[M] Anima Mundi (Namingtoohard & Headwrapper)

[Headwrapper]

Yay an OOC thread :P

My Bio

Name: Mec Fiska
Age: 20
Appearance: http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/dxdfanon/images/1/1c/Cute-anime-boys-with-brown-hair.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151027141535
Personality: Quiet and non-confrontational, Mec is usually the last person to speak in a conversation. He's never had major ambitions for himself, and is perfectly content working in the family business. In general he's well-mannered and tries to be helpful, but does not actively seek out opportunities to interact with others if he doesn't have to.

[Namingtoohard]

Name: Shallan Khanda
Age: 19
Appearance:
http://i.imgur.com/adSTFfQ.jpg

Personality:
Ever the optimist, Shallan is forever using her quick wit and sunny disposition to try and brighten up other people's lives. Outgoing and impulsive, she seems to find beauty and enjoyment in the most simple and mundane things, which she believes other people often overlook. Still, sometimes she finds herself dissatisfied with living such an ordinary life, regretting that she has not gone on any grand adventures like those found in stories. On rare occasions she has been accused of using her acting skills to cover up her real emotions, but Shallan always denies such accusations out of hand.

Other:
Like her mother, Shallan possesses great love for the arts. She has received extensive training in acting, singing and dancing, and knows how to draw a crowd, direct people's attention, and most other tricks of the trade. Her actual experience using these skills in a real situation is somewhat more limited, though

[Headwrapper]

Want me to go ahead and start the IC thread? Is there anything you want to add here so you can reference to it later?

[Namingtoohard]

Nothing to add at the moment, no. I think we're right to just jump straight in to the actual RP :)

[Headwrapper]

Here's the thread :D

http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=86247&p=2876460#post2876460

[Namingtoohard]

Sweet ^^ I'll get on my reply in just a few moments~

[Namingtoohard]

Well, that...turned out a hell of a lot longer than I expected ^^" sorry if I pushed things forward a little too quickly - I felt like I needed to jump right into the escape or there wouldn't be much for you to do with your reply, and opening posts have always been a bit of a weak point for me >.<

[Headwrapper]

I thought it was great! :) Like seriously I was excited after reading your first post lol. By the way I'm going to apologize in advance for my crappy writing, the only writing I've done for the last 4-5 years or so has been all technical and nothing creative, so I'm still undoing the conditioning of being a technical writer :P

What do you think so far? Any ideas on things to keep the momentum of the story going? I've been trying to come up with scenarios where Mec will have a chance to use his magic again in a positive way, but most of my ideas seem kinda tacky.

[Namingtoohard]

Haha it's all good, I'm not finding it crappy at all ^^ so it seems neither of us have anything to worry about~

As for ideas to keep the story going, I have a few, but none of the are particularly...long term. Minor issues that could push things forward maybe a day or two, but then we'd need to find other things to move on with. Hadn't given much thought to scenarios that required the use of magic specifically, but I'm sure we can come up with plenty between us. The recent idea of Shallan's fruit addiction makes me think he could use his magic tree-growing powers to make some fruit trees produce early, to help feed a starving beggar and their family or something. I'll keep brainstorming, though.

[Headwrapper]

I had thought of pretty much the same thing, using his powers to feed some vagabonds. I'll have to sleep on it and maybe I'll think of something better.

For long term, I wonder if somehow our characters could influence some sort of revolution? Maybe they travel to a kingdom where the peasantry is oppressed by the (king, church, some other authority) and they team up with the resistance who may or may not be accepting of mages? Not sure if that seems too outside the box.

I'm also starting to think I will have to utilize the voice of G more. I wanted to avoid it, but I feel it's the most logical way of sending the characters on some sort of long-term quest. Maybe at some point there will be something where the Anima Mundi is somehow being suppressed and G urges them to release it, requiring them to visit certain places that act as locks that are reducing the Anima's influence on the world? Now that I think about that though it would make sense that as they began to release locks more and more people would become magic users, and that would make Mec some kind of prophet for magehood. I need to think more on that one too, I'm just sort of thinking and typing at this point.

[Namingtoohard]

The only sort of revolution I can think of working in that situation would be one of the suppressed and cowed mages who are afraid of hiding trying to rise up against the government that oppressed them, essentially leading to a second war like the one that caused such fear in the first place. Of course, the two could always tie in well together or that exact reason - unlocking G's powers would increase the number of mages and their power, and necessitate a lot of travel and searching to meet up with other mages. I'm still a huge fan of the ethical side of things when it comes to his motivation, though. Maybe opening the locks requires some sort of morally questionable ritual, such as a human sacrifice? Or maybe just for the final lock, as a big twist right towards the end. That would be talking waaaay down he road, of course.

I was going to suggest that they try and find Mec a teacher at some point or something too, to help him learn the scope of his powers and better control them. Their ignorance of G and his voice could prove an interesting twist if Mec learns that it's not normal for all mages to hear him like that. Perhaps G alone is already enough to fill the role of a teacher, though, which would make it somewhat unnecessary.

[Headwrapper]

I guess I'm just having trouble coming up with a good source of motivation for them to continue traveling instead of finding a place to hide and stay settled. I guess them being chased might be one reason. Maybe there could be a period of time where they do find a place to hide, but are eventually discovered and are forced to escape. The confrontation might bring harm to innocent people which would enforce that they need to keep moving rather than settle. Maybe Shallan's skills as a mummer could allow them to travel with some actors or dancers for a while?

I feel that G would have to fill the teacher role as it wouldn't make a lot of sense for someone to live long enough to master magic. I guess he/she could be hidden in a remote location though, where they needed to use magic to survive alone. Whatever we end up deciding on I think I would like to keep G's voice unique to Mec though.

[Namingtoohard]

Yeah,I'd intended on using her skills at some point when they started to run out of money and become desperate for a source of income, so that she could give a street performance or something of the sorts to try and help with that particular problem (or to distract/draw a crowd to help out with some other plan, but that's beside the point.) Joining a proper band of mummers is an aspect I hadn't considered just yet though. I rather like the idea.

[Headwrapper]

I think it could work, and I think it will be a good way of keeping Mec from stealing the limelight by being the magical one. He could either travel with the group as a stagehand or for his travelling skills (which apparently are futuristic, I read this morning that jerky wasn't known to medieval travelers until well after the dark ages :P), or he could travel parallel with the group on his own, but that would make interacting difficult. I suppose it would make sense that a band of mummers, if we chose that route, might discover Shallan's talent while she performs for whatever reason.

[Namingtoohard]

Haha, really? That's actually kind of hilarious. Maybe far sight or some form of clairvoyance is one of his powers, letting him draw on cooking techniques not discovered until far off in the future =P

I'm...actually getting really excited about the prospect of writing a performance now. I have one huge idea in particular in my head that I'm super eager to put down on paper, even if it's not due to come into the RP for a while >.>' I feel like getting to travel with a band of performers and really practice her craft would be a great sort of 'coming of age' moment for Shallan, that would really catapult her development forward and prove a welcome break when the strain of life on the run starts to show.

Of course, it wouldn't be able to last forever. Mec could always have an uncontrollable magic blowout that forces them to move on, and Shallan could struggle with the prospect of being invited to stay with them against continuing their journey. Or maybe they could be a rare group of people that are accepting of Mec's powers, and find a way to incorporate that into the show? So many possibilities, and all of them exciting

[Headwrapper]

Ha ha, I'm glad you're excited :) And I agree that with the benefits of them travelling with a band, and of course it wouldn't last. The more I think about it the more I think it would actually make sense for the band to know Mec's powers and incorporating it into the show like you said. It would be an excellent way of introducing the concept of him controlling his powers in some form. Maybe an act gone wrong or something revealing Mec's identity puts the band in danger and there would have to be a decision on whether or not to leave the band, either for the safety of their friends or for other reasons.

I feel that if we choose to run with this idea it would be best suited as one of the early major developments, as it would provide an opportunity to develop both of the characters, Shallan with her "coming of age" of sorts and Mec with his "magic training."

[Namingtoohard]

i feel like scheduling it is going to be the tricky part. If it happens too early, then it's not really much of a 'break' per se, but if the primary reason for it happening is them needing more money, then we can't put it off for too long ether. I feel like we would need to introduce the concept of Mec using his magic to help people first, so he has some motivation to try and learn control to begin with. So maybe when they finally get to the next town over, if not a bit later?

[Headwrapper]

That sounds about right to me. Maybe shortly after the the band recruits Shallan and Mec they discover Mec using his magic to help someone, whether one of their one or a stranger. That would be a justifiable reason for them to be accepting of mage, since he'll be a "good guy."

I wonder if the idea that Mec would scold children who tried to steal in the past as a way of introducing the concept of him helping people with magic. Maybe a young pickpocket in Avoorka tries to steal from him or Shallan, and he follows the usual routine of watching it happen before stopping them to scold them. The child could be living alone with his mother who is too sick or or injured to feed them, and so the kid took to stealing. Like usual, Mec allows the pickpocket to keep what he stole if he promised not to steal, but Shallan who maybe sympathizes with the family due to similarities between them and the relationship she had with her mother urges him to try growing them a tree, noting that the trees he summoned grew unusually fast and might be able to yield them fruit regularly. They were going to be leaving Avoorka soon anyway, so what's the harm of leaving just a small trace of magic behind?

[Namingtoohard]

That...sounds plausible. It's certainly much less tacky than any of the ideas I was mulling around as to how to introduce the concept. It definitely ties into the history of both characters much better, too. A nice little nod to how Mec discovered his magic in the first place. I like it :)

[Headwrapper]

Yeah I think the hardest thing was to come up with something that's not too tacky. We don't have to go with that idea if we can think of something better, especially now that I've already pretty much laid it out and it'll be boring now... Although I'm sure you could put your own little spin on the events :P

[Namingtoohard]

Haha, I'm sure. I mean, if the guards got involved in the pickpocketing any capacity the two would run the risk of discovery, so perhaps there's a little bit of room to make things all the more complicated.

On an unrelated note, how would you feel about Mec actually outright injuring someone at some point when he has one of his flare-outs? Be it Shallan or somebody else. I feel like it would be interesting to see how he deals with the guilt. Nothing fatal or otherwise life-threatening, but maybe a semi-serious injury that would prove painful and possibly restrict the mobility of the afflicted person. Make him start to question his own progress, and possibly spark an argument between the two if tensions boil over as a result.

[Headwrapper]

Sounds like a good idea to me. Honestly I wouldn't mind if we went as far as having Mec cause a fatal injury, although it would be a lot harder to write about. It would put some perspective on why magic was banned by society in the first place, and force them to question if it was wrong to oppose the laws placed to protect people from magic and whether those that possessed magic were somehow inherently evil. It would also reiterate the question Mec had to ask himself when he tried to leave Shallan behind. Did he disguise his own selfish desires (relieving himself of the burden of feeling like he "owed" Shallan, exempt himself from being dangerous or intrinsically evil ) with false excuses of benevolence (letting Shallan continue her normal life, using magic to help those in need). If you didn't notice I like reoccurring themes a lot :P And also like you said, it would be a humbling experience that would make Mec question his ability to control magic.

[Namingtoohard]

Well, making it a (potentially) fatal injury would certainly have more severe moral repercussions, though it would make having Shallan be involved much more difficult. It's hard to continue stories with dead characters, after all =P I rather like the idea of her getting injured at some point because I enjoy the extra considerations you need to take, but both options have their merit. We have a while to get to that point, though, so we have time to think it over and make a final decision

[Headwrapper]

Well, if it's a fatal injury it would have to be on some throwaway character or maybe someone they had befriended in their travels... I wouldn't want Shallan gone anyway, she's too interesting :P But yeah, some non-fatal injury would bring some interesting implications. Now that I think about it more it's probably better that way because a fatal injury will kinda just be like, kill someone and cry and then forget about it, whereas a nonfatal injury would continue to be brought up for a while.

What are your thoughts on introducing more permanent or long-term companions that will travel with them? Something more permanent than what we were thinking with the mummers. I don't really have plans for that but I was wondering what your opinion would be on that option, or if you enjoyed controlling multiple characters in the first place.

[Namingtoohard]

Something with a temporary restriction to mobility would be good. An arm or leg injury, be it a burn, a broken bone, or a laceration of some sort, would all prove viable options. At first she would try ad shrug it off like it's no big deal, but the frustration would likely build up to the point where she snapped and lashed out at Mec. Hence more conflict, and one that would potentially have a much more lasting impact even beyond just the injury itself.

I'm happy to play second characters in most circumstances, though I'm having trouble thinking through how we would fit them in just yet. I could imagine another young mage joining their journey, or maybe some sort of 'guide' looking to see G'a goals accomplished, or possibly Shallan taking a newly orphaned child under her wing or something. Most of the options I'm coming up with feel like they would take some while to build into, though, or would be somewhat messy to drop into the story just yet.

[Headwrapper]

Yeah, I think that would work. I was planning on having Mec eventually develop an inflated hubris as he gains more controls of his powers; I feel like an event like that would be a good wake up call for him when his pride grows too large. Eventually he would develop abilities that would allow him to escape for fight his way out of confrontations, and eventually come to think of himself as untouchable. I think after he reaches this point some mistake he makes or lapse of judgement while wielding his magic could be what bring an injury to Shallan. Maybe rather than Shallan snapping a while after the injury, the injury servers as the tipping point after already being annoyed with Mec's pride and the dangerous way he begins handling situations?

Alright. I have no plans for any additional characters yet, just thought I would ask in case the opportunity arises later :)

[Namingtoohard]

Hm...I think I like that better, actually. Given her personality, she would definitely start to get worried if he started flaunting his powers, if not annoyed. After all, what is probably her biggest fear right now is that the commonly-held belief about all mages being evil turns out to be true, and she made the wrong decision in picking to save Mec - throwing away her old life to free someone evil that will cause more harm despite her good intentions.

[Headwrapper]

Ok question, kill or save the mother? I originally intended on saving her with magic but I recall an idea to have Shallan take an orphan under her wing. It might be too early for that kind of thing, so I'm still leaning towards saving.

[Namingtoohard]

Still much too early for that kind of thing. That said, I don't see any reason why the situation has to be resolved this very instant. It's not like she necessarily has to die on the spot if not healed right now.

I generally dislike healing magic in general, just because it makes any injury short of death feel totally insignificant, because it's going to disappear in a few posts regardless. As I said, I enjoy messing around with the limitations that come with physical harm lol. With the not-so-subtle implication of some type of enhanced strength in your most recent post, and the open acknowledgement that he could control all major elements in your opening one, Mec is starting to seem more omnipotent than like a proper mage.

[Headwrapper]

You're right. There doesn't need to be a resolution to the situation right away. Originally I wasn't planning on any sort of healing magic at all, but summoning some flowers which had an unknown healing property towards the Bloodclaw. It would have been an ingredient to a cure, lost through time as magic fell out of practice.

I planned on using the situation as a lesson from G to Mec. Mec logically decided that no more effort he placed in the situation would change anything, and upon deciding this was the case hoped to ignore it entirely in order to prevent compromising his own emotions. G would urge him to have faith in the Anima and not to give up hope, and an emotional outburst from Mec is what would summon the flowers, through a crack in the wall. He would gift the flowers to the boy and his mother (maybe Shallan decorates her hair with it or something, didn't really matter when I thought about it) and they would witness an immediate improvement of the woman's health, but not necessarily a cure.

Mec's powers are going to be heavily influenced by his emotions, and once he realizes this it will make his relationships all the more important. It will also mean his inconsistent reactions towards situations will become an obstacle when he tries to practice controlling his gifts.

[Namingtoohard]

I'm still all for the idea of using magic to help her somehow, I just think there are more tactful ways to go about it than outright healing and direct magical recovery. Again, my fear of just throwing "hurr durr problem solved because magic" into the mix rears it head, because it feels like we were standing just on the border of of that, with a very real risk of tipping over the edge. That said, I originally thought the illness would be something less severe than outright fatal, where simply supplying them with a consistent source of food would greatly improve the situation. Hence our idea of a fruit tree or something else.

All in all, I actually kind of like the flower idea. It makes sense that G would know about an extinct plant from before the war given their existence, and it fits nicely with the current theme he has going on about all his initial power uses to revolve around growing things. It's certainly a more appealing option than some magical cure-all.

[Headwrapper]

Eh. Whatever, I wanted flowers and I made flowers, they don't have to be magic flowers :P They can just serve as a gesture for now, or maybe they kick in well after they part ways with the kid.

[Namingtoohard]

Haha, true enough. Maybe the group will run into them later and discover the results of their actions at a later date, regardless of whether they are negative or positive? Just as a nice little tie-off. If they ever end up coming back to the same city again for some reason, of course.

[Headwrapper]

Possibly. It could serve as one of the things that lead up to Mec's hubris inflating, like a part of a series of events that lead him to thinking "wow look how awesome my magic is, I'm the best because I did it and I'm super cool swag swag swag."

[Headwrapper]

Wow, I really shouldn't post right after waking up.

[Namingtoohard]

Really? Why is that?

[Headwrapper]

Me no speak English gud.

[Namingtoohard]

You fail English? That's unpossible!

[Headwrapper]

xD

What do you think of the pace of the RP so far? To me it feels like we're trying to get over a hump but we didn't really come up with what that hump should be :P I personally don't mind taking it slow to cover all the details and stuff, but I wanted to know how you felt so far.

[Namingtoohard]

My feelings on pace are kind of flip-floppy half the time >.>' I like having that chance for characters to slow down and talk and joke around about nonsense but at the same time if we just end up with pages upon pages of idle chitchat it starts to put me to sleep. The current pace hasn't been too bad thus far in that regard; though.

I kind of agree on the issue of some problem they need to surpass. It's really too soon for them to be feeling relatively safe, just two towns over, but they seem to be doing just that. Maybe we need to give them a bit of a scare or something. Have a guard recognise them, resulting in some sort of chase or the need to sneak out of the city before they're ready. An encounter with a hostile mage, or some morally-questionable encounter.

...ill keep thinking on it

[Headwrapper]

Your idea of a hostile mage actually fits into something I've been bouncing around in my head. It kind of falls in line with my idea of giving Mec a hubris after a while, and it'll help explain a lot about how mages are connected to the "Anima" and Mec's connection with G. It's all kind of long-term stuff though, but also does require a lot of buildup to explain the technicalities of magic and reach that point too... Maybe a run-in with another mage would give Mec the motivation to try controlling his powers and also some clue as to how he could start learning.

I've also been trying to decide if something needs to happen during this night in the inn. Everything I thought of in that respect seems like it would be too forced though. Mec does have the problem of sometimes casting magic in his sleep which could lead into something, either directly or indirectly, but like I said any scenario I thought of seemed way forced.

[Namingtoohard]

My original thoughts was that one of the proper mages in hiding would approach them, with the intent of putting Mec down because the public's knowledge of his existence (or perhaps something about his lack of control) puts them all at risk. The 'assassin' would approach them, almost put them down, and then one of our unlikely heroes could try and strike up with a bargain with them. Like give them a year to disappear from the public eye and for Mec to establish control or they will be tracked down. Of course, from the sounds of things you already had your own idea about how the encounter would go down.

Having something happen during the night sounds like a good idea. Even if it's only something small this time, it would be best to establish it now on the first time they're sharing a room than leaving it to mysteriously start up later. Like having Mec conjure up a few of those fireballs like was mentioned in the first post and unknowing damaging some of the sheets or furniture that they have to hide

[Headwrapper]

Hmm, I didn't really have any specific ideas for the encounter other than Mec unintentionally "jamming" the other mages powers temporarily. Maybe that could be the reason the mage is unable to assassinate him properly.

Here's the long-term implications I have in my head right now - I was going to establish that normal mages were able to draw power from the Anima, and occasionally received wisdom from G. Mec on the other hand, rather than drawing power from the Anima, would be constantly leaking this power except that his body acted like a closed valve, stopping the flow of magic. Occasionally this "valve" would slightly open and let some magic out. What this means for other mages is that Mec's presence would jam their ability to draw power from the Anima. Eventually Mec would learn how to open this valve more and more to utilize his powers, and eventually be able to manipulate the flow of magic other mages nearby had access to at his own will. I'm trying to decide if he'll be able to commune with G eventually or just leave conversations with G one-sided like they have been. Either way, Mec would gain followers in the mage community who believe him to be some sort of messiah (communion with G, potential for fully unlocking the Anima to the whole world) and enemies who see him as a threat to their way of life (usurping magehood for himself, potential to use the Anima to destroy the world). Of course he would see himself as untouchable at this point, as no mage or normal person could destroy him, and not be afraid to show his powers to the world. From there he could either become more political (trying to bring freedoms to mages, appealing to people that magic is good for the world) or continue doing something else that utilizes magic) and eventually get carried away and hurt Shallan/someone else.

Aaaanyway don't take any of that stuff too seriously because it's just random ideas I had in my head, lol. As for the night time events, yeah it could just be fireballs or something. I'm trying to think of a way to maybe incorporate the waitress he's enamored with, like maybe spawning flowers in an arrangement that resembles her or something? It would be a way of introducing magic creating something he actually wants and not just having completely zero control over the results of his powers.

[Namingtoohard]

Something that actually relates to the waitress he's smitten with directly? An arrangement that looks like her does sound like the most solid and straightforward way. Indeed, it's the only thing that springs to mind straight away. I mean you could always have him make a sculpture of her or something, but that would probably seem a little more forced.

[Headwrapper]

What if Mec gets caught and gets saved by a mage when he's about to be publicly executed? The mage could have been motivated to save him from influence from G or something like that, since most mages probably just let executions happen in order to not give themselves away. The mage could then reappear later as an ally at times and an anti-hero of sorts at others, maybe trying to persuade Mec and/or Shallan to make logical choices that would help them but conflict with their morals?

[Namingtoohard]

That could potentially work, though the Mage in question would definitely be risking a lot to make such a bold move. There would indeed need to be some really powerful driving force or motivation behind such an action, but carrying favour from G could be just that with some prior knowledge.

It would start Shallan down an interesting track, too depending on whether she ended up getting caught with him or not. If she was forced to stand and watch while he was at risk of execution and then saved by someone else with magic, she's definitely going to start cursing her own lack of power...not that such is a bad thing, from a development perspective. It was always going to happen sooner or later, this would just start it earlier than I had planned

[Headwrapper]

Yeah, that's why I think the anti-hero thing would work pretty well. The mage would have some noble(?) motives such as wishing to end persecution of mages, but understands that some calculated sacrifices would need to be made to meet his or her ends. On one hand they understand the reality that lives will need to be lost before reaching their goal, and on the other they will have to risk their own safety in order to preserve key components of G's plan.

I think it would be interesting for both the characters and for driving the RP as well. Then again, it might have to wait for after the band of actors if we still choose to go down that path.

[Namingtoohard]

I wouldn't necessarily say it has to wait until afterwards. We can always just push meeting the acting troupe back for a town or two if it proves necessary. I feel like it could work towards helping Shallan move past any feelings of inadequacy she develops if we do it this way first...unless I'm overlooking some other reason why it wouldn't work out that way?

[Headwrapper]

The only reason I was thinking it would have to be after is escaping a public execution would be a lot more high profile than anything else so far. Even if the band was accepting of Mec it would be even harder to travel with him. Then again maybe they're actually crazy and would welcome that even more :P

So in that case, do we want to make the execution thing happen in this city? Should it happen on the current day we're on or should they get another night?

[Namingtoohard]

Hm...true, I hadn't considered that point. But then, if all the guards prove as incompetent as the first few then the two of them will practically vanish as soon as they get another few cities over =P either way, they'll see the truth of it when Mec uses his magic to help one of their numbers somehow.

In any case, might as well make it happen today at some point. I can't think of anything else important to occupy them in the mean time, so why not I suppose?

[Headwrapper]

Works for me :) Would you like to have the mage be your character so you can have a cool magic person to play with? Or would it be better to just treat him/her the same way we've been treating secondary characters?

[Namingtoohard]

Ah...I'd love to have them as my secondary, just because I feel like I have two really good ideas I can try pertaining to their design. At the same time I'm kind of hesitant because you've come up with the specifics of the magic aspect almost completely by yourself, and I wouldn't want to accidentally write in anything that conflicts with the direction you wanted to push it

[Headwrapper]

Hmm, in that case the character is yours :P I would rather work around any accidental conflicts than try to stay true to what I have in mind currently. It would probably force us to consider things that I haven't thought of and create a more interesting explanation of how magic works.

The main things I want to keep are the difference between drawing power from the Anima and simply leaking power like Mec does, as well as Mec's ability to temporarily "jam" other mage's powers. Outside of that, go nuts :P

[Namingtoohard]

Haha, well I have a few interesting concepts in mind for how to actually describe the process of intentionally pulling power from the anima. I suppose it's just a matter of finding the one that fits best? Or perhaps just say that all mages experience it slightly differently, I guess.

On the topic of jamming, I'm assuming it's more of a situational thing based on Mec's emotional state (like the way he's been using magic thus far) instead of a constant effect? Just in the meantime, before he gains knowledge and some sort of actual control over it. I'm trying to suss out how much of an effect it will have on the actual escape =P

[Headwrapper]

I like the idea of saying all mages experience it differently. At the end of the day it would all have the same effect. Also, that's pretty much what I have in mind for how the jamming ability works. Something he does on accident until he learns about its existence and eventually how to manipulate it.

[Namingtoohard]

Alright, good to know~ I totally know how I'm going to play things out then. Now just one last question springs to mind - are you one of the people who likes to stick with one male and one female character each when secondaries start getting introduced? My idea for the new mage can totally work either way, so no worries there

[Headwrapper]

Just go with what you prefer. I don't have any reason to care about genders. I guess the only time I ever would is if it was a romance RP or if it was a group RP since sausage fests aren't fun :P

Hmm I was going to make this post the post where Mec is captured, but now I have to come up with how to hand off the execution to you. I guess I can leave the details to the execution up to you, even though I had some cool ideas for it :P

[Namingtoohard]

You can timeskip it forward to the execution itself if you like. I don't mind having to write a few 'catchup' paragraphs about what Shallan did in the meantime, and it would still let you go through with whichever ideas you like

[Headwrapper]

Hmm what I've written is pretty lengthy, but if you don't mind having to read a long post I can probably sum up the execution in one more paragraph or two and try to leave you in a good spot to take it over and write out the intervention.

[Namingtoohard]

Either way. Jump straight to the execution if you want, or just leave it with his abduction and I'll write a post about what Shallan does in the meantime, before you can go on about the execution in full next post. Both ways work just fine for me

[Namingtoohard]

Bringing one of the convoy guards back as the anonymous tipster was a nice touch, I must say. Did you have any preferences for his fate? If you don't want to keep him alive for some further purpose, the masked doll will probably kill him outright, so I thought I'd better check first. I had her leave the knight-turned-executioner and his companion for much the same reason, since they could make an interesting return in the future.

[Headwrapper]

I would leave Gaxeel, I don't care about Wycan. I think killing the guard would be the best idea- it's kinda what I was hoping for.

[Headwrapper]

I was wondering about the nature of the doll- who I think is super cool so far ha ha. Would Mec jamming its magic completely disable it or just simply jam its magic like any other mage? Weighing up different options he might take to defend Shallan since it seems he'll have to use some force in one way or another.

[Namingtoohard]

Haha, so I'm guessing you've started taking the use of the word 'doll' literally? It was intended to be the actual mage the whole time, not just a puppet, if that's what you've been thinking so far. It's just something I took to calling her during design that managed to sneak its way into the post, just so I had some sort of specific way to refer to her without just using "the unknown being" or some slight variant over and over again. Though the idea of having it just as an avatar is actually kind of cool >~> and I could totally incorporate it without changing anything of the character's core design...I might have to actually consider that now haha.

If it was the human like I originally intended, then the obvious conclusion would be that it just blocks the magic. There is one other aspect of her design that would be crippled by Mec's jamming that I hadn't considered until you pointed it out just now, though. Not sure if you would rather me spoil it by pointing it out or just let everything build in the actual story though.

[Headwrapper]

Ha, I didn't take it literally at first but I second guessed myself after a while. Having it as an avatar would be cool and would deter risk from the real mage in this kind of event. Maybe a good tradeoff to the avatar being so powerful is that the mage isn't able to perform other tasks while manipulating the puppet. I'll leave it up to you if you want to adjust the character a bit; either way it's a pretty cool character so far.

Hmm you don't have to spoil it, but I'm going to guess it's maybe something with the owl? Or even the strapless mask? Anyway, we could always justify any small amount of magic being used even through Mec's influence by saying it's not an absolute cutoff from the Anima but a major inhibitor., like say it cuts mages off from 95% of their magic. It might be hard to know where to draw the line if we created that logic though...

[Namingtoohard]

Yeah, she definitely wouldn't be able to do anything else while controlling a puppet because it would more or less involve projecting her consciousness elsewhere. Still, that would make it much more physically proficient than she is herself, and a doll that could channel magic even when the Mage herself isn't around would be a powerful thing indeed.

You're right on one of those two counts, I'll say that much haha. But still, it may be hard to create a baseline for that sort of thing. I suppose you could liken it to putting your thumb over a hole that's leaking water? It will restrict the majority of the flow, but you'll still get a bit of a trickle around the edges, at least until Mec learns to control it and can create a perfect seal. Maybe have it cut off the doll's ability to use magic completely, while making it very physically clumsy and slow compared to even normal humans - well below what it's displayed so far. Just leave the bare minimum amount of control so it can still talk and provide direction as necessary

[Namingtoohard]

So...just a heads up that I'm flying out of state tomorrow for a weeklong holiday. I'll try and keep active here as much as I can, but having consistent internet connection isn't certain, so I might not manage to post as often as I might like. If you go a few days without a reply, I promise it's just because of RL difficulties, not a lack of interest D:

I'll definitely get in at least one more post at some point before I leave, but I just thought I should give you a heads-up

[Headwrapper]

Okay :) have fun and safe travels :)

[Namingtoohard]

Well, im back home and at full posting strength again now ^^

[Headwrapper]

Sorry I haven't been able to post lately and that my absence sort of went unannounced... I'll try to have my next post out soon; I didn't want to slap something together without giving it a fair amount of thought first.

[Headwrapper]

Just so I know, did you decide to go with the while avatar thing for the "doll?" Just wanted to know how far things could go in the fight between her and Gaxeel. Also feel free to control the knight a bit if you need to in order for something to make sense. As long as he doesn't die or go out of commission.

[Namingtoohard]

Indeed I did. I'm not expecting the doll to remain intact by the end of this confrontation. I'm more or less planning on it getting destroyed at the end of the fight, only for Gaxeel to realise that he's essentially accomplished nothing but wasting time in fighting it. Sure, the mage has lost a valuable asset, but it gets them all out of the situation alive, and she could always make another given the time and resources

[Headwrapper]

I had an interesting idea for a character and I'm trying to think of a purpose for him. I think he could have a place in this RP so I thought I'd share. I was thinking of a concept for a character with an extended life, sort of like Dorian Gray (story about a man who has a portrait that ages and displays his true form while he continues to appear young and beautiful, even though he becomes corrupt over time) or Micaiah from Fire Emblem. Due to his (or her if I decide to change it) extremely slow aging, they're forced to travel to avoid suspicion of being non-human, or if it were in this RP a mage.

My take on this kind of character would be the likeness of a younger boy, maybe like 13 years old or so. Truly he's much older, but he's aged so slowly he still appears to be just a kid. He carries an immature personality that makes it easy to hide his true age, and can even agitate the few that know him for what he truly is. This immaturity stems from how trivial he finds most interactions, as he's learned to not grow attached to those around him as they ultimately grow old and die, even if he managed to stay close to them for long.

He could be a loose ally to the blind mage. Maybe I could have him stop by the safe house to deliver miscellaneous news or even supplies from outside the city before moving on to another trip. Maybe later on down the line Mec and Shallan run into him again, whether to their benefit or to their disadvantage.

[Namingtoohard]

Haha, I like it. I had originally considered doing something similar with the doll (who, for reference purposes, I've decided to name Olenna - just so I don't have to keep calling her that) as a backstory that would mean she was around back when the original magical kingdom fell, and would tie into the story of how she lost her sight to begin with. I scrapped the idea very early on in belief that I'd added enough unusual aspects to her character.

Still, as agreeable as I am to the concept of an aged immoral, I love the idea of portraying them as a kid so young, instead of the typical "eternally stuck teenager" that you seem to find everywhere else. Having them as a loose accomplice of Olenna would definitely be the most easy tie-in, given that it would give them a previous bond and a reason for him to show up, without binding them together so heavily as to restrict either one. I know that you've already had him appear in your latest post, so I'm perhaps a bit late in saying this, but the idea is totally fine with me =P

[Headwrapper]

Do you want to start moving towards the travelling actors thing anytime soon? I was thinking about what sort of town would be appropriate for them to travel to next. Even if the characters haven't developed enough yet, they could spend a long time in the next town before the traveling band wanders by.

Otherwise, I had an idea for Mec to want to visit a town from one of his father's stories and possibly confirming some truth despite the story's ridiculousness. I like the idea of there always being a chance that stories like defeating the giant lion spirit might be true, but I also feel like that can easily be adapted to any point in the story's timeline.

[Namingtoohard]

Yeah, probably not much point in pushing it back too much longer, since it probably needs to pass in order for us to move on to the more meaty part of the story, concerning Mec's supposed position and purpose as the chosen one. I'm happy to have it occur at their next stop, after Olenna manages to smuggle them out and things move right along in that direction.

In any case, bringing a throwback in to his story seems like a really cool idea to me. A way to take a seemingly small notion and give it some real relevance. I'm totally down for that. Maybe at one point they charter a boat off the main continent as a way of trying to hide themselves away, and end up on the island where said hunt happened as a result?

[Headwrapper]

Hmm, okay. So maybe the next town they visit will be one with a bit less trade or things going on, so entertainment is prominent feature. That would make it a good stop for actors and other types of entertainers. I also think it would be fun if there's a little bit of a nightlife- people out and about after hours drinking or gambling or other things that wouldn't be acceptable in other places. Maybe Olenna can have an ally there that she suggests Shallan and Mec speak to, forcing them out of their comfort zone and having to learn how to behave in this looser culture so that they can find who they're looking for. What do you think?

As for confirming Mec's fathers story, it could always pertain to another story as well. It was already alluded to that Mec's father had many different tales that seemed outlandish, so there could always be one based within the kingdom. Or even something like "my father always said there was a treasure hidden behind the waterfalls of X" or "he saw a unicorn in the forests near X."

Or... what if they find one of the "orange skinned" people brought into the kingdom as a servant or a spectacle? Maybe throw in some sort of ethical dilemma like they were kidnapped or taken for other reasons. It would still be a nod towards the small story from before while still creating a worthy dilemma to play out.

[Namingtoohard]

Hm. I had Siem rough ideas for a very flamboyant character with a unique magical power that could serve well as their contact in a city of that sort. He'd probably only be a one-off appearance, but I'm happy to go down that line of action. Of course, the real question is what exactly they would be looking for, or their collaboration would be trying to achieve. Maybe something as simple as trying to help them disguise themselves and blend in would do? I mean, with the character idea in my mind, I could totally see him trying to redo their hair and clothes and whatever else to make them less of an eyesore, which would certainly be helping them along in the process. Lol.

This sort of begs the question about how well Cho and Olenna are going to stay involved once they are out of the city, though. I suppose they could just keep running into Cho in different occasions in different cities, though whether it would be a coincidence or he was orchestrating such incidents would be up in the air. I had thought the idea of a rebellion you brought up might give Olenna some motivation to pull up her roots and start roaming again in the interest of finally getting to actively pursue her dream, but until Mec and Shallan get directly involved she'd likely just be popping in at random times to help prod them along.

An ethical dilemma sounds like a rather interesting place to go with that line of thought. Perhaps the orange-skinned person is being kept in the performing city they visit next as a sideshow, almost like a circus attraction? Or had you planned to leave it for a little longer? Either way, there's plenty of opportunities with a book like the one he already has in his possession, so there's no reason we can't have multiple throwbacks over the course of the story. Maybe eventually the book has something in it that hints towards something to do with the world soul? Like a spiritual place where Mec would find his connection with G to be the strongest. Olenna would absolutely kill for that sort of information~

[Headwrapper]

Ooh, I think the flamboyant character would work so well in the type of town I'm thinking of. Maybe Olenna, knowing his personality, would know he would want to change Mec and Shallan's appearances. That would be a good reason for her to suggest them seeking him out. Maybe he has a nickname that people know him by, forcing them to ask around during busy nights of the town in order to find him?

I'm thinking Cho will just be randomly appearing here and there like you said. It wouldn't be that hard to find ways to intertwine his goals with Mec and Shallan's. Speaking of, I've actually been writing some stuff that has to do with his little romance. I don't know why, I really liked the backstory I gave him so I've been investing some time into fleshing it out. Maybe he'll end up revealing more of it to our characters as time goes on- I've thought of ways that it could involve G and help define that character as well. As for Olenna, if there isn't a reason for her to leave her base, maybe she would have another means of communicating with her allies magically? Could be something like a magical "crystal ball," or maybe she eventually finishes recreating her avatar that she uses to track them down. The more complicated recreating the avatar is the longer it would be before they hear from her again if we go down that route.

That pretty much hits the nail on the head for what I expect for the orange-skinned person interaction. I don't see a reason for it not to happen in the next town- they should be able to spend a long time in one town for once, especially once their appearances are altered. Also, I planned on Mec pretty much having lost all of his belongings from his most recent capture, so he won't be able to recover any of his travelling notes and whatnot and have to rely on his memory. I don't really see how he would get any of it back ha ha. Having to rely on memory might make for some frustrating and interesting conflicts for him though.

[Namingtoohard]

Again, forcing them out of their comfort zone by forcing them to ask around despite the nerves they would have from the obvious risk of being recognised? I love it~ I'm totally happy to go down that path. So I guess that's our plan for the immediate future set up then. In any case, if we want them to stay a while, that's totally doable. Dealing with Mec's frustration could totally be part of that process. Though it's just occurred to me that if Gaxeel and his superiors possess Mec's notes, they could probably use it as a way to cross paths with the two again. Like if he decides to chase up on some of the stories himself and they run into each other through poor timing, or thinks that Mec would be actively pursuing something on his father's list of escapades for one reason or another.

In any case, I'm totally sure it'll be easy enough to give Cho a chance to go over his life story, especially if their goals remain connected. If he keeps running into the group, then we could always force some sort of confrontation where they accuse him of following them and want an explanation of sorts so they understand his motivation. Of course, if you wanted something less direct, it wouldn't be hard to come upon the topic in more friendly terms. The random cake-giving means Shallan already has a very favourable outlook on him lol. It wouldn't be hard to push her to try and 'mother' him at the moment, especially considering their ignorance of his condition.

In Olenna's case, making a new doll wouldn't be hard per se, more taxing on resources and time. Creating and manipulating magical objects is sort of her speciality (the doll, her owl, and even the enchanted knife she first appeared with are all kind of a big hint in this direction).She'll definitely leave her home sooner or later, but even before that she'll doubtless make random appearances throughout to try and keep pushing Mec and Shallan in the right direction - probably by avatar, as you suggested. If things escalate into a proper rebellion further down the track, I could imagine her making an absolutely colossal impact, both as a spymaster given her connections, and through combat/assassinations with her doll.

[Namingtoohard]

If there are any mistakes in Olenna's explanation, or if you want to make any edits to the basic description of magic that she has set out, feel free to let me know. I'm happy to edit in some small changes when I finish work to make sure that the guidelines she has tried to set out suit our purpose as well as they possibly can.

[Headwrapper]

Looked fine to me :)

[Headwrapper]

Are there any meaningful events you think need to happen between now and when they escape to Convittas (or however I spelled it :P)? I'm thinking we might be able to time-skip here if there's nothing important we want to happen other than Mec's training. We can just decide on what he should have learned by that point. But, we would miss out on any development of character's relationships, since we would skip opportunities for certain one-on-one interactions between the two main characters and Cho and Olenna.

Also, thinking way forwards towards Mec and Shallan's fallout if we decide that happens, I think it would be interesting to see Olenna be a part of that buildup. I think Mec's affinity towards her would cause him to start to overlook her "immoral" actions, which would only upset Shallan, at least a little bit. Maybe she could even be the one who urges him to push his powers and that's what leads to him accidentally hurting Shallan. Food for thought, lol.

[Namingtoohard]

I was planning on fast-forwarding things by announcing that they would be leaving in one or two days already, whenever Olenna gets her reply from her friend. If you want to just timeskip it though, and maybe claim that they stayed longer because of it, I have no problems with that. I don't think there was much more of import, honestly. The only thing that springs to mind is the need to have her tell them who they will be seeking in Convittas, and we can just have her do that immediately before their escape, so it's no major concern.

That doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Her entire character is practically designed to portray all the negative aspects of mages that led to them being cast down, but in such a human way that they seem understandable or even necessary. Shallan, not being one of them, and with her strict moral guidelines, was always intended to find her repulsive. It wouldn't be a hard adjustment to make.

[Headwrapper]

Hmm, making the stay short would work too. I guess it doesn't matter how we do it, I just wanted to be sure we knew what needed taken care of before they depart. Do we want to make the trip itself relatively short like the other ones so far, or should it be a bit longer?

[Namingtoohard]

I honestly don't know. I'm kind of in this weird headspace where I'm finding their small little casual exchanges to be one of the most enjoyable parts, but I honestly don't know what we would use to fill in an extended trip through the countryside without fast-forwarding. Go figure

[Headwrapper]

Yeah, I don't either. Part of it would depend on what their travel arrangements are I suppose. I assumed it would be another horse-drawn cart, but who's driving? If they are strict about the journey, not allowing Mec and Shallan to wander when they stop to camp or rest their horses, it would make any meaningful reactions other than just talking to kill time difficult to come by. But if they're pretty lenient about it all, maybe there can be some mini-adventures that can fit inside the journey and we can just time-skip between stops. Maybe they wander in a forest in hopes to find fresh fruit or berries, or stargaze, or find a waterfall to swim/bathe under, or they could run into some bandits/wild people.

Reading back, I guess we did say that Convittas would not be far enough away that they would have completely disappeared, so the trip could still just be a day or two of traveling after all.

[Namingtoohard]

I was planning on their method of escape being a horse-drawn carriage with a false floor, though I hadn't given any thought to who the driver would be. One of Olenna's associates, obviously, but I wasn't sure if I should make it another mage or just a regular person who supports her or owes her a favour.

You have a point though. I'd totally forgotten about that brief little snippet, as much as I love the idea of them going stargazing together. Guess this one will be relatively short, and we can save those for the next leg of the journey?

[Headwrapper]

I think the driver should just be a regular person, or maybe a mage who's very weak at their craft. I feel like the more mages we introduce the less interesting our impactful ones become. And yeah I agree, if we keep this trip short we can save more of those scenarios for their longer trip and have more to choose from when we get there. Not that I don't think we can't come up with other scenarios, those were just random ideas off the top of my head.

[Headwrapper]

Want me to do the time skip in this next post?

[Namingtoohard]

Yeah, go for it

[Namingtoohard]

Sorry if the most recent reply is a little...lacklustre. Just got off a 12 hour shift at work, but wanted to make sure I got something out there before bed. I might edit in a bit more later, if I get the chance

[Headwrapper]

Oh my god how dare you only post five paragraphs???? That's it, I'm done. I'm dropping out of this RP.


Jk :) Seriously I didn't think there was anything wrong with your post :P But it has been a while since we've talked OOC, have you thought of anything you wanted to address lately? Also, how are you? :P

[Namingtoohard]

...okay, I had that coming. Time to go sit in the naughty corner and give myself a time-out ;king16;

Lately? Not really. It's not as if there's much to do between now and when they arrive at the next town. All seems like pretty straightforward conversation and travelling for now. I'm admittedly a little tired after being thrown on to mornings at work, with a fair bit of overtime, but aside from that I can't complain =P yourself?

[Headwrapper]

Yeah you're right, not much has deviated from our plans so far. I've been having too much fun writing for Cho without trying to reveal too much about him since I would rather save a lot of it for later if we need. Kinda meh because I feel like it's taking away from Mec's development but it's not like there's going to be much going on with his development until they reach the next town anyway.

I'm good :P I've been keeping myself busy, which is fun.

[Namingtoohard]

Not gunna lie, there was a period where I thought you kept having Mec push the discussion towards Cho's age so much because you wanted to start delving into his backstory at least a little bit haha. I think you're right, though - it's probably best to avoid delving too deep so soon. It's still pretty early into the story we had planned, so there'll be plenty of time to drag everyone's skeletons out of the closet later, where the crescendo will have more of an impact.

Whatever the case may be, I'm not sure how much more you want to get out of the characters tonight. After Shallan and Cho's little confrontation, I couldn't imagine her volunteering much more in the way of discussion. I'm happy to push ahead to the next morning, unless there was something more you wanted to do

[Headwrapper]

I fast forwarded to the morning. We can fast forward to their arrival in Convittas as well, whether in your next post or my next post. Do you think it would be better for them to reach the town in the afternoon so they can witness the transformation of the city from day to night? I'm thinking daytime you see some theater and some street musicians, but then in the night you see a lot more stages pop up, lit by torches that line the streets. I know we mentioned the city would be kind scummy too, full of gamblers and hustlers or other types of criminals, but I didn't know how much you would be comfortable with other things being present too. I feel like a city like this would have harems and gentleman's clubs and stuff like that, and obviously it's not like we need to go into detail with those, but I don't know how comfortable you are with those kinds of things being mentioned in the story.

[Namingtoohard]

Yeah, I was thinking something like mid-afternoon so you could catch the end of the street shows and the likes, then watch as all the bars start to I'll up and the night life flourishes. I kind of imagined the city as having a giant extended party happening every night. Lol. Almost like Tortuga in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, if you're familiar.

I'm totally comfortable mentioning brothels and the likes. They aren't really one of my vices personally, in the good or bad sense. Shallan wouldn't be super enthused by the idea of visiting one, but their existence is worth noting at the very least. A nice little touch of world-building, to show that not every place is upright and law-abiding, and has its own share of criminals aside from the mages themselves

[Headwrapper]

I kind of imagined the city as having a giant extended party happening every night. Lol. Almost like Tortuga in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, if you're familiar.


That's what I was thinking too! Alright, I just wanted to double check with the whole brothel thing. Mec wouldn't really be willing to visit one either, but I guess if anything he would get flustered if he was approached or swooned at. And obviously Cho would have no interest, lol. I'm pretty sure Cho is going to be leaving them once they reach Convittas.

[Headwrapper]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shut_the_Box

That's the game that is referred to in my last post. Also, just in case:

http://www.freearcade.com/ShutTheBox.flash/ShutTheBox.html

When I had Mec play his turn I just played a round with that link and the score I got was the score I used for him. Obviously not necessary, but I wanted to be sure I didn't somehow make up some impossible combination of tiles, plus it seemed like the easiest way to pick a number lol.

[Namingtoohard]

I...have legitimately never heard of or seen this game before haha. Seems simple enough, though the gaming link does help. I would have no idea how to play otherwise, so I'll just give that a shot and get Shallan's score the same way aha

[Headwrapper]

Lol :P personally i prefer blackjack, but they're both nice and simple games of chance that are fun :P

[Namingtoohard]

Yeah, unfortunately my first time went rather poorly xD I'm more of a Texas hold'em fan myself, but I've never proved very good at it =P

[Headwrapper]

Ha ha :P So, would you rather the pair find the charmer during the search in the night? Or would it be better to have them try again in the day time?

[Namingtoohard]

I feel like during their search in the night would be a better glimpse of what Midir is shaping up to be like as a character. Seeing him in his element would give a much better first impression of what he is like.

[Headwrapper]

Hmm, okay. Where should they find him? I figured I would have Mec suggest they check out the place where the fight just happened. Would that work?

[Namingtoohard]

Yeah, I can run with that for his introduction. They can find him inside, I'll introduce him quickly, and then we can both control him as necessary to move things forward from that point on

[Headwrapper]

I wanted to review what we wanted to do in Convittas. We talked about Midir helping Mec and Shallan alter their appearances. After that, do we want to get into the orange-skinned person story? I'm starting to think that might be a complicated event to close out. After freeing the person, what would they do? It's not like the orange-skinned person would last long on their own, but they wouldn't exactly want to keep them around either. If anything they might be compelled to try to get them home, but then we wouldn't be able to do any of the other things we wanted to do in Convittas.

[Namingtoohard]

I mean, we could always have the two run parallel if we really wanted to do so. They could find the person while out and about as Midir is teaching them about blending in. It'd take at least a bit of planning before they were able to free him, too. As for what happens afterwards...well, I suppose they could always just put him on a boat that promised safe passage back home, if we wanted them to stay. If not, we could always have them go along with him, and move on to part of what you wanted to do about discovering his father's stories to be true.

[Headwrapper]

Did we still want them to discover and join the traveling actors in this town? I thought once we were done with this town would be when they joined the actors and finally left. Maybe they can see the orange person while they're at a different show and escorting him back home is what compels them to quit the group after some time?

[Namingtoohard]

I mean, we could certainly go down that path if you prefer. It'd mean pushing the plotline back a fair amount, though, unless you intended on having the orange-skinned person travelling with them and the rest of the traveling minstrels after they freed him

[Headwrapper]

Nah, I think it would be awkward to try to tie the two things together. Like the orange-skinned person and the actors would have to be separate if we choose to do both. I think the orange-skinned person is a good way to advance the plot, give the main characters some sort of tangible goal. I just didn't want to skip the traveling band thing altogether, since it would still help the character development and because it seems like one of those things where if it doesn't happen early in the story it just couldn't happen at all.

[Namingtoohard]

Yeah, I kinda know what you mean. Originally I was reluctant to push it too early, but If things really move on with Olenna and the possibility of a magical rebellion then Mec and Shallan will never really have time to go gallivanting across the countryside playing at being actors and musicians. Probably best to get it out of the way as soon as they are done with Convittas

[Headwrapper]

Yup. That will just mean that nothing too important can happen before then, unfortunately, or else the option to leave with the actors would be too much of a distraction from those important things. That being said, I wouldn't want whatever does happen between now and then to be worthless. Obviously Mec would get some training in, they'll learn to blend in, but I feel like there should at least be one more thing they take away from the visit.

[Namingtoohard]

Yeah, I agree. Just getting to restock on supplies and learn a few basic survival skills doesn't really feel like enough to make their visit to Convittas as a whole worthwhile. Some information-gathering feels like another easy fit, but again, not enough to fill out the trip on its own. To be honest, nothing springs to mind immediately, but I'll think on it a little bit more and see if I can't come up with something while at work today

[Headwrapper]

Hey, sorry I've been gone a while. I'm just getting slammed at work. I will try to post sometime tomorrow or over the weekend though.

[Namingtoohard]

All good~ Real life must come first and all that jazz. I was too busy to do much answering myself, so no harm done

[Headwrapper]

How do you think they should practice feigning their characters? Should Midir direct them to try to play a particular role? Since he's a bit infamous, he might attract attention from certain people as well, right?

[Namingtoohard]

I mean, I suppose it depends on how hard you want to push them. We could just have one of them suggest that they play some farmers from another nation nearby or something else rather tame, so that they could focus on accents and body language and the type, if you wanted to start them off easily. Otherwise, we could just have Midir throw them in the deep end by introducing them to a colleague as a "Zerrikanian mud-wrestling duo" or something else equally ludicrous to see how they cope.

But yes, Midir has an extremely high profile in comparison to most of the other hidden mages. He's probably the most likely to attract attention from other sources, wanted or not.

[Headwrapper]

Hmm... Which one sounds more fun to you? Not sure which way I would like better ha ha.

[Namingtoohard]

I think I kinda prefer having Midir try to mess with them, but I'm not picky. Either way is fine by me

[Namingtoohard]

Did you have anything particular in mind for the lady making her repeat appearance, or shall I just go nuts and come up with something myself? I have a handful of ideas, but I didn't want to jump the gun

[Headwrapper]

I didn't really have any plans, I just like recycling characters when I can ^^;

Originally I figured she would be some sort of escort or something, but like I said I have no plans for her really or any real background story, so feel free to go crazy! :P

[Namingtoohard]

Haha nah, that's cool. I would prefer to have a handful of fleshed out side characters than just a ton of generic ones that are never seen more than once.

I was thinking of having her be some sort of priestess (not the kind, preachy sort - more like Illaoi, just without literally ripping people's souls out and punching them) or have her be some sort of crime lord or information broker. We'll see what my mind comes up with, though :P

[Headwrapper]

How would you feel about Mec using the charming ability on Shallan to win the challenge? Since he is fairly new at using it, he might have difficulty using it on strangers, but he may have an easier time charming a close friend. When he sees her acquire a drink, he tricks her into handing over the empty glass, and he takes it back to Midir. Of course Mec will understand full well that he lost and consider it a funny prank in good fun, but Shallan might not feel the same about being manipulated in that way. Thoughts?

[Namingtoohard]

Oh, now that's an evil idea, and I totally love it

Shallan would be at least a little pouty if she knew that she had been tricked like that, if not totally outright offended. It'd start making her question a lot to know what he had the ability to manipulate her like that, and it'd create some interesting discord. Heck, it could build into an interesting sort of trust-building if she is forced to consistently take his word that her thoughts are her own. I was considering the idea of Shallan using her voice to get a drink out of somebody, just to plant the idea of them using it to make money, but I think I like this better.

[Headwrapper]

Yeah, I like that it introduces some doubt. It will open up the possibility of a major conflict between them later. I think she can still use her voice to get the drink, and Mec can just "help her finish it" before turning it back in to Midir.

[Headwrapper]

Alright, effectively turned my character into a drunk. Woooo. I was reading something and it gave me an idea, if the wagon he woke up in is Clair's. I'm pretty sure I want Clair to be a kind of modernized, almost out of place, character. Like the kind of person who follows the rule of as long as what she is doing does not hurt anyone else, then she is allowed to do it.

Anyway, do you want to try to make a goal for how long it will be before Shallan and Mec start really talking to each other again? Will Shallan want to talk things through the next day? Will it be a couple days before she wants to speak to him again?

[Namingtoohard]

I honestly hadn't thought about it. I didn't intend on having her stop talking to him at all, more just act somewhat cold towards him for a few days, until she finally relents and they talk things through good and proper. She'll probably end up spending the next half a day or so alone as things currently stand regardless, just because of Mec's current situation =P

In any case, I'm pretty much agreeable to you designing Lady Clair however you like. She's more your character than mine, after all. Still, that seems like a pretty fun way to write her, and somewhat fitting given her current position as lead actor. You'll hear no complaints for me~

[Headwrapper]

Alright then. I'm just thinking if they have less interaction for the next few nights (just less, not none) it might give Mec an opportunity to try working his money-grabbing idea. Or one of the pair can get a little bit closer to Midir, since I sort of accidentally helped us morph him into some sort of soft villain, which I don't think was your intention, lol.

I had an idea about G and Mec's unique control of magic, since you know, big picture and all, lol. We talked about the possibility Mec could build a sort of following thanks to his powers, and I thought maybe a unique idea would be what if one of his "followers" did not fear his ability to halt the flow of magic, but rather, they needed it? Maybe because their magic harmed them, or the nature of their abilities made it difficult for them to conceal, or maybe it's just a normal person who had been hexed and Mec's ability could temporarily relieve them of the curse? I had a few ideas to tie this into Clair's story, which could be Mec and Shallan's "in" with her so that they might begin travelling with her troupe. It could just as well be saved for a different character as well though.

[Namingtoohard]

Not my intention for him in the slightest, lol. He was always meant to be disorderly and play a bit of devil's advocate, but never become outright evil lol. His only real goal was to pass on a few concepts to our two intrepid adventurers, which I believe he has done well enough thus far. Still, I can see the appeal of a bit of time apart, if such is the case. I might skip forward half a day or so over the course of my next post, just to avoid us going through pages and pages of having to find fluff to fill in our posts while the two remain separate, though.

Its an interesting concept, and definitely an angle that I hadn't thought to look at things up until this point. I kind of like the idea, since it would be a very real beginning to Mec building up his 'followers', as you already put it. Not sure how you intend to tie the two in together, since I would imagine one of the troupe members having that sort of affliction would be rather noticeable, especially if they travel a lot and visit more lawful towns. I'm curious to see what exactly you have planned, though.

[Headwrapper]

It would have to be a relatively new affliction to work, probably. I have a couple good ideas, I don't want to ruin it for you.

And for the time skips, I think we can start doing a bit more time skipping while in Convittas in general. We've pretty much seen the sights, so we can start fast forwarding a bit more so we can hot important events sooner. And if one of us time skips and the other wished for something to happen for their character in that time, we can always fill in the gap in the next post.

[Namingtoohard]

Yeah, sounds like a plan to me. They've accomplished most of what was intended for this stopover, so there shouldn't be any problems pushing things forward a bit faster from now on. Did we want to have Olenna contact them and urge them onwards, or use something else as their motivation for continuing their travels at this point, and leave her correspondence waiting a little bit longer?

[Headwrapper]

I think she should definitely contact them, even if it's just to say that she needs more time to finish preparing things for their next destination. That way, if the pair decide to run off with the troupe for a while, she will at least know how to find them. She could even contact them a while after Mec gains his "follower," so that she can react accordingly.

[Namingtoohard]

Alright, i'll see if I can mention something in my next post about a message from her or whatever else. Maybe it'll be a way to bring the two back together just briefly, so that they can hear what it says

[Headwrapper]

So are we thinking what will make the most sense is the Misfits might be headed northward, maybe to Celeres since there is a demand for their type of talent there? That way Mec can earn the trust of their new companion and they can join the troupe on the pretense that it's for travel. Over time they will learn about Shallan's talents and new things can open up?

As for actually gaining the companion, that will actually tie in a little with Mec trying to attend the play that afternoon. If Shallan decides to join him, it might actually work out really well. She could be the one to urge Mec to try to help the afflicted member they find, tying back to how we wanted her to be the one to prod him towards finding ways to help others.

[Namingtoohard]

Seems like kind of a given that they'll be heading north now. I hadn't thought about having them be heading all the way to Celeres, but I'm totally down with the idea. Getting Shallan in with the troupe was one of my goals, so I'm not going to complain about her getting to spend a little bit of extra time with them. We didn't ever actually decide on why they were eventually going to leave the troupe, did we? I think I recall some sort of discussion before, but can't remember for the life of me.

She'd certainly tag along to the play at the very least, despite their current feud. Shallan might still be fuming enough to keep her from being too open or friendly, but there's no way she'd let it get in the way of an opportunity like that, after the build-up that we've had so far. No problems on that front

[Headwrapper]

Hmm, I can't remember if there was a why or not. We can discuss it again though if we did, since I'm sure enough has changed that it would warrant more discussion. Plus, now that we are incorporating the idea that one of the troupe will have to rely on Mec's powers, we will have to find out whether that needs resolved before or after their separation from the troupe, since that person would be affected by that.

[Namingtoohard]

I mean, I suppose it depends on how permanent that said person's affliction proves to be, and the specifics of Mec's control over the Anima. If there's no real sort of limit on his range or control, then I don't see any reason as to why he couldn't just remove the person's curse and move away. If that wasn't an option, then the person would be more incentivised to follow, though I suppose there's no reason he couldn't become something of a devoted fanatic after his curse has been totally removed.

[Headwrapper]

Well, plan for how Mec's influence over it was that he would have to use the Equinox ability. The curse itself kind of acts as its own standalone thing, and Mec just cuts off its power. Otherwise, there really isn't any way Mec can have influence over curses and hexes or anything like that.

It's hard to explain without spoiling it, lol. Unless you want me to spoil it for the sake of discussion :P

[Namingtoohard]

Nah, its cool. There's no reason we can't revisit the topic once the reveal has been made, so might as well keep it a surprise for the time being =P

[Headwrapper]

Did we make a place where they can find Louisa?

[Namingtoohard]

I...honestly can't remember xD I don't think so actually, now that you mention it. Maybe they can ask Midir for directions?

[Headwrapper]

How much about Midir should Louisa know? We hinted that it was possible that she might know about his magic, do we want that to be true? Or should that be something she should ignorant of?

Also, I haven't thought of what kind of information she might ask for in return for her help, if you have any suggestions.

[Namingtoohard]

I mean, it'd be kind of easy to combine the two. If Louisa knows the truth of what is going on, it'd explain her interest in Mec a lot more easily. She would quite simply be trying to get information on him and his magic, or try to grasp some basic concept of what Olenna intends.

[Headwrapper]

I kinda thought that as well, but I wanted to know what you thought. So in that case she should know at least something about Olenna too then?

[Namingtoohard]

Seems plausible. If she knows that mages are working together, its only natural to assume that there is some sort of organization going on behind it, and that the group has some actual goal in mind, even if she doesn't know Olenna directly by name

[Namingtoohard]

So, after what you said about reusing characters, I kind of had the idea to get Louisa entwined in things a bit more heavily than we had originally planned.

It occurred to me that she could become some sort of proper asset to the cabal, if this meeting plays out right. I kind of imagine that she could actually act to aid Mec and Shallan from a distance in their travels this way, and perhaps even become an important factor in the mages' eventual rebellion. That's pretty much the reason I decided to take their negotiation in the direction that I finally went with. Hopefully its all okay with you

[Headwrapper]

So what exactly is Shallan offering? Just to have Midir add a note from Louisa to Olenna in his letter?

[Namingtoohard]

Pretty much. She's offering to have Olenna contact her directly, so that the two can begin a working partnership. All under the assumption that Olenna will agree just because she stands to profit from the arrangement too. Even if they have to use Midir himself as a go-between

[Headwrapper]

Got it, just wanted to be sure. That sounds awesome! I like your idea! After my next post, would you mind taking primary control over Louisa then? I'd like to keep a consistent writer for her so she doesn't get stretched and morphed like Midir kinda was :P

Also, any ideas on what they should offer her as an upfront payment for her trust?

[Namingtoohard]

Not really. That was half the reason I left things off at that particular point, truth be told =P I'll give it some thought whilst I'm at work and see if I can't come up with a suitable offer for her, though

[Headwrapper]

Trying to give me the hard decisions, I see >.>

What I do know for certain is Mec can't use his powers on her. She's unfamiliar to him and has a strong personality, so he would have trouble trying to sway her emotions or judgement. If need be, though, he could use them to help serve Louisa in some way, if we needed to go that direction. Maybe she needs them to do some sleuthing for her, and Shallan would be able to use her talents in conjunction with Mec's abilities for that task?

[Namingtoohard]

Yup, that was totally my intention =P

So maybe they do a bit of information digging for her in exchange for the knowledge about who is going north, and offer her contact with Olenna as a 'favour' in exchange for her help in the future?

The only question that leaves is what exactly the two would have to find out that Louisa finds so interesting, but doesn't have the means to uncover herself. If it were any other town aside from Convittas, I would suggest something that had to do with the local aristocracy, but that doesn't fit as well here. Similarly, it would probably have to be something more complex than simply eavesdropping in a bar. Preferably something with a hint of risk, too. Some sort of real danger to motivate them, or impress just how severe the consequences can be if they get this sort of thing wrong. The obvious conclusion would probably be something involving a local crime boss, or one of Louisa's rivals. Something where a fresh face would be a big benefit

[Headwrapper]

Hmm, what if they need to retrieve something that was stolen from her from a group of thieves? It could be something she needs so that she can use it to blackmail someone. The thieves could have a hideout just out of town and Shallan and Mec would have to find a way to sneak inside and look around?

Now I'm starting to wonder just how much the information is worth to them. I feel like they would rather ask around before putting themselves in danger just to find out who might be going north. Maybe it would be best for them to pull out of the deal for now, and Louisa might approach them later to finalize a deal with the cabal?

[Namingtoohard]

Mm, yeah, that's true. I suppose they wouldn't need to go to such great lengths when they could quite possibly accomplish their goal alone with a little bit of legwork.

I'd briefly considered having Shallan ask Louisa for info about the places they were headed, to try and subtly establish *why* Olenna would send them there, beyond property availability. Mostly just following the thought process that Olenna could have a purpose beyond just sending them where property proved available, though whether or not that turns out to be the case is another thing. That would put them further in her debt and necessitate extra repayment. Perhaps having them simply walk away is more realistic for the time being, though.

[Headwrapper]

Yeah, they could always go back and ask her later, or it can come up when Louisa seeks more information about the cabal from them a while later. Shallan could even go back and ask her herself, since Mec seems content with just following what he is told until he gains a foothold for himself.

So for now maybe I can just have them call off their negotiating for now, with the promise that once they have something better to offer they will return? Sounds shaky but ehhhh...

[Namingtoohard]

Mm, yeah. Perhaps she offers them the work and they decline when they hear how dangerous it actually is? It almost feels like I've accidentally written us into a corner by not thinking this all the way through >.>' Especially since the actual plan is still to have them end up travelling with our new performer friends, right?

[Headwrapper]

Yeah, which will probably happen without Louisa's help regardless.

That being said, I don't think them having this discussion with Louisa is necessarily bad. If we play it right, a lot will come out of it later.

Regarding the future state of things, does it make sense to assume the towns they are heading towards are far enough away that they will still be able to spend a lot of time with the Misfits? I don't want to half-ass that whole thing because I know it will be important for showing off Shallan's capabilities.

[Namingtoohard]

Mm, true. I suppose its simply a case of short-term pain, long-term gain?

Regardless, I was definitely thinking on having them spend a fair bit longer with the misfits than most of our journeys have been so far. The whole time doesn't have to be spent on the road, though. We could simply say that there are a handful of other towns between Convittas and their final destination, so that there are periods where Mec and Shallan can spend some time doing other things. Heck, there would need to be other places for the misfits to stop and perform to make a longer journey worthwhile for them, so I think it all checks out in that regard.

Besides, I feel like it'll be interesting to see how our two heroes cope with the chance in circumstances. Should be interesting to see how their partnership with the individual members of the misfits form up, and the way it impacts them when the time to leave does come.

[Headwrapper]

If I left you in a weird place for this next post, let me know. I was planning on a dimwitted member of the troupe to approach Mec, recognizing him from that morning, and offer to take him to where Clair is. He really hates the woman Mec just spoke to and doesn't want to be there to help with the show if Clair isn't around, so he might think that somehow bringing a friend to Clair would make her feel better. She'd be in an inn near the bathhouse, her room locked.

[Namingtoohard]

Well, do you want the chance to introduce the troupe member yourself, or do you not mind who does it? I could start shepherding things in that direction towards the end of my post, but if you would prefer to do it yourself, that's fine too. I can always just try and fill out my next reply with a few discussion pieces and leave it at that, so you can handle things next post. It might end up being a bit short, but eh.

[Headwrapper]

I don't mind if you do it if you follow my description, but it's up to you!

[Headwrapper]

I'll try to post in the next couple of days. Sorry about the delay.

[Namingtoohard]

All good ^^ I have a few other things on my plate that I need to work on, so there's no rush on my part. Take all the time you need

[Headwrapper]

Hoping that once we can start getting Shallan and Meh back on the road we can get more action involving Shallan. I'm aware Mec has been going on a lot of his own adventures, sorry about that lol.

[Namingtoohard]

Its all good lol. Mec's magical development is kind of central to the story after all, so its probably best to get it started relatively early, especially considering how far he has to go. Besides, the developing aspects of this 'curse' thing and the way its indirectly revealing a lot about G is interesting in its own right. Once our dynamic duo ends up linking up with Clair's troupe good and proper there'll be plenty for Shallan to do, so I'll get my turn before too long. I can wait until then.

As a side note, I'd actually love to see a brief scene where Shallan and Clair actually sit down for some girl talk at one point or another. Plenty of time for that later though, when they're all travelling together.

[Headwrapper]

As a side note, I'd actually love to see a brief scene where Shallan and Clair actually sit down for some girl talk at one point or another. Plenty of time for that later though, when they're all travelling together.

I thought about that same thing! That will be fun to write for me I think, since I'm not that good at writing for girl characters.

[Namingtoohard]

I don't know about that. You seem to be doing a pretty good job with Clair so far, from what I've seen. Still, no better time to practice, eh? Especially if its both something we want to see happen. Shallan could definitely use a good female friend at this point, at the very least, and it'll provide an interesting catalyst considering the way she's been feeling recently, I think.

[Headwrapper]

I'm going to have Mec sleep until it's time for them to try and see Clair's performance again. Will he be able to find Shallan in Midir's shop once he's awake, or will he need to go searching for her?

[Namingtoohard]

She'll be around the shop somewhere. I'll probably gloss over most of what she does while he's asleep, too, since I'll probably start sounding like a broken record otherwise.

[Headwrapper]

Sorry for the delay, I am travelling for work currently. I'll be home tonight, so hopefully I can finish my post tomorrow.

[Namingtoohard]

No worries. I've got a ton of overtime at work this week regardless, so I doubt I'd be able to reply regardless lol.

[Headwrapper]

How much detail do you think we should put into this play they're going to watch? I don't really have a lot of ideas for it lol.

[Namingtoohard]

Maybe make a brief mention of the genre and a scene where Clair has a big part, and just leave it at that? I'm happy to gloss over it for the most part

[Headwrapper]

I can't remember, are Mec and Shallan going to be using their real names with the troupe, or only with Clair? I can't remember if they've used their real names proper around them yet. Also, along the same vein with that, would help if we listed some of the fabricated stories and explanations for their travels they should be using to make sure they're consistent? I kind of forgot some things lol.

[Namingtoohard]

Oh lord. Yeah I don’t recall whether they used their real names or not either, now that you mention it >.> keeping track of their stories certainly seems like a good idea though, even if it’s just a few hastily written notes. The basis they established with Clair seems simple enough, but I don’t think we ever established if they agreed on that or came up with a different one or flushed it out more or whatever else. Might be time to go and read back a little.

Now that I think about it, maybe them getting caught out by someone picking up on an inconsistency would be amusing. They’re meant to be relative amateurs, after all, and it could be fun watching them scramble to try and explain away their mistake. But even then, planning out the details is still probably a good idea so it all fits.