#asks for tabby

[tabbydrafts]

Twilight Purple from the colourful asks!

Twilight Purple: Your least favourite kind of scene to write

Transition scenes. I don't wanna write anything but the fun parts! And I know there was that piece of writing advice going around that said "well then don't" but unfortunately I've found that some of my most memorable lines come from the transitions. Plus, when I experimented with not using them, I fell way hard into telling instead of showing. So the transitions sadly stay. :(

[scouthearted]

“That Time A Ghost Tried To Kill Me” I’m curious about that story too but I need to ask, what the hell? Is magic attracted to you or something bc damn the fey seem to love u

Frankly, god I wanna know too. It hasn’t happened as much since I moved cities again, maybe it was partially location-based.

Story copy/pasted from the same post!

Alrighty then time for what is without a doubt my scariest magical encounter and also my first noticeable one. All the backstory you need for this one is one, that at the time I was eighteen years old in my senior year of high school and living with my mom (who worked a lot), then-stepdad, and three of my brothers in a fairly large city in Georgia. Two, there’s legends… maybe not legends as they’re too close to me to be legends… that both sides of my family are highly spirit sensitive and many of them can see ghosts. As a younger person, I never believed that in the slightest and thought it was bullshit, because I’ve always been very spirit blind in a family where that’s downright unusual (and before you make references to certain Stiefvater novels, I’ve heard them all already).

My family had moved to Georgia about a year before so my stepdad could be closer to his family and so my mom’s health might improve due to the nicer weather. We were originally in a different apartment, but that one actually started falling down the hill it was built on, so we were moved into another building in the same complex. It was a surprising adjustment. This new building had flooding issues and it also just felt damn weird, but it was better than, yknow, a building falling down a hill, so we dealt with it. We even dealt with it when I would walk in the kitchen and loaves of bread and boxes of cereal would fall on my head. Huh, I decided, I must be a heavy walker, or else this apartment is ALSO falling down a hill and is a little bit tilted.

And then the books started also falling when I walked past one of the many bookshelves in the home. I had a sore head almost constantly and began to avoid the bookshelves (believe me, I was tearing through the school library anyway, rereading things I’d already read could wait). I wrote it off again.

One night, I was in my room writing… I feel like it must have been November, because NaNoWriMo is the only reason I would have to lock myself in my room and write for hours. My stepdad knocked on the door and when I told him to come in, he asked why I was knocking around in the laundry room so late at night. I told him I’d only been writing and offered to show him my progress as proof, but he swore there was a woman in there and my mother was asleep, so who else could it be? After a few moments of a standoff and us realizing it didn’t really matter, he left, and I resumed my writing.

About a month after that, I was sleeping when I woke up to something distinctly like the smell and sound of popcorn popping. I look up and my lamp (which was off because, yknow, sleeping) is on fire. Legitimate sparking and flames fire. So I do what every kindergartener is taught and I run through the halls of my apartment saying “GET UP EVERYONE THERE’S A FIRE IN MY ROOM” and my mom and stepdad rush towards the fire. As soon as my stepdad steps in, the fire flickers, sputters, and dies. I’m told to go toss the lamp in the dumpster and go back to bed. Faulty wiring. Okay.

About two weeks after THAT, I am leaving my room when the window falls out and onto my bed. I’m talking glass panes, frames, the entire window. Okay, faulty building. Same apartment complex where a building fell down a hill, remember? We call maintenance and they fix it. We double check the work because goddamn if they didn’t say they fixed the dishwasher only to have it break again, so. This is truly, really fixed, however.

Except three days later, I’m sitting on my bed when I hear an insistent voice and feel a tug on my arm. “Get up. NOW.” Instinctively, I stand and move away from my bed. Just in time for the window to again fall and this time shatter, the heavy glass landing all around my bed and my room. I’m only just out of range. It hits me that this would have killed me if I didn’t get up at the second I did.

So at this point, I start freaking out and I call my best friend at the time, who happens to be a self-professed witch. I’m crying and freaking out and she talks me through how to purify spaces. I use a whole big round cylinder thing of kitchen salt. And the thing is? It seems to work. Everything stops. I sleep on the couch for a week because I’m scared and want to be sure, but everything is back to normal, and the worst part is that I’m completely out of excuses for what has happened.

About four months after this purification, the bread starts falling on me again. At this point, however, the flooding has gotten Too Much and we’ve been told we’re being moved once again. At the new apartment, nothing happens. It feels safe.

There’s two epilogues to this one. The first one is in talking to my mother a few months later. “There was definitely something in that apartment. I saw her standing at the foot of my bed, and she threw things at me, too. I didn’t know she was haunting you as well. I didn’t want to scare you.”

The second one is in talking to my grandmother a few years later, after moving to PA. “Of course that place was haunted!” she said. “Ghosts feed on energy. Teenage energy. Electronic energy. Your apartment had plenty, with three teenagers and all that modern technology. Was it near a stream, you say, they like water, too…”

“Oh god. The flooding.”

“There was flooding? You’re lucky you’re alive.”

“Boy, do I know it.”

And basically that’s how I kind of got over myself and realized my family wasn’t as weird as I thought and also how a ghost almost succeeded in ending me.

[tabbydrafts]

1, 10, 28, 36?

1. Tell us about your WIP!

Aurora Hearts is an episodic series that I plan to publish on the web (hopefully starting in October!). It’s a magical girl series aimed at the new adult market. As for story, it’s about a group of four online friends who get drafted into a secret government organization for people with magic. The magical girls/boys/people in this organization use their powers to cross dimensions and battle shadow monsters that intend to come wreak havoc on earth. However, this organization also seems to be hiding a number of dark secrets, and main character Marise is intent on revealing them... no matter what that means.

10. Pick an author (or writing friend) to co-write a book with

They aren’t part of writeblr but a few of my good friends in a non-writing-centric private group chat I’m in... I’ve ALWAYS wanted to collab with basically EVERYONE in that chat, actually.

Also @ditzysworld because her worldbuilding and characters are INCREDIBLE.

28. How do you stay focused on your own work and how do you deal with comparison?

I stay focused by letting myself wander; if I can’t maintain enthusiasm with a project, it means that there’s something wrong with that project, and I need to evaluate it and fix it at some point, but often not before a break.

Comparison isn’t something I struggle with because to be honest, I’m a little conceited about my writing. I like my style and though I know I make mistakes, I think I’m a really good writer all things considered and I accept completely that not everyone will agree or write the same way I write.

36. Post a snippet

From Aurora Hearts:

-

When Noelle felt strong arms slip under her, she knew two things immediately. One, her best friend of seventeen years was undoubtedly trying to kidnap her. Two, she was doing too good of a job of it.

Automatically, Noelle adjusted her center, letting all of her weight anchor her to the floor. It would have been more impressive if she hadn’t been sitting at only one hundred and ten pounds when soaking wet. Becca scooped her with ease, and Noelle moved on to step two of her escape attempt: the temper tantrum. 

“Let me down!” she hollered, kicking her feet as fast and as hard as she could. She felt her feet connect against Becca’s legs, but the angle was bad. Becca didn’t flinch, only threw Noelle over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Noelle began banging on Becca’s back- this seemed to have some effect. She tried a little harder and found herself gently thrown to the ground for her troubles.

-

Thanks so much for the ask! :D

[scouthearted]

So I read ur post about the magic dog friend and I’ve questions :p “this is the same city I got cursed in” can I heard the story about this, please? Bc I’m really curious

Yeah!! I’m gonna copy and paste from my original response... all my weird magic run-ins can be found here!

Anyway, the story.

In September 2015, about a month after I moved to my city, I heard for the first time about a large festival every year that celebrates the huge river my city sits on (we’re talking a river with fairly big islands sort of huge. by fairly big islands I mean one houses our city baseball field, soccer field, a few rides, the docks, an arcade, etc. Kind of a mixture of a city park and an amusement park). This festival is a little bit of everything, but when people described that they failed to gloss over the fact that “a little bit of everything” means not just “crafters, food vendors, musicians, stunt acts, eating competitions, and games” but also “people selling magic stuff.”

So here I am. Newish to the city, a gemstone lover (that’s important), and first time at this festival. I’ve wandered around the city shore and cross the bridge to the part of the festival on the island and find a lovely booth with TONS of gemstones, alongside some witchcraft supplies. I pick out a few I want to get before I see the sign that says “cash only.” I have no cash on me. The woman running the stand sees me looking sad at that and suggests I can take the stones now and send her the cash in the mail, that she trusts that I’ll definitely send the money. Everyone does.

I politely decline because there is something weird about that.

BUT it’s not weird enough for me to return to the booth once I stick my hand in my pocket and oddly enough, find one dollar, which is exactly enough for a small chunk of my favorite gemstone, amethyst. I carefully pick one out and go back up to the woman with the dollar in my hand. She looks at me. Looks at the stone. Looks at me. Looks at the stone. Looks at me. “That stone resonates with you in a very special way. Take it for free,” she says.

“Are you sure? Look, I have a dollar,” I offer, and hold it out.

“I can’t accept payment for this one. It’s calling out for you. Here, let me see it.”

I hand the stone over and she nods and holds it for a moment, almost weighing it before giving it back. “Keep it with you, and I’m sure you’ll have wonderful luck, she says. I thank her and leave with the gem and the dollar. When I get home, I stick the gemstone in my schoolbag.

I proceed to have the worst month of my life. I’m talking illness in the family, not doing well in classes no matter how hard I work, financial aid won’t go through which threatens my education, can’t get a job, and get lost in the city several times. One day, about five weeks later, I’m cleaning out my backpack and see the stone. Worthless. It did nothing. I think about throwing it out, or at least shoving it in my normal gemstone collection, but end up slipping it in my pocket.

Immediately, my luck changes. I get calls that my relatives are well, my financial aid goes through and opens me up for a job on campus, and I ace a test. This all happens within 48 hours of putting the stone in my pocket. After some tests, I realize if I carry the stone on my person I do indeed have wonderful luck, but if it’s not in my pocket or my hand, I have miserable luck. I get to taking it everywhere, which is a real odd thing for me considering I wasn’t even superstitious until That Time A Ghost Tried To Kill Me a couple years before (and if three stories isn’t enough for you, ask about THAT one).

Since it’s always on my person, I take to playing with it. Gently rolling it in my hand, or tossing it up and down and catching it. It’s doing that sort of thing on a snowy day the following February when I drop the stone on my very hard kitchen stone and it cracks and chips. After that, the curse?? blessing?? curseblessing??? stops. I literally broke the curse. My luck returns to normal whether I have it with me or not. An anticlimactic ending, perhaps, but that’s how life is, I guess.

OH EXCEPT TO SAY… I went back to the festival last September and ended up at this lovely little gemstone booth. This time, I had cash on me. I picked out a cute little amethyst worry stone and went up to pay and as I did, I locked eyes with the woman running the stand. “Have you come here before?” she asked. “I remember you, I think.”

I smile even as my blood runs cold. “I may have, it’s been a while if so,” I say calmly. I hand her the money and take the stone and put it in my pocket.

“You have some sort of vibe to you. Amethyst suits you.”

“Thanks!”

She looks at me, frowns, knits her brow, and waves me off, and I go gratefully. A month later, I drop the worry stone and break that one, too.

[scouthearted]

HOLY SHIT YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON ALIVE I HAVE EVER MET (?) WHO KNOWS ABOUT HOLLOW KINGDOM.

AAAAAH RIGHT??? THE FANDOM IS SO SMALL AND I AM SO SAD ABOUT IT...

It’s my absolute favorite series of all time and I do a reread of all the books and all the short stories at least once a year. I really wish there were more people who knew about the series! I’ve tried to make my friends read them but have had very little luck with it hahaha!

Do you have a favorite book or short story?? Who’s your favorite character?? (I have to ask because I have literally never been able to talk about this with anyone before and I am VERY excited right now)

[scouthearted]

11, 17, 31

Thanks for the ask, Kaji!

11 was already answered!

Fruity or herbal teas?

I can stand basically any fruity tea, but there’s only one tea I really LIKE. Which is also fruity. So that’s hands down for fruit.

What’s that one outfit in your closet you never get the chance to wear but want to?

I have a magical girl themed battle jacket that I ADORE and ALWAYS get compliments on when I wear it. But I NEVER get a chance to wear it and I’m very sad about that. Especially now that I’m 26 and graduated from college and am often too lazy to change out of my professional work attire.

I gotta amend that. xDD

[tabbydrafts]

Happy STS Tabby🧡🧡 Tell me more about the Knights of the Crystal Guard??? Since apparently that's my Interpolation faction. And i knew nothing about them! What's their role in the plot? How do they interact, if at all, with our main badass ladies ;) ??

Thanks for the ask, Dove! :D

SO I’ve mentioned before how Interpolation came to be... it’s a roleswap AU of a roleplay that my friend Yollm and I did a few years ago (so in the original, Ast was a star and fated hero, while Merloch was a Siphon agent and powerful mage). While some parts of Interpolation directly echo the original story, other parts change dramatically. One thing that HAS changed is Interpolation is a lot more slow burn. So we haven’t had a chance to meet the Crystal Guard yet in the story, unfortunately.

I’ve not yet one hundred percent decided if they have a large role in the plot, either... I know they will be showing up, and I have a character who is a member of the Crystal Guard (and another faction) who will for sure be interacting with the ladies. Her name’s Iluma, and she does end up as an ally for our ladies. I’ve got a few plans for her story, but a lot are spoilers. :)

I also forced my main friend group to all take the factions quiz and I’m tempted to quietly insert them into the story. And that does include another member of the Crystal Guard who has to be a badass because that particular friend is a badass herself.

[tabbydrafts]

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday! Let's talk about family! What kind of familied do exist in your world? The nuclear kind, or maybe extended ones? Any peculiar ones? (tag @fields-of-ink)

Thanks for the ask and happy WBW, @fields-of-ink!

I’ll be answering for my story Interpolation.

In the universe of Interpolation, family is not nearly as important as you might think it. Everyone in that universe is in a reincarnation cycle... minutes after you die, you’re reborn again, and it’s nearly impossible to actually kill someone off for good. The closest you can do is basically hard reset their soul so that while it’s technically the same person, all of their memory is gone for good. 

This is important because everyone knows family is temporary... and also eternal. They don’t put too much value on specific familial relationships because one day those people will die and be reborn in a different family. So isn’t everyone a possible relative? If so, what’s the point of being particularly attached to parents or siblings?

That said... because the family structure is still a small group of adults raising a child, and maybe multiple children, families still do grow attached. A person might still go out of their way to help their parents or to do something nice for their siblings, but it’s out of friendship and a naturally building closeness, as there is never any obligation to family just because they’re related to you.

Thanks for asking!,