Freyja's Introduction - Sketch/Lines by Yenii. Colors by Shai.
Boreal Tryst Maps - Shai
Love on the Rocks Opening - Sketch/Lines by Yenii. Colors and video by Shai.
“Good morning! Good afternoon! Good evening, everyone!”
Freyja summons the contestants back to the Boreal Tryst's sundeck to kick off Love on the Rocks, with her first order of business being to score the icebreakers that the cast has been filling out for the past several days.
"Looks like we got some fierce competition! Was it the passion of love that made you guys so eager to fill this out? Put a little pep in your step? I know it does mine. This won't take me too long to put together and decide a winner. Sit tight for a second, ok? I’ll be done in a j—!”
Her voice abruptly cuts off.
“I’ll be done in a ji—!”
She takes a second before she attempts the line again, repeating her contemplative movement in a cycle. But when she tries it this time, it sounds… Off. Not just off, but strange. Weird. Uncomfortable, almost, as her pitch drops and becomes distorted to the point of being completely intelligible.
While many of the contestants look on in confusion, some more concerned about the program's well-being than others, a few attempt to gain Freyja's attention.
She doesn’t respond no matter what you say or do to get her attention. In fact, if anything, it looks like your attempts only make it worse. Almost like repetitively left clicking a frozen browser page. Not only does she remain stuck in her two-frame, chin-tapping buffering motion, but her pixels become grainy and glitched in the process. This doesn’t last for too much longer though, because just as it happened, her hologram shuts off all together, and you’re left just… Standing there. No explanation for what happened, let alone why it happened in the first place. You could pass it off at some sort of elaborate joke if you really wanted to - if it puts your mind at ease - but when there is a slow but drastic shift in the ship's course of direction, the fact that something is very, very wrong can’t be ignored. Water in the pool and jacuzzi slowly begins to tip to one side from the sudden change in momentum, the unbolted chairs on the deck slide, and, if you’re not careful, you could very well join them. Thank god for the rails.
With Freyja missing in action, the Boreal Tryst barrels towards land, eventually striking a number of rocks along the shoreline before coming to a stop. The contestants go uninjured, save for maybe a few minor bruises from stumbling around, dazed, confused, and angry about whatever just happened.
Among the chaos of their shipwreck, they're able to spot buildings in the distance. Hoping they've lucked out on being dropped near civilization, the contestants safely climb their way down the escape ladder and make their way towards what appears to be a small town, hoping they'll be able to call the producers and explain what happened.
... A small town that's entirely abandoned, unfortunately.
The streets are filled with hollow and dilapidating buildings, with no signs of life in sight as the light dusting of snow crunches underneath their feet.
Suddenly, a familiar upbeat voice cut through the cold.
“Hello? Hellooo?”
A small display of Freyja pops up from each one of your watches, speaking in unison.
“Oh, gosh! That was so weird! My body felt all tingly and numb… My head got all dizzy... Or, it would have if I had a body that could feel tingly and numb, and a head to get dizzy in the first place. Haha!”
Questions about their circumstances begin to rise. What happened? Where are they?
"Luckily, I do know where you are, Liezel! A liiittle isolated coastal city way up north of Norway called Forsetalundr." She giggles before leaning in, like she's whispering. "Kind of cozy, isn't it?"
“My sensors are telling me that the cabins in the ship aren’t being fed heat anymore… But that’s nothing to worry about! I’ve found a nearby motel for you all to stay in, and I even took the liberty of assigning you some new roommates for a change of pace. You know, since, um, you’ll prooooobably be here for a while!”
“I guess I could [also] send out a radio signal on an open channel to ask for help, buuut… I don’t think I’m gonna do that! If someone else shows up to save you guys, that would ruin the whole show, you know? Since the whole point is to see what you guys do without other people interfering, right?”
The group begins to grow irate. What is she talking about?
"... Oh! I know this one. That sounds like disappointment, doesn't it? Anger, maybe? I know it's not super ideal, but I've been told that people say the show must go on, or something! So, we're going to keep playing the game, okay? Buuut, if you really want to go home, you can always d̶̦̚ì̴̅v̴̻̄o̵̩̕r̴̛̼c̴̆̍e̶ someone."
"It'll break my heart - and theirs, I’m sure - but if you d̶̦̚ì̴̅v̴̻̄o̵̩̕r̴̛̼c̴̆̍ẻ̶̗ one of the other contestants without getting caught, you'll get closer to me signaling for help! How do you divorce someone, you might ask? Welllll, it's simple, really!"
"You k̸i̵l̶l̸ them, of course!"
"It'll be so romantic, but so tragic! You've all read Romeo and Juliet, right? Star-crossed lovers, pulled apart by the claws of death..."
"Oh! But I know that's pretty vague, so I went ahead and updated your guidelines on your RIMEKEEPERS with more information on how it'll work. Do me a favor and read those over, will you? Thanks!”
The contestants read over the updated rules provided by Frejya, naturally outraged... well, save for a certain Shinya, who seems pretty amused by the whole thing. Hey, this isn't what they signed up for at all, is it?
As her last order of business before disappearing, Freyja finally seems to remember what started all of this-- The icebreaker! But what she adds seems... a little different than your standard dating show fare.
“Since we're probably going to be stuck here for a while, we'll need some new ground rules, since this isn't the ship, right? Our three winners of the icebreaker - the person with the highest score and two runner ups - will be this rounds very special lawmakers. They worked really hard, so I figured they would be best fit to set the bar for this lawless town. Like sheriffs back in the days of cowboys!”
“They’ll get together and discuss one rule to set into motion, for better or for worse. This rule could potentially only help them, or help the entire group if they’re feeling generous. Either way, it won’t be easy. It’s a lot of responsibility, and it’s hard to make everyone happy! I’m sure they’ll do juuust fine though.”
Before anything else can be said, her display on your watch flickers off, and you’re one again felt with how you started — alone, together. Is this… really what you all signed up for? Being stranded in a desolate town, being held hostage unless you’re compliant, and being forced to kill one another if you ever want to leave? Is this Love on The Rocks?
Train, car, plane, or boat— whatever mode of transportation brought you here today, you find your feet now planted firmly on a sturdy, wooden dock that extends far into the choppy waters of the Norwegian coast. As your breath condenses into small clouds, your lungs fill with the crisp Arctic air, but thanks to the encroaching spring, you’re surprised to find it's not as bone-chilling as you had expected. Some would perhaps call it invigorating, even, a wake-up call to the reality that you, out of tens of thousands of applicants, were one of the lucky individuals selected for the premiere season of Love on the Rocks.
Twenty contestants from around the world are brought to a port in Norway where they wait for the cutting edge cruise liner, the Boreal Tryst, to send them off on their journey for love and romance. Despite the chilly conditions, the players begin to get acquainted with each other, some... seeming to hit it off better than others. A few people seem a little too keen on taking a dive into the icy harbor waters, a few seem to know a little too much about sinking ships, and a few seem a little too invested in the anatomy of birds--but hey, you can say whatever you want when the cameras aren't rolling, right?
After boarding the ship, they're greeted by a holographic figure, claiming to be their host.
"Hiiii!" the woman sing-songs. "You all must be so excited to be here! Not that I know what excitement feels like, but I’ve been told that it’s supposed to be pretty heart-pounding! I do not have an anatomical heart either, but with that description, I suppose it must feel something like love!”
"Oh my goodness. Where are my manners? My name is Fractal Emitting Photonic Judiciary Assistant, though I am aware that this a bit longer than most human names, so you have been given clearance to call me FrEγJA, or... just Freyja! I have been told this is the same name as the Norse goddess of love and fertility, though I am no goddess--just a computer program! What you see now is a hologram that has been developed so that I seem more personable when communicating with you. Like the goddess, however, I think love is a beautiful thing, and I am here to facilitate that connection to its fullest!”
“I control everything on the ship from the navigation, to the dining, to the temperature of the pool, to even creating the peeeerfect mood lighting if you’re spending some time with your special someone! I will also be your host for each of the challenges you get to face. Given my capabilities, I was told that I would be a much more accurate judge than the error that is possible when dealing with humans!”
After further introductions to Freyja, the group is sent off to mingle with each other for a few days before the show is set to begin. They're provided with an icebreaker activity to get to know each other, with the person who receives the highest number of correct answers promised a secret prize at the end of it all...
“In a few days, we’ll start working out specifics for the show and kick off with our biiiig introduction, but for now, the producers thought it would be a good idea to get everyone settled in while we make our way out to sea. So, we put together a little icebreaker activity for you, which you’ll find has been sent to your Rimekeeper! I have been told that ‘icebreaker’ means a way to get to know one another while reducing the tension of being in an unfamiliar place and surrounded by unfamiliar people. I have also been told that it refers to a ship that can break through ice. I do not understand why the same word has these different meanings, but I’m sure there’s poetic value in it somewhere.”
“That said, the activity is simple! You have been given a list of ‘fun facts’—” Freyja uses air quotes and everything “—about your fellow contestants. Each fact corresponds to one individual here, and when you have correctly identified this fact as theirs, you may write that person’s name in the corresponding box. The contestant with the most points in two days time will receive a special prize from our production crew, so do your best, okay? Have fun! Learn your way around the ship! And, most importantly, learn about each other!”
We here at Hawthorne Studios are proud to announce that we’ve selected 20 very lucky individuals to be on our hit new global reality dating show, Love On The Rocks. Our contestants will encounter challenges like they’ve never encountered before as they navigate not only the great wide ocean, but their relationships with one another as well. Will it be smooth sailing for them from here on out, or will they end up on the rocks?
The roster is on schedule to drop at 7:00 PM EST tonight. I'll make sure to keep y'all updated if any last minute issues occur that would postpone the drop, but I don't foresee that being the case.
Now, I would like to take a moment to express how much of a delight reading everyone's apps has been. It's become almost a formality at this point to say that there are no bad apps, but it's true. There's genuinely nothing better than seeing the fruit of one's creative labor no matter our subjective taste, and it means a lot that y'all wanted to share your passion with us. But because of how amazing everyone's apps were, deciding upon a roster of 18-non head mods was extremely hard. Aly and I went back and forth for days on who we thought would not only make for a balanced cast, but an engaging one that would work with our overarching story and themes as well.
That being said, if you didn't make it onto the roster, I'm going to firmly request that you do not ask Aly and/or myself why you didn't get in nor ask for a review on your application. It will not be addressed in any capacity.
It's extremely uncomfortable to be approached with that level confrontation when it's literally impossible to appease a grand total of 95 individuals. A lot of tough calls were made, and we even had to reject friends and characters that we were personally in love with for a number of various reasons — I cannot stress enough that our decision was not an easy one. We are, at the end of the day, just two people on the internet trying to orchestrate what should be a fun collaborative writing group. The ask box will remain closed for the time being to avoid the harassment of the mods and players, but is planning to be opened up at a later date.
I hope you keep this in mind when the roster drops: not only are y'all talented and amazing writers, but people as a whole. Don't give up and keep pursuing your hobbies!
Almost one month later, and I'm finally back with another announcement. An important one at that, too -- a roster date. However, before I get into that, I would like to cover a few things first.
At the top of my list is expressing how grateful we are for everyone's patience. I've said it before, but we're so thankful that y'all have been willing to wait with us during these past three(ish) months. Not only did we have to read through a large quantity of apps after we closed, but Aly and I also went through some deeply personal life events that delayed the process even further. I won't go into detail, but know y’all are greatly appreciated.
Moving onto the next order of business is the roster drop itself. We’ll be doing a limited release, meaning that the drop itself isn’t exactly what we were initially wanting, but with the art mods returning back to school and us not wanting to stress them out with a tight crunch time, we’re going to use the assets they already made in order to display the roster. They’ve put in a lot of hard work! They’re simply amazing, both the mods themselves and what they’ve provided!
ᴵ ᶜᵃⁿ ʲᵘˢᵗ ᵏᵉᵉᵖ ᵗᵃˡᵏᶦⁿᵍ ᶠᵒʳ ᶠᵒʳᵉᵛᵉʳ, ᶜᵃⁿ'ᵗ ᴵˀ
The last thing I want to cover before giving y’all the date is over spectators. Unlike our last game, we will not be accepting any in-game spectators. We’re super sorry for the inconvenience, but we know going in that a number of our cast is deeply uncomfortable with spectators, so if you’re wanting to keep up with the game, we encourage you to regularly check the blog to see what’s going on.
Now…
Finally…
We are releasing the roster at 7:00 PM EST this upcoming Friday, 08/20. The server will be deleted 24 hours beforehand in order to avoid collective anxiety in the server, so you’ll have to view it on the blog.
If you have any pressing issues or concerns about needing to withdraw your app before then, please DM me on Discord ( sarah ✩#4559 ) as I’ll be closing the ask and submit box. Otherwise, if you’re accepted and are worried about not being able to dedicate time to the roleplay, we can arrange something when the time comes.
i'm rly sorry but is it possible at this point to withdraw an app for consideration? my schedule has changed a lot in the last two months and i'm starting to be afraid i wouldn't be able to participate if i was accepted.
Hello!
We've already selected our roster and have started working on art assets for the cast release, but please message me over Discord at sarah ✩#4559 at your earliest convenience and we can see what we can do about removing your application.
Aly and I have finished reading all 119 applications, deliberated over the roster, and came to an agreement on the 18 non-head mod characters who made the cut to the cast. We're in the process of last minute preparations, so while I can't say too much, I can tell you to keep an eye out within the next while for roster drop date. More information will come with that later announcement.
Have an excellent rest of your day/night, and thank you for your continued patience.
Hi, just to ask directly, is this roleplay currently on hiatus?
Hello.
No, the game is not in hiatus. Applications are closed and we're working towards releasing the roster, but drastic events in both of the head mods' lives within recent times has caused delays in the progression of that. Thank you for understanding, and thank you for your continued patience.
I'm sorry about the delay — it took me quite a bit of time to collect all the information needed so I could update the applied characters list, which should now reflect the final count of all the characters that have been submitted to us. Please message me at your earliest convenience if you do not see your character on the list, if you want to clarify which character is yours, or if I have the wrong information publicly listed for them. However, whatever the case may be, Aly and I have a number of applications to read. We're really excited to start cracking into them, but it's admittedly going to take us a bit of time due to the sheer quantity we have received within the last few days.
We ask that you be patient with us as we read through applications, select our roster, and the art mods work on the art for the roster reveal. Please do not ask us when we're expecting the roster to drop. We don't have an exact time frame in mind, and we do not want to make any promises until we know for certain.
For now... Relax! Socialize! Or ignore the server until you get the next server-wide ping! Whatever it is you end up doing between now and then, I want to thank you all for the interest you've expressed for Love on The Rocks. Neither of us were expecting the roleplay to garner as much attention as it did, so it genuinely means a lot to us knowing that y'all are excited to see what happens from here. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Have an excellent rest of your day/night, and stay tuned for any updates coming within the next few weeks.
Applications are officially closed, so unless you had spoken with Aly and/or myself otherwise, your applications should be in. I will not get around to updating the list with the final count of the applied characters until sometime later in the evening on 05/22, so please be patient with me until then. I'll make an update letting y'all know when the list is finalized.
Hello, everyone! I have two very important announcements to deliver to you today.
After spending the past people days discussing and comparing our options, we've reached out to our power roles and they've accepted their positions in the roleplay. Please don't take not being reached out to as us not liking your PR concept. We had a lot of amazing applications to choose from, and we did our best to pick those who we thought would not only fit the plot, but would have a fun and unique chemistry with one another. With that being said, do not ask Aly or I about why you were not brought on as a power role. We will not respond to any messages in regards to this, even if you consider us to be a friend of yours. It would make for an uncomfortable conflict that neither of us are interested in having.
Secondly...
We are pushing the 05/14 deadline back until 05/21 for everyone! This means that everyone will have an extension, if you want to look at it that way. We figured it would be easier to do it this way than have to keep track of everyone requesting one since we've had so many people asking about them. However, we will not be offering extensions beyond 05/21. That will be our final deadline.
Thank you guys for sticking with us this far. Happy apping, and have a good rest of your day/night!
areudirty
origamiaround
tangentwithtanner
ellievsbear
prguitarman
2087
gamechangershow