Sara

[color=#b0000b]over the mountains the nine of them come and over the bridge of khazad-dûm but if i [i]takes[/i] it they might never make it gollum gollum gollum[/color]

[color=#b0000b][center][URL=http://imageshack.us][IMG]http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/4361/10195081wv1.gif[/IMG][/URL][/center] Something else that happened the other day that seemed to merit a doodle.[/color]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray]The jukebox [i]screeches[/i] unnaturally. The kids outside start screaming and crying. My soda tumbles onto my lap, then to the floor as I jump up in alarm. Trinkets fall onto our table from the shelf above. A freakish smiling dog, two of the three Wise Monkeys, a tin robot, a metal slinky, a perfume bottle shaped like a pig? The pig's nose breaks off, spilling perfume into the thick, noisy air. I stagger sideways, grabbing onto Cory as the shaking stops. The slice of cherry pie slides from Megan's tray onto our table, landing with a sickening [i]splat[/i] on my pile of postcards, staining them bright, bloody red? The robot skitters across the table, beeping and blinking? The restaurant lights flicker? My heart is racing. I can't breathe? [i]An instant of silence.[/i] [center]...[/center] ...The baby at the front of the room whimpers, and a moment later, general hubbub resumes. The jukebox hums back to life. The slinky [i]slinks[/i] itself off the table, unnoticed. [i]It's over[/i]. I nearly collapse with relief. "It's nothing to worry about," Cory repeats, squeezing my shoulder. "Just a small one." I feel like I'm underwater?I barely hear him. But I [i]do[/i] hear... a buzzing? I look around, seeking the source of the sound. I find it. The tin robot on our table is still trembling. I reach out, slowly?and pull back, nursing my finger. The metal is hot to the touch. [i]Ow[/i]. I suck on my finger, peering at the toy. Its lights are blinking?now its eyes flash red. I stare. "What did you do to your finger?" Cory is looking at me. I am looking at the robot. ...Which is looking at Megan. The toy [i]creaks[/i], then [i]hums[/i], then [i]skeeeeeeews[/i]. I follow the tiny red lasers as they shoot out, focusing on our waitress's forehead. Megan's eyes grow wide for an instant?then her face goes blank, and she falls to the ground, knocking over the barrel of peanuts. The screaming starts again. [/COLOR]

[QUOTE=2007DigitalBoy][COLOR=DarkOrange]Oi, the first comic is, but the second one is completely non-violent so it is far more enjoyable, and also it shows that the first was not just a one-shot. This comic actually does get pretty damn good as it goes along... I just finished comic 2, so at least give it a look. [url=http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b269/MetalSonic700/viccomicdos.jpg][B]Comic 2 part 2[/B][/url][/COLOR][/QUOTE][color=#b0000b]Okay, yeah, that's alright. One thing you might want to put some more thought into is your speech bubbles. You switch fonts a [i]lot[/i], which is kind of disconcerting, and the placement is sometimes confusing. In the fifth panel (for example) it looks like Death is asking his question before the other guy says his bit. I do like the idea of special colors for different characters, but it's not very consistent. Death is that dark purple/red color for a while, but then he goes black again.[/color]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray]I take a deep breath and [i]pull in[/i] the atmosphere around me. This is the non-smoking section, but the scent of old beer and cigarette smoke lurks in the upholstery and the table cloths. The back of the restaurant is dimly lit and full of odds and ends. It's more like an attic where they just [i]happen[/i] to serve a killer burger than it is an actual restaurant. I give the peanut barrel a wary appraisal, and begin to scan the menu. I don't mind the allergies, really. People give me sympathetic smiles and shake their heads when they find out... "Oh, you poor dear. That must be so hard!" It's not, really. I'm used to it?when I was a kid I had cream cheese and jelly sandwiches instead of PBJs, and I had to give up most of my Halloween candy (people have no [i]idea[/i] how much chocolate comes in contact with peanuts)... but that's just my lot in life. I've never had a [i]severe[/i] reaction, because my parents were always really careful with me... but there's always the chance. My doctor says that about one in five people with peanut allergies "outgrow' them by their mid-to-late twenties. So, maybe... we'll see. I know Cory isn't a fan of Jim's Grill, but I like it here. It's become such a tradition, and I love it because of that. They also make great milkshakes. I'm allergic to the strawberry ones, but I [i]happen[/i] to know that the chocolate shakes here are peanut-free, and that's a big plus. The waitress comes back, annoyed, and asks if we are ready yet. We are. She returns in a few minutes with my milkshake and our artichoke dip appetiser. The burgers will be a while. When they arrive, I dig in. Cory looks with dismay at his order?they've gotten it wrong again?but he opts to eat it rather than try to get it changed. He really does have rotten luck with this place. We bask in idle, smokey conversation. I finish my burger and fries (they're to die for) and flag down a waitress. She sighs heavily before asking what I want. I ask to see the desserts?and Cory sighs as well. They have cherry pie.[/COLOR]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy][COLOR=DarkOrange']I've got 2 for ya. The first is a webcomic I was illustrating and had plans for, but deided that without Photoshoppiness it wasn't worth the shot... it's a webcomic about heavy metal and gaming. this is an attempt to explain the non-satanic nature of metal gone horribly wrong...[/color][/quote][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]I like this one a lot more. It's got a pretty good flow to it, and I think it's funnier than the other one (which just seems to be about mindless violence, which isn't my thing). One thing that would really help it is some neater lettering. The serif'd font look doesn't seem to fit the comic itself. Overall, pretty cool.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][center]Start the countdown.[/center] [b]The World Ends...[/b] is an experimental series by Shy and me. With a definite cap on length and a definite conclusion, it's an exercise in creativity in what might happen along the way. The current thread is not open to general participation, but future ones will be. [size=1][b]Relevant Links[/b]: [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=57347]The World Ends in Ten Posts[/url] (Original game, closed participation) This list will be updated as other threads are started.[/size] [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray]Probably everyone who passes through OtakuBoards reads webcomics, and I think most people have said to themselves at one point or another, "I should try that!" [b]This thread is a challenge for you to [i]finally get around to it[/i].[/b] There are all kinds of webcomics out there, and every person who posts in this forum is creative enough to make one. It doesn't have to be epic, well-drawn, photoshopped, or even funny. Illustrate a joke. Caption a [url=http://www.asofterworld.com/]photograph[/url]. Ramble about [url=http://planetkaren.girl-wonder.org/]your life[/url]. Scribble things that [url=http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/]annoy you[/url]. Draw [url=http://xkcd.com/]stick figures[/url]. Heck, even [url=http://www.bobandgeorge.com/]recolor some sprites[/url]. [b]There's no obligation to keep going. One-shots are fine.[/b] Ever made one? Let's see it. Have an idea? Talk about it. Looking for inspiration? Ask for help. Is there a style of comic you'd like to emulate? Share it with the rest of us! [URL=http://img231.imageshack.us/my.php?image=93193909ti4.gif][IMG]http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9017/93193909ti4.th.gif[/IMG][/URL] This is a conversation I had with my little brother a couple days ago. I thought it was bizarre enough to warrant sharing with my friends, and this seemed like a fun way to do it.[/color]

[color=#b0000b]Lately I've been doodling little moments of my life and making some playful little comics. It wasn't anything I thought I'd actually get around to doing, but once I started it was easy to keep going. Life is full of weird moments, and putting them on paper is a lot of fun.[/color]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray]I pull the cord as the bus approaches City Hall, and the vehicle moans to a halt at my bus stop. I step out of the stuffy vehicle into the warm, lavender evening. It's summer?hot and muggy, but finally cooling down. We hit 102° this afternoon, and people in low-income apartments are dying of heat stroke... No one really pays attention to that; it's just a fact of life. People in this climate are never ready for hot weather... and sometimes, because of that, it kills them. I try not to think about it. The sun has almost set, and we're on the verge of that long summer twilight that everyone loves... still light enough to see, but finally cool enough to move around. I walk down the street towards the post office. A woman ushers her daughter hurriedly past the bum sitting outside the local ice cream parlor. He calls out a hello; I avoid eye contact but give him a bus token. A handful of children splash in the fountain across from the police station. Their parents sit on the patio of Jim's Grill, munching on french fries (best in town) or having a drink. One boy steals a sip of his mother's beer and spits it out. The post office is closed (it's well after five o' clock), but there's a stamp vending machine by the door. The man in front of me buys five international-rate stamps ($4.50) and gets a fifty-cent piece as change from the machine. It flashes orange in the last of the sunlight before he drops it in his pocket. I buy a sheet of ten postcard stamps and walk back to Jim's Grill. I've got a date.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE=Treble][center][font=Verdana][size=2][img]http://i15.tinypic.com/6gijsba.png[/img][/size][/font] [/center][/QUOTE][color=#b0000b]Oh, I like this. It seems very wholesome and friendly! Just the sort of thing OtakuBoards ought to stand for.[/color]

[QUOTE=Premonition][COLOR=Navy]Personally I feel that paientce, which I don' have, is what I need for the new skins. i say as long as we get new skins, we shouldnt' cart about tht wait. why? Because, platic surgery doesn't happen in a *poof* does it? Neither deoes graphic design! So James shouldn't be put into a hurry by anyone! [/COLOR][/QUOTE][color=#b0000b]You know, it's crazy... but I totally knew you were going to say that. It was almost like... a [i]vision[/i].[/color]

[center][IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=26200&stc=1[/IMG] [color=#b0000b] This is [b]Tiny.[/b] I call him Tiny because he's my newt.[/color][/center]

[QUOTE=Aaryanna][COLOR=goldenrod]Uh...No. Just plain no. :p You heard correctly. It's part of why we got her. The only drawback is that a Bichon's fur is more like hair so it mattes easily and requires regular upkeep. But still, seeing how much the cat sheds like mad, it's worth it. [/COLOR][/QUOTE][color=#b0000b]Oh, wow. That's really good to know! I'm a fan of big dogs, generally, but the idea of a pet I could actually keep in the house is very tempting. [/color]

[color=#b0000b]He's not over you. Are you over him?[/color] [quote name='Peanut][font=tahoma][size=2][b]Most guys do NOT need closure.[/b] For guys who do not know what closure means, its a definate anwser or conclusion. " No I DO not want to be friends. Partners. Anything " or " Yes. I would like things to work out. This is how we can do that..." instead it seems that people (for I do realize women have done it too) drag things on. [/size'][/font][/quote][color=#b0000b]I don't think that's really true. After I broke up with my former boyfriend, there was a very awkward period when [i]he[/i] was seeking closure?as far as I was concerned, we were matter-of-factly over and done with, but he felt like I was still stringing him along. I was startled when he finally told me this, because I had no idea he was still under the impression that I might be interested in him. I guess the point of that little anecdote is that the need for definite and clear [i]endings[/i] to relationships is pretty universal... and there's probably a [i]lot[/i] of miscommunication on the subject.[/color] [quote name='Peanut][font=tahoma][size=2] If anything, this taught me that break ups and relationships can be very complicated. For example, you can love someone and not want to be with them because your miserable. I don't think I could have believed that possible.[/size'][/font][/quote][color=#b0000b]This is exactly the situation I was in when I finally broke up with my former boyfriend. I finally realised that, yes, I was miserable?but [i]he[/i] was the person making me miserable, and [i]I didn't have to put up with that[/i]. Breaking up didn't change that immediately (he still made me feel crap, but at least he wasn't my [i]boyfriend[/i] making me feel crap), but I felt exponentially better as time went on. Ending that relationship was probably the single most difficult, and [i]best[/i] decision I have ever made. I was still very much in love with him at the time, but we had talked time and time again about how he made me feel, and none of it ever changed. I finally took a stand. It was hard, and I felt [i]awful[/i] (and guilty) for a long time, but in the end? The only thing I would have changed would have been to break up with him six months sooner.[/color] [quote name='Peanut][font=tahoma][size=2] I guess the point of this thread is simply, why can't someone tell the truth and give closure? Especially if theres no benefit in it for you. [/font'][/size][/quote][color=#b0000b]I think the idea of [i]giving[/i] closure is a scary one for a lot of people. In most relationships, you probably still like (at least a bit) the person that you are in the process of breaking up with. It's hard to put that all behind you. I think a lot of people secretly hope that there's a chance (however slight) that things might work out someday, and it's hard to admit (to yourself, your friends, or the other person) that you've completely given up on the possibility. It's the same reason people [i]want[/i] closure, actually?they still like (at least on some level) the other person, and they want the [i]other[/i] party to make the decision. [b]Is it [i]really[/i] over for good?[/b] In your situation, the guy still likes you (or he just doesn't want to be alone). You need to be the one who makes the call. If you're done, tell him.[/color]

[quote name='desertphoenix][COLOR=DarkRed]I kind of figured nobody wants to fail at seducing a teacher and be known for it. I all for the ways of ninja-like seducing. That teacher I guess would recognize the chloroform, plus it may be a bit illegal. But hey, it's not like I'm telling the guy to put a [I]roofy in the apple[/I'] or anything.[/COLOR][/quote][color=#b0000b]No, you're suggesting that he [i]knock her unconscious[/i] by giving her a possibly-lethal dose of chloroform. Also, again, it wouldn't work. Chloroform doesn't actually knock you out instantly like they show in old movies.[/color]

[quote name='Retribution][size=1']If you couldn't care less about incurring the wrath of your fellow students, it's a great way to get bonus points with the teacher.[/size][/quote][color=#b0000b]"Bonus points" are just as valid when they're acquired after class and don't interfere with other people's learning.[/color]

[quote name='rotation88']okay cyber mates, i'm trying to make up a manga script. but, i keep running into two road blocks; 1. i have no idea what to write about that i wont just give up on right at the start. and 2. i have NO IDEA how to write a script. every time i try and google the topic of writing a script i only get a bunch of nothing in my lap. so, if anyone has any comments or suggestions (other than me using the spell check on the computer because my spelling is really bad, because i wont and i don't care if you have to decode my spellings to understand them. i have to do everyday so now its your turn lol) reply to this or do something besides just sitting there and making wise cracks all day lol thats my job and i dont need the compition lol well chow cyber mates ;) :dogboy:[/quote][color=#b0000b]Oh, my. You're rather annoying. So you want to write a comic book script. There are two vital points to this: The creative (having a story to write) and the technical (knowing how to go about such a thing). If you have neither of those, I'm curious as to why you want to tackle this project. Honestly, you need to come up with an idea. I recommend the Muse Agency, though they're a bit pricey. Once you have a story you want to work on, go to the library. Comics compilations occasionally sport script samples, and famous comics writers probably have books written about them that include samples of their scripts, as well. There even exist [url=http://www.amazon.ca/Writers-Comics-Scriptwriting-Mark-Salisbury/dp/184023069X]books written about exactly this sort of thing[/url].[/color]

[quote name='Boo][size=1']Ooo, awesome. The ultimate RP. Well, for starters, it'd not be a "RPGame", but a "RPStory" (or just a ?RP?). I want to have the feeling that we, the players, are writing one awesome and intriguing story together. The term RPG sounds more as if you?re just in the story to spend your time, instead of that you?re in it so you can work on that awesome and intriguing story. Woosh. [/size][/quote][color=#b0000b]Heh, yeah. I tried to get the term "dynamic story" to catch on, but it never really stuck.[/color] [quote name='Boo][size=1]Okay, there?s a lot of different perfect RP?s in my book, but what I at least find important is that [b]there?s not a low limit on sign-ups. All of the good writers get in. [/b']The bad ones don?t, unless they get some awesome training soon. [/size][/quote][color=#b0000b]I know in the early days of the board, you were automatically "in" just by posting a sign-up; there often weren't seperate sign-up threads, and your first post was just giving all the stats on your character before the story started. Of course, a lot of people were weeded out simply because they didn't post?you signed up for anything and everything that looked interesting, but most people probably ended up focusing on no more than four stories at a time. I think, over more than six or so characters, I have a hard time keeping track of who people are and what they're doing, especially when everyone is in one big group. Breaking the story up into two or more settings helps that, but there needs to be a way for the two (or more) groups to interact.[/color] [quote name='Boo][size=1]What I do know for sure is that I absolutely adore epic situations and such. There should be a major climax somewhere in the RP. A climax that makes even the players themselves go ?woooow?. This climax should come along with a story that makes the players [i]want[/i'] to write and read posts. That they sit at their desks at school waiting for the bell to ring so that they can go home and check on the RP. Enthusiasm from both the starter and the participants is key to a great RP. [/size][/quote][color=#b0000b]Haha, yeah. That's just a great feeling. I love it when I've found something to [i]really[/i] be excited about in a story. What do you think is the best way to get that kind of intensity? Is it something that should be planned by the creator beforehand, or should all the players collectively make it up and build toward it as the story progresses?[/color]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy][COLOR=DarkOrange']My felloe students sometimes complained that I made things more complicated because sometimes my teacher and I would end up in a sort of conversation that no one else could understand, lol. Like once we started on about the relativity of the concept of time and everyone else was falling asleep XD[/COLOR][/quote][color=#b0000b]Oh, dear. You're [i]that[/i] kid. Don't be that kid.[/color]

[color=#b0000b]Wait, this is for real? I thought Ctrl-Alt-Del was [url=http://cad-comic.com/comic.php?d=20070613]making it up.[/url][/color]

[color=#b0000b]"My favorite element is uranium, because I love U!"[/color]

[quote name='Lunox][color=dimgray'] I never knew I was allergic to cats until two years ago when I went over to a friend's house and snuggled her cat. With my face. :|[/color][/quote][color=#b0000b]I found out last summer that I'm allergic to cats. I don't know if that's a new thing (can one spontaneously generate allergies?), but if it's not, it's hard to believe I never noticed before. I was at the house of some friends, and their cat had just had kittens?the whole place was crawling with felines and covered in cat fur. I was fine for most of the evening, until I suddenly realised that my chest had tightened up [i]and I could not breathe[/i]. Scary experience![/color]

[color=#b0000b]A friend of a friend has a pet [i]hedgehog[/i]. I don't think I've ever seen so much cuteness in such a small package.[/color]

[quote name='desertphoenix][COLOR=DarkRed']"Does this smell like chloroform to you?"[/COLOR][/quote][color=#b0000b]Please. She's a [i]chemistry[/i] teacher. That'll never work. Also, you know, just for the [i]record[/i], rape is a good way to get [i]arrested[/i]. Not a good way to get an 'A' in a class.[/color]