#OriginalCharacterStory

[layla-lobelia]

Chapter 1 : The Sun

Word Count: Approximately 1,162 words. Summary: The story begins with a nine-year-old Clark Kent watching as new neighbors, the Johnson family, move into the farmhouse next door.

The Kansas sun hung high in the sky, casting long shadows across the golden fields surrounding the Kent farm. Nine-year-old Clark Kent sat on the porch steps, his legs swinging back and forth as he watched the dust trail behind the moving truck rolling down the narrow dirt road. The truck creaked to a stop beside the neighboring farmhouse, a place that had been empty for as long as Clark could remember.

Clark tugged at the edge of his flannel shirt, feeling a mixture of curiosity and nervousness. New neighbors weren’t exactly common in Smallville, and the idea of meeting someone new made his heart race a little. He glanced back at the screen door behind him, where his mom, Martha Kent—or Ma Kent as everyone in town called her—was finishing up in the kitchen.

“You ready to meet the new folks?” Ma asked as she stepped out, carrying a large apple pie wrapped in a checkered cloth. Her smile was bright, but she had a keen way of noticing when Clark was uneasy.

“Yeah, I guess,” Clark replied, his voice a little higher than usual. He wasn’t scared exactly, but he couldn’t help feeling a little jittery.

Ma laughed softly and set the pie down for a moment, kneeling beside him. “They’re just people, Clark. Probably nervous, just like you are. But what’s the best way to meet new folks?”

Clark rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help grinning. “With kindness,” he said, parroting what Ma had told him a hundred times before.

“That’s right.” She ruffled his hair gently. “Now come on. Let’s give ‘em a proper Smallville welcome.”

Clark hopped off the porch, his boots kicking up little puffs of dirt as he and his mother made their way across the field that separated their farm from the neighbors’. He could see two men unloading furniture from the truck, lifting a couch and a couple of boxes toward the house. A woman stood nearby, shading her eyes with one hand as she surveyed the work. As Ma and Clark approached, the woman turned toward them and smiled.

“Hello there!” Ma Kent called out cheerfully, waving with her free hand.

The woman wiped her hands on her apron and walked over to greet them. Her hair was pulled into a neat bun, and her brown skin glowed in the sunlight. She looked warm and welcoming, the kind of person who could put anyone at ease with just a smile.

“Well, hello!” she said, her voice bright and full of energy. “You must be the Kents! I’m Flora Johnson. We’ve heard so many good things about you already.”

“And we’ve been lookin’ forward to meeting you,” Ma Kent replied, offering the pie with both hands. “We brought a little something—hope you all like apple pie.”

Flora’s eyes lit up as she accepted the pie. “Apple pie? Oh, this is just perfect! Thank you so much, Martha.” She handed Ma Kent a large glass jar filled with amber-colored honey. “My husband and I keep bees, so here’s a little something from our hive. You’ll never find better honey.”

Clark stood quietly by Ma’s side, his eyes flicking between the two women. He wasn’t sure when he was supposed to speak, and he felt like he was too big to hide behind Ma’s skirt but too shy to just stand there.

Flora seemed to notice Clark for the first time, her eyes softening as she bent down slightly to his level. “And who’s this handsome young man?”

“This is my son, Clark,” Ma Kent said with a proud smile. “Clark, say hello to Mrs. Johnson.”

Clark’s ears burned red as he mumbled, “Hello, ma’am,” keeping his eyes on the ground.

Flora chuckled softly. “A little shy, huh? Don’t worry, my daughter’s the same way. She’s around your age, but she’s probably hiding out in the barn right now. She’s not too thrilled about moving.”

Ma Kent gave Clark a gentle nudge. “Why don’t you go introduce yourself, Clark? I’m sure she’d love to meet someone her own age.”

Clark hesitated for a moment, but the idea of meeting someone new tugged at him, curiosity outweighing his nerves. “Okay,” he said, giving his mom a quick nod before walking toward the barn, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets.

As he rounded the side of the barn, he spotted a girl standing on the other side of a wooden fence. Her curly black hair, tied back with a red scarf, bounced as she tried to scramble over the fence. Her overalls, covered in tiny embroidered flowers, were dirt-smudged, and her face was scrunched up in concentration as she pulled herself up, one foot barely managing to hook over the top rail.

Clark watched for a moment, biting back a laugh, before stepping closer. “Uh, what’re you doing?”

The girl startled, her grip slipping as she dropped back down to the ground with a soft thud. She spun around, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “I’m tryin’ to leave,” she muttered, wiping her hands on her overalls as she glared at him. “What’s it to you?”

Clark blinked, caught off guard by her bluntness. “Leave? But… you just got here.”

Layla frowned and crossed her arms. “I don’t like it here. What if the people here are mean? I don’t know anyone, and I don’t wanna be here.”

Clark tilted his head, thinking for a second before he stepped a little closer. “I’m not mean. And you know me now.”

The girl huffed but didn’t say anything, her stubbornness starting to crack a little.

“I’ll be your friend,” Clark said simply, his voice full of warmth. “That way, you don’t have to worry about not knowin’ anyone. I’m Clark, by the way.”

Layla’s frown slowly melted into something softer as she stared at him. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she dropped her arms to her sides. “I’m Layla,” she said quietly, kicking at the dirt with her boot. “You really wanna be my friend?”

Clark shrugged like it was the easiest thing in the world. “Why not? We’re neighbors, right? And I don’t got many friends either.”

Layla’s eyes widened a little, as if she couldn’t quite believe he meant it. She glanced back at the fence for a moment, then at Clark. Finally, she gave a small, hesitant smile. “You don’t seem like a bad neighbor.”

Clark smiled back, feeling a sense of relief and happiness spread through him. “And you don’t seem so bad yourself.”

Layla took a step forward, a little more confident now. “So… what do you do around here? Is there anything fun?”

Clark thought for a moment, then grinned. “Well, there’s a creek just down the hill. We can catch frogs and stuff. And sometimes Pa lets me drive the tractor. It’s pretty cool.”

Layla raised an eyebrow. “You can drive a tractor?”

Clark puffed out his chest a little. “Yup! Well, mostly just steer it. But it’s still fun.”

Layla giggled, the sound light and free. “Alright, that sounds kinda fun. Maybe this place won’t be so bad after all.”

Clark beamed, glad that he had managed to cheer her up. “Come on, I’ll show you the creek. It’s not far.”

Layla hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Okay, but you better not trick me.”

“I won’t!” Clark said with a laugh, already turning to lead the way. “Promise.”

As they walked back toward the barn, Layla glanced over at Clark, a small smile playing on her lips. Maybe this new place wouldn’t be so bad after all.

[aretmaw]

A small interaction between two co-workers and main characters in my next book, Strata-45 and Alabastar. They're friends, but the friendship is somewhat one-sided when all Strata wants to do is finish her work.

[valkyriefreia]

Here are my 3 essentials when designing characters for stories! 🌸 An interesting backstory 🌸 A simple concept to build upon 🌸 A design process that I myself enjoy You can have the most pretty or intricately designed character, but they only come alive when you give them a life! Otherwise they are just pure aesthetic (just like my calm girls series! xD) Do you have an original character? I'd love to hear about them in the comments! #octips #ocart #occhallenge #originalcharacter #animestyle #originalcharacterstory #storyideas #designingcharacters #characterdesign #characterdesigntips #digitalart #digitalillustration #digitalartwork https://www.instagram.com/p/CQiyuCbBswD/?utm_medium=tumblr

[annywright]

Desenho complexo! Uau, mais um porquê não sei o que postar Olá, seres da noite! Bom dia, boa tarde ou noite. Você está bem? Espero que esteja tudo bem, senão meu privado estará aberto, ou marque uma consulta com um psicólogo para um resultado mais satisfatório e, portanto, mais prazeroso. Trago um desenho da Whitney Blood, a Baronesa da Chave Sangrenta. Amei cada detalhe da arte, não consegui deixar de lado. Então trouxe o mesmo para que Vossas Excelências possam me elogiar e eu ter uma alegria na minha vida e talvez abrir comissões, uau. Como falei na introdução super introdutiva, essa é a Whitney. Um desenho complexo feito no Ibis Paint, no caso, no celular demorando 7 horas com grandes pausas. Fiquei com uma certa dúvida sobre a pose, por isso, tirei umas fotos minhas como referência. Posso ter ficado triste ao ser obrigada a prender o cabelão dela. Mesmo que isso seja bem chato, estou aprendendo a acostumar. •́ ‿ ,•̀ Espero que você, pessoa que está vendo isso, tenha gostado, pois deu muito trabalho para fazer a roupa dessa bela moça. Bebam água e fiquem em casa de noite, crianças. Até mais! . . . . #originalcharacteroc #originalcharacterartwork #fallenangeloc #originalcharacterstory #originalcharacterdesigns #originalcharacterdrawing #girlsdresses #dresses👗 #longdresses #blackdresses #elegantdresses #fashiondresses #originalcharacterdesign #originalcharacterillustration #originalcharacterroleplay https://www.instagram.com/p/ChdIJhQOVaS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[annywright]

Apparently, Yui's father Daniel had been admitted to the hospital the night before, thus being taken care of by her grandmother Daisy. Seeing the message, Daisy blacked out and pretended nothing happened for the rest of the day. The next morning she and Yui were at the hospital. The nurse at the registration desk gave Daisy a funny look as they entered, but she just smiled. Daniel had died of... poisoning... Years later... Yui's pov. "You will do what I say" and she approaches, still holding that sword in her hands. "You live under my roof" and she runs after me. I ran through the house, out the window like before, how was that fall-breaking spell still working?! "This is my house, follow my rules" she yelled from the window. I ran through the trees that were past a wall near the building, trying to find a place to hide. I ran for what felt like hours, but it was only 20 minutes and I arrived at the ruin of an abandoned house. It's dark and damp inside. I sat on a log beside the house. I sat there in the dark for hours until I heard someone scream. "Get out or I'll drag you out of there!" I came out of the trees and faced Charlie. "I hate my grandmother..." "I know" and he laughed. "What made you leave the house? Not that I'm complaining, this is so rare... Shall we go home?" he started to walk. "Come on..." I smiled. "I want distance from my grandmother" "Me too" and he keeps walking. . . . . #originalcharactersart #originalcharacterarts #comicstyle #originalcharacterdraw #comicpage #comicsart #comicpanel #comicartwork #comicdrawing #originalcharacterdesign #storyart #comiccharacter #comicstore #originalcharacterdrawing #comicillustration #comicsartist #originalcharacterartwork #originalcharactercomic #originalcharacterroleplay #originalcharactere #originalcharacterstory #originalcharacterdigitalart https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf1fI6wO-Gr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=