Asteria Heights - Tumblr Posts

Asteria Heights

WIP Intro

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Fantasy

POV: Third person limited

Warnings: Blood, descriptions of mild gore, mild violence

Setting: Modern-day gated community filled with magic.

Summary: A quiet, sleepy gated community is plagued by a sudden series of “Robin Hood” murders. While nervous, normal citizens felt relatively safe--until a seemingly innocent woman turns up dead. Now, the entire community is in a panic. Because Francesca Soren wasn’t just an innocent woman--she was also human. 

And when Francesca’s family starts demanding answers, the residents of Asteria Heights, all various supernatural creatures who’ve spent their entire lives hiding in plain sight--are in danger of not only death, but of being discovered.

Perhaps the last person to ever be encouraged to get involved is Megumi Wilson, college student and witch. But something is odd about her neighbor Fran's murder, and when the police refuse to listen, Meg decides to take matters into her own hands, for Fran's sake.

(Pictures aren't mine)

Character Spotlight: Megumi "Meg" Wilson

WIP: Asteria Heights

Role: Main Character

Age: 19 Species: Witch (half human) Gender/Sex: Cis woman (she/her) Orientation: Asexual Family: Fumiko Wilson (mother, 45), Benjamin Wilson (father, 47), Kai Wilson (brother, 12) Background: Meg is a born resident of the Asteria Heights Gated Community and attends the local community college with her best friend, Aven. She's the oldest of two. Her and her brother used to occasionally receive painting lessons from their neighbor Francesca. Abilities: Zoolingualism (Clan magic), Common magic

(Pictures aren't mine)

OST Tag Game 2

Thanks to @da-na-hae for the tag! Sorry this is late lol. Since I used Crown of Blood (unofficial title) for the last OST tag game, I'll be using Asteria Heights this time.

Opening: Purely based off of vibes/melody, Puppet Loosely Strung by The Correspondents or Death Valley by Fall Out Boy are my best offers at the moment lol.

Honestly maybe a song that's more alt-rock or pop-rock might work? Asteria Heights is a murder mystery, but like. It's funny. So something at least rhythmically upbeat with probably lots of guitar, even if the lyrics might be a little dark.

Ending: The Tithing Man by The Blasting Company fits the story lyric-wise, but I feel like vibe/melody-wise the song is a little meh. I can't think of another song off the top of my head (or in my playlists) that really FIT, so.

(Gently) Tagging: @anoelleart, @mysticstarlightduck, @hyba, @aalinaaaaaa, and literally anyone else lol

Coffee Break Tag Game

Thanks so much for the tag @athenswrites! For this tag I'll be using my WIP Asteria Heights.

"Large iced caramel frappucino and a spinach and feta sandwich, please. And then for the next order, could I get a small americano and a golden apple tart? Thank you." Meg paid before claiming a seat. With business being surprisingly slow this morning, it wasn't long before her orders were ready. Aven arrived not long after, bags deep and hair disheveled. His eyes lit up at the sight of his friend- or more specifically, the coffee she'd ordered for him. "Thank fuck." He collapsed in his seat, seemingly turning boneless. He made grabby-hands at the coffee. Meg snorted, but handed it to him anyway. It was only then that he scowled, scrutinizing the cup. "Why is it so small?" "Because you know damn well that that's the largest you're allowed to have." Aven squawked. "Allowed?! I'm a grown ass man!" "A grown ass man that's barely five feet and lives off caffeine and Takis." "One; the burn keeps me alive. Two; I eat other things." "That's true. Like candy. And the leftovers you steal from me." "You know what? If you're just gonna be an ass, I can leave." Despite his complaints, he made no move to actually do so. Meg grinned. "After I bought your order? I don't think so. You're sitting your ass down and we're spending the day together. You owe me a hangout after last week." She didn't mean it, but she did. With all the bullshit that happened this past month, Aven owed her a normal weekend; especially after he'd double-booked himself and ended up ditching her for Nina. From the way a smile threatened to overtake the fake pout on his lips, it was clear he wasn't going anywhere.

(Gently) tagging: @fayeiswriting, @theunboundwriter, @da-na-hae, and @paintedbutton (and anyone else who's interested)!

Oh my god I totally missed this! Okay, for this one I'll be using Asteria Heights. This technically counts as information on two characters, but they're such a duo that I kind of think of them as a single unit, anyway. Think of it as a fun little double-feature!

Aven is the only person outside of her family that can pronounce Meg's real name (Megumi) 100% correctly, accent and all. Since they've been friends since they were toddlers, he was young enough to be able to learn it. Her name is the only Japanese name/word he can pronounce, though.

I don't know if this will ever be referenced. Maybe, if he pulls the full name card when he's mad at her or something, but I haven't made any plans for it. So far, this is just a tidbit that lives in my head. :)

Blorbo Blursday #5

What’s the most obscure information you have on your character? Will it ever be referenced within their story or does this tidbit just live in your head/on a side document?

TAGLIST (DM to be +/-) @interroblog @muumysworld @afusiek @the-ravens-requiem @sender-paulson @everthewip @bluberimufim @amaiguri @akiwitch @thetruearchmagos @autumnalwalker @gracehosborn @cljordan-imperium @aether-wasteland-s @saintedseraph @deanwax @berristrawberri @owlbearwrites @the-down-upside-finch @stridingwriter @dandelion-jester @johnmurphysgirl @ghostsofchernobyl @alexsidereus @innocenthedgehog @unmellowyellowfellow @oh-no-another-idea @druidx @ibuprofen-exe @shay-creates @aquadestinyswriting

@loopyhoopywrites @n1ghtcrwler @writingonmymind @wardenred @void-botanist @dyrewrites @sm-writes-chaos @iishmael @romances-not-tragedies @inscrutable-shadow @athenswrites @uraniumwriting @pigeonwhumps @stesierra @bittersqxtch @imslowlydisintegrating @harleyacoincidence @keysandopenmind @pga-books @halleyuhm @wordswrittenbynight @worldsfromhoney @imaslothandsowhat @i-am-the-doctor @callahanscorner

@iamwritehere @hannahholowach46 @frenchbullpigs @informedimagining @anyablackwood @lili-loves-whump @laffy-taffy-creations @downtoithaca @rayesworld @susurrus-mxfluffy @kyuponstories @themswritinwords @valentinerose529 @365runesoftheamalgamations @guessillcallitart

Just barely made it in time lol! Meg has magic, both the Common kind (aka the average witch magic), and magic specifically tied to her family, which is the ability to communicate with animals. I chose this one for her because I love magic and all of my characters need SOME kind of ability, and I felt like elemental magic is kinda... boring? And frankly, not very versatile, at least not outside of combat/in a more modern day setting. As for why animal communication specifically... well, that's a long story that's also kind of a spoiler, lol. So I'll leave it at "she gets to have a raccoon best friend named Michael."

Blorbo Blursday #7

If you character had superpowers, what would they be and why? If your character ALREADY has powers, why did you choose those powers?

TAGLIST (DM to be +/-) @interroblog @muumysworld @afusiek @the-ravens-requiem @sender-paulson @everthewip @bluberimufim @amaiguri @akiwitch @thetruearchmagos @autumnalwalker @gracehosborn @cljordan-imperium @aether-wasteland-s @saintedseraph @deanwax @berristrawberri @owlbearwrites @the-down-upside-finch @stridingwriter @dandelion-jester @johnmurphysgirl @ghostsofchernobyl @alexsidereus @innocenthedgehog @unmellowyellowfellow @oh-no-another-idea @druidx @ibuprofen-exe @shay-creates @aquadestinyswriting

@loopyhoopywrites @n1ghtcrwler @writingonmymind @wardenred @void-botanist @dyrewrites @sm-writes-chaos @iishmael @romances-not-tragedies @inscrutable-shadow @athenswrites @uraniumwriting @pigeonwhumps @stesierra @bittersqxtch @imslowlydisintegrating @harleyacoincidence @keysandopenmind @pga-books @halleyuhm @wordswrittenbynight @worldsfromhoney @imaslothandsowhat @i-am-the-doctor @callahanscorner

@iamwritehere @hannahholowach46 @frenchbullpigs @informedimagining @anyablackwood @lili-loves-whump @laffy-taffy-creations @downtoithaca @rayesworld @susurrus-mxfluffy @kyuponstories @themswritinwords @valentinerose529 @365runesoftheamalgamations @guessillcallitart

OC vs Cockroach

Belated thanks to @athenswrites for the tag! Finally going through my mentions and catching up after my disappearance, lol. Love a new ask game!

Gonna bring it back to Asteria Heights with this one, lol.

Rate your OCs on how well they’d fare against a cockroach

Meg: 3/10. Would scream first before setting it on fire, probably after missing and hitting other stuff a few times. Wouldn't have been so freaked out if not for the fact that her house has insect-repelling spells all over it, and therefore has no fucking clue how it got inside

Aven: 0/10 would shit himself and run screaming for the nearest person. Would suddenly forget that he literally knows magic and has spent half of his life traipsing through forests rife with insects. He can handle spiders, but ROACHES?

Nina: 10/10. Does not give a shit. She's seen worse. If it's in the house, she'll either kill it with a newspaper roll or capture it with her bare hands and let it out. If anywhere else, she'll leave it be unless asked to do something about it. As long as it stays off of her and her things (and Antheia doesn't notice it), it'll be like it's not even there.

Antheia: ????/10. Would be 10/10 if she wasn't so fucking weird about it. If left to her own devices, would capture the roach with her bare hands, shove it in a glass jar, and rattle it, giggling the whole time. Aven is more scared of her than he is of the roach. No one would see that roach again, and no one would want to know what happened. Rest in peace, roach.

Seraphina: 7/10 would do nothing. Her butler will handle it. If not, her ringneck snake will handle it. A Lady (TM) doesn't bother with insects.

Luella: 9/10 would fight the roach. Being barely taller than it, they'll see each other as a threat. If her assistant isn't there to handle it, and she finds herself unable to either ignore it or fight it with magic, she'll whip out her sewing needle sword and go to war.

Michael: 10/10 would eat the roach. No questions asked.

Thanks again for the tag! (Gently) tagging: @amaiguri, @anoelleart, @mysticstarlightduck, @paintedbutton

Prologue Tag Game

Belated thanks to @amaiguri for the tag! I'll be going with Asteria Heights, which I've already done some worldbuilding spotlights on, lol.

"What's one of the most interesting things that happens before Page #1?"

(Picture isn't mine.)

Hundreds of years ago, humans and magical beings were able to roam freely between two realms; Earth and Velsaid. Not only was magic well-known, but humans and magical beings had a relatively peaceful relationship with each other. That was, of course, until the Great Divide.

The Great Divide was a sudden and unexpected catastrophe that destroyed the connection between the two worlds without explanation, leaving some beings stranded on the wrong side.

Not long after, tensions began to rise on earth between humans and magical creatures. As such, Asteria, an elven woman, created a gated community to host and protect the people of Velsaid from humans.

Several other communities also cropped up around the globe, and before long, most non-humans were sequestered away from human society. The two eventually encountered each other less and less. While there were no worldwide events that instantaneously sparked the separation, various regional incidents such as the infamous Salem Witch Trials eventually spurred non-humans to go into almost total hiding from humanity.

To this day, there are still global efforts amongst non-humans to research the nature of the Divide and find a solution to their predicament. This is where the story begins; with humans' rapid globalization and penchant for scouring every centimeter of the earth out of curiosity, non-humans are beginning to feel more and more cornered.

And then a human gets murdered on their lands.

Thanks again for the tag! This is the shortest bit of worldbuilding I can think to make a post of lol. Though now that the polls of the other post are closed, I guess this could've been backstory about that... meh.

(Gently) tagging: @athenswrites, @aalinaaaaaa, and @gummybugg next!

OC Questionnaire Tag

Haha this is kinda old because I went hermit again. But here's the thing anyway! Big thanks to @pandoras-comment-box! I'll be using Aven, from Asteria Heights.

Rules:

Answer the questions as your OCs

Add questions of your own for the next person.

Questions:

1. What's your biggest pet peeve?

People who chew with their mouths open. Especially if they have more than one.

2. How do you like to celebrate success?

I crack open a nice, cold can of cold brew, then pass out on the nearest semi-flat surface when my energy crashes.

3. Do you like traveling?

Depends on how, when, where, and with who. I love the destinations, but getting there? I hate planes. They make me sick. Road trips are highly dependent on who I'm with and how long I'll be stuck in the car. My favorite is flying, but I can only go for so long before my wings ache. But I'm definitely the lowest maintenance out of my friends. (Don't listen to what Meg says).

Tagging; @anoelleart, @mysticstarlightduck, @cypriathus, and anyone else that's interested!

Questions for you guys:

Who is your best friend (if any)?

What achievement are you most proud of?

If there's one thing you could change about your life, what would it be?

OC Bag Game

Thanks @mysticstarlightduck for the tag! For this one I'll be using Asteria Heights (because they actually go to school lmao)

Rules: Name five things your OC would have in a backpack or any bag at school.

Meg:

Wallet

Single notebook (but no pen)

A snack of some kind

Laptop + charger

Crumpled receipts (she uses the same bag to go shopping lol)

Aven:

Pencil case (but no paper???)

Tablet

Sweater

A book he never reads

nothing. that's all he's got

Nina:

Lab ID (in her bag when she's not wearing it)

Laptop + charger

Notebooks

Pens

The fattest textbooks you've ever seen

Seraphina:

Book of Debts

Completed homework

Perfume

VERY strong sunblock

Blood pouches, just in case

Gently Tagging: @athenswrites, @the-down-upside-finch, @anoelleart, @fayeiswriting, and anyone else who wants in!

Two Truths and A Lie Tag Game

Thanks for the tag, @mysticstarlightduck! I'll be using Michael from Asteria Heights (fantasy murder mystery), one of Meg's closest friends as she tries to solve her neighbor's murder!

This was fun! Would love to do it again lol. I'm very curious to see the results of this :D

Gently tagging: @amaiguri, @paintedbutton, @anoelleart, @justnerdy15, @fayeiswriting,

@comicgoblinwrites, @chaosisdying, @illarian-rambling, @ahungeringknife, @xaz-fr,

@starlitpage, @the-down-upside-finch and anyone else who's interested :D

The results are in!!!! And the lie is....

OPTION 2: He is legally dead.

Michael is NOT dead, but he IS a raccoon, and he has, in fact, taken lives. Several. As a witch from the Tachimori (name TBD) bloodline, Meg has the ability to communicate with animals. This is how she was able to befriend Michael despite him being a raccoon. As a wild animal, Michael as zero (0) compunctions taking any form of life for any reason.

Thanks for playing! :D

Two Truths and A Lie Tag Game

Thanks for the tag, @mysticstarlightduck! I'll be using Michael from Asteria Heights (fantasy murder mystery), one of Meg's closest friends as she tries to solve her neighbor's murder!

This was fun! Would love to do it again lol. I'm very curious to see the results of this :D

Gently tagging: @amaiguri, @paintedbutton, @anoelleart, @justnerdy15, @fayeiswriting,

@comicgoblinwrites, @chaosisdying, @illarian-rambling, @ahungeringknife, @xaz-fr,

@starlitpage, @the-down-upside-finch and anyone else who's interested :D

Two Truths and a Lie

Thanks for the tag, @amaiguri! I'll be using Seraphina from Asteria Heights, the enigmatic information broker and "salesman" (local plug) of the town.

Gently Tagging: @mysticstarlightduck, @fayeiswriting, @anoelleart, @aalinaaaaaa

@writernopal, @cypriathus, @disastardly, @nailamoonsi, and anyone else who wants in!

OC Interview Tag

Thanks to @mysticstarlightduck for the tag! I can't seem to find any rules, but the last two tags in the chain seem to have the same questions so I'll just answer those too. I'll be using Meg from Asteria Heights for this.

Are you named after anyone?:

"Nope! Not as far as I know."

2. When was the last time you cried?:

"Last weekend. I accidentally double-ordered a textbook and couldn't get a refund."

3. Do you have kids?:

"HAH! No. Don't trust me with anything younger than me."

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?:

"Never :)))))"

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

"Their... face???"

6. What's your eye colour?:

"Black."

7. Scary movies or happy endings?:

"Happy endings!"

8. Any special talents?:

"I can wiggle my ears!" (She can also speak to animals: she forgets this).

Where were you born?:

"Japan. My parents were visiting family at the time, and I guess I wanted to see them too!"

Do you have any pets?:

"I have animal friends! The ones I live with are my mom's turtle and my jackalope!"

What sort of sports do you play?:

"None. Please do not ask me to move any faster than a casual jog."

How tall are you?:

"Uh... like, 5"10? Or something? I'm taller than Aven, and that's all that matters."

What was your favorite subject in school?:

"It's a tie between potions and sigils."

What is your dream job?

"...Rich? I dunno, man. Whatever will pay my bills and not give me too much overtime."

Gently Tagging: @amaiguri, @paintedbutton, @avoidingcertaindoom, @owlsandwich

@vellatra, @tailsbeth-writes, @theunboundwriter

Rate OC Cuddles Tag

Thanks for the tag, @mysticstarlightduck! I'll just be using the first 5 I think of off the top of my head lol.

Rules: Rate your OCs' cuddle game!

Felix: 10/10. Amazing. Doesn't matter what part of the timeline. Has mastered the correct amount of pressure and tightness with which to wrap his arms around people. Dedicated to his craft. It helps that he always smells nice, too.

Adrasteia: -10/10. Why the fuck would you ask. She hates you. Did you know that? Now you do. This isn't a hug. She's planting evidence in your pocket. She's trying to strangle you, very slowly. If not, she's thinking about it.

Katsuko: 7/10 on a casual cuddle. Would be better, but she squirms a lot/can't keep still for long, so she doesn't usually try. She also doesn't hug anyone she doesn't know VERY well. Like her mother. Or her wife. Basically only people who have seen her naked before. If she's actively in a cuddling mood, though? 9/10. Determined hugger.

Kai: 6/10. As far as tweens go, he's okay. Doesn't like cuddles much, especially not from older people (which is fair). Usually only cuddles his mom, who's biased anyway. Smells weird though.

Seraphina: 2/10. Will not even hug her parents. Her clothes are too expensive. Has hugged a stranger, once. Burned her clothes after and then had her butler egg their house.

Gently tagging: @cypriathus, @fayeiswriting, @theunboundwriter, and anyone else who wants in!

Lmao, guess who forgot to reblog with the answer? Well, I'm here now, and the answer is...

Seraphina is not the semi-mythological ancestor of a longstanding and powerful lineage.

It's unfortunate, but perhaps for the best- with her ego being as large as it is, she'd not only be insufferable, but probably also a tyrant. It is, however, a very popular rumor around town! A local legend of sorts.

On the other hand, Seraphina is a vampire- aka, plenty of time to wreak havoc amongst almost any civilization around the world! Unfortunately for Budapest, she just so happened to be wandering around Hungary at the time.

That being said, I'm very fond of this "lie" - perhaps I might change my mind one day? I do love a recurring Easter egg cameo character...

Two Truths and a Lie

Thanks for the tag, @amaiguri! I'll be using Seraphina from Asteria Heights, the enigmatic information broker and "salesman" (local plug) of the town.

Gently Tagging: @mysticstarlightduck, @fayeiswriting, @anoelleart, @aalinaaaaaa

@writernopal, @cypriathus, @disastardly, @nailamoonsi, and anyone else who wants in!

Bold the Facts

Thanks for the tag, @mysticstarlightduck!! You've been on a ROLL lately!!!! Gonna go with some villains/antagonists this time!

Prince Fenris (Crown of Blood):

✧˖°. PERSONAL $ Financial: wealthy/ moderate/ unsure/ poor / in extreme poverty  ✚ Medical: fit/ moderate / sickly/ disabled / non-applicable  ✪ Class: upper / middle/working / unsure /other - Literal Royalty  ✔ Education: qualified/ unqualified / studying / other  ✖ Criminal Record: yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes/ no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet / yes, but charges were dismissed

✧˖°. FAMILY ◒ Children: had a child or children / has no children (is a minor)/ wants children (eventually) ◑ Relationship with Family: close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) siblings want him dead /has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased ◔ Affiliation: orphaned / abandoned / adopted/ found family / disowned / raised by birth parent(s) / not applicable

✧˖°. TRAITS + TENDENCIES ♦ extroverted / introverted/ ambivert ♦ disorganized / organized/ in-between ♦ close-minded / open-minded / in-between  ♦ calm / anxious / in-between / highly contextual ♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in-between ♦ cautious / reckless / in-between / highly contextual ♦ patient / impatient / in-between ♦ outspoken / reserved / in-between / highly contextual (quiet around his father)  ♦ leader (reluctantly) / leader (gladly) / follower / in-between  ♦ empathetic / vicious bastard / in-between / highly contextual  ♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in-between ♦ traditional / modern / in-between (secret, 4th option: I don't know what this means) ♦ hard-working / lazy / in-between  ♦ cultured / uncultured / in-between (depends on the culture) / unknown  ♦ loyal / disloyal / unknown / highly contextual  ♦ faithful / unfaithful / unknown / highly contextual

✧˖°. BELIEFS ★ Faith: monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic / other ☆ Belief in Ghosts or Spirits: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care / in a manner of speaking  ✮ Belief in an Afterlife: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care / in a manner of speaking  ✯ Belief in Reincarnation: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care / in a manner of speaking  ❃ Belief in Aliens: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care  ✧ Religious: orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious ❀ Philosophical: yes / no / highly contextual

✧˖°. SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ❤ Sexuality: heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual/ nonbinary / unknown - I have NOT considered. 404 answer not found. ❥ Sex: sex-repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable / naive and clueless  ♥ Romance: romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable / naive and clueless / romance suspicious  ❣ Sexually: adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious  ⚧ Potential Sexual Partners: male / female / both / agender / other / none / all ⚧ Potential Romantic Partners: male / female / both / agender / other / none / all

✧˖°. ABILITIES ☠ Combat Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none  ≡ Literacy Skills: excellent / good / moderate (he can read. Comprehension? Different story). / poor / none  ✍ Artistic Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✂ Technical Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✧˖°. HABITS ☕ Drinking Alcohol: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / tried it / alcoholic / former borderline alcoholic turned sober  ☁ Smoking: tried it / trying to quit / already quit / never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / chain-smoker  ✿ Recreational Drugs: tried some / never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / addict  ✌ Medicinal Drugs: never / no longer needs medication / some medication needed / frequently / to excess  ☻ Unhealthy Food: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / binge eater  $ Splurge Spending: never / sometimes / frequently / shopaholic  ♣ Gambling: never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / compulsive gambler

Cassius Granguard (Crown of Blood):

✧˖°. PERSONAL $ Financial: wealthy/ moderate/ unsure/ poor / in extreme poverty  ✚ Medical: fit / moderate / sickly/ disabled / non-applicable  ✪ Class: upper / middle/working / unsure /other  ✔ Education: qualified/ unqualified / studying / other  ✖ Criminal Record: yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes/ no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet / yes, but charges were dismissed

✧˖°. FAMILY ◒ Children: had a child or children / has no children / wants children (eventually) ◑ Relationship with Family: close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased ◔ Affiliation: orphaned / abandoned / adopted/ found family / disowned / raised by birth parent(s) / not applicable

✧˖°. TRAITS + TENDENCIES ♦ extroverted / introverted/ ambivert ♦ disorganized / organized / in-between ♦ close-minded / open-minded / in-between  ♦ calm / anxious / in-between / highly contextual ♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in-between ♦ cautious / reckless / in-between / highly contextual ♦ patient / impatient / in-between ♦ outspoken / reserved / in-between / highly contextual  ♦ leader (reluctantly) / leader (gladly) / follower / in-between  ♦ empathetic / vicious bastard / in-between / highly contextual  ♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in-between ♦ traditional / modern / in-between ?? ♦ hard-working / lazy / in-between  ♦ cultured / uncultured / in-between (depends on the culture) / unknown  ♦ loyal / disloyal / unknown / highly contextual  ♦ faithful / unfaithful / unknown / highly contextual

✧˖°. BELIEFS ★ Faith: monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic / other ☆ Belief in Ghosts or Spirits: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care / in a manner of speaking  ✮ Belief in an Afterlife: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care / in a manner of speaking  ✯ Belief in Reincarnation: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care / in a manner of speaking  ❃ Belief in Aliens: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care  ✧ Religious: orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious ❀ Philosophical: yes / no / highly contextual

✧˖°. SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ❤ Sexuality: heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual/ nonbinary ❥ Sex: sex-repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable / naive and clueless  ♥ Romance: romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable / naive and clueless / romance suspicious  ❣ Sexually: adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious  ⚧ Potential Sexual Partners: male / female / both / agender / other / none / all ⚧ Potential Romantic Partners: male / female / both / agender / other / none / all

✧˖°. ABILITIES ☠ Combat Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none  ≡ Literacy Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none  ✍ Artistic Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✂ Technical Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✧˖°. HABITS ☕ Drinking Alcohol: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / tried it / alcoholic / former borderline alcoholic turned sober  ☁ Smoking: tried it / trying to quit / already quit / never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / chain-smoker  ✿ Recreational Drugs: tried some / never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / addict  ✌ Medicinal Drugs: never / no longer needs medication / some medication needed / frequently / to excess  ☻ Unhealthy Food: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / binge eater  $ Splurge Spending: never / sometimes / frequently / shopaholic  ♣ Gambling: never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / compulsive gambler

Luella (Asteria Heights):

✧˖°. PERSONAL $ Financial: wealthy / moderate/ unsure/ poor / in extreme poverty  ✚ Medical: fit/ moderate / sickly/ disabled / non-applicable  ✪ Class: upper / middle/working / unsure /other  ✔ Education: qualified/ unqualified / studying / other  ✖ Criminal Record: yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes/ no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet / yes, but charges were dismissed

✧˖°. FAMILY ◒ Children: had a child or children / has no children / wants children (eventually) ◑ Relationship with Family: close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased ◔ Affiliation: orphaned / abandoned / adopted / found family / disowned / raised by birth parent(s) / not applicable

✧˖°. TRAITS + TENDENCIES ♦ extroverted / introverted / ambivert ♦ disorganized / organized/ in-between ♦ close-minded / open-minded / in-between  ♦ calm / anxious / in-between / highly contextual ♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in-between ♦ cautious / reckless / in-between / highly contextual ♦ patient / impatient / in-between ♦ outspoken / reserved / in-between / highly contextual  ♦ leader (reluctantly) / leader (gladly) / follower / in-between  ♦ empathetic / vicious bastard / in-between / highly contextual  ♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in-between ♦ traditional / modern / in-between ♦ hard-working / lazy / in-between  ♦ cultured / uncultured / in-between (depends on the culture) / unknown  ♦ loyal / disloyal / unknown / highly contextual  ♦ faithful / unfaithful / unknown / highly contextual

✧˖°. BELIEFS ★ Faith: monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic  ☆ Belief in Ghosts or Spirits: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care / in a manner of speaking  ✮ Belief in an Afterlife: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care / in a manner of speaking  ✯ Belief in Reincarnation: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care / in a manner of speaking  ❃ Belief in Aliens: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care  ✧ Religious: orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious ❀ Philosophical: yes / no / highly contextual

✧˖°. SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ❤ Sexuality: heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual/ nonbinary / other ❥ Sex: sex-repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable / naive and clueless / not applicable (not human; doesn't have sex) ♥ Romance: romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable / naive and clueless / romance suspicious  ❣ Sexually: adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious  ⚧ Potential Sexual Partners: male / female / both / agender / other / none / all / IDK man ⚧ Potential Romantic Partners: male / female / both / agender / other / none (I have not considered and don't intend to) / all

✧˖°. ABILITIES ☠ Combat Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none  ≡ Literacy Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none  ✍ Artistic Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✂ Technical Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor (uses magic) / none

✧˖°. HABITS ☕ Drinking Alcohol: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / tried it / alcoholic / former borderline alcoholic turned sober  ☁ Smoking: tried it / trying to quit / already quit / never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / chain-smoker  ✿ Recreational Drugs: tried some / never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / addict  ✌ Medicinal Drugs: never / no longer needs medication / some medication needed / frequently / to excess  ☻ Unhealthy Food: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / binge eater  $ Splurge Spending: never / sometimes / frequently / shopaholic  ♣ Gambling: never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / compulsive gambler

This was fun!!! Leaving this as an OPEN TAG so let me know if you want to be added (we don't have to be mutuals!!!)

OC Questionnaire

Thanks for the tag, @mysticstarlightduck! I'll be using Antheia and Felix!

Antheia:

Do you know how to dance? If so what kinds? Yeah! I know some traditional elven dances. I'm not that good at them, but my favorite is kinda similar to human step-dances, 'cause it's one of the fastest ones. It's all in the footwork.

What's the season you hate the most? What's your favorite season? I HATE winter. My favorite's gotta be spring! Most fae-types kinda wilt without sun, y'know? Think seasonal depression, but WAY worse.

Do you have any unusual fears? Escalators. Not elevators, escalators.

Felix:

Do you know how to dance? If so what kinds? As a prince, it was part of my standard royal education to learn traditional ballroom dances. I excelled, actually! So I was also taught some classic foreign dances for diplomatic reasons. But my favorites are the ones my sisters taught me! Like "free-styling", or "the dougie". It's very wild! The commoners have some dances too, and they're very invigorating! But I haven't learned any of the names. I should do that.

What's the season you hate the most? What's your favorite season? I don't know. It used to be summer, when I was a lot younger. Then winter. But I've gained an appreciation for cold nights by a fire with my sisters. There's lots of things to like about each season!

Do you have any unusual fears? Um... maybe? I don't know. I think all of my fears are valid and come from direct sources that I'm able to identify.

Aaand that's it! Once again, not sure who to tag these days, so let me know if you want to be added and I'll edit the post (we don't need to be mutuals!), and for now it's an OPEN TAG!

OC Origins Tag

Thanks for the tag, @mysticstarlightduck! This is really cool! I'd love to do another. I'll be covering some of my MCs from various stories because I'm TOTALLY normal about this <333

Rule: "talk about the origins of the names and personalities (and maybe even the design?) of a couple of your OCs!"

Itazaki Katsuko (Katsuko no Monogatari):

This name came with a level of investment that was disproportionate and frankly unnecessary for a short story that I initially wrote for a class, lmao.

Itazaki was part of the alternative name of Hangaku Gozen, one of the onna-musha (female warriors) in Heian Japan. She's not as popular as the legendary Tomoe Gozen, probably because she was on the opposing side of the war; but not only is Tomoe kinda too stereotypical for me, but she didn't technically have a last/secondary name, from what I gathered? I mean Itazaki wasn't Hangaku Gozen's last name, but it was part of her title and sounded like a better last name for Katsuko than Jo.

But a more important reason is that she's one of the few onna-musha with a fairly clearly documented and relatively HAPPY ending for a warrior on the losing side of a war (she was a member of the Taira clan, who lost the power struggle against Minamoto clan in the Genpei War). Which is quite an achievement considering not even Tomoe Gozen got a clear ending, let alone a good one (there are various accounts about how she lived her life after the war, NONE of which are happy, unfortunately).

While I knew it didn't really matter, I'm kind of incapable of naming characters without deep diving into the meaning of the names and the history of it. So I went with Itazaki for Katsuko's surname.

As for her first name, Katsuko, this one's more simple. "Katsu" literally means "victory/to win" in Japanese. "Ko" means "child". Putting them together essentially means "winner", "victorious child", etc. Which, while kinda on the nose, I also chose because it's a fairly gender neutral name (if you drop the "ko", anyway. "ko" is almost always used for girl names) and is seen as kind of a tomboyish (?) name. I would've gone with "Katsu", but that's my great-grandmother's name. She was the inspiration for the name, but I didn't want to actually give Katsuko the EXACT same name because of emotional distancing reasons, lol (my great grandmother was very much alive until recently, and I'd feel weird to do that when I knew her personally).

Appearance-wise, Katsuko is a fairly standard looking Japanese woman. Her hair's decently long, as was the standard, and she mostly wears armor, since she's not only a guard, but there's also combat scenes. She uses a naginata, since that was the standard weapon for onna-musha and onna-bugeisha (female guards).

Megumi Wilson (Asteria Heights):

I intentionally chose the name Megumi because it was Japanese, but could also be shortened into a Western-sounding name (Meg). This is because, in my personal experience, most Japanese-American/half-Japanese families would give their kids names that are either foreign but simple enough to say in Japanese, or have alternative or similar versions in both languages (assuming these are families that still have connections to Japan/Japanese culture; many Japanese families chose to entirely assimilate, especially if they're not first-gen immigrants).

While I would've loved to do the latter (which I'd say is more common), there aren't really that many of those, and with how picky I am, none of them felt like they fit (plus I have multiple half-Japanese characters who already took other names). Also, to be honest, many of them were a little TOO similar to mine and my siblings' names, lol. And I obviously didn't want that.

I could've given her a Japanese name that couldn't be Westernized, but me and my sisters always had beef with how people would butcher our names growing up (even though mine isn't even just Japanese!!! My legal name is also Western!!!) and I didn't want to do that to my girl Meg, even if she isn't real, lmao.

Luna, Iris, Claire (Traveling Bards):

Okay, these are fairly boring in name, but that was intentional! I won't say why SPECIFICALLY these names, but I was looking for simple names in general because I wanted names that were easier to pronounce for Japanese people because I'm a bit willfully ✨delusional✨ and I want to at least get a translation of the story one day, if not an animated adaption (yes!! I know!! Unrealistic!! Let me DREAM!!!!)

Their personalities, as I've mentioned in a previous post, are based off of some people I love very much in my life. They're not 1 to 1 the same, but their cores are. This story actually initially started off as a what-if scenario when we were watching an Isekai (reincarnation) anime together and kept getting frustrated at some dumb characters and situations, and then got into talking about what we'd do in a situation like that. And then I was like "this shit slaps ngl" and after some revisions to their persons, here we are!!!

This was so fun! <333 I'll end it here because I can honestly go one for DAYS about them. I'd have covered some more but this is too long already, so please feel free to tag me in this again!!!

Leaving it as an OPEN TAG for whoever wants it. Might come and retroactively add people later.

Gently Tagging: @amaiguri, @paintedbutton, @pandoras-comment-box, and anyone else who wants in!!!

"Most Likely To" Tag

Bit late to the party, but thanks for the tag, @pandoras-comment-box!!!

The rules are pretty self-explanatory. Answer the prompts with which OCs are most likely to do them!

Most likely to get lost

Probably Claire, at least in the beginning. That girl can't find her way out of a paper bag. Eventually she'll gain a shred of sense. Eventually.

Most likely to adopt a stray

Meg. Honestly, most of my protags would probably at least try. But Meg would be the one that actually knows what the fuck she's doing when she takes an animal in, lmao. It helps that she can speak with them.

Most likely to earn a punch in the face

Pretty much all of my characters say and do stupid shit worth punching them for, lmao. I guess I'll go with most punchable on average, which would have to be Alexander. In a way, I love him, but he really ain't shit.

He's got the kind of oblivious, arrogant audacity that makes his (admittedly conventionally attractive) face suddenly look alluringly punchable. It's like he's begging you to rearrange his features.

Okay, that was fun! Your turn!

Prompts for you:

Most likely to drive on the wrong side of the road

Most likely to accidentally offend someone

Most likely to win the lottery

(Gently) tagging: @mysticstarlightduck, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @nemaliwrites, and anyone else who wants in!