Tag: cityverse

Out of a degree of curiosity I decided to take most of my OCs and put together a sort of “relationship” map for Cityverse.

Each connecting line indicates that a character is important to another character be they friends, enemies, or just very pervasive acquaintances.

Characters on the far left are ones I couldn’t think of any connections to my existing OCs (though, most of them have connections to other peoples OCs)

The top number of connections turned out to be 6, a feat shared by Tabor and Amber

Tabor’s connections are varied. Blake and Flannery are co-workers (in the case of Blake, also a good friend). Sherwood lives in the same apartment complex (and Tabor has helped a drunk Sherwood make it home more than once). Kiki is Tabor’s far too involved landlady. And Marian and Tabor were delinquent friends when they were younger.

In Amber’s case things are more singular. Jade and Archie are spirits, beings limited in who can even see them. Nadia and Lupen can also see spirits and are a part of Amber’s “I can see ghosts and I’m not sure what to do about it” club. Death and Amber have something of a rivalry, seeing as Amber is about a step away from being a full fledged necromancer. Chris is an angel in Death’s employ, but also manages to be friends with Amber.

Basically: if you are dead or can see dead things you probably know Amber.

The Viridian Course – Part 1

And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain

Everything had been a blur. Screams and shouts and moving figures. A light as impossibly bright as she had ever seen. A darkness as deep as shadows that hide in the void. She remembered the sting of tears in her eyes. She remembered the sting of something else, a sharp pain and a heavy warmth. She remembered the dull ache of her heard and the feeling of the pit in her stomach. Everything blurred all together at once. It mixed and mingled with echoed space and memories of a past she had long forgotten. How had she managed to forget so much?

It was a gentle hand on her shoulder, the warmth of a hand in her own that pulled her back to reality.

My friend, I’ll say it clear
I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain

Sarah’s eyes came into focus on another woman, maybe around her age. An old burn scar covered maybe half of her dark face, but she wore a gentle smile regardless. Sarah blinked a few times. The world around them was grey and featureless.

“Oh, good, you’re okay,” said the mystery woman. She helped Sarah to stand up and then tucked a strand of curly hair behind her ear. Sarah looked down at herself; okay didn’t sound like it was quite the right word. She didn’t notice anything out of place, however.

“Yeah, hi,” Sarah managed. She kept looking around, trying to get a better sense for where they are. She was trying to get a better sense of what had led her here. “Sorry, where are we?”

The woman lost her smile. “Give it a minute,” she said.

When she let go of Sarah the echoes came back; and everything fell into place.

I’ve lived a life that’s full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Her memories felt jumbled; a combination of separate timelines converging on a singular moment. In one, there had been an emergency. She was trapped with another. Something happened. She put herself in the way of tragedy. In another, she was a warrior in an armored dress. She stood, spear in hand, in the dark dank of the underground. Before her was an inky darkness that swallowed what little light she had brought with. Behind her was a frightened girl. She told the girl to run. Each memory faded into grey, and the world around her came back into focus.

“I take it I’ve met an ending,” Sarah said quietly.

The woman nodded and offered an,  “I’m sorry.”

Sarah shook her head. “It’s inescapable. I’ll be fine. But,” she took a look around the endless grey expanse, “where am I?”

“Oh,” said the woman. “I’m sorry, I’ve been working on getting you out of here.”
Sarah smirked. “That would mean more if I knew where here is.”

“Do you remember Melissa?” asked the woman.

Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again, too few to mention

Sarah and Melissa had met in Sunday School. The younger girl was small and shy. She had lost her parents in a fire. Melissa had never much cared to speak with anyone. She kept to herself, hidden away in quiet corners with a small box of crayons. The only thing, Sarah noticed, that seemed to get her attention was the mention of angels. That’s what Sarah used to get to know her better. She’d bring pictures of angels based on the little information that the bible presented. She’d talk, at length, about what she knew from her time spent in the church. It took some time, but eventually Melissa opened up. The two were inseparable after that.

Melissa was a shadow at Sarah’s heels; never far behind when the two were in the same place. Years passed and the two grew up together like sisters long lost to time. By the time the accident rolled around, they both knew it was something else, but neither was bold enough to say anything.

“That’s right, the accident!” Sarah exclaimed. She looked at her reaper with some desperation. A pulse rang through the grey expanse. “Melissa, she was…is she?” Sarah couldn’t find words but she could feel the familiar hot sting of tears on her cheeks. She was already so prepared for the worst. She could meet her own end, but the whole point of what she did would be lost if anything had happened to-

“She’s fine,” said the woman. She laid a gentle hand on Sarah’s shoulder.

In the Wake of Disaster

“I’m not so sure about this,” Havok whispered as his sister opened their mother’s bedroom door and took a silent, barefoot step on the soft carpet. Bedlam either did not hear him, or did not care as she kept walking.

Havok found his focus drift to the sight of the dust dancing in the sunlight that shone through the parts in the curtains. He shook his head when he heard the sound of a drawer being opened.
“Bedlam!” he whispered, dashing over to her.

She was digging around piles of folded clothes.

“Do you want to help her or not?” Bedlam asked. She stood on her tip toes, analyzing the room around her while her hand dug around the drawer. Bump. Her hand hit something hard and smooth. She grabbed at it; exactly what she was looking for.

She pulled the journal from the drawer and closed it once more.

Havok bit his bottom lip and jumped at a noise elsewhere in the house. The pair froze, staring intently at the doorway, waiting for any sign they were about to be found out. Nothing happened. Bedlam took her brother’s hand with her empty one and led him back, away from the doorway, to the walk in closet.
“Come on,” she said. She gestured at the door. Havok nodded, albeit nervously, then opened the door and turned on the light.

Bedlam made them a seat underneath a row of short dresses, then retrieved her hand and began to page through the book.

Havok wiggled in his seat. “I don’t think this is fair to Mama,” he said. “To go through her things, I mean.”
“She won’t talk to us,” Bedlam reasoned, “and you can see it written all over her face.”

She stopped on a page. Her eyes flicked back and forth as she read. Havok leaned over her shoulder and tried to follow along.
“Oh….” he said; a small and sad sound.

Bedlam nodded.

They sat in a long silence before Havok stood up and said, “I might have an idea.”

“What?” Marian asked incredulously.
“Please!” Havok begged. “Just two hours!”
Bedlam chimed in, “yes, please Mom?”

Marian bit her lip and crossed her arms. “Two hours?”

“Please?” the pair chimed in unison. Marian sighed and nodded.

Each of the twins grabbed a hand and pulled Marian to the living room couch. Bedlam snatched up the remote and put on Netflix.
“My Little Pony?” Marian was more confused than anything else.
Havok nodded. “You have to watch the beginning, or you won’t get it,” he explained.
“But it’s the last episode you need to pay attention to,” Bedlam clarified. The video loaded up and Marian was treated to a narration over pictures of brightly colored ponies.
“Alright.”

“I created the Tantabus to give myself the same nightmare every night, to punish myself for the evil I caused as Nightmare moon!” came Luna’s voice over the TV. Havok looked over at his sister. They could see the expression in each other’s faces: the moment of truth.

“To make sure I never forgave myself for how Equestria suffered because of me.”

The pair looked at their mother. Marian was good at many things, but hiding her emotions had never been one of them. Her cheekbones and nose had turned pink. Havok was sure he could see the tears welling in her eyes. As the ponies kept on with their speeches, Havok leaned in against Marian. Bedlam followed suit on her other side.

“We all trust you Luna, do you trust us enough to believe we’re right?”

Marian put an arm around each of her kids and Havok looked up in time to watch a tear roll down her cheek.

The episode rolled credits and Bedlam paused the stream. The three of them sat on the couch, wrapped in a warm embrace. Marian let herself cry.
“I’m sorry,” she managed to whisper.
“It’s okay,” Havok replied. Bedlam nodded.

It had been a long time since Marian had believed those two words.

Hey Nova, you should tell me about what some of your OCs do for Valentine’s Day (SO or not)!

Okay!

Marian actually stresses really hard about Valentines day. The house is full of roses and candy. The kids love it. Her loves make her dinner and they have a lovely family night celebrating how much they all care about each other; romantically or otherwise.

Red Sand Angel takes Harmony to the Aquarium where they spend all day hanging out. Sandy sketches crabs while Harmony talks to all the sea creatures who can hear her beyond the glass. Everything goes well until she attempts to help the Octopus escape.

Doyle sits at home and plays music on an old record player. He has a glass of milk and pulls out a picture of his deceased wife. He contemplates going back in time, just to see her, but knows it’s foolhardy. The day is one of soft contemplation to soft music; a reflection of time and love and spirit.

Dulcie is busy with her family in the kitchen; Valentines is a popular time of year for them. She bakes cookies in the stone oven special; shaped like hearts. Her sisters ice them with steady hands and each bag of cookies has one. She takes a batch to school, iced with classmates names. 

Phineas brings Hope flowers from his private gardens and the two hang out. Everyone assumes its romantic, but really they spend their time talking about how Phineas has a huge crush on Crash and can’t bring himself to tell her. Hope helps him keep calm and reminds him that since they’re already friends, he shouldn’t have to worry so much. He never gets closer to admitting his feelings, but he appreciates the time he spends with Hope.

Jacqueline plans elaborate dinner dates with candles and music and atmosphere, but also refuses to be the one to set up the date (she’s the sort who should be swept off her feet, don’t you know). She leaves little notes all around to hint at what she wants. Of course, she also goes all out for Cayden; putting together a bundle of all his favorite things in an elegantly decorated gift basket.

Alice (the robot) spends her time in heavily trafficked date areas to observe couples. She takes down data and compiles advanced analysis of couples throughout the city for her databanks. She practices holding hands with herself and keeps pestering her friends to talk about their relationships for weeks afterwards.

IDK how Prism got a holy weapon but the storyline where she does and then proceeds to hunt down every vampire and demon in Cityverse is just full of demons and vampires being absolutely terrified of a girl who looks like a hippie and is inexplicably amazing with guns.

What’s sad is that most of my characters this affects aren’t even terrible people. They just want to live their lives in peace and the city offers them that.

Drastic Measures

“Where’d you get your hands on something like that?” asked the Captain, peering over Amber’s shoulder at the breakfast table.
She took a sip of her coffee and turned the page. She answered, “…library.”
She could feel his look of disbelief. “I don’t think so, lass,” he said.
She paused, deliberately, for a long time. She didn’t have a good answer. There were no good answers. “….I found it,” she finally responded.

The Captain set a skeletal hand on one of the book’s yellowed pages; the off-white bones obstructed Amber’s view of the drawing beneath. He tapped the mandala beneath his middle finger and the ghostly visage of muscle and blood and skin wrapped around his hand for no more than a few seconds. Amber swallowed hard, though her impassive expression did not change.
“These be dark things, Lass.” The Captain’s voice was low and quiet.

“It is not yet against the law to read,” Amber said. She kept her eyes on the book and away from her friend. It did not help, their connection a constant reminder of his concern.
“Aye, but it ain’t against the law to search bomb making on that fancy internet machine either. Doesn’t mean it ain’t dangerous all the same.”
She looked up at him. Her shoulders sunk just slightly.
“You won’t be able to help anyone from prison, lass.”

Amber slowly mover her hands to grab at her arms; a small self hug. The Captain closed the book. Amber could swear she saw it pulse. The room filled with whispers that she couldn’t make sense of; too many voiced layered one over the other. She tightened the grip on her arms and closed her eyes. She felt the Captain’s hand on the back of her head, and the world quieted just a little.

“Amber,” he said. The whispers stopped completely. The noises of the world came back. The cat knocked something off a shelf in another room. The fridge was humming in the kitchen. A car drove by outside. She felt a tear drip down her cheek. She felt a hundred thoughts race through her head.

She felt the gentle sound of a wave crashing against the shore.

Amber opened her eyes and turned to look at the Captain.
“The protesters are getting arrested,” she said. It wasn’t an argument to let her continue. It wasn’t a plea to offer something more. It was her expression of hopelessness that the world had dropped upon her. “People are dying.”
“Aye,” the Captain replied. “So what are you gonna do?”

Amber looked down at the book again. She leaned back and pushed the chair out from under the table. She stood up and adjusted her socks over her prosthesis.
“She wants me to be safe…but I cannot sit here in silence.”
The Captain put his hands on her shoulders. She felt the weight of him like armor, even as he stood behind her.

“You’ll be safe, Lass. Let’s get out there.”

Tybalt is almost as old as my first ever OC (Kiki) and was originally introduced as a minor antagonist who turns into an ally. He was a cat-demon prince who had been engaged to Kiki when they were kids, which worked out for both of them at the time as they were good friends. When her kingdom was destroyed he was sure she had survived somehow and spent what time he could attempting to track her down, but he was still very young and never ended up finding her; that is until she shows up years upon years upon years later as an adult with her new friends/boyfriend.

Tybalt is overjoyed that she’s still alive and is cordial to her and her friends until she shows reluctance at following through with their engagement. He sours at that point and threatens her new boyfriend if she doesn’t go along with things. It gets very messy and the wedding almost takes place EXCEPT Kiki’s father (assumed to have been dead) stops the wedding on the grounds that his daughter deserves to make her own decisions. Tybalt, showing some respect for the man (despite the fact that he’s human), reluctantly calls the wedding off and sends Kiki and her friends away.

He then learns of this magical artifact they’re chasing down that can grant great power/wishes/etc to whosoever holds it. He catches up to the party, figuring if he tags along and helps out, he can prove he’s better than Kiki’s current beau and win her back. She’s grateful for his assistance, but ultimately more annoyed with him over anything else.

Fortunately for everyone involved, they encounter a rabbit girl on their journey’s who falls head over heels for Tybalt, and the two work themselves into a rather cute relationship, allowing Tybalt to accept that Kiki doesn’t harbor romantic feelings for him (and admit he was being an ass).

Since, like Kiki, his story was technically complete before Cityverse existed as a real space, he takes up the role of a major background character. He owns and operates one of the bigger companies in the City (and is frequently seen with politicians and celebrities). He’s a bit callous and arrogant, and his heart is still tied in some way to Kiki, but he’s mostly harmless.

Old Friends

Cool weather meant warm food, and that was reason enough for Dulcie to get excited. Combine that with the whole costume thing and October became a true delight. She had been mixing pie filling when the bell to the bakery rang. Her sister, Tori, set up the pie crust she had just finished and headed, floured hands and all, out to the service area.

It was only a moment before Dulcie heard her name.

She leaned the spoon against the edge of the bowl and snuck a finger full of her work. The warm harmonies of cinnamon and pumpkin made her smile. She skipped out to the service area.
“You called?” she asked. Her sister gestured to their customers; a young girl and her mother. The girl waved at Dulcie, a small smile on her face.

“Pip!” Dulcie cheered. She ran out from behind the counter and enveloped her friend in a hug.
Pip hugged her back and laughed. “You’re so warm!”
When Dulcie finally let go she was bouncing on her toes. “You’re back!”
Pip nodded, “I don’t need to see the doctors so much anymore. They said so.”
“Are you coming back to school?”
Pip shook her head. “Auntie won’t let me.”

The woman cleared her throat.

“That’s not true,” she clarified, “you just can’t go to school right away.”

Pip frowned. Dulcie looked between the two of them. The tension made her anxious and she could smell the warmth of her clothes. She tried her best to breathe. She could talk about something else, like her mom told her.
“What about….Halloween?” Dulcie asked. “Can you Trick-Or-Treat? Oh! Can you stay and carve pumpkins with me? Oh! Do you want to have matching costumes and run around with me?”

“Dulcie,” Tori said from behind the counter. Tori looked back at Pip and her Aunt. “I’m sorry. She’s very excited.”

“Auntie, please? Can I play with Dulcie this Halloween?” Pip asked, grabbing at her Aunt’s dress. Her Aunt placed a gentle hand on the young girl’s head.
“…We’ll see.”

“Woohoo!” Dulcie cheered. She jumped up and down. “We can both be witches and we’re gonna get lots of candy!!!” She turned to her sister, still beaming. Fire played at her fingertips. “Tori, can we go home and carve pumpkins now?”

Tori looked at Pip’s Aunt. She looked down at her niece. Pip looked back with a hopeful gaze. Her aunt sighed and nodded at Tori.
“And an Apple pie, please,” she said.

“I’ll call Dad then,” Tori resigned.

The Trip

Amber smoothed out her dress in the mirror and teased at her side-pony to separate the curls. She blinked a few times, turning to check that she looked alright. She pulled at a loose stocking and checked the joints of her leg; everything seemed to be alright.

She turned around and faced the room full of freshly bought camping gear.

“I’m not sure how you plan on packing all this, lass,” remarked Captain bones from the doorway.
Amber studied the bags for a moment before looking back at him. “…It will be fine,” she assured him. He didn’t have eyes to roll, but she could recognize the feeling in their connection. “….you may help if you like.”

You will help me pack if you’re going to make such a big deal out of it.

The nice thing about a soul-bound connection was the deeper sense of understanding. The Captain came in and started sifting through bags. Amber brought out the bags she bought to transport it all.
“How long do you two think you’ll be gone?” Captain Bones asked as he examined a rolled up sleeping bag.
“….I have decided a week might be too long. An extended weekend would be best.” Amber shoved a bulk container of salt into her travel bag. “The camp grounds have alerted me if I wish to extend our reservation I may; it is not a busy time.”

“I’m surprised you decided against the cruise,” said the Captain.

Amber looked at him and blinked. She felt him smile in jest.
“Whaaaat?” he asked.
“I did not want to frighten her. This is supposed to be a fun vacation.”
He nodded. “Aye, and I bet it will be.” He slid his fully packed bag across the floor to her. “And don’t you worry, I’ll keep the fort while you’re out.”

“Do not invite anyone over.”

The Captain sighed.

Amber zipped up the other bag and leaned the pair against the wall. “She’ll be home soon,” she said. She crossed the room and put a gentle hand on the Captain’s arm. “…Would you help me get dinner ready?”

“Aye lass. I’ll get the food out, you start the grill.”