#oc: uthyr kri’asphodel

[cain-e-brookman]

Incorrect Quotes

this is so much fun, thanks for the tag @spideronthesun!

Tagging: @eternalwritingstudent @illarian-rambling and @skullduggeryandfilibuster

Rules: Use this link to generate quotes.

Silas: I bet you’re wondering why I gathered you here today. It’s because we need to have a discussion about how some people in this room aren’t getting along with other people in this room. Crucius: Why did you say that so vaguely? Tavi and I are literally the only people you called in here.

--

Uthyr: You remind me of the ocean. Crucius: Because I'm deep and mysterious? Uthyr: No, because you're full of salt and you scare people.

--

Crucius: Tavi, I need some advice. Tavi: You need advice from ME? Crucius: Yeah, frightening, isn't it?

--

Demon: Hey, I took your soul last month and- Silas: No returns. Demon: *sobbing* But it's making me sad...

--

Hesperos: If you took a shot for every time you made a bad decision, how drunk would you be? Uthyr Maybe a bit tipsy? Crucius: Drunk. Silas: Wasted. Tavi: Dead.

--

Hesperos: Uh. . Hey, Felix, i uh, I’ve been stabbed. Uthyr: WHAT? WHERE ARE YOU? Hesperos: Wait- You aren’t Felix. Sorry- I didn’t mean to call you- Uthyr: NO, WHERE ARE YOU? I'M COMING THERE. I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE SOMEONE ALONE THAT'S BEEN STABBED.

--

Hesperos: Name a more iconic duo than my crippling fear of abandonment and my anxiety. I’ll wait. Hauk: You and me! Hesperos: *tearing up* Ok.

--

Hesperos: What is the most illegal thing you can do with one gold? Crucius: Exchange it for a hundred copper, put them all in a sock, and then beat someone to death with it.

[cain-e-brookman]

If Uthyr had known the end of the world would make his hydrangeas wilt, he would have been prepared a week ago for what was coming.

the first line of my WIP has been the same since i started with a paragraph as a writing practice. the first scene is Uthyr in his garden, using his magic to heal his hydrangea plants (in his words, "foolish and sentimental given they were likely going to die anyway,") before being strong-armed into having tea time with Crucius. The chapter ends with Crucius mentioning the wind has changed, ("It tends to do that." "Not like this. Something's different.") It ends with Uthyr shaking his head, brushing it off, and going about his business.

I wanted to have a calmer opening chapter that had enough of a question to hook while also highlighting the life Uthyr leads and the values he holds. Since--as a healer--Uthyr isn't running off into valiant battle, I thought it was more fitting to show what was truly at stake within the story.

“The wind?” he asked. “What an odd thing to say.” He shook his head. Cabbage. Then his carrots. His tomato starts had probably grown enough to transplant as well. They’d need to get into the ground soon. Maybe if he was quick about it, he could take a walk down to the creek. He’d been watching the life cycle of the spotted frogs since spawning, greeting the first signs of legs on the pollywogs. When they were fully grown, he’d take a summer night by the water to listen to their first song. His father once told him the completion of change held a beautiful type of magic. The kind that inspired light and courage in even the most fragile of hearts.  Uthyr hoped to capture some of that magic for himself.

We're hitting rewind today! Let's hear about the start of your story! Tell me about the opening scenes of your story!

[cain-e-brookman]

Favorite Character Poll

Thank you for the tag, @topazadine! i picked Orrinir in your poll! love a trauma boy with abandonment issues tbh

Rules: list all your main ocs and give brief descriptions of them. then, create a poll with their names and allow your followers to vote on who their favourite character is.

Characters are from my current WIP, The Name Witch. This is part of a series that has many more main characters but I'm really controlling myself here and only taking from the first book.

Uthyr Kri'Asphodel

Uthyr is, in his own words, a soft fussy solitary witch from the Uslarian coast who wants nothing more than to tend his garden, cook good food, and live a life of peace. He has a strong sense of justice, but a delicate heart full of loss and shame. He loves all animals but particularly loves frogs and amphibians as well as most bugs and snakes. His connection to the gods allows him to call on many magics, but he specializes as a healer. Despite being a genuinely kind person, he's anxious and grumpy around groups of people or people he doesn't know. Although a powerful witch, he suffers under others' perception of his standing. He long ago abandoned the name of his foremothers, taking the name Asphodel as the first of his line. Despite this, he doesn't regret doing so. His name, like his garden, is his pride.

Crucius, Formerly of Alilux

Uthyr's neighbor, a Fallen Mage who never speaks on his detachment from his god, though he rarely speaks at all. Quiet, indiscernible, and haughty, he plays most of his past close to the vest, giving very little away in the eight years he's lived next to Uthyr in his square house in the woods. He's branded himself with the only fear he'll admit to: two spiders burnt into the backs of his hands: a reminder of his banishment from his homeland into badlands infested with man-eating spiders. Despite his apparent detachment from anyone, he leaves the corner of the forest he shares with Uthyr every spring and only returns in fall.

Sister Alma of Bhréchin

A young woman from the island country of Bhréchin, new in the robes of the Death God's Order. In fact so new, that as of the first chapter she's introduced, she'd only been a Priestess for a week. Her youth becomes obvious in both her naivete and her love of frivolous gossip, though both belie a dark past she faces head-on. Her devotion to the Death God wouldn't be strange but for the grip of the Lifebringer's Cult in her country, who squash any worship outside of the Church under their boot. With a cheerful disposition, an optimism that could eclipse the sun, and a temper to be reckoned with, Alma is only not speaking when she's asleep. And even sometimes, she does that too.

Bran Yot'Aster

As the heir of the line of Aster, Ninth of his Name, Bran comes from a long line of witches and has been told his whole life of a prophecy that the fate of the world depended on his answer to the call of a twisted wind. When the Coven discovers the unraveling of the realm adjacent, The Other, they call upon him to face his destiny and save them all from the destruction of the Calamities...

Only to find Uthyr has beaten him to it.

Dethroned of his destiny, Bran is surly and adrift. When he joins Uthyr and Alma on their journey, he believes Uthyr's involvement comes entirely from a mistake, that he will see the moment where the prophecy declares him champion, and he finally finds himself deserving of the pedestal his family has always placed him on. Despite the predicament, he's steady and true, believing honesty and valor will light his path to glory.

tags under the cut! feel free to do this even if not tagged, and please tag me if you do! don't feel pressured, only if you'd like to o7

@illarian-rambling @emrowene @xenascribbles aaaannnnnd uuhhhh

@spideronthesun

[cain-e-brookman]

Character Profile Tag

I was tagged by @eternalwritingstudent! thanks so much!

Name:

Uthyr Kri'Asphodel (Uthyr of the Asphodels, First of His Name)

Nickname:

Doesnt really have one?

Kind of being:

A witch, descendants of the Goddess Lythis of the Void.

Age:

45

Gender:

Male

Appearance:

Roughly 5'5", dark umber skin, amber eyes, kind of stocky, with black hair he wears in mid-length locs. He usually wears greens or browns, sturdy boots, and if he's in his garden, thick gloves for weeding. In the early spring he'll pluck dandelions and put them in the fastenings of his shirt. He tells Crucius its just to keep the seeds from his plants, but really he likes when the bees stop by to rest in them.

Occupation:

Healer and apothecary.

Family members:

Most of Uthyr's family is gone.

Pets:

None, though he once had a rooster that someone had given him in exchange for his healing. He wasn't sure if they meant to for slaughter, but witches don't eat meat, so he made it a little house until it passed of old age.

Describe their room:

I'm gonna take this from the canon text:

"His home was more of a hut with one large area that served as his spell room, kitchen, and bedroom. New threshing lined the floor and gave the room an earthy scent mixed with the herbs drying in his windowsill. As he crossed the threshold, he was washed with a feeling of peace. He’d lived his whole life wanting for a space like this.  There wasn’t a single part of his home that didn’t speak to who he was. Littered with knick-knacks, his shelves held more baubles than potions or books. Mostly dried flowers and colorful or interesting rocks he’d found on walks. From the ceiling and on the walls he hung art and crafts from some of his more local patients. He never turned down a client, never required payment from someone who couldn’t afford the care, but even so, some who had little coin to part with gave him gifts of gratitude and he never denied one.

Way of speaking:

When around friends, he's talkative and bright, especially when discussing his garden or magic. He grows wearier around strangers, trips on his words and often comes across more blunt than he means to. He's a rather direct person and trying to decode niceties is a necessary skill he tries very hard at, but is not very good with.

Physical characteristics (posture, gestures, attitudes):

He's always very mindful of his posture, especially when working. He's a healer so he knows how improper movements can strain muscles and cause injury. When in the company of friends, he's very relaxed and open with his body language, but once in large crowds or in front of a lot of strangers, his shoulders tend to rise to his ears.

Hobbies:

Gardening, frog-watching, bee-keeping. He keeps saying he's going to make a bird feeder to better acquaint himself with the local birds, but every year he looks at the squirrels already stealing from his garden and remembers why he's yet to do that.

Favorite sports:

He's not much into sports. Anywhere in his country that might be holding any events is far too distant from him to care.

Abilities/talents/powers:

As a witch, his ancestors made pacts with each individual god, (except Raschic and Aeriessa,) for access to their power. Although he can draw from any, he struggles with cardinal elements, and only finds consistent success with Uensine, the God of Rest (healing,) and Emjir the Trickster (hexes and such.) Considering those two gods famously don't get along, Uthyr has never been sure why he excels at both their magic.

Relationships (interaction with others):

Crucius: his best friend. For the last few years, his only friend. Although Crucius is secretive and inscrutable, Uthyr values his company and his wit.

Alma: In Uthyr's eyes, Alma is all of two years old. He tries not to talk down to her, as she's a fully realized Priestess of Uensine, and as such can call upon her god's waking dead with a single prayer, she's also incredibly naive in a lot of ways, due to being, in Uthyr's eyes, all of two years old.

Bran: Bran is too big for his britches and needs to come back to the ground with the normal people, as far as Uthyr's concerned. He tries to ignore the one-sided rivalry Bran has decided on, but does occasionally revel in putting the other witch in his place.

Fears:

Being left, not being able to say goodbye, as well as little things like crowds and being in the center of attention.

Faults:

Uthyr is always kind, but not always nice. He does tend to be rather impatient where people are concerned. He rarely sticks up for himself like he should, and tends to downplay how important he is in people's live.

Good points:

He's always kind. Despite his objections to it, he's brave and steadfast, loyal and chivalrous, with a love of the world he lives in and the people in his life. His heart's too big for his body.

What they want more than anything else:

A quiet life with his garden, with Crucius across the way. Their daily tea while he talks about how his flowers are getting on. To be important enough to Crucius to be worth telling secrets to. Perhaps a peach sapling to plant this year. Might be nice to have a cat around...

alright i'm tagging @spideronthesun @topazadine @inadequatecowboy and @skullduggeryandfilibuster

[cain-e-brookman]

Write/Share Last Line Tag

i was tagged by @eternalwritingstudent! thanks so much!

Fifteen, Uthyr thought. An infant.  There was a strange and heavy air about her, though. A weightiness in one’s middle. Uthyr had felt the same thing in Uensine’s realm. Finality. Mortality. It hung on her like her heavy robes. Despite her youth, she was an acolyte of The End. Uthyr couldn’t imagine what drew her to such a life. It clashed with the bounce in her shoulders as she spoke of a boy in her village.  “He’s asked for my hand. My Lord has no need of his order to stay unmarried, but I’ve told the lad he must finish his apprenticeship before thinking he has the right. I’m a Priestess after all. He’ll need to be just as settled before I even think of letting him build us a house.”  Uthyr wasn’t sure when he’d missed the part about the house, or if he had. Alma hardly stopped speaking as they finished breakfast, kicked out the embers of the fire, and picked up camp. Her bright attitude brought Uthyr mixed feelings. Although the levity was certainly refreshing, it felt grating given the dire nature of their task.

gonna tag @topazadine @illarian-rambling annnnddd @spideronthesun as always, no pressure

[cain-e-brookman]

thanks for the tag @illarian-rambling! i think i did this right

Unusual Association Tag

Alright, it's Uthyr's turn again

Seasoning: coriander

Weather: the first sunny day after a really wet winter

Color: forest green

Sky: mostly sunny with some rolling fluffy cloud

Magic power: healing

Plant: Asphodelus albus would be too easy of an answer (given his name) but honestly since he's a witch there's a lot of plants associated with him and so i'm going with my initial knee-jerk reaction of Berberis aquifolium

Weapon: magic, but nonlethal magic. calling on the Trickster for various amphibian based hexes is a favorite move, but usually a petty one

Social media: rip uthyr you would love pinterest

Candy: those strawberry hard candies

Fear: being forgotten. parting ways without saying goodbye

Method of long-distance travel: he's only traveled his country by foot, but he's fascinated (and terrified) by the concept of horseback

Art style: watercolors

Stationary: paper scraps

Celestial body: saturn

I'll tag @topazadine @emrowene @spideronthesun and @xenascribbles!

[cain-e-brookman]

@seastarblue talking about her Felix has me wanting to share a little on mine. This is a rough snippet of a scene further in my wip than i currently am, but needed to be jotted down before i forgot it

"But he wasn’t the one the guards were afraid of,” Uthyr interjected, stopping what he could only assume would be an entire itinerary of Crescaeyan gossip. “They said ‘look at the lines.’” "That’s right.” Alma handed the ring back to Uthyr. “See how there’s two lines under the octopus tentacles? That’s a sign of the Saccilarius heir. Not Lord Rutilus’ ring. His nephew. Lord Felix. "Lord Felix is a hard one,” Alma continued, visibly thrilled to share her opinions. “Same fanged ambition as his uncle, but Lord Rutilus is at least charming with it. Lord Felix puts on airs, is sharp on every angle. He’s infamously difficult to deal with, got a temperament that would frighten a charging bull.” "You know an awful amount about this,” Uthyr said, rolling the ring in his hand. "I do. I was still in Crescaeya when Lord Rutilus named him as his heir. Every single noble in the city was suddenly pushing their grown children to try courting him.” Alma sighed, dreamily. “And to be honest, if I’d been of marrying age, I would have tried myself. Beautiful man, him. He’s turned off every suitor who’s tried, though. Rumor is that he’s betrothed already. To a foreigner, no less!”

[cain-e-brookman]

WELL HELLO! Since I saw you mention your witch characters. Tell me about them a little. Do they know that they are witches since birth in your world? Or do they come into their abilities a bit later? And who is the best at potion making?

hello hello!

so witches in my world aren't a class to specialize in like a lot of fantasy, and are instead an entire race! When the Lifebringer still held dominion of the world through the rule of the Fae, she heard a prophecy (so very conveniently given to her by the Trickster) that the daughter of the Death God would surpass her in power, and so banished the goddess Lythis to the Void. There, Lythis created her own version of life, (in the way someone who's only once seen a bird tries to make a sculpture of a bird, giving Lythis the title of Goddess of the Uncanny.) The creatures she created called themselves Clurga, and were varied and strange, some more humanoid than others.

Back in the land of the living, humans were Not Having A Good Time under the rule of the Fae, as Aeriessa (The Lifebringer) only created them to serve the Fae. A group of humans tried to escape their bondage into the wildlands. Lythis, seeing their plight when they wandered into a glen where the skin between the worlds was thin, let them into her realm. As the children of that group grew, they took partners with some of the Clurga, and those children eventually left Lythis' Otherworldy Plane (known by witches as The Other) and carved out a country from the grip of the Lifebringer, and named their new land Uslaria under the name their goddess gave them: witch. After the Mage Wars and the fall of the Fae Empires, humans joined the witches in their country. Since witches are pacifists, they wanted no rule over the country, and so Uslaria became a human kingdom that is known far and wide as the home of the witches and their central force, The Coven.

This is a very long explanation to basically say, they have their magic from birth, and any child born from the womb of a witch will pass their magic to their child (as opposed to Mages, where the magic follows the blood of the one who sired them.) It's why most witch parents will immediately start teaching their toddlers fun tricks like Put Plant Back Into Seed :) Grow Dandelion From Puff :) Please Don't Summon Fire To Light Mummy's Candles. Fire Is For Grownups. (Magic is like teething. They will do it anyway. Give them a proper outlet that won't end with them accidentally flooding your house.)

And as for who's the best potion maker--of my two main witch characters, it's Uthyr! Bran spent his years learning more versatile magic, so he's very Jack of All Trades wrt his magic. Uthyr put all his skill points into healing and potion making. And hex casting, but he's always found the Trickster to answer his requests, so it's his usual go to. Doesn't understand why more witches don't think about it tbh.

[cain-e-brookman]

thanks for the tag @illarian-rambling!

OC AITA Tag

Rules: Make up a fake AITA post about something your oc did

AITA for telling my atheist friend he was being a dick?

So I (45m) had just gotten home from a meeting with my religious group. I'd gone to get help with a certain problem in my life, (don't want to get into it) but they basically threw me to the wolves and told me there was no problem. I then had to walk all the way home to my house, to find my neighbor (???nb) sitting in my house and making tea. At first I wasn't mad, because I'd had a hard day, so I sat down with him and told him what happened. He said my religious group were a bunch of arrogant jackasses (not wrong) and got really agitated. We don't really talk about religion because he's got some religious trauma, but he's always seemed very respectful of my faith. When I told him that I would simply handle the problem, and that the gods would guide me, he was blatantly blasphemous right in front of me. I wasn't rude, but I held my boundary and told him I'd never judged him for his lack of faith, so he needed to respect my beliefs as well. He then got really cold and stormed out of my house. I don't know what to do. I really don't judge him, knowing a bit about his religious history, but I don't think it was right for him to disrespect my beliefs like that.

poor Uthyr....

I'll taggggggg @eternalwritingstudent @spideronthesun @skullduggeryandfilibuster and anyone else who's inspired!

(reblog for bigger sample etc etc)

[cain-e-brookman]

Happy STS! What genre other than the genre they're in would your characters have the most fun in?

Thanks for the ask!

Uthyr would have the most fun in one of those like beach read type books by Elin Hildebrand or someone. Because then even if he's having A Bad Time, at least he's near the ocean

Crucius would have fun in a spy thriller. He would be the one trying to catch the spy though

Alma deserves a YA romance with a lot of scandal. She'd obviously be the lead

Bran honestly would still want to be in a fantasy novel, but he'd want to be in one where he's the main character :/

[cain-e-brookman]

WIP Anagram Tag

thanks for the tag @spideronthesun!

Rules: You will be given a word, and you must share 1 sentence from your WIP/s that starts with each letter in that word

tagging @skullduggeryandfilibuster @inadequatecowboy @eternalwritingstudent and @topazadine! Your word is COMPLAINT

the word i was given was SOMETHING

S

Silence stretched between them as Crucius poured them each a cup of tea, adding two heaping scoops of sugar to his own.

O

“Oh, he always had some ridiculous answer to any—if not all—concerns,” Crucius said, dismissively.

M

“My mums said he can’t make Priests ‘cause he let vampires take over Bhréchin.”

E

Emjir jumped back so quickly, he fell into a solid form.

T

Trickster take the smug and self-assured.

H

He was a cold one, Crucius, never one to show anything but what was on the surface.

I

In that soft moment when the sun touched the edges of the world, heating enough to contrast the bite of the morning breeze, Uthyr wished he could stay home.

N

“No honor in going back on your word,” Everett pressed, raising his eyebrows and mimicking an Uslarian accent before dropping it once more to say: “No take-backs.”

G

“Great Grandfather, there must be someone else,” Uthyr argued, dropping his hands beneath the table.

[cain-e-brookman]

Forget Myers-Briggs. Let’s talk Tarot

For each of my main characters, I have a corresponding tarot in the major arcana for them. This is based on their character arc within the story and also functions (or will function) as the cover art for their respective book. So without further ado:

Uthyr Kri’Asphodel and the Major Arcana

The Hierophant in Reverse

When you see the Hierophant in reverse, it may mean that you are feeling particularly restricted and even constrained from too many structures and rules. As a result, you have lost quite a lot of control as well as flexibility in your life. You have a particularly strong will and desire to go ahead and regain control as well as to break free from the shackles of convention. You are tempted to try unorthodox approaches or to function in a way which defies social ties and norms.

The Hierophant reversal meaning is mostly about questioning certain traditions and making sure that whatever it is that you do is the right thing for you in this certain moment. (source)

Most of Uthyr’s character arc is him questioning the traditions that mire down those in power, challenging ideals he holds as truth to find what is right and just, and breaking away from that which no longer serves him or those he loves. Though his story takes him to places he’d never willingly travel, he does so with one goal in mind: to help those needing help. If being flexible or walking off the beaten path saves even one person, Uthyr will do it.

With only minimal bitching.

[cain-e-brookman]

Out of Context Tag

thanks to @eternalwritingstudent for the tags!

“Your name, sirrah.” “Everett,” the man lied. “A pleasure,” Uthyr lied back. “Was there something I can help you with?” “Well, if you don’t mind, I need something fetched from the temple grounds.” Uthyr looked from Everett to the temple not ten yards from them. “Have you no means to walk?"

tagginggggg @spideronthesun @inadequatecowboy and @topazadine

[cain-e-brookman]

that tag game has me thinking about my characters and how i love bleeding perception of both themselves and each other to really bring to life who they are. meant to have a journal entry done tonight, but instead have some of the first impressions of my characters to date*

*Tavi and Silas' are from an early draft of book two that was scrapped on the realization that book one needed to be rewritten from scratch and although i specifically separated these from the scrap doc, they may not make the cut when i get to the second book proper ok? ok**

**also i haven't gotten to Bran in this rewrite yet and his initial description is majorly lacking so i guess y'all'll have to wait for that

Uthyr

Returning to this place always stung. Looking up to the top seat, he felt he should still see his father there, a pensive look etching lines into his face. He wondered if anyone would ever see their resemblance, then banished the thought from his head. His father had been taller, darker. A slimmer build, eyes as black as obsidian, and a lopsided smile that would cut through whatever seriousness he’d grown tired of at any given time. 

No, Uthyr favored his mother in too many ways. Had her dark umber skin. Was neither tall nor short, but stout, solid. Eyes like amber. Always a bit severe in the mouth. He’d gotten his hair from whatever had passed up his mother on that side of the family, though. Like his uncle, his black hair coiled into tight spirals. Growing up, his mother braided it to his head in neat lines. After she’d died, Uthyr took the time past the mourning period to fix it in the same manner as Uncle Callum: twisted into locs that had only now begun to meet the length of his chin. Someday he’d see them as long as his uncle’s. Carry on something that felt akin to a family lineage.

Crucius

Crucius leaned back in his seat, stretching his long slender legs in front of him, one ankle hooked over the other, one arm crossed under the one holding his cup of tea. Sharp-boned, elegant, and regal, Uthyr couldn’t help but be reminded of the oft quoted belief that Alilux begat no ugliness of her countrymen. As the home of the Light Mages, it was known for beauty and color. Crucius no longer lived within Lucian borders, but he hadn’t avoided the stereotype. Even in the most banal of clothes, he stunned. Dressed in nothing more than an off-white linen shirt, open against his pale skin, and a pair of loose black breeches cuffed around his calves, he didn’t stand out in the landscape for flashiness. 

Even his sparse jewelry drew no great notice. Against his breast rested a bronze key on an old black chain; Crucius never took it off and it appeared to be tarnished enough it couldn’t have seen any real use. In his left ear, he wore a single earring: a long, dangling chain that held a small golden spider at the end. Uthyr asked him once what his fascination with spiders was. There were two silhouettes of the creatures branded onto the backs of his hands in rough scar tissue. Crucius said there was no fascination. He was terrified of them.

Alma

Alma came back alive as they ate, losing the edge sleep had left on her. Spread-out compliments about the food slowly gave way to tiny comments on the weather and the surroundings. Finally, she worked her way into full chatter. She didn’t seem to ever need much from his side of the conversation. Uthyr didn’t much mind. He didn’t really have anything to say.

As she spoke, Uthyr sized her up. She was short, plump, and soft on all angles. Sporadic stubble peppered along her chin and cheeks, shorn tight much like the hair on her head. Her eyes were a glimmering blue; a summer sky and just as clear. A dart of a scar cut into the edge of her bottom lip. Another dipped along her jawline. Fifteen, Uthyr thought. An infant.  There was a strange and heavy air about her, though. A weightiness in one’s middle. Uthyr had felt the same thing in Uensine’s realm. Mortality. It hung about her like her heavy robes. Despite her youth, she was an acolyte of The End. Uthyr couldn’t imagine what drew her to such a life. It clashed with the bounce in her shoulders as she spoke of a boy in her village. 

“He’s asked for my hand. My Lord has no need of his order to stay unmarried, but I’ve told the lad he must finish his apprenticeship before thinking he has the right. I’m a Priestess. He’ll need to be just as settled before I even think of letting him build us a house.” 

Uthyr wasn’t sure when he’d missed the part about the house, or if he had.

Tavi

Tavi wore clothes that let everyone know he didn’t walk, he flowed. Greens and blues and purples. Trailing fabrics softer than waves on a Vizian coast. He scraped Crucius’ chair across the wooden floor and deposited himself into it with a flounce, crossing his legs and his arms, the heat of his question burning alongside Crucius’ fire. Despite the trimmings of a noble, everything of Tavi was wild. Were his hair a flavor it would be spiced rum. Red in color and spirit. A bloom of disagreeing curl patterns that created a halo around his head. It matched with the bronze of his skin, his hard thin arms more wire than flesh, dappled liberally with dark freckles. His green eyes were the wildest part of him. Always a bit too wide when he forgot himself. Too keen. Cutting, but in a way deeper than the type of perception one could imagine. In his better moods, he was disarming. As he sat now, an argument with a hurricane would have caused less unease. A lesser man might have cowered. Crucius was not a lesser man. Tavi’s fangs were real, but they’d never broken flesh.

Well, Crucius thought, fighting a wry smirk, not his flesh anyway.

Silas

Silas strode in after, his gait measured and steady. More than a head taller than Tavi, he cut his shadow over his lord like a wolf over his pack. Quicksilver eyes shone under his hood. As he stepped into Crucius’ house, he slipped off the hood, revealing snaking burn scars down his face and neck that twisted his mouth into a permanent grimace, bleeding more unease into the room. Crucius wasn’t intimidated. Of the two men now in his home, Silas was the least to worry about. The Mage knew he had no need to stand on ceremony when not in front of Crescaeyan nobility, so while Crucius returned Tavi’s glower, Silas strode around the room, sidled up next to Uthyr, and and dropped himself into an adjacent chair, pulling from his cloak what Crucius knew was a flask of bootleg Coryn whiskey.

“You drink?” he asked Uthyr, his Marsher’s drawl slow as the muddy waters he came from.

“Uh.”

Silas filled Uthyr’s tea cup. “Gonna want to today.”

[cain-e-brookman]

OC Showcase!

Uthyr Kri’Asphodel: Healer, witch, not getting paid at all enough for this shit

Age: 45

Gender: Male

Physical description: Short, stout, with dark umber skin, warm brown eyes, and black hair kept in locs that reach his chin. Typically dresses sensibly with little embellishments, favoring earth tones and comfortable shoes. Looks far younger than he due to the blood of the goddess Lythis, that flows through the veins of all witches.

Greatest strengths: Healing, gardening, cooking.

Biggest weaknesses: Social interactions and being in crowds.

Values: Pacifism, compassion, independence.

Deadly sin: Envy

Heavenly virtue: Diligence

Humor: Melancholic

Overview: Uthyr is a young witch from the coast of Uslaria who loves nature, hates crowds, and makes his living healing illness and minor injuries. After the death of his parents, he abandoned the name of his foremothers and moved into the woods of his home country to garden, cook, and live his days outside of the responsibilities that come with being under the thumb of the high witches of the Coven. In his home in the forest, his biggest headache is his neighbor, Crucius, whose taciturn disposition and heavily guarded secrets often leave Uthyr in the dark. Despite this, Uthyr considers him his closest friend. Although he suffers from his own self-deprecation and low self esteem, he’s an apt healer and walks in the graces of the gods.

Main character of my WIP: THE NAME, WITCH

[cain-e-brookman]

don’t think I’ve shared much from this wip, so enjoy this: my main character, his best friend, and what happens when you feed strays

Image description under the cut

[Image Description: a black background with white text reading:

“Don’t try.”

“Try what?”

“To make me laugh. I’m cross with you.”

“You’re certainly trying to be.”

“No. I am cross with you.”

“Are you cross enough to make me leave?”

Uthyr turned sharply to the fire. “No.”

“Then you’re not really cross with me,” Crucius said, taking their dishes as he stood and strode to the door. “I’ve not spent my life being so entirely insufferable to believe anything less than deserving of a complete dismissal begat enough injury to be cross with me.”

Uthyr considered that, turning his body so that he could look back at Crucius, tucking his chin into the nook of his elbow on the back of his chair. “Is that why you keep coming around?”

“You keep feeding me.”

“Ah.”

Uthyr hated not being able to truly be cross with him.

[End ID]