#and the steampunker is likely to move into the house that used to belong to the tax collector

[shower-racoon]

*sees a name in red in the chat* oh no, an NPC died! *sees that it's the tax collector who died* actually I'm okay with this

[isolaradiale]

Welcome to SpiraleFES 2024! Or Day 2 of our Sixth Anniversary Celebration!

A word of warning first: this is not an event and does not count as event participation towards ranking up. These are merely a bunch of fun activities that persist throughout the summer. While we will be running several events over the summer, you will still be able to use SpiraleFES activities for non-event threads during that time!

The city is decorated festively from top to bottom, each and every ward sporting streamers, festive music, and providing a number of fun events. These can be used for threads throughout July and August, and so we encourage you to make use of them for some interesting interaction ideas! The list of events is as follows:

FIBONACCI WARD

NO PLACE LIKE HOME DECOR Do you find yourself missing that touch of something from home you just can’t seem to find in the city, no matter how hard you look? Well, search no more! Around the parks in various levels of the ward are vendors from familiar places, toting those little somethings from where you came from. Finally, you can find some clothes and other household items that aren’t easily accessible here. And if you look hard enough, you may find one of your personal treasures and trinkets that didn’t travel with you–a music box, a locket, maybe a ring from a family member… Don’t worry, it’ll have your name on it. Note: Weapons and other combat items will not be for sale in any of the bazaars if they're not purely decorative pieces.

A ROARIN’ BOREALIS SKATING RINK From the city streets, it looks like a bright ribbon of rainbow light, not unlike the famed Northern Lights. But ride the platform up to the top and see that the shimmering lights are actually a massive skating rink, with a figure 8 loop around the upper tiers of Fibonacci City. You can bring your own skates, or visit the kiosk to rent some LiteSkates–which leave a four-foot trail of light behind you in the color of your choice. There are guard rails around the arena, but even the clumsiest of skaters will be alright. After all, if you fall off the arena, a drone will pick you up and put you back on the ring. NOTE: Available during nighttime only.

ANDROID HELL … or the Ofiuco Rave, by any other name. A series of Radiocats seem to have flocked up to the lower floors of Level 3, and any discrimination towards those who seem like they may not belong has been, luckily (though no doubt only temporarily) shoved aside. Is it the Radiocats that set up the series of bright neon, backlit raves that have crowded varying floors on this level? … who knows. What everyone does know is that they’re certainly jamming out to some, as they say, “sick beats”, and large crowds have been drawn to the fluorescent party. It may be hard to move from place to place, but with the technology here being what it is, if you can see through the strobe for long enough, you’re bound to enjoy yourself! Ofiuco certainly is. Note: Ofiuco is immune to all attacks, charms, and other phenomena

CRAFT PUNK Outside of Fibonacci’s towering skyscrapers, nestled in the resident district, is an event with tinkerers in mind. Blending with the steampunk atmosphere is a foundry where your muse can learn the arts of robotics and machines. Classes range from building your own remote-control cars to making toys and household appliances (you know, like those little circular vacuum cleaners? Or a Super Toaster?) For those of you who are particularly adept in the art of machinery, you can enter the Scrap Battle Showdown–a competition to make a battle robot no bigger than a 3ft cube using only the supplies available in the foundry. If you’re caught using any materials from home, you’ll be kicked out!

THE HAUNTING OF SPIRAL HOUSE A haunted house has sprung up downtown in Fibonacci Ward, complete with a creepy old decrepit look! For a few dust, one can explore its dark depths by themselves or with a few friends. Featuring sets of vampires, ghosts, werewolves, zombies, and more along with actors that will stalk you through the halls for a more immersive experience, it certainly has a lot to offer! Pictures will be taken throughout the attraction, as to preserve genuine experiences and offer a souvenir for purchase.

COTES WARD

PIXIE PERFECT TREASURE HUNT The pixies of the Airaisal Forest have decided to cooperate with outsiders for a one of a kind event. Search the forest with an enchanted teacup pig with a nose for a very particular treasure: rare, golden truffles. Amass five to be awarded the equivalent of 200$ in Dust. But give up, or lose your teacup pig, and you’ll be spending the rest of your day as a fox kit as per pixie punishment.

OPHIUCHUS TREE TOWER Scale the gigantic tree that rises high against the cityscape with an Alraune guide. The plant person in question will create a staircase of leaves around the tree’s trunk rising upward, allowing you and small group of friends to traverse the tree in a way normally impossible. Once you reach the canopy get ready to enjoy a one of a kind picnic lunch while you overlook the island from the most magical of vantage points.

NERF JOUSTING Rent a horse from the Market Town coliseum and take up arms against a number of opponents. Well, take up soft foam arms. Experience what it’s like to joust without any of the immediate danger. *any wounds accumulated via falling off your horse will be immediately healed by a fairy.

MAZE BY PIXIE LIGHT An elaborate garden maze illuminate by magic lights provided by the pixies of the village. This event only runs at night and can only be experienced in pairs, but the prize for success is a doozy: a crystal flower that is traditionally exchanged between pixies meant to promise themselves to one another. Receiving this flower as a couple is a promise to remain at one another’s sides through thick and thin.

CANDLE LIGHTING FOR THE LOST During the night, the river that flows at the base of Ophiuchus comes to life with tiny lights as the Alraune have arranged a way to send off the fallen, giving any who want one a tiny flower raft with a candle resting upon it. Placing this raft on the lake while considering well wishes for a resident of the city has since left is thought to bring them good fortune… wherever they are. Though in a realm where death isn’t permanent it can also be used to give well wishes to even the living, perhaps someone you know that’s having a hard time.

SPELL CHECK Put on your best sorcerer's robes, purchase a wand, and proceed to the small dirt dueling arena set up by the pixies of Cotes Ward. You'll be given a small amount of magical power (only enough to cast simple spells like a gust of wind, a small spark of fire, a douse of water, or tiny static shocks) in an attempt to make the playing field even with your opponent! Your objective? Why, to entertain the pixies, of course! But to also have fun whilst doing so. Victory can only be claimed once your opponent has been knocked to the ground or they vocally say that they yield. The prize for your entertainment services? A small wish that can be granted by the pixies. That book you couldn't afford? It's yours. Unlimited food for a week? Say no more! That trinket you've looked at forever in the store window? It'll be yours if you can give an interesting enough show!

A NOVEL IDEA In the Great Library of Xalphina, a comfy, yet curious corner has been set up in the back corners of the library. Comfortable chairs, sofas, and even beanbags have been placed. A large bookcase sits against the back wall, with an even larger red velvet chair set in front of it to face everyone. Here, every few hours or so, a draken librarian will pull a book from the shelf and recount a tale from the distant homelands of the city's inhabitants. Be it legend or complete fiction, familiar stories of heroes and other myths are now available to be checked out for personal use or listened to for story time for a limited time.

SUMMER CLEANING RITUALS The pixies have decided to do some very much-needed cleaning in their homes, but they'd rather not do it themselves if they can avoid it! Help them out by throwing various trinkets, do-dads, and bobbles away, though they may ask you to help them find items that they've long since thought lost as well. As a prize, most of them may be willing to part with a small trinket though magical abilities may differ between each item.

GOLDEN WARD

SPIRALE FIREWALKS SHOW With the Boardwalk open until late at night and the weather mostly clear, fire flowers light up the sky over Golden's beach. Thanks to the ingenuity of the folks at the research institute, these clean-burning fireworks are the perfect combination of light and sound, providing beauty and comfort. For a modest price, you can customize your own fireworks with the colors and patterns you'd like. Pay a little more, and you can even put words on them! (No profanity please, as everyone sees the fireworks!)

CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL A cruise ship has docked, decked out in festive banners and balloons for the festivities. Open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with free admission and free souvenirs, there’s a different themed activity on each of those nights! Monday night sports access to the ship’s nightclub, Wednesday sports a murder mystery starting at 8pm, and Friday sports a series of different escape rooms once the sun sets! The cruise ship may or may not be decked out solely in a variety of golden decorations, however.

THE CHILLIN’ VILLAIN A nightclub and lounge has mysteriously popped up on the border of the shadier part of Golden, and goodie two-shoes need not walk through its doors. With a temporary in-house ceasefire, all sorts of villains and antagonists are welcome to share a drink, a dance, and tell of the heists and plots they’ve devised. And if you’d rather keep your identity hidden, masks will be provided to you at a cost (it’s a villain’s lounge, not a charity!). Note: The ceasefire is mandatory, and all weapons and powers are deactivated upon entering the building.

A FOAM-IDABLE FOE Out further into the ocean are a few obstacles, rafts and arenas. On the beach are your weapons: foam armaments of every shape and style–everything from foam swords to guns that shoot foam darts to foam shields and battle-axes. Your task is simple: knock your opponent(s) or opposing team(s) off the platform and into the water using your sick new foam gear. Think of it as a… Foam Battle Royale! Want a challenge? Some of the arenas equalize the strengths and defenses of its challengers, making even the most powerful Isolans only as strong as the weakest contender on the arena.  Note: For this event, your combat powers/items will be rendered ineffective!

YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE YOUR EYES Those who enjoy a night dip in the ocean might find themselves accompanied by myriads of fireflies floating alongside them. Their tiny lights will twinkle in a rainbow of colors around you every time you move or dive underwater. And the best part is: if you don’t know how to swim or lost sight of the shore, they will keep you afloat and help you reach the shallow waters safely!

NEVER-ENDING EXTRAVAGANZA An entire street section of Golden Ward has been blocked off to host the most extravagant block party you've ever been to. Filled with street food, fun, and live entertainment! Residents are welcome to host their own venues and put on performances for the crowds that are sure to swarm. Performers are encouraged to take to the stage every day to show their various talents. At night, a large bonfire will be lit to end off the day's activities and serve as an exciting way to make s'mores!

ROTATION STATION Because our residents often find themselves stumbling along the path of love and companionship, a few brave souls have decided to use a local dessert shop as a spring point in helping people find their other halves. How, you may ask? Through blind dating, of course! Simply fill out a form on what you'd like in a partner and you'll be matched to the best of your ability on a date! Though it will only last about fifteen minutes until you have to move on to the next, so make sure to make every second count and leave a lasting impression! (Only characters 18 and above may participate.)

ARCHIMEDES WARD

BATTLE OF THE BANDS With the Tempus Museum taking root in Archimedes, the Arte Fest has been swapped out for another kind of art form. That's right--it's time to take the stage with your friends and rock out with your heart out! You can even rent out instruments to play in case you don't have any of your own. Head on over to the Theatre of Calliope to sign your band up and set your performance schedule. Rumor has it that some of the Optimized Tools from the Museum have been borrowed for this event, so if you don't know how to play, all you need is a go-gettem attitude and the instruments will do the rest. Note: This event isn't exclusive to rock bands, and all genres of music are encouraged to come and sign up, from classical to synthwave to jazz.

TOO POOL FOR SCHOOL: THE REMIX Nothing says Summer Vacation like a huge pool party, right? Well, during the day, the Water Styx and its bigger pools are hosting a pool party bash that's bigger and badder than last year! From the DJ playing the songs everyone loves to the plethora of pool floats, noodles, beach balls and water slides, it's a high energy party until the sun goes down. Yes, we said water slides! Have fun with them!

CANDY CAMOUFLAGE So, yeah, it looks like a typical home goods store. But don’t be deceived! Many of the objects you’d typically find in the store–furniture, pillows, curtains and more–are completely edible! Even then, the tastiest candies and chocolates are only for the bravest and most adventurous tasters. A treat can be hiding anywhere–a clothes hanger, a ball-point pen, a mannequin, the wallpaper… Just be careful not to crunch on a real object. And if you do, there’s a dentist down the street. The event resets at midnight each night and the store changes daily, so every experience is different! For an extra challenge, we've added an electronics store to the rest of the home goods, just to change up the environment a bit. Don't bite into a VCR, okay?

UNDER THE TABLE Dionysus' Chalice in Archimedes Ward has decided to hold a drinking contest--of apple cider! Seeing as they'd like to not be liable for alcohol poisoning or someone's untimely demise but still want to keep the spirit of the festival, come on down and test your limits! It's simple; drink as much apple cider as you are physically able before having to relieve yourself or you find yourself on the floor after consuming too much. The winners will receive free beverages for the rest of the year along with a small prize of 100 stars. (Must write a 500 word drabble to claim said prize)

SKY FULL OF STARS Near the Water of Styx, a fireworks show happens every other night that showcases not only the amazing pyrotechnic talents of its makers but also the shapes and appearances of animals from our resident's homelands. Feeling nostalgic about a specific animal that can't be found on the island? Is its appearance only seen in your mind's eye? Doodle out a picture for our show makers and they'll gladly put it into a fiery, colorful explosion to be seen in the sky.

A PORTRAIT TO REMEMBER The Tempus Museum has opened a limited gallery that showcases brief moments of reprieve or hardship in our residents' lives. The happiest or most content moments in an art form serve as a looking glass to simpler or difficult times. Whether it be in their native lands or in Spirale, one will be able to look fondly at choice moments that may bring them some semblance of peace and coming to terms with.

THE INTRASPACE

SPIRALE DOUBLE DASH!!: PAINBOW ROAD For a limited time, kart racing is available at the Intraspace hub! Go solo or grab a friend, customize your ride, and ride like the wind! The rules are simple–complete three laps around the circuit and try to finish in 1st place. But these aren’t your ordinary courses, and things get pretty… wild. There’s no rule against sabotaging your opponents, either. So better watch out…! Don’t worry–if you completely total your kart or fall off the edge of the track, you’ll be safely transported back to the Kart Lobby to try again in another round! The better you do in races, the better you can deck out your uniforms and kart.

ISLAND LIFE SIMULATOR What do you mean you already live on an island? Well this is different! An island is constructed digitally, and you can design it from top to bottom. Terrain, houses, even the people who populate it! Of course, you can even bring in other characters to explore this island to their heart's content!

VIRTUAL COMFORTS While known for its vast selection of various MMOs and other cyberspaces, for a limited time, one may be able to traverse the reaches of time and space to find themselves in the familiar comfort of a place from their homeland that holds significant meaning to them. Whether it be a room, place, or your figurative dream world, you may find solace in the familiar sights and scenes that only exist in your mind's eye. Though beware, it's easy to become lost in the unreality. Bring a friend to help keep you grounded if you must!

YESTERYEAR

THE FAMILIAR FRONTIER In a rare turn of events, the Yesteryear branch is open for tours of the underground. Though the fauna and reclusive residents of the ruins scatter when approached, a friendly hologram will be around to show you the safe passages into the depths of the village. And sure, everything is pretty much still in ruins and there's nothing to salvage, but it's still a chilly escape from the summer heat to explore uncharted territory. Note: Your weapons and abilities vanish once you set foot into the ruins. When you step back out of them, they'll be returned to you.

THE MISTWOOD

DINNER IN THE DRAGON COURT Ordinarily, the Forest King isn't keen on visitors to his lavish estate in the heart of the Mistwood. But he, too, is keen to show off his expansive wealth, and has decided to temporarily open his doors to the respectful public. It's a rare opportunity to tour a dragon's keep, let alone have dinner in one! And as long as your muse doesn't steal anything in his castle, they'll be just fine. And if you do happen to have sticky fingers, well. He has a right to have you for dinner instead. (More information can be found here)

THE BUN-DER DOME ...Okay, it's not as intense as it sounds. In one of the safer (albeit denser) parts of the Mistwood is a single white bunny that simply wants to play hide and seek. If you manage to humor it and catch it before the time limit, you'll receive a special little reward: a little halo that, when activated, gives your muse their own pair of bunny ears in the style they deem fit. And kisses. Fluffy little bunny kisses.

THE SWIRLING GULF

A (HOT) SPRING IN YOUR STEP The hot springs are not a new feature to the Swirling Gulf by far, but for the duration of SpiraleFes, they're catering to the summer vibes. Floating in their hot healing waters are beautiful citrus blossoms, and the soft sandy floors are full of skin-healthy mineral salts. Special summer fruits, dishes, desserts and drinks can be served spring-side, and for a bit extra, you can get a relaxing massage on the premises. For this special event, one spring in particular was given potent healing properties. Its waters ripple with a soft, soothing light, and those that soak in this spring may find their scars and other visible injuries they earned on the island start to look a bit less noticeable. Multiple dips in the spring might make them go away altogether. (More information can be found here)

SWIM THE FRIENDLY SEAS Coral Bay is renting out scuba and free-diving gear to take the opportunity to swim with the settlement's residents you don't often get to hang out with: the wildlife! It's a safe and stunning way for you to get up close with all manners of creatures. From sharks, rays and dolphins, to octopi and squids, to the turtles swimming gracefully, to the eels living in the corals! The place gets even more stunning at night as the corals light up. And when the creatures of the day retire, the creatures from the deep come up to take their turns. They look scarier, but nothing will hurt anyone!

SUNSET CIRCUIT

ZERO G’S, ZERO CARES Ever wanted to go into space to do all the cool astronaut stuff, but not go through the rigorous education and training? This event is for you! Walk through the doors of this massive dome, and you enter a zero-gravity playground, where you can zoom around and float to your heart’s content. There are various pieces of equipment and toys you can rent out and play with, as well as anchored structures to hang off of. And when you get hungry, just visit the astronaut food vending machine! It's been moved to Sunset Circuit for those space-age vaporwave vibes!

LUMINESCENT NIGHTS On the shores of Moon Beach at Sunset Circuit you'll find a curious sight has emerged. At night, the water begins to shimmer and glow due to bioluminescent algae and fish that have made their home underneath the waves. The locals charge a small fee to ride on the back of a sea turtle to ferry you underwater for an experience you'll never forget.

THE CITY OF GLASS

HOT GRILL SUMMER As soon as you land in the Bellows District, you can smell the sweet smoke from the barbeque party. Unsurprisingly, the locals are masters of using fire to cook, and almost anything one can think of can be found on the large, meters-long grills made of glass or something because They Do Be Likin Their Glass Tho. Though the main fare are things native to the island, such as the fruits from the Ash Garden, there are typical dishes familiar to most people here too. It's an all-you-can-eat grilled dinner, just for one dinner ticket. So enjoy the smoked, roasted, and grilled delicacies: from fruits to meats to desserts!

PECULIAR PETTING ZOO We don't really know how or why, but some of the strange fauna of the island have decided to willingly come up to the village to interact with the locals and tourists alike. Most are happy to appear in photos, and a few of them will even allow themselves to be petted. (Especially if they can be bribed with some food...!) Since the animals simply return to the wild when they don't feel like dealing with people anymore, many of them cycle out, and you might find different animals the next day!

SKY-STREWN ISLES

SLIP AND SLISLES When one thinks of floating islands, the thought of water parks is hardly the first to spring to mind. Only, in this case, it seems to be the biggest bash the isles have put together on it thus far. One of the larger islands has been converted into what seems like a large pool with waters flowing over on all sides, creating a rather spectacular waterfall that never seems to touch ground. Not only that, but they've managed to outfit the smaller islands with things such as spring boards and waterslides that aim toward the main island of the attraction, surf machines and water bumper cars on some others, and even stalls and bars where you can get all the goodies you could ever need for fun in the sun! The biggest attraction is their Totally Tube-ular tunnel slide, crafted with unbreakable, see-through glass that starts from the highest isle above the recreation area. You'll be granted a breathtaking view as you slide down it in various twists and turns, all before plunging into the large island pool for a spectacular splash landing. And don't think you have to go home once the sun sets, either! This carries on well into the night hours, giving people the opportunity to stargaze and see the lit up city and gulf below as they swim and play, with sparklers and other firecrackers offered to help light up the festivities if wanted. Oh, and there's no fear in falling off. Anyone who isn't too careful or is curious, they'll find themselves inside a convenient bubble that carries you back to one of the islands before popping.

THE ECHO

PROP HAUNT The ghosts in the museum want in on the summer fun, and have decided to play some hide-and-seek! The shadows will attempt to disguise themselves as other objects in the room, and you and your friends have to find all of them in the allotted time by bonking them with a squeaky hammer. If you and your team win, you'll be rewarded with a small glass orb that lets you change your appearance to be all spooky and translucent like a ghost! (Any wins after that will be converted to dust instead) If you'd like to play with your friends instead, the 'ghosts' on your team will be given a paintbrush that will let them transform into any of the objects in the room. There's no prize for this one, but you can finally live out your dream of being a statue! (Or bonk your friends with a squeaky hammer) Arenas available: Statue Garden, Dollhouse, Painting Gallery

ABYSSAL SPEEDRUN ANY% An obstacle course for the daring, adrenaline-fueled, no-self-preservation junkies out there. Test your own strength and willpower by jumping into the hole in the middle of the city, which will land you in Abyss, at the bottom of The Echo. From here, you'll race against the less-friendly shadows who want nothing more than to catch you. Reaching the exit three times in a row, with a faster time each time, will net you a nifty prize! Each speedrun after the first will conjure a 'ghost' of your previous run to help you keep track. Sometimes, 'ghosts' of other players will appear too, fueling you competitive ones out there! So what's the prize? A glow-in-the-dark, ever-shifting shadowy T-shirt that says "I risked my life in Abyss and all I got was this shirt!" "At this point, wouldn't it be easier and safer to visit one of the other activities…?" -- The Curator

THE LAND OF BURNT UMBER

HOT-IN-THE-AIR BALLOON RIDES It looks like another hot day out there, doesn't it? But we promise it's not because of the rising temperatures! In fact, if you look up to the sky, you can see a myriad of hot air balloons taking flight, all with a pretty array of colors for each one, set to take you on a ride over the desert itself. Going to the Draping Quarters, you can find their launch site nestled comfortably atop the canyon where homes are built into, where you can sign up for whichever balloon you'd like to take. You can go solo, as a duo, or in groups of three, but no more for the safety of the basket and so you all can get a beautiful view across the sands and, if lucky, to the rest of the island itself depending on the route it goes.

BON(D)S OF FIRE When the sun begins to set for a good night's rest, you'll find that several bonfires have lit up the place in several areas. There are seats kept around it with music to vibe to, as well as several refreshments within arms reach that keep themselves stocked over the course of the evening. You can also request things to roast over it if you'd like, whether it be sweets or more hearty meals, enough to satisfy you if you're seeking something hot to munch on. Either way, those who arrive are all welcome to find a seat to have a good chat around the fires and to see the twinkling stars beyond the sparks of flame that rises into the skies from them.

SURF-SAND-TURF Across the Hills of Silver, especially nearby the larger dunes, are several areas with signs that read sand surfing. If you thought surfing along the ocean waves was fun, then getting onto one of the custom built boards to speed down and along the sands will be a treat for you! Anyone who comes along and wants to give it a try will be allowed to choose their own starting point and paths, giving them the chance to allow themselves the most comfortable experience or to challenge themselves to their hearts content, with various areas you can pick from. Whether you decide to ride the smaller dunes for a short thrill or take on the highest peaks and navigate through them is up to you!

A DIG FROM THE HEART Upon entering the Land of Burnt Umber, people will be greeted with a small stall, one that speaks of an exciting treasure hunt for all to enjoy. Agreeing will land you a randomized map of the general area where the treasure can be found, with hints and clues to be deciphered helping you along the way to find it. Don't worry, none of these will take you into immediate danger, allowing you to take all the time you'd like in finding it. What's this treasure, you ask? Nobody can tell you for certain, only that it's not a specific thing. Rather, those who find what they're seeking will be rewarded with a harmless trinket from their home that's precious to them that they can keep permanently. Whether it's a stuffed plush that you always slept with at night or your favorite pen you didn't have with you when arriving, anything is in the realm of possibility so long as it's something you treasure.

CATCH THESE SANDS Out more in open spaces, visitors will find a proximity line and, upon closer inspection, what seems to be a makeshift area locked in combat. Joining in on the fun, you'll be assigned a random color from three, given some protective gear, and handed a toy firearm that shoots out endless sand pellets. The goal is to rack up as many points as you can until your team comes out on top. Whether that means shooting the makeshift targets of varying size first, with the smaller the size gaining you the most points, or turning on the enemy team that gets in your way to victory is up for you to decide. And don't worry about getting hurt, as the pellets will break softly on what they hit on impact, leaving behind only annoying grains of sand on your clothes and that get into your shoes if you're unlucky enough.

SELENE SPACE STATION

STAR-DEN TEA PARTY The stars and planets are always so far away, aren’t they? Well, in this indoor star garden, you’ll be able to walk through paths with lots of little glowing stars and planets–you may even find your home planet drifting in the cosmos! Each star, comet, cluster and planet can be interacted with, with the biggest planets only reaching the size of a beach ball. Letting go of the celestial body will have it simply float gently upward to begin drifting again. The event is catered with a variety of teas, coffees and cocoas, as well as sandwiches and little finger foods. Bring a blanket and gaze at them drifting by!

SWIM AMONG THE STARS The Black Hole has revealed a temporary space behind the café: a large dome that is mostly filled with water in a zero gravity setting. The water moves slowly through the air with plenty of gaps between each mass, allowing you to float through the water and the air. Making it even more breathtaking is the large open windows on the backside of the building, giving you a gorgeous view of the stars beyond.

SO YOU WANNA HIT STUFF WITH A SELENE POD? A Rage Room the size of a football field has been constructed in a temporary extension of the space station. Within, miscellaneous objects can be found floating around just ripe for the hitting. And you can hit them... with your Selene Pod rental! If you're participating with others you could also try and hit them if you want to? But we're not suggesting anything.

[geraltrogerericduhautebellegarde]

Waffle House AU

It’s never mentioned but for clarification, Jaskier has a beard in this. Anyway, @officerjennie, @all-hail-the-witcher, and myself shouldn’t be left alone together because then things like this happen. I love you both.

Geraskier, rated t, modern au and Geralt's still a witcher

-

The first time the man showed up, it was nearing three in the morning. The Waffle House Jaskier worked overnights in was as packed as ever, that’s to say there were two regulars sitting at the bar and a hoard of bugs flying around the place.

The man in question was dressed head to toe in some sort of armor that looked like it belonged in a steampunk cosplay and covered in an odd black substance that looked sticky. Even from across the restaurant, Jaskier could already smell the foul odor rolling off the man in waves. It was so strong Jaskier was surprised that he couldn’t see it.

Walking to the other end of the bar, closest to the corner table the man had seated himself it, Jaskier shouted at him, unwilling to get any closer than necessary, “What do you want to drink?”

“Coffee,” the man’s voice was deep, more a growl than anything else.

Wrinkling his nose in displeasure, Jaskier grabbed the coffee pot and a mug and made his way over to the table, singing loudly to himself as he did so. Jaskier’s voice bounced off the shitty interior of the Waffle House, making it echo in a most unpleasant way. Jaskier switched to humming an upbeat tune as he approached the man at the table and began pouring the coffee.

“So, what do you think of my singing?” It was a question Jaskier asked all of his late-night customers. Their answers would determine whether he would keep them as regulars or do his best to run them off.  And his best never failed.

“Hmm.”

Jaskier frowned at the non-answer, “Come now, three words or less.”

“Filling-less pie.”

Spluttering, Jaskier pointed at the man angrily, “You know nothing about music. What do you want to order?”

“Hashbrowns. Smothered and covered.”

Spinning on his heal, Jaskier stalked away from the man without responding, instead muttering angrily under his breath, “I’ll show you filling-less, you bastard.”

-

Dropping the plate in front of the man, Jaskier watched as the rubbery meal bounced uncomfortably off the plate before landing back on it, somehow looking even worse than it already had.

“What is this?” The man’s voice held no inflection and Jaskier had no way of knowing the man’s feelings as he looked at the pathetic plate in front of him.

“Your food.”

“I ordered hashbrowns.”

Jaskier had to hold in his gasp as the man’s eyes, the most unusual golden shade, met his.

“Well, this is what I’ve brought you.”

The man looked back at the plate, flipping open the joke of an omelet, revealing that it was just eggs cooked in a pan and folded over, “There’s nothing inside. What kind of omelet doesn’t have anything in it?”

“Oh? Do you not like filling-less omelets? What a shame.”

Jaskier stalked back to the bar and took a seat by the regsiter, pulling his book back out and pretending to read it while he watched the man from the corner of his eye. He didn’t even look back to Jaskier’s direction, instead staring grumpily at the eggs in front of him before beginning to eat them.

The man ate quickly and before long he was walking over to the register where Jaskier sat, throwing a wad of bills down on the counter, “Keep the change.”

“I will.”

“You’re a shitty waiter.”

“You smell bad.”

And that, Jaskier assumed, would be that and he would never have to see the weird, smelly, strangely attractive man ever again.

-

The next night when the man arrived again, this time covered in a weird flaky green substance, Jaskier couldn’t help but eye him suspiciously. People didn’t typically return after Jaskier provided intentionally bad service, at least not if they were sober and of a sound mind. Jaskier couldn’t confidently say this man’s mind was sound, although he did seem sober.

Jaskier grabbed the coffee pot and a mug and stalked over to the corner table. He filled the cup halfway.

“More hashbrowns?”

The man wrinkled his brow, a frown on his face “Yes.”

Wandering back to the kitchen, in no rush, Jaskier stuck his head back in to look at the cook, “More eggs like last night. And can you add something weird to them this time?”

The line cook saluted him before reaching up to grab something off the shelf above his head. Jaskier winced, he wasn’t sure what exactly was in the mixtures of spices that were kept up there, but he had never had a good experience with them, that was for certain. This would for sure run off the weird tone-deaf man for good. The cook was done in no time and Jaskier walked the plate over to the man in the corner, throwing it down on the table like he had the night before.

He did no more than blink in surprise when the table collapsed. Jaskier wasn’t sure exactly why the table collapsed, the plate and shitty eggs didn’t weigh very much, and he hadn’t thrown the plate down particularly hard. But, it wasn’t the weirdest thing he has ever seen in the Waffle House, so he simply caught the man’s eye and shrugged, turning and walking back to his seat.

He watched amusedly as the man juggled his plate off the table before propping it up awkwardly and moving seats. That hadn’t been part of Jaskier’s plan, but it would certainly work in his favor.

-

Jaskier was shocked when the man walked in for a third night in a row. The normally difficult to fluster waiter was very aware that his face was the very picture of surprise. Luckily, the man didn’t even look at him as he walked over to the table in the corner. He shook it a bit before sitting down, presumably making sure it wouldn’t collapse today. To be honest, Jaskier wasn’t overly confident it was any sturdier now, but it did appear that someone on day shift had at least made it look as though it was fixed.

Grabbing the coffee pot and a mug, Jaskier couldn’t help but hope this wouldn’t truly become a ritual. He didn’t want a man in his Waffle House if said man couldn’t tell that Jaskier’s singing was nothing short of marvelous.

“Hashbrowns again?”

The man nodded, staring out of the window rather than looking at Jaskier. He wasn’t in the weird steampunk armor anymore, this time wearing a soft black tee shirt and worn in jeans. It also seemed he had managed to find a bath and was able to get all of the weird grimy things off of him.

He really was quite attractive all cleaned up, Jaskier couldn’t help but notice.

“What’s your name?”

The man turned to look at him, “Geralt.”

Walking over to the kitchen, Jaskier put in the order and sat back down by the register to wait. It wasn’t long before One-Eyed Larry grunted at him from his usual seat at the bar, “Napkin holders on fire, kid.”

Looking over at the table in front of Geralt’s, Jaskier saw that the napkin holder was, indeed, on fire. Sighing and getting a glass of water, Jaskier walked over to the table and poured the glass on it, drenching it thoroughly. Waving away the smoke, Jaskier turned the napkin holder around, making sure the fire was completely out, before putting it back in its place and taking his seat again.

Geralt’s golden eyes followed him curiously the whole time.

If the man was going to be spending his nights here, then he would need to get used to these kinds of things. It was three in the morning in a Waffle House, weirder would happen.

A few minutes more passed before there was a bell ding from the kitchen, signaling that Geralt’s food was ready. Jaskier tossed the plate on the table as was tradition, smirking when he saw the surprise flit across the man’s face. No doubt he hadn’t been expecting to receive hashbrowns, smother and covered as he had first asked for two nights prior.

What could Jaskier say, he was rather weak for a pretty face. Even if was a rude one.

“If you agree that my singing is spectacular, I’ll let you take me out for coffee sometime.”

“Good coffee or this shit?” Geralt gestured to the mug in front of him.

Jaskier scoffed, “You think I would ever eat or drink anything from here?”

“That’s comforting.”

“It wasn’t meant to be.” Jaskier sat a notepad and pen on the table, “Leave your number and I’ll call you tomorrow to cash in.”

Later when Jaskier cleared the table, he couldn’t help but smile at the neat handwriting on the notepad.

Looking forward to hearing from you. You should get your napkin holder checked out.

-

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[joestarwhore]

How do you think yandere Rohan would react to his Darling insulting him and/or his manga in a moment of anger. My mans has probably the biggest ego so he probably wouldn’t stand for that at all. You can also make it nsfw if you want 😳

A/N: i love this. i love your brain. this is EXQUISITE, it shall be done!!

————————————————————————

Yandere!Rohan x Willing!Fem!Reader - All for you.

Rohan’s hand had an iron grip on yours as he led you down the street you both lived on. There was nothing hiding his rage after Josuke just HAD to open his giant mouth.

“That stupid punk thinks he can just say or do whatever he wants huh?!” Rohan dragged you up the porch step & shoved you through the door way. Your breath hitched as your back met his hardwood floors, his tall lanky frame standing in front on his closed front door. His eyes absolutely brimming full of anger, and a deep desire. “Awful bold of him to just say how nice you look in front of every body. I bet he was thinking about your stupid cunt wasn’t he?!”

You groaned & stood up, gently popping your back as you did. You shot Rohan a glare as you got back to eye level. “Josuke literally just told me my shirt was nice Rohan, what’s your goddamn problem?”

“My problem? My fucking PROBLEM?!”

Rohan grabbed the vase that sat by the door and threw it outside, not wasting time to watch it break and shatter. His eyes were on you.

“You’re my fucking problem!! Every time we go out you dress like a fucking slut & everyone sees that!!”

You roll your eyes and start walking up the stairs towards your shared bedroom. “Maybe if you didn’t work on your Manga so goddamn much I wouldn’t have to think of ways to get your fucking attention.”

That, in Rohan’s mind, was the last straw.

Rohan moved impossibly fast, only giving you a moments time to bolt your fastest upstairs.

You tore yourself up the stairs as fast as you could, swinging yourself around the top banister to the right down the hallway. Rohan’s angry footsteps quickly catching up to you, his breathing erratic and brimming with anger. Your chest was pounding in fear, why did you HAVE to bring up his manga?! You loved Rohan & you knew he loved you, but this was a whole new Rohan. This one had no remorse.

You took a left down the next hallway, & you knew you had to gain more room, but- “HEAVENS DOOR!”

“IRON MAIDEN!” you scream, the steampunk scythe wielder emerging behind you. You tried using the scythe to hook onto something to give you some leway, but Rohan did what he did best. Proved who you belonged to.

Heavens Door threw you into the wall, opening up your inner book for Rohan to edit all he wants. Rohan’s figure loomed over yours as he angrily scribbled in your book. “This’ll teach you to fuck with me you stupid whore. I fucking own you do you understand?”

You felt your head nod without you doing so, no matter how hard you resisted. Your heart was beating out of your chest, you wanted to scream at him and fight back, but your body simply wasn’t yours anymore. Rohan’s eyes bore into yours with a fury.

“First you dress like a whore & make Josuke ogle at whats mine, THEN you insult my work?!” Rohan ripped open your shirt, exposing your chest to the cold open air. “You forget who owns you. Who houses you. Who gives you a fucking LIFE. Well you won’t forget today.”

You wanted nothing more to scream as loud as you could, wanting to shout at Rohan that you didn’t want this, but your body simply wasn’t yours anymore. Rohan had ripped off your shirt, hiking your jeans down to your ankles as he palmed your area. Adrenaline shot through your lower half as Rohan attached his lips to your neck, sucking hard enough to ensure you had a nasty reminder in the morning.

There wasn’t an escape.

You lost.

__________________________

When you woke up, You were being held in Rohan’s arms, his fingers gently stroking your arms as he slept. The record player softly playing piano lullabies in the background added a calm vibe to your shared bedroom. You noticed you were in your satin pajamas & your body and hair were especially clean. You had no recollection of what happened last night, much less what happened after you both went to hang out with the boys- but there was a new set of scars ontop of your freshly cleaned body, in a very specific order.

If you didn’t know any better, you might’ve thought it said, “Property of Rohan Kishibe.”

_________________

ok this might be my fav one i’ve written 👀 thank you for requesting!!! ♥️

[lunanight2012]

Character info for the Characters in The Creatures of Hermitville currently

Grian Wingfeather: Age 25, golden winged avian. Energetic, and the best flyer in Hermitville. Likes to build, and prank his friends. Loves his boyfriend and their android son. Lives in the treehouse outside his parents old house. Has been kidnapped twice now. 

Mumbo Jumbo: Age 25. pure bred vampire. Redstone engineer in training. Will sometimes work on his futuristic base for days on end before coming back to Grian’s treehouse and cuddling with him. Once a year he will take a potion that Xisuma gave him the recipe for that turns him human for 5 months. Loves his boyfriend and their android son. Has a diamond katana that is infused with redstone, the sheath has a golden feather that Grian gave him handing from it.

False Symmetry. Age 25. featherless avian, with time manipulator blood. She is stubborn and the best fighter in Hermitville, though Iskall is trying to beat her kill count. She is currently pregnant and dating Ren and Doc. Her little sister is True Symmetry. She’s been kidnapped twice and tortured badly to the point of amnesia once. Gained the time manipulator blood from last torture. good at building and decent at redstone. Weapon of choice is the diamond sword she got from Tim that has Time Manipulator Technology incorporated into it.

Ren Shibon. Age 25. Inu, or dog person. Loves his girlfriend and boyfriend. Can sing, and everyone loves hearing him sing. Very creative. His cousin is Renbob. He will chase after a thrown stick. (False and Doc like messing with him.) Protective of True. A very good builder. weapon of choice is his diamond enchanted axe. (Belongs to Big Logz Inc.)

Doc M. Age 25. Creeper Cyborg hybrid. the redstoner of the rendocsymmetry group. He will protect his family. Good at hacking and lockpicking. He is also protective of True. Loves his boyfriend and girlfriend. Has an online group called the NHO with BDubs and two friends from a seperate dimension, Etho and Vintage Beef. Weapon of choice is his enchanted trident.

Xisuma Void. Age 25. Shapeshifter Enderian. Came with his twin and parents from the Enderia Dimension before settling in Hermitville. Grew up with the hermits. The doctor. Knows a lot of medical stuff, took online classes and now is a certified doctor. Adopted Luna Night when he found out she couldn’t travel back to her home dimension. Dating Keralis. The “Admin” of the Hermits. Computer genius as well. Weapon of choice is either his enchanted bow with the Spectral Arrows or the Galactic Spear.

Ximusa (Ex) Void. Age 25. Shapeshifter Enderian. Came with his twin and parents from the Enderia Dimension before settling in Hermitville. Grew up with the hermits. Tries to stay in the background. Can fight really well. dating BDubs. Weapon of choice is either Xisuma’s enchanted bow with the Spectral Arrows (or Instant Damage arrows) or the Galactic Spear.

Scar Purseval. Age 25. Neko, or Cat person. A birth defect  caused him to not be able to use his legs. When he met Cub that all changed, cub made him stabilizers that let him walk, run, do stuff he couldn’t before. His cat Jellie is really smart. And he’s also dating Cub. a god at terraforming. his weapon is a stick with knockback V and unbreaking III.

Cub Fan. Age 25. Human. Is a genius. built up the ConCorp Headquarters. Sold his soul to the vexes at the age of 11 because he wanted to protect Scar better. Is dating Scar. Has been kidnapped once, and is currently dealing with his vex magic going berserk.

Keralis Scream. Age 25. Banshee. He has a scream that can break eardrums. He’s dating Xisuma, who he calls Shishwhammy. And he calls BDubs Bubbles. He’s wanting to own a construction company. He has two dogs, Pina and Colada. Has a gambling addiction.

Iskall Iskallium. Age 25. Dragon with a cyborg eye. Before moving to Hermitville, Iskall got shot in the eye by a skeleton so his dad made him a cyborg eye. Engaged to Stress. They are expecting their first kid. He loves her so much and treats her like the princess she is. Says Omega instead of mega, and adds of Doom to the end of the titles of his projects. (i.e. Birthday Cake... of doom.). Weapon of choice is his iskallium encrusted diamond sword.

Stress Monster. Age 25. Ice Elemental. her powers are unstable so she wears gloves to try to control it better. Pregnant. Engaged to Iskall. Trains with TFC and Tango to try to control her powers. currently terrified of lava and fire.

Tango Tek. Age 25. Fire Elemental. Parents found him as an infant in a fiery crater. Dating Impulse and Zedaph. The three are known as Team Zit. Training with TFC and Stress to control his powers. Weapon of choice is his Flame Sword.

Zedaph. Age 25. Elf. Dating Tango and Impulse. He’s a bit on the weird side, but when team ZIT is fighting together he can do anything. Not really but yea. He has 3 bases. Weapon of choice is his Scythe.

Impulse SV. Age 25. Dragon. Dating Tango and Zedaph. He gets into fights with Tango every so often. He is also comparing dragon powers with Wels and Iskall. Weapon of choice is his Chakrams.

Wels Knight. Age 25. Dragon that wants to be a knight. Dating Cleo. Is a nervous wreck. Shy boi. Great builder. Loves hearing his girlfriend ramble about her pirate town.

Cleo Zombie. Age 25. Zombie. She is dating Wels. Created the port of Tortuga in the Pirate District. Amazing at Armor Stand creations. Has taken some teaching classes online so will sometimes go into teacher mode on accident.

Jevin Slim. Age 25. Blue Slime. Loner. The one hermit who can find treasure chests and diamonds. Argues with Iskall about what color slime is better.

JoeHills. Age Unknown. Sphinx. Joe is one of the older hermits. He was the one who taught the hermits when they were younger. Telling them stories about the world and what they need to know. Will sometimes speak in rhymes. Likes reading.

TFC (Tinfoil Chef). Age Unknown. Elder Earth Elemental. The other older hermit in the group. Trains Tango and Stress in using their elemental powers safely. building an underground bunker.

Bdubs O. Age 25. Gargoyle. Dating Ex. Strict sleep schedule. if the sun is setting he’s going to bed. No matter what. He doesn’t want to be attacked by Phantoms. In an online group called NHO with Doc, Etho, and Vintage Beef.

Honorary Hermits, aka True and Co.

True Symmetry. Age 15. featherless avian (aka Steampunk avian). Loves flying. Loves her friends. Calls Ren and Doc her Big Brothers. Looks up to her sister. Protective of her friends.

Pixl Riffs. Age 15. Bigfoot. Moved to Hermitville with his family during the Civil War. Instantly became friends with True. Already knew Zloy. Zloy and Pixl are troublemakers. He’s really smart and can figure out building problems.

Zloy XP. Age 15. Zombie. Cousin to Cleo. Moved to Hermitville with his family during the Civil War. Already knew Pixl. Instantly became friends with True. Computer genius. Helps Cub with the drones.

Grumbot. Age 12, but acts 16. Android golden winged avian vampire. His current form makes him look less like a robot and he loves it. Protective of his friends. Loves his dads. helps Mumbo cook for Grian.

Luna Night. Age 15. Shiny Eevee person with Golden winged avian blood. She loves TNT. Her weapon of choice is TNT but when thats not allowed she uses the Agility Dagger. Loves her friends and her adoptive dad. They are her family.  Is current being tortured by Timothy Manipy.

Extra?

Etho. Age Unknown. Unknown race. friend of Doc and BDubs.

Hope you guys enjoyed!!!

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

I saw your post on how Animorphs is written from a childist perspective where you very neatly outlined the boundary between a cast for children and one for YA. But what delineates the boundaries between YA and Adult fiction?

[OP refers to this post.]

What’s the difference between YA and Adult fiction?  In a word: Marketing.  Young Adult novels are Young Adult novels if they’re classified that way by bookstores, critics, publishing houses, and/or researchers.

People have pointed out that libraries had YA sections decades before I put the “official” inception with Twilight and Crank.  While that’s true, my local library also has sections on “Queer Paranormal Romance” and “Memoirs by Muslim Authors” (reason 491.2 that my local library is the best) but I doubt either of those genres is going to become mainstream anytime soon.  It wasn’t until Barnes & Noble (and other major gatekeepers) started incorporating YA sections that critics and scholars and publishers started considering it a “real” category worthy of study and discussion, and that didn’t happen until ~2005.

That’s also why the core of my argument about Animorphs is that it’s published by Scholastic, and Scholastic only publishes children’s books, and therefore Animorphs is a children’s series.  Genres are fairly-arbitrary marketing categories, and so are target ages of novels.

So what’s the difference between YA and Adult fiction?

Literal answer: If it’s in the YA section of a bookstore or has a “YA” sticker on the cover, it’s YA.  If it’s not, it isn’t.

Actual answer: Generally, novels that are about adolescents, focus on adolescent conflicts, written for adolescent readers, and/or concerned with the problems of adolescence are Young Adult.

There are some genres that are far more common within YA than others.  Paranormal romance is a big one.  So is “problem lit” that focuses on angst and characters’ first struggles with sex/drugs/death/finance.  (Like I said, Twilight and Crank were trend-setters.)  Period dramas are common, as are Chosen One stories, as are urban fantasies, and those three genres often overlap.  Bildungsroman, or the coming-of-age school story, is the O.G. YA genre.

There’s also a big convention around length.  YA novels tend to be physically quite large, even if publishers have to force the issue through screwing around with spacing and margins like a bunch of high schoolers whose essay has a five-page minimum.

[Image description: Side-by-side comparison of p. 112 of young adult novel Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi and p. 112 of adult novel Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  The pages are the same size, but the Gone Girl page has approximately twice as much text on it.]

The end result is this.

[Image description: Children of Blood and Bone’s spine lined up next to Gone Girl’s spine.  Gone Girl is noticeably thinner, even though it has a higher word count.]

This shit drives me BANANAS, but it speaks to the importance of this convention, and the extent to which arbitrary trends drive contents of books instead of the other way around.

Anyway, a few marginal cases that I think speak well to the YA/Adult divide:

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman.  I used to play a game where, every time I entered a new bookstore or library, I’d guess in advance where The Golden Compass was located and then check to see if I was right.  Partially because I’m a dork with really boring ideas of fun, partially because there was no knowing in advance where it’d be classified.  I’ve seen HDM classified as children’s literature (because the main character is 10), as adult adventure (because it deals with religion and death and sex), as religious fiction (because it’s about kids who kill God), as Litératuré (because it attracted Critical Acclaim™), as adult sci-fi (because it’s in a steampunk world), as romance (because ???), as fantasy (because there are talking bears), and finally as YA.  It seems to have settled in YA, I think it belongs there, but YA didn’t really exist at the time when it was published.  It’s got adult and child themes, adult and child characters, and very adolescent character arcs about coming into one’s sexuality and becoming an independent individual... so no one knew what to do with it in 1995.

Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce.  Pierce herself has talked about the fact that the books were first marketed as romance (because they’re by a woman and about a woman, and publishing is full of sexist BS), they later got moved to children’s lit, then to “genre fiction.”  Now they’re YA, and they belong in YA.  Again: they’re books about adolescence, where most of the characters are adolescents, and they focus on adolescent concerns.

Crank by Ellen Hopkins.  First of all, I want to make clear that I love that book, and that I learned more about how to write poetry from Hopkins than any English teacher.  However, Crank was also the inspiration for some of my least-favorite trends in YA.  It’s a verse novel, so it has as few as 5 words per page but is also a fucking tome.  Publishers took the message that they could charge $29.99 for a novel with the same number of words but three times the pages as one going for $7.99, and acted accordingly.  It also featured Baby’s First Discussion of Serious Topics like addiction, homelessness, assault, and prejudice.  That helped launch a lot of genuinely brilliant novels whose authors took the time to do it right and/or wrote what they knew (The Hate U Give, Wintergirls, Miseducation of Cameron Post)... aaaand it helped launch a lot of condescending, ablest/sexist/problematic, “those Other People are just like us” type novels (13 Reasons Why, The Fault in Our Stars).

Anyway, people have been writing novels about adolescence for adolescents for as long as there have been novels.  Catcher in the Rye, The Outsiders, The Chocolate War, A Wrinkle in Time, Speak, Silent to the Bone, and Killing Mr. Griffin all make that patently obvious.  However, those novels all kind of wandered around homeless inside a lot of bookstores until mega-sales of books like Twilight, Harry Potter, The Book Thief, Just Listen, Crank, So Yesterday, How I Live Now, The Hunger Games, and (sigh) Looking for Alaska forced Barnes & Noble to build a home for them.

It’s interesting to look at lit crit from right around 2005, because a lot of scholars are saying “there’s this... new category? about teenagers? it’s becoming a thing?”  But in 2020 scholars can just write “YA” and not even spell it out because yeah, yeah, everybody knows.  So the category is useful if it helps people find books, obnoxious to the extent that it controls what books get published or marketed and what they look like on the shelf, and probably going to split even further into “YA - Teens” and “YA - Emerging Adulthood” if trends continue as they have been.

[sunflowerspecter]

in the dark of space, d.d. 💫

summary: sometimes, not even galaxies can keep soulmates apart.

warnings: cursing. i think i use the same curse word ten times within three paragraphs? maybe some angst. mentions of child abuse.

pairing: the mandalorian x reader

words: 3700

part: 1/6

note: okay so this is low key a really bad idea, but i also kinda really like it? the idea came to me while i was trying to plot a fic: the reader is from earth, but after a strange encounter in public transit, finds herself in the mandalorians ship. trouble ensues. i don’t know how many parts this is going to be but right now i’m thinking 6? i might expand or condense it depending on how it goes. please leave feedback or comments if you likes this :)) okay now i’m done

You blink your eyes open, barely being able to see for a few moments. You don’t recognize your surroundings (which include a very small and dark room that you can barely decipher), and start to freak. You’ve never had a one night stand before, is that what this was? No, no, you weren’t drunk, you would remember? Shit, you must have been kidnapped! Oh no, oh no. You try to move, but you realize you’re not even lying down- you’re tied to a chair. 

“No no no, this can’t be fucking happening to me,” you mutter, throwing your head back, tears coming to the surface. A man appears in the doorway of the room, and you squint, realizing he’s wearing full body armor and a strange helmet. Behind him is some sort of… puppet. 

“Is this some sort of prank?” you ask him, but he moves closer. 

“Who are you?” the man in the clunky armor asks you. You close your eyes, shaking your head. When you open them, he’s still there, the green puppet behind him moving hesitantly. 

“Who am I? You’re the one who kidnapped me!” you scream wildly. You struggle, then notice the gun in his belt. “Fuck, are you mafia? Did I accidentally get in trouble with the mob? Please, I don’t have anything,” you beg, realizing you sound pretty pathetic, but you feel pretty pathetic, goddamnit. 

The man tilts his head, but repeats, “Who are you?” The little green puppet then begins to move toward you, and you shriek, realizing it’s not a puppet, but sentient. 

“Oh, god, what did Jessica put in those brownies?” you mutter. “Please tell me this is a dream. A horrible, horrible dream where I’m kidnapped by a steampunk knight and an alien baby.” 

The man tilts his head in the other direction, shifting his weight around. “I haven’t kidnapped you. This isn’t a gang. You’re a stowaway.” 

“A stowaway?” you yell. “Are we on a boat? Fuck. This is bad. This is very, very bad.” You shake your head, squeezing your eyes shut. “Please, I swear I’m not. I don’t know how I got here. The last thing I remember is walking to my friend Jessica’s house on Saturday. I’m not a stowaway, I don’t know how I got here! You must have kidnapped me! Please, don’t hurt me.” The tears are hot against your face and you think you may legitimately throw up. You can barely breathe. 

The man must sense your panic, and something in him changes. The little green thing walks toward you, and the man hesitates, then sighs. The little creature pulls on your leg, and if you weren’t so terrified, you would find it kind of adorable. 

“Calm down,” he says, walking toward you. “I haven’t kidnapped you. I found you in the cockpit and assumed you had snuck aboard and knocked yourself out.” 

“Wait, cockpit? Are we on a plane? Where are we?” you ask, struggling against the ropes. 

“Not a plane, it’s a Razor Crest. On our way to Sorgan,” he says. You shake your head, the tears coming again. 

“What’s Sorgan? Is that a country?” 

“You’ve never heard of it? It’s a planet.” 

You blink, waiting for the punchline. It doesn’t come. “A planet? Like, in outer space? Like, we’re in space right now?” You look at the green child at your feet, feeling yourself tremble. The man picks him up.

“You don’t get around much, do you?” he asks. You roll your eyes. 

“Not in space. I’m not an astronaut.” 

He tilts his head to the side. “What planet are you from?” 

You huff out a laugh. “Earth. Milky Way Galaxy. I suppose we must be in a different galaxy, there aren’t other planets capable of supporting life in mine.” 

“That’s strange. And you don’t remember how you got here? What is the last thing you remember?” 

You’re silent, for a moment. “I was getting on the subway. The car was empty, I remember, which was strange, because it was rush hour. I dunno. Actually… I… I think there was an older woman sitting across from me, and that’s it. She may have said something right as we started moving, but then it all went black and now I’m here.” 

The man sets down the child and moves toward you, and you’re suddenly very afraid he’s going to eat you. You realize that he’s probably a serial killer and that was the whole point of all of this. 

But, instead, he begins to untie you. Oh. 

The man moves away from you and you stand, unsure whether or not to follow him. But, you do. The child coos up at you, so you hesitantly pick him up. He smiles, and it’s the kind of smile that would make anyone drop everything to protect him. 

“I’ve never heard of Earth. It’s not on any star maps,” the man says after a brief time. You nod. “You’re right, we’re probably from different galaxies. What’s your name?”

You sigh. “I’m Y/n. Y/n Y/L/n.”

“Well, nice to meet you, Y/n.” 

“Well, don’t you have a name?” You wait a moment, and he doesn’t answer, but instead climbs a ladder, going who knows where. You, of course, follow, carrying the child with you, and he shows you into a room. You realize you’re in the front of the ship, nearly dropping the child when you see the stars. 

“Oh my gods,” you say, rushing forward. “I’ve… I’ve never seen so many stars. Not even when we went to Wyoming.” 

The man watches with quiet amazement as you hold the child closer to you, turning him so he can see the stars too, even if you knew he had already seen them. 

“This is your view everyday?” you ask him, turning to him, and he hates himself for noticing this, but you’re gorgeous. 

He coughs, nodding. “Yes.” 

You turn back to the sky. “I always wished I could live in the stars as a child. I always felt like I didn’t belong, and everyone belongs in the stars. My best friend in elementary, Jane, used to call me ‘moon girl.’” You smile a little at the memory, and, if everyone on Earth is like you, the man wishes he could live there forever. 

“What’s your family like? Will they be worried that you’re gone?” 

You turn towards him, then, looking at the ground. “No one will miss me.” You sigh, quietly, shaking your head. The man tilts his head, and you almost laugh. “I don’t have a family. I never knew my father and had no intention of meeting him,” you say, crossing your arms, trying to bite back the harsh tone in your voice, but salt drips in every word. “My mother, oh, how she despised me. She was a drunk. And I don’t have any friends anymore. Jessica, maybe, but she and I never really go out, we just talk at work.” You think you’re probably crying, but at this point, what does it matter? 

He’s silent, and you think you’ve upset him. 

“Sorry. Depressing backstory. I know.” You pause. “Yours is probably worse. You know. Cause you and your son are on the run. Is he adopted? It’s none of my business, I’m sorry,” you ramble, like you always do in uncomfortable and nerve-racking situations. 

“You apologize a lot. You don’t have to apologize. You aren’t in control of the things that happen around you,” he says, wiping one of the tears that lingered on your cheek away. “He’s not my son. He’s… it’s a long story. Are you hungry?” 

“Um,” you say, then nod. “What’s your story?” you ask. “I told you mine, and since we’re sorta in this situation together, we might as well know each other. We clearly have very different lives.” 

He chuckles, almost. “Well. I’m a Mandalorian,” he says. You blink at him, and he nods, sitting in one of the seats, and you sit in the other one. “Which doesn’t help you comprehend at all, I’m sure, but there’s too much history for me to give it to you all.” 

You nod. “How do you speak English?” you ask, suddenly. 

He tilts his head, then says, “You mean Galactic Standard?” 

You shake your head. “English, that’s what it’s called on Earth.” You pause. “Interesting…”

“What?” he asks. 

You move forward, a bit, letting the child jump onto the ground as you slowly pace. “You can trace back where English came from. It’s highly suspected to be influenced by romance languages, French, Italian, Spanish, for example, which all came from Latin.” 

The Mandalorian shrugs. “I’m not following.” 

“What I mean is that English can be tracked all throughout Earth. We pretty much know where it came from. I don’t know what your ‘Galactic Standard’ is, but it’s the same as English. Otherwise you and I wouldn’t be standing here, right?” 

Silence. “Right?” 

“What I’m saying is that our galaxies must have had some sort of… connection! In the past. If we can find out who it was, we can find out who brought me here, or how I got here.” 

The Mandalorian nods. “I think I might know where we should go. We have to stop in Sorgan, but after that, we’ll go. Also, I found a bag in the other room, I assume it’s yours. It’s just clothing and a strange rectangular device.” 

You let out a half laugh, half cough. “That’s called a cell phone. It’s an earth thing. Thank you,” you say, and the Mandalorian just nods.  

~~~oOo~~~ “Stay in the ship,” he says, to both you and the child.

“But I’ve never been on another planet!” you exclaim, biting your lip. He just shakes his head and begins to leave.  The child doesn’t listen and follows him, so you do too. He looks down at the child, then up at the eager expression on your face, and he sighs. “What the hell, come on,” he mutters, and you squeal. 

You pick up the child so that he doesn’t get stepped on, grab onto the Mandalorian’s cape, and follow him. And, naturally, you end up in a bar. You keep the child on your lap, and he looks over the side of the table curiously. The Mandalorian doesn’t talk to you, much, but you  aren’t listening anyway. You survey the room, the different types of creatures fascinating. And they’re all so used to it. It’s truly incredible. 

“Can I get you folks anything?” a woman says, and you smile up at her. 

“Maybe something for the little one?” you ask the Mandalorian, and he nods, telling the woman something before asking a question. 

“That woman over there, how long has she been here?” he asks, passing over what appears as little coins to the woman. 

“I’ve seen her here the past week,” she responds before heading off. 

“I’ll be back, stay here,” the Mandalorian says to you, standing and following the woman as she leaves. 

“Ah, okay-” you stutter. You look around the room a few more seconds, then chase after the man. 

You set down the kid as you see him rolling around, in a fight with the woman. “Typical,” you mutter under your breath. You take a step back, debating going back into the bar. But the woman catches sight of you, and she laughs as she and The Mandalorian get up. 

“Wow, Mando, do you have a girlfriend? Isn’t that like, against your code?” 

You gasp, out of shock from both statements, but move forward nonetheless, standing slightly behind him, because normal people don’t start conversation after fights. Then again, you’re on another planet, so there is that. 

“Y/n, take the kid and go back to the ship, okay?” you nod, then rush away, suddenly a little terrified. 

You’re in space. On a different planet. With a stranger. An alien child in your arms. How much do you know about the Mandalorian? 

You shake your head, trying to push the thoughts out of your mind. You just have to get back to the ship, and the Mandalorian will come back, and scary alien creatures won’t eat you in your sleep. 

It’s actually half an hour before he gets back, and soon enough it’s dark out. 

“This planet’s taken, it seems,” the Mandalorian says, and you furrow your brows. 

“Taken? What do you mean, I thought you had business here?” you say, and he shakes his head. 

“I wanted to lay low for a few months. Where I’m taking you, that’s high profile. There’s still a lot you have to learn about this galaxy,” he says, and you nod. 

“I guess. Oh, and, is your name Mando? That woman called you Mando. Did you know her? Why were you fighting?” you ask, sitting on the ramp as the Mandalorian makes some last minute repairs to the ship. The child crawls over and you let it sit on your lap, smiling at it a little. 

“She’s an ex shock trooper. In this galaxy, that’s kind of dangerous. I thought she was a mercenary, but she’s trying to escape the same people,” he pauses, sighs, then says, “the same people I’m trying to escape. We can’t both be here and not draw attention to ourselves.” He thinks, for a moment, and is about say something else when you hear some guys approaching you from the woods. The Mandalorian turns around, blaster raised, and you push the child behind you. 

“Hey!” a guy calls, and you slowly come to realize they probably aren’t threats. 

“Hey, you’re a Mandalorian, right?” the other one says, and you turn to look at the Mandalorian. 

“Who’s asking?” he responds. 

“We really need your help. We’re from a farm. Raiders attacked last night, and they’ll keep coming back, unless you help us stop them.” 

The Mandalorian doesn’t say anything, so the other guy speaks up. “We have credits, we’ll pay.” 

You give a pointed look to the Mandalorian, wondering if he’s thinking what you are. 

He isn’t. “I can’t help you,” he says, putting his blaster away. 

“Please! We traveled all day from the village to get here-” 

The Mandalorian cuts him off. “You’ll provide shelter?” 

The guys nod, then he says. “Okay, but give me the credits.” He turns to you. “I’ll be back, stay here with them.” You nod, gathering the child in your arms and slipping back into the ship until he comes back. 

~~~oOo~~~

So, you’re staying in a village, now. Great. 

It’s actually not all that bad, you decide. You have a shelter, you’re surrounded by people, nice, good people, and you’re learning about the galaxy. It feels nice, actually, and you think the Mandalorian would be enjoying himself, too, if he weren’t so hellbent on constantly brooding. 

Cara sits beside you as you watch some of the children, playing around. “So, if you aren’t the Mandalorian’s girlfriend, how did you end up with him? You certainly are the strangest looking girl I’ve ever met.” 

You sigh, remembering the fact that you’re dressed in skinny jeans and a pink t-shirt, and everyone else is wearing leather something or other. 

“It’s kind of a long story.” 

Cara nods and stands, then says, “Tell me after we take care of this villages little issue, then.” She walks away, then, as the Mandalorian appears beside you. 

“I want you to stay here and watch the kid, okay?” he says, and you nod as you see the kid waddle over to you. 

“Yeah, okay.” Cara and the Mandalorian go scotting, then, so you gather the kid in your arms and bring him into the shelter Omera provided you, setting him on the ground as you go through your bag. 

“Hey, I wanna show you something,” you say to the kid, pulling out your cell phone and going to your music library, the only thing that is usable in space. You play for the kid your favorite song, sitting down across from him. You mouth along the lyrics as you watch the kid smile and giggle, moving his arms around. You hold his hands, helping him do a little dance to the song, smiling yourself. 

You go through two full albums worth of music before the Mandalorian and Cara return, and they don’t even come to pull you into the crowd of people. After they decide to help the people, the Mandalorian catches you and the kid, and he makes himself as quiet as possible. 

You’re such a good person, he realizes. And you’re so positive, and willing, and you aren’t letting the fact that you’re on another planet get you down, and he absolutely admires you for that. You’re also absolutely breathtaking, which makes his life a helluva lot harder… 

“Oh, Mando,” you say, turning off you music. “So, what’s the story?” 

He coughs, crossing his arms. “Uh, Cara and I are going to set a trap and train these people to take on the raiders.” 

“Can I help?” you ask, but he shakes his head immediately. 

“No. You can take care of the kid and the other village children during the fight,” he says. You frown, shoulders slumping, but you nod, and as he leaves, he thanks god that you didn’t argue, because he didn’t have a good excuse for why he didn’t want you to fight. 

Maybe because you getting hurt would break his heart. 

~~~oOo~~~

You stay a couple of days after the fight. You’re so tired, and the Mandalorian is so tired, and the baby fits right in. You stay by the Mandalorian most of the time, terrified to be anywhere else. The people are nice, though. The kids like you, and you and Cara have become quick friends, too. The Mandalorian seems to be just as invested in not leaving your side as you are in not leaving his, and as you slowly try to make him open up to you, he slowly does. 

“So,” you say to him as you and him sit, watching the kid, and he turns to look at you. “You still haven’t told me how you have the kid.” 

“I told you it’s a long story.” 

You groan. “That’s not an explanation. Besides, I have time.” 

He sighs, and then says, “I’m a bounty hunter.” 

You freeze, a little shocked. “Oh.” How on earth didn’t you put that together before? Now it seems so obvious, the guns, the ship, the armor. It’s right out of a movie, but you guess you just assumed that all spacemen have blasters and weapons. “Are you human? Under the armor?” 

A beat. 

“Yes.” 

“And the child? He’s the bounty?” 

Another beat. “Yes.” 

You shake your head. “Oh my god. He’s just a kid.” 

The Mandalorian won’t look at you, and you run your hands through your hair, putting your elbows on your knees. You close your eyes, trying to make the horrible thoughts disappear. 

“I turned him over.” You look up at him, then, waiting for him to continue. “And then I didn’t.” 

“You’re on the run,” you say, your mouth falling open, looking over the Mandalorian’s shoulder to the child. He nods. “Oh my god.” 

He looks about ready to say something, but you hear a shot from across the village, and the Mandalorian jumps from his seat, and you look for sight of the child. 

“It’s Cara, they found us,” the Mandalorian says, storming off. You stand, running over and collecting the child into your arms. He grabs onto the fabric of your shirt, and you smile at him. Why would anyone put a bounty on a child? What’s so important about something that can’t even speak? The Mandalorian must know, so you decide to ask him later. 

You grasp his cape as you reach them, and the Mandalorian pauses for just a moment before continuing his spiel about how they have to leave. After a moment, he turns to you, pulling you away from the group by the arm. 

He doesn’t let go of your arm as he talks to you, but his grip is soft. 

“I think you should stay here,” he says. 

“What?” you ask, taking a step back, tearing your arm from him. The child looks up at him, and he looks down at it in your arms before looking back to your face. 

“I’ll go find out what I can about you being here, but with me, you’ll be unsafe. Here, you can live peacefully until I find a way to get you back to your ordinary life.” 

You huff. “I’m not letting you leave me behind. Besides, you can’t take care of the child by yourself, and what if the solution you find is time sensitive and you have to come all the way back here to get me, hm? What then?” 

The Mandalorian pauses, then sighs, then says, “I don’t want you getting hurt. There are enough people who have gotten hurt because of my actions.” 

You put the child on the ground, tighten the straps of your bag, and cross your arms. “I’m not going to get hurt. I’m in more danger left alone by myself than I am in a spaceship with you.” You pick up the child and march away from him, towards the transport. 

The ride is silent. When you get on the ship, it must be hours before you finally say something. 

“So where are we going?” you ask, jumping into the seat next to him. 

He doesn’t answer, which is hella annoying. You sigh, watching as he flies the ship. 

“Cara says you don’t ever take off your helmet. Is that true?” You lean forward, putting your elbows on your knees. 

“Yes,” he says after a pause. 

“Why?” 

A longer pause. “Mandalorians can’t. If we do, we can’t ever put it back on. It’s against our creed.” 

“Oh,” you say. “That makes sense.” The child then pulls on your pant leg, and you help it sit on your lap, letting it play with your fingers. 

The Mandalorian just smiles, and for a moment, just a moment, he almost wishes he could keep you forever, and that he wasn’t about to send you home.

a/n: it’s almost midnight and i’ve spent way to much time on this so i just have to post it at this point. i’m going to try to have the next part up by, say, a week from today? maybe before then. please leave comments, i really wanna know what y’all think about this! 

[kwanisms]

To the Sky - 00: Arcadia

⤑ genre: steampunk au, sky pirates, ateez au, angst, fluff, smut ⤑ pairing: Seonghwa x OC ⤑ warning: alcohol consumption, mention of death, major character death, strong language, mentions of religious cults,  ⤑ summary: Living in the sky is not always easy, especially with a religious sect policing everything you do. One florist, Bang Min-ah, has always dreamed about life outside Arcadia. Little does she know, she’s about to find out how very different life is when a group of sky pirates accidentally kidnap her. ⤑ word count: 1.1k

✙ series masterlist ✙ next

a/n: here we have it. The start of my most anticipated story of 2020. I have created an entire world here so I hope you all are ready to join me on this journey. We’ve got 20 chapters and an epilogue on this one! This is going to be a long story so I hope you’re all ready! Now, without further ado, here is the opening of To the Sky. ~K

Maybe journeys aren’t about becoming anything.  Maybe they’re about un-becoming everything  that isn’t you so you can be  who you were meant to be in the first place.

This is a story about death.

Well, it’s more than that. It’s also about chance encounters, soulmates, mystery, love, revelations, life, and best of all, it’s about pirates.

It had been years since anyone lived on the surface. Decades since anyone had even been down there. We were told the air was toxic and the ecosystem was unstable. It started with an earthquake. The ground split open from violent tremors and spewed noxious gases into the air.

As the fumes continued to rise from the cracks, people got sick and started dying. So they did the only thing they could think of. They moved. Great migrations of people began, from the lowest valleys to the highest mountains, entire families moved as the air was poisoned.

To overcome the problem of the air toxicity, entire cities were built and raised up to float in the sky, held in place by very secure chains. These cities were the last places of refuge for the people of Eommuron.

There were ten of these cities. Voxstead was the first city to be built. It is also the smallest. Emberton, Blackburg, and Ravenmoor were the next cities to take to the sky. Construction of Chalcedony, the capital, began before Voxstead but took the longest to complete. I’ve only been to the capital once with my father when I was eleven. 

My brothers stayed home with Mother while Father took me to the capital for my birthday. It was a vast, sprawling city, covering the entire surface area of the pedestal it sat upon, high in the sky. The city was a shining example of high class society; a beacon of aristocracy.

I didn’t like it there. The people were cold and distant. It was as if they knew I was an outsider. Like I didn’t belong in their city. ‘Oh, Arcadians,’ they would say with disdain as if I was some other species. Like I was some sort of wild animal in their pristine city. I never went back to Chalcedony after that.

My name is Bang Min-ah and Arcadia is my hometown. I was born and raised there. My family has only ever lived in Arcadia. It’s a large city in its own right. Not nearly as big as the capital of course, but it’s not exactly small either. 

Arcadia is one of the older sky cities and it doesn’t receive as much maintenance as some of the other cities. The edges have been weakening for years as large chunks of earth on the bottom fall off and down to the earth below.

Part of the city has been lost to age and decay. There was a portion of the city the Church kept fenced off, refusing to let anyone go inside. We’re told it’s too dangerous. Some of us believed them when they told us that but some did not. Tragedy struck the city when a couple of young boys snuck into the caution zone and part of the zone crumbled and fell, taking buildings and unfortunately, one of the boys as well. A young boy named Bang Min-ki. My brother.

After the accident, the Church as well as the Founding families decided to purposefully remove that part of the city to avoid further accidents and more casualties. 

The Church. That’s one name for the governing body of our entire society. They’re also called the Order. They’re based in the Second Sanctum, a sort of utopian paradise that houses only the highest members of the Order and their families. You have to be invited to the Holy City to even board the special airship from Arcadia to the Second Sanctum.

Some would say the Order is archaic. A relic of a forgotten time and should be considered obsolete.

After my brother’s death, my family fell apart. My father, who was never around much to begin with, started coming home less and less. Mother took the easy way out. She started relying on alcohol and drugs to numb the pain of losing her favorite son. It was hard on all of us but no one took it harder than Min-ho, my other brother and Min-ki’s twin.

They were eleven years old when Min-ki died. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t miss his twin. I know how much I miss him and I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it must be for him. Min-ho was there when the ground split and fell. He heard Min-ki scream out for help. He still has nightmares.

After the accident, actions were taken to ensure the cities would be safe for the rest of their citizens. We weren’t told what these actions were but instead we were told to trust the cities and trust the Order. ‘Trust in the Order and everything will be fine.’

The only city not under the protection of the Order was Copperdrift, the Sky Sanctuary. The Pirate City.

Pirates. Another thing that took to the skies when the oceans were no longer safe.

I’ve never seen a pirate in real life but I’ve heard stories my whole life about the carefree souls who roam the skies in airships, usually stolen or built from scratch. Some people say they’ve caught a glimpse or two of a strange ship in the sky. Spotting it as it passes through the clouds.

I’ve seen the posters of these ‘sky-devils.’ They attack other airships and steal the valuables to sell off for gold in their Pirate City. One well known pirate ship in Arcadia is the Horizon. No one knows for sure how many people make up the crew. Rumors whispered around the city telling tales of a group of anywhere between 8 and 20 people. Their captain, and man known only by the name of Galpyeon -- the Scorpion.

They don’t come to the cities often and I don’t blame them. Everyone knows piracy is illegal. To be caught a pirate is to be put to death. The Order takes the threat of piracy very seriously and even if you are suspected of piracy, guards will take you in the middle of the night to be questioned. Interrogated even. And the Order was never wrong.

I try to stay out of the Order’s way. I believe they do protect us from dangers beyond our comprehension. I believe in the Church, which Min-ho would say is a curse. He tells me I trust people too much. I see too much good in everyone. I shouldn’t be so forgiving or inviting. Maybe he’s right.

Who knows, I’m just a florist.

[lxveille]

seventh albatross

j-us x f!reader

word count: ~ 11500 warnings: profanity, physical intimacy (sex but not smut, you know??), alcohol consumption, “off screen” violence a/n: steampunk(??) au; a 100 ways request from ages ago with the prompt “ “I bought you a ticket.”

In your small town, there are only two certainties: things change, and you are irreparably in love with lee seungjoon.

The sky spells trouble with ominous gray and wisps of fog. While you should be stocking shelves, you find yourself instead frozen near the front of the store, your eyes fixated on the heavy clouds. There’s layers of them. Those closer to the ground a paler shade, and seem to float along faster than the blanket of dark steel above it. There would be no shipments coming or going now. 

People liked to say your town’s shipments were essential. That they kept society as a whole running. Airships don’t run without fuel, after all. Neither does half the machinery in the city’s factories. Faraway as the town might be, society needed you. Except, of course, that society had already proven it didn’t. At least, it didn’t specifically need Seogholde. They could make due as long as there were other coal mines they could reach. 

Society proper had only decided to care about Seogholde again when they found out just how it was that the town hadn’t collapsed without them. So the hangar had opened back up, officially. Shipments back and forth between the town and the rest of the world began again, officially. It was the kind of thing that would be in history books, if anyone ever bothered to write a history of Seogholde. 

You ought to appreciate that you’ve seen both the opening and closing of the town’s chapter of isolation. Instead, you only worry that it will rain right as closing happens. You hadn’t brought an umbrella with you today. The wait for the tram and the walk to your home will be frightful without one if the darkness of the clouds is any indication.

A call of your name nearly makes you drop the glass bottle you are still holding from when the weather had distracted you. 

From behind the counter, Old Karim’s face crinkles as he smiles warmly. He was Old Karim eternally in your mind, even if the younger Karim had gone years ago. “If you just place that one, I can take care of the rest,” he told you, “I can tell you don’t want to get caught in the storm.” Ever since you were young, people have always said he could tell what was wrong. It wasn’t until you began working with him that you realized it seemed to be true of more than just physical ailments.

It might not make you a very good apprentice to rush off before the apothecary closes, but your master’s offer is tempting. “It’s alright. I don’t want you to have to pace around the store.” 

Karim’s smile only grew. “You won’t have to walk back and forth when you know where everything belongs by heart.” Embarrassment crept up the back of your neck at that. “Or I could ask Valeria to do it.” From the backroom, you swear you hear your fellow apprentice already calling from hearing her name mentioned. She’d resent you for at least a weekend if she had to take over the end of your work. 

“Really, I’ll be fine. I think the rain will hold a while longer,” you claim, and hope that it doesn’t really show that you have no idea. 

You happen to be lucky, though. The clouds continue to drift in an overbearing fleet overhead as you arrive at the tramstop, but the ground remains dry. 

Across the wide, dust laden street, you spot a familiar form closing up a shop. Curtains are pulled shut over the store’s broad window, as if anyone in town would forget the magnificent display of antiques and clocks that lay on the other side of the glass. The shopkeeper, Lenna, visibly sighs when she turns around and sees you in return. 

She says nothing until she’s crossed over the tramline and practically by your side. Then etiquette forced her to greet you with a quaint, “Good evening.” 

“Good evening, Ms. Kask,” you return, fumbling for a politesse that you had never quite been taught. From the thin line of her lips, you can only assume that you still haven’t managed to get it right. “You’ve been working late, lately? I haven’t seen you here all week.” 

Lenna does not turn her attention to you. “Some people have the misfortune of caring enough about their profession to put in long hours when a job calls for it, you see,” she insults carefully, such that it might be taken as simple repartee. “And yourself? Are you still carrying on with that… distinguished young man of yours?” Here, Lenna is less delicate. Her words may have been complimentary, but her tone made it clear that she implies just the opposite meaning. 

“Seungjoon,” you feel compelled to remind Lenna of his name, as if she’d truly forgotten, “and I are doing fine.”

“Just as I feared,” she replied curtly, “More and more it seems our only hope is that he breaks your heart before he gets it in his head to propose.” 

You scowl, the good mood given to you by Old Karim’s jovial laughter and Valeria’s promise to see you this weekend spoiling quickly. “I wasn’t aware you had any hopes for me, Lenna.” There is no surprise nor fondness in your words. 

“I have hopes for everyone halfway decent in this forsaken town,” she announced, sparing you a glance. Halfway decent, you understood, really means anyone who could still trace their lineage back to one of the cities. Not the miners, their descendants, or the wanderers who had managed to make some kind of pilgrimage to reach Seogholde by anything other than aircraft.  “If I didn’t I’d have no reason to stay.” That is, she’d been trapped here when the town was blacklisted nine years ago. And she hadn’t yet managed to make the funds needed in the past three to afford a ticket out. Bitter, cynical Lenna. There is nothing in the apothecary you know to fix that. 

The steam is visible before the tram itself. From over the roofs of the street, it rises in steady plumes before camouflaging itself amidst the fog. The serpentining of the tram’s sole route a scarlike reminder of how unplanned the town had been. For generations, they say, straight roads would be intercepted by the sudden sprouting up of the frame of a house or store. By the time the tramline was built, the main road had become a curving vein that’s path was more like that of a river than a manmade plan. 

It runs roughly from northwest to southeast. The Old Mine at one terminus and the first stretch of the Xu farm at the other. A year and a half ago, the Sorensens had campaigned to extend the track out to their own farm as well -- but they had too little good will in town for it to be effective. They had arrived only six months prior to that, with a land permit signed by the city’s chairman of property. While the town had decided, quietly and collectively, not to fight the ordinance, they got little more than that. Moreover, the Sorensens had gone about it all wrong. Very few things had happened in Seogholde by the city’s bureaucratic standards for nearly a decade. (Lenna Kask, of course, had been the first of the few who did sign their petition, and only because she was impressed to see a proposition on paper at all.)

The tram comes around the corner of the grocer’s with a heave of steam from its engine. Two metal boxes linked together, with dark green paint chipped in places. On each car there are two rounded rectangles punched out of metal sides that need to be fastened over with tarp in the winter to keep snow from falling in. On the boarding side, a doorway space divides the two open-air windows, wide enough for a couple to get on or off at the same time. 

As it approaches your stop, a familiar face leans out of one of the windows, features brightening at the sight of you; and yours in return. Seungjoon waves at you, earns a scoff from Lenna, and ducks back into the tramcar in time to move towards the entryway to meet you there. 

He offers you help in taking the step up onto the tram not because you need it, but because it’s a gentlemanly, acceptable excuse for him to hold your hand. One that not even the eldest, more reserved onlooker would feel the need to gossip about. 

After his smile and the smudge of grease on his cheek, the next thing you notice is the welding goggles still around Seungjoon’s neck. As the tram ticks back into motion, you give a small tug at the goggle’s band to point it out. “Is Ms. Giroto going to be mad at you for taking these again?” 

He laughs, his grin turning to one of some chagrin at his forgetfulness. “She’ll understand,” he said, though you both know his employer will chew his ear off if she discovers a single item from the workshop. 

With a glance around, you soon find yourself with another question for him. “Where’s Yuto?” 

“Mikhail had to keep him back a while longer, show him some details of an old model that needs fixing.”

“Mikhail?”

“Mr. Kavaliou,” he clarifies. You lean back slightly, until your shoulder brushes against another passenger, right yourself a fraction, and give Seungjoon an amused once-over. 

“Look at you. You finish an apprenticeship and suddenly Mr. Kavaliou is just Mikhail?” 

“Not to his face,” Seungjoon admits with a chuckle. “Besides, you’ve always called Old Karim by his given name.” 

“Everyone calls Old Karim by his given name. That’s the difference.” 

“How is the apothecary, anyway?” Seungjoon’s gaze went past you for a moment. Then one of his hands reached for the wall, and the other to your arm. In total, it steadied both of you as the tram took its harshest turn; passengers paying less attention stumbling around and apologizing to those they bumped against. 

“It’s alright. I think, if I could actually memorize where everything’s kept, I wouldn’t be an apprentice anymore.”

The breaks squeak as the tram slows at the stop -- affectionately known as Clara’s, after the founder of the tavern sat right across from it, though it had changed hands time and time again over the generations. This is usually where Yuto would say his goodbyes to the two of you; hurrying away among the crowd not to get a drink, but to go down Baker’s lane to the narrow wooden house his forefathers had built upon arrival in Seogholde. Most of those who got off at Clara’s stop headed to the tavern. It’s owned by a Yoon now, but the sign out front, if anyone bothered to read it, still reads DuFaure. 

With the car emptied out around you, Seungjoon let his arm come around your waist, and pulls you a little closer to him. He steps back, you along with him, away from the open panels until his back hits the metal end of the car. Then he kisses you. Unabashed and tender, with hands trailing up your back and over shoulders until they cup your face. The tram sways to the left, following the same curvature you’ve known all your life. It only makes your feet shuffle closer to him, your hands grasp tighter at his waist.

It isn’t until a rumble breaks through, originless and all around, that the two of you break apart.

You watch as Seungjoon’s eyes roam up and over, his head tilting as he takes the best look he can out the window. Your fingers curl against the cotton of his shirt, endearment keeping your gaze locked on his gentle features.

“The sky’s gonna break soon,” he says. Neck and chin still at an angle, his eyes flit back to yours, an impulsive smile creeping onto his lips. 

There is a flash somewhere, unplaceable, like one you must have missed before. Wordless, both of you wait for the crack of thunder that follows. It rings impossibly loud, seeming like it should be enough to shake the whole tram. There’s never been a drum as loud as nature’s own.

“Did you bring an umbrella today?” you ask. 

He shakes his head, and moves his hands away from your face. “Maybe it’ll hold.” 

The universe contradicts, refuses any optimism. You hear it first, like bullet fire against the car’s roof, and then you see it. Rain falls in thick sheets on either side of you. 

“Maybe it’ll wash the muck off your cheek,” Seungjoon revises his hope, looking at you with a simpering grin. You set an accusatory glare at him, and wipe the back of your hand against where you remember his fingers being. Sure enough, there’s an inky black smudge on your skin, a transfer from his wellworked hands.

You tsk, and ask, “Doesn’t Ms. Giroto have sinks for you mechanics?” 

He looks on the verge of answering, but the tram is squeaking to its next stop, and both of you need to disembark.  Seungjoon settles on a shrug, and grabs your hand to lead you both towards the cutaway doorway. As soon it comes to a halt, he looks out at the pouring rain and then to you as if it were a challenge. “Run?” 

You nod, and shift your hand in his. “Run.” 

He hops down first, and lets out a shriek as the rain hits his skin. But he pauses, your intertwined fingers a tether he has no intention of breaking, and you follow his small pull out into the downpour. 

The cobblestones are slick enough, but it’s worse as soon as you’re off the main road. Well-trodden as the narrow streets that branch off the town’s center may be, they still turn to mud quickly, especially with a storm of this force. You and Seungjoon cling to each other as you run the familiar path, nearly slipping at intervals, and letting out yelps and yells each time one rescues the other. Onlookers and overhearers would call you both raucous, with the way senseless loud laughter mixes in with surprised shouts. 

Bright flashes cut across the sky, accompanied by a timpani impressive enough to convince you this is a doomsday. Yet you’re laughing. Seungjoon falls a step behind you, nearly pulls you down with him. You manage to keep your footing, and use your free hand to stabilize him. Droplets pound against your skin, and cling at your eyelashes, threatening to blind you. He shouts a thank you. It’s hard to feel like you can say anything without shouting in this rain; it is loud, demanding, but in the end he is louder than he imagines. The two of you are off again, around the last bend before some reprieve. 

The covered porch of Seungjoon’s home is narrow. There’s a hole in one of the planks that means the rain leaks right through in a small spot to the far right of the door. But it’s enough shelter for you to try to rub some of the moisture off your face and ring out part of your skirt before he opens the door. 

The door opens into a short hall of sorts, formed by the outer wall and the side panel of the house’s sole set of stairs. To the right is the small kitchen, and the round table where most meals are had; to the left what amounts to a sitting room, poorly furnished but familiar enough to feel cozy to you now. Upstairs -- although decorum said you shouldn’t know -- were the two bedrooms. 

“Changyoon?” Seungjoon calls. He gives you a signal to head left before turning the other way, heading up the creaking steps to check if his housemate is already back. 

You run your hands through your soaked hair and wander into the sitting room. On the wall is a tin panel that frames four daguerreotypes. The two on top stoic portraits of Changyoon’s parents, and on bottom ones of the whole family. Changyoon is only recognizable in one of them. In the other, he is only a bundle in his mother’s arms. It is a reminder that this home had once been only theirs. 

A shudder runs down your spine, either from the chill of being soaked or the memory of how things changed. 

People always said Seogholde’s shipments were essential. Vital goods needed by all of society. Naturally, then, cargo crafts were known to be at risk for plundering. Only one passenger airship ever went between the town and the city. Nine years ago, when the news came that the Sixth Albatross had been taken by rogues and left a burning mass in the middle of the mountains, no one had believed it. You hadn’t really known either Changyoon or Seungjoon yet. But people began to mention them, in hushed tones, along with a short list of others. It was Valeria’s father, you recall, who had referred to them as the Albatross’ orphans. 

And the rest of the world, it seemed, felt no sympathy for the town. The pillaging of the Sixth Albatross had been taken as a sign that Seogholde is simply too far away, with too many dangerous stretches of open skies. There are other mining towns. So for six years, the world carried on without your town, pretending it never existed at all. 

Three years ago, when the government sent its first passenger craft in years, everyone had been astonished. Sickened, even, at the name embossed on the side of the airship. 

Seungjoon interrupts your reminiscing with an arm around your waist, his chin coming to rest on your shoulder from behind you. “He must still be at the hangar,” he tells you quietly. Wet strands of his hair tickle at your cheek. He looks at the daguerreotypes hanging on the wall and lets out a small sigh. A moment passes, where you wonder if he’s thinking back on the same tragedy as you. “Hey,” Seungjoon calls for your attention lowly.

You turn in his loose hold, and he straightens his back to look at you properly. He’s already hung up his leather coat; the wet sleeves of his shirt messily rolled up to his elbows, the material clinging to his chest. “You’re shivering,” he observes. “Do you want something dry to put on?” 

The way his eyes roam over your face sets a warmth in the middle of your chest. His fondness is evident as ever. Enough to make you wonder how it is that you went years with him as little more than a name rather than as a person essential in your life. You reach up so your palms rest along his jaw, and bring him close enough to kiss. The arm around your waist tightens, and a hand finds its way to the nape of your neck. His hold stays the same only long enough for the kiss to deepen before his fingers clutch at your hips.

He pulls back, and leads you a few steps further into the sitting room. When you pull the welding goggles off of him, the water pooled inside them sprinkles the both of you, making both of you let out a mixture of a cry and a laugh. You drop the heavy accessory to the floorboards. In another mood, Seungjoon might have complained, or teased, that Mr. Kavaliou would chew him out more than Emma Giroto if they were damaged. With the air that’s set between the two of you, though, he can only pull you in again, his chuckle dying out just in time for him to press his lips to yours. 

His fingers set to work on the buttons down the front of your dress. He stops when he reaches your waist, breaks off the kiss, and looks at you tenderly. “Do you want to?” he asks, searching out hesitancy on your features. You reply by reaching out and starting on the fastens of his shirt. 

“Yes,” you manage in an exhale, and kiss him again. 

He carries on until you can shrug off the outer layer. His lips move from yours to your neck, starting at the sensitive pulse point just beneath your jawline. You push the soaked cotton off his shoulders, and Seungjoon lets go of you to let his shirt fall to the floor. He sits on the one couch in the room, and holds out his hands to you. There’s still a slight dampness, a chill from the storm on both of you as your palms glide over his.

You settle onto his lap, and he gathers the light material of your underdress around your hips. His fingers clutch at the white fabric and at your sides as he kisses you once again. Your back arches a fraction as he mouths at your skin, traveling as low as the neckline of your shift will allow. He looks up and you to murmur, “you’re beautiful,” before he tugs the damp dress up over your head. 

All the more exposed, you find yourself pressing closer to him as he resumes littering kisses along your skin. Your fingers trail over his bare chest. He releases a sigh, appreciative of your every touch, against a patch of your clavicle he’s left wet with saliva. 

It isn’t the first time. Sometimes you wonder if somehow Lenna knows that you and him have done away with the decency of a respectable courtship; if that was why she harbored a cynical sentiment towards him. Or maybe, you think selfishly, she’s simply never felt warmth pool beneath another’s touch the way you do now with him.

“Seungjoon,” you say, your hands moving up to tangle in his damp hair. He hums and pulls back, his touch still roaming you. A lusty gloss in his eyes confirms that he wants the same as you. You reach between your two bodies and begin on the buttons of his pants. He relaxes against the back of the couch, his hands stroking at your thighs as you work at undressing him as well. 

Once they’re undone, the two of you switch positions, him rising for a moment to push his trousers down providing you the opportunity to lay back against the thin cushion. When he returns to you, one of his hands runs up your bare side while the other laces with one of your own. 

“I love you,” he whispers, his lips a fraction away from yours. It’s not the first time for that, either, but it still sends a flutter through you, from lips to toes. 

“I love you,” you return without qualifier, hands upon his shoulders.

The wicker frame creaks beneath every rock of his hips against yours. It’s barely audible to you over the sound of his heavy breath beside your ear. 

Your grasp at his face and redirect him to kiss you again. They’re sloppy now, open-mouthed and interrupted by quiet moans. Seungjoon presses his forehead against yours, eyes squeezing shut for a moment. Your fingertips curl against his skin, gasping out praises that cause a panting grin to pull across his lips.

Seungjoon mumbles adulations back to you choppily. Sentences that begin without ever ending; broken middles running against each other. “You’re… I love… So good, so pretty… Shit... You...” 

When he comes undone, his head is pressed against your neck, lips senseless against your skin. He stills entirely for a moment, listening to your heavy breathing, the slight whine that works into it. Then his hand moves, trailing over your stomach and then further; unsatisfied until he sees your eyes flutter shut with a relief that matches his own. 

“Good?” he asks.

Without opening your eyes, you nod, lips still blissfully parted. 

Seungjoon takes it as his cue to roll off of you, squeezing the two of you side by side on the wicker couch as best you can fit. For a moment, the two of you do nothing. The moment hovers, unbreakable, somewhere far away from towns and cities and airships. You become aware again, slowly, of the sound of the rain against the walls and the windows’ shutters. It’s as heavy as it began, with crashes of thunder still sprinkled amidst it. 

The two of you manage to gather your clothing and head up to his room before Changyoon returns. 

Your clothing, still damp, is hung up. Seungjoon finds an old chemise and a pair of trousers that fit well enough for you not to feel uncomfortable appearing in front of his housemate. 

When you both come down the stairs, Changyoon is in the kitchen, and raises his eyebrows at your appearance. 

“I didn’t know you were coming over today.”

“The rain caught us off guard,” you explain in a sigh, “Your house is closer than mine.”

Seungjoon settles behind you, both arms around your middle. “How’s the hangar?”

Changyoon groans. “We weren’t able to send out our last shipment today. The rain caught us off guard, too. Someone from the city will probably send a strongly worded message as if it’s our fault.” 

“They’ll make do,” you reply quickly. A catchphrase of sorts in Seogholde, ever since society decided they cared about the town after all. 

“They’ll make do by making our lives hell somehow, more like,” Changyoon retorts, leaning back against the small bit of counter space their kitchen had. You frown, and Seungjoon asks what he thinks that’ll be. He scoffs. “It’s not like before,” he says; you both know before is the six years that the town was on its own, “Everyone at the hangar gets paid by the city now.”

Seungjoon lets go of you, moves to your side instead. “They can’t just not pay.”

“Like they can’t just blacklist a whole town?” There isn’t much either of you can say to that. Six years had already proven his point. 

“If it’s the same as before, you’ll get paid the way they did before too,” Seungjoon concludes, moving towards one of the cabinets to find food. Changyoon gives his friend a questioning look; one that flits between you and him, as if you’re the problem here. As if just because you hadn’t been close to them during that time meant you were naive to how Seogholde found a way to survive. 

“Open mooring towers to the highest bidder?” you propose, if only to prove that you aren’t unaware. Changyoon looks at you with surprise for a moment before his features warm with a smile, a chuckle passing his lips. 

“Why’s it so easy to forget you’re a local?” He muses, before asking if you’re staying for dinner. The way Changyoon uses the word local seems to you an antonym to Lenna Kask’s term of halfway decent. It must be the fact that you’re both that causes any distress. 

You stay to eat with them, and indulge when Changyoon pulls a bottle of amber liquor from a cabinet after the meal. 

The three of you relocate to the sitting room by the second round, you and Seungjoon side-by-side on the wicker couch and Changyoon in the rocking chair opposite. The conversation is warm and casual, sprinkled with full-bellied laughs. 

“Valeria wants to have a get-together tomorrow,” you announce to them both, “since Haebin’s tending at the tavern tomorrow.” You pause to give Changyoon a pointed look, “Marwa might come.” 

He takes a hefty sip from his cup. “Marwa? Why specify her?” You and Seungjoon both only laugh; his infatuation with the aforementioned girl obvious enough for the question to be amusing.  “When do you apothecaries get so much time to rally together a group, anyway?” Changyoon huffs and changes the subject. 

“When did Valeria get to ask Marwa to come, you mean?” you tease. Leaning into Seungjoon’s side, you take a small drink before answering in earnest. “Lots of people come and go during the week.” With a pause, you frown into your cup. “Marwa’s actually been coming around the apothecary more often, lately.” There’s no taunt for Changyoon in mentioning her this time. 

“She’s alright?” Seungjoon checks. 

You furrow your brow and then nod. “It’s her father who’s sick.” You beside you, sharing a worried look with Seungjoon, and then across with Changyoon. 

Her father is one of the best respected men in your town. A respect found not from his name, but from action. He had guided Seogholde through both its transitions. Responsible both for helping the town find peace even after society abandoned it for lawless; and for navigating the circumstances when, unanticipated, law returned three years ago. No one knew what would come after him. 

“Maybe I should go,” you remark suddenly, “It’s getting late.” 

After you’ve changed back into your own clothing, Seungjoon insists upon walking you home. 

It’s a winding, ten minute walk from his home to yours. Easily it becomes fifteen as the two of you make a game of dodging puddles. The air is cool and pleasant in the wake of the evening’s storm, and you think it would be nice to spend hours like this, walking along in the dark with Seungjoon. 

Your home comes sooner than you’d like. It’s larger than it needs to be, looming with the grand expectations an ancestor had once when he first was given property by the government to go be a small mining town’s physician. It was the reason the road your home is on is called Doctor’s Way. Years of giving directions to this part of town by saying head over the doctor’s way had turned it into a place name, even after any doctor that lived here passed away. The paint is faded now, a few shutters hang slightly crooked. You forget how many generations ago it was that your family decided the deed to this house had been a banishment from the government rather than a present. 

Seungjoon, in front of a reminder that in a city the two of you would have never crossed paths, settles for kissing the back of your hand. 

“Good night, Seungjoon. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

He grins at you, his fingertips pressed to yours for a lingering moment before he repeats the same back to you. 

Tomorrow comes, and you don’t tell Seungjoon that your mother had still been awake when you’d gone inside. How she’d started quietly, asking where you had been, but it quickly grew to a yell. Ms. Kask had dropped by on her way home, and shared who she’d seen you running off with at the tram stop. Your mother had shouted with a force you hadn’t known she had, and collapsed in tears, cursing that her family ever came to Seogholde. A cursed town, she said, that could turn ladies that should be aristocrats into demimondes. 

Some remnant of that tension must still be in your demeanor when you come into the tavern. Seungjoon frowns after a moment of looking you over and ducks his head close to you to ask if everything is alright. You put on a smile and tell him that you’re fine. 

“Yuto,” you say brightly, taking the younger mechanic’s presence as an excuse to change the subject. “I’m so glad you’re here.” 

“Him more than others?” Valeria questions. 

“You have to understand,” you begin, and sling an arm around Yuto’s shoulder playfully, “It’s always a relief to see your wisest friend somewhere.” 

The crowd of friends around your end of the bar erupts into protests, slighted by your teasing wording. Yuto, with widened eyes and a chuckle threatening to burst out, looks at you to say all this yelling is your fault, and that you knew it would happen, too. With a shrug, you take your hand off his shoulder in order to pass him one of the glasses Haebin had just delivered. 

Time slips away from you all. Except, perhaps, for Haebin, who still has to attend to other patrons in the tavern. She manages to circle back to your group when she can, joining in on the conversation and laughing along with you all. When the sky grows darker, and the air cools, a band begins to play in one end of the tavern. 

“Isn’t that Zhenyu?” Valeria gasps after looking over the musicians, and turns to Changyoon, who would know his coworker better than the rest of you. He coughs on his drink once he follows her pointing, and sputters how he didn’t know his superior at the hangar had a musical bone in his body. “Well he plays well!” Valeria declares, and sets on a mission to get the group of you to dance while the tune was still lively. 

She succeeds first with Yuto. Seungjoon nudges at your side. You glance between the mess of partners carrying out lively steps between the tavern’s table and him. “No way,” you decide, shaking your head. He attempts a pout, but a more mischievous expression is creeping just behind, and he’s already taking your hand. He gives a semblance of a bow before pulling you out of your seat. 

“Seungjoon!” you yelp as you find yourself on your feet. And, in some attempt at salvation - or solidarity - you reach out for Changyoon’s arm as well. “If I’m doing this, so are you!” you tell him. 

The truth, of course, is that neither of you put up all that much resistance.

You laugh throughout the song, if only to make up for how few of the steps you know. At one moment, you manage to catch Haebin leaning her elbows on the bar, watching the group of you with an amused grin. 

With the last chord, you hear Valeria’s voice above the over cheers. Seungjoon pulls you close to him, eyes bright and grin wide. “Thanks,” he says, only just loud enough for you to hear above the crowd. There’s a spark in his gaze that makes you want to kiss him. But there are too many eyes here. You squeeze his hand as a poor substitute. Fingers linger when you let go, running from palm to his fingertips.

As if carried by a gust of wind, the lot of you end up back at the same spot of the counter. You get caught up in conversation with Haebin for a brief while - asking after the letters she’d been exchanging with a certain young man. She flushes and pours another drink into your cup. 

“I bet you’d know what to write back,” she comments, after admitting to her own sense of inefficiency. 

“What do you mean?” you laugh out the words. Haebin nods her head towards Seungjoon. He has a hand on Changyoon’s shoulder, and looks to be teasing him over something he’d just said. “It’s not as if we write love letters.”

“Well, whatever you do seems to have him entranced.” 

You become aware of your posture, and lift your forearms off the bar, spine straightening. “I didn’t do anything.” 

Haebin slides your cup back across the worn wooden bartop. “Then how do you explain it?” You aren’t sure if the warmth in your chest is from bashfulness at her question or from the sip of alcohol you’d just taken. Is it something that needs to be explained?

There isn’t a chance to ask her. 

A brusk “Oi --!” is shouted in your direction. Haebin looks quickly, assuming it to be an impatient customer. And, he  may be, but for now his attention is on you and your gathering. Paul has one elbow against the counter, his eyes unfriendly. You had known him as a child. Time had made him a mystery to you. Something had shifted in him during those six years of Seogholde’s isolation, and had stayed that way.

“I notice Marwa isn’t with you lot,” he says, “I guess that means the rumors are true.” 

Valeria scoffs at him. “What rumors?” 

“That her old man is on his last breaths.” There’s no condolence or concern in Paul’s tone. The joy in your group seems to be sapped up in an instant. “And then this whole town will end up as it deserves,” he finishes ominously. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Seungjoon is the one to question this time. 

Paul nearly snarls. “It’s not my job if you’re too dense to figure it out. You want to pretend shit won’t change around here, you ought to walk out into the plains like that friend of yours did.” Seungjoon and Changyoon both tense, visibly. 

“Fuck off,” Valeria drawls, drawing his attention back to her. 

“You think it’s not true? If you’re gonna be ignorant, you might as well walk off and get a head start of dying. What’s coming next isn’t going to have any sympathy for--”

“Enough!” Haebin interrupts. “You can move down the bar or you can leave,” she tells him steadily, pointing one figure towards the opposite side of the tavern. Paul stares back at her for a moment. She is unwavering, and he rolls his eyes and sends a look of warning towards you all before skulking off in the direction she’d pointed. 

“Fuck him,” Valeria grumbles. “Last I spoke to Minghao, he doesn’t even work on the Xu land anymore. Did you make sure he’s even paying for his drinks?”

Haebin sighs. “I don’t know how he makes money, but he makes enough.”

“Probably dealing with rogues, then…” Yuto points out. You move closer to Seungjoon, the tension still obvious on his face, and place a hand over the back of one of his. He looks at you with a seriousness you aren’t used to. 

“To be fair, can’t knock him for that,” Changyoon says. Seungjoon doesn’t appear to be listening. His focus on you as you try to convey your worry to him without words. 

“What, you’re on his side now?” Valeria looks to Changyoon. 

“Not at all!” he answers. At the same time, Seungjoon turns his hand over underneath yours so they sit palm to palm. “But no family still here can say they haven’t exchanged with bandits, pirates… Whatever you wanna call them. It’s the only reason there was still a Seogholde for the city to come back to after all that time.” 

“Well, the Sorensens probably haven’t,” Yuto points out, “Though… I can’t imagine they’ll really stick around here much longer.” 

“Exactly!” Changyoon enthuses, regardless of how well the points connected to his own. Seungjoon’s fingers curl through the spaces between your own, his thumb moves to rub back and forth against the top of yours. 

“Maybe that’s what he’s referring to,” Haebin says. “If things become unstable here. It’d make sense for a family that just got here to flee.” 

“Yeah, well, the Seventh Albatross is coming next week. I’d be happy to see them or Paul go,” Changyoon concludes.

“Nothing,” Seungjoon murmurs to you. You frown, and he changes to, “Later.” With that, you slip your hand away from his. 

Levity manages to return to your group, at least over the course of another round. Yuto ends up saying his goodbyes before any of the rest of you are ready. Imploring him to stay doesn’t work, so you swear him into paying for the first round next time. The evening carries on.

When a brawl breaks out, it’s at the other side of the tavern from you all. While Haebin is shouting up the stairs for the owner, you all take her advice of clearing out. It’s too late for the tram to still be running. In the dark of the main road, you say goodbye to all but Changyoon and Seungjoon, and head out on the long walk home. 

You’re nearly halfway there when you decide to ask, “What did Paul mean, when he mentioned heading off, your friend?” 

The same tension returns to both of their shoulders. Just before you apologize, Changyoon speaks. “Wyatt.” That’s all you get for several steps. A hundred or so questions in your head, but you trail beside them silently. 

“He didn’t like how things changed, after the city turned its back on us,” Changyoon continued after exchanging a few glances with his housemate, “He got fed up with working for criminals, he said. So he left.”

“On foot?” you can’t help from asking. The only airships that came and went during those six years had belonged to rogues of some sort or the other; if the issue was criminality, it was difficult to imagine him hitching a ride with one of them. “Alone?” Neither of them answer. “...You never got any letters from him, after a while?”

“No,” Seungjoon says flatly.  You want to take his hand, apologize for mentioning it at all, but you know it can’t be undone. 

“How bad is it?” Changyoon asks after a beat, “With Marwa’s father?”

“How should I know?” You return, voice quieter than before.

“You’re his apothecary.”

“Apprentice --”

“-- Close enough,” he insists, looking at you expectantly. 

You swallow and look up towards the stars and the dark. “...Do you think Haebin’s right?”  It’s easier to refer to it through her than Paul. “Everything will change here once he’s gone?”

“Everything’s changed with him here,” Seungjoon tries to reassure, but Changyoon doesn’t have a look of agreement. 

“Things changed well with him, however he managed it,” he amends. “It’d make sense for people to feel opportunistic about him being gone.”  

The three of you carry on as the road turns from cobblestones to dirt.

What isn’t clear is which side would take the most advantage of the town being thrown off kilter by the loss. Both the government and outlaws had an interest in the town.

“It doesn’t look good.” Seungjoon and Changyoon both look at you, verging on asking for clarification. “I don’t know how long he’ll have,” you add, both to make it clear what you mean and to stave off the most obvious followup. 

A feeling hangs in the air between the trio of you. An uncertain mix of hesitancy and fear, like the kind that had crept up on everyone first nine years ago, and then returned three before now. 

Their home comes up sooner than it should. Too quickly for the tension to ease away. While Changyoon steps onto their porch, Seungjoon stays on the road beside you. Leaning against the door, he asks if Seungjoon is coming inside. 

“I’ll walk her up to to Doctor’s Way.” It sounds nearly like a question, and he sends you a look that says he’ll change his mind if you insist. 

“Thanks,” you tell him, and wish Changyoon a good night. 

Somewhere between his doorstep and yours, his hand reaches out to let it graze against the back of yours. You move closer to him in return; your fingers flex, longing simply to grab his. Lingering weight from the previous conversation holds you back. Seungjoon’s hand brushes against yours again, and this time his pinky locks with yours. 

For a long stretch, the two of you carry on that way. Quiet and linked by your smallest fingers, searching for the right things to say in the wake of a realization as grave as the ones you’d all had this evening. 

“I’m sorry.” Seungjoon is the first to break the worrisome silence. “You deserve better.”

You stop, dirt scuffing beneath your shoes at the abruptness. “Better than what?” you asked. There’s no reason for him to make apologies; nothing better than him that you could imagine. 

“Better than this town,” he says. 

“It’s home.” You shake your head. 

The smile he gives you is weighted with a melancholia you can’t place. “You say that like I don’t remember how we met.” A complicated story of its own; how your mother had wanted to sneak you out of Seogholde, how lucky you consider yourself now that the plan was thwarted by the airship you’d been snuck onto needing repairs. “...Would you still go? If you could?” 

Impulse has you shaking your head. You’re not afraid of this town, you’re tempted to say. This evening’s conversations drift up from not-so-far-back in your mind, though. And no, you aren’t scared of your hometown. Not of the locals. But there are eyes on it, outsiders, lying in wait. 

The fare for the Seventh Albatross is more than most here can afford. 

“Would you?” you turn the question back to him. 

Seungjoon presses his lips together, disappearing into a thin line. “Mechanics can find work anywhere.” The surmising isn’t really an answer. But you hadn’t been much clearer, either. 

Outside your door, he presses his lips to the back of your hand again.

You can’t accept it. After he lets go of your hand, you place both of yours upon his shoulders and kiss him directly. He nearly stumbles, taken aback by your affection here. 

“Your mother --” he whispers when he breaks away from you.

“Let her see,” you say certainly, recklessly, and steady your eyes with his. His face scrunches with puzzlement at that simple declaration. Once you kiss him a second time, he seems to forget anything he could want to ask. 

By next week, the troubling thoughts are all long gone. The warmth of summer settles in full over town, bringing with it a dreadful dryness that makes it seem as if it never rained here at all.  

You board the tram with Seungjoon. Yuto joins the two of you at Clara’s Stop. Pleasant conversation, interrupted only a few times by yawns, carries on until you say goodbye to both of them at your own stop. Lenna’s absence on the tram isn’t noticed by any of you. 

Things feel the same as always. Old Karim has you and Valeria both set out on your usual tasks. Sunlight drifts through the apothecary’s windows, and on schedule, you see the tram pass by on its way in the other direction. 

The light shifts, the sun carries on overhead. It’s nearly noon when Himari pushes open the door to the apothecary. There are stains on the skirt of her dress that you don’t notice right away. 

“I need an anodyne,” she commands when she reaches the counter.

“What for?”

Himari looks you over as if it’s the most absurd thing you could have asked. She isn’t someone you know well. Lenna Kask employs her as a clerk at her store, and she spends some measure of her free time with Paul. None of that explains what pain she would need relieved. 

“You haven’t heard?” she scoffs. From your face, she shifts, and repeats with a different intonation, “You really haven’t heard.” Finally, condescendingly, “How oblivious can you be?” 

“I can’t give you the best option unless I know what the problem is.” It’s the best you can do to maintain professionalism. 

“Ms. Kask was shot,” Himari informs you, maintaining a tone that implies your deficiency for not already knowing. 

“What? Lenna? When?”

“Last night. You really didn’t notice today? The front of the store is still a mess.”

“What does the store have to do with it?”

“That’s where she was.” Himari eyes you over contemptuously. “Poor Ms. Kask was lucky to make it to a physician in time.” Something in her demeanor unsettles you. A lack of sympathy that doesn’t match with her role. The look she gives you reminds you of the one Paul had at the tavern. 

“And you’re getting the anodyne for her…” It’s intended as a question. It comes off more as a kind of reticence, and Himari glares at you for it. 

“Of course.”

 You tell Seungjoon and Yuto about it on the tram. The younger of the two mechanics frowns all the way through your story. 

“I heard someone tried to rob the store. I didn’t know Lenna got hurt,” he remarks. 

“Who told you it was robbed?” you ask. 

“One of the Sorensen kids… They came by to see if their tractor was ready yet this afternoon. The younger one, he mentioned it…” Yuto recalls, and finishes with an uncertain glance towards Seungjoon. 

“Himari didn’t mention anything was taken,” you murmur. 

“I don’t like it,” Seungjoon states. It seems obvious enough, given the circumstance. But there’s a heaviness to his tone that suggests he means more. His eyes meet yours, and his voice lowers. “Like it’s starting already.” 

“What?” Yuto questions, glancing between you and Seungjoon. 

The opportunists, you think. But the tram feels too crowded to voice it. 

Others murmur on around you three. It’s so easy to imagine no one on board cares what you might have to say. A good handful, surely, are only eager to get off to go home, or to the tavern. Your chatter is just that to them. Unless it isn’t. You and Seungjoon have been conscious of onlookers before, but only for the sake of your reputations. This is beyond whether you’re considered proper. A line too delicate to risk being crossed.

Yuto’s face only becomes more puzzled. You shake your head at the same time that Seungjoon tells him, “Another time.” 

It doesn’t satiate Yuto’s curiosity, but he must sense there’s a reason for you both turning quiet. He changes the subject. It isn’t enough to stop the worried buzz that has begun in the back of your mind. Starting already echoes in your head. 

How is it that you hadn’t noticed Lenna's absence from the tram this morning? She was not your favorite company of your typical morning routine, but she was a constant. An odd guilt stirs in your chest, an itch at the back of your neck. 

You nearly forget to move towards the exit when the tram slows next.

“Stay with me tonight?” Seungjoon implores after you’ve both descended at your usual tramstop.

 “What, all night?”

“You don’t have to.” He links his hand with yours once you’ve turned off the main road, and stone becomes dust beneath your feet. “But... I’d like to.” 

Perhaps it has something to do with when you’d expressed not caring if your mother saw you kissing him. It was another thing altogether to spend a night at his home. There’s something else in his gaze when he glances over to you, though. Usually he wears some kind of smile when he proposes anything that would give an opportunity to be alone.  Not so this time. An uncertainty hangs in his eyes, and all at once you miss their usual brightness; the warmth, the hint of mischief that creeps in at his more playful bouts. 

You pull your lower lip between your teeth. Your steps waver, arm outstretching to keep your fingers intertwined with his. 

“I can walk you home instead,” Seungjoon offers. 

“No,” you are quick to reply. Your footfalls weave closer to his once more. “I’ll stay.”

“You’re sure?” 

If you hadn’t been, the way his voice lilts up - like a comfort has already been found - would have done it.

The evening is laced with an undercurrent of uneasiness.  Within their kitchen, the two of you tell Changyoon about what had happened to Lenna Kask. How it feels like the first indication that Seogholde has reached a turning point once more. He interrupts when Seungjoon mentions Yuto’s report of the store’s robbery.

“It was Sorensen who said that?” Changyoon waits for a nod before he runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck.” 

“What?” Seungjoon presses.

“I don’t know.” He shakes his head. “I mean, well, maybe it means nothing but, this morning... Ms. Sorensen, she came by today, at the hangar, and she bought a few tickets for the Albatross’ next voyage back to the city. I just thought it was funny, after that talk at the tavern.”

“She got word of Lenna’s attack fast, to get there this morning,” you mutter. Seungjoon and Changyoon both look at you. 

“Do you suppose they always kept enough money saved up to leave, if they saw things turn worse here?” Changyoon wonders aloud.

It’s a question that goes unanswered. 

Or perhaps the two of them come up with an answer of their own, after you head up the steps alone. 

Seungjoon joins you in his room not long after. At the sight of you sitting at the end of his bed in only your gauzy shift, he closes his door quickly before leaning his back against it. “What if Changyoon had been the first one to come up?” 

You nearly laugh. “Does he make a habit of coming into your room?” 

“He might if he knew what I know,” he jokes, the side of his mouth curving up. 

“Oh?” Standing from his bed, you drift over to where he stands. “And what is it that you know?” As you reach his space, your hands come to rest upon his shoulders. In a mirror of you, Seungjoon places his arms around your middle. 

The fingers of one hand curve around the rough material of his suspenders and skim down the length on one side of his chest. His lips come into a pinched line as he feigns contemplation, humming dramatically.

“That you’re trouble,” he concludes. 

You gasp with mock outrage. His suspender nearly snaps as you let go of it suddenly. “What trouble?” you exclaim. There’s a glint in your eyes and a grin that gives away how far from offended you are. Before you can step away from him to further a charade, he tightens his hold and pulls you flush against him, making you let out a startled yelp.

“You, trouble!” he repeats. “Absolutely!” Together, you both stumble slightly, meaningless laughter erupting. Your steps sway across the floorboards, creaks barely heard by either of you. 

In a tumble and a huff of air, the two of you collapse onto Seungjoon’s bed. Breathlessly, with one cheek pressed to his sheet, he adds, “Isn’t this trouble?” 

Beside him, you suppress another giggle with little success. You turn onto your side and look at Seungjoon. The way his legs hang off the edge of the mattress from the knee down. A heavy rise and fall of his chest as he catches his breath from your shared silliness, his shirt wrinkled and bunched beneath suspenders as further proof. And the broad curve of his smile set below dark, adoring eyes. 

“If it is,” you begin, and pull at the light fabric of your underdress to keep from getting caught on it as you shift to straddle him, placing a hand on either side of his head, “It’s not nearly enough.”

Hovering over him, Seungjoon looks up at you with a grin. He touches one of your arms. Delicately, he lets it run up your skin until his hand comes to rest at the back of your neck. His fingertips curl slowly, blunt nails tickling ever so slightly at your skin. Any play at dispute is over now. The space between you is replaced with quiet intimacy. A comfort and certainty that makes everything around him become a blur. There is nothing but Seungjoon and the bed beneath him. 

You dip your head down to connect your lips to his. The kiss begins barely there, a graze of your mouth against his own. He lifts his head off the mattress a fraction when you pull back after so little. Before he can complain, or utter a compliment, you close the small space and continue to kiss him. It lingers this time before deepening. You shift down, supporting yourself on your elbows instead of hands. A hand is in your hair, nearly massaging as it moves to a rhythm shared in secret between your bodies. It’s unclear how it is that heart, and lips, and lungs, and touch can all feel to fall in  sync. Yet they do. Perhaps as some sign that this is where you should be. 

With a tilt of your head, you begin to kiss down the skin of his neck, appreciating the way his breath shifts into low rasps of enjoyment. His fingers still upon you, allowing himself a moment of simple pleasure. 

“Ah, it’s you,” he starts murmuring, “you know, right?” 

You give a questioning hum. The vibration enough to tickle at his skin, given the small, gasping chuckle. He brings a hand to your face and encourages you to look at him with a thumb gentle upon your jaw. 

“You’re it for me.” A seriousness cuts through the usual desire his voice would have in a moment like this. That, more than his words, is what catches you off guard. “Really,” he adds, smiling up at you, “I’m so glad I know you.” 

A corner of your heart suspects there’s a reason for him to say this now. That it might be one veiled in worries he’s less forthcoming with. Carefully, you brush a few strands of dark hair on his forehead. “I love you, too,” you say. His eyes close with a grin, and he lifts his lips to yours. 

His kiss urges you to forget any concerns. Sure enough, you both allow your hands to roam, undressing and letting conversation fall away to murmurs of ardor. 

Those words make it all the more puzzling when you wake the next morning.

Your place on his bed is just unfortunate enough for a slat of sunlight to come through the shutter and hit your face. At your family home, the only windows in your room face west. Being woken by warmth and light is new, and enough to make you groan. You shift out of the beam of sun, but soon a realization wakes you further than the light can.

You’re alone in Seungjoon’s room. 

Sitting up, you run a hand over your hair and down the front of your shift. A scan of the room gives you little help. All the clothing left scattered on the floor last night has been picked up. Your own slung over the back of the wooden chair beside the window. 

There’s noise from downstairs, but no conversation. Going down yourself, you pause on the last step, still fastening the last button on the front of your dress. From where you stand, you can see Changyoon standing at the counter. 

“Good morning,” you greet lightly. It startles Changyoon still, nearly causing him to drop his breakfast. 

“Hi,” he says after composing himself. “Sleep well, I hope?”

Coming into the kitchen, you answer him with a small nod. “Where’s Seungjoon?”

Changyoon tells you that he had to leave early this morning. Something urgent, he guesses. There had been no mention yesterday of Ms. Giroto needing him any earlier than usual. It isn’t unheard of, either way. With a glance out the window, you sigh. 

“Well, I should head to the apothecary, I guess.” 

It’s strange to be here without Seungjoon. You suspected Changyoon felt the same. Though he’d be too polite to mention it. Or, at least, too polite to mention it unless he could joke about it in front of Seungjoon. 

He surprises you, though, and calls your name once just as you’re turning to gather your things. 

“You matter a lot to Seungjoon,” he says when you turn back to him curiously. Your lips part. There’s an overwhelming sense inside you that you ought to reply, but his sudden declaration on Seungjoon’s behalf has you stunned silent. Changyoon manages a smile. “Don’t hurt him, alright?” 

You nearly laugh. “Of course. You know I wouldn’t, don’t you?”

He looks you over with a half-smile and shakes his head. “Ah, I just -- nevermind.” Changyoon waves a hand in the air. It’s exactly the response to make you stay. Your footing changes, turning to his directly fully. 

“No, it’s okay. What is it?” 

Changyoon lets out a sigh and leans back against the counter. His shoulders slump, and then shrug. “I don’t think you’d want to hurt him,” he attempts to explain; his focus on some spot on the floorboards rather than you, his hand moving in supplementation, “But it doesn’t mean you wouldn’t. Just, you know, just because it’s easy to do, when someone cares about you.” 

Your arms fold. A defensive posture coming to you despite his efforts not to make it sound like a sign of distrust. 

“I mean, even something unintended, putting yourself in harm’s way,” he elaborates, “...Would, in a way.” 

“I’m an apothecary’s apprentice, not a miner,” you remind him. “I don’t think you have to worry about me and harm’s way.” There’s a reticence in Changyoon’s gaze that keeps you from smiling. “But I appreciate you saying so,” you add after a moment, tone lowering. “Speaking of, I really should go. Thank you, though, Changyoon.”

“Yeah. I’ll see you later?” 

“I guess so.” You pause a moment more before you go. “You know, you matter to Seungjoon, too,” you remind Changyoon.

“I’ll stay out of trouble then.” His voice teeters on playful. It isn’t much relief, but it allows enough for you to be able to take your leave without too much worry nesting in your head. 

You arrive at the apothecary at the same time that Marwa is leaving. When you ask Valeria, she sighs and shakes her head. It was the same pickup as she’d been doing for a while now. No word of recovery, and Marwa hadn’t been forthcoming about how much worse her father may be doing either. Karim, overhearing the two of you, calls for you to join him in the workroom. 

“Isn’t that the same dress you wore yesterday?” Valeria asks as you come around to her side of the counter to head back and join Karim. 

You look down at yourself. Heat tickles at your cheeks and ears, but you hope Valeria won’t take note of it. “Is it?” you feign surprise. The embarrassment of your smile is genuine, at least. 

The backroom is small and thick with the warm scent of herbs as you work. Karim’s thick reference book is open beside you on the table. A medicinal perfume lingers in the air. When you first began your apprenticeship, you hadn’t believed Karim when he said you would get used to it; that it would someday bring a sense of comfort.

He doesn’t look up from his bookkeeping when Valeria can be heard greeting Seungjoon with surprise in the afternoon. The mention of his name, followed by the sound of his voice, has you retraining yourself to stay seated.

“Isn’t he here for you?” Old Karim asks just before Valeria calls back for you. You try to recall if you’ve ever mentioned Seungjoon to him before. But it isn’t a thought you linger on long. A smile and a nod from the apothecary is all the encouragement you need to step away from what you’re doing. 

Valeria gestures, and says Seungjoon is here as you come out from the backroom.  

There’s a seriousness hanging to Seungjoon’s presence that keeps you from smiling when you see him. His hair is slightly disheveled, as though from running. The look of him alone sets concern ablaze inside you. 

“Why aren’t you at Giroto’s?” you ask him, coming around the counter to him.

“Can I talk to you?” His gaze goes past you to Valeria. “Alone?” 

“Seungjoon, what’s wrong?” 

“Nothing,” he tries, and takes hold of your hand as soon as you’re within reach. “I just want to talk with you.” It’s an obvious falsehood. Agitation clings to his every word, as clear as rain after coming in from a storm. The trouble is only that you don’t know what invisible storm he’s coming from. 

You look at Valeria from over your shoulder. “I’ll be right back,” you promise her. Turning your attention back to Seungjoon, you give him a nod and start for the door. 

Outside, the sun has reached the right spot to make the stores on the apothecary’s side of the street cast shadows on the cobblestones. In the distance, an exhale of steam can be heard from the tram as it carries on its route. Down the way, at the stop where Seungjoon must have just gotten off at, there’s a few figures beginning to walk their own way; conversations light and indistinct from where you stand. Lenna Kask’s store sits silent and dark; the window’s curtain drawn and a sign apologizing for closure hanging at the door. 

Seungjoon leads you just out of sight of the store’s window. “Listen,” he begins quietly, gravely, “I bought you a ticket.”

“A what?” Influenced by his own tone, you barely breathe out the question.

“The Seventh Albatross. Tonight.”

You nearly recoil, crossing your arms.  “For the city? Why?” Already sensing your opposition, he places his hands just beneath your elbows and moves a step closer. 

“Please. I know it might sound crazy, but Changyoon, last night -- he said there was a change in the schedule for the cargo airships. They’re keeping the hangar and mooring towers empty after the Albatross leaves. Something’s happening.” He says it all so quickly that you wonder how it was he kept this information to himself at all before. Your hold on yourself slips, arms staying half upright from his hold. 

“What’s something?” you stammer, despite his franticness already telling you he doesn’t know. “How come neither of you told me this, last night?” 

Seungjoon shakes his head. “I don’t know. I was going to. But then, you…” He doesn’t finish the sentence. His gaze softens, a bittersweet smile ghosting across his lips. “I’m sorry,” he says, expression turning serious once again, “I should have.” 

“How did you even afford two tickets?” You move on quickly to the next question. He makes no move to speak. “Seungjoon?” His eyes fall from yours. Dread thumps into your heart suddenly, and sinks to the pit of your stomach, heavy as a stone. “Seungjoon, tell me you’re going too.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out an envelope and the ticket to hold them out to you. 

“No.” Your voice has a renewed force. “If the city’s the one making room in the hangar… No. Why would you want me to go there alone?” Your throat dries out on you as you speak. 

He shakes his head, moves the envelope to the top in his hands and presses them closer to you. “You won’t be alone. I swear. There… Hyojin, you remember? He left with Karim - young Karim, when the Albatross started again.” His fingers look to tremble as he pulls the paper out from the envelope. “I wrote you directions, here, and a letter for him. See?” Seungjoon looks into your eyes again, and it knocks you breathless to see them glossy already. “He’ll help you. I know it.”

 Still, you shake your head quicker. Your hands move to his wrists to try to push the papers back to him. “I won’t go without you.” 

“Please,” he repeats. The papers still between his fingers, his hands came up to you cheeks; the wrinkled envelope, reused and perhaps the only one Seungjoon could find, is rough against your skin. “I swear I won’t be far behind.”

“How? You already said --”

“Come on.” He smiles desperately and presses his forehead against yours.  “You really think I won’t find a way back to you?” 

That whisper makes you close your eyes. Your mind already knows it must be a baseless, optimistic promise he wants to make just to make you go. Your heart is far more convinced; so certain of your love that you can’t fathom the universe would really part you from him. 

You don’t know what Seogholde looks like from above. Only that maps show the mountains and the valley that sit between it and the closest city. Lines and colors that mean nothing but a distance you’ve almost always considered insurmountable. To change that is a lot to ask. A shiver runs through you, despite the afternoon sun and the body heat radiating off Seungjoon’s fretful form. You know, in a quaking moment, what your answer is --  if only to spare him some fraction of fear.

Seungjoon presses his lips against your forehead and your temple, murmuring small pleas and promises as you stand there. Your throat feels small and dry; your eyes sting with the threat of tears. “I’ll see you there… You just have to go first. Okay?” His voice ghosts over your skin. “Promise me you’ll go. Please?” 

When you nod, the two of you are so close that he doesn’t notice it. He carries on coaxing until you summon the will to say it out loud: “I promise. I’ll go.” 

He moves a half-step back so he can look you in the eye properly. From his expression, you fear there’s a hundred more things he wants to say to you. He thanks you, and holds the papers out for you. 

Passage to the city in hand with his letter to Hyojin, you blink to try to keep crying at bay. “Will you be there?” 

He nods before kissing you. 

It feels like the last time.

Some part of you wishes for rain, as heavy as the last storm that had raged through this town had been. But the skies are  clear, the air dry, and the Albatross will sail tonight.

[fiefgoldenlake]

If you liked Tamora Pierce you might like...

Thought it might be fun to offer up some book recs, on the off-chance that anybody is looking for something new to read. Suggestions welcome, and thanks to @lisafer for her additions! Series links are to the first book on goodreads.

Sharon Shinn

Shinn writes high fantasy, with strong female characters. She's got a couple of different universes, but the ones I'd recommend are:

Twelve Houses - the most like the Tortall books, in my view. Follows a ragtag band of Breakfast Club-style oddballs - two mages, two shapeshifters, and two Riders (essentially the king's men) - as they investigate unrest in the kingdom. They shouldn't fit together, but they do.

Elemental Blessings - similar to Emelan in that mages are generally attuned towards one particular thing. In the first book (Troubled Waters), Zoe has been living with her father in exile, but after he passes, she gets dragged right back into court politics when the king chooses her for his fifth wife.

Leigh Bardugo

Bardugo has two series (third pending!) in the same universe. The Grisha Verse is mage-led and a dark romance. Six of Crows* is essentially a crime caper duology with fantastic characters, and I had the sense of 'I think they're going to pull this off... but how??' throughout. If you've ever wanted the Court of the Rogue to feature more heavily in Tammy's books, I recommend this.

Diana Wynne Jones

I must have been living under a rock because I only read Howl's Moving Castle last year. If some of you are in the same boat, this is a fairytale-esque story about a girl who gets on the wrong side of a witch, and winds up being transformed into an old lady. Hoping to break the spell, she goes in search of the wizard Howl, rumoured to steal and eat the hearts of girls.

Natasha Pulley

Sorry to anybody who also follows me on my personal journal since it’s all I’ve been talking about, but I just read The Watchmaker of Filigree Street*, and it's so charming I'm going to recommend it here too. Set in Victorian London (though with scenes in Japan), it features mystery, a gentle romance (if you're worried about liking the thing because you've been burned before, rest assured that it is okay to like the thing), and a clockwork octopus! Slow to start, but worth it.

Rainbow Rowell

Wrote a novel about a Fangirl (essentially a Drarry fanfic writer) who feels set adrift once she starts college, and then wrote the canon behind it, and I'm delighted that the sequel to Carry On* is called Wayward Son.

Kristin Cashore

The Graceling Realm is a trilogy featuring a non-chronological tale that starts with Katsa, who is born with the grace of killing. Select few are graced, and like others, she’s immediately placed in the service to her uncle, the king, who uses her to terrify his subjects.  Then Prince Po comes to court, looking for his kidnapped grandfather, and Katsa goes on a journey with him that will change their world forever.

Maggie Stiefvater

Assuming most of you have heard of the Raven Cycle*, but just in case - Gansey is in search of the ancient Welsh king, Glendower, and Blue knows Gansey is going to be dead within the year before she even meets him. Set in real world Virginia, with magic along the lines of clairvoyance and dreamscapes, plus the angriest dreamer you're likely to encounter (don't worry - internally, he's got the consistency of marshmallow).

Cinda Williams Chima

Seven Realms: Han Alister is a thief who will do anything for his family; he steals an amulet from a wizard, but it turns out to have belonged to a Demon King from a thousand years prior. Meanwhile, Raisa is a princess of two worlds who doesn’t want to be an ornament. She would rather be like Hanalea, the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. Things get interesting when Han and Raisa’s worlds collide. This is a longer series, and one where you get to see characters “level up” from people with limited abilities to near god-like power.

Connie Willis

Firmly on the sci-fi side of things, and I'm mostly including this because of how much my fellow TP friends love this series. The All Clear duology follows three historians who go back in time from Oxford 2060 to study history. They're supposed to observe a particular event and immerse themselves in the experience without affecting the past before going back to their present day. Things get messy.

D.M. Cornish

In a world of flintlock pistols and lamplighters, The Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy begins with the journey of Rossamund, an orphan boy taunted for his girlish name. He is about to begin a dangerous life in service to the emperor, and his simple journey gets complicated in a world of predatory monsters, chemical potions, and surgically altered people designed to keep the monsters at bay. Rossamund has to learn who to trust and who to fear, among both monsters and people.  This world is such delightfully dark steampunk, and it’s incredibly detailed.  Incidentally, Tamora Pierce gave the series a five-star rating on goodreads! 

* features LGBTQ foreground relationship - Fangirl is the only one I can think of with wlw, and unfortunately, she's more of a background character. Elemental Blessings does feature lgbtq content, but not with a main character.

[isolaradiale]

Welcome to SpiraleFES 2023! Or Day 2 of our Fifth Anniversary Celebration!

A word of warning first: this is not an event and does not count as event participation towards ranking up. These are merely a bunch of fun activities that persist throughout the summer. While we will be running several events over the summer, you will still be able to use SpiraleFES activities for non-event threads during that time!

The city is decorated festively from top to bottom, each and every ward sporting streamers, festive music, and providing a number of fun events. These can be used for threads throughout July and August, and so we encourage you to make use of them for some interesting interaction ideas! The list of events is as follows:

FIBONACCI WARD

NO PLACE LIKE HOME DECOR Do you find yourself missing that touch of something from home you just can’t seem to find in the city, no matter how hard you look? Well, search no more! Around the parks in various levels of the ward are vendors from familiar places, toting those little somethings from where you came from. Finally, you can find some clothes and other household items that aren’t easily accessible here. And if you look hard enough, you may find one of your personal treasures and trinkets that didn’t travel with you–a music box, a locket, maybe a ring from a family member… Don’t worry, it’ll have your name on it. Note: Weapons and other combat items will not be for sale in any of the bazaars if they're not purely decorative pieces.

A ROARIN’ BOREALIS SKATING RINK From the city streets, it looks like a bright ribbon of rainbow light, not unlike the famed Northern Lights. But ride the platform up to the top and see that the shimmering lights are actually a massive skating rink, with a figure 8 loop around the upper tiers of Fibonacci City. You can bring your own skates, or visit the kiosk to rent some LiteSkates–which leave a four-foot trail of light behind you in the color of your choice. There are guard rails around the arena, but even the clumsiest of skaters will be alright. After all, if you fall off the arena, a drone will pick you up and put you back on the ring. NOTE: Available during nighttime only.

ANDROID HELL … or the Ofiuco Rave, by any other name. A series of Radiocats seem to have flocked up to the lower floors of Level 3, and any discrimination towards those who seem like they may not belong has been, luckily (though no doubt only temporarily) shoved aside. Is it the Radiocats that set up the series of bright neon, backlit raves that have crowded varying floors on this level? … who knows. What everyone does know is that they’re certainly jamming out to some, as they say, “sick beats”, and large crowds have been drawn to the fluorescent party. It may be hard to move from place to place, but with the technology here being what it is, if you can see through the strobe for long enough, you’re bound to enjoy yourself! Ofiuco certainly is. Note: Ofiuco is immune to all attacks, charms, and other phenomena

CRAFT PUNK Outside of Fibonacci’s towering skyscrapers, nestled in the resident district, is an event with tinkerers in mind. Blending with the steampunk atmosphere is a foundry where your muse can learn the arts of robotics and machines. Classes range from building your own remote-control cars to making toys and household appliances (you know, like those little circular vacuum cleaners? Or a Super Toaster?) For those of you who are particularly adept in the art of machinery, you can enter the Scrap Battle Showdown–a competition to make a battle robot no bigger than a 3ft cube using only the supplies available in the foundry. If you’re caught using any materials from home, you’ll be kicked out!

THE HAUNTING OF SPIRAL HOUSE ( new! ) A haunted house has sprung up downtown in Fibonacci Ward, complete with a creepy old decrepit look! For a few dust, one can explore its dark depths by themselves or with a few friends. Featuring sets of vampires, ghosts, werewolves, zombies, and more along with actors that will stalk you through the halls for a more immersive experience, it certainly has a lot to offer! Pictures will be taken throughout the attraction, as to preserve genuine experiences and offer a souvenir for purchase.

COTES WARD

PIXIE PERFECT TREASURE HUNT The pixies of the Airaisal Forest have decided to cooperate with outsiders for a one of a kind event. Search the forest with an enchanted teacup pig with a nose for a very particular treasure: rare, golden truffles. Amass five to be awarded the equivalent of 200$ in Dust. But give up, or lose your teacup pig, and you’ll be spending the rest of your day as a fox kit as per pixie punishment.

OPHIUCHUS TREE TOWER Scale the gigantic tree that rises high against the cityscape with an Alraune guide. The plant person in question will create a staircase of leaves around the tree’s trunk rising upward, allowing you and small group of friends to traverse the tree in a way normally impossible. Once you reach the canopy get ready to enjoy a one of a kind picnic lunch while you overlook the island from the most magical of vantage points.

NERF JOUSTING Rent a horse from the Market Town coliseum and take up arms against a number of opponents. Well, take up soft foam arms. Experience what it’s like to joust without any of the immediate danger. *any wounds accumulated via falling off your horse will be immediately healed by a fairy.

MAZE BY PIXIE LIGHT An elaborate garden maze illuminate by magic lights provided by the pixies of the village. This event only runs at night and can only be experienced in pairs, but the prize for success is a doozy: a crystal flower that is traditionally exchanged between pixies meant to promise themselves to one another. Receiving this flower as a couple is a promise to remain at one another’s sides through thick and thin.

CANDLE LIGHTING FOR THE LOST During the night, the river that flows at the base of Ophiuchus comes to life with tiny lights as the Alraune have arranged a way to send off the fallen, giving any who want one a tiny flower raft with a candle resting upon it. Placing this raft on the lake while considering well wishes for a resident of the city has since left is thought to bring them good fortune… wherever they are. Though in a realm where death isn’t permanent it can also be used to give well wishes to even the living, perhaps someone you know that’s having a hard time.

STAR-DEN TEA PARTY The stars and planets are always so far away, aren’t they? Well, in this outdoor star garden, you’ll be able to walk through paths with lots of little glowing stars and planets–you may even find your home planet drifting in the cosmos! Each star, comet, cluster and planet can be interacted with, with the biggest planets only reaching the size of a beach ball. Letting go of the celestial body will have it simply float gently upward to begin drifting again. The event is catered with a variety of teas, coffees and cocoas, as well as sandwiches and little finger foods. Bring a blanket and gaze at them drifting by! Note: This event is only available when the sun goes down!

SPELL CHECK ( new! ) Put on your best sorcerer's robes, purchase a wand, and proceed to the small dirt dueling arena set up by the pixies of Cotes Ward. You'll be given a small amount of magical power (only enough to cast simple spells like a gust of wind, a small spark of fire, a douse of water, or tiny static shocks) in an attempt to make the playing field even with your opponent! Your objective? Why, to entertain the pixies, of course! But to also have fun whilst doing so. Victory can only be claimed once your opponent has been knocked to the ground or they vocally say that they yield. The prize for your entertainment services? A small wish that can be granted by the pixies. That book you couldn't afford? It's yours. Unlimited food for a week? Say no more! That trinket you've looked at forever in the store window? It'll be yours if you can give an interesting enough show!

A NOVEL IDEA ( new! ) In the Great Library of Xalphina, a comfy, yet curious corner has been set up in the back corners of the library. Comfortable chairs, sofas, and even beanbags have been placed. A large bookcase sits against the back wall, with an even larger red velvet chair set in front of it to face everyone. Here, every few hours or so, a draken librarian will pull a book from the shelf and recount a tale from the distant homelands of the city's inhabitants. Be it legend or complete fiction, familiar stories of heroes and other myths are now available to be checked out for personal use or listened to for story time for a limited time.

SUMMER CLEANING RITUALS ( new! ) The pixies have decided to do some very much-needed cleaning in their homes, but they'd rather not do it themselves if they can avoid it! Help them out by throwing various trinkets, do-dads, and bobbles away, though they may ask you to help them find items that they've long since thought lost as well. As a prize, most of them may be willing to part with a small trinket though magical abilities may differ between each item.

GOLDEN WARD

SPIRALE FIREWALKS SHOW With the Boardwalk open until late at night and the weather mostly clear, fire flowers light up the sky over Golden's beach. Thanks to the ingenuity of the folks at the research institute, these clean-burning fireworks are the perfect combination of light and sound, providing beauty and comfort. For a modest price, you can customize your own fireworks with the colors and patterns you'd like. Pay a little more, and you can even put words on them! (No profanity please, as everyone sees the fireworks!)

CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL A cruise ship has docked, decked out in festive banners and balloons for the festivities. Open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with free admission and free souvenirs, there’s a different themed activity on each of those nights! Monday night sports access to the ship’s nightclub, Wednesday sports a murder mystery starting at 8pm, and Friday sports a series of different escape rooms once the sun sets! The cruise ship may or may not be decked out solely in a variety of golden decorations, however.

THE CHILLIN’ VILLAIN A nightclub and lounge has mysteriously popped up on the border of the shadier part of Golden, and goodie two-shoes need not walk through its doors. With a temporary in-house ceasefire, all sorts of villains and antagonists are welcome to share a drink, a dance, and tell of the heists and plots they’ve devised. And if you’d rather keep your identity hidden, masks will be provided to you at a cost (it’s a villain’s lounge, not a charity!). Note: The ceasefire is mandatory, and all weapons and powers are deactivated upon entering the building.

A FOAM-IDABLE FOE Out further into the ocean are a few obstacles, rafts and arenas. On the beach are your weapons: foam armaments of every shape and style–everything from foam swords to guns that shoot foam darts to foam shields and battle-axes. Your task is simple: knock your opponent(s) or opposing team(s) off the platform and into the water using your sick new foam gear. Think of it as a… Foam Battle Royale! Want a challenge? Some of the arenas equalize the strengths and defenses of its challengers, making even the most powerful Isolans only as strong as the weakest contender on the arena.  Note: For this event, your combat powers/items will be rendered ineffective!

YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE YOUR EYES Those who enjoy a night dip in the ocean might find themselves accompanied by myriads of fireflies floating alongside them. Their tiny lights will twinkle in a rainbow of colors around you every time you move or dive underwater. And the best part is: if you don’t know how to swim or lost sight of the shore, they will keep you afloat and help you reach the shallow waters safely!

NEVER-ENDING EXTRAVAGANZA ( new! ) An entire street section of Golden Ward has been blocked off to host the most extravagant block party you've ever been to. Filled with street food, fun, and live entertainment! Residents are welcome to host their own venues and put on performances for the crowds that are sure to swarm. Performers are encouraged to take to the stage every day to show their various talents. At night, a large bonfire will be lit to end off the day's activities and serve as an exciting way to make s'mores!

ROTATION STATION ( new! ) Because our residents often find themselves stumbling along the path of love and companionship, a few brave souls have decided to use a local dessert shop as a spring point in helping people find their other halves. How, you may ask? Through blind dating, of course! Simply fill out a form on what you'd like in a partner and you'll be matched to the best of your ability on a date! Though it will only last about fifteen minutes until you have to move on to the next, so make sure to make every second count and leave a lasting impression! (Only characters 18 and above may participate.)

ARCHIMEDES WARD

BATTLE OF THE BANDS With the Tempus Museum taking root in Archimedes, the Arte Fest has been swapped out for another kind of art form. That's right--it's time to take the stage with your friends and rock out with your heart out! You can even rent out instruments to play in case you don't have any of your own. Head on over to the Theatre of Calliope to sign your band up and set your performance schedule. Rumor has it that some of the Optimized Tools from the Museum have been borrowed for this event, so if you don't know how to play, all you need is a go-gettem attitude and the instruments will do the rest. Note: This event isn't exclusive to rock bands, and all genres of music are encouraged to come and sign up, from classical to synthwave to jazz.

TOO POOL FOR SCHOOL: THE REMIX Nothing says Summer Vacation like a huge pool party, right? Well, during the day, the Water Styx and its bigger pools are hosting a pool party bash that's bigger and badder than last year! From the DJ playing the songs everyone loves to the plethora of pool floats, noodles, beach balls and water slides, it's a high energy party until the sun goes down. Yes, we said water slides! Have fun with them!

CANDY CAMOUFLAGE So, yeah, it looks like a typical home goods store. But don’t be deceived! Many of the objects you’d typically find in the store–furniture, pillows, curtains and more–are completely edible! Even then, the tastiest candies and chocolates are only for the bravest and most adventurous tasters. A treat can be hiding anywhere–a clothes hanger, a ball-point pen, a mannequin, the wallpaper… Just be careful not to crunch on a real object. And if you do, there’s a dentist down the street. The event resets at midnight each night and the store changes daily, so every experience is different! For an extra challenge, we've added an electronics store to the rest of the home goods, just to change up the environment a bit. Don't bite into a VCR, okay?

UNDER THE TABLE ( new! ) Dionysus' Chalice in Archimedes Ward has decided to hold a drinking contest--of apple cider! Seeing as they'd like to not be liable for alcohol poisoning or someone's untimely demise but still want to keep the spirit of the festival, come on down and test your limits! It's simple; drink as much apple cider as you are physically able before having to relieve yourself or you find yourself on the floor after consuming too much. The winners will receive free beverages for the rest of the year along with a small prize of 100 stars. (Must write a 500 word drabble to claim said prize)

SKY FULL OF STARS ( new! ) Near the Water of Styx, a fireworks show happens every other night that showcases not only the amazing pyrotechnic talents of its makers but also the shapes and appearances of animals from our resident's homelands. Feeling nostalgic about a specific animal that can't be found on the island? Is its appearance only seen in your mind's eye? Doodle out a picture for our show makers and they'll gladly put it into a fiery, colorful explosion to be seen in the sky.

A PORTRAIT TO REMEMBER ( new! ) The Tempus Museum has opened a limited gallery that showcases brief moments of reprieve or hardship in our residents' lives. The happiest or most content moments in an art form serve as a looking glass to simpler or difficult times. Whether it be in their native lands or in Spirale, one will be able to look fondly at choice moments that may bring them some semblance of peace and coming to terms with.

THE INTRASPACE

SPIRALE DOUBLE DASH!!: PAINBOW ROAD For a limited time, kart racing is available at the Intraspace hub! Go solo or grab a friend, customize your ride, and ride like the wind! The rules are simple–complete three laps around the circuit and try to finish in 1st place. But these aren’t your ordinary courses, and things get pretty… wild. There’s no rule against sabotaging your opponents, either. So better watch out…! Don’t worry–if you completely total your kart or fall off the edge of the track, you’ll be safely transported back to the Kart Lobby to try again in another round! The better you do in races, the better you can deck out your uniforms and kart.

ISLAND LIFE SIMULATOR What do you mean you already live on an island? Well this is different! An island is constructed digitally, and you can design it from top to bottom. Terrain, houses, even the people who populate it! Of course, you can even bring in other characters to explore this island to their heart's content!

VIRTUAL COMFORTS While known for its vast selection of various MMOs and other cyberspaces, for a limited time, one may be able to traverse the reaches of time and space to find themselves in the familiar comfort of a place from their homeland that holds significant meaning to them. Whether it be a room, place, or your figurative dream world, you may find solace in the familiar sights and scenes that only exist in your mind's eye. Though beware, it's easy to become lost in the unreality. Bring a friend to help keep you grounded if you must!

YESTERYEAR

THE FAMILIAR FRONTIER In a rare turn of events, the Yesteryear branch is open for tours of the underground. Though the fauna and reclusive residents of the ruins scatter when approached, a friendly hologram will be around to show you the safe passages into the depths of the village. And sure, everything is pretty much still in ruins and there's nothing to salvage, but it's still a chilly escape from the summer heat to explore uncharted territory. Note: Your weapons and abilities vanish once you set foot into the ruins. When you step back out of them, they'll be returned to you.

THE MISTWOOD

DINNER IN THE DRAGON COURT Ordinarily, the Forest King isn't keen on visitors to his lavish estate in the heart of the Mistwood. But he, too, is keen to show off his expansive wealth, and has decided to temporarily open his doors to the respectful public. It's a rare opportunity to tour a dragon's keep, let alone have dinner in one! And as long as your muse doesn't steal anything in his castle, they'll be just fine. And if you do happen to have sticky fingers, well. He has a right to have you for dinner instead. (More information can be found here)

THE BUN-DER DOME ...Okay, it's not as intense as it sounds. In one of the safer (albeit denser) parts of the Mistwood is a single white bunny that simply wants to play hide and seek. If you manage to humor it and catch it before the time limit, you'll receive a special little reward: a little halo that, when activated, gives your muse their own pair of bunny ears in the style they deem fit. And kisses. Fluffy little bunny kisses.

THE SWIRLING GULF

A (HOT) SPRING IN YOUR STEP The hot springs are not a new feature to the Swirling Gulf by far, but for the duration of SpiraleFes, they're catering to the summer vibes. Floating in their hot healing waters are beautiful citrus blossoms, and the soft sandy floors are full of skin-healthy mineral salts. Special summer fruits, dishes, desserts and drinks can be served spring-side, and for a bit extra, you can get a relaxing massage on the premises. For this special event, one spring in particular was given potent healing properties. Its waters ripple with a soft, soothing light, and those that soak in this spring may find their scars and other visible injuries they earned on the island start to look a bit less noticeable. Multiple dips in the spring might make them go away altogether. (More information can be found here)

SWIM THE FRIENDLY SEAS Coral Bay is renting out scuba and free-diving gear to take the opportunity to swim with the settlement's residents you don't often get to hang out with: the wildlife! It's a safe and stunning way for you to get up close with all manners of creatures. From sharks, rays and dolphins, to octopi and squids, to the turtles swimming gracefully, to the eels living in the corals! The place gets even more stunning at night as the corals light up. And when the creatures of the day retire, the creatures from the deep come up to take their turns. They look scarier, but nothing will hurt anyone!

SUNSET CIRCUIT

ZERO G’S, ZERO CARES Ever wanted to go into space to do all the cool astronaut stuff, but not go through the rigorous education and training? This event is for you! Walk through the doors of this massive dome, and you enter a zero-gravity playground, where you can zoom around and float to your heart’s content. There are various pieces of equipment and toys you can rent out and play with, as well as anchored structures to hang off of. And when you get hungry, just visit the astronaut food vending machine! It's been moved to Sunset Circuit for those space-age vaporwave vibes!

LUMINESCENT NIGHTS ( new! ) On the shores of Moon Beach at Sunset Circuit you'll find a curious sight has emerged. At night, the water begins to shimmer and glow due to bioluminescent algae and fish that have made their home underneath the waves. The locals charge a small fee to ride on the back of a sea turtle to ferry you underwater for an experience you'll never forget.

THE CITY OF GLASS

HOT GRILL SUMMER As soon as you land in the Bellows District, you can smell the sweet smoke from the barbeque party. Unsurprisingly, the locals are masters of using fire to cook, and almost anything one can think of can be found on the large, meters-long grills made of glass or something because They Do Be Likin Their Glass Tho. Though the main fare are things native to the island, such as the fruits from the Ash Garden, there are typical dishes familiar to most people here too. It's an all-you-can-eat grilled dinner, just for one dinner ticket. So enjoy the smoked, roasted, and grilled delicacies: from fruits to meats to desserts!

PECULIAR PETTING ZOO We don't really know how or why, but some of the strange fauna of the island have decided to willingly come up to the village to interact with the locals and tourists alike. Most are happy to appear in photos, and a few of them will even allow themselves to be petted. (Especially if they can be bribed with some food...!) Since the animals simply return to the wild when they don't feel like dealing with people anymore, many of them cycle out, and you might find different animals the next day!

SKY-STREWN ISLES

SLIP AND SLISLES When one thinks of floating islands, the thought of water parks is hardly the first to spring to mind. Only, in this case, it seems to be the biggest bash the isles have put together on it thus far. One of the larger islands has been converted into what seems like a large pool with waters flowing over on all sides, creating a rather spectacular waterfall that never seems to touch ground. Not only that, but they've managed to outfit the smaller islands with things such as spring boards and waterslides that aim toward the main island of the attraction, surf machines and water bumper cars on some others, and even stalls and bars where you can get all the goodies you could ever need for fun in the sun! The biggest attraction is their Totally Tube-ular tunnel slide, crafted with unbreakable, see-through glass that starts from the highest isle above the recreation area. You'll be granted a breathtaking view as you slide down it in various twists and turns, all before plunging into the large island pool for a spectacular splash landing. And don't think you have to go home once the sun sets, either! This carries on well into the night hours, giving people the opportunity to stargaze and see the lit up city and gulf below as they swim and play, with sparklers and other firecrackers offered to help light up the festivities if wanted. Oh, and there's no fear in falling off. Anyone who isn't too careful or is curious, they'll find themselves inside a convenient bubble that carries you back to one of the islands before popping.

THE ECHO

PROP HAUNT The ghosts in the museum want in on the summer fun, and have decided to play some hide-and-seek! The shadows will attempt to disguise themselves as other objects in the room, and you and your friends have to find all of them in the allotted time by bonking them with a squeaky hammer. If you and your team win, you'll be rewarded with a small glass orb that lets you change your appearance to be all spooky and translucent like a ghost! (Any wins after that will be converted to dust instead) If you'd like to play with your friends instead, the 'ghosts' on your team will be given a paintbrush that will let them transform into any of the objects in the room. There's no prize for this one, but you can finally live out your dream of being a statue! (Or bonk your friends with a squeaky hammer) Arenas available: Statue Garden, Dollhouse, Painting Gallery

ABYSSAL SPEEDRUN ANY% An obstacle course for the daring, adrenaline-fueled, no-self-preservation junkies out there. Test your own strength and willpower by jumping into the hole in the middle of the city, which will land you in Abyss, at the bottom of The Echo. From here, you'll race against the less-friendly shadows who want nothing more than to catch you. Reaching the exit three times in a row, with a faster time each time, will net you a nifty prize! Each speedrun after the first will conjure a 'ghost' of your previous run to help you keep track. Sometimes, 'ghosts' of other players will appear too, fueling you competitive ones out there! So what's the prize? A glow-in-the-dark, ever-shifting shadowy T-shirt that says "I risked my life in Abyss and all I got was this shirt!" "At this point, wouldn't it be easier and safer to visit one of the other activities…?" -- The Curator

THE LAND OF BURNT UMBER

HOT-IN-THE-AIR BALLOON RIDES ( new! ) It looks like another hot day out there, doesn't it? But we promise it's not because of the rising temperatures! In fact, if you look up to the sky, you can see a myriad of hot air balloons taking flight, all with a pretty array of colors for each one, set to take you on a ride over the desert itself. Going to the Draping Quarters, you can find their launch site nestled comfortably atop the canyon where homes are built into, where you can sign up for whichever balloon you'd like to take. You can go solo, as a duo, or in groups of three, but no more for the safety of the basket and so you all can get a beautiful view across the sands and, if lucky, to the rest of the island itself depending on the route it goes.

BON(D)S OF FIRE ( new! ) When the sun begins to set for a good night's rest, you'll find that several bonfires have lit up the place in several areas. There are seats kept around it with music to vibe to, as well as several refreshments within arms reach that keep themselves stocked over the course of the evening. You can also request things to roast over it if you'd like, whether it be sweets or more hearty meals, enough to satisfy you if you're seeking something hot to munch on. Either way, those who arrive are all welcome to find a seat to have a good chat around the fires and to see the twinkling stars beyond the sparks of flame that rises into the skies from them.

SURF-SAND-TURF ( new! ) Across the Hills of Silver, especially nearby the larger dunes, are several areas with signs that read sand surfing. If you thought surfing along the ocean waves was fun, then getting onto one of the custom built boards to speed down and along the sands will be a treat for you! Anyone who comes along and wants to give it a try will be allowed to choose their own starting point and paths, giving them the chance to allow themselves the most comfortable experience or to challenge themselves to their hearts content, with various areas you can pick from. Whether you decide to ride the smaller dunes for a short thrill or take on the highest peaks and navigate through them is up to you!

A DIG FROM THE HEART ( new! ) Upon entering the Land of Burnt Umber, people will be greeted with a small stall, one that speaks of an exciting treasure hunt for all to enjoy. Agreeing will land you a randomized map of the general area where the treasure can be found, with hints and clues to be deciphered helping you along the way to find it. Don't worry, none of these will take you into immediate danger, allowing you to take all the time you'd like in finding it. What's this treasure, you ask? Nobody can tell you for certain, only that it's not a specific thing. Rather, those who find what they're seeking will be rewarded with a harmless trinket from their home that's precious to them that they can keep permanently. Whether it's a stuffed plush that you always slept with at night or your favorite pen you didn't have with you when arriving, anything is in the realm of possibility so long as it's something you treasure.

CATCH THESE SANDS ( new! ) Out more in open spaces, visitors will find a proximity line and, upon closer inspection, what seems to be a makeshift area locked in combat. Joining in on the fun, you'll be assigned a random color from three, given some protective gear, and handed a toy firearm that shoots out endless sand pellets. The goal is to rack up as many points as you can until your team comes out on top. Whether that means shooting the makeshift targets of varying size first, with the smaller the size gaining you the most points, or turning on the enemy team that gets in your way to victory is up for you to decide. And don't worry about getting hurt, as the pellets will break softly on what they hit on impact, leaving behind only annoying grains of sand on your clothes and that get into your shoes if you're unlucky enough.

[sam-i-am-27]

Scraps

I got inspired by @fangirltothefullest ‘s Steampunk AU. Go check it out cause it’s awesome.

Thomas around at the small organized mess and sighed. 

Months ago, he, Joan and Talyn had stumbled across the burning remains of what appeared to be a joint human-automaton community that was only days old, all cleanup and rebuilding needs ignored by the government. Being the curious people they were, had decided to go searching through it for potentially yielding results. 

They had begun searching this area of the destruction and had surprisingly found quite a lot. A few mechanical legs, a few fingers that still twitched to rejoin their full bodies, and half of an automaton that had an intact but broken voice box stuck on repeat. He hated that they were selling parts of a once-living being, but to live, they had to do what they needed.

However, even after being polished, taken apart and oiled, none of it had sold for more than a few bits, scarcely more than what Thomas was paid already.

Joan had given up two days into searching after they had found a mostly-intact duffle bag chock full of notebooks and pencils. To them, that was rewarding enough.

Talyn had left simply because they saw no more reason to look when there seemed to be nothing left to find. They wanted to focus on their own life rather than this side-adventure.

But Thomas was determined to find something- anything that could help him succeed in this world. He knew it was probably pointless to keep looking, but he didn’t have anything more to lose if he did.

Thomas clambered over the stone, picking up a few pieces of aluminum and stuffing them into his bag. Once he found a leg that might have belonged to a dog next to a hand still holding a leather collar labeled ‘Poppy’. That he left, not wanting to disrupt the dead any more than he already was. He used an old piece of rebar to help him turn over pieces of metal that were still smoking or chunks of rusty barb wire that would have forced him to sell his house for medical care. It would have been beautiful without the orange-gray skies of smoke and a sense of death in the air.

He flipped his pack over his shoulder and began to count his earnings when something suddenly caught his eye. A mostly-intact house less than a mile from where he currently was. Sure, it was smoking a little bit, but there were four mostly clear walls and half a roof; most of the others in the area were missing the entire roof, so for this one to survive meant there must be something special about it. Maybe there were tools in there that he could use for work.

A smile crept across his face as he realized just how much Joan and Talyn were missing out now.

Thomas stopped in front of the door, using his metal stick to try and gently push it open only for it to completely fall over.

“Oops.”

“Hello?! Is someone there?!”

He froze, looking around for the voice. It had been male, slightly mechanic- most likely another broken android.

“Please?! Is anyone there?!” The same voice- somewhat cheery and hopeful, with a childlike innocence laced in the plea- but a different phrase. Whatever was there had an intact voice box, probably worth more than Thomas’ house.

“Yeah! I’m coming, don’t worry! Just keep talking!”

“Okay! Uh…”

“Need you to keep talking! You’re an automaton right?” Nothing in the kitchen.

“We are.” A different voice, very robotic for, well, a robot.

“Can you tell me what happened here?” No sign of life in the bedroom.

“Our maker abandoned us during the fire. We have been trapped here ever since.”

“I’m… sorry. I truly am.”

“Thank you for your sympathy, but it will not change anything. What has happened is in the past, and none of us can change that.”

Thomas turned a corner and saw a closed door with a chair jammed under the handle. He approached and knocked on the door.

“Are you in here?”

“Yes, we are. The chair is keeping us from leaving.”

“Easy fix.” He kicked the chair out of the way and opened the door. The sudden light sent the five beings inside of the room scrambling back, one of them sheltering them with his arms. Thomas didn’t move, taking in the sight before him.

The room was tiny, barely enough for one person, let alone five broken automatons.

The one closest to him had dark skin with curly red-brown hair and eyes just a little brighter. He wore a singed white tail-coat over a black, long-sleeved shirt with a high collar and puffy sleeves. His hands were covered with black leather gloves and he wore boots the same color with pants that were probably bought with the coat. He had retained all of his limbs but the left side of his face was slightly cracked and his mouth was moving, but producing a low grumble and occasional whine.

The ones behind him were in even worse shape than him.

The one wearing yellow and black with brown haired dyed yellow at the ends was missing the entire left side of his face, exposing the iris and inner workings to the world. His right leg had also been destroyed, leaving him lying in the heaps of one of the others. As Thomas observed him, he shot him an untrusting glare with his yellow-brown eye.

This one looked like the first voice belonged to him. He had large brown eyes with curly hair dyed blue at the ends and wore a pair of large round spectacles. His outfit was composed of what looked like a blue and gray sweatshirt, but it was mostly hidden by the brown mechanics apron around his neck, a red heart stamped onto the front and multiple tools spilling out of the pocket.

The other two to the left were a little better off.

The one looking at him seemed completely undamaged, other than the fact that his right arm was missing and many of his gears were showing (although Thomas was debating as to whether or not it was a design choice or damage). Similar to the previous, he wore rectangular glasses over his blue eyes and had black hair dyed dark blue at the tips. He had a simple blue and silver vest, the rest of his outfit composed of black clothing.

But the last automaton was what scared and excited Thomas the most.

This one was completely intact, no dents, no chips, no missing limbs, but he wasn’t moving, his purple eyes blank and unmoving. His brown-purple hair was dull from lack of sunlight and his patchwork clothing was frayed from time.

“Come on, let me help you,” Thomas said, holding out his hand.

“Why should we trust you?” the Half-Face hissed. “The last human we trusted left us to rot here. Are you a scavenger looking for parts?”

“Dylan,” the Mechanic scolded. “He’s offering help.”

“He’s a human, Patton! Humans can’t be trusted!” Dylan said.

“I am not going to harm you… yes, it is true that I am a scavenger, but I only take what I need! Scraps and such! I am not going to do anything to you,” Thomas promised softly.

The one with the broken voice box tapped the one missing his arm and then pointed to the shut down one. They exchanged a few hand gestures, engaging the others a few times before looking at Thomas. The one without an arm spoke first, his voice matching that of that had thanked him earlier. “Our friend here… he is an older model; he runs on a wind-up mechanism but the key was destroyed… Would you be able to help him?”

“With the right tools, of course, I could. I’m a horologist- I make clocks and most of those are also wind-up mechanisms. I will help him and all of you. I’ll find a way to make you... mostly mobile again, find a way to fix your voice box, as many things as I can.” 

The others looked at each other before Arm stood as much as he could in the small space. “Thank you. It means so much to us that you will help us. I am Logan. The one here,” he pointed to the Broken Voice, “is Roman. You know Patton and Dylan. Our friend here is Virgil…”

“It’s nice to meet you all. I’m Thomas. Now let’s get you out of this mess.”

[inkabelledesigns]

It's a little too soon for me to be brainstorming for a new doll, but I'm doing it anyway because otherwise I'd be miserable.

The doll in question is the lovely Spider Gwen, to go alongside Nissima as Sydnei, Keyblade Wielder from the Land of Imagination. I recently read the comics Marvel did about Figment and the Dreamfinder, and it's got me super inspired to tie it into my Kingdom Hearts story that's brewed in my head on and off for a while now. Hence why I'm using a Marvel doll, I like being meta like that. If you're unfamiliar with this tale, it's based off of an attraction at Disney's Epcot that's been changed over the years to no longer include the Dreamfinder, called Journey into Imagination with Figment. In the comic, the Dreamfinder is an inventory named Blair living in London in 1910, searching for ways to create energy out of brainpower. In his experiments, he accidentally creates a purple dragon from his imagination named Figment, and the two go on a marvelous adventure.

In adapting it to Kingdom Hearts, I'd love to try bringing it in using the adventuring days of Master Yen Sid, the wizard who lives in the mysterious tower that sends Sora on his missions. Goofy has mentioned many times now that they used to travel and protect worlds together, so I'd like to dive into that since the game series hasn't, and probably never will given how many medias Yen Sid belongs to. My thought is that while he's out in Blair's story trying to help against the various threats, he imagines having a keyblade wielder to help them out, and thus Sydnei comes into existence, much like Figment did, to help against the threat. She goes off and lives her life in the realms of imagination and assisting Blair and Figment after Yen Sid comes home, but several years later, he calls on her again to come help after the events of KH3, when there are mysteries to be solved about the organization. While Sora handles the mysteries, she goes out and helps some worlds that he doesn't have time to attend to, such as Atlantica during the plot of The Little Mermaid 2, where she meets and teams up with Nissima. I want to add one more person to their team, but I haven't determined who yet. I considered Oswald, or maybe Goofy's son Max, even Stitch for a little bit, but nothing has fit so far. But yeah, this is my way to cross many worlds, including movies like Cocoa, Atlantis, Inside Out, maybe Moana, too many good options!

But back to the doll, I'm having some trouble working out her design.

The hardest part is coming up with something that fits the steampunk aesthetic of her world while still reading as a Kingdom Hearts design. Admittedly I don't work with steampunk as a genre ever, so this is a new experience. The other issue is that my sewing skills aren't great. I know how to make ponchos for toys though, and I really love the idea of her having a small poncho or shawl. I have a bag of discarded charms with some golden rose beads and other small beads that may work for dressing up her pigtails and accessories. Maybe if I change the boots to be more button up and leather, that could work nicely. I know I had a lot of fun dressing up Nissima's pants, as originally they were white and stained, so I used watered down acrylics to add some interest. I'd like to do something similar with this shawl, then paint some sunset-like clouds onto it. I dunno what my palette is for sure. I've considered the Sorcerer's Apprentice with bold white, blue, and red to fit with Yen Sid, but I also like the pastel purple and orange for Figment. I also feel like there should be something on her head, but I don't know what. And don't get me started on the keyblade, that's gonna be super tricky. I have an old compass I may bring into it though.

That's enough rambling from me though. I just needed to spill something so I could move on with the day. We're all moved in, but the house has been tense, and I need a break. Thanks for listening, and if you've got any constructive feedback or advice, let me know! I'm still early on in Syd's design stage and I want to make her shine. Have a great day folks!

[deadxbhxaccount]

RULES Answer the Questions and Tag some peeps Tagged by: @antique-steampuppet Nickname: Sid, Malfunction, Red

Gender: I’ll go by anything, but prefer they/them

Star Sign: Virgo

Time: 8:12

Birthday: September 5th 

Favorite Bands: Steam powered giraffe, The Dear Hunter, Crown The Empire, Set It Off, Pierce The Veil, Skillet, Get Scared, Hollywood Undead, The Used, Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, Falling In Reverse, The Hush Sound, Dirt Poor Robins, The Neighborhood, My Chemical Romance, Ghost Town, Sleeping with sirens, Baby Metal, Florence + The Machines, Frenchy and the punk, Modest Mouse, Icon For Hire, System of a down, idk if Snails House is considered a band but whatever

Favorite Solo Artist: idk asdfghjkl;’

Song Stuck In My Head: ‘She said Maybe’ and ‘Gg the giraffe’ by @officialsteampoweredgiraffe

Last Movie: Deadpool 2

Last Show: I cant remember if it I watched Voltron Legendary Defense or Aggretsuko  last asdfghjkl;’

Reason for Blog: The prevois reason was just to post art and rp but now it’s to have shits'n'giggles with friends, art and mostly to start a conversation with poeple on the internet so i’ll avoid of talking to a person in person [this reason was from @antique-steampuppet but its accurate for me too]

Contents: Related shit, rl things going on, MeMe’S, and steam powered giraffe asdfghjkl;’

Last Thing I Googled: Steam Powered Giraffe fanart

Other Blogs: yEeT

Reason Behind Url: I love robots and steampunk stuff, and my emotions are constantly up and down without reason, so Automaton[ic]:  a moving mechanical device made in imitation of a human being, and Malfunction: because again my mental state coulf be concidered ‘glitchy’ idfk dont question me Im tired

Following: 282

Followers: 52

Lucky Number: idk, I like to concider 6 my lucky number, but thats just because its my favorite number :|

Instruments: yEET-- I play ukulele, piano, and a tiny but of violin and acoustic guitar

Current Outfit: Blue Black White and Grey oversized flannel that used to belong to my older brother, a grey tantop I stole from my mom, dark blue distressed jeans, my special geared heart necklace signed by Rabbit [@ bunnybennett ], and black reebok shoes 0<0

Dream Job: Youtube 

Last Book: The Court of Thorns and Roses by  Sarah J. Maas

Top 3 Universes: idk-- what does this mean??? Like AUs?? idk I’d like to live in a steampunk world. or just bioshock. or bloodborne. idk if i answered this properly. But oh well anSWERS! Any Steampunk universe, Any Bioshock game, and Bloodborne.  I tag @omysteampoweredheart , @silentclockwork-art , and @rainymoodstuff I guess??? idk sorry Im tired-

[becomingherocomic]

Becoming Hero

E-mail Subject Lines that WORK for Comics Creators and Scifi Writers #iartg #indiecomics

Hey there!

You’re a creator. You sell things via e-mail. And as you know, what applies to fitness e-mail marketers may not apply to your steampunk elephant comic; mileage varies.

I’ve spent a little time studying the expert copy creators who net thousands of dollars per e-mail. I’ve also tried applying their principles to COMICS creators and scifi fans like myself over several years and a tight niche of several thousand e-mails. Voila, below.

And as far as I’m tracking, the blog post you’re reading is the only analysis available online now about e-mail subject lines that work for small fringe culture creators like me and you.

What I’ve learned from expert copy creators:

Putting a dollar sign in your subject line increases opens. For a lot of copywriters, subject lines offering money still work. “A $2000 ethical bribe?” and so forth.

From the Gmail Boomerang add-on (which I highly recommend), computer analysis demonstrated that asking questions (putting a ?) in the subject line helps. For that matter, asking questions in the e-mail increases response rate, and subject lines like “Your Questions Answered” also generated thousands of clicks. Questions imply conversation. People want to continue that.

Creating scarcity works. Subject lines that seemed to work from several resources I studied (“you missed it” or “expires tonight”) make readers uncomfortable enough to click. FOMO, baby. Other subject lines that created discomfort in other ways worked, too, like offering “a quick warning,” or “Please don’t be angry” etc. Your e-mail better actually deliver on the threat, though: a lot of us find this use of negative emotion annoying and click-bait-y. I would be careful using this specifically for indie comics fans, who tend to be a bit more cynical.

Giving away free stuff they know about works (“I’m giving away tickets to XXX).

What I discovered from my own tests on a couple thousand specifically scifi or comics readers over several years:

I got one of my highest open rates, 56.7% open rate, astoundingly high in this industry, with the simple subject line “I failed.” That’s one you can use, too. This worked for me because I’ve already built up a relationship, so people care if I’ve failed, but of course there’s no denying the human desire for schadenfreude. People want to look at train wrecks. Maybe give them a train wreck every now and then.

Got almost 50 percent, from my e-mail address with the subject line “My artist got robbed.” I attribute this to PERSONAL relationship already built up, and the sense of drama the personal “my” and the statement create. Granted, at that time my open rate was somewhat increased because I had just purged non-openers (something you should definitely do), but the result still stands: tell a story in one sentence.

41% open rate for “Now YOU can earn money off MY scifi! Also, more organism-city space opera”. Several e-mails in that particular series had open rates over 40 percent, likely because of interest built by the series (people want to keep reading what they’re already reading). But the offer of money didn’t hurt.

Last year, “Thought I’d lost you” got over 50 percent opens, a number generally unheard of in e-mail marketing. This uses the same “threat” principle described above. Use negative emotion carefully.

“What weird adventure skill do you want to learn? Can I help?” got over 50 percent as well last year. Again, that entire series did well because I was sharing, in pieces, this scifi story about living in a city made of organic moving hallways. But this e-mail stood out above the rest because of the question.

“Cowboy hat, photon blaster, and a thousand dollar question.” 40 percent open rate. These weird scifi lists of things tend to get good open rates for me, but usually around the low 40s. It helps that this particular subject line included money and the word question.

At a whopping 63 percent sits the simple subject line from two years ago: “You left this at my house”. I can’t find the AB test, but I am fairly sure I tested this same subject line against “This belongs to you.” AB testing helped with my open rates a lot in the beginning. It’s a neat feature you can use in Mailchimp. It didn’t go so well when I tried to repeat a similar subject line too close to the original “you left this at my house.” 

My open rates went up, in general, when I changed my e-mail format to something my subscribers could understand and expect. I went from an average of twenties to an average of forties by rebranding as “your scifi superhero sister,” where I send ONE scifi story and ONE #superheroalert in each e-mail, and try to keep the chit-chat short. I let people know up front what to expect by setting that standard with a series of automated e-mails they get as soon as they join my list. This gets people in the habit of clicking my e-mails for free things, and then eventually when I send out my marketing e-mails they click to buy things.

Note that for a small, tight-knit, niche audience like mine, I have higher expectations overall: while Mailchimp lists the artist industry average at about 35 percent, I expect open rates much higher, and generally consider a 22 percent a failure even though in other industries that’s quite good. This picture is pretty common for indie fiction creators, whose work relies on close emotional connection more than most other industries. At any one time, I have no more than 2000 subscribers; I have had over 6000 to 7000 various contacts at one time or another, but I aggressively purge people who aren’t going to read my work. Don’t want to waste their time or mine. And that scales up: the big successful creators with thousands of rabid fans start from a base of a few hundred rabid fans, but the key is still rabies. 

Create rabies by telling a story with your subject lines. That’s the bottom line for fiction creators, and the main thing that sets us apart from the rest of the e-mail marketing industry. We tell stories.

Let’s leverage that.

Oh, and because you read to the end, and I know you’re serious about selling your work, you can have a free marketing book I made: fifty free or cheap resources to automate your creative marketing FOR YOU! Enjoy. -_^

http://becominghero.ninja/e-mail-subject-lines-that-work-for-comics-creators-and-scifi-writers-iartg-indiecomics/

[unholyhelbiglinked]

Taken and Turned | 1

SNOW COATED every inch of the ground, it's white and subtle touch burning against my eyes. Everything looked so undisturbed- black oil and soot pressed against either side of the highway in attempts to dirty a perfect winter wonderland.

Large pine trees lined either side of the winding trail, the green standing out against everything else- including the deep grey that littered the sky. The scent of a burning plastic was still thick in my lungs; the rental car not being touched by a living soul since last summer.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel until my knuckles turned a sickly shade of white. I couldn't feel them anyway, the leather just as cold as the windows that threatened to fog at any moment. The silence amplifying the sound of the tire against freshly thickened ice.

A soft fluorescing light filled the car as a rough buzz sounded against the cup holder that my phone rested in. A shaky sigh moving past my lips as Tyler's contact photo flashed against my vision. He would keep calling, I knew he would.

With a little hesitation, I slid my finger against the cooled screen, raising it to my ear as I slowed my speed. I didn't want to wreck before I even got to the place- the roads empty and desolate. If I crashed, there was little to no chance of even being found.

"Tell me it's not true."

"Hello to you too, Ty."

He paused for a second, but I could hear his breath. It was spotty and drawn in. His anger was apparent, something I hated to hear from him. The moment I asked Joey for the keys, I knew I would be getting a phone call; both boys wary enough to keep scarce contact with one another.

"What the hell are you thinking?" he hissed, voice like venom. "You've done some reckless things these past few months Andrea, but this is by far the worst."

I was silent, not knowing exactly what to say. Reckless? Yes, it was. Everything about this little weekend trip had danger written across its face in giant block letters. "It's necessary."

"For what?" Tyler asked, tone refusing to soften, even just a bit. He was out in public, I could hear the creak of a few doors and the sound of a sink running. He didn't have time for my antics, he didn't have time to follow me out here.

"For my sanity."

He let out a thick sigh, this time it was steady. This time he knew exactly what he could do. Nothing. I was already too far down the road to turn back, that giant brass key sitting next to me and a travel sized bag filled with clothes rattling around in the back seat.

"This is your choice, Andrea." He said, "I suppose I can't talk you out of it?"

"No," I whispered, knowing he could hear it. He could hear everything at this point, his surroundings quieting enough for both of us to sit in an uncomfortable silence. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are," Tyler said, the silence becoming permanent as he hung up. No warning, no goodbye. Part of me aching just to hear his anger again. We never left conversations with malice- but this time was different.

I wanted to believe that he would forgive and forget. That he purposely didn't give me parting words in hope that I would return and search for them myself. Incentive other than relief, I suppose. I threw the phone down in the passenger seat next to me, it made an odd, yet soft noise as it pressed against the upholstery.

The trees began to thin, parting to the bright light of a sky as my thoughts varied. This was it, the house was only another mile ahead. A mile of thick woods and isolation tactics that reminded me more of the shining. Not a Victorian mansion.

Nothing about the mansion was normal, though. A far cry from the night I had spent there two years back. The weather colder and taught iron gates stronger. It stilled loomed in its excessive style- two stories of pure elegance made up of brick and white paneling.

The stone driveway wrapped around a lime fountain- the carving of an angel dripping with rust and stains. The water had been stopped for the winter months, instead, white powder collected in the eyes and piled on the sagging and chipped wings.

The brakes on the car groaned in exasperation as I came to a full stop in front of the large front steps, cleared and easily accessed from the rest of the winter storm. The same storm that made a pale yellow light shine like gold across the crystallized ice.

Cold bit through my clothes quickly, the keys in my hand the only thing to keep the heat that I was blasting for the last 300 miles. My legs aching and numb from sitting in the same position for hours on end.

Everything was a peaceful quiet as I climbed the steps, careful not to slip on any condensation, again going back to thinking about how empty this place was. If I fell, no one would be around. No one except them.

Part of me wanted to knock. The large iron lion that stared at me was most likely cemented to the door with ice, but I took a chance anyway- a ripping sound filling the air as it broke apart from its basin fairly easy.

I let it fall a few times, echoing and strong as the house seemed to shake in its silence. I kept the keys in my palm, not wanting to use them at all. I wasn't even sure what door they went too- Joey getting pale and almost unresponsive when I mentioned anything to do with the place.

After a few agonizing seconds, the door creaked open, warmth radiating from the foyer, my heart racing against the inside of my wrist as I caught a small glimpse of the same old winding staircase and checked black and white floors that I only thought belonged in tacky diners or small delis.

Her eyes immediately reflected some sense of recognition. Her shoulders strong and squared as she kept her stone cut jaw raised slightly. It was odd- seeing her after so long. Her hair cropped to the same blonde pixie cut that it was before- her stare a deep grey.

"Andrea?" She gasped, quickly taking in my appearance as well, a slight smile on her pink lips. "I never expected to see you again."

"That makes two of us," I chuckled a bit, more a nervous habit than anything. She looked good, dressed in something other than a steampunk creation that Cedric made her keep. Part of me didn't know what to call her anymore, the old nickname "jetpack girl" Not fitting her current appearance.

"Come on in, you must be freezing." She wasn't mistaken, my own limbs feeling numb as I stepped into the large welcoming room. Everything looked the same, smelled the same- other than the distinct lack of copper.

A large rug was a new addition. Right at the edge of the stairs to cover up the very spot that Joey had fallen under the blade of a sword aimed towards a woman with a pension for evil. One that destroyed any sense of family that I had created.

Jetpack girl cleared her throat, the door having been closed. She must have caught me staring at the exact place- the exact moment this house was released from evil. "I knew one of you would come back, I just assumed it would be Tyler."

I gave her a genuine smile this time. "No, I don't think he'll ever step foot back in this place."

"I don't blame him." She rocked back and forth on her toes for a second. "Don't take this the wrong way, Andrea. But why?"

I swallowed roughly, mouth dry despite that. Grey eyes peered into mine as I struggled to find an answer. Part of it had been my sanity, my well-being. The thoughts that kept me up at night strange and unwelcoming. "I want to learn more."

"About the house?" She asked, voice hushed.

"No," I shook my head, quiet with my own words. "About her."