Animorphs: Redux (OOC)

[TehUltimateMage]

I have gotten past book thirty. Will the perspective of the role-play be fīrst-person, like the books, or third-person?

 

That's still up in the air. It might get real confusing if everyone is in first person, though it would be nice if there was at least some of it. Maybe something like the Megamorphs books, where the narrative is passed around? I plan to set this up kind of like a collaborative fanfiction, so I would like people's input. Since I plan to have a lot of the improv-work done behind the scenes (messaging, chat, etc.), maybe we can co-write entire "chapters" from one character's perspective.

 

I also wondered this; in the books, the Andalites can take DNA from multiple sources at a time to form strange mixtures. Could an Animorph theoretically do this as well? Could the skill be learned?

 

Are you cutting out DNA mixture or human acquiring?

 

I'll be cutting out DNA mixing, including for the Andalites (which might make it a bit harder to find a suitable human form!). It wasn't really elaborated in the books, if I remember correctly. However, nothing (except morality and ethics) is stopping your characters from acquiring humans.

 

Do you have plans for creative characters (Andalites, Controllers, Chee, etc.) initially in the role-play? You know, like Ax? And am I asking too many questions?

 

It would be cool if someone played a non-human (like I mentioned in the intro, there was one roleplay I was in where one of the PCs was a Controller-Animorph. He was beautifully well written!). Other than the major plot points involving the aliens already found within the series, I don't have many plans, no. If you have any ideas, fire away. Questions are fine!

[Obscure_Trash]

OoC's we usually wait for the actual RP to be approved before also moving them, but we do allow more flexibility in posting in Unapproved than the RP proper.

 

I just have a few more things before I move!

 

Hork-Bajir resemble humanoid dinosaurs, with taloned feet, powerful tails, and beak-like mouths at the end of serpentine necks.

 

No comma after dinosaurs!

 

The first third of their bodies stands upright, with multiple sets of pincers on their frontside and insect-like pairs of legs for the rest.

 

No comma after upright.

 

~

 

Will it be listed what characters belong to who and will NPC's be marked as such in the People You May Know section?

 

~

 

He is ruthless toward his peons, and even less tolerant of his enemies.

 

No comma.

 

~

 

Don't worry about how long corrections took last time! I got busy as well so might not have been able to look again in a timely fashion, lol. Thanks for being so patient with my questions! The OP looks totally awesome.

 

If you do at any point want posts cleaned, I'm just a PM away. And since this was so few corrections, I'll be here much quicker to move when you delete those three commas. =3

[TehUltimateMage]

Don't worry about how long corrections took last time! I got busy as well so might not have been able to look again in a timely fashion, lol. Thanks for being so patient with my questions! The OP looks totally awesome.

 

If you do at any point want posts cleaned, I'm just a PM away. And since this was so few corrections, I'll be here much quicker to move when you delete those three commas. =3

 

Done, done, and done! Thank you so much.

 

Will it be listed what characters belong to who and will NPC's be marked as such in the People You May Know section?

You're right. In that section I will mark who plays who for convenience's sake.

 

 

[Obscure_Trash]

((Approved. Enjoy your RP!))

[ValidEmotions]

Yay! Approval!

I'm making the final draft of Simon's sheet now. All I gotta do is make a couple adjustments to his outfit (which involves including his morph-suit details).

 

Now, are we starting this thread in the exact same way as the first book or are we starting with a different, initial location? I know we're following the books for perhaps most of the plot but, will locations be one of those things where our actions/choices yield the consequences?

[Coryn02]

This is what I have so far. I think the only part I did not mention was the morphing suit. I don't really know what to put in for it, I may need help with what exactly is tolerable. Constructive criticism is welcome.

 

Name: Andrew

 

Gender: Male

 

Age: 16

 

Physical Appearance: Andrew isn't very muscular, but he can't be considered 'thin' either. He has light brown hair and hazel eyes. His skin tone is quite pale, since he only goes outside when he has no other option. Andrew is a bit tall for his age. His hair is almost constantly at a buzz-cut length. His parents tell him it's because they want him to look "proper", instead of having overly long hair, but he knows it's just because they don't have the time to have him get his hair cut often.

 

Andrew can be thought of as having little sense of vanity, usually clothing himself in blank T-shirts, usually blue, black or white in colour, and wears jeans all the time, unless it is too hot out, in which case he wears shorts instead.

 

The only thing considered even remotely fancy about his appearance is his metal analog wind-up trench watch. It is a very old watch, battered and scratched, making the clock's face a bit cloudy. While it still does its job, Andrew mostly wears it because it is a family heirloom from his father's side of the family; it is his reminder of the time when he actually had some semblance of a childhood, before his parents both got promoted and moved to where he now lives.

 

His morph suit is a blue and black Spandex shirt and shorts. It is a cycling suit his father gave him after the former got promoted and no longer found time to use it. Andrew's father hoped that giving it to his son would encourage him to get outside more would be good for him. Andrew never wore it and it remained unused in his closet until the day he became an Animorph.

 

Personality: Andrew is usually reserved, and prefers to keep to himself. He has a few friends he likes to hang out with, but aside from them he is usually alone. Instead of sports, Andrew prefers to spend his time reading books or doing something on his computer. He isn't a geek, but he gets his work done and makes a point if regularly educating himself on points of interest. While he doesn't really mind spending time alone, he can provide a valuable perspective on situations because of this. The sparse occasions he is not inside on his computer, he is at the library reading philosophy.

 

Andrew may seem indifferent to many situations, but that is mostly because he is. Since he never really got used to sympathizing with others, he usually keeps to his own life. In short, he isn't necessarily the best person to bring your problems to, and won't ask about it (he says that it is only his business if they talk to him about it). If you ask for his advice, he will do his best to help you.

 

Andrew had nobody to confide in from a young age, so he learned to trust himself more than others. He now has the belief that he has to do everything on his own, since he is the only one who won't let himself down. While this could be valuable in occasions where the Animorphs must be temporarily split up, it also makes him more liable to be captured.

 

When he is in a situation he does not like but cannot escape (having to work with others, for instance), Andrew is not quite so relaxed. He tends to get panicked easily in a situation he does not recognize or doesn't know how to cope with because he's so used to being able to handle everything. Upon becoming an Animorph, Andrew tries to hold on to what is left of his life. Once he realizes there is nothing he can do, he decides that he must work with the others to try and save what is left of the Earth instead.

 

(Preferred) Morphs: Cougar (Combat), Hippo (Secondary Combat), Sharp-shinned hawk (Flight), European Starling (Secondary Flight / Espionage) (Cougars are quicker in a combat situation, and when fighting Hork-Bajir, agility is what you want. The hippo morph is better for a mission requiring raw fire-power, and it can destroy even vehicles like few other land animals. As a smaller type of hawk, the sharp-shinned is more likely to go unnoticed and has good eyesight. Starlings are a common species throughout America and are much less liable to be suspected as an 'Andalite bandit', since they nest under the eaves of buildings and congregate in large flocks.)

 

It would also be interesting to have some kind of snake morph; bugs are horrible to morph, but snakes are similar enough to humans and small enough in size that they could theoretically do the ground-based work an arthropod could otherwise do without Andrew losing his mind completely. He likes to have control over his life and actions, so imagine what morphing a mostly instinctual creature would do to someone with that mindset.

 

Other than that, whatever comes along that is needed in the story will do.

 

Background: Andrew's father is a policeman, and his mother is an accountant. Andrew grew up an only child, and his parents moved a few times when he was younger, so he didn't have much time to socialize with others his age, resulting in his being used to loneliness. His parents wanted their only child to have the best life possible, so they tried to get the best jobs thy could so they would always be able to provide for him. This unfortunately resulted in their induction into Yeerk slavery, who desired their bodies bexause of the high degree of control they exerted overnothers with their high positions in their fields. Due to the nature of his parents' jobs, they are often working late, requiring him to be more independent in their absence. Since he is usually alone so often, he tends to shirk his work if it doesn't need to be handed in, preferring to teach himself about stuff he cares about (subjects taught at schools don't interest Andrew much).

 

Relationships: Andrew's relationship with his parents is frigid to say the least. Due to being left alone, the three of them are no longer as close as in earlier times. It is also due to the fact that Andrew's parents are high-ranking Controllers, who have no bond with Andrew whatsoever. Trapped in their own minds, Andrew's parents love him dearly, but they can never let him know now. Andrew is a bit bitter toward his parents for their general negligence in his early years, but still cares for them.

 

Andrew is at first against the idea that he should work with the Animorphs, but gradually comes to respect them for their courage once they decide to cooperate. He eventually starts to trust them, making the other Animorphs virtually the first group of friends he has ever had.

 

Contact information: I have an E-mail address... I'll send it to you via PM if you ask for it.

 

Misc.: Not sure what to add. Some of this is probably subject to change, mostly relationships and morphs. Personality and relationships kind of share a bit of information; when we get things organized I'll add more in.

Edited May 24, 2014 by Coryn02

[ValidEmotions]

Personally, it looks okay to me but, I think Mage might want some more fleshing out in Andrew's appearance (I know I would like to see more if this were one of my threads). Plus, you forgot to mention what his morphing suit will look like.

 

If Mage already PM'd you about Andrew's sheet (or you PM'd her) then just ignore me |D

Edited May 22, 2014 by Narvix

[Coryn02]

Personally, it looks okay to me but, I think Mage might want some more fleshing out in Andrew's appearance (I know I would like to see more if this were one of my threads). Plus, you forgot to mention what his morphing suit will look like.

 

If Mage already PM'd you about Andrew's sheet (or you PM'd her) then just ignore me |D

I already mentioned that I didn't know what types of clothing work for morphing suits and that I'd need help.

 

What kinds of stuff would you want for his description that is not already there? I guess I could put in some more info... An example would help a lot.

[Kiran]

((Morphing suits are pretty much anything skintight that cover the character enough that they won't get embarrassed. Spandex clothing is usually what characters use. I can't remember anyone else's, but I think that Rachel's morphing suit is her gymnastics leotard.

 

Here's my character's appearance from my WIP form:

Taylor is a little short than average, at about 5' 1" tall. She isn't especially muscular, but isn't fat either due to a running schedule. Her large, dark brown eyes are hidden behind slim glasses with dark rims. She doesn't need the glasses to see, but she is nearsighted and the glasses help. Her hair is straight and dark brown, kept at about shoulder length, and is often tied up in a ponytail. Her face is heart-shaped, with a pointed chin. Her skin is pale, but she has a thick splash of freckles across her nose. Her clothes are, while not the newest fashion or the most expensive, fairly new. She generally wears a normal jean and t-shirt (plus a sweater, depending on the weather) combo, along with a cheap, digital watch with a velcro strap. Her morphing outfit is a dark blue spandex t-shirt and black spandex shorts.

))

[ValidEmotions]

Backup beat me to it x3

I didn't remember your little blurb before Andrew's sheet when I wrote my response, so I apologize for that.

 

As Backup showed, Andrew's appearance could use more indepth detail - like you did for his personality.

An example from Simon's sheet, the first of three paragraphs relating to his appearance:

Simon is of an average sort of height but closer to the taller end. Standing at roughly 5'9", he has more of a scrawny build and more of a nature for running instead of punching. Some could say he's a bit lanky or awkward in the way he holds himself, which isn't very confident; he doesn't always stand very straight, more of with a slight hunch to his shoulders. Despite the lack of confidence in his stance, his gray eyes - often hidden by rebellious strands of brown hair when his head is bowed - are usually always bright and entailing some kind of secret urge.

 

I sometimes relay a bit of a character's personality and/or strengths and weaknesses into the appearance; I find that it helps me to create flavor and more realism into the writing. A character someone can relate to, you know?

[TehUltimateMage]

Ah, others beat me to it while I was wrapping up exams.

 

Yeah, the morphing suit is basically any clothing that sticks tightly to the skin and is more or less light. If I recall correctly, Jake had biking shorts and a spandex shirt. Of course, initially, out characters wouldn't figure this out until someone accidentally does it.

 

@Coryn: You're off to a good start! I would have preferred you use the pre-bolded code I've included in the opener, but it's just a minor aesthetic thing. Don't worry about that.

 

To add on to Narvix -- thinking of a character's personality helps a lot in designing their appearance. (Ideally, personality, appearance, and background should all be related!) From what I get, Andrew doesn't seem to care about his appearance a lot and that might show through his condition of his hair or from the way he sits or from the condition of his house. Because he is home alone a lot, his room might be messy since nobody nags him about it -- or, on the other hand, he can't stand disorder and cleans up his parents' messes because they don't have the time! Small things like that can really flesh out characters.

 

It's all about figuring how your character's appearance differs from yours, and asking, Why?

 

I think that's a good first step -- I look forward to seeing what you'll come up with.

 

@Backup: Your character better not be another one of those shy, socially-awkward doesn't-speak-much sort-of-mediocre-but-not-really people. (jk you can if you want. It's just that I see introverted characters much more often than extroverted ones. But I wonder why nobody wants to play the jock character? D: ) Lauren would have to try extra hard to act as a foil to... everybody.

 

Speaking of Lauren, I'll finish up her sheet once everyone else is done and approved. I usually join last in any RP, to fill in any spaces or obvious weaknesses.

 

Also everybody! One of my friends reminded me that using Meyer's-Briggs or Enneagrams to figure out personality types is extremely fun. You don't need to take any quizzes (although it does help you figure out the mindset of a character so here are some anyway: MBTI and Enneagram), but it's worth a read! This is also a summary table I use a lot and here is a "how MBTI types will survive the apocalypse" thing. (Lauren is an ESTP, possibly 8 with a wing of 7? And me, I'm an INTP, 7wing6. It explains why it takes me so long to reply...)

 

Since we're five, we'll be balancing the team (tweaking personalities a little bit, changing morphs around, adding Yeerked relations, etc. All those goodies!) after Backup posts and Coryn gets his sheet approved. Then we'll be able to start!

 

We actually still have potential for one more, so if anyone else wants to squeeze in, it's now or never.

Edited May 23, 2014 by TehUltimateMage

[ValidEmotions]

Those links were useful/interesting Mage x3 Simon came out as a 9 wing 1 and ISFJ.

Also, I feel that Lauren might be the group leader unless someone else creates a leader-like character.

[TehUltimateMage]

ahahahahahaah Having Lauren as a leader would turn every single mission into that one book where Rachel filled in for Jake and nearly gets everyone killed (I looked it up, it's #37).

[ValidEmotions]

|D I've only read up to around book 12.

[Kiran]

Haha, nope. I'm still working on personality a bit, but right now Taylor's more stubborn, blunt, bold, and dedicated to making sure that everything run on schedule. My plan had her not really have friends because she was more focused on her own stuff, but I think I'll change that to distance her more from Coryn's character. I'll check out those links when I get home and I'm not supposed to be doing schoolwork.

 

[Coryn02]

Updated the sheet somewhat.

 

I also had an idea for my character... A subplot, if you will. You know how each book narrated by an Animorph revolves slightly more around them than usual? That sort of thing?

 

I was thinking of maybe explaining why his parents are much more busy now than they used to be at some point in the RP. In my mind, they are both Controllers, chosen for their high positions in society. Is this an okay idea?

 

(I'm also edging towards the advocation of first-person perspective in the role-play. Much easier to explore character traits that way.)

[TehUltimateMage]

Looks good to me! To be honest, I kind of figured they would be controllers. As for first person narration, I've been thinking that we could pass it around. As in, we take turns in first-person narration so we're not swimming through a sea of 'I's.

[Coryn02]

Sure, passing the role around, I like it.

 

Well, Andrew's parents love him dearly, but they wanted to give him a good life to be free to dvelop as a person. In doing so they got themselves very good jobs to provide this for him, and unwittingly ruined his childhood. Their subsequent targeting by The Sharing prevented them from making things right. They probably never will.

 

(Also, most of the time 'work' is just managing the Sharing.)

 

So, can I put that in the sheet?

[TehUltimateMage]

Yes! That can go either under relationships or background.

 

This actually reminds me a bit of that Chapman sideplot with Melissa.

Edited May 24, 2014 by TehUltimateMage

[Coryn02]

Yes! That can go either under relationships or background.

 

This actually reminds me a bit of that Chapman sideplot with Melissa.

It is a little bit like that, yes. I'm editing it in now, let me know if there is anything else even remotely wrong with my sheet when I am done.

 

EDIT: Done!

Edited May 24, 2014 by Coryn02

[Kiran]

Alright, my form's not quite done yet, but here's the first bit. Constructive criticism is very much appreciated.

 

Name: Taylor

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Physical Appearance: Taylor is a little short than average, at about 5' 1" tall. She is slender and athletic due to daily runs and strength building exercises. Her large, dark brown eyes are hidden behind slim glasses with black rims. She doesn't need the glasses to see, but she is nearsighted and the glasses help. Her hair is straight and dark brown, and smells like raspberry shampoo. It's kept at about shoulder length, and is often tied up in a neat ponytail. Her face is heart-shaped, with a pointed chin. Her skin is lightly tanned, and she has a thick splash of freckles across her nose. Her fingers, while not especially long or thin, are nimble and dexterous from hours of piano practice. Rarely, her nails will be carefully painted a light, unobtrusive color or something metallic. Her makeup is light and not very noticeable, mostly serving to highlight her eyes. Her clothes are, while not the newest fashion or the most expensive, fairly new. She generally wears a normal jean and t-shirt (plus a sweater, depending on the weather) combo. A cheap, blue digital watch, always accurate and set to 24-hour time, almost never leaves her wrist. Her morphing outfit is a dark blue spandex t-shirt and black spandex shorts.

Personality: Taylor is almost always serious and calm. She doesn't joke around while in an important situation, and will be bothered if she doesn't think that someone isn't taking things seriously. Schedules are very important to her as well, with every day being structured. She doesn't sleep in on weekends, preferring to get up in the morning at her normal time. Disruption of her schedule bothers her, and repeated interruptions makes her angry. She'll know if it wasn't anyone's fault and that it's irrational to feel angry for such a thing, but she'll still be angry. That said, her dedication to keeping everything orderly means that she isn't forgetful, and is always on time (barring situations that are out of her control, but she tries to account for things that might happen).

 

Attentive to detail and incredibly focused, Taylor is sure to make sure that everything works perfectly. She is quick to point out flaws, and will then immediately get to work fixing those flaws. She has a long attention span, and doesn't like starting something else without finishing the first thing. 'Reckless' is not the way that anyone would describe her; she has an aversion to taking risks, and always thinks things through. She's good at long-term plans, but thinking on the fly really isn't her thing, and that's part of the reason why she is so careful to always have a plan. Speaking of plans, if she's going to be involved in one it better not have much acting. She's a terrible actor and can't hide her emotions very well, something that she's a bit insecure about. Because of her bad acting, she's usually pretty blunt in her interactions with other people.

 

Taylor sticks to her morals, and won't quit just because something gets hard. If she decides to do something, she won't back down until it's completed. She's often been described as 'stubborn', and that descriptor fits her well. Her highest priority is saving the world; if she has to risk her friend's lives, or even her own life to save the world? So be it. If the world's taken over by Yeerks, it's not going to be a very nice place to live in, and all of the Animorphs would probably end up dead anyway.

(Preferred) Morphs:

-Ferruginous hawk (main flight morph)

-Grizzly Bear (main battle morph)

Background: Taylor's back story isn't really anything special, having lived in the same town her whole life. Her parents both have steady, decently payed jobs. About the most devastating thing that's happened to her was the death of the family cat, Mittens, about one and a half years ago. He climbed over the backyard fence, went wandering off, and got hit by a truck. Since then, Taylor has wanted to get a new cat, but her parents have refused, saying that maybe they'll get a dog instead (which they still haven't done). She has regularly taken piano lessons since she was six, and for two years she played volleyball. However, this year she decided that she preferred running, because it's more solitary and she doesn't have to deal with last-minute practice cancels or out-of-town games. Her grades have always been good, and she has never gotten into serious trouble with the school.

Relationships:

Parents: Her relationship with her parents is pretty good. She wouldn't trust them with any big secrets, and she mostly just quietly does her chores and then leaves to do her own stuff, but they don't get into any arguments or anything. All in all, they're both pretty boring, normal people.

Elise (Older Sister): Taylor's relationship with her sixteen year old sister... well, they don't get along very well. An extremely social and extroverted person, Elise tends to get on Taylor's nerves. Taylor thinks that Elise is irresponsible and annoying, while Elise thinks that Taylor is dull and uninteresting. Taylor tries to ignore Elise, but that's not so easy when she's leaving the kitchen a mess that Taylor has to clean up.

Contact Information: I've got an e-mail address that I can PM to people if they need it.

Misc.:

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Side note: I took both tests, and Taylor's a ISTJ and a 1w9.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Backup77

[ValidEmotions]

It's funny that Taylor seems vastly different from Simon but, from those scores, is more similar than the original thought

Also, is Simon the only one of minority blood? :3 He's a mutt in bloodline but slightly pale because he doesn't go out in the sunlight much.

[TehUltimateMage]

Lauren has some Lebanese blood mixed in. I'm still working on her sheet. I also find that if the MBTI types differ only by a letter, they are more different than they initially seem.

 

Also Coryn, that looks good!

[Coryn02]

Is Andrew approved, Mage?

 

It is probably good that Lauren and Andrew are different, at least partially, since being in a group requires the different and multiple contributions of others to get a plan.

 

I'll see about that test thing.

 

EDIT: Andrew scored an ISTJ. He's much like me in that perspective, except that Andrew has learnt to make do without others, while I am a much more vocal and empathetic person.

 

EDIT: Annagram says he is a type 1 wing 2 person. He had surprisingly high scores for some other types (type 1 wing 9, type 5 wing 6 and type 6 wing 5 were runners-up. The latter two seem to reference Andrew's inner conflict over his reasons for being alone, which pleases me in that I played the part to the degree that it showed in the test).

 

From these, it is a bit more clear to me how to portray who Andrew truly is; I thought I knew completely, but now there is a bit more clarity. He developed loneliness because of his parents' distancing and absence from his childhood (y'know, when they became Yeerks). While hard, unfeeling knowledge and conscious emotional suppression helped him cope, it never really did the trick, so he will always feel like he is alone, deep inside.

 

I sort of like to think of him like what happened to Rachel when she split herself by accident and became two people; the cold unfeeling rational Andrew, and the empathetic, friendly (and slightly cowardly) moral Andrew. (I don't plan to do anything like that in the plot, mind you, just an allegory)

 

Moral Andrew is sort of the kid who got stuck in Andrew's mind when his parents partly stopped being his parents, albeit with a bit of adult morality. Rational Andrew is more like a computer; a being made up of logic and fact, designed to hold on to knowledge, invulnerable to emotion, to build a fortress around his weakness.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Coryn02

[Kiran]

Alright, I mostly finished my form. I just need to decide on a battle morph; I was going to do a large cat of some kind, but we already have two. Suggestions?

 

Also, I have a plan where Elise becomes a Yeerk, sort of like the Tom-Jake situation. She's not a Yeerk yet, though.