Romulus and Tallis

Romulus and Tallis are proving to be as much fun as Terence, if not more. I can't seem to stop drawing them or thinking about what I could add to their story.

Like I said in my last post, Romulus has always felt that need to protect his younger brother. Which, of course, is well and good; I'm as big a believer in family loyalty as anybody. But at what point do you "draw the line"? When do you stop helping your family and start hindering them? How far should you truly go just for your blood relative's sake?

Such questions, you'll have to figure out for yourselves. But this makes for an excellent plot point.

I like Romulus much better in this image; he looks less grandfatherly, and you can really sense his smoldering resentment toward the blissfully unaware Tallis.

Tallis, as aforementioned, is not a bad guy. Most of the time, his heart is indeed in the right place. But he's always been one for taking "the easy way out," trying to make everybody happy (even if it has negative consequences later) and getting things done with as little effort on his part as possible.

And Romulus has always been known as the dependable one, so people can sort of relax knowing Romulus is there to "take care of it." Sometimes it's just easier for Romulus to do it himself and get it over with. But once again, at what point do you decide that enough is enough? You can tell Romulus is asking himself that very question at that very moment.

On a lighter note, Romulus does find happiness with a woman named Kyla, with whom he sires three children, Tracy, Ren, and Opal. In fact, I finished my first "family portrait" just today.

You see that? Romulus isn't such a grump or a total stick in the mud after all. Of course, he's far from a flawless husband or father, but he tries his best and you can just sense the family love in this. When all is said and done, he absolutely loves his wife and children (and brother) to pieces, and they reciprocate.

Tracy, the oldest, is about 19 years old; Ren is 15 or 16, and little Opal is 11. I personally think Tracy turned out the best. And one of my buddies gave me the suggestion to make Ren's hair gray/silver. Silver hair or intensely blue eyes are just those unique traits in Terence's family. That's one way you can sense a biological connection.

Hard to believe that the main villain of this story comes from their own family, eh? I'll show more of Tyrell and his side of the family another time, when I get the chance.

But I will say it again: this story is showing tremendous promise, and my enthusiasm for this project keeps on growing. I have a feeling that when NaNoWriMo comes around, I'll have a lot to write about. That's not to say I'm abandoning Terence's story. Far from it! But this provides me with an awesome change of scenery while still maintaining some familiarity.

It's amazing how far you can go with one story, the possibilities that open up once you start probing them. In the words of Tumnus from C.S. Lewis's The Last Battle, it's "like an onion: except that as you continue to go in and in, each circle is larger than the last."

More New Characters!

I'm getting more and more excited about my 2017 NaNoWriMo story, with Terence's future offspring. And I just completed another basic design for two more characters: Tyrell's father and paternal uncle, who also have Terence's blood running through their veins. I present to you Romulus and Tallis.

I see a great deal of potential for these two.

To start off, Romulus is the oldest, and not just because he's the tallest and has the gray hair. In fact, he's not really that old; his hair has always been grayish anyhow. (One way you can tell if somebody's related to Terence is if their hair is gray or white even at a young age, or if they have incredibly blue eyes.)

The two brothers live in the same castle, with Tallis as the king and Romulus as a sort of adviser. But anyone would think it ought to be the other way around. Romulus does all the difficult, less glamorous work; Tallis is quite content to laze around on his throne, or not even be on the throne at all. If Tallis had his way, life would be nothing but one great big party for him and his subjects.

So, in essence, Romulus is doing Tallis's job for him.

Even in their boyhood, Romulus always felt the need to look after Tallis, to protect him, or to at least keep him from doing anything stupid. Tallis never liked rules or hard decisions, and is always expecting somebody else to pick up the slack. Romulus, against his better judgment, caves every time. If not for his brother's sake, he does it for the sake of their empire, which would have long since gone to pot otherwise.

Tallis is not a bad guy. But he's most definitely not a good king. His parenting skills are far from ideal, too. Romulus may not be a flawless father himself (what father is?), but you can just tell his kids turned out way, way better. Both sire three children, with three sons for Tallis and a son and two daughters for Romulus. Tyrell, the big bad, is Tallis's oldest and most beloved.

The wives are alive and well, too. Tallis is married to Ann, and Romulus's wife is Kyla. Both women's designs have yet to make it to paper.

A pretty dysfunctional family, but a fascinating one all the same. I can hardly wait until November, and I don't think I'll even wait until then to get started.

For now, I'm satisfied with the image I posted. Would I sound too nuts if I admitted that I harbor a slight crush on both these guys?

New Art, New Story, New Character

I suppose I should learn to concentrate on one writing project at a time. On the other hand, I get burned out if I focus on one thing for too long, and you might as well take advantage of the ideas while they're there, right? Just like with fishing, you never know when you'll snag a good one, and if you let it go, chances are you'll never get it back.

So for NaNoWriMo this year, I'm going to write a story that takes place in Terence's world, in the future. The main antagonist, Tyrell, happens to be Terence's own descendant, his many-times-great-grandson. He's still in the rough stages (and I'm always wary about providing too much information online), but let's just say he's a certified megalomaniac. He has a way overblown ego, partly because he has Terence's blood. By this time, Terence is highly revered, almost a saint, and to be part of his family tree is considered a wonderful honor. So Tyrell definitely lets that lineage go to his head.

I guess this would be like the Legend of Korra for my story, because it takes place in the same world in a future era, where technology and magic come together. So this book will be sort of a crossbreed of science fiction and fantasy. And, I will confess, I got just a tiny bit of inspiration from Game of Thrones, too.

This is only Tyrell's first design, so it's subject to change. But I see at least a few features that are definite keepers. I do plan to keep his hair and eye color. And you can see the family resemblance from Terence.

When the World Stopped Turning: 16 Years Later

Where were you when the world stopped turning
On that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?

Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones, 
And pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?

Did you burst out with pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters? 

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning

On that September day?
Teaching a class full of innocent children,
Or driving down some cold interstate?

Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room, did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset for the first time in ages,
Or speak to some stranger on the street?

 
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow?
Go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns?

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers?
Stand in line and give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family?
Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love 

And the greatest is love

And the greatest is love...
Where were you when the world stopped turning

On that September day?

I may not recall every detail of that fateful day, but I sure know where I was and how I felt.

I was 13 years old and about halfway through junior high. While my dad was chauffeuring me to school, we first heard the story on the radio. The reporter's voice sounded very shaky, like he was really struggling not to break down. Being a kid, I knew four planes crashing on the same day was bad news, but it wasn't until later that I realized how bad. 

At school, everyone was talking about the plane crashes, students and teachers alike. Even my strict teachers were surprisingly mellow, and our schoolwork that day was much lighter than usual. I don't think we even had homework, which pleased me at first; what kid doesn't get excited about not having homework? 

But when I got home and saw the full story on TV (it was all they talked about, on every single news station), that's when it hit me. My sister and I were supposed to have a Young Women's activity that night but it got canceled. 

Seeing the footage of the planes exploding and the Twin Towers collapsing and the people screaming and running for their lives, that was the moment I understood how serious this was. This was something we only expected to happen in the movies...but this was no movie, no special effects, no acting, and no accident. 

For the next few weeks, I was scared stiff. I remember breaking down in tears at least twice at school; luckily, everyone who saw me was nothing but sympathetic and tried to give me some reassurance. To make fun of somebody at a time like this would have been cruel. 

My mom once told me, "This is how the terrorists want you to feel." 

To this day, I say, "Well, they sure do a good job!" And I don't mean that as a compliment.

Thanks be to God, I didn't lose anybody in those attacks. But my whole heart goes out to those who did, and I still have a hard time watching the footage and remembering. You don't want to forget, but some things are just about impossible to take in. In the words of Evanescence, "There's just too much that time cannot erase." 

Once again, I send out my prayers and best wishes to everyone affected by this ghastly tragedy in any way, and may God continue to bless the USA.

Song lyrics property of Alan Jackson.