akindofmagictoo

[akindofmagictoo]

ID: a screenshot of black text on a white background. A bullet point reads "Or, I can impale him through the shoulder instead". / end ID.

ah yes. an excellent way to solve problems.

[akindofmagictoo]

8, 14, 18, 19. for anything you like!

- @akindofmagictoo

yay!!!! thank youuuu zoe!!

8. what are your favorite character dynamics? elaborate on why. what scenarios not followed through with in-story would you want to put each dynamic in most?

I mean, I think anyone who has known me for 30 days (less, honestly) would know that the Liars (Rook + Sigmar) is far and away my favorite character dynamic to ever exist. I have an (I kid you not) 10 page google doc talking about their relationship, and I call that the "primer". But really it boils down to the fact that they're the most horribly perfect mirrors to ever exist, and both of them are traumatized to hell and don't trust each other, but they do trust each other. And also I'm a sucker for "I may be one of the most evil people in the world, but I love you", particularly in a platonic way. It's just such a complicated and fucked up relationship, and I'm wholly and utterly obsessed with. As for scenarios that aren't canon, I would have loved to see what would have happened if Sigmar/Purity had been the one to rescue Rook from his second imprisonment aboard the Sea Snake. He once told the bard (before we knew his real identity) that if he was in Zara's position and Rook was taken, he would have killed Captain Wolf to get him back, or died trying. Seeing the BBEG of the entire campaign bring down his fury onto the villain of the 2nd arc would have been INSANE. (Also, the DM confessed that there was a worst-case scenario where that actually could have happened, had the party completely and utterly failed at getting him back.) Not to mention the state that Rook was in when they found him. (Barely alive.)

the rest are going under the cut bc I talk too much. (I am SO sorry. This post is approaching "color of the sky" lengths, so if you don't wanna scroll, I understand. But there are so EXTREMELY unhinged Morri texts and DMs at the bottom.)

14. what are the focal points of [project]? what does it revolve around emotionally?

I can actually answer this for all of my projects at once. The answer is love. Every single project I've ever written revolves in some way around love. (Though it's actually very rarely romantic love.) There's usually a tie-in between self-love and loving others, and how in order to do the latter you must first do the former, because apparently writing characters with (to quote the DM of Rook's game) "self-esteem debt" is a trademark of mine.

18. pick 1-5 songs which you believe define [something] and elaborate on why with attached lyric selections. (optionally: link a playlist)

I'm gonna do Cyra (she/they, fire genasi desert storm herald barb, butch lesbian with a toxic ex) for this one because she only has 6 songs on her playlist. I'll share the 5 FOB ones, because it's funnier that way, and they fit her the best. (I'm so sorry if you can't stand FOB's music. But it's just SO fitting for her. Also, yes, 3/5 of these are from Save Rock and Roll. It's very much Their Album.) The Phoenix - Fall Out Boy Hey, young blood, doesn't it feel Like our time is running out? I'm gonna change you like a remix Then I'll raise you like a phoenix This is her theme song. Not just because she literally could not possibly get more heavily fire-themed, but also it's just so HER. This part in particular is very fitting for her relationship with her shitty ex-gf, Talia. She was the daughter of the leader of a Mad Max-inspired cult of desert raiders who kidnapped Cyra as a child, and she was definitely more than a little bit manipulative with them. So yeah. Destroying Cyra and remaking her under fire. Champion - Fall Out Boy I'm just young enough to still believe, still believe But young enough not to know what to believe in Other than being a tad bit on the nose for a dnd character, this song is just so fitting for Cyra is many ways. She had her belief in Talia and the Brotherhood (the cult) destroyed, and now feels a little lost. She also gained a weird new ability and doesn't know what it means. (Specifically, the ability to summon a flaming metal quarterstaff out of her chest. (It did 1d12 damage though.) After the campaign was cancelled the DM told me that this was just the shaft of super-magic greataxe I was going to have been able to find other parts to over time. I mourn its loss every day.) Anyways, all in all, she's focused on SURVIVING, and figuring out anything else later. Thnks fr th Mmrs - Fall Out Boy Thanks for the memories, even though they weren't so great I don't even think I need to explain this one. The ultimate "I'm still not over my shitty ex" song, lmao. Miss Missing You - Fall Out Boy Maybe I'll burn a little brighter tonight Let the fire breathe me back to life ... Sometimes before it gets better, the darkness gets bigger The person that you'd take a bullet for is behind the trigger More fire metaphors (in this case could be considered literal fire in the form of her quarterstaff, which only appeared after she left the Brotherhood). Plus Cyra really did trust Talia up until the very end of their relationship. Until she had undeniable proof of the true Bad Shit the Brotherhood was up to and of Talia's extremely willing role in the whole thing, she was clinging to a very toxic relationship built Talia's manipulation. Finding out just how deeply complicit Talia was in what was going on felt like a betrayal. AND FINALLY: Death Valley - Fall Out Boy 'Cause we are alive, here in death valley But don't take love off the table yet 'Cause tonight, it's just fire alarms and losing you We love a lot, so we only lose a little But we are alive, we are alive, we are alive We're going to die, it's just a matter of time Hard times come, good times go I'm either gone in an instant Or here 'til the bitter end, I never know Look. I said the Brotherhood was inspired by Mad Max. I don't know what could possibly be more fitting for them than this song.

19. what text/message have you sent about [project] which is most unhinged or incomprehensible out of context?

YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME CHOOSE ONE???? I have HUNDREDS of unhinged DMs I've sent about my many, many OCs and projects. Have a sampling. (to be merciful, I'm not counting things I've said out loud during sessions. If I added those, this list would be twice as long.)

Rook's Game:

This one was supposed to say "unless" instead of "in case", but it's funny either way:

no context for this one, but it's from Rook's game (I still wanna do this):

Regarding my choice of emojis in my discord nickname:

Talking about my warlock's patron:

on my pathfinder character grave robbing:

Could have been any of them, idk, probably ATQH though:

In a convo about ATQH, but widely applicable:

And to wrap it up, the most horrifying text to receive from your daughter at almost 3am:

+ A couple of extra bonus ones from the DM of Rook's game and the DM of Carrion's game (who also happen to be two of my best friends in the world)

[akindofmagictoo]

Hey I don't know if anyone's ever said this before, but, writing a novel... is kind of difficult.

[akindofmagictoo]

HI i have ask game questions for you

(19) what text/message have you sent about [project] which is most unhinged or incomprehensible out of context?

(3) pick a branching universe you would enjoy writing from the canon of [project]— a character makes a different choice, the dice roll a different number, etc. describe what it would look like and/or write 100+ words in this universe.

- @dragon-swords-prophecies

hello copper!!

19: YAY finally i send many unhinged texts about writing, which can be found in this tag

i don't have many on hand, but this one is what sprang to mind:

i also received one, in a conversation about Dragonsong, that said "Authoritarians do gotta have that absolute authority..." which is pretty unhinged out of context

3: oooh, AUs. interesting.

the thing about Dragonsong is that there are so many ways for the story to go a different direction, because the ending depends on Isi being in the right place at the right time, and making the right decision. which leads her to another place, and another decision. and so on. consistently. the easiest way to spot this is if Isi had killed Enya in chapter 3 - she wouldn't have lost her position, but she probably would have destroyed her relationship with Robin, and she would never investigate dragons or magic in any more depth.

the thing is, that's not a particularly interesting story. none of these stories are ones i want to explore.

so i don't know! similar could be said of Iphigenia - there's one very easy way for her life to have gone Very Differently, and it's not at ALL fun.

thank you for the ask 💙

ask game is here

[akindofmagictoo]

We're talking in DMs, but I can't miss out on ALL the fun... Plus I love lyrics questions.

(18) pick 1-5 songs which you believe define either Hurricane or Aella and elaborate on why with attached lyric selections. (optionally: link a playlist)

~ @memento-morri-writes

can't believe you're giving me homework, Morri, smh

i don't have many songs for Hurricane :(( and if there are songs that exemplify Aella's dynamic with [redacted], i don't listen to them, because that's a good way to trigger myself lol

but lemme go trawl my sea shanties playlist and see what i come up with

Against the Tide - Sail North

Kings of the ocean The sons of the broken Every crew cries devotion When the wind screams our name Bow down on the water Save your skin, make an offer Pay your due to the coffer As we cut through the seas Like a hurricane

no i'm not just including this bc of the mention of a hurricane lol - there are some references here to Aella's sailing vibe in general, to Laila, and to the fact that there's a lot about family in this WIP

One More Pull - The Longest Johns and the Wellermen

It's one more pull boys, that'll do boys Soon we'll draw alongside. Hoist her upwards boys, swing her inboard For the journey's nearly done.

for the ending, i think!

Unsinkable - Sail North

Lightning strikes, calling demоns from the deep The thunder's throwin' punches, tryin' to knock me off my fеet (off my fеet) But I won't bow when their shadows cover me My cоurse iѕ carved in stone

Aella's arc is about learning to keep going even when she's afraid, when she doesn't think she can. Tempest as a character exemplifies 'unsinkable', doing it scared and never bowing to fear. they also both have lightning tattoos :)

and on that note, maybe Thunder - Imagine Dragons

Just a young gun with a quick fuse I was uptight, wanna let loose I was dreaming of bigger things and Wanna leave my own life behind Not a "Yes, sir," not a follower Fit the box, fit the mold, have a seat In the foyer, take a number I was lightning before the thunder

because Aella dislikes a few things, and one of them is being told what to do.

one last one! Bring Him Home - Les Mis

He's like the son I might have known If God had granted me a son The summers die One by one How soon they fly On and on And I am old And will be gone Bring him peace Bring him joy He is young He is only a boy

because it's lowkey how Tempest feels about Theo

okay i did it! look at me go!

ask game is here

[akindofmagictoo]

Hiiii, for the ask game, I'm gonna ask 5, 6, 8, and 11, for either dragonsong or hurricane - your pick!

hi teri!!

(5) describe what Dragonsong would look like if it were bad. (alternatively: list out what hypothetical horrible interpretations of the work would look like. fake socmedia discourse emulator optional but encouraged.)

answered for Hurricane here so i shall give it a go for Dragonsong! what would ruin the story in an adaptation...?

there's a delicate balance to be struck with Brendon as a character; he is awful, and you're not supposed to like him, and yet Isi does recognise that he's a human who doesn't deserve bad things happening to him. easy to tip too far either way.

making Isi a cold unfeeling badass. she is stoic and not necessarily very expressive, and she is incredibly physically powerful, but she cares SO MUCH. to the point of it causing problems, in fact.

much like Aella, you could muck up Sierra's character pretty easily. Sierra is fairly easygoing and lighthearted, impulsive and witty to Isi's quiet calm, but she's not incompetent and she's not cruel. AND she also has a lot of serious stuff going on with her dynamic with Isi.

infantilising any of the disabled characters, especially Robin; i am working hard to make sure that he is neither infantilised or made to be older than he is. he's a child, and Isi wants to protect him, but he's hardly a damsel in distress.

this is a small one, but Isi not liking hugs/physical contact isn't a problem to be fixed over the course of the story...

(6) describe the premise/plot of [project] from the perspective of each main cast member.

answered for Hurricane here and Dragonsong here!

(8) what are your favorite character dynamics from Dragonsong? elaborate on why. what scenarios not followed through with in-story would you want to put each dynamic in most? (ex: truthserum-ed and locked in a room; roadtripping; coffeeshop au; etc)

ooooh i have many thoughts for both WIPs, but Dragonsong is easier to pick one without spoilers.

Isi and Sierra.

Isi and Sierra have some very complex stuff going on; Isi left, and Sierra was made to believe it was her fault. Isi has shaped her entire life around protecting Sierra, in a way - it was why she became a knight - but Sierra loathes the idea of needing Isi to protect her. Sierra doesn't even quite trust Isi to begin with (see the "made to believe it was her fault" thing). Isi's been away for a long time, and it's definitely shaken their relationship.

... until the battle sequence, when Bethany is standing over Sierra about to stab her. what does Sierra do? screams for Isi.

reader's choice whether Sierra has always trusted Isi to save her, or whether she has come around to trust her. it kinda doesn't matter. what matters is that Sierra is in trouble, and she screams for her big sister, and there is no question: Isi has to save her.

(Isi is too far away and too injured to reach Sierra in time. it doesn't matter. she has to do something. which is how we get SWORD THROWING.)

(11) is there is anything intangible or inanimate in Hurricane which qualifies as a character in its own right? (ex: a specific theme, setting, etc)

i'm not sure about this, but you could MAYBE argue for the ships being characters? they're certainly very important to the plot.

thank you for the ask <3

ask game is here

[akindofmagictoo]

(1) share an excerpt you're proud of, and elaborate on why.

(4) pick an alternate setting you would want to put either the main cast of your work or your favorite characters in— zombie apocalypse, medieval fantasy, regency era, office hijinks, etc. describe what it would look like and/or write 100+ words in this universe.

(16) what sparked your current WIP? what was the original premise or jumping-off point, and do you have any records of the first notes from its creation?

- for the writing ask game!

hello! thank you for the ask!

1: this one from Dragonsong is very fun! i love the double metaphors, which seem at odds with one another, but that i'm making work together. it was written (at least in part) based on my own experiences with the ocean, and i think it adds a lot to the characters.

“I said before that you know little of magic. Would you like to know more?” “What do you mean?” Fintan seemed to smile again. “Put your hand on my nose.” A few months ago she would have asked him a thousand questions first, made sure she knew what she was getting herself into. She would have made sure she knew it was safe. But now her instincts told her this was safe, and her curiosity was as strong as her trust in Fintan. She knelt and placed a hand gently on his nose. It was nothing like what she had felt with Enya. The magic here was chaos, and it was everywhere. All different colours in the air, vibrant and bright… but she didn’t see the colours so much as feel them. It felt like the ocean current, the undertow that came after a wave, but warm. No, not warm. Hot. Almost a fire swirling through the air around her, not burning her but threatening to sweep her off her feet. All that kept her grounded was her hand on Fintan’s scales. Sierra had been the child who loved the ocean. She would let herself be swept along in its currents, dive deep and surface laughing. As much as Isi loved the ocean she had grown up with, she had always been the one with her feet planted firmly on the ground. She had been the one to fish Sierra out when she went too deep. She had preferred to let the water flow around her, but never to let it take her. The magic seemed to tug at her, inviting her into the dance, but she didn’t quite want to let go of Fintan. Not just yet. There was a beauty in the fiery chaos, and it warmed her from the inside out. In the tumbling ocean, she always felt more alive. She felt the same here, alive and bright and strong.

4: answering this one for Hurricane!

i actually have a draft and a half of a Little Mermaid type Theo x Aella AU! it's a bit more Theo-centric - the main villain is Theo's grandfather (who doesn't exist in Hurricane proper); Anvindr is a footnote. Aella (a mermaid) saves Theo (a prince) from a storm, and then comes back to visit; they strike up a friendship, but Grandfather captures Aella, wanting to use her for profit or something. Theo does his best to get her out, eventually working out how to contact Tempest to help. it's fun!

16:

i answered for Hurricane in this post, so let's answer for Dragonsong. it was inspired by the idea of a dragon hoarding not gold, but a child; my sister commented that i (snuggled in bed) looked like a dragon in a cave, so i patted around my teddy bears, settling on the most yellow one. sister was surprised that i hadn't pointed out my fluffy dragon, but i said "he's not gold, he's treasure".

so that's how we got Bedelia and Enya.

this is the opening to my thought dump doc: a lot of it has held up, in fact! minus that last point about a mob boss.

i'll put the text under a cut.

thank you again :))

ask game is here!

text of the image above:

knight (and squire) ordered to kill dragon bc it’s attacking the city or whatever

(knight F, squire M, possibly. Both POC and maybe one or both disabled somehow? Knight w/ vitiligo?)

kill dragon, discover she’s got a baby she’s protecting + decide well we gotta take and look after the baby

king gets angry they didn’t do their jobs + then starts to think he can get profit, knight and squire end up running away with the dragon (and/or they get banished, knight loses her title, making the whole magic subplot thing less of a problem)

(and maybe like there’s a thing at the end where the dragon runs away or is taken away but then comes back to the knight and squire bc it remembers them!)

Could have a secret magic subplot (merlin style but better)

squire accidentally outs himself like five pages in

knight is just like excellent now you can clean my armour twice as fast (jokingly)

squire is like aren’t you gonna tell the king? aren’t you sworn to serve him?

knight: are you planning to kill him? no? well what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him (and follows it up with “now make the fire turn blue” bc she wants to see him do something cool)

she’s loyal to the king she just also knows the king’s a paranoid idiot so she’d report a legitimate magical threat, but she also knows her squire wouldn’t hurt a fly so he is not a legitimate threat

Acquire a group of friends, shenanigans ensue, [redacted]

Major antagonist as some kind of mob boss or w/e, possibly secretly affiliated with the king

[akindofmagictoo]

For ask game

(10) which characters do you personally dislike most from Hurricane ? elaborate on why, bonus points for how impassioned your answer is.

&

(12) which scene/plot beat is your favorite? elaborate on why.

oooh, some more! thank you!

10:

Anvindr. just. 100%. i refer to him about 70% of the time as Trashcan Extraordinaire. i was writing Hurricane (without realising it) to Deal With Some Stuff, so Anvindr is pretty much the personification of my worst nightmares and/or the things i hate most about a person. he's arrogant and controlling; he does not respect women (or people of colour) and considers them beneath him; anything he can't control he tries to destroy. he bullies, belittles and demeans pretty much everyone around him.

here's part of his first scene on page

Laila nodded, still a little confused. “If Scott and Kane were careless, sir, Captain Tempest might have overheard something.” “‘Captain Tempest’,” he mocked. “Like she could ever be a real captain.” He toyed with the ring on a chain around his neck. Laila had heard mixed stories about it. She was trying her hardest to reserve judgement, but among the crew of the Marquess, the general opinion of Tempest wasn’t a polite one. No question she asked now would get her more answers, though. He continued, “We’ll wait for sundown, but no longer. In case my dear Captain Tempest did hear anything.” “Kings Cove isn’t small, sir. What if we can’t find the Hurricane?” “Those idiots would have seen where it is, naturally. Ask them.” They had said they’d seen the girl walking to and from the ship. “I hadn’t thought of that.” “Of course not.” He smirked. “You haven’t my dazzling intellect.”

he's just AWFUL and i hate him very much

12:

i have many favourite scenes, and many of them are spoilers!

i particularly love Theo getting to take care of Aella after the plot starts to wind down. he is the Emotional Support Landlubber, and he does his job well <3

ask game is here!

[akindofmagictoo]

For ask game:

(5) describe what Hurricane would look like if it were bad. (alternatively: list out what hypothetical horrible interpretations of the work would look like. fake socmedia discourse emulator optional but encouraged.)

hello!

i think i'm approaching this as "what would make an adaptation bad", because that's what makes sense to me.

some things you could do to ruin an adaptation of Hurricane (fun fact, one of these was actually suggested in the drafting stage by someone i no longer take advice from)

give Anvindr a ✨tragic backstory✨ (he has some backstory that explains some of his motivation. it does not absolve him of his many crimes.)

miss the point of Anvindr's verbal abuse; several of the things he does are physically violent, but one of the biggest reasons he's scary is because of a) power dynamics and b) emotional/verbal abuse. don't downplay it, don't miss the point.

make Laila completely helpless (she doesn't have a lot of power, which is part of the point, but that doesn't make her completely helpless)

make Aella either incompetent (she's ADHD and impulsive; she makes mistakes, but she's not incompetent) or helpless (see above). or, on the flip side, a stone-cold competent badass. she's not that either. (that said, there are probably a lot of ways you could screw up Aella. she's young and optimistic, but not a complete child. she makes poor choices, but she isn't incompetent. she's a capable fighter, but she's not grumpy or cold. through the story, she lacks power in a few ways, but that doesn't mean she has no character, and it isn't a moral failing of hers.)

make Tempest flat and one-dimensionally angry, and/or a bad or absent mother. Tempest and Aella certainly have a complex dynamic, but Tempest isn't neglectful or abusive. she loves her baby girl.

have Theo be completely disapproving of the Hurricane women swearing/drinking/fighting, and/or surprised about women doing those things

frame [climactic moment redacted for spoilers] as a triumph. in fairness, in early drafts i think it was. and then i grew up and realised it... wasn't, really.

this one was fun once i got my head around it! i apparently have Many Thoughts. thank you :))

ask game is here!

[akindofmagictoo]

1, 6, 14, 16 for Hurricane??

hello!

(1) share an excerpt you're proud of, and elaborate on why.

One of Aella’s boots slipped on the wet wood. Lightning flashed, lighting up the sky and turning her to a dark silhouette, frozen in midair. She cried out, barely audible over the roll of the thunder. The bright white afterimage remained stamped on Theo’s vision, even as he tried to blink it away. He rubbed his eyes. When his sight finally cleared, Aella was hanging by one hand. Blood began to stain her shirt, turning the soaked white fabric a pinkish colour. Tempest shouldered past him, heading straight for the mast and almost knocking him down. The ship swung sharply to one side; was someone at the wheel? Theo grabbed blindly for the nearest rail, suddenly somehow afraid that if he took his gaze off Aella, she would fall. And then she did fall, her fingers scrabbling at empty air, her scream lost to the howl of the wind. Theo flinched and instinctively closed his eyes. All he heard was the wind and rain. He wouldn’t have heard Aella hit the deck if she did. But no one shouted. No running feet close to him. He dared to open one eye.

this one is fun! i enjoy the suspense of it, and i'm really pleased with the imagery of the lightning (silhouette and afterimage). plus, it's kinda fun to leave Theo stuck on the deck, unable to help. poor landlubber.

(6) describe the premise/plot of Hurricane from the perspective of each main cast member.

this is a little difficult to do without spoiling the main gang's relationship/s to the villain, but i'll give it a go. for Tempest, it's "my ship has been stolen by that bastard and i'm going to get it back". for Aella, it's "i messed up and got our ship stolen, and i want the ship back but i'm scared of what we might have to do to get it". Theo is here to help, and also trying to find a mystical plant that he thinks Anvindr may have in his possession. (this last bit isn't a WELL-integrated subplot, but it's there)

(14) what are the focal points of Hurricane? what does it revolve around emotionally?

everything i write ends up being about family eventually. Hurricane is about family (especially about children and parents), about role models and being yourself, and responsibility and fear and bravery.

(16) what sparked Hurricane? what was the original premise or jumping-off point, and do you have any records of the first notes from its creation?

well, i watched Pirates of the Caribbean. i also read someone else's pirate book on Wattpad, and noticed a (small) trend of "land-dwelling woman falls in with male pirate crew, shenanigans ensue". and so i decided to gender-flip it, because why not?

i don't have any early notes, but that's the main stuff that would be in there!

thanks for the ask!

ask game is here

[akindofmagictoo]

hiya, zoe. 👋

6, 11, and 13 for dragonsong from this ask game, pls? sending you good ~~ vibes ~~ and good luck your way. 🍀🍀🍀 - ✨️ Enc (@enchanted-lightning-aes)

hello there! (General Kenobi)

(6) describe the premise/plot of Dragonsong from the perspective of each main cast member.

okay, so the funny one for Isi is "the job and I are getting a divorce". Robin's perspective is something along the lines of "well, Isi's digging a hole and I'm practically in it already, I'm coming too"

Enya's, on the other hand, is roughly "something bad happened to my mum, but I get to hang out with and be carried by these nice humans!"

(11) is there is anything intangible or inanimate in Dragonsong which qualifies as a character in its own right? (ex: a specific theme, setting, etc)

i don't think so? Isi's guilt and hope are both very big parts of the story, but i wouldn't call them characters in their own right.

(13) which aspects of worldbuilding are your favorites? (if not applicable: which parts of the setting interest you most?)

DRAGONS. ALSO THE MAGIC SYSTEM. both of these were super fun to do!! i have a whole thing written out for how dragon lifespans work.

thanks for the ask!

ask game is here

[akindofmagictoo]

Carrion Vignette #3 - Untitled

A direct continuation from this snippet (+ author commentary). pov: Carrion wordcount: 1.2k character(s): Carrion Vice (D&D), Arran (random backstory NPC) canon status: canon backstory vignette trigger warnings: (non-graphic) mentions of injury + illness, (non-graphic) mentions of violence, nightmares summary: Carrion has a conversation with his rescuer.

 “My name is Carrion.”

There was an awkward pause before the man laughed. “Alright, don’t wanna tell a stranger in the woods your name? Fair enough.” He handed Carrion another plate of food.

Carrion bristled, and a part of him wanted to insist that it was his name. But he didn’t. Instead he said, “And who are you? How did you find me?” His voice was even more gravelly than usual, his throat dry. 

His rescuer passed him a flask. Carefully, Carrion smelled it. Water. Taking a sip, he watched his rescuer expectantly. 

“My name is Arran. My real one, that is.” He shrugged. “I don’t see a point in hiding it. Besides, I don’t know that I’m clever enough to come up with another one.” He chuckled. “As for how I found you, I was walking up the road a few nights ago and saw something lying in the road. Thought you were an animal or something at first. A bear-kill, maybe.” He scratched his bearded chin idly. “But nope. A whole ass person. And beat to shit, too.” He gestured at Carrion with his free hand. “You were in a rough state. Wasn’t too sure you’d make it for a while. But I guess you’re as strong as you look.”

Carrion set aside his empty plate, licking the last of the rabbit’s flavor from his fingers. “How long was I… When did you find me?”

Arran hummed thoughtfully, playing with his beard. “It’s been about 3 days since I found you. But judging by the state you were in, you’d been out there for at least a couple more.”

Five days, then. That was a long time. Theodore and the rest of the Order would be nearly halfway back to the city by now. He shook his head. There was no way to catch up to them now. And besides, he was still healing, as his body was quick to remind him.

Arran glanced over at him, setting aside his own plate. “Er, if you don’t mind me asking… What happened? You look like someone used you as a pincushion.” He chuckled at his own joke.

Carrion’s body tensed, his wounds twinging in pain as he remembered the paladins falling on him, stabbing him over and over again. He shook his head. “I was attacked. Left for dead.” 

Arran nodded. “Bandits, I’d bet. Nasty fuckers.” He took a drink from his flask. “There’s loads of them in these hills. Don’t usually come this far up, but it’s not unheard of.” He looked Carrion in the face. Still casual, he asked, “So what was a member of the Silver Order doing up here all alone?”

Shit. Of course he had noticed. Carrion had been wearing a tunic with the Order’s symbol. His mind churned. He had to say something. “It was uh… personal business. There’s a healer, the solitary sort, who lives further up the mountain.” It wasn’t technically a lie.

“Oof. Tough luck. Get one ailment cured and you’re nearly cut down again right after.” He didn’t seem suspicious in the slightest, but Carrion was still wary.

He nodded. Let Arran assume whatever he wanted. Anything was better than him asking more questions. Especially questions that might lead too close to the truth. 

Arran laughed. “You must be cursed or something.”

He had to stop himself from flinching. Cursed. That was certainly one word for it. Cursed. Corrupted. There was no pretty way to describe what had happened to him. What he was now. He remembered Beren’s words. That thing isn’t Reverence anymore. 

He shook his former friend out of his mind and looked up at Arran. “What are you doing up here? Not many people go wandering alone in the mountains if they have any other option.”

Arran smiled. “Not many. But I’m a hunter. Going off into the wilderness is kinda my job.” He patted something behind him, and for the first time Carrion noticed a longbow and quiver propper up against a tree.

That explained a lot of things: His weathered appearance, the numerous weapons scattered around the camp, why he was alone, his knowledge of field medicine. It made sense. It seemed that he really was just a lonely huntsman. Still, Carrion knew he wouldn’t quite be able to relax any time soon. 

But even as he thought it, he was increasingly aware of the tiredness tugging at his mind. He hadn’t been awake long, but given the extent of his injuries, it wasn’t entirely surprising. Healing was tiring work, especially without the aid of magic. He fought back a yawn.

“Tired, are you?” Carrion nodded. “Well, I haven’t slept yet, so it seems that both of us need some rest.”

Carrion shuffled back to the pelt he’d been lying on earlier. Arran dampened the fire – it wasn’t cold enough yet to truly need it for warmth – before making his way to his own bedroll. 

“Wait, shouldn’t someone keep watch?” Carrion didn’t want to encounter any actual bandits, or any large animals.

Arran shook his head. “Don’t worry. It’s safe. The camp is well-hidden, and there shouldn’t be anything dangerous around. The bandits that attacked you have moved on by now. Besides, I’m a light sleeper.”

“Alright, if you’re sure…” 

Despite his wariness, and his fears that Arran might try to attack him in the dark, sleep quickly overtook Carrion, dragging him down into the dark.

In his dreams, he found himself running blindly through a dark forest, pushing branches out of his way. He could hear something behind him, the brush rustling and the panting breaths of another creature.  Trees and bushes tore at his skin as he plowed onwards. He wasn’t sure why he was running, but he knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that if he stopped he would die. 

Eventually, he burst into a clearing and staggered to a stop. He spun around, searching the tree line for whatever had been chasing him. Every movement in the shadows made him flinch, certain that something would charge out of the forest and attack him. But nothing came. 

He could still hear the bushes rustling, though, and he knew he was not alone. Occasionally he thought he saw something moving, or the reflection of eyes peering out at him from the brush. Whatever was chasing him, it was out there, watching, waiting. 

Then, without warning, something grabbed his shoulder. He whirled around, and– 

Carrion bolted upright, fist flying towards the creature kneeling over him. The strike landed, and it toppled backwards, crying out in pain. 

“Ow! What the hell?” the creature exclaimed in a decidedly human voice.

Carrion blinked, trying to process what he was seeing. Arran lay flat on his back on the dirt, looking up at him with wide eyes. 

He lowered his fist. “Uh, sorry,” he muttered. “I thought you were a bandit or something.”

Arran sat up, rubbing his jaw. “It’s alright.” He winced slightly as his fingers found a tender spot. “You certainly pack quite a punch.”

“I’ve had some training.” Theodore’s face rose unbidden to his mind, standing beside a leather-padded sack they used as a punching bag. Shrugging off the memory, he asked, “Why’d you wake me?”

“You cried out. I was worried the fever had returned.”

Carrion shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“Clearly.” Arran brushed himself off as he got to his feet. “Well, now that we’re both awake, how about some breakfast?” Carrion’s stomach growled in response, and Arran laughed. “I guess that answers that question.”

[akindofmagictoo]

(3) pick a branching universe you would enjoy writing from the canon of your current WIP— a character makes a different choice, the dice roll a different number, etc. describe what it would look like and/or write 100+ words in this universe.

(9) who are your favorite characters from your current WIP? what do you want most from them as characters: to have them heal and be content/happy, or to run them under a cheese grater? how does this compare to what they undergo in the story?

(10) which characters do you personally dislike most from your current WIP? elaborate on why, bonus points for how impassioned your answer is.

- for the writing ask game!

Thanks for the ask!

(3) pick a branching universe you would enjoy writing from the canon of [project]— a character makes a different choice, the dice roll a different number, etc. describe what it would look like and/or write 100+ words in this universe.

Oooo okay

So a fun thing about BAC is that, as it is, the story more or less has to go exactly as it does for things to work. Like if the two main characters weren't the two main characters - if a different person from Winnie's town discovered the faerie ring, or a different fae extended a deal - things would almost certainly fall apart immediately.

But that's a boring answer, so I'm gonna pose the idea of the Warden kidnapping Winnie instead of Bran

If the Warden stole Winnie, but otherwise everything was the same back in town, it's unlikely anybody would go into the Beyond to search for her. So she would be stuck there by herself, probably mostly kept in a sort of trancelike state to keep her cooperative, knowing even less about the fae than she does in the actual story (which is very little)

But, if she still had her iron hatpin on her, there's a chance she could accidentally discover its habit of breaking through magical enchantment. And if she pieced that together while still at the Warden's estate, Winnie would 100% be both bold and crafty enough to use it to break out of her containment.

From there, if she escaped the Dusk Court, Taliesin would absolutely have been keeping tabs on tracking any human movement around that area, and he'd probably swoop in to help her get distance from the Warden. At which point he'd try to make a deal with her, and Winnie, being the stubborn and grudge-holding woman she is, would probably take it lol

They'd probably go about their whole vengeance quest differently than in BAC, but that's what'd get it all kicked off for sure

(9) who are your favorite characters from [project]? what do you want most from them as characters: to have them heal and be content/happy, or to run them under a cheese grater? how does this compare to what they undergo in the story?

Honestly, in all of BAC, my favorite character would probably be Bran. He doesn't feature in nearly enough of the book, but that lil kid is so precious - he's mischievous but can't keep a straight face to save his life, he's got that 9-year-old confidence, he's a nuisance to his sister but absolutely idolizes her, his favorite possession is a pretty red marble, he's perceptive but lets impulses and curiosity dominate his actions anyways, his greatest wish in life is to befriend a raven and have it give him shiny presents, his second greatest wish in life is to show off said raven bestie at school

What I want most for him as a character is for the writer to leave him tf alone!! Let the boy be!!

As one might guess, that is not how the story goes

(10) which characters do you personally dislike most from [project]? elaborate on why, bonus points for how impassioned your answer is.

I feel like the most obvious choice here would be the Warden of the Undernell - Bran's captor - but actually, even moreso than the Warden, I think I hold a lot of personal distaste for Herdithas, the Dusk scout that chases after Winnie and Taliesin. Because if you're gonna be a hunter and a POS, at least be a brave one!

But noooooo every time they actually face confrontation they nope tf out of there. Coward.

Plus a couple other reasons but I can't get into them rn because of ~spoilers~

[akindofmagictoo]

1, 2, 17, 19 - BAC or any WIP!!

- @akindofmagictoo

Thanks for the ask! Since I'm still in the thick of it, I'll use BAC!

(1) share an excerpt you're proud of, and elaborate on why.

So I've shared pieces of this before, with the down memory lane project, but I'll put the whole mini-scene together bc why not:

They landed in a nondescript grassland. Winnie collapsed as soon as Taliesin released her, heaving violent coughs as she fought to regain her sense of balance.  Taliesin waited for her breathing to slow before he approached, towering over her.  “That was the dumbest decision you could have possibly made,” he said firmly. “Your compassion might be treasured where you come from, but it could have gotten us both killed.” Winnie glared up at him, unrepentant. “They were going to die, just like me.”  “A fate they had to accept.” “I don’t understand why you’re so upset. We’re both fine! We made it out! And so did they.” Taliesin’s face was cold as stone. “Here, no one’s freedom is worth more than your own. You put us both at risk by freely offering us in their place.” “Why did you stay, anyways? You could’ve left, if I was being so irritating.” Winnie spat it out angrily, but genuine curiosity prodded behind it. For all his frustration, he’d never so much as crossed the room for anything but the iron.  “We have a deal.” Winnie scoffed. “Some deal. Neither of us found what we were looking for.” Taliesin didn’t answer, and quiet fell between them. After a moment, he joined her and sat in the grass, and Winnie realized how exhausted he looked. She felt the same, all anger wiped out by the weariness settling over her thoughts. “How did you manage to escape that cloaked Dusk fae?” she asked gently. Taliesin threw an arm over his face and leaned back to rest against a rise in the ground. “As soon as you left, fairly easily. I was shunted out of Dusk territory once my human guide abandoned me.” After the speech he’d given about valuing selfishness, Winnie decided against apologizing.  “Well, I guess we’ll have to go back and start a new search anyways, won’t we?” Taliesin shook his head. “No, I don’t think we should aim for the Undernell at all. There’s no point looking for clues you won’t be able to identify.” “Where, then?” Winnie asked with a frown.  She expected him to say something infuriating about her being the leader, or tell her to start walking. But instead, he sat back up to look at her.  “There’s an Oracle who drifts through the Courtless lands. If we can find her, she may be able to give us an idea for what we need.”  Winnie shook her head, but she was smiling. “Now you’re willing to tell me something useful?” “I failed, and you were captured. We’re even now.” Taliesin said matter-of-factly. “Besides, you’re a lousy guide.” Leaning back into the grass, Winnie considered bringing up the fae they’d rescued, and wondering where they’d gone. But she closed her eyes, breathing deeply. There would be time to get into that particular fight later. Or, better yet, never. For now, it was enough to rest and recuperate in the sunlight and prepare for the journey ahead.

Winnie and Taliesin's dynamic evolves a lot over the story at large, and after a few chapters of both of them being stuck in this stage of 'openly distrusting and disliking each other but forced to work together', this scene is the first time they actually address their frustrations with each other. Which might not seem like a good place to be at, but airing out some of their grievances gives them actual space to communicate and work together more cohesively

It's also an important scene in Winnie's solo arc, where she acts impulsively due to grief (saving the fae in Brakor's since she feels helpless in regards to Bran at that point) and is doubling down on covering for it by pretending it's just a sense of empathy/justice/altruism. Which she then feels like she has to prove by repeating the same act with a less-innocent fae

There's more work that needs to get put into the scene to actually get it to the point I want it at, but hey, I always love a lil back-and-forth between those two

2) share an excerpt of [character pairing] interacting, either selected from the work or written now.

Since that last excerpt included Winnie and Taliesin, I'm going to switch it up and actually toss Edea into the mix and share this lil snippet between them and Winnie

“You are a brave little one, to be facing down the Warden.” The mention of them caught Winnie by surprise. The weight of what lay ahead had driven Edea’s earlier reaction to the Warden’s name from Winnie’s mind.  Asking direct questions rarely led to direct answers. So rather than press them for more information, Winnie agreed. “Somebody has to stand up to them.” Amusement slipped into Edea’s voice, “And you believe a human is the person for the job?” Winnie hesitated; how far could she stretch the truth before they caught on that she had no intention of bringing the Warden to justice? Who would she be against them, anyway, if they were as powerful as everyone was inclined to believe?  “Who else but a human?” Winnie was emboldened by the curious gleam in Edea’s eye. “We tear through your conventions by our very nature. And if the Warden is as much of a threat as you say, then why has nobody else removed them from power before?” Edea hummed in concession.

The first conversation they have outside of 'Edea tries to arrest Winnie and Taliesin for trespassing' aww

Edea's the closest fae that Winnie gets to know other than Taliesin, so I wanted to ensure that, while they're both very different, there should still be something similar in the way they communicate. They're very different fae, but they're both fae, yk? So Taliesin might be more talkative, but neither of them are exactly forthcoming. Edea may be less approachable, but both of them can't help feeling intrigued by this human girl running around their world. Edea's relationship with Winnie is very different than Taliesin's, but they do form their own bond, just in a much more traditional human-and-fae way

(17) do you have a specific structure or method of plotting for [project]? what does your drafting process look like?

Okay so the drafting process is pretty simple - I work chronologically, beginning to end, in pretty much every WIP

I remember in terms of plotting the first draft of BAC, I charted out the key plot points I wanted to hit (Bran disappears, Winnie and Taliesin make a deal, they check out the Warden's estate, etc.) and then genuinely just would buffer those points with however many chapters I thought felt appropriate

And from there, I just slowly filled in those blank spaces with a mix of the natural unfolding storyline (Bran disappears -> Winnie investigates around town looking for Bran, winds up finding the faerie ring, meets Taliesin, etc. -> Winnie and Taliesin make a deal) and listing out various elements I thought would be fun to include (crossing a fucked up lake on a small boat with a weird fae, a cursed fae that uses sympathy as a lure, a creepy Oracle, getting entranced by funky fae music, etc.)

Mix it all together and voila, you have a novel outline that you'll break within the first few chapters!

(19) what text/message have you sent about [project] which is most unhinged or incomprehensible out of context?

So I've been going back through my 2nd draft recently to work out some changes that need to be made before I truly tackle revisions and gearing up for draft 3, and this happened a few days ago:

Nothing like accidentally stumbling upon an underlying motif that's been built into your story since its conception five years ago

[akindofmagictoo]

[akindofmagictoo]

[akindofmagictoo]

1, 13 for the ask game you reblogged from me!

- @akindofmagictoo

Hi there and thanks for the ask! Just finished writing the rough draft of Chapter Six for my current WIP, The Heralds of Blood (wrote nearly all of Ch.6 today, quite happy with it, too), so I'll see if I can use it to answer these asks. Let's see:

(1) share an excerpt you're proud of, and elaborate on why.

This is a somewhat spoilery passage from the upcoming Chapter Six that I like because of the emotion involved between Ian and Eli:

-----------------

Yet another interruption, this time Ian thumping the table with his thick book. Trey and Jamison, who’d tried keeping attention while growing more engrossed in their game, both jumped in their chairs at the Saber-Ward’s indignant act.

Eli’s best friend loomed over him, freckled cheeks flushed as red as his hair, looking both vindicated and vengeful. He’d never been frightened by Ian, had never seen him so full of seething wrath, but right now both of those truths had been reversed.

“For years, I’ve believed that bastard was up to no good but always you pushed me away, Eli. Every. Single. Time. You said you knew him better, that we were all imagining things. “He researches the obscure and oddball, of course he seems suspicious! That’s all!” You’re my friend, so of course I always put your beliefs before mine, gave you the benefit of the doubt. And now you think you’ve found a flimsy but almost certain proof through days of exhaustive research over something I could spot a mile away-”

“You don’t understand,” Eli murmured, looking away. “None of you do.”

He saved me, whispered the voices in his head. I owe him everything.

“Well, please enlighten me, then! Before we walk into our certain deaths tomorrow!”

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(13) which aspects of worldbuilding are your favorites? (if not applicable: which parts of the setting interest you most?)

I love worldbuilding a lot in its many different forms and aspects. I love devising various magic systems, gods and spirits, creatures and demons, the different countries and cities and cultures, the histories both real and legendary, the grand picture and the smaller everyday details. I love creating weapons and magical artifacts, ruins, lost civilizations, placing anachronisms or clashing aesthetics/time periods intentionally and making them work. I love devising castles and citadels, colleges and academies and universities, giant complexes with different sub-sections, complex travel systems. Different foods and drinks, different pop cultural items that are either satire, shout-outs or pure invention on my part, folklore and in-universe beloved works. I wish I could do lyrics and poetry better and use them as aspects of my writing. Geography, of course, wish I was better at mapmaking. There's so much I love about worldbuilding, I could go on for ages but think I'll leave it here.

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All right, thanks again for the ask! Feel free to send more from this or elsewhere for other ask days this week 9Worldbuilding Wednesday, Storyteller Saturday, etc.)