#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 - I originally made Fallon just to test random cc, and fell in love.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]

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]

Hi remembrance

For blorbsday, two of your blorbos are having a duel for Reasons™️. Who do they take with them and how does it go down? (Everything's fair game: weapons, rules, fantasy new jersey)

HI SLEEPY!!!! Happy Blorbsday!

(I giggled at Fantasy New Jersey, so thank you.)

Canonically I do have a couple of duels that actually happen in my WIPs. I'll talk about all of them.

In ATQH, Nina and Kris do actually duel, but it's just for fun and practice. Both of them are skilled swordspeople, so it's a fun challenge for both of them. By the end of the story, they're on pretty good terms, and it's a sweet moment, I think. (Plus, it's nice for Kristopher to finally fight someone who isn't secretly okay with killing him...) I don't think Fallon would actually be there for it in canon, but it would be cute to have her there watching the Blond(e) Sword Duo Showdown.

I also have post-canon plans for a showdown between Kris and a certain asshole named Sebastian, but idk if I'll ever do anything with it, other than daydream about it. (This duel was the reason I came up with a very detailed fictional poison...) Kris is all alone at the time that the duel happens, but the most important character who's there is Leo, my sweet baby of a guardsman who honestly is a little in awe of Kristopher, for several reasons. (He's Blackthorne's personal favorite, and everyone thinks he's going to end up as the next Captain. But my boy needs to work on his confidence!!)

In Political Fantasy WIP, Alora and <Prince> have a magic duel, which ends up having some pretty serious consequences. The reasons behind it have yet to be determined, but it's basically so they can both show off to each other, and to the court. They each have their closest friend in their corner. For <Prince>, that's Lila, the palace healer. For Alora, it's her personal guard Erin. (Lila tried to talk <Prince> out of this shit, but he's too stubborn to listen to reason. Especially when it comes to Alora.) It's not so much a direct "try to harm each other" duel, but more of a show of magical power. (Trying to overpower the other's magic, etc. without actually causing harm.)

Also, if Runaway Prince WIP stays the fantasy route (which I think it will), there will definitely be some kick-ass pirate duels in there.

I just LOVE duels so much, and I really need to write more of them. To be honest, the only reason I haven't written more of them is because I struggle writing action/fight scenes. But seriously, duels are the fucking best. (I might be biased, though, because I'm playing a swashbuckler in dnd right now, and my DM said I can have a narrative duel against my villain....) (Not to mention the fact that I challenged a dude to a duel and got back-to-back nat 20's against him...)

Also, if anyone wants to see some absolutely BOMB-ASS magic duels, you should totally read V.E. Schwab's Shades of Magic series. The duels aren't until book 3, iirc, but the whole series is AMAZING.

Thanks again for the ask, Sleepy!! <3

[memento-morri-writes]

WIP Intro Powerpoint - All the Queen’s Horses (2/2)

Layout inspired by @jostenwrites, you can find part 1 (story/plot intro) here

​Queen Fallon of Anvia is tired of being alone.  For the past 5 years she’s spent all her energy holding herself and Anvia together after the death of her mother.  For a long time, she was too busy to feel lonely.  But things settled down, and Fallon realized that she missed visitors, missed having friends, having lovers.  She realized that while being Queen was her job alone, it did not mean she had to be lonely.

But love is built on trust, and can she really trust anyone after her father’s betrayal?

Welcome to my wip! You can read more on the WIP page HERE, or the tag HERE.  I don’t currently have a taglist since almost all of my posts revolve around ATQH anyways.  :)

[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]

happy STS, morri! i'm sorta in the mood for villains rn, so feel free to tell me facts about lavinia. i know she's a thorn at your side and probably 99% of the characters in atqh, so yeh.

or another character: nina. her preferred routines and how she spends a day of training? and what's her favorite things to do aside from that?

either way, hoping you have a great day and week ahead! - 🔮⛈

P.S: (you don't have to send one back, I'm still on an STS hiatus.)

Hi Enchant!! Thank you for the ask!! :)  (Sorry this took so long to answer!! I had to think about it for a bit.)

Okay, so, yeah. Lavinia is definitely a thorn in my side right now, since I don't really know a lot about her character. She's the one I'm struggling with the most, to be honest. But I'll try my best.

Her parents were supporters of Victor Pelle's attempted coup in Oryn following the old king's death. They were exiled to the Southern Isles, along with Victor and the rest of his supporters. Lavinia was born there, and raised among the rebels. As such, she's never really been taught anything other than their mindset, at least not from people she trusts. HOWEVER, she knows what she's doing, and she knows that she's hurting people by doing it.

Because of basically being raised to be a spy, she is a talented liar, and she will basically change her entire personality to better fit whoever she needs to be for her job. (Which is part of why I struggle with her, since I need to have two versions of her.) With Fallon, she didn't entirely know what would work until she actually met the Queen, so early on, she's still trying to figure out what works.

She's a little bit like those kids in elementary school who were perfect angels when the teachers were around, and all the adults loved them, but on the playground were actually bullies. She definitely lets comments slip, just never when Fallon's around. The other suitors don't have to like her, so long as Fallon does, that's enough.

As for Nina, I’m going to put this under the cut, because I ramble a lot.

Nina was raised in a small village in Aurania, far away from her father, the Emperor. For years, she didn't even know she was his daughter. She only found out because her mother was getting money every month from the capital to help take care of Nina.

Being raised in a small town, there wasn't a lot of opportunity to learn to fight, even though she really wanted to. That suited her mother just fine, because she never wanted Nina to join the army anyways. However, Nina managed to find someone who was willing to train her, and started training without her mother's permission.

She joined the army, and only told her mother after she had signed up. After that, her father found out that she was not only a member of his army, but also one of the most talented, and awarded her the title of Knight Commander.

As for training, when she was younger, training in her village, she didn't have a lot of opportunity to spar against other people. Her mentor would spar with her on occasion, but that's only one person, one fighting style. However, Nina is clever and able to adapt quickly, so she was able to adjust just fine once she joined the army. While in the army, she would spar with some of the other soldiers, which was something that a lot of them, particularly the newbies were eager to do. They would all love to beat her, just to say they could. However, almost no one can. :) In Anvia, she'll use one of the combat dummies at the garrison, and later on, she might eventually spar with some of Fallon's guards. Since she's a guest, her access to weapons is very limited, and she can only train when she's supervised, so she'll do other workouts like going for a run or something when she feels the itch for physical activity.

Aside from training, how she spends her time depends on where she is at the moment.  If she’s at home with her mother, she’ll help out with the farm work.  If she’s in the Capital, she’ll gladly go out and spend time with her friends.  If she wants to be alone for a while, she’ll find a quiet place to read.  In Anvia, since she doesn’t know anyone (yet), she’ll likely spend a lot of her freetime either reading or just casually exploring the Palace.

[memento-morri-writes]

Hey Morri! Happy Blorbo Blursday!

Do you have any aesthetic boards for your OCs or their relationships?

OH YOU BET YOUR ASS I DO!!!

I have pinterest boards for all of the ATQH main cast (some of which have more content than others), which I'll link in a second, and I also made a few collages for some of my faves.

(the shadow WIP is too new to have pinterest boards yet, but I'll work on them eventually. And some of the stuff on Hermes' board could work for Ash too.)

Pinterest Links: - Fallon - Kristopher - Fallon x Kristopher - Lavinia - Moira - Duncan - Hermes - Nina - Nora

Aesthetic Boards under the cut! (Kristopher's is the best by far, imo. Heartbreaking, but the best.)

[memento-morri-writes]

Wordcount Update 04/10/2022 (3/?)

WIP: All the Queen’s Horses

Scene Title: Ghost

Wordcount: 587

Favorite Line(s):

Nina was the first to break the silence. "She can't seriously think we'll abandon her now, can she?" Kris did not immediately reply, staring at the doorway through which Fallon had left. "She was so… stiff. It was strange."

That called the Kristopher's attention back to the present. "Of course she did," he snapped. "Someone fucking tried to kill her!"  There was a long silence before Kris spoke.  "Sorry," he muttered.

"It's fine.  We're all stressed." Nina said, examining his face. "What's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I feel like I have, he thought. "I hadn't seen her since, since it happened. I tried to, after…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "I guess I didn't really believe it, not really. Not even after hearing Blackthorne go on and on about us not being able to leave, and all the guards in the halls. But she looked so… she looked so unlike herself."

Nina nodded. "I know what you mean. She looked like a different person." Because she is, Kris thought, but he merely nodded.

[memento-morri-writes]

ATQH Excerpt #10 - “I’m not leaving.”

Wordcount: 798

TW: Mention of attempted murder.

Fallon sat at her desk, aimlessly shuffling papers.  She had offered the suitors a way out.  Would any of them take it?  She hoped not.  I don’t want to be here alone, she thought, then felt guilty.  By staying here, the suitors would be potentially risking their lives for her.  But it was true.  Over the past several months, Fallon has grown used to having company, to the voices in the dining room, people in the library.  She wasn’t sure she was ready for it to be still and silent again.

[continued under the cut]

In the 5 years after her mother’s death, Fallon had hardly had any visitors.  No one quite knew what to do, what to say to her, so they said nothing.  She hadn’t minded, mostly.  The quiet meant no surprises, and she rarely felt lonely — she hadn’t had the time. But things settled down.  Less border attacks, less nosy nobles making excuses to meet her.  She missed people, Fallon realized.  She missed having friends, having lovers.  Being Queen was her job alone, but that didn’t mean she has to be lonely. And so she had made the announcement, invited the suitors to the Palace.  It had been a change, having so many people around, but a welcome one.  The empty, dusty guest rooms had been aired out and cleaned, and Fallon was no longer alone.  And yet, she thought, one of them still tried to kill me.  She sighed, resting her head in her hands. Someone knocked gently on the door of her study, and Fallon sat up.  It hadn’t even been an hour since her announcement.  Surely no one had decided to leave so soon?  “Come in,” she called.  The door opened and Nina entered.  Fallon looked behind her, a flash of motion catching her eye, but the door was already swinging closed.  Her heart sank. Nina marched across the room and stopped in front of Fallon’s desk, but did not take a seat. “You’re an idiot, Fallon.”  The Queen blinked in surprise.  No one had ever told her that before.  “You must be out of your mind if you think we’re going to leave you.  Even with a potential assassin on the way.  Especially with a potential assassin on the way.”  Fallon felt a surge of affection for the warrior.  She was caring, but in a no-nonsense kind of way.  And for all her babying that morning, Fallon was glad Nina was still here. “Nina, I-“ She paused, trying to gather her emotions into words.  In the end she settled on “Thank you.  For… everything.” Nina nodded.  “Of course.”  She rounded the desk and gave Fallon a tight hug.  “Now I’d better get going, before Kris breaks down the door.” She smiled, then turned and exited.  Fallon heard her say “Your turn,” before the door closed, cutting off the rest of her words. It was only closed for a few seconds though, before it opened again.  Kris walked across the room and hesitated before pulling Fallon into a hug.  When he pulled back, he looked at her closely, scanning her eyes for any sign of pain.  “Are you alright?  Did sh- are you hurt?”  Fallon shook her head and Kris felt weak with relief.  Thank the Morrigan. He grabbed Fallon’s hand and looked her in the eyes.  “I know you already heard it from Nina, but there is not way in heel that I’m leaving.”  He squeezed her hand tightly.  No one should have to deal with something like this alone, and I’m not going to let you.”  His voice was soft, but there was a sincerity to it. Fallon smiled at him, though her cheeks were damp.  “Thank you,” She said softly. It was strange, she thought, seeing him so worried.  Usually the Prince was loath to show any emotion, except an occasional amused grin. He sat down in the chair in front of Fallon, still holding her hand.  “By the Light, I was so worried,”  Kris said, face falling.  “I had no idea what was happening.  When I found out, I tried to come see you, but they wouldn’t let me leave my rooms.”  He swallowed.  “Not knowing if you were okay, or even if you were alive…” He trailed off, not wanting to worry her further. Now it was Fallon’s turn to squeeze his hand.  “I’m alive.” “Only thanks to Nina.”  He said it without a trace of jealousy or bitterness, but Fallon got the sense that the idea bothered him. They sat in silence for a few more moments before Kris slowly got to his feet.  “I should go,” he said quietly.  Stay, Fallon almost said.  But he was releasing her hand and walking towards the door, and then it was too late.  She was alone.

[memento-morri-writes]

ATQH Snippet #5 - “Idiot.”

"You're an idiot, Fallon." The Queen blinked in surprise. No one had ever told her that before. "You must be out of your mind if you think we're going to leave you. Even with a potential assassin on the way. Especially with a potential assassin on the way."