The Maiden Voyage of RMS Mystic (CLOSED for Recruiting)

[Ryven]

Ryven!

If you get stuck for finding someone to play your character's partner, I wouldn't mind taking him up as well as my female character, if you wouldn't mind. If you're alright and would like me to, shoot me a PM and we can brainstorm a little (: If not, no worries, I hope you find someone because I love your concept (:

-xSRx

I wouldn't mind at all.  I'm really only looking for someone willing to go along with the arrangement part the two of them have.  After that, whoever plays him will have free reign over what the character is and will do.  They can even go off and do m/f scenes with the understanding that Chase is basically footing the bill and thus 'in charge' in a way.

Also, I never thanked Zillah for getting back to me, so thank you, Zillah. :-)

[Zillah]

Name: Chase Dunham (right)
Age: 24
Position: First Class Passenger
Sexual Preferences: Gay, switch
Personality: Toward women, he is the utmost gentleman.  Cordial, chivalrous, proper, polite, and gentle.  Toward men, he is domineering, competitive, sometimes cocky and entitled.

Background: Chase's family began in the middle class.  His father was a well-to-do banker making enough money to provide his family a comfortable living.  On a bargain, he bought a large plot of land where he invested his money tapping for oil.  Luckily, it paid off, and the Dunham's were launched into the high life of society.  Chase joined his father only a few years after completing his studies at his university in economics.  His father, Charles, continues to oversee the main operations of the oil fields while Chase has taken it upon himself to handle the financial aspect of the company.

He had found a company based in England who manufactures parts needed for the company which is why he traveled overseas.  Chase negotiated the sale of these parts while enjoying the sights.  During his stay, he met an Englishman who captured his fancy.  The man was of modest means and looking for a way to get to America.  Chase was his ticket and the price was one to be paid in private.


I think my background may be a little short, but this is what I could come up with in short notice.  I'll come up with more ideas and see if I can find someone to play his partner.

Hey Ryven,

Chase's background is just fine, although if you want to add to it, by all means do so. Approved!

(And you're welcome for the earlier responses ... all part of the job here!) :)

[Chreestafer]

My thoughts we this and ill build off them.

Birth is unknown as he was an orphan boy.  He grew up in the streets doing what he could to survive and make his life better.   He was a trouble maker starting fights, stealing things,  always running into the law in bad ways.  Yet he was lucky in the aspect that he always had the church ran orphanage to run back to.  (The church would explain his beliefs and fears in supernatural things)

All was ok until the orphanage fire.

When people died the police needed a cause, a scapegoat,  and he was it.  So to evade the police he ran and ran and ran,  2 months later he found himself working the shipyards loading supply at point a and unloading at point b and so forth.  (Reasoning for being on ship)

So thoughts so far?


Also ryven ill make him bi, yet he might be a limited bi (as I am the same in real life)

:)

[Ryven]

My thoughts we this and ill build off them.

Birth is unknown as he was an orphan boy.  He grew up in the streets doing what he could to survive and make his life better.   He was a trouble maker starting fights, stealing things,  always running into the law in bad ways.  Yet he was lucky in the aspect that he always had the church ran orphanage to run back to.  (The church would explain his beliefs and fears in supernatural things)

All was ok until the orphanage fire.

When people died the police needed a cause, a scapegoat,  and he was it.  So to evade the police he ran and ran and ran,  2 months later he found himself working the shipyards loading supply at point a and unloading at point b and so forth.  (Reasoning for being on ship)

So thoughts so far?


Also ryven ill make him bi, yet he might be a limited bi (as I am the same in real life)

:)

More people to have fun with! Yay!  However, since your character is going to be either in steerage or a worker, Chase is unlikely to see him as anything more than a means to an end. 

[Haibane]

Name: Clarisse Block
Age: 25
Position: First Class Passenger
Sexual Preferences: Straight, but has 'entertained' girls once or twice - though sufficiently rarely for her to not think of herself as bisexual. Due to her success in her industry she can act quite dominant in the bedroom which surprises many of her lovers since her film roles often cast her in the "vulnerable little girl" role, always being whisked away by masked baddies or saved by dashing heroes. At other times, such as on the casting couch, she will happily submit.
Appearance: Clarisse has intense dark brown eyes and while her film fans know her only in black and white, many are surprised upon meeting her, to find she has a head of flaming intense red hair. While the severely controlled bob and the flat-breasted look is all the rage this season, Clarisse continues to wear her hair in her signature "wild boy" cut, a style quite unlike any other lady of the silver screen and she flaunts her very curvaceous and neatly put together figure. In her film roles she often does bedroom scenes in satin and silk night dresses or bathing scenes in swimsuits because of her buxom shape.
Personality: Clarisse is outgoing, bubbly and cheerful and a relentless party girl, although much of this is a front to hide her tired inner self, hollow from overwork and lonely from a lack of deep friendships. She does not smoke but drinks to excess, usually G&T.
Background: Clarisse was born in Tottenham, north London, a working class girl and as a child was a maid servant to a family of the English nobility. During the war when Baron Wentworth went to command a brigade in France, the household was downsized and Clarisse returned to live with her father, a travelling itinerant fairground showman. She never knew her mother who was a drunk and ran away from the baby Clarisse and her husband soon after Clarisse was born. Her father Tom would set up his stall at local fairs, and at the ends of seaside piers to entertain the "Sunday strollers". At these places the teenaged Clarisse would give impromptu singing acts as well as dances and her big break came one day just after the war when a London vaudeville producer saw her and offered her and her father a contract on the spot.

From small-time vaudeville theatre and matinee shows Clarisse worked her way up as a singer and dancer until a movie mogul spotted her and gave her a part on the big screen. Her first silent movie "The Mystic Angel" (1922) was an astounding hit, Clarisse's signature look of the "innocent girl with a knowing smile" was hugely popular and a successful string of silent reels followed, producing them at a rate of three a year. "The Sandboy", "When Dawn Comes", "Arabian Prince", "Molly Knuckles and the Cat Boy", "Moonstruck" and "Dahlia and the Dancing Fawns" are among her many well-known movies.

Clarisse's skill is as a dancer and singer and now the age of the talkie is here, she has signed up a contract with the Hollywood casting director Abraham Bartok Maroon who has contracted her to tap-dance and sing in a new talking movie "The Forty-Niners" that is being shot in California. Clarisse has booked her cabin in first class on board the RMS Mystic because the name links her to her first successful silent movie and she hopes this voyage will be the start of new things.

In truth, Clarisse hides behind a smiling face and is almost on the point of nervous collapse. She has worked far too hard in the last six years and has been prescribed amphetamine pills to keep her going, to which she is now addicted, as well as becoming an alcoholic. The talkies offer a less arduous schedule, being produced, usually at the rate of one to two a year and she hopes that if she can earn big bucks in America she might soon have enough to retire and rest... and find a husband. A true and close friend is someone she has never had and she yearns to have that hole in her life filled.

[bubby]

Velvet wouldn't directly ask the Captain about such things - for that matter, he probably wouldn't be available to many of the passengers, unless he runs into them at a formal event on the ship.

Velvet would instead be directed to the Purser aboard the Mystic - the Purser was in charge of what was called the Victualling Department, which was comprised of all the maids, stewards, cooks, entertainers, and all crew members not directly involved in the running of the ship.

Should no one create a character that takes on the Purser's role, I'll make sure to have one available as a NPC.

Sounds good!

[Ryven]

Correct me if I'm wrong and I'm basing this solely on the movie, but does the captain lead the sunday religious service or does he simply attend?  People would run into him there if they're looking to talk with him.  That also depends on if the 5 day journey includes a sunday which it very well might.

[Haibane]

Captains of prestigious passenger vessels did have some contact with the public. There may be special (rare) invitations to tour the bridge and chart room and the captain might meet a passenger there. Unlike Capt Smith of the Titanic who was a rather cold and private fellow, there was usually a Captain's Table at evening dinner where a select dozen or so might get the opportunity to speak with him at some length, though of course protocol would require that he not be monopolized by a few of the guests, he would need to make polite conversation with them all. This though was the chief way to get to see inside the personality of a captain, should a guest (first class only of course) be so lucky as to receive an invite.

There would be a ship's chaplain who would lead the Sunday service but the Captain would probably attend and might read a lesson from the Bible.

[Ryven]

Ahh, that explains that then.

[Branwen]

Character Audition

Name: Shannon Elizabeth McPhee
Age: 17
Position: Crew Member - maid
Sexual Preferences: Lesbian
Appearance: A life of work has made Shannon Elizabeth appear a few years older than she really is.  Indecisively blue eyes peer out from a freckled pale-skinned face topped with a reasonably under control mass of red-brown hair.  Shannon Elizabeth is short, not even five feet tall due to poor nutrition growing up and has an indeterminate body buried underneath her maid's dress and apron.  Scuffed and very workmanlike black boots are visible beneath the hem of her dress.  When she speaks, Shannon Elizabeth has a very down country Irish accent and is obviously uneducated.
Personality: Shannon Elizabeth knows she is lucky to have her position on the White Star's pride and is very scared of losing it.  She's not shy but she is self-effacing and tries to remain in the background as much as possible around the upper class passengers and the officers of the crew.  Among her own kind she's as fun and outspoken as many of the girls though she doesn't flirt at all with the rough men - or even the gentle ones. 
Background: Maiden, mother or sister; these are the choices available to Irish girls from families to poor the phrase dirt poor sounds luxurious.  Shannon Elizabeth's too flighty to be a Sister and wed to Christ.  She finds the idea of being a mother terrifying and so maiden is the only choice left.  Maiden and maid, she started service when she was still a bitty girl, working below stairs at one of the English interloper's homes.  Shannon Elizabeth worked for the estate for the next 9 years then took a chance and went with another one of the girls to see about a job with the steamship lines.  They were booming in the huge rush of new money and were desperate for hands of all sorts, even ones that scrubbed pots and floors and made beds.  Shannon Elizabeth worked on the Vedic on the Liverpool-Australia
run but has been moved to Mystic along with many other girls to outfit the new flagship.  Currently she works all jobs as the rotations are being sorted out.  She has some training as a lady's dressing maid and child minder though she's neither nanny nor governess.

[Cyrano Johnson]

I'm curious about the Twin Peaks angle on this.

Zillah, could you make use of a player who showed up at irregular intervals -- as cued by you, if you like -- to play a ghost, random backwards-speaking Lynchian dwarf and/or other bizarre/creepy phenomena? I don't know if I could take on a regular character in this setting but I think I could deliver periodic bursts of random Strange pretty credibly, it would be a fun thing to try.

[Alysanthia]

This is going to be so much fun!

*Happydance*

[Zillah]

Correct me if I'm wrong and I'm basing this solely on the movie, but does the captain lead the sunday religious service or does he simply attend?  People would run into him there if they're looking to talk with him.  That also depends on if the 5 day journey includes a sunday which it very well might.

Haibane has the right of it (as she usually does!) :) A ship's chaplain would lead the religious services, but the Captain would most certainly attend them.

The ship is scheduled to depart on September 12, 1928 - a Wednesday. Arrival time is presently scheduled for Sunday evening, on September 16th.

Captain Sinclair (the commander of the Mystic) is somewhere between the Titanic's Captain Smith and a conventional White Star Lines captain in terms of temperament - he was assigned to the Mystic's maiden voyage primarily to insure that absolutely nothing goes wrong. (Famous last words ...) However, he would be available at the Sunday service, and at the evening meal at the Captain's table, and a few other events. It's not good for business if the Captain annoys your highest-paying passengers, after all! However, Captain Sinclair does limit those appearances and availability to a handful of the first-class passengers.

[Ryven]

I'm curious about the Twin Peaks angle on this.

Zillah, could you make use of a player who showed up at irregular intervals -- as cued by you, if you like -- to play a ghost, random backwards-speaking Lynchian dwarf and/or other bizarre/creepy phenomena? I don't know if I could take on a regular character in this setting but I think I could deliver periodic bursts of random Strange pretty credibly, it would be a fun thing to try.

A ghost might be interesting.  After all, I'm sure at least a few workers would have died in production of the ship.  There was enough time, many dangerous jobs, and a lack of work safety to make stuff like that happen. 

[VonDoom]

Bit of a rush job since I usually take more time getting my characters written out, but nonetheless -- for your discerning eyes:

Name: Nobili Armando d'Elario
Age:  32
Position: First Class Passenger, Italian Nobleman
Sexual Preferences: straight, dominant; seduces the submissive and dabbles with the occasional bondage when in the right mood, but actually falls only for fellow dominants, preferring a partner who can give as good as she gets.
Appearance: Dark hair, dark eyes, tall and lean. With a boyish smile full of mischief and a confident gaze, he looks the adventurous type, but also projects a sense of refinement, class and decadence that is entirely at ease with itself. He generally underplays his own physicality, but underneath his clothes is the body of an athlete and acrobat, as quick to jump into readiness as a switchblade.

Dressed in suits of varying colors, impeccably as a gentleman of his times, he always walks with a cane, though he doesn't appear to actually need one and uses it mostly as an accessory. In reality, the cane is reinforced and lined with steel -- not a sword-cane, but still an effective blunt instrument when necessary.

Personality:  full of mischief and hot-headed, quick to leap to a lady's defense and fall in love over a pretty face. Honest and straightforward.

Well, or so he'd like you to think. In actuality, he's quite the accomplished liar and imposter. Far from being the nobleman he pretends to be, his real reason for being on the ship is to steal from the wealthy and, ideally, find a rich woman to seduce, bedazzle and rob blind of senses and part of her possessions. Though clearly criminal, Armando does like to think of himself as honorable, so he tries not to steal more than his victims can reasonably afford to lose while maintaining their lifestyle.

He generally doesn't fall for his marks as a matter of professionalism. Though he of course is only human, he views it more as a challenge and game than anything else, with personal feelings coming into play only when he encounters an equal.

Background:
Armando grew up as a street urchin, without a last name, in Venice and was soon recruited into one of those classic child-thief schemes, learning how to pick-pocket and skulk in the shadows and alleys without being seen. He was good at it, too. Come puberty, he found that he worked particularly well with one of his fellow thieves, a pretty girl called Elena. When hormones inevitably led to more than just a friendly work relationship, things quickly became worse for the both of them, as the man who was leading the whole gang shindig was neither nice, nor particularly tolerant of youthful fancies.

To spare the grisly details, it ended with young Armando, fifteen at the time, a murderer. He had stabbed his former mentor to death, after Elena had found a rather tragic end at the man's hands. Bereft of his unpleasant but still sole father figure and first love, now not just a criminal but also a murderer, Armando was forced to flee from Venice.

The things he knew to do were largely unhelpful for a life as a productive member of society, so he quickly fell back into his career as a thief. With his heart broken and traumatized, he soon found that the work of a gigolo came easy to him as well -- it seemed simple to keep other people at arm's length, emotionally, and he found that his handsome face and lack of inhibitions made for a winning combination.

Still, he'd never have gotten much further without the attention of one Lady Adriana del Ezzelin. A noblewoman and widow in her thirties, she took an interest in the young man and decided to see that the diamond in the rough received a little polish to bring out his edges. While he was not one to complain about spending time in a rich household and being treated like a young lord, she effectively forced a classic education onto Armando and had him tutored in various subjects that, despite his initial unwillingness, he took to quite well. Writing, other languages, history, the arts, even fencing, everything he needed to function in high society -- and, ultimately, to pass himself of as one of them.

He never found out why exactly the Lady decided to put that much effort and resources into him. The youth, though grateful, had no interest in finding out and, with intentions to stand on his own two feet, fled the country entirely before Adriana could ask for a recompense … even if that would have been for him to stay with her out of obligation.

So, free as a proverbial bird and with pockets full of expensive jewelry, he set out to the neighboring Germany, where he spent some time mooching off of the local high society and working further on his social skills. The political climate didn't sit too well with him, however, and eventually he left for England. He had good times there, but it's never a smart thing for a conman to stick around in one place for too long.

The RMS Mystic presented a great opportunity -- not only would it bring him to New York City, but it would give him a head start, with plenty of exploitable members of high society among the passengers.

Also, Zillah, I'm wondering ... was there any particular inspiration for your choice of nickname, if it's not too personal a question?  :-)

[Zillah]

I'm curious about the Twin Peaks angle on this.

Zillah, could you make use of a player who showed up at irregular intervals -- as cued by you, if you like -- to play a ghost, random backwards-speaking Lynchian dwarf and/or other bizarre/creepy phenomena? I don't know if I could take on a regular character in this setting but I think I could deliver periodic bursts of random Strange pretty credibly, it would be a fun thing to try.

Hi CJ,

Unfortunately, at the moment, no. I have some pretty specific ideas of what the supernatural elements are going to be, and I'd like them to remain firmly in GM hands.

Appreciate your interest and your enthusiasm, though!

[bubby]

Bit of a rush job since I usually take more time getting my characters written out, but nonetheless -- for your discerning eyes:

Oh.... my....  >:)

[Zillah]

Name: Clarisse Block
Age: 25
Position: First Class Passenger
Sexual Preferences: Straight, but has 'entertained' girls once or twice - though sufficiently rarely for her to not think of herself as bisexual. Due to her success in her industry she can act quite dominant in the bedroom which surprises many of her lovers since her film roles often cast her in the "vulnerable little girl" role, always being whisked away by masked baddies or saved by dashing heroes. At other times, such as on the casting couch, she will happily submit.
Appearance: Clarisse has intense dark brown eyes and while her film fans know her only in black and white, many are surprised upon meeting her, to find she has a head of flaming intense red hair. While the severely controlled bob and the flat-breasted look is all the rage this season, Clarisse continues to wear her hair in her signature "wild boy" cut, a style quite unlike any other lady of the silver screen and she flaunts her very curvaceous and neatly put together figure. In her film roles she often does bedroom scenes in satin and silk night dresses or bathing scenes in swimsuits because of her buxom shape.
Personality: Clarisse is outgoing, bubbly and cheerful and a relentless party girl, although much of this is a front to hide her tired inner self, hollow from overwork and lonely from a lack of deep friendships. She does not smoke but drinks to excess, usually G&T.
Background: Clarisse was born in Tottenham, north London, a working class girl and as a child was a maid servant to a family of the English nobility. During the war when Baron Wentworth went to command a brigade in France, the household was downsized and Clarisse returned to live with her father, a travelling itinerant fairground showman. She never knew her mother who was a drunk and ran away from the baby Clarisse and her husband soon after Clarisse was born. Her father Tom would set up his stall at local fairs, and at the ends of seaside piers to entertain the "Sunday strollers". At these places the teenaged Clarisse would give impromptu singing acts as well as dances and her big break came one day just after the war when a London vaudeville producer saw her and offered her and her father a contract on the spot.

From small-time vaudeville theatre and matinee shows Clarisse worked her way up as a singer and dancer until a movie mogul spotted her and gave her a part on the big screen. Her first silent movie "The Mystic Angel" (1922) was an astounding hit, Clarisse's signature look of the "innocent girl with a knowing smile" was hugely popular and a successful string of silent reels followed, producing them at a rate of three a year. "The Sandboy", "When Dawn Comes", "Arabian Prince", "Molly Knuckles and the Cat Boy", "Moonstruck" and "Dahlia and the Dancing Fawns" are among her many well-known movies.

Clarisse's skill is as a dancer and singer and now the age of the talkie is here, she has signed up a contract with the Hollywood casting director Abraham Bartok Maroon who has contracted her to tap-dance and sing in a new talking movie "The Forty-Niners" that is being shot in California. Clarisse has booked her cabin in first class on board the RMS Mystic because the name links her to her first successful silent movie and she hopes this voyage will be the start of new things.

In truth, Clarisse hides behind a smiling face and is almost on the point of nervous collapse. She has worked far too hard in the last six years and has been prescribed amphetamine pills to keep her going, to which she is now addicted, as well as becoming an alcoholic. The talkies offer a less arduous schedule, being produced, usually at the rate of one to two a year and she hopes that if she can earn big bucks in America she might soon have enough to retire and rest... and find a husband. A true and close friend is someone she has never had and she yearns to have that hole in her life filled.

It's my honor to approve your character, Haibane. She's perfect for this RP. Welcome aboard! :)

[Cyrano Johnson]

Hi CJ,

Unfortunately, at the moment, no. I have some pretty specific ideas of what the supernatural elements are going to be, and I'd like them to remain firmly in GM hands.

Appreciate your interest and your enthusiasm, though!

Worth a shot... :)

Have fun with it!

[Zillah]

Bit of a rush job since I usually take more time getting my characters written out, but nonetheless -- for your discerning eyes:

Also, Zillah, I'm wondering ... was there any particular inspiration for your choice of nickname, if it's not too personal a question?  :-)

Really great character, VonDoom - approved, and happy to have him as part of this RP!

And no, it's not too personal. It started out as a rather complicated and probably-too-difficult to explain in-joke - I was Zillah, and one of my friends was Adah. Later on it became something I used as a stage name, and then as an online name, since I grew to like it a lot!

[Zillah]

Character Audition

Name: Shannon Elizabeth McPhee
Age: 17
Position: Crew Member - maid
Sexual Preferences: Lesbian
Appearance: A life of work has made Shannon Elizabeth appear a few years older than she really is.  Indecisively blue eyes peer out from a freckled pale-skinned face topped with a reasonably under control mass of red-brown hair.  Shannon Elizabeth is short, not even five feet tall due to poor nutrition growing up and has an indeterminate body buried underneath her maid's dress and apron.  Scuffed and very workmanlike black boots are visible beneath the hem of her dress.  When she speaks, Shannon Elizabeth has a very down country Irish accent and is obviously uneducated.
Personality: Shannon Elizabeth knows she is lucky to have her position on the White Star's pride and is very scared of losing it.  She's not shy but she is self-effacing and tries to remain in the background as much as possible around the upper class passengers and the officers of the crew.  Among her own kind she's as fun and outspoken as many of the girls though she doesn't flirt at all with the rough men - or even the gentle ones. 
Background: Maiden, mother or sister; these are the choices available to Irish girls from families to poor the phrase dirt poor sounds luxurious.  Shannon Elizabeth's too flighty to be a Sister and wed to Christ.  She finds the idea of being a mother terrifying and so maiden is the only choice left.  Maiden and maid, she started service when she was still a bitty girl, working below stairs at one of the English interloper's homes.  Shannon Elizabeth worked for the estate for the next 9 years then took a chance and went with another one of the girls to see about a job with the steamship lines.  They were booming in the huge rush of new money and were desperate for hands of all sorts, even ones that scrubbed pots and floors and made beds.  Shannon Elizabeth worked on the Vedic on the Liverpool-Australia
run but has been moved to Mystic along with many other girls to outfit the new flagship.  Currently she works all jobs as the rotations are being sorted out.  She has some training as a lady's dressing maid and child minder though she's neither nanny nor governess.

Shannon's a cutie ... and maids are certainly needed. Approved!

[Branwen]

Thank you, Zillah.  Please let me know if I can be of any help to you.

And if anyone's looking for a story or scene with a plain-faced maid, feel free to brainstorm with me.  :)

[VonDoom]

Really great character, VonDoom - approved, and happy to have him as part of this RP!

And no, it's not too personal. It started out as a rather complicated and probably-too-difficult to explain in-joke - I was Zillah, and one of my friends was Adah. Later on it became something I used as a stage name, and then as an online name, since I grew to like it a lot!

It is a very nice name, at that. Thank you for the approval, looking forward to it.

Oh.... my....  >:)

My thanks. Oh, look, a silver bracelet suddenly appeared around your wrist. I wonder where that came from.  >:)

[Zillah]

Thank you, Zillah.  Please let me know if I can be of any help to you.

And if anyone's looking for a story or scene with a plain-faced maid, feel free to brainstorm with me.  :)

Thanks, Branwen!

This interest in this has been even greater than I anticipated - which is a good thing! - so I'm going to formally close character applications sometime tomorrow. Note: If you expressed interest in making a character in this thread or by PM prior to this thread being closed for applications, you can still send me your characters directly to me for approval by PM. I just won't be accepting any new inquiries from anyone after the thread closes for new characters.

I'm also probably going to need a co-GM to help manage things, so if anyone's interested, please PM me directly.

OOC and Character Threads will be up either Thursday or Friday. I'm hoping to have opening threads written this weekend, and we should be able to get rolling on this RP either by Sunday evening, or no later than this coming Monday.

[bubby]

My thanks. Oh, look, a silver bracelet suddenly appeared around your wrist. I wonder where that came from.  >:)

What a wonderful start...  ::)