(★) the other side by langston (★)

[Damon (Hello?!?!!)]

Blank

[Langston (on hiatus for the forseeable future)]

WORLD
TWO LARGE ISLANDS CONNECTED BY A MAGIC-MADE BRIDGE
BOTH ISLANDS ARE SURROUNDED BY TWENTY-THREE TEENY ISLETS
ISLAND A: MOSNI
ISLAND B: CALAN
FUELED BY MAGIC

[Langston (on hiatus for the forseeable future)]

MAGIC

ENCHANTRESS
FEMALE; DRAWS POWER FROM LIFE FORCE
-BLOOD/RAZED-

ALCHEMIST
MALE; BLOOD SCIENTISTS THAT HAVE COME INTO A BOTH PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH AN ENCHANTRESS AND HAVE OVER TIME ACQUIRED MAGIC FROM THEIR WIFE

HUMANS/CLEAR BLOOD
No Magic

[Langston (on hiatus for the forseeable future)]

ASPEN
IS PHOENYX’S HUSBAND. 🫶
HAS A BRUTAL BACKSTORY AND IS A TRUE GENIUS
HE’S VERY GENTLE EXCEPT FOR IN BATTLE — TRAUMA, FLASHBACKS, ETC. RUTHLESS; LETHAL
APPEARANCES: BLONDE CURLY HAIR AND HAS A HETEROCHROMIA (BLUE AND HAZEL)

PHOENYX
IS THE MAIN CHARACTER; IS THE “BAD GUY”
WHY? — TBD
IS EPILEPTIC
APPEARANCE: AUBURN HAIR, HAZEL EYES
IS COLD AND A VILLAIN TO EVERYBODY OUTSIDE OF ASPEN HAS VERY NORMAL, KIND MOMENTS WITH ASPEN

[Langston (on hiatus for the forseeable future)]

You have plenty of book where the MC is the villain, but it’s never clear who the villain actually is. This WIP is supposed to be my emotional work and allow me to write as many purple passages as I want, while also giving myself a challenge. I mean, how can you think that your MC is the “bad guy” when you’re inside their head? Wouldn’t you immediately be for them?

[Sienna E. Z.]

Omg I love this entire idea!! Can’t wait to see what you do with it!!

[Deborah]

Here are a couple podcasts you might enjoy that will help you figure out what makes your villain-protagonist click. (I have no relationship with this podcaster except that he's a genius and I've listened to almost his entire backlist.) In some of the podcasts, the info is a secondary plot point. But all the info is useful.

https://www.christianpublishingshow.c...

https://www.christianpublishingshow.c...

https://www.christianpublishingshow.c...

https://www.authormedia.com/how-to-pi...

[Langston (on hiatus for the forseeable future)]

SORRY TO ANYONE WHO’S READING MY WIP, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT I’M USING THIS TO ORGANIZE EVERYTHING. I WILL POST A FEW RANDOM AND SCATTERED SCENES, BUT WILL NOT OFFICIALLY RELEASE THE PLOT LINE. 🙂

[Langston (on hiatus for the forseeable future)]

ASPEN ACQUIRES MAGIC

“‘NYX!’
SHE JERKED OUT OF HER MEDITATION, TRYING TO FIND SKYLER AND SEE IF DAX HAD DONE HIS JOB YET.
‘OH, SORRY. I CAN COME BACK LATER.’
‘NO, IT’S FINE. THE DAMAGE IS ALREADY DONE.’
‘SORRY.’
‘IT’S FINE. NOW, WHAT HAPPENED?’
ASPEN LOOKED LIKE A YOUNG BOY, EXCITED TO SHOW HIS PARENTS SOMETHING NEW HE’D LEARNED. WAIT–
PHOENYX JUMPED UP, ‘DID YOU–?’
HE NODDED.
‘SHOW ME.’
‘IT JUST STARTED, AND ITS WEAK, BUT THE ACQUIREMENT HAS BEGUN.’ HE PULLED HER INTO HIS LABORATORY. A TABLE WAS CLEAR EXCEPT FOR AN EMPTY BEAKER AND TWO OTHERS, ONE FILLED WITH A BLUE FLUID, AND THE OTHER A GRAY SLUDGE. HE MEASURED OUT THE GRAY STUFF INTO THE NOW-NOT-EMPTY BEAKER AND POURED THREE DROPS OF THE BLUE LIQUID ONTO IT CAREFULLY.
FIRE ERUPTED OUT OF THE BEAKER AND SWIRLED AROUND INSIDE IT.
‘ETERNAL FLAME. NOW LOOK.’
HE DUG AROUND IN THE CABINETS BELOW FOR A NEW BEAKER.
‘HERE, LET ME.’ SHE PLACED TWO FINGERS AGAINST THE FLAMING BOTTLE AND CONCENTRATED, SEARCHING INSIDE HER. SHE HAD TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER THAN USUAL BEFORE SHE FELT THE WARM TINGLING SENSATION FILL HER, WHAT SHE ALWAYS FELT WHEN SHE CALLED UPON HER MAGIC.
THE FIRE VANISHED AND SHE PULLED HER MAGIC BACK INTO HER. SHE WAS EXHAUSTED BY JUST THE SMALL FEAT SHE HAD ACCOMPLISHED, AND SHE COUGHED SHALLOWLY, TRYING NOT TO BREATHE AS HEAVILY AS FELT SHE NEEDED TO.
‘THANKS.’
ASPEN REPEATED THE PROCESS, THIS TIME BLOWING INTO THE BOTTLE OF BLUE BEFORE POURING IT OUT. SHE FELT HIM DRAW ON HER POWER, AND SHE LEANED GENTLY AGAINST THE TABE, STEADYING HERSELF WITHOUT HIM NOTICING, HE WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE FIRE.
HIS EYES GLOWED SLIGHTLY AS HE LET THE FIRE TWIRL THROUGH HIS FINGERS BEFORE CREATING A SMALL EXPLOSION AND CHANGING FORM INTO A BIRD.
‘A PHOENIX’
SHE SMILED. ‘I GUESS THIS IS WHY I’VE BEEN SO TIRED LATELY.’
ASPEN FROWNED, ‘I’VE NOTICED, THIS ISN’T SUPPOSED TO TAKE A TOLL ON YOU PHYSICALLY, JUST MAKE YOUR MAGIC A LITTLE WEAKER. MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE HEIDI CHECK TO MAKE SURE NOTHING IS ACTUALLY WRONG.’
SHE DIDN’T WANT HEIDI NEAR HER, ‘NO.’
‘YOU CAN’T NOT TRUST HER NOW. SHE'S BEEN WITH US FOR A YEAR, AND SHE ALREADY KNOWS YOU’RE EPILEPTIC. DO YOU WANT TO RISK THE REST OF THEM FINDING OUT?’
‘FINE. BUT YOU’RE OVERREACTING.’
‘I’M YOUR HUSBAND, IT’S MY JOB TO BE OVERPROTECTIVE.’
SHE ROLLED HER EYES, BUT CAME UP AND KISSED HIM GENTLY. HIS HAND DRIFTED TOWARD THE SIDE OF HER FACE, BUT SHE PULLED AWAY, PUNISHING HIM.
‘I REFUSE TO LET HEIDI EXAMINE ME. WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR MASKS UP.’
‘RIGHT.’ BUT HE LOOKED LIKE HE WANTED TO ARGUE, HE DID. ‘BUT ARE YOU SURE—’
‘I SAID NO.’ SHE SAID IN A TONE SHE NORMALLY RESERVED FOR HER FINAL DECISIONS. BUT THOSE WERE A BIT MORE FINAL THAN NOW.
ASPEN’S FACE HARDENED, ‘FOR NOW.’
WITH ONE LAST GLANCE HER WAY HE TURNED ON HIS HEEL AND STRODE INTO THE HALL, CALLING THE FIERY BIRD AFTER HIM.
HE RELEASED IT, AND THE POWER SLAMMED BACK INTO HER. SHE CLENCHED HER JAW TO KEEP FROM CRYING OUT AND ALERTING HIM FURTHER THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. IT WAS IF THE MAGIC DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE HER, AND NEEDED TO GET BACK TO HER AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SHE SANK TO THE FLOOR PAIN STILL SWIRLING AROUND HER INSIDES, TRYING TO CATCH HER BREATH.
MAYBE SHE SHOULD LET HEIDI DO AN EXAMINATION.”

[Langston (on hiatus for the forseeable future)]

The dramatic irony of being an author. *sigh* Bliss.