This Is A Story Of Friends (but not the tv show)

[dodger_sister]

Despite the icon, this is not about the TV show "Friends" - though I love that show and oddly it is on my TV right now! (I needed a break from the background noise of Criminal Minds).

No, this is a story about how I found a friend, and then found her again.

A few weeks ago was menel's birthday and I thought I would share the story of how we met.


I got my first computer and the internet in 2001 (huh, I always thought it was 2000, but I just looked and Fellowship was released in 2001). I was immediately drawn into fandom (LotR and West Wing) and slash and was all, "Hobbits, hobbits, hobbits!!" For about a year I wrote only hobbits, though sometimes I would read some stories about Men and thanks to elfscribe5 I was a little into elven twincest. (What?)

And then I met this woman named menel and she proceeded to try to convince me that there were other Men in the world besides Boromir and King Theoden, and that Legolas was good for more than playing dress-up.

We engaged in lively debates about the subject. In long wordy emails. I would write to her the length of a small book - three weeks later, she'd write back in kind and I'd reply three weeks later...and so on. Our conversations took on many forms and we talked about every little thing - sometimes to death. She was writing an epic Legolas/Eomer fic and I was lucky enough to get first glance, where I would helpfully point out when something didn't make sense and then I would end every email screaming about what a tease Legolas is (well, he is).

Our crazy emailing went on for about three years.

Then my health and my real life took an abrupt turn for the worse and I suddenly had to leave the internet. I thought this hiatus would last a few months, but once I was away from the internet, I had no drive to go back. I still wrote occasionally, but only for my sister and The BFF, and I mostly watched a lot of TV and slept and tried to get healthy.

And I missed people from the internets. Then my computer crashed and I lost all my favorite links and people whose fics I read. And my only way to contact some old friends.

Now my health and life are much better and last year I really got into Supernatural fandom and CW RPS. So The BFF made me this Livejournal. The first week I had it, she said to me, "You know, everyone is on Livejournal. I bet you could find some of those people you used to talk to back in the day."

And I thought for a minute and the name that repeatedly came to my mind was menel. I said, "You know, maybe once I get set up on LJ, I'll look for her, but what are the odds."

I spent the next week setting up my LJ and finding all the authors in SPN that I loved. Then I went to check out the Supernatural newsletter - and I'm scrolling through the fic list, looking for anything that catches my attention...

And suddenly, a name jumps out at me, right off the page (computer screen) - menel!!!

In the Supernatural fandom - years after meeting her in my very first fandom of "Lord of the Rings" - there she was.

I contacted her and asked, "Are you the Menel who wrote the epic Legolas/Eomer fic, Riding Lessons?" and she was all, "Are you The Artful Dodger?" and then we screamed and hugged and cried - I mean, hardcore fist bumped because we are hardcore fist bumpers, not huggers and criers. Word. ;)

Anyway, four years and my life has completely changed - after all this time - and coming back to a fandom, to the internet world and community of fans felt like coming home again.

A feeling that was made complete by finding menel again.

Of All The Fandoms In All The Internet-World!

And now that you have all suffered through my gushing - I shall end this by saying that it was her birthday recently and so menel - and in turn, all of you - gets fic!

Dean and Gabriel and angst and friendship.

For my girl.

In my next post - after I eat dinner and watch Entourage.

Comments

[menel.livejournal.com]

I am such a lame ass that I read your posts in reverse! Meaning, I just rambled like a madwoman on the your birthday fic (so much love for that story!) and then you ambush hit me with this!

Truly, it's a good thing that I read the birthday fic first. Not that, y'know, we're the emotional sort or anything like that. Oh, no.

Anyway, the internets is truly a wonderful thing. And even though this is our story (and I do have a version of it over on my LJ - the Official Welcome to LJ Land post for you) I don't think I'll ever grow tired of reading it because the story and your impact on my life never fails to amaze me. Everything about our friendship and the timing of it all (back then and last year's reconnection) completely amazes me. Eons ago, if someone had told me that I'd be closer to a person that I'd never met except through email, instead of say, a real life 'best' friend whom I see every day, I would've laughed in their face. And now I have you and I've never been more glad to be so wrong.

And that meets my sentimentality quotient for the week, nay, the month!

/double fist bump/

[dodger-sister.livejournal.com]

Awwww, you made me all smiley and shit. It never ceases to amaze me that I found you like as soon as I got back into a fandom again and that you were in that same fandom and all that shit. This will always make me happy.

Eons ago, if someone had told me that I'd be closer to a person that I'd never met except through email, instead of say, a real life 'best' friend whom I see every day, I would've laughed in their face. And now I have you and I've never been more glad to be so wrong.

Jesus, woman, it's like you like making me cry just so you can point and laugh. /sniffle/ We should just admit we are ridiculous saps. You know, this last year, I tried to make some changes, get some things back together in my life that I had lost the last few years - and the one that has really stuck and made a huge difference to me, is you. It's weird, because I tried to reconnect with my old high school bff too but after all this time, even though we used to be like sisters, sometimes people have just changed too much.

And yet, when I reconnected with you, it was like no time has passed at all. It makes me happy.

Alright, end sap.

/double fist bump/

PS: Did you know that you got recced on rec_hymenated last week - the 17th I think it was - it was Respite. My BFF saw it and then was all, "Hey, I just beta'd a fic written for Menel's birthday, didn't I?" cuz she did, beta your birthday fic for me. It was Golden Oldies though, which Repsite isn't that old - but still, they had wonderful things to say about it. If you didn't know already.

[menel.livejournal.com]

*points and laughs*

We should just admit we are ridiculous saps.

I really, really am not. Maybe only with you. But that just means that you're an exception.

And yet, when I reconnected with you, it was like no time has passed at all. It makes me happy.

This, for me, has always been the true test of friendship. RL friends know that I'm very much an out-of-sight, out-of-mind person. (This is not true for my online friends in the sense that I don't actually see any of you, but I feel your presence anyway through LJ, email, PMs and whatnot.) I can lose contact with somebody for two years or more, but when we meet-up again and we can pick things up from where we left off - that's the true marker of friendship.

Of course, when you tell me stuff like you tried to make some changes and reconnect with others from your past and I'm the one that stuck . . . dude . . . you're extending our story (which is awesome!), but it also means you're extending the sap. You gotta stop! LOL.

PS: Did you know that you got recced on rec_hymenated last week - the 17th I think it was - it was Respite.

Yup, the rec'cer (nightrider101) was kind enough to drop me a note. I'm still stunned, quite frankly. And you're right, she did say very generous things about the story. I was amused that "Respite" was categorized as a Golden Oldie, but nightrider101 explained that fics that are three months old qualify for that category, and "Respite" is exactly three months old. *g*

[dodger-sister.livejournal.com]

I can lose contact with somebody for two years or more, but when we meet-up again and we can pick things up from where we left off - that's the true marker of friendship.

We had cousins who grew up in TX and all through our childhood and even now, when we get together with them, it is like they have lived here and spent as much time around us as the cousins who actually live here. I always thought that was a family thing until it happened one day with a friend I hadn't spoken too in a long time.

I'll stop the sap - but honestly, my RL friends have significantly dwindeled over the last few years - and yet, here you are. It's reassuring and lovely.

explained that fics that are three months old qualify for that category, and "Respite" is exactly three months old. *g*

Ha! Three months - it's like she was waiting for it to be three months so she could rec it!

[menel.livejournal.com]

I always thought that was a family thing until it happened one day with a friend I hadn't spoken too in a long time.

I've had the exact opposite experience. Since I'm not close to my family (on either my mother or father's side) with perhaps two exceptions, I've relied on close friendships my whole life. Finding those special friendships is important to me. (Translation: You're important to me.)

I'll stop the sap - but honestly, my RL friends have significantly dwindeled over the last few years - and yet, here you are. It's reassuring and lovely.

*smacks Dodger over the head*

That's a Tony DiNozzo smack for you. Gibbs would be proud. The sap ends now! *g*

it's like she was waiting for it to be three months so she could rec it!

Actually, that's pretty much what she said too. *g*

[vikingprincess]

You made me sniffle. :)

[dodger-sister.livejournal.com]

Sorry, didn't mean to make you sniffley - I think it was good sniffley though, right? Finding old friends is lovely. :)

[vikingprincess]

Yes, definitely good sniffley.

[ranua.livejournal.com]

life certainly is a beautiful amazing thing ain't it? (you got me a little teary-eyed)

[dodger-sister.livejournal.com]

It was the strangest thing, finding menel again after all these years - it was like an extra additional reward for geting my life back on track. Sorry to make you get all teary-eyed though. :)