Welcome to the Character Development Threads! These shared story exercises allow you to develop your characters in a setting shared by other authors and their characters. No sign-up is necessary; simply look over the last few pages and hop on in. If you need questions answered or a recap, head over to our discussion thread
and ask; we’re happy to help. There's also a trope page (with location descriptions and other info).
Archipelago is semi-casual — no violence on the central island, but the rest are fair game. Other islands are built on-the-fly by the tropers whose visiting them, but you should probably grab a few others before having your characters head off — there's not much point wandering an island alone, since this is supposed to develop characters by bouncing them off one another and putting them in unusual situations. Be sure to communicate with the tropers you go with so you're on the same general page.
With thanks to, among many others, Gault, who came up with the initial idea, Nrjxll, who wrote the first draft I shameless ripped off, and the various people who contributed to the trope page location descriptions.
[[Current Time: Early Morning]
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL INTRO FOR THIS THREAD
This has made the hub island something of a designated neutral ground for various strange characters and dimensional travelers. A small cluster of buildings has sprung up near the one natural harbor and its dock: a couple of bars, a couple of casinos, several shops, and even the cheap but comfortable Pax Island Hotel. This is not a tourist trap, though, as much as amenities for the visitors that come here for various reasons. The Hotel's entrance leads out to a central square, with a shamelessly cheesy tiki bar calling itself the Big Kahuna and the Pax Island General Store being the most obvious, though not the only, services.
Inland, the island is covered in jungles that rise steeply into a central mountain, covered in ruins that don't seem to exactly match any of the local cultures. Apart from that, though, they're harmless and unrelated to the area's strangeness. The population on the island, humans of mixed origins, are quite used to the strangeness of their island, staffing the amenities and filling newcomers in but otherwise keeping to themselves.
Beyond this hub island, the archipelago grows more mysterious and dangerous. Fogs often cover the ocean, and compasses and other forms of navigation don't always work right. There are at least a half-dozen other islands at any one time, but that's all anyone can say for certain. The docks on the hub island offer numerous boats for visitors to travel to these islands, either under their own control or with the aid of a local sailor. Of course, there's always an element of risk involved with visiting these islands, because you never know quite what you'll find. One rule has proven consistent, though: any truly catastrophic event on an island tends to result in it vanishing into the fog, never to be seen again.
edited 27th Jun '14 6:59:52 PM by KillerClowns
[Dining Hall]
Nick blinked. "Hersh?"
"He says things like that." Jackson whispered, "Don't worry; just go with it." He then turned to the group, smiling, "Now that we've met each other, let's all hang out. Try to find fun things to do."
Nick and Adam turned to each other, then back to Jackson.
"...You actually want to do something fun?" Nick asked, "Wow. That's rare."
Jackson glared. "Hey, I'm not that strict. Besides, I want today to be a little better than yesterday." He then slung an arm around Howell's shoulder, "I'm sure you're feeling a little bored around here, aren't you?"
[Pax Island ~ Ruins (Outside Library)]
Joe shrugged, "Amazing, confusing, life-threatening. They're all pretty much the same thing, aren't they?" His mouth cracked a half smile, though it quickly fell, along with his eyes. He couldn't help feeling a little unnerved—or at least thinking that he ought to feel a little unnerved—at how casually he felt, despite the violent tremors of his recent life. His lack of control, and his close scrapes with apparent death. Would his personal disturbance come later? Would he develop some kind of PTSD? Or was he really so detached from life that not even the earth splitting into two would rattle him?
He used Saya's other two questions as a means to distract his lugubrious mind, turning to look back at the library himself. He stared at it, trying to look thoughtful, although he really didn't have much to stir around in his mind. "I don't really know. Maybe they only get turned on at night, like streetlamps. In that case, they could be out for hours. Pretty much the whole day."
He turned his large head from the library to Saya, breaking into another small smile at her enthusiasm. After another quick glance at the dark, lonely library and another few moments of consideration, Joseph came to an idea that he found agreeable enough.
"Uh..." he began, gracefully, "you know I, -I mean, if you want, then I could show you where the town is and what's in it, and help you out with all that jazz. I imagine it'll be a little strange to come to grips with how a place like that works, considering what you've told me about where you're from. Lots of surprises, I think, but hopefully, any surprises will be... y'know, pleasant." He offered a somewhat larger, if a little subdued, smile, then twisted back around to look at the library one last time. "It's just that I really probably shouldn't leave the library here for too long, in case A- the- pff," he shook his head and spoke a little more clearly, "the other two people who I'm waiting for get back. But they've been gone for a really long time, and I told them I'd go get help if I was concerned, so I figure, I can take you into town, get you all situated and whatnot, and then get back here to check up on them. If they're still gone, then I'll go get help."
He turned to face Saya, offering an even bigger smile. "Sound good to you?" he asked, his large eyes blinking.
[Pax Island ~ Hotel (Dining Room)]
"Hersh Hemley, expert hippopotamus pediatrician." Howell murmured, in spite of Jackson's words. He remained mostly silent after that, glancing curiously between Adam and Nick.
When Jackson put his arm around Howell's shoulder and asked if he was bored, Howell first glanced up at the older boy in slight confusion. Then in slight annoyance.
"No. Not particularly." he answered, now trying to shoot Jackson a more meaningful stare, as though to ask, aren't you forgetting something?
Nothing for Iris at the moment. She's still on one of the docks though. If any nearby characters want to take notice of her, she'll be napping on a bench.
Drummer Boy
[Castle Boreas East Parlor]
Oh, good, more coffee. Seilaan didn't care for Lily's contempt, but she couldn't let her annoyance show. Jihan's tendency to vomit up history books at the slightest provocation wasn't helping. Responding to this kind of thing without sounding defensive or whiny was tricky.
"We were almost erased as a people. Turned into wooden setpieces for exotic vacation homes. It was such a gradual process that we were almost lulled into compliance, but thirty years ago—that was everything was set into motion. Therefore, I believe a controlled burst of revolutionary fervor can be useful. The same passion has been the driving force behind our intense cultural revival these past thirty years. But at least the squawking nationalists who can find nothing better to scream about than how leather shoes are an abomination are a dying breed. Dealing with the remnants hasn't been easy, though." She sighed and took a sip. "It was more common among the older folk who lived under the Kartalian regime, but for some reason, people my age have been taking up the cause. We'll have to keep an eye on them."
The last battle's curtains will open on stage!
Ruins (Outside Library)
Wait, he actually wanted to go show her around right now? Saya had to admit, that offer was tempting. She really did want to go see this town and everything in it, and now it looked like she could even without having to wait for other people. However, there was still something about the whole deal that made her think twice about accepting.
"I think it might be better if we wait for those people for at least a little while longer," she said, "If we leave right now, like you seem to be suggesting, and they come out of that pit while we're gone...won't that make them at least a little worried about you? And then they might go crazy trying to find you, and that wouldn't be so pleasant, would it?"
She frowned. "Okay, I guess it's true that even discounting the fact that we've been here all night that we've been here a while, but even so...." She sighed, before shrugging. "Maybe it's just my experiences in the Waste talking. And in that case, it would have been better if you went with the other two to begin with. Even disregarding all of that, do you even know the way to the town from here?"
Harbor (Docks)
Rachel found the harbor to be a little less crowded than she expected. There were certainly people around, and the area in general seemed to be in good condition, but somehow she imagined a harbor to be more...busy than this. Maybe it was just because it was still fairly early in the morning. Whatever the case, she didn't mind it too awful much, considering what people were here didn't seem to be paying her much heed (though her hands were nevertheless shoved behind her back to prevent them from being the first thing someone might notice, as was more or less habit for her now).
That being said, she was torn between trying to get someone's attention and just hanging in the background. She knew that if she didn't talk to someone she'd never learn a thing about this place, but somehow she didn't think just walking up to someone and saying "Hi! What's this place?" was such a good idea considering what she looked like. Even if no one recognized her as an infected, she really didn't want to get rushed to the hospital or whatever just because someone thought she was sick.
Before she could decide on a definite plan of action, her thoughts were interrupted by a strange hum. She looked around for the source, before her eyes settled on the absolutely massive...something coming in for a landing near the docks. The best word she could use to describe it was "spaceship," and that probably was what it was. It didn't look like any boat she had ever seen before, at the very least.
Whatever it was, she couldn't help but be awfully curious about it. Given the strange, unreadable text on it, did that mean it was piloted by aliens of some kind? In that case, this was definitely another one of those places like the city. Hopefully it wouldn't be as traumatic an experience as the city was. Random thought aside, she definitely wouldn't mind having the chance to speak to an alien, and an alien likely wouldn't mind her appearance.
At the same time, however, she really should be focused on finding out where she was, and considering the spaceship just got here it didn't seem likely that its occupants knew much about it. She'd probably be better off asking one of the other people walking around, as much as she didn't want to freak someone out. It was really tempting, however, and it wasn't like she had direction just yet as it was.
She didn't make a move towards either goal immediately. Instead, she stood there for a while glancing at the ship, thinking.
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
Attitude is prohibited
[Castle Boreas - Balcony]
"No way!" Laughed Sam. "I don't believe it. If you were a butler-type of guy before you got here, where did you learn to do that?" She pointed in the direction of the pigeon's demise. "Come on, Heri!" She poked him. "Spill some history for me, won't ya?"
Not entirely dead.
[Docks]
The green ship continued to bob in the waves silently for a few minutes more. Then, soundlessly, a circular hatch on the side of the small hemisphere slid open, and a trio of flying disks emerged with a low hum. They were painted a similar color to the ship (though the paint was rather more scratched and chipped), with a gray ring around their midsection. Situated at equal distances around the disk, six small blue lights were set into the ring. The disks flew using similar glowing thrusters to the ship.
As two of them split off and began hovering down the docks and beach respectively, the third zeroed in on Rachel. Approaching more slowly then the others, it eventually came to a stop hovering over the ground at about the height of her head.
One of the lights blinked briefly, then the disk began to speak in a chipper, androgynous voice. "Greetings and salutations, intrepid sophont! Know that luck is with you today! Before you awaits the spectacle of a lifetime, a thrill to beat all thrills and spectacle to beat all spectacles! For a limited time only, you have been offered an exclusive chance to visit Madame voSudir's Ship of Marvels for an individualized reduced price! Know that within this ship lie some of the most unique rarities and daring curiosities that you will ever have the chance to encounter!"
The disk revolved as it spoke. There was no obvious sign of where exactly the voice was coming from.
"To accept this offer, please respond to this mobile platform's Simulated Intelligence! You cannot miss out on a chance like this! Visit Madame voSudir's Ship of Marvels and watch as your amazement is amazed!"
If you do want to involve Iris, Ryuzha, one of the other disks can head in her direction.
edited 6th Aug '14 8:31:44 PM by nrjxll
[castle boreas balcony]
No... please, no. Alright, just play it cool. Sort of. "What else can I say? Well, to be honest, 'butler's' too generous a term for what I usually did, it implies I had any authority- 'housekeeper' and 'scullery manservant' are more like it." Henri paused a second to tap his cigarette into the ashtray, then put his elbows on the railing and leaned into it, absentmindedly studying the landscape. "Probably should have also mentioned that my people have really long lifespans. I'm nearing three thousand Earth years, that's young for an Atonari, but I still spent much of that getting shuttled around to employers who had me cleaning toilets and scrubbing floors and dusting and whatnot. Couldn't even use magic to help, always due to some rubbish safety protocols."
He took a drag, then let out a long, slow breath. Those seemed to be pretty solid reasons for not liking doing someone else's house chores, but that also opened the door for explanations as to why he couldn't just leave; admittedly, talking about the psychology of his entire species was preferable to talking about the real reasons why he hated that part of his life.
"Acquati brought me here nearly three hundred years ago. The marksmanship started with a dartboard in my Earthen fashion school dorm room. As soon as I got back home, I fooled around with adding magic to it. It's impractically hard to aim a physical object with magic, but it's far easier to use it pack more power into one as your throw. All that for an admittedly neat parlor trick."
"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."
[Pax Island ~ Ruins (Outside Library)]
Joseph's gaze returned to the library, his lizardy brow set with thought. "I... I guess that's possible." he said. His thought train loosened up a bit as he continued, "But like I said, I told them last night that I'd go into town and get help if I felt worried about them, and to be honest, I kinda do. If they show back up and I'm not there, then they can assume that going back into town is just what I did, and it will be just what I do in that scenario." He tapped a claw against his mouth for a second, thinking over what he had just said, before nodding, confirming that he in fact wasn't just spouting nonsense.
"Anyway, I don't think they'd go crazy looking for me. I only met them yesterday— one just before coming to this library. In places like this..." he shrugged, his eyes lowering moodily, "you lose track of people. Besides, if they were the kind to get super-worried, you'd think that at some point during the many hours I've spent here since last seeing them, they might think to turn back and check on me, but that hasn't happened yet." He gave the library one last look, then added, "And if they've gotten into some kind of trouble, I don't think it'd be very wise of me to go in without some kind of backup. At the very least, I could ask someone in town what they know about this place. Speaking of which..."
Joe swiveled around, eyeing the path that lead back into the jungle. After a couple of seconds, he began nodding slowly, "Yeah. I think I could find the way back without too much trouble. The path we took to get here wasn't all that different from the woods near my house, and there's at least one big landmark I can think of to guide us." he gave Saya a sidelong glance and a toothy grin, "If worst comes to worst, we can always head for the coast and circle around 'til we find the docks. The island ain't that big from what I can tell."
He walked a few steps down the path leading to the jungle, then turned around, gazing at the library. "Besides, what else are we going to do here? I mean, I could tell stories all day and we could ask your music friend if it knows any Billy Joel, but eventually the sun's gonna go up and over our heads, and I don't think that the people I'm waiting for are working on any sort of reasonable time schedule." He paused for a moment, then sighed. "I guess I'm just a little tired of waiting around... which is stupid, 'cause it was my choice, but... hey, if I hadn't stayed, you'd have been all by yourself in a mysterious building filled to the brim with spooky books."
this place needs me here
Ruins (Outside Library)
Saya frowned and looked towards the library herself briefly. Well, she couldn't make a good argument for staying here much longer; if anything, Joseph's plan made much more sense than anything she could have come up with. Besides, he did have a point in that there was nothing much to do here except sit and talk, unless they wanted to go looking around at the other buildings here, which didn't seem to be very interesting either.
"If you're certain about that...." she said, before her frown flipped back upside down, "Then I'm fine with that idea. Maybe I can help you look for help, if it comes to that. Now, lead the way!"
Harbor (Docks)
Just as Rachel was about to make a final decision on the matter, fortune made her choice for her. Some time after she first set eyes on the ship, she caught sight of a weird flying disk making its way towards her. Judging by its coloration she guessed it was related to the ship in some way. Maybe it was some kind of exploratory probe or something, so the occupants could see what it was like out here before actually leaving the ship?
Although the disc, whatever it was, didn't look dangerous, she wasn't sure if she should be worrying about the fact that it appeared to be seeking her out specifically out of all the people that could possibly be here. Did she really look that different from everyone else that even some strange flying disk was wary of her? It was bad enough she had to worry about what an ordinary human thought of her. Well, whatever. Might as well let the disk take a look, and hopefully it'd just go on its merry way without much of a fuss.
So she let it approach. It just hovered there in the air in front of her for a moment or two...and proceeded to completely disprove her guesses about it by being a salesman of sorts. Well, that explained why it had an interest in her; she looked like she was interested about the ship, so it was natural that it'd approach her first out of the people who weren't looking at it. Furthermore, that explained just what the ship was here for; it was apparently some kind of traveling museum exhibit, although by the sounds of things it was more along the lines of a weird roadside attraction than an actual museum.
She couldn't say that knowing what it was made her any less interested about it, but now she had her doubts about the whole thing. More specifically, the disk had said "individualized reduced price." That didn't sound like "free" to her, which was the only price she could afford right now. She didn't carry money on her since that was normally Selena's job. Of course, this was being generous and assuming this "Ship of Marvels" even accepted ordinary American dollars rather than insisting on some form of futuristic currency she had never heard of before. Besides, she still knew next to nothing about this place. She didn't even know if there was anything of interest beyond this harbor.
She settled on a compromise. If the price really was "free," then she'd take a quick look at the ship and everything that happened to be on it. Any more than that and she'd just continue exploring the other areas. There had to be more to see here, right? This, of course, assuming that the disk would even understand the question she was about to ask of it and not just take the sound of her voice as a positive answer.
"Depends on what you mean by 'reduced price,'" she said to it. Her voice bore a Delaware Valley accent, though it might been difficult to tell considering it was also rather raspy and ill-sounding.
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
[Dining Hall]
Jackson smiled and patted Howell's head, then whispered, "I got this." He then turned his attention to Adam, "You said that you're dad and brother are outside, right?"
"Um..." Adam said, "Yeah. By the door."
"Good! Cause I need to talk to them. Be back in a second." Before Nick or Adam could say anything else, Jackson darted out of the dining hall, leaving both of his friends even more confused than before.
"What's with the sudden personality change?" Nick asked.
"Don't know." Adam said, shrugging, "He's up to something, though. I can tell." He briefly glanced at Howell. "Hey, what did you guys talk about in that bathroom?"
[Pax Island ~ Ruins (Outside Library —> Path to Jungle)]
"I'm always certain. Most of the time, anyways." Joseph answered, a stupid-looking grin plastered across his equally stupid-looking face.
As he began to walk, Joe turned around in mid step, continuing to walk backwards at a slower pace as he took one last—very last—look at the library; at its impressive exterior, and at the doorway leading into its dark and foreboding interior. Uneasy thoughts began to creep into his head about those he was leaving behind. But what could he do? Even if the library was full of books, he had nothing to write a note with. Even if the two were in some kind of trouble, he alone wouldn't be much help. But then... even if he knew exactly what to do, would he do it?
His thoughts were suddenly shoved aside to make room for the present, wherein, in the midst of walking backwards and worrying about ifs, Joe had stepped on his own tail. He let out a short, surprised cry and stumbled back wards, nearly stepping on it again as he struggled to quickly regain his balance. After a few more moments of quick-footed maneuvering, he managed to settle himself without completely falling over, though he was left blinking dazedly.
"Uh- ta-da!" he said with a slight bow, before hastily turning around and continuing forward, quietly. Although he couldn't help but feel a little hot in the face, the near-tumble was a good diversion for his mind, bringing him back to the current situation, the one that, in the very immediate present, mattered the most. With that at the forefront of his mind, he walked onward.
[Pax Island ~ Hotel (Dining Room)]
Howell stared on in what might have been confusion or excitement as Jackson sped out of the room.
At Adam's question, he shrugged and said, "Moloschitz's theory of hydrocized millitrentagin entanglement, exomutanic growth, and the related focillitedes. And how best to wash without wasting too much soap or water."
this place needs me here
[Dining Hall]
Nick and Adam stared at Howell.
"...Ok pal." Nick said, clearing his throat "Whatever you say."
Guess that means I won't get an answer. Adam thought, shrugging, "You want some more breakfast, Howell? Dad threw away your whole plate because it got cold."
[Hotel (Outside)]
To Jackson's relief, George and Nathan were, in fact, outside like Adam had said. Looks like they were weren't doing much, except looking at the rising sun. Ok...gotta get this over with...
"Mr. Maroon?" he asked, getting their attention.
"Morning, lad." George said, "Need something?"
"I do, actually." Jackson said. "It's not for me, though; it's for Howell. You see...we talked today, and he's really upset about last night. After you kicked Iris out the group, he blamed himself heavily for what happened. He doesn't think it's fair that she left and he didn't."
I knew this would happen. Nathan glared at his father. "See, dad? See what you've done? Your so called 'solution' made things worst. Good job."
George growled. "Listen, it's way too early for you to be ranting at me like this. Besides, she shouldn't have-"
"Mr. Maroon, please." Jackson interrupted. "Listen, I came out here so I can ask if me, my friends, and Howell can go find her. I know she's probably not far from here, but I need to do this for Howell's sake. He really wants to talk to her. Please."
For a few minutes, there was nothing but uncomfortable silence. Then, George gave a heavy sigh, and turned around.
"...Be back before sundown. I'll tell Thomas where you all are." Was all he said, and nothing more.
Nathan nodded. "Be sure everyone sticks together."
Jackson sighed with relief. "Thank you. We won't be long." With that, he ran back inside.
edited 7th Aug '14 11:49:28 PM by Masterofchaos
Ruins (Outside Library) -> Path to Jungle
Saya was content enough to follow Joseph. Although she took a final look around the ruins on their way out, her thoughts were mostly focused on what they were going to see. Her mind came up with what felt like a million ideas of what this town and everything in it would be like. Would it be some super-advanced place where people took for granted things her world were still struggling to figure out? In that case, she'd be the first of them to see it with her own eyes. She could make the storytellers envious of her, with knowledge of things they only knew by the tales being passed down by generations. Maybe she'd be known for something other than "that purple-haired girl with the odd music following her around."
This, of course, assuming she even wanted to go back at all. She had no real emotional attachment to the Great Waste; it was, after all, a...well, a great waste. Why would she go back there if this place was even better? She supposed she could try and find the group she was travelling with and tell them that she had found the paradise they all sought, but if she returned, would she be able to find her way back here? She didn't even know how she got here in the first place. Were they even together still after that sandstorm? Or would she just find herself in the middle of the waste again?
Joseph's unintentional dance moves were enough to snap her out of her thoughts. She was almost about to help him regain his footing, but as it turned out he was able to manage it on his own. After he recovered, she gave him a blank stare for a moment or two.
"Are you alright?" she asked of him, "You...might want to look where you're going next time." She glanced forwards at the jungle they were about to head into. "Especially considering where we're going. I have absolutely no idea what it's going to be like in there...."
The song, meanwhile, changed its tone to somewhere in between concern and amusement. It seemed to be making an effort to keep both at equal levels, though every now and then one mood or the other took over.
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
[castle boreas staff commons]
Iris considered a moment. Backhanded compliments, accusations of 'wasting' his talent, most likely. And she thought she was cynical. Acquati mentioned that most 'human' guests would be Earthen humans, the variety that barely lasts the decade, and he was quite young, probably... no more than three, by their lifespans. No wonder they could grow so vividly hateful; they don't have any time to get over their negativity. "I see," she added, and then he set off to playing once again.
She could never understand this about the arts, how entire topics and even emotions could be in or out of style and venerated or discounted as a result. Of course, the onus was still on the artist to make their composition interesting regardless, but if you're legitimately trying to say something and not attempting to cash into a fad, what's the problem so long as it's conveyed properly?
"All I hear is a difference in emotion. Playing in a meadow versus a trip through a storm."
[observatory]
Alright, power's back on. Good. Who was expecting them to check every damn book in the library in hopes that someone trapped here would eventually find the right thing? Adrian waved his hand back in front of the damn screen again, nonplussed. There was a flicker on the screen before everything shut back off. He was well and soundly annoyed now, and this git wasn't helping his mood any.
He turned back around, keeping an eye on both Andre and Aseyu's back. "Well? Does it say anything else, or has it gotten too 'fiddly' for you?"
[castle boreas east parlor]
So that didn't help, and Lily tried to be subtle. Smashing. So was that senator an isolated case, maybe? Either way, she still made a serious ass out of herself.
Vince lowered his cup, holding it in both hands. "You know what? Fighting for yourselves as a people is very admirable. My old clan was on the receiving end of several uprisings as a result of mismanagement on our part, and I couldn't agree with them more. I paid Ren Island a brief visit a very long time ago, during a festival, and saw all of your cultural achievements in action." He smiled, still with genuine friendliness. "Yes, it was all quite beautiful, and the food was excellent." His demeanor grew more neutral, the hint of concern returned. "I do regret that I had to cut my visit short on a sour note. Does the name Jinhei Feng mean anything to you?"
edited 8th Aug '14 12:01:35 AM by CrystalGlacia
"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."
Drummer Boy
[Castle Boreas East Parlor]
Seilaan almost choked on her coffee. "Senator Feng? She's the de facto leader of the Purist faction, since she's the only one with a position in the government. The sad part is she's not even an extremist by their standards. I'm deeply sorry about whatever it was the Senator Feng said or did to you. My family would be glad to welcome you in Ren Palace if you choose to come again."
Oh, it can't be worse than the curiosity.
Er... do I even want to know what she did?"
[Staff Commons]
Wilhelm slowly pushed his hand down on the piano keys, making a dissonant chord as his cheeks turned an even deeper red. "The Republic is all about pretense. Gilded bullshit. The 'artists' try to cover their asses, saying it has to be sophisticated and everything, but there is no art without honesty. I want to bring art back. I dunno if they could figure that out during my audition. They probably didn't, if they wanted to give me a chance."
He knew he sounded like a pretentious fuck, but he didn't care. This was what he believed, and he would defend it.
edited 8th Aug '14 12:19:40 AM by SnowyFoxes
The last battle's curtains will open on stage!
[castle boreas east parlor]
Oh, God no. Vince gave her an exasperated laugh. Was the tip of the iceberg all he got?
Lily sighed, visibly disappointed. "I really do wish I could have seen it for myself. Oh, it would have been rich."
He went ahead and answered Seilaan's question. "Well, she very nearly went on a rant about why light-skinned people are terrible, racial slur included, after I said that I didn't agree with her initial remark. Setting aside the fact that I was a guest, I found her apparent belief that she could convince me of her views rather disturbing." His gaze clouded over, disillusioned. How naive he must have been for hoping she was an isolated case, but the looks that even Marla garnered for her ivory skin were quite telling. "Your question implies that I didn't even scratch the surface."
I don't know if this is obvious or not, but Lily is light-skinned, blue-eyed, and blonde.
"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."
Drummer Boy
[Castle Boreas East Parlor]
Seilaan was half tempted to launch into a lecture about why being suspicious of white people and wanting to hold them to a higher standard of behavior was as understandable as any defense mechanism, but she knew better than to do that in front of, well, white people in their own home. "Race relations on Ren Island are a complicated matter. On one hand, the world is still full of racists, and the gut reaction when we see white people is to put our guard up. On the other... my father has high approval ratings, despite being white."
Her face turned slightly pink. Would they attribute it to the hot coffee? Maybe? "Fenrir gave us military assistance in the revolution and my mother ended up marrying Lord Fenrir's third son. As far as I can tell, they're very happy together. But politically, it was a mistake. The bill I was reading in the laboratory... Senator Feng wrote that. It explicitly prohibits me from making an interracial marriage. A useless gesture—I'm not stupid enough to try—but no matter how much she denies it, it's a personal insult to my parents."
The last battle's curtains will open on stage!
[Pax Island ~ Ruins (Path to Jungle)]
"Yeah, fine." Joe answered, brushing off his pants although they looked no worse for wear from his trip. No worse than they already were, littered with small tears and bits of dust and grime that wouldn't rub off without a good washing— a washing that would probably destroy the pair of pants just before cleansing them. He glanced at Saya, then sighed, muttering quietly, "You'd think I'd have the hang of this by now..."
At Saya's wondering, he offered, "Dense, and very green. If you thought the green here was something, then what we see when we get to trekking in the actual- uh, more 'jungley' part of the island might knock your socks off." He glanced back at her again, "That reminds me, watch your feet for, y'know, uhm... tripping and stuff. It's true that other people can't hurt you here (I'm pretty sure), but that doesn't stop you from hurting yourself by accident. Just watch out for rocks and branches and roots and stuff like that." It only occurred to him seconds later that Saya might not know what branches or roots were, if the waste she came from really was so wasted. At the least, she probably wasn't familiar with the branches and roots he was talking about. "Hopefully," he continued, brightening up a bit, "if I can remember the way as well as I think I probably might—to some extent—be able to, I'll be able to show you something really neat on the way there."
Joseph's large tail, which had been hovering just above the ground since his blunder, was raised slightly as they drew closer to the jungle proper. Joseph himself slowed his pace just a bit as he turned his gaze up down left and right in a search for any distinct landmarks. There was what looked like a trail head where the ruins met the jungle, but it was too distant to see much more, and already Joe could tell that the path they had taken the night before didn't quite look the same in the daylight, as well as the reverse direction.
[Pax Island ~ Hotel (Dining Room)]
Howell glanced at Adam, blinking a few times, then lowering his head before answering, "No thanks, Adam." he stepped past the two other boys, away from the bathroom door, and began casually strolling across the room as he spoke, heading in the direction of their old breakfast table and the way back to the lobby. "Food doesn't seem to be agreeing with me so much this morning. Or I'm not agreeing with it. That's a little more sensible."
He stopped at the side of their table, yet unoccupied by anyone else. He placed his hand on top of the table, murmuring, "Kind of a waste though."
this place needs me here
[castle boreas east parlor]
Lily sipped her tea. "But, of course, we all know what the real question is- is there any chance that it could pass?"
The fact that Feng was the only member of this apparent faction of racial purists in the senate seemed awfully promising, but the intensity with which she was studying the bill was enough to give them pause. Of course, they hoped the answer was no in all their seeming naivete. They were spoiled by centuries of life in Mialor, which welcomed Vince and Lily with open arms and where the most common form of racism by a large margin was against Atonari, and even that was starting to evaporate, thanks to their efforts.
...Which wasn't to say the Mialorians were free of prejudice, no.
I'll wait on the staff commons for KC
"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."
[Staff Commons]
Beth tilted her head and listened carefully. "King Peter, may his soul find peace, said art was always about emotions. Though the only emotions he seemed interested in were simple ones." Beth idly drummed on her knees for a few moments, then said, "I think I know what you mean about honesty? But how do ya really tell if music is... honest?" Then, with a slight frown, she added, "I mean, people can lie with words, and seem honest as ever. Why not with music?" She gulped when she realized she might have just utterly offended Wilhelm, and hurriedly added, "er, I mean, I'm sure there's a reason you can tell 'honest' music from dishonest, I just don't know it, least not yet."
[Observatory]
"C'mon," he said to the machine. "You really have to do this to me?" Then he sighed and turned to Aseyu and Adrian. "Well, that didn't go like I'd hoped." Then, with a forlorn attempt at optimism, he added, "but at least nothing exploded, right? Now, uh, let me see here..." he studied the knife switch diagram. "Bet you one of those things is our problem."
[Dining Hall]
Before Adam or Nick could say anything else, Jackson walked back into the dining hall, his arms crossed and his smile still there.
"Guys." he said, "Come on. We're going on a little adventure."
"Adventure?" Adam asked, "Jackson, what on earth are you planning?"
"I'll tell you all when we're a little farther away from the hotel. Just be sure we all stick together." Jackson then glanced at Howell, gave him a thumbs up, then walked back outside.
Nick shrugged. "Well...I guess it's something big. Otherwise, he wouldn't leave us in so much suspense, now would he?" With a chuckle, he followed Jackson outside.
Adam then motioned Howell to follow him. "Come on, Howell. Guess this involves you too."
[Pax Island ~ Hotel (Dining Room —> Lobby)]
"I guess so." Howell mimed, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets and following behind the others.
Leaving the dining room behind and pushing onward towards finding his sister brought him a little relief, but the onus sown by his deeds would undoubtedly gnaw at his insides until he could finally make some honest amends. He'd have liked to believe that Jackson's planned adventure, along with his words of encouragement, meant that the older boy would lead him to just that, but an uncommon skepticism kept him from fully giving himself over to the idea. It didn't help that he wasn't privy to any of the details in Jackson's plan, and while being such a position wouldn't bother him twenty-seven out of twenty-eight days, what he needed to do that day felt too important to leave to chance.
Howell didn't say anything much to the others as he followed, entering the hotel's quiet lobby. Oddly, there didn't seem to be anyone at the front desk at all at that time of day, or at least not at that moment. There was a small 'back in 5 minutes' sign set up on the desk, and some small device that may have been a watch lying next to it.
Howell's gaze hovered curiously over the desk for a moment as he glanced around the room, but he didn't investigate it any further than that.
this place needs me here
Attitude is prohibited
[Castle Boreas - Balcony]
"Oh yeah?" Said Sam, pausing to take a very long drag from her cigarette. "Sounds like you've had a bit of a shitty life, if you don't mind my saying." She smirked at him. "I can tell you don't like talking about your past. If you don't want to, you don't have to." She chuckled. "You're not under arrest or anything. Say what you want, mon ami." Instead of using the ashtray, Sam decided to tap the end of her cigarette over the edge of the balcony, letting the ashes fly away with the wind. "Let's talk about your present. What's this 'Acquati' guy like? He treat you well?"
Not entirely dead.
Drummer Boy
[Castle Boreas East Parlor]
"I hope not. I don't think any of the senators want to insult my father that badly." Seilaan nervously swirled the remains of her coffee in its cup. "But Senator Feng has had numerous meetings with the other senators since this bill was introduced and started circulating. She must have a few tricks up her sleeve. I can debate on the floor, but I'm only allowed to vote to break a tie, so I need twenty-five out of fifty senators to be on my side. The debates will certainly be interesting."
Another sip, and there went the last of her coffee. Maybe she needed to slow down. "Nothing's going to be more amusing than Wilhelm's initial reaction, though. He glanced over it when Senator Feng dropped it off at my office, pointed out that since I'm mixed race, any marriage I make is technically interracial, and asked her if she wanted me to reproduce asexually. He's only been allowed to deal with her secretary since then."
[Staff Commons]
"I could be lying, but you're just gonna have to believe I'm not. You can ask Seilaan later if you want, she's got all kinds of stories about me. Lying kills me. And remember what I said about the martyrdom stuff? That's why I don't like it when people tell me I have talent, either. Because what is it, really?" Wilhelm rubbed the back of his neck. He always needed to be reminded not to hunch over the piano. "Seriously. How do you define it? Be specific."
edited 9th Aug '14 4:34:48 PM by SnowyFoxes
The last battle's curtains will open on stage!
[castle boreas east parlor]
The two simply watched as they spoke, giving slight nods of acknowledgement at appropriate times and sipping their drinks all the same.
{ Knew I remembered them from somewhere, } he relayed to her as Cecille came back in to refill their cups of coffee with a smile. He thanked her by name as always. { I talked to Senator Feng, like three centuries ago. Racial supremacist, even had a slur for white people. Wish I could have brought you and seen the look on her face. }
When Cecille left with the emptied French press, cups full and a fresh pot on the warmer, Lily smirked, both at her husband's remark and their guests' speeches, and gave them a faint scoff. "Gotta love revolutionary fervor." She sipped her tea almost serenely, the blue jeweled hue of her eyes seemingly more vivid than before.
Moved Observatory bits into a new post for visibility's sake.
edited 7th Aug '14 9:55:07 PM by CrystalGlacia
"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."