#alnst oc: wren

[ivanttakethis]

End of Round 13 - Tov’s Log

Jae (64) vs. Vii (35) - Jae Win

————————————————————

Wren found Tov again that night.

Round 13 had just finished.

64 - 35

Jae won decisively.

Vii was dead.

The guards allowed both classes to mingle during free time in the hour prior to curfew.

Most people chose to stay inside. Tov and a few others ventured out into the fields.

At night, the simulated daytime of the Anakt Garden dome was switched off, allowing those inside to see the true night sky above.

The stars seemed further away somehow, but they were no less beautiful.

It was a perfect night for stargazing.

Tov stayed close to the main buildings, tucked away around back, out of view of anyone passing by.

She knew the spot from childhood. It was a good place if you wanted to be alone for a while.

“There you are!”

At least it was…

Wren sat down in the grass beside her, crossing her legs and mirroring Tov’s position.

“I figured I would find you out here.”

Wren’s tone raised her hackles.

Tov furrowed her brows, turning to look at her, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Wren shrugged, but kept her eyes on the sky, unbothered by the slight edge in Tov’s voice. Her white hair seemed to glow in the moonlight. Even her roots were white.

“You seem to like the stars, and they’re awfully pretty tonight.” She said.

Tov couldn’t argue with that, so she didn’t.

“They are pretty.” She nodded, looking back up at the constellations hanging overhead.

The two were quiet for a moment, before Wren spoke again.

“What was it like performing on stage?”

Tov tried to think back to Round 10, but her mind drew a blank. She couldn’t recall much of anything.

Only fragments of that night remained scattered around the void in her memories.

The stars.

The heartache.

The first line of her song.

The gunshot.

The smell of blood.

The way Nyx hugged her like she was something fragile.

Everything else was gone.

“I don’t remember much.” She said quietly. It almost sounded like a confession. “I wasn’t really thinking about the stage, or the crowd, or the cameras.”

“Then what were you thinking about?” Wren asked, “That emotion in your voice didn’t come out of thin air.”

Tov’s eyes found Tallis’s constellation instinctively.

Was she really about to spill her sorrows to a stranger?

Regardless of how friendly Wren behaved, they didn’t know each other.

But… who else did she have in her life to talk to?

Cassio? No.

Nyx? He had enough on his plate preparing for his upcoming round.

Himei? Tov didn’t know if she would ever talk to her about this; about what she and Tallis said and did.

She’d already been isolated once because of all this grief they found themselves neck deep in.

Tov wasn’t going to add to that, or make things worse. It would just make the situation more confusing.

She briefly closed her eyes and sighed, “Did you watch Round 7?”

Wren nodded in her periphery. “Of course. I watch every round.”

How can you stomach it all?

Tov didn’t ask that thought aloud.

“The contestant that lost…”

“Tallis?”

She almost winced at the sound of his name. The wound was still too raw.

“Yeah… him.” Tov swallowed around the growing lump in her throat. “He… he meant a lot to me.”

Andromedas, why is this so painful?

“He was a friend of yours?”

She shook her head immediately, “No.”

The word “friend” was far too reductive to encompass everything that Tallis meant to Tov.

But how else could she describe their relationship?

Even with her face placidly neutral, Wren still managed to sense Tov’s internal frustration.

“Ah, more than a friend.” She mused. “Did you love him?”

“I did— I do.” Tov amended. Nyx’s words came back to her then.

“Just because he's gone doesn't mean he doesn't still love you.”

Guess that meant she didn’t have to stop loving him either.

“When I was singing, I was thinking about him.”

“I see.”

This time, the ensuing silence bordered on comfortable. Tov’s chest felt a bit lighter too. Maybe talking about it isn’t so bad.

“You named a star after him.” Wren said it like a statement, not a question. It startled Tov.

“How did you—” Her eyes snapped to the odd grey gaze staring back at her, expectant but already knowing.

“You keep looking at the same spot in the sky.” Wren explained. “You kept looking up at the stars when you performed too.”

Tov felt strangely exposed, like Wren could see through her skin and straight into her soul.

It was different from the way Tallis looked at her, though. But she couldn’t put a finger on why.

“It’s a constellation.” She conceded, finally.

Wren smiled a little, almost giddy, “Ooh which is it? Wait, wait, wait— let me guess!” She scanned the stars intently and her brow furrowed in concentration.

It made her look much younger than she probably was.

How old is Wren anyway?

She pointed upwards with one eye closed for accuracy, “Is it that one there? The one shaped like a cresting wave?”

“No, that one’s for Azure.” Tov said.

“That guy from Round 1? With the sea green eyes?”

Something about Wren’s description of Azure made Tov huff out a chuckle.

“That’s him,” She nodded. “The song he performed was called Nouvelle Vague, ‘new wave’. I thought it was fitting to name a wave shaped constellation after him.”

“It fits him well.” Wren nodded, then pointed to another constellation nearby, “What about the one that looks kind of like a thought bubble?”

“That’s Moran’s.” Tov said.

“Ah, the redhead from Round 2!”

“Yes, she was a good friend of mine. A great friend, really. She taught me a lot about philosophy; always thinking.”

Tov took over from there, pointing out each constellation she’d named after those she cared for.

Stasya. Minori. Flor. Even Min.

Min protected Himei when she didn’t have to. She was the only reason her closest friend was still alive.

For that alone, Tov cared about Min too.

“That one,” She said finally, pointing to the cluster of constellations in the shape of a harp, “That one is for Tallis.”

“I believe in you.”

“I know.”

“Good.”

For once, Wren quieted first.

Tov felt her eyes on her, but she didn’t break the silence; content to simply look at stars.

It still hurt. But it was better than the numbness from before.

“You know…” Wren started, “You look at everyone else’s constellations the same way you look at Tallis’s.”

Really?

“Really.” Wren said.

She paused for a moment. Then two.

“If you ask me, it seems like you loved all of them.” Wren murmured.

At that moment, something in Tov’s heart clicked into place. A gentle warmth unfurled inside her rib cage.

Oh.

Oh.

Maybe… maybe I do…

The realization brought tears to Tov’s eyes. Her heart ached in a new, novel way.

Bittersweet. Melancholy.

It made her laugh for some reason. She hadn’t laughed in a long time.

As she stared up at the celestial memorials of everyone she’d lost, Tov found herself smiling ever so slightly.

What a terrible time to realize it was all love.

————————————————————

We love sisterly bonding, even if one of them doesn’t know it yet 😌

Plus a little feelings realization and healing, as a treat!

Tov has a lot of love for others, even if she doesn’t think she does. Only now is she beginning to realize how deeply her relationships have affected her as a person.

Tov’s current thoughts about Wren are like: “this girl is kinda weirdly friendly, and there’s something odd about her aura, but I would rather die than talk to anyone else in my life about my problems, so I will continue to trauma dump on her since she’s cool with it”

My girl probably needs a therapist, but we don’t have time for that lmao

Next up: End of Round 16!!

Jae belongs to @kofeedoggo.

Min and Vii belong to @starry-skiez.

Nyx belongs to @rockwgooglyeyes.

Tallis and Himei belong to @lookatmysillies.

Azure belongs to @azureitri.

Moran belongs to @geospiral.

Stasya belongs to @billwasnot.

Minori belongs to @minori-dash.

Flor belongs to @sotogalmo.

[solei-eclipse]

I've actually been thinking a lot about ALNST OCs and other characters they reminded me of, so here it is. Some of these have actual reasons, some of them are inaccurate as hell and just based on vibes alone

Akane as San (Princess Mononoke)

I mean. Look at them. The wild energy, the fact that Akane's guardian is essentially named "fang"...

Evon as Kiki & Jae as Tombo (Kiki's Delivery Service)

Mostly inspired by the sweet scene of Tombo and Kiki just having a chat on the grass. Evon as Kiki would most likely be less eager and optimistic than OG Kiki (or maybe if her trauma didn't manifest in this universe) though I imagine Jae would still share the same brightness and friendliness as Tombo (at least after his haircut). Jae as the kid who tries very hard to befriend an apprehensive Evon... Kiki being defensive and avoiding the other kids her age reminded me a bit of Evon.

Tallis as Seiji Amasawa (Whisper of the Heart)

Honestly this one has more to do with Tallis' knack for instruments. Not sure why Seiji gives me Tallis vibes... I just feel like he would also be the type to borrow a bunch of books for the small chance that someone he liked would end up seeing his name on them. You know, instead of an outright approach since he's got a more closed-off nature. Maybe Himei could be Shizuku? Definitely not a perfect character match, but still. It's just vibes.

Tov as Sophie Hatter & Azure as Howl Pendragon (Howl's Moving Castle)

Once again, not an exact character match, but still. Tov is canonically an older sister to Wren and has a more reserved disposition like Sophie does. I see Tov in that scene where Howl tells Sophie "your hair looks like starlight." Howl and Sophie's star symbolism like Tov and Azure's star symbolism... Howl's charming smile being a facade and his desire to be untouchable or beautiful reminds me a bit of Azure... Plus that one Howl look where he has black hair and blue eyes....

Alternatively, Aurien as Sophie Hatter & Solei as Howl Pendragon

It's the bird thing, yeah. But also Auri's low self esteem and weak sense of identity translating into Sophie's low expectations of herself, the braided brown hair, Solei's constant smile sometimes feeling like a mask unnatural for their current situation, their "cowardice" and hatred of themself for running away... heavily on the bird thing though LMAO

Aurien as Princess Kaguya (The Tale of Princess Kaguya)

Moon princess who quickly loses control of her life (or the little control she had in the first place), dolled up and presented to others like an object, intense outbursts and an overall air of melancholy

Rosca as Ponyo (Ponyo)

Admittedly, this is one of those super inaccurate pure vibe ones (I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the orange hair and red dress). I'm pretty sure Rosca is too prideful or princess-like to behave in such a carefree and reckless manner like Ponyo does... As an alternative, Rosca also kind of reminds me of the senior witch that Kiki meets on her way to the city in Kiki's Delivery Service (the one Jiji calls snobby).

Castor, Nyx or Dian as Lin (Spirited Away)

Big sibling vibe! The older, more capable senior who's stern on the outside (job requirement) but ride or die when you really get to know them. They've got a certain fire to them.

Azure as Haku (Spirited Away)

I've explained before, but the devotion to duty and the wishes of those above him, outwardly stoic and unfeeling (Haku was described to be a "transparent" character, which reminds me of Azure's apathy and lack of interest in many things). The association with the color blue (sky and water + flying in dragon form described as "climbing the stars") and just their physical appearance in general. Dark colored long-ish hair ftw

Aurien as No Face (Spirited Away)

Also explained before! The "dullness" or "emptiness" that they try to fill, meek loneliness and general feeling of being left out or misunderstood. Among other things

Vera as Nausicaa (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind)

Kind of also a vibe one? But Nausicaa has a very nurturing and kind disposition that I can see as Vera based on the fact that she was the eldest of the pets at her home. I also associate Vera with environmental themes and nature imagery which is very prominent in the movie.

Will add onto this when more things come to mind! Sorry if it's inaccurate, wrote this on a whim and on vibes alone. Just throwing ideas out there!

OCs belong to:

@sotogalmo @lookatmysillies @apriciticreveries @rockwgooglyeyes @ivanttakethis @bittersweet-adagio @azureitri @aakaneeee @heycloseyoureyes

[ivanttakethis]

Before Round 18 - Tov’s Log

Onyx (?) vs. Lang (?) -> ??? Win

————————————————————

Lark died on stage.

Tov was still holding his hand.

It hadn't been more than five minutes since they walked out together.

The giant holograph hanging overhead displayed their scores.

69 - 31

He would've died anyway.

That didn't make Tov feel any better.

A bullet to the head may have been a less painful death.

She thought about praying for Lark to have died peacefully, but she didn’t know if the stars were listening.

They hadn't answered her in a very long time. The silence had grown deafening.

Tov was tired.

Someone cut off the lights and music on stage.

The medics took Lark's body in one direction, and three guards took Tov in the other.

She let their gloved hands guide her away without a fight.

They sat her down on a bench backstage. The same bench she found Nyx on after Round 16.

And his second round was up next.

Another guard appeared at her side and draped a shiny, light blanket over her shoulders. A shock blanket.

They gently patted her arm, as if to comfort her, and left as quick as they came.

The chaos unfolding around her faded to background noise, muffled by something separating her from the rest of the world.

Tov kept her eyes cast downward, fixated on her glass heels.

There was a hairline fracture in the right one. It hadn't been there before the round.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there staring; mind hopelessly empty, cotton stuffed in her ears and mouth.

It could've been a few seconds, or a few hours. Time slipped by unnoticed.

Then, an unfamiliar feminine voice called her name. “Tov?”

Tov blinked out of her haze, looking up.

A lone guard stood before her, their hands tucked behind their back instead of resting on their holster or baton. The black visor of their helmet was pulled down over their face.

“I’ve been instructed to take you back to your room.” They said.

Tov nodded slowly and rose to her feet, still clutching the shock blanket. She followed after them in silence.

Neither she nor the guard spoke until they were inside the dormitory.

The halls were empty, completely devoid of any signs of life.

“Listen, Tov,” They said quietly, just a few doors down from her room.

“There was nothing more you could’ve done for Lark. He was already too far gone.”

Tov didn’t know if the guard was trying to make her feel better or simply stating the facts of the matter. She was too drained to think it through.

“I know.” She said anyway.

They stopped outside Tov’s room and the guard waited for her to open the door.

“Goodnight.” The guard said as they turned to leave.

She nodded. “Thanks.”

With the door shut and locked behind her, Tov collapsed on her bed.

She was still wearing her heels.

Usually she would take them off and leave them nice and neat next to the door, but she had nothing left to give.

Tov was so tired.

But she didn’t want to close her eyes.

She didn’t want to see Lark as he lay dying on the stage.

Congratulations.

Congratulations.

Congratulations—

The phone on her bedside table started ringing.

Cassio…

Tov sighed.

She didn’t want to talk.

But if she didn’t pick up, they would just keep calling until she did.

Tov rolled over on her side and pressed the speaker button, “I don’t feel up to talking, Cassio.”

“Good thing I’m not Cassio, then.”

Tov frowned at the voice on the other end of the line.

There’s no way.

“Wren?”

“The one and only.” She could hear the smile in Wren’s voice.

Tov’s eyebrows only furrowed further in confusion. “How did you get this number?”

“I have my ways.”

No further elaboration.

How cryptic.

“Isn’t it past curfew at Anakt?” She asked instead.

“Oh I’m not at Anakt right now, I’m in boot camp. ZYNE wanted to give me one more chance before prep starts for Season 40 of Alien Stage.”

Boot camp?

ZYNE?

Every answer Wren gave only created more questions. It was a good reminder that Tov knew nothing about her.

“I saw your round earlier.” She said. Her voice had lost its bubbly tone.

The sudden change in demeanor and topic made Tov’s head spin.

She sighed, rolling onto her back to stare up at the ceiling, “Yeah.”

Silence.

“What happened to that guy, Lark? Did he make it?”

Tears prickled behind Tov’s eyes. She could still feel the warmth of his hand as his grip gave way.

She had to force out a reply.

“No. No, he didn’t make it.” Her voice sounded off, even to her own ears. “He died on the stage.”

More silence.

“Sorry to hear that.”

Tov didn’t respond, even as the quiet grew oppressive.

She wished she could go back in time and call out Lark’s symptoms earlier.

Maybe if she’d said something before the round started, he would’ve had a better chance at surviving.

Maybe then he wouldn’t have died on display, surrounded by strangers and at most an acquaintance.

The thought weighed heavy on her chest.

“It’s not your fault, Tov.” Wren said, once again seeming to read her mind.

“I know.”

“Do you?”

Tov frowned, yawning, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That I know you’re blaming yourself.” She said. “I can hear it in the tone of your voice.”

Tov would’ve rolled her eyes if her eyelids weren’t so heavy.

Wren sighed, “Look, all I’m trying to say is there was nothing you could do. It was completely out of your control.”

Tov’s head knew that was likely the case, but her heart felt differently.

Losing someone she knew every round was taking its toll.

It got worse each time it happened.

She didn’t know how much more she could take.

“Hey,” Wren called.

“Yeah?”

“Just… hang in there. Okay?” There was something buried in Wren’s words. Tov had no idea what it could be.

She yawned again, finally letting her eyes drift closed. “I’ll try.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Wren said, a little touch of warmth tucked into her voice.

“Goodnight, Tov.”

“Goodnight, Wren.”

————————————————————

This whole log is just Tov going through it and other people trying to stop her from blaming herself for everything.

And then some light sisterly bonding to balance out the angst.

My headcanon is that the guard who took Tov back to her room was Leona, an acquaintance of Himei’s ( @lookatmysillies ) through her older brother Hayate.

At this point, no one knows Lark’s cause of death. The investigation notice goes out after Tov falls asleep.

Lark belongs to @kamersona.

[ivanttakethis]

Before Round 13 - Tov’s Log

Jae (?) vs. Vii (?) - ??? Win

————————————————————

An announcement came early in the morning:

All contestants of the remaining rounds will temporarily stay back at ANAKT Garden with SEASON 40’s class, and will be sent off before ROUND 13. They will all be collared and monitored individually.

Damage control for the mess of Round 12 the night before.

Guards came around to collect everyone shortly after that.

Cassio couldn’t get Tov out of this.

There were no exceptions.

She was forced into a collar for the first time in nearly 20 years.

It felt like a vice around her neck.

“Your collar isn’t green.” The guard installing the equipment said.

Tov looked up at them with dead eyes, “It’s never been green.”

What remained of Season 39 arrived at Anakt Garden late that night and were ordered to turn in immediately.

Tov couldn’t sleep.

Each time she started to doze off, she felt a different pair of bloody hands around her throat.

When Tov felt familiar callused palms pressing against her vocal chords, she gave up on sleeping entirely.

If she was awake, she couldn’t be suffocated by the past.

In the morning, Side B contestants were allowed time outside when Season 40’s class was inside for breakfast and first block classes.

Tov looked around for Nyx, but didn’t see him. Castor was missing too.

Being back in the fields of Anakt Garden was an odd experience.

Everything was the same as Tov remembered. The bright sun, the blue sky, the green grass.

The man-made river maintained its gentle flow. There were still random musical instruments like recorders and drum sticks lying around haphazardly.

It was as if they’d never left.

A perfect little bubble of her childhood, frozen in time, brimming with nostalgia and long forgotten memories.

Tov wanted to feel strange. Unwelcome.

She wanted an eerie, uncomfortable feeling to crawl up her spine and trigger her urge to flee.

Instead, she felt warm from the familiarity of it all.

In some ways that was worse.

The largest tree in the garden — Eden, they called it — loomed in the distance at the top of a gentle hill.

A beacon of light amid the dark, troubled waters of her thoughts.

Tov liked the tree because she could see the entire field from its vantage point. It was easy to watch over all of her classmates as they played with one another.

She spent a lot of time under the shade of Eden, reading, observing, or simply lazing around. Most of the time she was there with Himei, or Tallis, or both.

Stasya tagged along with Tallis once or twice, from what she could remember.

Moran would come by now and then to wax about philosophy while Tov listened, or peer over her should as she read books about the cosmos.

Flor came too, often asking to play with the silver clips in Tov’s braids. Tov couldn’t remember ever saying no.

When Solei came, Aurien came with her, and they would all nap together.

Sometimes Nyx would show up to play her a new song he learned on his bass. Other times he just came to pester her into a debate.

On the rare occasions Tov was alone, she would watch Azure down by the river as he stared up at the clouds.

It all seemed so long ago now.

Tov found herself walking towards the tree before her mind could catch up with her movements. Her body was relying solely on muscle memory.

She didn’t resist it.

She was tired.

So tired.

All she wanted to do was rest her head in someone’s lap and sleep.

When Tov reached the top, she looked up to take in the sight.

Eden was a tall, sturdy oak tree; a species native to Earth.

Her branches reached up to the top of the dome and stretched outward. Broad leaves, deep green in color, wove together to form a thick canopy over the top of the hill.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps and dappled the grass below, little twinkles of light dancing as the branches swayed.

Tov managed a weary smile.

Hello again, old friend.

Eden’s leaves rustled in the artificial breeze, as if to answer,

Welcome back.

She laid down on her back in the shade and closed her eyes.

If she listened closely, she could hear the clinking of a wind chime and a chorus of pitch perfect voices singing in the distance.

For a moment, she was a child again.

She wasn’t wearing a collar.

All of her classmates were still alive.

Alien Stage was just a nebulous concept for the future versions of them to worry about.

Tallis was still there next to her…

“Oh! Hi Tov.”

The illusion shattered.

Tov cracked open one eye, then the other, and sat up, blinking blearily.

Had she actually fallen asleep?

Standing over her was a young woman around her age with long, white braids and a pink mask covering her nose and mouth.

Someone from the Season 40 class, presumably.

Her complexion was about the same as Tov’s, just a bit lighter; except for the patch of pale skin on the left side of her face, stretching from her temple to just below her eye. It reminded Tov of Noora.

But there was something… off about her eyes. They were light grey — a stark contrast to her brown skin — but the oddness wasn’t the color.

There was something else Tov couldn’t put her finger on.

It left her feeling unsettled.

More than that, why was she greeting her like an old friend?

Tov never forgot a face. She was sure they’d never met before.

“Who are you?” The question came out more accusatory than Tov had intended, but the stranger seemed to find her terseness funny.

“Whoops, sorry!” She chuckled. Tov could tell she was smiling under her mask by the way her eyes creased at the corners. “I forgot, I know a lot about you, but you don’t know anything about me. I’m Wren. Wren Ra.”

Wren held her hand out and Tov cautiously shook it. Her palms were smooth, completely unblemished.

“Wren.” Tov repeated. “Got it.”

“It’s so nice to see you again. Your performance in Round 10 was breathtaking! I wish I could sing with as much emotion as you did.” Wren said. “Everyone here in the garden was so moved by your voice. It’s no wonder you have the highest score of the season!”

The highest score wasn’t worth all of the losses she endured.

Not even close.

“Thank you.” Tov said, unsure of how else to respond.

A high pitched bell rung in the distance, signaling the end of first block.

“Guess that’s my cue,” Wren said, turning to leave. “We’ll talk later, yeah?”

Tov’s eyebrows furrowed.

What more is there to talk about? We aren’t even supposed to be talking in the first place.

“Uh, sure?”

Wren smiled again, “Great! See you then!”

Tov watched her trek down the hill until she was out of sight. She laid back down on the grass, but couldn’t get comfortable this time.

Something Wren said bothered her.

“It’s so nice to see you again.”

Again?

Have we seen each other before?

————————————————————

Wren is here!! We cheered!!

I loved writing this log and getting to reflect on Tov’s memories of Anakt Garden and her friends. This might actually be my favorite one so far.

And I’m so glad @season39 gave me the perfect opportunity to have the sisters meet, even if Tov doesn’t know who Wren is yet.

Though Tov describes Wren differently than she appears her portrait. What’s up with that? 🤔

And how does Wren know so much about Tov?

I guess we’ll have to see!

Bonus: The “callused palms” Tov mentions when she feels like she’s being choked are Tallis’s.

He played the harp and harpists tend to get calluses on their hands from extensive practice.

Nyx belongs to @rockwgooglyeyes.

Castor, Himei, and Tallis belong to @lookatmysillies.

Stasya belongs to @billwasnot.

Moran belongs to @geospiral.

Flor belongs to @sotogalmo.

Solei belongs to @solei-eclipse.

Aurien belongs to @aurienneirua.

Azure belongs to @azureitri.

Noora belongs to @kamersona.

[ivanttakethis]

This is my new oc for Alien Stage Season 40! Her name is Wren (she/her) and she is Tov’s biological sister.

They were born in the same “litter”, so they’re technically twins, but not identical despite sharing some physical traits.

Despite her grumpy face in the portrait, Wren is friendly and enjoys meeting new people.

Her personality is similar to Mizi’s before Round 1, except Wren isn’t naive to the reality that Alien Stage is a bloodsport.

She’s pretty competitive, and if you push her, she’s not afraid to push back.