#Robward Blackwill

[thegoddesswater]

Character Emoji Game

OCs top five emojis!! tagged by @forthesanityofsome, @bloodlessheirbyjacques and @tryingtimi💖. Thanks, friends!

Rules: Use 5 emojis to represent your characters, or 5 emojis that your characters would use?

Made it (sorta) easy on myself and decided to go with the MCs (and select secondary characters) of my main projects. For the Miadhachain Legacy folks, I definitely went more with "What emojis are these dorks most likely to use" instead of "Which emojis represent them," considering they definitely have access to the technology. (Technically, Glenn does too, but Glenn's a flip-phone kind of boy and doesn't use emojis, so he gets emoji representation instead).

Miadhachain Legacy Adair: 🖕🏽 🍻 🤦🏽‍♂️ 🤨 👈🏽 Jance: 😝✌️🤐 👍❤️ Zaria: 👍🏻😑🤨🤝🏻👎🏻

Talentless James: 🗡🐈 🥘 🫂☕️ Robward:🔥🐸🐦‍🔥🥧🏔 Xalvadore:🦎👑🐎🪨🌪 Fraise:🥀♟️🦔🤺 💥

Project 404 Glenn: 💾🏜 🫥🧗‍♂️🥫

Leaving the tag open, since most of my friends have already been tagged in the posts I was tagged in. :D

[thegoddesswater]

Hello, hello! Welcome back! I meet some of those bullet points! :D

I write queer fantasy (and dystopian-ish sci-fi, but you specifically asked about fantasy). I’m mostly unpublished (with the exception of a short story in defunct a magazine) and have accepted that I’ll have to navigate my way through the indie author route someday. But right now, I’m just here to keep finding joy in what I do.

I’ve got three main original projects at the moment, two of which are more on the sci-fi side of things, but I do have a very large fantasy project that I love to talk about, which is the Talentless/Wild Card duology. The main characters (and primary couple) in Talentless/Wild Card are a demisexual knight with no magic (James Gallagher), and his partner the genderfluid fire mage (Robward "Maggie" Blackwill). Their mission? To break the curse affecting their home before winter rolls in and kills the last chance they have to set things right. It's too bad that no one is able to actually tell them that, though.

writers, listen up...

i've fallen out of touch with the writeblr community a lot in the past few years, and i want to rectify that. the community aspect was what made me fall in love with tumblr, and what improved my writing for the better.

the golden days of my writing were when i was highly active and engaged in this wonderful community, but life and work and the horrors of self publishing have overtaken my energy in the past year. however, i have been really struggling with original writing, and i want to get back into the community here.

that said...

you write fantasy with queer characters

are an indie author

post frequently about your wips (taglists are a bonus!)

are queer

are a very active and friendly writer

if any of these apply

please, please reblog and tell me about your wip. gush over it. infodump. characters and ships and worldbuilding and plot, i want it all! this is your invitation to be as selfishly indulgent as possible. let's make some new friends and restore some community!!

boosts appreciated!

[adventuresofsirjames]

Alright, so this isn’t exactly STORY related but @suddenelixaroflife made a Robward and Sir James. And they’re so cute I had to share.

[thegoddesswater]

Hi, happy STS!! How do your ocs deal with anxiety? Do they reach out for help or prefer to deal with it alone? On scale 1 to 10, how anxious are your ocs on a daily basis?

Thanks Feather!

My OCs get varying levels of anxiety. Some, like poor Rob, are just fearful little folks doing their best in a big scary world, and others are coping rather better.

Picking a couple of the Talentless boys for this answer.

Rob - as mentioned - is just a poor little ball of anxiety some days. Nothing in his extremely sheltered and restrictive upbringing prepared him for this! If he's with someone he trusts - help, oh god please help. If there's no one around who is "safe enough" to be anxious around, he crams all those scary feelings down and hopes no one notices that he's shaking so badly that he might vibrate himself into another plane of existence, and then has to deal with the aftermath of that once he's alone. Solid average anxiety of probably at least 6 on the daily.

Rui is not an overly anxious guy, but when it hits him, it hits like a semi-truck. And he does not want people around - though his partner might sort-of insert himself into the whole situation and insist on helping if Rui's gone into a straight on nuclear meltdown. On the whole, Rui would much prefer to step back and take time to compose himself than go running to someone else to help. Maybe a 2 on the daily anxiety scale.

[thegoddesswater]

Hello, there! Just stopping by to hear a little about your WIP! What, in your opinion, makes your WIP unique? What makes your WIP stand out?

Hello! Thanks for the ask!

Not counting the fanfictions I decided to dust off a while ago, I've got two main WIPs: Miadhachain Legacy (ML), and the Talentless/Wild Card duology.

Miadhachain (pronounced: MEE-otch-in) Legacy takes place in a slightly sci-fi, political dystopia with Zaria Miadhachain and Adair Rios as our MCs. - Zaria is a former heiress who lost her birthrights and freedoms when her father turned her into a political pawn as a teenager. Years on she's not afraid of getting her hands dirty and is prepared to do anything to get back what she lost. - Adair was never meant to be anyone important, just a poor kid from the slums snapped up by the poverty-military pipeline. After a "training accident" leaves him wounded, he's considered a prime candidate to become the military's first cyborg: young, generally unassuming, and - most importantly - expendable.

Honestly, I don't know that there's a lot really unique about ML anymore, other than the fact that no one is going to execute this story the same way I will. A lot of ML sounds inspired by 2020, but this thing has been hanging around in my brain since the late 2000s. My personal "standout" for ML is the characters, but I can say that about any of my stories.

Talentless/Wild Card is LGBTQ+ fantasy. The Royal family of Prylea has been cursed and only a select few know. In a last-ditch effort to break the curse, a knight of the realm is sent to locate a mage powerful enough to free them from the curse. The MCs here are: Robward "Maggie" Blackwill - the previously mentioned cursebreaking mage, and James Gallagher - the knight tasked with finding them.

Unique things about Talentless/Wild Card is that I once had a document I was using to keep track of my rules of the universe and almost every single character demonstrates some kind of minor exception to those rules - not in a "Chosen One" kind of way, but just in a 'reality is messier than the textbooks will ever tell you' way. Again, I think that the characters are what really shine in the story, but one distinct stand out element has to be Sleepshine. Because instead of a noble equine steed, James gets a Tortoise the size of a crossover SUV.

[thegoddesswater]

Oooh! Thanks for the tag! I won't do all of my characters because we'd be here forever, so I'll do a quick semi-random selection.

Robward/Maggie: This little bubble of anxiety stress bakes so much. It's grounding for them and getting tangible goodies out of it definitely is a bonus. Feels like everything is wildly out of control? Well, at least they have muffins.

Marmaduke: Free time is nearly non-existent for Marmaduke, between guiding people through deadly marshes, doing some experience based cartography, and helping his wife manage their sheep farm whenever he's home, he's a busy guy. That said, he still finds time to crochet. Mostly it's small travel sized stuff that he can easily pull out and work on if he's got a few moments. It keeps him feeling close to his wife when he's away from home and gives him little items that he can potentially barter for new supplies with if needed. He's also great with plants and is something of a collector, always bringing home new interesting specimens to add to the garden -- which is half-chore, half-fun pastime for him.

Eglantia: Tia is one of those people that just cannot be idle particularly as her husband is often off gallivanting through wetlands leaving her to manage their sheep -- and as well behaved as the sheep are for her, they do keep her exceptionally busy. The closest she gets to any kind of down time activity is providing enrichment play for her sheepdog, so Ingrid doesn't go stir crazy and start chewing on the furniture, if herding hasn't been needed for a few days, it's a good way for both of them to blow off some steam if needed.

Blorbo Blursday: 6/30/2022

It’s Blorbo Blursday (again!) and this + Fridays are the only way I perceive time nowadays. Tumblr nuked my question asking privileges, I’m just going to make this as an ongoing weekly post...but this might evolve into a separate blog if enough people are interested! If you'd like to be added or removed, let me know!

This week’s topic:

How does your Blorbo spend their free time? What activities mean the most to them? Why do they enjoy these activities? If your Blorbo doesn’t have free time, why?

@unsurpassedtravesty @thatprolificauthor @italiangothicwriteblr @tc-doherty @mr-writes @carefulpyro @wallacejwriting @jacquesfindswritingandadvice @whimsyqueen @withlovemuffin @lizzieaurum @asralieswritingcorner @rose-bookblood @writingonesdreams @thegoddesswater @absolute-nonsense-scribblings @the-finch-address @ashen-crest @evethenovicewriter @henrike-does-writing-sometimes @starlitpage @cherrybombfangirlwrites @thepixiediaries @sleepyowlwrites @darlingsmoon

[thegoddesswater]

🧁 OC Dessert Tag 🧁

Tagged by @tc-doherty​

Did I do it right? Am I supposed to make desserts for my characters or represent them as desserts? I didn’t know so...sort of did both.

Robward/Maggie - this is more of an aesthetic dessert than a custom ‘for them’ dessert. I’d say that the cake is a lightly dyed red-velvet and vanilla.

Fraise - a mix of aesthetic and actual dessert that she would consume. Lots of berries, naturally. Strawberry-vanilla swirl cake, with a dollop of cream, and icing that you can’t see because of the ribbon on the wrapper.

Rui - I did not plan to make Rui a cupcake, and then I saw that there was an icing scorpion and couldn’t not make him one. His cake would be an orange-cherry blend, dusted with matcha powder before being topped with that scorpion.

Voltain - Completely opposite to what I did with Maggie, this vaguely represents him, but is much more a case of this is a cake that he would absolutely inhale - lots of chocolate.

Tagging: Anyone who wants to do it. But also @flamingdoritos​ - come make our characters desserts with me!

Dessert creator link!

[adventuresofsirjames]

Maggie/Rob

Full Name: Robward “Maggie” Ignatius Blackwill

Gender and Sexuality: Genderfluid androsexual

Pronouns: He/Him as Robward, She/Her as Maggie. It depends on the day.

Ethnicity/Species: Prylean/Human

Birthplace and Birthdate: Caris. Mid-Autumn in the 372nd Year of Water.

Guilty Pleasures: Lazy mornings.

Phobias: Thunderstorms and large crowds.

What They Would Be Famous For: Breaking one of the largest curses ever known in the Kingdom of Prylea.

What They Would Get Arrested For: Probably one of those weird minor offences that almost no one knows like “Don’t feed the seagulls after six o’clock”.

OC You Ship Them With: James Gallagher

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Voltain Umbra

Favourite Movie/Book Genre: Romance

Least Favourite Movie/Book Cliche: Miscommunication as a plot device.

Talents and/or Powers: Fire Magic - particularly their signature blue flames, curse breaking and an unparalleled gift for creating glamour.

Why Someone Might Love Them: Robward is loyal and quick to help, caring deeply about those around him.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: Robward can be clingy, insecure, and repressed, which can make him seem either needy, or like he’s trying to keep everyone at arm’s length. Additionally, the fact that Rob is genderfluid makes some people uncomfortable to the point of loathing.

How They Change: A lifetime full of secrecy and fear mongering leaves Robward skittish, shy, and worried about getting close to other people. He learns to work through his anxieties and open up, finding people he (and she) is comfortable being himself around.

Why You Love Them: Rob (and Maggie) has been through some difficult times and always come out the stronger for it and over the years he’s become so important to me. I get a lot of comfort out of knowing he’s always there. Weird as that might seem.

[adventuresofsirjames]

Profile - James

Full Name: James Matthew Gallagher Gender and Sexuality: Demisexual Male Pronouns: He/Him Ethnicity/Species: Prylean/Human Birthplace and Birthdate: Toalen, late fall in the 370th Year of Water. Guilty Pleasures: Eating loads of fancy desserts Phobias: Making the wrong decision, or otherwise doing something that will endanger the people around him or make his loved ones resent him. What They Would Be Famous For: The rescue of Maggie Blackwill, thus allowing her to save the kingdom. What They Would Get Arrested For: Assaulting one of the king’s guards OC You Ship Them With: Robward/Maggie Blackwill OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Reijo Alisi Favourite Movie/Book Genre: Adventure Least Favourite Movie/Book Cliche: Everyone always getting a happy ending. Talents and/or Powers: An exceptionally sturdy knight. Despite being born with no magical ability, James is strong, and a quick thinker, making him well-suited to leading his squad and protecting the people. Why Someone Might Love Them: James is kind, polite, and an absolute gentleman. He works hard to find solutions that benefit everyone, and loves helping people. Why Someone Might Hate Them: James tends to try seeing every side of conflicts. This makes it seem like he’s always playing devil’s advocate. How They Change: James falls in love! Previously, he thought that he just wasn’t so into romance and the like, but he winds up falling for someone. Also, he discovers that his magic might not be as lost as he thought it was, and he finds value in himself where he didn’t previously. Why You Love Them: James is short, sweet, and powerful, and everything I wish I could be for the people I love. He’s a pleasure to write and a pleasure to read, and I think that lots of people will find him as endearing as I do, assuming they don’t think he’s bland.

[thegoddesswater]

SIR JAMES FOR THE ASK MEME. 1, 13, 15, 25, GO

Alright. Here goes nothing.

 1. Describe the plot in one sentence:

Prylea teeters on the brink of war, the queen is missing and chaos threatens the kingdom; a lone, Untalented knight is sent to find perhaps the only remaining person who might be able to keep Prylea from entirely falling apart.

13. Sort Characters into Harry Potter houses:

Slytherin:Reijo AlisiVoltain GungnirDesai, RuiEnéas KhalidiComyna BlackwillRiza Sferling

Hufflepuff:James GallagherMint MilesEglantia WithypollApril SferlingIda SolumKauri FoaiKlara Farone

Ravenclaw:Robward BlackwillDesai, KovicXalvadore FlowerchildSandrine HorvathMisha SferlingJune SferlingMai SferlingNadia FlowerchildTihomir Vancil

Gryffindor:Fraise AlisiLéandre GagnonMarmaduke FiléNik SferlingCasban FlowerchildDesai, MyanaAmelie

 15. Describe Each Character's Daily Outfit (Sweet Jesus in the Garden why did you do this to me??? I refuse to do every character, you’re just getting the power couple. And Mint. Because Mint is easy.):

James: Lots of neutral colours like black, grey and brown. Though a knight, he spends the majority of his time out of armour and in his city guard uniform which includes a mildly decorated, but practical tunic and a red sash to denote his squad.

Robward/Maggie: As both Rob and Maggie, they are a sucker for fancy embroidery, though decoration is usually reserved for around the collar area as it’s far less likely to be fire damaged than at their cuffs. Sleeves are often kept shorter and clothes are a bit more form-fitting -- again because of the fire hazard. Many of their garments are light blue.

Mint: He wears a blue and red robe that is probably large enough to fit three of him in. Most of his clothes are much too big; he’s a little guy and likes being able to get cosy.

25: Which character would you most like to be?

I'm going to say that, since I am already extremely like Robward/Maggie and could likely do without quite so much of the anxiety I share with them. So I am going to be odd and say that I would most like to be Klara. She's​ more like how I remember being in university: happy, and game for just about any adventures. And, hey, I wouldn't say no to being an awesome water mage.