Happy STS! If You Were To Design A Deck Of Playing Cards Based On Characters In Your WIP, Who Would You

Happy STS! If you were to design a deck of playing cards based on characters in your WIP, who would you assign to be the King? The Queen? The Jack? The Ace? And the Joker?

Happy Storyteller Saturday to you too!

This is an interesting question, one that I had to put quite some thought into in order to properly answer, honestly. Now that I think of it, I think I have some characters that would fit those roles quite nicely! (By the way, I did some - albeit rather superficial - research on the symbolic meanings of some of these cards and the opinions I found were varied, so I chose the meanings that best suited my characters of choice)

THE KING:

For the King card, I decided to take a more subversive approach rather than just outright choosing an actual ruler from my story. There are many kinds of King cards in a playing deck (king of hearts, king of spades, king of diamonds, and king of clubs) and each has its own "meanings" if you will. For this in particular, I choose King of Diamonds for my character Lord Nethen Fahris, a young man from the small nobility who is the rival and soon-to-be love interest of Princess Ellinnor Dallantes. It's a card usually associated with cunningness, secret knowledge, and shrewdness, as in someone who is good at finding advantages and navigating the situations they are in - but it is also considered an omen of protection by some, and I find that this is the perfect description for Nethen in The Last Wrath. Another character that I believe fits this card very well is surprisingly, a character with little to no noble blood, Julyan Ashiren - even though he is not actually a noble, he comes from a very ancient and powerful family of Mageborn, and is now their firstborn heir. There is also another reason for this choice, a secret about him that I cannot disclose as it is one of the main plot twists of the book, but one that makes him more than qualified for this card choice.

THE QUEEN:

For this card, the choice seemed kind of obvious, as one of my characters from the main cast is the rightful queen of a kingdom but had her birthright stolen from her (I am referring here to Princess Ellinor Dallantes). So here, I would say I choose Queen of Clubs for my young lost princess, Ellinor. Of course, I think the name of the card speaks for itself, as she is a queen in her own right and is determined to take back what was stolen from her, bringing justice to those who have wronged her family and her people. As a Queen card, it is usually associated with authority, intelligence, and being a fair but powerful leader. Ellinor is not afraid to face a war if it means setting herself and her family's subjects free from her uncle's corrupted rule, and is just as cunning as her rival-turned-lover can be. One other character that could fit the Queen card is Nadinne Ahmirah, a Lady whose family has ascended from anonymity to considerable wealth and have risen to courtiers in the local noble court of Vellamere as their exploits as seafaring merchants have more than granted them prestige and influence. She yearns to be like her ancestors, a tamer of the waves living freely as the tides dictate, but she has now duties and expectations to fulfill that keep her - at first - from achieving her dream goal. And last but still not least, the elusive and endlessly charming mercenary with a heart of steel Morwan Destrin, more than fits this role - not only she is, in all but name, almost a mercenary queen, but she is also a scorned noble (though I cannot yet disclose her true heritage).

THE JACK:

Also known as the Knave (rogue/scoundrel), the Jack card was a tricky one for sure. It's usually associated, as the monicker Knave might suggest, with a tricky or deceitful person. This is a perfect card for a few of my characters, to be precise. Raelen Ashiren is one of them, as she is quite the little rogue when it comes to standing up against unjust authorities and finding freedom in doing what is right, even if she has to be a little bit roguish or tricky to do so, and is currently wanted in several kingdoms after being wrongfully framed. Another interesting character I chose for this card was Emryc Thorne - one of Ellinor's best friends and a skilled thief who uses "street magician" tricks to confuse his opponents and make his heists successful), as he is a witty, highly intelligent, and extremely sarcastic young thief who is not afraid to use deceit to his advantage - in fact, he rather embraces it, as it is a key part of his entire "career" of choice. Emryc has earned quite a reputation as a scoundrel, for several different reasons. Luciya Anynth also fits quite well the role of the Jack card, as she is not only an outlaw to whom the value of life is freedom with no holds barred, but she is the lowborn daughter of a young man with a reputation for being quite the rogue. Last but not least, I chose Cassander Fynn as this card as well - a rebel spy, his entire occupation, as well as his life and that of hundreds of others, depends on his ability to deceive, lie and cheat his way into enemy ranks, though he maintains a strict code of honor even then.

THE ACE:

A card that is associated with the number one, it can be simultaneously the card with the highest or lowest value on a deck depending on the game. Some people associate this position with success, power, and quality, as well as good luck, though it can also be considered quite unstable. Due to certain historical events, it has also come to be considered a "Death Card" or bad luck. So, considering all of this, my characters of choice for the Ace would be Vallerius Zyndrosar, Zephyr Tellian, Bryn Seperi, and Tanwin Lyrandeth. All of said characters are complex but good-intentioned people, and are incredibly loyal to their friends, though often waves of bad luck keep them from achieving their full potential. Vallerius is an incredibly kind and smart young man who despises his magical affinity due to events in his past that made him the most wanted man by the Morosyn Empire, while he is really just a sweet kid trying to make it through the chaos of his life with only blind luck and improvisation to help. Zephyr is a smart and talented sorcerer, as well as a doting older brother, but has fallen prey to a terrible hatred curse that makes using his recently acquired magical talents very taxing and painful. Bryn is a young mercenary turned bitter by past injustices, someone who despises the continent and would rather watch it burn like it did to him in the past, but who, despite all of this, makes the decision to fight for a better future - not out of a sense of altruism or for the continent he hates, but for the people in his life that make it worth fighting for. Tanwin, once a sweet and naive young boy, was captured and turned into a soldier by an enemy warlord, and now is one of the deadliest people on the continent, often struggling between who he was turned into and the person he wishes he could be, being at the same time one of the best friends anyone could have - on a good day, that is.

THE JOKER:

A card that is often used as a wild card in games, it is one that can be extremely beneficial and harmful at the same time. Because of this, it is also often associated with chaos, intelligence, unpredictability, and wit. It is also often depicted in cards as the court Jester, a Halerquin, or a Clown. Characters that fit this card's archetype would be: Azra Moorsworth, Fabian Anynth, Ansell Kallik, and Yuna Thyren. Azra, Raelen and Julyan's adoptive brother and the (adoptive) son of their godmother, is more than meets the eye in many ways - especially when it comes to the real truth about his past and origins, something that not even he knows about. He has a joyfully playful personality and tends to use humor to lighten the mood while underneath it all there is a storm of emotions raging inside his head. Fabian "Anynth" used to be Luciya's closest friend and secretly her half-sibling (though she is not aware of it), but a shocking betrayal on his part broke their bond forever - even though, the truth about this act of treason is far from what she or their friends could have imagined. Ansell Kallik is the best archer on the continent, as well as Princess Ellinor's closest friend and confidant, but he is also a very dangerous person towards anyone who might stand to harm his friends. Also, his unpredictability shines through in combat, as his enemies can never see him coming before they already have an arrow to the chest. Yuna Thyren, another friend of Ellinor, though not nearly as close, and the second to newest member of the Princess' elite group of assassins, is one to keep her secrets under lock and key, along with her mysterious past - no one knows the truth about her or her personal mission but herself.

@writernopal

CALL FOR BETA READERS

hello! do you like

an all queer cast of found family

traumatic backstories

cozy fantasy romance

devoted bodyguards

pretty men and mean women

fun magic, potions, and curses

love squares

then you'll love my upcoming novel, THE RED KING'S MYSTICAL SUITORS. I am making a call for beta readers now.

What is the book about?

It is a fantasy novel romcom. Here is the summary:

King Randall III has everything one could want. power, charm, beauty, and enough diplomatic wit to earn him the nickname 'Emperor of the Continent.' The one thing he's lacking is a husband.

When Randall's sister invites men far and wide to woo him, only three make the cut: a noble sorcerer, a royal alchemist, and a mysterious easterner who reveals nothing of himself other than a name. A fourth lingers in the shadows, dreaming of the chance he's been too afraid to take for four years.

Each of them is hiding a secret, including King Randall himself, who falls victim to a beastly curse when night falls. As pasts are revealed, relationships formed, one thing becomes clear: no one will leave the Red King's court the same they entered.

What kind of feedback are you looking for?

I have a short list of questions for beta readers to answer, which will be provided along with the book document.

if you're interested, instructions are below the cut, as well as content warnings. boosts appreciated.

content warnings for THE RED KING'S MYSTICAL SUITORS are mentions of kidnapping, enslavement, as well as blood, injury, and alcohol. the book is about 80k, or 270 pages.

email lilamarybooks@gmail.com if interested. Would prefer if readers completed the book and answered the questions after a week or so--fine if not, just the faster the better. i'm looking for about five people.

RED KING TAGLIST:

@transmasc-wizard @synthesizer-dyke @magic-is-something-we-create @tc-doherty @softbroiled-doomdesire @somealienquill @sagasofazeria @super-writer-gal @ren-c-leyn @crazy-like-us @ashen-crest @shrunkupthejams @themundanemudperson @sarahlizziewrites @faithfire @hungryslothwrites

GENERAL TAGLIST: @worldbuildng @muddshadow @nikkywrites @47crayons @directionoftime @myhusbandsasemni

kinda, lol. Evie is a unwitting detective cause she wants to uncover a family mystery and like, survive, but she initially is doing it with the Force of Improvisation tm, though she gets better (like her father, the best detective in the world and her mother, an adventurous magic archeologist), Clarence isn’t much of a “fatale” in any sense, he is barely figuring out like, “How to Human” after growing up sheltered in the vampire world, but beneath his awkwardness is a very sophisticated, witty guy, so we can say that the title can works, a bit lol

(WIP - Enchanted Illusions, Gothic Victorian Fantasy)

a girl who is a noir detective man and a guy who is a femme fatale

@writernopal

Hey, so... I know that the "animals with eyes on the side of their head are prey- and dragons on eyes on the of their heads" post is like...funny. very Tumblr. A+ content.

But I'm starting to see people just like...repeat that as though it's like....a fact?

But...we do know that 1. Front facing vs side facing eyes are just about whether field of vision or depth perception was selected for and 2. .... dragons are based on predatory *reptiles* right?

Yall know crocodiles aren't a "prey" species, right?

Flash Fiction Friday:

Prompt: The Devil You Forgot.

@flashfictionfridayofficial, @lassiesandiego, @writernopal, @lyutenw, @rickie-the-storyteller, @writeblrcafe

Snippet from my Gothic Victorian Fantasy WIP - Enchanted Illusions.

“The Devil You Forgot:”

The trio was surrounded, in that decrepit old mansion’s library, there was little place to hide, much less, from this man. Silas Holloway, the most powerful vampire lord currently living - the first to strike down his Maker in order to ascend into power, and he was out for blood of the heir to the Van Sterlling family. 

The night was eerily silent, almost artificially cold. Silently, Clarence looked for a way out, though from chosen every path, a new vampire seemed to emerge from the shadows just before they could walk any further. Behind him, Evangeline grabbed a book from a shelf, as if it would be any good against a mob of vampires, and Thaddeus reached for his gun, knowing the lead bullets would just bounce off of any of his targets. They crouched together behind a sturdy bookshelf, careful not to make a sound as they watched shadows flicker on the faint moonlight from across the other aisles, and the creaking floors gave away their enemies approach. There was no way out. 

“You know, your father tried to do this too, a few centuries ago” A sharp, male voice echoed throughout the vast room, as if all around them. A strangled noise of fear left Clarence’s throat, but he quickly silenced himself with a hand over his mouth. Evangeline placed an arm around his shoulder as the man continued. “Thought he could escape me. He was smart, very smart. Quite a lot like you - even managed to betray me and escape unharmed.” A chuckle echoed across the dark room, and Clarence struggled not to hyperventilate, knowing it would only give away their compromised hiding spot. Thaddeus all but growled, gripping his pistol harder as he tried to see where the older vampire was talking from. “Of course, I found him, eventually. But I couldn’t catch him, and he slipped right through my fingers once more.” The man’s voice reeked with hatred behind his sarcastic facade “I would have tore this earth apart to bring that traitor to justice, but then I realized how kind the Makers can be, as he left me something far more valuable than his life, the one thing that he loved more than spiting my line of work” Silas paused, and the trio realized, with a pang, where the vampire had been standing. “A son.”

That word cut like a thousand blades as the other vampire towered over them. 

At the same moment, all of the other vampires emerged from the shadows, forming a circle behind Silas and crushing any hopes of escape under the soles of their boots. In the darkness of the library, Silas’ cruel smile shone a sickly white glow. Clarence stands on shaky feet, trying to stare down the vampire and defend the last bit of honor his House has. But all that he can do is look fearfully ahead, his eyes not nearly as unmoved as he would’ve liked. He notices Thaddeus moving his pistol upwards from the corner of his eyes, and swiftly catches his friend’s arm with one hand. That’s just going to make things worse, he shakes his head quickly, never once looking away from Silas. With less confidence than he would have liked, he steps forward, placing himself so that the weight of the Vampire Lord’s wrath falls solely on him, and not in his human friends. 

“What do you want with me?” Clarence asks, voice far shakier than he would have liked. He stiffles a wince when Silas chuckles, a cruel sound. To his terror, Clarence suddenly becomes aware of the distinct, horrid smell of silver. 

“To collect what I am owed” Silas says through gritted teeth, and before any of the three can say anything, he has a hand to the young vampire’s throat, keeping him from running and lifting him off the ground. A silver ring sizzles his way into the younger vampire’s skin in an agonizing burn, but the Vampire Lord just laughs, unmoved even though the silver ring is upon his own skin. Behind them, his allies move to restrain the two humans, who had tried to defend their friend valiantly. Silas smirks as Clarence uselessly tries to thrash his way out of his grip, bringing him closer and lowering his voice. “After all, your father seems to have well forgotten that the price of treason is blood.”