#Steampunk boys indeed

[theoddest1]

Rant Warning:

I know a many people have been saying the designs of the characters in hazbin hotel sucks which is true, like non of the sinners wear accurately in their time periods they died. I get Viv can do whatever she wants, but the most effort she could try is to research, RESEARCH, Viv, girl I know research is hard and it takes time but at least try to be mature when handling a criticism, and stop acting like a spoiled rich kid... (Bro lietrally Sir pentious is wearing a f-ing suit and bow tie, Viv where's the steampunk theme? Give my snake man a drip!)

This is where I am gonna nitpicky for no reason.

And then there goes to heaven- Okay I know I'll make people go mad at me so... Yikes, I don't mind heaven, it's actually better than hells design. The background looks angelic and amazing mostly the golden gate, but not exactly I think it would look like in my perspective cause again Heaven just looks like a average city with pastels colors.

The angels designs are meh.. I don't like the exorcist designs and Adams. Mostly Adam's golden wings apparently have stripes that my eyes got too eyestrain by the amount of unnecessary details that's already happening in this show.

The seraphim sisters, Sera and Emily are nice really, they don't have that curse forbid red candy color slapped at their designs, although I would like a bit of variety color other than blue or umm gray yikes.. I have nothing to say other than their dress is reminding me of Stella's dress. Idk if I should be concerned with this or I am the only one who think Viv just recycle Stella's dress and threw it at them.. That's my theory.

As for St. Peter..... BOI did they did him dirty- (this is just a me thing.) HE JUST LOOK LIKE SOME RANDOM WHITE DUDE? AND YOUR TELLING ME ITS HIM?? NAH UH!

This could've been solved if they just made st.peter design accurate, like his a (middle?) eastern Jewish fisherman and a old man, not some twink. I have a bad feeling the disciplines and jesus design ain't gonna look good, but I know fully well Viv won't bother to put them in her disastrous show.. Not even God.. But if she did then were doom.

That's all, sorry for the nonsense I was spewing.

Have a good day and night!

You're good! Sorry for taking so long to answer this ask. It was long, and I wanted to take my time reading it when I could, and for the most part, I agree with this, especially with ST Peter. His design is hideous.

The only one I kinda disagree with is that Heaven's design is good. I feel that it is indeed better, colorwise, but other than that, it's too similar to Hell with it being a city and all. It's very unoriginal as a result and shows a lack of creativity on Viv's part. The colors are pretty cool, tho, but I believe it may have the effect of looking cooler only cause we are so used to the overused pallets of Hell with the constant reds. [I still respect your opinion, it's valid af!]

[mask131]

Can you someday do a post about a very important question that always deeply fascinated me: How technologically advanced is Oz?

Wicked as a stage show puzzles me because it implies Oz has electricity, a broadcast radio system, and trains.

How much tech is present in Oz in the books?

Oh boy that's one COMPLICATED question... Now, before I start saying anything, I will point out that I am not an Oz expert by any means. I have not read all of the Oz books. However I do know an Oz expert that tackled the subject! He is here on Tumblr somewhere, but I know his Oz analysis and lore-exploration by his blogs. He started doing them more than a dozen year ago on vovat.livejournal.com ; and then he continued his Oz posts to vovatia.wordpress.com ; I know they have very, VERY helpful when it comes to my own knowledge of Oz, and he tackled several times the topic of technology in Oz and Baum's work, with quite fascinating analyses! So go check out these blogs, you might find some interesting info!

That being said, what can I tell you?

Since I haven't read all the Oz books I will stick to Baum's novels only - but before doing that I want to point out something... It is something I said in my previous Oz post (So you want to know about Oz 5), but the Wicked stage musical is part of a pretty big wave of 2000s-onward Oz adaptations that decided Oz was a steampunk world. I know you entertained yourself a pretty similar project of a Gilded Age Oz, if I recall correctly? And when you look at Oz adaptations, you have this wave of SyFy's Tin Man, and the Amazon series "Lost in Oz", and the graphic novel/animated movie "The Steam Engines of Oz", and more recently the show "Emerald City". Even "Dorothy and the Witches of Oz" had a steampunk-vibe to their Oz. It is kind of the modern direction to go.

Now back to traditional Baum's Oz... Does it have electricity? I don't think so. The Oz created by Baum is... it is something between a fantasy version of the late 19th century American countryside, and your archetypal fantasy land. The Land of Oz is mostly a huge countryside to be honest. Its lots of forests with woodsmen and wild animals ; it is lot of fields and orchards because most of Oz's economy relies apparently on farming ; the only other big industry seems to be metal-working (Winkies, the guy who made the Tin Man) and stone/gem-working (due to the huge presence of precious stones, though no mine or miner is ever descrbed in the Oz books) ; it is a lot of small villages scattered around the one big city that is Emerald City (or around big castles like the Tin Man/Wicked Witch castle) ; this all gives it a very medieval/feudal feel in structure... Though Baum really tried to give Oz originally a "fairytale feel" and thus you have the same historical madness typical fairytales have. For example, just like your typical Renaissance fairytales (a la Charles Perrault), you have mirrors and candies and porcelaine in Oz ; and yet, just like your also typical 19th century fairytales (a la brothers Grimm) you also have guns in Oz! Mind you the guns are rare and rarely used, they seem mostly to belong to the military cast (they are always wielded by soldiers or royalty bodyguards), and they are usually useless against the monsters and magical threats... But they do exist! But Oz seems to lack things like electricity of petrol or even steam machinery. At least in the beginning!

(In fact I had a chat with @artmakerproductions recently about fireworks in Oz. He wondered if the Oz The Great and Powerful idea of using fireworks as something non-existent in Oz could work with Baum's canon, and indeed, while the presence of guns implies gunpowder is a thing in Oz, there are to my memory no mention of fireworks anywhere in Oz... Maybe they appear at one of Ozma's birthday parties, but I couldn't find which one. Fireworks are evoked in his non-Oz/Oz-crossovered work "The Magical Monarch of Mo" but only as a comparison to how lightning appears in this country...)

Is there radio in Oz? Actually there is! In the opening of book 7, to get out of how he had written his way out of Oz in book 6, Baum explained his return to the series by "Oh yeah, Ozians got hold of the radio and now they send me radio messages about what is going on in Oz". So Oz DOES have some sort of radio equivalent. How, since there's no electricity or batteries in Oz? That's beyond me, but here's why it is difficult to say for certain what Oz's technology level is: Baum, as I said, started not giving a fuck anymore about continuity. As I explained the first two-three books are kind of solid in terms of continuity because they were designed as their own closed novels, but book 4 onward Baum just gave up any concrete effort at "solid" worldbuilding and went the "Fuck it, I'll add whatever I want" road. As such, don't expect any serious effort at making a cohesive technological system - Baum isn't Tolkien. He's the anti-Tolkien. That being said, another very interesting point when it comes to Baum's work is that, as you go through his fourteen Oz books, you realize how modern technology slowly creeps onto Oz. Baum was writing Oz book between 1900 and 1920 - and the technological evolution of these two decades quite influenced Baum. The addition of the radio element was one case of Oz "evolving"; in later Oz books there are also magical equivalents of television popping up. But if you want to see a concrete comparison, you can compare the first Oz book, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", with the last Oz book Baum wrote, "Glinda of Oz". The first shows an Oz so technology-lacking people are easily fooled by stage tricks ; while the last book is heavy on technology, with for example evocations of submarines, but it is a technology presented as a form of magic. Which leads me to my last point...

Does Oz have trains? Not by the time Baum wrote them ; though modern day adaptations and authors did add a handful of them to the Oz world (and you can also find things such as ray guns or time-travelling machines in modern Oz books so you know, it evolves with its time). But Baum did wrote about a carriage that did the entire tour of Oz for touristic purpose: that's one of the subplots of "The Emerald City of Oz", and how Dorothy shows her aunt and uncle all about the fantasy land. It is not a train, but you have already here the idea/potential for a train-like system here (even though it is rather a carriage/wagon drawn by a wooden horse that can never tire and doesn't eat). And here's my point: the reason technology is so weird in Oz, and why it is also lacking in many way, is due to Oz being filled with magic.

Most Ozian equivalent to our world's technology is, in Baum, powered by magic. There is no camera or surveillance system, but there are the Magic Picture or Glinda's big magical "spy on everyone" book. There are no lie detectors, but there is Glinda's pearl. The magic eye of the Wicked Witch of the West was explicitely compared to a telescope. Etc etc. Magic replaces most advanced technology around the Land. Advanced technology and mechanism do exist, and Baum was very fond of the idea of the... "magical mechanic" if I can say so. What he does is basically take an actual real-world technology, but take it to fantasy extremes - which notably is why the Oz books are considered early sci-fi. There's how the Tin Man came to be: Baum took the workings of actual real-life prosthetics for missing limbs, but pushed it to the extremes by making a "vintage android". There is how the Woggle-Bug came to be: a great scholar used a machine to project an enlarged image of a small bug on the wall. Quite ordinary right? But turns out the machine literaly enlarged the bug to a greater size - which is a very common sci-fi tropes (all those rays that shrink or enlarge things or objects). And while it is not an Oz example per say, Baum gave us the most blatant example of "magical technology" with the realm of Ev, where lived Smith and Tinker, the inventors of many fantastical automatons, first of which being Tik-Tok, a sentient automat that is considered one of the first robots of modern literature!

So... On one side, Baum tried to show a land that would not advance technologically because magic was there and much more powerful. It is the line by the Good Witch of the North, about how Oz still has magic because it is not "civilized", and one of the traits of "civilization" is advanced technology. Take how guns are treated in Oz: they exist but they are not made a big deal out of, and in fact prove quite useless among the many magical items and beings. And yet, on the other side, Baum's Oz is the literal proof of the law "Any advanced technology is magic" ; or rather a whacky incarnation of this principle, because indeed, the most advanced form of technology in Ozian lands work by fantasy and extravagant sci-fi rules (Tin Man, Tik-Tok), while most of the great spells and magic items of Oz are fantasy equivalents to our real-world technology (the Magic Picture, or even the Gump which works as a fantasy equivalent of flying machines).

[p5x-theories]

Watched the video myself, and hmmm yeah while I doubt the image files themselves aren't fake the info itself is very off, almost feels he probably got it from a not so well written (presumably mistranslated) source that gotten a hold of the files themselves

Also that turn icon is clearly Ikenami/Enco, not Wuhexi. Looking at both boys and the artwork, the thief version of Wuhexi while out of focus, clearly has a more compact mask (especially if you notice his hair ban is still obscuring his eye) and way smaller collar.

Plus Ikenami has a longer sharp jawline, compared to Wuhexi's narrow softer one.

I can understand why one would confuse it for the other, but it's definitely one the cases where he probably should have done an double take

(That said, if these are indeed real image files, I'm probably the only one getting more steampunk vibes from the presumed Enco mask than anything)

Yeah, it definitely feels like something in that video isn't adding up, I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking that.

I'll admit I really can't tell if the turn icon is actually Enco instead of Wuhexi, myself, but I do see where you're coming from, and I suppose we'll find out who it is if we find out it's real, heh. But it definitely doesn't look like a mask that would go with the Wuhexi concept art we know is real, at least to me, so that's a point towards it actually being Enco, if anything.

I do at least look forward to finding out if the art's real, though!

[kunstmull]

Captain Save-A-Hisashi rides again!

I don't know if the comment got eaten by the spam filter; or if it was another case of "did not understand my sense of humour"; or if the blogger has fallen into a black hole on the way to Andromeda, but I did actually save the text, and wanted to post it somewhere, in case anyone ever has any response.

{Comment followed a thread where a random googler had asked for explanation of the Greek letters in Buck-Tick's Nostalgia - Vita Mechanicalis. CP responded to the effect of, don't read too much into it, Imai is not very well educated and the whole thing was just a reference to some Steampunk phone game.}

((Further edited to add: yes, it's entirely possible that this is just a reference to a game, and Delta-Iota-Lambda-Xi refers to nothing more complicated than:

There is indeed both a Delta and a Xi in these characters))

The comment I left in response:

It’s true that Imai is an art school dropout, and his monotropic brain simply cannot hang on to information he doesn’t have an interest in, such as penmanship or random prefectures of Japan. It’s such a SHAME that there is literally no place on Earth or Andromeda where one can come across Greek symbols other than high school maths class!

Chapter 1: amidst the profusion of Imai interviews I’ve absorbed recently, I came across one where our boy mentioned reading James Gleick, so it’s clear he actually does read popular science. (Sorry I can’t footnote it for you, my monotropic brain has never got the hang of footnotes.) Something clicked, as to why the ill-fated tour for Cosmos was named CHAOS: it’s a pun, a synthesis of the “Anarchy” meaning (another long-term preoccupation of Imai, hence the most obvious) and the “complex, self-organising systems” meaning – manifesting in the post-Gleick mid-90s as a pop-science fascination with Fractals. On the chance Imai was fibbing about reading a big book about maths, the ideas popularised by Gleick were widely discussed and heavily used in the fields of Videogame design and Animation – fields Imai has well-known and documented Special Interests in. Knowledge absorbed from pop culture is still knowledge.

Chapter 2: Imai got online in the mid-90s, as documented in his seminal “log off and touch grass” song. What was he arguing about on Usenet? Same things as the rest of us early internet geeks: “Dinosaurs, CT scanners, love, that girl's tooth prints, Klein bottles etc.” Your translation of “いわゆる全てに共通する図形“ is lost, but Google misTranslate is giving me "So-called common-to-all shapes" something that looks suspiciously like set theory or platonic solids? The ~Science Side of Tumblr~. Imai was soaking in it!

Conclusion: living on the net, reading popular science books, imbibing sci-fi, it is not inconceivable that Imai either *does* know the common maths/physics meanings of the Greek symbols he chose; or he lifted them directly from someone who does. (Edited to add: this is the thing; even if he did just lift it from a game; games designers are notorious for adding esoteric references as Easter Eggs. Coming from a game does not mean that it is not meaningful.)

So let’s look at these symbols and see how they link to other common geography of Hisashiland

Δ Delta – this is the easiest one. Delta is the rate of change, usually over time. Everything changes. The only constant over time is change. (The second law of thermodynamics, entropy fans.) ((Edited to add: if I look through my Tumblr archives, I probably can find a long post I made about the relationship between the Second Law of Thermodynamics and Einstuerzende Neubauten's Sehnsucht.))

Ι Iota – the smallest possible amount. How often has Imai referenced scientific words for the concept of the most tiny? Atom Futurist No. 9 (Democritus theorised the Atom – indivisible – as the smallest, infinite, indestructible building block of nature before the Victorians smashed this to pieces with the discovery of the Electron.) Quantum I & II – quantum theory smashed the idea of the smallest building block of nature the way Rutherford smashed the indivisible atom. Iota is another science term for the same thing: the tiny indivisible.

Λ Lambda – the Cosmological Constant. Since the Big Bang, the Universe has been constantly expanding (see section Delta – change!) Lambda is a little mathematical fiddle that Einstein added to the Theory of Relativity to account for the fact that the expansion of the universe is always accelerating. Why? Dark Matter? Dark Energy? This is hotly debated in physics, but in Hisashiland the metaphor of Dark Matter or Dark Energy is repeatedly employed as a necessary corrective for the Blue Sky of conformity.

Ξ Xi – this one was the hardest to crack. At first I thought he’d mis-transliterated the Greek Chi which is the standard mathematical X of the unknown. Xi is the Riemann Function. What’s he about? He’s usually associated with non-Euclidean geometries, surfaces that are impossible outside of multidimensional spaces – moebius strips, Calabi-Yau manifolds (the working model for superstrings, another way of trying to understand where all the extra dark energy/matter is hiding in 10-dimensional space, see Lambda for what Dark Energy means in Hisashiland), and… Klein Bottles, which Imai was getting in flame wars over on the early internet. To understand the true scientific nature of reality, one has to think outside the mosquito net – outside the constraints of the human limitations of three-dimensional perception. In Riemannian maths, dark energy can fold up to hide inside extra dimensions within infinitesimally tiny spaces.

Now these letters may have been chosen stochastically, but all four of them refer to concepts that recur again and again in the hermeneutics of Hisashiland. And one of Gleick’s most profound insights is that randomness isn’t actually that random. Even chaos follows its own cosmological order. Imai may be dirty and strange, but he’s nowhere near as cute-and-dumb as he looks!

[chuplayswithfire]

Having managed to meet my reading goal for the year unexpectedly early (24 novels and novellas down so far) I thought I'd share some of the ones I really enjoyed and would widely recommend.

Title: Cemetery Boys

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis: Urban fantasy set in LA based in Latin American traditions, a trans boy brujex summons the loud irritating ghost of his apparently murdered classmate, who refuses to be released unless they find out what happened to his friends, who were with him around the time of his death. Our hero agrees to help his classmate if he promises to go peacefully to the afterlife, which will let him prove to his family that he is indeed a brujo and not a bruja.

Warnings/Content Warnings: non-explicit transphobia, struggles coping with the loss of a parent, family alienation, murder

Title: A Magic Steeped in Poison

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis: Fantasy adventure set in fantasy ancient China. Our protagonist enters a competition to be the new court tea magician (there's a word but i can say it not spell it) for the princess of the realm, hoping to obtain a magical cure all - her sister is one of many who has been poisoned in a spread of poisonings across the kingdom. the catch? her sister is the one trained in the art of magics, not her.

Warnings: grieving the loss of a parent

Title: The Murderbot Diaries

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian Future

An organic-mechanic fusion construct who calls themself Murderbot is put into So Many Shenanigans trying to first protect their clients and then protect themselves in an increasing array of Events spinning out from the original novella. This is a series consisting of mostly novellas and a full length novel. Lots of focus on the nature of personhood, and what it means to be a person.

Warnings: dehumanization, discrimination, body horror and violence (but not described in an especially gorey way), the usual suspects for dystopian settings.

Title: A Master of Djinn

Steampunk, Fantasy, Murder Mystery

Set in steampunk fantasy Cairo, an agent of the department of magic and artifacts and supernatural entities is given a new partner and the task of investigating a mass murder. All the while, a stranger who claims to be the creator of the mystic age the world now lives in - a world where ancient magics and magical beings such as the djinn themselves have been returned to live alongside humans - is trying to provoke the people of Cairo into revolt. The majority of the characters are Muslim, and the main character is a wlw in a relationship with another woman. I adored them both, and honestly loved the entire wide tapestry of characters I was introduced to A Master of Djinn is really one of the best books I've read all year, and I've read some really good books this year. The universe P Djeli Clark created is vivid and imaginative and incredibly different from the vast majority of fantasy novels I've read before and absolutely, unlike any steampunk work I've ever read. This is actually the third in a series, as there are two proceeding short stories/novellas set in the same universe, however, the book gives you all the information you need on those events.

Warnings: descriptions of non-graphic violence, there are discussions of racism and colonization

Title: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

Genre: historical fiction (recommend the full cast audiobook format)

Synopsis: A historical fiction novel set ten, twelve years after the worldwide Zombie War was declared finished. The history of the zombie war is told from the perspectives of various survivors sharing their stories and understandings of the events that took place in the lead up to, during, and at the conclusion of the Zombie war. Perspectives are offered from characters who experienced the war in countries across the world, and the geopolitical analysis of how various countries and cultures would respond to the zombie war was magnificent. As someone terrified of zombies, I am happy to say that while this book is of course scary at times, it isn't a super graphic gorefest or anything like that.

Warnings: death, mass loss of life, descriptions of combat scenarios, everything you would expect to hear from people who lived through a Zombie apocalypse.

[eileentothestars]

A RANDOM AMERICAN’S THOUGHTS ON 2023 EUROVISION SONGS

Albania -- I never know what Albania is doing but they always look so interesting while doing it

Ukraine -- I feel like I’m kicking a puppy for saying this but I couldn’t quite get into it. I think the skips in the music kept throwing me off

Belgium -- Took one look at the person’s costume and could not hit play fast ENOUGH

Norway -- Is it the banana wolf song? No. Do I support it and She Queen of the Kings 1000 percent? You bet.

Slovenia -- I can dig it

Spain -- I like the vibe and the aesthetic more than the song

Czechia -- 1) What 2) This is Toy but grim and gritty 3) What

Latvia -- They just slapped a bunch of sounds together, stole Elena Kagan’s hair, and called it a day

Denmark -- I’m a sucker for retro stuff but that autotune is making me violent

Croatia -- 100/10, completely deranged, will listen again

Romania -- Why is that person wearing Beetlejuice pants at a kinky strip club

Malta -- Epic Sax Guy 2.0

Estonia -- I am now launching the Estonia Don’t Be Boring challenge

France -- Didn’t know I was into the 1930s disco steampunk aesthetic

Lithuania -- C’mon, you gave us the Roop and now this is your entry?

Italy -- So brave of this guy to sing a ballad as aliens are about to abduct him

Australia -- They aren’t bad this year???

Finland -- Didn’t need you to tell me this was Finland’s entry, we could all tell

San Marino -- I see they’ve decided to be subtle this year

The Netherlands -- Kind of a mood actually

Poland -- Low-energy Ariana knockoff, no thanks

Germany -- “Blood and Glitter” should be Eurovision’s new motto, I can’t believe Germany did something right this year

Serbia -- Did I say the Netherlands was a mood? I meant THIS is a mood

Austria -- This is the greatest thing I’ve ever witnessed. Just give them the prize now, please. “What the heck is this about” indeed

Ireland -- Getting heavy ‘80s soundtrack vibes, which is to say I like it more than it probably deserves

Israel -- I’m curious to see how she turns into a centaur onstage. Also, ma’am, with all due respect, who dressed you this morning

Switzerland -- This is the same person from last time but with a deeper voice

United Kingdom -- Oh that ‘dai dai dai’ got old real fast

Moldova -- Perfect as always 10/10 no notes

Latvia -- Thanks I hate it

Iceland -- Never quite came together for me, but I do like her energy and the ‘80s chorus

Cyprus -- Thanks for the Imagine Dragons impersonation

Sweden -- Dang Sweden brought out the big guns

Portugal -- So glad Harley Quinn made it to Eurovision this year

Greece -- “Sad boy angsting in leaking basement” is not really my thing

Azerbaijan -- Now that is how you ascot

Armenia -- Did absolutely nothing for me

Georgia -- She looks like she’s wearing milk. I don’t know how to explain it other than that.

[tsuki-sennin]

With a betrayal looming large over the student alchemists, the wicked Geryon plots his next move. Will Hotaro find the fire he needs to burn away the Moon Malgam?

Spoilers, I guess...

-"I AM LITERALLY ON THE RUN WHY AM I STILL HERE IN SCHOOL-"

-Accidentally calling your teacher Mom or Dad is one thing, but imagine how awkward it'd be if you called them by another teacher's name.

-My man really just has a solid gold Rubik's cube, huh?

-"Chemistry... is the study of change."

-I can't believe Walter White has become Heisenberg.

-Ohhhhhhh, I see there's discontent already brewin'.

-I'm still getting used to the remix, but goddamn it's so good hjklh

-Renge...

-"We ain't students no more :<"

-Sabi...

-Oh you motherfucker

-We've got nothing left.......

-"Goddamn Kudo, you're so cool..."

-OH THERE SHE GOES

-"You've got once chance, buddy."

-Ooooooooh, goddamn the dual wield!

-OH THE RING

-Boom!

-"Your friends are mine now, buddy."

-Gotcha Igniter...

-This is a lifeline that Hotaro's gotta put his own spin on.

-"Hmm... Okay then~!"

-OH?????

-"Timelord, break it down for us."

-Get sent back, idiot.

-Ohhhhhhhh, the Ouroboros.

-AHHHHHHHHHHHHH THEY'RE ALL SO TINY!!!!

-OH MY GOD LOOK AT STEAMLINER, HE GO NYOOOOOOOM

-Friends forever~!

-DAD???????

-Goddamn, Hotaro.

-Time Paradox in progress.

-Transmutate some bitchin steampunk goggles out of some dirt. That's how alchemy work, yeah?

-Well, that just confirms that the Dark Sisters have always been off-model.

-SABOOOOO

-"Get gilded, idiot."

-UFO-X...

-Geryon all along.

-"And???"

-Oh shit, Wizard-X!

-Protecc the child!

-"My very own treasure :)"

-Time! Time! (TL: I'M FUCKING DYING OVER HERE, YOU NEED TO LEAVE)

-Be destined!

-He rember!!!!!

-Chemies and humans... the chance to Gotchanko as pals forever!

-Gotcha Igniter!

-"Good job, my boy."

-Awwwwww shiiit, we're in the quarry, you know it's about to go down.

-Gotchanko! Fire!

-Steamhopper! Achiiiiiiii~!

-Right so... I wouldn't say I'm head over heels with Fire as I was with the Level 10 forms, but goddamn, I love the colors. The uh... exhaust is a little awkward looking but not enough to make it bad or anything!

-"I see.... a while new future, huh?"

-RIDER CHIPS POOOOG

-Get beaten down, idiot.

-This is, indeed, Hotaro's very own upgrade.

-Kudo....

-Burning Fever!

-That bitch is dead.

-Future Hotaro~!

-Moooooooon...

-I like this guy already.

-"Time's up for me, buddy. I'd say do yourself proud, but uh... Well, you've gotcha self that pride already!"

-Farewell, Daybreak-san.

-"He's no longer my boy."

-SENPAI SQUAAAD

-Big shot alchemist~!

-Do it for our teacher!

-Yeah boiiiiiiiii

-OH FUCK RINNE DEBUT 2

-At long last.

-Peak television continues next week

[brynwrites]

Odder Still is indeed in KU, and book two is coming out in June! It's a steampunk 1940s fantasy series with mythological creatures like selkies, finfolk, and hippocampi, and features a central achillean romance.

Also in KU are my achillean vampire romance books, which are peek cute and funny (and a little smutty), and the second book that's out next week features an aspec vampire!

(I have many beautiful posh boys but I don't know if you'd consider any of them vile wretched little creatures, so much as just delightful messes...)

back in Kindle Unlimited...and I want to read your books

If any of you have published in KU feel free to reply/reblog with your stories!!

(Until May, at least)

What I like to read:

Fantasy exclusively, just imagine all the next bullets have "fantasy" on them

Short novels/novellas/short stories

Gaslamp/steampunk/not-just-medieval timeframe

Either super funny/cozy

...OR super dark horror gorefests

Whump tbh

Queer characters!!!

Especially asexual characters, bonus if there's a romantic element

(I just like the queer element to be discussed and pretty important, even if it's not a coming out story)

Polyam/reverse harem

Retellings of myths and fairy tales

Elves that remind you more of The Dragon Prince and Dragon Age than ACOTAR (all my love to ACOTAR)

Magical creatures that aren't often the leading folks in books (centaurs? Satyrs? Succubi? I could go on)

Hyperspecific: beautiful posh boys who are vile wretched little creatures

If any of this sounds like you please help me stock my Kindle 🙏 I must consume new indie stories

PS. If I like it I can guarantee you that I'll write a review

And if I don't like it I can guarantee you that I'll flip through all the pages regardless so you get your coin

[iamhereinthebg]

Heyyy! May I ask, do you have favourite thumb characters? Like ik you like the mystery kids most but I just want to know whose your favourite? Sorry to be a bother

Heya heya! You're not bothering me at all Anon, don't worry! Thank you sm for the question ^^

The mysteries and mystery kids are really easy for me to love because the reason I love tbhk is because of them and the fact they are supernaturals ^^ so I really like all of them! But it's true that I do have favorites XD (and I like supernaturals but don't like Tsukasa at all and is meh with Sakura for now so idk :'))

My favorites characters are Akane, the Meis (I just can't choose I love both of them equally) and Kou :DD

For Kou I did an explanation here on why I love him if you want :D

I am not original on that one I just adore Kou and I want good things to happen to him honestly XD (help this boy) Idk he is just so honest and just wanna do good things idk I love him

For Akane I am doing a big text where It will explain why I love his character more in depth ^^ (and it is taking me sm time because I wanna talk about the clock keepers too ahah)

The main reason I started liking Akane is because I am obsessed with steampunk vibes, times and clocks since I am little ahah :') the clock keepers arc is one of my favorite arc of the whole manga because everything I like about the manga is said here

Supernaturals and humans can't understand each other (and it's kinda funny the one saying this is the only half supernatural right?)

You can't change your fate, even if this is unfair

Ngl I am mostly interested in him because he is a clock keeper and the only real half supernatural of the cast (even if for Nene honestly? Tbh it is strange x')) . I do like his personnality, how perceptive he is as well as an absolute emotionnaly driven idiot, how important it is for him to help others, how he is the first character to swear this much... HOW HE THINKS LIFE IS WORTH LIVING AND WONDERFUL. And his view on supernaturals is really great to see, how honest he is with Hanako and his relationships with tons of characyers are really interesting to see

Especially since he is still a supernatural and have a lot of commons with them even if he is trying not to see them rip

I am kinda scared the fact he is half supernatural is not that useful because honestly AidaIro haven't used it that much since the beginning of the manga but I have some hope yay :D so yep I will describe more in my big text about him but I really like his concept yay

And the Meis omfg

I love them so so much. I am also finishing a text about them but they make me very emotionnal. They are the only characters here who have their arc mostly done and everything about it was so great! Human Mei makes me sad af and I love her so so much. With how much hope she has and how her view on art is important! And the perfect picture arc is one of my fav arc too because of how everything was made in this arc mostly thanks to both Meis!

Supernatural Mei is 👌👌👌👌 she is crazy af and a really great supernatural! Her powers are so so cool and her whole aesthetic makes me go insane

AND ALSO the strongest female character of the cast! SHE CAN FIGHT AND SHE ISN'T AFRAID OF HANAKO AND TSUKASA AND KDVJDJ (I am not against characters who don't have physical strength but others strength as psychological/emotionnal etc... but why is it always the female characters? :) Like I love Nene and Aoi but plzzzz, I would have loved if they could fight more tbh ahah mostly because all male leads can fight really well the difference is way too much for me ugh. So thank you Sumire, Mei and Yako for being here yay)

ANYWAYS I love her a lot :D and I will indeed detail a bit more in a post only for her because she deserves it zkjd

I used to really like Nene when I started the manga (I started following it around chapter 60) A lot of my earlier drawings where with her Akane and Kou (I really wanted to see them interact and they are REALLY SIMILAR in term of writings)

but I am really not fan about how she is written since chapter 75/76 unfortunately QvQ her character growth has been terrible and I really hope she will be better in the new chapters because I used to really like how funny and optimistic she was :0

And that's it! I am not that complicated and I have things to say for a lot of characters (bad or good I have both ahah)

Thanks a lot for the ask Anon ^^ and don't hesitate to ask stuff! I know I can take time to answer but I always really like all of your questions :D

[scripttorture]

What would you expect from the public, including minors, when torturing someone in public is done, especially when it's a public spectacle and people actually come to watch. Is liking to watch torture a thing in this case? My story is a medieval/steampunk fantasy by the way.

Well Anon, this does still happen today. It happens in the country I grew up in and consider my home. So… my first suggestion is to throw out the implication that this is a weird historical thing the world doesn’t have to deal with any more. Because it is still very real. And if you get any kind of success with your story there’s a good chance some of your readers will have experience with this.

 It’s also significantly more complicated then ‘liking’ or ‘disliking’ so let’s unpack this a bit.

 I’ve never actually seen anyone maimed or executed. But as a kid of around 9-10 I knew kids my age who had. We used it as a sort of… pissing contest basically. Kids would brag about it to show how hard they were, in the same way we’d stuff chilis into our mouths and see who could last longest.

 It’s one of those bizarre kinds of ritualised self-harm that you end up performing in order to cope with awful things.

 Because witnessing this kind of stuff is harmful, to adults and children. It can leave people traumatised and displaying some of the symptoms I write about here.

 But, however old the characters, if they grew up somewhere where this is the norm then I absolutely guarantee they understand showing opposition is dangerous. They know their responses to these displays of brutality and power are used as a proxy for their loyalty and worthiness by the state.

 And boy if you are in any way outside the norm, if you are queer or the ‘wrong’ ethnic group or faith, then the pressure to conform here is so much more intense.

 I lived in Saudi, my home town is Dhahran. My parents are from opposite ends of Europe and they tried to raise me Christian. I still spent a lot of my teenage years unpacking stuff I’d absorbed about public executions, amputations, whippings etc.

 From the kids I knew growing up (anecdotal evidence no matter how empassioned) I’d say the ‘normal’ responses to witnessing this kind of state violence are varied. Kids would get nightmares, start showing signs of mild anxiety disorders or depression. They’d become moody, angry and generally unhappy. Which they’d sometimes take out on other people.

 But I can’t remember anyone ever explicitly linking it to what they witnessed. They’d try to hide this stuff. Some of them would double down on justifications for state violence (seemed pretty common.) They would, above all, deny there was a problem.

 Because admitting to mental illness made you ‘weak’ and admitting to doubts about state violence made you a ‘traitor’. Which is a pretty risky thing to label yourself (even by implication) when you live in a state that publicly mutilates and murders people. (Note the author’s bias as a committed pacifist may be showing.)

 As you may have noticed Anon, I still carry a significant amount of anger on this particular subject. This bottled vitriole is not directed at you or your story idea but at the states and politicians who make sure this brutality continues. It’s about the fact that I can remember a nine year old girl matter of factly talking about beheading at a birthday party.

 Stepping back from the personal side of things for a moment we know from studies of PTSD and trauma survivors generally that witnessing violence can lead to lasting psychological symptoms. Including PTSD.

 PTSD specifically is more likely when an individual is directly effected (ie physically hurt). But repeated exposure to traumatic events, including witnessing violence, makes the manifestation of long term symptoms more likely.

 So a character that has seen dozens of these attacks is more likely to develop a long term mental health problem then a character who has seen only one. Regardless of age.

 We can’t predict which individual symptoms an individual witness will develop or indeed when a witness might develop them. We just don’t know enough about how these things happen yet.

 Having said that, the possible symptoms for witnesses are pretty much identical to the possible symptoms for torture survivors (link above.) I’d advise against using chronic pain for witnesses unless you have a clear idea of an underlying cause; it seems (anecdotally) to be more common in people who directly experienced violence.

 If you decide to use insomnia there’s a masterpost on sleep deprivation here.

 For mental health problems like depression, anxiety etc remember there are physical symptoms as well as symptoms related to mood. Characters who are trying to deny they have a mental health problem might focus overly on physical symptoms. Depression can cause nausea, vomiting and tiredness/lack of energy which might be mistaken for disease. Anxiety can cause chest pain and shakes.

 Circling back let’s talk about some of the phrasing in this question for a moment. Because ‘choose to watch’ misunderstands the way states use these public displays of violence.

 Attendance and witnessing of public executions and torture is often enforced. Sometimes overtly and sometimes more tacitly. Because the point of these displays is to hammer home the power of the state. That doesn’t work if people can easily choose not to go.

 Here’s an example of what that overt and tacit enforcement looked like back home.

 Tacit enforcement came from the timing and placement of executions and amputations. They took place on weekends, when almost everyone was off work. They were carried out in major towns and cities, where the population density was higher. The venue was typically on a main thoroughfare close to important sites. Which ensured a high volume of people would be in the area when the execution took place, whether there was due to be an execution or not.

 So picture the town or city this is taking place in, in your story. When are the public holidays? Where are the markets? Where are the most popular religious venues? At what time will the most people be in these areas?

 All of that will tell you where an execution or public torture is likely to take place. Because if you set this shit up in eye sight of the place most people buy food, at the time when the most people are out, you get witnesses.

 Whether they want to be witnesses or not.

 Overt enforcement, on the low end of the scale, means having officials among the crowd pushing people towards the scaffold. At home this seemed to be targetted towards children and people who were judged as ‘other’. Different races to the majority, people who might have been read as a different religion, people who might have been read as queer etc.

 This is because the message is ‘This could be you.’

 I know practices in other countries have sometimes gone beyond this. Police or armed officials will sometimes go out and gather a crowd of witnesses by just… approaching people on the street and demanding they attend.

 This approach requires quite a bit of man power and is not practical or necessary in every setting. In most cases setting things up in the right place and time is enough to ensure a large number of witnesses.

 What I’m trying to illustrate here is that a lot of people will see this stuff without having made a conscious choice to do so.

 And making a conscious choice to see it… well it does say something about the character but not in the way you’re thinking.

 Because these displays are all about the power of the state. Witnessing them, responding to them is performance and it’s a performance of state loyalty. You can’t expect someone to give their true opinion on public displays of violence when criticism or voicing ‘dislike’ could lead to them being targets of violence.

 Basically if you’ve got characters going to see this stuff regularly then it’s worth asking why they feel the need to display their loyalty in this way. Sometimes it’s because they really really believe in the state. But often… they’re compensating for something.

 Wrapping up I think it’s important to note there’s often a difference between what people say about this stuff versus what they actually feel. And that’s because these things are explicitly political and explicitly about the power a state has over it’s subjects.

 The way individuals respond to these things in public and what they say about them in public effects how they are treated. Sometimes it comes with obvious legal sanctions. Even if it doesn’t… these displays are entirely about reminding people the state can kill them.

 And it doesn’t actually discourage crime or civil disobedience but it does create a climate of fear and hostility which permeates daily life.

 Think about why the state is insecure about their power. Think about how your characters live with that background radiation and whether it feeds into cultural ideas around things like martyrdom or nobility of suffering.

 Remember that there is a difference between public and private life. Existing in these kinds of brutal states often means having quite a sharp distinction between them. This can create very strong bonds to those the characters trust. It can also create a big difference between private and public personas.

 If you’re writing a world where public torture and executions are happening there’s more going on then just individual character’s reactions. You are saying something about the world, the ruling class and the politics of the area.

 Take the time make sure you know what you want to say.

Available on Wordpress.

Disclaimer

[zu-is-here]

The jab went well, I didn't think of taking enough stuff to keep me busy while waiting for it tho X). I didn't feel bad after so I went shopping. I stopped through a fabric shop wondering if I should try to make a plush (didn't buy anything from that store but maybe another time I guess)

Here the books !

"Beyond the clouds" is a sweet story about a boy who like to build stuff who met a girl with only one wing and without memories. He built her a wing then they go having adventures to find the truth.

I dunno if "Encens" will be a good read yet. It's about a strange case of murder and detectives hunting the murderer. It seems it's a steampunk novel.

"Le conte des parias" is about a devil and a girl who made a deal with that devil (not the ones on the cover, those are side characters). The devils can't be seen by anybody but she was born with eyes that could see them. She befriended that devil as she was lonely (and having a really not-great life) and she liked to hear his stories at night. They ended up making a deal after the situation called for it and she gave up her most precious thing in exchange 👁️👁️.

Yup! I wanna do the prompts as well but I didn't even finished yet the first one X'D

Not really merciful just too focused on getting my writing done to remember I need to attack O°O. Not yet! XD Thanks 💕

Glad to hear it went good! (*´∇｀*) Awww are you going to hand-make a plush? *^*

These sounds really cool and interesting to read! (〃ω〃) Especially the story about a deal between a devil and a girl ♪

It's alright (≧∀≦) It's your time to get gifts <3

OHHH I'm gonna read your writings! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)☆

How are you doing lately? ♡

P. S. I watched Le Petit Prince the movie and oh am I delighted! ☆ The details like the poster on the academy's wall or the parachute looking like that hat *^* But it turned out to be so dark suddenly, I didn't even expect it! (°▽°) The ending made me cry a bit tho <3 This is amazing how this little story unites us all╰(*´︶`*)╯

UPD:

Ohhh poor Blue (ó3ò) *hugs* Hope you endured it well and feel much better now! <3

Woah *0* That would be really nice! Good luck with it ☆

Ah really good indeed (ﾟωﾟ)♪ Heheh good luck with a "revenge" too! (òwú)

I'm so glad to hear you had good day (*´꒳`*) I'm sure this dress fits you really nice *^* And your OC drawing is sooo cute <3 Ah yep! I did wish her happy birthday while ago (๑>◡<๑)

I'm doing great, thanks! <3 Had a busy day at work but then went to the supermarket to buy some food for me and for Koshka (úwù) Tomorrow is my graduation ceremony,,, (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)☆

P. S. Awww what a coincidence! Oh my god NAMES. You're right— they don't have ones for real!! (°▽°) Didn't even notice it behind all the titles... Guess my favorite moment is when Mr. Prince becomes The Little Prince again <3 And yours? *^*

(≧∀≦) That's good! Thank youuu <3

P. S. Oh bliss before chaos indeed! That moment was really exciting and frightening at the same time *0* The songs parts are amazing ♡ Wow— how did you notice that much?! \(//∇//)\ Such a little and sad detail for real ;3; ☆

Have a good night and a day too Blue! (*´꒳`*)

Fair enough! (òwó) We helped each other <3

[theriu]

A Meager Attempt At A Cool Rocks Post

So I have been inspired by @reddpenn​'s superb Cool Rock Posts. I too have a love for cool rocks, but it pales in comparison to the breadth and depth of both collection size and rock knowledge Redd has. Alas, my love of rocks remains uneducated and amateur, which is kind of ironic since I took three geology classes in college for my science credits. (Turns out I just like pretty things, actually remembering their formation and hardness and stuff doesn’t factor in.)

Nonetheless! I wish to share my small but still lovely collection of rocks and what little I know about them!

I have made this little display for our purposes. Obviously there are a few stand-ins so that my collection does not look too lonely, but if there is one thing I do excel at collecting, it is cool-looking Stuff to scatter around my house. Pay no mind to the Trex, he was a recent purchase from the home decoration store because he LOOKS like rock, which I think we can all agree is a good aesthetic for him. So far he has been a very good chap.

We shall start with the Small Boys:

These are the rocks I've had the longest, and in truth pay little mind to. As anyone who has frequented a gift shop with a rock section will recognize, these are the kind of assorted rocks one finds in a box, pays for by weight or bag limit, and takes home in a charming felt pouch. I don't even know what kind of rocks they are. Perhaps variations of the same kind? Someone with greater rock knowledge than I may know.

But you should know that, when it comes to rocks, I have a secret:

I really, really, REALLYREALLYREALLY like rocks you can SEE INTO

There's something so beautiful and magical, even mysterious, about translucent stone. Be it a glass ball full of swirled colors or a rough chunk of rock revealing deeply embedded inclusions, the depth and glow of a transparent or translucent rock fills me with delight. Perhaps it puts me in mind of bodies of water, and all the life swimming about in them. It makes you want to believe there is more to this simple stone, to imagine cool fantasy stories around their hidden abilities. This is why this seemingly boring Gray found a home - look how he lights up! Even Green has a bit of glow! (Blue does not, sadly, but he is blue. I like blue. :D)

My fondness for orange rocks is also going to become highly apparent as we continue:

Left: A GORGEOUS carnelian palm stone I found at a steampunk convention last year. I think I paid $30 for it. Now, I am not one to dole out large amounts of money for rocks willy-nilly - I have to be REALLY CERTAIN I love a rock enough to spend the asking price (i.e. How Likely Am I To Hold And Stare At This Rock For Long Periods?). But just look at this BEAUTY! It's like I'm holding a small chunk out of the rings of Saturn in my hand. It is also just about the right shape to pass for a dragon egg. And, I mean, look at it in the light:

Tell me that doesn’t look like a yolk. XD

I waffle between imagining this as a dragon egg, or plotting to incorporate it into my orange-and-yellow mandalorian cosplay as a chunk of stone from an old Jedi temple that my mando has hooked up to an arm device that uses it to detect force-users in the vicinity. Like I said, rocks are awesome for creating cool stories. :D

(Also: while I do not ascribe to the new age-y uses of palm stones, I will say that there is something decidedly pleasant about just holding a gorgeous, smooth, cool rock that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand!)

Back to the first picture, because Tumblr has an obnoxious 10 pic limit on posts...

Right: This is my newest rock, purchased just this week at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery. Sometimes a particular rock just jumps out at you, and that is what happened with this very reasonably-priced $5 piece of orange calcite I brought home. 

It looks like a huge chunk of candy. I almost want to eat it. But where it lacks the superior factor of rock candy that is deliciousness, this citrine has the estimable advantage of not turning sticky no matter how long I touch it.

And once again, when held up to the light...

Look at that gorgeous glow! She turns almost yellow in the light! I tell you, I looked at most of the orange citrine in the box, but this one that initially grabbed my attention just really stuck with me. Sometimes rock collecting is just the simple joy of finding that rare rock that really leaps out at you ahead of all the other pretty rocks which give you your fill for a few seconds before being left peacefully on their shelf.

(In other words, find the rocks that you want to stare at while spinning in your palm for unreasonable amounts of time like a crow adoring its shinies.)

Now, this little slice of a geode (I THINK??? Experts please advise) isn't very exotic. But for the paltry sum I paid for it at a rummage tent, and the GORGEOUS swirls this picture does not do justice, I think my reasons for claiming it are clear:

Someone more knowledgeable than me, please feel free to point out what qualities make this piece so lovely. It is amazing, like the frozen visage of a swirly space storm frosted with ice. I want to make it into jewelry or attach it to something, and I never wear jewelry. Why is the carrying around of pretty stones just to look at fondly in bored moments not more socially acceptable, I ask you?! (Not that this has stopped me, at times.)

Alas, I'm probably getting a bit long-winded, but we are nearing the end of the collection! And I'm sure someone out there is interested in the contents of this fun little box:

This was actually a prize I won for completing the scavenger hunt games in first place at a Steampunk convention several years ago! And I LOVE IT! A perfect little custom exhibit box, complete with labels! It looks so cool on my shelf. And all the pieces are authentic!

First, the ever-familiar purple amethyst. I must confess, I am a slight hipster in regards to liking things a bit more if they are less well-known, and perhaps that is why I don't have much opinion about amethyst. It is undeniably lovely in color and translucency, but it's just EVERYWHERE - I feel sometimes like it is the unofficial mascot of Cool Rocks In Gift Shops. So this rock isn't high on my favorites list, but it still feels right to have a piece.

The trilobite is my real favorite of the group. Look how big he is! Look how complete! I'd never held such a big one before this, much less owned it! And he's still a little guy compared to some out there! So cool!!! And he is indeed a rock, because fossils :D

And the last one isn’t a rock at all, but come on, ACTUAL VIKING AGE METAL. That's just cool.

But what's this? A mere decorative addition? An imposter?!

Sure, sand and glass are both made of silicates, but they don't really count as Cool Rocks, or even gems. But what's that there, tucked away in the shell...?

My genuine pink pearl from Hawaii! Now, granted, pearls are not your typical rock. But they ARE considered gems, just made by a living creature, so I felt it deserved a mention. I got this two years ago on a family vacation to Maui, at the Dole Plantation. While pearls have never been a favorite of mine, this one is special to me because my mother, sister, and cousin also did the "open an oyster and get the pearl inside" touristy thing that places like this offer. We almost all got different colors, and it was just really cool. There is a hole drilled in one side in case I ever want it mounted in a ring or something, but truthfully, I wish I had left it pristine. It now resides as a secret treasure in my other, glassier souvenir from that cool trip.

Alas, these are all the rocks and near-rocks I have to share. If you like cool rocks and want to learn actual cool science about LOTS of cool rocks, definitely check out @reddpenn​'s blog, where you will find MANY COOL ROCK POSTS SERIOUSLY REDD YOU HAVE SO MANY COOL ROCKS!!! 

And if you wish to share YOUR cool rocks, I highly encourage you to do so! Let me be your forerunner in sharing cool rocks without actually knowing all the sciency stuff behind them, because sometimes you just like things because they are pretty and tickle your imagination.

~River

[hallowgracie]

wip: the divine legacy

title | The Divine Legacy

genre | high fantasy; steampunk

status | planning

themes | nature vs. technology, divinity, good vs. evil, redemption

summary | At the end of the line on the continent of Ezor, the winds of change are blowing. The land is dying from a curse reawakened. The poor are forced to sell all they have for the benefit of the rich overseas. 

A farm girl with the ancestry of a long-lost people leaves an offering on the altar of a dead god. A mysterious boy arrives with no memories and a strange and powerful magic connected to the last dragons the world had ever seen. 

characters |

GALILEE SAYERS

She remembers growing up in the industrial cities in the east, huddling around the stove for warmth and listening to stories from her mother--a lineage of stories heralding from when their ancestors fled the disaster caused by the death of the dragon-gods. 

The last quiet place in the world is in the shrines of the nameless dragon god her mother’s ancestors worshipped, untouched by the modern man and the endless hunger for glory and resources to build and maintain their empires. 

It is there that she discovers her true purpose as a prophet and the bringer of a new world.

DEUCALION

He was found on the altar of the nameless god, the farm girl’s offering in his hand. Dreams of flight and fire and his name are all that remain of whoever he was before. But who was he?

ASRIEL

The mysterious gentleman in Carrinald only appeared a few months ago, constantly under the supervision of the Lansosa brothers. He indulges in the sights and sounds of the city, but maintains and kindness and lonely weariness that seems beyond mortal ken.

LIVIA FAIRCHILD

Her family has made pacts with their fey patron for as long as she can remember. Reluctantly, she does as she is asked, as a daughter of nobility living across the sea from her country of birth. As she trains in the art of magic to take the pact, she begins to believe in her own power over that of the fairies.

MABON LANSOSA 

A handsome heir of the Lansosa House, a great bloodline of sorcerers and nobles blessed by the King of the Fairies himself, he is the catch of the courting season in Carrinald. But there is something darker about Lansosa, a secret he is hiding that lies within the boy he never lets out of his grip.

LLEWELLYN LANSOSA

He was well-suited to his role as the second brother of the House of Lansosa, with no interest in ruling or the matters of the house. Rather, he studied abroad in Aldaine, his mother’s country, to become a most competent scholar indeed. Some say that he may even be the more gifted brother in the art of magic.

notes | The interesting bit about this particular project is that it was inspired by several other fantasy projects, so aspects of the regency fantasy and the secret fantasy project have been absorbed into this storyline. I hope you enjoy what’s to come!

[the-fiction-witch]

The Return

MOVIE: NANNY MCPHEE AGE UP COUPLE: SIMON X READER RATING: CUTE + FUNNY

In truth to admit that some part of me did indeed regret leaving the browns. However I knew whole heartedly that I had to go with Evangeline as there new mother and all seven children on the right path with all lessons learned I knew. It was time to go. I gathered my things and headed out the crooked wooden house past the animals and tracks of the farm and past the treehouse towards the ivy covered gate to the road. I went to push open the gate but as I did

"Nanny McPhee!" a little voice called and I turned seeing the figure of the browns eldest and most stubborn boy. Simon.

"Yes?" I asked turning to him

"do you really have to go?"

"Your lessons are learned and circumstances have changed" I answered

"But..." He began

"Simon, When you do not want me but need me then I must stay" I remind him "But when you want me but no longer need me, then I have to go"

"Will you ever come back? if we need you again?" He asked

"If you do need me, then I shall return" I told him he nodded so I headed out the gate and away from there little house.

I truly believed that I would never have to return to the brown house hold. Even if it pained me so. But My newest call was in fact for the brown household and as I walked that path I knew it was the same one. The rusted gate covered in so much ivy one could almost believe it an entry to a secret garden. the paths now gravelled and with huge stepping stones, the small treehouse still there darker and more forgotten then it once was, the farm area full of animals and I noticed immediately, Children. Running, Laughing, playing tricks and games. I looked to the house seeing it sat much taller and somehow more crooked then I remembered, as more had been added to it in the years between. I went to the door ringing the bell as I did all the children about the place ran inside a back door.

I stood waiting a moment before the door opened to a familiar sight

"Pleasure to see you again" I smiled to her

"Ohh nanny McPhee" Cook smiled a much greyer and more hollowed woman now then I last saw her "Ohh thank god for you. You know I never hoped you'd come back here. In the nicest of ways but they need more help then anyone can give em" she explained letting me inside. the hall much the same as it was "I'll get him down for ya" she says "Mr Brown!" she yelled up the staircase no answer "Ohh gorden bloody bennit he'll be up in that damn study again" she sighed "MR BROWN!" she shouted louder

"Coming!" a voice called down she nodded and headed back down to the kitchens I stood waiting a moment listening to the sounds of children all about the house and a sight shocked me somewhat.

That small skinny stubborn little boy, He had changed. Now tall and lanky with a messy mop of blonde and brown hair styled similarly to his father, those brown eyes unchanged if aged and stressed by the years between. facial hair now graced both his upper lip and his chin. He stood half way down the stairs in a white button down with a few stains, a blue waistcoat not done up in anyway and trousers slightly too short for him as if hand me downs from someone else he stopped short apon seeing me his hand still on the bannister

"I said if you needed me, I would be back" I said

"I know, and honestly... I don't think I've needed you more in my life" he explained

"Simon, you've grown" I said

"I have, its been a long time" He said back "I assume you'll want to meet them, Now I remember what you did to us and honestly... I don't know if I remember it right. But do what you have to" He says

"what are your concerns?" I asked

"Everything. They don't go to bed, they don't say anything to me remotely related to a thank you or a please, they don't get dressed, they... don't do anything I say. The most I get out of them is they all come to dinner well. they come most of them run off with there food" He explained

"I see" I said "Exactly how many children are there in the house?"

"Uuuuuh well" he said nervously rubbing the back of his neck "Sixteen..."

"I'm sorry?" I asked unsure I heard him correctly

"Sixteen children" He answered

"Sixteen, How old?"

"Eldest is twelve, youngest is six months" he explained

"I assume your children, and then your siblings-"

"No" He interrupted, "All my siblings have... moved out. Homes on there own and all. Even Aggie, Dad and Evangeline moved away to the coast after he retired at the funeral directors, I took the house for me and my wife" He explained "All the children, Our mine"

"Sixteen children?" I asked a little in shock, Like father like son I suppose "where's your wife exactly?"

"Ooohh uhhh.... Now that is a good question" He said seeming more confused the more he thought "Uhh give me a moment" he says "Y/n!" He yelled into the house but no answer "Y/n!" He yelled again but nothing "Ughh Everlynn?" He called and a little girl no older then seven ran up from the kitchens "You haven't seen mummy have you darling?" he asked her

"In the Barn" she says

"Thank you darling" he smiled

"You're welcome daddy" she smiled running off again

"Leave her alone, Everlynn is an angel" he warned me

"Why do you think that is?"

"I have no idea," he says "But she's in the barn so... shall we?"

I nodded and he lead me though the house and out the back door towards a tall blue farm with a small door open flashing and strange sounds coming from inside. the moment we stepped foot inside it looked like the workshop of a steampunk inventor with strange contraptions and papers on every surface

"Y/n?" he called

"Is that you Simon?" A voice called from the upper level

"Yes y/n, come down here a moment would you sweetheart?"

"Alright, on my way" the voice smiled and soon enough a girl no doubt a little younger then simon hurried down the metal spiral stair case from the upper level holding her white and brown dress, her hair in a long complex briad a pair of welding goggles on her head the marks on her face around her eyes from where the goggles had been. as soon as she came down she jumped into simon's arms he happily kissed her and she kissed back and it immediately became obvious to me how they had so many children, not even seconds there lips touched and already the kisses where getting a little too much, his hands wondering her dress alot but I coughed making him pull away remembering I was here

"Ohh sorry" He blushed as the young girl put on a pair of glasses clearly to see what was going on "Y/n this is the nanny. the one I told you about"

"Ohh Pleasure to meet you" she smiled "I've heard a lot about you"

"I'm sure you have" I said back "I suppose I should get started"

[bittybattybunny]

Gimme the robo ru ramble!

HERE I COMESS

and this is just a copy paste from discord cuz I am not retyping this but:

the idea is Ru is a steampunk styled anamatronic cyborg, he was made by Vanessa to be her companion after the death of her childhood friend and he was built to be her ideal. however this also means he was nice to a fault and he had stopped once to aide a flower vendor on his way home to vanessa and was given flowers as thanks and got super flustered over it as he was confused, but vanessa was upset he was 'unfaithful' so when he got home she shocked him and shut him down. She then threw him in the shed and she became a recluse until she died.

Eclipse and hattie were walking in the woods looking for mushrooms and herbs (they like to forage for some of their food as they aren't the wealthiest but they aren't like super poor, but they walk a line. Eclipse is an engineer and a genius at it however due to an issue with hattie's bio dad she's been basically outcasted as a 'thief' of his work. the reality is he stole HER work) they end up finding a broken down Ru and decide to fix him up out of curiosity and because hattie begged her mom. When he reactivates he starts apologizing right away before realizing they arent vanessa.

it takes a while but eclipse is able to look nessa up and he's crestfallen. so he just adapts to living with them and dealing with his depression and the fact he's sentient, more so than when he was first alive (he wonders if the shock nessa gave him did something) he also gets a weird feeling when Eclipse is near him and helping him (feelings be like) he also is able to somewhat pose as a normal human by covering his face with a scarf and wearing heavy clothing.

he takes over the second parent role for hattie while also helping eclipse with her work. after becoming friendly with more people and such he does kinda realize with eclipse there's a different spark and he's not sure how to handle that. its similar to how he felt with Vanessa before she hurt him

child is the one who goes "you love mom?"

so robo boy has a bit of a conniption over that one eventually he does come to terms with the fact he indeed cherishes her and hattie more than anyone and would like to help her more. he ends up even exposing the theft of Eclipse's prototype of a steam engine locomotive that uses a more efficent fuel of macguffinitemhere

So shes able to rejoin the scientific community as she deserved and her ex is humiliated

it nearly crumbles when ru gets outed an anamatronic and they want to disassemble him to find how he works because hes so unique and hes also curious but knows it would hurt and most likely kill him fully despite finally getting back into the community eclipse takes ru and hattie and runs

because shed rather him be safe than be with a bunch of egg heads they end up settling in a small town and ru takes up painting while eclipse helps with the machines in town and thats how they live uwu

when hatties grown and moved away; and eclipse is old, the day she stops breathing, he stops moving. Hattie was out getting something at the shop and came home to both her parents gone, but smiling with their hands together.

[manic-intent]

Fic: Reinhard/Yang Wenli, E-Rated, Silkpunk/Steampunk/Kitsune AU. Donation prompt by @beingevil for Geraineon. Excerpt:

The bamboo grove in the Ambassadorial Residence was the only untidy corner in the curated garden of koi and lily flowers, a dark nook of dense foliage that smelled of soil and leaf-rot. Reinhard had gone within to hide when he’d heard attendants calling his name, tired of company and needing the quiet. Now he’d been walking for an hour, swallowed in odd twilight dusk, unable to find the way back and growing increasingly frustrated. The unseasonal warmth of the grove had his crisp jacket and shirt sticking to his skin, and Reinhard muttered a curse as he stripped off the coat, folding it over his arm.

A soft laugh behind him had him whirl around, hand dropping to the ceremonial sword at his hip. An older Chinese boy sat perched on a rock that hadn’t been there before, watching him with amusement. The stranger wore his hair in a soft untidy mop over his gentle face, dressed in a plain dark blue hanfu over white inner robes. Reinhard stared. The officials and servants alike who Reinhard had seen so far wore their long hair bound under hats or pins, even the children.

“So it’s true,” the boy said, studying Reinhard intently. “You foreigners have hair the colour of new gold and skin like bleached bone.”

“Who are you?” Reinhard asked, wary. Everyone—including the governor of Changjing City—had treated Reinhard’s father and his family with polite deference. He blinked. “You speak German.”

“Not at all,” said the boy. On closer inspection, the words the boy’s lips shaped were indeed not the words that Reinhard ‘heard’. He took a step back, gripping the hilt of his sword. The boy pursed his lips. “If you’re going to be rude, I’ll leave.”

He was being rude. “I’m sorry. You startled me.” Reinhard forced his hand away from the blade. “My name is Reinhard von Müsel.”

“Yang,” Yang said.

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