#Starscape Books

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts by Erika Lewis

Review: Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts by Erika Lewis

Author: Erika LewisPublisher: Starscape BooksReleased: March 1, 2022Received: NetGalley Oh, if only this novel had come out when I was a child. I would have been smitten with everything about Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts. Truth be told, I’m still smitten with it now! All Kelcie Murphy wants to do is find a way to attend The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts. She’d do…

[oumaheroes]

Congrats on 1000 followers!! If you're still taking requests, I'd go absolutely feral for some of your scotfra! I love how you write modern nationverse with where characters reminisce or philosophise about the past <33

Phi I... I strayed. Okay, I strayed way off topic because this came to me so clearly that I couldn't not write it. I hope that you like it, even though there is no nationverse philosophying ;u;

Characters: Scotland, France (ScotFra)

-------------------------------------------

Starscape

Their home hits him with unexpected force as soon as he opens the door, the brass handle cool against bare palm. The smell of their lives together, clean linen and cedar aftershave. Walls cluttered with photos, Alisdair’s large leather armchair in the corner, Francis’ collection of Vogues tucked neatly besides Alisdair’s nature books into a handmade bookcase- collected fragments of two lives turned into one. A busy, friendly, assault of the senses.

Francis is in the kitchen, warm yellow lights and background radio above the metallic clatter of their cutlery drawer.

Alisdair sloughs his coat off, drapes it over the sofa, and walks in to join him.

‘Hello there.’

Alisdair can hear Francis’ smile through the words as he hugs him tightly from behind where he is at the counter, chin to shoulder. His arms go around him to their places automatically, right hand to Francis’ left hip.

Francis tilts his head back and up to try and meet his eye, ‘Good day?’

‘It’ll do.’

Francis snorts and cups his cheek lazily with one hand, reaching to place an empty pan on the stove, ‘Better than nothing.’

‘How was yours?’ Alisdair is loath to let him go but Francis wiggles free, gently nudging him back and away to let him get on with things. Alisdair retreats to the table in the middle of the room and watches.

‘Oh, you know. Same old same old.’

‘Tell me.’

Francis gifts him with a raised eyebrow. He fills up a pot with water and sets it salted to boil. ‘Well,’ he says, ‘Do you remember that new woman from a few weeks ago?’

Alisdair casts far back in time to find the name Francis might be referring to and finds too many to filter. ‘I remember you telling me about her.’

Francis raises an eyebrow, ‘Tina.’

‘Ah. Tina.’ He had forgotten Tina.

‘I cannot understand what is driving her to-‘ Francis sighs and clicks his tongue, ‘I don’t want to judge, but-‘

Alisdair smiles, ‘Yes, you do.’

Francis waves a hand. ‘Yes, fine. I do. But still, I am aware it’s not my place to say older people can’t randomly move jobs out of nowhere, and obviously they can learn how to do something new, but it’s...’

He stops, ties his hair up, and Alisdair's smiles widens. ‘Some people are slow, and I understand. It’s irritating to train them but I understand. Everyone has their own pace, and all that. Christ, I sound like Arthur when he’s being his most pretentious.’

Alisdair wants to call his brother then and has to swallow the feeling away, eyes fixed on Francis to keep him focused.

Butter to pan, salt to onions. The smell in the air is sweet. Condensation softens the windows, fogs the dark shadows of their garden beyond the glass. Francis moves whilst he talks, stepping lightly from one task to another.

‘But she’s not just slow to train. She’s someone who keeps questioning things, rather than just learning them. “Why do it this way, that way is much better.” Or, “In my last position, we did X Y Z blah blah blah”. Horrible. Aggravating.’ Francis tips mushrooms into the pan and shakes his head, ‘Anyway. Today I found out that she didn’t just move to join the analyst team because she wanted some sort of end of career change or have a last-minute depressing existential crisis. She was asked to move down. Because she was terrible at her job.’

Francis grins at him, his smile sharp teethed and wicked, ‘No wonder she’s so picky with everything. I got the feeling that she thought that we and what we do were beneath her but now-‘

Alisdair cuts him off before he can finish. Away from the table before Francis can stop him, he presses his mouth to Francis’, then to his cheek. Cups the back of his head in his hand, kisses his neck and feels the beat of Francis’ heart jump his pulse strong against his lips.

‘Stop it.’ Francis swats at him but the gesture is half-hearted at best, ‘You’re going to make me burn dinner.’

Alisdair kisses him again, Francis’ long hair soft and undone in his hands. ‘I don’t care.’

‘I care.’

Francis never burns dinner. No matter how busy the day or how many tasks he’s doing at once, dinner is never something to be sacrificed as part of a greater good. No matter how hard Alisdair could have tried to force it, in their life burning dinner was not a thing that would ever have happened. Today is no different. Francis extracts himself just in time to save things and Alisdair lets him go, knowing he needs to in order for things to work as they should.

The taste, once Francis is done, is perfect- one of his best meals, in Alisdair’s opinion, a warm mushroom soup. Thick bread- not homemade, Francis laments, but good enough- lightly toasted and thickly buttered. Alisdair savours every bite, takes small spoonfuls to draw out the experience for as long as it can go.

After they’ve eaten, the cooking a perfect mixture of memory and longing, they retreat to the living room sofa to fall deadweight against the cushions.

‘That was too much food.’ Francis says where he sits against Alisdair’s chest, their legs together under blankets before them on the L-shaped bend. ‘We keep on eating portion sizes that are way more than we need.’

Alisdair disagrees entirely. He is slimmer now, of course, much slimmer, but Francis doesn’t seem to notice. He pats the meat of Francis’ thigh and then grips it tight, ‘We’re doing just fine.’

Francis rolls his eyes and tuts but Alisdair sees the smile in his eyes, ‘No, not that. I mean that it’s expensive.’

‘It’s doable.’

‘Not with the sheer amount of lamb that you’re eating.’

‘It’s my favourite.’

‘It’s the costliest of all of them.’ Francis smiles and reaches up an arm to play with the short hair at the nape of Alisdair’s neck, ‘This needs a cut.’

‘You said you wouldn’t cut my hair anymore.’ Alisdair reminds him. Francis’ hand is warm, so warm, and Alisdair closes his eyes. ‘You said I complain too much.’

‘You do.’

‘Only because you threatened to shave me.’

Francis laughs lightly, ‘It would suit you.’

‘Well. That's why I complained.’

Beep.

Alisdair opens his eyes.

‘Shall we watch something?’ Francis sits up for the remote on the coffee table.

‘Only if it’s not a period drama.’

Francis sighs, weary, ‘Emma is not just a period drama. I’m told it’s a brilliant film.’

Alisdair wrinkles his nose and then grins at the look Francis gives him, ‘I’m sure it is. But are you going to be able to sit there quietly and not bitch about the costume design?’

Francis blinks at him. ‘Yes,’ he says after a while, ‘Obviously.’

‘Fucking liar.’

‘I will! I won’t say anything.’

‘I’ll bet you a fucking tenner you won’t be able to stop yourself saying something.’

Francis glances at the TV, then back to him. ‘Fine,’ he says after a moment, ‘If it’s shit research, I won’t be able to help myself. But that doesn’t detract from it potentially being a very good film.’

‘Besides shit costuming.’

‘… So I’m told.’

‘But see, there you go.’ Alisdair leans forwards, ‘You’ll have a great time nonetheless but I won’t be able to focus on anything because-‘

Beep.

Alisdair wavers, ‘…because I’ll have you going off making comments all the time and I’ll forget what’s happening and-‘

Francis looks scandalised, ‘You don’t know the story anyway?’

‘Why the fuck would I know the story?’

‘Oh for the love of-‘ Beep. ‘We have to watch it. That’s it, I can’t have this.’ Francis clicks on the TV and scrolls to Netflix, ‘What on earth was your mother thinking. You’d think with the amount Arthur goes on-‘

‘Arthur was the weird one. I-‘

Beep.

Alisdair feels a tightness in his chest. He tries not to think of the cause.

Francis turns to him. ‘What?’

Alisdair’s tongue feels heavy, throat tight. ‘What.’

‘You were saying?’ Francis prompts. ‘Something about you and Arthur.’

His hair is tucked behind on ear but strands have fallen free. Alisdair wants to reach forward and brush them back but he can’t move. He feels hollow, belly empty.

He takes a deep, long breath in. His lungs fill, then release. Under his fingers, he feels the whorls of the sofa upholstery on the arm rest. Feels the warmth of Francis near his outstretched leg, face buttery yellow in the lamplight by the wall. It is all so real.

‘Right.’ He runs a hand over his face, ‘Arthur was the one who read all the books. I was a normal child and young man, and went outside. Made friends.’

‘I read those same books.’ Francis presses a hand to his chest, ‘And I feel I came out quite normal from the experience.’

‘I wouldn’t quite say that.’

Francis nods, sagely, and tilts his head to one side. ‘You’re not entirely wrong. I’m with you, after all.’

Alisdair nudges him with his foot, in the softness of his stomach, and Francis laughs.

Beep. Oxygen levels critically low. Warning.

Alisdair should have turned the alarms off.

Francis settles back against him and Alisdair leans back against the sofa, tucking them back in as he goes and wraps his arms around Francis, hold him tight. Here, like this, it would be so easy to forget. To think that this was happening, and was still something he could have and return to. Francis is so solid, so real.

Beep.

But Alisdair cannot forget. Thousands of miles above earth, his body free from gravity, he watched as without warning mushroom clouds peppered through the skies below him. Rushes of clouds shot across oceans to collide with another wave, and then another, until the planet fell still.

The silence was loud. Space pressed in against the glass, a thick, dark nothingness that stretched on and outwards around him. Endless stars dull when there is no one waiting to share them with, Alisdair has found.

He still has no idea what happened. Whether it was planned, who started it, who could be left. He waited weeks for something, endless days on a knife’s edge by the comms system, unable to leave in case something came through or his planned replacement arrive to relieve him. Sleep in broken chunks, too tired to stay away any longer.

He doesn’t know now how long it has been. He stopped checking the days. There was nothing that could be done for him, anyhow. What good is it to know details of his final days, when the grand fact was that no one was coming. He lived because he was too scared to die, and that was that.

And now, here it is.

Warning.

Alisdair had remembered to override the auto-safety control that diverted power to essential systems, at least. That was the important part.

Warning.

It could warn him all it wanted; he wasn’t going to change anything.

Oxygen levels critically low.

A few more days with the bare essentials to sustain life, or this. One last go at the hollo-systems, one last story to play.

Warning. Oxygen levels critically low.

Alisdair had been holding back on playing this one. Eking out the power left on his ship for as long as he could, everything non-essential closed off to- why? To live? To remember?

Just in case, maybe. Just in case.

In his arms, the programmed memory of Francis shifts under the blankets and sighs through his nose. The film has started, Alisdair hadn’t noticed. The colours and sounds all curl and bleed together, flashes of something distinct stand out before falling away like a motion blur. Francis breathes in Alisdair’s arms, his face calm and easy, and Alisdair watches.

Beep.

This is how he wants to go.

Beep.

To go home to a life that only he can remember. Kept safe here in memories and code, a final goodbye.

‘I love you,’ he says. His voice cracks, ‘So, so much.’

Francis turns his head. He reads something in Alisdair’s face; Alisdair sees the flicker in his expression as he notes that something is wrong. But memory and code can only go so far, the real Francis would never have seen him like this before. Alisdair doesn’t know how he would have reacted. Whatever his husband’s virtual echo sees in Alisdair’s drawn, wasted face, it is not something that he was designed to see.

So, he smiles. Sees him as whole. ‘I love you too.’

The living room darkens, shadows fill the edges. Alisdair closes his eyes and buries his face in Francis’ shoulder. ‘I’ll be home soon.’

Francis turns slightly and wraps and arm around and under Alisdair’s back, ‘I’ll be waiting.’

[halfetirosie]

🌌 Important info from the [Call from the Starscape] PV! 🌌 (Reaction post)

1) Star Altar?

This reminds me of how the Sorcerer's Trials academy had a Gem Altar statue. Maybe this the the star-gazing tower's version of that?

Or maybe this one might have an actual function in the observatory? Like how in ATLA, there's a dial in the middle of the planetary calendar room of Wan Shi Tong's library?

2) Whose cabin is this???

At first I thought it might be Kuya's house, but from what I remember, it doesn't really look like that. It can't be Quincy's because his is larger than that, and it can't be Blade's because his building is more janky-looking...

It's obviously a separate location from the star-gazing tower... I am very curious.

3) I spy, with my little eye, TWO cups!!! 😈

This appears to be one of those window sill seats that people turn into couches. It's very cute to picture Edmond and Eiden chillin together in this comfy little area, eating cookies and sipping of hot cocoa! (At least, assume it's cocoa, because Edmond.)

I also see that the open book features rabbit! 😈 (Probably in reference to the legends about a rabbit living on the moon.)

Very nice to see Edmond's Dev-Assigned Spirit Animal getting a cameo!

4) At first I laughed---because Blade's cute doodles always tickle me---

---but now I'm wondering, how da fuq did he get those drawing into the rock? Did he use his bare finger to carve into it??? He can't have used a different rock to carve, because the lines are too clean for that...

5) HE IS SO CUTE!!! (≧∇≦)

Also, when I first saw the face on the helmet, I had a strong sense of deja-vu that I couldn't identify, but then I remembered---

It reminds me of this design from The Lonely Moon figurine series!

6) 👀 Oh snap, he's touching his core directly, this time!!!

That hasn't happened for a while!

7) 🚨🚨🚨 PRETTY HAND ALERT!!! 🚨🚨🚨

Holy SHIT, this scene looks romantic as fuck!!!

(I feel like classic missionary-position scenes are under-rated quite a lot. But the sheer intimacy and eroticism of looking directly at your partner is pretty wild.)

8) !!! Is this showing off Edmond's light magic?!

Yes, it looks like a star at first glance, but I think the more-likely answer is that this is his light magic. Which I find quite exciting, because Edmond has only started using/practicing magic recently!!!

Way to go, babe!!! I'm so proud of you!!! ♡

9) 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

OKAY, TWO THINGS TO NOTE HERE!!!

FIRST, Eiden has Edmond pushed up against a window here (I now have two nickels---shoutout Knightly Night Edmond R5). Considering this fact, and how the voice-acting shows how turned on Edmond is, I think I can now confidently state that Edmond is the proud owner of a exhibitionist [fantasy] kink! (Definitely not ACTUAL voyeurism, but the fantasy/possibility turns him on.)

SECOND, Eiden is TOUCHING EDMOND'S CHEST AGAIN!!!

FUCKING FINALLY!!!!! I really hope he gives that area a lot of attention; it feels like a thousand years since we've seen that. 😭😭😭

10) BEHOLD: HIS BEAUTIFUL FACE!!!! ♡♡♡♡♡

*FAINTS*

★ End of report! ★

[snowywolf1005]

@5tef1 : How about...Kuma say a love story about them to Bonney? To make her sleep or just randomly, Bonney ask him about them? "Dad, why lunala fell in love with nika?...Moon and the sun are they not together, how did they meet?" Something like that

You got my eyes!

"Bonney is bedtime already!" Said Kuma, telling his daughter to go to bed. "I don't wanna! I have so much energy!" Bonney cried, sitting on her bed. Kuma sighs.

He grabs a book, walks towards her daughter, and sits down next to her. "Bonney, let me tell a story about the sun and moon warrior that really in love with each other." He said.

Bonney was curious about it. So she tucked herself in bed. Kuma cough and began telling a story.

Let me tell you off the two gods who fought for people for freedom and fell in love.

Once upon time, people were used to be slave.

Severs orders, to their oppressive master. There was no hope for them, but one day, a mythical warrior came and freed all slave people.

His name is nika. Nika was a Sun God, he bring everyone to joy with his smile and his drum.

Nika was made of rubber. He can stretch his whole body. And nika has a nickname joyboy, the slave called him. Cause how joy he brings.

When nika freed the slave.

One of the slave told Nike that he looked like someone. A woman who is a moon goddess. nika didn't know there was a moon goddess before.

So nika looked for the moon goddess, the slave told him where to find her. The moon goddess always dances at night when the moon shines bright.

A beautiful woman, name lunala. Lunala is a gorgeous woman. She is a moon goddess, her hair is filled with tiny stars, pruple and flowy hair.

Lunala can transform any kind of animal with their ability, and her favorite animal look like a bat. But it is much bigger.

Kuma shows Bonney a picture of lunala Bat form:

It has a skeletal, legless bat. It has a short snout, dark pink eyes with white centers, and a deep blue area on its upper head that shows a constantly changing starscape.

Nika fell in love with lunala. He wouldn't stop thinking of her, nika decided to greet her.

As he walks to lunala, she is still dancing. Lunala noticed nika and stopped dancing, "who are you?" Lunala, ask.

"I'm nika! Sun of God and mythical warrior!" He said, lunala chulked, making nika blush. "I'm lunala, the moon goddess, a mythical shapeshift," she said.

"My people told me about you, and I was thinking if you would like to help them," said nika. Lunala thought about it and axcept nika effort.

Now, nika and lunala are unstoppable, set free all slave. Defeat all bad people.

Then, nika confuses lunala, his feelings, and lunala axcept.

And this is what lunala said to nika.

"Whether death or life, you're the one I longed by my side"

The end.

Kuma closes the book and looks at his daughter to see her getting sleepy. "Dad, why did lunala fall in love with nika?...Moon and the sun are they not together? How did they meet?" Bonney asks.

"Well, there a thing called an eclipse that the moon blocks the light of the Sun from reaching to us. So, nika and lunala will meet again"

"And for a reason why lunala fell in love with nika because he made her smile," said Kuma, "wow!" Said bonney and fell asleep.

@5tef1 : THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A REQUEST!!!!

I HOPE YOU ENJOY!!

IF YOU WANT...

GEAR 5 LUFFY X LUNALA READER

OR...

NIKA X LUNALA

ASK ME!!!!

[the-real-couchrat]

So I’ve been thinking more about the Geminus AU, Henry’s No Good Very Bad Terrible Horrible Day AU (HNGVBTHD AU) , and the Atlantica AU. Specifically their mindscapes and nightmares.

Geminus AU

I’m imagining Ford’s mindscape to be like a vast starscape, with floating structures like observatories, library shelves (that are definitely full of books that would make a human’s eyes melt out of their skull if they ever tried to read them) debris of failed experiments, ect. His nightmares (now called the Parliament) would be owls, and they would perch on the structures and fly between them very majestically. They have a tendency to resemble moths. (the nightmares were very inspired by @jacobsnicket’s Pollux design and commentary)

Henry’s No Good Very Bad Terrible Horrible Day AU

For Henry’s, I’m convinced that his mindscape would be a never-ending forest, made up of every kind of forest biome to have ever existed. The Menagerie (let me know if you have other name ideas for their group) would be massive in numbers, appearing as the animals that would inhabit the forests his mindscape imitates. There’s no order to what animals the dreams and nightmares take the form of, a dream could be a bear cub, and a nightmare could be a shrew. (Their numbers are so huge because of Henry’s whole “protector”thing in tau canon, with the woodsman and all. It might even get to the point where when a new nightmare or dream forms they go straight to him like instinct.) Alternatively it could just be a forest that you’d see in Oregon, with the nightmares as deer and cute little fawns for dreams. They would be called the Herd.

Atlantica AU

Pacifica’s mindscape would be a kelp forest, with her nightmares manifesting as spooky sea creatures, like sharks, Eels, Anglerfish, Giant squid, Lionfish, Stingrays, Moray eels, Goblin sharks, Vampire squids, stingrays, manta rays, and Jellyfish. (At first I chose a kelp forest because of how spooky and unsettling they are. but then I looked up pictures of kelp forests to refresh my memory, and it turns out that they’re quite pretty, and all my memories of them were from the Finding Dory movie.) The dreams would be cute fish or a baby version of the nightmare forms.

Titles

While making this post, I did a bit of research on what different groups of animals are called, so here’s a list I made for myself and anyone else who can’t remember all this stuff.

(Equivalence AU, Mabel’s pigs hogs ) “The Drove”

(Avarice AU, Stan’s dogs) “The Pack”

(Geminus AU, Ford’s owls) “The Parliament”

(Atlantica AU, Pacifica’s various sea creatures) “The Shoal”

(Henry’s No Good Very Bad Terrible Horrible Day AU, Henry’s animals) “The Menagerie”

(Henry’s No Good Very Bad Terrible Horrible Day AU, Henry’s deer) “The Herd”

@transcendence-au I would love to hear your thoughts on this!

(Also what is Henry’s demon alias? Is it still the woodsman? I thought like he was only called that because he lived in the woods. And what does he look like as a demon? I know he has antlers, and probably has hands dangling from them, but I feel like his full “Woodsman form” from TAU canon would be his super-saiyan form.)

Edit:

MABEL WOULD TOTALLY HAVE FLYING PIGS!!

THE NIGHTMARES WOYLD HAVE BAT WINGS AND THE DREAMS WOULD HAVE BIRD WINGS

Edit #2

I just remembered that Henry’s TAU alias is Sarva, so it’s probably that.

[duckprintspress]

Gorgeous Merchandise to Accompany an Awesome Anthology!

It wouldn’t be a Duck Prints Press crowdfunding campaign if we didn’t have super cool merchandise to accompany our spectacular anthology of outside-the-binary characters exploring aetherpunk worlds, Aether Beyond the Binary. We worked with some really awesome creators this time, and we’re so excited to share the art they’ve done and the merch we’ll be making with it!

Hologram Plant-Loving Robot Sticker: this adorable plant-watering bot graces the back cover of the wrap-around cover by Mar Spragge, and they and the plants they’re watering will sparkle and shine on this rectangular, shimmery, holographic sticker. 4 in x 4 in/10.25 cm x 10.25 cm. (Printed by Vograce)

Aether Music Magic Bookmark: this lovely glossy bookmark features artwork by Pippin Peacock on the front and the signatures of the contributors to Aether Beyond the Binary on the back. 2 in x 7 in/5 cm x 17.75 cm. (Printed by UPrinting)

Aether Dux Die-Cut Sticker: it wouldn’t be a Duck Prints Press anthology without a custom Dux designed by Alessa Riel. Dux is our non-binary company mascot, and for this campaign they’re decked out with crystals and machinery and ready for aether flight. 3 in x 3 in/7.5 cm x 7.5 cm. (Printed by Vograce)

Non-Binary Sky Whale Enamel Pin: this lovely pin depicts a celestial whale moving through a starscape, with the non-binary gender sign dangling by a chain from they’re mouth. The artwork for this pin is by Atomic Pixies. 2 in x 2 in/5 cm x 5 cm. (Manufactured by Alchemy)

BONUS MERCHANDISE! That adorable plant-loving robot? We’ll be making it into a key chain as our Patron-exclusive extra! All $10/month and $25/month patrons who also back the campaign will get this cutie to hang from their keys!

Our campaign, which launches on December 26th 2023 (four days from when this post goes up – soooooon!) will include backer levels with all this merch, and also pick-and-choose add-on options. We’re also offering a trade paperback AND a premium hardcover edition of this book – our first anthology published as a hardcover! There’s loads of other add-ons too – our past anthologies (as e-books or in print!), a short story bundle of works by Aether Beyond the Binary contributors, 5 (FIVE!!!) of the adorable dux plushies by EmpowerFantasy Plush, one-of-a-kind wands by Alessa Riel, and more.

We’re days away from launch – follow our pre-launch page and get notified when the campaign goes live!

[ottpopfic]

“Hey, you remember how I've been wanting to get my Legion tattoo covered?” Uncle Jason asks

---

god dad fluff

It's a fall Friday afternoon and Katie is done with class

She's cuddled up in on a couch in the library with the fairy lights on, two Cocoa Puffs curled up on her and a brand-new sci-fi novel that Uncle Jason brought her when he came to camp this week. He is coming over for dinner after he's done with his priestly duties for the day. She thinks Dad is making a fall chili if the cornbread mix and the squash she had to hull up from the last grocery order says anything 

Things in her novel are moving out of the character and world-building and into the meat of the story when she hears a knock on the window. She looks up unphased, because with her life it could be anyone, and sees Uncle Jason. This is pretty typical for him and she gets it, if she could fly Katie would also be entering every building like a Ninja Turtle. 

She has to detangle herself from Puffs and blankets to let him in, both hellspawn complaining the whole way like she didn't place each on their own pillow. The spider-looking one grumpily climbs the wall to fold into a shadow at the corner of the ceiling. 

“Your early!” Katie greets excitedly as she throws open the window and screen “I don't think Dads started on dinner”

“It's cool,” he says as he climbs in “How's the book treating you?”

“Good so far!” she gushes excited, Uncle Jason has always been awesome about letting her infodump “The zinophysiology angle has been really interesting, I'm looking forward to where they're gonna take it” 

Katie pops back on the edge of the couch and the Cocoa Puff clambers back into her lap vibrating for scratches that she happily provides. Uncle Jason sits down next to her

“Hey, you remember how I've been wanting to get my Legion tattoo covered?” he asks

“Yeah?” 

They have been talking about it for a while. Katie has a friend from Hecate who's been working in enchanted tattoos and it got Uncle Jason thinking about getting his old SPQR tattoo covered. She doesn't blame him, it's filled his whole forearm for most of his life, and it's never suited him either. Not like her dad's tattoos, which were personal and felt natural on their bodies. Uncle Jason's has always felt like a barcode, or a brand

Katie and Uncle Jason have always enjoyed talking about art, whether it's what they were working on or something they have seen when they're out and about. Uncle Jason is a modest artist, but his work with the temples speaks for itself. And Katie has a lot of good memories sitting with him as he sketched, parallel play at the max. 

“I got the design, you want to see it?” but he's already pulling out the folded printout from his inner jacket pocket to give over to her excited grabby hands.

At the top is a mandala-style design of the big window at the Way Station. Below it there are two trees; one is obviously Aunt Thalia’s tree, the shape and golden fleece make it indistinguishable. But the dragon in its branches is more serpentine and made of metal, a stylized Festus if she's ever seen him, raising his head up towards the window motif. Katie doesn't recognize the other tree off to the side of Aunt Thalia’s , smaller but equal in the composition. Between them sleeps Grandma Lupa, regal as always, underneath a night sky with the trees as a frame. She thinks she recognizes the leo constellation front and center in the rich starscape.

“It's great!” Katie tells him, impressed, “Did you do it all yourself?”

“I did most of the planning and a sketch,” Uncle Jason says “But the tattoo artist I found did the final drawing. I'm into the city tomorrow to get it”

“What's with the second tree? Just to help cover more?”

“No, it's a poplar tree” and Uncle Jason is watching her face “A balsam poplar”

“That's me” Katie breathes, touching where she and Aunt Thalia’s branches merge and overlay in the picture. They had figured out what kind of wood she was made of last time she was at the Way Station for her quest. 

“Is that ok?” Uncle Jason looks a little worried, rubbing the hair at the nape of his neck “I wanted to get my whole family in it, but I don't want to overstep-”

“Of course it's ok!” she laughs, throwing her arms around his neck. The Puff squeaks in her lap “It's wonderful!”

Uncle Jason hugs her back, warm and solid as always. Big arms and a wide chest, pulling her in tight and safe, the greatest of hugs. He smells like heat lightning and smoke from the offerings, he's the absolute best and she loves him so much

“Would you like company,” she asks him after they separate “When you go to get your cover-up?”

“I would love that!” he tells her all smiles

[thecouchsofa]

2023 ao3 wrapped / fic review / whatever else I'm putting here

@oflights, the human, the myth, the legend, has made me go look at my stats and now you have to look at them too. Tagging @jtimu @elskanellis @sillywives @sleepstxtic @maesterchill @peachydreamxx @hoko-onchi-writes @starquestingfordrarry @rainstormradish @apricitydays-lazynights @annanother-thing @uncannycerulean @drarrymyheart @mallstars so they can also feel this sweet, sweet pain (if they want).

First up, some stats!

Fics posted: 7 public, 1 currently hidden, 1 awaiting submission date + 3 tumblr microfics

Fics started (and maybe finished): 18 + 3 tumblr microfics

Word count of fics posted: 414,013

Total word count written: 513,953

Sorry, but what the actual fuck do you mean I've written over 500k words since April? Put me in restraints, truly.

My favourite fic I wrote this year: The Brightest Constellations of Our Souls

My most kudos'd fic of this year: Driving me crazy (but I'm into it)

I've also read, like, a fucking horrendous amount of fics this year. More than I think I read back when I was deep in the One Direction trenches as a teen. Getting back into writing has given me a fresh appreciation for everyone's work; it's so fucking hard to write well and everyone who puts themselves out there and does that gets an online hug from me.

After Erised reveals I'll be posting a ridiculously long list of my favourite fics that were posted in 2023. It is ... exhaustive. I should probably be embarrassed by how long it is.

But without further ado, a recap of my fics from this year.

May

Driving me crazy (but I'm into it) (8k, E) (Draco/Harry)

Draco’s fucked a lot of people. He’s fucked models, Quidditch players, members of the Wizengamot, even a Muggle actor, but none of them come quite as prettily as Harry Potter.

September

A Walk in the Woods (48k, E) (Draco/Harry)

After ending up in the Spell Damage Ward at St Mungo’s, Harry is put on mandatory holiday leave.

The catch: he has to spend it with Malfoy at his cottage deep in the woods. Harry has no idea why Malfoy agreed to host him, considering he avoided ever being alone in a room with Harry before he left for his sabbatical a year ago.

To complicate things, Harry’s enormous longstanding crush hasn’t waned at all in Malfoy’s absence.

For: HP Cottagecore Fest

The Brightest Constellations of Our Souls (256k, E) (Draco/Harry)

Harry doesn’t know how to cope after the War. The only things that make him feel even remotely normal again are taking risks while flying and fighting with Malfoy. It’s not likely to end well.

Or,

Draco becomes obsessed with ‘Wonderwall’, reads Muggle books, and drives a campervan, while Harry slowly falls in love with Draco. A story about travelling around the British Isles in the late 90s while healing deep scars.

October

Capillaries (3.6k, M) (Draco/Harry)

Draco’s Sectumsempra scars have never fully healed. He says that it’s not Harry’s fault, that he doesn’t blame him for it. Harry hears him, but he’s not sure that he believes it.

Evergreen (23k, T) (Harry/George)

“You’d better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will have gone.” Fred leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, clearly thinking that he’d now exceeded his allowance of brotherly wisdom for the day.

“Who are you going with then?” Harry asked suddenly. He looked between Fred and George, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Harry asks George to the Yule Ball because it’ll be a laugh and he’s in dire need of one of those. If George can continue to keep his crush under wraps it should all go swimmingly.

For: HP Rarepair Fest IV

Celestial (paint me like one of your starscapes) (30k, E) (Draco/Harry)

Draco needs a partner for an art project. The only catch is, they have to be magically compatible with him for the paints to work properly. He’s fairly certain that he knows who his partner will need to be, he’s just not sure that he wants to admit it.

For: H/D Sudsfest Lite 2023

November

November Flush (5k, E) (Draco/Harry)

Draco Malfoy might be an absolute raging arsehole, but he gives Harry exactly what he needs.

Microfics (all Draco/Harry)

From one to another, for the prompt 'follow': tumblr link

Til resentment do us part, for the prompt 'keep': tumblr link

Satiate, for the prompt 'indulge': tumblr link

Thoughts / feeling / goals for next year

Pride, slight embarrassment, love, appreciation.

For the coming year I'm excited to get stuck into writing even more. I've got so many ideas that I'm excited to work through and a fantastic community to do that with. I will need to be bullied into not signing up for more fests in the new year, so please give me a nudge if my blogging starts to look stressed. Also never be nervous to send me a message about random shit if you're on the fence!

If you have read this far, have read even a single sentence I've written this year, or have thought my Squirtle pic looks cool, I love you, I appreciate you, and I support you.

The motto for 2024? Bedcurtains. One word, not two.

Thanks for being here! ❤️

[mariana-oconnor]

The library... My plan is working!

Gale: So, I can take you to a magical starscape where I can make your dreams come true.

Me: Or... we could stay in the library. Have all these illusory books got text in them? Or is it the Faerunian equivalent of Lorem Ipsum? Omg, you have a bookcase ladder! There are so many books you can't fit them all on the shelves! So, when can we be married? I'm free tomorrow. Or right now. Right now works.

[after-witch]

Anon who asked for book recommendations here. I like both fantasy and horror mainly, I think sci-fi is also one of my favorite genres. So anything along those lines is good!

awesome awesome!

I'll throw out some recs!

Horror--

Small Spaces Quartet by Katherine Arden (at least the first book for sure)

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

IT by Stephen King

The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

Fantasy--

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Prince Ombra by Roderick MacLeish 

quick note--if you go for Prince Ombra, make sure are not reading the 2002 reprint with the gold cover from Starscape; this version is censored/abridged and basically ruined the story.

This version, which is still in print, is NOT what you want:

Go for the older print editions from the 1980s or maybe 90s too. Just not this above edition. No.

The book contains (non-graphic) child sexual abuse, violence/death, and other heavy themes. This 2002 edition was like ‘oh well let’s take out massive chunks of the story related to anything remotely dark so we can market it to modern young readers, rendering the story nonsensical in the process.’

[solacium]

3 sentence fic (december '23)

a little thing i haven't felt like plonking on ao3. written for ficwip's monthly 3 sentence fic exercise.

for prompt: a sudden or unplanned reunion

fandom: honkai star rail relationship: argenti/caelus word count: 148 rating: G summary: caelus has a cruuuuush

–-

Caelus fiddles the corner of a page between his fingers, rereading the same line for the fifth time, before giving up — he stares out at the ever-changing starscape through the window, idly wonders about the stranger — friend? — whose acquaintance they had made several weeks before, and what he might say — about it, or perhaps about anything at all, really — Caelus would have settled for listening to him expound the virtues of the driest book in the data bank — if it meant that he might run into him again.

Someone settles in the seat next to him and he starts out of his thoughts, opens his mouth to say something smart, only to be met with the iridescent eyes he would never dare admit he'd been dreaming of, and finds himself at a loss for words.

"I'll say," Argenti says, smiling, "To see you again is an unparalleled delight."

[teddyqd]

{ID - a fake NITW screenshot featuring an OC, Samuel. He is a small red bird with flicky feathers on the back of his head, wearing a half open cropped black jacket, and smoking a joint. He is floating in a purple-blue starscape that is textured with comic-book style screentone. END ID}

“So... You’re having... Visions.” “I never said they were visions! It’s just... They’re not dreams. My dreams are different.” “Different how?” "The not-dreams... I’m awake during them. It’s like walking on an icy lake, and then suddenly it cracks, and I fall into the freezing-cold water. Before I can grab anything to keep me out.“

[kuwdora]

January 7 - What art form would you like to try that you haven't—or, alternately, what art form have you tried that you most want to work on? -killabeez

KILLA!! What a great prompt, thank you for asking me an art question!

I spent the previous few years working on acrylic pours which has been amazing and fun and messy and a joy. but I could sense that I needed to shift gears eventually…

I’m getting back into intuitive/expressionistic painting again and some mixed media. I’m also looking forward to trying to develop some figurative drawing skills. I have not had the patience or inclination to work on my drawing skills before but I think I’ve reached the point where I really want to focus on drawing so I can do figurative abstract. Currently not very good at drawing shapes and people with any kind of intent or control. I’ve got a number of tutorials queued up for the new year. Did some practice in October and November sporadically. Have plenty of sketchbooks and even tracing paper to practice with.

I just need to put it all together and begin this new art practice and stick with it for awhile. I want to draw people, trees, plants. And cats. Been working on my doodle skills. Daily practice. Slow and purposeful.

Tools-wise I also was really fond of spray painting techniques that I tried. But I never have a good place to do that outdoors and I can't do that indoors. However I do have an air compressor and have practiced with that a little bit but I want to do more with that.

I would love do various kinds of acrylic pour galaxies with airbrush planets and nebulas, using some sponging and blending techniques too for starscapes. I had this vague idea to recreate the color palette of Star Wars planets that I kind of tried to some degree a few years ago but didn’t get too far with. It’s very cool. I just need way more practice! Here's some early practice with spray paint and later a masking attempt with a purple-y acrylic pour. The tall piece was an acrylic pour and later splattered with paint in my bath tub. Finished with a circle stencil and airbrushing for the spheres. It turns out I have to focus really hard to understand light/shadow.

I cleaned my room and hauled out a bunch of old paintings to stare at while I do some fresh warm-ups this month. I feel like I had stalled out with this kind of thing, but I think there's more I can do to express myself. Most of these I don't think have enough structure to ground the eye and whatnot, but that's why I've been staring at them off and on for a week while reviewing some inspiration videos and books. Been thinking more about color blocking and linework to help create structure.

I'm feeling adrift when it comes to sharing/posting art on various social media platforms because of the spam on Insta/Twitter (I was getting dozens of spam replies/DMs and requests for NFTs/probable theft). Not sure if to create a new sideblog or new tumblr for my art. Or if I want to rename my studio name that doesn't feel quite right anymore but I'm not ready to give up yet. Thinking about crossposting on dreamwidth/bluesky and image hosting. But really I need to keep warming my brain and brushes back up.

Anyway! Have some fresh art that I've practiced this week!

Acrylic on canvas board. Love me some quinacridone magenta on the left. The right piece has modeling paste and sand for texture. Gonna do some more layering on that.

January posting meme + claim a date - prompt me. Still writing about pretty much anything.

[halfetirosie]

⋆⁺‧₊🛸 This is a better mystery than the Detectives Event! 🛸₊‧⁺⋆

(Star Message 06 - 07 React-os!)

1) That's strange. I wonder why the Wood Territory was marked?

Based on Brahe's notes, I'm guessing that some sort of alien encounter happened in the past; so maybe the spot in the Wood Territory is where the starscape creatures went last time?

2) Oh no!!! Not those puppy dog eyes!!! (≧∇≦)

You know how Quincy often compares Eiden to Topper? This is probably the strongest example of that---maybe because this time Eiden is wearing white clothes too, reminiscent of Topper's fur!

3) New Edmond Lore just dropped: he's a Skeptic! :D

(I mean, in some sense it isn't "new," since from the first time he met Eiden he was "skeptical" of his credentials as the New Grand Sorcerer. Be when I say "skeptic" now, I mean it as a noun---to describe a person that doesn't believe in the supernatural or extraterrestrials.)

⏳ PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSION TIME! ⏳

Time for me to read too much into character dialogue, and make it seem deeper than the devs intended!

I love Eiden's line here. It's a lesson that many people forget; even if you don't subscribe to another's beliefs, you should understand that their beliefs are just as important to them as your beliefs are to yourself.

You'd think that something like this is obvious and doesn't need to be said. But, in most cases, people are hyper-focused on how the other person's beliefs are just wrong (factually or morally), and immediately get aggressive in disagreements.

There's always exceptions, or course. (Especially is someone's safety is at risk---you would need to get aggressive.) But for the most part, I don't think this is the best way to do things.

If people approached issues of clashing beliefs more level-headed and understanding, it would be a lot more productive. Or, at the very least, it wouldn't make people so miserable and angry.

4) PFFFT!!! (≧∇≦)

I love how much of a big softie Quincy is---he'll put up with their silly bullshit at any hour of the day (or night)!

5) Blade, you're killing me!!! 🤣🤣🤣

♡ Miles and miles of fabric ♡

6) Usually I don't care for this "something threatening has made a noise---oh wait, it was just a peaceful creature!" trope, but---

Seeing Edmond make a bit of a fool for himself, but continue to act composed while blushing profusely is great! 😈😈😈😈

/ / / Flustered Edmond / / / for the win!!!

7) Oh? So this is how the random cabin from the Event PV comes in?

That's not exactly what I was expecting.

I thought that, if the marked spot on the "map" was an area for making contact with the starscape creatures, it would be something more impressive-looking. Like a landing pad, or another tower. 🤷‍♀️

But instead it's just, like, Brahe's personal cabin???

8) Yeah, I knew it was going to be just a kid hiding in there.

(That-same-trope #2)

How did the kid know about this place, tho???

I thought, from the looks of it, that Brahe's book that they found at the orphanage was the only record of his starscape-observations/this place of contact.

Is this kid Brahe's descendant? Or an apprentice???

9) Aha, so there were other records from Brahe.

I thought someone like Brahe---an Alien Buff---wouldn't be particularly popular in academia, so I didn't really expect that kids to have some of his records, too.

But hey; I guess, since Eiden and Co. are investigating a niche subject, they're bound to encounter more members of this niche community.

Honestly, I can't wait to see Blade geek out with other Starscape Theorists!!!

🛸 End of report! 🛸

[systemadministratorclu]

Clu was recording everything of course, so Tron could see. Then his help was enlisted when Tesler brought out Trick's book to read. Letting Hal hold Rinzler again he moved to Tesler's side so he could see each page. And as Tesler read, beside him, Clu used his abilities to bring the story to life. Which was more than appropriate for something with 'enchanted' in the title: Clu's display brought the magic of the story to life. He allowed things to glitter and glow that normally wouldn't when he saw Rinzler's mesmerized face.

Just wait until you see him do one of his space stories, Tesler thought. Now THAT was a magical experience. He'd seen Clu do it in Jawa's theater, to entertain the little ones of the Sanctuary, and heard the squeals and cries of delight when the whole room had been transformed into a glittering starscape and they had embarked on a fantastic journey through the stars and to other worlds. They had been fully immersed in the story, and he'd even allowed them to add to it, letting them decide things that existed on the other worlds or in space and deciding what characters did at some points. They had LOVED it, and he had quickly become a favorite storyteller. And if anyone had been paying attention, they would've seen how much Clu was enjoying it too, his circuits shining bright underneath the glittery, starry, galaxy cloak he'd worn for the occasion. Ever since the first time he'd done it and seen how much people loved it, Clu always made a point of using his powers to make stories (his own or those of someone else who had asked him to do it) come alive for audiences, and he always looked happy while doing it (except, of course, when he made himself look like a different emotion for whatever was going on in the story.) Now was just a little different though. It was his own children watching this time, and watching Rinzler's awestruck face made it nearly impossible to act out any emotion other than happiness and joy and of course love.

🔪 (for Clu - it's fake!)

"Act scared - there's an Occupation patrol less than a block away, I'm using a chromatic distorter to hide our circuits so we're less distinctive but neither of us wants them to catch on so for sparks' sake play along! What are you even doing here, anyway!" - Eve, System Resource Allocation Monitor

"What the-Who the frag even ARE you and what do you want with me!?" He didn't need to act, he actually was scared.

[splitworldchronicles]

I'm starting to write book 3/4 out of my series and I have no clue where to start? Any suggestions?? It's a queer story about an afterlife called the Splitworld that is under attack from beings called the wisps, who are essentially the people not chosen to get a second life. It follows mcs Serpentine (she/her) and Starscape (they/them) and their friends as they try to save the worlds.