|
|
Post by Starchaser on Jan 15, 2024 18:58:41 GMT -5
Okay, here we go, Brownie . I'll spiff it up later.
|
|
|
|
Post by Starchaser on Jan 15, 2024 18:59:03 GMT -5
One save
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 15, 2024 19:19:16 GMT -5
Gonna put one save here to keep track of characters in the future~
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 15, 2024 19:20:13 GMT -5
I'll try and outline a few character ideas in the next few hours~ I've had a really busy day so gonna take a few moments to just. Unwind and play some games, then I'll get to typing
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 15, 2024 22:42:38 GMT -5
OKAY character concepts/drafts~~ Without names mostly because names are stupid and hard
lmk which one you vibe with the most and I can flesh it out more
1: The Tortured Artist
Gender: either; Female?
Age gap: 2-3 years
Motive: Empathy
All she ever wanted to do was art. If she could paint forever without a care in the world, she would be happy. She doesn't care for luxury, doesn't like politics, and does NOT like war. She's friendly and rather a social butterfly, somehow very lucky--anything she wants simply falls into her hands, her problems she ignores and eventually get tidied up by unrelated events, the people she happens to meet end up the perfect connection for future opportunities.
Her biggest strength is also her greatest weakness: empathy, the ability to put herself in another's shoes and see the world from their eyes. She's often paralyzed by her inability to choose sides or cause another person emotional pain; she's of the opinion that making no choice is often the best choice.
She's forced to, when her sibling asks, pull some strings in their home court. This gets her into a deep mire of political drama that she's surprisingly adept at maneuvering in... and she doesn't know how to feel about that. Having been dismissed as fairly useless besides her art skills, she's often underestimated in political spheres and while she doesn't LIKE using her empathetic skills for influencing others... she can't deny she's GOOD at it.
2: The Mad Scientist
Gender: Male probably
Age gap: large; 6-7 years
Motive: Loyalty
He knew when magic came back and was part of the choice to keep it silent. He's scared of the new magic and is terrified of his younger sibling's involvement with it. He'd be fighting to get them to change their mind constantly, come back to the good side...but he's also curious, with a scientist's mind, and will take the chance to get any information he can get about the new magic, even if it comes from the enemy's side.
He's fiercely loyal to his own side, and while he'll try and bend some rules to keep his sibling safe, he would have huge issues with completely breaking them or leaving his loyalty aside for his sibling. He doesn't do much politicking and prefers to stay away from others, rather isolationist, and has a huge chip on his shoulder from feeling outcast or othered by the rest of the group--his loyalty stems from believing in their cause, and he wants to fit in so badly, he follows their views obsessively.
If he finds reason to break away, it will hurt him very badly. Unlike character 1, he struggles with empathy and has an awful superiority complex to hide his insecurities. Def the most distant option, and the most antagonistic.
3: The Shy Aegis
Gender: either
Age gap: any
Motive: Protective
Cares about nothing but their sibling. They would do anything to see them come home safe. They act more like a spy for their own side, and while being the older sibling in age, defers to the younger to make moral choices. They see themself as a protector and will put themself in harm's way if they think it would protect their family. They don't have strong loyalties or ties to anyone else.
They are a strong fighter and are probably a part of the guard/military force. They can also be quite stealthy, and have taken their role as a spy very seriously. They may find themself deep in a conspiracy rebellion, while also in deep cover with the royal family.
The most flexible role. I can totally come up with more for this, but it is really a catchall option and one to have someone that's more hands-on and physical vs the other two which value charisma or intellect respectively.
|
|
|
|
Post by Starchaser on Jan 15, 2024 23:24:53 GMT -5
Ugh, names are where I was having the most difficulty too. I have such a hard time settling on name choices for my characters. I'm thinking for my main character something kind of short and snappy, and definitely sharp (maybe it's a nickname), but I've not entirely settled on it. I also like conlanging, but they tend to go through so many changes any names I derive from them probably don't even make sense after a few incarnations. It's definitely a conundrum.
But onto your ideas. Why did you have to make them all so tempting?
Hmm, I think might be leaning towards the second option slightly, but I like the other two as well. I was bouncing around some ideas for the name of the roleplay and had settled on "Severance." Simple, but I think it serves it's purpose. Severance of the two groups, of magic itself, and of the siblings. It could be thematically relevant if the siblings' relationship ends up mirroring the conflict between the groups. Loyalty to the respective groups and philosophies driving a further wedge between them and all. That said, I do like the third option allowing for some spying and conspiracy fun.
I have some general ideas that will likely apply across the board, but how they manifest exactly can vary. For sure, they're going to be rather on the impulsive side and very ambitious. They want power, but not necessarily of the political sort. And I think they're under a lot of pressure/scrutiny, maybe the opposite of their sibling who is somewhat overlooked/pushed aside. I might try to set up a few different options like you did, but my current main ideas: a brawler type or a more inventor-artificer sort. I plan for them to still be rather "physical" in what they do, but if your character ends up being more of the scientist type, I'll probably go with a fighter myself.
Sorry this is so basic right now! I'm still writing out the rest, but I wanted to give my thoughts really quick. I also have some side characters in the works, but I feel more settled on how I want them to be.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 16, 2024 0:16:25 GMT -5
Sounds good!! The more I'm thinking about 1 the more I like it; I don't want my sib to be TOO antagonistic towards yours and I really love the idea of having a scientist type since those are usually my comfort zone, but that def might turn into a vs rp not a coop soooooo idk if that's something you'd be down to do (I would be okay with that outcome, if that's how it shook out, but def a worry with that character motive)
Artist would be more neutral and Aegis, the challenge would be keeping them from defecting at the first opportunity lmao
I love a brawler/artificer that's a bit more impulsive! I think that fits with a lot of things, and can get into a lot of trouble and plots hehe
|
|
|
|
Post by Starchaser on Jan 16, 2024 0:52:14 GMT -5
I'm good with 1! Close sibling bonds are more my style anyways, so that all sounds great, and I understand the worry of it getting too antagonistic. I also like them being more opposites of each other. The older sibling just wanting peace and a simple life, while the younger is a sort of renegade trailblazer.
This is short again, but I'm still working on the bulk of the descriptions. I'm fairly satisfied with having a rather chaotic character, and I can probably combine the options to some degree, it's mostly about their underlying motive I'm still debating on. And it ties in with their approach to magic. Either they're most interested in it for achieving their personal goals or as a solution to the wider problem. Like I said, both ideals could exist to a degree in the same character, but I'd ultimately say it's between a kind of rogue adventurer type or a more insistent hero. Like "I want to do cool stuff" vs "I need to fix things," if that makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 16, 2024 1:42:16 GMT -5
yeah their main motivation was the first thing I tried to sort out. I knew I wanted a few options tho, just to mess around with and see what stuck ^^
I will say, I think my first archetype and the more selfish/ambitious type would have high contrast
|
|
|
|
Post by Starchaser on Jan 16, 2024 1:58:35 GMT -5
That's what I was thinking and it's probably closest my original vision of the character. Alright, I think I'm going to start officially writing up my starter. I tend towards really long starters, so it could be a while, but know that I'm working on it! And you don't have to let it stop you from writing either.
Is there anything else you had in mind? I can work in some worldbuilding elements if you have the ideas. Especially setting-wise; I'm not too certain about the geography/climate of the "main" area. I like the idea of some various wastes and more dangerous areas further from the city, but I'm still thinking on what they'll be like. Oh, and species too.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 16, 2024 3:03:56 GMT -5
Can do~ I might start working something up too just to get a feel for characters
UHHHH as for setting. Maybe somewhere a little hot and dry? Not full desert, but def arid climate. Perhaps it was a very lush area with magic, but now that it's gone the ecosystem collapsed and it's only starting to recover, and there's still a wet/dry season though maybe not a huge change in temperature through the seasons. A nice variation to the typical forest-and-grassland fantasy settings.
My biggest question is the timing? How long ago did the collapse of magic happen? How long ago did it start to come back?
Like are we talking within people's lifespans, or longer than that? I think I'd like the magic to have came back only very recently (maybe even between our character's births? That only kids your character's age and younger can do magic at all?) but maybe it was kept hidden for a while (to keep the current power in power; because it was "corrupted" in some way; because they wanted to research and harness it first without rivals knowing; any or all of the above?).
But assuming that (magic back ~20 years ago) then magic lost should be... I mean the question is how long do we want them to have gone completely without any magic at all. Another 20 years? more like 50? 50 is a nice round number, so 70 total years since the collapse? Enough time to settle into other systems of power...
Or is closer better, where they're still remembering the old and holding on to old power structures and countries?
I'm really just wobbling around on the time so. What are you thinking?
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 16, 2024 3:16:48 GMT -5
ALSO @ conlanging like.
I really, really shouldn't get into doing more actual conlanging because I have Too Many Projects BUT
if you want to have any naming conventions or at the very least maybe some basic sound charts? I'd be down to workshop something up real quick to give the world some coherence through names/cities/species. It might be fun to take out a couple consonants and standardize vowels at least idk
And on sentient races/species uh I think I missed my dialogue on that here's this: I'm totally down to do DnD+ and just take the "typical" fantasy races and give 'em the nice spin into something that better fits the setting. I'll probably also make a lot of lizard people because lizards are great and they deserve it tbh Esp in an arid setting. But I think maybe we just... go wild with npcs and stuff until we feel like it's getting too full and then call it there? Because I will totally work with whatever you give me~
|
|
|
|
Post by Starchaser on Jan 16, 2024 12:33:13 GMT -5
Sounds good! I already have some general scenes, dialogue bits, dynamics, and various descriptions, so I'll probably just use placeholder names to help with the flow while we work something up.
Setting & Species
An arid climate works for me and flash floods could be a concern in the rainier seasons. Maybe we could do something more rocky as well? Like a badlands type of geography? I'd like some funky rock formations, canyons and gorges, buildings being carved into stone, etc.
I'll focus on hashing out some more common species for my starter and then perhaps add others once the world emerges more clearly.
Sorry, I don't have much to say, I'll work up the descriptions more in the actual starters though.
Timeline
Yeah, I wasn't too sure on the timeline yet myself, so we should probably iron that out.
I was actually considering only characters born after the new magic appeared as having the propensity to use it (or at least having the characters speculate on it being a possibility), so I agree it should be a more recent development. I was thinking of having my character recently on the cusp of adulthood (so recently turned 20 maybe), just so I can play around with their relative lack of, uh, "worldliness"? They're upstart, bolstered by having some degree of acclaim—or at least interest—now (having trained under a respected magical scholar type and more or less sponsored by the current rulers), but still trying to carve out their place in the world. All that to say, 20ish years sounds good for the return of magic.
As for how long since the collapse, I think it falling somewhere within the lifespan of some older group members would be good (roughly 50-70 years since the collapse? Or more if there are longer-lived species). It would make for a starker contrast between the Traditionalists and the Utilitarians if there were those left alive who still remembered what magic used to be like. I think it lends more credence to some being rather skeptical and even afraid of this new manifestation of magic. It could even be the Trads skew towards an older population, thus they cling more to the older way of things (power structures, culturally, etc.), while the Utilitarians were compromised mostly of the younger generation who either weren't alive before the collapse or only have hazy memories of it (plus some just some of the more open older members) and have considerably shaken things up.
And we could still use a combo of the above reasons for hiding the magic, perhaps with the different ideas on how to handle the situation contributing to the split. The Trads wanted to keep their power and felt threatened by the new magic/thought it was dangerous, but some of the other higher-ups were hoping to garner some new powers in the wake of being left without their original magic. The truth could have come out for some reason or another, leading to differing opinions among the other group members, and ultimately, a schism with some choosing to follow the trads and the utilitarian side offering a new way and starting their own group.
Conlanging
I love it, but I do not believe it's my strong suit. I think it's just that I find linguistics so interesting, but when it comes to the logistical side of things... I have a friend who studied linguistics though and I love hearing them talk about it. I'm also quite rusty (and was already still a novice) at conlanging specifically, so I apologize in advance if I'm not great with the ideas.
I think setting some ground rules for sounds at least is a good start. With what I had in mind for my character's name already, I'd definitely like some ejectives (stops specifically) to be included, but the parameters are still quite wide. I think I'd like to maybe go a bit heavier on fricatives and plosives?
Possible consonants: m k j t l s ŋ ɡ h r f ɟ t̠ʃ ʔ z ɾ t̪ ts kʰ x
Possible vowels: i u a e o ɛ ɔ iː aː uː ə ɨ y
Tried to stick with some more common (that is, found across languages in our world) options for now, but when I have a better grasp on the articulation and general trends in which consonants/vowels appear alongside each other, I can rework it. I'll get into the allophones as well, once I have an idea of what you'd like. We certainly don't have to limit it to just those, and it's not that well-thought out yet, I was just grabbing a few sounds I liked to toy with.
Other starter thoughts for consideration (focusing on the phonology right now), but I'm not going to dwell on even them too deeply yet:
➼ Consonant inventory size
➼ Vowel inventory size
➼ Consonant-vowel ratio
➼ Syllable structure
➼ Stress locations
➼ The inclusion of tone
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 16, 2024 13:41:49 GMT -5
Setting: //thumbs up
Timeline: Glad we're on the same page for that! So we'll have:
Apocalypse survivor generation: 60+
Apocalypse kids: 48-60
First Apocalypse babies: 40-48
"New Society" Generation: 20-40
"New Magic" generation: 20>
Conlanging: Oh boy so. I have a good bit of experience but the real takeaway I've learned is to keep it simple, and only describe as much as you need to write whatever story you need to write with it. Also no tones; they're cool but you either need very specific rules or have to mark them which are both a pain when trying to also write 1k on a lunch break (been there, tried that).
Simplifying is probably the way to go? Especially for vowel inventory. Tends to make syllables a lot easier to work with.
i a u ɛ ɔ and ə or ɨ but probably not both? (more likely that ɨ would shift to ə over time than the other way around; esp with the below shift and ɔ included)
Also with /ɛ/ we can remove /e/; it would make the language sound a little more "exotic" without having to hugely change the way the language works.
Consonants relisted because I need them in order to think properly:
t k g ʔ kʰ
m(n?) ŋ
f(v?) s z ʒ(!) χ(plz) h ts t̠ʃ
j l r ɾ
The only additions I have for that is maybe adding the voiced /v/ and bringing /n/ back (pretty sure /n/ is more common than /m/ if there's only one nasal anyways; and I like /n/ with glides). I also added /ʒ/ because it's fun and fits and moved /x/ to /χ/ because UHHH I can't really pronounce /x/ ;-;
I do like stop heavy languages, esp with our backed vowels. We might even be able to do some fancy rules for using glides as vowels in some contexts, depending on how strict the syllable structure gets? For simplicity's sake though, I think a simple CVC is probably going to get us pretty far; we do have enough vowels to do some sort of CV/V syllabic language tho
|
|
|
|
Post by Starchaser on Jan 16, 2024 15:21:19 GMT -5
The timeline and generations sound good.
Simplicity is probably for the best. I've read a good bit on languages, but I struggle more with the technical side of things and actually putting it into practice. I don't really have anything to add right now—not until I've refreshed my knowledge on a few topics.
And, oh, I meant "possible consonants/vowels" as in "any of these" rather than "all of these." Like, pick some phonemes we definitely like and then choose the most likely consonants/vowels to accompany those. So I'm fine with those additions and changes. I knew there likely some I missed because I was just skimming the list.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 16, 2024 20:28:55 GMT -5
gotchu gotchu
Also I am doodling up some sort of starter. Idk what I feel about it yet but eh it'll be something
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 17, 2024 2:28:43 GMT -5
Bruh my project I've been working on in between writing for this is in first person and. I didn't think it would taint me, since I usually write third, but I wrote an Entire Paragraph in first before I realized ;-; smh
At least the manuscript I'm doing edits for is edits. I (don't think) I've messed up tenses on that one xp
|
|
|
|
Post by Starchaser on Jan 17, 2024 16:20:03 GMT -5
Aw, that's annoying having to correct those things. I mostly write in third, but I have one story in first-person, and while I usually keep the pronouns right when switching between projects, I mess up the tenses so often.
And sorry I haven't gotten anything up yet, but I'm really hoping I can finish mine tonight.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 20, 2024 0:51:53 GMT -5
gonna work on the starter more today~~
Been vibing with some character concept ideas hehe
|
|
|
|
Post by Starchaser on Jan 27, 2024 22:55:03 GMT -5
Sorry about the wait! I had something kind of urgent come up, but I should hopefully have something up here tonight or tomorrow. I don't quite know what the snag is, but I have not been able to make a starter I am happy with yet. I have a lot of character dynamics, and scenes, and worldbuilding bits I enjoy, but it just has not been working for me. I think I might try to do the letter-style post and see if I can't build a memory post off that. Might be easier to drop some lore I like, while also not having to write out the entirety of the scene. That way you at least have something to build off and I can rework it into something I like.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 27, 2024 23:00:16 GMT -5
understood! And no worries, I've been rewiring my life rn too so it works out. My sleep schedule is in shambles ;-;
I've also been really struggling to get something I like down on paper. If you want to let me know some of your rough ideas for the worldbuilding, maybe I can bounce something and get to a place we are both more comfortable in?
A few of the aspects I'm struggling with making choices on:
- Current technology level--so it's the apocalypse, but it's also been maybe 50 years. How much infrastructure is rebuilt? population size? is there any socioeconomic strata that remained/is rebuilt and what "currency" would allow them to keep their positions?
- Species--our humans are oddballs, but what is the base of the other species? what makes them different? what makes them similar? were they more or less impacted by the loss of magic than our humans?
- Royalty--our characters are important, but what concrete power do they actually hold?
|
|
|
|
Post by Starchaser on Jan 30, 2024 21:12:27 GMT -5
Aaa, I am so sorry this took a long time! It ended up taking a while for me to organize my thoughts and do some shoddy research so I felt somewhat better about the answers. I had most of it finally written up last night (well, early today), but then I ended up not saving it when I finally gave in and went to bed. I tried to reconstruct it, but it's ended up shorter and messier than the original.
Technology & Society
• I liked your original idea of a high-tech megacity being forced to start anew, so I was operating off that base assumption in figuring this up. So, for pre-apocalypse, I think their tech would be close to modern, with certain areas being more futuristic or less developed in comparison to present earth. The main difference here is that the technology would be magic-based.
• The sudden degradation and loss of magic inevitably causes a massive upheaval for a rather magic-reliant society. It would be similar to electricity ceasing to work. While not every group or civilization would feel the effects, every aspect of life is altered for those who do incorporate magic into their daily life. Communications are cut off, usual modes of transportation are now impossible, machines fail to work, etc. Even the buildings themselves become unsafe as they were designed with magical means. Hence why the city was so quickly abandoned and falling into ruins.
• Post-apocalypse technology is probably all over the place depending on the field, but nowhere near where it used to be. Closer to medieval eras maybe? Which is still pretty broad, but. The survivors face the odd problem of having knowledge and understanding of tech, but being unable to implement it in a meaningful way because magic does not conform to those rules anymore. However, some tech could certainly be repurposed or altered to become operable again.
• If that is okay to you, I can work on a more detailed list of their various technologies and such. I think to really get into the specifics though, we'd have to delve into the magic system a bit more. I have a decent grasp on the "reborn magic," but I was still toying with ideas for the "original magic" system.
• Hmm, infrastructure is probably still weakened, but not entirely absent and steadily growing. It has been a while since things first fell apart, so they'd probably have the basics worked out at the least. I think in an arid environment particularly, water supply and irrigation would be important, so it may be one of their earliest developments. A qanat could probably work, which would provide drinking water and irrigation, as well as cooling. Locally, there could be basic roads among the town, but long-distance transport is still mostly limited to animal mounts and on-foot travel. Certain resources could be scavenged from the city ruins and repurposed for use in some of these areas so they don't have to build everything from scratch. The group that stayed settled in one area would definitely have more rebuilt the the group that only returned recently though. Speaking of, what is the timeline for the groups "reuniting"? I was thinking maybe 2-4 years?
• Initially, I imagined the groups would be fairly small. I think civilizations of the current era tend to be pretty fragmented, but we could probably still go up to a few hundred, especially if we wanted more potential for bigger conflict between the groups and among their own members.
• I know this isn't entirely related to what you were asking, but a theocratic monarchy for the magic trads could be interesting (ex. "heavenly mandate," "divine rule"). I think that could really take off in an apocalyptic setting.
Species • Yeah, I'm struggling a bit with this one. In general, I think a big difference is that humans are not inherently magical compared to other species. They have the potential to use magic, but no magical "alignment," I suppose. This allows them to learn many types of magic, though they cannot become as advanced in certain areas as species connected with them, and it comes through study more than natural development. They have a "jack of all trades, master of none" vibe.
• This would mean humans likely weren't impacted as greatly by the loss of magic, which doesn't really explain their scarcity in our groups, but maybe there just were never many in our group's area. They also would be the least changed in the wake of the apocalypse, given their species simply use magic rather than are really affected by it. Magically-aligned species retain some of their magically-influenced traits, but lose the ability to use their powers.
• I did make my character's tutor a lizard person, because you mentioned it and I liked the idea. In terms of more original and non-humanoid species, I also have some vague conceptions of a plant-based species and a raptor-esque (the dinosaur kind) one. I don't know why, they just felt cool. And I have quite a few species (including the rock guys!) from a sci-fi roleplay I never made that could probably be repurposed to fit this world.
• I have a lot more I could ramble about on this particular topic, but a.) this already took a long time and b.) I don't think I have the mental bandwidth to properly articulate my thoughts.
I'm really sorry, I know this is severely underdeveloped, but my brain is just, like, non-functional lately. Didn't want to leave you with nothing for too long though. I'm going to work on some of the other things you mentioned and developing these points further when I know what you think. Hopefully it will still help at least a bit.
edit: like the royalty/political power thing i missed rewriting somehow oof
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Jan 30, 2024 21:45:57 GMT -5
Don't apologize there's no rush! I have so many things going on right now, a nice and leisurely pace (esp as we figure things out) is perfect. Thank you so much for the extra insights!! I was super torn on a lot of conflicting ideas and it was making the worldbuilding I was trying to put together really messy in a way I wasn't happy with, so I'm glad you have a bit more of a concrete idea of what you want out of it because making choices was. uh. Not something my brain wanted to do for this.
I have a really cool idea for a short doodle that I can work on inspired by your top points!! I should be able to knock out a quick 1-3k drabble pretty quick and hopefully that'll inspire you in turn and at least give you a better idea of where my thoughts are going with the setting =o
no rush tho!! I have. so many projects I should be doing so I don't mind playing patient until you settle with something you're happy with~
Also lizards!!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Feb 1, 2024 4:21:12 GMT -5
- - - A gift for you~
Literally throwing cheese at the ceiling rn and hoping it sticks lmao
All this is dubiously canon until we get things sorted, but I think I've found a direction I'd like to play in. I'm debating if I want my MC to be a little genderfluid...a little wibbly... like most days she feels very comfortable being feminine but there's some days she is just Not Okay with being perceived as female at all. Maybe something in their society makes that the norm (or at least somewhat commonplace) and so there's societal infrastructure for more fluid gender roles and allows her to feel comfortable with that part of her? idk yet.
Some words idk
Jutska - ʒu/(ts)ka - My girl! An artist who is really good at reading other people and being lucky.
Qam - χam - The "kingdom" of Old-magic loyalists
Feqam - fə/χam - Royal/noble/rich Qam; generic word for people of power in their society; also can be a honorific title
Mavaha - ma/va/ha - Lizard people! Probably the most populous people in Qam? Just because the desert. they are semi-warm-blooded with a cycle of stable body heat, running hot during the day and colder at night.
Lari - la/ɹi - Jutska's good friend, a Mavaha and a well-known musician
Yaur - jɔɹ - Lari's ex, also Mavaha; they had a bad falling out
Luyz - lujz - their mother? maybe? Not completely sold on the name but it's a fun word hehe
tl;dr: Jutska prepares to show her art at auction; Lari is there for moral support
- - - Jutska The Hall . March 19, 52aa
Even a broken city could be beautiful, if you caught it from the right angle.
From the balcony of the Hall, seventeen stories up, Jutska could almost see it: the desert sun glinted off dust-streaked glass, painting blazing highlights across the crumbling streets. She couldn't help but trace the shadows with her finger, imagining the streak of charcoal smudging away the ruins, leaving only the city, bright and pure, like she imagined it would have been Before.
"Sulking again?"
Jutska startled, spun, her heart dropped as she leaned on the railing, felt it groan, crackle. She threw her hand out and Lari caught it, pulling her away from the seventeen-story drop and into her arms. "You can't sneak up on me like that!" Jutska gasped, her heart still thrumming from the scare, but feeling secure pressed so tightly against Lari's warm scales. She grabbed Lari tightly; she hadn't realized the falling dusk had been so cold, not until she felt a shiver race across her spine, her arms pebbling as the Mavaha's inner heat surrounded her like a blanket, stealing the chill from her skin.
Lari snuffed a laugh. "Sorry. I always forget humans are so--" She didn't finish the thought, instead dancing her fingertips against Jutska's back, like a lizard's footsteps skittering across hot sand. Lari's touch was light, delicate, a musician's grace guiding her hands as the random motion morphed into a beat, a melody. Jutska couldn't tell what song the Mavaha was playing on her back--Jutska's own artistic skill began and ended with charcoals, inks and canvas.
Moments passed as Jutska's heart slowed. She let go of Lari, but the Mavaha held her still a few seconds longer, her gentle fingers tapping the last few chords of the song onto her silk dress. Lari let go a long breath; Jutska knew the moment all the tension left Lari's bones, could almost hear the sustained note ringing, fading, echoing in Lari's mind. Jutska knew the feeling: it was the same one she felt when she finally put her pen down and stepped back, marveling over what she had created.
When they pulled apart, Lari looked embarrassed, the golden frills on her neck trembling slightly. "They're starting the auction soon," she said. "I thought you might like to be there, Jutska."
Jutska smiled, nodded. "Thank you. I would like that." Still, she didn't step forward. There was a reason she was on the balcony watching the sun set alone, why she wasn't in there with the other Feqam, who flocked like stone sparrows and were nearly as chatty. She wasn't sulking.
She was hiding.
As soon as she stepped through those glass doors, she wouldn't be Jutska the artist. No, she'd have to be Jutska The Artist, daughter of Luyz, creator of the auction's showcase bid: in memory's echo. "Such a horrible name," she muttered under her breath, earning her a confused look from Lari, but Jutska only smiled and shook her head. "Are you ever this nervous before a show?" Jutska asked instead, to distract herself from the butterflies wreaking havoc on her stomach.
Lari blinked slow. "Not nerves, only anticipation, I think. Waiting backstage is the hardest part."
"I wish I could have your confidence," Jutska admitted. She used the conversation to convince her legs to move, smoothing down the front of her dress as she went.
Lari reached the door first. "I would think the hardest part is over," the Mavaha said, turning, her hand on the latch, her light scales nearly matching the bronze. "It's not like you can make a mistake now, right? The painting is already complete."
"Don't underestimate me, Lari," Jutska warned, teasing, a smile finding its way onto her face. "It's never too late to make a mistake." It was only half a joke, but the levity pulled some of the weight from her gut, enough to prepare herself as Lari finally opened the door, the gala inside puffing outward like a breath, swallowing her in.
It was time. |
|
|
|
Post by Starchaser on Feb 2, 2024 19:00:39 GMT -5
Oh, I have been blessed by the muses because of your intervention <3 I also like your words. I'm not too certain on most of mine, but I have at least finally settled on name for most of the characters. I'm about 2/3 of the way done with my starter? I had a weirdly chaotic day, but I'm really hoping to finish mine up tonight. Just wanted to give you a quick update and say I enjoyed your post.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Feb 2, 2024 19:45:00 GMT -5
Good!! No rush, I'm workin on the pt 2; I couldn't finish the entire scene in one go it was too much xp
I think this (hopefully) gets Jutska's personality a bit
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Feb 14, 2024 0:08:39 GMT -5
checking if you're alive and/or holding you accountable if you'd like to be (;
no pressure, my writing SUCK rn, but hey
|
|
|
|
Post by Starchaser on Feb 14, 2024 12:18:13 GMT -5
Yes, sorry! The universe has a habit of making my life even more chaotic the instant I try to do anything. I truly am almost done, just polishing a few more bits, and I've already started in on the next "scene." I've got 2200 words, so far, apparently, and the post is mostly done. I suspect it wont be but a few more hundred words when I'm finished.
|
|
|
|
Post by Starchaser on Mar 8, 2024 0:47:31 GMT -5
Sorry for my vanishment. My computer was having problems and I’ve been sick for while, but I’m mostly better now. I’m not entirely certain when I will have a post finished because life has dampened my muse considerably, but just letting you know I haven’t abandoned this. Sorry again I started this and haven’t done much with it yet.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brownie on Mar 8, 2024 14:50:53 GMT -5
you're totally cool! I'm just chilling in my little hole in the ground xp
|
|
