Zanavy

House Of Villains: A Slice Of Life About Comically Self-Aware Villains

@Eviledd1984 Either way, your choice :)

House Of Villains: A Slice Of Life About Comically Self-Aware Villains

@Eviledd1984 Nah, just don't skip too far ahead in future posts. Unless you want to wait a looong time for us, and that's a bummer for you.

A Modern Fantasy Sacrifice

@Moonshadow You still with us? Do you want to retcon Creed/Jim or just say they left before the other characters get there? Do you want to make a post first or have the other characters reach the library first?

EDIT: Aaah, just read your message. That's rough, good luck with all that and take some time to relearn what YOU want. I'm okay to pause this RP until you come back. @Vampiretwilight We might be on hiatus until sometime in April, but I'd say it's worth keeping this open on the back burner.

House Of Villains: A Slice Of Life About Comically Self-Aware Villains

@Dark Cloud We'll still be here man, you can take a bit of a break if needed. We'll probably still be on Date #1 next week... I've been around this forum a while, I know things.

@Eviledd1984 Nice post, is cute. But you might want to be careful about skipping too far ahead. The rest of us are still near the beginning of our first date. If you want more opportunity to interact with others at our slower pace, you could ask someone to NPC your date.

:ὁ Animalia [OPEN!]

Corrie Strickman

The Warren

Corrie the "speckled hen" hopped down from her booth seat, reflexively splaying her wings out to soften the short animal's impact with the floor, as usual. She dug her wallet out of her backpack and began walking toward the bar. On the way, she caught a glimpse of a familiar student. The skunk with glasses and silky white hair was impossible to mistake for someone else. Corrie was certain she had a class with this woman... but she couldn't think which one off the top of her head. She tended to focus more on the actual course material than the details and social lives of her classmates.

Corrie looked at the back of the skunk girl's head... Melody, maybe?...as she walked closer. If this girl shared a class with her, then she may also be an immutable nerd. And if Melody was quiet enough to fade into the background, then perhaps she could be a decent fit for the quiet and thoughtful game of chess - or at least, if necessary, be gently coerced into one brief event.

The sunglasses-clad hen took in a deep breath, steeling herself to say something...and then she passed right by the booth without saying a word. After all, the skunk was already having a conversation with someone else, and she wouldn't know who Corrie was, and... the owl sighed and blushed a bit before finishing her trip to the bar with a defeated slump. The avian requested an order of crispy maggot poppers with ranch, making sure to add an overly sweet "hun" at the end to lend more credence to her hen disguise.

Corrie kept her head down as she waited at the bar, ruminating on her shameful failure to attempt the slightest social gesture. But eventually, the embarrassing thought faded to the back burner... as other shameful faux pas over the past several years took its place like a revolving carousel of failure. The bird ignored the other patrons at the bar and only snapped out of her reverie for a second as a peppy dog walked right behind her. His sudden voice startled Corrie and she -almost- swiveled her head around. The "hen" was able to stop herself just in time, but she tensed with widened eyes. A macabre mishap like that would certainly cause the sort of attention Corrie did not want.

Thankfully, a rhinoceros arrived with her maggot poppers a minute later. Corrie mumbled a quick "thank you, hun" as she grabbed the cardboard container and began heading back to her corner booth. As she neared the skunk's table, her beak began to dry all over again. She would have to relive that dreadful failure all over again. Unless, this time, she... said... anything... yes, she would do it, she must!

Corrie put on a hopefully not too nervous smile and stopped by the skunk's booth. Then she froze like a statue. Oh no, her vast vocabulary! Her typical habit of pausing to think of the most precise and impressive words would surely foil her here! The definitely-a-hen almost shorted out for a moment as her initial ideas for words had to go through an intelligence filter and then through another feigned country gal filter.

".......Howdy," Corrie finally greeted. "Uhh, are yo-...y'all planning to attend the Winter Carnival, perchance?"

@LostButterfly92

House Of Villains: A Slice Of Life About Comically Self-Aware Villains

Jill Henderson

For a moment, Jill felt a bit of pity for this poor, overly literal-minded robot. She opened her mouth to explain what a 'dog person' means in this context. Then her mouth hung open wider in SHOCK at the brash level of insult in his next comment. Who said something like that on a first date?!

Jill gritted her teeth and her hand flew to her purse of its own accord. She felt around for another spell component. Just as her bony fingers found a small jewel, her wits caught up to her emotions. Jill let out a strained sigh between her teeth and slowly pulled her hand away. The roommates had just spent a lot of Grok's money on this event, and they barely had time to do anything with it yet. If Jill started a fight and got the whole group kicked out right away, she would have a hard time living it down.

The not-a-lich made her best attempt at a smugly composed expression as she turned back to the robot. Some clear fury remained in her posture, though.

"I know not which era you may be speaking of," Jill began in a voice like a rushing river glossed over by smooth ice. "I am unaware of any custom of adorning witches in 'cow pies.' As a matter of fact, if witches were not burned in their typical attire, they would often be dressed in white as a cruelly ironic gesture of purity. Like that time when they tried to burn me."

Jill took a large swig of her rum. Too large, in fact, as trickle of it spilled down her exposed neck vertebrae. Fortunately, her navy dress soaked it up, so she wouldn't have to contend with an awkward accident on the floor. Jill spat the rest of it into her glass and looked at the robot with narrowed... brow bones.

"Now, if you earnestly desire the slightest chance of success here, I would advise you stick to the script... 'Leo.' Or at least think of questions which are not dripping with insult."

Jill tapped Leo's dating questionnaire and then held her skull in her hand.

"By the Nine Hells, no wonder this man is still single..."

@DraconiWarlord

---

Sondra

Sondra's lush lips froze in a blank expression. W...wow. She was accustomed to men getting straight to the point, but this was new. After a few seconds of surprise, the blonde put a warm smile on her face.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Sondra replied, a tantalizing hint of laughter adorning her smooth voice. "People don't tend to trade livestock for marriage these days. You say you're from... Sharg? Tell me more about what it's like there."

@Sleeth

House Of Villains: A Slice Of Life About Comically Self-Aware Villains

I'm a little worried about those "cold glass eyes" giving Jon PTSD and making other potential plans more difficult

Leo post out, he's still getting accustomed to the future so don't be downright nasty to him.

Yeahhh I'll admit I haven't been the best at portraying someone from approximately the year 1000. Her bio claims she "learns fast," though. She has gotten used to 21st century behavioral expectations but some technology still baffles her. If Jill can get past the immediate "burn the witch" comment, the two of them could be a good help to each other.

I'd give that like a 25% chance.

Pokémon: Legacy of Trainers (Slice of Life RP)

Was a good try while we had it. Just ran out of steam.

A Modern Fantasy Sacrifice

Oookay, thanks in advance for reading my novel, haha.

A Modern Fantasy Sacrifice

Aaranya & Kabir Singh

The trio sat to drink some tea for one moment of calm on the edge of a gritty swirling hourglass. Some vague thoughts and plans stirred the silence at times. But for the most part the people were... quiet. What words existed for such a time as this? Aaranya could think of none in English, Hindi, French, or Russian - though it's possible that learning any more than basic Russian could reveal one with time.

Kabir finished his tea quickly. He stretched as he stood up and looked at the women.

"Well, you keep thinking about where to go. I'm going to pack. Aaranya, gather anything small that's really important to you. Danielle... help us pack some things for you, too. Maybe you'll be able to stop by your house later... I'm sorry."

Aaranya took a little longer to finish breakfast while Kabir began to find out how many survival items he could cram into a formal business suitcase. She could barely look at Danielle, unfortunate enough to get swept up in this mess.

"Sorry too," Aaranya mumbled, gazing just past Danielle's face. Then she went to her room and closed the door.

It was strange... standing in a dead woman's room. The blankets, the collection of candles, the bookshelf. It seemed like her things should be covered in dust and cobwebs, ancient artifacts of a long gone civilization. Only yesterday had they been lived with, and let go. And after Aaranya had already said goodbye to all her possessions, she somehow found herself in the same situation just about 24 hours later. What could she have the right to reclaim now?

The only thing Aaranya really wanted from her room was a change of clothes. She changed out of her formal sari, fit for a special occasion, and hung it in the closet. As if it mattered at all where she put it. She then donned a casual pink sweatshirt and jeans, a more typical and practical outfit for her. She swapped her dressy gold shoes (thank the gods) for some grey tennis shoes.

As Aaranya took one last look around her room (again), she noticed something new on her desk. The overflowing collection of poems she had left by Kabir's door the previous day. The woman breathed deeply as her arms were drawn to the precious journal like a magnet and she held it to her chest.

<Are you really going to take that thing with you? It's big and heavy and worthless.>

Aaranya's eyes squeezed shut and she hugged the book of poems even harder. So nice to know the voices had evaded the grave, as well.

<You're so selfish. Everyone knows you're selfish. Are you seriously going to add even more burden for them to carry?>

Aaranya furrowed her brow and took a shaky breath. Well, he did have a point. The journal was big and heavy, and they needed to pack for survival. The woman slowly lowered the poetry collection back to the desk and walked away with a quivering frown.

<...You're still selfish, you know.>

The small woman stopped in her tracks right before the door, frown morphing into gritted teeth. Aaranya stormed up to her desk and grabbed some pages between two clenched hands. MAYBE the voice had a point, MAYBE she shouldn't bring such a big journal, but that didn't mean she had to throw away every last ounce of joy in her life! Like a monstrous wave crashing over a doomed boat, Aaranya forcefully ripped a dozen or so pages out, some filled, some blank. She took the pages and a pen and left the room before she could change her mind.

"Thank you, Vishnu, for trying to protect me with your great wisdom," Aaranya whispered. "I can take it from here."

Aaranya sat down on the living room couch with the new, very loose leaf version of her poetry notebook. She looked over her chosen poems to represent the previous few days. From another lifetime ago. Then, Aaranya turned over a new page and began to write.

---

Day -1

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.

-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "A Psalm of Life"