Character Castle 2.0
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6:01 am
Ok, so I’m here I think. Ugh, that’s dizzying and my hand aches like there’s something poking under it. But apparently this is…whatever Miss Monster sent me to. So I’m guess there’s a puzzle here.
I rub my head and look around. Some weird checkered hall like red and black tiles on every surface so I can’t even hardly tell what’s up or down. It’s dim around here but reasonably visible, I start to fumble through my pockets for something useful but they’re empty. In this world I haven’t have time to fill them with anything. Ok. So we’re gonna do this the hard way.
“Hey!” I yell “I get to ask five questions, don’t I?! That was part of the deal!”
No answer. Nothing. Zip. Nada.
This is terrific. Well here we go I guess. I follow the tile hall for something-odd hours or days or years or maybe just five minutes.
Somewhere in there you think you’re hearing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or something. Weird. I keep walking but this leads to nowhere. Why am I trying to get out? I don’t know if I’ll like wherever I came from better. Will it make me happy? I guess if I had any friends there it’s worth it. But what if I don’t have any friends? What if the best thing that could happen to me is the fake, perfect family Miss Monster seems into?
Ugh I’m thinking in circles. Actually, I’m not sure if that’s Twinkle Twinkle Little Star anymore, it might just be a ticking clock. Where, exactly? Well, that’s a good question, ain’t it?
I flop crosslegged to the floor and rake a hand through my hair trying to focus.
“Ok, this is a puzzle, right? Like a maze or something, so what’s the key?” I stare at the tiles, trying to count the ratio of black to red tiles, look for a pattern and find a loose tile to pry out all at once. Dang it! I can’t pry anything because I don’t have any tools in my pockets! How long have been here all alone?
Ok, it’s really dizzying looking at walls that look all the same and there’re close in and I’m feeling claustrophobic. I don’t wanna be alone here I gotta get out how long have I been here what if I don’t figure it out? Right…right, calm down, breath…
There’s a way out for sure, and I’ll find it. I get up to keep moving only to realize I have no clue which direction I came from and which direction I gotta go. Oh. Shoot. I’m not a puzzle solver! I have a buncha tools I can work with I can’t do brain teasers, if I had a marble I’d be able to tell which direction to go by following the incline. It might not work but it’d be something to go on.
I pry at the edges of the tiles in case there’s like a secret door or button or something but like there’s no chance of me finding one like this. There’s just too much ground to cover. If I have a flashlight I could press it along the sides of the walls to look for an odd shadow and find a button that way. This isn’t fair I don’t have anything to work with I’m gonna die here all alone! I miss home wherever that is, I wish I had a family or something, I can’t reach anybody I haven’t heard anything all this time there’s nobody here I’m all alone and I’m gonna go crazy before I find a way out!
“You said I got five questions!” I try again “How do I get out of here?!”
“Find something that gives you directions.” Something calls back almost instantly. I’m sure most people would’ve freaked out but I…screamed and ran into a wall…So fearless, right? I totally got this manic whatever under control!!! Ok, so Miss Monster’s voice there does actually hear. I’m not sure if I’m more relieved or terrified.
“Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?!”
“Find a compass.” It says simply.
“Whe–?” I bite my tongue. “Don’t answer that!”
Shoot! I just wasted two questions! By the rules I suggested, I only have three left and I don’t even know how long she plans to keep this up and I haven’t even solved anything! Clever evil monster, that was so stupid of me! I’m never gonna see anybody ever again I’m gonna be stuck here forever and die!
I need to calm down and figure this out. Is it a riddle or something? How do I know she’s telling the truth and not just…oh she’s gonna leave me here to spite me I’m gonna die alone cos I tried to escape and now it’s mad at me and gonna leave me to die alone!
Cos that’s a great way to calm down, I need to deal with this. I don’t know if she’s telling the truth or not but I don’t have anything else to do anyway. Trying to solve this might keep my sanity longer…maybe long enough I die of starvation before I go crazy. Actually I’ll probably die of thir–this isn’t helping!
“Ok…ok…so compass. Find a compass?” I glance around. “Nevermind.”
I twist my pathetically empty pocket and rub the side of my head looking around.To be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
6:52 pm
Compass. Find a compass, that doesn’t make any sense!!! I can’t ask her why or where cos then I’ll use up my last three questions. So, basically I’m gonna, this is death and I am so dying out here.
On the bright side…yeah, I can’t remember the bright side thank you very much! And whatever’s ticking make it stop!!
6:53
6:54 pm
Well, she also said find something that gives you directions. I guess that was supposed to me her idea of a clever riddle and that’s supposed to be a compass. But maybe there’s another meaning, like I’m supposed to find a compass by finding something for directions. North is up right? And sometimes it’s the only direction shown on the maps. I’m gonna try to pry open the roof.
I jump up and try to claw a panel down but it flaps open the second I touch it! I can see the sky, kinda dark I thought I started this at breakfast. And there’s a freezing breeze, that means I’m free! Or at least not closed in… I pull myself up the through the opening and–Jeepers! This is high up! It’s like the tunnel with the spider in reverse…
I was talking to somebody then, wasn’t I? It doesn’t matter I guess, right now I need to find a way off. The only thing I can see is sky, I don’t think I wanna look down right now. I mean, I’m not usually scared of heights but this is high.
Like…like somebody made it just for us to enjoy, like that’s happiness…
This is sick, just sick. I can remember thinking the sky was freedom, and now I guess, I think I remember the Bridge. It was really high up and…and I think there was someone. What did I say happiness was?
Something like connecting, loving and being loved
I’m scared, I think I’m gonna die here…
7:00 pm
There’s a star. Just one as it’s getting dark. I can’t see anything but crystal bleak sky, even my perch it’s invisible on the outside. Maybe I jump…? That’s a bad idea, I just have three questions left. Find a compass, what kinda riddle is that supposed to be?!
“A compass always points north unless it’s completely broken…the sun rises in the east and sets in the west…” It looks like about to my left and behind me the sun set so I turn until the sun is in my eyes off my shoulder. Now I have to guess whether in front of me is north or south. Or maybe this is pointless!
I moan, dropping my head back dismally up at the sky.
“Just pick something to hold onto!” I suddenly realize what I’m saying and almost lose my grip and fall back into Lord Death Maze. “Ok! What’s the most important thing in my life for me to remember?”
“Your compass.” The voice immediately chirped. That…I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this before, everything looked red. How could it just–?
“That’s not funny! How would you like to lose everything and–” I blink, feeling stupid, feeling like I could throw myself off this and save myself the trouble of caring, feeling like I shouldn’t be crying like a baby. Why, just why?!
You couldn’t be more stupid and immature, could you?
I just want to go Home. I curl into a ball, pretending to be thinking, I guess I was just crying. What am I fighting for?
Hope? Hope for what?
That maybe there’s somebody that cares? Then why didn’t I just take Miss Monster’s deal? Maybe I should’ve…It could’ve been perfect, right? Probably I could’ve had a mother and a father, my brother wouldn’t have to work crazy jobs, and my best friend…well, I mean, well maybe she…she’d like…like me like I mean…
If I got all those things would I be happy?
Wait a sec! Did I just remember that?! Rosy! Enoch! I gotta find…I…I’m really dizzy, but I think I see a house like an apartment like our old apartment when Dad–-Tick,
Tock–-not this…To be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
Heya, y’all! We’re running out of people, especially since everyone seems to be busy right about now. I’m going to tag a couple of people who might be interested: (Read as: I’m tagging people randomly XD)
@irishcelticredflowercrown @writergirl101 (I don’t remember, but I think you might have been in the Castle right before I joined) @lonathecat @erynne @sparrowhawkeAnyone else is also welcome to join! (If y’all know someone who might be interested, feel free to tag them!) I really don’t want the castle to die, I’m having so much fun here!
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
Hey thanks for tagging me 🙂 I’ll gladly join! I’m not too sure where to start, its a little confusing, but I’d like to add my character Lorcan 🙂
*Gives you a big hug* Yay! So glad you can join!
Okay, here’s the introductions!
@this-is-not-an-alien ‘s characters are Ehud and Rosario. They’re currently off on a little surrealistic adventure of their own since Cathy is trying to get them to kiss before they leave. Anyway, it’s a joy to read!
@rusted-knight ‘s character is Klein, a genetically engineered super-soldier, but he’s actually very nice and probably a lot less aggressive than Liorah. (Which isn’t saying much)
@jasmine ‘s character is Gwendolyn or Gwen for short. A tough, kind-hearted archer who is jealous if Brin, her hawk, likes anyone else more. She’s also pretty expert at the sword!
@mischievous-thwapling ‘s character is Zanar, a twelve-year-old (?) boy who recently dropped in here and very much regretted that decision. Oh, and he’s given everyone adorable, hilarious nicknames.And my characters are Princess Liorah, (Yes, that one.) and Ferran, her friend who has been trying to keep her from being dumb and dying. He’s already so done with this. I feel sorry for him XD
Oh, and there’s Azar, his dog, who is having the time of her life and thinks this is all glorious.
Basically, the Castle’s been setting traps for them. They were just split up, with Liorah, Ferran, and Gwen together, and Zanar and Klein together. Ferran and Zanar are fairly new, so they aren’t very familiar with anyone.
My characters, Gwen, and Zanar (I think?) are from Medieval settings, Ehud and Rosy are from the early 1900’s (more or less, it’s a fantasy) and Klein is from a sci-fi setting. (I think?)
Anyway, none of them have powers. I can’t wait to see their reactions to Lorcan!
We’re joining the groups pretty soon, so you can drop him in anywhere!
Do you need any more details/descriptions?
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
I can maybe join! I don’t know how active I could be, and I don’t really know where to begin, but I can try.
I could use my characters Torsten or Malar. Who are so different it would be quite interesting to see them together.
"Can't have dirty garbage."
Great, thank you so much for catching me up! I feel way more excited about this now, I can’t wait for Lorcan to meet everyone now! Do you have any hints on how I could drop him into a group?
Fantastic! I’d love to see both of them if you feel like you can handle two! You’re allowed to have two in at a time, and then you can develop relationships as well.
To start, you can just write a quick description and as much backstory/context as you feel is necessary. (Neasa, could you do this as well? It makes it a bit easier for everyone to write 😉
Here are the basic descriptions of all the characters of the moment.
Ehud: Male, 16. Blond, blue eyes. Hyper and easily excited. Arguably the sweetest person that exists. He’s wearing a blue hoodie.
Rosario: Female, teens. (I don’t know exactly how old she is. Cathy, help me out?) Dark, curly hair. Dark eyes. Intimidating and cold. She scares me, but I still love her XD
Zanar: Male, 12. (?) Silver-blond hair, light eyes, and light skin. Slight and lithe. Very inquisitive and cheerful.
Klein: Male, don’t know his age. Wearing some sort of fully protective armor, that makes him seem much bigger than he is. Well-armed and not afraid to use it.
Gwen: Female, teens. Always carrying a bow and arrows, and she has a sword with her. Strong-willed but kind.
Liorah: Female, 16. Very tall and fairly muscular. Auburn hair that falls to her hips. The ends are sun-bleached. She’s carrying a sling and bullets for it, and a curved sword.
Ferran: Male, 18. Dark hair and eyes, both he and Liorah have dark olive skin. He’s carrying a long staff, used as a weapon.
Azar: Sheepdog type, with reddish fur.
I hope this is enough reference to write them 😉 (Y’all, if I got anything wrong, feel free to correct me and I’m sorry XD)
Great, thank you so much for catching me up! I feel way more excited about this now, I can’t wait for Lorcan to meet everyone now! Do you have any hints on how I could drop him into a group?
Awesome! I can’t wait to meet him!
Usually, we drop the characters into a tunnel of some sort. (Dark and twisting optional, but encouraged) Some of them wander into it accidentally, others were doing something else and got sucked into it, and others just woke up there with no memory of how they got there.
As soon as they get their bearings, there’s usually a good amount of panicking, and after that, they’ll eventually find a panel that leads into the main room with the others and stand there wondering what they got themselves into.
Or, if you want to be more original, just have them crash through the ceiling. Anything is allowed, as long as it’s fun XD
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
Thanks for the tag, Rose! However, my family is going to be traveling for the next couple of weeks, so I think I’ll pass on this. Sorry. 🙁
Thanks for the tag, Rose! However, my family is going to be traveling for the next couple of weeks, so I think I’ll pass on this. Sorry.
No worries! Have fun! Thanks for telling me!
Liorah
We’d just reached the other side of the painful chessboard of nightmares. I had flopped down in a corner and scowled at the castle in general. Brin perched on Gwen’s shoulder, and Azar was skulking around Ferran, still spooked from her run-in with the black tiles.
Just a short break, then we could go after the light again. I groaned in annoyance. When would this end?
“Liorah, look,” Ferran hissed.
I craned my neck and noticed the light fading into a dim speck.
I sprang to my feet.
“No, no, don’t you dare!” I shouted at the castle.
The light disappeared. A panel slid in front of the tunnel. I spun around, and my braid almost smacked me in the face. The opening we’d come through had shut. Only a dim light above us remained.
We were trapped.
“Oh, this? Again?” I spat.
Ferran shot me a questioning look. I didn’t feel like explaining and concentrated my energies on fuming.
“I swear, I’ll carry out my earlier threat! Want me to run over it again?” I didn’t wait for the castle to reply. I paced back and forth, careful to stay in the safe area.
“I’ll rip out your intestines and strangle you with them, then I’ll explode your stones and burn the pieces that are left. And I’ll stomp on the ashes,” I added, for good measure. I paused to catch my breath.
Ferran leaned on his staff, watching me with marked amusement.
“Feel better?”
“Yes, thank you,” I answered, without pausing in my rapid pacing.
“Is this a poor time to point out that it doesn’t have intestines?”
“Intestines, wires, anything will do,” I said, practically bouncing in frustration.
“That’s enough, you’re just getting yourself worked up,” Ferran said, calmly.
“Well, let me! There’s nothing better to do,” I said, “Except maybe wait around to die.” I spat the last word at the castle. I hated it more than I’d hated anything else. Ever.
“You can pet Azar,” Ferran suggested.
I recognized this as a valid alternative to making death threats and sat down. Azar immediately bounded over to me and I dedicated myself to rubbing her ears and stroking her head.
“I’m getting bored with this, time for something new.” The castle’s metallic voice broke through the sudden silence.
With a loud rattle, the walls went up. I squinted against the sudden brightness. The checkered floor disappeared, replaced by a dark, smooth floor that didn’t seem to have any deadly properties. The same thing happened in the other room until it was all one large, empty room with smooth walls and floors. What was going to happen here?
Once my eyes had adjusted to the bright light, I saw Klein and Zanar on the other side. I sprang up, delighted. But my smile faded when a quick search yielded no results.
“Where are Riure, Ehud, and Rosario?” I asked, alarmed. (Context, the castle hasn’t let Rosy and Ehud rejoin them and Riure was recently taken out.)
Zanar shrugged and nodded toward the ceiling.
“Riure went up there.”
I froze, sudden alarm throbbing through me. Was she alright? Was she hurt? I needed to find her!
“Nevermind your friends, they’ve gone home or to discover themselves.” The castle said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I spat.
The castle didn’t reply.
I glared at a random wall, hoping it would see me.
Riure would be alright, every so often, people just disappeared, but I was certain they did in fact go home. I was worried about Ehud, but Rosario would take care of him. She wasn’t as ruthless as she appeared. Probably.
“Now what, you useless lump of bricks?” I asked, pettishly.
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
Okay thats perfect!
Lorcan: Male, in his early 20s. Mask covering the bottom half of his face. Dark eyes, almost black. Light tanned skin. Steam punk leather overcoat with hood. Black hair shaved along both sides. Courageous, arrogant and snarky.
Hello everyone, I’m back!
I can’t wait to meet the new characters, its always fun seeing their reaction to being dumped in a live castle with a bunch of other characters from different timelines XD
Beautiful things don't ask for attention
Ok, I’ll try! (Again, please forgive me if my posts are extremely sporadic. I may need to drop out at any moment.)
Here’s my character:
Torsten Kame
Male, 34 years old (around 19 in human years). He’s a creature I made up called a shett–think basically a giant tortoise that walks on its back legs. Around 7 feet high. (I can share a picture if you guys want).
Introverted, shy, super sweet, gentle, loves to cook. Unlike practically every other shett in his tribe, he is not a warrior. He could still overcome many humans or human-type creatures just with sheer force and thanks to his natural shell armor, but against another shett, he’s going down.
He feels worthless and cowardly. His biggest misbelief is that physical strength = worth, as that message has been pounded into his head since he was young. After failing his tribe’s initiation ceremony, he went to travel the world with an older shett named Rovad in hopes of proving himself to his clan.
He’s basically the cinnamon roll character. I love him to pieces.
"Can't have dirty garbage."
Also will add that Lorcan has super strength, durability and can teleport through shadows. And he can heal really quickly. And he’s tall and built 🙂
The galea blew against me as I raced after the slimeballs who had dared to cross me. I channelled my instinctual teleportation abilities, appearing and disappearing in the shadows, my feet pounding on the ground beneath me.
Slowly they began to tire. Slowly I managed to catch up to them. The group turned a corner, revealing a dead end. I smirked with delight. Oh this was going to be so easy.
They turned around, eyes wide with horror as I gained on them. I let out a snarl, my wrathful fist hammering down towards them, ready to show them why exactly they had to fear-
Then a gaping hole formed in the tarmac. I froze in mid air, unable to move, unable to form a thought, unable to breathe as a mysterious force held me there for a moment. Then I was sharply pulled in, darkness closing over me.
Wild panic consumed me, though I tried my best to hold on to my survival instincts. I thrashed and I screamed, putting up as much physical and mental resistance to this terrifyingly strong force as I could until-
BOOM. I felt myself crashing through a hard surface. Pain exploded in my head and shoulder and I didn’t have time to roar before my body impacted against a cold, unforgiving floor. I let out a groan, pain twinging in my head. Sharp cries of shock sounded in my ears.
I swore hazily, muttering to myself, ‘Why do weird things like this always have to happen to <i>me</i>?’
‘<i>Another</i> one?’, someone exclaimed. ‘For crying out loud. When is it ever going to be enough?’
I coughed, pushing myself up on my elbows, wincing as my fractured bones mended themselves. I blinked the dust out of my eyes, breathing in and out.
’What is this?’ A female voice demanded. ‘Who are you? Is this another one of your tricks Castle?’
‘I said I was bored,’ a deep voice rumbled. It seemed to be coming from all around me, ricocheting off my bones. ‘So I decided to add in another dash of fun here. Meet your new ally. Or – maybe your potential rival.’
I pushed myself to my knees and slowly stood up. I was in a bright room, large and spacious. And I wasn’t alone. I was with humans. At least, I surmised they were humans, judging by their carbon dioxide levels.
Towards my right and left there were two groups of people. Towards my right there was a tall olive-skinned girl with auburn hair carrying a sword. Beside her was a youth with dark hair, olive skin and wielding a long staff. A reddish dog accompanied them.
On the left was a young boy with silver blonde hair and a huge bulky looking man in thick armour. All were staring at me as if I were some interesting, but deadly zoo animal.
I breathed in and out, willing my heart to be calm. I steeled myself. Now was not the time for irrational behaviour. I had been trained to survive just about anything, from ice filled lakes to scorching wastelands, ever since I was a boy. Whatever <i>this</i> was, it was clearly going to be child’s play.
‘Right then,’ I sighed, my left shoulder cracking into place. ‘I’m going to be quite civil here. You people are going to tell me where I am. Immediately.’ My voice darkened and my fists clenched. ‘Or I assure you, you <i>will</i> regret it.’
*Knocks you over with a hug* Jasmine! So nice to see you again! I missed you!
Ok, I’ll try! (Again, please forgive me if my posts are extremely sporadic. I may need to drop out at any moment.)
No worries! Can’t wait to meet your character, he seems really cool!
Ferran
Liorah’s extended gripe at the castle was interrupted by someone crashing through the ceiling. This was just brilliant.
“Another one,” Liorah sighed. “Here we go. Again,” she spat at the castle.
“I told you I was bored. So I decided to add in another dash of fun here. Meet your new ally. Or – maybe your potential rival.”
“Amusing,” Liorah spat, in a voice that meant she was not at all amused.
I didn’t argue with the castle. It wouldn’t listen anyway. I grabbed my staff with both hands, lowering it into a diagonal position. I made no aggressive movements, but I could defend myself if needed. I didn’t know who this was, and I wasn’t taking any risks.
Azar twisted around my legs, both curious and cautious of the stranger. I let go of the staff with my left hand and made a rapid sign. Back. She obeyed, sitting down a few paces behind me.
The man got to his knees and glared at all of us in turn. He seemed mildly panicked, which was understandable.
Liorah examined him with mild interest, then shot me an amused look. I raised my eyebrows. She was right, he certainly was odd-looking. A mask covered half his face, and his clothing was like nothing I’d ever seen. His skin was far lighter than ours, and everything else about him looked unfamiliar.
“Right then,” the man said. “I’m going to be quite civil here. You people are going to tell me where I am. Immediately.”
Liorah grinned and shot me another meaningful look, wordlessly commenting on the stranger’s attitude. I nodded. Liorah seemed to find it exceptionally amusing. I found it annoying.
The stranger shot all of us another glare, his voice threatening as he said,
“Or I assure you, you will regret it.”
Liorah outright laughed this time.
“Oh, no. Did you hear that? I’ll regret it.” She brought her hands to her cheeks, feigning shock.
She was still grinning, and clearly didn’t mean it maliciously, but it wasn’t exactly tactful. Liorah hadn’t learned that sometimes it was wiser not to say what you were thinking.
“I’d love to grant your charming request,” Liorah continued, mockingly. I closed my eyes, trying to restrain my frustration. Why did she have to anger him already?
“But unfortunately, we know about as much as you do. I do know the castle is out to get us, if that helps. It nearly killed my brother a while ago, and every so often, there’s a run-in with green-blooded monsters or we have to solve riddles or fight each other, you know, fun stuff like that.” Liorah said, ironically.
She gestured vaguely at the bloodstains on her loose linen blouse and wide pants to confirm her story.
I remembered Gavril telling me about that. (Liorah’s older brother, he got taken out a while ago)
“Anyway, I’m Liorah, that’s Ferran, Gwen, Zanar, and Klein,” Liorah pointed out each of us in turn. I kept an eye on the stranger, but I had no interest in greeting him. Liorah could do the talking for both of us, as far as I’m concerned.
She had taken all initiative of the conversation. Perhaps it was her high rank, but she certainly had a gift for taking control of a situation.
“And who are you?” Liorah looked him up and down without the least embarrassment. The gold jewelry on her forehead sparked, the almond-shaped sapphire caught the light. It marked her out as a princess of the Lehabim.
____
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
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