Addicted To Mysteries

[Grey]

1. “This is very simple, alright? It’s a demon. Yes, a real one. You didn’t look at the plans very hard when this place was built, did you? Course not. Some clever sod built the 13th floor in just the right configuration to conjure summat up, and now it wants you, among other things. If you don’t want it to get you, you will stand in that circle and be very still. I’ll take care of the rest.”


Tarot Signifier: The Devil


Mystery Card: Temperance


Keywords: Confrontation & Transgression


Grin has applied under this entry.


2. “Once, we ruled in Atlantis. We sought to challenge the Divine, and so we were scourged from the earth. A blow so terrible it tore a great Abyss in reality and left our world Fallen. We who are so touched by God must control our hubris and understand that this is a gift given unto us. And it must be used accordingly.”


Tarot Signifiers: The Hierophant, The High Priestess


Mystery Card: Strength.


Keywords: Power & Command


Syrenrei has applied under this excerpt.


devon armadues has applied under this excerpt.


Mask of Ayn has applied under this excerpt.


3. “As above, so below. The view from Axis Mundi is infinite, you understand. Kill the god, and the river dies. Bind the river, and the god sickens. As moves one, so must the other. Realize, then, that I may push the right one to see your cancer return. Take your bulldozers away from this sacred place, or suffer.”


Tarot Signifier: The Hermit


Mystery Card: The Moon


Keywords: Boundaries & Intercession


Killer has applied under this excerpt.


The Fuzz has applied under this excerpt.


4. “Rest, now. Rest. Your bones are gold in the pockets of your family. They won’t forget you, and they won’t suffer. Sleep, now. You’ve earned a happy ending to this ghost story.”


Tarot Signifier: Death


Mystery Card: The World


Keywords: Transition & Permanance


asduskfalls has applied under this entry.


5. “That gum you like is going to come back into style.”


Tarot Signifier: The Fool


Mystery Card: The Wheel of Fortune


Keywords: Choice & Consequence


Erica has applied under this entry.


JayTee has applied under this entry.


An ordinary life. An average existence. You spent your whole life in Sleep, never knowing, never understanding. But now something is buzzing at the edge of your senses. Something about life seems wrong. Broken. A Lie.


The truth will change everything.


The characters in this RP should be five ordinary people in the modern day. The players should choose a city for the RP to take place in, but can otherwise be from more or less any place or background. This RP is set in the modern day. There will be dice involved.


Mysteries will be a big theme. It may be horrific, at times.


Prospective players should tell me which of the five paragraphs above are most appealing, then pitch a character.


This will not begin until January. I will be extremely selective with applications. An application without a character pitch will not be considered.


Further, important character items - consider this phase two of application.





Please answer the following from your character's perspective.


1. What is the worst thing you've ever done?


2. What is the worst thing you can imagine yourself doing?


3. What is the worst thing you can imagine someone else doing?


4. What is the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to your character?


5. Strange things happen in every life - what have you forgotten?

 

[JayTee]

I am like, super interested in this game, give me a bit and I'll write up a (hopefully) acceptable character!

 

[Grey]

Quick, edit that post before anyone else catches on. I'm trying to avoid preconceptions.

 

[JayTee]

Done and done.

 

[Grey]

Thank you! Sorry if the request seemed a bit terse but I had to post from my phone.


Don't lean too heavily on what you know - no one knows what they're going to get.

 

[JayTee]

No problem, no offense was taken!

 

[Dusky]

“Rest, now. Rest. Your bones are gold in the pockets of your family. They won’t forget you, and they won’t suffer. Sleep, now. You’ve earned a happy ending to this ghost story.”

Music

​

Spoiler

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Spoiler

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Beth Byrne

<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_11/the_aquarium_by_gothessa-d3a7hsj.jpg.e8498d4a2aa26c791dcf5aa9349366c7.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="35151" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_11/the_aquarium_by_gothessa-d3a7hsj.jpg.e8498d4a2aa26c791dcf5aa9349366c7.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p> <p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_11/Untitled.png.d9edc1dde0f4e7395092e78f25f860cf.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="35152" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_11/Untitled.png.d9edc1dde0f4e7395092e78f25f860cf.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

​

I don’t hate you, so much as people.

<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/Untitled2.png.95c8408bd157e2720a4bffcc63cf3e4a.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="36366" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/Untitled2.png.95c8408bd157e2720a4bffcc63cf3e4a.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

​

Her grandmother calls every Saturday.

“Yes, Gramma, I’ve been doing my homework.” Not that it really matters to her… and not that it’s entirely true. She prides herself on her logic and intelligence… not her GPA. “Yes, Gramma, I’ve been taking care of myself.” She’s in perfect health and hygiene… though her hair could use a combing. “No, Gramma, I have not been ‘engaging in risky behaviors with boys!’” Ah, there it is. No distortion needed with this one.


An exasperated sigh. “Can I talk to Grampa?” Softer, now, “I love you too, Gramma.” Pause. “Hey Gramps. ...Really? You too? No, I have not been ‘indulging in mind altering substances.’ Yes, Gramps, I know I remind you of my mother… Yes, Grampa, I understand, you’re just checking. But I’m not her, okay?”


They say their goodbyes, hang up. She pulls her laptop back to her and resumes her latest research project – self-assigned, her school papers laying neglected. Her roommate walks in, says hello and waves. Beth ignores her.

She’s always been smart.

Absorbs knowledge like a sponge, thinks on her feet. At her best, she is every manner of adaptable, can strategize but more importantly change strategies on the fly. At her worst, she is apathetic. Sure, she could apply all that brainpower to something meaningful or important… but why bother?


She pulls through, in the end, but only when the pressure has mounted until she cannot ignore it. In situations of extreme stress, she becomes demoralized. Not that her ethical code was strong to begin with…


All in all, Beth is self-interested, unambitious, and ornery, but she is also conniving, knowledge-seeking, and enigmatic.

Q: What is the worst thing you've ever done? <p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/beth1.png.ab5ad604d7ce1b3a98e39919b32f4885.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="36341" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/beth1.png.ab5ad604d7ce1b3a98e39919b32f4885.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>​

A: First of all, let's break the fourth wall a bit here and acknowledge I would never tell you any of this if it wasn't for a character application. Got that? Great. Now that that's out of the way, how the fuck did you get a hold of my criminal records? That was a joke. I'm funny sometimes. I never really meant to cheat. Well, I suppose that's a lie; I never meant for him to find out I was cheating. I wasn't hurting him by doing it; I was hurting him by letting him find out. I guess most people don't see it that way. Look, I didn't know he was going to kill himself, okay?

Q: What is the worst thing you can imagine yourself doing? <p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/beth2.png.374f502e31bb4078091d3489fc5c4b90.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="36342" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/beth2.png.374f502e31bb4078091d3489fc5c4b90.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>​

A: I can't maim or kill people, but I can get in their heads. And if they get in my way... I generally shrug and turn my attention to other things. But on those rare occasions I do care... Once you know what makes someone tick, it's easy to stop the ticking. Taking away what they value most... Yeah, I could see myself doing that, if I'm to be frank.

Q: What is the worst thing you can imagine someone else doing? <p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/beth3.png.4b74d2e31e2c50f40c74fd285fb13392.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="36343" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/beth3.png.4b74d2e31e2c50f40c74fd285fb13392.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>​

A: Ignorance is a sin, you know. The worst thing a person can do is ignore what's in front of them, in mind or in action.

Q: What is the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to you? <p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/beth4.png.1531c14ad8490a1f07a1f7464ce84df2.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="36344" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/beth4.png.1531c14ad8490a1f07a1f7464ce84df2.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>​

A: We're really getting to know each other, aren't we? He jumped. He landed. At my feet. I don't have any more to say about it.

Q: Strange things happen in every life - what have you forgotten? <p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/beth5.png.268452318807f69866b372d036ca6cc6.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="36345" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/beth5.png.268452318807f69866b372d036ca6cc6.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>​

A: The hell's that mean? How am I supposed to tell you if I've forgotten? And anyway... I don't forget things. Ever. She got so used to it she doesn't even register it anymore, the way the shadows move for her. Their dances are consigned to subconsciousness.

<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/natalia-drepina-09.png.03f30fd1850fe71d88555aa7fc21f9e9.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="36309" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_12/natalia-drepina-09.png.03f30fd1850fe71d88555aa7fc21f9e9.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

Inventory

A handful of things Beth might have on her person.

​

• Cutting a Figure
• Curiosity Killed the Cat
• More to the Point
• Cleanliness is Next to Godliness
• Hiding in Plain Sight

• 
  
  
  Her Leather Jacket – Cutting a Figure
  
  
  A small act of rebellion – Fi Byrne, her grandmother, and Cael Byrne, her grandfather, ostensibly opposed all things vaguely reminiscent of Alanna Byrne, her mother. That this extended into the realm of clothing materials was, to Beth, silly. In a fit of brattiness, Beth purchased the jacket as Fi stormily looked on, donned it as Cael admonished her, and her grin never faltered. “You look like one of those kids now, Beth,” lamented her poor grandmother.
  
  
  She had not planned for it to dissuade the more cowardly souls from approaching her – this was a pleasant surprise.
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  Her Notebook – Curiosity Killed the Cat
  
  
  Jaci watches the dark-haired girl rise from her peripherals. Silently, she pushes her chair out and stalks out of the room, not a word to anyone. As the hinges bring the door swinging back shut, Jaci lets out a sigh and returns her attention to her work, squinting at the laptop screen.
  
  
  She could at least-
  
  
  “She could at least say something, you know?” says Jessica, Jaci’s other roommate, mirroring her own thoughts exactly. Jaci turns to look at the voice and sees with surprise that she is fingering what appears to be Beth’s jealously guarded notebook.
  
  
  “What’s going on in your head, Beth…?” mutters Jessica, opening the pages.
  
  
  Jaci would like to say she told Jessica to put Beth’s things away and mind her own business. She did not. She instead moves to sit next to Jessica and peer over her shoulder.
  
  
  The page falls open to – a leaf? Flitting through the notebook, it becomes apparent there are many leaves, collected and pressed tightly. Never thought her the sentimental sort. The pages themselves are full up, doodles and the odd equation punctuated by journal-style entries.
  
  
  
  January 1, 2014

  
  
  
  Out with the old in with the new
  
  
  Why this feeling something broke?
  
  
  And what?
  
  
  I should continue studies.
  
  
  
  
  February 3, 2014

  
  
  
  Some days are more wrong than others.
  
  
  Variation caused by proximity?
  
  
  Variation czd by intensity?
  
  
  Surging, traveling?
  
  
  But what?
  
  
  
  
  May 18, 2014

  
  
  
  The answers do not exist.
  
  
  It is a nameless feeling.
  
  
  Not sure I can accept this.
  
  
  
  “Uhh…” Jaci is about to suggest they simply put the journal back where they found it and avoid Beth for the duration of their remaining college careers when Jessica turns the page again, greedy eyes scanning for more. This is a list. It does not appear to be written in any order except that by when Beth had thought of them – so, roughly categorical, if you have a critical eye.
  
  
  
  Research

  
  
  
  ESP
  
  
  Trajectories
  
  
  Height of Farfax Condominium building
  
  
  Falling Acceleration
  
  
  Neurological action at death
  
  
  Local rumor – try social media?
  
  
  Malaise
  
  
  Schizophrenia?
  
  
  Emotional Dependence
  
  
  W. H. Auden
  
  
  Family history?
  
  
  Weather
  
  
  Recent trends
  
  
  Prediction
  
  
  
  Just as Jaci thinks she can’t take much more, a hand pulls the book from Jessica’s lap. She looks up in surprise. Dark eyes framed by impossibly long eyelashes. Shock of tangled black hair. Reproach written on a deceptively soft face. But the lips do not move to scold. Beth simply takes the book without a word, sits at her desk, and begins to scribble in it with an old fountain pen.
• 
  
  
  A Fountain Pen or Two – More to the Point
  
  
  Just something about the way the ink is drawn from between her fingertips. Like it’s the black inside her coming out. Fountain pens do bleed more easily – but that’s exactly why she likes them.
  
  
  She is no stranger to blood.
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  Hand Sanitizer – Cleanliness is Next to Godliness
  
  
  And Beth always did think highly of herself. She didn’t always clean herself so obsessively, though. Sometimes she still sees the explosion of red.
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  Sunglasses – Hiding in Plain Sight
  
  
  She’s good at keeping her thoughts to herself, but the sunglasses help, and they dissuade people from talking to her. Nobody knows if she’s looking at them, either.

Attributes

​

Primary		Secondary		Tertiary
Mental		Social		Physical
Intelligence	3	Presence	3	Strength	2
Wits	3	Manipulation	1	Dexterity	2
Resolve	2	Composure	3	Stamina	2

Skills

​

Primary		Secondary		Tertiary
Mental		Physical		Social
Academics	2	Athletics	1	Animal Ken	0
Computer	1	Brawl	0	Empathy	0
Crafts	0	Drive	1	Expression	0
Investigation	3	Firearms	1	Intimidation	1
Specialty: Investigation >> Clues || Sure, she's good at finding lost objects and analyzing experiments, but where she really excels is clue-finding. If it's out of place, if it means something, it calls out to her.
Medicine	0	Larceny	1	Persuasion	0
Occult	3	Stealth	3	Socialize	0
Specialty: Occult >> Ghosts || After so long researching, you get to know a thing or two about them.
Specialty: Stealth >> Hiding || Give her a small space and some cover, and no-one'll ever find her.
Politics	0	Survival	0	Streetwise	1
Science	2	Weaponry	0	Subterfuge	2

Merits

​

•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Library: Occult		Eye for the Strange		Common Sense			Free
On any extended roll involving the Skill in question, add the dots in this Merit (••). In her fixation and various research on the occult, Beth has, over a few years, amassed perhaps around a dozen books and upwards of a hundred pdfs on the subject.		Roll Intelligence + Composure. With a success, the Storyteller must tell you if the scene has a supernatural cause and provide one piece of found information that confirms the answer. With an exceptional success, she must give you a bit of supernatural folklore that suggests what type of creature caused the problem. If the problem was mundane, an exceptional success gives an ongoing +2 to all rolls to investigate the event, due to her redoubled certainty in its natural causation.		Roll Wits + Composure. If you succeed, the Storyteller must answer to the best of her ability. If you fail, you get no answer. With an exceptional success, you can ask an additional question. • What is the worst choice? • What do I stand to lose here? • What’s the safest choice? • Am I chasing a worthless lead?			Oh, the possibilities!

Acquaintances

​

Roommates


Jaci - fairly bubbly Nursing major


Jessica - rather catty clique girl, Drama major


Favorite Teacher


Professor Dinca - an impatient, irritable Philosophy teacher who tends to soften up around students who take the subject seriously, often engaging in hours long conversations on the matter.


Family


Fi Byrne - Grandma, calls every Saturday. Stern and no-nonsense but always patient.


Cael Byrne - Grandpa, writes Beth letters. Doting, and a little eccentric.


Friends


Not Applicable


Other


Boy Who Sits Next To Her In World Religions - If she has to hear one more whispered conversation about his late night escapades...


Phoebe - A fellow student in Beth's Mythology class, she has taken to idolizing and - to put it unkindly - stalking Beth. Why this is, Beth finds unfathomable.


Eliza - She may have run afoul of one of Beth's sarcastic jabs... She may have done this more than once... She may be quite happy to see Beth suffer. Beth, for her part, simply finds her to be silly and, in harsher terms, full of shit.

 

[Grey]

I should really have made @Bardiel aware of this.

 

[Ozmic]

“This is very simple, alright? It’s a demon. Yes, a real one. You didn’t look at the plans very hard when this place was built, did you? Course not. Some clever sod built the 13th floor in just the right configuration to conjure summat up, and now it wants you, among other things. If you don’t want it to get you, you will stand in that circle and be very still. I’ll take care of the rest.”


Thomas Maxwell Creed

<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_11/b929107246ce0b2b8adab10e040a75f0.jpg.eaa23c61a8b5b7f23ae679341ee69f80.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="35218" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_11/b929107246ce0b2b8adab10e040a75f0.jpg.eaa23c61a8b5b7f23ae679341ee69f80.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>​

A brilliant mind is a horrible thing to waste.

"You sure don't seem to mind taking my fuckin' money up til' you cut me off!"


The scene was a usual one. Weekly, if not nightly some weeks. This man, Tom, was once a well known and respected professor at the local college. He was a brilliant man, exceeding not only in his field, but in his relations with the students and other faculty. But one morning, he'd awoken a changed man and his life had quickly changed with him.


The world was a cruel place and Tom was finding that there was something wrong with it.


Not the usual wrongs that you'd think - politics, religious squabbling, a city in distress. No, there was something deeper and it dragged the man down, making him almost a shell of his former self.


Whatever it was, it lead Thomas Creed on the fast track to divorce, a life of heavy drinking, and a strained relationship with his children and ex wife. The more he drank and became reclusive, the less he saw of them and the greater the relationships crumbled.


Then, there was only dust.

No simple survival for me...

Cigarettes. What a dangerous vice. More-so if you're unlucky or not thinking straight.


They linked the apartment fire on 8th and State Street to him. Mark another one down for Tom Creed. Like always though, he was a survivor for better or worse. Gifted and cursed with some kind've sick luck to be in just the right place. The timing, however, that's where he faltered.


He was the first out, then almost the last. Going back in to get his wedding ring, he stopped to help another couple get out safely. Quick to think and to act, he was able to get them out without anyone getting hurt. The landlord was thankful, not pressing any charges that would have landed him in jail.


Thankfully, his old Impala had a big enough backseat to keep what he was able to save. Doubled as a bed too, if one didn't mind back pain. But, he was strong one and resilient to a fault. Giving up never crossed his mind, not matter how bleak things got.


He'd get to the bottom of things. There was always tomorrow...

 

[Ayl]

Procrastination be damned, I'm just too interested by this to let it slip away. And by interested in 'it', I refer, of course, to the 2nd paragraph

 

[Masks of Ayn]

I'm interested in both one and two. It's so hard to choose which one I would prefer! Two... let's go with two...


Can I pick both?


Sadly I'm on my phone though so creating and pitching a character with less than 100mb of data left makes it something I will have to do later, and than edit into here. If that's okay with you?

 

[Grey]

I'm afraid you can pick only one, but you needn't be too certain or dedicated about it - it just tells me some important things I'll build from when seeing your character and the early part of the RP. Take your time with the character, as there remains at least a month to decide.

 

[Masks of Ayn]

Ah well one month of deciding which idea I like best, and I will surely follow your advice. Especially since I'd definitely like to be apart of this, if so chosen to be!

 

[Syrenrei]

Is there a particular format you would like to see utilized when we pitch characters?

 

[Grey]

None in particular, but if you can include a one-word description of a behaviour they resort to under stress or fear, and one to describe the quality they feel makes them a better person, that would be useful.

 

[JayTee]

If this game is what I think it is, and the five paragraphs correlate to what I think they do, then number 5 would be my personal preference. :wink:


Character pitch: Ryan Green.


He'd done his time in the slammer, paid his dues and walked away a free man. His ladyfriend had left him while he was locked up, not that he could blame her, who wanted to be associated with an ex-con like him? She was a high class lady, couldn't afford to be seen with him anymore. Now he worked the late shift in a call center and liked that most people left him alone. Not glamorous, but it paid the bills. If he kept his head down and did everything right, there was a chance he could make management! All in all, he felt he had a bright future ahead of him.


1. What is the worst thing you've ever done?


"Killed someone. No one else knows about that, though"


2. What is the worst thing you can imagine yourself doing?


"Assuming a total lack of morals? Anything. Everything."


3. What is the worst thing you can imagine someone else doing?


"You've read a history book, right?"


4. What is the most traumatic thing that has every happened to your character?


"I can't really answer this. There's always something worse."


5. Strange things happen in every life - what have you forgotten?


"How can I tell you about something I've forgotten?"

 

[Grey]

Bumping for those who have yet to apply. I am curious and raring to go.


 
Boosting signal to also @The Fuzz and @Cthulhu_Wakes

 

[Alexandra]

.....I see what you're doing there....


I would take number 2 if possible ~

 

[Syrenrei]

This is a dumb question, I know it, but... are the excerpts meant to be taken literally or are they merely inspiration? For example, would the sample referring to Atlantis be someone who is sincerely from that place (although perhaps less fantastical than legend) or are you looking for something that is a more loose interpretation?

 

[Grey]

Loose interpretation. They are inspirations - echoes, if you like. Impressions. Some terms or ideas may become relevant, but you don't need to know which. Treat them as inspiration, the themes and moods of them to guide your character.

 

[Ayl]

Will apply as soon as I'm home. Took my final midterm for this week and I'm taking this day off to relax and write xP

 

[alexis the furry]

i have interest in the second one


but i don't know the level of this so please tell which it is.


 
A great passion for fighting is a good skill. unless it is with fire.


never giving up even if she is bleeding she fights with all her might. the only time she stops is when she has won. that be the reason why she used to be a gladiator in the army of atlantis. her passion for fire comes from the fact that she in fact almost died due to one. not just any fire the one that burnt her parents down and her house. that is why she never gives up. she still hasn't found the person who did it....


never give up


it was november 7th, still warm weather. nothing abnormal that day. she does her normal things. she finishes her combat training early, due to her winning as fast as possible. for that day is her birthday. the day she can finally be accepted as a real person not just some kid. she had been waiting for this day since she was 7 ( seven years earlier). she gets home late gathering flowers and putting them in her bag. she just loved the scents. she even had a garden of them. getting back home she heads to her room, and puts on her garden clothes and heads out to the back. when she gets there she doesn't notice that someone has broken in. when she gets done picking the flowers that are done growing and sprouted their seeds. heading inside and placing the new flowers in her room. when she hears a bang. the breaking of glass. to be continued...

 

[Syrenrei]

Character Concept:

Vivian Jones
​

Inspirational Photo:

Have you ever had an exercise, probably for an English class, in which your teacher or professor asks you to describe someone to you in one word? It sounds rather simple until you try to compact the complexity of an entire person into one singular word, as if someone it will do justice to their entire person. Impossible, yet most do it every day when they analyze strangers and acquaintances... and given that one word they would most likely call Vivan haughty.


Vivian was raised by attentive parents who divorced rather amicably when she was young, yet both remain part of her life. Both have since remarried and she has acquired two half-siblings and a stepsister as a result, but she has always felt valued and respected. Though neither parent was strict by any stretch of the imagination, from a young age Vivian showed quite a great deal of self-discipline and ambition. She adored reading and learning because she learned to appreciate herself even more than others: she wanted to become better.


As an adult she decided to pursue a graduate degree. While her parents offered financial assistance, she was adamant she wished to be independent and support herself. She has dabbled in every subject matter to a limited degree, and her family quietly suspected she would fall into a completely intellectual endeavor: something science-based or math-based. The greatest challenge Vivian found to herself and to society were people. Complex, frustrating, illogical, and some guided by emotions and base instinct alone, they were the last study anyone expected her to indulge in. The more agitated she became with sociological studies the more fervently she tried to understand and thus she finished her bachelor's degree in business studies with a minor in sociology. Her current goal is to become a "Human Resources Consultant" to evaluate the worth, mental stability, and efficiency of the work force for companies. It's the sort of position that invokes fear in white-collar workers but she believes she serves a 'greater good' of sorts. Once she has her master's she will embark on a journey to help cull the lax, the obsolete, those who take things from granted from positions they are not entitled to. After all, even if he people don't enjoy her personality, she is excellent at analysis and in her own mind a wonderful judge of character.

Q&A

1. What is the worst thing you've ever done?


"Back in my junior year of high school I took an advanced biology class and my partner was named Marcie Grumhauser or something similar. On our third assignment Marcie confessed that she had a rather full schedule and listed several other commitments that would prevent her from equally distributing the work in a joint project. I was rather impressed by her ambition and so I offered, since I enjoyed the subject matter, to handle the majority of the work if she would reciprocate in the future. Of course she agreed and looked quite relieved."


Vivian pauses and smirks, shaking her head dismissively before she continues. "I later overheard a conversation in which it was mentioned Marcie was neglecting and willfully dismissing her obligations because of an infatuation with a boy. After I considered her lies and what she was sacrificing for this fleeting crush I quietly continued to work with her in class. The next assignment she apologized and requested the same assistance and so I informed her if she was truly that busy I would help. I then turned in my assignment early. When the due date came, she asked for my paperwork to copy and I admitted I no longer had it- I had handed it in already. When she was incredulous and asked me why, with a look of betrayal, I said it was because my offer was only if she was truly busy. She failed that assignment. You may be thinking that the worst thing I've done is to not inform Marcie I wouldn't help her; you may think I was deceptive, cruel, or callous. What I learned that year, however, is that there is no excuse for the lazy, the distracted, and the disinterested. I enabled Marcie and let her take advantage of me- one of the worst things you can do for a leech on society."


2. What is the worst thing you can imagine yourself doing?


"I still consider being 'duped' one of the most infuriating and egregious things I believe I would actually do. I find many things can be justified in the right context and just because society, especially the ridiculously conservative who are entrenched in this anti-scientific movement, does not always criminalize the right sort of behavior. I obey the law, but I wouldn't consider it horrible to operate outside of it or push its boundaries if a situation required. Being tricked by a charlatan? Enabling someone to trample on those who work hard for what they earn? Dismissing someone based on rumor only to find they rose to brilliance out of dismal surroundings? That would be a horror- because I can't disprove its possibility. It has happened before."


3. What is the worst thing you can imagine someone else doing?


"There are many plagues on society- discrimination, for example, is one that I find especially ridiculous and offensive. I do not condone most criminal activity, obviously, while I excuse some of it. That being said, murdering those who have much left to contribute is one of the greatest tragedies one can imagine. I don't simply mean a pregnant woman or young child, but a brilliant scientist whose advances in their field one might fear or a hard-working engineer who may someday find a new source of power. It may be crass to say so, but some deaths are much worse for the world than others."


4. What is the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to you?


"Is that what the world if full of these days? People with tragic stories, moping about their past, and casting their forlorn gazes at the sky? My parents divorced which was not pleasant, but that is life and hardly traumatic. I've learned to share with my new siblings and try to distribute my time with my parents equally. To some degree I've struggled in school and I've had a few tense moments with suitors... but after I learned self-defense as a result, I've not had any problems. Nothing traumatic has occurred yet in my lifetime unless you consider this damnable anti-science movement..."


5. Strange things happen in every life - what have you forgotten?


"Nothing of importance. Lately I have felt... unsettled. I sometimes wish there was a grand world and mystery for me to solve. That's not to say I don't value my current pursuits, but occasionally I have this odd feeling on the edge of morning that something lingers on the horizon that will challenge me more than a difficult equation or oddity in a personality."

Inspirational Song:

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Virtues/Strengths:

• Self-disciplined: Vivian has little problem performing tasks, from mundane to pivotal, even if she doesn't enjoy it. Procrastination may as well not be part of her vocabulary.
  
• Well-spoken/learned: Vivian has completed college with excellent scores through both high school and university. Since she enjoys reading she has developed a strong vocabulary and is articulate with her viewpoints. Her education has helped her become knowledgeable on many subjects.
  
• Confident: Vivian rarely doubts herself or wallows in self-pity. If there is a job to be done, she is well aware of her capabilities and will not hesitate to seize the opportunity.
  
• Loyal: With "intelligent people a surprisingly endangered species," Vivian has come to appreciate kindred spirits. Once she had formed a relationship, she will not betray her friends no matter what duress she is under.
  

Flaws:

• Stubborn: Appealing to Vivian's emotions is nigh impossible and at times she does not even want to listen to a logical argument. Her opinions and beliefs are based on learning she is proud of and she dislikes challenges to it.
  
• Haughty: Vivian looks down on those who manage time or money poorly, who are ignorant by choice, are slow to learn, or lazy- and she is quite vocal about it. Her derision makes her at times very difficult to work with and many will avoid her for this reason.
  
• Panicked: On occasion Vivian loses control of some aspect of her life and it makes her spiral into a blind panic. It takes some breathing exercises and talking to herself sternly to break free of this response or, on occasion, someone shaking sense back into her.
  

@Grey - Hope this format is okay. I like prompt #2, but I feel she'd also work for #3!

 

[Dusky]

Y'all are making me want to add a song for Beth. :/


i love Shatter Me, by the way. And Lindsey Stirling in general.

 

[Grey]

Original post has been updated.