There's no way that what Claude and Xandra have could be construed as rushing into something simply because everyone else is doing it. Now see, I would never play two halves of a couple. I don't think I could do it; it's hard enough for me to keep track of the half I do play. I also think that those who come in with OCs from their own fiction (fanfic or other) have a different agenda, let's say, than some players at some other games. That's just my suspicion, though.

I certainly don't consider myself to be the be-all and end-all of roleplay. There are as many styles as there are players and characters wanting to be played, and who am I to say someone does it right or does it wrong. I've just been doing it long enough to notice certain trends that like to repeat themselves.