Member Spotlight: Leo Kian and Murasaki al'Aevon
Author: Sailea Nerid, September 2015
This month's Member Spotlight interview, like a double chocolate chip cookie, would give you more pleasure than expected. Why? The reason is that we decided to interview not one but two people.
They have a few very crucial things in common. Both of them became Senior Members recently, both of them used the opportunities Integration provided and both of them made my job easier by responding to my questions promptly.
Without further delay I give you Leo Kian Sedai of the Blue Ajah and Murasaki al'Aevon Gaidin of Mahdi'in d'ma Dieb.
As usual we begin our interview asking them to tell us something about themselves so our readers can get to know them better. Leo Sedai, a young, and in your Reporter’s opinion, very handsome hotel manager describes the things he likes in life as ‘…reading, TV boxset binge days, films and probably most importantly...food!’ Leo Sedai lives with his dad, sister, and his Brittany spaniel named Freddie, but he often travels to visit his boyfriend in Manchester. Murasaki Gaidin, being a person of few words, goes straight to the point describing herself as an ‘artsy type’ and a ‘weird’ person.
Our talk goes to how they have discovered the Wheel of Time series and TarValon.Net. Murasaki Gaidin admits that a random internet person told her to read the series and after finishing the second book, she googled some theories that led her to TarValon.Net. For Leo Sedai his Wheel of Time journey began with a particularly good offer for the first 8 books. He shares with us that he found TarValon.Net long before joining the site. ‘I refrained from joining for a couple of years partly because I was at university and partly because I would have had to follow the Gaidin path - which at the time I really didn't want to do, but eventually I did join’, he tells us.
The next question is regarding TarValon.Net and their favourite aspect of it. ‘Steady friends that are always around. I got my husband from the TarValon.Net husband store!’, Murasaki Gaidin answers me. For Leo Sedai TarValon.Net is his online home, a place where he can find people similar to him, and where he can participate in discussions about almost everything. I couldn't help but ask which thread on the boards is their favourite, so we can know where to find them. Leo Sedai admits you could find him in the Blue’s thread in the The Olde Warder and Hen forum, as well as posting in the Cult of the Sexy Package Temple in the Frivolous Fun forum. Murasaki Gaidin is not picky. ‘Whichever thread is inappropriate and dirty or full of trolls’ she answers.
Our talk goes to Integration and how it changed their experience in TarValon.Net. ‘Integration allowed me to find the place that I really belonged’, Leo Sedai responds. He then shares his experience of Aspiring to a Company where he felt fine and welcomed but still not at home. Being obviously happier with the current situation Leo Sedai expresses his gratitude to the people who made Integration happen and were involved in the whole long process that preceded it. Murasaki Gaidin describes her own experience and opinion of Integration quite clearly, ‘I never wanted to go the Aes Sedai route, even when I joined the Tower 10 years ago. So finally being given the opportunity to do that was all I wanted.’
The next question concerns the new homes Leo Sedai and Murasaki Gaidin found. We are curious what made them choose the Blue Ajah and MDD. ‘They're genuine. And I love foxes’, Murasaki Gaidin answers. During his five years in TarValon.Net Leo Sedai became quite aware of what he was looking for in an Ajah. He shares with us he feels welcome and involved in the Blue Ajah and after being away for a while he was greeted like ‘a returning brother’. We wish both of them to keep those feelings they have regarding their respective homes now and always feel comfortable and happy with their choice.
Done with the serious part of the interview, we ask our interviewees about their avatars, and why they chose them. ‘Because the girl has a sword’ Murasaki Gaidin answers and your reporter feels kind of stupid asking obvious things. Leo Sedai, who changed his avatar recently, describes his new face as dark and mysterious. He sees this fine work of the artist Eve Venture as representing his own persona.
Being aware that the Wheel of Time series got us together in the first place, we ask Murasaki Gaidin and Leo Sedai which nation they would have belonged to in the WoT universe. ‘Arafel, probably. They're the ones with the two swords, right? Or Aiel for the sign language.’ Murasaki Gaidin answers. Leo Sedai is not so sure, ‘Probably one of the unassuming ones like Ghealdan.’ We are sure that regardless of their nationality they would have found the road to the White Tower.
Our special double interview ends with a little word association game, Wheel of Time style.
| Murasaki Gaidin | Leo Sedai | |
| The One Power | Kittens | Magical goodness |
| The Dark One | Poonam | Master |
| The Oath Rod | Booze | Restriction |
| Ogier | Aliens | Honourable |
| Mother Rhed | Bites | A really lovely person |
I would like to thank Murasaki Gaidin and Leo Sedai for the time they invested in answering my questions. I hope you enjoyed our special interview with two special people.
