#atqh: Duncan

[memento-morri-writes]

Treak or trit

Hi Sleepy! You get a...

TREAT!!! 🎃🍬👻

From Left to Right: - Alora from Political Fantasy WIP - Duncan from ATQH - Theo from CoS

[memento-morri-writes]

Happy Blursday! If your OCs had to go to a fancy dress ball for plot reasons, what would be their ideal outfits? From their culture/world/dreams, etc.

--@oh-no-another-idea

OOOOH, THIS IS SUCH A GOOD QUESTION, CASS. And incidentally, I have thought a LOT about it, because there are actually several balls in ATQH. So I'll describe my favorite ball outfit for everyone, since they have multiple.

Fallon wears a floor-length dress made of black silk-like fabric. It has a more fitted bodice with a semi-sweetheart neckline, but the skirt poofs out beautifully. The smallest little flaps of sleeves are red, along with the laces of the bodice, and a ribbon around her waist. (Anvian fashion is rather varied, but tends to favor medium to large skirts for balls. Since black is one of the Oakes house colors, Fallon wears it often, despite there being no law or custom that mandates it. Red is also one of the house colors, but is often-times reserved for important occasions.)

Kristopher wears a thigh-length black coat with gorgeous gold embroidery on the front. Black velvet pants, and beautiful black leather boots complete the look. (Orynian fashion is usually very traditionalist, and not too exciting. But with the addition of the embroidery, and because it's Kris, he looks stunning.)

Hermes wears a black tail-coat that is completely covered in delicate gold embroidery of suns, moons, and stars. It's absolutely stunning, and he pairs it with shimmering gold eyeshadow and a golden headpiece, which makes it even more glorious. (Oraine's fashion is about going all-out, and is often times rather gaudy, at least to others. This is far from typical Orainian fashion (which falls more in line with pre-revolutionary French fashion, just more elaborate), but is still very attention-grabbing and unforgettable.)

Duncan wears a white silk shirt with a ruffled collar, with an elegant green vest over top. Matching green breeches and tall brown leather boots finish it off. (Despite being a Duke, Duncan tends to dress on the simpler side most of the time. He doesn't like to be the center of attention, and he'd rather feel as comfortable as possible, given that he's already often uncomfortable in social situations.)

Lavinia wears a floor-length emerald green gown. It has straps made of golden thread rather than sleeves, and similar gold thread goes around her waist and under her chest. The skirts aren't very poofy, with no underskirts or anything else to add layers. A gold necklace with a green stone rests directly between her collarbones. (This is far from typical Orynian fashion, but Lavinia is far from a typical Orynian.)

[memento-morri-writes]

last line tag

I was tagged by @space-writes! Thank you! <3

This isn't quite the last line, but it's a line from the most recent thing I wrote, so here you go:

But even as he thought those things, his fingers pressed down on the keys, and he began to play. Slowly, hesitantly at first, but he quickly gained confidence. For having been left untouched for gods-knows-how-long, the piano's sound was crystal clear, and surprisingly well tuned. Duncan's fingers flew across the keys, and a familiar melody spilled forth. It was one of his personal favorites, a tune his mother had sung to him when he was a child. He found that he could hear her voice in his mind, her soft soprano accompanying the piano in perfect harmony.

I'm going to tag @smol-feralgremlin, @authoralexharvey, @sleepyowlwrites, and @tc-doherty

[memento-morri-writes]

Happy Blorbosday!

For any OCs of your choice: What’s your OC’s go-to drink order? Can be in universe or a modern AU, whatever floats your boat.

Hi Anna!! Sorry I didn't answer this yesterday, I was moving out of my dorms.

Fallon - In terms of alcoholic beverages, some good red wine. In terms of non-alcoholic drinks, probably some nice tea, to be honest.

Kristopher - When he's feeling self-deprecating, anything with alcohol. He's not picky. When he's not feeling self-destructive, he likes hot chocolate! But otherwise, like with a meal, just water is fine.

Theo - Very picky about drinks. Likes hot chocolate and tea. Prefers cold water to warm water. Doesn't drink alcohol.

Duncan - Tea. (He's kind of basic, but I love it.)

Captain Blackthorne - Doesn't mind a nice ale, but never drinks when he's working, and never more than one glass.

[memento-morri-writes]

Hi remembrance

If your ocs were rooms in a house, which room would they each be and why? (This can be a very unusual house, I don't care)

Hi Sleepy! Thanks for the ask!! I'm specifically going to do the cast of ATQH as rooms/spaces in the Palace.

Duncan would be the music room. A bright, sunny room with a beautiful piano. He's a chill, easygoing guy, and he loves music. It just makes sense.

Fallon is the throne room, or maybe her office. (She doesn't necessarily need the grandeur of the throne room, but either one represents her duty.) She is a leader, and takes the world on her shoulders, often overworking herself. She's fallen asleep in her office more times than is healthy.

Kristopher is the stables. He feels like he's been trapped in Oryn for so long. All he wants to is escape and be free, so being a horse stuck in a stall for weeks or years might feel appropriate. Not to mention the fact that the stables in Oryn were more of a home than the castle sometimes. They were his gateway to escape, an excuse to get himself out of the city.

Captain Blackthorne is the outer walls. All he wants is to protect the people he cares about. He's strong and durable and older than the rest of the characters.

Lavinia is the garrison/armory. Unassuming or even welcoming on the outside, but full of capable threats and sharp objects.

Thanks for the ask, sleepy! I hope you're doing well!

[memento-morri-writes]

Saw the post about being asked about ocs and I'm not going to ask about a specific oc, but rather one that you love a lot but don't get to talk about often for whatever reason. Who are they? What do you like about them? What's a fun little fact about them that you'd love to share but the opportunity just never comes up? And anything else you wanna share!!

Oof, okay, this is hard! I have a lot of beloved OCs I don't talk about much. I think I'm going to go with Duncan from ATQH.

He's a Duke of Anvia (Fallon's kingdom), and he inherited that titled after his parents' deaths in a shipwreck a few years ago. He's just about the sweetest person on the planet, and I love him a lot. He always wants to be helping people, and is very well-liked by those who live in his province. He's often out with the people, seeing what they need and lending a hand.

He's very handsome, and there are a lot of people who would love to court him, but the poor man is completely oblivious. He has no idea when people are flirting with him. Also, he has ridiculously high standards. His parents were the definition of a perfect romance, and he dreams of having something like what they had.

He's a huge guy, like 6'2" or something, and also super brawny. But once you get to know him, you realize he is the least intimidating person you will ever meet. He's super clumsy, and over-apologizes every time he breaks something or bumps into someone. As I mentioned above, he doesn't have a mean bone in his body, and is completely oblivious to people. However, this does mean that he tends to assume that everyone always has good intentions, which isn't always the case. People have warned him that he's going to end up broken-hearted, but he doesn't listen.

As for a fun fact, he loves to sing!! If he's ever alone and not doing anything super important, he'll be singing or whistling to himself as he walks or does whatever it is he's doing. He's a great piano player, and that's pretty well-known, but he's a bit more shy about the singing. He gets really embarrassed if someone hears him, even though he's actually really really good!!

Anyways, Duncan is super sweet and I love him, and I feel a little bad breaking his heart.

[memento-morri-writes]

!! 👀

Heyo! Thanks for the ask!

I'm going to introduce you to...

Duncan!

He's a secondary character in All the Queen's Horses.

He's the sweetest angel on the planet.

He's a Duke of a province along Anvia's western border. (that is plot-relevant I swear.)

He's been crushing on Fallon for a WHILE, but has never been brave enough to do anything about it.

Became Duke after his parents died in a shipwreck several years ago.

29 years old.

Very clumsy. Do not let him near your expensive and breakable shit.

An excellent piano player, but a bit shy about it.

Also has a lovely singing voice, but is embarrassed about it and never sings in front of people if he knows they're there. But if you're lucky you might hear him humming or singing.

A hopeless romantic with high standards.

[memento-morri-writes]

trick or treat!!!

You get a treat!

It's my baby boy Duncan!

[memento-morri-writes]

Happy Blorbosday!

If your ocs were dogs, what breeds would they be and why? (for any ocs you want)

Hi Anna! Happy Blorbsday!

Honestly, this one is hard for me. As much as I know about dogs, I'm not good at associating things with other things. But I will try.

Note: These are based on just some general characteristics associated with various breeds, which obviously does not stand for every dog of that breed. I'll try to pick breeds I have some personal experience with.

Theo is probably a golden retriever. Human sunshine, very energetic, loves people.

Kristopher is a pit bull (yes, I know that's not really a breed). Misunderstood, and very caring if you get to know him, it fits well.

Ashlin is maybe a husky? Very temperamental and has a lot of personality, that kinda fits.

<Prince> is something like a Rottweiler? Very intelligent and loyal. Protective of his loved ones.

Duncan would be a chocolate lab, I think. Very sweet and friendly.

[memento-morri-writes]

Happy STS Morri!

[I was gonna ask this for cast of all the queens horses, but I also don't wanna limit you in case you wanna answer this for other WIPs 😂 - any OCs you think this would fit well ~]

Does your OC look back when saying goodbye (maybe forever) to someone important to them? What would they do?

@bloodlessheirbyjacques ✨

Hi Jacques! This is a really good question! And don't worry, I love talking about the cast of ATQH more than anything else, hahaha.

Fallon would try not to, especially if it's a final goodbye. If it's a "goodbye for now", she'd probably let herself look back, maybe. But if it's a "goodbye forever", she'd try really hard not to. Mainly because she wouldn't want said person, or anyone else around, to see her cry.

Kristopher wouldn't. If he looked back, he might start to regret leaving, and that's no good. And also, he doesn't want to make it any harder on the person he's leaving, as well as himself. Seeing that person again would just be a painful reminder of everything he's leaving behind. He couldn't do that.

Captain Blackthorne actually would! He sees no reason not to have one more look at the face of a person he loves before leaving. He'd probably look back, maybe wave or something, and then keep going.

Duncan would too! He would probably blow a kiss or wave or something, and he would definitely look back. He would want to have as many memories and moments of the person he's saying goodbye to as possible.

Nina would probably not? She'd rather not look back, because that makes it harder to leave. She's determined and set in her ways. So if she's made up her mind to leave, she's not going to stop, and not going to look back.

[memento-morri-writes]

Happy Blorbo Blursday, Morri !

For the character who is most plot important what is his or hers or theirs relationship to a character who is a side character or significantly less important?

~ love, leia

Hi Leia!! Thanks for the ask!

Ooh, this is a fun question!!! Gives me a chance to talk about two relationships between side characters and Fallon.

Fallon and Captain Blackthorne:

Captain Blackthorne (Fallon's captain of the guard) has known Fallon since she was born. Literally her entire life. Because of this and also his good friendship with Rosalynn, he has a sort of fatherly love for her. And because of that, he really, really wants to protect her. The worst thing he can imagine happening is something happening to Fallon, and him not being able to do anything about it. (Like what happened to Rosalynn.) For her part, Fallon does love Captain Blackthorne. After her mother's death, he was literally the only person she trusted. She asked him to stay as her captain of the guard, and he did. However, since Wymond was basically completely absent from Fallon's life growing up, she's not used to having that kind of protective or fatherly love. (Not to say Rosalynn didn't love her, because she did. She adored Fallon. But her love was different from what Wymond's should have been, and what Blackthorne's is.) Because of this, Fallon sometimes feels vaguely smothered by Blackthorne, despite the fact that he genuinely means well and has her best interests at heart. (Not to mention that he's usually right.) And because of her tendency to push away the people she loves when stressed, Blackthorne often got the brunt of that. (See after Lavinia's attack when Fallon tells Blackthorne that she is his Queen, not his daughter.)

another relationship under the cut!

Fallon and Duncan:

I know I've mentioned some of this before, but Duncan is vitally plot important. A lot more than you would think, to be honest. I've half-jokingly said you can trace all of the problems of ATQH back to Pierre Pelle, and similarly, a lot of things happen because of Duncan. (not all bad.) Duncan is the Duke of a province in western Anvia, right along the border with Oryn. He's kind, caring, and puts his people first. Everyone loves him, from the citizens to the other nobles. And so when Fallon reopens the Palace and announces that she'll be open to receiving suitors, everyone assumes Duncan is the logical choice. He's well-loved by the people, handsome, Anvian, a hopeless romantic, plays the piano, and to top it all off, as a lovely singing voice. Oh, and he has a massive crush on Fallon. To everyone, it seems like he would make her perfectly happy, and be the ideal Prince Consort. And Fallon does respect him immensely. He's the kind of person that Fallon wishes more people were: honest, kind, and dedicated. She is very impressed and happy with what he's done with his province even in the first few years as Duke. But there's one problem. Fallon doesn't love him, at least not romantically. She's not even remotely attracted to him, either. She cares about him, and loves him as a friend, but she has no romantic feelings for him. So when he proposes, she lets him down slowly. Weirdly enough, this triggers both The Incident, and also Lavinia's assassination attempt. (For different reasons, but also not really.) Also, Duncan doesn't really trust Kristopher. He's from Oryn, and Duncan's province has been the most affected by the rebel raiders. And also, he can be arrogant at times, which Duncan doesn't like. But he's too nice, too kind, and too much of a pushover to do or say anything. Several years down the line, however, peace is made after Kris gets fucking poisoned and almost dies near Duncan's estate. :)))

Thanks for the ask, Leia!! Hopefully you like this answer!

[memento-morri-writes]

Happy Blorbo Blursday!!!!

Are your OCs tea, coffee, hot chocolate or soup people?

Hello, and happy Blorbo Blursday!

Here's the run down:

Kristopher - coffee (or hot chocolate)

Fallon - tea or hot chocolate

Captain Blackthorne - coffee

Duncan - tea

Ashlin - soup

Dorian - hot chocolate

Theo - hot chocolate

Calista - coffee

[memento-morri-writes]

Happy Blorbo Blursday.

What do you think your character's fatal flaw is? And why?

YAY!! A fatal flaw ask!!! (I have a small obsession with fatal flaws. <;3)

Fallon - Stubbornness A lot of Fallon's other issues are made worse by her stubbornness. Her refusal to accept help from others, her loyalty-to-a-fault, her unwillingness to take a break or time for herself. All the things that bring her down and hurt her throughout the story (and beyond) are exaggerated by her stubborn nature. The more people try and persuade her to do something, the less she wants to do it. She digs her heels in and holds her ground, even if it's killing her.

Kristopher - Self-Hatred/Deprecation/Destruction He has absolutely no respect or care for himself. He does a lot of self-destructive things, and has very little regard for his own life, because he's been told his entire life that he's worthless. He almost ruins his chances with Fallon because he's so certain that she'll never love him. All the stuff he did in the past was done with a "who cares about me, all I want is to make it worse for my family" attitude. :'(

Captain Blackthorne - Pushes Himself Too Hard He feels like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, even more so after Rosalynn's death. He needs to be perfect, to protect Fallon always. He blames himself for Rosalynn's death, and later for Lavinia's attack. And after Lavinia, he constantly is pushing himself or blaming himself over things happening to Fallon and just happening in general.

Duncan - Assumes the Best of Others / Too Trusting He is very pure-hearted, and he assumes that everyone else is the same. They very much are not, and multiple people have warned Duncan that he's setting himself up for heartbreak because of it. Since he's also a hopeless romantic, it's almost guaranteed to backfire at some point in his life.

Ashlin - Anger She's always ready to fight, no matter what, and doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut. It gets them into a lot of trouble throughout their life, and she still doesn't learn. She's the kind of person who'd rather charge headlong into a brawl than take a few minutes to calm down. In fact, the thought of taking a walk or cooling off doesn't even cross their mind.

[memento-morri-writes]

Hi! Happy Blorbo Blursday!

What's your OC's best memory? Their worst?

--Joy (@italiangothicwriteblr)

Happy Blorbo Blursday, Joy!! (I swear I'll send one back this time!)

Fallon:

Best: Probably one of her childhood birthdays, when her mother and grandmothers were still alive.

Worst: Finding out about her mother's death.

Kristopher:

Best: Definitely something to do with Fallon. If we're talking strictly before the story, then maybe the day he got Phillip, his horse.

Worst: Either Lavinia's attack, or the day his sister left.

Captain Blackthorne:

Best: Something to do with Fallon and Rosalynn, but I'm not sure what. Maybe a birthday?

Worst: Rosalynn's death. (He has to see her body...)

Duncan:

Best: Some very small and mundane memory from his childhood, with his parents being happy and cute, and him being happy.

Worst: His brother's death or his parents' deaths. He probably doesn't remember his brother's so clearly, since he was like, 5, but still....

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Happy Blorbo Blursday, Morri! If one of your OCs existed in a book of a different genre, what would it be? What would their story look like?

Hi Rose!! Happy Blorbo Blursday!!

Ooh, I love this question!! You guys keep adding to my "what if tag" and I love it. (yes, I have a tag that's just AUs and what-if questions. I love it.)

Ashlin would do very well in a heist story / crime novel. She's a great thief, but her temper would get her into a lot of trouble. They'd definitely have a lot of enemies, but I think they'd be a character that fans would get really attached to. I can see her being part of a heist movie, something like Ocean's Eleven, either solo or as a reluctant part of a team.

Duncan would do well in a romance novel, despite the fact that ATQH is already a romance. But he's just so sweet, and kind, and I would love to see him get everything he deserves. A loving wife, a family, etc. He's a hopeless romantic, so things like serenades and flowers and big romantic gestures would be right up his alley.

[memento-morri-writes]

Happy Blorbo Blursday Morri!! Your OC(s) is suddenly Internet Famous!! Why is it for? Do they deserve it?? Is it good fame or bad fame??

Have a lovely day/night!!

@/ink-fireplace-coffee

Hi Carmen!!

Oh dear. None of my OC's even know what the internet is, lmao. They all live in medieval-inspired worlds. BUT, assuming that they were in a modern AU, here's what would happen.

Fallon is one of those royal celebrities that everyone is super interested in what she's doing. (Imagining that Rosalynn is still alive.) So people would definitely be scrutinizing her, what she's wearing, who she's dating, etc. She'd hate it, lmao.

Kristopher would probably be in a video clip of getting in a fight or something else really stupid while drunk, and it would go viral because yk, his family is Important, so it would be all over those tabloid-type new sites and stuff. People would be making fun of him, etc. He does not deserve it.

Duncan would be one of those people who someone records singing / playing the piano in just, a random scenario, and it goes viral, just because. He'd be super embarrassed about it, cause he hates all the attention and is very shy about his singing voice, even though it's gorgeous.

Ash would probably wind up on some kind of true-crime video, either because of something they've stolen and not gotten caught, or because she did get caught. Or maybe she'd get in a fight with the police. She'd bad-mouth them, and they'd arrest her for it, even if they had no evidence.

Thanks for the ask, Carmen! This was really fun to think about, ajsdaskjd.