#rstd

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F - Fear

= a-z challenge for R U N says the D E V I L = ask or interact here to join the T A G L I S T = word count: 403 = T R I G G E R  W A R N I N G for mentions of suicide & death = likes/reblogs greatly appreciated

What looked like the remnants of a fight marred the path to the clinic, spiraling out of the Blind Owl and spilling onto the street like eviscerated intestines. Soldiers and drunks alike milled about; red dripping from the latter’s lips like booze, matching the stains on their knuckles. The guards eyed Devi suspiciously, recognizing the Devil with ease. In an alley, tucked next to the bar, lay a crumpled lump of blanket. A body. Right across from the clinic.

Fear yanked at Devi’s knees as she approached one of the guards standing by the corpse.“What happened?” she asked, throat dry.

He looked at her with some disdain, silent even as he sneered.

Devi gestured at the body with her foot, hands tucked into herself for warmth. “A patcher?” She didn’t get an answer beyond the slightest twitch in his gaze, and panic latched onto Devi’s heart. Was it Ahava? She prayed it wasn’t a tell. “I’m Insensitive, same as you. Just curious, is all.”

The guard sighed. “A riot started and the witch got caught in the center of it—they were pretty much torn to pieces. Can’t say they didn’t get what they deserved, though. The folks we’ve asked say they were practicing.”

Practicing. God, it couldn't Ahava under that blanket, could it? She was smarter than that. Had her eyes faded yet? Was Ahava safe? Where was she right now? The clinic?

Devi tried to hide her panic even as she looked back at the clinic. No light came through the shuttered windows. “Are they an Aeran patcher?”

He grunted. “No idea. Their eyes were gouged out.”

Devi nodded numbly, before turning away from the scene, heading towards the clinic. First Barachiel and now this? Her skin itched, fists clenching by her side as Devi did her best to keep walking forward, rather than running back to the corpse to rip off it’s blanket, claw at its face until it told her the truth. Was it Ahava? 

What would the doctor’s face look like, gold eyes hollowed out by violent, indulgent fingers? Blood dripping from dark pits and claw marks down her cheeks. Would there be bruises on Ahava’s knuckles, signs that she died fighting? Or would she be barely recognizable, just a body beaten and bruised and torn; limp as a doll? Would she cold, skin pale and unfeeling beneath Devi’s calloused fingers? No longer sunlight, no longer warm.

Please, Devi thought, as she tried to stifle tears, please let her be alive. Devi didn’t know what she’d do if Ahava died. Maybe she’d kill herself.

The clinic door was locked and the windows were bolted and Devi didn’t have a key. Too bad for Ahava. Devi began pounding on the door with vigour, not quite desperate enough to start yelling yet. She was scared, yes, but attracting the attention of the Guard wouldn’t help anyone.

There was the sound of movement from inside the clinic, followed by the flashfire light of a lantern being brought to life. Devi heard a thud, several small things clattering to the floor, and Ahava cursing loudly.

The Devil quietly thanked whatever gods existed for saving the doctor.

“Who is it?”

Devi took a moment to collect herself, feeling impossibly shaken as her breathing came in uneven, relieved gasps, wet with grief. “It’s Devi.”

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C - the Coliseum

= a-z challenge for R U N says the D E V I L = ask or interact here to join the T A G L I S T = likes/reblogs greatly appreciated

[The Coliseum] is a one way ticket to fame and success, but it rarely left one feeling anything but battered and exhausted.

A contest of champions, with elite warriors sent in from the various regions of the continent of Mezilon, the C O L I S E U M provided a (relatively) safe way for nations to show off their cultures, display their specialties, and “establish dominance”.

Run by an internationally representative committee, the Coliseum took advantage of two massive, uninhabited swaths of terrain full of monsters. The southern plot was nicknamed the badlands and became known for it’s massive if unintelligent beasts that rivalled even the biggest manors in bulk, coupled with horse-sized pack animals built for the barren plains. The northern area earned the title Host Forest - due the number of hyper-intelligent and often parasitic beasts that lived within it.

Each presented its own challenges, and teams representing one of the 27 nations and micro-nations of Mezilon were sent into the territories to ‘claim’ land and defeat monsters. The corpses were collected by the committee and sold in parts - venoms, hides, bones, and other resources were essential to many non-magical medicines - the funds of which were used to fund the Coliseum. Whichever nation ‘claimed’ the most land was deemed the winner and got a large portion of these proceeds as a prize.

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= R U N says the D E V I L:   B E T A   C A L L

G E N R E  lgbtqia+ fantasy  T H E M E S  ambition ; found family ; morality ; identity ; humanity W O R D C O U N T ~81,000 over the course of 25 chapters T R I G G E R S suicide mentions ; major character death ; mild sexual content ; violence ; emotional abuse ; depression & anxiety ; non-graphic medical content (ask for specifics, chapters have trigger warnings at the start) P R E V I E W S  chapter one (tw for sewing needles in a medical context) ; snippets ; wip page T I M E L I N E April 15th or June 1st (see below for more details)

Run says the Devil (Rstd) is a queer fantasy novel and the first in a four book series (trilogy + prequel) that discusses themes such as humanity, morality, love, and friendship. The elevator pitch is as follows: “When offered the chance to get revenge against her mentor’s murderer, Devi must decide whether or not she is willing to work with her friend’s abusive husband to achieve her goals.”

But the longer synopsis can be found here, on my wip page

For those interested, I’m seeking two kinds of betas; “Book Club” Betas (deadline April 15th) and “Deep” Betas (deadline June 1st) descriptions below the cut. 

If anyone who has previously beta read for me is thinking about rejoining the project, now is the time! The more the merrier, is my motto :D

"Book Club” betas have a month to read RstD (y’know, like an actual book club!), with the due date to finish being April 15th (extensions are available upon request). These betas not expected to make in-line comments, make edits, or respond to chapters. Instead, after the due date, all Book Club betas will be asked for general, overarching feedback and asked a series of discussion questions. Depending on how things go, I will be collecting their discord information and making a group chat for us to discuss the book when everyone finishes! (Or as we go, who knows! We’ll see how it works out). The last thing I want to do is stress people out and I find that a communal environment with a low workload and guided questions allows for better discussion and takes some of that pressure off. 

“Deep” betas are going to be one of the most important parts of this project, and are a more traditional take on beta reading. Deep betas will be able to make suggestions on the google doc and give direct, in-line feedback. What this feedback depends on what you, the beta reader, are comfortable giving. Whether this is advice on pacing, characterization, grammar, flow, whatever, is up to you. We all have our writing skills, and I want to encourage you to put them to good use on this project. As this is a heavier load than what is expected of “book club” betas, the due date is June 1st. 

The only thing I’m really asking for is honest feedback! I am willing to beta your own wip in exchange for your help

Please fill out THIS FORM if interested! 

(It’s for organizational purposes, and takes 3 seconds. I’d greatly appreciate your cooperation) I’ll get back to everyone by March 15th at the latest!

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19

Thanks for asking! (And for waiting) Loving the idea for a more lighthearted piece so I hope you enjoy this blurb featuring Devi and Ahava.

19. “According to this survey, most people agree you are, in fact, a gigantic asshole.” - Prompt list (send one in!)

Word count: 749

Devi sat in the clinic’s med bay, nursing a cheap beer dragged over from the Blind Owl, Ahava’s sat on the counter, dark glass glinting in the moonlight. It was strange to not be the one getting patched up but Devi had the night off and Ahava was always up late, consistent as the moon. So when Devi couldn’t sleep - adrenaline burning in lungs, expecting a fight, twitchy as an insect - Ahava’s seemed the logical place to go. The night was softer there.

Some idiot punk, fresh from a bar fight sat in the chair as Ahava ground together some herbs, gold eyes flashing with irritation. Two other casualties from the same fight sat outside in the main room. Their soft bickering fluttered against Devi’s ears.

“This is going to sting like a mother fucker,” Ahava announced, idly, “but it will stop the burns from getting any worse if you’re consistent with it.”

The patient - Adeinn? - didn’t seem too enthusiastic about that, his shadowy silhouette hunching in the tiny chair as he made a face.

Devi, out of the loop and curious for a story, leaned forward in her chair. “Burns?”

Adeinn squirmed sheepishly.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Ahava shot, before turning to Devi. “Play nice, adjya, can’t have you harassing my paycheck.”

“Oh, like you’re not curious.”

“Never said I wasn’t.”

“I don’t mind telling the story,” Devi could see the glint of a smug smile spreading across Adeinn’s face, “especially not for two lovely ladies such as yourselves.”

“Another comment like that and I’ll hit you,” was Ahava’s only response.

His smile faltered. “Jeez, sorry…”

“The story!” Devi pressed as Ahava huffed.

“Okay okay, so I’m sitting in the bar, minding my own business.”

“That’s how all bar fights start,” Ahava grumbled under her breath.

Adeinn scrunched his nose at her, before rolling his eyes. “Anyway, I’m minding my own business, and Jasper comes in - big blond bloke - and his brother Jacob - bigger blonde bloke - they’re twins.”

“Is Jacob the evil twin?”

“Devi!”

Adeinn laughed at Devi’s comment despite Ahava’s chiding. “He is the evil one; a fucking patcher!”

Devi felt her mouth go dry. Patcher was a disgusting word for magician and Ahava, a non-practicing magician herself, tensed in Devi’s peripheral. Devi’s shoulders stiffened as Ahava just stared dead-eyed down at the mix, her gentle stirring grinding to a halt. God, she hated these anti-magic pricks.

The patient, oblivious to the sudden tone shift, continued on undeterred. “So we’ve been rough ever since I found out Jasper’s brother was, well, like that and he actually had the nerve to be like ‘you’re a giant prick’ and ‘what’s your fucking problem’ like he doesn’t know what my problem is. So obviously I told him to go fuck himself which only made him more pissed. And, well, next thing I know a goddamn lantern’s being smashed in my face.”

He stretched in the chair, staring up at the ceiling as he groaned. “What an asshole.”

“I hope you don’t mind my saying,” Devi hissed lowly, “but I think you’re the ‘asshole’ here.”

“Hey, you can’t say that I’m a paying customer!”

Ahava shifted as if to turn to him, but stopped, staying fixed at the counter instead. “Devi can say whatever she wants - she doesn’t work here.”

“Then what’s she doing in the med bay?!”

“Moral support,” Devi said, taking a sip from the previously forgotten bottle of beer she was holding. It was lukewarm at this point but she drank anyway. She had badass appearances to keep up, damn it, couldn’t blink in the face of the enemy.

“She translates my anger,” Ahava elaborated, finally allowing herself to turn around and lean against the countertop. “For example, I too think you are an asshole.”

Devi hummed in solidarity, nodding. 

Adeinn blubbered for a bit. “Oh fuck you guys too. No better than the jackasses out there. I’m not an- an asshole!”

 “Oh, Really?” Devi mused. “Because according to this survey,” she gestured between herself and Ahava jerkily, “most people agree you are, in fact, a gigantic asshole.” She took a swig.

He blinked at Devi, before jerking to face Ahava. “And you’re going to let her say that to me?”

Ahava shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Bitch. I should have taken my money somewhere else.”

The doctor’s stare was cold as ice. “Yeah, you probably should have. Now get the fuck out of my clinic.”

wip ;     R U N says the D E V I L

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R U N says the D E V I L character cheat sheet

= list of major characters from R S T D because character intros are hard = ask or interact here to join the T A G L I S T = likes/reblogs greatly appreciated

A H A V A  = she/her / character intro / character tag = grumpy doctor trope, runs clinic across from local bar; “The Blind Owl”, salty & gay, magician of Aeran heritage, suffering from a lost culture & sense of disconnect with her past, done with Devi’s self-destructive behaviour 

A L P H O N S E = he/him / character intro / character tag = father of Satyr & Gemini, married to Kimon, close friend of Devi’s, exceptionally powerful magician who has been forced into hiding after Querevage banned magic, skilled magician capable of matter manipulation

A M A T O R = he/him / character intro / character tag = deceased, murdered by Barachiel & Desdemona, powerful necromancer who helped found Querevage, old friend of Devi’s, known for his ambition & legacy of human rights improvements, retired Coliseum battle mage

B A R A C H I E L = he/him / character intro / character tag = king of Querevage, high general of Querevage until the end of RstD, regal appearance & tastes, in charge of legislature, human disaster prone to substance abuse, will casually just break into Devi’s house to see her

D E S D E M O N A = she/her / character intro / character tag = queen of Querevage, serves as the public face of the monarchy, main decision maker between her and Barachiel, knows what she wants and takes it, highly intelligent, built the anti-magic movement into what it is today

D E V I = she/her / character intro / character tag = bruiser in the Arena, mom friend, old friend of Barachiel & Amator - has come to hate the former, forced into poverty after Amator’s death, desperately trying to cultivate a new normal, prone to suffering in silence, loves tea & blankets

G E M I N I = she/her / character intro / character tag = acting general of Querevage, training under Barachiel, forged her documents to obtain her desired position of power, claims to be working with Barachiel to form a “new Querevage” where magicians and Insensitives have equal rights

K I M O N = he/him / character intro / character tag = Coliseum battle mage, married to Alphonse, father of Gemini & Satyr, specializes in electricity-based elemental magic, snarky asshole, frequently out of the house, favours Gemini, constantly fighting with Satyr

S A T Y R = he/him / character intro / character tag = smol bean, used to be able to predict the future, now specializes in illusion magic, cheerful but not necessarily carefree, cares deeply for his family, presently travelling Mezilon with other magicians hiding from the law

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D - Devi

= a-z challenge for R U N says the D E V I L = ask or interact here to join the T A G L I S T = bonus moodboard + faceclaim under the cut = likes/reblogs greatly appreciated

[Devi’s] fall from grace had been a public spectacle that none were keen to let her forget. Despite the many years that aged its memory, the incident had even given life to her nickname in the Arena: the Devil.

D E V I ’ S life, it seems, has come full circle.

She started her life living as a street rat, painfully familiar with the gruelling grind that was living each day just trying to survive to the next. By the time she met Amator, she'd learnt to expect the worst. But he provided opportunity - one she was desperate for. She wasn't without her suspicion, it was too perfect, to convenient, but it offered her with not only a purpose but a family. People to trust and be trusted by, and that was too tempting a bait. Devi accepted.

Her reception as Amator's personal guard was cold. The people of his high society life expected her to slit Amator's throat in his sleep, and Barachiel shared the sentiment. It took them all a long, long time to understand that in giving her this chance, Amator had earned her loyalty.

Worming her way into Barachiel’s heart was tedious. He hated her for reasons she couldn't understand, turning up his nose at her whenever she entered a room by Amator's side. It was her desperation to be accepted by Amator's friends that kept her stubborn as she hacked away at his walls. With time and painfully earned understanding, she eventually came to call Barachiel her friend. Her best friend. She trusted him, they trusted each other.

And then he killed Amator - killed the man who had given them everything, who had loved them, respected them. 

She hadn’t even seen it coming.

Devi lost everything when Amator died. The man she considered a brother was dead. Her best friend was his murderer. Barachiel, ego fat with blood, considered her another object he could pluck from their home and take along with him on the next part of his plan. Devi got front row seats to the genocide of magicians, watching the slaughter from a cage disguised as a bedroom.

Then, when he got bored with her, he dumped her in the remains of Aera - a once proud nation brought to its knees by Barachiel’s power lust - and she was left to piece together the remains of her life, struggling to survive. Again.

Originally, Devi’s character intro was going to be done in the same style as Desdemona’s and Barachiel’s, but then when I started the A-Z challenge, I decided to include it under the letter “D” instead. Here’s the original moodboard I had planned to use, with Devi’s faceclaim front and centre.

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R U N says the D E V I L  - blind date with a wip

Title of your WIP: Run Says the Devil

Genre: LGBTQIA+ Fantasy

Trigger Warnings: death, discussion of suicide & depression

Stage of writing process: 2nd draft

Synopsis: 

“When given the opportunity to get revenge against her mentor’s murderer, Devi must decide whether or not she is willing to work with her best friend’s abusive husband to complete her goals.” (full synopsis)

Character information: I have an OC Cheat Sheet here

Links: WIP Masterpost | Full Story (Google Docs)

WIP tag: #rstd

Constructive criticism: I’m accepting criticism! Pacing is my biggest concern at the moment but I’m more than willing to hear anything else you’re willing to give me.

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i love your wip names!!! holy shit i love how they all connect!! i’m just. kinda in awe rn :0

Ah!!!! Thank you!!!! I really appreciate it, titles are one of the few things I consider myself Good at haha