#dragonsong brendon

[akindofmagictoo]

DRAGONSONG: draft 2 update: 05/09

previous word count: 106,200

current word count: 106,694 (494 added)

notes: this is fine.jpg

snippet:

A wave of exhaustion swept over her, an undertow pulling her down. It wrapped her limbs in lead, holding her to the floor. She tipped her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. The air smelled of dust. Her mind felt just as dusty, clouded and confused. Slowly, the wind began again, a faint breeze whispering over her skin and stirring her hair. It carried a faint sound to her ears, too. She turned her head. Somewhere, far in the distance, someone screamed. Her eyes flew open. She sprang to her feet. Maybe Brendon was right. Maybe she and her friends would ultimately fail. But they had not failed yet. And right now, the friends she had left behind … they needed her.

TAGLIST

@isherwoodj @metanoiamorii @lilmissravingwriter @weekofwednesdays @the-unwrittenwriter

@talesofsorrowandofruin @little-boats-on-a-lake @teriwrites @magicalwriting @magic-is-something-we-create

@writingbyjillian @waysofink @perditism @thehellinsideyourhead @calicowrites

@vellichor-virgo @google-plexed @therecouldbecolorsandlove @the-orangeauthor @ellatholmes

@happyorogeny @ladywithalamp @ashen-crest @authortango @strangerays

@moononherwings @nikkywrites @ambersky0319 @ambsthom @talesfromgringolandia

@wickerring @wizardfromthesea @diphthongsfordays @e-lisard @enchanted-lightning-aes

@emscribblings @teardropsandtherain @lowslore @fablewritten @copper-dragon-in-disguise

@reneesbooks @dirtybarkshark

[ellatholmes]

@akindofmagictoo back with Dragonsong rambles

Robin!! robin is baby. he’s 17 and Isi’s “squire”

things got complicated by his injury. he was going to leave the citadel after Brendon threw him out, but Isi went after him bc she didn’t want him ending up on the streets. she also felt sorry for him, poor kid grew up an orphan and the knights are the only family he really has.

he’s a mage, which is very illegal, and to further complicate things he believes his parents were killed by mages. so he has a complicated relationship with his own magic.

have I sent this ask before? this is sounding familiar. HECK.

sending it anyway, enjoy.

@akindofmagictoo sorry it took me a while to get back to these OC asks but holy heck!! robin needs a hug and i will be the one to give it to him,,, bring him here 🥺 what a complicated and sad back story!

hear ye’, hear ye’!  tell me ‘bout your OCs! 👴

[akindofmagictoo]

DRAGONSONG: worldbuilding intro: cool new knight stuff!

i should make more posts about the knights. a lot of work went into that. but for now: the newest stuff! (all subject to change, but i wanted to share)

in this post i discussed the barrier spell and the fact that the continent’s dragons are currently locked away and being experimented on. the current king is especially interested in that.

(tw below for mentions of needles and injection)

also, relatedly, i watched The Witcher recently...

so what’s the king been up to?

he wants to empower his fighting force. why? i’ll work that out eventually. but in the meantime he’s kind of using his fighting force as a police force, which has Issues.

off the back of his experimentation, the king is essentially mutating his knights. all of the newer knights, and any older knights working in the citadel or the castle, have had this done to them. a number of older resident knights have not.

what does it mean for the knights?

knights with the mutation are faster, and have the capacity to become stronger more easily than they might otherwise (and with a higher ‘maximum’ strength)

they also recover from injuries much faster than civilians, taking days or weeks to recover from an injury that might otherwise take months. further, they scar much less easily. 

in addition, they are more durable than their civilian counterparts; for example, in the first chapter Isi takes a dragon tail blow to the torso. the same blow dealt to Isi and Sierra would probably leave Sierra with broken ribs; Isi is mostly just bruised.

small downside though... the mutation has to be injected, and not just once. after a certain amount of time (to be decided) the body starts to treat it like poison. so it has to be administered regularly. without it ... Isi doesn’t know of anyone who knows for sure, but it gets unpleasant. she’s definitely heard rumours of people who’ve died from withdrawal. either way, at least in the citadel, it’s impossible to skip a dose and go unnoticed by knight supervisors.

who specifically does this involve? (that we care about)

citadel knights who have been knighted: Isi, Meg, Brendon

castle knights and/or former castle knights: Henry

younger resident knights: Aurelia, Ella

oh, and pretty much any given Antagonist Knight we run across

who isn’t involved?

Robin (not knighted yet), Jasper (older and doesn’t work in the citadel)

all of the civilians: Sierra, Holly, Ebele, Cole, SB, etc.

that’s the main stuff. but as always, it’s not the full extent of my Thoughts (mostly because this has Implications for several arcs), so... i can probably be convinced to infodump more in the future

TAGLIST (ask to be added or removed)

@isherwoodj @metanoiamorii @lilmissravingwriter @weekofwednesdays @the-unwrittenwriter @talesofsorrowandofruin @little-boats-on-a-lake @teriwrites @magicalwriting @magic-is-something-we-create @writingbyjillian @waysofink @perditism @thehellinsideyourhead @calicowrites @vellichor-virgo @google-plexed @therecouldbecolorsandlove @the-orangeauthor @ellatholmes @happyorogeny @ladywithalamp @ashen-crest @authortango @strangerays @moononherwings @nikkywrites @ambersky0319 @ambsthom @talesfromgringolandia @wickerring @wizardfromthesea @diphthongsfordays @e-lisard @enchanted-lightning-aes @emscribblings @teardropsandtherain @lowslore @fablewritten @dirtybarkshark

one time tags for @daisywords @klywrites who were intrigued on my previous post, and @zmwrites who’s not on the taglist but knows bits and pieces about this already

[akindofmagictoo]

DRAGONSONG: draft 2 update: 03/03

previous word count: 45,228

current word count: 46,636 (1408 added)

notes: I'M BACK HOMIES. maybe not, like, super frequently (ya girl's got a Masters degree to complete), but i'm BACK. and hopefully UNSTUCK.

snippet:

SB opened his mouth to continue, but paused at the sound of hoofbeats. Isi turned; Robin rode towards them, at a higher speed that seemed necessary, with a look of urgent concern in his eyes. When he drew level with them, he reined in and said breathlessly, “Isi, we have a problem.” “What sort of problem?” Isi reached for Enya; her fingers met invisible scales. At least Enya was still here. Robin held out a rolled up poster. Isi took it and unrolled it to find her own face staring back at her. She scanned the rest. It offered a reward for her arrest, on charges of harbouring a fugitive. A high reward. She swallowed and glanced back up at Robin. “Me and Holly too,” he added. “And there’s one asking for information about Enya. But SB and Sierra were missing.” Had Meg made it back to the citadel so soon? That seemed unlikely; it had not been long since they had spoken. So then… oh. Of course. Isi sighed and re-rolled the poster. “It seems Brendon has turned us in. He would recognise Holly, and Robin and me, but not you or Sierra.” The specifics were somewhat irrelevant. These posters would be going up in towns across the continent, and the white patches on Isi’s skin were hardly commonplace. “So, I suppose we had better keep our heads down,” she finished.

TAGLIST

@isherwoodj @metanoiamorii @lilmissravingwriter @weekofwednesdays @the-unwrittenwriter @talesofsorrowandofruin @little-boats-on-a-lake @teriwrites @magicalwriting @magic-is-something-we-create @writingbyjillian @waysofink @perditism @thehellinsideyourhead @calicowrites @vellichor-virgo @google-plexed @therecouldbecolorsandlove @the-orangeauthor @ellatholmes @happyorogeny @ladywithalamp @ashen-crest @authortango @strangerays @moononherwings @nikkywrites @ambersky0319 @ambsthom @talesfromgringolandia @wickerring @wizardfromthesea @diphthongsfordays @e-lisard @enchanted-lightning-aes @emscribblings @teardropsandtherain @lowslore @fablewritten @copper-dragon-in-disguise @reneesbooks @dirtybarkshark

[akindofmagictoo]

manuscript search tag game

this one comes from @zmwrites!

my words are after, green, hurt, back

after (Dragonsong draft 1)

“I can’t become a knight, not now. What’s the use in being a squire? For you or Tor Brendon?” “You’ll be safe and fed and dry.” And what was to say he couldn’t learn to fight from horseback? There must be ways around it. “Brendon won’t—” “Brendon made it clear that he doesn’t want you as a squire. So what you do with your life is no longer his problem. I won’t oblige you to stay. But there’s space in my house for you to stay as long as you want to. Even if it’s just one night.” Inside the tavern, a burst of laughter swelled. Robin’s eyes darted towards it. “They laugh because they’re scared of him,” said Isi. “Not because they really think he’s funny.” She was going to have stern words for Brendon after this. “So?” She held out a hand. Robin eyed her outstretched hand warily, as though he didn’t dare believe she meant it. Tears welled in his eyes. She said nothing, just held her hand steady. Waiting. Waiting for his answer. He put his hand, small but already calloused, in hers. When he said “Thank you” it was choked, barely a whisper. She smiled. “You’re welcome.”

green (Dragonsong draft 1)

“Last chance,” Bethany spat. “Or we try this again with someone else.” She raised the sword high to the ready position. Robin squeezed his eyes shut. Isi did the same. Bile rose in her throat. She couldn’t watch this. Something went click behind her. SB cried out. A gust of wind tore through the room. Green light exploded behind Isi’s closed eyelids. Then everything fell silent and still. Isi dared to open one eye.

hurt (Dragonsong draft 1)

“Shit, what did they do to you?” asked Sierra. She strode towards the door like she might attack the guards who’d brought Isi in. “Sierra, no…” Isi grabbed the bars of the cell door to keep herself from falling over. “Don’t.” Sierra paused and made eye contact with Isi. And stopped. Isi held her gaze until both doors had shut and the guards had left the room. “I don’t want you to get hurt as well.” Her legs gave out under her and she slumped to the floor. She gasped. “Oh, fuck, you’re bleeding. What did they do?” Sierra tore a strip off her sleeve, rolled it up, and pressed it firmly against Isi’s side.

back (Dragonsong draft 1)

“I cannot promise how well we can fly,” said Fintan. “We have been kept here a long time. But there is perhaps something else I can do.” He lifted his head higher, towering over Isi. “Hold up your sword.” She unsheathed it, steel ringing on leather, and held it high. Fintan inhaled deeply. A soft rumble began at the back of his throat. Isi sat as still as she could manage, waiting. Fintan exhaled. A ball of orange fire issued from his mouth and enveloped her sword blade. It warmed her hand, warmer and warmer until she thought it might burn, but faded abruptly away. She lowered the sword; despite the fire, the blade was cool to the touch. As she turned it over, it seemed to sparkle in the weak sunlight. “A sword tempered in dragon fire is a sword fit for a queen,” said Fintan, lowering his head back to the ground.

i shall tag @isherwoodj @dragon-swords-prophecies and anyone else who wants to play for mile, belong, road, fate

[akindofmagictoo]

DRAGONSONG: draft 2 update: 04/02

previous word count: 36,589

current word count: 41,879 (5290 added)

notes: Brendon's back and causing trouble again... yay. but Isi did get to smack him in the face with a quarterstaff, so that's nice.

and, you know, i just casually passed 40k. aka half the length of draft 1. just casually.

snippet: [tw for alluded-to family violence, controlling parent]

Isi nodded, turning the hairbrush over in her hands. “So, why did you leave?” Sierra stayed silent while she finished undoing Isi’s hair. A few strands tugged, but only slightly. “Ma didn’t care what I wanted for myself. I had to be what she wanted me to be. So I left.” It had been some years since Isi had left home; her memories of her mother were those of a child. She did, however, recall that once she had compared her mother’s discipline to what she had experienced as a trainee knight. Meg had pulled a face that, at the time, had been unreadable. She understood it now, all of a sudden. Anger. Sierra parted Isi’s hair down the middle and began to braid one side, another three-strand braid, weaving the ribbons expertly into it. Isi had rarely been punished during her training, but the expectations of her had been clear. She rarely minded doing as she was told, though removing her ribbons had been the hardest rule to bend to. Sierra would have fared terribly as a trainee knight; she hated being told what to do, and always had. But that was not a failing of Sierra’s. Perhaps that was a failing of the training instead. Sierra tied off the braid and started on the second. Her voice was tiny when she said, “Did you leave because of me?” “What?” Isi turned to look at her sister, jerking the barely-started braid loose. Sierra’s lip quivered. Tears welled in her eyes. “Did you leave because of me?” The words felt like a blow to the chest. “No! Of course not.” A tear spilled down Sierra’s cheek. “Who told you that?” said Isi softly. “Ma.”

TAGLIST

@isherwoodj @metanoiamorii @lilmissravingwriter @weekofwednesdays @the-unwrittenwriter @talesofsorrowandofruin @little-boats-on-a-lake @teriwrites @magicalwriting @magic-is-something-we-create @writingbyjillian @waysofink @perditism @thehellinsideyourhead @calicowrites @vellichor-virgo @google-plexed @therecouldbecolorsandlove @the-orangeauthor @ellatholmes @happyorogeny @ladywithalamp @ashen-crest @authortango @strangerays @moononherwings @nikkywrites @ambersky0319 @ambsthom @talesfromgringolandia @wickerring @wizardfromthesea @diphthongsfordays @e-lisard @enchanted-lightning-aes @emscribblings @teardropsandtherain @lowslore @fablewritten @copper-dragon-in-disguise @reneesbooks @dirtybarkshark

[akindofmagictoo]

manuscript search tag game

thanks @diphthongsfordays!

my words are everything, nothing, high, low

everything (Dragonsong draft 1) (in which Isi and Jasper discuss brainwashing)

Jasper pulled up a chair next to her bed. “I learned several things from my parents, too. When I was a trainee, it wasn’t unheard of to start at fifteen. Aurelia was five.” He scowled. “Seems to me that when a kid’s so young, it’s very easy to only teach them what you think they need to know.”

“They don’t teach very much compassion nowadays,” said Isi quietly. She turned to face him, resting her hands in her lap.

Jasper gestured at the red band around one of her wrists, a marking from the prison chains. She’d all but forgotten those. She’d had other things to worry about. He said, “Seems they want us to be puppets nowadays. And if you don’t dance the right way on your own, they put strings on you.”

Isi nodded. A chill ran down her back. That was eerily right. For four years she’d danced the dance they wanted her to, done everything she was told.

nothing (Dragonsong draft 1) (Ella my beloved. i also adore Isi’s subtle burns)

“Everyone wanted to [squire for Meg, which Isi did], and I think you were the only person who managed not to care.” Ella rested one hand on the hilt of her sword. “Which I personally think is hilarious.”

“I saw no reason that Meg should Choose me over anyone else, or even know who I was,” said Isi. “Of course I’d heard all the same stories as everyone else, but I figured I’d learn just as much from anyone.”

Ella grinned. “I suppose. Didn’t change the look on… what’s his name? Brendon?”

“Brendon.”

“The look on Brendon’s face. He looked constipated. He also looked like he was never going to forgive you.”

“Brendon spends a little too much of his free time not forgiving me for things,” said Isi. “Nothing new there.”

high (Dragonsong draft 1)

Sierra saluted and followed Meg out of the room. That left just Isi and Robin. Another wave of tiredness swept over her, and she staggered backwards and collapsed into the throne.

For a long moment, she and Robin just stared at each other. Tears welled in Robin’s eyes and stung Isi’s. Despite her tiredness, she couldn’t keep from smiling.

Somewhere in the distance, dragons began to sing outside, the sound building and swelling until it was all around them. From her shoulder, Enya joined in in her high little voice. A chill ran down Isi’s spine.

low (Dragonsong draft 1) (Robin my beloved)

“Shit,” said Robin again for good measure.

Isi let go a breath. “Robin, are you alright?”

“I am fine. I think the curtain is less fine.”

“I didn’t ask about the curtain.” She offered him a hand up. “What happened?”

Robin accepted the hand up with a grunt of pain. “Tried some fire spells, which is something I haven’t done much of. Started out alright, but I stood up for too long and my leg had some objections.” He grabbed the table for support and lowered himself into a chair. “And it turns out that when your hands are on fire, you should not use a curtain to catch you. Sorry.”

tags this time go to @isherwoodj @zmwrites and @annarts05! no pressure of course, but if you choose to accept them, your words are flight, fling, flutter, flare

[akindofmagictoo]

DRAGONSONG: character introduction: Brendon 

“Should’ve known I’d find you here,” he sneered. “Getting in my way, as usual.” 

Isi said nothing as he approached her, armour clanking with each step. 

“And you’re not a knight anymore, are you?” He slapped the royal symbol on his chest. “You look like you want to tell me off. But you can’t tell me what to do now, Isi.” He seemed to take great delight in not attaching her former title. 

“I may not be a knight anymore, Tor Brendon,” she said. “But I don’t need a title to know that what you’re doing here is wrong.” 

“There it is.” He spread his hands. “Telling me off for something.” 

name meaning: 

Brendon: Irish, “prince” 

basic info: 

25M; East Asian 

6′2″; fair skin; black hair; brown eyes 

Brendon summed up: not very mature and very competitive. he and Isi were trainees together, and he didn’t like that she was better than him while also being three years younger. he’s a bit obsessed with being ‘better’ than her. she grew out of it, but he didn’t. mostly concerned with his own ego. like Isi, he’s a citadel knight, and was formerly Robin’s mentor, but dropped him after Robin broke his leg. looks like he could kill you and actually would. Slytherin. 

role: minor antagonist and pain in Isi’s neck 

non-spoilery fun fact: he is exactly one inch shorter than Isi and very miffed about it 

TAGLIST

@isherwoodj @metanoiamorii @lilmissravingwriter @weekofwednesdays @the-unwrittenwriter @talesofsorrowandofruin @little-boats-on-a-lake @teriwrites @magicalwriting @magic-is-something-we-create @writingbyjillian @waysofink @perditism @thehellinsideyourhead @calicowrites @vellichor-virgo @google-plexed @therecouldbecolorsandlove @the-orangeauthor @ellatholmes @happyorogeny @ladywithalamp @ashen-crest @authortango @strangerays @moononherwings @nikkywrites @ambersky0319 @ambsthom @talesfromgringolandia @wickerring @wizardfromthesea @dirtybarkshark

[akindofmagictoo]

writing questions tag game

this comes from @sedonawritess :)) 

sedona asks from most to least, which of your characters is more likely to start a fight? 

in Hurricane, the scale ranges from Theo (least) to Aella (most). 

Theo - Laila - Tempest - Aella 

Theo would quite like to never end up in a fight ever. he’s not very confrontational. Aella, on the other hand, starts one and a half bar fights in canon. both are defending someone else, but still. impulse control and Aella are not always friends. 

Laila is not super confrontational but if pushed will fight you. Tempest is perfectly capable and willing to fight, but also has more self-control (and life experience) than Aella. she’s not going to pick an unnecessary fight. 

in Dragonsong, the scale goes from Isi (least) to Brendon (most). 

Isi - Robin - Holly - Sierra - SB - Brendon 

Brendon’s main job in the narrative is antagonising and picking fights with Isi, which is why he gets the top slot. Isi, on the other hand, will choose non-violence wherever possible. she doesn’t start fights. she does finish them sometimes, though. Robin prefers low confrontation but is more easily moved to anger/annoyance than Isi (Isi has very high chill levels). Holly and especially Sierra will absolutely throw down if necessary — like Isi, mostly if someone else is being a jerk, but these two are more willing to go to a physical fight first. 

SB is not a physical fighter but he does kind of intentionally antagonise people, especially to begin with. he figures it’ll make it easier when they do decide to leave him later. so he acts like he’s down to fight, though really would rather not. 

I shall tag @zmlorenz @ellatholmes @etjwrites and @ardawyn. 

my question is (unrepentantly stolen from a question zmlorenz asked me one time) what is the genre, theme or trope in fiction that you absolutely love to death and will never get tired of, no matter how many times you read it? 

[akindofmagictoo]

holii Zoe! how are you?? just wondering who's your favorite antagonists you've ever written??

(feel free to leave this unanswered if you are overwhelmed and take care if you are!)

@ink-fireplace-coffee

hello Carmen!!

the answer that springs to mind is Anvindr: he's a particularly personal antagonist, for the characters and for me, which makes him simultaneously super hateable and kind of fun to deal with. he's one of my better-written antagonists bc of the personal nature of the conflict. also he's got a very clearly defined motivation, which helps.

minor antagonists can be very fun too. Brendon, for example, is kinda fun because he's generally nothing more than an annoyance.

thanks for the ask and your kind disclaimer! i'm good though ❤️

[akindofmagictoo]

first spoken lines tag game

this comes from @ardawyn and @ambsthom 

so I’ve done this already, technically: here is Hurricane’s and here is Dragonsong’s 

I’m gonna post some second spoken lines instead! 

Isi (which continues from the excerpt in the linked post above) 

“I won’t just leave you out here alone. I can wait.” Hers and Robin’s knight-squire arrangement might have been less than typical, but he was still essentially her squire. And even beyond that, she cared about him. “If you need my help, just say so.” 

Robin 

“I’m here. Are we going or what?” Robin nudged Isi’s leg with the end of his cane. 

Brendon 

“I was just talking to [Robin]. Not my fault he got scared.” 

S.B. 

“I could kill you where you stand.” 

here you go, I guess. it’s not quite the same? but kinda fun. 

I shall leave an open tag for this one :) 

[akindofmagictoo]

first spoken lines tag game

@sleepyowlwrites stuck a sticky note on my forehead that said “you’re it!” so here I am to do this tag. 

(no sticky hands this time, just sticky notes) 

and also because I’ve actually started drafting Dragonsong so I can do this :) 

Isi and Robin 

A curse from behind her snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned around to see Robin easing himself down to sit on a nearby rock. He was still a little way away; even with a cane, the rocky terrain took him longer. 

“Do you need a hand?” 

Robin pulled a face. “Give me a minute. I should be right. Just—ow. Go on without me, if you want.” 

Baya (who’s minor but the next named character to show up lol) 

As Baya made her way across the room, her wrinkled brown face creased in a smile. “Same room again, tor?” 

Meg (also relatively minor) 

Stabling the horses didn’t take too long. She was just leaving the stables when she ran headlong into Meg. Formally, she was Tor Margaret, but Isi had earned ‘Meg’ privileges, an honour only afforded to the squires she’d mentored. 

“Back in one piece. Good,” said Meg with a curt nod. Her iron-grey hair was pulled off her face into its customary tight bun. 

Isi smiled. “I see you missed me very much.”

“Oh, absolutely.” Meg’s face didn’t change for a second. Then she smiled, a twinkle in her eye. “Welcome back, Isi. Do you have things to be getting on with? I’d better not keep you.”

Brendon 

Brendon whirled around. 

“What do you think you’re up to?” [Isi] asked, voice level. 

“I—nothing. Sorry I can’t have a conversation, tor.” He had no obligation to address her by her title—few knights bothered when speaking to another knight—but he loaded it with sarcasm anyway. 

the king who does not have a name rn but he doesn’t really need one

“We found this creature in her back room, your majesty,” said the supervisor, gesturing at Enya. The same man still held her, but her jaws had been tied shut. Isi’s blood boiled. Poor Enya. 

The king nodded, looking disdainfully down at Isi. “I see. Tor Isadora, do you care to explain?” 

S.B.  

As the figure emerged into the firelight, she recognised him as a man perhaps ten years her senior with olive skin. Long scraggly black hair and a matching beard hid his face mostly from view. He held his right arm close to his body, but his left held no weapon. 

“Who are you?” said Isi, leaving the sword where it was. 

“What’s it to you?” grumbled the man, stealing a wistful glance at the fire behind Isi. 

Sierra

“Isadora?” It wasn’t Robin speaking this time. The mystery archer threw their hood back, revealing curly brown hair and a freckled face Isi knew as well as her own. 

Still, she frowned, wanting to make sure of what she was seeing. “Sierra?” 

“Dora!” said the mystery archer, erasing any doubt from Isi’s mind. Even as a small child, Sierra had called her older sister ‘Dora’. Even as a slightly less small child, Isi hadn’t loved the nickname. 

Holly

“You’re injured,” said Sierra’s companion, the swordswoman. She unfastened her cloak and unslung a pack from her back. “I can help.” 

Isi shrugged out of her bloodied shirt. The night air bit at her bare skin and got through her undershirt with no trouble. 

“I’m Holly.” Holly sat down beside Isi and took hold of her elbow, moving it this way and that to get a good look at the wound. 

“Nice to meet you,” said Isi, because it was. “Thank you for your help.” She directed it to both Holly and Sierra. 

Ella (also minor) 

“Isi?” said the knight at the back, a red-haired woman about Isi’s age. “Is that you?” 

With a start, Isi realised she knew the woman. They’d been Chosen as squires at the same time. “Ella?” 

“What brings you all the way out here? I thought you were posted in the citadel.” 

I’m 23k words in and with one or two exceptions that concludes all the characters we’ve met. Enya is also an exception but she doesn’t... talk. so yeah. 

I shall tag @ellatholmes @vellichor-virgo (when you have the energy!) @isherwoodj and @josephinegerardywriter :) 

[akindofmagictoo]

which of your OCs is most likely to start a fight tag game

this comes from @mel-writes-with-her-dragons and @happyorogeny 

since I’m working on Dragonsong most currently: 

it is absolutely Brendon. one of Brendon’s key jobs in the story is to antagonise and pick fights with Isi left right and centre... because he has unrequited beef with her (is that a thing? it’s a thing now. unrequited hatred.) 

meanwhile Isi is just like “no Brendon why” because she does not like starting fights lol 

I shall tag @zmlorenz @teriwrites @mjmnorwood @talesofsorrowandofruin and anyone else who wants to play! 

[akindofmagictoo]

DRAGONSONG: character(s) introduction: minor characters

as promised this is another overview intro post to give you an idea of who all these characters are, while I’m still stalled on my culture building! 

Fintan: 1058M | scales so light blue they’re basically white | 2m (6′7″) at front shoulder

Fintan is an older dragon (over 1000 is Old for dragons); Isi and Robin will meet him later on. he was a child when the barrier spell went up and he’s been waiting for it to come down ever since. he doesn’t pretend he’s all knowing or unbiased — he wants to get out. 

Ebele: 45F | dark brown skin, black hair, brown eyes | 5′6″ 

Ebele and Cole are married and they travelled a bit with S.B. when he was a child. both are mages; Ebele’s magic is red. she was lucky enough to grow in a town that was safe for her magic. she loves books and history and research, and wanted to be an archivist until research into dragons took her elsewhere. she’s gentle but very passionate. 

Cole: 44M | medium brown skin, black hair, brown eyes | 5′8″ 

Cole’s magic is blue; he didn’t grow up in such a safe place as Ebele, but as a young teen came to her town which is how they got to know each other. he has a strong moral compass but is otherwise content for others to make the plan and point him in the right direction. very loyal, and more brawn than brains (but he’s not stupid). both he and Ebele are pretty gentle but Cole could kill you if given sufficient reason. (so could Ebele but she’s less likely to) 

Aurelia: 18F | fair skin, blonde hair, blue eyes | 5′2″ 

Aurelia is a knight, knighted about a year ago. she’s a resident knight working with Jasper. she’s gentle and curious, easily frightened but with a core of steel. pretty lawful, but still figuring out her place in the world. 

Jasper: 51M | tanned skin, greying black hair, brown eyes | 6′1″ 

Jasper is a resident knight; being a knight as long as he has has made him cynical and very distrustful of the system. he looks kind of scary but he’s fundamentally compassionate, and uses his position to help people even if it means flouting the law a little. this includes mages. he has big dad energy. 

Brendon: 25M | fair skin, black hair, brown eyes | 6′2″ 

Brendon is Holly’s big brother and a pain in Isi’s butt. he and Isi started knights’ training at the same time but he’s three years older... and got offended when Isi worked hard enough to be better than him. he’s also offended that Isi is exactly one inch taller than he is. they used to have a rivalry but Isi quickly grew out of it, while Brendon didn’t. he was also formerly Robin’s mentor, but kicked him out after his accident (none too kindly, either). he’s petty and rude and mostly concerned with his own ego (and the law). 

these are not the only characters, but these two posts have covered most of the ones you’ll meet. (there’s also the king, for example, but he needs fleshing out) 

post 1 is here — who’s your favourite of these characters? who do you want to know more about? reblog and tell me in the tags if you want! 

TAGLIST (send an ask to be added or removed!) 

@isherwoodj @metanoiamorii @lilmissravingwriter @weekofwednesdays @the-unwrittenwriter @talesofsorrowandofruin @little-boats-on-a-lake @writeremma @teriwrites @magicalwriting @magic-is-something-we-create @writingbyjillian @waysofink @perditism @thehellinsideyourhead @calicowrites 

[akindofmagictoo]

writing questions tag game

this is from @josephinegerardywriter! thank you! 

rules: tag four or more people, answer one question, and ask one question for those tagged to answer in turn. 

my question to answer: how well do you think you and the OC(s) of your choosing would get along? 

I think I’d get along pretty well with most of my OCs! Theo and Isi in particular, I think; both are pretty quiet and gentle people. I’m more talkative but also introverted, so I think that would be nice. I think I’d also get on with Aella for the same reason Theo does — she’s way more extroverted, so we’d sort of balance each other more. she has a little too much of a penchant for doing ‘exciting’ (read: dangerous) stuff though. I would rather not. 

Isi and I could definitely spend an afternoon just kind of doing our respective hobbies in the same room and not bothering each other too much. Theo and I could chat books for AGES. especially pirate stories lol. I have more hobbies in common with him than with Isi. 

but yeah, with the exception of Anvindr and Brendon, I’d probably get on reasonably well with all my OCs. we might not be besties, but we’d be civil and probably like each other’s company at least a bit :D 

I will tag: @zmlorenz @writingbyjillian @isherwoodj and @ellatholmes 

my question for you: what is your favourite part of the writing process and why? 

[akindofmagictoo]

writing questions tag game

several people have tagged me in this! thank you all!

@zmlorenz asks what is the genre, theme, or trope in fiction that you absolutely love to death and will never get tired of, no matter how many times you read it?

I love women in fiction and will never tire of them. especially badasses or physically capable women, but as long as they’re well-rounded I am chill. 

I also LOVE found family and hugs, characters being snarky and cracking jokes... and characters who actually TALK to each other dammit. 

@amberskywrites asks is there a particular place or conditions you like writing the most in? 

I typically write at my dining table, which is also where I do my uni work. if I’m using my laptop I find it most comfortable to have a table and chair. but I am not fussy about the specifics. I also sometimes write on the couch. 

is there a genre you want to write in but haven’t gotten around to? 

not really. I write lots of fantasy and I’m pretty happy here! 

and @ashen-crest asks do you have an OC that is most like you? least like you? tell me about the tidbits of yourself that you’ve embedded in the characters. 

all my characters have something of me in them, I think. some examples: 

Aella has my love of justice and my dislike of backing down. on the other hand, Theo has my habit of picking at the skin next to my thumbnails. also my love of books. 

Isi has my day-to-day ambivalence about clothing but attention to how our hair looks. also I think that her pragmatism + ability to get up and Do The Thing when something needs doing ... both of those are kind of similar to me, I think! 

I like to think that Anvindr and Brendon are not like me, because they’re trash cans with whom I don’t want to associate lol. 

I will tag you three and anyone else who wants to play! 

my question for you to answer: do you listen to music while you write? if so, what? if not, do you have any other background activities or rituals?