So... I have a lot of characters I introduced, but I'm all awkward and paranoid and shy about joining into discussions that are going on elsewhere. I also need to get the hang of the style of roleplaying here and what-not, and have my characters get to know some people. So a friend suggested I start this thread, and here I am. XD And my characters'll be here any minute... as soon as they stop playing tag outside...

I thought I'd bring in my nice character. Actually, no, grouchy old Hawkes should be here too.

Shawn: *pokes head in* Is anyone around?

Hawkes: No one is around. So I can--

Me: Nope.

Hawkes: You can'--

Me: Personal force field. You can't leave.

Hawkes: You're off your trolley! A what?

Shawn: Don't read much about authors?

Hawkes: Not if it can be helped, dealing with one is trouble enough.

Awesome. So, we use script form, or can we use story form in roleplaying too?

Ingvar: [bows] Greetings. Yes, there are some people around; quite a few, actually.

Jonah: [walks up to Shawn] Hi! [sees Hawkes] [little kid 'I know this guy can't stand little kids' radar switches on] Hi! [walks up and tugs on Hawkes' sleeve] I'm Jonah! What's your name?

Me: People use either, Renna, though script is more common.

Shawn: *grins at Jonah* Hi! (to Ingvar) *courtseys* And who am I addressing?

Hawkes: *eyes Jonah hanging onto his sleeve* Uh.. Ah...

Shawn: *chortles quietly*

Hawkes: *glares, and determines to say something* Detective Inspector Hawkes; that's Detective Inspector to you, I think. *detaches Jonah from his sleeve*

I think I might use story form, because it's easiest... or switch back and forth until I get comfortable with one or the other. XD

Jonah pouts for a split second, and then tugs on Hawkes' sleeve again. "Those are my siblings!" He points to Sarai, Simon, Nathaniel, and Tommy.
Sensing a chance for mischief, Sarai and Simon come running over to stand around Hawkes, both of them saying 'hi' at the same time.

Ingvar smiles. "I am Ingvar, son of Siothan. Pleased to meet your acquaintance."

Tawni stands in a corner, watching everything carefully but staying where she is. Ashley, Tommy, Nathaniel, Seth, Kasimir, Koen, Rarrick, and Keallan stay in the back as well.

All right! I'm going to keep at it with script, for now -- I need practice at it.

Hawkes: *freezes* Hello. *blinks, sensing he is trapped*

Shawn: *smiles back at Ingvar, and also the people in the back* I'm Shawn Henderson; pleased to meet you.

Okay.

Simon and Sarai both chatter on to Hawkes for several moments before stopping abruptly. Sarai taps his arm, looking up at him with pleading. "Wanna play hide-and-seek?" she asks, grinning. "'Thaniel and Tommy won't play with us."

The others introduce themselves (I'd have them do it individually, but there's so many of them it'll take forever) to Shawn.

Shawn: So what are the worlds you are like from?

Hawkes: *looks up from explaining that he doesn't play games* What do you mean, worlds?

Shawn: There are other worl-- This is a fantasy forum.

Hawkes: A forum. For imaginary worlds.

Me: Yes, oh parrot, and you're imaginary too, technically.

Hawkes: Ridiculous. Am not so.

Me:

"We're not imaginary either!" Jonah exclaims, still standing very close to Hawkes in an attempt to pull him into a game of hide-and-seek.

Ingvar looks at Shawn. "We..." - he gestured towards himself, Kasimir, Keallan, Koen, and Rarrick - "...are from Solarii. It's much less technologically-advanced compared to this world. There are many creatures no one here has ever heard of."

Seth sits in the corner now, holding his daughter Ashley on his lap. "Ashley and I are from Earth, only a thousand or so years into the future. It's... not pleasant. I think that's all I should say with the little ones about."

Nathaniel and Tommy, slightly annoyed that their far more outgoing little siblings weren't going to answer Shawn's question, realize they'll have to themselves. Tommy spoke up. "We're from Earth at the present time. Not much to tell."

Tawni remains in the corner, refusing to say anything.

Hawkes: "Not at the moment relative to me, you aren't."

Me: "Be nice."

Hawkes: "I'm trying."

Me: "Oh dear..."

Shawn: "Oh, those are all cool places. I'm from Earth, sort of, myself." *smiles and waves at Tawni* "Hi!"

Kaida: *steps in and sees all of the people* So... Is this an orphanage, or refugee camp?

Guilo: Hey! There are a lot more people in here!

Sarai tugs on Hawkes' sleeve again. "Pleaaase?" she begs. "We'll let you win the first few times." (That sentence made me die laughing as I wrote it for some reason... XD)

Seth glances at Kaida and Guilo and raises one hand in a greeting. "No, not an orphanage. A refugee camp, perhaps, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that either. No, it's more a gathering of so-called 'characters' thrown into this room by their so-called 'writers'."

Tawni, staring at Shawn with wide eyes, opens her mouth to speak. Then she quickly shuts it again and shyly stares at the floor.

Guilo: Kay doesn't mean anything by it, our home is a refugee camp.

Kaida: And we're all thrown here by authors.

Me: *reminds everyone that Guilo has wings in case that's an attention grabber*

Me: Renna, that line almost made my cry with laughter reading it.

Hawkes: *mumbling* "No, I don't play games." *shakes head as if to confirm this fact*

Me: The puppy eyes haven't even started, I'm sure.

Shawn: *crouches down and smiles gently at Tawni* "I'm Shawn."

Seth nods. "Ah. Yes, I suppose we all have 'authors' who have dropped us here to torment us..." He glances down at Ashley, who is staring wide-eyed at Guilo's wings. Before he can stop her, she asks, "Are those real?"

"Ashley," Seth reprimands quietly. "Manners."

Sarai's mouth turns down into a pout for a few seconds, and she stares up at Hawkes with wide, blue-gray eyes. "Please?" she repeats, more quietly this time.

Tawni blinks rapidly, unsure of whether to smile back and say hello, or find a place to hide. "H-hi," she whispers.

Guilo: Yep. *stretches his wings out a bit*

Ashley continues to stare for several minutes. "How'd you put them on?"

Seth, his face reddening slightly in embarrassment, places his hand over her mouth for a few moments. "Ashley, hush," he whispers, taking his hand away. Turning to Guilo, he says, "I'm sorry, she's not usually this inquisitive."

Guilo: Oh, that's alright, I understand. *sits down* I didn't put them on, they grew on me all at once. It's like seeing a flower open up all at once.

Kaida: Daaaw.

Guilo:

Hawkes: "Ugh..."

Me: "Go." *smacks with dictionary*

Hawkes: *grimaces and mumbles* "No."

Shawn: *smiles encouragingly at Tawni*

Ashley's face lights up in a delighted smile, even moreso at Guilo's mention of flowers. She gets up and takes a few steps towards him, and then stops hesitantly, suddenly feeling uncertain.

Sarai continues to tug on Hawkes' sleeve. "Please, Mister... Inspector 'tective Hawk?" she pleads in a lisp, managing to say his name completely wrong.

Tawni blinks a few more times, and then hesitantly waves at Shawn. "...hi," she repeats again, unsure of what to say.

Shawn: *waves back* "What's your name?"

Hawkes: *stares for a minute, his eyes losing some of their intensity* "What was your name?"

Tawni smiles slightly. "I-I'm Tawni," she says quietly. "Who are you?"

A wide smile lights up Sarai's face. "My name is Sarai Banner!" she says brightly, giving Hawkes a hug in greeting, even though her small arms aren't able to completely reach all the way around him.

Jonah and Simon watch on, trying not to giggle and failing miserably.

Hawkes: *stands still, taken by surprise* "Uh.."

Me:

Hawkes: *mentally flounders for words*

Shawn: *smiles back at Tawni* "I'm Shawn."

Hawkes: (to Sarai) "That's a nice name." *smiles rustily, as he's out of practice*

Guilo: Do you like flowers?

"Yes," Ashley says, nodding. She takes another hesitant step forward, and then another, until she is in front of Guilo. She sits down. "We don't get to see flowers where we live."

"I like my name." Sarai nods, finally stepping away and letting Hawkes free from the hug. "Tommy says Da wanted to name me Esther. But Mum wanted to name me Sarai, and she was sick, so he let her. They're both dead now..." Sarai's face darkens for a moment, then springs back to its normal happy state. "But Tommy and Nathaniel take care of me!"

Tawni smiles a little more. "Hi, Shawn."

Kaida: *sits near Guilo and tries not to look intimidating* *doesn't think of anything to say*

Guilo: We live in a little camp in the mountains. Down on the plain there is lots and lots of lavender, but up in the forest there is a little white flower with a tiny bit of blue on the age. My friend Melany uses it to make tea that makes you feel better.

Hawkes: (to Sarai) *quiet nod* "Good for them." *thinks quietly and grimaces* "What were the games you were so anxious after, again?"

Shawn: (to Tawni) "You have a pretty smile."

A wide grin appears on Sarai's face. "Hide and seek, or Tag!" she exclaims, bouncing happily onto tiptoe and then back to the ground again.

Tawni looks down at the floor, suddenly feeling shyer, though the smile never leaves her face. "Thank you," she says.

Hawkes: *carefully* "I think I'd better go for hide and seek... One game."

Shawn: *smiles softer* "Where are you from, Tawni?"

"Ooh, yay!" Sarai exclaims, clapping her hands. "Do you want to hide, or try and find me and Jonah and Simon?"

Tawni frowns for a moment. "I don't know. It was a pretty place; it was really green and it rained a lot. There were old castles like the ones in my storybooks, only the ones where I lived were all broken and crumbly."

Hawkes: *thinks* "You all hide, and I'll look for you." *can't believe he's actually doing this*

Shawn: "Ooh, it sounds very pretty. Do you like rain?"

(Sorry for not replying to your post sooner, Kitra; we must have posted almost right next to each other, and I didn't see it until I skimmed through again. )

Ashley sits and listens in awe. "It sounds really pretty," she says to Guilo. "I like flowers." She glances over at Kaida, and smiles a bit shyly, waving.

Sarai's grin somehow manages to get even wider. "Okay! Count to twenty," she says, bouncing a little. She, Jonah, and Simon run out of the room to hide. (Is leaving the room in which the characters are put allowed?)

Tawni nods. "Rain is nice. And it made things get greener, so that was good. Her brow furrows for a moment. "I wish I could remember its name."

TherdiPronounced Ther-di. walks in and looks around. "People!" she shouted.

EDIT: Therdi is a water nymph, and she is five years old

Kaida: *waves*

Guilo: How come you don't have flowers where you live?

"Well..." Ashley pauses, frowning as she tries to remember. Her eyes light up when she does. "Me and my mum and da live in a city. It's all... rock and gray, shiny stuff."

"Metal, Ashley," Seth reminds her, still sitting in the corner, watching Ashley carefully.

"Yes, meddle," Ashley says, pronouncing it with a 'd sound, rather than the clear 't' Seth had pronounced it with.

"Hello, there, little one," Ingvar says to Therdi, smiling.

Guilo: When I was little, I lived in a house with white walls and lots of glass and metal. There were no flowers there. But I had a friend who brought me pictures of flowers and animals and things.

"Your friend sounds nice," Ashley says, smiling and rocking back and forth. "Do you live here on Earth?"

Guilo: We did, but then I grew wings, so I had to hide. Then a lizard showed me how to get to Lor-Amar where the pretty flowers live.

"Oh!" Ashley exclaims delightedly, hugging her knees to her chest. "A lizard? And where is Lor-Amar? Could I go there someday?"

I don't know where Lor-Amar is... It's sort of like going through a door and finding another room, only the room isn't supposed to be there. Like magic. Yes, a very nice lizard from Lor-Amar showed me how to find the door, and now I live there. Maybe someday a lizard will show you too.

Ashley's grin grows ever-wider. "I'd like that." Almost as an afterthought, she adds, "I like lizards. I saw one once; it was far away from its home, Da said. The only animals where we live are dogs and kitties and bugs. We never see lizards or bunnies or horses, like the ones in my storybooks."

Guilo: What is your favorite story book?

Ashley pauses. "Well, there's one that Mum gave me. It's really old and the title has disappeared. She says it used to be called Storyland of Stars."

Guilo: Neat! What's it about?

"It's about this boy who gets to go to all these other places," Ashley says. "Because he can read himself into other books, so he can go anywhere, if it's been written about."

(Lame, but I'm coming up with all that from the top of my head. XD I took the title name from a Pinterest picture I found, and the rest of it I'm just randomly making up on the spot.)

Guilo: That sounds fun.

Hawkes: "One, two, three, four..."

Me: "I think them leaving is fine, Teddy."

Shawn: *without looking behind her* "You have to close your eyes."

Hawkes: "Ugh." *closes them and starts over* "One, two, three, four..."

Shawn: "Mmm, I like rain too." *nods* "Names get lost sometimes... Do you ever invent names?"

"Yes, it's my favorite book," Ashley says. "Do you have a favorite book?"

Jonah, Simon, and Sarai run around outside, ducking into hiding spots or crawling under things.

"Sometimes," Tawni says quietly. "I used to have a tiger named Icestar."

Guilo: Yep! *pulls a worn black book with lots of sections with red letters and hands it to Ashley* This is my absolute favorite book ever.

Hawkes: "Five.... Siiiiiix.... Sevvvvvvvennnnnn..."

Shawn: "Icestar is a beautiful name! I wish I had a pet tiger.."