#steampunk world's fair

[sidhewrites]

Rotating Plumeria and her antics in my head. Hates proper clothes but wears them in public bc she has to. Secretly uses magic when performing maintenance even if she knows it might blow something up. Has blown things up in the past, lost 2 limbs and all hearing in one ear, and refuses to let that stop her. Thank god the boss is just as much of a menace as her.

[portablefrailty]

Expo Modèrne - 2023

Running a historic photo of the Manufactures Building at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 through Deep Dream’s AI a few times yielded this airy little anachronism: a timeless, steampunk expo hall where culture junkies from throughout the modern era share musings under the chandeliers.

For artistic styling I directed the program to emulate the works of Mucha and Toulouse-Lautrec. The model for the shadowy male dream figure is Colin Farrell.

[a-998h]

Welcome to Hell

Hello @bloobewy, I hope you enjoy this!

TW: reader does "die" at some point but doesn't stay dead technically Reader also gets stabbed in the hand

Clicking Keep Reading means you've read and understand the trigger warning.

I missed the bus, great, I say with as much sarcasm as possible. It was hot, and my body was already a natural heater, and school is draining. Lucky me, the house isn't to far from the school, so walking is still an option. To make the walk less unbearable, I put on my favorite playlist.

After 10 minutes of walking, I reach a crosswalk. Pushing the button, I wait for the sign to change. Once the sign goes from hand to person, I step onto the crosswalk. Having already checked left and right, I thought I would be fine.

I didn't hear it... and that damn truck didn't see me either. I didn't hear anything, but I felt everything. The music cut off, and my body was in so much pain. Why, why is everything fading? I can hear sirens, and begging, and people. Blood... I see and smell blood. I try to turn my head, but I can't. I can't move at all.

"What's happening?" I mumble.

Soon, my vision goes black and I hear a voice. It's a woman's voice, full of warmth and authority.

"Your time has come child, we cannot wait to meet you," I hear her say.

The voices of the people becomes more muffled, and the pain starts to go away. The darkness takes over my vision until I can't see anything. I don't feel the pain, or roughness of the road. I feel nothing at all, like I'm floating. There is nothing in my view but inky darkness, so... This must be how I die. This isn't an isekai, so I'm not gonna go to a fantasy world, I'm just going to die.

I was so bad, fighting, yelling, and being a jerk to people who want to help me. Now, dad is gonna lost his only when they didn't even make it to adulthood.

"I'm sorry dad... I'm so sorry," I say in my head.

It's not fair, first mom abandoned me and dad and now I'm gonna die. Why couldn't I just make it to adulthood? Whatever, I can't change things now. I just wish I had another chance. I see my tears floating in the inky darkness. I don't know why I'm crying, but it feels well deserved right now. As I cry, my eyes closed and I finally feel at peace.

I hear a whistling near my ears, and the feeling of wind? My eyes shot open and I see myself falling. The sky above me is red, and is that a clock tower with an hourglass in it?

it's clear I'm going to crash into the ground of a city, but I have no idea where the fuck I am. Things are in ruins, and I don't seem to be stopping. I scream in fear as I pulpit towards the ground, I just died and I have no idea where the fuck I am!

"Is that a blimp with a ray gun?" I ask myself as I see steampunk blimp of supervillain proportions blast at the ground.

There is a loud smack sound as I hit the ground, and I'm, surprisingly, not in pain. I look myself over, and something is wrong with my hands. They're stained red, not like gloves or splatter, but it's like an ombre.

"Well that's not normal, and where the fuck am I?" I ask myself.

Standing up I rush towards a shop window, and look at my reflection? It has my hair color and style, skin color, eye color, height, but it has a pair of white wings , my hands have the ombre of red, and there is a pair of jagged horns like a four horned ram on my head. I back away from the window and start walking in a random direction.

No one here looks normal, so look like anthropomorphic animals, full animals, of a mix of human and object. Thees people range in size and shape, like normal, but they clearly don't look normal. Walking past the werid people here, a few give me looks that range from confusion, to fear, to cruel. Trying to ignore seems to be my best hope. As I keep walking, I see a bunch of people who look like different types of sharks. They spot me, and I hear them mumbling, before getting close to me.

They introduce themselves and immediately invade my personal space. They keep talking about an extermination, which confuses and worries me. One wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer, to him. Scared, I try to get away but they won't let me. Well, I'm probably doomed. Swinging my head around, I mange to hit the two shark guys near me in the face. Using th distraction, I run for my life as I hear them yelling after me.

Looking for a place to hide, I duck into a crowd in front of a shop window. It's showing a pale skinned blond woman in a pale red suit jacket, wearing a bowtie with yellow eyes. Next to her is a second pale skinned blonde woman with a creepy smile, soulless red eyes, and shoulder pads. Creepy smile lady calls suit lady, Charlotte, to which suit lady corrects it to Charlie. As I watch, something Charlie says catches my attention.

"As princess of Hell," I hear Charlie say.

Hell, holy shit I'm in fucking Hell! I can't pull my eyes away from the screen, but I have a hard time paying attention to what Charlie is saying. She keeps singing about something called, the Happy Hotel, and how it'll be a place to rehab sinners. Sounds crazy to me, but I'm not the princess of Hell. As people laugh at her idea, I feel a bit more hopeful.

"Seems like the safest place here," I mutter to myself.

This Happy Hotel seems cool, but I have no idea where it is. I scan the screen looking for an address but I can't find one. Annoyed I do my best to avoid people. Looking up at the red sky, I see the clock tower and a large hill with a building on top. I figured the building on the hill is the Happy Hotel. I hear noises from the TV, but I dont care at this point. I just want a safe place to be, but this is Hell so safe isn't really an option. Walking towards the hill some crazy looking dog frankstein's monster woman grabs me.

"Hand over your wallet!" She demands.

I have no wallet to speak of, so I tell her I can't. I'm so close to a safe haven and now I'm being mugged, this day gets worse by the hour. She keeps demanding my non existent wallet, and I keep telling her I don't fucking have a wallet to give her! She starts foaming at the mouth, and I see her brandish a knife. Backing away, I pray she doesn't do anything. But, they go unanswered as she stabs me in the hand before stomping away.

I walk the rest of the way, my shirt covered in blood as I use my shirt to try and stop the bleeding. Reaching the hotel, the sign says Hazbin Hotel but I could care less what it's called. Knocking on the door, I'm greeted with a grayish-lavender skinned lady wearing a bright red hair bow We stare at each other for a bit.

"Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, my name is Vaggie and you are?" She asks.

"Y/N, my name is Y/N," I tell her.

I swear I see an unknown emotion flashing across her face. She opens the door wider, and I walk in and sit on the couch.

She looks at my hand and offers to bandage it up. I thank her and she tells me it's not a problem. Once she's done, I hear an excited squeal. Turning towards the noise I see Charlie, minus her jacket, looking at me with a smile. She introduces herself and asks If I'm going to stay at the hotel. I nod and say that was my plan. Her smile grows as she asks me my name and how old I am since I looked young. When I tell her I'm a teenager, her smile drops. She looks at me, then kneels down to hug me. I tell her it's ok, and she seems to get slightly better. Grabbing my uninjured hand she points to the other demons and tells me their names.

"Over there is Angel Dust, he's another guest," she says, pointing to a fluffy spider demon.

Said demon looks at me, waves and tries to flirt. Charlie scolds him and says to not flirt with me as I'm a child. He looks at me and laughs, complimenting me for, "a good fucking joke." I tell him it's not a joke and he asks how a kid ended up in Hell. I say I was hit by a truck, and that seems to satisfy him.

"Oh, and this is our bartender Husk!" Charlie exclaims as she gestures to a cat demon in suspenders and a top hat.

I wave to him and he just gives me and unamused look as he drinks from what's probably a bottle of some kind of alcohol. Charlie then gestures to a short red haired woman in an equally red poodle skirt running after a roach with a comically large sewing needle.

"That's our housekeeper Niffty," Charlie says.

I just watch Niffty try to stab the roach, not wanting to end up stabbed agian because I interrupted the werid housekeeper. I turn my head and see a tall man dressed all in red, he has deer ears and a staff the looks like an old fashioned mircophone. I nervously wave to him, and he walks over. Charlie gestures to him and say he's Alastor, the hotel's facilities manager. He gives off an aura of authority and power that sacred me. He holds his hand out, silently askign for a handshake, I follow the silent order.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, my dear. This run down hotel will surely feel more like home with your youthful energy," Alastor says, his voice sounding like it's coming from a radio.

Charlie looks back at me, still with a warm smile on her face, and grabs my shoulders. She promises me that I'll love it at the hotel, and that I'll get to Heaven in no time. I shrug and nervously say thank you, this makes her smile more, if it's even possible. Holding my hands she looks me straight in the eyes. Something feels deranged about her, but I don't know how to place it. All I know is, I'm stuck in Hell with it's princess and her friends. But, I could be worse off than here.

"You're going to love it here! Welcome to Hell, Y/N!" Charlie joyously says.

[astra-galaxie]

So...quick question. How would you rank each CC game in terms of character design? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Oh! Good question! Let me get some pictures, and I'll come back with my list!

1st place: Mysteries of The Past

I LOVE the character designs of MotP! It does an amazing job at replicating the style of the late 19th century, which it's supposed to be set in, and while some things aren't entirely period-accurate, I love it regardless! Also, the characters' physical appearances are detailed and unique, creating a large diversity among this season's cast.

Plus, Victorian Steampunk is one of my favourite styles (even if I don't wear it), so that's an added bonus for me!

2nd place: The Conspiracy

This season showcases how much Pretty Simple's character designs have improved since its release, as it brought back many S1 characters. The details in the designs are beautiful, and this is also when PS started trying more facial expressions and poses for the characters. This season is a perfect example of how character designs can be improved with practice, so it earned second place!

3rd place: Travel in Time

S6 gets third place thanks to how many different periods' styles it's replicated. We had Ancient Times, the 1960s, the Renaissance, the future, the Age of Sails (which I love pirates, so bonus!) and Medieval Asia. This season had so many unique styles within it that it's only fair it should be in the top three! I think the only reason it's not higher up is because it's shorter than the other seasons, and while I don't know if I would want it to go for 60-ish cases, it would have been interesting to see what other times we could have visited.

(I still think we should have visited MotP during S6, but that's an idea for another time, so I'll shut up about it for now!)

4th place: Supernatural Investigations

S7 gets fourth place, as I love seeing its take on different supernatural creatures. I am a HUGE fan of the paranormal and magic, so this season is right up my alley! While some designs could use improvements (*cough* the demons *cough*), I still like seeing all the different mythical creatures. Regardless of the things I would choose to change to improve some of the characters' designs, it did an excellent job making characters who are so different than what we see in other seasons.

5th place: Save The World

Save The World is when I feel that Criminal Case really started to branch out with its diversity in character designs. We visit so many countries throughout the seasons that it makes sense for the characters to reflect the differences between nationalities. I won't speak for how accurate some of the designs are for all of the nationalities featured in this season, but I think PS did a good job designing characters to represent each country. You can even see it among the Bureau since few members originate from the same country. Overall, StW has fantastic character designs, even if the following seasons have more details.

6th place: City of Romance

OMG! Who would have thought we'd ever see the day CoR DIDN'T come in last place on a list?! (At least I don't recall them ever not being in last place...)

Even if CoR failed horribly at being the final season of CC, the character designs are good. Some characters I like more than others, but overall, they have plenty of details without being overwhelming. Had CoR gotten the chance to be a full 30-case season, we might have seen more characters come back from past seasons and see the design improvements like we did in S5 and S6. Like I always say, CoR had the potential to be better than it was, but at least the character designs weren't a total flop!

7th place: Pacific Bay

(AnxietyFluffy, please forgive me for putting S2 so low on this list.😭)

While I enjoy PB's plot and characters, unfortunately, I had to put it so low on the list since, compared to other seasons, its character designs aren't as impressive to me. Mainly, it's because it's only the second game, so PS was still working on improving character designs. While I can see an improvement between S1 and S2, it's just not enough for me to put PB higher on the list. But, I still think PB did a good job creating diversity between districts, and while I will always question how the climates of these districts coexist, it was nice to see the differences reflected in the character designs.

8th place: Grimsborough

Last but certainly not least is Grimsborough! While it's nostalgic and the game introduced me to CC, sadly, its character designs showcase the fact that it's the first game. I would never say the designs are bad, but they're not as good as they were in the following seasons. There's something simplistic about the designs compared to feature seasons, but I still enjoy them. However, I am glad that PS started making the characters more detailed and unique in the following seasons, and I wish we could have seen more S1 characters come back in future seasons to see how much their designs could have improved.

I loved seeing how PS's character designs improved over the course of their 8 games while staying true to their CC style. I've always enjoyed the style and characters of this series, and it was fun to pick which ones I liked most! I'm sure others would put the seasons in a different order based on character designs, but I'll stand by my choices.

Thank you for the ask, eggsandmasks! You always send me some fun brain teasers!😁

[diminuel]

I always joked with my buds that the Revolutionary Army are kind of huge nerds for how dedicated they are to their extremely silly aesthetic. But then it hit me. They actually have THREE distinct aesthetics, Medieval (cloaks, broadswords, masks, etc.) Steampunk (goggles, top hats, scarves, etc.) and Queer (skimpy outfits, fishnet, gender non-conforming, etc.)

But today it hit me.

They’re REN FAIRE DORKS

the political narrative of One Piece is one where the proletariat’s best hope for liberation lies in the hands of REN FAIRE PEOPLE

X'D

You're right! Though to be fair, I'm sure Ren faire dorks are more than capable of saving the world in any given universe!

[star-farer]

the flowering stars

Summary: For a child of Kamino, it takes very little to amuse. AU: Ik'aad, High Fantasy Star Wars (hfsw) Taglist: @margindoodles2407, @kybercrystals94, @fionas-frenzy, @padawancat97

Author's note: This is a crossover with an AU belonging to my dear friend Margin — @high-fantasy-sw is her main blog concerning it, go check it out! — so the writing style will bear a more archaic feel, not to mention the characters speaking somewhat like a Knight of Olde tm. But it will also have elements of science, at the very least up till a somewhat 19th century science, of a sort. Friend's note: I hope you like it, Margin! Tried my best to balance the mix between the Ye Olden Days and Victorian Steampunk languages.

One unforeseen day in their barracks, surrounded by warm blankets and hearts, Omega, sat kindly upon Wrecker’s lap, is gently handed a gift she swears to remember unto the end of ages.

“Is it a star?” comes her gasping question, and laughter rumbles about her, shared by each of the four chambers of her heart, her vode.

She peers down at the object lying cupped in her two hands, having been warned to be most careful with it. Curiosity stirs within her: she has never seen anything so strange. Like the spokes of a wheel, five little fins flare out from the yellow of its center, a beautiful pure white.

Is this not what a star looks like?

“Ah, Om’ika,” laughs Hunter, and she lifts her face to see fondness glowing in his eyes, “We forget how little you have seen.”

Tech, he lifts a finger, quite ready to tell her a tale. Crosshair, he swipes a hand in the air, and cuts him off as a blade slices a cord. “Do not bore her with your lectures, ori’mirshe. Speak plainly.”

He earns himself a glare — two glares, in truth, for Omega would much like to know all there is concerning the wonder that lies cradled in her palms. It is ever so rare that her vode bring her something, a shard of life belonging to the world above the waters. It must be very important, then, if they have preserved it all this way to rest in her hands.

Tech relents with a heavy sigh, more for her sake than his, she is certain, and places her hands within his, unfurling them with his thumbs so that the curiosity lies displayed for all to see. “It is a plant, ad’ika. A flower.”

“Plant,” she breathes, watching her buir pick it up by its stalk, a green so vivid unlike the dim verdancy of kelp and algae, “Flower.”

She remembers the words, remembers the wondrous tales she would be told of lands filled with such fair beings, swaying in the air currents, shining bright beneath the great star. Those are tales spoken softly when the bells ring and the lamps are dimmed, when arms come sweetly around her to pull her close and warm and tuck a blanket around her curled form. Then is she borne on the wings of those quiet words into a land of dreams, where colors she has never imagined dazzle and blind her, where songs of creatures unseen and unheard of ring in her mind’s ear.

And here twirls a plant, a flower, from that foreign country, before her eyes and between Buir’s fingers.

Oh! Oh, but this is simply extraordinary!

“It is a mayflower blossom," he expounds, "Epigaea repens is its scientific name. Wholly pentamerous, bearing five of each of the components of the four whorls.”

She does not understand any of his speech, though it does not matter. Some day, she shall understand him perfectly. But for now, she is content with understanding little.

“Mayflower? Is that its name?”

Names are very important, she has been told. Nearly as important as the ring on a clone’s finger.

Buir smiles at her, eyes creasing in their corners beyond the yellow lenses, and holds the flower, the mayflower, up before her eyes. With his other hand, he picks up her own paw and directs her to wrap forefinger and thumb around the green stalk, mirroring himself.

Nodding, he releases the mayflower. “That is its name, my clever heart, yes.”

Once more does she gasp, gazing at the flower with wide eyes. Its fins — petals, she remembers being taught — they look soft and pliant to touch, and she moves to do so.

Until the Mistresses stern voice fills her head.

Omega, do not touch what you must not!

Swift is the motion with which she draws back the outreaching fingers. She raises nervous eyes.

“May I touch it?”

A noise, strange and low, reverberates behind her, and there is something sad upon Tech’s face, even as he speaks in that silent voice that means a warning, “Wrecker.”

There is a similar sorrow and warning in Hunter’s gaze when she turns to look, yet in Crosshair’s, there lies a stony wrath that makes her shrink into Wrecker’s embrace. Opening her mouth, she aims to repair her misstep with an apology.

But Crosshair, when his eyes alight upon her face, interrupts once more, stern features softening so that a smile slopes along the line of his lips. A hand he holds out, and she places hers in it. With a small chuckle, he raises it and holds her fingertip to the petal.

“Be gentle,” he murmurs, even as she begins to stroke it, “It may break.”

Her eyes widen. “It can break?”

“Aye. But it is stronger than it appears.”

“Even still,” puts in Hunter, no haste in his warm voice, “One must be careful. As with all things.”

She hums her understanding — prudence has been taught all her life. She knows how to hold this mayflower, how to touch its petals without breaking it. She knows to be gentle, for she learnt it of her vode.

“I believe I can do it,” she tells them, marveling at the curious texture beneath her finger, “I believe I can be gentle.”

And Wrecker barks a sound of laughter, deep and true where it rattles her ribs.

“As do we, tracinya. With all our hearts. This wee blossom, ‘twas picked with you foremost in our thoughts. And ‘tis yours for now and evermore!”

Here is a gift, of thought and wonder. Here is a symbol, of promises ne’er-forgotten. Here is an organism, of sky and earth and air.

Yet what can compare to the love of her aliit?

[forthegothicheroine]

Congratulations on your turn as Iris! I'm so happy to hear you're treading the boards again!

I might get the chance to visit San Francisco early in next year, and I was wondering if you might have any suggestions of fun things to do, off the beaten path a bit, in the colder months in that fair city?

I greatly apologize for taking so long to answer this! While many of my favorite things are gone (I still weep for steampunk stores and revival movie houses,) there are still cool, unique things to do on a trip. Here are some of them which were open as of a year ago.

Japantown Mall: The best place to be, hands down. The mall itself has amazing authentic Japanese food, a giant half-Japanese and half-English bookstore with a whole level devoted to manga and light novels, and lots of small stalls of crepes and boba tea. Across the street you'll find the Crown and Crumpet, a cute tea room with an upper floor that sells EGL brands. Even if you don't buy anything, just walking around is a great day!

Golden Gate Park: Take a walk and see the beauty of nature! Have a snack at the Japanese Tea Garden while admiring the koi pond! If the tickets aren't too expensive, go to the Academy of Sciences aquarium and say hi to the albino alligator for me! Admire the Shakespeare garden if it's in season! Another fun place to be for a whole afternoon.

Lupa Trattoria: The best Italian food I've ever had in the United States.

Haight-Ashbury: While not the goth and hippie paradise it used to be, this is still a cool couple streets. There's a science fiction bookstore called Borderlands, another cool indie bookstore called Booksmith, a huge vintage clothing store called Relic Vintage, and some pretty good thrift stores as well.

City Lights: Not done book shopping? Go to the place that published beat generation writings back in the day, which now sells an eclectic collection of intellectual, classic and offbeat titles. When I would get a book and go read it at the nearbye Cafe Zoetrope, I felt like the coolest person in the world.

Pier 39 Sea Lions: Sea lions!!! An earthquake sent them here, and they've stayed here ever since. They sit on a bunch of large rafts wrestling, showing off, or sleeping in the sun. They always cheered me up.

Exploratorium: A totally unique science museum that encourages you to touch and interact with the exhibits. They have special presentations as well, so check the website to see what's going on

Musée Mécanique: Do you want to take a headlong plunge into the uncanny valley? Of course you do! This free mini-museum has animations and carnival games from yesteryear, and the huge and terrifying Laughing Sally. It's in walking distance of Pier 39, too.

Lovejoy's Tea Room: They catered my wedding!!! Great tea and pastries, and a super cozy atmosphere, plus you sometimes get to see egl friends have meetups in gorgeous attire.

The Castro: As gentrified as it's gotten, there's still something wonderful about a neighborhood with rainbow crosswalks and pride flags waving everywhere. Sob outside of the late lamented Castro Theater (now a concert venue,) go to a souvenir store, walk down to Bi-Rite Creamery for ice cream if the line isn't too long.

Bourbon and Branch, Smuggler's Cove: If you like vintage cocktails, have a night out at Bourbon and Branch, a retro speakeasy, or Smuggler's Cove, an amazing tiki bar. Call ahead for B&B, since you need reservations and the password.

Folsom Street Fair: If you ever go again in summer and are not squicked by kink, check out this fetish festival! (And no, scaremongers, children can not actually get in and be traumatized by this, as they check your ID.) Buy a corset, have experts tie you up, get sex ed from guys who've been teaching it for fifty years, see everybody in their awesome outfits. (It is somehow always on the hottest day of the year, though, so stay hydrated, especially if you're in head to toe leather.)

The Alamo Drafthouse: While not unique to San Francisco, I'm always happy to be in a city that has one of these. This movie theater shows new films, classics and cult favorites, and you can order food while you watch (try the milkshakes!) One of my best moviegoing experiences was when they showed The Lost Boys, and all the goths in the lobby looked at each other and nodded, like yeah, we all know why we're here.

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tags @mysticstarlightduck @theink-stainedfolk and probably many more!

Wip Aesthetic Tag

Rules: Make a moodboard for your WIP, a playlist (3+ songs/music will suffice but it can be as long as you want) and describe the Vibe of your WIP.

Oh god, I'm really bad at aesthetic stuff. No clue why, I just feel like it's never cohesive. That said, here's my best stab at Mystery of the Mortal God.

⚙️Moodboard🌿

🎵Music����

Instrumental (pulled from my character playlists):

Flight of the Silverbird

Ponyo's Sisters

HUNGRY!

Exclusive Coupé

A Murder of Crows

Wings (Aether 2)

The Quiet Earth

Vocal:

I Want to Conquer the World - Bad Religion

Supersonic - Bad Religion

Harlan Road - NewTown

Black Lipstick - Chicano Batman

The Reckoning - Dom Fera

Norwegian Wood - Buddy Rich Big Band

Call me Call me - Steve Conte

🩸Vibes🏵

A walking, steam-powered vardo lurches over a yellow-flowered marsh and under a sky of curious stars. Red, sparkling smoke rises from its chimney. Muddy footsteps are left in its wake like the trail of a mechanical dragon. It seems like a place of magic, which is fair, as it's the home of a witch. She sits with a lit pipe and a tabby cat purring on her lap, quietly contemplating a distant, stolen song. Even in the peace of the moment, her mind is alight with grand schemes and dreams of adventure.

In the capital of a thousand peoples, there stands a detective office lit by golden lamps. It's busy - goblins, elves, and lizardfolk rushing every which way in hopes of managing the many crimes wrought by rogue mages. At its heart resides a beat of calm in the eye of the storm - an opulent office out of place for its cushy decorations and color coding fit for a palace. This is also fair, as working at its desk is a prince of sorts. The prodigal heir to divine contracts and a deadly curse. He shudders at the knowledge of his bloody fate, yet pursues it nonetheless.

On the side of a lonely road, in a lonely land, under stars that are not curious, but disappointed, lays a wreck of bronze and steel. It bleeds black on green. It is confused by this. Where is the red? Where is the pain? It remembers another place - gray and icy and riveted. It remembers two eyes surrounded by shadows and a grin hanging in the dark like a half-moon. Hate closes in like a frigid wind, piercing through any amount of heart or compassion. It will have revenge.

Tropes include slow burn romance, revenge quests, magic as a science, and mad scientists. Genre is fantasy steampunk.

Snappier character descriptions include a braggadocious redneck mage with a chip on her shoulder the size of a mountain, a prissy, gossip-loving detective with a deadly curse, and a sweetheart of a maybe-robot with some terrifying instincts hidden behind a fog of amnesia. All of them, due to personal quests, will end up banding together to defeat a would-be demigod, facing cunning traps, summoning ritual shenanigans, and their own conflicting personalities. Will they survive? Will they join the villain? Who's to say? All I can assure is that if they fail, it'll at least be in a blaze of glory.

Heavily inspired by the Foundryside Trilogy and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

I'll tag @spideronthesun @kaylinalexanderbooks @ominous-feychild @galactic-mystics-writes and anyone else who wants to play!

[gumnut-logic]

I've been poking around in my Steampunk AU and hoping to spark the muse as I do enjoy playing in that world and I came across this snippet that just has some glorious images of Tracy boys that I had to share :D

I hope I can get my head in the right space.

-o-o-o-

Scott shifted his shoulders under his coat and looked up at the sky.

It was a gorgeous blue today and he would have loved nothing more than to be up in it…in any way possible.

Beyond the gates, at the far end of the fair, a great wheel was spinning slowly, its passengers enjoying the brief illusion of being airborne at its peak.

He stared at them for a moment, almost sad that they had little clue as to what they were missing.

But wish as he might, today was not the day for flying. Today was a day for Scott Tracy to represent his father at the latest technology exhibition and fair.

Stepping out of the carriage beside him, Virgil was picking at a smudge of something on his green silk waist coat. Scott had to hold back from rolling his eyes. By all that was merciful, how his brother managed to get grease on everything? If Scott was honest, the exasperation was fond rather than annoyed.

“Tuck it behind your cravat.”

Virgil looked up at him as if he had been startled out of his skin.

Scott sighed and leant on his cane as his brother fiddled further with his clothing. “It is hardly noticeable.”

“What is hardly noticeable?” Gordon appeared beside Virgil and looked his brother up and down. Alan hung behind him, eyes staring out at the fair as if all his Christmases had arrived today.

“Never you mind.” Virgil’s voice was brusque as he straightened up in his charcoal grey suit and adjusted his similarly-coloured top hat.

He made Scott conscious of his own deep blue almost black hat and he instinctively touched it, causing it to tilt just slightly down on one side.

Gordon caught the movement and grinned.

This time Scott did roll his eyes and turned away. “Be on your best behaviour today. We are representing Tracy Industries and our father. No tomfoolery.”

“Aw, ruin it, why don’t you.”

Gordon made a very good imitation of a spoilt child when he so chose to. If it wasn’t for the trust Scott had in his little brother, there would be worry. “Look sharp.”

With his brothers at his back, Scott Tracy strode into the fair.

-o-o-o-

[mad-bird-writes]

Introduction and Current WIPs

Hiya! My name is Echo (@tousled-birdmad-girl is my main for those who care about such things) and I'm a writer. I've been writing in some form or another since I was about ten years old, but only recently plucked up the gumption and drive to attempt anything original, much less put it out for the world to see. Time will tell how this goes...

I love horror, tho I wouldn't consider myself a "genre" author, as I think horror, surrealism, fantasy and magic can be found everywhere if you know where to look, and the presence of fantasy elements does not necessarily mean you're writing a "fantasy" book. So, we'll call what I do "fiction" and leave it at that for now :D

Inspiration-wise, I draw from the works of Stephen King, everything Mike Flanagan ever put to Netflix and beyond, Paul Shapera and his ever-growing Shaperaverse, Guillermo Del Toro, Chuck Palahniuk, and the Cthulhu Mythos as a whole (with a particular liking for taking the worlds, entities and themes first created by Lovecraft and using them to create something that'd make him spin in his grave.)

Below the cut: a list of my current WIPs and some general housekeeping information. If you see something that sparks your interest, please come sit by my hearth and pour yourself a drink <3

Original Works:

The Lost Souls' Revival: After a series of personal crises, struggling creative Amari Walker stumbles across a flyer advertising a strange carnival, offering "a total restoration of spirit" for the cryptic asking price of "3Y". With nothing left to lose, she attends, quickly becoming enthralled by the Revival and its colourful cast of performers, in particular its eccentric, nameless ringmaster. When her night of fun and escapism is over, she finds herself wanting more, and embarks on a one-woman quest to follow the ever-moving carnival wherever it goes, a quest that will drive her to the edge of sanity, and possibly beyond the reach of reality itself. (vibes: steampunk, dark carnival, mythology/folklore mishmash, fantasy horror, the Fair Folk, whatever the goblins were selling in Rosetti's Goblin Market)

Better To Reign In Hell: It's 1897. The world is changing too fast. Pastor Nathaniel Lawrence is dying, for all that he's trying to hide it. His daughter, Susannah, too old for rebellion and too young for spinsterhood, is content to follow in her mother's footsteps as the town's herbalist, but a bombshell marriage proposal seems set to destroy those plans. A chance encounter with a badly wounded man may offer her the escape she seeks, but at a price: Merritt Caine is not all he appears to be, and his dark past has an unbreakable grip. (vibes: southern gothic HEAVY on the gothic, small town horror, witchcraft (fictitious and real), Satanism (fictitious and real), corruption but in a good way, religious horror, the cycle of abuse, eventual murder (of the good kind) )

The Order of The Pallid Mask: In the corpse of a city at the centre of a dying world, a benevolent cult is working to restore their world to its fabled former glory by appealing to its retreated god, The King in Yellow. Sariann, the cult's High Priestess, is willing to sacrifice whatever she must to ensure a brighter future for the city's refugees; her body, her soul, her mind. Virgil, a lower-ranking member of the Order, her confidant, attendant and trusted friend, is willing to defy the Order and his faith to keep her alive. And the Yellow King has plans and desires of his own... (vibes: Cosmic horror, Lovecraftian but make it romantic, the beauty of the unknown, rituals, creating a religion from the ashes of an old world, post-apocalypse, ancient civilization (not of Earth), Eldritch love triangle) ***

Fan Works/Other:

As far as fanfics go, I don't have any long-form WIPs on the stove, more like a series of short (well, short-ish) form drabbles, headcanons and other assorted bits, which I might as well post here when I have them as proof that I do have a creative output that extends beyond Spotify playlists and Pinterest boards.

Fandoms include:

Fallout (mainly New Vegas and the Prime series so far, but encompassing this universe as a whole)

Red Dead Redemption (particularly the second game as I haven't played the first one yet, £35 for a port of a PS2 game my *ass*)

the Flanaverse (Hill House, Bly Manor, TFOTHOU, Midnight Mass... basically everything bar The Midnight Club, which I have not watched)

the Cthulhu Mythos (if you can call that a fandom :D I was working on a queer retelling of Dreams in the Witch-House at one point, if I can *find* the notes I wrote I might bring that one out of retirement...)

plus one or two fandoms the content crucibles of which I would not subject myself to if you held me at gunpoint (iykyk)

I've also amassed a small collection of OCs from various TTRPGs I've been part of, a couple of whom still haunt my mind and may or may not be written about from time to time... (no DnD tho, I think it's safe to say we've reached saturation point with DnD-centric/derivative works) ;)

***

General housekeeping + other info: I am an adult and this is an adult writing blog by default. I will be writing smut/other sexual content and dealing with mature and dark themes throughout these listed works (and anything else I may write to post here.) I will tag for "main" triggers and give general content warnings where applicable, but I cannot guarantee to cover every single trigger a person may have, therefore, you read and interact here at your own risk. If requested, I will add more trigger warnings, but again, I can't fully guarantee to get everything.

I kindly ask that you refrain from reposting anything from this blog: excerpts, character profiles, moodboards (if I make them) etc. I also ask that you do not take anything for your personal use under any circumstances.

My inbox is open, so send me an ask if you have any questions or simply want to chat! But for now, I've rambled for quite long enough, so I'm gonna wrap this post here. See you! <3

(tagging @coffeexafterxmidnight and @dominaarts )

[stormblessed95]

Stormy - I have been wanting to start reading Brandon Sanderson's cosmere? books, but I can't figure out where to start.

I have seen conflicting arguments. Some say to start with "Mistborn" (which is my default thinking, as it was the first), some say to start with "The Way of Kings".

Several posts and videos have suggested that no matter where you start you don't read them in chronological order?

Help a girl out? 🙏

-From Fantasy girl who is getting really tired of TikTok trying to convince her ACOTAR is the greatest thing since Tolkien. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Friend, if all booktok is giving you is ACOTAR then you need to expand your algorithm! Lol I'm MORE than happy to talk cosmere and reading order!

SO it's important to know that there really isn't a right or wrong way to do this. Everyone will have their own preferred reading order, or the way they did it. As for the chronological comment, it's because each series takes place at a different point in time in the universe.... It can get a little confusing, and I wouldn't necessarily worry too much about it. Lol if you get really into the cosmere and want all the lore, the timeline of each story on each planet, the 17th shard or coppermind websites do a great job and you could spend DAYS going through it all. Lol but it's also spoiler galore, so I would stay away until you read through the books.

Sanderson himself does say that he breaks a ton of rules of writing/in fantasy in the way he starts The Stormlight Archive. That's his center piece of the cosmere really and he personally recommends reading that one after he has earned your trust as an author. And that's fair because boy does that series have a long, slow and confusing start. But DAMN does it pay off. It is my FAVORITE cosmere series. I named my BTS blog after it 😂😂

The cosmere is an multiverse made up of multiple different book series taking place on multiple different planets, each planet is ruled by different shards (their "gods") and they all, in some ways interconnect, mostly right now in smaller ways, but things are coming together more and more. Finding Easter eggs from different series is one of my favorite things. You also have one character, who is a world hopper (there are lots but he is the main one we see) who appears somewhere in every single series. You can read by series.... You can read in publication order.... You can read in phases.... Lol truly, you can't go wrong!

Mistborn is a great start if you want to try that. It's one of his most well known, but it is not his first published work in the cosmere! It's set on the planet Scadriel. It's a solid series, super strong AND it's a great way to *ease* into it, especially if you are newer to fantasy. Which is sounds like you are not! But still. It's the classic fantasy tropes with Brandon's own take/twist on it. Prophecy chosen one hero, an immortal evil god-emperor, a plucky found family band of misfit rebels, with book 1 being a heist story with magic. It's got a metal based magic system that's one of the most unique hard magic systems I've read

Mistborn starts with the Era 1 trilogy, which includes:

- The Final Empire

-The Well of Ascension

- The Hero of Ages

- The Eleventh Metal (novella)

- The Traveler (short story, only found online)

Era 2, which includes:

- The Alloy of Law

- Allomancer Jak (short story)

- Shadows of Self

- Bands of Mourning

- Mistborn: Secret History (novella)

Mistborn will continue into 2 further eras as well in the future on Scadriel. They haven't been published yet, all we know about it is that Era 1 was your classic epic fantasy trilogy world set up for the most part, Era 2 is set 300 years after the end of era 1 and has a steampunk western feel to it. (It also has lesbians with guns as a side couple/character, and one of my FAVORITE cosmere couples in the main pairing). Era 3 will be set more modern fantasy/magic, he said think 80s/90s, and Era 4 will be a scifi/fantasy feel set in space!

You could also start in publication order with Elantris. His first book ever published, and you can low-key tell. It's still a great book, but it's not as strong as the others and so I tend to rec this one as definitely please read it, but maybe not as an intro to Sanderson as an author. Elantris is a standalone and set on the world of Sel. This world has two other novellas set in it, which are Emperor's Soul (one of the best novellas I've ever read in my life) and the Hope of Elantris. Emperor's Soul is the story of a prisoner tasked with reconstructing the mind of the Emperor to save her own life. Elantris is based on a magic system that broke, triad narrative structure and heavy political intrigue that is told in a way that won't go over my head

If you want to ease into the world by way of Graphic Novel, check of White Sand. It's set on the world of Taldain, takes place timeline wise WAY EARLIER than most of the other cosmere and is just pretty fun honestly. There are 3 volumes total.

Warbreaker is one i used to recommend to my friends all the time as an intro to Sanderson as it was super fun, super colorful, a standalone and a fantastic read with a great romance subplot. Since it's a standalone, alot of people find it less daunting to pick up and it hooks a lot of people in to wanting to read more of his stuff. It's set on the planet Nalthis and has one of the more obvious crossovers in the cosmere into another book series. Characters (and a sword) from this book, also appear as side characters in the Stormlight Archive. Brandon Sanderson also gives a download of Warbreaker for free as an ebook on his website. This is a story of two princesses (sisters) who grew up knowing their lot and fate in life, and then suddenly they have to switch. It's got romance, politics, intrigue and crazy twists and a color based magic system.

My husband started with Stormlight Archive and has zero regrets. Lol and lots of people do start here and love it. Because again, no wrong way to do this! When I mentioned earlier that it really throws you into the deep end, it does. The first boom has a prelude that shows events 5000 years ago, then a prologue with events 5 years ago, then ch 1 with events 6 months ago, then you finally get to present day with the MCs and have no idea how they got to where they are or what's happening at first. Lol but it's got horribly broken characters who are just desperately trying to save themselves and then the world. It's the most badass fantasy world with epic anime level fight scenes, an intricate and so cool magic system and a truly unique world that you are fully emersed in. The video above is like my favorite trailer make people watch to say "read this!!"

Stormlight is set on Roshar and includes:

- The Way of Kings

- Words of Radiance

- Edgedancer (novella)

- Oathbringer

- Dawnshard

- Rhythm of War

- Wind and Truth (releasing Dec 2024)

And the latest release will conclude the first arc of the Stormlight Archive. He plans to have another arc in this series as well with another 5 books and a few more novellas.

You could also start with a few of his newer cosmere related standalones as well! This are all newer releases that he did as secret projects and could all be good entry points into the cosmere as well with a good fun standalone read!

Tress of the Emerald Sea is set on Lumar. It's like pirates of the Caribbean meets Princess's Bride

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is set on Komashi. Two people find themselves switching bodies, have to solve a mystery to save their respective people's and slowly fall in love along the way (inspired by Your Name)

And The Sunlit Man, I wouldn't read this one as an intro to the cosmere personally, but you could! Its main character is actually one of the side characters from the Stormlight Archive and is set way in the future from that time as well as on a different planet, Canticle.

You can also just jump into some novellas instead if you would rather. There are two novellas out now that have no connection to a series (yet) but are part of the cosmere and set on different planets.

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell is my other favorite cosmere novella and is INCREDIBLE and is set on Threnody

Sixth of Dust is set on First of the Sun

This is old, so missing some of the newer books, but still a great resource:

And if you've made it through all that and are still a little like okayyyy but where do I start??? Some extra resources....

Brandon explaining what the cosmere is himself

Brandon recommended where to start:

If you want the closet to chronological, I'd go:

Publication Order can be found here, the cosmere books are in Green:

https://coppermind.net/wiki/Bibliography

And personally? I'd start Mistborn or Warbreaker. Unless you are fully ready to dive deep into trusting him with a story lol then full send it with Stormlight Archive.

AND if you are reading these, please feel free to DM me to chat about it or send your reactions or anything at all!!

Good luck! Hope I didn't just confuse you more!! Lol

[lacependragonwrites]

BY THE RITES OF STARS ★ an anti-military science fantasy

the first book in the starkyda universe

genre | science fantasy, military fantasy, steampunk/gaslamp fantasy

audience | adult

pov | multi-pov, (usually) third person limited, present

series premise | a bunch of queer, disabled dragon riders try to raise a rebellion, take down a fascist, patriarchal regime, and save the world at the same time.

themes & tropes | chosen one(s), prophecies, meddling gods, dragons & dragon riders, griffon riders, magic/military academy, anti-military, anti-fascism, power of friendship/love, the power of being different, found family, animal companions, magitech, Hard Magic, if you try to get rid of us we only get stronger

content warnings | queerphobia in all its forms (homophobia, acephobia, transphobia, polyphobia, etc), fatphobia, ableism & eugenics rhetoric, child & spousal abuse, systematic abuse, indentured labour, animal death, graphic violence, misgendering, dead naming, animal abuse, some very minor cannibalism as a side effect of other stuff

★ SYNOPSIS

For three hundred years, the world of Lumira has existed on the brink of apocalypse. Only the hard work of the dragon riders, stationed across the three lowest islands, keeps the otherworldly fungus, known as the Blight, from swallowing the world. But it is no longer enough. Six years ago, Saoirse Cuirc declared herself a girl before the statues of the Gods and spoke with the Goddess herself, Sáerlaith, who declared Saoirse the first of nine Chosen - people on Tairkyda who would stop the Blight and save the world. Now, in the present, Saoirse, her best friend Lucian, and many others are on their way to their first year at Tairkyda's military academy to become dragon riders. But from the very start, it's clear that she, Lucian, and all the other "different" initiates aren't welcome. Divided into different flights, pushed down and harassed by students and teachers alike, and constantly chasing after a goddess she can't seem to find, Saoirse is failing before she even starts. And Lucian, split into a flight with Kiryu, who won't stop picking fights with him, isn't fairing much better. Elsewhere in the school, Jules, an indentured student, fights back against unfair rules and clashes with a professor who vows to make them understand consequences. When Jules discovers that one of their flight mates, Sabine, is cursed and will die within the year, they rally Wren to help save Sabine and her brother. But the further they dig, the harder it is to stay out of reach of those who want to harm them. In engineering, Lara and Bran are both after answers that neither one can find alone -- Lara is trying to save her father's career, while Bran hunts for the answer behind the hiccups in the island's magitech. Cináed, their new lab assistant, just wants to go home to Underside, and if helping these two gives them a chance, then they'll do whatever it takes. And in Underside, Kat hunts for a way to Topside to find her missing sibling and teams up with the silent and deadly Rhys, who wants revenge for their murdered mother. But their journeys to Topside, and to their goals, will be far more fraught than they can imagine. All Saoirse wants is to be normal. All Jules wants is to go home. All Wren wants is to be strong. But if they are to save their new friends, stay in the academy, keep their dragons, and have any chance at fulfilling the duties of the Chosen, duties all three are quickly thrust into, they'll need to work together, learn everything they can, and be prepared to give up everything in the face of both saving the world and making Tairkyda into a home they want to live in. The last years of a three century war are beginning. But it's not just saving lives that matters. It's creating reasons to keep living, too.

★ CHARACTERS

Saoirse Cuirc: 19, she/her, trans woman. Heiress to the Cuirc family. Type 1 diabetes. Anxiety disorder. Fat.

All Saoirse has ever wanted was to just be a normal girl, but no matter how hard she tries, she can't even taste it. Anxious, overeager, and already feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders, Saoirse is the first of nine Chosen and is meant to find the rest and serve as their leader. Except Saoirse doesn't want to lead. She just wants to make friends and get to pretend she isn't the world's best chance at avoiding destruction. But she can't forget, not even for a second.

Jules Locke: 19, they/them, non-binary. Fringe farmer. Autistic. Migraines. Fat.

Blunt, hardworking, and endlessly curious, Jules is dragged into the world of dragon riders and politics when they stumble across, and hatch, a dragon egg near their family farm in the Fringe. Indentured until they can pay it off, Jules is determined to get home to their grandfather as quickly as possible - but their plans might be waylaid after they discover Sabine's curse and find themself unable to leave her to fight alone.

Wren Hashimoto: 19, they/them, trans masc. Youngest of the Hashimoto family. Stoat beastie. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Celiac.

After an entire childhood spent under the well-meaning and overbearing thumbs of their family, hatching an egg means Wren finally has some freedom. But arrival at the academy quickly proves that this world is not built for them, and Wren finds themself fighting just to keep their head above water. The people looking down want Wren to fail, and Wren will stop at nothing to disappoint them. But the true fight might not be with the world outside, but with the vast, burning anger inside them that might swallow their world whole.

Kiryu Furukawa: 19, he/him, cis man. Half-fae and least favourite of the Furukawa family. Juvenile arthritis. Tinnitus. Alpha-gal syndrome. Eating disorder NOS. Bipolar disorder.

Born out of wedlock and to one of the few fae still in Lumira, Kiryu has had the cards stacked against him in Tairkyda since the start. But it wasn't until he was nine years old, when his father found out about and tracked him down, that Kiryu even knew he was destined to be cursed. Until then, he'd been a normal kid. Trapped in his father's house and slowly worn down by years of bigotry and abuse, Kiryu got quiet, started playing stupid, and did everything he could in hopes of getting home to his mother and sisters. Now, with a dragon hatched, his father and eldest brother have recruited him in a mission to change the Chosen, and if he succeeds, he'll finally get to go home and breathe. Now if only he didn't despise his father and this culture and didn't take every opportunity to pick fights and start chaos.

Lucian: 19, he/him, cis man. Beastie. Saoirse's personal guard and companion. Gigantism. Migraines. Fat.

Lucian's first memories are hunger, fear, and pain. His first memory of light is Saoirse, then known by another name, and she gave his world light and meaning. For years, Lucian has lived in Saoirse's shadow, off the streets and out of bad homes only because she took interest in him. He protects her with everything she has. But he longs for more. Lucian longs for open skies and smiling faces, for notoriety that comes not from Saoirse, but from his own name and his own merit. And when he hatches a dragon egg, something he never thought he could do, Lucian isn't sure if this will give him more opportunity to make a name for himself, or seal him into his role as Saoirse's number two forever.

Sabine Bellerose: 19, she/her, cis woman. Oldest child of the Bellerose family. Blind. PTSD.

Sabine is dying. She knows she's dying and, furthermore, she knows she can't be saved. That's fine. All she wants, before her father's stupid curse kills her, is to save her brother. But when she hatches a dragon egg she didn't even want, the timeline changes. Her father sends her off to the academy with an hourglass around her throat. The day after the school year ends, Sabine will die. Frustrated and helpless, Sabine will fight with everything she has to save her brother. Herself? She gave up on herself years ago.

Cináed: 19, they/them, genderless. Half-fae and indentured servant of Topside. Autistic. Hard of hearing.

Cináed's not supposed to be here - here, in Topside; here, as staff; here, unable to leave because of the stupid charm wrapped around their ankle that they can't get off. If they could, there'd be nothing stopping them from running home and finding their sister again. After nine years of waiting, very few consequences are going to get in Cináed's way of finally tasting freedom. But for them to get there, they'll have to work alongside two of Topsiders up-and-coming magineers, and the more Cináed's responsibilities to Topside and feelings for both Lara and Bran grow, the harder it is to run home for good.

Lara Acardi: 21, she/her, trans woman. Cerebral palsy. Seizures. Fat.

Everything can be understood if you are patient, humble, and never give up. This is Lara's life motto. Raised by a brilliant, warm man, who is also the head military scientist of Tairkyda, Lara has spent her life in awe of science and magic. She is a person who chases ideas, opportunities, and dreams, even if they might seem far fetched. And when her father struggles to find a solution to a new Blight problem, which leads to pressure from above, Lara recruits her friend Bran, and new lab assistant Cináed, into helping her solve the problem and save her father's reputation and career.

Bran Fáolan: 22, he/him, trans man. Albinism. Autistic. OCD.

Bran and his family have never fit into the upper crust of Tairkyda. Described, at best, as "overly obsessed weirdos", Bran's widowed mother encourages her children to do what brings them joy. For Bran, that is science! Driven by an insatiable need to create something impossible, something no one else has seen, Bran toils in the engineering labs everyday, seeing little point in personal relationships or like, being nice. But when the anomalies he's tracking start to add up, Bran ropes Lara and Cináed into helping him discover exactly who, or what, is causing the magitech in Tairkyda to malfunction and flicker.

Padma: 12, she/her, cis girl. Fisher beastie. Left hand amputee.

Padma survived what many others wouldn't: a limb amputation due to Blight. She only survived because Shahin, her adoptive father, found her and saved her. And she's never stopped trying to save him back. Quick on her feet and vicious with her teeth, Padma has spent years running in the shadow of her fathers' criminal empire in Underside. Now, with the magitech malfunctioning more than ever and Topside tight-lipped about it, Padma has the perfect opportunity to go undercover and get information for her dads. The pressure doesn't matter - all that matters is not letting her dads down. If she can do that, she can do anything.

Katriona "Kat": 22, she/her, cis woman. Berserker. Right arm amputee (above the elbow). Bipolar disorder.

Nine years ago, Kat lost Cináed to Topside and it's all her fault. She just wanted them to eat something good. She thought if they stole from Topside they could make good money selling what they grabbed. Instead, she lost the only family she had left. Now, Kat is an underground fighter; letting out her anger in the ring while she saves up money to get information about Topside and Cináed's whereabouts. When Kat gets the chance to team up with someone even scarier than her, she takes it to get to Cináed quicker. Despite her anger, Kat's pretty good at taking care of other people, particularly those younger than her. A lot of kids in Underside go to her for help.

Rhys: 15, they/them, agender. Farsider. Wolf beastie. Autistic. Nonverbal.

Rhys did not exist before they were six years old. They appeared, stumbling, broken, and weeping, in Underside nine years ago. After accidentally killing over a dozen people with strange shadows, Rhys fainted, and a doctor determined that Rhys had survived Blightfall, the final, and fatal, stage of Blight. Many wanted to study them, many wanted to use them, but Rhys ended up with Madeline, a woman who came to be their mother. Rhys loves Madeline. Rhys loves Underside. And Rhys has terrible powers that no one else does. And when the Enforcers of Topside kill their mother, Rhys casts aside their deep desire to be good - to be a hero - and takes up revenge. No one gets away with killing their mom. No one.

★ SETTING

Starkyda is a world in three parts: the Aether (above), the Nether (below), and Lumira (the world between). It's got similar technology to the 1880s-1910s era of development, it's in the first big stages of its industrial revolution, and magic is woven into everything. This is a world of floating islands. After a great flood many many years ago, the Gods rose the islands and their people into the sky to protect them from the endless waters. There were many changes during The Flood, including the hybridization of all living creatures. Cowpigs and chickurkeys and raccoorrels. (Also the dragons do not talk, just so we're clear.) Magic is not restricted to bloodlines or anything similar in Lumira. Any person can wield magic and the stars provide the layouts of every spell possible. However, without taeliswood - a highly guarded resource on Tairkyda - a person can only access a fraction of the magic in the world. Only through wealth, connections, or access to the military academy is it possible to gain the taeliswood for proper wand cores, brooms, and even the most coveted of all: a taelismera. Tairkyda, our main setting, is the lowest inhabited island left in Lumira. Those lower fell into the ocean after the Blight infected the island's living soul and killed them. Without a soul, the island plummets. Tairkyda is an island, divided. Topside, the city above ground, is deeply classist and run by five separate and feuding groups known as the Five Families. Only the academy is a neutral ground. The Wall, which separates the inhabited island from the Blighted sections, holds its own culture, as does the Fringe, the large ring of farms that wrap around the outside of the city, beyond the protection of most of its walls. But perhaps the most disparate section of the island is Underside - the literal underbelly of Tairkyda, located beneath the infrastructure of Topside and dug into the caves, the cliffs, and the dirt itself, until a mirror of Topside exists within its shadow. This is the more overt criminal world of Tairkyda, and mostly it houses those deemed undesirable by society or who were unlucky enough to be born down there. The military academy is the heart of Topside and is where all members of the military, whether foot, support, dragon rider, griffon rider, etc., are trained. The academy provides the largest supply of dragon riders to the war against the Blight. While two other islands have small colonies - Starletom and Hornkider - nearby, neither has a robust dragon rider population and few eggs choose to hatch for them each year. It is not an exaggeration to say that, as the world stands, if Tairkyda were to fall into the ocean, it would mean the end of the world.

★ LINKS | Book Tag / Series Tag / Rambling Tag / Profiles / Excerpts / Worldbuilding / Playlist

★ TAGLIST | @reminiscentrevelry,

ask to be added or removed from the taglist! taglist used for snippets, character profiles, worldbuilding posts, and other larger, wip related content.

[feathersandblue]

Veilguard 1/?

So, the first couple of hours in and:

the gameplay mechanics are fucking me up. I'm the kind of player who starts pressing buttons randomly when stressed, I actually loved the good old-fashined turn-based RPGs, so the new DODGE-ATTACK-HEAVY ATTACK-DEFEND-DOGDE-DODGE-ATTACK actions required are really fucking me up, to the point where I'm considering turning down the diffculty to cakewalk - but, yes, I'm aware that this is a me problem

10/10 for egghead reappearance, I always loved him and he's hot as fuck and also wittier than ever. I really, really hope that he keeps being awesome, so far, the encounters my Rook had with him in the Fade were hilarious. Can't wait to see where it's going, I do so hope that his relationship with the Inky (platonic or otherwise) will actually make a difference.

however, what did they do to his eyebrows, they're distracting

people are complaining all over reddit that the dialogue is too flippant, too superficial, and it reminds them of a YA novel but to be fair, when I think of some of Origin's lines, they weren't the best, and Rook's humorous replies often remind me of renegade!Shepard or purple!Hawke, which I love

also, to be fair, Dragon Age was never very deep, so I'm not sure what people are expecting. But I do get the impression that it's simply not aiming to be controversial at all

yes, there is a switch in aesthetics and tone, they went from medieval dark to steampunk high fantasy. It's like playing D&D, and I do miss (and mourn) the drab and depressing atmosphere of Origins, but to be fair, Inquisition was already well on its way to flashy and colorful, whereas DA2 was recycling dungeons and led you through an empty city and everyone rightfully criticized it for that

I'm ambigous about the open world vs. narrow corridors concept, on the one hand, I do like open world exploration, on the other hand, I often get lost. I'm not sure how high the replayability score will be though - then again, it's always a matter of whether decisions and character background actually make a difference that makes if worth your time to try something else

I appreciate the fact that you can pause during cut scenes. How often did I get interrupted and then missed some important tidbits? Also the "skip" option is pretty great

What I really miss is the lore and the worldbuilding, so far, it feels very generic. The DA universe had some pretty unique concepts (the Circles, the Fade, the chantry, the Blight) and it's all gone through a blender and come out bland. Maybe there will be a return to certain elements of it later on, but so far, I'm really missing the concepts that Gaider established (borrowing heavily on WoT)

I get why they found it easier not to include content of the earlier games (except for Inquisition because Solas), but it's also disappointing: for years and years they baited us with "your choices matter", and we're all attached to the Warden and Hawke and just having them disappear from the narrative is a bummer

all in all, I do like it, and I'm excited to see where the story goes, but I have the feeling that it won't be able to replace Origins in my heart.

[guardsbian]

The full "Contact Us" message I wrote to FR staff (regarding the initial phrasing of "Lolita-inspired fashion" can be found under the cut. In the end I think most of my concerns were heard and addressed, considering the contents of the revised rules.

My message was resolved with a "thank you" message and a link about an hour and a half after the revision was released. Even though everyone who submitted feedback likely received the same message, I do, at this time, genuinely believe that my feedback was read and understood by staff. (So, thank you, if any happen to catch this post!)

Drakessis

May 16, 2024, 19:35 PDT

I am concerned about the use of "Lolita-inspired fashion" as a catch-all term for subject matter it does not represent. As it stands, the term's usage implies that dressing a child-analogue in the equivalent of Victorian doll's clothing or Hello Kitty-inspired accessories would imply "that the hatchling is an adult in a child's body." The underlying concern, of course, being that ill-intentioned users may use this implication to sexualize the subject. However, this is not a fair representation of what Lolita fashion actually implies, and feeds into misconceptions which individuals within the subculture are constantly attempting to combat.

At its simplest, Lolita fashion is a subculture influenced by Victorian and Rococo stylings— two eras which FR regards as lore-compliant. The fashion puts an emphasis on cuteness, such as the type illustrated by Sanrio characters and the whimsical worlds of works like Alice in Wonderland. The subculture's purpose for many is the same counter-cultural self-expression seen in the Goth subcultures, Steampunk subcultures, Scene subcultures, and many more (many of which the community of FR often embraces). There is very little to set Lolita fashion apart from the existing, accepted aesthetics showcased on Flight Rising; which is what makes the specification of the subculture as something inappropriate all the more unexpected and discouraging.

The rule creates the impression that an adult engaging with any fashion, items, or interests more commonly associated with children is inherently sexual, which— given the teenager-friendly rating of the site versus its adult playerbase— I am sure FR does not intend to do. In that case, however, what differentiates the Japanese "Lolita" subculture from the American "kidcore" or "pastelcore" subcultures? Both cases have their potential for misuse (by those who would attempt to skirt the rules regardless of what is written), but only one is explicitly prohibited in these guidelines.

(It's not difficult for one to, perhaps, interpret this disparity as the fetishization or alienation of East Asian individuals and subcultures. Which, granted, may be in response to existing behavior within the community— however, justifying this attitude via the written guidelines only hurts those victimized, being given less opportunity to speak up about a community-wide issue without being labeled as "discussing moderation.")

Even if no changes are made in the process of moderation, then at least a change in language should be made. People who participate in the Lolita subculture already face a constant stigma labeling their fashion choices as being "sexual" or accusing them of romanticizing Nabokov's work. There are existing topics/"styles" which would undoubtedly, without exception, sexualize young characters and exceed Flight Rising's rating, and their conflation with safe for work subcultures does nothing but harm those who are mislabeled as accessories to or derivatives of these groups.

The crux of my message is that Lolita fashion is NOT the same as the "loli/lolicon" genres which sexualize children, much in the way that kid/pastelcore fashion is NOT the same as "DDLG" or associated fetishes. I am sympathetic to the fact that Flight Rising would likely rather not call out these topics by name, but instead referring to an ENTIRELY unrelated subculture is not the way to sidestep the issue. In the end, it will only alienate well-intentioned players.

Thank you for reading my feedback. I hope it can contribute something of use to this discussion.

[pb-dot]

Film Friday: The Fifth Element

I've had One Of Those Weeks, and my participation in the writeblr summerfest has put me in a retro mood, so fuck it, let's talk about my childhood favorite movie. Before Luc Besson's The Fifth Element I don't think I had favorite movies. I loved 'em all, but then this absolute chaos of a space opera came along and showed me the wonders of obsession. Maybe it was the confidence of the worldbuilding, maybe it was 90's Kung Fu Waif extraordinaire Leeloo, maybe it was how unashamedly horny the whole affair was? I couldn't tell you, but the thing worked for me. So join me, why don't you?

As far as alien conspiracies with an interest in earth goes, you could do a lot worse than the Mondoshawans. These big steampunk-looking lads are working against the propechied coming of a great evil, and the perfect being, The Fifth Element, who is destined to defeat it. When something big, spooky and fiery manifests in the universe exactly as the mondoshawans predicted, future earth welcomes the mondoshawans back to deal with this entire business, were it not for alien mercenary interlopers who blows the entire thing up.

Now, this being the future and all, humans salvage enough of the assumed perfect being to reconstruct it. When the perfect being turns out to be a naked Mila Jovovich, this comes as somewhat of a surprise to humanity, but assuredly not to the audience. Leeloo, as the kickass nymph is called, flees from her re-creators and stumbles into the flying cab of one ex-millitary schlub Korben Dallas, played by Bruce Willis. A plot of shenanigans, mixups and crossing and conflicting plots ensue as Korben and Leeloo race to recover the four elemental stones needed to save the world from the vague space evil thing, at times frustrated by the machinations of arms manufacturer and full-time Bad Person Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman.)

While the plot isn't what I'd call particularly complex, it is fun. The shell game of impersonations and near misses to get Korben and Leloo to the planet Floston in particular is fun, although it does saddle us with noted eccentric radio fuckboy Ruby Rhod (Christ Tucker.) There is this re-occuring note of Korben just kind of being along for the ride while Leeloo takes on most of the main character duties. Sure, they kick roughly equivalent amounts of ass in an absolutely preposterously "90's cool" fight scene and a very of-the-era shootout, respectively, but other than having the unpleasant task of extracting the macguffin stones from a side character, Korben is largely reactive, and you can see a fair bit of the late stage die hard movies where John McLane is an action movie badass first and an everyman in the wrong place at the wrong time second if at all, in K-man's role here. Now don't get me wrong, I can watch In His Prime Bruce Willis do cool action shit all day, but the lack of pluck does undermine his character's achievements a bit. Watching 1988 John McLane coming out of a fight scene mostly in one piece by the skin of his teeth feels astounding, watching 2007 John McLane take down a helicopter by launching a car at it hardly breaking a sweat just can't compete.

As for Leloo, ah, yes, Leeloo. This role, it seems was Mila Jovovichs in to the action scene, where she found a very Kate Beckinsale-esque niche as an action gal. Now, she looks like a stiff breeze could carry her away, but kung-fu girl power being what it is at the time, where there is a will, there is a way. With Jovovich I kind of always feel like there's a will. The roles aren't often all that flattering, Leeloo has this childishness to her in her non-ptsd moments that makes the building romance with Korben perhaps feel a bit... icky? Granted, she is a perfect warrior and at least 300 years old if we include her (apparent) genetic memory, but I do find myself wishing they'd gone more for elven agelessness instead.

This has all been very critical I feel, so let me underline how goddamn fun this movie is. The Diva Dance scene alone is worth the price of admission for the sheer indulgent spectacle of it, Zorg is a fun bit of future corpo villainy although he doesn't really interact with the main plot much, and although "love is the fifth element" is about as aggressively of a 90's note to end on as is at all possible, the earnestness with which it is delivered is almost enough for me to feel anything about a Bruce Willis performance and that certainly isn't nothing.

Also looking at The Fifth Element feels like a type of Sci-Fi we don't get enough of these days. It's old school B-Sci Fi with an unusually high budget. There's world building here, but not the kind of "bursting at the seams and spinning out into a million expanded universe" world building that is seemingly mandatory in the metatext-obsessed world of today. This is one french pervert deciding that he wants to make a big dumb movie about aliens and spaceships and saving the world, and going about to do so. It has rubber masks, it has needlessly sexy flight attendants on a journey that'll be undertaken in cryosleep, it has inherently villainous shape-shifting space orcs. It's not here to explain itself for one goddamn moment so take your franchise wiki-making ass elsewhere. Granted, it didn't make much money from what I hear, so there's maybe a good reason we don't get movies like this any more, but a boy can dream can't he?

[stormbreaker101]

BEHOLD! MY MAP!

I first made it on a physical styrofoam board, then realized my phone camera is bad so I remade it in MS Paint. The locations of the worlds are NOT indicative of their actual positions in the Spiral (i have more headcanons about that), and instead were chosen just so that no thumbtack was directly in between 2 others... to some extent.

There are 49 different connections and each one has SOME bit of reasoning behind it, which I shall write under the cut.

I made this map for my AU, Corrupted Spiral, which has some noncanon shenanigans going on.

1) Wizard City/Wysteria: Canon says so

2) Wizard City/Valencia: The old Leyline to Valencia in the Catacombs, a handful of Valencians live in Wizard City, more know quite a surprising amount of the Wizard & WC.

3) Wizard City/Avalon: The old Leyline to Avalon in the Catacombs

4) Wizard City/Dragonspyre: The Druid/Dragoon war, and Dragonspyrian immigration to Wizard City after the awakening of the Fire Titan.

5) Krokotopia/Marleybone: Of course Marleybone would expand its empire to a neighboring world. In fact, I'm of the headcanon that the reason we see so LITTLE of Krok and it's all so hyper-concentrated into the Iconic Bits TM is because Marleybone fucking TOOK CHUNKS OF KT AND BROUGHT IT CLOSER TO MB SO IT'D BE EASIER TO HAVE EXPEDITIONS TO IT. (Following in the accidental footsteps of Stallion Quartermane)

6) Krokotopia/Valencia: To-be-released Canon P101 (Arc 2)

7) Krokotopia/Mirage: Both based on SWANA, and I'm of the opinion that worlds with similar IRL geography should be closer together. It just makes sense. Plus, both worlds mention the Sands of Time.

8) Krokotopia/Wallaru: Of course the Krokotillians (Pharaoh Ramakrok in particular) would attempt to expand their empire to a neighboring world. Additionally, I'm of the headcanon that the Manders, Koalas, and Kangaroos are all distant descendants of the Storm Titan (I can go in further detail if asked), so it makes sense for folks of related origin to be nearby.

9) Marleybone/Avalon: Both worlds are based on England, just different eras of it. We see a fair bit of species overlap between the two worlds as well; I'm of the headcanon that MB and AV split off from each other, with AV retaining its high-fantasy magic and MB going more low-fantasy steampunk.

10) Marleybone/Valencia: Canon P101.

11) Marleybone/Mooshu: Canon P101.

12) Marleybone/Cool Ranch: The Marleyboneans are seen establishing CR's train systems with fail time and time again (Duck of Death, Great Sky Train Robbery Gauntlet)

13) Mooshu/Zafaria: A Wizard101 NPC mentions she trades internationally, and Mooshu is one of her regular stops (alongside Marleybone, Avalon, and Polaris). Mooshu also acts as a junction between Zafaria and Marleybone and ergo the other Spiral Powers.

14) Mooshu/Valencia: Canon P101.

15) Mooshu/Skull Island: Canon P101.

16) Mooshu/Wysteria: The wisteria plant is native to East Asia (which Mooshu is based on the way a protein shake is based on multiple ingredients: thrown into a blender), and we see pigfolk in both worlds. Similar Species clause. Yes I am absolutely going to rewrite Wysteria so it's not a fucking joke because I know leaving it in its canon state with this history is a big Yikes Move.

17) Dragonspyre/Monquista: Canon P101.

18) Dragonspyre/Valencia: Canon P101.

19) Celestia/Azteca: Celestia and Azteca have so much history to me. I made a big ol' post about it.

20) Celestia/Khrysalis: Both worlds are deeply involved in the study of Astral magic, the Celestian Zodiac includes the 4 Celestian Creatures of the Radiant Alcazar, and both worlds take... inspiration from Oceania (Celestia's Watermoles are a gross stereotyped imitation of Polynesia, and Khrysalis includes references to Aotearoa)

21) Celestia/Empyrea: I have a headcanon that the Celestians were made by Raven to be stewards of Astral magic, the way the Kalamar, Nimbari, and Dwarves were made to be stewards of the main Schools (besides Balance). But because Astral magic forms a triad of Schools rather than a pair, they couldn't form a Paradox Chain and so Raven deemed them 'unworthy' of staying in Empyrea and so dropped them into what is now Celestia. However, this action caused the 2 worlds to form a link, which became a Stormgate.

22) Zafaria/Aquila: Apparently Carthage existed and the Punic wars happened.

23) Zafaria/Polaris: Same reasoning as Marleybone/Zafaria.

24) Zafaria/Mirage: A similar (albeit weaker) situation as Krokotopia/Mirage, in that the 2 worlds are (sorta) based on similar(ish) places geographically. Additionally, we see both Lions and variants of primates in both worlds.

25) Avalon/Karamelle: They both have fae and that's good enough for me. It's how Lydia made it to Avalon to save Merle Ambrose's life from badly photoshopped gay baby jail.

26) Avalon/Grizzleheim: Both worlds feature bears (the Grizzlies in GH and King Art + Balor the Broken Fang of AV) and giants (Grendels & the Jotuns in GH, the Fomori in AV). Species Similarity.

27) Azteca/Skull Island: I'm just going to point you to THIS again. Also, Xol Akmul's existence.

28) Azteca/Karamelle: I made this choice solely to make my main pirate's backstory work.

29) Khrysalis/Darkmoor: Both are pretty "shadowy" worlds, plain and simple. It just makes sense. The vibes and nothing more profound than that. You understand.

30) Khrysalis/Empyrea: We see a handful of Khrysalis NPCs stranded in Aeriel Shore, and also I just love the idea of a stormgate stretching from the most Light-heavy world to the most Shadow-heavy world. Like, the Heart cannot be completely severed from Spider. Ripped out, but not disconnected.

31) Polaris/Valencia: Canon P101.

32) Polaris/Empyrea: Raven made Empyrea to keep herself out. She dumped Mellori in Polaris. The two worlds hold a theme of being distant enough from everything else that Raven assumes them safe. Sounds pretty close to each other to me yknow?

33) Polaris/Grizzleheim: Similar to Avalon/Grizzleheim, both worlds feature bears (the Grizzlies and the Oskiy) and giants (the Grendels + Jotuns and the yetis). Additionally, the Rus that became Eastern Europe were originally norsemen. Once again bringing up the Geographical Proximity = Spiralian Proximity.

34) Mirage/Wallaru: I have a headcanon that the Sands of Time are related to the Dreaming. If the Dreaming is a sea of possibility, of everything and everywhen all at once, then the Sands of Time are just the things that became real, crystallizing and precipitating onto Mirage.

35) Empyrea/Wysteria: There is regular trade between these two worlds.

36) Empyrea/Karamelle: So we're just gonna take the canon gobbler shit and just kinda burn it in a fire, then completely rework the Alphoi's involvement in Karamelle to not be so shit. Don't worry I made it way better. Ask me about it.

37) Aquila/Valencia: Canon P101. Also what if Valencia had more birdfolk than just Marco Pollo?

38) Aquila/Monquista: Canon P101.

39) Darkmoor/Grizzleheim: Similar to Polaris/Grizzleheim, in that some of the Norse became Eastern Europe. But now instead of fantasy Russia, it's fantasy Romania.

40) Darkmoor/Cool Ranch: English Bill was able to flee from CR to DM to become the Duck of Death.

41) Skull Island/Monquista: Canon P101.

42) Skull Island/Cool Ranch: Canon P101.

43) Skull Island/Valencia: Canon P101.

44) Skull Island/Wallaru: We see many folks of Skull Island in Wallaru in-game, plus it's a convenient way for the Spiral Powers to be able to reach Wallaru.

45) Valencia/Cool Ranch: The Valencian unicorns became the Santo Pollan Stallions, and what if some of the Aquilan/Valencian birds also became the birds of Cooper's Roost? Something something the idea of the West moving from the Roman Empire to Modern Europe to America.

46) Cleaved/Lemuria: CCSAU lore time: CS Lemuria is basically in the Cleaved Spiral now, rather than in the CS Spiral. It probably has a handful of Stormgates leading to multiple worlds of the Cleaved Spiral, but that's not what this is about.

47) Cleaved/Grizzleheim: A rift formed between Cleaved!Karamelle and CS Grizzleheim because many canon Karamelle NPCs fled to Grizzleheim. The presence of "the same" characters in multiple Spirals forged a gateway between the two.

48) Cleaved/Wallaru: Just like the Cleaved/Grizzleheim rift, a rift formed between CS Wallaru and Cleaved Wallaru.

49) Lemuria/Empyrea: To help the two Spirals be more interconnected, and to help Lemuria develop a standing, a Stormgate between CS Lemuria and CS Empyrea was made. Why Empyrea? Because it's doing rather well compared to the rest of the CS Spiral, and also because knowledge of the other rifts between Cleaved and CS weren't international knowledge yet.