Arcadia

[size=1][b]Hitomi -[/b] As Hitomi you are rather serious-minded, responsible, and stable. You have the gift of tact and diplomacy, and possess a charming, easy-going nature which endears you to others. You have a serious desire to understand the heart and mind of everyone, and could be very effective in a career or in volunteer work where you are handling people and serving in a humanitarian way. This name also gives you a love of home and family, and as a parent you would likely be fair and understanding. [b]Van -[/b] Your first name of Van creates individuality, independence, self-confidence, initiative, and an inclination to physical activity. You are not inclined to merge your opinions and viewpoints with others, to accept compromise, or to work in a subservient position against your will. Your expression is invariably quite direct and candid. Others find it difficult to accept your domineering and, at times, argumentative manner. [b]Dagger -[/b] [i][heeheehee][/i] Your name of Dagger gives you a clever mind, good business judgment, a sense of responsibility, and an appreciation of the finer things of life. You are serious-minded and not inclined to make light of things even in little ways, and in your younger years you had more mature interests than others your age. Home and family mean a great deal to you and it is natural that you should desire the security of a peaceful, settled home environment where you can enjoy the companionship of family and friends. Whatever you set out to accomplish you do your very best to complete in accordance with what you consider to be right. Okay, in all seriousness, Dagger is - of course - right. This Kabbawhatshisface is just full of crap. It's fun, but that's all.[/size]

[size=1][i]Melon couldn't help but grin a little after she thought about if for another moment, and then winked at the smaller girl.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] Well, then, Pooka the Hero, I'm Melon. It will be a pleasure to share this quest with you. [i]The girl grinned at her, pleased with the addition to her name, and attempted to pick up her sword again as she turned to share her joy with the person nearest her. Eventually she gave up and just dragged it, though the bounce in her step was still there. Melon just grinned again, before turning to glance at the others around them. With the addition of two more persons to their party, everyone suddenly seemed in lighter spirits. They were all very friendly and charismatic. And it seemed more people were taking an interest in what they set out to do - word was definitely getting around, and quickly it seemed. Of course, that could have been the posters, or even just plain old luck, but Melon preferred to think about things optimistically. It made the situation look better. For the moment, she was enjoying herself just by watching the others chat and laugh. They might have been young, yes, but you couldn't beat their spirit. And Melon knew that if you believed in something and worked for it hard enough, then amazing things could happen. At least, that's what her parents had told her. She would be severely put out if they'd been lying to her all those years. The more she thought about it, the more suspicious she became.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] ...Well, that's just crap. [i]Unfortunately for her, the new wizard heard her and took a small step back, coughing discreetly. Melon noticed, and laughed nervously, scratching her head.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] Oh, sorry. I was just thinking... uh, out loud. Yeah, I need to work on that. By the way, the name's Melon. Melon Straubarri. [i]He took her outstretched hand carefully, still a little wary, but obviously loosening up a bit.[/i] [color=teal][b]Zephir:[/b][/color] Uh, nice to meet you. I'm Zephir. [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] Well, it's been a pleasure, Zeph-- [i]She froze mid sentence, her spine stiff as a board as she felt the twinge of an oncoming sneeze. Twice in one day was terrible luck, indeed, but she was still quite determined to avert the disaster. She shook her hand in front of her quickly, making a couple odd squeaking noises as her eyes squeezed themselves shut in defense once again. Thankfully this time, no sneeze came. Sighing in relief, she opened her eyes to find that she'd managed to get a few curious stares. Giving them an embarrassed little wave, she began to chew on the ends of one of her braids nervously before glancing back to Zephir, who was staring at her with raised eyebrows.[/i] [color=teal][b]Zephir:[/b][/color] ....Are you, uh, okay? [i]Melon blushed a pretty shade of pink, her hair still in her mouth as she nodded.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] Yes, thanks. I was about to sneeze, and bad things usually happen when I sneeze. So I try to avoid that. Obviously. Eh heh.. yeah. [i]She stopped talking, scratching the tip of her nose lightly - she figured she had plenty of time later to make a fool of herself. No sense going for broke right now. Besides, it was still pretty cheerful in that room, and there were still plenty of people to meet and talk to - definitely no time to feel silly and anti-social. With that in mind, she gave the other wizard a winning smile before moving on to her next victim-- er, new friend.[/i][/size]

[size=1][color=navyblue]DuoMax and Orien_Xel, please lengthen your posts a bit. We'd like to keep up the quality here in the arena, and that means a couple good paragraphs with thought and detail. You might check out Harlequin's sticky at the top of the forum, or PM either myself or one of the other Mods if you need help or have any questions. Thanks, Arcadia.[/color][/size]

[size=1]Christmas here, although we're not particularly religious about it. I'm not religious at all, actually, so the holiday is more of a family thing for me than anything else. That, and it's a great excuse to eat hoards of cookies. We put up lights, decorate the house, make cookies and fudge and all that good stuff. Sometimes I go caroling with friends, sometimes we go bowling, sometimes we play flashlight tag. It's more of an excuse for everyone to just go home and chill out than anything else. [/size]

[size=1][b]Name:[/b] Anya Gilcreste [b]Age:[/b] 17 [b]Description:[/b] See attachment [b]Description of Personality:[/b] Anya is normally a very reserved, quiet girl, and prefers to work alone. She's also a very passionate girl, however, and once set on something only death can stop her from carrying it through. Stubborn, indifferent, and rather cynical, Anya finds politics rather disgusting. She doesn't fight because she agrees with Raul Winner or because she despises Une and his terrorist tactics - she fights solely for Wufei and [i]his[/i] ideals. He was her only true friend and was something of a father-figure to her, and her greatest goal is to make him proud. Though she may seem it at times, Anya's not completely heartless. She just has a lot to learn. Despite her apparent indifference, she's very loyal to Wufei, and thus the cause, and will shed blood, sweat, and tears to make sure that it is successful and that [i]justice[/i] is served. ^_~ [b]Short Biography:[/b] Like many other children in the colonies, Anya was sent to boarding school at an early age. Her family wasn't very close-knit, and she frankly didn't care. Definitely one of those loner types, and she learned that at an early age. She also learned early on that she didn't like to play by anybody's rules but her own - something that got her in trouble quite a lot. As it happened, she had slipped out of class one afternoon - a feat for a girl of 12, as the boarding schools were always tight with security - and wandered back along the old roads that led into the country. Eventually, she came to small, secluded little house, and thinking that it was abandoned, decided to explore. It took her no time at all to discover a glass cabinet, filled with various different swords and other such weapons. She was enthralled by them, and thus wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, hence the blade against her neck. Anya was surprised, as she usually heard people coming, but she wasn't the only one - the house she happened to find belonged to one Chang Wufei, and the Chinese man was a bit miffed that a mere child had managed to sneak into his home. However awkward the situation seemed, quite a lot of good arose from it. Anya immediately took to the older man and questioned him about all the weapons and things he had in his house. Wufei, for one, didn't mind the occasional discussion. After all, he was still a scholar at heart. So as it became, the Chinese pilot began to teach Anya about not only the art of swordplay, but also about the gundams and their history. For once, Anya felt as though she'd finally found somewhere she belonged. She still went to school, but only because if she didn't, Wufei wouldn't teach her anything - that was her motivation for many years. Over the last few years, however, talk of Raul Winner and Zachary Une and the plan to stop him had caught Wufei's attention and he began to switch Anya's training towards a new direction - towards the gundams. Luckily he was a rich old bastard and it was rather easy to set her up within one of the top training facilities in the area. She excelled and spent all her extra hours studying anything she could get her hands on. Eventually she dropped out of school completely to learn all that Wufei and those associated with the rebirth of the gundams could teach her and focus on perfecting her talents with a blade and with a mobile suit. Now, at 17, it has been decided that when the time comes, the gundam Shenlong will be hers to pilot. [b]Gundam:[/b] Shenlong [img]http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/katoki/xxxg-01s.jpg[/img] Okay... hope that works nicely.[/size]

[size=1]Okay, anything by Yoko Kanno basically rocks - s/he did Escaflowne and Cowboy Bebop, among others, and obviously both have beautiful music. Rock on, my friend. I also love the opening from X/1999 - it's got the guitar riffs going, and the beat is just so much fun to jump around to. Let me tell you, I am an [i]excellent[/i] air guitar player.[/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Shinmaru [/i] [B] 2) Skies of Arcadia. I'm telling you, this would be an awesome anime. Pirates, airships, great characters and an amazing story all equal a great anime. The game has a very lighthearted feel, while also being able to retain a sense of seriousness when Vyse and his cohorts are faced with the destruction of the world. Good stuff. And there wouldn't be an overabundence of random battles in the anime. lol [/B][/QUOTE] [size=1]Plus, it has the word [i]Arcadia[/i] in it. You know that can't be bad. :p Dagger, you brought up an interesting point with the animation aspect concerning Kingdom Hearts. That was one of things I did like about the game - they didn't change any famous Disney characters to fit Square, or any Square characters to fit Disney standards.. Hopefully an anime would keep the same theme going. ^_~[/size]

[size=1]Luthian stared at the picture for a few minutes longer, eyeing the flames and the crumbled buildings with a strange sense of foreboding. Had that happened to Ma'Uriith? A great fire? "You had a dream about this?" He asked suspciously, glancing down at her before looking back to the charcoal drawing. He wanted to add, [i]And you didn't tell me?[/i] but that seemed rather... well... "An inferno like that could certainly destroy the city," Shrai'i murmured speculatively, her fingers toying with the ends of her scarf rather nervously. It was probably the first show of emotion from her that hadn't been patronizing to him in any sort of way. Luthian was really beginning to like this ship. "Well, we can't be certain until we reach the city, but..." Maia's voice trailed off. Though she expressed some doubt, Luth thought she sounded quite certain about the fate of the capital. Flicking his tail back and forth slowly, he rubbed his chin in thought, stepping away from the two ladies for a second. He had to think about the implications of Serrac's predictions. If Maia was right, and that was indeed what had happened to Ma'Uriith, then the same would happen to a city in Ii'Kaer. Probably Kaer - it was the capital, that's where the Queen resided. The Queen with no heirs... He shook his head, sighing softly. "If what Serrac said was true, then -" "-Then," Maia interrupted, "We need to figure out how to counter the curse." "Preferrably rather quickly," Shrai'i agreed. Luth stared at the two of them before sighing again, and scratched his head. "Right. Easy as pie."[/size]

[size=1]Ah yes, I think many would love to see FFVII continue on in any way shape or form. ^_^ Advent Children will do it justice, hopefully, and it'll have to do, since we can't have our anime out of it. I love the Zelda games, too, and I have to agree with Maladjusted on the Ocarina of Time one - too much to cover. Although my friends and I have always thought that the first Zelda would make a fantastic theme park. All of them could, really - all the different lands, different creatures and people and all that. I mean you've already got the music to go with it, and people in the park could dress up as characters and whatnot... Talk about your interactive adventure. On a different note, I would [i]love[/i] to see a Dynasty Warriors anime. It's based in history, and there's a book about the three Kingdoms already, but the characters are so interesting already. I would love to seem them become more developed in a show or something. That would rock. ^_^[/size]

[size=1]I like the Snoopy one best, just because I love the Peanuts. Charlie Brown is my hero, but I think Linus is my all-time favorite (probably cause of the Christmas movie). So that banner makes me feel all warm and tingly inside. ^_^ I haven't seen Eva, and I don't really watch Buffy that much either, but I do like those banners, as well. Particularly 2 (cause the guy on the left looks cool), 3 (eyes rock), 4 (the two characters are a nice contrast to each other, as somebody else mentioned), 7, and 12. 12 is probably next after Snoopy, just because of the colors and how different it is. Heh, so that's my very technical evaluation right there. >.>;;[/size]

[size=1]Oh, there's a ton of stuff like that with quite a few of the Disney movies. I never seen the one in the Lion King, but if you check out the box cover of the Little Mermaid, one of the castle towers looks suspiciously like a man's genitalia. I thought there was something in Aladdin as well, but I don't really remember. So that's in The Da Vinci Code? Weird. :p I've just started reading that, too. How exciting, something to look forward to. Heh.[/size]

[size=1]OOC: Um, this isn't terribly important or anything, but I think I'm going to change the color of Melon's name to Green - the other orange-ish one is killing my eyes. >.> At least now it'll match her hair. [i]As the small group of youngins headed back to the inn, Melon focused more on her own thoughts rather than the quiet murmurs of those around her. Later, she would try to be a little more social, but for the moment, she wanted to try and sort out her thoughts about all of this. Learning about this apparent hero and his quest had not been what she expected to do that day, but it was certainly a nice change of pace. Her parents wouldn't let her anywhere near the forest (unfortunately), but she'd heard them talk about the monsters there. And it was next to impossible to forget or ignore the Thirstquencher Empire and its minions - they were everywhere, always watching. Melon wondered how long it would be until they would try and do something about this hero's quest, if it actually got off the ground. A group of kids running around, attempting to save the kingdom certainly wouldn't go unnoticed for long. She stood on her toes as she walked, squinting her eyes so that she might get a good look at the fiery-haired hero that led the small group. He was younger than her, maybe. Actually, it was kind of hard to tell, because he didn't seem to act his age. Either way, he certainly looked the part, and he had mentioned the Seer, and that was good enough for now. She hoped that after they all settled down in the Inn, a little more about him and his mysterious quest would come out. Melon could wait until then, though. After all, she was a patient girl - as clumsy as she was, she had to be! After a moment of silence, Melon realized they'd stopped walking and just barely saved herself from stumbling into whoever was in front of her. Coughing a bit uneasily, though relieved the would-be crisis was thwarted, she stilled as she heard the other boy who'd been on the fountain begin to speak.[/i] [color=maroon][b]Raso:[/b][/color] Here we are. I'll show you all to the room we'll be sharing, and then we'll wait. There are others who are bound to join our cause. [i]He'd glanced at the hero as he said that last bit, and Melon could see that maybe she wasn't the only one who felt fairly enthusiastic about this sudden change of events. Even if they weren't vocal about it, it was good to know the optimism was around. Eventually, the group ambled into the Inn and stood around the counter, waiting for the boy to lead them to the room. Talking had started up again, and Melon decided that it was as good a time as ever to try and get some facts from this hero guy. Sidling up to him, she gave him a bright smile that was only beaten by her hair.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] I wanted to ask, if you're not from Allucaneet, then where [i]are[/i] you from?[/size]

[size=1]Toe socks, baby. I always give them, and people love to give them to me. I've got a bit of a collection now, I suppose. I guess that's a little strange.. but for the most part, I get fairly normal gifts. Well, except for that one time my friend put a bow on his head and rang my doorbell. That was rather disturbing, actually.[/size]

[size=1]"I hope you three are enjoying the trip so far?" Serrac smiled at them as he approached, clasping his hands behind him neatly. He had the definite look of a man who'd been on the sea all his life. The rocking of the ship, the spray of the sea - it was all natural to him. He was in his element, and Luth thought he'd looked so much more at ease now than he did in the busy port city. Almost astonishingly so. "Of course," Luthian replied with a grin, bowing his head slightly in respect. "Especially for such a cheap price." Serrac just waved him off, before turning his attention towards the two women. "And what about you ladies? How is it that Luthian has become so lucky to have the company of two beautiful women?" "He paid us," Maia said promptly. Shrai'i nodded, a small smile forming as she added, "That's why he's poor now." Luthian narrowed his eyes and leaned against the ship's rail, scowling. "I always get picked on." Serrac just chuckled. "You know most sailors find females to be bad luck - it's been known to storm. Woman's wrath, and all. But there are worse things that a woman's scorn.." Luth wasn't so sure about that, as he'd always run into a good amount of trouble with the ladies before, but he kept his mouth shut and instead humoured the old man. That, and the man's conversation from before was still on his mind - he had some questions to ask and now was as good as time as ever. "Serrac, you said something earlier... when I asked you about the cheap tickets. Something about atonement?" The Captain's eyes darkened a bit and he looked out across the horizon with a sigh. "History, boy. So much history. Myths and legends and wars. You don't want to hear about that." Maia smiled slyly at him, "Or do you not want to tell us?" Serrac stared at her, before returning the smile, although a bit grimly. "Red-heads are always feisty," he told Luthian solumnly, tilting his head towards the small theif before continuing, "Keep your eye on that one." He paused again, stretching some as he stared up towards the sky, as though remembering something. Luthian had the sudden feeling that he was going to get more than he asked for... That Serrac's story was more than just that - a story. As if on cue, the old Captain began, "My story, then. We sailors, we have all sorts of stories, all sorts of myths and superstitions that we abide by. The sea is a treacherous lady, hard to judge. The worst kind of mistress, if you know what I mean," Serrac winked at Luth. "We do our best to keep her happy. Recently, however, the seas haven't been as calm as they used to be. Choppy waters, strong gales, lotsa rain. Not the best sort of weather for sailing, but a good crew can get by in one piece." "A crew like yours," Shrai'i included lightly, a twinkle to her eye. Serrac chuckled, bowing his head to her in thanks. "Aye, we're good, but we're lucky, Miss." "Isn't the weather normal, though? For this time of the year?" Maia asked, crossing her arms in speculation as she rocked back and forth on her heels with the boat. Luth envied her sea legs, but remembered what she'd said earlier about getting sick. At least he'd have something to gloat about later. "This is true, you're right. But normally the storms don't show their ugly heads until after the Spring Festival," Serrac explained. "As I'm sure you're aware, this year's festival was cancelled - the tragedy of Ma'Uriith proved to be too much. However, there's a lot of hushed information about the festival that people aren't aware of. Vegetation in Ii'Kaer has been dying. There weren't enough flowers or food to feed the people - not nearly enough, and crops have been failing. No one is meeting their quotas. It's been a very bleak spring. And there are rumors," he added quietly then, "That Ma'Uriith suffered the same failures in the beginning." Luthian raised his eyebrows, eyeing the Captain curiously - warily. "Are you suggesting that the same thing that happened to Ma'Uriith is going to happen elsewhere?" "No," Serrac countered, "I'm almost positive it will. The curse just strikes in different ways." "Curse?" Shrai'i repeated, sounding doubtful. "Yes, a curse. An old curse, that's been festering for hundreds of years." "How is that possible? We'd have noticed it, surely," Luthian objected, shifting his weight uncomfortably. "Done something about it, if such a thing can even really exist." Serrac's eyes darkened and he shook his head briefly. "My son, it does exist. Look at the royal line in Maurii - at the family history. Doesn't it seem strange to you that after years of children's early deaths, wives dying in childbirth, strange horsing accidents and hunting trips gone awry, usually only the King's heir survives? Just enough to keep the family line going. And now, the King himself is the only survivor, no heirs - his only son died with the city." Maia spoke up then, looking grim. "The Queen has no heirs - she can't have any from her blood. She's barren, and I can't think of any family..." Her voice trailed off and a short silenced fell over the four of them. "So you see," Serrac concluded quietly, "We have been cursed far longer than any think. And it seems to me that this is the end of it. Either something is done to prevent further destruction, or the curse will prevail." Luthian watched him as he turned away, thus concluding the conversation. His own thoughts were quite turbulent now - a [i]curse?[/i] Could it be true? He crossed his arms, leaning back against the ship's railing again as his tail flicked back and forth in irritation. After a moment, he turned his eyes towards the two women beside him and raised his eyebrows. "Well, that was cheerful."[/size]

[size=1]Sara, if I had that sort of choice, my ring would be like a moving advertisement for videogames everywhere. It almost makes it worth it.[/size]

[size=1]I've got one, though I don't really wear it all the time. I'm not fond of jewelry, so I probably shouldn't have gotten it in the first place, but it's a class ring, so.. Anyway, it's white-gold with drama masks and "2003" down one side, and then my old mascot from high school on the other. The stone is an emerald, because that's my birthstone, and green is my favorite color. I think my initials are on the inside, and not my entire name. It cost a ridiculous amount of money to get your whole name.. which isn't to say that the entire ring wasn't stupidly expensive, but I only payed for half of it, so whatever. [/size]

[size=1][i]Early, early in the morning, just as the glimmer of dawn began to show in the horizon, Melon crawled out of bed slowly, reluctantly, to start her day. She'd planned the night before to get up before the rest of her family and surprise them with a spectacular breakfast. She spent the entire morning going over her mother's cookbooks, memorizing recipes and the like so that she could cook them herself. It seemed to her that cooking was like magic - the directions were like spells, right? It couldn't be that hard. And this time, she was certain that nothing would catch fire - today would be a lucky day. Today.. she would make history. The funny thing about that was that she didn't know how true it actually was. After carefully tying back the sleeves of her robes, then fixing her braids up in some sort of crazy coif so they didn't get anywhere near her preparations, she tiptoed towards the kitchen some time around nine, treading slowly over the older boards she knew would creak with pressure. The kitchen was dark and intimidating in its cleanliness, and Melon suddenly felt overwhelmed. However she was reminded of the feast she envisioned and her eyes glazed over for a moment, mouth watering. She could do that; make a beautiful meal like that. Melon was sure of it. She began to slowly pull out numerous pots and pans, careful not to make any noise whatsoever, and piled them onto the counter top. [/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] ...what the heck? [i]A few of the utensils she pulled out were shaped oddly and she stared at them in bemusement for a few seconds before shrugging and adding them to the ever-growing stack of dishes and things. Next, a variety of food items formed another pile on the counter, minus a few eggs that rolled off and broke. She decided to have a bit of fun and arranged the sausages in a curve, before adding a couple eggs and a carrot to the picture until a strange breakfast-oriented face grinned back at her. Giggling, she turned to find a bowl and slipped on the messy yolk from one of the broken eggs. She rubbed her head, before realizing that her hand was covered in the same slime, and groaned.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] ...great, a perfect start to.. to.. [i]She seized up then, suddenly feeling a strange tickling sensation in her noise.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] Oh no, oh no, oh no... not [i]now!![/i] [i]Waving her hand violently in front of her small, button nose, Melon tried to ward off the coming sneeze. She shook her head, braids flying, and shut her eyes tightly, though her efforts were fruitless - the sneeze came, small and cute. Well, it would have been cute, had it not caused the pots above her to mysteriously topple over and clatter to the ground on and around her. Covering her head with her arms, the sixteen year old sighed as she heard a door down the hall open.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] Great. Why does the world hate me? [color=blue][b]her Mother:[/b][/color] What in the world-- [i]Melon's mother stopped in the doorway of the kitchen and took in the scene slowly, her eyes narrowing with each passing second. Finally, they rounded on the girl on the floor, sitting placid in the middle of the mess.[/i] [color=blue][b]her Mother:[/b][/color] Melon. Dear. We have reasons why we keep you out of the kitchen. Please go outside and clean yourself up while I fix breakfast. [i]Melon blinked, before sighing and pushing herself up off the ground, a few more pots clattering off her noisily. She trudged outside, as her mother requested, and sat herself down on the doorstep. After a few minutes of self-depreciating misery, she went around to the back of their little cottage and decided to practice her magic. Safely, of course. No real spells, she told herself, as there was no need to make her mother even angrier. Hours passed and she grew increasingly bored with studying the spells she knew. In fact, she was just plain bored. Melon sighed, and eventually turned back in to clean up, skirting around the spots where she knew her family would be gathered. She managed to slip out again unnoticed and started towards the center of town, intent on just wandering about, seeing what other people did to keep busy. Chewing on one of her braids, she came to find that there was a bit of a stir in the middle of Grillin Village - a young boy was attracting quite a lot of attention. Melon, like everyone else, was interested in what he had to say - it's not like there was much else to do. And she, like everyone else, was pleased with his speech and his vows against the Thirstquencher Empire. Except when the adults left, it was only she and some odd others who remained. It seemed to Melon that this was what she woke up for. This was her chance - a chance to actually do something meaningful. She thought wildly of the future - she could go on an adventure, save the world, maybe even learn to cook! Well, that last bit might have been a stretch, but still. It was something to look forward to, certainly.[/i][/size]

[size=1][b]A[/b]rt. Of all kinds. It's the sincerest form of expression I know. [b]B[/b]ells, because they sound pretty. I want a little bell from Santa's sleigh, like in the Polar Express. Which is actually going to be a movie - I'm rather excited about that. [b]C[/b]hucky Wills - my PowerBook. You're the best, man. Rock on. [b]D[/b]isney. I will never grow too old for this stuff. [b]E[/b]urope. The entire continent is beautiful and old and so full of [i]everything[/i]. It's like living in the past - the ruins and temples and cathedrals are just wonderful, on every level possible. [b]F[/b]riends and Family, naturally. Gotta love them, even if they do drive you up the wall sometimes. [b]G[/b]oing to the movies, or bowling, or just out with cool people, whoever they may be. [b]H[/b]istory is and always will be my favorite subject, and it's what I want to do, what I want to study. [b]I[/b]nteresting stories. I love to hear them. [b]J[/b]unk food - hell yes, I love you. So much. I cherish you, junk food. [b]K[/b]irby faces! (>^.^)>

[size=1]This is the first time I've heard of it, and I laughed. In scorn of course, but I laughed nonetheless. It's ridiculous, for both the kids and the adults who think this is true. I really wish the few kids who actually do this would have more respect for themselves, and like the majority of kids in the article said, if my parents or teachers or whoever the hell cares would actually believe that I'd let a cheap, plastic [i]bracelet[/i] govern my sex life, then it's seriously time for them to break out the prozac.[/size]

[size=1]Uh, yeah. Never been kissed, in the romantic sense. Which is truly sad, but then again, I'll just make up for the missed time later. ^_~ However, for plays and student movies and other various theatre things, I've done it a couple times. Some of them were all right, and a few others.. could have been better. My only advice at the moment is to remember that you're not trying to [i]eat[/i] the person, you're showing your affection/lust/what have you.[/size]

[size=1]To basically repeat everybody else, yeah, nice job. It's a gorgeous banner - the colors are [i]definitely[/i] my favorite part. Despite the number of things going on in it, it's very crisp and clean and deliciously lovely. ^_^ This one is easily my favorite of your banners to date, hands down.[/size]

[size=1]I'm with Asuka on this one - especially the rock thing. My family is notoriously pro-rock in all sizes, shapes, and forms, and that's about all we listen to. Stuff like Sister Hazel, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Queen, Zeppelin, Matchbox Twenty, and so on... And of course as time goes on and you go places and get older and all of that, you get a wider variety of music presented to you. My last few years of high school are what really got me into the punk genre, but it was also those that made me appreciate rap and country a little more. Some of both still make me cringe, but I'm much more tolerant of it than I used to be. Hell, there are songs that I love to listen to now, whereas before I would have screamed and ran the other way. College is doing the same thing - more contact with different people, so more bands and types of music to choose from. So as it is, I like [i]everything[/i], and I seriously mean that. Rock, pop, punk, oldies, classical, opera, musicals, country, rap, raegae.. I've got a little bit of all of it, I guess. At least I'll never get bored. ^_^[/size]

[size=1]I live in Florida, and as some of you might be aware, we're not exactly a genius state. Our parents can't even vote properly, so you can bet the education system is going to be a trip in itself. I like to blame it all on Jeb Bush and his stupid education plan, but part of it is also the parents. I don't know about you guys, but I did my homework, and I studied my *** off all four years of high school. Part of that is my own desire to, you know, [i]amount to something,[/i] but another factor is my parents - I learned very early on that it was in my best interests to do my work and be respectful of the teachers and mindful of my peers and all that crap. Otherwise, my life sucked - stuff got taken away from me, I couldn't do anything [i]but[/i] homework, and my dad is scary as hell when he's mad. Now it seems like parents don't care all that much. They don't punish their kids if they do stupid things, or if they do, it's like a slap on the wrists and a "don't do that again." I understand that there are a lot of working parents who do have jobs to go to and all that, but are you going to tell me that they can't spend one hour with their kid a night? Help him study, do some homework? Where else are they going to learn responsibility? While I agree that basic funding and the adminitstration at high schools isn't always up to par, I also think that the people who run the schools aren't always to blame. Of course, my high school might have just sucked compared to everybody elses, but hey. Welcome to Florida.[/size]

[size=1]Heh, well, you know. I'm actually stalking you, but what you said sounds so much better. I especially like this one, just cause I think his paintings are so fascinating. Not always especially beautiful or anything, but they definitely make you think. So this was a pretty good representation of that, if I do say so myself.[/size]

[size=1]It's always the guys that I find appealing in anime that would actually be the worst guys possible to like. Take Wufei, from Gundam Wing. Sure, he's pretty hot, he's intelligent, he's got some mad fighting skillz, but that whole "women suck" thing would kind bother me. Now, if he was wildly in love with me, maybe it wouldn't be that bad. Hmm.[/size]