#astronaut bead charm

[umbrella-show]

CRYPTIC LETTERS

Yan ROTTMNT x Reader

Just a small drabble that took way to long-

THIS IS IN NO WAY APPROVING OF A ABUSIVE OR TOXIC RELATIONSHIP

TW: Kidnaping, Invasion of privacy

Letters flooded your mailbox, overfilling it and crumpling some of the envelopes in the small space. You would be surprised and very confused, if you hadn't been experiencing this for a couple of months now. It all started one random Saturday, when you went to check your mailbox and was met with an unaddressed letter. You had curiously brought it inside and opened it, revealing a paragraph that read something along the lines of ‘being happy to finally meet you’ and ‘promising to continue writing to you.’ It was signed with four names. Raph, Leo, Othello von Ryan, and Mikey.

You had assumed it was meant for one of your neighbors, because you knew no one with those names. You had asked them but they denied knowing the names as well. Since no one knew who wrote the letter, you had decided to just keep it in your room. You felt bad you couldn’t find who it was meant for, and you didn’t want to just throw it away either. You thought it would just be a one time thing, but days later you had received another letter from the same people. Again, you asked around and got nothing so you left it with the first one.

Overtime, they kept writing to you, and you eventually stopped reading the letters and started throwing the letters away, since they were piling up. You started finding more and more letters being stuffed in your mailbox. This time was no different, you thought. However, you noticed a small package buried in the sea of envelopes. This was new. You took all the letters and the packages in your house, placing them on the kitchen table. You separated the letters from the package, looking down at the box.

You were extremely curious, yet nervous. You opened the box slowly, peeking inside. What you saw was a bracelet with colorful beads and charms, a stuffed bear and a comic book. You fully opened the box now and gently grabbed the bracelet and bear inside. You looked at them both, placing them on the table as you continued going through the box’s contents. You grabbed the comic book next. The cover displayed a man in some kind of astronaut suit and an anthropomorphic red panda. The title read ‘Jupiter Jim. Time Warp.’ The comic book looked slightly crumpled and used. You flipped through some of the pages, finding a few of them had the top corners folded to act as a bookmark.

You glanced back at all of the items that were in the box, then at the stack of letters. You concluded the same people who had sent you the letters also sent you this box of things. Throwing everything away would most likely be the best option, you concluded. You were about to put everything back in the box before you caught a glimpse of something purple. You looked back and noticed a small purple device at the bottom of the box, hidden under everything else. You gently held it in your hand, feeling your blood run cold with fear and disbelief.

It looked like a camera, a red light blinking behind the lens. Your hands slightly shook as you placed the camera back into the box, stuffing the rest of the items back in there. You needed to throw this thing out. Probably also contact the police while you’re at it. You closed the box as was about to pick it up before you heard the sound of glass shatter from somewhere behind you.

You shakily turned your head to see four figures, standing in the doorway. You have enough time to register their obvious non-human appearance. One of them charged at you, wrapping a piece of cloth around your eyes to block your vision as you felt a pinch in your arm. Minutes later, you felt your body go limp and sag in the hold of whatever was now carrying you as you slipped into unconsciousness.

[karltface]

Guess what time it is.

Extra fortified! And rather hefty at that; this should be interesting.

Natural Wonders comes first, and needs multiple groupings. The growing rat is grey, so that'll sit well with the white one. Old Diplodocus is always fun, as are the cheesy 90s black critters. Frogs are charmingly vintage, but I must call attention to that lovely blue lizard. It's an incredibly floppy jiggler of some sort, but damned if I can place it.

And then there's bug friends. More 90s critters, a couple colorful beetles, and a gat-dang copepod! I'm leaving the flash on that one, though. Too fragile.

Here's a fun mix. Couple spaceships, a handful of milk caps with slammer, and far too many Madballs pop beads. I'm running out of ways to drape these on stuff. Nah, they're fun. My Krusher looks like a rainbow Hollywood Hogan.

Peeps! Speaking of Hogan, that's clearly him on the left there. I think it's Neptuneman, actually. But still. He and Asuraman are helping drunk Gumby stay up, while some manner of ogre walks his Bizarro Pokeys. A very impressive astronaut is done with their crap.

You bet we're still going! There's always a healthy dose of spookitude in these, and this is quite a pile of buttons. They're the GeneriCo sort I've reviewed before, and always a fun giveaway if you know a lot of Halloween people. The keychain skeleton is younger than the pocket clip duder by about 10 years, but they have equal charm.

Munch Bunch strikes again! I'm starting to think this was a double box, due to issues on one end or the other. I always forget these things. Anyway, I like to sneak these onto pens wherever I go. That one still looks sinister in yellow.

Another oddball mix: the eye, which I took to be a standalone item, is in fact Oculus Orbus, or rather the knockoff counterpart thereof, like the green suction-cup faces here. So that's fun. Stacking totems are cool, the rings are always a hit, and the slime heads prove kids have always dug that stuff. A sticker and classic gag round out the good times.

It's been Greasy, folks.

[centiasoddboutique]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Astronaut Spaceman Galaxy Cosmos Dangle Earrings.

[crochetcreationcafe]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Stars New.

[neo-nostalgia-shop]

❤ Just a cute lil astronaut blasting off to Saturn, for all the space lovers out there! ❤

Available on my Etsy shop! These earrings feature antique silver tone astronaut charms, affixed to an eye pin adorned with metallic blue seed beads and round black plastic beads, hanging from purple and gold enamel Saturn charms with tiny crystal rhinestones. All findings are brand new and all jewelry is created in a clean work space. As an additional health and safety precaution, all earrings are disinfected in bio-septic earring cleanser immediately prior to packaging in an air tight package. These earrings measure 6.5cm (2.5") in total length, and charms 2cm (0.75") in width. If you have any questions about this product, feel free to message me!

[dcvw]

Just got one, and...these are awesome

GEARPATROL: You Can Buy the Watch Bracelet Used by NASA Astronauts

After shuffling off this mortal coil a while back, Massachusetts-based watch bracelet brand Forstner has been resurrected in the 21st Century — and the brand is celebrating its rebirth by recreating some of the most iconic styles of decades past. With the ongoing enthusiasm for vintage watch styles, it's only surprising that more companies haven't made this move sooner.

The "beads-of-rice" bracelet has seen a boom in popularity in recent years, but there are many more funky and charming bracelet types that'll match that vintage or vintage-inspired watch on your wrist. From the Komfit style on which NASA astronauts wore their Omega Speedmasters to the oft-forgotten "bonklip," Forstner is producing several archetypal vintage bracelets — and doing so for pretty reasonable prices... 

[generousgems]

Ohm's September BOTM is Here.... NEW RELEASE Preview Day!

Ohm’s September BOTM is Here…. NEW RELEASE Preview Day!

Is it an astronaut? Is it an ARGH bead? We don’t know, but we KNOW it will be fantastic! As with all BOTM charms, this is sure to go fast on preorder, we are trying to update inventory as orders come in, if two customers have the last ones in their cart, it is first come first serve and we will refund the last received order if we run out of available quantity. We are sorry if this happens, with…

[pandora15]

Multiples of fives, 33, and 38, please?

5. are you self-conscious of your smile?

Well, yes and no? Like in photographs, yeah, because it’s a fake smile and it’s very Obviously fake.  But not when I’m actually smiling.

10. do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?

on my side! When I was little I used to sleep on my stomach, until I messed up my neck doing that (ie. my head was rotated to the side for a few days and moving it hurt), so ever since then I started sleeping on my side.

15. go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!

The Apollo astronauts’ footprints on the moon will probably stay there for at least 100 million years.

20. what’s your favorite eye color?

I don’t really have a favorite? I feel like all eyes are pretty.

25. what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into?

Hm…I had to break in to my high school during the weekend once because I left my textbook in my locker and I needed it for homework.  I ended up getting trapped in the stairwell for a bit until a custodian let me out.

30. think of it: have you ever been truly scared?

Well, there are different kinds of fear.  Scared for my life? No.  Scared about the unknown? Yeah, that’s kinda where I’m at right now, if I’m being honest.

33. what’s your fave pastry?

Hmm…I like cannolis (yes, because of obi wan cannoli), croissants, and eclairs.

35. do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?

I like the idea of using them but I guess I’m a little too impatient to actually use them -.-

38. tell us about your pet peeves!

Uhh chalk and chalkboard in general? Like I’d rather not interact.

40. think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you?

I might have mentioned this before, but I have a necklace that has a TARDIS, a blue-grey stone (yes, for obi-wan, don’t judge me), and a little charm that says “Passion.”  Basically I bought a TARDIS necklace during my first year of college, and then I went to my friend’s house, and she had a bunch of beads and stuff and we were making jewelry, so I decided to add the stone and charm to my necklace.

45. do you trust your instincts a lot?

Sometimes?  Sometimes my instincts are a bit off because anxiety, so it’s a matter of balancing my instincts with logical thought.

50. what’s an odd thing you collect?

uhhh idk, I don’t really collect anything?

55. what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point?

I usually just provide evidence?  idk I can’t think of things right now

60. do you like poetry? what are some of your faves?

Yeah, I like poetry!  I don’t read that much poetry, but for the one creative writing class I took in college, we wrote quite a bit of it.  Writing poetry is fun, even though it’s been a long while since I’ve done it.

65. is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with?

well, yeah, there’s actually quite a few people! Unfortunately we’re all busy and free time never seems to overlap, so it’s a bit difficult. Also I’m just really terrible at communicating and reaching out to people.

70. have you ever used a ouija board?

I have! Nothing really happened though.

75. tell us about your pets!

I have an imaginary pet rhinoceros named Pineapple.

80. what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why?

So three of the four walls are a light green and the fourth wall (heh) is light blue!  I chose these colors because it makes me think of spring and happy things.

85. do you read comics? what are your faves?

I mean…I’ve read some Star Wars comics? Particularly The Journals of Old Ben Kenobi, because…sad Obi-Wan in the desert.

90. talk about your one of you favorite cities.

uhhh…New York City is pretty cool?  There are these really cool places to eat and things to do that I somehow never get around to doing, but still.  I’d love to take a day to go there and do more touristy things than what I’ve done there in the past.

95. what are your plans for this weekend?

I’m actually flying out to Dallas to see my brother!  We haven’t really planned out anything specific yet, but *shrugs*

100. if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why?

well, let’s see…five years ago I was a junior in high school, doing a lot of fun orchestra concerts and doing well in high school and stuff.  But I feel like I’ve matured a lot in the past five years, and I really don’t want to lose that by going back to the past.

5 years in the future, I guess I’d hope that I would have a better idea of what I’m doing, career-wise.  Hopefully by then I would be settled down with a job and at least working on a Master’s degree part time?

It’s really a question of going back to something known or venturing out into the unknown, and honestly? I’d rather not do either.  Things are wild right now, but hopefully for not much longer.

(ask me stuff)

[pagesofkenna]

y'all don't know how close i got to dropping $20+ on random beads and charms the other day just to make a bracelet for Jin's The Astronaut

[therearemonstersinthedark]

Astronautical Ch 4: Hey Brother

A Guardians of the Galaxy Fanwork

Pairings: n/a

Genre: Adventure, general

Word Count: 5k +

Rating: T to be safe, minor violence and swearing

Links: Fanfiction.net || Ao3

Summary:  Peter's found Drax, but finding him is only the start. This Drax may not be the same friend he remembers. Meanwhile his tentative partnership with Nebula continues to develop, but how will bringing in a stout hater of Thanos and his children change that?

Author’s Notes: This chapter marks the 20k word mark! I know that's not much for some people, but this is my first story so it's a big deal for me. Anyways, this is the first chapter that's not named after one the songs from Peter's Awesome Mix. I decided back when I first started this that all the chapters would have a song that correlated with the text, but since I plan for this to be a very long project, and not all of the songs always fit, I will be using some songs from my personal playlist as well. For obvious copyright reasons these songs will have no place in the text, like the canon songs sometimes will. Some will be chosen for literal meanings, others for deep metaphorical meanings, and some will be puns. I love puns. For this chapter I have chosen 'Hey Brother' by Avicii. It's a bit of all three and a fun nod toward both Peter's meeting Drax and developing friendship with Nebula. You do not have to like or listen to the song, but I enjoy choosing them and they help keep me motivated.

Chapter 4: Hey Brother

"The Contest of Champions?" Nebula repeated, raising her eyebrows at the man sitting on the couch across from her. The blue assassin was reclining on her own couch, legs thrown up carelessly on the priceless table next to an emptied plate. "It's just some stupid pit fight the locals use for entertainment. The ship will be stocked and repaired in a matter of days. I don't see any reason why we should attend one."

"Because I recognize the Champion! I'm telling you, that giant head sticking out of the tower we're sitting in right now is my friend, Drax. I can't believe he was here all along. It's so perfect!" Peter was leaning forward earnestly, knees bouncing as he spoke.

"So you're telling me one of these 'friends' of yours is just some glorified cage fighter? What's next? A petty thug and an embezzler?"

Peter was momentarily caught off guard by Nebula's reply. Did she just make a joke? Was she capable of that? Did Nebula even understand humor beyond her regular sarcasm?

"No, well... No. Look. He's the 'undefeated champion' of these cage fights so that's got to count for something right? This guy is tough, believe me. He'll be a huge asset to us and I need him if I'm going to wield that infinity stone again."

That last argument seemed to make at least some impact as her brows lowered into a more normal height.

"Look. You said the ship won't be ready for a couple days at least. There's no harm in attenting at least one of these matches and finding out if it really is my friend."

"Fine." She relented, dropping her feet from the table with a thunk and standing from the squishy couch in one swift movement. "We can attend one match. There's nothing better to do in this heap anyways."

"Where are you going now?" He asked as she bypassed the smaller doors that Peter had since learned lead to a pair of mirrored bedrooms, heading instead towards the main door.

"To speak with the Grandmaster." She said with her hand paused on the door handle. "I am not sitting in those filthy stadium seats. Get some rest, Star-Lord. You look terrible." With that she was gone and Peter was left to struggle his own way out of the cloying couch cushions. How did she make it look so easy?

With nothing to do but wait for her return it finally hit Peter how tired he was so he slipped into one of the bedrooms and washed his face in the ajoined bathroom before crawling under the duvet and quickly falling asleep.

--

He awakened the next morning in a pile of tangled limbs and blankets. One of the sheets had been tossed entirely to the floor, and there was a puddle of drool forming on his pillow. Sitting up with a groan and wiping the drool off of his chin he grimaced at the reflection staring back at him from the mirrors on the closet doors across the room. His hair stuck up in a wild halo and the dark bruising across his face had faded into an ugly yellow giving him a sickly appearance.

For a period of time he just stared blankly ahead while he adjusted to the bright morning light filtering in from the window. He eventually convinced himself that he had better things to do with his morning than stare at his own disheveled reflection, and he fumbled his way towards the bathroom to wash up and brush his teeth. Once presentable it was time to face the day.

Upon opening the door to the main room he was met with a pile a clothes thrown into his face so forcefully he actually stumbled back a couple steps.

"What the he-"

"Get changed. You've been living in those clothes for days. I hope you didn't sleep in the bed in those things. They're disgusting."

A blush spread across his cheeks. Any argument he had prepared died on his tongue at the bemused expression on the blue assassin's face, arms crossed and hip cocked.

"Fiiine." He grumbled, throwing his head back dramatically and turning back into his temporary bedroom to get changed. The clean clothes were honestly not an entirely unwelcome change from his sweaty, sticky outfit, even if they weren't exactly his normal style. The inky black pants were made of some sort of heavy silk that gave him the feeling of wearing pajamas rather than real clothes, and the over-sized gold shirt was embroidered in an odd pattern with maroon glass beads that matched the furniture. It was hideous. He hated it.

Stepping back out into the main room he gathered that Nebula felt much the same way as she failed to completely hide a snicker behind a mug clasped in her hands.

"Ha. Ha. Ha." He retorted, tugging his jacket on over the outfit self consciously. "What about your clothes? Aren't they dirty, too?"

"My suit is comprised of a specialized material and maintained by nanobots. It doesn't get filthy." She looked much too smug about this for Peter's liking, leaning over the kitchen bar to grin over her mug at him.

"Well, Lucky you. Where's the washing machine? Not that I don't love this new look, but I'd like to get back into my own clothes sooner rather than later, thank you."

"Just leave them on the bed," She said with a dismissive wave. "Someone will be in to clean them. Or incinerate them."

Peter just glared at her as he slipped into the kitchen to fill up his own mug of the Sakaar eqiuivilant of coffee. Admittedly It was pretty good. It had a pleasant aroma and he found that he didn't have to mix in much of the sugar or dried creamer set out on the counter to enjoy it.

"So what's the news on the Contest of Champions?" He asked tenatively. His optimism from yesterday was now a heavy mix of hope and dread swirling around in the pit of his stomach. What if it wasn't Drax after all? And even if it was, what would have become of his friend in this place? Sure he was undefeated, but that didn't exactly mean he was unharmed.

"The next tournament will be held tonight as soon as the sun sets. We'll be joining the Grandmaster as his honored guests in his viewing room."

Peter nodded and swirled his drink around in his hands. Sunset seemed so far away right now.

"In the mean time I have some more arrangements to make. I trust you can keep yourself out of trouble for another day?"

--

'Staying out of trouble' found Peter browsing through some sort of a bazaar down on the streets. Mostly he kept himself entertained just window shopping and stopping occasionally to ask more questions about the wares sold by some of the more attractive saleswomen.

After dropping off a large bag full of delicious smelling sweetbreads and candies -and one sparkling silver bracelet with a little jade and gold sword charm wrapped up in paper that a salesperson had rather easily conned him into paying an outrageous price for after it reminded him painfully of Gamora-, he checked the time to find he still had a couple hours before sunset and left the room again to make his way back to that tavern from yesterday. It seemed as nice a place as any to kill the rest of the time until he had to meet up with Nebula and the Grandmaster.

The tavern was much quieter this evening. The patrons murmured contentedly across their tables, hunched over their drinks and picking at hot meals between them. His friend the scrapper didn't appear to be here this evening, so Peter made himself cozy with a warm drink at the bar corner and just soaked in the atmosphere as he waited. He'd been hoping to ask her a few more questions about the games and the so called champion, but instead he settled for listening to the idle gossip of people discussing upcoming games and placing bets, occasionally asking a question from a more friendly looking neighbor.

From what he gathered, the games mostly consisted of several shorter fights which were geared more towards incapacitating an opponent and rarely included fatalities. There were several 'favorites' among these games who had been battling for years, and were quite likely to stay alive as long as the people still found them entertaining. Then there were occasional 'tournaments' which sounded much more brutal and bloody. Death wasn't a guarantee, but it was a pretty common occurance to place bets on the decapitation or dismemberment of these competitors. Finally, there was the Championship matches where a contendor could challenge the current reigning champion to a one on one battle. It was battle to the death, and if the contendor won they could earn their freedom from the tournament. No one had won their freedom in a very very long time.

Time slipped away in a heady blur and before he knew it, Peter found himself standing in a skybox overlooking a dirt arena so large one could land a small flight of Nova ships with room left over for a couple battle vessels. The box was furnished comfortably with a long couch and several chairs, all facing out a window which was so impecably clean and clear he could practically smell the sweaty crowd below them. Peter had his palms and forehead pressed up against this glass as he watched the games below.

The smaller fights had almost been entertaining, if one forgot they were watching prisoners and slaves. The combatants displayed a wide array of skills and tecniques from all across the galaxies, some weilding weapons that he had never even heard of before. Some of the later battles, however, left him squirming uncomfortably. He'd never had the stomach for bloodsport despite some of the Ravager crew's best attempts to turn him. Still, like an eager dog staring out at the empty mailbox on a Sunday, he couldn't look away for fear he would somehow miss a glimpse of Drax.

Nebula appeared in all ways unfazed by any of this; reclining on one corner of the couch with her arms crossed, one knee thrown over the other.

Eventually the arena light's dimmed and an excpectant hush fell over the crowd.

"Oh! That's my cue!" The Grandmaster leapt up from the far side of the couch, rubbing his hands together in excitement as Topaz handed him a microphone.

"Lllllllllladies and Gentlemeeen!" A gigantic holographic Grandmaster errupted over the stadium. "Welcome! To the one-hundred and fifty-SEVENTH challenge match against your current reigning champiooooooooon!"

The crowd roared to life all around them, making the floor beneath Peter's feet vibrate as they stamped and screamed.

"Our challenger of the night is none other than Artrax the Disembowler!" A solitary mint green figure stepped out of one side of the arena while another wave of excited whooping rolled over the crowd. "You know the rules; Two gladiators may enter, but only one may leave! Who. Will. It. BE!?"

Peter had to admit the man had a flare for showmanship. The citizens around them ate up his words, and he found himself bouncing on the balls of his feet, eagerly awaiting the appearance of the champion. This was it. Either it was Drax or it wasn't.

"Oh ho! Here he comes! This is it folks! You know him! You love him! It's the one-the only-THE DESTROYER!!!!" The whooping was deafening even through the thick glass as the heavy doors on the far side of the arena opened. Peter smashed his face against the window as he strained to get a look at the Champion.

Out of the darkness strolled a large and imposing figure. His head was covered in a thick brass helmet, and a big ugly scar cut across his right shoulder like a jagged lightning bolt, but the swirling red tattoos dancing across his stubbornly bare chest were a dead giveaway. Before he realized what he was doing, Peter found himself whooping and cheering along with the crowd. He couldn't believe his luck. He thought he'd have to travel halfway across the galaxy to find his friends but here was Drax, so close he could watch his muscles ripple as he waved around the wicked looking short sword in his right hand.

A cheer caught in his throat as the curved edge of the blade flashed in the stadium lights. He was so swept up in the relief of finding his friend, that he had forgotten what this meant. What had the Grandmaster just said? 157th challenger? Did that mean Drax had killed 156 other challengers on this field? All of them prisoners just trying to fight for their freedom from this slave pit? The deep dark wrongness that had gripped him way back when he had first awoken on the wrong version of his Milano made another appearance. He wanted to grab the Grandmaster and demand he stop the match right then and there, but his body remained frozen where it was, eyes glued to the arena as the challenger hurdled themselves at Drax, a long red spear gripped tightly in two of his four arms.

The match was long and brutal. Peter had seen Drax fight in many battles, usually shielding his back or standing shoulder to shoulder with him as he used his greater strength to pick off any foes who got past Peter's long range weapons. While his Drax had always fought with the same cold efficiency that tore through most opponents in a matter of seconds, the champion down in the pit toyed with his challenger. As Peter watched, Drax passed on several killing blows, turning his sharp blade at the last second so that his opponent was instead batted away with the blunt side, and laughing at them as they struggled to right themselves and try again. It was like watching a cat toy with a mouse. Letting it go and catching it again over and over.

Sure, his Drax had never had any qualms with violence. In fact it was his first solution to everything, and yes, he had murdered uncountable aliens both before and after his associations with the Guardians, but he had always been swift and deliberate with the killing its self. And he had even refused on several occasions to fight opponents who he deemed too weak to be an honorable battle or who had not personally slighted him in some way. Drax was violent but he had his own code of honor to prevent this kind of cruelty. Peter had never seen him take quite so much enjoyment out of watching an opponent who had done nothing especially wrong crawl about in the dirt and suffer.

Eventually Artrax could no longer stand, crawling desperately across the bloody arena on his knees and remaining three arms. Hacking and wheezing, he hardly even seemed to notice as Drax strolled up to him, raising his short blade above his head and pausing as the crowd around them lost their minds in excitement before plunging it straight into his opponent's skull, ending the match.

Trinkets and flowers were showered into the arena by the adoring fans as Drax swaggered his way back into the doorway which had reopened upon his victory. It was only after the shadows had entirely swallowed him up that Peter could tear his eyes away from the arena and glance around the skybox. He first turned to Nebula who was still reclined on the couch as she had been before the match, staring down her nose into the field below with a thoughtful expression. When she offered no help or answers to his swirling mind he sought out the eyes of the Grandmaster instead, but he was busy sipping something carbonated out of a delicate wineglass and discussing the battles with his crowd of friends in an airy tone as though they had just watched a delightful play, and not just witnessed the same atrocities below.

--

"So that was your companion?" Nebula's voice broke through the silence that had reined over the pair since leaving the arena. They had just returned to their rooms and Peter had spent the whole walk with his shoulders hunched over and staring at his feet while he tried to make sense of this new information.

"Yeah. That was Drax." His voice sounded hollow and paper thin even to his own ears.

"He is a skilled fighter. That much was obvious even against his unskilled opponent. I can see why you would believe him to be an asset." Peter winced again at the mention of the unskilled opponent.

"Yeah." He had been so excited at the prospect of meeting his friend just a couple of hours ago that he could hardly even wait, and now he was almost dreading what he would find up close.

"So when can we see him?" He asked in something just above a murmur.

"I have already arranged a meeting for the morning. As far the Grandmaster is to be concerned we will be accosting this Champion of his for my father's army."

"Great. I'll see you in the morning I guess." He gave her a half-hearted wave and retreated into his room, barely bothering to take off his coat and shove the folded pile of his now cleaned clothes out of the way before crawling under the covers and willing himself to go to sleep.

--

The next morning he was relieved to be back in his regular, much less sticky and smelly clothes. In fact, they were cleaner now then he could ever recall them being since first purchasing them. As he adjusted his shirt and pulled his leather jacket on he made a mental note to stock some of whatever laundry soap they used here onto his ship before they left. It even smelled crisp and clean and not at all like the heavy perfumes of the locals like he had feared it would.

With the return of his clothes, Peter found a return of some of his usual optimism as well. He'd found Drax and that's what was important. So what if he was little extra violent? He had managed to convince him to curb some of his enthusiasm over the matter before, surely he could do it again?

With that in mind he steeled himself and made his way to the kitchen to rummage up some sort of breakfast. As usual, Nebula was already there, leaning against the counter with a mug set off to her left. A pile of papers were strewn about in front of her while she studied what appeared to be an old star map.

"What's that for?" He asked, pouring himself his own mug of fresh coffee and pulling a bowl down from one of the cabinets.

"It's a map of the Blackmoon Quadrant. Once we gather your friend and leave this place we'll want to find somewhere outside of Thanos's reach."

Peter nodded his head as he poured something like cereal into his bowl and grabbed a spoon from a nearby drawer, intending to eat his snack dry. He had learned long ago to not trust the many versions of milk the galaxies had to offer.

"I think I have an idea about that, actually. I know of a place that's pretty far off of everyone's maps that might be a great place to look for information about the rest of my team."

Nebula didn't answer, but she did look up from the map in her hands to give him her attention.

"It's a place called Knowhere. It used to be some sort of mining colony, but now it's like a back-alley smuggler type of place, so I doubt it's anywhere on Thanos's to-do list."

"I know that place," She muttered. "I've been through there a few times for information, but Thanos holds no sway that far out and I doubt he will think to look for us there."

"So it's settled then." Peter said, perking up now that he had a clear plan set out before him. "We grab Drax, give this place the slip, and head straight to Knowhere."

Nebula just made a noncommittal grunt as she leafed through the pile of papers, pulling out a new map that she spread out on the island between them. It seemed to be a representation of the planet they were on. A small dark blob in the center boldly labeled 'Sakaar' in a flowing print. The rest of the map was filled with a topograph of the dunes of trash that they had first entered from, the holes through which the garbage perpetually fell seemed to be represented by fanciful swirls superimposed over the land.

"These are the gateways that lead directly from Sakaar into various points throughout the universe." She told him, pointing towards one close to the center. "This is the one we came through."

Peter nodded as he leaned over to get a better view. Her finger slid across the map stopping on a smaller swirl on the very edge.

"This one will get us the closest to Knowhere. From there it will just be a few jumps."

"Sounds like a plan." He grinned, leaning back on the counter behind him to enjoy his breakfast. "When are we leaving?"

"Your ship should be fully repaired some time tomorrow morning. It has already be stocked with basic provisions. I suggest you gather all of your things by then, StarLord."

"Peter."

"What?"

"My name is Peter Quill." When he looked up from his bowl Nebula was staring back over the island at him suspiciously. "It's just, I figure if we're going to be hiding out from Thanos for now it would be best not to go by Star-Lord for a while." He muttered, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Peter, then." She agreed, something in her expression softening almost imperceptibly. "Make sure you're ready to go by tomorrow."

--

When breakfast was finished and the maps tucked away into Nebula's room Peter made his way down to the stadium once more, deciding it was probably better that he met with Drax alone. This time he entered through a dingy copper door, rather than the extravagant elevator from the last night, and into an apartment-like building that was constructed against the far side of the coliseum wall. Another elevator took him up and dumped him directly into a large airy apartment on the top level.

Peter sauntered into the large space with an appreciative whistle. The decor here was a bit less extravagant than in his and Nebula's suite, but it felt more homey. An oversized hallway lead him into a larger main room with a plush King-sized bed pressed up against one wall, and what looked to be a hot-tub. No fair! His room didn't have a hot-tub.

To his right was a massive window that looked down on the city, and silhouetted against the late morning light was the unmistakable hulking shoulders of just the man he was looking for.

"Drax! Hey buddy!" Peter cried with a huge, toothy grin. He had to remind himself that this Drax would likely not know who he was, and so running up and clasping him on the shoulder was more likely to turn him into a smudge on that window than earn him any favors. The sillouette crossed its arms and stepped away from the bright window, details fading into focus as Peter's eyes adjusted to the change in contrast.

"I am Drax The Destroyer, who dares address me with such familiarity?"

"Hi, I'm Peter Quill. You might not remember me, but I assure you we're going to be great friends. I'm here to bust you out of this place." Peter puffed out his chest and placed his hands on his hips, doing his best Star-Lord pose.

Drax's response to that was to throw his head back in laughter, causing Peter to deflate slightly. That wasn't quite the reaction he was hoping to inspire here.

"I do not need to be 'busted out' of this place." Drax laughed, holding his stomach loosely as he bent forward as though Peter had just shared with him a wonderful joke. "I could break these walls easily on my own!"

"That's... That's not what I meant. Come on man. You know what I meant. I'm here to help you escape, so you can help me take down Thanos."

The laughter came to a sudden halt. A darkness overtook the Destroyer's face, eclipsing out the humor from only a heartbeat before.

"Do not mention that name here." He warned, stepping forward again to tower over Peter. "And I have no intentions of leaving this place. There is nothing left for me outside of the arena."

Peter took an unconscious step back. He had forgotten how imposing Drax could be. They had been partners for a long time, and perhaps Peter had taken it for granted that the maniac had never meant him any true bodily harm. This Drax didn't know that they were friends and so would have no similar aversion to harming him. This made things a bit trickier for Peter who had stupidly come unarmed.

"Look, I don't want any trouble here, man. Just take it easy. How did you come to this place anyways?" Maybe if he could get some answers he could find a way to reason with him.

Drax relented slightly at Peter's surrender, stepping back and relaxing his shoulders but still staring at his visitor through narrowed eyes. "When the Titan-" Peter had heard many beings curse and spit out that word in varying levels of hatred and disgust over the years, but the venom with which Drax spat it out would have made even Nebula proud. "-took my homeworld, he sent Ronan to do his dirty work. That filthy Kree bastard slaughtered my people. He killed my family and I could do nothing to stop him. Those few who survived were enslaved. I was sent here to die on this filthy planet in the middle of nowhere, but I tore apart every challenger they set before me."

Peter could vividly imagine the man standing in front of him, desperate and wounded, taking out all of his rage and agony on his opponents in that field. It was not a pretty thought.

"Now I am the Champion." He hissed through clenched teeth. "The Destroyer. Because that is the only thing I can do. Destroy. I could not save anyone. This is where I belong." As he spoke he held his hands up, staring at his palms as though blaming them for the loss of his loved ones.

For some time Peter was stunned speechless. The only sound in the big empty room was the harsh breathing of The Destroyer as he clenched and unclenched his hands.

"Drax." Peter's voice was soft as he tried another tactic. "I know. I know that nothing anyone can say or do will bring back your family, but, if you come with me we can stop them from doing it to other families-"

"I do not care about other families." He was cut off harshly.

"Yes you do. I know you do." Peter pressed. He was getting frustrated by Drax's apparant complacency in all of this. How could he want to stay here? This wasn't right.

"NO I DON'T!" Drax roared back, stepping into Peter as the smaller man hastily retreated. "I don't care if they slaughter every other family in the universe because my Hovat is GONE! My Kamaria is GONE!"

The coat tail of his duster caught on the sole of Peter's boot and he landed hard on his ass, scrambling back another pace as Drax's voice broke over the name of his daughter. As Peter lifted his hand to shield his face from whatever was coming next the larger man suddenly stopped, his shoulders slumping and his eyes sliding back to his empty hands.

"I should have died with them." He rasped out.

Just as suddenly as the rage had possesed him it had vanished, leaving the warrior looking lost and deflated as he turned and made his way back towards the bed, sitting down on it with a heavy sigh.

Slowly, cautiously, Peter got back to his feet. Drax gave no indication of even being aware that his guest was still here, and Peter chewed on his lip as he considered the wisdom of just retreating to the elevator and coming back to try again later once he had had some time to re-collect himself. But honestly, what good would that do? Later, his family would still be gone. Later, he would be no closer to convincing this broken man to move past his grief and help him; he would only be closer to the next tournament.

Like a spooked deer Peter picked his way across the room, eyes not leaving the still and silent form of his friend. Watching carefully for any warning signs in the grieving man's posture, the outlaw slowly lowered himself onto the bed as well.

"I'm sorry."

Still nothing. But nothing was better than the violent threats of before.

"There is nothing I can do to bring them back." Peter opened his own hands in front of him, mimicking Drax's desolate pose. "And I know that there is no replacing them, either. And I know this is going to sound insane but you told me about them once, and I know that wasting away here in this honorless pit isn't what they would have wanted for you."

Something stirred in Drax and Peter paused briefly to gague whether or not it was safe to continue.

"In another universe you and I were friends. We- and our other friends- held an Infinity stone and we killed Ronan the Accuser during his assault on Xandar. You killed Ronan and took revenge for your family. I don't know how, but I woke up in this universe where apparantly that never happened. My friend and I are getting off this planet tomorrow morning, and we are going to gather the rest of my -our- team and set this straight, but we need you if we're going to take on Ronan again."

"..."

"Well? What do you think?"

"I think you are mad."

Peter opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped by Drax holding up one palm.

"But, I also think that you are right. I have moped here on this planet for far too long. It is time to make Ronan suffer as he has made me suffer, and if the only way to do that is to put up with your madness then so be it."

"Oh, uh. Thanks. I think." Well, it wasn't ideal, but Drax was agreeing to come with them and Peter decided to just focus on that victory for now.

"So where is this friend of yours? I hope they are a more fearsome warrior than you." His words were harsh, but Peter could hear a touch of the old Drax's humor shining through.

"Actually, about that..."

--

"CUR OF THANOS!"

"MEATHEADED PITSWINE!"

Honestly, this meeting was going better than Peter had dared hoped. Everyone still had all of their limbs, and most of the furniture was still intact. There would be no saving the poor Sakaarian coffee maker that Nebula had hurtled into the wall, missing Drax's head by a centimeter at best, and half of the stools from the bar had been reduced to some very expensive kindling.

Nebula and Drax were now stalking eachother around the open living room like a pair of angry cats. He practically expected them to start hissing at each other. Peter stood between them, hands held up and spinning with them as he tried to keep them both in his sight at the same time.

"Come on guys, this is getting us nowhere. Let's sit down and talk this out like adults." He barely ducked in time to miss being decapitated by the loveseat as it sailed across the room. "DRAX! That is not how polite conversation works!"

"Crawl back to your master's feet! Hound of the Titan!"

"Did the Orloni eat out whatever pitiful brains you had down in that pit!?"

"ENOUGH!!!"

The earsplitting scream seemed to gather at least some attention as they both paused in their pacing to glare at him instead. "Look. We all hate Thanos here, Okay? We're all on the same side, with the same goal, so can we please stop trying to kill each other long enough to acheive that?"

"I don't know what you were thinking recruiting this idiot." Nebula hissed at him, pointing an accusing finger at the large man across the room. "I have no desire to be crammed onto your undersized ship with him."

"Oh, come on-"

"The blue bitch finally speaks sense. Surely we would not all even fit on an undersized ship."

"Drax, that's not-It's not helping." He groaned hopelessly.

"Come, Peter Quill." Nebula suddenly straightened up and slipped her daggers back into their hilts. "Surely we don't need this... Destroyer. Let's leave this place already and gather the rest of your team. They can't be any less reasonable than this."

Peter had his doubts about that last statement but wisely kept his mouth shut on the matter.

"Fine." Drax snorted, "Go without me! Ronan will tear you two apart."

"See, now he's making a good point. We need allies if we're going to do this."

Nebula looked for a moment like she was ready to just storm out the door, accost his ship, and leave both him and Drax stranded on this planet without her. Instead she made a very undignified noise and stomped one of her feet as though it physically pained her to relent.

"Fine. We will take him with us, but if he so much as points his hideous swords at me I will take his head off."

"I would like to see you try, you-"

"NO!" Peter was going to be lucky to have any voice left at all by tomorrow. "No. Nobody is decapitating anybody, okay?"

"What about Ronan?" Drax asked, turning a perplexed look on Peter even as he relaxed his grip on his own twin blades and straightened to a more normal stance.

"What?"

"Can we not still decapitate Ronan? That was how I planning to kill him. I was going to mount his head on a pole and wave it about for all to see."

"That's horrible. But yes, you can still decapitate him, I guess."

"Then why would you say that-"

"Just- don't kill me or Nebula, Okay?"

"I will try."

"Good."

"But I make no promises."

Peter was going to cry. He was going to have a breakdown in front of the two least warm and comforting beings in the entire galaxy.

Taking a deep breath to center himself as Gamora had taught him, Peter turned to Nebula to ask her for a similar almost-but-not-really-a-promise. He was interupted, however, by a sudden knocking on the door. Oh great. Just what he needed right now; angry neighbors complaining about the noise levels.

Shooting Drax and Nebula each a warning glare, Peter carefully picked his way across the room through the remains of the furniture.

"Look, I'm sorry about the noise. It's over now, I promise." He offered in his best apologetic voice as he pulled open the door, blocking the wreckage inside as best he could with his body.

"Oh, hello... you." The Grandmaster himself stood in the doorway, giving Peter a rather obviously forced grin.

"Grandmaster?" He asked as the Grandmaster shoved past him and into the room, wiping the hand that had touched his shirt off with a white handkerchief that Topaz handed him.

"Is my ship prepared yet?" Nebula asked, stepping forward, entirely unrepentant about the trashed room. "My father hates to be kept waiting."

"Yeah, about that..." The Grandmaster muttered, handing the handkerchief back to Topaz. "You see, I was quite upset about the prospect of losing my most beloved champion, so, you wouldn't be-lieve my relief when I get a message from none other than The Mad Titan himself." Oh flark. Nebula visibly stiffened.

"It seems he didn't send you here for the champion after all. In fact, it seems like it's you he's after. He even sent you your own personal escort for the trip back." As he spoke a team of Kree soldiers dressed in heavy black armor streamed through the doorway and stood at attention. A dark skinned Kree man in matching black armor, but with obvious augmentations implanted in his helmet-less skull stepped through the door after them.

"Hello sister." The man greeted Nebula, ignoring everyone else in the room.

"Hello. Korath."

Ch 4 end.

[mara-the-cactupus]

@blackpapersnowflakes replied to your post“Everything Ask Game”

i love your description of liminal spaces like airports! what would be your dream movie to direct?

Oooohh boy... weeeelllll that is a big question actually, because I happen to have about five different stories swirling around in my head that have been stewing there for ages and that I’m hoping to turn into actual scripts...

[buckle up for a long post here]:

[[okay so I’m basically gonna dump my entire ideas here, so I guess I should say “please don’t steal them lol” or something, but... like, if anyone reading this is actually in a good position to produce them, um, maybe DM me or something ! ...yeah]]

1. Untitled space movie

Okay okay, so this one is my most recent and so it’s currently at the top of my mind.

The idea came to me after watching Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 in the theater, which was a fairly good movie, but had a few elements that got me thinking about cliches and things I would change... and as a result, I ended up with a totally different idea for a space movie that I ended up scribbling down on the busride home. Here are those scribbles:

Hero is a 20s-30s black/hispanic woman from Earth; similar genre setting as GOTG or Star Trek. She has a prosthetic arm and befriends the mechanic on the space ship/station, who specializes in the biology of other two-legged mammalian creatures. The mechanic comes from a planet that does not have any of the binaries or social systems that led to Earth’s destruction; it is a more balanced culture, valuing truth and empathy over things like personal gain.

The hero tells the other people that a virus wiped out her species/planet; the reality, as she confesses later, is that humans themselves did, and that potential “virus” characteristics like greed or paranoia can’t really be separated from the humans. She knows this, and has a strong sense of repressed guilt; if she confronts the truth, she’ll have to face her own questions about why she survived and if she’s any different.

The hero just wants not to be judged as a member of some faulty group for once, since she’s faced racism/sexism/homophobia etc on Earth, and now that she’s the only human she thinks other species will judge her based on her planet’s history; the mechanic and many other species actually wouldn’t care, as she gradually realizes – they have a much healthier way of looking at individuals within context. She thinks that people will have some idea of what a human is, but with human records destroyed or misunderstood she finds people turning to her as one of the last survivors of her race. (Was she an astronaut? Lucky abductee?)

When someone attacks the mechanic’s planet, seeking to take over this similarly habitable planet, the hero has to come to terms with humanity and its violence – and because the mechanic’s race doesn’t know how to deal with this kind of irrational force, she decides to sacrifice herself and her species for the safety of a more deserving world. Perhaps in the end, diplomacy prevails: she reminds the surviving humans of what is really important.

I think it was a combination of “they always save humanity, and the villain always tries to destroy the universe” and the general sense of “ugh” that comes with passing over a busy freeway. And I automatically visualized Tessa Thompson because the trailer for Thor: Ragnarok played right before the movie.

Soooo... I also happen to have a word document where I keep random ideas that pop into my head, which include such gems as

“that stereotypical loner high school dude in all the high school movies ACTUALLY turns invisible, freaks out, finds himself on an alternate plane where nobody can see or hear him except for this old Woody Harrelson-type conspiracy nutter guy who lived off the grid for so long that he literally turned invisible too”

and

“lesbian roadtrip movie, but one of them has to smuggle a zombie who was her scientist girlfriend across the country to meet up with their other scientist friends to complete the girlfriend’s zombie cure so she can be revived, without getting bitten or letting any rednecks shoot her girlfriend/zombie along the way”

(Feel free to run with either of these; I suck at writing comedy.)

One of the ideas that’s been floating for about a year is something that started as a “what if there was a master political manipulator who was also kind of pacifist and also there was a space priestess played by Lupita Nyong’o who roams the galaxy in a glass orb filled with plants” thought while I was watching the original Star Wars trilogy. That later morphed into more general thoughts about space, resulting in what was filed under “space ace story,” and was about one of the last humans alive:

as a child/teen, they were plucked out of a warzone (much like the Middle East) by some Aliens Without Borders aid volunteers on a spaceship; the aliens dropped them off at an Intergalactic Space Station which is a learning hub of shared information from many species across the universe. They had lost their legs in an explosion in the warzone, and now have two prosthetic legs which involve advanced robotics and are actually really helpful at navigating alien terrain and even doing things like flying. Now, they explore alien worlds in a small spacecraft. They have molecule scanners, which help them to judge what kinds of foods are edible and what kinds of atmospheres are safe to breathe; they visit planets based on the space station’s maps and data on which ones are habitable for humanoid creatures. Since there are very few humans still roaming the galaxy, gender and race are kind of irrelevant; they’re kind of young, between childhood and adulthood, and they look ethnically ambiguous and gender nonbinary.

The main idea being that the alien worlds all exhibit some of the cool characteristics of Earth that we only really see in nature documentaries like Planet Earth, like hole-caves in the middle of the jungle, or animals that freeze themselves to go into hibernation in the arctic. But I didn’t really have a plot. It was mostly just this character wandering around, looking for another home. At one point I even thought it might be interesting to try communicating all that without dialogue, or at least without any human language aside from songs that the character might sing, or things they might talk to themself about.

Anyway, after GOTG v.2 I did some re-meshing of ideas, and ended up with this:

Andy (short for Andromeda, after our neighboring galaxy, which is set to collide with the Milky Way in a few billion years) is a young woman living with her aunt out in the desert. They lived in the city when she was a kid, when her uncle was still alive; both of them made her wear a respirator when she went outside, and made sure she practiced a healthy lifestyle so she wouldn’t end up like them. As the city deteriorated and tensions escalated among those still living there, her family moved out to a couple of trailers a few miles off the highway. As mechanics, her aunt and uncle were able to fix up cars and motorcycles, specializing in solar technology; they also maintained some basic computer screen technologies, meaning that Andy grew up watching some old media that they saved to USBs, such as movies and nature documentaries.

That led me to one of those happy coincidence a-ha moments that sometimes come as a product of having ideas stewing together in my head and subconsciously collecting all my memories and experiences, because for my space ace story I had thought it would be cool if the protagonist had a necklace that looked like a clay bead, only at one point it cracked to reveal that it was actually a blue glass bead baked in dirt or something, sort of as a visual representation of earth.

Anyway, my holy-shit-my-brain-made-this-connection-and-didn’t-tell-me moment came when I remembered Castle In The Sky, which was one of my favorite movies as a kid (and probably my all-time favorite Ghibli movie, no matter how beautiful Spirited Away may be), and one of the stories that I think really cemented my weakness for that fine line between idealism and cynicism.

In the movie [SPOILERS - watch this if you haven’t; it’s really good!!], Shiita has this necklace that levitates her when she is plummeting from an airship, and which is made from the same crystal that keeps the “castle in the sky,” Laputa, floating above the clouds. Unfortunately, it leads her and various greed-fueled bad guys to the castle in question, which had been abandoned years ago when the old race died, leaving Shiita as the last surviving Laputan royalty. (That’s roughly how the story goes – I haven’t watched it in a year or so, so pardon any generalizations.) Anyway, in the end she and her friend decide to make an executive decision on behalf of the castle, and utter the magic words that will cause the man-made structures to crumble, casting all the bad guys and treasure into the sea below, and sending the giant crystal up into space, carrying with it a massive tree whose roots have grown around it. Shiita and her friend are fine of course, escaping in the airships of some friendly pirates, but the whole self-sacrifice/human corruption thing really stuck with me.

So basically, Andy wears a blue glass bead on a string around her neck because when she was a kid she watched that movie a lot, and secretly she liked to think of it as a good luck charm, that could help her fly away from the desert someday and guide her to her real home in the stars. Since it’s round and clear blue, it would also serve as a visual reminder of earth. And it’s part of what shows her morality, perhaps foreshadowing her decision to sacrifice something that was once good but has now been corrupted, for the sake of a fresh future.

...back to Andy’s life on Earth, though: right now my thinking is that the story would open with her car overheating, and her having to pull over to locate some water using her handy molecule-sensor device. Then a guy who likes to think he’s still a cop pulls over and confronts her, and the whole situation escalates quite a bit because no one really cares about the law anymore, he’s just looking for trouble, and she’s the sort of person he feels he can target. She gets her car working again, just in time for a car chase in which she speeds off into the desert and notices a drop-off right at the last moment, swerving aside to avoid plummeting down the edge of a cliff. He isn’t so lucky, and so his car goes off the side and gets wrecked and he ends up flattened.

But – the free car isn’t the only thing waiting for her at the bottom of the crater. No; a mysterious spacecraft has crashed there, probably creating the crater in the first place. The alien being inside the cockpit is dead, but the ship is still salvageable, and Andy and her aunt together are able to fix it up. Something happens to her aunt along the way (maybe a biker gang comes along and tries to rob them, fatally wounding her, or maybe she knows she’s in ill health and so sacrifices herself so that Andy won’t be hindered by her) – or maybe her aunt comes along too (actually, that might work better), and Andy leaves Earth in the alien spacecraft. They get intercepted by a research vessel somewhere outside their solar system.

Now, about the “mechanic” from my initial scribbles... I’m pretty patchy at coming up with names so I just made a series of weird noises with my mouth and decided on “Hwona,” but that is really subject to change, so if you have any ideas at all, go for it. Anyway, her culture is more advanced, and I guess would be pretty on-par with the Star Trek AOS version of humanity in terms of technological achievement etc, only with less war-motivated technological innovation, and more focus on fields such as medicine, botany, and the arts. I don’t want a sort of aliens=vaguely-exotic-indigenous-people vibe; they do in fact look different from humans, although their biology is fairly similar (Hwona is a scientist, and came across Andy because the intergalactic space station notified her that they’d found a very similar species), and they do have some more nature-focused cultural ideas, but it shouldn’t feel like Hwonans are ‘ ‘ uncivilized ’ ’ or any of that. If anything, humans seem vastly primitive with our inability to reason and our love of violent pastimes.

For the look of Hwona and her species, I thought about the tropical coral exhibit at the aquarium I used to hang out at, and specifically about the lyretail anthias.

(But more human.)

Anthias are really cool because, like a lot of fish species, they change their sex: they travel in small groups, with most of them small and orange and female. There is always a male; when he dies, the largest female will transform into a male. Also, they’re really pretty.

I don’t know how much this will translate to the alien species, but I really like the idea of a more feminine society, where instead of a patriarchy there are councils of elders making decisions, and matrilineal families (if you trace heritage through mothers, bastards aren’t a big deal. And there’s no dispute about who gave birth to you. Honestly, this makes a lot more sense than a male-based line – also, it makes sense for women to be the heads of households, since they are basically there to care for their children, while men do not need to be with them at all times, and can float in the community as a whole if need be), and where gender is not really an important feature in determining somebody’s worth. It’s like height: yes, there is a difference between tall people and short people, and both have their advantages in different situations, but generally speaking, a taller person is not a better decision-maker or a more skilled craftsman. The same goes for coloring and other physical features; Andy expects to be judged by her appearance as an alien species, just as she has been judged for her race on Earth, but the Hwonans don’t really care.

(I was thinking... Hwona outfits Andy with an earpiece that connects to her brain, which sort of acts as a universal translator based on the speaker’s intended meaning sending signals to the listener’s earpiece; maybe this could feed into the Hwonans’ core values of empathy and openness, because translating your intended meaning means you cannot lie... whoa, that would be interesting... or maybe it’s just based on the words that you want to come out of your mouth, so Andy can lie if she wants to. Hmm. Anyway, I was thinking that perhaps Hwona’s language doesn’t really have gendered pronouns, but rather a sort of singular “they.” There would be lots of small things like that to consider... I’m gonna have a lot of fun world-building, that’s for sure!)

I’m not really sure where to go after that, or what the main plotline will really be, but there will most likely be a romance between Hwona and Andy, because that’s the kind of person I am, and I think it will end happily with both of them alive. I’m not sure what Andy’s decision will be, though: whether she supports her fellow humans’ quest for survival (in a non-violent sort of way), or if she resists them. Hmm.

Anyway,

I’m sure this was way more of an answer than you were expecting, but it was a good opportunity to just get it all out in words, so that if I have writers block I can look back at this post and remember what I was aiming for. I’m much better at talking about and analyzing my ideas than I am at actually executing them.

Oh, and I’ll probably be continuing this series of writing down my ideas in super-long posts, so if anyone out there is interested in harry potter-inspired selkies, fairytale rewrites, or multicultural superheroes, let me know if you’d like me to tag you in the next brain dump.

[crochetcreationcafe]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Freshwater Stars New.

[skanessa]

Just can't get enough of galaxy. This charm is decked out with a ton of beads!!! Check it out in my etsy, SkanessaStudio! #galaxy #resin #handmade #skanessa #cute #kawaii #charm #resinpiece #resincharm #astronauts #etsy #etsyseller

[classysandwichcollection-world]

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Fendi Jewel-Bead-Embellished Sunglasses

Barneys New York Wool-Silk Two-Button Sportcoat

Ermenegildo Zegna Rib-Knit-Detailed Hiking Boots

Ksubi Vices Cotton-Silk Long-Sleeve T-Shirt

Gucci Cuffed Cotton Chino Trousers

Rag & Bone Cotton Chino Trousers

Zagliani Crocodile & Ostrich Reversible Tote

LOEWE "Puzzle" Large Shoulder Bag

Delvaux Double-Handle Briefcase

Bianca Pratt Mixed-Gemstone Midi Ring

Atkinsons Amber Empire EDP

Miansai Reeve Cuff Bracelet

Karen Walker One Astronaut Sunglasses

Wendy Nichol Black Diamond Hook Earrings

Chloé Faye Small Shoulder Bag

Finn Love Knot Ring

Juniper Ridge Siskiyou Trail Resin Cologne

Christian Louboutin Iriza Half D'Orsay Pumps

Givenchy Shark Line Ankle Boots

Rimowa Topas Stealth 22" Cabin Multiwheel® IATA Trolley

Orlebar Brown Terry Polo Shirt

Baxter of California Hard Water Pomade

Barneys New York Dotted Birdseye-Knit Wool-Blend Knee Socks

Salvatore Ferragamo Revival Credit Card Holder

Barneys New York Plain-Toe Bluchers

Giuseppe Zanotti Ankle-Strap Double-Zip Sneakers

Linda Lee Johnson Jubilee Ring

Tate Round Studs

Giuseppe Zanotti Plated-Strap Double-Zip Sneakers

Prada Medium Zip Pouch

Barneys New York Round Formal Set

Saint Laurent Monogram Kate Medium Chain Bag

Cathy Waterman Leafside Ring

Sidney Garber Noble Bracelet

Jennifer Meyer Star Drop Earrings

T. Anthony Leather-Trimmed "Briefpack"

Alexander White Suede Mary Jane Pumps

Lanvin Slip-On Mid-Top Sneakers

Chloé Marcie Small Crossbody

Maison Margiela Men's Replica Canvas & Suede Sneakers

Zoe Platinum Ring

Heschung Pollen Penny Loafers

Oliver Peoples Benedict Sunglasses

Barneys New York Leather Belt

LOEWE Mixed-Stripe Wool-Blend Patchwork Sweater

Massimo Alba Striped Woven Shirt

Tod's Tie Drivers

The Elder Statesman Short Bunny Echo Hat

The Row Boelle Embroidered Suede Loafers

Janessa Leone Aster Panama Hat

Gucci Major Leather High-Top Sneakers

Chloé Marcie Small Wallet

Ali Grace White Diamond & Rainbow Moonstone Cuff

Vintage Watch Vintage Oyster Perpetual Air-King Watch

Comme des Garçons PLAY Wonderoud EDP 100ml

Barneys New York Ottoman-Knit-Detail Cotton Sweater

Barneys New York Hairline Piqué Tuxedo Shirt

Hirotaka Double-Finger Ring

Carbon & Hyde Pasha Hyde Choker

Kiehl's Since 1851 Facial Fuel Moisturizer

Givenchy 7037/S Sunglasses

Albertus Swanepoel Xavier Panama Hat

Delvaux Tempête GM Satchel

Gucci New Ace Metallic Snakeskin Sneakers

Barneys New York Brunel Neat-Pattern Mid-Calf Socks

Finn Baby Bracelet

Christian Louboutin Roller-Boat Suede Slip-On Sneakers

Stella McCartney Elyse Platform Slingback Oxfords

Barneys New York Virginia Ankle-Wrap Sandals

Isaia Leather Bomber Jacket