Obscene Symphony

What is the hardest thing you've ever done?

@Wick It's... it's just the worst, isn't it? What sucked most, I think, (aside from losing my granddad long before he actually died) is that Dementia isn't an illness, just a symptom. We didn't even know what he had until they did an autopsy on his brain (turns out it was Lou Gehrig's disease and also Alzheimer's, among some other minor problems) so we couldn't treat it. And he was so healthy! There wasn't a thing wrong with him before the Dementia - he didn't even wear dentures! He was well into his seventies when he got it! And it acted so quickly, within the space of like four months he went from perfectly fine to totally gone. I'm telling you, I'd rather die than have something like that happen to me, and put my family through that.

Sorry, I have a lot of feelings about this (and don't even get me started on smokers...)

I'm so sorry this is happening to your mother in law, and I'm so sad for you about your grandmother. I hope you and your family can stay strong and find comfort in each other through this difficult time.

What is the hardest thing you've ever done?

Mine was probably the end of last year, when I had 2 grandparents die within a month.

The First One

The first one was my grandmother on my dad's side, who was the sweetest and busiest lady in the entire world. I - as well as my entire family on her side - was extremely close to her. She was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma (lung cancer, pretty much the worst kind) just before Christmas 2015, and I didn't know until january 2016. We were hopeful because this type of cancer is often responsive to treatment (although very violent) and as she went through chemo and radiation, the tumors seemed to be shrinking.

Things seemed to be going well until August when, the day after my aunt's wedding shower, my nan was found in bed confused and unable to get up even to use the bathroom. She was rushed to the hospital and it was found that she had broken her hip a few weeks earlier and had been walking on the damn thing until the stress became too much for her legs to handle. For the first few days in hospital she was hopelessly confused - she had no idea where she was, and she seemed to be stuck in a different time and place. Watching that was one of the hardest parts of it, but luckily after a few days she came back to her senses and remained aware and in her right mind for the rest of her stay.

After a few weeks in hospital she was deemed healthy enough to go home - with in-home care, of course. She was home with home care for about two weeks (during which my dad, her son, was away on business, which absolutely killed him) before she had a lung collapse and was rushed back to a hospital that was closer to us. There we found out that the cancer had grown again and was spreading, and that she had maybe two weeks left. Now, this hospital wasn't the same as the first; the first was about an hour's drive away, but was less crowded and thus she had a larger room.

The second hospital was the local city hospital, and she found herself in a small room in the palliative care unit. Now, palliative care is where they put patients to make them comfortable in the days before they die, so this floor was incredibly depressing. We made do, and squeezed our huge family into the room and filled the air around my grandmother with laughter. There was always someone with her, no matter what. (There's a funny story in here about the time there was a flood on her floor, but it's kinda long and I won't put it here unless someone is really interested). Now, the way my city is set up, this hospital happened to be in walking distance from my university. As such, I made a lot of after school trips to the hospital to hang out with my nan, knowing that she loved my visits and that my time with her was limited.

(It's worth noting that this was my first semester of university and this point I was really having a hard time thinking about anything but my nan. I did actually do pretty well that semester, for some reason, but it certainly wasn't fun)

Eventually she was in pain so she was being more and more heavily medicated, to the point where she slept most of the time. This was really hard to bear, seeing this vibrant woman, a woman who suffered two small strokes (resulting in a blind eye) while at her job at the hospital and didn't think it warranted concern, a woman who, at 71, refused to retire and only ended up taking extended disability for her goddamn cancer treatment, and who walked on a goddamn broken hip for two weeks, stuck sleeping all the time. I knew it wasn't what she would have wanted.

By the time I said my final goodbyes to her, she was in a sleep that she would never wake up from. We left the hospital, me and my family and my grandmother/great aunt (this grandmother's older sister) and, something that pisses me off to this day, had to walk out the hospital doors past a man in a wheelchair and a woman smoking next to the goddamn "No Smoking" sign. >:C

Anyway, we went to a restaurant to try and cheer ourselves up, and as we were finishing, my dad got a call from the hospital saying my nan was taking a turn for the worse. We all hurried back to the hospital, where my parents and other nan rushed in and my brother and I went to the mall to throw money at the problem (oh, and we did). My brother, 15 at the time, and I, 18 at the time, ended up spending the weekend at home alone because my parents were afraid to leave in case my nan slipped away while they were gone. (There's another funny story there, but again, too many words). One time my mom came home for about half an hour, but rushed back in soon after.

At any rate, that monday was Thanksgiving (which is in October in Canada), which I spent at my boyfriend's house while my brother did something else that I can't remember. When I got home, my mother was there, and informed me that my nan had passed away while I was driving home, and she hadn't called because she was worried I would be too upset to drive. That night, and several after, my family members gathered at my house to grieve, reminisce, and write her obituary. I took a few days off from school, as did my brother. The following months were incredibly tough, and we all still feel the effects of her passing. She was such a big part of all of our lives, I'm sure nothing will ever be the same.

The Second One

The second grandparent was my grandfather on my mother's side. He's a very different story, in that while he was a great and kind, funny man when I was young, he'd been completely disabled by Dementia for seven years. I have a lot of guilt over this, because since the nursing home terrified me so much, I only ever visited him on his birthdays. (This is part of the reason why seeing my nan so confused hurt so much - I'd already seen the same thing destroy my granddad).

Now, only about two weeks after my nan died, a virus swept the nursing home my granddad lived in. These happened pretty regularly, and always took a few patients with them when they left. My granddad, being otherwise very healthy (he never smoked, didn't drink, and exercised every day before the Dementia took hold) had lived through a lot of these bouts, although growing a bit weaker each time. However, about a week later I got a call from my mother saying that my grandded had taken this virus really badly and wasn't likely to make it. I had been suspecting this, but it was still awful to hear my fears confirmed. (I also got that call like, twenty minutes after having sex for the first time, so that didn't necessarily help - luckily my boyfriend is very understanding)

This story is shorter because my granddad's decline wasn't drawn out. I went in with my mother a few days later to say my goodbyes, was devastated by his pathetic condition (he was just laying in bed, gasping) and never went back. I got some flak from my cousin when she went in, because I think she thought I was cold-heartedly refusing to see him, but she just didn't know I'd been in already.

It was one evening, when I got home from school, that I was told he passed away (much in the same fashion, I remarked, that I found out about my nan's passing just weeks earlier). I was upset of course, but not nearly as much as for my nan. As much as I hate to admit it, I think that's because I had kinda said my goodbyes years earlier. My grandfather was really gone when the Dementia took his mind away - this was just his body dying to me, ending his suffering. I know it sounds horrible, but I think people who've had similar experiences will understand.

I think the worst part about my granddad's death, aside from the proximity to my nan's (and my resulting poor mental state) was my brother's reaction. The night before the funeral, while we were arranging the church, he admitted to me tearfully that he wasn't sad because granddad passed away, but because he couldn't remember what he was like before he got sick. That was absolutely heartbreaking.

TL;DR I had two grandparents pass away within the stretch of a month, and my family and I are still shaken from it. I gained 2 pounds during that whole ordeal, which doesn't sound like much, but I'm pretty thin and my weight does NOT fluctuate, so it was incredibly unusual for me. I think the worst (and most lasting) thing about that ordeal is that it gave me this horrible fear of death, both my own and that of my loved ones. For a long time I felt like every time one of my loved ones left the house was the last time I'd ever see them. I was afraid that if I didn't spend every waking moment with the people I loved, I was wasting precious time with them. I would lay awake at night, petrified that another loved one would die.

I'm a little better now, but those issues are far from gone. Where I used to be excited for the future and eventually moving out (I was never in any hurry - I have a great home life), the very idea of leaving home now terrifies me. I never used to be one to get homesick, and even used to dream about moving to a cool new place like St Johns or Vancouver or even Sweden - but now I feel like leaving home would be unbearably difficult for me, and even the thought fills me with dread. It's like I've lost some of my independence, and it's still scary, but I'm slowly healing. I still have times where I really miss my grandmother, and it still reduces me to tears, but very slowly, things are getting better.

(Hilarious appendix: I started off my second semester, AKA January of this year, by being the sickest I've ever been in my life, complete with a cough that lasted until a few weeks ago, losing 6 pounds I could not afford to lose, and missing the first sessions of my Calculus II course, resulting in my not knowing how to integrate and failing the class. Fun couple of months!)

Inkarnate's Music Discussion Thread

I'm in no shape to write a long post, but I'll just say this: Music lovers would be extremely interested in the King Arthur: Legend of the Sword soundtrack. Especially if they heard it in the movie. Now goodnight.

Dragon's Bait ((OPEN))

Oh dear, has the slot been filled? Your writing is lovely by the way, I'm surprised we haven't crossed paths before (unless we have and I'm forgetting, which could definitely happen with me).

Come and sit a spell or three

dude, you can't do this to me. I'm too busy! I'm too busy to have such tempting plots dangled in front of me. Especially WWIII. How dare.

(Good luck though)

Castle of the Immortals (Reboot)

Hey guys I'm really sorry but I'll have to pull out of those one. University is figuratively disembowelling me and eating all my time :/

Castle of the Immortals (Reboot)

Man do I have shit to catch up on XD
I should be able to post sometime today, once I'm done this CS lab. Luckily your guys' posts aren't kill-yourself long XD I was in a thread once with lightning-fast posts that honestly would have been like 2 feet long if I printed them out and measured them

Fused At Birth

@Penguinimus I wouldn't be opposed, but I wish we could track down the GM for approval.

Castle of the Immortals (Reboot)

Aaron Bachmeier

Name: Aaron Bachmeier

Age: 23

Sexuality: Gay & Demisexual (does not experience sexual attraction until he forms a personal connection)
Place of Residence: Krishnov Castle

Appearance: Aaron is a beanpole if you've ever seen one. Standing at a staggering 6'5" and weighing a measly 150lbs for most of his adult life, he's long and lean and undeniably lanky. However, the strict diet and exercise regime he’s been on for the past two years have put a layer of wiry muscle under his mottled skin and brought him up to a healthier weight of 165lbs. His skin is a common German white, although the hypopigmented patches on his hips, legs, hands and face make the rest of his skin look a little tanner by comparison. His eyes are an eerily vibrant blue, though his left eye has a wide band of dull hazel on the bottom right (example). His dirty blonde hair falls a bit over his ears and just under his eyebrows, and is dotted with premature grey. A starkly white forelock grows above his right eyebrow. (more on these abnormalities in Extras)

Personality: Aaron was once a gentle and trusting soul, a passive individual who couldn’t stand the idea of violence. Now, he isn’t so trusting, and much of the vibrant and excitable young man he used to be is buried under a bowed head and downcast eyes. He does what he’s told, eats what he’s given, and does his best to minimize his suffering. (to be developed further IC)

Bio (went a little ham whoops)

Bio: Aaron was born one half of a set of twins to a single mother in Munich, Germany. Born deaf, his fascination with language developed early: by the time he was ten he had mastered German Sign Language, had a decent (though hard-earned) grasp on spoken German and was working on ASL and English with a tutor in school. Growing up, Aaron and his brother, Mitchell, were inseparable. Mitchell learned to sign right along with him, and the two could often be seen in the corners of schoolyards, chattering away with their hands and snickering at the other children who couldn’t understand them. While Aaron had always been a kind and passive soul, Mitchell was fiery: If anything happened to his brother, he was the first on the scene to stand up for him. Their relationship was the most important in Aaron’s world.

As he grew older, Aaron became fascinated with music. At first, he would sit at the old harpsicord in their Munich apartment for hours, slamming the keys to feel the different vibrations. Later, he learned to play properly (though he still enjoyed playing odd melodies that were fun to feel vibrating through the floor) and revealed himself to be quite the prodigy. By the end of high school, he was an accomplished young pianist and blossoming composer, and landed a complete scholarship to a prestigious music school in Stockholm, Sweden. The goodbye to his mom and brother was tearful, but he quickly fell in love with his studies as he worked to become an ordained conductor and composer.

Two years into his schooling, Aaron was well on his way to becoming one of the youngest professional composers in Germany, not to mention the Deaf community, and his university was proud to have his name attached to theirs.
Unfortunately, good things don’t last forever.

Aaron was waiting at a train station to go home for the summer at the end of his second year. He had just been leaving the restroom when someone grabbed him with incredible strength and covered his mouth with a foul-smelling rag. With all the people in the station, he hadn’t felt the vibrations of their footsteps approaching behind him.

The captor was a vampire, ten times stronger than Aaron could ever hope to be. It only took seconds for Aaron’s futile struggling to subside to clumsy efforts and eventually to unconsciousness. When he finally woke up, it was days later, and he was weak from blood loss after his first ‘feeding’.

The vampire woman who had kidnapped him would have torn him apart and eaten the pieces had she not been strangely calmed after the first few gulps of his blood. Aaron’s memory of that night, and the few days afterward, is hazy at best, but he did come around eventually in one piece aside from some cuts and bite marks, and a lot of lost blood. This vampire woman was smart, and she knew that whatever intoxicating effect his blood had could fetch a good price with the right buyer. After keeping him to herself for a few very draining months (most of which is a blur to Aaron) she sold him to a noble vampire family for a very pretty price. The family put him on a very strict diet and exercise regime to keep his blood at optimal quality, and kept him around for two or so years. Understandably Aaron wasn’t thrilled about the arrangement, and missed his family dearly. However, he knew better than to try and fight these creatures, so he did what he was told and kept his head down.

Eventually, the family came upon some financial scandal and decided to sell Aaron once again to avoid losing everything to their name. The Krishnovs paid handsomely for Aaron, and he’s been living under a similarly strict regime in the Krishnov castle for almost a week now.

TL;DR He’s a musical genius with weird blood that apparently makes vampires high. He’s new in Krishnov castle.

Likes & Dislikes (I got a bit carried away)

Likes:
- Playing piano (he likes to feel the vibrations)
- Drawing
- Writing music/music theory
- Conducting
- Thunderstorms (he loves the smell of rain and the rumbling of thunder)
- Sunshine (he likes it more now than he used to - he doesn't see it much nowadays)
- Smooth fabrics, like silk or fine linen
- Anything that makes him think
- Anything visually engaging (puzzles, things that refract light, beautiful scenery, etc.)
- Deep voices
- Languages
- Nice clothing
- Warm drinks (especially ciders)
- Sweet pastries
- Percussion and bass instruments

Dislikes:
- Lip reading (that shit's difficult!)
- Being forced to speak (he has great trouble speaking and it makes him feel foolish)
- Drawing
- Darkness (it makes him feel helpless and unsafe)
- Busy places
- Being talked to by more than one person at a time
- Coffee
- Flutes
- That weak/woozy feeling after losing a good amount of blood
- Being mocked for his condition (both his deafness and his appearance)
- Most alcohol
- Being separated from his brother
- Butter
- People talking behind his back (literally)
- Lawnmowers

Extra:
- Aaron was born with a genetic abnormality called Type II Waardenburg Syndrome. As such, he was born deaf in both ears, and possesses some cosmetic abnormalities. These include patches of hypopigmented (read: lack of pigment) skin, prematurely greying hair, mildly heterochromic eyes and a white forelock of hair.
This genetic abnormality had another effect on his physiology, one that would never have been noted had he not been taken as a vampiric food source: an intoxicating effect of the blood. While he has a very common blood type (A+), a vampire who drinks his blood will experience an intoxicating effect. Some only experience it mildly, finding themselves calmed and relaxed, like a human smoking a cigarette. Some experience a more intense sensation . This effect lasts roughly an hour and the feeling of satiation brought on by drinking his blood tends to last longer than drinking genetically normal blood.
- Aaron can read and write German, English, French and Swedish, can speak German and English (although his speech is notably… different) and can sign ASL (American Sign Language) and GSL (German Sign Language)

Here he is, he's weird and he'll probably be edited sixteen times enjoy

Castle of the Immortals (Reboot)

@EmzyOfNeverland I think I'll change it so that Aaron will only have been here for about a week, that way we can play out his first meeting with Nik and the other siblings. Sound okay?

Oh yeah, where in the castle do the humans live? What are their lodgings like? Do they just roam around the castle like everyone else or do they just chill in one part of it?