hey guys, Merlin here. Just wanted to let you know that we'll be taking a hiatus for a month or two from Tumblr to recover from Holiday Burnout and just rest while we finish plotting the rest of the story. We temporarily delisted the story while we tweaked a few things, but it should be back up and public again. Keep sending asks and/or feedback if you like, but it'll be a while before we respond.
ASK GAME! Dearest Writer, it's time to do some introspection!
I was tagged by @midnighthostifs. Thanks for tagging us, bestie!
What was your first favorite book
What is your current favorite book
What Genre is your favorite, reading or writing!
Favorite trope?
If you could, what world building or story would you love to have written yourself?
Your favorite line (or three) that you've written?
Favorite medium to experience a story? (Book, IF, video game, movie, etc)
Favorite character versus your favorite character to write: Who would win?
What story keeps inspiring you to keep writing?
Random fun fact about you, your writing, your interests!
TAG ANYONE ELSE YOU WANT TO PESTER WITH THIS!
1.) What was your first favorite book?
Charon
IF: Probably Wayhaven. I blitzed through the books. To this day I'm still in a will they-won't they with A lmao
Books: The Magic Treehouse series. I reread them in my 20s and they were still cute
Merlin
(I don't actually read any IFs lol)
The Redwall series. I was a weird little kid and before I knew anything else about me with certainty, I knew I wanted to be a mouse with a sword. I met Brian Jacques when I was in 5th grade and was a member of the Official Fanclub until his death.
2.) What is your current favorite book?
Charon
IF: The Lonely Shore! Without a doubt. I'm so intrigued by the magic and mystery of it all.
Book: The Murderbot series. I finally realized that I was agender last year thanks to the tv show, which put me onto the books. Thanks, SecUnit 💪
Merlin
My most recent "Oh My God You Have To Read This Book" is "Godkiller" by Hannah Kaner, but my evergreen recommends are "Mr Penumbra's 24-hr Book Store" by Robin Sloan and "Spinning Silver" by Naomi Novik.
3.) What Genre is your favorite, reading or writing!
Charon
Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy. Though I'm extremely picky about what I read.
Merlin
Fantasy, no contest. I'll branch out into other speculative fiction genres but I have almost no patience for anything "realistic" or "literary"
4.) Favorite trope?
Charon
If I have a favorite I don't what it is. Like Midnighthost I have plenty of least favorites but those are for me to know lol.
Merlin
I am a sucker for mutual pining and/or whump. I am a dyed-in-the-wool tragedy lover and any sort of "the love was there but it wasn't enough" trope is like literal catnip.
5.) If you could, what world building or story would you love to have written yourself?
Charon
All the lore relating to the dwarves of Thedas. It's a fascinating concept with some of the best themes in the whole series and it deserves better than being in Dragon Age 😂
Merlin
I feel like such a simp, but the first time I encountered a story where there was an ancient prophecy that turned out to actually be the result of time-travel I just about lost my shit. I thought it was the single most original thing and was so jealous I didn't think of it first.
6.) Your favorite line (or three) that you've written?
"My pistol might be old-fashioned but she's important to me, on account of using it to kill the bastard what turned me."
"We did not say that it wasn't within human nature to desire all knowledge. We said it was not within human nature to have all knowledge."
"Actually, scratch that! I'm not sorry! It was bad enough before, but this is some serious Baba Yaga bullshit!"
7.) Favorite medium to experience a story? (Book, IF, video game, movie, etc)
Charon
I don't have a favorite. Each has their unique aspects.
Merlin
My favorite medium is a tie between traditional novels and tv ... which I guess sort of explains why this story ended up as an IF. It has chapters, but we want them to feel more like episodes in a mini-series.
8.) Favorite character versus your favorite character to write: Who would win?
Charon
Darius is my favorite, but I love writing aggressive characters, like Seth. Darius would win without effort; not all demons are created equal.
Merlin
Anselm is my total favorite, but I love writing the mage characters like Sofia and the Director* because they have the most worldbuilding/plot in their scenes. And although vampires are really powerful as a rule, Sofia would absolutely body Anselm, and Raza could slam dunk them both as a team: he's not the boss for no reason.
*(Raza has barely shown up in the story, but he actually sits in the center of that venn diagram for me lol)
9.) What story keeps inspiring you to keep writing?
Charon
Everything inspires me to write. Even when it feels impossible, my brain wants to write.
Merlin
There isn't any one thing I hold to really. Any time I read a new book, I can feel the new story flowing in and it's like it's washing out the cobwebs.
10.) Random fun fact about you, your writing, your interests!
Charon
I've had brain surgery twice in my life, I enjoy exploring characters and stories that aren't as popular, and I watch a lot of let's players on youtube.
Merlin
I was a podcast host for 10 years, but I will never ever share the links :))
hi, i loved the demo!!! i had a question, will it be possible to indicate you are man/woman aligned while still being genderqueer? for example being a nonbinary lesbian you could romance sofia? or are she and anselm only romanceable by full men/women? its ok if not i was just wondering, because i know lesbians+gay men in real life who date people who are nonbinary/genderqueer/etc :)
Thanks for reading and I really hope you enjoy what we have planned! As soon as we settled on our main ROs, we knew that we wanted them each to have exclusive content, so no there's not a way to get the woman/man tag while selecting genderqueer. We also wanted to make the genderqueer option as expansive and customizable as we could handle (considering this story is our first), because it's so rare to find options like it/its or genderfluid. But then the reward for choosing a binary gender and missing out on those unique reactivities is a bonus RO.
I will also say that, just in general, this story is not a romance and while the romantic bond will net you unique scenes and potential endings, our aro-ace asses are locked in for making the platonic (and queerplatonic!) bonds you form just as meaningful if not more so.
Thank you to @midnighthostifs for tagging us in this post, titled "MUSIC ASKS these are actually pretty fucking hard but why not". This is a new post as the original was really long.
A song you like with a color in the title.
Charon: "The Red" by Chevelle. We have great taste, Leo!
Merlin: "Blue Healer" by Birdtalker
2. A song you like with a number in the title.
Charon: "10 for 10" by Magnolia Park
Merlin: "13 Angels Standing Guard 'Round The Side of Your Bed" by Silver Mt Zion (there's probably going to be a lot of weird instrumentals on this list)
3. A song that reminds you of summertime.
Charon: "Pepper" by Butthole Surfers. I have no explanation for this lol
Merlin: "Let's See How Far We've Come" by Matchbox Twenty
4. A song that reminds you of someone you would rather forget about.
Charon: "Walpurgisnacht" by Faun, which was recommended to me years ago by someone I no longer speak to. I love Faun though.
Merlin: "Over Land and Sea" by Lauren Mann (NOT a break up song, despite all the evidence)
5. A song that needs to be played LOUD.
Charon: So very many songs fit this one; the ADHD demands it. I'll choose the one I was just listening to - "Gleipnir" by SKÁLD.
Merlin: "Punches" by Frank Turner. I am incapable of listening to this song without screaming
6. A song that makes you want to dance.
Charon: "Push It" by Static-X
Merlin: "Come Alive (War of the Roses)" by Janelle Monae
7. A song to drive to.
Charon: "Who Laughs Last" by Lord Huron. This is also the theme song for a character in my future eco-horror story.
Merlin: "Wake Me Up" by Avicii. This has been on every one of my road trip playlists since 2013.
8. A song about drugs or alcohol.
Charon: "White Rabbit' by Jefferson Airplane
Merlin: "Sober" by We Are The Movies
9. A song that makes you happy.
Charon: "Difyrrwch" by The Trials of Cato
Merlin: "The Boys are Back in Town" by Thin Lizzy. I put this on my Adventure Zone playlist almost a decade ago and it's still my go to for when I need a shot in the arm
10. A song that makes you sad.
Charon: "Saturn" by Sleeping at Last and Tim Fain
Merlin: "Earth" by Sleeping at Last
(What did this man PUT IN THIS ALBUM WHAT THE FUCK)
11. A song that you never get tired of.
Charon: "Norupo" by Heilung
Merlin: "I am Disappeared" by Frank Turner. I could legitimately listen to this song every day for the rest of my life (and I did just that for several years).
12. A song from your preteen years.
Charon: "Like a Stone" by Audioslave
Merlin: Okay literally no one has heard of the stuff I listened to in my formative years, but I'll go with "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer
13. One of your favorite 80’s songs.
Charon: "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by Eurythmics
Merlin: "Holding Out For A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler (rest in peace)
14. A song that you would love played at your wedding.
Charon: "As the Night" by Timbre
Merlin: "Of Waving Woods and Waters Wild" by Timbre (same album, but from the "Sun" half <3)
15. A song that is a cover by another artist.
Charon: "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Hildegard von Blingin' (I also love the Fall Out Boy and original version)
Merlin: "Working Class Hero" by Green Day. Everything John Lennon did, someone else could do better <3 (Honorable mention to The Violet Burning's "Eleanor Rigby")
16. One of your favorite classical songs.
Charon: "Für Elise" by Beethoven
Merlin: "Die Fledermaus Overture" by Johann Strauss
17. A song that you would sing a duet with on karaoke.
"Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
18. A song from the year that you were born.
Charon: "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine. Peak pull!
Merlin: "Losing my Religion" by R.E.M.
19. A song that makes you think about life.
Charon: "Looking Back" by Lord Huron
Merlin: "500 Miles" by Peter, Paul, and Mary
20. A song that has many meanings to you.
Charon: "Strange Days" by Coyote Kid
Merlin: "Day Boy: Photogen Sees The Moon" by Timbre
21. A favorite song with a person’s name in the title.
Charon: "Master Crowley's" by Lankum. This is an instrumental.
Merlin: "Achilles Come Down" by Gang of Youths
22. A song that moves you forward.
Charon: I'm not sure how to answer this one so I'll include the song that helped me focus on my college math homework. "Miracle" by Blackmill. Another instrumental.
Merlin: "The Cave" by Mumford and Sons
23. A song that you think everybody should listen to.
Charon: "Reverse Dance" by Andrey Vinogradov. Instrumentals as far as the eye can see.
Merlin: "Finding You" by Kesha
24. A song by a band you wish were still together.
Charon: "Bone Crown" by Marah in the Mainsail. Their album of the same name is my favorite of all their works, even if they weren't much a fan of it themselves.
Merlin: "Good Intentions" by Coyote Kid. Before they broke up, Marah changed their name and sound but it wasn't enough :(
25. A song by an artist no longer living.
Charon: "Hurt" by Johnny Cash
Merlin: "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie
26. A song that makes you want to fall in love.
Charon: I'm already in love and "Stargazing" by Myles Smith speaks to that love very well. "We were never strangers. You were right there all along."
Merlin: See above: "Salut d'amour, Op. 12" by Edward Elgar
27. A song that breaks your heart.
Charon: "For Fresia" by ANTH and Conor Maynard
Merlin: "The Persistence of First Love" by Timbre. I cannot be normal about this song. This song made my dad cry the hardest I've even seen until the day his father died.
28. A song by an artist with a voice that you love.
Charon: I'm going to choose two for this one. "Misty Mountains (in Dwarvish/Khuzdul)" by Colm McGuinness and "Thunderbringer" by Luke Holt, from Epic! The Musical. Do I have a voice kink? Who knows! (Yes.)
Merlin: "The Calling" by The Amazing Devil. Genuinely obsessed with both their voices and the way they blend ... decadent
29. A song that you remember from your childhood.
Charon: "Livin' la Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin. I have a memory of listening to this in the bathtub as a kid while the radio / cassette player sat on the toilet lol
Merlin: "Journey into the Morn" by Iona. One of the first albums I ever personally owned (stolen from my parents)
30. A song that reminds you of yourself.
Charon: "Body" by Mother Mother
Merlin: "Hello my Old Heart" by the Oh Hellos
Tagging: @thelonelyshore-if and @god-syndicate-if (if you haven't been already)
He dashes toward it and yanks on the handle with all his might. Jammed. "Oh for fuck's sake!" he yells.
That part absolutely cracked me up. 10/10, relatable on many levels, but...
Who cares if Sofia had always warned him to leave through the same door he came in.
This? This absolutely froze me the next second. So the library is HAUNTED. Cursed, probably. A no-no. Follow the rules or die. It was chilling, I'm just trying to shake it off.
Also... I think there's a parent pronoun variable missing here?
A weight settles in your chest. It had been six months now. Six months since you came home from a night out to find them hanging from the overhead fan in their bedroom. The image was burned into your mind, pushing to the forefront when you least expected it, like now. You try to shove it away, fight against the overpowering …
But it settled like a weight on my stomach. Heavy, final.
And... Oh my god??? Just got through the whole demo. The ending startled me! Like, what do you mean that's all??? I need more! More intrigue! More of the haunted narrative and haunted library! Gosh, it felt like when the first episode of a new TV show ends and you already know for a fact it's going to become a favorite, so you're extra mad at the credits and having to stay put and patiently wait for the next episode. But I will wait patiently. Or impatiently, but not rude and pestering. Aaaaa!!! It was really good!!! Absolutely loved Seth and how he went "nope" at that bad feeling he got.
Props to both of you for the demo!!!
thank you so much, Anon! Unfortunately the demo only covers the prologue and about half/a third of the first chapter, but there IS more to come. Im glad you liked those moments in particular - we were pretty proud of those too :)
The parent pronouns are all "they" for now, but that's just temporary. This is my first coding experience in over a decade (shout out to Dr Sean and his CS112: Intro to C language and Logic Based Coding class lmfao), so part of why it ends so quickly is because we realized that having more people in a scene would require ... pronoun reactivity! Parent pronouns, additional tags for gender identity beyond "trans = true/false", and a personality/mood tracker (?????????) are all on my to do list, and will be added in retroactively to the demo when we update with the rest of Ch 1.
I am genuinely so stoked that you're enjoying what we have so far. That feeling of sitting down to watch another intense episode of your favorite "creature of the week" show is EXACTLY what we were hoping for! There's lots of forces at work in The Library and hopefully as we reveal more it will only raise more questions for you the reader 😈
Thank you so much for reading AND sending in your thoughts... we've been giggling over this ask all day
When I was a child, like many of you, I was obsessed with Harry Potter. But unlike many of you, the fanfics I entertained in my mind (though I didn't yet know they were called that) were not about the canonical characters, but all about an American Muggle-born witch OC who looked up her magical "symptoms" online and ended up finding the "Worldwide Wizarding Web". Even back then, when I was as young as a first-year, I thought it was ridiculous that the wizarding world hadn't yet entered the 21st century at all, and I decided to rectify the situation.
Well, imagine my satisfaction when, fifteen years later, Hogwarts finally "hopped aboard the Information Technology train" and hired an IT staff to deal with the Wizarding Web and all the Muggle-borns and half-bloods who refused to give up their smartphones when they went off to school! The Setup Wizard is a fan blog that posts daily updates on these IT adventures at Hogwarts, and oh my gosh, it is so much fun.