The Characters of My Universe (part 3)
Hello Awesome Visitors! Welcome to another episode of ...
The characters I will be speaking about in Part 3 come from The Concordant Vibrancy collection. If you have missed parts 1 and 2, then click on the links below:
In short, the Concordant Vibrancy collection is centered around the elements.
The 1st book "Unity" focused on Earth.
The 2nd book "Vitality" focused on Wind.
The 3rd book "Lustrate" focused on Water.
The 4th book "Inferno" focused on Fire.
There will also be a 5th book, entitled "Extancy", that centered around Spirit.
Each book in the Concordant Vibrancy collection has a theme question that all participants answer in the form of poetry, essay, or a short story.
Since my story in "Unity" is a micro-short, I will focus on the characters present in "Vitality", "Lustrate", and "Inferno".
Theme Question: What force moves one's spirit?
My answer to this question was acceptance.
The force that drives my spirit is acceptance. My acceptance of others has no limit. I believe that in accepting others, the spirit opens itself up to become an unstoppable force.
“Return to Hues”, on the surface, is the story of Gracie—a female who wants the respect of her childhood nemesis Dirk McGregor, and Kno’Ba—a being who is bored not only with his existence but also with not getting the answers he seeks about the history of his world. At its core, the story shines light on the power of individual growth, acceptance, and love.
Although the character of Kno'Ba is not human, there is great strength in his resilience and ability to adapt as reflected in this excerpt.
Gracie stressed way too much. My internal clock was always more accurate than some machine. I do confess being delighted when the tone of her voice was animated.
It had taken a bit of time but my body adjusted and morphed to almost human specifications. My orbs now appeared as oversized eyes and my lips were well-formed but more suited on a female human—due to the coloring and plumpness. I gained height and muscle definition but no hair on any part of my form. I also lacked a belly button and definitive male anatomy. Nor did my skin stay one color but changed based on the emotions I experienced.
In human years my numerical age was seventeen. Yet from the world of my birth, I was several centuries old. In fact, for every human year on Earth, one hundred years passed in my world.
It had been seven hundred years since I last saw the gray I despised. Seven hundred years since I viewed the Darkness. Seven hundred years since I spent time with my parents. Seven hundred years since I had been home.
Yet I was surrounded with so much care by the family that found me, particularly by Gracie. She was the one who convinced her parents to help me. Although the Earth doctors were at a loss on how to mend me, once the blackness was expelled from my body, my powers of healing were restored. However, the atmosphere of Earth changed my original composition, which resulted in various shifts in my appearance.
Theme Question: What embodies the composition of fluidity?
My answer to this theme question was authenticity.
The composition of fluidity is living in one’s truth. It is only then when one can gush, obliterating any obstacle along the way.
“The Satiationship” takes the points of view of three individuals—Laura, Kenny, and Opal—over the course of a weekend, yet the ultimate destination is the honest fruition of just one.
Although there may be varying opinions on Laura, I do respect the decision she made in regards to Kenny, as shown in this excerpt:
Examination of my head should be a requirement. Kenny is the Lexus personification in human form. Exquisitely made, highly intelligent, with an emotional maturity far beyond any individual I’ve ever encountered. The physical act is more like a séance, where intimacy is at its highest frequency.
No, it’s not Kenny. It was never Kenny. It was always me.
It is definitely me.
Surrounded by all of this perfection, my compulsion surfaced. When the tiniest inkling of flirtation blossomed, letting Opal know my relationship status was the first thing that should have come out of my mouth. Yet, I treated my bond with Kenny like a hard lump, swallowing it while I played the role of a free spirit.
It was how I behaved. Free of guilt. Free of consequence. Opal’s essence submerged me and I did not want to come up for air. Protuberance of my nipples and clitoris could not be denied. The sensual itch needed soothing, but the ointment could only be Opal.
Many hours passed since Kenny left. Not a single tear had been shed. My fingers reached for the phone several times but failed to press the speed dial associated with Kenny’s number. It was not even for the obvious reason—fearing his anger, silence, or both. The fact was no words I could produce at this juncture would sound authentic.
That was not fair to Kenny. He deserved to exist in a union where his partner’s sexuality didn’t hover in wings of gray but was firmly planted.
Kenny gave me the weekend to make my decision but I did not believe in prolonged torture.
Theme Question: What is the ingredient to a sustainable blaze?
My answer to this question was risk.
When one is in a holding pattern in life, sometimes it takes the unusual to light the fire in one’s belly.
This is my philosophy. Sure, people claim to be content. Truth be told, contentment and happiness are not the same animals. If they were, why are flickers of happiness so intense that they are blazes, but flickers of contentment are so calm that they are nothing more than candles, just to light the way to another path?
Carsen Mulligan is a mild-mannered man who has three loves: his woman, his job, and his books. When events happen to sabotage the first two, he devotes his time to the third.
He underestimates the impact of tragedy to his person. What follows in “Antipode” is the result of the ingredient of unusual risk to the equation.
What is Carsen Mulligan's strongest trait is also the very thing many take advantage of—his ability to try and see the good in people. This becomes crystal clear in this segment of "Antipode":
After a few sips of the pop, Carsen queried, “Did you want to talk to me about the curator position?”
"You’re quite sharp Carsen. That’s exactly why I called you in here-”
“Mr. Toler, I just want to let you know that I’m so happy that I’ve been chosen. For a moment there, I believed all my hard work and recruitment efforts had been for naught. I promise you that I will utilize all Mr. Deschand’s taught me to take Amphere to the next level.”
“Um … Carsen,” Mr. Toler cleared his throat before carrying on, “I’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding.”
Carsen set the can on the desk coaster. “How so?”
“Carsen, on behalf of Amphere, I am very grateful for the work and talent you have brought to the museum. There is no question of your work ethic or your loyalty, but as you know, the museum has gone through many changes.”
“Yes Mr. Toler. Change can be difficult but there can be cohesion with the old ways and the new, can it not?
“You see, Carsen, this is where we disagree. Over the years, Amphere has been surveying their employees and deciding who will be the best fit for the museum’s new vision. Those who don’t fit are being … reassigned.”
The door creaked ajar. Morton stepped inside.
“Mort, dear friend, this isn’t a good time-”
“Carsen, I invited Morton.” Mr. Toler interjected, inviting Morton to sit in the adjacent chair. “I thought it’d be better to do this before making the announcement. Meet the new curator of Amphere.”
The wind escaped Carsen’s lungs as if he was sucker-punched in the gut. Morton? The new curator?
“This cannot be right!” Carsen exclaimed, more out of shock than anything.
“Carsen I’m sorry.”
“Really?” Carsen retorted, shock mutating into a hybrid of hurt and anger. “Apparently not sorry enough to refuse. On top of that, you had me come here, all decked out, knowing for however long that I was not to be the chosen one! This is how you do people Mort? I got you this job. I was your mentor. I was your friend!”
This concludes Part 3 of the Characters of My Universe. I hope you have enjoyed this journey as well as the provided excerpts.
Until next time,
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