Welcome, reader, to the latest Character Development Thread! These shared story exercises help budding writers develop their characters alongside the characters of other budding writers. No formal sign-up is necessary; one can simply jump right in. Just make sure to review the OP and the last few pages first.
If the length of the thread has become a bit daunting and you need a recap, or if you simply need another question about the threads answered, just post in the discussion thread
and we’ll do our best to help you out.
This particular thread focuses a bit more heavily on character interaction than usual. It is recommended, though not required, that your characters come with specific goals in mind.
Many thanks go to nrjxll, Killer Clowns, SolipSchism, Corvidae, electronic-tragedy, Darkblood Carnagefang, Strix Obscuro, Gault, Night, and gameknight102xx, among others, for helping to prepare the thread.
◊Somewhere in the vastness that is the multiverse, there lies a great city. Born from a mix of modern technologies and ancient magic, it has become a crossroads between many different realities, resulting in a wonderfully varied populace and a mostly near-futuristic cityscape.
This shining Capital prides itself on being a place of opportunity. It’s up to the inhabitants to make something of it.
- Current Time: Night (~10:00 PM)
- Current Weather: Cloudy
edited 12th Oct '15 12:20:03 PM by Yomegami
Eat my dust!
"I thought I oiled it just yesterday," Energy thought in his head. No matter, the Resonating Arcane Tracer (or R.A.T.) he had just deployed was making errant squeaking sounds. A problem that needed to be fixed.
The squeaking stopped, and the machine continued its work in silence, keeping tabs on the boy and the girl who were apparently the source of the mind-control magic.
"Ah, don't call the waitress yet, mister. We haven't eaten anything yet, if ya don't mind. We'll pay your tab for ya if you wish, but we wanna stay here a little longer," he said to Theign.
Meanwhile, Flamist turned to Ulf.
"Why aren't you fighting too?" she asked, her tone completely unchanged.
edited 1st Mar '15 9:07:03 PM by gameknight102xx
"SAID CLOUD TO THE CARTOON PONIES AND UNICORNS WITH PICTURES OF FLOWERS ON THEIR ASSES. A DURR HURR HURR." ~Game Spazzer
Visitors Terminal
Kyana took the business card, staring at it in curiosity and wondering just who this person was. Putting it in a small pouch she had clipped to her side on her skirt she looked back at the woman who was chewing on a huge cigar. Suddenly she got an idea. Even if the woman possibly didn't need a heroes help since she was passing out business cards, there was something Kyana could possibly do. "Need a light?" she asked with a smile, closing her palm then opening it again to reveal a bright fire ball in her hand.
"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"
"Guess I'm off," Theign said, rising, as the waitress returned. He dug out his wallet and handed her a few bills. "Keep the change," he said, not looking at her.
He could feel them watching him in all his unpleasant curtness, obviously puzzled, and in the case of the children, probably hurt. Sighing, he turned back to the table. He couldn't tell them why he was in town, of course; but he couldn't tell them that he couldn't tell them, either. That would be just as bad.
He was almost out...so close to being gone. So why did the guilt have to strike him now?
"Look, guys," he said, "I don't mean to be short with everyone. It's just that I'm here for a reason, and I'm really not supposed to be mingling." It was technically true. Still, he could hardly salvage the situation now, meaningless as it was in the scheme of things. He shouldered his bag, and turned back toward the door to leave.
How dare you disrupt the sanctity of my soliloquy?
Razzin-Frazzin Robot
Visitor's district.
"Already lit, thanks." Said Sylvia, blowing a smoke star.
The Spire
Sitting in a rather elegant comfortable chair in a large office with even larger windows that had an amazing view of the city outside was a tall, beautiful woman with long light blonde hair and deep blue eyes. She was sitting with one leg over knee and was wearing a black strapless dress that flowed around her. In front of her was a rather handsome man sitting at a large wooden desk with folders in front of him. "Well, what do you think? I managed to dig out your rival companies darkest secrets. You would be surprised how much the CEO talked with some soothing music and a bit of wine." she said with a sly grin. The man's mouth was hanging open. "This is amazing! You really are a clever girl my sweet." he replied, digging through the files. "It was nothing really love. I would do anything to help your company grow."
She slowly got up and leaned over his desk and closer to his face. "Just let me know if you need anything else." she whispered then gave him a kiss on the cheek and turned to leave. She exited the office and started down the hallway and towards the elevators. 'Of course, I also have some information to sell about you...' she thought with a malicious grin.
"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"Visitors Terminal
"Oh..I see." Kyana said a bit sadly and closed her hand which extinguished the flame. "Well um, do you possibly know of someone or somewhere in the Capital that might be in need of a super hero? Cause I can totally be what they need. I mean I've been training my body to be more athletic, I have fire powers, I even came up with a super hero name for myself." she explained, standing in a superman like pose with a big grin on her face.
"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"
Razzin-Frazzin Robot
Visitor's district,
"I have something you could help me with."
Professional Recluse
[Zan's diner]
"No problem, your business is your own whatever it is I hope it goes well. Thanks for indulging a drifter." Ulf offered.
"Why aren't you fighting too?" Flamist asked. Ulf hadn't answered that question in a long time.
"A long time ago." he began, "I lived in a cold place, it was cold but we were happy. But bad people came one day, people kind of like us, but different. They didn't like us, so they tried to kill us. So we fought, and we lost. When the fighting stopped we hid, we tried to fight more, careful so they wouldn't find us. But they can hide well, these bad people, they disguised themselves and told lies. They said we were animals, dangerous, that we were bad. They said it loudly and often enough that our friends, our own people started believing them. As time went on there were less and less of us, until finally we could do no more. We lost, they won. So we left, there was nothing for us anymore." Ulf's forearms trembled and his eyes morphed into a bright yellow shade.
"We found a new home but they didn't like us either. They hid from us, if they saw us on a sidewalk they crossed to the other side. They thought we were animals too, and hated us for it. They thought they were better, better than anyone else. So they are fighting now, fighting my old home because they think only they should get to live." His voice was getting a bit gravelly, almost done.
"They are both bad, in different ways, they'd never let a monster like me live among them. So I came here, to start again and hopefully these people will be nicer. I am not Wulf, I am Ulf. I am not an animal, I am human." he repeated the mantra again, and felt the beast drain back down to where it was supposed to. His stature crumpled in exhaustion, he raised his hand to rub his fingers in the corners of his eyes to get the remaining tears out.
"I'm sorry that wasn't a happy story." he smiled wistfully. "Maybe I can make a happier one while I'm here."
Yeesh that drama bomb such a sap, Ulf.
edited 1st Mar '15 11:32:31 PM by Slysheen
Stoned hippie without the stoned. Or the hippie. My AO3 Page, grab a chair and relax.
Crazy Kiwi
Zan's Diner
Gwion stood, a plate containing nearly half a pizza in one hand and his mug of coffee in the other, three paces from the table where Ulf and the two youngsters sat.
As soon as the lanky scarred one had left, Gwion had scooped up what was left of his meal and headed towards the table to introduce himself and had got there in time to catch most of what Ulf had said.
"I beg your pardon, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I was on my way over to introduce myself and I couldn't help overhearing what you were saying. May I join you? Under the circumstances, I'd understand if you prefered I didn't.
edited 2nd Mar '15 12:20:52 AM by Wolf1066
Eat my dust!
Energy looked at Ulf, and for the first time he looked genuinely..sad.
"I...I know what it looks like," the young boy said.
Flamist, meanwhile, looked at him, and for a single moment Ulf would feel like something had suddenly stared straight into who he was, before the feeling receded.
"You look like both," she said simply. "You look like Ulf."
Energy turned to Flamist, and opened his mouth when, for the third time that day, he was interrupted, this time by Gwion.
"Oh...err...howdy there," Energy said. "Well shucks, fine by me. But I'd wait to see what Mr. Ulf says."
edited 2nd Mar '15 1:05:44 AM by gameknight102xx
"SAID CLOUD TO THE CARTOON PONIES AND UNICORNS WITH PICTURES OF FLOWERS ON THEIR ASSES. A DURR HURR HURR." ~Game Spazzer
Professional Recluse
[Zan's Diner]
Ulf took a deep breath steeling himself before smiling again, but this one was a little more somber.
"You're welcome to it. Sharing that is kind of like a good cry, therapeutic. Though being able to admit it, and what I am without an instant witch-hunt is...gratifying." Unless. he shuddered at the memory of the dark man's touch in the visitor's center. No, he'd never felt magic like that on earth. Well if Ulf made it here pursuers might have too. No sense worrying, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. Never too low to entertain a little optimism.
He held out a hand to the newcomer.
"Ulf Marten, your friendly neighborhood lycanthrope at your service."
living music catalog official
Zan's Diner
Foster wasn't exactly listening in on the conversation behind him, but two words seemed to grab him and throw him for a loop. Witch-hunt, someone had said behind them, and just the sound of the words made the mute cringe.
Nevertheless, he shook it off the best that he could and nudged Rani, maybe she would like to meet the group behind them too? She nodded, it was a nice idea, but then again it was just an idea. They couldn't figure out how to approach. So instead, they turned around in their barstools towards them, hoping maybe someone would notice.
Foster smoothed down his hair a little and Rani pushed her glasses a little more towards her face. Neither knew what to say.
It's a bird.
Zan's Diner
"Well, I suppose that..." Garkin began, before noticing a flash of light at the corner of his eye. He turned his head towards it's source, and stared at the ensuing weirdness for what felt like well over a minute, his jaw slowly moving closer and closer to the floor.
Eventually he turned back towards Joshua, having completely forgotten what he was about to say. "Well, that was strange," he said before raising his hand to call for a waitress.
"I'm going to the arena, probably via the Museum Park. You're free to come along if you feel like it."
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Zan's Diner]
"You go on ahead," Joshua prompted, "I think I'll look around this place a little bit."
It's a bird.
Zan's Diner -> Visitor's District
"Alright then. See you around."
Garkin paid one of the waitresses, stood up, and left Zan's Diner. Once he got outside he stopped for a moment to take a deep breath. "Just then things are getting back to normal I end up in a damn episode of the Voidfarer Journals..." he mumbled to himself before heading off towards the south. "Just my luck I guess."
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Old City—Old Arena]
Sito raised one hand, his expression one that suggested he was lost, but his words were relevant enough:
"Excuse me if I'm off-point," he said, "but using a false injury to gain pity or mercy is a gamble at the best of times. Many are proud to lack mercy. But hardly anyone is immune to overconfidence. Incautious warriors and soldiers will grow lazy and clumsy when they think they've already won. Adrenaline lowers and the heart rate slows, making even a seasoned veteran's body sluggish. Convince someone he's won—using a feigned injury or any of countless other techniques—and you've gained a great advantage. And," he added, "even if an opponent has feigned injuries in the past, there's still an instinctive reaction on seeing the injury, fake or not—a split-second's hesitation or deliberation can be all you need to strike."
But he smiled at Gharboa and nodded. "Indeed! It's well to discuss combat, but what is the point of talk without action?"
He gestured politely for the other two to precede him.
Crazy Kiwi
Gwion slid his plate and cup onto the table and took Ulf's offered hand.
"Gwion Walker," he said, "at your service." Lycanthrope? As in 'werewolf'? He thought. How is that possible? Then he remembered the feral-looking people who frequented Café Catacombs and self-identified as "lycanthrope" or "theriomorph" - reputedly formidable fighters if you were foolish enough to invade their turf.
He smiled. "No witch-hunt here, I'm a pagan."
As he shrugged off his small back pack and set it on the floor, he noticed the young woman in the ill-fitting clothes and her scruffy companion looking in their direction and gave a nod of acknowledgement.
He slipped into the recently-vacated seat and took a sip of his coffee. He'd been distracted from it for so long that it was getting cold so he downed it quickly before it became undrinkable.
"Had you pegged as a combatant," he said to Ulf, "been there often enough myself. And been on the losing side a number of times, too, but not to the degree that you have. I can only imagine what it's like to lose your home."
He rested his mechanical arm on the table and picked up another slice of pizza with his right hand. It had also cooled a lot but pizza, unlike coffee, can be consumed cold. It still tasted delicious.
Laugh and grow dank!
[Visitor's Terminal]
The lizard saw the bizarre-looking creature and gave a start.
She was rather short, with a scaled body, angular head and digigrade legs. Despite looking more than a little surprised, her head had a curious bent to it as she regarded the shvuim.
"Oh- oh no, no I was- um..." Evidently, her mouth had begun speaking before her brain had come up with anything to say. She realized this, looked down, gathered herself, then began to speak again.
"Ah, hello! Yes, I was told that people were starting to appear here. It seems I was a little late. And I'm not looking for anyone specific, no, just people in general. I'm on a bit of an errand, you see." She held up the clipboard in hand, a sheet of paper with fields marked for name, sex and various other personal data marked out for filling in. Next to each entry, a wide box was left blank for miscellaneous notes.
"My name's Rikael, by the way." She extended a clawed hand and, now that she had gotten over her initial shock, seemed to brim with unadulterated cheer. The wide facsimile of a smile was back, a very Human expression on a very non-Human face.
yey
[Zan's Diner]
"Nice meetin' ya." Joshua commented more to himself than Garkin as the lizard went through the door. Ordering a simple coffee from the waitress that stopped at his table, he got up, stretched his arms toward the ceiling, and started sauntering around. He found the air of the place... almost dishonest, if that makes any sense.
[Hole in the Ground]
"Going in?" He asked Kommisar. Some yards away, planted in shadow, a humanoid... thing sat on a capsized dumpster. Wearing nothing but an unbuttoned, dirty green vest, and tattered, grey shorts.
His physical appearance implied to him being on the edge of some mutation: Wisps of sandy-blonde hair, and baby blue eyes set against a pair of tiny horns peeking out of his head, with strange, bony growths protruding out of his back, as if someone had just ripped a pair of wings off him. Similar growths, except much smoother and sharper, surrounded his mouth and nose in a circular arrangement. And finally—he had claws that an alley-cat would be jealous of.
After giving his question, Genocide gave a fanged, disjointed grin.
living music catalog official
Zan's Diner
Rani looked over at Gwion, Ulf, and the two children and gave her brightest smile- along with a tiny hand wave. Foster tried to copy her but sat himself up, barely being able to hold a smile for a second. He wasn't sure about how he felt about these people and it showed, he was never the trusting type.
Rani opened her mouth but she couldn't say anything, she swiveled around in her chair awkwardly instead. Looking toward Foster, she asked him as quietly as possible if he knew what to say.
He gave her a sarcastic shrug, as if to say, "Sorry, I'd love to help but I'm a damn mute."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head again. Maybe the others would ask them something first. With the scene they were making, it was bound to happen eventually.
Eat my dust!
Energy looked over at where Gwion was looking.
"One of those two used some sort of mind-control magic earlier. Be careful." Energy quietly warned the others. "I'm not sure what their objective is, but our boss told us to be careful in this city."
Meanwhile, Flamist simply just stared back at them, her head tilted sideways as she debated whether she should acknowledge them, ignore them, or maybe just deal with them.
edited 2nd Mar '15 12:26:02 PM by gameknight102xx
"SAID CLOUD TO THE CARTOON PONIES AND UNICORNS WITH PICTURES OF FLOWERS ON THEIR ASSES. A DURR HURR HURR." ~Game Spazzer
Professional Recluse
[Zan's Diner]
"You get used to it, "home" becomes a bit of an abstract concept with time. Plus after the occupation it really wasn't the home I remembered. Sometimes you just can't win and have to pull out. The bloodsuckers may not be as physically strong as us, but there are more ways to win a game than brute strength and they were much more adept at manipulating hearts and minds."
"Yeah, I guess I could still be considered a combatant. Fighting to protect yourself or others is perfectly reasonable, I try to avoid most of the political stuff now though. I don't regret the Resistance, but a lot of people got hurt and the effect we had in the long run was minimal."
Gwion seemed to stare up at something behind Ulf. He turned with the others and noticed the pair at the other end of the diner giving a bright smile and a small wave. Well, the woman at least, the man seemed to be trying though.
"One of those two used some sort of mind-control magic earlier. Be careful." Energy quietly warned. "I'm not sure what their objective is, but our boss told us to be careful in this city."
"I smelt it too." Ulf added remembering the warm strands he felt earlier.
Mind control. The concept wasn't one he enjoyed thinking about, it was one of the signature skills of the bloodsuckers. It was one of the ways to hunt them out since the beast rebelled against outside influence, it was a great boon in a fight, especially against someone who wasn't expecting it. But it was also a tag, the bloodsuckers would know what you were when it failed, or at least that you were an outlier.
Ulf took another sniff. She didn't smell like a bloodsucker, but he didn't put it past them to mask it. Well he might be immune, but what of his companions? He banished the thought, Gwion seemed experienced and Energy seemed knowledgable enough about that type of magic.
So in conclusion...neutral but watchful. He decided and gave a small wave back.
Stoned hippie without the stoned. Or the hippie. My AO3 Page, grab a chair and relax.
living music catalog official
Zan's Diner
"It worked!" Rani laughed quietly. "They seem to like us!"
She smiled towards Foster, who responded with what could possibly be the fakest grin of his life.
"Aw, now. Don't kill the mood!" she joked, with a friendly shoulder punch towards her companion.
She thought he was trying to be a downer as always, but in reality he heard all that the other group had said about them, and didn't have the heart to tell his excited friend that it wasn't true.
He sighed to himself, unsure of how to settle this without telling Rani what was really going on.
Eat my dust!
Energy looked over at Ulf and Gwion. "Let's see now. My daddy always used to say to prepare for the worst case scenario. So. In the worst case-"
"In the worst case, they're going to do something bad," Flamist put it in simple terms. "Which means I should make them disappear right now."
The swirly designs on her mask began to glow magma-orange. Ulf would detect it: a strange type of magic. It was powerful, no doubt. But at the same it was seemed far, far away, like the warmth of the sun. The scariest part was it was getting closer at an alarming rate.
However. Energy reached across and took one of her hands.
"Wait!" Energy pleaded. "They might not be bad though! Please, let's not just yet!"
Flamist looked at her partner, and the glow faded. The steadily approaching power dissipated. Energy looked at the two, then looked at Ulf, pleading at him to do something.
edited 2nd Mar '15 4:47:35 PM by gameknight102xx
"SAID CLOUD TO THE CARTOON PONIES AND UNICORNS WITH PICTURES OF FLOWERS ON THEIR ASSES. A DURR HURR HURR." ~Game Spazzer
A familiar intro became audible across the diner and Gwion started tapping his feet. As the music built, he absentmindedly whistled along, his pizza temporarily forgotten.
There was no one at the jukebox and no sign that anyone had just returned from it.