Sara

[color=#4b4b79]You're given the opportunity, no questions asked, to have three wishes granted. Come on, folks--this isn't every day, run-of-the mill stuff! Three wishes--anything you want, times [i]three[/i]. And you're conniving to get more? Planning to trick genies into giving you extras, wishing for more wishes....sheesh. If I were a genie, believe you me, I would be rather put out. i'm lovin it, Sara [/color]

I took a deep breath. Sitting down next to him on the bed, I let him pull me into the crook made by his body, my back pressing against his bare chest and stomach. He squeezed me tightly and hugged me closer to him. He grabbed me firmly by the waist and shoulders and pulled and maneuvered me until I was facing toward him. He hugged me closer again, pressing my face against his warm skin. "C'mere," he murmured, stroking my hair. "There you go." I let him squeeze me closer, and relaxed next to him. I would say "we lay like that for a long time," but it's not really true. He kept rearranging us, tugging me this way, pulling me closer, snuggling his arm under me, hugging tighter, relaxing again. I pretended to sleep. It wasn't far-fetched, by any means. I'd been sleeping for hours, and had only just slipped back into consciousness, after a long, deep night. I lay there, staring at the white plaster ceiling above us. He still lay pressed next to me, all hardness and warmth. I snuggled closer to him. His arm, still looped around me, pulled me tight once again. My body smiled--he?d been here all night as I slept. He was still here. This night...had been perfect. I never wanted it to end, never. I closed my eyes as he squeezed me again. Gentle, reassuring. He thought I was still sleeping. I realized I wanted him to be right. I didn't want to wake up. So I pretended to sleep.I'd fallen asleep again, face buried in his hair. Sometime between then and now, the blanket had slipped off my body, leaving me exposed to the cool night air...was the window open? I shivered softly, unconsciously moving closer against his body. There was a shift next to me as he moved. I closed my eyes and buried myself into him, trying to ignore the movement and slip back into sleep. He leaned over me, pulling the blanket from the ground back up onto the bed, and bringing it back up around my face. I made a soft sound of thanks and warmth as he brought it back up around my face, tucking me in again. His lips brushed my forehead. "I love you," he murmured. I was curled up against him. He was hugging me, and I was drifting somewhere between sleep and waking. His arms around me, almost possessively, I felt shielded...as though I belonged to him. I was falling back asleep, only dimly aware of his face next to mine, his hands behind my back, cupping my head. He brushed his face back and forced across my cheeks. It felt strange, almost tickling. His whiskers prickled...but his lips were soft. It reminded me of long ago, far away, when my dad would tuck me in, and tickle me with his beard. He brushed against my face one last time. And then he stopped, and pushed his lips softly, firmly against mine, and kissed me. He kept close to me the entire night. If I rolled away, he would pull me closer. He kept me next to him, sometimes climbing on top of me, sometimes pulling me on top of him. He hugged me tightly, sometimes pulling me to face him, sometimes nudging me over to arrange himself differently. It was a moment I could live in the rest of my life. Nothing to do do, nothing to say. Just lying there, safe, warm, next to him. Being held. Feeling loved. Sleeping safely, forever. No longer alone. Just...with him. And that was enough. [color=#4b4b79][size=1]I hope my (admittedly shoddy) html looks okay in browsers other than this one. If it doesn't, complain and I'll post the plain version. (Although it isn't nearly as cool.) breaking the girl, Sara[/size][/color]

[color=#4b4b79](Sorry for kipping out on you just now, my internet connection is not everything it could be.) I'm really sorry that I've been "killing" you for so long. I've been kinda waiting for you to post, so I could post again and then talk about what I thought as I watched it with my friend. Anyway, I've seen roughly the first half of the series (there are 12 episodes? I think I saw that earlier in this thread... Anyway, I think the last one I watched was the one after[/color] [spoiler]Kuu disappeared[/spoiler][color=#4b4b79]. I have to admit, I'm really anxious to know what on earth you've been so desperate to talk about. So...maybe I'd better just hand this over to you. Although I wanted to ask--are the Haibane always the same age? Because there were flashbacks of Reki looking small and cute, but it seemed like Kuu never grew into her too-big clothes (how much longer than Rakka has she been there?) So I didn't really know what to make of that. curiously [strike]george[/strike] Sara[/color]

[quote name='Corey][size=1']A member that no longer goes here, by the name of Char!, is one of my best friends.[/size][/quote][color=#4b4b79]Really? That's great, heh. I didn't know you were in Milwaukee. ^_^ I don't really know anyone who actually posts here. A couple of my friends (Carr, Briarmoss, Skullgreymon, lone_woulf) have signed up at different points, but none of them are really around. My friend Minako is here the most, but I've not seen her around in quite a while. Understandable; she's in spending a year as an exchange student. Heh. I think this can actually fall pretty well under the other thread, so I'm going to merge them. it's a bird, it's a plane... Sara[/color]

[color=#4b4b79]Newsflash! No one cares what you post, except for Panda and me, because we have to close your pointless threads. Honestly, if you wanted to be banned, all you had to do was ask. It would have saved me the trouble of closing this. God loves you, Sara[/color]

[quote name='Rabjonic2']omfg I don't beleive this. My life is ruined, I hate you anime, I hate you so much. I just found that my girlfriend doesn't love me as much as she loves some stupid Bakura character, I hate you so much anime. Please people, I need some advice. I love her, but I'm only her second choice.[/quote][color=#4b4b79]I think your only choice here is to prove to your girl that you truly love her more than any anime character would be able to. In order to communicate with someone suffering from [b]Obsessive Fangirl Disorder[/b], however, you must first sneak your way into her consciousness by appearing as the object of her obsession. Step One: Dye your hair white-blue and acquire an accent. Step Two: Act shy and cute, interspersed with random moments of evil laughter and bloodlust. Okay. Now, the key here is to realistically portray the character she loves, so you may want to do some research. If you're unfamiliar with Bakura, you should watch YuGiOh. You could even watch it [i]with[/i] your girlfriend--this would be a great chance to really pcik her brain, finding out [i]what[/i] she loves about Bakura. Once you've got this information, you're ready to start. Take on Bakura's persona. You'd do anything for this girl, right? Well, good. From this point on, you [i]are[/i] Bakura. Now, you can go two directions from here. You can stay Bakura for the duration of your relationship with this girl, [i]or[/i] you can begin to subtly plant hints of discontent in her mind. Is Bakura [i] really[/i] everything she'd ever dreamed? It's possible he isn't...and if you want a chance with this girl on your own merits, you'd better convince her of it! Slowly start to do things wrong. (Remember, she has to believe you are Bakura at this point.) Forget her name. Don't call the next day. Help her realize that a documented case of multiple-personality schizophrenia maybe isn't the best person to go out with. But while you're doing this, you need to be able to remind her that there are [i]alternatives[/i]. "Sure, I might have bit your lip off and sucked your blood for a few minutes while we were making out....but if you really love me, that wouldn't be a problem. If you want someone [i]normal[/i], why don't you just go out with [insert your real name here.]" Now, this may take a few years, but eventually,she will see the light, and you'll be with the girl of your dreams. It will be worth it. Cheers for the happy couple! Just pray she never sees another bishounen in her life, or you're really gonna rake up some high costs in dye and hair spray. dear abby, Sara[/color]

[QUOTE=Lady_Rin] It would be interesting to find out how your school district does in your education; your parents as well. The Core classes, the 3Rs, reading writing and arithmatic (math), science and fine art. Do you play an instrument (not guitar or drums) or the last time you went to a museum, art gallery, concert, play or ballet. A county, renaissance or other period faeres and fetes. Maybe fouinders day where you are. etc. I don't think rock concerts, sporting events and such should be included however.[/QUOTE][color=#4b4b79]That's interesting.I have some really fond memories of field trips that we took in grade school (and girls scouts, heh.) We went to the a cool musuem in Milwaukee a few times in various years (Dinosaurs! Mummies! Everything a museum should be!) Plus there was Discovery World. I don't know if that's a common thing? It probably is...it's like this hands-on science museum for kids. All sorts of awesome stuff you learn about and try. It used to be next to the Milwaukee Public Library, but it's part of the museum now. We even went down to Chicago on a few occasions. Visited the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Musuem. I've been to the Musuem of Science and Industry a [i]lot[/i], and it was always such fun. Racine (where I live) has got the Golden Rondelle Theatre, which shows free little...program...things....that were an easy way for teachers to get their kids out of the classroom and into a new environment for an hour. There's also a little "Racine County Historical Musuem" that we visited once or twice. It's not really something you need to go to be enlightened, or anything, but it's something that I always enjoyed as a kid. Getting [i]out[/i] of the classroom, doing something different and fun! Wow, it makes me feel all cultured and stuff. *laughs* I should take my kid brother to Discovery World this summer. I bet he'd love that. napoleon of the south, Sara[/color]

[quote name='Sol-Blade][SIZE=-3][b]

[QUOTE=Freude][color=#B33D79][b]Tutor[/b] I like being tutored. No, it's not like I'm the university dunce or whatever but I find it easier to study with somebody who knows the subject. That way, any misconceptions I had may be corrected. [/COLOR][/QUOTE][color=#4b4b79]I have to agree--having help on a subject is [i]wonderful[/i]. Through grade school and high school, with a couple exceptions, I was always able to muck through my lessons on my own. This year in Calculus, there is no way I would have made it through without help from my friends who had already been through the class (and often, a few classes further.) The whole set-up of Uni Calc was so different from anything I had encountered before. [i]All[/i] the material was new, and it was being taught in a completely un-highschool-like way. As it was, with the help I got--just being able to ask questions of someone who knew what they were doing, and who was patient enough to explain--helped incredibly. [quote name='DeathBug']Honestly, I don't see what the problem is. Yeah, putting all that effort into school might be unpleasant now, but in the short run, it'll pay off. Yes, I said "Short run"; all the time I spent doing school work got me the grades that payed for a %100 scholarship right out of high school. When things like this start to happen, the effort seems worhthwhile.[/quote] Deathbug has a point as well. I worked my tail off applying for scholarships my senior year, and (along with my grades) it really payed off. I got several great scholarships--not all of them are renewable (that means that some of them will last for more than one year, and some of them are one-time grants), but I literally payed [i]nothing[/i] for tuition or housing last semester--I got a [i]refund[/i] of two hundred dollars, because I had more scholarship money than I needed. It was awesome. truly scrumptious, Sara[/color]

[color=#4b4b79]I'm beginning to think that any discussion on the "Sanctity of Marriage" should be limited to the holy institution's failure rates. from russia with love, Sara[/color]

[quote name='Doc][font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]Lore... I remember reading some of her old posts... even as Gynnylynn I think..[/color][/size'][/font][/quote][color=#4b4b79]Wrong. ^_~ As cool as Gin and I both were, we were best friends, [i]not[/i] the same person. (Just think about it: how could you [i]possibly[/i] cram all that goodness into one person? It's impossible. Not even the Golden Grahams people could do it.) That being said, I would like to meet [b]GinnyLyn.[/b] No, she's not technically around here anymore, but she's still quite awesome, and we shared some unbelelievable good times. And actually, I still fully intend to meet her. We can hang out and, I dunno....play tourists somewhere. ^_^ I also need to meet both [b]Shy[/b] and [b]Nerdsy.[/b] Just...because. We are all awesome, and I need to tacklehug them, or something. We've been friends for almost four years, for crying out loud. Plus, Shy needs to prove to me that there is such a thing as a "comic book shop." And [b]Ben[/b]. Pretty much the same reasons listed above, heh. Outside of that circle...there are several people I would like to meet. [b]Arcadia[/b] is one, [b]Mimmi[/b] is another. I bet [b]Lady Asphy[/b] and I could have a blast as well. Maybe [b]Azure[/b] and I could get together and watch [i]Haibane Renmei[/i]. (Just teasing...) Actually, I wouldn't mind meeting [i]anyone[/i] that I'm even loose friends with on here. All of my penpals are easily on a "Cool to meet" list. (I could list you all off and give reasons, but you know who you are, heh.) I think, in general...there are many people I would be happy about meeting. However, most of them would do best in group settings, heh. Maybe a couple people at a time (or even a huge rockin OB party) rather than one on one. I'm not always hugely talkative, and I doubt everyone else is. So, say...it would be fun to hang out with Arca, Syk3 and Shin for a day. Or Mimmi, Dan L, and Solo. Or James, Siren, and Tori. Something like that. *laughs softly* That's probably enough rambling from me. that'll do, pig, Sara[/color]

[quote name='Manic Webb']The first thing I'd wish for is that I had legally won the California state lottery a week ago, and a large sum of the money was already in my possession.[/quote][color=#4b4b79]*laughs* Here's someone who knows what he's talking about, heh. Know thy loopholes ^_~ DiedonWednesday, please do not double-post. If you hve something you wish to add to what you have already said, feel free to use the "edit post" option. In this case, I've deleted your second post, as it was irrelevant to discussion. Private well-wishes based on boyfriends' names can easily be expressed via Private Message. as seen on TV, Sara[/color]

[quote name='DeathBug']Resolutions are usually empty promises; if you're not already working towards them by the time it's 1 Jan, the odds you'll start are pretty low.[/quote][color=#4b4b79]I don't think so. Sometimes it really helps to have an official "start date" to something...and January first is pretty noticeable, heh. I've kept resolutions...it's just easier to say "from now on...." if you've got a definitive "now." Of course, it works just as well on any other first of the month, holiday, event, etc. But again with New Year's, you have the idea of a clean slate and setting goals for the months to come. As traditions go, it's not half bad, heh. Anyway, personal goal: keep my sense of humor about me at all times. I'm generally pretty good about this, but I get angry sometimes. Life's much easier to approach with a smile. I'd also like to get my much-neglected website up and running again. Poor thing. I wish weren't lazy, heh. But that's a goal, not so much a "resolution." at the sound of the beep, the time will be... Sara[/color]

[color=#4b4b79]Oh, come on, folks! Everyone knows that wishing for more wishes doesn't work! You end up with fractions of wishes and very disgruntled genies. Plus, if you wish to become the "richest guy in the world," you'll end up taking control of someone else's money, which is bound to backfire on you. (And if it didn't, you wouldn't exactly need to wish for any material possessions anyway, since you'd be able...to, ah, take care of that yourself. color by Technicolor, Sara[/color]

[quote name='Eternal Snow']Imagine that you're stucked in somewhere nowhere near your home, and the only thing you see is a lamp. Curious, you rubbed the lamp and out pops out a genie. He gives you only 3 wishes.... what would that be?[/quote][color=#4b4b79]If I'm stuck somewhere far from home, I am sure my first wish would to be home, safe and warm and dry. Other than that, I'm sure I'm a fairly content person. Recently, the subject of the Tsunami victims would certainly be on my mind. I'm generally very satisfied with my possessions, heh. I have my own laptop, which is awesome. I don't really watch TV or play video games, so nothing in that area really interests me. I'm a softhearted person, and mostly I'd wish happiness and health to people (in particular or in general. Some of this gets personal.) It sounds kind of holier-than-thou, but it's not meant to be. It's just...true. On another note, what's up with the whole "genie in a lamp" thing? Has anyone here ever actually seen an oil lamp? I think the wish-granting department of the supernatural needs to update it's image. If I saw a lamp, my first thought would be "What the heck is that doing here?" And then I would look around for an outlet to plug it in. itty bitty living space, Sara[/color]

[quote name='Inu500']I've seen some signatures that were longer than posts. Maybe there should be a rule about the images too in the signatures. No big images just small ones. You know something like that. :D[/quote][color=#4b4b79]Signature images [i]are[/i] limited. Members may only have one image (excluding OB-hosted smilies) in their signature, and it may be no larger than 100 pixels tall (and 500 pixels wide). the homecoming queen's got a gun, Sara[/color]

[QUOTE=Panda]I try not to let this get me down. It has dramatically changed my life but not my outlook on life. It has really made me realize that I need to enjoy the little things in life and appreciate the days I feel good. I wish you all good health and happiness in the new year![/QUOTE][color=#4b4b79]*points out, once again, how amazing you are* I've got a sore throat, which hopefully won't develop into anymore more unpleasant. I've have problems with colds--I end up with very bad coughs, and don't get over them for several weeks. It's not a lot of fun. I was sick for a couple months last spring. Yech. I was actually talking about that with my mom today, and it turns out that I've had bad coughing problems every since I was a wee one. Just part of who I am, I guess. Go figure. b-b-b-bennie and the jets, Sara[/color]

[quote name='Xander Harris']The great thing about Napolean Dynamite is that it sets up immensely entertaining characters, and then just revels in these great characters they've created for two hours. Few films let themselves do that in America. And it is consistantly hilarious from beginning to end. Thumbs up. Way up.[/quote][color=#4b4b79]I'm going to see this with a few friends tonight. (Two-Dollar Tuesdays at te value cinema! Score!) My brother and mom both thought it was hilarious, and I get the feeling that they've been quoting it recently. I feel a bit left out, heh. I was talking with my friend Dave the other night, and every few minutes during the conversation, something would remind him "You need to see [i]Napoleon Dynamite[/i]." I don't even remember all the things I said that he had to keep bringing this up. One of them was about how I planned to wear my new boots for the next six months. He sat up, announced that I had to see the movie, and fell back over to the ground, laughing. I was so confused. :p beware the groove, Sara[/color]

[quote name='AzureWolf][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Just asking again in case you missed it: what gives off the feeling of Haibane Renmei to you without having ever seen it?[/COLOR][/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote][color=#4b4b79]*laughs* Well...the artwork I've seen all gives off that impression, for one thing. It looks like it's been done in dark pastels, which is a really interesting medium to work with. (I have no idea what the pictures were actually done with, heh, but thats just my thought.) [url=http://cff.ssw.net/merchandise/cd-hanenone-j-lg.jpg]This picture[/url] and [url=http://inferno.slug.org/jpeg/haibane-renmei.jpg]this picture[/url] show that really well. The colors used are also interesting--I haven't seen [i]anything[/i] with any bright colors. Everything is muted. The 'pastel' look is the softness of the pictures. There aren't sharp lines, or anything (for a good example of that, look at the trees in the background there.) I realize that seperate artwork doesn't reflect the style of animation, but artwork generally does capture the feel of the series...that's what it's meant to do. (Example: Watercolors and concept/character art from Studio Ghibli (Say, [i]Totoro[/i] or [i]Spirited Away[/i]) pieces. The film obviously isn't [i]animated[/i] using watercolor, but it's a soft, light medium that fits the way things are done in the film.) The idea of angels with grey wings is interesting, as well. Angels are usually shown as being pure, special, magical, so the concept of angels with "dirty" wings kind of turns that on its head, and gives the impression that if not [i]dark[/i], the show is at least, um....dim. *laughs softly* (There was a time a little over a year ago when I drew a lot of interesting "dirty" angels. [url=http://fanart.theotaku.com/view.php?action=retrieve&id=2791]Gabi and Trudi[/url] and [url=http://fanart.theotaku.com/view.php?action=retrieve&id=8337]Carina[/url] are examples. Carina was actually a character in a story-concept I had. The other two are actually called "Charcoal Angels" in the title, because the medium I used was charcoal, heh. Interesting trivia.) At the same time, it is about angels, which lends at least some aspect of otherworldiness to it. It seems (I don't know if this is right) like they are second-rate citizens, which, coupled with the fact they're in a walled town they aren't allowed to leave, has a vague feel of dystopia to it. ...I've also read some information on the characters, but I can't pull anything particular out from that at the moment, heh. (And incidently, I did go over to my friend's house, but we ended up watching [i]Dr. Strangelove[/i], so I've still not seen any of it.) one potato, two potato, Sara[/color]

[color=#4b4b79]Roxie and Derelict, I'm glad to hear that your friends and family are alright. I also do not think that it's beyond the pale to ask that people (should they have the inclination) help out. If anyone is interested in donating to relief organizations, [url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/27/quake.aidsites/index.html]CNN has provided a list of links[/url] to organizations that are collecting funds to help out. I'm sure there are also collections for things like soap, clothing, and the like. If you want to help out, there is no way that your effort would go unappreciated. I actually had not heard about the earthquake until these threads were posted. I don't watch television, and I still haven't heard anything but Christmas music on the radio. Having read some articles on it now, I can say that I'm very upset by the whole thing. Mm. chaseotaku, another post like that and you will be banned. Read our [url=http://Otakuboards.com/rules.php?]rules[/url] before you post anything else. best part of waking up, Sara[/color]

[quote name='Miryoku']most of the features people find attractive in men are their femininne(oo bad spelling) features such as hair of feminine facial features of a soft voice so it does make sense.[/quote][color=#4b4b79]Holy generalization, Batman! I have no idea where you're coming from with this one, buddy. What people find attractive varies incredibly, and I can't see how you can possibly say "most of the features people find attractive in men are feminine features" because (regardless of the statement's truth or falsehood) you have no way to back that up. Please work on your punctuation as well. Your posts are getting more and more difficult to read as time progresses. shark repellent BAT spray, Sara[/color]

[quote name='AzureWolf][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]You know, I didn't want to say anything earlier because I thought you'd find it weird, but then I ran it past Umberto Eco. :p I seriously always associated you with Rakka because of that avi and banner, and after seeing Haibane Renmei, your character/behavior seems to be like Rakka (not that it is, I just associate the two, heh). So, when I think Sara in anime, I think Rakka.[/COLOR][/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote][color=#4b4b79]*laughs* I really should see this now, heh. (Umberto says hello, incidently.) It turns out my friend has this, so I might actually go over to his house tonight and watch part of it. He owes me a movie night, anyway, heh. It's been such a long time since I watched something new. The impression I have of the show is something...hm. *tries to put this into words instead of pictures* Something sort of soft, and strange and dark. (Not dark, exactly....oh, bother. I can't quite translate, heh.) Azure, if you had to describe the feel of the series (not what happens, or the story, but the feel/ambience) of it, what would you say it was? aMAIZEing mazes, Sara[/color]

[quote name='Japan_86][COLOR=Navy']Ahh, so that's it. I know lots of girls, and sometimes me included falling for accents.[/COLOR][/quote][color=#4b4b79]I do think it's interesting, though. You don't really hear people mention it (in, say, "What do you find attractive in the [strike]opposite[/strike] [strike]same[/strike] desired sex" threads), but voices can be incredibly sexy, heh. I don't know how many people listen to radio often, but you can develop quite an idea of what a person is like (not that it is necessarily right, heh) just by listening to their voice for a while. In the old [b][url=http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-297/Beauty_and_the_Beast/]Beauty and the Beast[/url][/b] show, for example, there were a [i]lot[/i] of women viewers who were absolutely enraptured by Vincent's voice. bowling for soup, Sara[/color]

[quote]The UK has more gays and night life than the US. [/quote][color=#4b4b79]I'd imagine that depends very much on what portion of the country you're looking at. In any case, I think this threa comes down to Miryoku's having a thing for accents. :p ketchup--for the good times, Sara[/color]

[QUOTE=Freude][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1] Same reason why I take tests in the lines of "What Anime Villain Are You" probably. [/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE][color=#4b4b79]Heh, I guess that's fair enough. I take online quizzes quite a bit. (Or I used to.) Although the IQ tests aren't really something that ever struck me as a lot of fun. If all quips are quops, and some quops are quaps, how long will it take you to throw a brick through your computer screen? kid tested, mother approved, Sara[/color]