Stark

Hey, you all did a great job! Even more surprising, I wasn't expecting so many responces in one night! Vampire_Fox, what you did is exactly what I'm looking for, so I'm definently going to use yours. Starwind, for a beginner I think you're doing a great job. I think I'll keep the Gojyo one for future reference if I ever want a laugh. GTK, excellent stuff. I love the pictures you used, so I'll save these too if I want to use them later. Simplicity, you really went above and beyond what I was expecting. Not only one banner/avatar combo, but three? Wow. I'm definently saving them. Thank you everyone for the help! It's very much appreciated.

Hello. I'm here to petition once more for a banner that's been created by one of the talented artists that hang out in this area. What I'm looking for is very simple: A Saiyuki themed banner with Sanzo on it, any picture will do. On that banner I'd like a quote from Sanzo's 'Muichi Motsu' speech, even if it is only a part of it. The font...I'll leave that to you're judgement, seeing as I have no talent with it nor the program needed to make it. The full speech is below: "If you meet the Buddah, kill him. If you meet the Patriarchs, kill them. Free of all, bound by nothing, you live your life simply as it is." I thank you all in advance. I'm sure the banner will be great.

Name: Akira Souji Age: 25 Reincarnation of: Cho Hakkai Powers: Chi Manipulation, otherwise known as kikou jutsu. He's not that adept with it, but he has been able to perform some of the same skills as his previous incarnation, namely the chi blasts, setting up a barrier, and some healing. Also, he likes to try out skills he finds in video games. Weapon of Choice: Kikou Jutsu, for the most part, but is also fairly skilled with a gun. Personality: Akira is the reincarnation of Hakkai, and is as placid, polite, and cheerful as his previous incarnation, but has a serious, sometimes lethal streak that shows itself from time to time. He is good with children and animals, and could have worked in either field, but chose to be a Librarian because of his love of books. While working he is as meticulous as any other librarian, but is nowhere near the same on his own time. His own home is a clutter, and Akira seems to lack the understanding that a bed is made for sleeping in, not another place to put books. His life would be perfectly functional if he could just remember where he put his shoes... Description/Bio: As the child of an American woman and a Japanese man, Akira?s life was a little different than most of his peers. He was teased a lot as a child because of his hair and eyes?brown and green, respectively?and was only able to find solace in his books. What friends he did have valued him for who he was, not what he looked like. In addition to his schooling, his mother, a firearms aficionado, took it upon herself to teach her son how to handle a gun. He understands that the weapon itself is not to be feared, but it can be very dangerous if used improperly. After graduation from high school he left his home in Kyoto and moved to Nagasaki. It was there that he finished his schooling, and there that he met Goku. After meeting the Monkey King he began to realize that he had?other talents. As such, he?s trying to refine those talents, and is doing quite a good job.

With hesiatant hands Soir held the gem up to eye level, carefully studying the artifact for some line of fracture. As a theif who spend a lot of time aroud rare jewels, she was certain that she would know of any flaw within the gem itself, including lines of fracture or any impurities. For once, however, Soir saw that she was at a loss, and she gave up on all attempts to find the answer. She let the gem fall, the chain pulling lightly as it brought the St. Sebastian to a rest on her bosom. She shook her head, smiling. "I heard somewhere that, when two strangers meet three times in the same day, it's destiny." For an instant she thought of a stranger from her youth, a smiling young man who had greeted her with the phrase [I]'bon soir'[/I]. "I don't believe in Destiny," She murmured, for all appearances talking to herself. In her thoughts, however, she was talking to the one who had left her in the hallway, going over all of the things she could have said. "But," She continued, " You might turn me into a believer yet." In her reverie she wandered down the hallway, not caring that she would be absent for her class. School was a place for learning, but the lessons weren't always useful in everyday life. There was no point in sittig around ina classroom absorbing information that she would deem useless later on. Moreover, the classes themselves weren't why she first enrolled at the academy; it was the atmosphere, and the feeling that she had a place to go. As she came upon her dorm, 668, she vowed to make her absense up to Zamiel in some way. Last year she had gotten on his bad side because of her inexperience and her numerous...idiocyncrisies. She wouldn't make that mistake again. The bags waiting patiently on the bed opposite of hers earned no attention as she flopped onto her bed. It was only the first day of class, and already she saw that her world was different. She sighed, smiling as she realized that it was going to be one interesting year.

"So...his name's 'Hunter'," Soir commented quietly, earning a surprised look from Aki. "Yeah," She replied. "You didn't know?" "Nope." Soir smiled gratefully at her friends. "Anyway, thanks for the moral support." She forced out a giggle. "This wouldn't happen normally." Chrono nodded in agreement. "You're right, you normally can take care of yourself. This [I]is[/I] a little odd...." His voice faded off, allowing the trio to hear the tolling of a bell, signalling that it was midnight. Soir perked her ears up, recognizing a deadline when she heard one. She stood up, wincing almost imperceptably from the dull pain in her shoulders. As much as she hated to admit it, Ironclaw had done a number on her. "You know," She began, allowing herself to use the newfound clarity of her thoughts, "All of my actions surrounding the St. Sebastian have been odd. I made a number of mistakes, didn't think things through, made no attempt at research, and I didn't even clean up my mess." A nervous giggle bubbled out of her. "Plus, I tripped..." "So what?" Aki asked, standing as well. "You're only mortal--" "Made of the same chemicals as Homids and Vampires, I know. Nothing unique, really." Soir carefully stepped out of the wall of books she had surrounded herself with, knocking a few over in the process. "Just a tiny drop of water in the giant ocean that's life..." "And now you've gone poetic," Chrono commented. "You are really acting wierd today." He stood as well, only to fall into more books as Soir hit him with her tail once more. "I'll show you wierd!" She cried, the peaceful mood fading quickly. Soir took a few steps away, "And for that remark, you can clean up." "Why do you have to be so mean?!" Chrono cried, looking incredulously at the two girls. Aki was laughing, and trying unsuccessfully to hide it, while Soir shook her head. "Is that normal?" She asked. At Chrono's lack of responce, and his bemused look, she smiled. "look, I have to go. Hunter asked me to meet with him at midnight, and I'm already late. I really have to go." True to her word, Soir darted off. The St. Sebastian was a rare find, a canary diamond of such clarity that it had seemed like polished glass when she first saw it. She didn't recall what she had thought that evening, but she knew hat there was something about that diamond that was enough to distort her view of herself and the world. Her actions that night were unusual, because it was her equivilant to any other girl buying shoes. It was an impulse, and thieves shouldn't act on impulse. Then again, theives shouldn't trip, either. Dorm 665 was easy enough to find, but Soir decided to be polite and wait outside. The lock on the door would have been no problem, but she felt that she had to make the right impression on Hunter during their first conversation. "Hello!" She called, knocking lightly on the door. "I'm ready when you are!"

Soir sat on the floor numbly, her breath coming in quick, short bursts as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. She played it through in her mind, the events repeating themselves in slow motion as she hunted for the one fatal mistake that had driven her into Damien's Iron claws. Already seeing her first mistake--thrusting the gem at Chrono and darting--she dismissed it as merely a consequence of the adrenaline and the paranoia that had plagued her a lot of her life. Slamming into Ironclaw was more than just a coincidence. Unless...was he around that day? She had always known that the President wasn't keen with having a theif on school grounds. Maybe he was out to get her? No. That was paranoia talking again. She shook her head, thrusting the thoughts aside, and watched the battle before her. She had heard the stranger, and what he had said about her 'recent acquisition', and was cursing the tangled web she found herself in. There was a spider somewhere in that web, waiting to eat her, and she wasn't prepared to give it the satisfaction of having her as a meal. Her legs were numb, but she forced the limbs to move in her desperation. Ironclaw was a demon, a bloody hellion related to the very devil himself, and she didn't want to stick around for long. She took off down the hall, forcing the adrenaline already in her veins to cooperate with her natural agility and her honed skills as a theif, and fled the scene. The Library was the safest place. It had to be. There was no way she would go to class in the dire straights she was in, and she could use that time doing a lot of necessary research. The history of the St. Sebastian, for example, and how her classmate knew about it, was a topic that she would dive into. She paid her rescuer one last look over her shoulder, out of both curiosity and gratitude. There was no sensation as her foot caught on a stray object, only the sight of the world suddenly shifting onto it's side and the hard impact with the floor. Soir cursed as she got back onto her feet, deciding that she would accept the midnight invitation.

OOC: Apologies for not posting yesterday. Had no time... IC: It was a mistake, Soir told herself as she bolted through the academy. It was [I]always[/I] a mistake, but this one was worse than usual. Of course, she had seen it over break back in town, as she wandered through a museum that she had managed to sneak into. It was an art museum, and they were having an exhibit on precious gems. Naturally, she had wanted to see it, but one thing led to another... "Damn," She muttered, "I got myself into a real pickle this time!" It was a canary diamond, a beautiful specimen that was of such high quality that it must have been worth thousands. She had laid eyes on it as it sat peacably with it's cousins, as it was a part of a larger collection, and felt that she absolutely had to have it. It was rare. It was in a museum. She could easily have pawned it. It was shiney. That was what initially had started it, but all of that combined to form a kind of lust that was maddening. As a part of her gig, she had replaced it with a look alike that was so near the original that the untrained eye would never tell the difference. To be sure of her theory, she had gone back to the scene of the crime the next day just to be certain. Everything seemed to have been going well, until she heard the people talking amongst themselves. [I]"That really is a beautiful jewel. I wonder where Mr. Bannister got it?" "There is a long story behind that one, a story involving many attempted thefts and the divine retribution met by the would-be theives." "What do you mean?" "I'll just say that they all met an untimely end. They say that the St. Sebastian Diamond is cursed because of that..."[/I] Soir had heard no more because she fled. There had to be a way to decide if that curse was real. There should have been a way. There must have been a way. Soir decided that the only way she would find out was if she returned to the school. Surely, someone there had to know. The timing was good too, because it was the start of the new semester. Of course, she hadn't known that until she ran over the new kid. What did she care? He couldn't help her. Someone had to know. Someone had to know! She paid no attention to orientation; instead, she was looking for a friendly face. To her luck, she found it. "Chrono!" She called after orientation, running up to her classmate. "Chrono!" He turned around, an inscruitable look on his face." Soir!" He called. "It's great to see you again!" Upon looking at her, his experssion turned into a mocking smile. "Of course, I hear people saying that you got yourself into a mess." Soir cursed silently. Of course the people here would know! "Yeah, I managed to get myself into a real mess this time." She said, chagrinned. "And, as much as I hate to say this, I think I need some help this time."

OOC: I knew you were irked, but I had no idea you'd pull this. Name: Kouji Morinozuka Age: 20 Age Taken: 16 Gender: Male Appearance: [URL=http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d101/Stark-San/RP%20Characters/Mustang.jpg]Mori.[/URL] He normally dresses in whatever he can grab in his leisure time, usually an outfit consisting of a pair of jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt that's normally blue or green in color. When working he dons a black turtleneck, a pair of fingerless gloves, and combat boots with his jeans. He always wears a pair of thin, wire framed glasses, as he's farsighted. The farsightedness is a godsend while on the job, as is his dexterity and speed. He can shoot a target from great distance with pinpoint accuracy, and can deftly immobilize a person without leaving any physical markings upon their body. His acting skills come in handy as well, allowing him to act as a public liaison when and if it is necessary. He also speaks English fluently, a good talent when it comes to dealing with travelers from the west. Personality: He's a smart, playful young man who, in spite of being on the quiet side, is easy to smile and laugh. While he seems open at first, he really lets no one onto what he's thinking or feeling. However, he doesn't do well under stress, and has a tendency to snap in tight situations. Funny, considering how well he does on stage in front of a few thousand people. He responds to his name, Kouji, but also to the nicknames of Kou and Mori. Bio: There's not much to say about Mori, save that he's a studious person who, in spite of his potential as a teacher, decided to take up acting. At the age of thirteen his parents transferred him to a creative arts school where he could continue developing his talent. Unfortunately, other people saw a use for his talent that was far different from the stage at Broadway. He was kidnapped at the age of sixteen, the day before the opening of a small show he was in, and since then his life has spun out of control. He was trained to kill in such a way that his talents were put to use. As such he was used for many sensitive and very public operations. Mori has handled this surprisingly well, in all appearances. Inside, he realizes that his life is slowly spinning out of control.

Name: Tori Demisoki Battle Tag: Soir Age: 17 Subtype: Werefox Strengths: Aside from the standard set of strengths that most therianthropes have, Tori also possesses incredible agility, sharp hearing, excellent night vision, and a keen, though sometimes annoying, sense of smell. Weaknesses: Like above, she has the standard set of weaknesses that accompany therianthropes as well, such as rare or heavy metals. She is also overly friendly with alcoholic beverages, leading to many interesting nights and stories, Unlike others, however, she has a tendency to gravitate toward anything that looks and smells interesting, and is a massive cleptomaniac. Powers: Tori is an interesting case. Unlike other therianthropes, she is very adept at transforming into forms other than that which she was born into. Unfortunately, people soon figure out that it's her because of the presence of her tell-tale tail. Personality: Tori is a clever actress, and is capable of acting any way she pleases. She is a fun person, the sort who is easy to talk to and loves to play pranks. However, she can be cold if she has to. Appearance: [IMG]http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d101/Stark-San/RP%20Characters/kitsune3.jpg[/IMG] History:Tori's life has been...interesting, to say the least. Her family, upon realizing that their first daughter was a genetic freak, abandoned her in Monolith City and left her to die. Much to their dismay, Tori isn't that easy to kill. She spent her life as a theif, stealing what food and could and pawning any valuables she found off so she could buy clothing. But, even that wasn't enough. The people who saw her feared her, and she realized that she was too different to live on the streets. Tori found in the academy a place where she wasn't considered a freak, and decided to stay. She is content here, but she will never be able to fully escape her theiving ways.

I agree with Dagger concerning Sakura Kinomoto. She is by far one of the sweetest and cutest girl's I've seen in anime or manga. Also, keep in mind, everyone, that she is the star of two series. No one's mentioned Fuu yet? My goodness! I know of no other girl who is as naggy and resourceful as she and still manages to maintain a rather clumsy sweetness about her. Yep, a bit annoying at times, but the cutest one out of the trio

I do not believe that there is a sequel, but I do have some news for you. Ever hear of Angel Links? Apparently it takes place within the Outlaw Star universe, but it features more of the actions of the government officials that the Outlaws and Pirates. I'm sure you can find it online, seeing as I've been scouring the DVD stores I like to no avail. It probably never became as popular as Outlaw Star, but it certainly looks like it would be worth watching. It's one I'd love to see, but haven't found anywhere. I wish you luck in finding it!

[QUOTE=Dragon Warrior][b]Overcome's[/b] amazing popularity struck shortly after 9/11, which was what the song is about. The music video for it is quite touching, but the song itself is just incredible. It was requested on the radio more than any song during that time. Live currently has seven albums out if you include the Best of Live. [list] [*]Mental Jewelry [*]Throwing Copper [*]Secret Samadhi [*]The Distance To Here [*]V [*]Birds of Pray [*]Awake, The Best of Live [/list] They are currently working on their new album called [b]Songs From Black Mountain[/b]. It keeps getting post-poned sadly. It was supposed to be out November 2005, then March 21st, and now the official date of its release is April 11th. I await eagerly! You can listen to a sample of their single "The River," which will start playing on the radio on January 31st. [URL=http://www.listentolive.com]CLICK HERE[/URL] to hear it.[/QUOTE] Thank you very much, DW! I'll be sure to check into that, if I can find their CD at all around here. I'll look, though, and I'lll look hard. Again, thanks!

Great story you have here, and I like they way you're trying to make it sorta like Firefly. That is a great series, as is the movie, and you seem to know what you're doing in making it similar. This is a good starting point, so don't apologize for it. Dialogue is a good thing when it's used properly. The imagery you use is excellent, and something I find a little lacking in science fiction literature. You put it to good use here, and I like it. On to a different note, I seem to have one of those names people like. It's a bit distracting for me, but I can live with it. I'm going to keep my eye on this one, it looks very interesting

Definently sounds interesting, that's for sure. I've been a Saiyuki fan for long while now, so I'm game if this happens. However, are you making the setting more definent than in the series? Such as, instead of traversing a continent in some unknown era where jeeps are scarce and a monk has a gun, we're in a more modern era? Cities and all? You mentioned no futuristic weapons, so I have to ask. To Blayze's point, will previous characters be used? In looking at your premise, I have to think that Kougaiji and his subordinates may have a hand in all of this. You also mentioned Nataku, and that approach feels like it has smatterings of Saiyuki Gaiden in it. It makes me wonder if we're also going to deal with the corruption seen in Gaiden that encompasses the people surrounding Nataku. I'm also willing to help with this. It sounds like an idea with a lot of potential.

[quote name='Dragon Warrior']Likewise, Stark. Live is a band that tends to stay on the downlow, so they don't want that much popularity, but despite that fact, many of their songs play on the radio still, including "Overcome." Not many people at my school know the song either or the band, for that matter, so I'm the one who gets them into both ;)[/quote] That's great to hear. I remember hearing that song when I was in Middle School because they were playing it on the radio, and none of my friends knew what I was talking about. That was when I was living in Pennsylvania, though no one here in Florida seems to have heard of them either. Just a question, curiosity really, but have they made any more CDs?

I've been reading the manga (Through 15, I think. Have to ask Starwind...), and I have to say that I enjoy this series. There is plenty of action, a decent amount of humor, and an endless amount of twists and turns that keep the reader enthralled. That is saying nothing about the cliffhangers, which make you absolutely have to read the next volume. The plot is definently the interesting sort, but I can see other series wanting to parallel the wierd relationship that Kyo and Kyoshiro have. In my mind, it's taking a step away from classic MPD, as can be seen in Paranoia Agent and even the Chapter Black arc of Yu Yu Hakusho, and making it so that two very different individuals are literally stuck together. The one even has a body somewhere, it's just a matter of [I]finding[/I] that body. And, of course, the characters are very enjoyable. My favorite is a toss up between Benitora and Akira. 'Tora I like simply because of the way he talks, and the fact that he's one of those guys who could have been a hero, but is overshadowed by the hero of the series. Akira...well. I like him because he seems to constantly flip between being a fairly respectable characterto acting like a petulant child. I just find it so funny! I might look into the anime if it's any good. But, if it comes to character's personalities being completely changed, then I simply won't bother. I like the manga, and I don't want anything to ruin my view of it.

[quote name='Dragon Warrior']I'd say beautiful and pretty are the same in terms of songs. It's probably only different when you're talking about someone. Hah. I mean, I'd love to hear my favorite song Overcome at a school dance and I think it's the most beautiful song I've ever heard. Yeah, I definitely don't see a difference between pretty and beautiful.[/quote] DW, what you said made me jump for joy! Wow! I'm not the only one who has heard this song! Anyway, jumping aside... I really like 'My Immortal', by Evanescence. It's mellow, quiet, a bit melancholy. It's certainly good when you're in a quiet, depressed mood. My Immortal I'm so tired of being here Suppressed by all my childish fears And if you have to leave I wish that you would just leave 'Cause your presence still lingers here And it won't leave me alone These wounds won't seem to heal This pain is just too real There's just too much that time cannot erase When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears And I held your hand through all of these years But you still have All of me You used to captivate me By your resonating life Now I'm bound by the life you've left behind Your face it haunts My once pleasant dreams Your voice it chased away All the sanity in me I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone But though you're still with me I've been alone all along

"Hey, Tokito, do you know the answer to number two?" The boy, Koichi, asked of him in a loud whisper. Tokito cast him a sidelong glance. "I have the answer," He replied, "I just can't guarantee that it's [I]right[/I], if you follow." He heaved a sigh, and passed the sheet of notebook paper over toward Koichi. "I don't care if it's right, I just need an answer." Koichi grinned, "Thanks for being such a pal, Toki!" Tokito cringed at the nickname, and fought the urge to mutter something indecent about Koichi as he buried himself in a book he had gotten from the Library. It was Algebra, one of the few classes he absolutely hated. Not only did it involve obscure equations that he would never use when cooking, but the teacher himself was rather dull. Tokito gave the teacher points for trying, but that didn't help him on tests. Because of that, and the fact that he didn't understand, he was failing the class. To make matters worse, he found himself dreaming of Motoko and Haruko in the middle of class. What the meaning of that was, he had no idea. He just knew that he was going to have some problems around those girls in the days to come.

I also have issues with relationships with people; it seems like people love me or hate me at times. Then again, that perception could be only within myself, because I have a lot of misconceptions about life. To put it bluntly, it often feels like I'm lacking some vital part of a puzzle that everyone else seems to have. I don't have the closeness or the capacity for the closeness that my peers have, and that has really put a damper on my life in High School. No real close friends, save a couple of boys, and it took me over a month to come to terms everything when one of them told me that they love me. Physical contact....let's just say that I freeze when he makes a move to hug me, and that I've never kissed my parents good night. It makes life tricky, because I have a very touchy-feely family EVA Unit 100, I can relate to you on a level. I've been told that I have some tendencies toward Asperger's Syndrome. Just some tendencies, mind you. It's not the real deal. I blame my lack of understanding on my youth and lack of experiece, but the fact remains that I don't always grasp the subtlties of jokes, and that I have emotional outbursts for reasons that I don't understand. I'll sum it up, say that I've been diagnosed a trio of odd psychological disorders, call them 'just my issues', and leave it at that.

Anime Elf, the book you mentioned is written by Anne Rice, correct? Well, I can't say that I've read this one, but I have read her other works, and I can easily say that you might like it. Along that note, I'd reccommend the Vampire Chronicles, by Anne Rice, as well as her Mayfair Witches series. I figure you might like them as well, if you like the book you mentioned. Another series features a person called Sano Ichiro, and his tales are written by Laura Joh Rowland. If you like Japanese history, and murder mysteries, then you are going to love my favorite Samurai detective. I also have a list of just random books. NOIR, by K.W. Jeter is good if you like deep science fiction with a hard bent toward Nihilism. Choke, as reccommended by RiflesAtRecess, is another good one. Lately, I've picked up J.D. Robb's futuristic detective series, featuring the tough-as-nails Lieutenant Eve Dallas. A few other favorites are Shade's Children, by Garth Nix; The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand; In the Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley; and Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse. I'm a really bookish individual, so I'm always more than glad to take part in book reccomendations. Feel free to ask, okay?

Tokito had been in the middle of watching Star Trek: Generations when he heard a knock at his door. "Coming!" He called, quickly pressing the pause button on his player. He also pulled on a shirt as he headed for the door--he had been sitting on the floor in his pajama bottoms as he watched the film. He opened the door a crack and peeked through. "Yes?" He inquired, feigning a loud yawn as he spoke. "May I help you with something?" "Tokito-Kun, it' s me. Gee, you really are blind without your glasses." He heard Motoko say, and he instantly pulled back from the door. He was about to shut it, but Motoko was faster and pushed her way through the door. "Thanks," She continued, gazing around his room. "And...nice room." She made a gesture, and Tokito instantly flushed. It was a bit of a mess, as he hadn't put away his school supplies yet and his bed was unmade. "Ah...yes. Please, pardon the mess." He managed to say, nervously running a hand through his hair. He picked up his glasses and put them on, glad to see a more focused Motoko than before. "But, talking about the state of my room isn't what you came for, is it?"

My favorite anime of all time, huh? Dang, that's a tricky one, because I like a lot. But, when forced to settle on a single series, I'd have to say[B] Samurai Champloo[/B]. Yes, I know that I haven't seen the entirety yet, but I can happily say that I don't think this series can do me any wrong. My reasoning for liking this consists of a few different points: I started watching the series at a point in time when I was getting fed up with my lack of knowledge over Japanese history. This series, while having little historical relevance, actually helped me pin point the date in a series of books I was reading, and vice versa. The late 1600's seems like a very interesting time, from what little I have gathered. The animation style of this series is very fast passed, among the fastest I've seen, and I continue to be awed by Mugen's likeness to a rabid beast when he's fighting.The characters move, and move well. When walking they look like their walking. When running, they look like they're running. Beyond that, the animation is so realistic that it has a near photographic quality in some points, when I can't tell if it's an actual photo or a drawing. The setting itself is also unique, because a complete amalgamation of today's hip hop culture and the culture of the 1600's is so different on a fundamental level that it works. There are anachronisms left and right, including everything from Jin's glasses to the moving crab legs on that restaurant, and it is fun to pick them out. My final reason would be the characters themselves, because they seem so realistic that one would half expect to find them in the library or at the mall. And, like real people, I've yet to predict any of their actions. There are others on my favorites list, but each of them may get a rant as long as the one above. So, both for space and sanity, I'll stop.

I could name a few songs that I relate to, both on the happy side and the sad side. However, there is one song out there that I really do relate to, because it describes who I am a little. You see, I'm not the person I wanted to be, nor am I the person my parents expected me to be. But, I know that I'm me, and I know that I can't do anything to change that. The song is 'A Beautiful Letdown' By Switchfoot. It was a beautiful let down When I crashed and burned When I found myself alone unknown and hurt It was a beautiful let down The day I knew That all the riches this world had to offer me Would never do In a world full of bitter pain and bitter doubt I was trying so hard to fit in, fit in, Until I found out I don't belong here I don't belong here I will carry a cross and a song where I don't belong But I don't belong It was a beautiful let down When you found me here Yeah for once in a rare blue moon I see everything clear I'll be a beautiful let down That's what I'll forever be And though it may cost my soul I'll sing for free We're still chasin our tails and the rising sun And our dark water planet's Still spinning in a race Where no one wins and no one's one I don't belong here I don't belong here I'm gonna set sight and set sail for the kingdom come I will carry a cross and a song where I don't belong But i don't belong I don't belong here I don't belong here Kingdom come Your kingdom come Won't you let me down yeah Let my foolish pride Forever let me down Easy living, not much like your name Easy dying, you look just about the same Won't you please take me off your list Easy living please come on and let me down We are a beautiful let down, Painfully uncool, The church of the dropouts The losers, the sinners, the failures and the fools Oh what a beautiful let down Are we salt in the wound Let us sing one true tune I don't belong here I don't belong here I don't belong here Feels like I don't belong here Let me down Let me down Feels like I'm let down Let me down. Cuz I don't belong here Please Won't you let me down?

-That there are three years between the legal age of smoking, voting, and owning your own place and drinking around here. -People make a big deal about taking guns and knives to school when a sharp pencil can be a lethal as either of the two. -A typical order at a fast food joint is a double cheese bruger, large fries, and a 'diet' soda because the person wants to lose weight. -The public cares more about the lives of celebrities and the mishaps of sports stars than important, news worthy news. -I was out at Howl-O-Scream with a friend, clinging to her because I was dizzy, and her ten year-old brother asked if we were lesbians together. -People are always saying that knowing another language will help you get a job, but they have students in a public school memorize vocabulary and spit it out for the tests instead of teaching them how to converse. -A sexually promiscuous female is called a 'whore'--a sexually promiscious male is called a 'player'.

Grave Yard, the manga is indeed as good as the anime. In fact, to date, Saiyuki is the only manga I own all of the currently released volumes of. Unfortunately, I believe that there are only 14 volumes of the manga. It certainly makes you wonder where the anime and manga begin to diverge, since the anime is really long. So, all things considered, I am going to join the vote on reccommending Saiyuki because it is the perfect blend of action and comedy, and that the characters are so well thought out that I half expect to meet them on the street. Besides, everyone knows that Sanzo's fan is the best weapon of all time. Hm, on a side note, obsessive Saiyuki fans scare me as much as obsessive GW fans.