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Post by rose on Jul 11, 2019 17:52:55 GMT -5
Setting In the 1800s, the land of Beckton is overruled by the Caswells. Though their reign isn't the best the city has seen, they've had far worse. The Caswells are ones who seem to typically care more about themselves, and their status, as opposed to the people they rule over. The poor have to come to realize it, as well; none revolt, though none have a deep love for their rulers either. Despite the rulers' lack of empathy, the kingdom of Beckton is an exquisite sight. Hills and valleys cover the terrain, and streams flow freely throughout forests rooted farther away from the heart of the land. Bird song is common, though not many stop to listen - the Caswells aren't typically found outside of their castle, and the poor have bigger things to worry about than the chirps of birds. The castle stands tall near the center of the land - stone columns raised high above the earth, seemingly spiraling up forever and never reaching an end. The walls are cracked with age, though retain a beauty about them that had seemed to come from their history and the royalty that resides within. The inside of the castle walls are lined with tapestries - tales of rulers of old painted within them - while the floors are carpeted and soft.
Basic Plot A fateful day comes when people begin disappearing. The poor are slowly dying off one by one, and it seems that disease has overridden the land. The Caswells had often spoken of the poor carrying disease before, though they had never truly experienced a supposed epidemic. Symptoms of the disease, or what it even is, aren't widely known, and the higher classes remain within the safety of their castle walls to keep from catching it and spreading it within the castle. They're working on developing a cure - not to share with their subjects, but rather, in the rare occurance of the disease growing within the castle. Victoria Caswell is not one to abide by the Caswell's supposed "rules". She sneaks out often, and prefers not to be classified with the others from her family. She meets Julian Fairlinger, a commonplace thief. Eventually, a relationship betweens kindling between the two as they become closer - despite their differences in societal classes.
Victoria Caswell In her early twenties, Victoria stands at 5’4, with an overall dainty frame. Her skin is that of a honeyed brown, while her eyes are reminiscent of sea glass, though they're speckled with gray - ashes of a fire longing to be lit again. She has a button nose and carries a set of medium, light pink lips. Her lashes are long and flutter over her face - the face which has a certain softness about it, an innocence that is painted throughout her. Atop her head sits long, wavy hair - the color of fresh earth after rainfall - striated with blonde. She is almost always adorned with some form of jewelry - whether it be a necklace, bracelet, or anything else, and the way she carries herself does far from hide her higher social status; despite living well, Victoria isn't one to shy away from getting her hands dirty if she deems it necessary. She makes decisions without thinking much about them, but tends to dwell on her choice and the numerous outcomes that could've come to light if she had just chosen differently. She's often in her own head, and doesn't like to be too dependent on those around her. She comes off as sweet to many, and she often finds it difficult to shy away from situations she deems unsafe or uncomfortable for fear of coming off as rude, and making it seem as if she wasn't raised right. She honors her family's name, though her loyalties don't lie mainly on the Caswells; at the end of the day, she feels she can only rely on herself.
Julian Fairlinger Julian isn't an average fellow. With a scrawny frame, he has messy hair the color of dirty sand, his wide brown eyes the color of rich milk chocolate, and skin comparable to that of a light peach. Tiny pinprick freckles dot Julian's triangular face, and his clothes are vintage and gross. Julian has an adventurous personality, and has stolen from stores before. He doesn't like to stay in one place and likes to keep moving. He has a good humor, and likes to think for himself. Stubborn, funny, and clever describe this teenager.
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Post by UnsightlyHeretic831 on Jul 12, 2019 14:40:47 GMT -5
Julian Fairlinger
Male x Lower Class
Julian isn't an average fellow. With a scrawny frame, he has messy hair the color of dirty sand, his wide brown eyes the color of rich milk chocolate, and skin comparable to that of a light peach. Tiny pinprick freckles dot Julian's triangular face, and his clothes are vintage and gross. Julian has an adventurous personality, and has stolen from stores before. He doesn't like to stay in one place and likes to keep moving. He has a good humor, and likes to think for himself. Stubborn, funny, and clever describe this teenager.
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Post by rose on Jul 12, 2019 15:15:27 GMT -5
do you want to write a starter or should I?
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Post by UnsightlyHeretic831 on Jul 13, 2019 17:28:44 GMT -5
I'm not a good starter writer, maybe you should go first?
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Post by rose on Jul 14, 2019 18:38:26 GMT -5
Victoria straightened up, staring at her dainty reflection in the mirror before her. Aureate sunlight filtered through the windows of her home, and the corset around her body kept her back straight and in line. Her lips pursed at what she saw staring back at her; her appearance was merely a salute to her namesake, nothing more. Still, she put her head high, and moved her hair from her face with a hand adorned with a bracelet of carmine rubies. Her hand rested on her cheek for a moment too long, and there she was again - suddenly contemplating the decision she was about to make. Disobeying her mother wouldn't be a mistake, would it? She dropped her hand from her cheek and stared at the version of herself peering back at her; she put on a solemn expression.
She took care in leaving the house without allowing her mother to lay eyes on her. She often warned Victoria of disease that the poor carried - but her mother had said things to deter the woman from stepping outside numerous times before. She wanted her daughter to grow paler as to appear more presentable to potential suitors, though Victoria had no care for her mother's wants. She shut the door with a gentle thud. Money she had stolen jingled within her hands, and suddenly the world stood before her - alive.
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Post by UnsightlyHeretic831 on Jul 18, 2019 22:54:44 GMT -5
{Oh my lord I went on vacation without saying so}
Julian was meandering down a long thug alleyway, looking for someone to steal from. His eyes darted side to side, carefully watching where he stepped and whom he passed. No one with valuables here, Julian thought grudgingly and trotted out of the alley. His eyes landed on the woman. Princess. Was his first thought, considering the jewelry and wealthy aura around her. Julian suddenly felt greedy. Tons of ideas popped into his head on how to get some, but none of them had a good ending. He felt ashamed. I should know how to get some jewelry off some princess, he scolded himself. But he settled on watching her from the rooftops. Julian started to climb silently up onto a short roof to observe Princess Victoria from above. He was quiet and stealthy on the way up, and he was trying to get a good judgment about her. She looked young, so she must be naive, right?
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Post by rose on Jul 19, 2019 3:18:49 GMT -5
no worries! i hope you had fun :-) )) In the street, Victoria's eyes darted back and forth, taking in as much as they could. The blue of her eyes were lit with desire to stay out here forever. Behind her, decorative shrubs grew tall, swaying with each breath the wind took. To her left, sat a chariot, waiting at the end of the sidewalk for potential riders. A few people were huddled around it, and from her distance, Victoria could just make out the notable voice of a mother pleading with the driver. She claimed that she was looking for her husband, and that she had been out for days - carrying her thin baby in her arms. Despite her pleas, the driver refused, shaking his head and putting a wrinkled finger up to the mother's mouth. "Sir, please let this woman on," Victoria said, nearing the chariot. "She has no money. No money, no ride." To that, the princess smiled brightly, and the driver seemed almost taken aback for a moment. "I'll pay her fee." With her words, the woman flashed her bracelet - the rubies shining brighter than ever paired with the sun beating down on them. One glance at the gems on her arm was all it took to keep the driver from speaking any more, and he gave a simple nod to the mother. Victoria reached into her pocket and fished out one of the coins she had stolen and dropped it into his awaiting, frail hands. The mother took Victoria's hands with the hand not gripping her own baby and shook them in an extreme show of gratitude, repeating 'thank you,' over and over. Finally, she got onto the chariot that was now awaiting her. A smile was far from the expression Victoria had on her face. Her face now beamed with sincere joy. This was what she had been kept from. The poor weren't 'diseased rats', they were people. The street lamp in front of her towered high, though she couldn't help but follow the pole of it with her eyes. Looking at the top, she saw the lamp, but what intrigued her was not that, but rather, what she saw past it. Her face shifted as to squint at the object that seemed to be on one of the rooves. A boy, perhaps? "Do you need help?" she called, raising her arm and beginning to wave it. People glanced at her with scoffs painted on their snooty faces, and she dropped her hand immediately. This boy was not worth getting scoffed at, right? But her mind kept backtracking on the thought; If he's going to have trouble getting down then I refuse to stand by and do nothing. She raised her arm again, and continued her frenzied waving, though this time she switched hands as to show off the adorned hand rather than the barren one. The scoffs stopped almost immediately. She couldn't quite tell where the boy was looking, but she only hoped that he'd see her through the crowd. "Do you need help?" she repeated.
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Post by UnsightlyHeretic831 on Jul 20, 2019 15:22:15 GMT -5
{There's not much to write here, I'm sorry for the short reply!}
"Uh, no thanks," Julian called back. He glanced at the bracelet while thinking,wow, Princess Victoria actually asked me if I needed help. He shifted a bit, chewing at his lip thoughtfully. She probably hadn't seen the worst of the city. Soon, she'd know how this city works and how go through it. And it definitely didn't start with kindness. "Shouldn't you be strutting around the castle? Aren't you supposed to be in a luxurious bedroom, not caring about us, the poor?"
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Post by rose on Jul 20, 2019 15:58:42 GMT -5
Though his words confused her, their deliverance made them seem to be a challenge. If he doesn't need help getting down, then is he on the roof merely for fun? The notion was confusing to her, but she felt that if she were to address his words properly then she had to be on his level. She began looking around herself for some way - any way - to climb up atop the roof. Finally, her eyes landed on the shelves near one of the display cases in front of her; a ladder in disguise. Bracing herself for the glances to follow, the woman leapt onto the shelf and began peering up at the boy on the roof. He could tell she was inexperienced, she was sure of it. She tried to climb to the top of the roof, though the distance between her and the flat surface was too wide for her to grasp. Though perhaps the boy would hear her words better from the position she was in now, as opposed to far lower down. "I'm expected to be in a 'luxurious bedroom' right about now," she said. "But look at me! It doesn't look like I'm strutting around in a castle right now, now does it?" She looked up again at the boy, and dropped her tone. She stared at him with an immense softness - it was a look she simply couldn't help; she put her arm up, and outstretched her hand. "Despite your obvious coldness towards me, would you mind helping me up?"
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Post by UnsightlyHeretic831 on Jul 21, 2019 15:18:58 GMT -5
Julian glanced at her face. He just managed to stifle a laugh before saying, "Sure, princess." He was surprised she was actually trying, and he stood up and grabbed her hand. It was soft and clean, considering his dirty scabbed hands. "If you're going to try and talk some sense into me, it won't work. Do you know how the city runs around here?" He asked. He could tell she hadn't been in the city recently. This will be hard to explain, I'm sure she'll ask, he thought grudgingly.
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Post by rose on Jul 21, 2019 15:59:06 GMT -5
Victoria took his hand quickly and climbed atop the roof. She looked behind herself to see the town below her; the space from the ground wasn't nearly as large as standing on one of the castle's many balconies, though the lower perspective changed something about the people below her - they weren't just specks, they were beings. "I wouldn't dream of 'talking sense into you'," she said, her voice light. "And...", she stopped to ponder on the boy's question, biting her lip in thought. Of course she knew how the city ran - it was all she had been taught. But there was a difference in how it was described within the Caswell walls and how they people outside of those walls seemed to function. "I - I suppose I don't know how this city really works. It's unfortunate, though." From his level, Victoria was free to analyze the boy's face. It seemed dirty, and the hair around it didn't do much as to reconstruct his appearance - it, too,was shaggy and unkempt. She turned back again, only to realize the similarities between some of the people below her and the boy. She snapped back to reality suddenly, and spoke again. "What's your name?" she asked. "I'm Victoria."
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Post by UnsightlyHeretic831 on Jul 21, 2019 17:34:23 GMT -5
Julian sighed. "My name is Julian, and I believe I already know your name. People talk about you all the time, I hear their conversations from up on these rooftops." Then his voice lowered. "Not necessarily good things. Only sometimes." He leaned back to observe her. It was a habit. She seemed like a daydreamer, it would be easy for her to get distracted in a conversation. I thought princesses were more... arrogant and self-centered, Julian thought. I don't know, first impressions?
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Post by rose on Jul 21, 2019 17:47:38 GMT -5
"Nice to know I'm popular," Victoria said, smiling. "I'm surprised, to say the least. I'm not a direct descendant to the throne, so I'd doubt many would know my name. But yours... Julian." She stopped speaking, considering. "I like it. I had a brother once - Julius - I didn't know him for long. I helped pick out his name." The smile remained on her face, though her expression plunged into one which barely retained the glow she typically had about her. Her breath caught in her throat as she remembered the boy who was born only to take a few breaths, and then descend back into a lack of existence. "That doesn't matter, though." With her words, she wiped the sadness off her face. She couldn't show what the Caswells lacked - not to the stranger of whom she'd just met. "What matters, is that I know you're eyeing my rubies, Julian. And I can't say I blame you." The woman cast her eyes down and began fumbling with the latch of the bracelet - though her nimble fingers worked quickly, the bracelet was secured tightly as to be difficult for thieves to take. Finally, the latch came undone and she held the bracelet out - the rubies dancing with red flames under the sun. "I know you need it more than me."
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Post by UnsightlyHeretic831 on Jul 21, 2019 18:27:03 GMT -5
Julian was silent for a minute. His face was unreadable, though he had swirls of emotions waving through him. Confusion, happiness, awkwardness.This has never happened before, what do I do, what do I do? Then he finally murmured, "Thank you. This means a lot to me." He reached for the bracelet, and hesitated. Was this the right thing to do? Yes. I need the money for food. He grabbed the bracelet and put it in his pocket. "I don't know what to say," He said awkwardly, taking in the sight of the rubies. They were dazzling and would be worth much money.
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Post by rose on Jul 21, 2019 18:36:02 GMT -5
Victoria sensed the awkward air that was beginning to arise around them. "Take it a bribe," she said, her voice light and sarcastic. "I'd like at least a few good words to be spread about me throughout the city." Her hand immediately fled towards her newly baren wrist. She felt so exposed without any jewelry, but there was a freeing sensation about it. She looked down at the floor of the roof, and stared at it, deeply considering. It's just one day. I can make up some excuse for the dirtied silk. Without a second thought, she sat down, turning so that her legs were hanging off the edge of the roof. She felt like a child, and to onlookers, she looked like one as well. It was a rare sight - a Caswell sitting on a roof, dangling and moving her legs about, there for all of the public to see. She looked up at Julian. "Since you went through all the trouble of getting me up here, I might as well enjoy my time. Besides, I doubt I'll find another 'Julian' atop a roof who's willing to pull me up here with them."
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Post by UnsightlyHeretic831 on Jul 21, 2019 18:43:56 GMT -5
Julian laughed. "I guess so. Anyway, why are you outside the castle? I'm guessing you're not allowed out here? I haven't seen you around here." He crawled to where she sat and sat with her, legs dangling over the edge. "I guess you must feel free, if that is the case." Julian added.[/font]
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Post by rose on Jul 21, 2019 18:51:31 GMT -5
Victoria let out a short giggle. "My mother and I don't really live in the castle. I've always preferred having more of a humble home - though I suppose ours isn't too "humble". It's a compromise between my mother and I - a home outside of the castle, but a large home, nonetheless. I'm welcomed into the castle, though I doubt the other Caswells are ever overjoyed to see me." She stopped to look over at the bustling of the town. "I guess you're right, though. I do feel free. Odd, isn't it? I'm free in the sense of not being worried about what I'm going to eat tonight, about where I'll sleep - hell, even if I'll live through the night, but I still have the audacity to say I'm restrained." She looked over at the boy next to her. "I can't imagine how difficult it must be."
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Post by UnsightlyHeretic831 on Jul 23, 2019 15:55:30 GMT -5
"You get used to it when you've been out here long enough," Julian responded. "I guess... it isn't difficult for me anymore." He then realized how much he'd changed over the years. He wasn't the young, naive, and loud boy he used to be. He was still rebellious, just a trait that will stay with him forever, but everything else... was different. Julian felt better about this as life went on. If he stayed naive and aggressive, he would never have survived. He decided to change the subject. "I can't imagine anyone to have never seen the city up close. You should see it at night, on top of one of these buildings."
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Post by rose on Jul 23, 2019 16:50:30 GMT -5
Victoria couldn't help but raise her eyebrows at the mention of a beautiful view, and her mouth fell into a soft smile. "You haven't seen stunning until you've seen the city from the highest balcony in the castle. Below, the few people still out are specks, while above, you feel as though you could pluck a speck of a star out from the sky." She looked down at the view from the rooftop she was already on, and instantly fell silent. "Though, I do suppose it would be beautiful here too."
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Post by UnsightlyHeretic831 on Jul 26, 2019 12:47:14 GMT -5
"You don't need to suppose. You can see it, out tonight. If you know how to get up to the tallest buildings, you'll be able to experience it, not to imagine." Julian replied. He stared off into the distance, at the buildings, the people, the life. Maybe there was a place out there, ready to welcome him? He wondered about that. I'm sure there is. But I like this life. Would I really throw that away?
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Post by rose on Jul 29, 2019 13:24:08 GMT -5
Victoria couldn’t help but to be slightly taken aback. Was he proposing that she stay out till nightfall with him to see the view? Her, a woman he had never met before - a woman who presumably didn’t have the best reputation around those that he lived with. “I-“ she began. Mother might assume that I’m at the castle; that’s sure to make her happy. But if she finds out I’m not - through her thoughts, she looked over at the boy staring at the city, his mind, she assumed, wondering what could have been. There was something about him that she couldn’t quite place - perhaps it was his appearance, with his hair ruffled beyond compared - or maybe the way he had taken so kindly to her, despite what the overall opinion of the Caswells was in the city. Whatever it was about him, it seemed, in that moment, impossible to say no. “I’ll gladly stay out here tonight. With you.”
god i hate typing on mobile. sorry if the format is weird ))
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