Campers all up in dis batch!! Juri's is still open so make sure you check that out, too. o7
Remember!
- Applicants, respond anonymously.
- If you're going to do the whole "ask me why I voted you out!" thing, please state who you voted out.
- No speculating about the identity of the applicants!
Now VOTE. We're solid!
Character: Hermione Granger
Series:
Harry PotterCharacter Age: 18
Canon: The proposed existence of witches and wizards and magical beasts is a fantasy many people want to believe, but even the most open-minded souls know they’re not real. And that’s exactly what the magical community wants them to think. To them, magic is a very real and integral part of everyday life; for several reasons, they keep their entire civilization separate from the rest of the world. At the core of this particular story are a certain young wizard with a scar and his two best friends. As teenagers in a young adult novel series, the protagonists must somehow manage to juggle all the trials of growing up: making their way through school, dealing with social lives, and... oh yeah, saving the world as they know it.
Though born to Muggle (non-magical) parents, Hermione Granger has been called "the brightest witch of her age," and she certainly lives up to that title. With her smarts and headstrong attitude, she’s a very determined girl who staunchly stands for what she believes in. ...Naturally, this sometimes results in her being seen as a studious and obnoxious know-it-all, when she really does try to mean well. Despite this, her clear loyalty to her friends and her displays of bravery show off her strong will; her heart is definitely in the right place. Thanks to these traits, she is often the voice of reason among her friends, as well the one who keeps them in line... though even she gets a kick out of breaking the rules every once and a while. It’s all done for the greater good.
Sample Post:
I suppose I'm honored-and, if I can be completely honest, a little skeptical-that you've heard of my accomplishments in campaigning for the equality of "lesser" species. I’d ask exactly how you’d managed to, but I get the feeling that’s not something that needs to be discussed right at this moment. Anyway, I'm sure you're familiar with the old adage, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks"-which, although relevant to what I’m trying to explain, is hardly accurate at all, really. I don't have any firsthand experience on the subject myself, but it’s perfectly possible to teach any animal of any age new habits and routines, provided their mental functions are, for the most part, intact.
Which brings me to my point: you can't exactly teach something whose brain isn't even functioning anymore. Or at least not functioning enough to be capable of independent thought. And no, don't even try to justify it with the fact that they eat brains; that doesn't count at all. You might be able to condition them to repeat menial and mundane tasks if you keep at it, but anything further than that would be a lost cause. There's really no need to push for the "Zombie Enrichment and Refinement Group," much less rush it. Not to mention the name could use a little bit of work-there’s just something about "Z.E.R.G." that seems a bit... off to me. But that’s more of a personal issue than anything. I do agree that their treatment by some of the campers and counselors can be downright awful at times, though, so I’d easily lend my support to that sort of approach. In fact, that does sound like a worthy cause that I could devote time to, but I suspect it would be much easier to get it off the ground once I’ve had some time to settle in.
In terms of "enrichment and refinement," I think there are other important things to consider. I’m not saying we should give up on the Order to Organize Zombie Equality-that’s a much better and clearer name, don’t you think?-but what I’d personally suggest first is developing some sort of education system for the living residents. This may be a summer camp, but it certainly isn’t summer right now, is it? I’m quite sure a good deal of people here must have been in the middle of their studies, and the importance of education is anything but a laughing matter. The fact that people here take it as a blessing that they no longer need to take classes is almost unbelievable! I mean, the nerve!
Anyway, from what I’ve heard, the library here is adequately stocked, so the least one could do is pay a visit every now and then. It’s as good as a use of free time as any. It’s far from being a traditional educational system, that’s for sure, but I do think that would at least get things off to a good start! It may be a little trite and clichéd, but "knowledge is power" is hardly just a saying. Plus, having more educated people around here would surely boost support for our little effort. Right now, the general populace is somewhat... lacking, if I can be honest. But once more people receive a decent education and understand some basic philosophy, perhaps they’ll give more thought into their actions toward their less fortunate reanimated neighbors. Don’t you see? It’s a win-win situation! It may take a bit of work, and I’ll have to read up more on the treatment of zombies, but like I said earlier, this isn’t something to be rushed. I’m actually quite confident about all this working out now! Give it some time, and I’m sure O.O.Z.E. will be spreading all across the camp before you know it!
Poll Vote! Character: Rose Lalonde / tentacleTherapist
Series:
MS Paint Adventures: HomestuckCharacter Age: 13
Canon: If you’ve ever thought computer games were all harmless child’s play, think again -- when four online friends obtain copies of a game called Sburb, the world they know comes to a screeching halt and they find themselves communing with twelve trolls in another universe in attempts to win the game and survive. Along the way the kids utilize time shenanigans and reality-altering magic as they race the clock against doomed odds. Each player in the game is assigned a heroic role they must grow into, giving each character their own coming-of-age story as they face the trials Sburb has to offer.
Rose Lalonde is the “straight man” to her friends’ colorful antics. Sarcastic, cynical, and blunt, she is well-read and well-spoken for her age but often baffles her friends with her long-winded explanations and big words. She is quick to discard the notion of ‘playing by the rules of the game’ and exhibits her own brands of bravery and recklessness. Rose also has a fondness for strange beasts, wizards, and knitting, and is prone to psychoanalyzing the people she meets...with diagnosis based on what she’s read on Wikipedia, of course. Despite her snarky attitude, there is a loyal and kind friend beneath her icy surface, and she often cares more than she is willing to let on -- and in some cases, more than she’s even aware of herself.
The characters mainly communicate through chat clients known as Pesterchum and Trollian. True to her character, Rose’s typing “quirk” is to use perfect grammar and syntax in purple font, and her chumhandle is tentacleTherapist.
Sample Post:
-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering Marcy at 10:25 --
TT: Marcy, wasn't it?
TT: My sincerest apologies; it's not like me to keep a patient waiting.
TT: As a veteran resident, I'm sure you can vouch for the countless distractions wandering the plains unchecked.
TT: If you must know, I received a message from one "Ben Dover" that we might call an SOS.
TT: I would have thought it an elaborate prank, given the unfortunate moniker and a certain friend’s peculiar fascination with 'puppet ass' the likes of which Freud would have a field day with, but the intricate prose found therein is nothing I have come to expect from him.
TT: (Perhaps it was the distinct lack of ‘sick beats’ and so-called ironic quips that clued me in, but it was more likely the nigh-unintelligible handwriting characteristic of Camp’s carnivorous citizens of the cadaverous caste.)
TT: No, Marcy, in the end it turned out that Mr. Dover's name had attracted him some unwanted attention from a rather libidinous breed of squirrel.
TT: I advised him to seek a new title.
TT: One less comically erotic.
TT: But I digress. We're here to talk about you, not my quaint venture into a chummy consultation, and I’m sure that you must have caught a glimpse anyway, with that impressive vantage point from atop your silo.
TT: As an unusually broad cephalopod trapped upon the head of a tall metal pillar, it must be impossible to roam beyond your realm of immediate reach.
TT: Hm. Interesting. A quick search of Camp's internet reveals that your previous home was a Louisiana swamp.
TT: Unexpected displacement from one's habitat is often a source of malignant stress.
TT: Tell me, Marcy, do you intend to spend the rest of your days perched up there?
TT: I'm hardly one to criticize solitary hobbies but I am certain the number of complaints the Director has received regarding undesired advances from Lovecraftian horrors would decrease if you took up something new.
TT: May I suggest knitting?
TT: As winter approaches, I cannot praise enough the benefits of mittens -- one for each tentacle.
TT: And with less complaints, Marcy, I suspect your isolation might cease, as well as your severe case of anxiety and flagrant disregard for personal space.
TT: A win-win situation for all.
TT: I would be happy to return at your behest should you ever wish to discuss your new and unfamiliar feelings that are certain to arise in this new flowering of your youth.
TT: In the meantime, you can repay the favor by passing my regards along to the Director -- with a very humble request to kindly keep her pets at bay.
TT: I shudder to think of the consequences these impassioned advances could have on my fragile young psyche.
-- tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering Marcy --
Poll Vote! Character: Chibiterasu (aka Chibi, Mutt, Squiddy, Pooch, dude, boy, Pork Chop, etc.)
Series:
OkamidenCharacter Age: Unknown, but still a puppy.
Canon: Once upon a time, the eight-headed demon Orochi terrorized a small village until he was sealed away by the swordsman Nagi and the white wolf Shiranui, although the latter suffered fatal wounds. 100 years later, a bunch of monsters including an unsealed Orochi and the Lord of Darkness are wreaking havoc all over Nippon, and it’s up to a revived Shiranui-now in her true form as the sun goddess Amaterasu-to save the day once and for all. Having done so, Amaterasu departs for the Celestial Plain. Nine months after that, Nippon is in a new sort of trouble and some people are crying out for divine, fluffy help. Only instead of getting the mother goddess, they get her half-grown son...that’s kind of close, right?
Promptly dubbed “Chibiterasu” (among other names), the young sun god takes after his mother in many ways; namely his love of food, being petted, a tendency to leap before he looks, and his good-natured willingness to help out anyone in need. Unfortunately, being much younger than his mother also means Chibi is less experienced in life, making him more emotional and easily confused about the best course of action. Thus, he acquires a series of humanoid partners to help him on his quest; they serve as translator and general decision-maker while Chibi acts as main firepower, source of adorable cuddles, and...noble steed. Not that he’s complaining, as long as he gets fed.
Note: Like his mother, Chibi can use his tail as an ink brush to draw symbols that affect the world around him-for example, a straight line to cut through objects for food, or a circle to make plants bloom and/or exorcise malevolent spirits so they can move on.
Sample Post:
[In one particular cornfield, some of the corn stalks are waving violently, accompanied by a loud rustling. The cause of the disturbance eventually reveals itself as a white puppy leaping about in a mostly linear fashion, not counting his occasional side trips to investigate things that catch his attention. He continues in this fashion for a while until his stomach growls loudly. He pauses his explorations to look around; catching a whiff of something above him, he stands on his hind legs to paw at the heads of corn waving over his head. After even hopping up and down fails, he sits back with a mournful whine, eyeing the corn surrounding him until an idea makes his tail wag. The world freezes briefly, all the colors fading to shades of parchment brown as he uses his black-tipped tail to draw a horizontal line through part of the cornfield. When the effect ends, the corn stalks fall over as if sliced in two by an invisible blade. The puppy’s tongue lolls in a pleased manner as he trots over to enjoy his snack.
Stomach full, he continues on his way until faint sniffling sounds in the distance make him pause with his ears perked. He turns and heads straight in the direction the noise is coming from. Upon finding the source, he continues his approach without stopping...until he gets within smelling distance of the crying zombie, at which point he skids to a stop with a yelp. Ears flattened, he retreats to a safe distance and circles it, growling softly. When the zombie does nothing but keep moaning about brains, he stops and whines a little, head tilted. He studies it uncertainly before giving a canine shrug; the colors leach out of the world once again as he draws a circle around the zombie. As it closes, daisies sprout up all over the zombie’s head.
The puppy sits back to wait, sneezing as the breeze blows some petals into his face. After a few minutes pass with no change, he slowly heads closer. He’s about to nudge its arm with his nose when he stops short and paws at it instead. Having attracted its attention, he barks twice and wags his tail, looking between the zombie and the edge of the cornfield. At a hesitant groan of agreement, he barks again and darts forward to take hold of the zombie with his teeth. With a slight whimper at the taste, he snaps his head up to toss the zombie on his back-only to yip and skitter back as body parts rain down around him. Head down and tail between his legs, he pushes everything back together and waits for things to reattach, then very carefully maneuvers the zombie onto his back for a second and more triumphant attempt at exiting the cornfield.]
Poll Vote! Character: Sofia Mantega
Series: Marvel Comics /
New X-MenCharacter Age: 16
Canon: Imagine having really amazing superpowers due to a mutation in your genes, and everyone hating you for it. That’s what it like to be a mutant in this particular universe. Luckily, a man named Charles Xavier founded a school with a purpose to teach these young people how to control their powers. With nothing but themselves as support, these students must learn to set aside their various differences in order to survive in this world. But, hey, at least they get cool uniforms!
Sofia is a very emotional person. Generally cheerful and outgoing, she has no problems with reaching out to others and making new friends. She’s quite headstrong about things, although this sometimes leads to impulsive and reckless behavior. When she’s very passionate about something, she tends to go charging in without really thinking about the consequences. Even more, she can be rather easy to upset or anger, but she’s better at keeping those feelings pushed down; they can boil over though, which goes into the impulsiveness mentioned above. So, for the most part, you will be able to tell what she’s feeling. As for her mutation, Sofia is able to control the wind which also allows her the ability to fly.
Note: When she speaks, she doesn’t use contractions.
Sample Post:
I appreciate getting so many warnings about how this place works, but I did not think that I would be testing one of them out so quickly. Marcy, while I am glad that this meeting is not as intimate as I have heard otherwise, I was not expecting it to happen at all. No offense. I am sure you are a wonderful, well, whatever you are, but most people do not enjoy suddenly being grabbed out of the air like that. Actually, some people do not like being grabbed at all, so you can see how this might be a problem. In fact, if no one had told me about you earlier, I would have thought you were a threat! And I can assure you, I do not take threats lightly.
I think I may know why you act this way though. You probably do not get many visitors. People hear what you are, and they assume the worst. Believe me, I completely understand what it is like to go through that. It is difficult for others to accept what is different from them, whether it is a zombie, mutant, or sea monster. Sometimes all you want to do is cover your face with your many . . . many . . . legs and cry. And that sadness may turn into rage, and the next thing you know, you are suddenly on everyone’s “Do Not Disturb” list. I have seen it happen many times.
But even if you are lonely, there are better ways to gain company. Look at the ducks as an example! For something that can set you on fire, people still go to see them. I am not saying that you should move out of your nice silo and into the pond with them-although I am kind of confused as to why you are not there in the first place. It is better down where it is wetter and all that. But everyone sees those ducks enough times to know that there is nothing to be scared of as long as they do not get too close. And the same logic can apply to you as well!
You should not shut yourself away simply because you are different, Marcy. You are a beautiful creature, if way too grabby, and everyone-or at least a good majority-is bound to want to be your friend. So, why not give it a try? Extend an olive branch of peace out with your tentacle, and someone will accept it. And when you are doubting yourself, just remember what they say: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Poll Vote! Character: Rachel Alucard
Series:
BlazBlue: Continuum
ShiftCharacter Age: Looks maybe 13, is in reality somewhere around 72500
Canon: In a universe far far away a creature known as the Black Beast decided to rampage across the world and destroy a large part of humanity. Fortunately a group of six legendary heroes banded together to defeat this monstrosity and save the world. Unfortunately they could not do this before the Black Beast had unleashed a poisonous gas that still lingers today. But that wasn't the end as 100 years after the Black Beast first appeared things go to hell... over and over and over again as time loops in on itself back to a hundred years ago. Wash, rinse and repeat this time loop about 700 times before it is broken.
Rachel Alucard is a vampire princess who lives through these time loops without interfering in the events that cause it and without ever forgetting anything that happens in them. Her reaction to this? Extreme boredom. Rachel is also incredibly arrogant, snobbish and rude to anyone and everyone that approaches her, insults them to their face and “plays” with them if it will amuse her. She's something of a spoiled princess and she has little interest in understanding how common people live and expect things to be up to her own standards. If there is something Rachel will always have time for, even if it so might be in the middle of battle, it's a cup of tea. She's also always accompanied by her familiars, Nago the cat and Gii the bat, who she frequently abuses and uses to vent her anger at when things don't go her way. When it comes down to it though, Rachel is really not a bad person, she just doesn't know how act nice.
Sample Post:
Oh my, so this is the infamous Camp Fuck You Die? What an utterly crude and vulgar name, but I suppose it is fitting for a complete dump and waste of space like this. I am not sure what on Earth possessed Madame Sayre to think a place like this would even be close enough to relieve my boredom, but perhaps staying here for too long has caused her brain to rot to such a degree that she thinks even the basest forms of entertainment may seem amusing. But very well, I suppose there is no harm in inspecting the place now that my dimensional teleportation has been interrupted and I've been brought here.
You, the one right over there, your ears are not only for show, I hope? Because if they aren't they might work just as well stuffed into your gaping mouth. I demand that you take your time to show me what the purpose of this place is, as that seems to be all too base for me to grasp on my own. Just be certain that if I find that this only increases my boredom, your brains will not be the only part of you left to rot.
I have to wonder, are these corn fields all around us truly necessary? Now, if you do desire some improvements to this... pit, may I suggest that you replace these utterly drab and boring fields with roses. After all, not only are they far more pleasant to look at, the scent of roses is good for your skin and they help relieve stress. Both seems to be something the inhabitants of this domain could very much use, you included, your complexion is just dreadful and your shambling and moaning tells of a very stressful living. It is important, after all, to show some fraction of kindness towards your subordinates... from time to time. Though maybe Madam Sayre have simply been too lax and a good punishment is in place?
Speaking of, Nago, Gii, I require some black tea right at this instant. My throat is completely parched after having to speak for so long to a creature such as this one. Although calling it a creature might be all too kind. See that the tea is delivered to me post-haste. Now, while I wait for my tea to be prepared, where would you take me next? Oh my, what is this? A “Mess Hall”? I have never even heard of the existence of such a building in my entire life. I fail to see the purpose of having a hall dedicated to creating a mess, but it would explain a great deal about the state of this Camp. Would this be a place where lower people gather to systematically spread and ruin their own environment? My, it sounds so self-destructive that I am almost impressed by the stupidity of it.
Poll Vote!