#atqh: Nina

[memento-morri-writes]

Head Up, Seven Up

I was tagged by @andromedaexists. (hi andi!!)

Rules: When you get this, post 7 of your recently written lines.

I actually wrote for the first time in forever, so you get a little treat!! Behold, the first thing I've ever shared of Nina! (Which is tragic, considering how important she is to the story.)

Beside her, Nina moved to match her position. "Keep your feet solidly on the ground," she reminded Fallon. "The last thing you want is to be knocked off-balance." Fallon adjusted her feet, digging them deeper into the ground. Nina nodded approvingly. "Your doing well, Your Majesty, but…" She set down her own sword and came up alongside Fallon, placing her hands on Fallon's wrists, and tilted them gently. "If you let your wrists relax slightly…" Her one hand moved to Fallon's back. "And straighten your back a little…" A shiver ran down Fallon's spine as Nina moved closer to her, adjusting Fallon's posture with gentle prodding. "And stay focused…" Nina's face was mere inches from Fallon's own, and Fallon fought to keep her attention centered on the blade in her hands. "It gets a little easier, doesn't it?"

I'll tag @pinespittinink @blind-the-winds @authoralexharvey (No pressure as always!)

[morrigan-sims]

Happy 6 Months RTQ!!

It’s officially been 6 months since I posted the first post of RTQ, and I knew I had to do something special.  Six months isn’t that long to some people, but it’s longer than I’ve ever stuck with anything else, at least this seriously. 

Some Fun Facts, Extras and thank yous under the cut!

Stats: - I’ve taken 1,231 screenshots related to this story. - 695 of those were for story posts. - I’ve edited and posted 295 panels of story content across 31 posts. - We’re on Chapter 2 out of ~35 chapters. - At this rate it will take me over 5 years to finish the story. - I’ve made at least 189 clips of poses. - There are five “acts” in the story, each with ~7 chapters.

Fun Facts: - This is my first real sims story. - I originally made Fallon just to test random cc, and fell in love. - There is a planned “sequel” (kind of) to RTQ, which is titled ATQH. - The first scene I ever wrote for this story doesn’t happen until the end of Act III. - That scene has been written ~4 times. - My Scrivener file for RTQ is over 21,000 words long. - I fully plan on sharing some long-form writing for some of the future scenes, since I’ve written some of them so many times. - I am going to have to make almost every single pose for the rest of the story, because I’m a perfectionist with overly specific ideas.

Thank Yous:

@simgerale for making me two amazing sims, and listening to me scream about this silly little story.  And for partially inspiring this post.

@hauntedplasma for making me the lovely Nina, and for being about as excited as I am.

@grenouillage for making me Lavinia and giving me so much inspiration.

@thesim-tea for making me Hermes and filling my aching desire for a thief character that I didn’t know I needed.

@regalllove for making Moira, and putting so much effort into her intro pic.  (that edit still amazes me.)

@wastelandwhisperer for making Nora and giving me an awesome pirate.

@autismtrait for reblogging my posts and being awesome.

@vatorelilith for all your amazing thoughts when reading and for giving me a chance to share my lore.

@rebouks for inspiring me to get my ass in gear and make poses, and offering advice.  Also, for partially inspiring this post.

@foxsimthings for all your fantasy inspo!

@indigoelfinspirit for listening to my rants.

The anon who told me that my story “lives rent free” in their mind.  That ask made my life. Everyone who’s ever left a comment or sent an ask about RTQ.

And also, every single person who has ever read RTQ, liked or reblogged a post, or submitted a sim I didn’t take.  You’re a big part of the reason I keep sharing this story.  I hope you continue to enjoy it as things get (hopefully) more interesting.

[memento-morri-writes]

Happy Blorbo Blursday!

I want to know if you have any fun facts for me, a newcomer to your blog and WIPs, about Nina!

These can be skills that aren’t plot relevant but still interesting, favorite/least favorite [blanks] that aren’t mentioned in the story but you still know they have, self-indulgent characteristics, etc.

Oooh, okay!! This is gonna be fun!

Nina is the illegitimate daughter of an Emperor, but since the Empress is unable to have children, she's actually set to inherit the throne after her father.

She also joined her father's royal guard, and has been protecting him for several years before coming to Anvia.

She's 28 years old.

She grew up in a small farming village, so she knows a lot more about farming than you might expect.

She rarely dresses up, so when she has had to for fancy balls in Anvia, she's a little awkward about it.

In that vein, she would not hesitate in the slightest to destroy a ballgown in favor of mobility if people's lives were in danger.

She prefers to wear boots, especially ones tall enough to hide a small dagger in.

She was in love, once but would rather forget about it.

Actually gets along with her step(?)mother, the Empress.

Likes reading, and will gladly spend a rainy or boring day curled up somewhere quiet with a book.

Shy in large groups, but much more outgoing when she's in a one-on-one situation.

Keeps calm in a crisis.

She tends to be somewhat self-critical rather than self-praising, and she can be very hard on herself sometimes. For example, she tends to think of herself as not having done enough to help someone, even though she did help as much as she could.

She loves honey cakes.

Hopefully these facts are interesting enough!!

[memento-morri-writes]

It's Blorbo Blursday!

Which of your characters do you think would be the most popular in a fandom space? Why?

Hello!! Happy Blorbo Blursday!

This is a no-brainer, I think. Based on the reactions I've seen from people, everyone is obsessed with Kristopher, with a good number of people also loving Nina. (I just haven't written much with Nina, lmao.)

Much in the same way that @italiangothicwriteblr 's Enrico would be popular, everyone loves characters who are Sad and Fucked Up. Idk why, but it's true for me too. Kristopher is my favorite for that reason, and Enrico is my favorite of Joy's OCs.

As for Nina, well, she's badass and cool, and she genuinely cares about Fallon. I just worry about the ship wars, lmao, cause I know there would be people who would want Nina and Fallon to get together.

I feel like there would be very strong Kris haters who refuse to acknowledge his progress as a character and a person, and how he tries to better himself throughout the story. Which would make me very sad. My baby deserves better.

[memento-morri-writes]

Trick or treat!!

You get a lovely TREAT!

A picrew of Nina!

[memento-morri-writes]

Last Line Tag!!

I was tagged by @rose-bookblood (and also tagged in heads up 7 up by @scarletteflamerald who-knows-how-long ago.)  So, it’s time to share the last few lines that I wrote!!

This is from ATQH, and I wrote it a while ago, but it’s still the most recent thing I’ve written.

The soldier nodded, absentmindedly running a hand through her hair.  Kristopher reached out, lightly touching her shoulder.  “We’ve done what she can.  What she needs now is rest.  And in case you’ve forgotten, we need sleep too.”  Nina noded, eyes fixed on the door. “Goodnight, Kristopher.” “Goodnight, Nina.” They turned and headed down the corridor to their separate rooms, both knowing that they would not be getting much sleep.

[memento-morri-writes]

Happy STS Morri!

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

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

@bloodlessheirbyjacques ✨

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

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

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

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

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

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

[memento-morri-writes]

ATQH Excerpt - Nightmare

(as requested by the lovely @cherrybombfangirlwrites.)

TW: violence, death, unreality

Fallon sat on the throne, arms clutching the arm rests. Around her, the throne room was empty. Outside, everything was dark, and she couldn’t even see the bushes below the windows. The braziers on the wall cast harsh, flickering shadows on the floor.

The door at the end of the room creaked open, scraping slowly across the floor. Two shadowed figures dressed in executioner’s robes entered. Before them, each marched a prisoner, encouraging them along with a dagger held to their back. The door closed behind them with a loud thud.

When they reached the foot of the dias, they stopped, pushing the prisoners roughly to their knees. The executioners lowered their hoods. Fallon’s heart froze. Lavinia. Two identical copies of the woman stood before her, each smiling coldly.

With a flourish, each woman unveiled her prisoner. Fallon’s fear was replaced with panic. Kneeling on the ground before her, wrists bound, eyes pleading, were Nina and Kris. Fallon tried to stand, but found that she could not move. Her muscles strained, but she remained anchored to the throne. “Let them go,” She begged. “Please.”

A low laugh sounded in her ear. “A Queen does not beg, Fallon. I thought I taught you better. Or was that your mother?” Fallon’s heart froze, as if seized by an icy fist. She had not heard his voice in years, had hoped she never would again. “Shall we begin?”

Fallon thrashed, trying desperately to break the invisible bonds that held her. “Please, let them go,” she begged, words tumbling from her lips as she struggled in vain. Before her, the Traitor on her right lifted her dagger. It hung there for a moment, sharp edge gleaming in the candlelight. Then, she brought it down in one swift motion. Fallon screamed, unable to look away as it plunged into Kristopher’s chest.

[memento-morri-writes]

OC Names Meaning Tag

I was tagged by @inkingfireplace. Thank you!! <3

Rules: Put down an OC or more and tell what their name means.

I'm going to do this for as many of my characters as I can.

ATQH:

Fallon: From an Irish Gaelic word meaning "leader".

Kristopher: Variant of Christopher, derrived from a Greek name meaning "bearing Christ".

Lavinia: A woman from Roman legend. Meaning unknown.

Nina: Short for names ending in "nina". Also means "fire" in Quechua and Amaya.

Duncan: From Scottish Gaelic / Old Irish words meaning "brown" and "battle".

CoS:

Dorian: Apparently first used by Oscar Wilde in The Picture of Dorian Grey.

Ashlin: Variant of Ashlyn. Made up of sounds from Ashley and Lyn.

Theo: Short for Theodore (in most cases), which means "gift of god".

Lenora: Short for Eleanora (usually), variant of Eleanor, which is from an Old French name.

Calista: Feminine form of Callistus or variant of Kallisto, both meaning "most beautiful".

Political Fantasy WIP:

Alora: No meaning. Invented name.

Erin: Anglicized from of an Irish Gaelic name meaning "Ireland".

Supernatural Roadtrip WIP:

Sebastien: From a Latin name that means "from Sebaste".

Gabriel: From a Hebrew name meaning "god is my strong man".

I'll tag @ink-fireplace-coffee @ashen-crest @cream-and-tea @transmasc-wizard @midnights-call @sleepyowlwrites and also make this an open tag!!

[memento-morri-writes]

Find the Word Tag

I was tagged by @ofbloodandflowers Thank you!!  I’m going to do this with ATQH, as always. (Apparently every single one of these words except for “left” can be found in either Fallon and Kristopher’s first date, or the scene titled Panic.  I tried to choose something other than those two scenes if it was an option, just to give a little variety.)

drag

“What the hell do you mean you’re not certain?  Isn’t that your job?  What is going on?  Where’s Captain Blackthorne?” “Likely with the prisoner.” The guardsman swallowed nervously.  “What?”  Kristopher’s heart dropped, an icy first dragging it down. “I-“ The guard looked frantically from side to side, searching for backup. Kris stepped forwards.  “Explain to me what in the Morrigan’s name is going on, right now, or I swear I will knock you out cold and find out for myself.”

green

All of the flowers in the clearing were in full bloom, and their sweet scent filled the air.  In the shade of a white-blossomed tree, Kris has laid out a blanket.  Beside him was a basket filled with food.  A bottle of wine peeked out from behind it. “Oh…” Fallon exhaled softly.  “This is lovely.”  She slowly approached the picnic, picking her way carefully amidst the flowers.  “How…?”  She trailed off,  mouth watering as the scent of freshly baked bread reached her nose.  Kristopher smiled, pulling plates and wine glasses from the basket.  “I thought we might want some food after such an exciting ride.” He spread out an array of food before her.  A loaf of bread, miraculously still warm, a container of jam, large green grapes and a hunk of cheese.

road

SQUAWK! A hen scrambled out of the path of Phillip’s hooves.  He continued walking, apparently unbothered.  The country road was empty of other travelers and Kristopher and Fallon were able to ride side by side on the wide dirt track.  Overhead, the tree branches rustled softly in the gentle breeze and the sun was well into its trek across the sky.

fly

Fallon balanced on the edge between sleeping and waking for hours, but never tipped over the edge in either direction.  She watched the clock through heavy eyes, counting the minutes and hours.  Sometimes, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but every sound sent her eyes flying open, body tense.  Eventually, the sun slowly began to rise, spilling golden morning light into the room. At some point she heard a knock on the door, and Nina rose to answer it.  Lavinia?  No, just Captain Blackthorne.  Soft voices from the hall.  Fallon knew they were talking about her, and strained her ears to hear the words.  Shock.  Rest.  Process.  Grieve.  All things she had heard countless times after her mother’s death.  Old memories mixed with new, and Fallon imagined Lavinia standing over her mother’s body, smiling.

left

The suitors didn’t attempt the hide that they were watching her, and Fallon’s neck prickled under their gaze.  She was tired of being watched.  She wanted to be left alone.  But even as she thought it, she knew it was a lie.  She’d been alone for five years.  She never wanted to be alone again.

(Not my stupid ass looking at “left” and thinking the relative direction, and being certain it wouldn’t show up in my manuscript.  Cue my surprise when it turned up as many results as the rest combined.)

I’m going to tag @tc-doherty @diphthongsfordays @rose-bookblood @rodentwrites and @fiercely-raging-writer !! Your words are fight, tired, fall, and high.

[memento-morri-writes]

It's Blorbo Blursday!!

Please send me some OC asks!! You can find a more updated list of my OC's under the cut! I have a list of ask games and OC questions here in case you need any ideas.

I will do my best to send asks in return to those who send me asks!

ATQH: - Fallon - Kristopher - Captain Blackthorne - Duncan - Nina ~ Side Characters ~ - Mabel - Leo

CoS: - Dorian - Ashlin - Lenora - Theo - Calista - Squish ~ Side Characters ~ - Evelyn - The Huntsman

Unnamed WIP #1 - <Prince> - Alora - the Antagonist - Erin - Lila ~ Side Characters ~ - <name> (Alora's servant) - (Alora's older sister) - (Alora's younger sibling) - (Alora's brother-in-law)

Unnamed WIP #2: - Gabriel - Sebastien - Raven(?) ~ Side Characters ~ - God - Demon MILF (unnamed)

[memento-morri-writes]

ATQH Snippet - Alone

[Kristopher and Nina] didn’t attempt the hide that they were watching her, and Fallon’s neck prickled under their gaze.  She was tired of being watched.  She wanted to be left alone.  But even as she thought it, she knew it was a lie.  She’d been alone for five years.  She never wanted to be alone again.

[memento-morri-writes]

hello and how are you?

Happy Storyteller Saturday Morri! Sorry we missed returning the ask for Blursday, but we made sure to come around for today! c:

For ATQH: Are there cursings or cuss words within the stories/world? Do they come in the form of the normal ones, or are there specific words/phrases that are unique to them? Do the characters cuss, do they refrain from it bc of any reason, do some of them need to "wash our their mouths with soap?" o(≧∇≦o)

For CoS: Incidentally, are there any words of endearment that are known in the World? Does Dorian know of any, or has he heard of any used in reference to him? Is there a word that holds all of the meaning of love or adoration towards people? Like a word/phrase that would be used and everyone would know what weight it holds?

And you can definitely switch the stories and answer the questions for both of them, we were just wondering through some contrasting ideas in different WIPs!

The Not Yet Dead Author, @365runesofwriting

Hi Natsume! Thank you very much for the ask!

So, for the most part, the world of ATQH uses a lot of our cursewords. Partly because they speak a lot like we do, and partly because I'm lazy as hell, and hate coming up with new expressions. A good old-fashioned "fuck" or "shit" will do the trick. But, ofc there is no "God", so phrases like "goddammit" don't really exist. Also, people swear by the Morrigan, who is the death goddess of the three kingdoms. (Yes, I made "myself" the goddess. I think I'm funny sometimes.) So, you might hear someone say "for the Morrigan's sake!" or "Morrigan knows" (that last one being the exact reason I named her that, hehehe. Because I do indeed know.)

As for the characters, they vary. Nora has an extensive vocabulary of curse words, and so does Hermes. However, Hermes rarely uses them, at least not out loud. Nora will when angry or frustrated, but not just for fun. Fallon certainly knows how to curse, but being the Queen she's very good at holding her tongue. Probably the worst she'd ever say is call up the Morrigan's name (and even then things would have to be bad), but never a "fuck" or "shit". Kristopher has a temper, so he certainly will curse on occasion, and in fact, the only f-bomb of the entire book (so far) goes to him. (Which is shocking, given my potty mouth irl.) He's still a prince though, so it's not like he swears like a sailor. Nina will curse on occasion when very angry or frustrated, but not often. As for Captain Blackthorne... if you ever hear in swear, you know things are bad.

As for Call of Shadows, I'm not entirely sure about words of endearment. I'm really bad with those even in our world, lmao. And Dorian being aroace and having no close friends or family atm, he's never really been called or called someone else pet names, etc. Unless you count his parents calling him stuff when he was a little kid.

BUT you have now made me very intrigued in the concept of a Very Heavy Love Word, that is super special and important, be it platonic or romantic. Hmm.... things to think about.

[memento-morri-writes]

They're a Ten, but...

I was tagged by @italiangothicwriteblr !! Thank you, Joy!

Rules: Like the title says, your OC's are tens, but....

ATQH Gang:

Fallon: She's a ten, but she refuses to except help from anyone.

Kristopher: He's a ten, but he hates himself.

Captain Blackthorne: He's a ten, but he will suffocate you via a hug.

Nina: She's a ten, but she's more likely to stab you than flirt with you.

Duncan: He's a ten, but he's hopelessly crushing on someone who will never love him back. (alternatively: He's a ten, but he's straight.)

Hermes: He's a ten, but he will steal all of your stuff for fun.

Lavinia: She's a ten, but she'll kill you in your sleep.

Nora: She's a ten, but she's terrified of commitment.

Mabel: She's a ten, but she will whack you with a rolling pin without warning.

Tessa: She's a ten, but she actually wants you to take care of yourself.

Pierre: He's a negative 10,000. He sucks.

CoS Gang:

Ashlin: She's a ten, but they'll rob you blind and insult you on the way out.

Dorian: He's a ten, but he has magic that may or may not be slowly killing him.

Theo: They're a ten, but they get distracted by so much as the mention of an animal.

Calista: She's a ten, but she's a wanted criminal.

Lenora: She's a ten, but she imprisoned her nephew.

The Huntsman: He's a ten, but he's not exactly human.

Squish: She's a ten, but she screams if you try to leave her. (also, a slug.)

[memento-morri-writes]

Hi! Happy STS!

Are there any details that you had to cut from your WIP for the plot, but that you love? If so, share them!

—Joy (@italiangothicwriteblr)

Hi Joy!!! Happy STS!

Since both my WIPs are very much still WIPs, there’s nothing I’ve officially decided to cut yet. (Especially from CoS). But I’m thinking that I might have to cut some characters or side plots from ATQH, since there’s a lot going on. If it was a tv show or something, I’d have more freedom to follow side characters but as a novel, I feel like I might have but off more than I can chew. So, sadly Nora and her pirating, and Moira and her criminal empire might have to go.

Duncan has to stay, and so does Nina, and Kristopher obviously. Hermes I am desperate to keep, because I love him dearly, but even he may have to get cut in the end. :’(

[memento-morri-writes]

Hi! Happy STS!

All the Queen's Horses looks really cool (sidenote: taglist me please?)! Which character do you find the hardest to write? Would you consider your villain likeable? Which relationship do you think readers would enjoy the most?

-Joy (@italiangothicwriteblr)

Hi Joy!! Happy STS! (and ofc you can be on the taglist!!)

Which character is the hardest to write?

Lavinia. Hands down. I have a hard time figuring out how to make her act, which is doubled in difficulty due to the fact that her entire friendship with Fallon is a lie... The side of her that's willing to kill Fallon is not a person that Fallon would befriend, so she has to act rather different when she's getting on Fallon's good side. I'm still trying to figure out a good path for her to take to befriend Fallon, but I'm thinking that her plan is to focus the attention on Fallon, make her feel important, and deflect attention away from herself.

Would you consider your villain likeable?

It depends on who you consider the villain, and at what point in the story. Before Lavinia reveals herself, she should be at least a little likeable. I don't want it to be obvious from the start that she's a traitor. I want her betrayal to come as a shock to the readers and to Fallon. But technically, ATQH has multiple layers of villains, even though Lavinia is the only one who appears in the story herself. You could also pin the root of all evil on Victor, the man who send Lavinia. Or you could go further back and pin it on Pierre, who did nothing to stop Victor from being a menace, even when he had the chance, and is also Kristopher's shithead of a father. But none of them are meant to be likeable once you get to know them. I'm very deliberate about that, because I'm tired of people apologizing for the (very, very fucked up) actions of villain characters. (looking at you "person forgives their abusive family even though they haven't really changed" trope, and also you, Darkling apologists.)

Which relationship do you think readers will enjoy the most?

Well, obviously I'm hoping they like Fallon and Kristopher, since this is really their story, lmao. And based on you guys' reactions I should be alright in that department. But I also hope people like Blackthorne and Fallon's familial relationship, and also I really hope people appreciate Nina and Kris as the "Blond(e) Sword Power Duo", because by the end of the book they're actually friends and respect each other a lot. And I love both of them to bits. I know there will be people who ship Nina and Fallon, and trust me, if it weren't for Kristopher, they probably would end up together, but there's no denying it that Kristopher and Fallon love each other more than they could ever love anyone else, at least romantically.