kersel

[OPEN] Titanfall, Fandom, and Sci-fi Oh My!

Hey there. I'm Kersel, and as you may guess, I'm searching for writing partners. I'm a twenty-something medical lab tech who's into sci-fi (hard-ish, fun over accuracy), tabletop roleplaying games, digital art, gardening, and a whole bunch of other hobbies.

Writing Details

⁃ Heavily prefer drawn character art or written descriptions over faceclaims.
⁃ Okay with writing adult themes incidentally, but not as a focus.
⁃ Ditto with romance.
⁃ Casual to advanced writer.
⁃ Enjoys chatting & plotting OOC.
⁃ Happy writing one on one or in a small group.
⁃ I am not comfortable writing with a partner under 18.

Titanfall

As you may have figured from the title, I've had a mighty craving for Titanfall roleplay! I love the aspect of pilots being mind-linked to their titans, of simulacrum and artificial intelligence, etc. Writing about the lives of average people during the war interests me more than writing big damn heroes saving their planets. I've got a couple semi-baked oc ideas, listed below:

Titanfall Character Ideas

IMC grunt, pilot in training, drone expert. Grew up on IMC occupied planet, subject to propoganda from birth. Just now begining to question their loyalty to the faction they're fighting for. OOC plans for them to desert, Y/C could be mentor, agitator, or whatever else you have in mind. Angst angst angst.

Millitia-aligned ecoterrorist pilot. Fighting to protect her planet from IMC resource harvesting. Angry, bitter, and just a pinch unhinged (gaslight gatekeep girlboss, baby). Titan is patchwork, welded together from wrecked titans, with a blackmarket core. Also probably pretty angsty.

Unaligned search & rescue medic pilot. Literally just an excuse to mount a jaws of life on a civvie titan. He has an adorable dog though. Part of S&R core that Y/C could be part of as well (if desired). Fluff and drama.

If you've got an idea in mind that none of these characters suit, I'm also willing to make up something new, or adjust one of these three to fit.

As mentioned, I'm more interested in small-scale plots than saving the planet type stories. I also adore the trope of two characters who hate each other being forced to work together. Throw tragic simulacrum at me and I will melt.

Other Fandoms

Transformers
I'm most familiar with the IDW comics, but okay with writing other continuities/some blend. Heaaavily prefer something other than human-centric plotlines. I have a couple vague oc ideas.

Star Trek
Something small-scale on the edge of Federation space a la Deep Space 9. Scummy characters contrasted against a utopian setting. Throw me an idea!

Stalker/Roadside Picnic
Uhhhh uhm uh. I have not actually played a Stalker game but I have read Roadside Picnic (the book it's based off) and know a good amount about the setting. If someone were interested in this I'd finally have to play the games. Daily life/domestic stuff in a grim setting is appealing to me.

Misc Ideas/Themes

Retro-futurism
Specifically set in space. Chunky, beige consoles. Floppy disks. Little grey aliens. Asteroid miners, starship captains and pirates. Characters surviving cartoonish violence or wacky space hijinks. If you've ever played Space Station 13, that is the vibe I'm aiming for.

Bio-Mechs
This is a half-baked setting that I plan on developing further (possibly with your help). Weird bio-mechs with lab grown nervous systems, used to fight a proxy war guerilla-style. Gritty industrialism. Heavy focus on transhumanism and genemodding in an unforgiving environment. This idea is hard-ish sci-fi but with some suspension of belief for the sake of actually being fun to write.

Occult Investigators
Three-letter-agency suits investigating crime beyond the veil of the paranormal in post-Cold War, 70's-ish setting. Think X-Files, Men in Black, or Constantine. I just really love detective partners. There's a ton more lore for this setting that I can share if someone were interested.

Winged/Tailed Humanoids
God okay, this is trashy. I have a craving for something in a setting where humans are winged and/or tailed.

Deep Ocean
Horror(?) in an isolated, deep ocean research station. Because I really, really love Barotrauma, Subnautica, and The Thing. Could be set on another planet like Europa, Titan, or etc.

Fantasy Western
Wizards, gunslingers, and cryptids. Americana folklore combined with traditional fantasy. Also have a slightly more mundane version of this setting where all the characters are insect-people.

In case that wasn't enough word vomit, here's a word cloud of miscellaneous themes/settings/tropes I enjoy writing:

Hider

aliens • androids • angst • artificial intelligence • begrudging partners • crime • cryptids • detectives • deep ocean • faceless characters • false identities • flawed characters • folklore • ghosts with unfinished business • hybrid settings • insects • mechs • monsters • mystery • nautical • non-gender conforming characters • post-civilization • power dynamics • ROBOTS ROBOTS ROBOTS • sapphic themes • sci-fi • scumbags • shapeshifters • space • paranormal detectives • tragic villains • train heists • transhumanism • wild west • winged/tailed humanoids • worldbuilding

Thanks for reading through all my rambling. Shoot me a DM if you're interested & we can talk through that or discord!

𝙽𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝙰𝚠𝚊𝚢 - 𝙰 𝙲𝚢𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚞𝚗𝚔 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚕𝚎

Count me as intrigued.

Aces of the Void - Starfighter Squadron RPG

Seems dead, yeah. Would anyone be interested in migrating characters over to a new thread with more of a mech focus? I've been tossing ideas around recently for a similarly rebellion-themed sci-fi mech story (something like The Moon is a Harsh Mistress meets Titanfall or Brigador).

Clad in Iron, War of the Worlds and Mecha

I can't take on new stuff rn but wanted to poke my head in to say this concept is insanely cool. o7

Sk8te

Keep moving! I'm still thinking on how my character fits into all of this, sorry for the delay.

Sk8te

Rafael 'Raf' Nakamura

Name: Rafael ‘Raf’ Nakamura
Tagsign: N/A
Status: Cred
Age: 25

Appearance:
The first that most people notice about Rafael is his face. The way his expressions are unnaturally stiff, the symmetrical seams that run diagonal across his cheekbones, and the line of matte, black metal along and below his jawline; something most would recognize as a prosthetic, and not a particularly high end one at that.

The second is his cold, blue eyes. Prosthetic again.

Besides the artificial features, Raf blends in with citizens of Delta-City. He’s muscular, and slightly above average height, with deep brown skin and locs tied back off his face. His usual outfit consists of a parka thrown over a well-worn turtleneck and joggers, as well as a trucker cap to hide the scarring on his scalp where no hair grows.

Personality:
Raf is a quiet man. Reserved, but firm when needed. He resents the megacorps for their role in various world conflicts, and looks down upon those who are needlessly violent. He isolates himself from the net more and more lately, only holding on to be there for his auntie and little cousins.

While cold to other people, he's affectionate towards his drone and other machines, often talking to them.

Bio:
Rafael was born and raised by his aunt and uncle in the Little Jamaica district of Megacity Delta. As soon as he could walk, Raf started tinkering. Little things at first, wanting to take his toys apart to find out how they work, but as he grew older, his projects became more complex. It was obvious to the adults in his life that mechanics were Raf’s calling.

However, with three little cousins, Raf had to figure out how to pay for school on his own. As soon as he turned eighteen, he joined the Polyamerican Corps, lured by promises of free education in exchange for service. He completed the training, and began work in mechanical maintenance, eventually rising to operate remote drones during the Indo-Ecuadorian Space Elevator conflict.

Partway through the skirmish, Rafael’s unit was hit by an electronic weapon that caused his drone and deck to detonate, taking the man’s face and jaw with them. Raf was hospitalized immediately, and recovered with extensive reconstruction. A prosthetic face and jaw. Artificial eyes. An auditory neuroprosthetic implant on one side. Months of rehabilitation and hospital visits. And finally, an honorable discharge.

Rafael was thrown back to Delta-City and provided a desk job. He couldn’t stand it. Two years and many, many failed attempts at being a normal ‘cred’ later, Raf found himself doing odd repair jobs for less-than-legal businesses around the city. He bought a deck—a cheap one—and an equally cheap drone and rekindled his love for tinkering. And finally, he began to settle back into civilian life.

Skills:
- Drone Control: Raf is skilled at controlling a drone using his deck. It can only operate within a short range, and is capable of basic tasks and surveillance.
- Combat Training: Raf is familiar with firearms, although he would rather not use them.

Hosaka Spider-Type Personal Drone C-2187 “Mia”
A small, spider-like robot that Raf can pilot through his deck computer. Can only operate within a short range. Equipped with manipulator arms and limbs capable of scaling vertical surfaces. About 25cm by 25cm.

Sk8te

You reminded me I should probably get a proper map made of all the major naeighborhoods/districts. Anyone know where I can either make/get one made?

@TheNoCoKid

This procedural generator makes neat stuff, wish it had a blueprint-style color scheme though. Had 'Rivet City' as another idea for a neighborhood. Also, about to post Raf to the char tab & start brainstorming a post.

@TellukkaCOOL ENBY BARTENDER! COOL ENBY BARTENDER!! Is it alright if I write Raf as a regular at the Gas Leak? It's perfect for his sort of work (and also seems like a cool place).

Sk8te

Oh man, Livewire looks great. Here's my guy, I'm away from my pc this weekend but plan on drawing a character image (and adding a bit nicer formatting to his sheet) when I get back.

Rafael 'Raf' Nakamura

Name: Rafael ‘Raf’ Nakamura
Tagsign: N/A
Status: Cred
Age: 25

Appearance:
The first that most people notice about Rafael is his face. The way his expressions are unnaturally stiff, the symmetrical seams that run diagonal across his cheekbones, and the line of matte, black metal along and below his jawline; something most would recognize as a prosthetic, and not a particularly high end one at that.

The second is his cold, blue eyes. Prosthetic again.

Besides the artificial features, Raf blends in with citizens of Delta-City. He’s muscular, and slightly above average height, with deep brown skin and locs tied back off his face. His usual outfit consists of a parka thrown over a well-worn turtleneck and joggers, as well as a trucker cap to hide the scarring on his scalp where no hair grows.

Personality:
Raf is a quiet man. Reserved, but firm when needed. He resents the megacorps for their role in various world conflicts, and looks down upon those who are needlessly violent. He isolates himself from the net more and more lately, only holding on to be there for his auntie and little cousins.

While cold to other people, he's affectionate towards his drone and other machines, often talking to them.

Bio:
Rafael was born and raised by his aunt and uncle in the Little Jamaica district of Megacity Delta. As soon as he could walk, Raf started tinkering. Little things at first, wanting to take his toys apart to find out how they work, but as he grew older, his projects became more complex. It was obvious to the adults in his life that mechanics were Raf’s calling.

However, with three little cousins, Raf had to figure out how to pay for school on his own. As soon as he turned eighteen, he joined the Polyamerican Corps, lured by promises of free education in exchange for service. He completed the training, and began work in mechanical maintenance, eventually rising to operate remote drones during the Indo-Ecuadorian Space Elevator conflict.

Partway through the skirmish, Rafael’s unit was hit by an electronic weapon that caused his drone and deck to detonate, taking the man’s face and jaw with them. Raf was hospitalized immediately, and recovered with extensive reconstruction. A prosthetic face and jaw. Artificial eyes. An auditory neuroprosthetic implant on one side. Months of rehabilitation and hospital visits. And finally, an honorable discharge.

Rafael was thrown back to Delta-City and provided a desk job. He couldn’t stand it. Two years and many, many failed attempts at being a normal ‘cred’ later, Raf found himself doing odd repair jobs for less-than-legal businesses around the city. He bought a deck—a cheap one—and an equally cheap drone and rekindled his love for tinkering. And finally, he began to settle back into civilian life.

Skills:
- Drone Control: Raf is skilled at controlling a drone using his deck. It can only operate within a short range, and is capable of basic tasks and surveillance.
- Combat Training: Raf is familiar with firearms, although he would rather not use them.[/ul]

Hosaka Spider-Type Personal Drone C-2187 “Mia”
A small, spider-like robot that Raf can pilot through his deck computer. Can only operate within a short range. Equipped with manipulator arms and limbs capable of scaling vertical surfaces. About 25cm by 25cm.

I'd like for him to have his neural brace removed and possibly join Sk8te over the course of the story, as well as aquire more drones (gradually).

Sk8te

@TheNoCoKid How much time has passed since the corporate wars?

@Tellukka Get well soon!

Sk8te

Hype! I'll start working on my character this evening.