Lasrever

The Haunting of Crestwood Hollow - A Supernatural Thriller

Ryan Mendoza

---

^{Tuesday, August 21st, 2018 - 02:28pm | The 'Loft'}

Ryan didn't really consider speaking up further. A few people in the class had roughly the same idea as her, a few seemed... well, really cynical, to say the least. So, she pulled the notebook - it wasn't a diary, as she found herself constantly insisting - from her pocket, deciding to try and get a few thoughts together before they got some kind of explanation as to what they were doing here.

Normally she'd just have let her mind wander, and she considered it briefly before shaking her head.

Nope. Not worth it. Not if they were going to be having a discussion. It was important to keep her thoughts collected and maintain her composure, not waste her time worrying about the inevitable lapses in judgement that came with daydreaming. Frankly, it seemed better to just keep her head down, and for two, well--

Yeah, definitely not worth it. They wouldn't listen to what she had to say either way. So being quiet was the best use of her energy.

She wondered if there'd be time to catch Mr. Lehrer after class. It wasn't as if she knew any more about what 'Social Conscience' was supposed to be than anyone else in here did, and she had studies to plan. The class hadn't replaced anything too vital, and she was confident enough that she could do some extra revision to get an idea of the material she was missing. Maybe. Couldn't afford to let things slip here, because one thing led to another and it was already so tough to keep it up.

The disruption to her schedule wasn't really appreciated, but at least there were perks that came with the exclusive class. Perks that seemed generous considering that, for lack of a nicer way to put it, the students chosen left her thinking it wouldn't be too academically rigorous. A mixed bag, and one with very few things in common. The list, as far as her best guess, pretty much started and ended with "attends Mathers Memorial".

Deciding to ponder that question some other time, Ryan sighed and looked down towards her notebook.

Ryan's Diary

Day one. Here we go again.

School hasn't changed much. It's good sometimes, and sucks other times. I'll probably write more details down eventually, but not here in class. People sometimes read over your shoulder, you know? And, well, that's just so much of a bother to deal with. Managed to find somewhere quiet to study during breaks, so at least things are pretty figured out on that front. My classes were easy; but I read ahead over the holiday, so it'd have surprised me if they weren't.

I wish people wouldn't be disruptive all the time, though. Like, it makes it difficult to focus when they're always so distracting. Sometimes I think I'd be better off just studying on my own, but you've got to keep up appearances. Participation, right?

Don't think I'm gonna go home right away today. Mom's gonna start asking the usual questions again, and I really don't feel like making up stories. Sure, I could admit I don't really talk to anyone, but then she'd get all worried, and I'd have to explain why it makes me so uncomfortable. I mean, it's pretty obvious that I've just got my priorities, but she'd worry anyway. She worries a lot, and it took me a while to figure that one out myself, so I dunno if she'd believe me. It's kinda funny, really; all the complex stuff from class is fine, but figuring out something as simple as that was tough for me. Guess it's hard to self-reflect, though.

Hard to believe I worried there might be something w--

---

^{Tuesday, August 21st, 2018 - 02:45pm | The 'Loft'}

Ryan abruptly slammed her book shut as Mr. Lehrer started to speak again, which slightly ruined the impression that she'd just been taking notes for class. She made up for it of course, dutifully paying attention to the teacher's comments.

It was good to know her answer had been at least somewhat right, though, and she allowed herself a small smile at that. Morality, choice, and existentialism. Seemed like she'd been fairly on the money with her guessing as to what the class was centred around. Which also meant she'd definitely have to ask for study materials, of course. When working with concepts this abstract, it was generally much easier to just ask than try and figure it out by yourself.

The explanation of the class was admittedly a little unsatisfying, the idea of 'potential' seeming nebulous at best, but she didn't voice that complaint. Frankly, she had very little idea what made her stand out as having potential to change anything; she'd be the last person to bother shaking things up. If people wanted to change the world, that was good for them and in some cases admirable, but Ryan was hardly strong-willed or passionate enough to even approach that kind of challenge.

Putting those concerns aside for now, they were faced with a task, specifically group work. Which unfortunately meant she'd really have to give her classmates the time of day, a prospect that made her more nervous than any number of grandiose future plans, not that she cared to admit that. It would be fine, though. So long as she didn't let her priorities slip too much in the process. Too much, of course, meaning any amount at all.

Picking groups, though... considering she'd deliberately not been paying much attention to the others, she couldn't really make an educated decision there outside of maybe 'try not to provoke anyone that can make your life miserable', and taking the initiative wasn't exactly her forte. For a moment, she raised her head, hoping to ask someone nearby, but the words caught in her throat and she sank into her seat, silently stewing in anxiety instead.

At least she'd only have to wait five minutes.

The Haunting of Crestwood Hollow - A Supernatural Thriller

Ryan Mendoza

---

^{Tuesday, August 21st, 2018 - 07:34 am}

As always, Ryan had risen bright and early in anticipation of the incoming school year, though her approach was made with just a little more trepidation than usual. Honestly, her enthusiasm had been dampened lately, and while she'd hoped the break would give her a chance to shut down some of the more inconvenient anxieties, her thoughts didn't seem to have cleared up any. It was frustrating, to say the least, and a distraction she didn't need. She paused, frowning uncomfortably as she fidgeted with the cord around her neck.

It really was confusing, though. She had no idea what she was actually doing wrong, only that she was failing to keep on track. Not that she would talk to anyone about the whole mess, of course.

At least she was getting these worries out of the way now, as she made the long-ish walk to school. Her dad could have given her a ride in his van, of course, but he had to work, and they certainly couldn't afford a car of her own. So, walking it was. Only a few miles, at least, and by now she'd gotten used to it. Like most things, it became part of the routine.

And routine was the word for it, first day or not. She'd already pretty much mapped out how things would end up going. She'd arrive maybe twenty minutes before the bell, enough time to find her classes without having to rush about it. Then there'd be an assembly, first day of school and everything, and she'd smile and nod and soak up whatever faux-inspirational speech they happened to come up with this time. It had never stopped her from playing along, but she'd always felt the time spent on assemblies would be better used doing something productive. Her classes would either be interesting or boring, but either way she'd appear enthusiastic and engaged like a good little student.

Lunch, well, she'd spend sitting at the corner of a table, head down and ignoring everyone else around her in favour of scribbling notes in her diary. If she kept her head down, she doubted anyone would pay her much attention, and even if they did she'd studiously ignore them. Not looking at anyone at all seemed like the best bet, honestly. Right now especially, people seemed unnecessarily distracting to deal with. Plus, she didn't want to go discussing murders. As far as she was concerned, it made sense for it to be a hyperhuman attack, so there was no point in letting herself worry all too much about the whole thing. After that, it was simply a case of returning to her good student role until the day ended.

Then she'd go home to recount the whole thing to her parents, and her mother would stand beaming in pride before suggesting she go to her room and and read ahead on everything she'd been introduced to. So she'd sit at her desk, on a chair that was broken, but not broken enough to use what little spending money they had on a new one, and study until her eyes hurt. Get called down for dinner, which would at least be good, mom being a pretty stellar cook, and if she was lucky she'd have time to read a few chapters of a book before falling asleep.

Either that, or she'd stop by the Harborview and do her studying there, depending on how stressful today turned out to be. Not that it'd ultimately change the routine all that much.

Rinse and repeat for the rest of the year. Easy enough, really.

---

^{Tuesday, August 21st, 2018 - 02:26pm | The Loft}

And sure enough, that was basically how the day had played out. Utterly unremarkable, the only slight break coming from the assembly - which had at least been somewhat interesting. Something to do with seeing a new face, she supposed, though she had been interested to see who else had been picked out as having so-called exceptional potential. The people actually here were... a mixed bag, she'd say. Exceptional seemed to be stretching it just a little. She'd appreciated the praise in the spirit it was meant, but her initial impression had left her slightly unsure whether being included here was actually a compliment.

Beyond a slightly bemused expression, though, she hadn't felt any temptation to speak up. Like it or not, she was here now, so she'd just have to hold back her judgements until she'd experienced more of the class. And Mr. Lehrer - or Jonas, she supposed, although being informal with teachers had never come naturally to her - at least seemed interesting enough to hold her attention, rather than the type to drone on and leave them all half-asleep. The subject of the class was also intriguing, even if she wasn't entirely sure what it meant.

Nonetheless, a letter of recommendation and credit for her replaced classes was enough motivation for her to pay close attention. She glanced at the keycard, uncertain whether she'd ever actually use it, but grateful for having access to somewhere private. It was hard to find room to collect her thoughts around here. Whatever this class was, apparently it came with a few special privileges.

Smiling to herself, she finally turned her thoughts to the question on the board. Her classmate's answer was to the point, but also way too cynical in her mind. After a couple seconds' pause, she tentatively raised her own hand. Better to answer as well as she could, if only to gain credit for making an effort early on. Teachers liked it when you answered their questions, right? That was what you were meant to do, so with that thought in mind she spoke up.

"I guess... people have control over whether they obey their urges. Or, um, the capacity for it. We don't have to run on instinct, we can think about how our actions affect the wider world." There was a nervousness about her, unsure whether she was saying something wrong somehow, and her initial confidence quickly dissolved into worried clarification. "What I mean is, uh, people do bad things, and just about everyone wants to do the wrong thing sometimes," she winced a little at that, "but we can decide to do the right thing too. It's being able to make that choice at all which makes us different, I think."

The Haunting of Crestwood Hollow - A Supernatural Thriller

R Y A N

---

^{RYAN MENDOZA ◼ 01 / 02 / 2002 ( 16 ) ◼ FEMALE ◼ HETEROSEXUAL(?)}

^{"Heroes are great and all, but... I'd rather just stay out of trouble."}

▼ A P P E A R A N C E:

---

^{"I've never really changed much."}

//STATS:

◼ Height | 5'6"/168cm

◼ Weight | 123lbs/55.8kg

◼ Build | Slim, but not particularly athletic

◼ Ethnicity | Hispanic

◼ Hair Color | Brown

◼ Eye Color | Brown, slightly lighter in the outer iris

//DESCRIPTION:

Ryan is best described as being an average sort of pretty. She certainly takes care of her appearance to an extent, but it appears calculated so as not to be particularly striking; and indeed, she tries not to draw attention to herself. She wears makeup, but lightly applied and nothing dramatic, her hair is well taken care of, but she doesn't style it, and her clothes seem chosen for comfort instead of appearance. She does wear a crucifix around her neck almost all the time, but it's generally hidden underneath her clothes with only the cord being directly visible.

In her own time, she usually doesn't carry herself with much confidence, preferring to stay towards the edges of a room and read, or simply watch other people from afar. There's usually something odd about her expression in those moments, a sort of sad jealousy that she doesn't even realise she's displaying. It's difficult to notice, though, as she tends to avoid eye contact wherever she can, worried of the consequences that come with being distracted. She never quite seems comfortable when talking to people; she tends to withdraw somewhat around them, appearing almost intimidated by any display of friendliness. Physical contact is also definitely a no-go.

▼ B I O G R A P H Y:

---

^{"We've all got someone we're supposed to be, right?"}

Born to a highly traditional and religious family, Ryan's upbringing was strict to say the least. Her parents were more overbearing than protective, utterly determined that their daughter would grow up to be a shining example for others to follow. Provided she did it in a way that didn't offend anyone's delicate sensibilities, of course; as seeing her go against the grain at all was something they could not and would not abide.

And so, Ryan was doomed from the start to be the sort of child whose parents are determined to live vicariously through them. Her activities were carefully chosen for her. Curated, in fact, to ensure that she wouldn't participate in anything they might find unseemly. Team sports were out of the question, but track and running were permitted. Spending time with friends, going out to enjoy the sun? A waste of time that could be better spent studying or exercising.

For what it was worth, Ryan did indeed begin to excel, though she'd often find herself sitting alone, with most people considering her stuck-up or self-absorbed rather than being slowly buried under a mountain of pressure. It was a key part of the whole thing, pretending it was all effortless, though the stress made her a little more severe than a child so young should have been.

Often she'd find herself jealous of others, whose third-places and B-minus grades would be celebrated and congratulated, though it seemed to be the arrogant sort of complaint she could hardly share with anyone, even if she did have anyone to share it with. The fact was, those sorts of things were never really treated as an achievement for her; they were simply a reasonable expectation, with anything less than the best seen as a failing of her intelligence and her character.

Whether such an upbringing was good for her or not, she could never be entirely sure.

Either way, by the time she reached high school the girl was deathly afraid of failure. So she decided to keep her head down, stay focused, and work towards the carefully-chosen ambition of being a well-behaved daughter with a nice house, a doctoring career, and an equally successful yet doting husband.

And yet somehow keeping it all together kept seeming harder and harder to do.

Of course, being unable to cope after spending her whole life working was a problem she couldn't stand, so she dealt with it. "Dealt with it" meaning developing a level of denial that could only be described as impressive. After all, it didn't fit, she knew it was wrong to accept that sort of failure, and ultimately it wasn't the person she had to grow up and be. Besides, it was normal to be a little distracted, to be just slightly off-target.

Even the most successful people had their setbacks, after all.

So she told herself she'd get over it eventually, because she was supposed to be perfect. Well-groomed but not enough to go drawing attention, always listening to the rules, intelligent and ladylike. Still, the whole thing was distressing and distracting, so upon receiving the opportunity of a place in what - in her mind - appeared to be an exclusive study group the girl leapt at the chance to refocus.

Finally, she thought, she could start getting things back to normal.

▼ A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:

---

^{"There's still so much I need to build."}

//ABILITIES:

◼ HIDDEN |

//SKILLS:

◼ Sharp Memory | While not outright exceptional, Ryan's memory is certainly sharper than average, and the girl has an eye for detail as well as a gift for remembering seemingly pointless information that others might fail to keep in mind. It's the type of gift that's sometimes important, sometimes utterly insufferable to deal with. However people might feel about her know-it-all tendencies, there's no denying it makes her a useful person to have around should anything need investigation.

Her knack for memorisation also helps her a great deal academically, though she has a slightly unfortunate tendency to fall back on just remembering how to do things rather than actually trying to understand how they work. It's enough to pass a class, but very much leaves her on the side of book-smarts rather than practicality.

◼ Med School Ambitions| Ryan took a first-aid course in her spare time, so knows how to administer basic medical assistance and deal with injuries until a real doctor can be reached. When it comes to major injuries, of course, there's only so much she can do; and while she can have a try at diagnosing illnesses she can't exactly do anything about them except tell you to find a real doctor. She's also CPR certified as a 'just in case' emergency measure.

The amount of time she's spent researching serious injuries and illnesses has also had the side effect of giving her a surprisingly strong stomach (despite her otherwise meek nature), and grisly scenes don't seem to affect her all that much. If anything, she treats them with a composed sort of morbid curiosity, trying to figure out what's happened and how to try and fix it. It's a useful skill once fighting's been done, if also just a tiny bit unnerving.

//LIMITATIONS:

◼ HIDDEN |

//WEAKNESSES:

◼ Too Straight-laced | Ryan is the kind of person that doesn't seem to have had an independent thought in her life. As such, she's utterly terrible at taking the initiative, and tends to shut down in high-stress situations that don't have a clean-cut textbook solution. For the most part, she needs someone to tell her what to do, or she'll default to letting it be someone else's problem. When faced with a fight-or-flight situation, she takes the third option and freezes up like a rabbit in the headlights. She's also never thrown a punch in her life.

◼ Weak-willed | Mostly due to the perfectionism forced upon her throughout her upbringing, and her own deep-seeded insecurities, Ryan is an easy person to manipulate. Terrified of judgement or being seen as a disappointment, she clings desperately on to the image of the person she thinks she's expected to be and is terrified of having it ruined. These issues also mean she struggles to confront her problems, tending to avoid people when uncomfortable rather than seek out discussions that need to be had.

Trusting her to keep a secret is also a fairly bad idea; not because she's malicious or manipulative, but because getting information from her is hardly something anyone with a few brain cells or a decent workout routine would struggle to accomplish. In short, she's somewhat of a coward, or at the very least non-confrontational to the point of it being a serious detriment to everyone involved.

◼ Naive | To say she's had a sheltered upbringing would be a bit of an understatement. While she's got plenty of knowledge in theory, she's got a severe deficit in real life experiences, with almost everything she does having been done in controlled, protected environments. She's far too trusting, oblivious to things other people could find obvious, and can get in over her head without even realising it.

Of course that lack of life experience is something she's more than a little embarrassed by, so outright admitting to it is out of the question for her, insecure teenager that she is. Generally she pretends she knows about everything and simply chooses not to partake in any of it, but pressing her for any details will quickly reveal how utterly transparent that particular facade is.

▼ N O T E S:

---

//SUPPORTING CAST:

▼ ALLIES

Hider

◼ Matías Mendoza| Ryan's father, a plumber. Heavily religious. Their relationship is amicable, but as parent-child bonds go, formal and not particularly close.

◼ Carla Mendoza | Ryan's mother, she stays at home most days. She's caring, but overbearing, and very much pins her hopes on her daughter. Ryan dreads letting her down in any way.

▼ FRIENDS

Hider

◼ TBD | Test

▼ ENEMIES

Hider

◼ TBD | Test

//STOMPING GROUNDS

Hider

◼ Fellowship Community Church | The church Ryan's family attend. They're a very traditional institution, firmly set in their beliefs; very much working with a fire-and-brimstone type of philosophy. While they certainly don't go far enough to be considered outright extreme, they direct a fair amount of vitriol towards those deemed worthy of disapproval.
◼ Harborview Library | A moderately-sized library found not too far away from the school, they have a fair selection of books and genres. Their fiction selection is a lot more comprehensive than their available academic and non-fiction texts. It's generally not too busy, though there are almost always a couple of people looking through the shelves, or finishing essays in the quiet. When she's stressed out or doesn't want to deal with her parents, Ryan tends to go here instead of heading home. Lately, she's been spending a lot more time there.

//PARAPHERNALIA

Hider

◼ Notebook/diary (locked) | Taken with her just about everywhere, the pocket-sized diary she carries around is used more as a notebook. She maintains that she only bought the diary because it came with a lock, but there are just as many personal musings in there as actual practical notes, and judging by her panicked reactions to snooping she certainly doesn't want anyone reading it. She keeps the keys in the pocket of her jacket at all times.

◼ Smartphone | Ryan's phone is relatively new, although she seems to consider it a distraction and mostly seems to use it for calls, texts, note-taking and a variety of other incredibly boring things. That, and she plays a lot of scrabble, though she'd argue that it's just to help with her vocabulary.

World's End Online

Joseph / Marken Monet

---

---

Joseph hadn’t been busy today; not that he was busy all that often anyway. Today, though, most of his clients had cancelled, which was pretty ideal. They had to pay anyway, after all, and it had just given him more time to spend with Mac. Poor guy was pretty tired out from running around all day, snoring quite loudly in the bed Joseph had spent a little too much on.

He did that a lot. Seemed like the canine was either an unstoppable ball of energy or completely unconscious, with very little in-between.
But that suited both of them. Sticking to the sort-of-schedule, and with a faintly dopey smile, Joseph turned away from the sleeping canine, relaxing into his chair as he slipped on his headset.

---

How he’d ended up here, he wasn’t quite sure. He’d headed off for a walk, partly to gather materials and partly to escape the bustle of the city. But it was a fairly familiar route, if a roundabout one he’d planned out to avoid as much combat as possible. Normally he didn’t go this way, but without a real fighter to back him up it was easier.

Still, it was kind of boring. Scenery lost some of its appeal when you’d seen it be exactly the same time after time. He knew all the interesting parts by now, and while the passing creatures were always fascinating – and adorable, from a distance – there wasn’t all that much variety.

Which was why the shrine caught his attention. It hadn’t been there on any of his other journeys, and this was a pretty remote area to be adding anything new. Curious, if a little apprehensive about risking his cart, he headed towards the new addition.
He’d barely made it close before maintenance kicked him out.

---

Upon logging back in, Joseph was fairly confused as to where he was. Definitely not where he’d been when the maintenance kicked in, anyway, but after a panicked glance around that confirmed his cart hadn’t disappeared, as well as the presence of others, he broke into a wide grin. If there were other people here, then the game couldn’t have completely broken.

Or at least there were other people here to help him roll with it. Besides, he recognised Fayt, at least, so he’d still have some supplies coming in if this was really out of the ordinary.

There was also someone who seemed to be part rabbit. Something about her seemed to catch Marken's attention, and he approached the girl in a manner that could only really be taken as intimidating, leaning down to meet her eyes.

“You.”

At least until he spoke, with all the enthusiasm and wonder of a giddy schoolgirl, and ruffled her hair just a little too hard.

“You’re fluffy!”

Very fluffy, as the ruffling confirmed. Joseph – or Marken, he supposed, although they weren’t much different, managed to resist the urge to pet her any more after several seconds’ deliberation. It was obvious enough that the man was well-meaning, if also a bit of a dope.
Oh, and he had to agree to something again. He didn’t bother reading it, just skimming to the end and checking the usual boxes right away. No-one actually read terms and conditions, and until the day he accidentally gave away his soul or something, Joseph would remain a firm believer in the value of saving the time and effort.

He heard someone talking about a party. He’d definitely need to pick one once all of these guys got set up; merchant wasn’t a class that lent itself to working alone. For now, he decided to leave the poor tormented rabbit alone, whistling an out-of-tune melody to himself as he headed back to start looking through his cart. No harm in checking all his goods had made it through that weirdness.

World's End Online

Joseph MacLeod / Marken Monet

Joseph MacLeod

Age: 22
Gender: Male


Appearance: Tall, strong, and not afraid to stand out, Joseph can come off as fairly intimidating to those that don’t know him too well. While he has a slight case of resting bitch-face, and a fairly impressive bite scar on his forearm that doesn’t help matters, once he’s actually talking to people you’ll rarely catch him without a smile. He tries to dress well, considering his appearance fairly important; the same reason he puts so much effort into maintaining the moustache he’s a little too proud of.

Personality: Joseph is a gentle giant; the human equivalent of a large, overenthusiastic, puppy. Slightly clumsy, open and friendly, seeing the world as simpler than most do. He prefers to avoid conflict wherever he can, to the point where he can be slightly stupid about it.

He tends to be passionate about the things he does, a little too exuberant for a lot of people: he can come off as self-absorbed, and he there's no denying that he's fairly vain when you get down to it. Still, he’s always willing to be a shoulder to cry on. If somebody’s hurting, or just needs looked after, he’ll be the first to run to their side. Although he does have a slight tendency to be overly fussy or spoil people – a fact that his dog, Mac, takes full advantage of.

Background: A couple of years ago, Joseph was what you’d call a total hippy; some of his tree-hugger tendencies have stuck around, and a few pictures of a long-haired, baggy-clothed, surprisingly lanky Joseph definitely still exist, but mostly it was because he didn’t really have much idea what to do with his life. Protest provided an escape, letting him ignore that in favour of fighting for a good cause.

The turning point for him, however, came when he adopted Mac. His dog was a rescue, and used to be fairly hostile towards anyone he met, including Joseph himself. As far as he’s concerned, it made them closer, although Mac still tends to be a little hostile towards strangers. Besides that, the responsibility of looking after Mac motivated him to get himself in gear.

Having recently managed to start working as a personal trainer on his own time, he lives in a one-bedroom apartment, with a room full of gym equipment set aside to work with his clients. It pays fairly well, and leaves him with a reasonable amount of free time to do whatever he feels like. Still, despite his security, there’s a part of him that missed the escape and excitement of his old life; and it was for that escape that he started playing the game.

---

---

Marken Monet

Ingame Appearance: irl looks (he’s not giving up the moustache)

Class: Merchant

Notable Skills:

• Intimidate - Intentionally or otherwise, Marken’s impressive physical stature tends to make it easy for him to scare people, helping him secure better deals or keep someone quiet without starting a fight.
• Background Check – Experience with trading valuables means Marken can identify most items (barring the unique and exceptionally rare), and can generally tell when something is being faked, or when he’s being lied to, although it's by no means flawless in that regard.

Equipment: Mace, shield, cart

In cart

Basic survival supplies (food, water, fire supplies, bedroll)

Textiles, jewellery, and a hefty supply of booze and assorted (fairly useless) potions for both sale and personal use.

An empty chest with a sturdy lock, intended for securely storing any particularly valuable items. Can’t be accessed too quickly, however.

Others: Absolutely loves cute things, especially animals, especially dogs, and will fawn over them like a giddy schoolgirl if you give him half a chance.

World's End Online

Joseph

Joseph MacLeod

Age: 22
Gender: Male


Appearance: Tall, strong, and not afraid to stand out, Joseph can come off as fairly intimidating to those that don’t know him too well. While he has a slight case of resting bitch-face, and a fairly impressive bite scar on his forearm that doesn’t help matters, once he’s actually talking to people you’ll rarely catch him without a smile. He tries to dress well, considering his appearance fairly important; the same reason he puts so much effort into maintaining the moustache he’s a little too proud of.

Personality: Joseph is a gentle giant; the human equivalent of a large, overenthusiastic, puppy. Slightly clumsy, open and friendly, seeing the world as simpler than most do. He prefers to avoid conflict wherever he can, to the point where he can be slightly stupid about it.

He tends to be passionate about the things he does, a little too exuberant for a lot of people: he can come off as self-absorbed, and he there's no denying that he's fairly vain when you get down to it. Still, he’s always willing to be a shoulder to cry on. If somebody’s hurting, or just needs looked after, he’ll be the first to run to their side. Although he does have a slight tendency to be overly fussy or spoil people – a fact that his dog, Mac, takes full advantage of.

Background: A couple of years ago, Joseph was what you’d call a total hippy; some of his tree-hugger tendencies have stuck around, and a few pictures of a long-haired, baggy-clothed, surprisingly lanky Joseph definitely still exist, but mostly it was because he didn’t really have much idea what to do with his life. Protest provided an escape, letting him ignore that in favour of fighting for a good cause.

The turning point for him, however, came when he adopted Mac. His dog was a rescue, and used to be fairly hostile towards anyone he met, including Joseph himself. As far as he’s concerned, it made them closer, although Mac still tends to be a little hostile towards strangers. Besides that, the responsibility of looking after Mac motivated him to get himself in gear.

Having recently managed to start working as a personal trainer on his own time, he lives in a one-bedroom apartment, with a room full of gym equipment set aside to work with his clients. It pays fairly well, and leaves him with a reasonable amount of free time to do whatever he feels like. Still, despite his security, there’s a part of him that missed the escape and excitement of his old life; and it was for that escape that he started playing the game.

---

---

Marken Monet

Ingame Appearance: irl looks (he’s not giving up the moustache)

Class: Merchant

Notable Skills:

• Intimidate - Intentionally or otherwise, Marken’s impressive physical stature tends to make it easy for him to scare people, helping him secure better deals or keep someone quiet without starting a fight.
• Background Check – Experience with trading valuables means Marken can identify most items (barring the unique and exceptionally rare), and can generally tell when something is being faked, or when he’s being lied to, although it's by no means flawless in that regard.

Equipment: Mace, shield, cart

In cart

Basic survival supplies (food, water, fire supplies, bedroll)

Textiles, jewellery, and a hefty supply of booze and assorted (fairly useless) potions for both sale and personal use.

An empty chest with a sturdy lock, intended for securely storing any particularly valuable items. Can’t be accessed too quickly, however.

Others: Absolutely loves cute things, especially animals, especially dogs, and will fawn over them like a giddy schoolgirl if you give him half a chance.

Welcome to Drumvar: A Slice of Life RP (Always Accepting)

So, after some thought, I’ve made the decision to offically close the RP. Considering the guild’s connection issues, it kind of lost a lot of momentum before it even got started, and beyond that I’m currently in the process of drawing back from RPing to focus on some personal stuff, so spending too much time trying to revive it isn't something I'm planning on doing at the moment.

Thanks to everyone for the interest/participation!

Welcome to Drumvar: A Slice of Life RP (Always Accepting)

Collab Posts

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So, this is something I mentioned in the rules, but I'm going to lay it out here for future reference.

If you're interacting with another character, I do expect you to collaborate on a post rather than back-and-forth for pages at a time in the IC. You can send each other sections over whatever medium you want: personally, I'd recommend using a pad site where you can both take turns working on one post.

For example, meetingwords.com or etherpad.net let you do that, but if you'd rather just PM each other then go ahead. Just make sure any lengthy interactions are kept to the same post instead of filling up the IC.

Thanks.

Welcome to Drumvar: A Slice of Life RP (Always Accepting)

@FifthHouse Looks good, accepted!

Welcome to Drumvar: A Slice of Life RP (Always Accepting)

@FifthHouse Hey there. The sheet's mostly okay, but we'd appreciate a bit more detail on the history. The rest of the sheet's fine, but we did ask for a few paragraphs when it came to getting the history section written out, and that's a fairly important requirement.

Thanks!