Avatar of Gavin
  • Last Seen: 2 yrs ago
  • Joined: 10 yrs ago
  • Posts: 177 (0.05 / day)
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    1. Gavin 10 yrs ago

Status

Recent Statuses

5 yrs ago
So I didn't get a chance to say it on here last night, but happy new year everyone!
3 likes
6 yrs ago
I'm seriously addicted to checking for notifications on here.
6 likes
6 yrs ago
I felt like I should post an update status, seeing as my last one was seven months ago. So here it is. Hi status bar.
3 likes
6 yrs ago
Currently reading Explorers of the Void while it's going slow. All of it. All 1260 posts of it.
2 likes
6 yrs ago
I'm back. (Only took 3 years)
1 like

Bio

(Awesome Gible avatar made by Ridlins)

To-do List:
1. Write a bio
2. Celebrate for finally having written a bio

Hey, my name's Gavin. If you've seen the RP(s) I'm in, you'll know that I name most of my characters that, too. I'd like to say I do it to keep track of them easier or something, but it's really because I'm so bad at coming up with names that I just use my own. I tend to RP with a specific group of people, but if I find the time I'm not opposed to joining other RPs.

I got into roleplaying a while back from a stray Google search. It lead me to a website with a fanfiction written by multiple authors. (Don't judge me too harshly; that's really what I thought it was.) Eventually, I figured out what this "roleplay" concept was. It seemed like a fun idea, so I decided to track down the people who wrote what I had just read and join their current RP. Looking back on it, I'm amazed that my app was (eventually) accepted. I'm not exaggerating when I say that my roleplay/writing skills were absolutely horrible - I was lucky to be able to write a couple sentences per post. If any of you are reading this: thanks for putting up with it back then.

After that RP and its prequel ended, the group I was with moved to this website. I joined (or tried to join) a few of their RPs, but I kept losing interest along the way. There were times where I would get an idea and decide to work on an app, but those never lasted long enough for me to get back into RPing. I stopped making apps, and started checking in on people from time to time because I wanted to keep in contact with them. I eventually realized that it was kind of rude to keep posting on an RP I wasn't in, so I decided not to keep doing that. I checked back here less and less, until I eventually forgot about it.

Until earlier this year last year. A while ago, I remembered the old RPs I had been in and decided to write one of them into a book for myself. I pulled up the old website and started stitching the posts together in my own words into a continuous story, structured more like a book than an RP. I got about a hundred posts in, and that's when I realized that I wanted to RP again. I could tell it was different now; this time I wouldn't get bored halfway through making an app and give up. So, now I'm back. And I don't plan on leaving anytime soon, so you're all stuck with me.

Most Recent Posts

“Can we stop soon?” I called to Hudson, absentmindedly tossing one of my coins in the air. He was somewhere ahead of me, but it was impossible to see through this undergrowth.

“What for!? We’re nearly there - I can smell it!”

“I’m hungry. You know I haven’t eaten since this morning, right?”

Hudson seemed to ignore me, instead focusing his attention on waddling through the plants, but a moment later I heard him stop.

“Ya know what?” he replied suddenly. “Food ain’t a half bad idea right about now. We’ll take a rest up here.”

I followed the sound of his voice to a small clearing. Hudson sat in the middle of it, his head deep inside his bag scrounging for food. “Keep guard,” he ordered, pointing towards the edge of the clearing. “We haven’t seen any of them crazies yet, but ya never know when one could pop out atcha.” I assumed he meant “watch out for enemies”; it was hard to tell with him sometimes. Climbing onto a rock at the edge of the clearing, I peered over the undergrowth. Here, the forest was trapped in a perpetual twilight by the thick trees overhead, making it difficult to see far. All I could make out were the plants we walked through and a few decaying logs scattered around. Still, it was nice to have peace and quiet for once, a rare treat for someone from Scale City.

“See anything?” Hudson broke the silence.

“No,” I replied. “I don’t think anyone’s around.” I jumped down from my rock and took the apple he offered me. “Thanks.”

“It’s nothin’,” he admitted, carefully closing his bag. I looked around our small clearing as we ate in silence. If I was honest with myself, the plants here gave me the chills. In the mountains you could practically see forever; in here you could barely see five metres through the greenery. A Kricketot could jump out and you wouldn’t notice until it was clinging to your face.

Hudson froze as though a Swellow had locked eyes with him. I looked toward where he was focused but didn’t see anything. “Shh...” he whispered. “Didja hear that?” I stopped chewing to listen. All I could hear was the soft sound of leaves in the wind.

“No, what is it?”

“Shush!” he whispered again. “I’m gonna check it out. Ya stay here, now, alright?” With his bag around his side, Hudson slowly crept into the plants. I waited for a few moments. “Hudson?” I whispered, sneaking to the edge of the clearing. There was no reply. There’s probably countless bird Pokémon in this forest just waiting for a meal like him. “Hudson!?” I whispered more urgently. The anxiety started to give me a stomach ache and made my heart race; this was worse than when I got lost in the market as a kid. What if something ate him? He’s only a Wurmple, for Arceus’ sake! I thought, my heart beating faster as the panic rose inside me. How will I get out of here if he doesn’t come back? What if he got eaten and I’m next!? Unable to control my trembling, I moved a plant aside to see the path he took. There were two identical paths leading through the undergrowth, each as big as a Wurmple. “Two?” I wondered out loud. Then it dawned on me; there aren’t two paths. I’m not seeing right. I rubbed my eyes to make the double vision go away, but it only got worse.

“What’s going on?” I wondered. Something was wrong. I knew what panic felt like, and this wasn’t panic. I didn’t get double vision and a stomachache by worrying about Hudson. I backed away toward the safety of the clearing and spotted my half-eaten apple sitting nearby. It didn’t look or smell rotten. There wasn’t anything strange about it - except for a glossy, purple glint on the bottom. A closer look revealed it to be a hole oozing purple liquid - a hole that could perfectly fit the end of a Wurmple’s stinger. “That... No... That can’t be right...” I reassured myself, getting a bit lightheaded. “Hudson wouldn’t do that...” Suddenly I felt very exposed in the middle of this clearing. I glanced all around me at the perimeter, afraid I would see a Wurmple sneaking toward me with a threatening look in his eyes. I mean, this couldn’t have been him. He wouldn’t have poisoned me. He was an explorer after all; he had an explorer’s bag and a guild badge and everything.

...

A guild badge... He did actually have a guild badge... Didn’t he?
“So...” I began, once I caught up to the Wurmple, “Who exactly are we looking for?” Hudson stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face me with fire in his eyes.
“Who’re we looking for!? Only the most ruthless pickpocket this town has ever seen!” Hudson yelled. With that, he turned back around and waddled into the forest’s undergrowth. I stepped into the leaves to follow him. Forests like this were familiar to me, although I had never seen one this dense. We were barely five metres in and already the entrance was hard to make out. Sunbeams filtered down through the trees above and the pleasant smell of damp leaves hung in the air. “How will we know when we find them?” I called, “Do you know what they look like?”
“Hmph! Of course I know what they look like!”
I sighed at his response. Hudson certainly wasn’t the type to give out useful information easily. Hopefully he was as experienced in taking down outlaws as he let on; otherwise we would be in for a tough time. As I moved a branch out of the way, I saw Hudson standing over a small river. “We’re gonna need to find a way ‘cross this.” He said, walking away along the side of the river. I stood there for a moment to come up with an idea, but there wasn't any easy way across. “Hey! Over here!” Hudson shouted from upstream. I followed the sound of his voice and found him standing next to a log that had fallen over the river. “Think ya can walk across this?” He asked. The log looked stable, and was wide enough to walk on, but...

“I... I think so...” I responded hesitantly, “Are you sure there’s not another way? I don’t know how to swim, so falling in the water...”
“Oh, don’t worry ‘bout that. If ya fall in I’ll go and rescue ya myself.” Coming from a Wurmple, that wasn’t a very reassuring statement.
“Well... As long as you think you can.” I replied. Hudson jumped up onto the log and waddled his way to the other side like it was nothing. Once he was safely on the ground, I climbed up. Suddenly, the water looked a lot farther down. Was the river moving faster now? It probably was, given my luck. I held out my arms for balance and carefully stepped forwards.
“That’s it, keep it up!” Hudson encouraged me. I took a deep breath and stepped forward again. The log wobbled a bit, but not enough to make me lose my balance. “Almost there!” he shouted. After a few more steps I was nearly across. Just when I thought I finally had it down, the log jolted to the right. I fell onto all fours to hold on.
“Grab the log!” I shouted to Hudson, afraid it would roll me off into the river. The log rolled a bit more, and I looked up to see him holding it for me. Taking this chance, I scrambled the rest of my way across onto dry land. I lay on the ground, trying to catch my breath after that traumatic experience.
“Ahahaha!” Hudson laughed, “The look on yer face! Priceless! Yer lucky I was there to hold the log for ya, else you’d be down the river by now!” I found his laughter less than amusing, but at least we were both okay.
“Yeah, nothing to worry about... Only almost drowned, is all.” I replied, sarcastically. The sarcasm flew right over his head.
“Well good! Sounds like you’ve got the right outlook on things! Now stop yer dilly-dallying; we’ve got ourselves a pickpocket to catch!”
I promise, once I find my favorite tense and perspective to write in I'll stop changing it.
I reached the top of the ladder out of breath. Despite now being outside, the shouting inside only seemed to get louder. I wonder how it all got so out of control. Does the Exploration Team Federation know about this place? I started walking down the stairs, still thinking about the condition of that guild. On the other hand, I guess I shouldn’t think too harshly of them. Something horrible must have happened to turn the guild members on one another like that... I reached the crossroads and stopped. The Bidoof from earlier was walking down the path in front of me. Considering how the other guild members were acting, it would probably be best to keep my distance from him. To my right was the town where my bag had been stolen. If the thief knew what they were doing, they would have already left the scene of the crime. My only other option was the left road, leading to the place called Allure Town. It’s strange how they refer to these places as separate towns. Even so close to each other, they’re still not nearly as big as Scale City.

If I were the thief, I’d probably go there. It was just far enough from where my bag was stolen, but also had crowds to hide in. Maybe there’s even another guild over there! As I walked into Allure Town, I noticed how similar its architecture was to Treasure Town. I might have even mistaken it for the same place if I hadn’t known better! Still, what these towns lacked in size they made up for in variety. It was refreshing to see a place where no two buildings looked the same. I continued walking until I noticed a Zweilous running a store nearby. Even though I didn’t know them, the sight of another dragon type was comforting somehow.

“Hey!” A voice shouted from behind me. I turned around and saw a Wurmple trying to catch up to me. “Heeeeey!” He shouted again, apparently oblivious that I heard him the first time. He soon reached me out of breath and stood hunched over with his eyes closed. An explorer’s bag heavy with items was draped around him, perhaps explaining his difficulty.
“Are you okay?” I asked as he tried to catch his breath, “Who are you?” The second question came out a bit more defensively than I intended, but I had no reason to trust this Pokémon.
“Thought I’d never catch up to ya...” He managed to say in between gasps for air. “It’s nice to meet ya!... The name’s Hudson!”
“Nice to meet you... Is there something I can do for you?” I asked, wondering what he wanted from me.
“Nope, but there is something I can do for you!” Hudson replied, gesturing with his arm for emphasis, “I heard about yer bag - them Kecleon bros told me all about it.”
“Oh, they did?” Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to think. Wouldn’t more thieves target me if everyone knew about that?
“Of course, they did! Luckily for you, I just so happen to be a member of this town's guild!"
“Wait, really!?” I said, shifting from cautious to excited in a heartbeat, “So you can help me get my stuff back?”
“You bet yer berries I can! Missions like this are usually pretty darn expensive, but I’ll cut ya a deal. Since it’s yer first day in town, I’ll only charge ya 1000 Poké!”
“What!? 1000 Poké!?”
“Ha!” he shouted, patting me on the back, “I’m just messin’ with ya, don’t worry. Anyways, the daylight’s wasting, so let’s head out. I’ve been tryin’ a track down these pickpockets for ages. Let’s go...” He paused for a moment to get his bearings. “This way!” Before I knew it, he was hobbling past an Audino-shaped building off towards the forest. “Are ya waitin’ for yer bag to just walk itself back to town or what? C’mon!” He shouted back to me. Not being one to turn down a free offer for help, I ran to catch up with my new friend.
It isn’t long before I come to a crossroads at what seems to be the edge of the town. A large hill stands to my left, with a giant Wigglytuff-shaped tent sitting on top. As I climb the stairs, I wonder how this place will compare to Denise’s Guild. The exterior of her building was intimidating enough, in stark contrast to this giant pink tent. On the other hand, just knowing that this is a guild frightens me. What if they laugh at my request for help? It was pretty stupid of me to leave my bag there like that...

I soon reach the top and stand in front of the building. Shadows from two large torches dance across the guild’s eyes, giving it a menacing look. Presumably, I have to stand on the grate to be admitted entrance. I carefully shift my weight onto the sticks of bamboo, then wait for a moment. The only sound from the tunnels below is the faint dripping of water. The bottom is just barely visible, though nobody seems to be there. That’s strange... I thought this would be a pretty regimented place. It is a guild, after all...

Seeing as it is an emergency, I step off the sentry grate and walk through the tent opening. The floor of the first room is made of dirt, with various plants scattered around the edges of the walls. A sign stands to my left with some sort of list written on it. “One, don’t shirk work. Two, run away and pay... Three, smiles go for miles...” I read out from it. “Maybe it’s more of a motto than a list..” I grab onto the ladder in the center of the room, and begin climbing down. Soon, I can hear angry shouting emanating from the room below me.
“HEY! That’s MY apple!” one voice yells.
“Why!? Just because you saw it first?” another shouts back.
“By golly, guys...” a quieter third voice chimes in, “Can’t we just-”
“NO!”

The arguing continues as I cautiously proceed down the ladder with my back turned to the room. It makes me anxious not knowing what’s going on behind me, but I’d fall off if I tried to turn around while climbing. I half expect an attack to hit me from behind. Once I feel the ground beneath my feet again, I turn around to see a Bidoof flying through the air towards me. I sidestep just in time to avoid him as he hits the ladder. “Owww...” he groans, before yelping in surprise when he notices a Gible standing over him. Without a word he scrambles up the ladder to escape. On the other side of the room is a group of Pokemon in a heated argument, with a Sunflora and Loudred in the middle of it. From the room down the next ladder, I hear what sounds like more yelling and something shattering. That Kecleon really wasn’t messing around when he said they have a situation here... Not wanting to get caught up in the chaos, I hastily climb back up the ladder. Clearly, this guild isn’t in any position to help me find the thief.
<Snipped quote by Gavin>

NO problem, man, oh, and just to let you know, you're doing great, right now.

Well that's good to know, thanks!
It's just as I remember! That was the day I realized that burning down a good chunk of the rp's world (in an application, no less!) isn't a good idea. I think I was just happy to have gotten more than two paragraphs written down for it.

I've actually been meaning to say this, but thanks for being patient with me back then. Especially on MCF when I was first joining - I had no idea what I was doing when trying to make an app or write a post longer than two sentences. That said, I still have a lot of room to improve, so if anyone has any writing/character building/general rp advice for me, I'd be happy to hear it.
Lol, sure! I still have it in a PM to myself from years ago! I sometimes go back and read my old stuff, but I always cringe too much to keep reading. (Not that I still don't cringe at my current writing - I just hope that it's slowly improving!)
Well, the guild doesn't have much of a role right now because everyone's (as in, all the player's characters are) out adventuring, but I'll keep that in mind.

Yeah, I guess that more applies to the earlier part of the RP. I was just thinking about their role in the story because I think it might increase the sense of danger, or emphasize the weight of the teams' actions and what could happen if they fail.

It's a little mindblowing to think we've been at this for four years. I've never been in an RP that even lasted half that long, and yet this one stood the test of time.

I know! I think everyone's been doing a great job with it; it's fun to see how the characters and the dynamics between them are evolving over time.
Well, I did it. After putting it off for a while (because I didn't want the story to "end"), I finally finished reading the RP. It was great.

So, here are the current teams to my understanding. If anything is wrong or missing, let me know.




It's been about two weeks since the start of the RP. Also, I think there should be theme music for places/boss battles. (Unless it was in the OOC and I just missed that.)

Overall, I think it was great. It never seemed to get too slow for any teams, and they all have part of the storyline to do (void crystals, orbs of balance, the eldritch nightmare creature). If there's one thing that bothered me about it though, it's that the guilds and townsfolk characters faded into the background a bit too much. I sort of feel like the guilds should have more of a role in this, seeing as they're the main source of authority around and the teams are dealing with potentially world-ending catastrophes.

Other than those concerns though, I loved reading it. I'll probably write up a short summary of the RP's events up to this point
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