Tryouts open to one and all...
The mun finally cleaned up her act and wrote a cast list. And a backstory. And made excuses about not knowing some people. It wasn't hard. She hasn't met a lot of people.
Yes, this AU goes along with Ahiru/Mytho. That is because Fakir is a human and is the spawn of horrible things. ... Rue is left alone to rot.
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It began with the egg, of course, even though the Rocmother came first.
Well, really, it began with the Roc Janan, who was entirely too interested in humans for anyone's good, including her own. Before the Rocmother's darkening, when her feathers were white and her intentions pure, the Rocs were encouraged to mingle with humans and aid them where they could. Janan was one of those Rocs that almost wanted to be a human herself, and took on the name Ahiru to pass among them for years at a time. It was during one of these extended periods of human contact that she met Fakir. Defying the social standards of the Roc court, she took him as her lover, not knowing that he was a member of the Black Glass society - the organization that had devoted itself to destroying the "monster" Rocs, and anything not human.
The rest of the human population, within the limits of the empire the Rocmother controlled, generally honored the Rocs to almost godlike standards, and so Janan revealed her true identity to Fakir when she was quite sure that she could trust him with anything. Fakir, realizing that Janan was one of the highest-ranking Rocs in the court, pretended to be one of the humans infatuated with the Rocs, and so gained her trust. And, believing that he was trustworthy and the least harmful human in existence, Janan decided to commit the cardinal sin and reveal to him the hiding place of the Rocmother's nest.
Chaos. As soon as the nest, and the eggs, were in view, Fakir attacked Janan. Not able to bring himself to kill her, he incapacitated her and then smashed the trio of eggs, killing the Roc children within. Haytham, then one of the nest guards, attempted to kill him, but Fakir managed to fight him off, almost killing the Roc in the process. He then disappeared, presumably to report the death of the Roc hatchlings to his superiors. He has not been seen since, and Janan has not been entirely trusting nor regarded as trustworthy.
The murder hurt three people - the Rocmother, who was crushed by the death of her children and reported to have gone mad for the first year and a day after the murder; Janan, who retreated from the human world and developed a deep dislike for it and its inhabitants; and a nameless infant kidnapped by the Rocs minutes after her birth, when the Rocmother ceased grieving and returned to sanity.
This child was called Rue, and was raised from the moment she arrived at the Rocmother's side as a Roc. Despite her new hatred for human beings, the Rocmother raised Rue as she would one of her own children, albeit one who could not change into a bird like her companions, Janan and Haytham. On her tenth birthday, Rue was offered the title of Asma, Princess of the Rocs. She accepted the title. The Rocmother, almost believing that this girl could really be her child, softened towards humans, telling Asma that they should be protected and aided - but never trusted.
In Asma's thirteenth year, war broke out on the eastern border of the Rocmother's empire, between the white Rocs and a new enemy described as night-black Rocs determined to destroy the white. Lives were lost - so many that the Rocmother herself had to travel to the border and face the new opposition, leaving Asma behind. Shortly after the Rocmother's departure, the princess was struck by a mysterious plaguelike disease that caused her almost to waste away from the inside out. She was not expected to live.
Asma had an estimated three days left of life when the Rocmother returned, with brighter blue eyes and darker feathers. The disease was lifted almost as soon as they laid eyes on one another, and it was determined between the Rocmother and her daughter that it was the withdrawal of the bond between them, one of unbreakable loyalty that only they shared. Asma, of course, shared a bond with Janan - who rarely left her side - and her companion Haytham, but neither of these caused her to feel pain when away.
The darkness of the Rocmother was not only in her feathers; as the months went by, she changed, becoming colder and crueler with every passing day. All who shared a bond of blood with her - Asma, and select members of the Roc court - darkened as well, and their darkness spread to those around them, until most of the court of the Rocs was endarkened. The corruption of Asma and her mother pushed them away from each other, until the young princess' fifteenth year, when the Rocmother declared she had not proven herself to be a true Roc instead of a human masquerading as one. She sent Asma away from the empire, to Europe, where she could prove her worth as a Roc, though perfectly aware that in reality, the princess would die without the bond to strengthen her.
Asma took on the name of Rue once more and took up residence in a small town, the name of which she never bothered to learn, and waited for a chance. And the Rocmother stayed in her empire, pulling the strings of the now-dark court, waiting for the princess to die.
But some of the Rocmother's undarkened, benign self remained, and she gave Asma her blood - the only thing that could prolong the princess' survival away from her mother. And despite her conviction that she would allow Asma to die, that she would kill her herself if need be, the Rocmother occasionally visited Asma, often just to rescue her from the brink of death.
Yet a year after the princess' departure, the Rocmother was determined that Asma would die, and was simply waiting for the news of her death when she received some different news indeed - the princess, instead of dying miserably, had simply disappeared...
After months of intense waiting...
The mun finally brings you...
A cast list!
And it only took her two months!
WHO'S WHO IN ROCWORLD AU
RUE- Rue is the name that the princess of the Rocs, Asma, formerly took on to pass among the humans. Really human, but raised from birth by the Rocmother as a Roc, and fiercely violent against anyone who suggests she's anything but. Currently in a state of confused personalities, switching between her normal, unstable persona and a rather blank, doll-like state. Formerly loyal to the Rocmother, now searching for a way to free herself from the slow-death warrant apparently placed on her head. greyleavesfall
AHIRU- Janan is Asma's right-hand man, and one of the few white Rocs still amongst the court ranks. Formerly obsessed with humans and often went among them in human form until a disastrous encounter with a sailor named Fakir. Uses the name Ahiru when passing among humans, but rarely ever does so, and so most of the Rocs are unaware of her "other" name. Inadvertantly responsible for the destruction of the Rocmother's first eggs. Closely involved with Haytham. Loyal to Asma. Nicknamed the Princess of the Simurghs - the snow-white, benevolent creatures remarkably similar to Rocs.
MYTHO- Haytham is Asma's left-hand man, and is a grey Roc, meaning he is not entirely corrupted like Asma nor pure like Janan. Holds a distaste for humans after the incident with Fakir and Janan. Uses the name Mytho among humans, but has never done so before, and so his "human name" is kept a little-known secret. Closely involved with Janan. Looks upon Asma as the little sister he frequently has to save from her own idiocy. Loyal to the Rocmother, but only where Asma is not involved. Often (mockingly) called the Prince of the Simurghs.
FAKIR- A human, once involved with Janan, who destroyed the Rocmother's first egg and brought about Rue's abduction. Presumed dead.
AUTOR- A black Roc, quietly infatuated with the piano and literature, who briefly had Asma's heart - and completely ruined it by consorting with a human. Now on Asma's black list. Generally wears his human guise and goes by the name Autor in either form. A favorite of the Rocmother for no obvious reason.
PIQUE- A human, once the lover of Autor. Killed by Asma.
LILLIE- A black Roc. One of the Rocmother's most trusted advisors, although whether this is because Lillie is amusing or because she shares the same taste for bloodshed as the Rocmother is unclear. Goes by Salwah in Roc form and Lillie in human guise.
THE ROCMOTHER- Regarded as the queen of the Rocs, and corrupted by an unknown source. Formerly a kind ruler, but now cruel and bloodthirsty. Openly hates Asma with a passion due to her corrupted hatred for human beings and the fact that she is the only Roc alive who knows that Asma is really human. Has attempted to kill Asma on several occasions, and nearly succeeded twice, but the pocket universe of Ginkan has pulled Asma in and saved her life. It is unclear whether she can be purified of her endarkened state.