Anyu - For the most part, this is well written and follows the prompt. The only thing I see wrong with it is that you have a lot of "Shinji", "he", and "his" in your post. You might want to try more variations, like "the dark-haired young man" or "the brown-eyed man" or something like that. Other than that, good job, and your post is ACCEPTED.

Ryu's Prompt - You are in love with someone. Your family disagrees. What do you do? How do you feel? Describe your feelings in this situation, and how you are going to deal with it. Do not use any other characters, just the one. Dig deep into your character's psyche; do no just scratch the surface.

Sengjin's Prompt - You feel like you're being followed. Even though every time you turn around, there's no one there, you keep have this sneaking suspicion that you're being followed so much to the point that you would bet your life on it. Yet, there seems to be no one on there. Are you just paranoid or is there really someone following you that is just really good at hiding themselves from your line of sight? If so, why do you think they would be following you? If not, why are you paranoid? Keep your post to mostly sensory reactions (sight, smell, taste, touch, hear) and thoughts/feelings. No use of any other character but your own. In other words, no godmoding. Dig deep into your character, don't just scratch the surface.

Ryu Zazamarou - I must say that this is very well written, except for a little too much "he" and "his". You did use "the blond" a couple of times, but I'll point out in the RP, try and use more variations like "the blue-eyed young man" or "the waterbender" or something like that. I would have preferred if you would have concentrated on the questions asked, as that's the main purpose of the prompt. You do the job, though, as both question are answered, and we see how you would do do in an RP setting. Your sample is ACCEPTED.

Rai Yun's Propmpt - You have discovered a controversial secret that - if widely known - could turn civilization upside down. Do you agree or disagree with it? What are your reactions to finding out about this secret? What are your feelings? How do you deal with it? Do you tell everyone or keep it a secret? Do not use any other characters, just the one. Dig deep into your character's psyche; do no just scratch the surface.

Wei's Prompt - You are a full-grown adult, well beyond your teen years, though not too old either. You've had a lover for a few months now, and getting together wasn't easy. To be truthful, they are a stubborn fool. Now, even though you two broke up for a couple of months and got back together again, you find out that your lover has feelings for someone young enough to be their child - twenty years younger. They are legal, and their brief affair was during your time apart, but your lovers feelings for their ex is obvious. What are you thinking? Feeling? What do you think you should about the situation? Only use your character, don't just scratch the surface, and delve deep into your character.

Wei's Roleplay Sample
"" = Verbal
{} = Thought

Wei stood out on a cliff overlooking the ocean, what he would consider to be home to him. He can’t quite tell how long he’s been staring out over the ocean, but as he notices the sun is going down, and it will be dark soon. It’s fine he always preferred the night sky over the sun, and clouds anyways. {What could she possibly see in him?} He replays the events in his head over, but keeps coming to the same conclusion that if she wants him then she can have him. {He’s half my age, the boy hasn’t even experienced life. It’s not like this is arranged or anything so what could she possibly see in someone so young.} He takes a seat as the wind begins to pick up making it colder, something that is quite calming for him. His mind is jumbled, and his emotions are going north and south. {Should I fight for her?}

He lays back just as the sun pulls into position to be in his eyes. Never liked the sun much all it does is blind you or distract you from your work, and make it hot making it harder to work. He loved working at night when it was cool. {Well there’s only two options for me either I move on from her or I try to work things out. Of course a better question would be would I be willing to even stay in this area, I’ve travelled most of my life, and honestly I like seeing the country. Do I really wanna stay in her small village, especially seeing this kid every day, and knowing she has feelings for someone not even close to my age.}

He stood to his feet, and made his way down the cliff. Upon making it to the bottom stepping upon the sand making his way down to the water as he takes in a deep breathe of the sea air he begins to feel a calm come over himself. He takes off his shirt, and making his way into the water he gets out as far as it takes the water to reach up to just above his stomach. He dunks his face in the water getting all his hair wet, and coming back up. He looks out upon the horizon as the sun is almost fallen beneath the distance, maybe twenty minutes left. {I’ve spent so much time trying to get as far from home as possible, but the only time I feel comfortable is when I go to water. } He moves further out into the water now floating laying back looking up at the stars as they begin to shine bright in the night sky.

“Obviously she’s not the one for me. Even if she chose me the fact that she had something younger than me is too embarrassing.“ Floating more his progressive thought process begins to kick in. “If I’m not going to work this out then there’s no point in remaining here any longer. I must be moving on again.” He sighs it has been a long time since he’s known a place as home, even the ship wasn’t home it was just a place for him to be that no one depended on him at least not solely, he was depended on as apart of a group. {What would things be like if I did stay? No home of my own I’d have to keep camping out like I have been, and start working as a fisherman, but if I’m going to do that there are better places that I would be better off doing that at.} He drops under the water, and swims down he loved being under the water it is like his only true home anymore. Two minutes go by before he starts to run out of breathe as makes his way back up, as he burst through the top of the water he immediately takes in a number of deep breathes.

“Perhaps…I should…just go home.” The thought hits him hard, but only leaves him more confused. Not once in ten years has he thought about going home, but this relationship is starting to make him realize he’ll never be part of anything unless he lives in a big city or returns home the only place he would be accepted. “What would I tell them? That I abandoned them? That I forgot where I came from?” He had also been contemplating finding a master water bender, but the only true master would be Master Pakku. Logic begins to fill his mind emotions now fleeing away. {The idea of being accepted in any other nation is insane, especially during a war. Either I travel as a vagabond or I return home, and complete the path that I was always meant to be completed.} Just as quickly as emotions disappears it comes back just as quickly. {Should I…say bye?} Once more he is confused, and distracted just as he was earlier. {She hasn’t even denied me yet, why would I take away to possibility of there being a us? Am I really that embarrassed? Her family never really liked you, you’re a bum to them. There’s no reason for anyone to want you to stay other then her, but if she choose me cause I’m leaving would it be because she loves me or cause she’s afraid of not being given a choice? Should I even have to stand next to someone younger then me in some kind of competition to see who is better? Can I tolerate that? Can I handle not being chosen?}

Once more his mind is a torrent of emotions, pushing, and pulling through his mind. His mind is currently churning like a whirlpool completely confused. {If she loves me then she would not be afraid of my decision, and would accept it. She will not leave her family, and friends. It would be unfair of me to ask that of her. The best thing may not be her ex, but I am clearly not a reliable option as well. Then it is decided, I guess, that I will continue my travels. Maybe I will return home, at least I will have much time to consider what I will tell my tribesmen.} He comes walking out of the water, and grabbing his shirt off the sand. {I guess its time I went home.}

Sengjin's Roleplay Sample

“Hello?!” Sengjin said. The young earthbender looked around him, only to see the natural environment that surrounded him. He let out a sigh and continued to walk down the dirt path that was given. He wasn’t sure, but he had a feeling that he was being followed. This was Sengjin’s first time doing something on his own, and this was something he hadn’t anticipated; this was his first time where he felt that his life was in danger. As Sengjin continued to walk down the dirt path, he started to become even more paranoid. He constantly looked behind him when he thought he heard a sound, only to see nothing. He could’ve sworn that he heard something; he was certain.

Finally, Sengjin had enough of his situation. He dropped his bag and sat down on a boulder that was by the side of the dirt road; if someone was following him then Sengjin would surely see the person, right? Well, that’s what he hoped for. The dark, short haired young adult hoped that this would solve his problems. Hopefully…

As Sengjin was sitting on the boulder, he was thinking why somebody would be following him. Was this person waiting for the right moment to strike and do horrible things to Sengjin? Maybe the person wanted his belongings. Then again, Sengjin didn’t have many valuables on him. The clothes he was wearing wasn’t anything special, just plain clothing that’s common throughout the Earth Kingdom. He also didn’t have anything worth of value in his bag; only extra clothes and food were in it. But another thought ran through Sengjin’s head, and that was, what if he was being watched by something like an animal? Sengjin only knew the basics of earthbending, could he defend himself against a wild animal?

“Man…” he said. “There’s nothing out there. No one’s following you.” He got up and stood on the boulder with his arms raised and looking up at the sky, “If you’re out there, then show yourselves!” yelled Sengjin.

He put his arms down and looked around, only to see nothing. While he wasn’t fully convinced, he felt more confident that there was no one following him. He leaped down from the boulder and picked up his bag, putting both straps on his shoulder. Before walking down the dirt path, Sengjin looked around for one last time. But like last time, no one was there. If there was someone out there, Sengjin hoped that it would happen quick.

Wei - There were some slight problems with it, but overall, it wasn't bad. The different formatting was kind of annoying, but I didn't count off for that. Here's a couple sentences I want to point out that were odd to me:

He can’t quite tell how long he’s been staring out over the ocean, but as he notices the sun is going down, and it will be dark soon. <—— very awkward. Maybe it should have been written as such: He can't quite tell how long he's been staring out over the ocean, but he notices the sun is going down; it will be dark soon.

It’s fine he always preferred the night sky over the sun, and clouds anyways. <—- another awkward sentence. I'm not quite sure what you were trying to say about the clouds. Preferred the night sky over sun and clouds or preferred the night sky and clouds over sun? Either way is how it should have been phrased.

Other than that, I felt that you should have had more feeling, and not just inner thoughts. You should try to find a balance. Remember the first rule of writing: show, don't tell. You were telling in your post, and you should have been showing. Also, watch out for overuse of "he" and "his" in your post. It wasn't bad, but these are things to keep in mind while you're RPing. Provided you do that, you're ACCEPTED.

Sengjin - Your post wasn't bad, but I did feel that it lacked depth. You covered all the points that you were supposed to in your prompt, but I would have liked to see more feeling/thought. You covered it, but not int he detail I would have liked to see. Also, watch out for overuse of "he" and "his". Try using a variety, which you do a couple of times, but you should have done it more. Ideally, I use the character's name (or names, if you're RPing with someone) once per paragraph, then he/his or she/her a couple of times, and then that's it, the rest is a different way. Provided that you keep this mind, you're post is ACCEPTED.

Hana Wu's Prompt - You wake up and find yourself in the middle of nowhere. Your town is nowhere in sight, and nor is anyone or anything else for that matter. You have no idea how you got here, all means of communicating with anyone who might help you are gone, and no one is coming down this road. How do you feel? What do you do? What do your senses pick up? No godmoding. Only thoughts, feelings, and sensory reactions.

Hana Wu’s Roleplay Sample:

If one were to have a bird’s eye view of the city, a moment of appreciation might be in order. There is, after all, an unnecessary amount of tiny lights. There are also a plethora of interesting sounds, from island based electronic reggae and jazz fusion oozing from the twenty-fourth story window of a particularly old community housing complex, to the feral otherworldly sound only a manic-depressive insomniac can make after downing far too many chemical concoctions, (the main ingredient of which is alcohol), and then stumbling into an alley way to eject the same concoctions, but in partially digested form, along with supper and a mid-afternoon snack.

Several miles to the left of this electric blitz house, however, is a region far less worthy of a tip of the ol’ bowler hat. For one thing, nothing exists here but for mile upon mile of straight dirt road and a few patches of unappetizing looking desert bushes. To this road’s credit, on this particular night after about ten miles of excruciating boredom, there is one distinguishing characteristic: an unconscious girl.

She groggily sits up, prompted by the unnatural pressure a pebble can exert when applied to the soft area behind the shoulder blade. While she waits in vain for the vision of her pink bedroom to come into focus, the likes of which houses over $1000 worth of rich-girl necessities like cosmetics and fluffy bean bags, her breathing accelerates until the oxygen no longer surpasses her parchment dry throat. The pebbles beneath her blindly clutching fingers press tiny indents into her pampered fingers while she desperately looks in every direction only to be greeted by an impenetrable darkness. “What,” she shrieks, pausing for a strangled gasp of air, “is going on??”

Cue the spotlight. A street lamp, not five feet away from her bare feet, sputters and tries twice to be a good functioning light before succeeding in maintaining a sickly glow and an incessant low buzz. A shower of pebbles and dirt accompanies the sudden skid she makes into the light, lunging forward on one hand from a sitting position to standing at an intimidating five feet and two inches. In her silky pink nightgown, she barely looks her age, which is the equivalent of a full nineteen years of giggling, screaming at her parents, and making the lesser species of her school miserable with snide cracks about weight issues and hormonal blemishes.

She thinks quickly. Why is she here? Maybe she slept walked here… Is that how you would say it in the past tense? Slept w… What if she has that something-something amnesia she learned about in psych class?? The one where you turn up in an unknown location and completely forget about who you are and make a new identity for yourself?? Wait, but she still knew who she was… What if… Her night gown flutters in a cinematic wind. Someone brought her here…

“Don’t come near me!” she yells at the circular wall of darkness around her, taking some comfort in the sound of her own voice even as she softly coughs because her throat has yet to regain its moisture.

“You may think I’m just some pretty young girl that you can take advantage of but I…” she realizes that her foot is just barely touching the edge of the darkness, and she cringingly draws it back, “I have a knife strapped around my thigh, and my daddy taught me how to use it!” She frantically hopes that the pervert who brought her here hadn’t had a chance to look.

“Oh yeah, I’m like a circus performer with this knife…” she continues, now in a lower voice as she skirts the circle, “If you were spinning on a wood wheel, I could still throw my knife right into your throat!” Her words alone might have been a formidable threat if she hadn’t stammered throughout and said “throat” in the same high pitched voice she used to annoy her sister with.

After about five minutes of this loony talking to herself, she stops and squints her hazel eyes (a colorful secret she would prefer to take to her grave, as she made certain to put on blue contacts every day before she stepped foot outside of the door), and peers at a familiar shape about twenty feet down the road.

Now comes the hard part. She lifts her foot and points her pedicured toes at the darkness. She breaths. She makes as if to move, and then she breaths some more. Finally, she plunges her foot into the blackness where the color is sucked out of it and all that remains is a grayish indistinct stick. And from here, she takes off at a quick, albeit awkward, sprint to the shape on the side of the road.

When she finally reaches the road sign, she nearly throws herself at it and she wraps her arms around it like some long lost lover. Her sobs gush forth from her rosebud lips in a very dramatic fashion, although it’s worthy to note that not one real tear streaks down her cheeks. She slowly looks up at the sign and reads “Emerald City Ten Miles Away.”

After a moment of creating a very picturesque image in which Sign stood in an attentive and very sturdy stance and Girl hung around its neck with her mouth wide open, she droops like a sunless flower. Well, she had already conquered the darkness. Now that her eyes had adjusted to it, this empty road seems about as threatening as a limp noodle, especially now that she knows where she is and where she wants to go. Likewise, it seems as if her seething kidnapper has decided to take a field day and go traipsing off into the desert before having his way with her. If he had ever existed. Oh, never mind how she had got here… What matters is getting back to her custom-made mattress with five different settings, concering both how firm the mattress is and the temperature of the top layer.

So without further ado, she hikes up her skirt and sets off walking, dying street lamps gasping to life and accompanying her all the way home. On the way, she pieces together a horrifying story about being kidnapped and held at gun point while she shamelessly defends her parent’s honor and barely escapes with her life. Maybe she would get a new TV out of this…

Rai Yun's Rp Sample

This garden was a place that people fled to and sought out peace of mind. They ran from the turmoil of the outer world and sought out a tranquility that took their thoughts far from where the world commanded them. They no longer had worried; they could redirect their mind to a center that was calm and flat, as self-reflecting as a still pool of water. One could come in, find an empty seat along the flower lined benches that overlooked the flourishing koi pond with its brightly colored patrons lazily circling. The aroma of freshly bloomed flowers filled the air and the nostrils as one inhaled deeply, seeking that clear mind that comes from disconnect. This serenity enraptured area was silent, the only sounds of distraction came from the trickle of water into the pond and the lightly fluted sound of the wind through the reeds along the bank. It was the place that Rai had chosen to make his escape to. The lad sat, his back resting against the sun warmed pueblo building behind him, soaking in the last heated rays of the day. His large tan hands rested serenely on his knees. To all appearances he was resting in his mind and his body in complete relaxation. Oh if only one could read his mind through that tranquil facial expression. The beads of sweat that glistened like small diamonds might have been one indication of anything even remotely perplexing. His mind was a firestorm. He kept his eyes closed to keep his sanity. If he could he would have shut out the very sounds he was hearing. Every perception was threatening to push him into overload. His mind was whirling and spinning and racing a million miles an hour. After what he had just overheard anyone’s mind would be, but for him this particular situation struck a heartstring so close to home that he didn’t think that he could recover and simply fumbled after his thoughts one inch at a time. Rai knew the next inch, the next step, could take him further than he could possibly go. Everyone had their limits and Rai was no exception but with each passing second and each millennia that it took to pass he was surprised to find that his extended beyond what he had thought it was.
This could overturn the world. Wrong end up, raised to the ground ect. The consequences of this leaking out into public hands were beyond comprehension. However sitting with this knowledge in his head was threatening to burst him right down the middle if he didn’t let it siphon off in some way. Rai’s lips held firm though against the desire to spew forth this poisonous information and release the toxins from himself. The romantic side of his mind tried to spin him a story of a self-sacrificing hero who took upon himself the ills of the world, however the reality was far too disturbing to keep up a convincing façade. So for better or worse Rai sat and stewed and boiled in his own mind while the rest of the world cooled down and drew itself into a nightly close. The sunlight faded and left the pond and courtyard bathed in a cool silver and blue. Rai’s sweat started to chill him as his skin became balmy and cold. With the sudden realization of the drop in temperature, Rai realized that his own insides were just as chilled. The information that had been a hailstorm in his brain was now a cold heavy stone frozen as if it were ice. It sat in his gut and weighed him down. Had he entered the water at that point in time he knew he would sink despite his strong swimming abilities. He wondered if he could possibly stand with as much as he felt he weighed now. The tan young man rose stiffly. He got up with a false start and he tried a second time, throwing more of his mind into it than before. That time Rai got it and took a few stiff and hesitant steps over to the edge of the pond towards a little red painted wooden bridge. The man’s shoulders were slumped and nearly doubled over under the mental and emotional strain he was feeling as he picked up a stone along the bank. Standing at last in the center he realized that this was not just the apex of the rickety structure, but the apex of his life. The choice he had to make before leaving the garden would change the course of his life and, if he chose to go a certain way, the course of the world. Who was in power, who was not, what was defined as power, and what the term ‘good’ stood for; it was all at risk to never be the same again.
He looked down at the water, shadowed and cold and inviting in its nothingness. Below him stood a void at once inviting and foreboding. He took a half step that brought him pressed to the rail, his toes hanging over the edge of the wood and feeling nothing below them. What if he allowed his new stone to do what it does best? If it was supposed to be permanent and remain with him forever as he intended, then why not allow it to do it’s job? Sinking as a stone did. His hand spun around the smooth stone as it yielded the warmth of the day to his flesh. Very soon it was cold and chill. The hazel eyes shifted from the deep black-blue below him to the shadow in his hand. Slowly, thinking about his every move, he turned his hand over, fingers open. The stone fell into the water, eaten immediately by the shadowy abyss.
Outside the temple, a figure exited, his shoulders bowed but in a natural way as if that was the way they were comfortably shaped.

Hana Wu - It was a tad distracting to have your thoughts in bold instead of italics. Also, you should watch the overuse of "she" or "her". Try using something like that "the brunette" or "the blue-eyed girl" or "the Firebender" or something like that. I would have also liked to know what she looked like, cause you can't count on people reading your profile just for that. Other than that, your post was good and I thought you covered all your bases very nicely. I did say only thoughts, feelings and sensory reactions. Spoken words don't qualify. However, I'll let that slide as the purpose of this is to show you'd do in an RP setting. Since you did that, your post is ACCEPTED.

Rai Yun - Having the entire post be one paragraph was extremely distracting. The content itself was fine, it was just the formatting that distracted me from it. From now on, remember, paragraphs should be separated according to topic or idea. Your post should never have that big of a paragraph. A paragraph should be no more than seven or eight sentences, imho. A little more is all right, but... yeah. Anyway, watch out for the overuse of "he" and "his". Try using a different variation, like "the Waterbender" or "the dark-haired young man" or "the green-eyed man" or something like that. Also, I would have liked to have known what your character looked like and where he was, but you covered the bases. Just keep this mind, and provided that you work to change this, your post is ACCEPTED.

Akane's Prompt - Finally! Your senior year of high school. Everything's going fine; you're on top of the world! That is, until you get your Biology report back with a big fat "F" in red pen on the cover page. When you ask your teacher, she blatantly accuses you of plagiarizing, stating that no high schooler could write that well. You didn't plagiarize, yet she won't believe you. Write your reaction, your thoughts, feelings, etc. Delve deep into character, and don't just scratch the surface. Remember, no other characters, just the one.

Akane's Roleplay Sample[/b]

Akane's world froze after the delivery of this accusation. Plagiarizing? The thought was inconceivable - copying the work of another is beyond all consideration. Akane was proud of her work, hell, she wouldn't be anything less. She had spent hours upon hours on that paper, perfecting it. She had taken out seventeen different text books from the school library, researched on-line, and even asked the nurse who lived on her street for some information.
The night she had finally finished her report, she had placed it under a large book so that it was crisp and fresh looking for the teacher. She smiled when she thought about the grade she was going to get, and compliments from her teacher about how it was the best report she had read in years. Alright, that was a bit of a fantasy and somewhat unreasonable, but still, an "F"? Her beautiful paper was sitting in front of her covered with a giant red "F"!

Tears began to full up her deep brown eyes. She looked up from the table, at her teacher. Her face was stern, there was no convincing her that this fine work was indeed her own. Akane lowered her head and blinked. A fat, wet tear rolled down her cheek, past her lips and dripped sadly off her cheek.
I'll never get into University now... My parents are going to be so disappointed...
Lifting a heavy arm, she slid the failed report off the table and clutched it in a hand that seemed to absorb that big red letter. She herself began to feel like an "F" - a failure. Turning for the door, she considered another attempt at how the paper was true to its word, but she knew that face her teacher sported; an almost smug expression with a sense of "Oh yes young lady, I have sussed you out". She decided it was not the best idea, and left.

The walk home was a miserable one. Even the town seemed to feel down. The buildings seemed hushed, passers by avoided eye contact, and just to rub it in, the clouds let their sympathy go with a low growl of thunder.
The rain was heavy, and her hair was soaked in no time. The water slipped off the back of her head, down her neck, and was absorbed in the fabric of her t-shirt. There was a small, discreet hint of lightning, and a few minutes later, another growl - the storm was actually a good few miles away yet. Akane quickened her pace so that she would return home before things got noisy. She had always hated thunder.

I can't believe this is happening to me. I worked so hard - maybe too hard. My dad's been pushing me to go to Uni so much, no wonder it looks like I plagiarized - I tried too hard. Goddamn it, why do these things always happen to me?!

As if in answer, the sky lit up and roared at her, making her stop in her tracks. She began to cry. Not crying through sadness, but through anger. Anger at her father for forcing her to believe that you could never work too hard, anger at her teacher for being a faithless moron, and most importantly, anger at herself. It filled her with heat that only fueled her more, it gathered in her chest, leaked out her eyes, and numbed her finger tips. She looked up, defiant, challenging the thunder, gritting her teeth.
"Is that all you've got?!" she scorned to the clouds, "Just come down here and say that to my face! Hell hath no fury like a woman's wrath, I'll show you, you sonofabitch!" And her wrath was so loud, she had to breathe heavily to catch herself. She stood tall, facing against the rain, awaiting some kind of holy, grand answer as to why her life had suddenly run down the drain along with that salty water.

More thunder, louder this time. It was no use. Talking to inanimate objects made her feel better, but it also made her look stupid. It was time to continue the journey home.

Akane - Well done. I would have liked to see a little more about how she looked, and watch out for overuse of "she" and "her". Try using variations like "the brunette" or "the dark-haired young woman" or "the Earthbender" or something like that. Overall, well done, though, and your post is ACCEPTED.

Tenshio's Prompt - You are the prince and heir to the throne of a people who live on a dying planet. Your father is near death, and you are young. You do not believe you are ready to take over, but your people look to you as a leader, and are looking to you to lead them out of the mess your planet is in. What are you feeling? What do you think? What do you want to do? Remember, no godmoding, use only your character, and delve deep into your character.

Tenshio's Sample

Someone up there, some great, omnipotent being, obviously hated him. The question was, why? Tenshio hadn’t done anything to offend the gods…at least, nothing that he could remember. He wasn’t the most religious person on the planet, but he was by no means a heathen. Couldn’t they cut him some slack?

Apparently not. His mother was dead. His father and the planet—his planet—were both dying, slowly and painfully, leaving a boy to control everything. That was insane. But what was worse was that the citizens of the planet actually believed in him! They believed that Tenshio, a boy no older than seventeen, could fix everything, make it all better. But no, that wasn’t it, really. They didn’t believe he could do it, they just needed him to. The teenager could see it in their eyes. The mothers who were raising five children by themselves. The beggars, some of whom looked too young to even understand what they were doing. Even some of the government officials. All of them, pleading with him, crying out for freedom from the hell that their lives had become.

But he couldn’t give them that. He was too young, too inexperienced. Oh sure, he’d attended countless meetings, and he knew all of the laws by heart, but that didn’t mean he could actually help these people. Besides, why should he? They’d brought this upon themselves. The poverty, the disease, the bodies on the streets, all self-inflicted wounds. His father was—had been—a fantastic emperor. Under his reign the planet had been more prosperous than ever before. But then a few commoners got the idea into their heads that they deserved more rights, more freedoms. And just like that, a rebellion was born.

And how quickly it had spread! In just a few months’ time, half the planet was united against the emperor. There was only one option, of course; his father had to crush the rebels, so that they would know never to challenge him again. But the man had underestimated his opponents. What should have been one quick, decisive strike turned into months of grueling combat all over the planet’s surface. After almost a year, the royal forces had succeeded in defeating the rebellion, but the fighting had taken its toll. Whole cities, billions of people, wiped out of existence. The whole planet suffered, and all of it had to be rebuilt, brought back to life. His father could have done it, no problem. But Tenshio? Not a chance.

It didn’t matter how many decisions the teenager made if he didn’t have the right personality. And he didn’t. His father had been so inspiring, so charismatic. His citizens cheered every time they saw him. Everyone looked up to him, especially his son. The man had been the perfect leader. But now he was ill and bedridden, and it was up to Tenshio to rule. And he wasn’t nearly so inspirational.

“I’m not good enough.” He was pacing his bedroom, trying to think of a way to…to what? Escape his responsibility? The thing he had been preparing for his entire life? No. He may be terrified, but he was no coward. He couldn’t abandon his people to their fates. And, as bad an emperor as he might make, at least he couldn’t make things much worse. The only way to do that would be to completely destroy the planet, and Tenshio doubted he could mess up so badly that that would happen. But failing to help his people would be just as bad as if he were killing them himself.

What the boy needed was an injection of confidence. Something to convince him that he could bring the planet back from the brink of death. Only one person could give him that. Sighing deeply, Tenshio ceasing pacing. Standing up straight, he squared his shoulders and, with his head held high, walked out of his room. It was time to talk to his father.

Tenshio - Overall, I liked your sample. You covered all the points I asked for, and it was clear throughout how he was feeling about the situation, which was completely realistic given the circumstances. The only thing is watch out for the overuse of "he" and "his". Try using variations like "the dark-haired young man" or "the green-eyed young man" or simply "the young man" or "the Waterbender" or something like that. Provided you keep this in mind, your post is ACCEPTED.

Yu-Chi's Prompt - You wake up in the morning, and find yourself in a completely different place that you have never seen before. Everyone's calling you by a name that you have never heard before. How do you feel? What do you do? How do you deal with this?