Kasi quiz and diary

Challenge 1

Pop quiz time - Kasi

1. What is you character's best childhood memory?

Kasi would prefer not to think of his past, though when pressed he recounts playing with the other children of the village beneath the twin suns of his homeworld. A time before real responsibility and expectations, a time when nobody asked anything of you other than to grow and thrive and live.

2. Your character's worst fear (state a reason for said fear)

Being confronted with the truth behind his actions. Even he can't quite stand to admit his cowardice or his betrayal. He maintains he outcast himself due to wanderlust, but it's obvious it's a lie.

3. Your character's worst traits

His inability to admit his own shortcomings, his own selfish nature. He desperately wants to believe he's a good person, but deep down he knows he simply isn't.

4. Your character's cultural background

Kasi is an alien, from a backwater planet with limited technology and no capacity for technological space travel (they use an inherent racial ability to forge out across the stars, least, they would had they the inclination to leave their arid homeworld behind.). His people have a strict tribal culture, everyone is family but nobody is an individual. They regularly trade people along with goods and services, an individual is expected to serve their community regardless of their feelings on the matter. That means arranged marriages, career paths they perhaps aren't entirely enthused by and of course, an expectation of many children to continue the family line.

5. Your character's biggest accomplishment?

Kasi has accomplished little of any value in his life, least, not by his family's standards. He would argue completing his apprenticeship and becoming an engineer was his great contribution, but really, deep down he knows the best thing he's ever done was leave his home world far behind. He just can't quite reconcile the guilt he feels for abandoning his community and bringing shame upon his family through outcasting himself.

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Challenge 2

A secret (Diary challenge) - Kasi

18 days to sowing – I am about to forge my way across the universe, alone and unprepared. I am scared, but the excitement of what lies ahead inspires me to drive headlong into my decision. My family would never understand, of course, they never could. I've never fitted in, never been a true part of the family. It is best to leave without telling them, I do not believe I can face their reactions.
Some would think it strange to outcast one's self as I have, to take the burden of what is, to our people, a punishment worse than death, but I have no choice. No, that is a lie. I have a choice; I just do not care for the alternatives. I am not certain where I will go or what I may do with myself, I only know one thing, I cannot return. I wonder if I will miss the world of my birth, will my family miss me?

15 days to sowing – This world I find myself in is a strange violent place. I am beginning to question the wisdom of my decision. The people here are strange and frightening, I struggle to understand their words and their actions. They have never encountered one of the Kalvair, though for this I suppose I should be grateful, it removes any expectations. However, I do find myself lost. I knew this would be a lonely and distressing journey, but I do not believe I was totally prepared.
From what I can gather, this world is some sort of way point, a place of respite for weary travellers. The population is ever in flux and more diverse than I could ever have imagined. I had heard tales of races living beneath other suns, but I never imagined there would be so many and so different. I am not certain I will ever get used to such places, it is all so alien.

13 days to sowing – Today I asked the man in charge of my board how he knew my native tongue. He laughed at me, it took several minutes before he realised I genuinely didn't understand what was so funny. He explained that this place has some sort of low level... psychic translator? I am not certain I have written that correctly. He tried to explain what that meant but I found myself getting a headache. In short, they have a device that allows all those of other worlds to communicate without having to learn thousands upon thousands of languages.

I am informed I should find myself a job, so that I may begin to earn what the locals refer to as "credits". From what I understand, these credits are a method of barter, a symbolic token traded for goods and services. I cannot help but find this an awkward and unnecessarily complicated system. I would sooner trade goods for goods than have a pocket full of shiny tokens but if I wish to make my way in this place, it would seem I must conform. I have never been good at conforming, but a job does sound like something to do. I find myself at a loose end, unsure where to go next. I shall make enquiries.

11 days to sowing – Today the man in charge of my board asked me why I left my home world. I could not answer him. To be honest, I am not entirely sure myself. I keep telling myself and others it was wanderlust, an insatiable need to see the universe and I do not believe this to be untrue. I do not recall a time I did not look to the sky and wonder about those other suns and what worlds must lie beneath their gaze. The question however made me uneasy, as if I was holding something back. I am not certain what it may be, but the more I think on it, the more uneasy I feel. I do not wish to think on it any longer, but it churns inside my head relentlessly. I shall not have much sleep this night.

10 days to sowing – Today I secured work on a transport ship. It is a grand machine, unlike anything I have seen before. A beaten mass of metal and glass, I find myself in awe of the engineering, surprised such a weighty, cumbersome shape can fly at all. I am assured not only can "she" (I am not certain I understand the local's insistence on giving unliving objects gender, but I am told the feminine is the correct pronoun when it comes to space craft.) fly, she flies fast. I shall believe that when I see it.
I shall be working odd jobs, paying my way in labour till our next destination. Where we are headed does not much matter to me, it never has mattered. I only hope it is as this place is, somewhere I am not given a second glance. I may not fit in, but at least in this place I know why.

7 days to sowing – Another sleepless night. Tomorrow I leave this place and head out into the stars themselves. I am not nervous, I am eager to see beyond the sky. But that question still hangs over me. Why did I come here? Why did I leave all I had ever known to chase an uncertain dream? What little sleep I did have was shaken by bad dreams. I saw my parents, my sisters and brothers and I realised the shame I had brought upon my family. I have taken the punishment of a criminal upon myself, chosen to be cast out from my people and I do not know why. When I think of my home world I do not feel nostalgic or homesick, I feel guilty and frightened. Guilt for the shame I brought upon my family, and fear... fear of what I was running from. I did not wish to be... the one who never fit in. I think upon it and i do not recall a time I ever felt I belonged. Could that be why I left? Better to be outcast amongst aliens than amongst your own people yes?
I do not know. The expectations and responsibilities, I am free of those now, so why do I not feel relief? Will I ever feel like this was the correct choice to make? It was right, it was what I had to do... was it not?
My mind is conflicted, confused. I only hope I can put these troublesome uncertainties out of my head for a time.

Once more I attempt sleep, in the hope morning will not be long in coming.