I've had temporary side-characters end up spinning their own permanent subplots in an RP before, so you may see more of my jinni girl and the cocky boy :3 We'll see how it plays out! I wanted to explore the irony of everyone's lives pretty much dependent on a slave, mwaha.
Ooh, meeting Miria in the dream world! Fascinating!
We could either have this be a dream... or a nightmare, hahaha! Either way, it's a great opportunity to see a side of Miria that no one will see. If it's the nightmare, she'll be experiencing the death of her family once more, or a point of awful betrayal.
If it's just a normal dream, it'll be a happy moment with her family or a tender moment with her former lover. Miria immerses herself in the present and pushes forward to the future, but dreaming/quiet time is typically when she dwells on the past; she has to be careful not to do this too often. That said, if Curdle makes an appearance in her dreams, she will definitely realize it; she dreams up the past pretty much all the time, so it would be a striking change for her.
Hope that helps :) If not, we can chit-chat about it some more. I like plotting :)
And take your time with the post; it's always well worth the wait :)
So sorry it took me so long to get this reply to you. I seriously did not mean to. I was havign too much fun describing things. >.>
But I figured I'd leave it there, and you could decide how invasive or not his intrusion is and what, exactly, he might wind up seeing before she realises he's there.
Eeeheeeheeeheeeheheheheheheheheeh! Whoot! Fun times are... errr... fun. :P Yay for no more classes!
Feel absolutely free to control Curdle. Since he's in her head involuntarily, he has no say in things whatsoever. He might gain some later, but right now, he's kinda doing the equivalent of flailing in a puddle that was way deeper than you thought it'd be. Like this guy.
I spent entirely too much time trying to decide what to write, lol.
I thought the post would be longer, but I'm kinda eager for some interaction to happen!
FYI, Curdle was able to see, feel, and experience everything Miria experienced, almost as though he was her, until the moment she bumped into him. I took a little liberty of how he should appear to Miria in the dream, but not too much liberty. Feel free place your own twist to the dream; we'll come up with a crazy scene together :)
I wasn't sure if I wanted to go with exclamations over Miria and Tamal now, or leave that to simmer for a bit, I think I like letting it be an elephant in the room that they get to deal with, but I'm worried I might still have made Curdle's reaction, or sudden lack thereof, a little awkward...
If you think it could do with some clarification or longer time to process it, feel free to say so. I'd welcome your opinion. I did kinda hope that the dream factor would allow a bit of leeway for there being so much emotion and then it just, kinda... dies out, but I'm not sure if it works all that well.
I read your post (finally), and I thought the opposite of Curdle -- I think he is so full of emotion that he just doesn't know what to do with it, so he is reduced to simply apologizing. I think it is a very Curdle-like thing to do, haha, and it shows that he is so utterly consumed by his social status that even in a dream he feels it most necessary to apologize first before acting. Frankly, I am excited to see how he grows from this :)
My heart went out to him when Curdle actually felt sympathy for Tamal and wished he could help him. That, I think, was my favorite part of your post :) It would make sense for a fellow jinni, who has probably experienced a lifetime of abuse, to know that there are layers to Tamal's actions, that there are probably reasons that drove him to such extremes, and that it is not so black-and-white as Tamal was a bad person that he killed his master. This is why RP with you is so awesome *huggles*
Curdle literally becoming Miria in the beginning was a nice, unexpected touch. I totally dug it. And now for my response :)
Oh, I am so glad it read that way to you and that you enjoyed it. I had so much fun writing that post. I mean, the subject matter wasn't fun, but damn if it wasn't great inspiration.
I did want that feeling of being overwhelmed, so much so that he just kinda shut down. I just wasn't sure I managed to convey it well enough. Yay!
I am totally loving this story. Miria having to deal with the complication of love and betrayal in the same figure and the family betrayal of was it justified, did I not see it? Should I have seen it? How could I love him? And all that sort of twisty(omg Alfbie, you're wicked)thought patterns that take over in such a situation. And then Curdle gets to realise potential that, realized sooner, would have saved him a whole lot of trouble.
I like that they've both got complex back stories, but that Miria is probably the more problematic as far as resolutions go. Just cuz, we've got the resolution for Curdle planned(sort of), but Miria won't have the help of magic to figure things out. Although that magic might eventually become a problem but bah, I don't even know where I'm going with this anymore. I'm just happy babbling. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Wheee! And I'm having fun adding stuff randomly to the info sections. :P If you ever see anything that makes you go, huh? lemme know, yissyiss?
Also, I have it saying Jinn Religion, but I realised it might well not be exclusive to jinn... You think I should have it be an actual religion only the jinn follow, or just an old one that jinn, being older and longer lived and wanting to hold onto something of their traditions, are more likely to follow than humans, but human followers aren't uncommon? That was a long and poorly worded question, bah. :P
Tamal has his reasons for taking his vengeance out on Miria's father. Let's just say Miria's father wasn't as wonderful a person as she believed, but he was a very, very good father. Miria only ever saw the good in her father, so even now, all these years later, she has a difficult time grasping the idea that he was a totally different and very ugly person to Tamal. Does that justify Tamal killing the rest of her family, though? No. Despite Tamal's reasons behind his actions, he's not any better of a person. Miria struggles with the black-and-white of what is wrong with people, and everything in between.
Oh, I love complicated stuff like that, mwahaha.
As for the religion.... I kinda like the idea that the jinn have their own religion that is separate from what the humans believe. It gives that element of mystery to their culture that makes them all the more interesting :) That's just my opinion of it, anyway.
Complicated stuff is the best! Unless it involves technology, then it's hard. :P Oh, inbetween stuff, grey is such a dreary colour. (but I like it muchly) And it makes for wonderfully conflicted emotions and thoughts in writing characters. I really, really like that you did that. So that there's tension any way you look at what Tamal did.
Like, someone who doesn't like jinn might say, well, what do you expect? And the other side would say but he was hurt and only fighting back. Or someone might think, Miria's father deserved it, but someone else would say but he was a stand up citizen, a family man, a wonderful father. Tamal killed innocents! He was pushed until he snapped, had to cover his tracks, she was in the way... And all of them just coalescing in poor Miria trying to figure it out or even just live with it and you did that, Alfbie. You did. It's bad that I think that's awesome... >.> But I do. Just don't, y'know do that in real life, yes? Okay, good. :P
The saddest thing about Curdle's reaction, I think, is that he'll probably wind up more put out by the whole you were in love, than the whole, he was abused and killed your family. As soon as he can manage to process it, anyway. He needs to get out of her head so he can get some distance from the experience before that happens, I think.
And eeheeeheeeheehehehehehe I like making stuff up, in case you hadn't noticeed. So, I am perfectly happy with your opinion and pleased to agree. Separate religions do make differences. I wonder if any jinn have converted to a human religion, or been made to(at least pretend). How many religions might there be in a desert where there's good trade routes? You should figure that out, Alfbie. Yiss, yiss you should. heeee :D
Sorry for disappearing for a bit: There's been a death in the family that is resulting in some major life changes for me, so I'm gonna be MIA for a while. Hopefully not too long -- gotta get things settled first. Apologies, and thanks for understanding.
So much to figure out. I have a vague idea of how they might get Curdle out of her head and bring his body to them, but I'm not sure if it wouldn't make more sense to see if we can't convince Miria to go back and try getting him out the old fashioned way.
I'm thinking that his actual name might be a good beacon, and that if he went in on an inhale, he might come out on her exhale, but beyond that it gets a bit fantastical (like it isn't already ha!) and I'm not sure if he'd be able to figure it out so easily.
You got any ideas or thoughts? Preferences? I think the options are separating the two and him still stuck in Renna with her moving on. Not separating them (or separating them) and her going back to get him out of Renna. Or separating and getting him out of Renna at the same time.
Went *poof* for a few days due to housing shenanigans.
Well, I think if we wish to continue the story how we planned it, Miria would have to return to Renna and somehow get Curdle out, unless you have some ideas regarding the other options. If so, do tell!
Besides, what would happen to Curdle's body if his spirit does not return to it? Would the body eventually wither and die, leaving Curdle stranded from the physical world? Would he need to take up a new body? If this is something you want to do, then we can piece together how to do that :)
One thing to keep in mind, though: As of now, Miria would not know that she would need to go back. She doesn't know what the hell is going on right now, haha. So until she realizes that she must go back, she'll continue moving forward. But even if she knows, she'll have to make arrangements for safe passage; traveling that desert alone will be very dangerous. Then again, perhaps that's what would make the RP more exciting :)
Gah, so many choices!
Right now, I'm taking this opportunity to build character development with and between the two characters.
Also, very intrigued by the glimmer of Curdle's backstory--he used to be a guard! Cool.
Shenanigans! Is a great word, it really is. Hi again! :D
Heh, as you are probably well aware, I'm sort of making this all up as I go, so I have no concrete rules about how their magic works. Well, I have some, a very small amount, that I can't figure out how to put into words, so... They don't really exist, perse... It's a bother. But you are so wonderful for letting me play around with it. :D And Curdle, I'm making his stuff up too as we go. Fun times.
I am totally ready and willing to milk this situation for all it is worth in building up our characters and developing their first/second/onward impressions of each other and how they choose to deal with the situation and each other. Because, it is a pretty good moment for that, I mean... they pretty much can't escape each other, unless she inadvertently scrubs him from existence, and I honestly have no idea if she could or not. Heh. It's possible. :P
BUt using the moment for developing their interactions with each other is the key point. Secondary to that point, we must figure out how to get them moving in whichever direction we need them to go. Since Miria wouldn't know what Curdle needs her to do without him telling her, and Curdle probably doesn't really know what to do himself, unless he remembers an old story from somewhere or something. It is possible Miria might remember something Tamal once said to her, which could help jog Curdle's memory, too. Or maybe that deer jinni might know how to help, so, thankfully, we do have options, we just need to figure out which one we want to go with. I figure we try to keep as many open as possible so we're not forcing them down one route and hope we can find the choices they'd be making for themselves or the opportunities to toss in what tidbits we need to, to set their thoughts rolling in the right direction. :P
So! Yes, I'll definitely be making sure Curdle at least gives her something to try to get him out of her head, whether it works or not.... Remains to be seen. Mwahahahaha, I'm horrible. There's a good chance that whichever choice we go with, they'll wind up on their own at least part of the way, though I'm now liking the idea of enlisting that deer jinni's help.
And, as far as I can think it, yes, if he doesn't get back to his body, it will eventually die, since it's asleep right now and basically in a coma. Another jinni, or people forcefeeding it, might keep it alive indefinitely, but given as he's about to stand trial for the possible killing of Lady Gerun, it is unlikely anyone would bother putting that effort in. So, either way, he's probably got a week or two at most before his body goes. Whether or not his spirit-y, soul thing would last without it, I have not yet decided. It's a difficult decision, but I think I'd prefer Curdle keeping his own body, even so.
Now then! I've babbled about I think all the other points, if I missed something, poke me about it. Time to babble about my thoughts on getting him back in his body!
1) Easy-peasy (not really) getting him out of her head is as simple as waking up. So, they'd have had to make their plans before she does. Whether or not Curdle can figure out how to get back in his own head shall be left up for debate, because I'm a butt like that. But she'd hopefully know, or he'd be able to get the message to her somehow through magical means and maybe writing in the sand (I'm not even sure he can read, but pictographs are a thing, right?) to have her turn around. And we go from there.
2) He's stuck in her head until she takes him back to his body. Or maybe the deer jinni can help. Anyway, there's some extra step that needs to be taken to get him out, then they have to go back to get his body.
3) I was thinking something with magic (like that's not already happening), wherein sand and names and teleportation of some sort is used, but I don't particularly want to toss in something that big this early in the story. So, I've sort of switched my idea to making him a golem sort of deal. So, there's something to do with shaping a body out of sand which he can 'inhabit' and use to talk until they get to Renna or something like, which would require them working together, though I'm not entirely sure how.
-they might be working together in the same body once she wakes up, somehow brought him with her into the conscious world without getting rid of his thoughts in her head
-or something similar to the first option's actions but with the golem making included, he can't talk in noncorporeal form, or really breathe, and part of Jinn magic does require motion and breath (or at least that's how Curdle knows it, there's more involved but that's the basic foundation), so Miria would probably have to be the one doing certain things, though again, they might enlist the deer Jinni's help
-or in the creation of the sand body and sticking his spirit/essence into it with his name, it becomes flesh and blood while his other body becomes sand
-we could always use this idea for later shenanigans and fun times if it doesn't get used now, I just feel like sand is a great and versatile resource for some reason
4) Alternately, we leave Curdle stuck in Miria's mind, and maybe there's some form of mirror/reflection magic they could use for communication purposes during the day and our story becomes less about magicking Curdle up (and character transformation that way) and more about magicking them both up while they search for separation methods and try not to get caught up in too many problems which we, as the authors, will probably toss them into anyway, :P It's actually doable as a similar arc to what happens in those Rai-kirah stories of Carol Berg's. Except different cuz there's no all powerful dude trying to make them into something else. That'd be all on them, hahaha. >.>
Clearly, I need to think my options through a little more before I start story arcs, but at least there are ways to get past this. :P
I am a little leery, as I said, of the third one, simply because it's quite a powerful act, and neither of them are experts in this more powerful magic. I mean, half of it is belief and will and instinct, but the other half is very much rules and knowledge, which is awkward as all get out, but it'll probably work once I actually figure it out. So, yeah, can be done, either through accident or remembering an old story or just being extremely wishful, but it's also a lot more magic in the very beginning than I was thinking would happen. So, I dunno if that's necessarily the direction we want to go in or not, but yeah, I'd still be curious to see how it goes even so. Therefore, any of those four work for me. So, if you've got a preference, or if you have different ideas or directions you want to take them in, I'm all ears(eyes?) for that, too. :)
I'm fine that you're making stuff up as you go along--so I am! It's all good :)
Here's an idea on getting back to Renna that I got after reading all of your ideas:
It would be difficult to enlist the deer jinni's help directly because she's the slave to the caravan leader, and I can't see him turning around for anything. Our characters could do something daring in freeing the deer jinni and running away together (but that would strand the rest of the caravan in the middle of the desert).
So, how about this: If Curdle can create a sand golem, then perhaps he can also move relatively swiftly through the sand as said sand golem and carry Miria with him. Miria could probably find a compass from one of the many merchants in that caravan (if a compass exists in this world?) and get the deer jinni to point them in the right direction, or the deer jinni can make/give them a compass-like device that will help guide them back.
The only missing detail would be how to get Miria to want to give up all her stuff (basically her livelihood) to go back to Renna in the first place. Hmm...
Yay for making stuff up on the fly! :D It's good for stretching creativity muscles, right? Sure, yes, we'll go with that. :P
Oh, haha, yeah. I was thinking more of just talking with the deer jinni rather than bringing her along, Curdle is nowhere near the mindset where that would seem like a good idea to him. :P But having her show them a direction and give them a compass, or something similar, I'm sure they have ways of telling directions, even if it's not our magnetic needle dealio. We can make that up too. ;) And if she doesn't have a compass, yeah, someone's bound to.
I'm sure he could do something with sand to move them along faster than a donkey and cart can go. I'm not sure he'd know how to have it work to keep Miria from getting very sandy, but the deer jinni might help them there with knowing how to work with sand more than Curdle does. Or it could be an uncomfortable ride for Miria. It might be anyway, I mean, sand is not always the most comfortable, especially when it's moving.
As for convincing Miria to turn back, if we absolutely can't manage it because we haven't gotten them connecting well enough for her to feel she has any reason to, we can jump to any of the other options, even if they've already been making all sorts of complicated plans, cuz they don't know what they're doing either, so if poof, it suddenly turns out easier, or something different than what they expect happens, it wouldn't be too far fetched. :P
Either have them separate easily and Curdle escapes on his own, which she'd likely hear about eventually, and then time skip to another moment when she's coming back around Renna and the surrounding towns and Curdle finds her then. He'd be hoping she kept the urn, we probably have to play it so at least they both feel like there's unfinished business or conversation to be had with each other.
Or have that golem to flesh and blood switch be a thing that happens. That way we don't have to force Miria to do something she might otherwise refuse to do, and that Curdle would not really know how to make her do. He is not used to asserting himself.
Thoughts on how to have her turn around though... how much can we appeal to her sympathies, what with Tamal's whole not awesome messing that up for her? Could Curdle ask a favour of her? Does she have anything she particularly wants to do?
Might they get that adventurous boy to take care of the cart and Raha in Hudris (are they going to Hudris? Or Assryn? I can't remember) and there might be a bit of a sidestory with them getting all that stuff back. But at least she wouldn't be leaving it behind completely.
I'm guessing trust would be a big issue, as would the fact that he's being accused of killing Lady Gerun, is there anything Curdle might share or say, accidentally or otherwise, that might have her suspicions and bad memories quietened enough to help him?
We do have a week and a bit as well, Curdle's not dying instantly, so we could play around with multiple dream conversations and maybe a few daytime interactions in whatever form works with the route we choose the first time she wakes up. We might use a mix of them with 1 or 2 for a time (because if he's stuck in that cell all day, he's going to be trying to escape it as often as possible with the same results, and if he's still in her head, well, not like he's going anywhere else...) and then they attempt and succeed or fail at 3. And we either go from 3, or wind up with 4 if they can't manage 3 no matter how often they try it.
This would both give them time to learn more about each other and develop anything at all for the other, and would possibly mean that Miria reaches the other town she was aiming for and where she can store her wares safely and ensure Raha is looked after before she leaves back to Renna if that still needs to be done.
I babbled a bit there. Apologies for the info dump that may or may not have been useful. If I managed (and I'm sure I did) to not include something you need to know, feel free to either make it up or poke me about it. :P
