#the lesser key of callan

[cowboybrunch]

heads up seven up/seven sentence sunday/last line tag/writing share

thank u for the tags @gioiaalbanoart (x) @mrbexwrites (x) and @the-golden-comet (x) <3

been a minute since i've done a tag game, let's take a peek at The Lesser Key of Callan!

Mossy rocks and vegetation littered the water, outnumbering the discarded beer cans and cigarillo wrappers but barely. The road they traveled in on led almost to the creek's edge— if one could call haphazardly packed gravel a road. The forest stretched for miles on the other side of the creek, but the trees obscured Callan's view beyond a few yards. He much preferred entities that dwelled in civilized areas. Forest creatures were less accustomed to human interaction and therefore more difficult to communicate with and discern information from. And they were scarier, of course. But Callan didn't get scared anymore.

tagging the everything tag list, get in here and share some writing >:)

@gioiaalbanoart @the-golden-comet (yep i'm tagging both of u back!!) @tragedycoded @wyked-ao3 @deanwax

@leahnardo-da-veggie @saturnine-saturneight + open!

[talonabraxas]

Duke Dantalion Duke Dantalion is the seventy-first demon of the Lesser Key of Solomon, he appears wearing many faces and carrying a book.  He is known to bestow knowledge, make humans witty, and cause love. Gabrielle Callan

[noise-vs-signal]

Dantalion

“The Seventy-first Spirit is Dantalion. He is a Duke Great and Mighty, appearing in the Form of a Man with many Countenances, all Men's and Women's Faces; and he hath a Book in his right hand.

His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one; for he knoweth the Thoughts of all Men and Women, and can change them at his Will.

He can cause Love, and show the Similitude of any person, and show the same by a Vision, let them be in what part of the World they Will. He governeth 36 Legions of Spirits; and this is his Seal, which wear thou, etc.” - From “The Lesser Key of Solomon the King”.

A symbol of the legion of Spirits that make up our Being at any one time, from the Past, the Future and Places that never were, endlessly combining and reforming.

“We are a great company! None walk alone, but with a formidable host of familiars: however we may clothe, shut out, or prohibit, there is a veritable funeral procession of dead selves and loves always in attendance. We are millions of yesterdays” - From “Axiomata” by Austin Osman Spare.

Artwork Credits:

“Dantalion” (Megami Tensei).

Goetic seal for Dantalion.

“Dantalion” by Lucian M. Stephenson.

A variant of the Goetic Seal, including planetary attributions.

“Dantalion” by Gabrielle Callan.

[mortallyclearwonderland]

Star Wars Alien Species - Geonosian

Geonosis, referred to as Geonosia by some natives, and known as Genosha, was the desert home planet of the Geonosians.

A caste-based species separated by positions of drones and warriors, Geonosians were born into hives with each led by a queen. The queen laid eggs for the hive, and provided orders to the public leaders of Geonosis. One such queen, Karina the Great, was even able to control sentient beings, including her own kind, via the use of brain worms. It was believed by some that "Karina the Great" was the name assigned to every reigning queen, instead of being the name of one specific individual, but one queen only called herself "Karina" because of her own insanity. No matter the case, Geonosian queens resided underground in the catacombs of Geonosis. From here, they commanded an army's worth of Geonosian drones. Queens took no more than two years to grow from a small egg to a considerable size. Drones were capable of becoming warriors if they proved themselves worthy by successfully defeating other drones in an arena. Geonosians of the warrior caste were known as Geonosian warriors. They had wings and a thick exoskeleton, and they were dedicated to warfare. Among Geonosian broods, the alpha was known as the Geonosian Brood Alpha. Geonosians also had two sets of mandibles, outer and inner, which they used to gesture. For example, clicking the outer mandibles twice meant "Work Harder," and clicking both sets meant "Die." Geonosians also celebrated Meckgin, a day in which they celebrated the virtues of industry. Geonosians would get drunk by eating a special fungus which reacted with their stomach fluids to create a body odor which created euphoria.

Naturally industrious and barbaric, they were also known to take upon construction projects from outside parties, as was the case when Baktoid Armor Workshop approached them to design factories for the Trade Federation. Productivity was key to Geonosian society, and if not kept in check with enough tasks, hives could devolve into civil war and result in the deaths of thousands of Geonosians. Long ago, the Geonosians inhabited Geonosis' surface. However they were driven underground by a series of mass extinctions caused by meteorites and radiation storms. the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

The Separatists used the Geonosians to help create the Separatist Droid Army after the Separatist Head of State, Count Dooku, personally arrived to negotiate the agreement. This eventually led to a large battle between the Galactic Republic and the Separatists on Geonosis, marking the official outbreak of the Clone Wars. The Geonosians were the ones responsible for creating the plans for the Death Star. Later in the Clone Wars, Geonosis was the site of another major battle, which saw Poggle the Lesser captured and the Geonosis primary droid foundry destroyed. Sometime after this second battle, the Republic's Strategic Advisory Cell began to build the battle station that would one day be known as the Death Star, with Lieutenant Commander Orson Callan Krennic enlisting Poggle the Lesser to make the Geonosians serve as the Republic's workforce. Poggle appeared to agree, but, sometime after he returned to Geonosis, he arranged a Geonosian riot and escaped the Republic flotilla to return to the Confederacy.

Following the Clone Wars, the Geonosians were forced by the Galactic Empire to assist in the construction of the Death Star. Though a new archduke was appointed to lead the Stalgasin hive, the Geonosians became a servant species to the Empire and were forbidden from freely breeding. When the Geonosians were unable to work out how to refine the superweapon's superlaser, the Empire brought in Galen Walton Erso to finish the job. After the Death Star's hyperdrive was operational, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin ordered the Imperial Weapons division to sterilize Geonosis using Imperial gas canisters, destroying all but one of the planet's population of approximately 100 billion—the largest genocide ever committed by the Empire to keep the weapon a secret. In 2 BBY, Saw Gerrera, the Spectres, and Captain Rex uncovered evidence that the Empire had perpetrated genocide against the Geonosian species. They also helped Klik-Klak, the sole survivor of the sterilization, escape with the last Geonosian queen egg into the depths of Geonosis. The rebels informed Senator Bail Organa and Commander Jun Sato who believed that news of the Empire's atrocities on Geonosis would sway more worlds to the rebellion.

Unfortunately for Klik-Klak, his plan didn't last. Although the egg did eventually hatch into a queen who called herself Karina, the last known Geonosian Queen was rendered sterile. Karina used the vast technological resources of Geonosis to attach herself to a portable droid factory. From this, she generated specially modified B1-series battle droids, which were made to resemble her people. Although they were artificial mockeries of the Geonosians, Karina considered them to be her children.

Karina ultimately lost this womb and many of her children when Darth Vader, accompanied by Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra, assassin droid 0-0-0, and BT-1 assassin droid BT-1, arrived and stole it from her in order to build his own droid army shortly after the destruction of the first Death Star. Even so, Karina survived the encounter and proclaimed that this set back would not be the end of her empire. Another Geonosian, a hunter named Pehk, was alive in the galaxy but killed during the hunt on X3-299-11.

Geonosians come in two varieties: Aristocrats (Leaders) and Warriors (Drones). Both varieties are physically strong and covered with bony ridges that protect arms, legs, and vital organs. They walk on two legs, and most Geonosians have rapidly fluttering wings sprouting from their bony shoulder blades. They stand 1.6 to 1.8 meters or 5.2 feet to 5.9 feet tall and weighs 40 kilograms or 88 pounds. Geonosians age at the following stages: 1 - 6 Child 7 - 10 Young Adult 11 - 35 Adult 36 - 50 Middle Age 51 - 64 Old

Examples of Names: Deetle, Eorlax, Hadiss, Krylla, Lysslo, Mazzag, Poggle, Qorn, Sollas, Vikkal. Languages: Geonosians speak Geonosian, an articulate language of clicks and whistles.

[cowboybrunch]

friday kiss tag!!

thank u to @the-golden-comet for the cuteness that is Noah and Ali and @tragedycoded for delivering a gun-fucking cake with smooches baked in <3

Rules: Kiss: From your story/WIP, share a kiss. It can be any kiss, from familial pecks in the cheek, forehead kisses, platonic smooches, to full-blown makeouts. Non-kiss: Share a snippet of your writing!

i actually have a kiss to share this week! a sort-of kiss. an almost kiss? presenting Hoot and Lee and their *waves hand* dynamic:

It wasn't the first time she'd looked at him like that, like he was a pistachio that she wanted to roll on her tongue. She liked touching him, especially when she had a few glasses of wine and was angry about something. It made his skin feel warm, like he'd been laying in the sun. It made him shiver when she stepped closer and then closer still until the line of her body traced his. Chest against chest, he felt her every breath and matched it with his own. "Okay, buddy?" she asked, tracing her knuckles against his cheek. He knew that Callan wouldn't be happy if he pressed his lips against her cheek, against her jaw. If he drew a sigh from her, if he placed his palms against the small of her back and pulled her closer. He knew, and he did it anyway. "I missed you," he whispered to the skin of her throat, just above her pulse. She tilted her chin, an invitation. Her hands found his shoulders, his chest. And she— she was shaking. He pulled away. "We can just—" "Yeah." She dropped her hands and stepped back, toying with the hem of her shirt. "No, yeah. You're right."

tag!! show me the kisses >:)

@autism-purgatory @rosesonneptune @dyrewrites @jev-urisk @mrbexwrites

@lychhiker-writes @saturnine-saturneight @gioiaalbanoart @sableglass @wyked-ao3

@deanwax @leahnardo-da-veggie @monstrify @badscientist @aintgonnatakethis + as always, a wide open tag if you wanna hop in :-)

[cowboybrunch]

first/last line!!

a tag game? on my blog? it's more likely than you think

thank you for the tag @mrbexwrites <3

Rules: Post the first line and last line you worked on that day.

i've been fussing with The Lesser Key of Callan (we're so close to the end!) so let's dive in :-)

First:

A warm bath would've been nice. Settling at his desk with a cup of coffee and completing his notes on the case was the next best alternative.

Last:

We are the keepers of the gate between this realm and the other. It's our responsibility to maintain and wield this knowledge against forces that might act against the greater good of humanity. A noble cause, in the author's opinion, and one worthy of study and practice. Someone has to hold the line.

tag!! show me what ur working on >:)

@zackprincebooks @deanwax @the-golden-comet @dyrewrites @aintgonnatakethis

@writingrosesonneptune @jev-urisk @tragedycoded @leahnardo-da-veggie @finickyfelix

@gioiaalbanoart @wyked-ao3 @sableglass @lychhiker-writes @autism-purgatory + as always, open if u wanna hop in <3

[cowboybrunch]

hit my 30k word goal for november!! this episode isn't quite finished, but we're getting close!

here's a bit from The Lesser Key of Callan:

[cowboybrunch]

hoot is so uwu baby sweetest creature

wait…

wanna elaborate on that, buddy?

(hoot: “nope!”)

[cowboybrunch]

last line tag!

got bopped for lines by @tragedycoded (here) thank you!! <3

the last line i wrote is from Callan's journal!

Addendum: Their bites burn like a motherfucker. Had to disinfect his arm afterward. Maybe a rabies shot? -C.K

tag!! @orphanheirs @lychhiker-writes @winterandwords @noblebs @illarian-rambling + an open tag of course >:) hop in!!

[cowboybrunch]

realizing that The Lesser Key of Callan might be my first serious story without a romantic subplot. Callan is uninterested, Lee is too busy with her situation to care, and Hoot is... Hoot

[cowboybrunch]

paragraphs and paragraphs of Callan talking about how emotions are a waste of energy and he wishes people could be more logical like he is and i’m like. i can’t wait to absolutely wreck this man

[cowboybrunch]

Callan, Lee, and Hoot have code words if they're in a situation where they can't speak openly. all of these code words are titles of ABBA songs

[cowboybrunch]

a completed draft of The Lesser Key of Callan episode 1 means...

new picrews!

Lee / Callan / Hoot

a playlist!

and a snippet, for funsies:

It wasn't as if she had formal combat training. There were hunters who were born into this life, taught from the moment they could hold a weapon to fire it at the closest threat. Callan and Lee were not. Any knowledge they'd gained was stumbled into through trial and error. Lee didn't fight with the precision of a woman using proven techniques to incapacitate her opponent. She fought like a woman clawing at survival, digging her nails into anything that would prevent her untimely demise. She fought, as she always fought, like it was them or her, and she was shamelessly, violently choosing herself.

[cowboybrunch]

>:]

Callan is moving up on my "list of characters I want to see ground into a fine paste" list /pos

Have you identified the earliest memory he doesn't want to talk about yet or is he still holding out on you?

good morning!!! <3

im SO glad ur on the Make Callan Suffer train. that man deserves to be ground. he is very grindable (jev wink)

Callan's memory is… superhuman. the earliest memory he has (and one he's decided to share) is his own birth (and Lee's because he's six minutes older and will not let anyone forget it):

The mirror was shattered in a way that would definitely be coming out of their deposit if they ever moved out of this shithole. Callan traced the webbed cracks until his finger found the fist-sized center. Not his own. He was less prone to fits of rage than the person he'd shared a womb with, or at least his anger didn't manifest in the same way. Because he was angry, and he had been since they scooped him out of his mother and forced him to watch as her skin turned sallow and her eyes drifted shut. He was told there was no way he could remember his own birth, or Lee's a few minutes later, or his mother's death seconds after that. Callan remembered everything.

BUT if anyone prods him about this beyond his internal monologue, he'll deflect. "Childbirth is a uniquely dangerous natural phenomenon made more dangerous when multiples are involved. It's unfortunate that the circumstances were what they were, but statistically, it's not an anomaly."

(yeah ok Callan)

a memory that he REFUSES to share with me is why he and Lee ran off together so young (they were 17 when they left home) and how they decided to lie to their dad about what they're doing. was it Lee's idea? his? a collaborative effort? but then Callan calls his dad semi-regularly! his dad thinks he works at a law firm! why not cut contact completely? what happened on the night they left, and why is Callan so cagey about it?

he's so aaklsdllk i want to squeeze him until the answers come out. because even when he does share memories, it's like pulling teeth to get him to admit that they actually affect him emotionally. hence the meat grinder.

thank u for the ask and for letting me ramble about this infuriating man <3

[cowboybrunch]

Happy STS! Are any of your characters jealous of another one of your characters? If so, why?

hii happy (late) STS!! <3

this answer actually surprised me when i was mulling it over! i didn't expect Callan to be the most jealous character i've written, but he absolutely is. Callan hates being faced with his own shortcomings. he thinks of himself as superior, so when another character is inarguably better than him at anything, he gets jealous. and this happens most often with his sister because they're twins, they shared a womb and an upbringing, so why does she get skills that he doesn't?

Callan was a lot of things: clever, quick, charming, arrogant— though arrogance suggested exaggeration or falsity, and his claims were neither. Confident was a more apt term. Regardless, Callan was not funny. Not in the raucous, effortless way that Lee was funny. Not without extensive forethought, examination and analysis of the situation and what might be construed as humor.

it's a fun challenge to write his inner monologue because he simultaneously believes that he is the most capable person in every room he walks into and that he's missing something vital that keeps him from connecting with other people, something that Lee has.

he thinks that he was born perfect and that he was born wrong, and he has to wrestle with these beliefs coexisting.

thank you for the ask!!! <3

[cowboybrunch]

so. you guys know i don't outline. which is fun and good bc i get to know the characters and the story as it unfolds! it's exciting! BUT. issue. i figure out how the story ends and realize, oh, i haven't laid enough bread crumbs to make that ending make sense.

i'm specifically talking about the lesser key of callan. solving the mystery is, like, the story. or a big part of it. and writing without knowing what the answer was meant i was unfolding clues with callan and trying to sort it out. which was a lot of fun for me! but doesn't really jive in a narrative sense.

luckily there's a solid foundation i can work with, and i know exactly where to put the hints and incorporate tiny details into something that'll feel satisfying when it all pulls together. i know what needs to be added and fixed! AND it's a plus situation, not a minus. the hints i've already written make sense, i just need more.

so. here's the plan. finish writing the ending while pretending that i've already fixed what needs to be fixed. because i know what happens and why. then put my construction hat on and go back to make sure the reader knows what happens and why.

and i'll have to deal with the [TOWN NAME] brackets at some point. but let's get the story down first