Happy STS! What’re your favourite detail(s, feel free to drop multiple) from your WIPs? - @trixierosewrites
I'm so glad you're okay with multiple details because I genuinely do not think I can pick just one!
From FROM MATCHA TO MURDER - My favorite detail from this is that Amara is a scam artist that will absolutely take you for every copper in your purse, but she doesn't because Hendryk asked her nicely not to and she doesn't want to see his sad face.
From FROM CARNIVAL TO CHAMOMILE - Hendryk and Amara pretend to be a wedded couple instead of siblings (because people treat them weirdly when they do stuff as siblings) so they can rent a shop to open the Witch's Brew Tea, Books, and Tarot. Rose, the landlady, IMMEDIATELY figures it out but plays along to see where it goes. It goes nowhere except she gets scammed into lowering the rent by fifty silver a month. Rip Rose.
From PRIESTESS WITHOUT HONOR - a few for this one!
- Astaria is unaware that Darian is wholly and completely smitten with her and keeps mistaking his stoic behavior for malice.
- Though she is capable of creating magical light, Nastasha prefers candlelight. It's so pretty...
- Wolfsbane is toxic to wolves, but it is almost impossible to kill a wolf with it because it has such a strong flavor and smell and it makes wolves throw up.
- For some reason (hehe I know the reason but I'm not telling), magic just...doesn't work? Against Astaria. Any spell cast on her just fizzles out. Aspen finds this immensely frustrating.
From UNNAMED PROJECT - Tiatha looks like The Other Mother from Coraline - not the spider bit but just before, when she's all stretched out and eerie. She is also as abrasive as steel wool. Draven loves her anyway and bullies his way into her personal space because he thinks he deserves to be there. He does not.
From THE CORPSE AND THE KILLER - I have several for this one! (BEWARE - this one gets LONG)
- Batman gets spooked by an abandoned hospital
- Commissioner Gordon gets to tell the mayor to go fuck herself
- Babs is addicted to purple Monsters
- The Arkham Knight / Jason Todd uses a tiny black-and-white CRT TV to monitor the CCTV cameras in the city instead of, like, a normal computer monitor because "we can't afford the expense" despite being ✧wealthy✧
- Harley Quinn keeps hallucinating her old psychiatrist self who is giving her genuinely good advice constantly and it's driving her up a wall
- Kia wears an Arkham Asylum Inmate hoodie despite only having been in inpatient therapy after an accident and refuses to take it off despite it clashing with her bubblegum pink hair
- Duncan thinks he's the next Bruce Lee and proves it by dropkicking a TV with his prosthetic legs
- Though I never actually mention it in the fic, Anderson has a HUGE crush on Bruce Wayne
- As yet unwritten but coming soon - Kia gets to push Jazz off a roof. It is immensely satisfying.
- Jacobi is wholly unprepared to be In Charge and it shows.
- I have posted 10 chapters. I have written 31. Send help.
TAGGING @theink-stainedfolk and @drchenquill for the From Matcha to Murder bits!
"If you don't stop making a dragon's horde out of a copper piece, I'll give you something to really cry about!"
174 - - - she/her - - - half-elf
Fishing has been the lifeblood of Rose's family since they first arrived from Abieni a thousand years ago. It stood to reason that she would follow her father's footsteps, being the eldest and all. Even when she married Minto Fenwick a century ago, she refused to hang up her nets and told him that if he married her, he married the sea and all the problems that came with it.
He married her anyway, though he did not join her in the water. Instead, he opened a little shop and sold fish on the cliff side to the locals, something that, surprisingly, no one had thought of. They'd simply believed that if they wanted fish, they'd have to catch it themselves. Minto solved a problem they didn't even know they'd had, and his pockets overflowed for it .
They had three children together who all moved to Verthurst to seek their fortunes. They visit when they can of course, but they're all quite busy with their own careers and families in the big city.
Minto passed away three years ago, a tragic victim to an illness spread by birds. Rose couldn't bring herself to sell the shop, but the sheriff convinced her to rent it out instead. She may regret that choice as the only people interested seem to be a pair of half-drow twins...
Rose is very down-to-earth and serious, though she'll grant you a laugh if you amuse her. She never let her vast wealth get to her head and is always happy to help you out of a pickle. She seems to have adopted Hendryk and Amara as her own children and treats them as such, not that they know how to handle it. She may not be on the town council, but she has a lot of sway and knows how and when to use it.
🎱 8 Ball- What situation was your OC lucky to escape from or get out of? What or who helped them unexpectedly?
<3
Thank you so much for asking! My entire novella, From Carnival to Chamomile (tagged fctc on my blog shameless plug) is about exactly this!
Long story short, Amara and her brother Hendryk were forced to flee from the Carnival la Poirier because the owner accused them of stealing his money (which they...kind of did BUT AFTER THE FACT). They got the unexpected help from Anne, one of the owner's personal security guards, who helped lead a false trail and helped them give him the slip!
p r e v i o u s . c h a p t e r | n e x t . c h a p t e r
"Wasn't that fantastic, folks? Let's give it up for the flying Twins, Jada and Jaden!"
The thunderous applause did nothing to ease the throbbing in Amara's temples. She patiently smacked away the hand of the preening elf that wouldn't stop fiddling with her costume. "Relax, Vaeri. You're rubbing all the glitter off."
Vaeri took a step back, flapping her hands anxiously. "Sorry, sorry! I just want everything to be perfect!"
"This is Carnival la Poirier. I think 'acceptable' is the best we can hope for."
Vaeri blanched.
Amara shook her head and patted the elf's arm. "Nothing is going to happen. The dress is perfect. It's not going to fall off, I promise."
Vaeri wrung her hands. "But what if your…pets…rip it open? Or the skirt catches on the platform? Or, gods forbid, a seam rips? Then it'll be my fault the act fails and Mr. Poirier will fire me and I'll have to go back to Boltangate to that awful seamstress and-"
"Vaeri!"
The elf froze midsentence, her pupils pinpricks in her violet eyes.
Amara clasped her cheeks in her hands. "Re. Lax," she commanded. "You're working yourself up over nothing. This is the finest dress I've ever worn. Besides, Luc would never have hired you if he didn't have every confidence that you produce quality goods."
Vaeri didn't need to know that this was a flat-out lie. Judging by the smile that spread across her face, she didn't. "You mean it?"
"Absolutely," Amara replied with a smile of her own. "Now shoo. Go watch your masterpiece from the stands. You'll get a better view that way."
She sighed as Vaeri scampered off, letting the smile slip from her face. Was now the time to admit that she was nervous too? Luc didn't take very kindly to people upstaging him, and her new act had the potential to do just that. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, but that only made her heart pound faster.
"When did you sign up to be the carnival morale booster?"
Amara turned to face her brother, wrinkling her nose. "You stink."
Hendryk grinned and threw his arms open wide. "Aw, you don't want a good luck hug from your favorite brother?"
She laughed and ducked away from his wriggling fingers. "Get away from me, you disgusting peasant!"
Just as he was about to grab her in his smelly arms, Goknar poked his head around the big top curtain. "If you could be so kind as to tear yourself from your brother's arms," he said dryly, "you're up next."
Amara shoved Hendryk away and dusted herself off. "I'm coming," she told the hobgoblin, ignoring Hendryk's grumbles from behind her. Goknar nodded and led her to stage left, just in time for Silva the Swan to exit. "Good luck," whispered the naiad in passing. Amara had only enough time to nod her thanks before the announcer raised his voice again.
"Aaand next up, we have a real treat for you fine folks! She'll bewitch you with her wondrous visions! Please welcome to the big top - Amara the Incredible Illusionist!"
She sashayed out to the center of the sandy floor to thunderous applause. At least she wasn't an early act that had to perform to awkward silence - small graces. She struck a graceful ballet pose as the magical spotlights shined on her and a suspenseful hush fell over the audience.
A slow, almost mournful tune began to play, echoing throughout the rafters of the big top. Amara raised her hands, clasped in prayer, toward the ceiling as sparkling snowflakes fluttered down. She twisted her hands in a complicated gesture, a dance of fingers. Her skirt and bell sleeves flowed in a wind no one could feel. With a flutter of her fingers, she slammed her palm toward the ground.
A burst of sparks and smoke erupted from the sand. Applause erupted again the sizzling lights faded to reveal a pair of shimmering tigers locked in an intricate waltz. The music raises to a lively jig. The tigers sped up into a Hartley two-step. After several beats, the music changed again, and the dance along with it. The crowd went wild.
But Amara wasn't done. She raised her hand to the ceiling again, the spotlight following. . The tightrope now held an opaque elephant balancing a unicycle on the rope, a tiny banjo in its front feet. It played a jaunty tune that had the audience clapping along in delight - and of course, the tigers danced along.
The best things come in threes. Amara spun around und threw her hands into the air. Sparkles exploded in the air, and when they faded, faeries flooded the room. They danced in the air, forming glittering images. At first, the images were simple - a bunny rabbit hopping around, a pair of birds flitting about a willow tree, a squirrel chasing a runaway nut. The children in the audience cheered the loudest.
But Amara was never satisfied with simple, not when she was capable of so much more. Throwing caution and her fear of Luc's jealousy to the wind, she increased the flow of magic to the faeries. The result was instantaneous - the next image was of a Baerth flying whale swimming over the audience with a pair of winged dolphins.
As the whale shifted into a herd of gallopping unicorns, Amara caught a glimpse of Hendryk in the wings. He flicked the side of his hand over his throat, the universal sign to wrap it up. Sne decided, against the warning bells in the back of her mind, to go out with a bang. With a roar that startled even her, the unicorns became a beautiful crimson dragon that spewed a gust of sparkling orange flames over the audience - they screamed with fear and delight.
The dragon exploded into illusory glitter that rained over the crowd. As they erupted with final applause, Amara staggered into the wings. Her legs shook so badly that she was simply glad that she collapsed behind the curtain instead of before it.
Hendryk didn't pull her to her feet. Instead, he knelt beside her, rubbing the space between her shoulders. "How do you feel?"
"I feel like I need a nap and a steak dinner." That was an understatement. Her hands were numb from the amount of magic she'd pumped through them in such a short amount of time. Every inch of her skin tingled as her body worked overtime to regenerate her spent mana. Forget moving - it took a concentrated effort just to speak.
Hendryk chuckled and scooped her into his arms bridal-style. "Well, the crowd seems to think you did fine... but we know whose opinion really matters. Think you have what it takes to be the new headliner?"
"Maybe." Hopefully not, if she was being honest. She absolutely could not handle repeating this every night. Once a week was already a big maybe. Not that it really mattered - there was not a chance that Luc was going to let her supercede him as top act of the carnival. As fond of her as he was, having practically raised her after saving her and Hendryk from the swamps, he was still top dog at Carnival la Peirior. After all, it had his name on it.
"Well, well, aren't you full of surprises." Hendryk stiffened as, speak of the fiend, Luc Peirior appeared around the corner. He adjusted the gold cufflinks on his navy suit, pinstriped with matching gold stitches. "I always knew you were a quick hand with illusions, but goodness me, that was something else."
"Thank you, Luc." Were her lips supposed to be numb?
There was something almost sinister about the dragonkin's toothy smile. She tried not to take it personally - it was the same smile he always wore. "I need to take the stage. Go get some rest. We'll discuss your future at the carnival another time. Things are looking up for you, Miss Voren."
It was only after he disappeared through the curtain that Hendryk relaxed. He grinned at Amara. "Sounds like good news to me. Ready for a snack?"
Ohh thank you! Another ramble! This time, I'm going to talk about Lochmallow Mysteries (and From Carnival to Chamomile, since it's the prequel to the series)!
So Amara started off as a Legends of Avantris OC - I really love their Once Upon a Witchlight series - but I couldn't bring myself to fuck with the group dynamic to insert her into fanfiction or anything. Whoops. She kind of created herself, I had no intention of making her until I was listening to episode...18, I think it was? And she just sort of happened.
I kept a few things from Witchlight - the swamps, the Carnival la Croux (spelling? Idk how to spell that?) in its own special way, and the less savory goings-on behind the scenes. I wanted her to have a very unique upbringing, and what better way than to grow up in a carnival that cheats and swindles all its customers and most of its staff? She's like Dick Grayson but without the acrobatics!
As for her illusion magicks (and the ability to make illusions solid), I actually had my friend create a Pathfinder character for a one-shot years and years ago. He was able to work some real magic with that one. I've had to seriously nerf Amara from what he created, otherwise there'd be no tension because she'd just POP everything.
Right now, I'm most excited to explore Lochmallow. I've already got three or four books planned out (remind me to write down those ideas so I don't forget them for the love of pete) so there's plenty to explore, but I feel like I need to add more. More characters, more places to go, more things to do. I'm worried that I'm going to get in a little over my head with this one, so I'm holding myself back, but at the same time, I'm trying to let loose the creativity. Not a great combination lol!!
Born in the Underdark to a drow mother and a tiefling father, Hendryk is no stranger to hardship. Being both a half breed and a man meant he was slated toward slavery and not a jot more. He bore his duty with a smile, but his twin sister knew the truth - he was not going to live a long life as long as he remained in the drow world.
When Amara killed the daughter of a drow matron, Hendryk didn't hesitate. Without even giving her time to gather her things, he swept her away to a goblin tunnel that led to the surface. Their first rays of sunlight were the dim mossy light of a swamp. They were very fortunate to come across Lou Peirior, local carnival owner and swamp afficianado - they most certainly would have died otherwise.
For twelve years they worked at his carnival. While Amara balanced the books and performed illusions in the big top, Hendryk's duty ies were more civilian in nature. He chopped trees and cooked meals for the staff and cleaned up vomit more times than he cared to count.
But it was better than the Underdark.
But alas, they were once again forced to flee. They made it to Verthurst, the central city of Hilamwen, but they didn't stay there long. Neither of them were cut out for city life. They went instead to the coastal town of Lochmallow, where they set up a dual tea shop and seance tent.
Alas, if only Lochmallow was as kind to him as it was to his sister...
Hendryk is a friendly fellow with an easy smile. He's always ready to crack a joke, even at the most inopportune times. Optimistic to a fault, he tends to trust more than he should and misses all the red flags. If you need a lending hand, he's your man. They call him the perfect husband, but he's not really interested in a romantic life.
FCTC COP-OUT – Biggest Tobacco Control Failure Yet
An FCTC “COP out” practically defines itself. They’re really having a hard time with a “response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic and is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health” (in their own words here).
The psychotic nanny-state mindset on display has decided the big, bad tobacco industry is simply too powerful for them to…
