#Arram Elkerov

[rockiesturnrose]

The Good Ol’ Days of RP-Second Generation

I’m blaming this on having a bit of nostalgia for the ~glory days~ of RPing with friends. At least before it became a convoluted clusterfuck of who knows what. Anyways.

So, in undergrad, I started RPing with friends after a wonderful D&D campaign we wanted to continue off the table. So that meant second generations! My D&D character was a human who married a human, so all her kids were human. Which made them different from my friends’ OCs, who were elves and nymphs and other long-lived races. There were three main families to match the three of us doing this (it eventually spiraled, but we’ll stick with this for now. This post is just going over the second generation)

It became apparent very early on that this was going to be an RP of drama. These spawn were just gonna fight and fuck each other because why the hell not. And at first it was great! There were almost outright battles between two testosterone-y teenage boys who wanted the same coquettish teenage girl. There were awkward flirtations, and oblivious idiots, and people who found true love in the boy/girl they had known all their lives.

The main plots I remember are this:

Callum, Jareth’s twin brother, realized in his late teenage years that he needed to get away from the craziness of these three families. His dream was to meet a nice girl, settle down in a nice house, and have nice children. And he realized this was his dream because....

Jareth, his brother, was one of the testosterone-y teenage boys fighting over a girl. He and Rook, a super powered, super horny, superbly asshole-ish nymph, were both head over heels for Sirya, a pretty, powerful elven sorceress. This was more than just two dumb teenagers who would eventually move on--this became deeply personal and dangerous, fast. It was a love triangle characterized by Sirya’s indecision and fears--Jareth was a human with no interest in changing that, so he was far too mortal for Sirya despite the fact she loved how good a person he was. And while Rook was an asshole, he was an asshole who would be around for a while and could, therefore, change. Sirya chose to be with Rook when they were all about 18, so Jareth said ‘Fuck it’ and went to bury his broken heart with mercenary work and eventually met Felshin. Sirya and Rook had a very on-again/off-again relationship, and when it was off, she and Jareth were on. It was not the least bit healthy. 

Meanwhile, Landon (Jareth and Callum’s younger brother) was a quiet, bookish sort, and the only ~magical~ kid. More interested in nature than in drama. He was being crushed on by Grove, Rook’s younger sister. He was oblivious to that, and really uninterested in romance at all until his mother took in an ‘orphan’ named Anya. It wasn’t true love between Anya and Landon--more just a friendship that had its limits stretched by teenage curiousity. Hey, this sex stuff sounds interesting should we try it? They would eventually outgrow each other, and she’d find love in the arms of a man named Arram, while Grove would eventually confess her love to Landon.

Seila, the youngest of my second generation, was just as bookish as Landon, and just as non-magical as her oldest brothers. She liked to tinker, and read, and discovered a passion for archaeology and other hidden knowledge. She had a fervent admirer in Orelion, Sirya’s twin brother. She spent years convinced he just flirted with her to be mean, and resisted being a notch in his bed post. She eventually discovered he was dead serious about his feelings, and realized she felt the same way. The two got married pretty quickly and ran off to a private manor, where both could lose themselves in their work and each other.

[rockiesturnrose]

Anya, Kit, Arram andddd Fia for the secrets meme :3

Anya

“The only reason I ran away from my secure chance at the throne was because I couldn’t stand the oaf I needed to marry to get there. Not because I wasn’t ready, not because I was scared. In fact, I had plans to implement and a vision to fulfill. I would’ve been a good queen. An excellent queen. No, I ran away solely because I couldn’t stand my future husband. He was a perverted oaf with no substance but plenty of stubbornness, and a tendency to listen to backwards old men before any woman and unfortunately the only way I’d have to secure my tenuous rule and implement my ideas was if I let him get me pregnant. I saw myself becoming…complacent with him, giving up on my ideas and my spirit to serve as decoration, instead of keeping my will strong and forcing him to listen. I would not allow myself to become that, so I ran. I ran, and I left the kingdom to suffer the rule of one of its worst kings in history.”

Kit

“…I was almost arrested during my first year of university. Not like "ohh, juvenile delinquency, she’s such a rebellious child on her own for the first time”, but like, “major prison time” arrested for doing Something Really Bad. There’s a longish story behind it all, but it can be boiled down to ‘bad life choices caused by a boy’, which actually tells you about half of what you need to know. But I would like to clarify, I really only accidentally provided him the means to do this Really Bad Thing, which sounds like I’m making excuses. I’m fully aware my part was Bad, but only like, 15% bad when you look at the entire picture of what transpired. And we thought what we were doing was good! He took it that step too far, and took 100% of the fall because of it. He actually wouldn’t let me take any blame, which was…oddly selfless of him?

So, anyways, my name isn’t even mentioned in any accounts here except as the ‘distraught, innocent girlfriend of the criminal mastermind’. My parents don’t even know, and I’m keeping it that way. Forever.”

Arram

*currently poking through this man’s dark and twisty mind. Please check back*

Fia

“You want a secret? Seriously? Fine. I’m terrified my very existence reminds my mom of the unspeakable asshole who knocked her up in the first place. Like, she can spout all she wants about how I’m completely different and a treasure and the best thing that jackass ever made and the catalyst for her leaving or whatever but…I met the guy. When I was nine. And I’m his spitting image, I have nothing of my mom’s features. So if his face reminds her of all the horrid shit she went through, what does mine do? Does she look at me and see her wasted future? What she could’ve done if she’d left before she got knocked up? Because I’m not the product of ‘true love’ or whatever bullshit like the boys are.” 

…There. You got your godsdamned secret. Piss off.”

[rockiesturnrose]

First reactions, misc.

Arram (( In some sort of long term thing with Anya ))

Completely smitten and turning on the smolder.

Anya (( In some sort of long term thing with Arram ))

Completely intrigued by the handsome stranger who purchased her typical breakfast. Intrigued enough to not be shy.

Liam ((widower with a new flame in the form of Robbie))

You look like a kicked puppy, boyo. A kicked puppy mooning over the kicker. You stupid sap.

[rockiesturnrose]

{Drink count-- Fel: Two shots; Arram: Nothing}

Ar: “Just you? I would’ve thought Soph…”

F: “-shakes her head, cutting him off- Don’t.”

Ar: “…Oh. You two...you...?”

F: “-nods mutely, grabbing the bottle from behind the bar and pouring another shot-“

Ar: “I’m sorry….”

F: “-downs the shot and turns to glare at him, brandishing the bottle- There’s a three drink minimum before you can start in with the platitudes and the sympathy.”

Ar: “Takes the bottle. Aye-aye, captain.”

F: “Master Warrant Officer, actually. Not a captain yet.”

{Drink count--Fel: Three pints of beer, four shots; Arram: A pint of beer}

F: “…I just should’ve seen it coming, what with everything.”

Ar: “Everything?”

F: “If we weren’t discussing Ri, we were coping with her feelings about him. Oh, the kids want to meet him, oh, Lizzy and I are having coffee with him, oh, we’re spending more time together, no, no, I’m over him. Oh, I kissed him.”

Ar: “She said the kiss didn’t bug you. Hell, she was worried at your non-reaction to it.”

F: “It didn’t bug me! I’ve seen more than my fair share of crap in relationships, and kissing your ex is NOTHING. Nothing, zip, zilch. It happens. It’s not even an offense in my book! I just…gods, Jareth was almost the same.”

Ar: “He was?”

 F: "-sighs and waves over the bartender- Got time for a relationship story?"

  {Drink count--Fel: five pints of her own beer, half a pint stolen from Arram, six shots; Arram: One and a half pints of beer}

F: "-slams her glass on the table- What's wrong with me?"

Ar: "What do you mean?"

F: “What’s wrong with me that I’m just the second choice? M’always the second choice. S’like no one can ever love me enough to be the first…I've never been the first.”

Ar: “-pulls her in for a hug- Fel….”

F: “-muffled-S’all I wanted when I was young, y’know? A nice person who adored me an' lotsa kids an’ a quiet life. Instead I became a scarred ugly soldier who always comes in second."

Ar: “Ugly? Excuse you?”

F: “-sniffles, resting her head on his chest- Mean inside. I know m’gorogeo…gorg..HOT.”

Ar: “Oh, that’s a lie if I’ve heard one. You’re not the least bit ugly”

F: “I AM. I’ve done…I’ve done shit that’s not…s’not pretty. M’twisted. S’gotta be it, people jus’ see the ugly an’…”

Ar: “-stroking her hair- Fel, I don’t think there’s any ‘ugly’ in you."

F: "There's gotta be, though. Or I'm being punished fer...fer soldiering an'..."

Ar: "You aren't being punished. Trust me, people worse than you still manage to obtain happy lives. You just haven't found the right one."

F: "M'never gonna..."

Ar: "That's just being negative. Here, drink some water..."

{Drink count- Fel: holding strong at five and a half pints, seven shots, 3 glasses of water; Arram: Two and a half pints of beer, one shot incessantly shoved at him}

 Ar: “So did you love her then, or…?”

F: “I dunno. I dunno anymore. I told..I told myself a’fer Fia’s dad that…that ‘love’ was a stupid word ‘cause he ‘loved’ me an’ his love gave me this. –pulls up her shirt to reveal a very nasty scar over her ribcage- an’ that I’d never be in love again. But...“

Ar: “-inhales- That…Fel, what is that?”

F: “-pulling her shirt back down-S’in the past, is what it is. Le’s jus’ say anger was his true love. I was just the mistress. –pauses, then laughs- SEE? Always in second. Always…”

Ar: “I don’t think…”

F: “-interrupts him-An’ s’not like we were together tha’ long t’put reallllly deep feelin’s to it! I jus’…I thought she…she’d get me. We’d get each other. A coupla single mums with shitty romance lives. –sighs- Shoulda just remained friends.”

Ar: “Are you going to be?”

F: “I dunno. I wanna be. Said so, too. S’not her fault she likes the jackass an’ she didn’t…s’not like she led me on or whatever crap. M’not mad at her or anythin’. Jus’ kinda…-takes another shot- SHE’S the one who's gonna feel guilty ‘bout this an’ not wanna see me or nothin’…”

Ar: “-sighs- That’s very true..”

F: “S’a damn shame ‘cause I liked her brats an’ mine liked hers an...-voice getting a bit more choked up- Y’shoulda seen ‘em at breakfast, s’like they were siblings or some shit. Tacklin’ each other for food an…it was nice. S’what I wanted…”

Ar: “-rubs her back comfortingly-“

F: “An’ now I don’t got it an’ I’m never gonna have it. M’gonna be alone forever.”

Ar: “You don’t know that.”

F: “M’OLD, Arram. M’old an’ an’ mean an’ an’…OLD. No one wants me...”

Ar: "Bullshit. I'll find someone to prove you wrong."

{Drink count--Fel: Five and a half pints, eight shots, three glasses of water; Arram: Two and a half pints of beer, two shots}

F: “Arrrrrrrrrammm’not feeelin’ good. Wanna puke.”

Ar: “Oh, gods, please no. Wanna go home?”

F: “-shakes her head mutely-“

Ar: “…to Fia?”

F: “Fia’d murder. An’ she’s happy bein’ married. M’daughter got married afore me. I wanted t’marry.”

Ar: “I know, I know, you said…”

F: “Wan' m'babies. M'boys. Don' wanna be alone...Gods, m'alone..."

[rockiesturnrose]

Human Gods- When they want to make their magic apparent, it’s gold and, more often than not, blinding to look at. If you can retain your eyesight long enough, you could make out a different colour distinct to each god.

Arram- a blue that’s so dark, it almost looks black. Shot through with gold as a sign of his divine ‘favour’ [colour]

Rhen-a dark turquoise. Almost matches that of his niece [colour]

Anika- was a bright teal, but much to her father’s relief, it disappeared. [colour]

Zero- at the moment, it’s started manifesting as bright, pretty turquoise. It’ll remain this way until she’s at least 6, at which point a disgusting grey will start creeping up. [colour]

{Apparently, being of the Elkinder line means your magic will be some type of blue...}

Tana- If she bothered to discover she has magic, she’d find it’s magenta, outlined with gold to signify her status as a god’s child. [colour]

Fia- Because she's a friggin' dragon, she apparently gets magic in the same colour her hair was when she first met Meg (can I get a "d'awww?")  [colour]

Halaani- A nice, friendly, warm orange. At total odds with her personality. [colour]

Gavyn- Dark green. I would've said blue to match his eyes, but an entire family tree of Elkinders hissed at me. Apparently they didn't want to share that colour with "goblin scum" [colour]

Parry*- Rose pink, and damn straight it's pretty. [colour]

*I have more goblings with magic, but seeing as these two are the only ones to make a strong impression on my muse thus far, it is only these two touched on here

[rockiesturnrose]

Well, shit.

The knock at the door is the first exciting thing to happen to Fawkes in two days. The house has been too quiet—too empty, too lonely—since Grandma took Zero and Tori decided to go back to the Breath, leaving Fawkes alone. So naturally Fawkes leaves off gazing at a farmhand to answer it. Right now, actual conversation with another being is a more desirous prospect than fantasizing.

He pulls the door open to find Grandma Anya and Grandpa Arram on the other side, the latter bouncing from foot to foot in anticipation. Fawkes’ brow furrows in confusion. His sister isn’t with them, though they could have just left her with Uncle Rhen for a bit. Still, he’d hoped to see her..

"Did you forget something of Zero’s?” he asks, not sure of any other reason they'd be here. “A toy?” She’s normally a pleasant and sunny child, except when her stuffed animals are involved.

His grandmother raises an eyebrow and makes as if to say something, but Fawkes presses on. “It’s weird, you forgetting something, but I guess when you decide to take her early a few things are missed. I didn’t really have a chance to pack for her, either…”

Now Grandma interrupts him. “Fawkes, love, what are you talking about?”

He looks between the two of them, his own confused look matched by theirs. “You…” he’s not entirely sure where to start. “Zero…is she unhappy because she left something…?”

“Fawkes, we’ve come to collect Zero…” his grandpa starts slowly. 

The teenager shakes his head firmly. “You already have Zero!” he insists, panic blossoming in his chest. “You…you came for her two days ago…?”

His voice drops off into an uncertain whisper as his grandparents share a look. Then Grandma turns to him, grey eyes flashing. "Fawkes...why don't you let us in and tell us exactly what's going on?"

[rockiesturnrose]

Truth: Arram, it's been mentioned that it's a relief for you to be able to use tildes around Sophie~ How difficult is it to restrain yourself from flirting with her regularly?

“I wouldn’t say it’s ever been so difficult I couldn’t handle it, but it’s been a struggle. She’s pretty, smart, and reminds me of Anya. Do you see my problem here?

Of course, it’s a lot easier to restrain myself when Fel’s around–because Fel would probably skin me– or when she’s getting down about Ri. There are just some thing you don’t do when she’s on that tangent, and flirt with her is one of them.”

[rockiesturnrose]

Truth (Arram): How did you honestly, truly, trulyyyy feel about Ri when he turned up? Is it about the same as now~? Also why did you summon and keep that stupid rabbit?

“I felt like he could go poof back from whence he came and it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. Annoying prick, waltzing in like "Oh, look, your lady likes me, how does it feel to shareeee?” Bit of an adjustment, sharing like that. But he’s kind of…grown on me. And Anya’s happy, which was really the only reason I even thought about this. 

I’m still going to torment him, though. He makes it tooooo easy~

Also, *I* wasn’t the one to summon the rabbit. Ri was. I just kept it because it’s quiet, cute, and annoys him~“

[rockiesturnrose]

Truth (Arram): Ore, being the little shit he is, is wondering when and why you started knitting~ (And he also wants you to knit a horribly gaudy sweater for Yar.)

“I started doing it…when I was 30 and trying not to be a disgusting drunkard. It was a very good distraction, even if all my first projects turned out horrible, with uneven tension and dropped stitches and…-shudders-

And I couldn’t do horribly gaudy if I tried. Well. I probably could. But I wouldn’t. You want to make your daughter an awful sweater, you learn how to knit”

[rockiesturnrose]

Truth: Arram, seriously. Your voice is scratchy. You sound like a chain smoker. Are you?

“Ok, first, who would smoke chains? They aren’t that easy to set on fire, and metal really hurts when it’s hot.

…In all seriousness, I don’t know whose voice you’re hearing, but it’s certainly not mine. Mine is smooth and rich~ Scratchy when I’m ill. Maybe I’m sick and you just haven’t asked how I’m doing. -fakes a cough or two-“

[rockiesturnrose]

Truth (Arram): How exactly did your sister die and do you still miss her? | Truth (Anya): If you had a chance to go back and pick a less...dangerous profession would you? Something normal and obscure without the added risks.

Arram:

“She died the same way all the females in my family line did. Her magic got her. I wasn’t there and I didn’t want to know the details. They had to…*chokes* reassemble her to make her presentable for the funeral. And of course I still miss her. She was the only sane one in the family and that’s saying something.”

Anya:

“There wasn’t a lot open to a useless runaway noble except maybe maid. I like where I ended up and wouldn’t do a thing to change it.”

[rockiesturnrose]

Truth (Arram): Which god did you make your deal with? AKA Who holds your soul? And how annoying is that? Do they make you run errands sometimes?

“Okay, first part is easy. The god is known to me as Varden, but is known to the general population as The Hooded God, the Shrouded God, the Traveler, The Great Mysterious Ponce, et cetera, et cetera. You know, the kind of god that likes to spend time among mortals so you don’t get that clear a picture of him in your religious texts.

Second part…gets a bit more complicated. See, some of the problem in this question lies with the wording. I didn’t make a deal—I tricked the guy. It was fantastic too, because I was so drunk at the time I didn’t even know I had done it. But then it sort of evolved into a deal..well, a couple of deals, so he wouldn’t have to cater to my whims all the time. It’s kind of complicated and I don’t think the details are really that interesting to anyone anymore.

…Right, long story short, I hold my soul, which is annoying. I just get some perks that come with having tricked a god, then later gaining said god’s friendship. And yeah, I sometimes run errands. But it’s worth it because my family is safe and happy and Varden doesn’t want to end my life anymore.

…and I really just say I made a deal with a god because people don’t ask questions. “

[rockiesturnrose]

Truth: (Arram) - Why do you avoid shopping with Anya and Ri~? :3 Inquiring minds wish to know~

“I just hate shopping, no mysterious, nefarious reason here. You walk and you look at useless stuff and you think "Oh, maybe I’ll get it, but then again no because I already have something like it.” Plus, they were lingerie shopping. Why do I need to see the process when I can enjoy the rewards later?“

[rockiesturnrose]

Meet Arram. If there's one person who is a lot more than meets the eye, it's this man.

  His birth name, Reus Elkinder, is still in the magical history books. 400 years ago, this name was prominent in the elite circles of sorcerers and mages of the world. A prodigy from a powerful family that already had too much magic. A talented inventor, who didn't jot down a single unique spell. A man of ambition and drive, and the power to back up whatever he set his mind to. He and Lath, a similarly powerful and driven individual,  were the 'perfect storm'. They were the 'scourges' of the magical world, given that their combined talents and proper motivation could have seen them in charge of a continent or two.

  For all anyone knows, Reus up and disappeared one day, leaving neither his image nor his research and work behind. Many theories swirl in textbooks-death (natural or murder), curse, locked away by the mages-but nothing has ever been proven and nothing ever will be.

  Arram is the complete opposite of Reus, and not even the most fanatic conspiracy theorists could reconcile the two.

  There are all of 2 people who know of Arram's past: Lath and Anya. For everyone else, Arram's just Arram. He's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke, fairly lackadaisical, and quick with a spell when you need it. Sure, he's got a bit more power than the average mage and tends to forget it, but that's attributed to the magical background he claims to have. He's done nothing special with this power and shows no signs of having ambitions beyond teaching his son.

  Reus was a terror to the mage world due to his threatening, inventing, and being generally evil. Arram's a dopey teacher with a 'cruel streak' (see: an office 12stories up the steepest staircase in the school and have we mentioned he magically dead-zoned the area?) but isn't anything special. And he likes it that way.

(Muse's original spiel: "Y'know, I think Arram's actually really super powerful but I don't think anyone acknowledges that because I don't think anyone knows. I don't think he WANTS anyone to know the only thing that's stopping him from taking over a kingdom or two is lack of motivation and his lady.")