Fantasy Hound under the dark water (closed)

[Osthavula]

*heavily inspired by fallen london/echo bazaar and Sherlock Holmes
*quality over length, seek a frequent partner who is active in planning
*world sets in victorian noir but with a detached reality and fantasy creatures
*adventure with some mystery and romance


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The wind squeaks in the narrow alley. A woman held her overcoat tighter as her heels struggled to find balance over the uneven stones, and advanced slowly towards its deep lair. The wind was not the only thing with a sharp voice, the man in his dark cape hissed at her, a voice between a startled cat and a mouse, and he shuffled closer to the open bin beside him. The bin reeked of months old food, and in her imagination, something more terrible. With hurrying steps she continued forwards, avoiding the glare of a demon, the bar girl with sharp ears, and someone who clothed themselves with a giant bag, covering from head to toe. It finally got a bit quiet, she found what she wanted.

The man she wanted to see should be behind this door. Dorian Hale. The landlady said she could come here to see him if she wanted any mystery solved. Now she was hesitating, because inside the door there came two voices, one very upset and the other one too low to be heard. The light dim on the privacy glass of the door, a shadow became vivid, seconds later the door opened, out thumped a woman with bob hair. Both of them were surprised to see each other, but the woman who came out only said "goodluck" before she turn and left. The footsteps very faint.

Was it a lover's quarrel? Our lady walked in, into a lit up space. In front of her was a counter, one you would see in a shop, with papers scattered around and a chair balancing oddly beside it. The wall behind the counter had an open door, showing the way to a much larger room. From this angle she saw an antique wooden table, a leather sofa, the bottom of a pair of formal shoes and the man in them, lying on the sofa, puffing more smoke into the already smoky air. He eyed her lazzily, and rose to signal her in. The sofa sank a little when she sat nervously.

"Was it bad timing? I can come around another time." She said.

"No need to worry, I've only lost a secretary. The environment didn't quite suit her. Say, would you be interested in taking her role?"

He spoke clear and proper, quite unlike his now messy appearance --- strands of his hair tangled on his head, and his trousers wrinkled. Taken back by his word, the lady was slow to respond, so he didn't bother waiting.

"Let's cut to the chase now. Why did you come here?"

"Well...."

"The box, can I have a look?"

She eyed him, with a little shock and a little amazement. Out she took, a wrapped box, handed it to him. After he so carelessly tore it, in it was a wooden box. It looked expensive. Unnecessary decoration, dark vivid paint, and a metal lock.

"I was..."

"You are new here, just found your lodging when this arrived in your mail before you even move in. "

"Yes, how did you ..."

"You have heard of me, but not in depths, likely from a kindhearted stranger. You are uncomfortable with nonhuman things. And whoever gave this box, is more dangerous than your mind could fathom. Indirectly, I must add. "

Do you have any memory? He asked, without look up from the strange box. He received a silent no.

She did not remember how she came, nor how she died, to come to this land. A living hell, she was told. But yet this was a world noisier than the land above, they said.

Dorian glanced at her, eyes dark like the night.

"So what's your name?"

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I'm looking for someone who would play a female detective's helper and possible romance partner in future. Like you have read, it is a underworld kind of setting, and you welcome a new life.

Give her a name, give her a personality, ideally spice with some curiousity. Give her a soul.
She's all yours.

*post below how you would make the character
*if I found someone and you are still interested, I can work with similar backgrounds.

 

[llSunflowerll]

Yo I have a few ideas for this lady.

She's near the top of her class in the academic world but on the street she had little idea what she's doing. She confident in what she believes and will always try to do the right thing.

She grew up on the streets and made her way up in the world from nothing. She's strong and playful but holds a closet full of skeletons.

She grew up in a house with 12 other people but managed to become an amazing doctor. She's stubborn and can be quite rude at times though deep down she soft and weak.

 

[Osthavula]

Yo I have a few ideas for this lady.

She's near the top of her class in the academic world but on the street she had little idea what she's doing. She confident in what she believes and will always try to do the right thing.

She grew up on the streets and made her way up in the world from nothing. She's strong and playful but holds a closet full of skeletons.

She grew up in a house with 12 other people but managed to become an amazing doctor. She's stubborn and can be quite rude at times though deep down she soft and weak.

Thing is, she had lost her memory at this point. She would have no memory of her past and perhaps her skills in past life. For example, she may be good in writing and studying if she used to be a scholar, strong spirited if she worked her way up from the slums. But she wouldn't know who she was in the past, only a sense of familiarity.

I plan to return partial memory after some events, even allow one or two encounter from her past life. But *shh* she shouldn't know that.

 

[llSunflowerll]

Thing is, she had lost her memory at this point. She would have no memory of her past and perhaps her skills in past life. For example, she may be good in writing and studying if she used to be a scholar, strong spirited if she worked her way up from the slums. But she wouldn't know who she was in the past, only a sense of familiarity.

I plan to return partial memory after some events, even allow one or two encounter from her past life. But *shh* she shouldn't know that.

Oh ok! That makes. ok so I guess just the personality then. Sorry about that! Though I would like to just one to expand on.

 

[Osthavula]

Yo I have a few ideas for this lady.

She's near the top of her class in the academic world but on the street she had little idea what she's doing. She confident in what she believes and will always try to do the right thing.

She grew up on the streets and made her way up in the world from nothing. She's strong and playful but holds a closet full of skeletons.

She grew up in a house with 12 other people but managed to become an amazing doctor. She's stubborn and can be quite rude at times though deep down she soft and weak.

I think the first one, being confident and "always do the right thing" is good because it can provide challenges when there is, for example, a dilemma. Just warning you that a lot of things happen down here that wpn't guarantee a happy ending.

 

[llSunflowerll]

Bah who needs a happy ending though?

 

[Osthavula]

If you haven’t chosen someone already, then I am also entirely interested. I hope the fact that I’m new to the forums doesn’t void my application.

As to how I would flesh out her character, leaving out a background and name for now, I suppose I would start by establishing her as a reluctantly docile character, a kind of individual who will question the sanity behind a decision - but would probably go through with it anyway. She’s well-mannered and good-natured, curious (but of course) and has very little experience with the occult.

She’s a tidy person, but despite her fondness for the orderly, she loves the thrill of a chaotic mystery. Even if she won't admit it.

unais

I tag you two because I think I can do one more base on the universe, but not about this detective. I can only do one more though, so if you are still interested, write a little about how your character would do when he or she is being chase by someone, and need to get out of the situation. He or she can be anywhere(streets, temple, graveyard etc), and the people chasing can be anyone(police, mafia, a horde of spiders).

 

[Osthavula]

Bah who needs a happy ending though?

So, have you decided?

 

[unais]

Also, for anyone confused I tend to write in present tense since it more easily allows me to write what is happening in the present or being referred to as something that happened in the past.

They were following her. She turns off her lamp. The gas closes under her touch.

She turns three lefts and they follow.

Her heart is beating without a reason she truly knows, but one she feels. And as a ghost of a hand laid on her arm, she felt it before every fingertip were going to clench down, and she ran.

She looks for people. Deflection. But the city seems to become more and more abandoned as she moves through it.

She had hoped to catch the working crowds as they were leaving the factories and blend in with the wide, clustered masses, but it seemed to be too late in the day. She slipped by a few scattered workers to buy herself some distance.

She's catching her breath, swirling, but not needing to. It's her thoughts that need catching. Her shoes slid on this ground. She looks down. Scrapes her shoe along the substance until she sees its flour. Blown in from the mill to the left, from what felt to be untold years of churning. The ceiling is broken and open like a maw, ready to swallow the oncoming rain. It can explain why the storehouse is layered with dust.

She bumps one of the shelves purposefully, and her eyes sting as the dust rains down on her.

This is violent.

She rips her cotton sleeve. Her grip is weak. Her fingers slip. She notices the trembling along her hands and bites down on the same tremble in her jaw.

Stupid.

She opens her lamp.

She could feel them behind her. The tremble crawls along her shoulders and she lets it die along her brain. She notices now she cannot hear their steps with her ears. They are somewhere in her head.

She turns to look at them. Their faces are... something she can not see when she looks at them. So she turns her head away. Stills an agony in her gut.

They walk towards her. They see something slick and wet wrapped around her hand. It makes her grip slip as she grabs the shelf in front of her, but they don't stop her. Large, violent clouds of disturbed dust come up, and they simply walk, catching her image running, following her through it.

She lights the cloth from outside and lobs it in with a rock. The first particulate of dust catches and the fire flows through the rest of the building, giving it one short, sudden shudder, before dying and leaving black chars along the wall.

She doesn't wait.

She runs, then walks through the city. Hides in the rain until the white is all gone. Then goes to the pub and waits to be surprised of the news of an explosion before the rain.

 

[Osthavula]

Bah who needs a happy ending though?

still interested?

 

[llSunflowerll]

still interested?

Oh yea! I am. Is there anything else you need to know?

 

[Osthavula]

llSunflowerll

https://www.rpnation.com/threads/hound-under-the-dark-water.319045/

It is ready!

Remember, a mysterious figure gave you a box, either on the doorstep, through the landlady, but no one saw any traits of him.

If you look at the notice board, you might find someone to let you stay. Don't worry about the first month payment, we don't expect that of you.

Have fun in the Neath.