Everyone needs a hobby. A lot of people need a break from reality now and again. To me, roleplaying encompasses both. I read constantly, and fantasy is a particular favorite of mine. When I got involved in MUDs at college, I found it fun, but restrictive. It was hard to put a lot of the essence I wanted my character to have to use, so after a while, I decided to take Daneira elsewhere. I'd never played Dungeons and Dragons, and it also sounded way too restrictive, with a Game Master...someone else ultimately having control over my healer? Not a chance. So I looked up roleplaying on the net and found WBS.

Boy, was THAT a switch. That first week, I was wishing like crazy that I had the guidelines of MUDs, for I had absolutely no clue how to play her. Everything that made Dani who she was would have to come strictly from my imagination. Not to say that there is no structure in online RPing of this type, for if there isn't, you get your lamers and your godmoders..of which every room had their share. But the people in the Realm of Elahrair were wonderful, and Dani was enough of a goody-goody to fit in for awhile. She made her friends, fell in love, put her healing and warrior skills to good use. And if the mundane is lucky, the friends of your character become your friends as well. I still miss them all. Pat, Tracy, Sarah, Stephen, Jason, Becky....so many to name, and not enough room. (If you have no idea what RolePlaying is, you probably think I'm insane, so you might want to click on a link somewhere else.)

I look back now--5 years ago to be precise--and die laughing at how Dani used to be. Gods, she was so sweet, she probably cracked a few teeth. But I learned a lot in that first year, and so did she. Just like the fact that people never stay the same, neither does a character that you like; that is, if you don't want her/him to become stale and boring. The circle of friends we both kept grew as well, our plots no longer simple, but deeper, more demanding. Dani changed, becoming fiercer, more agressive. Or so she thought, until she met a vampire. Lestat.

--I have to add a note here. So many people had a Lestat character. There was one in every roleplay room I ever visited. RoE and myself were lucky in finding Ian, however. I've read the books by Anne Rice, and I feel, as most of the people who know Ian well, that he brought Lestat off the written page and formed him into the larger-than-life person that all of his fans knew him to be. But because of the varied interests of RoE, Ian expanded Lestat from the narrow world of vampires without losing his true nature, and made him an integral part of fantasy. Every time he was in the room, his character was much in demand. Ian is one of my best friends (not without flaws, of course. *L*), and I miss not having him around as much as he used to be.--

But to get back to the subject, Dani put herself in Lestat's way. He was up to no good, which he does best, and Dani took the role of decoy to keep him away from his goal. I'm not going to go into details, but Dani and Lestat have carried that initial meeting to a relationship that has spanned 3 years, no matter what changes have occured. She is his childe now, and a chip off the old block....which is mildly disturbing, to say the least.

RoE is no longer together, having disintegrated long before it's assimilation into Go.com (no comment here, else my page could be banned by censors). But a handful of mundanes and their characters have remained together, and formed a new room. These people have become my family, and I honestly cannot imagine not having them in my life. Sounds crazy, but I know I am not the only person that feels that way. There are too many people on the internet, and it's not hard to find a kindred spirit if you know where to look. Or better yet, they'll find you. Di, Ian, Kel, Sandie, Micheal, Allen, Manda, Lori and Rex....we all made the switch from WBS, and have remained fast friends. My life would be decidedly emptier without them. Michelle is another WBS refugee, and I'm so glad she is with us now! Also, there is Karen, whom Micheal found; and one of the sweetest women on earth. I cannot forget Jon...on the other end of the U.S. of A, and I swear he's sounds like the happiest man alive whenever I talk to him! Scary. Di also brought her daughter Cheri, along, who is just as screwy as I am.

Again, I stray. This page, and others, will have a history of the characters I play the most. Their pictures are up top. Most people who Rp will use a pic of an actor, actress, or model...who's features and expressions best portray the nature of the characters we create. It is not infringement, or stealing. Rather it is a compliment to these people who have entertained us so much. But the picture is a reference. The true essence of any RP character comes from the writer's(mundane's) imagination. And boy, do I have an imagination.