A blog that no one will ever see

Hey, this is just me posting about my WIPs. 

My Heist Novel

Celia has never been a hero, or one for friends. Ever since she was sent to the Blue Rose, a dangerous pleasure house, she has only been focused on surviving without changing herself the way that everyone else seems to have done. But when she takes a dangerous gamble that doesn’t pay off, she will have to find allies. 

A forger with an odd past. 

A fighter who will do anything to protect her brother. 

A thief who just might turn them in before he even considers the odds. 

The girl she tried to save that got her into this mess. 

The best crew in the city... that was willing to join her. As secrets are revealed and loyalties are tested, the difference between right and wrong might become harder to tell than Celia had thought. 

Celia has never been a hero, but she might have to be, if she wants to make it out alive. 

Characters

Celia

Helena

Anya

Ilana

Jes

Vera/Violet, who wasn’t even supposed to be there but worked her way in

Celia - Paladin. She's very devoted to a cause. Plus, I love the idea of of lay on hands for her. I'm thinking either oath of vengeance or watchers

Helena - Sorcerer. Their spell casting modifier is charisma, which Helena has tons of

Ilana - Fighter. Fairly obvious.

Jes - Cleric. Religion is very important to him and the party needs one

Anya - Rogue. She's very sneaky

Violet - Sorcerer. Same reason as Helena

Why two names? You’ll find out soon

Violet is fifteen, at the time of this book. She is also a mean girl. She blatantly breaks rules all of the time and gets away with it because people like her. She has a very intense rivalry with Celia and is Helena’s only friend, although neither of them would admit it. 

Backstory:

oh boy, this is going to be long. 

So her name was originally Vera Prescott and she was born to a pretty wealthy family. She used to spend time with Alexis (Anya’s younger cousin) and she would see Anya around. One time she caught Anya attempting to copy the way they were drinking tea and just gave her some pointers and left. 

Vera was born out of wedlock. When she was 11 (and Anya was fourteen) someone found out and told everyone. Her parents banished her in the hopes that people would forget. They told everyone she died. 

Vera, understandably, was pissed. So she decided that she was not going to go away. In fact, she was going to get married to someone rich so they’d always have to see her around. She eventually ends up at the Red Daisy under the name Violet Manchineel. 

Now’s probably a good time to mention the two names. So getting your name changed legally is close to impossible because the legal records are also what people believe the gods see about you. So if you change your name, that’s like hiding from the gods. But there is a workaround, mostly for women getting married. The clerk will write that the old name is dead and write new papers for your current name. Basically, if you were named Jane Prescott and got married to John Doe, they would mark Jane Prescott as dead and then create a new set of papers for Jane Doe, wife of John Doe. Vera pretended she was getting married and her husband couldn’t make it. And since there’s no rule against putting a different first name on the papers, she became Violet Manchineel legally. This was definitely unnecessary, but she was trying to make a point. 

Anyway, then Helena shows up, and I need to describe this from Violet’s perspective so you see how weird it is. 

Imagine you are twelve years old and the most anticipated girl from the Blue Rose shows up at your door. Is she lost? No. She wants to talk to you. 

She says she’s heard that you know how to make your face look like the rich girls. 

That is something you can do, having grown up rich. 

She asks if you heard about the tragedy that happened last Debut, when a boy died. 

You were like three rooms away from the boy who had died.

She says they are having trouble finding someone to take his room and asks if you would be willing to. 

You’ve already died once, as far as the law is concerned. 

She says she can get you into Debut if you take Antony’s bed. She says she can get you into the Blue Rose, if you do her makeup. 

You’re pretty sure that wasn’t the deal she was supposed to offer, but you respect ambition. You two aren’t that different. 

because I can. these are specially the Taylor Swift songs that make me cry thinking about it

Celia: right where you left me

“I, I swear you could hear a hair pin drop Right when I felt the moment stop Glass shattered on the white cloth Everybody moved on, I, I stayed there Dust collected on my pinned-up hair They expected me to find somewhere Some perspective, but I sat and stared”

this would be about Antony’s death and how it shook her. everyone else moved on, but she can’t because he was her only friend and he’s dead. I also love the pinned-up hair detail because Celia always has her hair up even though it’s against the rules.

Helena: I did something bad

“They're burning all the witches even if you aren't one They got their pitchforks and proof Their receipts and reasons“

specifically the version from the reputation tour. there’s just this performance quality to it that I love. and then the bridge where it gets quieter and she’s trying to talk to her backup dancers but they turn away from her as she’s singing and finally realizing that not being a witch is not going to stop her from being burned. Helena finally realizing that she’s not going to be safe after she becomes the target of the abuse she’s ignored.

Ilana: never grow up

“To you everything's funny, you've got nothing to regret I'd give all I have honey If you could stay like that“

“So here I am in my new apartment In a big city, they just dropped me off It's so much colder than I thought it would be So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on Wish I'd never grown up” 

Ilana taking care of Josh. she wants to give him the safety that she never had as a child. she tries to protect him by not letting him become her. she thinks its too late for her, but she can save Josh.

I’m crying too hard to finish but you get my point.

Jes: labrynth

“"It only hurts this much right now" Was what I was thinkin' the whole time Breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out I'll be gettin' over you my whole life”

Jes dealing with the loss of his father.

Anya: Marjorie

“Never be so kind You forget to be clever Never be so clever You forget to be kind”

both this and the fact that she’s singing about someone who died. Also, “what died didn’t stay dead” about Violet.

Bonus: Antony: you’re on your own kid

“From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this I hosted parties and starved my body Like I'd be saved by a perfect kiss The jokes weren't funny, I took the money My friends from home don't know what to say I looked around in a blood-soaked gown And I saw something they can't take away ‘Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned Everything you lose is a step you take So make the friendship bracelets Take the moment and taste it You've got no reason to be afraid”