[Seven's Scrapbook] Writer's Block

[Jaiun]

So...

Just saw the Danse Macabre being played by a professional orchestra, so when I saw your thread title, I knew I had to post in here.

It was a good song.

Well...that's basically it. And I love reading Seven Xu's threads. They're really awesome, not going to lie.

[Kendall Saarinen]

I found you on Tumblr. You never told me you were a prince. Hell... I didn't even know Canada was a monarchy.

[Seven Xu]

Because I'm not posting this on my actual CS until winterish. I need a place to fiddle.

Born to Zhao Xu of Lhavit and Dra-Nesyria of the Plicata Web, Seven emerged from modest origins. The halfblood teenager stands five-foot-six inches tall and because of a lighter than average human skeleton weighs in at just under one hundred pounds. Large, almond-shaped crimson eyes broadcast Seven’s every fleeting emotion. His dark (naturally white) hair is cut medium-length and is often carelessly tousled and hanging in his eyes rather than properly styled. When he opens his mouth too wide to speak or smile, the lengthy venomous canines that reflect the predatory nature of his mother race are easily noted. If one looks closely enough at Seven’s hands, the thumb and index finger on his left hand are home to pitch black remnants of claws; they are kept filed short and in line with the rest of his fingernails. Seven has one thin scar that travels diagonally across the length of his left palm; he also has a small tattoo on his right shoulder: an elaborate crown in red ink.

Seven is an idealist and an introvert. He spends a lot of time in his head—and it makes him appear absent-minded at a glance—though beyond the vacuous daydreamer swarms the active and hungry mind of a scholar. Seven is more comfortable sinking into the background and absorbing information than being on the front line trading it. While anything can be carved deep into the fine features of his marble countenance, Seven’s eyes are utterly incapable of deceit—to his chagrin. When upset he has little issue scrutinizing the things (or, more often, people) that irritate him with a surprisingly venomous tongue, despite his oft-misplaced sense of self-preservation: something that has dulled with time and further external influences. There is something dark inside the halfblood, blood on hands long since washed and then forgotten beneath a veil of fabricated memories.

Seven grew up in an Autava class family in Lhavit in the western Kalea region. He loved the city’s matron Alvina and he had aspirations of someday becoming a Shinya guard; unfortunately, he was predisposed to never live a normal life due to his unsavory bloodline. It was often difficult for the child to understand the uncensored racism towards Symenestra in a city so affected by the Harvest. His father soon became known in his community for the man with the Symenestra child; a sick joke the Gods had played on him.
When Seven reached adolescence he began to gain interest in the world beyond Lhavit’s peaks. He was apt to studying, absorbing what he could from those that passed through the city. Questions arose from this new found curiosity: questions of his origins, of the people that were so reviled on the streets of Lhavit.
At this point in Seven’s life, he and his father began to grow apart. Equally headstrong in their own beliefs, Zhao wanted Seven to forget about the Symenestra; and Seven would only grow more stubborn in his own pursuit of knowledge. Their relationship quickly grew volatile as Seven matured from a moldable child into an independent young man.
No mind goes unpunished living a life of constant torment. During the climax of one particularly explosive argument, Seven's father confessed that his conception was a result of a loveless affair with a halfblood Symenestra whore. Traumatized, he fell into a dissociative fugue episode and brutally murdered the man who regretted bringing him into the world before fleeing the home and city on an outgoing merchant caravan.
Days later, he would “wake” with no memory of the incident; his fragile mind soon filled the void with romanticism and a search for lost kin.


The Search for Redcedar – Spring, 511 AV
Syliras: a vast, stinking metropolis heavily guarded under the ever-watchful eye of knights. Every nook and cranny of the city seemed to hold the colors of the Syliran Knights; there to remind Seven that he was an outsider. The halfblood spent the majority of his first season in the city searching endlessly for a woman that was not there—later discovered in a letter written in the hand of his father. Disillusioned, his purpose ripped out from beneath his feet, Seven had found that there was little joy to be found in Stormhold Citadel.


Little Ghost and a Fragile Bird – Summer, 511 AV
With the onset of summer came new prospects in the unlikely forms of one Victor Lark, a vagrant Ravokian that had traveled across Sylira on foot, threadbare and delusional when the pair stumbled upon each other. Accommodations were shared, and a friendship brought on by charity blossomed into devotion. The second found Seven after a lengthy search; a ghost, tied to the tangible world with a promise to bury the remains of his love; for Seven’s assistance, the apparition instilled him with the invaluable knowledge of shielding magic.
As summer trickled through a set of bony fingertips, the draw of leaving the fortified city behind nagged at him again. With the treacherous first cross of the Suvan a distant memory, and whispers of Alvadas filling the darkness of a windowless stone cage, the fledgling mage had all but set aside any attachment to Syliras in favor of wider skies—but not without the Lark.

Astronomy: Constellations of Lhavit
Astronomy: Fyrden [Basic]
Astronomy: Star Chart Creation
Astronomy: Swalden and Shoyden [Location, Basic]
Cartography: Location of Rainbow Fish Pond
Cartography: Location of Sacred Arch Springs
Disarming Using Shielding
Ethaefal [Basic]
Eypharians [Basic]
Familiars [Basic]
Folk: Lhavitian Folk Songs
Folk: The Story of Zintila
Ghosts [Basic]
Ghosts [Possession]
How to Maintain Instruments [Basic]
How to Mount a Horse
How to Recognize a Symenestra
Kendall Saarinen's Story
Mathematics: Triangulation
Meditation: Removing Distractions
Recognizing Symenos
Religion: Ivak and Azenth
Religion: The Ukalas
Religion: Viratas
Religion: Zintila
Shielding [Basic]
Story [Lelina's Death
Syliras [Moderate]
Symenestra [Basic]
Techniques of a Salesman
The Great Bazaar [Basic]
The Harvest
The Viratassa
The Withering Rose

languages Common [fluent] | Symenos [basic]

 

Academic

Cartography	28/100	Competent [SP25]
Land Navigation	12/100	Novice [SP10]
Mathematics	12/100	Novice [SP10]
Philosophy	11/100	Novice
Teaching	10/100	Novice
Writing	10/100	Novice [SP10]
Drawing	9/100	Novice [SP5]
Astronomy	4/100	Novice
Reading	1/100	Novice
Calligraphy	1/100	Novice

 

Arcana

Shielding	13/100	Novice
Meditation	5/100	Novice

 

Survival

Riding [Horse]	7/100	Novice
Horsemanship	3/100	Novice
Weapon [Dagger]	3/100	Novice
Climbing	2/100	Novice
Brawling	2/100	Novice
Stealth	1/100	Novice
Acrobatics	1/100	Novice

 

Mundane

Rhetoric	34/100	Competent
Observation	23/100	Novice
Interrogation	20/100	Novice
Seduction	16/100	Novice
Socialization	10/100	Novice
Persuasion	8/100	Novice
Intimidation	7/100	Novice
Storytelling	7/100	Novice
Investigation	5/100	Novice
Subterfuge	4/100	Novice
Negotiation	3/100	Novice
Rambling	3/100	Novice
Singing	2/100	Novice
Cooking	1/100	Novice
Cleaning	1/100	Novice

 

Equipment

Brown cotton shirt, two white cotton shirts [one new, one worn], sky-blue cotton shirt, black cotton shirt
Dark grey cotton/wool blend vest
Black cotton/wool blend jacket
Worn black trousers, brown trousers
Leather belt, leather gloves
Leather knee-high boots, leather low-boots
Crimson silk cravat

Satchel containing:
1 waterskin
Comb, brush, razor, soap
A few apples
1 eating knife
Flint & Steel

 

Books

	The Viratassa [Heirloom]: This book was left to Seven by his father. The Viratassa is a book of some of the teachings of Viratas, written by the god himself.
	The Art of Shielding: Volume I
	Leather Notebook

 

Acquired Items

	Simple Dagger
	Tarnished silver pendant

A crumpled drunken poem written by Kendall
[size=80]"I am really enjoying this beer
It is so great that I can get it here
I have not spent much time at the Rearing Stallion as of late
But when I got the chance to drink I did not hesitate
I am now making a new friend
or at least I hope he will be by the nights end."

 

Expenses

100 Kina [converted] -100K +100GM
100 gold rimmed mizas
Living Expenses Poor [Spring 49-90] - 24.5GM
Kova's Well - 1BM
Ale - 2SM
Asara's apple payment + 3GM
Soothing Waters - 4SM
Seasonal Wages [Summer] + 273GM
Seasonal Expenses [Common, Summer] - 135 GM
Apartment Cash-In + 500GM
Cubacious Inn Lodging - 9GM 3SM
The Stallion's Rear - 581GM 2SM 5CM

Current: 124GM 4SM 4CM

FA 74 511	The Fading Embers	Ulric, Seven, Laszlo, Victor	The Sun and Stars Tavern
FA 69 511	Remembering to Breathe	Seven, Ifran	The Sunken Conundrum
FA 36 511	Shenanigans	Seven, Victor	The Garden of No Return, Alvadas
FA 33 511	A Bad Mood	Seven, Laszlo	Cubacious Inn
FA 30 511	Team Ulric vs Team Shale	Spectator	The Colosseum
FA 26 511	My, sadistic mentor!	Solo	The Abode
FA 14 511	Chase the Sun	Seven, Victor, Sonya, Amarhyl	Syliran Docks, Syliras
SU 31 511	Marmoreal Kin	Seven, Devmond	The Golden Dragon, Syliras
SU 7 511	Just a Little Browsing	Seven, Jaelyn	The Bazaar & Dyers District, Syliras
WI 510	Departure	Solo	Xu Residence, Lhavit

Archive :

FA 30 511	Under a Different Light	Seven, Laszlo	Appearances can be deceiving; so can hypnosis.
SU 63 511	The Games We Play	Seven, Victor	A forced homebody visits his working halfblood.
SU 33 511	A Gift from Six and Eight	Seven, Asara, Victor	A reunion turns sour under brash curiosities.
SU 29 511	Leth-Faces	Seven, Runas	Seven meets an Ethaefal for the first time, and while he finds her abrasive he prods her for information regarding the cosmos.
SU 27 511	Finding A Map	Seven, Tessa Poe	Tessa seeks Sina, but finds a map instead.
SU 23 511	Clumsy Fingers	Runas, Lucas	Seven paints a harp, and is accused of being female.
SU 21 511	Reciprocation	Seven, Victor	A favor is repaid, and on a light-hearted outing a friendship grows beyond the bounds Seven could have ever anticipated.
SU 10 511	The Art of Shielding	Solo	Shielding practice.
SU 9 511	A Study in Half-Breeds	Seven, Dhalvasha	An unnerving doctor hypnotizes Seven and lures him to potential experimentation.
SU 7 511	Stargazing on a Rooftop	Seven, Asara	Evening Asara and Seven teach each other a bit about language, to be continued.
SU 6 511	The Whispering Wind	Seven, Archon	A ghost manages to grab Seven's attention and requests his help. They venture into the Bronze Woods and are attacked.
SU 4 511	Begun Again	Seven, Victor	Seven meets a ragged Ravokian at Soothing Waters. They move on to the Rearing Stallion, where Victor buys Seven dinner and they exchange information. Offering Victor his bed, Seven finds companionship and intends on nursing the weary traveler back to health.
SP 508	Under Star and Under Moon	Seven, Veldrys	Flashback: Seven meets another Symenestra by the name of Veldrys, who bestows unto him a wealth of knowledge regarding the Symenestra race. Their relationship flourishes in a surprisingly short amount of time, and Seven experiences his first fleeting romance.
SP 87 511	'Til the World Ends	Seven, Kendall	Wrought with bittersweet feelings, Seven and Kendall meet up and drink on the beach.
SP 85 511	Cutting Off	Solo	Seven discovers a painful truth about his mother.
SP 69 511	Hide and Seek	Seven, Jokor, Nathaniel	Seven encounters a rogue that insults him and steals his heirloom Viratassa. A chase through Syliras ensues.
SP 67 511	A Favor	Seven, Rhode	Seven gets into a bit of trouble in the Warehouse District when he's accused of thievery. An Eypharian by the name of Rhode comes to his rescue, and they find they have a lot more in common than either would think. Unnerved by the similarities he sees in Seven, Rhode leaves the bath -- but not before giving Seven some odd advice and a place to find him in the future. (Injury: Black eye)
SP 52 511	The Stars' Lament	Seven, Hadrian	Hadrian and Seven speak in the Stone Garden after Seven disturbs Hadrian's meditation. After a short exchange, Seven invites Hadrian over for tea and they discuss the stars.
SP 51 511	First Encounters	Seven, Troy	Seven bumps into Troy in the Marketplace.
SP 50 511	Bumpy Ride	Seven, Dimitri	Seven gets a taste of riding first-hand, and decides it isn't for him.
SP 49 511	Retracing One's Steps	Seven, Dimitri	Seven offers to map Dimitri's fabled lake east of the Citadel. The pair spend the day together and Seven gets his first taste of horseback riding and the chivalry of Sylirian Squires.
SP 48 511	Mapping it Out	Seven, Kendall	Seven quite literally bumps into Kendall on his first day in Syliras and a friendship is kindled.
SP 39 508	Peony Moon	Solo	A keen sister spies a Symenestra.

[Kendall Saarinen]

*fills your scrappie up with water*

[Bolden Denusk]

Seven the dark hair brings out your eyes!

*noms Ken's adorable hedgehog*

[Seven Xu]

Ever get the feeling you're being blatantly ripped off and are too polite to tear the person a new one?

Problem solved. Also, for lack of anything else to say, I'm posting this accomplishment in my scrapbook.

[Laszlo]

Omg you are like a superhero. ._.

TIME FOR PÂTES!! YEAH!

[Kendall Saarinen]

Is it bad that I didn't think of sharing this with you until I saw the last option?

[Kendall Saarinen]

Me----><----You

[Seven Xu]

Hahahaha... god, if I had a nickel...

Have you ever spent most of your childhood life being told to believe in something, blindly going along with it, only to break out later in life with your own sense of self, being confused and maybe a bit resentful of what you were told to believe, whether you still have faith in it or not? I feel as if this is common within the world, notably in North America where I'm from with Christianity, and I'd like to hear other peoples' take on it. Not that I'm looking for religion, myself (I was indoctrinated with the best of Jesus' little children and still--albeit apathetically--fall into the category of Christian), but I am about to start that little inward journey IC with a character once disillusioned by faith, but now grasping for it as a comfort mechanism. Have you ever dealt with something tragic, dramatic, that made you turn to faith? Are you willing to talk about it? Does this make me sound like Springer?

They say the best writing derives from real life, and since I cannot relate, I'd love some help from those of you that can. If you want to talk about it, of course.