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Post by Birdy on Sept 26, 2019 22:16:45 GMT -5
That's right, everybody! OCtober is back again! What's OCtober, I hear you ask? It's simple! Below you will find a list of 31 prompts - one for each day in October. The idea is to create something about an OC of yours pertaining to the theme for that day. Interpretations of the prompt can be as literal or as loose as you want! (So basically, Inktober, but for writing.) And, if you participate, you are eligible for the shiny October Creative Challenge badge! This thread will act as the "hub" for OCtober on the NTWF! Feel free to talk, chat, post your work, comment on other's work (because let's be honest, we all love those comments or even just a like >w> ), and, most importantly, torment characters have fun! .:History:.OCtober (as far as I can tell), was started last year by the tumblr user "oc-growth-and-development". (Though if you want to visit the blog, beware! There is swearing on the blog. You have been warned.) Last year's OCtober thread can be found here. .:FAQ:.Q: Does it have to be writing?A: No, actually! According the the blog, "You can do whatever you like! Draw, write, role play, voice act, daydream about it, whatever floats your boat. The goal here is to get you thinking about your OCs.". So basically, anything goes! Write! Draw! Voice act! As long as it pertains to an OC, it counts! Q: Does it have to be a character from a Roleplay here?A: Nope! Any OC of yours is fine. (Though by all means, feel free to use one if you want!) It can be a character from a roleplay, original work/novel/comic/etc., DND character, whatever! As long as it's an OC of yours, it counts. Q: Do I have to do the prompts every day/in order?A: Nope - according to the blog, "You don’t have to do one every single day (though I know some people who actually try to do that as a challenge). I’ve seen some people skip around, combine prompts, or just post a couple of days.". So, just have fun! (Though when posting, I think it'd be a good idea to mention what prompt(s) you're using, of course.) So, do it every day, only certain days, combine prompts, whatever! Just have fun! Q: Is that everything?A: I think so! So without further ado, here is the OCtober prompt list for 2019!
1. Beginnings
2. Dance
3. Feast
4. Nature
5. Lost
6. Bitter
7. Tender
8. Storm
9. Study
10. Memes
11. City
12. Obsess
13. Waiting
14. Play
15. Scream
16. Wild
17. Safety
18. Childhood
19. Clean
20. Rival
21. Trick
22. Heist
23. Stars
24. Hug
25. Search
26. Light
27. Dark
28. Dream
29. Accuse
30. Challenge
31. Reunion
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Post by Thorn on Sept 26, 2019 23:42:45 GMT -5
*dances around* eee I'm so excited! =D Inspired by Ginz with Inktober, I think I'll get a pretty new notebook to scrawl ideas in! Or at the very least a pretty pen...some kind of pretty stationery!
There are so many good ones in there...I have ideas already! I think I'll kindaaaa do them in order, except when I'm feeling super uninspired for the day's prompt and have GOODGOOD IDEAZ for a different one!
why are bitter and tender next to each other this will be an exercise in FEELINGZZZ
EDIT: My avatar has a book! Appropriately for once in my life...gonna write some things!
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Post by Blueysicle on Sept 27, 2019 22:53:47 GMT -5
I'm looking forward to this! I really wanted to do this last year and even had some ideas floating around in my head, but I just kinda... never got around to writing anything. XD This year I'm hoping to put in the effort and knock off at least a few prompts. Not to mention that it'll give me some good exercises to get me in the groove to finish the Pillar Grove epilogue that's in the works and get started on Infinity III.
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Post by ♥ Azzie on Sept 30, 2019 0:11:04 GMT -5
Eeee, I'm so excited! ♡ I'm hoping to do this every day like last year! And though I'm still finishing up my fanfic project, I'm also so pumped to do this! I think I'll do a little intro for each of my OCs that didn't exist last year, so people have a reference if they show up in my entries!
Gail (Abigail Young, she/her) is a transfer student to a prestigious university. Things don't go quite according to plan, however, and one shipwreck later she's arranging to take her classes online until she can get to the city where her new school is.
Did I mention this is in the Pokemon world? And how Gail keeps getting roped into evil-thwarting, time-traveling shenanigans? Because she does. And not only is she stressing about getting her work done on time, but she's desperately trying to hide how terrified she is by the weird things happening to her specifically.
Irthlas (they/them) is actually two characters: Eglas the lady wizard and Irthokya the dragon. They're stuck together now, though, due to a fight that nearly killed both of them, so they work together as one. It's not always easy; Eglas is ambitious, gifted, and (mostly) benevolent, while Irthokya is chaotic, destructive and often malicious. They've worked out a sort of system, though, and nowadays they're almost something approaching friends. Irthlas belongs to the same storyverse as Eddy, although they haven't met.
Lena (Ailena Kelley, she/her) trains Fairy-type Pokemon. Cheerful, relaxed and prone to jokes, Lena was shipwrecked like Gail, but unlike her Lena's just happy for the adventure. She's never without Jazz, her pet Comfey, who collects a flower from every place the two go together.
Romi (Romiren Case, they/them) is a Pokemon trainer too, but from rather different circumstances. Romi is extremely quiet and shows very little emotion around anyone they don't trust completely, leading some to think they don't react to anything. In reality, Romi's just a generally reserved person who channels anger into determination and sets other unpleasant emotions aside to process later, on their own. Around their friends Romi is warm and protective, and every one of their Pokemon is royally spoiled. They're also a bit of an overachiever, and more than once they've had to be threatened into resting instead of trying to fix everything themself.
Vel (Vellichor Unsen-Epoch, he/him or they/them) is a sky pirate, a werewolf, and a collector of rare and magical books. He explores the sky with his crew, whom he has come to see as almost family, and visits all sorts of beautiful places. Vel is super dramatic and will insist that they're's not interested, or not amused, or not charmed- but despite a deep love of books, actions speak louder than words, and it's very rare that Vel actually fools anyone.
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Post by Moni on Sept 30, 2019 0:15:03 GMT -5
yeah i'll do this. i have no idea which ocs i'll use. but i'll do it.
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Post by Thorn on Sept 30, 2019 15:59:23 GMT -5
Oh my gosh Azzie, I love Vel very much and can't wait to see more of them! :-D
And Moni, you should obvs just use your paladin trio for everything. No bias whatsoever on my part!
Anyway...OCtober begins yay! :-D At least, in my timezone. I will try and start with 'beginnings' when I get home... I'll need to find a character with an interesting 'beginning' to write. Mari could be good, if I did the start of her story from another angle. Or I could use a pairing and do that beginning because I am weak for 'ships.
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Post by Blueysicle on Oct 1, 2019 1:00:55 GMT -5
I think it might be a good idea to do some write-ups of my characters as well. I'll be using my Infinity characters for this event. (Especially since Infinity is really the only thing I'm writing at present.  ) I may use more than just the six characters I listed below, depending on what comes out of my brainstorming sessions. But these six are the ones that get the most spotlight in the saga and will probably be the focus of most of the prompts. Flicker: Flicker (Glowing Buzz) is the exiled prince of the Fireflies - a population of formerly glowing Buzzes that inhabit the City of Lights in Moltara. Due to the actions of The Engineer, Flicker is the last Firefly that remains a glowing Buzz, but he didn't escape the ordeal unscathed. He's cursed to age four times faster than the average Neopet - though he looks twenty, he's actually only five years old.
Short as it is, his life thus far has been anything but easy. After being split up from his father, Lumin, when he was a year old, he wandered from town to town whilst being seen as a bad omen due to his curse. Eventually, he was forced into servitude by Granite, the corrupt businessman of Obsidian Quarry. Though the three years he spent there were a miserable time, it was there he met his soon-to-be adopted brother, Wingen. Eventually, they both escaped Obsidian Quarry, and Flicker finally reunited with Lumin, whom he and Wingen now live with.
Though his gigantic stature and immense physical strength makes him an intimidating figure at first glance, he has a kind heart and wishes to help others whenever necessary. Flicker is also very naive, and is exactly as excitable and curious as one would expect someone of his chronological age to be. However, he's also prone to moments of introspection. In particular, the fact that his curse has shortened his lifespan has been a particular source of grief for him lately... Wingen:Wingen (Fire Wocky) is a magician currently living in Central Cavern in Moltara and Flicker's adopted brother. He's been alone for most of his life, and spent much time hopping from household to household. He possesses a curse that causes him to age four times slower than normal, meaning that he's still a child at forty-three years old.
He was instructed in potion-making by a magician that was affiliated with a branch of the Seekers that traveled to Moltara. But though the Seekers treated him well, Wingen couldn't bear the thought of being rejected by them if they learned of his curse, and ran away the moment they started asking questions. He soon met Granite, whom he -reluctantly- worked under for a decade. Eventually, he met Flicker and the two quickly bonded over their similiar-yet-opposite curses. After running away from Obsidian Quarry, he and Flicker are able to finally live in relative comfort.
Wingen is shy, intelligent, and quick to panic. He embodies a certain definition of bravery - that is, acting in spite of being utterly terrified. Though he is courteous in general company, decades of being treated like a freak of nature has left Wingen a very bitter individual deep down. Trust in others does not come easy for him, and he's more than willing to hold onto grudges for years on end. Lumin: Lumin (White Buzz) is the former king of the City of Lights and Flicker's father. Like all Fireflies, he was once a glowing Buzz, but had his color changed by The Engineer. After fleeing from the City of Lights, he took residence in Central Cavern and now owns a light shop there.
Lumin took the throne at the very end of a war of attrition between the City of Lights and a city called Pillar Grove. He negotiated a peace treaty with Pillar Grove's king, then enacted reforms to combat the culture of xenophobia and conquest that the Fireflies practiced for centuries. Though the City of Lights saw little strife for most of his rule, things eventually began to spiral out of Lumin's control when a volcanic eruption poisoned the city's water supply and killed many Fireflies - including his wife, Ultraviolet. Lumin's desperation attracted The Engineer, who saved the remaining Fireflies as a way to lower Lumin's guard. She soon proved that her intentions weren't at all benevolent; she gave Flicker his curse while still in his egg, then proceeded to change the colors and species of the other Fireflies. Lumin's inability to stop The Engineer led much of the Firefly populace to blame him for her actions, and soon resulted in his exile.
Unlike many Firefly monarchs, Lumin is small and lacking in any sort of physical prowess. He is soft-spoken and tries to do his best to tend to the needs of his people. Lumin is also very much a worrywart, and the reckless natures of Ultraviolet and Flicker do nothing to put his mind at ease. Though there are still Fireflies that see him as a good king, Lumin has grown to dislike being referred to as such. His natural sense of pessimism only feeds into his bouts of melancholy, and has difficulty seeing anything but a bleak outcome to all of the problems surrounding him. Lampyri:Lampyri (Blue Buzz) is a former Royal Guard, the strongest warriors that the City of Lights has to offer. After three years of The Engineer's torment, Lampyri fled the City of Lights and met up with Lumin in Central Cavern, and now lives in an apartment above his light shop. Though she is at present a blue Buzz, her species and color has been changed numerous times by The Engineer.
Being a Royal Guard has been Lampyri's dream since she was little, and she worked towards it alongside her best friend, Glowstick. Though she faced numerous obstacles along the way, some encouragement from Queen Ultraviolet -her role model- allowed her to finally fulfill her goal. But The Engineer's nigh-unstoppable presence eventually forced her to leave her position and seek solutions elsewhere. In the meantime, she and Lumin gradually led Fireflies out of the City of Lights and into Central Cavern, where they could take refuge.
Lampyri is a firm optimist, and believes that no matter how terrible things may seem at the moment, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. But she's not content to just wait for a bright future; she is driven and will stop at nothing to put an end to The Engineer. She can be rather abrasive and lacking in patience towards certain people, but is still compassionate at heart. Lampyri's experience with The Engineer has deeply affected her and often has trouble coping with it. But there seems to be something else about it that weighs heavily on her shoulders - perhaps something related to her departure from the City of Lights... Dimitri:Dimitri (Spotted Draik) is a Seeker and a freelance mechanic. He's currently renting a room in Lumin's apartment. Though he was once the only tenet, he soon found himself with three other roommates in a short period of time.
Originally from Neopia Central, Dimitri was recognized by the Seekers at a young age. Eventually, he was called into Moltara to assist with the maintenance on the Core Stabilizer: the machine that's keeping Neopia's erratic tectonic movements in check. But in between his duties with the Core Stabilizer and the jobs he takes, Dimitri is working to build a steam-powered machine and herald in a new form of technology for Neopia. However, his efforts were set back by a significant amount when his prototype, the Dal, was destroyed. He's now at a loss at how to further proceed and achieve his dream.
As a highly amicable person, Dimitri treasures the time he spends with his friends, even if he's only known them for a short amount of time. He particularly enjoys the company of Flicker and Wingen - even if he must admit that his life got much weirder after meeting them. However, a point of frustration between him and his housemates is his skepticism concerning their more outlandish tales. In particular, he's not fully convinced that The Engineer is capable of all the things they claim she is.
The Engineer:
"The Engineer" (Red Acara) is nothing short of a mystery. Though all of Moltara knows of her, next to nothing is known about her.
She shows up suddenly out of thin air and leaves a trail of chaos in her wake. Her modus operandi is her powers of bio-manipulation: the ability to change the physical composition of any living thing. Though the scope of her abilities are wide-ranging, her most common use is to change the species and/or color of whatever unfortunate Neopet she targets. With a single touch of her hand, their form changes and The Engineer's mark is left behind as a permanent reminder: the infinity symbol, representing how the laws of mass and energy are broken by each transformation creating or destroying matter. Then, just as she arrived, she vanishes as if she was never there at all.
A sadist with a total lack of empathy, Neopets are nothing but toys to her, and the torment she inflicts serves no greater goal than her own amusement. She tends to let her victim's guard down by feigning a warm, approachable aura, only to then reveal her cruel sort of playfulness. Even the most callous of people will soon find themselves unsettled by The Engineer if they stick around long enough to listen to her nihilistic views of the world and existence. Though her powers could accomplish nearly any sort of objective she wishes, The Engineer is surprisingly lazy, and often contracts others to do her bidding and provide her with entertainment. |
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Post by Thorn on Oct 1, 2019 2:48:08 GMT -5
Day 1. Beginnings! Using two of my Euroatlantis OCs/NPCs here: Solaria (suggested by Gelquie!) and Hatchet Split (suggested by Celes!) A very short piece- I originally did some backstory stuff with just Solaria, but then changed my mind. (Solaria is a wood-elf the party met after she ran away from the Bandit Lyf, Hatchet Split is a kenku woodcutter they met in the forest during that same session.) “It’s just like before, Hatchet.”
The kenku tilted his head quizzically. Solaria sighed, resting her hands on her thighs and drawing a smooth, deep breath.
“Starting over,” she elaborated at length. “Bad things happen and you have to start over fresh, whether you like it or not. You have no choice but it still feels like you're being punished. Do you understand?”
“Start over,” the kenku squawked back in Solaria’s own voice.
The elf shuddered. She’d never get used to that.
“I didn’t think it would be this bad. They took me in, Hatchet, when nobody...I don’t know. I have Illuthryn, that’s something.”
“I’m confused.”
“I suppose I should get back to Deyn,” she said quickly, glancing up at the setting sun. “They’ll wonder where I am. Thanks for your help with the rabbits.”
He nodded jerkily. “Welcome!”
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Post by Moni on Oct 1, 2019 13:21:57 GMT -5
yep imma use my paladin trio this is raia when she was a bab enjoy playground: raia begins
"I'm watching you," the young glowy child said to another child who was very much not glowing, "You are not going to do evil today, mister!"
The child who was not glowing clutched his sandwich and gulped as two fiery eyes scrutinized him. Exactly two months ago-really, it was 58 days ago, because Raia never let him forget how long it had been--he had dumped wet sand onto Nemistre's hair, who had cried very loudly about it. At the time, he had hoped that nobody would tell an adult.
Well, Raia had not only told an adult, she also dumped wet sand on his hair. An eye for an eye, she said; justice had to be served; he needed a taste of his own medicine. He had no idea what eyes or medicine had to do with wet sand, but he decided it was best not to push the issue, because she seemed like she would decimate what little of his bully reputation he had left.
There was a reason this part of the playground was the nice part of the playground, and it was because it had a protector who was one of its denizens' own: Raia.
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Post by Blueysicle on Oct 1, 2019 15:04:24 GMT -5
I kinda struggled for a little bit figuring out which idea to use for this prompt. I feel like this one might fit better under the "Childhood" prompt, but I have another idea for that one that doesn't fit as well into any other category, so... Anyways, I got something done! I'm already doing better than I did last year! Day 1: Beginnings Lumin used to wonder at what point everything changed – when the beginning of all his troubles took place. When he was a small child, nothing about his family seemed out of the ordinary.
He had a mother; he loved her and she loved him back. She would always refer to him as, “my little prince.” Never by his name. But Lumin shared his name with his father, so that wasn't so odd to him that she didn't call two different people the same thing.
He had a father, whom Lumin desperately tried to impress. Every day, Lumin would be on his best behavior and play nicely with the other children. He worked hard to read as many words and count as many numbers as he could. But his father never paid much heed to any of that.
His father would start to pay attention during physical activities, but would quickly lose interest when Lumin couldn't run as fast or fly as steady as the others. He never seemed to be pleased with how often Lumin would get sick, either. But Lumin figured that if his father was disappointed in him, then that just meant that he wasn't trying hard enough. His father was a powerful warrior and next in line for the throne. Of course a weak child like Lumin couldn't impress him. It stood to reason. That was all normal, wasn't it?
Lumin did also have a grandmother, but he didn't know her very well. As queen of the City of Lights, she didn't have much time for him; at least that's what his father told him. And when she passed away when Lumin was four, his father took her place and became the king.
Perhaps that was the moment when the change began. But he didn't notice right away.
The first time Lumin felt a sense of unease come over his life was when he was seven, as he stood beside his mother while his father gave a speech to a rapturous crowd. He told them that the Fireflies were the strongest Neopets in all of Moltara and stood above all others, but that they must remain vigilant. For there was an enemy city, Pillar Grove, that couldn't be trusted with their advanced technology, and that, “They must be destroyed before they destroy us!”
Lumin wouldn't understand the full meaning of those words until much later. But he remembered how the rising fervor in his father's voice and the roars of the Fireflies in response injected a chill into him.
That chill began as a small point - a pit in his stomach. But it would surge through his body every time his listened to his father repeat that same rhetoric. Even when that wasn't the topic of discussion, Lumin would eventually feel the chill manifest as an overwhelming sense of apprehension in his father's presence. Lumin stopped seeking him out, and could only silently hope that his father had nothing to say to him whenever they were in the same room.
It struck him as strange at the time that he no longer wished to gain his father's approval. Though he held and recognized the dismay that would overcome him from time to time, he wasn't able to put it into thoughts or words. All he knew was that he wished that things would go back to normal.
As time passed, Lumin would learn more of what war meant. When he was eight, his mother returned from battle grievously injured. She languished in pain for a year before she finally succumbed to her wounds. His mother's state dominated Lumin's mind for that final year of her life. He saw her every day, and tried to do whatever little things he could to make her feel better. None of it ever worked well, but his mother at least appreciated the effort.
His father, though...
Not once did Lumin ever see his father visit his mother in that year. There wasn't a solitary moment when there was a hint of concern, or a drop of worry in his face. It almost seemed like his mother just... stopped existing in his father's eyes.
“I have no time for a Royal Guard that can no longer fight,” was the only reply Lumin received when he begged him to see her.
On the day that his mother finally died, Lumin sat outside her room with his back against the wall, sobbing into his hands. He heard his father's footsteps approach. Then, he was suddenly grabbed by the collar and forced onto his feet.
“Get over yourself! A warrior doesn't cry!”
Lumin's father released him with a shove and continued on his way. Lumin stood in silence for a while with his hands at his side and the remaining tears on his face starting to dry. But when his father left his line of sight, the tears resumed and he balled his hands into fists.
The chill began to spread throughout him again. It grew, and grew...
But suddenly, the temperature flipped and Lumin felt something flare up within him. He stared in the direction that his father walked towards with a tight scowl. From that point on, the thoughts of his father shared its space between a hot anger and a cold fear.
For some time longer, Lumin cited that as the moment when his father changed. A while after that, when he had grown up and was able to look back on his memories with more worldliness and maturity, he decided that his father's speech before launching the war on Pillar Grove was when Lumin no longer recognized him. But after his father died and allowed Lumin to think and talk about him without a sense of impending dread, he realized that neither of those were it at all.
Nothing ever changed. It was never normal to be begin with.
He just began to see his father for who he really was. |
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Post by June Scarlet on Oct 1, 2019 19:31:08 GMT -5
The Storyweaver is a traveling Storyteller Faerie Xweetok. She insists she has no name or story of her own, but I wouldn't believe that myself. I guess I can share a snippet of her story, though. Subject to change, of course, if I ever truly write it down. Beginnings
She looked back one more time at the stately manor house, her home, her prison. But with this escape, that was all behind her now.
Her years of indentured servitude were over. She would be on the run, running the rest of her life. But it would be worth it to be free.
Her gift was the story, yes, but they were meant to be shared, not hoarded by one Draik. This was her chance.
She pulled her cloak tighter, and sped off into the dark night.
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Post by ♥ Azzie on Oct 1, 2019 22:26:34 GMT -5
Day 1: Beginnings! Gail held her breath, and input the code she’d been given.
The CyberNav beeped four times, and a man with silver hair and a magnificent moustache flickered into view.
“Axis High University, Dalton Sanderson speaking,” he said automatically.
“Hello,” Gail began. “Could you connect me with Professor Almdara?”
“Certainly,” Sanderson replied, writing something down. “Your name?”
“Abigail Young,” Gail said quickly. “I’m transferring to her program, but there’s… a delay.”
Sanderson didn’t say anything at first, but the way he raised his eyebrows and frowned at what he was writing spoke volumes. Gail’s stomach turned. Finally, he nodded, and pressed a button.
Almost instantly the screen flickered, and a woman with sharp eyes and a neat blonde pixie cut looked expectantly through the display. “Susan Almdara. How can I help you, Ms. Young?”
“Good evening, Professor.” Gail bit her lip. “We spoke previously about my plan to arrive in Grand Dream City with the S.S. Oceana next week.”
“Yes, I remember you, Ms. Young,” Professor Almdara looked levelly at her. “Is there an issue?”
“Um.” Gail had really been hoping the news travelled fast. “Professor, the S.S. Oceana sank. It was attacked.”
There was a moment’s pause. “And I suppose you’re calling me from the bottom of the ocean?” The Professor looked tired. “Ms. Young, I don’t know if you are aware, but this school has very high standards, and I personally have a zero tolerance policy for excuses.”
“N-no, Professor. I’m in West Gearen City now. There’s a woman who says she’s from the Elite 8 attempting to rescue people. I don’t know if others have been discovered.” Gail swallowed. “I’m trying to find out what happened to my mother.”
For the first time, a sparkle of doubt appeared in Almdara’s eyes. “Very well, Ms. Young. If the Elite 8 are involved I assume you’ve been directed to Gearen Lab?”
Gail nodded. “I’m there now.”
“Good. Stay put, and I’ll be in contact.” And just like that, Gail’s CyberNav went dark.
She closed her eyes and took a few grounding breaths. This was certainly not how she’d been envisioning her first day in a new region. (Axis High University, Grand Dream City, Gearen, and the Elite 8 are all Pokemon Rejuvenation things, just so nobody mistakenly thinks I came up with the cool stuff!) |
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Post by Gelquie on Oct 1, 2019 22:51:20 GMT -5
OCtober Day 1 - Beginnings - Alexis((Wrighton RP spoilers, regarding Alexis)) "Congratulations, you two. It's a... uh... actually, we don't know yet."
"It's okay, we'll figure it out later," the father suggested.
"Are you sure? I'm sure we can get a-"
"It'll be alright. It'll become clear in time," the father waved a hand.
"Ma'am, are you alright with this?"
"Yes, yes, we talked about it, I know" the mother breathed. "Are they ready?"
"Of course, yes. We finished cleaning them. Uh, as best we could. Here."
The mother stretched out her arms, ready to take to her bosom the baby that was gasping for breath between cries, their face reddened, and their long tail in place of their legs moving to and fro from beneath the cloth they were wrapped in.
The doctor left them be, and the father turned to the mother. "I'm sorry Athene. I was really hoping it'd die out with me."
Athene sighed. "Omir, it's fine. There was always a chance of this." She grew quiet for a long moment, holding her child to her and allowing them to feel her heartbeat. The child seemed to take to her instantly, curling up against her, skin and scales against their mother's flesh.
Athene had worried that the scales would bother them, that somehow it would ruin the bond between them by feeling scales where she should be feeling flesh. But now that the child was there with her, knowing that she had a child and this was hers and they were here and alive and doing as well as a baby could do, seeing the traits of each parent that the child had inherited... Athene found herself overwhelmed with a deep love that surpassed any oddities.
The three spent hours together, just resting and giving themselves the chance to relax and feed, and gradually accepting that this was the beginning of a brand new family.
The question, however, couldn't be avoided forever. "Omir, what your family has to do... They don't have to do them right away, right? She couldn't possibly expect that…"
"No, she doesn't," Omir responded. "Honestly, I don't even think she'd feel their draw at first. But it'll become clear as they grow. Especially if they transform on their own, as a lot of toddler mermaids do. We won't be able to hide them forever."
"Of course not," Athene sighed. "She goes after all she can, right? But not this one, Omir."
"Absolutely. Not this one. Immediate families--unless they're big--all they need is one from each, each month. I'll keep doing it, and wait till later to show them how to do it. Don't worry Athene, we've been doing this for generations."
"I know you have, I just-" Athene sighed. "Nevermind. You're right. You know this more than I do."
"Hey now, you know what I told you. And they'll have lots of opportunities to learn. It'll be alright. I promise."
"...Well. Far be it from me to hinder that. Anything that'll help them."
Omir leaned in for a hug, kept loose so as not to overwhelm the small child. Athene struggled, but managed an arm over Omir, taking a moment to accept the responsibility that genetics foisted upon the child between them.
The child's cries grew more desperate, causing them to break apart. They quickly found that the onus of the cries was not their hug, but something else entirely. But what was it...
"Oh, it's their scales," Omir said. "We're gonna have to get them in water."
Athene sighed. "That's gonna make it hard to hold them…"
"I know. And I'm sorry. But they need it. I'll go ask the doctor if they're ready to help with that."
Athene sighs. "Thank goodness for patient privacy." She paused. "...I don't know where to begin hiding them from the neighbors, at least till they can transform."
"I'll ask my mother for any tips," Omir promised. "Actually, why don't I just bring her over?"
Athene mulled this, her forehead creased for quite some time as she weighed the pros and cons of such an obviously controversial decision, before she finally relented with a hesitant "okay."
Omir went to get the doctor for the tank, and Athene held the child close again before they would inevitably get water treatment. Certainly, Athene hadn't chosen the easy route. It was hard enough with her condition.
But--she thought with a smile as she held the child close--it was worth it. They'd handle the troubles. And she'd ensure that nothing bad happened to them.
She'd ensure it herself as much as she could. Thanks to Moni for the prompt idea! I actually did do one other prompt for today, for Amani! ...But uh. It discusses things that have not been disclosed yet, so no one gets to see it yet. (Except maybe Thorn.)
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Post by Thorn on Oct 2, 2019 5:31:49 GMT -5
DISCLAIMER: Not a shippable pair. 0/10 fell apart for a reason. But I like exploring their backstory and like both characters as individuals, so utilised these two for ' Dance.' (Kaztae is one of my D&D player characters (drow arcane trickster rogue, wizard story-wise), and Kiortel (drow evocation wizard) is currently a backup in case Kaztae dies in some horrible way but I still want to play a drow because drow are fantastic.) The softly flickering oil lamp illuminated messy piles of books- just as many arcane tomes as fantastical novels and volumes of poetry- and the two drow curled up amongst them. One was navigating four books at once, whilst the second scrutinised a single page. Eventually, almost timidly, he reached out to touch the former’s arm.
“Kazazz?”
Kaztae slammed one of the books closed, pulling it tight against his chest.
“Yes?”
Kiortel wondered what exactly he’d been reading, but opted not to press the issue.
“You know how to dance, right?”
“Of course,” Kaztae scoffed, clinging to the book so fiercely his knuckles bleached. “You’ve met my family.”
“I have,” Kiortel tapped the same passage over and over with his forefinger. “I have, and I expected you would. I was taught as well and my mother isn’t quite so...you know. You recall that in the books- the surface books- people dance but it’s different?"
They were close enough that Kiortel could see he was definitely rolling his eyes.
“The surface books?”
“You love them, Kazazz.”
Kaztae very noticeably avoided looking at the book in his hands as he set it aside.
“So what if I do? They’re not instruction manuals, Kior. It’s not just like...a slower version of what they taught us.”
Kiortel shrugged. “Doesn’t have to be perfect. Might still be nice.”
“Might still be nice,” Kaztae echoed, and half-smiled. He climbed to his feet and extended a hand to Kiortel. “Okay, whatever. Let’s do this.”
Kiortel gathered up the hem of his robe with one hand, taking Kaztae’s with the other. How serene this little gesture always made him feel had worried him at first but now, Kior figured, he should find serenity wherever he could.
“You should hold me closer,” he said.
Kaztae put a hand on his friend’s waist. “I really have no idea what I’m doing.”
“It’s like that one with the lion, and the cursed princess,” Kior murmured, resting his head on his shoulder. “That’s your favourite, right?”
“Yeah. It’s called Midnight at Midsummer.”
“Okay. Well, there’s that chapter where the human princess sees the man she wants at the ball. She’s there with that aristocrat, but he gets angry at her and storms out, and then she dances with that first man and near the end she rests her head on his shoulder and wraps her arms around him like this.”
Kiortel hugged Kaztae, his own fingers meeting behind his friend’s back. Why he couldn’t remember the scene’s precise setting, or the reason for the argument, or even the names of the characters, was entirely irrelevant.
“You absolutely mutilated that,” Kaztae huffed.
But the tension had left his shoulders under Kiortel’s embrace. It had been a good idea, Kior reflected, and not just for his companion’s sake. He was so stressed out from that stupid encounter with stupid bloody Tyveleen, and from all this study, and his arms still ached from facing off against anyone he thought could teach him anything at all about swordsmanship. Kiortel was long overdue for unwinding somehow.
His thoughts strayed elsewhere. He forced them aside.
“I’m going to trip on your hem, or else you’ll fall over mine. Really not appropriate attire,” Kaztae grumbled.
“Just sway with me. We’re hardly going to trip.”
“This is stupid.”
“But nice, right?”
“Mmmm,” Kaztae rested his cheek against Kiortel’s. “Absolutely. Stupid-nice, but nice all the same.”
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Post by June Scarlet on Oct 2, 2019 15:35:31 GMT -5
As it so happens, I happened to be drawing a couple of characters dancing last night. So I finished it up today, and I can go ahead and post it. Dance  It's Yibit and Jane, two sisters bonding and having fun. While in Xandra costumes, the prompt was to have them wearing an outfit inspired by a resident of the Haunted Woods. Yes, I'm going to count this as my OCtober of the day, might as well. |
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) I may use more than just the six characters I listed below, depending on what comes out of my brainstorming sessions. But these six are the ones that get the most spotlight in the saga and will probably be the focus of most of the prompts.
