nextguardian

Of course!  I don't mind making drawings for you at all :)

Nah, it's not wishful thinking or anything..  You will know the right girl when you find her.  I don't really believe in love at first sight or anything, but I do believe that every person has a soul mate and that they will encounter them at some point or other.

You have a tutor?  Lucky. I've never been able to afford one but I did take a Japanese language course in college.  I don't know why, but when I'm stuck in a classroom with a bunch of other people, I completely lose interest in the subject; so I didn't do so well in that class.  Though my professor said that I spoke it very well (I pronounced everything correctly, and didn't stutter).  That alone motivated me to keep learning it outside of class

Aw, really?  That's upsetting.  What's been going on with Archie?  I don't really follow their internal affairs; so I had no idea what they've been doing.  And geez, what on Earth caused them to sue each other?

That's not good.  Yeah, third shift can really screw you up, and it certainly doesn't help that you were around when maintenance was being done.  I don't quite work third shift; I usually work from about 4:30-1:00 AM.  I like it that way because I'm naturally a night owl.  Though I'm not night owl enough to fully work 3rd shift.  There were a couple weeks last summer where my manager had me work third one day a week in order to do some cleaning.  It was awful; but mostly because I constantly had to change my sleeping schedule around.  I never want to do that again!  I don't envy that situation for you.  Since the store I work at is corporate owned, my paycheck doesn't come out of anyone else's pocket.  I would feel really weird if I knew my paycheck was coming out of my coworkers' paychecks.

.... the fire was in the fish tank?   ... What?  How?  That has to be the most obscure thing I've ever heard.  I'm glad to hear no one got hurt.  How big did the fire get anyway?  Did it just stay in one section of the building, or did it spread?  I've never been in or near a building that was on fire; thankfully.  And I'm really happy I haven't.  It sounds scary.
Heck yeah!  It felt weird too, because once everything was covered, we couldn't do anything until the truck got there.  So we were literally being paid to sit around and wait for a truck.  I usually feel guilty for not working when I'm being paid, but there was really nothing else we could do because the entire store was pitch black.

Haha, it's not weird to think about this stuff.  I still play with Tiffany's design from time to time; mainly her clothes.  I wouldn't make him look too human, because, honestly, that could get weird.  But I can see him being a bit taller than Knuckles.  I'm not surprised Knuckles isn't fully grown though, he's only 16 or something like that.  As far as clothing goes for Ekyt.  I could see him wearing a jacket or something, but I think full clothing  would be a bit overkill.  Just my opinion.  You could find a way to make full clothing work.

Green might be a little too informal for the occasion.  But her dress can have green highlights.  Highlights can actually bring out eye color more than a solid color does.  The dress idea you picked out is really nice, and I can work with it.  I'll make a couple designs and play with the colors.  I'll email them to you when I have a few designs down.
Hehe, it'll be cute to see Ekyt in a bowtie.  It's just so unlike him, it's adorable :)  Especially since he doesn't even want to be there.

Very true.  Martial arts are good; but in the Sonic universe, you need a little more punch; so that works out perfectly!  Yeah, that'll be easy to implement into the story.  It'll be cool that Ekyt's wish is actually granted :)

That's how I feel.  I actually feel like we're over educated, and the odds of us getting a job that we want is incredibly low, since there are tons of other people out there trying to do the same thing.  I would rather just learn everything at home on the internet where it's free; rather than putting myself in debt for the rest of my life.  I'm glad I got my associates though.  I'm happy with what I've learned, and now it's time for me to hone my skills into what I want to do.

Finally got it sent!  Sorry that took so long.

It's cool that they're considerate of you :)  I find that a lot of people are; actually.  When I tell someone that I want to wait until marriage before I have sex; they usually respond by saying they wished they had waited.  It feels reassuring to me that I'm making the right decision
Haha!  Nice!  That's cool that you can speak Japanese so well :)  I studied it independently for a couple years in middle school and high school.  But I didn't have an instructor or anything to help me practice.  My friends were really cool about it though!  A couple of them would steal my Japanese notebook and would tell me to say words in Japanese without looking.  It was awesome!  That being said, I couldn't survive in Japan.  I don't know enough to ask people questions.  But it was still fun to study.  Maybe I'll go back to studying it sometime.

Yeah, It does seem like more rude people are popping up everywhere.  There's a reason I work semi-third shift.  There aren't as many people at night.

Oh my gosh!  That's a bit scary, but kinda cool!  It's neat how you all mutually worked together to make sure the kids still had a good time :)  It's too bad the fire happened, but I'm glad it all worked out.  Besides, it sounds like a nice change in pace from the usual routine.  At my store, we had three power outages this year; and every time that happens, we have to cover everything that's perishable.  One time we had a really bad storm that shut down all electricity in at least three towns.  We had to get a refrigerated truck in to put all of our perishable products in.  We wound up being the only store in the area that didn't have to throw everything away (Even Wal-mart had to pitch their perishable products).  It was a lot of work; but it was so much fun!  We camped out in the store and ordered pizza from the closest open pizza hut.  I think I enjoyed those two days way too much.

Yeah, it definitely works!  I think you're design is perfect for him :)  I like the new tribal look too.  It's very fitting since he's a guardian

I can make a few designs for Linda-Su's clothing and send them to you.  Will she be the one picking them out, or would the other girls kinda "doll-her-up" for the event?  This matters, because the way I see it is that if Linda-Su picked her dress, it would be something easy to walk in, probably about knee-length. and definitely something that wouldn't catch people's attention.  However, if she's being dolled up, she'd most likely be stuck in a longer dress that makes her the center of attention.  I'll make designs for both, just let me know which you prefer.

I didn't know that either.  How cool!
Very neat idea.  Using chaos energy to make up for being weaker is a great way to balance his strength out :)  I can already picture those battle scenes!

If that's what you want to call it.  I don't know if an associates degree really counts as "finishing" school, but thanks anyway :)

Phew!  What a busy weekend!  As fun as Anime Central was; It's nice to be home again.  Sorry I didn't reply yesterday, I was kinda exhausted so I just wound up collapsing in bed and playing video games.

It's so good to find out you're not the only one.  Seriously!  There would be way less drama in the world if everyone understood this concept.  Unfortunately, society isn't very accepting of those who haven't gotten laid before a certain age.  It's so dumb. I don't like the idea of having to prove myself to my friends by having a boyfriend or formerly having one.  So I made friends who are on the same page with me :)  I was fortunate enough to find a handful of people like myself where I live.

Wow!  That's awesome!  I see why you loved that job so much!  You're old bosses sound awesome too!  Knowing all the nooks and crannies helps too :)  There's nothing like knowing how to escape from people.  Sometimes customers can just be overwhelming.  My store has a long storage hallway that stretches across the entire back of the store, and the meat cooler door is connected to it.  So if I want to do something without being stopped by customers, I can just take the hallway to the other end.  We also have a truck dock where we can leave the doors open on nice days.  Sometimes my coworkers and I will go take a breather back there.  And the best part is that the doors are facing west, and we can watch the sunset in the evening.  It's so nice!

Sounds good :)

Yeah, I like what you did with him.  I think it all balances out pretty well   His design isn't overwhelming, and he still has that "Ekyt" vibe to him;  I made a quick sketch of him where I tried to implement the idea of your design.  I'll email it to you when I can get it uploaded.  My computer is giving me trouble right now, but I should be able to put it up shortly.  Have to say, he's fun to draw.  And I really enjoy his design :)

Aww, it'll be cute to see Ekyt confront Linda-Su about it :D  His shyness is really adorable, and it'll be cool to see how the situation plays out!  I agree, it would be cool if we had this in real life.  Heaven knows we could use it.
I find it entertaining how neither of them is interested in this ceremony.  Especially Linda-Su since it's all for her.  It's cool how you're taking your time with having them meet too.  I like the idea that they never get the chance to actually speak when they're there.  It kinda adds an aspect of mystery to the scene!
I figured as much.  The way you described him made it seem like he wouldn't be as physically strong and would be more speed or acrobatic based (Smaller hands and longer legs, respectively)  Anyway, interesting concept; can't wait to see how it plays out! :)

Aw, thanks NG :)  I appreciate it!   Not sure what I'm going to do with it, but, hey, a degree is a degree.

Take your time.  I enjoy reading your stories, so I know your worth the wait.  After all, I'm taking forever and a day to even post something here these days.  So don't worry.

Hehe, it's no problem :)  Oh, I nearly forgot, I need to apologize in advance.  I'm going to be out of town for the next couple of days, and sadly, away from my computer(yeah, I have a desktop), So I may not be able to talk again until Sunday.  Just a heads up so you don't think I'm ignoring you.

Exactly!  Why suffer the heartache when you don't have to?  When I think of having a relationship, I'm thinking of a life long one.  I don't want someone that just likes me for now, but expects our relationship to end eventually so he can move on to someone else.  I see no appeal in that type of relationship.  And you're right.  A person who works hard is more likely than not to work hard on keeping their relationship.  Good thing to keep in mind :)

Yeah... thankfully when my job becomes too overwhelming, I can go hide in the cooler (I work in meat dept.) and organize boxes for an hour or so.  That tends to cool me off after a rough encounter.
Wow, I couldn't do that job.  I'm not particularly fond of children.  Not to say I dislike them, I'm just not great with kids,  It's cool that you enjoyed it for the most part; aside from getting sick, anyway.  It's cool when a job is worth missing.  I hope I get a job I fall in love with eventually.  For now, stocking shelves, organizing boxes, and answering stupid questions... yay...

Yep, It sure will!   Which reminds me, how are we going to write this when we get further into the story?  Are we going to switch off chapter by chapter, or do we want it to be more like a role play?

I know, right?  There's so much to enjoy!
Heheh,  It kind of occurred to me about five minutes after I posted that last comment how dumb it was for me to say Ekyt looked too much like Knuckles because honestly, nearly every male echidna looks almost identical to him. lol.
So, that being said.  I like both designs.  Whichever one you think suits him better is cool with me!  Interesting idea of having his chaos power show through.  Unique :)

Ooh you have a picture of him?  I'd love to see it :)  My email address hasn't changed, so you're good.

Wow, these are cool!  I already knew about Tikal's prayer from SA and SA2, but I didn't know about Soultouch and the Unveiling.  They're good ideas to work with!  Having Ekyt and Linda-Su experience soultouch before Ekyt's transformation is so cute!  Good idea :)
So Ekyt will see her for the first time at her unveiling?  I'm guessing Ekyt's unconscious or something in the beginning where Tiffany helps him, Linda-Su and Knuckles escape from Eggman's base.  Or did you want to do that differently?
And with Tikal's prayer, you're saying that before he transforms, he has to use the prayer in order to use any form of chaos power?  That's an interesting concept.  It definitely would make his change into an echidna more worthwhile.  Ooh, I like that idea!  That'd make for an awesome scene!  Yes, definitely go with that.  It'd fit in there perfectly :D

Today was actually my last day.  I'm graduating with my Associates in Art.  I don't plan on continuing on to get my bachelor's though.  At least not for now.  Another year of school and I'll shoot myself in the head.  I'm nowhere near "scholarly".  So I know where you're coming from.  School is difficult, and I'd rather just learn at home.

 

Phew, I'm glad I'm not the only one!  Sometimes it feels like I'm the only person in the world that doesn't rush straight into a relationship.  I'm only 21, I don't see the point of devoting my life to someone else before I've even had the chance to live.  There's plenty of time to find someone in the future, right now, I just want to focus on the things I enjoy :)    I feel like I've met a lot of sensible guys.  I know that they want more than just looks.  I can actually say that I've been fortunate enough to only encounter 2-3 fake guys in my life.  Everyone else is pretty genuine with me.  Guys just seem so relaxed around me, and we usually have a good time :)  And honestly, I love every second of it.  It's nice to have a clear cut idea of the type of person you're looking for.  You seem to have a very rational idea of who you're looking for :)  Believe me, there are a handful of women like that out there.  You just have to know where to look.  I think if I were to start dating, I'd be looking for someone that I can be at ease around.  Someone that takes me seriously when I want him to, but makes me smile and laugh otherwise.  I want to be with a guy who enjoys the same things I do, but also drags me out of the house once in a while, 'cus god knows I need to get out more often.  But yeah, I'm not rushing into it.  Life's not so bad on the single side.
I won't argue, some people are really pathetic.  I work at a grocery store, and I watch so many people throw a fit because the special gluten-free, nonfat hot dog they wanted was out of stock.  Ugh, sometimes I hate people.  And I know I shouldn't, but it's so easy to hate them where I work!  I need an office job.

I agree, those two are perfect for each other.  Or at least they will be once they get past the awkward phase.  Can't wait to see how it plays out :)

All too true, my friend.  That's one thing I love about the Sonic universe though.  It feels like it was made to be accepting toward new ideas and characters.
Ah, okay.  Sorry I wasn't sure.
Hmm... not bad, but I feel he may look a little too similar to Knuckles.  Maybe give him some bangs or darken/lighten his fur color?  Oh wait!  Is he still going to wear his mask?

Sounds good :)

Yeah, that was the same issue I had with it.  It's kind of clunky and I'll always be trying to figure out how to pronounce it properly.

Haha,  It's no biggie.  Video games make me retain information very well (I can't say the same for reading a book or comic, unfortunately).  So I still remember nearly everything about the Sonic games regardless of the fact that I haven't batted an eye in their direction for the past 5 years.  ... Now if only I could put my school notes in the form of a video game...

Really?  I always thought that guys were into the more innocent, cute girls.  Guys never really seem to have a genuine interest in me as far as dating goes.  Most of them kind of sister-zone me.  But generally, I'm okay with that.  I get really awkward around a guy if I know he has a crush on me, mainly because I don't know how to react.  I've never had a boyfriend in my life.  Probably because I'm just too independent.  But yeah, I know where you're coming from.  I commonly refer to them as "fake girls".  The innocent act is complete bull.  It's so easy to tell the difference between a girl that is actually innocent and a girl that's playing innocent to get attention.  Wouldn't it just be better for them to be themselves?  I don't get it, honestly.
thanks! I think he'll have to be a bit more laid back or they'd probably never wind up together.  It's not like Tiffany's ridiculously oblivious, it's just she has no experience in that area.  The only life she's ever known was being cooped up in a lab and being tested on for hours on end, so that sort of thing doesn't really cross her mind.  Anyway, yes, this should be a really cute and entertaining scene :)

Yep!  Honestly, I understand where you're coming from though.  I spent days trying to figure out if the mind control problem I gave Tiffany was going to be too much.  Then I came to the same conclusion I gave you.  "What am I so worried about?  Sonic turns into a werehog, so who cares if Tiffany loses her mind once in a while?"  But anyway, you mentioned Ekyt being in a comatose?  You mean that idea you were telling me about for your story, or is this something else?

Yeah.  I think I can balance it out though.  Oh, and please don't feel like you have to match my story in length.  The cuts I'm going to have to make are most likely going to severely shorten my story, and I know there's a lot you want to cover.  I'll still put in as many details as I think can be reused later, or maybe even used against her at some point.  That, and I need to give enough background that her personality is understood, so... hopefully I'll at least have a medium length chapter.  I'll get back to work on that now.

That was E-102 Gamma in Sonic Adventure.  E-123 Omega is a completely different character.  He's much more confident in himself than Gamma was.  In Sonic Heroes, they tried to give the idea that he knew how strong and powerful he was, but Eggman didn't recognize it and made him do nothing but guard a room rather than send him out into combat.  So he became angry with Eggman for not seeing his full potential and decided to get revenge on him by teaming up with Shadow and Rouge (albeit reluctantly) and destroying everything that represents Eggman while hunting him down.  Then over time, he actually became fond of Shadow and Rouge and is less agressive with them; even treating them as his friends.  Gamma was the one that was struggling with his humanity.

Nice, personally I think between those two, Saloc sounds a bit better, but it's up to you :)  Looking forward to see what you decide on.

Haha.  I'm that way too.  I don't leave the house unless my parents or friends try to drag me along with them.  I'm not really guy shy.  But I don't know how to act around guys in a "girlish" manner.  Whenever I make friends with guys, I usually just become "One of the guys" because I'm into video games and don't cause drama.  I feel like I made Tiffany like that too.  She's a living weapon, so she's kinda oblivious to the idea of romance, and doesn't think of guys very much as potential mates.  She gets along with guys well enough, but has no idea when they're flirting with her.  Kurt would probably have to spell out his feelings for her before she gets that he wants to be more than friends, and honestly, if we decide to bring him in later, this could be hilarious and adorable.
NG, this is the Sonic the Hedgehog series we're talking about.  Sonic has been turned into a werehog, been a knight in shining armor(along with Shadow and Knuckles), and turns into a super-saiyan knock off on a regular basis.  How do you define "Too weird" in the Sonic Series?  Alright, standing back and looking at it.  I don't think it's weird at all, I mean, he's a human that's being trained as a guardian.  It might be more appropriate that he was adopted into their family before that happened.  Do you plan on covering any backstory on it?

Agreed, the beginning is the hardest part.  I think the reason I'm having trouble is mainly because of how short her story actually is.  I mean, I have a lot of content, but none of it would be relevant to this story, so I don't want to bring up a bunch of topics that won't be touched on at all later in the story.  I just need to balance it out so I don't give you an information overload that isn't necessary.

Okay, thanks for letting me know.  I'll look into it sometime.

Ah, yeah, having him talk like a robot would have helped a lot.  I understand that they're trying to get across that he has a spirit and can think for himself, but he's still a machine, so I can't imagine he would talk so much.

Hmm, well, I looked up some tribal names, and there are a few that stood out to me.  I thought these had a nice ring to them and fit in pretty well:  Karok; Meskaw; Dakelh; Algier; Abaven, Asmund
​Those last two aren't tribal, but they mean "Defender" or "Guardian"  I'm not the most creative with coming up with names, but I hope these helped.
 

Yeah, it's so much more realistic when a couple has to work to make their relationship successful.   I feel like it's not portrayed very much with most pairings, so it's refreshing to see that with Ekyt and Linda,  Having a strong character go after a shy character is an excellent twist too :)

Yes!  Onward with the cheesiness!  ...as soon as I stop being nitpicky over the beginning of the story... man I'm a slow writer...

I've never played the Resident Evil series.  I should try it some time.  Is 6 really that frustrating?  Don't tell me it's one of those game with quicktime events.

I know.  Omega had way too many lines.  Again, this wouldn't have been as bad if he had the same voice as in Sonic Heroes, but still.  He really doesn't need to talk so much.  ...Actually, maybe it's not that he has too many lines, I think his dialogue is just too lengthy.  In Sonic Heroes, he talked a lot, but usually it was short, straight to the point messages or one-liners.  In '06 he pretty much gives speeches.

So he'd have a title, but everyone would still call him Ekyt?  Sounds cool.  What did you have in mind?

Yeah, I enjoy drawing other people's characters.  It's always a good time.   I have to say, I'm surprised I've never drawn Kurt and Tiffany together.  I've only ever drawn their kids.  I should do that some time :)  Thanks, I'm glad you liked my designs for Kyle and Tracey!
KurtXTiffany is one of my favorites too :)  Along with EkytXLinda-Su.  Those two have such great chemistry! 

Well, that works out well then, I won't worry about the cheesiness of it then.

No such thing as being too kind!  A good idea is a good idea :)  And I agree, that would have been the right way to do it.  I bet they would have too if they didn't have technological limitations.

Yeah, that's part of it, but honestly, I really do have poor reaction time.  I can't tell you how many times I've thrown a controller across the room because I didn't react to something fast enough.

I agree that Shadow and Rouge are fine on their own, but I do like them as a team, especially with Omega.  I like Sonic Heroes Omega much better though, Sonic '06's version was just bad.  His controls were glitchy, and his voice was off... way off.  I do enjoy Omega as a character though, and I like to think that Shadow and Rouge think of him as an ally, if not a friend.

Thanks, I'm glad you like it.  The case with every character I've created is that their name is stuck to them like glue, and I can't undo it.  I wish I could just change their name on the spot, but nope, I can't do it.  The only time I can pull it off is if I have a character that is trying to hide from someone, so they change their name and identity to help them disappear.  I was even considering doing this with Tiffany at one point, but it seemed silly, so I didn't.
Paula-Su may sound weird to you now, but I find that the more times you say a name in your head, the more accustomed you'll get to it.  The awkwardness goes away after a while.