hello! my name is Aziren, and between university exams and assignments I'm an aspiring fantasy writer. i'm also a DM for a multitude of TTRPGs outside from D&D, but still mostly fantasy. i've been a fanfic writer and a worldbuilder for years now, so i hope you'll enjoy my works
my main wips are Revolve and Unearthly, two series set in the Siliverse alongside their own custom TTRPG system Trick of Life. i try to post stuff about them semi-regularly, from worldbuilding to trope discussions to character intros. i also write for Flash Fiction Friday, so look out for that
my askbox is open for any ask games, and i'd love to be in any tag games!
[masterposts, wip intros and taglists under the cut]
Frequent Tags
#ark writing tips: advice about everything writing
#ark writing resources: circulating writing resources, because real writers don't gatekeep
#ark.txt: random thoughts, events and life updates
#ark writes: pieces of writing by me
#ark draws: pieces of art by me
#diary of a suffering writer: where i talk about my experience with writing
#diary of a suffering artist: where i talk about my experience with art
#ark reblogs: anything that gets reblogged from others, you can find here
#ark originals: any and all talk about my original works goes here
#ark replies: when i get asks, here you'll find the replies
#ark ask games: ask games i'm participating in
#ark tag games: tag games i'm participating in
#flash fiction: Flash Fiction Friday entries
Wip Intros
Revolve
the universe is crumbling. the Void slips into every crack in the Edges. the Realms' only chance is to find the Ashen Gods and convince them to help. it's a 50/50 chance, but it's all they have. it would be easier if everyone could collaborate, but history has the unfortunate tendency to get in the way
wip status ✵ drafting
genre ✵ low fantasy
subgenre ✵ grimdark
target audience ✵ new adult
tag ✵ #ark revolve
other ✵ queer fiction, not a lot of romance, political & social intrigue
✵ see more
✵ get on the taglist
Unearthly
Zeno comes from a family of spirit hunters, but he's the only one his grandpa won't trust to become one full time. so he trains harder than anyone. kills more spirits than anyone else. it becomes a problem when his best friend turns out to be a medium
wip status ⛧ planning
genre ⛧ urban fantasy
subgenre ⛧grimdark
target audience ⛧ new adult
tag ⛧ #ark unearthly
other ⛧ queer fiction, romance, superheroes
⛧ see more
⛧ get on the taglist
The Mortal God
Aren would be happier if there wasn't a prophecy about him, because the hunters never believe him when he says he's trying to control his powers and not to kill the king
wip status ⚙ planning
genre ⚙ gaslamp fantasy
subgenre ⚙ epic
target audience ⚙ young adult
tag ⚙ #ark mortal god
other ⚙ queer fiction, no romance, found family
⚙ see more
⚙ get on the taglist
The Lost Sea Symphony
Talia is a monster in human skin running for safety across the glitching servers, and the voice only she can hear is saying that she'll find safety in the sea
wip status ⚔ planning
genre ⚔ high fantasy
subgenre ⚔ epic
target audience ⚔ young adult
tag ⚔ #ark lost sea symphony
other ⚔ queer fiction, romance, pirates
fandom: original work (ocverse - warcrimes au)
rating: m
cw: detailed description of an autopsy
wc: 583
prompt: #fff365 blood on your hands for @flashfictionfridayofficial
---
"The CP5-Alpha report is due next month," Addie states, scrolling through the list on her data pad.
"As you reminded me last week. The draft is already on Nathaniel's desk," Helena replies, then turns to Rudolph. "Rib shears, please?"
Her assistant hands her the instrument, and she gets to work.
"Pallas-9 recruitment is still way below-" Addie starts the next item on her agenda, wincing at the sound of cracking bones. She keeps her eyes firmly on her pad and takes a deep breath, immediately regretting it. The face mask can only do so much to ward off the smell. As soon as the cracking stops, she continues, trying to keep her voice steady. "-still way below target. At this rate, we're looking at two additional years."
"I am well aware," Helena says while digging through the rib cage of the cadaver in front of her. "And I have told Nathaniel - on multiple occasions - that this won't change unless we adapt the inclusion criteria. We have quite a bit of pleural fluid here. Ladle, please?" Addie needs a second to process that the last part was meant for Rudolph. Helena starts ladling some thin, red fluid directly from the corpse into a measuring jug that her assistant is holding up for her. Unbothered by her task, Helena continues. "So you will have to take it up with him. Again. It's his little pet project after all."
Addie can feel the bile rising in her throat, and she pulls her eyes away from that unpleasant view, focusing on her pad instead - or at least tries to. The sloshing noise of the fluid landing in the jug isn't exactly helping. "I assume you made suggestions already on how to modify the protocol?"
"Multiple times."
A few more ladles full of liquid splash into the jug. How much of it is there? "Could you put that together for me so I can talk him into it?"
"Of course." Helena hands the ladle back to Rudolph and grabs her scalpel, cutting around inside the body. Addie tries very hard not to look too closely. "Oh, that is quite the impressive cardiomegaly."
Helena lifts the heart out of the chest cavity and holds it up with both hands, her gloves bloody up to her wrists. "Adelaide, have you ever seen something like that?"
Rudolph whistles while taking it from her. "Wow, haven't had a behemoth like that in a while."
Addie glares at them both for a second before turning her attention back to her agenda, trying to find the next open item.
"990 grams," Rudolph states after sliding the heart into a metal tray and weighing it. "Not bad."
"Well, he was a large man," Helena says, digging around inside the open body again. It takes every bit of Addie's self-control not to gag at the squelching sounds. "I suspect his liver is also in the upper percentile, weight-wise."
"You're doing this to punish me, aren't you?" Addie suddenly snaps, gripping her pad hard.
Helena raises an eyebrow. "I told you, if you insist on your little project meeting today, this is the only way. I have three more bodies waiting next door that I need to finish as soon as possible," she explains with a shrug. With an innocent smile behind her face mask, she adds, "Besides, what reason would I have to punish you?"
Addie shakes her head and chuckles. Serves her right for trying to set Helena up on a date…
---
lizardwriting pinglist [ask/comment/dm to get on it]: @voidthing @ark-inkweaving @aalinaaaaaa @tales-from-nocturnaliss
What that means is I will be active for the hour, hopping into ask boxes with followup questions as I am able, while encouraging you to do the same.
Answering the questions tells me you are cool with this.
You may answer all questions via reblog, reply, hopping in my askbox or even reposting. Just remember the #writeblr and #writeblr live tags if reblogging/reposting so we can find ya.
We’re here to help rebuild interaction in the community, so get in there and have fun with it!
—
*Taglist for Writeblr Live Reminders, yell at me if you want on/off*
hello again writeblr live! will never pass up another chance to introduce myself here
hi my name's maddie, I write fantasy with a particular focus on women who have Something Wrong With Them TM that i will whole heartedly support because we support women's wrongs. I have a particular interest in historical fantasy, court intrigue, tragic chosen ones, complicated sibling relationships, and obsessive loyalty.
My main wip is When Comes the Dawn, part one of a fantasy court intrigue duology of an ill-omened princess who is a little too willing to participate in the politics of succession, considering that to inherit the crown means killing all her half-siblings.
My favorite time of day to write is any time I have the energy and motivation to! This usually happens between the hours of 8pm and 2am (i word nights so i tend to keep odd hours even on my days off).
What that means is I will be active for the hour, hopping into ask boxes with followup questions as I am able, while encouraging you to do the same.
Answering the questions tells me you are cool with this.
You may answer all questions via reblog, reply, hopping in my askbox or even reposting. Just remember the #writeblr and #writeblr live tags if reblogging/reposting so we can find ya.
We’re here to help rebuild interaction in the community, so get in there and have fun with it!
well that's pretty much the plot for both The Mortal God and Revolve/Unearthly, and it's manmade in both cases
it's spoilers whodunit, but the characters are very much fighting it. Aren a lot more reluctantly than anyone else, even within their own novel Cileida (who is extremely self-servient) and Rie (wet rag of a person) are more determined to save the world than they are. and if they couldn't fight it, they'd all still very much try to help, make the end of days a little lighter to bear (Aren included). that world's post-apocalipse looks like a universe out of balance. the physical laws that govern it stop working and things slowly roll to stasis because of the specific type of apocalypse that's happening in the story
Revolve and Unearthly on the other end are both exactly about people who get caught in the crossfire and step up anyways. even if it's technically not their fight, with zero duty or obbligation to intervene, they're still there on the frontline and succeeding. and if they can't fight, there's a mixed bag of reaction in both: most characters would refuse to stop fighting even when it's useless. they'll sooner die than stop of their own volition. but also a lot of other characters would just accept it. settle in for a few last days in comfort and let it happen, even when everyone else is still kicking and screaming. that world's apocalypse is the collapse of the various Realms onto one another, rupturing the edges and letting the Void seep in. and the void corrupts and destabilizes everything as it consumes, until everything is void. it would not be a pleasant way to go
What that means is I will be active for the hour, hopping into ask boxes with followup questions as I am able, while encouraging you to do the same.
Answering the questions tells me you are cool with this.
You may answer all questions via reblog, reply, hopping in my askbox or even reposting. Just remember the #writeblr and #writeblr live tags if reblogging/reposting so we can find ya.
We’re here to help rebuild interaction in the community, so get in there and have fun with it!
staying on The Mortal God because that's the current favorite, this baby is an epic gaslamp fantasy, with a backdrop of dark fantasy. not to The Witcher's levels, but with the level of dealing with discrimination, crime, poverty and repression of rebellions, it can get a liiiiittle bleak
i don't really have any comp titles for it? mmmaybe Six Of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo and i have some Tolkien influences influences, but i can't tell much more yet
in terms of tropes though, boy oh boy do i have something for you. we have:
unwilling chosen one
god among men
found family
evil couple
redemption arc(s)
hurt/comfort
this is off the top of my head. i probably missed something, but oh well
What that means is I will be active for the hour, hopping into ask boxes with followup questions as I am able, while encouraging you to do the same.
Answering the questions tells me you are cool with this.
You may answer all questions via reblog, reply, hopping in my askbox or even reposting. Just remember the #writeblr and #writeblr live tags if reblogging/reposting so we can find ya.
We’re here to help rebuild interaction in the community, so get in there and have fun with it!
so, disability is definitely quite present in my writing. it's fairly dear to my heart as a topic, and i try to include it both in worldbuilding and characters in the most uplifting but realistic way. it's a very fine balance to strike
speaking of characters, i do have a number of them that are disabled!!
from Revolve,
✵ Aleji suffers from chronic pain from an in-world disability (excess of mana, which long-term causes nerve damage, swells the joints and results even short-term in a constant burning sensation under the skin);
✵ Syphe is pretty much the opposite, suffering from mana deficiency. it makes the body kinda eat itself in an effort to produce more mana. his bones are more birttle and his joints dislocate easily, and without a nearby source of mana his muscles atrophize and gain a tendency to go "nope" after standing for too long;
✵ Aira is the same as Syphe, except she gets to mitigate it more because of a very powerful source of mana nearby that she takes from BUT she also keeps getting suddently drained because her mother pulls it away because the mana doesn't settle in her core so it risks ending up in a mana excess. and then she gets spikes of mana excess for plot reasons. the dizzy spells, fainting spells, migraines, nosebleeds and mana infections she gets from that are not good for her health;
✵ Niev has lost his wings. he has prosthetic ones that are half-magic and bypass the nerve damage on his back through carefully placed runes, but he does not wear them all the time. they are heavy and drain his magic quite extensively, so they only really wear them when "necessary";
✵ Sarie has a still-to-be-researched mobility disorder (most likely muscular dystrophia). she basically wears at all times a set of braces/an exoskeleton of vines, which she controls through magic to help her walk or to sit even when there's no seat available;
✵ Tumaril is an amputee and ambulatory wheelchair user from an injury in his teen years (a building got dropped on him by a rival gang. it was not fun). and he works in the prosthetic field! he's a ta and researcher in prosthetic engineering for his university's engineering department;
✵ Lukiat is blind, fully (which is not what irl blindness is like) because of a magical infection in the cornea. it's almost like a very strong & thick cataract, except it heavily filters the visbile light until Lukiat is barely able to tell light and shadow.
in Unearthly only Ike and his dad start with a disability. Ike's is still being worked on for plot reasons, but Guido (his dad) is selectively mute and still occasionally suffers from dissociative episodes. the others don't start with a disability, but as i plot i'm giving some of them thematically relevant disabilities
and then in The Mortal God we have my baby Aren. they have an in-world disability temporarily named visual hypersensitivity, which is very much a classic problem for sorcerers (who used to have filter spells to place over the eyes but those spells have been banned). basically, they see "too well", in that they see beyond the physical world and catch full glimpses of the Inbetween and not just see its energy waves in the reflections (which all magic users can do but it's not as invasive). this results in migraines, irritation of the eyes, nausea and damage to the optical nerves. it's so bad for Aren, who is more other than person, that it was a very strong contributing factor in their decision to blindfold themself
What that means is I will be active for the hour, hopping into ask boxes with followup questions as I am able, while encouraging you to do the same.
Answering the questions tells me you are cool with this.
You may answer all questions via reblog, reply, hopping in my askbox or even reposting. Just remember the #writeblr and #writeblr live tags if reblogging/reposting so we can find ya.
We’re here to help rebuild interaction in the community, so get in there and have fun with it!
—
*Taglist for Writeblr Live Reminders, yell at me if you want on/off*
ayup, i'm Azzy and when i'm not dying from uni exams i am a fantasy writer. my main project right now is The Mortal God, an epic fantasy set on the edge of the industrial revolution about a chosen who does not want to be chosen (but alas, fate knows where they are. always) and the merry gang of bastards that fate is using to harrass them onto the right way
my favorite time to write is late at night. like, 11pm to 1am, but if i wake up early then 6am to 7am (it happens very very rarely because i'm permanently exhausted, but when it happens my gods do the words flow)
fandom: original work (ocverse - sugarmommy au)
rating: m
cw: sappy & gay as hell
wc: 799
prompt: #fff364 say my name for @flashfictionfridayofficial
note: speedrunning this relationship, so let's have a little timeskip - a few months after last week's #fff363
---
"Happy birthday, my darling." Addie hugs me from behind, pressing a kiss on my cheek, and puts a small wrapped present in front of me on the kitchen counter.
"Thank you," I reply, feeling all fuzzy and warm inside. That's what her presence always does to me. "But you didn't have to get me anything." I feared she might, because she buys me stuff all the time anyway.
"Of course I did," she insists, holding me close with her arms around my waist. "Open it."
I chuckle and carefully start to unwrap the little box, curious what I will find, while Addie watches me intently. When I click open the lid, my eyes fall on a ring - a very pretty ring, with a big green stone delicately set between some smaller diamonds.
"Marry me?" Addie softly asks.
Mouth agape, I stare at the ring. "What?"
"Marry me - please?"
I am trying to process what is happening here, because surely, Addie didn't just ask what I think she asked, right?
We've been together for less than a year, I moved in with her two months ago, and every single day, I fall more and more in love with her. But part of me still thinks this isn't more than a casual fling for her, a fun little distraction with a woman half her age, and it will end soon, because how could it not? She's the most breathtaking human being I have ever met, and so, so far out of my league. It's incomprehensible that this could be for real.
And yet - since the day we decided to be an actual, official couple, she has always been upfront about us. She has taken me along to so many of her social events, be it some important work dinner, or a casual evening with friends. And every single time, she has introduced me as her girlfriend, proudly so, giving me butterflies in my stomach. And every single time, it made me nervous, because I don't want to disappoint her. It feels like being Addie's girlfriend comes with certain expectations, because she's so amazing, so I always end up entirely too self-conscious about not making an ass of myself, to not embarrass her somehow. Otherwise, she might reconsider this relationship.
But maybe this is all in my head, my own stupid anxiety brain taking up too much space.
She's serious about this. About us. About me.
Marry me.
"Darling, are you okay?" she asks, nuzzling into the back of my neck.
I have no idea how long I simply stared at the ring, but this wakes me from my stupor. "Yes," I murmur, then I can't help but laugh in disbelief. I turn around, looking at Addie. "And yes! Yes."
She needs a second to process my answer, then she gives me that radiant smile of hers and takes my face into her hands, pulling me into a long kiss.
I lean my forehead against hers, still completely in awe. "You actually want to marry me?"
"Of course I do. I love you."
"I love you." Gazing into her eyes, I shake my head. "Holy shit. We're getting married."
"We are," she grins, grabbing the box from the counter, and puts the ring on my finger.
"Wow," I murmur, staring at it.
"You like it? I was trying to find something not too flashy, because I know you're not big on jewelry, but I thought this one matches your eyes so well."
"It's beautiful." Fuck, that must have cost a fortune. Immediately makes me nervous, because what if I lose it?
Addie pulls me into another kiss, then she glances at the clock. "But now we should probably get ready for work." Right, work. Almost forgot the real world out there over being the happiest girl alive.
She strokes my cheek, silently smiling at me for a long moment. "What?" I ask, a little self-conscious about being stared at.
She wiggles her eyebrows at me. "Future Mrs. Rhodes."
"Oh, I really like the sound of that," I laugh. "A lot. Especially when you say it." Right. Of course I am going to take on her name, that's not even a question. It's not like I'm particularly attached to my last name. But Fia Rhodes? Yeah, I can get used to that.
"And tonight, we can talk about the wedding," Addie states, almost a little giddy at that prospect.
I'd totally run off to the courthouse with her, get married right now. Of course that's not happening - knowing her, this is going to be a huge thing. She probably has it planned halfway through already. I don't care about a big wedding, but it's important to her, so I will definitely indulge my fiancée. Anything for her.
Future Mrs. Rhodes. Holy shit.
---
lizardwriting pinglist [ask/comment/dm to get on it]: @voidthing @ark-inkweaving @aalinaaaaaa @tales-from-nocturnaliss
i've been tagged by @lizardperson (find its post here!) and i'm hitting @vauhna @firesidefantasy @savvyminnow @elkieselkiewrites @ace-malarky and @nossumusstellae with the tag, as well as anyone wanting in
i've been on a The Mortal God kick recently, so lemme give you more about my favorite haunted child Aren in the form of vibes and lyrics
The Anti-Villain — Nathan Wagner
Take Me Under — Awaken I Am
Begin The Sacrifice — Fit For A King
The Woods — Lydia the Bard, Ben Tomalin
Magnanimity (Bigger Man) — Rabbitology
Insatiable — Keath Ósk
Even In Arcadia — Sleep Token
Astronomical — SVRCINA
Constellations — The Oh Hellos
Skin Of A Fool — MIIA, Vaarin
❊
⚙ The Mortal God Taglist ⚙
@definitely-not-flynn @lizardperson @firesidefantasy @savvyminnow
Helena - the Queen of Swords - for @lizardperson!! Thank you so so much for asking me to do this, I had a blast and I hope I've drawn her justice!! ⚔️⚔️⚔️
complexity; perceptiveness; clear-mindedness; a teacher, guide; emotional detachment; objectivity; decisions based on logic and not emotions; frankness; bitterness; lack of emotion causing difficulties; somebody unprepared to express themselves; cold heartedness; desire for solitude
this turned out so absolutely amazing and I love it SO MUCH, thank you for this masterpiece T_T
actually haven't talked about Mika in wayyy too long and i miss her a little, and shes the music girlyTM so yea. mostly vibes-based, just songs i randomly associate with her - but she defs would listen to all of them.
MIKA MIKA MIKA <3
no one sleeps when i'm awake [the sounds]
honey honey honey [gabriel bruce]
she will [savages]
10 good reasons for modern drugs [the twilight sad]
an end has a start [editors]
swallowed [bush]
don't stop me now [queen]
sober [p!nk]
bad guy [billie eilish]
mr brightside [the killers]
[art by @/lelelego and @/squiddymaru]
tagging uhhhh @ark-inkweaving @zorilleerrant @aalinaaaaaa @ineedaplacetostay @larksingingoverthemeadow @dellamortte @clit-eastwood-spicy and YOU THE READER.
fandom: original work (ocverse - sugarmommy au)
rating: m
cw: jealousy & a fight resulting from that, self-worth issues
wc: 1,017
prompt: #fff363 on thin ice for @flashfictionfridayofficial
note: the sugarmommy au continues, last seen at #fff360
---
Amir: Right, thanks. Whose terrible idea was that ungodly hour?
Fia: Yours, actually. Sorry 😉
Amir: 😩
"Who are you texting?"
I chuckle and look up from the couch, putting my phone aside. Addie leans in the door, arms crossed in front of her chest. "Amir. Just wanted to remind him of a very early appointment he has tomorrow," I answer. He's not much of a morning person.
She raises an eyebrow. "What, he has you working off the clock now?"
"Nah, it's no big deal."
Addie studies me for a moment. "You two get along well."
"Yeah," I shrug. "Definitely the best boss I ever had." Which isn't exactly a high bar, but still. I really like him as a person; we're on the same wavelength. I wouldn't call us friends, because he is my boss after all - but the lines are getting blurry, considering I'm dating his ex-wife, and they are still friends. So I guess work and private life are blending together a little by now.
She looks at me silently for another long moment, then she calmly asks, "Are you sleeping with him?"
I blink at her. "What?" That came so out of nowhere, she might as well have asked me if I can fly. That would be an equally random, ridiculous question.
"Are you?"
I stare at her, open-mouthed, still processing her words. "Am I sleeping with Amir?"
"Yes."
I'm attempting to make sense of what is happening here, and try to read her face. She doesn't look mad or anything; Addie never gets mad. It's a completely neutral facial expression - but there's this tiny line between her eyebrows she always gets when she's displeased.
I can feel the panic rise inside me, overwhelmed by this sudden mood shift. We were supposed to have a relaxed evening on the couch.
"Addie, what the hell?"
"Are you?" she repeats.
"No?! Of course not?! That's- how-," I stutter, at a loss for words. "What makes you even think that?"
She shrugs nonchalantly. "Well, you're apparently quite close, if you're texting after hours. And he is very handsome, so I can totally understand if you're attracted to him." She says this so casually, as if it wouldn't be a big deal if it were the case - which it isn't - but there's this subtle coldness swinging along in her voice that I've never heard from her before. It scares the hell out of me, and I swallow the lump in my throat. This is bad. I feel like I'm on thin ice, about to break, with no idea how to get off.
I take a deep breath, because I know freaking out will not help. "There's nothing going on between us."
"Are you sure?"
"Very."
"Because you're definitely his type, too," she continues, and by now, she sounds accusatory. "And maybe he fits better into your overall life plan. He'd be a great catch if you wanted to start a family."
Addie turns around, walking off toward the kitchen, and I scramble off the couch to follow. "Addie, what are you talking about, I don't-"
"And he's great in bed, too," she interrupts me. "Which you probably already know."
"I'm not sleeping with him!" I feel like I'm about to cry. This is so completely out of nowhere. I didn't even know she could be so jealous.
She rolls her eyes. "Oh, please."
"I'm not! Never have, never will!"
"Why not?" Addie snorts.
"Because I love you!" I blurt out, louder than I intended. We stare at each other in shock for a second, then I repeat, almost whispering, "I love you."
I didn't plan to say it, and certainly not like this. I never told her that before - I said how much I adore her, and how I'm falling for her, and how crazy I am about her. But not those words, because it seemed too early for it.
I mean it, though.
At least I managed to stop Addie's weird outburst with that, because she looks at me, equally baffled. Before I can stop myself, I quietly, desperately babble away. "I love you. I am already so madly, deeply, head-over-heels for you, and you're on my mind literally all the time, and I keep thinking how obvious and pathetic it must be, and that surely, you're going to get sick of this - of me - soon, because I basically sit there like a lovesick little puppy wagging my tail whenever I see you, and-" I take a deep breath and run a hand through my hair, trying not to cry. "I love you."
We look at each other silently for a long moment, then Addie takes a step toward me. "Fia…" Her voice is so much gentler all of a sudden.
"I'm not sleeping with him," I state. How can she even think that?
She pulls me into a soft kiss, and we lean our foreheads together, eyes closed. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "I don't know what has gotten into me." Another gentle kiss. "I'm sorry."
The tension inside me dissolves, and I doubt I've ever felt so relieved in my life. This sudden, out-of-nowhere fight really spooked me. I nuzzle my face into hers, inhaling her familiar scent for a second to ground myself.
"I love you too, by the way," Addie adds, stroking my cheek.
Stumped, I blink at her. "What?"
"Why do you think I'm so scared of you leaving me?"
I get lost in her eyes for a moment, trying to process her words, because it feels so unreal. It's ridiculous. She's this beautiful, charming, smart, funny, successful, amazing woman, and I am… me. Painfully average, never amounting to much, always drifting along. A failure.
She deserves the world. She deserves someone by her side who is just as marvelous and breathtaking and exceptional.
I have no idea how I could ever be enough for her, not even remotely. How I could ever truly be worthy of that affection she gives me.
But I sure as hell intend to try. If it kills me.
---
lizardwriting pinglist [ask/comment/dm to get on it]: @voidthing @ark-inkweaving @aalinaaaaaa @tales-from-nocturnaliss
late submission for Flash Fiction Friday 363, event hosted by @flashfictionfridayofficial
WIP ⚙ The Mortal God
Trigger Warnings ⚙ Mentions of Death
Rating ⚙ Gen
Wordcount ⚙ 992
Taradiel is halfway through a reply to Neisa — about the possibility of getting hunters' reports to see if animal populations were really decreasing as many of the rural lords reported, truly he loves his wife — when she glances at the door with a frown.
He cuts off his reply, just in time to hear a knock to the doors of his office. He sends his beloved Neisa a private smile, and calls out, "enter!"
A servant comes in, head already bowed as proper. "Your Majesties. Captain Nadde'La is here to see you."
Neisa's hand squeezes over his shoulder, so he lays his own hand over hers even as his smile tightens at the thought of the woman. "Excellent. Do send her in."
The servant bows deeper before retreating through the door, and a second later the captain walks in with her head held high. She only bows when she speaks, half covered by the clack of her staff on the stone floors. "My King, my Queen. I came as soon as I received your summons." Taradiel doubts it is so, given the week and a half it took the captain to arrive. "What do you need of me?"
"An explanation, to be quite honest," he says. As he speaks, Neisa passes him a stack of papers. He takes them from her hands and lays them on the desk so they face the captain. "What is going on?"
The captain merely glances at the papers before her ever-present frown lines flicker into a deeper crease. "We can only train so many of your court magisters at a time, your Majesty. I had to prioritize those with a chance of learning our ways."
"The younger ones?" his lovely Neisa says, voicing his own concerns perfectly.
The captian nods. "Indeed. Cursebreaking is a matter of adaptability and ingenuity, as your Majesty knows," she says, gesturing to the charged gem on his wife's ring. "Magisters who have been using only standardized forms of magic for over half their lives would be too set in their ways to fully grasp ours. Besides, I would not want to take your Majesties' most talented magisters away from the court."
"Yet despite your selections, I hardly see results," Taradiel presses. He needs an in, needs loyal people among her ranks. "The catastrophes have only gotten worse. Not only, but you've recalled cursebreakers from the groups hunting the Crooked Sorcerer when there's been no trace of them in years. I can't help but doubt your methods."
"Precisely because of the catastrophes, your Majesty," the captain says, and this time that glint of disloyalty passes in her eyes. "I am sparing as many of my cursebreakers as I can, as per your orders to my predecessor."
"Yet the more cursebreakers you pull away and the more searches stall," He says. Neisa's hand slides down to lay over his, gentle and steady as she is. His nerves settle, if by a fraction.
The captain's hands goes tight around her staff though, and she bows her head. "If I may speak plainly, my King, we'd both have more magic users to work with if they didn't have to be afraid of death."
"Excuse me?" he says, and he can feel his darling wife tense up beside him even as she clutches his hand in support.
"Captain Alder lost many good cursebreakers by assigning them solo missions of which they were fully capable, simply because masses took ill to an identifiable magic user traveling solo. I've been having to make my people move in duos or trios just for their safety since I took his position," the captain says, and that spark of disloyalty is there again. "And the Registry makes us easy to find. The number of people enrolling into even basic training has plummeted, because no one wants to risk death for magic. And speaking frankly, I can't blame them."
How dare she. The Registry is the best safety measure they have, and–
Neisa's hand squeezes his. "If this is about the death of your apprentice, captain…"
"It is not. I can assure you that your Chief Magister would be able to tell you the same thing," the captain says, shaking her head, but Taradiel sees the tightness around her eyes. "We simply do not have the number of magic users to hunt the Crooked, research and stop the Catastrophes and additionally train court magisters to become cursebreakers. Our Council is in agreement, we have to prioritize."
"Then you shall prioritize the hunt for the Crooked Sorcerer," he tells her.
The captain's jaw goes so tight he can see the muscles strain in the places where her skin goes from dark to light. "You will have me ignore the Catastrophes that afflict the Kingdom, your Majesty? The plagues and droughts and quakes that kill our people? And then what next, shall we ignore spirits catching whole towns in curses too?"
"You will do as you're told, captain," his Neisa tells her. "If that is to prioritize the hunt, then that is exactly what you will do."
The captain's eyes narrow. "We cursebreakers have an oath of duty to the people."
"And as of ten years ago, one of loyalty to the crown. And I'm beginning to doubt yours," he tells her, clicking his nails over the royal seal. "Send your cursebreakers on the hunt. That is an order now."
The captain clicks her mouth shut, tense as a bowstring. Sharp, disloyal, she nods. "As you wish, your Majesty. If that is all…"
Taradiel waves his hand, and the captain bows one last time. Her greying locs sway rebel and sharp as she turns and lets the door thud closed behind her.
"She is disloyal," he mutters, more to himself than to Neisa.
His wife, brilliant that she is, runs soft hands over his shoulders. "Shall I have my mages watch her?"
"And her associates too. I will not have her become a problem."
❊
⚙ The Mortal God Taglist ⚙
@definitely-not-flynn @lizardperson @firesidefantasy @savvyminnow
🏳️🌈LGBT Pride: Are any of your characters LGBTQ+? What are their identities? How did they realize they were queer?
🏳️⚧️Trans Pride: How is the idea of gender/queer identities treated in your world? What was your character's experience like?
🌈Rainbow: Has your character ever been to a Pride event? What was it like for them? If they’ve never been, what would it be like?
hiiiii, thanks so much for the ask!
🏳️🌈LGBT Pride: Are any of your characters LGBTQ+? What are their identities? How did they realize they were queer?
the vast majority of my characters is some flavor of queer, whether that be gender or sexuality or both. i've already spoken about the cast of The Mortal God here, so i'm gonna restrict myself to the EttDS cast both for brevity and because they're the ones i have a full grasp on, we have:
✵ Aira: very violently aroace. and in terms of gender, she is what i can best describe as a transmasc girl. not a tomboy. homegirl would love a top surgery, definitely wouldn't mind bottom surgery, still fully refers to herself as a girl. i adore her. i've written her aroace realization in this fff prompt, but in terms of gender? there isn't so much of a realization as a "hmm i do not want tits. gotta get them chopped off somehow"
✵ Ele: identified as bisexual for the longest time, and only recently changed label to pansexual. this was triggered by a rewatch of sailor moon and a rabbithole into nonbinary genders. she's also a cis girl and very comfortable in that identity
✵ Beriel: bisexual, with a slight preference for women, and also genderfluid. that particular discovery was helped by the fact they can shapeshift, and that she's never had a problem presenting as fem to cover up her identity
✵ Aleji: polygender, but in the "i remember hundreds of lifetimes in which i've been every gender" way. the they/them pronouns are plural. they also experimented a lot with their sexuality, but eventually settled on "i love one (1) woman"
✵ Dani: biromantic asexual, and very very sex-repulsed too (something he figured out because of Sonia). in terms of gender, he's a cis guy but he struggles with the different interpretations of masculinity in his two cultures
✵ Sonia: polysexual and polyamorous, though those realizations were hard-fought and involved multiple breakdowns and self-hatred spirals. cis girl too, but hates the way she is forced to present by the people around her (given the chance, she'd look a lot more butch)
🏳️⚧️Trans Pride: How is the idea of gender/queer identities treated in your world? What was your character's experience like?
shifting to The Mortal God for this one, because i find it a lot more interesting. of course, various cultures have various opinions on it, but even within the island nation of Restamir (where the story takes place) there is some variety. mostly because Restamir is a cultural hotpot from centuries of colonization and naval shelter
both the law and the culture are very neutral when it comes to the relative gender of two people in a relationship or who are parenting a child. there is however more of a critical eye toward people who are not monogamous, both as in cheating and polyamorous people. pairs and symmetry and balance are a big cultural thing
to go along with that, it isn't generally looked down upon to transition from male to female or from female to male, though there can be some legal hurdles. however, exorsexism is more of a problem. Restamir only legally recognizes the binary genders, and allows you only to transition between the two. the concept of binary and symmetrical structures is deeply ingrained in the culture. though in the countryside, which has more druidic influence, and in warlock or sorcerer communities there is more of an the spectrum of existence
another aspect of the Restamir's society that creates queer identities is that it's drenched in amatonormativity (and monogamy). people are expected to couple up and have kids, so all asexual and aromantic identities are queer, as well as polyamori and childfreedom
having a lot of non-binary characters here, this means many of them have struggled or still struggle with their own identity and are often faced with exorsexism, while aro&ace characters have their other relationships deemed "unimportant" and childfree characters are isolated as heartless and selfish
🌈Rainbow: Has your character ever been to a Pride event? What was it like for them? If they’ve never been, what would it be like?
Restamir doesn't have Pride events in the way we mean them. there are protests sometimes, organized and sat by non-binary people and their allies, or by asexual and aromantic people and their allies, or childfree people and their allies (because, again, that's a queer identity by Restamir's culture) but they're not the most joyful of events. these people are still fighting for the right to exist and coexist with others without being discriminated against or misgendered or having to hide
Leta has been to multiple of these events. technically as a guard and later as a knight-in-training, but really she spent more time listening and talking to the protesters than doing guard duty
Yevoz also went a few times while they were in university, often with Lavir and one time as a speaker since they were the out and proud person in their rather small university
Aren also stumbled into one such event when they were young. they didn't really participate, just stood to the sidelines and listened, but their next fake identity was enby out and proud
Cileida and Rie never went to one such event
Rie figured out xe's nonninary by listening to xir parents spew enbyphobic shit and spiraling from "fuck you, i will be so inclusive and supportive of enby people that i will make up for your hatred" to "oh shit dat me". going to a protest and being surrounded by people like xem would drive xem to tears.
Cileida on the other hand has never done any sort of introspection on the topic, and if she found herself at an aro&ace protest it would be by chance. she'd put on an uninterested face but still linger there, and then have a breakdown once she's somewhere safe because she's not alone
