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 Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 4:55 am
1. my post
2. the kid-- basic form
3. the kid-- appearance
4. the kid-- personality
5. the baku-- information
6.the baku--the kid's death
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 5:24 am
Name Oliver James
Gender Male
Abilities
Oliver's gifts are based literally on his myth, and are quite influential, useful even, but not necessarily powerful. Suggestive and more submissive then the gifts that already exist, it suits him in a sense that he is also more suggestive and submissive.
The ability to control the restfulness of a person in sleep/napping :: Similar to the way people have a calming influence, it's just that. When people are sleeping, resting, napping, he has the ability to give them a sense of rest. For example, babies at that torrid 4am, students looking for that 1 hour of sleep before hitting the exams.
The ability to lull someone to sleep :: The true cure all for insomniacs! Vice versa, he can also bring them out of sleep... which technically most people can do.
The ability to eat a nightmare :: Literally. Oliver James will discover the ability to eat it- destroy it yes, but to sustain himself on it too. And similar to the way the baku is said to work, to replace and give back good luck. Whether this is just a restful night, or literally, good luck.
Race/Species/Element Baku
Hair and eye colors Black hair and gray white eyes. Not blind, but the color is odd, mixing with the whites of the eyes so it looks cloudy.
Appearance Oliver is a rather missable boy, and a man. He has simple hair, simple face and simple eyes. Average to the eye. In the same way the baku, like a chimera is made up of different animals, Oliver looks almost like what an average of all thin brunettes, if gathered together, might look like.
Oliver is also forgettable. The baku does not have a distinct, true form the way other mythical creatures do. From the records I have seen, there are different variations to what it looks like, rather like a chameleon. And I want to apply this to Oliver. Not to make him a shape shifter, but to make him forgettable.
Average height. Average form. Some might consider him tall, some short, but if you really think about it, you realize you don't pay much attention to what he looks like. Because of this, I have chosen a rather remissable form. Someone too short or too broad shouldered would be easier to remember... than this.
Distinctive Marks A birthmark/tattoo of sorts on his back, where wings might be in the shape of two eyes. Drawn in black, the eyes are closed, half open etc, and the color seems to change.
The purpose of these eyes is not only to link in with one of the forms he might have had (in certain legends, the baku does have eyes on its back) but to work as a flipside to Oliver's personality. Not that he has a sentient creature on his back, but like a very opinionated conscious. A second opinion, a louder protest, almost.
This is not to say he has an alter ego. Or that he has something living off his back and influencing his decisions. Merely, when the eyes are open, the baku inside Oliver is more active, he is more curious. Rather like the difference between a person at work and on holiday.
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 5:29 am
General physical appearance: a pale figured, almost missable wallflower of a boy.
Wand. A skinny, knobbly piece of dark wood that is almost ash, almost black in color. It looks aged, through time, abuse and negligence, but it's still very sturdy. Like a great great aunt's walking stick found in the attic. The top has a single hair darkened, rather like as if it has been burnt, but smoothed away and worn down until it's hard to see it.
Baby Ghost. White smoke that gets progressively dark gray or black, in a more hunched over position as if the ghost is quite unwilling to reveal itself. Especially in this shape.
Baby. A small, rather frail looking bald baby. Yes, bald. With pale, washed out skin which is almost white, and pale gray eyes, he looks almost blind- no definite black pupil, it just contracts to a darker shade of gray.
No extra sets of anything, he does have a dark, a purple-gray shade, birthmark on his back. Two spots on either side of his spine between his shoulder blades.
Dressed in a simple silk gray robe- it looks like it belongs to a woman and has been kept around for a very long time. Also a pair of cut of white cotton shorts. Worn out, but not in bad condition, they simply look like hand my downs. Or clothes unwillingly given up to a small boy who gives good puppy eyes.
Toddler. Soft downy hair as started to appear on his head, so he's not bald! A pale shade of blonde or even light gray, theres no point in calling it real hair because it happens to be really fine, and barely there. The birthmark has spread, darkening so that it is visible and becomes a sore point with the boy. It looks almost but not quite like two vertical lines across his back, similar to the lines eyes wearing smudged eyeliner might make when closed.
Dresses in his own clothes now, but in pale, neutral colors as if he is trying to attempt to hide himself in his clothing. Grey white and black is prominent in his wardrobe.
Kid. His hair has grown out a little bit more so it looks longer, softer. Maybe to his ears, a shaggy cut like a boy who missed his last two hair appointments. Darkening too, so it's black, just really thin. His eyes seem less focused now too, as if he's not quite seeing you. Probably wears like prescription glasses by now, for reading.
The birthmark on his back has spread and now they do look a little bit more like a pair of closed eyes. They've also started to itch, leading to a sensitive skin condition that has the boy constantly scratching or fidgeting. Has a tendency of wearing soft material only, like silk, or even lycra.
Develops a habit of wearing more refined clothing, and develops also a slight obsession with dream catchers. Starts looking more bookish, quiet, with the tendency of sporting colorful feathers in his pockets.
Teenager. Most boys develop a sense of confidence, maybe. He's managed to develop a sense of security now. With a pair of shy spectacles on his face (black and thin) and his hair short and more tamed, it still has its rather odd texture of being too thin and too pale.
He almost never wears any shirts, sticking to looser robe like jackets to hide the 'thing' on his back. Extremely self conscious about it to a point that he barely likes to expose his back to anyone. Sticks to pale colors still, but has started to incorporate more color into his wardrobe. His gifts have also started to mature more by this point, leading to an almost cheeky personality.
He has on his back now, a fully formed tattoo like image of a pair of eyes. 2d in every sense of the word, they are black, and heavily lidded-- most of the time staying closed. However, there have been instances when he's been able to get a glimpse of them blinking, or watching _him_. Which creeps him out to the utmost.
Youth. The boy's slightly shallow obsession with pretty dream catchers continue to hear, more apparent in choice of room decor however, then in his appearance. However, he does carry around a little dream catcher charm in his pocket, which he touches for good luck.
His hair has grown out a little bit more, distracted by what he can do, and what he wants to do. His gifts are probably coming into full force right about now, which leads to him wanting to spend less time in the waking world. Usually looking sleepy and slightly rumpled, his clothing has taken a more comfortable, natural turn-- almost pajamas, but not quite. Probably the type of clothing that could substitute for day and night.
He's stopped bothering with glasses now too-- so what if he can't see so much when waking? What he sees when he dreams is so much cooler anyways. However, he still hasn't accepted the thing on his back and that still remains covered.
There are times now when the tattoo seems to resemble actual eyes, blinking and watching through the mirror, and he can feel them move against his robes.
He has a little bracelet he's taken from his guardian in the shape of a dream catcher, in silver.
Adult. Adulthood. What does that lead to? If things continue the way they are, there is something more peaceful and lazy about him now. Something more conclusive. With the same messy, slightly shaggy hair and eyes that are sleepy and amused, his expression is usually one of mild euphoria. He's in control (as much as he can be) of his gifts, and that has lead to acceptance. Less of a shy timidity, but still quite quiet and reclusive.
His clothing hasn't grown more ornate, but it has matured. Probably slacks now, or even trousers with robes that range to formal and semi formal, both for occasions out of the house and to simply lounge around in. The charm bracelet has become a permanent fixture on his arm, albeight it is a bit too small. He's also gained a small piercing in his ear from which, when he wants to dress up a little bit, he wears one of his guardian's old hoops.
Color has entered his wardrobe a little bit more prominently, and he's also grown to accept the eyes too. They blink and watch whenever he happens to be 'on duty', and he has grown to refer to them in third person. Almost like a pet growing off his back.
How...pleasant.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:06 am
This is merely a plan for his personality, and how he develops. I haven't planned many events, so things can differ drastically depending on who Trist meets, what happens to him and where he goes with me.
Overall personality
One word to describe Oliver would be to say he was that of a lazy, overindulged cat. That is what he becomes as he grows more obssessed with his gifts and what they represent.
Oliver is originally, somewhat shy. He doesn't like large groups and overly loud people simply because of the noise and the number of bodies cloistered together in one space. Rather like the animals a baku was represented by (lion, bear, horse, rhino, elephant) he shys away from things he views as foreign- which also often leads to a very narrow minded perspective.
He isn't arrogant, or at least, not fully arrogant. As the boy grows and learns and develops, he begins to form the opinion that what he knows about himself, what he knows about his gifts, is 100% correct. It's not simply just a belief that he is correct, but that he is. Stubborn about his views but not very stubborn in following others, he is a bit of a hypocritical submissive. In the face of force, aggression, he will acquiesce to your will. But that doesn't mean he believes, or that he'll follow you with a smile.
This dual nature is something that plays a large role in the boy. He is lazy, preferring to sleep and other leisurely activities, but he does enjoy those that test your reflexes, such as cats cradle (when younger) and creating dream catchers (when older). Arrogant but submissive at the same time. It is as if the boy lives in a world slightly slower then this one, and he wants to keep it that way.
Like a feline, Oliver has a very intense sense of curiosity. It is a natural instinct that grows all the more so as he discovers his gifts. He has a role to play with dreams, and yet never will he be able to enter the dream world. Because of this, he does have a little bit of a martyr complex. A baku who can't see the dreams and nightmares? It effects this slightly pessimistic view he has as he grows older, and adds to the intensity of the nosiness. As if he is making up for his lack of ability, he wants to know more. About a person. About the way they think, about they way they move, and why they make those decisions.
Being personal, boundaries, respecting privacy is not in Oliver's dictionary. He has a natural sense of wanting to touch people and ask questions, and as he grows older and tries to understand privacy, it becomes harder. He eats nightmares, things most people are too sensitive about to tell-- and if he has the right to eat these private thoughts, surely he has the right to everything else as well?
Oliver is also a bit of a narcissist. He sees himself as the main character in a play and all of his pitfalls seem larger and grander then those of others. He is also lazy in a social sense too. He will make the effort, and he does want genuinely to know more, but he will rather not risk being spurned. The pain for a grand dame like Oliver? It would be too much!
Oliver James is not a very smart person, in the academic sense. He somewhat applies himself and following this, he passes. He's an average student capable of much more in a sense that most average students are. If they tried harder, maybe they could make something of themselves. Much more interested in the world in his (and your) mind then the world around him, he's usually found dreaming, or following the more physical aspect of this world. Music, dance. Fire, food. Not the ideals and theories that cannot really be used.
He has a sense of humor. Kind of. He's usually laughing at something, either at himself or relieving anything in his mind. He finds joy in little things, and prefers to live his time out in peace. He won't fight bigger, more aggressive people. He won't try to earn a spotlight or even defend what he believes. Justice, loyalties, all that-- it's not quite important any more. Nothing so silly is.
Hobbies
Sleeping, for literal reasons. He has a healthy sense of curiosity-- nosiness if you will, into other peoples life. And once he discovers he has a variety of 'home movies' to watch while he sleeps... well, you'll have trouble keeping him away.
As he grows older, he will become fascinated with the more abstract world of dreams. Dream catchers, prophecies, nightmares. Sleeping pills, whatever it is that is belatedly associated with him, he will want to know about. I suppose you could call it a bit of a complex.
Similarly, the more physical, scientific realm of the mind will become a great obssession as he grows older. He wants to know why he can eat nightmares-- and maybe, if he can eat dreams as well.
Goals
Oliver has a complex about what he is, and what he isn't. He goal is to figure out what he isn't, and make it part of what he is.
Weaknesses
Lazy, so physically Oliver, while slightly on the slender side is neither thin in a beautiful model like way, nor firm. He's soft, silly. Skinny due to lack of exercise and an odd metabolism, not because he looks good. Wait. So probably not a weakness per se. Unless you count the fact that this also makes him physically unhealthy, and far from athletic.
Cowardly. The boy wouldn't stand up for his mother if a gang of vipers came after. Or if he did, it would be because he would know the escape route.
Nosy. There is no such thing has privacy, and neither is he good at keeping secrets. So dreams do not necessarily tell you what a person is like, but if he sees something remarkable... well, you better know that sly smile isn't wholly because of what you said.
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 12:38 am
The Baku. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baku_(spirit) Baku (獏 or 貘) is the name of a fantastic beast in Japanese folklore, originally from China. It is usually depicted as a squat, trunked creature, vaguely resembling the tapir with which it shares its name in Japanese. It is often described in chimeric terms. Today the most common description gives it the body of a bear, the legs of a tiger, the nose of an elephant, the tail of an ox, and the eyes of a rhinoceros, but other descriptions exist, such as one from ancient China pegging it as a goat-like animal with nine tails, four ears, and eyes on its back. The baku is a benevolent beast, credited in China with a general ability to ward off evil, but it has become best known for its ability to devour human nightmares and the bad luck that accompanies them. A person waking up from a bad dream may call out to the baku for help, repeating three times "I give my dream to the baku to eat," or a similar phrase. The creature's image is considered an auspicious ornamentation for bedroom accoutrements, and was once painted in gold lacquer on the pillows of nobility. The baku is also considered capable of devouring the evil spirits which cause plague and disease, and sleeping on the skin of one is said to keep away sickness and bad luck. http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Baku Baku are generally benign creatures who aid human being s by eating nightmares or the evil spirits that cause such dreams. Sometimes they do this unbidden, but other legends require a nightmare sufferer to awaken and call upon a baku to eat his dreams. According to some beliefs, baku can change eaten dreams to good luck. Other tales make the baku more troublesome, eating all dreams and thus depriving sleepers of their beneficial effects, or simply awakening sleepers and depriving them of sleep in general. AppearanceThe Baku, like so many mythological beings, is a curious mingling of various animals. They are generally pictured as chimeras, either with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion or with the head of a lion, the body of a horse, the tail of a cow, and the legs and feet of a tiger. Alternatively, they may be more pig or tapir-like creatures that range in color from black to pink. Several evil dreams are mentioned in ancient Japanese books, such as two snakes twined together, a fox with the voice of a man, blood-stained garments, a talking rice-pot, and so on. How to Ward a Baku OffBaku are almost always seen as beneficial, however, and pictures of the creatures are often placed in Japanese bedrooms to help ward off bad dreams (in modern times, baku toys and plush dolls may be used instead). In addition, people sometimes write the Chinese character for "baku" (獏) on pillowcases. In the Edo era, pillows with a baku depiction were sold widely. Trivia * In Pokémon, the baku is named Drowzee ("Sleep" in the Japanese version of Pokémon) * In the Monster Rancher series, Baku is a breed of fat, dog-like monster that falls alseep fairly often. * Bakumon (also known as Tapirmon in the U.S.) is a tapir-like creature who appears in the Digimon series. (Bakemon, a digimon with a similar name, is a ghost-like creature whose name probably comes from the Japanese word for ghost, bakemono * Baku are also found in Magic: The Gathering in the Japan-inspired set Betrayers of Kamigawa as the Blademane, Skullmane, Waxmane, Quillmane and Petalmane Baku. [1] * Baku appear in the Oriental Adventures supplement of Dungeons and Dragons, but are named "Shirokinukatsukami." * The baku appear briefly in the book Sandman: The Dream Hunters, written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano (published by DC Comics, Vertigo imprint). * "Baku" is a main character in the Playstation 2 game Dual Hearts, characterized as a "pig" that eats dreams. * A baku is present in an early episode of Urusei Yatsura, eating Ataru's bad dreams as he sleeps through a student council meeting. The baku is accidentally brought into the real world when Ataru is woken prematurely. * In Klonoa: Empire of Dreams, the villain, Bagoo is based on this creature. * In Final Fantasy IX, the leader of Tantalus is named Baku. http://webhome.idirect.com/~donlong/monsters/monsters.htm Baku come form Japanese legends. it has the face of a lion, the body of a horse, the feet of a tiger, and the tail of a cow. It is called the 'eater of dreams', as it will devour a person's evil dreams either making them harmless or changing them into good luck.
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 12:39 am
The Baku :: How he died.
The Baku is commonly seen as something good. Beneficial. An eater of nightmares who works the same way as a dream catcher, in a sense. The Baku is commonly seen as something to be welcomed, something that is not a thread and something to be told about to children to help. Call the baku when you have a nightmare. Call on it when you want to chase away a dream.
Call it.
But it's not always like that. Cultures shift, geography leads to translations being pulled awry and from one mountain to another, one island, one continent, stories, legends, beasts, can be given different names.
Can be changed entirely.
It paced the enclave as if soon a path to freedom could be worn into the grass. It moved not with grace, but with a sluggish amount of dread, as if the movement, the action of crossing one limb in front of the other was done more out of reflex then thought. The creature was unrecognizable from the prize it had been so many months before. It was haggard, and there in its beautiful soul seeking eyes, was desperation.
The baku is a nightmare eating demon. And having said that, this baku needed to it.
Alone, in a primitive cage made out of rock and wood, the baku was starving to death. And it had no idea why.
It didn't believe it could be starved to death. It was in denial of the fact that there was a steady drumming of pain low in it's abdomen, something unfamiliar and vague. It refused to recognize that it was exhausted, tired, wanting to sleep and risk dreaming itself. A baku ate nightmares, it ate the stuff of sleep- so could it, was it possible for it to sleep?
What would happen if it closed its eyes, to rest?
There are some, few legends that speak of the Baku as more of a menace. Not an eater of nightmares, but of dreams. A nosy monster that eats and disrupts the sleep of humans, a creature to be warded away and if possible, killed. But no one had seen a baku before.
They didn't really exist. Right?
The pain was getting worse. A mere simple tool made of rough hands was hardly enough to keep a baku from running away. A shack was not supposed to hold a creature who lived on, feasted on nightmares. But it worked somehow. It was as constrained as a human might have been, or any other mortal prey.
And the nightmares. The dreams. Food, sustenance. Nutrition. It couldn't reach it. The sense that told him when it was about, when a specially tasty treat was around the corner... it felt blind, as if the night sky was truly all it could see. Inky blackness with a smattering of stars to tease him into madness.
A baku cannot starve to death. It is immortal.
It liked to think so.
And if perhaps, curiosity leads a baku to one of these more remote areas, if a baku is lead by the hint of the most luxurious feast of nightmares to a point in town which is not known for its welcome of the mythical creature...
If a baku finds itself trapped, unknowing and unable to leave, what would happen? Would it really die?
Would it escape? Go crazy?
In an abandoned village, there are signs left of the people who lived there. Signs of families, suggestions to the culture and way of life. Artifacts, bones, whatever else the world would see fit to leave behind.
And among these ruins lies an old skin tacked so reverently onto the remains of poles, as if it had hung at the entrance of a chieftains, or perhaps some highly respected healer. It is the large skin of an animal with four ears, nine tails and eyes on its back, skin so wide and smooth, so old it is hard to see anything of what it might have been.
Except for where the eyes might have been.
They stare, even now, into blankness. Not really eyes, but the ghost of them, so worn out as if the creature the hide had belonged to had searched hard. Had looked so hard, that it had worn its own eyes out.
Four ears. Nine tails. And eyes on its back.
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Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 11:02 am
Posted the basics. Will go through it and fix it... eventually.
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Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 6:54 am
Forgive my hop and jump review I'm odd like that.
1.Dancing as a hobby is really not practical for a lazy person, all forms of dance even slow sensuous ones take a lot of practise and dedication.
No having read about this creature i love it I think Baku are awesome. However to be honest i think you've done a not so good job with portayign a humanized one and honestly you've made him very boring. laid back and shy is one thing, but he lacks ambition and really a reason for other's to care to interact with him.
for one thing lets look at it's most common characterstics.
body of a bear, the legs of a tiger, the nose of an elephant, the tail of an ox, and the eyes of a rhinoceros,
To me this means oliver should be built, broad shouldered well muscled with not that great of eyesight ( which you've addressed) and possibly horror of horrors a big nose.
Now a kid who looked like that simply can't fade into the background, maybe he's quiet but still noticed becuase of his looks whether he likes it or not. or maybe he's friendly hoping that his personality can overcome the way he looks.
You have a friendly benevolent being. he should be quite social, heck he could be a cocky little bugger who's far too lucky for his own good. or perhaps eating nightmares makes him the clumsiest most unfortunate kid around.
Bascially i think this concept has potential but oliver needs something special about him, something to make him an interesting addition to the already existing kids.
also go back and describe personality by stages it makes it so much easier to understand things.
on the flip side his ever progressing eye tattoos are awesome and should totally stay.
i will keep reviewing this quests as it advances. return crits are always loved
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Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 9:08 am
Thank you Umbra. I'll work on this asap and return to you.
Work on:
- hobbies. More realistic
- appearance. Baku characteristics?
- personality.
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