#I don't think this counts as solarpunk

[faytelumos]

Future, Rural, Hope

This is a little thing I did for a dice prompt in August. I forgot all about it until recently.

---

Kin picked his way down the rows of wilted crops, eyes down, hands on his hips. The sky was still an ashy gray, bits of black and white stuck to the soil top like snow but never melting. Despite the lack of direct sunlight, the crops had started growing, slow though they were. Recently, though, they'd slowed even further. Today, the whole field was wilted.

AA-6 whirred and clicked as it walked its bulky frame up the roadside, one arm stretched down, prodding its soil sampler into the dirt every two feet. The barn cat purred on its shoulder, eyes mostly closed despite the bumpy ride, tapping the tip of her tail into what could have been AA-6's face. But there were backup oculars on the sample arm, so Kin just chuckled as the robot let the cat continue to put her tail in its eyes.

"Anything interesting?" Kin called lightly. They weren't terribly far apart as to warrant shouting.

"Soil moisture is within tolerable ranges," AA-6 said in its whirring, reverberating voice. The cat wasn't scared of its terrifying vocalizations anymore, and just twitched her ears. "Soil temperature is within tolerable ranges." It pulled the sampler out of the dirt, took one bulky step, and stuck the sampler back into the ground. "Soil nutrition is within tolerable ranges." It made a bone-deep humming sound, and that finally made the cat flinch and stand upright on its back. "Root dispersion is within tolerable ranges."

Kin looked back up into the sky. The clouds never went away. This crop had been bio-engineered to withstand the low light, as had anything else anyone bothered sticking in the ground these days. But it seemed it wasn't enough. Kin sighed, rubbing his forehead, looking back down at the field. This little lab-made superfood was the only thing the community was growing right now. It was the only plant that had been rewritten fast enough to start providing food relief. If this crop failed, it was a month's worth of dreams and lives setting them back.

AA-6 stood up straight and turned to Kin. The cat had settled back into her perch on one of its spare vents. Kin had told it multiple times that was bad for the cooling system.

"We should call Deedee," Kin called over. AA-6 nodded its head in that jittered, deliberate, awkward way it had, all the time careful of its cat's tail.

The three of them loaded up into the yard truck, a clunker with no doors, barely a roof, and half a bed, and headed back to the house. Kin and the cat headed inside while AA-6 traded its lower chassis for the house treads on the porch.

It was just as dim inside as out, and as Kin headed for the phone, he reminded himself again to get those dishes in the sink cleaned up. He walked right by the call terminal, its smooth glass face all but collecting dust with so much radio interference in the area, and pulled the landline off of the wall. He dialed Deedee's number in the chunky, plastic buttons, double-checking the note on the fridge to make sure he'd gotten it right. He was slowly memorizing all of the local numbers, and he felt a smidge of pride about that. He held the slightly curved phone to his ear, dusting off some of the black and gray smudges on his clothes while he waited for it to start ringing.

AA-6 rolled into the door, and the cat meowed as it turned to her. It reached out its grasping arm and gently, if stiltedly, pet her head. She purred loudly, sitting tall, eyes closed. Kin smiled at AA-6, then turned away when the line clicked.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Deedee, it's Kin."

"Oh, hey, Kin, how's it going?"

"Oh, it's goin' okay," Kin replied, looking back and out the window. "Except that my crop is wilted today."

"Oh, that doesn't sound good," Deedee hummed. Kin nodded.

"We already checked the soil and the root beds, and everything's normal. There's no discoloration, so I think it's the light." Deedee hummed.

"Okay, I'll grab my sequencer and sample makers. I'll be over in thirty."

"Thanks, Dee. I'll see you then."

Kin heard her hang up as he seated the phone in the cradle. He sighed quietly, turning around again and leaning back against the counter. Once more, the cat had found its perch on one of AA-6's vents.

"I have a name," AA-6 said, the crashing, deep sound of its voice seeming to shake the windows. Kin nodded, glancing over as the cat gripped and tried to knead the metal of its shoulder.

"You remember what I said about naming her?" Kin asked. AA-6 made a jittery nod.

"I accept the responsibility of her life and any offspring she may bear." Kin nodded and waved vaguely for AA-6 to continue. "Her name is CAC-1." Kin smirked.

"You want to name her Cack?" he asked. AA-6 watched him for a moment with its smooth, bucket-like face.

"I want to name her C-A-C," it replied. "Cute Animal Companion." Kin crossed his arms and put a fist to his mouth to hide his smile. He never laughed at AA-6, but right now, the bulky thing was just being so damned cute.

"I think we should limit it to two syllables," Kin said.

"Why?" AA-6 asked.

"Because if she's doing something you don't like, or if you need her to come to you in a hurry, you've gotta be able to say her name fast." He looked to the cat, who was still scratching at AA-6's worn-out paint lovingly. "C-A-C One is a bit of a mouthful."

"What do you suggest?" AA-6 boomed. Kin pursed his lips, looking at the scraggly cat perched on its shoulder.

"Well, when a human names a cat, we like to use their color for inspiration. Usually with a mixture of food words."

"That's stupid," AA-6 boomed. This time, Kin did laugh, but he kept it tight between his teeth. "I am not naming my companion after a meal."

"Ultimately, it's up to you," Kin said, smothering a grin and holding up his hands placatingly. He set his hands on the edge of the counter then. "I think shorter would be better."

"My name is also over two syllables," AA-6 argued.

"But your nickname's not," Kin replied. "That's why when there's trouble, I call you Ron."

"Then I'll give CAC-1 a short nickname."

"That's fine, except that she's already going to have to learn what her regular name is." AA-6 looked to the cat with their face. She rubbed her temple against the black eye spot on their face plate. "It's easier for a kitten, but she's an adult. It'll take some time to teach her one name, let alone two. She can't just add them to a field in her head."

AA-6 stared at the cat as she rubbed her cheeks against the glass protectors over its eyes. It seemed to be thinking, then it turned to look at Kin again.

"GG," it declared. Kin smiled.

"I like it. What's it mean?"

"Gentle Girl," AA-6 announced. For a moment, Kin's heart ached. He thought back to the cow he'd been caring for when AA-6 had landed on his doorstep. He'd always called the old heifer "big girl" or "tender girl" or "old girl" when he was caring for her. How much of that had AA-6 caught from the other side of the fence, where it couldn't spook the sickly thing?

"In that case, I love it," Kin croaked.

When Deedee pulled up in her big, muscular truck, her ag unit was already stepping out of the bed, carrying three large duffel bags in its fancy, attachment-changing arms. AA-12 landed on the ground, causing the truck to bounce slightly with the release of weight, and towered over all three of them with its much more human-looking frame. Deedee grabbed one of the bags from its hands and started walking out to the crops while AA-6 switched back to its field chassis, GG not moving from its shoulder.

"When did you notice the wilting start?" Deedee asked as they walked to the nearest row.

"Just this morning," Kin replied, AA-12 stomping and whirring along behind them. "They were all standing upright last night."

"There hasn't really been a difference in brightness today," Deedee mused. She crouched down once they'd gotten to the plants, then set the bag on the ground and started digging through it. She pulled out what could have been a small staple gun and gently held the base of one plant, then pulled the trigger. There was a soft click and hiss, and she lifted the device carefully. "Get a slide for me?"

Kin carefully withdrew a glass slide from a little carrying case in the bag, being sure to only touch the edges. AA-6 whirred and trudged up to them as Deedee took the slide and smudged the very end of the gun on its surface. Then she put the gun down, withdrew a small device with a relatively broad screen on it, and slipped the slide into a slot. The screen immediately lit up with a polite request to wait.

"How's everything else been?" Deedee asked. Kin nodded, looking out over the fields.

"Good so far. What chickens are left seem to be getting better. And of course AA-6 is still doing a good job." AA-12 rotated its torso to look at AA-6 without moving its feet. GG stared up at it, crouched low into AA-6's shoulder.

"Good job," AA-12 said in a crisp, feminine, Australian accent. AA-6 seemed to hesitate.

"Thank you," it boomed.

The little screen chimed, and everyone looked down to see the results. Deedee hummed and nodded impatiently as she scrolled through an entire catalog of genes and markers. "Blah, blah, blah, I know this... hm, hm, hmm...." Finally she stopped and opened a drop-down on a photosynthesizing gene. "Okay, okay, let's see here..." The device listed everything it knew in English, but there were some genes listed in their quaternary forms. "Okay," Deedee said, marking the file and then standing. "It looks like the gene didn't take well enough, apparently." She made a vague shrug as if she didn't get it, either. "The marker for it is still there, though. Maybe the plant shed the adjustment when it transition life stages." She made a few more taps on the screen, then handed the gun, a small container of slides, and the device to AA-12. "Grab samples across the field, nice and far apart."

"Yes, ma'am," AA-12 said, setting down the bags and taking the scientific materials. Then it took off like a giant Olympic sprinter. Kin shook his head as Deedee crouched down and got into a second bag.

"Every time AA-12 talks, it throws me," Kin said. Deedee scoffed, pulling out some kind of tool with an attached test tube.

"Six scares the bejeezus out of me," Deedee replied. "No offense, Six."

"None taken."

"Christ."

Kin chuckled, looking up and watching AA-12. It was truly incredible how fast it could move, already collecting the first sample well and truly out of earshot.

"So, can we do anything about this?" Kin asked.

"Since the marker's still in place, it'll be pretty easy to fix," Deedee said, nodding. She turned to collect a scraping from the plant she'd already grabbed a sample from. "I have to get back to start producing the new agent, since there's no way I'm getting a signal all the way over there." Kin sighed and nodded. "But I'll fly over with the duster as soon as the tanks are full. Just don't be outside when you hear the plane coming." Kin chuckled and nodded.

"No worries," he said. Even though a plant virus had no real way to affect a human, the thought of getting sprayed with an infectious agent was still gross.

Once AA-12 came back and confirmed it was the same problem across the fields, Deedee finished editing her scraping and tested the new change to make sure it was grafting into the genes properly.

"Perfect," she muttered. "Twelve, mind loading the truck?"

"Of course not, ma'am."

Kin lifted one of the bags and followed AA-12 to the truck, not because it needed help, but because this was his farm and he was otherwise useless for this problem. AA-12 didn't seem to mind, thanking him politely and taking the bag when it was ready.

"I'd offer some refreshments," he said, turning to Deedee as she stepped up to him, "but I don't know how long these can hold on." Deedee shrugged.

"Twelve can take the truck back and get the process going." Kin smiled.

"Then why don't we do that? AA-6 made bread last night, and it's too good to just waste on me." Deedee smiled at AA-6, who had been standing perfectly still so GG could sleep.

"That sounds like a treat," Deedee said.

"Should I come back once the synthesizers are cooking?" AA-12 asked. Kin nodded.

"The more, the merrier."

[alpaca-clouds]

So, You Wanna Write A Solarpunk Thriller

Based on the blog I wrote yesterday about conflict in Solarpunk stories and how people either don't understand how stories work, have never read a book, or plainly act more dumb than they are. Because, yes, you can in fact tell almost any sort of story in a Solarpunk work - without resorting (like, sadly, way too many writers do) to "Actually the utopia is a lie and Solent Green is people!"

Meaning: If you need a "dark secret in society" to have a conflict in your story, you have a skill issue.

But let's talk about the genre that usually comes with those kinda dark secrets. While not necessary for the genre per se, it is a common trope here. Thrillers.

Ironically we all have some picture in our heads what a thriller might be - even though it might be one of the most loosely defined literary genre. Though probably we will think first of some movies.

The top 10 thriller movies according to this list on IMDB, the top ten thrillers are:

Seven (Police/Crime)

Silence of the Lambs (Police/Crime)

Shutter Island (Psychological)

The Sixth Sense (Supernatural)

Zodiac (Police/Crime)

Inception (Crime)

North by Northwest (Spy)

Identity (Psychological/Crime)

The Game (Financial)

The Prestige (Psychological/Crime)

Something you will note to your surprise: None of those actually feature a central conflict based on the society having a dark secret. In fact half of them are basically just Mystery movies with higher stakes (which is what turns them from mystery/crime drama to thrillers).

In fact I would argue that at least half of those movie plots could be rewritten fairly easily to take place in a Solarpunk world without any problem. Like, sure, The Game would not work, because this story very much is build around capitalism existing. And one could argue how those stories, where the main character is a cop need to be changed (because I know that my vision of a solarpunk does not involve cops).

In fact, going through the list of those 50 movies in total, I count a total of 6 movies in which a government conspiracy is part of the central conflict. Out of those 6 movies 4 are Cyberpunk.

Generally speaking, there is a variety of concepts for thrillers. There is the police/crime thrillers, but others as well. Wikipedia lists those kinds of thrillers:

The legal thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure thriller, medical thriller, police thriller, romantic thriller, historical thriller, political thriller, religious thriller, high-tech thriller, military thriller.

And I might add, I am very much missing the psychological thriller in there.

So, what am I saying here?

Basically: All you need to write a thriller is high enough stakes. In the end, a good thriller works by the stakes being high (though what means "high" might also vary from subgenre to subgenre), and by the readers or watchers understanding the stakes well.

So, that said, let me go through the kinds of thriller we have named above and name one example each for how the story could be made solarpunk.

Legal Thriller: The easy example here would be the fight for a Solarpunk world. Either pre-Solarpunk and a group of environmentalists is taking a big company to court for what they did against the environment. Or in a Solarpunk future I could also see some former rich folks trying to bring down the Solarpunk society by trying to find loopholes in the legal system - and a group of lawyers fighting against it.

Spy Thriller: This one will depend a lot on how you construct a Solarpunk future. The easy answer here is a world in which not all of the world is solarpunk - and we basically have a cold war happening between the solarpunk state and the old world state. Works out fine.

Action-Adventure Thriller: A good chunk of the movies in these genre feature natural catastrophes. So... Uhm... An earthquake will still happen in a Solarpunk world - and people try to survive. Easy. Next?

Medical Thriller: Another easy one. There is a break out of a new pandemic. People work hard to prevent further spread. Bonus points: Here we can actually use the setting to show the advantages and the shortcomings of a Solarpunk society, that is an anarchic and socialist/communist society.

Crime Thriller: (I will say, no police, because I do not believe in Cops in Solarpunk.) Again, even though it is to be assumed that crime will go back a lot if we create an equal society, there will still be some people who will kill. And there might still be a serial killer. And there will be those, who will try to capture that serial killer. Again. Easy.

Romantic Thriller: Okay, let's face it. The romantic thriller is so watered down by now that it is "a thriller that also has a strong romantic subplot" for most of the part - rather than the romance being the source of the trilling elements. But for the sense of saying the actual "romance turning into a thriller"... Let's be honest. Even if we had a Solarpunk world in which polyamory was the norm, there would be still crimes of passion - and just plainly abusive partners. So, here my prompt: One partner in a polycule goes to a mental crisis. In the attempt to protect them, the polycule gets drawn more and more to violence.

Historical Thriller: Uhm, okay, I will leave this one out because historical and scifi setting do not quite gel xD

Political Thriller: We have a more anarchic world, but there are still some people who hold more influence, because old habits die hard. Some of them try to use political tools to get the world to revert into the old ways, just to gain more power for themselves.

Religious Thriller: Let's face it. This genre is often very close to horror. But to go with the non-supernatural way... No, I do not believe in forbidding religion in a Solarpunk future. However, there is the issue that religion will always make it easier for cults to form. So, this is the story of a young man who gets into the claws of a religious cult - but only realizes too late what he got into.

High-Tech Thriller: (Translate: SciFi Thriller) Alien, but Solarpunk. The only difference: There are in fact people trying to help. They just fail to do so.

Military Thriller: Like the spy thriller - but instead of cold war it is open war.

Psychological Thriller: I am going here with a parent who gaslights their adult child, while the adult child tries to differentiate reality from the fiction presented by said parent.

So, why did I do this?

Basically just to show you: If you really think the only story you can tell as a Solarpunk author is how the Solarpunk utopia is in fact an illusion made to paint over a corrupt system, then it is very much a skill issue. You just are not very good at telling stories.

Thankfully there is a cure for that: Consume more stories. Watch movies. Read books (or listen to audiobooks). Read comics. Watch shows. Just consume more media.

[max1461]

Technocratically-inclined people often (correctly) point out that a lot of left- and right-wing politics seems motivated by aesthetics; you have trads who are enamored with the aesthetics of a Norman Rockwell painting and communists where are enamored with the aesthetics of radicalism and revolution, etc. etc. And I think this is true and a valid thing to point out. But I also think that a lot of technocrats are also significantly motivated by aesthetics, and sometimes in a way that strikes me as more insidious. Efficiency obviously has many benefits, but the love of efficiency and elegance of policy for their own sake is ultimately an aesthetic desire. It seems to me that a lot of technocratically-inclined people are driven by this beautiful vision of a world where everything works "just how it should", where things are standardized and sensible and the trains run on time and whatnot.

I certainly don't think those things are bad! But I think it's the nature of politics-as-such to be a sort of grand and ever evolving compromise between different factions and interest groups; being that humans individually have complex and messy needs and desires, and human society is made up of billions of people all with different and often conflicting needs and desires, it seems to me that it is the inherent nature of politics to be a huge hideous mess. I think almost any polity functioning as it should is likely to embody this "huge hideous mess" nature, and the desire to impose order from the top is... not wholly misguided (order is very useful!) but also very easy to take too far.

I think it's easy for technocrats to trick themselves and others into believing they are "purely practical", even when aesthetic motivations run deep in their politics. Incidentally I don't think it's bad to count aesthetics among your motivations—not only is living in a world one finds beautify per se a source of pleasure and gratification (and often a quite significant one!), but aesthetic sensibilities often point at insights that can in fact be justified on more strictly "practical" grounds. Technocrats are not wrong that efficiency and standardization are very useful! Likewise I think the aesthetic inclinations of trads, commies, solarpunks and whoever else do often point at valid or at least potentially insights, and can't simply be dismissed by identifying them as aesthetics (even if, unfortunately, people often make very silly claims in service of advancing them).

[solarpunkani]

My Plans for Solarpunk Aesthetic Week 3

Solarpunk Aesthetic Week 3 begins in a week! I hope everyone's excited--I sure am!

Knowing me, I likely won't get to everything on this list (I haven't the past two years, after all). Also knowing me, I'll likely think of things after I post this list that I might wind up doing instead. But! Hopefully this list of plans helps inspire you, or at least holds me somewhat accountable.

So what am I planning to do to celebrate the event?

On the very tippy top of my list is finally putting together an above-ground mini pond idea I have! I still have to draw up the plans, and I'm not gonna pretend to be an expert on making mini ponds, but I'm excited to give things a shot! I've been sitting around with the materials for a week now biting the urge to do it because I want this to be one of my Big Solarpunk Things.

I've been working on a crochet dragonfly cloak for awhile, and I'm hoping to have it finished by the end of SAesW! Even if I don't wind up finishing it, I think at least posting a project update during this time would be nice!

Maybe I'll finally crochet myself a cute turtle. I've seen patterns online of turtles with sunflower shells so I might give that one a go!

At the very least I have a granny square tote bag that I literally just need to sew together (and make a lining for but shhhh). And a gift for my mom but yknow.

Initially back in April-May era I was planning to write a short story to share for the event, but I couldn't come up with anything? Every idea I came up with had too many holes and at this point I wouldn't count on me posting a story during the event. Buuuut I might start a short story (or resume work on my Solarpunk Zombie Story that I haven't worked on since May 14th 2023).

If my tablet behaves, I might try making solarpunk art? I struggle with feeling like I can make solarpunk art but I have a few ideas I might try to do!

I wouldn't place any bets on me whipping out the sewing machine because I've been meaning to for months now and it hasn't happened. But if I do, I'll sew a lining for my sunflower crochet bag, and maybe make some more face masks while I'm at it!

Is this when Ani finally begins her Learning Embroidery Era? Who know! Not me!

Depending on the weather maybe I'll see about convincing myself to check out the local Aboretum that I did not know existed in my city until this February. Maybe convince Dad to come with? We must keep in mind the temps have been in the 90s lately (and that's before counting humidity) so it really depends on my willpower.

My tomato plants aren't doing as well as they were last year but if I get more tomatoes I'll see what happens. At the very least I can post pictures of bugs on my gardening blog.

That's what I'm planning! What are you guys hoping to do?

[solarpunkaestheticweek]

How do you do solarpunk aesthetic week when you live in a tiny apartment with no outside access? I always want to participate but I feel like most stuff y'all post is geared towards people who live in houses...

Hey, thanks for sending in the ask!

We put our heads together and came up with a few ideas for you!

Grow plants indoors! You could grow a few houseplants to green up your space, or even try growing some vegetables and/or herbs indoors! I've heard people have lots of luck with basil indoors, and my freshman year of college I grew cherry tomatoes and peppers in my dorm room! Maybe check out information on semi or full-hydroponic setups? You can also propagate a lot with a few cuttings and a glass of water! If you have a balcony with your apartment, that could also be a good place to grow flowers or vegetables--depending on the season and temps where you are, it might be a bit cold to start things out there right now, but you could always start planning!

Crafting could be another fun idea! You could try your hand at mending clothes, or making your own clothes from scratch! I (Ani) am learning crochet, if you wanna join me in spirit and pick it up as well! Kala/Fennopunk (who lives in a small apartment 👀) also knows a lot about crocheting, its a pretty nice winter craft! You could also try embroidery, so you can add unique designs onto your clothes! Other options are things like knitting, sewing, leatherwork, jewelrymaking, soap making, and maybe even woodworking or soldering if that interests you!

Learning how to repair tech would be cool! Honestly, learning how to repair anything sounds super cool and is pretty solarpunk! This can also kinda go hand-in-hand with learning how to build your own things (one of my friends knows how to repair and build computers, for example). Try finding some information on something you're interested in and going wild!

Decorate your home in a way that feels Solarpunk to you! Even if you don't get it all done during the event week, I think its definitely a nice way to bring joy! Look into ways your apartment can change with the seasons, ways to keep yourself cozy and warm in winter but cool and bright during the summer! If you get started, feel free to send in progress images, we'd love to see!

Guerrilla gardening! Winter's a great time to scatter wildflower seeds (at least here in the states for me) as it gives the seeds time to acclimate to weather conditions! if you want flowers in spring, you plant seeds in winter! Maybe find a place you wanna target if you go out, think about what seeds you want to plant, and start planning? Or if you have seeds on hand already, you know what to do! Honestly, I also kinda view picking up litter as hand-in-hand with guerrilla gardening, if you've got the vibes for that at all.

Build community with your neighbors! Even if its just saying hi, or talking about what you're up to!

Maybe guerrilla art as well? Moss graffiti, spray painting, or even plastering a couple of stickers up counts as solarpunk! I will give a general warning that doing stuff seen as illegal probably shouldn't be posted online, but hey, you can participate in the week without telling us what you do!

Speaking of art! Maybe you could make art at home! Whether you use chalk, or pastels, or paint, or pencils, or if you've got a tablet you can use--find some inspiration and draw! I've seen lots of people draw solarpunk fashion ideas, solarpunk building concepts, or just general vibe art!

You could also take a crack at writing! You could write a short story, or get started on a longer project idea! You could even just write worldbuilding-type stuff, like examples of event listings or building histories you imagine a solarpunk society would have, or ideas for holidays and festivals!

Learning an instrument feels pretty solarpunk to me! I (Ani) say this as someone who has 2 guitars around and has forgotten 80% of the stuff she learned in her lessons back in high school. Just in general, picking up an old hobby you miss, or starting a new one works great for this event honestly!

You can also check out the Apartment Solarpunk tag on the Practical Solarpunk blog, it may have more ideas for you!

We hope this helps! Either way, I hope you enjoy the event week!

[pocket-size-cthulhu]

I recently asked my Twitter followers what their apocalypse skill is, like what they would be doing for the community in a solarpunk apocalypse future for example. I got a lot of interesting responses (feel free to reply with your own!) but i also got a lot of responses that were like "haha i would just die" or "I'm not strong or fast so I'd be left to die" or like "you're trying to live through the apocalypse? Lol"

And like--i like those jokes. They're funny.

But on a deeper level, i find them deeply troubling because i think they say a lot about how we, individually and as a society, feel about apocalypse, survival, human nature and the meaning of life.

Buckle up.

First and foremost, i feel like a lot of apocalypse media i see is based in some kind of weird, delusional male power fantasy. Like, "are you fast enough to outrun the zombies? Strong enough to kill them? If not your group will leave you to die!" And like, that media isn't trying to be realistic, but i do think it's a pity that the market is saturated with media that's so hopeless and unrealistic.

People have lived through apocalypse time after time after time. Even as recently as, say, the world wars--what was the bombing of Hiroshima if not a sort of localized apocalypse? What about the capture and slavery of African people, or the genocide of native Americans, or the Holocaust, or the burning of the American South in Sherman's march? Aren't those all a kind of apocalypse? War, plague, natural disasters etc have ended people's worlds over and over as long as people have been around.

But the human race persists. I don't know how because I've never lived through anything like this, but i have to guess it's because people have this inherent burning drive to persist, and because we pull together and make an identity for ourselves and do the most human of things: take care of each other.

Even when the unthinkable happens, people are still hungry. People still need shelter and clothing. People still have compassion on each other and seek each other's company. The day to day of being human isn't going anywhere, even if our world goes up in flames. And having those needs means building infrastructure and community to meet them.

That's why it's never going to be "if you can't outrun the zombies, we're leaving you for dead." Because we need other skills to survive. And because we have compassion on each other. So you're not fast and strong, but are you good with kids? Can you help count and organize stuff? Do you know how to sew or cook? Do you know first aid? Can you mediate between people who are fighting? Do you know about plants? Can you learn new skills? Can you problem solve? Anybody can swing a bat, but other skills are even more necessary. And the more of us that band together, the more warm bodies we have in our little survival group, the better our odds are. That's how we've always survived.

Also, the idea that we'd be fighting zombies or whatever with brute strength alone is so absurd. That's a massive waste of energy. We're gonna be holing up in some architecture or on a hill, i guarantee it 😅 and most of the day would be spent addressing basic needs anyway, not fighting zombies. Anyway 😂

The reason this is so important to me is not because i think i will live through an apocalypse, but because it helps remind me why it's worth it to try to avert one. If i believe the apocalypse will come and I'll just be left to die, honestly where's my motivation to keep fighting for a better world? If i believe other people are just cruel and don't care?

Truth is, the apocalypse is already happening. Slowly but surely: animals are going extinct at alarming rates. The air and the ocean are polluted. Necessary ice is melting. In Utah, the Salt lake is set to become an arsenic dust bowl in the next 5 years. Millions have died, and millions more have become disabled, from our latest plague. We're living through the apocalypse right now.

Even if we turned everything around today, the planet is still going to be irreparably different than it was. Things are still going to change in irreversible ways. And, it's worth it to keep pushing for positive change. We literally can't afford hopelessness. To accept our own death (by zombies or climate change or anything else) is also to accept a warped "survival of the fittest" mindset that puts the most vulnerable people, like kids, the elderly, the destitute, and the disabled, on the altar of our complacency. That's not something I am willing to go along with.

I like positive apocalypse stories, even though they are unrealistically peaceful and calm and safe, because it helps me maintain hope in the idea that there's something to fight for. It reminds me of the good there is in humanity. It reassures me that even if shit does hit the fan, we're going to stick together and try to help each other survive. I need as much of that as i can get.

[pheita]

Author Ask Game

I was tagged by @sam-glade I am tagging @writernopal @eternalwritingstudent @radley-writes @tabswrites @elshells

1. What is the main lesson of your story (e.g. kindness, diversity, anti-war), and why did you choose it?

Phew, I never choose the lessons or moral of a story before I write. I am somewhere between a planer and a pantser which means it crystallizes while I write. Blood Night: I think the main lesson is overcoming the past, facing your fears to do so, and be able to have a peaceful future. Sojan, his sister Arritit, and Lyran all somehow have to face the actions of their fathers and come to terms with their past to be able to move on, and in case of Sojan and Lyran, to be able to have a relationship. Ironically, all of this is tied to saving the world. Always Prepared The main lesson is trust, friendship, and allowing yourself to be happy. Nesryn, the MC, never allowed herself to be happy because of her trust issues, and after she ends up in a different dimension, she somehow makes friends with some of the inhabitants there without realizing it, leading to the ultimate question of : Where is her home? Sea of Memories, Sea of Chances: Simple and easy this time: It is never too late to follow your dream.

2. What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding (like real-life cultures, animals, famous media, websites, etc.)? Blood Night: Witcher, Monster Hunter, Dragon Age and mixed and shook it up to give it my own twist. Various places on the continent have either some aesthetic or a culture as base, for example Lyran's home country of Wealmore is based a lot on 18th -19th century Italy, the city of the elves is based on the idea of living in/with the forest you see in multiple native tribes that live in dense forests/forests with thick trees. Always Prepared: I think there is any media even if you could argue it being some sort of Isekai, it draws a lot of solarpunk ideas and green architecture/cities Sea of Memories, Sea of Chance: Mostly Pirate of the Caribbean, but there is a bit of One Piece in there maybe. 3. What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, help readers grow as a person?

I don't want to achieve anything besides telling a hopefully interesting story. If any of them inspire someone, or help someone through something they go through: Wonderful, that is what art of any kind is meant to do, but I don't consciously aim for any of it.

Where my MCs always just try to live a good live, I mostly tell the story first to myself and the few people who are willing to listen. Sure, sometimes I can be philosophical and with me my characters, but it is more a spur of the moment thing. 4. How many chapters is your story going to have? Blood Night: I don't know, I didn't count in the finished draft but must be roughly somewhere between 30 and 40. Always Prepared: It's 12 plus and an epilogue Sea of Memories, Sea of Chances: The old draft had 10, but since I am going to add a sideplot in the re-write, it might end up around 12 or 14. 5. Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it? All of it are original stories. I had Wattpad like forever ago but deleted it. So far I only have posted some stuff from Blood Night on my sideblog for the WIP because it became massive and a whole series with side branches over @lagawood-guildhouse So far, I only post on Tumblr even if I am thinking sporadically of other ways but never actually do it. I don't want to publish anything traditional, and I don't know if I will do self pub. 6. When and why did you start writing? I was around 12 and started with fanfiction without knowing it was fanfiction lol The first original stories came when I was around 15 or 16 because I had ideas and wanted to do my own thing. Somehow, I always told stories, way before I started writing. 7. Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of Writeblr? What other writers of Tumblr do you follow?

I just can say, don't be shy. The majority of writers are happy to talk to new folks. Find your folks, even if they are just two or three people, who will enable every stupid idea of yours and hype you up when you feel down. Try to be excited for others and not jealous. We are all in this together.

And I always recommend @eternalwritingstudent because my dear friend who I suffered with through multiple re-writers of her WIP now is an awesome storyteller with a loveable bunch of characters and an engaging style. If you don't follow @ashen-crest already, do it now, because she is awesome, she is lovely, and if you love stupid masochistic bards, over-excited spirits and potion shenanigans she is your woman.

I am sorry, I can list more, I am completely out of the loop still due to my hiatus.

[infamousbrad]

The thing is, I don't think he's wrong. I identify with the neo-New Urbanist movement. Chuck "Strong Towns" Marohn, and the consultants over at the Urban Three Institute, have brought the receipts. What Americans want? To preserve single-use zoning and the largest possible detached single-family houses and free parking for every adult within 660 feet of everywhere they need to go, only (grudgingly) make the cars electric? Isn't going to work.

The math was already bad, even in the gasoline era. There are tons of essential services (hospitals, police, fire departments, ambulance services, water treatment, sewage treatment, stormwater runoff, streets, the power grid) that have this in common: they have large fixed per-square mile costs, which means the fewer taxpayers you have per square mile, the more taxes each of those companies and those workers have to pay, and it adds up to more than any post-WW2 suburb can afford.

As I heard Marohn tell David "DRvolts" Roberts on his podcast, the outer ring suburbs and the exurbs have no plausible future. Sooner or later just about everything built between 1960 and 2020 is going to turn into slums and then be abandoned to fall down. Even if climate change weren't a thing, even if we weren't in for decades of intensifying disaster, tearing down the exurbs would still be inevitable.

But I've "done the math" politically, culturally, historically as well and I cannot see any plausible route to the American people demanding change on a bipartisan basis, any plausible way for densification and walkability and safer streets and car-optional civil engineering and organic passive summer cooling for all to be non-partisan, universal demands from both parties' voters any earlier than the mid 2040s. And once those demands are made, I can't see construction getting done any time before the late 2080s.

I turned 63 this year. In the mid 2040s, I'll be 85ish. To make it to 2090, I'd have last to 130. People in my family, in my city, on my economic rung, generally don't live past their 70s. I would have to be unspeakably lucky to even see en masse construction of a better America begin. Because Winston Churchill was right when he said that the American people can be counted on to do the right thing, but not until they've tried everything else.

I don't have the luxury to emigrate to Tokyo or Barcelona or Amsterdam. Too old, too poor, any relevant job skills far, far out of date. Maybe I would if I could, because there is no plausible way for me to ever get to live in the solarpunk future that is, I believe, genuinely inevitable for America. To tell me, an old guy, that all we have to do is win one more election and this'll all be done by the 2030s when I'm still young enough to enjoy it, is to blow rainbows up my ass. I'm not that gullible.

That puts me in the realm of people who are fighting for that better future not so I can live in it, but just because it's still the right thing to do, because if I didn't do it, I'd hate myself, and that's no way to live. And civilization is defined, as they say, as "old men planting trees under the shade of which they will never sit."

Here, this is starting drama in urbanist circles, I am bored take it and do what you will

[scribbledquillz]

For your fic ask thingie, I'm low key curious about all of them, but that is a lot... so how about D for bloodletter AU, K, L, S, and U? 😁

Fanfic Ask Meme - still accepting!

Thank you so much for sending these in, @siriskulk!

D. for Bloodletter AU - Is there a song or a playlist to associate with [insert fic]?

I'm SO GLAD you asked this one, because I've been putting off making a legit playlist for my vampire disasters for too long. The end song count was 28 - so to save you and my dash I'll just pick a few of my faves.

1. You Ain't Comming Back - Zeal & Ardor

These stairs don't have anywhere to lead you Who cares if you're lost like the others? Don't let anybody step into the circle now Don't let anybody tell you that you're safe All these days gonna pass like a grass fire Don't let anybody tell you that you're safe

2. River - Bishop Briggs

Tales of an endless heart Cursed is the fool who's willing Can't change the way we are One kiss away from killing

3. Silvertongue - Young the Giant

Clothes on the floor, but the bed's on the ceiling Slurring my lines, but I'm nailing the meaning I'll say what you want me to say But talk only gets in the way Rolling our eyes, no more words to describe how we lose control

4. Supernatural - World's First Cinema

I ask questions of the darkness And it answered back I felt it creepin through my veins Before it all went black And I smell fire the taste of brimstone It takes control As I surrender to the beast

5. My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark - Fall Out Boy

All the writers keep writing what they write Somewhere another pretty vein just dies I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see That you're the antidote to everything except for me A constellation of tears on your lashes Burn everything you love Then burn the ashes In the end everything collides My childhood spat back the monster that you see

(Trimming this beast now before it gets out of control lol)

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

Ohhh that's a genuine tough one. I used to write a lot more angsty stuff back in the day before I decided I needed a happy ending to look forward to at the very least. I would say it's probably a tie between an abandoned F!Hawke/Fenris fic I had where Hawke was turned tranquil by rogue Templars after the Chantry boom, and my original timeline for Revka and Zevran. It involved Zev being out of the picture for a literal decade without Revka knowing why he left and a son Zevran didn't get to meet until said years went by. I like the way I have things ending for them now much, much more.

L: What’s the weirdest AU you’ve ever come up with?

Another tie between a Mad Max style post-apocalypse Undertale AU and a Solarpunk art deco / art nouveau style Dragon Age AU involving basically the entire cast from all three games. They were both ridiculous and I loved them.

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

Give me all the slow burns. I'm such a sucker for a long, drawn out romance with a bunch of near misses and tender moments building up slowly over time.

I also am an unabashed monster lover, so aus where one member of a ship is like - a mermaid, a werewolf *cough cough* a vampire *cough cough* or something like that are all going to have me making huge heart eye emojis.

Other big faves include arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, star crossed lovers, both people thinking their feelings are unrequited, and a massive helping of friends to friends with benefits to the benefits getting messy because "Oh no I caught FEELINGS".

U: A pairing you might like to write for, but haven’t tried yet.

Technically I've already written for them, but I don't think one drabble counts in the grand scheme. I would really love a chance to develop and write more of Imakai Adaar and Varric. I feel like they would start very firmly in the friends to friends with benefits territory, but I see a lot of delicious deep but carefully hidden pining from Kai, as well as some pining on Varric's end mixed up in some very complicated emotions around lingering feelings for Bianca and his reluctance to "betray" her / his devotion to her. Not to mention adding in the potential for Cole to accidentally reveal things they don't exactly feel ready for the other to know and it's just - *chef's kiss*.

[magic-is-something-we-create]

pst pax hi happy late wbw my friend !! today i would like to know: if you could throw in an extra genre — say, scifi — into your world, would you do it? If yes, what would you throw in and how do you think the world will shift to fit around the new things?? ( honestly idk if this really counts as wbw but i'm *curious* // still on hiatus, so you don't need to send me an ask! )

:D happy wbw, asena!!!! its good to see you!!!!

one of the things that really makes me excited about the Ehlverse is that I *have* done this!!! Where the Ehlves are in a sort of steampunk-ish, turn of the century urban environment, most of Emarye is in a much more gunslinger western-y, but constantly frozen environment, the Goblins are more cyberpunk/near-space age, etc. etc.! it really helps to spur inspiration, because of all the ways the different people interact, and how many wildly different stories can come up in a world like that!!

I’m feeling like delving into the more industrial steampunk side of things, with a bit of ~soft magic~? I’ll write about Dwarves! Dark Academia and murder? Humans! A solarpunk utopian society hidden from the world? Sirens!

part of it is that i REALLY love genre-bending stuff, so adding all of these things coexisting allows for some absolutely wild crossovers - Ember having (but not knowing how to use) a smartphone-esque thing literally comes up in firebreathers, and the Goblins living in Aree are forced to adjust to little to no electricity and the fact that machines are powered with something as fickle as magic instead-

all that is to say, its a SUPER fun thing to play around with, and more people should try it :D im trying to figure out how to put pirates into the Ehlverse in a way that makes a bit more sense right now, and I can assure you, there is going to have to be some fuckery on the sirens’ part so as not to be found out constantly.

[elbiotipo]

requerido fandom: Evangelion

The first character I first fell in love with: Not love in THAT sense but I always felt a lot of sympathy for Rei, she's always used as a tool for creepy plans, she's treated as a souless replaceable clone, and she's just... a girl... a girl who went through a lot of shitty stuff. She needs a hug. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: I never disliked him but Kaji went from "eh he's alright I guess" to MY HERO went he became the ecologist founder of a solarpunk institution dedicated to saving Earth's life for the future in 3.0+1.0 The character everyone else loves that I don’t: Don't get fooled by the memes, Misato is NOT waifu material (I don't hate her though). The character I love that everyone else hates: Hmmm I don't really know... I guess I symphatize a lot more with Shinji than the common "GET IN THE ROBOT" jokes because I think he happens to bitch the perfect amount for someone in his situation. The character I used to love but don’t any longer: I like Asuka more now than I did when I first watched, does that count? FELIZ JUEVES bought me. The character I would totally smooch: I always liked Ibuki Maya, but she's almost certainly a lesbian in canon, so... The character I’d want to be like: Gendo. No really, I want to be the badass administrator of a secret organization. Except not evil. The character I’d slap: Gendo, por pajero. A pairing that I love: Everyone/Therapy, Asuka/Jueves A pairing that I despise: Gendo/Any Kind Of Victory Or Happiness

[random-conspiracy]

yey! the desk cop is here! /j /j /j thanks pal

-how’d you get the idea for the rotating baskets instead of a traditional shelf/wall/dresser type thing? would everything you put in them need to have that immediate access?

TAROT and medieval bookwheels! hahsahs, specifically the Wheel of Fortune card. The main desk was the first desing, all the other pieces were thought later and I wanted something dramatic! Something to give that visual and dynamic kick to the collection.

You don't actually need everything in inmediate access, that's why I made her sister, the more casual chest of drawers to keep all the thinks you don't actually want to see all the time (that's why the drawers have such bright colors! Easier color-memory-content association).

-i like the optional shelves that are higher in the main desk area itself, what was your idea in making those? are there certain projects you’d need a higher workspace for (i.e. jewelry making maybe) or did you just want the alternative height for a possible higher chair?

Oh! Those boards are mean to be moved from the shelves to be work area, not used in that very place. HOWEVER, the upper area of the desk's box is a secondary work area at standing up height, for when you want to do shit without being sittin' all the time.

-i really like the sunny feeling of everything, what made you choose this color of wood for the walls and desk? is it your ideal texture/colors for everything, was there a limited budget, etc? would you change colors given an unlimited palette to pick from? (i’m a colorful maximalist so i genuinely get curious as to why ppl enjoy minimalism, that’s not to say it looks bad ofc)

The budget ahshasha. Plywood is cheap and easy to use, also it gives a very nice wood final surface. Minimalistic but organic, personalizable without lacking personality. I'm a hugh maximalist too but since the original idea was a desk designed for an architecture student I needed to create something that wouldn't distract from the main focus.

But you can already see that maximalism is something beyond bold colors and kitsch textures. I have a fucking wheel ahshhsahs.

I'd like to experiment with other textures and colors in new projects, maybe something more dramatic, more futuristic, even something on the lines of art nouveau or solarpunk. I like the concept of a desk, since it is your main creative/work area if you have something dull you will be inspired by that dullness, but something too intense will act like a blackhole, trapping you into a specific mindset.

-if you needed to add a bulletin board/reminder section/calendar/idk Hanging Things section, where would it go/what shape would it be? the clock has a really distinct alternative shape so i think it would be cool to see either something similar or inverse

I thought about it. I tried some prototypes with an extra panel in the main desk's sides, but it was just too much. If anything, the high drawer is full of empty space on its sides. Put some plywood wings of differente shapes there and you have all the modifiable useful space you need.

And the clock is not mine ahshahsahs. I don't know who did it.

How would I make a clock...?

Mmmmm, how curious. I adore the archetypical shape of a clock but honestly who gives a fuck about hands, my time is money and I want some straight numbers. However, what is actually "time"? To jump from 12pm to 4pm doing nothing? I don't want some macabre shit like an hourglass counting seconds back but I DEFINITELY would like something to hold me in.

I think we're seeing only the small picture and that's part of the problem.

What about a clock that shows not only the minutes, but the hours in the day and the days in the week, AND the weeks in the month? HHahashas

"The Hours", the hours can defend themselves, they are nasty ladies, unless you're looking for the golden apples you have nothing to worry about. But the minutes? those are the real deal. I'd make a clock that shows you how many time you have actually left, and where you can place very visible deadlines. How many minutes left in the hour, hours in the day, days in the week, weeks in the month, even months in the year.

See the big picture.

Have control of your time.

Not just 4 round clocks side by side, maybe more like loading bars to keep that essence of the hourglass in a more intuitive way. Perhaps even in a circular concentric shape. And maybe, perhaps, the only hand in the center of the clock is you moving at the same speed and direction the loading bar is diminishing ahshas. And your deadlines and important dates reminders as smaller hands pointing in the exact date you need them (like, sorry for the reference, Molly Weasley's clock), with a classic and very visible set of numbers right in the center showing the actual time.

See the whole flow of time that goes from "now" to "then".

Maybe I'd make sketches later

Or maybe something more personalizable, like showing only the whole pack of hours that you have left

finished my stupid render

[shinygemstone]

1. One of the Tuesdays in the Castle books, for nostalgia

2. Last book in the series

3. Bold of you to assume I plan to read anything

4. I don't have one

5. Book I'm reading rn

6. The Symptoms of Being a Human

7. The Symptoms of Being a Human

8. Hardcover doesn't DRIFT FUCKING SHUT when it's brand new, but if you're grabbing it from the library, little kids don't eat the pages of a paperback

9. I don't have a preference, just don't hand me pwp

10. Both. Give me fucking solarpunk.

11. Modern, it keeps up with culture so I can read it and it doesn't say obscenely problematic shit. Usually.

12. Comedic, I get too much politics as it is

13. Upside down magic got fucking butchered by Disney

14. I don't necessarily have one of these, but I think that The Hate U Give movie is as good as the book

15. Warrior cats.

16. ...three survival guides???

17. Rainbow Reads

18. I don't really kin book characters, but I'd have to go with Lacey from the Birds, Bees, You, and Me

19. Fucking Darkstripe from warrior cats or whatever his name was. The fucking coward that poisoned a baby and flipped sides.

20. 1984 or The Hate U Give

21. The Toll

22. I cannot do e-reads man. I will get through a book at like 1/15th to 1/30th the pace.

23. No. BUY BOOKS IN PERSON OR GO TO THE LIBRARY

24. Bookshop obviously

25. Keefe from KOLTC. Any day. In the most recent book he needs a hug and in older books he's just a vibe.

26. I can't remember her name right now, but the main character from drama.

27. More diversity. And improve the quality of books with diversity.

28. Four, and I'm working on a 5th.

29. Genre and target demographic

30. Don't have one.

31-33. I don't do favorite authors

34. Noah x Devin, Zila x Scarlet, Riley x Bec, Kyoshi x Rangi, and Starr x Chris

35. The Symptoms of Being a Human

36. Twilight.

37. Too many to count

38. English, I'm (unfortunately) not biligual

39. Tuesdays in the Castle, Ella Enchanted, or The Girl who Drank the Moon

40. The Hate U Give, 1984, or The Symptoms of Being a Human

41. Yes. Whenever I want a specific book or I want to read and have spare time

42. To Kill a Mockingbird

43. I don't know, I never have multiple books at a time because I can generally finish a book in a day or less

44. FUCK NO!!! IT THROWS OFF THE VIBES COMPLETELY. MUSIC WHILE READING IS THE REASON I CAN'T READ THE THUNDERHEAD ANYMORE WITHOUT LET ME DOWN SLOWLY GETTING STUCK IN MY HEAD.

45. Jolly ranchers.

46. Sparkling lemonade.

47. I don't.

48. My sister's beanbag

49. Around 2 PM is the best time for reading or doing homework, fight me. 5-6 PM is when I like to start writing or drawing though and shit I'm off topic sorry lmao

50. It takes you to another world so far away from this one. It's the original way I escaped from reality and even though I have easier ways to escape reading is the OG, the one my parents gifted to me as a baby, the one I've been doing for literally over a decade.

Bookish Questions!

1: What book did you last finish? When was that?

2: What are you currently reading?

3: What book are you planning to read next?

4: What was the last book you added to your tbr?

5: Which book did you last re-read?

6: Which book was the last one you really, really loved?

7: What was/were the last book/books you bought?

8: Paperback or hardcover? Why?

9: YA, NA or Adult? Why?

10: Sci-Fi or fantasy? Why?

11: Classic or modern? Why?

12: Political memoirs or comedic memoirs?

13: Name a book with a really bad movie/tv adaption

14: Name a book where the movie/tv adaption actually was better than the original

15: What book changed your life?

16: If you could bring three books to a deserted island which would you bring and why?

17: If you owned a bookshop what would you call it?

18: Which character from a book is the most like you?

19: Which character from a book is the least like you?

20: Best summer read?

21: Best winter read?

22: Pro or anti e-readers? Why?

23: Bookdepository or Amazon?

24: Do you prefer to buy books online or in a bookshop?

25: If you could be a character from a book for just one day who would you be and why? (Bonus: any specific day in the story?)

26: If you could be a character from a book for their entire life who would you be and why?

27: If you could change one thing about mainstream literature what would you change? (i.e. more diversity, better writing, better plot etc.)

28: How many books have you read so far this year?

29: How do you sort your shelves? (i.e. by color, author, title etc.)

30: Who’s your favorite author?

31: Who’s your favorite contemporary author?

32: Who’s your favorite fantasy author?

33: Who’s your favorite Sci-Fi author?

34: List five OTPs

35: Name a book you consider to be terribly underrated

36: Name a book you consider to be terribly overrated

37: How many books are actually in your bookshelf/shelves right now?

38: What language do you (most often) read in?

39: Name one of your favorite childhood books

40: Name one of your favorite books from your teenage years

41: Do you own a library card? How often do you use it?

42: Which was the best book you had to read in school?

43: Are you the kind of person who reads several books at once or the kind of person who can only read one book at a time?

44: Do you like to listen to music when you read?

45: What is your favorite thing to eat when you read?

46: What is your favorite thing to drink when you read?

47: What do you do to get out of a reading slump?

48: Where is your favorite place to read?

49: When is your favorite time to read?

50: Why do you love to read?

Credit: http://lettercollectors.tumblr.com/