Toubi is the character that used Tobi's framework as a springboard into completion. He has been my favorite dnd character for a few months now, and though he's probably going to be a relative of Theo's, I dont know where exactly he's going to land in tbsc. He's brave, impulsive, and kind. I don't know how he fits with everyone else yet, but from his dnd version he is a young Rashemi paladin from the east, where the seven wizards rule his people with an iron fist. He has left home to become stronger, wiser, and learn more of the world. When he feels its time, he'll return home and help with the effort to funnel slaves to freedom.
Theo kicked a pebble, bouncing it off the bark of the old oak tree. Jasper was late. Again.
The sound of the schoolyard dimmed, as more and more children drifted home by bus or car. Theo sighed, and considered leaving. It’s not like Theo didn’t have somewhere to be. He’s only here because Jasper likes hanging out in the woods, and Jasper is his friend. We’ll, one of his friends. Theo groaned, rolling his head back and watching they heavy clouds. Okay, if it rains, he’s definitely leaving.
Why am I here again?
A noise startled him out of his head, and he swung around to see Jasper, only a few feet away. Theo released a breath he hadn’t known he had held, just shy of having jumped.
“I spooked you” Jasper snickered, “again.”
“No! You didn’t I was just…”
“Yep. I know that face. I wasn’t even trying to be quiet; you know how many dead leaves I stepped on? And I still spooked you.”
“Did not!”
“Did so!”
Theo threw the first half-hearted punch, and Jasper dodged easily, expecting it with a smile. He stuck his hands in his pockets and danced back, further into the forest, taunting Theo to follow.
“c’mon, I know you can catch me this time!” he dodged again, “First to the bog without falling in?”
“Jas, get back here!”
“No can do, Theo, you tried to hit me, don’t you know my feelings are hurt?”
“Bastard!”
“You know it!” Jasper exclaimed playfully, turning his back and starting to run. Theo gave chase with a smile, despite himself.
---
The forest here was dense and maze-like, but this path was well worn, their destination familiar. Through the trees, down the hill, turn left at the ruins, to the damp space next to the creek. They called it “the bog” but neither of them actually knows what the difference between a bog, a swamp, or a wetland is. Nobody ever comes here. The trees are too dense for most recreational activities, and the soil too damp to travel safely. The locals say that only the desperate and the foolish know the forests depths, but since when have children ever heeded such warnings? They are both out of breath when the reach their finish line, a small raised area of dry land that hosts a single tree, marking the boundary between the harsh soil of the forest and the deep mud of the bog. Jasper swung himself into the branches of the old linden tree, while Theo slide to a stop just shy of the mud.
“I,” Jasper panted, “win.”
“No, you, didn’t,” said Theo, equally winded. Jasper smiled at him, and Theo looked away.
The sound of babbling water drifted through the trees as their panting breathes evened out. The air here was even colder than it was by the school, but Jasper didn’t seem to notice. With his breath caught, Jasper had started climbing higher. Theo watched on, uneager to follow and a bit peeved that his friend didn’t seem to notice the chill. Theo rested his hand on a convenient branch, gripped as if to start climbing, then relaxed his grip. He stared at his hand for a moment. He should follow Jasper. He always follows Jasper.
He stared up, watching his friend disappear between the branches. Something felt weird, today. Nothing was different, but…
Theo shook his head, dislodging misplaced anxiety, and lifted himself up into the branches of the towering old tree in a shower of yellow leaves.
By the time Theo met up with Jasper, he was already at the highest point they could reach before the branches got too thin. The world swayed in the wind as they stared out through the treetops. Jasper’s eyes were far away, a slight grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Theo watched him for several minutes before Jasper even seemed to register his presence, a silent moment where Theo felt warmth deep in his bones despite the cruel wind whipping through their too thin jackets. Then, all too soon, it passed and Jasper gave him that trouble making grin again. The sun was lowering itself all to quickly, and Theo knew it was only going to get colder, but these moments, running and climbing and teasing with Jasper always made him feel like nothing could hurt him.
Theo watched the sun set, regret and disappointment weighing in his gut. He never wants to leave, no matter how cold or dark it gets. Never mind that the light is fading earlier and earlier, or that he lost feeling in his fingers a good half hour prior. He knows he’ll be the first to speak up though, he always is. They both need to go home, and even if they left now, the light would barely last until the got to the base of the tree.
“Jasper,” he said, voice almost breaking in the cold
“Hm?”
“We need to go home.”
Jasper nodded, but made no move to leave. Theo sighed, and started climbing down. He heard movement above him and knew that Jasper was following him down.
The forest was barely visible in the dim light when they made their way down. Theo was regretting his reluctance, as he started walking back along the path. One of these days, they really would get lost if they weren’t careful. Just as he thought he made out the edge of the path, he heard shuffling behind him. He turned around just in time, to be blinded by a small handheld lantern. He stumbled back, blinking, and caught a glimpse of a familiar grin as the lantern was lowered.
“You!” Theo almost lunged, but Jasper took a step back and held up a hand before he had even moved.
“Hold up, let’s not. I only have the one lantern, and if this breaks, we really will be in trouble.”
Theo let out a frustrated grunt, but backed off. He let Jasper lead the way out of the forest, and by the time they had made their winding way back to the school the sky had turned a pitch black, with even the moon blotted out by the heavy clouds. Theo kept walking, even as Jasper paused parallel to the same oak they had met at. This was where they usually parted ways. Jasper lived to the right, Theo to the left.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Jas”
“Yeah.” Jasper’s voice was quiet, almost somber. He was staring at the sky. Theo paused.
“You good?”
Jasper didn’t respond for a moment. Theo almost asked again, worry rising up his spine as he took a step closer. Jaspers eyes snapped to him, startling quick.
“Yeah,” he said, lips quirking up, “yeah, sorry, I’m good.” Theo nodded, relieved.
“I’m good, I was just thinking, do you think it’s gonna rain?” that was not what Theo expected. What does Jasper care about the weather?
“I dunno man. It’s been cloudy, so I guess so? What’s it matter?”
“Nothing, no reason,” Jasper grinned again. The lamplight shifted for a moment, made it look unnatural, but it was just a moment and then it was gone. “Get home safe, Theo.”
“Yeah…” Theo said, still a little nervous for reasons he couldn’t quite place, “You too, man.”
“Thanks.”
Theo couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off as he walked away.
The breeze picked away at his body heat as he walked home, but just as he was about to turn the corner he looked back at the school, just in time to see the lamplight flash out.
Its fine, he told himself. Jasper knows the way home in the dark. And why wouldn’t he go home? Especially in this weather.
It’s fine, he thought to himself, as he continued his walk home. Jasper will be fine.
Theo kicked a pebble, bouncing it off the bark of the old oak tree. Jasper was late. Again.
The sound of the schoolyard dimmed, as more and more children drifted home by bus or car. Theo sighed, and considered leaving. It’s not like Theo didn’t have somewhere to be. He’s only here because Jasper likes hanging out in the woods, and Jasper is his friend. We’ll, one of his friends. Theo groaned, rolling his head back and watching they heavy clouds. Okay, if it rains, he’s definitely leaving.
Why am I here again?
A noise startled him out of his head, and he swung around to see Jasper, only a few feet away. Theo released a breath he hadn’t known he had held, just shy of having jumped.
“I spooked you” Jasper snickered, “again.”
“No! You didn’t I was just…”
“Yep. I know that face. I wasn’t even trying to be quiet; you know how many dead leaves I stepped on? And I still spooked you.”
“Did not!”
“Did so!”
Theo threw the first half-hearted punch, and Jasper dodged easily, expecting it with a smile. He stuck his hands in his pockets and danced back, further into the forest, taunting Theo to follow.
“c’mon, I know you can catch me this time!” he dodged again, “First to the bog without falling in?”
“Jas, get back here!”
“No can do, Theo, you tried to hit me, don’t you know my feelings are hurt?”
“Bastard!”
“You know it!” Jasper exclaimed playfully, turning his back and starting to run. Theo gave chase with a smile, despite himself.
---
The forest here was dense and maze-like, but this path was well worn, their destination familiar. Through the trees, down the hill, turn left at the ruins, to the damp space next to the creek. They called it “the bog” but neither of them actually knows what the difference between a bog, a swamp, or a wetland is. Nobody ever comes here. The trees are too dense for most recreational activities, and the soil too damp to travel safely. The locals say that only the desperate and the foolish know the forests depths, but since when have children ever heeded such warnings? They are both out of breath when the reach their finish line, a small raised area of dry land that hosts a single tree, marking the boundary between the harsh soil of the forest and the deep mud of the bog. Jasper swung himself into the branches of the old linden tree, while Theo slide to a stop just shy of the mud.
“I,” Jasper panted, “win.”
“No, you, didn’t,” said Theo, equally winded. Jasper smiled at him, and Theo looked away.
The sound of babbling water drifted through the trees as their panting breathes evened out. The air here was even colder than it was by the school, but Jasper didn’t seem to notice. With his breath caught, Jasper had started climbing higher. Theo watched on, uneager to follow and a bit peeved that his friend didn’t seem to notice the chill. Theo rested his hand on a convenient branch, gripped as if to start climbing, then relaxed his grip. He stared at his hand for a moment. He should follow Jasper. He always follows Jasper.
He stared up, watching his friend disappear between the branches. Something felt weird, today. Nothing was different, but…
Theo shook his head, dislodging misplaced anxiety, and lifted himself up into the branches of the towering old tree in a shower of yellow leaves.
By the time Theo met up with Jasper, he was already at the highest point they could reach before the branches got too thin. The world swayed in the wind as they stared out through the treetops. Jasper’s eyes were far away, a slight grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Theo watched him for several minutes before Jasper even seemed to register his presence, a silent moment where Theo felt warmth deep in his bones despite the cruel wind whipping through their too thin jackets. Then, all too soon, it passed and Jasper gave him that trouble making grin again. The sun was lowering itself all to quickly, and Theo knew it was only going to get colder, but these moments, running and climbing and teasing with Jasper always made him feel like nothing could hurt him.
i feel like the way you go about naming ur characters/where you get ur character names from can actually be something that says so much about a certain creator. if you feel like it, rb and tag this post with how you usually find new names for ur characters
Sometimes an OC springs into your mind fully formed, but sometimes creating an OC is more like focus-grouping a character for a market demographic consisting entirely of yourself. Like submitting consumer surveys to your own subconscious and doing statistical regressions on what comes back. Like “okay, now let’s shift her fashion sense three degrees 90s-ward and gremlinise her by 35%“.
Your trauma, your libido, your gender identity, and your secret desire to be Spider-Man sitting around a table comparing OCs like the business card scene from American Psycho.
An admittedly garish name I chose for my first full story, and one I've used as a working title for all written attempts to follow the same characters. The first version, which i started in middle school and finished writing over 5 years later, featured Jasper and an earlier incarnation of Theo as the main characters. Set in their elementary school years, Jasper and his sworn brother, Theo, encounter their first trauma together. For Theo this meant grief and powerful emotions, but for Jasper this meant a bizarre numbness and the awakening of abilities he cannot explain. Jasper leans further into these abilities, inadvertently widening the gap between himself and Theo- the only person left who still stood a chance at reaching him in his altered state. It ends on a tragic note, with Jasper realizing how far he's fallen only at the worst moment, with Theo's own blood on his hands and no way back.
I planned a sequel in which Theo follows Jasper, and Neveen guides them back again (both literally and emotionally), but I lacked a firm idea of the plot and any attempts at writing fell apart too quickly. And, by the time I decided on their fate, I had reached a point where the original story was too immature for me to comfortably use, and now writing at all has become difficult for me. Someday i hope to write a story worthy of my characters, but I'm losing hope with each year that passes.
One of my youngest characters, usually half a year older than Neveen, and two years younger than Theo. He's been a comfort character of mine over a decade now, I guess. He started as a manifestation of my rage, my fear, and above all my depression- emotions that, on his conception, I did not feel able to express. I still sink back into writing for him when I'm in an especially rough headspace, as he can feel and express all the emotions I'm not allowed to.
I'm rather ashamed of the pitiful first-draft Theo, but I suppose he wasn't much worse than literally everything else. Now, he's much different, but I still feel like his character is missing a piece or two. He is headstrong and brave, but his charisma and bravado hide an absolute lack of self worth. He mostly brute-forces his way through his worst moments of self doubt, and though he always acts confident around those he feels protective towards, he has very little by means of a support system and he is a long way off from learning what a healthy coping mechanism looks like. He knows himself pretty well despite that, and expresses himself freely in any ways he doesnt think will burden those he cares for. He's queer AF and shows it, is what im saying here.
Though my youngest character, she is the fastest to grow and by the end of most arcs she has the strongest mind and soul of any of my characters. Nearly fearless, always kind, definitely bizarre. She starts out very timid, often too self conscious to speak, and grows into a woman who could conquer a city singlehanded if she weren't also a pacifist. I am incredibly proud of her. Also she's ace and trans <3
I also feel i should say that, while my perspective in writing is very sheltered-white-middle-class-suburbanite, Neveen has been a queer woman of color since the very beginning. I don't think I can do a good job portraying the experiences of an egyptian-american as they would be experienced in reality, but I will try. If anyone has advice on this front I will always, always welcome it gladly.
Jasper's somewhat estranged older sister, she's barely seen Jasper since his early childhood and, depending on the timeline, he doesn't even know who she is. That doesnt mean she doesn't care about him, though, quite the opposite. He occupies many of her thoughts, and she dwells in regret and guilt for leaving him alone in the very situation she barely escaped herself. She wont let that stop her though, after a childhood of hardship and struggle, she finds happiness- if not peace- in thwarting her parents plans and marrying the woman of her dreams. She might have had a rocky start, but she's build strong foundations from which she supports Praurime and seeks to protect Jasper, however belated her intervention may be.
Lesbian Pyromaniac My Beloved. Oh, Praurime, she took a sudden left turn from sheltered bookworm to punk in about ten months. She learned a lot in those ten months, enough that she stopped running away from things and started running towards them. She kept on learning, and running, and then she ran into Jade- and though she never stops running, now she knows exactly where she'll always come back home to.
Ko is my newest OC and uh. I honestly don't know where xe fit in with the rest yet. I can feel them in the back of my mind, waiting to be realized. They seem to be mute, which is new for me. My other OCs sometimes will literally speak inside my mind, and I can feel Ko there too but… it is silent. There is a pressure in xeir throat when it wants to say something, but no sound comes out. I don't even know if Ko is destined for TBSC or something else, and the gods know I don't know enough about disabilities of the type Ko might have to write xem, at least not yet. But they've persistently been in my mind of late so, i felt i ought to include them. Part of me wonders, if I learn asl, perhaps I'll understand Ko when it wants to communicate, instead of just feeling that pressure.
Though a useful tool for the sandbox I wanted to play in, Dmitri the autistic computer whiz was far too flat a stereotype for me to go any further with. He had some depth, don't get me wrong, but still. Not enough for him to leave a less sour note in my mouth when I tried to write him well.
Tobi actually ended up merging with OG Theo a few years ago. Both started as very one dimensional characters, but combining them gave a whole new realness to our new and improved Theo. OG Theo brought most of the personality, the protectiveness, the bluster. Tobi brought the self esteem (void), the rage, and the blatant disregard for gender norms. (obviously Theo has more than those 6 things, but it's a half decent summary)
I am considering returning to the framework Tobi provided though, as there is more of his character yet unused. Who knows, perhaps Tobi will have a second life, and return yet again to the world of TBSC
Jasper is my longest held OC, a character who has lived and grown with me ever since middle school. He has changed a lot since then! Well, so have I. Now he also has an elder sister, Jade. I won't go into too much detail yet, but here are their respective picrews.
Jasper, on the left, has pale skin, red/brown iris', and long straight black/brown hair. Jade, on the right, shares most features but keeps her hair cut short about her face. They've got quite the age difference between them, and though it varies depending on the story it usually lands at about an eight year difference. Jade left home young, as soon as she was able to. Jasper did not get that opportunity, and Jade harbours guilt for leaving him behind, despite knowing there was little she could have done. They don't get on easily, and Jasper remembers little enough of his childhood to nearly exclude her from his memory altogether. He feels most comfortable when isolated, but that also exasterbates his depression so its a balancing act to find how much isolation is too much. Jade has a strong dislike to being alone, even for short periods of time. She has a lot of trauma to work through, but her girlfriend and her therapist promise to always be there when she needs them.
