Plot Notes
“The main thing is: pay attention, pay attention to everything, everything you see.
Notice what no one else notices, and you’ll know what no one else knows.”
“The main thing is: pay attention, pay attention to everything, everything you see.
Notice what no one else notices, and you’ll know what no one else knows.”
Seven Xu
human|symenestra
aged 19 years
166cm|44kg
Racial Traits
Night vision — Seven has better-than-average eyesight in darkness compared to a human, though it is by no means comparable to that of a full-blooded symenestra. Where a human sees pitch blackness, Seven may see shades of grey and vague outlines. He also adjusts to lighting conditions marginally quicker than a human, able to wilfully expand and contract his pupils as a symenestra does.
Venom — Seven’s venom is an exceedingly toned-down version of his symenestra ancestors. Digestive glands produce a weak necrotoxin suitable for breaking down soft tissue. When left on flesh it is an irritant, can leave a painful sting if he manages to break skin, and after prolonged exposure has proven to leave minor scarring.
Light skeleton — Seven has a delicate build; on top of being short and sylphlike, his skeletal structure is lighter and less hardy than that of an average human. This is not to say that his bones are easily breakable; he just cannot handle as much stress as a human can.
Sensitive digestion — Symenestra are able to reconcile their weak digestive tract with the ability to easily break down their food. When the inability to process dense material meets thin-bred venom, one has no other option but to be very choosy with their diet. Seven often eats fruit and stewed vegetables, lentils, and beans. Because he shares the same general physiology of the symenestra, blood will sustain him, but this is not a fact he is aware of.
Character Traits
Permanent - Observant (+), Withdrawn (-)
Situational - Pragmatic (+), Virulent (-)
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Permanent - Observant (+), Withdrawn (-)
Situational - Pragmatic (+), Virulent (-)
Seven, the Observant
ob•serv•ant [uhb-zur-vuhnt]
— adj
paying close attention to detail; watchful or heedful
Seven spends a lot of time in his head and it makes him appear absent-minded at a glance; a gormless, glazed over look is not uncommon on his face. He is comfortable being a listener and not a speaker, and because of sharp observational skills has become quite adept at seeing things missed by most.
Seven, the Pragmatic
prag•mat•ic [prag-mat-ik]
— adj
of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations
As intriguing as it may be, Seven sees the world exactly as it is. He is realistic, sometimes blatantly so. His actions are more often based on practical outcome, and not on theory or dogma. This makes him a competent problem-solver. His utilitarian point of view often struggles against a need to adopt faith as a comfort mechanism and, at times, makes him a bit of a hypocrite.
Seven, the Withdrawn
with•drawn [with-drawn, with-]
— adj
introverted
He can be downright cantankerous at times; he has been known to give an abrasive first impression. Seven balks at physical contact, and does his best to avoid large crowds; this may be in equal parts due to the fragility of his ancestral race and his general discomfort in the company of others.
Seven, the Virulent
vir•ul•ent [vir-yuh-luhnt]
— adj
bitter, sardonic, antagonizing
If you peel back the layers of his quiet exterior, Seven is very much driven by anger. The pressure to fit into the mold of humanity has bred a desire to push his opinions forcibly upon those that refuse to accept him. Seven is by no means audacious enough to wear his anger on his sleeve or use it as an excuse for pity or pointless violence; he is not forwardly aggressive, preferring insults over injuries.
ob•serv•ant [uhb-zur-vuhnt]
— adj
paying close attention to detail; watchful or heedful
Seven spends a lot of time in his head and it makes him appear absent-minded at a glance; a gormless, glazed over look is not uncommon on his face. He is comfortable being a listener and not a speaker, and because of sharp observational skills has become quite adept at seeing things missed by most.
Seven, the Pragmatic
prag•mat•ic [prag-mat-ik]
— adj
of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations
As intriguing as it may be, Seven sees the world exactly as it is. He is realistic, sometimes blatantly so. His actions are more often based on practical outcome, and not on theory or dogma. This makes him a competent problem-solver. His utilitarian point of view often struggles against a need to adopt faith as a comfort mechanism and, at times, makes him a bit of a hypocrite.
Seven, the Withdrawn
with•drawn [with-drawn, with-]
— adj
introverted
He can be downright cantankerous at times; he has been known to give an abrasive first impression. Seven balks at physical contact, and does his best to avoid large crowds; this may be in equal parts due to the fragility of his ancestral race and his general discomfort in the company of others.
Seven, the Virulent
vir•ul•ent [vir-yuh-luhnt]
— adj
bitter, sardonic, antagonizing
If you peel back the layers of his quiet exterior, Seven is very much driven by anger. The pressure to fit into the mold of humanity has bred a desire to push his opinions forcibly upon those that refuse to accept him. Seven is by no means audacious enough to wear his anger on his sleeve or use it as an excuse for pity or pointless violence; he is not forwardly aggressive, preferring insults over injuries.
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Goals
Character Goals
More than anything, Seven yearns to belong. Beneath his exterior is a man disappointed by the lot life drew for him. As a child, he was an outsider in his own family home. As an adult, he surrounds himself with empty smiles and feral naiveté, with the concession that acceptance wrought from delusion is short-lived.
Seven grows increasingly nearer to contentment with his place in the world; his Chevas-blessed union with Victor is a tangible bond: a symbol of mutual dependency and belonging. There is no traditional concept of love between them because it is unattainable, but there is a sort of pseudo empathy in understanding. Said simply, knowing is enough.
He wants to free himself of the stigma garnered by his symenestra ancestors. Seven identifies as a human when he is left long enough to believe it. There is no love for his family, Lhavitian or symenestra; he no longer wants to find his mother, resigning her to death or the peaceful ignorance of his existence; the only guilt he feels from his father’s murder was that of leaving his beloved sisters with the burden, but has no intention on ever returning to the far west to reconcile.
Author Goals
My personal goals for Seven include an encounter with one or both of his sisters, whether he wants it or not. He killed their father, too.
I’m slowly building this bubble around him, of his own egotism and a fantasy world within a fantasy world. I want it to pop. I want to pull him back down to earth and leave him humbled by the experience. I just don’t know how to go about this, or really if I want to any time in the near future.
Seven is a mage. He does not actively pursue a mage’s life, but he can successfully manipulate his life-essence into a protective barrier. It’s magic. I do not see him branching out into other schools of magic at any point (call him a specialist), but I do want shielding to become a larger part of him. I want him to master it and to learn from it. I want it to consume him, and I want him to overcome it.
More than anything, Seven yearns to belong. Beneath his exterior is a man disappointed by the lot life drew for him. As a child, he was an outsider in his own family home. As an adult, he surrounds himself with empty smiles and feral naiveté, with the concession that acceptance wrought from delusion is short-lived.
Seven grows increasingly nearer to contentment with his place in the world; his Chevas-blessed union with Victor is a tangible bond: a symbol of mutual dependency and belonging. There is no traditional concept of love between them because it is unattainable, but there is a sort of pseudo empathy in understanding. Said simply, knowing is enough.
He wants to free himself of the stigma garnered by his symenestra ancestors. Seven identifies as a human when he is left long enough to believe it. There is no love for his family, Lhavitian or symenestra; he no longer wants to find his mother, resigning her to death or the peaceful ignorance of his existence; the only guilt he feels from his father’s murder was that of leaving his beloved sisters with the burden, but has no intention on ever returning to the far west to reconcile.
Author Goals
My personal goals for Seven include an encounter with one or both of his sisters, whether he wants it or not. He killed their father, too.
I’m slowly building this bubble around him, of his own egotism and a fantasy world within a fantasy world. I want it to pop. I want to pull him back down to earth and leave him humbled by the experience. I just don’t know how to go about this, or really if I want to any time in the near future.
Seven is a mage. He does not actively pursue a mage’s life, but he can successfully manipulate his life-essence into a protective barrier. It’s magic. I do not see him branching out into other schools of magic at any point (call him a specialist), but I do want shielding to become a larger part of him. I want him to master it and to learn from it. I want it to consume him, and I want him to overcome it.
Past & Present Plots
Prologue
Flashbacks
Departure - Zhao Xu’s untimely end, and an early morning escape from Lhavit.
Chapter One – Lost and Found
Spring, Summer, 511 AV
Cutting Off - Revelations in a forged letter.
Begun Again - New meetings spark fresh purpose.
The Whispering Wind - A woman is laid to rest, a mage is born.
Reciprocation - Wounds heal and devotion flourishes between darkness and truths.
Chapter Two – Building and Breaking
Fall, 511 AV
A Bad Mood - Better to leave buried things where they lie.
Contracted Interests - The Sun and the Stars are born.
No Place Like It - Taming the girl.
Aim For My Heart - Sometimes love is stronger than a man’s convictions.
Disillusioned Delusion - Seeing beyond the mask.
Chapter Three – The All-Seeing Stars
Winter, 511 AV
Home Is Where Your Hearth Is - The Lethborn’s secrets.
Aquainted with the Night - She in Her glory, always forgives.
Chapter Four – Testing Faith
Spring, 512 AV
Helter Skelter - In silent chaos, Chevas unifies.
Bound - Even loved ones can be sold.
Chapter Five – Like Moths to Flame
Spring, 512 AV
Draw - The game continues.
Letters to the Stars - Blind is the night sky to desperation.
Begun Again, Part Two - Starting over.
Dark Compulsion - Fear always consumes.
Flashbacks
Departure - Zhao Xu’s untimely end, and an early morning escape from Lhavit.
Chapter One – Lost and Found
Spring, Summer, 511 AV
Cutting Off - Revelations in a forged letter.
Begun Again - New meetings spark fresh purpose.
The Whispering Wind - A woman is laid to rest, a mage is born.
Reciprocation - Wounds heal and devotion flourishes between darkness and truths.
Chapter Two – Building and Breaking
Fall, 511 AV
A Bad Mood - Better to leave buried things where they lie.
Contracted Interests - The Sun and the Stars are born.
No Place Like It - Taming the girl.
Aim For My Heart - Sometimes love is stronger than a man’s convictions.
Disillusioned Delusion - Seeing beyond the mask.
Chapter Three – The All-Seeing Stars
Winter, 511 AV
Home Is Where Your Hearth Is - The Lethborn’s secrets.
Aquainted with the Night - She in Her glory, always forgives.
Chapter Four – Testing Faith
Spring, 512 AV
Helter Skelter - In silent chaos, Chevas unifies.
Bound - Even loved ones can be sold.
Chapter Five – Like Moths to Flame
Spring, 512 AV
Draw - The game continues.
Letters to the Stars - Blind is the night sky to desperation.
Begun Again, Part Two - Starting over.
Dark Compulsion - Fear always consumes.
