sakurasuka

[SIZE=1]Yup. I'm definitely with what Kenshinsbabe said. 'Age is just an attitude', lol. But as for guys I have dated, oldest would be 17 and youngest would be 14. I'm 15. I generally don't like guys to be too much younger than me, but nearly all the guys I have dated have been a little bit younger. Like, a month or so. It's really nice to have a guy who can drive, since I'm not old enough to.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]No prob! Here ya go, banner and avatar in red =) [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/mameha006.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/mameha007.png[/IMG] Let me know if you'd like anything else, I'm happy to help.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Yup, I've got a MySpace. No, I'm not addicted. I had originally (Only about a month or so ago) created my MySpace just to make layouts for my cousin. Since I couldn't log into her account to fix her frontpage, I just went on my own account, built her a layout, and emailed the HTML code to her. I had a pretty good time doing that. Until she found out how to use one of many MySpace editors and started doing it (Quite inexpertly) herself. Now I just have around 20 friends, a fourth of them being bands, and another fourth of them being people I don't know. The rest are good friends and cousins. I really do like MySpace. I don't really use the blog feature, and I haven't even STARTED making my own frontpage yet... Just plugged in some junk for the stuff I have now. Nothing special. I don't think I have any OBers as friends. Unless some of those people I don't really know have accounts... I should probably ask them... [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]As for the art of otaku thing, I have no idea. I can give you tons of info on programs, though =) I personally use Paint Shop Pro version 6-8, 7 being my favorite due to ease of use, and merely the fact I've used it longest and grown accustomed to it. I bought an un-opened Paint Shop Pro 8 on E-Bay for $37 after shipping and handling. You can get it cheaper, but I'd suggest getting an un-used one, rather than one that may have been handled and scratched or something of the like. PSP 7/8 (Or, if you can afford it, a higher verson. But 7/8 works just fine for me) is really great for coloring/fixing up manga. The controls and settings can be personalized to how you like it best, and there are tons of coloring tutorials you can find online to help you out. I also use Photo Impact (Version 8.5 is my favorite) But I mostly use this one to fix up actual photographs, not drawings. Great program for simple web pages, too, for anyone who cares =P I've only recently briefly used PhotoShop version 4, and PhotoShop CS. I really liked how much more stuff it has than PSP, but otherwise, there's not a whole lot of difference. To someone who needs a good program for graphic design, I'd say PhotoShop, but Paint Shop Pro is much easier to use and much better for beginners/people who don't need an awesome grpahic design program. I know about a million people will disagree with me on that, but it's just what I noticed in my use of both programs *Shrugs* For you, I'd definitely reccomend Paint Shop Pro v. 8 for manga stuff. It's a well-rounded program, and it's really user-friendly. You can do pretty much anything with it, and it'll help you grow as an artist and maybe even get you into graphic design =)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Hm. Not perfect, not anything spectacular, but it's not bad. I do wish I could've gotten the purple to look... Not so... Neon. [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/mameha002.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/mameha001.gif[/IMG] If you's like anything changed, just let me know. I'll try to tinker with it a bit more and see if I can get a better purple color, but... Meh. Oh, and I really did like it better red- [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/mameha003.gif[/IMG] But I'd forgotten you wanted it purple and had to change it all half way through. That's why the red one looks... Nicer >.

[SIZE=1]Most annoying? Hmm... I'd have to say, every April Fool's Day of my life. People think it's a good idea to prank me, just because I've decided that I don't want to participate in the destructive nature that takes place on the first of April. All of my 'pals' think it's quite funny, actually. It sort of makes me want to hurt them. *Insert random annoyed face here*[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Wow. That was simply amazing. A dark, morbid story of death and war---Brilliant in it's utter sorrow. 'The Darker Side of War'... That is the perfect name for this. I have absolutely no critique to offer because, as always Retri, you've astounded me with your art. So beautiful, so heartbreaking... I just had to comment. *Applauds* =D[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]A tall, very muscular man aproached Sakura. She'd never seen him in her life, but his scent was surely familiar to her. [b]"Hello, how are you this morning? Feeling any better?"[/b] He sat down right beside her. She tried (to no avail) not to notice what beautiful eyes he had. Deep blue. [b]"I'm Fine. And you, erm... What did you say your name was?."[/b] She flipped her hair out of her eyes with her fingertips. [b]"Oh, I'm sorry! I never did properly introduce myself! I'm Trevor, the owner of this Inn."[/b] He held his hand out to her, which she took reluctantly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Sano leaving the Inn with with a small group. She heard a few words they were muttering, but none made sense to her... Aeons... What were aeons? Having no idea but being genuinely intrigued, she tried to listen in without them noticing. And she did quite the job of it, up until she heard the name 'Shen...' [b]"Thank you, sir, for all your troubles."[/b] She stuffed a hundred dollar bill into his hand and stood up abruptly, [b]"For the clothes... And for the room and food. Thank you again!"[/b] Trevor was slightly speechless, and he watched her sling her bag over her shoulder and run out the door. She didn't forget to leave a tip. [b]"Well, she was a nice girl."[/b] The woman picked up the generous tip and folded it into the pocket of her apron. [b]"Strange for sure, but indeed nice."[/b] [i]I can't believe it... After all this, they were right under my nose! They can help me find Shen! I'm such an idiot![/i] She ran out the door, barely managing to pull on her coat before the icy wind permeated her flesh. She looked both ways, but did not see them. [i]Shit... I can't believe it...[/i] And right then, she heard voices to her far left, down the path. Her ears could pick up things most peoples' couldn't. It was a gift, of sorts. Among those voices, she was quite positive she heard Sano. She never did forget a face... Or, in this case, a voice. She raced down the path after them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I definitely agree with everything Chabichou said. Moving the stock over to the far left and opening up the banner by making the text more prominent would be a great idea. Also, if you like that particular gadient/color scheme, then I'd suggest making a layer underneath and brushing it with black and white brushes, then setting the gradient as an over-lay, rather than making it the background by itself. Reguardless of what you do, I think that brushes or some sort of effect on the background is a must for this type of thing, unless you are simply going for plain/clean looking, and for that I'd obviously suggest a white or cream BG. Similar to my current banner =P The pixelation isn't terrible, but it never hurts to bring out the text some, maybe add a quote. Have you checked out any font sites? My recomendation would have to be [URL=http://www.dafont.com/]DaFont.com[/URL]. It's certainly not bad for a first shot, and I hope to see alot more of your work in the coming months =)[/SIZE]

[quote name='Derald][FONT=Lucida Console][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]You know what else is interesting about the mantis? In some species the male has become completely non-existent, and the females reproduce by laying unfertilized eggs which, surprisingly, hatch into more females. This process is known as parthenogenesis.[/COLOR][/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote] [SIZE=1]That is genuinely creepy. But now it's time for the spider we've all been waiting for, the one that sends chills down all of our spines, the one we've all heard of-- The Black Widow. [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/black_widow_spider_picture.jpg[/IMG] Black Widow Spider Araneae: Theridiidae, Latrodectus mactans We all know that the black widow is black and has that tell-tale red hourglass. The females grow to be about 1 1/2 inches (38mm) long, 1/4 inch (6.4mm) in diameter. The males are similar in size, but have lighter colors and generally have streaks on thier underside rather than an hourglass. The bite of a Black Widow spider can be deadly, of course, so seek immediate help if bitten. INTERESTING FACTS: The female eats the male after mating. She hangs belly upward and rarely leaves the web.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Patience, hun. It's not exactly a simple task when we've not got much to work with. I made one, but I had no idea what all you wanted except for something 'Full Metal Alchemist'. Hope you like it anyway... And do let me know if you wanted Alphonse on it, or if you don't like the yellow/brown color scheme... [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/lilkid003.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/lilkid001.jpg[/IMG] I know it's not very good, but I just threw it together pretty quickly. Meh. Like I said, feel free to tell me if you'd like anything changed.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Sakura looked around at the un-familiar territory. Pulling her jacket in tighter around her body, she braved the cold. Alone. Having no family left, and only her money as a comfort, Sakura found it difficult to cope with the death of her only friend Jack. She had no leads to his murderer, and the only clue she had to help her find the answers was a boy named Shen, a friend of Jack's. She didn't know how he could help her, but he was the only possible person she could think of. [i]This is all just a wild goose-chase.[/i] Sakura sat down on the icy ledge and looked up at the rest of the mountain she had to climb with a shiver. [i]How do I even know I can find him here...?[/i] Setting her pack down beside her and pulling out a jacket... But it was ripped to shreds and covered in dried blood. Jack's blood. Sakura found this scrap of Jack's old jacket at the scene of his murder. She couldn't bear to leave it there. He always wore it, and it still smelled of him. Though the smell of death now lingered on it as well. Hot tears flowed, unchecked, down her face and froze almost instantly to her milk-white cheeks. Rubbing the salty ice of her face and regaining her composure, she carefully folded Jack's coat back up and set it back in her bag. She then sat and watched the town below. Her search for Shen had yeilded little result, thus far. Sakura got to her feet, the sky darkening. Slinging her bag over her back, she set forth toward her goal. Knowing she would have to stop to sleep, she glimpsed her map a moment and figured it would only take her about an hour to reach the next town. It was a small town way up in the mountains, where she could hopefully take some rest and re-stock on supplies. She figured she had a long way to go before she found Shen. -Nearly two hours later- Sakura trudged grudginly along through the snow. It was taking her far longer than she'd imagined, and she had no clue why. Her strength and energy was fleeting away, and she was nearly out of food. It's amazing what a few hours in the freezing cold on the face of a mountain can do to you. Fading fast, Sakura thought she saw a shadowy figure, but she was out cold before she could logically work anything out. -The next morning- Her yellow-green eyes flicked open with a start. She instantaniously surveyed her surroundings. She was... In some sort of bedroom. A small, pudgy woman in an apron aproached her. [B]"Hello, darling. Would you care for some toast and coffee?"[/B] The woman was rosy-cheeked and wearing a blue and white checked apron. [B]"W-w-were, may I ask, am I?"[/B] Sakura's eyes darted around the room. She was a bit paraniod at the moment, seeing as she had no clue where she was or how she got there. [B]"Why, Trevor found you wandering around the mountain late last night. He brought you up, and we prepared you a room for the night."[/B] The woman poured coffee from a black pot into a small cup and handed it to Sakura [B]"Sugar with your coffee, dear?"[/B] [B]"N-no thanks. Who's Trevor?"[/B] She sipped the boiling hot liquid with care. [B]"Oh, he's my nephew. Owner of this here Inn."[/B] She smiled, [B]"He asked me to take special care of you. You were quite the spectacle last night."[/B] It was all she could manage to stutter a quick "Thank you" before stepping out of bed. [B]"Going down for breakfast? Well, get some clothes on! I'm washing those dreadful rags you were wearing yesterday, feel free to look in the closet for something, though."[/B] The woman left quietly and shut the door behind her. Sakura found an outfit in the closet. Both the pants and the blouse were a light colored leather, accented with furs. She then headed downstars. Supposing she was in the small village she'd hoped to end up in, there would be plenty of places to restock on supplies. Sakura's mind was still green. Had she any idea of the evil she would soon discover, of what REALLY happened to Jack, she may have been slightly more wary.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]'Age is just an attitude'--- Because it is. My old custom title was 'I doubt, therefore I might be.' It was kinda my saying. Just a funny little thing... No really deep meaning.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Wow, Fox, awesome thread =) Lol, this is gonna be fun. I think I have three top best-date-ideas. Top would be six-flags (Or some random amusement park). It's a good way to spend a day making fun and funny (And romantic, of course;)) memories with your guy/girl. Rides... Henna tatoos... Games where you could win big stuffed animals... Yeah, and amusement-park date would be pretty much awesome. I'd have to say second would be something like Ice Skating. I'm really bad at it, though, lol. Me and my boyfriend would get onto the rink. He'd be a really good ice-skater, and I'm... Well... Not so good (I know from experience=P) He'd hold my hand and help me skate. Yeah, then we'd go get something to eat maybe. I dunno, I think anything spontanious would be awesome. Third would DEFINITELY be something simple, like sitting on the couch playing video games or watching a movie. Don't have to go out or spend money, you don't have to deal with crowds and other people, just one-on-one quality time =)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]My Sign-up. Name- Sakura Watsuki Gender- Female. Age- 15. Personality- Stubborn and beautiful are never a good mix. Sakura is rarely nice to anyone, but she can pretty much get whatever she wants from any given person. The only person she ever opened up to or was nice to was her only friend. Read below... Appearance- [URL=http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/5963/sakura14ye.jpg]Click~[/URL] 5"1', average body (leaning more toward the slim side) 110 lbs. Long red hair. Usually wears jeans and tight-fitting shirts. Weapons/Abilities- She has a short katana and is quite skilled with it. Her only abilities are her martial arts and her intellect. Bio- Sakura grew up in a very weathy family (To put it lightly), but she never particularly cared for material things or money and maids. She was often called 'Spoiled' and a 'Brat', but she didn't care much for others opinions of her. Although she was meant to take over the family business one day, her parents had no intention of entrusing her with it. Everything from her jeans-and-t-shirt style to her I-don't-care attitude was considered extremely barbaric, and not 'fitting' for the life of a Watsuki. That never did bother Sakura, though. She didn't exactly want to be tied down to her family's business forever. Hell, she didn't even know what the 'Family Business' [I]was[/I] exactly. Since Mr. and Mrs. Watsuki never were good at planning ahead, they never managed to get around to taking Sakura out of thier will. They eventually ended up dying in a tragic accident. A semi smothered thier strech-limo just as they were on thier way home from a party. They, un-intentionally, left Sakura with everything. Sakura now wanders aimlessly, thousands of dollars in her back pocket and millions in the bank. She made a friend after a year or so, but only one friend. His name was Jack. He was the only living thing she had ever been able to fully trust. Unfortunately, he died a tragic death as well. She'd seen the room where he died. It was definitely no accident, and the person responsible was going to pay dearly... Reason- Friend of Jack, hoping to figure out what happened to him. Edit- I added a pic-- Thanks a million for helping me find a good one, Lilt!![/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I really really don't like those Hercules Beetles... They kinda freak me out, sorry Derald =( I do, though, like all types of Orb Weaver Spiders. My favorite being the most common of them, the Argiope. Black and Yellow Argiope- [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/argiope.jpg[/IMG] These orb weavers can be almost 3 inches long from leg tip to leg tip. Although they are large and intimidating, their bite is only dangerous to people who experience severe allergic reactions to insect and spider bites. Argiope spiders are also called "writing spiders" because of the bold zigzag pattern that they build into their web. We have three of these spiders in our backyard right now, I'm really amazed by how they build thier webs! The structure is facinating! They weave the zigzag pattern that matches the patterns on thier back. They do this so that when they see a predator, they can simply sway thier web back and forth to make themselves look much bigger and intimidating. Similar to a herd of Zebras, actually. Edit- [QUOTE=Goddess][font=tahoma] [i]*If you would like to see the damage of these spiders venom, google "brown recluse". Only do so if you have a strong stomach. [/i][/font][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Wow... Just... Wow... That was some of the most gruesome stuff ever...[/SIZE] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Alrighty, I made two sets. I kinda like the first one better, but meh. [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/derald001.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/derald004.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/derald002.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/derald005.png[/IMG] If you'd like anything at all changed, feel free to PM me =) Edit- Ack, I didn't know if you wanted your username on the avatar or not... If you don't want it on there, just let me know and I'll take it off for you, alright?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Okie dokie, I've got it re-sized, and banner-ized, but I'd love to know... What would you like on it in terms of text? It's very bland at present, and a good quote on it couldn't hurt =P[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I love how you played with the words-- Not just the meanings of them, but the structure from an artistic view. The letters flow differently than 'normal' peotry. Actually, just by looking at it and reading it, it is more of a piece of art than a poem. (

[SIZE=1]Alright, I was screwing around in PaintShop yesterday with this pic a friend sent me, and I came up with this- [img]http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/4461/andrewrush0042fw.png[/img] I really love it, just 'cause it has Andrew in it =P I can't really get past that, though, so... My favorite part is the faded sleeve. It took forever to get all that right. D'you guys think it's terrible? Oh, all the brushes are mine, with the exception of the 'blood splatter' ones I used to erode the edges of the RUSH poster. Those were made by my darling pal Amanda, and I'll provide a link to her site momentarily.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Wow... I have no clue. I might actually graduate this year *Shock* I'm homeschooled, so I just work through the summer and stuff. I'm over two years ahead of all my peers... It's really wierd =/ But I haven't even taken the SATs yet, so I might have to wait 'till next year to graduate. Yeah, 15's a bit young to be going to college. I'm really hoping to do more artistic-like stuff. Painting, sculpting, and the like. I'm also hoping I'll pass my College Prep. Literature class. That would be a plus. I dunno. I guess I kinda want to hang out with my best friend Josh more, and maybe get to know/hang out with this new guy I met not too long ago...[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I happen to be going out with one of those super-nice, super-shy guys on Sunday after church, lol. In the past, I've generally dated guys more one the not-nice spectrum. Most of the time it was just because they were so darn cute... I would never date any of the guys that I'm currently friends with. Dating friends usually turns out terrible, and you run the risk of losing them as a friend. Too many hearts get broken, and then you don't have anyone to help you out anymore, because he's gone. Yeah... Friends are better. Boyfriends come and go, friends are forever.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Noone said life is easy. Right now, I feel just about like you. You're not alone, that's for sure. A good phyciatrist never hurts, but most of this you're just going to have to work out. Friends can help you deal, but they can't fix anything for you. If you need to get anything off your chest, or just need someone to talk to, though, just PM me.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I really don't think the few milimeters of space really matters, in all honesty. It sort of used to bug me, but I almost drove myself nuts. I realize now that text is just as readable, indent or not. If you really must, then I'd suggest using Baron Samedi's method, lol.[/SIZE]

[quote name='foxboy7']Last night I broke down and she said that it is her turn to help me.[/quote] [SIZE=1]From what I've heard, she's not stable enough to deal with her problems AND help you with your own. And I don't think you're ready to give up your best years devoting all your time to someone who can't give much back to the reationship. I learned this first-hand. I loved him. I loved him alot. But he just wanted to do whatever he wanted, flirt with whoever he wanted, act however he watnted, etc. but he got mad at me when I would talk to my guy-friends, or do ANYTHING that wasn't the way HE wanted it. It's just how he was raised, I guess. His dad kinda was like that, it seemed. He was also going through alot, and his parents just got divorced. I know this doesn't sound the same, but it basically is. I was putting everything I had into the relationship, but he was un-able to give back. Relationships are supposed to be give-and-take, not one person doing all the work. This guy is still my very best friend, and I still help him with his problems whenever he needs me! The only difference now from then is that there aren't any expectations on our shoulders, and there's no physical aspect, and niether of our hearts get broken as easily. Only YOU can find out weather or not you really love her. If you do, it's worth waiting for her to get more stable. If you really don't, then maybe you'd do more help as her friend. Less attachment to things like 'she cheated on me' and the like.[/SIZE]