You're Italian? Cool. I live in the USA. As to how i became a fan, i started reading fotr, but it didn't really grab me, and i think i stopped at some point. (Actually, at first i was kind of mad that lotr wasn't about Bilbo, like the Hobbit was... I was like "Who's this Frodo person? Bilbo's the character I know." How things have changed! ) But then i re-started it at some point, and read it off and on for the rest of the book (actually, my dad wanted me to have read it before i saw the movie, so i suddenly found that i had 48 hours to read from where they come out of Moria to the end of the book! I succeeded, but it was a little intense, since i was only 11 and it IS a dense book). The same thing (reading it off and on) happened with TTT, until I got to the second half--the part about Frodo and Sam. I think something about their friendship struck me then, and somewhere in Ithilien, I became the Frodo-adoring fangirl you see ("see", ha ha, well sort of) before you. (I'll just mention that while i came to love said hobbit for his personality, it did help to have a vastly improved mental picture of him, since by that time i had seen fotr. ) That was shortly before the TTT movie came out, and then i was dying for rotk to come out all next year. Not an entirely pleasant experience, but it was well worth the wait--rotk is my favorite of the three movies, and maybe of the three books, too.

_________________

Avi and banner by ForeverFrodo. Words on banner by me.
Proud Frolass
Resident Elvengoth

yes I am italian woah I love those stories about "how did you become a lotr fan etc.", cause everyone has its own...btw yeah lotr is a dense book to read at 11...my brother is 11 now and I could never imagine him reading lotr..but well, we're so different...I read it when I was 11, so...and then, I remember reading rotf before the movie came out, but for some reason, I had forgotten the whole "grey havens" part. so when I went to see it at the cinema, it was completely unexpected. I knew the mount doom part, I knew that the would go back to the shire. I completely forgot about the grey havens part and I don't know how I could. so the day I went to see rotk I flooded the cinema. gosh I remember that day...it probably changed my life..january 23rd 2003
gosh I miss so much waiting for the new lotr movie to come out at the cinema. soooo much. that was so cool...

_________________

Yeah, it's kind of sad that there aren't any more lotr movies to look forward to, but that doesn't mean the whole fandom has ended. We can still socialize w/ other fans (like now lol) and there may be more stuff coming (like the Hobbit, for example). Also, i've learned that there are other things worth being a crazy fan of...*cough*like the show my top banner is from*cough* So that's one thing to remember when your favorite stories seem to end, or at least enter a new phase. Cool new banner, btw.

_________________

Avi and banner by ForeverFrodo. Words on banner by me.
Proud Frolass
Resident Elvengoth

ahah thank you...and yes you're right...it's nice to socialize with other fans and it's nice to find out there are other things we can be crazy fans of *cough*like the show on MY banner*cough*
and it's nice to know that whatever changes in my life, I will always have lotr

_________________

Very true. Once a Ringer, always a Ringer, lol. (Yep, the shows on both our banners are very cool...speaking of crazy fanhood. ) I'll be leaving tomorrow to visit family for a few weeks, and while there will be computers where i'm going, i'm not sure how much I'll be on them. So anyway, i hope this club can survive my absence, or at least revive when i come back, lol. Have a good Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate)!
Frodo lives!

_________________

Avi and banner by ForeverFrodo. Words on banner by me.
Proud Frolass
Resident Elvengoth

OMG I can't believe it! You guys have been in a posting rush! I'm 4 pages behind! I don't have the time to read it all now, but it feels great that someone cares about the club while I'm off studying maths

_________________
<center>


We've been forever
yet we've only just begun.
We have come full circle.

ahaha thank you Eariel, have a good Christmas we'll talk when you're back...I'll actually be away a few days too, so...finally some vacation
and ForeverFrodo, great to see you here too

_________________

EXPANTION TO THE FAN-FIC:

Even though the party was only a week away, the anticaption of what was going to have to happen and the annoyance of her stepmother and father drove Ruth Ann out of the Shire once again. She was heading back towards Rivendell when she remembered that she promised she would be at the party. Now, Ruth Ann did not regret this, she only regretted having to run back into a few unnamed personnel. Although, if she was lucky, their encounter would be informal and short.

Running back through the forest, Ruth Ann stopped by the cottage of one of the hobbits on the outskirts of the Shire. She repeated what she had done every other time before with changing out of wilderness attire to Hobbiton attire. Although, the one different thing was Ruth Ann and the head Hobbit had an actual conversation besides, "Are you hungry?" and "You need to eat more. You look parched."

"You are heading back for the party aren't you?" the hobbit asked Ruth Ann with a smile on his face.

"Yes, I am. How late am I?"

"You didn't miss it, but you aren't going to be on time."

Ruth Ann sighed with relief. Breaking a promise to both Bilbo and Frodo would have killed her.

"I am guessing you won't be staying to eat something."

"No," Ruth Ann said, "but, don't worry. There will be plenty of food at the party for me. You know Bilbo."

With that, Ruth Ann left, leaving the hobbit laughing a deep-hearted laugh.

-----------------------------------------

It took quite some time for Ruth Ann to walk from the cottage back to Hobbiton, actually more run from the cottage to Hobbiton. It was a sort of talent she had, being able to travel twice as fast but still look like she was not in a hurry, a nice convience when you don't want the person you are traveling with to freak out that their are goblins or some other nasty creature that was coming to attack both of you, kill you, and eat you for dinner.

Shaking off, Ruth Ann paused for a moment. "Bag End," she congratulated herself, "I'm almost there."

-------------------------------------

Ruth Ann reached Bilbo and Frodo's party somewhere right before the middle of it. She fought through the crowd, trying desperately to find Frodo or Bilbo, who would be worried sick about her for right now. While, on the other hand, she wanted desperately to be back in the wilderness working on fixing this problem.

"Woah," Ruth Ann droned in shock as she backed up from a hobbit who shoved a pint in her face, encouraging her to take a sip. "No thank you," she finally let out after the few seconds of overwhelming surprise, and walked away, not wanting to have the man chase after her.

Overall, Ruth Ann did not run into too many people, or, better phrased, too many people did not stop to say hi to her. Most that did, in their defense, did not recognize her and believed the tales of Ruth Ann Underhill to be ridiculous myths that should not be spread to better protect the young halflings.

It was in the middle of one such conversation with one such hobbit that a sudden scream was let out and expanded throughout the partygoers. Turning around, Ruth Ann saw the fire-blazing dragon soar through the sky. She frantacially looked around and then spotted what she was after. Scooping up the knife, Ruth Ann plunged it into the belly of the dragon to only disappointedly lower it and realize the figure was not a true dragon.

"You just can't get away from the outside world can you?" a friendly voice came from behind her.

Setting down her knife, Ruth Ann turned around to see Frodo walking towards her with both hands in his pockets. "How did you know I was here?"

"You were the only one standing when the dragon firework was flying. You pretty much stuck out like a sore thumb."

Ruth Ann smiled, immediately recognizing the truth in the statement expanded beyond the situation with the dragon, and waited for Frodo to comment on her leave of absence.

"Bilbo and I almost thought you weren't going to show up," Frodo added, tilting his head slightly for dramatic effect, "you went off to find out more about that thing you were worrying about earlier, didn't you?"

"The truth is," Ruth Ann opened herself up, "I was going to, but, when I was a little distance to Rivendell, I realized that your party was coming up soon, so I headed back immediately."

"And we are glad you did," Frodo smiled, not able to say much more from Bilbo running up to greet Ruth Ann.

"How are you doing, my dear?" Bilbo shouted to Ruth Ann as he scurried up to her, "You look like you are withering away. Let's go get you something to eat, and we can all talk about what is worrying you."

"Nothing is worrying me right now."

"Good, because this is a party. Any worry can wait for the morning, but, for now, we eat. Come on you two."

_________________
<center>

aww smeag that's so cool
I can't wait to read moreeee

_________________

Bored.. so I wrote more:

Smiling, Ruth Ann followed both Bilbo and Frodo through the crowd of festive party-goers to a dining table that was enough distance that all three of them did not have to yell in order to be heard.

"Where did you go?" Bilbo started off the conversation after he ordered something for all three of them.

Ruth Ann knew, but loathed, the fact that this question was going to be asked, and, admittedly, she was not too prepared to answer it at that moment in time. So, the best she could possibly say was the truth. "I could not stand my stepparents anymore," she confessed, "I know you will take me into your house, but, unfortunately, they also know that. So, the only place I could escape was out of the Shire." Ruth Ann smiled, embarrased, and waited for Bilbo to answer.

Nodding his head, Bilbo came to the conclusion that Ruth Ann had a just arguement. She knew Ruth Ann's stepparents, and, if forced to live with them, he wouldn't have even come back for the party. "I know what you mean," Bilbo assured her, "those people will drive me insane also." Bilbo then, took a bite into his meal. Frodo had already started prior, and Ruith Ann had not touched her food. She, to Bilbo's dislike, was not hungry in the least. She continued to look and chat with both Bilbo and Frodo about the party and how their birthday was going while, in the back of her mind, she knew that she should eat.

Finally, seeing Bilbo's eyes staring at her plate, Ruth Ann forced herself to pick something up and eat it. This, in essence, felt like when someone if full, but is being forced to eat bite after bite.

---------------------------------------

A little distance away, some group of hobbits began to start a fight over a pint of ale.

"Pardon me," Bilbo apologized, "but I must go," and he shortly took his leave.

After his uncle was a little distance away, Frodo pushed his plate over to Ruth Ann and kindly instructed her, "Put some of your food on my plate, so it looks like you ate more of it."

Ruth Ann obediently followed, but asked, "You don't think that it is weird that I eat so little?"

Frodo shrugged, "I am not sure whether or not to think it is weird, but, apparently unlike Bilbo, I understand why you don't eat as much as a normal hobbit would."

Ruth Ann smiled, flattered. In her mind, she knew Frodo would ask this way. He always had, but, just to fulfill what she knew was already going to happen was still flattering in it's own lovey-dovey kind of way.

"Now," Frodo started off a new conversation once he pulled the plate back, "We have a little while yet until Bilbo has to give his speech. So, I will present you with two choices."

Ruth Ann giggled, "Alright. You're the boss."

Stopping for a moment, Frodo soon continued, "You can either choose to tell me what in the world is causing you to be paranoid and then go over there," Frodo smirked while pointing over at the hobbits who were either playing music, clapping, or dancing, "or you can go over there and then tell me what is on your mind."

"Why do you want to go over there?"

"Because you need to get your mind off of the outside world, and that is the best way to do it.... which one?"

"Let's go over there first. I promise I will tell you what is going on after the party, to the extent that I know of."

Convinced, Frodo looked down at Ruth Ann's plate, "but you have to finish that first."

"Wow," Ruth Ann whole-heartedly laughed, "You are Bilbo's nephew."

_________________
<center>

ahaha this is great, smeag!!
I like the Ruth Ann character, she's..well, cool

_________________

You like her already? That is a good sign. She is kind of held back right now.

_________________
<center>

yeah I already like her as a character! for this I can't wait to read more

_________________

Should I just start my own thread in the writing/fan fic section for this?

_________________
<center>

oh yes that would be great if you feel like doing it
I'd read it

_________________

And.. I have a topic in the fanfic section for it.
(called: Diares of Ruth Ann Underhill)

Eauriel... so need to read more of your story!!!!!!!!

_________________
<center>