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Post by mossecho on Jun 15, 2020 2:27:14 GMT -5
[[ everyone: oh dear goodness I thought I had hit enter xD sorry about that y'all, here's my best attempt at reconstructing what I posted. They're a bit lazy, my bad, so sorry about that too my writing just isn't there today, idk why
first up is Alex, followed by Lucrecia.
Starchaser : That's ok! I completely understand. I think I'd like it if we could get in maybe just a couple more posts in before the time skip, but honestly I don't really have all that much preference.
Also I don't have a description for Sofia (that's the character that appears in this post) yet so sorry about the awkwardly-included bits about what she looks like xD I'm not really sure what sort of a role I'd like her to play, so here she just appears and disappears because... lazy writing. I'm assuming she's from the cult, but we can change that if we need to.
10/10 post joke, btw (:
Amber : I never mind a dream sequence! They're fun to write and read. Never been one much for writing them well, but that's just me xD ]]
Alex stayed silent and still for the conversation. He genuinely did not have much to contribute. Or anything valuable, really. It was always easier to keep silent than risk saying something wrong. He just could not understand these people. The way they spoke so directly and smiled so naturally. The way one could read their expressions with such ease. The way they were honest and ruthless in that truthfulness. It was foreign. No one back home would ever dare act like this, so impulsive and uncontrolled.
The Antier turned his gaze away from the other vampires to the fire. It created fear within Alex, the sort of instinctual wariness that flared up every time the wind changed directions and the wild flames followed. Yet it was not an unsettling feeling. Alex knew how he responded to fire and how fire responded to him. That relationship was easy to figure out. If Alex exhaled strongly, he could predict fairly well how the fire would move. Alex could feel the change of the winds and understand the fire's ensuing shift. It was still difficult to stare at it, of course. Fire was raw destruction.
Yet Alex preferred to stare at the fire than the faces of the others. Yes, even Lilah. They all were so different than Alex. They behaved strangely. There was no recognizable etiquette structure and no behavioral consistencies. Alex knew that the grasslands vampires were informal, but he had never imagined that it was even possible for vampires to be... like this.
As Lilah was led away and the crowd dispersed, Alex waited. He thanked Eva for her hospitality but opted to stay by the fire. He assured her that yes, he understood how to put it out (it was something everyone had to learn, lest there be a disaster), and no, he did not need any lodgings. "Thank you very much for the kind offers, I sincerely appreciate them," Alex bowed his head again in respect. He stayed sitting. That was customary, after all.
For a while Alex was the only one left, staring at the fire. Why am I so stupid? he wondered. Alex closed his eyes again, letting the fire's heat continue to dance in the air while not caring to visually observe it anymore. Alex focused on picturing home, the bubbling Derramar river and the hanging moss from the cypress trees. Slowly, Alex stopped smelling ash and instead sensed lemon grass. Home.
"What are you wondering about it?"
The speaker had not even finished her sentence before Alex was standing and facing her. He had not realized that he had actually said that out loud. Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. Alex kept the embarrassment from washing across her face, but that did not stop amusement from creeping up on the other vampire's expression.
She had the sort of face that was meant to look kind. Heart-shaped face, soft bone structure, small nose, large eyes. Her eyebrows were particularly sharp and distinct, but they were not enough to harden the vampire's face. Neither was the inherent contrast of dark red eyes and darker brown hair against pale skin. Yet for all that her face should have been soft and kind, Alex was struck by how viciously she smiled.
"Ah, sorry," she continued, waving her hand as if to brush her comment away. "I understand you are traveling to Sanctum, yes?"
Alex tipped his head to the side. She spoke similarly to he did, with a near-identical accent and the same rules of politeness, but it was not quite right. She smelled like must and deep earth but looked far too young to be from the Capital. She even used "Sanctum" instead of "the Sanctum." Every vampire Alex had met, save these grasslands people, used an article with reference to the city. She did not, yet she still used the rest of the vampire dialect perfectly. Has she been around humans?
The vampire just smiled. "I see. Of course you are. I suppose"—she paused and took an overexaggerated sniff of the air—"Alex, dear, you must excuse me. May we meet again."
Alex raised a brow when the vampire reached out and grabbed his hand. She turned it over, placing a scrap of leather in his hand. Alex glanced down at it and back up. She was gone.
Alex furrowed his brows as he inspected the leather scrap. One side was empty and plain, but the other was inlaid with a carving of a flower. Dog rose, Alex's brain supplied. Thank goodness for vampires' interest in botany. The flower did not grow in Alex's homeland, but he recognized the notched petals. The carving itself was clean, done with seemingly only one line. Simple, yes, but still beautiful and clearly well-done.
The vampire dropped the leather scrap into his bag and set off to find Lilah. He followed her scent to the coven's boundaries, where the sky was clear and the smell not particularly corrupted with horses and horse-smelling vampires. Alex waited a few paces away and fished the leather back out of his bag. He turned it over a few times, still processing the interaction. It was brief and confusing, and that was about it from what he could gather.
Alex let out an unsteady breath and decided to proceed forward. He stepped purposefully loudly, wanting Lilah to know he was approaching. Surprising her would surely be a bad idea. But yet again, is this much better? He was making an unnecessary ruckus, stepping on drier grasses with all of his weight. That could not be much better.
"Ehm, Lilah? If I may, ehm..." Alex really should not have done this. "Forgive me, it is not my place, but are you having trouble sleeping? I understand today has been tumultuous. Is there anything you need?"
Lucrecia smiled at the prospect of food. She had eaten the previous day while she was a bird, but meals eaten by bird Lucrecia were never enough for human Lucrecia. They were enough, yes, but it was not fun to travel on a near empty stomach. So the shifter smile and bobbed her head at the prospect of food, not wanting to take too much but still eager to eat.
"Thank you so so much Avi! That's so nice of you!" the small young woman cheered, a smile already brightening her face. She handed the cloak over to Avani and waited as the angel gathered her things. Lucrecia really did not have much, only the clothes on her back and the necklace on her, well, neck. Where else would a necklace go, you sillybilly?
Lucrecia nodded when asked if she was ready. She glanced down at her feet, unsure as to how walking in bare feet would go. She began walking anyways, soon happy to discover that her feet were indeed fine. That made sense. Shifters did well in nature, whether human or animal. So, naturally, they would have tough feet.
As the pair walked, Lucrecia kept close to the water. She knew the horror stories about straying from the path. There were plenty of wolves out there waiting to eat a careless traveler and a little bird like Lucrecia would certainly be a nice snack.
Distracting herself from those thoughts, Lucrecia looked up at Avani. "Did you dream about anything interesting? I did! About the tea shop. Not a surprise, really, I'm a lucid dreamer so I always dream about it. Still, I love that place, so I love dreaming about it! Lucrecia smiled the entire time she spoke. That smile was practically audible in her energetic voice, the upbeat rhythm of her sentences and the joyful bounce of her intonation.
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 15, 2020 2:46:37 GMT -5
{ I’ll get responses up tomorrow. I spent the whole day planning stuff for one of my stories and never actually doing anything with it, so now my brain is a bit fried, but I’ll get back into things tomorrow. Sorry about the wait, but I just can’t come up with anything worthwhile right now. }
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Post by mossecho on Jun 15, 2020 2:57:41 GMT -5
[[ No problem! I wouldn't expect you to get them up this late anyways, it's fine. I don't mind at all. (: ]]
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Post by Amber on Jun 15, 2020 21:23:30 GMT -5
(Don't worey about it, Moss. So yesterday I basically got a job and went in for my first day today. I'll try and get something up tonight, but I make no promises.)
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 15, 2020 21:39:40 GMT -5
{ I'm really sorry guys, I'm having a difficult time coming up with anything right now. Inspiration tends to strike me at very inopportune times, however, so I might still get something up tonight. We'll see though. Sorry again! }
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Post by mossecho on Jun 16, 2020 19:35:43 GMT -5
[[ Starchaser: No problem! I'm looking forward to it, but don't feel the need to rush yourself. Take all the time you need (:
Amber: Congrats on the new job! Hope it goes well. ]]
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 17, 2020 23:37:08 GMT -5
{ Ugh, I'm so sorry guys. Life has been chaotic and my mind is messy. I'll try to get something up tonight, but definitely tomorrow if not. }
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Post by mossecho on Jun 19, 2020 2:43:01 GMT -5
[[ That's ok! No problem for me, means I have more time to reorganize my desk xD ]]
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2020 14:40:44 GMT -5
I've been pretty busy too so I understand.  It's not a problem, Star!) |
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 20, 2020 19:08:05 GMT -5
{ @shootforthestars Finally. It's not that great, but it's something. I don't think I really made it very... reply-able, but hopefully you can think of something. Sorry again for the wait.
Normally I'm fine with my characters kind of developing themselves, since I think it feels more natural and interesting that way, but this was a special case. }
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 20, 2020 22:13:56 GMT -5
{ mossecho I'm cool with that I just wanted to keep us roughly around the same point.
No worries, I think she's very interesting. I always love new characters.
Ach, sorry I'm not very interesting today. This is short since real life kind of took away all of my motivation, but hopefully my writer's block will break before too long.
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Post by mossecho on Jun 21, 2020 2:30:33 GMT -5
[[ Starchaser : It's ok! I really don't mind. Just happy to RP. Besides, I totally get it. We all hit our writing rough patches, there is no need to apologize. <3 ]]
Alex just listened. He wanted to say something supportive, something kind. He wanted to find the perfect words, but they simply did not exist. Everything Alex tried in his head was just wrong. "It's okay" ignored her pain. "You'll feel better" diminished it. "Everyone goes through this" belittled it.
The vampire only watched. He followed Lilah's gaze as it shifted from him to the grass to nothing. Alex stayed rigid and silent, but the wind edged itself into the conversation. It ran through the plains, tall reeds rolling in the grass sea. It carried with it the forest's comforting scent—home—but also the foreign stench of horses and manure. Alex winced.
He too was alone. Yet he did not have the words to describe it. Lilah seemed to capture what she felt so truly, so genuinely. Alex could not figure out what he felt, much less describe it. He was abandoned but he was also doing the abandoning. He was alone but still at home. Everything he felt was untrue in one way or another.
What are you doing? This is not about you. You listen to someone pour themselves out to you, confess to you, and you focus on yourself? Alex tugged at his cuffs in shame and embarrassment. Of course he would focus on himself. Lilah needed help and he just rambled on about how he could not describe his feelings, how he felt alone, how he needed comfort too. Selfish, selfish, selfish.
"You are brave," Alex confessed. He paused, surprised by two things. First, he spoke without thinking. Secondly, he referred to Lilah as an equal. Not as an ambiguous stranger or a highly-respectable mage. Just someone as equal to him. Tentatively, the vampire continued. "I-I admire that about you. It takes a lot to do this. Not just to embark on this journey, to trek through foreign lands and the like, although that takes considerable strength to do so as well. What is even harder is recognizing your own pain."
Alex paused, uncertain. "Whatever you feel is true. It may hurt, yes, but you can feel that pain. Understand it. Once you are ready, begin to work through it. It is never easy, but it can be done," Alex reached towards Lilah. She was turned away, but he could still see part of her face. His hand hovered in the air, tentative, before he set it down on her shoulder. After that he was still, completely so, unsure of her reaction.
Alex could feel the burning of his eyes, the tightening of his throat. He closed his eyes immediately and inhaled deeply. Control yourself. The vampire untensed his muscles, relaxed, and squeezed Lilah's shoulder. "Thank you for your honesty. It... Alex searched for the perfect words. He did not find them. "It is brave."
He laid down, straight and rigid. Alex could feel the grass bend beneath him, the previously-undisturbed reeds now crushed. Destroyed. Alex turned his attention to the stars. He could trace out constellations, name hundreds of glowing masses, remember the stories behind them all. Some were the tears of crying mothers. Others were gifts from lover to lover. Promises, souls, dreams.
Alex hoped Lilah saw them the same way.
He pulled on her shoulder, gently but still trying to guide her down to the ground. There was no wind beneath the grasses. Alex waited for a moment, still trying to find the perfect words. Then he gave up and spoke.
"You can always talk to me. I cannot promise that I will know what to do, but I can promise that I will listen. I am here for you. Whenever you need help, whenever you need to talk through something, even if you just need to scream at someone about how stupid the world is. That is okay. I am here, always."
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 22, 2020 2:38:47 GMT -5
{ mossecho Thanks for understanding <3
Honestly, I think it's kind of rude for you to have made Alex as a character, but not have him actually exist? Maybe I wanted him to be real. Truly atrocious.
Another lackluster post this time around, but hopefully you can do something with it. Also, I really wanted to have an epic constellation legend, but then I wasn't sure which route I wanted to go, but I'll have my way eventually. Anyway, I'm tired and this is kind of a mess, is all I'm really trying to covey.}
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Post by mossecho on Jun 22, 2020 4:32:52 GMT -5
[[ No need to thank me (:
xD awww, thank you so much. I'll try to work harder on making him exist, it's been moved up on my priorities list
"lackluster" my butt. It's fine! I liked it a lot. Not that I don't like all your posts, but whatevs. And not having an incredible constellation story is okay, mine is not spectacular. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
also, sorry about the giant dialogue chunk ]]
Alexander Rojas Lopez
Alex wanted to respond. He wanted to say that no, he did not mind. No, Lilah was not burdening him with anything. It's brave, it's brave, it's brave, he repeated. Those two words transformed into a mantra, rhythmic and intoxicating. It really was fine, he did not mind. Besides, talking about things, through things, that was healthy. Perfectly okay.
For her, Alex found himself correcting that statement. Immediately he wanted to take it back. Why should he hold himself to a higher standard. You're a vampire. Control yourself. Alex let go of Lilah's shoulder, using that now-free hand to tug down his other cuff. He closed his eyes, both hands resting on his stomach. He did not want to deal with any of this anymore. He just wanted to disappear. Fast forward to when he could go home. Be safe, with those he knew, not stranded among strangers. He wanted to understand those around them, run from this unwelcome turmoil, just feel normal.
Alex let himself slow down. His heart began beating even slower, his breath shallowed, his awareness ebbed. The vampire only kept his hearing open. All other senses faded away. Losing his smell was always a bit jarring, but Alex felt fine so long as he was at least partially aware of his surroundings. If anything approached them, he could almost certainly hear it. Almost, Alex noted. Almost.
The world came alive at night. Rustling grasses, distant streams, the snap of leaves as the wind separated them from their branches. The occasional neigh of a horse, the gentle flap of owl wings and steady compressions of animal footsteps. Then there was Lilah's voice, soft and foreign and comforting. Alex smiled, unintentionally breaking his self-imposed spell of stillness.
Alex heard the rustle of fabric against fabric and opened an eye. Lilah's arm was extended upward, pointing towards a small star cluster above them. Lagrimas. Strange, how different the Mages' interpretation of that cluster was. There were so many stories about the cosmos, Alex wondered if any of his would overlap with Lilah's.
He thought about her question for a few moments. Alex admittedly loved the stories of people gifting their lovers with stars. Perhaps he was just a romantic, but it seemed so sweet, having one's love preserved in the sky. Like a little secret, visible to all but only known by two. Yet somehow, that was not what Alex said. He went with death. "When a vampire dies, we burn their body down to ashes. Their closest relatives take their ashes to the Cuspide, the highest peak of the highest mountain. They wait until night, when the wind is strongest, then they throw the ashes into the sky," Alex paused for a moment. It sounded ridiculous saying it out loud. Yet it was so sacred, so personal. Alex had never gone to the Cuspide. It was visible all across the homeland, a giant mass breaking into the sky.
Alex sat up quickly, suddenly staring straight at it. If he diedâstop, stop this! Alex pursed his lips, panic coursing through him. Suddenly everything snapped. He could only hear now, but it was still too much. Distant footsteps thundered, bubbling water roared, gentle winds screamed. Even Lilah's breathing, once feather-light, was now wild.
"Th-the ashes then float into the sky. Then when day breaks, the ashes begin to burn. When the sun sets, they are stars. Not every star is one of the dead. The brightest are not. Those come from other places. Some are gifts, others promises," Alex winced at his voice. He tried to keep it steady, but he could feel it shaking. His voice was too harsh. It rumbled in his jaw, the vibrations rattling his body. Alex laid back on the ground, closing his eyes once more.
Please don't say anything, please don't say anything, he begged.
Still, Alex failed himself. Even when his voice was wild, the foolish vampire continued to speak. All the while, Alex screamed at himself to stop. Control yourself. Yet Alex continued to speak: "We have a story for those stars too. They are the Siempregalos, gifts from the Lake to the Water Lily. He loved her so dearly, but she could never see him. Instead she spent all her time looking at the sky. The Lake, wanting to impress his crush, separated himself into two parts and gave the smaller to the Wind. He asked the Wind to carry the water into the sky. The Wind tried her hardest, but she dropped much of it on her way. That water fell and created ponds and by the time the Wind reached the sky, all she had was four droplets. Those four droplets became the Siempregalos."
Alex opened an eye, staring straight at the small cluster. "The Lake worried that the Water Lily would not like the stars. He intended to create the greatest display in the night sky, a feat impressive enough to make her, the most beautiful flower, fall in love with him. Yet he could only contribute five stars," Alex's voice was stabilizing, the world's noise was quieting, but he could still feel quivers of panic rush through him. "Yet when the Water Lily saw them, she smiled. She knew that her Lake had contributed those stars. She had loved the Lake for millennia, but she could not even see him. How could she confess her love to someone she could not even see?"
"But now she could. She could see the Lake and what he had done for her, just a small flower. She thanked him. He confessed his love for her, and she hers for him. That began their eternal marriage. The Water Lily could never see her lover, but she could always look to the night sky to see his gifts for her."
Alex closed his eye and let out a breath. Finally, everything was back to normal. His voice was steady, the night world was alive but quiet, and the restless wind now soft. The vampire smiled.
"After a thousand years, the Water Lily asked the Wind for a favor. The Wind, still embarassed by her mistake, was hesitant. Yet the Lily convinced the Wind to take one of her petals up to the sky, to her lover's stars. The Wind did, cradling the small petal in her arms the entire journey. When she arrived, she placed the petal in the middle of the cluster," Alex pointed to the brightest star of the group, right at the center. "That is the Water Lily's gift to the Lake. The Lake proclaimed his love for her with four stars. She immortalized her love for him with just one, the brightest star. That is why we call them the Siempregalos, the forever gifts. Whenever the Water Lily looks to the sky, she sees her Lake's gift to her. And whenever the Lake looks to the sky, he sees his Lily's gift for him."
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 23, 2020 2:28:04 GMT -5
{ mossecho I just really like coming up with fake legends and such.
As such, enjoy being regaled with this weird tale that I tried to model after typical myths. It got kind of long and also doesn't make much sense, but that's kind of the fun in legends for me. I'm sorry for how wordy it is and the awkward attempts at breaking dialogue up. }
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Post by mossecho on Jun 24, 2020 3:45:50 GMT -5
[[ Starchaser: why the hay did you have to upstage me with that legend i am offended ]]
Alexander Rojas Lopez
"That's... beautiful," Alex whispered.
Of course, he had absolutely no idea what Iurama was. It sounded vaguely familiar, as if he had heard it mentioned once before in an offhand comment about the strangeness of humanity. Or maybe it was the strangeness of Mages, Alex did not know. Either way, the story was beautiful.
Yet still so tragic. Death is permanent, there is no second chance. Alex clenched his jaw, hoping that would become a less noticeable alternative to his typical reaction of cuff-pulling or lip-biting. The pressure was a fair distraction, but Alex still found himself mulling over death. Death is a big word. So much meaning crammed into one syllable. That one word carried the wait of forever. Vampires loved the concept of forever. Humans wilted away, like spring flowers. Slowly blossoming and then sagging, aging, falling apart.
A vampire could live forever, but once they died that was it. Everyone still took their ashes to the mountains in the hopes that they would become stars, but did anyone actually believe it? There were just as many stars before the Cataclysm as there were after, yet nearly every vampire died. Surely that proved that they did not become stars.
Alex unclenched his jaw and rested his hands by his sides. He opened his eyes and looked over to Lilah. Her eyes were closed, a discovery that brought relief to Alex. He should not have clenched his jaw, crossed his hands over his chest. It makes you seem aggressive and unreceptive. Be polite, be refined.
He smiled. That seemed to be his reflex now: smile. Be happy. His lips curved upwards but the expression did not quite reach his eyes. Alex was still wearing his sunglasses, so hopefully the combination of the dark and humans' poor eyesight would keep Lilah from noticing. Still, Alex worried. He always tried so hard to be the person he needed to be. Be happy, be polite, be acceptable. Yet he could not even smile properly.
Still, at the very least he could try to manage a conversation. "If I may, would you be so kind as to describe those markings?" Alex defaulted back to the formal way of addressing Lilah. If she was offended, perhaps that would alleviate it. "Ehm, I hope I am not insulting you, but I must confess that I am unfamiliar with the concept of Iurama."
Alex inhaled deeply, the movement briefly distorting the black swirls around his neck. He hated those markings. They peeked out above ever shirt, no matter how high-collared, a clear sign that Alex was not... normal. Normal. That, like death, is such a big word. Something to aspire to, something by which Alex lived. He always strived for normalcy and now... he was here.
[[ well that hurt to write xD ]]
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Post by Amber on Jun 25, 2020 0:58:15 GMT -5
(Ah this took forever. But I'm glad I finally posted something.)
The angel smiled lightlt. She quickly collected her cloak, rolling it up before placing it in her bag. Quickly, she worked packing up her loose belongings, though it didn't take long. She only really had to pack up her bedroll and cloak. Once she was ready, the young woman began to follow just behind Lucrecia. The Shifter had a little trouble walking due to her missing leg, but she seemed to handle it well with the help of nearby trees. She was confident in her movement, which impressed Avani.
For the first few minutes of their journey, they travled in silence. Only the singsong of birds and soft flow of the stream filled the air. Avani was now traveling side by side with the Shifter. Lucrecia, who seemed to be lost in her thoughts gazed up at her. Finally, she asked about her dream. The angel had almost forgotten about it, which usually happened. She could remember the angelic woman visiting her again. Ziv. That was her name. Ziv Caelum. Avani was a Caelum. The angel let out a soft sigh, many emotions plaguing her at once. Excitment clashed aganist uncertainty. Curiosity seemed to fight confusion. It was a jumbled mess, but Avani tried to smother them. Lucrecia had asked her a question, which remained unanswered.
"Yes. I had some veird dreams again, zough it vasn't anyzing too interesting." Avani slightly cringed as she lied to Lucrecia. She hated lying, especially to those she cared about. However, she thought it was for the best. She was concerned the other woman might not truly understand her. Of course, there was the prophecy to worry about. She wanted to keep her Shifter friend safe and involving her in some sort of dangerous prophecy would just do the opposite.
(Sorry for the weaker reply. I might edit some tomorrow to make it better once I get a clear head. Also, so since everyone's heading to Sanctum should we see who may meet up with who? Also, also Spider hasn't replied yet. Should we go ahead and tag them? I don't want to be impatient about it or anything, especially since most of us have gotten busy recently, but as we progress they get farther behind. Of course, there's really no bad time to jump in so there's that.)
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 25, 2020 1:21:27 GMT -5
{ Amber I know how you feel about the replies, mine is taking forever. I don't know why, but I just really have no motivation for anything, which is no fun because I am inspired, if that makes sense. Yeah, it might be a good idea to see who should meet up. Maybe Clari and Avani can find each other first, since right now you're both with side characters? That way we can have a little prophecy group relationship building, idk.
I'm not sure what to do about Spider since I know real life can be really chaotic, so I don't know when they'll be on again. I'm not sure how much good tagging will do, but it probably wouldn't hurt to try.
I think maybe why we're all seeming to have difficulty coming up with replies is because nothing really "exciting" has happened yet. We haven't really kick-started the plot yet. Not that I don't like doing all the character bonding and learning about them, but I think my lack of conversational ability in real life extends to my characters, so I'm struggling on how to make interesting responses of any substance. That said, I also don't want to rush anything either.
Basically, I have nothing helpful to say. }
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 25, 2020 3:54:46 GMT -5
{ mossecho I just really like coming up with myths xD Yours was so nice though! And actually an acceptable length lol. Sorry about this one too. I would say I would edit it to make it better later on, but I know I wont.
Also, realizing that I never provided enough travel time initially, I retconned Lilah's trip pre-Alex to have been a few weeks. }
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2020 13:54:59 GMT -5
I’ve been working on a reply, but I just haven’t had time to finish it and post it. Hopefully tonight will lend me more time. I would be down for Clari to meet Avani at Sanctum. Since she’s just with Zane I might time skip at the end of my reply so Clari can be placed in Sanctum really soon. Of course Xane can be there as well but that way we can have the characters meet.
As far as Spider, I think we should try our best to contact them. If they don’t respond within the next couple days, I say we just invite someone else in. That way if for some reason Spider comes back, we can just incorporate them back into the plot without leaving a gap.)
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 25, 2020 14:38:09 GMT -5
{ @shootforthestars No worries! That's fine with me if you want to skip ahead.
I'd be cool with bringing someone else in, the only thing I worry about is incorporating them. Since we want to have at least one character from each Family, they new person would need to make an Elemental and Veive already controls most of the elements, so I guess the other one would seem kind of unnecessary if Spider does come back...
Conversely, we could just have them just be in another Family and say that the Elemental family involved somewhere down the line mingled with another chosen family, which I think would probably be a lot easier. Then we could still incorporate Veive if Spider returns. I think the Shifters or Infernals would be the best to have another character from since they're the most diverse. }
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Post by mossecho on Jun 25, 2020 20:07:13 GMT -5
[[ hey y'all, i can only type this up real fast, but we could have another elemental. if/when Spider returns, we could reveal them to be a fake. so perhaps they either thought they were part of the prophecy and aren't, or maybe they were purposefully faking it? ]]
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2020 22:29:59 GMT -5
Starchaser Goodness, this took me a second to get to. Life is hectic, my dudes. XD
Also, just cause I'm lazy and don't want to make another post, I approve of traveling to the continent and confronting magic hating townspeople. I can only imagine the shenanigans that the babes would go through. Maybe they get split up cause they are outnumbered or the people have anti magic weapons that cause our protags to temporarily loose their powers. If Clari couldn't shift into either of her forms, she would go mad and I'm here for that angst. But yeah.... I'm down.
I've also been developing this head cannon for shifters. So you know how Belua changes body chemistry? I think it would make sense for all shifters to be able to change any part of themselves at will though some things would be harder to do. Like hardening of the skin to protect against assassinations in their sleep or at least give them a fighting chance. Or being able to turn off pain receptors or enhancing muscle to make a punch hit harder than it should. Some shifters could be more willing to do this than others and maybe some have specialized fighting in heightened human state in which they have no need to shift into an animal form. Could be an interesting way for Belua to be used and I think it could bring a lot of fun things to the table. This is probably everything that everyone thought Belua to be, but I just had some random thoughts on the matter. XD
Also Also, since Belua is so based on the body, I've also been thinking about how they view the body: like a temple of sort that channel's their very god given magic. Because of this, I think it would make since for them to try to keep themselves as blemish free as possible. Battle-scars would be honorable because it shows dedication to Rafe or for other groups, the shifter way of life, but piercings and tattoos would be a major no no. XD)
 Clarisse Alinsky  “The sun watches what I do, but the moon knows all my secrets.” - J M Wonderland ✶ ⤐ ☾ ⬷ ✶
Clarisse tilted her head in interest, the set of her eyes and nose animalistic. Most shifters couldn't help the bleeding of mannerisms into their human forms, but it was most prominent in the werewolf packs and the feline shifters to the northwestern forests and mountains. Body language, extremely important for healthy communication between pack members, was engrained in pups from a young age. Even Clarisse had been scuffed one too many times because she had failed to register social cues from the older pups and young adults.
I do understand, more than you probably think.
She couldn't help her curiosity, "What do you mean?" There was only interest in her voice, her shoulders poised in such a way that betrayed no suspicion or ill will. "When you were an Ulric, what position did you hold? You make it sound like you were an Alpha's pup or something. Then you and I could really get along, huh?"
By the tilt of her voice, the amusement and humor was evident enough to make her statement downplay itself. She snorted as she tipped the already empty water onto parched lips. Two imperfect, perfect scars stretched when she licked the last drop from her bottom lip and leaned back against the sack of supplies that supported her. She pushed out long legs and stared at the moving fabric. For a moment, she listened to the sound of Redis breathing from the front, the beat of his paws against an unusual snow soothing the desire to be out with her pack mates.
When she opened her eyes and looked at him with a side eye, Clarisse smirked, viciously, "Some of the rumors are bound to be true... I heard one that said that the reason the Alinsky wolves tend to be stronger than most is because we use Stygian to devour the souls of those we conquer. That one was always my favorite even if it is unequivocally false. Fortunately for you, we leave the Stygian to the vampires."
She laughed and would have said more if it hadn't been for the fact that the cart jerked upward as it hit a large patch of bumps. Clari cursed as she was thrown towards the other werewolf, her legs tangling up and forcing her to roll and flop with a startled squeak onto her stomach. Groaning, she looked up through her hair to growl at the young male pulling it but he was already whining an apology. Her nose twitched as the apology scented the air as well. Thankfully, she had landed on the tips of the males feet and she only had to push her buttery hair out of her face and sit up.
"Rafe's third consort..." Clari grumbled as she put distance between them again. She tilted her neck to the side. "Well ok then. That was fun. Let's hope that the rest of the way to Sanctum isn't that bumpy."
Maybe it was the fact that she was flustered from the ungraceful juggle in the cart, but Clari blushed at his further questioning. Which was odd because she had absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about in any capacity. Is there a specific reason you're going this time? Her face heated further from some unknown emotion and her heart beat in her ears. She swallowed to compose herself. It was unusual for her to loose her cool and especially around those that she barely knew.
So why did the question make her skin tingle like she shouldn't answer him?
She bit at her lip and embrace the fact that her face burned like a hot summer's day and shrugged, "The twins are older now and Mama and Papa want them to experience the same opportunities as me, you know? Besides, I might have... upset them before we were suppose to leave and thought I could prove my willingness to change my behavior by coming on the trip. Obviously, I'm not doing a very good job. But hey, now you're here and we can joyride around Sanctum together."
Well, till I have to ditch your butt because some ancestor of mine wants me to save the world or something like that.
It was then that she smiled great big and pointedly changed the conversation. She gestured to his shirt, still beside him, "We should be there soon. I don't mind you walking around shirtless, not at all actually, but you should probably put it on now. Light's fading anyway so try to get some sleep. The group will wake us when we get there."
Her feet more grounded in her natural attitude, she took a long look at him and snorted again before turning over on her side and closing her eyes. With a thought, she had hardened her skin so that if he attempted to kill her, she would at least have a warning when his first attempt failed.
"Night!"
And before her head hit the hard sack of supplies, she was already falling asleep.
---
Clarisse was surprised when she was awoken to the howl of her pack mates. She pushed herself up with a tired groan, back aching and joints grinding together painfully. "What time is it?"
She reached to the edge of the cart and lifted the flap slowly as she didn't blind herself on the morning sun that peaked through. It took her eyes a moment to focus on the sight before her. A smile, pleased and yet terrified, slid across lush lips,
"We're here." She said to no one in particular and yet when she looked behind her, Clari frowned down at the male. She stared at his dark hair for a moment and almost choked on the surprise that he was still there. Somehow she had convinced herself as she dreamed that he wouldn't stay. He'll be gone in the morning. But he was sleeping in the same cart and looked the most peaceful he had since they spotted him at the border. "Zane, wake up. We've arrived."
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Post by Amber on Jun 26, 2020 0:00:00 GMT -5
(Yeah that's fair. Anyway, I was thinking the same thing along those lines when it comes to everyone meeting up. It could be really interesting to have talkative, overly-happy, huge Avani (and Lu) interacting with the more suspicious Clari (and Zane) and maybe even her pack or something.
As for Spider, I agree we should give them at least a few more days. Veive isn't urgently needed for the plot just yet, so we don't need them yet. With that said, unfortunately there's only so long we can go without the last member of the prophecy. If it comes to it, I'm all for getting someone new. Having the person be a fake could be interesting. However, I would be concerned about having someone join as a fake. Would it be fair for someone who plays for a month having to be pushed aside because another who hasn't done much come back? I think I may be harsh in saying this, especially because nothing is solid yet, but it's something to consider, I think. Ultimately, it's probably best to play this by ear.
Pft, no worries. I do agree and I think part of it is eagerness to get to these plot ideas moving. We're so close to everyone meeting up, so we (at least I) are wanting to get there soon. Because of that focus (again at least on my part), it's a little diffcult to think of things to do now.)
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 26, 2020 0:32:20 GMT -5
{Amber Yeah, those were pretty much my thoughts.
You pointed out the same concern I had. If we're going to have someone else join, I don't think it would be fair to then have them be a fake. If it were something done intentionally from the start it would be neat, but then we still have the issue of not having the real prophecy member. Hence, why suggested the other idea in hopes of being able to include both characters should the need arise, since I don't want to leave Spider out if they are coming back. However, as you stated, we can't wait forever.
That said, I think I have two possible ways to proceed if we need to:
1.) We have someone else join purposefully as the impostor, since I think that would be kinda cool, with the person knowing the role they'll play from the start. The group can carry on some time with this fake member, who I imagine could be someone from the cult trying to infiltrate the group and mislead them. If Spider comes back, we have Veive being kept separate from the group somehow, probably the cult interfering again. Maybe the leader has the power to have been blocking their dreams or something? Idk. Then the other person can still play their role, but they would still kinda have to be a side character which seems unfair too, though we could make some more cult members and have them be a more prominent side story (but I think it is a bit of a struggle to have too many side characters, especially since this is really meant to focus on the prophecy group). So they can also have a prophecy member slot alongside the other one. Then again, one of us could just create an impostor character on the side and avoid all that trouble.
If Spider doesn't come back, we eventually have the impostor revealed anyways and the rper creates a real prophecy member. The only thing about that is that I worry about bringing in the actual character so much later. So, we could also instead say that person really is the prophecy member, but they were allied with the cult and then the group has to somehow convince them to change? Which could be interesting too.
2.) We just have someone new join as the real prophecy member who is not an Elemental, leaving the possibility for another member to turn up later on. If Spider comes back, we can say that it was the cult trying to keep the group apart by keeping the final member from finding out about the prophecy and the group from knowing they needed another member. If they don't come back, then there never was another prophecy member and things carry on as normal. This is probably the less complicated way. The only thing is, not having all the Families involved feels a bit odd to me.
I definitely understand that, as I like the drama and excitement of a good fight. I did have one idea if you guys all wanted to shake things up a bit. I know we're kind of on all at different times right now, but we could have the prophecy members sort of have a group hallucination? Maybe not being able to speak to each other, but see each other? Then through it they learn they have to meet somewhere. Not sure how exciting that would be though, but just a thought. }
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Post by mossecho on Jun 26, 2020 0:58:33 GMT -5
[[ Oh, I assumed that one of us would take the role as the fake person. I agree, we shouldn't open this up to someone new just to push them out. It would be a bit of extra work, but... maybe? I don't know. Honestly I was planning on killing off Lu so I could take it over, but I must warm y'all that once college starts (whenever it does) I'll probably be less active. also I have a character that I'm waiting to use at some point so it's not like I'd have to make up someone new, but he doesn't have to play this role by any means
Now, that all said, I'd be happy with the first option Star introduced. If we go with that and Spider doesn't come back, I agree that te character should not be an imposter per se and instead just be sided with the cult. It would be fun and interesting to write. If Vieve does come back, could we possibly still see some sort of reform thing happen? So perhaps they are not explicitly mentioned in the prophecy, but there is still an important role for them to play. Maybe they could help take down the cult and the evil leader dude alongside the prophecy group? It still kinda sucks because it's not quite the same as being part of the "core" group, but it could still maybe work? ]]
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 26, 2020 1:04:42 GMT -5
{ mossecho That makes a lot more sense. Clearly I was overthinking this, that's my bad, sorry. Also, I totally get it, no worries. School is rough.
Anyways, if we didn't want one of us to make the side character (cause I get that it can be kind of hard to keep up with them, which is why having someone new be them might be easier), I like the idea of one prophecy member being allied with the cult. I'd say that even if Spider comes back, they could both still be part of the prophecy. If one of you guys wants another prophecy member though, that's cool too, I just figure it would be more interesting to have someone new involved. }
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Post by mossecho on Jun 26, 2020 1:12:41 GMT -5
[[ No problem! If it weren't for overthinking than no one would know to cover patient's arrow leg tattoos before surgery that's a bad reference to Adam Kay's book, sorry.
So should we have them still be an Elemental then? So perhaps they are not a direct descendent of the person, but they can still play an important role of some kind in the prophecy. Any ideas? I was thinking that maybe the descendants need to create the key but then this separate person is the one who controls it as the others die? idk. it's a bad idea but maybe it could inspire something better ]]
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Post by Starchaser on Jun 26, 2020 1:23:19 GMT -5
{mossecho I live for book references, actually. Now I need to go read it (though I think I get it anyways).
Hmm. Well, I was originally going to say they could just be in another Family, but if Spider doesn't come back then we don't have any Elemental. If they do then it might be kind of weird because Veive's powers already pretty much cover the entire spectrum. As for the role they play, they could still be a descendant maybe? It wouldn't be that hard to throw another stone mission in, I'm mostly just not sure how to incorporate another Family member without it being kinda weird no matter which way we play it. The Infernals and Shifters have enough diversity in species it seems for it to work, but then there's no Elementals. Maybe they could be a hybrid? They could control an element, but also be part of another species to make their powers more unique. Idk, it's complicated. I just don't want any characters to overshadow the others.
If one of us did make the other prophecy member, it might be a little easier to incorporate them because they wouldn't necessarily need as big of a role. Other than actually having another descendant though, I don't know what kind of role they could play. I'm sure we could think of something eventually, but my creative juices are decidedly not flowing right now. }
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Post by mossecho on Jun 26, 2020 2:16:24 GMT -5
[[ It's his first book, This Is Going To Hurt. I highly recommend it. I haven't read his second book, but it's probably just as good.
Rereading the elementals section and Vieve's description, I think Spider mentioned that Vieve both draws from the "void" family and can stormbend. I imagine that means he also can do stuff with water and air. Perhaps the other character could would work with either fire or earth? That way we have an Elemental whose abilities do not match Vieve's.
Again, I am willing to take this role. I do not need to by any means, but if there is a bit too much hesitancy about how to bring someone else in, I can do it. ]]
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It's not a problem, Star!)