NaNoWriMo
All right, I'm going for it. I actually have a story I'm excited to start writing, that I don't think I'll have a problem getting to 50,000 words, and that will be fun to write.
The story is based on two DB characters a friend and I have, Kesiru and Dryda. Kesiru is the Air aspected youngest son of the Empress and is determined to start a new Dynastic house. He has studied at the Heptagram, though is not directly a sorcerer. In truth he's a manipulative little bastard of a socialite who enjoys using the fact that the entire island knows the only thing he's really missing to start a house is a wife. He's used to both attempts to get him married, as well as attempts to off him. He keeps the marriage offers suspended with maybes and seems to be playing to the highest bidder. The truth is, of course, that he isn't actually interested in any of the girls. They're all lovely, in their own ways, but just...not right. Kesiru also never really agreed with the whole Immaculate teachings and finds it hard to believe that the Anathema are really all that bad. He has never left the Realm in his entire life, not seeing much a reason to yet, and lacks a certain compassion for his fellow man, it's hard to , after all, when you never when the next assassination attempt will happen.
Dryda, on the other hand, is the youngest daughter of the Ledaal Catala family and was raised most of her life in the family's air manse on the Threshold. She is a strange disappointment to the family since, although she's bright, her family is upset that there are basic concepts her parents and siblings grasped that she didn't without a serious struggle. Dryda's not stupid, she's just not a genius, and in the Ledaal family, not being a genius is a bad sign. Dryda was, however, gifted with a gorgeous apperance and when she was chosen by the Dragon of Wood, she was given a very strict regiment of training as a performer and a theif. Now she serves her family by working as an academics theif. If one of her siblings needs a text that someone else has, Dryda is sent out to get it. She's a very bubbly person who hides her real intelligence behind a mask of ditzyiness. Her training was so specialized, however, it's hard to tell where she's faking and where she isn't. Having been raised on the Threshold and in a family who realizes the dangers of the Deathlords, she too does not hold the Immaculate teachings with any real regard. They make nice stories, but that's it.
Dryda and Kesiru meet at a party, Dryda needs a cover before Mnemon finds out that one of her artifacts is missing, and Kesiru is looking for any excuse to leave his sister's (niece's? I forget which Mnemon is) party ASAP. Niether really thing that anything will happen beyond that first time. Kesiru is too oblivious to realize that Dryda's bubbly ditziness my be a farce, and Dryda doesn't know who he is. They part ways amicably after that first time. However, circumstances keep putting them together and they continue to explore their feelings. kesiru eventually figures out that Dryda is faking, and that she really is a bright little cookie, and encourages to not hide it anymore. She, in turn, teaches him that a little trust goes a long away and that if you want people to do things for you, it's always better to be nice to them. After contacting Dryda's father and working out a contract, it's agreed that Dryda will be Kesiru's bride and the main one in charge of seeing to the start of his House. It's one of the few relationships in the Realm that does not involve extra parties, Dryda and Kesiru are devoted to each other. The House appears to be interested in merely holding important patents, making money on city improvements, harvests, real estate, etc. but the reality is that the hose funds Anathema secretly. Should a solar or lunar be seeking weapons, supplies, or even information, House Kesiru provides it, for a fee of course. With the Empress gone, of course, part of the reason for doing this is the hopes that the Anathema will remember House Kesiru and see that they, at least, are spared the inevitable punishment for the Usurption.
The NaNoWriMo version:
I have enough fanfiction, I want to do something that can, on the surface at least, be seen as original. So, here's that version.
Set in a quasi-Tokugawa Japan setting, the story starts during the blooming season, a time when all the noble familes are gathering in the capital, Urawaza (Japanese for hidden techniques, it's usually used in refereance to video games) or the City of Secrets to pay their respects (and taxes) to the Emporer, not to mention show off how wealthy they are. The Emporer has kept himself in seclusion since the sudden death of his favorite concubine and it's a well known fact that this year, his son, Kesiru, will be in charge of the taxes and will be the one to kiss up to this year. His social agenda is absolutely swamped already. Though he's not the heir to the throne, Kesiru is widely agreed to be the more eligable son since he has shown more interest in setting up an economic powerhouse. There are even rumors that this blooming season he's going to be taking a bride. Anyone with an eligable daugher has brought her along in the hopes that she will catch his eye and become a princess. Failing that, there is always hope that a son of one of the top five families will be interested. Those hopeing to be a princess will be very disappointed, Kesiru's bride is almost chosen, and she comes from one of the top five families--it doesn't matter that Kesiru hates the family she is from. He is rarely seen in her presence if he can avoid it at all.
Dryda is an embaressment. She is the result of an affair her mother, the wife of one of the top five families, and as a result the head of the house decreed that Dryda could not exist in the family records unless she did something to prove that she is dedicated to the growth and prosperity of the Seiko family. Though she is trained in the ninja arts, she has yet to prove that to her father. She has five half siblings who disagree with their father's decision, but can't reverse it, who help her in secret. Her mother does not speak to her out of shame. Despite her rather lonely and painful life, she has retained her bubbly out look with most things and learned quickly that acting helpless was her best way of getting around problems she could not sneak out of. She has no asperations of a good marriage, though finding love is definatly not off her list of things to do at some point in her life.
THe two meet much the same way, Dryda needing cover for a theft, Kesiru out of boredum. Their first night together is passionate and surprising for both of them--though Kesiru's surprise comes in the morning when he finds out that Dryda had been a virgin. Since Dryda can't use the Seiko name, however, Kesiru is not too concerned with anyone pressureing him with this fact to marry. Still, as a gesuter of good will, he invites Dryda to stay with him at his mansion, unofficially making her is concubine for the season. Dryda accepts, though with Kesiru's schedule she finds that her days are largely open, and often the only thing he needs from her at night, with a few exceptions, is someone to massage and caress away the stress and occassionaly act as hostess for his late evening gatherings. This leaves her free to continue her work as a theif for her knowledge hungry family. Even with this, however, they start falling for each other. Because he doesn't know she's a Seiko, Kesiru doesn't consider her as bride, but is debating on making her a permanant fixture in his home.
Until she gets caught in one of her attempts to steal. Admitting she is his could be dangerous for both of them, Kesiru will have to deal with his semi-fiance's wrath, the lose of social standing by admitting that he is associated with a thief, and the percieved guilt that he was the one that sent her after the item. Although it pains him to do so, he decides to let Dryda face this alone. He is plagued by nightmares of her torture and hearing her pleading him for help. He gets visably ill whenever her case is brought up. Still, it's not until Dryda's eldest brother pleads with him to help, and that doing so will be very worth his while, that Kesiru takes the steps necessary to get Dryda out of prison. Her brother tells him that Dryda is a Seiko, despite the circumstances of her birth, and Kesiru and her brother make a deal agree able to all parties. When Dryda is released, she discovers that she is engaged to Kesiru (which will be announced once she is healed) which means Dryda wil be recognized by the Seiko family again, and that Kesiru will have a bride he loves, cherishes, and who is even more profitable than the first choice.
Thoughts? I'm not sure how the whole semi-fiance will really work, as a big feature, or just an annoyance...and if I need more words, I'm trying to think of how I can tie a replacement for the whole "supports the anathema thing", and of course there are always family rivalries to deal with.
The story is based on two DB characters a friend and I have, Kesiru and Dryda. Kesiru is the Air aspected youngest son of the Empress and is determined to start a new Dynastic house. He has studied at the Heptagram, though is not directly a sorcerer. In truth he's a manipulative little bastard of a socialite who enjoys using the fact that the entire island knows the only thing he's really missing to start a house is a wife. He's used to both attempts to get him married, as well as attempts to off him. He keeps the marriage offers suspended with maybes and seems to be playing to the highest bidder. The truth is, of course, that he isn't actually interested in any of the girls. They're all lovely, in their own ways, but just...not right. Kesiru also never really agreed with the whole Immaculate teachings and finds it hard to believe that the Anathema are really all that bad. He has never left the Realm in his entire life, not seeing much a reason to yet, and lacks a certain compassion for his fellow man, it's hard to , after all, when you never when the next assassination attempt will happen.
Dryda, on the other hand, is the youngest daughter of the Ledaal Catala family and was raised most of her life in the family's air manse on the Threshold. She is a strange disappointment to the family since, although she's bright, her family is upset that there are basic concepts her parents and siblings grasped that she didn't without a serious struggle. Dryda's not stupid, she's just not a genius, and in the Ledaal family, not being a genius is a bad sign. Dryda was, however, gifted with a gorgeous apperance and when she was chosen by the Dragon of Wood, she was given a very strict regiment of training as a performer and a theif. Now she serves her family by working as an academics theif. If one of her siblings needs a text that someone else has, Dryda is sent out to get it. She's a very bubbly person who hides her real intelligence behind a mask of ditzyiness. Her training was so specialized, however, it's hard to tell where she's faking and where she isn't. Having been raised on the Threshold and in a family who realizes the dangers of the Deathlords, she too does not hold the Immaculate teachings with any real regard. They make nice stories, but that's it.
Dryda and Kesiru meet at a party, Dryda needs a cover before Mnemon finds out that one of her artifacts is missing, and Kesiru is looking for any excuse to leave his sister's (niece's? I forget which Mnemon is) party ASAP. Niether really thing that anything will happen beyond that first time. Kesiru is too oblivious to realize that Dryda's bubbly ditziness my be a farce, and Dryda doesn't know who he is. They part ways amicably after that first time. However, circumstances keep putting them together and they continue to explore their feelings. kesiru eventually figures out that Dryda is faking, and that she really is a bright little cookie, and encourages to not hide it anymore. She, in turn, teaches him that a little trust goes a long away and that if you want people to do things for you, it's always better to be nice to them. After contacting Dryda's father and working out a contract, it's agreed that Dryda will be Kesiru's bride and the main one in charge of seeing to the start of his House. It's one of the few relationships in the Realm that does not involve extra parties, Dryda and Kesiru are devoted to each other. The House appears to be interested in merely holding important patents, making money on city improvements, harvests, real estate, etc. but the reality is that the hose funds Anathema secretly. Should a solar or lunar be seeking weapons, supplies, or even information, House Kesiru provides it, for a fee of course. With the Empress gone, of course, part of the reason for doing this is the hopes that the Anathema will remember House Kesiru and see that they, at least, are spared the inevitable punishment for the Usurption.
The NaNoWriMo version:
I have enough fanfiction, I want to do something that can, on the surface at least, be seen as original. So, here's that version.
Set in a quasi-Tokugawa Japan setting, the story starts during the blooming season, a time when all the noble familes are gathering in the capital, Urawaza (Japanese for hidden techniques, it's usually used in refereance to video games) or the City of Secrets to pay their respects (and taxes) to the Emporer, not to mention show off how wealthy they are. The Emporer has kept himself in seclusion since the sudden death of his favorite concubine and it's a well known fact that this year, his son, Kesiru, will be in charge of the taxes and will be the one to kiss up to this year. His social agenda is absolutely swamped already. Though he's not the heir to the throne, Kesiru is widely agreed to be the more eligable son since he has shown more interest in setting up an economic powerhouse. There are even rumors that this blooming season he's going to be taking a bride. Anyone with an eligable daugher has brought her along in the hopes that she will catch his eye and become a princess. Failing that, there is always hope that a son of one of the top five families will be interested. Those hopeing to be a princess will be very disappointed, Kesiru's bride is almost chosen, and she comes from one of the top five families--it doesn't matter that Kesiru hates the family she is from. He is rarely seen in her presence if he can avoid it at all.
Dryda is an embaressment. She is the result of an affair her mother, the wife of one of the top five families, and as a result the head of the house decreed that Dryda could not exist in the family records unless she did something to prove that she is dedicated to the growth and prosperity of the Seiko family. Though she is trained in the ninja arts, she has yet to prove that to her father. She has five half siblings who disagree with their father's decision, but can't reverse it, who help her in secret. Her mother does not speak to her out of shame. Despite her rather lonely and painful life, she has retained her bubbly out look with most things and learned quickly that acting helpless was her best way of getting around problems she could not sneak out of. She has no asperations of a good marriage, though finding love is definatly not off her list of things to do at some point in her life.
THe two meet much the same way, Dryda needing cover for a theft, Kesiru out of boredum. Their first night together is passionate and surprising for both of them--though Kesiru's surprise comes in the morning when he finds out that Dryda had been a virgin. Since Dryda can't use the Seiko name, however, Kesiru is not too concerned with anyone pressureing him with this fact to marry. Still, as a gesuter of good will, he invites Dryda to stay with him at his mansion, unofficially making her is concubine for the season. Dryda accepts, though with Kesiru's schedule she finds that her days are largely open, and often the only thing he needs from her at night, with a few exceptions, is someone to massage and caress away the stress and occassionaly act as hostess for his late evening gatherings. This leaves her free to continue her work as a theif for her knowledge hungry family. Even with this, however, they start falling for each other. Because he doesn't know she's a Seiko, Kesiru doesn't consider her as bride, but is debating on making her a permanant fixture in his home.
Until she gets caught in one of her attempts to steal. Admitting she is his could be dangerous for both of them, Kesiru will have to deal with his semi-fiance's wrath, the lose of social standing by admitting that he is associated with a thief, and the percieved guilt that he was the one that sent her after the item. Although it pains him to do so, he decides to let Dryda face this alone. He is plagued by nightmares of her torture and hearing her pleading him for help. He gets visably ill whenever her case is brought up. Still, it's not until Dryda's eldest brother pleads with him to help, and that doing so will be very worth his while, that Kesiru takes the steps necessary to get Dryda out of prison. Her brother tells him that Dryda is a Seiko, despite the circumstances of her birth, and Kesiru and her brother make a deal agree able to all parties. When Dryda is released, she discovers that she is engaged to Kesiru (which will be announced once she is healed) which means Dryda wil be recognized by the Seiko family again, and that Kesiru will have a bride he loves, cherishes, and who is even more profitable than the first choice.
Thoughts? I'm not sure how the whole semi-fiance will really work, as a big feature, or just an annoyance...and if I need more words, I'm trying to think of how I can tie a replacement for the whole "supports the anathema thing", and of course there are always family rivalries to deal with.