All Throughout History
When my time comes around lay me gently in the cold dark earth. No grave can hold my body down. I'll crawl home to her. ― Hozier x
Here is the book thread.
SETTING (FIN.) A town in modern day America. While it's modern in it's neon storefronts, car lined streets and high gas prices, there are areas that feel as though untouched by time. Down the back of a set of brick buildings, there are cobblestone walkways and a set of narrow stairs leading to a long alleyway. There is only one entrance and no sign to indicate what's inside. The other end of the alleyway leads to civilization, back into the hustle and bustle of a busy morning.
The door creaks upon entering. It looks like any other antique shop, unorganized with knick-knacks strewn about shelves. Overflowing into other rooms, all the way back until all there is is darkness. It's not a bright shop, the only light coming in through the windows on either side of the room. Dust floats in the air as though it hasn't been visited in quite a while. However, that isn't the case at all.
The dust settles and, walking deeper into the shop, there are seemingly random artifacts that are clean. No dust in sight. These are clearly treasured more than the other items that are being sold. Despite being a shop, there are no price tags, no indication that any of it is being sold whatsoever. No cash register or filing cabinets thus no change or paperwork. Deeper still, there is a ticking echoing off the walls.
It went unnoticed before. The louder it gets, the darker it gets. Past a row of tattered books stacked haphazardly on shelves, a sliver of light appears up ahead- but from where? In the very back of the antique shop, past a bin of creepy dolls with missing limbs, is a hallway that gives a sharp right. A soft glow comes from a crack in the door. It doesn't seem as dusty all of the sudden. The door opens and the sun is blinding in greeting, the natural light of the sleepy morning coming in through the window.
The room is small, even smaller compared to the antique shop itself. An unmade bed is pressed against the wall, a wobbly nightstand beside it. There are papers scattered around the room, unintelligible writing scrawled in ink as though the quill was in a hurry. The kitchenette in one corner of the room is sparse, barely used when takeout is available. There is a kettle, red and shiny, and a faint floral aroma throughout the room. Otherwise, the room is bare. It seems to be used for sleeping more than anything else.
The window itself is big enough for a person to crawl through, something that is confirmed by the scuffs and dirt around the windowsill. It has been left cracked, the chilly morning air radiating through the space. The weather has been growing colder, and outside the trees are dropping crunchy brown leaves. The tree outside this particular window, however, has been losing yellow leaves. Brown and yellow flutter by as the wind blows.
Outside looks to be a courtyard. The only entrance is a wrought iron gate. On this side of the building, it isn't as busy. Noises from the outside world are few and far between, only the occasional honking of a car or a clatter of footsteps. A peaceful atmosphere compared to the eeriness of the shop itself. Underneath the ginkgo tree sits a cold cup of tea, the contents long forgotten. A leather-bound book is nearby, a tattered cover showing that it's well-used. The garden has died. It is uncertain how, whether from lack of care or the season.
The brick walls surrounding the courtyard are old but sturdy. The owner trusts them, knowing that they have seen the absolute worst and did not come down. Another door, almost unnoticeable as it blends in with the browns of the brick, leads back into the shop. Thrown into the darkness again, at another end of the back of the shop. A sheet is tucked gently around a rectangular object - a dark green trunk. So green that it's almost black in the darkness. Inside is bare except for an old pocket watch, ____ and a ____. All of which are clean as though untouched by time. The pocket watch ticks faintly in time to the grandfather clock.
Back towards the entrance now, the door left ajar. Past a row of old glass jars, a collection of buttons and a stack of vinyl records. Stepping over the holey boots, a military jacket and a torn painting. The endless rows of books, musty in their age. Some pages fall to the floor, names that could be read as Alice Liddell or Elsie Wright. The handwriting is the same as the pages from the small room. Some of these books have been written by the antique shop's owner.
On the way out, on a small table behind the creaky door, is a book. Unlike the others, it is in pristine condition. The pages are clearly white, even with the shortage of light. Upon closer inspection, the pages contain no words. There is no utensil with which to write with. The front inside cover doesn't contain a name, nor a date. The outside is plain, leather-bound like the one in the courtyard. Flipping to the first blank page, a thick paper so to not let any ink bleed through, there is a single spot there. A fingerprint in gold ink.
It wasn't there a moment ago. Where did it come from? The wind picks up outside, and the door swings open wide. They say when one door closes, another door opens. What about when all the doors are ajar? A woman stands in the doorway - our protagonist has finally arrived. When she enters, the door closes behind her, the room engulfed in complete darkness for a moment. The fingerprint on the page shines, and when she touches it, light fills the room.
Still dusty, though a little more welcoming- she's happy to be home.
Last edited by Dymphna Teague on 5 Nov 2019, 16:55, edited 10 times in total.
[font=times new roman]STA - 7 | EVA - 8 | STR - 5 | WIS - 10 +10% | ARC - 8 | ACC - 8
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook
All Throughout History
INTRO TO CHARACTERS (FIN.) (TOTAL 2133)
EMMELINE 'EMILY' BROWN (x) (TOTAL 1044). Our story starts in modern day but Emily has been around long before then. Her name was once Amala, living a life of servitude in ancient times. Then Emmeline, a school teacher on the prairie. There were others but not all of them are as vivid (or female). In this life, she has mainly gone by Emily or Em, a more neutral/unisex name. She believes that she met Ana in a past life; Ana doesn't remember this however.
Emily is pale (though olive-toned) but usually tanned from her time in the sun with brown hair that she keeps pulled back into a ponytail or bun. Loose strands of hair hang around her heart shaped face. Her eyes are a light olive green. She likes to wear makeup, dark lipsticks and eyeliner but dresses masculine in button-ups, waistcoats, jeans and converse. Her style can be influenced through different periods of time that she remembers living in. She abhors dresses from the times that she was forced to wear them (by society and men) and is picky about what she wears, when she can afford to be.
Em has had many relationships during her time. As a servant in ancient times, she was forced into a relationship with her master that has impacted her ability to trust others. During her time as a teacher, many developed an interest in her but she refused to marry (teachers did not marry at that time and she refused to give up her work). She was convinced that there wasn't anyone out there for her until she met Ana. She thinks of her as her soulmate, though she realizes that their relationship is something that both have to work on. There are times when they get frustrated with one another but they are always able to work things out, but that isn't the only reason why Em believes they're meant to be together.
She is set on the idea that she and Ana have met before, though Ana doesn't believe it.
She tries to be an optimist because she feels that it will be helpful to her wife, but she's logical and a realist. If things aren't going her way, she makes her own way and figures it out without making a big fuss about it. Overall, she is opinionated, stubborn in her beliefs, cares about the world and the little family they have created within it. Her time throughout history has made her wary of others, calculated and she won't hesitate to protect her family in any way possible. She has taken self defense training and at one point knew how to shoot, though in this life she doesn't own a firearm due to Ana's dislike of them. While stubborn, she isn't too stubborn to ask for help when it concerns her wife, even if that someone is Warrick.
When it comes to Ana's friendship with Warrick, she's glad that there's something else in this life that cares about Ana. However, there are times when she believes that there is something more there. Warrick wouldn't help her out of the kindness of his own heart, would he? She doesn't know him very well as a person but feels threatened by him coming around, especially when she isn't always at the antique shop. Not that she feels Ana would ever act/cheat (she hasn't given her any reason to believe she would), but it's her own insecurity and instability within herself and her job that makes her feel this way. Even if she isn't always around, she's completely in love with her wife and wants to do a vow renewal. The years pass so quickly and at this point, neither can remember how long they have been together anyway. It feels like it's been forever. (Rather than have them be married already, might do that at the end of the first book)
The green trunk that sits (dust-free) in the antique shop is hers from long ago. In it, she keeps her valuables from past lives and is continuing to hunt them down, though many can never be recovered. The green trunk was how Ana was able to 'meet' Em for the first time and while Em feels that she has met Ana before, it isn't possible that it was during this meeting in a memory. Somehow, Em found Ana at the antique shop [Oliver, gotta flesh this out more but might scrap the Oliver idea till the second book, then I'd have to come up with another reason for Em to find her] and they began their courtship. Ana recognized Em from the memory, had never forgotten her and Emily felt as though she already knew her from elsewhere. Even though Em probably doesn't look the same, the eyes are the window to the soul or whatever so Ana recognizes her lol. Oliver is their adopted child? Their child from another time period or is he reincarnated as well? Ignore my notes lol, I'm still fleshing a lot of this out.
Em doesn't have parents in this life as they died before she was born. She was raised by her grandmother, who passed away sometime during her teen years, leaving her a small apartment quite close to the antique shop. She has kept it exactly the same as her grandmother left it (will be repainted and refurnished once Ana moves in, something they do together to signify new beginnings towards the end of the book, also getting Ana out of the antique shop). Her grandmother also left a small inheritance which Emily plans on using to track down Oliver, as they will likely remember him at the ending of the book, prompting a sequel. The grandmother will appear as a minor supporting character in flashbacks through both Em and Ana's memories.
The story overall is about creating a family of your own (blood family isn't the only kind of family), that soulmates aren't determined by fate/destiny and you have to work hard in a relationship (love won't always be enough - this makes it sound sad lol they end up together but it's difficult sometimes). Emily's story is about the challenges women face and staying true to yourself in a 'mans world'.
ROXANA 'ANA' BROWN (x) (TOTAL 590). Not as old as Emily but more damaged. Ana has felt too many war memories and focuses on the children as a way to cope. She's the primary owner of the antique shop, almost never (physically) leaving home. Her journals and loose pages fill the rooms. Her life’s work has revolved around telling their stories and giving families closure. If she has had past lives, she doesn't remember them, preferring to focus on the here and now while she can.
Ana is a dark-skinned girl with wavy hair and almond-shaped, dark brown eyes. Her face is smaller and round. She prefers to dress feminine, in flowing dresses and floral patterns. Despite everything that she has been through, she tries to remain optimistic. She finds happiness in the simplest things in life - a good cup of tea, sleeping in, the autumn leaves changing colours, etc. She is happiest when she's with her loved ones and doesn't like to be left alone, hence having a friend around whenever Em is out. Overall, she has a good heart and tries to be a happier person but it can be hard for her at times. Her ability to see memories makes life difficult for her and can keep her confined to the surrounding areas of the antique shop. She believes that she was born with this ability (a curse is how she thinks of it).
Her birth parents gave her up for adoption at a young age. Ana bounced around different houses until she aged out of the system. Most were concerned and tried to get her help when she spoke of seeing things that they couldn't see, and eventually she stopped telling anyone about them at all. It wasn't until she made her first friend [Warrick] that things started to make more sense. He was the one who found the brick building and enchanted the previous owner to pack up and leave, allowing Ana to take over. She couldn't avoid the ability so she made a decision to help people find things that they might have thought lost forever, or have things donated to museums anonymously through Warrick, who is better at dealing with people.
She's introverted and finds it hard to get to know others, finds it hard to let others in even when it's people she loves. After a few years of being at the antique shop with Warrick as her only friend, a child named Oliver appeared, followed by a woman that she would come to know as her wife. They would explain how Oliver came to be, that Em was once a man but is reincarnated. Oliver is their child (who doesn't age for some reason? who is also a reincarnation?) It doesn't take long for Ana to believe them as they had an object (pocket watch?) that would prove what they say is true. Reunited, though Ana doesn't remember anything from her past life and assumes that one is her first, they all live in the antique shop together with Warrick dropping in to help them as needed. (He has his own shop where he helps others with their problems - a possible sequel/freebie for mailing list - about his work and relationships).
Ana's story is about dealing with mental illness (trauma), her coping skills and how she will overcome it in the end. Towards the end of the first book, she moves in with Em in her grandmother's old apartment and that is a big step in the right direction for her.
OLIVER 'OLLIE' BROWN (SCRAPPED TILL SEQUEL). He may look like a child but Ollie is an old soul like his mothers. He goes missing at some point in the sequel (after being introduced to the girls) and they go on a mission to find him, with help from Warrick.
WARRICK LASTNAME (TOTAL 396). A magic user who helps Ana around the shop - her best friend. Possibly an ‘apprentice’ of sorts, who helps get artifacts to museums or back within the families in an anonymous way (without giving away that Ana has an ability). They became fast friends and Emily feels threatened by him, jealous of his relationship with her beloved. However, Warrick has his own partner who gets introduced in another book (or freebie to build mailing list).
Warrick was raised by his magic user father, mother dying from a spell gone wrong. He blames himself and is careful with his magic, training rigorously so it won't happen again. His friendship with Ana is one of mutual understanding as they both have 'abilities' that they find hard to control and traumas from them. (May bring his father into the mix as a supporting character if they need someone with more controlled magic, need to find out limitations on the magic they're able to do). He's taken to helping Ana as a way to give himself something else to focus on outside of his magic, giving him something else to do after his father sat him down and told him that there was a life outside of training. Helping Ana out at the shop is actually how he meets his partner (will flesh this out more later).
He is sarcastic, funny and Emily is an unreliable narrator when it comes to him (so I need to write from Ana's POV more often to further flesh him out). He hides his trauma behind a false smile and joking attitude. In his relationship, he is caring and affectionate, calling his beloved pet names and spoiling him with a beautiful garden in the back of the flat they live in together. He could easily do the same of Ana's garden in the courtyard of the antique shop but doesn't because he feels the tension from Emily, plus Ana doesn't want things to be worse between them (will do this at the end of the book to signify that their relationship is less strained). His partner is a normal human, no abilities whatsoever and while that is also something that causes complications in their relationship, it also keeps him grounded to the 'real world' going on around him. I haven't yet pictured what Warrick and his partner look like yet.
ANTAGONIST NO NAME. Someone from the past who is out for revenge, using Ollie to do so. Was once in love with one of the girls, angered and disgusted by their obvious affection for one another. A homophobe. I can't say too much about him without spoiling the book.
Last edited by Dymphna Teague on 30 Oct 2019, 18:13, edited 21 times in total.
[font=times new roman]STA - 7 | EVA - 8 | STR - 5 | WIS - 10 +10% | ARC - 8 | ACC - 8
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook
All Throughout History
THE OUTLINE (REWRITING) (x)
PROLOGUE. A man is following Oliver. He knows that this boy is special to Emily so he hopes to follow him and figure out where she is. He watches as the boy buys flowers, follows him when he leaves the stall and heads towards home. Halfway there, Oliver realizes that someone has been watching him, slows his footsteps to double check, goes down what he knows to be busier side streets. He knows he can’t go home now. The man still tracks him until Oliver runs out of tourist areas and ends up in a section of the city that isn’t crowded. He confronts the man before he gets taken and a secret is revealed to Oliver. The flowers get left behind.
CHAPTER 1. Opening within one of Ana’s memories. The first time that she sees Emily. She’s arriving in a new city to teach, the green trunk holding all of her earthly goods. The feelings of excitement and the nervousness of a first day of teaching surround her. Ana follows her as she gets settled into her new place, renting a small room from an elderly lady. Ana notes her beauty, her perfect cursive when she writes and commits her name to memory. Last sentence mentions how Ana wouldn’t know until later that she would meet her outside of a memory and get married (something she thought to be impossible).
CHAPTER 2. Emily comes home to the antique shop, passing Warrick on her way out. She’s friendly to him but there’s a feeling of jealousy there. Warrick says that Ana is well, out in the courtyard and leaves with a tip of his hat. She makes her way through the antique shop, noting that it’s tidier than usual. Is Warrick trying to show her up? She curls around Ana when she sees her resting underneath the tree and they chat about life in general, missing one another when Emily’s away but refrain from talking about bad memories. Ana remarks about how she first saw her and fell for her. Emily talks about how they must’ve known each other in another life but Ana dismisses this.
WIP.
Last edited by Dymphna Teague on 30 Oct 2019, 18:12, edited 1 time in total.
[font=times new roman]STA - 7 | EVA - 8 | STR - 5 | WIS - 10 +10% | ARC - 8 | ACC - 8
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook
All Throughout History
PLOTS (WIP)
MAIN. Antagonist finds them and gang go on a mission to rescue Emily who gets taken.
SUB. 1. Love triangle except that Em is an unreliable narrator so this isn't the issue at all. 2. Finding out they have a son and going on a mission to find him (in the sequel).
[font=times new roman]STA - 7 | EVA - 8 | STR - 5 | WIS - 10 +10% | ARC - 8 | ACC - 8
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook