Oroooooooo?! O_____x
Name: Nara
Age: I'm an adult. Will that suffice?
Gender: Female
Nationality: I'm a born-and-bred Dutch citizen. Ethnically, I'm half-white, half Asian (25% Chinese, 25% Indonesian).
Likes: Penguins, sleeping, anything artsy, design, baking, cooking, coffee, oolong tea, bubble tea drinks, smoothies, shopping (espec. thrifting), music of all sorts (electronica, modern rock, 80s, Asian pop, hip-hop; I seriously am not very picky), literature, learning, East Asian culture (espec. languages), swords, RK, Escaflowne, Bleach, other animes, Xenosaga, Final Fantasy, Suikoden, Katamari Damacy, other video games, electronics/technology, web design, computer animation, the college lifestyle.
Dislikes: My roommate, my father, potatoes, Texas, bigots, homophobes, racial cliques, people/cultures who are too stuck on tradition, female stereotypes, (most) cutesy things.
Dreams: Get my B.F.A. in Communication Design, double-minor in Japanese and Computer Science. Maybe grad school, maybe not. Eventually, hopefully work in Tokyo as a designer -- something to do with motion graphics, computer animation, and/or digital information design. Live the fast-paced big-city career life for a while. Eventually, marry and adopt 1-2 kids. Settle down into a slower life. Write a novel. Live long. Work hard. Love everything. Be happy.
Fears: I'm extremely(!) snake-phobic. I also have claustrophobic moments. Other than that, just the general -- failing at the things I want to do, and the people I love most dying (especially my mom and my best friend).
Strengths: Patient and slow to anger. Very cool, calm, collected and level-headed (up to a certain point anyway). Gets the job done; reliable, studious, and highly ambitious. Workaholic; doesn't feel like a good person unless she's busy doing something productive. That's not to say she's always super-productive, but tends to feel really guilty when she's not. Mostly quixotic, but can surprise you with her down-to-earthness; optimistic and idealistic without being out-of-tune with reality. May seem introverted if you don't know her but is actually highly people-oriented; an utterly devoted friend who can be self-sacrificial to a fault.
Weaknesses: Soft spot for alcohol. Terrible at any kind of public speaking. High discomfort around strangers. Incredibly hard to understand if you don't know her very well. Can be extremely emotional (not in a dramatic/theatric/histrionic sense but can get herself way down in the dumps) quite frequently. Will do so without warning -- will randomly break down crying. Easily comes across as independent/a loner when really all she wants is to love & be loved in return.
Three positive adjectives: Devoted, artsy/artistic, empathetic
Three negative adjectives: Emotional, stoic/passive (on the surface only)
Personality in a word: Empathetic
General mood: Stoic and cool on the surface, angsting and worrying anxiously about 82738579 things on the inside
Optimist or pessimist? Optimistic (often quixotic), but am prone to some moody/emotional/pessimistic spells. Especially where school and my family situation are concerned.
Impulsive or cautious? Depends on the situation. I'd have to say I'm probably slow, because I generally like to give it a lot of thought before I jump into anything, but that doesn't mean I haven't made decisions on impulse. Also, if it's the kind of situation where there's a group of people and no one is taking any initiative to organize anything, I do generally wind up being the one stepping up to the plate and getting things going.
Mature or immature? Definitely mature. (I have a hard time acting immature and relating to many people my age, though it does sometimes happen.)
Extroverted or introverted? It depends on who I'm with. I'm definitely shy around strangers (I practically have social anxiety) but if I'm around people I've known for a really long time and feel comfortable with, I tend to be quite outgoing. I also do better in small groups than in big social settings.
Leader or follower? Leader. Not necessarily by choice but it definitely seems to be the role life has thrust me into. (I was my high school Valedictorian and had many leadership positions in various clubs and organizations.)
Emotional or collected? Very emotional on the inside, very collected on the surface.
Patient or impatient? 90% of the time, I'll be one of the most patient people you'll ever meet.
Confident or modest? Modest (self-deprecating, even).
Low, normal or high energy level? Depends on the situation. During the school year, I have low energy because my demanding schoolwork completely wipes me out, and as a result, I am a terrible procrastinator who yearns to indulge in free time she doesn't have, and can be lazy (especially on weekends). On the flip side, at the end of the day, I am a workaholic; I don't feel like a good person unless I'm busy doing something productive. That's not to say I'm always super-productive, but I tend to feel really guilty when I'm not. Either way, outwardly, you couldn't really tell the difference (unless I look particularly fatigued, through signs such as the skin underneath my eyes turning almost transparent) because I am almost always calm and level-headed, except during my emotional spells (which you probably wouldn't see unless you're a close friend of mine).
Morning person or cranky when awakened? I'm not a morning person, but I'm self-disciplined enough to get myself out of bed right away when the alarm goes off.
Favourite character and why: Misao. Because's she's an eternal optimist (like I strive to be), and she has such a big heart; her love for Aoshi is pure and undying. ♥
Least favourite character and why: Kaoru can be annoying, but I don't hate her. Umm, I guess I'd have to go with the previous poster's reasons for hating Sayo.
Favourite pairing and why: Aoshi/Misao. Does it need explaining? :p Aoshi needs someone to warm his cold heart and who better to do it than Misao?
Favourite arc and why: The Kyoto/Shishio Arc. It definitely had the best action and suspense.
Favourite song and why: In RK, "1/3 no Junjou na Kanjou" by SIAM SHADE, because it's upbeat and calm and easy-going and just... happy! In music in general, "The Patient" by Tool. Can't really explain why unless you've heard it.
Anything else? Nope!