Sara

[quote name='Retribution][SIZE=1']Well, a question I would like to pose to everyone is... how exactly do you know you've found true love? I'm only 15, so I'm guessing my last crush was only a really big crush and nothing more. I suppose people say "you know love when you see it." Care to explain?[/SIZE][/quote][QUOTE][color=#ff6600]I do believe that kids--yeah, even the twelve and thirteen-year-olds who come to OB desperately asking for advice--know what love is. Let me qualify--they know what love is [i]to them, at that point in their lives.[/i] It's a dynamic concept. It changes as you grow up, as you mature, as you fall in and out of it, as you watch others and their experiences, as you live your own experiences. Can an 18-year-old possibly comprehend a 40-year-old's definition of love? Of course not. Can even a 20-year-old capture the thrill and innocence of being in love for the first time at age 13? Nope. As several have pointed (and repointed) out, there are dozens of reasons why this thread is subjective. What Jun-Woo just said: "[color=darkviolet]All of your answers, indeed, are correct. But they also prove my point as to say that you can't boil it down to just one thing. Love is one of those exceptions that cannot be "truely defined". And so each individual has their own meaning.[/color]" is true. You shouldn't tell someone that they aren't really in love. Don't tell someone they don't know what "real love" is. If someone says he is in love, at that moment, at that point in his life, he is in love. He may look back in six months and wonder what on earth he was thinking. He may not. But...it's not your place to contradict him. [/color][/QUOTE][color=indigo]I've had a lot of crushes in my life. My cousin and I had plans to marry each other, once. We were three. :) Cute, huh? I've never "persued" anyone I've had a crush on--or even, until this most recent chapter of my young life, [i]admitted[/i] it to him. As for first loves never lasting...I wouldn't say it's a matter of which love is the first, but simply that people "fall in love" so young. When do kids start going out with people? When they're twelve? Fourteen? Goodness, I can't even stand the person [i]I[/i] was at fourteen. Teenage years are, at the risk of sounding horribly clichéd and possibly being lynched, years of "growth and discovery." You change so much, and learn so much about yourself, what you want to do, who you are. Asking yourself to deal with your own changes as well as those of a significant other--well, it's a lot. You could find someone you think you could love forever, at fifteen. But you're changing, and s/he's changing--by the time you're seventeen, what have you got left in common but the fact you dated once? [/color]

[QUOTE=DeathBug]Well, the old saying used to be that you can't judge a book by it's cover. But that was back when all books had mono-colored covers with just the titles on them. Nowadays, books have summaries and critcs' reviews on them, and lists of other books by the same author, as well as descriptive blurbs from the publishers. You can totally judge books by their covers, and be right at least half the time. The same trend applies to people.[/QUOTE][color=indigo]That needed quoting. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. :p I don't think I can put anything much better than James did. You definitely grow to find people atttractive. I actually, though, disagree with the impression I'm getting here that some of you think that looks are the only way you can judge someone when you first meet them. In my experience, looks are actually a relatively small part of the "first impression." I mean, I can't say I know anyone that I consider either gorgeous or ugly, heh. I've never seen anyone I was put off by or attracted to, simply on the basis of physical appearance. Maybe it's just me, but I've never had a crush on a guy because he was "hott." I mean, come on. No! When you meet someone, you don't only see their straight physical appearance. You talk to them, you hear what they say, you listen to their voice, you watch their facial expressions, notice their attitude and bearing, notice their sense of humor. It's all part of meeting someone for the first time. First impressions. Sure, I've had a crush on someone after only meeting them once (much to my chagrin, I might add!), but objectlvely (and speaking as someone who is now friends with said people) they aren't all that handsome. :p And on the flip side, attitude (even physical bearing--the angsty slouch, for example) can [i]definitely[/i] be a turn off, even (especially?) on first contact. So I have to say that I find the 'mental' aspects of appearance--how people hold themselves, whether or not (and how) they smile much [i]more[/i] giving than the looks people are born with.[/color]

[color=indigo]Interestingly enough, many of the 'signature' aspects of anime (freezes, rotating one image, animating only one part of a scene--say, a moving mouth or blinking eyes, etc.) were simply a result of low production values, and have been retained as an aesthetic choice. I mean, some of it looks really lame in older shows, and you're not surprised it was a cost-cutting move. But you see some of the same stuff (if not as blatantly) today in various anime that simply puts the older stuff to shame. [/color]

[quote name='Cahoots34']...the plot seemed more than slightly contrived. Haku and Chihiro, while perhaps a likely couple in later life, seemed to fall in love for no reason more than the necessity of such a cliched bond between them. How many children find true love at 10 years old (or something to that effect), especially with a voice actress like Chihiro's?[/quote][color=indigo]I [i]never[/i] saw the relationship of Chihiro and Haku as one of romance. Haku [spoiler]remembered Chihiro from when she fell into the river as a young girl. He carried her to safety then, and protected her when he saw her again.[/spoiler] While much of the movie focuses on their relationship, I really feel that it's one of close friendship. Chihiro is lonely and afraid, and she's very lost. Haku comes to her, helps her, keeps her safe. He protects her. Later, [spoiler]when he's cursed and dying[/spoiler], she saves him. [spoiler]They help one another find their names and free themselves from Yubaba's control.[/spoiler] I don't see any evidence of "true love" or anything like that. You can love someone without being in love with them.[/color]

[color=indigo]I have only seen one episode thus far, so perhaps it's not a basis to judge, but what I saw of [i]Samurai 7[/i] was simply beautiful. I'd like to add that if you're looking for something other than the traditional "best visuals," both [i]Tamala[/i] and [i]Metropolis[/i] are interesting to look at. Rather unique given the current anime style, I thought. Metropolis was made recenty with Astroboy-esque characters, and Tamala's simply [i]full[/i] of crazy animation things (and mostly done in "superflat" black and white, giving the odd impression of a twisted Felix cartoon).[/color]

[QUOTE=Kitty][COLOR=Blue][SIZE=1]Well, no. I can't say that I have seen this film. However, I have a few friends who saw it, and they tell me the movie is very strange, and that I'd love it. But meh. I had, however (before some of my friends went and saw it), heard much about it, and looked forward to seeing it. I have not got that chance, though. I basically know the entire story of the movie by now, having heard so much from my friends and reading those spoilers in your post, Lore, but I have not gotten a chance to see it. Tell me, is it out on DVD/Video?[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE][color=indigo]I saw it on DVD, I believe. (I don't know for sure whether it was DVD [i]or[/i] video, as I saw it in class, but it was certainly one of the two.) It's done by a group called toL, if that helps at all. Another fun description: "And although there is a resemblance to Osamu Tezuka's wide-eyed "Astro Boy," the film seems less a paradigmatic example of anime and more a hallucinatory, vector-animated Bosco cartoon; or perhaps a monochromatic Parappa the Rappa level featuring fringe Sanrio characters." Quote taken from [url=http://www.thedailyaztec.com/news/2004/05/03/Tempo/Looks.Can.Be.Deceiving-756556.shtml]this article (link contains spoilers).[/url][/color]

[color=indigo][center][url=http://www.tamala2010.com/tamala/05/05-index.html][img]http://www.tamala2010.com/tamala/03/img/03-a.gif[/img][/url] [b][size=1](click for trailer)[/size][/b][/center] It sounds like a fairly innocuous title, now, doesn't it? Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space. A little odd, maybe, kinda quirky...but still, it doesn't sound [i]bad[/i], does it? Background: Tamala is a kitten living on CatEarth (in the Feline Galaxy, no less.) She is very cute, a chain smoker, and [url=http://www.moviepie.com/filmfests/tamala_2010.htm]has been described (link contains spoilers)[/url] as "Hello Kitty as a Powerpuff Girl. Give her a dirty mouth and a violent streak. Now imagine she's autistic. And she's in superflat black and white animation. Now imagine you're on acid while witnessing this. That, ladies and gentlemen, is [i]Tamala[/i]." There's a corporation known as Catty & Co. that owns some insanely high percentage (90+%) of...well, everything. This is the same name that we saw on the name of a letter carrier in the opening (which was set in in the 1600's or so. There's a cat with a mailbag, running across the countryside, delivering letters.) Apparently, they've branched out and now make everything from diet drinks to jeans to tomato soup. Tamala, one day, decides to go to Orion. Yes, the constellation. So, she flies her little spaceship, gets hit by a giant meteor, and ends up on Planet Q. Shortly after this, she meets a male cat named Michaelangelo (whom, for some inexplicable reason, she calls MoiMoi.) He looks after her for the next hour or so of movie (major plot spoiler: [spoiler]right up to the point where she gets eaten by a crazed police officer dog.[/spoiler]) Planet Q contains both cats and dogs--dogs seem to be in the majority. Throughout the movie, as Tamala and Michaelangelo have misguided adventures, we are given updates (through broadcast announcements, shots of cat/dog riots, and the occasional commentary of a pair of cats at a bar. Or cafe. Whatever floats your rootbeer, really) on the chaotic status of Planet Q. It seems (mild, rather pointless spoiler, as it's intimated in the first seconds of the film, but doesn't actually come to fruition until the end) : [spoiler]Catty & Co. is in the process of taking over.[/spoiler] And in all this, Tamala is (spoiler: major plot gimmick of the film) [spoiler]their pawn, their spokesperson, or just generally somehow involved with them.[/spoiler] (Spoiler: Same as the last warning, but moreso.) [spoiler]Apparently (according to a knowledgable Zombie Dog. Or maybe cat) C&C sends Tamala ahead of them whenever they try to take over a planet. Why they do this isn't exactly clear. However, Tamala appears on, like, [i]all[/i] of their advertisting. Now, I mentioned that C&C has been going strong for the last several hundred years. Tamala isn't really five hundred years old...she's much close to being 150. Yes, apparently she was born in 1869, and is mysteriously reborn every year, after she gets eaten.[/spoiler] Oh, and yes: (major plot, background spoiler) [spoiler]C&C evolved from a cult that was forced underground several hundred years ago. I believe the cult name is Minerva, it seems to be a sort of secret society thing. The big Minerva thing has to do with life, death, and rebirth. And they have a goddes figure called Tatla. By the end of the film, you're no longer sure who's Tamala and who's Tatla.[/spoiler] So the story is about Tamala, sort of. Then it seems to be about Michaelangelo. Possibly it's about how corporate/consumer culture has reached religiou/cult status. No one I've talked to is really sure. The animation style of the film is...well, if you watch the trailer, you'll see. It alternates between superflat black and white, crazy-detailed mechanical computer-generated dream world, and some occasional blasts of color (a red computer screen, a purple-tinted cafe.) I remember liking some of the music, but I couldn't tell ya what kind it was. There's a lot of random stuff that just...I don't even know how to classify it. Cats in drag. Kentaurous, a police dog who's into BDSM and takes kinky polaroids of his pet/prisoner mouse, whom he keeps locked in a birdcage. A museum of extinct animals, devoted entirely to humans, and in the basement of which Tamala finds a freaky colored painting of cats being killed in nasty ways. A statue that is contantly harassed by a cheeky bird. Has anyone else seen this? Anyone? Anyone at all? [/color]

[color=indigo]It wasn't my favorite movie by any stretch, but I also think a lot of people are being hard on it. I agree with pretty much everything Semjaza said above. I really enjoyed the animation. The idea of doing a movie, carefully animated based off of 50-year-old character designs, really struck me as being interesting. The way the old-style characters were integrated with the detailed setting was really well done, I thought. Something that could have been made fifty years ago... if such a level of animation and attention to detail were possible then. I also thought the music went really well with the film. Sure, it took me by surprise at first, but I thought it fit. Especially the opening scene--the jazz music, and the crazy "camera looking all over the place" reminded me of old movies, very Hollywood. It did drag on in places, but I was in a bit of a rush when I saw it, which I'm sure didn't help my appreciation of the pacing.[/color]

[color=indigo][img]http://outsidemichigan.250free.com/search.gif[/img] That being said, I very much doubt anyone here has much information for you. Using Sanada as an example, most help you would receive would simply be people linking you to sites that you could easily fing yourself My suggestion: Go to your local library and ask the refernce desk for help there. Those people are [i]amazing[/i]. And as an aside, when citing references, "This one guy with blue font at an anime message board" just doesn't sound very credible. ^_~ If anyone [i]does[/i] have useful information for you, after seeing this thread, I am sure they will feel free to contact you. I do not, however, see a reason to keep it open.[/color]

[color=indigo]As for déjà vu, I often have the feeling (or even the [i]conviction[/i]) that I've been somewhere before. (Even when it is fact that I have not, in fact, been there.) Exploring around in Minneapolis (my home of five months), I've come across a few places that are just...so very familiar. Or sometimes, out driving along the countryside, I'll come across a building or farm that I could [i]swear[/i] to you is straight out of a certain dream I had as a kid. I suppose it's due to the fact that there are only so many different ways you can build a house. :) Who knows. [spoiler]I want to meet this "who" person someday, and ask him a hella lotta questions. ^_~[/spoiler][/color]

[color=indigo]Your thread was merged with a pre-existing Gravitation thread. No big deal.[/color]

[color=indigo]Thanks for the status report. ;) Welcome to OtakuBoards, mangakiwi. We try to maintain a fairly high standard of discussion here, and to do that, we have some rules. First (and most relevent to your thread), we ask that everyone put some effort into their posts--especially when starting a new thread. The first person to post in a thread has the ability to introduce and direct discussion, and threads are often made or broken by the quality of the first post. You and your friend are arguing over who would win--is that all? What do you want others to say? Most likely, you'd like to know what other people think on the topic. Ask! Explain which position you hold, and why. What does your friend think? Why don't you agree with him? Just stating that you're having an argument isn't very interesting. Give us more! I looked at your profile as saw that you actually registered several months ago. You might want to review our [url=http://otakuboards.com/rules.php?]rules[/url] if you're going to be posting again. I'm going to close this thread for the time being. If you want to take the effort to edit your post, do so, PM me, and I'll open the floor to discussion again. Thanks.[/color]

[color=indigo]I think I'd be lying if I said I had any phobias. I was always under the impression that a phobia referred to a crazy fear that kept you from living/functioning normally--"An abnormal and irrational fear or dread which is caused by a particular object or circumstance." (Quote taken from the OED, online version.) "Horror" is a good word. I'm afraid of drowning--very much so. I can't swim, and when I was little, I was [i]petrified[/i] every time we'd drive over a bridge over water. Every single time, I was convinced that the bridge woudl collapse, we would fall, and I would die. I would hold my breath, close my eyes, and [i]clench[/i] myself each time we went over a river...it was pretty bad, heh. So maybe at one time, I had a phobia about going over bridges. Yeah, I think that would qualify. Now, though, I walk across the Mississippi River every day--score one for outgrowing childhood fears! So I was saying, before I got sidetracked, is that I'm scared of drowning. This seems pretty rational to me, though, so it's not a phobia. I'm just not a big fan of not being able to breathe....I still love the water, and I love playing and splashing around in it. I just keep an eye out to make sure I know where I am and that I don't get too far out. (Rather like Panda said.) I hate rollercoasters...but I'm not afraid of them. I just don't [i]like[/i] them--I find them very unpleasant. The anticipation of going up, and up, and up is something I find unnerving about almost [i]any[/i] amusement park ride. I'm actually fine with heights--Been to the CN tower, walked around on the see-through floor; did the tourist bit at the Eiffel Tower when I was in Paris--but I guess getting up there (and coming back down) is something I could do without. Taking the [url=http://www.pilatus.ch/content,38,r,_Ez.html] train up Mount Pilatus[/url] was one of the more nervewracking experiences of my young life--I had a blast at the top of the mountain, but getting there was hell in a bucket. Don't even get me started on the ride back down. :p[/color]

[color=indigo]I looked in the mirror the other day and very nearly fell over at who I saw in the mirror. I don't look the way I remember looking six months ago. Since moving up to college, I've gotten taller, [i]lost[/i] weight, my hair's grown--I just look...[i]different.[/i] I look "like a college student," heh. I love my body. Dry skin, ink-stained fingers, and all. There's nothing impossible about it that I would want to change--I should take better care of my hair (which I'm starting to do), I've been using lotion regularly (dry skin never used to bug me, but for some reason, moving six hours north and five stories up, it's really been a problem this winter), and I've been taking the stairs and eating more healthily. So I guess what I love most right now is that I [i]feel[/i] healthy. It's hard to look in the mirror and not like what I see when I actually, physically, feel so well. One of the things I like least about myself (in general) is my hair. It's long, it's [i]thick[/i], it's brown, and it's somewhere between "straight" and "wavy." I honestly feel like I can't do [i]anything[/i] with it (which is very untrue.) People ask me why I keep my hair long if I don't like it--but I like having short hair even less. When it's short, I feel like I'm constantly waiting for it to get long again. When it does get long, I get frustrated and cut it off--it's a vicious cycle. ;) The way I look doesn't really affect my self-esteem negatively. When I'm upset, I tend to hate how I look...but that's the other way around. Dressing up and taking care to look nice (which I don't do often) tends to transform me into quite the young swan--I pay so little attention to the way I look (it's kind of sad) that when I do, the difference is [i]really[/i] noticeable. I do enjoy "dressing up," though--it's fun to look nice. But I'm just as comfortable with myself in jeans and a T-shirt (actually, dressing up sometimes involves nothing more than jeans and a "cute" T-shirt, heh). [/color]

[center][size=4][b][u]Dreams--Good or Bad?[/b][/u][/size][/center] [quote name='Mimmi]As for Hikari - O.o Your idea of her really makes me shudder, but it does make sense. A [spoiler]fire[/spoiler] or some kind of[spoiler] explosion [/spoiler]could be how [spoiler]she died[/spoiler'].[/quote][color=indigo]Yeah. I keep coming back to this theory, because I'm convinced it somehow makes sense. But every time, I'm caught of guard--[i]only Reki[/i] had a "[spoiler]bad dream.[/spoiler]" If [spoiler]dreams reflect death,[/spoiler] you'd think more people would be upset by them! I suppose one explanation could be something I kinda referenced--[spoiler]death is frightening, dreams are frightening[/spoiler]. HOWEVER, we can assume that [spoiler]everyone had people "taking care" of them while they were in their cocoon.[/spoiler] Everyone [i]except[/i] [spoiler]Reki.[/spoiler] She [spoiler]was found [i]after[/i] she, uh, "hatched." No one was there for her when she was in her cocoon, when she was dreaming. The protecting presence Rakka mentions (when she realises later it was Reki, caring for her)? Reki didn't have that.[/spoiler] So: [spoiler]fear is inherent, but can be negated by love. [/spoiler][/color]

[center][size=4][b][u]Nazis and Halos[/b][/u][/size][/center] [quote name='Mimmi][spoiler]Ooo, they aren't [I]born [/I]with the halo, nor do they acquire it like they do their wings. It's [B]made [/B']and is given to them to distinguish them from the townspeople. If it weren't for the fact that the Haibane is treated so good, I could draw a reference to the Nazi era >>; A lot of effort is made to single them out and yet they're still allowed into the society and treated almost as equals. [/spoiler][/quote][color=indigo]Ooh, that's really interesting. I hadn't thought of that before. In fact, the [spoiler]halo is pretty much the [i]only[/i] thing they receive new.[/spoiler] Huh. [center][size=4][b][u]Sin Bound, and FGiWD?[/b][/u][/size][/center] [quote name='Mimmi][spoiler']Oh yes, the Sin-Bound issue. It's true that the Communicator said you can't forgive yourself, but I found that to be more of a general statement than a rule. I mean, if you feel you've committed a wrong and caused pain, it's virtually impossible to forgive yourself. Getting someone else's forgiveness helps you to overcome the guilt but only if you're willing to accept it and move on. At least that's my opinion. Rakka could forgive herself first and foremost because of the help from the bird, but also because she accepted her guilt and being forgiven. I could almost argue that it's more of accepting your sin and wanting to do good from there on in, than it is about being forgiven for it. [/spoiler][/quote]So more of an "impossibility" than a "rule," huh? Yeah, that makes sense. [quote name='Mimmi][spoiler]As for Reki and her younger self (whom I'm [strike]almost[/strike] absolutely positive [I]doesn't[/I'] have wings) ? [/quote]Did you catch that, Azure? FGiWD [b]doesn't[/b] [spoiler]have wings[/spoiler]. ^_^ [quote=Mimmi][spoiler][on the scene at the railroad] ...now it's her [I]past [/I]self holding Rakka back. Reki has found forgiveness but she had to go back to that place she was at before coming Haibane(the railroad track) to challenge herself to make things differently, to truly be able to accept being forgiven. It's easy to welcome the help when it's offered to you, but truly difficult to call out for it. To beg for it. Ah, there we go ^_^;[/spoiler][/quote]*smiles* Beautiful! [center][size=4][b][u]Nature of Haibane and Toga [/b][/u][/size][/center][quote name='Mimmi][spoiler']Oh yes, remember the story about Nemu and the book she tried to restore? ?The beginning of the world?. Anyway, it made me think that Haibane could be humans that died or is simply just wavering between giving up or fighting and Glie is their chance to make up their mind. They either go back to their human life, go to heaven or ... become Toga? It'd make even more sense that the Toga aren't allowed to speak then, because someone might recognize them and thusly the whole mystery of being Haibane, and what happens after Day of Flight, is disrupted. Any other suggestions?[/spoiler][/quote]Augh, more stuff about those darn [spoiler]Toga![/spoiler]. Yeah, I do think that [spoiler]Haibane who miss their Day of Flight[/spoiler] become Toga. [/spoiler] [center][size=4][b][u]Individual Haibane--Thoughts and Theories[/b][/u][/size][/center][quote][spoiler][B]Reki [/B]definitely died (and I think her parents died before her, which would fit in with her sensibility of being abandoned), but [B]Rakka[/B]'s case is a bit iffy. She just said she wanted to disappear and that doesn't automatically mean she killed herself/died. *Look further down to my talking about the crows and you'll get another point there. [B]Nemu [/B]might be in a coma. It's possible, with all that sleeping :p I'm having troubles fitting in [B]Hikari [/B](who had a very pleasant dream) and [B]Kana [/B](hers was as carefree as Kana herself) though. Are they sort of just in between having died and going to heaven, or something? Help me out here, lol.[/spoiler][/quote]This seems as good a point as any to talk aboout the dreams and names again. I don't know if I've brought it up in the thread before, although Azure and I have chatted about it. [center][size=4][b][u]Haibane NAMES. Ooh.[/b][/u][/size][/center] The Haibane's names (with the exception of the Young Feathers, who are flaunting tradition, or some such thing) are taken from their [spoiler]cocoon dreams[/spoiler]. One theory: [spoiler]The cocoon dreams show/represent how the Haibane "died." (Assuming they did, that's a debate in and of itself.)[/spoiler] [b]Rakka[/b]: [spoiler]"Falling." Falling from a height. This is usually a form of death associated with suicide. Fact: Rakka felt that no one loved her (and later felt guilty when she realised this had been untrue. However, unlike Reki, she is not upset or frightened in her dream. She says she "felt like someone was protecting her." Originally, I thought this meant the crow that was with her, but she later says it was Reki. Is it possible that Reki's love/hope for Rakka would overcome any upset or fear she would feel at her death? Second name: "Involved Nut." (Aww... :))[/spoiler] [b]Reki[/b]: [spoiler]"Pebble." Now, Reki obviously wasn't 'Pebbled' to death, heh. However, she had problems because she could not remember her dream (the only dream we know of that was unpleasant). [i]Why[/i] couldn't she remember it? The Official gave her her name after hearing what she did remember. Second Name: "The one who was run over and torn apart." YIKES! Now, this is really interesting to me. It seems like Reki's names are [i]reversed.[/i] The name that [i]really[/i] had to do with her dream was not the one she was first given. Instead, her [i]first[/i] name was the one that had to do with her personality. Whoa.[/spoiler] [b]Kuu[/b]: [spoiler]"Floating," right? Now, I can't for the life of me figure out what kind of death would involve floating in the sky. I don't know what Kuu's other name was. Do they tell us?[/spoiler] [b]Kana[/b]: [spoiler]I don't remember exactly what her name meant. River fish, maybe? But her dream had to do with swimming in a river. If dreams reflect death, than Kana drowned. [b]Nemu[/b]: [spoiler]"Sleeping," or something close to it. Interesting--they make a point of saying often that she is [i]always[/i] sleeping. This actually lends itself to Mimmi's point on how dreams reflect the [b]current personality[/b] of the Haibane. Anyway, possible-death wise: coma, or simply dying in her sleep.[/spoiler] [b]Hikari[/b]: [spoiler]"Light." Now, the only death I can think of that would involve being surrounded by 'light' would be fire. Which...augh. *shudders* However, again, she does have a very "light" personality.[/spoiler] Other Haibane: [spoiler]Midori: "Green." (Got me.) Kuramori: "Dark Forest." Hyohko: Don't really know on this one. "Hy?zan" means iceberg, though, and I've seen his name translated as meaning "icy lake."[/spoiler] Ah, anyway. That's about enough for me. [/color]

[color=indigo]And as an aside, it's not only a site for those who like drawing. :) Enjoy your stay![/color]

[quote name='Latharix_sama']Get up in the morning, drag myself outa bed, scare the crap outa Mom cuz I look like da living dead...[/quote][color=indigo]Did anyone else thing this sounded like the start to a rap? I don't eat breakfast in the morning, either. Sometimes I'll go down the cafeteria and grab a muffin or have some yogurt or something, but it's rare. I usually eat lunch at eleven or twelve, so going three hours without eating isn't a big deal in the mornings, heh. I eat lunch at my dorm's cafeteria every day. There's usually something good being served on the line, and if not, I can always make myself a salad. (While I'll admit the salad bar has lost much of its appeal since I started restocking it at work, it's still pretty good.) Most weeknights and weekends, too, I'll eat at the cafeteria. I miss dinnertime on Mondays and Tuesdays because of class, so I'll usually have a sandwich or a bagel (or some canned ravioli) after I get back, around nine pm. Otherwise, again, I'll eat in the cafeteria. And on Tuesdays, between 4:30 and 6:00 pm, I buy myself a slushie with tapioca balls in it from BobaBoca. :) That's my little ritual.[/color]

[color=indigo]Laxarix_sama, you do have a couple problems. First, you are hungry for attention. While not an "issue" in and of itself, I think you're dealing with it the wrong way. Telling people you're certifiably crazy and posting nonsense on message boards isn't the [i]best[/i] way to make friends. Calm down a little. There's a shortage of exclamation points in the world--don't use more than your fair share. I'm sure you can be yourself without overdoing the hyper-insane factor that you're playing here. The second problem is hopefully very easily rectified. Your post quality is a little 'out there.' What I mean is this: your posts are hard to read, and some are very pointless. Cut down the exclamation marks and smilies. When you're posting, try to stay on topic, and please avoid super-short posts. "But,but...the docters are [i]scary[/i] ! >>whimpers

[quote name='Mitch']Read this. It just doesn't sound good. What really throws it off is the "And always completely intentionally." The use of an adverb and adjective and another adjective all strung together to make a sentence sounds horrid. Perhaps it's just personal prefence, but loading sentences down with adjectives and adverbs is bothersome. This sentence could definitely be reworked. Even though you're trying to develop an eccentric character, this could be executed better.[/quote][color=indigo]I don't think it sounds that bad. *shrugs* Besides, those are all adverbs. While in general terms, I'm not a big fan of the word "fucktard," it's fine here. A little jolting, maybe, but a screaming delicious contrast to the strained, fakely cheerful things she actually says. "Hi. Can I help you?"[/color]

[color=indigo]I've felt very displaced the last couple years. We moved to a new house during my junior year of high school, from the place I'd lived for the last ten or twelve years. I was upset, because I didn't think I was going to be able to get used to the new house (I [i]still[/i] don't know which lightswitch turns on which light) before I moved away for college. I was right. There's something about [i]home[/i] that means comfort. When I think of the places I have felt love for, they are all places I've cried alone and gradually--without another person's support or presence--felt better. A certain stretch of beach of Lake Michigan was once home to me. My grandparents' farm is home. My old house, especially certain rooms and corners, is home. The stage in my high school gymnasium was, once. When I was a little kid at my first school, there was a stall in one of the bathrooms where I'd go and cry when I was upset. It was dark, the stall furthest to the end in an already dim bathroom. Sure, it sounds silly, but I felt safe there. There's a spot by the river, in the woods near my new house, that I think I could eventually call home. There's also a spot up here along the Mississippi that I think I could go back to and be content. I just need to go there and be by myself for a while. So, yes. I think "home," in a very real sense, means "comfort." You can be at home among your family or friends, no matter where you go. But I think a [i]place[/i] is home when you are comfortable there, alone, even (or perhaps especially) when upset or lonely. Geez, that sounds cheesy. :)[/color]

[color=indigo]I've never "faked sick." I've gone home sick a couple times when I probably could have stayed at school, but that was only a matter of saying "I don't feel well, I want to go home," and going to the school office. With very rare exceptions (like, maybe, twice) I've gone to school whether I'm feeling well or not. I had perfect attendance several years, heh. (I know a guy who never missed a day of class in his entire grade school/high school career. That's twelve+ years, folks. [i]I'm[/i] impressed.) Besides. My parents trust me. If I wasn't feeling well, all I had to do was say so. :p[/color]

[color=indigo]I don't know about The Happiest I Have Ever Been, but last weekend was up there in terms of recent stuff. I've been lonely and a little friendsick up here at college, and last weekend two of my good friends came up to visit. It. Was. Incredible. It was so great to have them around and be able to hang out with them. We didn't even do anything spectacular, just hung out. I haven't been that happy, and had that much fun, in a very long time.[/color]

[quote name='Panda']The most scared I have ever been was when I was little and almost drowned in a swimming pool. [/quote][color=indigo]Most of the scary experiences I've had are a result of my not being able to swim. I love the water, I love playing and splashing, and I can swim/move from one point to another--but not far, and not well. I'm terrified of drowning--well, maybe not 'of drowning,' but drowning seems like a terrible experience, and one of the things that does truly scare me is [i]not being able to breathe.[/i] I grew up next to Lake Michigan, and we'd go there all the time in the summer. I was really familiar with the beach by us (we only lived three blocks away), and I knew how far I could go out, that if I worked up the nerve, I could go just a [i]bit[/i] further and reach the sandbar, how deep things were, what the waves were like...it was a very 'safe' place for me, heh. A little ways down the lake was another beach. When I started hanging out with people, this other beach was where we'd go during the summer. I don't know what was different about it, exactly, but I never really felt comfortable there. (Even being several years older and much taller than when I'd first been exploring the other beach, I always felt a little unsafe.) And actually, the set-up of the second beach [i]was[/i] different. I'm not sure if the sandbar was further out, or if it just got deeper more quickly, but in the last year or two, I've had a couple experiences that just about scared me to death. One day last summer, there were huge waves for some reason. I was a little nervous about going out to the 'bar with my friends, but convinced myself I'd be fine. I had a couple scary moments, but in general, I was fine. We went out again on a calm day a week or two later. Well, I thought to myself, I can make it out to the sandbar no problem today! Wow, was I wrong. You know the thing about waves? They pull water up higher than it would normally be...but the troughs are much [i]lower[/i] than the water woudl normally be. I didn't realise it, but the reason I'd been able to get out to the sandbar the week before was by bobbing up with the waves...[i]and being able to touch bottom between them.[/i] Without the waves, the water was consistantly over my head. I tried not to panic, but it didn't really work. I was so [i]scared. [/i]I finally got a grip on myself and turned around, waited on the sand for my friends to finish playing. [/color]

[color=indigo]"I'm not interested." Be straighforward. Be honest. Be kind, if you can. [i]Don't[/i] let him continue to think he has a chance if he doesn't. That gets messy, and it can end up being painful for both parties.[/color]