|OW| LIN 102: Change is Coming

When Clement closed the textbook, there was no trace of enthusiasm in his expression. There never was much to begin with, mind you, but his pale eyes were even more lifeless than usual as he stared at the runes elegantly scribbled in front of him. When Professor Razik had first announced this assignment, he assumed that it would be something light-hearted; a nice way to ease himself into the Otherworlde setting. But the runes sitting in front of him -or more accurately the meanings associated with them- were anything but light. As he started to absent-mindedly trace over them with his fingers, Clement couldn't repress a shudder.

Kano, the rune of Fire: that fact alone was enough to make the living doll uneasy. What was surprising, however, was that he had the most in common with this specific rune. It's traits were harmonious and selfless, and although encouraging in that respect, it was also a rune of new beginnings. The school was his new beginning, but now he was starting to wonder about exactly what he had signed up for. Clement shook his head, moving towards the next rune; there was no point in lingering.

Lague, the rune of Water: how very different this made it from the last rune. And although more comfortable with water as an element, Clement was unnerved by how accurate it seemed to be. An unconscious urge towards the past due to a desire for comfort, with an emphasis on self-transformation.....no. He was not going to think about this. Not now.

Wanting to get rid of his discomfort, Clement quickly continued forward, his finger falling onto Ehwaz, the rune of Movement. Progress. In other words, change. .....He didn't even stop before flying next to Mannaz, the rune for the Self. How strange for him of all people to have this rune. One that talked of independence, self-discovery, and again....change. As his finger passed over this one and the second Ehwaz, he had to grudgingly admit that there was a disturbing pattern forming.

When he found himself on the Nauthiz rune, which emphasized constraint, Clement could finally breath a little easier. Overcoming obstacles, working with one's weaknesses: this was something that he could relate to. That was why he had come to this school after all; it was an attempt to improve himself despite any limitations. And to find a new master of course, but that was something he would think about at a later time.

This short break improved his mood somewhat, and so he was almost reluctant to force himself to turn to the final rune: Teiwaz, for Warrior Energy. Immediately his lips tightened into a straight line, and he remembered why he had been so unnerved when he had pushed away the textbook for the first time. This was another self rune: one that urged him to step back and let destiny take its course. To look into himself, and rely on his own skills. What did all of this even mean?! Amidst the confusion a small seed planted itself into Clement's mind. The thought itself was innocent enough, but it was guaranteed to haunt him for weeks (maybe even months) to come.

Messily gathering the papers into his arms, Clement didn't even bother to look back, jumping to his feet as he fled this library. He was beginning to doubt the wisdom in deciding to take Magical Linguistics.

"This name is not your own. Who, then, does that make you?"

Count (if it's important): 578 words

---

Got my first assignment done for Otherworlde! I was really excited to work on Clem's linguistic assignment, so it's not much of a surprise to me that it's the first one I've posted, haha. To be honest, though, I kept forgetting to submit it- //OTL

Instead of really describing his past or his personality, most of the runes in Clem's name talk a lot about change and, if you took the time to read the blurb I wrote above, you can tell that it's something he's very uncomfortable with. Clement strives for routine, and wishes to go back to the life he used to live, so having all of these runes talking about change thrown into his face is something of a stress builder for him.
Also, as I more-or-less hinted at towards the bottom of the "story", Clement's name is not technically Clement. He's a soul who was pulled into a doll's body and given this name. I know that this makes him, in every sense of the idea, Clement, but he still has doubts and can't help but wonder about who he used to be before all of this happens. He wishes for his memory back, and I can imagine that until he can come to terms with who he is now, Clem's going to be subject to a long-term idendity crisis.
But enough about that! I'm saying too much- //rolls away

---

Artwork and Clement (c) TheLostArts
Razik (Mentioned) (c) Yekrutslover
I loosely referenced the Book of Runes by Ralph Blum as well as some Wikipedia articles when writing this~