Let's see here, an "about me" page... I've never actually done one of these before... but since this site holds a special place in my heart, I'll make an effort.

Age: Irrelevant. It keeps on changing...

Gender: I'm sure that you can guess... if not then that's amusing too. edit: I realize now that I've changed my profile picture to a tree that it might be slightly less obvious. BWAHAHAHAHA. (Then again considering the past picture was an anime character it still may have not been much of an accurate indicator of gender...)

I play the flute and the piano, and as far as I can tell, it doesn't pain my family members when I play.

I knit and crochet, and I know how to make things like sweaters and gloves, but I usually stick to the really easy things like hats and scarves due to my own incredible laziness. I did make a pair of socks one time, but they took me so long to make that by the time I was done with them, my feet had grown and the socks were too small. It was a sad day.

I LOVE SKIING!!! I don't hate snowboarders with the same burning passion most skiers seem to feel (although I did give my friend a dead arm upon discovering her decision to board rather than ski...) but I still don't like them as much as skiers. ;P

I also like mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, rafting, and backpacking, just not quite as much as skiing.

I love to read books, mostly fantasy, and to watch anime, but considering that I have an account on this website that's probably painfully obvious.

I thought I wasted too much of life on this site until I realized how much time two of my sisters and two of my best friends spend on it; it's comforting to know that there's always a bigger nerd out there...

It is my eternal quest to find out the username of one of my aforementioned friends so that I can finally read the story that she has forbidden me to ever gaze upon. The only hint she's given me is that it's SusuSaku, which really isn't all that helpful in narrowing things down.

Sandra Phillips is an awesome author that writes amazing fics. Go read them.

My favorite anime that I've watched so far is Fullmetal Alchemist--I watched the entire series in a week. However, that may have recently changed after watching both Cowboy Bebop and Trigun. Man, they knew how to make anime in the '90s...

I can't say that I have a favorite book because it keeps on changing as I read more books, the Riddlemaster is definitely up there though, and I have to say that I love any and all books written by Diana Wynne Jones (Especially Howl's Moving Castle and any books that have Christopher in them) and Tamora Pierce. Oh, and I can't forget Tad Williams. I'm sure I have more favorite authors, but none of their names are coming to mind right now--I'll add them later.

I seem to have a talent for picking books that are in series that are incomplete so that I suffer after sadistic authors write cliffhanger endings and then don't finish the next book until four, or in some cases 10 (Green Rider series), years late. Then sometimes, they don't even have the decency to finish them at all! Yes, I'm a bit bitter about certain a author and an incomplete series. (*cough* Ruins of Ambrai *cough*)

I live in Colorado, and yet I have climbed but one fourteener. *Sigh* Mine is a sad excuse for Coloradan life.

Most of my time on Youtube isn't spent watching funny videos, but rather listening to depressing soundtracks from my favorite animes.

I, along with the rest of family, am an ultra-Caucasian. I step outside and feel the sun burning my skin within 10 seconds. We are often mistaken for vampires due to our natural aversion to sunlight, and we go nowhere without tubes of at least SPF 50 sunscreen.

I've discovered that I have no loyalty to pairings when it comes to fanfictions. I think that I like one pairing, only to read a really good fic with a different pairing and my loyalties change. Oh well.

And, that is me.

Now about fanfictions.

Things that make me happy happy happy:

1. Accurate character portrayals. I like the characters personalities' to be loyal to what they were in canon... at least at first. (see number two) For the most part, in writing a fanfiction, you are borrowing characters that other people have brought to life to tell your own story. It is your responsibility to use those characters accurately and have them do things that the canon character would do. It seems the least you can do for the creator of the character you're using. If you're not going to have them be the same person that they were made to be, what's the point in even using that character instead of making an OC?
2. If you can change characters (redeem, corrupt, shift, whatever) over the course of your fic through GOOD CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, then kudos to you and I like that too. However, for the most part, stories are told through the perspective of their characters and no matter how brilliant your plot may be, if your characters are two-dimensional, unrealistic, or just wrong then your story will fall flat.
3. Introspection and thoughts. Probably pretty obvious from my first two points and obsession over stories' characters. I like to knew the characters' feelings and thoughts, especially when they agree with canon. I acknowledge that what I think a character would be thinking about and what you think they would are probably two completely different things. However, if you give me thoughts that I can see going through a character's head in the way you write them, then you are awesome and I love you.
4. Good grammar! This goes beyond just making me happy--it lets me enjoy your genius in crafting a story without cringing at your abuse of the poor, already sadly misused English language. If you don't have good grammar, I will not only be not happy, I will be most decidedly unhappy and probably leave your fic with an angry huff and a sad sigh when I think of what greatness it could have had.
5. Good, exciting plots. I know the whole point of most fics is to tell a story and that means it has to have a plot, but it is my last requirement I look for when searching for a good fanfiction. I looooove plots that are unusual and are full of action and adventure. I especially like it when it can be done with using canon as exposition but looking at those events from another point of view than is presented by either the original creators or most other fanfiction authors. I'm not a big fan of romance when it's the only source of conflict in the story and it really annoys me. That may be because I like epic (and I mean the classical definition of epic) stories and when people try to say that the characters who just faced down an army, or evil sorcerer, or something, are torn apart by a rueful glare from their lover, I find it hard to believe. But yes, stories with driving, well-paced, and unique plots get a gold star and a special place in my heart.

If I have favourited any of your stories, you are to be congratulated on meeting all five of these standards. Either that, or your sense of humor is so brilliant I can't help but favorite it. It's possible you have both. Keep being awesome!