Rustic Stars: Character Reveal: EAST

I will try to do a character reveal every week, until all the characters from RUSTICS STARS are out, or at least most of them!

My friend chose many of them, and I think they all fit the roll.

This is purely out of fun, and are NOT the characters I based my novel on, because they were chosen AFTER I had finish my manuscript, and I did not go back to change their personas to try and match these [real] people.

I hope you enjoy!

Today, you will meet EAST.

EAST is one of the two main characters in the story.

He is 16 years old.

His family are: VINCI (brother) HERUS (father)

Best friend: DELTA

In love with: INNIS

His partner for The Parse: SAMONE

For your reading pleasure, I have this teaser from EAST*

I am a damako.

When I was little, I heard the term a few times, but I never wanted to know the meaning of it, since all men capable of loving another man never lived long. The term became invisible, unheard of. It became something that no one wanted to hear about, and the seam of letters that formed the word was something worthy of panic and anger, and led eventually to riots and death.

Telling myself I’m a damako is nothing easy to do. I do not admit it. Why do I have to call myself that just because I have a different talent at love than others do?

Here I sit with three strangers staring blankly at me, probably thinking about killing me, hanging me in the middle of the plaza where everyone else sees. Maybe they look at me sadly, instead, and pity me.

I pity me.

Maybe some of us are just lucky enough to fall in love with the wrong people.

I remember the day I saw Innis for the first time. I was so afraid to feel all the things I felt. It was a constant stream in my stomach of uncertainties, of fright, of wonder. Then we spoke, and my world spun and stood still, hung in suspense, slowly dying to born again. We used to walk to the White River holding hands. He was never afraid to hold me; I was. I’ve always been the coward, because I’ve been afraid I’d feel too much. I wondered what would happen when I had felt everything there is to love, what would be left to feel.

I should have told Innis that I love him more often.

Now everything seems too late.

Now…now…I’m just angry at myself.