how am i gonna be an optimist about this? {d6 lemony snicket

[Onyx]

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dear reader,

It is with deepest sincerity that I must ask you to shut down the page that you are looking at and read on no further, for what is contained in the following paragraphs is a tale so heartbreaking and sinister it affects me even to write it down. But, while I have a duty to do just that, you have no obligation whatsoever to endure the misery and horror that is here documented. So I urge you, with desperation, to think of all the things in your life that bring you joy and comfort and to hold them in your mind as you turn away from these words. For you will find nothing of that sort here.

I have spent years tracing the trials and tribulations faced by the collection of remarkable and terribly unfortunate orphans at the centre of our story, once dispersed but now gathered together, connected by seemingly suspicious circumstances which each have in common with the others. To some, particularly those who watch over them daily at the Beatrice Lucafont Community Home for Young Arson Victims, the stories of how they ended up together seem far-fetched at best, but I have connected the facts to a maddening degree, and am certain that what I know now is the truth.

I know I cannot force you to stop reading now; in fact, having written these words in the past rather than being currently present, I have no power over you whatsoever, so I will leave you with one final warning. The histories of these orphans are dangerous topics for the sole reason that conspiratorial obsession grows within us all like a flame. You may decide, foolishly, that the biographies of these children may constitute light reading for an evening, and find yourself years later still scouring for information on the unfortunate events that led to each orphan's current position. I can only implore you to close this page, delete your browsing history, turn off your computer and remove it from your home forever - for these are the precautions that will surely be necessary to stop you from getting involved in this tragic and terrible story.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

Lemony Snicket

[Onyx]

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a series of unfortunate events

The Beatrice Lucafont Community Home for Young Arson Victims has never been famous for its world-altering hospitality or service to its residents. Of course, this is somewhat to do with the fact that every child in its care has ended up there in the most terrible circumstances imaginable - having lost their parents, belongings and often all of their history in a devastating fire, and with nowhere else to go. Nevertheless, it often attracts the attention of the curious - perhaps because of its absurd twisting appearance on a street full of sleek medical facilities, perhaps because sometimes you could peer through a window and see something utterly unbelievable; like a room with mushrooms seemingly breathing on the walls or snakes slithering across the floor. However, it's almost definitely notable because of the rumours of the elaborate secret society its carers and children have formed within its creaking timbers. Whether these conspiracies are just elaborate stories, or whether they're entirely true, the children who live within Beatrice Lucafont's creaking hearth feel the effect of the whispers, and their own quirks, every day of their lives.

Orphan the First: The Bad Beginning

name - age - played by Onyx

A misfit with a deep love of theatre and performance. You'll probably find them performing monologues by themselves in full costume - mostly because no one else wants to spend the time to perform with them. Otherwise you won't see them at all, because they'll be in disguise with such dedication that they really could be anyone.

Orphan the Second: The Reptile Room

name - age - played by d6a georgie cham 🍓🐢 frankel

Even though there's a no pets rule in the house, this child has managed for all their time as a resident to secretly keep and care for various land and amphibious reptiles in their room. The attachment to these mostly quiet creatures probably stems from the orphan's attachment to the family they lost, but the explanation for why their specifically so interested in bottling and saving their pets' venoms is not so obvious.

Orphan the Third: The Wide Window

name – age – played by OPEN

Justifiably, this orphan seems to have a fear about absolutely everything. Since they were introduced to Death when their parents perished, they appear to worry that Death will come to them round every corner, in everything they do. If it were convenient, this child would surely stay in the safest place they could think of; but their only solace, their love of books and words (especially ones ending in "phobia"), keeps them returning to the small Home library to lose themselves in writing.

Orphan the Fourth: The Miserable Mill

name – age – played by OPEN

If you met them for the first time, you'd think that this child simply had an attitude problem, not that they'd experienced such life-altering loss. The other orphans can often hear them stomping through the house in their heavy leather boots, which complement their constantly scraped knees from all the time they spend kicking around and scrambling in the city's dumps. The residents can also tell where this child has already been, from the brightly coloured gum they're always chewing, and stick to the walls and floors of the house in small, vindicating acts of rebellion.

Orphan the Fifth: The Austere Academy

name – age – played by OPEN

Unlike the previous child, this orphan is intensely strict on rules and regulations. They know every law of Panem off by heart - and how to bend them, of course, as well. They loathe to associate with those who break the rules, but must admit there's a certain inimitable thrill in doing something they're not allowed to, or shouldn't do.

Orphan the Sixth: The Ersatz Elevator

name – age – played by OPEN

No one really understands how this orphan manages to make the best out of every situation, but somehow they have been able to build an environment which is intensely sophisticated and classy in a Home which is otherwise so run-down. They love to wear clothes which can only be described as "suave" and although they have no passion for rules themselves, know every piece of etiquette for every situation in order to uphold a respectable reputation. They're enamoured by the Capitol, and every other resident could agree they would certainly fit in there much better.

Orphan the Seventh: The Vile Village

name – age – played by OPEN

Suffering from deep separation anxiety since the loss of their family and home, this orphan intensely resents the no pets rule in the house. They find it hard to spend time in the Home as all the other children remind them of the life they no longer have, and instead elect to explore the District and make collections of objects to keep them company. Perhaps in objection to not being allowed a living companion, they have an eerie collection of small stuffed taxidermy animals. Most of the other residents find them disturbing and tend to stay away from this child and their room.

Orphan the Eighth: The Hostile Hospital

name – age – played by OPEN

Perhaps the only one of the orphans who truly appreciates the medical focus of their neighbourhood, this child knows four hundred different ways to lobotomise a living human being, and definitely has a desire to try some of them out. They’re obsessed with medical procedures and equipment to the point of madness, often sneaking out of the Home to attend lectures at one of the training universities, or even just to watch operations taking place from through a window. Though they could use their extensive knowledge for good, they never have – it’s more about the specific knowledge, and the satisfying goriness of the subject matter, that they find fulfilling.

Orphan the Ninth: The Carnivorous Carnival

name – age – played by OPEN

This child was hungry for risk and danger before the fire that killed their family, and perhaps even more reckless afterwards. They have a passion for dangerous stunts, aspiring to be an escapologist, and they often have to coax the other children into agreeing to lock their hands together in cuffs and throw them into rivers. Their risk-taking isn’t limited to escapology – they like to push themselves to see how far they can fall without hurting themselves, how long they can hold their breathe without passing out, or how much they can push a Peacekeeper before they get beaten to a bloody pulp.

Orphan the Tenth: The Slippery Slope

name – age – played by OPEN

It doesn’t take much to make this orphan happy, as their imagination is so vast and vivid that they could lose themselves in it for days. They’re a hopeless romantic who treats every single one of their friendships as if it’s the most important thing in the world, and they appreciate the importance of deep trust within those friendships. Nevertheless, it would take someone truly special, and a deeply forged bond, for the child to discuss their own personal hopes and fears with another person, like the fact they’re deathly afraid of heights, to share with them the dreams that they record in a dream diary, and perhaps even to fall in love with them.

Orphan the Eleventh: The Grim Grotto

name – age – played by OPEN

The small herb garden that the chid cultivates in their room, growing deadly nightshade and other toxic and carnivorous plants for fun, isn’t the only sign that there’s something a little…off about them. Their room is deemed off-limits even to the carers, but no one would go in there even given the choice. The way that mould has been carefully encouraged to grow up the peeling wallpaper, the terrible smell, and the offputting lack of curtains, are all part of the mystery in why the orphan is the way they are. Of course, the obvious answer is that they saw something so disturbing during the fire that destroyed their previous life that they were never able to fully recover in their mind, and by maintaining a level of distinct uncleanliness they have been able to make themselves feel more grounded in reality, more a literal part of the dirt that makes up the world.

Orphan the Twelfth: The Penultimate Peril

name – age – played by OPEN

This child is perhaps the most worrying simply because they are a total wild card. Their passions and delights verge on psychopathic at times but seem to be totally random and fleeting. It’s very likely that they were actually responsible for the arson attack that ended them up where they are now, and that if they so desired they could inflict more damage on the people, and the building, that are part of their new life.

Orphan the Thirteenth: The End

name – age – played by OPEN

Silent, patient, but with wide eyes and a bright mind this child sees and hears everything that goes on in the house. They know layers upon layers of secrets about everyone around them, just by merit of being ignorable in a room – something they consider a talent. The other children and the carers are wary of this orphan, knowing that if they chose to they could topple every person in the house by revealing their weaknesses and shortcomings to others. There’s also the chance that the fragile exterior hides a short fuse within the child, and at any moment they could snap, becoming even more dangerous and vicious than the orphans that seem to pose a constant threat. Don’t they say it’s always the quiet ones?

[Onyx]

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apply within

[blockquote][size=1][b]Your Name:[/b]
[b]Desired Character:[/b]
[b]Character Ideas:[/b]
[b]Circumstances of their fire:[/b] (Please include here a short description of how their parents were killed and their home destroyed - whether it was arson or an accident, and specific details of what was lost)
[b]Other:[/b]

[solo]

I love this idea <3 It was so hard to pick one!!

Name: Eddie Roberts (My name is Solo?? I'm not sure whether you want mine or the characters.)
Desired Character: Orphan the Ninth: The Carnivorous Carnivore
Character Ideas: Eddie Roberts, female, 16. I know there's already an orphan who probably caused their own house fire, but I thought this one would probably be likely to have done it herself too, thinking it would be amazing to be able to say she escaped from a burning building. It would also be interesting if maybe she caused some of the other fires? Perhaps because she wanted to see another one, or because she was getting lonely. I'm undecided on that one.
I'm thinking she'll be fairly cheerful and bubbly, and she probably doesn't have a great concept of consequences. She'll also be extremely blunt, she won't understand manners, and she'll just say whatever she's thinking. Maybe that could cause some conflict with the sixth orphan?
She'll really enjoy hanging out with the younger orphans, mostly cause it'll be easier to talk them into whatever daring feat she has in mind. Her parents wanted a boy but got a girl instead, so they named her Eddie. I'll probably add a few other quirks and stuff to make her a little more interesting.
Circumstances of their fire: I'm thinking that when she was younger, maybe nine, they were learning about natural disasters in school and that's where she got the idea to start a house fire. One night she grabbed some matches that they used for the stove, and started a fire in her room. She wanted to see how long she could stay in there before the heat became too much to handle. The fire spread to the rest of the house, and when her parents came to get her, she had the door locked and wouldn't let them in. She managed to escape out the window, but both her parents were burned alive, thinking she was still in the house. She got out with a mild burn on her arm, and a permanently raspy voice due to smoke inhalation. The entire house was up in flames before their neighbors could get it under control, and it wasn't out until the morning, when the fire had burned it down to charred planks and whatever metal had been there. Everything was so ruined, they weren't able to find a cause, and no one ever discovered that it was Eddie's fault.
Other: N/A

[ali]

Name: Ali
Desired Character: Orphan the Third: The Wide Window
Character Ideas: Josaphine Johanas is terrified of everything. You name a phobia and she has it- can't name a phobia, she can name it for you and has it too. Since her parents death, Josaphine has been extremely careful about everything and anything; she is outspoken and correts people all the time. While she is kind, her over cautiousness if off putting and hides her hidden knowledge.
Circumstances of their fire: Josaphine thinks that her parents deaths were an accident- a moment of foolishness that led to their deaths and her perpetual fear of everything but truth be told, it was arson. Her father was an intelligent Doctor working on some of the most secret things in the District for the Capitol, but there were people who didn't like it and so burnt down her house and home while Josaphine was eating sandwiches at the park with her 'friends'.
Other:

[Sleepy Fluttershy]

Your Name: Gaby
Desired Character: The End (13th orphan)
Character Ideas: Ivy Moth, female, 16, loves her fellow orphans but is too shy to say it out loud, is really annoyed by being unnoticed and feared by most people.
Circumstances of their fire: Her mother accidentally dropped a candle on the floor and set her bed on fire, and didn't notice it at first. Ivy tried to tell her but she wasn't listening because she was talking to her neighbour about the weather. When she realised what was going on, it was too late. Ivy's baby brother was sleeping in the room, and after everyone got out, they found out that they forgot about him (though again, Ivy was trying to tell them but they wouldn't listen). After that, her parents rushed into the burning house and the whole family died except for Ivy who was too scared to follow her mom and dad.
Other: She could probably have a crush on another orphan, but I'm not sure if that is a good idea.

[♛ scandal]

Your Name: fuzzy

Desired Character: Orphan the Fifth; The Austere Academy

Character Ideas: Ursula Myrweggon. An studios girl obsessed with the law and how to manipulate it.  After the death
of her parents, she continued to be the stuck-up smart girl. She learned all the laws Panem offers, and found holes in the foundation that protects
them from civil war, and she used them to her advantadge, as the foundation could crumble if she just widened one of the holes. Ursula in my eyes is brunette with green eyes, and a burn on her left hand. I picture Ursula being played by Martina Stoessel. 

Circumstances of their fire: Ursula parents were killed in a house fire started by Ursula when she was young. She started it purposefully since her parents were law-breakers, and she vowed
to never associate herself with them. She didn't know what to do, but one day she took some matches from the cabinet, and lit the match, and dropped it next to her sleeping parents. Ursula dropped her locket in the fire, and got down to grab it, and it burned her hand. She screamed and cried, then,  Ursula went out side her house, and watched it burn, with a wicked smile on her face.

Other: No, but I luv the plot idea

[bailee]

Your Name:
baileee
Desired Character:
the hostile hospital
Character Ideas:
17, male, named Sterling Wentworth, played by Charlie James
Both of Sterling's parents were wealthy doctors and highly encouraged Sterling to follow their paths. However; his parents were involved in some... not so humanitarian practices over at the hospital. They were involved in acts such as experimenting with the human body to see how it would react to a lack of sleep for several days and how the body reacts without a nervous system. Sterling quickly developed the habits of his parents and began performing disturbing experiments of his own on small animals such as squirrels and ants. He recorded his findings in a locked journal, the whereabouts of the key unknown to anyone but himself. Sterling aspired to be a doctor like his parents and found himself reading more and more of his parent's medical journals, learning about the human body and associated illnesses and diseases with it. 
Circumstances of their fire: A victim of Sterling's parent's experiments escaped the hospital. Said victim had developed several mental illnesses, causing them to go insane and follow the doctor's home and commit arson. Sterling was at school at the time, meaning he survived the fire however his parents and any belongings inside the home didn't. All Sterling was left with was his backpack, a medical journal on the human brain, his own journal, a scalpel and his schoolwork for the day.
Other: never watched lemony snicket but i hope that's okay - if it's a must then i definitely can get into it

[Onyx]

yeee you're all fab!

solo will play IX
ali will play III
Sleepy Fluttershy will play X, after discussion
♛ scandal will play V
bailee will play VIII

[napoleon, d2m ₊⊹ 🐁 ɢʀɪғғɪɴ.]

Onyx's plots are always heavenly.

Your Name: napoleon, d2m ₊⊹ 🐁 ɢʀɪғғɪɴ.

Desired Character: Orphan The Fourth: The Miserable Mill

Character Ideas: Pine Miller; his name is an equivoque from his parents. Aged 17 yet he still attempts to throw childish tantrums. His tread is violent and he would be telling a lie if he said he was not vulgar. No respect for rules, he knocks down any garage can he desires and willing to contribute anything to obtain ataraxia. He is bulkier than most of the kids in the circle of his age, chiseled muscles flex each and every time he puts his arms into benefit. Face-claim is still a biased opinion.

Circumstances of their fire: (Please include here a short description of how their parents were killed and their home destroyed - whether it was arson or an accident, and specific details of what was lost) He would never divulge for the details of the event are so horrendous and oppressive. It is a curse, his peculiarity to surface the specific details about the night. The ebony sky was free of stars and the moon was nowhere to be sighted. Peach streaks of light rose after the trail of smoke intensely ascended to the atmosphere; then followed a tsunami of heat waves. He could never forget the echoing screams of his parents as they fragmentize into obsidian ashes within the deadly flames. They addressed the case as an 'accident'. However, from the charred debris, he discovered a lamp - an object his parents did not permit to be brought near their residence. They were owners of a mill, a tad dilapidated and smeared with soot. He brought the oil-slicked lamp but no one had taken the words of a child seriously. Thus, even after his body had matured, his mind never wanted to.

Other: Closeted gay.

[Gavin]

Your Name: Gavin.
Desired Character: Orphan the Seventh/The Vile Village
Character Ideas: crow murdock (her father used to call her blackbird, but he's long gone) has always been a little bit strange. she spent her early years amassing a collection of "pets"(mostly vermin) that she was sweeter to than any human she met. her mother was as strange as she was; her father a rather unremarkable man who did his best to keep up with the woman he loved but was always a few steps behind. he worried about crow often, argued that she should attend school with the other children. crow's mother disagreed, and as such she didn't spend much time away from her home.
she's a preserver. when things die she picks up the pieces and makes them look nice and pretty again. she still prefers when they live, but she'd rather have dead friends than none at all. she's quiet, with big, dark eyes and quick, deliberate movements, just as much specter as child.
Circumstances of their fire: it was crow's fault. well, it wasn't intentionally her fault. her mother had been heavily interested in the occult and while she was holding a seance, one of crow's "pets", a raccoon, well, it was injured and frightened and happened to end up knocking down some candles. crow's mother was lost immediately- her room was so full of tapestries and papers that it was mere kindling. crow was shy, but not stupid. she gathered as many animals as she could carry and left. her father was already outside. there was a bird she hadn't been able to carry- a tiny sparrow who'd broke its wing. she'd found it on her windowsill and been nursing it back to health. she tried to go get it, but her father stopped her. he would do anything for her. he went instead. while he was inside, the fire reached a pipeline, gas or oil, crow never found out, but the resulting explosion made it clear she was an orphan.
Other: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯