The masks of inscrutability, or are you really you?

[Guinevere]

I've only just discovered this thread - great idea, Heren Istarion! And very interesting to read all those posts.
As for me, I don't think I am "wearing a mask" in this forum at all . My character is basically much the same as in real life. It's just that here only a part of my person shows, the one that is concerned with Tolkien. In real life, I don't have much opportunity to talk about that which really moves me. And I am usually mute as a fish in a discussion with several persons since I don't have much self-confidence and am neither eloquent nor quick-witted. While I struggle to find the right words, the discussion has moved on. I can express myself much better in written language (be that in my mothertongue or in English) because it gives me time to find words for my thoughts and feelings.

[Encaitare]

Hmmm... deep question. I'm pretty much the same, only here you can't see me making funny faces.

Seriously though, the only thing that's different about me here is that I'm less outspoken. If I believe something I will argue for it, but I won't go crazy. My outspokenness has gotten me in trouble before, and it's good that here I have time to think about what I say before I click the little "Submit Reply" button.

[elronds_daughter]

Hmm.... I suppose "elronds_daughter" may only be one of my many alter-egos. Online, I have many; most stem from various RPGs. Offline, I also have several: a Vulcan, a girly-girl, a frazzled author, and an over-confident, tough, skeptical former CIA agent have all taken up residence in my person. I manage to suppress the girly-girl most of the time (Thank heavens! Though subtle, unintentional things tend to draw her out--those get on my nerves). "elronds_daughter" (or Eddy, as Fea calls me) seems to be a combination of all of them--the healthiest combination that has occurred so far. Much of the time, "elronds_daughter" seems to mirror my real life self. Though there are times when deviation occurs, they are rare. Therefore, I can honestly say that what you're getting through the medium of "elronds_daughter" is pretty much me.

[Neurion]

The differences between Neurion and James? Well for one, Neurion cannot decide whether he is an Elf or else a human who is like an Elf, while James worries whether he is Slovak, Italian, Ukrainian, French or Polish or something else entirely. Both of them look alike, which is to say stunningly handsome (truly ), although Neurion's ears are likely pointier than those of James.

Like the phantom and Phillip, Neurion is almost entirely concerned with the history of Arda, while James' interests include WWII, comic books, Star Wars, Star Trek, 1/6th scale military action figures, the works of Tolkien and G.K. Chesterton, Paleontology, and Military, Church, Political, and Medieval history with emphasis on the Crusades.

Neurion and James both tend to become rather heated should what they hold to be true be challenged, but Neurion does not have James' unnerving stare and thus is probably less threatening. Both of them are rather odd pragmatic idealists. Neurion is somewhat less modest than James and has a tendency to talk about himself a little more than he knows he ought to. James tends to be less cheerful than Neurion depending on what world crisis he is currently analyzing.

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

After all, TP never has to see anyone face to face so he doesn't care if he angers them.

How true, Phantom, because I do believe that is how we really started talking here. You said something that angered me, and then the wit ensued. Haha. In fact, I've start many online friendships through debates.

Okay, so on to me, now (we can't have Phantom steal the spotlight, now can we? )

I guess it's hard to say, because Melanie is someone whose career involves putting on masks and becoming other people. I think that Tigerlily Gamgee is probably more expressive than Melanie is, because I'm much better and typing things out than forming them into coherent words and phrases by tongue. But, it seems that I've become Tigerlily, or she's become me, because I have a close group of friends who first met me online using this name, so now I actually am called Tigerlily, or rather "Tig," in real life. Tigerlily is really a part of me, now. It's the only online nick that's gone into real life, though. I'm also known online as Psyknife in some places, but Tigerlily is the main one... Psyknife and Tigerlily are pretty much the same, only Tigerlily lives in Middle Earth, and Psyknife lives in the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Two different fandoms, two different aliases.
I have so many different sides to myself anyway, I am a Gemini afterall, and Tigerlily is just one of them She needs to start talking more again, though, because Tigerlily has been rather mute around here lately... she's been talking it up over at LadyofRohan.com, though, and she's crazier over there because she's the moderator... haha.
Tigerlily on these boards is much more respectful and less crazy, whereas other places online she swears like a sailor and says some very random off subject things.
I adjust to the atmosphere, I guess.

[Ainaserkewen]

I've only just discovered this thread - great idea, Heren Istarion! And very interesting to read all those posts.

Here, here.

After some thought I came to some interesting conclutions concerning this thread. Ainaserkewen is actually a surviving personality from my past. Obviously 3 years is not that long for most adults but for a teenager who is constantly learning about herself everyday, it is a long time. When I first signed up for this forum I was a huge loner. I didn't like the people I went to school with. Living in a small town meant that I didn't have many people to choose from in terms of association. I had just recently been riveted by the second installment of LOTR. My attitude then was unsure, shy at times and extremely self-conscious. Myself as Shannon now, in grade 12 is far different as I have grown to love and accept myself. But that shy, self-conscious 15 year old survives here on this site. She is slow to respond to threads because she thinks she might say the wrong thing or carefully word each post so that other posters will like her. Analysing this is actually a shock to my present Shannon, who has a big mouth and, though over analyses everything, talks too much. My uncertainty lives on in Aina, and I think that's a beautiful thing because it's a reminder of where I came from.

Will Aina be catching up to Shannon in terms of security and self-confidence? Probably not. I'm still sheepish in my posting and try to stay humble. I guess I care too much of what all of you think of me. Strange...indeed, very strange.