[MxF] Stories! Adventures! Hugh Jackman dancing!

[Hawkwood]

I realise the following is kind of a cliché thing to say but - I struggle to write these things, so the short version is as follows. The short version is:

I like telling stories with (rather than to) other people: Your character(s) + my character(s) + Our World = Our Story

TLDR, courtesy for a friend: This advert is a lot to digest, and is quite eclectic, but then you're also a lot to digest (in a good way) and quite eclectic, so it's good.

Interaction is key to me! If I wanted to read an already-written story (or indeed write my own), I'd go do it somewhere else, by myself, but we're here to tell stories together, which means working together. Sort of like dancing, except that I dance like a fish in a blender (badly, and it's awkward for everyone involved). And, just like dancing, I think there should be compromise, communication, and agreement. Or maybe I just dance wrong.

Who am I looking for?

Dutch Rap! I mean, seriously, if you can rap in a language where nothing rhymes, you're awesome.
To my mind, there are three virtues for online RP: politeness, elegance, and articulatene... articulari... bein' able to talk proper. I'm not a grammar Nazi (at least not yet), but syntax is sexy. The people I'd be after should therefore be literate, but we won't necessarily write literature. I don't mind typos, and am indeed guilty of making more than one or two myself.

I can't promise to be able to write 20-paragraphs of Dickens (I much prefer Dumas); to me, story is about interaction. Quality is more important than quantity. So if you have a certain minimum number of paragraphs to make a story worth your while, then I'm probably not the writing partner for you. It's not because I have nothing say, but because there'll be times when interaction, action, drama, or something else mean that the interplay should be staccato rather than orchestral.

What, to me, makes a good story?

I've spent a lot of time thinking about the sort of stories I like, and what links them:

-Flawed & interesting characters. To me, it's the rough edges that make them interesting; ordinary people doing extra-ordinary things despite their shortcomings are way more interesting than generic square-jawed 80s action heroes. Having said that, dumb 80s action movies are a guilty pleasure. This is why I prefer Daredevil to Iron Fist; Iron Fist just seemed to be moaning about his lost billions whilst being better at being Asian than actual Asians. Sigh.

-Tension & Conflict. I don't necessarily mean that characters have to be antagonistic to each other, but there has to be difference and some degree of conflict. This basically boils down to the idea at the very top: your idea + my idea = better ideas.

-Growth & Change. There's no point in telling a story in which there aren't consequences, where nothing changes. I want a story in which our characters change the world, and likewise, the world changes our characters.

-Consequences & Characters. I generally like a bit of OOC conspiring to make sure that our characters have a sensible reason to be together. I mean, if you're going to leave my character chained to a wall rather than help free them, there'll be consequences - like me politely stopping.

-Communication & ... err. Whilst I do prefer to tell more than I like to plot, I'm generally talkative

What am I looking for?

  "A phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range." "Hey, just what you see pal"

What I would like would be someone to ArrPee with. The rest of this paragraph is going to be even more cliché to anyone who has browsed this forum, but I'll try and use different imagery.

RP is, in my experience, as much about personality as it is about prose. Sometimes, the story simply won't click. So I care more about the fire / spice / passion / verve of the person on the other side of the screen than I necessarily do about great ideas.

The E aspect of ERP it's kind of like cookery. The E is like hot-sauce or spices; sure, it makes things more interesting, but I wouldn't want to live on a constant diet of the stuff. As one wise and witty friend put it, I'm a human being rather than sex-robot. I'd hope that you're the same. I'd rather do one-on-one, because getting a group of online gamers together for anything is like trying to herd greased weasels. So no, there's not going to be a ratio - there'll always be a story. Ideally one that could survive without the smut. But hey, I'm here because I too enjoy the racier bits!

It is, I realise, entirely unhelpful to say "I'm open minded"... but... well... I am! I made the mistake in the past of saying that I'd try anything, and that resulted in character wanting to snort spice from the head of a shaved Ewok. I find the listing of kinks like shopping lists to be... off-putting. I am more than a collection of kinks, lusts, and depravities (I hope). But then this advert is kind of pointless without. It's probably easier to list the things that I do not want:

The "I'd rather not" or "maybe" are the unholy trinity of toilet-play, vore, and ewoks. Especially all three combined - there's nothing more off-putting than the smell of an ewok with poo-stained fur. I'm not really a fan of futa - it simply doesn't float my boat. Strap-ons are way more exciting.

We spend a lot of time talking about what we want to do, but in my experience, anything is possible with a foundation of understanding, compassion, and wit. Well, maybe open-mindedness too. My building metaphor is even worse than the spice one.

What can I offer?

I roleplay because I like telling, hearing, and sharing stories. I'm flexible, drama-free, eager to learn, and creative (but then I'm not exactly going to put an advert up that says I'm dull). I have a busy life, and there'll be times when I can't reply for a day or five. I won't ever ghost you, but at times I'll have to ask for your indulgence and patience.

What stories would I particularly want to tell?
I don't have a list of pairings because my mind really doesn't work like that. I mean, when I go to the cinema to watch a movie, it's because I want to see "The Three Musketeers" not Swordsman x Maid.

Genres!

I think of stories in the same way I'd think about TV shows I'd want to watch. I adored Altered Carbon, Punisher, and so on. To my mind, an adventure is a story, world, and characters that mutually create each other.

Technothriller (spies, submarines, and Soviets! Think Tom Clancy, Nights Black Agents, Mission Impossible, or Double-Oh Cool).

Supernatural Shenanigans
-Mortals fighting Vampires, and other paranormal baddies through the power of teamwork, technology, and brains.
-Vampires or other supernaturals in a bleak, almost cyberpunk environment. Oh yes, Vampire: the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2, I love you more than White Wolf loves colons.

I've recently had a real craving for Espionage. Now, this is a hard genre to pin down because it ranges from John le Carre-style slow-moving high-intensity drama with characters swept along by the vagaries of fate. Through to something way more kinetic and Tom-Clancy-ish involving helicopters and cinematic gunfights. And even catsuits (for both men and women). It might even be powered by / based on tabletop RPGs or TV shows.

Post-Apocalypse, but in the sense that it happened half an hour ago, rather than 50 years. In this case, think The Division or maybe The Last Ship? XCOM! Time to Take. Earth. Back. Minds immeasurably superior to ours may well regard this earth with envious eyes, and be slowly and surely, drawing their plans against us, but Humans Are Warriors. In the words of Will Smiff - "welcome to earf"

Swashbucklery (musketeers, pirates, corsetry!)
Style  > substance. It doesn't matter how well you do something, but rather how stylishly you do it. Witty one-liners, quips, corsets, and hats with feathers in them! Lightly armed and unarmoured heroes and heroines doing silly things is great! Dumas is love. Because cracking-wise whilst wearing a feathered hat and being gratuitously French is badass. Or as we say in French... casse-cou. What finer villain in literature is there than Richelieu (well, except maybe Vader)? And it's not just swordplay, it's complex characters, intrigue, politics, and witty one-liners too. Because cracking-wise whilst wearing a feathered hat and being gratuitously French is badass. Or as we say in French... casse-cou. What finer villain in literature is there than Richelieu (well, except maybe Vader)? And it's not just swordplay, it's complex characters, intrigue, politics, and witty one-liners too.

Some links: [Athos] [Porthos] [Aramis] [D'Artagnan]

Aramis: "What's the vital thing to remember in a duel?"
D'Artagnan: "Honour?"
Aramis: "Not getting killed. By biting, kicking, gouging, it's all good."
D'Artagnan: "I was raised to fight like a gentleman"
Aramis: "Were you raised to die young?"

Cyberpunk and Space (Altered Carbon, The Expanse, Pacific Rim). I've been also been watching "The Expanse" and "Battlestar Galactica" again recently.  I have an itch to tell a story in the poorly lit space of ... er... space. Something involving fighter pilots on a carrier? Maybe even marines? Perhaps both. Shades-of-grey morality. There are no paladins or whiter-than-white heroes upon fiery steeds. The edges of humanity are debatable and fuzzy. Robots, AIs, synthetics, cybernetics - what makes us human? Transhumanism is <3 Knowledge is power, and truth is so precious it needs a bodyguard of lies. Black and chrome are always stylish. Future tech and fashion is sexy! Cyberpunk 2077. Oh yes. Shadowrun? I s'pose so, but it just feels so 80s-tastic in a bad way.

Space Opera (from Star Trek to Star Wars, by way of Mass Effect).

High Fantasy: D&D / Pathfinder! I'm looking at you. Have you played Pathfinder: Kingmaker? Does the idea of SimCity meets DnD appeal? Sort of like Districts & Depots I guess...? If so, we should talk! Worldbuilding and adventure! The closest I come to Slice of Life is wanting to run a D&D tavern. I have no idea how to actually tell that story but am interested in finding out!

Time Travel. I wonder if it's the dynamic  of having culture / time shock that appeals? Or perhaps the idea of having the BEST secrets? I  don't know. A 21st century scholar pretending to be a 17th century pirate? Yes! Or maybe I've just watched too much Stargate.

EDIT: Part of me wants to suggest XCOM-70s, but I don't know how good Greys look in flares.

Last Words?

I can happily link you to writing samples if that's of use! For making it through to the end, you deserve a treat.

They couldn't hit the side of a barn at this ra...

Ahem.

What I think I'm trying to say is - just because there's no specific plot above (and let's face it, the plots above are me attempting to nail a cloud to a post, or throw mud at a wall) that appeals to you, get in touch anyway. Unless you're into shaved Ewoks, in which case please move along. Tell me your favourite kind of pie in your reply so I know you've read this.

[Hawkwood]

I have been reading Legends & Lattes and would love to try and create something similar in a game world. Be it retired Space Mercenaries opening a SPACE Cafe, or perhaps cyberpunk runners opening a bar.  Also, hidden in this post is an unsubtle bump.