Unicorn, Potion, Cauldron!

Unicorn, Potion, Cauldron!

Thank you for the ask, @zackprincebooks!!!!

(Ask Game Here)

UNICORN - What makes your WIP and your writing stand out?

And the answer is... I am not sure. I try to make all of my WIPs unique, be it when it comes to plot, setting, or characters, or through the subversion (or by embracing depending on the context) of some tropes. I hope that all of my WIPs have an immersive worldbuilding that feels alive with characters that have rich internal conflict and interesting dynamics, alongside an exciting and intriguing story. At least that's what I hope to achieve.

POTION - If potions exist in your WIP, give me a potion recipe!

Yes, potions exist in almost all of my high fantasy WIPs! For this ask, I'll go with a potion from Song of Thorns (this potion is a product of mixed studies of alchemical sorcery and hemomancy, and is consumed throughout the book by Tarrant to try and ward off his infection by the Blood Plague/Curse while he seeks to break his soulbinding contract).

Elisian's Plea (or Draught of Delayed Sorrow)

Dried out Feyrose petals

Distilled Frost Wyrm's blood

One drop of Nightshade (heavily diluted)

Bone dust (deer bones)

Hangman's Bloom (a rare flower that grows in the cursed parts of the Borderland Forests)

Flavored water

How to Prepare: (according to Tarrant's diary)

"Mix the wyrm's blood and the (deer) bone dust into a fine paste until it becomes an even mixture. Add one drop of diluted nightshade. Ground the Feyrose petals and the Hangman's Bloom into a powder and add to the mix. Add the (vanilla flavored, my preference) water and mix until it's all liquid and glows scarlet like a vampire's blood. Drink one vial between each cycle of the moon. Repeat."

CAULDRON - Give me a fantasy food!

Grilled Sea Monster meat, served with cheesy potato buns.

"A delicacy from Myrwater Harbor, the seaside kingdom where Roselyn and her siblings were born in Song of Thorns. Sea monster meat is one of the main exports of the city, and is at the heart of this backwater harbor's culinary culture. Every month, enormous wood and metal fishing ships return to the harbor with gigantic sea monsters as their day's prize. This dish is typically prepared by taverns, where large chunks of this rare meat are roasted over a wood-fired oven, while fresh cheese and potato buns are prepared. Once cooked, the fish meat is typically cut into small squares and covered with a rich sauce made of a variety of seasonal local spices, and is served along with the cheesy potato buns on a wooden plate"

Smoked venison pie with wildberry and (deer) blood sauce

"From the opposite side of the continent (still in the WIP Song of Thorns), another dish, this time one typically enjoyed by those of Vampyric or simply Fey roots. Being talented hunters, game meat is one of the main sources of food for both faeries and vampyrs alike. This pie takes a long time to be prepared. It is made of smoked venison meat, covered by a sauce made of deer blood, wildberries and a variety of spices, as well as some forest vegetables. The pie's crust is a thin and layered dough, very light."

"How Cuddleable Are Your OCs" Tag

Jumping on the open tag by @willtheweaver (here)!

Rules: Answer the above question using a scale from 1-10 and with context

I'll go with the cast of Song of Thorns and The Forgotten Ones (the WIP, which I finally named, that I talked about in this post)!

SONG OF THORNS

Roselyn - It depends on her mood! If she is happy and generally in a good mood she gives the best hugs! But if she's upset or tired she prefers to be alone. 7/10

Renn - If you are someone he loves and trusts, 8/10 best cuddle buddy in the world, but is physically cold like ice (vampyrs, and thus half-vampyrs/dhampyrs are cold-blooded, literally, they are poikilotherms). BUT if he doesn't know you then 1/10 will stab.

Kane - Surprisingly, Kane loves cuddles. But he is far too introverted and often too harsh to let anyone close enough. If he somehow miraculously trusts you enough, the cuddles will be the best! He also wears soft clothes, and fur cloaks and smells really good (like a mix of flowers and firewood) 9/10

Orianna - Too restless and energetic to stay in one place for too long lmao, wouldn't have the patience to stay cuddling for more than 5 minutes. 3/10

Jasen - Is the kind of ambivert who needs to be around people he loves to recharge. Loves cuddles, especially close to the fireplace and with two cups of herbal tea and chocolate. 10/10

Alaric - Eh. Doesn't really mind, but doesn't really want cuddles either. Is more of a "just staying together in the same room chilling is enough" kind of person. 5/10

Tarrant - NOPE. NOPETY NOPE. Tarrant doesn't like prolonged physical contact and has a lot of reasons why he doesn't really like to cuddle for too long. Likes hugs, but that's as far as he'll go when it comes to physical contact. 1/10

Aiden - Likes hugs and cuddles, but is super chill about it and understands that Tarrant has reasons not to like that kind of affection. Will only hug you if they really, really trust you. 6/10

Cyriel - Looks like she could kill you, secretly wants all the cuddles in the world. Unless she's in a bad mood, cause then she just might get a little stabby. 7/10

Dimya - Loves cuddles but falls asleep halfway through and moves a lot while sleeping (a.k.a whoever is cuddling him has a 50% chance of accidentally getting hit by a rogue elbow every 5 minutes throughout the whole night) 5/10

THE FORGOTTEN ONES

Arzhel - Too mistrustful and too paranoid to let anyone he doesn't know extremely well too close, and is generally not that big of a fan of physical affection as a whole, though he may cuddle with his brother or a very close friend if they seem to be in need of a hug. 5/10

Elodie - Loves cuddles and hugs but loves it a bit too much and is a bit too lonely. May not let go until it is almost concerning but means no harm. Constantly cuddles her adoptive siblings 7/10

Aisling - Claims she's too busy raising a revolution against an Inquisition to have time for hugs. Secretly too cuddle deprived and needs one badly at this point. 6/10

Daragh - After what he went through under Magister Emmerick? Do You Have A Death Wish? If not, don't try to hug him. It would be best to keep to polite conversations and handshakes only when necessary, for both of your sakes 0/10

Finnian - Loves cuddles, has plenty of fluffy blankets, and smells faintly like vanilla cologne because hygiene is very important to him. Overall best cuddle buddy 10/10

Vivaldah - Hasn't had a cuddle in way too long and probably would feel awkward to ask for one. Too worried about etiquette and revenge to consider the need for a cuddle. 4/10

SUPERNOVA INITIATIVE

Jack - Gives the best hugs! He loves to cuddle while watching a movie, with blankets and hot chocolate (he always has bottles of hot chocolate ready because it's his favorite beverage lol) 12/10

Cassiopeia - Mostly cuddles with Jack, because he's her older brother and she feels safe with him, but as she learns to trust their friends a bit more she sometimes, on rare occasions, can be found cuddling with Artemis or Vesper (though the latter would never admit it) 8/10 - Likes to receive cuddles better than to give them.

Deimos - In the past? 9/10 best cuddle buddy in the whole galaxy. Right now? After all the hell he has gone through and all the wrongs he's done and the pain he's caused? 5/10 probably feels too guilty to let anyone near him and thinks he deserves to be left alone after all he's done.

Vesper - 3/10 More machine than human - because she is a cyborg, she has updated most of her "human self" into robot parts. This means she is mostly made of metal and servos, sentient, tactile metal but still metal (though she does have some artificial robot skin over it, the metal can still be felt). So kinda tough to cuddle with. Either way, she is probably way too murderous to let most people get even close to her. Cassie is an exception because Vesper finds her endearing (she reminds Vesper of someone from her past she wants to protect).

Aleks - 8/10 Likes cuddles, loves hugs, but is probably too anxious and jittery to be in one place for too long, and will worry the entire time if the other person is "comfortable enough."

Pax - 10/10 Will try to cuddle you if you let him. If you don't he will respect it but be a bit sad. Mostly he just wants a friend to spend quality time with. And to get lots of cuddles.

Ethean - 6/10 Eh. It depends. As a fighter pilot he doesn't really have the free time for most things and usually prefers to spend what time he has doing things he considers "productive". Probably feels he is wasting precious time any time he stops to relax and the Impostor Syndrome anxiety kicks in. Can be persuaded to receive cuddles by the right people though.

Artemis - 7/10 - Wants to pretend he is tough and that he can handle anything alone and thus that he "doesn't like to hug" to uphold the Edgy Reputation. In reality, melts at the first sign of kind physical affection and will spend hours cuddling, if its the right person (Cassie, who is his girlfriend).

Noctus - "What are 'cuddles'? What is the meaning of this? I am confused, unhand me this instant human -! Oh, wait, I kinda like this. This is nice... Stay, I like this." Is how I imagine the interaction would be like 8/10

Tagging (gently): @sleepy-night-child, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @smol-feralgremlin, @oh-no-another-idea, @littleladymab,

@winterandwords, @eccaiia, @sarahlizziewrites, @illarian-rambling

@agirlandherquill, @anoelleart

@leave-her-a-tome, @writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @forthesanityofstorytellers

@i-can-even-burn-salad, @cakeinthevoid

@lassiesandiego, @thepeculiarbird, @clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams and OPEN TAG

🔮Precognition: If your OC could get a glimpse of what was to come, would they want to know? Would it do them any good?

Thank you so much for the ask, @illarian-rambling! I'll go with some of the cast of The Forgotten Ones, and Of Starlight and Beasts!

🔮Precognition: If your OC could get a glimpse of what was to come, would they want to know? Would it do them any good?

The Forgotten Ones:

Arzhel - Yes, also yes. He would surely want to know what the future holds for him and his little brother since they've been looking for their father (who went missing unwillingly) for years. Knowing what was to come would also have been used for him to evade capture by the Inquisition and not be separated from Gael, though I'm not sure he would have been able to escape the royal Inquisitors on time if he tried, given they had magic.

Elodie - Maybe (but would be very confused), and Yes. She probably wouldn't know why such a chance - to see the future! - is being offered to a street urchin and pickpocket like her, but would probably be too curious to turn down the offer. Seeing what was to come would also have given her a chance to realize her friends/adoptive siblings would be in danger and prevent their disappearance.

Daragh - No (he would consider it foolish and a slight to the Fates), and Maybe (it could save him from the horrors he'll endure or be even worse by making him terrified ahead of time). He wouldn't accept the offer as he wants to be focused on the present as a good Crown Prince and doesn't want to slight the tides of the Fates. However, knowing what was to come may have given him a chance to save his family from being betrayed and prevented his capture by the sadistic Magister Emmerick, a known torturer. Knowing the future would also have given him a chance to be less of an emotionally constipated mess and have healed his relationship with his estranged sister, Vivaldah, before being driven apart even more by the war.

Of Starlight and Beasts

Corah - YES, and Maybe. Yes to the first question because Corah is a very curious girl and is someone who will accept any advantages she can get in the face of the challenges ahead. Maybe because... well knowing that the person who will brutally betray her and her friends in the final act of the book is none other than her Mother, who has been absent for more than a decade - who abandoned Corah and her Father when Corah was only six years old and never came back - might make her fears and misbeliefs even worse and might even hurt her ability to fight against the Crimson Queen's plans.

Arammys - Yes, and Maybe. Arammys would definitely want to know what is in store for him in the future, especially if he will be able to regain his stolen memories or not. But finding out exactly what's in store for him in the future and exactly how big of a mess they'll be thrust into may make him even more insecure.

Eidan - Eh. He probably wouldn't care much to learn about the future. As he is already running from his past and the horrors that haunt him in it, I don't think he would be very interested in learning about his future. As for whether or not it would do him any good? I'm not sure, because so much happens to him throughout the story, and finding out would be pretty messy lmao.

OC Picrew Tag!

I found this really cool Picrew and decided to make some of my OCs using it! I think you guys might like giving it a try as well, so I'm tagging a few people in this post (:

Here we go!

Rules: Use the provided Picrew to make one of your WIPs OCs, then provide a quick description of the character, and (optionally) a "funny/bad" version of a summary

SUPERNOVA INITIATIVE

Deimos Soll

About: An infamously silver-tongued assassin, sniper, and mercenary known for being unpredictable and always having hidden intentions, Deimos is Jack and Cassie's former crewmate and first childhood friend, turned rival, turned begrudging-friend-again. Deimos is the most successful and deadly sniper in the whole galaxy, feared even by the Junction at his full potential.

Badly/Funny Summarization: Essentially a young, alien, 'space opera' version of John Wick with extra angst and a very questionable moral compass

Lyorna Alyrii

About: A young and optimistic freedom fighter from a water folk of a faraway planet in the Khosmonian galaxies who believes in a freer future for her people and an end to the oppressive regime of the Junction. Focused and brilliant, Lyorna wants to uphold her father's legacy and bring peace to the galaxy. She becomes friends with Jack Tithus during his crew's mission on the Khosmonian galaxy and later on they become each other's love interest.

Bad Summarization: An overly optimistic, too-precious young adult who should be protected at all costs and has almost no plan for anything at any given moment in time and should not be left unsupervised.

Noctus

About: Though his full name is classified and unknown to the cast, his reputation precedes him. He is the single most successful special forces secret agent currently in the employ of the Junction - he has never failed a mission, never missed a target. And he always follows orders, always obeys the rules. However, is everything about him what it seems? A forgotten and suppressed part of his memory may prove that the system he fought so dearly to uphold may have actually made him into their perfect living weapon, and there may be many other lies yet to be uncovered

Bad Summarization: Twenty-something secret agent done with everything and everyone who only wanted to have a simple mission and ends up 'adopted' by the gang of misfits he was sent to supervise.

SONG OF THORNS

Tullieh Aerlys

About: The undefeated and steadfast commander of the Guardians, who protect the Mountain Elves' hidden kingdom and keep outsiders from discovering their land. Tullieh is a serious, no-nonsense young man to whom duty and honor mean everything, due to a personal grudge against humans, especially those who hunt mythical beings, he will do anything to honor his vow and keep his people - especially his younger siblings - from being found by outsiders, even if it means being ruthless and unforgiving to a questionable degree.

Bad Summarization: Traumatized ancient teenager who grew up way too fast and should never have been given a gun and a sword under any circumstances, but has both of those things and a lack of self-preservation instincts to make everything worse.

Renn Atrius

About: A foreign noble from beyond the royal lands, he was forced into the lifestyle of a thief from a young age, after being orphaned when his father, a Vampyr, was murdered for refusing to obey their neighboring kingdom's crown. Learning the art of disappearing into the night and taking valuables from the land that took everything from him and colonized his nation, Renn quickly became quite the nuisance for the King. But thankfully to his connection to raw blood magic, his slight vampiric abilities ensure no human soldier ever proves a real threat to him. He starts to fall in love with Roselyn, having become friends with her after trying to steal her coin purse (having mistaken her for a tourist from the capital).

Bad Summarization: Goth dhampyr way too reckless for his own good chooses to be a menace to the System while also refusing to deal with his very much unresolved childhood trauma.

Cadenza Narellie

About: A young faery noble, Cadenza is the only child of a once-powerful, now defamed, High House. After rumors about her father's supposed alliance with their nation's enemies, the human royals from the neighboring kingdom, their reputation came crashing down, and so did the bond they once shared, as her father grew mysteriously distant from her. Realizing something is seriously amiss, Cadenza takes it upon herself to investigate and find out the truth about what is truly happening, even if it gets her accused of treason herself.

Bad Summarization: Local faery with way too much time on her hands and no friends decides to dive into a conspiracy and is surprised when that decision has consequences.

Tagging (gently): @sleepy-night-child, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @smol-feralgremlin, @oh-no-another-idea, @littleladymab,

@winterandwords, @cowboybrunch, @eccaiia, @sarahlizziewrites, @illarian-rambling

@agirlandherquill, @anoelleart

@leave-her-a-tome, @writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @forthesanityofstorytellers

@i-can-even-burn-salad, @cakeinthevoid

@lassiesandiego, @thepeculiarbird, @clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams and OPEN TAG

12. Do you enjoy receiving feedback?

19.   What is something your readers don’t know that you do?

Thank you for the ask @clairelsonao3!

12. Do you enjoy receiving feedback?

I answered this one here. 💕But long story short: YES. Reblogs, comments, etc make my day and inspire me to keep writing!

19.   What is something your readers don’t know that you do?

A lot of things! Mostly, I think the most relevant ones are the plot twists that will happen in my WIPs, the full arc of some characters, and maybe a secret that a character is hiding from another! My readers will find this out as the stories develop!

Feel free to ask me <3

WRITER ASK GAME - Fantasy

PIRATE - Pick one! Pirates or Royals?

KINGDOM - How many named places are there in your WIP? How much have you developed them?

PHOENIX - Have you invented any fantasy creatures?

PRINCESS - Urban fantasy or high fantasy?

WIZARD - Who is your favourite character in this WIP? Describe them!

SHIP - How many pages of planning documents do you have, if any?

KING - How long have you been working on this WIP and its world?

KNIGHT - Pick one! Forbidden Love or Enemies-to-Lovers?

HERO - What makes someone a hero in this world?

VILLAIN - Do you prefer creating heroes or villains?

TREASURE - What is the best thing about the world of your WIP?

MAGIC - What is your magic system?

QUEEN - What is the earliest planned historical event in your WIP?

UNICORN - What makes your WIP and your writing stand out?

ISLAND - Have you created a language for your world?

POTION - If potions exist in your WIP, give me a potion recipe!

CAULDRON - Give me a fantasy food!

WITCH - What sparked the idea for this world?

DRAGON - Do you write about dragons?

GOD - Does your world have a religion? Is it, in this world, right?