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Post by friday on Oct 2, 2011 21:51:41 GMT -5
Gotta love those one-word titles. <3Man, am I excited for this year. =D Mostly because the first year was such a success, and also because I started forming ideas for this in September. Last year I learned that I did not do very well without a plan. What little I had of a plan at the beginning made things fun and easy, so this year I'll try to know a little more about what I'm doing. I don't know if this takes away from the “I don't know what's going to happen next!” NaNo experience, but I have a feeling it won't. Anyway. Just because I started planning early doesn't really mean I know any more about the story than I did last time. : P I think I knew more last time, actually, and I didn't have to think nearly as hard about that. But yeah. Basically I'm taking the personalities of numbers that my ordinal linguistic personification (or OLP), a type of synesthesia, gives me, then elaborating on them and applying them to characters. (I've wanted to do this for a while.) Influences will probably be Homestuck, Portal, and (slightly) the Hunger Games this year. And possibly other things? Since this idea is so small right now. It'll be about ten teenagers. Which is pretty much the only thing I'm sure of at this point. Ten teenagers randomly selected (maybe?) out of billions of people for something. Each selected child is assigned a different number ranging 1-10. I think they'll have tattoos or something to help with that. Or jumpers with the numbers on the pockets, most likely. I'm not sure if they're test subjects or what, but. Each of them will have a “guide” of sorts that can communicate with them through telepathy. They're supposed to help them through this, as far as they know. Except the guides are possibly bored, malicious, immortal, and not-quite-human. I'm fairly sure this takes place on a spaceship or a space station or something. Or not. I keep thinking of the interior like it's a dark, neon-y laser tag area. Also the kids get some sort of power when they get there, I think. Depending on the number. …so I'm writing about a bunch of random teens abducted by aliens, as far as I know. This is new. XD The title is what it is because these aren't the first humans to be abducted, and they're always taken in sets of ten. The numbers will keep piling up to “reach infinity” unless it's stopped. But since everything's shifting so much, most things here are bound to change. So I tried to keep it general. XD So that's what this month is for! Refining vague ideas and thinking up ways to make them fit. I'll be posting random thoughts here till then, I guess. And, even more likely, lots and lots of character bios. |
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Post by Rikku on Oct 2, 2011 22:16:33 GMT -5
Love this idea. <3 The number thing. Really haven't heard of anything like that before, which may just be because I haven't read widely enough, but still. Seriously intriguing concept.
... Also the guides sound fun. xD
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Post by Chao on Oct 3, 2011 11:10:52 GMT -5
Space-destined kids with strange guides and possible talents? Sounds fun! Especially when they find out that they are not the first set of 10 forced in this situation. *g*
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Post by Robyn on Oct 7, 2011 0:53:26 GMT -5
i honestly cannot you to start writing this
hoh mah gahrr girl
HOH MAH GAHHR.
;w; I wanna know ~more~
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Post by friday on Oct 8, 2011 13:18:21 GMT -5
Love this idea. <3 The number thing. Really haven't heard of anything like that before, which may just be because I haven't read widely enough, but still. Seriously intriguing concept. ... Also the guides sound fun. xD Really? Huh. It is a rarer kind of synesthesia, so it isn't looked into as much. I don't think it had its own article, last time I checked. Still interesting and really fun to mess around with. Although it doesn't give information for every number, so a lot of this was fill-in-the-blanks. And they are so much fun. XD Space-destined kids with strange guides and possible talents? Sounds fun! Especially when they find out that they are not the first set of 10 forced in this situation. *g* Yup! And there were probably hundreds upon thousands before them. Still have to work that out. XD i honestly cannot you to start writing this hoh mah gahrr girl HOH MAH GAHHR. ;w; I wanna know ~more~ YOU WILL KNOW ~MORE~ Or a little, at least. XD Because I don't know that much either, lol. Um. So. This story thing is not being very cooperative, but I can't work up the nerve to abandon it, because bits and pieces are still really cool. I just need some sort of plot setting thing and a set of rules and just. I need to know how things work before I can say anything definite about this story, so there isn't likely to be a whole lot of info up here till then. The only definite thing I have figured out is that the guides (who still need a better general name) are androids. Very advanced androids. I think. They should be. Yeah. Just watched the movie 9 for the first time tonight, mostly because I've been wanting to, but it was also pretty interesting in regards to NaNo shenanigans. Actually it might have been exceptionally inspiring. I've also been mainly listening to the Portal 2 soundtrack. It's great, but I don't think it fits well enough. :I I'll probably have to find something else when the time comes.  Totally didn't have fun making all these different characters nope not at all =D but Holy cow I don't even These need so much work but it's hilarious how much other things influence this I kid you not 2 is Rogue Lalonde 3 is Wybie 4 is Twilight Sparkle 5 is Dave Strider/Roger Radcliffe 6 is River Song 7 is Eridan/Hanna Faulk Cross 8 is Russel Hobbs 9 is Vriska/Azula so original 1 has been sleeping for a very long time
2 is a mystery and is set on defying her own destiny (Irene)
3 is our protagonist with a hopeless crush on 6
4 seems dreamy/normal but is very vital to life and death (Melanie)
5 is forced to fill in for 10 and be the leader (Rodger)
6 is amazing (Casey Summers)
7 has a a lot that's expected from him and is always nervous because of it (Felix)
8 is best bros with 7 and supports/protects him
9 hates 7 and 8 and it just the biggest jerk ever (Veronica)
10 dies early and dooms everything
The “7 ate 9” joke is going to be so very relevant.
And Felix is Felix because of the luck potion from Harry Potter. Heh.
And then the guides. Hm. They'll have their own numbers, too.
1's guide is like his mother, since she sort of raised him. Different from the others. (12)
2's is female and haughty. Has a hard time dealing with 2. (21?)
3's is one charming and snarky devil. (13)
4's is a seemingly emotionless female who's set on their destruction. (42? ahaha)
5's is undecided.
6's is also undecided. (36)
7's is undecided.
8's is male and all for peace.
9's is a conniving male who has no problem with getting his hands dirty. (99)
10's is undecided. Dead? You know, a really cool thing about this is that OLP (or synesthesia in general) runs in the family. XD My sister has the exact same quirk, and we even see some numbers the same way. Which makes rambling about our NaNos all the more fun. But whyyy did I have to have so many characters. Honestly, I only have names for five of them so far. D: As if not having a plot was hard enough. |
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Post by Jayeee on Oct 9, 2011 7:12:58 GMT -5
I know that you'll be able to work this story out, Friday, because it's so awesome! <3
I'm really enjoying your characters already, even though we only know a little about them so far. Some of the guides sound like they're going to be awesome contrasts to the other 10! I can't wait until you develop this plot!
Also, 3's guide sounds amazing. XD;
Good luck, Friday! =D
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2011 13:54:43 GMT -5
Oooh this sounds so awesome and shiny.  I can just tell from your influences that this is going to be epic. Also I love how you've developing your character from how you personify numbers. That's just so cool and interesting and I can't wait to see where you go from here.  |
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Post by friday on Oct 20, 2011 20:00:04 GMT -5
Ahh, thank you, guys! <3 OKAY SO. I've been thinking a lot and I'd thought so much about dropping this idea. Not because I didn't like it, but because it was giving me such a hard time and not getting anywhere. Every time I'd try to find a plot my brain would tie itself in knots. I was just getting bad vibes from it overall. Like. To the point of unsettling dreams. It was just the wrong atmosphere and colors and bluh bluh Friday wasn't liking it. But I really can't think of a different idea at this point, so I've changed things until I do like it. And now for something completely different! The imagination is much stronger than we are led to believe. There are some things we dream that are so strong that, if left alone, could escape and run rampant in the world. And this clearly wouldn't do. Earth would be long-gone if that was allowed to happen. So something was done about it. When our universe came into existance, there was a smaller, seperate pocket in reality where dreams would go. They would all gravitate to that one area, dreams of all kinds, and they'd be organized, sorted, and eventually dealt with. The ones who kept these dreams in order were the ten guardians who appeared with the seperate reality. They were the ones who established a system to this other world to keep things under control. The place took the appearance of a large city, with different types of dreams going to one of the different ten districts. Two bridges were formed, splitting the districts in half, and the guardians' ten towers were located in the center of the city. Have a badly sketched map I did during school for some clarity. Most dreams were fine with nothing more than the guardians' supervision, but bad dreams crept up just as often as the good ones. The first five districts had a small population of nightmares, while the other five were different, located near the edge of the world. Their numbers there were much larger. The nightmares continued to multiply and threatened to ruin the system that so carefully kept everything in balance. The guardians couldn't deal with it all on their own, as they weren't much stronger than dreams themselves. They needed constant sources of imagination to stay strong and tangible. And so they would choose ten humans and allow them into the city when they dreamt. They were usually younger, as they would last longer and were more likely to have stronger imaginations. The guardians would watch over them and channel their own energy through them, working as one to keep the nightmares at bay through something of a partnership. When the humans eventually died, be it from some cause on earth or if their dream avatars were killed, they would be replaced, and the cycle would continue. The nightmares in each district grow stronger with the number, in most cases. However, this isn't an entirely strict rule. The occasional horrible nightmare could crop up in the more peaceful districts. Dealing with these things can vary. Sometimes the nightmares are physical things you have to kill, and other times they are things you have to experience and survive. Every building in the districts house dreams, so that entering different doors means entering the different dreams/nightmares of other people. For the nightmares you have to experience to get rid of, you have to pretty much sit through them and make sure you don't die. Anything could happen, but once the nightmare is over, you're able to destroy it. (Might find ways to go more in depth with this later.) Being a "protector" (someone who deals with the nightmares) isn't all fun and games, obviously, but being one does come with its quirks. You have a dream avatar that you can customize any way you like, so you could change your physical appearance to a certain extent. You also have a special sort of "house" in your district that serves as a resting point and and a dream storage room. You can experience any dream you've ever had over again if you like, or destroy your own nightmares. Districts are areas that are constantly shifting. Every time a new batch of protectors in let in, the districts shift to fit their personalities and interests. Districts are kept seperate by barriers that will be temporarily let down only if its protector allows it to. This keeps things organized (and also pretty private). The two bridges splitting the districts are different. Nightmares are allowed to roam there without opposition, making them highly dangerous and unpredictable areas. It isn't wise to try and cross them, but it can be done. And as far as the guardians' towers go, not many protectors have ever seen inside them. (If any have at all. I haven't thought much about them, so they might be explored in the story if that ever becomes an issue.) Then there's the Edge, where the city drops off. It seems to be where all of the stronger nightmares gravitate to, and looking out at the edge is like looking out into an endless void. Whether the guardians know what's out there or not is unknown, but no protector has ever risked exploring it. (Which probably means we'll be exploring it, lol.) The closer a district is to the Edge, the tougher the nightmares are. Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 have never had many huge monstrosities to worry about, but the nightmares get progressively worse as you cross the bridges to Districts 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. It's generally advised that the five protecters from each side of the city form a sort of team in case one individual protector can't deal with something on his own. This rule is handled casually for the first five districts, but for the farther side, it's practically a necessity if you want to make it through the night. As for the story, it'll probably be seperated into three parts. Part 1 will be when our main cast is introduced to the city (WHICH STILL NEEDS A NAME ARGH) and explore things a little. I might end up skipping this part entirely, but it's a possibility. Part 2 would be where the guardians split, something terrible happens, the entire city is thrown into chaos, and everyone is automatically doomed. Part 3 would contain the characters trying to fix this unfixable problem, possibly by uniting and using the power of ~imagination~ to weld things back together. If they do at all. But things happen along the way like death and revenge and secrets and shipping and awesome and geez this will be fun to write. I think I'll be jumping from perspective to perspective, where things will overlap and stuff, but we'll see. I've never done it before, and it feels weird and detachted without a main character, but I guess you could say that I have ten main characters in all. Or there just isn't one, lol. *reminded of Baccano!* Things to do: -Decide what happens to the characters in waking life (will time zones interfere with things?) -Finish character bios -Name the novel, alternate reality, city, end of the city, guardians, protectors, etc. (just using placeholder names for now I guess) -Catagorize nightmares and think about naming them -Plan out the Guardians' pasts -Decide what Zero is -Start working on an outline -Sketch the characters' dream avatars (not required but stiiiill) Bluh, just look at how uncertain that all is. *wrote it out at like 2am* I need to make choices and put together an outline. And find names for places/things. And find a new title. But either way, this should be fun! And I still have around two weeks to get all of that done. Should be posting bios next, and 3 out of 10 of those are done so far. I really hope it doesn't look like I'm copying the other dream-related NaNos floating around because that would be stupid. They've been inspirational but I don't want it to be like I'm stealing guuuuh. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2011 16:45:50 GMT -5
Oooh this idea seems really cool too! I think it's kind of awesome that there are so many dream-related NaNos this year. But rest assured that yours stands out on it's on! It's not like the dreamworld concept belongs to a single person in particular. There are some things that may be similar because we're all building from the basic blocks of dreams, but I think that once everyone starts writing the stories it'll be quite clear just how different they are from each other. x) everyone with a dream Nano should like band together and reference each others NaNos that would be sweet |
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Post by friday on Oct 24, 2011 22:00:58 GMT -5
Oooh this idea seems really cool too! I think it's kind of awesome that there are so many dream-related NaNos this year. But rest assured that yours stands out on it's on! It's not like the dreamworld concept belongs to a single person in particular. There are some things that may be similar because we're all building from the basic blocks of dreams, but I think that once everyone starts writing the stories it'll be quite clear just how different they are from each other. x) everyone with a dream Nano should like band together and reference each others NaNos that would be sweetAha, thanks, Reve. <3 It still felt like a pretty lame choice, but you're right~ and oh man that would be so cool YESAaand five of the character bios are done. =D Except they aren't quite "bios". More like files on their general character and past, along with info on each district and guardian. I'll post them in two parts, so a post for each team. This is because they're long and I still need to think about two characters in Team 2, ahaha. I kind of doubt I'll finish those before November. i am so unprepared oh maaanTeam 1 Also known as "One".
Guardian: Twelve
District 1: Focuses on the short, things-you-can't-remember-when-you-wake-up dreams
Short, wispy-curly, light blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin, slightly shorter than average, thin frame, often appears sallow and tired. Wyatt Smith is about nine years old, marking him to be the youngest of the current dreamers. Born with several health issues, he frequently visits the hospital, often for days at a time. His single father does all he can to keep him well, though the future is looking grim. Wyatt was never expected to live for very long. It may have been due to the medications or just the fact that he's an irregular sleeper (or most likely something else), but he isn't able to enter the city until later in the story.
(When he does wake in the city, his dream avatar has changed. It could be due to a lack of use, or his avatar has been so intergrated into the city that it's faded from its original state, but his hair lost its pigment and turned a flat white. The avatar's eyes are also a clearer, lighter blue than they once were. The only unchanged thing is that he has the same oversized nightshirt he fell asleep in. Wyatt will be too absorbed in the newfound city to bother to change any of these things.)
Despite living in a weakened state, Wyatt is still as energetic inwardly as any kid would be. He loves games and fun and doesn't take many things seriously. Being in the city has to be the best thing ever to him, as his ailments are gone and he's able to do nearly anything he wants. He hated being sick and confined to a bed, so the city is something of a wonderland in his eyes. Wyatt is very trusting to the point of naivety--he's still all innocence and magic. He doesn't understand much yet.
Wyatt is the protector of District 1, the one area of the city that has the lowest level of nightmares, in both strength and number. He doesn't have much responsibility tying him down to the district because of this. In fact, I'm not sure if he ever deals with nightmares on his own at first. The idea scares him. The district itself appears to be a fortress, an overdone haven for his dream avatar to stay. It's always nighttime, and everything is dimly lit by sparky, electrical cyan lights that snake across several large machines strewn about the place. This is probably his imagination shifting the surroundings to look like what he's always known of: the scary/interesting/pretty machines at hospitals.
The reason for the fortress, however, was because of Wyatt's guardian, Twelve. Out of all the guardians, she's regarded as having deteriorated the most. Forming bonds with so many humans and then having to watch them die has taken its toll on her worst of all. After the last one she cared for died, Twelve snapped. Now she's like an obsessive and slightly creepy mother to Wyatt, doing all in her power to keep him safe. (Another reason why he's unlikely to have to deal with the weak nightmares in his district.) The other guardians look down on her behavior, seeing her as a lost cause and no longer a significant part of the ten.
How his district and guardian effect his abilities are different from the other dreamers. Twelve does all she can to protect him, of course, warding off any nightmares she can. Due to having experience with short, sporadic dreams, he can also move through the other districts easier than the others, bypassing the barriers with little-to-no hassle. (At first this will just cause general confusion among the others, seeing this crazy hyper kid darting in and out of their dreams, lol.)
Later on when he wakes up and is able to calm down and stop running everywhere, Wyatt will join "Team 1" with Olivia, Quinton, Melly, and Rodger. I think he'll form an attachment to Olivia, too, as if she were an older sibling. They're basically opposites, but they compliment each other nicely. Also known as "Two".
Guardian: Twenty-seven
District 2: Focuses on the long, dull, monochrome dreams (that are nightmarish to some)
Soon to be sixteen years old, milky skin tone, greyish green eyes, petite, curvy build, dark hair in a reverse bob (with bangs dyed white). Olivia Bennett is an only child, living with her single (divorced) mother in an upper-class house. She's provided with a rich education at a private school, and seeing as she usually gets what she wants, most would see her as spoiled. Olivia, however, is often unhappy. She argues with her mother on a daily basis, and with good reason, as her mother is extravagant and immature. Ms. Bennett doesn't agree with most of Olivia's habits, and it's a wonder that Olivia was able to get by with dying her hair without much of a fuss from her. Getting it dyed in the first place may or may not have been an act of rebellion.
Olivia herself has always been regarded as an odd child. She was very reserved and quiet when she was young, but not out of shyness. As she matured rapidly through her teenage years, it became even easier to see her as an aloof, haughty character. (Which was pretty much the case.) Olivia never saw her behavior as impolite, believing that it was simply honest and to-the-point. She was logical and cultured while others were not, not even her ridiculous mother. Another thing alienating her from the crowd was her moderate OCD. Olivia's obsession with balance became more prominent the older she grew, and she wouldn't stand for any disorderliness. Most noticable is her love of black and white, adoring the symmetry of things such as checkerboards and stripes. Her mother writes off her taste as bland and colorless, but Olivia thinks it's the height of style and elegance.
Protector of District 2, Olivia has a slightly stronger throng of nightmares plagueing the area than District 1. One of the main differences is that these nightmares are able to grow to alarming strengths, varying from dream to dream. Olivia obliterates them as swiftly and efficiently as she can, becoming very devoted to her task and keeping the district in order. District 2 is like a black and white city, with monochrome skyscrapers and a checkerboard ground. The sky varies, turning many shades of grey, but sometimes it's an ink black.
As soon as she arrived in the city, Olivia's guardian, Twenty-seven, disliked her. It was in the way that they both had different ideas of how one should go about accomplishing things, so picky and exact that anything not following each indiviual's plans was disgrace to order. They only get along when they absolutely have to. As far as abilities go, Olivia isn't exceedingly special. Protectors of District 2 often aren't and are seen as weaker because of it. (She hates this. So much.) Twenty-seven is just as haughty and apathetic as Olivia can be, thus she probably doesn't lend her much power in the long run unless it's truely needed. Being able to bend reality in the city is usually enough for Olivia either way. The district lends to her abilities in that she still has a small bit of potential to do truly devestating attacks.
Olivia can't stand to leave her district for long, but she'll hang out with her friends Quinton, Melly, and Rodger near the beginning in her spare time. She regards Quinton and Melly with a sort of tolerating amusement, finding them somewhat endearing. She seems to love Rodger and look out for him as if she were a mother figure, although any other feelings she may have for him are unclear. She'll also form a sibling-like bond with Wyatt later on, which seems to go against a lot of what she's normally like (as I wouldn't think she'd like younger kids like him). I guess they bond through odd circumstances later. Which leads to many possibilities. Also known as "Three".
Guardian: Thirteen
District 3: Focuses on amusing, nonsensical dreams
Fifteen years old, short, curly, earth-brown hair, tanned skin, brown eyes, shorter than average, gangly limbs, hooked nose. Quinton Hobbs lives a pretty normal life before dreaming of the city, with parents who run a small restaurant. When he isn't in school, he often keeps an eye on his younger sister and cool grandpa while his parents are busy. It was expected that Quinton would take over the restaurant when he got older, but thanks to the totally awesome magic tricks his grandpa showed him, Quinton would much rather be an entertainer/magician. His parents think it's just silly phase, and it doesn't help that he's no good with magic. Still, he manages to amuse the otherwise ornery little sister, so no one stops him for now.
Quinton is a pretty optimistic guy and cares a lot for his friends and family. He's still pretty clumsy and has a hard time focusing, often getting in trouble for not paying attention and goofing off. Quinton's still learning when he should be serious and when he shouldn't, making some social interaction pretty awkward. But he's almost got the hang of it as the future beckons. He still clings to childhood things and doesn't want to acknowledge the fact that he'll have to abandon them within the next few years. When he was introduced to the city, it was perfect, since now he could balance reality and the dreams he doesn't want to let go of. The change was pretty noticable in his waking life, allowing him to put away his dreams for a little while and pay attention to things like his education. Knowing the city would always be there for him was reassuring. So when its existence is threatened, he'll be doing a lot to try and defend it.
Quinton protects District 3, which has generally small nightmares that don't always seem very threatening. Since he works with the more absurd dreams, sometimes the ridiculous nightmares of others can be interpreted as hilarious to him, making them a lot less scary to experience. In this way, he's never dealt with many seriously terrifying things before. District 3 looks like a small, sunny town with a huge circus tent in the center. The place itself isn't very constant, and nearly everything is always changing, from houses to trees to elephants to zombie bears and laser mermaids. Sometimes it even turns upside down and is possibly the most chaotic district in the city. The only thing that never changes has to be that everything is always very colorful.
Quinton's guardian, Thirteen, is very different from him in personality. He's often sarcastic and facepalming at most of Quinton's silly antics, which Quinton is more or less unfazed by. They don't have a very strong connection in general. Thirteen is a bit of the oddball among the guardians, and a dangerous one, too. He likes chaos, secretly pulling the strings behind the scenes and stirring up trouble. No one is able to blame him, though, as he often either didn't leave evidence or was innocent. Thirteen isn't stupid, so prooobably won't be behind dooming the city. Nevertheless, he will enjoy watching it.
Thirteen lends Quinton power without much argument, unless Quinton wants to waste large amounts of it on pointless shenanigans. The protectors of District 3 aren't usually anything special, but they're still important enough to cooperate with. Keeping the random dreams in line is vital to the city's balance.
Quinton is good friends with Olivia, Melly, and Rodger, Melly most of all. They're two peas in a pod, frequently visiting each other's districts and conducting silly hijinks. Quinton really looks up to Olivia and Rodger, though, so he knows to tone it down when they're around (although he doesn't always remember to do this). He tries to befriend anyone he can, but he'll protect his team without hesitation if they're in trouble. Also known as "Four".
Guardian: Fourty-two (lol may change)
District 4: Focuses on the surreal, fantastical dreams
Fourteen years old, long black hair, pinkish-pale skin, big blue-green eyes, average height, slender build, sort of gangly/birdlike. (Dream avatar has purple streaks in hair and multicolored hairclips/clothes/jewelry.) Melanie Willows was always a very sheltered child, with absurdly strict parents always keeping her in a box. She wasn't allowed to do anything by herself, be it clothes shopping, choosing what to eat, selecting media to view, or choosing friends. All of this repression, however, never daunted her very much. Melly would find ways to sneak around their rules, discovering new paths where she would be free to express herself. She doesn't hate her parents, although she's usually pretty angry with them. She knows they think it's for her own good, and it's always comforting to know that she won't have to live with them forever.
Melly is cheerful despite her overprotective parents. She's always been full of energy, but with limited outlets to channel it through. Things like painting, knitting, and music have been a few of her pasttimes. She loves reading more than anything, though, as there's a certain freedom in literature she could never have at home. Unfortunately, Melly prefers science fiction, which her parents aren't fond of at all. Still, she has a small stash of sci-fi novels hidden away. One thing she really wants to do someday is watch all of the Star Wars movies. (She'll pretend she's a jedi in her bathrobe, lol.) Dreams, though, have always been one of Melly's biggest interests. No matter what, no one could keep her from dreams for long. The freedom she was allowed in the city was overwhelming, and she made sure to do everything she's always wanted to upon arriving. Melly can handle her parents better now, knowing that the city is always waiting.
She protects District 4, which has a good majority of strong nightmares. Melly has the imagination and energy to face them, and half of the time, she's more awed than frightened by them. Being one of the more dark, disturbing districts, the nightmares can be as terrifying as the ones in higher districts. Melly calls on other protecters for help often because of this. The district itself, though, can be a thing of beauty. It does shift often, but Melly has made it so some things are stable. While the sky is pitch black, the entire district floats on a sea of stars like some kind of cosmic Venice, a dazzling, colorful spectacle of outer space drifting under the surface. Some small islands, inhabited by shrub-like, exotic plants, can be located in the district as well. The pull of gravity is much weaker, making it possible to float around.
Melly's guardian, Forty-two, is like a wise, friendly mentor. She has an open mind and is the main source of creativity among the guardians. Though she's generally kind and caring, she can be ruthless when the need calls for it, often granting Melly more than enough power needed to defeat her enemies. This act is risky, as it could affect Melly negatively, as well as screw up the balance of the city if things were to get out of hand.
Melly is good friends with her teammates Olivia, Rodger, and Quinton. Quinton especially, of course. She's always wanted someone she could freely be silly with, and the two were thick as thieves soon after meeting in the city. Like Quinton, Melly admires Olivia and Rodger (and also Quinton to an extent), much like she would with most other older, responsible people. While she would normally try to surpress her personality around people like that, she feels comfortable enough around them to be herself. She had some trouble connecting with Olivia, seeing as how she was oftentimes just as picky as her parents could be. But as they grew to be better friends through dreams, their differences began to matter less and less. Also known as "Five".
Guardian: Fifty
District 5: Focuses on the melancholy dreams (that lapse into nightmares half of the time)
Sixteen years old, short, shelved blonde hair, hazel eyes, tall, thin build, wirey. (Dream avatar appears stronger, with a peaked military cap and matching longcoat.) Rodger Vaughn used to be a happier kid, with caring parents and little to no trouble in school. Then his dad, an irriplaceable friend and role model, died in the war. His mother fell into a depression she couldn't fully crawl out of. The impact on the family was brutal, but Rodger did his best to keep things running with the help of sympathetic relatives. Through his grief, he grew up too soon, and the cheerful kid who worked diligently and had so much passion shriveled to a shell of his former self. Rodger slowly lost interest in a lot of things he used to feel strongly about, neglecting his studies and social life, retreating inside of himself to cope.
His friends used to know him as the dedicated guy and friendly leader. But as he got older and things happened, Rodger grew quieter and more introverted. The energetic spark he once had seemed to have gone out and was replaced with a solemn, melancholy attitude. His dream of going off to war and honoring his father remained, but he couldn't take action while he still had his mother to watch over. While dreaming of the city has been productive for people like Quinton and Melly, the effect it had on Rodger hardly made things better. After a night experiencing the sad dreams of others, he often wakes feeling emptier than before. Still, by protecting his district, he knows he's ultimately contributing in the protection of the world. It gives him motivation and a sense of purpose despite the hardships.
Protector of District 5, Rodger battles nightmares that his teammates couldn't even imagine in strength. In all honesty, it scares him, as he's closest to the first bridge and knows that what he's dealing with is only the tip of the iceburg when it comes to nightmares. The district itself, though, looks fairly harmless. It's similar to a quaint countryside, with sunlight peeking through scattered showers and long fields of grass that seems to have faded in color. It's like an old photograph, invoking feelings of nostalgia and longing. More often than not, however, it gives a sense of foreboding, as if something terrible has happened. Rodger makes sure his teammates can't enter the district, as it's just not a happy place to be. The nightmares in District 5 are sudden and silent when they attack, so it's nowhere near being safe, either.
Fifty, his guardian, is actually similar to Rodger in many aspects. He's much quieter and often seems unmotivated in his approaches, though he wasn't always that way. He doesn't hesitate to aid Rodger, but his cautiousness can be an inconvienience. When tragedy happens in the city, Fifty loses all heart and becomes useless, to the point where Rodger can freely derive his power from Fifty without any objections. Fifty does nothing but lament about the situation and babble about doom. At first it'll dishearten Rodger, but later on it helps him see that there's a time to mourn and a time to take action.
Rodger loves his teammates like a family and is keen on protecting them. Quinton and Melly are always up to something, trying to cheer him up and keep his spirits high. Olivia isn't quite as enthusiastic but understands him more than he'd like to admit. Despite Rodger wanting to uphold his leader status and take care of things himself, she keeps an eye on him and will occasionally break into his district to help when things get too hot to handle. His teammates have his back, and he's always trying to return the favor. |
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Meg
New Member
Cool Story Bro
Posts: 5
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Post by Meg on Oct 25, 2011 21:19:45 GMT -5
Buh duh duh duh duh I'm lovin' it
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Post by Robyn on Oct 25, 2011 21:22:27 GMT -5
-falls over & dies at all these characters-
<444444
aw ywah
this is gonna be so great
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Post by friday on Nov 3, 2011 16:12:17 GMT -5
Well hey look a title and synopsis. =D In the beginning, there were humans, and with the humans came the fantastic miracle of imagination. With it, they were capable of so much, but what they didn't realize was that the very existence of imagination was extremely hazardous. While people were awake, it was relatively harmless, as they had complete control over it. But when they slept and dreamt, the indescribable hallucinations could easily slip out and invade reality. If this had been allowed to happen, the twisted creations of the subconscious mind would reign over everything.
But in the beginning, there was also the Lull, the soft pause between reality and fantasy. Every dream would gravitate to the Lull to be captured, labeled, and sorted to keep everything organized and under control. Ten guardians watched over the Lull, keeping the entire realm in balance. The center of the Lull took the shape of a city containing ten districts, one for each guardian to supervise.
This system would've worked like clockwork if nightmares weren't in the equation. Keeping them bound was much more difficult, and when they escaped, the city was thrown into chaos. The guardians, not being much stronger than dreams themselves, needed constant sources of imagination to stay strong and tangible.
And so they would choose ten humans and allow them into the city when they dreamt, giving them the status of protectors. They were usually chosen when they were younger, as they would last longer and were more likely to have strong imaginations. The guardians would guide and channel their own energy through them, with two working as one to keep the nightmares at bay through a partnership. When the humans eventually died, be it from some cause on earth or if their dream avatars were killed, they would be replaced, and the cycle would continue.
Ten more children were chosen once again, no more unique than those chosen in the past. And yet it's during their time as protectors when things go horribly wrong. The most powerful and important guardian is killed, and the Lull is instantly ruptured beyond repair, dooming both realities and waking unspeakable terrors. The impossible task of saving everything falls on their shoulders, and whether they can accomplish it or not, it's going to be a long and painful struggle.
The lullaby is over. Welcome to hell.
So geometry class has helped me realize a few number things that have slipped my mind. Such as the existence of zero. Which is bound to be important, because zero is in the center of, like, everything. And it can make the smallest things great. But class also gave me other ideas, like each character who represents a number having a malicious alternate self. Or, in other words, negative numbers. Maybe the Lull is divided into two seperate planes like that, with Zero's domain being the only thing keeping them seperate. When One Hundred falls, the fields seperating the city from its alternate sister get weaker and weaker, letting in nightmares that are beyond anything the protectors have ever dealt with. Including alternate versions of themselves. Although that's kind of iffy. Having ten more little demons running around is bound to get confusing. So maybe only certain ones will make it past Zero's boundaries. The negative numbers might be ghosts of past protectors, or the emodiments of each character's worst fears. No idea which, but possibilities are fun~
Also, One Hundred might still be partially alive. Maybe he pulled a Voldemort or something. It's hard to say at this point. XD So things are going okay so far! ...and at the same time it isn't! =D Um. I kind of ran head first into the story without explaining anything, and everything I was writing was just boring and bland in general. 2,323 words of blandness, to be exact. I was missing the steady beginning I needed to keep writing, so everything felt off, and I was getting discouraged. So I decided to put aside those first 2k words and start over. I'm working on the prologue and things are looking up. I'm a lot more comfortable now, and more motivated to write. I'm just not sure if those 2k count anymore? But I think I'll include them because I did write them during November as part of a novel, even if they won't be in the finished piece. And I really need the extra words this month. >_> Also, totally using Icon's snail dare. With all of the double bonuses. Which isn't incredibly difficult, considering this is a dream world, but it's perfect and fun and they will be party snails. With hats. |
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Post by Jayeee on Nov 4, 2011 17:38:59 GMT -5
This sounds so pretty! Dreamscapes and protectors and the lull! I think you've got a wonderful story there, Friday!
And i'm very much looking forward to excerpts, because Friday writing is always awesome! =DD
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Post by friday on Nov 7, 2011 16:16:35 GMT -5
This sounds so pretty! Dreamscapes and protectors and the lull! I think you've got a wonderful story there, Friday! And i'm very much looking forward to excerpts, because Friday writing is always awesome! =DD <333 Aww man, thank you, Jay. ;w; Kind of hitting the pits of despair over just outright not wanting to write and being a whiny little lump in general, so. Maybe posting stuff will make it a little better? I guess I should have something to show for 9k, haha. But really everything I'm writing right now feels vaguely junky, and it's not nearly as amusing/sense-making unless I post the entire thing. So there's like. Backstory. Oh well. Since there wasn't much to do and he wasn't too terribly late, Quinton decided to visit his grandpa's room first. He grinned, walking down the long hall to room 17, gently knocking before entering.
"Come on in," a welcoming voice called.
Quinton pushed the door aside walked in to see Grandpa Joe, bright-eyed and sitting up in bed. The wrinkles lining his face crinkled as he smiled, his grey mustache curving with his expression.
"Well, hello there, Quinton! Glad you came to visit today." His grandpa's voice was old and rusty, but it still held a hint of its musical quality, filling the room like the chimes of aged brass bells. "How's your morning treating you? Do you have anything new to show me?"
"Anything new" referring to the trick his grandpa had shown him last week. Grandpa Joe was once a magician himself, performing in a travelling circus and gaining fame, one city at a time. Or, at least, that was what he told Quinton, and Quinton had never refused to believe it. It seemed wholly possible to him, as Grandpa Joe was still an amazing man, even with age, like fine wine. The trick he had showed him last week was a fairly simple one, involving a deck of cards and one sneaky movement of the hands to make the illusion. Like where you would guess the card the person was thinking of, only fancier, with more grandeur and room for error.
"I do, actually!" Quinton set his bag down, rummaging through its contents until he found his lucky pack of cards. Grandpa Joe had given them to him as a gift when he'd first decided to be a magician himself, and they always seemed to work better than the average deck. Quinton held them with both hands, standing straight and tall as he shuffled them, attempting to look professional.
"Okay, think of a card," he said, trying to make his voice sound something like a charming announcer, "Any card!"
Grandpa Joe pursed his lips, letting out a deep, rumbling hmmm. "All right. Go."
Quinton nodded and began to shuffle the cards around. All four suits ran past his eyes, diamonds, spades, hearts, clubs. He tried his best to make it look fancy, or, for lack of a better word, magical. But right when he was in the middle of shuffling, one ran into another, folding inwards and creating tension, and a small cloud of cards suddenly sprung from his hands, quickly falling to the floor.
Quinton stood, stunned for a moment, then disappointed, before bending over and picking up the card closest to him. "...Eight of clubs?"
Grandpa Joe seemed stunned as well, blinking a few times and hesitantly opening his mouth to answer. It took a moment before he could seem to reply. "...Ye-es. Er. That was it! Good job, Quinton. Excellent. Perhaps you've found a new way of performing that one. It was very...surprising."
Quinton grinned, happily picking up the rest of the cards. "Thanks! I'd never been able to get it right before. That's the first time they got launched out like that, though." The next time Quinton opened his eyes, he was no longer in his bed, or even in his room, for that matter. He was standing, recoiling from the bright whiteness, finding himself in an area exactly like the one he had dreamt about the night before. Except, he realized, it hadn't been a dream. He had complete control of himself, unlike most dreams, and everything appeared as it would as if he were experiencing it while awake. Experimentally, Quinton tried pinching himself. He'd never tried to in a lucid dream before and had to wonder if it really did anything. The flesh stung slightly, and that was it.
"That never works, you know."
Quinton nearly jumped four feet in the air, reeling around to see who had spoken. It was a nearby voice this time, not some wise, disembodied, telepathic voice like before. He wasn't sure how he'd missed it, but right in front of him stood a person. If that's what you could call it at all. It was as tall as two or three fully-grown men stacked on top of each other, towering over him. Quinton felt odd thinking of it as an "it", as its voice and appearance clearly belonged to a male. He wore long, flowing robes with deep burgundy and moss green patterns sewn into the fabric. It was difficult to see the entirety of the man's face, but his beak-like nose and unimpressed expression were very visible. There was fading youth in his eyes, his entire appearance giving the impression of him being in his late twenties. The way he held himself, however, was as if he were a god.
Quinton stayed locked in an awed stare, almost forgetting to speak. "Who are you?"
"Your saving grace, apparently," the man said, his features showing slight disgust at what he saw. "I always get the short ones. But that's besides the point, I suppose. I am Thirteen, the third guardian and your new best friend." The man gave a wide, sarcastic smile. "Hello."
"Oh...hi." Quinton wasn't sure what else to say, but he'd been told he could trust his guardian, and that seemed to be enough for now. "I, uh, guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other, then?"
Thirteen let out a short, ridiculing laugh, as if the very thought was absurd. "Well, I don't know about you seeing me, but I'll certainly be keeping an eye on you. It's my job, of course. But you aren't likely to be seeing much of me at all. We've no use for constant interaction and we're far too busy to consider it. I'll be contacting you the same way One Hundred did with you last time."
"One Hundred?"
Thirteen exhaled bitterly and rolled his eyes. "Of course he wouldn't mention his own name. He always puts on such a show for new arrivals. But yes, that was the tenth guardian, One Hundred. You could say he's our leader." He grimaced when uttering the last word, as if it brought a sour taste to his mouth.
"Oh! Well, that makes sense. So..." Quinton took one last look around, checking to see if the scenery had changed at all since last time. "What now? This isn't that Lull place, is it?"
"As it was stated before, this is just the gate. And it's easier to have a blank area for you all to learn about your new purpose. The inside of the Lull would be too...overwhelming." Thirteen's eyes shifted to the left disdainfully. "Personally, I hate it here. Too clean. But now I'm here to 'gently ease you into your new environment' or whatever ridiculous notion One Hundred's thought up. Though, considering the circumstances," he said, looking Quinton up and down, "perhaps it's the best choice of action."
"All right, then. I'm ready." Quinton couldn't keep the excited grin from his face. "How do we get there?"
"Not so fast, there, kid. That kind of cheerful recklessness will get you killed. Do me a favor and keep it up."
Before Quinton could object, Thirteen showed him the entrance. With a swish of his robe, he moved aside, revealing a door as tall as he was. Quinton's jaw dropped. The door was encrusted with thousands of tiny gems, the pattern so intricate and precise that they painted a supernatural scene of outer space, stars glittering before his eyes. It seemed to be moving, pulsing with deep hues of indigo and magenta. Quinton felt the urge to reach out and touch it, but Thirteen wasn't finished yet.
The guardian let out a dramatic sigh, interrupting the moment. "If only we didn't have to start out with infants. I swear this is the worst part of it all. You're much easier to deal with when you gain a few years. But back to business. There's something that must be done before you can enter the Lull. Step forward."
Worried, Quinton frowned, but he hesitantly approached Thirteen. The guardian reached out his long, bony hand, the sleeve of his robe billowing behind it. His eyes sealed shut, he placed his index finger on the center of the boy's forehead. As soon as contact was made, Quinton seized up, jolts of what he could only describe as electricity snaking through his skin. It only lasted for a moment, but when it was over, he reeled back, shaking and holding his head, as if it would explode at any moment. Migraine-like pains stabbed at his temples, on and off, like drums beating inside his skull.
"What did you do?!"
"Oh, quit fretting, it'll fade before you know it. I've established a firm link between our, for lack of a better word, souls. From now on I'll be able to speak with you at a distance, as well as lend you my abilities. Really, I've done you a favor. Some show of appreciation would be reasonable. There's no possible way a human could survive in the Lull without it."
Quinton grumbled and rubbed at his eyes, the pain slowly subsiding. "Thanks."
"That's more like it. Now you've all the requirements needed to enter. We'll take it one step at a time. A thrilling tour for you and an excruciatingly boring chore for me. Delightful." Thirteen scowled, and with another sweeping gesture, the door opened itself, revealing a black abyss. Tendrils of dark matter poured from the door's frame, coiling and clawing at the whiteness of the gate. "Let's have at it then, shall we?" After a moment, bright, yellow-orange lights flashed on. Quinton let out a quiet gasp. The room was like a bedroom, but the theme was quite obviously everything to do with the theater. The four-poster bed had plush, red velvet drapes and several tasseled pillows. There was a large mirror at the other end of the room that looked exactly like one that would be backstage, its top rimmed with round, bare light bulbs. Posters and newspaper clippings of legendary magicians were plastered on nearly every inch of the walls. The red carpet beneath his feet was unbelievably soft, and while fascinating, just being in the room made him feel comfortable, as if he'd just taken a hot shower and put on the softest pajamas he owned. A dream room, he thought.
"This is-what is this? Is this my room?" Quinton couldn't wipe the grin off of his face.
Thirteen seemed to have shrunk to the size of a normal man to fit, and he did, but just barely. "In a way, yes. When you wake up in the Lull, from now on, you'll wake up here. This place is in the center of your district, an area that's most personalized for you during your stay. Make yourself comfortable."
Quinton didn't need to be told twice. With a running leap, he landed on the queen-sized bed, sinking into the plush mattress. It was like being buried inside a cloud. He had a hard time sitting back up, and he knew he'd have an even harder time getting off of it. When you had a chance to be on a bed like this one, it was difficult to leave. But there was much, much more yet to be seen.
Thirteen rolled his eyes at Quinton's behavior. "Anyway, it's about time you learned a bit more about your dream avatar. You look ridiculous in those clothes."
Quinton was still in his day clothes, he remembered, as he'd fallen asleep in them the night before. Just an old pair of jeans and a shirt, as per usual. It's not like he'd had anything to dress up for. "Well, so? What's that got to do with anything?"
"More than you'd think. Before you go gleefully gallivanting off to do your job each day, it's recommended that you put on the proper attire. Proper, in this case, being whatever the heck you want. I could care less. Some go for armor, but there really isn't much of a point to that. It would just wear you down."
"So you're saying I can wear whatever I want? Like, anything at all?"
"Basically."
Quinton gave his guardian a look like he'd just been given the biggest Christmas present in his life. He was practically being given the bedroom of his dreams along with a free and endless wardrobe. "Man, this place is awesome. I have to try it out!"
"Don't do anything-"
Too late. Quinton had already dreamt up the perfect outfit for himself, and in the blink of an eye, he was wearing it. A red vest with thick, black stripes was worn over a white dress shirt, and a tailcoat made of quality fabric over that. Shiny black shoes, white, satin gloves, and a top hat with a red sash completed the look.
"...stupid."
"I'm a magician!"
"I never would have guessed."
Quinton rushed over to the wide mirror, admiring his new costume. Something like this would have cost a pretty penny in reality, but poof, there it was. "What else can you do with dream avatars? Like, if you change your clothes, can you change other things?"
"Well, sometimes. Just minor things. Colors, for instance. Your body's already adjusted to the avatar, and changing anything vital wouldn't be advised."
"So you mean I could, like...oh my god. Oh my god." Quinton looked into the mirror once again. A curled, cartoon-like mustache now sat on his upper lip.
The guardian looked up to the ceiling in frustration. "Why was I stuck with this one."   darn it quinton why do you have to be one of those characters where i have to draw you a million times before you look even remotely like yourselfMrrruh, I can't wait till I'm done with this "part one" and the story can actually start moving and we can see more characters and stuff. And everything about this NaNo makes me want to see it as a video game of some kind. XD That would be so fun. Anyway. Might post a few facts about the other five protectors later, since I don't have the time or information to write full bio-things for them now. *ponders suddenly turning Quinton into a chatterbox to increase easy wordcount* >> |
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I can just tell from your influences that this is going to be epic. 
