I found tef during the time my mother was recovering from a Liver Transplant. She had nearly died and emotionally I was torn to shreds. I had no friends in this state I've never been in more than a few hours and that was usually just passing through. I could only talk to them online. But then I found TEF. I made friends, I found a world to escape to to live away from the pain. And so for me this place is my oasis. As life began to get better and back to normal it has become both a curse and still remains my oasis. I have drama and I think it is because how strongly it helped me. it became like a drug and now I need to learn how to live again without depending on the role play and characters. I have many friends and even if I ever left this place I'd want to talk to them still and keep those bonds close. I love you all both new and old and I hope you never forget me for I know I'll never forget you.

Oo lots of questions!

TEF and its connotation in my mind has changed over the years.

At first, it was an idyllic, mysterious place where everything really seemed endless. I didn't really know anyone in the forest or on the forums, I didn't recognize anyone's picto when I logged on. It was mostly OOC and there was no drama. It was always new and exciting when I logged on!
However, as I became active on the forums, I created other characters, formed solid relations... It was both good and bad. Drama and exclusion came with being disillusioned, but I also made several wonderful friendships that extend beyond the forest, and I find it far more engaging now. All in all, the forest is still a lovely place full of creative and friendly players that I enjoy very much.
TEF (at its base form/without TEFC), to me, represents like an undomesticated, untamable forest teeming with life. Almost a spiritual type thing... it's hard to explain. If TEF was a real place, I'd go there to meditate and sort my thoughts when I'm feeling a little "astray" from myself if you know what I mean.

My characters are not manifestations or representation of parts of myself. Although I find I can relate to my character or what my character is going through, I do not feel like we are one and the same. Cassiopeia is simply an IC deer I feel quite comfortable and easy playing, as her personality is close to what it would be like for me to play OOC. Anker was more of an inspired character. His name, backstory, personality, etc. links metaphorically to sin and burden. Tamsin is an interesting, somewhat challenging character to play. She's so different from my other characters IF, it's quite fun to be shy and skittish as opposed to outgoing and playful. My other characters are sort of a mix...
I get a different impression/aura about all my characters. Usually, I listen to different kinds of music to get into the right mood/inspire myself to work with a certain character.

I do enjoy RP, though I don't do it nearly as often as I used to. I find it kind of difficult to RP my characters nowadays, as I never quite present them the way I want to. I think I'm a little worried about hurting other players' feelings, because somehow text RP seems more direct. Anker, especially, is harder for me to RP the way I want to with him. IF tends to be a little easily.

Hmm I think that's about all. I hope your artwork goes well! *nuzzle* ♥

thank you both dears

Both TEF and TEFc offer me the chance to escape from reality without resorting to stressful troll filled websites and games like Facebook, GaiaOnline and FeralHeart... I now hate going to these websites as I now only seem to like the kind and relaxed attitude of this place.

Playing the game leaves me feeling calm and relaxed most of the time... but it also leaves me feeling lonely... with so many deer hanging around all they time you'd think someone would at least like to spend some time and play around with you a bit... but no, not always.
The community's the same I think, I always feel calm and relaxed using it to edit, make biographies for my characters and to relearn how to draw/RP and such... but I end up feeling lonely when no one talks back to me if I make a post or comment somewhere... e.g asking for help or just looking for a nice chat.

I don't think what I see in TEF happens in any other places even in IRl... people are so nice... maybe just toooo nice... it'd almost scary finding a place on the internet that's not a melting pot of hatred and backstabbing.

Into my deer Raptor I put a lot of my mental scarring and problems... I like him a lot but he makes me remember things about my own past.
Into my dragon Ren I put into him my confidantes and who I want to be... if not who I was before I was completely wrecked inside, I love him to death... he makes me feel like I'm in the company of an old friend.
Then finally, into Emil I put everything I don't want to be, my angry, spitefulness, distrusting nature and mean side... I do not like Emil much but he's great for venting IC on roll plays and such.

Yes I do role play and I find it very fun, I used to do it a lot when I was younger.
Yes I do role play on TEF... it's the only place I have role played for a very long time, I'm afraid to do it anywhere else.
For Raptor and Emil Role playing is going to be good for there development. For Ren Role play will be good to test him... he's been my brain partner and baby since I was 10 or 11 years old and has only ever role played once or twice before but I was afraid people would say something bad about him and stopped.
As for subjects and genders... I don't really care, just as long as no one tries to be mean to me irl I am fine with everything... even fighting and scary stuff (just no character death or god modding please). :3

Hehe~I hope I gave you okay answers ^u^;;

Well for me, originally this was nothing more than a 3d canvas when I first joined. A work of art you could openly explore with others. I've rejoined and left several times, but this time I decided to stay. Part of me still doesn't know why. This time when I rejoined I found the community at the same time. I also tend to see it as a whole.

Now I know it has a few different aspects to it...and the forest would be a lot better if I was only part of the game, not that I dislike the community. I mean this by pretty much saying my characters wouldn't know fear. I wouldn't have to worry if this character would harm mine, but I'd also be dreadfully board and only use it for when I wish to relax. It's positive and negative.

Now for the real life aspects of the game? Sometimes I can get emotional...but in character wise yes, it's just like if you were interacting with people. In my mind when I'm acting as the character I treat others as my character would. Reacting to different reactions and personalities. No one character is the same. They can either act negative towards, positive, indifferent, or anything really.

I..I don't try to associate characters with myself? Yeah I tend to share the same interests as some of them. My example would be my Lionel and his obsession with birds. I also like birds, we both have a pet bird. That's where it ends though with me. Lionel, likes high places an wishes to fly. I like being on the ground. Okay no. Heights are a no on my part. Now for Judaius, I am nothing like him. I'd hate to be associated with his actions. His behavior can range from alright to simply awful. Some people may think, well why don't you change him? Well I don't want to. I do enjoy playing as him sometimes. It becomes unenjoyable when people take things too seriously....What I do is all in good fun and I never intend of hurting a character. Maybe...tease or scare is the best term.

Representation?
Judaius represents anger. Literally a lost soul. He is what I'd assume someone would be if they just appeared. While he isn't persistent on knowing why he just appeared, he gets very hostile when people bring up the subject and is envious of families and such. I simply can't believe every deer spawns super happy.

Lionel...
Faults in humans. I don't think he'd like for me to share his past, but I will say he strives to hard to be something he's not. Humans a taught to be restricted all their lives. An example... boys should like boy things and vice versa. So he restricts himself to try and be the ideal human in the eyes of what he believed to be a higher power...well until now but I won't go into detail. He honestly strived to be a monk. Though he never became what he wanted to be. His whole life was put into this, and he couldn't fit.
Constantly hounding himself for not being good enough, the constant fear of betrayal. Worrying over nothing. Just trying to be that ideal person he isn't. How he acts now isn't the real him. He worked himself into his own shell and deluded himself into thinking that it's who he is. Such a hypocrite. Telling others to be who they are yet he can't do the same.

I do feel differently about both...one honestly makes me wish he'd calm down and the other angers me to no end. I love them both dearly though. Even if I don't get online as the others as much as I should. I do have more characters but I don't wish to just talk about them, that would be a bore. These two are the ones I use the most anyways.


Rping?
I do sometimes. It depends. I usually have a select few I rp with and go form there but now I no longer have rping partners and hnngh. Enjoying it..sometimes. I rarely do rp and I have to have muse...I mean I don't mind but I tend to disappoint people, ahhaa.

In Tef? Yes. Yes I do, but I'm always interchangeable. If I'm not in the middle of something I'm always willing to zone out and help with sets and such.

Subjects can be anything. :T

Ranging from daily life to oh my God what is this I don't even know?

What does TEF represents to you? What does it means to you and/or your life?
A great source of inspiration and character creation/ development, but also an addiction. xb

And the community site? Do you/Can you make a difference between TEF and TEFc?
I mostly see TEF as a place where characters meet - though I know and respect that not everyone is IC - and TEFc as a place where players meet.

What does playing TEF makes you feel? Could you say why?
Awesome when my character is hanging out with others, frolicking around and having a blast. Not so awesome when they sit alone the whole day. But mostly I feel alright when playing TEF, I like it here and most people I meet are awesome. n_n

Do you like how it makes you feel?
Feel free to make differences between TEF and TEFc.
Sometimes stuff happens that makes me very upset, but I try not to take it too much to heart. And I make sure not to mix my character's feelings and emotions with my own.

Do you think your experiences (emotional, social, spiritual, daily-common, etc) in TEF/TEFc are similar to your experiences outside TEF (aka, the real life)?
No, not really. The people I meet here are quite different than most people I meet IRL. And that was meant as a compliment for the 'TEF people'. ;;

How do you relate yourself to your character(s)? I mean, Are they (purely or a mix of) an extension/representation /something totally unrelated/ an artistic creation/ etc,
I may share some traits with my characters, but I don't relate much to them, and I avoid making them too similar to myself. I want my characters to be as unique individuals as possible, not something based on myself - or anyone else for that matter.

What does they represent for you? What does they mean to you?
Some of my characters represent different things for me, while others don't represent anything at all. I have one ( non TEF) character that went through a hell pretty much at the same time as I was dealing with a depression. To me, she represent memories of a very dark time, but I still adore her just as the angsty character she is today. And I have another character - Illrose - who represent the strength I sometimes wish I had.
All of my characters means a lot to me, even those who are rarely played or roleplayed.

What does they makes you feel/What do you feel about them?
My characters have a tendency to go their own way and develop in the most unexpected directions - which sometimes makes me want to facedesk - but I care very much about them, no matter what they do.

If you have more than one, Do you have different kinds of feelings about your different characters? Do you know why?
Yes, I like some more than others. I'm not sure why, perhaps they have a personality I find more appealing than some others.

Do you RP? Do you enjoy it?
I RP a lot outside of TEF, and a little bit with my TEF characters. RP'ing has been a huge part of my life for many years now, I think I'm addicted to that as well, lol.

Do you RP/have you RPed on TEF? How do you feel when RPing? Could you say why?
I have been RP'ing a little bit on TEF, it's always nice to get to interact with other characters in a different way than the in-game interaction. n_n
But it's also frustrating, because when I RP with TEF characters I have to write in english, and I don't always feel like I get the sentences right, or get to express things properly. My posts would have been much longer if I had been writing in norwegian. xb

Do you/How do you think RPing affects your characters?
RP'ing is great for character development, whether they meet someone who can become a future friend, or if there is something else happening in the RP that makes them change or develop in one way or another.

What subjects/genders are your RPs usually about?
Here on TEF the RPs I've been in have mostly been conversations about various stuff, but I've also been in a few RP's with more action and some fights, yay. I don't mind RP's with fighting and stuff, as long as it is all in character. :')