Hi, Kisei!

Welcome to my application for Saralee! This application has taken me a lot of time and effort and preparation, and I hope you will find it a suitable testimony to the care I would give such a wonderful and unique kau. It is also the very first petpage application I've ever done, so I hope you will regard any mistakes I might make here and there with leniency. Some simple 'housekeeping' notes – I was unable to suss out what your resolution was, and ended up going with 1024 x 768. I know that Neopets runs on an 800 x 600 resolution, but the larger resolution seems to be more common these days, and thus my decision. You can get the maximum benefit of the page by hitting F11. If you do have an 88 x 600 resolution, please let me know and I'll be happy to adjust everything to fit cosily into a smaller resolution!

One last note, for the safety of your pet from autoadopters, I am refraining from calling her by her full name; throughout this application, she will either be called 'Sara' or 'Saralee'.

That said, please sit back, enjoy the browse, and perhaps enjoy a kau cupcake as you read! Can I suggest some cake coffee to accompany it? It's just the right combination of bitter and sweet and enhances the rich luxurious flavour of the cupcake....well, if you choose to indulge yourself, you can find them in the sweet shop Cherry runs – I'll introduce you later, as well!




About Me

Well, since we're speaking now, let me introduce myself – my name is Ellie; I'm 25, short, with blonde hair that's too long and is generally a nuisance but I leave it long anyway. When I was young, I always wanted long flowing hair like a princess, but my folks always cut it short for practicality's sake (VERY practical, since I was overly fond of climbing trees and frog-catching, among other un-princess-ly things). Older and (presumably) wiser now, I can let it grow to my heart's content. And if it doesn't flow and if I'm still not a princess – well, then. No harm done!

I may be older, but I still enjoy climbing trees and catching frogs, though my interests also include sports like waterpolo, volleyball, and ultimate frisbee. I enjoy studying biology and writing, and for a hobby I spend a lot of time doing 3D computer graphics and digital art, while I spend what free time is left (when not on Neo!) working on a novel that is slowly but surely progressing. I really enjoy everything creative, whether I can excell at it or not (and really, you don't want to see my attempts at knitting!). I also love the fall most of all; something about the vivid bursts of color before the humdrum of winter.

But surely, that's enough about my un-princessly ecclectic self for now. My oldest account is ParseltonguePen – as you can probably infer from the name, I do enjoy the Potterverse. However, I used the name because it was the name I used on a message board where a very good friend of mine first suggested trying out Neopets to me. That friend, Chrissy (the_precious_02), thought it would be something I could enjoy. She was right. I moved to a new city, and found it very hard to adapt to urban life after a life in the country. I also really missed having pets, and found Neopets a strong comfort. I could have pets to care for, and meet a wide variety of people – some of whom ended up being local! Since then I have been on Neopets daily, often for hours on end. This is also the account that I would adopt Sara on, permanently.

My second account made was ParseltonguePlumas; it is being held as an all-Xweetok account. I am currently waiting for it to age, so it is mostly empty. VeritasCordi holds down the fort there for me there; I'll tell you about him later with the rest of the family.

My last and newest account is mythunderstood; it is my labbing account, although there are some permies there as well. I also experiment with my coding on that account, as HTML is a sore trial for me. My lookup there – my first custom lookup - is being tweaked a fair bit.

I believe firmly the adage, "When in Rome, do as the Romans". So I follow the rules laid down by TNT. I have never been frozen or warned as a result, and I intend to keep it that way!




Current Family

My permanent pets – 'permies' – are all special to me. They aren't 'trophies' – they are the product of time, creative energy, and enjoyment. I create stories and concepts with them and they live out those stories through roleplay and writing and art. In truth, they probably have a more active life than me!

The first Neopet I ever created is SileneAlba; a green ogrin and female he was created, though the lab has made him starry and male now. When he was on my main account he was entered in the BC and won species! He was pleased as punch, of course, but it didn't go to his head; he's a solid fellow like that. His love is studying – not, per se, READING everything, but rather knowing how everything works. He also enjoys the crossword puzzles and the Conundrums – though I'm afraid I fail miserably at the latter and have only succeeded twice, and only with Silene's help! SileneAlba, btw, means 'white sweet clover' in Latin. It suits him well – especially on Illusen Day!

Soon after that I discovered the pound, and adopted Cherrycoatedchocolat; her name seemed immensely suited to her coloring, and it seemed like fate when I saw her. Her unflagging cheeriness helps haul me out of bed of a morning – especially when there's a foot of snow to be shoveled outside! She might chivvy me out of bed to get to it – but she's always ready with a mug of hot xweetok cocoa when I come in. Cherry loves to read and runs her own sweetshop, named Yorokonde!. This sweetshop is a social hub, of sorts, for all my pets. Why wouldn't it? Yorokonde! specialises in having a sweet for every occasion and taste! For her, there's nothing better than a rainy afternoon, a cuppa something hot and sweet, and a well-loved book – she seems to have that much in common with me.

Not too long after that, a friend found Vortach in the pound and gave him to me, knowing of my new fondness for xweetoks. The poor little kitling was ill and starving and at zero hit points! I wasn't looking for a spotted Xweetok at the time, but my heart melted at his sorry state and I readily welcomed him. At the time, my account had not aged, so the friend who found him fostered him on her account until my account was ready for him; In the meantime, I sent treats and items for him – though he didn't always appreciate the kindness, I'll admit. I gave him a Gruslen, since I thought the Gruslen's bold stripes and unflagging energy would go over well. But his reaction? "Augh! Get it away from me!" It seems Vortach is alergic to cats! He is still young and impulsive, forever getting lost or into trouble, but his sweet enthusiastic nature keeps everyone laughing.

VeritasCordi – or Veritas for short – is the second pet I ever created. His name means 'true heart' or 'honest heart'. He is a staunch and loyal friend, and often is seen rescuing Vortach from near-annihilation (it's amazing, the mortal danger youngin's can find themselves stuck in without even trying, really)! He is one of my few pets I plan to paint myself, and I hope to paint him white, as he really sees himself as a knight in shining (white) armor! He is very quiet and reserved, though he does possess a subtle, cunning humour. His jokes are the sort that sink in minutes later and leave you in giggles! He is also my favourite pet to roleplay in quad form, because he enjoys being the unsupposing hero.

Hiji Aoi was the first of my dream pets to join my family. Since I enjoy anime and Japanese culture, her name appealed to me as well – which roughly means "Blue Morning". She is a pet I enjoy drawing frequently, and soon – when I have time to dedicate to advertising – she'll enter the Beauty contest. She rarely speaks so it took a long time to puzzle out her history, but it seems she is essentially ageless, having promised herself to stay alive until her betrothed appears. For all that she seems emotionless and distant, she is very compassionate, and shows it through actions, not words. When she does speak, however, it's usually in the form of poetry, or something cryptic and layered in meaning. Vortach finds it hardest to get along with her – he's too young to understand her much – but she gets along well with Cherry and Zhathe, who appreciate her presence and don't find her silences troubling.

Yvian was the next to come to my family; another rescue from the pound, she is also a permie and a companion to Zhathe. She is a sweet-natured, thoughtful uni who is only marginally vain about her Beauty Contest trophy – though she's more vain about it than Silene, even though Silene has a gold! Yvian is especially fond of philosophy and poetry, and enjoys taking long walks at moonrise; she claims the starry sky inspires the poems she writes. Her nocturnal habits mean she likes to sleep in late, though, so she's often found stumbling into the kitchen to revive her sleepy head with some of Cherry's fresh-brewed coffee and some sweets. Usually Vortach's rather energetic and noisy activity completes her wake-up.

Sidabras was the next; I created her, and she's special to me as an incarnation of a novel I am writing. Her name, Sidabras, is Teutonic and is the origin of the word 'silver'. To that end, I hope to paint her silver or grey. In truth, Sid is the quietest of everyone – because she is mute. She was found when Silene and Vortach were taking a mountain treck (Silene also endorses exercise out of doors as a chance to appreciate what's around us; what we appreciate, we will better care for, and the younger an age that's instilled in Vortach, the better. The little terror would leave devastation in his wake otherwise). Sidabras was nothing more than a tiny bundle of feathers and fur, so we took her home, fed her, and named her for the grayness of her eyes, which matched the grey sky we found her under. Though she is unspeaking and somewhat shy, she enjoys company, and she spends a lot of time with Aoi – perhaps because she knows the silence there is shared.

My second uni is Zhathe, a male I just recently painted glowing, my very first hand=painted pet! I can almost see your eyebrows raise at this – yes, I know, glowing Neopets are not 'popular'. But I don't particularly care about what is popular, 'pretty', or even – what would be a good word for it? – prestigious. Zhathe's character came to my mind in full force, name and color and design. It's his picture that's in the lookup of mythunderstood. He's sort of a draft horse, plain in design and simple in nature, but with a heart big as the hills and woods he frequents. By day he appears a mottled green-white-yellow, dull and almost ugly in appearance, but at night when his luminescence casts light around him, he plods out into the darkness to search for any kitling or littleling who wandered away, or any Neopet who has lost their way in the dark – or even anyone lonely, who is in need of a warm, strong shoulder to cry on and a soft, reassuring light. Working quietly, without recognition or acclaim – that is Zhathe's manner.

Just recently another one of my dream pets came to join the family; that is, Wept, the shadow xweetok! I am hugely indebted to Nochi for Wept. I had applied for three different xwees, only to find out that the owners had already chosen new owners beforehand! Nochi heard of my frustration, and offered me Wept. Since her name fit her story to a T, it made me very, very happy indeed. Wept has somewhat a sad story, since she has a shadow over her eyes that causes her to see, upon meeting, the manner of a creature's death. This makes many people uncomfortable around her, and gives Wept nightmares. However, she too finds acceptance and support at Yorokonde. You can see more of her story on her petpage (a work in progress). Cherry's matter-of-fact acceptance of Wept's curse - and Hiji's strange immortality - helps her feel at home in Yorokonde!

One of the most recent additions to the family is Yellowflaze, a super-friendly pink xwee who sort of attached himself to Cherry and Yorokonde! of his own volition, largely due to his sweet tooth. He's a bit of a dandy, but he is stoutly loyal to friends and his sweets, and has a truly compassionate heart. He has a knack for finding the perfect dessert for every occasion – and the right words for every problem. He makes a fabulous waiter at Yorokonde! – so long as they keep him out of the kitchen! His very first day there he *tried* to work in the kitchen, but I'm told he *also* tried to eat his weight in sweets. As you can imagine, that didn't work out too well! Though clever with words and cleverer with sweets, he is still no slacker with his fists, and will fiercely defend any patron of Yorokonde! that he feels is being threatened.

And the very newest member, currently just awaiting transfer, is Ren, a snow xweetok. With him, my xweetok family is complete - and Hiji's story is finally complete! Ren is/was Hiji Aoi's betrothed, but on his journey over the mountain to meet her, he and his party were lost in a mudslide/avalanche. However, when Ren came face to face with the Wheel upon which his life was to be balanced and his reincarnation to be decided, he turned and walked away, choosing to not relinquish his memories, because there was a song he could not left unsung. After wandering the earth for years, he too will find himself drawn to a cheery, quaint little shop named Yorokonde! - and there, perhaps, find what he has been looking for so long.





Why Saralee?

After reading about all my pets, perhaps you are saying, "Why, with such a diversity of pets already, are you looking for another pet? Why a kau? Why Sara?" All are good, valid questions. Let me answer them for you.

I like to adopt pets. Primarily because I am adopted in real life, adoption is special to me. Yes, I have created a few Neopets, and those *are* special to me – but I hold a very deep fondness in me for adopted pets. I regularly scan the pets at Neopound, looking for a character to sink into my head and say, "I would belong with your family. I would fit in and make my own niche. You need me." Sara did that; something about her caught my eye, snagged my mind, and didn't let go.

Looking at her she reminded me very strongly of a friend I knew in high school; someone good natured, ready to laugh, and willing to try anything. She wasn't the brightest kid on the block, math was our common enemy – but she was strong and loyal and unshakeable. If you were her friend, she'd take on your causes, face your enemies, pick you for her team. I see these traits in Sara; and like my friend, I can see no better friend and sibling for my family. Years and distance have pulled us apart but in Sara I see a tribute to her, and a pillar of strength for my current Neopets. A protector for Vortach; someone for Veritas to spar with; someone for Cherry to share her sweets with, someone to listen to Yvian's poetry, to guard Zhathe's back, to hike with Silene, to play stalk-and-pounce with Sid – or even to make Aoi smile with her awkwardness. Someone strong enough to help Wept with the burden of her curse. Someone to fall for Flaze's jokes. Yes, it is my unswerving conviction that Sara would fit our family like a glove to the paw.




Future Plans

I have many things planned for our new arrival; starting out with her home. I do have a Neohome, though it's recently built and has more rooms than possessions! I choose to have one neohome to house my pets on ALL my accounts, rather than multiple homes for each.

Originally I had intended to give each pet their own room, however that left the rooms feeling so empty that I ended up changing it to up to three residents per room. Currently complete is the girls' room for my main account pets: this would include Cherry, Hiji Aoi, and hopefully, Saralee.

Each girl has her own elegant bed and plushie dresser with a globe lamp atop it, perfect for late nights and that irresistable book that keeps you turning the pages long past the time you should have been asleep. The soft light of the globe lamp is ideal for illumination without eyestrain. Beside each bed is a fuzzy blue beanbag chair to flop in; a thick cream rug keeps the chill of the brick floor at bay. There are also closets for each, and a full-length mirror – something every girl needs from time to time, regardless of specie!

I also am looking forward to entering Sara in the BC – I'm sure she could take the other kaus by storm, if not the overall! I've entered the Beauty Contest before and done quite well, winning a gold in the Ogrin species and a silver in uni, with essentially no advertising. I'm excited for her, as I think she's got a strong personality and a tomboyish strength about her – a nice change from the overly feminine girls and the overly masculine boys that are prevalent in the Beauty contest. I think Sara will be a fresh wind there – in both her anthro form (as the background of this page) and her quad form. I have drawn, and am prepared to continue to draw, Sara in both forms; I know there are voters in the BC who only vote anthro, or only vote quad. Hopefully this way I can reach both crowds! I'll show more of that art later in the art section – along with my adoptables!

I do also roleplay; I've been roleplaying for years and I like to believe I'm a literate and passingly-glib roleplayer. I enjoy writing – indeed, I majored in it at college – and when I'm not writing, I'm drawing; when I'm not drawing, I'm writing! I roleplay with people on Neopets as well as in real life, and I am a GM for a weekly live RP as well. I enjoy roleplaying because it allows me to bring characters special to me to life in a unique way, to interact with other pets in a way they wouldn't be able to normally. I love seeing their personalities and histories grow through roleplaying. I'll include a sample of that a little bit on, as well.


I have a petpet picked out for Sara, after much research. A spardel, which is a bit goofy-looking, but when painted with a spotted petpet paintbrush, he's the only spotted petpet with the same color spots as Sara. And I think Sara would have a soft 'spot' (excuse the terrible pun) for his goofiness, and he'd be a great story to tell and an icebreaker wherever she goes – as you can read for yourself, a little later on. I have already gone ahead in a step of trust and you can see that I have both the petpet Spardel and the spotted petpet paintbrush in my gallery. The Spardel will be named Macbeth – for that famous line refering to spots!

Along with the petpet is a petpetpet, also in the gallery; a Grumblebug I think will add a lot to the comic side of things!

Also in my gallery you will see some items ready to help Sara on her way to greatness in the battledome: armor, dubloons for basic training, and books to help her intelligence. Also a range of kau-foods and items to ensure she is not just strong, but well-rounded. I'm looking forward to seeing her train and improve in the battledome, especially since I hope there is a new plot round the corner, and I hope to have her on top of her game by then. She is already hale, and just needs some training to bring her up to snuff, and I know she'll enjoy using her abilities to her fullest!




History

Now we're moving on to something more creative! However, I feel that rather than you listening to a second-hand account, you really should hear it first hand, from that personable young lady herself. Please, have another cuppa Cherry's excellent coffee, and listen to Sara's adventure on how she met MacBeth and me – and found a little of herself along the way.

You hear so many terrible stories about Neopians growing up amid terrible hardships and suffering nobly – or becoming villains of the ilk that other noble Neopians must fight against. Their tales are full of brave suffering, despair and angst, yet how many children read them and wish to be a hero or heroine 'just like that'?

I'm not one of those Neopians those sort of stories are written about. In truth, I had an idyllic childhood; I grew up happy. My folks weren't rich, and we all worked hard on our farm cultivating screlons and furanga fruit, and fields and fields of terry berries, and tending to the few whinnies we kept to carry produce back in from the fields. But if we worked hard, we also played hard. I grew up climbing trees, running footraces, and wrestling with the boys, and grew up strong, happy, and hale.

Well, sometimes too strong. I broke things all the time by accident; and when I hit my growth spurt I had to stop wrestling with the boys because I was too strong and I would hurt them without meaning to. Mum wouldn't trust me with anything delicate or fragile; my little sis once showed me some fine lace she'd spent just ages knitting herself blind over, and I tore a rent in it before I even realised. After that I contented myself just to looking at fragile things, and tried to do more heavy work, with things that wouldn't break. But I started realising, as I got older, that often the work that requires a strong arm also requires care and delicacy. Shoeing whinnies, for example; it takes a strong arm to nail the shoes on, but a gentle hand to hold them still and keep them calm. Or fishing – strength to reel a fighting fish in, but too much strength and not enough care would snap the line.

It seemed the only delicate work I could do was music; in the evenings, after our chores were done, we'd gather in the sitting room and play music and sing along. It wasn't masterly, and Da sung off key, and the harmonica he'd sometimes use to lead us in song was old and battered and sometimes prone to a flat note, but I had my pan pipes and my old battered recorder, and mum had a true clear voice. When we made music together – however cacaphonous it sometimes ended up being – we all had fun. We were a happy family. I know I'm one of the lucky ones; I had a happy childhood, and a close family. I still have a close family, but mum, in her wisdom, saw I needed something more.

One afternoon, after lunch when I prepared to head back out to the fields with my siblings – the furangos were ripe for harvest, which meant I could climb trees to my heart's content – when mum held me back. Anxiously I sat back down; mum watched out the window until she saw my siblings were well at work again before turning and rejoining Da and I at the table. "Saralee, your father and I have been talking..."

A thrill of excitement ran up my spine. They only used my full name when something serious was happening. Either it was very good...or very bad. Or maybe both. I watched their faces carefully, trying to guess which it may be.

Da picked up from mum. "You're a great help on the farm here, Sara," he said earnestly, "but while you're a strong girl and you've got a great head on your shoulders and I couldn't ask for a better kau to help out on the farm, you're not going to learn all the things about life you need here on the farm."

I thought about what they said. I thought about the things I had learned on the farm. I thought about how I broke things without meaning to, and finally nodded. "So what should I do?"

Mum's eyes were suspiciously bright. "We think a trip would be a good idea. Travel around. See what the cities are like, make new friends. Find a use for that strength of yours, and the wisdom to know how and when to hold back on it."

A couple months, or perhaps even a year or so," Da added, though he didn't sound too happy about it. I felt excited but nervous. "We can't afford to give you much in the way of money, since we mostly take barter for our goods, but with strong arms like yours, you should easily be able to get odd jobs to pay your way, and you can take your pipes and your old recorder with you – "

I shook my head in disbelief. "I'm not that good with music, do you really think anyone would pay me for it?"

Mum fixed me with a stern eye. "You should take it anyway, Sara," she insisted. "Panpipes are said to draw friends and repell enemies – and be a powerful antidote to homesickness. Take it!"

I agreed, but only because I thought they'd be comforted imagining me playing it while I was gone. And to be honest, I thought of all the times I'd spent puffing out little tunes with it, and suddenly didn't want to leave it behind, either.

– my harmonica," da was saying, and I snapped back to myself with a start.

I'm sorry, da, what were you saying?"

He cleared his throat. "I'm sending my old harmonica with you. It might help a little – well, you know the old saying. 'kau with one 'strument, run away! Kau with two, stay and listen; kau with three, invite them in'."

Da!" I protested, "That's what you use to play – "

He shrugged. "Don't worry about your brothers, I can always sing instead. Take it with you." And just like that, it was decided.

So it was that a mere day later I was on the road without an inkling of an idea where to go, with my pouch at my hip containing a few spare copper coins, my pipes and recorder, and my da's harmonica. In a haversack slung over my shoulder I had a hard wheel of cheese and some bread, and a small, carefully wrapped parcel of some screlons and furangos. A waterbottle hung from my other hip. I felt unsure, excited, nervous – when the whole world stretches out in front of you beckoning, where do you begin? When all you've ever known is a small farm in the backwoods?

Life is a journey of steps: one foot in front of the other. I thought it was good advice, whoever had said it, and started walking.

By noon I had reached a neighbouring farm, run by a friendly aging brown gelert; grey streaked his ears and whiskers liberally. I waved as I approached and Goodman Brown hallooed down the hill to me. "Halloooo there Sara! Come by to check on our wool crop?

Goodman Brown raises Babaas for wool, and trades every fall for some of our crops; in fact, the tunic I was wearing was made of Goodman Brown's wool. "No, sir," I called back to him, "I'm journeying; mum and da think I need to see the world a bit and learn some more before settling.

He nodded and harrumphed, before beckoning me towards him. "Well, I reckon you could use some coppers? Give a hand shearin' babaas for an hour or two, and I'll give you some small change to take on your way," he said, with a huge friendly grin. Wondering how long it would be before I returned home, I accepted.

The other shearers and hired hands welcomed me readily and the rhythm was easy; since my hands were not as steady and practiced, I didn't actually handle the shears at all, but helped hold and calm the babaas. The youngest babaas, who had never been sheared before, were understandably terrified! Many of the workers sang a shearing-song to the scared babaas, that went like this:

Silly babaa, don't be scared,
We feed and protect you;
Winter comes, it's time to share,
Your woolly wool's our due!
So come to our hands meekly,
Let yourselves be shorn,
For we'll sing to you sweetly,
And this winter we'll be warm!


The tune was simple and catchy – though I couldn't help wincing because many of them sung as off-key or worse than my da! I finally asked a gruff Scorchio next to me why they all sang such a silly song to the babaas. He chuckled. "It's all there in the song, of course. Supposedly it calms them down to hear us singing.

I looked dubiously at the frantic babaa I was petting. "I don't think it's working," I said frankly.

Naw, how can you know? Have you ever been to a shearing when they haven't sung?" he said knowingly. "You haven't, and that's the truth."

The hours passed quickly, and soon I was presenting myself to Farmer Brown for my coins and a parceled meal of some dried meat, steamed wrapped veggies, and – as a treat – a fizzy bottle of banana achyfi. They told me they give it to all the workers after a shearing, but couldn't seem to remember why. I also asked Farmer Brown if it's true that singing to the babaas calms them, and he got a very funny -disallowed_word- which Cherry had brewed, I found out later), I explained my quest to find gentleness and wisdom. Through out my long tale, the young woman listened thoughtfully. When I had finished, she smiled. "Well, it seems you're doing well finding it already!" she said, cheerfully.

When I stared at her, baffled, she waved a hand at MacBeth, now sleeping in his basket. "You took care of MacBeth. Obviously, that took a great deal of gentleness, especially with his injured leg!"

I protested, "But I had to! No one else was there to take care of him!"

She only nodded, still smiling. "Of course. Because you cared. Gentleness comes from the heart, you know." She stood and took my now empty cup and refilled it, handing it back to me. "Now, here's an idea. Why not stay here? MacBeth shouldn't move around until he's completely well, and I think the young ones here could use someone to play with who can play gently with them – but not break when they insist on playing stalk-and-pounce." Her eyes twinkled with laughter as she looked at a young spotted xweetok kit trying to play stalk-and-pounce with Cherry's bushy tail. Cherry looked exasperated, as if she suffered the young kit's attention far too often.

Surprised, I found myself accepting. The place felt right. It felt like....home.

Roleplay

This is a scenario roleplayed with Sagira (Synable), whom I have an awesome amount of respect for her fabulously literate roleplaying. I had ever so much fun roleplaying this and hope to have many more sessions! This is actually just the beginning, but it was getting a bit lengthy!

Sagira's character is a Royalgirl Lupe named Lorrisha; in the roleplay she is an anthro Countess. I played Sara as an anthro as well. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Saralee

The long day of walking left Sara tired, but not exhausted; she felt only a little more weary than she would feel after a hard day's work on her da's farm. But now entering the small city through the market gate and feeling the dirt road switch to worn cobbles underfoot and hearing the noise pressing around her, she felt her weariness overpowered by her curiosity.The market was in full swing and everywhere Neopians of every species crowded in, selling or buying. When she lifted her head and sniffed, she could smell meat pies cooking in a nearby booth; there was a booth hawking salt-glazed pottery from the desert; another booth displayed Screlons, with a sign proclaiming, "Biggest screlons for miles around!" She could only shake her head. As if they'd know, she thought with amusement. My da's grown bigger screlons than that without trying!

Her stomach growled at her and with some misgiving she handed over her few copper coins in trade for a meat pie so overcooked it could pass for leather - but after she managed to get through the tough outer bread, she found the inside gravy, meat, and vegetables tender and filling. Meal completed, she took out her panpipes from the pouch at her hip and found a bench near several stands set up with perfumy and blossom-filled flowers and vines. Here she would play in hopes of tips or possibly, an offer of a job for the evening. She could do hard labour with little qualms, but this close to nightfall the chance of getting work to pay for lodgings were nil. Getting someone willing to have her play for evening entertainment, however - that was more feasible. And now, with dusk on its way and most working-class Neopians on their way home, the upper class and wealthy citizens would come to market.

She wasn't really masterly on her panpipes, but she knew her simple grassroot melodies backwards and forwards - and the limited range of the panpipes required simple songs. So while the evening blooming flowers slowly unfurled, she piped a simple song about traveling, companions, and reunions and eyed the people coming to market.

One such - an elegant naka Lupe in costly clothing - caught her eye. Sara lifted her eyebrows while playing; the lupe was examining flowers that, while they emitted a beautiful scent and drooped under the weight of huge, vivid blossoms, were also loaded with a pollen that would torment those with allergies. And those who didn't have allergies? Well, they'd discover they had allergies, after all. Those flowers grew wild in the woods, unlike the expensive hothouse versions that were bred to have little to no pollen.

Ah heck, I should warn her. She shrugged and set her panpipes down, her melody ending in a squawk of crosshatched notes. "Ma'am, you'd best avoid those flowers, they're not the hothouse kind and they'll give you a stuffed head of the worst kind." She wondered, briefly, what the lupe would think, being addressed so familiarly by a dust-covered, country-bred peasant.


Lorrisha

Evening would soon be upon them, and for that she was glad. She had turned down an invitation to a banquet, much to the dismay of the host, and couldn't be more thrilled to take the night off; she needed time to herself. She always worried that this would be seen as a weakness, but on the same token, there was part of her that didn't care. Lorrisha was always her own woman, and she only went with the pack when she felt like she absolutely needed to. Not to say that she was manipulative in doing so; for her, it wasn't quite about that. Simply, she had always strived to find a balance; a line between up-keeping her status and being herself. Sometimes that line was somewhat blurred, and she often found herself having it re-drawn. Even so, she wanted nothing more than to work within the system without becoming it, slowly inching her way towards reform.

That day was certainly no exception, but right now she wanted nothing more than to get away, if only for a while. She sighed, waiting anxiously for the night. Though the sun had yet to set, in the horizon she watched as it started to make its way, slowly reaching down to touch the earth. She had thought about escaping to the ruins, or perhaps the nearby forest she had loved so much as a child, but stories of recent attacks made her decide against it. She had the feeling that it wasn't safe.

So instead, she found herself in the market, curiously peering at the sales goods of various vendors. It was group of flowers that finally made her stop. Taking time to gather one up, the lupe sniffed at it cautiously. Much to her delight, the fragrance was pleasing. That's when a voice called out from behind her; the voice of a rather interesting female kau. It was obvious that the girl was a peasant, and though most people of status may be offended if they were addressed too casually, it certainly made her smile.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Really?" she asked. "As beautiful as flowers are, I know so very little about them…" She let her sentence run off without completing it, finding herself distracted by the instrument the kau carried. "I've always been jealous of people who could play an instrument." she said, motioning towards the panpipes. "I've never quite been able to find the time. Or a good teacher. Would you play something for me?"


Saralee

Sara grinned, ear to ear. "Most people in cities only know the hothouse versions of those flowers, which have less pollen, but also smaller blooms and a lesser scent. But from time to time country vendors will try to sell the wild-growing ones, hoping the sweet smell and the huge blossums will fool the unwary into buying them."

She looked with some surprise as the lupe gestured at her panpipes. "What, these? Well, I'm no concert musician, but I know a few tunes." Without hesitating, she put the panpipes to her lips and blew a light scale over them, the notes sliding into each other. Satisfied with her warm up, she played a simple children's counting song; the pan pipe's fluted, breathy notes gave it a wistful, haunting sound. Grinning, she set the pipes back in her lap. "It's not hard, really. The trickiest part is pursing your lips enough that you don't hit two notes at once, and once you get that down, the rest comes easily. Want to try it?" Then she suddenly looked aghast; she was offering her own handmade pipes to a high-class lupe who could probably not only commission her own pipes made of expensive wood, but hire the best of the best to play for her! Surely she wouldn't want to try the grubby instrument of a dusty, unknown peasant!

Inwardly, she groaned. Is this the kind of wisdom mum said I needed to find in the real world?


Lorrisha

She found herself engulfed by the sweet sound of the panpipes. She had never expected such a beautiful sound from such an instrument. For this, she chastised herself; she knew better than to judge a book by its cover. If she had made a habit of doing so, she certainly wouldn't be talking with this interesting girl now, and that would truly be a shame. She had found the encounter quite delightful.

It's not that she expected the instrument to sound horrible; she just never expected it to be quite so lovely. As the notes lifted and fell, she could almost see them dancing in her head, twirling and entwining together as they spiraled, constantly chasing through the evening air. Closing her eyes, she smiled, breathing them in with every breath.

When the music stopped, it took her a few moments to be knocked out of her daze. Although the soon had only lasted for a few short minutes, she found herself thinking – almost believing – that it had been so much longer than that. I guess that's the true power of music; it really does bring you to higher levels, it really does help you escape. She was taken back when the kau offered her a chance to try it, as it was obviously very precious to her. The quaint little instrument appeared to be home-made, and Lorrisha suspected that it was probably created by a relative, if not by she. She found it curious that someone would be so willing (eager, even?) to share something so special.

I would like to take you up on that offer," she said, slowly, trying to think of how to word what she wanted to say. "...but it is starting to get late," she continued, "and though the market is relatively safe, lately there have been stories of attacks. I suggest that we continue this elsewhere, before it gets too late. That is, if you're willing. If you have somewhere else to go, we can do this another time, perhaps?" She smiled, not wanting to feel forceful or imposing.

Oh, and I suppose I'll have to pass on the flowers," she said with a bit of a laugh, peering back towards the vendor for a moment. "Thanks for the warning.


Saralee

Sara's jaw dropped - she hadn't expected her offer to be accepted so readily. Who is she, she thought dazedly, to not be bothered by the forwardness of a grubby peasant? Or to be so affected by a simple melody from mere pipes?Well," she managed, finally, "it's true it's getting late, but I have nowhere to go." She laughed, a bit sheepishly. "I was actually hoping to play for my board tonight, but I reckon I can make do just about anywhere. City this size ought to have stables, and I've worked enough with whinnies to earn my keep readily enough." There, and she won't think I'm fishing for sympathy. "But, maybe you could - refer me - to a good stable?"

She pulled a soft, well-worn bit of flannel from her hip pouch and wiped down the pipes before wrapping them in the fabric itself and tucking the bulky instrument away. When she stood, she actually topped the tall Lupe by a full inch. "Though I'd be happy to teach you a few melodies to get you started. I'm Sara, by the way," she said, flashing the lupe a quick grin. "Sara of Westmarch farms - we grow screlons, furangos, and terry berries there. As far as the flowers go - " she bobbed her head at another adjascent booth with simpler flower arrangements with modest prices and bright colors, "Well, I'm partial to kauslips, and not just because I'm a kau! They don't give you a stuffy head, they have a soft, summery scent, and they're bright enough to cheer any room they're in!" Without realising, her posture had taken on a nearly defiant stance as she advocated her favourite flower.


Lorrisha

A stable? That wasn't exactly what I was suggesting," she said with another laugh, hoping she wasn't coming off as being too obnoxious. "But I certainly don't want you to feel uncomfortable with my offer, Sara, especially since I've been so wrapped up in our conversation that I forgot to introduce myself. Con..." she paused, chiding herself for almost using her status, realizing that it may make things seem even more awkward. "Lorrisha de Lancre," she said finally, "but Lorrisha will do just fine. As for my offer, and yours, I would be very happy if you were to join me for the evening and stay at my home. In return, if you'd be willing, I'd certainly like to learn how to play such a lovely sounding instrument. I'd be interested in learning how to make one, too." She smiled. "But if not, you're more than welcome to stay regardless, if only as a thanks for your warning."

From spending what little time with Sara as she had, the kau had struck her as the sort who wouldn't accept charity easily. The last thing Lorrisha wanted to do was make her think that she pitied her; she knew, that if their situations were reversed, she'd never wanted to be pitied herself.

And if you're feeling especially generous," she added as an after-thought, "perhaps you would be so kind as to tutor me in the ways of picking out flowers, as well. I'd rather avoid any future headaches.


Saralee

Sara's eyes were wide as saucers as Lorrisha introduced herself. Did I imagine it? Did she leave out something? Aloud she blurted, "Wow, what a great name! And don't feel bad," she added hastily, as an afterthought, "about not introducing yourself right away. I mean, you weren't meaning to talk to me at first, anyway. And I didn't tell you my full name! I'm Saralee, but no one calls me by my full name except my mum and da, and then only when they're mad. So just call me Sara if you're a mind to." She realised she was rambling, and blushed, but plowed on.

Are you sure you'd want me to your house? I'm rather, er, grubby and dusty, I've been traveling all day." But what I wouldn't give for a real bath and a bed - I'd been expecting to sleep in the hayloft of some stable in prickly, scratchy hay! Sara smiled, tentatively this time. "You'll master the panpipes in no time, I'm sure. Most people pick it up almost over night, a week at the most. They're a little harder to make, though, for a variety of reasons - reed pipes are the cheapest and easiest to make, because they're already hollow, but they crack when the weather's too cold or too dry and can lose their tone. A soft wood is easiest for hollowing out, but they warm under damp weather and can mildew if not properly prepared. And hardwood - " she cut herself off abruptly, glancing at the sun setting over the cityline in the west. "Well, I can tell you all that later, if it doesn't bore you," she said sheepishly.

And I think - I think I'd best accept your offer. It's getting too late to get any kind of lodgings without pay. I could sleep in an alley, I suppose, but I'd be a bit nervy about it. You said there were attacks here at night?" She shivered, picturing stealthy thieves with knives, and clutched her pouch and haversack closer. "I can hold my own in a fair fight I reckon, but I'm no good against weapons - yet," she admitted. "Though I hope to learn.

Art


As I mentioned earlier, I do enter the Beauty Contest, and two of my pets sport trophies from their time on the runway. I fully intend to include Sara in this fun, as well. The background image of this application is, I think, my very best example thus far. I also said I would draw her in anthro and quad form, and so I have. This is how I envision Saralee in her quad form:



I am drawing constantly – sometimes spending several days on one picture, sometimes getting 3 or 4 smaller pictures done in a day. I'm hoping to get a chance to draw Sara with some of her new siblings! I'm including a couple other samples of recent Neopets art I've done, so you can get a feel for the kind of artistic attention Sara would receive! To see these images full size, just click and drag them to your tool bar.





I have also put a lot of time into making a set of adoptables just for Sara! I have finished every painted kau *except* desert, royal boy, royal girl, and baby! What's more, these are saucy little animated kaus to bring a smile to every petpage, just like Sara would!

I'm also excited to say that Sara has fan art! Again, drag any image to your address bar to see the full size image!



Tawny (189743) drew this for me! Thank you so much, it's cute!


Lovely (peterpuffin1) drew this for me. Thanks, Lovely!


Chi (__sailorchibimoon__) drew this for me! Thanks again, Chi!


Zelda ( mystic_zelda284) drew this one for me. I really love how shiny and gentle her eyes look! Thanks, Zelda!


Idiocon was inspired by my application to draw this picture of Sara! I'm excited, her first anthro fan art! I love her tousled hair!




Why Me?

This is probably the hardest part of the application – why me? I've always hated having to 'sell' myself. I don't like praising myself or putting myself forward. I'm just – me. But I will do the best I can.

I love Neopets; I've made a lot of friends on Neopets, and I'm honestly really fond of my pets. They live in stories in my head, in roleplays, in artwork. I am on Neopets daily, often for several sequential hours – 4-5 hours a day I think, and off and on throughout the day. Perhaps that makes me seem overly addicted, but it's my social outlet. This is where my friends are and where my creative energies go.

Not all my pets have petpages yet. I have art for almost all of them, but I lack the coding skills to make the pages I have in my head; I'm slowly and painfully acquiring those coding skills, with much help from friends. My first attempt at a petpage was truly sad; thankfully, perhaps, it was lost when Silene was transferred to my mythunderstood account! Hiji_Aoi has the most recent petpage I've made, and it's a vast improvement over my earlier petpages! As I learn more, more petpages are forthcoming. Vortach's petpage I am planning to make into a gallery to share the many adoptables and makeables I have, as my art ability outstrips my coding skills! Lookups are also underway. You can see I've learned to manipulate some basic premade templates, and you can see my first attempt at making my own lookup on mythunderstood. It's a work in progress, but I think it has a measure of potential to it.

My pets all do have their own petpets, and I try hard to match them to a petpet that's suited to their personalities (though they don't always appreciate that fact, as with Vortach and the Gruslen!) and named with due thought. Tsugi, for example, means 'patches' – fitting for a plushie angelpuss! They all have something to be known for as well; for example, Cherry reads books. Yvian eats gourmet foods. Silene does puzzles. They all are drawn and roleplayed; to me, each is special and fills a special role. People say this is what makes me a good owner; I think it's common sense.

I have some good transfer experience, and have self-transferred non-painted pets, and successfully transferred painted pets as well: pink, snowy, and faerie, for example. I have AIM, MSN, and Yahoo, and am also comfortable counting down by the NST clock as well. I can have a backup catcher ready if the transfer is planned far enough in advance; and I am very familiar with the QAL:

http://www.neopets.com/process_adopt.phtml?pet_name=PETNAMEHERE

I'm looking to make Sara a permanent member of a very active Neopian family, and I hope that, coupled with the preparations I have made, makes me a solid candidate for adopting Saralee!




Dedications

In a show of my wish to adopt Saralee, I've also put a lot of time towards showing my dedication in the two places I frequent most: Neopets, and Neopound!

On my main account, I have put a lot of NP into collecting a gallery dedicated to kaus – and to Saralee, in general. If you haven't been to my gallery yet, please drop by and see what I've collected! You'll also find there I've posted the Pledge of Good Ownership on my gallery front!

I've also set my current Neopets avatar to 'Kau' which just happens to be a spotted kau!


Even my humble little shopfront is dedicated to Saralee and to spotted Kaus! Now that I've finished this application, I'm going to have to focus on restocking a little more – my shelves have gotten pretty well cleaned out while I wasn't looking....

Last and not least, I have a banner in my signature at Neopound in Sara's honour, with a link back to her application:





References

I know sometimes it's comforting to have matching second, thrid, or even fourth opinions, so for your ease of mind, I offer these references:


Pick Ellie. Pick her! Pick her now! :D Because she is an awesome artist, an awesome writer (even if I had to play a detective to dig up her stories...), an awesome rser and especially an awesome person to have around. *curls up to Ellie* Say it with me! Piiiiick Eeeellie.

--Zenny (xwhenmidnightdawnsx)



I have known Ellie (parseltonguepen) for a little over a year now, and over the course of that year we have grown to be very good friends. We met on an online Harry Potter community where we were placed in the same house. I had already been a Neopets user prior to joining the Harry Potter community and I talked about Neopets fairly often with my fellow Gryffindors. Ellie decided to check it out for herself, and she's been just as hooked as I am ever since. She even became a Premium member within a month of joining!

Ellie is a wonderful caring owner. One of Ellie's dream pets was a Faerie Xweetok; when she found one UFA on the Premium boards, she worked very hard on an application for one, even though her account was only a month old. I also put in an application to foster the pet until Ellie's account aged. Hiji_aoi's original owner decided to re-home her to Ellie, and trusted me enough to be a foster parent. Hiji lived on my main account for nearly three months while Ellie's account aged. She sent me an angelpuss and a plushie pppb to attach and paint for her. She sent over toys and food to care for her Hiji, as she did with Vortach. I found Vortach, her spotted Xweetok in the pound before her account was even old enough to adopt him, but once it was old enough, she adopted him from me and has loved him like her own since day one.

Ellie has worked very hard to care for and maintain her pets. She has spent a lot of time training Cherry, her red Xweetok, and blessing her with bottled faeries. Cherry has even read over 100 books, which is considerably more than any of mine have read in my 3 years.

Ellie may have a younger account, but she is one of the most respectable Neopians that I know. She's always willing to help others out, whether it be with quests, graphics or adoptables. Ellie would be a wonderful owner for Saralee. She would be well taken care of, and you would never have to worry about her being repounded, repainted or zapped. Ellie loves all of her pets equally and takes care of them all no matter how they came into her care. She has plans for each of them and works hard to complete her goals. Ellie is a wonderful person and a great friend and you couldn't ask for a better home for you pet.

--Chrissy (the_precious_02)


Hello Kisei!

My name's Emma, and I'm here to write this little recommendation for Ellie. -grins- I've only known her for a short while, but I have to say, Ellie's fantastic. I mean, firstly, LOOK at the drawing on this layout. If I had that much talent.. well, I'd be very happy. And just.. the whole application oozes with hard work. This is what I call total dedication. The adoptables, the layout, the content. If I got even one application like this for the pets I put up for adoption, I'd be a very, very happy Neopian. I'm constantly impressed with Ellie's dedication and MAD SKILLS. I'm pretty dreadful at these things though, so before I start rambling, I'll end it. Right here. Best of luck with your decision, and uh.. CHOOSE ELLIE. -waves banner-

Sincerely,
Emma (retaheoz555)




Closing

This actually concludes this application! I hope you weren't bored, but rather that you enjoyed the time spent looking through it. Thank you, Kisei, for your time and consideration, and I hope I will hear from you soon! Please feel free to send me a neomail with any questions you might have, or to instant message me – my screen names are the same as my account name and I'm usually around. I wish you the very best of luck in your selection process; may it be painless and enjoyable!

I also wish to include thanks here for Emma (retaheoz555) for the hours and hours she spent helping me code this page, and combing over the sourcecode to find naughty truant tags and other such things. This page would be a serious mess without her help! Sagira (synable) also did a lot to help me get started, so thanks are also offered to her!

This application was evaluated on Neopound. by too many to list, all of them wonderful and helpful!

~*~Ju Ju Bean~*~



NEOPETS, characters, logos, names and
all related indicia are trademarks of Neopets, Inc, © 1999-2007.
® denotes Reg. US Pat. & TM Office. All rights reserved.
Privacy | Safety | Contact | About | Press | T & C

Links

Introduction
About Me
Current Family
Why Sara
Future Plans
History
Roleplay
Art
Why Me
Dedications
References
Closing