I’m Back in the Saddle Again!

By

Stefanie Acela

Hi Everyone!

Hi! My pen name is Stefanie Acela, but my real name is Rebecca Rachel Anderson. I used to write under the name of Alexander Lamar Eldritch, but that was before I realized that I am not he, nor do I consider myself to be a “him,” but a “her,” as it were.

Why? I am transgendered. “What is that,” you ask. Transgenderism is the idea that a person is born of one sex, but in some manner, feels, thinks, acts, and sometimes resembles, a person of the other sex. However, this is not the place to explain this any further, so I ask all of you to go to my website--The Dreamland--by going here: http://www.geocities.com/kittiedonna

Why am I using a pen name?

When I realized what I was, I decided to choose a new name. I named myself after one of my fan fic characters, Rebecca Anderson, and Rachael Leigh Cook.

Unfortunately, this created a problem. Since I decided to bring my characters back into the spotlight, I couldn’t just go with one of my characters still being Rebecca Anderson when I myself am Rebecca Anderson. Sure, I could’ve called myself Rachel Anderson, but that’s too close to home.

Instead, I chose to name myself Stefanie Acela. Stefanie is the first name of a super-cool webmistress who runs the ultimate Kittie fan site, and Acela comes from the high-speed locomotive Amtrak has put into service in the northeastern United States.

Now for a little history...

Raven and Rebecca were born around this time in the summer of 1998. They were created because I loved Daria (and I still do), and I wanted to give her some more friends. I remember the naming process like this...

There was a wrestler in WCW and ECW called Raven. I thought it was a cool name for a guy, so I wanted to name a male character after him.

I think I chose Rebecca due to alliteration.

As for their last names, I knew they had to have them, since the characters in Daria had them. I ended up with Anderson and Duchovny because I was starting to like The X-Files at the time (Gillian!!!), and just placed the first and last names together in a way that would flow best off of the tongue.

I then wrote two fan fics for the late Planet Daria, then an “essay” on their characteristics due to a different set of genetics.

Since I did rename myself after my female Mary Jane, I had to rename her, or at least give her a new last name.

I started thinking about new last names for both characters, in order to start again, as it were. Along the way, I thought about using “Soprano” for her surname, which would really make things interesting, considering the history of that name.

In the end, I ended up using “Milano” since it worked best with “Rebecca,” and “Giuliani” for Raven, since it worked well for him. Plus, the names are Italian--a new theme for the surname selection. Hell, let me just tell you about the surname game.

I take a first name and put it together with a famous last name, almost like Marilyn Manson and his band. Here are the results of this latest round:

Raven Giuliani=Rudolph Giuliani

Rebecca Milano=Alyssa Milano

Heather and Jonathan Soprano=The Sopranos

Zia Stefani=Gwen Stefani

Alexander Versace=Giovanni and Donatella Versace

As you’ve noticed, there are four more Mary Janes along for the ride. I created them when I decided to write anti-Britney Spears fan fiction (when I was into the anti-Britney thing for about four months--I can’t hate, or pretend to hate, someone with a beautiful spirit like Britney’s for long). When I just gave up on that idea, I kept them around in the hopes that someday I would bring my crew back with these four characters.

About the First Names

You know how I arrived with using Raven and Rebecca for the first two Janes, but what about the others? Here you go!

Heather: I had a friend named Heather. She acts like Daria, but doesn’t even dress like her. She also has a deeper voice than Daria. So, I just decided to name a Jane after her.

Jonathan: It’s a Rugrats reference to a character under the employment of Angelica’s mother. At least, that’s what I think.

Zia: This is the only name I chose by playing the Marilyn Manson name game correctly. Zia’s name comes from Zia McCabe, the bassist/keyboardist of The Dandy Warhols.

Alexander: It was also based on alliteration, at the time.

About the Four Janes Along for the Ride

Again, this has to do with Britney Spears. At the time, I was into anti-Britney sites and noticed that some wanted fan fiction, so I thought about writing a fic about Sundown going on tour with her. The idea was that Sundown, with the help of these four musicians, recorded their full-length debut and delivered enough copies to be noticed by the pop princess. Of course, the video helped, too. Britney invites the band to open for her on her first big tour ever, and Rebecca takes her up on it. The two Rs then decide to bring back their fellow collaborators and make them a part of their band, raising the number from two people and a drum machine to six people and a bunch of electronics.

Here were the Four Janes original last names, based on the Marilyn Manson name game:

Heather Aniston: Jennifer Aniston (Heather also had a little sister named Jenny at the time)

Jonathan Spears: Britney Spears (A “Babs and Buster Bunny”-type situation, plus some embarrassment on the side, since he didn’t like Britney at the time)

Zia McGowan: Rose McGowan (I just liked the “Mc” attached to the first name, so I chose a different “Mc” last name)

Alexander Aguilera: Christina Aguilera (Alex was original named Andrew, but I changed it because Alexander was a better fit than Andrew)

Since then, they’ve been renamed, but I think their personalities haven’t changed much.

Though, I could be wrong. Heh-heh.

A Few More Things About the New Era

Here are some new things about my Daria-verse that all of you should know.

Alexandria’s Genesis: All six of my Mary Janes have this medical condition, which is nothing more than a completely different human genetic code that has recently split into two types:

Type I is the code that was discovered in England during The Middle Ages. Some of the characteristics include fair skin with a silver-esque shimmer, dark violet eyes, dark hair, etc. Raven, Rebecca, and Zia have Genesis Type I.

Type II is the code that was discovered in America during the 1960s, when both genetic codes were named after the first person to exhibit Type I. The only difference between Type I and II is that Type II lacks nearly all of the aesthetic characteristics found in I. Heather, Jonathan, and Alexander have Genesis Type II.

More will be explained in a following essay.

Sundown: They are to Kittie as Britney is to Christina, Mandy, Jessica, etc. Both bands actually have one thing in common--each band consists of members in their teens. That’s where the similarities end, though.

Raven and Rebecca formed Sundown during their days in Palm Springs. Raven handled vocal and guitar duties, and Rebecca handled bass, electronics, and vocal duties. She also operated the first of many drum machines that would bear the name of “Isis,” named after an Egyptian goddess. They put out a few singles and two live albums (all recorded on an eight-track machine) before leaving Palm Springs.

Later on, they added a certain cynical girl to handle bass duties so Rebecca could not only concentrate on singing and electronics, but also add a second guitar when needed. This lasted until after Halloween.

Then, they found four people who, like them, were extremely talented beyond their years and Sundown’s current era started it’s run.

Nightwind: Sundown’s indie label. Formed when Raven and Rebecca recorded their first single. It is also run by the Two R’s, but has not signed another artist yet; however, they may sign Mystik Spiral, if only Trent and Co. would, well, improve considerably. Nightwind has a distribution deal with Artemis Records, who also distribute Kittie’s first major release, Spit.

The Dominion: Sundown’s fan base. They named themselves after a Sundown standard, “Dominion/Mother Russia” by The Sisters of Mercy.

Open road racing: Raven and Rebecca are huge fans of this sport, which involves racing street-legal badasses on public highways, much like The Cannonball Run (which really did exist--in the 1970s), but in a safe, legal manner. Even though they are too young to participate, they actually have a replica DeTomaso Pantera ready to stretch its legs in the desert sands of Nevada, Mexico, and Texas. They also have plans for a replica DeTomaso Mangusta and a replica AMC AMX/3--a car that was this close to being put into production, but never was.

Amerisport: Speaking of replicas, this is the business in Lawndale that builds, well, replicas. Owned and operated by Zia’s parents, Roberto and Gia Stefani, this place builds replicas of cars that had American engines and European bodies, including Sunbeam Tigers, AMC AMX/2s, AMX/3s, and their own version of what might have been the AMX/4, a car the Stefanis designed themselves by using pictures of the AMXs and some modern styling cues.

That’s not all, however. They also sell Shelby CSX4000/7000-series Cobras and import Australian Fords and Holdens (GM in Australia).

Finally, Amerisport has its own garage, where they build hot rods, customs of the two- and four-wheeled variety, and perform miracles, such as converting front-wheel drive cars into either rear- or all-wheel drive (which is what is going on with Roberto’s 2000 Chrysler Concorde--it’s black-on-black w/ chrome wheels, and it has the right look to be RWD).

Carlos’s House of Wheels: It’s a used car dealership, run by two of Raven and Rebecca’s friends, Carlos Santana Rodriguez and Brianna Murphy. Behind the showrooms and offices, there is a junkyard with tons of badasses just waiting to be resurrected. Don’t ask why it’s called Carlos’s House of Wheels, though--you’ll never receive an answer, as Carlos and Brianna usually start arguing over the name whenever the question is brought up.

Planet Daria-era: This term applies to the two fics I wrote when this once-living Daria fan site was around, the two fics being What’s With Their Eyes? and Raven vs. Ms. Barch. These two writings, plus the “essay,” Purple Eyes and Other Interesting Anomalies, belong in this era, which ended when Planet Daria imploded due to lack of finances, and when I lost interest in the anti-Britney Spears bandwagon (that was when PEaOIA was written).

Detonation Boulevard-era: This is the name of the new era of Raven, Rebecca, and Company. It is named after the song of the same name by The Sisters of Mercy. I think the title fits, considering the plans I have for my Janes. In fact, here are the lyrics to that song! Read and decide for yourselves…

Detonation Boulevard

On Detonation Boulevard...

Through the angel rain
Through the dust and the gasolene
Through the cruelty of strangers
To the neon dream
Long distance information
Just tell me where the manholes steam
A little girl waits on my station
With a new machine
 
On Detonation Boulevard...
 
I got wrecked out here
In a Eldorado
I got wired, white-walled
This hot-wired sedan
I caught something weird in Encenada
I've a brother of sorts in Torquemada
Long distance information
Disconnect me if you can
 
On Detonation Boulevard...
 
Pink noise, white noise,
And a violet whining sound
It burns inside this car
No cops, no signs, no left, no right
No stops, no turning round
Well you can run but you can't ride
You won't get far
 
On Detonation Boulevard..
Bang-bang
 
On Detonation Boulevard...
 
Through the angle rain
Through the rust and the gasolene
Through the cruelty of strangers
To the neon dream
Long distance information
I'll take the same
I got the fuel for the transformation
I'm a naked flame
 
On Detonation Boulevard...
Bang-bang

Here are the statistics of my Mary Janes!

The Stats

Name: Raven Giuliani

Age (2000): 17

Sex: Male

Birth date: August 29, 1983

Birthplace: Palm Springs, CA

Sun-Moon: Virgo-Taurus

Height: 5 ft, 6 in

Weight: 125 lbs

Hair: Dk brown

Eyes: Dk violet

Skin: Fair

Ethnicity: Dutch, Irish, Italian

Sexual/Gender Orientation: Bisexual/Androgyne

Religion: Non-religious

Celebrity Resemblance: Gillian Anderson, The X-Files

Name: Rebecca Milano

Age (2000): 17

Sex: Female

Birth date: May 12, 1983

Birthplace: Palm Springs, CA

Sun-Moon: Taurus-Scorpio

Height: 5 ft, 6 in

Weight: 130 lbs

Hair: Dk brown

Eyes: Dk violet

Skin: Fair

Ethnicity: French, Irish, Italian

Sexual/Gender Orientation: Bisexual/Androgyne

Religion: Non-religious

Celebrity Resemblance: Lindsay Felton, Caitlin’s Way

Name: Heather Soprano

Age (2000): 17

Sex: Female

Birth date: September 10, 1983

Birthplace: North Caldwell, NJ

Sun-Moon: Virgo-Scorpio

Height: 5 ft, 6 in

Weight: 126 lbs

Hair: Black

Eyes: Dk blue

Skin: Fair

Ethnicity: French, Italian

Sexual/Gender Orientation: Lesbian/Non-transgendered

Religion: Non-practicing Catholic

Celebrity Resemblance: Rose McGowan, Jawbreaker

Name: Jonathan Soprano

Age (2000): 16

Sex: Male

Birth date: November 07, 1984

Birthplace: North Caldwell, NJ

Sun-Moon: Scorpio-Taurus

Height: 6 ft, 2 in

Weight: 210 lbs

Hair: Dk brown

Eyes: Dk brown

Skin: Olive

Ethnicity: French, Italian

Sexual/Gender Orientation: Heterosexual/Non-transgendered

Religion: Non-practicing Catholic

Celebrity Resemblance: David Duchovny, The X-Files

Name: Zia Stefani

Age (2000): 16

Sex: Female

Birth date: May 02, 1983

Birthplace: Chicago, IL

Sun-Moon: Taurus-Capricorn

Height: 5 ft, 9 in

Weight: 132 lbs

Hair: Dk brown

Eyes: Dk violet

Skin: Fair

Ethnicity: Irish, Italian

Sexual/Gender Orientation: Bisexual/Androgyne

Religion: Pagan

Celebrity Resemblance: Laura Prepon, That ‘70s Show

Name: Alexander Versace

Age (2000): 16

Sex: Male

Birth date: September 02, 1984

Birthplace: San Francisco, CA

Sun-Moon: Virgo-Sagittarius

Height: 5 ft, 8 in

Weight: 136 lbs

Hair: Dk brown

Eyes: Dk brown

Skin: Lt tan

Ethnicity: French, Irish, Italian

Sexual/Gender Orientation: Homosexual/Non-transgendered

Religion: Pagan

Celebrity Resemblance: Nick Carter, Backstreet Boys

Now that you know a little more about my Daria-verse, here’s a new history of Raven and Rebecca!

The Story of Raven and Rebecca

Once upon a time in Palm Springs, California, two beautiful children lived in the shadow of the desert. Their names were Raven Giuliani and Rebecca Milano.

They each had two very loving parents who worked hard in order to maintain their middle class life in the town Sonny Bono governed. Giuliani’s mother was a successful lawyer and his father was a construction contractor. Milano’s parents ran a local Porsche dealership. They didn’t have everything, of course, but Giuliani and Milano did have the ideal childhood, and each other.

They also had a band called Sundown. This collaboration came about in February of 1996 when Giuliani and Milano were given their first guitars. Before then, both took singing and piano lessons for a few years. Eventually, the group purchased a drum machine and a bass guitar. On Giuliani’s 14th birthday, Sundown arrived. Sadly, this would be the last birthday he would celebrate with his parents.

On June 02, 1998, at around 1:00 AM, both sets of parents were killed in an auto accident involving a drunk driver and a tanker truck. A few days later, the teens were relocated to Lawndale, Maryland.

After adjusting to their new surroundings provided by their aunts, Giuliani and Milano met their first new friend, Jane Lane. They spent most of their summer with her and her brother, Trent.

Then, on the first day of school, they met another girl named Daria Morgendorffer, as well as their new classmates.

With the deaths of their parents still in their minds, Giuliani and Milano began writing songs for what would become their first album, The Wake. They also found four new and extremely talented members in Lawndale, and recorded the debut album for the duo’s own indie label, Nightwind, during their winter break.

On January 12, 1999, The Wake was released via the Internet and through the label’s distributor, Artemis Records. To promote the album, the new band made a video for the title track with the help of Nigel Dick, the same director who helped a young girl from Louisiana go from Mickey Mouse to America’s newest teen pop princess.

A few weeks later, Britney Spears saw the video on TRL, and became a fan instantly. She eventually tracked down Milano and the two met at Milano’s home. What came out of their first meeting would soon lead to an opening slot on Spears’ first solo tour, a slot Sundown could not pass up.

The band spent most of their summer touring the US and Canada before returning to Lawndale for a special homecoming concert at High Hills Park. Giuliani, Milano, and Company found themselves returning to their home as conquering heroes, not only for the world of rock, but for the higher end of the music world as well.

This is where the new Raven and Rebecca era picks up. I’ll eventually go back in time to when their parents were killed and cover the first year of their stay in Lawndale. As of this moment, though, this is year zero for my characters and my Daria-verse.

In Closing

My Janes and I are ready to shake things up, break some ass, make some noise, take some names, etc. Hopefully, some will come along and enjoy the ride in Rebecca’s 1970 Olds Vista Cruiser. I know there is some who wish my Janes would just die, though. Maybe it’s because they’re Janes, maybe it’s because nearly all of my Janes wave rainbow flags, or maybe it’s something else entirely. If you’re one those types, then all I can say is that you avoid us like the plague (which, we all know, won’t happen--ask Howard Stern and Don & Mike) or, frankly, just piss off.

As for the rest of you, break out your American, British, Italian, or Australian badasses, bring some friends, and follow us in the Cruiser to High Hills Park for a wild party you’ll never, ever, forget. Believe me, you won’t regret it.

For those about to rock, we salute you.

Blessed Be,

Stefanie Acela

September 13, 2000