I Have Some Animal Companions For You! They Are All Animals My Band Of Traveling Artists, The Elements,

I have some animal companions for you! They are all animals my band of traveling artists, The Elements, encountered on the road and adopted, either because they were left behind by someone or because they have disadvantages that would have made surviving out in the wild hard for them.  The first one is Milton, named after the poet that wrote Paradise Lost. He’s something called an ‘epitaf’, which is a small rodent-like creature, but with a pointed beak instead of a snout. An epitaf has the ability to ‘read’ wishes, so if a hungry predator comes near them, they can feel their hunger and hide. They are extremely quick climbers and usually live in and around trees. However, Milton is albino, so he stands out quite a bit. Now he inhabits Tungsten’s top hat. 

Then there is Guiseppe, a simple sheepdog that was the victim of a levitation spell gone wrong. When the Elements found him, he was up in the air and almost strangled by the cord that bound him to a tree. He usually wears a weighted harness to keep him on the ground, but during performances The Elements sometimes gives him a basket to collect money and let him float at knee height. 

The third animal is a wren called Valentine. A wren is basically a very small dragon. They live up in Northern Scotland and are about the size of a cat. They are not usually domestic animals, but Silver has tamed this one and it enjoys sleeping in his lap. The scales and wings of a wren change colour according to the temperature/seasons. However, Valentine’s scales are extremely sensitive. If he lays next to a fire, he gets brighter green, while running an ice cube over his paws will leave white trails. 

Last but not least, there is Ginny (her actual name is Sigal). She is a so-called cliffdiver. Cliffdivers resemble horses, but instead of manes they have scales that run along their neck and over their foreheads, forming patterns around their eyes. Their bellies are also scaled. They are extremely fast and can speed up and slow down in a matter of seconds, the scales on their stomachs protecting them against pebbles and other matter flying up around their hooves. They live mostly in Norweay, where they tend to galop to the end of fjords and stop suddenly (making them look like they will jump off and earning them the name of cliffdiver). Because of their speed, cliffdivers are often used as warhorses. So was Ginny, who was left behind when she was wounded, turning her right eye blind.  

If you guys have any cool animal companions/creatures/monsters/cool plants in your wips, you should come tell me about them. I want to know. Reblog. Comment. Message me. Send an ask. Idc I just want to KNOW

Fer describing my MC Tungsten to Silver (all from Elementary) : ‘I know you think he is spoiled and ungrateful, but I see something else: I see a lonely boy. Look at him stumble over his words. He might dress fashionably, but he’s a misfit as much as the rest of us.’

Let’s play a game!

Describe your MC in the voice of any secondary character, using no more than three sentences!

A moodboard for the soldier Jackson. Hope you like it, @spaceinvaydr! 

Thanks to @ladyliliana for tagging me! (And sorry for not getting back to you, I want to and I will! I am just a mess). 

Writing tag game

1. If you could go to one of your OC’s bachelor/bachelorette party, which would you choose? (also: who would have the wildest one?)

I would probably want to go to Soufre’s. She’s happy and fun and would make sure everyone had a great time without getting too crazy.  The wildest one would definitely be Copper, simply because he does not know the word ‘moderation’, nor can he handle his drink half as well as he thinks he does. 

2. What’s your favourite time of day to write?

I usually write whenever, in between other tasks. But if I have time, I prefer early afternoon, when I am well-rested and have a long day in front of me. 

3. What’s your favourite relationship in your WIP? (platonic or romantic)

In Elementary, I’d say either Soufre and Zinc or Bismuth and Fer. Soufre and Zinc are the most lovely and healthy couple I’ve ever written and I make it a point to have them stay that way the entire course of the story (their relationship is not the main focus anyway, they just love and support each other in the background). Bismuth and Fer are best friends and the ultimate raincloud-and-sunshine relationship. The will sit by the fire endless hours in the evenings and just talk. All the other Elements have grown used to falling asleep with their voices in the background. 

In Waterwegen, I love Paco and Mikel, who are two rowdy eleven year old boys that will literally follow each other to the end of the world (and steal each other’s ice-cream cones). I also love Josepe and Alba, father and daughter, because there is a lot wrong and complicated between them, but they try their best and they are fascinating to write. 

4. How far are you into your WIP?

About 1/4 for Elementary, and at the start of Waterwegen. I am trying! 

5. If you were stuck in a broken elevator for twelve hours, which OC would you choose to be stuck in there with you? (note: you have to be in there for the twelve hours. no Houdini escape)

Mercury! Clever, funny, passionate, into philosophy and art and with no qualms to talk hours on end. 

6. What’s your favourite colour?

All shades of blue. 

7. Where would one of your OCs propose to the other? (if this question isn’t up your alley, replace “propose to” with “surprise attack hug”)

Since I’ve already talked about their relationship: if Zinc was to propose to Soufre, he would do it in a clearing in the woods that he knows. He has collected wildflowers there before, to give it to her. 

Also, Soufre might surprise him and propose instead! She would do it on a normal evening, by the fire, surrounded by all of their friends. She’d love to see his surprise turn into excitement, and she would want to make him blush. 

(Zinc will definitely cry in either scenario).  

8. Which OC is most like you?

Probably my main character, Tungsten, because he is always conflicted between his fear of new people and the big world, and his longing to explore. He is scared of opening up but he craves his own found family. He is timid, but he still wants to be on stage. He is always fighting himself.  

9. Do you prefer writing with ambient noise, music (if so, with or without lyrics), or in silence?

Depends on my mood. I usually write with either soundtracks in the background (preferably fantasy ones), classical music or one song on repeat. Because I tend to read my work out loud, I also often work in silence. 

10. If you suddenly got the power of teleportation, where in the world would you go first?

I’d love to explore Sumatra and Java, or visit my friend in New Zealand! 

Oh my, thank you so much!! This drawing is beautiful. You have captured him so well, he looks exactly as I imagined him. The colour scheme is lovely, those gold and green shades fit the aesthetic I had in mind. And since his last name is Sun, ‘golden boy’ is perfect! ^^. Thanks so much again for using your time and art to make this. 

A golden boy for @everywriterneedsfanart!

a tip for writing female characters: don’t be afraid to make her feral. just absolutely batshit. her actual intelligence? that can vary. but bring out the chaotic stupid tendencies. embrace her as a one brain cell enemy of the state