Just Plain Strange: Viltan and Ethan

For the series of really odd characters who come in pairs, Viltan and Ethan make a textbook addition. Ethan first appeared in very, very early drafts as Essie’s outer-space twin counterpart. She had one and Ryan had one (Rianna.) But Ethan’s personality went in a weird direction that isn’t necessary based on his role as Essie’s twin. He’s . . . silent, yet opinionated. He’s calm, but seems tense all the time. (Or are people just tense around him?) And while most of his activity is making friends with people, he’s somehow hostile.

Viltan isn’t explained at all. He showed up in a later draft of the story, in which Tarvelas also first appeared, after the plot with the twins was created. He had a lot of interest in Tarvelas and some of that still lingers in the final book. He’s never offered anything to the story and doesn’t have a reason to be friends with Essie’s twin—yet they are definitely friends. They seem inseparable. His duplicitous nature seems almost random and guaranteed to do nothing but get him in trouble. It almost strains credibility that he wouldn’t find another way to occupy his time.

But Viltan and Ethan do lend a lot of color—albeit, mostly shades of gray and orange (gray because Viltan is always trying to hide who he is and orange because that’s the color of Ethan’s hair)—to the areas around King Karpalff’s city of Nofalla. So they’re both likable characters, although a strange duo.
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