_C,_
                 /-\, >              Party per saltire gules and
  |>========Q=Q==(_ X  \             argent, overall a saltire wavy
            `Y8ba.d8|  |>            counterchanged surmounted by a
              `~Y8Y8|   \            four-pointed mullet party per
                 /88|    >           saltire argent and gules.
         d  Y88b  Y88b  Y88b         For a crest, a female bust in
        Y8b  Y88b  Y88b  Y88Y        profile argent, crined of the
  ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooc  same, vested sable, and blowing a
  #88.  Y8888888888888888888   ,88i  trumpet or; and for motto,
  #8888.  'Y888888A8888888P  ,888 d  "Attendre et espérer".
  # ``Y88.  `Y888P Y88888' ,8888' o
  #    `Y88. `Y8P   Y8P' ,8888P'  k
  #      `888. `       ,8888P'    u
  #        Y888.     ,888P"       2
  #     ,od888888. ,8888888b.     0
  #   <8888888888P'Y8888888888>   2
  #     `"88888P'   `Y88888"'     5
  #     o8888P'_      `Y88o.      #
  #.  ,88888'_d8     b  `Y88b.   ,P
  `8. d88P',o888b   d8b.  `Y888b,8'
   `8L8P' d888888b.d8888ba_ `Y888'
     Y88 d8888888888888888Yba,8P
      `Y888888888888888888888P'
         `YY8888888888888PP'
   ____      `"""""""""'      ____
   \  /_______________________\  /
   /__| ATTENDRE  ET  ESPERER |__\
      `~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

----------------------------------------------------------------------

My goal for this design was a simple personal shield that would look
nice and pretty, but since that explanation isn't very interesting,
I can tell you what I see when I look at it. The shield is made up
of a saltire (an X shape) with a big star at the center. The colours
red (gules) and white (argent) are colors that I find very pleasing,
and they're part of the palette I use for my website.

The star reminds me of the sky. My friend Lezyo told me that the
wavy lines are reminiscent of the Sun, which is consistent with the
heavenly theme. In addition, because of the way the figures are
placed, it looks like there are four birds in flight, one flying at
each direction.

The wavy lines also remind me of Shirogami's wavy hair. She's the
mascot of the site and an important part of my life, so I featured
her prominently on the crest, playing a trumpet. I spent quite a
while finding a good pose; I decided on that because it feels
powerful and solemn. Also, it's pretty metal.

The coat of arms is not registered with any heraldic authority, but,
as a citizen of a country without one, it's no big deal to assume
arms. I am the King of Arms now.

The motto, in French, means "wait and hope". It comes from Alexandre
Dumas' novel The Count of Monte Cristo. In the final chapter, the
Count tells his friend Morrel in a letter:

  Live, then, and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never
  forget, that until the day when God deigns to reveal the future to
  man, all human wisdom is contained in these two words, “Wait and
  hope.”

I don't have much of a connection to French, but an important phrase
should be left in its original language.