#/ thinking about. the seer. the narrator

[maddieandangel]

Had a weird Hollow Knight-related dream a couple days ago, so I decided to draw a major scene I remembered from it dgsgshf

More context will be in the tags, for those interested!

[voidsnarrator]

*holds my au hosts/authors close*

they are my babies and i love them

[oldshrewsburyian]

Hello! I'm an academic who is trying to get back into reading for fun. Before grad school, I *loved* to read, but then it became part of The Job. Anyway, I was wondering if you could recommend some good historical fiction based in the Middle Ages, and, if possible, I'm more interested in reading about women and their lives. (The Name of the Rose is on my list, but maybe something with nuns? Medieval nuns are so interesting!) Thanks for your time and all the great posts!

Hi! I resemble this remark; my fiction-reading hours took a dive during grad school as well. I love The Name of the Rose, so do keep it on your list! I hated Lauren Groff's The Matrix, so... despite the nuns, my recommendation would be: do not. While Ottessa Moshfegh's Lapvona includes many women, it also just... makes up a fantasized version of the Middle Ages that is about filth and abnegation. Also not recommended. These warnings concluded:

Victoria MacKenzie, For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain, is a fascinating debut novel centered on Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich.

Salman Rushdie, Victory City, is set in a fantasy version of medieval India and has a female seer as its main character. It's great.

Robin McKinley, The Outlaws of Sherwood, is more interested in greenwood shenanigans than detailed historical context, but I love this Robin Hood novel and think it holds up well (I first loved it when I was 12.) Integrating women into the Sherwood community in a range of ways is one of the interesting things about the adaptation.

Roberto Tiraboschi, The Apothecary's Shop, has a male narrator but many interesting women characters.

Shelley Parker-Chan, She Who Became The Sun, has fantasy elements, and I'm not sure if you're looking for those, but I think the novel's exploration of the possibilities of gender (as affected by religion, as affected by war) in Ming China is really interesting.

I have a somewhat longer list of recs for medieval historical fiction here. I still haven't gotten around to Sylvia Townsend Warner's The Corner That Held Them, but I have been promised that it contains 14th-century nuns, and I really like STW's ideas and prose.

[pastelpinkkadan]

The biggest reaches I’ve seen Antis come up with:

Azriel’s shadows don’t like Elain.

Feyre is an unreliable narrator (but Cassian’s opinions on Elain’s dress are law).

Elain loves Lucien so much that she avoids him.

Azriel only lusts for Elain.

Azriel thinks of Elain as a sister.

Lucien was the one who helped Elain (suggesting she get some fresh air > Azriel literally discovering Elain is a seer, I guess)

Elain can’t have Azriel’s babies, but Gwyn supposedly can because of one line about her “pliant bones”.

Elain doesn’t belong in the night court because she likes flowers

Elain couldn’t handle Azriel’s “darkness”

And I’m supposed to take ANY of their theories seriously???

[bookofmirth]

I think it’s very funny when ppl say that it’s obvious that Elain is next cause she is the last archeron and the only person who could hold a plot + Gwyn could never cause she is a secondary character WHEN:

Elain is - at this moment - more secondary than Gwyn cause what exactly we had about her? (Yeah I heard the theories that she can’t have a POV cause she is a seer and she would be a walking spoiler so her pov has to be hidden)

Lidia cervos only showed up on book 2 and baby girl stole the entire show while being secondary character? Yrene Westfall hellooo?

I was just ranting about this elsewhere so here we go haha!

"why would Gwyn or Az get a pov/book when Elain hasn't had one yet and when Cassian and Rhys never got one?" because these characters are not in line at the DMV? they didn't take a number at the deli counter?

The only thing that really matters in terms who gets a book or a pov is whether it makes sense to the story being told.

Sometimes people argue about these stories as if they are math, as if there has to be a certain order to the way things are told. But that's not how storytelling works? The characters aren't queued up, and this is not kindergarten - they don't all get equal time with the omniscient narrator. This isn't about what's perceived as "fair", but what will actually make sense for the story.

Chaol didn't get a book because he had been waiting patiently for it since ToG. Chaol got a book because his chapters were originally going to be part of EoS, but his story ended up being much bigger than originally planned. He didn't get a story because he "deserved" it for still being alive multiple books later, but because it made sense to focus on his narrative on its own. It was about what was organic within the story and what would be the best, most effective, impactful way to tell that story.

So yeah, Gwyn can become a main character, so can Vassa, so can Miryam and Drakon, so could Eris - it's literally Sarah's job to figure out what makes sense for the story and to bring us along for the ride. There is no "math" that is going to make a specific character "required" to be next. Certain things make more sense than others, but people are wayyyyy too stuck on the distinction between main character and side character and acting like the author is somehow limited. She's only limited by her imagination, my friends!

[starlitangels]

okokok

so i know in some stream (i think) somewhere that erik said he'd never write novels for his characters because then he'd have to make the listener an actual character and he didn't want to do that because it would take away the audience's ability to interpret the listener characters however they want

which is totally fine and i 100% respect that, genuinely

but i still want novels set in the redactedverse

but not like that ^

i don't want the listener characters to show up at all

i want a prequel novel of lasko's backstory, from his childhood to his powers manifesting and the fallout of that, culminating in his fight with his mom that led him to run away

i want a prequel novel of gabe and his mate's love story although admittedly i kinda already did that myself ssshhh i want the full thing made by erik maybe with every couple chapters switching to marie and colm's story from marie's pov and @frenchiefitzhere can be the narrator of those chapters for the audiobook

i want seer obscura morgan middlename kyne's entire life story. gimme!

i want avior and circinus and eridanus and the other demons avior stewarded—i want that novel to end with avior's rift destabilizing on NYE and just the tiniest dialogue hint of starlight

i. want. a. cacophony/cataclysm. novel. from vega and brachium's pov

two words: imperium. novel. (maybe the shaw pack after david and darlin' died?)(maybe a story about everything vega's been through)

gimme elliott and aaron's childhood

gimme william solaire's turning—gimme porter's journey to the solaire clan, even. or alexis'

give me random characters we've never seen before who are novel-exclusive protagonists!

i want some rando energetic from borden's perspective of their life leading up to the inversion and their fight to survive it with their friends or even strangers

i want an older vampire from the solaire clan's history that isn't someone we've seen before

i would inhale a book of short stories that are empowered fairy tales—the e'laetum and min'ara one as well as human stories that empowered parents tell their kids

ooh! ooh! ooh! heist book with a team of empowereds omg omg omg y'all read Mistborn? like that

i want a murder mystery novel detailing some random d.u.m.p. investigator's newest case

i want a political intrigue thriller about vampire houses/clans and old blood monarchs that's, like, a bigger scale than the monarchal summit arc and is about a clan from somewhere else entirely

i want something vaguely "the balance" storyline-esque just in that the whole thing takes place in a dreamscape controlled by an extremely powerful Dreamwalker and the point of the novel is trying to escape it

erik i know you don't want novels with the listener characters in them but novels would still be so cool and i still want them and there is so much potential for this whole world you've built to tell stories in please omg

Redactedverse Novels. Thank you for listening reading.

[sjmgirlie]

See my reason for being an Elriel has nothing to do with either Elain or Lucien individually.

I like both characters as they are.

My issue with them as an endgame comes from how the author has written each interaction they have had on page.

There has not been a single scene, described by the author (who is Feyre/Cassian/Nesta btw if you’re confused), that has had any positive connotation from either character in regards to their mating.

The words “shrink" etc do not make me, as a reader, feel romance. And that's just one negative word used between the interactions we have seen between Elain and Lucien on page.

Could this have been an endgame couple? Of course. We could have made a lot of headcanons about the two of them leading up to their book. But on PAGE, there is no romantic build up. Unless it's "indifference to lovers" because neither hate each other. Honestly I think they just hate their situation.

What makes me an Elriel is the romantic connotation between the scenes of Elain and Azriel. You can say they aren't romantic but honestly they are. Taking her to the garden, determining she's a seer, taking the plate of potatoes, sitting in the living room while everyone else goes to bed and talking, rescuing her knowing he could die, giving her his most prized possession that no one has touched. Gifting each other sentimental/funny gifts, ones that were thought out. These are off the top of my head from the PAGES in the books.

The same goes for Gwyn and Azriel. There was no romantic connotation on page. "You're the new ribbon Az" isn't romantic when it was just a few sentences before described as an opponent. Not being able to bank without being noticed isn't romantic. The whole BC in my mind isn't romantic. And Azriel coming to training the next day stone faced and meaner than usual doesn't really scream I'm in love. And nothing changes after the BC between them either. He doesn't go feral to rescue her from the BR.

If SJM was going to make Gwynriel happen, I would hope she would do it in the actual book. She could have too. She could have alluded to it in ACOSF. I mean it was over 500 pages and both Nesta and Cassian were narrating and could have noticed things. But nothing romantic happened. Not in the BC either (but we can agree to disagree there). The main point is it did not happen ON PAGE IN THE NOVEL.

Antis on all sides always tend to diminish characters in the ships. But the thing is, the author wrote the books in a certain way, and you can take "foreshadowing" and twist it any way you like but you need to open the book sometimes and look at the actual pages. SJM has said countless times she plans things YEARS in advance and that ACOFAS was the building blocks for the other sisters books. That is a fact.

Elriel has been built up romantically since their first scene on page together. So has Nessian. The thing is, true to both characters, their interactions flew under the radar more - which was pointed out in Azriel’s BC by the glances and brush of the fingers.

[i-am-a-fan]

Dude. I need to know about the tails.

I

Am

Invested

In that headcanon. I wanna hear a whole lore dump on your thought process on the latest peice

(If ya want ofc)

so. You wanted to hear my whole lore dump huh?

Please keep in mind that I am well aware that this is SUPPPEERRR off script for the show. This is just kinda like me playing with it like silly putty.

Link to artwork

Spoilers underneath and also long text.

Okay. So it stems from a lot of places.

First I’ll talk specifically about the tails since I think they’re the easiest to explain.

Tails:

The tails from from the season 4 special and the idea that Mk’s Kaiju form has three tails. That’s kinda what inspired it at the beginning.

I’ve outlined what I believe to be the tails in red so it’s easier to see.

Then we have Mk’s name sake in the Chinese dub (I think) Qi Xiaotain which roughly means “little sky” or “little heaven”.

If Wukong is the Sun, and Macaque is the moon, then would it not make sense that Mk, the one caught in between them is the sky?

I always try to draw Wukong’s tail to look like a fire ball, Macaque’s tail to look like a crescent moon, and Mk’s tail to look like a cloud.

Thus, you get the three tails that make up the controlled Kaiju form :D!

I also added the detail that the cloud swirl, what it outlined in orange, comes before wukong’s and Macaque’s tail to show that this feature is special to MK.

Samadhi Fire/ Teal Coloring:

The real thing that started everything was my crazy theory that Mk is the next person to get the samadhi fire.

The original smashing fire was also blue, which is why I made the painting be mixed with teal and yellow.

Link to Mk and the Samadhi Fire

I go into a LOT more detail in that post, but I’m almost certain that one of these 3 things happened to the samadhi fire in the show.

1. It got destroyed with the Lady Bone demon

2. Redson got it back and is unaware of it

3. Plot armor/ unexplained disappearance.

If it’s the first one, then onto the next topic.

Celestial Monkey(?):

I really hope that Mk turns out to be yet another celestial monkey, and if he is, I think it would make the most sense that he’s the “Connected Arm Gibbon” who can “seize the sun and the moon, shorten a thousand mountains, distinguish the auspicious from the inauspicious, And manipulate planets and stars.”

To me it makes the most sense since Mk is already somehow connected the the heavens and the planets.

More so, when Mk uses the Skeleton Key on himself, we get this frame… one that shows us a type of cosmic entity.

Plus, all the times that Mk has a cataclysmic power that shakes the universe.

If you combine this with the eye theory by @ imminent-danger-came , it seems like there’s some other version of MK that is watching and controlling what is happening to the Mk we are following.

- Eye Theory/ Eye Motifs with Mk

- Other Mk theory

There’s also the saying that the fate is written in the stars, and there’s a storyline relating Mk with destiny/ fate and how he can either be doomed to repeat it or change it.

If a version of Mk can truly control the stars, maybe by doing so he can change his fate as the harbinger of chaos.

Adding on, and with @spoofyleaf ‘s contributions, other Mk might be some protective seer of our MK. As seen in “Cooking with Chang’e” episode, Mk seems to simply be able to gain abilities from time to time and lose them.

Tang even comments on this and questions it, and if tang is our Normal Guy ™ who stands in as a Narrator and informant for the audience, then we can assume that this is not normal.

Referencing back to that image, look at the protective stance that the celestial version has over Mk, it’s almost protective of them (how I got inspired for the stance in the image).

Which brings me to the last part:

Reality Manipulation:

If Mk can gain new abilities when it is needed, and has the ability to control fate, does that entail that he has some sort of affect on the reality he’s placed in?

If so, that’s where I took creative liberties. If the Samadhi fire WAS destroyed, and it WAS the ultimate weapon for anything, wouldn’t someone who is obsessed with keeping everyone safe, try to reforge it? Wouldn’t the perfect person be someone who can change reality as they see fit? Wouldn’t that be someone who can distinguish the promising from the unpromising? Wouldn’t it be someone whom the bone demon tried to recruit again, and again? Wouldn’t the ultimate wildfire be wielded by chaos itself? Wou-

[autisticaradiamegido]

day 309

no actually i wont stop inserting my blorbos into other properties.

anyway.

i saw hadestown on tour this summer and im never going to emotionally or spiritually recover. and i have a lot of thoughts about this au!! long-winded rambling under the cut

so casting: Orpheus: Jade Eurydice: Aradia Hermes: Rose Hades: Jane (Crockertier mode, primarily) Persephone: Roxy The fates are representative of like. Aradia's ghost voices. I don't super know how to convey that visually. ANYWAY!! I just think that the dynamic between Orpheus and Eurydice in the way Hadestown tells their story gets very much to the heart of what I think is so interesting about AraJade, and that's the like.... Conflicting worldviews they have. I think that conflict, despite frustrating them at times, is part of what pulls them toward each other. Aradia (and Eurydice) are like... Kind of tragic characters! They have been through a lot, and while Aradia is very positive, and Eurydice is prepared to crack jokes, their worldviews boil down to "The universe is uncaring, and fate bears down on us no matter what choices we make. But FUCK it, I am going to live anyway. I'm going to do whatever the hell I have to do to keep going as an act of rebellion."

Jade (and Orpheus) however, still manage to be optimistic, not just about their own prospects, but about the world. When problems arise, they're not just going to ignore them and try to press on as things get worse. They're going to try to solve the problem! They're going to put that responsibility on themselves. It might speak to a level of overconfidence, or naivete, sure. But it also speaks to an overabundance of compassion for the people around it. They're not just going to fix things for themselves, but for everybody.

So when they meet, and Jade says "YES the world is difficult, the seasons are wrong, the world is out of tune, but I am going to write a song that will fix it." Aradia is understandably skeptical! She doesn't believe it until Jade shows her proof that her music has some otherworldly power (which. shakes her worldview obviously and she kind of fucking LOVES that?) But Rose (Hermes) says this girl will make her feel alive again, and to Aradia, "that's worth a lot" Speaking of Rose, idk. I was torn on who to put in Hermes' place. But Rose is established as both a Seer, and a storyteller. To repeatedly narrate a story whose tragic ending she's already seen play out a thousand times, just because it's beautiful and hey, maybe it'll turn out different this time (even though it never has before.) IDK ITS JUST A ROSE VIBE 2 ME! Plus Hermes has a friendly relationship with Orpheus, he wants him to succeed, but he's also not afraid to pull punches when criticizing him. I think that's a good dynamic for Rose and Jade.

I also waffled around for a while about Hades and Persephone, but in the end Persephone really HAD to be Roxy. It's not just about the alcoholism recovery arc they both share, it's about Persephone as a daughter missing her mother, and as a figure known to everyone around her as funny and generous and just kind of this universally-beloved figure who behind the scenes is REALLY struggling to cope with her own emotions. The Roxy vibes are truly off the charts. So given that, Jane made the best Hades, I think. Jane as Hades isn't the MOST compelling matchup in this to me, but I think she fits into the role well enough. First off, she really DOES love Roxy. But as they drift apart over time, and in the absence of any other real positive influences, she just kinda... Falls into the capitalism thing a little too hardcore. She misses Roxy and maybe to start with she really DOES think that if she can make enough progress in her work that it will impress Roxy enough to maybe stay a little longer than usual, but well. Industrial progress is not what impresses Roxy! And Jane is.... A little stubborn about her worldview, and has become extremely busy with her work, and doesn't really pay close enough attention to Roxy's feelings to notice all that, so. Things decay rapidly, and it becomes a point of conflict between them. But in the end we DO get to see them taking the first steps towards resolving things. Because frankly I think they would! They just care too much about each other at the end of the day.

Anyway listen to the Hadestown soundtrack if you haven't yet, please, I'm fucking begging

[mcrcki]

** CLOSED **

i scream, you scream, we all scream for the corn. it's my favorite time of year : the halloween event !! it's gonna be hell, but we're all here together. if you're scared in the maze, we can hold hands or something, but you're gonna have to like this for plots !! or reply for starters , since this is a combination plotting call and starter call! the cap is three starters per writer, so i can get through everyone, and you HAVE TO SPECIFY or i'll literally ignore you i'm so sorry but i will! below you'll get a vibe check for all my babes of how they're feeling in the corn, if they were going in willingly or dragged, as well as potential plots! ** in the meantime about pre event prep : i will be going through and dropping so many threads unless they are plot relevant. if i drop something that you wanted to keep, let me know, but otherwise we can pick things back up in the corn!

branwen || acotar ( 3 / 5 )

she/her pronouns - willingly, thought it'd be fun really, but immediately freaking out and having a bad time. she tried to fly out instantly, but couldn't and somehow that has only made it worse. doesn't know how to fight, and will be hiding in the corn potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming, the person she went into the maze with, someone to help her calm down, someone who can keep her safe, friends :)))

starters : rhysand, amren, emily fields

daniela dimitrescu || resident evil : village ( 1 / 5 )

she/they pronouns - willingly, every time something wild happens in the city, dani is there. they absolutely love this shit and will become a horror of the maze. come have fun with them and enjoy the scary shit. or get fucked up by her idk, your call :)) potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming, as well as murdering, who she went into the maze with, other villains, people she can torment, someone to get her to Chill Out

starters : felicia hardy

elain archeron || acotar ( 2 / 5 )

she/her pronouns - dragged in via magic, there was no way anyone was going to talk her into going in there. she has a bad feeling about that place, and honestly i wanna play with elain's seer abilities so i think she's starting to see things again and will not!! be going in there!! until the magic drags her in potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming , someone to find her freaking out, someone she has a vision about, a group of people that she can stick with to stay safe, maybe someone she saves

starters : eloise bridgerton, princess tiana

kaya dura || star wars ( 2 / 5 )

they/she pronouns - willingly, thought it'd be fun to take their mind off things, now they wish they were unaware again nvm. would actually like to leave very quickly, this is bad and they are still just getting used to their memories again. will be full on jedi knight vibes though, putting themselves in harms way to keep others safe etc etc potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming , whoever they went into the maze with, people they can keep safe, someone to help them because i know they're gonna get their ass kicked

starters : kasil monsula, heather chandler

leia organa || star wars ( 5 / 5 )

she/her pronouns - dragged in, WHY TF COULDN'T THIS HAPPEN WHILE SHEEV WAS IN CHARGE WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN WHEN SHE'S BACK IN CHARGE there was no way leia was going into that maze, not at all, not until the magic fully dragged her in there and now she's stuck and would very much like to leave. she's not good being ?? captured. but will do her best to keep her family and the citizens she comes across safe. nervous about using the force at all since Everything™ but she's trying potential plots ➛ someone who was there when she got dragged into the maze, people she can save

starters : mags flannagan, patia por'co, han solo, angelica schyler, breha organa

louise vance || harry potter ( 2 / 5 )

she/they pronouns - willingly, LITERALLY RAN IN THERE THOUGHT ItD BE FUN. *narrator voice* "it was not fun". starting to wonder if you actually need magic to survive this city, how is it more dangerous than back home?? will be doing whatever they can to find their siblings and making a run for it even if it's useless. potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming, whoever they went into the maze with, someone to find them trying to fight off a monster with a pocket knife, friends to make the best of this shitty situation

starters : emmeline vance, jin ling

marlene mckinnon || harry potter ( 5 / 5 )

she/they pronouns - willingly, went in to "check it out" thinks she can keep ppl safe from inside, say it with me : delulu. truly out here thinking they can just fight their way through all of this and they sure as fuck cannot. please someone come watch her get humbled potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming, whoever they went into the maze with, people they can keep safe, someone who can help her when she gets in over her head

starters : stitch, fliss mckinnon, james potter, lily evans, dorcas meadowes

morrigan || acotar ( 2 / 5 )

she/her pronouns - dragged in, saw her other friends were in there and like hell was she letting any of them go in alone. will be trying to stick close to all of them, main focus is finding the inner circle cause if someone gets hurt and she can't help, she'll flip. this place sucks pls why cant she winnow out, please someone give her a shot she needs it potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming, someone who was there when she got dragged in, people also wanting to get drunk in the maze, people who need help

starters : laudna, tamlin

omega || star wars ( 4 / 5 )

she/they pronouns - willingly, RAN IN THERE, she loves halloween pls this looked fun and now it's hell and where the fuck is their bow. they really just thought it'd be fun and they could have a little haunted maze fun and now they're pretty sure they're gonna die in here. potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming, whoever they went DRAGGED into the maze, who wants to fight gritty with them

starters : jill roberts, freddie fecilier, hunter, mouse honrada

pj halliwell || charmed '98 ( 3 / 5 )

she/they pronouns - willingly, but will tell you they were dragged in, went to have some spooky fun and now they're saving the innocent !!! isnt that just the way!! potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming, if you need help she's your gal, someone they dragged into this

starters : tamora mitchell, melinda halliwell, childe

rosemary winters || resident evil : village ( 2 / 5 )

she/they pronouns - dragged in, you couldn't catch rose in that maze for a million bucks, that had BAD VIBES and now they're stuck!!!!!!!!! will be FREAKING out , seriously they were okay , they didn't want to be here and now they have to use their powers again when all they want is to be Normal potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming , someone they can use their powers to help (or harm by accident), whoever dragged them in, someone to join her in being A Coward for a little bit

starters : mia winters, evie winters

rowena ravenclaw || harry potter ( 4 / 5 )

she/her pronouns - dragged in, tbh she thinks she'd be able to solve the maze too easily so she didn't think it'd be any fun to actually go in and make the builders feel bad. but now that she's in here she's so intrigued by the magic she isn't even scared she just wants to study it. like a nerd. potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming, whoever dragged her in, people she can talk to about being so interested in this place, or someone she can talk out of being scared

starters : hunter, slyvie slytherin, salazar slytherin, calleigh duquesne

sella palpatine || star wars ( 3 / 5 )

she/her pronouns - willingly, PLEASE ONE NORMAL DATE JUST ONE, she thought it'd be a cute fall date, take some cute instagram pictures with allana, kiss in the corn a little and just have a cute moment BUT NOOOOOOOOOO potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming, people she can be a coward with, someone to help her figure out how to shoot a gun lmao, someone who will let her hide behind them

starters : sion val palpatine, allana solo, soren palpatine

sophie hatter || howl's moving castle ( 3 / 5 )

she/they pronouns - dragged in, this sucks, they hate it, they want to go home why did they let themselves get talked into going into this!!!! they just immediately got lost and now are stuck here!!!!! their sense of direction is AWFUL and now they're paying for it. pls help potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming, people who are also lost, someone who has a way better sense of direction than her, someone they can help with reassuring mom vibes

starters : james norrington, gu zi, qi rong

tatum riley || scream '96 ( 3 / 5 )

she/her pronouns - dragged in, no way in hell you could have gotten her into that maze without bribery. and will be spending the whole time going "i told you so" to this whole place being scary and spooky as hell potential plots ➛ whoever dragged her into this, people she can yell at, other people who are not trusting of any of this, someone who wants to fight monsters with her

starters : sam carpenter, billy loomis, dewey riley

vesta starkos || star wars ( 3 / 5 )

she/her pronouns - willingly, this seemed fun and now that it's scary??? THATS EVEN BETTER. will be a menace to everyone they bump into. will try to fight every monster, genuinely just having a great time like the menace of a child they are. potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming, someone they can bully for being "scared" , people they can fight, anyone who wants to fight them etc

starters : kaiden monsula, qui gon jinn, gabriel

victoria sutherland || twilight ( 3 / 5 )

she/her pronouns - willingly, mainly went in bc it's easy to grab a bite in these kinds of places. hide a body in the corn, who's gonna know. now is just bored, she doesn't really want to get into any big fights and will mainly be avoiding the monsters by just being a monster herself potential plots ➛ open to murder or maim, people who make this seem more fun for her

starters : bree tanner, laurent da revin, anne sutherland

violet sorrengail || fourth wing ( 4 / 5 )

she/her pronouns - willingly, okay she made a bad call going into this place!!! she thought it'd be chill and fun and now it's ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING BUT but it's fine, we're fine, they've trained for this????? it'll be fine. potential plots ➛ open for death and maiming, someone she can help, people she can freak out with before finding an actual solution

starters : ki yuri, nami, xaden riorson, jeon pildo

[acourtofthought]

I never like when some use excerpts like this as proof of endgame:

It made sense, I supposed, that Azriel alone had listened to her. The male who heard things others could not …

When those excerpts completely gloss over the fact that Azriel was not in fact the lone person to listen to Elain and that they tend to be a somewhat single minded view from Feyre's perspective. It's not that she's an unreliable narrator however she's not going to be sitting there thinking, "Hey! I contributed to helping Elain too!" and we know she's still trying to figure out where Lucien fits into everything so she does show a bias towards members of the IC.

First off, Lucien was not present when Elain mentioned her first vision to Feyre, about the bird made of fire. And I'm almost certain Feyre hasn't had any real experience with Seers at this point to make the connection.

Lucien was also not present for the second however Azriel was meaning Azriel was able to respond in the moment:

Jaw tight with a hint of frustration, Lucien excused himself to his room.

“No. I … I was sleeping, but I heard …” She shook her head. Blinked at our formal attire, the dark crown atop my head—and Rhysand’s. “I didn’t hear you.”

Azriel stepped forward. “But you heard something else.”

Elain seemed about to nod, but only backed away. “I think I was dreaming,” she murmured. “I think I’m always dreaming these days.”

“Let me get you some hot milk,” I said, putting a hand on her elbow to guide her into the sitting room.

But Elain shook me off, heading back to the stairs. She said as she climbed the first steps, “I can hear her—crying.” I gripped the bottom post of the banister.

“Who?”

“Everyone thinks she’s dead.” Elain kept walking. “But she’s not. Only—different. Changed. As I was.”

“Who,” I pushed.

But Elain continued up the stairs, that shawl drooping down her back. Nesta stalked from Cassian’s side to approach my own. We both sucked in a breath, to say what, I didn’t know but—

“What did you see,” Azriel said,

Elain paused halfway up the stairs. Slowly, she turned to look back at him. “I saw young hands wither with age. I saw a box of black stone. I saw a feather of fire land on snow and melt it.”

“It was angry,” Elain said quietly. “It was so, so angry that something was taken. So it took something from them as punishment.”

We said nothing. I didn’t know what to say—what to even ask or demand. If the Cauldron had done something to her as well … I faced Azriel, exposing my palms to him. “What does that mean?”

Azriel’s hazel eyes churned as he studied my sister, her too-thin body. And without a word, he winnowed away.

Elain comes upon the group and Az asks Elain a question related to what she heard that Elain doesn't directly respond to. Feyre offers her something to drink then asks two questions that again, Elain doesn't respond to. Then Feyre and Nesta are about to say something else but Az jumps in before they can, asking his second question. This isn't the Az and Elain show, it's Feyre and Az both questioning her, she ignores them at first but after she does give answers about the young hands, box of stone and feather, neither Az or Feyre respond. However Feyre is the one who turns to Az after which he disappears, probably to do research, because Feyre literally says to him, "what does that mean?" Az wasn't taking some super special initiative here, Feyre knows he's the one who can usually give answers to them.

Some time later, we see this conversation:

I didn’t know what to say. Sympathy would likely earn me a tongue-lashing. So I opted for another route. “We need to do something about Elain.”

Nesta stiffened. “And what solution do you propose, exactly? Letting your mate into her mind to scramble things around?”

Nesta paced in front of the darkened fireplace. “Everything has a cost. Maybe the cost of her youth and immortality was losing part of her sanity.”

“What was your cost?”

Nesta stopped moving. “Perhaps it was to see Elain suffer—while I got away unscathed.”

But I trailed her as she strode for the stairs. To where Lucien was now descending the steps—and winced at the sight of her approach.

I rested my head against the embroidered back of the chair and watched Lucien take a seat on the rolled arm of the nearest couch.

“Long day?”

I grunted my response. That metal eye tightened.

“I thought the Prison was another myth.”

“Well, it’s not.”

He weighed my tone, and crossed his arms. “Let me do something. About Elain. I heard—from my room. Everything that happened just now. It wouldn’t hurt to have a healer look her over. Externally and internally.”

Feyre asked Azriel for his advice. No one asked Lucien for his yet he offered it anyway because he was worried about Elain.

It's also important to note that Nesta is the one who brought up the possibility of Elain having gone crazy (since some love to act like Lucien thought Elain had gone insane). Lucien never says that, he first asks to help with Elain (which is a difference between Feyre asking Az and Az then heading off to research after she looked to him with questions) and he mentions having a healer looking her over before Feyre says:

“Do you think the Cauldron made her insane?”

“I think she went through something terrible,” Lucien countered carefully. “And it wouldn’t hurt to have your best healer do a thorough examination.”

Here it's Feyre worried about Elain's mental health whereas Lucien wants to have a healer look over everything. Something he came up with on his own while Az had Feyre standing there handling over half of the interactions with Elain earlier, helping move things in a certain direction. Az left having said nothing at all so we really have no idea exactly what he was personally doing or whether he sent his spies looking for answers while Lucien showed us what he was thinking about Elain.

Azriel and Feyre later train after all this happened and not once does he bring up Elain to her.

They spoke of Mor though. Don't you think if he cared about Elain, he would have been discussing her current state?

Lucien then sits with Elain at the healers recommendation after he specifically asked Feyre to tell him what the healer has to say, which shows his interest and concern.

Two days after that, Feyre and Az train again and Az says nothing of Elain for a second time.

A few days later we see this:

I was still sore enough the next day that I had to send word to Cassian I wasn’t training with him. Or Azriel.

A mistake, perhaps, given that both of them showed up at the door to the town house within minutes, the former demanding what the hell was wrong with me, the latter bearing a tin of salve to help with the aches in my back. I thanked Azriel for the salve and told Cassian to mind his own business.

And then asked him to fly Nesta up to the House of Wind for me, since I certainly couldn’t fly her in—even for a few feet after winnowing.

Azriel and Cassian note Feyre's condition, and she asks Cassian to fly Nesta up to the HOW for her. It's only after she offers to take Elain to the garden, Azriel jumps in to say he can do it.

Does it really seem like it's because he truly wanted to help Elain? Or is it possible he noted his High Lady in pain and wanted to be helpful considering Cassian was already doing something to help her out?

Then we get to "The Scene":

So for all appearances, we will remain unruffled as we prepare for war.”

Mor sagged against the couch cushions. “A war where we have no allies beyond Keir, either in Prythian or beyond it.”

Rhys gave her a sharp look. But Elain said quietly, “The queen might come.”

Silence.

Elain was staring at the unlit fireplace, eyes lost to that vague murkiness.

“What queen,” Nesta said, more tightly than she usually spoke to our sister.

“The one who was cursed.”

“Cursed by the Cauldron,” I clarified to Nesta, pushing off the archway. “When it threw its tantrum after you … left.”

“No.” Elain studied me, then her. “Not that one. The other.”

Azriel asked softly, taking a single step over the threshold and into the sitting room, “What other?”

Elain’s brows twitched toward each other. “The queen—with the feathers of flame.”

The shadowsinger angled his head.

Lucien murmured to me, eye still fixed on Elain, “Should we—does she need …?”

“We’re the ones who need …” Azriel trailed off. “A seer,” he said, more to himself than us. “The Cauldron made you a seer.”

Does it seem like Azriel is the only one listening to her right now? Feyre and Nesta might be confused as to what she's talking about (Lucien too considering he wasn't present for the meeting with the human queens meaning they had background on who "the other" queen might be) but they are the ones responding to what she's saying and they are the ones asking her questions which Elain (not Az) initially provides clarification for. Had they ignored Elain and not asked the questions they did, who knows if her being a Seer would have clicked for Az or whether he would have then asked his own questions.

So truly, how was "Azriel alone the one who listened to her?" That would only be valid if Elain had visions and Lucien (and her sisters) said, "she's fine, there's nothing to worry about, it's just dreams", brushing off her struggles. But the three were all extremely worried about Elain, they just weren't sure what it was they were seeing. That speaks nothing of their connection to Elain as a person and everything to do with their lack of familiarity with Seers. Just because Azriel had the knowledge or means to discover what her powers were called does not prove he cared for Elain or "sees" her. Lucien was genuinely worried for Elain on page in a way that Azriel NEVER was.

This quote actually feels like the entire E/riel ship to me:

… It was like stepping back from a painting to see the entire picture. Up close, the words had been muddled and messy. But from a distance …

When you take a line here and a line there, it looks like there could be something. But when you really look at the entire picture and everything that happens in the lead up to those moments (and even after), it becomes very clear that those lines gets blown out of proportion..

When you look at those chapters in ACOWAR, there's a very real possibility Az was only doing what he did to help Feyre out. We've got multiple examples of where his main focus was on Mor and expressed no real concern for Elain outside of stepping in when they thought his High Lady might need him to, where he never initiated anything when it came to Elain.

But there is no doubt that Lucien's concern during that same time is for Elain and Elain only. The characters went out of their way to keep Lucien away from her yet he still thought of ways to help her or expressed worry for her.

Not to mention I don't think when Elain said, “No one ever does. No one ever looked—not really.” “He did. He saw me. He will not now", her hopes and dreams were that someone would come along who could figure out what her powers were, powers she's only had for a couple of months. To me, Elain's meaning is so much deeper than that.

[abundantchewtoys]

HSBC re: p626-637

That Dirk called his ship Theseus may say something on how he views his mission. Then again, he declared himself the villain of the story.

page 4: he called authors alliterative, I wouldn't really call 'AH' that, nor his full name.

Rose really goes hard on the 'being a robot' thing. I guess between Aradiabot, Jadebot, and AR, it was time for someone to unequivocally enjoy the state.

p5 : Cool to see his 'omniscience' is only pseudo, like Doc Scratch' was. He didn't know about the missing landing gear.

Hah, and Rose still sees Dirk as heroic. Pretty blind for a Seer of Light.

p6 : OOh, I still had dark mode on, I realize. Let's change that 'n return to the old format, it influences the feel of the story, especially Dirk' bright text.

p9 : You know, it feels like a missed opportunity not to command him to shit his desk.

p12 : Okay, pretty sure I didn't spot Jade's mug on the well, flower mug on my initial read. I own that mug, actually.

And oh yeah, it was a three-year journey to the new planet, nice parallel to the travel time between Universe B1 and B2.

p13 : So, uh, Bro had a relationship with Barack Obama, I'm reading this right, right?

p15 : Dirk claims to have researched his trollsona extensively, yet doesn't display their blood colour on his shirt, smh.

p17: Riiiight, Terezi was aware of Dirk's narration, as a Mind player, right?

And hah, as a troll, with Alternia's awkward synonyms, her roasting Dirk for his verbose prose? Gold.

Pff, and I forgot Dirk was tired of Rose's psychoanalysis, too.

p33: Right, both paths were distinguished by the arrows.

p34: It's heartwarming to see Jake actually having mastered the supposedly basic (yet oft neglected) skill of housekeeping.

p38: We never really saw Jake have Skaian dreams, did we? His Prospit self never woke up on account of a peanut allergy. I wonder if the dreams of a non-awoken dreamself could have ever been prophetic… And anyway, he's his ascended self now. Hmm, but right, his dreambubbleself did have a rather prescient twist to it, in the form of Brain Ghost Dirk…

p41: Speak of the devil, I forgot about this part here, heheh.

Soooo, wait, we're getting back in muddy waters. Jake is from the post-retcon timeline, where Vriska was on the meteor. But the ghosts in the Furthest Ring weren't duplicated by the retcon. If we assume they only met the post-retcon kids chronologically (for them) afterwards, there were a bunch of conversations that happened twice. And Aranea's ghost 'survived' the Game Over timeline aka got thrown back to the Furthest Ring.

Still, it's gold to have Brain Ghost Dirk be his own self, distinct from ascended Dirk.

p47: "DIRK: You’ve spent years feeling sorry for yourself, totally convinced you made the wrong choices and that it’s all over. And it’s easier that way, isn’t it? If you’re a lost cause you don’t have to try to be better." That's the challenge for the Candy timeline people isn't it? Continuing to try even if it feels like nothing matters.

Brain Ghost Dirk stopped correcting Jake there that he didn't actually was Jane's running mate, since he wasn't that Dirk. Well, 'I' and 'you' could be seen as located between air-quotes, of course…

P54: Jake being hopeful again probably triggered the return of Brain Ghost Dirk

P59, 60: The new kids’ quirks are something to get used to again

P64: Almost seems like a Hope glow, around the car

P70 : By shedding his purple sweater, we now see Tavros is dressed in layers similarly to Calliope & Caliborn.

P90 : Note how she doesn't even really counted Jake as part of her family, there.

P95 : Gotta love cross-culture influences on Earth C, like the carapace derp face.

P96 : Introducing the world's most pollutive missile.

P97 : You'd think once it reached critical speed it wouldn't need the propulsion anymore. Maybe the sails actually serve as (stellar) wind breakers, hahah, and the giant pipe is a countermeasure.

p101 : Showing Karkat has started living at human hours since he's asleep at 5 AM, n'aww.

p105 : Meat timeline folks just keep on being couped up in small spaces for extended periods, don't they? Meat timeline just really focuses on the cabin fever side of things.

p108 : I swear I forgot Dave pointing this out :p101

p109 : In the story people & the appearance of them in other's minds is important. It's the same for the old Homestuck kids. Who they are and who they were to us are two separate things. At the same time, in story, who they are to each other is also very important. Brain Ghost Dirk's a culmination of that.

p114 : Dave really just drew the short stick there w/r his best friends' fates, didn't he. And Bro still casts a long shadow. At least it's good to see Dave is in a somewhat good place. Just a little sad he has to basically be a hermit apart from some close friends to achieve it.

p115 : So Karkat never really was close with Rose, interesting.

p130 : I wonder if Dirk started discarding things "pointlessly difficult and irritating" as a way to cope with his isolation growing up. Roxy had the carapaces around, he only had seagulls…

And eesh, being your ascended self, as in, knowing full well what you'd do in any situation… Really kind of sucks, doesn't it? Not seeing room for growth for yourself.

p131 : So, recap: A2 was coded blue and had a purple game design. A1 probably had the reverse. B1 was coded red and had a lime green game design, B2 was the reverse. The C universe is coded white (see: the door they went through) and the game design will be cyan.

Meanwhile, Dirk and Rose's species might be associated with the color purple & orange. Kind of makes you think of Prospit & Derse, doesn't it?

Makes you wonder if the trolls in A1 were also guided by their universe's gods, or not.

p133 : 10:25 hours ago

p135 : "ROSE: It's amazing what pieces of inconsequential information your mind can recall at a moment's notice, a whole decade after they were last relevant or interesting to anyone. ROSE: … ROSE: I think I missed this." Appropriate, given that it's been so long since Homestuck ended.

p141 : Basically, Dirk's DNA was used to animate the result of the alchemization. Not ecto-alchemologization, but more like… alchemogenesis?

p144 : Trial 'n error creation of species, with of course, Dirk focusing on the equine & Rose on the cephaloid. (Is that the right Latin word for tentacle-y?)

Right, Rosebot was only a projection of Rose's consciousness.

Weird to think stories about the Psionic survived two squashed rebellions. Then again, he was )(IC's Helmsman for the remainder of Alternian history.

"ROSE: Now [Earth] is protected, in the steady hands of a duly-elected ruler, sure to have a boring and uneventful perpetual term in office." Ah, if only Rose could see into the bonus stories :P Guess they don't count as part of her domain. ;)

"ROSE: What value is a marriage, temporary domestic bliss, if all is lost? ROSE: You understand this bargain. ROSE: At least, you should. It's one that was made to leave you alone. ROSE: Is your resentment towards my choice about Kanaya, or about V–" Not sure I understand this fully. Does Rose feel like she had to leave Kanaya because Terezi didn't give up on Vriska?

====

It was great to see Karkat and Meenah interacting in earnest. It's really something to see them hit it off so well. I suppose the fact that Karkat is now older and a bit grittier has done worlds to Meenah's willingness to let him lead.

Also, as an aside: it's funny that Meenah's Jake handler in the resistance. She gets to boss an English around as cosmic retribution.

Great to get a better look at Karkat's inner turmoil too. Just to get confirmation he's still the same guy at heart. Leaving his mic open during heartfelt confessions is so on brand. It's fitting that that's what endears him to his followers. Seems close to how some of his most embarassing moments as leader of his session were easily forgiven by the other trolls + what ultimately served to help win the session.

I can't shake the feeling that all of the population of Earth C is just a wee bit too eager to follow their pantheon in everything unthinkingly. Devotion on par with carapaces unflinchingly following their royalty into war in the Medium, with a few notable exceptions.

Loving the Metal Gear Solid meets Suicide Squad asthetic that Karkat and his elite squad has going on there. I'm assuming of the trolls in the LOBsTERs, there's one highblood and one lowblood.

Sollux is, funnily enough, the best for Earth C in behaviour. Just minding his own, most of the time. His latest disability wouldn't be at all stopping him from being worshipped, if he at all wished it.

If it weren't for James' newspost, I would have figured the next page could already be a flash, but seems it might have to wait until Jane's army's arrived at the Meteor.

Still not sure what the effect of the Plot Point will be. We've got a few things up in the air.

It's going to make the Candy timeline relevant to the overal plot - which could mean a connection, portal or transportation effect to the Meat timeline. It might be connected to the machine underneath the curtain that Dirk's transporting.

If it's a Sburb game disc set, can you imagine the brawl that could play out over who gets to play? Then again, the way the Candy kids are a set of four, them connecting to Dirk & Rose's players might result in an eight-player session to mirror the B2 merged session.

Wild theory I came up with: what if it's Aradia's version of the Beat Mesa, an other version of the music crystals that Damara used to scratch the A1 session? Aka what if the Candy timeline has to be scratched to validate the Meat timeline as the 'true' timeline? In that case, there's probably a portal for the Candy kids to escape through, too. Assuming the Candy timeline would be erased by a scratch, it's not a session, after all. The only reason B1 Earth got evacuated by the carapacians were the imminent Red Miles - even though he was only out there to send them because he escaped the B1 session as it was being scratched, so, ehhhh.

Also, assuming Candy Universe C gets scratched, would that mean that in their version of Deltritus had Sburb portals opening up across the planet already, too, or not, you think? Probably not due to the effects of the black hole, but it’s fun to think about.

In any case, whatever's there, the implication is that the seed for it got carried over from the A2 session. Meaning Sburb/Sgrub has had this planned for a long, LONG time already.

====

Wow. Just. Wow.

This update did so much for us.

It canonized the non-credit snaps, meaning those Halloween snaps are also canon. And the fact that Jack Noir and Ms. Paint are in Universe C, on the moon.

Heheh, the rebellion shot a piece out of the moon and now it's perpetually crescent, like every moon symbol in Homestuck. And it's what the B2 session's Derse, Prospit & LOTAK ended up looking, I think?

But mainly. Jake grew up! In one conversation, he finally had enough of Jane's egotripping and spoke up!

Man, Tavros' childhood is like a mirror to Dave's, only his trauma is immediately apparent to us, since we read about it in the Epilogues. He ended up all softspoken and twitchy, Tavros like.

And that reference to Hiveswap! Yup, Jake's parenting skills leave something to be desired. At least he was there for Tavros more than Jude and Joey. And he used his Page powers to cure Tavros' allergy! The curse has been lifted!

Meanwhile, the first time is occuring where all Earth C kids are in the same room together. But it's the backdrop to this, the long overdue Jane & Jake heart-to-heart. In the spirit of Homestuck history, it occurs while they're not even in the same room nor even facetiming!

At least Jane acknowledges, finally, she did Tavros wrong. In fact, she sounded more like the old Jane than ever before.

But I think Jake might be on the right track. She might have internalized too much of the Condescension's megalomany.

Where Tavros was formed by his childhood into a personality close to Alternian Tavros… Jane internalized (consciously and subconsciously) so much of the Condescension's bullshit that she might have fit in as a fuschiablood!

I'm actually kind of relieved the faceless mooks she employs are all clones and not real Earth C humans. Maybe her actual support by the general populace is a lot more fragile than we've thought!

She went full Star Wars though. A clone army, a death laser on the moon?

I think Jake would benefit a bit from a talk with Nannasprite, especially since he's an adult now.

And boy, last appearance of Brain Ghost Dirk??? I'm kind of surprised to see that he might in fact have been disconnected from (Ultimate) Dirk all along! He seemed to know more than he should have, but it appears that was all related to the power of Hope!

The reveal that his eyes are as green as Jake's was definitely a nice touch.

It's shaping up to be a major face-off!

[brechtian]

thoughts on bernard and neville?

Bernard is phenomenal, I mean he serves the role of author-god in the novel and is very much representative of the creative spirit & the element of air (and subsumes the cut character of the female narrator-seer-deity). If you agree with a biographical analysis of the waves, he is definitely the stand in for Virginia Woolf as storyteller and phrase maker. One of my favorite sections of the book is his lead up into “after Monday, Tuesday comes”

As for Neville, Bernard and Neville’s scene together talking (kind of. it’s implied. you know how this book is) about life and poetry is straight up my favorite portion of the entire novel and almost every line from it is like heart stopping to me I mean

& this is all from like. A couple pages. Neville more broadly as a character is interesting because you have the poet the homosexual the intellectual but then you have this hyper masculine, traditional patriarchal force and with it images of violence and sharpness and empire/colonization, which is made especially interesting when contrasting Neville against Perceval. I think one could make the argument that Bernard represents a more genderless creativity while Neville is much more specifically aligned with the history of male dominated arts/academia and the way patriarchy continues to shape the methods of understanding and creation within those fields. Idk of the three narrating men, Neville is the most traditionally masculine in his imagery and yet he is also a gay man which like simultaneously undercuts this expectation of traditional manhood while also feeding into it by cutting women out of the equation of his relationships and attraction. I could and have written essays about this book so I will stop myself here but god I would love to talk about it for hours.

[chronotopes]

question for any work that comes to mind. how do you like to connect one scene to the next? For example in Aivide the Prequel the tag "graphic depictions of weather" comes to mind. Describing weather, travel, the ebb and flow of exams etc. are some of the standout ways you've chosen to do this in the past. What do you enjoy (or not enjoy) about writing these connecting scenes?

From my comparatively limited longform fiction output, 'graphic depictions of weather' is definitely not Aivide exclusive. It's not universal either – obviously in my vrisrezi meteorfic I could not talk about the weather or time of day, though I sure did try to supplement that gap with dream bubbles and such. Conversely my other origfic project takes place in a setting with much more nature so attention to things like trees, harvest and hunting seasons, and busy times in the narrator's workplace receive a lot of attention. Weather and time of day are probably the most universal things I try to pay attention to as I move a character through time, with everything else dependent on a character's actual circumstances.

That was kind of repetitive but in all fairness you answered the 'how do I like to do it' question very well on your own. (And I appreciate it, i looove being seen.) I think I am a very time- and season- aware person – for all that my homestuck aspect is seer of space, I will say shit like "I remember when you made this cake in the summer of 2014, it was really good." Keeping a diary helps with that, I think. So in one of those sneaky self-insert moves my narrators tend to be concerned with time and its passage, and I tend to prioritize remembering that even in fairly static/non-'plot important' times in a conscious life, things still change. Even if it's just the leaves or the frequency of a blizzard or the time the sun sets.

[hup123hup123slapslap]

I wish Eliza’s hatred for the Hacketts didn’t just stem from them orphaning and hunting Silas, but also from the fact that they were just fine with the exploitation of the workers at Harum Scarum and how they didn’t even seem concerned for the work environment/ethicality of the freak show. The poster itself just screams dehumanization to me especially with the emphasis on the word “alive”

It’s weird cuz the newspaper makes it seem like HS was normal but the podcast hosts are clearly uncomfortable with the fact that a freak show exists in 2016. Then there’s the fact that two of the three “attractions” aren’t even like exaggerations or anything; Eliza is a seer in-game and Silas is a werewolf so like does the whole cast have some “quirk” that makes them exploitable?

I've kind of gone on record as saying the freak show imagery automatically has people's hackles up, but it's all just speculation how bad the environment actually was. I still stand by the fact that we have no evidence to say the Side Show was bad

Like, I get it. Historically these shows are a fucking nightmare and dehumanizing as hell. The emphasis on "alive" on the poster is an interesting point, because these shows would take people's remains and display them with or without consent.

And admittedly I have put myself in the corner of the Vorez family because the narrative is so wildly skewed against them and for the Hacketts. I'm biased.

My main sticking point on the Harum Scarum is that Eliza is in charge. Freak shows are an inherently fascinating thing to look at historically because they actually set up an environment in which typically oppressed people can meet up and actually make money when they otherwise couldn't. The problem arises with the fact that they were being taken advantage of and exploited by third parties that played up the dehumanizing aspects of it all.

The Harum Scarum is a Side Show, only referred to as a freak show by third parties. They invoke the imagery of freak shows, certainly, but that's a marketing decision. And, quite frankly, it's all circus/carnival/sideshow imagery anyway. Eliza, a member of the show, and who would definitely be referred to as a "freak", is in charge here. And there is an inherent difference in something like this being run by a member of the community. Not to say she couldn't be exploiting anyone involved, but she isn't inherently doing so. She is one of them.

For all intents and purposes, this is a traveling performance caravan. There is nothing dictating that a sense of community is not present, and that exploitation is taking place. An acrobat and a fortune teller and a escapologist doing traveling shows is FINE. The game is set up to make your hackles rise at it, but it's all just playing into biases and unreliable narration from other parties.

What we know for sure is that Silas is an attraction during the full moon. That is it. He is a child, and it's a dodgy move, but technically if you would support a child acrobat attraction there's nothing inherently wrong with a child werewolf attraction. We don't know his level of consent, or anything else about his treatment. We know that he was in a cage on the night of the full moon and people paid to see it.

Basically, if people want to take the quirks about themselves and put themselves in a traveling performance, there's no reason they shouldn't be able to. It's shocking in the narrative as we perceive it, but there are traveling side shows today! And they are not inherently evil!

Travis straight up says a slur regarding Eliza. I can't take anything they're saying about the Vorez family at face value.

The Hacketts don't see the value in a traveling side show, and maybe Chris brought his kids there because he thought it would be fun to look at some "freaks". That is not a reflection on the actual business that Eliza is running. After all, some people go to strip clubs to dehumanize women, but strip clubs are not necessarily evil.

I don't think you are necessarily wrong. But I think the narration has led you to an answer that I, personally, think is wildly speculative and biased.

[lavendershowcase]

Up-and-Coming Works By Queer Authors

I’ll keep the intro short. These are original works-in-progress by queer authors on Tumblr! Each writer has included their WIP intro posts and some have included character intros. Check out what these writers are working on!

All WIPs are under the cut (I did not include everything from the WIP intro posts so be sure to check out the links for author comments, ratings, and more!)

@talesofsorrowandofruin​​: The Power and the Glory, fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, young adult, attempts at comedy, maybe some hints of horror

Summary: There’s a necromancer in the kingdom. No one knows who they are. No one knows what they want. Everyone knows they’re a threat. (Or: why you should always read the fine print before raising the dead.) 

Status: Books 1-4 are finished (posted on Wattpad, FictionPress, Royal Road and AO3). Book 5 will be a future NaNo projects.

Talesofsorrowandofruin wrote this for her April 2020 Camp NaNo project. The full WIP intro can be found here. And the character intro tag can be found here.

@gailynovelry​: Mindhive, queer dystopian fiction

Summary: Dead-broke and dead-set on paying off his student loans before he’s forty, Nathaniel Emersin signed up as a paid test subject for ReGene, a genetics company with a mysterious new invention that they promise will change the world; the Worker Bee Implant.

But Nathaniel has one little secret that didn’t make it onto paper … He’s also been hired by a rival company to sabotage the trial and steal the mysterious new technology that ReGene’s been working on.

(link to WIP intro below)

@gailynovelry​: Toybox, psychological horror

Summary: Eight upcoming episodes of queer psychological horror time loop tragicomedy. Say that five times fast! Or if you want a shorter genre category, it’s a weird fiction visual novel.

A mysterious feyrie figure ushers you into a “play” for their own amusement … and all-too-quickly, you learn that not only is the cast trapped in a timeloop, but the “win” condition for the fey’s “play” involve a fair amount of murder in order for each loop to reset.

Can you help the cast escape their story, or is the playwright always destined to win in the end?

You can read all of the WIP intros here. 

@calicojackofficial: The Babysitter’s Here, an adult romance novella.

Summary: Will Moore comes back to his home town four years after running away from home as a teen. He reunites with his siblings and his best friend. But to his surprise his ex-boyfriend Nicky is there to welcome him back too - accompanied by his almost four year old son Seong-Min.

Will is looking for a job back home, thinking about getting his G.E.D., regretting his choices, et cetera. Nicky’s wife offers him a babysitting gig, and despite his better judgement Will takes the job. Seong-Min is just too cute to resist. And there’s a lot of unfinished business between Will and Nicky that Will would like to put to rest, if they can.

Status: 6k words of a goal of 25k, draft #2.

You can see his WIP intro and read an excerpt here. You can sign up for the taglist here.

@calicojackofficial​​: Curse the Messenger, book one of The Stranger trilogy, a series of adult urban fantasy horror inspired by crime noir.

Summary: The main character and 3rd-person narrator of the first book is Eddie Alfaro, a 23 year old Mexican-American lesbian. She is a Seer, which is a type of clairvoyant who has night terror premonitions. Eddie is tormented in her sleep with visions of strangers’ last moments. She has mundane nightmares and sleep paralysis as well, so sometimes it’s difficult to tell what is a premonition and what is just her own subconscious torturing her for the wrongs of her past.

Eddie and her sibling, Fred (27, agender, Scryer), run a small scale private investigation service for other witches - one of the only ways that clairvoyants, who are pariahs in witch society, can make a relatively safe living. They mostly find missing items or curate profiles on people, the same kinds of things that secular P.I.s do but with the added benefit of their powers and the intrigue of their clients’ and targets’.

Then the mysterious Jessica (31, trans lesbian, secular) brings them a murder case. Her ex-girlfriend, Maddie (30, pansexual, Emenant), was brutally murdered. Jessica knows this for certain, she even claims to have seen the crime scene herself before it was cleaned up and there’s no way anyone could survive that kind of carnage. But the secular police are insisting that Maddie is missing, and that they don’t even suspect foul play and aren’t going to look into it.

Despite Fred’s numerous reservations, Eddie makes the executive decision for the both of them to take Jessica’s case and find out what happened to Maddie - and why the police are so sure she’s completely fine despite the gore left in the alleyway she disappeared from.

You can see the WIP Intro here. You can see the character intro for Eddie here. And the character intro for Fred here.

@touchingmadness​​: Touched, contemporary fantasy

Summary:  The Touched are dangerous.

Or at least, that’s what Eris was always taught. It’s not their fault – violence and apathy is simply their nature, and only through rigorous training and careful outside control can they overcome these instincts. Eris was one of the lucky ones, found and whisked away by the Registry at a young age, taught to expel her pent up rage and aggression to defend humanity from her own kind, a perfectly controlled killing machine.

Growing up, all she ever wanted was to be better, to be human and normal. And it’s right there, right around the corner in the form of a nemesis left to die, a job training Touched youth, and an engagement to the Registry Head’s daughter. Her dream is finally within reach… So why does she feel more trapped and alone than ever?

Everything Eris thought she knew about herself, her world, and her desires is falling apart at the seams. And the only one who seems willing to listen is a strangely familiar man who she exchanges numbers with at a Registry party.

Maybe she’s giving in to the darkness, just like they always said she would.

Or maybe she’s just growing up.

Status: Second draft

You can read the full WIP intro and join the taglist here.

@astrophysiciann​​ Mothwing, webcomic

Summary: After a brush with Death (who gives her the mothwing cloak), Mothwing journeys through the land of the Fae in search of the Silver Door, a place that is said to cure all ails and heal all wounds. At its core, Mothwing is about healing from familial trauma, recovering a sense of identity, and learning how to forgive yourself.

Status: As of September 2022, Mothwing is fully outlined and partially scripted, and has undergone some visual development.

You can view the WIP intro here. You can view updates under the tag #mothwing on the artist’s blog.

@open-notebook​​: Nobody Ends Up Dead in a Bathtub, Everyone Keeps Their Organs, revenge romantic-comedy

Summary: Alex is a secretary who gets pranked by his co-workers. They set him up on a blind “date” with an escort and sex worker, Damián, thinking it’ll be totally humiliating.

But Damián is nice and needs extra cash to get his brother into grad school. So, he and Alex plot revenge in the form of a fake dating scheme. If they wanted Alex to be embarrassed by going on a date with a sex worker, well, Alex will proudly show off his new boyfriend at the upcoming office party. “Thanks for setting me up with Damián, guys! He’s so smart and kind, and he’s an entrepreneur, as you know.”

And because this is a half-romance story, they end up falling for each other for real. Until shit starts going down, and Alex panics and feels immeasurable guilt over dragging Damián through petty revenge when he’s just trying to do his job.

Status: There is one very rough draft of chapter one posted here. 

You can view the WIP Intro and join the taglist here.

@preliminarynori​​: First Dates and Second Scandals, romance

Summary: Izzy was once known as the Pop Princess of LA, but a public breakup and harassment over social media from defensive fans of her ex pushed her into semi-retirement.

Enter Kai, the leader of the internationally beloved boy group NXT. Slowly, he draws her out of her shell and reveals the ugly underbelly of the pop industry in his home country, Cadapor. They start to develop feelings, but a romantic relationship is frowned upon by Kai’s management and Izzy is afraid of facing the same death threats and suicide bait she received years before all because of a summer fling. 

First Dates is a somewhat K-pop-inspired romance novel. Rather than really being based on any one idol or group, it’s really inspired by the phenomenon of K-pop—the international adoration and the darker sides of it including toxic fanbases and abusive contracts

Status: This project was part of preliminaroynori’s July 2022 Camp NaNo project. The complete novel can be found on Wattpad and Tapas hopefully by January 2023.

The WIP intro can be found here. And character intros can be found here.

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed their WIP to this post! This blog literally cannot run without authors supporting it and each other. It’s such a big favor to ask people to share their writing projects, but all these lovely people did it! That’s awesome! 

Please try to give these authors some love

And if you’re a queer writer who’s interested in being included in the next up-and-coming post, keep an eye on the #call for submissions tag. If this is a moderately successful thing, I will try to do these posts on a regular basis (maybe once every month, two months, or three months).

The Lavender Showcase is a blog dedicated to sharing and cataloging works by queer authors. Check out the blog to find more works or learn how you can be included in the catalog.