Isn't it amazing, how even over the course of only a few months, everything can change in an absolute whirlwind around you? It seems like you could blink and miss a very large chapter in your life, or even a friend's life. And you can handle this so many ways. You can be depressed, lost, confused, inspired, angry... Anything!

And you know what? Thinking about all this merely puts a smile on my face.

Today, I feel inspired. I am GLAD everything around me is changing, and I love to watch it as it goes. I feel a sense of freedom in knowing that not everything will always stay the same. Not even me, because I know that as everything else is changing, I am too, even if only to keep up, to keep adapting.

And that's fine with me.

My birthday is in four days. I started college a couple days ago, and realized I can't afford the books. I finally got scheduled to work for the first time in two weeks. I only have $80 to my name for the next month. My dad wants me to start paying my own insurance.

And you know what? I'm not stressed out about everything anymore. Things will happen as they're supposed to, and I'll just have to do my best to work through everything that's thrown at me. Granted, if they're all thrown at once, I'm bound to get hit a few times, and drop a few things... but that can always be cleaned up. I just can't lose faith in myself.

Isn't it weird how you can wake up in the morning and there can be a sudden change in your mood that determines your entire day? *laughs*

Anyway, all that aside, I've been chatting up a storm with my dear friend Tammy, and reading old story bits concerning characters of ours from way back when. It's been a wild ride the past few days, our minds working constantly to develop characters and the like.

As Tammy put it: "When we want our drama, we get our drama, damnit."

Anyway... As seen in my featured deviation, we have Ibito and Emiko Johjima, who both appeared out of nowhere, and I grew attached to them instantly. Emiko even grew more prominent than her brother, when she was supposed to be the secondary minor character. I rarely ever play as girls anymore. A little tidbit of writing can be found in my scraps.

And then Reiji was revived, bless that man. Papabear = love.

We got to reminicing about Rei and his genin students; how hard he trained them, how grumpy he came across, but mostly how much he loved those students of his. How selflessly he would protect them with everything he had, even if it meant losing his life. How well we trained them, to become as strong and proficient as they are when they grow up.

We remembered how we had decided he'd become Kazekage in our little OC story. How he married a bueatiful, charming lady and had two beautiful kids, that he was unfortunately hardly ever around to see or help raise. He learned that his oldest son, Yuujin was a little brat. And that one of Rei's first students, one of the ones he loved most, Miura, was skilled enough to become an ANBU member. And we also learned that when Yuujin becomes a Genin, Miura has the luck of being his teacher.

We talked about the pressure of teaching the Kage's son, and how Reiji believed that Yuujin could not have been in better hands; he had all the faith in the world that Miura could teach the boy well. We talked about how many secret little meanings there would be in things, between Rei, Yuu and Miura.

And we also talked about the day Rei dies, assassinated at the hands of ninja from another country. How it devastates Yuujin, Miura and even the entire village. How it triggered an immense war between the two countries, a war in which Miura dies... and finds Rei's spirit waiting for him.

Overall, Rei and Miura are two of my most cherished characters. And yes, I am fully aware of what a geek I am. And I'm completely content being that way. ^___^

I'm dont rambling now... I swear. ^___^'