shylarah

The Twelve Labours: General Discussion

@Terminal another labor, or the final hazard? Either way, looking forward to it.

How do you write what a character feels after killing someone for the first time?

@Shoryu Magami @Keyguyperson I thought about mentioning nihilism but I wasn't sufficiently sure of the meaning. ^.^; I went more into different reactions because Shoryu solidly covered most of my guilt responses. And yep, perhaps the most famous instance of cease-fires is the Christmas truce of...1943? Some time in WW2. It's mentioned in a wide variety of places, including a song by a favorite folk artist of mine. However, based on books and stuff I read, even trained soldiers can experience guilt and so on, though with a gun in war it often is delayed a bit (like until the first time they have a chance to think about it). It's a shame that guns make killing so much easier, in more than one sense of the word. It takes a whole lot more effort to kill a guy with a sword not just because you might not get him as well, but also as Shoryu said, because you have to look him in the face while you do it.

Fire and Ice: The Ghoul Wars

“Well...Alright. Let’s get it over with.” Jareth sat down, nearly tripping over his own feet on the way, and rolled up his sleeve for her. He’d not wanted to let go of her hand, but managed to do so all the same. Amuné waited quietly. The Seer had carefully noted the path, and the various other turns along the way, and now was looking around the infirmary. She’d been afraid of such places once, many years ago. Even now they reminded her of things she’d rather not think of. She’d been a child then, just a child, but that hadn’t made any difference.

The young woman drew herself out of those thoughts with a mental shake. Jareth had fallen hard for the other lady, she could tell. He had that look, and he was being awkward as only a pretty girl made him. Amuné turned away to hide a smile.

---

EARLIER

Cera had sent him outside while she did a few final things at the end of her shift. When she emerged from the restaurant, she flashed him a smile. “Sorry for the wait. You ready? My ride’s around the corner.” She took the stairs in twos, putting on her sunglasses before she was out from under the overhang. The vampire lead the way to a parking lot with a handful of cars, more now that the restaurant was starting to get busy, and opened the door of a burgundy pickup that sported a couple places where dents had been inexpertly repaired. She pulled her seat up so she could stuff the case she was carrying behind it, then shoved it back into place and slid behind the wheel. “The Tart’s a decent place, for what it is. That is to say, somewhere they don’t ask questions and don’t much care what you do.” She shifted into gear and drove out of the lot.

The place was several miles away, and the neighborhood was old and working on run-down. Overgrown lots, untrimmed grass, boarded up windows and the occasional sag in a building, it was a place that had seen a larger population once, and then fallen into disrepair as people and money found other places to be. The layout of the streets bordered on ridiculous. More than once Cera had to go a street over or around a block to reach an intersection where she could turn the way she wanted to go. “Word to the wise, don’t try driving around here without a map until you know it. You’ll end up completely turned around.”

At last she reached their destination. The buzzing neon sign said “Starlight”, but only four of the letters were lit, and one of those flickered occasionally. “Here we are, cutie. Remember, cash or check, and try not to get caught poking your nose into things. Someone might decide it looks tasty and take a bite.” She gave him a wink. “Somehow I don’t think you need any help here, but I’ll stick around if you want me to. Or let me know when you’d like me to show up tomorrow. I’d rather be inside eleven to one, but I’ll forgo that if you ask nice~”

((@TheMinorFall off to bed, but if there's a post when I wake up I'll try to reply either before work, or as soon as I get there. <3))

Fire and Ice: The Ghoul Wars

ah,m excellent

How do you write what a character feels after killing someone for the first time?

My character Kat was so badly affected that she suffered penalties to her attack rolls (FATE game, milked that for fate points <3). She was a thief, and she'd fight, but she'd never killed anyone up close and personal (she'd possibly gotten the final shot with a gun, but I think in the heat of a battle she might not notice them go down and might not know they're dead, not just injured).

My character Raia was...not happy, but she has a very strong moral and ethical compass, and she saw that person as wicked. She handled it well, though she had a few nightmares after.

Max has an interesting story. He's actually a sworn pacifist, and it's magically enforced (side effect of the holy healing magic he's been granted. He's a doctor). However before he received that boon, he was possessed and attacked someone. He didn't remember that, but found out after the fact. Then he was stuck in a dimension that responds to fears, so he had to watch himself do it over and over....that whole series traumatized him quite a bit. However, the first person he actually killed was a matter of a cancer patient who was in a great deal of pain and didn't have long to live anyhow. She wanted him to, so he used anesthetic to send her on her way. The two were good friends, and he was shaken and upset, but not significantly more than he would have been by her death in general.

I agree with everything @Shoryu Magami has said. Another thing that might happen is nightmares, as I mentioned, or perhaps the image of that final blow replaying over and over in their head, either right away, or in similar situations.

There is, however, the other side of the coin. Some people like killing, it gives them a rush. For whatever reason, perhaps the character is excited. A thrill of adrenaline, a surge of satisfaction...not a happy thought, but a possibility. There's also some who wouldn't even care. The other guy's dead, so what. Or maybe because it's "them or me" it doesn't bother them.

Hatred of the cause that resulted in that situation ending in the kill is another idea. It's always easier to blame someone else. Perhaps a soldier hates a country or a government that sends people off to fight while sitting safe at home in peace. Perhaps a homeless person hates the system that forces him to steal to survive, and how he wouldn't have been trying ot rob that store if he could just get a job. Why does nobody understand how hard it is? Why do they all think it's just a matter of trying harder? In an extreme case, the killer may end up cynical and jaded, a pessimist, and even hate humanity as a whole.

Fire and Ice: The Ghoul Wars

I'm going to infer that...wait no, she couldn't have shown him to the motel yet, I'd think. Whatever, maybe she worked until seven. Good enough. ^.^

Fire and Ice: The Ghoul Wars

@TheMinorFall At some point I kinda want Amune to get into a theological/theosophical debate with someone, Mouse or Tsitua, most likely. She believes sentient creatures are, as a whole, negatively inclined. And she very intensely believes that there is no god or god-equivalent. Even the ultra-planar thing Tsitua mentioned she'd probably argue isn't a god. <3

Fae Courtis: The Wylde Hunt (Reboot)

@LadyRunic Ah, the way you said it, it sounds like the two are related. Alright.

There's more to it than just my own self-doubt. I'll get around to PMing you...probably next week, since Yom Kippur is this week and work's a little hectic since I'm missing a bunch of days for the holidays and my doctors' appointments. Don't let me forget, please.

*hisses at Falk* Notcher pet. Go play with Belle.

@Belle To my knowledge, hurricanes generally don't do that. Also it is getting weaker just being over land, so you should be fine. *huggles*

Fire and Ice: The Ghoul Wars

Ah, is it? Alright. ^.^ I thought it was the same timeframe, more or less. *shrug*

Fae Courtis: The Wylde Hunt (Reboot)

@LadyRunic I'm not clear on how the sacrifice of either the earth Sidhe or the heavenly Sidhe split the land into (I'm guessing) Seelie and Unseelie fey. It sounds like the second split was from differences in opinion, a long time later, and that would be the fall/winter and spring/summer split, which may not have been at the same time. But the first split has me completely confused as to what happened.

I'm...torn about this rp. I really wanna play. But I'm really not sure how well I'll do. I don't want to upset people more than they already have been.