#italiangothicwriteblr

[talesofsorrowandofruin]

Ice and Wing for the asks!

—@italiangothicwriteblr

Thanks! :D

Ice: share a snippet where a character is taking a risk. This is from The Power and the Glory, in which Irímé makes a bad situation worse:

Perhaps Irímé also realised what the spell was meant to do. Perhaps he simply thought it was time to take matters into his own hands. Whatever his reasoning, he decided now was the perfect time to try mind control. Why in the name of all that was holy did he think that was a good idea? Abi hadn't a clue. She suspected he hadn't, either.

If there was one sort of magic that was almost impossible to master, it was anything to do with manipulating another person's mind. To start with you needed a natural talent for telepathy. You had to be able to read a complete stranger's mind with perfect accuracy. And when you began to manipulate their mind, you needed a clear picture of what you wanted them to believe and the determination to force them to believe it.

Irímé had none of that. Or if he had, he was the world's best actor and had managed to conceal it from everyone for centuries.

Undaunted by such petty things as common sense or capability, he still tried it.

"Move along," he shouted at the man, backing his words up with as much magic as he could force into them. Unfortunately it was more or less directionless magic that fizzled out without ever reaching its target. "This is perfectly normal. Nothing to see here."

Abi face-palmed. There were times when she simply had to face facts. In this case the facts were simple. Her fiancé was an idiot. And no one liked someone trying to meddle with their mind. Whether or not the attempt was successful never mattered. The fact it was made in the first place was enough to send the most mild-mannered of people on the warpath.

Sure enough, the man's tone suggested he was on the verge of committing murder. "Why you little--"

It was time to intervene.

"Both of you be quiet!" Abi shouted. She channelled no magic into her words, but she did imitate her foster mother's most commanding tone. "I am Abihira Hartannasvóeln of the Sinistrah clan. The granddaughter of the empress herself. My fiancé and I are here on official business. I order you to leave at once!"

The man gave her a thoroughly unimpressed look. "Well, I am Ilaran Illessilru, Prince of Tananerl, and I sincerely doubt her Majesty considers necromancy official business."

"I was being serious!" Abi protested.

"I know you were. So was I."

Oh. That made things… ever so slightly awkward.

Wing: share a snippet that you daydreamed about before writing it (or a snippet that you were really looking forward to writing). This is from The Unfortunate Moth, in which the murderer is revealed (spoilers, obviously):

"In short, we have a murderer with a fondness for gambling, a knowledge of disguise, music, and carpentry, and no steady job. That description would fit an actor very well. Don't you agree, Mr. Colman?"

If Yo-han had thrown a bomb at the gathered suspects he could hardly have caused more uproar. Tremaine and the doctor jumped as if they'd been stung. The captain dropped his pipe. The guards looked back and forth from Yo-han to Colman. Király leapt to his feet with an expression that suggested someone was about to get punched, and he hadn't decided yet if it was Colman or Yo-han. Miss Patton turned to Colman with a bewildered frown.

Colman himself returned Yo-han's stare without flinching and without any apparent emotion. He said nothing, simply raised one eyebrow and waited. His face was blank but there was something in his eyes that suggested he wanted to smile sardonically.

Yo-han got up and crossed to the door. An officer was waiting outside as he had asked. Yo-han took the box from him and went back to his chair. The officer locked the door again. Colman watched with his head on one side and a mildly puzzled expression. Everyone else looked bewildered. Király had sunk back down into his chair, but looked like he was ready to leap up again at a minute's notice.

"Do you recognise this?" Yo-han asked.

"Certainly," Colman said. "It's my violin case."

A chorus of indignant exclamations interrupted here. "That's not a violin case!" "Do you take us all for fools?" "Violin? Yeah, and I'm the Emperor of Mexico."

Colman waited until the others were quiet. "It is a violin case. I had it custom-made so it would look like an ordinary box, because my last violin was stolen. Open it and you'll see."

Yo-han took him at his word. He opened the box and held it up so everyone could see the violin.

"I admit, I gamble far too much," Colman said. "But I am quite capable of making money through acting or music. I don't need to go around killing people."

Yo-han ignored him and lifted the violin out. He set it carefully on the table. "Thank you, Mr. Király. Your suitcase gave me an important clue." He ran his fingers along the velvet lining that framed the space for the violin. "All of you can see this case is far larger than it needs to be. What is all that extra space used for?"

One corner moved when he touched it. Yo-han prised it up. The velvet lining came away. A chorus of gasps followed.

A gun lay in pieces in the hidden compartment.

Adding TPATG's and Moth's taglists: @ajbrooks-writes, @mjmnorwood, @houser-of-stories, @time-space-and-the-muses, @lothloriien, @aliensmoon, @rataltouille, @thescatteredscribbles, @alexwritesfiction, @moth-with-a-pen, @thelaughingstag, @diphthongsfordays, @athenswrites, @ladydawnxx, @talesfromaurea, @jacquesfindswritingandadvice, @original-writing, @akindofmagictoo, @lightgriffinsect, @zonnemaagd, @essiesreadingcorner, @oh-no-another-idea, @verba-writing, @kittensartswriting (Let me know if you want to be added to/removed from the taglist!)

[memento-morri-writes]

❌ and ✅

—Joy

Ahh, thank you Joy! (@italiangothicwriteblr) These are actually the two questions I was most excited to answer! And I'll be doing these for ATQH, as it's my most developed wip.

✅—Which character/plot point/etc would be your favorite to see on screen?

Absolutely, hands down the Incident + the Apology. Those would BREAK me, I think. Although, a close second would probably be Fallon's nightmare and the scene after that with Kris.

❌—What’s the worst thing an adaption of your WIP could do? Your absolute worst nightmare?

Any kind of hint that indicates Kristopher forgiving his family / them being redeemable / not bad people. I'm sick and tired of the "person who was abused forgives their abuser despite their abuser not changing whatsoever" or really just "person who was abused forgiving their abuser" in general. Really sick of that shit in media. It's okay to never forgive. Your anger is valid.

[cherrybombfangirlwrites]

Hi! Happy WBW!

What are some more local stories or legends in your world that are common knowledge in one area but outsiders might not know about? What are some widespread stories with wildly different local variations?

Happy WBW! Ok so we have:

Local Legends

In Dinvirty, there's a legends about one of the first kings of the kingdom, who was supposedly a son of Keyon himself. The legend is mainly about how he unlocked the secret to armor and made the kingdom powerful. In the original legend, the king was a lot like the true Keyon- peaceful but willing to fight when necessary. Overtime, Dinvirtians have told the story differently and differently each time until nowadays the king is a bloodthirsty warlord who conquered or destroyed all in his path. Legend has it his tomb is somewhere deep in the mountains, and his remains are there, his terrible sword still in his hand.

In Dryklan, there's a legend of a demigod whose spirit lives deep in the mines. The demigod is a child of Dragia and a mortal, and was sent to kill a whole hoard of monsters in the mountain so humans could mine there. The demigod was successful, but died from his injuries, or so the story goes. Legend has it his spirit still haunts the mines and protects the miners.

In the area that used to be Farkle, there's legends about some kind of monster or fire demon that lives in the abandoned castle. The most common names for it are the Wildfire and the Fire Witch. Legend has it it's dormant (unless someone disturbs it), and will stay that way because it was cursed by another witch to never leave, and can only hurt those that trespass on the castle grounds. (of course we all find out the real story)

Widespread Legends (with wildly different versions)

There's Undral's mountain, one of the few places in all of Eltya where the barrier between the underworld and the living world is thin enough that it's possible to access the underworld from there. Legend has it that in the last days Undral and his army will enter the mortal world from there to bring an end to everything. The only thing people from different regions can't agree on is how it works, and how this came to be.

No one is really sure how the two young witches defeated the Witch Queen in the war, but legend has it they used an all powerful amulet that can cancel out any magic, and to keep the power out of the wrong hands, the two young witches split the amulet into three pieces and hid them throughout Eltya. People from different regions can't agree on how the young witches exactly did it, and where they may have hid the pieces.

Yes these two legends become relevant later ;)

Thanks for the ask @wearfinethingsalltoowell !

[jess-p-edits]

Hi! Happy Blorbo Blursday! (This is @italiangothicwriteblr's main btw)

If you had to pick one OC who's currently a supporting character and write a story focused on them, which one would it be and why?

Hello hello!!!!!!! Ahhhh I've been thinking about this question since Thursday, lmao!! I love this question! Thank you for asking @italiangothicwriteblr!!!!!! <3 <3 <3

So I think a supporting character who would make a fantastic main character would be Alise Foxglove! A quick blip about her from my character intro post for context:

Master of Coin of the Alliance Lands and operator of The Divine Trust, the central bank of the alliance located within The Blend. Derided by her political rivals as “a glorified bank teller with a god complex”. She resents that as she hasn’t worked as a bank teller in years.

And also at her right hand would be Aster Astoria, her immortal counterfeit investigator whom I gush about a lot here!

I think if they starred in their own story, it would definitely be a political thriller as they continue to maintain power and influence through the petty political squabbles within the Alliance Lands. Both of their characters are very "behind the scenes" as they quietly work to make sure the world keeps functioning. They definitely present themselves as larger-than-life, #materialgorlssss, but a story with more focus on them would definitely reveal them to be pretty motivated for the noble cause of making sure the economy stays stable enough so that people can stay fed, monster hunters stay well-equpipped, and the world's "new" magical powers don't prey on the economically vulnerable. Okay, Aster is a little more selfishly motivated, but Alise keeps him in line.

[memento-morri-writes]

For the Tiny Scenes—Crown for Fallon and Kris

Ooh, thank you for the prompt, Joy! We shall see where this take me!

(scene under the cut, no content warnings)

"Are you alright?"

Fallon blinked, coming back to reality. Kristopher was looking at her closely. She nodded. "I'm fine. Just... tired." She sighed, then reached up and took the crown off her head. "When I was a kid, I couldn't wait to put this on. I begged my mother to let me wear it, even for a minute or two. I felt like the queen of the world with it on, like I could do anything." She smiled sadly. "But now it just feels heavy."

Kristopher reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "Some things aren't meant to be carried alone."

Fallon was silent for a long moment. Finally she said, "My mother bore it alone."

"But that doesn't mean you should have to."

Fallon looked up, meeting the Prince's eyes. He smiled, the scar on his lip stretching. Carefully, he lifted the crown out of her hands, setting it aside. "Forget about it for a moment. Enjoy yourself." He stood up, then took the Queen's hands, pulling her to her feet. "Let's get out of the Palace for a while. You deserve a break."

Her hands lingered in his, and she reached up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.

The Prince smiled. "Where would you like to go?"

[memento-morri-writes]

Hi! Happy Blorbo Blursday!!

Kris my son my baby my beloved

What are his general feelings about his family and Oryn?

What’s his happiest childhood memory?

What made him realize he was falling for Fallon?

What’s his biggest regret?

—Joy (@italiangothicwriteblr)

Joy!!! Thanks for the ask!!! (and especially for asking about Kris. These are damn good questions.)

(also tagging @andromedatalksaboutstuff since he asked about Kris as well.)

tw for abuse, violence, attempted murder, and something that could possibly count as vague suicidal ideation throughout this post.

What are his general feelings about his family and Oryn?

Kristopher hates his family. And for good reason. They were nothing but abusive asshole to him his entire childhood. Really the only person from his family he has good relationship or memories with is his older sister. And that's actually another thing he resents his family for. His parents married off his sister to a foreign noble, and he hasn't seen her in years. Also, Kristopher resents his family, particularly his father, for ruining Oryn. Because for all the shit the kingdom has put him through, he loves it. And he knows that the people there deserve much, much better than his father as a king. Pierre keeps the majority of the people in poverty, and thousands of people work in the mines and lumber yards, which pour money into his coffers. Kris knows that his father is ruining the kingdom, both via its people and its natural resources, and he hates him for it. And his brothers are no better. None of them would make a good king. But Kris doesn't want to be king, either. He's not knowledgeable enough, doesn't have the temper for it, and is hated by all of the nobility. So he kind of feels stuck.

continued under the cut

What’s his happiest childhood memory?

Kristopher's best memory was probably one of two things. There was one time when he was a child, his sister brought him a birthday cake, because everyone else has either forgotten it was his birthday or was ignoring him on purpose. The other option is the first time that he met Phillip. (his horse) Phillip was born at the stables, so when Kris met him for the first time, he was only a few days old. He instantly fell in love with the little foal. He spent a lot of time with Phillip, and as soon as he was old enough, and had been trained, Kris claimed him as his own. (I'm thinking that Phillip is in the range of 12-14 years old, so Kris has known him since he (Kris) was 12-ish.)

What made him realize he was falling for Fallon?

Oh, buckle in for a ride on this one.... Before meeting Fallon, Kris had never actually had a serious relationship. He knew that anyone he was with would face similar ridicule from his parents and most of the kingdom's nobility. So he never went looking for a serious relationship. He didn't want to put that kind of weight on anyone. Not to mention that he had basically convinced himself that no one could ever love him. So it takes Kris a while to realize what he feels for Fallon. And when he finally does, it's under rather... traumatic circumstances. It's the night Lavinia tries to kill Fallon. Kristopher wakes up to people shouting and running in the hallway outside his room. He tries to figure out what's going on, and when he finally finds out, he flips out and tries to find Fallon. But the palace guards restrain him, since they don't know if he knows anything about the attack. (They don't suspect him, but they're keeping everyone under lock down as a precaution.) So after that, Kris has several anxious, miserable hours locked in his room to just think. He imagines all sorts to horrible scenarios where Fallon is hurt or dead or kidnapped. And in that time, something in his brain finally clicks. As to why it is that he reacted so strongly to the possibility of Fallon being in danger. The feeling was so alien to him that he didn't recognize it. To quote Kristopher in one of the last scenes in the book: "I've never been in love before, but I know that I love you, because what else could love possibly feel like?"

What’s his biggest regret?

On his worst days (mostly pre-Anvia), being born. During/after the book, the thing he regrets most is probably the scene I like to call The Incident. All the things he said to Fallon in that scene, he regrets them a lot. Even though they were mostly bad about himself rather than bad about her, they hurt a lot for her to hear, and he regrets everything he did that night.

[memento-morri-writes]

Hi, Morri! Happy Blorbo Blursday!

Do you have any twist villain (or, conversely, twist hero) characters? If so, tell me about them!

(Is this just me trying to get you to talk more about Lavinia...maybe so)

hehehehe, thank you Joy!!

Lavinia is definitely a twist villain!! She masquerades as a rather basic, minor noble from an isolated location in Oryn. She befriends Fallon by making Fallon feel like the center of attention and keeps suspicion away from herself by rarely talking about herself.

In truth, she's the child of two people who were exiled for supporting Victor Pelle's attempted coup. (Background on that whole thing here.) She was trained from a young age to serve as a spy and eventual assassin. Her parents were more dedicated to their cause than raising their daughter, and because of that, she's constantly seeking the approval and praise of others, namely Victor Pelle himself.

She's a talented actress and liar, and skilled with several weapons, as well as knowledgeable in poisons. But her preferred method of attack is the dagger. Close and personal, and subtle if done right.

She also has a rivalry / flirtationship with Victor's son, Sebastian. Both of them are eager to be the best, and have aspirations of one day leading the rebels to victory over Anvia and taking back Oryn. Sebastian is sometimes jealous of the fact that Lavinia seems to get just as much, if not more, attention from his father as he does.

Victor is very manipulative, and he knows Lavinia's desire for approval, and he's used it to take her under his wing and train her into exactly what he needs: an assassin and spy.

Lavinia volunteered for the mission to kill Fallon, and was chosen because she's the most talented spy among the rebels. Sebastian also volunteered, but he has a tendency to act rashly based on his emotions (hmmm, something he shares with his cousin....) that would make him a risk in the plan.

Lavinia has trained herself to act logically at all time, and to find the path that will lead to the successful completion of her mission. If that's impossible, she'll aim to escape alive so that she can try again or report back to the rebels. Emotions get in the way, so she keeps herself emotionally detached from her targets. But she's a skilled actress, like I mentioned, so she's able to convince others that she genuinely cares for them, like she does to Fallon.

[memento-morri-writes]

Hi! Happy WBW!

What's your favorite aspect of your world's history? 

--Joy (@italiangothicwriteblr)

*cackles evilly*

Hands down, my favorite part of my world's history is the 100+ year feud between Anvia and Oryn. It's fascinating to me how this was from a century ago, in which all the participants are long-dead, is still having such drastic effects on the story at the moment.

Here's a whole post about the relationships between Anvia and Oryn if you want it. (Fair warning, it's really long. Almost 1k words.)

I'm just absolutely obsessed with the concept of two kingdoms who have no reason to hate each other currently (unless you count the rebels) still having such tense relations. Not to mention the fact that they're incredibly mutually dependent on each other when it comes to resources. (another reminder that I need to make that economy post..)