Welcome to Gaia! ::

Alice had been staring at her desk, waiting for someone else to go first. After breathing a little sigh of relief at hearing another student introduce himself, she slowly stood up from her front row seat and turned towards the class. She cleared her throat, and adjusted her glasses out of habit. Alice made sure to avoid looking at anyone, so as not to add to her nervousness.

"Um... H-hello. My name is Alice. I took a train to get here and walked the rest of the way...?" She hadn't meant that to be a question but it ended up coming out that way anyways. Her heart began beating harder and she glanced in the teacher's direction as if he could help her somehow.

"As for why I'm here, my parents thought it would be good for me to get out-" she cleared her throat again, "I mean... They thought a change of scenery would be nice."

Alice began to fidget nervously. She straightened out her clothes and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Then, she took a deep breath and continued, "The puppeteer that is pulling my strings is named Bourgeoisie Alice V, though most people simply call her "Alice" as well. She has been roleplaying for a little over 12 years now on both Gaia's forums and the online game Nexus Tk. She has enrolled in the Academy to work on her weak points and become a better rper."

Embarrassed and all too eager to sit down again, Alice quickly added, "That's all." She gave a short bow, sat back down, and resumed staring at her desk.



Alice had long, black hair that extended down to the middle of her back that she usually kept out of her face with her favorite silver barrettes. Her sapphire-colored eyes were half-hidden from view by glasses that never left her face. She was currently wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt with a black-and-gray plaid sweater vest over it. Her black, pleated skirt went down to just above her knees, and she wore bunched up knee socks with her Mary-Jane shoes.

Lloyd - or Tombstone - was the next to answer. He was slouched almost impossibly far back in his chair. His sand-colored and mud-spattered duster, which rested over a black double-breasted waistcoat (which strained faintly under his musculature) that in turn covered a white shirt, radiated out from him and across the floor. Emerald green eyes peered out from beneath the wide brim of a brown cowboy hat that rested on his pointed ears. His arms were crossed; hidden by each of his sizable biceps, his fingers - free in their motion within his fingerless gloves - were brushing lightly against the rosewood grips of his pistols. His right foot was using his boot heel to tap out the beat of a song only he could hear. The knife strapped to his thigh outside of his tan pants, Lloyd had bound tight enough for it not to bounce or shuffle and ruin the sound.

"Tombstone," the elf growled. He didn't mean to growl. It was just the sort of thing that happened every time he spoke. "I'm a 'slinger. The fastest guns west of the Hellfire Chasm. Most accurate, too." It wasn't boasting; it was just a fact. It was what one ought to know about him if they were to say they knew him. "I'm from a s**t town in the wasteland. Doesn't matter where. Probably gone. Things come and go like wastelands. People. Towns. Convictions. Tumbleweed. Money. It's just how it goes." His speech was slow and deliberate, a deep rumble from the back of the throat that arrived exactly when it meant to. His face remained as stone-carved as it had been before, the slight motion of his mouth barely noticeable at all. "I've done most of what there is to do. I've done honest work. I've done dirty deeds. I've robbed and defended banks, protected and raided caravans, hunted and been a bounty. I do what it takes to get by, and where I come from that usually ends up being something violent.

"Found my way to your little place through an odd little gateway. Never seen this much green in one place before. It's weird, witnessing a world that hasn't had a crash yet. As for my player... he's one of the faculty. No need to repeat his profile here, I should think."

A moment of silence settled as he stopped speaking, broken only by the steady and rhythmic clicking of his boot heel on the floor, before anyone else spoke again.

"Alrighty then, no colors. Gotcha." He looked up to the sky as if he were hearing a voice. "That guy up there is StealthNeko, and I guess the name really speaks for itself. Not many people know his real name, and vanishes a lot, so forgive him for that. He also says to excuse him for not giving me a form other than a shadow." Fang suddenly came into focus. He was an odd neko, with red eyes scattered with flecks of gold. His eyes were more cat-like than human-like so it was rather hard to see the flecks. His blonde hair flowed down to his shoulders, with his auburn ears sticking up like little hills in the desert. His clothing was simple enough: A common day black dress shirt with some dark blue jeans. The only thing out of place was a cape attached to a collar around his neck, which was also black except for the golden trim. He stood at about a quarter of an inch shorter than 5'11". His skin was lightly tanned, with small scars on his arms.

"Alright, that's good, thanks, Stealth!" He looked at the teacher and his other students.

Dark brown curls twisted from the top of her head. As the others spoke her tongue was propped outside of her lip. Instead of looking up to see her fellow students she had a pencil in hand and was drawing into her desk. When the silence settled Basira looked up.
“Guess I’m up next.” Basira grinned as she stood. She was boisterous for her small five foot two. “I’m Basira.” With a grin she spun a scale-bar in the middle of her palm. “I’m from a big city, big name place! And it was so borin’. I just had to get out. A real s**t show. So I took some advice and got out. Well, I like to draw. A lot. Not pretty pictures, sometimes, but I like, I like buildings more. Not sky scrapers more like, uh movie sets. Those are nice but even more theatre sets. They’re real nice. I came here cause it seemed like some people here could get that…or at least leave me alone long enough to do that.” As she spoke the speed that she twirled the scale bar increased and soon it twirled right out of her hands and onto the floor. “And uh, well here I am…It’s got a roof, and that’s nice.” Basira continued to speak as she dropped to the floor to pick up her scale bar. Once in hand she pointed to the ceiling. “And that’s Tse!”

When she received no response Basira looked up to an empty space. “Well, Tse should be there. Well, Setses, but she prefers Tse." Occupied with other things Basira received only a thumbs-up before disappearing again. " Everyone calls her Set, but that’s a real bummer. Cause she’s no evil brother-killin god. But uh…” Basira twirled around to peer a bit higher. “I still don’t see ‘er! Well, she’s roleplayed for some time I guess but had a time span of not doin’ much because every roleplay she touched died. So I’ve been told..weird.” Basira settled back into her seat and looked down at her desk.

"Alright then, nice first round. Let's not be bolding dialog though, that upsets the sitting Dean," Mr. Vay pointed to a poster on the wall by the door which listed the Academy rules, one of which was not to bold dialog. He moved on quickly though, dropping his hand with a smile. "The two of you not finished can jump in when you get to it, hopefully soon," the teacher gave an expectant look to the pair of unintroduced students but he didn't dwell on that either. Before long the subtle glare was gone and his deep green eyes were on the rest of the class again with another friendly smile.

"So, we're going to give them another day to get their intros posted but that doesn't mean y'all just get to sit around and look pretty," he pointed the last playfully at the female students in the front row with a coy little wink. It may have been creepy if he looked like the stereotypical professor but he'd already passed for a student and, honestly, looked younger than a few in the class. His clean shave and boyishly short, cowlicked haircut was partly to blame for that. Wearing the same, basic t-shirt and jeans combo as most of the class also didn't help; neither did being shorter than most of the males there. Possibly aware of this, but mostly out of habit, Vay stood with his back straight to get as much height as he could while he addressed the class.

"In the mean time I want all of you to work on the next assignment. We'll turn them in starting tomorrow morning and hopefully everyone will have their introductions by the time we finish," Vay gave a glance to the unintroduced again as he walked around his desk with a slow stride and pulled the chocolate, corduroy blazer with tan leather elbow patches (proper professor attire) off the back of the chair behind it. "My wife didn't dress me today," the teacher grinned, making light of his clothes as he pulled on the blazer then continued walking around the desk to resume his perch on its front edge.

There Mr. Vay watched the students somewhat expectantly a moment then looked back at the chalk board and laughed with a shake of his head. "I should probably tell you what the assignment is, eh?" he glanced briefly at the class before pushing himself off the desk again and walking to the board. "This one's a three parter but don't get all intimidated by it. Just an exercise," he spoke into the chalk board as he scrawled onto it:

1) List the characteristics (physical, personality, and background) of the student introduced before you.
2) Choose, in your opinion, the best introduction so far.
3) Explain why that is the best one.

After dotting the last item with a bit of a flourish Mr. Vay turned back to the class and stepped aside so they could read it. "First," he pointed at the first one, "Read over what the student directly before you posted. Fang, you get to do me since you went first. Make sure to read all of what they wrote, in case there's more than one post. Also, you should all be reading everything anyway," he said the last sentence in a bit of a mumble then flashed another friendly smile. "Then just list out whatever characteristics were mentioned or implied by the post. If you want to be extra fancy you can mark what was explicit (actually said) and what was implied (hinted at)." He paused to look over the class and see if they all got it. "If I ever lose you in the instructions just shoot me a PM and I'll explain," he gave them an apologetic look before going on.

"Secondly," he pointed to number two, "Read all the students' introductions and pick which one most effectively conveys a well-developed character. This is a judgement exercise so you're going to have think (and then think even more on the last part where you have to analyze that judgement) but there is no wrong answer so don't freak out about it. Just be sure you can support your judgement in your analysis. Speaking of which, that's number three," he pointed to the last instruction.

"Here you have to tell me why you picked that intro as the best. Again, no wrong answer so long as you can support it with analysis," he paused briefly, "And don't choose your own. Even if you really think it's the best we don't need to hear it from you."

Finished with instructions for the day, Mr. Vay folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against the black board to watch the students with a pleasant expression.

Roll Call:

"Jumped the gun a bit there, Garret. Is ok though, just need to work more on that following directions thing. And patience. Weren't supposed to turn these in till morning," Mr. Vay flashed the boy a smile then shook his head and waved it off. "How bout you give me a bit more analysis on your choice now as yer so eager. Seein' as that's really just the definition of a good intro, not the how an' why of it. I want to know, specifically, what he did to achieve this clear picture and non-cliche character."

Then the teacher turned to the rest of the class, "Might as well the rest of you go ahead and start posting too since we already got it started."

D'cund stood back up beside his desk and opened his mouth. He breathed for a moment before realising he got up to speak.

"Ma knowlitch es limited in dis mannah. Dis why I ahm 'er afta oll." He looked at the girl who spoke before him and pointed an open hand at her down his long arm. "Dis woman 'er ehs Ahlice. Sha female, ond nahvous, too nahvous ta say mora. Sha ehs wearin' dahk clothes. Ahlice ehs likely rehclusive. Ha clothes, demeana, ind speech slep say so.” He breathed. “I can na say much mohr for ‘er.”

My knowledge is limited in the manner. This is why I am here after all. This woman here is Alice. She's female, and nervous, too nervous to say more. She is wearing dark clothes. Alice is likely reclusive. Her clothes, demeanor, and speech slip say so. I cannot say much more for her.

What passed for his brow furrowed and he raised his previously pointing hand to his chin and closed his mouth to frown. He bore a striking resemblance to a certain famous statue in doing so; if the statue was made out of barely refined materials.

“I val-oo de-a-log, so I lek da cha-ahk-ta Basera. In ha bit sha ekspressed ha pasohnalty well bi speech aloon. Ha qwik-tak and ha qwik chang ehn suubjehcts behlie ha ahs eider eh qwik tinker or eh scahtta-braynt pearson. Eider weh it ehs foon.” He lowered his hand and lifted his brow. D’cund’s eyes closed as he bowed.
“Tahnkoo.”

I value dialog, so I like the character Basira. In her bit she expressed he personality well by speech alone. Her quick-talk and her quick changes in subjects belie her as either a quick-thinker or a scatter-brained person. Either way it was fun.

Thank you.

With all the silence of a distant avalanche, D’cund sat back down.