More Weird Dreams...

Yes, I know I need to upload the next part of my Wingdom story, but I want to post these dreams before I forget. Part 2 of Wingdom will be coming soon! (Probaby after this weekend) Anyway, I had a really short dream the other night and a really long one the night before.

Short dream: It started where I was watching Little House on the Prairie with my little brothers. I glanced out our front window and saw something strange. "Guys, there's a pig on our neighbor's driveway!!!!!" ...And the pig was wearing goggles. Not swimming goggles, but steampunk-style goggles. I jumped up and ran over to the window. Then I see a guy on an orange suit like they wear in prisons, and he's got the pig on a golden leash. "Guys!!! You gotta see this!" But right when they get there, the and his pig DISAPPEAR. I felt like Candace from Phineas and Ferb. Suddenly the local news comes on TV and we hear the new dude say, "...it has been confirmed that the famous supervillain Orange Suit Man and his sidekick, The Bespectacled Pig, are setting up their lair right in the area." And I was like, "See!? I TOLD you guys!"

Long dream: So apparently I'm acting in Pirates of the Caribbean 4, but I have no script and I have no idea who I'm playing. The first scene is where I'm in a Safeway talking with Jack Sparrow. He was like, "Why hello, old chap, it's been a while!" So we start talking and I'm strangely relaxed...

Jack informs me that he's trying to assemble a crew to go searching for "the telescope of youth." and I'm like, "Don't you mean the fountain of youth...?" And he's like, "Nope, I'm pretty darn sure it's a telescope. And to find it we will use a different telescope." Later I arrive at his ship and he says, "Well, the whole crew thing...didn't exactly work out. So it's just you and me..." As soon as we get out to sea we crash on a really tiny island. It's just about the size of my backyard, and the only thing on it is sand a a random swingset. Jack collapses on the beach and yells, "PRAY TO POSEIDON!!!" And I'm like? "...uh, I only pray to Jesus..." Then suddenly Poseidon comes out of the sea wearing a Hawaiian tee shirt and carrying a fishing pole. And Percy Jackson is with him. Percy goes, "Ooh, look! A swingset! Come on, Rachael, let's go swing!!!" So while we're swinging I notice this creepy bug about the size of my hand. It keeps hissing and snapping its pincers and squirting this juice everywhere! It crawls towards me and I yell, "Jack, squish it!!!" And Jack gets this dreamy look in his eyes and says, "No...it is a thing of nature." But Poseidon stomps on it anyway. The bug goo somehow formed into this image of Natsuki...O_o Then I woke up.

Whoa, that was a long post. Well, my blog is for ramblings, after all. ;)

P.S. Please excuse any spelling/grammar mistakes, as I typed this whole post on my iPod.

Wingdom - Part 1

I posted the prologue a while back, if you don't remember it, click here. Anyway, here's chapter one! (Illustrations will be coming soon.)

The city was perched in the sky, veiled by silvery clouds of mist. Its name was Wingdom, and its citizens were, to say the least, geniuses. They were famous for their flying vehicles, which the rest of the realm envied. Others tried to create machines of their own, but only Wingdom's inventions would ever be able to fly. Although they could have made money off of their machines, the citizens never let anyone near them. Perhaps they were simply being selfish, and wanted to keep their inventions to themselves.

Wingdom could be seen for miles, because of its great height. The buildings had been constructed on a high cliff, in an attempt to become even closer to the sky. If one were to stand on top of the city's walls, they would be so high, they couldn't even see the ground. The cliff was so high, and so steep, that it became almost impossible to visit or leave Wingdom without a sky transport. They periodically came down on large sky transports to collect more supplies, such as food and water, but as time went on, they became more reclusive.

People from other cities trained dragons to be their steeds, enabling them to fly as those from Wingdom could. But they never attempted to visit the city. Perhaps they knew they would not be welcome there.

The citizens had built walls around Wingdom, virtually isolating it from the world. They seemed strangely protective of their city and its secrets.

If the people could see what went on within the city's walls, they would have been amazed. Intricately designed buildings accented by tall, shiny glass windows lined the streets. The city's residents were clothed in colors of silver and white. There were even some trees in the city, but because of the thin soil and oxygen, they were small and weak compared to the trees below.

The city was busy preparing for a celebration that was to be held at the Wingdom palace later that evening, in honor of Prince Cielo's eighteenth birthday. The prince, however, was not happy about this arrangement. He was the type of person who would much rather spend time fiddling with a piece of machinery than attend any sort of social event. He also was not fond of dressing up, and so as you can imagine, this was not the way he wanted to spend his birthday.

The ball was not for a few hours, so Cielo decided to spend at least some of his special day on his flying machine, which he had named the Sky Cutter. It was about the size of a motorcycle, and it was perfect for getting around the city quickly. Cielo took with him a watch, so he could make sure he was back in time for the ball, and a wrench, in case the Sky Cutter broke down again.

He turned the handlebars to start the engine, and was off. The vehicle hummed as it skimmed above the ground. As the crisp breeze ruffled his dark brown hair, he smiled. It was good to get outside the palace once in a while.

Suddenly, he felt a vibration in his left wrist. He slowed the Sky Cutter to a crawl as he lifted the device strapped to his wrist and spoke into it. It was most likely the queen, wondering where he was. “Mother? Is that you?” But a different voice answered.

“Your Highness? This is Ruzgar.”

Cielo rolled his eyes. Ruzgar was one of the nobles living in the palace, and it always seemed as if he could never keep his nose out of Cielo's business.

“Yes? What is it?” Cielo said, forcing politeness into his voice.

“I need you to meet me on the north side of the city wall. And please hurry; it's urgent,” Ruzgar replied.

The wrist device buzzed to signal the end of the conversation. Cielo sighed, and reluctantly turned the Sky Cutter towards the city wall. He had to admit, though, he was a bit curious about what made Ruzgar's request so urgent.

When he arrived, Ruzgar was standing on top of the wall with a security rope tied around his waist. The rope was to ensure that no one accidentally fell from the city walls. Ruzgar gave a strange smirk when Cielo arrived. Cielo was just about to tie a security rope around his waist when Ruzgar interjected, “Wait, Your Highness, not yet. There's something I need to show you.”

Cielo looked up in surprise. He felt a sharp, sudden pain on the side of his head. Stunned, he saw stars dancing around the corners of his vision, and he lost his balance. And then, he was falling...

Note: Since this is the short version the plot kinda moves a bit fast...feedback/suggestions would be appreciated!

Text copyright © 2011, not to be copied in part or in whole.

Book Review for "Matched"

I first found about this book because I noticed that the library recommended it for fans of The Hunger Games, which, as you may know, is one of my favorite books. I was interested, but a bit wary, since I'd had a bad experience the last time I checked out a popular teens book the library recommended. I did a bit of research and it sounded clean, so I decided to give it a try. I was very, very right to do so. I finished it in two days.

Cassia Reyes has always trusted The Society to make the right decisions for her, from what job she takes to who she marries. When she is Matched with Xander, her best friend, she thinks things couldn't be any more perfect. But when she inserts her card to learn more about her Match, another boy's face flashes for a moment before the screen goes dark. The Society tells her that it was just a glitch, but Cassia isn't so sure.

I practically devoured this book. It's going right up into my favorites list, alongside The Hunger Games. It seems like dystopian novels like this one have become more popular lately. I've heard that "dystopian is the new vampire." Well, I'm glad if that means the reign of fangs and blood is just about over (no offense to anyone who likes vampires, it's just not my thing).

Anyway, one of the things I love about these kinds of books is that they really make me think. It forces me to imagine what it what be like to live in a place where even my choices are controlled. Lovable characters and a poetic style of writing only add to the awesomeness of this book! Go and get it from the library now! (But it might take a while...when I ordered it I was number 134 in the holds list...it's worth the wait, though!)

In fact...I loved this book so much I was inspired to do some fan art. But not in my usual medium. My mom's been getting into collage, and she let me use some of her supplies! It was pretty fun. (It's not quite finished...what do you guys think it needs?) P.S. Sorry it's so blurry! >.<

Almost everything in this represents something in the book...even the colors!

...I just found out like five minutes ago that the author pronounces Cassia like Casha...I totally thought it was Ca-see-a. O_o

Inspiration Comes From Random Places

Man, it's been over a week since I last posted...:/ Do you guys want to see some comics on here?? I've been thinking about doing that...oh, and in case you're wondering, my Wingdom story (the short version) is almost done and it will be posted soon!

Lately I've been praying that God will give me inspiration for my story. And I've been getting it! I actually get ideas from stuff you totally woudn't expect. I just finished reading the Percy Jackson series, and it gave me the idea to base Wingdom's culture off of ancient Greek culture! I feel like I could go somewhere with this...

Here's a list of some of my characters' origins! (Soon I hope to have character bios in another post)

Lynnette came from a random drawing of an elf-warrior lady I did a while back. She's come a looooong way since then. At first she was a 25-year-old, then she was an 18-year-old who got turned into a little girl by some weird experiment that when wrong. I kept changing things about her, but managed to hold onto her original personalty.

Celeste's beginning is complicated. Basically, she used to be part of an Arabian story I started. Then I put Lynnette in that story, which required tons of changes to the plot. Eventually I started Wingdom and decided to use Lynnette and Celeste for that instead.

Cielo just kind of popped up out of nowhere...I just knew that I needed a prince for Wingdom, and he was just like, "Here I am!" I am still developing his personality, but he's pretty easy to work with.

Altair and Astor (Some of you may know them as the Golden and Silver Bandit Princes!) came from a weird dream I had a long time ago. They were part of my Arabian story, too, until Lynnette came along. Lynnette has basically taken all my characters out of their original stories...XD

Here's a drawing of Lynnette, since I don't like doing a post without at least one picture.

I listened to the Japanese version of "I See the Light" from Tangled while writing this post. Just in case you wanted to know. ;D

Book Review for "The Giver"

Whoa, it's been a while since I've done one of these! That's kind of one of the reasons I want to change the name of my blog...it's not really about reviews anymore. Ideas, anyone?

Anyway, this is how I discovered The Giver. I was at my school (well, actually I'm homeschooled, but I go to a co-op twice a week, but the co-op is registered as a public school...it's complicated) and I got out of math lab early. I went over to the school library to hang out with my mom and Jake. No one else was there, so I could talk without having to whisper! I was bored, so I scanned the shelves for something to read. Jake had already snatched up the Bionicle book I had my eye on! (I read it later...IT WAS SO WEIRD!!!!) Anyway, just then I spotted The Giver. I vaguely recalled a friend telling me it was good, so I decided to give it a try. As usual, I was hooked from page one.

I love that dude's beard XD

The book is about a boy named Jonas, who lives in a world where everything is "perfect." There is no war, no pain, nobody who is different. The words music, color, and love mean nothing to him, until the day when he meets The Giver. The Giver holds the memories of the way life used to be, when things like animals and weather actually existed. Jonas has been chosen to be the next Receiver of these memories. His experiences change his perspective on life and make him desperate for this mysterious thing called love.

Wow...what a book. It was a bit slow, since nothing much happens throughout the book, but I enjoyed it anyway. Maybe because it reminded me a bit of The Hunger Games (but without all the action!).

Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 3.5 stars
Age Recommended: 12+

A Strange Doodle

Uh....I don't really know what to say about this...I just felt like uploading a random doodle. Originally Buzz Lightyear was going to be in it, then I changed it to Perry the Platypus, and somehow Violet came out of it...she's the only one from a movie that didn't come out in 2010/11. XD

Let's just say Megamind was jealous of Rapunzel's long and magical hair (since he has none!). He teamed up with Gru and his minions to kidnap her, but Violet and Toothless have come to her rescue! Flynn would have rescued her, but he was...sick.

This was actually a lot of fun to do! I might do some more like this in the future. Suggestions would be appreciated!

Anyway, hope you have a great spring break! ;)

Top Ten Tuesday

After reading a couple of other blogs with "top ten lists", I've been inspired to make this list: "Top Ten Reasons I Love Animated Films."

1. The characters are lovable and funny!


2. There's such a variety of creatures!

3. I love the different and exciting environments!


Yes, this DOES count as an animated film!


4. They make you laugh with their ridiculous antics!

5. They make you cry with their touching stories.

6. Animals can be given unique personalities.

 7. Each film expresses a different artistic style.

8. They can be enjoyed by both children and adults.

 9. They often provide memorable quotes!

"Would you like to stay for dinner?"
"Would you like to stay forever?"

 10. They are fun and relaxing to watch!

What's your favorite animated film?

Bionicles Are Nostalgic...At Least For Me

When I was a lot younger, I didn't play with Barbies. Oh no. I played with BIONICLES!!! My little brothers and I were obsessed with them. I knew all the names of every Bionicle that ever was, I had seen all the movies, and read the comic each month with delight. Eventually the story got a bit dull, the prices for the figures got more expensive, and the toys seemed suspiciously smaller. I lost interest. Why am I telling you about my past abnormal tomboy interest? Keep reading.

Recently my mom told us that she wanted me and my brothers to start spending more quality time with each other. Brandon, the older of my two younger siblings, said, "I've got an idea. Wait here, Rach." He rushed upstairs with Jake. Finally, he called down, "Ok, you can come up to my room." I stepped in and saw a huge plastic bin filled to the brim with...BIONICLES!!!! "Remember these?" Bran smiled. We spent a long time taking them out of the bin and reminiscing about old jokes and games we played way back when.

I found a piece of paper that was labeled, "The Story of Novaka." Oh yeah, I thought. I remember this guy! Novaka was a Bionicle I had made up. Brandon had made one up too, named Onupaka (Yes, the names are weird, but ALL Bionicles have weird names). Anyway, here's the paper. (Please excuse the spelling errors I made years ago!)



I sure did have a weird imagination. I guess I still do. XD

 I rebuilt Novaka, surprised that I still remembered how to build him after all these years. Brandon and I had a little photo shoot, and I'm gonna make our own label to put on a Bionicle canister, so they'll look like they're real Bionicles that you can buy. I almost had Novaka's label finished, but the computer decided to hate me again and the deleted the whole thing. *sigh*




I think the bright red was supposed to represent poison...? I don't remember...

Trivia time~! Which of the Barraki glows in the dark (And also happens to be one of my favorite Bionicles)?
Only a true Bionicle geek will know the answer...