STATUS:
I'm going to try my hand at drawing my gf as a Pokemon trainer with her six favourite Pokemon for valentine's/our anniversary. Wish me luck!
5 yrs ago
Current
I'm going to try my hand at drawing my gf as a Pokemon trainer with her six favourite Pokemon for valentine's/our anniversary. Wish me luck!
8
likes
5 yrs ago
Got a drawing tablet, time to draw porn
11
likes
5 yrs ago
Seeing actual bushfire footage looks straight out of Hell... It moves so quickly and so powerfully, literally the trees just ignite. You firefighters are absolute legends, but please, don't die.
2
likes
5 yrs ago
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE FUTURE! LOVE, AUSTRALIA
5
likes
5 yrs ago
Today ain't Christmas, it's garbage day!
Bio
◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈
T H E N E R D / T H E L E G E N D
You are the wind at my back and the sword at my side;
D E L T A 4 4
together, my love, we shall build a peaceful world.
F A N B O Y O F F I R E E M B L E M
Just you...
S H I P P E R O F C H R O B I N
and me.
Welcome to my little personal den of Hell! Sorry, sorry, I meant my personal profile. Same thing, right?
I'm a roleplayer, same as any around here. I've been doing it for about five years now, coming up to six in September. Its been quite the time, thinking back. I started out fresh as can be, understanding the basics of writing but never quite knowing how to become better, or become as great as those around me. In the end, I did the only thing I really knew at the time:
Write as much garbage as possible and hope for the best!
As you can see, that particular tactic fucking failed. Jokes aside, I like to think I've developed a lot over the years, both as a writer and as a person. However, absolutely nothing can dissuade my weeaboo ways and supporting my OTP with all that I can freaking muster! If you haven't already guessed, said OTP is Chrom x Robin (Chrobin) from Fire Emblem: Awakening. Highly recommend the game, there's a reason (other than nintendo's cheapskate attitude) that it hasn't dropped in price, it's honestly the best place to start off in the series. And hey, maybe you'll end up addicted like me and want to buy every game on the 3DS like a fucking loony?
Speaking of loonies, the Fire Emblem Chrobin Comic Dub Project has recently finished, so for those of you who also appreciate the best ship in existence, I highly recommend it. Hell, even if you're not interested in that, I do highly recommend watching it for those into fantasy love stories. The quality improves drastically with each episode, so trust me when I say by the end of it you should be thoroughly impressed. It has helped motivate me in ways I can hardly describe with words, and so I thought the least I could do was put this out there. Maybe it's not for everyone, but I know it was the perfect thing for me.
"Do you think you can tip any of the scales in here?" "Chrom, for the love of Naga, I'm thinking..."
"So I heard."
"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know."
There is a universe. No-one knows it's name, where gravity wasn't strong enough to bind matter together and no stars formed. And because no stars formed, no stars exploded. And because no stars exploded, no planets came about. And because no planets came about, there was no life.
There's another universe, no one knows it's name, where gravity was strong enough and did light the stars and planets came about and boy, they were gorgeous, planets in perpetual winter, planets in perpetual summer, planets that could rival the Garden of Eden and no bloody snakes! And on one of them, eventually, complex life evolved and one of the species developed large brains learned things like manners and dabbing, when they looked up at the stars and wonder what they were doing here. You called them octopuses, I suppose. Gosh, they were clever, for octopuses, and one of them, several million years in, almost wrote something in ink on the seafloor, a message to its friend. And the message almost read: "Hi! How are you?" And a few millennia later, space folder back on itself and, you get the idea. Goodbye Octopi.
There's another universe, where life formed on every planet, in every solar system, and it was carbon-based, it was silicon based, it was made of crystals and water and plasma, it was made of quantum fields and light, and everything was alive, everything was doing a boogie, and it was everybody's birthday, everyday, relatively, and everyone got presents, and they had over a trillion languages, some written down, some only spoken, some conducted telepathically, and they bought a galactic civilization together, as a perfect unity, sharing stories, sharing technology, speaking a common tongue, understanding everything about how the cosmos been put together. And finally, when everything was sorted, the galaxies were arranged into perfect geometric formations, transmitting pure love, and wisdom, and birthday greetings to all species in the universe, for all time. Papercuts never happened, coke came in glass bottles, no one even remembered the word for war, everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.
And yet, for a quirk in their evolution, because resources weren't scarce enough on the planets these species developed on, not a single creature in the universe was conscious. Food was eaten and no-one enjoyed it. Movies were released, and there was no laughing, or crying. No-one chuckled at a joke. Ever. Space collapsed back on itself, eventually, and there hadn't been a single moment of sentience in the entire history of creation.
There's another universe, where the strong force is too strong the weak force is too weak and nothing forms. Another, where life develops too late when the Stars have all gone beyond the light boundary and there's nothing to even see. Another with too many dimensions. Another with not enough. Another where time goes in the opposite direction, and species begin as gods, and wind backwards to cells, and never learn to survive. Another that only lasts milliseconds, and collapses in on itself, and heads straight back to oblivion. And that's how it just might be, across all possible universes, across all possible space times. Problems with the laws of nature, not enough resources, missteps in evolution. An atlas of dead-ends.
Then again, there is one exception.
There's another universe, a big one, where life is rare, where intelligent life is very rare indeed, the stars are very distant from each other, the laws of nature are very complex, it's extremely lonely for any species developing, and most never even develop at all, but somewhere, we believe, is a planet where the oceans are vast, and the climate is varied. Where the smartest species on the planet may have developed just the right mix of ambition and kindness. And if you were to travel there, to this unbelievably rare statistical anomaly, to this impossibly lucky planet, where evolution, biology, chemistry, nae, the laws of physics themselves have come together to create sentient intelligent life, you may be able to catch the native inhabitants singing for joy. Of what an impossibly lucky, and rare position they find themselves in. It is a chant of gratitude, a ritual of showing appreciation for ending up in perhaps the one universe, in the one solar system, on the one planet with all the basic ingredients for intelligent, conscious life.
🅷🅴🅻🅻'🆂 🅿🅰🆁🅰🅳🅸🆂🅴 🅰🅲🅰🅳🅴🅼🅸🅰 | a 'My Hero Academia' RP For Rejects and Underdogs
The people who got me here are the ones I must thank. This journey wouldn't be possible without them. But it's OK now, because I've finally made it.
Finally. I am a Symbol of Peace.
'On the first day, God said, “Let there be light.”
And indeed, the first child was of light, burning bright, burning fierce.
But with resplendence came repugnance, with radiance came wickedness, with light came shadow, for power fell upon good and evil equally.
Great villains heralded great heroes. Great heroes heralded great villains. And when both pillars crumbled under the weight of their ideals, what remained?
Does it shine with hope? Does it burn with despair?
It beckons to all, ringing across the endless sky, the star of the one that will usher a new age.
But who will reach out to pluck that star?
…
I will.'
Welcome, Heroes, to your Origin Story. Whether you're someone joining us for the third time, or someone who is simply looking for a platform to express their heroic dreams and stumbled upon us, I hope you'll stick around and give me a chance. This is something of a passion project now, seeing as it has been restarted twice over, but dammit if I'll just let this die without seeing us through a single season! Third time's the charm, right?
Anyways, for those of you who know what this RP is you can probably skip ahead, though I recommend new players take the time to read this, as it will provide the basics of the RP to come.
| ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕖 |
When the Symbol of Peace felled the shadow king behind Japan’s Underworld, he fell with alongside him, ending the Golden age of peace and prosperity in the Land of the Rising Sun. Despite the best efforts of professional heroes and the government, the pent-up frustrations of society’s miscreants couldn’t be stoppered and the crime rate rose dramatically. In some parts of Japan, the Yakuza once again became the chivalrous ‘gray’ organization that locals depended on. In other parts of Japan, especially major cities, the sight of heroes patrolling amongst the sound of distant sirens has become commonplace. And further off, in mountains and forests, smaller communities have formed up, seeking safety and peace in isolation.
It had been three years since society’s pillar crumbled, and the virulent malignance that was ‘Villainy’ showed no signs of ceasing, no matter how fast, how thorough, how hard the heroes had worked. To make matters worse, whether through natural tragedy or manufactured design, the Quirk gene had begun manifesting within animals at a much faster rate than normal. A rat with superhuman knowledge was one thing, but when an innocuous kitten sprouted steel-penetrating spikes? When the monkey in the cage grew ten times in size? Their strength monstrous, their nature vicious, was a threat incomprehensible to heroes that had grown accustomed to a certain ‘human restraint’ inside their mortal enemies. All that added further to the strain put upon society, matters only exacerbating when the earthquakes and tsunamis that have historically always been a part of Japan’s plights manifested themselves.
In the east, UA still produced wonderful heroes. In the west, Shiketsu did the same. And, from the perspective of an individual, at the very least, society had not grown too horrible, too dreary. Normalcy bias was a wonderful thing, after all, and no matter how many horrors occurred in the country, in the far off prefecture, in your prefecture, in your city, it was easy enough for many to believe that the world was still ‘fine’.
In the worst case scenario, after all, Japan could depend on the Number 1 Heroes of other countries.
But not everyone believed in a fail-safe. Not everyone believed that a powerful Quirk made a hero. Not everyone could sleep at night in peace simply because ‘it could be worse’.
In a quiet part of Japan, nestled among beautiful forests and mountains, with the ocean merely a couple hours drive away, Jigokuraku Academy opened its doors, welcoming anyone who wanted to be a hero and was told they couldn’t.
It could always get worse. But why not make it better?
CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUS RP WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED IN RED
𝕊𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℕ𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤
This RP is set in the Chiba Prefecture, three years after All Might defeated All For One, and then ended up dying from injuries himself. Outside of those two deceased characters, there are no others from the MHA canon. In terms of being famous schools for raising up young heroes, a year after the fall of All Might, U.A. spearheaded a project titled 'The Four Pillars'. This project is an attempt at easing the public through the demonstration and presentation of heroes-in-the-making from Japan's top schools: U.A. High, Shiketsu High, Ketsubutsu Academy, and Seiai Academy. The project is entering its second year, and will have plot relevance.
Heroes are paid with monthly salaries that persist even if they are hospitalized, but this salary varies depending on how highly ranked they are. Only those within the top 50 nationally, the top 10 within their prefecture, or specialist heroes with exceptionally useful Quirks can afford to work full-time as professional heroes. Others must take jobs on the side or get sponsored by large corporations, which comes with its own set of challenges.
While the police force still cooperates happily with heroes, the JSDF, which has beefed up over the years following the climactic battle between Good and Evil, sees heroes as costumed thugs that are out of control. The JSDF is mainly tasked with exterminating Quirk-empowered animals, occasionally collaborating with heroes in that regard.
With the emergence of more villains, and thus, more people being in positive relationships with villains, there has been public backlash about heroes applying excessive force or causing collateral damage in their fights against evil. A few rather famous heroes during the Symbol of Peace era have been forced to retire in the post-Peace era due to the inherently destructive nature of their Quirks causing way more lawsuits than they can afford to challenge.
One can now apply for Quirk Usage Licenses without taking a Provisional Hero License exam, as long as they only use said quirks in their designated workspaces. This has benefited the construction industry the most, allowing society to, if nothing else, recover quickly after a disaster. The incident response team (police, firefighters, ambulance), however, are still considered the dumping ground for those who are ‘heroic’ but lack the Quirks to become ‘heroes’. Using a Quirk outside of your designated workspace will end up in the license being revoked and a one year suspension before you can reapply. Students who wish to become heroes naturally must take the exam.
If one were to consider the general power levels of Quirks possessed between professions, it'll be ranked from highest to lowest: Heroes > JSDF > Construction > Police > Everything Else.
Though not quite as powerful as during AFO’s reign, Japan’s criminal underworld has grown stronger at a steady rate, with prominent organizations and individuals being the main focus of the heroic efforts.
Nomus do not currently exist. However, Quirk-Altering Drugs and substances do, though it is highly classified.
This RP may turn out to be a bit darker than My Hero Academia currently is, but its darkness probably won't ever compare to GOBLIN SLAYER. It's still a RP about heroic wannabes, after all~!
𝔸𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 ℚ𝕦𝕚𝕣𝕜𝕤
When thinking up a Quirk for your character, keep it simple. Your characters are most likely individuals who ended up applying to Jigokuraku Academy because their abilities aren’t impressive enough to get into other schools, though some exceptions may apply. Perhaps the power output is lacking, such as the difference between Bakugou’s meteoric explosions and some random’s balloon-bursting explosion. Perhaps the application is too limited, such as the difference between Momo’s ability to create everything compared to a poor lad’s ability to create only bean bags. Perhaps it’s just an ability that one can only use a few times before getting knocked out, such as the difference between Todoroki’s endless waves of ice and fire compared to some curly haired bastard’s ability to only do superpunches by breaking his own arms. Regardless of what it is, the focus of the RP is to find creative applications in an unimpressive power and make it hella cool, not to start off with the grand prize of a power lottery and ascend to greatness from there.
That said, I won't object to quirks becoming powerful later down the road. People want to be cool heroes, I get that, but you won't be one-punching giant robots in the first act like our dear Deku. People that apply for powerful quirks in the beginning need to understand they will have SEVERE drawbacks to balance them out, and I will be taking a quirk's weaknesses into account in all scenarios. The focus of this RP is a little different to the previous one: anybody can become a hero, even those who don't feel like they have the natural talent to be one, can become one. My hope is that the players will find interesting ways to explore this idea and create unique character arcs about overcoming adversity, in a way that is reminiscent yet distinct from My Hero Academia.
Use your head and your guts, not your once-in-a-thousand-years talent. I will be judging most Quirks with this sort of criteria in mind. Your quirks may grow slowly, so keep that in mind when you apply. And remember, just because you start at the bottom doesn't mean you won't get your chance to rise up, too.
As a final note: support quirks are highly valued in the hero industry due to the public's change in opinion on what a hero needs to be. The support heroes of modern times attract large followings from older audiences, and receive benefits if they go pro. Students with supportive quirks that strictly help others often have their heroics scored around how much they can assist someone else. Feel free to play as a support hero if you would like to try something new!
𝕂𝕀ℝ𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕄𝔸 ℂ𝕀𝕋𝕐
A picture of Kirisama City, taken four years ago.
A city within the Chiba Prefecture of Japan, Kirisama City is one of many cities that had suffered greatly from the initial chaos that followed All Might's death. Having only been reclaimed by heroes one year past, the city still bears many marks of the destructive powers that had been displayed here. Construction crews work tirelessly to remove rubble and replace infrastructure, but with steep mountains on one side and a rough ocean on the other side, it's been difficult to transport larger materials, slowing down reconstruction processes. However, the residents themselves are accustomed to hardship and lacking supplies, taking the nonchalant attitude of 'it can't be helped'. Most houses have a garden in the yard, while bikes attached to carts serve as a replacement for cars. Despite the destruction wrought upon the downtown district, Kirisama still retains its natural charm, and has a surprisingly robust indie music scene.
Opened up recently, Jigokuraku Academy is nestled in the forest of one of the steeper mountains bordering Kirisama City. To reach civilization proper would require a daunting 524 descent down stone staircases, while the ascent is similarly brutal. There are no roads leading up to the Academy, and it's said that the Principal of the school had most building materials airlifted, before doing the construction herself, as if it was a massive IKEA project.
Built around a small shrine, the Academy features three floors, but only the first floor, for the first years, is properly stocked. There is running water, electricity, gas, and plumbing, but due to its close proximity to nature, there are a variety of pests as well, from mice to cockroaches. Such dire circumstances can't even be compared to the state of the dorms in Jigokuraku, however, a bare, five-story concrete building with basic utilities such as water and electricity but no actual furniture.
The Principal calls this set-up 'Spartan' and believes that her students should toughen up and renovate it to their own liking. Most other people think she's acting out on some deep psychological trauma though.
No less than 14 different shrines can be found in the town of Kirisama, each tucked away from civilization yet frequently visited by those who wish to seek divine counsel, whether for love, studies, or life. Cared for by the shrine maidens of the Toujou family, it is often assumed that the offerings are taken as donations to the shrine themselves, but offerings of food left on a Monday will not be present when the shrine maiden comes on Friday.
There is a central shrine of sorts, set halfway up one of Kirisama's mountains. It is this shrine that people go to for major festivals and events, such as New Years Celebrations. Most of the time though, it is the loneliest shrine, its paper lanterns ceaselessly burning through the night.
What sort of Japanese town would it be without a Lawson? A 24/7 convenience store that's pretty much everywhere else in Japan as well, the Lawson at Kirisama is a relatively new branch, having only opened a couple years back. Now, it's a relatively popular destination for students to get cheap junk food or work at minimum wage. Of course, there's been rumors that Lawson's competitor, Family Mart, has also been planning to expand into Kirisama...
Also, all the female employees are cute, young girls, while all the male employees are balding, fat men. Wonder how that happened.
Translating into Clover Bakery if you used Google Translate, Boulangerie le Trefle is one of the few food trucks going about Kirisama, always ready to serve European pastries to those who are willing to pay the aureate price. Run by two friends (Sachi-chan and Ami-chan) who totally didn't drop out of high school, it's often set up nearby the ports, where the employees would then bring out a bunch of collapsible tables and chairs, creating a portable cafe of sorts. Sadly, their coffee sucks, but hey, what sort of Japanese person drinks coffee? It's all about tea, after all!
No one has told them that the spelling on their truck is incorrect and lived to tell the tale.
Named after some fancy French aristocrat that was apparently vital to Kirisama City's development in the 19th century, the history being the Madeleine Courtyards is all but lost now. Instead, the beautiful trees throughout the season and the naturally secluded nature of the Courtyards have made this particular spot an amazingly popular place for couples to hang out. There's even a rumor going on about how, if the fog rolls in while you're on your date, there's a definite 100% chance that the guy you're with is the one that's for you! With a hipster-y coffeehouse a block away and unique acoustics that seem to deflect the sounds of neighboring traffic, it certainly is on every date's checklist.
There's another rumor, that guys who bring fog machines to falsely create the first rumor will be smote by a balding midget with Chinese buns.
The Far East Mall is a social gathering hub for the youth of Kirisama, though it's still recovering from the destruction after the fall of All Might. Many stores remain closed throughout the mall, showing signs of break-ins and robberies, but the improved security as of late has helped tremendously. It hosts a variety music stores, clothing outlets, and superhero merch, giving a strong sense of quality local businesses. Nobody but the locals would be crazy enough to expand in such a costly city, right?
Job opportunities are abundant and varied for students looking to work. Only problem is it's quite a walk from Kirisama to Kyokuto, assuming you can't catch the bus. To those that do walk... Good luck.
| 𝕄𝕪 𝕀𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕤, ℝ𝕦𝕝𝕖𝕤, 𝕖𝕥𝕔. |
I want to remain as invested as possible in this RP, and I hope to make that easy on the players too. To no fault of their own, the previous GMs who tried to push this forward had other commitments which lead to its dissolution, and as someone who has done the same in the past, I completely understand and do not fault them. They did well getting us this far.
Now, I want to get this RP the rest of the way. And I have a few plans going in to make this easier for everyone involved. It will require some effort, but I think these ideas will help sustain the RP and keep posting constant, even if things like the real world and apathy get in the way.
TL;DR POSTS - This will be MANDATORY for ALL posts, including my own, for the entire duration of the RP. For posts longer than three paragraphs, including collabs and info dumps, a single paragraph at the end of the post labelled "tl;dr" will be added to it. Simply put, these will be (at most) a paragraph of the previous post condensed to the most important points, carrying all the necessary information for others to make responses. This is to keep post flow constant for people who don't have the time to read super long posts, and ensure nobody is being slowed down or left out. You may also write it out in a list format, if that's easier for you. Put these in hiders at the top or bottom of a post to prevent clutter; so long as it's easy to find and easy to read. If you left something out of your tl;dr that was important, then it didn't happen. |I MAY GRANT EXCEPTIONS TO THIS FINAL POINT, HOWEVER I WILL BE VERY STRICT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS.|
SHORT POSTS - Short-posting (posts a paragraph or less, or otherwise containing a small word count) is allowed, and can come from either the GM(s) or the players. That said, sentence-long dialogue, quick actions in fights, and things that affect the overall quality of writing are not allowed, and should be handled in a collab post, where these things usually take place. Pretty sure the reasons for short posting will be self-explanatory (a character responding to another's statement without much else to add, for example), though if it is due to IRL reasons please let us know OOC. Lets make this an easy experience for everyone, m'kay?
PLAYER CONTROL - If a player is unable to control their character in an event they normally would, I will make the action for them. Since I'll have your juicy backstory secrets and motives at my disposal, I should be able to do this easily, and I'll keep to basics so it isn't much of a problem. IF the situation allows it, I'll allow for you to retcon your character's action I made and replace it with your own, though it is up to you to change that and label the actions that need changing. Put them in the tl;dr section if need be, and make sure the top of your post clearly states that it has changed something previously established. If you want to retcon something you read, post it in OOC ASAP, so both I and other players know not to involve it in the next round of posting. Again, keep in mind there may be situations where you cannot change what has already been done, but I'll be lenient with this - it's your character, after all.
SEASONS AND PLAYER CHOICE - Like the anime, this RP will progress in "Seasons", consisting of pre-established events that the players can interact with. As of writing this, I have the groundwork for the first season almost finished, and the ideas for seasons 2 & 3 in the works. Players will receive episodic updates IC which will signify the pace of the current season, as well as an OOC overview of what's hinted to come. As we reach a new season, the OOC overview will be updated, going into more detail of what's to come. This is to help players plan their journey and help them find a place for their own character arcs, as well as keep discussion for the RP alive. Player choice will be a big part of the RP; it's up to you guys whether this becomes an inspiring epic or a disheartening tragedy (IC), and it's my hope you'll interact with your fellow players to keep things fun for everyone.
TEAM EFFORT - I'm looking for dedicated players in this RP, people who are willing to stick it for the long haul. Even if things get difficult, I want them to be able to post thanks to the methods I've provided, so we can keep this going and make it FUN! I'm also looking for dedicated co-GMs to help me out. This is a pretty big project, and the first time I've GM'd something in years, so forgive me if I'm a little rusty. Many hands make for light work, after all, so the more we all put in for one-another, the better it will make the RP overall. Players and co-GMs alike will be free to recommend plot suggestions and devices, events, and other nifty shit for us to try out, both for serious and not-so-serious moments. Just keep in mind that if you want something specific which could affect multiple players' experience with the RP, it likely won't be taken on-board. Dividing the playerbase is something I've personally been a culprit of in the past, and I want to learn from my mistakes by addressing this. Sudden twists have a time and place.
POSTING WON'T ALWAYS BE EXCITING - We all know this will happen at some point, be it IC or OOC, things won't always be a blast. IC, we'll have plenty of action to go around, but remember there needs to be downtime as well. I'll need the players to post during these times as well and try and take advantage of situations that aren't combat related. The opposite is also true; you unfortunately can't always create character progression in a combat scenario, though this IS a MHA RP so it's likely to happen. Please stick with the RP during this time or mention if you don't feel like posting so much, so I can make plans to advance the game. And please hold me to a certain posting standard as well. Sometimes I need a good slap to get myself going, and I do want to post at least once a week. Feel free to call me out for any bullshit I might pull and don't give a good reason for.
| 𝕊𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕤 |
I'll be expanding season 1 if I get the interest for this going. Season 2 will then be updated to look similar to season 1 now, which will continue as the RP progresses. You can expect more detail from these short preludes in the future, though it won't give away any secrets.
𝔼𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝔼𝕩𝕒𝕞
This is simply the events of the entrance exam reposted, in case anyone is interested in reading it. I'll provide a summary of the exam if this gains traction, but I'd rather gauge for interest before I end up overworking to death.
Jigokuraku Academy opens its' doors for the first time, and with it a new breed of Heroes. The entrance exam proved that the school would be using unorthodox methods compared to the many other schools out there, having pitted teacher against student in a simulated rescue mission. Several classes of first year students convene outside the front gate, some ready to begin their journey through adolescence and Heroics, some not. Little do these students know, Kirisama's darkness is stirring, threatening the peace of both the students and the residents.
TBA
| 𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 ℕ𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤 |
I'd like to extend a huge thank you to eRode for doing the world-building and laying the groundwork for this RP, and Stalfos for continuing to support it even though things slowed down considerably towards the end last time. I'd be happy to have you both as players or take up spots as fellow GMs, and I hope I do your creations justice. As a footnote I also need to ask for eRode's permission to use rocket arms girl. Thank you to anyone willing to give this a chance, even if the past two attempts haven't turned out ideally very long, and an extra special thank you to those sticking with me despite the setbacks! I hope I can turn this RP into something we can all enjoy for a long time to come.
The OOC will go into more detail on specifics, like rules and character sheets, so don't worry if anything here seems a tad open-ended or confusing. I might also create a Discord to help with organisation and discussion, to better the RP experience. There are still plenty of kinks to be worked out and the fleshing out of the overall story (although I have a general idea for the first year), so please bear with me. Anyways I've spent far too much time on this and it's honestly long enough already, so I'll just leave it at that and tag ya'll. Toodles!
Many small games in a larger game world which can interact, influence, and change the way each group experiences the RP.
In essence, a Persistent World! If I'm a smuggler or bounty hunter or farmer or whathaveyou, and for some reason I state at the beginning of the RP I want to go to Planet X, a neutral planet, then I should be allowed to do so. I go to the planet, do my business, then return to the first planet. A little while later I want to return there again, except this time I can't go. Why? Some bloody Jedi ran a campaign through there and now it has a blockade around it! I know it's simple, but I really do want the game world to feel like it's changing. I think the best way to do this would be to give the players a list of contestable planets between Sith Base and Jedi Base, which act as important social (for the players) gathering points. Give them value IC as well, say one planet is the equivalent of Coruscant and has a massive trade culture. Another could be making breakthroughs in farming/fuel technology, another makes clones or something, so that there's reason for the players to explore and interact. The Sith are opting to buyout a tech company's latest ship models? Jedi intel heard, better get a recon team to intercept it! Uh-oh, they got caught, now they're being hunted down and have to escape.
I think the word I'm looking for is "dynamic". Make it that, because that can be really awesome! I think players would like it if their actions had consequences, and could stir up some really interesting scenarios. The only PW I was in was the first I ever joined, like Hank, and thinking back these were some pretty important aspects to what made it so successful. Everyone should know that the important thing they are doing IC can and likely will be interrupted by someone else, but that doesn't mean you can't enhance your own ideas using what others have put forward. My mind keeps going to a deep confession scene interrupted by a devastating ambush as an example.
I don't think an overarching plot is necessary, per-say, however making sure there are things that are happening, and that those things can affect most of the players involved, is crucial. Instead of having a traditional plot where a group of heroes save the universe (yadda yadda), we need groups of heroes doing what they themselves want to do. Thankfully Star Wars helps with this considerably, as there are many existing factions which can help players interact, namely the Jedi, Sith, and Bounty Hunters. Said groups can have an overarching goal. I imagine Sith vs Jedi being a good start, as an intergalactic war is a surefire way to make sure something is happening most of the time. That's not to say there can't be downtime, but it means both the players and the moderators can create their own scenarios with relative ease and get other people interested. So a group of Jedi might be taking a mission on Planet X, another on Planet Y. The Sith may also have a group on Planet Y, but also on Planet Z. Depending on what these groups want out of the experience, they can be shifted around to be grouped or isolated. Maybe two groups want to do combat, they can both go to Planet Y. Another group wants to do an assassination mission, but is open to interaction with other players, so they can also be put on Planet Y.
Of course this will take a lot of organisational skill to run, but having multiple reliable mods can help ease that burden. Apparently disappearing mods was quite problematic for Expanding Horizons, so it'll be a good idea to make sure the current group is ready in advance. I'd recommend either a dedicated posting time (once a week?), or have both the players and mods put a tl;dr paragraph at the bottom detailing their post, so people with less time can focus on writing rather than reading. I prefer this second option, personally, because it'll mean the flow of the RP can continue and new players won't have to read through pages and pages of text just to get caught up. I'd also recommend creating a "database" thread of sorts, detailing everything that has happened in the RP so people can catch up when they need to. This will be much more important for a Star Wars persistent world, because there will be things that happen which can drastically alter the universe. I imagine a dedicated mod taking this position, and individual moderators PMing them the details of, for example, a week's worth of posts, which they then re-write in an order which makes sense.
Lastly, for the love of god, players need to understand that they will be taking their narrative into their own hands. This is something that confused me in Expanding Horizons when I attempted to join, and I'm sure it made others a little confused, too. The groups that form need to understand they'll be working together to make a story, and should voice their opinions on what they want so nothing collapses halfway through. Not too sure if this was a problem for the groups in EH, but as someone who wanted something specific out of the experience, I left because I didn't speak up and ask around or create my own thread. Players need to know they're all adopting a semi-GM role here, and sometimes they'll have to write for themselves, unless they gain the interest of others.
But yeah, that's basically it. Maybe try to streamline the CS too; I liked the power system attempting to create balance, but it was... big. Expansive lore can create balance all on its own, so as long as everyone is on the same page. Give a hard limit on power. If the groups can interact on top of this, then we should be golden.
The players' reaction when they can't RP with anyone because they want something too specific:
Star Wars has a lot over EH, largely because it is it's own pre-established universe and isn't as incoherent. It was like everyone was spread too thin, looking for something far too specific imo. Coming up with scenarios in Star Wars is easy, and because people can be more aligned in what they want, I'm hopeful things will turn out for the better this time around. Getting groups together means more reason to interact and create a story, which means less players taking the Grievous route. EH was a nice idea, but I think this should work better.
Just as Azukina had thought she might get to speak with a fellow student one-to-one, fellow examinees began to approach the two, which she supposed made sense considering they stood out so much. Mari was by far the tallest female student, perhaps even the tallest student overall, and Azuki herself was a head above the rest, which was saying nothing of her hair. In a world full of oddities and oddballs, the real weird looking ones came from the eccentric or slightly unnatural. Surely enough, everyone who had gathered fit the bill.
First and foremost was Sakimoto. His acceptance was no surprise in Azukina's eyes - in spite of how she felt, she was certain the school would have seen his incredible potential, even if he ultimately did little more than she did. She judged him with caution at first, wary due to their last encounter during the exams, however quickly relaxed as he didn't seem to hold a grudge. His compliment didn't go unnoticed either, and it had her smirk at the prospect of the exam criteria. Taking down a villain practically guaranteed entry, so she felt confident she would see Umeru at some point, too.
While they hadn't really spoken much before, the emitter had managed to pick out the names of the next two entrants: Datari and Dogorasu. After the exams, everyone had a chance to mingle in the starting zone together, though most stayed with their cliques. Introductions went by here and there, some talking about how the exam went for them, others curious about the abrupt ending. Naturally the staff didn't want to say much, supposing they might be more willing to talk about it today. Datari was one of the examinees hit hard by the exam being cut short from memory, though pulled through with a smile on his face at the time, no matter how illegitimate that smile was. To see him here likely meant others who didn't get so many points could show up as well. Meanwhile, Dogorasu was ever helpful post-exam, using his light to rejuvenate those he could, even Azuki herself. His light was refreshing, keeping her freezing arm from cooling down to dangerous temperatures while adequate heat sources could be applied. To say she was incredibly thankful was understatement.
It had her wondering about who would show up next!
"It's certainly a lot more complicated than 'who fought the bad guys', Sakimoto..." There was a sigh of disapproval, but she seemed content to keep it to that, rather than pursue the issue further. "But if you made it then yeah, Umeru likely made it, too. I wonder what is keeping everyone?" Monochrome quickly turned her attention to the newcomers, not wanting to exclude them from the conversation as well. Shun's reference to a 'disappearing quirk' stole a short giggle from the emitter, followed up with a quick nod. "Datari and Dogorasu, correct? It's good to see you both. It seems our group was rather able, though I'm afraid I can't recall any invisible allies off the top of my head." It may have been a little difficult to tell if she was serious or not in that final statement, as her voice was about as monotonous as her hair colour. Yet even that couldn't hide the clear excitement expressed through her body language, bubbly excitement a clear telltale to her energy earlier. While it was impossible to return to her school outfit with all of these people around, Yomodachi managed to slip on her blazer as she spoke, attempting to make herself a little more presentable before everyone would head on inside.
"Sorry for not being in uniform, I was working out earlier; I got a little bit excited and couldn't help myself. I arrived rather early so I don't know how long it has been..." The bench with her things was the perfect place for Azuki to rest her legs. Gentle sips of her water bottle helped refresh herself, staving off the exhaustion as her adrenaline high began to wear down. "But, I can't wait to see what they'll throw at us today. Introduction days are simple, but I hope we still get to show off our quirks like in middle school. I want to show my class that I've got the strength to become the Symbol of Peace! Sitting here makes the exam feel like forever ago, though..."
I always have a bunch of PMs for why I'm away so much. It gets worse and worse the older the Guild gets, I think, because the vocal minority stings more and more when they condemn me for not spending enough time and effort. It's a very frustrating thing to hear when you've put in so much effort into something. But I'd like to train myself to ignore that nonsense this year instead of avoiding it.
I really hope the people behind said PMs are joking and not being too difficult to deal with. I know I, for one, am very thankful for how much effort you've put into the site already; it runs like a charm! BBCode is a godsend for me, too, because HTML can go screw itself. Though hearing you have a secret roleplaying account fills me with simultaneous excitement and anxiety... :D
Now if you've happened to click on this for whatever reason, just know it's 3AM rn and I can't add more to this but, put simply, it'll be my interpretation of Persona 6. But it's called Persona 9. Yeah, I'm creative!
[img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/fr/1/1b/Fire_Emblem_Awakening_Logo.png[/img]
[center][h3][color=FFB347]◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈[/color][/h3][/center]
[table]
[row][cell][indent][indent][sub][color=pink][u] T H E N E R D / T H E L E G E N D [/u][/color][/sub][/indent][/indent][/cell][cell][sub][color=darkblue]You are the wind at my back[/color] and the sword at my side;[/sub][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][indent][indent][indent][sub][color=pink][u] D E L T A 4 4 [/u][/color][/sub][/indent][/indent][/indent][/cell][cell][sub][color=darkblue]together, my love,[/color] we shall build a peaceful world.[/sub][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][indent][indent][indent][indent][sub][color=pink][u] F A N B O Y O F F I R E E M B L E M [/u][/color][/sub][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/cell][cell][sub][color=darkblue]Just you...[/color][/sub][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][indent][indent][sub][color=pink][u] S H I P P E R O F C H R O B I N [/u][/color][/sub][/indent][/indent][/cell][cell][sub]and me.[/sub][/cell][/row][/table]
[table]
[row][cell][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/46/d2/61/46d261b662f76cd8d0e365d016d051d3--nerdy-things-fire-emblem-awakening-couples.jpg[/img][/cell][cell][right][sub]Welcome to my little personal den of Hell! Sorry, sorry, I meant my personal profile. Same thing, right?
[color=purple]I'm a roleplayer,[/color] same as any around here. I've been doing it for about five years now, coming up to six in September. Its been quite the time, thinking back. I started out fresh as can be, understanding the basics of writing but never quite knowing how to become better, or become as great as those around me. In the end, I did the only thing I really knew at the time:
Write as much garbage as possible and hope for the best!
As you can see, [color=purple][i]that particular tactic fucking failed.[/i][/color]
Jokes aside, I like to think I've developed a lot over the years, both as a writer and as a person. However, absolutely nothing can dissuade my weeaboo ways and supporting my OTP with all that I can freaking muster! If you haven't already guessed, said OTP is [color=darkblue]Chrom[/color] [color=pink]x[/color] [color=purple]Robin[/color] (Chrobin) from Fire Emblem: [color=darkblue]Awakening.[/color] Highly recommend the game, there's a reason (other than nintendo's cheapskate attitude) that it hasn't dropped in price, it's honestly the best place to start off in the series. And hey, maybe you'll end up addicted like me and want to buy every game on the 3DS like a fucking loony?
Speaking of loonies, the [url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeAWfrBMa2pytnTYnxAtiphQGJU3ojDD7]Fire Emblem Chrobin Comic Dub Project[/url] has recently finished, so for those of you who also appreciate the best ship in existence, I highly recommend it. Hell, even if you're not interested in that, I do highly recommend watching it for those into fantasy love stories. The quality improves drastically with each episode, so trust me when I say by the end of it you should be thoroughly impressed. It has helped motivate me in ways I can hardly describe with words, and so I thought the least I could do was put this out there. Maybe it's not for everyone, but I know it was the perfect thing for me.
[/sub][/right][/cell][/row]
[/table]
[img]https://alynerd.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/tumblr_nvrmdwbdkf1ruyji8o1_1280.jpg?w=840[/img]
[right][color=darkblue][sub]"Do you think you can tip any of the scales in here?"[/sub][/color]
[color=purple][sub]"Chrom, for the love of Naga, I'm thinking..."[/sub][/color][/right][hr][table]
[row][cell][color=darkblue][sub]"So I heard."
[/sub][/color][/cell][cell][center][img]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DkvxGnlWwAEShes.jpg[/img][/center][/cell][cell][right][sub][color=purple]"There are better places
to take a nap than
on the ground, you know."
[/color][/sub][/right][/cell][/row]
[/table][hider=A Hymn For Goldilocks][center][img]https://static.tumblr.com/b572f57912d8b5345269f9dc72e04359/yveunmd/zEwn8f4ke/tumblr_static_4fc6jqggm90kg048ok0kkw0ww_640_v2.jpg[/img][/center]
There is a universe. No-one knows it's name, where gravity wasn't strong enough to bind matter together and no stars formed. And because no stars formed, no stars exploded. And because no stars exploded, no planets came about. And because no planets came about, there was no life.
There's another universe, no one knows it's name, where gravity was strong enough and did light the stars and planets came about and boy, they were gorgeous, planets in perpetual winter, planets in perpetual summer, planets that could rival the Garden of Eden and no bloody snakes! And on one of them, eventually, complex life evolved and one of the species developed large brains learned things like manners and dabbing, when they looked up at the stars and wonder what they were doing here. You called them octopuses, I suppose. Gosh, they were clever, for octopuses, and one of them, several million years in, almost wrote something in ink on the seafloor, a message to its friend. And the message almost read: "Hi! How are you?" And a few millennia later, space folder back on itself and, you get the idea.
Goodbye Octopi.
There's another universe, where life formed on every planet, in every solar system, and it was carbon-based, it was silicon based, it was made of crystals and water and plasma, it was made of quantum fields and light, and everything was alive, everything was doing a boogie, and it was everybody's birthday, everyday, relatively, and everyone got presents, and they had over a trillion languages, some written down, some only spoken, some conducted telepathically, and they bought a galactic civilization together, as a perfect unity, sharing stories, sharing technology, speaking a common tongue, understanding everything about how the cosmos been put together. And finally, when everything was sorted, the galaxies were arranged into perfect geometric formations, transmitting pure love, and wisdom, and birthday greetings to all species in the universe, for all time. Papercuts never happened, coke came in glass bottles, no one even remembered the word for war, everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.
And yet, for a quirk in their evolution, because resources weren't scarce enough on the planets these species developed on, not a single creature in the universe was conscious. Food was eaten and no-one enjoyed it. Movies were released, and there was no laughing, or crying. No-one chuckled at a joke. Ever.
Space collapsed back on itself, eventually, and there hadn't been a single moment of sentience in the entire history of creation.
There's another universe, where the strong force is too strong the weak force is too weak and nothing forms.
Another, where life develops too late when the Stars have all gone beyond the light boundary and there's nothing to even see.
Another with too many dimensions.
Another with not enough.
Another where time goes in the opposite direction, and species begin as gods, and wind backwards to cells, and never learn
to survive.
Another that only lasts milliseconds, and collapses in on itself, and heads straight back to oblivion.
And that's how it just might be, across all possible universes, across all possible space times. Problems with the laws of nature, not enough resources, missteps in evolution.
An atlas of dead-ends.
Then again, there is one exception.
There's another universe, a big one, where life is rare, where intelligent life is very rare indeed, the stars are very distant from each other, the laws of nature are very complex, it's extremely lonely for any species developing, and most never even develop at all, but somewhere, we believe, is a planet where the oceans are vast, and the climate is varied. Where the smartest species on the planet may have developed just the right mix of ambition and kindness.
And if you were to travel there, to this unbelievably rare statistical anomaly, to this impossibly lucky planet, where evolution, biology, chemistry, nae, the laws of physics themselves have come together to create sentient intelligent life, you may be able to catch the native inhabitants singing for joy. Of what an impossibly lucky, and rare position they find themselves in.
It is a chant of gratitude, a ritual of showing appreciation for ending up in perhaps the one universe, in the one solar system, on the one planet with all the basic ingredients for intelligent, conscious life.
~Exurb1a[/hider]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/fr/1/1b/Fire_Emblem_Awakening_Logo.png" /><br><br><div class="bb-center"><div class="bb-h3"><font color="#ffb347">◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈</font></div></div><br><div class="table-responsive"><table class="bb-table table"><thead class="bb-thead"><tr class="bb-tr"><th class="bb-th"><div class="bb-indent"><div class="bb-indent"><sub><font color="pink"><span class="bb-u"> T H E N E R D / T H E L E G E N D </span></font></sub></div></div></th><th class="bb-th"><sub><font color="darkblue">You are the wind at my back</font> and the sword at my side;</sub></th></tr></thead><br><tr class=" bb-tr"><td class=" bb-td"><div class="bb-indent"><div class="bb-indent"><div class="bb-indent"><sub><font color="pink"><span class="bb-u"> D E L T A 4 4 				 	 </span></font></sub></div></div></div></td><td class=" bb-td"><sub><font color="darkblue">together, my love,</font> we shall build a peaceful world.</sub></td></tr><br><tr class=" bb-tr"><td class=" bb-td"><div class="bb-indent"><div class="bb-indent"><div class="bb-indent"><div class="bb-indent"><sub><font color="pink"><span class="bb-u"> F A N B O Y O F F I R E E M B L E M </span></font></sub></div></div></div></div></td><td class=" bb-td"><sub><font color="darkblue">Just you...</font></sub></td></tr><br><tr class=" bb-tr"><td class=" bb-td"><div class="bb-indent"><div class="bb-indent"><sub><font color="pink"><span class="bb-u"> S H I P P E R O F C H R O B I N	 </span></font></sub></div></div></td><td class=" bb-td"><sub>and me.</sub></td></tr></table></div><br><br><div class="table-responsive"><table class="bb-table table"><thead class="bb-thead"><tr class="bb-tr"><th class="bb-th"><img src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/46/d2/61/46d261b662f76cd8d0e365d016d051d3--nerdy-things-fire-emblem-awakening-couples.jpg" /></th><th class="bb-th"><div class="bb-right"><sub>Welcome to my little personal den of Hell! Sorry, sorry, I meant my personal profile. Same thing, right? <br><br><font color="purple">I'm a roleplayer,</font> same as any around here. I've been doing it for about five years now, coming up to six in September. Its been quite the time, thinking back. I started out fresh as can be, understanding the basics of writing but never quite knowing how to become better, or become as great as those around me. In the end, I did the only thing I really knew at the time:<br><br>Write as much garbage as possible and hope for the best!<br><br>As you can see, <font color="purple"><span class="bb-i">that particular tactic fucking failed.</span></font><br>Jokes aside, I like to think I've developed a lot over the years, both as a writer and as a person. However, absolutely nothing can dissuade my weeaboo ways and supporting my OTP with all that I can freaking muster! If you haven't already guessed, said OTP is <font color="darkblue">Chrom</font> <font color="pink">x</font> <font color="purple">Robin</font> (Chrobin) from Fire Emblem: <font color="darkblue">Awakening.</font> Highly recommend the game, there's a reason (other than nintendo's cheapskate attitude) that it hasn't dropped in price, it's honestly the best place to start off in the series. And hey, maybe you'll end up addicted like me and want to buy every game on the 3DS like a fucking loony?<br><br>Speaking of loonies, the <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeAWfrBMa2pytnTYnxAtiphQGJU3ojDD7">Fire Emblem Chrobin Comic Dub Project</a> has recently finished, so for those of you who also appreciate the best ship in existence, I highly recommend it. Hell, even if you're not interested in that, I do highly recommend watching it for those into fantasy love stories. The quality improves drastically with each episode, so trust me when I say by the end of it you should be thoroughly impressed. It has helped motivate me in ways I can hardly describe with words, and so I thought the least I could do was put this out there. Maybe it's not for everyone, but I know it was the perfect thing for me.<br>	<br><br>	<br>	</sub></div></th></tr></thead></table></div><br><img src="https://alynerd.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/tumblr_nvrmdwbdkf1ruyji8o1_1280.jpg?w=840" /><br><br><div class="bb-right"><font color="darkblue"><sub>"Do you think you can tip any of the scales in here?"</sub></font><br><font color="purple"><sub>"Chrom, for the love of Naga, I'm thinking..."</sub></font></div><hr class="bb-hr"><div class="table-responsive"><table class="bb-table table"><thead class="bb-thead"><tr class="bb-tr"><th class="bb-th"><font color="darkblue"><sub>"So I heard."<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	</sub></font></th><th class="bb-th"><div class="bb-center"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DkvxGnlWwAEShes.jpg" /></div></th><th class="bb-th"><div class="bb-right"><sub><font color="purple">"There are better places<br>to take a nap than <br>on the ground, you know."<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	<br>	</font></sub></div></th></tr></thead></table></div><div class="hider-panel"><div class="hider-heading"><button type="button" class="btn btn-default btn-xs hider-button" data-name="A Hymn For Goldilocks">A Hymn For Goldilocks [+]</button></div><div class="hider-body" style="display: none"><div class="bb-center"><img src="https://static.tumblr.com/b572f57912d8b5345269f9dc72e04359/yveunmd/zEwn8f4ke/tumblr_static_4fc6jqggm90kg048ok0kkw0ww_640_v2.jpg" /></div><br><br>There is a universe. No-one knows it's name, where gravity wasn't strong enough to bind matter together and no stars formed. And because no stars formed, no stars exploded. And because no stars exploded, no planets came about. And because no planets came about, there was no life.<br><br>There's another universe, no one knows it's name, where gravity was strong enough and did light the stars and planets came about and boy, they were gorgeous, planets in perpetual winter, planets in perpetual summer, planets that could rival the Garden of Eden and no bloody snakes! And on one of them, eventually, complex life evolved and one of the species developed large brains learned things like manners and dabbing, when they looked up at the stars and wonder what they were doing here. You called them octopuses, I suppose. Gosh, they were clever, for octopuses, and one of them, several million years in, almost wrote something in ink on the seafloor, a message to its friend. And the message almost read: "Hi! How are you?" And a few millennia later, space folder back on itself and, you get the idea. <br>Goodbye Octopi.<br><br>There's another universe, where life formed on every planet, in every solar system, and it was carbon-based, it was silicon based, it was made of crystals and water and plasma, it was made of quantum fields and light, and everything was alive, everything was doing a boogie, and it was everybody's birthday, everyday, relatively, and everyone got presents, and they had over a trillion languages, some written down, some only spoken, some conducted telepathically, and they bought a galactic civilization together, as a perfect unity, sharing stories, sharing technology, speaking a common tongue, understanding everything about how the cosmos been put together. And finally, when everything was sorted, the galaxies were arranged into perfect geometric formations, transmitting pure love, and wisdom, and birthday greetings to all species in the universe, for all time. Papercuts never happened, coke came in glass bottles, no one even remembered the word for war, everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. <br><br>And yet, for a quirk in their evolution, because resources weren't scarce enough on the planets these species developed on, not a single creature in the universe was conscious. Food was eaten and no-one enjoyed it. Movies were released, and there was no laughing, or crying. No-one chuckled at a joke. Ever.<br>Space collapsed back on itself, eventually, and there hadn't been a single moment of sentience in the entire history of creation.<br><br>There's another universe, where the strong force is too strong the weak force is too weak and nothing forms.<br>Another, where life develops too late when the Stars have all gone beyond the light boundary and there's nothing to even see. <br>Another with too many dimensions.<br>Another with not enough.<br>Another where time goes in the opposite direction, and species begin as gods, and wind backwards to cells, and never learn<br>to survive.<br>Another that only lasts milliseconds, and collapses in on itself, and heads straight back to oblivion.<br>And that's how it just might be, across all possible universes, across all possible space times. Problems with the laws of nature, not enough resources, missteps in evolution.<br>An atlas of dead-ends.<br><br>Then again, there is one exception.<br><br>There's another universe, a big one, where life is rare, where intelligent life is very rare indeed, the stars are very distant from each other, the laws of nature are very complex, it's extremely lonely for any species developing, and most never even develop at all, but somewhere, we believe, is a planet where the oceans are vast, and the climate is varied. Where the smartest species on the planet may have developed just the right mix of ambition and kindness.<br>And if you were to travel there, to this unbelievably rare statistical anomaly, to this impossibly lucky planet, where evolution, biology, chemistry, nae, the laws of physics themselves have come together to create sentient intelligent life, you may be able to catch the native inhabitants singing for joy. Of what an impossibly lucky, and rare position they find themselves in. <br>It is a chant of gratitude, a ritual of showing appreciation for ending up in perhaps the one universe, in the one solar system, on the one planet with all the basic ingredients for intelligent, conscious life.<br><br>~Exurb1a</div></div></div>