#Dkatos

[agentpink-writes]

WIP Intro: Ethereal

NOTE: This is going to be the base for my WIP, Ethereal, so it’s not going to have as much detail as I want it to have at the moment (I’m going to add more onto it later). Just want to clarify that. Once I add more details/finish it (mostly), I’ll get rid of this little note at the beginning. 

ALSO there is A LOT of worldbuilding detail, so if it gets confusing, it’s mainly because this is set over a five-part series, so it definitely explained a lot later on. However, I tried to be as clear as possible, so hopefully its at least mostly readable. I won’t be addressing ALL the worldbuilding facts, however, so some parts are going to be purposefully unclear.

Genre: (Low) Science Fiction/Fantasy or just Science Fantasy, if you want to get technical.

Status: 1st Draft (of Book 1 of the Series)

Date Created: March 16th, 2017

Progress: 14,891 words

Trigger Warnings: Cannibalism (yeah its THAT kind of story), drug mentions, violence/killing

Background:

Hundreds of years passed since the Earth’s self-destruction. Humanity explored the seemingly infinite Universe, with no end in sight. In its conquests, humanity exterminated most alien life or drove them further into the cosmos, leaving only a few to roam in isolation. Not a single planet found by humanity was left untouched. Resources were plentiful, and many were happy. Life was good.

However, due to the increase of life expectancy and the decrease in the pregnancy term, over-population became a quickly growing issue. Resources dwindled, food became scarce, and there were only more and more mouths to feed as the years past.

Then, the White Ashes, a meat-processing corporation, rose to power. After a civil war amidst the old Governments, the White Ashes became the new, universal government to rule over nearly all of humanity. As its first, official rule, it decreed that cannibalism was now a legal and enforced practice, and would replace at least seventy percent of the market in terms of food supply. Once a person became 85 years old (the average was 150), they would be sent to the Slaughterhouse to be killed and harvested for meat. 

Decades past and the population became stabilized, helped by the cannibalism law. Eventually, humanity became so reliant on cannibalism, food from animals and plants became scarce, and were considered a delicacy in many parts of the Universe. The “70 percent rule” initially decried had now reached 92 percent.

Currently, the White Ashes still hold control over nearly all aspects of government and food supply. Although there has been resistance, they still are very much in power, mainly due to their complex, deeply woven system of food distribution that, if one were to overthrow this government, one might upset the entire food supply for nearly all of humanity. Yet, despite this, it seems as if the White Ashes are losing their grip over their years, and they will stop at nothing to prevent this (particularly the brother to their leader, Tobias Ash...)

Synopsis (First Book):

Nion is another planet that hosts one of many White Ashes headquarters across the Universe. Crime and corruption run rampant, due to mismanagement and lack of real police or military force. 

To make it in this harsh place, an assassin under the alias the Owl is constantly hired to kill people like low-level White Ash politicians and other crime bosses in order to make money. They cover their identity by wearing a full-white disguise, and a mask reminiscent of the simple face of a snow white owl. 

After being hired to kill another target, the Owl ends up coming in contact with men affiliated with a powerful drug cartel. The men reveal their intentions and, inevitably, lead the Owl to meet one of their sub-leaders, Engel, for a job. 

Their target? A new and upcoming corporation called Viaplex, which deals with the illegal construction and maintenance of war machines and robots. The drug cartel plans to take down Viaplex as an act of revenge, as the White Ashes had previously attacked them for their illegal drug trade yet they also fund and endorse illegal corporations like Viaplex. 

Stuck in a complex and bitter conflict, the Owl is hired to take out the mysterious head of Viaplex for a large sum of money, hoping to use the funds to move of Nion. Things get more complicated when the Viaplex head turns out to be someone the Owl knows, and it doesn’t help that this person thinks the Owl is dead.

Main Characters: 

“The Owl” | 21 Years Old | Hitman/Assassin

The Owl’s true name, is in fact, Kova. She assumes the full-body identity in order to hide her gender, which helps since she tries to hide her overall identity as much as possible.

Kova is the main protagonist of the story. She is actually the result of an experiment, which mixed the DNA of humans and that of the extraterrestrial/fantastical creatures known only as Spirits to create her and several others like her into “Novas”. The experiment was driven by the princely figure Tobias Ash, younger brother to the leader of the White Ashes. Tobias Ash, disappointed in the lost opportunity, dumped the remaining few hundred in a school environment, where they learned the techniques and fighting skills to be soldiers for the White Ashes. 

One of the special benefits, however, that resulted from the experiment were an extra pair of black tentacles that came from the back, and could be extended and meld with the body. Depending on the Nova, one could actually change the properties of them, like hardening them until their sharper than blades.  

Kova was also one of the attendees at this military school, however, she lost her memories up to a point where she had a fight with another Nova she befriended, Arandis. All she knows is that, between her absent memories, the entire military school was destroyed and nearly all the Novas were eradicated. She then took the skills she learned, and turned it to her benefit, by doing the only thing she knew possible: being a hitman. 

Although kind, in a sense, her years of memory loss and training have hardened her into a serious, somewhat enigmatic individual. She also has some anger issues and very loose morals, along with a love for darker humor. She’s also isolated both physically and mentally, which is in part due to her complicated past with being in a temporary ‘family’ which also ended in tragedy. However, as the story progresses, she warms up, and its shown that she isn’t nearly as cruel or hateful or even as bitter as she thinks herself to be (in fact, she turns out to be more understanding).

Engel | 27 Years Old | Sub-Leader in the (Icetite) Drug Trade

A majorly enigmatic/mysterious person, he is one who is willing to stay within the law up to a certain extent. He has a penchant for rich/superficial fashions, as he likes to adorn himself in casual business suits and jewelry. However, the most identifiable feature on him is the disturbing amount of tiny, blue diamond shaped crystals that seem to be embedded on one side of his face (there’s exactly 23 of them). These crystals are actually the source of the drug Icetite, which is broken down into a dust-like substance or turned into a liquid to be snorted or injected. 

Engel, in this case, has been using his own drug supply for over seven to nine years. One of the major effects it has, like its other regulars, is its attack/suppression of the limbic system in the brain, which controls emotions. As a result, Engel is a seemingly blank, morose, yet rather serious individual with no seemingly greater emotion then revenge. 

After Engel contracts Kova for help, they begin to interact, which leads to some nasty conflicts due to both of their somewhat negative personalities. However, as with Kova, the story progresses with both of them beginning to see the similarities in one another, and Engel even showing that he, in fact, is not actually as unemotional as he acts, and might be even more emotional due to his suppressed feelings over the years...

Dkatos | 32 Years Old | (Temporary) Bodyguard for Viaplex Head

Dkatos is another non-human that is the opposite of both Kova and Engel. He is an outgoing, overly ‘friendly’, and sarcastic guy who seems to be covering up his own dark secrets. Despite his seemingly flirtatious, as well as open behavior, he has also proven himself to be a dangerous foe. 

He is actually a creature called an Underbiter. Underbiters are the result of years and years of cannibalism and were created due to a mutation in a certain ancestry of humans. These creatures, which grew to be entirely separate from humans (although their biological makeup is similar) can shift their mouth at will so they grow rows of sharp teeth (similar to a tiger, but proportionate to their face). Underbiters also have more agility and heightened sense, which is intended to help catch their prey: humans. In fact, unlike humans, they can ONLY eat humans, which wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that Underbiter meat is poisonous to humans, so the White Ashes can’t recycle their bodies. They are commonly placed in camps/colonies, where they are usually used for labor and other extraneous jobs. 

Dkatos’ current job is working as a head bodyguard for the head of the Viaplex company. He works mainly so he can get a regular diet of meat, although it seems he does have some ulterior goals as well.

Kova’s (aka the Owl’s) first encounter with Viaplex involved Dkatos, who she ended up getting into a fight with. There, she notices the fact that Dkatos might not only be an Underbiter but also some greater, as his level of strength is greater than anyone she had ever seen. However, it isn’t until later until she discovers who he is, where he’s from, and how his origins, along with others like him, may actually be a key into what becomes a huge problem later on...

Other Characters (I’ll edit/add later):

Arandis | 21 Years Old | ???

Another Nova Kova befriended. Her current status is unknown, but her role is very important.

Tobias Ash | 38 Years Old | Sub-Leader of the White Ashes

A cruel and power-hungry man set on finding the best way to make him the most powerful being in the Universe. He vehemently hates his brother Ottoron Ash, the leader, and his insecurities are primarily based on him. Although violent, he is capable, adaptive, and smart, and has a long-lasting will like no other.

He goes under the pseudonym “Carnem”, as he seems to have changed his body and face. 

Mei | 42 Years Old | Worked/Taught at the Nova School

A somewhat minor, yet important character. She is revealed to be a Galaxy Spirit, which is related to the other Spirits but isn’t nearly on the same level on them and its suggested that Galaxies are also Novas, in a way (experiments made long ago). She doesn’t play a huge role in the first book, but her existence, along with Galaxy Spirits and other Spirits become important later on.

Links:

None.

Other: 

None.

[agentpink-writes]

Planty ask game! 💐🌱🌲 for whoever you wish~

Hey there, thanks for asking! 💕 I’m going to go with my WIP, Ethereal.

💐 What flowers would be used in a flower crown for your oc? Why those choices?

I’m going to use my main trio for this one…

Kova: Blue hydrangea and/or blue roses, mixed in with some white roses and/or another type of white flowers. I chose them since it compliments her eye color.

Dkatos: Red begonia and/or red chrysanthemum and some more begonias, but pink. I chose it also for his eyes, but also because it matches his ‘fiery’ personality.

Engel: White roses and lavender. Mainly because his hair is white, but also because I thought it’d looked cute.

🌱 What are some of your OC's dreams? Goals?

Kova suppresses her dreams most of the time since she considers that her only viable skills are in killing and that she isn’t meant to want or do anything else (part brainwashing here). One of these dreams is actually to make clothes/outfits, since the outfit she wears as an assassin she actually made her own. Again, though, she pushes this aside, mainly due to her insecurities about it and not feeling like she’s good enough to do that (as a career). 

Kova’s main goal is buried deep within her (same with her dreams, she suppresses a lot of her own needs and wants). She essentially has a desire to find a place in the world, specifically with a family/friends. She’s been isolated for most of her life, so this mostly comes from her urge to not be alone anymore.

Another (minor) goal would be her wish to be able to come out as asexual. She’s always felt a sort of shame about it since the world she lives in relishes the concept/nature of sex. She always felt like something was ‘wrong’ with her because she wasn’t interested in it. She even tried having sexual relations, but they didn’t end well, and she ended up regretting them as a result. 

But she ends up learning that she’s fine the way she is and she ends up coming to terms with her insecurities later in the series (and she does accept her own asexuality as well) :)

🌲 Which of your OCs like the cold the best? Which can handle it the best?

 Engel, just cause he’s from a planet where it's naturally cold.  He’s also the one who can handle it the best, which also makes Kova question if he really is a human or not (in a joking sense). 

[agentpink-writes]

6, 15, 28, 51? Just picked a selection, feel free to answer whichever ones you want to :)

6. Favorite character you’ve written? 

So I already answered this question in another ask, but I’ll just repost my answer anyway: 

I’d have to say Dkatos from my WIP Ethereal is probably my favorite to write (I’m going to post something about that WIP eventually). He’s a morally grey character who is also sarcastic and dark, so it’s fun to write how he interacts with the other characters.

I really should post my other WIP intro page the more I think about it lol

15. How do you deal with self-doubt when writing?

I usually take a break until I feel better about my WIP or my writing, but sometimes this can get out of hand as its really easy to procrastinate like this, especially when I haven’t been writing on the regular. This is mainly induced by the fear that my work is so bad I can’t even look at it. 

But whenever this happens, I usually go on Tumblr and see what other Writblrs have posted and it makes me feel like I’m part of a community. Like, before I joined, I was in a bad place writing-wise and I couldn’t seem to motivate myself to write anything, but seeing all these posts about other writers struggles on how similar my issues were to them made me feel like I wasn’t alone :)

28. How do you stay focused on your own work and how do you deal comparison? 

Well, this actually connects to the last answer a bit, but I’d say it takes a lot to really stay consistently focused. Even when I don’t procrastinate, I tend to be the out of the blue kind of writer who might ignore their WIP for a good week and then write seven pages at 4 am in the morning. I think its also hard for me to focus because of college, and the number of readings and papers I have to do. I am an English major, so I do get a little sick of having to write after so long, even if it is my WIP.

Oh my god, I used to be so awful when it came to comparing myself! In a way, I still do, especially in my major since I compare my skills all the time, but I feel like I deal with it a lot better then I did then. I mostly do it by talking to those I’m envious of, and usually when I do I realize that they aren’t “perfect” as I imagine them to be (not that they’re not good, but they aren’t like looking down on me as my social anxiety would like me to believe). I think the best way to deal with that is to confront those your comparing your WIP/skills/stuff too, as it helps to outline a bigger picture. And I’ve found the less I make it about myself (ex. I’m not as good as them) it helps as well :)

51. Are you a secretive writer or do you talk to your friends about your books?

 I’d say its a mix between both. I’m secretive around (most) friends and acquaintances and even some of my family members. However, I’ve been trying to change that and I talk to my sister wayyyyy too much about it now, and I think I’m annoying her! Which is good, because I do anything to make her suffer :) jk jk

Also, I started talking to one of my closest friends about it, since she also has a Tumblr account and I’m moving in with her next year :) 

Besides that, I think I mentioned to my mother and dad how I like to write, but for the most part they either don’t really ask or they just say “oh, this isn’t for school?” when I ask for help when it comes to military information or any other WIP background information they might know about (both of them were in the Army so that def helps).

Anyway, thank you so much for asking! I meant to answer sooner, but I’ve been so busy with college this week and everything seems to be piling up!

[agentpink-writes]

6, 21, 29 for the writer asks? :3

Hey, thanks for asking! I meant to answer sooner, but I had a lot of schoolwork so I apologize about that :)

6. Favorite character you’ve written?

I’d have to say Dkatos from my WIP Ethereal is probably my favorite to write (I’m going to post something about that WIP eventually). He’s a morally grey character who is also sarcastic and dark, so it’s fun to write how he interacts with the other characters.

I really should post my other WIP intro page the more I think about it lol 

21. What aspect of your writing are you proud of?

I think (although I do mess it up 50% of the time) my dialogue is the better part of my writing process. I really don’t like having to do long descriptions, so dialogue, for me, is a lot more fun do. I tend to put a lot more effort into it too.

29. Is your writing more of a hobby or do you write with the intention of getting published?

It’s a mix of both, but for my main WIPS, like God of the Machine, I plan on publishing them eventually. However, I have a lot of ideas that I just write because I want to write them. This involves a lot of short stories I have, so I don’t really plan on publishing any of them.