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It’s funny how often she forgets that she isn’t alive anymore.

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hmmm

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me: [listens to a new song]

my brain, upon receiving one single hit of Döpamine™: we shall listen to only this song until we have wrung every last neurotransmitter out of it

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The henchpeople of Gotham must be like…wtf at the change over the last five or so years. Like, this town used to be run by the Falcones and Maronis and people like Fish Mooney. Some of them were extra as hell, but, you know, it was mostly just a lot of organized crime mafia families to deal with. A system that’s recognizable from any sort of corrupt city. But, now? Everybody’s running around in a brightly colored costume with a gimmick and an alter ego. There’s a demon clown boy poisoning Gotham’s water supply every other week, you can’t run a heist with that gangly former forensic scientist in his glittery green suit without him spray painting a fucking riddle on the wall, and the foremost crime boss is a man in purple furs people call the “Penguin.” I’m just saying, that must be a hell of a transition when you’re just a low-time criminal trying to find work week to week. 

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photobomb

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Forget Something?

(I posted this on ao3 a while ago and decided to share it here. Tada.)

Cecil rushed around the apartment in a frenzy, trying to drink his coffee, find his wallet, and shove his foot into his shoe all at the same time. Oh masters of them all, he was going to be so late! Station Management was going to have his head, perhaps even literally. His alarm clock had sprouted legs and ran away sometime during the night. If it hadn’t been for the Sheriff’s Secret Police officer hiding in the bushes outside throwing pebbles at the window, he would have severely overslept. As it was, he’d barely had enough time to brush his teeth.

“Ceec?” Carlos’ oaky caramel voice stopped him just before he rushed out the door.

“Hm?”

“Forget something?”

Cecil turned and saw a small smirk on his boyfriend’s face. Oh right! How could he forget? With a smile of his own, he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Carlos’ lips. Carlos laughed into the kiss.

“Um, thanks sweetie, but I meant this,” he said when Cecil leaned back, holding up Cecil’s keys.

Cecil smacked himself in the forehead. “Ugh, sorry. I’m a little scatterbrained today.”

“Not literally, I hope.”

“Of course not. Brain scattering disease hasn’t spread through Night Vale since the late nineties.” 

Cecil plucked his keys out of Carlos’ hands and, just because he could, kissed Carlos again, earning him a grin.

“As much as I enjoy your new goodbye, if you don’t leave now, you’ll definitely be late for work,” Carlos said, then paused and frowned slightly. “Then again, time doesn’t work in Night Vale, so scientifically speaking, you might not be late.”

Cecil chuckled. “I love you, my perfectly imperfect Carlos.”

“I love you too.”

As Cecil rushed out the door and down the street, thanking every ancient god he knew of that he had stop sign immunity that month, he couldn’t wipe the bright smile off his face. And if he sighed dreamily while preparing his notes for that day’s broadcast or grinned giddily when he happened to glance at his keys, well, that was his own problem, now wasn’t it?

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Silence

I am the ringing in your ears when there is nothing else around. I am the intrusive thoughts that curl within your mind in the middle of the night. I am the awkward lulls in conversation that make you wonder why you even bother.

 I am the oppressive blanket of stillness that threatens to overwhelm you. I am the vast emptiness of endless space. I am inescapable nothingness.

 But I am also the small pauses between words.

 I am the whispering breeze rushing through your hair. I am the calm in times of storm. I am the peace when you bask in companionship and you realize why you care.

 I am the comforting blanket of peace that wraps you in its embrace. I am the warm tranquility of a summer’s day. I am lovely oblivion.

 I am Silence.

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Hungry

Eddie.

 Eddie rolled his eyes, but otherwise didn’t react.

 Eddie.

 Eddie continued typing, working on a new piece for his editor. He had a few more days until it was due, but if he got it done today, he could have some time off. Maybe he would show Venom something new, like the movies. Imaging Venom’s reaction to one of the cheesy movies currently playing at the nearest theater was enough to make him smile.

 Eddie!

 He could get his article done today if someone would stop distracting him.

 Eddie! Stop ignoring me!

 “What?” he snapped. “I’m busy!”

 Hungry.

 A sharp hiss of a sigh escaped through Eddie’s teeth. “We ate two hours ago.”

 Still hungry. Want chocolate.

 “We don’t have chocolate. You ate it all last night.”

 Then go buy some more.

 “Did you miss the part where I’m busy?”

 No, we just don’t care. Get us chocolate, Eddie.

 “Later.”

 Now.

 “No.”

 Venom didn’t say anything back, which was a small miracle in its own right. Eddie went back to his story, glad for the silence. He should have been suspicious. It would have saved him some trouble. But he didn’t question his bodymate’s uncharacteristic silence. Instead, he worked on finishing his article.

 He was almost done, just a few small points left to write, when it happened.

 His arm jerked away from his keyboard without his consent. Eddie wrenched it back. His arm moved away again. He moved it back. It moved away. He moved. It moved.

 Eddie glared at nothing. “Really? Come on.”

 Go get us chocolate and we will stop.

 He rolled his eyes. “Give me ten minutes, alright? Then we’ll go get food.”

 A warm rush of glee curled in his chest, even though Venom’s mental voice sounded annoyed. Fine. Ten minutes, no more.

 Eddie smiled despite himself. “Thanks so much,” he said, his own voice heavy with sarcasm.

 Asshole.

 “Shut up. The sooner I’m done, the sooner we can go to the store.”

  About twenty minutes later, Eddie walked out of the nearest corner store, a bag of Hershey bars in his grasp. A steady hum of pleasure, reminiscent of a cat’s purr, rumbled against his sternum. He smiled. Venom’s joy was contagious.

 Eddie. Let us eat the chocolate now.

 Eddie shook his head. “Not yet. Wait ‘til we get home.”

 But Eddddieeee! We’re hungry!

 “You can wait a few minutes.”

 No we can’t!

 “Yes, you can. And you will.”

 Pussy.

 “Parasite.”

 We are not a parasite! Take that back!

 “It’s a term of endearment, love.”

 The happy purr in his chest stuttered, but picked right back up at the last word, even warmer and stronger than before. Eddie smiled. Sure, Venom might’ve been a pushy little shit, but he was Eddie’s pushy little shit.

 You are mine too. Even if you are a loser.

 “Rude, babe.”

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Day 8: Hierarchy, Power, and Governance

In Cemara, they’re ruled by either an Empress or an Emperor, despite not having conquered anybody within recent memory. There are stories of a temporary takeover of Kaede once long ago, but no one can remember back that far, and it was never recorded, leading many to believe it is just a story. In Kaede, the child of the previous ruler who is most connected to nature is the one who becomes the next ruler. This is measured by how long they are able to survive in the wilderness on their own when the youngest sibling turns sixteen. The one who stays out in the wild the longest is groomed to be the next queen or king or anything in between when the last ruler retires. Valta is ruled by a pair, usually married but not required. They can be of any gender; there have been two kings, two queens, one of each, even two nonbinary rulers. The child of one of the rulers who shows the most interest in ruling and the most talent is the one who will grow up to pick their partner and rule once their parent or parents either retire or die. The Pietrans are ruled by one ruler. The gender of the next ruler cannot match the one of the previous, however. This was decided when there was a long string of kings who refused to give up their throne and became more and more corrupt, until finally they were overthrown by their own people. In Aniva, the ruler is technically the king. However, everyone knows that the High Priestess of the Temple of the Six Gods is the one in charge. Some High Priestesses take advantage of their power, while others have tried to give their power back. This never works, as both the people and the king are too dependent on her connection to the gods. Konstelasians are ruled by a king, a queen, or anything in between, though they are advised by a council of the six smartest people in the nation. These six people are usually teachers at the College, the learning epicenter of the whole island. The eldest child of the previous ruler will become the next leader of the nation. The laws are generally the same throughout the nations, with a few exceptions. In Cemara, it is legal, though frowned upon, to sell your children to a government-run group known as the Letters. In Kaede, if anyone takes or uses more than their allotted share of the wood for fires or houses, they will be in jail for anywhere from a month to a year. In Valta, all citizens must learn to swim before they turn seventeen, the age they are considered adults. In Pietra, forgery and theft carry the highest punishments, resulting in severely long prison sentences, or execution if the crime is extreme enough. In Aniva, disrespecting a priestess is worth whatever punishment the particular priestess thinks is suitable for the offense. A few priestesses take advantage of this, while others try to get away with giving people only penance and make them give a small offering to the temple. And in Konstelasi, any crime against the College is seen as worse than identical ones against other places/people. There’s how things are run, but I have forgotten to mention one thing: the rulers of each of the kingdoms meet twice a year, during the solstices, to discuss how things are going and any treaties they would like to talk over. This is when agreements are made and wars are declared. And the next meeting is within the next few months.

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Day 6: Civilization and Architecture

Material-wise, the buildings are fairly similar throughout the island. Stone for the rich houses, temples, and government buildings, and wood for the small businesses and poorer houses. Of course, there are some differences in how the buildings are made. All Cemarian buildings that can afford it (or want it, such as the Letting Houses who don’t want it) have insulation made of thick rugs, tapestries, or straw (if one is not wealthy enough to afford the other two). These are either hung on the walls (rugs and tapestries) or stuffed in between two layers of walls (straw). All Kaeden buildings that are two stories or higher (though no buildings on the island ever get past five stories, not including the basement) have at least one hollow portion in the center and held up with oak (for people who are just rich) or maple (for temples and government buildings) logs. Those that are only one story are made of wood, since those are the buildings that are owned by people who either just comfortably get by or don’t have that much. Though usually made of hardwood, at least something in the house is made of maple, whether a wall or a floor section or even a small carving. All Valtan buildings are made with stone bases, especially the ones on the coast, to reduce the risk of flood damage. Some houses in particularly flood-prone areas are built on stilts, something that takes great efforts to accomplish, but is necessary to avoid damage. All Pietran buildings are made of stone, making them the most unusual of all the nations’ buildings. The most expensive buildings are made of marble and gemstones, while normal buildings such as houses and businesses are of stone that is easier to find and carve into the shapes needed. All Anivian buildings contain a shrine to the god or goddess that the people inside have dedicated to themselves to. These consist of anything from a single candle on a shelf to a huge statue of the god or goddess surrounded by candles and jeweled trinkets in its own room. The Temple of the Six, the only building on the entire island to be six stories tall, contains larger than life statues of each of the gods, at the feet of which are offerings from those who have come to pray. All Konstelasian buildings contain a library or a work place – or both, if it can be afforded. Just like in Aniva, these can be anywhere from a few books or a journal on a shelf to whole rooms filled with books and lab equipment. The College has whole wings dedicated to these two things, taking up more room than the dormitories to house their students. As for architecture style, that varies greatly between the more expensive buildings in each of the nations. The cheaper buildings, however, are all generally the same (with some exceptions, such as the stilts in Valta and the insulation in Cemara). In Cemara, their most expensive buildings are kind of like step pyramids, with elaborate carvings of pine needles and cones along the tops of each platform. In Kaede, their buildings are straight up with detailed carvings of falling maple leaves and small woodland animals where two walls meet. In Valta, their buildings are decorated with carvings of crashing waves and embedded with shells and sea glass found beneath the sea. In Pietra, every one of their buildings are embedded with gems and jewels. The most expensive buildings are nearly covered in them, while the cheapest have jewels only over the doorway. In Aniva, buildings have a carving of a god’s or goddess’s symbol over the door, along with beautiful carvings of stars. And in Konstelasi, all the buildings are covered in carvings of constellations and scientific symbols of learning.

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Day 5: History

In the far past, just decades after the island had formed and the people were still from one nation, darkness swept through the land. It twisted in the hearts of the people, turning them from their gods. Six beings of shadow were born, Shrouds of the humans they came from. With the birth of this darkness, people became evil, twisted. Lives were lost, dozens a day, both from people murdering others and some losing their wills to live. War broke out, resulting in the formation of the six lands the people know of today. This war was said to have been ended by six who were more connected to the gods than any who came before them, even the ones created by them. These six, each from a different race, fought the Shrouds, fought the darkness, and fought for the end of the war. By the time it was over, light had been restored to the lands, though things were different than they were before. The six nations, now ruled by the generals who led the six armies, had settled into their new territories. The people separated, moving to their respective sections of the island, never to move again. The six people who saved the island were revered as gods in their own right, despite the priestesses warning them against it. Much more recently, within the last year, another war is about to begin. Skirmishes along the borders of the nations are becoming more and more frequent. With the biannual meeting of the rulers coming up, war could be announced within the next few weeks. A huge skirmish, nearly a full-blown battle, happened along the border of Cemara and Kaede only four weeks ago, killing many and injuring more. People began calling for war, for vengeance. Just a week ago, unconnected to any of the fighting -or so people think – a dark layer of clouds descended over the island. Lamps are lit near constantly to ward off the short days and long nights. Cold spells have become more and more common, and people are talking of sightings of creatures long thought dead. Something is going on, something that no one can or wants to explain. This is where the story begins, with darkness and war and blood and chills.

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Day 3: People and Races

My world consists of six different races, each named for the nation in which they live. While they all appear similar at first glance, each has their own connections and traits that they were given by the god who created them. The first race, known as Cemarans (from the nation of Cemara), were given life by the goddess of pines and evergreens. As a race, they are not easy to break due to their flexible nature. They are willing to bend on issues if it means they can come back stronger. In general, the Cemarans have reddish-brown skin and dark brown eyes. To them, the most beautiful people in their race are the ones with darker skin and lighter eyes. The second race, known as Kaedens (hailing from the nation of Kaede), were created by the god of maples and other deciduous trees. As a whole, the Kaedens are a hearty lot, able to come back from nearly any devastation or loss. They have once managed to return from a horrifying natural disaster that wiped out just under half of their population. Generally, Kaedens have fairer skin than the Cemarans, but darker eyes. To them, beauty is measured by one’s connection to nature. Dirt-covered palms and scattered petals in one’s hair are signs of beauty. The third race, called Valtans (from Valta), were created by the goddess of the sea and the waves. They live their lives fluidly, always moving, always following the current. Sometimes those currents lead down rapids and waterfalls, but the Valtans are fluid enough to handle tragedy and hardship. Angering a Valtan is considered unwise, as they supply most, if not all, of the nation’s seafood and ocean-based goods, such as pearls and sea glass. In general, Valtans are tanned by the sun, with bright blue or green eyes. Nothing is more beautiful to them than the sea. If one looks like they have spent their life on a boat, they are considered a rare beauty, especially if they happen to travel inland. The fourth race, the Pietrans (from the nation of Pietra), were formed by the goddess of gems and jewels. They live static, crystalized lives. Change is difficult for them to overcome, but they do accept it eventually. Perfection is so important to the Pietrans, in both their lives and in the jewels they mine and create with. Generally, the Pietrans are as dark as the soil from which they gather their stones, with eyes either darker than onyx or lighter than diamond. Beauty to them is perfection, though it does come in many forms. Perfect miners who find the best gems, perfect jewelers who create the best jewelry, perfect stylists who make the most amazing ballgowns and tunics. Skill is more important than looks to the Pietrans. The fifth race, called Anivians (hailing from Aniva), were created by the god of the galaxies and comets. Their lives are filled with introspection and looking to the sky for answers. Little is decided without consulting the priestesses in the temples. Generally speaking, the Anivians are pale as the moon, with hair dark as the night sky. Beauty to them is the night, with all of the shades and shadows that go with it. Pale against darkness is gorgeous, whether it be pale skin against dark hair, as is the norm, or even more beautiful, pale hair against dark skin, which is sadly rare but highly praised. The sixth and final race, the Konstelasians (from the nation of Konstelasi), were made by the goddess of the stars and their constellations. The people from this nation are largely intellectuals, taking note of everything and making informed decisions based on their observations. They shun whoever refuses to accept the truth and rarely engage in the worship of the gods, absorbed in their work as they are. In general, the Konstelasians are warm-toned with cool-hued eyes and hair. Beauty to them is synonymous with intelligence. The smarter the person, the more beautiful they seem to the Konstelasians.

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Day 1: Introduction

My world is an island in the middle of an ocean. It’s steeped in darkness and sadness and tragedy, but with rays of joy occasionally breaking through the clouds. My world is given no other name than ‘the island’ as people have no need for any other name for it. The island consists of six nations that don’t have the best of relationships with each other, though some have better relationships than others. The nations are all based on a single concept, one that is attached to their respective patron god or goddess. The people also echo their patron gods, some stronger than others. Nature is dominant in my world. Trees, stones, the ocean, and the stars in the sky are the most important things to the people who live there. That’s what their gods are based on, what their nations are built on. The ideas and properties of these are what drive and inspire them. Magic doesn’t exist per se (no witches or sorcerers or the like), but magical elements do. Powers are given to very few, only one from each nation, and each ability is directly connected to their patron god. Creatures that are considered legend also exist, though are rarely, if ever, seen. These creatures can either be helpful or deadly, depending on how those they encounter behave. Hardship is evident in nearly every aspect of daily life. Common people are forced to do things they never would do otherwise, such as turn to a life of thievery and murder-for-hire. The ones who thrive are the ones who cause harm to others, though that is soon to change. Things will become better, but it will take a long time and effort from everyone. The world I have envisioned is one that is getting ready to change for the better, but it needs the help of the ones who have the ability to cause it the greatest harm.

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World Building June starts today, so that’s what I’m going to be posting all this month! I’m gonna be honest, I have to schedule the posts, so there will be days missing sometimes (like two, four, and seven, for example), but I’ll make sure to post them the very next Thursday. You guys probably don’t care, but hey, just thought I’d warn you.