Current
As Spring grows, so too does the itch to dream, to imagine, and to create.
7 yrs ago
It's Christmas time! Put up the lights, and hold up your light! #LightTheWorld
7 yrs ago
And it's impossible to edit a status. Wonderful. I meant to say my hard drive is down; I'm working out of a flash drive now.
7 yrs ago
Whoops. That's one flash drive destroyed. Kids, take good care of your toys! For those concerned, thank you! I don't have any storage, but I do have access to a browser; roleplaying continues!
7 yrs ago
Driving on my lunch break when a random kid on the sidewalk yells, "It's the internet man! Hi internet man!" Spend the rest of Monday feeling like a champ.
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Bio
*Picks up the profile* *Looks at it oddly, as though it vaguely reminds him of something he read once* *Blows off a mountain of dust*
Ah! That's what this is! It's my old role-player guild account!
Hello, folks, from a friend new and old. Old in that I spent many happy hours fictating way back in Old-Guild before Lost Christmas, and then I spent some time in New-Guild during its beginning development; new in that I've been gone for two years, so a lot of the "faces" I was familiar with back then don't seem to be haunting the place these days. Whether you've known me before or not, I extend to you a hearty greeting and a virtual feast. If you'd like a name shorter than the full one, please call me Taro. I'm rather comfortable with that one.
Well, you didn't come here just to hear about my history. You're probably looking to see what kind of a role-player I am. Truthfully, I'm not totally certain right now; two years without practice does bring on a multitude of changes. Then again, even in those two years I've kept the creative spark fed and fanned, in isolation though it may have been, and I can tell you this much with great certainty: I like light-hearted laughter, soul-searching questions, and that precipice of commitment. My favorite settings would be: High Fantasy Modern Fantasy Science Fiction (new worlds, a newer Earth, even just in the immensity of space) I consider it a given that, where boys and girls coexist in a story, Romance will blossom. Horror I have a very weak stomach for. (I read the basic instructions for Betrayal at House on the Hill and had to consciously tell myself that night that everything was fine and I would sleep safely. I didn't even play a game; I only read the instructions!) I stay away from graphic violence, sexual depictions of any nature, and profanities. I'm very much a PG-rated writer; I plan on sharing everything I write as bedtime stories with my kids someday.
I play a convincing dude (I'm sure you never would have guessed that), but a vast majority of my favorite characters are female. So if you have romance in mind, I'm happy to play either party. If you don't want a romance, you will probably have to tell me that plainly. Then I'll just go with what feels right for the story, subject to a few personal whims which I hope will only bolster the plot and development.
I'm very picky as far as my own ideas go. I'll try just about everything I can think of to break the idea in order to insure there are no gaping plot holes. I invite everyone else to examine my ideas in a similar light--different people, different thought processes, different problems discovered--and to offer any compliments or constructive criticisms you have. As part of that, I absolutely love pushing the boundary of an idea as far as it will stretch, or looking for that odd, "I never thought of using it like that" approach to a character's abilities.
What else would I say with this space? I really like old poetry; reading Isaiah gives me the happy trembles. I hope I've presented a fair assessment of my writing style and capabilities through this brief introduction. I love creating--creating characters and bringing them to life from the page; creating worlds filled with fascinating lore and beautiful locales; creating stories, be they narrations of ordinary men and women facing their trials or epics of fated heroes overcoming every obstacle to save Dwarf-kind.
And, in closing, I'm excited for the chance to work with you. I should be able to post daily. PM me anytime, especially if you have a question about anything I've said here or elsewhere, but even if you only want to chat. You could even ask me about my mysterious two-year absence. I'll tell you now that I was in California, but that doesn't really answer the question. I'm happy to talk anytime.
Sweet water and light laughter until next we meet! -Taro
“So many people can look at nature and see chaos. I see a beautiful order, where every blade of grass and crawling insect has its own special place. Everything in all creation has order—even that which we call chaos.”
AnnMarie “Anni” Parkinson, 15
Personality(Snippet): “Well… I love animals. I was walking home from Academy with Naomi—she’s my best friend—and telling her about all the phrases I’ve heard from the parrots, and I think she was a bit exasperated after all the times I’ve done this (or something like it). She asked if there wasn’t something else I could talk about for ten minutes. And you know, I really had to stop and think about that! I could probably talk about my mom and the vacation we went on together over the summer. I thought about talking about the Ghost Girl, but I know that story scares Naomi. I could talk about God, but every time I’ve done that it leads into me talking about all the animals in the world anyway. And whenever I’ve asked her about boys it ends awkwardly because I haven’t really liked anyone, so it feels like I’m being unfair and only taking her secrets without giving any.
“So I just asked her about the homework assignment from Current Events.”
Occupation: “I’m just starting the 10th grade, so that’s a lot of my time. After school I go to work at the zoo! I mostly work with the birds, but sometimes Mom lets me help her with our big cats.”
History (Basic): “Lightbridge is the only home I can remember. Mom settled here just before I was born. We’ve been on vacations to other places—California, a Texas dude ranch, the Philippines. (I really want to have my own horse!) But we always come back to our studio apartment where it’s just Mother and me. And she has to work, so… But it’s not bad! We spend a lot of time together! And it’s even better now because I started working at the zoo with her this summer! I’ve been trying to be hired there since I was ten!”
Semblance Type: “Unfettered, I think is what Kyt was called.”
Semblance Appearance: “Well, the mask was almost all white. It had a small, pointed nose like a cat’s. The eyes were reeeeeally narrow, like you would barely be able to see anything out of them, and surrounded by red like eyeshadow. There were two small triangles on the top that reminded me of ears, except they were more symbolizing ears than actually being ears. On the center of the forehead was this… design. Like a tattoo, except on a mask instead of on you. It looked pretty mystical. And the mouth-! It was huge! At first I thought the mask was cracked, but it just has this giant smile that stretches almost from one side to the other.”
Semblance Abilities: “I could feel it right away: the mask made me stronger. I could move faster. I could push harder. I could smell and hear and taste and feel the world in a whole new way, with more clarity and detail than I ever realized I was missing. Did you know that the trees are always talking? They give this really deep, quiet hum.
“All the physical sensations (and changes) overwhelmed me at first, but after I was more accustomed to them I found something else that was… odd. I could feel, or smell, or hear—or all of it together—the carbon around me. I knew it was there like the hair on my head. The grass, the insects, the soil, the other people—I could ‘sense’ all of it, I think is the best word for it. Everything within a few meters, that is; although, I think the range is slowly growing.”
Appearance II:
Fallen Information:
“That which you consume becomes a part of you.”
The Unfettered knew he was being hunted. Though he had no eyes to see, his ears did indeed hear, and he knew. His mouth split into an impossibly wide smile, every sharp, white tooth visible in the last rays of sunlight.
Spinning around, the fox creature disappeared into the trees, his many tails vanishing so quickly an observer would wonder if there had truly been something there a moment ago.
Kyt needed somewhere to place his ambush. The price of hunting him was that you, in turn, would be hunted. He searched as he ran, feeling the trees, the cover, the very land under his feet without need to turn and look at anything—indeed, unable to do so. As quickly as he moved, he knew his stalker was moving faster, drawing ever closer.
He found it. A small tunnel wound underground. It was certainly far too small for a fox his size to fit inside; thus it was all the more shocking when he dove in headfirst. The ground seemed to almost swallow him, opening its mouth and closing around him again in a tremendous, earthy gulp. Kyt tucked his tails in and turned his body around face the opening. And he waited.
There were no footsteps. There was no rustle of a tree branch. The wind didn’t shift to carry an unusual smell. There was only a perfect and complete silence.
Kyt launched forward, his hind legs propelling him out of the ground and far into the air. The Enlightened wordlessly brought her shield to bear, ready for his attack. The Unfettered’s mouth opened impossibly wide, teeth sinking into the top and the bottom of the round buckler. With a powerful twist of his entire body, Kyt pulled the Enlightened warrior from the air and threw her to the ground. He followed quickly, landing gracefully on his feet and dropping into a defensive crouch.
The warrior burst from the small crater her impact had created, her sword already raised high to slash down. Kyt nimble danced to the side, then again as the knight’s second slash chased after him. Quickly he tried to create distance between himself and the armored soldier, but she pursued as quickly as he evaded.
“Come now, don’t you have any sense of theater? You haven’t given us any time to banter,” the fox purred through a toothy grin.
If the Enlightened heard him, she didn’t respond. She attacked relentlessly, driving him back further and further; yet she never let her sword swing wide, never lowered her shield just an inch. Kyt was disappointed; search as he might, she left no openings in her defense for a counterattack.
“Aren’t you going to spout your reasons for coming after me?” Kyt teased. “To rid the world of a terrible monster!” he cried in mock impersonation, ducking under a vicious crosscut. “Or maybe, To avenge my fallen comrade!” he suggested as the sword cut past his nose close enough to smell the gemstone in its pommel.
Still the soldier made no response. Kyt wondered if this particular machine didn’t even have ears. Such would be terribly characteristic of the Enlightened—to make a killer unable to do anything but that. So very orderly of them.
“It’s a pity,” Kyt lamented, curling into a backflip that brought his tails out of the blade’s path just a hair—no, four hairs—too slow. “I’m not sure I like the idea of making an emotionless errand-girl a part of me. Maybe I just won’t eat you.” Kyt grinned to himself; like that would ever happen. The armor would just take a little extra chewing.
“I really do prefer Unfettered to the Enlightened. They have much better flavor, you see. So many emotions, all marinating the soft, juicy flesh.” Kyt spun around a tree, head down low. The warrior cut right through it, toppling the giant with a tremendous crash. Kyt didn’t waste his opportunity; he dashed under the falling trunk, coming out the top before any but the longest branches had touched the ground.
He was seeking an escape. He came to an abrupt halt and dropped so low the grass tickled his belly; a moment later a giant axe sliced through where his head would have been and cleaved another tree in two. A giant, armored monstrosity of an Unfettered stepped forward, raising the axe for another swing. The Enlightened knight came from behind. Kyt barely rolled to the side as both weapons crashed down.
“Griiinzakk! Kyt hissed through clenched teeth. If the Lord Tyrant had sent his prize destroyer…
“Kyt the Voracious,” the abomination declared in a deep, guttural voice, “you have been deemed a threat to Irriss and a nuisance to the Unfettered Lords. Your sentence is death.” With that, the Unfettered killer lunged forward, bringing his axe down in a powerful arc that left a crater in the ground where Kyt had just been standing.
He jumped again, tucking into a roll, as the Enlightened’s blade stabbed at his new position. Before he could properly regain his footing, Griiiznakk was upon him with another monstrous blow. He leaped as best he could, but the axe cut down the side of his forleg, an unnatural heat burning his flesh the entire way down. Kyt cursed as he backed away from his attackers.
“Both counsels wish to see me dead? I suppose I should count this a great honor.” Though he spoke with his typical arrogant humor, Kyt knew his time had come. He could not fight both of these warriors together—just one would have been a tremendous struggle. He would die here. And odd even to him, that made Kyt smile.
“Will you consume me? I should like to know I live on in the ones who defeated this form.”
“We will not,” the Enlightened declared, her voice clean and crisp.
“Oh, so you can hear me,” Kyt remarked off-hand. “You won't… That, too, is a pity. But it is no matter; my body will rot and be consumed by the ground. The plants will eat the ground, the animals will eat the plants, and so I will continue.”
“You will not,” a third voice declared. So shocked by it was Kyt that he swiveled his head to face the new person. There stood a Caretaker.
“NO!!” Kyt screamed in rage. “You will not make me one of those! I will be consumed! I will continue!”
“You have been deemed a nuisance,” Griiiznakk repeated, a malicious smirk splitting his face. The warriors brandished their weapons, then lunged. Kyt breathed in to scream his outrage, but he knew. With his last moment of existence, Kyt lifted his head and cried to the moon in a long, mournful howl.
Don’t leave me cut off. Let me be reborn in the flesh of another. No matter what… it takes...
“So many people can look at nature and see chaos. I see a beautiful order, where every blade of grass and crawling insect has its own special place. Everything in all creation has order—even that which we call chaos.”
AnnMarie “Anni” Parkinson, 15
Personality(Snippet): “Well… I love animals. I was walking home from Academy with Naomi—she’s my best friend—and telling her about all the phrases I’ve heard from the parrots, and I think she was a bit exasperated after all the times I’ve done this (or something like it). She asked if there wasn’t something else I could talk about for ten minutes. And you know, I really had to stop and think about that! I could probably talk about my mom and the vacation we went on together over the summer. I thought about talking about the Ghost Girl, but I know that story scares Naomi. I could talk about God, but every time I’ve done that it leads into me talking about all the animals in the world anyway. And whenever I’ve asked her about boys it ends awkwardly because I haven’t really liked anyone, so it feels like I’m being unfair and only taking her secrets without giving any.
“So I just asked her about the homework assignment from Current Events.”
Occupation: “I’m just starting the 10th grade, so that’s a lot of my time. After school I go to work at the zoo! I mostly work with the birds, but sometimes Mom lets me help her with our big cats.”
History (Basic): “Lightbridge is the only home I can remember. Mom settled here just before I was born. We’ve been on vacations to other places—California, a Texas dude ranch, the Philippines. (I really want to have my own horse!) But we always come back to our studio apartment where it’s just Mother and me. And she has to work, so… But it’s not bad! We spend a lot of time together! And it’s even better now because I started working at the zoo with her this summer! I’ve been trying to be hired there since I was ten!”
Semblance Type: “Unfettered, I think is what Kyt was called.”
Semblance Appearance: “Well, the mask was almost all white. It had a small, pointed nose like a cat’s. The eyes were reeeeeally narrow, like you would barely be able to see anything out of them, and surrounded by red like eyeshadow. There were two small triangles on the top that reminded me of ears, except they were more symbolizing ears than actually being ears. On the center of the forehead was this… design. Like a tattoo, except on a mask instead of on you. It looked pretty mystical. And the mouth-! It was huge! At first I thought the mask was cracked, but it just has this giant smile that stretches almost from one side to the other.”
Semblance Abilities: “I could feel it right away: the mask made me stronger. I could move faster. I could push harder. I could smell and hear and taste and feel the world in a whole new way, with more clarity and detail than I ever realized I was missing. Did you know that the trees are always talking? They give this really deep, quiet hum.
“All the physical sensations (and changes) overwhelmed me at first, but after I was more accustomed to them I found something else that was… odd. I could feel, or smell, or hear—or all of it together—the carbon around me. I knew it was there like the hair on my head. The grass, the insects, the soil, the other people—I could ‘sense’ all of it, I think is the best word for it. Everything within a few meters, that is; although, I think the range is slowly growing.”
Appearance II:
Fallen Information:
“That which you consume becomes a part of you.”
The Unfettered knew he was being hunted. Though he had no eyes to see, his ears did indeed hear, and he knew. His mouth split into an impossibly wide smile, every sharp, white tooth visible in the last rays of sunlight.
Spinning around, the fox creature disappeared into the trees, his many tails vanishing so quickly an observer would wonder if there had truly been something there a moment ago.
Kyt needed somewhere to place his ambush. The price of hunting him was that you, in turn, would be hunted. He searched as he ran, feeling the trees, the cover, the very land under his feet without need to turn and look at anything—indeed, unable to do so. As quickly as he moved, he knew his stalker was moving faster, drawing ever closer.
He found it. A small tunnel wound underground. It was certainly far too small for a fox his size to fit inside; thus it was all the more shocking when he dove in headfirst. The ground seemed to almost swallow him, opening its mouth and closing around him again in a tremendous, earthy gulp. Kyt tucked his tails in and turned his body around face the opening. And he waited.
There were no footsteps. There was no rustle of a tree branch. The wind didn’t shift to carry an unusual smell. There was only a perfect and complete silence.
Kyt launched forward, his hind legs propelling him out of the ground and far into the air. The Enlightened wordlessly brought her shield to bear, ready for his attack. The Unfettered’s mouth opened impossibly wide, teeth sinking into the top and the bottom of the round buckler. With a powerful twist of his entire body, Kyt pulled the Enlightened warrior from the air and threw her to the ground. He followed quickly, landing gracefully on his feet and dropping into a defensive crouch.
The warrior burst from the small crater her impact had created, her sword already raised high to slash down. Kyt nimble danced to the side, then again as the knight’s second slash chased after him. Quickly he tried to create distance between himself and the armored soldier, but she pursued as quickly as he evaded.
“Come now, don’t you have any sense of theater? You haven’t given us any time to banter,” the fox purred through a toothy grin.
If the Enlightened heard him, she didn’t respond. She attacked relentlessly, driving him back further and further; yet she never let her sword swing wide, never lowered her shield just an inch. Kyt was disappointed; search as he might, she left no openings in her defense for a counterattack.
“Aren’t you going to spout your reasons for coming after me?” Kyt teased. “To rid the world of a terrible monster!” he cried in mock impersonation, ducking under a vicious crosscut. “Or maybe, To avenge my fallen comrade!” he suggested as the sword cut past his nose close enough to smell the gemstone in its pommel.
Still the soldier made no response. Kyt wondered if this particular machine didn’t even have ears. Such would be terribly characteristic of the Enlightened—to make a killer unable to do anything but that. So very orderly of them.
“It’s a pity,” Kyt lamented, curling into a backflip that brought his tails out of the blade’s path just a hair—no, four hairs—too slow. “I’m not sure I like the idea of making an emotionless errand-girl a part of me. Maybe I just won’t eat you.” Kyt grinned to himself; like that would ever happen. The armor would just take a little extra chewing.
“I really do prefer Unfettered to the Enlightened. They have much better flavor, you see. So many emotions, all marinating the soft, juicy flesh.” Kyt spun around a tree, head down low. The warrior cut right through it, toppling the giant with a tremendous crash. Kyt didn’t waste his opportunity; he dashed under the falling trunk, coming out the top before any but the longest branches had touched the ground.
He was seeking an escape. He came to an abrupt halt and dropped so low the grass tickled his belly; a moment later a giant axe sliced through where his head would have been and cleaved another tree in two. A giant, armored monstrosity of an Unfettered stepped forward, raising the axe for another swing. The Enlightened knight came from behind. Kyt barely rolled to the side as both weapons crashed down.
“Griiinzakk! Kyt hissed through clenched teeth. If the Lord Tyrant had sent his prize destroyer…
“Kyt the Voracious,” the abomination declared in a deep, guttural voice, “you have been deemed a threat to Irriss and a nuisance to the Unfettered Lords. Your sentence is death.” With that, the Unfettered killer lunged forward, bringing his axe down in a powerful arc that left a crater in the ground where Kyt had just been standing.
He jumped again, tucking into a roll, as the Enlightened’s blade stabbed at his new position. Before he could properly regain his footing, Griiiznakk was upon him with another monstrous blow. He leaped as best he could, but the axe cut down the side of his forleg, an unnatural heat burning his flesh the entire way down. Kyt cursed as he backed away from his attackers.
“Both counsels wish to see me dead? I suppose I should count this a great honor.” Though he spoke with his typical arrogant humor, Kyt knew his time had come. He could not fight both of these warriors together—just one would have been a tremendous struggle. He would die here. And odd even to him, that made Kyt smile.
“Will you consume me? I should like to know I live on in the ones who defeated this form.”
“We will not,” the Enlightened declared, her voice clean and crisp.
“Oh, so you can hear me,” Kyt remarked off-hand. “You won't… That, too, is a pity. But it is no matter; my body will rot and be consumed by the ground. The plants will eat the ground, the animals will eat the plants, and so I will continue.”
“You will not,” a third voice declared. So shocked by it was Kyt that he swiveled his head to face the new person. There stood a Caretaker.
“NO!!” Kyt screamed in rage. “You will not make me one of those! I will be consumed! I will continue!”
“You have been deemed a nuisance,” Griiiznakk repeated, a malicious smirk splitting his face. The warriors brandished their weapons, then lunged. Kyt breathed in to scream his outrage, but he knew. With his last moment of existence, Kyt lifted his head and cried to the moon in a long, mournful howl.
Don’t leave me cut off. Let me be reborn in the flesh of another. No matter what… it takes...
I will try and gets a post up soon. To be honest I wasn't expecting for us to be making posts in the game, idk why but I thought we would be starting in the New World.
Well, I'm starting in the New World. ;) I'm trying to be patient until the clock strikes twelve. Buuuuuut... Patience is relative. I've already drafted what my post will be as soon as Sapphire has sentience. And it's going to be totally-! Boring. Yep. That's Sapphire. Good times all around!
...Unless you wanted to put us somewhere odd doing something crazy. I'm entirely ready to pivot. Maybe Spring wanted to go monster hunting last-minute and doesn't even realize when it passes midnight.
Hmmm... if the system can regulate Momonga's mental state so he stays calm like the undead he is, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say the system can enforce status effects for being drunk, right?
I will set down my interest here. I work to be on daily (except Sunday and probably the weekend of August 18-20). I'll probably bring together a sheet for a girl with an Unfettered Semblance.
Great job with the teaser, by the way; your descriptions are riveting.
"Oh hello Servant, I'm so glad you came. Let's begin the interview. What's your real name? First and last please." “Franklin Goldman, at your service; though I ask people to call me by my middle name, Cense.”
"Ah, I see, okay how old are you?" “Twenty-seven, as of last October.”
"Hmm...This is more personal but what's your sexuality?" “Entirely void. I tried looking up pictures back in high school, but it felt wrong inside. Oh, unless you meant… I would marry a girl, not a dude. If I could ever meet a girl; it’s harder and harder to tell the difference on the web. If I had a nickel for every guy online that has tried to pick me up… *sigh*
"Are you a man or woman?" “I like to say I’m a man. I do have a sister who insists I’m still only a boy, but that’s her opinion. My opinion is that her criterion for becoming a man is perverse. Hard to believe we’re from the same household.”
"What do you look like? You can send a picture of describe yourself, though an image will help me more." ”Well, there are some more opinions thrown about on that. I’d like to think I have charming, if not especially rugged, features. My sister simply calls me effeminate. Her words sting lightly, but I decided some time ago that if low-class ruffians chose to call refinement “feminine,” I would rather accept the label than try to grow facial hair and develop a beer gut. “I suppose a picture would be easier. Don’t mind the costume; the rare occasions I actually have a picture taken all involve my sister, and this particular one was a ludicrous party idea that I don’t wish to relive, even in memory.”
”I didn’t like to admit it when I was younger, but I really did take after my mother. The blonde hair, the raised cheek bones--even her eyes. Bless her, she always said she preferred glasses to just having a quick surgery. Somehow that stuck with me, so I keep wearing them, too. I like to think they make me look more intelligent and refined.”
"What's your occupation?" ”I work as tech support for… well, the little-heard-of sub-company called Visiowares, though that’s just a branch of the mega-corporation WaresHouse. My end is dealing with the various ocular implants and enhancements people buy and struggle to use. Rarely does it require field work, and every time it has I find myself, unsurprisingly, at the home of someone elderly who won’t give in and join a group home yet. Mr. Reasner has been half of those, the crank.”
"How would you describe your personality?" ”I? I would declare myself as intelligent and competent. There’s no ‘sense’ in trying to muscle through a problem; just think! Ah, if only I could convince everyone to be wise, I would need say nothing more. But many a man yet fails to comprehend the basics of existence, and so I try to be helpful in what small ways I can while they learn. “I can’t claim any real athletic ability; while I’m not obese in any sense, my muscles haven’t seen any intense work in half a decade. No, I would much rather solve problems with my intellect. It’s cleaner, neater, and requires far less clean-up afterward. “I hope that answered your question. I’m not sure what else you may be looking for, you see. I suppose I’m more spiritual than most; on Sundays when I’m not otherwise engaged, I skim for a church site to sit in on a live sermon. I don’t have much of a reason to do so, as I won’t commit to joining a flock or anything of the sort; perhaps it’s just one more of those habits I inherited from Mother. Or maybe I really do hope, deep down, that one of these times I’ll find whatever it is I’m looking for there.”
"How tall are you? How much do you weigh?" ”I am a whopping 5’ 9” and 150, and I feel like a giant with it… because it’s more than my sister, and the only other person I see on even a semi-frequent basis is Mr. Reasner. I know I’m short—well, small in general—for a man. I just try to keep that in perspecitve: I’m still taller than Miranda.”
"What's your favorite color?" ”Odd question; I suppose I would pick a nice cyan. Something cool and healing.”
"What type of person interests you romantically?" ”Well, I can talk about a nice smile or being kind to others, but I think what I want most is to find someone who will challenge me intellectually. If I ever find a woman capable of stunning my sister into silence using only her words, I’ll propose on the spot. Really, the mind is so much more important than the body! If a girl’s only means of attracting a man is flaunting her body, I’ll kindly stay away so I’m not tempted to state clearly what I actually think of that.”
"This question can be skipped, but it's most essential to my study so I'd prefer an honest answer. Know that you're in a safe place here with me, no one else will ever have to know. Do you have any physical/mental disabilities? Any traumas?" ”Ummm… None that come to mind. I could name some bad experiences—I had to grow up with Miranda, after all—but I can’t call it trauma.”
"What gaming genre do you prefer to play when feeding your addiction?" ”Unequivocally, I play strategy games. I have a pair of city-builder games I keep an eye on, but my favorites are the heavy titles in turn-based strategy. Sid Meier is a veritable legend in my mind; also, at one point I started learning German because they’ve always been so much better at making good games.”
"Share some of your history with me." ”Well, I’m an average Joe as far as I can tell. I’m the second of two kids, born into a middle-class family to humble parents who could only afford to give me an eight-inch handheld for my third birthday. I was cursed with an overactive sister who craves physical touch and social interaction, so I didn’t get to spend half as much time alone on a screen when I was young as the other kids my age. It was so bad, at one point I actually ran away from home. It wasn’t because of my parents or unfulfilled dreams; I just couldn’t survive being around my sister any longer. All the pokes, the nudges, the grabbing-me-by-surprise—it was too much! “That was an interesting time, though. That was the first time I spoke with a girl who wasn’t my sister. She was much more shy. Much more kind. Much more lady-like in every way, now that I think back on it. I ran into a girl who was outside playing in the dirt. I had to ask three times what she was doing because I couldn’t understand it. But she invited me to play, too, so I did. It was weird. I never made a habit of that. “Anyway, it gave me enough courage to go back home. Mom was in tears when I finally came back; those three hours were the longest I had ever been outside the house. I had to explain what I had done, so I told them I had lost a ball out the window and was trying to find it. It was a weak excuse (Miranda didn’t believe it for a second), but at least life went on as normal after that. I went through schooling online, only going to a physical building to test. I made it through the local college that way, too, earning an easy degree in IT because I knew I would always be able to find work with that.”
"Your strengths?" ”I’m definitely brain over brawn. Give me a puzzle, a riddle, a problem to solve. If a situation needs some refinement, or perhaps just some simple etiquette, I’m your man. This may also be a good time to mention my dry wit. I count it a strength as it irritates my dear sister so.”
"Your fears and weaknesses?" ”I suppose I fear a lonely future. My work has brought me into contact with many old people, so I’ve spent some time pondering what I want to be like when I’m old. Above all else, I don’t want to be like Mr. Reasner. I also have a healthy—I might even say life-saving—fear of any of my sister’s “good ideas.” And, as I’ve mentioned, I’m not good at most anything physical. My body simply isn’t trained for it.”
"What role do you play in your games?" ”I’m a master, an overlord, a king of AIs. In those situations where I’m working with a group instead of competing against other players, I step to the side and take the role of strategist and tactician. I don’t want the headache of trying to lead people who won’t follow.”
"What do you hope to gain by participating in my game?" ”For one, I want to satisfy my curiosity as to what all this is about. For two… let’s just say I have a feeling life can’t get boring when you’re involved. Is that a fair assessment? I don’t need money (though I’d probably take it if you offered). I have food, shelter, and clothing. What I need is something a little more transcendent than physical needs. I need Life. Can you give me more Life than do my games?”
"Is there anything I missed?" ”Yeah, how about some more instructions? Do I need to start going somewhere at a certain time, or perform some other mysterious action? And, if you don’t mind my asking, what is your real name?”
*Picks up the profile*
*Looks at it oddly, as though it vaguely reminds him of something he read once*
*Blows off a mountain of dust*
Ah! That's what this is! It's my old role-player guild account!
Hello, folks, from a friend new and old. Old in that I spent many happy hours fictating way back in Old-Guild before Lost Christmas, and then I spent some time in New-Guild during its beginning development; new in that I've been gone for two years, so a lot of the "faces" I was familiar with back then don't seem to be haunting the place these days. Whether you've known me before or not, I extend to you a hearty greeting and a virtual feast. If you'd like a name shorter than the full one, please call me Taro. I'm rather comfortable with that one.
Well, you didn't come here just to hear about my history. You're probably looking to see what kind of a role-player I am. Truthfully, I'm not totally certain right now; two years without practice does bring on a multitude of changes. Then again, even in those two years I've kept the creative spark fed and fanned, in isolation though it may have been, and I can tell you this much with great certainty:
I like light-hearted laughter, soul-searching questions, and that precipice of commitment.
My favorite settings would be:
High Fantasy
Modern Fantasy
Science Fiction (new worlds, a newer Earth, even just in the immensity of space)
I consider it a given that, where boys and girls coexist in a story, Romance will blossom.
Horror I have a very weak stomach for. (I read the basic instructions for Betrayal at House on the Hill and had to consciously tell myself that night that everything was fine and I would sleep safely. I didn't even play a game; I only read the instructions!)
I stay away from graphic violence, sexual depictions of any nature, and profanities. I'm very much a PG-rated writer; I plan on sharing everything I write as bedtime stories with my kids someday.
I play a convincing dude (I'm sure you never would have guessed that), but a vast majority of my favorite characters are female. So if you have romance in mind, I'm happy to play either party. If you don't want a romance, you will probably have to tell me that plainly. Then I'll just go with what feels right for the story, subject to a few personal whims which I hope will only bolster the plot and development.
I'm very picky as far as my own ideas go. I'll try just about everything I can think of to break the idea in order to insure there are no gaping plot holes. I invite everyone else to examine my ideas in a similar light--different people, different thought processes, different problems discovered--and to offer any compliments or constructive criticisms you have. As part of that, I absolutely love pushing the boundary of an idea as far as it will stretch, or looking for that odd, "I never thought of using it like that" approach to a character's abilities.
What else would I say with this space? I really like old poetry; reading Isaiah gives me the happy trembles. I hope I've presented a fair assessment of my writing style and capabilities through this brief introduction. I love creating--creating characters and bringing them to life from the page; creating worlds filled with fascinating lore and beautiful locales; creating stories, be they narrations of ordinary men and women facing their trials or epics of fated heroes overcoming every obstacle to save Dwarf-kind.
And, in closing, I'm excited for the chance to work with you. I should be able to post daily. PM me anytime, especially if you have a question about anything I've said here or elsewhere, but even if you only want to chat. You could even ask me about my mysterious two-year absence. I'll tell you now that I was in California, but that doesn't really answer the question. I'm happy to talk anytime.
Sweet water and light laughter until next we meet!
-Taro
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">*Picks up the profile*<br>*Looks at it oddly, as though it vaguely reminds him of something he read once*<br>*Blows off a mountain of dust*<br><br>Ah! That's what this is! It's my old role-player guild account!<br><br>Hello, folks, from a friend new and old. Old in that I spent many happy hours fictating way back in Old-Guild before Lost Christmas, and then I spent some time in New-Guild during its beginning development; new in that I've been gone for two years, so a lot of the "faces" I was familiar with back then don't seem to be haunting the place these days. Whether you've known me before or not, I extend to you a hearty greeting and a virtual feast. If you'd like a name shorter than the full one, please call me Taro. I'm rather comfortable with that one.<br><br>Well, you didn't come here just to hear about my history. You're probably looking to see what kind of a role-player I am. Truthfully, I'm not totally certain right now; two years without practice does bring on a multitude of changes. Then again, even in those two years I've kept the creative spark fed and fanned, in isolation though it may have been, and I can tell you this much with great certainty:<br>I like light-hearted laughter, soul-searching questions, and that precipice of commitment.<br>My favorite settings would be:<br>High Fantasy<br>Modern Fantasy<br>Science Fiction (new worlds, a newer Earth, even just in the immensity of space)<br>I consider it a given that, where boys and girls coexist in a story, Romance will blossom.<br>Horror I have a very weak stomach for. (I read the basic instructions for Betrayal at House on the Hill and had to consciously tell myself that night that everything was fine and I would sleep safely. I didn't even play a game; I only read the instructions!)<br>I stay away from graphic violence, sexual depictions of any nature, and profanities. I'm very much a PG-rated writer; I plan on sharing everything I write as bedtime stories with my kids someday.<br><br>I play a convincing dude (I'm sure you never would have guessed that), but a vast majority of my favorite characters are female. So if you have romance in mind, I'm happy to play either party. If you don't want a romance, you will probably have to tell me that plainly. Then I'll just go with what feels right for the story, subject to a few personal whims which I hope will only bolster the plot and development.<br><br>I'm very picky as far as my own ideas go. I'll try just about everything I can think of to break the idea in order to insure there are no gaping plot holes. I invite everyone else to examine my ideas in a similar light--different people, different thought processes, different problems discovered--and to offer any compliments or constructive criticisms you have. As part of that, I absolutely love pushing the boundary of an idea as far as it will stretch, or looking for that odd, "I never thought of using it like that" approach to a character's abilities.<br><br>What else would I say with this space? I really like old poetry; reading Isaiah gives me the happy trembles. I hope I've presented a fair assessment of my writing style and capabilities through this brief introduction. I love creating--creating characters and bringing them to life from the page; creating worlds filled with fascinating lore and beautiful locales; creating stories, be they narrations of ordinary men and women facing their trials or epics of fated heroes overcoming every obstacle to save Dwarf-kind.<br><br>And, in closing, I'm excited for the chance to work with you. I should be able to post daily. PM me anytime, especially if you have a question about anything I've said here or elsewhere, but even if you only want to chat. You could even ask me about my mysterious two-year absence. I'll tell you now that I was in California, but that doesn't really answer the question. I'm happy to talk anytime.<br><br>Sweet water and light laughter until next we meet!<br>-Taro</div>
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