Welcome to Gaia! ::

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The Naga and the Mafdet are a pair of races who have been at war with each other for ages. Both are naturally hunters, and as such they have been trying to hunt one another with only relative success. It's an expected, day-to-day routine, and there are few with any interest in starting peaceful delegations with the other half of the island's population.

Both races are blooming civilizations with approximately the scientific level of the ancient Egyptians and Mayans. While both races take great pride in fighting, they also have focuses on the arts, sciences and things like metal working and medicine. The Naga are slightly more intellectual and artistic, whereas the Mafdet lean more towards the arts of fighting and medicine to keep their people safe from Naga venom.

Naga are, of course, snake people and Mafdet are rodent people.



Both races go through three general stages and one conditional one: egg/baby, child, adult, venerable. Eggs and babies will advance to child after one week, during which they will not have an owner and will be treated as an NPC or extension of their parents. Once they become a child, the players of the parents may choose whether they want to have an auction, flatsale, or conditional flatsale of the child.

Of different species within the races, I'll literally roll a dice to see if the baby comes out as it's mother's species, it's father's, or a combination of the two. It'll be harder to have a child turn out as a combination or as the rarer species.

If, for some reason, a Naga and Mafdet mate, I will again roll a dice, but this time to see if there is actually any pregnancy. The parents will each choose two numbers under 20, and if the dice I roll hits one of those numbers the pregnancy is a success. Then I'll again roll another dice to see if they child is more Naga or more Mafdet. As a warning, however, a hybrid would be unable to breed and would almost definitely be shunned by both races and possibly the parents, circumstances depending.

Also, um, no pregnancies created through two guys. Don't get me wrong, as I love same sex couples of both varieties, but if you are not female and have not had sex with a male, you can't get pregnant. It's possibly for same-sex couples to be donated eggs/babies for adoption, though. Speak to me about it and we'll arrange something.

A child can advance to the adult stage with sufficient RP. If I see your face around the thread and in general RP, after a week or so of time I'll announce they're ready to grow up and you can PM me about it. When this happens, the two of us can discuss any specifics you want to see in the adult.

Venerable is reached on a case-by-case basis. I will approach you if I think you and your pet have earner it. The Venerable are seen as very respected figures, leaders and fighters, or even people who are infamous or shunned. Either way, they'll be given a more complicated pose, costume, weapon and anything else you can think of. We'll talk. whee

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The Naga are a subterranean race of half-snake people. From the waist up they look more or less human, but legs are replaced by long, large serpentine tails.

+ Culture : They live in underground cave systems and sea caves, and are excellent swimmers who can hold their breath much longer than a human or Mafdet. The Naga are known for being intelligent, but of course there are some who don't match up with that. What they do all share is a stifling sense of honor – but only for their immediate family and friends. For Naga the ends justify the means, and cheating and backstabbing is not uncommon among them. They love the arts and their fight with the Mafdet is seen as a beautiful thing. Beauty is very, very important to the Naga, so costumes, weapons, houses and everything in between must be beautiful. This has lead to a lot of vanity among them.

Naga are matriarchal by nature. The women, Nagina, control the clans and tribes, while men are entirely submissive and by far more "feminine" in appearance if not personality. Nagina hold positions of leadership and business, often being head smiths, warriors, and other more honorable spots. Males fit into three categories: warrior, worker or showpiece. The one area where men and women are equal is in battle, though many men choose instead to become weavers, shopkeepers and so on. However, many high class male Naga end up as trophy husbands if they're easy enough on the eyes.

Naga are notorious for having feuds and rivalries. Although they are a technological race, they aren't a peaceful one. Fights between families are often under-the-table violent and involved a lot of backstabbing. Some of the larger disagreements have gotten to the point of dealing with the Mafdet and making alliances to off one family. This is something strictly forbidden by Mother Sesha, who is the queen of the Naga by all accounts. Sesha rules over the Naga with a council of thirteen others, mostly Nagina but one or two males who are not entirely welcome there.

Council members gain their position when they are chosen and trained by a current council member. It's almost always from one female to the next, but a political gender-equality movement has been showing up that's managed to place currently two males in the council. Sesha tolerates it, but is far less likely to honor their opinions. Males on the council have learned to expect hostility and in some cases assassination attempts. This is not at all out of the ordinary for the Naga, as literal and proverbial backstabbing are extremely common.

+ Species : Each Naga is based off of a species of snake that determines their appearance and abilities. A small snake would make a petite Naga, as an aggressive one would tend to make a temperamental Naga.
References:
South California snakes
North American snakes
venomous snakes
These are just a few links I could pull up. It's easy to look on Google or another search engine for snakes, so please use those resources and read up on your snake a bit.

+ Physical Traits : All Naga have several things: a tail instead of legs, markings on their skin that match said tail, and fangs. If your Naga is based on a venomous snake, then they too are just as venomous if they can manage to bite someone. It should also be noted that they are cold blooded, and as such the cold makes them edgy and heat makes them sleepy. Some Naga venture up onto the surface to sun themselves, though it's possible to be caught be a Mafdet.

Every several months Naga shed the skin on their tails, which is considered a very unclean process. On top of that, it itches and causes a lot of irritation. Think of it as "that time of the month" for both genders, as the hormones that cause the shedding to begin does make them very emotional and easy to upset. The shedding lasts almost a full week, though the emotional sensitivity for only the first couple days.

Naga can move just as fast as a human could, though some species are quicker than others. Many are able to swim expertly and a good number could climb trees if they so desired. However, things like stairs are very uncomfortable to go up and down.

+ Technology : Naga are technologically one step ahead of their more rodent-like counterparts, only because their location under ground gives them more access to metal working in areas of their maze-like cities devoted to mining. Metalworking is an art to them, so while they do create (elaborate) weapons, a lot of it is devoted to making jewelry, statuettes and other such trinkets. They have access to mostly bronze and iron, but they have found small shares of silver and gold.

Naga, however, are medically one step behind the Mafdet. They can treat basic wounds and illnesses that present themselves, but not as efficiently. It hasn't been until recently that the Mafdet have forced them to research their own anti-venoms. Some Mafdet have taken up the occupation of capturing Naga and trying to milt their venom to use on their own weapons.

The Naga also have a great love for science, philosophy, literature and other intellectual studies, especially visual and musical arts, something the culture almost revolves around. It is rare to meet a Naga who does not know how to do something artistic, be it play an instrument or paint a mural. They're very aware of their surroundings and have a love-hate relationship with the need to know more. The tigers above, however, keep them from doing much exploring, though it hasn't stopped them from furthering their underground cities which lace under nearly the entire island.

+ Taboos and Law : Actually, very little is taboo in the Naga culture. Despite being very territorial and xenophobic, they're very accepting of even the most out-there eccentricities as long as it doesn't hinder the population. Of course, then what is forbidden is done with passion, so there are several rules. The Naga also have written laws set up by Mother Sesha, their queen, and her council.

First off, Naga who are poisonous are forbidden to "tint" their own weapons with poison. It's considered dishonorable, and almost all Naga submit to this rule. Those who don't are largely seen as untrustworthy (even as Naga go) and are outcasts. There is a small tribe of Naga who do this anyway and who have been exiled. A total of maybe thirty of them live in a small set of caves behind a waterfall that connects to a lagoon and then the sea. Both Naga and Mafdet avoid them, as they make the make the other Naga look like pacifists and are prone to attacking any and all who bother them if they're not wearing their specific sign of alliance: a band of white painted across one's cheeks and nose. Most of them are of the sea snake variety (and thus incredibly poisonous and fishers by nature) and they call themselves "Naga A Jita," which means "Naga who have not been conquered." Compared to the Naga and Mafdet, they are far more tribal and un-cultural, but have held onto their cousins love of art, music and dancing. (P.S. Please don't try to make one of your characters a Naga A Jita without speaking to me at length about it. I'll probably only let players I trust a great deal pick up one of them, as there's unfortunately room for abuse.)

Secondly, peaceful dealings with the Mafdet have been forbidden by Sesha who has a very poor opinion of them and has promises of one day driving them off the island entirely. This is a law occasionally broken by the few Naga who disagree with the fighting, or those who want to strike trade deals or ally with them to get rid of an individual or family. Along this line, interracial breeding, while quite possible, is seen as a terrible offense and likely to have the Naga parent and the child exiled. The Naga A Jita have actually been known to take in these exiles.

There are of course other laws, such as no stealing, no killing, and then rules of behavior and owning property that are all enforced by the Guard. The Guard is like a police force and army in one, and they are mostly male with female officers and leaders. It's a lot like the loop hole for many noble male Naga who aren't interested in becoming a house-husband.

+ Breeding : Nagina give birth to eggs, usually one, but occasionally more. It's seen as a great honor to be pregnant and Nagina who are get pampered, regardless of what male they were with. Pregnancy is so important to them that a Nagina who became pregnant with someone other than her husband or out of marriage would still be accepted. The guilty male, however, would be better off lying low.

Naga don't always mate for life. They have marriage and until recently some Nagina would keep more than one husband, but that practice is considered archaic. It's now much more trendy to have affairs on the side. Males have little choice of who they marry and they are often arranged by parents or pursued by Nagina.

+ Occupations :
Guard (common)
Metal Smith
Hunter (common)
Healer (rare)
Merchant
Noble (common, often noble and something else for a female)
Council (rare)
Bodyguard
Mafdet Hunter (common)
Fisher (common)
Taxidermist (rare - occupied)
Tiger Hunter (rare)
Musician (common)
Artist (common)
Writer/Historian
Scientist
Miner
Dancer
Mortician (rare - occupied)

Feel free to take liberties and use more than one or make up something on your own, within reason. Unemployed Naga are also possible, and a lot of noble males don't have an occupation or fall under the musician/dancer/writer/artist/scientist categories.

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+ Technical Questions
So, can I have one?
It's possible! Go check the post on buying and ownership for more information.

Can I have one for free?
No, these take a lot of effort to make. ;_;

What's with all this information?
This breedable is based primarily on the roleplaying aspect rather than the making money on my part or the collecting on yours. All the information is to set up a detailed setting to roleplay the pets in.

That means if I get one, I have to roleplay it?
Yes, that's correct! If you remain inactive, your pet will not grow and if it goes on for too long, I'll remove you from the guild and note on the page that your RTT rights are revoked. I can't exactly take the artwork back, but I'd like to avoid people just taking it and running.

I'm poor, but I still want one!
I'm sorry, but the price is, all things considered, very low and I'll always do flatsales. The 10k is just to reimburse me for the effort I put into the drawings. Everything, including the color, it done by hand with natural media.

Do you do pet trades?
Yes and no. I would generally be more than happy to do a pet trade, but I have to be assured that you are interested in roleplaying and, not only that, but I am rather picky about the pets I pursue. In conclusion, I reserve the right to say no thank you for whatever reason.

Can I have a lizard Naga?
Snakes only, please. ;_;

How about a cat Mafdet?
No. :c

I'll pay you 896584307k if I can get one without the writing trial!!
Nope, sorry, you still have to try out. XD;

WTF why are you passing out so many before it even opens?
These are good friends of mine who I trust and who have encouraged me to follow through on this project. They've also been helping me set up, giving me information, funding things and more. Since they all did in fact give me the 10k, plus their assistance, they all received custom pets. Unfortunately, these offers are only open to people who I approach first. Unless you're a good friend of mine please don't come offering to help in exchange for a pet.

What are your roleplaying guidelines?
Use proper English, present characters that have weaknesses, stay loyal to the setting, don't make an all powerful character, don't control other peoples' characters, be respectful, check with me before doing anything major, don't just focus on getting your character to hook up, please, oh please, use your head and be logical.

+ Setting/Character Questions

My male is soooo in love with this other male. Can they have a baby?
Not unless it's adopted. We're trying to keep a semi-logical setting, and therefore if your character has not gotten it on with a character of the opposite sex, there is no child.

My <insert not-RTT pet here> wants to come in and say hi!
No, sorry, we're sticking to just Naga and Mafdet interactions here. Thank you.

My Naga wants to bake cookies!
Except she can't. Naga and Mafdet can of course cook, but it would be limited to simple recipes without the help of modern ovens, microwaves, refrigerators and all that. They could bake a little, but it would be limited to bread. Which means they can cook over fires and make extremely primitive ovens.

What about written and spoken languages?
The Naga and Mafdet both have their own written and spoken languages, with the Mafdet sounding a lot like clicks and chitters, where the Naga have a much smoother, hissing language. Either way, most adult Naga and Mafdet can speak their own language as well as that of their enemy, just in case.

Mafdet are far less concerned with the written word and it tends to be only for passing notes and taking down histories, so it's not uncommon for a lot of Mafdet to be illiterate. Naga, however, teach all children to read and write at an early age and it's not entirely uncommon for a Naga to be able to read and write the Mafdet language as well.

Why don't the Naga/Mafdet have information on ____? Does it not exist?
Chances are, if it's not up here it's only because someone hasn't ade it up yet. If you'll notice, we have a lot of information on Naga burial procedures and nothing on Mafdet. That's only because the Naga procedures were established by a character whose occupation is that of a mortician. If you want to create an elite group of warriors, a society, a religion, or anything else that properly matches the setting please do so and give me the information!

Do they have glasses?
Naga do, but only for the very wealthy, and even then the glasses are only for general eye correction, not specifics. Usually reading glasses. Mafdet, however, only have goggles as they cannot cut the glass as specifically. It's great eye protection, though!

How about alcohol?
While they may not have White Russians and peach schnapps, yes, both races have alcohol in abundance. Please drink responsibly (unless you're Raksh).

I'm really excited to play so if Linu and Rohi are having a scene my character is going to burst in!
Um, no, not without asking those involved in the scene first because it could ruin plots they had been working on. For instance, since Linu and Rohi are a Mafdet and a Naga who are not allowed to be interacting, your character bursting in could sever the relationship before the players are ready. In other words, there could be consequences and it could upset the players. Just please ask before jumping into a scene.

They all have funky names! Why?
Rikki Tikki Tavi the short story took place in India, and therefore I'd like the characters to all have names from that general rea, but it can possibly extend to Arabic names, African names, Native American names, etc. We just don't want characters with things like English or Asian (Chinese, Japanese, etc.) names because it would clash with the setting. There will be no Summersparkle the hamster mafdet, nor Violet the green tree boa.
Here are some places to find proper names:
http://www.babynamesindia.com/
http://www.behindthename.com/

Despite noble being listed as an occupation, nothing is really mentioned about social classes or nobility with the Naga. Why is noble important enough to be listed as a occupation? What about the nobles makes them different from the other nagas?

Noblility are different because somehow they are in some sort of important position. Families known to be in the council often would be considered nobility, merchants as well, as Naga do have a system of currency that I'm working on. Families notorious for being Mafdet hunters would be hailed as heroes and get as much respect as nobles. Obviously, the queen and anyone related to her would be nobility.

So, for instance, coral snakes are very distantly related to to cobras which makes Linu very, very distantly related to the queen. Thus, he's nobility. For him it's big enough to be listed as an occupation because for male naga who are nobility that can be essentially all they do. A female could have several occupations on top of that, and really so could a male but Linu just isn't that sort. Vikram is nobility and he's a) not feminine, and b) has an actual occupation and is independant.

And are non-poisonous snakes allowed to poison their weapons? Are drugs kosher if not poison?

Also, non-poisonous snakes are very much allowed to put poison on their own weapons. It's to put them on an even level with the Naga who have natural poison. So if Kunja was friends with a poisonous Naga she could go to them for it, or there are probably entire shops that specialize in selling it.

But if an already poisonous Naga puts poison on their weapon, it's a big no-no and they're shunned and kicked out to the Naga A Jita if they continue to do it.

Do the Mafdet fish?

Indeed they do. They would have spears and nets and even primitive fishing poles. whee Those who can swim well (otters and racoons, for instance) may go and try to catch the fish by hand or would prefer spears in some cases.

Naga have about the same level of fishing technology, and the Naga A Jita rely almost entirely on fish for their diet so they're better at it than most Naga.

Okay... so if a Mafdet was based on a desert animal that was equiped for swimming (yeah, I'm schemeing for the flatsale already whee ), could they become a fisherman?

Yes, they could be a fisherman. 3nodding Their species can define their job (otter = fisher, wolverine = hunter, etc.) but it doesn't have to all the time. So even though, say, mice don't eat fish, we could still have a mouse fisherman.

On the naga side of things: can both males and females become dancers? What sort of social standing is associated with that occupation?

Both males and females can be dancers, but for females it'd be much more like an art form and for males it'd be more like appealing to the opposite sex. Like the differences between ballet and pole dancing, only not nearly that extreme and I doubt that their dance would actually look like either of those. xd I'd imagine something closet to bellydancing, since that would fit their body structure better than anything else that I can think of.

Do either of the groups have any sort of religion or religious heirarchy?

They do have religion, and both races are polytheistic. Naga have a heirarchy, with goddesses being the major dieties and one majot goddess, and Mafdet have one major god and lots of little ones under him. Naga would have a clergy, with priestesses and priests (celibacy is an option), but Mafdet probably wouldn't have anything official like that. Shamans and leaders would be the ones considered closest to the gods.

I'll let players define who and what these gods are if there are people coming in with character concepts that deal heavily with religion. 3nodding

Would a female Naga dancer have patrons, or would she belong to a dance troupe? Could there be dancer/priestesses?

It could go either way. She could be in a troupe, indepedant, do it as a hobby, work for someone as a performer, etc. There likely could be dancing priestesses who would do it as a form of worship.

It says on the first page that the species a Mafdet is based on would determine their hunting/fighting style. Could you elborate/give examples?

Can do. It's unlikely that a mouse mafdet would be able to use large weapons like axes and mallets, but he or she would be much faster in a fight. Therefore, weapons like daggers, brass knuckles and bows and arrows would be more logical. On the other hand, a Mafdet like a badger could use a large weapon, and a wolverine might prefer to do things bare-handed. Other things that might come into play are how agile the rodent is. Rats can jump pretty far, but hamsters cannot. A hamster or chinchilla, in fact, might be very poor fighters because they're usually very docile and not (usually) particularly fast. This is all subject to creative liscence, but as a general rule we don't want more than one or two mafdet who totally defy their species.

The same applies to Naga. A copperhead Naga would obviously be much more aggressive in a fight, whereas a garden snake would be more docile. Rattlers would be quick to strike, coral snakes would wait until the last minute. It's just a matter of finding out the species' strengths and weaknesses and trying to apply them to how well the character fights or if they fight at all. Hopefully it won't be too hard to look up information like that on the internet. whee

So in the flatsale forms, the "strengths" and "weaknesses" are physical ones, right?

They're both physical and emotional. So, for instance if Raksh was doing his character sheet, he might also want to mention that he's a drunkard and not particularly bright. Though I'm guessing this is so based on what chemi has told me. whee On Linu's I would say that he has a bad temper, is dishonest and manipulative as well as the fact that he's very physically weak and has to bite repeatedly to get in enough venom to do real harm despite being very venemous.

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+Naga
Linu (adult male) - coral snake - bluelobster
At first glance Linu seems as deep as a glass of water and as real as plastic grapes. He has a sweet smile and flattering words for everyone, but you might get the impression that there's more to Linu than being sweet, vapid and easily embarrassed. Those lucky people who actually find themselves close to him discover that deep down he's nothing like the meek and humble public face he puts on, and shows instead a moody, calculating, gold-digging, manipulative, self-centered, ends-justify-the-means sort of person lurking just underneath. All the same, he's mothering to a fault and dreams of having his own children to one day exploit and emotionally scar into being decent social beings.

Kunjalata (adult, female) - ringneck snake - shimmercat
Kunja writeup so far:

Kunja has always gotten everything she ever wanted. When she was young, she asked her mother for a gold necklace, and she got a gold necklace a few days later. She asked her mother for a jewelled dagger, and low-and-behold, a jewelled dagger was on her bed two nights later. She asked her mother for the severed head of a particular rat-like mafdet who had stolen a catch of hers and bit his thumb as he ran away, and while that look a bit longer, she recieved a box after a few weeks that contained the correct severed head wrapped in leaves.

On day, her father disappeared, captured by the mafdets. She asked her mother for her father back, but for once Kunja did not get what she wanted. She cried and flung her belongings around and threw a tantrum, but her father did not return.

Kunja is devoted to getting what she wants, and she wants the mafdets destroyed.

Vikram (adult, male) - Horned Viper/Diamondback Rattlesnake - Gonz
He is resentful and underdog-loving! More coming.

Ekansh - Red tailed boa - chunkypuffs
It is quite possible that Ekansh was, once upon a former life, a very small snake, that liked to have tea parties beneath very small rocks. However, Karma has decided to mess with his brain and thus reincarnated him with a tail that has the size and grace of a small elephant. In a word, Ekansh is useless. He's a mediocre undertaker, usually serving the purpose of pack mule. He lisps, has a huge nose, is bald for most of the time due to selling his hair, and has less social status than a cockroach. Needless to say, he's not very fit to be a husband, although that's all he's ever really known to want in life. Though he is a very wantful--needful person, he makes up for all of this with his blind devotion to his family and his unconditional kindness.

But he still really wants a tea party, dammit.

Ratnanjali (adult, male) - copperhead - myheartsatart
He is a male geisha! More coming.

Amantecatl (Adult, male) - common kingsnake - cashewchu
He is lazy and a jack of all trades, master of none! More coming.


+Mafdet
Chitraksh (adult, male) - skunk - chemi-chanwa
As with most skunk mafdet, Chitraksh is something of an outcast. He's brazen, mostly illiterate, and seldom completely sober. Rumours abound that Raksh has fathered more than a few bastards in his time and this is quite likely the truth. Despite a near-fatal encounter with a tiger as a child, Raksh is still stupid enough to put himself frequently into harm's way. As an adult, he's turned his attentions towards taxidermy, but is still known to join in an occasional tiger hunting expedition. Apparently stuffing animals for a living is a mostly sufficient revenge.

Some claim that Raksh has a unpleasant odor attached to him, but he'll assure anyone that he bathes twice a week, just like any other respectable fellow. Whether this is a joke or not is entirely debateable.

Rohib (adult, male) - field mouse - tangerine_jubilee
Both a thief and a pathological liar, Rohi is not an easy Mafdet to get along with. When he�s not evading questions and trying to give you anything but a straight answer, he�s downright annoying, often grumpy, and not well versed in the art of being tactful. He much would rather insult and cheat his way out of his problems, relying his natural agility whenever his mouth gets him in serious trouble (which is all too often.) He�s a scrappy little fighter when he has to be, but most of the time he sticks to petty thievery and infiltrating Naga caves. Though he�s had a few narrow escapes, Rohi has yet to be caught for good. For now.

In terms of appearance, Rohi is an extremely short young Mafdet with pale lavender eyes and greenish-black hair. His long legs and lithe frame allow him a good deal of agility; however, in strength he is sorely lacking. He�s the sort that, while he�s ridiculously difficult to hit in a fight, cannot take more than a few direct hits. Additionally, Rohi has one major physical disability�he�s completely blind. A brush with plague during his early years left him with no vision and no memory of ever seeing anything at all. To compensate, however, he is incredibly sensitive with the other four senses, especially with hearing and touch.

Jinani (adult female) - badger - dropdagbe
She is gentle-giant-ish and mothering! More coming.

Kavi (adult, male) - grey squirrel - Kaiyu 2.0
A scavenger by trade, young Kavi's slightly morbid lot in life is to scour the remains left behind from battles between Naga and Mafdet war parties for weapons and other items that might prove useful to his tribe. He's cheerful and sociable, though not particularly witty or brave, and embodies the herd 'NAGA ARE SCUM >:C' mentality so common among Mafdet youth. His greatest failing in the eyes of his brothers is that, for a Mafdet, he is surprisingly materialistic, often hoarding away his most precious battlefield finds in 'secret hiding places'.

Sohalia (adult female) - jerboa - quierobork
Once a star athlete in her youth, Sohalia has since put her fast running abilities to good use as a gatherer for her community. Independent-minded, self-confident, and somewhat impulsive, she'd much prefer to be doing something with less responsibility, but her down-to-earth sensibility reinforces her loyalty and dedication to her fellow Mafdet. She's not completely irresponsible, but she has a low amount of patience and low tolerance for children. In fact, she'd be more likely to get into a shouting match with them than calm them down -- also pointing to her immaturity. Sohalia's hardly the model citizen, but she can be charming, sociable, intelligent and trustworthy.

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+ Staff
+ bluelobster : is the owner and artist
+ chemi-chanwa : is a special graphics monkey
+ chunkypuffs : is very funny
+ tangerine_jubilee : is very pervy. er. that is. she helps me with setting.
+ Lots of other people too who I need to make a list of. xd

+ Links
Feel free to link RTT with any of the following banners, courtesy of chemi-chanwa! heart







If you'd like to do a link exchange with RTT, just PM me and we can trade banners! heart