Forums » Writing Workshop » Read Thread

Week Seven! For anyone who doesn't know: this will thread will contain a week's worth of writing exercises to be completed each day. I'll give out 5 points per regular exercise, 10 points per bonus exercise, and 15 per "super bonus" exercises. You may do as few or as many of the exercises as you want. Anyone is allowed to join up at any time, but please let me know in a PM if you want to be added to our tag and scoring list.  

Our goal here: Ultimately, fun, but I very strongly believe that the encouragement of your peers, a little friendly competition, and some light-goal setting combined with consistent practice is an excellent path to becoming a better writer.

ONE IMPORTANT RULE: DO NOT REPLY TO ANY OTHER WRITER'S POST. I will indicate where to reply to post your work and if you want to praise a fellow writer, please do it in the appropriate "feedback thread" that I posted. We don't want writing posts locked here, it isn't fair to people who want to edit later.

Monday! This week is "character roles and relationships," part one! The reason I had to break this into pieces is because, upon careful reflection, I realized stuffing it all into one week wouldn't be fair to casual participants and wouldn't give you long-winded people a chance to really develop each part individually.

So. I've had you guys do exercises in the past about the antagonist and protagonist roles. You have a good grasp on the concepts of hero and villain, right? But by himself (or herself) how much can they really accomplish? Heroes need teammates, especially for an epic adventure, and villains need henchmen.

So many people over-look the side-characters in the interest of focusing solely on the hero--but the fact is, making a fully developed secondary character doesn't take away from your lead, it adds to your world. You have to populate your world with other people and making them all flat, ugly pieces of cardboard by comparison is boring. That isn't to say the hero doesn't need or deserve a lot of focus, but good writers learn to spread the love around and that's what we're going to do -- via a concept known as 'The Five Man Band.' This week, we'll specifically look at the heroic version.

Start off by making a hero, who is the leader of your band. Just focus on him or her today. Give him / her some skills / powers, or whatever it is that allows him / her to do heroic deeds, and give him /her a motivation for doing them. Keep in mind that, while heroes can be a lot of things, one thing they must be is compelling. Why would someone follow this person? Are they incredibly courageous? Amazingly charismatic? Intelligent and calculating? Compassionate and benevolent?

Bonus: Write the scene where your leader (hero) decides they're going to fight evil / go on their journey / become a leader.

(REPLY TO THIS POST WHEN YOU DO THIS EXERCISE.)

@31TeV @ecoLyte @TheNewIAP @Ogre11 @SpartacustheGreat @Morgan_R @Swiftstryker @betaband @nmelssx @Sethaniel @Malkalack @Briar_Rose @MatGods @Wolfmist @bjhovey @AWarriorFan @FazzTheMan @Claw2k11 @Romulus @ISentinelPenguinI @GrottyStatute74 @WarriorCatsRPS @Confused @jamescoker1226 @pinkalily21 @NeoTheCreator @jaryeth @DerpBacon @Penworth @Loki

(P.S. I know I haven't posted the scores for week six yet and I will, but I'm exhausted right now and my brain is not interested in math atm.)

Aaron at the tender old age of 61 is a man who has lost everything and who longs to fix his whole goddamned life.

Time has taken it all from him; he had made mistakes, and had chosen to follow the wrong path, and everything was taken from his hands, the home he grew up in, and the people he loved. 

Aaron wakes up one day, to realize that he has been given another chance. He has been given the power to turn back time.

And Aaron is not planning on wasting the god-given gift.

He returns back in the different stages of his life.

Along the way, he meets some people who like him long to travel through time and to fix their mistakes. Together, Aaron leads these ragtag group of of people to fix all their past mistakes, to save some lost lives, and to relive their best memories.

Timeless Men

Bonus.

A bloody scene lay before Aaaron.

An accident had just taken place right before his very eyes. He had seen how all in a split second, the truck had swerved from the road heading towards the sidewalk at a deadly speed.

The biker passing by had absolutely no way of avoiding contact with the truck. He could do nothing but yell in pain as the enormous truck struck his bike and body causing him to be thrown off his bike and to hit his head in the pavement.

Seeing the gory image of the bloody biker, Aaron realized that he could save this man's life.

He immediately turned the dials of his watch and the time revolved around in him in reverse.

As soon as he stopped, he saw everything the way it had been just a several minutes before.

He saw the approaching truck in the distance and the biker pedaling near the sidewalk.

Aaron instantly crossed the street, making his to the biker.

When he was near enough, he waved his hand and shouted, "Hey mister! There is something on you-"

The biker looked back and stopped just as the truck honked in the distance.

Aaron motioned for the biker to come near him. And fortunately, the biker did as he was told. He pedaled towards Aaron in the sidewalk with a puzzled expression.

Just then, the truck swerved across the street and everything happened as it had earlier, minus the biker's death.

Seeing that he was successful, Aaron waved away the biker and said, "Oh, never mind. Just thought you were someone i knew." 

The biker turned away disgusted that the man wasted his time, not even knowing that aaron had just saved his life.    

(I need to get back to participating in these. I miss it.)

This is probably a dumb question, but is it an actual band, or a group of heroes?

A band does not have to mean a musical group, it can just be a group, and this is a group of heroes. So. It's a band of heroes. If you'd like them to be in a musical band anyway, that's fine, just irrelevant.

A'dagonda stared into the ripple. None of the others could even see the subtle disturbance in the fabric of reality, but she saw it and knew what it was. It was an opportunity, for a Taksori like her. She could jump into the rift, go anywhere she liked. Innumerable worlds stood before her. Yet, some strange sense of obligation held her back.

(Will write more later)

Wenceslas - The Mad King

In actuality, he's a peasant boy, but a display of his power, which is in essence of the savage arts of cannibalistic ritual and brutalization, has upped him all the way to the status as the Contingency - a perfect assassin unmatched in combat to eliminate any and all threats to the King.  He also is allowed to contest as a Knight in the tournaments.

His journey begins as so when he fails his mission, as he's only 10; he has little time for understanding the nature of his kingdom, so now he's on the run.  He imagines, though, that in order to redeem himself, he has to carve a bloody path towards the one who assassinated the King.

Let's just say a whole bunch of people plan to take advantage of his simplicity...

~~~

He furrowed his brows as he tried to peer into the dimness of the throne room, but decided to stop trying as his eyes adjusted themselves for him.  Behind him, the Head of the Guard nudged him on, pointing his lance at the perforated body that sat on the throne, useless.

The old King was dead; long live the King.

The iron in his blood still hung heavy in the air, a key signature to those of his bloodline; that metallic blood was his, and his only.  There was no denying, no denying that through all the crimson-stained layers of velvet and other luxurious couture, the flesh of the King had been pierced.

And Wenceslas let it all happened.

The Head nudged his head off to the side a ways, towards a trail of footprints.  Just like the last in a string of patriarchal coups, the footprints were smaller than a man's, but not small enough to constitute a woman of royal lineage.

No women associated with royals could have unbound feet.

"...Wenceslas," the Head started.

"Hm?"

"The Council has considered you a suspect in this matter.  Don't start; I don't believe a word of what they're saying, but I do have as much faith in them as I in you.  I've two options : flee the country, or justify yourself.  If we are going for the latter...well, we need to go, now."

Now?  Was there no time to mourn for the old man?

"I've requested an audience with Her Royal Highness, the new Queen.  She just returned from turning down yet another marriage, so don't expect her to be in high spirits..."

Wenceslas nodded, his lip bit.  He couldn't cry; while he was glad to be elevated from his low position, he, the sole Lord Contingent, was now without family.  A terrible tradeoff.  He wasn't surprised that if the King made similar trades, there would be many, many people out for his blood.

Wenceslas needed to repay the favor; the best way to do so was the most obvious : repay the assassin and its associates in kind...

If he only knew where to start.

(Imma just do this like a char. sheet)

Name: Caden

Appearance: A tall, skinny teenager with blonde hair and blue eyes. He always wears a blue and gray jacket, gray pants, and gray sneakers. His hands are usually in his pockets to keep him from shooting stuff.

Powers: He can shoot fire out of his hand and melt solid material. His power of melting is limited to certain substances, however.

Why he does it: Ever since he was a boy, Caden has been the best kid. He has a way with words, good grades, and awesome hair. Everything was perfect for him, until one day at his school, half of the grade was either stolen by Mor Syborgam, the assistant principal who was sent from another planet to destroy humanity. Being half man-like and half-robot, he was almost invincible. Caden was one of the half that was a victim of Mor's wrath, and was sentenced to death in a volcano. Just before, he had tripped into a puddle of strange green liquid. As he was thrown into the fiery pit, he braced himself for the burn. But instead, as he connected with the magma, his muscles felt newfound strength, and he swam through the lava to a small cave in the wall of the volcano. There he spent a few days, honing his powers and rebuilding his strength. Then, he melted through the rock and ran towards Mor's base. There he set off a chain reaction, most likely killing him and many of his minions. As they ran away, he realized that he would have to fight them all, until every last one dropped.

Char. Traits: He's always dependable and has never broke a promise. Very leader-like and strong.

(Bonus coming soon!)

James Fern:

While he has no actual political standing, the young man joined the Valkyrie Order from a young age. There, he learned the principles of becoming a vanguard. It was discovered that the young man had the potential to lead an army. After his successful defense against an overwhelming force, James decided to leave the Order in retirement at his young age. This was not to last, though. One year after his departure, the Keep was attacked. It was a massacre entirely. No survivors.

BONUS:

The blood was everywhere. Not a spot to be found was clean. Bodies littered the floors like paper, everywhere in sight. James called out, every name in the order There was no answer. He raced through the Keep, looking for just one survivor. A survivor he knew was not there.

Tuesday! This week is "character roles and relationships," part one, day two! Only one entry so far ... (at least it was a very good entry.) You guys will need to catch up, though, because these exercises are inter-connected this week.

Once we have the first member of our team, the leader, we're making the second member of our team, "The Lancer." The lancer is often a complex character and sometimes becomes as popular or even more popular than the hero. The reason for this is that the lancer often serves as a foil, to show a stark contrast.

If the hero is naive and trusting, the lancer is typically a world-wise skeptic. If the hero wears his heart on his sleeve, the lancer is quiet and stoic. A childish hero often has a mature lancer. These differences often cause a lot of conflict. Another source of conflict is that these two are often rivals, sometimes in love, sometimes in a sport, a business, a goal ... but on the whole, the hero and lancer are never really too different that they cannot work together or towards a common goal.

So, create a lancer and explain their relationship with the hero. How are they opposites or rivals (or both)? Do they balance each other out? Do they usually get along in spite (or even because) of their differences or do they fight constantly? Are they friends, allies, frenemies, barely teammates, or even something more romantic? What does the lancer get out of this partnership? Do they have the same goals as the hero, or do their motives merely happen to intersect by sheer coincidence?

Bonus: Write a scene with these two interacting. It can either be a casual talk, a fight, or--for something a bit more dramatic--the scene where they decided to team up.

(REPLY TO THIS POST WHEN YOU DO THIS EXERCISE.)

@31TeV @ecoLyte @TheNewIAP @Ogre11 @SpartacustheGreat @Morgan_R @Swiftstryker @betaband @nmelssx @Sethaniel @Malkalack @Briar_Rose @MatGods @Wolfmist @bjhovey @AWarriorFan @FazzTheMan @Claw2k11 @Romulus @ISentinelPenguinI @GrottyStatute74 @WarriorCatsRPS @Confused @jamescoker1226 @pinkalily21 @NeoTheCreator @jaryeth @DerpBacon @Penworth @Loki

(I strongly advise you to do the previous day's exercise before doing this one.)

I suck at character development. : /

Later.

... That's precisely the reason I'm doing these exercises, because so many people suck at this. This isn't a place to show off, it's a place to practice your skills, find inspiration, learn from yourself and others. If you're bad at this and can admit it, then this is a good place to be--unless you don't care about improving, in which case, I dunno why you're here. xD @Malkalack

Naturally, the first to help the Mad King would be the first among existing people of renown.  Augustus, something along the lines of the former second-in-command of the kingdom's greatest guard, decides that his goals run the same course as Wenceslas's.  That, and because he's deathly afraid of Wenceslas's ability to warp flesh of any kind under his command.  That sort of power should not be in anyone's hands, but if God wills it...

Augustus figures he'd have a better time with it than most.  He's seen worse.

His level of intimacy is unclear; while he does treat Wenceslas with some respect as though he were an adult, he also can't help but love the child as though he was a son.

~~~

"So...father...no, Augustus," Wenceslas started, though he stopped.  He was still in shock.

"It is true; I'll say it once again : I killed the King.  I, who was the only one who had never had a hair on my neck harmed by his hands, killed him."

"Was it something he did to someone you knew...?"

He nodded.

"The reason, I'll admit, is more childish than you are."

Wenceslas scoffed.

"Enlighten me."

"Her Royal Highness's ring, her marriage one, is my father's.  My father gave it to her in his will before he died, but...I'm still damnably envious of that self-entitled brat."

Augustus's face seemed to snarl at simply her mention, and Wenceslas responded in kind with a similar frown, though meant moreso for Augustus's fate than for Ingrid's fate.

"That's...not very like you.  I thought it was you who said that 'he who borrows but does not pay back is wicked, but the righteous is generous and gives', correct?  That, and what is that I see in your hands?  Your ancestors' family artifact, a weapon descending from the stars?  That flings a small rock so that it breaks even the stone walls with a scream?  And your title!  Your title is second only to the King!  I live in infamy!  What ma-"

"I'm only human, Wenceslas!  One can only be so perfect for so long..."

"And I'm FAR from perfect!  All this trouble, all this suffering we...no, I had to go through..."

Wenceslas's blood vessels glowed, veins and all.

"I've still a village to save," Wenceslas muttered.  "Don't stop me this time.  Not as a father, not as a mentor.  If you must, let us determine our wills now."

Augustus frowned as he lugged up the weapon : a sort of object outfitted with tubes and a massive handrail to grasp ahold of.

"Don't do as you please; violating the Appeasement acts will set the entire world against you."

"Try me."

Xander Gregory:

Though the history is more complicated than most think, Xander is the voice of reason to James' fire. This often leads to numerous arguments between the two, though they both know their friendship can withstand the pressure of a few fights. Xander himself is the preeminent expert of witchcraft. His abilities have caused him to become slightly condescending at times. He rarely is seen without the zealous fire and modesty of James. However, Xander hopes that this partnership will return the two to the way they used to be, as distance has caused them to drift apart.

Timeless Men

Nathan Wilkes

He is an a attractive and friendly young man who had no path, not a single goal and dream on his heart and mind. He left his rich parent's mansion as a young teenager with one purpose, to live his own life and to find his own path. He had been wandering around the streets of New York without a single dollar on him when he was saved by Aaron from a car crash. Intrigued by this old man, Nathan decided to follow him everywhere hoping to find his goal and purpose in life with him.

Timeless Men

Bonus

"Aaron, let me ask you a question. I've been thinking because you know, the last few days we've been saving lives and all. . . Why are people afraid of death? What is it about death that makes man afraid of it?" Nathan asked Aaron, turning to him and speaking in his clear, low voice.

The wise old man beside Nathan, looked at him straight into the eyes. 

"I believe, Nathan, that people are afraid of death because they think that they haven't experienced much of the world, or that they are afraid of leaving behind the ones they love, or they are afraid that they haven't done enough, that they haven't touched enough lives. . . Or that maybe they had wasted the precious time they had on this world." Aaron answered, looking up into the skies, deep in his thoughts.

"Death is something that we will not fear, Nathan, if we had done enough good in this world. If we had touched many lives and helped many people and found our purpose in this world, we would not fear death. If we had lived our lives to the fullest, or if we had spent every waking hour helping our loved ones or simply telling them that we love them, then we will not fear death in the end. Death will only be feared if we regret the the way we spent our lives." The wise old man added.

Nathan nodded and realized that so far his life had been meaningless. All his wandering had meant nothing, he had accomplished nothing and touched no ones lives. He had wasted a portion of his life doing nothing worthwhile.

And now, maybe he had found his purpose. His meaning in life. Maybe he was meant to meet Aaron and the others and to help them save lost lives. Maybe in the end, when he lay on his deathbed, he would look back to this wonderful times and know that he had done something worthwhile with his life.

Wednesday! This is "character roles and relationships," part one, day three! Following up on our Five Man Band theme, we're going to create the 'Smart Guy' of the group. This character is often a strategist, is usually technologically inclined, frequently a prodigy / natural genius of some sort, occasionally a trickster, but over all, think brain over brawn. This character is very rarely physically strong, but he / she compensates by thinking on their feet and outsmarting competition.

Their dynamic within the group varies. Sometimes they're quiet and shy, sometimes they're social--if nerdy and awkward about it--sometimes they're deadpan snarkers who act like others are beneath them for their lower IQs, and they can come off as cold or callous for putting logic over emotion, but over all, they're a valuable member of the group. Once you've told us about your "smart guy" or "smart girl," tell us what their dynamic within the group is.

Bonus: Show us a scene where the smart guy / girl really shines, by helping the hero or lancer (or both) out of a tight spot.

(REPLY TO THIS POST WHEN YOU DO THIS EXERCISE.)

@31TeV @ecoLyte @TheNewIAP @Ogre11 @SpartacustheGreat @Morgan_R @Swiftstryker @betaband @nmelssx @Sethaniel @Malkalack @Briar_Rose @MatGods @Wolfmist @bjhovey @AWarriorFan @FazzTheMan @Claw2k11 @Romulus @ISentinelPenguinI @GrottyStatute74 @WarriorCatsRPS @Confused @jamescoker1226 @pinkalily21 @NeoTheCreator @jaryeth @DerpBacon @Penworth @Loki

(I strongly advise you to do the previous day's exercise before doing this one.)

Lavinya is, or rather, was the Royal Engineer of the kingdom, thanks to her thrice-removed relationship with the late king.  Because of her status, she was able to take education on geometry to new heights as she was trained in the first Academy ever.

She's oft built siege equipment and castles by design, but her hobby as an archer also benefits with her expertise in geometry and trigonometry.  It's little to mention that her foreign tutor, from the seas of sands, has taught her much more in terms of algebraic advances.

Because of this skillset, she MacGyvers up ingenious designs and is rivaled to a cartographer; her memory isn't unparalleled as it is more by landmark, but it's good.

Towards Wenceslas and Augustus, she views them as companions for the greater good, nothing more, and especially nothing less.

August Morvanni:

Though possessed of no other skill, his tactical brilliance has won more than one encounter for the group. He studied tactics from a very young age, soon developing his own method. Using this, he prevailed in the Battle of Ageless Sand. August has served as tactician to the Order for only one year, and is the youngest there., at only 17. He rarely talks to any of the other members, excluding Nathan. That was the mystery of it all, that he keeps his mouth shut with everyone else. Even in planning an assault, Nathan relays the plan for the frail teen. The others often worry about the health of their young tactical genius.

BONUS:

"We hold our ground on the mountaintop, then charge when they reach the middle of the slope." Nathan stated after pulling away from the silent, frail teen behind him.

"Are you sure this will work, August?" James asked quickly.

The boy nodded and, surprisingly, spoke.

"The force will come up the mountain, completely in rank. They will be forced to fight us uphill,  giving us the advantage of the terrain. When they reach bow range, make them pinchushions." He said quietly, making a small joke at the end.

Everyone laughed at his rare humor and took up position, knowing the battle would end in victory., 

Timeless Men

Francesca Raferty

A thin, gaunt woman in her late thirties, Ces had devoted her entire life to the study of the physics of time. She was a brilliant and hard-working but introverted person. Due to her often surly and hostile attitude to others and also her supreme dedication to her studies and research projects about physics and time, she often found it hard to create close relationships with others outside of her work. 

Aaron and Nathan one day approached Ces to consult and to ask her about everything she knew about the physics of time. However, little did any of them know that one day she would join their missions and be able to achieve her dream as a child, to travel through time.   

Thursday! This is "character roles and relationships," part one, day four. The next character on our list is the "Big Guy" of the group. They're the heavy hitter of the group, often less intelligent, big, and kind of clumsy.They tend to be unflinchingly loyal, honest and straight-forward (if they aren't totally mute), and they also gravitate toward the smallest member of the group for a best friend because the smallest / thinnest group member tends to need them most for a meat shield.

TV tropes divides the stereotypical types of Big Guys into these classes:

     Class 1: The gruff, mean, scarred and withdrawn warrior. Could go so far as to be a Berserker. Ready to punch you in the face for smiling at him.
   
Class 2: The Gentle Giant who you don't want to push too far. Often when the other members are younger, he will be older and outside of battle is the calming element in the group, offering both experience and wisdom, or just able to pull two others apart easily.

    Class 3: A bruiser with a heart of gold. The kind that looks like the first but is secretly the second. Basically, they seem big and bad and tough, but deep down, they've got a very big and very soft heart.

    Class 4: The Boisterous Bruiser, whose presence is even larger than his physical size. (They're a huge ham, is what we're saying here.) Often a berserker who takes joy / thrill from the experience of battle or alternatively an incredibly emotional guy that no one dares make fun of for shedding tears casually because he can beat them to a pulp.

    Class 5: A Genius Bruiser. This character is rare, presumably also for balance reasons. This version uses their muscle intelligently.

So. Create a male or female 'big guy' for your group. Try to put a special spin on this character to make them uniquely yours, because they're so often portrayed as just a big, dumb guy who can fist you to death. The only requirement I have is that they absolutely must be physically stronger than the other group members--though they do not need to be a better fighter.

Bonus: While this character's skills shine in battle, the depths of their personality is rarely explored. Show us what their true colors are in a moment of peace by writing a scene with them just talking to their teammates or even having a solitary moment reflecting on their journey. (Must involve some reference to the other teammates and your 'Big Guy's' interactions with them.)

(REPLY TO THIS POST WHEN YOU DO THIS EXERCISE.)

@31TeV @ecoLyte @TheNewIAP @Ogre11 @SpartacustheGreat @Morgan_R @Swiftstryker @betaband @nmelssx @Sethaniel @Malkalack @Briar_Rose @MatGods @Wolfmist @bjhovey @AWarriorFan @FazzTheMan @Claw2k11 @Romulus @ISentinelPenguinI @GrottyStatute74 @WarriorCatsRPS @Confused @jamescoker1226 @pinkalily21 @NeoTheCreator @jaryeth @DerpBacon @Penworth @Loki

(I strongly advise you to do the previous day's exercise before doing this one.)

Hagar, the 14-year old orphan subject to the experiments of the late king's research, is the only successful product of a dozen of other children made to exceed humanity's normal limits.  In her case, her survival was attributed to a program of variety of tonics and intense exercises that quintupled her capacity and growth curve of her muscles, as well as hypersensitivity to noise.  While she wasn't necessarily ugly, her manly appearance was...offsetting, to some extent.  Unfortunately, before she could be brought out into the light with her siblings, the old King was slain, and his endorsed studies set to burn.  She managed to break through her cell, though not without losing her right arm to a collapsed roof.

She was aptly coined as Hagar by Lavinya as a sort of namesake to her legacy, and it can be inferred that she's under the care of Lavinya.  She treats the Engineer as a mother, and Wenceslas as a sibling in arms.  Verily much like Wenceslas, her young age and uncontrollable strength has instilled in her a fear, though not nearly to the extent of her peer.  She's much more conscious, at least, of when to utilize her strength, and often rebels against the commands her guardian requests of her.  The source of this lack of cooperation derives from her inability weigh correctly the negatives from the positives, just as she does many things.

Nathan Tracer:

The largest of the group, he is not the voice of anger. Oftentimes, he is the only level-headed one there. The one thing known of him is his obvious fondness for August. He is the only person who has heard him talk for more than three minutes. He has honed his skills in the new art of black powder, making him fight from afar. He mediates the tactical planning, relaying Nathan's plan and playing peacemaker for the others.

BONUS:

"August, are you okay?" Nathan asked softy, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder.

August nodded silently, putting his head on Nathan's shoulder, smiling.

"This is nice." He stated simply, putting his hands around Nathan's waist.

Nathan knew that August was hurt. It was so very obvious, but he did not know who or how. Whatever happened, it caused him to have a fear of speaking. 

"I know it is. Can the others see?" He asked quietly.

August shook his head and Nathan squeezed him harder, chuckling while doing so.

It is supposed to say August's plan.

Timeless Men

Gregory Ryder

A tall, burly 27 year-old, athletic man, Greg had always been the type of guy most people are afraid of. They think he is a big, bad guy who would punch anyone in the face for being an annoyance to him. However, Greg never saw himself like this. He knew the truth about himself.

He had only gained his powerful his powerful strength and bulging muscles and biceps through his weight-lifting and playing basketball. He may have superior strength and skills (which he is not afraid to use to protect the ones he love) but he also has a big and caring heart inside. All in all he is simply misunderstood by the people around him.

Greg was Aaron's god-son who had lost both his parents at an early age. He grew up seeing Aaron as his own father, and looking up to him proudly, wishing to become like him one day. Aaron, at the same time saw him as the son he never had. He cared for him and was always there for him whenever Greg needed his advice and wisdom. 

Aaron had lost his own son through his wife's miscarriage. His son, if he had grown up would have been Greg's age by now.

Friday! This is "character roles and relationships," part one, day five. Now we round out the team with a character who is generally the token girl of the group, but can, in fact, be a guy. The role is called "The Chick" but to more accurately represent this role for this exercise, they'll be referred to as "The Heart."

They're kind, often spiritual, charismatic, usually a healer or white mage in fantasy, often the 'love interest' in modern adventure, and they usually act as the conscience of the group, with morality being one of their biggest concerns and the well-being of their friends (physically, mentally, emotionally) being the other. They tend to keep peace between the other members of the party if they're a volatile group.

Unfortunately, because this character is naturally kind, morally upstanding (at least, more than the other members of the team,) and typically not made to be very strong or powerful or "cool," they're often not the most popular member of the team.
As a result, whenever the creators of a series want to show they're 'hardcore' and 'anyone can die,' The Heart is most commonly killed off as an easy way to create a big, emotional moment without getting rid of anyone 'too important' and 'too popular' to die. =\ Even if people get angry over it, the fans of this character are generally a minority and are easily ignored.   

Your challenge is ... create an interesting "Heart" character. Someone who deserves every bit of the lime-light that your other teammates get, while still maintaining their morals and at least most of their general 'Heart' characteristics.

Bonus: Show The Heart in a battle scene. Where are they? What do they do? How do they help and why are they needed?

(REPLY TO THIS POST WHEN YOU DO THIS EXERCISE.)

@31TeV @ecoLyte @TheNewIAP @Ogre11 @SpartacustheGreat @Morgan_R @Swiftstryker @betaband @nmelssx @Sethaniel @Malkalack @Briar_Rose @MatGods @Wolfmist @bjhovey @AWarriorFan @FazzTheMan @Claw2k11 @Romulus @ISentinelPenguinI @GrottyStatute74 @WarriorCatsRPS @Confused @jamescoker1226 @pinkalily21 @NeoTheCreator @jaryeth @DerpBacon @Penworth @Loki

(I strongly advise you to do the previous day's exercise before doing this one.)

Her Royal Highness, the Queen Ingrid, to many, is seen as a hopeless girl.  While female leaders had been very capable in the past, many attributed their successes only to their fathers and mothers that had the time and resources to teach their children how to rule.  With Ingrid being the first FEMALE to succeed the throne under the age of 18, many doubted if she was ready to take on her task.

Not like any of the lords or ladies would dare take her place, but, if she ever went on a leave of absence, surely someone would take her place.

And she did, somewhere.  Disappeared into thin air, causing a spread of rumors as to what happened.

Fact is, she's been bred and trained to rule since the day she was born.  In her head is the knowledge of all the late king's future projects and changes to the kingdom, only a few of which were actually implemented by her hands.  Without the ability to recall vital schematics and systems, Ingrid deduces the setback of the kingdom to be dramatically greater than calcuable measures, or by a rough estimate of some centuries.

Hence, once the guard failed to protect her father, she failed to have faith in conventional means of protection.  Thus, she takes on the company of the best of the best to instill a new order, to cleanse the kingdom of the past king's sins before beginning her own.

The fact is, she isn't a bleeding heart.  In fact, she's colder, perhaps much moreso than our Lancer Augustus here.  Many servants whisper her failure to cry at appropriate times, and her...curiosity into wanton things warrant the death for the Kingdom.  It becomes up to Wenceslas's choice as to whether or not she is deserving of the throne...

...and yet her point still stands.  Only she has the ideas that will drive the Kingdom to new heights.

While aloof towards Augustus, Ingrid has a peculiar fondness for the two children in her band, a fondness much better suited for older homosexuals.  She seems to enjoy many "evil" things, though she harshly advocates the opposite for her people and group. While this may cause her to APPEAR as a Heart character, she might be something different entirely in true nature.

Methran Tor:

Commonly known as "The Cleric"  to many, because he doesn't wish common people to know him for his past. He murdered, stole, and sabotaged royalty daily before he came into his healing abilities. After he found them, he devoted his life in service to the healing arts. And man found it odd that he would do so. But that was just the way he was. He can always be counted on for healing, but also for the recon. He is almost always found in battle as well, using his evil skills to their maximum effect for good

Timeless Men

Derrick Rhodes

As a greedy boy who got everything he wanted either out of cheating, lying, or blackmail, Derrick had always dreamed to do bad things, which included taking drugs, stealing, smuggling, and even killing. By the age of 24 years old, he'd already managed to do all of these things and to land himself twelve times in jail. He had seven counts of armed robbery, four counts of drug smuggling, and one count of homicide.

After killing an enemy out of cold blood, he landed once again in jail, this time however, he was given a life sentence.

Those first several days in prison destroyed Derrick completely, not because he had received a life sentence but because his mother had just died. He learned from his visiting older sister how his mother had lived her broken life ever since he left their home and fell into his life of crime. He learned how his mother had cried every night, praying to God that he would change and become a new man. He learned how his mother had died after finding out that he has murdered a person.

His sister's words destroyed Derrick. They broke him down.

He spent those many years in prison trying to change himself. To at least be the man his beloved mother wanted him to be before her death. He repented in that prison, turning his wicked ways into good. Soon after ten long years, he had managed to become a new man.

That was when Derrick met Justin, Adrien and Crowe in the prison. These three malevolent men arrived at the prison, reigning like lords among the others. Justin bullied and threatened the others while both Crowe and Adrien stood behind his back, casting fear upon those who opposed them. After several years, these three men unleashed all hell in the prison, beggining a dreadful riot while they themselves broke out.

Derrick was one of those who found freedom too that night. He followed Justin and his goons, finding himself once again in the outside world. . .  with a chance to live a new life. 

It wasn't long after, when he met Aaron and Nathan, two men who will help him live his promise to his mother while he himself helped them on their mission.      

YOUR SEVENTH WEEK SCORES:

(Subtractions from regular 5, 10, and 15 point additions are made for missing sentences and incomplete scenes. Keep in mind, please, that you are allowed to work on scenes / sentences for the entire week, I will count exercises that you went back and finished, but once Saturday hits, the work you've done is judged ... with the exception of weeks where I am late in giving you guys your score.)  

@Penworth - 15
@Swiftstryker - 45
@jamescoker1226 - 4
@Wolfmist - 5

This Week's Winner:  Swiftstryker!
Second place: Penworth!

As there were only four people who participated and they only participated on one exercise each, there will only be a first and second place this time around. I'm disappointed with the participation, I'm not going to lie, especially seeing a strong start with a unique and interesting idea like Penworth's and not seeing any more of that story ...

Or seeing an interesting, fantasy-based start like James ... only to realize that the post wasn't ever finished. That said, though, great job, Swift. I've never seen a band of ... "heroes"? quite like yours before. I'd like to see what you do for the eighth week ... >_> provided everyone participates enough for there to be a full eighth week.  

Important Note: I am taking next week off of writing exercises and resuming with week 8 afterwards. If you have ideas for themes, please PM me with them.

They're mostly Anti-Heroes, except for Ingrid.

Yeah ... I'm glad that you tried, nonetheless, I just wanted to see where you were going with it.

Dang it! I forgot to finish! XD

@31TeV @ecoLyte @TheNewIAP @Ogre11 @SpartacustheGreat @Morgan_R @betaband @nmelssx @Sethaniel @Malkalack @Briar_Rose @MatGods @bjhovey @AWarriorFan @FazzTheMan @Claw2k11 @Romulus @ISentinelPenguinI @GrottyStatute74 @WarriorCatsRPStories @Confused @pinkalily21 @NeoTheCreator @jaryeth @DerpBacon @Loki

I did Mondays and half of Tuesdays last night (offline), but got distracted with work and just got in.  I'm covered in cuts, burns and bruises.  Man, do I feel good!  I even got a stick shoved up my left nostril this morning, and it hasn't stopped bleeding yet.  Yeehaw!

... The hell happened? How'd you get injured and why did you have a stick there?

We hired a guy to take a tree down that was too near the house.  He gave us an incredibly good deal, but needed someone to man the ropes and lower the limbs straight down.  I was working like a madman trying to stay ahead of him and stumbled into one of the brush piles that I had going.  I'm lucky that it missed my eye, but it was a million dollar shot straight up the nostril.  It burned for an hour and I couldn't see out of my left eye due to all the tears for over half an hour, but I kept working.

Besides that, I got jerked off my feet and up into the tree by a limb that was a bit too heavy.  I've got a rope burn from my armpit to my index finger where the rope ate through the glove.

I was holding the ladder near the end (so he could do the last little bit; it was too low for him to use his spikes and harness).  He decided to jump off the side and nicked the back of my forearm with the chainsaw.  It's a good thing he had already killed it.

He kept apologizing profusely for all the things he'd caused.  I told him that if there wasn't a little bit of blood, it wasn't really work.

My god... You've had it rough!

This is a perfect example of why I prefer to work alone.  :)

Mainly because people you work with are incompetent, more like.  Or you're super unlucky.

I'm pretty lucky to survive them, don't you think?

I never actually knew this thread existed until now, and I had assumed you quit. I'll certainly try doing some now, if only to fulfill the moral obligation you've provided.

The Hero:

35 years ago, Planet French was in peril. Sweden was running out of yaks to make pants out of, in fact, they were on the brink of extinction, and without yak pants, the  would be unable to obtain superpowers, and without superpowers, the Frenchians would also die, because they were all far too inept to survive in the untamed Frenchland wilds without them. Knowing that their days were numbered, Ja-ques put his infant son, Kale-et in a rocket ship with all the yak hide he could find, and sent him flying into Deep Space. Eventually, he arrived at planet earth, where he was raised by a kind old couple. The greatest lesson that his parents taught him was, that if he ever got superpowers, he should use them for good, and good only.

When he was 30, his adoptive parents told him to get out of the house and get a fucking job, and so he left with all of his belongings. He became a professional spandex-maker. One fateful day, when all of his clean legwear was at the laundromat, he fashioned a pair of shorts from the strange heirloom he took with him. (There wasn’t enough hide to make pants out of) Suddenly, he realized that it was super-power yak hide from the mythical Planet French, because he was floating and burning the building down with his terrifying laser eyes. Luckily, he spent some time in Antarctica learning to control his powers, and not a single penguin was harmed. Ever since then, he has protected the earth vigilantly from many illegal aliens who also have yak pants and laser eyes, as well as an evil science corporation owned by Bruce Willis, which often attacks him with robotic anti-yak creations.

Bonus:

"Dad?" asked the young blonde boy, looking at his father's legs. The man was currently working on the underside of his lowrider.

"Yeah?" his father said.

"What would you do if you had super-powers?"

"That's a stupid question. No such thing."

"But you said you found me in a rocket ship..."

"Yeah, rocket ships exist, though."

"Yeah, but... What if superpowers existed?"

"Then I'd be a superhero, duh."

"Why not a supervillain?"

"Because it's the right thing to do, son. I thought I raised you better than that! I mean, on the shows you watch, the villain looks cool, I'm sure, but nobody actually likes the villain. In real life, the villains are all lame as shi-... They're really lame, son.  Villainy is a downward spiral of self destruction that leads to nothing but bitterness and pain. Being the hero can be a thankless job sometimes, but I assure you, the villain is never truly happy, because all he has in his heart is anger and vindictive-"

"Uhh, dad?"

"Huh?"

"That's the first time I've ever heard you speak with more than one sentence at a time..."

"Shit, you're right, I should get that checked."

Lancer:

The Dark Knight

When the international pop icons Lou-Weez and D-Nice were shot in the streets outside of an opera house, and then sexually assaulted, and then robbed, and then mutilated, and then pissed on by random bandits, it was discovered that the child that this crime was committed in front of was their secret lovechild. Traumatized by these events, Bruce Kanye lived alone with his butler in the Phat Beetz mansion. Ever since the age of ten, his ex-Ghurka butler taught him the fine art of judo, tai kwon doh, ninjutsu, and the safe use of firearms.

When he was 18, he became a hard-drinking, hard-smoking, hard-boiled detective wearing a black helmet and trench coat at all times. He later bought a militiary science company with his parent's money, using his resources to aquire a round, bullet-proof shield, which he painted black and occassionally used as a frisbee weapon, and several kunai grappling hooks.  He spent the next year beating the ever-loving shit out of criminals as a sheerly solo act, even denying the help of some teenage fruitcake who thought he was part bird or some shit... But that all changed one night...

Bonus:

It was a clear night in Goetiam city, and the Dark Knight was plotting vengefully. Tonight, he found the two men, now old and decrepit, who murdered and raped and robbed and pissed on his parents. He jumped down from the building he was on, using his trench coat as a glider, and swooped into a dark alleyway, kicking down the backdoor entrance to the apartment building and knocking out the janitor that saw him come in with a throw of his shield. Silently, he climbed the stairs, and reached the hallway on the third floor. He walked very purposefully to their apartment door and picked the lock open.

They weren't there. Or, at least they weren't in the kitchen/living room area that he had just walked into. It didn't matter, because he could hear them in another room. He rushed to the door, ramming it open.

The old gay couple, whom he had just interrupted mid-strip, was petrified by the image of the man that had been making brutal headlines for the past year. The man that had broken countless criminal bones, drawn so much blood in the streets, and struck fear into the hearts of even the most jaded of monsters all over the city... And now he was here for them, removing his helmet and showing his hate-filled face!

"Who are you!?" One of them cried, frozen in place.

"Last time you saw me, I was about yae high." said the Coated Crusader, holding his hand up to his six-year-old height.

"Oh no... Oh god no!" the other one shouted, 

"You did this to yourselves, you sons of bitches! You made this!" He held up his helmet, and began to bludgeon the one to his left heavily. He fell to the ground clutching a bloodied face and broken nose. The other man reached for his phone to call the police with, but the Knight hurled his shield into his arm, breaking it in three places as it was forced to bend around the curve of the shield and sending him down onto the floor as well.

"Please, I'm sorry!" screamed the one he was about to beat with his helmet again.

"Then I'll put you out of your misery quickly!" the detective drew his revolver and prepared to fire, before some miraculous force in bright blue spandex underneath a hairy pair of shorts burst through the nearby window, knocking him over before the Dark Knight could even turn off the safety.

Captain Yakshorts, the up and coming superhero, was there to save the day.

"No, Dark Knight! You're better than this!" He said, blocking the doorway to the room as the detective began to get up, "This is the first time you've ever tried to use your gun! You've never had to use it to fight crime before!"

"How the shit did you know I was here!?" Dark Knight said, pulling back the hammer on his .45

"These shorts grant me all the combined hearing, seeing, and tasting abilities of a hundred yaks!"

"I... I can't even begin to process how stupid that is..."

"Wh-what?"

"Just get the fuck out of my way, boyscout!"

The detective emptied half of his chambers directly into Captain Yakshorts, who sank to the ground in agonizing pain as the flattened bullets fell from his now severely bruised crotch. He struggled to get up for a few seconds, and staggered, hunched over, as he felt his powers start to drain from the damage done to his shorts. It would take a long while for this to heal, no doubt.

As quickly as he could, he hopped over, tackling the dynamic detective as he flew and then fell. Dark Knight, forgetting who he was dealing with, elbowed Yakshorts in the face, but this did positively fuck all since his bones were as strong as tungsten.

"AGH, JESUS CHRIST!" screamed Dark Knight as his funny bone tingled with the hellacious nervous pain that comes with elbowing a tungsten cheekbone the wrong way.

"Come on, detective! This isn't you!"

"Everything I've ever done, everything I've ever lived through, it was to kill them!" he shouted angrily, wriggling his arms out of Yakshorts' vice-like grip. He grabbed his shield that was on the floor and hit the superhuman over the head until he let go deliriously.

With a hint of recovery from his intense crotchal pain, Yakshorts leapt again, grabbing the Dark Knight and flying out the open window.

"Let me go, you bastard!" shouted Dark Knight, slamming the edge of the shield into the pressure point on Yakshorts' neck.

Yakshorts cringed and fell into the street, landing headfirst and creating a small crater. Dark Knight put on his emergency balaclava to keep the public from learning his identity as he ran back towards the building, firing at Yakshorts' chest, tearing more of his costume and drawing blood. Yakshorts, now full of adrenaline, jogged after him, his powers too damaged to allow for flight.

"Detective!" yelled Yakshorts as he chased Dark Knight into the lobby, "I know you're better than this, you're a good man!"

"There's no such goddamn thing!" Dark Knight said, shaking Yakshorts' hand off of his shoulder.

"You know there is!" Yakshorts said, trying to grab his arm again. He was punched in the face, and this time he was vulnerable.

"If there is such a thing, I'm not it. All this is is for revenge! That's it, that's all I'll ever be. My whole life has been building up to this, and if you get in my way, I will kill you!" Dark Knight turned around and shouted at Yakshorts while he clutched his jaw in pain, before he continued walking.

"Why didn't you kill any of the other criminals then?"

"They wouldn't do those things to people's parents in front of them!"

"I'm sure you've faced plenty of them before who would..."

"Fuck it, Kale, this is personal! This is the only reason I'll ever be the Dark Knight!"

"The only reason? You mean you've never felt rewarded by people's smiles? You never felt honored when the mayor gave you the key to the city?"

"... Just shut up!" Dark Knight said, walking into the hallway and reloading his revolver. The two men were already there, attempting to escape. They froze again when they saw him, as if hoping that he wouldn't notice them there.

The Deadly detective raised his revolver, aiming straight for the closest one's head. There was a long, and tense pause. The Dark knight dropped his gun on the ground and walked away.

"See? I was right! I knew you were a good man!" Yakshorts said, following Dark Knight out the door.

"Fuck you."

"I was thinking of starting a group. You know, a band of heroes who fight crime on a global scale, and seeing as how you're-"

"I'll look into it, leave me alone."

"Alright, I get it. Just remember that we're going to meet in starbucks this Saturd-"

"Piss off."

"You forgot your helmet."

"I'll get it later."

"Okay, see ya later, alligator." said Yakshorts, overjoyed as he began walking away.

WIP