Tyler

Portwood Institute for Talented Youths (PITY)

@DrugMother and @TheWizardLizard
It brings me great pleasure to announce that you are the first players accepted into the roleplay. Please go and post your character sheets in the character deposit (not in a hider please, just post the sheets!). Thank you both for submitting such fantastic and interesting characters. They are refreshingly unique and I can't wait to roleplay with them.

@He Who Walks Behind
That sounds interesting. Show us what you come up with and we'll get feedback to you tomorrow.

Portwood Institute for Talented Youths (PITY)

@DrugMother and @TheWizardLizard
Fantastic character sheets! You both wrote your sample posts very impressively, too. It just makes me want to read more and more, so I can't wait to see you posting in the IC once it's up and running.

Unfortunately, I'm not able to accept either sheet in their current form and will suggest that you both re-read the rules in the OP.

@He Who Walks Behind
I like the way Lynn is beginning to shape up! It is policy between Shard and I that we always discuss applications before giving feedback, so I will have to wait until tomorrow to talk with him about your application. However, DrugMother has helpfully pointed out something that I would encourage you to edit in time for us to review tomorrow: Whilst you are writing "in character", you must also take into consideration that you are applying for a place at a prestigious institute.

It's a difficult one for me, because I appreciate the effort you have gone to in order to represent your character; but I also have to ask on what grounds would PITY accept her, based on that form? As Lynn is a particularly troubled case, Shard and I might come to an exception for her and allow you to keep this... "rough around the edges style", if you can come up with a valid reason why PITY would accept her based on the form she submitted.

One thing that definitely has to change regardless is the powers section. There is so much 'personality' there that I find it difficult to identify what she is actually capable of; Don't be disheartened, a lot of people have had this issue. If you struggle to explain her powers in detail from her perspective, feel free to add an additional "OOC reference" to this section, explaining what she is capable of. Please put this within hider tags, as I don't want it to detract from the IC nature of the forms.

It would also be nice if you could 'clean up' the formatting a bit; DrugMother has helped you out there! Thanks for the application, Shard and I will send you some feedback tomorrow.

Portwood Institute for Talented Youths (PITY)

@Tyler

Okay I think I am a little confused about the character sheet. I was under the impression that we were answering the questions like our character would if they were being interviewed. My character has very little understanding of what his powers are and what they can do. That said I put some amount of scientific explanation of what my character can do. I am sorry of the terminology was a little confusing, but I did explain in detail what he is capable of doing. Dark Matter, annihilation, and the other segments in the power description are all real terms used in the field of physics and astronomy which would be the fields his powers draw from. I am not sure where black holes came in as they have nothing to do with Devin's powers, abilities or dark matter.

I can see that my explanation of my characters powers might have been a bit high in the science field, but I am not sure how I should explain the power since my character would only read off what he was told by experts. Should we break character and just give a detailed explanation of the powers maximum ability would be if they were understood and at their peak?

@World Traveler

Our concerns were never based upon your terminology as such. We feel that, despite explaining how the power would theoretically work, you didn't actually address what it was capable of 'doing'. The idea of the scientific words being the way Devin understands it doesn't really sit well, as unless Devin has expertise in the field of physics and astronomy he would likely have had to research these terms in order to understand the power. We need it explaining in layman's terms in a way that everyone can understand, so that all players are able to know what your character is capable of.

We would naturally prefer that you write-up your powers in the same format as the rest of the sheet; that is, an in-character application to the institute. However, if you really feel like you cannot do this then we suggest a similar approach to the one taken by Mortalbean; whereby he answered the form in-character and then added extra information for reference purposes in an OOC tab.

Portwood Institute for Talented Youths (PITY)

@World Traveler
For us to properly give you feedback about Devin's power, we need to know more about it. We appreciate you not wanting to 'waste time' writing something without our approval, but we can't really approve anything until there is something substantial to review. It was not clear to us what Devin would be able to do with his 'dark energy'; words like 'combustion' and 'annihilate' did not really tell us much about what Devin is capable of. We need you to be more explicit when talking about his abilities. You can look at mine and Shard's character sheets for reference.

We also are concerned with the idea of 'dark matter'. It connotes to us things like black holes and all that fun destructive stuff that would be far too overpowered in a roleplay of this kind. We are okay with some kind of 'dark energy' unique to him, but it is important that you specify this is not 'dark matter'.

Your personal statement is a good start, but we expect the most detail in this field of the application. It is your character's chance to really tell his story to the academy and convince them he needs a place. You can look at the character sheets Shard and I have posted for an example of the content we would like.

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@DrugMother
We really like Genevieve as a character, and you have explained her powerset well. It all makes sense to us. Our only criticism is that the formality of the application needs to be adjusted to properly fit the scenario of applying to a school, but we can see you have begun to edit this already. Your personal statement is most developed of the applications so far in terms of backstory, but we would also like to read more about what kind of thing Genevieve enjoys, and what values she holds. We also need to see a sample post!

So far a good application.

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@LokiLeo789
Shard and I both agree that Kane's personality is well executed; however this doesn't belong in the application. You have a similar issue to DrugMother in that the form is not conducted with 'formality', as you would expect from a school application. The problem with your sheet in particular is that Kane's personality and vocabulary is so strong, it distracts from the important information and makes it difficult to understand. We expect that once the tone of the piece is adjusted, we will be able to understand it more clearly.

We don't really understand what the power can 'do' at the minute, and it raises a lot of questions for us. We need more specific details as the description is currently very vague; you talk of manipulating "solids and liquids" and being able to "adopt abilities", and these statements have vast reach. The possibilities are near-endless and we need you to be much more specific when telling us what he can and can't do. We also were curious, if his power is indeed just 'surfing' on things, how it would be useful for him in the roleplay. His power is our main concern at this point.

Your personal statement is good, but it is too concerned with his 'personality'. The aim of this field is to give us an in-depth look at your character's life and interests, his personality should be 'shown' and not 'told'. You can look at the character sheets Shard and I have posted for an example of the content we would like.

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@LetterA
We really love that you embraced the opportunity to be creative and experimental with your power..! It's definitely unlike anything we have heard before. Our main concern with the power is that it may become difficult to play, especially as the roleplay focusses on interactions between characters. We also think that the mucus has more potential than is currently being explored.

We feel it would be best if she did not live in a sentient bubble of mucus that might eat her. Instead, we think the power would be best explored in a different format: we suggest that she walks around normally, and is able to secrete the mucus from her skin. She is able to secrete different kinds of mucus that could be devised by you, we were thinking things along the line of a 'healing mucus', a 'corrosive mucus', etc. There would also be scope for you to 'squirt' mucus, like a aquakinetic might shoot jets of water. We think that the 'bubble' could still come into play, but would more likely be her body's response to a near-death experience; she would produce a bubble of mucus that sustains her and nurses her back to health. Please let us know what you think about these suggestions.

We appreciate that your sheet is unfinished, but we also need to see a Personal Statement and a Sample Post before we can approve your application.

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@TheWizardLizard
Your sheet was the closest to completion out of all of them. The only thing we would really ask for at this point is more detail in the 'Abilities' section of his powers, as we feel there is more explanation that could be done. We would also like to see a more fleshed-out personal statement and a sample of your writing under the 'sample post' heading.

Everything you have written is fine and we feel most things are explained clearly. We would just like a little more detail in some areas. Thanks for your application!

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@Mortalbean
We are aware that your sheet is a Work In Progress and so we will keep most of our review until later, as it mostly pertains to missing information at this point! One question we did want to know was, is there a limit on how many items he can 'dominate' at once, and if so what is this limit? The application is looking promising so far. We like that you added extra information in an OOC tab to allow for development IC.

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@Vesuvius00
We love your application so far. We like that, though her guises are seemingly endless, she does not 'gain' anything from them. I.e. she can turn into a huge bodybuilder, but the amount of weight she is able to lift does not change. That is a good balance of the power and you have thought it through well. We have a few questions about the nature of the power:

• How long does it take for her to transform between appearances?
• Is she limited to human-only transformations, or can she turn into animals etc.?
• Can she only turn into people she sees (i.e. uses them as a 'reference'), or does she have free control to change her body at will? (I.e. she could remain her 'regular self' but taller, for instance.)

Your personal statement is a good start, but we expect the most detail in this field of the application. It is your character's chance to really tell his story to the academy and convince them he needs a place. You can look at the character sheets Shard and I have posted for an example of the content we would like.

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@Liriia

We appreciate that your application is a Work In Progress, so we will not give it a full review just yet. However, we would like to mention a few things about your powerset:

We like the idea of her playing with the light, but we think there is a lot more potential for you to explore and have fun with. For example, bending light could grant her invisibility, or the ability to render other things/people invisible. She could also change the colour of things by changing how light is reflected from it, etc. We would also say that she should be able to generate her own light; we don't feel this is really overpowered as light on its own is not really a major threat. This would allow her to cast 'flashes' of light to disorientate or distract.

There is nothing 'wrong' with your application at the moment and we look forward to seeing how you develop it. It just felt to us like you were holding back in fear of being overpowered; whereas we think you should in fact take the power even further!

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*phew*... That was a lot to catch up on for one night of applications! Thanks for all the submissions so far, Shard and I are really excited to see how all the sheets are developed following our feedback.

Portwood Institute for Talented Youths (PITY)

The roleplay is open for applications. Please don't feel the need to ask for permission to join; post your applications here and Shard and I shall review them together.

We are currently going through the submissions we have received so far and shall post our comments in due course.

Portwood Institute for Talented Youths (PITY)

My character sheet has been posted, so now you have a reference as to what we're looking for when writing your character sheets. However, I will also say that TheWizardLizard has nailed his sheet. His can be looked at for guidance, too.

I will hold off on giving critique or feedback, or accepting any characters, until I have conferred with Shard.

I have a few ideas for characters, I'd just like to run them by you to see which you prefer.

-A biokinetic with severe mutation-induced psychosis, wherein he is subjected to constant, disturbing hallucinations.

-A genius with the ability to manipulate electrons on an individual scale, giving him control over electronics, but lacking in the ability to use "flashy" electrokinetic abilities.

-An ionokinetic whose abilities cause so much collateral damage that he has next to no experience in actually using them.

-Similar to the third idea, but a character forced to wear a power limiter to keep their abilities in check, and greatly resents it.

Thoughts?

@Dead Cruiser

My favourite is the second idea because I can see how it would work most clearly. However, all of the ideas have potential and if you fleshed them out in a character sheet I would be able to offer more guidance. I will say that my least favourite idea is the first one. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Portwood Institute for Talented Youths (PITY)

This thread is for accepted characters only.

Please post all applications in the OOC thread.

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PITY - Application for Academic Year 2015/2016

Student Name:

Mason Thomas Crawford

Gender:

Male

Nationality:

British-German

Age:

19

D.O.B.:

20th June, 1995

Appearance



Hair Color:

Dark brown

Eye Color:

Dark brown

Ethnicity:

Caucasian

Height:

6ft

Weight:

139lbs

Powers & Abilities

Power Name:

Speculomancy

Power Description:

My power allows me to travel between mirrors by passing through a localised pocket dimension.

Abilities:

• Able to 'enter' mirrors and traverse a pocket dimension that connects all mirrors in the world.
• Can enter/exit the dimension via any mirror big enough for my body to fit through.
• Effectively allows me to teleport between any two mirrors.
• Can remote-view any location with a mirror, seeing it from the mirror's perspective.
• I have an acute awareness of mirrors in the area; for example, I could sense a mirror nearby without seeing it.

Drawbacks & Weaknesses:

• Although the transportation seems instant, it actually takes time. Time moves different in the mirror world and I have sometimes been there for twenty minutes, only to return to the normal world and find no time had passed.
• Being in the mirror world is tiring and gives me intense migraines after around twenty minutes. As I physically have to walk to the mirror I wish to exit through, this limits my transportation abilities to a radius of 20 minutes walking distance (further if I run.)
• Cannot teleport or view anywhere that does not have a mirror.
• I don't know what would happen if a mirror I was using broke, but I doubt it would be good.
• When I remote-view a location, my perspective is fixed. (As I see the room from the mirror's point of view.)
• I am only able to enter/exit through mirrors big enough for my body to fit through (though I can see through any mirror.)

About You

Family:

• Thomas Crawford, estranged
• Natasha Crawford, estranged
• Otto "Helga Holla" Warmann, estranged
• Anthony "Raja Fantaja" Bruce, estranged

Personal Statement:

I had a pretty comfortable upbringing. My father was a European businessman earning big money, and my mother stayed at home to care for me in my infancy. I did average at school, but I have never been particularly academic when it came to subjects like mathematics and science. But, I was top of the class when it came to art, English and foreign languages, so in my opinion it evened out. Everyone's good at different things, right?

Apparently not, according to my parents. My father in particular seemed most concerned with moulding me in his image. If I was to get anywhere in life, he said, I had to be more like him. I had to stop reading Renaissance poetry and start reading the Financial Times. I had to put down the paintbrush and pick up the football. It seemed that he felt the best way to accomplish this was to take me out of public education, and send me away to an all-boy's boarding school. "A real school", he would say - just like he went to.

I was thirteen, and had little say in the matter. In retrospect, I remember being quite excited. I was never popular at school. Well, that's the understatement of the century; I was loathed at school, it seemed like my every moment spent there I was the subject of some form of abuse or disapproval. I remember, in my naïveté, thinking that this school might be better. It wasn't, it was worse. There was far too much testosterone in this environment for it to be a place I was welcomed in. I'd always been a bit fey growing up, and it was at boarding school that I was first called 'gay'. Of course, I had no idea what it meant at the time, and I denied it profusely based solely on the tone it was spat in. But as the years passed, I began to realise that bullies were not always wrong.

Coming to terms with my sexuality was a relatively painful process. I knew my parents wouldn't take it well, and the more I dwelled upon it, the more isolated and alone I felt. If my father sending me here had hoped to pull me away from painting and literature, he had truly failed, because in my despair I only become more engrossed in the art world. At age 16, I was asked to leave boarding school for my 'underperformance' in maths, science and physical activity.

My father was furious. My mother was distraught. I retaliated by signing up to an art's course at the Royal College of Art in nearby London. I attended the classes, and for the first time in my life I made friends. I really felt like I belonged there, and it hurt all the more knowing I had been denied it for so many years. I met a guy, we hit it off... One thing lead to another, and I found myself with my first boyfriend. It was time to come out to my parents.

It didn't go well, and within an hour of telling them, I was hitting the streets of London with nothing but my leather jacket and a pocket full of savings. I stayed with my boyfriend for a while, but it didn't work out. I had family in Germany, so I decided I would head there. They'd heard from my dad and turned me away. So now, I was not only alone, but I was alone in a foreign country.

It turned out fine. I knew a lot of German. I got a job in a gay bar, and ended up renting a room in the owner's apartment. He and his partner were infamous drag queens in the underground art world of Berlin, and soon enough I was a part of that scene too. I made films and took photos, and we arranged screenings in the bar. The community really embraced me as their own, especially Raja and Helga, whom I was living with. They both mothered me. I was happy.

When I was 17, I began to realise I had a gift. It wasn't a particularly fantastic gift, but it was the result of a mutation none-the-less. The thought terrified me. I'd already been exiled by people I loved; I couldn't have that happen again. So I exiled myself before they had chance. Within a night I was gone, taking all my possessions with me. I never looked back. It seems stupid to me now, almost two years later. They were loving people. They would have accepted me. All I knew at the time was that I needed to get away.

So, I've been living on my own now in a different suburb of Berlin. I rarely bump into old pals from the scene, and if I do I just pretend to not know them. I'm struggling to control my powers. I'm constantly aware of all the mirrors in my apartment building, it's near impossible to think. Sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night, lost in the mirror realm with no idea how I got there. It takes me ages to find my way back to my room. I need to get a sense of control, and if that means I have to go back to school... Then hand me the uniform.

Sample post

CHINK. The red bottlecap soared through the air and landed tinnily on the hard, sticky floor of the bar. The music was loud and decidedly campy as Mason handed the bottle of lemony-looking liquid to a young, blonde female. She thanked him and left, vanishing into the crowd of buff gay men and their entourages of liberal women. The crowd tonight was largely German - tourist season didn't properly kick off for another month or so, when the city held its annual "Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin". The lights dimmed, interrupting his trail of thought. As the music trailed off, a spotlight illuminated the stage, and out tottered a tall, chunky lady to all the whooping and wolf whistles the inebriated crowd could muster at this late hour.

Of course, the word "lady" was used in the most metaphoric sense of the word; this lady had plastic breasts, a strong jaw and a mountain of neon green hair atop her aged but immaculately made-up face. Helga Holla, one of Berlin's finest drag queens and a regular fixture in the gay and art scenes here in the German capital. Mason grinned bemusedly as he watched his housemate work the stage and maintained it as he spotted Raja observing from the sidelines, just as she did every night; eyes wide in the admiration only a devoted lover can possess. Raja and Helga were each other's number one fans, and it was - quite frankly - adorable.

"E-excu, I mean uh... Entschuldigung?" came a male's voice, attracting Mason's attention from the glass he was absent-mindedly wiping. It was not common for customers to visit the bar whilst Helga or Raja were performing, but also not entirely unheard of. Mason chuckled at the man's poor attempt at the language, but it was always endearing when people tried to make the effort.

"Hallo," Mason began, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Was soll ich Ihnen bringen? Ein Cocktail, vielleicht? Ein Glas Wein?" He spun the words rapidly and with precision, as a spider spins her web. The young man's face was flooded with panic as he began to rummage around in his pocket for his smartphone. Mason laughed. "No need, my friend. Just joking with you." He smiled warmly at the man, who looked relieved. "What can I get you?"

The man chuckled; he was embarrassed but clearly saw the funny side, and Mason appreciated his smile as he ordered a vodka with Redbull. He was quite attractive, his light blonde curls pulled back with a traditional bandana, revealing his angular face and smooth complexion. He adjusted his glasses as Mason handed him the drink. "Are you here alone?" Mason asked. The man nodded apprehensively, taking a sip of his beverage. "May I ask why?", Mason pushed.

"I, uh... I actually just moved here. I don't have that many friend back home, you know..." the man mumbled. It wasn't hard to tell he had confidence issues, but he had a lot of accidental charm. He was endearing. "I kind of just wanted to--"

"To get a fresh start?" Mason interrupted, smiling as the man nodded once more.

"Yeah, exactly that." he replied.

Mason smiled in return. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Ben." he replied.

"Well, Ben. I know exactly what that's like. I just moved here a year and a half ago, actually." As he spoke, he scanned the crowd for people he knew. He eventually made eye contact with a friend of his, Monika. She was German but she spoke good English, and she was here with other people Mason knew. He shouted her over.

"Was geht, artfag?" she laughed, slightly drunk as she and her friends approached. Mason laughed too.

"Monika, this is Ben." he said, gesturing towards the new arrival. "He just got here from England. Doesn't really know anyone, if you get what I mean." He and Monika exchanged knowing looks, and the whole group smiled at Ben warmly.

"Do you like art, Ben?" Monika purred, wrapping her arm around the alarmed man's shoulders.

"Y-yeah, I... I love art. I just graduated from Central St. Martin's in London." he said, seeming a little overwhelmed by the warm welcome.

"Well, Ben. You're gonna love it here," he smiled, before winking platonically the man whom Monika was now draped over. "I'm Mason, by the way. That one's on the house."

Portwood Institute for Talented Youths (PITY)

PITY - Application for Academic Year 2015/2016

Student Name:

Mason Thomas Crawford

Gender:

Male

Nationality:

British-German

Age:

19

D.O.B.:

20th June, 1995

Appearance



Hair Color:

Dark brown

Eye Color:

Dark brown

Ethnicity:

Caucasian

Height:

6ft

Weight:

139lbs

Powers & Abilities

Power Name:

Speculomancy

Power Description:

My power allows me to travel between mirrors by passing through a localised pocket dimension.

Abilities:

• Able to 'enter' mirrors and traverse a pocket dimension that connects all mirrors in the world.
• Can enter/exit the dimension via any mirror big enough for my body to fit through.
• Effectively allows me to teleport between any two mirrors.
• Can remote-view any location with a mirror, seeing it from the mirror's perspective.
• I have an acute awareness of mirrors in the area; for example, I could sense a mirror nearby without seeing it.

Drawbacks & Weaknesses:

• Although the transportation seems instant, it actually takes time. Time moves different in the mirror world and I have sometimes been there for twenty minutes, only to return to the normal world and find no time had passed.
• Being in the mirror world is tiring and gives me intense migraines after around twenty minutes. As I physically have to walk to the mirror I wish to exit through, this limits my transportation abilities to a radius of 20 minutes walking distance (further if I run.)
• Cannot teleport or view anywhere that does not have a mirror.
• I don't know what would happen if a mirror I was using broke, but I doubt it would be good.
• When I remote-view a location, my perspective is fixed. (As I see the room from the mirror's point of view.)
• I am only able to enter/exit through mirrors big enough for my body to fit through (though I can see through any mirror.)

About You

Family:

• Thomas Crawford, estranged
• Natasha Crawford, estranged
• Otto "Helga Holla" Warmann, estranged
• Anthony "Raja Fantaja" Bruce, estranged

Personal Statement:

I had a pretty comfortable upbringing. My father was a European businessman earning big money, and my mother stayed at home to care for me in my infancy. I did average at school, but I have never been particularly academic when it came to subjects like mathematics and science. But, I was top of the class when it came to art, English and foreign languages, so in my opinion it evened out. Everyone's good at different things, right?

Apparently not, according to my parents. My father in particular seemed most concerned with moulding me in his image. If I was to get anywhere in life, he said, I had to be more like him. I had to stop reading Renaissance poetry and start reading the Financial Times. I had to put down the paintbrush and pick up the football. It seemed that he felt the best way to accomplish this was to take me out of public education, and send me away to an all-boy's boarding school. "A real school", he would say - just like he went to.

I was thirteen, and had little say in the matter. In retrospect, I remember being quite excited. I was never popular at school. Well, that's the understatement of the century; I was loathed at school, it seemed like my every moment spent there I was the subject of some form of abuse or disapproval. I remember, in my naïveté, thinking that this school might be better. It wasn't, it was worse. There was far too much testosterone in this environment for it to be a place I was welcomed in. I'd always been a bit fey growing up, and it was at boarding school that I was first called 'gay'. Of course, I had no idea what it meant at the time, and I denied it profusely based solely on the tone it was spat in. But as the years passed, I began to realise that bullies were not always wrong.

Coming to terms with my sexuality was a relatively painful process. I knew my parents wouldn't take it well, and the more I dwelled upon it, the more isolated and alone I felt. If my father sending me here had hoped to pull me away from painting and literature, he had truly failed, because in my despair I only become more engrossed in the art world. At age 16, I was asked to leave boarding school for my 'underperformance' in maths, science and physical activity.

My father was furious. My mother was distraught. I retaliated by signing up to an art's course at the Royal College of Art in nearby London. I attended the classes, and for the first time in my life I made friends. I really felt like I belonged there, and it hurt all the more knowing I had been denied it for so many years. I met a guy, we hit it off... One thing lead to another, and I found myself with my first boyfriend. It was time to come out to my parents.

It didn't go well, and within an hour of telling them, I was hitting the streets of London with nothing but my leather jacket and a pocket full of savings. I stayed with my boyfriend for a while, but it didn't work out. I had family in Germany, so I decided I would head there. They'd heard from my dad and turned me away. So now, I was not only alone, but I was alone in a foreign country.

It turned out fine. I knew a lot of German. I got a job in a gay bar, and ended up renting a room in the owner's apartment. He and his partner were infamous drag queens in the underground art world of Berlin, and soon enough I was a part of that scene too. I made films and took photos, and we arranged screenings in the bar. The community really embraced me as their own, especially Raja and Helga, whom I was living with. They both mothered me. I was happy.

When I was 17, I began to realise I had a gift. It wasn't a particularly fantastic gift, but it was the result of a mutation none-the-less. The thought terrified me. I'd already been exiled by people I loved; I couldn't have that happen again. So I exiled myself before they had chance. Within a night I was gone, taking all my possessions with me. I never looked back. It seems stupid to me now, almost two years later. They were loving people. They would have accepted me. All I knew at the time was that I needed to get away.

So, I've been living on my own now in a different suburb of Berlin. I rarely bump into old pals from the scene, and if I do I just pretend to not know them. I'm struggling to control my powers. I'm constantly aware of all the mirrors in my apartment building, it's near impossible to think. Sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night, lost in the mirror realm with no idea how I got there. It takes me ages to find my way back to my room. I need to get a sense of control, and if that means I have to go back to school... Then hand me the uniform.

Sample post

CHINK. The red bottlecap soared through the air and landed tinnily on the hard, sticky floor of the bar. The music was loud and decidedly campy as Mason handed the bottle of lemony-looking liquid to a young, blonde female. She thanked him and left, vanishing into the crowd of buff gay men and their entourages of liberal women. The crowd tonight was largely German - tourist season didn't properly kick off for another month or so, when the city held its annual "Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin". The lights dimmed, interrupting his trail of thought. As the music trailed off, a spotlight illuminated the stage, and out tottered a tall, chunky lady to all the whooping and wolf whistles the inebriated crowd could muster at this late hour.

Of course, the word "lady" was used in the most metaphoric sense of the word; this lady had plastic breasts, a strong jaw and a mountain of neon green hair atop her aged but immaculately made-up face. Helga Holla, one of Berlin's finest drag queens and a regular fixture in the gay and art scenes here in the German capital. Mason grinned bemusedly as he watched his housemate work the stage and maintained it as he spotted Raja observing from the sidelines, just as she did every night; eyes wide in the admiration only a devoted lover can possess. Raja and Helga were each other's number one fans, and it was - quite frankly - adorable.

"E-excu, I mean uh... Entschuldigung?" came a male's voice, attracting Mason's attention from the glass he was absent-mindedly wiping. It was not common for customers to visit the bar whilst Helga or Raja were performing, but also not entirely unheard of. Mason chuckled at the man's poor attempt at the language, but it was always endearing when people tried to make the effort.

"Hallo," Mason began, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Was soll ich Ihnen bringen? Ein Cocktail, vielleicht? Ein Glas Wein?" He spun the words rapidly and with precision, as a spider spins her web. The young man's face was flooded with panic as he began to rummage around in his pocket for his smartphone. Mason laughed. "No need, my friend. Just joking with you." He smiled warmly at the man, who looked relieved. "What can I get you?"

The man chuckled; he was embarrassed but clearly saw the funny side, and Mason appreciated his smile as he ordered a vodka with Redbull. He was quite attractive, his light blonde curls pulled back with a traditional bandana, revealing his angular face and smooth complexion. He adjusted his glasses as Mason handed him the drink. "Are you here alone?" Mason asked. The man nodded apprehensively, taking a sip of his beverage. "May I ask why?", Mason pushed.

"I, uh... I actually just moved here. I don't have that many friend back home, you know..." the man mumbled. It wasn't hard to tell he had confidence issues, but he had a lot of accidental charm. He was endearing. "I kind of just wanted to--"

"To get a fresh start?" Mason interrupted, smiling as the man nodded once more.

"Yeah, exactly that." he replied.

Mason smiled in return. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Ben." he replied.

"Well, Ben. I know exactly what that's like. I just moved here a year and a half ago, actually." As he spoke, he scanned the crowd for people he knew. He eventually made eye contact with a friend of his, Monika. She was German but she spoke good English, and she was here with other people Mason knew. He shouted her over.

"Was geht, artfag?" she laughed, slightly drunk as she and her friends approached. Mason laughed too.

"Monika, this is Ben." he said, gesturing towards the new arrival. "He just got here from England. Doesn't really know anyone, if you get what I mean." He and Monika exchanged knowing looks, and the whole group smiled at Ben warmly.

"Do you like art, Ben?" Monika purred, wrapping her arm around the alarmed man's shoulders.

"Y-yeah, I... I love art. I just graduated from Central St. Martin's in London." he said, seeming a little overwhelmed by the warm welcome.

"Well, Ben. You're gonna love it here," he smiled, before winking platonically the man whom Monika was now draped over. "I'm Mason, by the way. That one's on the house."

Portwood Institute for Talented Youths (PITY)

Thanks for all the sheets so far. However, I do feel the application process has been somewhat misunderstood.

Whilst you are indeed answering in 'first person', please keep in mind that your character is supposed to be applying to a school who are going to effectively be paying for them to live rent-free for the next however many years. I think the tone of the sheets is a little too casual, and whilst I love the effort some of you have gone to in order to put your character's "Stamp" on it, I feel that it is becoming a distraction.

• Answers such as height, hair colour etc should be brief and factual. i.e. "5ft." or "Brown".

• The area of most concern is the powers section. That really needs to be taken seriously in order for us to understand what each power is capable of. For example, try to write in the following style:

"My power has been described as pyrokinesis. In essence, I am able to manipulate fire and heat in all its forms. This allows me to control flames in a variety of ways, such as making them grow, increasing their heat and causing them to take on shapes. I am also able to absorb heat and withstand extremely high temperatures of up to 1000 degrees; I am practically impervious to burns. In order for my powers to work, there must be heat around. The bigger I make a flame, the more oxygen it consumes, and in closed spaces this can be problematic. I am also not immune to smoke so it is important for me to have ventilation when using my abilities."

That was just a brief example. We need as much detail as possible here, saying clearly what your character can and cannot do. So please try to avoid putting too much personality here; the chance for your characters personality to shine through should be in the Personal Statement and in the Sample Post.

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, but as several sheets in a row have had this issue I though I should speak up and nip it in the bud. I will try to reword the OP so that our request is more clear. In the meantime, if you could edit your sheets to be more factual, we would be hugely appreciative.

Shard and I will confer over all the sheets tomorrow afternoon and reply to each individual with our feedback. I am reluctant to give feedback or accept characters until the two of us have discussed them in detail.

Apologies again, please keep the sheets coming.

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As for the photos, we would request real photographic faceclaims unless your character displays a physical mutation, in which case realistic artwork is permitted. (though photos still preferred).

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I will post my own sheet in due course. Hopefully that will serve as a reference for people who have misunderstood the concept of the application forms.

Portwood Institute for Talented Youths (PITY) - Super-School Interest Check

I've been stalking this thread for a couple days now and I can no longer resist the urge! Mind if I joined?

I've been playing around with a physics concept- kinetic energy manipulation. The gist of it is that my character will be able to speed up, slow down an object/ persons that are in motion.

Limitations:
- objects needs to have kinetic energy (ie: be in motion)
- objects need to be within an area of effect
- powers will not have an indefinite effect (haven't decided on time range)
- larger the mass, the more difficult it is for her to control (ie: easier for her to control a marble she throws rather than say a moving bus). Not to say that her powers wouldn't work on something as large as a bus, but it is difficult for her to control the outcome.

I'm imagining in the beginning stages she'll only be able to manipulate the energies of objects forward, but eventually will learn to change their directions... which could lead to the use of projectiles. Maybe? perhaps? I've just been itching to write a character that manipulates the kinetic energy of steel balls (maybe a small amount like 3 or so) like projectiles. Any thoughts?

@Citali

I like the sound of this idea. It's a nice deviation from the typical "absorb kinetic energy and use it as force"; I've felt for a while that there is so much more to be done with kinetic energy and you have a solid concept there which might just do the trick. I am a little concerned with the idea of smaller object at high speed (you explicitly mentioned steel balls and all I can think of is Magneto absolutely pulverising those guards in X-Men!).

My advice would be to throw up a sheet, expanding on the power in more detail, and if there are kinks to iron out then Shard and I will guide you from there. It's difficult for me to give a concrete answer whilst Shard isn't here to confer with, so we will likely message you again tomorrow (if your sheet isn't already up by then).

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As a side note...

Thanks for all the interest and discussion thus far. Lots of you have put forward really creative, interesting and experimental powers which is really, really refreshing for this genre of roleplay. It's exactly what Shard and I wanted to see and I am very grateful for the overwhelming response we've had. We expected to get very little interest.

From now on, I will be paying little interest to this thread, and all queries and questions should be addressed over in The OOC.

I can't wait to see all your applications.

The OOC Thread