Character Castle 2.0
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October 21, 2022 at 4:22 am #153238solanelle@calidris
Kit:
My shoes clatter in the thick silence as I sprint towards the light ahead. Compared to that last challenge, this honestly seems pretty good. And that last challenge is really the last thing I wanted to remember, so that’s why I’m choosing to focus on our lovely dinner instead. Specifically, that time Val said my hair looked soft and silky.
I know, I know, she said she didn’t mean anything by it, and of course I’m not going to to mention it again…but it still meant the world to me. And to be honest, I don’t actually believe her – I mean, did you even see how red she got? Seriously, it’s making me flush just remembering it. If I didn’t like pink so much, I’d probably go natural again just for her! Like, maybe just for a little while. I love messing with my hair, but I think it’d be worth it to give it a little rest just to see that look on her face again…
Anyways, that’s just one more reason to get through this challenge. I hate being all alone here, and what better reward than getting to spend the next challenge side by side with my favorite person on the whole planet-
Pain explodes in my head as I ram straight into another person. I reel back, hand flying to the bruise as I stammer out a hasty apology. I glance away, tears smarting in my eyes. That HURT.
The man chuckles. “Well that was rather nasty.” I nervously glance up at him. He’s about my height, with tan skin and sleepy eyes like mine. His inky hair is slicked back, streaked with gray at his temples. I groan. Running into a person my own age is bad, but running into an elder? At least he doesn’t seem angry – in fact, he doesn’t seem to notice me at all. I watch him curiously as he brushes himself off. He’s wearing a real smart suit – brown, with tan pinstripes and an intricate brooch on the lapel. His gold rings flash as he readjusts his luxurious fox fur coat…
Wait…that thing’s looking awfully familiar.
“We have the same coat,” I blurt. And it’s not just the coat – he’s even got black earrings just like mine! The man glances up, an ember of recognition igniting his familiar brown eyes. His face erupts in a dazzling grin as he rushes towards me with open arms. I recoil as he reaches for my head, fingers furiously ruffling my hair.
“Awww I remember this!” He laughs as I duck away, eyes sparkling with purest joy. He pulls back, lips twitching in a slight smirk. “I really was the cutest kid, wasn’t I?”
“Wait, what?”
The man throws his head back and laughs. “It’s me! Or rather, it’s you, Kit. I’m you, but 20 years older.” He grins and flops against the pillar in an exaggerated pose. “Well, what do you think? Must be strange seeing your older self – although to be honest, I think I’ve only improved with age.”
Improved? Wait…is my future self actually saying he’s better than me? I tilt my head, pretending to size him up (as if I hadn’t already made my verdict.)
“I’ll admit, I like your style.” I curl my lip as he preens under the compliment. Is that really what I look like? “I’m not liking the wrinkles though, to be honest. And you’re kind of young to be going gray.”
Future Kit shoots me a dirty glare. “You think these are bad?” He sighs. “And to be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the silver either – I mean, who is?” He shrugs, a knowing smirk passing over his face. “Val likes it though, so I can’t really complain.”
Val…likes that?
I’m not sure if it’s sad or comforting knowing Val’s still in my life twenty years from now. I just wish I knew how – like, are we married or something, or “just” friends?
Who am I kidding though, Val’s never going to be “just” a friend. She’s special to me, and somehow I think that’s never going to change. I mean, maybe there’s a chance the exact nature of my feelings for her will change, and maybe someday I’ll love another girl even more than I love her, and maybe someday she really will be just another friend…but that doesn’t mean I’ll love her any less. She’s more than a just a friend in the same way that she’s more than just a crush, you know?
My eyes wander to Future Kit’s many golden rings. He’s got so many rings on, it’s kind of impossible to tell if that ring on his left hand is a wedding band or not…
“Annnnd now you’re wishing you could go gray too.” I glance up to see a knowing smirk pass over Future Kit’s face.
“Not really,” I mutter. I don’t actually want gray hair, I just want Val to find me as attractive as I find her.
“Ah well,” Future Kit grabs my shoulder. “Any last thoughts, requests…insults perhaps? It’s about time for you to get going,”
I shift nervously under his grip. “You said Val likes your gray streaks…which implies we’re still close in the future, right?” I scuff my shoe against the slick marble floor, heat rushing to my face. Just get it over with, ok? “Ummm…yes or no, did we get married or not?” A mischievous glint flickers in Future Kit’s eyes.
“You sure did,” he chuckles. “And you know what the best part is?” I shake my head, only dimly aware of his voice over the furious pounding of my heart. “She likes you and you didn’t even know it.”
“Wait WHAT?” My heart leaps as my head clouds with frenzied joy and excitement. I KNEW IT! I knew it I knew it I KNEW IT!!!
I beam up at him, but he’s gone. I’m all alone in the middle of this giant gate, and I guess there’s nothing left to do but pass on to the next challenge – to the rest of the group, and to Val.
I pass through the gate in a daze, heart still thundering in my chest.
*laughs as one fey*
October 21, 2022 at 1:12 pm #153241solanelle@calidris@inkhorn I’d love that!
I actually had an idea that I could sub in Kit for that interaction instead, because he’s way more…umm…assertive than Val, with the added bonus of his own puffed up ego. I think it would be funny to see them clash XD
If you’d rather work with Val, that’s totally fine too! It would be a good exercise in assertiveness for her ngl, plus it would be interesting to see how she interacts with the other girls in the castle! Whichever works out best for you 🙂
*laughs as one fey*
October 21, 2022 at 1:44 pm #153242Inkhorn@inkhornI actually had an idea that I could sub in Kit for that interaction instead, because he’s way more…umm…assertive than Val, with the added bonus of his own puffed up ego. I think it would be funny to see them clash XD
Ooooh, that’s a good idea! I would love to write her reaction to him since she’s not really big on people seeing her as an equal.
October 21, 2022 at 2:01 pm #153244solanelle@calidris@e-n-leonard That was so sad! I keep forgetting that Mara is an antagonist…so it was so heartbreaking seeing her being so harsh with her younger self 🙁 That…plus she’s a Benevolent now…
I’m assuming she has a negative character arc? Will she ever be redeemed?
*laughs as one fey*
October 21, 2022 at 2:42 pm #153246Handmaiden@mamaauthoressOkay
I think I’m gonna make an entrance like this XD___
EVE:
The wind was cold and reeked of memories.
Flashbacks pummelled my senses as the Evenflow Tide’s air brushed against my body like a tantalising dancer. The cliff I stood on overlooked the Abyss and the Sky, along with the next Círrith Island, Tàme-tho’oa, floating just a few miles below and ahead.
It was a breathtaking view when caught between day and night. Morág, the light orb of day, blazed through the Sky, but Lìthlil calmed her fiery sister’s brightness with her serene, dark, twilight scooping up the Abyss and towards the light. The two sister celestials met in the middle and clashed in a scene of beautiful auroral-umbral fantasies in the heavens, and pinks, golds, blues, and silvers danced in fiery waves where the light met the dark.
That was every Sundown in the Cìrrith Islands.
But it was at one Sundown that my mistake got me and my brother intwined with the prophecies.
A hand grasped my shoulder, and I jumped, whipping around. Calix yelped and grabbed my arm, like he was scared I’d fall.
“Eve,” he panted, shaking his head but maintaining eye contact with me. “Careful.”
I righted myself and gently pulled my arm free. “I always am.”
“Liar,” my brother muttered as I turned back to face the incredible view. He came up next to me “You’re never careful and you know it.”
The corner of my lips quirked up. My brother knew me better than I knew myself, sometimes.
We stood there, side by side, in silence for what seemed like ages, us two Meirs — royalty, practically — watching the display of the heavenly host. We were grown now, so much different from the kids who lived like all the other Incendu-Vespere.
Here and now, we had changed.
“Evie,” Calix said quietly. “Why don’t we go pay a visit to Nona, on Tàme-tho’oa?”
I considered. It had been a while since we last saw our grandmother …
I turned to smile up at my little brother. “I say we do that.”
Calix grinned down at me and took a step back.
I adjusted the positioning of my feet so I was steady, then held my arms out in front of me, my hands in “L” shapes overtop each other. Then I took my right hand and, maintaining its shape, drew a wide circle in the air.
Blue light carved into the air in front of me as I drew the shape with my hands.
My hand came back to my other hand and my thumbs touched, the circle of light completing its shape. With a flick of my wrist, the stationary hand flipped downward like a lever, and the space inside the hoop of light shattered into shimmering blue lights that rushed all around me, blowing my inky black hair away from my face.
I took Calix’s hand and grinned at him. His eyes widened and he frantically said, “Eve, no, no no no don’t jump-”
With a cackle, I launched myself up and off the cliff, my brother screaming behind me as we fell through the portal.
WHUMP
The room around us was dark, with a gothic structure arching overhead to meet in an intricate high-ceiling above me.
This wasn’t Tàme-tho’oa …
“EVE YOU’RE GONNA BREAK MY RIBS-”
With a start, I scrambled off my brother, and he curled up, groaning.
“You big baby,” I muttered, standing up. “Where the heck are we …?”
Calix achingly got to his feet, curling an arm around his torso. “Who knows … maybe we landed in a house in Tàme-tho’oa?” He looked up and around, and his pained expression turned one of wonder. “Wow …”
“Come,” I said, taking off in a random direction — to the doors at the end of the small corridor.
Calix stumblingly tried to keep up with my pace.
Shoving the doors open, I stepped inside and took a look around. People were in this room … random people …
“Excuse me!” I shouted. Calix clamped his hands over his ears behind me. “Would someone please tell us where we are and what this place is?”
______
anyone can come interact with them lol
Anxious gremlin coming through
October 21, 2022 at 2:43 pm #153247solanelle@calidris@inkhorn sounds good! I’ll start working in his response XD
Also…I have a rather cursed idea for the next challenge: the characters have to participate in a very difficult challenge, and if they refuse or fail they have to walk in a fashion show as punishment XD
@rose-colored-fancy was thinking that the challenge could involve making the characters give up something valuable to them – not necessarily expensive, but just something really important. Or, they could just bypass it by participating in the show…It’d be up to you guys if you want your characters to suffer this humiliating (or perhaps extremely fun) fate. I know Kit’s already raring to go, but I’m afraid his enthusiasm is looking rather unmatched XD
So, what do you guys think?
*laughs as one fey*
October 21, 2022 at 3:16 pm #153248Neasa@irishcelticredflowercrownHii so I am stuck between Mayra and Lorcan for the challenge?
Cause it would be interesting to see Lorcán meet his future self as a wiser, even stronger warrior (he’s married at this point too!!) but also Mayra cause she’s going to be a dragonrider. So her particular dragon is gonna be by her future self’s side too I suppose XD
What do you guys think? :))
October 21, 2022 at 4:32 pm #153249Inkhorn@inkhornAlso…I have a rather cursed idea for the next challenge: the characters have to participate in a very difficult challenge, and if they refuse or fail they have to walk in a fashion show as punishment XD
@rose-colored-fancy was thinking that the challenge could involve making the characters give up something valuable to them – not necessarily expensive, but just something really important. Or, they could just bypass it by participating in the show…This should be a fun challenge! *evil laugh*
Well, Lorcan would be sweeter to read since I’m familiar with his character, but Mayra’s would be interesting because I’d learn about herself and her character arc (and her dragon!). So, I vote for Mayra 🙂
October 21, 2022 at 4:37 pm #153250Handmaiden@mamaauthoressoh snap, I forgot about the future self thing, whoops 😅
________
EVE:
“Hello?”
I whipped around, a little unsettled that the voice sounded a bit like mine.
A woman with completely white hair, yet with more middle-aged features, stood before me and Calix. The wrinkles around her nose and forehead were sunken and deep, indicating she was regularly stressed and/or unhappy.
“Could you please tell us where we are, ma’am?” Calix asked politely.
The woman gazed at my brother for a while, smiling a bit. “You’re here at the Castle.” Her voice was paper-thin and weak.
“The Castle?” I blinked a bit. “But we were supposed to have gone to … Tàme-tho’oa …”
The old woman fiddled with the silver tassels around her navy-blue hood. “How is everyone back home?”
Wait what? Is she from the Cìrrith Islands too?
“Who are you?” I demanded.
The woman smiled. “I am your future self, Eve Meir. I am fifty-nine years old, and I am an accomplished holder of Sun magic.”
No …
No, this couldn’t be …
How could she be me?
How did I attain the control of fire magic?
What does my homeland look like where she’s from?
Why do I look so unhappy??
I’m happy, I promise …
“Old Eve??” Calix breathes, completely intrigued. “Wow … you, uh … you look good, ma’am.”
Ah, my poor, polite brother. What a lie.
I looked horribly haggard.
Old Eve smiled at Calix. “Thank you for the kindness, Cal, but I really don’t.”
I nearly laughed.
“So wait … if you’re Old Eve,” Calix said, “there must be an Old Calix too, right?”
Old Eve’s face fell suddenly.
No …
No no no no no no-
My head snapped over to Calix, who had suddenly gone pale, staring almost distantly at Old Eve.
Oh goodness.
Good Dhâra, no.
Tears rolled down the cheeks of both Old Eve and Calix. My own vision even blurred.
Then Calix took off running.
“CALIX!” I and Old Eve shouted at the same time. But none of us made the move to go after him.
______
there, now they are able to interact with others lol
Anxious gremlin coming through
October 21, 2022 at 5:19 pm #153251Inkhorn@inkhornCONROY
Everything is super quiet. I’m all by myself.
No castles guys, no crazy giants, no screaming people.
Just me.
I wipe at my eyes. They’re watering. A lot.
“Hello?” I call out into the empty hallway. My voice echoes.
It’s dark in here. I don’t like it.
Where is everybody?
“Miss Val? Mr. Abirami? Is anyone here?” I cry more desperately.
I don’t want to be alone. It’s so dark.
My eyes water even more. Is there anybody here? Please, let there be someone!
I whimper and curl up against the wall.
It’s so dark. So quiet. So empty. Dark. Quiet. Empty. Dark. Quiet. Emp-
Someone coughs.
I bolt up.
Someone is crouched next to a looming door. He’s carrying a lamp in his hand. He coughs again.
He’s an old man. His hair is white. His face is wrinkly. He has glasses on.
He straightens himself with a groan. He holds up the lamp and searches the room.
I stand frozen.
His eyes land on me. He smiles. “What are you doing way back there? Come here,” he croaks.
I obediently walk forward.
The old man shines the lamp in my face. “Where’s your mom and dad? You’re not here by yourself, are you?”
“I don’t know where they are,” I answer.
“I’m so-,” he stops and stares hard at me. “What’s your name?”
I take a small step back. “Conroy Flinston.” I don’t bother lying.
“Conroy-?” He begins to laugh.
I stand uncertainly. Is he crazy?
“I guess you don’t know who I am, do you?” he chuckles.
“No.”
“I’m Conroy Flinston too,” he says with a grin.
“But I’m-,” I stop. “You’re a different guy.”
“That’s a reasonable answer, but in this case, no. I’m you.”
“Oh.”
“How old are you right now?” he asks.
“I’m nine.”
He nods thoughtfully. “Are you still in the city?”
“Uh huh.”
He shakes his head. “That’s right. And if you’re nine that means he’s…dead.”
“Yes,” I whisper. “He is.”
We stand there in silence.
Finally, he clears his throat. “I’m supposed to give you some advice, but I don’t know what to say. I wouldn’t change anything.”
“I would.”
He sighs. “When I look back, there are things I regret doing, but I’ve seen how, in the end, those things were used for good. If I were to change anything, I don’t know how different things would be now.”
“Oh, that’s cool, I guess.”
“It is. So, do you have any questions? Anything you want to know?”
“Um, not really. Actually, yeah. How old are you?”
He laughs again and pats me on the back. “I’m seventy-one years old.”
I give a weak laugh. “You’re old!”
“Well, thank you very much.” he says dryly.
“You’re welco-” my voice gives out.
He’s gone.
“Bye.” I whisper.
I turn toward the door and swing it open.
People!
I shut the door behind me and step into the beautiful people filled room.
But the door immediately swings open, slamming into my back. I yelp and scramble back.
A man and woman walk through the doors.
I glare at them. That door hurt.
“Excuse me!” the lady yells. “Would someone please tell us where we are and what this place is?”
I look around. No one seems to notice them.
I limp forward, trying to feel friendly towards these people. “You’re in a castle.”
She glances down at me. “I see.”
“It’s a magical castle, and it’s not…very nice.” I explain.
Would you like for Eve and Calix to interact further with Conroy? (I hope you don’t mind me changing the door scene a little bit 🙂 )
October 21, 2022 at 5:20 pm #153252Inkhorn@inkhornOops, I didn’t see your post until I posted mine. Would you still like them to interact with Conroy?
October 21, 2022 at 5:58 pm #153253Neasa@irishcelticredflowercrownawesome! Here she is so 🙂
Mayra
I hummed quietly to myself as I linked my arms through the granite railing. I was at least fifty feet off the ground but the heights didn’t faze me anymore than the bosses thugs did. My body balanced at an angle from the roof like a gargoyle as I looked out at the silent streets. This was the abandoned part of Media Nox, just outside the inner walls, inhabited only by strays and pests. In the distance I could make out the sharp shapes of the skyscrapers. And above that, the glowing district of the wealthy, floating above the lower levels like a massive cloud of platinum.
I knew quite well that the boss knew my hiding spot. He had spies watching my every move. In case I tried to escape of course. Which was ridiculous. I had nowhere else to go. Gaels were now forbidden to own travel documents or transport. Besides he had done so much for me, putting his reputation on the line so he could employ me.
My fists tightened. He was kind to me. I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for him. I needed to be grateful, show him that I was grateful.
I needed to survive. Because then all the songs and stories tucked away in my heart would disappear. My culture would vanish. It was already vanishing…
I let out a frustrated growl, and straightened, unwinding my arms. As I did so, I was shocked by powerful gale suddenly blowing through me. I gasped, the force of it causing me to lose my grip. I scrabbled for purchase but it was no use. I fell. But strangely, it didn’t feel like I was plummeting through the air. There was an odd lightness in my body as if all the gravity had vanished.
Blackness filled my vision, then a mixture of blinding colours, every colour from the rainbow hurtling towards me like hailstones.
Then my body hit a hard surface. I wheezed, my body trembling from the impact. I shifted each of my limbs. Then my head. And torso. Nothing seemed to be broken. I frowned and sat up slowly.
I stared around me in shock. I wasn’t in Media Nox anymore. This seemed to be a cavern of some sort. An unknown source of light was illuminating the rocky clearing.
That was when I noticed the woman.
She was not much taller than me, but she seemed to be in her mid twenties at the most. She wore strange attire, a dark furred robe befitting that of a queen but also armoured leathers beneath. A warrior perhaps?
Dark red hair was tied and braided back in an intricate hairstyle that framed the rest of her pale face, with a delicate golden circlet. And when I looked closer, past the blue woad painted over her eyes, I saw the scars patterning the left side of her face.
I gaped at her. Who was this? And why did she remind me so much of myself…
”It’s hard to recognise me, I know,” the woman said. She spoke in the western Gael dialect. I started. I hadn’t heard that language – <i>my</i> language – in so long. What was going on?
I swallowed. “Do – do uh I…” I reddened as I found myself lost for words, as usual.
”Still having trouble pulling sentences together?” The woman smiled sadly. “Yeah. It’s pretty painful.”
This woman was speaking to me as if she knew me. As if…
The woman stepped forward, more into the light. And thats when I saw her eyes. One brown, dark as the soil, the other a vivid green.
I felt so sick I couldn’t speak. I clasped my hand over my mouth.
”I’ve forgotten,” the woman said. “The hopeless look I had on my face. Like a beaten animal struggling for survival.”
I shook my head and stepped away, trembling. “You – me…?”
”Well I’m certainly not mum am I?”, the woman said dryly.
I stared at her outfit, looking her up and down. What on earth had I become? Who was this woman sanding before me, dressed in attire like that…
That was when I heard the growl, reverberating throughout the cavern. And a dragon slowly slipped into view, its heavy footsteps causing the ground to tremble. My heart stopped.
It fixed me with eyes that were both knowing and predatorial. Its scales were reddish brown tinted with gold along the spine.
The woman touch the dragon’s snout as he moved towards her. And she spoke in an unknown language unlike anything I had ever heard before. As she spoke, the dragon responded to her, lowering its head as if besotted. Syllable and vowels that didn’t make sense spilling out in a tone that was both guttural and light, pronounced and lyrical.
A language that didn’t exist on this Earth.
The massive dragon fixed its gaze on me, and I wanted to cower. This – this thing was my future?
”You don’t need to be afraid,” the woman – future me – said. “He knows who you are. I’ve just told him not to do anything rash.”
I watched the faint glow within his belly. The power of flames within him no doubt.
The woman stroked the dragon, and smiled at me. In a way that lit up her face in a serene and gentle way. A smile that I never dared thought I would be capable of. “Be sure to watch out for him. He will come to you one day. And believe me, he will be impossible to walk away from.”
October 21, 2022 at 9:32 pm #153255E. N. Leonard@e-n-leonard@e-n-leonard That was so sad! I keep forgetting that Mara is an antagonist…so it was so heartbreaking seeing her being so harsh with her younger self 🙁 That…plus she’s a Benevolent now… I’m assuming she has a negative character arc? Will she ever be redeemed?
She does have a negative character arc. It’s so hard to think of that when I’m writing her joking around with her little brother 😭 And the thing is, I don’t know if she’ll be redeemed! *wails* Little did I know pantsing could result in this 🙁
We are called to be lights in the cosmos.
May your inkwells never run dry!October 21, 2022 at 9:39 pm #153256E. N. Leonard@e-n-leonardAlso…I have a rather cursed idea for the next challenge: the characters have to participate in a very difficult challenge, and if they refuse or fail they have to walk in a fashion show as punishment XD @rose-colored-fancy was thinking that the challenge could involve making the characters give up something valuable to them – not necessarily expensive, but just something really important. Or, they could just bypass it by participating in the show… It’d be up to you guys if you want your characters to suffer this humiliating (or perhaps extremely fun) fate. I know Kit’s already raring to go, but I’m afraid his enthusiasm is looking rather unmatched XD So, what do you guys think?
What a marvelous suggestion! Really, I’m concerned that this room will be filled with maniacal laughter. Fashion show! 🤣
We are called to be lights in the cosmos.
May your inkwells never run dry!October 21, 2022 at 10:05 pm #153257E. N. Leonard@e-n-leonardMara
I blink in the comparatively dim light in this next room. Is it dark enough to hide my face? I shudder. There is no way that woman was real. There is no way any success of mine could result in that. I crouch down, wondering whom I will catch in my operation.
Creak, creak.
My head whips around. A young man on a wheelchair rolls into the room behind me. Before he notices I exist, I glance him over. Wheelchair, yes, but he has both legs and is dressed in a manner that I have never seen before, even on the Day of Destiny. Who wears sleeves with blotches of color at the hem? I guess that means he doesn’t live back home in Benevola, which is good for him. He’d probably be Culled if he lived there unless he has genius-level intellect.
I stand to greet him. “Hello.” What does one say when meeting a person never before seen? I’ve known everyone around me my whole life. “Um, who are you?” I manage to blurt out.
I’m honestly not sure what Frey would say. He seems a little unpredictable XD
We are called to be lights in the cosmos.
May your inkwells never run dry! -
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