Sympathy for the Devil (Duvalyon's Scrap)

by **Duvalyon Hellebore** on March 10th, 2012, 8:37 pm

The Devil is most devilish when respectable.

by **Seven Xu** on March 10th, 2012, 8:48 pm

You made a scrapbook.

And I'm the first to comment in it! Ha ha!

Write more beautiful things, please. I enjoy your character very much, and even though you're leaving Kalinor behind for Lhavit, I still plan on stalking you. Maybe we will meet someday, in-character. Cheers!

by **Duvalyon Hellebore** on March 10th, 2012, 8:59 pm

Thank you for the compliment. I hope we can throw Duv and Seven together sometime. I have a feeling Duv would be insufferable with his affinity for the "Dra" term, so please don't stab him in the neck for it.

by **Duvalyon Hellebore** on March 10th, 2012, 9:05 pm

I'm loathe to miss a good, useful bandwagon, so I recently created a character diamond for Duv with the help of the ever talented Caelum. Laszlo pitched in a few good adjective too. Since this is the Duvalyon scrap, and you are reading it, I assume you won't mind me charting the process.

Step 1: Accumulate Traits

Witty, principled, dutiful, wry, even-headed, vain, proud, logical, medic, sly, homebody, cruel, studious, loyal, precise, clever, methodical, quick witted, patient, dry, sober, serious, implacable, dignified, dedicated, loving, paternal, malicious, deceptive, conniving, cunning, fussy, duplicitous

Step 2: Separate into 4 Categories

These categories fell into place a bit naturally, but everyone find their own order for this and their own reasoning.

A. Witty, wry, sly, clever, quick witted, dry

B. Loyal, principled, dutiful, dedicated, paternal, loving, patient Dedicated

C. Conniving, deceptive, cunning, cruel, proud, vain, malicious, duplicitous

D. Studious, dignified, precise, methodical, implacable, sober, logical, serious

Step 3: Picking a word from each category that best reflects your character.

This is where I tend to start a dialogue with Duv. Yes, dialogue. I know. He's mostly quiet, but occasionally he looks up from what he's doing and gives me one of those looks. I tells me I'm a bit off.
I have been told it's good to have a mix of positive and negative traits, and Caelum threatened to bludgeon me if I don't keep a "goal" in mind. Ok, maybe not bludgeon, but I wasn't going to leave the discussion without one for Duv.

Clever, Loyal, Cunning, Serious

This was the first round. But I felt it lacked a certain meanness. I went back and forth, and thought, "Well, Duv, maybe you're not as cruel as you think." Then the character said, "Try me."
Needless to say, I was persuaded.

Clever, Loyal, Cunning, Cruel

Step 4. Deciding What is Permanent and What is Situational

Perm = Loyal, Cunning
Situational = Clever, Cruel

Step 5. Write a paragraph on each and how it realtes to your character.

This is a "to be continued" step.

by **Laszlo** on March 10th, 2012, 10:20 pm

So is this where I can put further shirtless pictures of Duvalyon?

by **Duvalyon Hellebore** on March 11th, 2012, 12:00 am

Just--please, nothing with pearls.

by **Caelum** on March 13th, 2012, 1:01 am

Bludgeon? Libel.

by **Laszlo** on March 16th, 2012, 1:16 am

Mood: Pensive

In between taking care of Shinya injuries and caring for a pregnant Abalia, Duvalyon takes a moment to himself to ponder his life choices.

I'm made to live in the darkness underground. My younger siblings are both starting families. I'm taking care of humans and living in a city MADE of light. My father was right about me.

by **Laszlo** on March 22nd, 2012, 3:42 am

Duvalyon and Dor need to bang and get it over with.

Well no, probably not that. I mean it didn't turn out well for Laszlo.

But you guys should at least kiss.

If it doesn't happen, I'm going to get all fidgety.

I'd like to remind you that I know this Hypnotist who could MAKE it happen if he wanted. I mean, Duv would probably hurl him into the gorge for it (Lhavit conveniently has a gorge!), but it'd be TOTALLY worth it!

I drew this diagram for you. This is how it would happen.

by **Duvalyon Hellebore** on March 29th, 2012, 1:27 am

I don't understand the punctuation comment, Katie. Baby seals on lit dance floors are a serious epidemic.

Laszlo, you have a gift for scrap comments that both amuse and disturb. They are always welcome here, save that one. You know what I'm talking about.

Your (hilarious) latter picture brings up an excellent point. It is a struggle as the writer to want something *right now* that the character would delay or avoid entirely. I want Duvalyon to grab a clump of that red hair and show Dor what for in the kiss department. Does Duv? No, absolutely not. He's waiting for a shiv in that thread, or for a small speech on all the "wonderful" things Dor has realized about him and Symenestra. A bit of a damper to any romance. Add to that the complications of their history... blather, blather, blather.

Sometimes you get that gut want fulfilled, other times PC's just defy you. Anyone else get that conflict? Or is it mostly me?