RPChallenge: March

Skymin · Mar 7, 2014

2014

★
RPChallenge
March Edition

Welcome to our latest, monthly RPChallenge! Since it's been a long time since the RPOs, and many of our current users weren't around to experience it, we will be posing RPChallenges on a monthly basis. These challenges are short, require only one post and will be voted on by helpful members – the winner will receive a shiny new emblem and a one-time HTML usertitle!

This event will last until 28th March, judging will then take place!

>>> CHALLENGE!
This week's challenge is... fanfictions!!

By Friday the 28th of March, you can write a small fanfiction of your roleplay of choice. Fanfiction includes alternate universes (AU), situations which you might have wanted to happen and couldn't or unexplored relationships. Or all of the above! Keep in mind about the roleplaying rules and do not let yourself too get out of hand (see rules). There is no limit on how long it is (asides the 100 word rule) so please, feel free to write to your hearts content!

>>> RULES!

The Roleplay in question must be hosted at the Roleplay Corner and must currently be active.
Characters do not have to be yours, but make sure you credit their original creators when using them.
When posting, spoiler your fanfiction and place a rating above it for the discretion of readers. REMEMBER THE RATINGS. Smut is absolutely not allowed! If you believe that you cannot post your fanfiction here but still want to be a part of the challenge, send me a PM directly and I can discuss it with you.
Post any questions, queries, etc. in this thread or VM/PM me directly.

>>> JUDGING!
Since this event is a fun one, judges can compete but cannot vote on their own!

Judge 1: Skymin
Judge 2: [supporter]firelordyago[/supporter]
Judge 3: gimmiepie
Judge 4: [supporter]Raikiri[/supporter]

Judges will give entries a mark out of 10 for their overall enjoyment of the fanfiction and a mark out of ten for grammar/punctuation, as well as a small write up including constructive criticism and compliments!

Happy writing!

gimmepie · Mar 7, 2014

I talked to Magic earlier but figure I'd volunteer here too, can I fill one of the remaining judging spots?

Skymin · Mar 7, 2014

Sure thing. One spot left! O:

Legend · Mar 7, 2014

I'll judge. I like judging. It is fun.

Chocolate™ · Mar 7, 2014

Keep this as a placeholder. Also, does the RP have to be one in which you're in?

Skymin · Mar 8, 2014

TD said:
Keep this as a placeholder. Also, does the RP have to be one in which you're in?

not necessarily! if you read and keep up with it, I'm all for it. Just make sure to credit when its due!

Ray Maverick · Mar 10, 2014

I have a question: I've already posted a fic (this one), does it still qualify?

Skymin · Mar 10, 2014

As long as it is a fan fiction of a currently active roleplay, I'm okay with it. :)

GastlyGibus · Mar 23, 2014

Here's my entry. The characters are all mine, but the Roleplay is Ray's: Crimson Dawn: A Tale of Conquest

Rated TEEN for mild language.

Spoiler:

disciplish · Mar 24, 2014

I just thought of something ~~safe~~ I could go into involving fanfiction with one of my own characters, so I'll try and post that when I can.

Mana1 · Mar 25, 2014

This ends on Friday guys! :) Remember to post your fics in time.

Ray Maverick · Mar 25, 2014

Here's my fic! Vaults of Reflection: the Sacred Fruit [T]

Spoiler:

The following is a short novel based on Crimson Dawn: A Tale of Conquest, a roleplay.

Achilles
1047 AP

"Amoon village, here I come! You had best be prepared!" Dareon shouted, sprinting wildly towards the bridge above the waterfalls. The Ampharos was always quick on his feet, faster than Achilles, who couldn't keep up with him no matter what, stronger, and more popular with the ladies for his cotton hair and smooth fur.

Garland was faster than all of them. He'd left them behind in a rush to reach his hometown as soon as possible.

Achilles was left clutching his knees and panting from all the running. He'd never breathed air more fresh than this. When his lungs were full, he looked up. Across the waterfalls, there was the town of the Otori, built under the shade of the massive trees that grew in Vigil's Forest. The sight was captivating, even for someone like Achilles. This is an excellent spot for tourism, he found himself thinking, though the locals aren't the most hospitable people, from what I gather. Typical of him, to be on the lookout for profitable business opportunities. He crouched and touched the ground with his hand. Taking a bit of wet, cool soil, he took a whiff. I should take a sample to the lab. If there's any flogistron to be found here, I will know of it right away. Even though he was only twenty years old, he was already the CEO of Flogistron Co., the international Exathian company for the special fuel, flogistron, that was used by zeppelins and airships. The Trade Prince Kalis had always told him to look for potential sources of flogistron wherever he went, so he had made it his habit to check the soil.

"Achilles!" Dareon shouted from across the bridge. "Don't stop, now, I don't want to be seeing you panting. You're a Medicham, for Arceus's sake. Come."

The Emperor of Exathor was always impatient. Oh yes, Dareon was the Emperor, Ruler of All Exathian Nations and First Man of Union and Alliance, and he was only in his mid-twenties. Looking at him, an Ampharos with a satchel and an explorer's helmet, he didn't look like the part. But then again, neither did Achilles look his part. A CEO of Flogistron would never go hunting in Vigil's Forest, then get carried away for a spontaneous visit in a friend's hometown, which was at least thirty miles away from Union City. The three friends, Dareon, Garland and Achilles had to travel through the dense Vigil's Forest to come here, and in the wild, they were forced to abandon their lordly, appropriate looks. Achilles was doing his best to keep clean, but it was a lost cause. Dareon would just push him in a puddle of mud every time he saw one and Garland would mock him for being too much like his mother.

"I'm on my way," the Medicham said, crossing the bridge.

He found Garland surrounded by his family members. Most of them were Floatzel, like him. They were shouting and cheering for him, and he was laughing and cheering too. Garland was brimming brilliantly with happiness like a beacon. And his psyche was contagious, spreading to the members of his family. Those around him were always happy. That's what drew Dareon and Achilles to him; that's what made him so popular among his brothers and sisters of the Gold Tribe. The title of the Exalted One suit him well.

"Granny!" Garland shouted, hugging an elderly Floatzel whose hair on top of her head had grown so much, it covered her eyes entirely.

"Whiteknight!" Garland turned to a Lopunny next to him, shaking hands, "good to see you, cousin."

"And brother," the male teenage Lopunny chuckled in response, "I'll soon be your brother, just you wait and see! The Gold Tribe can't refuse me."

"It's so good to see you, my boy," the granny said, her voice weak and weary. She then noticed the Ampharos. "My, my, who is that? He looks familiar..."

"He's the Emperor!" somebody shouted.

"The Emperor? He's here?"

"Yes! Look at him, same as his father!" The little crowd started fussing about, surrounding the beautiful Ampharos. The ones the front lines were jumping, trying to get a better look at him. Normally, nobody would be allowed this close to the First Man of Union and Alliance, as his position required security to be extremely tight. The Gold Tribe handled his security, and the only one in the Gold Tribe here was Garland. The rest of the members of the Tribe wouldn't allow this, of course, but Dareon was a wild and unruly man, always doing what he will, not what he must. That's how Achilles and Garland were dragged into an adventure in the woods, where all sorts of dangers lurked.

"Unbelievable. Why did you come all this way out here?"

"Some time away from our duties would do us good, we reckoned," the Ampharos said in his stately voice, "and my friend Garland here had begun missing his family and hometown."

"But it was your idea to come here," Garland said, his smile wide across his snout. "I can't just say no to your whims."

Dareon roared his laughter up the skies. "You still missed them! Admit it!"

"I did."

Achilles was standing behind those two, watching the commotion as motionless as a rock. Nobody paid him much attention. Nobody ever noticed the third member of the company; he had no family to return to, he wasn't of noble birth to be loved by every Pokemon in the kingdom. He wasn't a gallant hero of the Gold Tribe, nor had fancy titles along with his name. He was only Achilles, a stinking-rich guy who owned some fuel company, as far as some people knew, and his face wasn't known at all. His face was a mask right now, watching as the villagers ignored him. It was Garland's grandmother that noticed him first.

"And who would you be?" she asked nicely.

The Medicham's face was suddenly lit by his smile that didn't reach his cold, blue eyes. It was a fake smile, part of his standard procedure of communication. If business had taught him one thing, it was to smile. "Greetings. My name is Achilles Proudmoore," he said in his hushed tone that did not mix well with his smile. "A dear friend of Garland's, as I am sure he would be glad to inform you."

"Proudmoore, eh?" the granny said, with the accent of the Otori countrymen. "Can't say I've heard your name, boy. Where do you come from?"

"Oh, I'd like to know that myself," he only said. He looked around the village. The trees, the waterfalls, the houses, all were reflected upon his pale, blue eyes. "Your town is so beautiful. It would be magnificent if I had a home here."

"I'm sorry, honey, but we don't let strangers live with us..."

Achilles laughed a bit. "Then let us be acquainted, lady..."

"Lady Jane Fordring," she said, smiling, fascinated by the young Medicham.

"Did I hear something about a home?" Garland asked cheerfully. The two Floatzel looked so much like one another. "Let Achilles stay, granny. He's like family to me."

Jane laughed. "Alrighy, then, I'll speak with Cendric and arrange a deal. But only because my little Garry likes you."

"Of course, I appreciate that," Achilles said, smiling brilliantly and bowing slightly.

"Hey, where's sis?" Garland asked.

"She went out to the woods," another Floatzel from the family informed him.

"Let's go find her," Dareon roared, raising his fists in the air. He dashed through the town, leaving the relatives of Garland behind. "Race you to the end of the town!"

"A poor challenge," Garland declared, rushing after him, "you'll lose."

Dareon laughed, the Floatzel almost having reached him already. "Nah, it's Achilles who'll be finishing last!"

***

The woods were magical. The grass was wet under their feet, the distant sound of the flowing rivers resonated in the clearing of the forest. Birds chirped melodic songs for the morning. The three friends were standing in front of a tree at least ten feet tall. It was a unique tree, nothing like Achilles had ever seen before. Its trunk was silver, like its many branches, and it had no leaves, oddly, only a strange kind of red fruit hanging from them. "Are those apples?" Dareon asked, reaching out his hand to pluck one out.

"No!" Garland exclaimed, swatting his hand away. "You shouldn't eat that."

"Huh? It's just a common apple."

Achilles was staring at the tree in fascination. He didn't know why, but it caused him much discomfort. It was a strange feeling, not knowing why looking at this tree heightened his pulse.

"It's not a common apple," Garland protested. "This is the sacred tree of the Otori, the heart of all forests on Exathor. Nobody is to go near it!"

"Sacred tree, seriously?" Dareon said mockingly. "My people believe in the mighty being with the thousand arms that shaped the universe, Arceus, and your people believe in a tree?"

Garland covered his face with his palm. "My people also believe in that mighty being with the thousand arms that shaped the universe, your Highness."

The Emperor stared at him as if he was crazy. "Sacred tree or not, it's just an apple tree. Everything on this land is mine, Garland, including this. If I want to eat an apple, I will eat this apple."

The two stared at each other wildly, suddenly seething with anger. Usually, it was Achilles who would split them before it got down to fighting, but right now, the Medicham was mesmerized by the silver tree. It seemed to glow in the sunlight. He looked around for others like it, but there was no sign that this tree had spread its seed around. Suddenly, Dareon begun laughing. The Ampharos pointed a finger at Garland. "You should've seen the look on your face, Garry! Hah! Come on, fight me you bastard! We'll settle this in a fight!"

Garland chuckled. "You're on. Let's spar. Not here, though."

They soon left, having forgotten about Achilles.

The Medicham took two steps forward, his eyes reflecting the tree before him. The wind blew strongly for just a moment, as if to warn him not to step any further. He was now in reach of the nearest apple of the tree. It was luscious, red, fresh looking and mouth-watering.He noticed some Pidoves flying by, chirping in the evening.

"Don't you eat these apples?" he asked the birds, but they were wild, and he did not get an answer.

That's when a little shady figure appeared next to the tree. In broad daylight, that Pokemon looked nothing more than a wooden head, but Achilles recognized it as a Phantump, the spirits that haunt rotten tree stumps.

"Nobody has ever eaten this apple!" the Phantump spoke with a child's voice.

"Why is that?" Achilles asked, his gaze fixed curiously on the ghost. This conversation was certainly a product of his imagination.

"You know... people say that it's bad if you eat the apple, but that's just stuff they say to keep you from tasting its sweetness."

"Why should I eat this apple? There are plenty of other fruits in the forest."

"But this one is special. Do you see any fallen apples around here? No! That's because they're meant to be eaten! Only fools would turn down such an exquisite meal. And only the boldest of the bold, the toughest of the tough can reach out for it..."

Achilles thought of Dareon. Dareon was bold, bolder than him. Dareon didn't manage to eat the fruit. Dareon is tough... but not the toughest.

"Mmm," the ghost said, reading his mind, "you are right! Are you bolder, tougher than him?"

The Medicham in the clearing flexed his fingers, looking at them with his wide eyes. Physically, he wasn't strong. It was all the other things that made him strong. "I do not know yet."

The Phantump laughed, "you do not know it yet... but you do qualify for eating this fruit." And with that, he was gone.

With his hand, Achilles plucked the apple off the branch rather easily, as if it was ripe for falling.

Achilles looked down at the apple in his hands. He took the first bite...

"Hold!" someone screamed behind him. "What do you think you're doing?!" He turned only his head, still chewing on the heavenly, juicy apple. The experience was exquisite, and he instantly felt like the world was so much brighter. Not only because of the apple though.

There was a Lopunny standing on the clearing, and although she was visibly angry, all he could see was her unique beauty. Achilles almost dropped the fruit. He wasn't scared of her, he was just astonished. So amazed, dazed by her bewildered expression and young looks. Normally, he would have his usual, strained smile on and have already made a valid excuse, given an apology for eating the forbidden fruit, offered a compensation and struck a quick deal with her... but nothing of the sort happened.

Several moments passed with him too astounded to speak. His mouth was still full of the forbidden fruit, and the taste was fading away. Perhaps it was only an apple after all.

Her hands on her hips, she was giving him the death stare. "Well?"

"You," he choked awkwardly on a bit on the first bite of his apple, before resuming his hushed tone, "you must be..." Garland's sister. Warmth and comfort engulfed his spirit, and he couldn't tell if it was the girl he was seeing or the apple he just ate. He slowly recovered his subtle boldness. His smile appeared, only this time it reached his eyes. He didn't even know the Lopunny. It was a strange, unknown feeling to him, almost as alien as the impression that silver tree left him with. "Here I am, stumbling from one wonder to another," he muttered, his whole face burning up as if he had the fever.

"What did you say?" she had the accent of the Otori and their fierceness. A real country girl with guts and no manners, it appeared.

Achilles didn't even have the chance to reply. She started walking to him, her brown stare fixed on the apple he was holding. "How dare you!" She slapped him, and it stung. The apple fell from his hands to the grass below.

"Did I offend you?" he asked in a silky voice.

"This tree is sacred!" she grunted, "I knew outsiders were mindless, but to come this far...!"

"Pardon me, my lady," he continued with sweet courtesy, "you are Otori, yes? You were watching us, weren't you?"

She seemed confused and shocked. "You knew?" she said, then demanded to know, "how?"

Achilles ignored her question. He used his psychic powers to send the apple flying from the grass to his hand, and he took another bite, looking her in the eye as he did.

"Put that down!" she ordered. "That's our sacred tree, you can't..."

"I did not know this specimen was important to your people. Did my two friends mention something about it ? I apologize. I wasn't paying attention. I was mesmerized by the dazzling radiance of this tree."

"Who were you talking to?!" she demanded to know.

He quickly glanced behind him, knowing the Phantump was long gone. He took his time answering, enjoying the distant sound of the river and the company of an angry teenage country-girl. "Don't we all space out every now and then?"

She stared at him suspiciously and he ignored her look. He took another bite from the apple, "but there's nothing to be done about it now. Would you like a bite?"

"No! Don't. It's cursed."

Achilles laughed. He had met a lot of superstitious people, but this one was cuter than all of them. He took an even bigger bite. "See? I am unhurt." He offered her the apple. "Try it out."

"No way," she said, "it is forbidden." She glanced at the silver, glittering tree, then back at him. He could feel she was about to scold him again, but her attention was caught by something else. "What's that rock?" she asked curiously, pointing at the pendant hanging from his neck. Rather than a fancy, flashy jewel like most figures of importance wore, it was a simple, small rock. He was always wearing it, and people asked him that question all the time, but he never felt like telling them the truth. It was different with this girl.

"I'll tell you, if you tell me your name."

"Ariadne," she said.

"This rock, Ariadne," Achilles whispered, "is the only thing I have to remind me of home. It's a rock from my homeland. I love it as much as you love your tree."

Ariadne looked at him doubtfully, the hostility lifting from her face, but it was still there. "I'm going to tell Garland of what you did."

"Ariadne, what's your greatest wish?" he suddenly asked.

"What do you wanna know for?"

"So that I may grant it to you."

She laughed mockingly. "You? You're just a Medicham. And a weak one at that, too, I mean look at you. Do you even lift?"

He straightened his posture, his smile flickering a bit. "I am the CEO of Flogistron Company."

"What of Flo-what?"

Achilles sighed, somewhat frustrated. "It's a fuel company, haven't you heard of it? I'm one step below the Trade Prince."

She huffed with contempt. "So you're just some rich guy who likes to trample on nature like that," she said scornfully. Her look was like poison to Achilles. His greatest power, wealth, meant nothing to the Otori. This girl had grown up in the forest, in the tribe where the only form of trade was fruits and food. They scorned the coin.

"On the contrary, I'm a fan of nature. I have even done charitable deeds." He paused. "I could take you places you've never been before," he said in his hushed tone.

"So, is this a bribe? You're taking me places and I won't tell my bro that you just defiled our tree?" she laughed sarcastically.

Achilles's lipless mouth became a tight line. His pale, blue eyes stuck onto her, seeing through. He was thinking fast, and he knew the way to salvation was near. "You're fan of exploration."

"How'd you know?" she questioned immediately.

"Are you?"

"Yes, I am."

"There are schools for archaeology and exploration in Union City, but there are none out here."

Her expression didn't change at all. But she didn't speak either. She was hiding something. Bingo, Achilles thought. He wasn't wrong about her. He grabbed the chance. "Sounds like a deal. I will take you with me back to Union City, and you won't tell a word of this to Garland."

"I didn't say yes."

"Your eyes said yes, sweetling. My job requires me to see things in people, so that I may hire the worthy and dismiss the useless. I do this every day."

"Whatever." She settled down. "I'm giving you this one chance to redeem yourself. But. Don't think that means I forgive you for what you've done here."

Achilles smiled and nodded, as if he hadn't heard what she'd just said. He extended his arm, offering the fruit. "Apple?"

"NO!"

Mana1 · Mar 28, 2014

It's the last day, final chances guys!

Retro Bug · Mar 29, 2014

Here's my RATED M AU fic based off of Atlantis Awakening and my newest character, Marwa Al Thani. Many of the characters mentioned are not of my creation and belong to my fellow roleplayers! In Atlantis there is ton of "shipping" going on and this features some of my favorites (because why the hell not?) Also, I threw in a couple references to some of my favorite TV Shows. Enjoy!

Spoiler:

ATLANTIS HIGH SCHOOL

CHAPTER ONE: YEAH, IT'S THE FIRST DAY

Life a week ago for Marwa had been quite simple, she attended school, played basketball, and participated in the Writers Club on days when she didn't have basketball practice. Repetitive? Yes, but ultimately it was a schedule she had grown accustomed to. All of this was before her father thought to uproot his business and move it to America and Marwa, being his youngest daughter and only children still at home, was forced to come along. Shipped off, well, technically they flew, from Qatar to the middle of nowhere, America. Twenty minutes prior to school starting was when her father decided it was the best time to wake her up. Twenty minutes. Not an hour, not forty-five minutes, twenty. Any high school aged teenager knew to get ready on the first day of school required more than what Marwa had been given. There was barely enough time to pick out the perfect outfit let alone shower, brush her teeth, eat breakfast, and gather all her school supplies. Accomplishing only three of the four tasks, though Marwa would swear on her grave that all four had been done. Fixing her shayla was the last thing she did before heading downstairs. She wore a black dress and flats, the only accessory that made the cut was a necklace her mother had given her before she boarded the plane. Her father wasn't one to stick around in the morning this was made clear by how he told her a driver would take her to and from school.

A faint buzzing noise started as Marwa stepped out of the car with a backpack slung over one shoulder. She answered the call without checking the Caller ID, "Mom, I'm fine. Three calls is a little over-doing it for my first day."

The other two calls had been made during her twenty-minute countdown routine. A worried voice spoke in rapid Arabic, "I know, I know I'm just worried. Did you remember your supplies? You do have a habit of forgetting them…"

To satiate her mother's unwavering worry Marwa stopped in her tracks, placed her phone between her cheek and shoulder, and pulled forward her backpack to check. Several multi-colored notebooks, a calculator, and one of the required books for her English class were the only things inside. Her hand dug deeper into the bag searching for the most necessary item for a high schooler. A sigh was let lose, "Everything except a pen… Oh my god, how did I forget a pen?" Zipping up her backpack she put it on properly and continued on the pathway that led to the front doors of Atlantis High School.

Forgetting to listen to the words her mother was speaking into her ear Marwa rushed to end the call, "Okay, okay, I gotta go, love you." She hung the phone before her mother could speak another word, perhaps a bit harsh on her part. It wasn't like her mother wasn't going to call another twenty five times.

The steps to the front door weren't much of a spectacle. Railings lined both sides of the stairs and one in the middle, which Marwa never got the point of, but perhaps the reasoning would become clear later on. She pushed through the glass doors unsure she of where to go, as this was Marwa's first time entering this building. Her father was the one that had registered her classes and done all the paperwork. Sudden pain flooded her shoulder area as she was pushed forward by a force that turned out to be some girl who had bumped into her, purposely it seemed by the smirk she flashed when she looked back at Marwa. This girl that engaged her wore all black, black shirt, leather jacket, skinny jeans, and ankle boots that had heels. A redheaded girl beside her hit her on the shoulder; a sign that Marwa took that she didn't approve of her friend's behavior yet wasn't going to take action to stop it.

"That's Delta Mayor, her dad's the mayor. Save the jokes though, I've already made them all," The voice had startled an already shaken up Marwa. She looked at the girl who stood to her left who wore the biggest smile she had ever seen. "The girl next to her is Aoife Myrna, her family's bad news. Y'know gangs, guns, violence, yada yada yada. Odd couple, right?" Her confusion must have registered on her face because the Asian girl laughed before speaking again, "Oh, yeah. Totes lesbians together, as if that wasn't obvious, but apparently their parents don't know it."

The girl turned to face her, which gave Marwa a better frontal view of the girl. She wore those shorts that intentionally had holes in them and a white tank top that was showing more than Marwa hoped to see. Marwa hadn't noticed the sucker she had in her mouth and only did because the girl pushed the stick in and out repeatedly. The clothing choices seemed deliberately salacious, especially compared to what Marwa herself was wearing. "I'm Imogen, your Marwa, right? Principal Cooper sent me after you, he said you'd get lost." Imogen hooked her arm onto hers and propelled both of them forward without another word after Marwa had managed an affirming nod to the question posed. A speechless Marwa was a bit at a lost she couldn't stop because of the immense strength Imogen possessed. They entered an office where a woman sat out front behind a rather large desk who greeted Imogen with a nod and handed her a piece of paper.

"Natalia, the secretary, she hardly speaks English I don't know why she isn't deported back to Mother Russia," Imogen said while they were clearly in earshot of the women. Marwa had a feeling that Imogen never stopped talking and there wouldn't even be a chance for her to speak up, not that she wanted to. Verbal communication kind of made her uneasy, especially since she spoke English with a particularly strong accent. Still arm-in-arm with Imogen as she looked over the paper instead of watching where they walked in the corridor, however, that didn't seem to matter as everyone cleared a path wherever Imogen walked. An odd sight, indeed, was Imogen some sort of school royalty? "Look we have French class together, actually, my classes aren't important I'll just go to yours they seem like more fun." Great, Marwa would have to deal with her all day then, fantastic.

A sharp right led them into a classroom that was already full of students. The desks were arranged in five vertical columns. Two seats were opened one in front of the other. Cliché photography lined the walls, it was of rocks, the sun, trees, some of the picture was out of focus, and all of it them were taken at some crappy angle. Imogen dragged Marwa back towards the end of the aisle where the seats where located at, Imogen had first choice and chose the seat that lay behind the other.

There was a man in a suit who stood at the front of the room, he cleared his throat and all the chatter stopped. With his eyes glued on her the man proceeded, "I believe we have a new student, Marwa Al Thani, did I pronounce that correctly, miss?" Every pair of eyes turned to face her and dissected her and her appearance in seconds. She swallowed before nodding. "Great! Please do your best to make her feel welcome." The boy in front of her turned around and handed her a pen. Marwa smiled, took the pen, and thanked him. Seeing his brown eyes reminded her of her dog back home in Qatar, soft and gentle. Wait, how did he know she needed one?

From behind her she heard a tsk-ing noise, "That's Devon Bernot, his girlfriend is the blonde one, Oakley North. Rumor has it him and your dear friend miss Delta Mayor are knocking boots as well." Marwa suspected this was the reason that Imogen sat directly behind her. Diagonal (to the right) from her sat the girl she assumed Imogen was speaking about, she was very focused on the teacher at the front of the room. Probably hadn't noticed her boyfriend giving her the pen, hopefully that wouldn't be a problem…

"Rumor has it, Imogen, that you are knocking boots with Mr. Forsberg," Marwa turned to her left to see a girl that belonged in the nearest photo shoot. Her lightly tanned skin was flawless; her brown hair cascaded down the front of her white dress. All of her seemed slightly angelic. She winked at Marwa and took the pencil she was chewing on out of her mouth to write something on the desk. "Though, that's not much of a rumor, is it?" Once the girl moved her hand Marwa saw what she had written, a big heart and on the inside of it was "IG + AF 4EVR."

Imogen's face flushed was with color, she wore a stunned look, but she was never speechless, "I would never touch Atti-Mr. Forsberg, Raguel!" She crumpled the piece of paper that was in front of her and threw it at Raguel who ducked in time for it to whiz pass her and hit someone else in the head. When that individual turned around and gave Imogen a dirty look she gave them a dirtier hand gesture. Marwa could only look on from her position, she had never been in the situations she found herself in today.

"Is everything hunky dory back here?" The teacher had walked down the aisle uncrumpling the wad of paper, he read the top of the page before he raised an eyebrow and handed it Marwa. "I believe this belongs to you, Miss Al Thani."

Raguel had placed a hand over the heart and replied with a cool smile, "We're good, brother." She batted her eyelashes at the man who simply grinned in response before heading back to the front of the room. Marwa glanced up at the man then back at the girl, who Imogen had named as Raguel, then back to the teacher. It was doubtful anyone would've thought of them as siblings. Behind him 'Mr. Franklyn' was scrawled on the board in a manner that surprised Marwa that she could even translate it.

Imogen hadn't even bothered telling her what class she was in, but she soon found out that it was French. A language she had grew up speaking more so than English to impress her father. It was a quick class, they only went over verb tenses and a series of vocab words they were to know for the quiz at the end of the week. When class was over Imogen barged passed her, snatching her schedule from her fingers, and continued out the door, but not first without shooting Raguel a look that could kill. Perhaps this was her chance to slip the reins Imogen had placed on her, Marwa slowly put all her material into her backpack hoping the angered girl would get fed up and leave. A tactic that didn't pan out in her favor because the next time she looked up the same death glare that had been aimed at Raguel was now focused squarely on her. All Marwa had at her disposal was a weak smile and that's what she gave. Her next class was English and she was escorted there and the two classes after it.

At the sound of the bell Marwa rose from her seat to go to lunch. A dull rumble came from her stomach signaling her hunger. As if she heard the noises Imogen grabbed Marwa's wrist until they reached the lunchroom. There was an upside to all this constant companionship, Marwa didn't have to wonder where she would sit at lunch. Boy was she glad about that because the room was huge. There were at least ten or so tables, split evenly into two vertical columns. She was dragged through the lunch line, which they were granted by cutting the line a fact that Marwa wasn't all too comfortable with. Where they sat their trays down already had three other people: Adaeze (TUA, The Untrimmed African, in Imogen's words.), Roxana (Feisty Felicia, once again Imogen's words), and to add some testosterone, Seamus (Creepazoid, if it wasn't obvious Imogen had said this as well.) They had all greeted her with smiles, laughter, and handshakes.

"Have you made any friends besides us?" Adaeze inquired while digging into what seemed like mystery meat, which only proved her bravery.

"Delta," Imogen chimed in, something she had made a habit of doing. Everyone at the table made a face or groaned, Adaeze gave two thumbs down. She was certainly a person Marwa was going to stay far away from given their first encounter. "Adaeze and Delta are lesbian rivals," Imogen pointed her fork to where Delta was sitting next to Aoife and across from Oakley and Devon along with a couple of unfamiliar faces. Earlier when she had informed Marwa of Adaeze's sexual identity she had mentioned her and Roxana were an off and on thing, more off than on. All of this… unmoral behavior was an adjustment. Even Seamus had a tendency to talk about the occasional guy, he was currently crushing on Adrian, a football player that had a girlfriend. She had never met people that were so free and open about that kind of lifestyle, it was all pretty weird and uncharted territory.

The bickering between Adaeze, Imogen, and Roxana had died down by the time Marwa's thoughts had cleared away, "How did you guys become friends?" Their eyes widen, they seemed shocked to hear Marwa's voice.

"I threw my pie for them," Roxana said proudly in a Hispanic accent Marwa couldn't quite place.

A laugh came from Marwa that was probably the strangest thing without context she had heard all day and Imogen had told her a lot of strange things today. Apparently, Roxana had grown sick of Delta's taunts and one day threw a piece of pie right at her head. Most of it missed, but enough hit that it caused uproars of laughter.

"Imogen and I grew up together," Seamus stated and took a bite out of his sandwich; he wasn't taking the risk on what school lunch did to someone's stomach. "When Adaeze moved to town last year I asked her to prom, turn's out Roxana beat me to the punch line. Then the pie situation and we all came together, now we have you." He ate the rest of his sandwich and started on an apple that he had been tossing in the air.

Lunch ended after their conversation turned from friendship to after school activities. Seamus was hanging out with Adrian, apparently they played video games quite frequently; unfortunately for Seamus it never crossed that line. Adaeze had her brother's birthday dinner to attend with Roxana. Imogen? Imogen failed to disclose what she was doing only that they would hear about it tomorrow, which worried Marwa. They all went their separate ways for the next class period, in fact they all had last period together, an elective called Atlantean History. Marwa sat through Chemistry, Creative Writing, and Foods 1, of course, with her newest friend in tow. Eventually it was final period where they met up with Seamus, Adaeze, and Roxana not to mention Delta and Devon. Along with a vast amount of faces Imogen had attached names to but Marwa had forgotten them well within five seconds of being told.

Entering the classroom felt eerily similar and that was because it was the same classroom she was in earlier. Except the same tacky photos that hung on the wall had been replaced with paintings. All the desks were arranged in a different fashion, instead columns it was a semi-circle that looked more like a crescent moon. The same man, Mr. Franklyn, stood at the front of the classroom. The cursive behind him read 'Mr. Henri' this time. He wore a plain white button-up shirt instead of the suit, what was going on?

"What's going on?" Marwa asked genuinely confused.

"Oh, Mr. Franklyn is certified crazy," Imogen replied with looking up from her phone, she chewed (smacked was a better word) on gum. "He changes his name every other class period along with the arrangement of the desk, and the art in the room." She blew a bubble and popped it.

Americans were certainly willing to let anyone teach their schools perhaps that's why their education system was so terrible. Marwa sat in her same seat and Imogen in hers, yet this time Adaeze sat to the left of her, Seamus to the right, and Roxana directly behind Adaeze. Devon was in front of her and Delta had replaced Oakley. A fashionable guy sat to the right of Imogen, she had only briefly looked at his clothing twice but his scarf was to die for.

"Please don't tell me you're interested in him?" Marwa had turned to face Adaeze and Roxana and she hadn't seen Imogen look up once, how had she seen where Marwa looked? "His, Dom's, love life is crazy complicated. He was with that idiot Thayne, now he's dating Nate who used to date James who is currently rebounding with Nora who is sleeping with half the football team including Adrian." Yikes, did this school have any students that weren't involved with one another? Marwa made a mental note to check any crush with Imogen before ever thinking about wanting more from them.

Mr. Henri clapped his hands to get the attention of his students, a different tactic from Mr. Franklyn she noticed. The lesson started with an overview of what Atlantis was and the myths surrounding it. All of it was actually fascinating, especially the side comments Seamus and Imogen bounced off one another. She was blown away by how many questions Adaeze knew the answer to she was an Atlantis whiz. If they ever had a trivia game Marwa wanted to be on her team. A kid that someone would most likely label a 'stoner' also spoke up except he kept challenging each answer trying to give a philological view and/or reasoning. It was all very laughable and at the very least they wasted five minutes of everyone's time each time. According to Imogen this was the James in all his glory.

Unexpectedly the bell rang, it was the end of school. Marwa had made it through her first day of school thanks to Imogen tagging along and she had even happened to make a few friends because of it. The pen felt odd to put away for some reason and that's when it dawned that it wasn't hers. Swiftly her eyes scanned the room and Devon wasn't in sight. Throwing her backpack over one shoulder she rushed out of the classroom without saying goodbye to those newfound friends and instead was navigating the hallway crowded with students. The after school rush was in full effect and Marwa knew she would never find Devon. She did spot a tall girl dressed from head to toe in black. Praying this would turn out without her being injured she surged through the vast amount of people until she reached Delta who was in Devon's company.

"I believe this is yours," Marwa handed the pen back to Devon ignoring the glare she was receiving in full force from Delta, "I'm sorry I kept it all day."

"Don't worry about it," Devon said stifling a yawn and took the pen and shoved it one of his jean pockets. "Y'know Imogen's not the greatest person to hang around, sit with us at lunch tomorrow. We'll show you how the better half lives," Devon stuffed his backpack into the locker that was opened and shut it. He nodded once more and took off with Delta who didn't seem like a happy camper because of the invite that had been extended to Marwa.

From there she made her way to the car that had dropped her off this morning. Today had been quite the journey, but Marwa knew it was only the beginning of a long school year here at Atlantis High School.

Skymin · Mar 29, 2014

And now as I head off to bed, the RP Challenge for this month draws to a close. Thanks to all who participated! I'll send off stuff to the judges when I get home from work tomorrow.

In the meantime, if you have a last minute entry you would like to submit between now and when we post the results, please, let me know! I would be happy to add you to the criteria. :)

Skymin · Apr 15, 2014

CONGRATULATIONS: [supporter]Retro Bug[/supporter]
Winner of RPChallenge - March

Prizes: Congratulatory Emblem, one-time HTML usertitle

Please PM me for more details about your usertitle. Participants will recieve a PM shortly with their scores and critique and comments!

Sorry I took so long getting this all together. d: But here you are! This month's RPC may or may not happen depending on time, but we should see a return shortly!

RPChallenge: March

More options

Skymin

gimmepie

Skymin

Legend

Kingslayer

Chocolate™

Awesome Dragon

Skymin

Ray Maverick

Skymin

GastlyGibus

I'm battin' a thousand!

disciplish

supreme meme machine

Mana1

Ray Maverick

Mana1

Retro Bug

Skymin

Skymin