I'm not really sure what to say on this thing. Hmmm... stuff about me.

Well, I'm Australian. I'm 24. I'm a girl and proud of it. Not a very girly girl, though, and never have been. Nothing wrong with being one or not being one, I'm just stating fact. Not that I'm not somewhat girly, just not over the top. I'll shut up about that now.

I've always played video games, from when I first was introduced to the Gameboy, and playstation. My tastes have since migrated to PC games, because of the stunning improvement in graphics and near-total immersion into these wonderful virtual worlds, and also mostly because one of my friends sold me his copy of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for 5 dollars because his family computer wasn't good enough to play it (he was going to give it to me free, but I felt bad. And I had five dollars on me, so...) My favourite games now include the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series (which I only bought because I found out Jennifer Hale was the voice for Female Shepard, and she is such an amazing voice actress. And she's also really easy on the eyes. But anyway. My point is, I am happy I bought Mass Effect, because it is awesome and full of awesomeness). I have only been relatively newly introduced to these incredible games, since I only got a computer that could actually manage to play them the year before last. They need a lot more love and money and RAM and such than the good old KotOR's. But they are so worth it! I've spent a lot of time absorbed in the amazing stories and lost in the wonderful worlds inside these games (sometimes literally... until I learned better map-reading skills, anyway. See, games can be educational, as well as teaching other skills like hand-eye co-ordination, strategic ability and spacial intelligence!), and I'm sure I'll never grow out of it. Haven't so far. One day, I shall teach my children (should I be so lucky to have some, someday, somehow...) about Reapers and Asari, Darkspawn and Dalish, dragons and Dragonborn, Jedi and Sith, and shall regale them with the legends of Commander Shepard, of the Dragonborn, of the Warden, of Revan and of Hawke. And so we shall be; a family content in our computer game-related nerdiness. Huzzah!

Having said that, I also know how to be outside, and quite enjoy it when I am. Especially places where there are lots of trees to frolic amongst. I like trees. And frolicking.

I love music, my favourites include Tegan and Sara, and Missy Higgins, and also just bits of everything from rock to some musicals (not all, just the best ones). For instance, I especially like Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon, because they are musical masterpieces. Just beautiful. And Avenue Q is amusing. As is A Very Potter Musical (if you've never heard of it, and you like Harry Potter and light-hearted Harry Potter fan-made spoofs, then YouTube it. You won't be sorry.)

I can also be very shy. It was super hard to post my first story chapters, even with the safety buffer of anonymity, for this reason... though I have since experienced a major confidence boost, thanks to this great site and the wonderful people who have taken the time to read what I wrote, and especially those who told me what they thought. You are all goddesses among women and gods among men.

I hate high heels. Not to say I can't wear them when societal convention demands, e.g. weddings and such, and I acknowledge that they make your legs look awesome, but seriously, they hurt. I know beauty is pain but I really don't need any more in my day to day.

I believe that people are people, and love is love, and between two consenting adults, nothing else matters. As far as I'm concerned, it's as simple as that, or it should be, and homosexuality shouldn't affect anyone else, nor is there reason for it to be perceived as threatening in any way. It's as natural as breathing. Has been for thousands of years, as evidenced by recorded human history, and probably for a hell of a lot longer than that. Hope all that makes sense. It does to me, anyway.

That's all I have to say, for now, unless I happen to think of something incredibly deep and/or profound, in which case the sun will probably explode or something, since both are equally unlikely. I hope so, anyway, at least as far as the latter is concerned. I like the sun. It makes me hopeful.

Happy reading/writing!

My Stories:

I love reading, and have never written anything creative since high school and then only for assignments (despite the fact that I studied Linguistics and how language works and all that at university, and also English - literary stuff, though, not creative writing sadly. I know my grammar isn't particularly convincing but I'm trying to write how I talk), so I am quite new to this. Please check this section for a list of my published stories, both complete and ongoing, and unpublished ideas I have been working on. Also please check here for updates on progress. I will state here if I don't expect to update a story, e.g. for personal reasons.

A World Without Shadows (WIP)

I have one WIP story, "A World Without Shadows", based on my two favourite Dragon Age characters, (female) Hawke and Merrill (who I'm pretty sure I'm in love with; she is just the most adorable little thing ever created. Seriously, I wish she was real).

NOTE:

As of April 7, 2013, let me say that while life is currently horribly busy (with work and a wedding - my sister getting married!) I have had little time to write. Be assured I have not and will not give up on A World Without Shadows!! But it'll be a little while til I have time to finish my next chapter I'm afraid. Patience! It will happen, I promise! I know, I suck. I'm trying, I am!!

As of May 1, 2013, I have been working on my latest chapter, then decided halfway through that a different quest would be better first before the one I was going to include in this one, so that quest has been pushed back to a later chapter and I have been working on rearranging/rewriting this chapter. Which means that the chapter after this one is already started, technically. In any case, I expect to have this chapter finished and up by the end of May (2013!) at the latest. Maker strike me if I lie!

Untitled (F!)Mahariel/Leliana story (mostly still idea stages)

I have also been very slowly working on the beginnings of a Dragon Age Origins short story to compliment this one, featuring (F!)Mahariel/Leliana and maybe set during the events of Witch Hunt, with flashbacks. It isn't published yet, or even particularly solid, but I hope that by putting it up here, I will be compelling myself to actually make good and finish it. However, "A World Without Shadows" is ultimately my priority and my passion.

Maker Bless Us, Everyone! (complete)

This is just a little Feastday/Christmas themed story for Dragon Age 2, a companion piece to A World Without Shadows, in which Merrill searches for the perfect gift for Hawke to give to her for Feastday. Just a little oneshot for fun, in the Christmas/Feastday spirit of giving.

Peace, and Happiness (complete)

I now also have one much shorter, completed Mass Effect story, entitled "Peace, and Happiness", based on the ending of Mass Effect 3 (and slightly after), which I wrote to provide myself with the emotional closure I felt I didn't really adequately get out of the original endings or the extended cut. Mostly this story deals with reuniting Shepard with Liara, and giving them a happy ending. Sometimes, you really just need a happy ending, and there's nothing wrong with that, damnit!

UPDATE: Leviathan DLC

I adjusted some of the dialogue between Shepard and the Catalyst to reflect changes that come from playing the Leviathan DLC, so if you haven't played it, be warned that there are a few spoilers in Chapter 3 for that particular DLC.

Thanks for reading,

maximasdecimas

(I know this name is from Gladiator, and it is spelled incorrectly, but that was on purpose. I just like the name, and I spelled it like this on another site so it would be unique, and now I just like to spell it like this. Aesthetically, I like the letter 'a' more than the letter 'u', anyways. Nothing personal to 'u'.)