This is Pierson, and I have way too many characters. :-)
First up here is miranda_reeves. Miranda is forty, very smart and pragmatic, and owns both a security systems company (think high-tech systems for corporations) and a software company. She's a woman accustomed to working hard and getting what she wants, but even she couldn't get out of the lottery (she thinks it's because she's pissed off too many people on her way up). She's currently matched to Robin Yarmovsky who is a deeply-closeted gay man. Miranda wants children, and doesn't see that as a stumbling block; there are options for everything.
Next up is grace_spencer. Grace is thirty-three, co-owner of a bookshop called The Well Fed Head. She's generally cheerful and chatty but has a very stubborn streak. Grace is married to Jeff Novak, and they're expecting their first child in August. They're one of the rare lottery-matched couples--they're actually well-suited for one another and happy. Grace is a burgeoning activist.
Then we have noah_browning. Noah is forty, a professor of botany and related subjects in the Environmental Studies program at UW. In the past, he was a very vocal environmentalist, but the death of his first wife, Julia, basically derailed him. After a year and a half, he was getting his life back to where it was when he was matched in the lottery with May Paik, a fellow professor. May wanted nothing to do with him, and fled back to Korea to avoid having to bear children (justifiably so--she's forty-eight), and has recently served him divorce papers. He likes to talk, and like Grace, is pretty easy to get to know.
Next is john_kuo. John is thirty and an OB-GYN at Seattle Medical (he went through an accelerated program of studies). He's a little more reserved than the others, a lot more stern-looking, but the bark is far worse than the bite. But don't piss him off, just in case. *g* John hasn't been matched in the system yet, and is determined that he won't be. He's going to marry Nana Kimigawa to keep her out of the system as well--Nana's been jerked around by it more than anyone should be. Nana has a baby from a previous lottery marriage, and John wants to adopt her and raise her as his own. He doesn't agree with most of the policies regarding marriage and child-bearing, and is going to become more vocal about it.
Lastly is nathan_weiss. Nathan's thirty-two, a biological oceanographer who works out of a lab connected with UW, but he's a researcher, not an instructor. Though he takes his work seriously, Nathan's very much a free spirit otherwise. He sees no reason to limit himself to one person or one gender when there's so much fun to be had out there. He doesn't want to be married, but if he is, he figures that hey, they can work something out between them. There's no reason to change his habits because of a marriage that neither of them wants. He'd had no plans for kids, but if he has them, he'll teach them to swim and surf, and be the fun parent.
I think that's all. I have another character in the works--he's a bad guy. And then NO MORE. I need to be kicked in the head, honestly. :-D
Welcome to the game. I can be reached either by email at pierson38@gmail.com or on aim at PiersonReborn (though I'm almost always cloaked, ping me, because I'm probably there). Looking forward to threading with you!