As of this post, it's been four days since Emma retired. Not surprisingly, she's still missed!
Many of the older posters recall her joining FK during her birth month of August. The year was 2003. While Fantasmic Kingdom was approaching its first anniversary, Hercules was created by someone new. In the first incarnation of FK, Hercules was briefly played by a man named Ken of the Sun, but he left after arguments with numerous role-players.
At first I wondered if Ken had returned to Fantasmic Kingdom in August '03, but I knew I was wrong when I noticed the incredibly distinctive role-play style: elegant; heavy use of the "English U" in words; and unorthodox text faces, replacing
with *^^* and
with *^~*. Yeah, this Hercules was very different!
The friendship between Alice and Hercules is one of my most favorite memories in Fantasmic Kingdom, and I'm very happy to have contributed to it. The Greek stud and the English chick met each other for the first time in a thread shared between Alice and the Queen of Hearts. The heroine fled from the tyrant through the famous hedge maze, and Alice was in the end pulled into safety by a muscular arm, belonging to Hercules. It was completely unexpected, but ultimately welcomed: the rescue started a sibling-like, loving bond between Hercules and Alice.
From then on, Emma and I were a duo in a way. From late 2003 throughout 2004, she and I started many threads together, particularly with the Hercules and Alice pairing. In Fantasmic Kingdom, we had tea parties and adventures through forests and Wonderland. In RPH, our crowning achievement was an unfinished yet tremendously fun thread, Zulan. Taking place in an ever-snowing town from "Lunar 2: Eternal Blue," Hercules and Alice promised a worried mayor to find and rescue his lost relative. Maiku's Squall/Leon eventually joined the pair, and they found a dead body, questioned the Heartless (long story), and even combated a yeti, again taken from "Lunar 2." Emma and I still fondly remember that thread and its follow-up to this day.
She played her characters wonderfully, especially Hercules. She captured his naivete and awkward yet heroic demeanor perfectly. The same applied to Cinderella and Jane. The funny thing is that, compared to my Alice and her Hercules, we were playing against type; she is the more elegant and timid one, while I'm a big lug and something of a blowhard. That's probably what made our "duo" so intriguing, though; after all, a girl playing a young guy and a guy playing a little girl is quite a twosome. Take that, Samuel Beckett!
She was also a friend to be desired. She is a great conversationalist, and has a unique sense of humor. Also, being someone who was fortunate enough to meet Emma in the flesh, I can say that the only thing larger than her smile is her height: she stands 5'10", and I swear she even surpasses
my height (6'0.5") whenever she wears high-heels. One of my favorite things to do is to make everyone laugh, and Emma's laugh is no exception.
We also have to thank each other for broadening our interests. I turned Emma on to "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Sword in the Stone," and she helped me look at "Pocahontas" the way it is meant to be looked, and appreciate the film. We've also exchanged many interesting conversations and ideas.
Over time, Emma's lifestyle changed in major ways. This meant that her role-playing time, as well as her time on instant messenger, was gradually reduced, following all the way until her retirement just days ago.
While I, along with others, am sad to see Hercules hang up his sword, Cinderella slip off her slippers, and Jane Porter remove her kinky two-piece loincloth (well...), I for one understand her decision, and I support it. Besides, she's not dead. She has a whole life ahead of her (57 years left, if my calculations are correct)! Although she won't headbutt foes as Hercules anymore, she has left behind some truly magical, warming memories. Should anyone pick up Hercules again, that would be awesome and welcome, but they shouldn't try and replace Emma, because "Emma's Hercules" can't be replaced, very much like how "Christy's Audrey" can't be replaced. Any new take on Hercules should be as fresh and original as the newcomer.
Sorry, I lost my train of thought. Where am I? Oh, yeah!
So, I think that's all I can think to say. I probably rambled here and there, but I'll be succinct. I will miss Emma terribly, but she has left behind great,
great contributions; for example, she cares very much about the Encyclopedia, and is one of the few who contributed to it more than once. She will be missed, but her impact won't ever fade.
Thank you, Emma Monster.
The Internet really
is for porn.
--Joseph
Photo edited by Amanda.