Character Castle 2.0
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Awesome thanks! Here we go so…
Mayra
I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how I had ended up here.
I walked through the cavern, an unknown light source from above illuminating the high ceiling. Stalactites and stalagmites were situated every where the eye could see.
How did I end up in a cavern in the outskirts of Media Nox? I frowned, trying not to panic. I would figure it out. The exit had to be farther on.
That was when I heard the frightening growl reverb through the cavern. I halted, my heart thudding. The growl, low and menacing, sounded again. Up ahead of me, a massive moving shape in the shadows slunk towards me.
I stifled a gasp when the the scaly creature came into view. It’s head about the size of an average hover car. It’s slitted eyes, both all-knowing and predatory, glowed coppery-gold. Reddish scales with hints of gold covering its powerful body. Its massive leathery wings tucked behind it.
And at its spine, a figure sat, observing me.
I stumbled back, falling over in an effort to get away from this thing who was coming closer.
The rider barked a command in an odd tongue and the dragon stopped. Steam curled from its nostrils and I saw the slightest hint of an orange glow at its throat.
This was a dream. It had to be. I trembled as the rider slid down.
”He won’t hurt you,” the rider said. A woman, perhaps middle-aged judging by her matured tone. “He knows who you are.”
The woman stepped into view. She was dressed in queenly furred robes, but beneath it was the practical leather attire of a warrior. She had white hair with reddish streaks pulled back and braided intricately, specifically to accommodate the delicate golden circlet on her brow. Blue woad streams were painted over both her eyes. And when I looked closer, I could see the faded scars covering one side of her face. And her eyes – one brown, the other green.
I stifled a gasp. Her face had aged. But I could recognise it anywhere.
”Always quick to figure things out, aren’t you,” the woman said. Her eyes haunted me – they were full of a strange wisdom that only belonged to someone who had been through hell and back.
”What – d-do – you – want?” My voice trembled as I struggles to get the words out, as usual. I was too shock to feel self-conscious about it.
”To prepare you for whats to come,” future me answered. “You have much to learn still. You still haven’t even grasped the full meaning of your powers yet.”
She turned and spoke in that strange haunting language, a rush of syllables, vowels and sounds that didn’t even sound human. Somehow I could tell that this wasn’t an earthly language. The dragon responded to her by sidling up to her, its gaze fixed on me in curiosity. A series of strange sounds came from his jaw.
”He says he is very glad to meet you,” the woman said. “And that he would not dream of eating you.”
I shook my head, my vision spinning slightly. “What – language?” I gestured between them.
The woman lowered her head solemnly as she spoke. “It is a language that was gifted to us. No mortal in this realm can speak it apart from us. You will come to know its real purpose.”
She smiled sadly. “Have you met that audacious boy yet?”
What boy? “Huh?” I questioned.
She sighed, looking amused. “Well be on the lookout for him. Lorcán is his name. And he is going to be the most frustrating person you will ever meet.”
I raised an eyebrow. That didn’t sound promising. “A – friend?”
The woman threw back her head and let out a loud cackle. “Perhaps. We shall see.”
*Strolls in with a cup of hot tea* Hi everyon— it appears I have some catching up to do.. XD Sorry for my absence, but I have Returned!!
anyway…Yarrow
Yarrow notched an arrow and ran as swift as the wind toward the fight. But before he could release his projectile, everything faded into purple mist.
The sense of floating only lasted for a second before he slammed into the ground.”What on earth?” Yarrow lay gasping for breath. When he stood, the mist was gone, and so was the room the fight had occurred in. Instead, a cold marble hallway stretched between Yarrow and a set of stairs that disappeared upwards. He grasped his bow—which had thankfully been spared in the crash, along with his quiver—and made his way down the hall.
Yarrow silently climbed the stairs, wondering what came next. Nothing prepared him for the shock that stood before a carven door. A mirror image of him, looking to be the age of his father.
“Come on, don’t be afraid of yourself.” The man grinned.
Yarrow approached cautiously, a smile slowly forming. “Are you who I think you are?”
“You at an incredibly young age? Yup.”
Yarrow snorted. “You must be as old as father.”
Future Yarrow mock scowled. “Hey, be polite. I’m scarcely one hundred, for your information.”
“Goodness, you must be married or something. Ew.”
Future Yarrow rolled his eyes. “You’ve got a lot to learn. We’ll start now. Any questions?”
“Not really. I like surprises. Any advice though?”
“A lot of things that could keep you out of trouble. Like, for example, stop playing pranks on Julia. However, as I know you’ll ignore that, I’ll give you a more important tidbit. When you’re finished with the Quest, hurry back.”
Yarrow caught a flash of something on his future self’s left hand before the man disappeared.
“Wait! I have a question now!” He yelled, half choking on laughter. “Who? I must know!”
When no answer came, Yarrow pushed open the door and entered the room where the rest were gathered.
A long-hidden tale may hold the answers-and the healing-they so desperately seek.
~Set the Stars AlightI LOVE Mayra already!! It’s so fun to see some other of your characters!
Ahhhh, I love how you wrote that!! AND WHY ISN’T CALIX THERE?? Laura?? I’m worried?? XD
I’m honestly not sure what Frey would say. He seems a little unpredictable XD
Unpredictable is putting it lightly XD It’ll be so fun for them to interact!! I’ll write it asap!!
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
@everyone
okay I think I am going crazy here😵💫
I uploaded Mayras POV just two days ago but it didn’t appear ao i figured that it was just like POOF gone. So I wrote another one last night and uploaded it and LO BEHOLD they are both in the chat!
embarrassasing…
Frey
My shoulders feel heavy, a deep ache settled in them. I can’t do anything about it, as always. I just hope this won’t last all day, if I have to do too much now, I’ll get a flare tomorrow, and I’m in the middle of a big assignment. If I get a bad grade on it, I’ll have to work harder elsewhere to catch up, and I don’t have the capacity to work harder than I already do.
I force myself to exhale, slowly. If I worry I’ll make it worse. I just have to take it carefully, step by step. I’m so tired of walking a tightrope with every action, but it’s been like this for years. It’ll be like this for the rest of my life.
I slowly start forward, through the arch into the room beyond. It’s huge and dim, lit only by a too-high chandelier, hanging so far above us I can hardly see it. It’s like it’s watching us, hovering above us, making note of every action.
Indeed, it’s us. There are other people in the room, some of them on the far side, too far for me to easily recognize. They spread around the arched marble room like statues, too orderly and too far away, like they’re the guardians of this room.
One of the dark statues is right next to me, only a few paces away. I look up at it, no, her. I’m close enough to this one that I can see that she’s a girl, not a statue.
She’s noticed me too. She looks me over, her dark eyes raking over me, fixating on my wheelchair, staring it down. I should be used to that by now.
The only thing I can do is return the compliment. She’s about my height, perhaps a little shorter, but because I’m still in my wheelchair I have to look up at her. Her dark hair trails down her back in cornrows, the tips raspberry in the dim light. They’re a comfort, some point of familiarity between us.
It’s a running joke how many of the art students have brightly colored hair, they’re easy to recognize in the crowd of others. The history, classics, and humanities students look like sparrows against cardinals. It gives me some direction of how I should act with her.
She’s still staring down at me, her gaze trailing over the dark green rails of my wheelchair as though I’m merely an attachment to it. I’m not even surprised at this point.
She holds her head as though she’s wearing a crown, her shoulders squared, and her entire posture as poised as though posing as a queen. Her simple black clothes don’t detract from it, they can’t. She’s decidedly pretty, there’s no way I can ignore it.
She finally addresses me.
“Hello. Who are you?” There’s more uncertainty in her voice than I expected.
She seems so unflappable, like nothing could rattle her. That’s intriguing. There must be something that would.
I hate feeling so out of control of the situation, with her looking down at me, asking questions, and making assessments. Time to turn that around.
I rest my elbows on the sides of my wheelchair and smile at her.
“I’m Frey, I thought you were a part of whatever dream this is at first.” I laugh off the comment. Enough that it seems like a joke but not enough to devalue the compliment. If that’s what it is. I’ll leave that open for interpretation, confusion always throws people off.
She frowns, her eyebrows drawing together.
I interrupt her before she can reply to the comment. I need to keep the initiative of the conversation. If I do, I have control, a rare feeling I’ll take wherever I can find it.
“What’s your name?”
I lean forward, looking straight up at her, as though I’ve never been more interested in a question.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m genuinely kinda at a loss of how to write Frey, he feels very counter-intuitive since like ALL of my characters are socially useless but Frey is quite the opposite XD So, I’m just stumbling forward figuring stuff out. Excuse inconsistency ig XD
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
Oops, I didn’t see your post until I posted mine. Would you still like them to interact with Conroy?
I’d love to! Eve will likely still be near the entrance, and I’m gonna write a thing with Calix here, so you can interact with either one of them!
Ahhhh, I love how you wrote that!!
thank you so much!!
AND WHY ISN’T CALIX THERE?? Laura?? I’m worried?? XD
:>
____
CALIX:
nononononononnonono-
Calix curled up even more and shook from head to toe.
There was no future him.
What had happened?
No, the scarier question was when did it happen.
How close to the present? How far away?
And how did it happen? Why did it happen?
Calix shuddered, closing his eyes to block out the unfamiliar surroundings of his hiding place. He could escape people, but not his own mind. He could never escape his mind.
Someone find me, one half of himself shouted, while the other cried, Nobody come close.
He hated himself.
He hated himself for acting like a child. Heck, he’s almost an adult, and here he is, hiding and pouting like a five-year-old.
He hated himself so much.
The first tear finally slipped down his face.
Anxious gremlin coming through
Mara
The man took a moment before he relaxed and smiled. “I’m Frey. I thought you were a part of whatever dream this is at first.”
He laughs, and I frown. So this isn’t a dream, then? Frey’s next question came too fast for me to ask that one.
”What’s your name?” The wheelchair creaks the tiniest bit as he leans forward for my reply.
”Mara Gobey-Hanad.” I practically shove in my question before he can ask another. “Is this not a dream?”
Frey shrugs. “Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Maybe we’re both dreaming the same dream, or maybe corridors in the realm of dreams connect, and we’re simply meeting each other in two separate dreams.”
This is like listening to Rosemary and Isaias converse. I’d just smile and nod when they tried to involve me, so that’s what I do now. “It’s an interesting idea.”
”Or maybe…” here he looks so earnest that I think he might actually be on to the truth, “a malignant force has kidnapped random people and holds us hostage here.”
I laugh. Until, that is, I realize that’s actually a decent explanation of what happened. “Wait, do you really mean that?”
I’m not sure if I did Frey right; change anything you please 🙂
We are called to be lights in the cosmos.
May your inkwells never run dry!You absolutely nailed Frey, I laughed out loud reading that because it’s exactly the kind of cryptic nonsense he’d find amusing!
Frey
”Mara Gobey-Hanad.” She tosses her head back, the frown still between her brows. She throws the next question at me, “Is this not a dream?”
I mostly said the dream part to start the conversation, but now I’ve started it, I can finish it.
I lean back again, absently fiddling with the cuff of my shirt. It isn’t as cold here, and I’m eternally grateful for that. I can’t stand the cold. I shrug, regretting it as the ache in my shoulder sharpens.
“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t,” I say, with as little idea of what I’ll say next as she does. “Maybe we’re both dreaming the same dream, or maybe corridors in the realm of dreams connect, and we’re simply meeting each other in two separate dreams.”
I raise my eyebrows at myself. I’m starting to sound like a philosophy student. The practice I’ve gotten from pretending every part of an art piece has some deep meaning instead of ‘I just liked it’ is paying off.
Mara smiles and nods, though her gaze is absent and unfocused. Oh, good, I spouted so much nonsense she hadn’t really registered any of that. Good thing, it will probably sound ridiculous in hindsight.
“It’s an interesting idea,” she says. I can barely hide a smile. She doesn’t have any more idea of what I mean than I do, she just doesn’t want to contradict me and seem foolish.
It’s ridiculous, I know it is, but I can’t help trying to push my luck a little further. How much nonsense can I talk before she figures out I’m just making it all up?
I steeple my fingers, frowning as though considering some deep dilemma. It’s all I can do not to break out laughing.
”Or maybe…a malignant force has kidnapped random people and holds us hostage here.”
The next most plausible thing is just saying alien abduction. I might go for that next if she proves gullible enough. I love interacting with gullible people, nothing is funnier than seeing just how far I can go before they start doubting me.
Mara laughs, a warm, sweet laugh. Despite that, my heart drops. Has she figured it out? If she has, will she just leave me to find someone else to talk with? Will all the interest have drained out of the conversation, and me by proxy?
She sobers, the frown returning. She tilts her head, dark eyes boring into me as though to find the truth there. I straighten out my expression. I’m nothing if not masterful at hiding my true intentions.
“Wait, do you really mean that?” she asks.
I hesitate, just a breath. I can say it was all a joke, make her laugh again. But then it’ll be over, and once it’s over, there’s no guarantee anyone else will talk to me. Will I be left all alone in a corner while everyone else talks and laughs? I have to stretch it out just a bit longer.
I smile, as genuinely as I can manage, the slightest edge of satire tinting the words, just enough that it can be interpreted as a joke.
“Of course I do, I mean everything I say. I mean, look at the situation we’re in, what’s the use of lying?”
She frowns again, and I add.
“Did you notice anything odd in the way you came here?”
Anything to delay being left out.
~~~~
Well there we go I made it sad again XD
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
I’d love to! Eve will likely still be near the entrance, and I’m gonna write a thing with Calix here, so you can interact with either one of them!
Great! I’ll whip up post here shortly.
@e-nleonard
I just had to mention how much I LOVE your profile picture! The quill is especially lovely. 🙂
CONROY
“Calix!” a woman screams from behind me.
I leap back, pressing myself into a dark corner. I like dark corners.
The lady stands only a few feet away. She looks really sad like she’s about to cry. She’s staring after a guy who’s running away, but she doesn’t move.
I scrunch up my face. Weird. But this entire place was weird, so it wasn’t that weird.
Aside from that though, the situation seems stable.
I step out from the corner.
The woman’s eyes snap back into focus. She glances at me but doesn’t seem to care that I’m there.
Which is good.
I think.
I sit down on the floor, keeping an eye on the other people in the room. There are other new people, a guy in a wheelchair, a frowning lady, and-oh-oh no. Not her! Cahira Beckwith is here in this very room. Wonderful.
I dart back into my dark corner. Hopefully she won’t notice me.
I observe her from my hiding spot. She’s scolding the guy with pink hair. She has on a smug smile, the one she wears whenever she’s talking with someone beneath her, which is everyone. She knows that no one can say a word against her, not with her dad being the…her dad who isn’t here!
“Hah!” I laugh. “You daddy’s not here to protect you so you better watch out. You can believe that I’m not going to stand up for you!” I yell at her.
She’s not going to forget this for a while, I cackle to myself.
Oh.
If we ever get back to the city, she’s going to report me.
Oh no.
Cahira still hasn’t registered that I yelled that at her. I’ve got time to save myself.
I search the room wildly for a cover, a disguise, anything!
The sad woman is still standing nearby.
Perfect.
I casually stroll up to her.
“Hello, I’m Conroy. What’s your name?”
I glance back at Cahira. The words have registered. Her eyes are blazing. Her face is bright red. I edge away from her and closer to the woman. Hopefully, appearing deep in conversation will keep me safe. Hopefully.
“I’m Eve,” the woman answers quietly.
My head snaps up. “Huh, oh, oh, nice.”
I rack my brain for conversation starters. Calm down, calm down. Keep a clear head.
“Where are you from?” Though she doesn’t look like the type who could ramble on for hours about some little box of flowers she’s growing outside of her window, that should keep the conversation going for a little bit.
You absolutely nailed Frey, I laughed out loud reading that because it’s exactly the kind of cryptic nonsense he’d find amusing!
Oh, good XD
I raise my eyebrows at myself. I’m starting to sound like a philosophy student. The practice I’ve gotten from pretending every part of an art piece has some deep meaning instead of ‘I just liked it’ is paying off.
*chokes on tea* Yes, this! 😂
That’s so sad. If Mara knew, she’d talk to him anyway 😢
@e-nleonard I just had to mention how much I LOVE your profile picture! The quill is especially lovely. 🙂
Thank you! Fun fact: that’s actually my hand in the picture XD It pays to work at a photo studio; I got to do an (medieval themed!) author photo shoot. And I think that particular picture is actually a happy mistake on the part of the photographer 😂
We are called to be lights in the cosmos.
May your inkwells never run dry!Kit:
Are future timelines set in stone, or do they change depending on choices we make?
See, if I went ahead and told Val that my future self said I’d marry her, that’d probably ruin any chance I ever had with her to begin with. But, if it’s set in stone, then I can just say whatever I want and I’ll marry her anyways…not that I’d just say anything to her, of course. I just really wish I could tell her, that’s all.
Also, if I were to die in here there would be no future me! So I think it’s safe to say that the fact that there is a future me means that I won’t die in here…which means that I could just sit back and goof off and everything would turn out ok. I mean, the guy had all four limbs, so I think it’s safe to say I’ll make it out alright. But then…maybe that version of me depends on the path I’m on after all, and maybe if I slip up in here, that entire future is going to come crashing down…
My heart knots as my mind flashes back to the fight I started with the giant flaming guy – Saevus, I think. I could’ve been killed in a flash, leaving Val to pick her through this castle on her own. I’d want to think that she’d be heartbroken, that she’d miss me terribly, but this isn’t really about me. Practically speaking, I really don’t think Val could manage in here on her own. She relies on me – physically, to protect her from both ill will and injury, and socially, to protect her from embarrassment (and I don’t mean that in a rude way – it’s kind of an official part of my job, at least according to Lady Thorne.) If I were gone, who would advocate for her? That’s what I’d like to say, at least, but to be honest I haven’t been doing that job well at all. I’ve seen her alone in this castle to many times to count – times I should have stayed alongside her.
And just to be clear, I’m not saying all this to undermine her or make myself seem superior to her or anything! In all reality, I rely on her too. She’s one of the few people who respect me, and believe it or not, she’s also one of my few emotional havens as well. Not that I’ve really confided in her or anything, but she never judged me for crying, and I think that counts for something, right? Plus, she’s the one who stopped Lady Thorne from firing me. To be honest, Val’s got more fight in her than she knows, but I’d hate for that to develop in the face of a sudden and traumatic death on my part.
This is going to get me in trouble, but I really do think it’s about time I tell her the complete and honest truth about my intentions.
I wipe the sweat off my palms, wildly glancing around the darkening room for Val. Someone suddenly slams right into my back, knocking the air out of my lungs. I gasp as I stumble forward.
“Next time, if someone is behind you, maybe you could consider not placing yourself in the role of ‘obstacle.’” a girl growls behind me.
OBSTACLE???
And coming from a girl? Look, call me shallow, but pretty much every girl I’ve met adores me. How on earth am I supposed to respond to this?
I smile back at her. “And what other role would you suggest? I’m a good actor, you know.”
Actual character growth from Kit! That was…rather unexpected XD
*laughs as one fey*
EVE:
The world was spinning and slowly collapsing, and yet, a voice came and shattered that silence.
“Hello, I’m Conroy. What’s your name?”
I looked over my shoulder, pursing my lips as I turned to face the young man. I really was not in the mood for socialising, but I said anyway, “My name is Eve.”
“Huh, oh, oh, nice.” Conroy seemed distracted, possibly nervous. “Where are you from?”
I closed my eyes briefly. “I’m from Tàme-tho’oa, the Círrith Islands.”
I was by no means going to be the one to uphold this conversation, so I let it hang.
“I’ve never heard of that place before,” Conroy noted.
He’s … he’s never heard of-
Great Dhâra,
I raked both hands through my inky black hair, my features tightening. “It an island among the remnants of the continent Círrith,” I said bitingly.
I swear I didn’t mean to sound rude.
Anxious gremlin coming through
Also, if anyone would like to interact my broken boi Calix, he’s also available :]
Anxious gremlin coming through
WE’RE BACK!!!
@mamaauthoress would you like Val to start an interaction with Calix?ALSO I’ve started illustrating some of Kit’s most iconic character castle moments! I’m planning to do Val too (I’ve been wanting to draw their banquet outfits for so long!)
Anyways, here’s my first one so far:
*laughs as one fey*
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