BULLETIN BOARD

9/8/12: Hey everybody! I'm back! It's been a while... School's started, the workload is hell, and my schedule was a wreck. But I've got it back under control now and be prepared to see some more work coming from me. If you haven't seen yet from my "Melt Down" note, I'll be taking a break from that fic. The recent Bleach chapters have been throwing my storyline into complicated loops, and I'm feeling quite overwhelmed at the minute. Instead, I'll be writing a few one-shots every now and then to ease off the stress, finishing up some stories down in that whirl of unfinished work, and most importantly, I'm tinkering with a new fic titled "Trains." It's totally HitsuYori, so please keep an eye out for that! Thanks for the support, everybody! OH, and as for "Different," stay updated: There will be HUGE changes to that story, I assure you. ;)

TUMBLR

Follow me on Tumblr! I post lots of updates on what's coming up on my agenda like future story ideas and fic recommendations on that beautiful site, so please, please, please check it out!

self-deprecatingperson(dot)tumblr(dot)com

Seems like you've ventured to, out of all places, my profile! But before I start, I think there are a few things you all ought to know about me:

- Gender: Female

- Age: Haha, nice try...

- Grade: Sorry, nice try again...

- Hobbies: running, biking, swimming, reading, writing, playing the piano, playing the trombone (coolest instrument ever)

- Favorite music: Coldplay, Linkin Park, Green Day, The All-American Rejects, Adele, Parachute, Paramore, Eminem, All Time Low, The Beatles, Never Shout Never, OneRepublic, U2, Mac Miller, and a bunch, bunch more. In general, I'm into the alternative genre.

- Favorite TV shows: Glee, The Big Bang Theory, Bones, Grey's Anatomy, South Park, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Modern Family, Death Note, and of course, Bleach

- Favorite movies: Forrest Gump, The Social Network, I Am Legend, The Amazing Spiderman (2012), Marvel's The Avengers, Inception, Titanic, The King's Speech, The Godfather, A Few Good Men, Finding Nemo, Despicable Me, and many more to come

- Fandoms: Mainly Bleach, so my fics will be primarily centered around this manga/anime, Naruto, Death Note

More About Me

My main goal on Fanfiction, and this may seem cliche, is just have a great time and grow as a writer. Sure, everybody says that, but I, legit, want...no, need to grow in my writing skills because they are, by far, abysmal. Therefore, I slapped myself here, in hopes of improving my crappy skills and commiserating with other writers who are evidently stuck in the same situation. Go figure.

Although it's a bit of an unconventional thing to do here on Fanfiction, I like getting to know other writers and ask for their advice. Kind of like making friends on Facebook, but without social statuses and the rest of that bullshit! If you guys want to get to know me, PM your hearts out! We can, I dunno, express contempt for certain pairings? Gossip about other stories? Psht, long story short, I like socializing with others. Whenever you're bored out of your mind, just drop me a message!

Reading Preferences

I mainly read Bleach fics on this site, but once in a blue moon, I take a glance through the Naruto section.

I tend to read these kinds of fics:

- Involving Visored characters (Shinji, Hiyori, Lisa, Kensei, Mashiro, Love, Rose, or Hachi)
- Series of one-shots/drabbles/ficlets
- Epics/adventures
- Angst
- Crime
- Involving unusual groups of characters (but not necessarily crack pairings)

I always read summaries, so the number of reviews don't really matter to me. As far as I'm concerned, all great fics started out having little to no reviews...

Reviewing

I also enjoy reading others' work, and whenever I read something, I always try to leave a review because it is a writer's duty to provide feedback for a fellow writer. I will always point out the positive aspects of a piece, followed by one or two negative aspects that I noticed. Honestly, I think it's fun to write a review...makes me feel like one of those food critiques who rate one to five stars on a veggie dish...but that's besides the point.

I'm always in the search for something good to read, so if you all would like me to read and review your work, feel free to PM me! I'm usually very prompt and will respond in at most an hour, so just give me an idea of what the story's about, and I'll gladly give it a shot! I try to leave a review for every single chapter (heads up, those of you trying to rake in those reviews!), provided it's reasonable to do so. For instance, I'm not going to leave a review for every chapter of a 42-chapter story...that's a little demanded, won't you say? If that's the case, I'll try to leave a summative comment for every three chapters or so!

On the other hand, I'd seriously appreciate it if you readers leave a comment or two about what you liked or disliked. It gives a real feel as to how I'm doing, and like everyone else on this website, it's some real motivation right there!

FAVORITE BLEACH CHARACTERS

Hirako Shinji

Shinji's just such a cool character. I love how he's so carefree at times of gravity, but when the time comes when he needs to step it up, he slides easily into this cool, collected persona yet still pertain some of his flippant attitude, a notable case being when he was fighting Aizen. Frankly, he impressed me the most in the Turn Back the Pendulum Arc with his perception and his flaw to connect with his lieutenant. Seeing him approach Ichigo the first time, all warm and bubbly, I found it fascinating that he had such a cold shoulder to Aizen. Many of my stories will showcase Shinji in some aspect, whether he's a major or a minor character.

Sarugaki Hiyori

I've noticed that some people find Hiyori a bit annoying as a character. Sure, she's got some violent and unreasonable tendencies (e.g. assaulting others with her flip-flop, insulting people with rude names, harassing Toshiro during that one battle, etc.), but that's a part of her personality. You either love it, or you don't. I like headstrong female characters like her because those typical damsels-in-distress like Orihime, for instance, only degrade us ladies' credibility. But I'm not a feminist, so I'm not going too far into that right now. (More on Orihime later.) Alright, where was I? Like with Shinji, I tend to incorporate Hiyori into my stories somehow, even if that means setting her as a minor character because it's just a strange foible of mine to include the Visoreds. Honestly, I don't think they get enough love.

Hitsugaya Toshiro

Okay, who the hell doesn't like Toshiro? He's such a cute character with that hair! Now, that kind of stirs up an idea in my mind: perhaps Toshiro's hair is symbolic of his personality? I know, an abstract idea, but get this. Before Ichigo lost his powers, in other words before the Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc, we've seen frequently seen Toshiro in action. Despite his cool demeanor, I'm sure we can say that he's a bit reckless as a fighter. (Hear me out, you fangirls, before you all try to locate me and gag me in my sleep!) For one, he jumps right into Bankai when his Shikai would probably suffice. Come to think of it, we haven't seen much of that sickle and chain, which are unique to his Shikai! And, I really hate to use this as an example, but when he flat-out charged Aizen after he stabbed Hinamori, that shows us how dependent he is on his emotions, thus proving that he's a bit impulsive. Speaking of impulsive, doesn't that remind you of his hair? All jagged and volatile and unpredictable? On the other hand, after Ichigo regains his powers, and the Gotei 13 reappear, notice that Toshiro's hair's taken on a softer look. My idea is that he's gotten wiser and more careful, just as his hair has, so I'm looking forward to seeing him fight in future chapters!

Urahara Kisuke

Kisuke's just a funny guy. His light persona vaguely reminds me of Shinji's frivolousness, but he's got a more brighter outlook on things. I'm very curious about the history of his shop. How'd it get there? How'd he establish it? Where did Jinta and Ururu come from? How can they see Shinigami and Hollows? I'm planning on writing several stories, theorizing all of this, and as a matter of fact, I've already started one about Ururu's past (check out "Speak Louder"). Anyway, as I was saying about Kisuke, I liked this guy from the start, and when he left that "dying message" on Ichigo's closet door...I knew that I was going to like him throughout the series. And I sure was right!

Kuchiki Rukia

I know this is a pathetic reason to like a character, but I love Rukia's hair. It's such a composed look--both her pre-Lost Shinigami Arc style and her current style--and with that focused gaze she always has, Kubo Tite's made her seem like such a cool character. But aside that, I do have valid reasons for liking Rukia. I appreciate the fact that, unlike Orihime and like Hiyori, Rukia's an independent woman. She can fend for herself, and what's more, she can fend for others, namely Ichigo. You see, I respect her. Although she knows she isn't the most powerful Shinigami, she's still got a good sense of what she's capable of, and she still uses whatever she has to stand up to whatever task at hand.

LEAST FAVORITE BLEACH CHARACTERS

Ryuunosuke Yuki

There is no character who pisses me off more that his Yuki kid. The minute I saw his first fight with his companion Shino, Rukia's words came rushing back to my head. Remember when she told us, "In a battle, the ones who get in the way are not the ones that lack power, but the ones that lack resolve." That completely defines Yuki: no resolve. He absolutely freaked when Shino suggested that they split up to cover more ground, the fear of being alone evidently too overwhelming for him. And what disgusted me the most was when he found the Hollows he was ordered to eliminate--and he ran away, screaming for help. I was thinking to myself, "Dude, you see that thing on your strapped to your hip? It's a Zanpakuto, dumbass, so do your job, and don't be a wuss."

Kutsuzawa Giriko (Fullbringer)

When Kubo first introduced us to Giriko, he made him a quiet, reserved character who didn't interact much with Ichigo. Then, I didn't care much for him. All I knew about Giriko was that he was "the clock guy"; I never really understood his Fullbring ability. However, once the Fullbringers betrayed Ichigo and gained a portion of his powers, "the clock guy" seemed to have a sudden change in persona. Especially during his "fight" with Kenpachi. I noticed that he seemed more cocky, so arrogant in his abilities to the point of boasting his heart out to Kenpachi--who slashed him down in a blink of an eye. What's that got to say about Giriko's credibility?

Inoue Orihime

Okay, here's the Orihime rant I promised earlier in my profile. Let me set the record straight: I absolutely LOVE her personality. Face it guys, she's a charming lady who's got this amazing personality. She funny, although a bit clueless sometimes. She cheerful, always going out of her way to make others happy. And most importantly of all, she's got a kind heart. Orihime is so understanding and compassionate that she will sympathize for the enemy--and it's the actions that result from her kind heart that make me despise her so very much. (Well, her Kurosaki-kun!'s are a bit nerve-racking as well, but that's another story.) As I was saying, Orihime's kindness tends to lead her down the wrong road, ultimately putting herself and the ones around her in danger. Like the Visored, Hachi, mentioned earlier in the series, her abilities aren't well-suited for the battlefield. She's supposed to use her powers to help and to defend, not to fight. However, when Ulquiorra kidnapped her, that's when I started getting ticked off. Orihime went off with him without even raising a finger; she ducked her head, and she submitted to him, as if she had no way of defending herself. But she did. What about her Shun Shun Rikka? Even though she wouldn't have stood a chance against Ulquiorra, I think she still should've taken the means to defend herself. After all, that's what the more independent women in Bleach would've done. Rukia and Rangiku would've whipped out their Zanpakuto and leaped straight into Shikai. Hiyori and Lisa would've whisked on their masks. True, these characters' abilities have a greater edge in a fight than Orihime's abilities, but still! That Orihime just became the "damsel-in-distress," useless and flimsy like a sheet of wet paper, no resolve at all.

Yasutora Sado/Chad

Honestly, I don't understand the purpose of Chad. He's kind of like that figure in any group who just, according to Dane Cook, stands there, looking cool. Sure, his backstory with his grandfather and Ichigo are meaningful in a moralistic sense, but is he really necessary? The storyline really could go without him. Also, I find him rather underdeveloped, despite Kubo's use of flashbacks.

Hinamori Momo

Alright, it seems like we've gotten to Momo. Honestly, I think she's a little too obsessed over Aizen, and she just needs to lay off. It's annoying, seeing this sycophant fawning over the enemy, and that makes her look really weak. Luckily, she's got Shinji as her captain now, so hopefully he'll knock some sense into her stubborn head along with the help of Toshiro, Rangiku, and the others. I find that she doesn't realize how much her friends are trying to help her; she's too caught onto the idea that her "Aizen-taichou" is the center of the universe. But if she ditches that idea, I might delete her off of my "Least Favorite Bleach Character" list...

CURRENT WORK

Melt Down

Status: On hiatus
Updated: Based on whim

His Name is Kurosaki Ichigo

Status: On hiatus
Updated: Based on whim

The Rukongai Games

Status: Actively In-Progress
Updated: Based on whim

Speak Louder

Status: On hiatus
Updated: Based on whim

As you all can see, I'm really fickle when it comes to updating fics. Honestly, it all depends on the mood: sometimes, the motivation hits me square in the face, and my fingers develop the urge to enthusiastically hack away at the keyboard; and other times, I'll just stare at my computer bleakly and say to myself, "Seriously?" I'm known to forget about some projects, so if you readers are getting anxious about a certain fic left untouched for a while, feel free to PM me a reminder to sit my ass down at my laptop and get to work.

Some Housekeeping Rules

Status: Actively In-Progress
Updated: Based on whim

Different

Status: Going through major reworking. That's all I'll reveal at the moment!

IN THE WORKSHOP

Trains

Status: In-progress