#faerathos

[kittensartswriting]

BEAR CASTLE CHRONICLES CAST

Faerathos Cor Mantgamia

Main Character | 27 | Ethnicity: Cerfi | Physicist | Courtier | INFP | he/him | #faerathos

"Physics makes sense. It's hard and complicated, sure, but if I study it enough, learn enough, there is a truth I can find and understand. Then all the pieces fall into their places. People though..." Faerathos sighed and took a long sip from his wine. "The more I learn, the less I understand."

Faerathos is the oldest child of the previous Duke of Cabalusia, and publicly known to be the only surviving one. After the civil war, where Mantgamia clan was ousted from their power and largely killed, Faerathos was taken as a hostage to the Imperial Court as a deterrent for any surviving sympathizers and especially his uncle, who survives in exile. While he has been imprisoned in the court for 13 years, he is treated as a quest and has been able to pursue his passion in science and become a physicist. He has not been allowed political freedom though, for being labeled as a traitor, but certainly his support for the republican cause is not doing him any favors. He is an utopian dreamer, intelligent, empathetic, stubborn and kind of a mess.

The court, where he is under constant surveillance, was a lonely and hostile environment to grow up in, but he at least has his uncle, his aunt's widow, sir Marcus K'irhinzaham with him. Marcus became his unofficial guardian and has since tried to keep him safe, which turned out to be not the easiest mission. Faerathos is impulsive and prone to self-destructive behavior, which often puts him in less than safe situations. Not least of them committing actual treason and poking around court secrets. Marcus is like a father to him, but his protectiveness often clashes with Faerathos' lack of self-preservation. Faerathos has also found an unlikely friend in the young emperor, Augustus, who also feels like a prisoner in the court under his mother's iron rule. (And who Faerathos may or may not be in love with.) However, he also has an on-and-off affair with Augustus' wife, empress Eirdene, which is very much treason. Augustus' marriage is miserable and he cheats on his wife as much as he has time to, but Faerathos still hates himself for betraying his only friend. Despite that and that the affair itself is very much toxic and definitely not good for him, or perhaps because of it, he still always comes back for more.

He has an insatiable desire to make sense of the world, including the seemingly senseless civil war. His clan was accused of conspiring the murder of the previous emperor, which according to the official narrative, caused the civil war. Faerathos doesn't buy it. And when the events of the war are given a critical look, some questions arise. Why would the Mantgamias kill the aging emperor and risk everything, when a Mantgamia (on mother's side) was first in line to the imperial throne? Why did Faerathos' uncle, who was executed for the emperor's murder along Faerathos' aunt and cousin, leave a cryptic message about knowing too much and a diary with dozens of torn off pages? And most importantly, how and why was there an ancient colossal dragon in the siege of the Bear Castle?

Asking those questions is dangerous business under the authoritarian rule of the empress dowager Verginia. As he dives into the secrets of the court, he finds dangerous magic, assassinations, political power struggles, cults and ancient gods.

Tag list under the cut. Let me know if you want to be added or removed!

BCC tag list: @siarven @worldbuildng @emilyoracle @frvnwrites @kainablue @writingrosesonneptune @contes-de-rheio @faelanvance @outpost51 @dotr-rose-love

#writeblr #writing #my writing #fantasy #writers of tumblr #my wips #my ocs #writers on tumblr #original writing #my characters #moodboard #aesthetics #bcc #bear castle chronicles #faerathos #bcc aesthetics

[kittensbooksart]

Octo-ber Day 10: Dawn

Faerathos is not a morning person.

my octo-ber entries

Below the cut is the prompt list!

#octo-ber #art #writeblr #drawtober #artists on tumblr #ink #inking #line art #dralloween #writing #fantasy #traditional art #original character #my ocs #my art #farocm #farocm art

[madmoonink]

So instead of STS I’m going to do this (cause I’m a little obsessed with that question and I’d just ask everyone the same thing)

I've been watching Breaking Bad and it got me thinking...

If one of your OCs was to become a druglord, who'd be the best fit?

@kittensartswriting (Cassia, am I right? Or maybe Faerathos?) @wortfinder (Quinn?) @andtheotherwriter (The Badger?) @kainablue  @dove-actually @siarven @pheita @trashplanetsandmagicforests @paper-shield-and-wooden-sword @dotr-rose-love @el-norawrites

#sts kinda #awesome fellow writers #tag game

[kittensartswriting]

Trick or treat!

You get a treat! Character art and worldbuilding tidbit all in one baggage!

Here is Faerathos one of the MCs of BCC in casual wear and formal wear. Men's day wear consists of trousers (the casual option presented here) or breeches (more formal), doublet and jerkin. Ankle length dress is the most formal wear and for men it's basically doublet but long. There's more casual forms of evening wear with knee length dresses for men. Additionally he has the blue cloak of academia and golden oak wreath for his doctorate, which is only used in formal occasions.

#thank you for coming to trick or treat for me! :D #writeblr #writeblr trick or treat #trick or treat #answers #art #my art #my ocs #bcc #bcc art #faerathos

[kittensartswriting]

leaves, ghost, and rain for the October asks!

Thank you for the very fun questions!!

🍂 leaves: what does your editing process look like? how does your wip typically change as you work on it?

It looks like pure chaos :'D I have a bad habit of editing and rewriting before I'm done with drafting and it has let to me restarting BCC (my oldest wip) for too many times to count. I have so many half finished drafts. And it has changed a lot. My writing process in general is very chaotic. I tend to outline and draft at the same time because I can't write without any outline, but I can't fully outline without writing. So as I continue to outline while writing, the story changes and I start to edit the draft also at the same time :'D

👻 ghost: can you tease some wip ideas that have been haunting you/something you want to write in the future?

It's been a while since I had this idea, but it's been on the back-burner and it's very much vague vibes mostly. But the pitch in the shortest form is: assassin nuns. The setting I had in mind was post-apocalyptic ancient Mediterranean, especially ancient Eqypt, inspired world, with some futuristic solar punk elements. The nuns are retired from being assassins (they were like assassins for the theocratic religious order) and are trying to atone for their past by helping people. And it would be kind of an anthology, or episodic in structure, with each part telling the story of one nun.

🌧️ rain: share a sad or emotional scene from your wip!

I will put this under the cut, it's fairly long. I've shared a small part of this in a last line tag game :D

Faerathos knocked the door and waited for a moment before entering, dreading what he might find. He was not sure what exactly he had expected but he was relieved to see Marcus relatively intact, sitting against a wall, wrapping a cigarette. His hands were shaking too much. He cursed under his breath as tobacco leaves fell out of the paper.

“Allow me”, Faerathos said quietly and squatted before him.

He didn’t protest as Faerathos took them out of his hands. He just turned his face away and wiped it on his sleeve. After Faerathos gave back the now wrapped cigarette, he took the gas lamp from the dresser and offered its burning heart for lighting. Fingers shaking Marcus placed the cigarette on his lips and leaned to the burning lamp heart. There were heavier shadows than usual under his red and puffy eyes. A little knot twisted in Faerathos’ insides. Marcus took a first breath from the cigarette and leaned on his knees.

“I didn’t have the pipe with me…” he muttered as if it needed some explanation.

Faerathos shifted uncomfortably. He was not sure if he should get up or sit down.

“Are you… okay?” What a stupid question. Of course he was not okay. He was a mess. “We were getting a bit worried since it’s been two hours.”

It somehow felt a little wrong to see Marcus like this. It didn’t feel the same as the many times he had cried in front of Marcus. Marcus was his uncle. Or stepfather by his own logic. He suppressed the amused chuckle. He wasn't supposed to see this.

Marcus turned his face away again. His lips trembled before he took another puff of tobacco. “No need to worry…” he said, voice coarse.

It was not very convincing.

After a silence, he rubbed his face with his palm. “I was not expecting that after fourteen years I would miss him this much”, he muttered. “It feels like I can’t live without him. But I have. For fourteen years.” A strain in his voice stretched until it broke. His hands were shaking again as he placed the cigarette on his lips.

Faerathos understood then. It had seemed like he hadn’t grieved for dad like someone who was his lover - not just a lover, the love of his life - because he hadn’t done that. He wasn’t afforded that, not even the acknowledgement of his grief. There was a heavy weight on Faerathos' chest as he took a deep breath.

“I truly am so sorry for your loss”, he said quietly.

Marcus raised his wet eye to Faerathos for the first time, but quickly turned away again and wiped his cheeks. “Why – I don’t – He was your father.”

“He was yours to lose too.”

Marcus covered his face and didn't answer. His shoulders trembled. He was sobbing quietly. Faerathos couldn't swallow the lump in his throat. He wanted to hug Marcus, but repressed the urge. Marcus wouldn't like it. Instead he leaned forward and placed his forehead on Marcus’ shoulder. A wave of grief for Marcus and for himself washed over him. Marcus sighted and wrapped his arms around Faerathos. His body shook with each sob. Slowly his sobs died down. He let go of Faerathos and wiped his face before smoking his almost done cigarette. Faerathos wiped his eyes too.

Great. Now he was also crying.

Once Marcus was done with his cigarette, he slowly got up, leaning on the wall. “Sorry…” he muttered as he placed his eyepatch back on his cut eye.

Faerathos shook his head, not really finding words anymore.

Marcus turned to look at him and made a weary chuckle. “You’re a good kid.”

“I’m neither”, Faerathos said, amused.

“You are.” He turned to look away. “To me, you are.”

A weight, Faerathos had forgot after so long, lifted from his chest. He tried to fight back tears, but they were already flowing down his cheeks. He wiped them quickly.

“You remind me of him more every day. He was quite like you at your age.” The corners of his lips curved to a small smile. “Though a little less messed up.”

As he looked at Faerathos again, there was something unusually soft and warm in his piercing gaze.

“Thanks a lot…” Faerathos said dryly and chuckled as he wiped his eyes.

"Only a little though."

#faerathos joking that marcus is his father: jk unless 👀👀 #answers #writing #writeblr #ask game #excerpt #bcc #bcc excerpt #faerathos #marcus

[kittensartswriting]

OCs As Animals Tag

Thank you for tagging me @mariahwritesstuff! This is such a fun tag game. I've done similar of these years ago for the MCs of BCC but (from what I remember) most of my answers will be different as the characters have changed somewhat from that time.

I'll tag: @kainablue @dotr-rose-love @sam-glade @elshells @writer-artemis @writernopal @oh-no-another-idea

Faerathos - Owl

Owls being symbols of scholarship and intelligence, fits Faerathos well, who is a scholar and very intelligent. Owls are also really good at what they do (hunting), and similarly he's good at very specific thing (not hunting or fighting in general), but kinda dumb outside it and lacks a lot of basic practical skills. He's a very high int low wis type of character.

Cassia - Snow leopard

Other leopards and closely related big cats would fit Cassia too, but I choose snow leopard, since her companion and helper animal (for witch purposes) is a saber-tooth snow leopard (a thing their world has). She's a lone predator, who stalks her pray. She does acrobatics as an opera performer (their opera is a little different), and moves quietly with ease. She also can do the maiming beside the stalking too. She looks much softer and cuddlier than she is. But big cats are still just cats, which fits her too. She's very picky about the people she likes and how she receives affection, and if her boundaries is crossed she will (metaphorically) scratch and bite. She enjoys solitude and alone time, but when she's in the mood she likes company as well. One of the best ways to be with people in her opinion is to sit in same space in silence. She likes to sleep in small spaces.

Valeri - Dog

Valeri is definitely a dog, specifically a big dog. He's very loyal, very helpful to the people he loves, smart in a practical way (and in other ways kinda dumb), bad at lying, good in teams, ferocious when needed and protective. Like dogs typically he wants to please others and likes physical affection from people he trusts. Though he's the kind of dog, whose been traumatized, so suspicious of strangers, kinda grumpy, gets stressed around too many people, bites (metaphorically in his case) when stressed and reacts badly when touched wrong or by wrong people.

Fiolev - Cat

Cats are small predators, so they seek prey but they also have to avoid bigger predators, and that fits Fiolev perfectly. His prey is the money of gullible rich people, but also there's worse, more dangerous criminals and whole imperial army preying on him. So he has to look over his shoulder, move quietly and unnoticed. Cats teeth and claws are sharp and they can do surprising amount of damage, but they not really very dangerous. and he's the same (metaphorically). He's quick witted and quick in his movements. He can be so smart and so dumb at the same time. He's the type of cat who goes to check out new people, get their scratches and meows at them, but is not to be picked up by strangers, basically he's friendly but you have to win his trust to get his whole affection. He can also be purposefully annoying, when he demands attention. And like cats he's a little goofy guy, he's funny, and not as graceful as he'd like you to believe.

#tagged #tag game #writeblr #bcc #valeri #cassia #fiolev #faerathos

[kittensartswriting]

15 Questions Tag

Thank you for tagging me @andromeda-grace!

I'll tag @dotr-rose-love @kainablue @rustywritessometimes @mariahwritesstuff @oh-no-another-idea @faelanvance @aquadestinyswriting @westywrites

So this is that one originally personal tag game, but people started answering it as their characters. I couldn't decide which of my MCs from BCC I'd answer this with, so I thought it might be fun to imagine them all being interviewed together. This is not a realistic scenario because during the first book they are all separated (and I answered this as if they're about 1/3 to the first book, where I'm roughly at writing wise), but it was still fun to imagine :D

1. Are you named after anyone?

Faerathos: "I can go first. Oldest sons in our house have been named Faerathos for a long time. In ancient times the name was Faerían, Faerathos being Angusianized version. Our father wasn't the eldest brother, his brother, the previous Faerathos, died before we were born so in a way I was mostly named after him."

Cassia: "My name also runs in the family, given to oldest daughters. Our aunt, from father's side, was also a Cassia."

Valeri: "My name is from our mother's family. I think her uncle was a Valeri?"

Fiolev: "I named myself after my cat." *everyone turns to him in disbelief including Valeri who thought he knew the story behind the name* "Well, that's the truth! There was some ancient legendary Cerfí warrior named Fiolev and I remembered Valeri telling me the name meant a white mountain cat. So when I had to give myself a name, I had just befriended this homeless white kitten and I named myself basically white cat. Though mountain cats are a tiny bit bigger than my cat."

2. When was the last time you cried?

Cassia: "When I was 19."

Valeri: "7 years ago? I don't believe that."

Cassia: "I'm sorry, if that makes you feel bad that you cry all the time, but I have done the work to destroy my ability to express emotions, so I can't cry anymore, even if I wanted to."

Valeri: "I don't cry all the time."

Cassia: "Well, tell us then the last time you cried?"

Valeri: "... Last week."

Faerathos: "I think I last cried three weeks ago during my monthly mental breakdown."

Fiolev: "My memory is pretty bad, so I'm not fully sure, but I think it was month ago, when Valeri left to his mission."

Valeri: "I'm sorry..."

3. Do you have any kids?

Cassia: "No and I mean to keep it that way."

Valeri: "No, but I'd like to have one day, if ever my life stops being a constant battle for survival."

Fiolev: "Yeah, no, that sounds like a nightmare. But I want Valeri to have so I can be the cool uncle who teaches them all the bad words."

*After a silence everyone turns to Faerathos.*

Faerathos: "Can I go with I'm not sure? Probably not?"

Valeri: "What the fuck does that mean?"

Faerathos: "There is a non-zero change that the empress is not in fact pregnant with a legitimate imperial heir, but my child so... We don't have to get too deep into that."

Cassia: "It was literally this type of scenario our whole clan got murdered over!"

Faerathos: "... I'm sorry?"

4. Do you use sarcasm?

Fiolev: "I'm fluent in it yes."

Cassia: "Do I look like the type of person, who would do something like that? she said sarcastically."

Faerathos: "Sure, sometimes when annoyed."

Valeri: "I'm not very good with words, but contrary to the popular belief I have a sense of humor too, so occasionally yes."

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Faerathos: "The way they dress. It's pretty noticeable from far away."

Cassia: "The way people move and hold themselves."

Valeri: "I agree with Cassia."

Fiolew: "I will answer truthfully only, if everyone promises to have no follow up questions." *looks at the others till they all nod* "I first notice where people are holding their money."

6. What's your eye color?

Fiolev: "Gray."

Faerathos: "Also gray."

Valeri: "Light blue."

Cassia: "Even lighter blue."

7. Scary movies stories or happy endings?

Fiolev: "I love scary stories."

Cassia: "I agree. The more gruesome the better."

Faerathos: "I'm not that interested in scary stories, but happy endings do often ring hollow to me, so I think I'll choose scary stories."

Valeri: "I'm the only one who prefers happy endings?"

8. Any special talents?

Cassia: "I'm quite good at singing really low notes. I can do acrobatics and my specialty is sword dance where I balance with three swords. I'm also very good at disguising myself with transformation magic as people I have killed by using their skin and bones."

Faerathos: "Well that escalated. Maybe we'll just breeze past that? I don't have a lot of special talents. I guess I'm good at math, but that's not very special. Though I can research at the library for hours without breaks if that counts?"

Fiolev: "I'm very good at taking... let's say objects from other people's pockets without them noticing. I'm also quite good at... let's say convincing people of not exactly true things. I also do an excellent impression of a very naive and impressionable noble girl in distress. A totally innocent skill that could have no implications of criminal behavior."

Cassia: "We all believe you, love."

Valeri: "I don't have any very special talents. I'm pretty good at disarming people, shooting and parrying on horseback, surviving in wilderness and I guess taking a beating."

9. Where were you born?

Faerathos: "We were all born in Abhlean, the capital of Cabalusia, in literally the same room."

10. What are your hobbies?

Faerathos: "Playing piano, reading, gambling and swords-fighting, but that last one I do only because Marcus forces me to."

Cassia: "Opera could be characterized as my third job and not a hobby, so I'll go with... industrial sabotage."

Valeri: "You're not going to elaborate on that, are you?"

Cassia: "Nope."

Valeri: "Okay then. I also play piano and I play violin, both of which I'm pretty rusty at."

Fiolev: "I feed the local homeless animals and take care of them generally."

11. Have you any pets?

Fiolev: "As I mentioned earlier, I have a cat. Her name is Snow, because she's white and I named her when I was five. She's great, though getting elderly."

Valeri: "I have two dogs, Cúén and Faéndie, both Cabalusian bear dogs. They are trained as war dogs, but they are family and I keep them with me at home."

Fearathos: "I don't have a pet."

Cassia: "I have technically a crow. It's not my pet though, it would probably eat me in my sleep if I called it my pet. Yeah... it's not really a crow. It's name is Fianne. I have an actual animal companion too, my little baby saber-tooth snow leopard, Ciri. She's not actually little."

12. What sports do you play/have played?

Faerathos: "Hunting, which I don't get opportunities to do as a hostage in the court, Cabalusian horse-racing, which every Cabalusian noble kid has to do, but I didn't really enjoy, and now I'm still forced to do swords-fighting."

Cassia: "I also did Cabalusian horse-racing, which I did like, and hunting, but I haven't done them as a hobby since, you know, the civil war. I have hunted for survival though."

Valeri: "I also did the same sports before civil war, though I was too young to be taken to the hunts and I did horse polo. I don't play sports anymore, as a cavalry officer I do swords-fighting and horseriding a lot, but for war purposes. And I've hunted for survival."

Fiolev: "I was too young to play any sports before the civil war, and when I grew up we were poor and sports really are a rich people thing. I have played whatever ball games poor kids play on the plazas, but I don't think they count here."

13. How tall are you?

Faerathos: "195 cm."

Fiolev: "175 cm."

Cassia: "186 cm."

Valeri: "What? You're also taller than me?"

Cassia: "How tall are you then?"

Valeri: "185 cm."

Cassia: "Ha!"

14. Favorite subject in school?

Fiolev: "History."

Cassia: "Biology."

Valeri: "It would be either music or history."

Faerathos: "Physics, which is why I'm still studying it. It hits the right spot of 'I'm good at it so I don't get too frustrated' and 'it's hard so it's interesting'."

15. Dream job?

Fiolev: "Hmm I don't know. What profession makes you rich? Probably depends on that. Alternatively I would love to just take care of all the strays in the city, if someone rich would suddenly get a strong desire to pay someone for that."

Faerathos: "I'm pretty happy with my job as a physicist, but even more than that I would want to be a senator. I can't of course because of the whole hostage situation, but I want to be in a position where I can actually change things."

Cassia: "Dream job? I have never thought about that. Before civil war I was a noble girl and nobles don't have jobs, so I didn't dream of having one. And now I have more important things to do than thinking what I'd want to do for a profession. Though I will say, I have always enjoyed opera, and now that I'm actually an opera performer, I do like it, even if it's just an means to an end, like my other professions. So if I have to pick one, that might be it."

Valeri: "I wanted to be a soldier as a child, but I ended up being one in the least desirable way possible. I don't think I'd call it my dream job anymore. I don't know what I'd call my dream job."

#writeblr #tagged #tag game #writing #bcc #valeri #cassia #faerathos #fiolev

[kittensartswriting]

Find The Word Tag

Thank you for tagging me, @mariahwritesstuff! I was tagged sharp, damage, blue and forever.

I'll tag: @dotr-rose-love @kainablue @aohendo @faelanvance @wildswrites @andromeda-grace @forthesanityofstorytellers

Your words are

sharp

Julius shook his head. “No. You are the priority. Inform them that.” “I won’t”, Rigantona said sharply. “We can’t put our lives before thousands of people.” “Our house is the target! I told you what they did to Ignatus’ children!” “You also told me what they did to civilians.” Her voice went quiet. “You know the city won’t be fully evacuated by the time the enemy arrives. Every minute spend on the evacuation efforts saves hundreds of lives.” He covered his face. She was right, of course she was, but it didn't calm his fears.

damage

Valeri took off the fur coat slowly and carefully. It had soaked up a lot of blood, turning heavy and stiff. Biting his teeth and fingers shaky he opened the buttons on his coat and waistcoat. He pealed up the rest of the layers to reveal his side. Right below the lowest rib there was a small hole, which oozed thick blood on his skin. The bullet was close enough to the surface to be visible. The fur must have slowed it down, but the rib was most definitely broken. He lowered the blood stained shirts back and took a couple of deep breaths before taking a look at the damage in his arm. It was sore, but didn't feel broken. The dog's teeth had left only surface wounds, but there was plenty of blood still. The fur must have protected the arm too. Agrippa was back with the tools he had asked for. "The bottle", he said with a rough voice. She offered the water flagon. He shook his head. "The whiskey."

blue

"You didn't return in the evening nor in the morning to the palace." Marcus' voice was an accusation. Faerathos sighed and walked passed him to the narrow wardrobe. He took his sword from it's corner and strapped it on his waist. "Sorry. I had other things to do." "It's my job to know where you are." "Right. Fine." He folded the blue scholar's cloak over his shoulders and covered the sword with it. Marcus stepped in front of him, now eyeing him suspiciously. "Where are you going this time?" "If I told you, you'd try to stop me." "I guess I'll stop you without knowing then."

forever

Valeri left the reluctant Cúén outside and stepped into the liquor stenching mass of people. Tonight the officer club wasn't it's usual tidy and respectable establishment. Certainly the brass wouldn't be here. He pressed between people towards the counter, where the footmen were serving thirsty war-worn officers. He was aware, too aware, of his sober state in the middle of all this intoxication. He had not spotted anyone from his legion yet. After getting his drink, he comb through the mass for familiar faces. The voices blended together into a uniform ear-shattering row and the faces melted into a mass of laughing, shouting mouths. There was tingle in the back of his neck and the air was too thick to breath. Once the uncomfortable palpitation in his chest became intolerable, he joined Cúén outside. Cúén ran up to him and wagged his tail like it was years since they parted. Valeri sat on the low wall next to the street as Cúén tried to lick his face. Balancing to hold the drink inside the glass he tried to calm down Cúén. After Cúén sat down, he took a long sip and looked over to the dark sea. The outside air was very welcome. Really it has been couple of months, but the last time he had sat there felt like forever ago.

I'll tag: @dotr-rose-love @kainablue @aohendo @faelanvance @wildswrites @andromeda-grace @forthesanityofstorytellers @talesofsorrowandofruin

Your words are cat, wound, hazy and wrong.

#tagged #tag game #writeblr #excerpt #bcc #bcc excerpt #valeri #faerathos #julius #rigantona #marcus

[kittensartswriting]

Happy Storyteller Saturday! What about your story is currently plaguing your thoughts right this moment? A certain character? A plot point? A particular scene? A concept for something new? Be as vague or as detailed as you like!

Happy STS! Thank you for the question!!

Right now Faerathos and Marcus from BCC are living rent free in my mind. They have somewhat codependent and dysfunctional adoptive father-son relationship. Faerathos is one of the main siblings and after their clan got killed in a civil war 15 years prior, he was taken as a hostage to the court, to deter his uncle, who managed to escape, from coming back from exile to cause trouble. Marcus is his aunt's widow (she died years before the civil war) and the commander of their house guard, though there's barely anyone alive from their house, so now he is more just Faerathos' bodyguard.

Faerathos was pretty traumatized by the civil war at age 13 and after that he's been 15 years in the court under constant surveillance and control, so it's safe to say he's mentally not great. He does a lot of self-sabotaging by getting into bad and dangerous situation and fucking over his life and relationships by being shitty to people. He craves affection, but also doesn't think he deserves it, which leads him to do things like that. More than anything he wants affection from Marcus, who is very emotionally unavailable. He has also internalized having his every move scrutinized, so he's compulsively acting like he's totally fine, and therefore also unable to just ask help or support. So Marcus, who already has trouble reading people's emotions, doesn't even know what he needs.

Marcus was Faerathos' father's (Julius) lover for several years before he died (Faerathos' parents were platonically married), which Faerathos doesn't know. So when Julius died in the civil war, Marcus also took it pretty badly, but he couldn't ever really properly grieve, because he could not show weakness being constantly under the enemy's nose, and no one knew about it. He could not save Julius, so his life mission since has been to protect Julius' son, and he barely has any life outside Faerathos. He also believes he is cursed, because tragedies seems to follow him, and he is constantly afraid something will happen to Faerathos. This is partly an internal justification to be so emotionally distant (because he's like "maybe the curse won't work if I don't talk about my feelings" - Sure, Jan), because he really just fears emotional intimacy, which would require him to actually face his grief. So he deeply loves Faerathos as a son, but is unable to express it, which is the one thing Faerathos really needs from him. It's also painful for him to watch by as Faerathos for seemingly no reason just fuck over his life over and over again without being able to do anything. So sometimes he has to emotionally check out from their relationship and just keep Faerathos alive.

Despite all that they can also be affectionate. Marcus doesn't usually like to be touched, but Faerathos likes platonic physical intimacy, so the way Marcus shows his love (since emotional intimacy is off the table) is by affectionately touching Faerathos' hair or something or letting Faerathos nap against him. (To paint you the picture, Faerathos is 195 cm and Marcus 169 cm. His son is very overgrown.) When Faerathos was younger, they didn't have this tension, since a naturally parent-child relationship is not balanced, and Marcus could be there for Faerathos without having to be that open himself. But as Faerathos grew up, their relationship should have become more reciprocal, but with the combined effort of Marcus' emotional unavailability and Faerathos' self-destructive behavior, their relationship just become more dysfunctional. So on one hand they are very close, but on the other hand they can be very hurtful to each other, because they are so close.

To show you how rent free they live in my head here's a little sketch I made of baby Faerathos and Marcus having an "I'm guess I'm a father now" moment after they have become hostages because I could not stop thinking about them.

Sorry for the long answer, I have just endless amount to say about them :'D

#marcus may not be a great father but the man has issues and he's doing his best kjhfjgf #sts #storyteller saturday #writeblr #writing #my art #answers #bcc #faerathos #marcus #bcc art

[kittensartswriting]

Hello! Happy STS!

Of your WIPs, which is your current obsession? What's your favorite part about it, and what gave you the idea for it in the first place?

Happy STS! Thank you for the question!

I've been lately obsessing with my oldest WIP, Bear Castle Chronicles, which I had on hiatus for almost two years. I don't even really remember how old it really is, but it is at least 10 years old.

It started very very differently though. At the time I was obsessed with Pride and Prejudice and Assassin's Creed, and so I had an idea for a story about like a secret assassin in Regency setting. That very first WIP was historical fiction set in St. Petersburg during Napoleonic wars. And there was a noble, who was secretly an assassin and part of a conspiracy, and then there was like P&P vibes romance lol. I don't think I wrote many chapters of that version. The next version was a comic and this time it was set in a fantasy world. The world had Regency vibes and there was still war and conspiracy and the main couple had translated mostly as they were to the new version and I developed new characters. I think this was the time I had started watching Game of Thrones and it's influence first entered the story. I actually sketched quite a lot of pages for it. I still have them. I'm pretty impressed of my commitment. At the time I didn't do digital art at all and I also didn't do any planning or outlining, so at some point I realised I would need to basically redraw everything once I'd figure out the plot and make changes to the beginning, so I decided to drop the comic and go back to writing it as a novel. I don't think I wrote that version very far either.

From the creation dates of the files it seems the last big shift happened around 2016, when I started watching writing advice on YouTube and realised I can actually write down my plans and plan them further before writing. What a novel concept. At that point I revised the world, the characters and the plot. There's still Regency vibes. The two original characters live in different forms in this version, but they are not a couple anymore. Most of the additional characters from the previous version still survive. There's still war (or now wars) and a conspiracy, and there's still even an assassin, additionally one of the main characters is sort of an assassin (she's a spy who sometimes murders people).

I really enjoy getting back to this WIP, because as it is so old, I feel like I know the characters really well and the world feels to me like a real place. There is of course a lot of baggage too from all the different iterations and things I've change and kept during the years, and it's why I had to stop thinking it for a while, I kinda had lost the direction with it. What really keeps me getting back are the characters and especially their relationships with each other. If I had to now choose one relationship that I like most in it now, it would be Faerathos' and Marcus' relationship. Faerathos' noble family lost the civil war 13 years ago and they were killed (though some of his siblings' survive and are the other main characters, which he doesn't know), he was taken as a hostage to the court with Marcus, who was the commander of their house guard. They have a sort of strained and a bit toxic father-son relationship, and they only really have each other left. Faerathos is pretty self-destructive and does a lot of things that sabotage his own happiness (because he thinks he doesn't deserve it). Marcus is very much emotionally stunned and afraid to care about anyone (or at least show or admit to it), so he acts like he's protecting Faerathos out of duty and not because Fearathos is his whole world and he would do literally anything for him. This emotional distance really cuts at Faerathos, but he also feels like he deserves it. On the other hand Marcus' whole life purpose is protecting Faerathos, so he's basically in agony as he can't protect him from his own self-destruction.

#men will rather commit multiple high treasons rather than go to therapy #faerathos' plotline in nutshell #storyteller saturday #sts #writeblr #writing #my wips #bcc #faerathos #marcus

[kittensartswriting]

Writing Update

I never updated about rest of NaNo last year. I got sick half way through, possibly covid (although I got negative from home test, but the symptoms were similar) or maybe influenza. But it sucked anyway. I had mange to write roughly 1,5 K words before the end of the month, but my total still was barely 2,5 K words. So it didn't go well. Because I was sick for a week I got also left behind in my course work, so I then had to focus on uni and after that it has been a continuous struggle and I haven't really been writing. I managed to re-outline Faerathos' story line though, so that's progress.

After my (first and) last NaNo update I wrote about Valeri being drunk which was fun. Here's some funny moment from that.

Fucking shit. He was just making it worse. Now it sounded like he was saying lady Agrippa was rude. Why was he so drunk? Probably all the wine. Why had he been drinking all that wine again?

Also wise words by drunk!Valeri:

"I do not appreciated your implications. I may not be smart, but I’m not dumb."

But in total I have 13 K words in this new draft which is not nothing!

#big brain valeri #he's lucky agrippa is morosexual #writeblr #my writing #writing #writing community #writing update #bcc #bcc update

[kittensartswriting]

Bear Castle Chronicles - Reintroduction

11th of the 3rd month, year 495 of the Fourth Age Imperial forces took the castle. The five centuries of Mantgamia's rule is over.

BASIC INFO

STATUS | re-outlining | FORMAT | trilogy | POV | multiple 3rd person limited | TENSE | past | GENRE | high/epic fantasy, dark fantasy, horror elements, mystery elements | AUDIENCE | adult | LANGUAGE WRITTEN IN | zero draft Finnish, 1st draft English

CONTENT WARNING | graphic violence | war | child abuse mentioned | torture | psychological horror | toxic relationships | drug and alcohol abuse | mental illness | sex | suicidal ideation | tba

INTRO

In the militaristic Angusian Empire only the clergy is allowed to use magic, which is seen as dangerous and terrifying by most. Magic has it's own will and while it can be helpful, other times it can be vindictive, malicious and unpredictable. There are also some terrifying great powers, like dragons, that most think are better left untouched and undisturbed. This is one of the things that has caused friction and an endless string of wars between the Empire and it's northern neighbor Dir'ahin, where magic is freely practiced. Dir'ahin has kept it's independence from the expansionist empire with it's advanced magic, but as Angusian Empire rapidly industrializes, a new decisive war of conquest looms ahead.

The Bear, the guardian of the Bear Castle, is ancient and forgotten magic. 14 years ago it watched as it's people were massacred by Imperial forces in a bloody civil war. It followed the four heirs of the castle as they grew up scattered in distant places. One of them in the imperial court, one of them in the northern occupied border, and two of them in a southern metropolis. Now the Bear watches as it's children struggle to find their way back to it.

FAERATHOS, THE OLDEST | While Faerathos has been hostage at the court, he has not been idle. He's physicist, researching electromagnetism, and he is still trying to understand why did the Cabalusian civil war happen and unearth the mysteries of the court.

CASSIA, THE SECOND OLDEST | Cassia has committed on getting vengeance on the Imperial family and the Angusian Empire as a whole by any means necessary. To work towards her goal, she is aiding Dir'ahin by spying for them on an occupied area.

VALERI, THE SECOND YOUNGEST | Valeri joined the ranks of the Imperial army with a false identity against his will, to protect Fiolew and provide for him. He becomes quite successful as a cavalry officer, but when he is reunited with his uncle, who is allied with another enemy, Manoa, he becomes an uneasy spy for them.

FIOLEV, THE YOUNGEST | Fiolev is not the innocent younger sibling Valeri thinks he is, but rather a quite successful and infamous con artist and thief. He steals magical amulet, accidentally releases a demon upon himself and gets entangled with a dangerous gang of criminals, who are involved with the Cabalusian separatists.

LINKS

CAST | Quick intro to the main cast | Faerathos

WORLDBUILDING | Maps

ART | Main siblings

SCENE EXCERPTS | Julius x Marcus kiss scene - Prequel | Julius visits graves - Prologue | Faerathos comforts Marcus | Valeri x Agrippa fluff

TAGS | #bear castle chronicles | #bcc | #bcc art | #bcc aesthetics | #bcc excerpt | #bcc worldbuilding | #faerathos | #cassia | #valeri | #fiolew

Brief intro to the main cast and the tag list under the cut! I'll keep the tag list here updated.

CHARACTERS

Faerathos cor Mantgamia | 27 | he/him | intelligent but lacks practical skills | depressed | a little pretentious | dry humor | empathetic

Cassia cor Mantgamia | 26 | she/her | cold rage | detached | calculative | cares deeply but would not admit it | amoral

Valeri cor Mantgamia | 24 | he/him | very competent soldier | practical | stoic exterior but highly emotional interior | lacks emotional regulation | anxious

Fiolev cor Mantgamia | 18 | he/they | smart and quick thinker | compulsive liar | easy going | opportunist | attachment issues

Agrippa noé Moireau / Gal'eivil Daughter of Moon | 21 | she/her | Ahinian princess | political tool | possesses destructive magic | painter | naive

Marcus K'irhinzaham | 49 | he/him | Faerathos' bodyguard | greatest swordsman of their time | prickly | one-eyed | emotionally distant

Julie noé Moireau | 31 | she/her | Cassia's target | celebrity opera singer | lesbian casanova | hedonist | unmatched duelist

Cúén "Fechín" cor Faélci | 22 | he/him | Valeri's rival in the army | Cabalusian nobility | spy for the Cabalusian separatists | brooding | great with words and insults

Gid'alon Child of Stars | 45 | they/she/any | Agrippa's tutor | the one who Fiolew steals the amulet from | scholar of spirit realm | reserved | endless thirst for knowledge

Fianne | ??? | they/it | Cassia's talking crow | really a malicious forest demon bound to a crow | ate Cassia's twin sister | snarky | inhuman

Cateline | 19 | she/her | Fiolew's childhood friend | assassin for a criminal organization | mute | lacks empathy | protective

Vauquelin | 27 | he/him | leader of the gang Cateline's in and Fiolew get's involved with | opportunist | power hungry | controlling | soft-spoken

Verginia Emerentius | 59 | she/her | empress mother | probably behind the Cabalusian civil war | cult-like following | controlling | savior

Lucretius Emerentius | 37 | he/him | brother of late emperor | current duke of Cabalusia and the lord of Bear Castle | ruthless | ambitious | manipulative

Augustus III Emerentius | 29 | he/him | emperor | puppet ruler | Farathos' friend | not interested in being the emperor | a bit of playboy

Eirdene “Erene” Sarantachaizak | 26 | she/her | empress | unhappy marriage | toxic affair with Faerathos | manipulative | perfectionist

Alexis noé Moireau | 53 | he/him | duke and general of Virén | Agrippa's adoptive and doting father | master strategist | gambler | easy to like

Ignatus cor Mantgamia | 50 | he/him | uncle of the siblings | wife and kids died in Cabalusian civil war | severe | ambitious | vengeful

Mánoheahpi Son of Moon | 28 | he/him | Agrippa's brother | powerful priest | plots to take power | reserved | visionary

TAG LIST

@siarven @worldbuildng @emilyoracle @frvnwrites @kainablue @writingrosesonneptune @contes-de-rheio @faelanvance @outpost51 @dotr-rose-love

#i'm keeping this taglist updated so whenever i add a new person to the taglist i'll add it here! #then you can also check if you're on the taglist if you don't remember or i have done an oopsie :'D #this reintro was long time coming #writing #fantasy #original writing #am writing #my writing #high fantasy #epic fantasy #my wips #original character #original fiction #speculative fiction #aesthetics #bear castle chronicles #bcc #bcc aesthetics

[kittensartswriting]

Heads Up 7 Up

Thank you for tagging me @sam-glade !!

I'll tag @oh-no-another-idea @talesofsorrowandofruin @captain-kraken @starbuds-and-rosedust @circa-specturgia @writingamongther0ses @wildswrites

This is from Bear Castle Chronicles from Faerathos' POV.

Once Marcus was done with his cigarette, he slowly got up, leaning on the wall. “Sorry…” he muttered as he placed his eyepatch back on his cut eye.

Faerathos shook his head, not really finding words anymore.

Marcus turned to look at him and made a weary chuckle. “You’re a good kid.”

“I’m neither”, Faerathos said, amused.

“You are.” Marcus turned to look away. “To me, you are.”

(Faerathos, a 27 yo)

#what he says: to me you are #what he means: i consider you my child and i love you very much #tagged #tag game #writeblr #excerpt #bcc #bcc excerpt

[kittensartswriting]

Bear Castle Chronicles 2.0

(actually there has been at least 4 different versions but let's not go there...)

I have officially un-shelved BCC (reintro here) after almost 2 years of hiatus. At the time I was very frustrated with it and felt like I didn't know anymore what I wanted and what was it's point. Now I have rediscovered a passion for it. With more distance to the story, I can more easily see the darlings that need to be killed and where I want to take this story. I will be rewriting some of the worldbuilding and restructuring the plot. Hopefully I get back to drafting it soon.

I drew some of the most central characters as I was thinking about the fashion. There's no big departures from my previous ideas, but I have much clearer image about the fashion in my mind now, so mission succeeded. I will use this as an opportunity to do a little re-intro to the characters. There is some changes to them, some older (which I never publicly introduced) some I have done since I un-shelved this WIP.

Valeri cor Mantgamia (left)

he/him

Second youngest main sibling (25)

Accidentally becomes a spy but oops is the worst liar on the planet

Biromantic demisexual

Is in cavalry and there has all the homoromantic tension a man could ask for but is unfortunately the most repressed man

Is in for an existential crisis and unreasonable amounts of maiming (because he's my poor little meow meow)

Fiolev cor Mantgamia (right)

he/they

Youngest main sibling (19)

So in a much earlier iteration of the story he was a girl, but the character wasn't working out and I kinda made a whole different character, a boy, but I've still struggled figuring him out. You could say I transed his gender, so now he is transmasc

Valeri made him dress as a boy when they were kids and homeless, and while he doesn't see himself as a boy, he definitely doesn't see himself as a girl either and rather presents as a boy

Uses his ability to turn into a girl to con people though

Accidentally cons his way to being possessed by a demon and being part of a plot to start a civil war

Aroace

Faerathos cor Mantgamia (bottom)

he/him

Oldest main sibling (28)

He was supposed to be the one tragically cishet sibling... They were all cishet at first....

He is bi of course he is bi I'm incapable of not making my characters bi

Accidentally commits high treason by (accidentally of course) having an affair with the empress

Also commits high bi disaster by accidentally having a thing with the emperor too, his long time homoerotic friend

Agrippa noé Moireau (top left)

she/her

Tragically straight

Groomed to be The Long Lost Rightful Heir and The Chosen One

Is actually a tool of imperial control

Valeri's love interest

Cassia cor Mantgamia (top right)

she/her

Second oldest main sibling (27)

Plotting murder literally every waking moment

Spying for the enemy with the goal of overthrowing the government and murdering the imperial family

Targets Julie, who is partroned by an imperial prince, but accidentally catches feelings but oops she is bad at feelings (the whole family is very accident-prone)

Collected on the outside, disaster bi on the inside

Julie noé Maupin (bottom left)

she/her

Opera singer master duelist lesbian casanova occasional novelist

Has a dark secret

Does NOT want to get involved with any political shenanigas (gets involved with political shenanigans)

Cateline (bottom right)

she/her

Assassin to a criminal organization Fiolew gets entangled with

One-sidedly in love with their leader who has ambitions of power

Mute and communicates with writing

Bi

Marcus K'irhinzaham (left)

he/him

The commander of Mantgamia house guard, which now only consists of him, and (according to popular (and his) knowledge) Faerathos is the only one left to guard anyway

Widely recognized as the greatest swordsman of his time

Short king (169 cm)

Bi

Cúén "Fechín" cor Faélci (right)

he/him

Previously named Conan cor Faélin, the last name changed a bit because I did some changes to his language and his first name didn't really fit the language either

Known in the army as Fechín, because he is imposing as his dead cousin to spy for the Cabalusian independence army

Gay trans man (which makes his cover solid, people think there's only daughter his age in his aristocratic family)

An asshole especially to Valeri but oops they have to secretly work together now

Gid'alon Child of Stars (bottom)

they/any

Vašáin, Ahinian third gender, in their case it means they are intersex and non-binary

In exile after doing a little bit of heresy

Just wants to do their research on the spiritrealm but oops one of the demons they studied possessed Fiolew

It's been such a long time since I used the tag list, so if you were tagged, let me know if you want to be continued to be tagged and I'll add you to the new tag list! If you weren't tagged, but would liked to be in future, also let me know! Tag list under the cut.

bcc tag list: @lady-redshield-writes @worldbuildng @siarven @hell-yeah-fantasy @heniareth @wilde-writing @contes-de-rheio @kainablue @lillayalightfoot @teacupwriter @sancta-seraphina @writingnosefreak @dotr-rose-love @writingwithhotchocolate @dove-actually @kathritana @ettawritesnstudies @the-ichor-of-ruination

(I forgot to add the taglist at first, I hope it still works even if I edited it in)

#writing #writeblr #art #fantasy #am writing #original fiction #writing update #my wips #my writing #original character #my ocs #high fantasy #epic fantasy #dark fantasy #my art #character art #bcc #bcc art #bear castle chronicles

[kittensartswriting]

The Mantgamia Siblings

Faerathos, Cassia, Valeri and Fiolev, in order from oldest to youngest, who are the main characters in Bear Castle Chronicles.

Some worldbuilding notes about their outfits:

Faerathos is wearing ultramarine blue cloak of academia. It's worn by all academics, always draped and shouldn't be used with any pins to hold it. It can be used in any setting, where using a draped unpinned cloak is possible (for example not when riding or something) and is approproate for indoors use.

He is also wearing golden oak leaf corolla, which is granted to those with commendable academic achievements (basically doctorate). It's only used in formal settings (which does not fit the rest of his outfit but I wanted to draw it too see how it looks).

Sandals are the standard inside/evening shoes, but also worn outside during summer, which is what Faerathos is doing. Evening sandals would usually be fancier than basic leather sandals, and his clothes are day wear. (Which is why he shouldn't be using a corolla.)

He's not wearing his cravat properly though. Firstly he doesn't bother. Secondly he doesn't like the feeling of a cloth around his neck.

Cassia is wearing men's day wear for sapphic reasons and having her hair open, which is inappropriate with long hair regardless of gender (currently short hair is very fashionable for men and there's a short hair trend for women too), but she is inappropriate (she's a courtesan and opera performer) so it's fine. She does wear women's clothing too, when she wants.

She's wearing a black cloak as a nod to the Matgamia house guards, who wore black cloaks. But also because of the aesthetics.

Valeri is wearing a red cloak of the imperial army, which is worn outside and with the uniform.

He and Fiolew are both wearing standard middle class day wear. Though Valeri is wearing boots, usually used for traveling and riding, because he's a cavalry man and therefore rides often.

Dangly earrings are fashionable for everyone, but expensive, so often used only by upper classes. Cassia is definitely not upper class but sex work makes good money so she has nice earrings.

Diadems/headbands are also fashionable for everyone. Lower classes often wear diadems made from cloth, upper classes ones made from precious metals and gemstones. Upper classes might also wear diadems of cloth, for example in a sports context.

Tag list under the cut. Let me know if you want to be added/removed!

BCC tag list:

@siarven @worldbuildng @emilyoracle @frvnwrites @kainablue @writingrosesonneptune @contes-de-rheio @faelanvance @outpost51

#writers on tumblr #writeblr #writing #art #original fiction #fantasy #worldbuilding #my writing #my wips #original character #my ocs #work in progress #dark fantasy #my art #original art #character illustration #bear castle chronicles #bcc #bcc worldbuilding #bcc art

[kittensartswriting]

Find The Word Tag

Thank you for tagging me, @dotr-rose-love! I'm sorry it was ages ago :') I got tagged two times with little, garden, dream, car and why and then world, space, heart and lose. I didn't have car (which is not that surprising as it's set in a world where there is no cars).

I'll tag @aohendo @kainablue @mariahwritesstuff @faelanvance with words green, no, word and night.

little

Valeri carefully pulled each layer of clothing to reveal his side. Agrippa winced and closed her eyes. Then she slowly re-opened them and seemed to force herself to look at the wound. "Rinse it with water. Do not touch it. Then press some bandages on it and wrap the rest tightly around my torso." He spoke on a low voice to cause as little tension on his side as possible. "What about the bullet?" Agrippa asked, her voice shaking. "You let it stay there. Right now it's blocking the wound and keeping my blood inside me. I will die out of blood loss much quicker than out of infection or lead poisoning, so keeping my blood inside me is the priority here."

garden

Fiolew looked carefully as the soldier opened the door for a footman. A footman's suit might work here. The Spring Palace must have loaned additional people to their own staff tonight, so the guards certainly wouldn't recognize every footman. He would need to get the right kind of wig and their footman's jacket from somewhere. He already had an idea how to acquire them. He could make this work. With a self-satisfied smile he straightened up from leaning on the railing. It was already pitch black outside, which was perfectly fine with him. He quickly glanced around before slipping into the shadows of the garden.

dream

"Where did you get the ring, captain?" The man spoke in a soft voice under which cold rage was brewing. Valeri forced himself to look up. The man's face was right in from of him. His heart skipped a beat. It must have been a dream. "Father?" he breathed in Cerfi. For a brief moment he could have sworn he was looking at his father, but after blinking Valeri recognized the face. He had barely changed at all. That long face with sharp features and those deep set eyes were exactly as Valeri remembered. Though his hair was graying and shorter, the hairline had receded a bit and some new wrinkles had appeared on his face. "Ignatus?"

why

"I told them you're my guard", Agrippa whispered. Valeri raisen an eyebrow. "Why?" "I didn't dare go there alone." He didn't blame her. The oracles sent cold shivers down his spine. "So now I have to act like your personal guard?" "Well you were before, right?" Agrippa grinned, but the concerned wrinkle between her brows didn't disappear. "I can always fire you, if you want." "I just got a new job and you're already firing me?"

world

"Along the Vuolhú River the cities of the dead are always on the northern side of it", Agrippa said. She leaned forward, animated as she spoke. "Vuolhú is the gate between the worlds of the living and the dead and north is the land of the dead." "Isn't then most of Dir'ahin land of the dead?" Valeri asked. "No." The levity had disappeared from Ávra's voice. "The land of the living is only occupied by the enemy." She raised her eyes at Valeri. She was smiling, but there was fire in her eyes that Valeri knew all too well. "For now."

space

At the campus Fearathos took the route to the history department. It was in one of the oldest building of the university, from the times of Amarian Empire. The style then had strong Amarian influence. Ornamental pilars and straight columns. Faerathos had only been there once, but remembered well the grandiose entrance with a row of massive pilars behind which large entrances led to the central hall. In the middle of it was a shallow rectangular pool the same size as the hole in the roof. The hole let in a large beam of sun that moved through the day and filled the space with sun light.

heart

The general's expression was perfectly stale, impossible to read. "That's not true -" "No! Don't you dare tell me another lie!" "Agrippa dear..." "Silence!" Her hair and skin flamed. She radiated white blinding flames. The heath burned hot on Valeri's face and he backed away as terror gripped his heart. The flames were gone as quick as they appeared. Only some embers were left smouldering in her clothing.

lose

"'Pretty good'?" Marcus gave a laugh. "She has never lost a single duel. I'm pretty sure I'd lose to her." "You?" Faerathos asked with disbelief. "You're the best swordsman in the Empire, if not the world. Everyone thinks so." "Sure, but I'm not a duelist. I can duel of course, but I'm much more intimately familiar with techniques more useful in a battlefield than a duel. She on the other hand is expert on duel techniques. I actually saw her duel in a party. She was toying with the man. It was a performance to her, but it was clear that he would have been dead, if she'd wanted him dead." "There was a duel in a party? I don't remember that." "Unsurprising. But yes there was. Easily the best party I have ever attended. I think some foolish lord had caught his wife on the arms of Lady Moireau, or something." He chuckled. "I would like to duel with her. No one has beaten me since..." His voice trailed off and a shadows fell over his face. He didn't need to finish the sentence, Faerathos knew he was talking about father.

#thanks to maria i realised i forgot to edit valeri's name into the first excerpt #so now it's there #but then i also noticed that i had used the word radiates in two consequent sentences in the excerpt 'heart' which very much annoyed me #so i edited it too #marcus' idea of mlm/wlw solidarity: a duel #tagged #tag game #writeblr #my writing #excerpt #bcc #bcc excerpt