[/list] [b]Juu[/b] [list][*]Bunkerdink. Heh. ^_^ Reminds me of [i]Princess Bride[/i] [*]I like the way you did Alex. I don't know if that how he's supposed to be, but I think it fits pretty well. [*]I like your ending. [*]Unfortunately, I have no idea what the signficance is. o0 [*]You have some good phrases and imagery. Just liked them. The miniature water fountain, for example--it just made me smile.[/list] *several minutes later* I vote for Shy and Lady A.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Shift [/i] [B]It's [b]crono[/b] not Crono... [/B][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]The last two people to spaz about lowercase letters were thimoc and kuja. Think about it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]:twitch: Don Keyhote. .... Do you know how long it was before I realized the guy's name [i]wasn't[/i] "Donkey Hotay"? Anyway. Shy, that whole thing was [i]perfect.[/i][/SIZE]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#808080](such as browsing additions for the blind and such).[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]I... I think I need more sleep. Cloricus, I don't quite get what you mean....?[/SIZE]

[size=1]Noted. I wasn't sure you'd allow it, but I liked the way it turned out, at least in that respect. And on to other news... Shy! You posted! I like your "Point A, Point B" stuff. Some of your phrasing is awkward, though. [Well, some of mine is, too, but I get to pick on you.] [b]Two-Second Summary:[/b] I love the content; it's just the punctuation that throws me off. [b]More stuff, enjoy:[/b] The first thing that jumps out at me is really nit-picky, but hey. I'm used to proofing, not critiquing, so here you go: Some of the punctuation just [i]bugs[/i] me.. [color=brickred]?Well, I?m not entirely sure.? Replied Burman, ?This area has.."[/color] is almost backwards. The first phrase should end with a comma, and the period should fall after [i]Burman[/i]. [[i]Replied[/i] should not be capitalized, but that follows the comma vs. period bit.] You did this a couple times, or I wouldn't have bothered pointing it out. [Bug me about it if you want the full proofing treatment some time.] [color=brickred]...beautiful, red-haired woman wearing beautiful woman dressed in dark robes.[/color] Whoops. ;) There were a couple other "rewrite" mistakes, but that's obviously what they were, no big deal. Okay on to the fun stuff. I didn't even notice it at first, but your dialogue just flows from the last sentence of my piece. Very nice. It took me a while to figure out why, out of the blue, Miles was asking about name origins. _ _ I had to laugh when I realized what you'd done--Couldn't believe I didn't catch it the first time through. I liked the way you did Xii; I guess you can learn a little bit about your character by the way other people write about him. She seems very wistful in this piece, something I wasn't quite expecting. I like the way it turned out, though, and it adds a nice level to her character that *wince* I didn't quite do in my own piece. [She isn't [i]supposed[/i] to be two-dimensional, honest!] I know it's a little overwhelming trying to write another person's character [what if they don't like it, oh no!] but as far as [i]my[/i] character goes, you did a great job. Relee also featured rather prominently in this one--she must be easy to write for, I hope Juu doesn't mind! I honestly don't know a lot about her character since Juu hasn't submitted anything yet. You managed to work almost everyone in there--I know it's hard. I have to scribble a checklist at the top of my notebook every time I try to write something to make sure I've accounted for everyone. Doing a quick headcount, you mention everyone's name at least once, but I don't think we hear anything from either Tylenia or Calonice. Calonice drives me nuts; I have no idea how to write for her. But until we see something from CWB, we're the ones defining that character...so I'd guess we'd better start [i]doing[/i] it. It was fun finally seeing some of Miles. Quite honestly, I love your character. ^_^ He's very refreshing...so normal. Which, of course, makes him stick out like a sore thumb in the realm of fantasy. He gets miffed at the others for interrupting Burman, and more annoyed when people realize it. How...human. I love some of the little things you threw in there. The girls wait for Burman to finish talking; the guys are all staring at [strike]Daja[/strike] Aud. Miles' reaction when she walks over to Burman is great. [color=brickred][i]No manners at all.[/i][/color] There's a lot we can read from that line, I love it. He didn't strike me as being the sort of person who would mutter to himself, but it just fits there so well. The idea that Aiken is on the "frontier" was a nice touch to his character, too. The area's been lived in for ages, but it's certainly not up to [i]England's[/i] standards of civilization. [color=brickred]Miles sighed, and adjusted his glasses. He knew that this would be dangerous, but he never expected to be exiled from the town. ?Perfect. I suggest we organize this a bit, sleep in shifts. I?ll be up all night doing research anyway.?[/color] Nice ending. Again, you throw some good character stuff in there almost without being noticed. Glasses--of course. He took the job, but didn't expect life on the fringes of civilization to be [i]this[/i] bad. I was going to comment on Harlequin's as well, but it's later than I expected...another time.[/size]

[SIZE=1]I have nothing against Valentine's Day, I remember grade school parties with chocolate and ice cream and no homework...those were the days, heh.. Anyway, on the thirteenth last year, I decided that I wasn't going to be able to handle V-Day. To be honest, I was upset because someone [i]did[/i] like me. Figure that one out. So I did a Google search on "obscure holidays" for February, and came up with [b]Ferris Wheel Day.[/b]. My sister and I each made a dozen or so little cards with Ferris wheels on them, a couple posters to put on on our lockers, and--just to be stubborn--wore all black to school, wishing people a "Happy Ferris Wheel Day!" The boy I was worried about gave me a flower with a poem on the notecard, I turned scarlet and inarticulate--very upset, you see. It wasn't supposed to happen. I love him dearly, but well... It's a long story. We have a day off of school on the 14th this year. I don't recall why.[/SIZE]

[size=1]I didn't think I was going to have time this round, so yeah. That was mostly written during my "off" time at school today; it's short and I didn't really do a whole lot... But I wanted to write something, so...there we go. ^_^[/size]

[size=1]Night had long since fallen on the small house outside of Aiken, and the company of travelers sat in their borrowed cabin, listening to the mayor?s speech. ?The more recent?ah?[I]incidents[/I], Burman was saying, ?have begun occurring during the daylight hours. So you understand the apprehension, of course, that Aiken is feeling right now. When the only?untoward occurrences?were to farm animals in the dead of night, well, that was one thing?easily dismissed, you see, as the work of a wolf or other predator. But for the culprit to leave the?shall we say?.[I]evidence[/I], mutilated in the field?that is something no animal does, of course. And now people have disappeared, and you understand that no amount of assurance will allay the people?s fear of?ah? this?[I]difficult situation[/I]?? Relee found herself wincing at the man?s constant use of euphemism, and finally tuned him out. She looked idly around the room, sincerely hoping Burman had somehow inherited the title of mayor; things did not look well for any town that would [I]choose[/I] to have him as a leader. Her eyes skimmed the company. Tylenia sat on the floor by the fireplace, occasionally poking the logs with a stick. She looked young and?innocent, really. The girl had stood up to both Alex and Burman, though, and Relee was willing to bet she was tougher than she looked. Tylenia shifted, as though aware of Relee?s observation, and looked up. The two made eye contact, and Relee nodded before looking away. Xii sat across the room, munching on something she had found in the kitchen. She looked bored, and rolled her yes as Burman used yet another delicate phrase to avoid using the word ?killing.? Relee frowned slightly. If Tylenia seemed stronger than her looks admitted, Xii did not. The forest girl had come into the group somewhat by accident. She was willing to help, but Relee wasn?t sure this was the place or situation for her. Percy sat on a chair behind Xii, writing in a book; Relee fancied it was a journal of some sort. Next to him was Alex, the Ranger-type man she had met at the gate. He was growing visibly frustrated with Burman?s speech. And so, it seemed, were the others of the group. ?So you do understand the ?ah?[I]delicate issues[/I]?.I am dealing with,? the mayor said, and opened his mouth to go on. For what may have been the first time, the Knight spoke. ?[I]Mayor[/I] Burman,? and the title seemed suddenly an insult. Burman?s mouth closed, leaving him with a look of surprise one might fancy to see on a stranded fish. ?[I]Mayor[/I] Burman, stop being such a diplomat. You brought us here to solve your problem, and there is no point in sidestepping the crisis. Animals have been slaughtered and mutilated during the night, and more recently during the day. People have disappeared; we are to assume they have also been killed. You wish us to identify and eradicate the cause of this.? The Knight paused. ?Am I correct?? ?You are.? A new voice, from the doorway. Eight pairs of eyes locked suddenly onto the latest arrival. A woman stood in the doorway. She was slight, but the air about her commanded attention. The firelight shone on her face, giving her dark skin a soft glow. Black hair, except that held in place by a gold band, seemed to melt into the darkness behind her. Burman jumped up. ?Daja!? he exclaimed, ?You?re here!? ?I apologize for my tardiness,? the woman replied, looking about the room. Burman smiled widely. ?It?s alright; we were just getting started,? he said, his voice suddenly too loud. ?We?ll just go back over the things you missed.? The company stared at him in collective disbelief. Burman had spent the better part of an hour droning on about the ?delicate issues? Aiken was facing and how they surely understood ?the awkward situation? the mayor had found himself in. Relee closed her eyes. Surely he would not subject them to that again. ?That won?t be necessary,? Daja said, earning herself a room of grateful allies. ?Oh, of course not,? Burman amended hastily. ?Naturally not. Ahem.? Relee caught Tylenia?s eye again, and they both looked at the mayor. He was suddenly no longer in control of the situation. All eyes were on Daja. ?So what do you suggest we do?? Percy asked. ?Solve the problem,? Alex said laconically. ?That?s why we?re here.? Lacroix sent him a withering look. Relee winced inwardly at the man?s hard stare, even though it was not directed at her. ?And how do you plan on going about [I]solving the problem[/I], Ranger?? he asked icily. Alex narrowed his eyes. ?Any way possible. I haven?t heard [I]you[/I] offer any suggestions.? Burman grew alarmed, suddenly at the realization he was no longer in control. ?Gentlemen, please!? Both men sent him killing looks, but Burman tried his best to ignore them. ?Why don?t we...ah?continue discussion of how to go about?.? His voice trailed off. ?You don?t know the cause of the problem,? Tylenia said slowly. ?She looked up from the fire. ?How can we fight an enemy we can?t see?? ?We can?t,? Percy said simply. ?Precisely,? Daja slipped herself back into the conversation, drawing the attention of each person. Xii looked perplexed. ?Precisely? That?s it? Don?t you want to try and do something?? Daja smiled. ?Of course. The first step will be finding out who, or what, is doing the killing.? Burman nodded, struggling to regain his foothold on authority. ?Absolutely correct. Thus, I propose that we divide into certain groups?? ?I work alone,? Lacroix said coldly. Burman stopped, a little thrown off. ?I?well, of course.? He nodded, back on track. ?That can be arranged. Are there any other?ah?requests?? Silence greeted him. ?Very well. In the morning, I will provide escorts for those willing to visit the?.shall we say, [I]scenes of the crimes.[/I]. There are still some farmers who have [I]declined[/I] to retreat within the town walls.? Burman?s voice indicated clearly what he thought of them. ?Any of the ladi?any of those who feel they may?ah?be better suited to a different venue, will be welcome to enter Aiken at that time.? Tylenia smiled coolly. ?I?m sure we?ll all find something to do, Mayor.?[/size]

[size=1]I say F-A-Q. Because "faq" is just....non-Sara-speak.[/size]

[size=1]...not for pop up text. :p[/size]

[size=1]I continue to dislike the idea of Harry hooking up with [i]anyone[/i]. ...Yeah, or [i]Accio [whatever the trophy-thing was][/i] Thing is, Rowling has to keep introducing new elements to the book to keep up with people. So she isn't going to be able to write into the first book something that Harry learns about in Year 6 or whatever.. There's going to be some discontinuity. [/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by PiroMunkie [/i] [B][color=indigo][size=1]My algebra teacher already makes herself seem "odd" enough. Corny jokes seem to be her specialty. She always likes to go off on [i]tangents[/i]... She pulled that joke the first day, lol. I was cracking up in my seat. ^^ This other girl and I were the only ones that got it, I think. Everyone else is pretty ignorant in the math area...[/color][/size] [/B][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]My math teacher has worse jokes than your math teacher. :p[/SIZE]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by master [/i] [B]history ask him who was the real first preisdent of the united states say jhon Hansen he was elected under the papers of confedircy. [/B][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Trick questions are not needed. Trust me. Unless your teacher is already a complete idiot, I see no point in ridiculing him or her. [/SIZE]

[size=1]One of the astronauts was from my city. She graduated from high school blocks away from where I grew up...[/size]

[size=1][b]Way to make my World History Teacher Feel and/or Look Stupid[/b]: Ask him a question. [i]Any[/i] question. Gah.[/size]

[size=1]I haven't seen it, but the first one...I thought was hilarious. I literally could not stop laughing. o0[/size]

[size=1]I think we should vote again. Now. Sort of a perpetual thing, hmmm.... The voting's much more fun than the results. Congrats to y'all. ;) Shy: The kuja font is most amusing.[/size]

[size=1]I babysit if someone asks me to. "Contently unemployed." I like that.[/size]

[size=1]That....was....so....freaking...hilarious.... Heheh. Oh, wow. Very, very funny.[/size]

[size=1]I don't have any, though I guess I wouldn't be adverse to owning one, heh. They're just so cool. Most of my guy friends collect them, though...some more than others. One came home from Turkey this summer with a new one--I couldn't believe they let him through Customs. Another has somewhere between six and twelve dangerous pointy weapons.... Scary guy; I tend to avoid his room when I visit.[/size]

[size=1]That....was funny.[/size]