#UI POV: Dray

[merigreenleaf]

I haven’t been up to working on writing this week, so here’s a drawing I did of two of my dorks a few months ago that I forgot to share. I've slowly been getting back into drawing in an attempt to learn how to, although I’ve definitely been slacking off these past few months. A part of learning has involved drawing chibis of my characters because I’m all for adorable! The first one I finished is Firedrake and Sol, the pair of fire dorks. Sol managed to sweep Dray off their feet-- literally here-- mostly through silliness and kindness. Dray couldn't tell you exactly when this happened because theirs was a relationship slow to develop, but I don't think it takes any characters by surprise to learn that they're a couple. It's much more likely that everyone was placing bets on when Dray and Sol would finally admit it. (Hint: it takes three whole freaking books.) You can find out more about their relationship here with their moodboard. They're adorable and chaotic and I love them.

This drawing started in my sketchbook and then I moved it over to my tablet to finish and color it. I think this is the third drawing I did on my tablet and I'm really happy how it turned out! I didn't think I'd be into digital drawing because I tend to prefer everything on paper, including writing, but dang do layers make this so much easier than erasing. I started working on a trio one for Addy, Blythe, and Etri, and individual chibis, but I haven’t finished them yet. If I ever do, I’ll share those, too. :)

Tagging my series tag list. Let me know if you want on or off this list. :) 

@homesteadchronicles​ @ageekyreader @lynnafred @the-gay-hufflepuff @oceanwriter @desperatlytryingtowriteabook @muffindragon227 @theguildedtypewriter @toboldlywrite @wchwriter @dreameronthewind @shadow-maker @pen-for-sword @loopyhoopywrites @emptymanuscript @madmoonink @perringwrites @megan-cutler @elliot-orion @thatwriternamedvolk @indecentpause @writer-on-time @ravenpuffwriter @siarven @musicismymoirail @lady-redshield-writes @bluemartlet @reeseweston @worldbuildingwren @hiddswritingrefs @cay--scribbles @focusdumbass @paper-shield-and-wooden-sword @enasroterfaden @missrobinswritings @joshuaorrizonte @zofiehelen @kainablue @kalis-scribbles @inspirited-goddess

[merigreenleaf]

Adair: "I don't think I do anything really interesting? I mean, I love to paint and draw, and yeah, they move around on my sketchbook and canvas, but that's normal. I love to cook and bake yummy desserts. Hang out with my family. Help Sol with his inventions because if I don't help, they're probably going to go really wrong or he'll glue himself to his table again."

Blythe: "I don't have a lot of time for fun. I'm a healer with a carnival troupe who loves getting themselves hurt in stupid ways. Sol's the worst culprit. So I spend most of my time going through and organizing my notes. I like to garden, but that goes along with healing because I need those plants. I practice with knives and blades, but that goes along with being a Protectorate and being a blade performer. Whenever I get a few minutes of quiet-- it doesn't happen much-- I like to crochet, knit, and embroider."

Etri: "I enjoy reading. It does not matter what the subject is, although I prefer history and astronomy, it is more that I find it relaxing to sit somewhere quiet with a book. I also write poetry. Atair thinks it is strange that I spend time on the roof, but being up high is quiet and I do not have to worry about people interacting with me there."

Dray: "Fire. I love it. Dancing, I love that, too. Combine the two together and it's my favorite thing. I'm very much into costumes and makeup. I love causing problems for other people, but the others constantly remind me that this is not, in fact, a hobby. I disagree."

Sol: "Inventing smarfy things! The best thing ever is making stuff for people that make them smile or that make their life easier. Sometimes they say it wasn't helpful and maybe I shouldn't have added so many moving parts or knobs or buttons, but why have one little thing added when you can have ten even better things? Addy's been teaching me how to paint and I really like that a lot! Paint is messy and I don't know why I didn't do this before, okay, maybe I'm not very good, but Addy says that isn't important, what's important is having fun and I definitely have fun!"

Meet and Greet Monday 9/7

Happy Meet and Greet Monday! How would your characters answer the question "So what do you like to do for fun? Any interesting hobbies, or...?"

Open ask to anyone who'd like to join in the Monday Meet and Greet :)

[merigreenleaf]

Unexpected Inspiration Character Backstory: Dray’s Charisma

"Don't think for a single second that you're on my level. You're just a spoiled little boy with an adequate tongue and nothing to lose. A mouth full of lies and a pocket full of blackmail doesn't mean you can play with the pros. Take my advice: give up, go home, and beg for forgiveness. Creators know you're good at copping out." -Dray to Feren, book 2 (Flashover)

"Charisma" has been the name of the game for Dray for the past decade. I talked about their early life before, but only glossed over their time spent in Galanvoth as a teenager. This was intentional. It's something Dray never talks about and it's something the other dorks don't discover until Plot takes them there and Dray's essentially thrown back into their old life. To recap, Dray was broken when their mother left them. Five years before this, their father had done essentially the same thing. Dray felt there was nothing left for them in Concordia, so they returned to Galanvoth. They thought this would be familiar, something that felt right. Dray didn't realize just how difficult and dangerous it would be to no longer have the status and protection of their family name. By the time the reality of the situation sunk in, the border with Concordia had closed. Dray was stuck.

Never one to give up easily, Dray found a job as a dancer and gradually made a name for themself on stage. Recognition of their talent was the validation Dray so desperately needed and they basked in this spotlight. There were parties and galas and people to meet. Dray-- always with the right tone of voice to get people talking-- quickly learned who was who, who knew who, and who did what. It was some of these whats that caught Dray's attention, particularly when those involved abusing or otherwise hurting the No-Names of the city. Dray had found a purpose: seeking vengeance on behalf of the people who had no voice. It wasn't a lawful purpose, but what had obeying rules and following tradition gotten them? Abandoned, heartbroken, destitute... now it was time for Dray to turn the tables.

(More under the cut!)

Overflowing with charisma, charm, and what they later realized was untrained mind-manipulation magic, they got people to talk. And talk. And talk some more. Then Dray struck. Forgery, arson, embezzlement, larceny... nothing was off the table for someone with the aptitude to pick up new skills quickly and who had nothing to lose. Dray never cared much about what they stole. The thrill was in taking down and humiliating the violators; the bulk of what they took they donated to charities under a witty name that not-so-subtly pointed to who it had been stolen from. Often money just happened to end up in the hands of the No-Names who needed it. 

It was inevitable that Dray made enemies. They were caught several times, but always under an assumed name or a stolen identity, and they never spent more than ten minutes in a jail cell. A silver tongue, a pretty face, and a keen mind kept Dray largely in the clear. As good as Dray was, though, they weren't infallible. Perhaps they got too cocky, maybe they’d burned out after years of doing this, possibly it was both. Whatever the cause, a mistake was made. By the time their door was busted open, they were already halfway across the city and auditioning with the Concordian carnival troupe they’d spotted a few days previously. It was time to go back to Concordia and put this part of their life behind them.

That is, until they find themself having to go back to their old stomping ground in order to investigate who is responsible for sabotaging Concordia. Dray still has the knowledge and skill, even some connections, to pick up where they left off. Their magic is trained, making it stronger and more reliable. They no longer have to do this alone-- but therein lies the danger. Dray now has everything to lose and a family they won’t risk. 

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I’m a week behind with sharing this board for @homesteadchronicles theme of "charisma", but it’s the perfect time to use what @ageekyreader and I have been calling the "Dray's a little shit" board! I’ve been making new boards and rewriting character bios/backstories, which was going smoothly until I ended up with two boards for Dray. They have two very different sides to their personality, two very different aesthetics, and I wasn’t sure which to use to redo their main bio board. Problem solved with this theme! ;)

Oh! And while I’ve been updating things, I just updated that post about Dray’s early life. One of the things that changed during my hiatus was Dray's backstory. So check it out if you want to know more about Dray as a kid and how they got from then to now, with this as the interlude in the middle.

[merigreenleaf]

hello hello happy STS!! I would like to request a ramble about your current favourite character arc in your WIP!! or a character arc you're particularly excited about or proud of :D (if this is not too spoilery a question!)

Thanks for the ask! Sorry I'm a few days behind! Oh gosh, I want to ramble so much about Dray but so much of that is a spoiler! I’ll ramble a bunch anyway lol. They definitely have the most growth in their character arc-- Dray matures so much between the start of book 1 and the time the trilogy is over. Dray starts off so impulsive, so ready to turn any slight insult into revenge, and their moral compass is just flailing wildly. But Plot happens in book 1 that makes Dray have to chill and listen rather than just act out of emotion, and they start taking over the carnival troupe from Sapphire and they realize they actually like being in charge of something? In a way where they're not mind controlling anyone and people actually seek out their advice? And trust them? Dray has a hard time believing it.

The other dorks and adopting Ametrine are definitely a huge help, too, because they love Dray and Dray hasn't had a lot of love in their life. Dray so often thinks they're not worthy of it, or that the people who love them are going to decide that they don't anymore, but Dray learns to trust in return. Trust that the others won't leave. Trust that they won't lie to Dray. Trust that they have their back so that Dray can let their guard down.

Part of the reason for Dray getting so much development in book 2 is a huge spoiler, but it's also a big part of the plot of that book, so I might end up talking about it later anyway so here we go. Basically, there's a reality split and this means that there are two different realities happening simultaneously. 4 of the dorks are only in one because of events unfolding at the end of book 1, but Dray is in both realities. This gives Dray the opportunity to experience two different sets of events, and when they merge with themself, they recall the memories of both sides.

[merigreenleaf]

Happy STS! What sorts of associations do you have for your characters? Do you associate them with any colors, elements, animals, aesthetics, etc.? Do tell!

Oh I love this ask! :D Colors are a big thing for me, so I'll go with that. I associate pretty much anything with a color and this has definitely always been a thing with my characters for as long as I've written things. I made a color grid thing for each of the dorks a while ago and never shared that so I'll add that in too!

Adair is blues-- the bright blue sky on a sunny day, bright happy teals and blue-greens, the blues of faded denim, and the dark blue of the ink he uses for his maps. I also associate violet with him because it's the color of his magic and light brown because of .... well, pie crust, mostly lol

Blythe is mostly earth tones-- all shades of greens for the plants that she loves and the browns of dirt and earth. I also associate red with her, like a deep autumn red of leaves, and black because it's the color that she wears for her performance costume and also for her sentinel uniform later. (This is only worn special occassions, she and Etri don't have to wear these all the time.)

Dray is all warm colors-- gold through orange through reds to red-violet. Fire colors, hot colors. Sol is similar, but lighter. His are the color of light as well as fire, so it's more like whites, bright yellows, gold, and oranges.

Etri is dark colors, black and grey for his goth aesthetic and shadow magic, but he's also dark blues and dark purples-- the color of the evening sky or ink. Sapphire is all shades of blue because it's her favorite color. Hers are more true blues than Adair's, which tend to lean more towards greens, and brighter than Etri's.

Ametrine is purples and yellows-- those are the two colors of an ametrine gemstone, which is where he gets his name, but also he just really loves pretty purples and bright yellows. Skia is mostly grey because he's grey (once Ametrine can see him, anyway), with some black for being a shadow elemental (ghosts are shadow elementals, but not all shadow elementals are ghosts). But also hot pink because that's absolutely his favorite color, and some pretty purple because it's Ametrine's favorite color and Skia loves Ametrine.

Camille's are mostly pale yellows and whites (to represent light magic), pale pinks because that's her favorite color, and some dark grey because she learns how to control shadow elementals as well as lights. Rosalie is another purple dork, but generally darker than Ametrine's. She's got a punk goth aesthetic and sense of fashion, so there's also blacks and dark greys. This also goes along with her having shadow magic.

[merigreenleaf]

Happy MAGM! Is there someone you like annoying? Why? How do you do it? To any of your OCs. Have a nice day xx /@catharticallysarcastic/

I love this ask! Thanks @catharticallysarcastic! :D

*Blythe points to Dray. Etri points to Dray. Dray's pointing at both of them*

Dray: Fine, I'm outnumbered, so I'll talk. Blade and I are always getting on each other's nerves and doing something that pisses off the other. We're basically sibs, though, so that's to be expected.

Etri: Solei and I are not like that. We do not argue or fight.

Dray: You two are weird. Anyway, as I was saying, Blade and I... we just rub each other the wrong way. Constantly. Usually it's her fault--

Blythe: I beg to differ.

Dray: Alright, fine, it's about 50/50. She's just so much fun to piss off.

Blythe: Which is why I've bounced you off a few walls before.

Dray: And I've set some of your stuff on fire. See, we're even. With Etch it's different. We pick on each other, yeah, and bicker a lot, but...

Etri: Nothing we say is ever intentionally hurtful. We just enjoy a careful contest of wits.

Blythe: Which usually ends up with the rest of us dragged into your insult contests.

Dray: Hey, you could just ignore us. You know we don't mean anything by it. We just like tossing insults at each other.

Blythe: You have the most dysfunctional best friendship that I've ever seen.

Dray: Who said Etch was my-- okay, you're right. There's no one else I'd rather call stupid names.

Etri: I do not know if I should be flattered or insulted.

Dray: If you go for both, we can start a contest again.

Blythe: And that’s my cue to leave.

[merigreenleaf]

Unexpected Inspiration Series Masterpost: About the Main Dorks

The Unexpected Inspiration series is lighthearted, lgbt+ high fantasy set in a contemporary world. If you're into magic, found family, and characters who like to cause mischief, I got you covered! The short stories are all available to read and you can learn more about the series here. You can meet the secondary characters here.

Under the read more is information about each of these main characters.

Name: Adair Cerulean    Age: 19 Gender/sexuality: male (trans), bisexual Birthplace: Concordia Occupation: cartographer Magic: Colorweaving (illusion worked via drawing) Traits: cheerful, sweet, affectionate Hobbies: Drawing, painting, cooking, eating

Adair is an arcane painter and cartographer whose illusion/illustration magic channels through art. (Magic is called "weaving" in these stories.) More than a little obsessed with food, particularly pies and desserts, Adair loves cooking almost as much as he loves drawing, spending time with his friends, and puns. Nothing can compare to his love of a groan-worthy joke! Just like a pie, he's sweet, a little flaky, and everyone's always happy to see him. Adair's a trans boy who wears his heart on his sleeve next to the paint stains that regularly splatter his clothes. He's the heart of a misfit group of carnival performers who consider him one of their own. (Character tag- UI POV: Adair / bio moodboard / backstory moodboard / Pinterest board) 

Name: Blythe Bladedancer    Age: 20 Gender/sexuality: female (cis), demiromantic Birthplace: Concordia Occupation: healer, carnival performer (blades), sentinel Magic: healing/telepathy Traits: stubborn, practical, workaholic Hobbies: weapon training, gardening, fiber arts (embroidery and crochet are her favorites), studying medicine

Blythe is a healer and knife/blade performer for a carnival troupe. She spent much of her life prior to this as a Protectorate, the elite group trained to guard art and artists. Along with Etri, she becomes one of Adair's sentinels. (This is a triad culture; sentinels are the bodyguards/spouses to arcane artists.) She's strong-willed, quick at making decisions, and just as quick to speak her mind. She has a soft spot for those in need and will defend and help anyone who looks like they might need it, even if they insist they don't. Blythe doesn't fear much of anything, except maybe people discovering what else her magic can do-- or one of her friends doing something stupidly dangerous. In her defense, this seems to happen every five minutes. (Character tag- UI POV: Blythe / bio moodboard  / backstory moodboard / Pinterest board)

Name: Firedrake (Dray)    Age: 21 Gender/sexuality: agender, demiromantic demisexual Birthplace: Galanvoth Occupation: carnival performer (dancer) Magic: Wordweaving (mind-manipulation) and fire Traits: sarcastic, cynical, melodramatic Hobbies: dancing, pranking people, reading

Dray is a carnival performer and dancer more than a little obsessed with props and fire. What was once simply their stage persona of a dragon has gradually taken over their daily appearance. Dray is agender, uses they/them pronouns, and doesn't care an iota about anyone's assumptions of gender. Their entire petite being is fueled by sarcasm, snark, and spite, and their moral compass has a habit of pointing a little off north. Dray tends to use their fire and mind-manipulation magics in retaliation against those who wronged them-- or who they feel deserved it in some way, even if no one else agrees. Under all the bravado is intense loyalty and someone who'd do absolutely anything for the people they love. It’s just that their love frequently involves vaguely-insulting nicknames and an insult contest or five. (Character tag- UI POV: Dray / bio moodboard / backstory moodboard 1 & 2 / Pinterest board)

Name: Etraunjei (Etri) Celeste    Age: 23 Gender/sexuality: male (cis), panromantic ace Birthplace: Montglace Occupation: carnival performer (knives and fire) Magic: shadow Traits: introvert, intelligent, protective Hobbies: astronomy, reading, learning as much as he can about as much as he can

Etri is a carnival performer specializing in knives, having previously spent several years working as a reverse-thief where he returned stolen art back to its creators. His magic involves shadows and darkness, allowing him to snuff out light/fire and turn himself nearly invisible-- something that helps both his thieving career and his social anxiety immensely. Etri is the epitome of the expression "cold hands, warm heart"– and not just because his magic leaves his skin noticeably chilly. While he's a reserved introvert with a fear of social situations, he's also kindhearted and intensely loyal to anyone who has gotten past his shy demeanor to earn his friendship. This loyalty and a fiercely protective streak leads him to become one of Adair's sentinels, alongside Blythe. He's the brains of the group and the one most likely to think through a plan. Unfortunately, he's also the one most likely to dive headfirst into the first sign of danger without telling anyone about it. He'd much rather risk himself than have someone else potentially get hurt. (Character tag- UI POV: Etri / bio moodboard / backstory moodboard / Pinterest board)

Name: Solei (Sol) Celeste    Age: 23 Gender/sexuality: male (cis), bisexual Birthplace: Montglace Occupation: carnival performer (fire) and inventor Magic: light Traits: goofy, optimistic, friendly Hobbies: tinkering with inventions and broken objects, playing with fire, chatting with everyone 

Sol is a fire performer with light/fire magic, but you can usually find him swimming through a dumpster or garbage heap. He's an inventor who uses scraps that no one else wants and the heat from his magic to create objects ranging from useful to "what the heck is this thing?" He always has ideas, although whether they'll work or backfire spectacularly is up in the air– which is frequently where they end up when they backfire. He's something of a genius ditz; he comes off as a vapid, musclebound goofball, but inside that thick head of his is a mind that's always five steps ahead. It's just that they're five steps well off the beaten path and his Sol-ish comments tend to leave people bewildered. As sunny as his chosen name, he's always friendly and eager to help others even when his goofy flavor of help isn't always appreciated. He's Etri's identical twin and they intentionally play off each other's sun/moon, light/dark theme. (Character tag- UI POV: Sol / bio moodboard / backstory moodboard / Pinterest board)

Name: Rosalie    Age: 32 Gender/sexuality: female (cis), lesbian Birthplace: Montglace Occupation: priestess Magic: shadow Traits: timid, compassionate, resourceful Hobbies: going to plays and concerts, teaching tricks to shadow elementals

Rosalie is technically a priestess, but she's spent years trying to find a way to tell her partner that she'd rather not be, thanks. Seven years ago she and another priestess were sent away from the Sanctuaries of Shadow and Light in order to complete a specific assignment. This quickly became a task neither women were interested in. In Rosalie's case, she grew to love life far away from her restrictive and dangerous home. She wants nothing more than to stay in Concordia and live a normal life-- until she's pulled outside of linear time with no way to get back. Then she just wants any kind of life. At least she still has her pet shadow, an elemental with dog-like intelligence, and the burgeoning friendship with a strange woman who may also be a traveler in time. (Character tag- UI POV: Rosalie / bio moodboard / backstory moodboard / Pinterest board)

Name: Camille    Age: 26 Gender/sexuality: female (cis), asexual Birthplace: Montglace Occupation: priestess Magic: light Traits: confident, ambitious, distrustful Hobbies: studying myths and researching history of magic (won’t admit it, but also enjoys going to plays and concerts with Rosalie)

Camille is a priestess who is great at summoning and controlling light elementals, not so great at listening. Like Rosalie, she has long since lost interest in the task assigned to them by their home temples. Unlike her colleague and closest friend, she is determined to someday go back. The messages they've received from their superiors have grown more and more contradicting and nonsensical over the years, which means something has clearly gone wrong back home. Not lacking in ambition or self-confidence, Camille is determined to prepare herself and Rosalie to take over as high priestesses of their respective Sanctuaries. Camille says it's because both are needed in order to change things, but in truth it's because she can't imagine life without Rosalie by her side. When Rosalie goes missing, Camille finds herself shaken and adrift for the first time in her life. (Character tag- UI POV: Camille / bio moodboard / backstory moodboard / Pinterest board)

Name: Willow    Age: 3 Gender: female Owner: Adair Birthplace: Concordia Occupation: chaser of light elementals Traits: curious, mischievous Hobbies: eating paintbrushes, stealing ribbons, locking Sol in the pantry  

Willow is the resident cat who sauntered into Blythe's home one day and never left. While technically Adair's cat, she claims ownership over his family to various degrees of agreement. She can frequently be found riding around on Adair's shoulders and nibbling his paint brushes, keeping mice out of Blythe's healing herbs and occasionally trying to eat her plants, snuggled up with Etri while he reads, and sleeping on a pile of Dray's costumes. However, the bulk of Willow's attention is saved for Sol. She's either his arch nemesis or best friend, but no one is sure which. Willow is highly curious and loves to climb into cabinets and pilfer anything shiny or ribbony. Her favorite game is swatting tiny light elementals. Consequently, this is the light elementals' least favorite game. (moodboard)

(Mobile-friendly) Unexpected Inspiration Series Tags & Links:

About the Series: Series & WIP Info / Short Stories / Moodboard Posts (Tag: unexpected inspiration aesthetic) / World Building Posts (Tag: about my world) / Series Tag: Unexpected Inspiration series

About the Characters: Main Character Info (you’re here!) / Secondary Character Info

Character Specific Tags: UI POV: Adair / UI POV: Blythe / UI POV: Dray / UI POV: Etri / UI POV: Sol / UI POV: Rosalie / UI POV: Camille /  UI POV: Sapphire / UI POV: Ametrine / UI POV: Skia / UI POV: Feren /  UI POV: All (Group/Multiple) / UI POV: Other (Non-Main Characters) / UI POV:Trio (Adair/Blythe/Etri OT3) / UI POV: Firelight (Dray/Sol)

[merigreenleaf]

Happy STS from your moral support dragon. How do your characters react in a confrontation? Which one is afraid of fighting, which one starts the fights they can’t win, and which one can win any fight wether the started it or not? Have a wonderful day!

Thanks for the ask! I haven't answered yours from last week yet because I wanted to write a drabble as the answer and haven't had the brains/spoons to do that yet. So I haven't forgotten about it. :)

Oh gosh, this is such a good question for them! Adair, Sol, and Etri HATE confrontation. Addy avoids it because rocking the boat is something you very much don't want to do after you were in a long-term, not healthy relationship. Sol gets scared really easily and hates it so much when people raise their voice at him, so he tends to cower or try to hide or change the subject. Etri avoids it at all cost because he's got social anxiety and doesn't do well with regular conversations, let alone one where he's on the spot.

Blythe and Dray, though? They LIVE for confrontation. They both tend to be bossy or at least want to get their thoughts on a subject across no matter what.

As for fighting, Adair's terrified of it, but he'll try to help in some way even if it's just to cause a distraction. He will face someone if they're threatening his friends even though he knows he'll never win a fight. He's small and a pacifist and tries desperately to talk out any situation so it doesn't come to a fight.

Sol is scared of fights, too, at least if it's something he's involved in. He'll generally hide or duck behind another character-- which doesn't really work because he's 6'6" of muscle. He *has* been known to break up fights he's uninvolved in, by like stepping between those fighting (because it's unlikely someone can really hurt someone as strong as he is) or if he has to, lifting one of the people up and out of the fight. He *hates* seeing people fight.

Etri would be afraid, but still step up. He's as tall as his twin, but not quite as strong, and tends to rely more on his shadow magic to avoid getting hit than his bulk. He would win because he'd tire the other person out by not being tangible enough to hit lol

HELL YEAH Blythe and Dray would jump into any fight they see. Blythe is almost as strong as Sol and has had extensive guard training. She could hold her own against pretty much anyone without much effort. And if it comes down to another approach, she can knock someone unconscious with her healing magic. Dray is tiny and wouldn't win a fight of pure strength, but they're fast, they're nimble, they have muscles from years and years of dancing, and they're really good at predicting someone else's actions. (OH MY GOSH this sentence just fixed a plot thing I've been stuck on with Dray!)

[merigreenleaf]

Happy MAGM! How would your OCs respond to the question "What is your favourite thing about your appearance?"

Happy MAGM! :D

Dray: "Everything. You must not have seen me if you're asking this question, and if that's the case, you should get a good look. I guarantee I'm the more gorgeous person you've seen all day. Scratch that, all year."

(Ignore Dray. They are very pretty, but they like to cover low self-esteem with a fake ego lol)

Adair: "I dunno. I mean, I'm just average, there isn't anything special about me. My hair, I guess, because I chopped it all off after me and my ex broke up. Artisans always have super long hair and I hated it and it always got in the way, but he wanted me to keep it the way he thought I should have it so I'd look more traditional. Now it’s how I like it."

Blythe: "My muscles because I've spent so much time training as a Protectorate. I'll admit, it's kinda nice to have people avoid me because I can look intimidating. I wouldn't actually hurt anyone, healer oath and everything, but I'll appreciate anything that keeps people from bothering me."

Etri: "I do not believe there is anything about my appearance which would be more favorable than another. Perhaps my tattoos as they are things I added to cover a mark I received as a child. They bring me great comfort, as well."

Sol: "My hair! I figured out how to get it super pointy and it wasn't glue this time! Blade chewed me out last time I used glue and had to fix it for me and she has this anti-glue stuff she keeps in a big jar with my name on it. Also I agree with her on muscles but because it means I can lift things for people and be helpful and give good hugs!"

[merigreenleaf]

happy STS!!! say your OCs were placed in a room with no exit and the only way they could get out was by sharing painful or otherwise difficult memories with the others. what memory would they choose to talk about? how do they feel after sharing it? ~crystallized-ink

Thanks for the ask @crystallized-ink! :D Oh gosh, this is Dray's biggest nightmare. Having to actually talk about their past? To *other people*? It doesn't matter that the other are Dray's family, there are things they just don't talk about, and by "things" I mean "pretty much everything Dray has ever done or experienced." I guess Dray would talk about their father, though. It's probably the thing that hurts Dray the most, but it's also a thing that isn't something Dray did themself, so no one would judge them for it like they fear the others would about other memories. So yeah, Dray would talk about how their father abandoned them and how they never figured out why or what they did wrong to be so unwanted. They would actually feel better about this after, though, because it's something that they've kept inside for so much of their life and now they have a family who loves them. That makes it a little easier.

Adair would talk about his ex-boyfriend, which isn't a secret from the others. I mean, I don't think he’s talked a lot about specifics of what he experienced and how he was treated, but the other dorks have the gist, and he would trust them. It would just hurt a lot for him to talk about it. He'd also likely feel a bit better once he was done, just like it would for Dray.

Sol and Etri would have the same thing to talk about-- how they both failed at keeping Sol's boyfriend (who was also Etri's close friend) alive. Sol would appear to be more hurt by this, but only because he shows emotions a lot more obviously than Etri does. I think both would feel worse after talking about this because it's such a bad, terrifying memory for both of them.

Blythe would talk about losing her father because his death hurt her so much, and it led immediately into her being adopted by an aunt she hated and taken away from her home to a new place she hated. She wouldn't feel so great after talking about this because it was a time in her life where she felt powerless and she hates not feeling in control.

Ametrine's memory would be almost identical to Dray's, the only difference being that he knows why his family didn't want him. (They didn't think he was smart enough to follow in the career of his family. Galanvoth sucks like that.) He'd feel better after talking about this, though, because now he has parents who love him so much and they'd reassure him that he’ll always be wanted.

I've been adding Skia into the mix when I talk about the dorks because he's technically part of their family too (as Ame's best friend the dorks also kind of adopt), but he wouldn't have a memory. As a ghost, he doesn't remember anything about being alive and even memories early on of being a ghost aren't very clear. The closest he would have to talk about is the loneliness of no one being able to see him or hear him or touch him. (Only Etri of the dorks can see/hear him because of his type of magic, at least until Ame starts being able to hear him, so Skia would be writing this out for them to read.) Skia would feel better, though, because he isn't so lonely now.

[merigreenleaf]

Happy STS!! How has your OC’s relationship with their parents (or lack there of) influenced their life? - reininginthefirewriting

Thanks for the ask! Ouch, this is a loaded question for the dorks so it’s going to get long. 

Adair’s the only one who has parents still in the picture. He gets along okay with them-- basically just the annoyance any 18/19 year old would have with parents he finds too traditional and dull. Add in the fact that he technically has 6 parents (three of his own, then his master’s family who he lived with for years), it’s mostly just minor griping because too many adults are around to give advice. He’s definitely become less and less traditional Artisan as he’s gotten older and that’s mostly the influence of his master who’s ... not eccentric, but definitely not traditional. 

(Fun fact: Addy spends a portion of book 1 annoyed because his parents don’t approve of Etri. I’m with his parents on this one. Not because Etri is bad, but Addy did get into a serious relationship very quickly with someone he hasn’t known long, who’s a few years older than him, who comes off at first as cold and distant and not caring about Adair because Etri has bad social anxiety and meets Addy’s parents at a party. Adair also just got out of a really unhealthy relationship, so yeah. I’d be concerned in his parents’ shoes, too!)

Blythe’s mom passed away when she was a baby and she was raised by her dad for most of her childhood. He was a great parent and definitely was a positive influence on her. He passed when she was 13, though, so not having him around and not having any other good parent figure after this probably influenced her just as much. It’s why she’s so independent and driven and also tends to keep herself apart from other people. She learned a long time ago that she can only rely on herself.

Etri and Sol never knew their parents because the part of their culture where they were raised has no concept of family. Ditto on Rosalie and Camille. They all turned out okay (if you can call “various levels of trauma” okay), but only because they got out of Montglace and had the other to give them a sense of family. It’s also why all 4 of them are intensely loyal-- when you don’t have many people you can trust, you’re going to be close to the ones you can.

Dray... ugh that’s even more loaded. Their parents loved them and they knew their parents loved them, so their childhood was pretty great-- but then Dray’s mom took them away from their home and left Dray with the impression that it was because their father didn’t want anything to do with them. Then their mom just... left when they were a teenager. So Dray has thought for so long that they weren’t good enough and this is definitely why they are the way they are. (Dray’s parents had reasons and Dray just never worked out what the reasons were mostly because they were too hurt in the first place to ask and the second time too angry to actually pay attention to the situation-- it wasn’t actually abandonment in either case, but Dray was like “well, clearly they hate me, the world hates me, I suck, everyone is just going to leave me, eff everybody so I’m just going to cause problems now.”) 

Ametrine had a similar situation to Dray only in his case he *was* actually abandoned by his parents for not being good enough. (He and Dray grew up in the same country and this is a Thing there.) Luckily he was smart enough to run away to Concordia and was fostered with Sapphire for a while (who was a good foster mom) before the dorks adopt him. But even with this love and acceptance, his past is something he’s going to always carry with him. He’s always going to fear that if he’s not good enough, people will decide they don’t like him or won’t want him anymore. It’s no wonder Dray is the first dork to get close to Ame-- they see so much of themself in him. 

[merigreenleaf]

Happy STS!! What is your OC’s earliest memory? -reininginthefirewriting

Thanks for the ask! :D Sorry for the delay! Slowly catching up with tumblr this week. :) Oh that's a good question that I've never thought of! Let's see... -I think Addy's would be like a character, like from a comic or a kids' book or a play. I'm pretty sure he found one really young that he thought was SO COOL and that's why he picked the name Adair. The character probably like, had magic that turned everything into cookies or something. (He’s trans, but figured it out at a really really young age because it’s a relatively common thing in his culture.)

-Blythe's would be something like a wooden sword she got as a kid. She absolutely would go around smacking bullies with it. Her dad would have had a tear in his eye, his little girl following in her parents' footsteps and protecting someone who needed protection. Which is true, but little Blythe also just liked smacking people with a heavy object. Not much has changed lol 

-Dray's would be sitting on their mom's lap in front of a roaring fire, listening to her talk about the strange places that she's visited and the strange people she used to know. Dray loved those stories and always wanted to meet these people.

-The twins have the same kind of memories, which isn't much. Mostly they’re of being ignored in the temple where they grew up. Sol's most impactful one would be the first time a light elemental hung out with him. Etri's would be finding a tiny spot to hide that no one else knew about. (The two grew up in the same place but had no idea they were brothers, or even what brothers were, so their paths didn't really overlap until Etri saw his reflection in a mirror years later and realized he looked exactly like one of the other boys.)

[merigreenleaf]

happy (slightly late) sts! what are your characters like when it comes to holding grudges? do they have any super stubborn petty grudges or any notably long-standing ones? or are they more the forgive and forget type?

Eep, I just realized I had this sitting in my inbox! The three worst at holding grudges are definitely Blythe, Dray, Camille, and Feren. Blythe tends to only hold grudges that are justified, though, and even then she'll eventually drop it because she's got more on her plate to worry about than something in the past. 

Camille will hold a grudge much longer, but also not usually for things that are petty. Unless it was something to hurt Rosalie, then she'll hold that grudge forever no matter how small the slight was. Like someone said something rude to Rosalie? Grudge against that person forever. And something big like how she's always hated how her home temple works, but knowing people there hurt Rosalie for years and years? Someone's gonna pay for that.

Dray on the other hand, will hold every single slight or insult to them as a grudge for the rest of forever, regardless of how big or small it was. Stubborn and petty is a very good description of Dray in general, actually lol. And if you slight someone Dray loves? Congrats, you've got an enemy for life who doesn't exactly have the best moral compass.

Feren's a lot like Dray only worse. He's so full of himself that if something doesn't go exactly the way he thinks it should go or if he's not handed exactly what he wants in life, he gets pissy. He's held a grudge against Blythe for a few years because he thinks she cheated to get her Protectorate rank. And the best part? Blythe has no idea who the heck he is because she was too busy working her butt off to finish multiple degrees to worry about what petty classmates were saying. This is going to be a blast to write when Feren realizes she's dating Addy (his ex who he’s still obsessed with) and is like "You again! You're the worst!" and she's like "... who the hell are you?" XD

[merigreenleaf]

happy tender tuesday from lysander-xp! let’s angst this baby up. what is the worst fight your OCs have ever gotten in? how did they recover? is it still a point of contention or have they moved past it?

Thanks for the ask @lysander-xp! :D I'm going to answer this in terms of my five and their incredibly close found family dynamic because it works best for the question than anything specifically romantic. The worst fight definitely comes at the start of book 1, when Dray uses their mind control magic to split the group. They're doing this with all the best intentions-- they think by doing this, they're going to keep Adair and Sol safe by keeping them out of danger, and they think keeping Blythe and Etri with them is safe because Dray doesn't realize that Etri has magic. (Having magic is the deciding factor-- Dray knows the upcoming situation can hurt someone with magic, but not hurt someone who doesn't have it.)

When the others snap out of the mind control, mostly they're furious. Sol's the one who takes it most in stride, but he's still upset that he's not with his brother or Blythe, who he thinks of as a sister, and tends to rely on both of them to watch over him. Adair's freaking out and near panic because being controlled into doing something he had no say in is a trigger for him. Blythe is FURIOUS because Dray is the person she loves most at this point (they met years ago and decided that they were siblings because neither had family) and this just adds to the hurt she felt when she hadn't heard from Dray in months prior to meeting up with them again. Etri is angry because it meant that he's no longer with his brother-- who he's fiercely protective over and hasn't spent any real time apart from-- and he knows Adair's been in sort of danger this whole time and now he's not with anyone who can keep him safe.

Once they join up again, Dray finally tells them why they did this-- it was for a very good reason, but the action was very much not what they should have done. Sol forgives immediately and stays with Dray while the others are avoiding Dray. Adair forgives quickly because he understands the reasoning, but has to have a talk with Dray about why it hurt him so much before they're able to start becoming close. (Dray never ever uses this magic on any of the four again and is particularly protective over Adair after this point because they understand so much what this kind of trigger is like, but didn't realize Adair had it.) Blythe and Etri take longer to forgive-- Dray has to do a lot to earn their trust again. They do forgive Dray, though, and from that point on Dray’s moral compass starts to settle into north instead of wildly jumping around. Dray learns to take more care with the others because they’re the most important people to them and they don’t want to lose them. 

[merigreenleaf]

happy STS!! Thought i'd ask you a question today ;) What are the dorks biggest fears? how do they handle those fears on a day to day basis? how about when they are faced with them directly? Do they keep them secret, or are others aware? if so, how do they help? I hope you're doing well!!

I am so behind with answering asks from Saturday-- sorry about that! Okay, so biggest fears, good question!

Addy's is heights, definitely. He's terrified of being off the ground even a little. He's getting better with it though, but sometimes even the step stool he uses to reach Sol's workdesk is too high for him and the two of them have to work on the floor that day. At one point early in Book 1 he has to climb a lighthouse and does NOT do well. He faints and only gets down because Etri is there to carry him back to ground level. I'm assuming that as the series goes on, this fear starts to get less, largely because the other dorks help him with it and are patient with it when it's too much, like with Sol inventing on the floor that day, or Etri using his shadow magic to turn Addy into a shadow so that Addy can start to experience heights without a fear of falling.

Etri's is social situations. He hates talking to strangers, he hates anyone noticing him. (Plus: his magic can turn him into a shadow so he isn't seen. Minus: he's 6'6" in a culture where no one is taller than 5'10" so when he is visible, he really stands out.) He's getting better about the disappearing when scared thing and speaking up rather than letting Sol or one of the others be his voice. He's bravest when protecting or standing up for someone else. Then it kinda overrides the anxiety until the situation calms down and it catches up to him. Then he may or may not have a panic attack. The others know about this and help him out with it, making sure he feels comfortable and not minding if he has to leave a social situation early.

Dray's is abandonment. They're so afraid that if they open up and care about people, they'll get hurt because that person will leave or decide that Dray's not good enough (Dray actually has a lot of overlap here with Ametrine because they had similar experiences) or decide that Dray's past is Too Much and not want anything to do with them anymore. Dray... isn't good at handling this. They tend to leave before they can get left. I mean, they're getting better at it and now they stick around the other dorks, but they still have a flight response that they fight. They don't tend to tell anyone about this, but eventually the other dorks work it out and regularly reassure Dray that they're not leaving them.

Sol's is... well, everything, really. He's huge and muscular and as tall as his twin, but he gets so easily frightened! Loud voices and yelling scare him, shadow elementals scare him (so even Etri in shadow form is kinda iffy for a while), he gets scared that he won't understand what's going on and get in trouble for something. (Like stealing the wrong trash.) The dorks know this because it's pretty dang obvious, and they're all really protective over Sol and patient with him. For someone so sunny and optimistic he does have a lot of worries underneath it all.

Blythe, well, the woman's nearly fearless. I think her biggest is probably that something might happen to the dorks and she wouldn't be able to help/save/heal them. Honestly, I think she probably has this as a general fear because it's so built into her as a person that she's the healer, the medic, the protector, the sentinel-- the roles that she's filled her entire life. She has concerns and some worries, but I think this is probably the thing that scares her most. I think the dorks can probably guess that this is something she worries about, but she keeps it hidden under a huge helping of confidence. (Eventually she starts to see that the dorks can protect themselves, that they're all competent in their own ways, and that helps the fear.)

[merigreenleaf]

Happy STS! Which character is already getting pumped for Halloween? Which one started getting pumped months ago? Which one is the “it’s not even October yet!!!!” character? Who never stops celebrating Halloween? (If Halloween doesn’t exist in your world, just answer hypothetically)

Concordia doesn't have Halloween, per se, but they do LOVE costume parties and fun holidays so this isn't hard to imagine and also fun! :D

Sol would ABSOLUTELY start getting pumped months ago, because costumes? A chance to make really awesome decorations that are probably some kind of animatronic? CANDY? My gosh, he'd be all over this! He'd absolutely drag Adair into helping him with stuff, who wouldn't really be about Halloween all that much (minus maybe the candy), but is always willing to join in with Sol's adventures.

Dray loves costumes, it's one of the things they love about being a performer, but you know that they're only ever going to have some variation of a dragon costume, or else some really glamourous masquerade type costume. Dray is also is likely someone who planned this out months in advance.

Blythe is absolutely the “it’s not even October yet!!!!” character. This would be yet another time where her family is loud and annoying and making a mess lol. Etri is goth. He should love Halloween. Spooky is pretty much what he *is* as a shadow elemental. But he doesn't really go in for spooky or candy or costumes, so he's going to be mostly indifferent. Not annoyed like Blythe, just not particularly interested, and also wondering why the others care so much.

Ametrine would love Halloween because what kid wouldn't? He'd absolutely join in with whatever Sol has planned, and whatever costume he could possibly want, Dray would make for him. And the culture he grew up in was so boring and wouldn't have had fun holidays like this, so it would be extra fun for him to get to experience this. He's not into scary things in the slightest, he gets scared easily, but then again, so does Sol. So anything they make will be cute or funny, not actually frightening.

Skia, though. Man, Skia would be even more into this than Sol! He's literally a ghost and he's all about spoopy and stupid Halloween stuff, because what ghost of a young teenager wouldn’t be into this? He would absolutely have Halloween decorations up year-round, like fake skeletons wearing sunglasses and posed in stupid ways, cutouts of stupid ghosts. He lives with Ame (in so far as a ghost can live-- they share a room because the dorks kinda adopt Skia, too) who draws the line on year-round. He'll let Skia have some things out all year, but most definitely not the dumb skeletons even if the skeletons do look happy. (Skia isn’t about scary or creepy and wouldn’t do anything that could scare Ame or make him upset. Skia’s just happy that while Ame’s afraid of ghosts, he isn’t afraid of him.) And like, he's a ghost who's all about mischief and pranks, he's absolutely going to haunt people even more around Halloween than he normally would and that's saying something since being mildly annoying in ghosty ways is his favorite pastime lol

Oh man, I think this is a short story I might have to write sometime between now and Halloween. XD