#AlphabetSuperset

[owlsandwich]

Writing Patterns Tag Game

Thank you @late-to-the-fandom for the tag! Haven't done this one before either, and it looks really fun.

Rules: List the first line(s) from your last 10 WIPs/fics and see if there is a pattern.

I wasn't sure if I actually had 10 wips, but then I remembered that I've been doing those short stories for the Alphabet Superset, so I'm going to use those as well.

I'm going to tag @eccaiia @verba-writing @dyrewrites @sarandipitywrites @stesierra @mundanemoongirl @hallowedfury @faeriecinna @ekwilliams @dragonbooksword and leave an open tag.

(I don't think there is any requirement to tag 10 people, but it seemed tidy :P)

A shiver ran down Roy’s spine despite the warm night. His eyes landed on the gun holstered at the guard’s side, and he instinctively reached for his magic to cast a shield. Maybe security wasn’t as lax here as he’d thought. — The Mechanics of Magic

Cold seeped into Oren’s limbs. He tried to shift in the darkness, to gain some sense of his surroundings. Then the pain rushed back. White agony spread from the side of his abdomen and he heard his own pained whimper echo through the dingy room. — Burning The Darkness

"Thank you for coming." Matthew was leaning against the front door, sleep heavy eyes blinking in the glow from his magelight. "I'm sorry it’s so late." "I wasn't sleeping anyway," Oliver lied. "I'm glad you called. Has anything changed?" — Untitled Mechanics Prequel Short Story

The dead petals of the cherry blossom were floating brown in the lake. Oliver knelt at the edge, leaning far enough that if Nurse had seen, she would have scolded and pulled him back. — G is for Grief

The mouse placed a front paw delicately on the chipped wood of the kitchen table. Its ears flicked forward. Whiskers flared around the twitching nose, soft grey fur shining in the milky winter sunlight that streamed through the half-shuttered window. Even the shadow it cast was perfect. — F is for Fine

The high ceiling of the entrance hall was swirled with gilt patterns. Ewen traced their flow with his eyes, rocking back on his heels as he waited. He’d driven out to Bernard’s manor himself; the boxy car of shining teal metal parked on the gravel drive, already growing stifling in the summer sun. Eye-catching. Obvious. He’d come alone. — E is for Envy

An eerie quiet had settled over the pub when Dorothea ducked through the low door from the back room. Food smells wafted from the kitchen, mixing with the familiar stale scent of beer and wood polish, and making her stomach growl. — D is for Dubious

The sitting room in this wing of the palace was reserved for Potentials. Smaller than those in the main palace body, the space was still lusciously furnished, with plush chairs of deep blue fabric. — C is for Contented

The coach juddered as it sped along the dark road. Aelricus pressed his fingers into his temples. Every hoofbeat seemed to throb through his head, and he dimmed the magelight floating above him until its light barely showed his thin, pale hands. — B is for Betrayal

Crimson dusted the wisps of cloud that hung along the horizon. Despite the onset of autumn, it had been a warm day, and heat still lingered in the evening air. — A is for Anger

It does seem that I like to start with the scenery!

[psypia]

Balsamus Benedictus - The Bishop

With balsam of bezoar, the Bishop baptises the cracked and broken, becoming the blas behind their transmutation.

[mrdoctorb]

B is for Bat - Autumn to Z

I'm back! This week was B for Bats! I decided to up my game the tiniest bit and add little bobbing text to the start of all the little games, so Apple now has some text too. Other than that I'm going to just keep making these lil games. Also if you want to see some other cool people doing this challenge, go check out @gothmothart @prickly-problematic-programmer @wanna-alphabet-on-it and @clockquark Not all of them are posting about it but they're cool See y'all next week

[caaiskrs]

what are friends for if not making fun of you with memes?

this is the first of (hopefully) 26 comics that I'm going to be making as part of the Alphabet Superset, with the theme of "supernatural creatures in mundane situations"

[spentimental]

E is for Elysia Chlorotica, the solar-powered sea slug 

Just as eating shrimp turns flamingos pink and eating too many carrots will turn you orange (a process called carotenosis), the eastern emerald elysia get their green color from algae. But they also take the Kirby approach of absorbing the algae’s power of photosynthesis. To do this, they slurp the algae up and digest all but the chloroplasts. They then keep the chloroplasts alive and incorporate them into their own cells. The chloroplasts continue operating as usual, photosynthesizing for their new host. This is called kleptoplasty.

Much like with Cadlina Laevis, I hope to return to Elysia one day to better represent her indescribable beauty. Designing her dress took far longer than it should have and really brought to light the limitations of vector art and my lack of experience as an artist. I didn’t end up using either of these vintage dresses for Queen Elysia, but I wanted to share them anyway as I may not use them for future Alphabet Superset cards. This beaded gown looked perfect due to the similarities to the sparkles of elysia chlorotica, but I wanted to pay homage to the 1960s trend of the ruffled collar. I don’t have any other animals planned that I think the ruffled collar would fit except elysia. I tried to replicate this dress but it actually broke my brain. Then my document overwhelmed Inkscape to the point of crashing multiple times and I lost some progress that I didn’t feel like redoing. She ended up with a scalloped collar instead.

Last time, I talked about struggling with motivation. I��ve been trying to curb my avoidance by coming up with another long-term project like the Alphabet Superset challenge that I can turn to when I lose steam. I know it sounds like a ticket to burnout, but I think having permission to procrastinate with a specific project will help keep me invested in the things that I have committed to. The blessing of having a miniscule following is that I can post without worrying that I’ll upset anyone by breaking my established pattern. For those of you with creative blogs like art or writing, what do you wish you could experiment with but are afraid to do so?

Next Week’s Sneak Peek:

Flying fish, and finally our first spade!

[jaimewrong]

From the C week! C:Chateau “As a collector, she wouldn’t dare use the weapon. But in the dark quiet evenings inside her estate, she would stare above the fireplace where it hung. Forever wondering what adventures it had experienced.”

[marindogg]

My work for week 1 of the Alphabet Superset ; A is for Abandoned.

[dekob2]

B - bus blood stop - tired after work waiting for you bus

[ryverei]

Alphabet Superset, G Week: Gryphon

Once again, a few days late, sorry! This week I tried to focus more on shading, to make it look just a little less flat compared to some of the other pieces. Also, once again I decided to skip lineart, but I think it works better with softer edges?

Anyways, regarding gryphons, griffons, griffins, they sure are interesting hybrids, simply due to the sheer amount of different combinations people consider one, with seemingly any bird-quadrupedal mammal being an option. I went with the more traditional depiction, but the potential definitely is there.

[slavnin]

Week 1 of Alphabet Superset!!1 This week is A obviously heh, and my word is Alienated. Done in 2h with gouache paints on just some 150g paper.

[rinamair]

ok i just post it. who would have thought that those little illustrations of houses are so hard? it looks so easy when others do that :/

[owlsandwich]

Alphabet Superset - Week 2

B - Betrayal

Again, I am having to post this via my phone as Tumblr's browser version won't let me make posts. No idea why! The "Post" button is just always greyed out.

Anyway, It's week two, and this short story is set a good few hundreds of years before The Mechanics of Magic starts, with characters never seen or heard of in the narrative so far. It's one I've had in my mind for a while, and this event will have some small knock-on effects in book 2 and also if I ever write my epistolary of Ewen's life.

I really love the scene, and I hope you do too!

@teacupsandstarlight :)

***

The coach juddered as it sped along the dark road. Aelricus pressed his fingers into his temples. Every hoofbeat seemed to throb through his head, and he dimmed the magelight floating above him until its light barely showed his thin, pale hands. Even this simple magic proved a strain. It had been a day and a night since he’d last slept. Deep bags hung under his eyes, and his brown hair tumbled loose around his ears.

Those who had been struck by the new illness fell suddenly, and he’d been called from Ademeer’s Palace to various country manors and back again with barely a pause to eat. If he hadn’t used enough magic healing, the rest had been spent fighting his own exhaustion. Only a champion could have done it, and even he was reaching his limit.

“It makes no sense.” Turbert’s words floated through Aelricus’ mind. “Yes, there are diseases that display these symptoms, yet there have been no signs in the general population. Those taken were not in close proximity. In fact, the cases could not be a further distance for us to travel.”

The voice was more an impression of idea than a sound, though the tone held the same staccato as his mentor had demonstrated in life. Emotion flowed from Turbert’s presence; an anxiety that sparked through Aelricus’ own heart.

“There is no proof of malicious intent.”

Aelricus sent the thought back, but he knew Turbert would sense that he didn’t believe it himself. Generations of experience had taught him what to look for, and had it been just one... But what motive was there for these specific victims? What foolish poisoner could think he wouldn’t see the signs? Not after Emeline.

“It won’t be a matter that concerns us much longer.” Aelricus thought bitterly.

Another bump rattled the window shutter despite the passive spells he sensed woven into the wood for strength and soundproofing. He gripped the cushioned bench he sat on as a wave of nausea overtook him.

Not much longer. Then he could rest.

From his cousin’s home, it would be a small matter to acquire a fresh horse. By dawn, he would be among allies. As for the King... By the time King Silvester and the others knew he had gone, it would be too late.

His eyelids drooped. The floating magelight flickered as the onset of sleep stole his concentration, and his dulled senses only picked up the foreign burst of magic a second before it struck.

A bolt of energy slammed into the side of the carriage. Strong enough to blast through any defence, it exploded through the wood. A splinter sliced across his cheek before he could think to generate a shield. Then he was tipping, falling, weightless as the coach swayed to the side. The door hit the dirt, and Aelricus crashed against it. His head cracked against the panel, and he was plunged into darkness.

Panic dripped through the fog of unconsciousness.

“Aelricus! Aelric! You must get up!”

Aelricus groaned. He blinked, but no vision of the carriage swam into view. His limbs screamed in pain as he forced himself up, and he rubbed at his eyes before realising his magelight had died with his loss of focus. He was shaking. Cold. Damp? He plucked at a billowing sleeve that now clung, wet and heavy, to his skin, and sucked in a breath. Not blood. A stagnant smell permeated the confined space. River water. Seeping in through the buckled door beneath him.

As he noticed it, the coach lurched, and he lost his footing once more. Broken wood tore across the palm of his hand as he braced himself. He cried out and instinctively reached for his magic to heal it. The effort made his head spin, but Turbert’s presence flowed in close beside him.

“Leave it,” Turbert ordered. “The water- We need to get out.”

“I can’t!” Aelricus exclaimed out loud. The door was jammed. He barely had the strength to move.

“The other door. Climb! Hurry!”

Aelricus crawled across the carriage. With no light, he had to grope for the handle. Finally, his fingers touched smooth brass. He forced the door up, feet slipping in the slick damp, until finally it swung open. It was only with Turbert’s encouragement that he managed to drag himself free.

They had crashed where the forest met the river. Long grass tangled his clothes as Aelricus pulled himself towards the path. Night insects chirped through the gloom, like screams of warning, deafening in the calm night. He was filthy with sludge. From here, he could see a sharp bend in the road ahead. The sight made him shudder. Had they gone over there, he doubted he’d have had time to escape.

The mud was soft and inviting. Aelricus felt his arms give way, and then he was lying down, gazing towards the upturned, sinking carriage. Broken wheels, like the bones of some long dead creature, jutted out against the gap of sky. The horses were gone. Their harness lay loose on the ground where it had fallen. It seemed a minor curiosity at first; his addled mind unable to comprehend the sight. Then he saw his driver, crumbled and unmoving, against a tree.

No living body could have bent into that shape. Acid burned his throat, and he rolled over to vomit onto the wet grass.

As he did, light illuminated the surrounding space, followed by a familiar voice, deep and smooth.

“I’d have thought you to have a stronger stomach, Aelric.”

“Randall?” Aelricus croaked. It turned into a fit of coughing as he spoke. He gasped for breath, blinking through the bright glow of the magelight to find its source. “I can’t... Help. Please.”

Randall emerged from the trees. A tall man, though surprisingly slight for his voice. He moved silently over the leaf littered road until he was standing close enough that Aelricus had to crane to look at him. His green doublet seemed bleached white by the night, and the ruff of lace at his throat danced in the faint breeze.

This close, Aelricus could feel the weight of magic radiating from him. As strong as his own at full strength, his fellow Champion appeared unconcerned by the circumstances around him.

“So you do live.” Randall spoke as though talking to himself. “Good.”

“We were attacked, Randall. It is only by luck that the carriage didn’t plunge fully into the river. My driver-“

“Yes, my timing could use improvement.” Randall tilted his head, and his eyes seemed like deep pools of darkness as they met Aelricus’ own.

Dread settled into his empty stomach. In his mind, he felt Turbert’s own exclamation.

“No!”

“Where were you going, Aelric?” Randall said.

“I...” Aelricus’ thoughts moved slowly. The story... He couldn’t remember.

“Your cousin!” Turbert spoke urgently in his mind. “She’s expecting us.”

“Do not keep me waiting,” Randall prompted sharply.

“My cousin...” Aelricus replied. “I left a note with Jacob to expect me back in a few days.”

“At least do me the courtesy of honesty,” Randall replied. “Do you truly think I don’t know?”

Another coughing fit stole Aelricus’ voice, but Randall made no offer of assistance. Of course he knew. Of the four Royal Champions, it was Randall who presided over intelligence. A spy. One who tracked his own people. As the coughing subsided, so did his fear. He was too weak. There was nowhere to run.

“I go to seek justice,” Aelricus spat.

Randall narrowed his eyes. “You’re a traitor, Aelric. Of all people, you are his Friend!” He said the word as the title it was.

“And he was supposed to be mine!”

The burst of anger left him dizzy, and Aelricus tried to slow his rapid breaths. “How could he? Emeline-“

“Should have been of no concern to a Champion.”

“She was innocent!”

“As innocent as her conspiring family?” Randall replied. “Your naivety makes you an easy target, my friend, but your affection would have doomed her either way.”

Aelricus paled. The cut on his hand carved a line of burning pain across his palm, but the guilt stung harder. “I would have done nothing,” he whispered. “It was harmless. Sylvester had no need to order her death. He is no king, but a tyrant, and I will have no part in it!”

Randall gave a thin smile. “Perhaps it will comfort you to know the King did not know.”

Aelricus’ mouth fell open.

“We all do our duty,” Randall continued. “Such things are messy and unpleasant. It is my line who spare his heart.”

“You!” Aelricus growled. He tried to force himself to his feet, but his legs slipped out from beneath him. Tears stung at his eyes until his vision blurred. Tubert was speaking to him, but his presence was far away, pushed back by the turbulent emotions that overwhelmed him.

“You are messy, Aelric,” Randall spoke from somewhere above. “A Champion turned traitor. Betraying your own King.”

“I never wanted this...” Aelricus croaked.

“Can you not see that losing you that way would have broken his heart?” Randall crouched down, and Aelricus could hear the steady flow of his breathing. “It is lucky that he never needs to find out.”

Aelricus’ head shot up. “You would let me return?”

“Oh no, you misunderstand. It’s far too late for that.”

Magic flared from Randall as he called his power to the surface.

“You can’t!” Aelricus scrambled back, as though distance would protect him. “I will inform the next in line when they awaken. You cannot hide this.”

Randall paused in his movement. “Ah yes, the potential. We all know it’s most likely to be Jacob. It will grieve you to learn that he has been taken ill. Without you in the palace to tend to him, it is likely he will not survive the night.”

A chill wind sucked any remaining heat from Aelricus’ body. He spoke through the shiver that wracked his frame. “Please, Randall! Were we not children together? If I have destroyed any love you once had for me, then for Silvester’s sake, do not harm Jacob. I swear I will say no word of tonight. I told him nothing of my plans.”

“Be grateful you did not, or you would have further blood on your hands.”

Any emotion faded from Randall’s face. His magic flared once more, choking the cry from Aelricus’ throat as it gripped him.

The last thing he heard was Turbert calling his name. 

[elegantfiredelusion]

A is for... Alliteration!

The first letter of the Alphabet superset challenge... idk what possessed me to do alliteration for week one. Here are my attempts:

An angel announced another apocalypse.

Art admires adventure.

Ally asked around aliferous animals: Are all aliens alike?

An albatross agreed, "Aliens are all affectionate anthropoids ambling above an aquamarine airship"

Another argued, "Aliens are all animals, alone and afraid, although almighty"

Another added: "Aliens are amusing animals asking albatrosses about aliens"

[mrdoctorb]

A is for Apple - Autumn to Z

Hello everyone! I am currently partaking in the #alphabetsuperset challenge! For those who are unaware of what this is, you choose a creative medium to work with, and every week for 26 weeks you make something creative based off a letter of the alphabet.

My Restrictions are: Autumn themed Micro-games for mobile!

It is very specific, but having a lot of restrictions can lead to fun creations!

This week's game is A for Apple. You stab your apple with a stick, and dunk it in caramel.

Most of the games will be around this length, so only a few seconds. The goal by the end of this project will be to have a small mobile game akin to WarioWare where you have a series of tiny games to play in quick succession.

That's all I have for today! My goal is to post one of these for every working week of the project at this time! I'll see you all next week!

For more information about alphabet superset (or if you want to participate), find it here!

https://www.alphabetsuperset.com/

[caaiskrs]

cat person admittedly feels a little bit uninspired for C, but I couldn't get the idea of an anthropomorphized version of the cats-getting-scared-of-cucumbers videos out of my head

p.s. don't torment your cat for internet clout, they aren't getting paid enough for that

[spentimental]

D is for Dendrobates Auratus, the green and black poison dart frog

I put a frog in a turtleneck sweater and that’s as far as I got with this idea, to be honest.

This is our second ace, the Ace of Clubs (or as I like to call it in my brain but not out loud, Clovers).  I didn’t want to be too repetitive with my designs, so I tried a semi-transparent plastic look. I’m really proud of the circuit pattern in his face and the camera lens eye. I made it following tutorials by Ardent Designs and Logos By Nick.

Off canvas is a whole arm with froggy fingers that I didn’t finish in time. I imagine him as some sort of super spy or detective. He’s subconsciously inspired by Nicky Flippers from Hoodwinked.

This is the fourth week of working consistently on the Alphabet Superset challenge and it was a struggle. The hardest part wasn't using Inkscape or learning new techniques, but just working on it at all. The first day or two was fine. But after that, opening the file made me want to close it immediately. When I work on creative projects, I tend to jump into new ones quickly, pursue them with a burning passion, and then burn out really hard and swap to something different as soon as I lose interest. Sticking to one project for six months is almost unthinkable. This week and last, I kept swapping to other projects to avoid working on this one. I wonder how many people doing this challenge are feeling the same way right now.

No, this frog is not as finished as I would like. But I still like him and I’m proud of what I’ve done so far. I genuinely love seeing each card when I go to share them. I look forward to coming back to all of these designs when I have more experience. Luckily for me, this next week is a break in the challenge. I’m going to take this opportunity to sketch the next few characters and make a plan to curb my avoidance. I’m determined to get through this and prove that I can see a project through from beginning to end.