Hi! I'm Jasper, 30+ based in Scotland, they/them pronouns.
By day I'm a library gremlin, in my free time (and sometimes at work) I like to tell stories, play point-and-click adventure games, and talk about linguistics.
I mainly write fantasy, though I also enjoy writing gothic horror and light science-fiction every now and again.
Most of what I write is teen-appropriate, but all of my fiction is written specifically for Adults, so it may not always be appropriate for those under 18.
My askbox is always open for questions, and I'm happy to take part in tag games too!
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The main project I am focusing on at the moment is:
The Postmaster's Apprentice
A high-fantasy tale following a postie trying desperately to deliver a letter, but forced to have adventures along the way. It has tree nymph elves, stone folk made of real stone, moomin-hobbits with trade unions, deadly mushroom forests, mountain vampires mutants, giant ghosts, secret societies, shipwrecks, and more!
[wip intro]
Current Phase: Actively writing
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My other WIPs that will get some attention now and again, and that I am always happy to talk about, are:
The Playwright King
A low-fantasy, queer romance about a terrible playwright, but excellent actor, who finds himself playing the role of monarch to save the Queen Consort after the real king dies, and falling in love with the real king's arch nemesis along the way. There are plots and shenanigans, silly Shakespearean identity hijinks, and sentient talking swords.
[wip intro]
Current Phase: Planning
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Tupper's Tale
A cosy, low-fantasy tale about Hob Tupper, a monk-in-training, scribe's apprentice, and (secretly) not really a boy. The story follows Hob as they learn their trade, uncover monastic secrets, solve murders and scandals, fall in love, and change the destiny of a kingdom or two.
[wip intro]
Current Phase: Planning & Reworking
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Burning Branches, Golden Trees
A science-fantasy, espionage space opera loosely based on the fairy tale Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree, wherein our heroine Belin enters an arranged marriage, tasked by her boss to discover whether or not her new husband is a traitor, and if not, to uncover the truth of the strange happenings on Palatinate-709. It has far-off planets, space KGB, telepathic eugenicists, spycraft, giant snails, queer polyamory, and more!
[wip intro]
Current Phase: Planning
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Winter Winds
A dark-fantasy duology about a travelling cursebreaker called Nightjar, her wife Siskin, her children Finch and Pipit, and the consequences of getting involved in disputes between gods. The first part of the story follows Nightjar as she fights to keep her family safe battling monsters with alchemy, and uncovering godly conspiracies. The second part follows Pipit as she learns about her place in the world, and how her mother's monsters and her father's gods are sometimes one and the same.
[wip intro]
Current Phase: Planning & Reworking
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You can also find my fantasy maps here
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I tag personal posts under #selkie chat and reblogs from other writers under #other writers so if you want more streamlined content from me, feel free to block those tags.
There in the near distance, Ida could see a large covered wagon of the sort she had seen many of in the market square in Sudstowe.
The man, Ida saw as she got closer, was not a man, and in fact his hair which she had assumed to be simply greying was not hair at all, but rather long tresses of pale green lichen, and his beard a bed of thick moss. No, he was not a man, but a Delfman from the far North.
"Master Delfman!" She called as she hobbled towards him. "Master Delfman, sir!"
The Delfman looked up from his work, one crystalline eye enlarged by the brass loupe hanging from the strap on his head. "I'm afraid I'm not selling anything at present. I sold most all my wares when passing through Nazlowa and Hibrek, but I am sure there will be others selling such horology on market day in Sudstowe."
The Postmaster's Apprentice - Chapter 4
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@eldritchgh0st knocking it out of the park again with Aarna! Now I have a matching set to go with the Fannan they did for me last year!
It's always such a pleasure to work with them, I feel like I'm going to end up having commissioned the whole Postmaster gang eventually 😈
There in the near distance, Ida could see a large covered wagon of the sort she had seen many of in the market square in Sudstowe.
The man, Ida saw as she got closer, was not a man, and in fact his hair which she had assumed to be simply greying was not hair at all, but rather long tresses of pale green lichen, and his beard a bed of thick moss. No, he was not a man, but a Delfman from the far North.
"Master Delfman!" She called as she hobbled towards him. "Master Delfman, sir!"
The Delfman looked up from his work, one crystalline eye enlarged by the brass loupe hanging from the strap on his head. "I'm afraid I'm not selling anything at present. I sold most all my wares when passing through Nazlowa and Hibrek, but I am sure there will be others selling such horology on market day in Sudstowe."
The Postmaster's Apprentice - Chapter 4
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆🕰️⋆｡˚✴︎⋆
@eldritchgh0st knocking it out of the park again with Aarna! Now I have a matching set to go with the Fannan they did for me last year!
It's always such a pleasure to work with them, I feel like I'm going to end up having commissioned the whole Postmaster gang eventually 😈
so what can you tell us about Bolek and Girts together? 👀
Oh boy can I tell you about Bolek and Girts!
So, as you know, Bolek and Girts have a semi-telepathic blood bond. They always know where the other one is (or at least a general direction and feel for distance) and there is emotional bleed where they can feel the broad strokes of one another's emotions. They can also tell when the other is lying. This starts out as a way to make sure they don't betray/kill one another, but as Bolek reaches Thedenfast, he starts to feel a pull. He is so aware of Girts, sitting at the back of his mind and lying heavy in his chest.
It's not too big a deal for a while, he just gets used to the ache, and the occasional flashes of emotions he knows aren't his. Then, after Alesh is born, and Renia makes the decision to stay in Thedenfast with Nol, Bolek has to travel back to Goria on his own. He actively chooses to take the Serpent's Pass, gravitating towards Girts.
Girts is, of course, waiting for him. The feelings upon their reunion are ... mixed, but the most palpable emotion shared between them is relief. Being in one another's presence is like the feeling of unclenching your jaw when you hadn't even know you were clenching it. A bleed of tension.
Bolek relays to Girts that he kept his promise to speak to his contacts in Thedenfast about the agreement (the treaty weighted unfairly against the Ulfir) and notes that he is heading back to Goria to speak with the Gorian contingent too.
They aren't friends, not even really allies, but Bolek stays for a few nights and finds that Girts' company is agreeable. He thinks, as he leaves, feeling that gaping distance between them once more, that he will miss that company more than he had anticipated.
His contacts do not come through for him the way he hoped they would, not in Thedenfast and not in Nazolwa, and when he returns to the Dwelling in the Serpent's Pass, he almost expects to be killed for the news he brings. True enough, Girts is furious and feels betrayed, he lashes out, they fight about it, verbally and physically, but eventually Girts feels the sincerity of Bolek's words and of his effort, and he backs down.
Having wounded Bolek, Girts insists on tending to him. There is something tense between them now. It's not quite sexual, and it's not quite emotional, but it's something. Bolek is surprised at the tenderness with which Girts treats him, but Girts brushes him off as soon as he is done. Though Bolek stays in the Dwelling for over a week, he hardly sees Girts after that. He can feel him though, he knows he stalks him, out of sight. He knows there is a storm of feelings he can't quite decipher.
When Bolek leaves for Goria again, he returns to his campaign with renewed fervour. He finally manages to convince small delegation to travel to the Serpent's Pass with him to speak to the Ulfir themselves.
Girts can feel Bolek's trepidation from afar, and meets to guide this band of newcomers safely through the Pass and into the Dwelling. It is not a smooth meeting, it does not convince the Gorians of much at all, but it changes things. To know the Ulfir have society, community, culture and language is something that many Gorians simply assumed they didn't have. It's a step, however small.
This slow, slow progress marches on for years. Bolek visits the Dwelling frequently, sometimes en route to visit Nol, Renia and Alesh (and eventually baby Idella and little Faas) in Thedenfast, sometimes just for Girts. What builds between them is a mutual respect, and a simmering desire they choose to ignore.
It comes to a head when Bolek is attacked in the mountains, before he reaches the Dwelling. He is bleeding heavily when Girts arrives, but his attackers suffer far worse fates. Girts is almost feral, tearing them limb from limb and devouring them in front of Bolek. When he turns back to his wounded companion, he seems more beast than anything. Unlike before, he doesn't tend to Bolek's wounds tenderly, instead he holds Bolek down and licks them clean, and despite the pain, Girts doesn't even need their bond to know he is horrendously aroused. Girts takes that arousal as permission and swallows Bolek to the hilt, getting him off with his tongue and his fangs, and sharing in his pleasure through their bond.
That ... changes things between them. Bolek is not entirely happy that it happened. He is married, has a wife and family and an already complicated relationship with his wife's lover (his lover?). He thanks Girts brusquely for saving him and leaves.
They don't see one another again for a very long time.
Bolek can still feel him, though. The longer they're apart, the keener the ache becomes. It's Renia who confronts him about it. She can tell he is unhappy, she can tell he's in pain, and eventually he tells her everything. She calls him a fool and sends him packing, back through the Serpent's Pass with his tail between his legs.
When he arrives at the Dwelling, he is told that Girts is out hunting and won't be back for a while. There is a truth to it, he can feel there is still physical distance between them, so Bolek says he will wait. And he waits.
He lives in the Dwelling with the Ulfir for a full month before he feels the familiar tug of Girts' presence growing closer. He can tell when Girts realises he is in the Dwelling, because Girts leaves again, disappearing back into the mountains for two more days before finally confronting Bolek.
They fight. With words and claws and teeth. Then they fuck. It's violent and messy and it's the most alive Bolek has felt in a long, long time.
They don't talk about it afterwards. Bolek returns to Goria and they fall back into their previous routine, only this time when Bolek visits he stays in Girts' bed.
When the new treaty is finally drawn up, the Ulfir and Gorian delegates meet on neutral ground: the Nedamov estate, and for the first time in the near decade they have known one another, Girts is the one in Bolek's home. When the treaty is agreed upon, signed and witnessed, and when everyone else has left, only Girts remains. He tells Bolek that their blood oath is finally fulfilled, and that he can release them both now. Bolek refuses.
They finally talk about it.
They also fuck about it again. Real nasty. For like two solid weeks. The household staff at the Nedamov manor are not happy about it.
It's not a relationship. They aren't romantic, per se, but it's definitely love. More than anything they are inevitably connected, constantly orbiting one another. Bolek is used to being the one in power, and it's a relief when Girts holds him down and takes all of that power away from him. He feels safe. Girts, on the other hand, feels seen. He feels known, deep down. He feels whole.
TLDR: *slaps Bolek/Girts* These bad boys can fit so much longing in them. Also bloodplay and thinly veiled BDSM...
Thank you for the ask! Sorry this took so long to get to!
From this ask list:
💘: give us a huge spoiler
Another spoiler for Postmaster ... hmm ... okay, have a huge enormous spoiler for the whole plot, but the implications of this spoiler won't really be clear until I've actually shared more of the story (but iykyk):
Princess Verena and Miss Tynia are the same person.
💘: give us a huge spoiler
💝: who has your favorite character arch? give a brief summary
Ooh sorry this took so long to answer! Work has been causing me all kinds of grief!
From this ask list:
💘: give us a huge spoiler
I knew this was going to be a popular one!
Hmm ... have a spoiler for a story arc in the second half of the book that doesn't have implications for the whole plot, but does spoil the murder mystery reveal for the entire arc:
Both the glass merchant and the Vitsir were Lady Birita's sons all along.
💝: who has your favorite character arch? give a brief summary
Oh this is a tough one! My favourite character arcs in Postmaster are probably Ida's and then maybe Bolek's?
When she is first introduced, Ida is focused solely on her job, and achieving what she needs to in order to get the promotion she wants, to the detriment of everything else. Over the course of the story she makes friends where she struggled to before, she learns to prioritise her own health and wellbeing over the job, she learns to accept disappointment and be less critical of herself, but at the same time learns to care for other people and other things beyond the limits of her own self-interest. She comes to accept that tying her entire self-worth to achieving one end goal is a sure-fire way to run yourself into the ground, and that success and happiness are neither mutually inclusive nor mutually exclusive.
Bolek starts off as a miserable recluse. He hates his life, he feels like he has no autonomy and resents everyone who has trapped him where he is, including himself. He is also, however, unwilling to relinquish his responsibilities in order to make himself happier, so just stews in his regrets. This makes him bitter and misanthropic. Over the course of the story he realises his mistakes, learns to be an advocate for his own happiness while making up for the hurt he caused the people he didn't allow himself to care for (even when deep down he really wanted to). He learns to forgive himself, discovers his own self worth, and he finds the joy in his life that he hadn't even been willing to look for at the start.
Fannan absently toyed with one of the leaves that fell in a cascade of burnt umber about his face. "It is a shame that we are not more aesthetically pleasing. I am not like my kin who were birthed under Pine, Spruce or Elm, who are tall and long-limbed, and slender as evening shadows. Then again, neither am I thick, sturdy and long-lived as my brethren from Yew, Oak and old Sweet Chestnut. Nor do I have the eternal blossoming beauty of Cherry, Hawthorn or Elder. I am most Gallan in appearance, which is not well regarded amongst my people."
"Do you mean to say that you are not considered attractive?" Luus cried.
"Hardly! I am neither short nor tall, slender nor stout. I have no green about me like my other Poplar cousins who are known to be bright and fresh-faced all their lives; pleasant companions, mild mannered and joyful. Then, neither is my colouring so unusual as to be splendid to set eyes on like those of Birch or Maple or Rowan. Truth be told, I am quite boring."
"If you are not considered tall nor fair, then I dread to think the bewitching giants your betters must be." Aarna said, quite genuinely horrified.
"Why, Master Molacan, that was almost a complement!" Fannan laughed, bright and mischievous.
The Postmaster's Apprentice - Chapter 8
༄˖°.🍂.ೃ࿔*:･
I cannot thank @luwha enough for their incredible rendition of Fannan!
Fannan absently toyed with one of the leaves that fell in a cascade of burnt umber about his face. "It is a shame that we are not more aesthetically pleasing. I am not like my kin who were birthed under Pine, Spruce or Elm, who are tall and long-limbed, and slender as evening shadows. Then again, neither am I thick, sturdy and long-lived as my brethren from Yew, Oak and old Sweet Chestnut. Nor do I have the eternal blossoming beauty of Cherry, Hawthorn or Elder. I am most Gallan in appearance, which is not well regarded amongst my people."
"Do you mean to say that you are not considered attractive?" Luus cried.
"Hardly! I am neither short nor tall, slender nor stout. I have no green about me like my other Poplar cousins who are known to be bright and fresh-faced all their lives; pleasant companions, mild mannered and joyful. Then, neither is my colouring so unusual as to be splendid to set eyes on like those of Birch or Maple or Rowan. Truth be told, I am quite boring."
"If you are not considered tall nor fair, then I dread to think the bewitching giants your betters must be." Aarna said, quite genuinely horrified.
"Why, Master Molacan, that was almost a complement!" Fannan laughed, bright and mischievous.
The Postmaster's Apprentice - Chapter 8
༄˖°.🍂.ೃ࿔*:･
I cannot thank @luwha enough for their incredible rendition of Fannan!
❤️: what’s the working title?
🧡: what were previous working titles/ideas?
💛: what is the title based on?
💚: how long have you been working on it?
💙: how has the idea changed between starting it and where it is now?
💜: where are you in the writing process?
🖤: what are your MC names?
💔: give a brief character bio of your 3-5 MCs
❣️: which scene has been hardest to write so far?
💕: what has your favorite scene been?
💞: which future scene are you looking forward to writing?
💓: is it part of a series or standalone?
💗: what genre is it in?
💖: are you planning on publishing it? if so, how?
💘: give us a huge spoiler
💝: who has your favorite character arch? give a brief summary
💟: how is your style different in this work compared to previous ones? has it more shifted for the story or just developed in general?
hi hi hi, happy sts!! i see a lot of postmasters wip, how is it coming along? any new developments? 👀
Hey Azzy! Thanks so much for the ask!
The actual writing is kind of slow right now, but I'm working more on getting back into the headspace and re-introducing myself to the characters than getting words on the page.
There are lots of bits of the plot that I have been picking at and rearranging and trying to fit together in a coherent way, too. I have parts I'm looking at cutting out, and others that need adding, and some of the timelines may need adjusting because of that.
I'm also trying to come to terms with the fact that the story is shifting and changing from the one I started writing, and I'm trying to see what I can preserve from the original story without sacrificing some of the improvements I knew had to be made.
Things like:
The original story was about Fannan and Aarna, but now they are really quite minor characters in a much bigger story. How do I reconcile that?
Other minor characters have become more important and I need to flesh them out now, even though I am less passionate about them as individuals.
The overarching plot has become more detailed and requires more involvement from side plots that I initially just had as easter eggs for eagle-eyed readers, so that needs a bit more wrangling to get it all to fit together properly.
Having to scale back parts of the worldbuilding so as not to overcomplicate things unnecessarily. I have so much worldbuilding in such detail for this story that sometimes I get bogged down with the footnotes and appendices and lose the story along the way.
