[loveanchor]

Traits
...?

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This has probably got to be the most fleshed out kalon you've ever seen, hasn't it? ...No? Well, it's about to be!

So here's the deal:
This kalon is looking for its identity. It doesn't know who or what it is, and can't remember what its life was like. So, it needs you to help it remember!

So... PYOS! Pick your own story! I want you to write up an idea, concept, story, poem, or some sort of character writing, and I will design this kal based on my interpretation of whatever writing inspires me the most. You may include other kalons you own in the writing as well. You are allowed to write anything you want within CS rules, but you are limited to describing 3 specific design details, such as a precise eye color, base color, significant marking, shine detail, hairstyle, or traits (up to uncommon), etc.

That said, you are COMPLETELY allowed to refer to things figuratively without limit, such as "her eyes gleamed like a sunbeam after a rainstorm," and you can explain other vague shape related features as well (like "long" or "short" or "smooth" or other vague details). I won't moderate this super heavily!

There is no word minimum, but you are limited to 2,500 words maximum, not that I expect many people to reach that limit. I will be basing this on what inspires me, not on word count, so if you only write something short--the length of a few words, even--that is still completely permitted.

Code: Select all

[b]Username + ID[/b]:
[b]Name[/b]:
[b]Prompt[/b]:

This comp will end on May 26th at 11:59 Eastern Time, but I can extend it if necessary.

[feverrr]

mark !

[sobble]

ooghh mark

[Rabbit]

Username + ID: Rabbit + 623629
Name: Selas
Prompt:
Staring at the vast night sky, Selas lost their gaze somewhere among the shining stars, as if challenging them to a staring match.

Lost in a blank stare, their mind wandered. They wondered what it was like to feel fulfilled, to have a purpose, to feel a drive. Their life always felt so meaningless, empty... as if they were just caught in the river of life -- but not in the carefree, laissez-faire way some people enjoy. Selas felt completely out of control, swept along by the turns and bends of life, to the point where they had just stopped fighting.

Each day was just another boring day. From sunrise to sunset, nothing changed. They traveled from town to town, hoping to find something to light that spark in their mind-- to feel that kiss of life that would motivate them to keep going -- but nothing yet quite done it yet.

They hoped that maybe someday, if they tried new things and traveled to new places, they'd find it. But they were beginning to lose hope. The people they spoke to would talk about their journeys, their lives, their careers and families — but Selas couldn’t quite relate. They had never had a happy family growing up, with a doting mother and protective father, or siblings to bicker and play with. No family members for holidays and events, no fun days out, no family spats or stressful dinners followed by warm reconciliation. Their family was cold, separated, and lifeless.

Selas recalled a time during their youth, sitting outside on the cold concrete porch while their parents argued inside. The walls muffled the yells of anger, turning them into a senseless background noise — one they had long grown used to. They just sat there, watching the stars, hoping it was quieter up there.

Days bled into weeks, weeks into months, and then into years. Nothing changed — nothing got better, nothing got worse. It was just the same. At first, Selas didn’t seem to mind the greyness of their life. But as they grew older, as they learned more about others — their warmth, their connections, their stories — a quiet sadness settled in. And beneath that sadness, jealousy. Not the bitter kind, but the aching kind — the ache of never having had what others seemed to take for granted. A family. A place to belong. Warmth. All Selas had known was the same coldness that the concrete held.

Once Selas became an adult, they left — just as everyone else already had, albeit mentally rather than physically. It was as if their life had been filled with artificial people who simply existed, not lived.

Selas didn’t want to continue that cycle. They wanted to find something new in life. They wanted to feel the happiness and sparkle that others seemed to have — whether through hobbies, a job, another person, or experiences. Something.

But for now, all they had was themselves — and the stars.
As the stars reflected brilliantly in their silver-grey eyes, they sighed.

Maybe someday they’d find their spark, their joy.
But for now, just the stars is okay.

The stars, the sky, the vast emptiness the world held.

[boogiebug]

mark!!

[cyrevan]

Mark, I feel like this is a great excuse to come up with a character I could reuse the concept for later!!

[ford]

Username + ID: ford + 916502
Name: Conri (irish gaelic; wolf king)
Prompt:

The long corridor was silent, save for the heartbeat pounding in Conri's ears, and the rhythmic tick, tock, tick of a grandfather clock echoing through the tall arches. And then, much too soon, the gong of the bell, once, twice, three times, marking the death of his old self, and the terrifying prospect of his future.

"It's time."

Conri glanced over at the courtier who spoke, before returning his gaze to the grand, ornate doors before him. Everything he had worked for, everything he had dedicated his life to all came down to this, these doors before him, and what lay behind them. Running a hand through his long, straight hair to ground himself and calm his nerves, Conri spoke, not taking his eyes off from the doorway.
"How many?" he asked, his voice betraying his poor attempt at a calm demeanor.
"Nearly the entire city, my lord."
Conri didn't respond. Instead, his near entire life played before his eyes. Every gruelling hour he spent living in the confines of that filthy, stinking city. His rising through the ranks of his court, his every desperate attempt to prove himself. The flash of a poison powder concealed within an unassuming ring.
The courtier beside him cleared their throat, pulling Conri's attention back to them.

"They're waiting for you."

As the heavy doors opened with a low groan, Conri stared out into his new life. The field surrounding the castle was teeming with people, each one of them desperate for even a slight glance of their new king. With the world's eyes watching him, he wordlessly stepped out onto the balcony. The anxiety, every worry, began to melt away, replaced with a new emotion. A simmering, fiery rage crackling through his veins. The heavy robes now draped across his shoulders and the crown placed delicately upon his head, his dark eyes remained fixed on the crowd and beyond them, the city and the kingdom that now was his, the fiery rage grew to a deep inferno of hatred and a single thought filled Conri's mind.

Burn it all.

[SkyWishes21]

Username + ID: SkyWishes21 + 603852
Name: Xuri
Prompt: (1489 words)

Everyone said it couldn't be done, that Halifax’ Cave of Wonderment was either a myth or so impossibly deadly that it wasn't worth the hunt. Dozens of urban legends and horror stories were whisper passed from spelunker to spelunker, spread around caving forums and dramatically read on TubeYou, and plastered over every sign remotely near the assumed entrance. The message was clear: nobody should look for Halifax’ cave.

This did nothing to stop Xuri.

Oh, sure, her parents wouldn’t stop worrying about her. Her brother thought she was nuts. Any friends she’d had drifted away long ago, leaving her alone with a lifelong obsession.

It wasn't Xuri's fault that Halifax' Cave had started singing to her when she was small. It'd started small, faint dreams that left her with a catchy little tune no one could place. As she grew, the song grew more complex, more haunting, complete with visions she couldn't quite comprehend.

Was it any wonder she'd dedicated her life to finding it? Decades on decades of caving practice, gradually getting more and more experienced until she was comfortable squeezing through the worst of the worst of them. She'd always been able to squish her way into places she shouldn't have been able to; now she was simply better at it.

It was finally time. At the dead of night, Xuri drove out to the cave system where Halifax' Cave of Wonderment was rumored to be (it was there, the dreams said it was there). She told no one. They'd try to stop her.

She pulled her deep turquoise twists back into a pun beneath her pith helmet, tightened her belt of supplies, and descended into the depths.

The first part of the route was easy. Even inexperienced cavers could travel it and find their way to a lovely, if basic, cave that everyone went to. Along that route, however, was a small little tunnel blocked off by a massive sign that no one could pass. Most people ignored it; Xuri watched them every time she'd practiced the first part of the journey. They had no idea.

Quickly, quietly, she pulled her multitool from her belt pouch and began methodically unscrewing everything she could. Security would be on her tail some time soon; she had to get into the unfollowable depths before they did.

Soon enough she’d undone the sign, revealing a crevice barely wide enough to slip through. Good. Xuri didn't bother trying to put the sign back as she slid inside. No one would want to follow her in.

Rock pressed around her, digging into her skin as she took one step, then another away from the last vestiges of natural-ish light. Now the only point of illumination was from her headlamp. Thank god she was no longer claustrophobic nor afraid of the dark. Now they were like home to her.

The path forwards was steep downhill, filled with switchbacks and gaps so narrow most people would reasonably turn back (if not have embarked at all). And sure, Xuri had to suck in what little she could to fit through. But the only way onward was through and this was hardly going to be the worst of the journey.

Ahead of her was the faint sound of almost but not quite still water rippling. Ah, yes. The underwater maze. How many lives had it claimed over the last centuries? How many morons had plunged in with no dreams to guide them?

Xuri shuddered as she considered the cold water ahead. Too late now to turn back. She'd just have to deal with being soaked to the bone, fur matted to skin and muscles shaking from the chill.

Take a deep breath in and jump. Don't worry about where you're going; just close your eyes and let the song guide you. Follow it until your lungs burn, then keep going. It will sing differently when you can poke your head above water and breathe.

Xuri found herself grateful for her stubby little tail. There were numerous turns and outcroppings that, had her tail been longer, would have kept her trapped long enough to drown. As it were, she was able to swim past them well enough. She'd have to assess herself for injury later, but she'd be fine. Just fine.

It could have been mere seconds or several hours of forcing her way through tunnels that didn't want her there, of trusting the song to drive her to air pockets when her lungs could hold no more, of pretending there weren't bones in these tunnels. It didn't matter.

Finally, she was spit up onto a rocky shore, coughing and wheezing and soaked to the bone. Everything burned, ached, told her she should not have done that. All she wanted was to curl up on that shore and fall fast asleep.

But she could not rest for long. No longer muted by dreams and earth, it sang louder and louder, beckoning her forwards. Xuri groaned as she rose to her shaky feet. This was what she was here for. Her own aches and pains could wait.

Halifax's Cave of Wonderment was as wonderful as the name implied. Mountains of treasure from centuries past filled nearly the whole space, giving off a faint glow that made her deep purple fur shine with a rainbow of color. Even one piece, one tiny necklace could set her up for life. She could be a big name who found all these ancient treasures and brought them to the world.

Unconsciously, she found herself approaching a sparkly diadem. It wasn't until her paw was nearly touching it that she realized what she was doing and slapped herself out of it. No. Bad Xuri. You aren't here for this.

Besides, the skeletal remains of those who had touched the treasure without the song telling them to said more than enough. She wasn't here to join them. She had another mission.

In between the towering piles, there was a thin trail of nothing but rocky ground. Xuri took one step on it, then another. As she did, the song grew louder. Perfect. This was where she needed to go, greed and pain notwithstanding.

It was rather slow going. Each pawstep had to be carefully calibrated so it touched only the floor, no treasure. She had to be hyper aware of every motion she made or else she was liable to die before she ever met the origins of the song, and that wouldn't do. Xuri hadn't effectively blown up her whole life to be here for nothing.

She couldn't close her eyes to block out the distractions. Alas, she'd be far more likely to run face-first into a pile of solid gold dubloons than to make it through this awful trap. No wonder Halifax' Cave was forbidden; no one could make it out alive. Except her, of course.

Mountains of treasure loomed over her, but the song grew stronger and stronger. Don't hurry now, but the end was in sight. Between the two biggest piles was the entrance to a proper valley of treasure, all clean floors and exhaled breaths held too long. Xuri just had to squeeze through this last passage, but compared to underwater maze it was a cinch.

There it was: the source of the song that had haunted all the decades of her life. An ancient altar carved with cosmic inscriptions she couldn't read despite literal years of research to figure out which dead language it was. Xuri could simply bask in its presence, take a little nap and know that she was safe. In fact, she nearly did so.

But she came here with a mission. There were tasks she must perform; after all, the altar was the grimiest thing around. No one had touched it in centuries. Who would have? Anyone fool enough to come here would have gone straight for the treasure and died.

Not Xuri. Instead, she dug into the waterproof pocket of her belt, pulled out her multipurpose cleaning spray, a rag, and a brush, and began to clean.

The song felt like it began to purr as she cleaned, like every layer of dust and grime she carefully peeled away from the altar was being peeled from the song, too. Good. It sounded nicer this way.

She found herself lost in the meditation, the ache of her poor, beaten body fading. Was she... humming along to the song? Wonderful. Xuri could stay here and tend to this altar for hours. Someone needed to worship whichever god this was after all. It might as well be her.

The song began to swell, though she hardly noticed. It was a trumpeting herald, like there was a presence arriving through a gateway she was restoring. Perhaps she should have paid more attention to her surroundings as strange new footsteps echoed against the treasure.

A cosmic voice rang out.

"Who cleans my altar? Who is my new prophet?"

[Pandacat101]

Big Mark

[Lex.]

mark!