She/Her
As a lifelong writer who has a few projects in the works, I thought it would be fun create a blog to share my journey. This includes, but isn't limited to, character bios, story progress, and inquiries to help get me out of a tough bind.
Thank You for Stopping by and I Hope You Enjoy Your Stay!!!
After reaching out for some feedback, I've decided to change Andromeda's name. Since I will be incorporating and working on her being Lebanese, and looking into having her be Muslim, I thought I would take changing her name into consideration after it was brought to my attention that Andromeda may no the the best name to go with given what I'm planning.
Creature Feature: A Look into the Creatures I'm Using in My Irish Myths Inspired Fantasy
Working on an Irish Myth/Folklore fantasy has been a bit of a learning experience. Be it pronunciation or learning about different creatures, deities, and so on, I've done some investigating/research into what kinds of characters would be in the story.
Note, some of them are more tied to Celtic mythology, and while that does encapsulate Irish folklore and myths, not all Celtic myths are Irish. I also included pronunciations as needed. One thing I've learned while researching things is that Irish, and by extent Gaelic, can be tricky to pronounce. Learned that fast when I saw the name Cian. Looking at it, I thought it was pronounced like the color Cyan, but it's actually pronounced Kee-an.
The Deities
So far, I only have two deities at play: Cernunous and Morrigan.
Morrigan is one of the more well known Irish deities and is the goddess of battle/war, fate, and sovereignty. And in some cases, death. Her name can be translated as "Phantom Queen".
Depending on the source, she is either depicted as one goddess or a trio of sisters (along with Badb and Namin, among others). For my story, I am going with the "Morrigan as a singular goddess" route.
Without giving too much away, right now, she is guiding/advising Cian, the protagonist, on a fate she foresaw that he wishes to prevent. She is also familiar with Cian and his history.
Cernunnos (Ker-noo-nos), a.k.a. the Horned One, is a rather mysterious Celtic deity. He is the god of hunting, wilderness, animals, fertility, and nature (wealth too). While he is associated with Celtic mythology, he has ties to Gaulish belief, which include countries like France, Belgium, and Germany. By my understanding was the original people that predated the Celtic people.
Since there isn't a lot about Cernunnos in terms of lore and history, I am taking a few liberties as far as how I am adapting him. Especially since, technically, Cernunnos is a Celtic deity, not an Irish deity. So I'm integrating him in a way that feels suitable. Presently, he is the patron of Cian with Cian being his heir presumptive.
I may include one other deity towards the climax. While I haven't gotten that far yet, I had one last quest for Cian after he finishes the three quests Morrigan gives him.
The Beings
I implemented a couple of beings/creatures in the story, each symbolizing Cian's journey. As well as Cian himself.
Aos Si/Aes Sidhe (ee shee) a.k.a. People of the Mounds: The Irish version of fairies. There are a few categories like Solitary and Trooping (Leprachauns fall into the former) and will have different abilities, personalities, and the like. As for characters, only a handful of characters are considered Aos Si in name. Those being Cian's late mother, Róisín (roh-sheen), and a couple others that knew her. All of them are some form of nature fairy with Róisín being proficient in botany/plant life. Cian's late mother would pass on her chlorokinesis/botanokenisis from (i.e. the ability to produce and control plant life).
Púca (poo-ka): A subspecies of the Aos Si, these are shape shifters. They can bring either good or bad fortune depending on their mood and are known for being mischievous. Some animals they can turn into include foxes, horses, wolves, and goats. Cian's father was a Púca, more specifically one that could, and preferred to, turn into a deer. That is where Cian gets his shapeshifting abilities from.
Cervitaur: This is basically the deer equivalent of a Centaur (Human top half, deer bottom half). I mainly incorporated this into Cian and his father to make their Púca genes a bit unique for the story.
I may change this to where their just Púca, but with more deer features. Admittedly, I have been going back and forth on keeping this since I feel it over complicates what Cian is. Plus, if we're being technical, Cervitaurs aren't exactly Celtic or Irish creatures. The main reason I wanted to use it was because Cian could change into a deer. So leaning into the whole centaur/cervitaur look made sense. However, it probably isn't necessary since him being half Púca would work with that just fine.
Gancanagh (Gawn-canack) a.k.a. "Love Talker": I found out about these guys early on doing my research. This is also the secondary protagonist/Cian's reluctant partner in crime, Oisín (uh-sheen). They're part of the Leprechaun family and are similar to incubi in the sense that their whole thing is being able to make people (usually women) fall in love with them. Once they're so enamored by the Gancanagh, the Gancanagh can and will leave their target, making them basically fall into withdrawals and dying (be it by fighting for their affection or otherwise).
Dullahan: Even if you don't know it by name, you'll recognize it by what it inspired (i.e. it's the origin of the Headless Horsman). A harbinger of death, the Dullahan is known for bringing souls to the afterlife. While I am still looking for a concise origin as to how the Dullahan came to be, a few things I've found in this regard were: the Dullahan being a solider who lost his head in battle, someone convicted who was beheaded, and the Dullahan possibly being a personification or extension of Crom Dubh/Crom Cruach who's associated with sacrifice and/or fertility (depending on the tale).
My plans, as of right now, is to use the Dullahan as a trial/person of interest in Cian's quest.
Bánánach (BAW-nuh-nakh): I came across this being while looking for possible characters, concepts, and creatures to add. While I'm not sure how much information and stories there are about Bánánach, I was able to find enough to get a general idea for them. They are, in essence, spirits/demons associated with battles, death, and destruction. They have goat-like features and wings, and are tied to battlefields. They also seem to be women more often.
Similar to the Dullahan, the Bánánach will be one of three clues that Cian will have to investigate. I have already brought her into my story and her name is Caoilfhionn (kee-lin).
I hope you found this little infodump interesting, and feel free to leave feedback or suggestions. Just know that, as I was finishing this, that I'm 90% certain I'll be removing Cian as a Cervitaur. I'm still leaving it in though, if only for a look into my initial thought process.
Help With Lebanese-American Character so I Can be as Respectful as Possible
I've shared this in two communities I thought I'd open this to Tumblr as a whole too. I wanted to get some insight about one of my characters since I want to make sure that I am being as authentic and respectful as possible.
The character is Andromeda and she is a Lebanese American engineer. While I myself am partially Lebanese, I know that I am still learning and don't have all of the answers/knowledge when it comes to that part of my family history.
So while I am looking for resources and people to help with this, I thought I would start here so I can get the ball rolling.
Some of the things I have planned for the character are as followed:
She is an engineer, specifically a civil engineer. In the story, some of her work includes helping with theater and community center (i.e. expansions, making sure everything is up to code, making sure to get in touch with contractors for certain areas, and brainstorming or reviewing blueprints for buildings).
She rescues a raven with a broken wing that she names Gladiolus due to his "thorny" demeanor (the flower is also known as the "sword lily), and how, despite his injury he still carries himself well (strength and integrity being a few things gladiolus represent).
She has a fear of snakes due to her mother getting bitten by a blunt nose viper (one of a few venomous snakes in Lebanon) when visiting the country when Andromeda was a kid.
She does end up taking a job at a reptile sanctuary in Arizona, where she meets Maria (previously Aster), who's a herpetologist that specializes in snakes, who she befriends and helps Andromeda with her fear of snakes.
Where I'm looking to get some help on are how I want to explore what it means for her to be a Lebanese-American. What I had in mind was that Andromeda would be a second generation immigrant. Her mother was from Lebanon and her father was a Michigan born Lebanese-American.
One thing being whether or not she would have been raised (Maronite) Catholic or Muslim. While doing some research, I did find that Islam is the major/most practiced religion in Lebanon with Catholicism being the biggest denomination for the Christian practicing population. If I were to base this on the side of my family that is Lebanese, I could go with the Catholic route since that's how that side of my family was raised. However, I thought I'd get some input since I can only speak for my family.
The other thing I thought I'd get some input on is how I should approach a romantic relationship with Andromeda. One thing that I am considering is having Andromeda and Maria (again Aster previously) getting together. Part of me is debating if I should go that route or just have them just becoming really good friends. I'd also be factoring in what religion she would be or at the very least grew up being, and how that would effect it (i.e. how relationships in general would be, if Andromeda being with another women should be something I go with, and how strict her parents would be in that regard).
As for her appearance, the question ultimately comes down to her attire. Excluding her wearing glasses and her hair being silver/white (the explanation being she went grey young and doesn't care if people know it). While I don't have an exact style for her, I know that she wears a lot of purples, which is a nod to her original name being Lavandula (the scientific name for Lavender). One thing I have included when sketching out an idea for what she looks like, I usually had her wearing a scarf.
The Backstory Template for Aster and Eventual Transition to Maria: Shakira, My High School Naruto OC
In my post about Aster, I mentioned how I ended up pulling from an old Naruto OC I created in high school named Shakira. While I had shared somethings about this OC on a different Tumblr blog, I ended up deleting that blog since I was going through a restructure (ultimately leading into this blog). Granted, it didn't get a whole lot of traction on that blog, but in the off chance someone may have seen this post, I thought I'd at least acknowledge it.
Anyways, Shakira was made during my freshman/sophomore year of high school, right at the height of my Naruto fixation. Sadly, I never really did much with her outside of a few art pieces and a general bio/concept on DeviantArt. Until I essentially disengaged myself from the OC, and that part of my life. However, as Aster became her own character, and I was brainstorming what I wanted to do with her, I ended up reviving her, or rather elements of her character for Aster.
As such, I thought I would reflect on my first fandom (i.e. not general) OC.
The Character and Backstory
From what I remember, there wasn't much that went into inspiration. Orochimaru, and to a lesser extent Kabuto, were some of my favorite Naruto characters, and I just kind of wanted to make an OC that would interact with both and have a brief crush on Kabuto.
This would also lead into an idea of making a "gender swapped" version of the Sanin (Jiraya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade) that never fully got implemented. They would have been from different villages, were adopted by their respected Sanin, and resembled them. Perhaps not the most original, but I do give myself some credit for the effort. I did start something for Jirarya's equivalent, Solidad, but outside of a rough sketch I no longer have, I didn't really have a backstory for her. While Tsunade's never made it onto paper. He didn't even have a name, though it probably would have started with an S since, for whatever reason I decided they'd all have S names.
Backstory
Shakira was certainly the most developed and, unsurprisingly, was my favorite. She grew up in the Mist Village and her parents were Sand and Mist ninja. As such, she could use water, wind, and ice jutsus. If I am remembering correctly, she was 15/16 before the time skip and 18/19 after.
The reason she ended up being adopted by Orochimaru was because she used an unknown/unexplained forbidden jutsu and her parents ended up kicking her out for dishonoring them. He would take her in, seeing the potential in her, becoming both a mentor and father figure for her. Over the years she would have a onesided crush on Kabuto and harbored some disdain for Sasuke due to feeling like he was "stealing" her adopted father figure from her.
After the time skip and Orochimaru's demise, she would go on a self reflecting journey. Here, she would come to terms with Orochimaru's passing and realizing that it wasn't inherently Sasuke's fault that Orochimaru took so much interest in him (i.e. now that she was away from Orochimaru, she realizes how obsessive Orochimaru was with his goals). And while she does harbor some resentment for Sasuke "killing" the only family she had, she doesn't want to get revenge against him. She also loses her feelings for Kabuto. Mainly due to her growing up and realizing that it was nothing more than a "childhood" crush. I don't think I planned her story out far enough to reach Kabuto's whole "using Orochimaru's cells" thing and everything that follows. Either way, I know that this would have been another reason for her to disengage from him since he'd be "going down a path she couldn't follow". She would also cut her hair after the time skip as a sort of visual representation of her becoming her own person (i.e. shedding the metaphorical skin of her old life).
Due to me not continuing with the manga for years (forgetting my place for a bit and later attempting to continue but not having an invested interest in finishing it), I never really had a plan for where her story would end. Maybe she would have reconciled with Orochimaru. Maybe she would have kept him at arms length, not being opposed to him being in her life, but knowing that their relationship won't be the same.
Outside of the crush, I'm not sure if I would have had her get with anyone. I know for sure that she wouldn't get with Kabuto. Though, if I had to pair her with anyone, I might have with Rock Lee, since as far as I know he was never married so it could be a fun little thing. Or maybe Gaara since he is another favorite of mine (and again unmarried as far as I know).
Abilities and Skills
What I had in mind were some basic things. She could create water clones and ice darts/kunai (I can't remember what, if any, wind jutsus I gave her. She could also summon snakes (actual and ice/water snakes). She'd also be proficient in stealth and poison.
While I never really did any fics with her, I feel like the reason I was so basic yet vague with what she could do was so that she wouldn't be seen as a Mary Sue.
Why Revive Her for Another Character?
When brainstorming for Aster, I didn't initially plan to take her out of the metaphorical/proverbial grave. I was trying to figure out what kind of job she would have had, her family history, and what she'd be up to by the time of her and Andromeda's main story.
Around this time, I found myself reflecting on a few of my old OCs and I ended up realizing that I could integrate some of Shakira's character into Aster's. Namely the association with snakes and not living with her biological parents in her teen years. Both felt like the easiest things to move over and rework. They're also what I'm using for Maria, who, up until this point, had no origin/character. Just a design concept.
Would I Do Anything with Shakira Now?
At this point, I don't think so. Part of me feels like she was a novelty and product of the time. I'm also not sure how exactly I would implement her into something original/not tied to Naruto.
It's not impossible by any means, but at this point, I don't want to, nor do I feel like it's necessary at this time. I am okay with just leaving her as a nostalgic creation.
In some ways, I feel like Aster was a good place holder and evolution for her. Plus, I felt like they shares a similar vibe, specifically how they would care themselves (independent, insightful, no nonsense, and a love for snakes).
However, if an idea were to come up that she would fit into, I wouldn't be opposed to it. I also wouldn't be entirely opposed to actually go forth with the fic I wanted to do with her but never did.
Thank You for Reading and I Hope You Enjoyed This Trip Down Memory Lane!
One of the stories I'm working on involves two female main characters. One's a Lebanese engineer, who rescued and later adopted a raven named Gladiolus. The other, an Irish-Brazilian Herpetologist who works at a reptile sanctuary. The latter, I ended up deciding to scrap and rework her story into another character of mine that I had created back in high school. This scrapped character is named Aster.
So for my first character post, I thought I would share the original plan for my fiction story character. I've also included a little headshot of the character for those of you interested since I had it.
Aster's Creation
This character initially started off as one of a couple names I used for the player character in several Pokémon games. However, at that point, I had named her Asteraceae after the scientific name for the family of flowers that sunflowers and dahlias fall under. Flowers was one of my nickname themes, and while I didn't use the name every time I went with a flower nicknaming theme, it was one that stuck with me.
Over time, the character ended up becoming her own character away from Pokémon, though I did not initially have a plan for her.
What ended up helping was some of the other character for this story. I wanted to have both of these characters interact in some way, and from there, I plotted what that story would be. The engineer, Andromeda, would take a job helping to renovate a reptile sanctuary in Arizona, something she's hesitant about due to having ophidiophobia after a traumatic incident from her past. But she ends up taking it. There, she would meet Aster, a herpetologist who specializes in snakes, who would oversee her work. And the two would form a friendship/relationship along the way.
Aster's Backstory and Character
While I had a general idea for her character, I still had to build who she is. At the time, I had kept Asteraceae as her name, but ended up going with Aster since it would have been her nickname. It sounded better, plus, Asters are another flower in the Asteraceae family. So it wasn't like she completely abandoned this name.
As for her past, I ended up pulling some elements from a Naruto OC I created back in high school. Her name was Shikara. She was adopted by Orochimaru after her parents kicked her out/abandoned her. She was also going to be part of a trio that were all adopted by the Sanin and were essentially a younger gender swapped version of them. One I started planning, the other, meanwhile, never came to fruition.
All I really took from Shakira was that she was adopted, though in Aster's case, she was taken in by a family friend when her parents couldn't take care of her anymore. Orochimaru and snakes would be reworked into Aster having an interest in snakes from a young age and having a ball python named Orochi (which is also the name of the eight headed snake from Japanese folklore).
As for the more "newer/original" traits and story, as I mentioned previously, I did decide to make her be Irish/Brazillian. Her father was Irish, while her mother was Brazillian. I haven't quite worked out the kinks behind how they met, which can be worked out depending on whatever alternative plan I make for Aster. I do know that they and Aster live in Florida. The reason being that Florida felt like the perfect state for Aster to develop an interest in reptiles, snakes especially.
Why Did I Decide to Go a Different Route and Replace Her?
Essentially, I did a test run of the character on a life/social simulation game. I throw in a few characters I created using as many necessary traits as I could.
Seeing how things would play out, I did enjoy seeing how these characters would interact. However, I found myself losing interest in Aster. Articulating it was a bit difficult since I did like the character, but if I had to narrow it down to something or some things that I felt contributed to this, it would be:
Seeing how the character could run and not liking the results once I got to a point.
Finding myself more interested in Maria and wanting to use her. Especially since I never really gave her a story.
Not quite feeling the character (i.e. feeling like I should take her back to the drawing board).
Not knowing what to do with the character after a certain point.
The game did have a limited, albeit useful, set of customizations when it came to traits. So it may not have been able to implement everything I wanted/planned. However, I do feel like it gave me something to work with, and that something making me realize that I'm not sure if this is the character I want or need for the story I'm working on.
That said, I don't think I'll be completely pitching the character. Even if she doesn't work for the story I'm working on I could find use for her in another. Maybe I could have her be a friend or colleague of Maria, similar to a character I introduced in my Andromeda prequel material. Or maybe I'll have a new story/plot that will suit her.
Concept Art
This was a general idea for what I had in mind for her. The hair style was inspired by one of my favorite styles in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (the Undercut Bob) that was introduced in the Teal mask DLC. The hair and eye color is a combination that I just really enjoyed. The reddish-brown hue was more of a stylistic choice to give the black a pop of color, i.e. to make it look "less flat". I also decided to go with a more hazel green than an emerald/forest green.
I ended up going a more warmer complexion here, instead of a more pale ivory/porcelain tone that the character in Scarlet/Violet option I used had. This was also why I considered having her be Irish/Brazillian. Albeit, lighter than what may be the more common complexions/skin tones in the region (which could be explained by her Irish genes).
Her style is inspired by two different things. The first was an outfit I liked from Pokemon Sword and Shield. That being the black motorcycle jacket and the red simple shirt dress. The second, which the previous reason also fits into, is a "punk" aesthetic, which is one of my favorites.
While I haven't done a full body piece. I do picture this look. She would still wear the biker/motorcycle jacket. I would keep the red shirt dress style as well, but have it be short sleeve. The choker, meanwhile, is more of an aesthetic choice. While it looks kind of like a flame, I initially planned for it to be something like a dahlia since I planned for that to be her favorite flower.
As for the glasses, it is my go to when it comes to adding details. Sometimes a character's face will need something when I'm sketching out a concept. And for whatever reason, glasses ended up being that feature.
Closing Thoughts
While she may not work out for the story I'm working on, I would love to do something with the character some day. Taking her drawing board may help. And who knows, if I don't have a new story in mind for her, maybe she'll make her way back into this story or maybe I'll find a way to implement her in a different story that I have an idea for.
I hope you liked this little breakdown and introspective. Thank you for reading.
I do believe that introductions are in order. Welcome to Lavender Corvus Corex Writes, a blog made by a writer/author in the making.
Why Did I Make This Blog?
I wanted to reach out and share some of my thought processes and plans. It also felt like it could be beneficial in the event there's anything I need to change or reconsider. So I am open to constructive feedback, tips, and suggestions.
It's also a great way to share my progression. I'd like to share what I'm working on and how far I am. I also feel like this could be a way to give me some accountability and motivation, as things like writer's block can be a pain.
What do I Write About?
Currently, I am working on an Irish folklore/myth inspired fantasy and a general fiction series. Both of which I have side stories and/or a prelude/prequel short story planned. I also dabble in poetry on occasion and am looking back on some old work from high school and college to see if any of them are worth turning into something more fleshed out.
What Will I be Sharing?
As of right now, I will mainly be focusing on sharing characters, sharing bits of plot/story elements, things I've found while researching, and inquiring about how to get out of a bind. I am also considering sharing some poetry.
All in all, I wanted to have a space where I can openly talk about what I'm working on and opening the door for any (constructive) criticism and feedback needed. I also enjoy sharing my creations.
I will also be sharing some characters and other things that aren't directly tied to my current writing projects. Like old OCs, their stories, and how I could/would change them.
And while I am not much of an artist, I will share some concept art for some of my characters.
Lavender Corvus Corex?
The reason I went with this name and title is because one of my favorite flowers (and shades of purple) is lavender. One of my favorite animals is the raven and the Common variety's scientific name is Corvus Corex. So it's the perfect mix of two of my favorite things.
