Obscene Symphony

- Fragmented -

Will this RP be purely modern or will fantasy/supernatural themes and the like be heavily present?

@Dirty Pretty Lies

On the face of it, there will be something like a supernatural influence when it comes to soul bonds. For example, members of a Reunited pair (aka two Fragmented who are soulmates) will, over time, develop a telepathic connection that IC modern science can't really explain. As for anything beyond that, it's hard for me to say much without risking spoilers. What I will say, though, is that we're not terribly firmly rooted in mundane reality, and as the story progresses there will definitely be more where those soul bonds came from ^_^

- Fragmented -

As long as you can remember, you've known you were different.

Don't worry, everyone else did too; the mark around your wrist made sure of that. Some of them looked at you with envy and fascination, others with pity. Maybe a few even shunned you. Maybe the attention bothered you, but you were probably more concerned with that feeling in your chest. That bizarre tug. That longing. That feeling of desperately missing someone. But who?

Maybe you've been searching for them; maybe you're not holding your breath. It's tough, right? Unless you live in a massive city you've probably never even met someone like you, and even then your chances were slim. You probably saw people like you on TV though, in movies, online. Talking about it. That feeling you're missing. About being complete, finding their other half. The movies probably tell you how great it is; celebrities on talk shows might say otherwise. Maybe you've read up on your condition, learned the boons it can grant when things work out. Learned what can happen if they don't.

Are you scared? Excited? Have you been looking at the moon each night, wondering if your other half is looking too? Are you holding out hope that by some miracle your paths will cross? After all, it happens to some people. Why not you?

Well, your chance – probably your only chance – may well have just arrived. You got a letter, in one of those fancy envelopes made out of thick embossed paper, addressed directly to you. It's got one of those cool old-fashioned seals on the back, pink and blue wax swirled together and imprinted with the shape of a lotus. The letter inside looks hand-written, written by people like you, inviting you to attend an event that may well lead you to your other half. Seems sketchy, right? Maybe, but something made you send back your answer, and now you've got all-expense-paid tickets to go spend a week in luxury and take that chance. Think you'll find your destiny?

___________________________________________

Hello and welcome to Fragmented! As you may have gleaned from the blurb up there, this is going to be a soulmate RP, but hopefully with a little (or a lot) more depth than you may have seen before. See, soulmates in this RP aren't just each other's perfect romantic match. Rather, there are three possible types of soul bonds that can be formed: romantic, platonic, and antagonistic (information to come). As well, this RP is not just about finding your partner. In fact, that’ll happen pretty early on in the story. I have some fleshed-out lore coming out in the OOC and there's a lot more to the story than meets the eye, so if you're looking for some lighthearted slice-of-life, I'm afraid that's not what you'll find here. But if you're like me and have been looking at soulmate RPs for ages, loving the concept but wishing there was a little more meat to them, rejoice! This RP is probably right up your alley.

The premise is this: your character is one of a very rare demographic called the Fragmented. These are people who have a soulmate out there in the world somewhere, and are denoted as such from birth by a band-like mark around their wrist. Unfortunately, seeing as your soulmate could be anywhere in the world and the Fragmented are rare enough that you're probably the only one you've ever met, finding your other half is no small task. Sure, some people are lucky and happen to find theirs on their own, but the sad truth is that a lot of your kind die alone, and early at that, withering away without their soulmate.

Your character might be freaked out by the prospect, they might be optimistic that they'll find their partner, or anything in between. What links you all together is that you all got a letter from a pair of mysterious benefactors, two wealthy twins by the names of Raphael and Isaac Abramson who happen to be Fragmented like you. In fact, they’re some of the very lucky few who were born alongside their soulmate, sharing a platonic soul bond. Knowing the benefits of being Reunited with their soulmate, they're sympathetic for those Fragmented who don’t find their other half (often called the Lost) and, as their preferred act of charity, they are holding a grand event at their estate where they've invited people like you to congregate in hopes of finding your match. For most of you, this is probably the first (and likely the only) chance you'll have to meet other Fragmented, and for whatever reason, you've chosen to attend.

This RP will be high-casual and plot-oriented with some possibility for darker content down the line, so I’m making it 18+ to cover all my bases. The setting is our world (with a few changes) in the vaguely near future mostly for my own convenience so I can say that universal translators are a thing. The whole thing will take place at and around the Abramson estate, a large and very opulent property in the Canadian Rockies where the owners invite guests to indulge in every amenity they have to offer. Guests from all over the world will eat, drink and be merry for a week in luxury as they search among the others for their soulmate. As for those who find them, only time will tell…

I’m looking for a relatively small group, maybe 10-12 characters total. People are welcome to play multiples, though I’m going to limit those at 2 characters each; if you’re planning to play multiples, please let me know ASAP. If this gets more interest than that, I’ll narrow the cast down by merit rather than first-come first-served. I don’t plan on playing a character in the main cast, but if we get an odd number of characters I will play one to even things out. Soulmates and soul bond types will be chosen by me; if you have preferences for either you’re welcome to tell me, though I won’t guarantee anything. Characters will be in their early twenties from just about anywhere in the world with pretty much any background, so I invite you to get creative! Travel, lodging and everything else will be provided, so your character doesn’t have to be able to afford the trip, don’t worry. You’re welcome to submit your character in this thread, but I’ll be saving acceptances for the OOC.

Character Sheet

NOTE: Please do not alter the character sheet. Don't add things, don't subtract things. This is just a basic template so you’re welcome to fancy it up all you want, but just make sure you use all the sections that are listed. Please don't add extra sections; you can add additional info in the "Other" section all you want. As well, because my eyes are stupid, I'd appreciate it if you'd put all your images in hiders. If you have questions, comments or anything else, please don't hesitate to contact me!

---

Character image: Non-anime artwork please!

Name: Full name, titles if you have any, include nicknames if you'd like

Age: 20-25 please

Gender: Male or female

Sexuality: I’ll need this to make pairings, so please don’t skip!

Appearance: Extra reference images should be linked or in a hider please! Make sure to include anything we can't see in your image and details like height, weight (this is a good website for figuring out an appropriate weight for your character's height and build!) identifying marks (tattoos, scars, piercings) and general style of dress, as well as any differences from your character image. You know, the standard.
***This RP takes place in the vaguely near future, so it's totally safe to say that fashion has evolved a bit. That is to say, if you want your character to have a wardrobe that's a little more extra than the modern day-to-day, that can be arranged! Don't worry, I'll tell you if it's too much.

Personality: A short rundown of your character's personality. Don't stress too much over this section, there will be plenty of time to demonstrate your personality IC!

Biography: Here's where you're invited to get detailed if you'd like. Your character can be from anywhere in the world and have any background you want, so get creative! Travel, lodging and everything else will be provided and there will be accessibility and translation devices at the manor, so don't worry about expense or communication.

Other: Trivia, miscellany, and anything else you'd like to include goes here! I also recommend sticking your text colour code in here.

Rules ★

General

No god-modding, no metagaming, be civil OOC, take explicit content to PMs, GM word is law, you know the drill. If there is anything at all you're not sure about, just ask me. I don't bite!

I reserve the right to refuse acceptance for any reason. Don't stress though, I'm a reasonable girl. There is a possibility I'll have to restrict character submissions of certain genders or orientations down the line so I can get pairings worked out; I'll make an announcement if this happens.

Put your character sheet in the OOC first. Once I give you the go-ahead, you may post in the character tab. Pretty standard. I recommend using the same post for all your sheets if you're doing multiples.

This RP is largely going to be character-driven, and there's some fun plot in store as well! As a result, despite the lighthearted premise, there is a possibility for darker content down the line. Please contact me if there are any subjects you do not want to breach and I will gladly adjust things accordingly.

Talk! An active OOC is always fun, and as a bonus, makes RPs last longer! Please join the RP discord server (coming soon!) to stay updated on RP happenings, chat, meme, and whatever else you want!

Posting

The partnered nature of this RP requires dedicated players. If you don't think you can commit, then I thank you for your interest but recommend you look elsewhere. Any dropped characters will be puppeted by me until such a time that they can make an organic exit. Thank you for understanding.

Whew, sorry, just needed to get that one out there! I'm not going to jump down your throat if you lose interest later on (it happens to the best of us) but I implore you, if that happens, tell me! Now:

The posting standard for this RP is high casual. 3rd person, past tense, you know the drill. I value quality over quantity and a lean post here and there is no big deal, but do try to give people something to work with. Don't worry if your posts get long; write as much as you feel you need to.

Do your best to use proper spelling, grammar and formatting. We all make mistakes now and then, but at the very least I ask that you proofread your post. It only takes a few minutes and it's an easy way to catch most mistakes -- I make stupid mistakes every other word and proofreading is my saving grace. As with everything in this RP, if you would like help or advice, I would be more than happy to talk to you.

All characters must be posted for at least once a week or they will risk being removed. Due to the paired-up nature of this RP, this is a must. Nobody likes getting stuck because their partner hasn't posted. You don't have to post a novel, but do put out something. If you foresee a problem with this, please bring it to my attention ASAP. To that end...

A weekly update of some kind will be posted by me every Monday. This could be anything from a time skip or event update to a simple benchmark post. You do not have to post every 7 days on the dot, but you must post at least once per update cycle for all of your characters. Speaking of which...

You may have multiple characters, but be prepared to post for all of them. To keep the cast a little leaner, I'll instate a 2-character limit for the time being. I won't accept being swamped with characters as an excuse for inactivity, so make sure you only play as many as you know you can handle.

Please don't include pictures in the headers of your posts. Fancy text headers from places like 1001fonts and fontmeme are welcome and encouraged, but no character images please. To be perfectly honest, this is just a pet peeve of mine. But this time I'm the GM, so I make the rules!

If you have read these rules, please put a star ★ into the "Other" section of your character sheet.

As mentioned, more world information will be coming when the OOC goes up, but if people are lore-hungry before then, I’ll be happy to provide. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask, and thank you so much for reading!

Username Context

I totally lifted this name from a friend of mine. I always thought it was so great and clever and I was terrible at usernames, so when she found one she liked better and transferred her online identity to that one, I took this one. I like to think it's fitting, as despite some moderate effort, I curse a lot more than I need to xD I was also a band kid but that didn't really play into my choice

But now this is my name everywhere! Honestly I'd probably answer just as quickly to "Obscene" in real life as my real name, lol.

Post a random fact about yourself.

I used to sleepwalk when I was younger, and the creepy part was that I was fully capable of unlocking, opening, and closing a door, before walking down a flight of stairs and looting the kitchen in the middle of the night.
I'd also lock the door on my way back up, so I had no clue I was doing it until I was told about it.

Oh, and sometimes I'll sit up while asleep, look at people, have a short conversation, then go back to sleep.
One of the times that always gets brought up is once when I did that and my mother was like "Kuro, you're asleep" and my response was apparently a genuinely surprised look on my face, followed by an "Oh, okay then" before laying back down and resuming my snoozin'.

I woke up the next morning to my mother laughing her ass off about it. It was great.

@Kuroakuma

I used to sleepwalk as a child, but only when I felt guilty about something. I would get up and search the house for my parents, and if I found them I'd have a nonsensical conversation. Sometimes I'd just sit in the dark in the kitchen or something. Apparently a restless conscience made my body restless, and it's the #1 reason I pretty much never lied to my parents XD

People do crazy shit while they sleepwalk. I learned about a court case where a dude drove to his in-laws' house and murdered them both while sleepwalking. Apparently after they were dead he woke up, freaked the fuck out (as one would do if they discovered they just killed people in their sleep) and promptly went to the police station to turn himself in. Crazy eh?

Of Blood and Magic

_{Interacting with: his mom <3}

Ugh, there it was, that if again. If he entered Varis’ service. The thought of surgery was far from comforting, but it was that if that gnawed at him most. For the moment, though, Aaron remembered what he told himself and pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He could brood over it later; in the meantime, Varis had apparently made his choice, and it was time for Aaron to accept the unpleasant reality of this ‘marking’ business. He eyed the tattoo shop warily as they stepped inside, casting aside his former optimism in favour of hoping Varis’ taste in ‘adornments’ was at least less disturbing than his Lady’s.

Inside, the shop was clean and tidy, though the artwork plastered all over the walls did loosen it up a bit. Aaron, of course, was anything but, the casual atmosphere doing nothing to quell his dread. The receptionist bade them to wait, but Varis clearly had no intention of obeying; Aaron was glad for the command to escort the other client out, if only because it gave him something to do. With an apologetic smile, he gestured for the mage at the counter to follow him, opening the door for him as he politely ushered him outside.

Aaron waited a moment for the door to close behind them before offering the mage a somewhat more sheepish grin. “Sorry about that, I hope we didn’t interrupt anything important.”

The mage blinked between Aaron, his scabbard and the tattoo shop for a moment, looking a little dazed. His hand still teased at his pocket, apparently still debating pulling out his phone. “O-oh, no problem,” he finally rushed out, accented by something like a laugh. He shot Aaron a nervous smile and offered a wave as he turned to leave, a partially completed sleeve tattoo on display. “Uh, have a good night!”

Aaron smiled and nodded as the other mage took off, ducking into the first door he reached. He re-entered the tattoo shop just in time for the receptionist to give him a weird look, glancing between him and her screen. Aaron had half a mind to make sure his tie wasn't tied inside-out or something, but the receptionist seemed to catch her composure quickly, returning to her exchange with Varis. “Did Mr. Starag need to select an earring?”

“No, he does not. Just see that he gets through this as quickly as possible.” Varis might have almost sounded kind if not for his tone and clear impatience. He placed a box on the counter for the receptionist to appraise; Aaron guessed that the contents were those ‘adornments’ Varis had mentioned. The receptionist seemed satisfied, and Aaron was more than a little curious. He supposed he’d find out about them soon enough.

Varis snapped his fingers at him again, and it looked like he’d be free of the vampires for the rest of the evening. Aaron sat down where he was indicated, taking a moment to remove his scabbard from his hip and balance it against his knee, and set a quick alarm for 5:45am so he wouldn’t miss his 6am curfew. Roughly two hours to himself, minus however long this appointment took. Not bad, maybe he’d have time to see Salem after all. For the moment, though, he was more concerned with his appointment. The receptionist said ‘earring’, so that meant he was getting his ear pierced, right? Probably the right ear, since Varis apparently didn’t want to do his left. Just an ear piercing, that couldn’t be too bad. Surely it wouldn’t hurt much, though he wasn’t really concerned about the pain; it was just that something about poking holes in oneself and sticking jewelry in them always sent a shiver up his spine. But women got their ears pierced all the time, how bad could it be? Much better than those ones Lady Sinnenodel’s mages had had in their faces, or the one Vanessa had on her back. Right?

He was fighting a losing battle with his nerves when his watch and phone buzzed in tandem, his watch face displaying a phone call from “Mom”. His phone displayed a candid shot of a smiling older woman, with his same blue eyes and silvery blonde hair twisted into an elaborate braid. He was caught between perking up and sinking down at the sight, both happy to speak with her and dreading whatever she might ask. But it wouldn’t do to keep her waiting, so he quickly answered the call, speaking more brightly than he felt. “Hey mom, how are you feeling?”

A call from mom

“How is it that after all this time, that’s still how you always answer my calls?” His mother demanded, though a quiet chuckle betrayed her amusement.

Aaron smiled, looking down at his lap. “Force of habit I suppose,” he replied. “How are things at home?”

“A little hectic since you left, but we’ve finally gotten all your duties straightened out,” his mother reported. Though it may have been mean-spirited, Aaron couldn’t help but feel smug that it took them some time to get his responsibilities covered. “But how are you? You leave for the first time and don’t call for three nights, I didn’t know you had such a wandering spirit.”

Aaron laughed with his mother, though he was happy she couldn’t see his face fall. “Yes, forgive me, I wanted to video call but I haven’t gotten the chance.”

“Of course, it’s a lot of changes in a very short time, I’m surprised you have any time for me,” she reassured him.

Aaron smiled sadly. “Don’t worry, I always have time for you.”

“Oh hush,” his mother gently chided, “you can do much better things with your time than worry about me.” Silence stretched between them for a moment, and when his mother spoke up again, she was quieter. “Everything is going well, then?”

“...Like you said, it’s a lot of changes,” Aaron reasoned. He knew he’d have to do this dance, but he worried all the same. “I’m sure I’ll catch on soon though.”

“I have no doubt.” Aaron swore he could hear his mother’s smile, the same sad one she’d given him when he’d left, and it tightened his throat even now. There was another pause on the line before his mother cleared her throat, forcing some brightness back into her voice. “And your partner? We’ve all been dying to learn who it is, but of course Her Royal Highness is tight-lipped on the matter.”

“I bet she is.” Aaron closed his eyes for a second, letting his head fall back onto the couch. Of course it would be up to him to break the news, though he almost wished Princess Ryner would have spilled so he didn’t have to. Should he just tell her now and get it over with? Wait for a better time, a better place, more privacy? He felt like a child admitting to doing something bad, running through every worst-case reaction he might get. “Well…”

“Mr. Starag, Jacob is ready for you.” As if on cue, the receptionist called Aaron up, gesturing to the back of the tattoo parlor. Aaron had not expected to be relieved to head back for his appointment, but it was definitely the better alternative to what he was about to say.

“I’m sorry mom, I have to go,” he excused hastily, standing and balancing his phone on his shoulder so he could clip his scabbard back onto his belt. “Say hello to everyone at home for me, and I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

He was sure his mother was less than impressed, but she didn’t let it leak into her voice. “Of course. I love you, Sunshine.”

Aaron smiled, despite himself. “Love you too, mom.”

Obscene's Scratchpad

_{Interacting with: his mom <3}

Ugh, there it was, that if again. If he entered Varis’ service. The thought of surgery was far from comforting, but it was that if that gnawed at him most. For the moment, though, Aaron remembered what he told himself and pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He could brood over it later; in the meantime, Varis had apparently made his choice, and it was time for Aaron to accept the unpleasant reality of this ‘marking’ business. He eyed the tattoo shop warily as they stepped inside, casting aside his former optimism and simply hoping Varis’ taste in ‘adornments’ was at least less disturbing than his Lady’s. 

Inside, the shop was clean and tidy, though the artwork plastered all over the walls did lend it a more relaxed feel. Aaron, of course, was anything but, the casual atmosphere doing nothing to quell his dread. The receptionist bade them to wait, but Varis clearly had no intention of obeying; Aaron was glad for the command to escort the other client out, if only because it gave him something to do. With an apologetic smile, he gestured for the mage at the counter to follow him, opening the door for him as he politely ushered him outside. 

Aaron waited a moment for the door to close behind them before offering the mage a somewhat more sheepish grin. “Sorry about that, I hope we didn’t interrupt anything important.”

The mage blinked between Aaron, his scabbard and the tattoo shop for a moment, looking a little dazed. His hand still teased at his pocket, apparently still debating pulling out his phone. “O-oh, no problem,” he finally rushed out, accented by something like a laugh. He shot Aaron a nervous smile and offered a wave as he turned to leave, a partially completed sleeve tattoo on display. “Uh, have a good night!”

Aaron smiled and nodded as the other mage took off, ducking into the first door he reached. He re-entered the tattoo shop just in time for the receptionist to give him a weird look, glancing between him and her screen. Aaron had half a mind to make sure there wasn’t dirt on his shirt or something, but the receptionist seemed to catch her composure quickly, returning to her exchange with Varis. “Did Mr. Starag need to select an earring?”

“No, he does not. Just see that he gets through this as quickly as possible.” Varis might have almost sounded kind if not for his tone and clear impatience. He placed a box on the counter for the receptionist to appraise; Aaron guessed that the contents were those ‘adornments’ Varis had mentioned. The receptionist seemed satisfied, and Aaron was more than a little curious. He supposed he’d find out about them soon enough.

Varis snapped his fingers at him again, and it looked like he’d be free of the vampires for the rest of the evening. Aaron sat down where he was indicated, taking a moment to remove his scabbard from his hip and balance it against his knee, and set a quick alarm for 5:45am so he wouldn’t miss his 6am curfew. Roughly two hours to himself, minus however long this appointment took. Not bad, maybe he’d have time to see Salem after all. For the moment, though, he was more concerned with his appointment. The receptionist said ‘earring’, so that meant he was getting his ear pierced, right? Probably the right ear, since Varis apparently didn’t want to do his left. Just an ear piercing, that couldn’t be too bad. Surely it wouldn’t hurt much, though he wasn’t really concerned about the pain; it was just that something about poking holes in oneself and sticking jewelry in them always sent a shiver up his spine. But women got their ears pierced all the time, how bad could it be? Much better than those ones Lady Sinnenodel’s mages had had in their faces, or the one Vanessa had on her back. Right?

He was fighting a losing battle with his nerves when his watch and phone buzzed in tandem, his watch face displaying a phone call from “Mom”. His phone displayed a candid shot of a smiling older woman, with his same blue eyes and silvery blonde hair twisted into an elaborate braid. He was caught between perking up and sinking down at the sight, both happy to speak with her and dreading whatever she might ask. But it wouldn’t do to keep her waiting, so he quickly answered the call, speaking more brightly than he felt. “Hey mom, how are you feeling?”

A call from mom

“How is it that after all this time, that’s always how you answer my calls?” His mother demanded, though a quiet chuckle betrayed her amusement. 

Aaron smiled, looking down at his lap. “Force of habit I suppose,” he replied. “How are things at home?”

“A little hectic since you left, but we’ve gotten all your duties straightened out,” his mother reported. Maybe it was mean-spirited, but Aaron couldn’t help but be smug that it took them some time to get his duties covered. “But how are you? You leave for the first time and don’t call for three nights, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were running away!”

Post a random fact about yourself.

@Vampiretwilight Yep, I know the feeling.

Post a random fact about yourself.

I get a migraine at least once or twice a month. ugh.

@Vampiretwilight

Mine are usually once a week, though I've been able to stretch it to 8 or 9 days with magnesium supplements and careful routines.

New but Old

Love the avatar XD