Role-playing.

I don't know if other gamers do this, but Yubo and I both have character names that we stick to whenever we're given the chance to create our own characters.

I think RPGs (role-playing games, just in case) are really the only types of games where you get to customize and name your character. I assume Yubo's been playing RPGs longer than I have, but for as long as I've known him, he's had a type. He's one of those guys that prefers to play female characters, elven race, and I've teased him often for leaning towards the necromancy class whenever it's available. He tends to design his character towards the dark and sexy look, usually to match the necromancer image. And the name that he somehow came up with for one character a long time ago -- long enough that he forgot which character donned the name first -- is Cisma Iwo. When I asked him where he got the name, he said he just made it up and that it sounded cool.

Nowadays, I'll usually help him design the character, but the name will either be Mochi (if the character ends up being more cute) or Cisma (if she's going to be more badass).

My first experience with an RPG was playing Dungeons & Dragons with my guy friends. The way my friend Joe led the game was fascinating. It really got us to use our imagination. I never even knew that the game is usually played with a board and character pieces and weird stuff like that. Joe drew out the maps, and we just went off of our character sheets. It really appealed to my acting.

Anyhow, in creating my very first character, of course I thought that elves were the coolest race ever (cuz they are). I actually don't recall my first elf's name at the moment. If I knew where my sketchbook was, I could say since I drew her. But my second elf was the one I grew the most attached to. I suppose it was because I put a lot more thought into creating her. She was a wood elf, and I named her Ruanes Windaria. I loved the name, so I'll usually use it when creating a character. And where Yubo makes necromancers, I tend to go for either a rogue or cleric class.

So Yubo and I both like playing as female elves, but then it splits off. Kinda fun to see that we're not entire opposites though.