#the baltiens

[hobbitsetal]

@mentaowl’s wip of the Baltien family hugging Cahan 💕💕💕

[ah-bright-wings]

Redid the first digital art piece I ever posted: a scene from @hobbitsetal‘s story “Mute” about a kind-hearted human healer and an escaped and mute faery slave. Can’t believe the story’s nearing the end now!!!

[archiveofidentityconstellations]

due to emberslovesthearmadillo pointing out that Mute Incorrect Quotes must be an AU, I have aimed to rectify this. Please accept the new and improved

Mute Incorrect Quotes

Tiras: I feel a little judged.

Cahan, hand pressed against his newly bleeding throat:

Cahan: [about Priya]

Cahan:

Cahan:

Anise: Can I offer you anything? Cream, sugar, cyanide?

Tiras: What was the last one?

Anise: ...Sugar

Cahan, leaning against a wall:

Priya: Not really.

Cahan, standing up:

Luka: Is Cahan alright in there?

Egan: You know, he's so small, I think he fell into the toilet.

Priya: That’s a mean question, I’m not answering that! Egan: Come on, it’s just a question. If you had to punch someone in the squad, if you HAD to, who would you punch? Priya: I’m not answering that! We’re all friends, why would I punch anyone? Anise: …It would be Ifan, wouldn’t it? Priya: Yeah, but I don’t know why.

Rhys Mandel: I love the whole “good cop/bad cop” thing you two have going.

Cahan:

Baltiens: Rhys, we don’t kill people!

Rhys: I think you mean YOU don’t kill people.

Baltiens: No, no--

Rhys: Ooh, look at all these Bigshots over here, telling me who I can and can’t kill.

Myron: You took advice from your brother?

Cahan:

Rhys: Am I a good person? No. But do I try to be better every single day? Also no.

Egan: You don't trust my sister because, and here I quote "Any smile longer than a second and a half is a trickster's ruse"?

Rhys: I said it and I meant it!

Priya: There's six kids and three chairs, what do you do?

Cahan:

Tiras: Kill half the kids.

Rhys: The way I look at it, it's my parents who are irresponsible for trusting someone like me.

Cahan, texting Rhys: Answer your texts

Rhys, texting him back: Gimme a minute, I can’t find my phone

Cahan: Ok.

Cahan:

Cahan: You’re a terrible person. You know you’re killing me. You’re killing your brother

Shira: What are we going to do?

Egan: What are you worried about? You’re so small they probably won’t even see you.

Shira: Is this really the time to be making short jokes?

Egan: Shira, there’s never not a time because just like you, life is short.

“...”

-- Cahan Windlow

[thisbibliomaniac]

Would just like to clear up a nasty rumor

I love Priya Baltien she's my favorite and I don't hate her.

I hate Priya Koothrappali.

[thisbibliophiile]

This is my book blog, so I'm going to stick with favorite book characters ^-^

Violet Hayes, A Proper Pursuit

Jay Gatsby, The Great Gatsby

Dasha, River Secrets

Kes Elurah, Madman

Eugenides, The Thief

Priya Baltien, Mute

Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables

Carney Sibley, Betsy-Tacy

Scarlet Benoit, Scarlet

Christine Daae, The Phantom of the Opera

I tag all 10 of my followers. If you follow this blog, you're tagged!

Top Ten Favrite Characters

Tagged by @hobbitsetal. Thank you Hobbes darling, I am always ready to make lists of favorite thing. List making is one of my favorite things! Rules: Name your top ten favourite characters from ten different fandoms, then tag ten different people

1. Costist (The Queen’s Thief)

Poor Costis. He goes around spouting about honor and then punching kings. He needs help.

2. Eowyn (LotR)

Who in the world can’t love Eowyn. I relate to her so much (but not in a melodramatic way). I just adore her.

3. Elinor Dashwood

Puts the ‘sense’ in 'sensibility’. That girl always has a level head and manages to put up with her sister’s theatrics while still being a decent human being, and let me tell you, I can really respect that in a person.

4. Razo (The Goose Girl)

A shorty with too much mouth and not enough muscle, but oh, how I love him. He is very dear to me, and I relate to him waaaay more than I should. (e. g.  we’re both short; we’re both pretty observant; we both have great moms; we are both too mouthy for our own good; we’re both kinda on the weak side; and lastly, he loves to eat, and I love to eat. The obvious conclusion is that we’d be best friends.)

5. Marcus  (The Silver Eye)

Marcus is all I aspire to be. A librarian with great fashion sense who adopts orphans and has a great voice. (Also, I mean, look at that mustache.)

6. Sophie Hatter (Howl’s Moving Castle)

Am I the only one who just loves sarcastic old women? I just love how Sophie can roll with her punches. That woman is flexible. Love her so much.

7. Princess Ben (Princess Ben)

Perhaps this is a bit cliche, but I really love Ben. When I read her story I was going through that rebellious period all tweens go through, and her character arc made me take a step back and go, “Huh, okay, maybe my parents aren’t doing this because they hate me. Maybe there’s more to this picture. That was really helpful, and is pretty much the only book I’ve ever read with a character arc that went that direction.

8. Azalea Wenthworh (Entwined)

Are you starting to pick up the trend yet? Feisty women who are resourceful, but not the Tough Girl stereotype that drives me so insane. I relate a lot to Azalea too. We are both the eldest, and have to keep our siblings in line. It’s a hard job, but she manages.

9. Saracen (Fly by Night)

He might be a goose, but I love him. That’s all you need to know

10.  Princess Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne (The Ordinary Princess)

She’s so sweet and innocent. Such a darling. As a little girl I adored her. Still do now that I’m "grown up”. Seriously, do yourself a favor and read this book. It’s fantastic, and it’ll leave you feeling good.

These are not in order, but they’re the first 10 that I thought of.

Today I tag: @throwaninkpot, @captaingondor, @maysartcorner, @thisbibliophiile, @scarvenartist, @thesilvereye, @aceofstars16, @forever-painting-roses, @todaybybryn, @queensandkingsofattolia. 

[hobbitsetal]

I wish you’d write something fluffy from the Muteverse. Just. Anything soft

Litorian winters, Cahan decided, were almost as bad as slavery. The biting chill, the endless snow, the dreary months indoors...Compared with his native Realm in the sunny north, they left much to be desired.

At least he had good company for the cold months. Luka and Egan helped him refine his whittling techniques and took turns telling stories. Priya made ginger tea that drove the chill away and made his tongue tingle pleasantly. Anise shared her precious paints with him, and they decorated Samira’s toys in pretty colors together.

And they introduced him to snowball fights. Cahan had never imagined himself staying out willingly in the cold, but after he hit Egan square in the face, he was addicted. Battle strategies could be drawn in the snow, forts piled up, sorties organized. And at the end of the battles, when his lips were blue and his fingers couldn’t form any more balls, there was more tea and a clean, dry, too-big sweater to curl up by the fire in.

He loved the sweaters, even as they exasperated him. The colors and patterns were unique to the Baltiens, dyed and knitted by Baltien women, but the sleeves fell over his hands. Priya spent half of their designated kitchen night laughing mercilessly at him while he tried to keep the sleeves up long enough to wash the dishes.

But she didn’t only laugh. Some two weeks later, she presented him with a new sweater: one made in Baltien colors and Baltien pattern, and in Cahan’s size.

The winters left much to be desired, true. But Cahan couldn’t imagine anyone better to spend them with.

[hobbitsetal]

12, 13 and 18?

12. Is there a trope you haven’t written yet but really want to?

arranged marriage!! after I finished “Mute,” my next project (Lord willing) is going to deal with an arranged marriage.

13. Is there a trope you wouldn’t write if it was the last trope on earth?

umm...probably stupid fight between best friends (*side-eyes the Frodo/Sam fight Peter Jackson made up for “return of the king”*)

18. What is a line/scene you’re really proud of? Give us the DVD commentary for that scene.

me: i can’t think of anything... me: *scrolls through Mute for five minutes* me: all of it

ahem. let’s go with this one!

~~~

“The boys went out of their way to be entertaining that morning. Luka told stories, everything from the tale of the First Maid to how islands came to be. Egan talked Priya into acting details out as Luka spoke, using the little figurines that Luka had carved. Priya could barely keep up with the story, she was laughing so hard at his silly facial expressions.

She knew how badly Lotaan had rattled her family when Luka helped Anise with the mending as he talked. He was good at mending—his stitches were almost as tiny as Anise’s—but he hated it with a passion. As soon as Priya had gotten good enough at mending to handle it for the family, Luka had used his then-new position as head of house to declare it her job. Anise hated it too, but she had been raised to consider it a woman’s job, and it had been three years before any of the Baltiens knew that she didn’t like it.”

~~~

I always enjoy writing the Baltiens just being domestic and cute together. This scene, coming after an emotional upset, was particularly fun to write because I was going for world-building, character-building, and something soft to give the characters and the readers a chance to breathe after the drama that preceded it.

I liked referring to the myths, especially since I referred to a constellation called the First Maid earlier and because I’ve actually written a myth for how islands came to be.

Luka and Egan’s antics are also a subtle way of caring for Priya and Anise, something stated more explicitly in the second paragraph. I really enjoy writing men caring, especially when that looks a little different from how I might write Priya or Anise showing affection, and the storytelling, the clowning, and the mending are their ways of meeting the ladies’ emotional needs and comforting them after the fuss of the day before.

Finally, I really enjoyed writing family differences and older brothers pulling rank to get out of chores. Anise being raised to consider mending a woman’s job, while her husband was raised to consider it everyone’s job, is the kind of thing that happens in families. (In mine, the men are supposed to take out the trash and pump gas--the gross jobs. In my husband’s...not so much. I have failed to persuade him that chivalry trumps egalitarianism.) And, y’know, older brothers being like “i hate this, you have to do it” is absolutely a thing...

[hobbitsetal]

Oc questions! Disclaimer i don't know any of your oc's. If your OC was fruit what kind would they be? What animal? What would they do with a free afternoon? A free evening? What is their most irrational fear? What meme encapsulates them best? (You may answer all or some or none of these.) Have fun!

I'll answer for Cahan and Priya!

Cahan would be a kiwi: small, flavorful, makes people's tongues sting. Priya would be an apple: down to earth, classic, and well beloved.

Cahan would be a fox! Clever, a survivalist, red-haired... Priya, I think, would be some kind of Labrador.

With a free afternoon, Cahan would hang out with friends or family, maybe go for a hike. Priya would go pick herbs or make herbal remedies, or she'd hang out with friends and family.

With a free evening, Cahan would work on wood carving and lounging, while Priya would want to tell and hear stories.

Most irrational fear...hm. All of Cahan's are pretty rational XD Priya, I think, would Really Hate the idea of potentially waking up with a spider on her face. Has it ever happened? No. Could it? maybe.

I can't think of any memes, so I'm tagging @starwarmth, @ofsaltandsmoke, and @atlantic-riona to help me think of some.

[hobbitsetal]

Anise Baltien for 10 facts :D

My girlllll, I love her :’)

1. Only child; likes the idea of siblings, unless her in-laws are squabbling.

2. Lots of cousins, which were almost as good as siblings!

3. She learned art from a gallach who used illustrations to teach village kids to read and write.

4. She’s about a 2nd grade level in literacy, but her artwork could make her rich in a bigger city.

5. Literally all she wants in life is the whole wife and mother package

6. She dated several guys, but the moment she met Luka, she was Gone™️ and also Smitten™️.

7. She pretended she wasn’t crushing on him for two months because she wasn’t sure he liked her

8. She and Priya became friends while she was dating Luka, and they agreed they’d be friends even if Luka and Anise broke up

9. They didn’t break up

10. Can absolutely sing a baby to sleep. This will come in very handy in her near future.

[hobbitsetal]

You already know who I’m going to ask 😂 just kidding, Luka pls 😊

You did actually surprise me 😂 I was expecting Vex!

1. After their parents died in a plague, he was very insecure about leading his siblings and running the farm

2. He’s good friends with Tressa Hallan, not least because she helped him find his footing in those early years

3. Took him three months and a nudge from Egan to ask Anise out because he didn’t think a town girl would go out with him

4. Pretty darn good with a bow and arrows!

5. His current biggest goal is to buy cows and break into the dairy business

6. He’s a gadget man. Anise learned early in their marriage not to let him talk to any peddlers

7. His best friend is Egan

8. He’s really really good at sewing, but he hates it

9. He can’t cook a lot of things, but he can make a mean grilled cheese

10. Best storyteller ever

[hobbitsetal]

27 and 38.

Priya laughed and opened her mouth to respond. That was when Tressa caught sight of the faery, sitting frozen in the buggy beside Priya. She stopped short in the yard, squinting at him. Slowly, she paced forward. She stopped again. Priya held her breath. After a moment, she realized the faery was, too.

Tressa got up to the side of the buggy and peered in at the faery for a long moment. Then she looked at Priya. 

“What,” she said, “have you got here?”

~~~

(38)

“Why should you need a poultice when I gave you laudanum? It’s a collarbone, you just keep it still and it’ll heal right enough! And-and…all right, fine, it was blockheaded of me not to change the dressing on your head, but she didn’t even comment on how well I stitched it! You’ll hardly even have a scar!”

    He gave up trying to suppress his smile. As if he was worried about a scar.

[hobbitsetal]

350 for Mute!

For half the morning, she puttered around the house or held Samira, trying to stop herself from dwelling on the conversation with Ifan. It had been so short. Ought she to have said more? And why would he ask if there were someone else? They had been exclusive all winter. Did he suppose she was sneaking about with someone else to the various dances and small gatherings? She’d hardly even danced with anyone besides him!

Perhaps he simply couldn’t fathom someone not wanting to marry him. All the more reason to call things off, then. She wasn’t going to take responsibility for someone’s ego like that.

[hobbitsetal]

47

Egan released Cahan then, and a grin spread over his face. “Well then! Do you think Luka’s going to eat the rest of his dinner? Because if not, I will.”

[hobbitsetal]

28!!

Tressa flung her head back and uttered a horse-laugh. “How? Letting your brothers crack his skull open?”

    “Actually, I did that.”

    Tressa’s jaw dropped. 

    Priya plopped her basket on the table and said casually, “You said Terrence needs a clay poultice? I think I grabbed one, since I was coming by.” 

    Tressa closed her mouth and shook her head wonderingly. “You cracked his skull. I’ve always liked you, girl, and this is just one more reason for it.”

[hobbitsetal]

200

okay, let’s finish these up!

The confidence in Cahan’s smile grew a little more genuine at that thought. Together, he and Mandel could survive this winter and wait for the others to find them. Together, they could avoid the soldiers. They’d be perfectly safe as long as Tiras never connected him to the Baltiens.

[hobbitsetal]

5, 10, 14, 18

5. What is the perfect environment for you to write in?

all by myself, or when Alex is busy working; dictating into my phone while driving; pacing and muttering like a crazy person; doing chores and then sprinting back to my laptop when inspiration for the next two sentences strikes, because apparently motion is the key to writing.

10. Do you enjoy writing dialogue, exposition, or plot the most?

answered!

14. If you were stuck on a desert island with only two characters, which would you pick?

ooohhh....Malachi/Cahan would be the best survivalists, I feel like, as well as being pretty chill, so I’d say them. I personally am hilarious, so I don’t need Mandel, Ifan, or Rhys Windlow, but I am not a healer type, so I’d say Priya.

...and i give decent relationship advice, so Priya and Cahan it is XD

18. What is a line/scene you’re really proud of? Give us the DVD commentary for that scene.

because we all know I’m extremely proud of literally everything I write, I asked you what you’d want to hear about and you chose this one!

~~~

When Cahan opened his eyes, he was lying on the floor. His head hurt horribly. His back burned. He hadn’t even thought about the beating he’d taken when he had attacked, but the stripes were making themselves felt. 

He lay still for a while, drifting. Some part of his consciousness was assessing his injures (reopened scabs on his back, what was most likely a black eye, an assortment of bruises, and his ribs hurt), but most of him was absorbed in dreamily watching dust motes drift in the sunlight.

Eventually, he became aware that Tiras was watching him. The Sarkinian sat perched on his desk. The chain that connected Cahan’s collar to Tiras’s belt trailed on the floor between them. Tiras had one hand to his own neck, rubbing gently where the chain had dug in. He couldn’t understand Tiras’s expression. It was thoughtful, almost sad.

“You’re in love with her,” he said.

Slowly, painfully, Cahan dragged himself into a sitting position and leaned his pounding head against the wall. Even if he weren’t distracted by pain, he doubted he would have understood who Tiras was talking about.

“Priya. You’re in love with her. I saw your face when Kovar carried her out. And here I thought I’d seen you at your most desperate when you were begging for that worthless brother of yours.”

Dimly, Cahan knew he should argue somehow, pretend ignorance. Something. He simply sat, looking back at Tiras. He was too tired to feel alarmed. Alarm wouldn’t change anything. Tiras had killed Mandel for flirting with Tressa. Of course he would kill Cahan for loving Priya, even if that love were nothing more than a private and personal tragedy that could never be realized. 

“Does she have any idea?”

He mustered up from somewhere the strength to feel a little angry. How dare Tiras look at him with pity? How dare he ask about Priya as if he had any right to Cahan’s inner life?

Tiras nodded, as if Cahan’s frown were all the answer he needed. “Of course not. I should’ve guessed, honestly. You can’t communicate and you’re not one for dallying. Honest courtship or nothing, hmm? It’s probably just as well for your own sake, Landless. The way she leaped in front of Kovar…Let’s just say you wouldn’t have had much of a chance even if you could talk.”

~~~

I liked writing this opening because of the challenge of capturing that dreamy, drifty feeling of coming back to consciousness. Granted, in this case it’s not a fun drifting, since Cahan is waking up from being beaten unconscious, but I suspect most people have experienced that moment of waking up slowly and focusing on nothing in particular, until you notice something that makes you aware you’re fully awake. Personally, I think writing should always tap into something relatable in some way, to keep people grounded. Sometimes it’s as small as waking up.

I also enjoyed sprinkling in another hint about Tiras and Cahan’s past dynamics--not really friendship, but certainly more friendly. There’s an element of “I know you and I know how you think” in this scene that runs deeper than recognizing each other’s battle tactics.

This also incorporates some of the narrative payoff from killing Mandel (sorry, y’all): Mandel’s murder for loving Tressa highlights the danger Cahan is in for loving Priya, even though it’s not something he expects ever to be anything more than unrequited pining. It also conveys (not that y’all needed telling) how much he loves Priya, that Tiras considers his fear for her life to outstrip even his love for his own brother, for whom he sacrificed his voice. And now that I’ve phrased it like that, you’ll appreciate the consistency of Cahan’s sacrificial nature.

I don’t really know why writing Cahan as just too tired to feel anything was satisfying. Maybe because it lends to the overall quietness of the scene (almost said “muted feeling,” but that seemed a little on-the-nose). It balances out the action of the preceding chapters, eases the tension in one way while pulling it taut in another, and let’s be real, appeals to the whump side of me.

And I love having the villain of the story express that Priya isn’t aware of Cahan’s love because Cahan has tried not to make it known to her. I love that he knows how honorable Cahan is (won’t express feelings he can’t reasonably act upon, lest he put Priya in an uncomfortable position), that he can read Cahan’s facial expressions so accurately, and that the taunt he chooses to level is unintentionally ironic, since readers know Priya broke up with Ifan the day before.

okay and yeah, the recurring “everybody can see how much Cahan loves Priya except Priya” is kind of entertaining to write.