Welcome to Gaia! ::

Crystal listened to the teacher as he said something about players and games she tilted her head. She continued to listed as he told them they all had someone controlling their movements. She checked her arms for strings but found none. She pulled as the metal around her neck in frustration. She griped the few chain links that came off of it.

She shifted in her seat as he told them about book under their seats she lowered grabbing it lightly.She never had such a nice book before and the fact she could write in it excited her.

She opened the book seeing the entry of everyone's introduction. She flipped the page looking at a page with the next assignment. She looked at it flipping back to look at the written introduction before hers. She read it over and as she thought about it she didn't have anything to write with. She wondered if she should ask another student to help her. She shifted lightly and she wasn't sure why but she had this idea to check her desk. She had never been in a school before, but maybe anything was possible here. She checked in the little pocket under in the desk finding a quill and ink.

1) Rachael seems a bit unsure as a character but seems a bit hasty to judge other. Just reading her introduction I don't get much of the character or from the player.

2&3) It is hard to choose the best one, but I have to pick I choose Finn's, because you get an idea of what the ideas put into how she got there.

Crystal stopped writing looking at what was written it wasn't a lot but it was weird. She put her quill down to show she was done.

(Gave it a good try)

Shane was a bit shocked when Mr. Vay disappeared in the glitter cloud, but he quickly adjusted. He figured stuff like this would be pretty standard here. The magic was pretty fascinating really. His mind wandered a bit, imagining what other amazing things might happen around here. He absently chewed a pinky scale, accidentally biting it off. The sharp pain and itchiness brought him back to the present scenario and with a frown he went back to doodling in his notebook.

By the time Mr. Vay returned, he had dozens of new ideas to try out in his spare time. Whoops; he'd used up quite a few pages! But the little book seemed to be able to accommodate all his idle drawings and his assignments so he quit worrying about that. Shane sat back and listened to the instructor explain their next project, playing with the gap in his shimmery scales. The drawing and assignments had calmed him down and he was feeling more at ease. The cookie might've helped a bit too.

He flipped to a clean page and coped the questions at the top, then thought long and hard about his answers. The first part wasn't too hard; he simply thought back to what everyone else had wrote about...wait. How'd he know what everyone else had put for their assignments? He figured that had to do with the PM. Everything he knew about their answers was a little vague when he tried to think about it directly, so he finally decided to just put pen to paper and let words flow.

1) Finn: correct about marine roots, wanting to make a good impression, self-consciousness.

Rachel: correct about focus and taking class seriously, not being able to be strict minded, wanting to stand out but not being quite comfortable with self. Reasons for self-confidence issues is not being used to meeting new people or going to new places and not being as quick at his shape shifting as most other merpeople. He can be comfortable with relaxing, just not around a lot of people or in new situations.

That looked good. The list format struck him as being too plain, but it cut to the chase so he let it be. He furrowed his brow as he contemplated the next two questions. These were a bit harder. Scratch that; a lot harder. He tried to remember his favorite characters from books he had read and drew from that. For the player question, well, he left that one to PM also. He figured it was aimed more at her anyway.

2) A good character has depth and is unique. (S)he is has realistic weaknesses and faults, but also strengths and good qualities. (S)he has qualities that are endearing to an audience, whether or not the character is a protagonist. The character isn’t just some tired out cliché that’s been done a million times, but feels like a real person; (s)he does things for well thought out reasons instead of just following an invisible script. The character’s personal traits can’t be just a mash of different things either; everything must have logic behind it and reasoning.

3) A good player is someone who responds to the given situation. They take some hits and don’t avoid every misfortune the game throws at them. They don’t try to control other characters. They respond frequently and don’t disappear without prior notice. They make sure they understand the rules of the game and the settings and plot and play within that frame. They use good grammar and describe the setting vividly, taking advantage of all the senses. They work with the other players, instead of fighting against them for their own way.

He looked over his answers then, satisfied, put his pen down and drummed his fingers on his desk.

Michi remained at her desk, reading through the black book thoughtfully. She was so focused she missed the teacher’s disappearance, and barely glanced up when he returned, but when he spoke, she snapped the book shut and folded her hands attentively. He didn’t look to be in the best mood. She supposed she shouldn’t express any concern over the “emergency.” He’d been vague—it was his own business, after all.

The sheer volume of praise he’d dumped on the class in their short time together unsettled her a bit, but a cookie? Really? Now she was practically holding her breath for the big reveal that he’d been demonstrating some theory or another.

But the cookie did look delicious. And her breakfast on the ship, the fried rice which hadn’t tasted quite as good cold as she’d planned, had been hours ago. The cookie was gone in seconds, along with each and every crumb. She wiped her hands discreetly on her skirt and flipped her book open again to begin the next assignment.

1. Respond to what everyone has said about you, either confirming or correcting their assumptions.

Rachael: I’m flattered by your praise. Sorry, I didn’t mean to drop the entire history of the Empire on you; I’ve written enough essays about that already in history class. If I was unclear, just ask.

Shane: I’ve heard “disciplined” and “straight edged” before. (All summer. My uncle wouldn’t stop going on about how much I’d changed in a year when I came home.) And I wish the Academy Commanders shared your opinion on my sharpness. But “old-fashioned?” Yun Island is years ahead of her neighbors in nearly every aspect of technology. I’ve seen the proof—airships from the other islands stagger into the dock with what could barely be called a steam engine. The nomads still use oil lamps in their tents. I don’t know where you’re from, but I’m going to have trouble believing it’s the future.
((your observation is accurate—the steampunk world she’s from has mid-1800s tech, steam-powered airships, and floating sky islands held up by applied phlebotinum.))

2. Explain what you think makes a good character.
A good character is a real person existing in a fake world. They may not admit it, but they have histories and fears and motivations and childhoods, and if they have toes, they’ve stubbed them. They may or may not be kind, strong, smart, or special, but they should be interesting and responsive to their environments.

3. Explain what you think makes a good player.
A good player respects the other players and the game conventions. They put their best effort into their posts and they are open to suggestions and seek to improve their own skills and help others do the same.

Michi read over her answers again, checking for mistakes. The last two had come straight from what she thought she remembered of the introductory pages of the black book. With a small smirk, she couldn’t help but add:

A good player gives his or her characters free will.

As Finn was finished with her first assignment, she rested her chin in her hand as gazed lazily around the room, taking in her surroundings as she waited for the next part of the class. When the professor received a phone call, her eyes darted over to him casually. As the conversation continued and his demeanor changed, she became more alert and concerned before he abruptly vanished before her eyes. With this event, she sat upright in her chair, dropping her hand onto the desk and looking around the room in its entirety, her mouth agape in surprise. She made an effort to close it and slump back into her chair, puzzled and amazed. Although it was incredible, it would take some getting used to that all of these magical and unreal things were occurring around her.

These thoughts sent her into one daydream after another of possibilities and how interesting her life could be in the future for the time the classroom was left unsupervised. It was so exciting that for a moment, she forgot the tone in her professor's voice at the end of the call and the worry on his face. When he stumbled back into the classroom a while later, her brows furrowed as she took him in, disheveled and looking exhausted. The corners of her lips turned down in a small frown and she wondered what could have happened. For such a cheerful guy, it must have been something hard to make him appear this way. She had the urge to go to the front of the classroom and make sure he was alright and ask if there was anything she could do, but he began speaking shortly after his arrival, dampening her will. Perhaps later, she would offer to help him grade papers and give him a little break.

She listened intently to his every word, completely enraptured by this world and the opportunities it presented to her. As the professor complimented the class, a genuine smile appeared on her face, only made wider by the appearance of the most delicious looking cookie she had ever seen on her desk a moment later. She picked it up and took a bite, her suspicions confirmed, and she let out an unconscious "Mmm!" in the process. By the time Professor Vay finished his comments on their last assignment and gave details on their new one, the cookie was gone, leaving Finn in a satisfied state.

She looked around the classroom as the other students began writing out the answers to their new assignment before she picked up her ink pen and flipped open her journal once more to an empty page. In the same fashion as before, she wrote out her own answers.

1) Respond to what everyone has said about you, either confirming or correcting their assumptions.

Well, my introduction was the last, and thus it was not before anyone's to make comment on. However, Crystal chose me for her favorite post because of my explanation of how and why I arrived at the academy. I am glad that I gave enough information for it to be understood and give a small glance into the normal life I carried in the world prior.

2) Explain what you think makes a good character.

I believe that a good character is made to be real and tangible to the reader and someone that they can relate to in one aspect or another. I feel that the character should have realistic strengths as well as weaknesses, have a history or a story that accurately supports their personality and demeanor and that they have some sort of inner goal to reach throughout the story.

3) Explain what you think makes a good player.

A good player, to me, is one that is conscious of staying true to their character regardless of the obstacles or events put before them. Abrupt changes in personality or inconsistencies in reactions throw off the credibility of the character and the player and may create rifts in a story. A good player is also someone that stays realistic and can accept defeat. Many players want to be the strongest or smartest, but that is not always the case. Humility and practicality are the key traits to me.

As she finished and waited for the class to continue, she began to doodle along the edges of her paper, creating intricate images of trees and tribal designs.

Shane's fingers paused their drumming at this new development. Had their professor just...disappeared? He didn't have time to do anything more than stare at the front desk in shock--not that there was anything he could think of to do anyway--before a brown haired guy rushed in. Shane sat forward in his seat and watched the new guy do whatever it was he was doing. He rubbed a hand over his hair, tussling the shaggy mess even more.

When this stranger turned and addressed the class, Shane hunched down in his seat. "'Won't be back'?" he muttered under his breath. What kind of dangerous place was this, where people disappeared down worm holes and no one bats an eye? Shane didn't really care a lick about his grades; he wanted assurance that the professor was safe!

"Mr., um, Omri?" he started haltingly, lifting an index finger in the air. "My name's Shane. Are you just gonna start where we left off, or...?" He dropped his hand, and looked around to see if anyone else was as confused as he was.

Crystals cat ears twitched each time Shane's fingers hit the desk she just gritted her teeth, but when it stopped she looked up to see Mr. Vay had vanished she looked at the black hole was it going to take the whole class with it. She watched a guy with a strange thing in his hand run into the room and over to the black whole. 'If this is how they fire teachers I'd hate to see what they do to students.' she thought

She shifted as her tail tightened around her waist. She pulled on her tail and let it move about behind her she was glad no one was sitting behind her. She looked at there new teacher looked at Shane in confusion and shock as he looked around the class room. She lightly stood up. "My name is Crystal. What is that object you brought into the class room, and is Mr Vay going to be okay?" She asked she was just getting used to how Mr. Vay tough now she had to learn from Omri she sat back down in her seat.

Omri lifted the gadget in his hand up so that the class could get a clear view of the thing. "Hi Crystal, this is a wormhole detector, it's really old but it still works! I like it a lot because it's cool, you know?" He grinned at the bulky green plastic and set it down gently on the desk in front of him. It was littered with the papers Mr. Vay left behind, but he didn't pay them any attention.

"No more questions? Then I'll just get straight to sharing my great and awesome wisdom with young minds like you!" He grabbed the black book that contained the class lesson. "Let's see. Well since this was originally a character creation class I suppose I'll finish up with that before moving on to the rest of it. The dean told me to make the class about general roleplaying since we are short handed right now."

He picked up a piece of chalk and wrote a few things down on an empty bit of board while he lectured. "So to make a character is actually pretty simple. You and I are all characters, as Mr.Vay told you, and we weren't that hard to make exist, right? Now I know it's easy to want to jump straight to the details when making a new character, but bear with me because a good character also needs a good base. Like a pyramid. You start at the bottom and work your way up." He drew a little triangle symbol to emphasize his point.

"Since this might be the first time you guys have ever made characters I've made a general outline for the creation process that will cover the major areas. Bear in mind that sometimes (like most times) people don't follow this formula but for now use it until you get used to making your own characters." Finishing the last bit of writing with a period, he stepped away to present the guide to the class.

1. Decide what the character's general disposition and attitude is like. A basic personality. You can start with a character archetype if you want.
2. Create defining characteristics and things that effect them in a large way like a ultimate goal that guides them.
3. A brief history. Be concise.
4. Details like appearance, nationality, gender and family members are created last, unless they are a defining characteristic of the character. Again be concise.

"Now, read the guide while I will give you the assignment!" It did occur to the man that it might seem strange how he had remarked about the lack of homework he intended to give yet was now giddy about handing out assignments. Boney shoulders moved up and down in a 'whatever' shrug as he moved to the very end of the board, and began to write once more with the white chalk. "The assignment is going to be character creation, since you know, it was a character creation class to begin with. And practice makes any skill better right?" he chuckled merrily and started with the instruction. Once again he stood aside so that they could read what he wrote on the blackboard, the notes appearing in their magical black books simultaneously.

1. Create a character.
2. Create a summary of the character.
3. Interact with the character as yourself.
4. Play the new character and reply to the interaction.
5. -Optional- Play the character and interact with world.

"First, create a character using the guide that I've made. Write one sentence for each of the four steps so I can see the process of their creation. Remember that it's ok to revise and I highly recommend that you do. Don't worry about being unique or special, think more about making them interesting and believable. Also note that when you finish creating a character it will come to life here, since this is the world that we are in right now." He motioned to the air around them and continued.

"Secondly, write a summary of the character that you made. Use only two, I repeat TWO sentences. Make every word count ok? After that, you can talk to the character you just created. Or hit them I don't know, interact with them like you would with a stranger. Since they are your creations they won't hit you back, probably. For this step, players, should be your current character/avatar only and you can write as much as you want." Omri seemed to speak through to the puppeteers behind the screens, even though he too was an avatar.

"Then," He tapped the fourth line, "the players that created us will make the character you created interact back to you. They will do this in character obviously, so don't be too scared when it happens. You can decide whether or not these creations are real, but at least for the time the players are playing them, they are technically living."

The man put the chalk down in the little plate that sat on the desk and leaned his hip against the edge. "And if you are really bored after that you and your characters can go and have some fun talking to other characters or interacting with the classroom. It's up to the players as to who they will be, but you can be both if you want! Still, you aren't obligated to reply to other people's interactions if you don't want to, keep that in mind ok?" He paused one moment to think, then threw out one last bit of instruction. "Oh, and the setting for these character, it will be the modern 21st century world."