RETROGRADE is closing its doors for good. Thank you for your warm support and love you gave us and the directory. When we first opened the directory we'd have never thought how successful and loved it'd become, thus making the departure even harder for us. But the lack of time to keep the directory running assures us that it's the right decision and we hope you understand that our real lives have priority over roleplay. Of course you can keep roleplaying on your accounts, no need to drop them if you still have threads going on/muse!! We hope you understand. Thank you again, everyone!
RETROGRADE is closing its doors for good. Thank you for your warm support and love you gave us and the directory. When we first opened the directory we'd have never thought how successful and loved it'd become, thus making the departure even harder for us. But the lack of time to keep the directory running assures us that it's the right decision and we hope you understand that our real lives have priority over roleplay. Of course you can keep roleplaying on your accounts, no need to drop them if you still have threads going on/muse!! We hope you understand.
Attention ! Attention ! It has been said that EVIGHET FREYA has been spotted in the nation of ELV! This TWENTY YEAR OLD individual was born under the sign of PISCES and is best known as a LADY-IN-WAITING & HEALER. They have mastered the art of WATER BENDING and are currently a LEVEL 07 BENDER.
FOLLOW their adventures and drop by to GREET them !
[ PERSONALITY ] A natural born leader, Freaya approaches life with a positively analytical outlook that allows her to always make sound judgments and good choices. She thrives in being around other people for she is outgoing and exceedingly friendly; she finds it extremely easy to gain meaningful relationships with those she meets and her innate warmth and cheerfulness easily endears her to everyone. Regardless of who she is dealing with, Freya is there to extend her help and aid to anyone who needs it. Such altruism leads her to become practical and resourceful and she prefers that things always be organized and in tip-top condition. She is likewise caring and affectionate; wearing her heart on her sleeve and always putting others before herself.
However, Freya’s emotions sometimes make her idealistic leading her to being stubborn as she finds it hard to adjust to perspectives that are not her own. She strongly believes in doing the right thing and stands against any form of injustice. Being so emotional, Freya is susceptible to feelings of possessiveness and jealousy especially when it concerns people and things of great importance to her. Her emotions are usually also the cause for her moodiness and short temper yet despite this, she finds it difficult to articulate and correctly put her feelings into words. Though she is open to new ideas and enjoys the thrill of adventure here and there, she still prefers the familiarity of things she is already accustomed to hence, she also becomes protective of what is familiar to her.
The war is a very sensitive topic for Freya; the loss of her brother in the battlefield has made her incredibly fearful of death. She fears that one day, she will wake up to find none of her loved ones alive and this prompts her to take her work as a healer very seriously. It is very easy for her to throw and lose herself in her work; she tends to easily get attached to her patients and feels a great loss (sometimes to the point of blaming herself) if she cannot save them from death. All in all, Freya loves with everything she’s got and almost always puts the welfare of others before her own yet she can be just as possessive and protective of the people and things that mean the most to her and will stop at nothing to ensure that they are healthy and happy.
[ BACKGROUND ]
It was in the dead of winter of 1471 when Freya was born as the second child and only daughter of the retired Admiral of the Elvian Navy and the Duchess of Krasivaya. Stories of her birth narrate that she shed not a single tear when she came out of her mother’s womb; instead, she was a calm albeit wide eyed baby that immediately showed a smile when her mother pulled her against her chest. They knew from that moment then that something larger than life was set out for her—the little one was destined for greatness the moment she came into the world.
Freya was the name her father bestowed upon her and he explained when she was finally old enough to understand that her name meant that destiny smiled upon her and she was to ultimately become the epitome of love, beauty and grace. She took his words to heart and kept it always at the back of her mind as a motivation of sorts to make her family proud and make their love for her worthwhile. At age four, earlier than what was considered normal, she started harnessing the power that the zodiacs had gifted her with and it finally made sense to her why she found such affection and incredible fondness for water. The element was her first love and nothing made her happier than being surrounded by it. Water was a source of strength and power, she was taught that she was blessed to be able to control it for not everyone could, but she soon learned that the element she so cherished was also the arrow that led her to find love.
Love found her at age five when love was still missing a front tooth but even then, love was most definitely the most handsome boy she ever laid eyes on and he just so happened to also be the first prince of the kingdom. But just as was expected of children, royal titles and formalities were of little value to them because what mattered most was the number of times the two of them could out-hide the guards at hide and seek and how many times they could push their bending instructor into the lake without getting caught. A beautiful friendship blossomed from that fateful encounter until Freya became synonymous to Nikolai and Nikolai became synonymous to Freya—they were two peas in a pod, inseparable companions, the best of friends, and each other’s most treasured person.
With him by her side she felt invincible and felt as though she could take on anything that life threw at her but life was quick to make her realize that it was not the case.
The beginning of the war was a scene straight out of her nightmares and the succeeding decade that followed were no better. It was a severe reminder of the fragility of human life, of how easy it was for one who was stronger and one who had more power to take the life of another, the life of someone weaker and one who did not deserve to be on the receiving end of someone else’s anger and greed. When her older brother perished in battle, Freya swore she was never going to lose anyone else in the hands of the enemy and this prompted her to learn the art of using water in order to heal. For the most part of her teenage years, she spent her days mastering control over her energy and element and stopping at nothing until her skills were one of the best in the entire kingdom. Losing sleep and mild exhaustion were only small prices to pay for the feeling of reassurance that knowing how to heal brought her. (Her abilities to heal were, in fact, the only thing that pacified her when Nikolai told her he was joining the army and fighting the war first hand.)
Now at twenty, the war was still very much a reality but Freya has learned to cope better as she kept her days and nights busy rendering services to the injured and wounded Elvian soldiers. She was always strict and stern with her patients, giving them precise instructions to follow and lecturing them when they do otherwise, yet there was still no mistaking that she did everything out of love and sincere compassion for them. The first prince of Elv may be the one who stole her heart but there always seemed to be space in it for her fellow citizens, especially those in need of her care.
Attention ! Attention ! It has been said that AMARYLLIS RIKU has been spotted in the nation of DUUR ! This TWENTY-ONE YEAR OLDindividual was born under the cusp of MAGIC and is best known as a FIRST LIEUTENANT OF THE DUURI ARMY. They have mastered the art of AIR & WATER BENDING and are currently a RANK A CUSPIIAN.
FOLLOW their adventures and drop by to GREET them !
[ PERSONALITY ] Riku wears a smile wherever he goes, and is always ready to help others to find one of their own. Since he was a child he didn’t mind the different social classes, and would try to befriend as many people as possible to make sure they were all well. Of course that not everybody would be, but at the sight of his warm smile people would quickly forget about their worries. His way of acting may confuse others into thinking he is gullible, or maybe fragile, but it’s actually the complete opposite. The man is sure of where his mind stands and it will be tough for anyone to try and change it. Riku is always open to new ideas and will always choose to hear everybody’s side - but will pick what he thinks would be right and favorable for the most people.
[ BACKGROUND ] He remembered when he was young and there were kids who enjoyed collecting rocks. Riku was almost one of them - but instead of rocks, the boy had beans. His father was a rich man and merchant who would sell beans, out of all things, to people all around the world. The man would give his son - the first one and, whispered onto the boy’s ear during his sixth birhtday, also the favorite - the different beans produced all around the world. It may sound lame at first, but the child kept a jar filled with beans next to his bed and loved playing with them like they were marbles.
The other kids were never mean to him and there was no brightest or kindest child than Riku. He would go out to play with the less fortunate kids and help old ladies with whatever they would need. When the first signs of him being a waterborn started showing, the people got nothing more than excited. His father got the best trainer his bean money could pay and the boy would whole-heartedly try using it to only better his ways of helping, though he was nothing but a kid who still had lots to learn. People would watch him manage to control from a few droplets to a small amount of water and they would all smile because the child was smilling and nothing was more contagious than Riku’s smile.
There was another boy whom he loved like he was one other brother. They would play and they would laugh and, between all the people Riku had met, played, and laughed with, the boy was his favorite. He would show him his beans with a somehow even greater joy on his eyes than any other time. It almost felt like the days were brighter, until the other left him. The noble child understood the reason behind it, but his days were back to being just days.
He remembered his father waking him up one night with scared eyes, yet a comforting smile. The man said his son - the first and favorite - was doing nothing but levitating on his sleep. Riku answered that, even if there was no way for him to have know, he always knew. So they stayed there, in the dark, while holding each other’s hands , and in the silence, until the smaller being decided to speak up.
“Is it bad, father?”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
His new power wasn’t as well welcomed as the last one, but as the people slowly started to notice it was still the same warm smile, and the same silly obsession with beans, they realized Riku was still Riku and nobody else. All the boy wanted to do was help people and make the world a better place - the same reason that while his father looked scared for his son, he kept himself calm, comforting and suggested the idea of joining the military once he was old enough. Of course he loved the idea of spending the rest of his life selling beans, but there were less passionate siblings who could do that for him. He would join the military when the time would come.
Riku was still only a child, of course, with less than two full hands of age, and there was so much more left for him to learn. His father would let him board on the merchant ships where water and air were two elements hard to miss, and let him practice all over the world. The boy thought that maybe the man had hoped if his son saw the beans trade with his own eyes he would let the idea of joining the army go, but it never happened anyway, and none of them talked about such idea.
He remembered one day, a few hours after they docked on Surya, he found his old friend on the streets. Riku knew where the boy had traveled to, but he never expected to find him - especially sitting right there, on an empty road with nothing but dried eyes on his face. The noble hid him amongst beans on their way back, trying his best to heal the other’s wounds which could be healed, but they were both children. His tiny hands didn’t know much healing, and the biggest damage was done way too deep for him to reach.
Riku would try his best to cheer his friend, and avoid going on as many boat trips as he could so he wouldn’t leave his friend once again alone. When he turned fifteen he had to join the army. His family, although already prepared for the outcome, still looked a little bit surprised at its arrival. Riku left all of them behind, but none of them were forgotten. He would send each one of them letters as frequently as he could - from his father, to his friend, to the old lady who would give him bread every morning - and also visit as regularly as possible. That, and his way too kind heart for someone whose job involved dealing with wars, were the probable reasons why his promotions came much more slower than it did for others. He didn’t mind it.
Attention ! Attention ! It has been said that KOZLOV FELIKS has been spotted in the nation of ELV! This NINETEEN YEAR OLD individual was born under the sign of CANCER and is best known as a HUNTER & TRAVELLING MERCHANT. They have mastered the art of WATER BENDING and are currently a LEVEL 03 BENDER.
FOLLOW their adventures and drop by to GREET them !
[ PERSONALITY ] A family-orientated man through and through, Feliks is definitely as loving and as caring as his Zodiac sign would suggest. He cares for nothing more than he does his own family, with friendships perhaps coming in at a close second. Feliks has been willing to lay his life on the line for the sake of his family since a young and tender age, and it is an ideology that has only grown with him as he himself has done. Even though he has an older brother he considers himself to be the man of the Kozlov name in his father’s stead and wants nothing less than to live up to his father’s memory in a way that would have made him proud.
Feliks is very grounded, focused, and driven, but on the same breath can be fancy-free, and whimsical, and playful. The hunter’s mindset keeps him finely tuned and keeps his wits sharp and senses sharper, but he is no stick in the mud, even if he is distrustful of many at first glance. After all, despite having spent his teenage years between bracken and moss-coated tree bark, he’s still a young lad, full of spark and fire and energy that can only be attributed to youth’s tender kiss.
Of course, youth and pubescent years bring not only smooth skin and energetic bounds and leaps, but also mood swings and feelings that can be hard to control. Feliks has been known for his temper, likened to a tempest or a whirlpool, quick to spiral and turn violent in the blink of an eye. When angered, usually, he takes it out on the bark of a tree, either with fists or arrowheads, but God himself forbid that another person should be caught up in the tidal wave of his fury, for there shall be Hell to pay.
[ BACKGROUND ] Feliks’ life started in the Kingdom of Elv as the second-born son to a relatively poor family. The Kozlov family were mainly farmhands and goatherders, even despite being water-benders inherently; they were simply too poor, too weak, and had no respect or footholds within the Kingdom of Elv to make any difference with their bending skills. They lived a lowly life, but a peaceful one. Dimitri Kozlov, Feliks’ father, was even known for providing milk and cheese for the royal family of Elv upon occasion, which helped bring in a silver coin or two for the family every now and then, up until the day that he died. Feliks was only thirteen, his brother sixteen, his sister eleven.
After Dimitri died, the family became at loss as to what to do with themselves. They had no other real skills as a family; he had been the head of the house, the staple breadwinner, the glory of the Kozlov name, and his wife and children had been riding upon the back of his few and far between successes to keep them afloat.
Over time, they shakily began to make their own headways despite their poverty and lack of skills. Katya, their mother, began using her minimal knowledge of water bending to become a healer; minor injuries, blood impurities and small lacerations, but it was enough to earn a few coin here and there. Mikhael, the eldest son, ran off and joined up with the militia as soon as possible; a soldier in the coalition army, so they were told. Ana, the youngest daughter, stayed on as a farmhand, helping their mother tend the goats and keep the farm alive as much as she could despite her frailty. As for Feliks, he had no real skills and not much more to his name than the bow and quiver that his father had left behind, hand carved and unused. He picked up the weapon and disappeared out into the forests of Elv, refusing to return home until he had caught at least one animal with it. Dusk had long since licked the sky a dark shade of blue but, seven hours later from when he had first ventured off, Feliks finally returned, nothing more than a small rabbit in hand as a token of victory.
His love and passion for archery and hunting began that day, and he would leave at the crack of dawn every morning with his bow and quiver in hand, returning only in the evening with meat and pelts in tow. His skillset grew over the years and he became proficient at providing for his family using them, moving on from small rabbits and birds to being able to take down fully-sized bucks and bears, and even learning to skin them and store them for the long months ahead by rubbing them in salt and honey to keep them fresh. By the time he reached his seventeenth year he was a master hunter, adorned in his own pelts and stronger than ever from years of running through the trees, lugging back carcasses and eating nothing but fresh meat and milk from his family’s own farm.
Year 1492, now aged nineteen; Feliks now uses his skills in hunting and tracking to earn money for his family back in Elv, through travelling around between the kingdoms and hunting for meat and pelts to sell (and even the occasional wheels of his farm’s home-made goats cheese), both to citizens and even to royalty, if they so permit.
MEME TIME! Headcanon memes have been prepared for you that can be used as a way to flesh out your muses or learn about others–unleash your creativity! The prompts are below the cut; this meme has no deadline and can be reblogged whenever you want, just make sure not to spam it (more memes will follow the next weeks as well)!
Try to send everyone one; remember the roleplay karma: send to receive!
Have fun!
1: sleeping headcanon
2: hugging headcanon
3: self-esteem headcanon
4: physical appearance headcanon
5: wardrobe headcanon
6: soft spot headcanon
7: favourite possession headcanon
8: accent headcanon
9: pet peeve headcanon
10: childhood dream headcanon
Anger : what makes them angry and why?
Birthday : do they celebrate their birthdays, and how do they go about it? if not, why?
Color : choose a colour to describe your muse, personality-wise or physically, and explain why.
Drink : does your character drink alcohol, and how high/low is their tolerance for it? if not, why?
Enemy : do they have a sworn enemy? explain why.
Food : what is their favourite food? where is it from?
Game : what kind of games do they like to play (card games, mind games, chess, etc.)?
Heart : is there anyone they hold dear?
Intimacy : how do they feel about intimate gestures/actions? have they ever been intimate with anyone before?
Joke : how is their sense of humour?
Kill : have they ever taken a life?
Location : what’s their favourite place to go to, and why?
Money : how’s their financial state at the moment?
Nerve : does your character have any nervous habits?
Odour : do they have a favourite scent?
Phobia : what is your character’s biggest phobia, and why?
Quirk : is there any odd quirk your character has?
Religion : what does your character believe in? do they believe in the stars, like most of ötenside, or do they not believe at all? perhaps they believe in something/someone else?
Sadness : have they experienced grief? from what? if they haven’t, what do you think will cause it?
Talent : what is your character’s unique talent? e.g : can touch the top of their heads with their toes, or can lick their elbows, or perhaps something greater?
Umbrella : how do they feel about the rain/when it rains?
Vision : how good/bad is their eyesight?
Weapon : what is their weapon of choice -- or do they not use weapons at all? (not inc. bending)
Xenophobia : do they have any dislike/hold massive prejudices against a particular country/countries? if so, why; otherwise, why not?
Yin Yang : do they have too much of something in their lives (e.g money, sex, anger, sadness, etc.) or do they feel like their life is ‘balanced’? if so, why; otherwise, what’s preventing them from achieving this balance?
Ziplock : do they ever feel trapped, and by what/who?
Attention ! Attention ! It has been said that ERBERHARDT ISAAK, also known as BERSERK, has been spotted in the nation of DUUR ! This TWENTY-ONE YEAR OLD individual was born under the cusp of REVOLUTION and is best known as a TRAVELER. They have mastered the art of FIRE & WATER BENDING and are currently a RANK B CUSPIIAN.
FOLLOW their adventures and drop by to GREET them !
[ PERSONALITY ]
determined and bright are one of the few traits to describe issak. his face shows boldness, the adventurous type to wander out into the many secrets of nature and the risks of slip if one step is wrong. words that pour from his bare lips always speak of determination and passion, usually talking about his past life and the journeys he had so far. however, he does talk to much and it results in consequences, but he never speaks of them – only the good things that he discovered and explored so far. he’s a traveler, pretty common and the type of occupation that you would spot in him. he enjoys it, takes it for gratitude and usually shows hard work in it. he tries his best to smile everyday, even if the worst has come and beat him to dust, but he never reminds himself of the bad details and is always forwarding towards the good deed.
people mistaken him for someone who is secretive and envious of the rich and spoiled. he’s always hiding his sensitivity under the brown cloak that decorates his dirty body and is never seen to communicate with those who surround him. he has another identify, the man of the shadows and the berzerk of the darkness. he is excluded from many places because of his fake self, the one who you should fear and run away from. he has a barrier within him, impossible to break through unless you are a true friend and someone who he smiles at most. his hands are cold at first greet and his expression never changes to his delightful self. you must break him first before anything else and reach further into the light that he obtained and gathered in his beating heart.
far inner into his true personality is the depths of observations and inferring. he is always a step ahead of someone, resulting to why he was never caught on the streets of surya until a small secondary mistake he had done in the past. he’s intelligent, frankly, more than an average person. it makes it hard to believe for him to have such courage and intelligence all in one, including faith and hope as it seems to gather itself and feed into issak’s body. it’s hard to see him as an innocent and weak-willed person, but his appearance speaks so and he is willing to change it with all of his might and training.
[ BACKGROUND ]
issak thought he was safe in the hands of his beloved parents. he lived in durr, the land of the safe for most and the freedom for all. he was happy in the kingdom, bringing innocent smiles to other children and being a playster himself. he goes around with his stories from his dad’s exploring and his mother’s investment. he was proud of everything he had: his friends, his family, his element, and even himself. he never wished for more, ever since the beginning of his birth and his growth through schooling. his vision had always had happy stars with blinking planets and he never thought of the many fights in the past the world had had. it’s difficult for him to imagine it, simply to why his results in history were always so bad – because he hated history and how the world is hateful of one another; he pretended that the world had peace.
he met a friend in the springtime, sharing hands and laughter with one another after a day of meeting. he loved his childhood friend in a platonic way that is and wished nothing more but to be with him forever. his personality was a beauty to the boy and he had never been this happy of discovering friendship with this precious person. his dreams of finding a best friend had came true – no more imaginary friends or temporary ones who spot the happy personality of his from afar. he shared toys with him, even small bits of his covered element to the boy. however, his parents changed their plans of living; welcoming themselves back to their previous land, surya. his parents were suryas before moving into durr, but their invitations towards their old home had came back and issak wasn’t happy.
he split ways with the young boy and packed his beloved things, already travelling to the new kingdom through ship. he missed the old island already, he wanted to go back, but it’s impossible now – nothing will ever be the same again once they reached the land of surya. his personality began to cover itself as days went by in his new home. everything was so dark and strict, he disliked it immediately and wondered if he’ll ever go back to his old living state. his parents never spoke words of comfort to them, then he noticed that they, too, had changed and he scowled at the truth. the atmosphere were disrupting their true nature. their urges of exploration disappeared and they became mannequins. he wished for a difference and screamed at the terror, but nothing was coming out and it was too late by then.
he explored the streets of surya, hoping for someone to befriend him, but his preferences weren’t greeted as he was greeted by a large boy and beat until he had no senses in his system. he felt weak and everyone around his age found his appearance as the same too. he couldn’t endure the senseless beating and the countless insults. he thought he was a happy person until he imprisoned inside this city of flames. nobody befriended him and immediately hated him, calling him pathetic and shoved the smaller being as if he was a punching bag. he was at the verge to run away, to leave this darn city and show everyone that he doesn’t belong at all. he never did and so will he ever.
he was merely eight, a year late of expectation of his true self.
his hand was decorated with flames of anger while his other washed over the tears of loss. he yelled in anger at each push he had received so far, blasting the true elements of a cuspian at thoses who dared to interrupt his happiness. he felt stronger and more dangerous than he was before. it felt so right, so right yet so wrong at the same time. people began to fear him and that was when he began to start his adventures of dodging and surviving the cold streets of surya. it was a surprising fact that he lived as a homeless for many years and never caught as a cuspian. he showed his true powers, but they never seem to undercover what’s underneath the young boy. were they blind? or was he just too smart?
on an odd day, his old friend found him again, but the fact that his friend was able to signal his location was strange – he never questioned it however. he managed to escape the depths of surya and entered a small boat of his friend’s father and him too. they sailed along the sea and eventually reached his old hometown again, durr. he had never thought of this day would come, so odd and refreshing it was to step on the islands of freedom, but a piece of him wasn’t the same. he felt so secretive, so damaged after his endurance against the forsaken bullying and mistreatment his parents and the citizens of surya has given him. he won’t ever be the same again. he can’t settle on anything normal with his difference and uniqueness.
