Character Spotlight: Yuka

Again, I apologize for the sporadic updates, but getting ready for my move to China is taking priority, as it should.  When I go to China, updates likely will continue until we reach the conclusion, however I will probably have to have them posted via a friend, since blogger is blocked there.  Anyway.  I don't have much to say other than I have finished the latest chapter and it is now going through revisions.  Went in another direction than I thought it would, since this is an addition to a chapter I wrote almost two years ago, but still I kinda like it.  Also been taking some seminars to help with my writing, but might not be apparent until I can get all my thoughts organized and get the time I need to put it into action.  Either way, progress is being made.  Now, without further ado, let me give you a quick character spotlight.  This week, we're talking about our favorite neeg, Yuka.

Character Spotlight: Yuka

            Since Yuka has kind of risen in importance lately, I suppose it would be wise to give her a bit of a look.  Yuka has always, in this narrative, held her current role.  She acts as something of a big sister figure, not quite fully grown, but noticeably more mature than the rest of the young cast, including the three girls and Deminos. 

            Yuka is 18 years old, almost 19, and has olive green skin, as is common with all neeg.  Her mouth has clean teeth with tusk-like fangs that jut out of her bottom jaw, though they are somewhat small.  Yuka's body is lanky and muscular, owing to her work with heavy machines in Merkel's workshop.  Her hair is almost all shaved off save for a long, braided, brown pony tail which she has kept.  It can be tucked around her neck or covered in a hair net to keep out of the way when she is working with machines.  Yuka's fingers are slender and very nimble, allowing her to manipulate small parts with ease.  She perpetually wears rather slovenly clothes, usually tunics of sleeveless white shirts and burlap pants that are covered with soot, oil, dirt, or even scorch marks.

            Yuka is an adopted child, who was taken in by her "uncle" Merkel and Aeon when she was 3 year old.  Her upbringing before then was a harsh one, where the only way to eat was to work, even for children.  Since she had no skills at that time, she was forced to do manual labor from the moment she could walk and fell sick as a result, leading to her adoption.  Yuka speaks with a mix of proper English and slang to show that she has had both neeg colloquialisms growing up from Merkel, but also proper speak from Aeon and the others.  While living in Acacia, Yuka was encouraged to explore her interests and became Merkel's unofficial assistant.  This gave her an interest in mechanics and began inventing things on her own, the most notable is the weapon she wields on her wrist, a spinning saw blade on a wire.

            While unable to use magic, Yuka was trained by Dakon to be able to defend herself and is able to dodge and evade better than almost any soldier and many assassins.  Her unusual mix of using mechanical devices like her saw blade and bombs coupled with her traditional fighting allows her to be quite effective against enemies her own size and even some that are larger.  Yuka is muscular and can overpower many of her male opponents.

            Personality wise, Yuka is quite personable, owing to her not caring for Merkel's misanthropic attitude.  She explored Acacia frequently growing up and found friends among the apocra and other members of Aeon's group.  She is easy going most of the time, however is able to empathize with the abandoned, scared, or put out because of her childhood experiences.  Yuka tends to show affection through a small act of physical violence, but is not above giving hugs to those she cares about.  She has a snarky sense of humor, but also proves to be a reliable friend, willing to cover for those who she cares for, like Deminos, and trying to be there for those who are hurt.  Yuka is knowledgeable on most things mechanical however does not lord her knowledge over others.  She enjoys explaining how things work, to the point where she can block out all other distractions if she gets too deeply into her explanation.  Yuka makes friends easily and is able to overlook most prejudice aimed towards her, because she has grown up in an environment of equality amongst races, however will not tolerate prejudice aimed at others.  Yuka is not kind to a fault though.  She is frequently snarking or being sardonic in regards to the faults of those who are acting too haughty, idiotic, or who are inconveniencing her unnecessarily.  Yuka has little interest in modesty and doesn't care about showing her body or not.  She has not had enough serious interest in her besides Canak to be worried about such things and while she was with Canak, she cared very little because he was easygoing about it.

            While only briefly shown, Yuka tends to be very physical when it comes to romance, frequently hugging Canak and being swept up in acts of close contact, such as kissing, to the point where she will ignore her own sarcasm or sardonic remarks.  Despite her upbringing, it is also shown that she holds great pride in her race as a neeg and does not see their inability to use magic as a hindrance, but an opportunity.  Yuka is also fiercely loyal to her friends, which can sometimes lead to her being pulled in different directions if her friends clash or have differing desires from her own.  In spite of this, she acts with confidence in her actions unless caught off guard, in which case she may follow her passions or her heart.  Yuka is not prone to panic, save for the most serious situations.

            Yuka's strongest loyalties lie with Merkel and Aeon.  Despite Merkel's abuse of her, verbal or otherwise, Yuka recognizes his talents as an inventor and while she may hurl her own verbal abuse at him for his mistakes, she admires his ability to create and to not be intimidated by his failure.  She also knows that deep down, the old neeg cares for her and will be there for her if necessary.  Her loyalty to Aeon is due not only to him taking her in, but always making time for her.  From youth to adulthood, whenever Yuka needed to show off one of her creations or get tools to learn or advance herself, Aeon supported her fully and placed a huge amount of trust in her, which she returns.  Yuka is friendly with Kinana, if a bit jealous at times as she takes Aeon's attention.  She does not feel any fear or prejudice for the Goetian and while a bit embarrassed by Kinana's frequent displays of affection, does not feel any ill will towards her.   Following Aeon, Yuka feels closest to Deminos, having sympathy for his situation as she was in a similar place.  As such, she goes out of her way to make him feel welcome and to be there for him.  Deminos, at first, does not know what to make of this, but later realizes how valuable Yuka's friendship is.  Because of their closeness in age, there is a little more than platonic affection, however neither has had the time or inclination to act upon it. 

            Nerise and Yuka, while having little time together, are quite close.  Nerise sees Yuka as a big sister and Yuka enjoys playing with Nerise, however Yuka is unnerved somewhat by Weiss, because of how similar and yet different from Aeon he is.  Yuka feels a mix of playful affection and scorn for Gadius.  She has known him since childhood and takes him to be a rascal of sorts, even overlooking his hitting on her in the past.  They get along well enough, however because of her affinity for Deminos, she can be quite harsh on the jela-vey, calling him on his idiocy or his lechery at times.  Vincent and Yuka are very close, to the point where they feel perfectly at ease being casual with one another, even in situations that might require a more serious approach.  Vincent believes in Yuka and Yuka respects the teythen, because he has been a retainer in Acacia and when Aeon left, Yuka went to him if there were any problems.  They have trained together in the past.  Dakon was Yuka's trainer when it came to combat and weaponry.  They have a casual relationship, not unlike the one Yuka shares with Vincent, however it might be fair to say she respects Dakon because of his unique skin color and stance on prejudice.  Since he trained her, she views him as a bigger brother figure, despite the difference in their age.  Echidna and Yuka get along quite well, though their interests diverge enough that they have little in common.  Yuka enjoys spending time with the apocra when she is not working and Echidna sees her as yet another child whom she can care for.  She recognizes Yuka is independent, however, and is caring, but gives her space.

            In regards to our heroines, Yuka initially feels closest to Daryl, as the girl shows an interest in Yuka's machinery and does not treat her as weak or wicked based on her race.  However, her affection slowly shifts to Celine when she learns about her past and how, in that regard, they have a fair amount in common.  Yuka has a desire to help Celine overcome her fear and her prejudice so that they can be as casual as she is with Mina and Daryl.  Speaking of Mina, Yuka feels similar to her as she does with Nerise.  She treats Mina like a little sister and enjoys her company, encouraging her when appropriate and taking a step back if that is what is needed.  She encourages Mina to work with Aeon, as Yuka has seen what she believes to be Aeon's true nature and when Mina is scared or apprehensive, she wants her to get over it as well, and strives to help do that.  After Yuka leaves Acacia, she gains greater respect for Mina, as she sees how hard Mina herself took the incident and how much she cares for individual people.  They have grown close.

            Yuka was always meant to be a sort of big sister influence in this story.  A big sister to a big sister, as Celine was meant to be a big sister at points.  Yuka has changed very little save perhaps for her dialect, which has more colloquialisms than I originally intended.  This is not to show her as uneducated, but rather to show consistency with character traits, as if you speak one way for long enough, it becomes a habit that you will likely repeat.  I enjoy Yuka and find that her loyalty in Aeon, which has been unquestioned since she was a girl, a very interesting space for development, because she struggles with the idea of knowing that Aeon probably had the best of intentions in mind compared to the actual results.  Yuka has, herself, actually killed a person, like most of Aeon's group, so she understands the idea of having to kill in order to protect, but when it is so close and personal, she feels conflicted.  I do have more plans for Yuka in the future, but ultimately, I like the idea that you don't need magic or to be a giant monster to fight.  Yuka with her bombs, her aquades, or her saw blade proves that undead or apocra can be taken down easily enough by a well trained warrior, though that can get muddled what with all the explosions being thrown around.

            Yuka is sometimes hard to write for because she IS very straightforward as a person without much personal grief save for Canak.  She feels sad about what happened with her parents, certainly, but it was so long ago that she cares very little, as Aeon and Merkel gave her a family that cared for her.  Yuka's a fun character though, because she is so sardonic, but also caring and not at all insincere.  To me, it is an interesting testament to what Aeon and the others in Acacia can do for a child when they don't come with trauma or baggage already.

            Either way, Yuka has more coming her way, for better or for worse.  I hope everyone has enjoyed this look at her.

Character Spotlight: Mythology

Hello, all...I've been gone a while.  Probably going to keep having sporadic updates, because I was recently accepted for a position in China...not sure if will keep blogging, may have to see...anyway, I'm very busy, but I am still writing.  Working on a new chapter that is going to bridge between the last one and the climax for this part of the story.  Gonna get it done eventually.  Anyway, I wanted to do something a bit differently this week.  I'm going to give a brief look at the mythology and the cosmology surrounding the world of Serano and the Chronicles of the Frozen Shade.  Minor spoilers to be included.

I'm heading off to New York, so don't expect much after this until July.  Gonna try and bang out my next chapter before too late in the month, but like I said, busy.  Priorities, as they say...such a cruel mistress.  Well, without further ado, let's talk internal mythos of my story.

Mythology Spotlight

            I touched on this a long time ago, back in 2012, but I figure it bears re-stating.  See, there is an internal mythology to Chronicles of the Frozen Shade, with it's own deities and it's own cosmology.  I gave a brief look into the universe surrounding the world of Serano with a possible introduction, here, however I want to give a bit of a deeper examination.

            I do want to say that this mythological and cosmological examination does have spoilers that would be revealed later, but it's not necessarily about Aeon or Mina or any of our characters.  It's just focusing on the world and the universe that they all live in.  Spoiler warning.

            This is mostly going to be explained later in the series or through casual dialogue, since the characters all understand, or mostly understand, the cosmology, it's just the audience which doesn't, so I don't feel too bad about spoilers.  There aren't many, if you've been paying attention.

            First, everyone in Serano refers to a goddess figure when cursing or when exclaiming.  This goddess figure is named as Shanadia.  Shanadia is the goddess of fate and is heralded as the mother to all things.  She has the ability to manipulate time and by using her body as a conduit, can create life.  Shanadia as she is now, as noted in the introduction, is an emaciated corpse.  Her body is enormous, to the point where the atmosphere of Serano obscures it from sight.  Imagine a humanoid figure whose body is close in size to that of a galaxy, so large that others cannot even comprehend her size.  Her body is largely devoid of flesh, skin, or even bone, because she used those to create the worlds of the universe and the blood of her body to imbue them with the ability to create and sustain life.  The worlds created in this way are strung together using the stream of life and death known as the Void into a bracelet, which spins around Shanadia's wrist.  The Void connects all worlds and the worlds are all watched over by Shanadia.

            Shanadia had six eyes at one point, however she lost them during earlier days, to the point she only has two eyes.  One of her eyes is the sun and the other is the moon, which rise and fall from the perspective of the planets strung around her wrist, as they rotate around her arm and rotate in place.  Shanadia, despite having such intense power as discussed, cannot make use of it due to her weakened state.  What power she has is gone, poured onto the worlds of her children or cried out into the cosmos, so that her tears would become the stars in the night sky.

            As discussed in earlier chapters, there are certain races known as First Children.  There are many different races, who existed since the dawn of time, when Shanadia breathed life into them to end her period of lonely existence in the universe.  Serano's First Children are the Dragons, for whom the world is named, as Shanadia's first Dragon was Seran, the all-father.  Other First Children include the Goetians, the Metronians, the Nihilons, and other races on other worlds that have not been mentioned or shown in the story.  While Shanadia created each of them with something specific in mind, such as order for the Metronians, freedom for the Goetians, emotion for the Nihilons, they are able to create and reproduce on their own.  Her original creations for each race possess a spark of Shanadia's former power and can create as well, which accounts for how Seran created unique Dragons, such as Rudra or Nazon, as well as Dragons that reproduce normally.  The First Children do not all possess a spark of Shanadia's power, that is something that only the ones originally created by her tend to have, however they are usually the ruling class of the planet.

            In the beginning, the First Children clashed with one another due to their differing ideologies and their nature.  Despite Shanadia's wishes, they came to blows and there were deaths, which created a stream of souls of the fallen, with nowhere to go.  This stream became the Void, and was a gathering of the memories and emotions of all creatures everywhere.  It was during these battles that Shanadia lost four of her eyes, trying to calm, appease, or outright stop her children from fighting.  Though Shanadia could have easily destroyed her children and started again, she merely stopped them and decided to keep them separate, giving them each a world of their own and sealing them off to prevent them from crashing.  However, she did not want to completely remove her children from one another, hoping that someday they could understand one another, so she used the Void to string these worlds together and entrusted the Void to the Nihilon, as both their home and their responsibility, as only they had the empathy to look after the souls, emotions, and memories of all things.  In turn, the Nihilon feed off of and are born from these emotions.

            The remaining First Children were placed on worlds forged of Shanadia's own flesh to give each a home so they would not fight.  The worlds were then infused with Shanadia's blood at her core, which held the power of creation within it, so life could flourish on this world, giving food and beauty to those living there.  However, on some worlds, such as Serano, new life began to form from the blood on its own.  On Serano, fish, insects, plants, and eventually humans were born from the blood of Shanadia, known as the Leyline.  Because of their ability to create and alter, taken from Shanadia, some First Children would tamper with this process of life bubbling up.  Seran and the three Dragons he had created to ensure that the gates to his world were secure and protected from invasion tampered with the Leyline to create new races of their own.  This is what led to the five races of humans, vey, apocra, teythens and neeg, with therians being born of mixed human and apocra blood.

            Empires have risen and fallen on each world, some put down by their true masters, who are akin to gods because of the scope of their power, while others merely lived out their life and died out.  Some world have used the races born to them as slaves or as worshippers, while others take an isolationist approach, like the Dragons, who watch and flourish in their high mountains without interacting with the world very much.  To this day, no matter how young or old, any of the First Children who know of Shanadia think of her as their mother and may refer to her as such.  They will tolerate no disrespect of her and will do what is necessary to protect the sanctity of her or anything born of her, such as her flesh, blood, or tears.

            The histories of each world and of Shanadia are passed on through the ruling races.  Dragons are the ones who first passed on the truth of their existence to their creations in Serano, and this created religion, which flourished, spread, splintered, reformed, etc. with different views on how to interpret this knowledge.  In the land of Lucaria, a recent account of only a few thousand years puts one human in the position of having actually seen Shanadia up close.  This being came to be known as the lord prophet, the human who had glimpsed Shanadia, and was chosen as a champion to fight against an oncoming threat from Telnumbra.  Once the threat had abated, the lord prophet vanished, however those that had been touched by this figure kept the lord prophet's writings, accounts, and knowledge.  These people sought to spread and keep this knowledge alive, leading to the formation of the church of the lord prophet.

            On Telnumbra's side, their closeness to the Dragons and affinity for Goetians have led them to a general acceptance of Shanadia and the Dragons as fact, rather than religion.  They are still respected to a degree, however they are not worshipped.  However, some cults and various individuals may take on the idea of worship or manipulation of these forces for their own ends.

            Because Shanadia's blood holds the power of creation, it holds the four elements of creation, namely earth, fire, water, and air, which can be manipulated freely or in tandem with one another, creating the different schools of magic.  Because of each soul's connection to the Void, some have been able to manipulate that stream of souls, which also runs through the worlds in its own stream.  The worlds are blocked off by various barriers, but eternally connected through the Void and through Shanadia.  Occasionally, by happenstance or design, these worlds can intersect, leading to the creation of conjuration to pass through the barriers and open a passage.  Each race on Serano or on any other worlds that was created by one of the ruling races may be tied to the energy of the Leyline and the Void in a different way than those born purely from it, so their uses may differ.

            Shanadia still exerts an inexorable pull on the worlds that turn around her wrist, giving them warmth and light through the sun and moon that are her eyes.  Her very existence allows for time to continue to flow and so long as she is alive, the Leyline continues to flow through her flesh, which makes up the worlds, as if it were still connected to her.  And the worlds turn only because Shanadia has placed them in motion and they stay in motion because she does not stop them.  At present, Shanadia is a watcher of the worlds below her.  She can see, but cannot speak or change or affect.  However it is through her that all things are and continue to be.  So those who know her name have an ingrained respect, for it is through Shanadia that all things in the universe are allowed to exist.

            And there we have it.  That sums up the mythos of Serano and the worlds around it, like Goetia and Metron.  If I can get there, I would like to make a crossover with a different world than Goetia or Metron, with them finding a way to bridge the gap and come to Serano in another way, introducing new possibilities for races, different magic, and what have you.  However, that is far, far in the future.  Right now, we are telling Mina's story and there is no time for that yet.  We have emotions to deal with and a bit of growing up to do.  So, wait until that has finished before we start telling stories about other worlds.

            I hope this has been an interesting read.  This has been my own approach at cosmology and creating a mythos surrounding a fantasy world, with explanations for why the world functions as it does tied to every facet of the cosmology.

Kernel of Insight: Just Another Block In the Wall

So, I'm working a good deal more now and my week has been very crowded, so less time for writing.  However, as this kernel of insight should explain, I still try, even when time is limited or I am hindered.  This one I think is good for any writer or aspiring writer, either as a reminder or a lesson.  We all get stuck.  We all hit the wall.  We all suffer writer's block.  This is just my perspective on how it happens, why it happens, and the best ways through it.

Hope you enjoy.  And I hope to have my chapter done either by next week or before the 23rd.  Just in time for Convention.

Kernel of Insight: Just Another Block In the Wall

             I'm making progress on my current chapter, but I hit about a week solid of writer's block, where I ran headfirst into a wall and just did not know what to write...did not know what to put to paper...so I just sat and stared as my pages went from 4-5, then back to 3, then to 4, then to 3 and you get the idea.  This isn't the first time it's happened, but I don't talk much about writer's block and neither do my other friends who write.  It's...an odd phenomenon to say the least, but most people just like to blow it off, writers included, as "I can't seem to write" or "the words aren't coming out right."  These are sometimes what happens, but it's more detailed than that.

            For me, at least, not knowing what to write is pretty much NEVER the issue.  A lot of people think that writer's block means we don't know where the story will go or how it will progress.  I know how my story wants to go.  So do many of my friends who write.  They have chapters written well in advance of where they are because they know where they want to go.  Getting there is the problem.  I don't mean that in a broad sense, such as putting three chapters in between to properly transition, but more we don't know how to word these transitions.  Or even if we do know, we feel uncomfortable with the results.  These can be as simple as a going to sleep transition leading into the next day or a full chapter or two to cool off the characters and let plot details sink in.  Sometimes, doing these transitions can be daunting because they aren't always fun.  They're the characters reflecting on what's already happened, sometimes in an unspoken way, sometimes verbally, and you have to take the pace slower.  You have to include character building small talk.  You have to make the scenery and body language tell how they are feeling.

            Okay, you don't...but I think your story will be poorer for it.  I've done a full throttle draft of what I'm writing.  It was called Rise of the Lich King back then...and we just jumped from plot point to plot point...and while fun to write, it didn't give my characters much time to grow.  While I tried, they seemed forced, and having to accept the gravity of things in minutes rather than days or weeks.  It just wasn't as effective as taking time to cool down and reflect.  A friend of mine is writing historical fiction and, despite letting the audience know that the main character, a female sword smith, is apprehensive about her ability to forge a sword, we go back to it several times, usually during transitions.  When she is hired to join a specific group, we take time to see her doubt, her worry, and to understand that she is conflicted, but still moving forward.  This shows tremendous growth for the character and lets us grow more and more attached to them.  And even greater than action sequences or drama, I think these scenes are important.  I use dialogue and people discussing things to get this growth across while my friend uses introspection and body language.  However, these sections can be painfully hard to write.

            A lot of a writer's block can come from you trying to force words into a character that...really doesn't want to say what you are saying.  Even if it's just experimenting with words, you get the feeling of an uncanny valley effect, where they may look like your characters, but they act strangely off.  And this leaves you confused and wondering where to go or how to improve it.  Listening to a character isn't always easy after all.

            Minor spoilers for the next chapter, we have some minor drama relating to Mina and Celine's decision to leave Acacia.  People upset by it.  Now, originally I toyed with those upset being more angry and selfish than anything, but ultimately accepting...then we shifted into the smiling walking away sequence where it basically says "Friends forever, no matter what..." this was my self imposed idea of how things should go and...it didn't work.  The shift was too sudden and emotionally, the characters were all over the place.  There was a place for some selfishness and some stoicism and some understanding, but it was all jumbled and didn't match characters.  I think I've fixed that as of this writing, but for a full three or four days, I just sat at my screen, unsure of what to say or how to fix the dialogue and body language.  It may still not be right, but we're getting there.

            Writer's block in a broader sense can happen for other reasons too.  Stress is a big one, where you need relief, a game, time with friends, being able to sleep, whatever, but are pushing yourself to write.  While it is good to be driven, if you aren't able to properly focus on what you want to say or get done...it'll just make your words suffer that you'll have to fix later.  I hate having to skip a writing session for any reason, but sometimes life comes first...priorities are important for a writer because you do need to have some feeling of serenity while writing.  Not total serenity, but if you're flat out miserable, then your writing will reflect that, you know?  And that can be good for some types of stories, but you may be more irrational, more prone to unusual character turns or plot developments that may not make as much sense...gives you all that more work to do in revisions and edits.

            A good deal of writer's block, for me at least, comes from phrasing...the wrong phrase can set the mood in a bad way and you don't always have the knowledge or the experience, or hell, even the mindset to phrase it better.  A good example is, how do you describe a gun, without saying, "it's a gun!"  I agonized for this with Canak's chapters, because I want to get the point across but I'm trying to handle it from the perspective of an outsider.  Or the speeches...how do you make them subtle but still get the point across?  It happens more than you think.

            This is just my perspective when it comes to writer's block.  It's hitting a wall for whatever reason, usually because you simply don't know how to put things.  You know what you want to write and where you want to go, usually, though sometimes you can be unsure of where you want to go in a first draft but anyway...you know what you want to do, but not how to put it down on paper.  This can be phrasing, dialogue, pacing, it really is what I think affects writers the most because either due to external stressors, like work or critique or what have you, we cannot think about the best way to put something or ANY way to put something, or it can be to internal stressors, where doubt or tensions or a desire to change the situation will lead us down the wrong path, deviating from character consistency that we will either have to correct later in the story, explaining it away, or correct in editing, which wastes time as we go back to square one and have to figure out how to put something, AGAIN.

            Best way around writer's block?  Well...there isn't one, I think.  We all get stuck sometimes, because of stress or because we just lack the eloquence at that particular moment to put something.  However, while I might say sometimes you shouldn't write if you're in a bad state of mind, you should still SIT DOWN TO WRITE.  This may sound a bit weird, but just sitting down, trying to get into the mindset, and either reading or putting your brain on your work will, in the long run, help you figure it out.  And really, you will have to figure it out.  Some others may offer perspective, however you are the writer and ultimately, what you come up with goes.  So, I say make time to write and even if you don't put a single word on the page, at least put your mind to the task.  Think.  And experiment.  Just because we don't know what to say or how to put things sometimes doesn't mean we shouldn't vomit our thoughts on the page because even if we have to delete it all, at least we're getting bad ideas out of the system to make room for good ideas.  Hell, sometimes good ideas are formed into seeds and nested in bad ideas.

            What you should not do is stop writing entirely.  We sometimes need a break, sure, but remember that the longer you are away from writing, the harder it is to go back.  That's one reason I do these weekly updates.  Even if I don't talk about my story, sharing my experiences gets me thinking about them...and that helps get me sitting down to write when it really counts.

            I'm over my writing block, just FYI.  I expect to have my chapter finished soon, but, like I said before, priorities...I have more work now and less time to write, so I have to make compromises sometimes.  But, I always still sit down to do it on the weekends and on whatever weekdays I can muster.  To me, that's the best way to fight the block.

Kernel of Insight: Twists and Turns

Once again, no new chapter...rest assured, I'm working on it.  I should have it done in a week or two.  I know, I know, I missed my deadline but April has been a hellish month for me.  Regardless, I HAVE kept writing, alongside work, looking for work, preparing for work, and relaxing from work(I'm so not clever XD) and I do have something for you this week.  So, let's take a look at plot twists...and how to hopefully not mess them up.

Kernel of Insight: Twists and Turns

            I want to talk for a moment about plot twists, in particular, surprise twists.  Why?  Well, we've had a drastic tonal shift since the last chapter and the next one isn't due out yet, which has some other twists of sorts, so...now seems like the perfect time.

            A plot twist, by definition, is just the changing of a plot's direction.  Usually a radical change for the purpose of revealing new information, altering the perception of a character, or furthering the plot in a way that the audience might not yet understand.  However, in recent memory the term "Twist" has become something of a dirty word in literature, video games, and film.  Why?  Because many people try to play the plot twist card to try and seem clever, raise the stakes, or alter the narrative in a way that people didn't expect in hopes of shocking them and thus becoming more memorable.  And most people are sick of it.  In truth, a twist ending or some plot twist that changes the way the audience views their chosen method of storytelling is not inherently bad...people may not like it but still...however, it can be incompetently handled or unnecessary.

            In my mind, you need to have two things for a plot twist to work in most situations.  The first is that it must be plausible within the world of the story.  For example, a contemporary fiction story that suddenly has a magician come in, wielding arcane spells to change things around, is a bit of a stretch.  This can be waved away by the second requirement, namely the planting of seeds.  You need to plant seeds that the possibility is actually possible or plant seeds to try and set future events into play that will build upon the twist.  A magician appearing for five minutes to give a character his romantic ending in a story with no magic is out of place.  A magician appearing in a story to change the perspective and let the audience know that YES, magic DOES exist is not necessarily bad.  If you foreshadow it properly, it will go down well.  However even if you don't, if your story can pick up the slack and you give some manner of explanation later, harvested from seeds you've planted, then that isn't so bad either.

            A plot twist is something we see in every reading, sometimes without realizing it because of how well it fits into the plot and flows.  Using my own story as an example, look at the section where Deminos accidentally teleports the girls to Draconia.  This IS a plot twist, because we go from the slice of life style story of Mina and the others learning about and understanding Aeon and his companions to a story of survival in an unknown and dangerous environment.  It takes the story in a different direction.  However, many people might not have even paid it much mind.  Why?  Well, teleportation magic is a thing in the world of Serano.  We've seen it in action with Aeon and Mina, it's been explained by other characters, and the device that Aeon uses for teleportation has been seen and used before.  We have a precedent.  This is physically possible within the context of the story.

            Now, look at some of the other things that led up to this moment.  We've had constant foreshadowing that Deminos was hiding something from the girls and anxious about it.  His rubbing of his arm, bravado, the fact that he wore bandages with it even during his exercises, all of those were signs that something about his arm was different and that he had a secret.  Thus, it is not entirely surprising when he does something unexpected, like attacking Yuka and using the teleportation relay, since there is some doubt about him.  From the girl's perspective, we've seen that they like Yuka, that Celine and Mina are both physically fit and capable of fighting, and that they have a low opinion of Deminos due to his personality.  The seeds are in place for them to fight after Deminos has attacked Yuka and meddled with the teleportation relay.  Couple that with the precedence itself, which plants seeds that the teleportation relay will be used again and this plot twist is viable.  Even expected for those paying attention.

            That's an interesting thing about a plot twist.  It is still a twist, even if the audience calls it before it happens.  It's meant to shift the plot in a different direction.  In the case of my previous example, for the sake of characterizing the girls and Deminos, explaining conjuration, introducing concepts to the plot such as Dragons, Aeon's human form, Deminos's arm, and Aeon's unusual power.  It plants more seeds while growing the characters and the plot.  The ultimate resolution of this plotline is that Mina wants to learn magic so that she won't be a burden, like when she was grabbed by a Dragon.  In a way, she has shown the audience that physically and emotionally, she can do a great deal, as she is able to conquer her fear and help Aeon out of the rubble he has been buried in.  However, she also is lacking in power, I.E. magic.  This creates a reason for her continued presence with Aeon, to learn magic, which also feeds into her own character growth and furthers the plot by leading to more interactions with the other characters. 

            The small seeds planted with each twist grow into trees that bear fruit, which the audience eats, spits out new seeds(their understanding of the character growth and excitement/speculation on what is to come,) which will grow into trees that bear fruit, etc. etc.

            However, for a twist to make sense, it needs to be possible and it needs to have seeds planted in some way or another.  Seeds do not have to be blatantly planted either.  Sometimes the audience learns more from what is NOT seen rather than what is.  Take note that Aeon is revealed to have a great deal of power during his battle with Denad and Belial.  But what don't we see a lot?  We don't see power on the scale of him fighting Belial much after that and we don't see that special power he used when fighting Rudra.  The seeds are planted that there is something about his ability and his full power that prevents him from using it freely, for one reason or another.  Could be simple apathy...could be that there's more here than meets the eye.  Perhaps a touch I like in particular is that Aeon shows no sign of real mercy to many of his enemies.  He could have saved Denad, but does not, showed no mercy towards Baran, only concern for Nerise, and no mercy towards any of the creatures that attacked Gesthal.  However, in Draconia, we know that Aeon can cut down the Dragons.  He's said he will cut them down if they attack...and yet he doesn't.  The act of not killing them, coupled with a few hints that Dragon killing is a MAJOR no no, kind of sets limits to what he will do based purely on his own wants/desires.  No matter how selfish or pitiless, Aeon won't cross that kind of line.  That plants more seeds as to how the character will act or change or be perceived later.

            When writing a plot twist, you kind of need to have some version of it in mind, because if you don't start preparing early, then your audience will call bullshit on you from the start.  You need to keep in mind what is and what isn't said.  What is and what isn't shown.  And if that, for you, would be enough to let the possibility of the twist exist.  If you pull something out of your ass...if a character or if an event happens that is completely unforeshadowed, the reader will roll their eyes and your flow, your characters, and your credibility as a narrator will be hurt.  If, for example, Rudra starts to attack but right before he kills everyone he stops because just then the, "Festival of Dragons" started and he had to go attend...the audience would be flabbergasted.  Horrified even at how stupid that kind of twist is.  They'd pick it apart in an instant.  Now, plot twists don't have to be perfect.  An audience member might still point out how that doesn't make sense, but if you prepare, you can at least say that it was planned...that you worked towards it...that you EARNED it.  That you didn't pull it out of thin air.

            Deus ex Machina is almost never a good idea.  In satire, you might be able to get away with it, but in a serious narrative, it can be the kiss of death for the plot, because the reader just wonders what the finger of god will come down on next.  No matter how strange a twist, how powerful a character, or how implausible an event, if you properly prepare and foreshadow, it will be more believable and the audience will roll with it, because they like the story and this is keeping it moving.

            The upcoming chapter has some minor twists, I think, because it upsets the norm in small ways.  Not unbelievable ways, but in subtle ones.  In ways the audience might be surprised by, might not, but still accept as possible, and probable.  It has seeds for future chapters laid out, if you're able to actually see them, and it will pay off on some seeds already planted.  Each chapter should build and the twists should help with that.  A twist should build, rather than tear down.  It layers the plot and makes it more stable, again if done right, rather than making it shakier and less believable.

            Anyway, all that being said, I hope you all like the next chapter.  I wonder what people will pick up, what they might speculate on, and what you will be right about.  Let's see, shall we?

Character Spotlight 7: Deminos

Okay...to the few readers I have, I am eternally grateful for your patience...and to my shame, I'm going to have to ask for some more.  I've been going through a major flame out lately, with all my energy being poured into an exam I took recently for a certification, so...I've got almost nothing left.  I hope to be back writing at full speed within the next week, but for now, I'm kinda...dead.  I have managed to write up some character spotlights, cause it's just me putting into context what was already written and that's not too hard, but...well, look, the chapter's revisions have already started, I just need some time to finish and edit them.  Still shooting for this next one to be out by the end of April, so fingers crossed on that.  In the mean time, I am sorry.  But here.  Have an analysis of a character I quite enjoy writing for.

Character Spotlight 7: Deminos

            We talked about Daryl last time and how she became more than I intended, and Deminos is in many ways the same.  He was originally meant to be the butt of Gadius's abuse for being a bit waifish and with a feminine body, despite being a guy.  I'm kinda glad we toned that down and gave Deminos a bit more dimension, because he's a character I have grown to become quite fond of.

            Deminos Savant is a 16 year old boy with a very thin, frail, effeminate figure.  He predominantly wears crimson or orange clothes and a cloak which hides his rather frail body.  His right arm is covered in bandages which hides leathery black skin with thorny crags and his nails and fingers are akin to talons, giving his arm a demonic appearance.

            Deminos's frailty is largely due to him being the runt of the litter in his original family, which we'll get into later, and a lack of physical exercise.  Deminos, having a talent for academics, was shipped off to the Goetia Academy, where young men can be trained to conjur Goetians as well as learn the basics of magic.  However, Deminos had trouble with magic largely due to his weak body, because one thing I worry I never properly conveyed is that magic comes from both the world and from inside the body.  It's like using your muscles to lift a heavy item or what have you...you use stored up energy in order to get an effect.  Magic is the same way.    You have to be able to call upon your stored energy, and if you can't store that much, because you haven't exercised or used your body so that it can handle extra energy, then...you're out of luck.  Anyway, Deminos favors conjuration magic over regular elemental or holy magic for this reason...you can summon Goetians without as much energy because you've previously made a contract with them.  Some energy is required to call them across the boundaries of worlds, but it's possible without being too fit.

            Deminos has one large group of Goetians and two individuals under his direct control.  A group of satyrs with a moon crest and polearms, led by a larger, more heavily armed satyr, are both foot soldiers and assistants for Deminos, largely because he appreciates their work and rewards them for it.  He is also able to command Charybdis, a creature that is a gigantic leathery creature that consists of a huge mouth and tendrils which propel it through the soil, which it can swim through like water.  Deminos's final Goetian is Melchom, who is a paymaster, thusly very fond of gold and able to control it, alter its form, and use it to heal himself.  Deminos also has a powerful, dangerous Goetian sealed into his arm, however it is unusable for the most part, unless he removes the seals and accepts that the creature will likely kill him for its service.  However, because of his arm's deformity, Deminos's right arm is stronger, more durable, and less inclined to feeling pain, than a normal human arm.  Alongside those abilities, Deminos can also use basic holy and elemental magic.

            Deminos is best described as a person as insecure.  He has been cast out of most places he calls home, first shipped off to the academy by his family and then the academy dumped him on Aeon due to Deminos being a threat.  As such, he tends to be very critical of himself, fearing failure to such a degree that he will often act recklessly for the sake of proving his worth and not being abandoned again.  Because of his insecurity, Deminos tries to hide it behind arrogance and bravado, however this seldom ever works because of his frail form.  He cannot properly intimidate people and any of the three girls or Acacia's residents can subdue him when magic or Goetians are not involved.  Because Deminos has issues with trust and hides them behind an obnoxious persona, he does not often make friends.  He considers his Goetians friends because they continue to answer his call, even after his expulsion from the academy and they never judge or reprimand him.  They always come to his aid, regardless.  Because of this, Deminos can be very protective of his Goetians, to the point where if they are hurt, even if they are sent back to Goetia to recover, he can go into shock, just as if a regular person/friend were hurt.

            Deminos is ashamed of his actions that led to his arm being deformed and hides it at all cost from those who do not know the story behind it, often touching, stroking, or fidgeting with it when he feels no one is looking.  He fears being treated differently or being seen as a monster, because he has always been looked down on for being weak and does not wish for more reasons for others to hate him.  He isn't used to others accepting him for his flaws or errors, even though most of Acacia does not make a big deal out of it.  While Deminos does feign confidence, he is not a coward.  Deminos is not afraid of fighting or even risking his life if necessary for the few things that matter to him, largely his new friends, his Goetians, or a chance to cure his arm's affliction.  He tends to be a bit reckless in this regard.  In spite of being reckless, Deminos is not stupid and always tries to think his plans through and find the best way to get things done, even if they end up becoming more complicated than originally envisioned.

            Because of his adolescence, Deminos tends to be flippant to those he considers adults, or at least not close to him in age, and seems to not think in regards to how he speaks with others.  He can be respectful when the situation calls for it, however can take for granted those around him so he does not make a habit of being respectful.  Deminos is also very selfish, though this is largely due to his trust issues, making him trust only himself and his Goetians.  While he can empathize with the pains of others, and can even be self sacrificing at times, he sees many things in regard to how they affect him.  In fact, his self sacrifice could be considered part of his selfishness, as he does not want a world without said person/Goetian/etc. to exist.  While a very flawed individual, Deminos does want to open up to others, but has been so hurt and so isolated/ostracized from and by others of similar age to him that it is difficult for him.  I'd also like to add that, while not as apparent as other qualities, Deminos does have something akin to a sense of chivalry.  This is largely based on a principle I myself live by.  It's the, "no one did it for me, so I'll do it for them," idea.  Because he's been hurt so much, Deminos doesn't want others to feel that way, so he won't betray or abandon those who need him.

            One thing that I want to touch on in the future, and which has kinda been touched on, is the fact that Deminos, being 16, is very confused by sexuality, as indicated by his reactions to Kinana, where he is both embarrassed, but also attracted to her.  Deminos has been around a fair bit of women, namely Yuka and the three girls, and it's not just platonic.  Deminos wants to approach them, but is unsure of the best way and instead is working on being comfortable around them.  In the future, I would like to show that there is some attraction, not necessarily love but sexual tension as is common at that age, to further character growth.

            Deminos is conflicted about Aeon.  While Aeon has taught him many things and even helped him form a contract with Melchom, Aeon also puts Deminos through hellish training to help improve his skills.  In many ways, Deminos respects and admires Aeon, but in other ways he feels frustrated by the unrelenting workload and his own failures, so he acts flippantly around the lich.  Despite this, there is an undercurrent of gratitude and a desire to prove himself to Aeon.  Deminos wants to get stronger and to cure himself to prove that Aeon was right taking him in three years previously.  That's right, Deminos has only been with Acacia for three years, making him the youngest member there.  On the whole, Deminos has grown to trust Aeon greatly after the incident in Draconia.  He still doesn't always know how to handle him or if he will be allowed to stay in Acacia for good, but he will help Aeon when he can, follow orders, and try to make the lich proud.

            Apart from Aeon, Deminos's closest relationships on Acacia are Yuka and Vincent.  Yuka, having only recently gotten out of her own adolescence, sees Deminos as a little brother and, while prone to teasing him, also treats him with more respect and trust than most others have, so Deminos is fond of her.  She tends to dote on him a little, but is also more than happy to dish out corporal punishment if Deminos is stupid.  Deminos largely accepts all this because Yuka does not look at him with fear, revulsion or contempt.  She doesn't  care what he looks like or how he acts and just treats him normal...which is kinda what Deminos wants.  Deminos views Vincent as a friend of sorts, but he's more like an administrator or teacher.  Looking out for him, but a bit untouchable.  Deminos respects Vincent and often takes Aeon's orders through him.  Vincent treats Deminos in a kindly manner, however Demino's insecurity and Vincent's status as an overseer for Acacia have prevented them from growing too close.  They can work as a team when necessary and count on one another in times of crisis.

            Gadius, on the other hand, is kind of a polar opposite of Yuka and Vincent.  He's like the big brother who taunts and teases the little brother.  Gadius is in charge of Deminos's physical training to increase the amount of Leyline energy his body can handle and Deminos tends to think the jela-vey is a womanizing fool.  Gadius works Deminos hard and will often tease him, so Deminos bears many feelings of resentment towards the jela-vey.  However, at the same time, he is a little jealous, because of how well liked Gadius is, by the female population of Acacia in particular.  Gadius wishes to toughen up Deminos and does not care about how the boy feels, by and large.  Gadius does not see himself as cruel, but rather as trying to make Deminos strong enough to handle future trials.  Out of respect for Aeon, both will look out for the other, but neither is overtly fond of them.

            Deminos and Nerise have an unusual relationship.  Because Nerise acts as a child, she is more accepting and innocent and so Deminos feels fondness towards her, but also awkwardnes, because she isn't his age group.  Echidna has tried to be motherly towards Deminos, however he is in the stage of development where he's trying to establish his independence and self worth, so he does not interact with Echidna or Dakon much.  He and Dakon will have interaction later, as Dakon trains all members of Acacia in hand to hand combat at certain points so they are not helpless, but he has not been there long enough yet to begin training with Dakon.  Deminos feels more fond of them than Gadius, however, and bears no ill will towards them.  Deminos has had so little interaction with Weiss and Merkel that he doesn't have much of an opinion of either.  He is intimidated by Weiss and annoyed by Merkel's crotchety nature, but doesn't interact with either much, so it matters little to him.  Kinana is a bit of a sore spot for Deminos, as she teases him whenever she is around.  He doesn't hate her, as he is partly attracted to her, but is uncomfortable around her.

            Deminos is slowly growing very close to Celine, Daryl, and Mina.  While originally put off by Celine's rather brusque attitude and Daryl's somewhat elitist nature, he has seen the good sides in both of them.  Mina, while wary at first because of her fright with Aeon, is generally accepting of anyone, so she treats Deminos like a normal person and while Deminos has a hard time accepting that at first, it is what endears her to him.  On the flipside, while Celine has teased him or treated him roughly due to his mistakes or his actions, even attacking him at points, her devotion to her friends, including her unwillingness to leave anyone, even him, behind have won him over.  Daryl, though clearly uncomfortable in regards to his arm, has managed to work around some of her fears to accept Deminos for who he is, which is a start.  Her interest in conjuration and magic in general has also allowed Deminos to feel a bit of pride in his knowledge, so her and Mina's inquisitive nature gives them some common ground for discussion and camaraderie.  Perhaps some of the biggest influences in drawing these four together is the age issue.  The three girls are all 14, with varying degrees of age in between them, while Deminos is 16, so they are closer in age than most of Acacia, and none of them are out of adolescence, so there is room for kinship there.  He wants very much to get closer to all three.  Surviving near death experiences together can do that.

            Ultimately, I consider Deminos very similar to myself in terms of how he had to grow up, though his personality is much different.  He was hurt a great deal in his youth and never really got to feel accepted or loved until his adolescence, so that's warped his sense of self worth and has made him put up emotional barriers in the form of his flippancy or bravado.  Deminos is growth, much like Daryl.  However, where Daryl wants to grow by accepting others, despite their differences, Deminos wants to grow by being more able to accept himself and reach out to others as himself.  He doesn't want to be the smart ass or the flippant jerk or the frail kid who gets teased.  He wants to be okay with himself, hence his desire to cure his deformity, and wants others to see him and accept him.  I really like Deminos in this regard because it's kind of a feeling many of us can relate to, myself in particular.  I really enjoy writing for Deminos, though he can be a bit of an ass at times.  One thing though is you have to balance all your characters and give each big and small moments.  Deminos has a few small moments coming up, since he's already had some big ones.  I hope he grows on others the way he grew on me.

Character Spotlight 6: Daryl

Over 1000 views!!!  Yeah, only took me...what, a year and a half?  Well, anyway, I don't have much news right now.  I've started re-writing the next chapter, which is a cooldown chapter, after a big event we need some time to breathe.  However, I've been smashed by work and studying for an exam, not school related, work related, that I have this weekend.  So, not much writing going on at the moment.  I do have something for you, which I made before life came crashing down, but...this is gonna be a slow month.  Let me just throw that out there.

Sorry about that.  Anyway, without further ado, here's a character spotlight on Daryl.  And yes, I know the name sounds like a guy's -_-u  It's meant to be a homage to Darril from Final Fantasy 6, who was a woman and who, in the original release as Final Fantasy 3, which I played to death, I believe her name was spelled Daryl.  Darl is how I always pronounced it.  Might change that for the final release in book form if we get there.

Now, character spotlight

Character Spotlight 6: Daryl

            Daryl's probably the character who has gone through the most change from my original design.  I'd be hard pressed to pick a real inspiration for her, as she was originally meant to be far worse than she turned out to be.  I suppose you could say all the good people who broke my heart went into Daryl, as she's a good person, but tragically flawed.  However, that being said, she is rather fun to write for because she comes from a different place than almost any other character in the main cast.

            Daryl is a young woman with long purple hair, because this is my world so shut up, and who is training to join the clergy.  In this world, the clergy are actually a powerful organization who rule the theocratic Lucaria.  Being a clergy member means that you will have access to greater educational tools, but also that you will be able to have more choice in your life.  Being a teacher, a doctor, a warrior, politician or just someone who spreads the word of Shanadia and the lord prophet, are all options.  It's a common path for rich, talented children because it allows them upward mobility with only scholastic effort and magic training being the major determiners of their future.  Daryl follows this path because it was easy and she had a knack for it.

            If that last description didn't make it clear, Daryl is a rich child.  She grew up the daughter of a merchant who made his home in Gesthal and both she and her mother are supported by her father while he is away, selling wares.  He is able to purchase books on apocra, magic, history, anything to help Daryl improve her chances at being accepted into the clergy.  As such, Daryl is a good mouthpiece for certain types of information in the story.  She can give good practical information, but can also be useful for spouting misinformation other characters need to either correct or add to.  However, I'd say it's fair that all three girls act as surrogates for the audience, so this isn't too shocking.  Mina knows some things about the races and Telnumbra, Celine knows of neeg, apocra, and living on the road, and Daryl knows about history, magic, legends, and the like.

            On the surface, Daryl is a snob.  She is elitist, bigoted, prejudiced, and happens to think she knows everything.  She lives for praise and will sometimes overstep her boundaries because she believes she's above consequence.  This is often why she antagonizes Celine, though since they have known each other for so long it has become more akin to their way of expressing affection than true snobbery.  Hence the two nicknames they spit out at each other.  Daryl is a very intelligent young woman, however her vast stores of knowledge are somewhat hindered by her lack of practical experience.  She has lived her whole life in Gesthal and never seen the sights that Mina or Celine have, so she tends to not know how to handle new situations.

            In the original draft, Daryl was going to be far more frightened, bigoted, and dubious about Aeon than even in this one.  More important than all that in this version, however was her status as friends with Mina and Celine.  Not just friends, but very close friends.  So, she's actually pretty dependable when it comes down to it.  More than that, they help temper her bigotry, prejudices, and misconceptions, so Daryl's more honest nature shines through.

            Underneath all the arrogance and clergical dogma that she has absorbed through her readings and her training with Angelo and the other priests, Daryl tends to be a very honest girl.  She won't hide her emotions, be they disgust or concern, and can overlook a fierce exterior if she knows there's more to that.  There also exists a great thirst for knowledge within her, so she will do what she needs to in order to expand her information, both so she can advance in her chosen life path, but also for her own sake.  Daryl, despite being a whiner, a wimp, and a coward, also stands by her friends till the bitter end, which helps with Nerise as she proves to be quite loyal, despite the fright the little girl gave to her.

            Even though Daryl has been pampered, there is also an undercurrent of stress and obligation to her character.  She fears failure and thrives on praise.  However this means that she is like a college student at the finish line to graduation.  It's do or die for her and failure is worse than death.  She's not afraid to work, as she's trained hard with Angelo and the others to the detriment of her social life, basically only having Mina and Celine stick with her up till the current point, however she tries to hide her fear with bravado, and often ends up as the socially awkward one of the group because of it.

            In spite of her status as the "smart one" in Gesthal, Daryl doesn't have many friends, due to her toxic personality and her heavy work constraints.  If her time in Acacia weren't informing her almost as much as her readings, she probably wouldn't be able to continue her visits.  Daryl hasn't had time to think about friends, but is slowly realizing their value not just through Mina and Celine, but through Nerise and the others.

            I want to show change through Daryl, because she is kind of like the baseline for Lucaria.  Perhaps not as fanatically against Telnumbran's as some, but still fearful and prejudiced.  However, not above change, either.  Daryl is a character who has slowly opened up, gotten less haughty, save for when she's with Celine, and learned that sometimes...the absolute truth you knew isn't as solid as you thought it was.

            Daryl is also a mage, for those not paying attention.  She hasn't been focusing her training on elemental magic, so Mina is better at it than her, but she can do a great deal more with holy magic.  Daryl can heal, create weak barriers out of Leyline energy, and conjure up light.  She is very good at channeling Leyline energy and giving it form, making her an interesting contrast to Mina, who struggles with her own training, but is better at elemental magic, while Daryl is able to use holy magic with ease, but cannot use elemental magic readily.

            Daryl's relationship with Mina is probably the deepest she's had.  It's not as deep as Mina and Celine's but Daryl has known Mina even longer than Celine.  She saved Daryl from getting hit by a patron of Kano's bar, while Daryl's former friends, who she lost due to her workload, did nothing.  This taking place after Daryl had played the Holier than Thou card on her.  That deeply affected her and puts Mina on a pedestal to Daryl.  She hasn't been able to get as close as Celine, due to her workload, but Mina has always been there to talk when Daryl needs it or listen and has always put up with Daryl's abrasive personality...so she values Mina deeply and tries to be as understanding as her friend.

            Despite friction with Celine due to their nearly polar opposite social stations, Daryl and Celine grew closer thanks to Mina, who didn't want her two friends to fight.  They still do, but after the years they've known each other, it is less hurtful and more out of habit and a strange form of affection.  Daryl and Celine each look down on the other to a degree, but understand when the time for pettiness is over and they need to be there for the other.  In many ways, Daryl envies Celine for her closeness to Mina and for her cool head during crises.  They do truly care for one another.

            Daryl has a healthy respect for the clergy, especially Angelo and his men, who have taken time out of their usual duties to train her in holy magic.  They are not necessarily friends, but more like a strict teacher and a sycophantic student.  Each knows the other has value, so they are respectful on the surface, but that is as far as it goes.  They are like a commodity to one another, in a sense.  This means that if that value ever disappears, either would be in trouble, so there is some concern on both sides for that, but it is largely self serving.

            Daryl doesn't have much of a baseline for a lot of the crew of Acacia.  Dakon and Echidna are frightening to her and she tends to keep them at arms length because of their status as Telnumbrans.  In spite of this, she at least knows her manners around those who have power, as evidenced by her submissive nature to Angelo and the other clergy, so she treats them with respect, especially since Echidna is kind to her.  She relies on Mina and Celine to get through many of these confrontations. 

            Aeon she only knows to be a lich and is naturally very scared, but also knows him for having saved her from many perils, so she is willing to look past that.  I would say she has a kind of respect for him, but doubts they can ever be friends. 

            Vincent and Daryl have a strained relationship.  While he is polite to her and her to him, his status as a teythen scares Daryl and she is wary of him.  Likewise, Vincent does not wish to antagonize her, as he recognizes her fear, so he does not try as hard to engage her as with the other girls.

            Daryl's affinity for Gadius is purely superficial.  He is like a more charming version of Angelo.  Very attractive, very in tune with nature and magic, very Lucarian.  She feels comfortable around him because he is something she believes she understands, both from her books and because he is Lucarian.  Aside from that, they don't have many interactions.

             

            Yuka and Daryl have a more cordial relationship, far more so than Celine and Yuka had at the beginning.  Daryl has no fear of neeg, though she does consider them somewhat second class.  However, she wants to know more about Yuka's devices, as she has a thirst for knowledge, so is polite enough and Yuka is always ready to engage a curiosity seeker.  Because neeg are part of Lucaria as well as Telnumbra, there is no tension between them and she is able to speak with her on a level close to an equal.  I would say that Daryl likes Yuka, but has no great interest in knowing her any further than she does.  The two are comfortable around one another, but not really friends.

            At first, Daryl and Deminos had a very antagonistic relationship, as she saw him as a layabout, squandering the gift of Gadius and Aeon's tutelage, which was very valuable.  She, as an aspiring mage herself, looked down on him for that.  However, after seeing Deminos's true nature, the stress he's been under, the fears he's been dealing with, I'd say they are far friendlier.  They are very parallel in their fears.  Deminos fears failure because it means expulsion from Acacia and from what friends he has, while Daryl fears it because it means all her ambitions will come to naught.  In a way, she sees her own future failure through Deminos...a possible future she doesn't want to let happen.  Because of that, however, and because she sees how hard he does work and is willing to go to cure himself of his affliction, she gains a respect for him that could almost be called friendship.  He is still Telnumbran and a bit unusual for her, but she has learned not to look down on him.

            Daryl is closest to Nerise.  She is very fond of the girl's childlike nature and how, despite being Telnumbran, she acts with such carefree, child like abandon that she doesn't seem either Lucarian or Telnumbran.  Nerise is merely Nerise.  Daryl was originally drawn to her because of her knowledge of void magic, as learning how to use it and counter it could be valuable to her, however over the course of their many discussions, which Nerise is always happy to give, she has grown fond of the little girl.  Nerise, in turn, has helped Daryl come out of her shell a little by introducing friends, teaching her not to fear the undead so much, and doing activities not related to magic, like baking.  The two are fast friends and Daryl sees both her superior, scholastically, and a little sister figure in Nerise.  She both looks up to Nerise, but also wants to set a good example for her.  She knows little of Nerise's past, but doesn't want to see her cry, so she holds Nerise's emotions in high regard and will work to help her find the good in life if she is ever sad.

            Along those same lines, Daryl started off in a strained relationship with Weiss and Kinana, as each was unusual and scary to her.  Goetians are typically called upon by Telnumbrans, so Daryl was immediately wary of Kinana and Weiss, as one of the first children, is a source of both awe and terror for her.  However, due to their connections to Nerise, she has grown closer to the two.  Kinana is like a big sister/mother figure to Nerise, so Daryl tries to respect her because of that and Weiss is her oldest friend and faithful ally, so she puts aside her awe and fear to not interrupt their friendship.

            Daryl also, as a more religious member of the group, has awe for anything she considers sacred.  The Dragons, as first children, are sources of awe and terror for her and she looks to Seran, the All-father, as an almost godlike figure, worthy of fear and respect.  The same could be said for other nihilons, like Granny.

            Daryl was originally meant to be a mouthpiece for the dogma of the clergy of Lucaria, to help flesh out the two sides of Serano, the disparity between Lucaria and Telnumbra.  She was going to be the disliked character, the one who tagged along, but who you couldn't exactly count on.  However, over the course of writing, she has evolved into a more realized and fleshed out character.  I'd have to say, I really like her because in spite of her flaws, she IS a good person and IS trying to be better.  She only has a few friends, is good scholastically and a hard worker, but her personality flaws sometimes make it hard for others to see the good in her.  Haha, in many ways, it's like me.  I suppose I see in Daryl the side of me that people don't look for.  There is a side to me that is elitist, but it's not my public face.  No, I see in Daryl the person who wants to be accepted for who she is, warts and all, but who can't because of some toxic mannerisms.  That being said, she does find friends she can rely on, so Daryl does mimic me in that regard as well.

            Daryl's one of my favorite characters to write for.  Mina's probably still my favorite character, period, but Daryl has evolved and grown so much.  I wanted Mina to be the center of the story and she's grown and changed in many ways, from being purely fearful, to being more outgoing, friendly, and even pro active, in spite of being a bit nervous and jittery around Aeon, however, I have to hand it to Daryl.  She's become much more than I originally intended for her.