#salad-ask

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Sending hugs always!

🦄- have you ever seen a wondrous beast (unicorn, dragon, griffin, etc.)? If you haven’t (or if your world doesn’t have them) which one would you like to see one day?

Please and thank you!

Thank you for the ask! From this ask game.

Guess I'm sticking with the Sweet Little Lies cast here :D

"A what?" Laurent looks perplexed. "A wondrous beast?" He thinks for a while before he grins. "Many years ago, when I was still more active in the trading business, I went to Dragon's Reach. Saw a cat as big as a hog, with bright orange fur. That was pretty wondrous."

"No, I can't say I have... seen one." Aurelia seems pretty unimpressed with the question. "Wondrous beasts," she says, and one can almost hear the quotation marks around the words, "are pretty low on the list of things I'd like to see."

#salad-ask #thebejeweledwatercat #now I am tempted to give that world unicorns #Laurent is a guy to count on #Aurelia is a sweetheart

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If you had to chose one of your villains/antagonists to give a Disney villain song to, who would it be and why?

Hahaha, thanks for the ask.

That's too easy.

Gaston for... Gaston, from Undeserved.

(And yes, I named him after that Disney Villain. Though, honestly, I'm not a big fan of the song. None of my villains is disturbing in just the right way to use the best one, Hellfire. Clayton has lots of issues, but attraction is not one of them.)

#salad-ask #writingamongther0ses #Undeserved #I don't even know any new villain songs #I could give be prepared to Eilis' father 🙃 #and since that's the first ask since last night #I spent an hour trying to figure out why asks appeared and disappeared from my inbox #on this account the next/previous buttons are fucked #setting a wrong offset #so I do not see my 10th ask unless I go to the second page and then back to the first #where it then hides the first ask but shows the 10th #i also had one ask that was only visible on mobile independently of that #and on my other tumblr it's also messed up but in a different way #what the fuck.gif

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Happy STS, Elli!

What are the most and least important aspects to you when it comes to character-creation? Are there any that don't matter to you at all? Is this different when it comes to reading about other people's characters?

How easy is it for you to change things about your characters when they don't work for whatever reason? Do you tend to change the story to fit the characters or the characters to fit the story?

Happy STS, let's not talk about the time this ask spent in my drafts.

I think there is only one absolutely important aspect: They gotta be fun. They can be fun for lots of different reasons (which are highly subjective and situational, who knows which char clicks), and being self-loathing tormented sad ace mages is only one of them 😅

Least is probably how they look. Hair color/style is probably the only thing I actually think about for most - I still have to look at Cedric's portrait every few weeks because I keep forgetting his eye color, and I forgot Merry's when I wrote GS as well XD I can't picture shit. It's not relevant to me. I could write a whole book without any character described and would barely miss something.

This is even more so when reading, I definitely have completely forgotten how characters look before, and I will again, and I have read stuff I really am not a fan of because I liked a character.

Consciously changing, once the story is done, don't even know if I could. While writing, things keep changing, because I start with a bag of vibes instead of a filled out character sheet.

Occasionally, some things come up while I write more (backstories, side stories, stuff like that) which is hard if the main story has already been posted/shared and I am torn between changing stuff or having stuff that doesn't match.

Usually, that's small things; for example, in the first version of GS, Damien wasn't forced to stay with the rebels, did paperwork instead of using his magic to hurt people, and he consciously used his brothers name (thinking it wouldn't matter). After writing Undeserved and the flashback pieces, I could no longer do that, he would never have put Valadan in danger, and the whole Ed thing was too fun—but the character is still the same.

#salad-ask #aria-benedetto #sts ask

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Thanks

So how would I tag for sexual assault that’s never treated like sexual assault? The characters don’t believe themselves to be assaulted so don’t describe it as that so no one knows they have been assaulted

Now take this with a grain of salt, but depending on the situation and point of view, it might be appropriate to either still tag it as SA, or to put it under the dubcon label.

Abuse is still abuse, even if the character doesn't recognize it (yet) though, so I personally would probably err on the side of caution here.

A small "rant" about the tagging system:

I personally think tags - the things with # under the post - are largely useless on Tumblr, unlike for example on AO3. This is because you cannot combine them, can barely search them, and you need to get the spelling exactly right for blocking. If you want to block apples, you probably need to block apples, cw: apples, cw:apples, tw apples, apples tw, apples cw, apple mention, and that's not even including the people who decide it's a great idea to spell it 4ppl3s or a**les.

I am in favor* of actually putting it in plain words above a cut. This also means it's always visible in reblogs, and you can just explain in more detail than a one-or-two-word-tag. You could even make it in a separate post with a link to it if you are concerned about spoilers. It's what I did with my latest book, due to it being an, uh, book :D

I personally have not used, and do not intend to ever use community labels. I strongly dislike the technicaly implementation and possible implications, but I also do not post anything I couldn't have grabbed from the library at 14.

*Actually, on a very personal level, I am occasionally super tired of having each chapter laid out in content warnings before going into it, which is why I prefer to read and write books instead, but that's the probably widest accepted format in my corner of Tumblr.

#salad-ask #Anonymous

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Happy STS Elli!

What inspires you to write? Are there things that you know that you can get inspiration from or does it just come randomly?

Happy STS!

For me, inspiration doesn't mean "to write".

There are, and always have been, a lot of stories floating around in my mind - ideas, scenes, vibes, outlines. I get inspiration from literally everywhere, from talking to my friends, and video games, and scrolling past images or prompts, and reading books, and spending too much time on reddit, and…

Many remain daydreams, or character backstories, eventually lost to time.

Now for actually being able to sit my ass down and get words on the page? I don't know. It comes and goes as it pleases. Having a beehive where a brain should be does NOT help, let me tell you that.

I just. Can't focus on shit lately. Can barely make it through a chapter when reading. Every day is just suddenly over, and I got nothing done, and I am so tired. I have a completely outlined short thing I have been trying to write since Nov, and it's like pulling teeth.

I could do with several months off work while everyone leaves me the fuck alone. How would that be.

#salad-ask #aria-benedetto #sts ask #I cried new year's because after having 1 (one) day of my vaction actually completely to myself #Which was after I already didn't get any quiet time on my LAST three attempts at taking time off because someone was sick at home #And spending most of all that time just working (in my time off) and cleaning the depression piles #My mom berated me for instantly refusing to come over for some 'if I die you need to know where stuff is' talk #(note: there's no reason to think she might anytime soon and she was talking about like... a cd collection) #'You always have something!!!' #I don't know anymore how to get people to understand how fucking exhausted I am. #I'm about to let the stupid paint course voucher from work lapse because in a year I didn't find a motive I like and the energy to even #consider wasting 3 hours of my life after work to produce some physical object I have no room for while having to run to get there on time #Not to mention people!! A room full of people!! #I've just become sooo sensitive to noise lately I can't even stand to be in the kitchen when the fridge hums #And you're always always always the bad guy if you close the door in someone's face because they're whistling or watching tv or calling #It's cool :) Sorry I was being unsocial :) Lemme just quickly slam my head against a wall until I pass out :) #So uh anyway happy STS writing has been going well

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For Aurelia

2. What kind of skills did they learn in childhood and adolescence?

16. What's something they'd spend significant money on for themself?

For Laurent:

4. How often do they dance? Do they dance by themselves? Significant dancing moments, if any?

27. Have their morals changed over time or stayed relatively the same?

Thank you for the ask 💜 from this ask game.

Meh, it's gonna be long *snips*

For Aurelia

2. What kind of skills did they learn in childhood and adolescence?

As a child, she learned the normal things children in a major city with access to schools would learn — reading, writing, calculating, basics of history and some natural sciences (don't come at me with worldbuilding). She already had bad vision, so she struggled with some things, and when their parents got a third child, they kind of... dropped her.

They didn't bother teaching her any but the most basic life skills. In a way, they're still convinced she won't make it on her own — and she's 44, hasn't lived at home in over 20 years, and runs her own store. On the rare occasions she visits home, they still ask her if she's found a man yet to take care of her 🙃

When she was around 12, she began to hang out at a candy store and befriended the owner, Rachel. Rachel let her help for fun at first but quickly realized that Aurelia really loved what she did. So she began to teach her for real, and When Aurelia became of age, Rachel let her move in.

Finally out of her parents' house, she grew much more confident. She found a group of other blind people who shared their knowledge with her, she learned how to navigate the city, and how to live on her own. When Rachel's health began to decline, Aurelia took over more and more responsibility, ultimately inheriting everything.

The latest thing she learned is this world's equivalent of braille. It started to spread widely a few years back, and since she now has barely any usable vision left, she gladly embraced it.

16. What's something they'd spend significant money on for themself?

She loves her store, but I don't think any kind of rare ingredient or machine she doesn't have yet is really in the spirit of this question 😂 She totally would.

For herself, there is little she needs or wants. She inherited everything from Rachel, store, living quarters, furniture and all, and sees little reason to replace anything. She likes to buy nice clothes, but she also would not spend *significant* money on them.

She would probably pay people do to some things for her. At the moment, she pays to has her laundry done and her store windows cleaned, but she would gladly get someone to do all paperwork for her, clean everything else, or perhaps cook, because she doesn't like cooking. She would also love to hire and teach an apprentice, to keep the art of candy making alive and have a pair of helping hands around.

If she didn't have a contact in the Order of Fire, she might buy some of the assistive devices they make. That would probably take a while longer though; many are still prototypes and it's unlikely she would have access to one to figure out what she likes and can use if Cecelia didn't keep her updated with the newest developments.

For Laurent

4. How often do they dance? Do they dance by themselves? Significant dancing moments, if any?

He dances occasionally. Yvan refuses to show up at any pompous parties, so Laurent sometimes accompanies Cedric. He did learn it to fit in, or perhaps to get close to someone for information, it's been a while. Whatever the reason, he realized he liked it, though he prefers smaller occasions to the grand balls of Caldeia's elite.

There's something about the rhythm and pattern of steps and movements he likes, and it gives him a reliable framework of established rituals to interact with people oh no, please can one of my chars stay NT for once.

Significant dancing moments, you say? *giggle*

27. Have their morals changed over time or stayed relatively the same?

He has been friends with Cedric for over 20 years. Let's just say, with time, I think all their morals changed. In their 20s, they were much more idealistic, but they quickly figured out that being good gets you nowhere.

I think at the core, there's still the fact that they would never willingly hurt innocents—it's just that their definition of hurt and innocents has become, uh, flexible. Stealing some small things from rich people won't really hurt them, and someone who's a threat to them or their friends isn't innocent 😅

I would love to say that they're helping those in need and shit like that, but while that sometimes happens, their primary goal is their own lifestyle and the lives of those close to them.

#salad-ask #starlit-hopes-and-dreams #Laurent is a guy to count on #Aurelia is a sweetheart #wip: lies #and now that she has one they'll pester her about when they'll get married #if he even has money #if she'll finally give up this silly store #let's just say she will keep contact to a minimum

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RAVEN - How important are your characters to you?

CHARCOAL - Has your writing ever made someone else cry?

Thank you for the ask! From this ask game.

RAVEN - How important are your characters to you?

Very important. They're what I write my stories for. Took me too long to realize the plot and worldbuilding are not what I am here for.

CHARCOAL - Has your writing ever made someone else cry?

I do not have proof, but checking the comments, yes, multiple people, and I hope it'll be more. I will collect all my readers' tears in a little vial of ace angst and hopelessness <3

#salad-ask #isabellebissonrouthier #this ask is not oc related

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🫚Ginger - Who is your most Responsible Oc, how old are they, how much coffee do they need to survive, and how many hours of sleep do they get? (We know it's not a lot)

🍒Cherry - Which two of your Ocs are most weirdly alike now that you think about it?

Thank you for the ask! From this ask game.

🫚Ginger - Who is your most Responsible Oc, how old are they, how much coffee do they need to survive, and how many hours of sleep do they get? (We know it's not a lot)

*mutters* well, the Thorns and GS cast is out.

Anyway, going with Lies, where I can't decide between Yvan and Aurelia. He's 46, she's 44, both are more tea drinkers, and both get enough sleep, though Yvan's an early riser while Aurelia would be more of a night owl - but she has to open the store.

While both occasionally have to deal with their loved ones dragging their criminal activities into their living rooms and needing medical attention in the middle of the night, that's not something that costs more than a night or two of sleep.

🍒Cherry - Which two of your Ocs are most weirdly alike now that you think about it?

No other OCs are such a nice answer for this as Lily and Aurelia in the last one, especially because there's no "now that I think about it", but:

Valadan and Riordan have more in common than they want to admit. Both were mercenaries, both worked for the Order, and both are or used to be pretty flirty with no intention of anything more than a one night stand (though Valadan is merely straight with Some Issues while Riordan is aro and bi.)

Alas, one of them had a wonderful childhood and a supportive family, and the other is Valadan. Will be fun to see if they ever get over their differences. And uh. The brain damage caused by Valadan's anger issues 😬😅

At least now they have in common that they would do anything to protect Damien.

#salad-ask #clairelsonao3 #this ask is not oc related #damn my pc doesn't even have a ginger symbol #let's replace it with soap #🧼

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Happy Whumpmas (੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭*🎅⛄❄️!!! You have just been snowballed by a secret whumper. Help to keep the snowball fight going by anonymously sending this to five other whumpers with a whump-related question of your choice.

Here's mine for you: Are there any whump tropes you didn't used to be a fan of but are coming around to, and why?

Thank you for the ask!

Not really. If anything, some things I used to be neutral about now make me hiss at my dash. I came here with a pretty good idea of what I like — there are very (very very very) few things I find interesting out of context, and the chance of coming across them here is rather small.

But that's the thing about writing, it usually isn't out of context. Every book, even the ones I love most, have parts I find uninteresting at best. Meanwhile, even the best concept can take a shape I just don't vibe with.

I would say I'm not a fan of lab whump, but I've had two characters who went through shit in a lab. Hell, I'm currently reading a very non-fantasy western romance with a very religious protag, and it might become my fav book of the year.

Context is everything, and even if I find a story with thing X I like, that does not mean that my opinion about thing X really changed. It just means that the author did a damn good job of sucking me in regardless.

#salad-ask #Anonymous #it's me i'm the oc #the one funny thing to mention is #my first wip intro mentioned that I probably won't be posting extreme gore #I've quickly come to realize that my opinion and that of my dash about what's extreme... differ 😂

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Happy STS, Elli! I'm not 100% sure what your Nano project, and maybe that's the way you want it — not sure. Can you "badly explain" your Nano WIP to either give me or a hint or leave me more confused than before? 😊

(Also, if you stated outright what it is before and I missed it, please forgive me!)

Happy STS!

I have not, because honestly, my Nano is cursed, I cannot do it during November 😂 And I don't wanna make a post for a project that might end up in a box for years.

Ok, so he wants to break into a jewelry store, but now he ended up with candy instead, so much candy, and he doesn't even like candy.

#salad-ask #little-peril-stories #sts ask

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Sending hugs always!

🐴 Horse - is your character elegant? do they care about their appearance or what others think of them?

For the Chinese zodiac ask game please and thank you!

Thank you for the ask! From this ask game.

Think I'll go with Cedric from Nuisance (WIP Intro | Masterlist | Ebook) this time.

Because while my friends joke (and they're not wrong) that you recognize my characters by being dressed in burlap sacks, I have like two who actually care what they wear.

Cedric is the only child of middle class parents. They moved north when he was a teenager, where he met his future husband. Together, they began to travel when they were around 20, meeting a good friend along the way, and finally settling in the capital city where they slowly built their fortune.

Now he's around 45, and he runs an antique shop which must make lots of money, there's no other reason why he'd be so rich, stop asking. He makes sure to always appear well groomed and styled. Clothes made of the finest materials, extravagant canes, lots of jewelry made of gold and colorful gemstones.

What might look excessive and tacky to an outsider has another reason, though: He's an earth mage with a focus on gemstones. He can sense and manipulate them with ease. Gems lining the edges of his curtains means he doesn't have to get up to open or close them. He can use the geodes he wears as a pendant to contact his husband over any distance, and he can turn the amethyst inlays of his cane into a weapon that could take out one or two opponents.

He does care what others think of him, but probably not in the spirit of his question. He carefully built up his reputation, to be seen as excentric but harmless in noble circles - and as ruthless with a volatile temper in others. Uhm. The antique business cirlces, you know.

He is well aware that he doesn't truly belong to the upper class of this city, having neither old money nor a family tree to back him up. In a way, it's a bit of a game to him. It doesn't truly mean something to him, he could leave it all behind, if necessary, but he'll enjoy the luxury and connections as long as it lasts.

#salad-ask #thebejeweledwatercat #Cedric doesn't wanna deal with this shit

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For the whumpy writer ask game!

24. Do you have any whump pet peeves? Meaning things that just bug you when you see them in a fanfic.

25. What advice or wisdom would you like to share with other whump writers?

Thank you for the ask! From this ask game.

24. Do you have any whump pet peeves? Meaning things that just bug you when you see them in a fanfic.

I don't read fanfic, but I welcome the common physical pet peeves with open arms: *bonk* on the head to knock someone out who's then totally fine. Needle stab in the neck, light out 1 sec later. Days of full suspension stress positions without death, not even lasting nerve damage. Way too many lashes with a whip to reasonably survive.

25. What advice or wisdom would you like to share with other whump writers?

Find at least one person who is into the same shit as you are, stick them in your pocket, and never let them go.

#salad-ask #little-peril-stories #this ask is not oc related #the problem is I don't know how to find them #I just got lucky 🥺

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potion and wizard for the fantasy ask game?

Thank you for the ask! :D

POTION - If potions exist in your WIP, give me a potion recipe!

Not in any sense the word implies. We can have a herbal tea. As a treat. Eilis likes rosehip and nettle, sometimes with bits of dried apple and berry leaves.

WIZARD - Who is your favourite character in this WIP? Describe them!

Well, Till Death isn't really a WIP anymore, but it is still stuck in my brain. I don't really have a WIP, because the writing just doesn't happen, though I am currently doing some light edits on things. So let's go with two quotes:

Finnian:

His personality was unpleasant at best, and he wouldn’t have considered himself any kind of handsome even before half the forest’s critters had tried to take a bite out of him. Now he could add a ruined eye and a layer of scars to thin, dark hair that always looked like it had been dragged through water, and a pale complexion that always made him seem a little sickly, no matter how much time he spent outside.

Breannan:

His features were less human-like than those of most others of this race Valadan had met so far. Deep lines in the dark brown bark of his face formed nose and mouth, and bright amethyst eyes shone without a trace of white. He had no hair to speak of, only broken stubs where once branches might have grown, but was clad in purple and translucent cream petals, some of them shimmering in the light.

#salad-ask #sarandipitywrites #this ask is not oc related #wip: till death #Breannan really likes books #For every character I bother describing because it fits the moment #there's 3 more I don't even know how they look #I wrote all of TD before I sat down and was like #OK now HOW do the bad guys look and WHERE can I mention that??

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For the Chinese Zodiac ask game....🐴 and 🐉 for any characters in whichever WIP is your preference

Thank you for the ask! From this ask game.

I think I'm going with Finnian and Eilis from Till Death (WIP Intro | Ebook) for this one, because why not.

🐉 Dragon - is your character lucky? do they believe in luck or fate?

Neither believes in fate, or in luck in the sense of superstition. They certainly didn't have reason to think they were lucky for the first decades of their lives.

They can both appreciate luck in the sense of — if she would have taken another path, had come a bit later, if he wouldn't have been in the inn at the exact right moment, if he had run a bit slower, it all would have ended so much worse. And while it could also have ended so much better, they have each other, and a life ahead, and that's enough.

🐴 Horse - is your character elegant? do they care about their appearance or what others think of them?

Neither of them cares much about appearances. Hairstyle and clothes are chosen for practical reasons first, accessories for sentimental.

Eilis does take care how she looks on the rare occasion she visits the village — making sure to blend in as much as possible, removing things like her bell bracelet, covering herself up well — but that's because the less she's perceived, the better.

Finnian has a very very low opinion of his looks, and while he's not completely wrong, it's also not as bad as he believes in his self-hate. He's just some guy.

Both are very aware that how they look or dress is one of the lesser problems when it comes to what others think of them.

#salad-ask #authoraemoseley #wip: till death

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Happy Storyteller Saturday! Today's question is kind of basic but I want to throw some positive vibes around, so here goes...

What do you enjoy most about writing and why?

💜

[ID: A tweet by @/Defunctland which reads: I hate literally every step in the filmmaking process. The only thing I hate more than making a film is not making a film. It's a reply to a post on r/AskReddit by u/Isnazzyl which asks: What's the one part of your hobby that you hate doing? End ID]

Don't get me wrong. In the grand scheme of things, I am having fun (besides the raging and crying and yelling and despairing and wanting to set it all on fire and hating the English language and—my alpha reader keeps dragging things onto my doorstep 'I don't think that works in English' 😭😅 did you know we put "one and one" together, but English is more common as "two and two".)

But the absolutely best part is being done. Having written. It's on paper (digitally) and backed up in at least two spaces. I do no longer need to fear that my thoughts will escape faster than I can save them or that inspiration and motivation will abandon me halfway through.

Everything else isn't unique to writing. I have an extensive background in daydreaming 🤣 but sadly it has all been lost to time, so it's pretty exciting that it won't get lost anymore.

Also, uh, let's be honest, a healthy amount of dedication to whatever I am doing instead of obsession is not my strong suit, so it usually means I can finally do something else, too 😅

It's a bit of a double-edged sword, because the celebration is usually directly followed by crushing doubt: I will never be able to do this again!

Until I do it again.

#salad-ask #winterandwords #sts ask #expecting the crushing doubt to arrive every moment tbh #but I've been busy doing Something Else™ #in this case making a cover and playing a new video game

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the wizards with robes in wheelchairs post you reblogged made me have a Vision. i mean. theoretically im sure you could classify finnian as a wizard (due to the magic). and he is in a wheelchair. do you think he’d die a little inside if you put him in a wizard robe with a long flowy white beard?

Hello Anon,

first of all, I AM dying right now 😂

I don't think he'd mind the robe as a piece of clothing. His mobility issues make pants annoying, so he already avoids them if possible. Perhaps a bit much fabric, leading to similar issues, but especially in the colder months that wouldn't be unwelcome.

Wizard robes as a sign of a mage profession in general do not exist in my world, but if they did—he'd probably die a lot. His inability to use his magic has caused (him and others) so much pain. Best case, he'd be embarrassed and annoyed, worst case, he'd be very hurt.

After all the shit I put him through, he wouldn't be surprised to turn grey, even though it's perhaps a bit early for full white. As for the beard, I think he'd be thrilled to be able to grow more than the bit of scruff he gets. I haven't decided if it's because of the limitations of fake-fantasy-testosterone, or because his body hates him 😅

Long and flowy would again be a bit much. Get it caught while chopping wood once too often and off it goes, and considering the state of his hands, we do not want this man with a blade anywhere near his throat.

#salad-ask #Anonymous #wip: till death