New York City, center of the universe.
The year is 1990; the place, the East Village of Manhattan, NY. The AIDS epidemic is at its peak. Homosexuality is seen as a death sentence. Drug addiction festers. The “cyber age” threatens the classic arts. Poverty is rampant, and a tent city has sprung up in an empty lot. The housing for those who can afford it is industrial, decrepit, and has few utilities. And yet, here a community of painters, writers, performers, musicians, and dreamers thrives. In a once lovely studio building is where some of our characters find themselves, struggling with the lack of heat and electricity, and living their decrepit lives the only way they know how; without regret.
This is La Vie Bohème, The Bohemian Life.
The Here and Now
East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bordered to the west by Greenwich Village, to the north by Gramercy Park and Stuyvesant Town, to the south by the Lower East Side, and to the east by the East River. Generally, although definitions vary on the neighborhood's exact street boundaries, East Village is considered to be the area east of Third Avenue and the Bowery to the East River, between 14th Street and Houston Street.
The area was once generally considered to be part of the Lower East Side, but began to develop its own identity and culture in the late 1960s, when many artists, musicians, students and hippies began to move into the area, attracted by cheap rents and the base of Beatniks who had lived there since the 1950s. The neighborhood has become a center of the counterculture in New York, and is known as the birthplace and historical home of many artistic movements, including punk rock and the Nuyorican literary movement. It has also been the site of protests and riots.
East Village is still known for its diverse community, vibrant nightlife and artistic sensibility.
(blue area)
Alphabet City is a neighborhood located within the East Village in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Its name comes from Avenues A, B, C, and D, the only avenues in Manhattan to have single-letter names. It is bordered by Houston Street to the south and by 14th Street to the north, along the traditional northern border of the East Village and south of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village. Some famous landmarks include Tompkins Square Park and the Life Cafe (fictional), where our characters may find themselves often due to its cheap food and lively, colorful crowds.
The group's homes are located within this neighborhood (unless you have picked to play a richer character).
Notable Establishments:
Life Cafe
The Blue Moon: Nude Dancers and More!
Empire Theater (many rallies and protests and impromtu, free shows are put on here)
Alphabet City Bar
Tompkins Square Park
(MORE TO BE ADDED: Ideas Appreciated!)
(interiors may vary)
The place where most of our characters would find themselves living. Under some pretenses, they may be squatters, inhabiting an abandoned building, but that's all well and good. Some may be struggling to afford RENT, others may be living it up in their industrial living quarters, finding inspiration in the lack of heat and electricity. In the empty lot at the far end of the street is a tent city, and all around are alleys full of drug dealers and homeless.
Music is a constant, starving artists crying out in the streets below for money, and the glow of fire is everywhere during the colder months. Watch out for riots and protests, as well, since they are a near weekly thing.
RULES
Basic RPG rules, no PPing, godmodding, or anything of that sort
I expect well written, diverse characters, no Mary Sues pls
Currently looking for a co-GM, if you're interested in that position please ask!
Make sure you have proper grammar and spelling. This is advanced after all.
Have fun and all that jazz.
This is a sandbox-style, slice-of-life game, based heavily on the musical RENT. Story can and will be implemented, though this game is heavily character driven. If you have any ideas for a story arc then please, let me know!
(Picture/Description Here)
NAME:
AGE:
GENDER:
SEXUALITY:
ETHNICITY:
ILLNESS(ES): (if healthy then ignore)
SKILLS:
JOB:
PERSONALITY:
BRIEF BIO: (can be withheld to show in the game)
Us and Them:
A woman with an almost unforgettable appearance, Kaya is tall, thin, and relatively pretty. Her skin rather dark, while at the same time appearing light, and is easily tanned during the warmer months. She has long, curly hair, large, heavily make-uped eyes, and an overall angular face. Due to her lack of eating and constant drug use, she is unhealthily thin, and is prone to nosebleeds and sudden dizzy spells. She weighs an uncomfortable 110lbs while standing at a tall 5'11, and has some muscle-mass thanks to her practice in pole-dancing and dancing in general. Her right arm is covered in black and white tattoos, and her nose is pierced. Is almost always wearing makeup, and she apparently looks very different without it.
NAME:
Kaya "Kitty Kat" Pyŏn
AGE:
21
GENDER:
Female
SEXUALITY:
Pansexual
ETHNICITY:
African/Asian American
ILLNESS(ES):
- HCV (Hepatitis C) [unknown]
- Hypotension (low-blood pressure)
- HIV Positive (AIDS)
SKILLS:
Thanks to her past as a Music major, Kaya is a gifted musician and singer, having preformed in many church choirs and shady underground clubs. She is gifted in playing the guitar, violin, viola, piano, flute, clarinet, and drums and has good control of her mezzo-range voice. She is well known for her musical skills thanks to the Life Cafe and the street corners she sometimes plays on.
Other than singing, Kaya also dances. And by dances, she of course means pole-dancing and stripping. Known as Kitty Kat by Blue Moon patrons, she seamlessly spins around that pole with out breaking a sweat, and constantly shows off her body to the "adoring" crowds below. Her signature move involves getting on her hands and knees and meowing like a cat, eyes narrowed with makeup and fake ears sat upon her head.
Makeup is another thing she does well. From hiding blemishes and changing face shapes to covering scars and needle marks, she can do it all. With some eyeliner and blush, Kaya can do it all. Aside from hiding her face, she can also hide her actions by lyin- er, acting. She relies heavily on her ability to act sweet and pure and innocent, despite being anything but. In fact, get a little too touchy and the street and she might punch your lights out. Thanks to her parents (before they supposedly ruined her life), Kaya had been taught countless martial arts and self-defense skills, though they didn't really spend enough time teaching her how to cook or clean.
JOB:
- Dancer at The Blue Moon: A popular, though somewhat underpaid stripper at the sleazy club, she is know as "Kitty Kat" by the patrons and is beloved for her ability to simply let it all our during some shows.
- Well-known Pianist and Singer at the Life Cafe: Though she isn't exactly paid for her work, Kaya goes to the Life Cafe on Tuesdays and Thursday to play a few songs and keep the atmosphere light and calm. She sometimes receives tips from the patrons.
PERSONALITY:
While on the surface Kaya appears sweet and friendly, often coming up to strangers with a wide smile and friendly tips, she is far from kind. With a biting wit, a sailor's mouth, and devilish eyes, Kaya is most likely approaching you with some kind of insult in mind. Rather mischievous and childish, she often pulls practical jokes towards those she deems worthy, and despite always getting caught she just can't stop making them, finding that even mundane attacks to be hilarious in some manner. Despite being somewhat of a social butterfly, Kaya has few close friends, finding that her mind simply has problems trusting people easily. Due to her cynical mindset, after her initial friendly greeting she will slowly grow more and more abrasive the longer the conversation goes on. This untrustworthy attitude only fades completely when she's drunk, and thanks to her party-obsessed body Kaya is almost always drunk or high by the end of the night. To those she is friends with, she is ridiculously loyal, and will stop at nothing to protect them.
Once a music student, Chris has a very clear understanding of how to play many instruments and how to sing, which is evident if someone finds her on a street corner, strumming a guitar for extra cash. Music seems to be the only thing that can make her smile, and she has countless songs that she loves to play when feeling alone or upset or sick. She dropped out of college at the age of nineteen, and isn't exactly the smartest person around, often relying on her ability to perceive a situation rather than exactly understanding the matter at hand. Hates politics, though she has a very open mind and will sometimes attend protests or rallies for things she finds important.
Thanks to growing up in a rough neighborhood, Kaya had once taken part in many fist fights and verbal arguments, and though she doesn't exactly have the strength to fight now a days she always remembers her mother's advice: "aim for the eyes!". With her strong eyes and sharp tongue, it doesn't seem as though Kaya would crack under pressure, though that assumption is very wrong. If too much stress is put on the skinny girl's shoulders she will easily snap and end up curled up in a shaking ball. Hiding her fears is something Kaya does very well, so when she finally lets everything spill out it is nearly unbearable.
Currently raising money for rehab, as she is having some trouble with her drug addiction and wishes to cleanse herself for her music.
A young, probably once feminine looking man, Kimbal is short, well-built, and always seems to have a large smile on his face. His skin is dark, and freckled heavily, showing mostly during times when he has decided to head outside. He has a square face, close-cropped black hair, and two different colored eyes (blue and brown) which always seem to have a sleepy feel to them. Standing at a short (for a man) 5'7 feet and weighing 190lbs, most won't find him as much as a threat in the street, but he is surprisingly strong and athletic. Has a tattoo of a music note on his left wrist, and his right ear is pierced.
NAME:
Kimbal Rodgers
AGE:
24
GENDER:
Trans* Man
SEXUALITY:
Bisexual
ETHNICITY:
African American
ILLNESS:
- Tendentious (Wrists)
- HIV Positive (AIDS)
SKILLS:
Thanks to his wealthy parents, Kimbal was placed into a rather wealthy school, whee he spent many days of his school career reading and writing and studying. He was very gifted in most English classes, excelling in writing essays and short stories, though he struggled heavily in math and science. He was also gifted in over viewing and editing other pieces of writing, and had a knack for picking out fatal flaws in many essays.
In his high school, there was a very prominent theater program which dominated most of the school's funds. Kimbal was very interested in musical theater, and was always auditioning for roles with his impressive acting ability, though his lesser singing and dancing skills sometimes betrayed him in the end.
Other than acting and writing, Kimbal is rather good at housework and loves to cook and clean for Kaya and whoever else wants to appreciate his work whenever he can. Thanks to his surroundings and, once again, school, he is well versed in four different languages. Russian, Spanish, Italian, and German.
JOB:
Unemployed
- Street Performer: He makes some money by dancing or reading poetry to Kaya's drumming in street corners and sometimes venues.
PERSONALITY:
A kind, shy man, Kimbal is as sweet a guy as they come. Always donning a wide smile, even in dire times, he is someone that is comfortable to be around and easy to talk to. He is somewhat withheld with his words, often staying quiet in loud situations, and is honestly loudest when on stage, where he can act and sing to his heart's content. Kimbal is rather protective of his friends, often clinging close to them in an effort to shoo away any unwanted attention as well as keep then comfortable if needed. He absolutely loves others to death, and will at times worry more for then than himself.
A would-be theater major, Kimbal has a habit of reciting plays and monolouges during random moments of the day. He can often be found reading and editing playbills he found on the street or the old manuscripts that litter his apartment's walls and closests. His love for theater knows no bounds, and he appears to have the most fun on stage.
While he appreciates the protests on the streets below, he rarely takes part in them, rather he sits, waiting for Kaya to attend and return so he can ask how it all went. He finds it difficult to have an opinion on politics, though believes that the homeless issue needs to be dealt with delicately and the rights of homosexuals should not be ignored.
He is currently trying to help Kaya with her rehabilitation and lack of eating with some force and sometimes harsh words, but he honestly means well.
BRIEF BIO:
Once the daughter(son) of a rich family, Kim Rodgers grew up knowing he wasn't like other girls. He hated the dresses, the hairs, and felt more comfortable in pants and without all the bows and makeup. At the age of ten he told his parents of his feelings, and though they were hesitant, they brought him to therapy anyway, and the therapist confirmed Kim's woes. He was put on T when he was sixteen, all while tensions grew within his family, until finally, at the age of eighteen, he was kicked out of his home.
Without money for college nor a home, he wandered homeless for a year, making money by sleeping around and acting in impromptu stage shows, before meeting Kaya. At first, the two tried dating, but that didn't work out, so they simply moved in together as roommates in a rather rugged apartment on 11th Street. He was diagnosed with AIDS at the age of twenty-three, and is currently attending a group to help cope with his illness.
Short, flat and tomboyish, there is always some doubt as to Mississippi's true gender, which is unsurprising – androgynous is something she aspires to be. Even so, in tighter-fitting clothing she appears rather frail and weak; despite her best efforts, she still has a clear, underlying hint of femininity. Generally Mississippi has dark circles under her eyes which seem to be constantly glazed over with imagination or something that artificially emulates it. Her shaking and unsteady hands are easily noticeable, though she tries her best to stifle them under long sleeves (which has the added effect of hiding the needle marks). She is both a nail-biter and a lip-chewer, something at odds with her apparent air of butch confidence.
FULL NAME: Mississippi Lowe (formerly Alexandra Lowe)
NICKNAMES: Missi, M.L.
AGE: 21
GENDER: Female
SEXUALITY: Lesbian
ILLNESSES:
Hepatitis B
Asthma
HPV
SKILLS:
Mississippi considers her primary talent to be writing, especially when it comes to scripts for the big screen. She also moonlights as a writer for short stories and has recently resolved herself to writing a play in the style of Tennessee Williams (her greatest inspiration and reason for changing her name).
As the daughter of a fairly wealthy family in the South, Mississippi was forced to learn how to play the piano, especially since she refused to sing as her sisters did. While she was always fairly successful in all of her recitals, she dropped the skill for a few years, mostly because she rarely had a chance to play. Growing up in a stilted manner, too, gives her an impeccable posture and while she doesn't use them often as a rule of thumb, her manners are also exceptional.
Her vaguely criminal past (which she got away with) resulted in her learning how to break-in to houses with ease and pick locks as well as fostering slight feelings of kleptomania. She also considers herself particularly observant – especially when it comes to spotting whether someone is tired or abused or using drugs. Mississippi considers it her duty as a human being to look out for that kind of stuff.
JOB:
– Waitress at 'Life Cafe' – receives a fair amount of tips and is well-known by frequent customers. Mississippi has worked there on-and-off since she was 15.
– Her secondary source of income during tougher times is from having sex with older, upper-class women and men; however, the money is fleeting and spent on frivolous things rather than saved.
PERSONALITY:
Missi is an extrovert – permanently friendly, forgives easily and considers everyone who she hasn't met to be a friend. Her charisma and confidence has not been limited at all by the tough times she has lived through. There is not an ounce of femininity left in her demeanour; her foul mouth and brutal honesty made sure of that. Missi does, however, suffer from low self-esteem, especially since her romantic nature has not been fulfilled – she often wonders whether she will ever find love, and if life is worth living if she never does. Unfortunately, she doesn't understand flirting or anything subtle, so even if an opportunity does appear she might miss it entirely.
BIO:
To be revealed.
McHaggis' Character
(No photo ref yet)
While he isn’t very tall, he has a lanky quality about him. He’s skinny and pale, but by no means sickly. He has a few moles and freckles on his body, the most prominent being the freckle about the size of a pea on the top of his cheekbone just under his eye. He has long, straight, black hair that ends a few inches below his chin. His eyes are hazel, but predominantly green in the shades of brown and gold. On particularly sunny days, he wears sunglasses and occasionally, but rarely indoors as well. He typically wears his gray hoodie or some other long-sleeved something and jeans. It’s hard to see him without his journal.
NAME: Shiloh MacKenzie
AGE: 21
GENDER: Male
SEXUALITY: Pansexual
ETHNICITY: White American (Long list of European ancestry)
ILLNESS(ES):
Anemia (Iron deficiency)
Asthma
Depression
Photophobia (Mild light sensitivity)
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Synesthesia (Words, numbers and pitches have color.)
SKILLS:
He’s a third year pre-med student. Aside from general knowledge of biology and chemistry, he’s CPR certified and has basic knowledge of first aid treatment (cleaning cuts, stitching deeper wounds, etc.). He also knows how to use syringes.
He keeps a journal full of short stories, poetry, and sketches. They’re not extraordinarily good or exceptionally bad. There are very few legitimate journal entries in it, all of which are extremely personal.
He knows how to play the guitar, ukulele and piano, but doesn’t really play much or for anyone but himself.
JOB: He’s an intern at an HIV/AIDs clinic
PERSONALITY: Shiloh doesn’t care to touch or be touched by other people unless it’s under his instruction and living in a crowded city like New York has made him a very skittish person. He’s gentle and caring, always putting other’s needs before his own. It’s not hard for him to talk to people, but his introverted nature usually puts him in a position to listen rather than speak about himself. Art is one thing he could talk about endlessly. He absolutely adores art in all forms.
He’s the kind to fall hard and fast when it comes to crushes. It’s gotten him into trouble before, so now he views his vulnerability almost fearfully. His struggle to find self-worth outside of love is what brought him into the field of medicine. Shiloh can’t lie very well. His expressions betray all of his thoughts and emotions. He’s vegetarian because the taste and smell of meat disgusts him.
BRIEF BIO: Will be updated as it is revealed.
Aleskey is tall, 6’3”, and broad-shouldered, but he has an otherwise average build from past years of boxing. He has a smooth, light-medium complexion, but distinctly Eastern European facial features. His eyes are a light brown, like two polished pennies, and his hair is dark and shaggy, but he has a natural white Mallen streak that shoots up from his hairline.
He has his eyebrow and his nose pierced, both with studs. He has the beginnings of a sleeve of tattoos that starts on his shoulder and ends just above his elbow. It isn’t usually seen when he has a shirt on. His wardrobe favors dark colors and band t-shirts.
NAME: Aleksey Kravchuk
AGE: 19
GENDER: Male
SEXUALITY: Bisexual
ETHNICITY: Russian
ILLNESS(ES):
Tobacco addiction
Alcoholism
SKILLS:
Russian is his native language. His English isn’t flawless, but he’s got a good handle on slang and vocabulary. A lot of idioms he doesn’t understand.
He family ran a tavern, so he knows how to mix drinks and cook. If it could be considered a skill, he’s got a good alcohol tolerance.
He’s played the guitar for five years now and while he doesn’t read music, he knows a bunch of extended techniques.
As an occupational hazard, he knows a few things about sound tech and using a sound board.
He can improvise an entire song on the spot: a skill that he takes with him when he’s songwriting.
He has a very good memory and rarely forgets a face.
He boxed for four years before coming to the US. One well-placed hit of his can knock someone’s lights out.
JOB: Frontman and guitarist for his alternative rock band Soapbox Justice. He's known for working out new material at the Light Cafe.
PERSONALITY: Aleskey is, above all else, a nonconformist. He likes to swim against the current and take chances, even if the odds may not be in his favor. It’s natural for him to do things his own way and if people are willing to join him on his adventures, the more the merrier. He’s a social creature and talking a lot with others is why his English improved so quickly in his short time in America. He’s a very supportive friend and green lights every idea, but isn’t very good at planning ahead. He grew up on believing opportunities were abundant in America and he hasn’t yet given up on that ideal. Some call it stubbornness, but it can also be taken as gullibility when his passions get involved.
However, he still has a lot of pride in his country and doesn’t take any shit from anybody who disses him for being Russian or Russia in general. He has a low tolerance for ignorance, but he’s not quick to anger or violence unless he’s drunk. More often, he’ll walk away from an aggressor with a few harsh words than fight over it. He will hold a grudge, though, and cut a toxic person out from his life with no remorse. He has a morbid sense of humor that can be quite disturbing to those who aren’t prepared for it.
BRIEF BIO: He’s been in the United States for two years now. His band has been together for a little over a year and while the audiences seem to enjoy their music, they haven’t been able to put out a single record.
He’s also recently gotten off from couchsurfing and rented out a cheap, cramped apartment on Avenue B.
Beebee2121's Characters
Standing at 6 feet flat, Joseph isn't exactly short, but he isn't outstandingly tall either. He's lean and lanky, more bones than muscle, and more boyish than a manly. With his long limbs and youthful face, he looks somewhat fragile. But despite that, Joseph is more angular than feminine and clearly a young and growing teen, albeit a little on the lanky side.
Name: Joseph Hall
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Sexuality: He's not quite sure, though Joseph has had a crush or two on a girl in the past.
Ethnicity: Asian American
Skills:
First and foremost, Joseph wants to become a writer. He doesn't think much of his own work and isn't the most confident person out there, but he's fallen in love with the art, and he's fallen for it hard. Poetry and books, are his first love and if anything can lift his spirits, it's E.E Cummings and Shakespeare. Joseph has potential, he just doesn't believe in himself as much as he should.
Aside from writing, Joseph works part time as a paperboy, and because of this he has memorized almost all the shortcuts and passages in Alphabet City. He's got a knack for observing minute details, a good memory, and he can go pretty fast on a bicycle if he has to.
He can also speak and understand Chinese.
Job: During the mornings he works as a paperboy, the afternoons are spent working as a cashier for a convenience store.
Personality:
Distrustful and a little jumpy, Joseph is usually wary of strangers and tends to keep to himself, answering people with half-truths or awkward and unsure statements. He's amicable enough and won't turn strangers away when approached, but he will be on edge, questioning their reasons inside his head. Despite that, Joseph is a sweet young man, and after the initial wariness wears off, you meet the boy that holds doors open for people and tries his hardest to make his friends happy. Hardworking and a little uptight, Joseph likes keeping a clear head and will say no to cigarettes and alcohol of any kind. If Joseph has any vices then those vices are reading and desserts.
Brief Bio:
His grandparents left China in search of greener pastures. His mom was a pianist and ended up marrying the owner of a diner she used to work at. The result of their marriage was Joseph Hall, but they hadn't planned to have a child, life was hard enough as it was with just the two of them. He grew up feeling like he was never really wanted and his father was a good for nothing drunk. Joseph didn't want to live the kind of life, he put up with it for years, but as soon as he turned 18 he hopped onto his bicycle one evening and just kept pedaling. He wound up in Alphabet city and began looking for a place to live. Joseph ended up in an ampartment complex next door to Lizbeth Kayle. (Second Character)[
[b][u]Extra: He and Liz have become good friends, she calls him Josie much to his dismay
Name: Lizbeth Kayle, though she never introduces herself as Lizbeth and is mostly known as Liz or Lizzie.
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Illnesses: It's not exactly an illness, but Liz does have a smoking problem.
Skills:
Do you see that couple sitting at the bus stop? I bet you Liz could draw them. I bet it'd look pretty great. Lizbeth Kayle is an artist. Drawing, painting, origami, art is her passion and she loves to try new things, but her forte lies in sketching and painting. When she isn't working, you can find Liz scrounging the town for inspiration. She likes using people and places at subjects, so most people see her around Alphabet city, following stray cats or asking random people if they can spare a couple of minutes so she can sketch them.
Aside from drawing, Liz is a pretty good cook, she can make a mean lava cake and has a knack for coming up with strange yet delicious recipes. She spends her days working part time at the Life cafe and other small restaurants.
Job: Lizbeth works part time as a cook at the Life Cafe and as a waitress at other small restaurants. Sometimes she gets money from painting people at the park and other places.
Personality:
Friendly and adventurous, Liz is almost always up for a chat or a joke, though her sense of humor tends to be a bit morbid. Liz doesn't mind talking about death, love, or other sensitive topics, it's hard to faze the girl and some people think she's a little callous. Liz has learned to take whatever life throws at her and she tries her best to bear it. She's not overtly emotional and for the most part has a clear head. The girl uses sarcasm and silly puns to shield herself from the bad things around and turns to art to de-stress. She's quite passionate about art and while she's no optimist, she believes that people should pursue their dreams.
"If you don't go after it, you aren't getting it. It's pretty damn simple."
A little on the hedonistic side, sometimes Liz does things simply because they feel good. She isn't the most responsible person out there, but she's a loyal friend when needed and her heart is pretty much in the right place.
Brief Bio:
Liz hasn't revealed much about her past, simply that she ran away from home because of her parents. She doesn't speak badly of them, but has mentioned their fights from time to time. Her father caught her mom cheating on him with a richer man and ever since then her home life has been mostly a mess. Her mother left one day and her father turned to Alcohol. They fell into debt and Liz left to start out fresh.
Sonder's Characters
