Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza

<3 I kind of knew most of that already since I'm lucky not to have lost touch with you, but it's always nice to hear! Glad the gang's all back together and happy that you've found such joy and fulfillment!

Omg Firerose, now there is a blast from the past! All those surveys!!

As to how Plaza changed my life, well I moved to the UK and shacked up with a royal Gondorian, go figure :P

I wish I could like all the replies hahaha :)

FireroseArien wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 7:34 pm I wish I could like all the replies hahaha :)

Rofl I keep checking myself, looking for that button :P

FIIIRRRRRR! I remember you with many fond memories! You were also Firerose Bouddica at one stage weren't you? That's such a lovely story thanks for sharing. Some time I will hopefully be brave enough to put my own plaza story down.

@Thorin: Yes, yes I was - it went fir3r0se, Firerose, FireroseBoudicca and Firerose Arien. And then some really silly name changes. But Firerose Arien has been my main internet alias for a good long while now.

Woooo that’s awesome!

Fir! Ha we met IRL in 2007 and I still think it's hilarious that two Americans didn't meet in person til we were both in the UK.

@Menolly - well, it's not like we lived on opposite sides of the US or anything ;).

Somehow I've lived in three very different parts of the US since we met in 2007 and I've never come close to living near NYC *waves from 3000 miles away*

Eldy wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 7:18 pm Thank you for sharing that. :) The Plaza, and especially the friends I made through it, also had a transformative effect on my life between the age of 14 and 17. There's a good chance I wouldn't be here today if I'd never joined. It's always really nice to read about the impact its had on other people as well.

Eldarion? Is that you? :D

Lúthien Tinúviel wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 3:08 amEldarion? Is that you? :D

Yep, I was Eldorion (usually shortened to Eldo) for the vast majority of my Plaza career. Both sound distinctly masculine to my ear, though, so when I came out a couple years ago I revived the all-but-forgotten nickname Eldy and made it my actual username for the first time.

Eldy wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 3:26 am

Lúthien Tinúviel wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 3:08 amEldarion? Is that you? :D

Yep, I was Eldorion (usually shortened to Eldo) for the vast majority of my Plaza career. Both sound distinctly masculine to my ear, though, so when I came out a couple years ago I revived the all-but-forgotten nickname Eldy and made it my actual username for the first time.

*tacklehuggleglomps* Good to see you, Eldy.

On that note we probably should make a thread of everyone who's come out, 'cause I know quite a few of us have in the last couple years!

(as long as everyone's comfortable with that lol. Prolly worded that in a way that was way more creepy than intended.)

I want to like this post a hundred times. Despite how it changed my life, I'm always surprised at how much the Plaza did for others as well. Thank you for sharing this!

Lúthien Tinúviel wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 3:31 am*tacklehuggleglomps* Good to see you, Eldy.

On that note we probably should make a thread of everyone who's come out, 'cause I know quite a few of us have in the last couple years!

(as long as everyone's comfortable with that lol. Prolly worded that in a way that was way more creepy than intended.)

Eep! It's been too long since I've been tacklehuggleglompsed, but now that the Plaza is back I actually feel like I've missed it. It's good to see you too!

Given some of my recent-ish experiences in online Tolkien fandom, I wasn't sure if I wanted to come out here at all, but the Plaza has been characteristically wonderful and I've had a big grin on my face for most of the past 24 hours.

We should probably get a general chat thread up and running...

Eldy wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 3:44 am

Lúthien Tinúviel wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 3:31 am*tacklehuggleglomps* Good to see you, Eldy.

On that note we probably should make a thread of everyone who's come out, 'cause I know quite a few of us have in the last couple years!

(as long as everyone's comfortable with that lol. Prolly worded that in a way that was way more creepy than intended.)

Eep! It's been too long since I've been tacklehuggleglompsed, but now that the Plaza is back I actually feel like I've missed it. It's good to see you too!

Given some of my recent-ish experiences in online Tolkien fandom, I wasn't sure if I wanted to come out here at all, but the Plaza has been characteristically wonderful and I've had a big grin on my face for most of the past 24 hours.

We should probably get a general chat thread up and running...

We also need to bring back signatures, lol. For one thing, they're fun. For another, they're very helpful for listing pronouns! Speaking of, what are yours now? <3

Lúthien Tinúviel wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 3:49 amWe also need to bring back signatures, lol. For one thing, they're fun. For another, they're very helpful for listing pronouns! Speaking of, what are yours now? <3

She/her; thank you for asking. Since I don't want to take over Fir's thread I went ahead and made a new thread for general catching up chat.

Fir! Over time, the less I used Facebook/Twitter the weirder it felt to suddenly interact with people on Facebook/Twitter again , so it's wonderful to see you here! You were my lead into Baseball Internet, and though I've long fallen away from that as well, it left an indelible mark and important friendships. Very glad things are working out in your favor.

I can't claim the Plaza's direct influence on any one event in my life, but it's threads are honestly innumerable. And as a continually frustrated writer, it's been on my mind lately that Aerlinn was always a braver one.

Eldy wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 3:26 am
Yep, I was Eldorion (usually shortened to Eldo) for the vast majority of my Plaza career. Both sound distinctly masculine to my ear, though, so when I came out a couple years ago I revived the all-but-forgotten nickname Eldy and made it my actual username for the first time.

If you wanted, you could change it to Eldorien, or Eldoríen; “-ien” as a suffix means “daughter” so, elf-daughter - or -ríen in Sindarin is “crowned lady”. Bit of a mix match with Quenyan “Eldo” but they both sound quite nice.

Sil, I thought the same thing after I went to bed last night.

The Plaza, and especially the friends I made on it, saw me through some of the most difficult times of my life. It's strange to think that one site made such a huge difference in so many lives, but here we are again after all these years. And a few weeks ago I started reading the Hobbit to my five year old at bedtimes...

I seriously have been with you, Fir, since 15 years ago. WE ARE SO OLD. I have loved catching up with each other via FB and seriously you Plazonians are never far form my thoughts and my love. :) I may not be an O.G HC gal, but I still remember those days and straight up have screenshots of our conversations LOL!

<3

@Lealnemarr - One of the few Plazaites I've met in person, I'm so glad to have been able to keep in touch all these years. Y'all are seriously awesome

@Reikon Suchi-ru Such a long history!! I am so happy to call you a friend on and off the Plaza

Lealnemarr wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 2:53 pm @Reikon Suchi-ru Such a long history!! I am so happy to call you a friend on and off the Plaza

<3<3<3

I really want to like your post. I think we should petition for a like button. <3 Anyway I'm so glad I got to meet you IRL and I love seeing your sword posts.

Lysistarielle wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 3:22 pm I really want to like your post. I think we should petition for a like button. <3 Anyway I'm so glad I got to meet you IRL and I love seeing your sword posts.

If I remember Plaza names to RL names completely - you came to visit in 2013, ye ;) [/color

Oh wow. I don't get to Facebook that often these days so it took me some time to make my way here to the forum, but Fir, well, pretty much impossible to forget you. Hotel California was my rock for awhile in my teen years also. Hello from Roh the roffler, former poetry maia!

Well I was an adult but was incredibly stupid. I knew nothing about role-playing. I met some incredible people, some only in these forums, many in person. I’ll always have the memories.

I remember you, Fir! I totally admired you then and am glad to have read your real life story now. Like you, I was also impacted by the Plaza community here and in many great ways. I never got to meet anyone from here in person, mind you. But a few of my best bud friends then are still Facebook friends with me now.

Rock it, girl. I am also a fellow American (Texan to be exact). Thank you for sharing your story! I am encouraged.

@FireroseArien Reading through the thread made me remember... Didn't you visit me while I was studying at St Andrews?? More than 10 years ago for sure!

Yay for swords! I know it was only once, but it was very fun to cross blades with you. You are by no means a mediocre fighter, especially as a medalist. (I've only come in second once in an SCA newbie rapier tournament, so you have me beat by a long shot.) It has been a privilege to call you friend both on and off the plaza.

@Culfinwen Lihtarwe YES! It was rainy and cold but we went to the castle and then we had tea at a cozy little place. I still have photos on Facebook somewhere! It was my one day off from the group program and I knew I'd hate the group hike, so St Andrews it went.

@Karis Ziranphel With you so close now to where my fiance's family is, I have a feeling we'll get to cross swords again soon enough :-D

@Karis Ziranphel I will not cross blades with you (at least not offline) but I am hoping maybe to sing with you at one point..