Anyways is slang, not proper grammar. Mostly very young people say it. It's used as a conversation filler or to change subjects. "Anyways..... [new topic]." If you're not a teenager, it will probably sound strange to adults.

1. I think the "hard" part refers to how pure the color's hue is, meaning it's very blue, not faded. I've never heard "hard" used like this before. Light hard blue would be the opposite of a light faded blue. Both of those colors are listed on this chart: http://www.speedygrl.com/ctable2.html 2. I'm not sure of the context here. I think the writer means "emotionally hard", as in "unyielding to pressure" emotionally: strong, unmoving, stoic. 3. "Harsh or unfriendly", "stern". Hard can be a very abstract concept, but generally, its meanings are very similar to "not soft". (1) The sky was a color blue that was not soft. It was pure blue, not faded. (2) The speaker is not emotionally soft. He/she is closed off and unmoving. (2) His eyes are not soft. They're harsh and unfriendly.

Both are exactly the same. Toward and towards are used at about the same frequency in spoken language. In written language, toward is used more often than towards in American English and towards is used more in British English. As an American, I use both without thinking about it.

But why would someone make a fake account? I have skype but I've never used it with italki because I'm shy.

Yes, both are correct. Had/has/have been is usually used for something that was done in the past and still applies (multiple events). Was/were usually applies to something done in the past that no longer applies (single event). In this context, there is not much difference between the two, although "was listening" sounds more natural.