#Avalon MS

[karmarossa]

i barely do fanart but these 2 deserve 1000000 morbillion drawings and crackfics together because HOLY FUCK bastard x bastard + they would totally match each other's freak (in the field) this was drawn on hours of everytime we touch nightcore remixes, yaoi anime drawing bases, one layer on ms paint and nothing on my mind except avoiding everything else im drawing in favor of finishing this masterpiece, like the goddess of fortune intended <3 i don't think i need to watermark this, it's the type of shit that kills you in 7 days if you steal it

[sso-maev]

SSO timeline (REWORKED)

Consider the old timeline outdated! I’ve found new timestamps and made a few guesses based on character ages and relations to each other.

We have a few things to go off of: It’s been 20 years since Catherine died, and it’s been 45 years since the baroness left Mr Sands and Thomas was born. The old sisterhood, canonically all being born in 1977-1978, should be in their mid 40s. While I used to say Elizabeth’s age was a good jumping off-point, I think 47 is a bit too old considering the other people in her generation (like Sigry and Avalon). It would also make the gap between the failed sisterhood and Catherine’s death a bit too large.

So new theory! Sigry is 44 in the journals and probably born in 1977, and that is our reference point for the timestamps going forward. The journal ages are unreliable, but I’ll consider them canon unless contradicted by the games or books. In case of contradictions between different sso media, my canon hierarchy goes: Newer quests (Post-2018) > Books > Older quests > Journal ages > SSL.

I’ll put the source of my timeline claims in brackets. Confirmed, unmovable timestamps will be marked in green. Unclear time estimates will be marked with a ~. Let’s get into it!

1218

Jon Jarl arrives on Jorvik. [Starstable Online]

1702

Bertrude Silverglade passes away, leaving the Silverglade estate in the hands of an unnamed “mysterious relative”. [Starstable Online]

~1773

John Sandman and Rosalinda are born, ~25 years before Rosalinda’s death

1798

Rosalinda dies. She and John Sandman are engaged to be married, so they’re probably in their mid-20s. [The Legend Awakens]

1871

Mr Sanders fishes up a deep-sea creature, likely connected to Garnok. [Starshine Legacy]

1890

Owen D Sands establishes Deep Core Drilling Company on Jorvik. [Starshine Legacy]

~1890-1900

At some point during this time period, Mississippi Jones looks for the horn of Araxia. He is pursued by the presumed dead John Sandman. [Starstable Online]

1903

A cave-in/gas incident kills 211 workers and 14 civilians during a Deep Core drilling. (Sounds very similar to what happened in Old Hillcrest…theories…) [Starshine Legacy]

1904

Deep Core is forced to shut down. [Starshine Legacy]

1921

Beatrice, a soul rider of a former sisterhood, is born. She turns 100 years old in present day. [Ghost Stories from Jorvik]

1933

A former reincarnation of Starshine saves four girls who went missing on a school trip to a grave field north of Jorvik City. (Maybe this would be Beatrice’s eventual sisterhood?) [Starshine legacy]

1936

Annabelle Silverglade is born. [Starstable Online]

~1937-1940

Beatrice’s sisterhood is active.

~1949

Pi is born, most likely right inbetween Beatrice and Elizabeth.

1953

Esmeralda Holdsworth is born. [Starstable Online]

1954

Jasper Holbrook is born. [Starstable Online]

1959

John Sandman is on the Firgrove council. Herman Wetton is presumably born around this time, as he claims to have grown up in the 60s. [Starstable Online and Darkness Falling]

1964

Annabelle Silverglade marries John Sandman. [Starstable Online]

1965

Elsa Einstein is born. [Starstable ad]

~1965-1969

Pi is part of a soul rider sisterhood. [Aideen’s gift]

1970

Evergray is born. [Starstable Online]

1976

Annabelle Silverglade divorces John Sandman 45 years before present day. Thomas Moorland is born. [Starstable Online]

1977

Sigry Varanger and Caroline Westfall are born. [The Prisoner of Pandoria]

1978

Catherine Holbrook is born. [Starstable Online]

1979

Avalon is born. [Starstable Online]

1985

Dr Eiren Doyle is born. [Starstable Online]

1987

Ms. Drake is born. [Starstable Online]

1988

Rhiannon is born. [Starstable Online]

1989

Darko is born. [Starstable ad]

1995

Elizabeth arrives on Jorvik. She, Eva, Sigry and Caroline form a soul rider sisterhood. [Shadows Over Jorvik]

~1996

Catherine joins the sisterhood, but grows distant after a failed light ride. [Starstable Online]

~1997

Caroline goes missing and is never seen again. [Starstable Online]

~1999

Catherine’s horse dies after being part of a dangerous ritual. Evergray is presumably banished shortly thereafter. [Starstable Online]

~2000

Catherine and Thomas get married. Josh B’gosh is born. [Starstable Online, Starstable ad]

2001

Catherine dies. Justin is born. [Starstable Online]

2002

Rania Varanger is born. [Starstable Online]

2003

Linda Chanda, Alex Cloudmill, Lisa Peterson and Anne von Blyssen are born in the same year. Derek, Maya, Tan and Loretta are also born this year. [Starstable Online, Jorvik Calling, Starstable ad]

2010

Madison Hightower is born. [Starstable Online]

2011

Rhiannon arrives on Jorvik, ten years before the beginning of SSO. [Starstable Online]

2019

Lisa Peterson arrives on Jorvik, two years before the beginning of SSO. [Starstable Online]

2021-2022

Main story of Starstable Online.

[booplesnotts-art]

Portrait of Mrs Ms LeRoux🪞

Once married, never again

Avalon time baybee

[houndsofcorduff]

Avalon Show Bible: Worldbuilding: Dunhaven High School

Dunahven High School

Grades 9 - 12

Built in the 1910s

Two stories and a basement

The gymnasium is located not far from the main building

Faded and worn brick on the outside, cinderblock walls inside with peeling paint where it gets scraped by backpacks all day

They say they wax the floors every summer but it's still the same scuffed dark purple and white checker pattern as always

Large windows at the entrance, but tiny windows for the classrooms

A city mural dominates the outside wall that faces the main street

Colors are dark purple and silver

Mascot is a raven

Their main rival is the Portbridge High Falcons, one town over

They do well in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse

The school newspaper is called "The Raven's Eye."

Important Faculty

Principal Rourke - stern and tired, lived in Dunhaven his whole life, knows every square inch of the school, should probably be more proactive, Zane's uncle, he's more likely to ignore bad behavior if no one is getting hurt

Ms. McKenna - English teacher, faculty sponsor of "The Raven's Eye", young and approachable, loves poetry, prefers to eat lunch alone, but is constantly interrupted by newspaper kids

Coach Graff - coaches soccer and lacrosse, strict, competitive, grumpy, maybe pushes his athletes too far physically, but always lets their academics slip, cares more about sports than school

Mr. Sullivan - history teacher, a bit of a supernatural geek, does some "ghost hunting" on the weekends, very easy to get him off topic.

Mrs. Flannigan - art teacher, older, married but no kids, classic, creative, and eccentric, her art project becomes your art project, maintains the mural on the school wall, mysteriously disappears at pep rallies

Mr. Donnelly - math teacher, patient, detailed, dry humor, loves basketball, makes a lot of basketball analogies in class, will not be at school if the Celtics have a home game

Mrs. Gallagher - school counselor, warm, intuitive, keeps a bowl of candy on her desk, often at odds with Principal Rourke, good relationship with Maeve Murphy, sends her students that might have some supernatural abilities, she doesn't ask questions about that, so long as the students get the help they need that's not her business

The Production Team (aka the taglist): @kingragnarok-writes @aalinaaaaaa @annetilney @ark-inkweaving

[corgate-epistolary]

May 3rd, 624

(Transcript under the cut) (Read on Ao3 HERE)

[Written on off-white writing paper with a smooth but lightly textured hand, in golden yellow-brown ink, in cursive. Letter was folded into its own rectangular envelope, and sealed with a wax seal depicting a cat surrounded by moons, mountains, and window-like arch frame. The wax seal is silver, pale green, and gold swirled together]

Elowen Vance, A.Mg. Corgate Village Post Office

May 3rd, 624

Eris Mirrows, A.Mg. 87 Lancedragon Street Avalon

Mx. Mirrows:

We have arrived safely at Corgate.  The [scratch-out] villagers have been, on the whole, extremely [scratch-out] welcoming to Mg. Hawkins & myself. For once, Mg. Hawkins country manners are serving him far better than my own, as the locals see him as one of their own come home again.  I know Mg. Equlee is bitterly disappointed by the council’s decision (and if it were in my power I [scratch-out] would have [scratch-out, “recom”] recommended to send both, [scratch-out, appears to have been a closed parenthesis] as irritable as they can be to [scratch-out, “the”] each other) but I do not believe he would enjoy this section of the trip.  Please do express my condolences & apologies if you feel it

[end of page 1]

would be in his best interest.

The train journey was fine, & the tracks in this area are in good repair.  Should you ever have cause to visit, it is about one day’s journey via the train from the city to the station in Corgate, which is very small but well kept.  I am told from here it is another two hours’ [scratch-out, “tra”] travel to the ruins.  As such, I am intending to make the journey to the station for mail & supplies once weekly, and will consider it a morning’s work.

While I am away from Avalon, would you please keep me abreast of the latest happenings with the council?  And of course the general public knowledge of our colleagues & their doings.  I know you find it a little trivial, however [scratch-out, “evew”] even you must recognize the importance of good information before some other magician drags yours into some risky scheme.  We have a duty to ensure that they do not blow themselves up, after all.  I ask only because Mg. Hawkins (and I, in my less charitable moments) is convinced that this posting, far from the city & the university, is intended as a quiet exile as punishment for Mg. Hawkins’ lack of interest

[end of page 2]

in pursuing more formalized proofs & magical education.  I am sure you can hear in your mind his perennial exclamation that he is “getting along just fine as I am!”  I know I can even though I can hear him snoring quite plainly through the inn walls.

Such walls!  The buildings in Corgate seem made [scratch-out, “of”, but written poorly] of tissue paper to my eye - all frame, wattle, & daub and no bricks to be seen.  I am not so sure I will be truly suited to agent’s work in the field, but I can certainly see that Mg. Hawkins is quite in his element.  He seems quite at peace with himself here in a way he has [scratch-out, “nev”] never seemed back home.  Like a bird let loose from a cage, I suppose.  I am ever so glad he is happy, but I will have to learn his trick of avoiding the country mud before I go mad.

On an unrelated note, however, would you please stop by Vimes Place and look for my brown satchel?  In the scramble to get Mg. Hawkins (and all his supplies) out the door, I believe I left it

[end of page 3]

on the front table. It [scratch-out, “on”] only has a few novels & my copy of the notes on the ruins, which I could copy over again if needed, but I do not want to, AND you have the key.  I would trust it to you & to the post office [scratch-out, at the bottom of “office”] here in Corgate, but ask Mg. Equlee to put a little locking on it first.

I will look [scratch-out, “y”] for [scratch-out] your letter when I come down to Corgate next.  [scratch-out, “Stay we”] Stay well!

Ms. Elowen Vance, A.Mg.

P.S. Please let me know if any of my plants start looking sorrowful.  And do forward a newspaper [scratch-out] or two from time to time if you can

[end of page 4][end of letter]

[maniculum]

Another Scorpion Sunday! This one is from a 13th-century English psalter, indicating that not all English psalters go the wyvern route. Specifically, this is from Royal MS 1 D X at the British Library.

Also, @sliceofpearpie did their own illumination of this particular scorpion connected to the original scorpion post, which I think might qualify as "medieval scorpion fan art" -- you can see it at this link here.

Nothing else to add about this one, since my usual resource -- the British Library -- is, as mentioned previously, inaccessible until Arthur returns from Avalon with technical support. So, on to the points.

Small Scuttling Beaſtie? ✓

Pincers? ✘

Exoskeleton or Shell? ✘

Visible Stinger? ✘

Limbs? 10

As for vibes, I really like this one. I was vacillating between a 4 and a 5, so as is my practice, I decided to split the difference and give it a 4.5 / 5. Weird-looking fellow, but in a really charming way.

This means our total is:

6.5 / 10

You have to respect it for being one of the only examples with the right number of limbs.

[cdscdsee]

Ms Avalon how I missed you

[quotidian-oblivion]

Your go, Ms Void!!

Headcanon about Arthur (or Freya??)

Agh. I always take so long to come up with headcanons lmao

I've already done a couple on Arthur, but hmmm, let's see... Freya...

In my world, if Freya survived, she would be able to change in and out of her Bastet form whenever she liked (except for a few limitations like maybe she has to shift at least once a week or something because the curse is just so intertwined with her body).

My biggest headcanon that also fits in with canon is that the Bastet curse was taking up all her magical abilities which is why we don't see her doing any magic in Merlin. She used to have the magical abilities of an average person (say a step below Gaius's power), but when she was cursed, the curse caused her magic to turn against her and regularly turn her into a bloodthirsty-Bastet each night.

Which is why Merlin was the only one all this time who was able to calm her down in her Bastet form. 1) Because she loved Merlin and his soft, gentle and reassuring ways deeply and also 2) because Merlin is Emrys, he is magic and so he was able to reach out to Freya's magic through their connection with one another and calm it down.

And before the Lake of Avalon, while Merlin was sobbing and whispering for her to not let go, his magic listened and made Freya the Lady of the Lake. The Triple Goddess saw what Merlin was (subconsciously) doing and since he's Emrys, she trusted his reasoning and helped with the process to make Freya the Guardian of Avalon.

That's my two cents!

[stormbreaker101]

BEHOLD! MY MAP!

I first made it on a physical styrofoam board, then realized my phone camera is bad so I remade it in MS Paint. The locations of the worlds are NOT indicative of their actual positions in the Spiral (i have more headcanons about that), and instead were chosen just so that no thumbtack was directly in between 2 others... to some extent.

There are 49 different connections and each one has SOME bit of reasoning behind it, which I shall write under the cut.

I made this map for my AU, Corrupted Spiral, which has some noncanon shenanigans going on.

1) Wizard City/Wysteria: Canon says so

2) Wizard City/Valencia: The old Leyline to Valencia in the Catacombs, a handful of Valencians live in Wizard City, more know quite a surprising amount of the Wizard & WC.

3) Wizard City/Avalon: The old Leyline to Avalon in the Catacombs

4) Wizard City/Dragonspyre: The Druid/Dragoon war, and Dragonspyrian immigration to Wizard City after the awakening of the Fire Titan.

5) Krokotopia/Marleybone: Of course Marleybone would expand its empire to a neighboring world. In fact, I'm of the headcanon that the reason we see so LITTLE of Krok and it's all so hyper-concentrated into the Iconic Bits TM is because Marleybone fucking TOOK CHUNKS OF KT AND BROUGHT IT CLOSER TO MB SO IT'D BE EASIER TO HAVE EXPEDITIONS TO IT. (Following in the accidental footsteps of Stallion Quartermane)

6) Krokotopia/Valencia: To-be-released Canon P101 (Arc 2)

7) Krokotopia/Mirage: Both based on SWANA, and I'm of the opinion that worlds with similar IRL geography should be closer together. It just makes sense. Plus, both worlds mention the Sands of Time.

8) Krokotopia/Wallaru: Of course the Krokotillians (Pharaoh Ramakrok in particular) would attempt to expand their empire to a neighboring world. Additionally, I'm of the headcanon that the Manders, Koalas, and Kangaroos are all distant descendants of the Storm Titan (I can go in further detail if asked), so it makes sense for folks of related origin to be nearby.

9) Marleybone/Avalon: Both worlds are based on England, just different eras of it. We see a fair bit of species overlap between the two worlds as well; I'm of the headcanon that MB and AV split off from each other, with AV retaining its high-fantasy magic and MB going more low-fantasy steampunk.

10) Marleybone/Valencia: Canon P101.

11) Marleybone/Mooshu: Canon P101.

12) Marleybone/Cool Ranch: The Marleyboneans are seen establishing CR's train systems with fail time and time again (Duck of Death, Great Sky Train Robbery Gauntlet)

13) Mooshu/Zafaria: A Wizard101 NPC mentions she trades internationally, and Mooshu is one of her regular stops (alongside Marleybone, Avalon, and Polaris). Mooshu also acts as a junction between Zafaria and Marleybone and ergo the other Spiral Powers.

14) Mooshu/Valencia: Canon P101.

15) Mooshu/Skull Island: Canon P101.

16) Mooshu/Wysteria: The wisteria plant is native to East Asia (which Mooshu is based on the way a protein shake is based on multiple ingredients: thrown into a blender), and we see pigfolk in both worlds. Similar Species clause. Yes I am absolutely going to rewrite Wysteria so it's not a fucking joke because I know leaving it in its canon state with this history is a big Yikes Move.

17) Dragonspyre/Monquista: Canon P101.

18) Dragonspyre/Valencia: Canon P101.

19) Celestia/Azteca: Celestia and Azteca have so much history to me. I made a big ol' post about it.

20) Celestia/Khrysalis: Both worlds are deeply involved in the study of Astral magic, the Celestian Zodiac includes the 4 Celestian Creatures of the Radiant Alcazar, and both worlds take... inspiration from Oceania (Celestia's Watermoles are a gross stereotyped imitation of Polynesia, and Khrysalis includes references to Aotearoa)

21) Celestia/Empyrea: I have a headcanon that the Celestians were made by Raven to be stewards of Astral magic, the way the Kalamar, Nimbari, and Dwarves were made to be stewards of the main Schools (besides Balance). But because Astral magic forms a triad of Schools rather than a pair, they couldn't form a Paradox Chain and so Raven deemed them 'unworthy' of staying in Empyrea and so dropped them into what is now Celestia. However, this action caused the 2 worlds to form a link, which became a Stormgate.

22) Zafaria/Aquila: Apparently Carthage existed and the Punic wars happened.

23) Zafaria/Polaris: Same reasoning as Marleybone/Zafaria.

24) Zafaria/Mirage: A similar (albeit weaker) situation as Krokotopia/Mirage, in that the 2 worlds are (sorta) based on similar(ish) places geographically. Additionally, we see both Lions and variants of primates in both worlds.

25) Avalon/Karamelle: They both have fae and that's good enough for me. It's how Lydia made it to Avalon to save Merle Ambrose's life from badly photoshopped gay baby jail.

26) Avalon/Grizzleheim: Both worlds feature bears (the Grizzlies in GH and King Art + Balor the Broken Fang of AV) and giants (Grendels & the Jotuns in GH, the Fomori in AV). Species Similarity.

27) Azteca/Skull Island: I'm just going to point you to THIS again. Also, Xol Akmul's existence.

28) Azteca/Karamelle: I made this choice solely to make my main pirate's backstory work.

29) Khrysalis/Darkmoor: Both are pretty "shadowy" worlds, plain and simple. It just makes sense. The vibes and nothing more profound than that. You understand.

30) Khrysalis/Empyrea: We see a handful of Khrysalis NPCs stranded in Aeriel Shore, and also I just love the idea of a stormgate stretching from the most Light-heavy world to the most Shadow-heavy world. Like, the Heart cannot be completely severed from Spider. Ripped out, but not disconnected.

31) Polaris/Valencia: Canon P101.

32) Polaris/Empyrea: Raven made Empyrea to keep herself out. She dumped Mellori in Polaris. The two worlds hold a theme of being distant enough from everything else that Raven assumes them safe. Sounds pretty close to each other to me yknow?

33) Polaris/Grizzleheim: Similar to Avalon/Grizzleheim, both worlds feature bears (the Grizzlies and the Oskiy) and giants (the Grendels + Jotuns and the yetis). Additionally, the Rus that became Eastern Europe were originally norsemen. Once again bringing up the Geographical Proximity = Spiralian Proximity.

34) Mirage/Wallaru: I have a headcanon that the Sands of Time are related to the Dreaming. If the Dreaming is a sea of possibility, of everything and everywhen all at once, then the Sands of Time are just the things that became real, crystallizing and precipitating onto Mirage.

35) Empyrea/Wysteria: There is regular trade between these two worlds.

36) Empyrea/Karamelle: So we're just gonna take the canon gobbler shit and just kinda burn it in a fire, then completely rework the Alphoi's involvement in Karamelle to not be so shit. Don't worry I made it way better. Ask me about it.

37) Aquila/Valencia: Canon P101. Also what if Valencia had more birdfolk than just Marco Pollo?

38) Aquila/Monquista: Canon P101.

39) Darkmoor/Grizzleheim: Similar to Polaris/Grizzleheim, in that some of the Norse became Eastern Europe. But now instead of fantasy Russia, it's fantasy Romania.

40) Darkmoor/Cool Ranch: English Bill was able to flee from CR to DM to become the Duck of Death.

41) Skull Island/Monquista: Canon P101.

42) Skull Island/Cool Ranch: Canon P101.

43) Skull Island/Valencia: Canon P101.

44) Skull Island/Wallaru: We see many folks of Skull Island in Wallaru in-game, plus it's a convenient way for the Spiral Powers to be able to reach Wallaru.

45) Valencia/Cool Ranch: The Valencian unicorns became the Santo Pollan Stallions, and what if some of the Aquilan/Valencian birds also became the birds of Cooper's Roost? Something something the idea of the West moving from the Roman Empire to Modern Europe to America.

46) Cleaved/Lemuria: CCSAU lore time: CS Lemuria is basically in the Cleaved Spiral now, rather than in the CS Spiral. It probably has a handful of Stormgates leading to multiple worlds of the Cleaved Spiral, but that's not what this is about.

47) Cleaved/Grizzleheim: A rift formed between Cleaved!Karamelle and CS Grizzleheim because many canon Karamelle NPCs fled to Grizzleheim. The presence of "the same" characters in multiple Spirals forged a gateway between the two.

48) Cleaved/Wallaru: Just like the Cleaved/Grizzleheim rift, a rift formed between CS Wallaru and Cleaved Wallaru.

49) Lemuria/Empyrea: To help the two Spirals be more interconnected, and to help Lemuria develop a standing, a Stormgate between CS Lemuria and CS Empyrea was made. Why Empyrea? Because it's doing rather well compared to the rest of the CS Spiral, and also because knowledge of the other rifts between Cleaved and CS weren't international knowledge yet.

[lavvylove]

Sorry about being so clueless, but what is the whole Willow x MGG thing? I don't know where anyone is getting the idea that they're dating, I doubt they even know each other. Where did this start from?

I’m not entirely sure where it officially started. I’ve heard it’s from a Reddit post and podcast or something.

Anyhow, people kinda ran with it. There isn’t anything solid (as you can see by all of the inboxes I’ve answered) and it’s all just hearsay and rumors. However, people are gonna people and the misogyny I’ve seen shown to Ms. Avalon is WILD

[decaffeinateddlldo]

Zara Nightveil did not wait—not for elevators, not for green lights, and certainly not for meetings to start. As CEO of Enchanted Couture, the most prestigious fashion house in New Avalon, she had cultivated a reputation that matched her designs: bold, unapologetic, and utterly captivating.

"You're all late," she announced to the room full of executives who had, in fact, arrived fifteen minutes early. Her voice carried the subtle melodic quality unique to elves, but with an edge that made it clear she hadn't spent her five centuries playing nice.

Zara's deep ebony skin seemed to absorb and then reflect the light, giving her an otherworldly glow. Her ears, elegantly pointed and adorned with a constellation of diamond cuffs, twitched slightly in annoyance. She wore her own creation—a suit crafted from fabric that shifted colors with her emotions, currently a deep crimson that matched her irritation.

"The spring collection is uninspired," she continued, tossing design boards across the mahogany table. "We're Enchanted Couture, not Mediocre Mundane. Start over."

"But Ms. Nightveil," began her creative director, a nervous faun who'd been with the company for decades, "Fashion Week is in three weeks. We can't possibly—"

"Three weeks is an eternity," Zara cut him off, her almond-shaped eyes flashing with golden sparks—a sign that her ancient elven magic was stirring. "I built this empire from nothing in a world that told me elves belonged in forests, not boardrooms. Black elves weren't even supposed to exist according to human mythology." She leaned forward, her perfectly manicured nails clicking against the table. "Tell me again what's impossible."

No one dared.

"I want fresh inspiration. Something that will make even the dragons sit up and take notice." She rose, smoothing her color-shifting suit, now transitioning to a regal purple. "Find it, or find new jobs."

As her executives scrambled, Zara glided to the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked New Avalon—a city where humans and mythical creatures had coexisted for centuries, though rarely as equals. The tallest building in the skyline bore her name in golden letters that could be seen from miles away.

"Iris," she called to her assistant, a quick-witted sylph who materialized at her side in a whisper of wind.

"Yes, Ms. Nightveil?"

"Cancel my dinner with the Vampire Council. Tell them something came up."

"Something did come up," Iris replied, her translucent wings fluttering anxiously. "The seamstress we commissioned for the custom embroidery just quit. Said the deadline was impossible."

Zara's suit flashed a dangerous red before settling into a contemplative blue. "Who quits the opportunity of a lifetime?" she mused, more curious than angry. "Find me another. The best."

---

In a cramped apartment twenty blocks and several social strata away from Enchanted Couture's gleaming tower, Mei Chen was hunched over her sewing machine, carefully guiding a piece of silk through its hungry teeth. Around her, the walls were covered in sketches and swatches, photographs of designs that had never seen runways.

The sound of her ancient phone ringing startled her, causing the needle to narrowly miss her finger.

"Hello?" she answered, cradling the phone between ear and shoulder as she continued working.

"Mei! Girl, have you seen the news?" Her friend Layla's voice was pitched with excitement. "Enchanted Couture is looking for a new embroidery artist, like, right now. Their last one walked out."

Mei's hands stilled. "Enchanted Couture? As in, Zara Nightveil's company?"

"The one and only. You should apply!"

Mei laughed, the sound soft and uncertain. "Why would Zara Nightveil want me? I'm just a human with a bachelor's degree and an Etsy shop."

"A human with magic hands," Layla corrected. "Your embroidery tells stories, Mei. Even my grandmother says she's never seen a human stitch magic into fabric the way you do."

Layla's grandmother was a djinn who had seen civilizations rise and fall, so the compliment wasn't insignificant. Still, Mei shook her head, even though her friend couldn't see it.

"The fashion world isn't exactly welcoming to people like me," she said quietly. In an industry dominated by elves, fae, and other long-lived mythical creatures who had centuries to perfect their craft, humans were often relegated to the background—especially humans who didn't fit the industry's narrow beauty standards.

"Just send in your portfolio," Layla insisted. "What's the worst that could happen?"

*Rejection*, Mei thought, but didn't say. She'd had enough of that growing up as one of the few humans in a predominantly magical neighborhood. She'd learned to make herself small, to speak softly, to expect less.

"I'll think about it," she promised, knowing she wouldn't.

After hanging up, Mei returned to her current project—a commission for a local werewolf's wedding dress. She was embroidering moon phases along the hem, each one containing tiny scenes from the couple's relationship. It was intricate work that required both technical skill and an intuitive understanding of how to capture memories in thread.

Her phone pinged with a message from Layla: a link to Enchanted Couture's application page, followed by a string of exclamation points.

With a sigh, Mei clicked it, telling herself she was just curious.

---

Three days later, Mei was sitting in the sterile, intimidating lobby of Enchanted Couture's headquarters, clutching her portfolio so tightly her knuckles had gone white. She hadn't actually planned to apply, but Layla had filled out the online form for her, attaching photos of Mei's work without telling her.

When the call came, Mei had almost declined it. But curiosity—and Layla's relentless encouragement—had won out.

Now she was here, surrounded by impossibly beautiful mythical beings in cutting-edge fashion, feeling painfully out of place in her simple black dress and worn boots.

"Ms. Chen?" A sylph with translucent wings appeared before her. "I'm Iris, Ms. Nightveil's assistant. She'll see you now."

Mei followed Iris into an elevator made entirely of crystal, which shot upward so quickly her ears popped. They emerged into a space that looked more like an art installation than an office—all clean lines and dramatic lighting, with splashes of vibrant color that seemed to move when you weren't looking directly at them.

"Wait here," Iris instructed, leaving Mei in what appeared to be a waiting area, though there were no chairs, just a floating platform covered in plush velvet.

After ten minutes that felt like ten hours, double doors at the end of the room swung open. Zara Nightveil strode in, her presence immediately commanding every cubic inch of air.

In person, she was even more striking than in the magazines. Tall and lithe, with the characteristic grace of elven kind, but with a confidence that seemed to bend reality around her. Her skin was the deepest black Mei had ever seen, almost blue in its richness, contrasting dramatically with her silver hair, which was styled in elaborate braids that defied gravity.

Mei stood quickly, nearly dropping her portfolio.

"So," Zara said, without introduction, "you're the human who stitches magic."

It wasn't a question, but Mei felt compelled to answer anyway. "I wouldn't call it magic, exactly—"

"I would." Zara interrupted, extending a hand. "Your portfolio."

Mei handed it over, trying to control the trembling in her fingers. Zara flipped through the pages with frightening efficiency, her expression unreadable.

"Interesting," she murmured, pausing at a piece Mei had done of a forest scene, where the embroidered leaves seemed to rustle in an invisible breeze. "You've never had formal training?"

"No, Ms. Nightveil. My grandmother taught me the basics, and I... experimented from there."

Zara looked up sharply, her golden eyes intense. "You created this technique yourself?"

Mei nodded, her throat suddenly dry.

"Why haven't you sought recognition? These are revolutionary."

The question caught Mei off guard. "I... didn't think anyone would care about embroidery techniques developed by a human."

Something flashed across Zara's perfect features—surprise, perhaps, or recognition. "Do you know who I am, Ms. Chen?"

"Everyone knows who you are."

"Then you know I didn't build this empire by caring what others thought was possible." She closed the portfolio with a snap. "You're hired. You'll work directly with me on the spring collection. Iris will sort out the details."

With that, she turned to leave.

"Wait," Mei called, surprising herself with her boldness. "Don't you want to know my terms? Or if I even want the job?"

Zara turned back slowly, one elegant eyebrow arched. "Do you not want it?"

"I do, but—"

"Then what's the problem?"

Mei took a deep breath. "The problem is that I won't be treated as disposable. I've heard stories about how Enchanted Couture goes through human employees. I need assurances."

For a moment, Zara looked genuinely shocked, as if no one had ever made demands of her before. Then, unexpectedly, she laughed—a rich, melodious sound that seemed to warm the very air.

"Oh, I think I'm going to like you, Mei Chen." She tilted her head, studying Mei with new interest. "Very well. Your terms?"

---

The following weeks were a blur of fabric, thread, and increasingly impossible deadlines. Mei moved her workspace into Enchanted Couture's design studio, a vast room with enchanted mannequins that adjusted to any body shape and mirrors that showed how garments would look in different lights and settings.

True to her word, Zara had Mei working directly with her, which meant long hours under the intense scrutiny of the most demanding boss in New Avalon. But to Mei's surprise, Zara valued her input, often asking her opinion on designs and materials.

"These sleeves are wrong," Zara declared one evening, when they were alone in the studio. It was past midnight, and they'd been working for sixteen hours straight on the centerpiece of the collection.

Mei, exhausted but committed, nodded in agreement. "The proportions are off. They need to be more..." She gestured vaguely.

"Fluid," Zara finished for her. "Yes, exactly." She ripped the sleeves from the prototype without hesitation, though the fabric cost more than Mei's monthly rent.

As they

[horseslur]

On today's episode of: Calamity breaks sequencing

Alex is going to introduce me to the druids!

Things I have already done:

become besties with avalon

infiltrated dark core's bases both on the beach and on the mountain

third-wheeled alex and maya on a picnic

befriended Ms. Drake

stay tuned for how introductions will go!

[booplesnotts-art]

Happy birthday, Avie😌✨

I forgot to post this here in time but everyone say happy birthday to the miserable old woman herself, Ms Avalon LeRoux!🥳🥳

Avalon’s birthday is a day after mine because I said so but I’m late so pretend it’s yesterday or something

[houndsofcorduff]

Avalon Show Bible: Worldbuilding: Waystations Part 2

Waystation US Locations

001 - Dunhaven, MA - regional headquarters for the Eastern US

002 - Chicago, IL - regional headquarters for Central US

003 - Santa Fe, NM - regional headquarters for the Midwestern US

004 - Seattle, WA - regional headquarters for the Western US

005 - Marlinton, WV - botnaical research - very small facility

006 - New Orleans, LA

007 - Starkville, MS

008 - Denver, CO

009 - Atlanta, GA

010 - Talkeenta, AK - maximum security and containment facility

011 - Bar Harbor, ME - mostly aquatic

012 - Asheville, NC

013 - Sedona, AZ

014 - Crystal Falls, MI - mostly shapeshifters and werewolves

015 - Philadelphia, PA

016 - Kansas City, MO - an "in between", mostly transportation

017 - Las Vegas, NV - specializing in helping outcasts "disappear"

018 - Boise, ID

019 - Rapid City, SD

020 - Austin, TX

The Production Team (aka the taglist): @kingragnarok-writes @aalinaaaaaa @annetilney @ark-inkweaving

Let me know if you want to join the production team ;)

[corgate-epistolary]

May 5th, 624

(Transcript under the cut) (Read on Ao3 HERE)

[Delivered to Corgate May 6th, 624 – Received by Elowen Vance on May 14th, 624)

[Front of Envelope: Letter was mailed in a brown craft paper envelope tied with natural twine, addressed to:

Elowen Vance Corgate Post Office May 5th, 624

With the return address of:

Eris Mirrows 87 Lancedragon Strt. Avalon

In the top right, there is a sticker depicting an black engraving-style ice cream bowl on a white background, below which are the words “FOR YOUR HEART”.

Back of Envelope: The letter was sealed in mottled red & white sealing wax, with a wax seal depicting a crescent moon surrounded by orbital shapes & stars. Letter was tied with craft twine, with a small treble clef & key tied to the cord. In the bottom left there is a sticker depicting a black engraving-style steaming cup on a white background, below which is the word “BONJOUR”.

Interior pages: Written on mottled medium brown paper. It is lightly, almost invisibly, lined with slightly darker brown lines. In the top center, approximately 1 inch from the top, the words “THANKS FOR LIVING YEARS” can be seen on the paper. The writing is tidy, slightly rounded print in black ink.]

Eris Mirrows, A.Mg. 87 Lancedragon Strt. Avalon

May 5th, 624

Dear Ms. Vance, It is with great pleasure and a hint of surprise that I receive your letter. I did not expect the Corgate post system to be so quick to get your words to me. The simple fact that they have railroad tracks still amaze [sic] me. I do not know how Mg. Hawkins convinced you to move with him to this backwater part of the country without so much as a raise. What you would do for him, I wonder… Or rather, what he would do without you. I am pleased to read that Mg. Hawkins is in his element in the countryside and having a great time. Meanwhile, I have rarely heard Mg. Equlee complain so much as in the past few days. Something about how they will succomb [sic] to boredom without the most entertaining clown in town. I am divided between patting him on the back for the loss of his favorite pastime of picking a fight with your mage, or believing his condescending tone and idly nodding along. I have no doubt that they will

[End of Page 1] [Eris Mirrow’s address & the date appears on all pages, and have been eliminated for clarity]

find a way to piss each other off despite the distance, but I would never dare ruin the sulking of Mg. Equlee; which is the reason I have passed your most sincere apologies with as much dramatics as I could muster. You would, without a doubt, have been a better performer of this trick than I was. I do not know which shocked Mg. Equlee the most; to hear an apology from my mouth or that Mg. Hawkins did not leave a message for them through your letter. Either way, they resumed their theatrics a little less loudly so I suppose it must have worked. For what it is worth, I do share your reservation on this assignment. The Council does not make a habit of sending their greater mages away from Avalon without a reason. I remember on Kathrina Devolee, a good five years back or so, who’s [sic] name had been sullied by dirty rumors of unconventional use of magic, to which the Council had answered with a swift assignment to the North. I do not believe anyone has heard much from her since. (Writing these words, I realize it was indeed you who told me this tale. It goes to show, once again, that you are the ever flowing source of gossip in this part of town. I will do my best to fill the role in your absence, but do not keep your hopes up.)

[End of Page 2]

I have been around Vimes Place to get your satchel back. It was, as you have so helpfully provided, propped on the front table. You will forgive my curiosity as I could not help but wonder exactly what novels you would put alongside such ever-so-important notes. I am unsurprised to find there your classic Aliyah Prestance. I do not remember a time of our lives where you did not carry at least one of [scratch out - “your”] her works. I might’ve shipped a few recommendations of my own in your satchel, so do not be offput [sic] if it seems heavier than you remember it to be. Mg. Equlee was glad to put some complex lock on the whole package, no doubt just a tad more complex than necessary, just to be annoying. I hope you will be able to retrieve the contents fast enough. I will, of course, keep a watchfull [sic] eye on your plants. My green thumb might not be as good as yours but how hard could it be, right? Your plants are safe with me. I hope the countryside treats you well and

[End of Page 3]

that you will keep describing its people and sights in your letter. The world always seems brighter through your eyes, though I ever so wonder where that enthusiasm keeps coming from. I am hopeful that the Coucil [sic] will call you back soon enough. In the meantime, have my good wishes and thoughts.Awaiting your reply, Eris.

[To the right of the signature is a sticker depicting a tiger, a small girl, and a rabbit. The small girl is pulling clothes out of a suitcase the rabbit is sitting on. The art is done in an engraving style, with black lines on a white background.]

[frankbedbroken]

frankcore august 2024 update!!

already more than halfway through september lmfao i suck at this. regardless, here's some musics! this time around there's a Lot of art pop and trip hop related projects, fair few bits of electronic here and there, as well as some tracks in the more experimental end of hip hop and some more guitar-centric stuffs.

in regards to art pop (and other adjacent pop styles, sort of): jenny hval's moving, literally larger-than-life euphoria on spells, martha skye murphy with need and its more solemn and slowly enveloping atmospheres, the ever experimental hakushi hasegawa with a cut of his latest project featuring dizzying blends of jazz, pop and psychedelia, and jessica pratt stealing the show on an a$ap rocky track of all places to be featured in. as for the rest of the pop and r&b on the list: tinashe presenting an ambient-esque r&b piece somewhat in the line of oklou's galore, your-favourite-artists-favourite-vocalist cecile believe's soaring synthpop, strange blends of laidback r&b and pop vocals with latin-american soundscapes and some electronic touches courtesy of argentinian producer / vocalist moro, a cut off mag bay's newest project (solid! not my favourite from theirs but i'm more partial towards their shorter-form material anyway), and a great cut of dnb-infused k-pop from bebe yana.

the trip hop and downtempo related cuts here come from firstly james k and hysterical love project, both of them bringing curious blends of trip hop and ambient pop as well as some more influences from dream pop in the case of the hlp track; ms ray's signs in comparison is a bit cheerier, taking a bit more of inspiration from sophisti-pop and the sunnier side of downtempo, similar in a way to avalon emerson's sandrail silhouette, which is also a great track. on the other end of the spectrum, jabu and chester giles deliver a very nocturnal and dubby piece built mostly on giles' spoken poetry laid atop the somber, looming sample loops. the rest of the electronic sounds here are somewhat varied: a sickeningly short burst of "rally house" courtesy of aesthetic-extraordinaire and extremely versatile producer nuphory, a classic ukg cut from todd "the god" edwards complete with his signature micro vocal chops and rolling grooves, a distorted, club ready flip of sugababes' 2000s hit "round round" courtesy of uk-bass-sensation-that's-sweeping-the-nation duo two shell, a delightfully catchy and satisfying footwork banger from underground producer username, and jazzy and glitchy drum and bass sounds from xploding plastix.

in terms of hip hop, we've got poppy yet aggressive delivery from slayyyter and tommy genesis atop hard-hitting trap knocks, a bouncy, speaker rattling, hyphy-esque beat from ivy lab, and nana フリーク版 by chilean artist akriila, off of her debut album epistolares, which has solidified as a very close second to brat as my album of the year, partly because of cuts like the above mentioned, an extremely hard-hitting industrial hip hop banger (in a way, similar to iglooghost's coral mimic also from this year) with a defiant edge to the lyricism and delivery. i really could've picked pretty much any track from that record, it's that good imo, check it out if a varied ride consisting of club-ready perreo, poppier sounds of drum and bass and even some chilean folk for good measure sounds like a thing you'd be into.

to wrap up, the things i haven't mentioned yet: a curious blend of baggy-esque indie rock with r&b vocal delivery from tama gucci (artist whom i've always adored their voice and whose output is super underrated imo), classic midwest emo with a bit of a twee edge from everyone asked about you, dreamy hypnagogic pop from chanel beads with a bit of a similar vibe to the mica levi track from last week, and the third single off fontaines dc's romance (much like mag bay's album, it's pretty solid, though i feel like it dips a bit in quality by the second half, aside from the closer ofc).

tube it!!