1681 England: Tragedy Strikes - 1687 Ireland: Or Does It?

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Tryout for these two kits

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Personality: Howell is defiant and independent, he is very headstrong and he is not one to give in. He is a fighter, through and through. He's not one to sugarcoat things, he says it how it is, and he doesn't care about the impression he leaves. He has very few morals, and he will fight for what he needs to survive, whether that be stealing, begging, or bartering. He is hardworking and he doesn't stop to complain. He's in it to get the job done, no more, no less. He cares for very few, and only then does he let up on his harsh outer shell. Deep down, Howell harbors a lot of fear. His childhood was less than perfect, and because of that he grew to be very on edge and observant. He's terrified of what may happen when he turns his back, and he doesn't let anybody new get to know him. Strangers terrify him, and he darts from one spot to the next, never stopping to converse. Many think of him as suspicious due to the way he acts, which is honestly pretty valid. Nobody trusts him enough to turn their back, for if they do, he as well as all their belongings will be gone in the blink of an eye.

History: Howell was born November 23rd, 1673, at 11:58 pm. His twin sister, Marianne, was born 11 minutes later. The two were completely inseparable, they played together in the backyard while their mother washed and hung the clothes to dry, they would eat every meal side by side. Wherever one went, the other was close by, and Howell liked it like that. He was clingy and needy, he never wanted to be alone, and he always needed somebody to talk to. By the time he was 2, he was the chattiest kid in town, and everybody knew not to talk to Howell unless you had a couple hours to spare. His sister, however, always seemed to listen to whatever it was he had to say, regardless of how long it took to get it out. He felt like his sister understood him, and he never wanted to leave her side. He started school when he was 5, and right away he knew he didn't fit in. Kids teased him for whatever they could find to laugh about, and he quickly learned to shut up before things got out of hand.

When he turned 7, his sister seemed to have found her place, while he was still lost. He sat through his classes, doing his work as he was told, and heading straight home where he could finally be himself again, chatting with his sister, mother, and father. Howell's family was very poor, they spent most of their money to keep the children clothed and fed, and some nights they could only afford to feed the two kits. His parents were the most generous kalons out there, and they had strong beliefs they hoped to pass on to their children, and everything was exactly as it should be.

Several months after he turned 8, in 1681, Howell was kidnapped from his room late in the night. Whoever took him kept him blindfolded, and he never did find out who it was. He spent weeks in the back of a buggy, the clopping of hooves and the jolting ride cluing him in. Finally, the buggy came to a halt where he was thrown out and left there. He didn't know where he was, when it was, or what he was going to do.

After 2 days of wandering aimlessly, he came across a small village, where he ran up the the first adult he could find. There he found out that he was in Ireland, three weeks from when he was taken. He wanted to lie down and fall apart right then, but he had no choice but to keep going.

He began stashing what scraps he could find, darting from alley to alley, and he started working odd, difficult jobs to make a little cash. What he couldn't beg for or buy himself, he'd steal. He grew to be very crafty and convincing. He went on like this until he turned 14.

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Personality: Marianne can be described in a lot of ways: determined, hardworking, selfless. She's strong and she will fight for what she feels is right. She has a strong moral compass, and she isn't afraid to speak out, even if her opinion is different or "unpopular." While she has such strong opinions and no fear in expressing them, she harbors a lot of fear in many other regards. She is very skittish, and it doesn't take much to scare her off. She's jumpy and fearful, and if you come up behind her, don't expect her to stay. She's really more of a follower, and while she doesn't have any problem following directions, she will speak out if she feels she's being treated unfairly. She struggles with separation anxiety, and she grows very attached to people, so more often than not she isolates herself to save everyone the heartache. She gets very lonely, and she's often daydreaming about when she was younger, before she lost her brother. She loves to sing, and she enjoys writing as well! She loves writing poetry, and sometimes she turns her poems into little songs she sings while she works. She loves wildlife, especially birds and rodents. She loves to feed the animals leftovers from her meals, and she likes to hold food out in her paws for the birds to eat out of. Marianne is the gentler of the siblings, who grew up more sheltered, and therefore her fear was fed. However skittish and gentle, she has no problem standing up, even if she's the only one.

History: Marianne was born on November 24th, 1673, at 12:09 am. Her twin brother, Howell, would never let her live down the 11 minute age difference that just happened to separate their birthdays by one day. She grew up quiet and calm, completely content just listening to her brother talk. She loved to sit and play in the backyard, and often she would pretend she could fly like the birds she'd always admired. She had no problem listening to Howell talk, and she always understood what he was trying to say. When they started school when they were 5, Marianne fit right in, while Howell was the outcast. She tried to include him, but slowly the friends she began to make pulled her away from him. She could tell Howell was changing, he was learning not to talk as much, and it made her sad to see him losing his spark, but she felt like she couldn't do anything.

By the time she was 7, she had found her friend group and had outgrown her overwhelming concern for her brother. He seemed content, and she took as much time as she could to talk to him - or at least listen. She and her friends loved to go explore around town, running from shop to shop, eyeing the candy on the top shelves with glimmering, pleading eyes.

Her family was poor. Very, very poor. Some nights, they could only afford to feed the children. Marianne looked up to her parents, she saw them as one step down from God himself. They had strong beliefs, and she wanted to follow in their footsteps.

When she was 8, she woke up one morning, a seemingly normal morning, to find it to be one of the most terrifying days of her life. Her brother was gone. It was a normal school morning, and instead of going to school, she spent all day with her parents searching the house, then the rest of the town, for any sign of him. He was gone.

After 3 days of searching, the family went from frantic searching to quiet, unbearable grief. He was gone, and they had no hope of ever finding him.

After 2 days of grieving, Marianne decided she needed to act. She packed up her stuff late at night, and took off. She couldn't bear to sit in misery any longer, and so she fled. She ran for 4 days, until the rich Reid family found her.

Afraid and shaken, they took her in as their own. They had no other children, as Mrs. Reid was unable to carry, so they treated her as their own, and she grew up rather spoiled from that point on. She got everything she wanted, right when she wanted. Despite the endless possibilities, Marianne never took advantage of her privileges. She did as she was told, she occasionally asked for this or that, and she mostly did her own thing. She felt lazy, she hated having everything handed to her on a silver platter, and she was bored. She despised life as a "spoiled brat."

When she was 14, the Reids took her on a family trip to Ireland. It was meant to be a short, week long trip... But it turned into so much more.

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1687: The wind blows gently, just enough to pester the vendors scattered about the harbor as they scramble to hold down tarps displaying their various goods. Bells ring, signifying that one person thinks their goods are superior to the others, while others simply yell from their perches inside their small booths. Little Marianne Douglass hops along beside her adoptive family, Mr. and Mrs. Reid, as they scan the booths for anything that may be of use. Growing bored of this seemingly wasted afternoon, Marianne finally decides it's okay to head off to find something better to do.

The cool breeze coming right off the water rustles Howell Douglass' hair, his bright, keen eyes searching for anything and everything that could be useful to him. Stray change? His now! Scraps of food from supper last night? Belongs to Mr. Douglass now! He darts from booth to booth, snatching what he can before slinking away unnoticed- that is, until he hears an alarmed cry minutes later. He continues about his business, caring little of what chaos may lay in his wake.

Caught up in his sneaking about, Howell completely misses the young kalon before him, and slams right into her. Dropping a few coins, he hurries to scoop them up and bury them deep in his pockets before looking to see who he'd encountered, and gauge whether he should start running.

The young girl before him is far less than threatening, and he scans her up and down before she finally speaks.

"Oh- I-I'm so sorry mister! I didn't s-see you there and I just... boom!" She makes a clapping motion with her hands, trying to portray their encounter. He blinks at her for a moment before making the split second decision: nice, or not? He settles on nice, and nods politely,

"No worries miss...?" He looks expectantly towards her, expecting a last name.

"Douglass!" She almost shouts, blushing at her accidental outburst.

"Douglass, you say?" He hesitates before smiling a little, "Why, that's my last name as well. How coincidental." He laughs a little. "I'm Howell." He extends a paw for her to shake.

"Howell? Howell Douglass?" She asks, her eyes growing round. She looks him up and down a couple times before stepping closer. "Howell... My name is Marianne. Marianne Douglass." She says softly, in a very surreal tone.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but you must be mista-" He stops as it sinks in. "Marianne." He mumbles, reaching out to take her paw. "M-Mary." He says, even quieter.

"That's me." She says gently, tears welling up in her eyes. "Howell... We thought you were dead!" She cries, finally giving in and taking him into a big, tight hug.

He hugs her back uncomfortably, then backing up a little. "It's been 6 years... 6 whole years." He says in awe. Oh, where had the time gone?

Two hours later, the two were seated beneath the pier, the water lapping at the sand and dampening their feet. They'd been talking the entire time, and had slowly begun to hatch a plan.

"So here's the plan," Howell starts, taking a stick and drawing in the sand. "I'll take that boat over there," he points in it's general direction, "and I'll sail out to the pier in the next town over, where your family is staying. You'll sneak out at night and meet me there. Then we'll take off. Bring as much with you as you can. Food, water, clothing. Everything you'll need. We're not coming back, and it may be some time before we stumble across a crew of pirates that won't kill us at first glance." He explains with a sense of authority. Marianne nods intently, eyes wide. If everything goes as planned, by the end of the year, they'll be captaining their own ship, commandeered from the previous captain. Assuming everything goes as planned.

What an eventful 2 hours.

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Success: Their escape plan was a success, and after 13 days of sailing, they finally stumbled across a ship. The youngsters begged for the captain to take them in, promising hard work. Grudgingly, he let them join his crew, and they fit right in. They spent 2 long months building trust, putting up with all of the trouble the tyrant of a captain gave them, and slowly they gathered the crew's support. 1 by 1, their loyalty shifted until the entire crew was on board with this new plan.

Together, they overthrew the captain, and in an attempt to make him walk the plank, they simply ended up throwing him overboard. The captain had sworn death upon them, had cried they'd be punished for their mutiny, but alas, the two took over the ship and captained side by side, alongside their loyal crew.

Now the crew sails from island to island, seeking treasure, occasionally stirring up trouble, and then moving on. After 6 years apart, the siblings could not be closer now, and everything is precisely how they want it to be.

In an odd, roundabout way, everything that happened to them... It was all for a reason. And now, reunited and happy, they're starting to see that, and truly believe it.

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