One of my best friends is a fellow deviant artist (in fact, he was the one who introduced me to DeviantArt) named Jake, who you all probably know as kriefsaffenno9([link]). You also probably know he's been working on his novel--All the World is Holy--recently (and if you haven't, do so now--he's a very talented writer). He's put a lot of work into it and will be the first of the two of us to have finished something this immense. I must admit a little jealousy here (being the older one), but Jake truly earned this and I'm proud of his determination and ever prouder to call myself his friend.

Therefore, I'd like to recap my past with Jake, as a sort of tribute to him.

I first encountered Jake's writing on, oddly enough, a Pokemon fan fiction site. (We were both big fans of the show back then, despite the remarkably silly and formulaic elements--although I still love the games.) Jake was going by the handle "Jacob Orravan" (a pen-name, not his real one) and he had written a dramatic story about MewTwo, that rare and homicidal genetically engineered Pokemon who had vast psi powers and didn't just endlessly repeat his name. I was struck by the seriousness with which Jake dealt with the subject matter and the lucidity of his writing style. It was only later I found out he was only 12 years old (I was a few years his senior, but barely a teenager at 15). But that's jumping ahead. We first corresponded after I sent him an e-mail, where I suggested that he should start a Pokemon RPG--my intention was for him to start something fans could join online, sort of like a MUSH. He didn't know what I meant and e-mailed me back, and we eventually started talking on AIM--I as the oddly named "CoffeeAddict15" (appropriately enough, I later became and am to this day a barista at a coffee-shop) and Jake was "JakeandJo," as it was a shared account.

We talked about a wide-range of subjects, but mostly anime. Jake would recommend great stuff, and it was he who first got me to watch Evangelion, starting within me a fandom continuing to this day. It should also be noted that we were, in many respects, far different people then: I was going through a crazy religious phase and tended to act like a prick at times, while Jake was going through puberty and was obsessed with sex. Yeah...not either of our finest hours. Anyway, Jake showed me some more of his stuff, and I discovered that he was very much into lemons--erotic fan fiction. Sadly (for me, not for him), not much of this has survived on the web--although if anyone finds anything written by "Jacob Orravan," particularly his "Boss Wars" epic, please send a link to me--I'd enjoy blackmailing him with that. Hehe.

Over time, we came to change each other. The more liberal Jake (although at the time still a Christian himself) caused me to reconsider my theistic positions, and after a while I became an atheist--trouble is, I was still a militant prick. But on the plus side, this newfound atheism of mine gradually changed Jake as well, and he became something of an agnostic (unless he's changed that position now). Gradually, I changed again, again a result of Jake's attitude, and I became an agnostic myself. We've always influenced one another like this--like a positive-feedback loop. It's one of the many reasons I so highly value our friendship. I often wonder what kind of people we would have become if I hadn't e-mailed him. Nonetheless, I'm glad I made that choice.

Gradually, Jake began to drop the fan fiction, but especially the lemons. To this day, he's rather embarrassed about the whole affair, and though I often tease him about it, at least he was perfecting his skill. I'm an aspiring writer myself, but I can't stop the procrastination. Jake certainly is a procrastinator too, but not as bad as myself. In fact, our collaboration projects often ended up getting shelved because we got distracted so easily by other things. But this was not to be a barrier to Jake, as he started writing original fiction of his own. He loved Lovecraft, magic meets science settings, strong well-developed characters, and multimedia applications of his work (i.e. he often tried to create RPGs or video games about stories he'd written, sometimes both). His creativity then and now impressed me.

All in all, I've watched him mature into one of the best writers and idea men I've seen online. He's someone you should follow on this site, if you're not already. I encourage everyone watching ME to give him a look. You won't be disappointed. And if you really like his stuff, why not check out the TroperWorks page of All the World is Holy: [link]

In closing, cheers to you, Jake. I wish you nothing but success.

Your friend, Justin

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." - Anaïs Nin