#curiousartemis

[silvanils]

Kissin’ it better~

A (rather belated) piece for OC kiss week! This is my RDR Online character, Mr. Jesse Knight, and his step-brother Dai who was created by my friend @curiousartemis! Dai tends to get hurt slightly more often in the scuffles they get into, but Jesse is good at patching him up.

Jesse has NOT forgotten the old tradition of giving him a little kiss on the forehead after, much to Dai’s chagrin. (He still thinks it’s sweet.)

[musetta3]

1. Were/are you really an opera singer? Have you performed on stage? What was/is that like? 2. do you ever get nervous or anxious? not just on stage, anytime. How do you deal with it? (i could use some tips xD) 3. do you think you're an even-tempered person? do your feelings get hurt easily or not? Again, I could use some tips xDD 4. why do you think you enjoy writing fanfiction so much? 💗

Hi, @curiousartemis, thanks for the ask! All sorts of fun questions <3 

1. Were/are you really an opera singer? Have you performed on stage? What was/is that like?

I am an opera singer, yes. I debuted onstage when I was 16, in a small/minor role of Suor Angelica (I debuted in recital at 14). I was one of the nuns that went grocery shopping, so I got to memorize a literal grocery list. We brought back... hazelnuts, oil, berries, cheese, butter, flour, walnuts, eggs, and lentils. (I think that’s everything). 

My debut is something I will never forget, especially the first dress rehearsal with the orchestra. Up until that point, we’d been working with a piano in a church. To finally get onstage and with an orchestra--I cried when the orchestra began playing, because it was just so... real, then. Vocal training is so difficult; with any other art, the teacher can place your hands in the proper way, turn your foot or adjust your painting brush. Not with voice. It’s a lot like learning to wiggle your ears, actually. There’s a lot of hours spent in frustration or tears or thinking you’ll never get it right. So when you do, and you’re up on that stage and doing what you love... it’s magical. That music feels like a silver wave washing over you.

This is the opening of Suor. (Not us singing, but a recording of it). The ladies are singing a version of the Ave Maria, but instead of saying ‘Amen’ at the end, they say ‘e cosi sia,’ or ‘and so may it be.’ I love that.

I’ve been performing onstage in productions around the world ever since then, and nothing will ever top the feeling of that orchestral rehearsal.

2. do you ever get nervous or anxious? not just on stage, anytime. How do you deal with it? 

I do, yes. Sometimes I get anxiety attacks, and I’ve found some of these things helped me:

I use the Bach Flower Rescue Remedy, it’s a homeopathic formula used for upset, overcoming trauma, anxiety and loss. It’s helped me through sooo much; I never leave home without it. The remedy was developed in the 1930s by Dr. Edward Bach, a physician and homeopath who believed the key to overall health was to care for the mind, as well as the body. He spent his life exploring the use of flowers and plants as a means to promote emotional well-being. By 1936, he identified 38 flower essences, each derived from a different wild flower, plant or tree, and each corresponding to a specific emotion. It is still used successfully today, including flower essences for our pets. They have pastilles and capsules, too. I like the drops best because they are fast-acting.

If it’s at an audition or during a performance, I remember this: my audience and the judge panel wants me to succeed. They’re all here to hear me, and are already rooting for me. That levels the playing field

I focus on 5 things for each sense, to ground myself (especially helpful to not dissociate). Five objects in the room, five textures on my clothes, five tastes I had that day, five smells I love.

Sometimes I just write down whatever I’m feeling in my phone or at my pc. All of it. doesn’t matter how much I swear, I cry, just... get it out. When I acknowledge it and let it go, I delete. Useful for when you don’t feel comfortable sharing your thoughts with others.

3. do you think you're an even-tempered person? do your feelings get hurt easily or not?  A good question. I consider myself an even-tempered person: it takes a bit to anger me. I frustrate easily, though, mostly at myself. I can see when I do something wrong, or when something can be improved, and don’t know how to fix it. Then I get impatient with myself, and, unfortunately, cruel (because I’m such a perfectionist). That is a bad habit that I’m working to overcome. 

My Mom told me that a good way to look at it is this: inside every one of us, is a child. So when you say those things to yourself, you say them to your inner child. And is that how you would treat a little one? No? Then why are you doing it to yourself? That put things in perspective for me, and set me on my path to be kinder to myself.

Do my feelings get hurt easily? Being in the arts requires a thick skin, so I try my best to cultivate that. Some days are better than others. :) 

4. why do you think you enjoy writing fanfiction so much?

Ooh, a great question. I love writing fanfic because it fills in the holes that the original material couldn’t cover. It helps create a full picture, instead of just vignettes of a character’s life. It adds an element of realism that I didn’t feel in, say, the games or books; those always have a degree of separation with them.

Through writing--especially with writing more historically-based material--it comes alive. These characters now have a life outside of killing dragons and waiting around to go on quests. They have clothes outside of their armor sets, houses to clean and dinners to cook. Likes, dislikes, gifts they got for their birthdays that they hate but are too nice to say. And the more I hang out with these characters, the more I learn from them, and the more I learn about myself as a person. 

Fanfiction also brings joy to others, too, and is a great tool to spread happiness with. That, to me, makes it all worthwhile. <3

[sister-dear]

How I Write

present tense or past tense / first person or third person / double 1.5-spaced or single spaced / action or emotion / similes or metaphors / OCs or existing characters / fluff or angst / music or white noise / character or plot / make them cry or make them laugh / tea or coffee / happy ending or bittersweet / morning afternoon or night / comic sans or times new roman / google docs or word /

Which is not to say that I never do the stuff not bolded, but there are some strong tendencies here. (And font is arial all the way.)

Tagging anybody who wants to! 

[wardenari]

If you were in charge of voice casting and direction at BioWare, who would be your dream hires in terms of voice actors for DA4?

Gideon Emory is #1 (Fenris, Taliesin, and Samson). I mean he’s been in the other 3 games so he should be here!

Kate Mulgrew!!

Michael Dorn (I just think he has a cool voice and it makes me think of Gargoyles) 

[morlanwen]

Books

I’ve been tagged by @curiousartemis​ (thank you :) ) Of course, everyone is tagged 

 hardcover or paperback/ rent or buy/ reads in silence or reads with music / standalone or series [both are great] / annotations or pristine pages / ebook or physical copy / dog ears or bookmarks / mismatched series or complete set / cover matters or you don’t judge / lend books or keep them to yourself/ enjoys lit classes or despises them [kind of love and hate... like in History class: I loved the Middle Ages but hated Napoleon... see?]/ browses shops or orders online [both]/ reads reviews or goes in blind[if I already read something from the author and I liked it, I go blind] / unreturned books or clean library record / rereads or once was enough [I read Lost Souls by (former) Poppy Z. Brite/Billy Martin (now) something like 15 times] / fanfic enthusiast or a stickler for canon / deep reader or easily distracted / must read the book before seeing the movie or order doesn’t matter / has neat bookshelves or messy bookshelves  / skips ahead or resists temptation [I have to confess : while reading ASOIAF, I skipped daenerys & Bran chapters] / reads aloud or in your head / guesses plot twists or never sees them coming [but still pleasantly surprised when I guess wrong]

[maraleestuff]

In the spirit of redraws -- Casien Yedlin (who belongs to @curiousartemis)

The older version for reference:

[knightdawn]

Send me a character: Duncan, Isabela, and Solas, from Dragon Age... (I'm in a Dragon Age mood I guess?? 🤣)

Please?

003 | Give me a character & I will tell you:

Duncan:

How I feel about this character: I think he’s very interesting, he’s pretty high on my list of favorite characters! His backstory is interesting but I also think he’s a great mentor for the main character at the start of Origins. It’s neat how he plays a role in every opening act. (And of course I have a soft spot for rogues…)

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Hmm… not sure if I do ship him with anyone, actually. He seems committed to his job at this point, so it would have to be someone from his past.

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: I love his father-son dynamic with Alistair and it’s very sweet. He meant so much to Alistair.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Do enough people talk about Duncan for there to be an unpopular opinion about him? Uh… I guess… I don’t think he’s cruel or a pushover, he did what was necessary and he did as much good as he could while still following the rules of his order.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I wish he could’ve had a bit more screentime, I guess. Duncan flashback DLC? That would’ve been neat. It’s sad that he kind of gets forgotten about even in-universe after Origins.

Favorite friendship for this character: I think it’s neat that he knew Adaia Tabris well enough to recognize her kid - he speaks highly of her, even decades later, and that’s very sweet. (I’d say Fiona, also, but I haven’t read the Calling so I don’t know enough about their dynamic to comment on it.)

My crossover ship: Not sure I have a ship for him, but I think he would’ve been a great dad-figure for Arya Stark if he was in Westeros.

Isabela:

How I feel about this character: She’s fun! Reminds me of Jack Sparrow and I adore that character, too - but she’s also a woman! She’s got a lot of layers and despite being a character that’s “sexy” and very open about her love of sex - it has nothing to do with her “hidden depths” and you can convince her to come back and help you with the Qunari situation her regardless of your relationship status with her (that is, as a friend OR lover.) It’s so rare to see a character like her done well, and I think she IS.

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Hawke, I suppose. I think regardless of Hawke’s interest, Isabela falls a little bit in love with Hawke. (Who in the friend group DOESN’T, really?) I also like her with Zevran as a past thing, and… I think it’s interesting that she can hook up with an unromanced Fenris. Isabela/Sebastian is also a fun ship idea. And I like Isabela/Merrill, too.

Really, I ship her with a lot of people but I think she’s probably demi-romantic, so most of these ships are passing things more than… long-term relationships.

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: Varric, I suppose. But I also love how she teases Carver.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I do actually wish she wore pants in Kirkwall, at least. Just. Dress her like Elisabeth Swann, thanks. (It’s not practical to fight with that much skin showing.)

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: almost forgot to fill this one out oops. Uh, I guess I wish she didn’t get ANY comments from people like Aveline. That’s the only thing that bothers me besides the pants thing. x’D

Favorite friendship for this character: Hawke or Merrill. I love how they foil and bounce off each other.

My crossover ship: I know I said she’s like a female Jack Sparrow, but now I’m thinking about her in the POTC universe… Oh man. The shenanigans that could ensue with THAT crossover would be something amazing.

Solas:

How I feel about this character: I didn’t understand the hype about him until I played Inquisition. Now I DO. He’s a lot more nuanced than I expected he would be, and… I really feel sorry for him. I wish there was a way to help him more, but he’s the one that always pulls away.

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: The Inquisitor, Fade Spirits, uh… I’m sure he had other experience in the past, but… yeah. I don’t ship him a lot, but I’ve seen interesting things around. ADDENDUM: After reading the Masked Empire I ship him with Felassan, too! They have history.

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: Blackwall. Between the conversation they have about Fade Spirits and the fact that APPARENTLY Blackwall taught him to play a card game, wound up GAMBLING against Solas, bet his CLOTHES, and LOST…? I just love that this is CANON, okay.

My unpopular opinion about this character: He should have been bi. The reasoning we were given for the dev team deciding to NOT make him bi was… not great, honestly. It stands out even more in a game that had so many options for a straight female character already.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Two things, really. I think the vallaslin conversation shouldn’t have been romance-locked (i.e. it should be something he tells a close FRIEND as well) and I… I wish you could get him to tell you the truth if you’re his lover.

Favorite friendship for this character: I like his conversations with Dorian, Cole, and Cassandra. They all foil each other well. 

My crossover ship: …Thranduil. Think of the DRAMA.

[paraparadigm]

Fanfiction Asks: 1, 2, 10, and 13

Thank you for the ask!!! ❤️Ok, from the Fanfic Asks list:

1. What made you start writing fanfic? Stress. It was a low-stakes way to do “fun” writing on the side (as opposed to, you know, the not-so-fun writing as part of my professional life). And also salt, vitriol, and sheer hubris. “Why can’t I have THIS very specific thing/type of character/storyline.” And from there:

2. Which of your own fanfics have you reread the most? 

Whichever one I’m writing most actively—at the moment, it’s probably Always Read the Fine Print (Skyrim). In part to keep the voicing and narrative structure and consistent, and decide which of my Chekhov’s guns need to fire soon, and which ones can turn into red herrings and swim away. ;) I think that’s true for most of my long WIPs: I almost never re-read my one-shots. I post them, and forget about them. And then it’s like “oh I wrote that?”

10. What’s a theme that keeps coming up in your writing? Tough one! Probably found family & intergenerational friendships/fictive kin; immigration/displacement; and, as my ever-patient beta would remind me, sadsack elves LIs with a secret. ;)

13. Name three favorite characters to write.

I’ll use non-OCs, because of course I enjoy writing those ;) So for NPCs, Amund/Skywatcher for Reluctant Alchemist (DAI); Teldryn Sero for Fine Print; and weirdly enough, Varric. But honestly, it’s a hard pick. I especially enjoy writing more or less obscure characters that I can build up more or less from scratch and that don’t have a whole lot of fandom baggage associated with them. 

Thank you for the asks!!!