[Guest]

Username + ID#: werewolf 809645
Kalon Link: event myo (jelly)
Chosen Prompt: "Is there a political climate? What’s it like?"
Prompt Response:

Code: Select all

   The shopkeeper peered around the wall of his booth, taking note of the thin white tail slinking into an alleyway. He sat back and continued selling the bundles of fresh fruits to other desert residents, quickly exchanging cash for a bushel. The succulent fruits he sold were a hot spot for the market, as those living in the arid area weren’t usually offered the chance to eat anything with such a high water content. With such a good day at the market, he had fully forgotten about the suspicious figure sleuthing around the market stalls until they sped by, grabbing two of his most expensive bunches.

   Jelly had gotten used to this, now. Stake out a stall, grab your next meal, and run. He was lithe, and the whiplike tail with the barbed shine at the end was a useful tool for keeping angry salesmen and cops off of his trail. Speaking of, the grape salesman was hot on Jelly’s tail, snarling and shouting at him. Jelly swung a barrel out into the pathway with the barb of his tail and swung his whole chest to the right as hard as he could, sprinting down an alley. It was almost like a cartoon with how his legs just hopelessly skittered behind the powerful front paws pulling him down the alley.
   Jelly hopped up, climbing over dumpsters and scaling fire escapes until he sat on top of the decrepit brick building. His chest heaved, the desert sun beating down on him, keeping his already strained muscles too warm. He pricked his ears forward, then to his sides, and when he heard no approaching policemen or rightfully distraught shop owners, he dug into the meal he had worked oh so hard to acquire.

   He finished one of the two bags of fruit, putting the other’s handles into his jaws and slithering back down to the alley floor. He had to be careful now, slinking behind buildings and ducking into shadows to avoid being caught. The wily young kal had almost fully escaped the town when another kalon, probably no older than himself, ran directly into him.
   Jelly was the first to stand, jumping up on top of the spoils of his hunt, making it very clear he wasn’t willing to share. The younger just lazily shook the dust out of his fur - how could someone have such long fur in the middle of a desert? - and looked on apathetically.

   “Hey, step down. I’m not here for your grapes. I can just grab my own. I’m Lonnie.” The little black kal said. Jelly looked at him blankly, completely dumbfounded by the circumstances.
   “Uhh… okay. Why are you following me?” Jelly said, completely tactless and quite frankly a little bit stupidly. It was a question, but his tone was cold and accusatory.
   The teenager, apparently named Lonnie, scoffed. “Because you’re scrambling around in the market all alone. It’s essentially a death wish. I wanted to offer you to join our... little group.
   It’s no less theft, of course, we don’t have a dime between us. But you’ll be a little safer, and there’s a place to stay with fresh water. Cops won’t try to get at us there either.” He half smiled, half grimaced at his own words.
“Plus… you definitely need the extra support. The bright colors on black don’t really blend into the middle of a town built out of red bricks.”
   Jelly looked away from the kid in front of him. What the hell? He’s just trying to get his next meal sorted and some gangly fuzzy kit is trying to coerce him into some sort of gang or something.
“Um.” Ever the slick and smooth talker, there, Jelly. “What’s the catch..?” he finally choked out.
   “Well, you’ll have to help us get food together. So if you come back home with me, the grapes are for everyone. Luckily you won’t starve anyways. I think the only thing you’d really have to come to terms with is coexisting with Lucas.” Lonnie raised an eyebrow and looked expectantly at Jelly.
   “...Fine. I’ll at least check it out.”

   Jelly was quickly made fully aware of why cops weren’t an issue for these kals: he had to drag his poor, tired paws through probably twenty miles of desert with no tree cover or shade at all. Any water they passed was tainted by city smog or, the further out they went, the rotting remnants of birds and other such wildlife that couldn’t take the heat. It gave him the creeps, quite frankly, that he was being led into the heart of an inhospitable and barren land by some strange kid who TOLD HIM that he’d be meeting a group of other kals, hardened by the desert around them.
   It had been just long enough that Jelly thought he was going to die when the breeze picked up, revitalizing the downtrodden kalon enough to make it to the largest oasis that he’d ever seen.
   “Christ, I knew oases were supposed to feel like magic, but that doesn’t even look real,” Jelly remarked. Lonnie barked out a laugh and moved forwards.
   “Well, don’t get your hopes up - any magic in this place is stretched pretty thin. This is just where the river runs, so all the plants are here, y’know? Science, or whatever.
   You’re sweaty. Bathe in the basin, it’ll feel a lot better. I’ll take the grapes over to the camp, it’s just over the riverbank.” Lonnie pointed towards a less shifty part of the sands, where various foods stolen from the market were laying. The amount of food there could have made Jelly sob, but he kept himself composed long enough to acknowledge Lonnie’s words and ease himself into the water.

   The world they lived in may force them to steal, lie, cheat, or even fight others. However, When Jelly let the water rush over his back and pull the sand, dust, and debris out of his fur, he could almost forget why he was in this situation in the first place.


Token Worth: [1008 words - 10 tokens]
Previous Responses:
1

[Guest]

Username + ID#: werewolf 809645
Kalon Link: event myo (jelly)
Chosen Prompt: "What does this kal think the world will look like in 20+ years from now?"
Prompt Response:

Code: Select all

I’ve recently come to detest the idea that we must find beauty in the world we live in. I know you managed to get your foot in the door and find somewhere safer to settle, but I also know you aren’t blind to what’s happening around you.
You moved into the mountains, right? How long has it been since you last visited the desert towns? I envy the weather you have. I was brought into a group of these strange kalons, all about our age. They have some sort of camp built around a huge oasis, one with an icy river. I’ve followed the river for hours, and I haven’t yet found its source. They’re goddamned creepy, but there’s more food than I’ve seen in my entire life around here, so it’s not all that bad.
   
   Aishwarya, the kals I’ve come to live with are the weirdest possible creatures I’ve ever met. The leader is this gangly little kit named Lonnie, black and gray fur as long as his tail. He’s never overheating, somehow, despite living in the middle of the damn DESERT, and he’s always shadowed by these other two burly beasts. The lion is named Ashe, he’s very sweet despite being probably twice my size and built like a house. He helped me put my hair up when I couldn’t reach behind me, and it made the heat so much more tolerable. The other is Lyssa, and he’s… an interesting character. I only see him when he’s coming back from god knows where with a wicker basket full of fresh salmon to cook. They’re all related, I guess, and they’re the strangest family I’ve seen - weirder than yours.

   I’ve overheard what they talk about when the rest of the group is sleeping, and I think this coming fall they’re planning to try and recruit more kalons in situations like mine. At first I was almost mad, because the idea of bringing more starving teens into the group seems stupid.
   Aishwarya, I changed my mind. The way they were discussing it, it wasn’t for their own benefit. They wanted to help. Is that what happened to you? You met someone who helped? Did it feel like this?
   I’m beginning to wonder if there are truly kalons who aren’t greedy. I’m writing to you tonight by the light of the campfire we built and everyone is dead asleep. I don’t feel like I’m one cog in a machine right now, but like a family. They feel no obligation to one another besides the obligation inherent with community. Do you think that if we kept up the cycle of simply just giving for the sake of giving, someone could look at us the way we look at our new families?

   I’m not sure. I’m running out of space on my paper now. I’m not often a hopeful or wistful person, but I do believe that something could change in our lifetimes. I don’t think there is any beauty in the world we live in right now, but I think there’s a chance that there could be.


Token Worth: [515 words - 5 tokens]
Previous Responses:
1
2

[persona]

Username + ID#: persona + 590879
Kalon Link: Reuben
Chosen Prompt: Do they give second chances?
Prompt Response: Second chances are something Reuben gives out far too often. He's been told by many that he’s too forgiving and needs to grow a backbone, but Reuben sees nothing wrong with it as long as the person clearly takes the second chance.

Or, at least he says that. In reality, he’d give a third, and a fourth, and a fifth chance, even if they majorly messed up. He's given one too many people a third chance, and feels it’d be unfair to others if he limited them to no chance to change. He’s very aware of how flawed this thinking is. Will this come back to bite him in the butt? Absolutely. Will he change? Likely not.
Token Worth: 1 token [119 words]
Previous Responses: n/a

[lovage]

Username + ID#: lovage + 817593
Kalon Link: evelyn
Chosen Prompt: Is there a political climate? What’s it like?
Prompt Response:

to be honest, she’s at the center of it all. being the rulers’ right hand man, their executioner, and the highest judge in the land has certainly exposed it all the political climates that her land has. and, it been useful for her to influence the political climate. living in a land that is a total monarchy with dukedoms ruled by the current queen’s twins with in it has certainly has its wonders for evelyn.

the political climate is very weird for her land. there isn’t too much that one can do to sway it without the use of power. it’s like playing chess for her as the rulers’ pawn. she is expected to follow everything that they need for it. that’s how everyone is supposed to be, but she feels it the worse. everyone is subjected to the whims of the rulers who swing their word around the political climate. they control everything and everyone no matter where the kalon ranks. it is terrible, but with a rank evelyn’s, she is finer than most of the citizens of her land. she has protection within the political climate and doesn’t need to fear the wrath of the rulers too much.

however, she does have a bit of sway within the political climate. she is of course the highest judge and the right hand man of the rulers. she does have a lot of power compared to what some of the nobility has, and evelyn does ensures she uses it wisely. for her, the political climate is about trying to sway the rulers to her will while protecting herself from what the rulers do, even though she feels their combined wraths the most.

the political climate is stressful for all even evelyn feels this stress. it is constant for everything and everyone as that is what you get with a ruler with an iron grip upon their throne. it’s mainly for their own defense against any outside threats to their family’s power, but evelyn knows it’s just panic from the raising threat of the rebellion against the whole nobility and mainly the current rulers. change wouldn’t be coming unless these rebels infiltrated the political climate like how she did via killing to keep the god of justice’s power to in exchange get to be the highest judge and right hand man. but, evelyn doesn’t see much change in regards to nobility’s political climate but within the commoners, they rebels have some chance at changing the political climate somewhat. but, without the ranks, it will never happen on a wide range throughout the land.

yet, the political climate isn’t easy for anyone but it is only easier with your rank. her powers have helped her this far with it, but it wouldn’t be easy with the constant stresses of the rulers. they have most of the control over the entire political climate, but with her ranking as one of the top nobles, she’ll have an easier time getting by compared to commoners. so, for her land’s political climate, one needs to learn how to fend for themself while leaving the others in the dust under a complete monarchy. yet, change may be coming to it if she or the rebels have any say in it.
Token Worth: 528 words - 5 tokens
Previous Responses:
one

Username + ID#: lovage + 817593
Kalon Link: evelyn
Chosen Prompt: What's their biggest regret?
Prompt Response:

evelyn doesn’t hold regrets too well in herself. this is probably the worst regret that she has to be drawn towards her new form of being the aspect of the god of justice.

the forest was still alive even as the glowing sun started to set more, giving way to the dark night sky. it would be a beautiful evening for a forest walk but the constant remind of her duty hung at her waist. a golden danger forged in the river styx and had the mortal form of kronos infused into it, or so they say. this blade has been known as the god fearer for its ability to kill any mortal form of the gods or to send them into a death like slumber if they were in their spirit form. only a few have every been crafted as the gold that was infused with kronos had only been produced by few and only few were ever fully functional of doing the purpose.

but, her mind was in a different place than her task at hand but the thing that she’ll be rewarded with. permanent power of the god of justice and a permanent place within her ruler’s court as a right hand man and the highest judge. there wouldn’t be anything for her within her current position if she finished off the aspect contract, so she has to go through with it. and even if she back out of it, the ruler would want her dead so there isn’t anything that she nor the god can do.

the meadow that they were set to finish off the contract was in view as she hesitantly stepped towards it. this is where she would fulfill her destiny according to her ruler but she has to do it before the contract ends. she will be the only mortal stepping out from that meadow with the ichor of the god of justice on the god fearer dagger. “i’m here,” evelyn called out and then the god appeared from out of the undergrowth.

“good, but we both know that a liar is among us. these eyes don’t lie about who’s a liar, evelyn,” they warned. the multiple eyes that echoed on her own form were glaring back at her. “i’m not too fond of where this is heading.”

“neither am i, but it must be done. i’ll be better off after all of this,” she growled. she stood her ground as the golden blade felt heavier at her waist. her guilt was getting to her but she had to stand strong for her own good.

“you’ll regret everything that you’ll do here tonight,” they warned. approaching evelyn, the being stared at her. “do you really want this?”

they sounded like her guilt echoing out into a mortal form before her. “i need this, so i can live comfortably without fearing those around me. you don’t know a single thing about life on earth and especially in this kingdom, and it sure does show,” evelyn cried out. she was at her wits’ end and needed for it be over.

“i know what your suffering is like here, but it’ll be worse when you take my power into a mortal form. you’ll go insane with it as the truths will be revealed to you whether you want it or not,” they warned. sighing, they knew what was coming and eyes the bladed at her waist. “you’ll to kill just to take some of my power.”

“it’s not even a death for you as you’ll just revive yourself in your spirit form,” evelyn countered. gods never die and never will, so they’ll be fine.

“trying to convince yourself that this isn’t bad, huh” he taunted her then gave into fate. “do it if you must, then you’ll know all the regret all mortals will know, eve.” drawing the blade out of its sheathe, she did exactly what she was supposed to do and the god of justice just smiled. “i warned you yet you still didn’t listen, you mortals are weird creatures. i’ll see you later then,” they said as their mortal form crumbed into dust. the only thing that was left of it was the little bit of ichor and dust upon the golden blade.

she did it, but it wasn’t over for her. she still had to take in the power, so she accepting it. the new power she felt was immense as it flood through its new host. but, it kept going and going until it felt uncomfortable beneath her skin. everything felt off as her eyes darted through the meadow. the god’s warnings about regrets echoed in her ears and mind as she panicked. this wasn’t what the ruler told her would happen and that was a lie. everything was a lie. she herself had lied to herself. her eyes were now open to lies presented before her and in her mind. this is what they warned her about.

“you did it,” the ruler’s voice echoed in her mind. “you killed a god and got its powers, good job.” it was mocking her then. she tossed the golden god fearer blade away from her as the ruler’s guard would just get it later when she returned to the palace. but, this death and killing will now forever hunt her down and haunt her memories with how it will affect her now.

she ran from the forest as she wanted to leave everything behind. it was now a place that will be soured for her in this beautiful evening with the night sky glimmering above her. the blade laid on the ground as she pelted from it. there will be a punishment for leaving it behind but nothing worse than what happened after killing the mortal form of a god then absorbing the leftover power.

and like the god said, this had become her biggest regret within her long mortal life. the power that flows through her now is a curse that constantly haunts her, only if she could go back and stop the contract all together. but even a god can’t reverse time, so why could she? for now and until her death, she’ll be haunted this regret as the power consumes her.
Token Worth: 1042 words - 10 tokens
Previous Responses:
one

[SunnyStreets]

Username + ID#: SunnyStreets + 823430
Kalon Link: Altan
Chosen Prompt: [ World Building ] 'What would their secret hideout look like?'
Prompt Response:
Altan has had many so-called ‘secret hideouts’, but none of them were quite how he would have imagined it. Admittedly, this may have been because his younger self had rather a romanticised view on having to hide or being on the run, and had definitely not expected to ever actually be evading the law. And even if he had theorised what it would be like, it was much more full of exciting chases and duels, and spy missions and close brushes with the enemy than this is. Because his secret hideouts now are brutish and unwelcoming, hurriedly located places to sleep or stay for a while. Hollows under bridges in attempts to escape the rain, only to wake up sodden through all the same, or ramshackle basement and sheds a pitying stranger offered him - only for the night, of course, because it’d be far too dangerous for them to harbour a fugitive.

Token Worth: 152 words - 1 token
Previous Responses: one two

[glittermintfurry]

Username + ID#:glittermintfurry [588497]
Kalon Link: BOO!
Chosen Prompt: What is their favorite meal to prepare?
Prompt Response:
Typically Thicket is not picky when it comes to food, however they do have a favorite meal to prepare with Rose. That being a sweet berry pie with a side of vanilla ice cream. Although this dessert is usually prepared alongside roasted beef or some other high quality meat it is the pie that is the most important to Thicket. This meal is so special to Thicket because it takes quite a bit of time to prepare. This preparation could be done alone, but it becomes much more enjoyable when done together.
Usually the berries are harvested in July, and can be preserved throughout the year. The berries needed are white bark raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. 2.5 cups of each berry are needed for this large pie. The first time Thicket and Rose harvested the berries together they got overzealous and gathered far more than needed. The pair were eating sweet-tart jam for weeks afterward!
After the berries are harvested it is time to begin making the pie crust. The ingredients needed are flour, butter, just a hint of salt, sugar, one egg, shortening, white vinegar, and cold water. The flour is the hardest to procure and usually has to be bought or traded for. The butter is churned by Thicket’s mother, a past-time that her and her friends rather enjoy. The salt is the easiest to obtain given that Thicket’s family lives near a lake and river system that leads directly to the ocean. The sugar, egg, shortening, and vinegar are usually traded for or bought from the market because Thicket’s family do not have the means to harvest or make such ingredients. The few times Rose has helped make this recipe, she has brought over the necessary ingredients.
Once the raw ingredients are acquired it is important that Thicket, and now Rose, prepare them properly. The berries are washed and then put in a bowl and frozen together. Similarly the butter is also chilled to make combining it into the pie crust much easier.
On to the actual cooking part of this recipe! Thicket puts the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl together. Then they will slowly mix in the shortening until it becomes coarse and crumbly. At the same time Rose combines the ice water, egg, and white vinegar. When both halves are thoroughly mixed together, Thicket and Rose combine their mixtures together slowly into a larger bowl. This forms the dough that the pie crust will be made out of. Thicket will then form the dough into a roll and refrigerate for one hour.
The time in between is usually spent helping the rest of the family with their recipes. When everyone is cooking together the kitchen is in an uproar of laughter and smells. The sound of meat sizzling on the stove, the smell of fresh herbs and spices wafting all around. The chattering and laughing of Thicket’s loved ones as they bustle about the kitchen. The younger kits are usually outside making some mud pies of their own, which will happily be eaten by the worms in the compost tub.
Once it is time, the dough is rolled out on a floured surface in a rectangle. Thicket will place two thirds of the dough carefully in the baking dish making sure to pat out the bottom and curve the dough up the sides of the container. Meanwhile, Rose combines the berries with sugar and flour. Once ready, Rose pours the mixture into the crust. Then Rose will use the remaining dough to make the lattice straps. In the past Thicket would do this, but they much prefer the delicate way that Rose makes them. The lattice straps are then placed over the filling and brushed with pastry cream.
The pie is then cooked for an hour and 15 minutes as the family eats dinner and has joyful conversations about their days. When it is time Rose excuses herself to go get the pie and set it out to cool. After a wait that feels far too long the pie is cooled and served with vanilla ice cream for everyone to enjoy. The way that the warm pie and fresh tart berries combine with the cool sweetness of the ice cream is unmistakable as being the wonderful taste of pure love. There are few meals as important to Thicket as this one.
Token Worth: 729 words
Previous Responses: Page 18

[persona]

Username + ID#: persona + 590879
Kalon Link: Reuben
Chosen Prompt: Are they a leader, a follower, or a loner?
Prompt Response: Reuben doesn’t seem like one to be a leader, but in times of great stress or otherwise high-pressure, he emerges at the top as someone who has a level head and can easily come up with plans. He isn’t aware of this and usually falls to the back of the pack to let someone more confident deal with being a leader. A loner he is not. Reuben loves his friends and family, and his life wouldn’t allow him to be a loner. To be honest, Reuben would hate to be a loner - being by yourself and not willing to trust anyone else must be incredibly, well, lonely.
Token Worth: 1 token [107 words]
Previous Responses: one

Username + ID#: persona + 590879
Kalon Link: Reuben
Chosen Prompt: They found a lost child crying, what do they do?
Prompt Response:

Code: Select all

The weather that day was not particularly good in any sense of the word. Dark, heavy clouds rolled in earlier that morning and hovered over the land, threatening to drop a torrential downpour of rain onto unsuspecting citizens the moment everyone let their guard up about it possibly raining.

He turned from the window to rummage through the oakwood closet in search of a cloak or jacket just in case. The way the trees rustled and the world tinted gray spoke of rain soon, and he didn’t want his clothes to get wet.

With his bag over one shoulder and his cloak securely buttoned up, Reuben grabbed his black umbrella and went outside. Stepping onto the gravel outside his door, he absentmindedly shivered. The wind was sharper than expected. Setting a brisk pace, Reuben walked from their house to downtown.

As their luck would have it, it started spitting half way through his walk. He sighed and opened his umbrella for it to immediately rain harder. He grimaced. Of course.

He was not prepared for what he’d be met with when he got to the downtown area.

A tiny child. A whole entire toddler standing on the sidewalk was crying it’s soul out, thick tears running down pudgy cheeks. Chubby hands feebly tried to wipe them away only to be replaced immediately by tears and rain.

Were people just.. ignoring this kid? What? Where were its parents?

Reuben looked around through the rainy haze in an attempt to get anyone else to deal with a child, but with the way the roads had been abandoned the moment it started downpouring, he doubted he’d find anyone. Ugh, fine, he’ll take responsibility for this kid.

“Hey, are you okay?” Reuben asked, crouching down and holding the umbrella over top of the kid.

The kid sniffled, looking heartbreakingly sad as they peered up at him with wide eyes.

“You okay?” He gently repeated. They shook their head, sending droplets everywhere. “Where’s your mom? Dad?”

Unfortunately, the toddler shrugged, glancing around at their wet surroundings. Unsure what to really do, Reuben elected to stand there to keep the kid from wandering off and keep them dry under his umbrella. He watched as not a soul graced the roads to come back for their accidentally-abandoned child, not even in the stores behind them. It must’ve been half an hour before the rain eased up and sunlight poked through the cracking clouds.

The kid sniffled once more, a tiny fist scrunched around one end of his jacket. He’d learned that the kid’s name was Gracey, and she was “a very serious four years old” who had been with her brother and friends when they got separated and she couldn’t find them again. She scuffed her damp shoes on the sidewalk, lightly kicking around a loose stone while Reuben kept an eye on their surroundings for any frenzied persons.

Whenever her brother, or parents, showed up, Reuben would be waiting because he was not, in fact, a horrible person who would leave a lost child alone.

Token Worth: 5 tokens [509 words]
Previous Responses: one

Username + ID#: persona + 590879
Kalon Link: Reuben
Chosen Prompt: Stairs, escalator, or elevator?
Prompt Response: Reuben is uncomfortable with anything but stairs. Call him old-fashioned.
Token Worth: 14 tokens [Fullbody + Color + Shading + BG]
Previous Responses: one

[SpiritWish]

Username + ID#: Sp1ritW1sh #799107
Kalon Link: x
Chosen Prompt: Your character’s favorite snack (or perhaps a comfort food?)
Prompt Response:

Token Worth:
Bustshot(? Please correct if wrong)- 3 Tokens
Pixel- 2 Tokens
Color- 3 Tokens
8 total tokens
Previous Responses:
Favorite Scent

[Edited to add Color Bonus]

[Foxghost]

All posts up to this point have been added to the bank!

[Domino Tricks]

Username + ID#: Domino Tricks 972572
Kalon Link: Astrophel
Chosen Prompt: Describe some of the flora/fauna that is unique to their world
(The flowers, I call them Star Flowers)
Prompt Response:

Token Worth: 14
(Fullbody-4, Shading-2, Color-3, Background-5)
Previous Responses: none