Optimist

Harper's Haven

Harper's Haven, in Maine, is a tiny coastal town, which survives on the tourism dollar of its seasonal guests. During the summer, the population nearly triples, with many wealthy Philadelphians and New Yorkers coming up to stay in their summer homes. It, as a town, is well over two hundred years old and many of the buildings are almost as old as that. It is wedged between Mt. Juniper and the sea shore, offering many beautiful natural settings to be enjoyed.

The infamous Walden family has been the leading family in the community, for over two hundred years. Going back Sir Thomas Walden, there have always been Waldens at Walden Grove. Walden Grove is a small, wooded estate set on the bluffs, overlooking the sea. There is a two hundred year old manor house, fashioned from imported yellow limestone. It is said that his ghost still haunts the mansion, looking for revenge for his bloody murder. In fact, more than one Walden has met a bloody end. There is a history of deformity and insanity which has dogged this famous old family.

Whether you are a member of the Walden clan, a year long resident of Harper's End, or a seasonal tourist, you are welcome in our community.

This is a soap opera game, with MILD touches of the supernatural to it. (example- You might spot a ghost or actually contact a dead relative with a seance.) This means no vampires or werewolves need apply. The writing, and the acting, will be over the top. We are looking for romance, racy material (within the parameters of this community) and revenge. There will be tidal waves, betrayals, affairs, kidnappings and evil twins.

The game is set in 1985. Ronald Reagan has just started his second term. We Are the World is still in the public consciousness. Hair is big and clothing is colorful. It is July 3rd, on a Wednesday. in town, Back to the Future is having its premiere at the local theater. Tomorrow there is a big July 4th celebration planned.

This will be a high end casual game. That means you MUST post one FULL paragraph per post. No one liners. Two or three paragraphs would be appreciated. All characters must have a real photo. All posts must use reasonably easy to read grammar. It does not have to be perfect, but it must be readable.

This will be a mature game, with mature subject matter (PG-13) so I would appreciate those over eighteen applying. Still, this site has standards, so keep all of your R rated material to PMs, and make sure that the other person is eighteen and actually welcomes such things, BEFORE you send them something along those lines. Also PLEASE fade-to-black and continue the story line! I don't want you off PMing and forgetting to write in this actual thread.

Crimson Tide (MegaraFoxfire and I)

No worries. My posts are generally about three paragraphs long, and sometimes two. I just tend to write longer starts. Write what comes and don't worry about the length. I will try to get back on later to post, but we are clearing out the spare room.

Crimson Tide (MegaraFoxfire and I)

Roger was deep into the action on deck. He ducked, and parried, killing and moving. It was a confusing time, when it became difficult to tell the difference between friend and foe, in the darkness before dawn. A few times he spotted a bronzed skin demon of a woman fighting the pirates, though he knew she was not on the crew manifest, nor one of the passengers. She rose like a killing specter, and then she was gone.

Roger found himself fighting a massively muscled man, with a cutlass. The man's skin was covered in dark tattoos. As the sun started to rise, he could see that tattoos showed an obscene and grizzly tableau. The man grinned at him and tried to cleave his head from his shoulders with a blow of his cutlass. Roger barely managed to duck, when the man's booted foot shot out, kicking him in the shin. Stumbling, Roger backed up, his saber raised. He managed to deflect another blow or two, before he regained his composure. The man made a grab for him. He knew that if the bigger man was able to grab him, it would all be over. Finally, he saw an opening, and managed to stick his saber point into the man's stomach. The blow was not immediately fatal, and the man fought on like a bull, but it signaled the end. Soon Roger was standing over the man's corpse, wiping his blade on the man's doublet.

All around him were wounded and dying men and women, sailors and pirates alike. The pirate sloop was running now, as the guns of the merchant man chased it off with chain shot. The chain shot whipped up through the sails of the sloop, ripping holes in their white expanse. He spotted the bronze skinned woman standing at the railing. She turned and their eyes met, before she started to collapse. With his remaining strength, Roger ran forward and caught her. He lowered her gently to the deck, not bothering to take her to sick bay. The doctor would be busy digging out lead slugs and hacking off mangled limbs.

He felt for the woman's femoral artery. Her pulse was nice and strong, so he did not worry overly much. He took off his torn green coat and laid it under her head as a pillow, before getting a bucket of water and a rag, to mop her forehead. She had some visible injuries, but none that looked dire.

The sailors were finishing off the badly injured pirates and then dropping their bodies into a watery grave. A few that weren't as injured were in chains, waiting to be taken to port to be hanged. It was a bloody, but necessary business. Roger wanted no part of it. He had survived to the aftermath of many battles, and did not relish the cleanup. He stayed with the woman instead, wondering who she was and where she had come from.

Crimson Tide (MegaraFoxfire and I)

I did. I told her I was talking about Firefly with one of my online writing partners. :) I am just waking up and have some housework to do, but I will get a post up some time today.

Crimson Tide (MegaraFoxfire and I)

It was great. :) I am looking forward to the game. We are now watching Our Mrs. Reynolds and then headed to bed, but I will respond to your post tomorrow.

Over The Top Soap Opera

Well, I am going to work on it tomorrow. I will get an entire setting written up.. It is cool to see some more interest.

Crimson Tide (MegaraFoxfire and I)

Roger Hawthorne watched the approaching pirate ship with trepidation. It was not so much that he feared death, but that he feared for the deaths of others. There were innocents aplenty aboard the Merchantman Andalusia. To be sure, her captain was a right bastard and the first officer was cruel and sadistic, but the men were good English lads, with wives and children waiting for them back ashore.

The ship cutting through the water towards them, tacking to make up time, was a twenty gun sloop, large for its class, and as deadly looking as a razor blade. Her flag was a fractured skull on a red field, showing her to be a pirate craft. Whether her crew were privateers or simply pirates made little difference. They would kill the men, who showed the slightest resistance to turning pirate, or simply slaughter the entire crew. One could never tell with pirates. They were an unpredictable lot.

He feared for the women folk below the decks as well, locked away in their cabins for their own safety. The Baroness and her ladies were traveling to Port Royal, to join her husband, the governor. The pirates would surely use and abuse them in ways which flickered across his imagination unbidden. They would most likely hold the Baroness herself for ransom.

Roger checked his sword in its scabbard, making sure that his saber was loose. It was a cavalryman's weapon, which was what he in fact was, but it would serve well enough. He had book passage on the Andalusia to escape the memories of his late wife, who had suffered many long months with fevers before passing. He was a tall, muscular man with long brown hair pulled back into a rough ponytail. His hawkish nose rose between to steel gray eyes. His firm chin was bare of whiskers, though he could use a shave. His suit was brown with brass buttons and he wore a green coat.

As the pirate gained on them, the captain ordered the ship to turn to port, and bring her broadside to bare. They could never escape, so the only thing to do was to fight. The merchantman turned slowly, barely bringing it's side to bare before the sloop arrived. Twelve cannons barked out, loaded with grape shot, as the sailors fired muskets at the lower deck of the other ship.

Roger drew his rapier, determined to make a fight of it. He said a quick prayer, hoping that God would be with him, and then readied himself, stretching his arms and legs out and running through some basic fencing moves. Soon enough the bloody blaggards would be upon them and the fighting would be for real.

The pirate sloop quickly threw out ropes, lashing the two ships together, and it turned to meet them side to side. They did not fire their guns, probably out of a concern over damaging their prize. Roger saw pirates swinging over onto the deck, and ran toward the first one he saw. She was a raggedly dressed woman in her late forties with wild, unkempt hair and an equally wild look in her eye. He couldn't bring himself to run her through, so after ducking her clumsy cutlass blow, he clocked her across the face with the pommel of his sword, causing her to fall amidst the fighting. The pirates were evenly matched with the larger crew of the merchantman, making up for their lack of numbers with their ferocious demeanors and theatrical appearances.

Crimson Tide (MegaraFoxfire and I)

Here we go.

Demon (Dragon princess and I)

The man nodded, and caught the coins. "My thanks. I'll be here." He was lead outside the castle by a guard and found himself back in the streets of the city. Asking around, he found a reputable looking inn, and bought a place to lay by the fire, and a solid, but cheap meal. He stored the extra money away, in case he did not pass whatever trials she had cooking for him.

The night passed quickly enough, as he slept on the stones by the fire. He was used to sleeping on hard ground, with less food in his belly than he presently had. The innkeeper woke him early and gave him a breakfast of porridge and bacon. He paid some of his precious money for it, but needed the sustenance.

Leaving the inn, he walked to the castle again and hailed the guards on the gate. They allowed him to enter, and lead him to a long, walled practice yard, covered in grass. On one end of the field archery targets were set up and on the other were a series of chipped wooden pots. "Wait here." One of the guards told him.

The White Deer (Greek Myths Rock and I)

The hunter rose and picked up his gun and followed. As the white doe walked through the forest, he followed in her wake, as silently as ever. He did not know why he was following, or where they were headed, but when a queen told him to follow, he followed. He was unsure which of her forms was the more beautiful; the doe or the woman.