Wishing a relaxing weekend for everyone. Take some time to be kind to yourself, to unwind, and to have some rest. <3
11
likes
6 yrs ago
I ate a brownie once at a party in college. It was intense. I felt like I was floating. Turns out there wasn't any pot in the brownie. It was just an insanely good brownie.
10
likes
6 yrs ago
There was an explosion at a cheese factory in France. De-Brie everywhere.
My first note is that while I personally don’t tend to over format my sheets, just using the bold tags on a sheet gives it enough of an organisational touch that makes it easier on the eye, and quicker to pick out the relevant information. You’ll see that I’ve also moved some things around in this version. Try to list the core information at the top - and almost list in order of importance. As a GM, when I look at a character sheet, at a glance before I get to reading, I like to know the gender, age, and race (genre specific), and perhaps their role/job/class. That’s all. Unless it’s very core to the roleplay, the rest of the information doesn’t need to be listed. Height/Weight/Eye Colour/Hair Colour can all be written in the appearance section -- and their relationship status can be hinted at in the background. Just my opinion, however! :)
General Appearance: Cinder is a fair skinned young man with an athletic slim build with a fair amount of muscle but not too stocky believing brains over braun. He has short black hair that reaches only to the edge of his neck and brown eyes that still have the passion of life and knowledge in them. His ears do have a small point in them showing his elven blood in his body. When he is resting or at an inn or town walking around he could be seen in blue enchanted magical robes with a mage hood with modified shoes and a sword on him but on his travels he wears light armor that covers him and his face that are also enchanted with various effects.
General Personality: Cinder is generally a practical, observant, and helpful person while also logical. He wants to be dependable to those that needs help and will be honest to those that seek his help or wisdom. He's gentle and sympathetic to those that earn it showing his caring side as well wanting to treat people equally. His patience in life is also a positive in battle because he knows things take time but he does daydream of what he wants in the future, due to his love for books he is punctual and expects that from other people and this also helps to win over people though he doesn't see that sometimes. At times, he can be impatient with certain things and this is due to what he wants in the future while wanting to be on equal footing with everyone.
He also hides a witty side to himself and is a general good listener as he would rather solve things peacefully over fighting. He treats people equally despite their class and is a kind soul wanting to help people in need.
Bio (shortened): Cinder was born premature to a human mother and an elven father. Despite the birth he lived on and he was able to live and have a normal life despite being a late bloomer at some things. When he was 4 he discovered he learned differently than most. At the age of 7 his elven father left him and his mother to find his uncle though later in life would resent him for this choice. When he was 8 he had protected a friend and discovered then his magic lineage, his mother didn't want him to learn magic but he did so in secret with books and from his human grandmother and great-grandmother while teaching himself. As time went on his human mother went to have three more kids with two different men but being the oldest he has taken the older role model of the family as he would soon go leaving the house to find a place so they can see him after leaving wanting excitement and adventure in his life over boredom.
I know that this is a shortened bio, but there are a lot of points brought up that I would like you to expand on because it would add detail to the character, and help me understand him more. Questions that I have are; how was he a late bloomer? How was he learning differently? How did being a half-elf affect him growing up? What was the incident with the friend? This one I feel might be the most important part of his history because his discovery of his magic followed and that’s obviously a huge part of him. That story deserves to be told in the sheet :) How does Cinder feel about his siblings?
Skills: He is ambidextrous with one-handed weapons, able to enchant weapons and armor. He is a quick learner when it comes to spells, battle and even the usage of new weapons. A polite talker and at times a witty one too he is considerate of other people's views. Despite no formal training he is a gifted one-handed warrior, enchanter, magic user, talker and even a good archer (would only use it when needed). He also has hand-to-hand combat experience. He is able to remember faces of people he knows and sees. I would scale back on some of his skills. In fact I might take out half of those, and keep only a few. It’s great and all to write a capable character, but there’s complexity and nuance in a character who does less, or specialises. He has had no formal training, and he is young (21) -- my suggestion to you would be to take some of this out, unless you can back up certain things like his archery in a backstory (i.e he hunted for necessity to eat and feed his siblings, since he took on a patriarchal role for them.)
Strengths: One handed skill with a sword, various forms of magic like elemental, summoning, protection, healing and illusion. (this is his order of using magic though it depends on the situation.) He can make potions and poisons but prefers potions to help himself and others. He can enchant weapons and armor with magic.
Again, I would scale back the magic. It’s a challenge when you have limited resources for a character and makes for much more interesting writing and scenarios, in my opinion :) Summoning in particular is such a heavy use of magic in most mediums. If you’re going to include this as a skill you need to go in depth and explain it, what he summons, the tolls it takes. One technique you could use is that he’s an elemental mage with a stronger connection with X element. For example, earth elemental magic could present as protection and shielding, water as healing, fire as offensive destruction and air as some kind of mix. Be creative with it! Don’t be afraid to really push the bar when you niche down.
Weaknesses: His fear of big dogs can make him at times not as responsive, he is also prone to the darkness and anger within him. His pacifist can make him appear not as forward to others or willing to kill in a fight.
These don’t feel too much like weaknesses so you should expand -- what does an overuse of magic do to him? If he is to have so many spells and skills, there has to be a cost for it to make him more balanced :)
Positive Traits: Loyal, logical, down-to-earth, patience, skilled worker, helpful, aware spiritually, respectful and attentive. Polite. Honorable along with peaceful, loves life
Negative Traits: repeats things sometimes when angry, prone to anger. Lazy at times while having a disinterest in boredom. Impatient at times.
Just as I mentioned before, a lot of these can be written in the personality section. A good way I do my own sheets is to start with lists like this, and then pick certain bits out to expand on and flesh out the sections :) A good technique is to write it like “Cinder is very loyal, logical, and down to earth - but when x y z happens he is prone to anger.” So, write a positive trait, and follow it with a contrasting, negative trait.
Likes: Books, reading, magic, traveling, helping, peace, a battle (due to his adrenaline kicking in when peace does not work), games, sports, cats, honor, respect, having his side looked at and heard.
Dislikes: Conflict, dishonorable people or actions, dogs, his anger, thieves.
Habits: When embarrassed he shyly looks away, at times picky when it comes to food, tends to say 'you don't understand' when his side is not being received the way he expects it to be. When he feels off-balance he will meditate somewhere quiet. And at times he has a tendency to talk to himself.
Habits could really be brought into the personality section, instead of listed somewhere else. You can also expand on them -- what, for example, would embarrass Cinder? I’m interested in that because it’s a nice touch that humanises him, and shows that he’s also got a vulnerable side that might pop up throughout the roleplay.
Goals: To be understood and accepted well by people, and to earn what everyone has like love and to live a legacy for future people to know and remember.
First of all, I like your sheet -- and the effort you’ve made is clear. That said, overall the sheet feels very undercooked, and quite surface level -- and by that, I mean it still, to me, feels more like the first draft while you work through a concept for a character. That’s not a bad thing at all, by the way. You’re halfway there, to repeat a phrase I’ve been using an awful lot -- you just need to add the seasoning and bring everything together :)
When I’m trying to develop a character a bit, I think about the roleplay I’m applying for. I try to think up scenarios that are likely to happen, and then think of what my character would do. I think about what would frighten them, what kind of person they are likely to get along with, and who they may not.
I’d also suggest that you be conscious of the layout of your sheet; a good way to think of your sheet is that it's like the resume for your character. List the basic info - Name/Age/Race/Job first of all, then a paragraph on appearance with a picture too if you have one, a section for personality, and a section for background/history. These are the core sections of your sheet so don’t bury them under other information.
I would challenge you to keep at this sheet -- look at some of the questions I’ve jotted down in the notes, and see if you can answer them. Sometimes leaving a sheet or piece of writing to sit for a few days is super helpful - it allows us to look back with fresh eyes and that’s often how I take something that I thought was good, and make it into something that is much better. That has really been the best way I’ve developed my own writer’s voice, tone, and style.
Think about my feedback, and take another chip at it because I’d love to see the Cinder sheet again when you’ve had another go! Awesome stuff Reborn <3
"People jump to too many conclusions based just off of how they look."
Katie has a rather distinct appearance. While she laments the fact that she didn't get her mother's looks or any of that she seemingly has embraced a different kind of self-love. First off, Katie is Asian with roots coming from the great country of China. She has white skin with heavy golden overtones and facial features very consistent with her people. Her facial features are round and pudgy due to her heavyweight for her size. Kaitlyn due to not inheriting her brother's metabolism is quite heavy in terms of weight. She has a gut, tons of stretch marks, and fat in her facial area. However, this weight has enhanced what little sex appeal she has because she wasn't going to get any from her flat-chested and assed mother. She, at the very least, has 44F cup size and her behind sticks out in jeans. Even if she's not a super big fan of tight clothing. Speaking of which, Katie is a fan of dresses and skirts and will most likely be seen wearing that. In contrast with her twin brother, her primary color is blue. The vibe that Katie gives off is different from the rest of her family. She presents a calm and reserved aura that reflects in her behavior, her voice is usually low and she like drawing any more attention to herself than necessary. Katie's sigil, a symbol of a wave, rests on the middle of the right side of her neck for the world to see.
First of all, that is some very fancy sheeting you’ve done, I love it and that shade of blue is just beautiful and contrasts so nicely with the red in the picture. It’s a super appealing and interesting aesthetic already that has my attention.
The description here - While she laments the fact that she didn't get her mother's looks says so much about her beyond a surface level. It tells me that Katie views her mother as being very beautiful, that she doesn’t look like her mother, and that there’s a psychological feeling behind that. In a single sentence you’ve laid down a thread that just speaks to her character and I appreciate that level of detail so very much.
You then further bring up the mother - that Katie is very confident in her own way, highlighting the differences that you alluded to in a way that actually is almost derogatory to her mother so I wonder from this what their relationship is like. I haven’t read anything else of the sheet so I’ll keep this thought here. My theory is that Katie’s mother has been very hard and overbearing, perhaps mean about her daughter’s appearance. We’ll see!
PSYCHOLOGY
"I keep my circle small, it's easier for all of us."
MAIN GOAL ⫻ Katie's main goal has been getting a degree for Marine Biology and explore the deepest parts of the ocean. She's close to getting her master's degree so she'd be the most expert in the subject that she can be. However, her goal as of late has been getting over her nasty break up with her ex-girlfriend.
I like this - a long term goal, and something short term and clearly very personal that offers room for some great character development. I wonder what this nasty break up was, too.
PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Kaitlyn's goal has always been about keeping to herself. She thinks the world would be a better place if fewer people focused on what other people are doing and focused more on themselves. That said, she's a girl that's all about self-improvement and becoming the best person she can be.
I think that keeping to herself is less of a goal and the philosophy, no?
SECRETS ⫻ Kaitlyn's main secret is the fact that she's bisexual and the fact that she spent the last two years in a same-sex relationship. She knows her mother would renounce her if she found out, and keeps any mention of it strictly off social media. Katie is also a very secretive person in general that makes what she does, where she came from, and where she is, private as possible.
SEXUALITY ⫻ Katie is bisexual but keeps it relatively private as she doesn't want that information getting out. She accepts it fully but she thinks it's something she best keeps to herself.
FEARS ⫻ Katie fears her mother finding out about her sexuality and her secret relationship. Mainly because she hates disappointing her mother and she wouldn't approve of such a relationship.
Ahh yes, so there *is* a thing with the mother, that was an excellent way to hint at that. Kudos!
REPUTATION ⫻ Because of her nature, Kaitlyn is relatively unknown throughout Araminta. If most people see her they probably wouldn't have a clue who she is. She likes it that way.
QUIRKS ⫻ Sometimes Katie has the habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.
I might expand on this, and add in more quirks - I think I offered the feedback of mannerisms on another sheet I critiqued here. Does she bite her nails? What foods does she like? Does she have pet peeves? What would Katie’s roommate be annoyed by about Katie, for example. All of these things just add a little seasoning to the pot.
FLAWS ⫻ Katie is fearful, reserved, and is afraid of all the raw emotions she keeps repressed inside of herself for the sake of everyone around her.
BACKSTORY
"Do not bring up Amelia."
To make a long story short: Kaitlyn's mother, Meifeng Zhao, and his aunt, Lijuan, moved to America from China because of her mother's (Lihua Zhao) dissatisfaction with China. They moved to a Californian metropolis known as Los Angeles, where they had a variety of different adventures. Meifeng grew up into a strong confident woman who went into college for a master's degree in criminal justice where she met her future sweetheart Daniel Liao. After a few years of romancing each other, they got married, and Meifeng became pregnant with twins. Justin and Kaitlyn Liao, two siblings that would pave the way for the bloodline's future.
Some interesting bits in here. That the family cares about their bloodline. My feedback here though, is unless you’re really going to delve into the mother’s story -- there’s not really a need to include those parts; this is Katie’s history, afterall.
There was a stark difference between the two. The two were a pair of wild and rambunctious people that caused headaches for their mother, father, and all other blood relatives in the vicinity. However, Kaitlyn was the more wild and passionate of the two, far more emotional than her hotblooded brother. But, other than that Katie's early life didn't have much of a note, Meifeng was at home raising them while his father was making the money for them to live comfortably. This built up a deep innate connection between the twins and their mother, who imparted many of her ideas and philosophy upon the twins - though she was unhappy with staying home by herself. Their grandmother, Lihua, stepped in and offered to take some of the workloads off Meifeng so she could pursue a career in the CIA. Their dual-earner family is what earned them a lot of money, and in turn, helped them live comfortably in Los Angeles.
However, Katie was close to her grandmother who taught her, in time, that she as a woman needed to be calmer and more reserved. That she needed the discipline that her brother lacked - but she told her that her mother was the same way. Eventually, she taught the girl how to control her emotions, wisdom, but how to be fierce when she needs to, and everything she would need to succeed in life. At the cost of making her like an old lady. This meant that Kaitlyn fulfilled the role of calming her more hotblooded brother.
What exactly did Katie learn? This is what I’m more interested in, over their mothers career as a CIA agent. Was there a specific event in Katie’s childhood that made her grandmother step in and take over with mentoring her? I feel like much of this background is stating facts about Katie’s upbringing, but not explaining them too much so far.
In time, Kaitlyn pursued her own goals. The girl loved the ocean more than anything and she wanted to explore it, learn the animals that are in the ocean, and make breakthroughs as a scientist. Which lead to Kaitlyn taking up Marine Biology and going to the illustrious University of Araminta, where her twin-brother got sent to live with their grandmother in Farmer Hill and eventually go to a school local to the town. Being away from her family caused a huge shift in her life as she tried to get her master's degree. Kaitlyn realized something inside of her, the fact that she was more sexual than she let on. This didn't mean that she slept around, she realized that she was more attracted to people than she thought. And in time, she soon realized that it wasn't just boys she liked.
What was it that made her enjoy the ocean? There’s a lot of symbolism to unpack with that -- because think of the ocean. On the surface you can see it as a very calm element, but poke deeper and there’s so much there. The ocean can be tumultuous, dangerous, unknown, endless depths of dark water etc. Is it simply the wildlife or is there a bigger call?
Though the girl was in no rush to get into a relationship. She merely stayed focus on getting her degree and like most cliche college-aged kids she got a job at a local coffee shop not too far away from the university. Things changed when she ran into a girl named Amelia Dallon... it was a strange experience as the girl was seemingly at her coffee shop every day, then she found out that she was at the university too. Eventually, they started hanging out and became friends and eventually, Amelia dropped the question. It was strange for Kaitie, but she decided to try it out. The two went out on a few dates and had all types of fun and eventually decided to become a couple. And things were happy for the next two years.
But, all good things come to an end. It all started a few months before the start of the story when Justin called her all frantic explaining to her that her grandmother was murdered by something. This caused grief like no other in Kaitlyn as she became withdrawn from her social circle, classes, and eventually Amelia. After her grandmother's funeral, Kaitlyn took some time to herself. However, this didn't sit too well with Amelia as she felt like she was being neglected and ignored - mixed with the fact that she felt like Kaitlyn was ashamed of her. Amelia kept trying to get close to Kaitlyn while she pushed her away.
Eventually, Kaitlyn gave into Amelia and went out to a date at a nice restaurant. It was awkward as Kaitlyn felt that the magic between them was dying and ultimately chose to break it off. However, Amelia didn't take that too well and as Katie tried to walk away she grabbed her. She cried her heart out about how she loved Katie and how it couldn't end like this and it got mad creepy for Kaitlyn. Eventually, a fight broke out between the two as Kaitlyn tried to fight her ex off and in the middle of the struggle both Amelia and Kaitlyn Awakened. Amelia was pushed away from Kaitlyn with a sudden wave and couldn't get close to her. All while Kaitlyn hauled ass back to her dorm.
When we saw a mention of Katie’s break up earlier, I really expected this to be a crazy ex, something awful but this more or less actually paints Katie in a bad light, and not the other way around. This is cool actually, if intentional. It shows that she has an unreliable narrators view of what had actually happened and it sort of subverted my expectations.
This was strange as her Awakening unlocked an abstraction relating to the ocean. It felt like the ocean was at her very fingertips as she can bring it to hers. It was a beautiful experience that was unlike any other. However, Kaitlyn tried to move on with her life... but this was around the time her brother went missing and things got strange in Araminta.
SKILLS & TALENTS
"I don't have much to bring to the table, I'm sorry."
Marine Biologist ⫻ Kaitlyn is studying to be a marine biologist, and so far she is quite skilled and dedicated in her task. She is very informed about her subject and can name most marine animals right off the bat. Kaitlyn even took some swimming classes to improve.
EXTRA-NORMAL ABILITIES
"I'll show you something beautiful."
TYPE ⫻ Awakened.
ABSTRACTION ⫻ Thalassomancery, Kaitlyn can summon ocean-effects with a snap of her fingers.
ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Kaitlyn's ability is rooted in her love of the ocean and the raw emotion she has inside of herself that she keeps contained for the right moments. Her abstraction is a strange mixture of ocean manipulation and water generation as she can summon ocean-effects and animals in the shape of water for short periods. This can manifest in the way of summoning a wave of water to wash enemies away, a whirlpool out of thin air, a water sprout, or water in the shape of a shark. She has a wide variety of potential as she can create animals out of the water to attack foes, and summon water out of thin air. She can simply summon a body of water, too. This gives her tons of raw offensive, defensive, and mobility options as her abstraction can be used to attack people, create barriers, and move away. Kaitlyn can also merely summon water and manipulate it to her heart's content. This also comes with a sub-ability of being able to stand on this ocean water which allows her to move around, and even a levitation ability that lets her float a few feet off the ground when she cuts loose.
AURA SENSING ⫻ Kaitlyn's aura sensing allows her to see the auras of what is soaked or submerged in water up to ten meters away. She can tell which is what by the intensity of its aura as soaked objects have a less intense aura while what is submerged down.
LIMITS ⫻ Kaitlyn is also inhibited by the Extra-Normal's innate resistance to each others abstractions. Her attacks are just less effective against them. Her summoning also only works for a short period of time as whatever she summons will disappear after a few moments. Usually, it'll disappear after it does the desired effect but some of her summonses will last for only a minute at most. Kaitlyn's ability is also relatively short-ranged being able to summon water within fifteen meters of herself. Of course, Kaitlyn can only summon one effect at a time and once she summons it, she cannot stop it before it disappears on its own.
WEAKNESSES ⫻ Kaitlyn's abstraction comes with two weaknesses. First summoning water cools her body down, and the bigger the summon the more her body will cool down. Small effects won't have any noticeable effects but the more dramatic summons will cause one hell of a chill. If she cuts loose she'll come out of the engagement with hypothermia or may even freeze herself to death. The abstraction also causes an uncomfortable feeling of cold water on her body that gets worse the more she uses it. Along with loss of breath as if she was drowning in the water as if she's being submerged. Kaitlyn's abstraction also dehydrates her body as if she just consumed food rich in sodium, so she has to constantly hydrate to keep using her abstraction because it'll completely cut off if she does.
OTHER
"."
*Free Hug*
Individual notes in the sheet**
First of all, thank you for posting your sheet. I’m sorry it’s taken me a while to get to it.
I really like what you’ve already got down for this character. There are some real great touches throughout this that I liked, including your choice of aesthetic, and your physical character description.
I do think you can take this sheet further, though. Particularly in the history/background section -- there are parts in there that to me, feel irrelevant and should be replaced with more history of Katie. I find myself wanting to know more about her lessons with her Grandma because I think that’s such a beautifully feminine subject matter - (think Moana and her Grandmother). I’m curious as to her relationship with her mother - were there any moments of tension that left an impact on Katie? In my opinion, these points and examples are worth more on a sheet than a run through of the parent’s relationship with each other.
Her twin is also mentioned only briefly -- you say that she was very different to him, did her lessons with her Grandmother put any kind of strain on her relationship with her brother? If you’re going to use twins, really drive it home that they have a ‘connection’; highlight the differences, give us an example of their differences too -- but also the similarities.
Twins are a huuuuuuuge minefield of writing material -- don’t gloss over that, really dig deep into what that means and you’ll make your character stronger for it.
Another question I have is whether the relationships she has with her family members influences in any way her treatment of Amelia?
This is a great job though, I’d love to see this sheet again if you had another crack at it :)
It's something you almost always get on a flight. Wind. Storms. High altitudes. The thought of crashing any moment.
Your anxiety levels are higher than your current altitude. While you're used to making business trips back and forth across the globe, it still doesn't mean you didn't have to take sleeping medication before boarding your flight. It still doesn't change the fact that while you and your coworker exchange smiles* from across the aisle*, that one of the engines just went out. The oxygen masks deploy, the pilot's voice coming over the intercom. It's not just your anxiety anymore.
Thoughts of your loved ones rush through your head. Why didn't you use those vacation days? Why didn't you press snooze on your alarm just one more time this morning?
The plane nose dives as the people around you scream, pray, and hug their children. The flight attendant insists that you must all remain calm as she buckles herself in.
I really like your introduction, it definitely teases something -- but I think it could go a little further. Really paint the picture. I’ve taken a lot of flights, something that I associate with flying is the safety video, strangely enough. I’ve taken that many that I don’t watch it anymore. Could you maybe write something about the person here doing the same?
You skip over the safety presentation, remembering to stow your luggage in the overhead storage, pushing your seatbelt closed until it clicks, tugging on the band.
In fact, you could make the whole intro like a safety run through - just incredibly mundane and boring until you hit them with the whammy of what’s happening! Just a thought! What you have is nice, already -- but I think you can stretch it further and really play with your source material.
You could end it with a “The Safety Video didn’t tell us what happens next.” or something, because clearly the crash is the starting point for this -- the rest is a sandbox of opportunity. Imagine being in that scenario. The plane going down, the way that the change in altitude fucks with the pressure in your ears. For some reason, I can really clearly hear ice cubes rattling - I can see an air hostesses trolley flying down the aisle.
There’s just a few little things that would give it that touch of polish and not only be interesting and enticing, but being actually anxiety inducing to read as well.
I don’t particularly know how to go about critiquing someone else's rules or sheet, since mine are so basic hehe! But this is a great start -- I wonder if you may have sat on this OOC for a while and maybe when you take a look back at it, you have fresh eyes and new ideas that have formed with giving it distance.
Also apologies for the very long wait. I've been kept far away from my computer.
This is such a great concept though, Haley, I'd love to keep an eye on this RP because Desert Island Stranded stories are so great!
A set of pliers sat askew amidst a pile of silver wire, coiled like a snake but bent and twisted unnaturally. A small vortex that was the circular frame for a diagram on parchment; tea stained, and tickled with cigar ash - smudged just so as to hide the design. The thick tracing that had been made with pencil was etched so confidently on the surface that it had also created an indentation, a river of charcoal creating the image of mastercrafted jewellery.
Holding down the corners of the parchment were crystal tumblers, slabs of solid paint, and a cigar box. Trembling fingers reached out to feel the current, stroking each precise line as a jaw quivered, droplets of a rich liquer clung to the dry lower lip of a mouth held ajar. The red that stained the bloodshot corner of otherwise beautiful eyes were the warning lines of danger at the situation.
A rasping breath heaved from the scrawny gentleman’s chest and he swallowed back another gulp of the whisky. He was long past feeling the burn rush down his oesophagus and into his stomach. All that sat there was a bleak emptiness that rumbled and that’s where the sting fell. “Did I…?” he wheezed, blinking down at the page as he tried to make sense of the words written before him, and the line-art of the Lover’s Knot, half buried under his clutter and stained with his mess.
“Did I do it? Did I steal it?” he whimpered, memories of holding the piece lingering only half there in the darkest corners of his mind, like a ghost. A spectre that elicited a sense of panic and a throbbing anxiety in his chest. His ribcage was too frail to hold such a thunderous heartbeat and he brought down the amber liquid again to drown it, to turn it slick and heavy and bring everything down to the floor. His legs obeyed the command, stop-starting in their movement so it appeared janky and broken. Like a newborn deer finding itself for the first time. His eyes too, were that of a deer as it stared headfirst into danger.
Njall pinched the corner of his sketch, dragging it and the crystal tumbler, the paint, and the cigar box down with it. A smash, and thud, and a clatter. All intrusive sounds that were not so intrusive to a lost and drunken mind, just the perfect kind of ambiance.
“I remember something… I remember something,” he muttered, staring at it closely, his pupils dilating into tiny dots the closer he brought the parchment to his face -- stopping it only when it grazed the tip of his aquiline nose. “Diamonds, glass… Something, something.” he struggled, desperately gulping down the last drops of his whisky. “I wasn’t in Evermore, was I?” he breathed.
Pale and unwashed, Njall could suddenly smell his own breath as it pushed back at him from the paper. A warm and intoxicating fume that it would be dangerous to bring close to a flame.
After a moment or two more of scrutinous inspection, the drunken Nord felt that the best course of action was to carefully fold, and fold again the drawing - before shoving it roughly under the leg of his table, and when he staggered back to his feet to place the items in a heap in the centre, the wobbled the entire structure. “Gone now, gone to someplace…” he mused, scratching his oily hairline with a finger. He turned his face this way and that, careful and suspicious of the shadows that flickered against the walls of his humble lodgings. “Like watchful demons tonight you are,” he spoke out to them, narrowing his eyes some. “Don’t eat my applause,” he cursed, wagging a finger at the moving darkness of a lamp that flickered.
Njall sighed, his shoulders drooping. His lids were heavy as his stupor continued to worsen. The paper under the table leg was all but gone to him now, and instead his focus turned to a canvas propped against the wall. The abstract shape of a feminine figure in black, topped with red like a plumed crown stared back at the palid Nord, at least from where her eyes should have been painted. “I know, I know-misbehaving again,” he slurred out, shrugging his shoulders. “Just that, well…”
With yet another sigh, it was clear the man had given up on whatever needed to be said. Instead, retreating once more to the floor, only this time taking to spreading out on the floor beside his mysterious woman. He seemed more relaxed there, the stillness briefly bringing colour back to his complexion. On the ceiling, more strokes of red adorned the beams and careful tiling. An invasion of an artist’s colour on an architect's best work. The tendrils and tentacles of red gave his mind something to focus on, and as his head began to spin around, and around, and around, he visualised them peeling away from the ceiling, spiraling down carefully to caress and blanket him.
They cocooned him from whatever it was that had been bothering him only minutes ago.
I find myself in Wayrest now, and what a pitiful slum it has become. I am ashamed to confess to have found safest lodgings in the upstairs room of a brothel.
My journey here was immemorable, I have found myself the observer of a curious company of mercenaries, managed by a Nord gentleman whom I know only as Gustav. How it is that he has come to manage such a group of individuals remains to be seen. There is no order to be found, and from the little I have observed so far, a worryingly high turnover of underlings. It seems that this Gustav can be trusted only so far as he can be thrown. Judging by his stature, likely not far.
The exploits of his company are about the only entertainment I will allow myself to enjoy. I remain ever vigilant, as always, of that which would threaten us.
I hope to return to our home soon, but who knows where the winds of change will carry me.
Yours,
A backwashed current of people was huddling over the bent and broken spine of Wayrest, feet dragging over the cobblestoned vertebrae. A stark and cold relentlessness in dismal gray light.
Relyssa watched the seemingly endless string of poverty trailing though the maze of the city — from checkpoint to checkpoint as they hurried before curfew. Parasitical.
Her impenetrable gaze pointed down from behind the smudged and grime-slicked glass of her window. She was witness to the hunched and somehow sharp shape of a man in torn hempen clothing as he broke free from the sorrowed march to hock his phlegm to the ground, into a puddle of excrement and water and dirt that sloshed around in a dip in the path. Relyssa pictured the spittle falling in its viscous entirety to land with a dense splash into the putrid wastewater of Gustav’s sewer.
The mournful disease of defeat had filtered into the ground. Entrenched itself there and formed with what had been, then it drained into the soil that the plants took their life from. No wonder the colours of the flowers were so muted here, so pale, so diluted. Vibrancy had been stolen from them and in its place was simple uniformity.
The Breton could barely hear the sound of the streets at all. Either side of her was the music of lovemaking, only it was off-key. The womanly chirps of pleasure were sensationally fake, and the men were too involved in having their egos (amongst other things) stroked that they didn’t seem to realise. Power was power, and in the rooms they held the power. Cradling women in the iron grip of their lust and impetuous desire. A septim or two from their purse to feel like Gods for a mere few minutes. The crescendo was so dissatisfying and shallow that it nauseated her. There was no intimacy to be found in transaction. For why did women choose to make these men feel so special?
They did not deserve it.
Would Alim be trading a coin of his own this evening for the fleeting shadow of power to fill him? No, she thought, a finger stroking the brass of her goblet. He’d be where he was supposed to be. The exit point of the sewer.
When it came time for the silence between clients, Relyssa closed the curtain of her room, sipping from the glass of wine she’d found herself. A surprisingly deep red that, at room temperature, perfumed the air around her and pushed back the scent of sex as long as she held it in close proximity to her nose. As long as she held the taste in her mouth, the rising tide of impecuniousness could be held back by the smokescreen of her own opulence.
Behind closed doors, she let her anger and her true simmering rage seep out. It was the sight of her bare finger that made her so indignant. A persuasive word had not been enough — the emerald fastened in the centre of a custom-made gold band had been the next best thing.
Where gold bought men their feeling of power, it simply kept perversion from her door. Had she not have had the emerald, would she have been the woman on her back? Crying to the Divines in praise of a man for his less than mediocre performance?
She remembered his face— the guard, she remembered the foul words that he had so boldly whispered in her ear, his breath thick with ale that was fighting against his extreme halitosis. His teeth were black and rotted in the back of his mouth, his slack-jawed laugh had said as much. Relyssa assumed that sickness had taken him. How could it not in this city of depraved indulgence?
Not today, and most likely not tomorrow either... But she would get her ring back. She’d seize her power back from him, one way or another. It would be her grip, and her desire that would win over. Relyssa was judicious in her pursuit for revenge — even revenge as petty as this.
[center][img]https://64.media.tumblr.com/8a44132e4ef85f460c55e0d217d56083/c97f4e986455cef3-21/s500x750/803099aa29c82c109dc952a85126fcd57bd31785.gif[/img][/center]
[center]that elder scrolls / mass effect roleplayer
[sub][i]I put a spell on you[/i][/sub]
[/center]
[center][sub]
“I am nothing in my soul if not obsessive.” [/sub][/center]
[center][img]https://static.tumblr.com/58b8a4e254e37c03d3a007124d4cfb9c/zd7pi6c/gT9pn6d1w/tumblr_static_tumblr_static_3xot2lng7iww8ccgk88owckcg_focused_v3.gif[/img][/center]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><div class="bb-center"><img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/8a44132e4ef85f460c55e0d217d56083/c97f4e986455cef3-21/s500x750/803099aa29c82c109dc952a85126fcd57bd31785.gif" /></div><br><br><div class="bb-center">that elder scrolls / mass effect roleplayer<br><br><sub><span class="bb-i">I put a spell on you</span></sub></div><br><div class="bb-center"><sub>“I am nothing in my soul if not obsessive.” </sub></div><br><br><div class="bb-center"><img src="https://static.tumblr.com/58b8a4e254e37c03d3a007124d4cfb9c/zd7pi6c/gT9pn6d1w/tumblr_static_tumblr_static_3xot2lng7iww8ccgk88owckcg_focused_v3.gif" /></div><br></div>