Gloomy in Pastels

Writeblr. Dark fantasy. 18+ only.

[ashe-hallow]

Since I logged in today, here's how BotP is going -

But somethin didn’t feel right. Maybe it was the way he grimaced when he said it. Maybe it was the dull look in his eyes. Or maybe it was his clean-shaven face. The look of a gentleman who was old and defeated. We tried not ta dwell on it. Instead, I asked the question that’d been botherin me fer some time. I’d tried ta push it outta my head. Didn’t wanna b’lieve it. B’lieve him. That night, I assured meself that Gov. Lumator had procured my portrait as oracle trickery. But as time went, I began ta trust him. I knew I shouldn’t, but... “Gov. Lumator?” “Speak.” “That lady in the portrait...the one ya showed me back at the farm. Who...is she? I know ya said she was a priestess and all, but...what does it hafta do with me?” Gov. Lumator sighed. His eyes hardened as he touched his chin. Then, realizin he didn’t have a beard no more, he brought his hand ta his hair. As he ruffled it, he turned his eyes from us. “The academy doth hold the belief that thou art the reincarnation of Sacrona Aemma.” I furrowed my brow and shook my head. That name didn’t mean nothin ta me. But the look on Gov. Lumator’s face was solemn and heavy. The air ‘bout him was so somber that all other conversation died. Now everyone’s focus was on us.

[ashe-hallow]

😎

[ashe-hallow]

Anyway ik I said I was gonna come back and make use of this blog, but I ended up making a neocities site and prefer it to updating this blog

[ashe-hallow]

Having to learn html and css kind of sucks, but being able to fully customize an online encyclopedia (and later host a web novel with custom formatting) is everything I ever wanted

[ashe-hallow]

Anyway ik I said I was gonna come back and make use of this blog, but I ended up making a neocities site and prefer it to updating this blog

[ashe-hallow]

I love that I never made backups of my master doc

[ashe-hallow]

Anyway, since I'm trying to make use out of this blog again -

I've made progress on BotP this past year.

I took BotP off Royal Road because I knew I couldn't finish the edits in a timely fashion (my last job sucked up every ounce of time/energy I had). I also just don't think my demographic is on Royal Road; it seems that a lot of reader expect Tolkien-influenced fantasy, and I'm writing isekai-influenced fantasy. However, BotP is so niche that I just can't see it working as anything besides a web novel. I'm still trying to determine how and where I should host it.

Months after taking BotP off Royal Road, I finished my first rewrite/edit, and put everything in a master document.

I've search+replace'd a few words to make the time period feel more 19th century, gave Maddie piss-poor grammar, and otherwise made the Sotexan characters more folksy.

Currently, I'm combing through the doc to make sure the poor grammar is restricted to uneducated characters, casual-proper grammar is given to non-Sotexans, and the highly-educated are given formal grammar.

In act 3, I'll need to make some major edits that reflect changes I made to the magic system.

On that note, I've been cycling through various ways to keep my notes together. I've tried WorldAnvil, I've tried making my own website, I've tried a combination of software (OneNote, MindMaster, Scrivener), I've tried keeping a series bible in Word, I've tried making a physical series bible - basically, nothing can encompass everything I want/need to do. At this point, I'm just gonna start throwing things on a side blog and hoping for the best. I still might move to my own website eventually, but only after I've ironed out the fundamentals of my worldbuilding.

After I finish edits on BotP, I might take a break from this series and move to another WIP in this world. BotP is a slow-burn YA deconstruction that builds up a matriarch up over decades, leaving no room to introduce readers to the world it's set in. I may work on a proper isekai, but I've also been thinking of writing another WIP in blog format. I'm not yet sure which I'll do.

[ashe-hallow]

Every time I work on BotP, I get disappointed that I’m still not done with chapter 2. Seriously, how long is this chapter? 😩

[ashe-hallow]

I’m trying to re-design my website so I can self-host BotP. And I just can’t get over how ugly modern websites look. Every single “blog” template is cluttered with unnecessary clickbait crap. 2012 was peak internet, nobody can change my mind.

[ashe-hallow]

Since I’m trying to regain enthusiasm for BotP, I thought I’d start sharing some excerpts again. This is from the new version of chapter 2.

Mistress Dia returned to the horses, who were braying something fierce. It wasn’t long before Mistress Dia was hopping into the box, and the horses ran like Odix was on their heels. Er, hooves. They disappeared up the dirt road, and I suddenly realized there were no stables in this town. Not a single one.

I pulled my new coat up and buried my face in its warmth. Alone, with my head buried in darkness, I took a deep breath. Then I dropped the coat, straightened my back, and hurried along. I didn’t want to keep the High Elf – Amadens, as Master Cabitor had called her – waiting.

The plaza was much closer than I’d thought. Just over the creek – so shallow and thin there wasn’t even a bridge – and down the hill a few paces. The western side of Infinite Falls was much nicer than the eastern. It was easy to see why. The western half of the city held its namesake: a river that was cut into an infinite waterfall by the tall magical barrier that separated Sotex from Contaterra.

Despite its intrigue, the border was downright eerie. I’d always heard that animals hated Atorium’s borders, but Infinite Falls was empty of dogs and cats and cattle and sheep. I’d always thought it was the wild animals who hated it. Birds, deer, boars, and the like. But it seemed that no one in this town could keep domestic animals, either. Nevertheless, it seemed us mortals were drawn to such unusual phenomena. From the buildings along the river, it was clear that wealthy Sotexans often traveled here.

The border certainly was a marvel, though. The west side of Infinite Falls easily stretched another two or three miles from the plaza. And even across all that distance, over the tall brick buildings that were unusual for the outer ring, I could see the towering black border. Overhead, the cloudy blue sky faded into an impossible grey. The ground, too. The grass east of here was vibrant as the beetle wings that embroidered noblewomen’s gowns. And yet the vibrancy faded with each step west - until the grass lining the river banks was the dullest, most lifeless shade of grey. Not to mention the low humming. The vibrations that tickled the ground, even as far away as the plaza. It was every bit as horrifying as dad had described. And every bit as spectacular.

[ashe-hallow]

Manuscript search tag game

Thanks for the tag, @winterandwords! Words: table, chair, door, wall.

Table

I sat up and rubbed my weary eyes. They were sore and crusted over. Like I’d been crying in my sleep. Again. I dragged my body out of bed and threw open the curtains. It was still dark, and the chicken alarm hadn’t gone off yet.

I pulled myself away from the view of the sleepy Moon City. I lifted the alarm off the end table, narrowing my eyes as I studied its design. I had to admit that it was a handsome piece. But it was still the most obnoxious item I’ve ever owned. It made me wish for my father’s lack of conscious. The ability to piss freely, without worrying about the people standing downwind.

But I would never be as cold and cruel as Crutas Agriso. As much as I hated the damn cock, I would never destroy it. I would always rise at its crow. And I would always ride out to Mulberry Bluffs, where Ludos waited for me.

Chair

Master Astorem shoved the door open and stumbled into the classroom. His copper hair was disheveled and his glasses teetered on the tip of his nose. Heavy purple bags weighed down his drooping eyes. He dropped a stack of books on his desk and yawned. Then threw himself into his wooden chair. He laced his fingers together and rested them on his belly. Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Door

I looked down to see footsteps in the dirt. Many people walked through this barn, it seemed. But only one pair of feet had been bare. I followed the tracks to a storage closet, where the grooms kept their tools. I threw open the door and found Zia sitting on the floor, holding a chicken in her arms.

Wall

I looked up, and the realization hit me. This wasn’t some weird central shop. It was a shrine. Dedicated to a goddess in pink. On the back wall, painted in vibrant colors, was a mural of a soft-looking woman. She had large doe eyes, a crown of pink braids, a darkened nose, and round deer ears. Her pretty pink lips were pulled into a warm smile, and her eyes were twinkling with pink gems. She held a baby doe in her chubby arms.

All around me, there was humming. It was distant. Almost buried beneath the sound of the screaming wind and the ocean waves and the seagulls. But she was still there. Still singing.

I’m not sure which of my mutuals are into tag games, so I’m leaving the tag open for anyone who wants to do it  😊  The words are hat, ring, legend, and light.

[ashe-hallow]

Manuscript search tag game

Thanks for the tag, @winterandwords! Words: table, chair, door, wall.

Table

I sat up and rubbed my weary eyes. They were sore and crusted over. Like I’d been crying in my sleep. Again. I dragged my body out of bed and threw open the curtains. It was still dark, and the chicken alarm hadn’t gone off yet.

I pulled myself away from the view of the sleepy Moon City. I lifted the alarm off the end table, narrowing my eyes as I studied its design. I had to admit that it was a handsome piece. But it was still the most obnoxious item I’ve ever owned. It made me wish for my father’s lack of conscious. The ability to piss freely, without worrying about the people standing downwind.

But I would never be as cold and cruel as Crutas Agriso. As much as I hated the damn cock, I would never destroy it. I would always rise at its crow. And I would always ride out to Mulberry Bluffs, where Ludos waited for me.

Chair

Master Astorem shoved the door open and stumbled into the classroom. His copper hair was disheveled and his glasses teetered on the tip of his nose. Heavy purple bags weighed down his drooping eyes. He dropped a stack of books on his desk and yawned. Then threw himself into his wooden chair. He laced his fingers together and rested them on his belly. Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Door

I looked down to see footsteps in the dirt. Many people walked through this barn, it seemed. But only one pair of feet had been bare. I followed the tracks to a storage closet, where the grooms kept their tools. I threw open the door and found Zia sitting on the floor, holding a chicken in her arms.

Wall

I looked up, and the realization hit me. This wasn’t some weird central shop. It was a shrine. Dedicated to a goddess in pink. On the back wall, painted in vibrant colors, was a mural of a soft-looking woman. She had large doe eyes, a crown of pink braids, a darkened nose, and round deer ears. Her pretty pink lips were pulled into a warm smile, and her eyes were twinkling with pink gems. She held a baby doe in her chubby arms.

All around me, there was humming. It was distant. Almost buried beneath the sound of the screaming wind and the ocean waves and the seagulls. But she was still there. Still singing.

I’m not sure which of my mutuals are into tag games, so I’m leaving the tag open for anyone who wants to do it  😊  The words are hat, ring, legend, and light.

[ashe-hallow]

After spending the past year editing BotP, it feels so weird to write it again

[ashe-hallow]

Decided to make my own website to keep track of my worldbuilding info, and ig I fell off the face of the earth for like a week (×_×;）

[ashe-hallow]

Just finished editing BotP’s epilogue this morning. While I finish editing the 3 new scenes I added, I’m also going to focus on the beat sheets for books 4-7. And one thing I love about them is that Maddie is actually capable. Love seeing my sniveling dumpster child learn how to navigate her world instead of crying about it.

[ashe-hallow]

Got frustrated with World Anvil, so now I’m putting together a series bible

[ashe-hallow]

Apparently it’s time for my annual Runescape hyperfixation, so I’m probably going to be on hiatus for…a while.

[ashe-hallow]

On a related note, I’ve been taking pictures of Bob every time I see him :D

[ashe-hallow]

Apparently it’s time for my annual Runescape hyperfixation, so I’m probably going to be on hiatus for...a while.