Bulbagarden Forums - Blogs - Dark and cold. Leave while you have a chance. by Selemena

Merry Christmas from NZ!

Selemena — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 11:08:04 GMT

Title says it all, really. Just ticked over a few minutes ago. I'm about to turn in for the night.

Sweet dreams are made of this.

Selemena — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 22:21:16 GMT

So I had a very vivid dream last night . . .

I turned up to my Spanish exam at school, but for some reason my Spanish and German exams were at the same time, so I had to sit both in three hours. Instead of the gym or a classroom, the exam was out in the S block courtyard. Even though L3 Spanish was meant to be the only exam, there were nearly a hundred people there. So I sat down and eventually realised that the papers sitting on my desk weren't mine, so I stood up and went to ask about it. Turns out my exam was actually in the T block toilets (nobody else, just me) so off I trundled, worrying about whether Mr Tizzard could tell I hadn't shaved.

There was no supervision or anything in the bathroom, so I sat there with my iPod in and did the exams. No idea how the listening portions worked. I think I had my Spanish exercise book as well, though I didn't cheat. I remember vague bits about what was in the exam – something about cows, something about boats . . . it was hard, though. And I was doing two exams at once, so I had little time. After finishing and comparing notes with the other people in my class, they mentioned questions I hadn't done, so I had this sickening realisation that I had actually just not seen about half of the paper due to being an idiot.

By this point I was back at S block, where a classmate was rounding everybody up onto a series of party buses. Somehow I ended up riding shotgun (I know, buses don't have passenger seats) and for some reason my dad was in the driver's seat, though he wasn't driving. He seemed a little perplexed by everything as well. So the bus was driving, gradually getting faster, and we were driving through a big city at night. There were bloody overpasses everywhere. Eventually, I noticed some of the other buses – driving at breakneck speeds by now – had started to lift off the ground. I barely had time to hold onto my lunch before ours took off too. However, whoever was driving the bus decided that just that wasn't good enough for him, so it proceeded to barrel roll several times before I blacked out – from G-force or fear, I'm not sure.

Miraculously, I arrived at our destination without soiling myself. The buses spat us out onto this jetty (yes, they could float too) on a really nice-looking island somewhere in the middle of the ocean. I found out it was called Virgin Cuba Libre (which is basically a rum and coke without the rum – thanks, Sheldon Cooper) but my dreamy, post-Spanish-exam brain translated it as 'free virgins' and I kind of have no idea where the dream went from there.

I have vague memories of a very pretty girl with peach-coloured hair, who was actually Roman somehow and had been trapped on this island for centuries. She kept disappearing underwater . . . I think the island was flooding. All my classmates just kept partying (probably with all the 'free virgins') while I was trying to help this one girl off the island. I remember something about a door with many locks on it . . . I don't know. In the end, I seem to recall that the price for her escaping the island was that she basically had to die. But then she didn't? Or she came back, and . . . I don't know. There was a vaguely happy ending.

Then I 'woke up' and realised the part about the island had been a dream. I'd fallen asleep on the bus home after my exam, so I went in and told Mum and Dad about how I screwed up the exam. They weren't impressed, as you can imagine, but they were understanding and quite indignant I'd been made to sit two at once.

So I went out again (I don't know why, it was gone six p.m. by this point) and the girl from the island was there. Which confused me because I had been sure that was a dream. And then I started to wonder if THIS was a dream.

And then she kissed me, and I woke up. THIS close to a lucid dream. OTL

File under: wtf

So why was yesterday such an awesome day?

Selemena — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 17:13:00 GMT

Well, there were a number of reasons. In chronological order:

1) After I got up, I checked my email to discover that I had been offered a place at my first-choice hall of residence for university next year. This is possibly the biggest hurdle on the road to getting into university, so I was super happy about that.

2) While talking to the girl I like over Skype, she pretty much said she felt the same way - which I suspected but didn't want to make assumptions about - which means I have been grinning like a loon all day.

3) Fish and chips for dinner.

4) Got to see The Avengers again. Still gotta love it the second time round.

5) Pokemon BW2 comes in less than a week and I am suddenly no longer feeling guilty about spending money on it. So excited all of a sudden and I have no idea why.

Today Is A Beautiful Day

Selemena — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:40:35 GMT

It really is. The weather's meh, but today is a wonderful, amazing day. Just wanted to say that. Have a nice day.

So you wanna be a Pokemon Mas- I mean, staff member?

Selemena — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 07:43:48 GMT

Disclaimer: this blog speaks for me and not the whole staff. Opinions stated are purely my own, and this is intended as a guide only.

Just in light of the current Mini Staff Drive, a note to all the people looking to become moderators: remember what's important. You don't have to be phenomenally active. Your post count means nothing. When I was modded on April 2nd, 2012, I barely had 200 posts. What matters is that you care about your forum, that you care about the people in it. That people can respect you, and even more importantly, that you respect them. That you are proud of your forum, that you want to see it grow and thrive before anything else.

Yes, it's nice having a slightly larger avatar. Yes, it's nice having italics and relaxed signature rules. And sure, I can move and lock threads and hand out infractions if I need to. But that's not what it's about. What's important is that I am now in a position to bring life to the fanfiction forum. I can run events, organise competitions, suggest ways - and take suggestions for ways - to make the forum bigger, better and more fun. I can do that in a way that I wasn't able to before, and that's what it's about.

Being on staff is a big responsibility, but even more than that . . . it's a privilege. I consider myself honoured, and that's a mindset that will take you far. Rather than being given a gift, you are being given an opportunity. Do you want that opportunity?

Then take it with both hands, and I'll see your name in italics before long.

I wish I could sing. OTL

Selemena — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 21:40:11 GMT

GLEE 2x03 - I want to hold your hand (The Beatles) - YouTube
Yeah, it's the Glee version. I just love Kurt's rendition of it.

Oh yeah, I'll tell you something
I think you'll understand
When I say that something
I want to hold your hand

I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

Oh please say to me
You'll let me be your man
And please say to me
You'll let me hold your hand

You'll let me hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

And when I touch you I feel happy inside
It's such a feeling that my love
I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide

Yeah, you got that something
I think you'll understand
When I say that something
I want to hold your hand

I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

And when I touch you I feel happy inside
It's such a feeling that my love
I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide

Yeah, you got that something
I think you'll understand
When I feel that something
I want to hold your hand

I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

I want to be able to sing it for her. ;;

How me a monkey learned cook?

Selemena — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 23:02:35 GMT

Pancakes. Supposedly.

Even slatherings of butter and golden syrup couldn't save this debacle.

OTL

RIP Breakfast 28/09/12.

BW2

Selemena — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:14:06 GMT

No, I haven't finished it. Haven't even played it yet. I've also managed to avoid almost all spoilers; the grand list of what I'm aware of is under the cut:

Iris is the Champion
N comes back or something
Cheren is a Gym Leader. Also, Homika and Shizsomething are too because part of Unova is frozen.
Kyurem now has two alternate formes or something that look like blended Zek/Resh roadkill
the ninja trio are back too and TP have different uniforms
eeeeyup
Oh yeah and you can catch some non-Unova pokes before Natdex. Including Eevee, I think?

AND THAT'S IT and I am glad of it.

So, I preordered B2 the other day. Might get some free stuff out of it - EB sometimes do that - but I'm not counting on it. I got a ton of free stuff because I preordered White about six months in advance, but idk if this is so important.

oh yes and ongoing girl trouble

just another day in the life of thomas

A foolish declaration.

Selemena — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 04:26:26 GMT

When Nintendo brings out a new main series Pokemon game on the 3DS, I will wash my hands of the franchise.

Not to say that I won't eventually get my hands on them and play them, but I won't save up to buy a new system and game just so I can play them when they come out. I won't preorder the games so I can get them on release date like I have since Diamond.

I'll stay in the fandom, I imagine. But that will be the end of me staying up-to-date with the games.

tl;dr I don't have a 3DS and I'm jealous of people who have disposable income.

We're doing bandwagons again? Wynaut?

Selemena — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:25:16 GMT

32 minutes to fill out a survey? Yikes! D:

ONE - Spell your name without vowels: Thms.
TWO - Are you single? Yes.
THREE - Whats your favorite number? 13.
FOUR - What color do you wear most? Blue, definitely.
FIVE - Least favorite color?: Orange. Rarely works.
SIX - Favorite candy? Gummy bears!
SEVEN - What do you smoke?: I don't.
EIGHT - Are you happy with your life right now? All things considered, yeah.
NINE - Anyone ever said you resemble a celebrity?: Actually, yes. Jack Osbourne, for some reason.
TEN - What is your favorite class in school? Spanish.
ELEVEN - Do you shop at Hollister/DC/Bluenotes?: At where now?
TWELVE - How do you make money?: I, er, don't.
THIRTEEN - Who is your best friend(s)? Pedro and Mia, woop woop.
FOURTEEN - Where do you go to school?: Local boys-only public school. Yup.
FIFTEEN - Are you outgoing?: Hell to the no.
SIXTEEN - One word to describe you?: Awkweird.
SEVENTEEN - Favorite pair of shoes?: Mizuno court shoes win by default as all my other shoes are shit/for school, but they'd win anyway. Shiny!
EIGHTEEN - Do you own big sunglasses?: Sunglasses fullstop are a hassle as a permanent spectacles-wearer, so no.
NINETEEN - Where do you wish you were right now?: New York would be nice, idk.
TWENTY - What should you be doing right now?: Probably sleeping. Yup, one a.m.
TWENTY ONE - Do you have a crush on anyone right now?: Sure do!

HONEST SECTION:
Honestly, what's on your mind right now? Thanks to that last question? A girl.
Honestly, what are you doing right now?: Answering your questions and thinking about that girl. Stupid question.
Honestly, have you done something bad today? I ate a donut. Probably negated my gym trip.
Honestly, do you watch Disney Channel?: Only when Phineas and Ferb or a classic movie is on.
Honestly, who is the last person you talked to on the phone? Phone? Uh, my cousin Courtney from Christchurch.
Honestly, are you jealous of someone right now?: Not in particular, no.
Honestly, what makes you mad most of the time?: Incompetence. Sometimes my own, but mostly other people's.
Honestly, do you bite your nails?: Ugh, yes.
Honestly, do you want to see someone this very moment?: ...Yes.
Honestly, are you keeping a big secret right now?: Yeah, but I'm not telling. Duh.
Honestly, do you have a friend you don't actually like?: ~~ALL OF THEM~~ No. If I dislike someone, I tell them to their damn face.

THE CANS:
Can you blow a bubble?: With gum? Nope.
Can you dance?: AHAHAHAHAHAHA no. Doesn't stop me, though.
Can you do a cart wheel?: I haven't tried for some years. Maybe?
Can you tie a cherry stem with your mouth?: Nope.
Can you whistle?: Yes.
Can you wiggle your ears?: Nope.
Can you wiggle your nose?: Nope.
Can you roll your tongue?: Yes.
Can you make a clover with your tongue?: Uhhh ... I'm going with 'no'?

ANGER SECTION:
What do you do when you're mad?: Find a punching bag. A literal one.
What's the worst thing you've done when you were mad?: Um. Probably yelled at my parents. I try not to.
Ever made anyone cry when you were mad?: Are we counting the time when I made Ellie M cry in year six because I kept correcting the spelling in her project? Because that made me kind of angry.

CRYING SECTION:
Ever really cried your heart out?: Once, I think.
Ever cried yourself to sleep?: Every now and again. Kind of therapeutic.
Ever cried on your friend's shoulder?: No.
Ever cried over the same sex?: Not in particular.
Do you cry when you get an injury? What's an 'injury'?
Do certain songs make you cry?: Yep.
Do certain movies make you cry?: Also yep.
Ever cried from reading a book?: Yep again.

HAPPY SECTION:
Are you usually a happy person?: More or less?
What makes you the happiest?: Silly things. Oh, and talking to that one girl I mentioned.
Does being with your friends make you happy?: Yes, but sometimes I just need them to leave me be.
Do you believe in yourself?: Psssh, no. What is this, Pokemon?
Do you wish you were happier?: Yes, by default.
Is being happy overrated?: I don't think so.
Can music make you happy?: Oh yeah.

LOVE SECTION:
How many times have you had your heart broken?: None. Georgia doesn't count; I was twelve.
Have you ever loved someone so much that you'd die for them?: ...no. I wouldn't say so.
Has anyone besides your friends and family ever said 'I love you'?: No.

~~wow that section was short~~

HATE SECTION:
Do you actually hate anyone?: I try not to. Hate the deed, not the man and all that.
Have you ever been on a hit list?: Not to my knowledge?
Are you a mean bully?: Ghastly. Utterly terrifying and formidably destructive.
Do you hate George Bush?: I think he's a silly goose.

SELF ESTEEM SECTION:
Is your self-esteem extremely low?: Not recently. It's okay about now, but still slightly below average.
Do you think you're good looking?: Not really.
Do you wish you could be someone else?: All the time. But it's just fantasy; I wouldn't trade being me.

LOOK AT ME:
What is your current hair color?: Light brown.
What is your eye color?: Blue-grey.
What is your skin tone?: Computer monitor
Current piercings?: None.
Have any tattoos?: No.
Straight hair or curly?: Straight. I think it might curl if it gets longer, but I can never tell thanks to school's hair code.

CURRENTLY WEARING:
What shirt are you wearing?: Fluoro tie-dyed 'I <3 DC' t-shirt. I wish I was making this up.
Necklace(s)?: No.
Shoes?: Again, no. I'm in bed right now.

HAVE YOU EVER:
Hugged someone?: Yes. Is that abnormal? o_O
Been on the phone until the sun came up?: No.
Laughed so hard you peed in your pants?: No.
Laughed so hard you cried?: Yes.
Got in a fight with someone?: No, thankfully.

THE LAST:
Person you talked to in person?: Um . . . my 12-year old sister.
Person you talked to online?: My friend Mia.
Person you hugged?: Probably my sister again.

RANDOM:
Do you like surveys?: I just spent 20 minutes doing this thing, didn't I?
Do you get along with your parents?: Unless we're talking about religion, yes.
Do you have mental breakdowns?: No.

CURRENT:
Current mood: Spaced-out. I kind of want to sleep, but I'm not exactly tired.
Current music: Britney Spears Pandora station. It's Britney, bitch.
Current hair style: Post-shower muzz.
Current crush: If I let her name out on here, I'll never live it down. Suffice it to say she's blonde and extremely pretty. <3
Current thing I ought to be doing: Sleeping.
Current windows open: Firefox (Facebook home, friend's FB profile, Pandora, this page, Bulba User CP), LibreOffice (English homework, History homework).
Current desktop picture: Me and the rest of the academic committee at the ball a few weeks ago.

THE DIDS:
Did you ever get into a fist fight in school?: No.
Did you ever run away from home?: No.
Did you ever want to be a doctor?: No.
Did you ever want to be a fire fighter?: No. This section was boring.

THE DO'S:
Do you know how to swim?: Yes.
Do you like roller coasters?: GODS NO
Do you own a bike?: Uh, don't think so. My sister inherited mine.
Do you think you could handle the stuff they eat on those reality shows?: What, like Fear Factor? Get outta town.

THE DOES:
Does hair loss run in your family at all?: Possibly? idk
Does your car get good gas mileage?: I don't have a car.
Does your family have family picnics?: From time to time...

THE HAVES:
Have you ever been on a plane?: A few times, yeah.
Have you ever been to the ocean?: Yes.
Have you ever painted your nails?: No, but I keep meaning to. Hmm.

THE HOWS:
How tall are you?: 185cm, I think? It's about six foot one, anyway.
How much money do you have on you right now?: There's 70c in my wallet on my desk?

THE LASTS:
Last person you hung out with?: I think my crush gets that one, actually. Bumped into her at the library last Thursday.
Last thing someone said to you?: I have no idea. XD
Last thing you said out loud?: It's 1:22 in the morning. I haven't said anything for four hours.

THE WHATS:
What are you listening to?: Er . . . Pop by NSYNC. Still on that Britney Pandora station.
What is the weather outside?: Dark. I have no idea.
What radio station do you listen to?: Pandora! So basically whatever I feel like.
What was the last restaurant you ate at?: The Thai Chef's in New Plymouth. I love Thai food, especially when it's hot.
What was the last thing you had to drink?: Water. I'm boring.
What was the last movie you watched?: Spirited Away for my English project.

Holy crap, that was longer than I expected.

Never done one of these bandwagon things before, so I guess I'll start with this.

Selemena — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 23:33:13 GMT

Makes me feel like a cake, though.

LAYER ONE : THE OUTSIDE
- Name: Thomas N
- Eye Color: Blue-grey
- Hair Style/Color: Light brown, fading through to blond at the roots. Ergo, I go blond every tie I get a short haircut. Style: boring. My school doesn't allow anything long or interesting.
- Height: 6'1" and still growing.
- Clothing style: Track pants or board shorts depending on the weather, and a T-shirt. Jeans if I'm dressing up a little. School uniform otherwise - white shirt, tie, black blazer, grey pants, black shoes.

LAYER TWO: THE INSIDE
- Your fears: Heights, social situations.
- Your guilty pleasure: Schadenfreude.
- Your biggest pet peeve: People who try and peer over my shoulder when I'm on my laptop in class.
- Your ambitions for the future: Ideal - be a novelist. Semi-realistic - work for the government in the diplomatic corps.

LAYER THREE: THOUGHTS
- Your first thoughts waking up: OH GOD IS IT THE WEEKEND YET.
- What you think about most: Hmm . . . at the moment, probably the upcoming ball. It's bothering me.
- What you think about before bed: Ah . . . a certain girl. She always floats through my head when I try and sleep.
- You think your best quality is: I try to be genuinely nice to people and respect them if I can. Not many people I encounter do that . . .

LAYER FOUR: WHAT'S BETTER?
- Single or group dates: Hmm, in theory? I'd probably say single dates. Three's a crowd and all that.
- To be loved or respected: I'd rather be respected by someone that dislikes me than loved by someone who doesn't respect who I am.
- Beauty or brains: I would say brains. Being pretty is all very well, but if you can't hold up your end of a conversation . . .
- Dogs or cats: Cats!

LAYER FIVE: DO YOU?
- Lie: Yep. Not terribly often, though, and usually just to troll people harmlessly.
- Believe in yourself: Uh. I'm working on it. For several years, I totally didn't. Only recently have I started to.
- Believe in love: Recently, I've started to think I do.

LAYER SIX: EVER?
- Been on stage: Oh yeah. I love acting. Been in several school productions, and I took drama at school for a few years.
- Done drugs: Nope. Clean.
- Changed who you were to fit in: I tried this for a while, but gave up pretty quickly.

LAYER SEVEN: FAVORITES
- Favorite color: Blue.
- Favorite animal: Cats.
- Favorite movie: Princess Mononoke.
- Favorite game: Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2: Grimoire of the Rift on NDS.

LAYER EIGHT: AGE
- Day your next birthday you will be: Wednesday, January 16th.
- How old will you be: 18
- Age you lost your virginity: N/A
- Does age matter: In some contexts? Silly question. Like, I'd be happy to have a mature discussion with a 12-year-old if they were capable of it. But I wouldn't have sex with a 12-year-old. You know what I mean?

LAYER NINE: IN A BOY OR GIRL
- Best eye color: Green.
- Best hair color: Red
- Best thing to do with a partner: I would say just hanging out. Go to a cafe, go to the movies or just for a walk by the river. Talk to them.

LAYER TEN: FINISH THE SENTENCE
- I love: that girl I mentioned earlier . . . maybe? >_<
- I feel: slightly irked about the ball tonight.
- I hide: my extensive collection of Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
- I miss: my friend who went back to Germany.
- I wish: I could get a do-over of the last five years of my life to fix all the problems I've been bitching about here.

Wow.

Quite the conundrum - school ball.

Selemena — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:47:01 GMT

Situation: School ball is coming up. A couples event by nature.

Possibility 1: Take a girl to the ball.

Possibility 2: Go to the ball - alone.

Possibility 3: Don't go to the ball. Stay home and don't give a shit.

Problem 1: I'm a prefect. Prefects must attend the ball. There goes Possibility 3.

Problem 2: I don't know many girls. Within that small set, there are two subsets: A = girls I know well enough to take to the ball, and B = girls who I would want to take to the ball. Mathematically, (A ∩ B) = ∅. Possibility 1 eliminated.

So yeah, I'm going to the ball by myself. I probably would have been able to find a date if I was bothered about it, but several weeks ago I decided I wasn't. Now the ball's tomorrow night and I'm starting to realise it might have been a good idea after all.

Oh yeah, and the day I got my ticket (all finalised and stuff) a friend messaged me on Facebook saying they had a friend who wanted to go to the ball and remembered me from primary school. And it was like why can you not mention this shit earlier.

So yeah, kind of irked about all this. Now my options stand thusly:

Possibility 1: Stand in the corner with the other singles (guys only, btw. Girls can only come with a partner, as this is a boys' school ball) and mope. Not an attractive prospect.

Possibility 2: Stand by the punch. Drink punch. Eat as much of the expensive catering as possible to get my money's worth out of the expensive ticket. A sad way to spend an evening.

Possibility 3: Wander around and hit on everybody else's dates. Douchebaggy and purely hypothetical.

Possibility 4: Some combination of all the above, each in moderation. Seems most likely at this stage.

Agh, so annoying. I wouldn't even give a damn if I wasn't being forced to go. It'd just be like:

Have fun without me, guys!

But no. Damn you, non-optional social conventions.

Banners!

Selemena — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:40:16 GMT

I know everyone loves having a nice signature banner, so why not pop down to my new shop and request one? I need lots of practice, so feel free to grab a render and swing on by.

Computer woes

Selemena — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:06:22 GMT

Yeah, so I've been writing lots of Champion Game lately, but there's a chunk missing.

Online, I have chapters 1-32 in full.

On my computer (which is in the shop getting its pin fixed) I have chapters 1-32, a bunch of handy notes and half of chapter 33.

On my flash drive, I have chapters 1-26 (haven't made a backup since December asodigh.

In the last few days, I've written chapters 33 and 34.

The problem, then, is that I have access to the whole fic to date - except about half of Chapter 33. This means that I can't actually post any more until I get my computer back. Chapter 34 is ready to post before 33 is.

Stupid thing. It also means I'm stealing time on my mum's laptop when she's not using it, and I have to lug it back up to the office and plug it in every night when I'm finished with it. Curse you, charging pin.

I hate living like this.

Selemena — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 22:05:07 GMT

Wonderful way to start Easter morning - a massive argument with your mother about religion.

I'm an atheist, okay. I have been for a couple of years since I 'came out'. My family have been good, although it was initially a bit of a shock to Mum, I think. But it never failed to bother me. No matter how hard I try, I literally cannot comprehend how an mature, intelligent adult can believe what she believes. I don't mean to offend anyone by that, I really don't. I'm not one for forcing my (non-)beliefs down random people's throats. But when I see my family - the people who are most dear to me on this planet - letting their lives be dictated by a two-thousand-year-old book, it really, really bothers me. Especially in the case of my twelve-year-old sister, in whom I see myself. She goes along with this religion thing because it's all she's ever known, just like it was all I ever knew. And that hurts me. Mum maintains that she'll have the choice when she's old enough, but my fear is that she won't have the willpower to extricate herself before it's too late. I know, because I almost missed it myself. If I hadn't so strongly resisted the idea of going to a Catholic high school, I probably wouldn't have been able to stand up three years later and say 'I've had enough'. She's going to high school next year, and 90% chance it's going to be the local Sacred Heart.

It really bothers me. Mum says it bothers her that I don't believe, but she refuses to accept that it bothers me just as strongly that she does. Being an atheist isn't fun, people. It's not all about baiting fundamentalist Christians on the internet and posting funny pictures about Zombie Jesus on Facebook. We have real problems and issues to deal with based around our (non-)belief, because unlike the eternally 'oppressed' Christians, we actually are a minority, and an almost universally disliked one at that.