Long shadows.

Mat takes the long view...

They say no good deed goes unpunished. Mat politely takes umbrage with this. Mat has been the recipient of several good deeds lately, and for this she is exceedingly grateful. It would go against her nature and honor to hurt those who have been so kind and generous. And she knows that these good deeds are not puppet-characters' deeds: there is a human behind the pixels.

Quite frankly, they have saved her tail.

And while she/human are somewhat mystified by this generosity, the largess and nobility of these gifts only come at one easy price: friendship. And for that, she gives freely.

(Need to go to first person narrative now--yes, this is an abrupt switch, but this is about the human.)
I try to read all of the WoW insider posts, including RP, GM, etc. They are well written and interesting. And although I am not really interested in RP per se; for certain, I love to write, but the writing and creativity must remain on my terms. The true hardcore RP servers seem to have rules, and unless it's avoiding a comma splice or verb-subject agreement, writing rules aren't for me.

There was a post recently about players leaving in RP scenarios. This isn't solely the domain of RP servers; and, as some would argue, anyone who plays WoW is essentially in some kind of RP mode. Having already experienced some loss, admittedly I feel a pang when I log into play and sees a player missing or in a phase mode (there's no other way to put it): players who have had to stop for awhile, hidden behind other characters, people, and voices. I'm not intending to be coy here--you all know that players come and go.  I wasn't prepared to write them out of the script yet. No "lost at sea" or "it was all a dream" plot glue here*. And the truth is stranger than fiction in some cases.

WoW Insider had a blog post today calling for blogs to help players master the game. Threw this one in, too, but not really sure how it helps anyone "master" anything. It's become a series of anecdotes and insights. It's not quite RP...but not quite "how to" either. Personal narrative? Journaling? True blogging? Perhaps there are so many blogs and websites already geared and specified for which gem should go in what socket, that I am hoping you come here for a story. Perhaps you have seen yourself during your time in Azeroth in some of the tales, or have a personal connection to Mat's story.

There is a human behind that character. For whatever reason, they are here. Now. On that server with you. They may be incognito, stealthy, phased, or on an alt, but just like Mat can't go in a level 85 heroic by herself with a basket of muffins and red cape and get to grandma's house without encountering a wolf or two, I am sustained by your friendship and stories, as well. Sorry if I got a little schmaltzy two blog posts in a row: but, didn't want those good deeds to go unmentioned or honored. That would be punishing.

*Some narratives just have to sit in an ice trap for a bit though.

Theme song: The Way You Look Tonight - performed by Tony Bennett