I seem to have had some kind of mystical experience last night. And by that I mean I got really high and forgot to take my anxiety meds and melatonin. So I just like, laid in bed for a long time with my mind spinning.

I never really understood why people got into creating OCs (Original Characters). And that's not a euphamism for not being interested. I just really didn't *get* it. Well, I've had a breakthrough.

Let me back up a minute. Back in the day, I was *really* into Gaia Online. That website was a formative part of my online life from high school to grad school. If you're not familiar with the site, it's a forum board where everyone's avatar is basically a digital doll that they can customize with items bought with "in-game currency" and real money.

Since you basically have a customizable character associated with your account, it's no surprise that people often created "Gaia OCs." Even I did. Or... I thought I did. But it was really more of a 'sona. Me, but in the world of Gaia, as it were.

Unsurprisingly, my sona underwent style changes over the years. He started as an edgy elf sorcerer, then became a zombie, then a mad scientist, then a secret agent, then a shape-shifting dandy. Believe it or not, I still considered him the same character from start to finish. Well, except for the emo elf. I decided to ignore that era, for the most part.

One thing I've been pondering lately is doing *something* with the lore and world of Gaia Online. I still find it to be a charming kitchen sink setting that manages to incorporate everything from fantasy to cyberpunk. I've had various ideas, such as trying to convert it into a TTRPG setting, but last night, my brain decided to fixate on something it called "Magnus and TIM's Unofficial Guide to Gaia." Essentially an online encyclopedia documenting the world, history, and characters of Gaia. The twist is that I would revise canon any time I felt it needed "improvement."

So, who are Magnus and TIM? Like I said, my sona changed a lot over time, even personality-wise. So I just split him into two people. Magnus the dandy and Agent TIM the secret agent. The shtick would be that the guide was primarily written by Magnus, someone who doesn't let the truth get in the way of a good story. And then under each article would be a dialogue between Magnus and TIM in which TIM, being a stickler for accuracy, points out how the article diverges from "official canon." Naturally this would lead to a bunch of short comedian vs. straight man exchanges. Many of which I wrote in my head in real time, none of which I remember.

But I was really into it. So, I guess I finally understand the appeal of making up characters and seeing how they react to one another.

Anyway, it was nice to feel creative for a bit, even if I needed a little chemical assistance. I may revisit this later.