#tvotk

[murderandcoffee]

she's hot. she's disabled. she's killed before, and will kill again. she speaks 4 languages. she has mommy issues. she's a master of martial combat. she can summon the dead. she's extremely traumatized. she's bisexual.

I didn't say her name, but she popped into your head, too. <3

[murderandcoffee]

mood boards for the main cast of characters in my fantasy novel, The Valley of the Kings

[murderandcoffee]

felt like drawing a buff woman so here’s a side character from my novel

[murderandcoffee]

what's your story about? i saw your post about your friends not reading it and i'm curious! do you have any snippets you wanna share?

it's a fantasy story about a royal heir who, in order to be viable as the next ruler of her kingdom, must complete her education in a neutral territory located between the four kingdoms of her homeland. however, a war between her kingdom and one of its neighbors forces her to attend the academy under a false name, with only a handful of people aware of who she really is. during her stay at the academy, the resurgence of the war, the outing of her identity, and the uncovering of a long-buried evil all threaten her life, as well as the lives of those she cares about.

I know that's vague, but if I go into much more detail I will literally rant for an hour fjdskalfjsdk

here are the introductions of a couple of the main cast of characters! (under the cut)

Theo knew that he shouldn’t go any farther. The caves beneath the Academy were dangerous to be in, even for those who knew them well. Cave-ins, rock slides, and floods could happen in the blink of an eye, and if he was caught in one, Theo’s body wouldn’t be found for months, years, decades. But Kings, did he want to keep going. The light of his lantern illuminated a hole in the wall before him that was just wide enough for him to squeeze his shoulders through, and which had definitely not been exposed the last time he was here. From the way the light was swallowed up in the next cavern, he was sure that it was sizable. A place like this was exactly where brutes liked to lay their eggs, tucked away safely deep underground. Theo could hear his mother’s voice in his head, reprimanding him for doing something as foolish as what he was about to do. He’d gotten hurt in the caves dozens of times before, and each time his mother had forbidden him from going back into them, but curiosity always got the better of him. It was his duty, wasn’t it? Even with the Academy’s efforts, dragons still only numbered in the hundreds. Theo had to do whatever he could to find viable eggs in order to conserve the species. So, Theo thrust the arm that held the lantern into the hole in the wall, found a place to set the lantern down, and proceeded to wriggle into the hole head-first. The process took him a couple of minutes—he didn’t want to tear his sweater, as it was awfully comfortable, and one of his favorite colors—but after much cursing, panting, and squirming, he slid to the cool stone floor on the other side. Theo allowed himself to regain his breath before he stood, grabbed his lantern, and looked around.

...

Cait had only seen dragons a handful of times before. Their migratory path rarely brought them far enough north for her to glimpse them rollicking through the skies or darting between boulders and trees in the vast forests that engulfed her home. The weather was often too cold for the dragons to be comfortable, and the mountain winds were treacherous. But there had been a few years, scattered here and there, when the city bells had rung an uncommon, exuberant song that called the people out into the streets, where they all turned their gazes skyward and watched as glimmering figures danced in and out of the clouds. The last time Cait had seen the dragons, she had been just shy of fourteen. Now, seven years later, she tilted her head back and followed the path of a long-necked dragon with scales that were the same shade as the early spring growth on the trees below it. The dragon circled like a carrion bird before folding its wings in and diving, hurtling down towards the bottom of the valley that cradled them. It disappeared below the tree line, swift as an arrow. Cait smiled. A hand snatched Cait’s wrist, its grip firm and steadying, and Cait didn’t even realize she’d been falling until Toby righted her. With a sigh, he said, “Please watch where you’re going. That’s the second time you’ve nearly tumbled right down the mountainside.” The stones that had come loose beneath Cait’s step rolled away, disappearing into the grass. The valleyside wasn’t exceptionally steep right here, but a fall like that would have been by no means pleasant. Cait scooted closer to the center of the path. Toby, always vigilant, moved between her and the edge. Tobias Fischer, Cait’s personal guard, best friend, and brother in every way but blood, towered over Cait by nearly a foot. He was a very handsome man—he had broad shoulders, a strong jaw, warm brown eyes surrounded by a faint dusting of freckles, thick ruddy hair, and an old scar across one tan cheek that was impossible to see except for when the lighting was just right. His posture was impeccable, and at a glance he looked meaner than a mountain lion. Cait loved him dearly. “You can’t just expect me to not look at the dragons,” she said after a minute of walking in silence. “I would never ask you to not look at the dragons,” Toby replied evenly. “However, if you almost fall into a ravine again, you will be looking at the dragons from the safety of the wagon.”

[murderandcoffee]

For Nix and Analei ( hope I spelled that right)

Pu-erh,Green,Lapsang Souchong

Nix; Pu-erh (What does your OC do when they're stuck indoors for a day or two?)

Nix isn't bothered by being stuck indoors (unless they're stuck with someone they dislike), so they're pretty happy to read, play games, paint, craft, chat... pretty much anything to pass the time.

Analei; Pu-erh (What does your OC do when they're stuck indoors for a day or two?)

Analei is used to being stuck indoors for days at a time because of the storms that hit her home in the summer, so she's pretty practiced at keeping herself occupied. She really loves to sing and make music, read stories aloud/listen to stories being read aloud with others, play with her little sibling, and cook.

Nix; Green (What is your OC's favorite piece of clothing?)

Nix is very fond of the scarf that Cait gave them during their first trip to her hometown in the North. They wear it a lot!

Analei; Green (What is your OC's favorite piece of clothing?)

Trying to make Analei pick a favorite piece of clothing counts as cruel and unusual torture in her mind. There are too many options, and all of them have their own perks and drawbacks. Can she pick a favorite for a mood, or occasion, or from a category based on material? Probably. But just in general? Absolutely not.

Nix; Lapsang Souchong (If your OC was a scented candle, what would they smell like?)

Nix would smell like cinnamon, clay, and dried wildflowers.

Analei; Lapsang Souchong (If your OC was a scented candle, what would they smell like?)

Analei would smell like sparkling wine, red berries, roses, and sea salt.

Thank you for the ask!! <3

Send me tea-themed OC questions! :)

[murderandcoffee]

english breakfast and chai for the oc ask game? (for nix) :)

Nix; English Breakfast (What is your OC's morning routine?)

Nowadays, Nix's morning routine is rather simple. They wake up, relax for a little bit before getting up, roll out of bed, get dressed and ready for the day, have breakfast, then find Cait and see what's in store for the day. If they don't go find Cait, they let themself wander the city of Bellsong and find new shops to peruse.

Nix; Chai (What is your OC's comfort food/drink?)

Nix's comfort food is the spicy stew they grew up eating whenever they were sick. It's got beef, vegetables, grains, and a spicy broth that clears the sinuses like nobody's business. As for their comfort drink, it's definitely chilled plum juice, though lemon-ginger tea and cinnamon tea are a close second and third.

Thanks for the ask!!

Send me a tea-based OC question! :)

[murderandcoffee]

jasmine for cait, matcha for nix, ginger for analei, oolong for theo, chamomie for toby, chai for konu (or in which ever pairing you want :3)

Cait; Jasmine (Does your OC like flowers? Which type of flower is their favorite?)

Cait does indeed like flowers! She has an interest in botany that was fostered by her mother when she was little--they used to go on long walks through the forest, where they would identify plants together and Cait's mom would tell her their medicinal uses. Cait's favorite flower is the indigo star (fictional flower from the setting of my novel). As for a real flower, her favorite would probably be the cornflower.

Nix; Matcha (What is your OC's preferred little treat?)

Nix's favorite treat is a fruit called smokemelon (once again, fictional). As for a real-life alternative, I think they would love candied winter melon. However, they have a bit of a sweet tooth, so they're pretty happy with any sweet treat they can get their hands on.

Analei; Ginger (What always brightens your OC's day?)

Analei's day can be brightened by many things. Gifts and affection from the people she cares about are the biggest ones, though. She loves hugs, compliments, snacks--pretty much anything showing that someone she loves was thinking about her.

Theo; Oolong (How does your OC decorate their space?)

Theo likes to decorate with little sentimental knick-knacks. Pieces of the leftover shell from when his dragon hatched sat on a shelf next to old wax seals pried off of letters from Cait, little goofy drawings Analei made in his notes carefully pinned to the wall... that sort of thing. He also counts books and bookshelves as decoration.

Toby; Chamomile (What does your OC do to relax?)

Toby does a few things to relax. The first and foremost is spending time with his husband, Eramin. The second is spending time with Cait. And the third is spending time in the stables with his horse, Tabitha. He finds comfort in the two most important people in his life, and serenity in the routine of taking care of his horse.

Konu; Chai (What is your OC's comfort food/drink?)

Something rather simple, honestly. I think he finds fresh baked goods comforting--doesn't matter what they are specifically. They'd be a rare treat for him, usually snuck to him by the cook or by one of his favorite teachers on his bad days. As for drinks, he finds tea comforting.

Thank you for the ask!! I could talk about these characters forever.

Send me a tea-themed OC question! :)