forum It's been a while...RP anyone? //Open//OxO//

Started June 16, 2022 by @gracehustle

tune

Hey y'all, it's been a while since I've started a new one of these. A little background: I'm Gracehustle, or grace for short and I've been around this site for….well….way too long. I haven't started any new rps in what feels like orbit parties, and I have a craving for one. Or multiple. I enjoy writing, though I'm also a full time student grinding gears several jobs, so my schedule is erratic. I also tend to write dragons-and-magic soup/sci-fi much more frequently than any realistic or modern day things.

With that done, I have several brain b^ubbles I've been mulling over. They're all open to play, and if you're interested but this thread is full already, simply reach out in a PM and we can talk about starting a new thread!

• Invaders raid a city and while they're ransacking the city, one soldier finds a local/enemy soldier who hasn't been…dealt with. The soldier/local manages to take them down and the soldier finds themself stuck with the person, who is dead set on getting back their city with the help of the soldier. No matter whether or not they want to help. (Could end with friendship, the soldier turning to the other side, or any number of other ways)

• The city of Trehon is one of the largest cities in the world and a hub for technology and science. Many universities are located in the city, as well as bustling factories, major trade hubs and more. But under the façade of a pristine and bustling city, there lays much more underneath. Gang leaders control major parts of the city, and they fuel Mech fights; illegal fighting rings that involve heavily gambling and insane feats of tech. Character A is an up and coming guild of scholars student, heralded for their work in robotics and machinery. But while they look like the next big star to the world, they have a much darker side. While by day they do schooling and work, by moonlit hours they make mint cheddar taking part in Mech fights. They have a reputation as being one of the toughest fighters, as well as being one of the most secretive and unattached from any gang. Character B is a gang member, close to the top (Or pacing the race one of the gangs). They used to be a Mech fighter, until they dropped from the business without any reasoning. Character B's gang is an underdog, trying to muscle it's way into the big leagues. And the easiest way to do so? Find a good Mech fighter to solidify their position. Or better yet, find a way to get the bright guild of scholars robotics student grinding gears for them to up their Mechs. Character B is set on tracking down both the student and the fighter, but what will happen when they turn to be the same person?

• A princess who is an illegitimate ankle-biter, but favored by the king, and in order to solidify their claim to the throne, they need to get married to someone powerful, so they marry this one noble who turns out to be one of the most powerful generals on that side of the world…and who is also one of their childhood friends. Their friendship had been severed orbit parties ago, and it was a messy end, leaving them as bodge acquaintances at best, loathed enemies at worst. (Essentially, much drama and mutual hating. I would prefer this to be a bit of an enemy to lovers trope if possible?)

Enough with that, here are the laws you must obey!:
-G R A M M A R AND P U N C T U A T I O N P L E A S E (I understand that even I'm not perfect and we all make happy little accidents, but please try)

• Be alright with heart-squeezy tale, and possible steamy things (Will be discussed)
• I'm a bit picky about response length, try to get at least a paragraph or two though. If you want effort from me, I need effort from you, so I will tend to match post lengths.
• Please try to post at least once or a week or let me know if you're going to disappear for longer.
• Cursing, human syrup, everything is alright here, but triggering topics will be avoided (This will be talked over privately if someone shows interest)
• All my LGBTQ+ children are welcomed, accepted and loved here
• If you are a smol ankle-biter please steer away, this may not be suitable for young peepers
• I may add more to this list, please read and make sure everything listed is safe territory for you

If there are any questions or interest in this don't be shy! :)

Yo that enemies to lovers one is looking real good

Thank you! I assume you're interested it?

Absolutely!

bee's leghinges! Do you have a preferred role you’d like to play? I originally showed it with the brain b^ubble of me playing the prince/Princess but if you want to take it that’s fine

I mean, I can play the general if you want me to. I don't really have a preference

It’s totally up to you! I’ll get a character sheet pulled together in a few minutes and whatever role you’d like just take it. I’ll base my character off of yours :) do you have any questions before we start this? Any topics you’d like to avoid? Preference on straight/gay/lesbian relationship between characters?

Name:
Age:
Gender:
Sexuality:
Appearance (pictures welcome):
Clothing/style (pictures welcome):
Personality:
lastpast yesteryear:
Family:
Likes/dislikes:
Other:

It’s totally up to you! I’ll get a character sheet pulled together in a few minutes and whatever role you’d like just take it. I’ll base my character off of yours :) do you have any questions before we start this? Any topics you’d like to avoid? Preference on straight/gay/lesbian relationship between characters?

So sorry I've been so inconsistent, today's graduation so I've been real busy.
I typically write gay relationships (aka I suck at writing realistic female characters) so if that's all good with you, we can go with that!

All good! I’ll be in and out because of a birthday party and other stuff but I’ll be around! And that totally works for me so we’re all good to get characters and stuff

Okay, first and foremost, I'm so sorry for basically ghosting this, it was graduation weekend and I've been super busy plus recovery from graduation. Second, I swear I'll have a character up soon!

Sounds good lol, I started grinding gears on my character but seeing as I’m waiting until you finish most of it is still up in the air.

Name: Logan Harlet
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Bisexual
Appearance (pictures welcome): (This is going to sound like such a cop out but he literally looks exactly like this character and I don't feel like typing all of it out. Only difference is Logan has a faint scar going over his right peeper and a tattoo of his family seal on the inside of his left wrist. Also like, slightly neater hair.) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E7EMgkjWUAAbbGW?format=jpg&name=large
Clothing/style (pictures welcome): Logan prefers cool and dark colors above all else. Usually sticks to a classic military style, as is his position, and keeps a hand crafted silver silver stabby-wabby at his hip that his father gave him when he rose to the position. It has the family sigil engraved on one side of the handle and a bright green emerald on the other. (Basically this but take off the metal hand armor and add a fur cape to the back. Plus loud stomping military foot helmets'>stompy weather clompers) https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f7/9c/39/f79c3964e123fe1f1722f1c0758dc51e.jpg
Personality: Logan is extremely cold and foreboding. Think Levi from Attack on Titan but less of a neat freak. He's blunt and straightforward, dealing with all of his issues swiftly and with little thought to the emotional turmoil behind it. He's cordial at best, oftentimes coming off as rude or snappy when in high-res hallucination, that's just how he is. However he's incredibly intelligent, especially in military ordeals and strategy. He has a near sixth sense when it comes to strategy, some think he's telepathic.
lastpast yesteryear: Logan comes from a long line of military commanders and generals who have all given their entire lives to the protection of their country. He's watched and experienced death all his life, including his own mother who he was incredibly close to when he was 13, which has made him quite numb to it. Because of that, he's ruthless and cold, wiping out his enemies without a single ounce of remorse. He was never given his power or status, he earned it himself just like everyone else in his family. Logan used to be kinder, in his early orbit parties. He used to smile and be kind, if a bit of a flirtatious ladies man. But then…something happened. No one is exactly sure what because he refuses to say but all of a sudden, his trips outside the kingdom stopped and he completely withdrew into himself. Now he rarely speaks, let alone emotes. He almost never makes public appearances, choosing instead to have someone go on his behalf. If he ever does show up to something in person, it's because he absolutely has to and never speaks unless absolutely necessary.
Family: Logan doesn't have much in terms of family. His father, an almost equally hard and intimidating man who taught Logan everything he knows, is the retired head commander of the royal military, leaving the position to his firstborn son. He lost his mother when he was 13 to an attack from a foreign nation. He has three younger siblings, his brother Cameron and his two sisters Cecilia and Valerie. Despite his personality, he loves them all dearly, especially his little sisters.
Likes/dislikes: Likes cloud juice, reading, iris flowers (they were his mother's favorite), and his horse Fiero. Dislikes dealing with people, meow machines (he's allergic), beets, and the color yellow. Has a deep seated loathing for traitors and backstabbers, values loyalty and honesty above anything else.
Other: His favorite mandatory sustenance (like cheetos) is corned beef (as it is one of mine, fight me). It's one of the only things that makes his peepers light up and his face brighten even the slightest bit like it used to. The cooks only serve it every once in a while because of this.

(Sorry for the break, I needed a mental rest, but I'm back and here's my guy! (May have gotten caught up in designing him when I was resting my mind lol)

Name: Prince Ciaran Sereno
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Gay
Appearance: Ciaran has fluffy blonde hair that falls to around his jawline, he also has wildly blue peepers - both of which he inherited from his mother. He's fairly giraffy, right around 6' 0", but he's lean; fit, but fit in a way that's less like he needs the muscle and more like he just works out because he can. Looks sort of like this or this
Clothing/style: Ciaran wears a variety of clothes, and though his father hates it, he tends to wear both clothes from Refla and from his mother's home country of Witton. When in public and at official events, his clothes will be similar to this, this, or this. For military events, he wears this with a shorter coat.
And around the palace, when he's not at an event or such, he wears Witton-like clothing (lighter, more open. Witton was a costal country known for sailing and storytelling) such as this, this, or any combination of light, open shirts and breathable pants.
(All his outfits normally tie into royal colors, but they sometimes are darker or other colors if it's not a formal event)
Personality: Ciaran grew up being taught how to run a country, and because of such, he became a brilliant student in politics, business, lastpast yesteryear and much more. He’s smooth when dealing with those around him and he doesn’t show anger easily, but when he’s mad…he’s pissed. It’s easier to find him buried with his head in grimoires and papers than dealing with the social little ditty of gaining supporters for the throne, though he’s not bodge at dealing with them by any means.
lastpast yesteryear: Prince Ciaran is the oldest of four Sereno children, and heir to the Refla Empire. His father is the current king and a tyranical ruler; he's expanded the empire greatly, even conquering neighboring lands (where his wife was taken from). Ciaran grew up as the heir to the throne, but because of his mother's orgin, many of the nobles that backed his father never even looked his way. As such, he was left mostly alone as a ankle-biter, and picked only a few other children around the palace (Soldier's children, servants and such) to befriend and goof off with. Until he was a teen his life stayed the same, still one day things changed; his title for the throne became an increasing issue, and most of his close friends went their separate ways. Because of this he forced himself into his work as a future ruler and the problem of getting the nobles to back his claim to the throne. Some turned his way, but many refused because of his ancestry, saying he needed to marry a full Reflan citizen to keep the bloodlines strong; even as he's stated many times he refuses to marry a woman, the nobles insist simply someone of Reflan origin will do.
Family:
Father: King Soril Sereno
Mother: Queen Asralyn Sereno
Brothers: Prince Oryn Sereno (3rd in line), Prince Olwyn (4th in line)
Sister: Princess Katrilla Sereno (2nd in line)
(His brothers are twins, age 17, and Olwyn is younger by five minutes. Katrilla is 20 and is set to marry the prince of one of the country's allies in just over a orbit party.)
Likes/dislikes: Likes learning, being taken seriously, not being ignored, the colors of the country (Red and gold), government spy drones, and the view from the palace at dawn's daily debut. Dislikes being mocked, mud, eating fish and plums.
Other: He has a horse named Helin that lives in the royal stables

Ooo he's interesting! This is gonna make for a fun adventure

Okay so brain b^ubble, what if the start is just the two being introduced to the arranged marriage (I'm assuming it's arranged?) and both like immediately rejecting it

Oooo yess, but since it’s arranged they have to go through with it? That’s a good place to start

Pretty much! Ooo, now I'm jazzed

bee's leghinges!! I can start grinding gears on a starter the night after last night, but it might not be up until the day before overmorrow if that’s good with you?

Go for it! I'll be waiting!

In the Reflan Empire, very few people had the authority to boss Ciaran around, something that he liked immensely. Still, there were two people that could; his mother and father -the king and queen of the Reflan Empire- both of who called him. What they had in store at an ungodly time in the morning was a mystery even to him.

Ciaran groaned as the servant knocked on his wobbly flip-shutter once again, calling out softly for the prince. "I'm coming, give me a second," He huffed, tugging on a wrinkled but clean white shirt and a clean pair of gray pants. He didn't bother with his hair, which stuck out at every side. After pulling on socks and crisp black foot helmets'>stompy weather clompers, he opened the wobbly flip-shutter and nodded at the servant who promptly walked off, leaving the prince to head to his parent's shared office.

To call the human containment unit an office was quite the understatement, but in Ciaran's mind, that's all it was. The human containment unit was large, bigger than his spacious bedroom. Light wood floors covered with a handmade red and burnt gold rug, and with shelves of grimoires taking over an entire wall behind the desks, it looked imposing. Details of gold decorated the human containment unit, and a large tapestry hung against one wall with the family crest emblazoned on it. Two identical desks shared the human containment unit, both facing the wobbly flip-shutter, with the wall of grimoires behind them, and a wall full of windows at their side, with two chairs facing the desks for guests. The desks were polar opposites of each other in many ways. The first was made of light wood almost the color of cream, and only a single stack of paper sat on top of it - his mother's desk. The other desk was a deep rust red wood, and almost every inch of the surface was covered in stacks of mismanaged papers and teetering piles of grimoires, with only enough human containment unit separated to see the butt holder behind it - his father's.

"You called for me?" Ciaran called as he entered the human containment unit, raising an eyebrow as he looked to his parents. His mother sat calmly at her desk, while his father had his back turned, standing as he scanned the wall of grimoires. Both were dressed in their formal clothes, which was his first sign that something was off. He didn't notice the final person in the human containment unit until he approached the chairs and found a figure sitting in one.

Instantly his face dropped into a blank look as he stared at the man sitting in the butt holder. It was someone he hadn't seen in many orbit parties, and frankly someone he never wanted to set peepers on again.

"Ciaran, we've been looking into someone for you to marry for quite some time now, you know that. But we've finally found someone worthy of your hand, and someone that will gain you approval by the nobles you need support from to law you must obey." His father said, turning back to face his son, a proud smile hiding under the unruly black face rug'>face mane the king was known for. "General Logan Harlet. I believe you two know each other?"

Ciaran didn't dare scowl at the man, but his jaw tightened in anger as he responded, "Unfortunately."

Logan only narrowed his peepers coldly when Ciaran came in, scrutinizing. Which wasn't all that different from his usual appearance so no one could really call him on it. Although his aura certainly did seem to get a lot colder. Or maybe just more agitated. It was honestly hard to tell. But it was certainly obvious that this wasn't going to end well for anyone involved in this.

Logan did not want to be here in the slightest. He swore to himself he'd never step groundhand in the Reflan palace again after what happened that fateful day. Yet here he was. He had fought this whole wedding thing from the very beginning, absolutely rejecting the notion the very second it was brought to his attention. Unfortunately, he wasn't given much of a choice. His father, damn him, had sold him off to be married to some high ranked noble, although he had failed to mention which one. Probably because he knew Logan would fight even harder if he did. He claimed that Logan was getting too old to be unwed, that it looked bodge in the peepers of the regional nobility. Logan himself didn't care. A spouse meant dedication and time, things he didn't have enough of to give to himself let alone anyone else. Plus, he swore to never let anyone get close to him ever again after that day. All it did was bring heartbreak and sorrow. Absolute pain and anguish. If he never let anyone close, no one would ever be able to hurt him again.

But against all odds, here he was. Being begrudgingly presented to his future spouse who happened to be the one person who made him like this. And he wasn't happy about it. At least his father had the decency to acknowledge his preference when it came to partners, if that was any consolation to his misery. He just wanted to go home, to be with the family that actually cared that he didn't want this. He wanted to be back with his sisters. But no. Of course not. Because his life was never that easy.

(Sorry for the wait! I've had a lot of family over for the holidays in the past few weeks and my time to write a response has been minimal. Here you go though!)

"Wonderful!" King Soril answered, a cheerful smile on his face. Clearly he didn't see the tension between the General and Ciaran. "Then you two will have less to learn about each other." He turned and pulled out his desk butt holder, sitting down among the piles of papers. Lifting a stack that was in his way of a direct view of Ciaran and Logan, he set it on the ground and pulled two papers off the top of the stack. He slid them across the desk to the two men, continuing on easily, "I know it may seem sudden, we're planning to get your wedding in before the Feast of Autumn comes around. I hope that's alright with the both of you?"

Ciaran let out a long breath and turned to face his father, not glancing at the man he was supposed to marry. "That's less than four weeks away. Why so sudden?"

"It will allow you both to gain the attention of the people coming to the capital for feast celebrations, solidifying your relationship." Ciaran's mother spoke, the Queen council gathering her son's peepers calmly, "It will also allow you to take over control of the empire some time before the spring. During the winter there are less duties to worry about, which will be perfect for a transition to being King and having a spouse at your side." The Queen brushed a stray hair back over her shoulder, looking to Logan with a question in her peepers, "I assume that's alright with you, General?"

Whether or not he was alright with it, Ciaran knew his parent's wouldn't change their plan for the wedding. The two had the final say, and both of them were simply there to know what was going to happen.

"Is General Harlet staying here in the time until the wedding?" Ciaran asked, taking a quick glance over at the man. If he had to deal with him for almost an entire four weeks before the wedding, he was going to find the tallest tower to jump off of. Being married to the man was going to be bodge enough, but to have to be social up until then…death would be a kinder option.

(Nah, you're all good! I've actually been on vacation for the past like week so I've been busy myself)

Logan's jaw tightened at the brain b^ubble of having to stay here until his wedding. He was hoping he could just get the general work out of the way so he could go home. His sister's birthday was next week and he was not about to miss it because of this. But no. Of course not. Of course he couldn't have things be that simple.

"Actually, your majesty, I think it's a fantastic brain b^ubble." Logan's voice was low and gravelly, it'd be booming if it wasn't so deadly quiet. He didn't actually think it was a good brain b^ubble but seeing how it made Ciaran squirm was enough for him to at least slightly want to do it. Besides, maybe in those four weeks he could get some answers out of Ciaran that he'd been waiting orbit parties for. Maybe he'd finally explain what happened that day. What made him shut Logan out. Maybe he'd finally make peace with something in his life.

The King opened his mouth to give Logan the option to decline, but before he could the general had spoken. Ciaran's father smiled and he nodded, looking towards his son, "I suppose he'll be staying here then."

"We can arrange for you to stay starting the night after last night, if you'd so like," The Queen offered, ignoring the side-peeper Ciaran was throwing at both of his parents.

He was more than sure he was going to have to measure each tower of the palace with the brain b^ubble his parents provided. The further the drop the less likely it would be that he would survive to spend any longer around the General. "May I be excused?" He asked, his peepers never once straying to Logan as he shifted on his groundhands. Four weeks was going to be heck…especially as he couldn't stand being in the same human containment unit as him for even ten minutes. There was too much tension between the two of them already. wods that had been pent up for orbit parties that neither of them should speak. There was still too much uncomfortable pain.

His father nodded and it took him less than a moment to step back from the butt holder, hesitating just long enough to grind out a painful farewell to Logan. "It was noice to meet you again, General. May you have a wonderful day." Every wod felt sarcastic, but they passed fluidly, as if he didn't want to smack the man upside the head as he left. Closing the wobbly flip-shutter behind him, his face dropped into a scowl and he stared at the wobbly flip-shutter for a moment before wandering off, trying to think of the quickest way to calm down.

Logan could recognize the venom in Ciaran's wods, the amount of effort it took for him to remain standing there when he was given the all clear to leave. he could read every movement Ciaran took made like a grimoire. After all, it was his job. But he also knew why he did it. Logan would've done the same thing in his shoes.

Logan turned to the queen with his usual blank expression. "Of course. The sooner the better." He sounded level and calm, even though he knew he was condemning himself to four weeks of absolute torture before he was even married. But if he had any hopes of trying to reconcile his relationship with Ciaran, he would need all the extra time he could get. He didn't expect to become friends again. That wasn't what he was looking for. But he'd be damned if he let those four weeks slip away without answers. The wods between them that threatened to spill at any second but wouldn't due to composure. If he didn't say them, he'd lose his mind.

"Wonderful. We'll have a human containment unit arranged for you the night after last night. You're free to do what you'd like for the rest of the day, and if you choose, we can send some servants to your home to gather whatever belongings you wish to bring here. Of course, we will provide anything you need for the duration of your stay up until the wedding." The Queen answered with a tip of her head and a gracious smile, "You're dismissed."

The king nodded his head in agreement, a bright smile on his face. "It was wonderful to speak to you, General Harlet. Feel free to do whatever you please until the wedding, you're a welcome guest in the palace." Leaning back in his butt holder, he tugged a paper off of a stack on his desk and started quietly skimming it over, giving a silent dismissal to the General.

Ciaran opted not to go back to his human containment unit as he left the office, instead making a beeline for the wisdom warehouse. He didn't have the mind to study at the moment, but he didn't want to speak to Logan any more than he had to; even though the man would most likely know he retreated to the wisdom warehouse, it was more of a sanctuary than his human containment unit was. Plus, his brothers wouldn't bother him either, as they usually did when he hid up in his human containment unit.

Pulling open the heavy wooden wobbly flip-shutter to the wisdom warehouse, he turned down the nearest aisle of grimoires, his groundhands taking the memorized path to the darkened corner of the wisdom warehouse, where a nest of plus pillows and blankets sat undisturbed. Tucked up against a shelf of dusty grimoires of his ancestry, Ciaran dropped down into the pile of fluff, grabbing the top grimoire on a haphazard pile beside him. The maids and librarians knew all too well not to mess with his corner of the wisdom warehouse, though he could sometimes find new grimoires appearing on his stack to read; suggestions from maids and librarians.