#the electrical menagerie

[fictionadventurer]

The Electrical Menagerie: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 13, 17

1 what got you into this story?

I don't remember, but I probably saw it discussed in the Christian indie fantasy circles, bought it on sale, and was shocked by how much I loved it.

2. describe it in one or two sentences.

A middle-aged starry-eyed small-time illusionist and his fast-talking young manager enter a competition that could save their show or end it forever--and find themselves in mortal danger from their competitors.

3. quickly list 3 things you like about the story!

The complex characters and the development of their friendship, the whimsical world, the wondrous illusions

4. assign this story a hyper-specific genre name

Edwardian stardust steampunk space fantasy show business buddy comedy murder mystery

5. do you have a favorite character? who?

How dare you make me choose between Carthage and Huxley? Carthage's idealism and sense of wonder, plus his fascinating blend of introversion and showmanship, might just give him the edge, but I also love Huxley's fast-talking practicality and his hidden homesickness.

13. tell me an out-of-context piece of worldbuilding or lore!

This world exists as a series of floating islands that exist in different points in space, and their climate is based on their position/elevation.

17. compare this story to your usual tastes. how does it differ from what you've already enjoyed?

It lines up almost exactly with the kind of fantasy and Edwardian fiction I already loved, but it's not often that I run into middle-aged heroes in those genres.

[octahedral-chaos]

Transmasc AU Time!

What does Edda (I think you kept his name, but if you changed it, that's fine too.) like to do? Does he have any particular hobbies or interests?

Yep I kept his name!

Hmmm, maybe he likes doodling? I can see him really liking to draw stuff. He also likes to write as well.

He also loves birdwatching. But this is for probably Post-Worldless, as the duo survives the Universe nuke ;)

He also loves fencing and archery, especially the latter.

[sxilor-1010]

I’m an au enthusiast (if you can’t tell), so I wanna know the deets. What kind of robot? is this similar to something like Detroit turning human or something else? Does Robot Egon imply he was ALWAYS a robot or just was put into a robot? Is he a ghost possessing a machine? I must know.

I feel stupid for not realizing you're an AU enthusiast but oh my god I'm so happy to be able to ramble about this!!! I did answer another ask about how this AU effects the storyline of Ghostbusters if you wanna give that a read first! It'll help to give an understanding for the plot c: But to answer your question, Robot Egon is pretty humanoid but he's not highly advanced humanoid like the Androids in Detroit: Become Human. His actual body (which is sorta designed like a mannequin doll) is made of the strongest metals the robotics company had at the time of the incident. His human skin is made up of rubber to cover up his metal body (which yes can be burnt off and its a bit of a scary sight), his hair is soft colored metal but scrunching it in your hand is akin to squeezing a metal sponge, and his blood mostly consists of oil and coolant. During the 'Awakening' period as a robot as Egon calls it, he took the time to study his body and what he was capable of now that he was beyond human flesh and bones. After a few days of studying his strengths and limits, the idea of experimenting and mechanically rearranging or upgrading parts of his body became known. With the help of Ray (much to slight discomfort of performing a live mechanical vivisection on his close friend), Egon managed to build himself into a living proton pack and ghost trap. The palms of his hands become neutrona wands, while his chest can suck up ghosts and hold them temporarily till they needed to be emptied. Oh, and he also upgraded his eyes to become PKE scanners. So if you see the sight of green light shining up and down, chances are it's Egon looking for the ghost with his eyes.

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @steddiebingo.

Midnight Rain

Countdown to Midnight Prompt: Midnight | Word Count: 1062 | Rating: T | CW: Alcohol, Language | POV: Eddie | Tags: Future Fic, Famous Corroded Coffin, Post Break-Up, Eddie's Going Through It, Gareth's a Good Best Friend, Angst, Hopeful Open Ending

Eddie's sprawled on the couch of the fancy hotel, in a room overlooking the city, literally at the top. He tilts back the bottle, downing it. The show tonight was great, another sold out arena. The crowd, the lights, the whole show, electric. 

But now it's midnight, and he's alone as the rain pelts against the floor to ceiling windows.

When they walked back into the hotel, there was a group of friends in the lobby, coming in from their night out, still in their fancy clothes, celebrating a birthday. Soaking wet, but happy.

Singing to Steve. 

A Steve, not his Steve, not that he has any Steve these days.

Just the mention of someone that shares his name was enough to send Eddie into a spiral. It's hard to reflect back on his mistakes. On the life that he gave away. Steve Harrington. Sunshine personified, while Eddie's a storm cloud, midnight rain.

He's haunted.

Eddie decided to chase that fame, while Steve stayed the same. Comfortable where he was, while Eddie could only chase more pain. He was damaged after that spring break, damaged after his mother's death, damaged after it all. His whole life. It's all he knew. He didn't deserve anything better. He wanted to punish himself, then, and forever.

He deserved the pain of the music business meat grinder chewing him up and spitting him out.

Except it didn't. 

They made it. The tide turned. Something good, finally. He got just what he wanted. 

And he's tried to tell himself that it was worth it. Most days he believes it.

Then, he thinks of Steve Harrington.

But Eddie knows Steve never thinks of him, except maybe when he's on MTV, right in his face.

Eddie tries not to think of him either, except for midnights like this. When he's slid into the regret, the sorrow, the pain that he might have sold his soul to the devil, losing the best thing he ever had in the process.

Hawkins was a wasteland. A prison. And Eddie had to go. 

But Steve thought it was home, and wanted to stay. Wanted a life, a family. The house, the two-car garage, the kids. 

Eddie wanted to make a name for himself.

And he fucking did. Eddie Munson is a household name, a brand.

Eddie, himself though. He's hollowed out. The spark, gone.

The door opens, closes, and Gareth is tossing his jacket on the chair. 

"You should have seen her tits–" he starts, then stops, when he sees Eddie, his tone changing immediately, "What happened? Eddie? Talk to me."

"I broke his heart 'cause he was nice," Eddie slurs. 

"Goddamnit," Gareth says, sitting down next to Eddie, prying the little bottle from the mini bar from his hand. There's a half dozen more scattered across the coffee table, already empty.

A menagerie of liquors that are now mixed together, churning in his stomach.

The band can afford it.

But he's not sure he can. 

"I left you alone for an hour," Gareth accuses, but it's not harsh. It's sad. 

"I left him alone for a decade," Eddie counters, scrubbing the back of his hand across his eyes. But he didn't. Steve's not alone. No way. Luckily, these nights are few and far between, but when they steamroll him, it's like he's been hit by a truck.

The last time it was that Christmas card pinned to Wayne's fridge. Steve, a girlfriend and dog. No babies. No ring. Not yet. But smiling wide, looking perfect. Happy.

Wayne hadn't realized what it would do to him. Wayne's never mentioned Steve again, not ever, and if he's still on the Harrington holiday card list, Eddie will never know about it.

"Steve Harrington is fine," Gareth says, as if that's reassuring. Eddie isn't worried that Steve isn't fine. He knows he is. Knows he landed on his feet, is happy out there, somewhere. Probably with his bride, his dog, and now kids. A whole happy life.

There's no other option.

Eddie's unbearable loss was someone else's infinite gain.

"I'm not," Eddie says, reaching for one of the unopened bottles, and Gareth snags it first. 

"You're not what?" 

"Fine." 

"You are fine. Go to bed, it'll be better in the morning," Gareth says, pulling him up off his ass, and stripping him down to his underwear, forcing him onto his side in the bed.

Not his bed, never his own bed. The last time he had one of those, Steve was next him.

At least this one is comfortable, and he nuzzles into the pillow, his stubble scratching against the soft pillowcase.

Gareth's standing there looking at him. 

"'m fine, go." 

"I just need a shower. Then I'll bunk in with you tonight. Go to sleep. I'll be right back."

Eddie nods, and it feels like seconds later when the bed dips. The mattress shifts with the weight of Gareth. 

Gareth slings his arm over Eddie's back, being the big spoon. His wet hair tickling the back of Eddie's neck.

"You're not doing this anymore," Gareth says, and Eddie doesn't have it in him to argue, so he just goes back to sleep.

Eddie has a hangover from hell. His head is throbbing and he refuses to open his eyes for the longest time. Just laying there, regretting last night. Regretting a lot of things. But last night especially.

He hates when he gets that way. Steve is long gone. There's no taking that back. He ruined them, and he has to live with it. 

When he finally swings his legs over the edge of the bed, hanging his head, eyes downcast, he sees that there's a note on the nightstand. Gareth's familiar handwriting scrawled across the hotel stationary:

He said to call him.  S.H. - 765-555-0385

Eddie looks up, and Gareth's on the couch, staring at him. Cup of coffee resting on his knee, his foot braced against the edge of the coffee table. The same table that's now clean, no traces of his bender last night.

"You talked to him?" Eddie croaks, voice dry and scratchy.

Gareth nods. 

"He's…he's still…?" Eddie questions, not even sure of the rest of the question he was starting to ask. He has too many.

Gareth nods again.

Eddie picks up the paper, clutching it tight in his fist.

And he finally feels something he hasn't in years:

Hope.

If you want to sign up for a future bingo event or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddiebingo and follow along with the fun!

Notes: Inspired by the Taylor Swift song Midnight Rain.

[qwimblenorrisstan]

ParkRanger!Reader and Hybrid!141 Hc’s

This can really be interpreted as platonic or romantic, depending on how you look at it, but I just think it would be hilarious to be a fire lookout or one of those people who stays in the tall towers in a park for months on end.

Sure, maybe some of the wildlife was a bit too friendly, but that was just normal, right?

Like that burly bear that lived in a cave nearby, occasionally migrating, but never attacking you when you accidentally crossed its path. It got along oddly well with the other wildlife, well, except for the other male bears, who seemed to not respect its territory. You’d nicknamed it “Price”, because of how much money the park had to pay each year due to the bear mauling the electrical system sometimes.

Or the buck that would wander around sometimes, one of the prettiest deer you’d ever seen in all honesty. It was a wonder it hadn’t been devoured by some other animal yet. But it would sometimes let you give it secret little pets, even if the park discouraged any interaction with wildlife. You’d nicknamed it “Gaz”, because of the incident where it had gotten into a barrel of gas for your generator, and you’d had to rush it to a local vet.

The shaggy stray wolf that hung around was a bit odd, too. Blond fur hidden underneath grey and black patches, with keen eyes that you seldom noticed before it moved. It never let you pet it, but sometimes in the middle of the night, you’d be out on a trail, and you both would catch eyes. Or it would give little growls in warning to you, of whatever else lurked these woods. You’d nicknamed it “Ghost”, for obvious reasons.

And last, but certainly not least of your strange menagerie of animals, was the honey badger. It looked normal, other than some strange spots of hair sticking up that looked like some larger animal had tried to groom it. It snarled at anything, but as long as you didn’t get too close, it would happily trail behind you on whatever path you were taking for work. It was mischievous too, getting into your food and belongings in your backpack. You’d nicknamed it “Soap”, because, in the middle of the night, you’d woken up to find the thing in your tower, drinking some liquid soap. It had run before you’d gotten it to a vet but seemed fine a few days later.

Your odd little group of animal friends seemed weird, obviously, but you’d just chalked it up to them being exposed to park rangers and humans more often than normal wildlife. That was, until, one night you went out late to fix your generator that had run out of gas, only to hear footsteps crunching behind you, and whirling just in time to see a middle-aged man you’d given a fine earlier for setting off fireworks in the forest, holding a thick log, ready to smack you with it.

Rather, he was going to smack you with it, before he was tackled to the ground, and multiple fists began beating him into the dirt.

You stood there, dumbfounded, watching as four men, bare as the day they were born, slowly got off the unconscious man’s body.

One shorter man with a mohawk, one pretty one with browned skin, a taller one with a gruff beard, and the tallest, a grumpy-looking man who was built like a brick wall. They stared back, at least moving to cover themselves for your sake before the man with a mohawk and a stupid grin on his face spoke.

“Been wanton’ to bea’ his head in for a while.”

His chin jerked to the unconscious man, now bleeding everywhere in the grass.

You sighed, knowing that you were in for a long night.

(might write a fic for this?? lmk if I should)

[pendingnomdeplume]

i am drowning, and there's no sign of land pairing: hozier x gn!reader rating: T tags: angst, mental illness, hurt/comfort words: 761

author's note: This was pre-written and is part of a backlog of items I still have from the previous blog. xoxo.

title from: No Children by The Mountain Goats divider by: cafekitsune

It’s late when you call, a last resort for which you’ll profusely apologize and ask forgiveness that you’ll never believe or accept. The stains of leftover tears make your skin feel tight as you rub at your swollen eyes and take a deep breath. At least your breathing has evened, no longer wracked with hiccuping sobs that make your ribs hurt. 

“Hey, are you okay?” It’s the first thing to rush from his mouth, worry obvious in his voice. You can imagine him now, frizzy hair thrown up and out of the way while he sits at his computer or hunches over a notebook—the anxiety gripping his chest as he sees your name pop up at an hour that is usually all his own. 

The only response you can summon is a humorless laugh as you shake your head despite him not being able to see it. 

“Do you need me to call someone?” Andrew wouldn’t ask without reason, and you’d provided plenty of reason for this level of concern before. 

“Nothing so dire.” You wince at the way your voice cracks. “It’s just…it’s been a night.” 

“Tell me about it.” 

It’s such a simple phrase, but it makes your heart swell and tears prick the corners of your eyes. One of the few people who’s never made you feel like a burden on them. 

 You sigh. “My brain won’t stop, and it’s so loud today. I don’t know what actually triggered it, but…it’s been pretty touch-and-go the last few days.”

You brace yourself for an impact that likely won’t come. Andrew isn’t like that, won’t blame you for not reaching out sooner as if it’s a moral failing. Likely, he’ll be more frustrated with himself for not seeing signs even when you’ve worked so hard to conceal them. 

“Did you email your psych?” 

The question sends an electric buzz of irritation along your skin that you try to shake off. He knows you hate that question, but he also knows that you drag your feet on your own well-being—part of the menagerie of mental illness that convinces you it doesn’t matter anyway. You pause and take a deep breath to swallow down the snappy comment that desperately wants to break free. 

“I did, but I don’t know when I’ll hear back.” 

You’re both quiet as each of you thinks of the next thing to say, but everything that comes to mind is just as alarming as the call itself.  A barrage of self-doubt, self-pity, and self-deprecation tumbles through your brain, and you squeeze your eyes shut as though it will do anything to quiet the roar. 

“Do you…want to talk about it?” The question is asked thoughtfully and extended carefully. You take a moment to turn it over in your mind, gauging where exactly your own emotional energy is at. 

Finally, you shake your head. “No, I don’t think…I don’t think there’s anything to really talk about. Not right now, anyway. I just…” 

I just don’t feel real. I need an anchor to reality. 

Andrew asks, “Do you want to get on FaceTime, then? I’m working on something if you want to hear.” If you need company.

When the screen fills with his image, he smiles and greets you softly. An acoustic guitar rests in his lap as he flips back through his notebook to find where he’d left off. As he plucks out quiet notes, you shimmy down under the covers and reach over to turn off your bedside lamp. Andrew glances over when he notices the shift in his peripheral vision, and he smiles again when he sees your eyes peeking out from beneath your duvet, already starting to get heavy with sleep. 

You watch him for a while, occasionally catching the way he glances at his phone to see if you’re still there, still awake. Warmth floods your chest as he sings to himself, little sounds and whispers here and there as you catch a few words that make little sense to you within the greater context. 

Sleep takes you just as the sky begins to shift. The birds just outside Andrew’s window signal dawn, and he’d nearly forgotten he was on a call at all with how comfortable and cozy the silence is between you. 

He catches the way your eyes dart beneath closed eyelids, clearly in the depths of a dream. He whispers your name once, then repeats it louder than before, but you barely stir. Finally, he reaches over, letting his hand hover over the End Call button before whispering a barely audible, “Goodnight.” 

[occidentalavian]

Something I'm always fascinated by are the minor mundane things that exist in Exandria. Little objects and inventions here and there that don't play a major role in the stories but just kind of exist in the background.

Early machine guns: Yes, Percy's invention of guns was a major plot point in Campaign 1, but what I'm talking about is how they've changed since then. Percy's guns were flintlock, but by Campaign 3 the guns that Bells Hells encountered in Marquet are caplock, only 30 years later. And because of this, this has allowed for the invention of the Kshatriya Special, Exandria's equivalent of the Gatling Gun!

Phonographs: Called the Audiomatic by its inventor Hazel Copperpot, it uses wax cylinders to record and play back audio, such as her reading of Tary's books. Invented by 826 PD, conceivably these could exist in a more widespread fashion 10 years later by Campaign 2.

Electric lights: Another one of Percy's inventions. Using the acid pits that Ripley left beneath the castle as a battery, Percy was able to create a grid of electric street lamps to light up Whitestone.

Soda: This one's my personal favorite. There's mentions of root beer and sarsaparilla in Campaign 2 that could be chalked up as only jokes, but Explorer's Guide to Wildemount also lists a drink from the Menagerie Coast called Queen's Water as a "soft drink", which often refers to carbonated beverages. Finally, the Ruby of the Sea cocktail from Exquisite Exandria, a book that canonically exists in-universe, uses tonic water!

Theoretically, Percy could go to a cafe in Whitestone at night, order a sarsaparilla, and sit in the outside dining area lit by electric street lamps while the cafe plays a recording of "Jordan, Fetch my Whiskey" on their audiomatic.

[lunar-serpentinite]

assorted hjp headcanons

he takes to guitars like a bird to the sky. acoustic, bass, electric, you name it, he'd slay it

he eventually finds a way to force kreacher into retirement, but still lets the house elf have absolutely free reign in the former bedrooms of his beloved departed masters

harry has this habit of just picking up all the even mildly pathetic/helpless strays he finds on the streets and ends up raising them. 12 grimmauld place looks a lot like a menagerie now, and he kinda likes it

he went to luna for help on how to take care of his newfound animal roommates and thats how he befriended luna's then-penpal-turned-bf rolf scamander

eventually he moves to a quaint little cottage right outside of godrics hollow to be closer to his parents' final resting place. it's heavily warded, fidelius'd, and nobody except for ron, hermione and luna know the address

he never really did like living in a gated community / suburban neighbourhood, it reminded him too much of privet drive

the first time someone mocked him by calling him freak, harry blacked out a bit and the next thing he knew he was standing over a decently beat-up person

creatures associated w death like corvids, moths and the like are weirdly attracted to him. hell, he even found a whole vulture in his backyard once

harry is pretty apathetic about the notion of his own death post-battle of hogwarts. he told luna once that it felt like he was just idly waiting by for death to come by again

differences aside, he and pansy (my characterisation of her anyways) wld bond over being nosy, gossipy little shits

he would've said yes if cedric and cho invited him into their relationship lmao

i dont think hes necessarily a naturally jealous/possessive person. he just doesn't know how to properly have a grip on himself if the few scant ppl and stuff that he considers his are in danger of being taken away from him, born from trauma from the dursleys ofc. make him feel secure enough and he'd be chill

hes kinda shit at potions especially without proper instructions and motivation because he learned how to cook first, and potions deals w exact measurements while cooking is just measure based on vibes

he would make an excellent beekeeper. idk but he just gives me that vibe

harry's vibe checks are rarely wrong but he doesn't say anything abt em anymore bc hes used to ppl automatically assuming that hes a liar

"harry, why didnt u tell us" "you didnt ask. and if u did ask, youd probably assume im lying"

hes a bit of a hoarder lmao he has a small room in his new cottage thats just filled w his trinkets

he has absolutely no qualms in lying to everyone's faces if he thinks he's justified based on his own criteria of justice

he cant dance those fancy formal dances but at some point he will discover that he likes other types of dancing, just not in front of other people

harry would abuse the FUCK out of slang so he can say as little words as possible. his convo partner is confused but he also doesnt like them ? theyre a grownup with access to books, they can figure it out by themselves

[gallavich-fic-club]

🧾2023 Favorite Fics! 🧾

Hey Fic Fans!

As 2023 comes to a close, we at the Gallavich Fic Club wanted to take a minute to thank everyone that has supported us, joined us, and helped us out in our journey to put together a place where all Gallavich fans can come together to discuss our favorite fics, new and old. After mulling it over like a fine wine, we decided that to celebrate the year that our amazingly fun little group was founded, we wanted to put together a list of our favorite fics from this year. Each of us have selected 6 of our favorite fics that were either published or updated in 2023.  And so - the Fic Club Admin Team brings you 24 fics to read in 2024! Julia

One-Shots

How to Bag a Baddie - by @whatthebodygraspsnot

you make my dreams come true - by @sam-loves-seb

Completed Multi-Chaps

773 Green - by @notherenewjersey

Going Off-Script - by @mzshko

WIPS

Roleplaying - by @callivich

hearts and lattes - by @darlingian

Kat

One-Shots

Playing it cool - by @captainjowl

Lava Java - by @stocious

Completed Multi-Chaps

Dead Meet - by @energievie and @look-i-love-u

The Bruises on You (They're on Me Too) - we are unsure if this author is on tumblr? If so please let us know!

WIPS

Electric Blue - by @goodkwuestion

Tender Hearts and Other Maladies - by @whatwouldmickeydo

Mandi

One-Shots

whole foods fruits - by @depressedstressedlemonzest

quiet - by @babygirlmickey

Completed Multi-Chaps

the Menagerie - by @crossmydna

Magnificent Mile - by @juliakayyy

WIPS

the ink is a witness to this - by @palepinkgoat

the fugitive - by @dodgerbear84

Nosho

One-Shots

caught in the act - by @gallawitchxx

Outnumbered - by @deathclassic

Completed Multi-Chaps

Your Question Has Been Received - by @heymacy

31 Ways We Never Meet - by @callivich

WIPS

Africa - by @ian-galagher

Reckoner - by @thisdivorce

Happy New Year everyone!

[deusvervewrites]

Just read the menagerie Sero ask and, yeah, fair.

I know I was one of the spider suggestions. I wasn0t that happy with it either but I didn't want repeats and I couldn't remember which animals were already taken.

Just to keep track, can you send a list of special course students and their species?

Aizawa: Cat

Aoyama: Transformed Human (Unspecified)

Ashido: Moth

Asui: Human bonded to Quirked Frog

Iida: Horse

Uraraka: Flying Squirrel

Ojiro: Lion

Kaminari: Electric Eel

Kirishima: Armadillo

Koda: Human

Sato: Bear

Shoji: Transformed Human (Octopus)

Jiro: Bat

Sero: Spider monkey

Tokoyami: Crow

Todoroki: Spliced Human (Komodo Dragon)

Hagakure: Chameleon

Bakugou: Transformed Human (Hyena)

Midoriya: Shapeshifter, species unknown

Himiko: Transformed Human (Rat/Cat/Tanuki/Dog/Bird/Lizard/Rabbit)

Yaoyorozu: Magpie

[fictionadventurer]

Story asks, for The Electrical Menagerie: 3, 17, 18, 19

3. quickly list 3 things you like about the story!

The characters and their friendship, the world of flying trains and floating islands, the character arcs

17. compare this story to your usual tastes. how does it differ from what you've already enjoyed?

I think it almost perfectly fits my previous tastes, actually. I don't tend to read many stories involving middle-aged male protagonists, but that's less by choice and more because they don't tend to star in the genres I usually read.

18. compare this story to your usual tastes. what parts of it are exactly the kind of thing you've always loved?

The whimsical imaginative world, the Edwardian steampunk aesthetic (that doesn't have the smoke that usually turns me away from steampunk), the friendship, the light religious element, the tone that makes it suitable for people of all ages, the exploration of the creative process, people who are dealing with separation from family and are haunted by past failures, the sense of wonder

19. pitch an idea for a sequel or spinoff novel for this story!

I'm just going to pitch the actual sequel, which is in an Edwardian carnival setting and is apparently finished but she's stopped talking about it and I'm worried that we're never going to get it.

[octahedral-chaos]

Oh, and what about Transmasc! Aven? What does he like to do?

Also... I know this sounds silly, but what's his backstory in this AU?

He's pretty similar to my take on Aven, so drawing, music, animals in general! He also likes reading.

Backstory-wise? He's pretty much similar to canon Aven in that he meets Edda, almost absorbs him and general canon stuff. He did have a slightly easier childhood than Edda, but still pretty rough (He has ASD and Visual Snow) so yeah!

[prettyflyshyguy]

Kaicon Melbourne 2024 part 2: electric boogaloo is a wrap!

And Holy Shit. What a good event. I was randomly paired with the absolutely lovely liannnarts_jg and it was a real contrast having my menagerie of horror, and her lovely vtuber idol prints next to each other but it was a really fun weekend and we had a bit of a laugh switching our table mascots on day 2!

The SCP fandom absolutely carried me and for that I am forever thankful. I met so many lovely people, got to chat with some incredible artists and overall I'm so tired but my heart is so full.

Had a customer tell me they'd seen people walking around the con wearing my lanyards and keycards and I got really emotional.

I have so many cool ideas for new merch based on live feedback from people and I am so fucking pumped to produce more stuff for February next year! Kaicon Melb 2025 here we fucking go!!!!

[intosnarkness]

i am proud of this scene, so have a fic preview for the magical realism kaz-and-inej-share-dreams thing I'm working on

(rated t for teen; characters get themselves into a compromising position and kissing just so much)

Inej dreams of a tall ship with soaring sails, of rocking decks and salt-spay air.

She dreams of a crew of people answering to her orders, committed to righting the way things are and creating the way they should be.

She dreams of cannons and knives, of blood in the water and hopeful hands, outstretched to her as their salvation.

She reaches out to a wretched soul in the dark, dirty hold of a slaver's ship, and she feels a dark thrill run through her body as her fingers meet leather where there should be skin.

The eyes that look up at her are big and dark, intense. The thing inside of her that has just fought a great battle whispers that they look like pools of blood on wet wood. She holds onto the hand as she sinks to her knees next to him, and his fingers find her biceps, gripping her tightly through silk and leather.

"Kaz?" she asks, but he doesn't say anything in return. Instead the ship is gone and there is rain falling soft against the window of Kaz's garret bedroom. His hands are hot on her waist. He sighs softly, leans in, and kisses her.

Inej has been kissed any number of times. By her parents, first. Her aunties and uncles and the others who rode in the caravan with them. The familial hands were steady and sure as they held her heart aloft.

Later she was kissed by the terrible monsters who came to her in the menagerie, taking from her body without question or permission, their mouths hot and wet and unwelcome on hers.

And then, when it was safe again, by her friends. The gift of light brushes of lips from Jesper or Nina, fond kisses on her cheeks or her forehead.

This is a different kiss. This is a kiss of hunger and intensity, and it sets her alight in a way nothing else ever has. She wants it like she has never wanted anything before, and it ignites her. She climbed six stories of burning rock a few hours ago, and his kiss scorches with a fire that is hotter and wilder than anything she found in the Ice Court.

It consumes her, engulfs her, transforms her. Inej ceases to be the wraith in the crucible of his kiss, and becomes, quite simply, a girl. A girl who wants more, who wants to be kissed and touched and held and loved by the inferno of this man. 

"Inej," he whispers, when she pulls back so she can breathe. His lips find her cheek, and he lays kisses trailing down to her neck, teasing her with feather-soft brushes.

"Kaz," she replies. "How-- how?"

"It's not real," he says, his voice matter-of-fact as if it should be obvious to her. "I can do anything with you, if it isn't real."

He nips at a spot on her neck that sends a jolt of electricity through her - he is danger and he is desire and if she is half afraid that if she lets him, that he will take everything she is until she has nothing left to give.

Inej's eyes flutter closed as she leans into the brush of his mouth. His hands move from her waist, one running up the column of her spine to gently cradle the back of her head, the other finding the small of her back to pull her body against his. Her heart stutters as she realizes he's not wearing his gloves, that he's touching her skin with his fingertips and it feels more scandalous and sacred than all the kisses she's ever had.

"I want it to be real," she whispers, moving to capture his mouth again, to try and put all the longing she can never show him into the world of this fantasy.

He smiles against her lips when she relents, letting his fingers tangle into the strands of her hair.

"No, you don't." His voice is heavy and dark with something that Inej thinks is either sadness or longing, but either way it is an alien sound coming from Kaz's mouth. "But I do."

The answer makes her dizzy. She can't understand why he would tell her such a lovely lie. Usually his lies hurt, they wound, but this one is almost soothing. He wants it to be real. He wants her. She can let herself believe it, she thinks. She can let it be true for the duration.

She puts her hands on his shoulders and shoves, watching as he falls backward to the bed slowly, like he's falling through water. She doesn't move, but she finds herself straddling his hips, her knees splayed obscenely and her center pressed against his arousal. They're still dressed, but that could change any moment. That's the way of dreams. She could fuck him here and they would both be fine.

She wants to be fine with him.

"Inej," he says her name like a prayer. Like he's finally found a god that he doesn't want to mock. His hands are on her waist again, and his eyes are wide and dark as the night sky above them, the roof having disappeared at some point. The bed is gone, too; his back is cushioned in grass and trees loom over them like soldiers standing guard. She knows this place. She grew up in places like this.

"Tell me what you want me to know," she says, reaching down to trace the line of his lips, her fingers like brave explorers on the frontier of his skin. He lets her touch him, showing none of the panic he had in the wagon. His breath stutters, but she thinks it can't be from that familiar panic. It's a new panic to her, but she knows it a kind people have been finding together as long as there have been people. He has never done this before, never been with a woman. She doesn't care.

Inej can feel his interest pressing hard and insistent and just off from where she wants him. She shifts her hips and lets herself touch the high planes of his cheekbones and the hinge of his jaw and the soft scar on his neck that she had seen back in Ketterdam, when he was carrying her to the boat and she was fighting for consciousness. His skin is imperfect - there are marks from some long-ago disease, one of the childhood poxes, probably, and freckles and scars and the dark suggestion of stubble - but it's Kaz, and she thinks it's beautiful. He is beautiful.

Kaz's eyes flutter closed while she touches him, and he tilts his head back to bare his throat in a move that might have been romantic on another man, but on Kaz seems to be a submission. He is a being made of deadly grace and the heat of a gunshot, and if he is baring his throat it is an invitation to cut, not to kiss.

She presses her lips to this neck anyway, and he lets a broken little sound escape his mouth. "I--" Kaz swallows, his throat bobbing, and Inej looks up, her eyes meeting his and finding him still utterly stunning. 

"Inej, I lo--"

[befuddled-calico-whump]

T$$ Menagerie AU (summary)

cw: mentioned/implied captivity/enslavement, torture, noncon drugging, noncon, and death

AU Masterlist

×~×~×

When a wealthy man gets it in his head that he wants to start his own private zoo, he’s determined to create something that's a cut above the rest. Instead of simple animals, he wants to fill his manor’s gardens with Mythos, rare, sentient creatures known throughout myth and folklore.

Benji, a jistu, is the first to be taken after he's caught in a robbery. The hopeful collector, Adam Roth, hears of his arrest and pays off law enforcement to hand him over to the menagerie instead.

Kaius, a banished kinnara prince, is the next. He's offered refuge when running from enemies in his human form, and drugged at dinner once Roth realizes he's a Mytho. Jericho, a mer who regularly makes trouble for ships, and Joy, an anggitay, are captured a few weeks apart; after being spotted in the wild, Roth decides he wants them for his collection and hires freelance hunters to bring them in.

Now with four mythos on his hands, he also hires two well-known hunters, Vic Shepard and Ander Sahota, to act as guards and enforcers.

The duo have been working together for years, and they share a secret: Sahota is a Mytho himself, a selkie. Vic stole his pelt and trained him as a hunter to prove a point that any Mytho had the potential to be dangerous, no matter how harmless they may seem.

Roth has a lot of respect for both of them initially, but once Vic makes him aware of Sahota's true nature, he starts treating him with something almost like disdain.

The final acquisition for the menagerie is Hunter, a kumiho.

All five are given gilded cages and put on full display for visitors. They're initially allowed to roam the grounds by day, as Roth underestimates his captives and assumes they lack the intelligence required to coordinate and unite against him. Vic advises otherwise, and he reluctantly listens, moving the cages further apart so they can't talk as a group, and making it so that only one or two of them are allowed to be out of their enclosure at a time for exercise.

The captives are also made to wear custom collars that are designed to track them and subdue them in the event they're disobedient. In addition to that, Vic and Sahota keep the area under guard.

On the first day Hunter is allowed to roam the gardens, he books it, powering through the electrical shock delivered by his collar and making a break for the gardens' wall. The rest of the prisoners can only watch as he's brought down by an unsympathetic Sahota. He and Vic drag him to the edge of the gardens and lock him in a small cage that offers no protection from the elements, telling the rest that this is what awaits if any of them steps out of line. He's left there for a day as punishment, and his collar is adjusted to deliver a more powerful shock.

In spite of all their restrictions and the threat of punishment, the captives find ways to communicate. Jericho, who has experience with coordinated attacks due to past scuffles with fishing vessels, ends up the group's unofficial leader. He and Joy lead the charge in planning an escape. They learn of Kaius's gift with strategizing, and rope him into it, breaking through his reluctance to let himself be a part of the group. Benji, on the other hand, is eager to make friends, and Hunter, while distrustful of anyone else, is eager to escape.

Planning anything is difficult with the tight leash they're all kept on, and it’s months before they're able to carefully map out their surroundings and develop a solid idea of what to do.

In that timeframe, Jericho notices that Sahota seems to be treated poorly by both Vic and Roth, and tries to connect with him, with little apparent success. Meanwhile, Hunter continuously gets himself punished by acting out, snapping at guests, and making his own escape attempts. Joy is frustrated with this, and after one too many instances, yells at him for ruining everything for the rest of them.

After this incident, Vic, who's suspicious that the Mythos are up to something, notices that Hunter’s starting to isolate himself more, and seizes the opportunity to catch him alone.

Attempting to scare him into a confession, Vic tells him there's no way they'll all escape, and alludes to letting Hunter go free if he helps him nip any trouble in the bud. Hunter refuses and tries to get away from him, but Vic has Sahota cut off his escape. Once the pair has him cornered, Vic pins him down, but realizing his intentions, Sahota yanks him off, allowing Hunter to get away.

Despite Sahota trying to frame it as following Roth's interests since Vic didn't get permission from him, Vic is furious, and throws him in the punishment cage. 

Hunter tells no one about the attempted assault, so the rest are unaware of the reason why Sahota has been locked up, assuming it's due to a dispute between the hunters. Having a general dislike for Sahota because of his role in keeping them trapped here, they don't have much sympathy for him. The only ones who do anything about it are Jericho, who sneaks him water once it starts getting hot, and Hunter, who sits quietly beside him, grateful, but unsure how to express it.

Jericho once again tries to reason with Sahota, insisting that even if they're on opposite ends of this conflict as hunter and Mytho, they seem to share a common enemy in Vic. Sahota brushes it off, saying he earned his punishment by acting rashly.

Later that week, Jericho and Joy are fine-tuning the escape, planning to kick it off on a day when Benji is the one out of his cage, so he can use his lockpicking skills to free the rest. Sahota overhears their plans, but lets the pair know that just this once, he'll forget he heard anything. Joy is skeptical, but after days go by without any additional security measures implemented, she figures that he was telling the truth, and she and Jericho share this information so that the rest of prisoners know they have a tentative ally.

Not long after this, Hunter is once again cornered by Vic, and when pressured, lets a little too much slip, also accidentally hinting at Sahota's involvement. Despite this, Vic doesn't seem overeager to act on the new information, and Hunter once again hides this from the rest, both ashamed and afraid that they'll completely cut him off if they hear about it.

Meanwhile, Roth is growing bored of the menagerie. At Vic's suggestion, he makes plans to sell a few of his Mythos off, and at least profit from his flight of fancy. He discusses the matter with the hunters, saying that he'll get rid of the troublemakers and the more “boring” members of his collection, and only keep one or two.

Vic suggests he sell Benji to a brothel due to the whole “fucking like rabbits” stereotype, and Jericho to a restaurant for exotic sushi. Roth also wants to get rid of Hunter, since he's the biggest troublemaker, and Vic offers to buy him.

Roth wants to keep Kaius, due to him being the flashiest of the bunch, but plans to keep him sedated in order to prevent him from causing trouble. He considers keeping Joy and using Kaius's well-being as a way to keep her in line, but reasons that if she proves to be a hassle, there's probably another rich man out there who'd love to have her in his stables.

Though he tries to hide it, Sahota is horrified at the idea, and tries to talk him down. When pushed, he tells Roth to just let them go. Roth is amused by this, but also pissed off at his boldness, and tells Vic to "get a handle on his pet".

 Vic leads him away, hangs him by his wrists and uses him as a punching bag, then brutally whips him. Before Sahota passes out, Vic reveals that he knows about the escape plan, and he knows that Sahota learned of it but kept it from him. He tells Sahota that “if he wants to side with the animals, he'll be treated like an animal”, and covers Sahota with his seal pelt, knowing he can no longer control his own shifting due to the pelt being damaged by Vic. Vic then dumps his unconscious body into Jericho’s tank, leaving it up to fate whether or not he survives.

Jericho, unaware of Sahota's true nature, is quick to aid the wounded seal, gently holding him to ensure his head stays above water. When Sahota weakens to the point that he can no longer remain in his seal form, he shifts back, shocking the mer. Barely conscious, he manages to warn Jericho of Roth's plans, telling him they need to make their move before it's too late. He also tells him that Vic knows, so they'll have to be extra careful.

Jericho passes the message on to Joy, who's initially angry at Sahota, assuming he lied about keeping their plan secret. When Hunter hears about this, he feels immensely guilty, and reluctantly fesses up that he's the one who told Vic. 

Joy is upset, but says they'll talk about it later. Right now, they just need to get out.

With Sahota's help, Joy and Jericho disable the collars, and the group puts their plan in motion, starting a fire to distract Vic and Roth, and making for the planned route. They barely make it past the gate before Vic shoots Joy. Unwilling to leave her behind, the group is heavily slowed down. Though barely able to stand, Sahota tells them to run, saying he'll hold Vic off as long as he can.

Jericho is torn, but knows they need to get Joy out of there fast, and reluctantly leaves him behind. They make it to Roth's garage, where Benji hotwires one of his cars for the getaway.

Back in the garden, Sahota faces off against Vic, managing to hold his own long enough to buy the other Mythos time, despite his injuries. Vic overpowers him, and forces him to watch as he throws his pelt into the fire that's consuming the gardens, telling him he can never go home.

In a final, desperate move, Sahota manages to get the gun away from Vic. He shoots him in the chest, but it looks like neither of them will make it out of the gardens. Vic is quickly bleeding out, and Sahota is too weak to escape the fire. Then, as the flames are closing in, Roth's car crashes through the bushes, and Jericho jumps out, managing to grab Sahota before it's too late.

Injured but free, the crew drives away, leaving Roth to his burning manor.

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

Windshear - Northern Featherwing Griffon

Thunderclap - Fulgurite Ridgeback Jackal

Blitz - Lepidote Brute Skyscale

Presenting: 3 of Ruju's menagerie of mounts, all gradually gathered and tamed over the course of his journey as the Commander. each is just as stubborn as he is-- for better and DEFINITELY for worse.

Windshear

- an early encounter; Ruju met her in Lornar's Pass on a diplomacy mission for the Vigil, and was consequently carried off by the bird

- fortunately it turned out she was more interested in having a playmate to fly with than actually harming him

- the most dramatic of creatures. she takes him on the wildest and steepest possible routes entirely on purpose

- also the most likely to let you pet her. she loves being scritched right behind the ears and will lean her FULL weight into it

- (Ruju has been flattened by this on multiple occasions)

Thunderclap

- the djinn of the Desolation were tracking this runaway jackal when Ruju came into the area, so he decided to help them out

- turned out the jackal had a prideful nature; he expected any tamer to match his ferocity and prove their worth

- Ruju ultimately accomplished this by facing the jackal 1v1 with his air element, wrestling among the toxic sands

- his violet air element blended with the djinn's taming magic, producing his unique coloration and electrical current

- unlike Windshear he does NOT like being petted. however... he does enjoy a good game of tug-o-war, but will NOT hold back

Blitz

- Gorrik initially joked that the hatchling was so fiercely rebellious because Ruju was the one to retrieve his egg

- this stopped being funny after getting bitten like 15 times

- absolutely VORACIOUS eater when it comes to magic... but also notoriously picky. tends towards crystallized energy

- particular favorite is bloodstone, which caused his eventual bright red coloration. his scales glitter with crimson gems

- somewhat vain. he's very proud of his spiky crimson look and tends to preen and show off when other skyscales are around

- they all just think he's weird though (because he is)