Character Playlist: Ink

Character art by Mr. K.

Ink is a really interesting character for me, purely for how much of a character she is and how much of the world she’s shaped despite her origins. She started from a very simple premise: I wanted a character who came from a different freelancer company than the Starbreakers, who knew them well, knew the game, but hadn’t suffered any of the emotional fallout of their breakup, so she could provide a unique perspective on them, and I wanted this character to be a stand-in for outside interest in the Starbreaker’s actions.

From that simple, base necessity, I got Kira Arakawa, the former staff wizard of the Cord of Aenwyn, intellectual rival to Phoenix, High Inquisitive of the Academy, and all-around boss bitch. And because I just can’t leave well enough alone once a character grabs my attention, I’ve since thought out a whole history for her involving an arcane cold war arms race, a legendary mercenary company, and a tragic romance with who is essentially the prince of Fantasy-Egypt.

And really, once you put that much thought into a character that’s as fun to write for as Ink, you kind of have to bump her up to a bigger role in the sequel.

“W.I.T.C.H.” — Devon Cole

Some songs, I pick for their thematic resonance with the character. Some songs, I pick for how well the song’s story lines up with the character’s life. And sometimes, I pick a song because I hear it and instantly imagine the YouTube AMV montage of the character set to it.

Guess which one this is.

“A Little Wicked” — Valerie Broussard

Ink’s story is a sequence of kneeling only as long as it takes to surpass whoever currently hold authority over her, and it all began with her time in the Cord of Aenwyn first turning her from a headstrong runaway into the wicked witch she is now.

“I Did Something Bad”

Ink has never been one to balk at pushing people’s buttons, breaking rules, or even just disappearing her problems. Far from it, she tends to revel in it.

Sidenote, reputation is good, actually, you’re all just mean.

“I Like It” — Cardi B, Bad Bunny, J Balvin

Ink did not always have money. But she does now, and she will flaunt it.

Typa Girl — BLACKPINK

Speaking of flaunting it, Ink has a rather high opinion of herself in general. She’ll tell you it’s well-justified.

“god sent me as karma” — emlyn

I cannot tell you how many characters were fighting for this to be their ass-kicking song, but Ink wins out for the systematic destruction of the lives of anyone she decided was her enemy.

“Breakfast” — Dove Cameron

One of my all time favorite comments I got from a beta reader about Ink was, “Did you intentionally make her so appealing to lesbians?” I didn’t, but apparently Bad Bitch™ energy and a central gimmick centering around tying people up just does it for some people.

“Empire” — Beth Crowley

Ink’s story is the story of a woman who refused to be anybody’s servant, and subsequently dedicated herself to accruing power until she has to listen to no one, and everyone has to listen to her.

Mages.

“Muscle Memory”

Just because you leave a lover behind to pursue your career, doesn’t mean you don’t still have a deep connection to them. And it definitely doesn’t mean that you can’t get reacquainted if you ever happen to cross paths again.

“everything I wanted” — Billie Eilish

Some day, I’ll create a character whose bravado isn’t based at least in part in deep seated insecurities and a fundamentally hollowness inside them they don’t know how to fill.

Not today though.

Ink is a major supporting character in my Glintchasers series, with the latest installment, They Split the Party, releasing June 23, 2023.