askthepit

[askthepit]

I want to do better about giving my less-drawn characters time in the spotlight, so here is the full version of Hilary's intro image.

[askthepit]

Magical Girl Todd.

[askthepit]

[askthepit]

Ivy and a friend of a friend.

[askthepit]

Consulting the grimoire.

[askthepit]

"Stained Glass"

[askthepit]

Future Angela

[askthepit]

A recent redo of one of my favorite pieces from the old version of this blog.

[askthepit]

LUCIUS: What would you do if you won the lottery?

Lucius: Just because there's a limit to how far I'm willing to stick my neck out for others doesn't mean I'm a capitalist.

[askthepit]

[askthepit]

ANNIE: What helps you calm down?

Annie: And, obviously, hanging out with the two best little sisters in the whole wide world!

Lucy: Aww, thanks, Annie.

Angela: Yay! :')

[askthepit]

Introductions

The Community of Uniqueness, Love, and Talent

Hilary Bross (age unknown, she/her/hers) gets picked on a lot at school for being bulky and reserved, but her friends tell her that as a strong, silent type with a mysterious past to boot, she will undoubtedly be popular eventually. Really, though, she doesn’t need the promise of social metamorphosis to keep her going when she has her small but intimate group of friends, good books to get lost in, and a labyrinth to dig out when she does need to work out some stress.

Mary (age unknown, she/her/hers) is the head of the Knight family, and is only ever seen on the other side of a mirror, by the light of her one small candle. She has a hard time expressing her love, but when things go wrong, she has no qualms about making her grief abundantly, cataclysmically clear.

Lucius Helle (41 years old, he/him/his) understands that even as the legal owner of the house he and the others (save for Mary) call home, and even as the primary breadwinner of the household, he is far from the leader in any capacity, and he’s fine with that. He has no desire for prestige or opulence, instead prizing the safety and happiness of his family above all. What does bother him, however, is his eldest daughter’s insistence on putting their security on the line in her pursuit of a more just society.

Annie Helle (16 years old, she/her/hers) is Lucius’ eldest daughter. Her tireless efforts to empower the oppressed classes in her community include an ongoing hunger strike to extort money from her father, which could cast her in an admirable, even saintly (although concerning) light, if not for her unrepentant brutality towards those who, by choice or by circumstance, stand between her and her goals. Nobody knows if her zeal for revolution stems more from her genuine desire to help others or her personal vendetta against the oligarchy.

Angela Helle (11 years old, she/her/hers) is cold-blooded in the literal sense, but figuratively, she has one of the biggest and warmest hearts of the lot. As Annie’s beloved baby sister, she is the only person who can coax the ascetic communist to enjoy the occasional “luxury”: a mug of hot chocolate, perhaps, or an afternoon in a flower garden. She has the ability to drain heat from her surroundings, but usually doesn’t, except to refrigerate the food in the house to save electricity.

Ivy Knight (18 years old, she/her/hers) takes life a bit too seriously. She pours herself into her work to a degree that can be unhealthy, trying to create goodness and beauty in a world that so often seems hideously bleak. She has been trying to do better of late, though, retiring from her “night job” as a vigilante serial killer and burglar just in time for her career as a seamstress to take off in a major way.

Todd Knight (30 years old, she/her/hers) has gotten very good at balancing her generosity and deep care for others with loving and pampering herself, which itself takes strength in the face of a society that would reduce her to a subservient role. This balance has made her perhaps the happiest of the crew, although she has bad days like anyone else. She runs a pay-what-you-can restaurant, and is generally considered the power behind Annie’s metaphorical throne.

Selene Helle (age unknown, she/her/hers) is Lucius’ wife and Annie and Angela’s mother. Outside observers have been known to spend entire days visiting the house without realizing that she cannot retain memories for more than a minute, and has no idea who anyone is. Her breathtaking beauty and charm, along with her near-complete lack of responsibilities in the family, effectively mask her confusion most of the time.

Lucy Helle (approximately 14 years old, she/her/hers) is Lucius’ middle daughter / Annie and Angela’s sister. Questions about her origins trigger crying fits and ominous visions, but she is mostly a cheerful, outgoing child, brimming with optimism and imagination. Actually, her optimism and imagination sometimes interfere with her grip on reality, but her far-fetched plans to achieve Annie’s goals of social improvement without the bloodshed haven’t backfired terribly... yet.

Charles Knight (13 years old, he/him/his) is Todd’s son. Unlike Hilary and Lucy, the other orphans of the group, he can retain his composure when asked about his past, which he remembers perfectly well, but that doesn’t mean that nosy strangers will have their curiosity satisfied. He gets on well with the others, but spends most of his time tending the garden behind the house, which is shrouded in mist at all times and bears strange fruit under his care.

Leah and Leo Cullen (9 years old, she/her/hers and he/him/his, respectively) are only surreptitiously involved in the activities of the group, partly because of their tender age, and partly because their mother, the mayor of the town in which they all reside, is staunchly opposed to “that gang of freaks” and everything they stand for. Keeping their association a secret is a challenge, but Lucy’s illusions and Annie’s mind manipulations have been fairly effective so far.

Miner Knight (age unknown, he/him/his) is Ivy’s... cat. Well, “cat” is a strong word. With a body composed mostly of shadows that expand or dissipate in proportion to the level of fear present in those around him, what he is and how he came to be here is a murky question in every sense. Plagued by social anxiety that can only be counteracted by his devotion to Ivy, he rarely interacts with anyone else, although when he does, and if his audience can overcome their fight or flight response, he is found to be an absolute sweetheart, 10/10, would pet.

Moira (age unknown, they/them/theirs) introduces themselves as “a humble fortune-teller,” and they certainly are a skilled psychic. “Humble” is another question, however: Moira has a flair for the dramatic, and generally gives the impression that they know more about any given situation than you do, without actually sharing any useful information.