Richard's Animorphs Forum
Animorphs Section => Animorphs Role Playing => Topic started by: Estelore on July 24, 2009, 06:41:26 PM
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Right-oh, folks, before we get too much going here, let me state clearly:
this rpg is going to start in a setting that is essentially the Galaxy's Edge Space Bar, either in another time or in an alternate reality. Characters from that story are welcome to materialize here, but my character(s) will not act as if it/they know(s) those people from the beginning. I'm not claiming any rights to that storyline or any such thing. I'm here for fun like the rest of you.
Same rules as any other RPG apply. Please don't join if you don't have a working knowledge of Hitchiker's Guide, please.
If I drop out of the action, you're welcome to keep going.
Also... third-person past-tense is preferred. Any non-God-mod species is acceptable. No canon Animorphs characters allowed. No canon H2G2 characters allowed. It is okay to use MINOR canon characters from the works of other authors, even if those characters die by the end of their respective books. You may recognize one of the entities in this scene as just such a character.
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In a perfectly nondescript old bar somewhere perfectly out-of-the-way....
"Bartender, I'd like a Siberian Roulette, please."
"You sure about that, Miss?"
"My planet just exploded. I'm sure."
"Mmmn. It happens to the best of us."
A tiny, dark-haired woman plunked herself weakly onto a barstool. A tall, thin creature of indeterminate origins followed her like a shadow, standing behind her.
Cortez, what is a Siberian Roulette?
"It's a drink called a Russian Roulette, a mix of everything behind the bar, on the rocks. I'm trusting that the bartender has something to neutralize every dangerous substance in there. If there isn't something to cancel each acid, base, and toxin, then I'm dead. It's also notoriously expensive, because it requires him to open anything back there left unopened. Even drain cleaner. Any more questions?"
Yes. Will you please order me one?
"Sure as shootin'."
The woman raised a hand to hail the bartender.
"Did you hear him?"
The bartender nodded. He paused briefly in his actions and turned to face the woman directly.
"Miss, you understand that for business reasons I must ask you to pay in advance?"
"Naturally."
The human woman held her hand under the beam of the scanner next to the bar. The device made a small beeping sound, and the bartender immediately resumed decanting various unlabelled liquids into two tall glass tumblers.
Brilliance Cortez watched disinterestedly as the bartender carefully measured a few drops from a particularly hostile-looking bottle of an electric blue substance. The contents of the glass began to glow faintly with a hazy violet light. To the tender's credit, his expression hadn't changed, and he hadn't yet broken a sweat.
A female Andalite walked slowly forward to stand behind the apathetic patron and her curious companion. Her eyestalks rotated slowly to scan the room behind her.
<There are three possibilities here, as I see it, Cortez.>
"Do tell."
<First, perhaps the bartender has done this before, and he is certain that no harm will come of it.>
"Allowed."
<Second, perhaps he does not mind if this concoction kills you.>
"Acknowledged as a possibility."
<Third, perhaps he assumes you can morph out of any injury it does you before you die.>
"Dismissed as erroneous. If you've been watching, already three ingredients have been added that induce rapid unconsciousness in humans. He has not added any stimulants yet to counter them, so the probability stands that I would be unable to morph out. Regardless, one does not order any form of Suicide unless one is already willing to pay the price for it, both in money and in potential personal suffering."
<Your point is valid. I see now a fourth possibility.>
"I assure you, I am all ears."
<Perhaps he assumes you wish to die, or at the very least are in a mental state to risk it.>
"For an Andalite you are stunningly obtuse sometimes, Karillian."
<I do what I can.>
"Was that humour?"
<I am certain I do not know.>
Cortez, we both know it's pointless to argue humour with her. There's just no knowing.
"Allowed, Islington. It's pointless, but nevertheless it's amusing."
Susususuusuuu..., the creature's laughter had an odd way of making a person's skin crawl. It slithered across the mind like a snake through dry leaves.
Allowed. Amusing... sususuusuuu.
THUNK.
Two very benign-looking glass tumblers struck the bar, interrupting the conversation. The liquid they contained was vaguely iridescent, but at least the violet glow was reduced to a shimmer.
"There you have it, folks. Now for a bit of legal business. Ahem." The bartender cleared his throat and recited what was clearly a well-rehearsed and familiar piece of literature.
"You acknowledge that by ordering this in the presence of witnesses, you waive your right to hold me accountable for the consequences of your request, whatever they may be?"
"I acknowledge. I persist in this request." A rueful smile broke across Cortez' face, but there was no joy in it.
"Do you speak for your companion?"
I speak for myself. The risks are acknowledged, and she has already agreed to cover my expenses in this establishment.
"So be it. Have at it, my self-destructive darlings." The bartender turned on his heel and walked away, picking up empty shot glasses from two less-conscious patrons as he went.
Well, Cortez, what is the protocol for this?"Raise your glass and repeat after me." Cortez held up her shimmering drink. A few small sparks skittered across the surface. The creature Islington rustled his wings softly and imitated her action.
"To Schroedinger!"
To Schroedinger...? Cortez CLINKed her glass against his.
"Right. Bottoms up." Cortez downed half the contents of the tumbler in a gulp and three sips. She paused a moment, considering the flavour, and winced briefly before swigging down the rest.
Islington sipped briefly, broke into a wide grin, and chugged the remainder of the Roulette.
So... why to Schroedinger?
"Because God either does or does not play dice with the universe, and perhaps He does both."
I'm sure I wouldn't know.
"Who are you kidding, Is? You're an angel, aren't you?"
Of course. That doesn't mean I can guess at His motives, though.
"Oh, well. A door is a door whether or not it's open, a cat is a cat even when it's a paradox, and I believe our good and skillful bartender has chosen to let us live this evening."
So much for that.
"I know. More's the pity, eh?"
<I think I shall never understand this human preoccupation with self-destruction.>
"All the better for you. Would you like anything, Karillian? I'm feeling generous tonight."
<After your planet explodes, you feel generous. I am baffled.>
"All the better for you. My offer stands."
<...I think I shall decline. I will be on the ship awaiting your return and our collective departure.>
"All the better for you."
The Andalite nodded once, an oddly human expression, considering. She backed up three steps, turned, and walked out the door.
What's eating her?
"Time. Bartender, I'd like a Scotch, please."
He nodded and moments later produced a glass of the familiar brown liquor. Cortez ran her hand across the scanner again to cover the cost. She mopped her brow with her dark blue beach towel and then reached into the pocket of her rather tattered grey jacket, pulling out a well-worn old book. Still vaguely readable on the front cover were two words printed in big, friendly letters.
DON'T PANIC.
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((So it's the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, not the Space Bar? I guess the bar has competition now that almost everyone in it has run off...but don't worry...they always come back >:D ))
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((Hahaha, who says they can't be alternate versions of the very same place? Also, good reference catch. :) You're welcome to join. I'll be using all three characters, with all likelihood, but you're welcome to step in and plot with any of them.))
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i like the idea, i'm inclined to join.
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((Please do so!))
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Looks interesting, I may join
Can I join as anything I can think of? Like, say, The Darkness?
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Hahaha, yes, you can certainly use The Darkness. Just remember that Islington, ambivalent-to-malign as he is, is still something of an angel and thus has access to light when he wants it. ;)
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understood, will creat it later
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Can i join as a yeerk? >:D
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Absolutely, you may.
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I'm coming once Vogefac saves his friends...
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...I'm desperately trying to find context in the previous statement. :P
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Oh me? Oops...
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I take it you intended another thread. :P
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No indeed. I came from the GESB thread. My character is Vogefac. I'm saying he's in the middle of a mission, but he'll be on this thread soon, as he is leaving the GESB. :)
I assumed you were a member in the GESB thread. It's the biggest thread on the forum. lol
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Ahhh, okay, thanks! :D
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I got the Restaurant at the End of the Universe thing, but what character was in your intro?
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None of the characters in my intro are canon to either Animorphs or H2G2. Cortez and Karillian are purely my own invention (aside from Karil being an Andalite, that is). Angel Islington is a character from Gaiman's Neverwhere.
Sure, join the game at your leisure. :)
I actually plan to keep profiles (little bullet-by-bullet character descriptions) out of this game. I want the characters to be revealed through plot and dialogue, not pre-given information by the player. That way, the character develops organically instead of subscribing (or attempting badly to subscribe) to a template and then deviating entirely from the template as the story progresses.
All that really needs to be known about them is that the three know each other very well and have for years, Islington and Cortez are both remnants of the Earth-as-destroyed-by-the-Vogons (which just occurred now, by the way), and at one point Cortez sued the Vogons for the total monetary value of planet Earth and its Moon. Cortez was aware of the impending galactic superhighway, so the legal proceedings were complete before the planet even died.
She won the lawsuit and is now effectively a quadrillionaire... she uses the money to fund her space travel as well as a few charities on the side. A significant amount of it was invested in the rapid construction of approximately two hundred personal escape vehicles, which she distributed to other Earth humans before she left Earth for the last time. She also funded Project Noah, which relocated a sufficient breeding population of all known Earth species (all the way down to the fungi and bacteria) to a large, Earthlike moon near the planet Milton Beta. After finishing all these preservative projects and having a collection of suitable new personal spacecraft built for herself and her companions, Cortez was left with approximately 87 trillion dollars... she could still buy a star system if she wanted to. She just doesn't really see the need.
In case you're wondering who beat the Vogons at bureaucracy... Kirillian and Islington made up the team of "crack lawyers" working Cortez's case.
Yeah... they're all kinda' a piece of work. :P
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lol. I'm big on predetailed descriptions, as long as they are simple(Like my Character in the Temporal Terror thread.).
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*laugh* I know, and so are virtually everybody else into text-based RPGs.
I like subverting the paradigm and reaping the results. :}
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Might have my characters move here eventually (Gaz & Morgan). They're about as non-aniverse related as one can get. I think Gaz is getting pretty restless anyway staying in one place for so long.
They're space pirates anyway. They have a tendency to wander. lol ;D
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Cool beans. Bean-zuh.
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Sorry, it's taking forever... :S
btw, some background conflict: Vogefac comes from a universe where Earth still exists...sooooo.... can the bar be like a pseudo-temporal establishment or something?
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If it's convenient for you, we could treat it as a kind of border or doorway between any possible universes. If you get within a certain distance of it within your own universe, you cross that border/event horizon, and it becomes possible for you to interact with beings from other versions of reality, and maybe even you can follow them back into their reality.
Think of it as....
...the front door of the Restaurant opens on every universe. When you walk out it, your expectation to be in your own universe is what guarantees you get back out where you originated.
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A slight rumbling occurs outside the restaurant. A yellow ship with green glinting off of it lands in the lot just outside. It's registry reads: RISS Zetylon.
Two creatures step out. One humanoid, the other a reptilian. The reptile has 6 large spikes sticking out of his back amongst armored scutes. He has the foot of a dromeasaur, with an extra nominal toe, and excessively large retractable claw. His dromeasaur head has two horns which bend at acute angles. At the tip of his snout is a small, red, bony crest, and on his lower jaw a few spikes. His tail is small but has a number of large spikes as well.
He steps through the door. He has been here only once before, but it has changed since his first visit. And it took him longer to get here than the first visit did. But this had been his destination so there was no regret in coming here...except...
"Bartender...or, uh, Waiter! Rev'maak Ale, soft."
Once he received the drink, he lifted it to the Humanoid who also had a drink, and said, "Te Chemtex'ku! To Victory!"
He took a great big gulp of the drink.
((Well, I'm here. :). Gotta get my banner now. XD
~~EDIT~~ Just switched banners! XD ))
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Fredrick walked beside Vogefac the reptilinoid. He ordered a drink, and some raw meat to go with it. "Indeed Commodore." He said, and toasted his friend. He was a man of average height with pale skin, and dark clothes with a cape. He had a whip at his right hip, and a blaster at the other. He was a Vampire, and could likely be recognized as one from people familiar with him. However he didn't burn in sunlight, and didn't follow some other myths about Vampires.
"Here we are at last. It will be a good respite from all our adventures. has it been nearly a year already?"
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Vogefac suddenly stopped drinking. He pondered the question, "I believe it has been...11 months, 4 weeks, 2 days and 18 minutes since we left the Reptilinod Galactic Authority...it would have to be a long time for you to get promoted to Soldier! Remember the way you fought that Pat-keth beast on Gendor XII?", Vogefac jeered, "When you realized you had left both your whip and you blaster in the ship I think you lost whatever color you may have had!!!"
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"Yes. I don't think that was one of my braver moments. Luckily the beast's insides weren't as tough as its outsides. I spent two days trying to wash the smell off. It's been a very exciting year for me. i don't regret it. I think interrogation may be the most fun part. No one wins a stare down against me."
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Vogefac gave in to a hardy laugh. Reptilinod are not emotional. Their lives are ruled by logic. But occasionally enjoying themselves is what they do best.
He took another sip of his ale, "Hmm...better than the one they had at the bar. I wonder if there is any reason for that..."
He saw someone was already there, so he walked over to them, "Salutations. I am Commodore Vogefac. This is my friend and trusted crewmember Soldier Frederick. Rykii'niet."
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Fredrick gave an acknowledging wave, but otherwise tended to his meal. He was still kind of a loner, and was rarely eager to meet new people.
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((This is eventful... :P)) ((:bump: ))
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((You bumped on the same day as the previous post... kinda' unnecessary. :P I've been either asleep or at studio/classes/driving consecutively for the past 30 hours. Semester just started. Busy happens. Sorry I didn't respond as soon as you liked, but a same-day bump really isn't necessary; no matter what the thread will show up in my unread posts.))
Cortez and Islington both raised their glasses in an acknowledging gesture to the Reptilian figure three seats down the bar. Cortez smiled weakly, ironically.
Islington stood and drifted closer to where the newcomers sat.
What victory are you celebrating, and from what reality do you hail?
The creature didn't so much sit at the bar as fold itself up, perching lightly on the stool.
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After his last encounter with phantoms, ghosts, poltergeists, spirits, souls, wraiths and things of the sort, Vogefac cringed a little at the approach of the thing.
Once he tempered his musculature, "We are celebrating the victories we have had over 9 months of travel, as well as my recent promotion to Commodore and Frederick to Soldier. As for the second question, I know of no other way to answer besides this: I come from Universe Alpha-2980. It is relatively average size, for a universe. There are no real...special features. We are mainly here to wait until my people bring my new ship. Yourself?"
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Fredrick noticed Vogefac cringe a bit at the spirit. He had seen and spoken to enough souls that they didn't bother him. They had all been victims as he had.
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My colleague and I are debating whether or not we are ready to rejoin our Andalite friend back on our own ship. She- my colleague, that is- has recently lost a planet; this is a night of not inconsiderable mourning for her. That being said, I myself am at no particular loss, and my colleague has not been left uncompensated, and she is hardly the sole survivor. Funny how these things turn out, susssussu.... The angel Islington laughed dryly, and Cortez rose from her seat. She didn't approach the group, but she spoke loudly enough for them to hear her.
"That is Islington; I am Brilliance Cortez, owner and sometimes pilot of the starcruiser Santarita, and her sister ships, Lost Cause and Last Chance, are also mine, operated by my two travelling companions when they are not in interlock mode. Islington?"
Cortez.
"I'm going to join Rill on Chance. Catch up when you will."
Of course.
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Vogefac tilted his head, "I trust you are not leaving because of our arrival? I would feel most horrid,"
Picking up on a earlier statement, he asked, "Your planet was destroyed? That is horrible. The only planets I knew that were actually destroyed were blown to bits by a doomsday machine known only as The Apokhelypt. Which planet was this?"
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"You have my sympathies." Fredrick said in regards to the planet blowing up. "Are you looking for a new planet to settle down in, or will you be nomads?"
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Cortez turned back to face them briefly,
"We were preparing to leave before you arrived; this location and date is as much a ritualized anniversary for the three of us. The planet was Earth, and... at the moment, I don't know what our plan is, other than leaving here within the hour. We have no real intended destination. Where are you two bound? Our triship has docking capabilities with most regulation cruisers; we could share resources or just follow you wherever."
Her tone was apathetic but polite.
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Vogefac Cringed. His throat tensed, and his hearts beat faster.
"Earth? Surely, you are not referring to the Human homeworld. That planet is so prominent throughout the Multiverse I thought it was the center of reformation in every universe...you are most unfortunate. The Earth my species knows is the thriving epicenter of Galactic reform and culture. Another universe I know saw the turn of the most important war of that universe to the favor of the benevolent side when Earth became involved, and only then...are you sure you meant to say earth?"
The yellow beast turned to Frederick with a dumbfounded look on his face, then back to Cortez.
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"It is very unfortunate if it is the Earth we are familiar with. I am from one universe's Earth, though I hadn't met any liens before getting involved with The One.
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"Yeah, Earth. Same Earth, different universe. Third planet around a small yellow sun, west arm of Milky Way galaxy. Well, I'm going back to my ship. I'll leave Islington with you lot, and we'll do what we'll do. Islington, what you decide is up to you. Update Karillian and chart the course as you like; I'll wake up when I wake up."
Cortez turned her back a final time and stepped into the port of her triship, where it docked to one of the bar's airlocks.
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Vogefac bowed his head, "Well...Islington? I am very sorry for your universe's loss. If you ever have need to visit the planet, we will gladly arrange a rendezvous with you ship. I do not know where my Galaxy would be were it not for the Terran race."
Vogefac turned back to the Waiter, "Do you have Vlethath meats here?"
He shrugged.
"Hmm...I will have some meat, cooked, not bled. Whatever you can throw at me. Make it pungent."
He nodded, and went off for the food.
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I was wondering, actually, which way you fellows are headed. Our cruisers are able to dock or at least autofly synchronously with other ships; they're designed specifically for it.
The creature unfolded itself and gestured with its head toward the tricruiser docked outside the window.
If you feel like having three tagalongs, it would give us something to do. My colleague and host, Miss Cortez, is of a particularly... wealthy... persuasion. She can accommodate all our needs monetarily, but I fear the three of us will find ourselves bored very soon, if we are not already.
Islington's voice was all but expressionless... but gradually, as the listener became more accustomed to hearing it, a faint amusement could be detected in it.
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"I believe this place has been our destination. right now we're waiting for my Commodore's ship to arrive, and after that it's up to him." Fredrick said.
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Commodore?
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"Yes, that's the rank of my friend here. He's in charge. Not that I follow him blindly or anything, but I respect him."
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I walked back with something the Waiter called Steak. I figured it was an earth meal. I knew of Earth, but I had never really tried the local cuisine. The waiter handed it to me on a plate. I simply stabbed it with my 2 foot metallic claws and walked away, leaving the plate behind.
"Hey! You're getting juices all over my floor!", He yelled after me.
I looked down, "Well... that's your fault is it not?"
I walked back to Frederick and Islington. I took a bite of my steak kebob.
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"So this one talks, huh?" Fredrick said. He finished his meal and gathered his stuff for the waiter or someone to take it back to the kitchen. Feeling fed, he decided to jump up into the rafters to rest off his full stomach in the quiet darkness.
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Interesting... I would suggest as a matter of course that you show the bartender a bit more... respect? He isn't always what he seems....
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I stopped half-way sitting, then slowly sat down as I stared at the waiter.
"Not always? So he is some form of metamorph?"
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Islington shook his head.
Not what I mean at all. More like... there isn't only one of him, and not all of him are the same him.
The creature waved one limb airily, as if to make its statement more clear.
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Vogefac squints warily.
"Alright. I've seen creatures with more than one face before."
I tried to change the subject, "So what brings you and yours to his restaurant? Shouldn't you be salvaging the remains of the human species?"
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The salvaging has already been done, years past. Cortez was aware of the Vogon superhighway plans before construction began, and she sued for the value of the planet. That's why she has so much financial security.... She used much of that wealth to terraform and colonize a planet for the Earthling remnants. A nobler gesture, perhaps, than I would have made in her position, and well enough.
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Commodore Vogefac nodded mindfully, "Very good. There was a time when our entire galaxy was being occupied. The most valuable members of the Authority, the Alliance, and others went into hiding on Rho IV. The Alliance named it Cryos because it was miserably cold. The Reptilinod had a horrible time there. Two of our circulatory systems are ectothermic. So the Alliance created the Portable Containment field. It protected our blood from the cold."
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((We need to drag some others into this, or it's gonna' get duller than sheep awfully fast. :P))
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((I was thinking the same thing... I'll see what I can do.))
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Yeah, I agree. Of course it doesn't help that I'm trying to play Fredrick as kind of an antisocial type that doesn't open up quickly to strangers.
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*laugh* No kidding. :)
There are a crudton of hyper-active RPGs on RAF right now. If you guys want to put this one on hold until more people show interest, I'll understand. If not, we can try to force a plot out of it... but that's kinda' why MCCF was put on hold. Not enough members, and all members are busy elsewhere. :P
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Well, it's up to you Este.
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Shall we vote? All in favour of indefinite postponement until the introduction of more players, say... something to indicate you're in favour of it.
Majority will rule.
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Fine by me.
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Whatever.
What methods can be used to get more users to join?
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*shrug* If you know somebody on the board who you think would enjoy this thread, PM them and ask.
Other than that, I'm in favour of giving the thread a rest until we have more. That being the majority, the actual STORY part of the thread is hereby postponed. Feel free to resume OOC discussion about the story here, if you want.
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((My friend may join soon. Her username is Aldrea2011))
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i would like to join, just give me a bit to read over whats been written so far and underdstand it so i am not lost... :P
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kewl
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ok, done reading. my char is Abby Celeste Vega of Santina V. (*hint hint* someone do a species scan on me XD )
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Sounds good. :)
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results say.......... metamorph hehe
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Well... I think we still need more people. What do you think Estelore?
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(If this ever gets kicked off good, I think I'll bring a Dragon/Human character named Zoshonel here. I came up with him some time ago in GESB, and have considered bringing him back, but I think he'd fit better here. I'm thinking he'd come here thinking it's the same place Temrash is at, but is mistaken.)
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((That sounds like fun. I've been thinking about an old wise-guy(Not a wise-man, a WISE-GUY, lol) whose main weapon is a Psi-activated boomerang. :) ))
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Yeah, I think we still need a couple more participants. :P
Also, be aware please that I haven't and don't read GESB; I won't recognize in-jokes or references to it, nor mentions of characters outside this game.
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i dont do GESB either, so ur not the only one.
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((Miiiiight join, havent actually been online on RAF for ages, only reappeared 'cos I was emailed about a personal message by Stephlao))
((Is there a character sheet for this?))
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(Doesn't seem so. Just don't make your character obsenely powerful or too prone to violence. I think, like GESB, this RP is supposed to be more about character development than combat.)
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((Thanks for replying Six!
And, like Chad said, this thread is more for character development. But even more so than GESB. To put it in estelore's words:
I actually plan to keep profiles (little bullet-by-bullet character descriptions) out of this game. I want the characters to be revealed through plot and dialogue, not pre-given information by the player. That way, the character develops organically instead of subscribing (or attempting badly to subscribe) to a template and then deviating entirely from the template as the story progresses.
It's a very original idea, and also a very good one. :)
Post Merged: March 01, 2011, 11:18:23 AM
((This is very dissapointing. :'( ))
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Well, dearie, that's something you'll have to bear on your own.
Not all of us have the time and energy to be ever-present in multiple websites and multiple threads per website, in addition to our university and family lives.
If the thread had a significant increase in the population of active, strongly interested players, then I would put a bit more effort into making it happen.
Short of that, I have no need, reason, or desire to force the issue with only four people stopping by the thread on-and-off. It's a waste, and approximately as boring as the thread not moving at all.
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I'm not upset with you. Or anyone else. I have no reason to be.
I'm simply voicing my disappointment. This is a good thread, and I enjoyed the brief interchanges with you, Este.
I realize most people are not like me. I am young, and don't have a job. I have WAY too much free time. So this is how I consume it. Not the best waste of time, but it's the only thing I have to do.
But I wasn't complaining to you. Or at you. Just clearing that up.
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Not to worry. :)