 Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 5:52 pm
Azrael and Thera of Annu Background Plot x 
- Azrael is evil.
- HOWEVER, he is not cruel. On the contrary, many would consider him gentle and polite. Logically speaking, he finds it to be a lot more beneficial to be kind (soq are less likely to want to harm him, and more willing to help; and, as herd creatures, he relies on a soq's natural altruism) -- he is only evil in the sense that, once he finds it's no longer to his benefit, he can (and will) turn on a dime. (This is not to say he is "pretending" when he's being nice, as his actions are quite genuine; only that that behavior is conditional on certain factors.)
- He is very frank about his intents (again, doesn't want a bunch of soq to think badly of him. xD He travels often so it works to his advantage to have friends in many areas, rather than enemies) and will not lie; if they breed, he will make it clear that he does not intend to stay and that he will take a basket with him. From what I saw of Thera's LM post, that would work with her, too!
- Gives the appearance of having a carefree attitude.
- Physically strong; he was trained since birth to serve as a loyal guard for his father: Lazarus
(Side)
- Lazarus raised Azrael; as such, he has a lot of similar traits (evil but does not behave that way).
- However, while Azrael was raised from birth to be the way he is, Lazarus had to go through a number of trials to reach that point. He is more malicious, and takes a more serious view on life.
- While Azrael is frank about his intentions, Lazarus prefers to manipulate others (to the point where they don't realize they're being manipulated, so that no one sees him negatively or would wish him harm).
- He was born sick due to stresses of his early life (his parents were being hunted down while he was in the womb, and as a basket he had to be transported often -- usually to unhealthy environments). Although he's healthy now, he will never be as strong as other soquili. He makes up for this with intellect.
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And Azrael works for me! (I think his personality can also help with her getting a negative view of males, if you choose to pursue that plot! Eg. she expects everyone to be honest, but is tricked into a scenario she does not want.) To give more details:
Azrael has a dragon husband (mutant suti) who is super proud of his heritage. So although IC, Azrael has a lot of "b*****d children," there are only a select few he officially adopts (the rest are flings and most likely do not know their father). He'd be interested in Thera for her physical/mental strength and her draconic traits.
Azrael would let her know that he has no intentions of sticking around after birth; he will be taking the basket and leaving. (He will let her know from the beginning, so it won't be a case of her having babies > him coming out with a good bye speech. XD) If she objects to that, he will try to convince her that it's a wise decision since she'd have less stress with with less children, especially considering it's her first time and she's away from the herd (if any of these assumptions are wrong, feel free to let me know xD).
So, it appears both would be mutually interested in having children. 8D That allows the plot to remain simple if you wish (interest > terms of contract > agreement); however, if you would like more complex plotting, I am more than okay with that! If heavy plotting, could I ask for more information about her? More specifically, her reasons for wanting children, so I have a better idea of what to take into consideration when brainstorming for plots? (Or if you had a specific plot idea you wanted, that's cool, too!)
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So only the ones he takes back with him are the ones he adopts and the ones that go with mum do not know their father? Just trying to see if I understood what you said, want to make sure I get it right :}
I think at first she would want to keep all her babies but when he tells her that it would be a lot of work for one mare to do, she would probably agree to let him take one, not knowing at the time how it would break her heart in the future.
More complex plotting sounds like it could be fun.
Thera is lonely. She has been wandering around Kawanii and has not received word that her love is still alive and it is starting to make her sad. And she constantly thinks about the deaths of those back on Annu and she blames herself, the only time she did not think of them was when she was taking care of a chicken egg (now her familiar), so I think she believes if she has kids, they will distract her from the memories of the past. Truth be told, Thera is not ready to be a mother, but she does not see any other way to get away from the sadness. And she hopes that if she has children to love, it will make the loss of Cassia easier to bear.
No matter what this will be a learning experience for her and (hopefully) she will learn that having kids does not solve the problem, only puts the problem on hold for a short time haha.
Here is a little more about her mental state. Thera feels extremely guilty for surviving the destruction of Annu. It was destroyed by a volcano and only two people survived the devastation. Since her birth Thera was told that she was death and destruction; being this embodiment always made her wonder who could love death and destruction and still come away pure of heart. Cassia was the only one that made Thera happy to be whom she was, but when the volcano erupted they were separated, so neither know if the other survived.
Was there more you would like to know about Thera? :}
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For the ones that stay with Thera, it is up to her on whether to tell them about their father or not! ^^ (Just note that Azrael won't divulge much information about himself as he does not intend to stay, and her having his children is not dependent on her knowing him. So if she chooses to let them know about him, it probably won't get much past appearance + perceived personality + any experiences they might have had together.)
If the children know about him and choose to visit, he will not turn them away and he has no reason to reject them; however, he did not raise them and the values and skills they were taught were up to Thera and out of his control. Since he did not have much say in how the children shaped up to be, he will be less invested in them and he will not seek out intimate familial relationships unless it proves to his benefit (eg. one of them grows up really badass and Azrael wants him to be a loyal son to his father. He will take advantage of their blood relation to try and forge a bond).
If they don't know about him, he will not seek them out, and should they cross by chance, he won't divulge the information. (The child may be able to figure it out based on appearance; if so, Azrael will tell the truth.)
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Aww, that'd be so sad. ;w; It sounds like a rad opportunity for her to learn from the experience, though!
And her history and personality are really nice! I thiiink my only big question is how the idea of children will be approached. XD Azrael knows soq tend to be attached to their family, and their children specifically, so his pick-up line won't exactly be "yo, want to have my children??? Also I will leave you."
I guess they could have spent time together due to some situation (she is new to the area and needs help finding something > the task is not very difficult, and Azrael chooses to help her so that he will have another acquaintance that may be able to help him back in the future; they fight over something (such as prey) which would show their physical strengths to one another > they make up with mutual respect for one another's capabilities; etc.) which eventually leads to a conversation.
- Azrael inquires about her history (since he can tell she is a "foreigner") and learns of her guilt complex.
- She mentions her feelings about the destruction and how she is considered the embodiment of death.
- Azrael off-handedly mentions that that cannot be true; she is a mare, and they can give birth. Unless... she is barren...?
- She disagrees or says she doesn't know (thus far I have been assuming that Azrael would be her first partner, but please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!), and implies or explicitly states she would like children to ward off the loneliness.
Azrael's interest is piqued, but he knows better than to talk about children to a mare he has only just met. XD The conversation ends, and they part ways.
She fits his description of what he's looking for (fire, draconic; he was the only one of his siblings to be born without fire-producing capabilities. XD But he will mention fire is in his genes if that will make him a more attractive prospect to her), and he keeps tabs on her. They met again, begin to establish a relationship.
He eventually talks to her about his offer; that they see if they can create children together, and his intentions to take a basket. She agrees (can be at the time of asking or at some future time).
Their attempts are met with success, and she is pregnant! He cannot stay with her at all times (his main job is serving as his father's protector and they travel often, though he will stay close enough to reach her within a day's flight), but he will visit often to check her health and provide her with anything she might need.
The basket comes and he leaves. They are unlikely to meet again due to his constant travels (as he will no longer ensure he is close to her), but it is possible!
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It really does! And she will definitely learn, or repeat the experience with another stallion until she learns haha.
I like what you have there. About how they would meet and he would lead her to the place that she sought or whatever it was she was looking for. Oh. I think I know. Thera has a slight fear of volcanos now and it would be good for her to face that fear, so perhaps he leads her to one in Kawani? While they travel to this volcano they can fight and he learns that she has some strength to her and they begin to respect each other.
- Thera tells him of her history on Annu, doesn’t ask him about his own story because she is engrossed in the sad memories it brings back.
- Talks about death and destruction and how she loved the mare who embodied the opposite (life and rebirth).
- This would be Thera’s first breeding, so she does not know that the taking care of children will only take away the pain for a short while. She hopes that it would be a full time thing and that she will be able to move on. But alas it is not possible.
Perhaps they part ways at the volcano and Thera conquers her fears. He knows that she cannot travel far from a body of water (since that is the curse of her Kelpi blood), and since he keeps tabs on her, he will know exactly where she would be located. The mention of fire will make her see him as someone who is like herself, one born of Flame, even if his flame is more internal than her own.
As they establish a relationship and talk about having kids, she tries to tell him that she wants all the babies, but when he tells her it would be too much for a new mother to handle without a herd to aid in the raising, she decides to let him have a basket. Her agreeing to having kids was not thought out. She answered quickly, wanting to get rid of the loneliness that plagues her heart.
Thera travels slowly while she is pregnant, trying to find soquili who know of Cassia and also who are suitable to be the next Keepers of the Flame (those who have the knowledge of death and destruction and rebirth, the cycle of life, as taught by the Great Phoenix Mother). Sometimes she hopes that Azrael will forget about her and the foals she carried, but every few days he would return and check on her.
Baskets come, Thera wants to keep them all but she remembered the bargain she made and she watches as Azrael leaves with one of her children. She does not regret her choice, for she now has someone to take care of.
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It is fun! I hope I did it right haha.
I like details so your stuff was great, I just hoped I was able to do somewhat the same.
This is fine for me, I can always do solo rp where she thinks about this or even when she tells the story of the Dragon without a Flame. And how he needed her to bring flames back to him. She would make it an interesting tale and hope that her kids never discover the truth.
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Oohhh the story she makes up about him is so rad! ;__; The Dragon without a Flame MMM YES.
And no worries! There's no set way/method you need to respond in so do what makes you comfortable! I've had messages ranging from walls to "yeah, all of that sounds good," so anything is cool. XD
My characters take a while to flesh out, too, haha. I think it's clear you give your characters a lot of love, though! I would not have known her personality was still being developed if you hadn't mentioned it! x3
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That all sounds really great! *W* The only thing is that Azzie doesn't really have that much time to spare. ;w; Lazarus never had children for sentimental reasons; Azrael and his siblings were born for the sole purpose of being raised to work with Laz (though Azrael is his main choice/priority, due to promise shown at a young age), so he cannot spend a long time with her on travels / check as frequently as a few days unless Lazarus gives him permission, which he won't do. xD; An alternative idea is that:
- Azrael is flying through a mountain region when he sees Thera in trouble (eg. a rock is tumbling down towards her; a large mountain lion shows predatory interest; etc.) and, while he debates with himself on whether she is worth helping, she helps herself.
- The feat is impressive enough that Azrael believes forming an alliance with her would be beneficial. He lands, compliments her; they strike up conversation.
- She asks about a volcano, and he mentions that the "mountain" they're on is actually a dormant one!
- With the help of his wings, he's able to check up ahead and find a quick path to the top of the volcano. They make the trek together and get to know one another in that time.
- Thera traveling while he is away will be more tricky, as his visits will likely be limited to once a month, that progresses into once a week when she begins to show signs of pregnancy, and then once every few days once she's about to give birth (so that he can make sure to be there when the baskets come and so he can offer aid when she needs it, such as with hunting). (He would be close enough to fly to her if/when needed but his time will mostly be occupied by his father.) If she follows a continuous body of water (eg. a prominent river), then Azrael would be able to find her more easily despite the traveling; during such visits, he would be overly affectionate and bring along gifts, so that she would be encouraged to look forward to his visits and be more willing to stay by the river rather than other bodies of water.
- He would also really encourage her to travel with others (eg. with friends, a sympathetic herd, etc.), as a pregnant mare alone is really susceptible to predation. XD If such a scenario is not possible, then he may even suggest she travel with him and his father (their protection in return for her not going 100% in the direction that she wanted), if you were interested in that option.
I thought this alteration might be interesting, as the dormant volcano could provide more food for thought (even destructive forces have a period of calm/peace); in addition, it would make it less likely that they form any ties and may make her even more desperate for companionship/kids.
However, if you preferred the original idea (that they travel together for an extended period of time and the volcano is not necessarily dormant), then I can come up with an IC excuse for why Laz would not need Azzie. ^^
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Okay, that makes sense. So he can visit sporadically if that would be easier… hmm, actually, perhaps traveling with him and his father would be interesting. And that could help with the plot of her view of stallions being colored in a negative light. And also, what would keep them from keeping all the children in that case? If she were to travel with them? And she has no particular destination in mind, she is just traveling around trying to find what she is looking for.
-The trouble plot sounds good, and how she saves herself from it, perhaps there was a rock side and she was able to get away from the rocks or knock them aside with her tail. And it would reduce his time away from his father.
- And then it would go back to the original plot where they meet up again and discuss having children?
-He would then bring up the idea when she is getting fat that it would be safe for her to travel in a group and that perhaps with him and his father she would be the safest? She won’t like the idea, but she sees the wisdom in it and agrees.
If she travels with him and his father, would there not be some sort of companionship. More food for thought huh, did you have something particular in mind?
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Them traveling together sounds like a fun idea!
- Lazarus, like Az, would not be cruel to her (especially since doing so might convince her to go back on her word after Azrael has already invested so much time in her, since they would not propose the idea of traveling together until her pregnancy got to the point where it would actively hinder her being able to defend herself). However, he can help point her in that direction, perhaps by being a little too aloof, or hinting at a darker nature during quiet conversations about death/destruction/volcanoes.
- Since the companionship would start later on in the term, it could lead to more drama. 8D They have gotten close enough to act as a family; however, as soon as the baskets come, Laz and Azzie will not hesitate to move on. It could contribute to Thera's eventual negative view ( I thought we had something special, but he left so easily; he did not look back. (Azzie: Hey! At least I never lied about it. 8D;;) ) and Thera being left alone with the remaining basket can emphasize her loneliness. (Could lead to other drama potential, such as: I am not all death! Here's proof of the life I have given; maybe it means the search for Cassia isn't so hopeless // her inexperience with children + loneliness could lead to HELICOPTER MOM syndrome; if she has a bad relationship with her child, it could add onto her guilt complex; and they can plot together to forge a better relationship // if she plans to fling again, the gap left behind by Azzie/her other child's departure can lead her to the second fling, and would work in combination with her getting tricked/manipulated/some other negative thing by a male // etc. // And I wanted to clarify that these are just ideas; there is no obligation to even consider them, & I realize Thera is not my character. I do not intend/am not intending to control her so I hope it does not come across that way! Only that I really love plotting and I like giving ideas if the recipient would, in any way, consider them helpful. qwq)/)
- Re: them taking all the children, the benefits would not exceed the cost. Lazarus is still in a relationship with Azrael's mother, so he receives nothing by taking another's children and risking their ire when he can simply make more of his own. Azrael himself has already proved prolific IC so is not in desperate need of children; although he is a fan of Thera's genes, he is also aware of her strengths. Better that he foster a good relationship with her, so that he may leverage that for future help from her + her children, if he needs it, than to make an enemy.
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-And since Kawani is still new to her, she will believe him and since he has told her nothing but the truth since they have met.
- Oo yeah, she thinks she has a new friend, but when the baskets come he leaves her with one and takes the other. She knew it was coming but still feels betrayed by someone who she thought was her friend. Yeah and maybe she will even start to hallucinate in her grief and see Cassia and other ghosts of her past. Would definitely lead her to be a helicopter mom, until one of her hallucinations gets through to her that she is not practicing the teachings of the Phoenix Mother by being depressed with the deaths of those she loved. Once she gets the message, she stops seeing them. (Just watched Arrow and that is what happened with Oliver and I thought it would make for an interesting plot).
-Okay good to know that taking the children would cause them more problems that they want. Rather have a friend than enemy. Good.
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I'm a little confused by the first point! No one would be lying to her (though some truths may be omitted since she isn't required to know anything to carry Az's children)
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Sorry about that. My brain is running slow and my fingers are typing out things that don't make sense (evil cold). I was trying to say, that since he had always told her the truth before, she would not doubt that his words were true now and that it would be safer for her to travel with him and his father rather than alone. Does that make sense?
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