More Milo!

Hey look! I did something just like I promised! This isn't very interesting though, because the answers don't vary. Though I've realized I want to do a series of posts about Sirens.

Relationships

1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents. 

Non-existent. He doesn’t know much about either of them and he basically raised himself. 

2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like? 

Also non-existent. They were all fending for themselves and Milo had very little connection with any of them. There was a total of five kids. Two of them did stick together, but the rest went their own ways.

3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand? 

Nope. He’s always flying solo.

4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them? 

He has a few people that he ‘trades’ with or gets information from. He has various connections in most villages and cities, but they are few and far between. None of them truly trust him and he doesn’t trust them either. That is the closest he comes to relationships.

5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet? 

He doesn’t have a best friend. The closest he has or will ever have is going to be Julian. 

6. Does he have other close friends? 

None.

7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people? 

He makes enemies everywhere he goes. Friends are nearly impossible to come by for him.

8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends? 

Himself. He doesn’t think that family or friends are trustworthy. He never had a reason to believe them.

9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once? 

Single. Never married.

10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse? 

None.

11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest? 

His first crush was a Phantom (one of the three ‘species’ of Siren). He didn’t know she was  a Phantom. He hasn’t had any crushes lately. 

12. What does he look for in a romantic partner? 

If he’s looking for something, it’s purely physical, but Milo is too easily driven by money, so any kind of romance is just background noise.

13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?

None that he is aware of. 

14. Does he have any rivals or enemies? 

Uhhh, I’d love to give you a list and/or description, but the list is too long. 

Friday Fun Time, Yes?

I thought I would get this in there before it got too much later and I started to pass out. I have Friday off (yay!) and HOPEFULLY I can go out and start some writing! Saturday is going to be nuts because I will be gone for almost all day for my brother's drumline competition. They made it to finals, which is awesome. I can't wait. There's also the fact that RCC (Riverside Community College) who is the number one drumline and/or marching band used in television and movies will be there. Their drumline's show? My Steampunk Heart. I haven't seen it yet. I'm excited.

Okay, so I think I owe you more details on Milo. I don't think I can keep myself awake long enough to do it justice, but I'll have something for you tomorrow, hopefully. I don't even know who is reading this and following along. Clearly I've been neglecting it, but I knew that life was going to eventually get complicated. I still can't wait to get writing. I WILL DO IT, I SWEAR! Let's just make it through work tomorrow.

I hope you have a great night. See ya tomorrow!

Uhhhhh... What's Today?

Yeah, definitely not doing a good job at this whole 'stay on track' thing. I am failing miserably. Even though I do know that there is all of 12 people subscribed, one of which is myself. I am trying to get my head wrapped around this and the first thing I do when I get home should be that I make a post. I need to start writing, as well. I am excited, believe. Who knew that this whole 'job' thing would make me such a bum. Oh wait, I totally knew.

 

You were supposed to be reading more about Milo and how unbelievably awesome he is, which still holds totally true. Unfortunately, I'm being horrible and posting this while I'm at work. I have some down time at the moment and can do it really quick. I'm trying to figure out what to write more about in this blog. I'm really hoping that I can get on a writing schedule soon though. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? I'm in need of the motivation at the moment.

 

Hope your week is awesome even though it has been distinctly lacking a lot of me. I know, I know. That is so lame, isn't it? Maybe I will have to start posting on weekends to balance out my weeks. I don't know. I can't even think at the moment. But tomorrow is Friday! I think tomorrow should be 'Suggestion Friday' instead of 'Question Friday.' Anyway, have a great evening!!

 

LL&P

BUSY! Oops.

I just realized a few things. First, I didn't post yesterday. Second, Monday was my 50th post! Isn't that exciting? As for missing Tuesday, I was home for about a half hour after work and then left again and didn't come home until 11:30PM. Sure, that isn't an excuse and I'm going to need to work out a posting schedule to coincide with work. 


In case you were wondering, so far I am liking it. I'm hesitant to say that I love it, because I haven't really started doing anything just yet and we will see how it goes. Customer service isn't really my favorite thing to do in the world, but I'm glad that I can be involved somewhere. Hopefully I will get the opportunity to do some graphics with them, too, eventually. No rush at the moment. This is all just a means to have a living and still get to write. Which I haven't done any of. DON'T JUDGE ME.


Okay, here's some more Milo!

Mental and Emotional

1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart? 

He is crafty. I wouldn’t ever call him book smart. He didn’t get the opportunity to get any education, but he can read and he’s clever. He’s extremely street smart to the point that no one can get anything by him without him knowing.

2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate? 

He’s quick on his feet. Thinking too hard about things produces less than wanted results. He sometimes plans longer cons, but he likes to be quick more.

3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical? 

He is much more intuitive. A lot of times that doesn’t work out for him when he is involved in friendships (to which he has very, very few). He tends to make stupid assumptions and his intuition isn’t so great on that level, but when it comes to lies and deceit? He’s great. He is neither idealistic or practical. He’s whatever he needs to be at the time.

4. What kind of education has the character had? 

Only what he learned on the street.

5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about? 

Thievery, cons and lying. He is the master at all of them. He’s good with languages and he’d love to learn Siren’s language.

6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert? 

Extroverted all the way.

7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven? 

He is cheerful and laid-back. He’s driven, but only when he knows whatever his goal is, it will make his life easier. He doesn’t like working much. He is the kind of free-loader type with the laid-back personality.

8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? 

He rolls with the punches pretty well. He takes everything in stride and seems pretty relaxed about it, but he can turn his personality into whatever he needs it to be when he sees that there’s a possible con in it.

9. Is he more likely to act, or to react? 

He is more likely to act. He is always on the offensive.

10. Which is his default: fight or flight? 

Flight. He’s a coward.

11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? 

He has a rampant sense of humor. He’s extremely sarcastic and can be very, very morbid.

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them? 

Nope.

13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person? 

His whole life was based on the fact that he essentially raised himself. There was a moment in his life as a nine-year-old where he realized he needed to do more than beg for food, so he learned to steal it.

14. What does he fear? 

Oh, plenty of things, I’m sure. Getting caught is one of them, I would imagine. He doesn’t like authority so that would be something he avoids.

15. What are his hopes or aspirations? 

He doesn’t have any. Mostly, it’s ‘survive to the next day’ and/or make it big and be rich. He doesn’t exactly have a plan for that, though.

16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him? 

Probably that he’s a bit of  a sap and he’s terrified of woman.

Milo Monday 05

Another Monday, another bit of horrible advice from Milo, everyone's favorite thief. I wasn't really sure what to ask him about, but then I realized that I have to go shopping for work clothes today and I thought I'd ask Milo about fashion and trends, it should prove interesting.

This week's advice is on how to keep up with the latest fashions;

"Bollocks tae that! You want tae keep up with fashion, you need tae keep tae tha big cities. That's tha place to keep in style. I, on tha other hand, keep my own fashion. Pick myself up a new suit in every town, I do. I make fashion, I don't follow it. Have you seen my bowler hat collection? Best one in tha kingdom."


Why do I ask him these things? He almost didn't answer at all. I swear I'm not crazy. 

Milo Detailed Character Profile

By request, I decided that Milo needed a detailed profile. I know these are hard to comment on, so don't feel pressured. I'm hoping to get writing soon. I'm not keeping to my schedule very well. Things come up and happen. That's just how it is. Here's the first part of Milo's profile.

Body and Appearance

1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy? 

He is five foot six inches and weighs about 190 lbs. He’s not heavyset, but he’s certainly not built. He seems a bit soft around the edges.

2. How old is he? 

35 ish. I haven’t settled on an exact age for him.

3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch? 

He hunches his shoulders forward when he walks and slouches when he sits. He shuffles his feet when he walks. He only picks himself up more when he feels like it will be beneficial. He can fake propriety.

4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities? 

He’s not the healthiest man out there. Years of traveling through old towns and industrial cities have given him a bit of a chronic cough, but it isn’t overly noticeable all the time. He’s not in shape, much. He gets winded after a run easily.

5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid? 

He changes the way he moves. When he’s not putting on a face, he comes across as relaxed, slouching when he walks and shuffling his feet. However, when he’d being charming, he holds himself high and appears to have very fluid movements.

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror? 

He thinks he’s just the most handsome thing to be born in this world, however he actually has a forgettable face. It isn’t that he is unattractive, but he’s got very inviting features that seem very average if you were to try and describe him.

7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred? 

His skin looks worn and leathery. He looks like he spends a lot of time in the sun, but he isn’t dark skinned. He has some scars, but most of them are old from when he was a teenager.

8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style. 

Milo has dirty blonde hair with streaks of sun-bleached blonde. It’s thin and short and quite a mess all of the time. He doesn’t have a ‘style’ for his hair.

9. What color are his eyes? 

Medium hazel. 

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? 

Nothing that I can think of yet.

11. What are his chief tension centers? 

Everywhere. His lower back and hips from traveling and sleeping on hard floors.

12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit? 

He’s got a very small selection of clothing. Often he picks up something new at any town he passes through. He keeps away from bright colors and goes for more neutrals like greys, browns and navy blues. He likes a little bit of flair, however, so he makes sure that anything he gets will grab some attention.

13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them? 

His clothes never fit quite right and he does a lot of fidgeting. If it isn’t one thing it’s another. He adjusts his coats and sleeves habitually. He also has a tendency of wearing hats that are too big. He seems more comfortable in them than he should.

14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences? 

He dresses the same all the time. If he needs to dress up, he steals something.

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando? 

Boxers, if there is such a thing in [kingdom].

Milo Monday 04

In light of my new job - yes, I totally got a job - today's Milo Monday is about employment in [kingdom]. How long have I been saying I'm going to name the kingdom and still haven't? Gosh, I don't know. Moving on. So, yes, I have a job now. I start next week. You can expect posts to be a little strange for a few weeks. They might be a little bit weird. They might get posted super late at night. I'm not quite sure just yet. I will work until 5 or 5:30, so you can expect them sometime after that. Hopefully it all goes well.

This weeks advice is how to maintain a living;

"You aren't really askin' tha right man for this one. I ain't really tha 'workin'' type, ya know. Look, if ya want tae make an honest livin' you need tae know what the world has tae offer ya. Here? It ain't much. If you want tae have some money, ya need to have your own business. Ya need tae know how to work the customers. Either that, or ya learn a trade, even if most o' 'em don't pay much, unless ya do what I do. You could always be royalty. They got plenty o' dough."


Uhh, I'm pretty sure half the advice Milo gives us would get you arrested. Maybe I should stop asking him.

LL&P

Milo Monday 03

Since Mondays make me want to go out and drink and then get in a bar fight* then I figured I could ask Milo about his escapades in bar fighting, or rather, avoiding bar fights.

*totally does not like to drink and get in bar fights.

How to avoid getting in a bar fight;

"I'm not entirely sure why ya'd want tae avoid a bar fight. They're a hell of a lotta fun. Look, if you are lookin' to avoid a bar fight, don't go intae bars. That's where your first mistake is, eh? Alright, but if ya insist on goin' tae bars, ya need to watch out for tha rowdy patrons. They are usually tha ones yellin' an' startin' up pretty early in tha day. Now, what I do in order tae avoid bein' hit an' still gettin' tae see a fight is I start the fight between tha two of them an' then sit back an' watch. It's easy, honestly. Ya just whisper that tha other bloke's been talkin' dirt about the poor gent an' step out o' tha way. Then, ya quietly slip out tha back door (grabbin' yourself a complimentary bottle o' rum on tha way out). It's a good time for everyone, don't ya think?"


Yep, this is why I keep him around. Hope this is a little bit of fun for your otherwise unwanted Monday.

LL&P

Question Friday 07

Yay for questions! Again, a great list of questions that will give you just a little more insight to what our characters are. 


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1. Do Milo, Galen, Sophia, and Daphne have any hobbies?Milo's hobby is his job, which is being a thief. His favorite thing to do is figure out if he can pickpocket someone without their knowledge and then manage to give whatever item he stole back to them without raising suspicion. Galen is an archer and actually quite good with a traditional bow and arrow. Sophia studies history mostly. Daphne's hobby is beating the boys at their hobbies. 

2. Suppose Julian was approached by robbers and asked to come with them to undertake a special ritual. They swear that he will not lose his life or feel any lightening of his pockets. There is also the side benefit that no robbers in their widespread multinational thief society will ever rob him. What would Julian do at the start of his quest? Would his reaction change at all by the end?
Honestly, this sounds very much like what Milo does when he first meets Julian. I mean, it isn't exactly, but there's some stupid plot that goes on and Julian somehow gets sucked into. In the case that it wasn't Milo and just random robbers, Julian would seriously consider this ritual, so long as it doesn't get in the way of his plans or take him too far from where he is going. However, at the end of his quest, Julian would bargain with them and be much smarter about it.

3. Who, of the characters you've named here so far, is the most likely to:
- panic hilariously in an emergency? Milo and Julian
- be the voice of reason? The Triplets or Sophia
- come up with the action plan? Galen or Daphne, though possibly both with conflicting plans.
- patch up the wounded? Daphne and Sophia
- perform feats of derring doe? Julian
- win a dance competition? Galen for sure!
- give the best relationship advice? Sophia, though it would be lacking all emotional advice and be logical
- give the best directions to get to any place imagineable? Benny the Hunter
- drink everyone else under the table and then some? Milo
- have a fun or unusual phobia? What is it? Milo and he's afraid of losing track of time.
- quote poetry? Galen

4. Would Julian ever play drinking games? If he would/does, what's his favourite?
Yes, he would. His favorite probably involves taking a drink every time in a speech his father addresses the people as 'friends' or 'brothers.' I'm sure there's lots of other rules. You can just imagine Julian and Galen absolutely plastered by the end of the Kings addresses to the public.


5. If you suddenly were given a million dollars, what would you do?
First, I'd pay off debts. Then I would help pay off my parent's debts. I'd ration a small amount for a vacation and the rest would go into savings. 


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Thanks for reading! Some of these were fun to answer since they were pretty hilarious. I swear, Milo cracks me up all the time. I hope you have a fabulous weekend. 


LL&P

Milo Monday 02

Today was full of busy, so this is coming to you at almost too late. But have no fear, I am here to keep you from freaking out that I didn't post (because we all know that is exactly what you were doing). At any rate, it gave me a good idea for a question to ask Milo.

This weeks advice is on how to be punctual:

"Honestly, there's a few ways tae be punctual. There's tha proper way and then there's my way. If ya'd like tae make sure your acquaintances are happy with ya, then you set yourself up to be where you say your gonna be. It's all about scheduling, ya see? Ya gotta be sure tae let people know when they are goin' tae see you and then you make sure ya got the time tae get where ya need to go. Of course, then there's how I do it; I just stopped tellin' people when they can expect me. If there's no time set, I can't be late."


Always the charmer. Tomorrow, I will rant about Percy Jackson and the Olympians (and how I now have to read all of the books because, oh my god, mythology like whoa).

LL&P

Question Friday 06

This week's questions all come from the ever diligent Meiri. I'm warning you before hand, these will probably inspire giggles, because they are awesome like that. 

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1. What are the top three commodities and resources in [Kingdom]?

Being that this is a steampunk fiction, there's a lot of steam run engines and technology around. In fact, the ship that he eventually ends up on, all of the technology is run on one massive furnace. Now, when we think steam engine, we think coal. However, there's an unnamed material that I've yet to create that burns hotter than coal and is also fictional. It is a mineral (I think, I'm still working on it) and it is found in large deposits in the ground. [Kingdom] has quite a few deposits in it's territory and mining it is a huge industry. Also, the refining of this material is huge as well. It would be the equivalent to petroleum. That's not three, but I haven't thought up the other two yet.

2. Who are [Kingdom]'s most important trade partners?

The (also unnamed) kingdom directly to the south of is there most trusted trade partners. There is a more hostile kingdom to the south east that is a strong partner, but it is a little more tense when trading with them. Again, this mostly bases around the mineral I was talking about. 

3. Does [Kingdom] do a lot of importing or exporting? What sorts of goods?

They export a huge amount of fish over the span of a year. With a huge coastline to the north and west, there is a huge market for fishing. The kingdom is very much centered around the use of water. Copper is another one. There's a lot of techology that involves steam engines and electric generators and copper is the most used metal for conducting electricity, much like here. They also do a lot of manufacturing for heavy machinery. 

4. For the most part, are the subjects of [Kingdom] pleased with their economic situation? Comfortable? Struggling? Discontent?

The closer you are to the central kingdom, where the royal family is, the happier you are. The coasts have a strong economic situation than inland. Most people are struggling outside of the wealthiest bracket. There's a few pockets of people that you can imagine that are very upset with their lives and so on, but overall, I would say they are just above a middle class. Julian will get to witness these locations and people first hand, as well.

5. Are there lightbulbs in [Kingdom]? If not, is there a replacement for the "How many [whatever]s does it take to change a lightbulb?" joke?

Seeing as there is actually electricity in [Kingdom] (oh my god, I need to name this place), then it only makes sense that there are light bulbs of some kind. However, some rural areas that can't get their own electrical grid working, then there's a lot more candles and oil lamps and such. As for the joke, I'll have to see if I can come up with some. I'm sure Milo will know a few.

6. Are there famous historical figures whose legends will provide inspiration for Julian when he comes across obstacles on his quest?

He mostly knows all the bad legends. There's a lot more out in the world for him to fear than for him to find inspiration from. Mostly, when it comes to the education he receives and subsequently the legends and historical figures he knows, they are previous kings. He is most pressured by the legacy his father left for him to uphold, which is going to be tough, since his father completed hi quest just over three months early; that's faster than any king ever.

7. Who was Julian's first crush?

Daphne. She is the sister of his closest friend. I will have to write up character info on those two soon, since I have no idea who they are other than they are the people he grew up with.

8. What's Julian's preferred strategy when he gets lost?

Panic.

9. What is Julian's vocal range? Can he carry a tune? Does he have a favourite drinking song?

He is I imagine a tenor or baritone... probably a tenor, though. He can carry a tune and he will carry a tune if he happens to be drinking. Now that you've planted this in my head, I think I need to write a drinking song for him. 

10. Can Julian pull off an authentic commanding voice? Does he sound haughty or reedy or nasal?

I actually have 'heard' Julian's voice in my head. I know what he sounds like. He attempts authority and commanding, but it isn't very convincing. He sounds more haughty than anything, but he ranges into whining sometimes when he's frustrated. Especially if it is induced by Milo.

11. Does [Kingdom] have an equivalent question for: Boxers or briefs?

I am not even sure I want to answer this question. Though, Julian strikes me as a briefs kind of guy.

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Thanks for the questions. You get brownie points for being awesome. Next week this all starts over again. Hopefully I will be able to set a schedule for posting since I might be getting a full time job, that will bogart most of my time. Prayers are more than welcome. 

Have a great weekend!

LL&P

Clothing Research

I've been searching the interwebs for a couple hours now. Basically, it started with Victorian era fashion and spread from there. If you don't know anything about steampunk fashion, don't worry, it is pretty easy. Basically, the entire genre came from the industrial revolutions of the Victorian age. So, when our modern dreamers decided to take their imaginative inventions and push them just that much further you ended up with steampunk. It only makes sense to then meld the scifi world with that and create a fashion built on Victorian style dress.

The Victorian age spanned across the 1800's. I am deciding to go with the late 1880's to the 1890's for my clothing inspiration. For women, this mean long skirts with bustles and coats that have strange names. If you saw Sherlock Holmes recently, just think of what Rachel McAdams wore the whole time. She is a perfect example of a foundation for my version of clothing. Now, if you take that sort of look, add chains, metal, pins, buttons, corsets, gears and pocket watches, you pretty much get what I'm looking for. The skirts may be shorter and the blouses a little lower, but overall, that is a great start.

Men's fashion is trousers, waistcoats and outer coats. Oh and spats over their shoes. I love spats. That is if you are a nobleman. The areas that are stricken with poverty will have less use for those things. When it comes to accessories, you get fasteners in women's hair, men with monocles and top hats, or bowler hats for more casual days. Of course, since  a lot of the men will take to the skies, I've decided to merge the era's clothing with pirates. There's also going to be a bit of World War II style fashion and traveling going on. I'm really going to do a lot of fusing with all the time periods because it's fiction, I can do that.

I'm going to be doing some artwork with my sister-in-law today. Hopefully we can get started on Julian and Milo's design. I'd like to also start on the map as soon as possible. Luckily my sister-in-law is an artist and loves drawing maps. This should be interesting. Because I don't have anything for you to look at just yet, go look through this website for some amazing steampunkish fashion. Some of it is just incredible and I can't wait to get working on stuff just like that. I wish I could sew.

LL&P

Milo Monday 01

I've decided that Milo needs his own day of the week. Well, maybe it was him who decided, but it doesn't matter because he's been running rampant in my mind and taking over, so I think I need to let him come out to play once a week at least. So, every monday, Milo is going to give you a piece of advice on how to survive in [Kingdom] when you are out on your own, kind of like Julian will be.

This week's advice is on how to make a good first impression;

"Ya know I can introduce my own topic, eh? Aye, don't matter, you aren't tha one livin' here. If you are new tae tha area an' ya need tae find yourself some allies, I suggest ya make a good first impression. Tha people around here are suspicious o' everyone. It's what ya get for livin' in a place where shapeshifters roam among tha general population. They don't much like new travelers, so your best bet is tae keep movin' until you find a city where ya can remain anonymous. Hey, I said I'd give you advice, I didn't say you'd like it."


Well, I didn't promise it would be good advice. And in case you are wondering, no I'm not crazy, but yes, I do have characters running around in my head at all times. They do occasionally talk to me. I don't talk back.

The Legend of Benny the Hunter

I was going to write up a very narrative version of the legend, or legends, of Benny the Hunter. However, I think it would be better told by someone who knows all of the rumors that surround him. Why don't I just let you all peek in on Milo explain to Julian who he is.


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"Benny. Benny the Hunter?" Julian glared down his new companion.

"Yes, sir," Milo seemed much more excited about the situation than was called for.

"Benny is stupid name for a... a... what is he exactly?"

"You never 'eard of Benny tha Hunter!?" Milo slammed his hand down on the table and brought it back up to point in Julian's face, who went cross eyed trying to keep up. "Benny is tha fiercest pirate in all tha sky and sea--or skies and seas, since his legend span all o' 'em. Never you mind, boy. Listen 'ere, Benny is known for his ruthless ways. It's said that tha man has gutted a crew just for takin' too long tae hoist tha sails. He flew Tha Cartographer all on 'is own intae port, kidnapped tha first dozen kids he could find and made off wit' 'em. Then again, there are other legends."

Julian sighed and rested his head in his hand, elbow propped up on the table, "How long is this story going to go on?"

"It ain't a story! These are tha Legends o' Benny tha Hunter. This is a man that defies all understanding. He can track down anyone who betrays him. He's got perfect aim wit' a pistol and you don't even want tae know what he can do wit' a sword, boy. He got his name from hunting down ships. He rules his crew wit' an iron fist, he does. You know how many ships he's taken straight out o' tha skies?"

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me."

"I don't know how many! You want tae know why? Because I can't count that bloody high! The man has pillaged and plundered every city, village and port on tha [Kingdom] coast! He's makes tha devil look like a wee kitten, he does. And if he's after you, Julian... boy, you best be ready tae run," Milo huffed a final sigh and crossed his arms over his stomach as a last grand gesture.

"Have you ever seen this man?" Julian inquired, raising one disbelieving eyebrow. When he got no response out of him he shook his head, "Then I won't be worrying myself about legends."

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Well, I hope that was kind of fun to read. It gives you a little bit of the excitement from Milo and some of Julian's unimpressed behavior. You also now got to hear just a little about our darling Benny the Hunter, the hired gun out for Julian who is very much a real person.

Also, I need your questions!! Leave them in the comments. Ask about anything from this week's blogs or about anything else you can think of.

LL&P

Character Development Process

I was thinking about how I choose how a character looks and I realized that I don't really have a set way of doing it. I felt like exploring that today, though.

I don't really plan out how my characters are going to look. When I start with a character idea, I usually come up with their personality first and as I go with that, their physical appearance just comes to me. Sometimes it has to do with one aspect of their personality that reminds me of a specific look or it just sneaks up on me and means completely nothing. With Julian, he came to me pretty quickly. I knew I wanted darker features and strong bone structure while still appearing young. I needed him to look like the hero, but still look pretty green when it came to the world around him. I didn't want him to stick out in society, but he needed to look like he definitely wasn't from around there (or where ever he ended up).

His family came fairly easy once I had him figured out. I knew that he was going to look similar to his father, having gotten most of his looks from him, minus the fact that he has some softer feature and expressions from his mother. His sister I wanted to look fairer than the rest of them and that probably just comes from the want for a bit of the fair maiden stereotype. She's by no means that character, but I don't mind using cliches. Those characters came easy. The rest of them? Well, not so easy.

Milo is giving me trouble, but not as much a another character that I can't introduce you to, because they are a secret. Milo originally was this shady character, who was this short, ratty looking character with a nose too big for his face, beady eyes and thin, stringy hair. However, I started having second thoughts when I realized that, he's a con-artist and being ugly and a con-artist would make him an amazing con-artist, but being attractive (relatively) and a con-artist would make it more likely for him to be one. I figured then, that he needed to stop looking like he was so gross and start looking like it was plausible that he did his trade, dare I call it that.

Now, this is a whole different kind of character development. Instead of just having their face come to me, I have to work with what characters he will be around, the needs that his physical appearance with serve, and the way other characters will see him. So, that's where I'm at. Taking  a look at what his purpose is, I should be able to figure out what he's supposed to look like--in theory. What I figure is that I'd like to have a contrast between Milo and Julian, so Milo is going to be pretty fair. I'm thinking light to medium blonde hair that is cut neatly, medium to light green eyes, still short with not as rigid facial features as Julian. He'll have to be an inviting face, one that people want to trust. He isn't a strong looking fellow, but he isn't soft. Most of his attributes look fairly average, which allows him to blend in.

Make sense? I know I just did a total brainstorm at you for no discernible reason, but you all love me so you'll ready anything I write. Right? Riiiight? Good.

LL&P

Milo Lycus

Happy Monday! Or...not so happy. I suppose it depends on your stance on Monday. I have a bit of a thing for Mondays because Heroes and House are on Mondays and how can I resist that.  Let's get to it! Today, you get to meet (finally) Milo Lycus. 

Name: Hermilo Lycus

Nickname: Milo

Age: 35 ish

Height: 5’6”

Weight: ?

Build: Short.

Eyes: ?

Skin: ?

Hair: Hidden under a merchant's hat, or perhaps not.

Other Facial Features: Open, trustworthy face. 

Occupation: Thief, merchant, con-artist.

Personality: Scheming, mischievious, self-serving with a strong instinct for self-preservation. Liar, deceiver. Never married, nor have any children, but has worked his way into women’s hearts to get what he needed from them, mostly in the form of money. A master of lying, cheating and stealing.

Background: Born into a poor family in the city. His father could not sustain his children, having there be five of them with Milo in the middle. Milo learned quickly to take care of himself in that environment and ran away from home at fifteen. He doesn’t know where his family went or his siblings. 

Greek God Equivalent: Hermes

The fun part about this guy is that he's hilarious. He's very much the comedic relief and he's definitely a heck of a lot of trouble. You'll notice that I have NO IDEA WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE! It is insanely difficult to pinpoint him. He's this great, dynamic character, but I can't tell you what he looks like. I've been running him through my brain quite a bit lately and I can even give you examples of hilarious things he'd say, but aside from that, blank.

So far I've tried to compare him to actors and such. Originally, he was darker skinned with very dark eyes, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. I've had a few ideas, like maybe he looks more like Simon Pegg, and then I thought that he slightly reminds me of David Anders. Then I had an idea that he might be more like Andrew Lee Potts. But, I am open to anything. SO! I am asking for suggestions. Anything you can think of. I mean, anyone. Even if you are like, "I don't have a face, but what if he looks like this!" and then go on to say some insanely distinct description. The only requirements are what I've got going on up there. 

LL&P

Question Friday 03

Wow, I keep making late posts in the day. I think I average about 5PM though, so it's okay. Things have been going on around my house and I've just now gotten a chance to sit down and write this out. Lots of questions, too.

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1. So, what's your favourite comfort food?

Spaghetti and marinara. It has been my comfort food since I was a kid. It is the only thing I crave when I am sick.

2. What does Julian think of when he daydreams?

Not having to go through with this tradition. He wants to be given the time to go learn about the world on his own without the added pressure of running a kingdom on his heels. 

3. Does Julian have siblings?

Yes. Julian has one sister, named Sophia Helen de Arques. She is seventeen years old and as of Julian's birthday, she is looking for suitors. She remains at the castle while Julian is on his quest, but she will come into play, I believe in the second book. I'm not sure, but I will be utilizing her. More on her later.

4. Does he have a pet?

He does not have a pet that is just his. There are hunting dogs and horses among other things that belong to the royal family, but there isn't anything that he calls his own. 

5. Any thoughts on the climate of [Kingdom]?

I am in the process of drawing a map, actually. The coastal regions range from mild to cool and rainy. Inland there are forests and deserts, but most of the occupied land is around water, whether it be lakes or rivers or even manmade bodies of water. The one thing that there isn't is any tropical climates or rainforest-like climates. Also, I am so referring to it as [Kingdom] from now until I get a name for it.

6. What is your writing process like?

My process changes depending on how serious I am about what I am writing. Sometimes, I just fly by the seat of my pants and go. In this case, I do a lot more planning. I like to write up character profiles for each character that includes precise information on how they look, their personality, their history, their likes and dislikes and any other technical information I need to remember when it comes to writing them into the story. Once I have everyone as detailed as possible, I will write an outline that is a chapter by chapter synopsis. It details the main point of the chapter, what I am trying to convey. I sometimes have more detailed information than others, it just depends on the kind of chapter it is. Often, a chapter is dreamt up from one line of dialogue or a sentence that I want to include and I will build around that. 

I find that I tend to work a little bit backwards. I find one detail that I like and I create the story around that. If I have two details, I will run through every possibility that they have to be connect and go from there. My writing process is very scattered because my ideas come out of left field sometimes. Some of my best ideas I've ever had happened in a grocery store or while shopping. I keep a small notebook with me all the time, just in case. Then, I go home compare all the notes and find the plot inside it. For this story though, the process will be a lot more structured than usual.

7. Did you get character ideas from people you know, other fandom characters or what?

My character ideas come from all over. I find that a lot of times I know that my plot needs one characteristic to round it out. For example, with Julian's sister, Sophia; I knew that somewhere in the family I needed a place that Julian could feel he wasn't being pressured and I wanted a sort of logic and realistic feel to this place. So, I took those characteristics--logic, realistic, familiar, intelligence--and wound them all up into one character. That is what Sophia is. She's a very smart, level-headed, intelligent young woman who is a counter balance at home for Julian. They aren't great friends, but they care for each other. I knew that it would give him a firm foundation. It just worked out that she corresponds well with the goddess Athena. 

Other times, my characters just come to me. Or maybe I have one look or purpose they need to serve in the book. I'm finding that a lot of the characters in this trilogy are created on and around Julian based on my needs to advance the plot. Luckily, I find that my favorite characteristics are easily implemented in this fantasy world and I can use all my loved personality traits and quirks. I will say this, there's at least two characters that did receive parial inspiration from Captain Jack Sparrow. 

8. Do you have faces for any of the characters?

What's funny about this is that I have so many characters to put faces to, but only Julian's came to me and made sense. The rest of them are still up in the air. There's one character in particular, that I could tell you their personality, the way they dress, their scars, their quirks, their fears, their vices, personal details about their childhood and I cannot for the life of me settle on their physical attributes. I can't decide on hair color, hair length, eye color, body type or height. I mean, I know next to nothing about how they look, but I know everything about who they are. Looks are alluding me a little bit for characters, but I think once I get moving on it, they will make a little more sense. For now, we will just have to live with my poor descriptions of their physical appearance.

9. Does Julian have a sidekick/bestie that will accompany him on his travels of epic proportions?

The Quest of Kings does not allow the heir to embark on the journey with a companion. So, starting out on the journey? No. Julian is completely alone, but--and I think I can tell you this without giving away too much, because I want to talk about him--Julian will very quickly gain a traveling companion. I know I've mention Milo Lycus before. He is a very interesting character that nearly gets Julian into trouble... over and over again. I will get to him next week, I believe. He may not be Julian's best friend and definitely not at the beginning, but he definitely occupies the 'sidekick' role.

10. What inspiring/badass music have you been listening to to prepare/write this epic?

Oh man, I dont' even have a good answer for this. I listen to a lot of movie soundtracks when it comes to this kind of thing because I want it to play very clearly in the reader's head when they discover this fantasy land. I've taken to string quartets and also a lot of the metal sounds that are in Hellboy II have been pretty inspiring. Also, the song "Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)" by Arcade Fire has been and interesting mix. They actually use the sound of whistling kettles in the song and I like the image it gives me. If I find anything else I love, I'll be sure to share it with you!

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I hope that feeds your craving this week and that you will survive until next week when I post again. I hope to get some plotting worked on this weekend, God willing. A lot is going on around my house right now, but I am consistently excited about this trilogy and I really cannot wait to share it. Thanks for reading!

Greek Mythology and Related Gods

Oh, I am so unprepared for today's post. I was going to do the Legend of the Oracle or the de Arques family history, but realized a little too late that I'm not entirely sure how those legends/histories play out just yet. I still need to do some more brainstorming on those before I finalize them and feel confident posting it all here.

Instead, I am going to introduce you to something that I had mentioned on Friday about my inspirations. There's a running theme with all of my characters that is very specifically chosen. Each character that I create has a Greek god equivalent. This doesn't mean that their story directly follows that of the god they are modeled after, but they do have similarities. Most characters, you will notice, have been named for their greek god. Not all, of course. Sometimes it is even a far reach of the name. At any rate, they all have their parallel characters.

There's a few reasons I did this. Mostly, it is to satisfy my love of Greek mythology and to include it in my stories. I tend to use it as a model in some ways. Also, since this trilogy is meant to, in some ways, mirror the Greek epics, I knew it needed to be included. There is also the matter of using it as a familiar model. Not everyone is familiar with Greek mythology, but it allows me to include the classic themes in literature that I really fell in love with.

Here's a list of Greek gods and their qualities that you can expect to see in my own characters. There is only one character to each god/goddess.


Aphrodite - The goddess of lust, love and beauty. Known as the most beautiful goddess. Her symbols are the septor, myrtle and dove. The Roman equivalent is Venus.

Apollo - Associated with being the god of music, prophecy, medicine, health, poetry and archery. He is also linked to Light and Truth, as well as the sun. Apollo is known for being the most attractive god. His twin sister is Artemis and is the son of Zeus. His symbols are the bow, lyre and laurel. The Roman equivalent is the same.

Artemis - Goddess of the hunt, wild things and the moon. She is the twin sister of Apollo. Known to be a virgin goddess. Her symbols are the bow, dogs and deer. The Roman equivalent is Diana.

Athena - Goddess of wisdom, warfare, strategy, handcrafts and reason. She is another daughter of Zeus. She came into being in full armor and is known to be the wisest of the gods. Her symbols are the aegis, owl and olive tree. The Roman equivalent is Minerva.

Chronos - The Keeper of Time. Often shown as the god turning the zodiac wheel. The Roman equivalent is Saturn.

Hephaestus - God of fire and the forge, or the god of smiths. He is the only god to be cast out of Olympus. He is crippled and said to be ugly. He makes the armor for the gods and some Greek heroes. His symbols are the axe, hammer and flame. The Roman equivalent is Vulcan. (This always makes me happy.)

Hera - Goddess of woman, childbirth and marriage. She is married to Zeus. Her symbols are the scepter, diadem and peacock. The Roman Equivalent is Juno.

Hermes - God of flight, thieves,  mischief, commerce and travelers. He is the messenger of the gods and leads the dead souls to Hades. He is found in more myths than any other god. He is tricky and inventive, and his symbols are caduceus and winged boots. The Roman equivalent is Mercury.

Moirae - Also known as The Fates. This is the collection of three gods that control the thread of life. The first, Clotho, spins the thread of life. The second, Lachesis, measures the thread that will become the lifespan of every mortal. The final, Atropos, cuts the thread of life. Their Roman equivalent is the Parcae and were named Nona, Decima and Morta.

Zeus - He is the king of the gods, ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky and thunder. His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull and oak. The Roman equivalent is Jupiter.


You can expect to see more themes, creatures and various gods throughout the characters. Its a fun game to play, trying to find the parallels between my characters and the gods in Greek mythology. I can't wait to share more with you about the characters, but for now, this will have to do.

The Story Begins

I like the fact that my first post happened on a Friday and I didn't have to post again until Monday. I swear it wasn't intentional, but that is just how it worked out. At any rate, it gave me some time to try and plan out the week's posts, though I can't say I really know how it will all play out, we'll see.

Business first. Here's what you can expect each week. I will be posting character descriptions, summaries, plot ideas and creature legends. I will be giving you little glimpses into the world that I am creating as I come up with it. I encourage comments and responses to what I post and if you are an artist or just a fan, please feel free to create your own art! Use my stuff as your inspiration for things. If you have an account on Deviant Art, let me know and I can watch you too.

Now onto the fun stuff. I'm sure you are all wondering what the heck this whole thing is even about and why you should be interested in this whole 'steampunk' thing. Well, how about I give you a teaser. If I was going to write something to go on the back of the book, this is what it would say;

"On a quest for honor and the crown, Prince Julian Therius de Arques III will be the reluctant hero of his kingdom. His father, King de Arques II, will pass his crown to his son only after he has completed his quest. The sheltered Prince can only use his limited knowledge of the world around him to seek out the Oracle, a wise man who borders on legend. The world is cruel outside his castle walls and just when Julian believes he can complete the first stage of his pilgrimage, he is being tracked by a notorious sky pirate, bounty hunter and assassin. With no allies, but his unlikely con-artist sidekick Milo, he will face theives, sirens and hellhounds around every corner. His journey into the corrupt world outside is only proving to be a grander adventure than he would have ever asked for."

So, that is something like how it would go and that will give you a good idea of what to expect in the first book in particular. Our hero, Julian, must embark on a journey he wants no part of, but must complete due to his royal responsibilities. Tomorrow you will hear more about our protagonist.

And now for a poll! What is your favorite mythological creature? Respond in the comments!