*pops out of the slide to the commons, falling on his face and rolling forward a short ways before coming to a halt, red from both embarrassment and pain*
Jeez, today is not my day. The tardies, the pranks, the slides. At least it'll all be over soon. Summer's just around the corner.
*gets up quickly and dusts himself off, trying to look as dignified as possible, then surveys the large room, abundance of pink nearly causing him to cringe again*
What's up with this school, anyway? All the pink, the fuzzy stuff...okay, the beanbags and the slides are pretty cool, but I really don't think schools are supposed to be like this. Not normal school, at least. ...are they?
*spots one of his friends lounging in a beanbag, but on the other side of the room he noticed the girl he bumped into yesterday, and walks over to her*
Uh, hi. I told you I knew we went to the same school, heh. I just wanted to apologize again for yesterday, so I'm terribly sorry if I caused you any inconvenience or anything.
Skills: Virtually none. James has never handled a firearm and has no skill in using melee weapons. He can't even build a shelter. He's pretty good at scavenging, but other than that he has survived solely on luck, which he seems to have in bounds.
Unusual Traits: None, unless superhuman luck counts. That's not a mutation though, just an innate boon. It's almost as though the universe is actively trying to keep him alive.
Personality: James is a nice man, probably one of very few left. He'd still open his door to anyone and share what little he has. Except, well, he hasn't seen anyone but his parents since he was born. Fortunately, books are almost as good as people, and he regularly scavenges those from people's houses or the library. This has left him with a high level of literacy and knowledge of many things from fantasy to science fiction. Even encyclopedias and almanacs are interesting reads when they describe a world you know nothing about. As one might expect, James is gullible and naïve. Despite his intelligence, he is an undying optimist. His limited world and continued successes in most things he tries only add to this. The world is great because that's all he's ever known it to be. Maybe a little lonely, sure, but there are books for that.
Appearance: Almost 6 feet tall and fairly gangly. Most of his clothing is well-worn but not particularly ragged. The world is his closet, but he'd still prefer to wear the same sweatshirt every day. It's comfortable and familiar, what more could you want? Has a shock of wavy brown hair that curls erratically at the ends. He has tried desperately to tame it, and, despite the uneven cut in the back, it still has noticeable form to it. There is just enough to cover his ears, and a cluster of curls hangs above his right eye. His face is mostly clean and gives the appearance of a fool. His ready grin and large, soulful brown eyes lend an air of easiness, relaxation, and naïveté. Still, his eyes hold a spark of vitality that so many others have lost. Finally, his build is exceptionally thin, though not for lack of food. He may not be getting the three square meals recommended from a time before the bombs fell, but his scavenging has made sure that he rarely has to go hungry. New York City is a big place, after all.
Background: James's mother was pregnant when the bombs hit, but was safely protected in an underground bunker. The first thing James can remember, though, is the New York City apartment where he has lived his whole life. The rest of the building, like everywhere else is empty, abandoned. Many still had some sparse resources, but those were all depleted long ago in scavenging runs. James's parents brought him up almost exactly as they would have if the apocalypse hadn't happened. They taught him morals, how to read, how to write, etiquette, housekeeping, and his most useful skill: scavenging. His father, once a smoker, died when James was 14, of lung cancer. His mother wasted away in the following years, perhaps of some unidentifiable disease or perhaps simply of the mingling of loss of hope and a broken heart. Whatever the case, James has been on his own since he was about 16, never having seen anyone but them his whole life. He keeps his apartment just as it always was: nicely decorated and clean. He dusts semi-regularly, washes his sheets when he can, and sweeps the floor whenever he thinks it necessary. It still becomes somewhat grungy, but it's probably the best-kept apartment in all of New York City. Additionally, he has a tomato plant which he keeps for food and a very general calendar. He remembers his birthday being about at the same time the tomatoes become ripe. A few piles of books litter his floor and there is no electricity so it is lit by a combination of candles and ambient light. All doors and windows are closed and locked at night, with the blinds shut. James can't quite remember why he does this, but his parents made sure to do it every night, so it must be important. His pantries are always stocked with a few boxes of cereal and some canned food, found while scavenging. They aren't much, and he makes sure they last, but it's better than most. Unfortunately, he is having to go further and further to find anything while scavenging.
Alone or Accompanied: Alone
Other: The two weapons he has are used for breaking into apartments which may be locked or otherwise inaccessible. He has no idea how to use them in combat.
@SepticGentleman As though he'd let the first person he sees go so soon. He'd insist on bringing him back to his house and giving him food and a place to sleep.
James is smart and all, but he doesn't really understand that betrayal is a thing. I anticipate that he's going to get burned early on.
Good thing we all just naturally gravitated to NYC. Don't have to bullshit my way across a few states to get in the meat of things.
I saw a few of you were starting off going to NYC, so I put myself in the middle of the action. James is pretty well hidden, but if he sees anyone he'll probably run up to them immediately. He hasn't seen ANYONE in basically ever. It's a miracle. As far as he was concerned, he was the last person.
@Xilaw Can I be you? I assume the writing is actually of good quality, but you never know. All I know is that writing backgrounds gets so boring for me. Personality and appearance I could write for days, but there are so many interesting things you can fit in someone's life, and I never know how to make them sound noteworthy without being over the top.
I feel as though I may like to join this as a doctor but I'm not sure how much I can trust myself to do that without falling into cliche. Worth a shot, I guess, right?
It's nice to be back, though I can't deny I had fun while I was gone. Saw some people I hadn't seen in a while, had a party or two, enjoyed the company of a couple very special people. Now I'm getting back into the swing of writing.
Skills: Virtually none. James has never handled a firearm and has no skill in using melee weapons. He can't even build a shelter. He's pretty good at scavenging, but other than that he has survived solely on luck, which he seems to have in bounds.
Unusual Traits: None, unless superhuman luck counts. That's not a mutation though, just an innate boon. It's almost as though the universe is actively trying to keep him alive.
Personality: James is a nice man, probably one of very few left. He'd still open his door to anyone and share what little he has. Except, well, he hasn't seen anyone but his parents since he was born. Fortunately, books are almost as good as people, and he regularly scavenges those from people's houses or the library. This has left him with a high level of literacy and knowledge of many things from fantasy to science fiction. Even encyclopedias and almanacs are interesting reads when they describe a world you know nothing about. As one might expect, James is gullible and naïve. Despite his intelligence, he is an undying optimist. His limited world and continued successes in most things he tries only add to this. The world is great because that's all he's ever known it to be. Maybe a little lonely, sure, but there are books for that.
Appearance: Almost 6 feet tall and fairly gangly. Most of his clothing is well-worn but not particularly ragged. The world is his closet, but he'd still prefer to wear the same sweatshirt every day. It's comfortable and familiar, what more could you want? Has a shock of wavy brown hair that curls erratically at the ends. He has tried desperately to tame it, and, despite the uneven cut in the back, it still has noticeable form to it. There is just enough to cover his ears, and a cluster of curls hangs above his right eye. His face is mostly clean and gives the appearance of a fool. His ready grin and large, soulful brown eyes lend an air of easiness, relaxation, and naïveté. Still, his eyes hold a spark of vitality that so many others have lost. Finally, his build is exceptionally thin, though not for lack of food. He may not be getting the three square meals recommended from a time before the bombs fell, but his scavenging has made sure that he rarely has to go hungry. New York City is a big place, after all.
Background: James's mother was pregnant when the bombs hit, but was safely protected in an underground bunker. The first thing James can remember, though, is the New York City apartment where he has lived his whole life. The rest of the building, like everywhere else is empty, abandoned. Many still had some sparse resources, but those were all depleted long ago in scavenging runs. James's parents brought him up almost exactly as they would have if the apocalypse hadn't happened. They taught him morals, how to read, how to write, etiquette, housekeeping, and his most useful skill: scavenging. His father, once a smoker, died when James was 14, of lung cancer. His mother wasted away in the following years, perhaps of some unidentifiable disease or perhaps simply of the mingling of loss of hope and a broken heart. Whatever the case, James has been on his own since he was about 16, never having seen anyone but them his whole life. He keeps his apartment just as it always was: nicely decorated and clean. He dusts semi-regularly, washes his sheets when he can, and sweeps the floor whenever he thinks it necessary. It still becomes somewhat grungy, but it's probably the best-kept apartment in all of New York City. Additionally, he has a tomato plant which he keeps for food and a very general calendar. He remembers his birthday being about at the same time the tomatoes become ripe. A few piles of books litter his floor and there is no electricity so it is lit by a combination of candles and ambient light. All doors and windows are closed and locked at night, with the blinds shut. James can't quite remember why he does this, but his parents made sure to do it every night, so it must be important. His pantries are always stocked with a few boxes of cereal and some canned food, found while scavenging. They aren't much, and he makes sure they last, but it's better than most. Unfortunately, he is having to go further and further to find anything while scavenging.
Alone or Accompanied: Alone
Other: The two weapons he has are used for breaking into apartments which may be locked or otherwise inaccessible. He has no idea how to use them in combat.
Whew! I'm back, so hi again. I'm told I'm going somewhere else later in the week, but I'm back for the time being. I'll get started on an IC post pretty soon, now that I'm feeling a little rejuvenated.
