I can't really explain the reason behind the different name, but I felt it was time for a change. X3 Like a new chapter in my life or something, haha. It's like when girls get their hair cut after they get dumped.. only not? XD Besides, I think Shinezilla is cute.
Originally, the name "the shine inside you" didn't come from anywhere particularly. It was something that I just sort of came up with. In early 2005, I wanted to create a secondary account and begin using it to post in the forums. I had an account, Secret Agent Empy which was, at the time, a Zombie. Not a Grombie - a 2k4 zombie. The skins weren't meant to last past the event, and everybody's avatars were reverted after Halloween was over - it just didn't show if you didn't save your avatar. (eventually all avatars were reset when the servers were upgraded or something, and zombies were lost forevar.)
I really wanted to play pixel dress-up again, but I didn't wanna lose my awesomesauce zombie avatar. Thus, Shine was born. I wasn't sure of her name even as I was in the account creation screen - I remember playing around with a few different combinations before finally deciding on "the shine inside you". No particular reason for it, or any real meaning behind it. Maybe I wanted my name to give people the idea that I was an optimist or a good person that wanted to see the light in everybody.
I remember thinking excitedly that if I made any friends on the forums, they could call me "shine" XD But I didn't make much effort to chat in the forums, and it was almost three years later that I made friends that called me that. See, I saw the art of reapersun during the Zurg event - and I very nearly sold off all my Gaian possessions just to get a chain wallet to bribe her with. XD After that I followed to her art auction, which was AB'd ;-; and finally her joint art contest with fellow staff artist pepper-tea.
That was really what brought me back into Gaia, posting in that thread. XD And through one of the users in there posting about it, I ended up applying for the beta testing group. Once I was accepted, SCAS became my real home. I still posted in a few art contests and the staff edit threads in the GCD, but that was about it. And everybody in SCAS was calling me "shine". XD
I think now, if somebody new saw my nickname, they might not know what to think of it. Shinezilla? Whut? XD I don't know if they'd think to shorten it to just "Shine". But I like Shinezilla. I'm a force to be reckoned with, a fierce creature you don't wanna cross!! And truly, I can be. XD I will be! Rawr!!
