#I wanted to get a two-page spread about floating cities into my art book

[70sscifiart]

Last day to sign up for my free sci-fi art newsletter before the next issue's out, all about floating cities!

Here's the sneak peek, featuring Steinar Lund, Morris Scott Dollens, Ray Feibush, and Robert McCall.

[schleierkauz]

The Color of Revenge: Chapter 10

Surprise! :3

For some reason (I have to assume as a birthday gift, for me, specifically,-) two chapters were uploaded last friday! Sooo here’s the second one! Enjoy!!

Shoutouts go to @bluejayfiredancer and their art textbook and @firejugglinghobo who both make my life much easier by Speaking English

Chapter 10: Death has the Color of Ash

The last book the Great Balbulus worked on had been commissioned by Violante of Ombra for her 32nd birthday.  It was meant to celebrate the natural wonders of Ombra in words and vision. The nymphs in the river, the fire-elves in the nearby woods, the giants in the mountains that could be seen from the highest tower of the castle when the weather was clear, and the unicorns in the holly oak groves east of Ombra.

The writers had delivered the pages with the finished text to Balbulus the evening prior. He was, as always, less than thrilled with the ink quality and the arrangement of words, but he had given up on trying to convince Violante to hire new writers. She would just give him the same answer over and over again:

“Balbulus, these men have families to feed.“

So what? Did that excuse that they might be tainting his posthumous fame with carelessly placed letters and ink that was too pale? Art didn’t care about a few hungry brats. Great art demanded sacrifices to be made!

He used a few color pigments that were left over from the other book.

The other book…

He was glad that the filthy troubadour with the sly smile would take it away soon. Ombra was filled with dark rumors and lamentations. The Bluejay had disappeared, alongside his family. And it wasn’t just him. Where was the Inkweaver? Where was the bookworm woman Loredan? Where was the beautiful Roxane?

It was said that the Fire-Dancer had gone all the way to the White Women to ask about her.

He would not find her.

Balbulus hurried to take his brush off the parchment. His fingers were shaking. He thought he could hear them all from between the pages since the book had come back from the new bookbinder, who really couldn’t compare to the Bluejay.

Finished books were always sent to Balbulus first, in case he needed to make any last corrections. But this one? To hell with it! He had wrapped it in a brocade bag and put it in the chest where he kept used parchment and his linseed oil.

When the screaming in the streets had started, he hadn’t been able to resist the temptation of opening it and looking at the faces of those who had disappeared. How they had looked at him… Thanks to his mastery it seemed as if they were breathing on the pages, and maybe they were. Anything was possible when it came to magic.

With shaking hands he had pushed the book back into the bag and wrapped it tightly before putting it in the chest again. It was made of oak wood and the lid was so heavy that he could barely open it. But still, he thought he could hear them screaming between the cover, between the pages of parchment he had trapped them on.

What had he done?

Stop it! You practiced your art, Balbulus! That’s it!

He clenched his fist to stop his fingers from shaking. Dusk was beginning to fall outside and the troubadour, if that unsavory character deserved to be called that, would take the book and everyone trapped within it away. Yes.

Forget it and focus on the work, Balbulus.

How could he have known that he would be made into a tool for such demonic magic? He dipped the brush into the silver which he used to make the nymph’s scales glow. They lived in the river which flowed through Ombra and Violante loved to watch them from the castle’s crenellations. There were rumors that she regularly left them cakes and grapes at the river bank because she believed that the nymphs brought good luck to the city.

Superstition!

Balbulus cleaned the brush and dipped it into the dark green he had mixed for the nymph’s hair. He painted a wisp of hair, floating on the water. Exquisite! Yes. No one could match his brushstroke.

Balbulus looked up and out of the window. Outside, the day was dying.

… Maybe he should throw the bewitched paints away. He stood and stepped to the shelf where he had put the glasses in which he had filled them. They really were one of a kind. He had never seen such brilliancy before. No.

No, he would keep them and use them for Violante’s birthday book. It would spread the word of Balbulus’ mastery all the way to Venetia. No, he had to think bigger – people would talk about him in Lutici, in Nuremberg, Metachirta, yes, even in Constantinople, where the great Bihzad was illuminating the sultan’s manuscripts so wonderfully that they allegedly spawned golden camels and birds of paradise.

So what? The pictures painted by the Great Balbulus would make the world with all its wonders pale in comparison and everyone who looked upon them would yearn to get lost in his landscapes. The blue of the sky would seem washed out compared to his own. His red would put the most beautiful rose in Violante’s garden to shame and his yellow would outshine the sun.

With a smile, Balbulus stepped back to his desk.

Magnificent Balbulus. Glorious Balbulus. Immortal Balbulus.

He reached for his finest brush and painted another strand of nymph hair onto the water when a noise made him flinch. Cursing, he dropped the brush and looked at the ruined page. How many times did he have to tell those idiot servants that no one was allowed to step into his workshop unannounced? He had even put up a sign which threatened to throw any unauthorized visitors into the dungeon.

“I will ask Violante to withhold your p-“

The words died on Balbulus‘ lips. The troubadour stood in the door. He pulled it closed behind him and gave the illuminator an oily smile. Balbulus always saw the color black when he was face to face with Baldassare. A worrying association. Black, and a poison-green yellow. Yes, those were the colors he would choose to portray Baldassare Renaldesci.

“I was visiting one of Violante’s maids. She would do anything for my verses, the stupid little thing, so I thought, Baldassare, do Balbulus a favor and go fetch the book now. He’s probably in his workshop.”

His dull eyes looked at Balbulus‘ possessions as if he were estimating which would be easiest to sell to Ombra’s fences. Baldassare Rendaldesci’s eyes were always dull, whether it was due to wine or elf dust, Balbulus couldn’t have said. He didn’t know much about the intoxicants that were popular in Ombra. His art was the only drug he was addicted to.

When he turned his back to his visitor, Baldassare locked the door to the workshop. The latch was slightly rusty but Balbulus was struggling to open the lid of the chest and didn’t hear anything.

“Here it is,“ he said, reaching for the bag with the book. Once again Balbulus thought he could hear the prisoners whisper inside. If only he had listened. Maybe they were whispering “Watch out!” or “Don’t turn your back to him, Balbulus!“

“This Walter von Vogelweide,“ he said with his glum voice for which he was just as known as for his art, “does he have a famous library?”

“I have no clue,“ Baldassare answered. “He’s not really the one who commissioned this book.”

Balbulus thought that was a very mysterious answer, but Baldassare didn’t give him time to solve the mystery. He plunged the dagger into Balbulus’ chest as soon as the other man turned around. Right into his heart, just deep enough that it stopped beating without spilling too much blood. Orpheus surely wouldn’t have liked splatters on the book.

Oh yes, Baldassare was a master as well, though not of the art of rhyming like he would have wished to be. He had a lot more talent for murder. Destruction is so much easier to learn than the creation of beauty.

Balbulus slumped down with a surprised expression on his face. Surprise, pain and a hint of indignation that his talent was being snuffed out so soon. Baldassare pulled the bag with the book from his weakening fingers and admired the shimmering brocade. The bag alone was probably worth more than everything he owned.

Oh, the treasures he could earn if he sold the book in Venetia or Mantova instead of leaving it in Violante’s library like Orpheus had ordered… He leaned down and pulled Balbulus’ rings off his lifeless fingers.

No, it probably wasn’t a good idea to steal from Orpheus. After all, he was allied with a witch, a devourer of children if the rumors were true, but maybe he would get rid of his glass man. Even just the thought of carrying him on his shoulder for days and listening to his chatter all over again… Not to mention that he would probably tell Orpheus all sorts of unflattering things about him.

Oh, what a disaster, a raven picked him off my shoulder…

Of course, the Shard Head had wanted to come with him to the castle, but Baldassare had told him in great detail what the maid’s cat liked to do to glass men. Baldassare smiled as he imagined feeding Ironstone to a few hungry rats. The glassy flesh wasn’t very tasty, but apparently those pipsqueaks had a delicious core that even human gourmets valued greatly. In Ombra it was unfortunately illegal to sell glass men for that purpose, so… that treat had to wait.

Baldassare stepped closer to Balbulus‘ desk and looked around, wondering where the sticks were that had served the illuminator as references. He eventually found them in a big casket, alongside a bag of gold coins, silver cutlery and a necklace that Balbulus liked to wear during official events and distinctions. Baldassare took all of it, even though the payment for this murder had been much better than he was used to. He looked at the parchment which his victim had worked on.

Not bad, no. Not at all.

For a moment he regretted that he hadn’t given Balbulus time to finish the page. After all, his death would make his work even more valuable. Well… Nothing could be done about it now. Even a master couldn’t think of everything. Baldassare stepped over Balbulus’ cooling body, a bloody red flower blooming on its chest, and unlocked the door.

Violante’s library was empty when he snuck inside. The maid has assured him that her mistress spent only her mornings in there. Then he left the castle the same way he had gotten in: Through the courts and corridors used by servants and maids. The guards who saw him simply nodded and let him pass. He had spent many evenings entertaining them with his songs and some of them had bought elf dust of excellent quality from him.

Balbulus‘ corpse wasn’t discovered until the next morning.

(Next chapter)

[fantasyfandommaiden]

ML Counsellor AU: Chat’s Mentorship

Chat goes to Carmine for advice, or perhaps a kind ear a few days after Hero’s Day... however he gets so much more than that.

[[MORE]]

Carmine found herself once again enjoying the beautiful nightlife of Paris from her balcony, sipping her tea as she thought over what had happened not even two days ago. Hero’s Day had been a success, although it almost lead to Hawkmoth becoming victorious and gaining the Ladybug and Hawkmoth Miraculous.

The hero’s, along with Queen Bee, Rena Rouge, and Carapace, managed to win however and she couldn’t be prouder of them all.

Carmine felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, and after a quick glance around she saw Chat Noir standing on the ruff opposite of her, pacing and periodically looking at her balcony, debating with himself.

The woman raised a brow, before raising a hand and giving him a wave. He took that as an invitation and hopped on over. Carmine noted that he seemed depressed and wasn’t even trying to hide it as he sat down on one of her balcony chairs. “Hello Chat, to what due I owe this unexpected visit?” She asked, smiling at him.

“... do you think I am a good partner to Ladybug, or a good sidekick?” He asked softly. Carmine blinked at the question, looking at the teen with a curious expression.

“... what brought this on? You guys defeated Hawkmoth again today, despite all that happened.” She told him, placing her tea cup down as she turned her body to face Chat Noir, who still did not look at her, instead down at his feet.

“... Ladybug comes up with the plans, she knows all the other hero’s identities, where I only know Queen Bee’s. She gets to talk to the Guardian, where he will only come to me when he feels ‘it is necessary’, like I am some sort of after-thought, and I know Ladybug has been seeing him outside of getting the Miraculous during battles, she’s probably getting some sort of cool training.” Chat said sadly “I know it isn’t her secret to tell, and I get that, but we are suppose to be a team! We’re partners, two halves of a whole, but the more time passes, it feels like it’s less of two halves of a whole and more like two parts with one part taking up 80%...” he looked at Carmine finally, a sad expression on his face “I know that out of the two of us, Ladybug has a bigger job, What with her Miraculous Ladybug repairing the city after the attacks, but lately... I feel more like a sidekick than a partner.”

Carmine felt her heart clench as she could almost feel Chat’s sadness and grief at the thought of not being as important as Ladybug, and it would seem that what Pollen had told her about the Guardian not being as attentive to Chat as he was to Ladybug was true. She took a deep breath to calm herself and her thoughts before speaking.

“Have you discussed these feelings with Ladybug, or the Guardian?” She asked him softly.

Chat shook his head “No. Ladybug has enough on her plate to deal with, and like I said, the Guardian will only come when he feels it is necessary. I just... I want to feel like I’m contributing more, but the more I think about it, the more I feel like a sidekick!” He said, standing up “She has two powers, I have one. She comes up with the plans, I follow them. She knows everyone’s identity, I only know Queen Bee’s. She gets a cool mentor, and I have no one! Not even in my civilian life!” Tears began to Form in the corners of his eyes.

Carmine looked at Chat, her mind racing a mile a minute. He needed structure, to feel a purpose, to feel as if he belonged somewhere, that he could help Ladybug, and he seemed to express he wanted the same sort of relationship Ladybug and the Guardian had...

She sighed, feeling as if this situation could end up flavourful, or just prove to make things worse for the boy if her idea wouldn’t work. She stood up “... come with me.” She said, opening the door of her balcony and inviting Chat inside.

The cat hero blinked slightly, following Carmine in. Once inside, she closed the door, and drew the blinds to close as well. “I want you to look around this room, and tell me if you feel anything off about it.” She instructed simply, going to on of her chairs and sitting down.

Chat looked at her with a raised brow “... something off about it? How do you mean?” He asked confused. He thought she was going to help him with his problems, not give him some sort of odd task.

Carmine looked at him with a neutral expression “Humour me, what is odd about this room?” She asked him.

Chat continued to look at her for a few moments before shrugging and looked around the room. Her apartment had an open concept, with the kitchen, living room and dinning room all being in the same main area, and it was well furnished. Chat noted it reminded him a bit of Marinette’s or Nino’s homes, where it felt lived in and loved, as opposed to his own which felt dead inside.

He continued to look around, not finding anything off about it until his eyes landed on ottoman that was in the middle of the floor. He didn’t know why he felt drawn to it, it was the same shade as her couch, a dark grey colour with a padded seat on top, but something about it seemed... weird to him. Like it drew him in closer.

He walked over to it, glancing at Carmine who continued to have a neutral expression on her face as he opened the ottoman and saw lots and lots of blankets inside. He slowly took them out, careful to not get his claws snagged in any of the fabric until it was emptied. Chat scowled slightly, the weird feeling not going away, so he went to knock the bottom of the ottoman to see if it was hollow, the moment he touched it however it opened up as if by magic.

He blinked and slowly looked down, the bottom seeming to be much larger than it should be and saw several well worn leather books inside.

“Interesting....” Carmine finally said and Chat looked at her with a raised brow.

“How did it do that? What are these?”

“Chat, during the Middle Ages, when a terrible sickness spread across the land, it was known as the Black?” She asked suddenly, looking at him.

Chat blinked, looking at Carmine confused before slowly answering.

“Plague?”

“And were birds have talons, cats have?”

“Claws?”

“The opposite of out is?”

“In-“ Chat’s eyes widened in realization as the words left his mouth, the magic quickly disappearing as Adrien appeared where Chat once was, Plagg floating beside him. The Black Cat kwami gave a large stretch, looking around, seeming momentarily surprised, and opened his mouth to speak however Carmine cut him off.

“I’m the fridge in the cheese drawer.” She said simply, looking at Adrien with an odd expression he couldn’t place, it looked like her mind was going a hundred miles a minute before she finally spoke.

“Yes I’ve known for a while, no I haven’t told anyone, yes I know who Plagg is.” She said simply before standing up and walking over to where Adrien stood, kneeling down beside him she dug into the ottoman before brining out a leather book that seemed newer compared to the others and began to look through it, closing the ottoman before sitting on it. “How did you know this was there?” She asked him, still looking at the book, flipping pages seeming to be searching for something.

“Umm....” Adrien, still in shock about all of this, spoke slowly “I felt a pull... like something was weird about it, even thought it looked normal?” He said slowly.

“Interesting...” She said slowly, finding the page she seemed to be looking for and standing up “That means you have some magical awareness at least, whether that is due to a blood line or the Miraculous we will have to wait and see.”

“Wait and see what?” Adrien asked hesitantly.

Carmine looked at him, a serious expression on her face “... You are right that the treatment you have been receiving isn’t exactly fair, even if some secrets need to be kept, it’s not fair that only Ladybug gets the benefit of seeing the Guardian all the time and you don’t.” She walked over to the kitchen and Adrien slowly followed, still in shock at being found out so easily. He noted that Plagg was sitting on the counter, eating some Camembert happily. “I am not Guardian, however I imagine we had similar training in a sense.”

“Your a Guardian too?!” Adrien asked, eyes widened.

Carmine let out a low laugh, looking over her shoulder at Adrien with a smirk “Oh no Adrien... I am a mage. Mages are the reason the Miraculous came into existence in the first place.” She turned around to face him, smiling “And if the Guardian doesn’t feel the need to train you in the magical arts, that is his loss, for if you will have me, I will train you.”

Adrien’s eyes widened, looking at Carmine in bewilderment. He would get training and a mentor, he would have someone who knew his identity, who he didn’t need to hide from. Someone who could understand what he was going through without having to lie about the reason... he would be able to help Ladybug more!

He grinned widely, a feeling of excitement washing over him for the first time since the Hero’s Day picnic. He could do this.

“When do we start?”

[poorvioletdraws]

Tom vs. The Underworld

Chapter 1 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10

Chapter 2: Santeria, Part 1

I had been moping at home in our kingdom for two days before I decided to leave. No matter how many video games, or ping-pong matches, or the numerous times I hurled pear grenades at Petey as we played dodgeball, I just couldn’t stop thinking about how I left Star on the day we should’ve left for our trip together. My parents were away discussing business matters with the Pigeon Kingdom so that ruled out me talking to anyone about my problems. Brian’s expertise was anger management, and I wasn’t particularly angry over anything that counting backwards from ten would resolve. And Petey is loyal and all, but he doesn’t quite get it. So I decided to just go wherever the road led me and my skeleton horse-drawn carriage.

I picked up my “Alphonse the Worthy’s Atlas of the Multiverse” and started turning its pages. The titular sea captain had documented many dimensions throughout the universe that I thought would be a great starting point for Star and I to choose where to visit on our first getaway. All she had to do was pick one--any one. But she didn’t circle anything. And there were SO many dimensions we could have seen together. There’s the Underwater Dimension, Pixtopia, and even the Plains of Time where Father Time literally maintains time! There’s the Desert Dimension, home of the universe’s best hot dog, the Goblin Dog—I’ve always wanted to try one. There is even the Crystal Dimension where all the renowned, most evilest of beings are imprisoned; sounds pretty metal if you ask me! 

I let out a sigh and closed the book. I sat it down on the table next to the throne chair I had been slumped in and rubbed my fingers to my temple irritated. Was none of those worlds just not interesting to her, or was she hiding the fact that she already had been there before… with Marco?

I pulled myself up and decided to brood over by the window of my carriage for a change. My skeleton horse trotted along a mountainous volcanic region of the Underworld, towing my caravan behind it. I had been travelling for two days now and I didn’t really know where I was headed, I just knew I wanted to get away and go anywhere at this point. I wanted to clear my mind and give Star space. I wanted to see something new. Star and I both would be seeing something new right now if it all worked out. But now I’m travelling through my homeland, the same old Underworld where I have lived all my life. 

Granted, this was a region I had barely been in. My family would travel by portals to get to Lava Lake so we wouldn’t have to waste time travelling the hard way. This area was a divider between the lake and Prickly Plains, where the demon city of my common people resided. I don’t know why I decided to take the long trek through, it just felt like something I had to do. Plus, the change of scenery was not too bad. There were mountains of all sizes and volcanoes oozing out its molten rock like blood from a wound. The path I was on was decorated with charred skulls and skeletons, probably of tourists who foolishly came to the Underworld without a firesuit or any other form of protection from the burst of flames that would emit from the earth spontaneously. But no matter how cool the sight was, I couldn’t stop thinking about Star.

I wanted Star to be with me right now. I wanted her to finally start having fun and enjoy being a teenager for once. She no longer had any obligations to the Butterfly throne. She was done with being a princess and wanted to be free. But I can’t help to think that maybe she wanted to be free from everything that pertained to that aspiration. And since I am a prince, that included me being apart of what held her back as well. 

“Ugh! What does she want me to do? It may be easy for her to just give it all up, but not for me.” I groaned as I rested my chin in the palm of my hand and leaned on the windowsill with my elbow. The Lucitor throne is what I’ve always known to be mine one day. I was proud of it--being a prince. It is my path and something I accept for myself. But I should accept what she wants for herself too. I finally got a second chance for Star and I to be together and I don’t want it to end over me being upset or letting my emotions get in the way again.

Without warning, my skeleton horse halted its pace abruptly and I shifted about on my feet. “Why have we stopped?” I said aloud.

I opened the door of my carriage and stepped out to see where I had ended up. I first noticed a humongous mountain a mile or so before me with bats and vultures dotting the sky around it. It was the tallest point in the Underworld--The Mountain of Boom. And seated within the mountain’s col was what looked to be a small town. There were a few buildings and residences built in to the mountain range as other structures came to the center of its valley. A crowd of demons bustling around a busy marketplace was the forefront of the town that lay ahead. It actually was a wicked sight to behold. The perfect place to get distracted.

I looked up to read the large entrance sign in the shape of a traditional Japanese shrine gateway that I was standing under. “Yomi Town”. Never heard of it. There were a lot of civilians around for it being in a remote location so it must have some interesting secrets behind it.

“Guess I’ll have a look around, not much else to do.” I said while placing my hands in my pockets and walking through the torii. “Get comfortable, skeleton horse.”

“Yes, Master Tom.” My horse uttered from behind me.

I strolled through the town’s marketplace engrossed in fascination. Not only was it loud, but it was crazy busy. Demons and monsters littered the streets haggling over shop items or enjoying the many varieties of food selections to be had. There were handcrafted weapons laid out on embroidered mats and decorative wares such as plates, bowls, clothes, and jewelry all being presented by its sellers to their intrigued buyers. I saw street performers dancing with basilisk boas while others blew fire from their mighty jaws to create authentic glass art. Customers were entering and exiting restaurants, ordering at side carts, or walking around eating their delicacies in order to not miss anything the market had to offer. There was even cute little cerberus puppies on display in the window of a pet store. I just had to check those out!

The little monstrous pups with three heads were tumbling and pawing at each other without a care in the world. I pressed my hands up against the window to admire their adorableness further. There were five of them altogether and they were practically identical. Their jet black fur was smooth and their red eyes shone brightly as they tussled with their siblings. One of the multi-headed canines finally noticed me and came up to the window. It looked up at me with its six big eyes and gave me a tiny fanged smile, wagging its tail playfully. It was so cute!

However, despite all of the excitement, my hand idly returned to its previous location in my pocket and held on to my compact phone. I began to wonder what Star was up to right now. Not being able to text her nonstop was one of the hardest things about this time away. She hadn’t called me since I left, come to think of it. Did she even care where I went? I wonder where she ended up going to… Probably Earth, I bet… Who am I kidding, I know she did…

I closed my eyes and pulled my other hand away from the glass and back into the adjacent pocket of my leather jacket. I sighed as I felt the depression returning. Even though I’m far away from her, I still can’t forget about Star...

“P-Prince Tom?” I heard a feathery voice float through the noise of the multitude of monsters and rest upon my ears. Her voice was familiar and inviting, I knew I heard it some time before. And although it was soft, it was as if everything around us seemed to hush for the female demon that stood a few feet from me.

She was a teenager like me, an assumption I gathered from her appearance. She had gray skin with patches of what resembled small rocklike fragments dotting portions of the parts of her body that was shown. Her golden eyes mirrored the sunlight and her somewhat disheveled scarlet hair spread out like a bird’s wing. But only the right side of her tresses were visible as the left side was concealed by the hood of her black sleeveless sweatshirt she had on under her shoulderless jean jacket. Her dark blue denim shorts were high-waisted and her white knee-high combat-style boots were scuffed from extensive use perhaps. 

I remembered her. She was the delivery girl for that store on Lava Lake that would bring our order every few weeks. I answered the door for her once. She was clumsy and a bit high-strung, but she seemed friendly. Her name was…

… nice to meet you, Raya. Well, see-ya around …

That’s right. It came back to me. 

“Hey there, Raya.” I greeted her by taking my hands out of my pockets and waved at her, my phone being forgotten at the moment.

She looked surprised and said, “You remembered… someone like me?” She began to blush and smiled to herself. “Thank you, Prince Tom…” 

“Hey, I told you last time. No need for the formalities. Just Tom is fine.” I told her.

“Oh, no I couldn’t.” Raya tightened her grip on the bag she was holding. “My parents would be very upset if they knew I spoke to you in such a casual way... I’m sorry, Prince Tom.” She sounded very sorrowful over the thought of the idea.

“Well it’s fine, I guess…” Feeling defeated, I rubbed the back of my head not knowing what to say next. I fixated on the bag in her hands and became interested by its contents being a rather large flat square. “Hey, what’s that?” I asked.

“Oh, just a vinyl record.” Raya reached in and pulled it out. I recognized the band on the front and got a little excited.

“Are you for real?! Love Sentence! I love them! I’m like their number one fan.” I didn’t notice I had grabbed on to it during my fit of fangirling. I continued to gush over them, “What the!! This album is hard to find and contains all of their songs from when they first started out, like before they even were famous! There’s even a lot of never before released stuff on here! So you’re a huge fan too?!” 

She said without hesitation. “No, never heard of them.”

If this were a cartoon, this is the part where I would face fault.

“What?! Then why did you buy such a widely-sought-after-by-fans album such as that?” I exclaimed dumbfounded.

“Oh is it that rare?” Raya looked it over perplexed.

“Yes, of course, have you not been listening to what I’ve been saying!” I was astonished by her naivety over such a remarkable boy band such as Love Sentence. 

“... So that’s why it was the last one.” She said nonchalantly.

“WHAT?!” I felt fire explode from me as I yelled in disbelief. Keep it together now, keep it together. 

I quickly calmed myself down and pleaded with Raya, “You have to let me buy that from you.”

Raya put the record back in the back and looked at me worriedly. “Oh… I’m sorry, Prince Tom, I can’t do that…”

“Why not? I’ll pay double what you paid, anything actually! Please!” I had grabbed on to her shoulders and begged for the album.

“I can’t because it’s a gift…” Raya said meekly, the gray on her cheeks were turning pink.

“Oh.” I squeaked out. Well that was a definite open mouth insert foot moment. I dropped down from 10 to 0 on the freak-out scale and could now think with a clear head again. I quickly released my grasp on her shoulders and it was my turn to blush due to the awkwardness that I had caused. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have touched you like that. And I shouldn’t have tried to pay for something that is a gift of yours…”

Raya smiled at me and said happily, “Actually, Prince Tom, it’s kind of nice seeing how passionate you are about music. I’m the same way really.” 

“Yea… Still that was a jerk move on my part. I still have a lot to learn about boundaries obviously… So I’m sorry.” I apologized as I was still kicking myself for how I acted.

“Thank you.” She gave me another sincere smile and accepted my apology.

I didn’t want to pry but I still wanted to know why she bought that record. So I asked, “So… you buying that for a brother, or a sister, or a boyfriend maybe?”

Raya shook her head and said, “Every year my family comes here on vacation and there is always some one-of-a-kind finds out here. I try to buy one souvenir for each of my friends back home since they don’t get the opportunity to leave our hometown very often…My friend Blair loves this band so I had to get it.”

“Wow… that’s pretty cool of you.” I praised her kindness. There is also more to this place than I thought and since her and her family come here enough to know about it, I had a great idea come to mind. “Hey, how about I help you shop for your friends as a way to make up for how I acted?”

Raya grew nervous again and said, “Oh no, I don’t want to take up your own time here that you could be spending with your family or… your girlfriend?”

Upon hearing her rebuttal, my heart skipped a beat. I started thinking about Star again. If only you knew, Raya. You won’t be taking up any time that I would have been spending with her because she didn’t even want to come with me anywhere… 

I shook the thought away and tried keeping my composure as I told her, “Nah, it’s cool. I’m travelling alone actually. This is my first time here...” I began itching the back of my head, unsure of how she would handle such a proposal, but I continued anyway. “I was thinking… Since your family comes here more than I ever have, do you think you could also show me around?”

Raya put her hand to her chin and was actually considering what I had asked of her. “Well, if Your Highness… I mean, If you insist, Prince Tom. It would be rude if I turned down your request.” She began fiddling with her fingers. 

“Awesome, let’s go then!” I was ecstatic. This was a great chance to get distracted. I started strutting forward but then froze in my steps. I looked back at her and said, “Uh… Where to first?”

She giggled and we walked down the main street together.

There was so much to see and so many novelty stores that I never would have expected from a town so deep in the mountains. This section of Yomi Town containing the marketplace and shopping center was known as the Tsukiyomi District. It was the social hub for practically everything. Raya showed me the music store where she had bought the vinyl record. What made it stand out from many others was the signed instruments it had from popular bands and infamous singers--I even saw one of Eclipsa’s skeleton guitars on display. While there earlier, Raya was debating on whether she should buy “The Box of Applause” for one of her friends and after a second opinion by me, she did (seemed different, but cool). Raya scored some gourmet coffee beans from an espresso stand as a gift and I pointed out a seller closeby with all sorts of exotic crystals she bought as another one. We finally picked out chocolate scorpions from a dessert store for the last friend on her mental list--it being a banned delicacy back in Prickly Plains--and we tried a few for ourselves.

In between our search for souvenirs we were also able to do some of the recreational activities Yomi Town had to offer--we went ziplining through the fiery caverns, played a few games of flamethrower tag at an arcade, and we caught a local band performing at Yomi Town’s cemetery event center while passing by. I even tried extreme hot air balloon racing with the speed being controlled by miniature dragon flames; now how sweet is that! I let Raya beat me though, I swear. I was actually quite impressed with how this day was turning out.

Raya knew a lot about Yomi Town too. She told me about the Mountain of Boom being the largest volcano in the Underworld and that when it erupts its vibration is felt throughout all of Mewni. It’s lava empties into crevasses around the mountain, kind of like a fondue fountain. There’s a hot spring at its base where her family is staying that has water with temperatures reaching up to 1,000 degrees due to the lava flowing underneath.

It was towards the end of our adventurous day where I slipped up. We had made it to a clothing store where we were trying on outrageous fashion styles and having so much fun laughing over the choices we showcased in front of a set of full-length mirrors. 

Raya and I both were making vogue faces while wearing matching spider hats and spiderweb shades when I mindlessly said, “Haha! Oh wait, let me take a selfie so I can send it to--” 

I stopped myself before I could finish but I was already holding my compact phone up as a reflex to snap a photo. Send it to Star? What was I thinking. Why would I say that? Would Star even care anyway?

Raya didn’t notice I had cut my sentence short and she agreed with a simple “Sure.”

I went ahead and took the picture for the sake of not alerting the demon girl of my sudden switch in emotion; but I didn’t send it. I was somewhat happy, from what my forced expression on the photo suggested, but deep down I was still bothered by my situation with Star. After all this, still?!

I removed the hat and shades and sat them back on the display rack. I’m sure it was written all over my face how I was feeling right now. I didn’t want to bother Raya with my problems so it would probably be best if I stepped aside for a moment.

“Hey, I’m going to get some fresh air, ‘kay?” I mumbled. Without waiting for a response from her, I walked out of the store and wandered over to a courtyard that was in proximity to the marketplace but away from all of the hustle and bustle. I stood under a large black tree with bare branches and frowned wistfully at it.

I can’t believe myself sometimes. After everything I’ve done today I still can’t get Star out of my head. She was probably having her own fun right now, with Marco. Not giving me a second thought… Seriously, what is wrong with me, why am I not good enough...

“Is everything alright, Prince Tom.” I heard Raya’s amiable voice as she carefully stepped up from behind me. So she did follow me outside...

I didn’t want to lie to her and I didn’t want to hide the reason for me ending up in this town. But these were my own problems and after she dedicated her time to me (to keep me distracted) she didn’t deserve my drama or baggage. She could’ve been doing anything she wanted, but she hung out with me. She wasted her time for me to show me around a place that she has been coming to for years. Yet I was the one being a downer? It seemed she had fun today, but did she really?

“Prince Tom?” She repeated with some worry in her tone after I forgot to answer her the first time.

“Sorry, I just… started thinking about my girlfriend…” I confessed with my back still turned on her.

“Oh! Is she okay?” Raya inquired concerned. 

“Yea… I think she is. I’m just… We’re having a…” I was struggling with what to say. This was my business and I needed to handle it on my own. “Hey, t-thanks for today.” I choked out trying to deflect from my growing depression. Why did I feel I were on the verge of tears.

“Prince Tom?” 

I heard her lightly step forward as my eyes welled up further. I croaked out, “You know, I don’t have a lot of friends… And it seems the ones I do have, the ones who are supposed to be my best friends, would rather spend time together than with me. And you have been SO kind to me today for me to just start acting like this. All I wanted was to relax and have a great time while I’m away. I just wish it were always like this when I’m with her... I’m sorry you had to put up with me and do things you’ve probably done a million times. You probably had more important stuff to do and I selfishly took you away from that. I can be such a buzzkill so I understand if you’re ready to just go--”

“Prince Tom, don’t say something like that.” Raya objected. Although her voice was still very sweet-sounding, it had invoked a formidable presence that rendered me speechless to what she had to say next. I turned to face her to see she too appeared to be holding back tears. She walked closer to me and put both of my hands in hers and said, “There will never be anything more important than showing you, our Prince, around a place that has been apart of me for years. You even helped me immensely with gift shopping, which I am so grateful to you for. I’m glad I was able to share with you the fun things I like doing. And for you to be happy, well, it makes me happy witnessing that…”

I still couldn’t find my words, “Raya… I…”

Within an instant, she had released her grasp and stepped back from me. Her voice became genial once again as she coaxed me further, “When you’re ready to talk, I’ll listen. Your friends are probably just occupied with issues of their own, so it may seem like they don’t have time for you. Just try not to take it too personally, and most of all, try not to let it ruin your time away from what is upsetting you.”

I felt my anxiety beginning to fade from what she said. Over the past few days I felt so empty. I felt that no one understood or even cared. I was trying to feel that void of not being acknowledged or not being wanted. But then I came here. This place and Raya was starting to help me feel whole again. And for only knowing her for a short time, I was glad I had found a friend like her.

“Raya, thank you so much for that.” I expressed my gratitude toward the demon girl.

As if on cue with my words, an ominous bell began to toll in the distance.

“What’s that?” I asked as I scanned the area for the origin of the ringing.

“Oh, that’s just the temple where they do all the rituals and sacrifices and tortures, you know, stuff like that.” Raya spoke as if it was just some ordinary, everyday occurrence.

“Okay I gotta see that.” I said. Well, for the Underworld, it is kind of the norm.

“Alright, I’ll show you.” Raya went to pick up the bags of gifts that had been sitting on the ground by her feet.

“Here, let me get that.” I volunteered. 

Raya became flustered and said, “Oh, you don’t have to do that, Prince Tom. I don’t want to burden you with having to carry my gifts.” 

“Nah, it’s cool.” I held my hand up and the bags began to effortlessly float into the air the same way the packages did when Raya came to our lake house. “‘Kay, ready?”

Raya was amazed by my telekinesis. “That’s amazing you can do something like that. Thank you!”

“Yea, I guess it is.” I couldn’t help but grin over her compliment. 

The two of us began to walk away from the courtyard, not noticing two gray figures that had been crouching behind some bushes hop up and take off in the opposite direction.

Raya and I rounded the corner as the gigantic bell recessed in its tower ceased its powerful resonance. I was expecting to see an ancient temple erected with stone pillars or something basic along those lines, but instead, what my eyes discovered was truly magnificent. It was an enormous cathedral designed in the style of perfect Gothic architecture. It was made of black stone that glimmered from the surrounding fire that spewed from the ground steadily. And the craftsmanship was superior. There was a significant amount of excruciating detail no matter where your eyes wandered, right down to the last arch. I was mesmerized.

“It’s… It’s…” I stuttered as I couldn’t quite think of a word to describe it.

“Wicked, isn’t it?” Raya stared proudly at the building. She asked if I wanted to go inside but I think she already knew the answer from how bewitched I was already in the temple’s beauty. 

We walked under a series of flying buttresses that outlined the foyer of the temple. And I just couldn’t stop gawking at the sight of the art on the walls. There was depictions of torture and agony brought on by fire-breathing demonic figures and satanic language etched in its borders. Any Mewman would cower and flee but to us demons, it was glorious.

I stopped marveling long enough to declare to her that this is probably the coolest thing I’ve seen all day but she had started walking through a great passageway. I quickly followed behind her to enter a room even more darkly majestic. We walked into the grand hall that was dimly lit by floor-length candelabras positioned systematically near the walls and toward the center. There were rows of benches facing an altar made of a numerous amount of skulls with what appeared to be blood dripping down from it.

“Darn, seems like we missed them harvest the blood from the unicorn.” Raya mumbled to herself.

“Hey what’s that?” I pointed over to two large statues that faced away from each other behind the altar. We walked over to them and I saw a table with small wooden boxes filled with beads and rope used for making what seemed to be necklaces. I stepped up and started examining each one. There were beads shaped like eyes, fangs, bats, teeth, and skulls. Upon further investigation, I could see that in the hands of the statues were finished necklaces hanging from them.

“These are the founders of Yomi Town, Izanami and Izanagi.” Raya explained as she came to my side. “They were demon lords from long ago that originated from this region and became known as the Underworld’s greatest fighters of that time. My mother always told me stories about them during bedtime when I was little. I’m sure your own mother did the same…”

I intently watched Raya as she spoke. She really did know a lot about this town--No, the Underworld’s history. More than I did, that’s for sure. My parents and advisors focused my rearing on what my duties as a prince are and what they will be as a king. Although I may be the prince, I have never been to Yomi Town; a place of great importance to my people and home to two legends. I’ve never even been to Prickly Plains either, come to think of it. And that’s the home of my subjects. Raya’s home... My people don’t even know who I am or what I’m like. I mean, when I first met Raya she was afraid I would harm her. Am I really that out of touch with my own people and their lives? Have I been too preoccupied with what has been going on in Star’s life that I’ve neglected my own? If I’m to rule this world one day, I need to understand it and be more involved in it than I have been. 

“Please, tell me more.” I implored her. 

Raya continued, “Alright, Prince Tom... Well, Izanami and Izanagi were close companions and fought alongside each other during many battles. Their most famous--and final legacy--was what had transpired from the war against the demons and Mewmans. Izanami was captured during an ambush on the battlefield and held prisoner by the Mewman army. When Izanagi tried to save her, he was too late. They burned her as a show of force to the demon army, her necklace being the only thing he could recover from her ashes. And although he fought fiercely for her revenge, he wasn’t the same without her by his side. When his army retreated, he kept fighting until he died in battle… alone.” 

“Tragic…” I murmured as I studied the statues.

“So as a tribute to them, this temple was built. Other events and activities take place here but this ceremony is the main highlight of the temple. The giving of the necklace.” Raya pointed at the hands of the statues. “Because Izanami and Izanagi were separated, tragedy ensued and created the key factor for our species losing the war. And even after the treaty was signed between the Mewmans and demons, many still do not trust them and fear they will try to separate us from those close to us again. Izanami and Izanagi were strong because of their unity. The necklaces solidifies a union by two people who come before the statues--which are the sacred presence of the demon lords--and seek their blessing to never have their own companionship separated.”

Upon hearing the end of Raya’s retelling of the two demon lords’ story, an idea popped into my head.

“Hey, you know what? We should make one together.” I suggested.

“W-h-what?!” Raya stammered.

“Yea.” I responded unabashedly as I started picking through the boxes of beads. “To symbolize our friendship.” 

“Oh. Okay…” Raya said with flushed cheeks as she started helping me choose what should go on our necklace.

Within a few short minutes, it was complete and I held it up to show it to her. “Look, it’s finished! Do you like it?” I said exultantly.

“Y-yes.” she mumbled while still blushing nervously.

I turned toward the statue and said, “Now, let's hang it on--”

“EEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHH!!”

A blood curdling shriek came from the hallway and caused the necklace to drop from my hands in an instant. The frightening screech carried on as the commencement of chanting voices were now heard as well.

“Oh! They’re about to torture someone!” Raya exclaimed.

“What?! We have to see this!” I said excitedly. “Come on!”

I ran out of the room toward the screaming. It took Raya a moment to follow me as she looked back at the altar once more.

After spending some time in the temple, we finally headed on our way. We had been walking down by some of the shops again while talking about our favorite torture devices and how it would feel to be the victim in a situation like that. 

I was on a jovial high as I told her, “That was the best part about today for sure!”

“Well I hope just not the torture.” She remarked.

“No way! The whole temple itself was freakin’ awesome! I’m so glad you showed it to me!” I clarified punched my fists up into the air triumphantly .

Raya halted in her tracks and fixated on me as a smile began to tug , “I’m glad you liked it, Prince Tom… It is my favorite place about this town…”

“Really?”

Raya nodded as her cheeks reddened once again. “Every year that’s usually where I spend most of my time… Something about it is just so calming to me. When you walk in everything that troubles you seems to go away, at least for a little while. So I hope it had the same effect on you…”

I gazed over at Raya and felt something I couldn't really explain. This whole time I was too busy thinking of being distracted when I failed to recognize something else. Raya wanted me to enjoy myself. She didn’t really know me but genuinely she wanted me to still experience what this town could do for me. Had she known all along that I came here for this sort of retreat? Or could she just sense that I needed this? It was true that I felt some relief but once she had put it back in perspective, I tried my hardest not to think of what I was trying to forget. Fortunately for me, there was something, or should I say someone, lying in wait for the opportunity to help me further.

“Raya!” A powerful and intimidating bellow came from behind me, causing me to almost jump out of my skin.

I turned around hesitantly to see a tall looming figure with a muscular build and dark gray skin. He wasn’t anywhere near the height of my Mom, maybe half her size at least. He had long, sharp horns like a springbok and wild crimson hair. His glowing yellow eyes were in a glare as his fangs shown. Although he was very menacing-looking, he was wearing a baby pink tank that read “Gneiss Guy”.

“Hi Dad…” Raya darted her head down as she greeted him. 

Oh it’s her Dad. I relaxed a bit.

“So who’s your friend? This BOY!” He growled as he placed emphasis on the gender portion of his statement, the ground beneath him cracking.

I tightened up a bit and could feel the sweat break out over my face.

“Oh!” She perked up and held her right hand out toward me as if she were presenting me. “This is Prince Tom Lucitor.”

“H-Hi…” I replied shakily.

Raya’s father’s eyes shot towards me as they sparked even more, I felt my heart stop. He was silent and still snarling. But then all of a sudden, the killing intent that was emitting from the great Stone Demon did a complete 180. His face grew soft as he gave me the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. “Ah, Your Highness. It’s been some time since I’ve seen you. You were barely able to peek over your crib if my memory serves me correctly. My apologies for not recognizing you, our Young Prince. I am Albion, head of the Belmonte Family.” 

He bowed. I sighed in relief.

“Raya!” His loud roar was directed at his daughter now but still caused me to jump again. “It was Piers and Peter who alerted me of your whereabouts and that you were hanging out with a BOY, only to come and find that it is His Majesty’s son! Why didn’t you come get the rest of your family to greet the Young Prince? Unforgivable!”

It was Raya’s turn to stiffen up in nervousness.

“No, no, It’s alright. We just met. Well actually, we met before. But--” I pleaded for her.

“Your Highness, will you please do our family, the Belmontes, the honor of courting you!” He proclaimed, though it seemed to be more like a demand than a request as he knelt to the ground with his head touching it. I faintly remembered that Raya put her body in the same position when she first met me.

“... C-courting? I do--” I stuttered, a bit confused by his word choice.

“Thank you, Your Highness!” He cried out happily as he scooped me up and took me away with Raya trailing behind us.

[weekegg2-blog]

A ‘freaking fag revolutionary’ remembers the early years of gay liberation in Chicago

When the annual Pride Parade steps off from the intersection of Broadway and Montrose at noon on Sunday, June 30—with Lori Lightfoot, Chicago's first openly gay mayor, serving as honorary grand marshal—it will represent a very different mind-set from the event that launched the pride parade tradition. This year's parade is expected to draw more than a million participants and onlookers to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion of June 28 and 29, 1969. Thus the theme Stonewall 50: Millions of Moments of Pride.

I was a teenaged member of Chicago Gay Liberation, the loose-knit, short-lived group that organized the first pride parade on Saturday, June 27, 1970. Most of our group thought of ourselves, proudly if irreverently, as members of the "freaking fag revolution"—to borrow the phrase used by Thomas Aquinas Foran, the U.S. attorney who had prosecuted the so-called "Chicago Seven" anti-war activists charged with conspiracy and incitement to riot as a result of their protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

The first parade wasn't even a parade. It was a march, which meant we were allowed to walk on the sidewalks but not in the streets. There were no floats, no cars, no politicians, no crowds, no corporate sponsors pitching their brands to onlookers. The last thing on our minds was the possibility of any mayor, let alone an openly gay one, leading the way; we were happy the city's then-mayor, "Boss" Richard J. Daley, didn't set his cops on us.

The day began at noon with a rally in Washington Square Park across the street from the Newberry Library—known as "Bughouse Square" because of its storied history as a free-speech forum. From there we walked to the historic Water Tower at the intersection of Michigan and Chicago Avenues. Then, instead of dispersing as we had originally planned, we impulsively headed south on Michigan into the Loop, chanting "Out of the closets and into the streets!" as we wended our way through throngs of Mag Mile shoppers. The march ended with another rally in Civic Center Plaza (now Daley Plaza), where the event culminated in a joyous circle dance around the Picasso statue.

Between 150 and 300 people (depending on which account you read) showed up to celebrate what our flyer promoting the event declared (in all capital letters) was: "THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF GAY PEOPLE TELLING THE WARPED, SICK, MALADJUSTED, PURITAN AMERIKAN SOCIETY THAT THEY HAVE HAD ENOUGH SHIT."

That flyer is on display as part of "Out of the Closets & Into the Streets: Power, Pride & Resistance in Chicago's Gay Liberation Movement," a new exhibit at Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, the midwest's largest LGBTQ library and research center. Conceived by the library's director, Wil Brant, and curated by a team of young volunteers including professional librarians Chase Ollis and James Conley and designer Kurt Conley, the display is drawn from Gerber/Hart's extensive archival collection.

The march marked the first anniversary of a riot in New York City on June 28, 1969, when patrons of the Stonewall Inn, a gay nightclub in Greenwich Village owned by the Genovese crime family, reacted violently to what had begun as a routine police raid. That event, and the events leading up to and following it, are well covered in a new book, The Stonewall Riots: A Documentary History by Marc Stein (NYU Press).

But that first Stonewall anniversary march wasn't the first activity of Chicago Gay Liberation, which started up in fall 1970 after University of Chicago grad student Henry Wiemhoff placed an ad in the Chicago Maroon student newspaper seeking a gay roommate. Not only did he get a roommate—a female taxicab driver named Michal Brody—he got a discussion group. We met in Wiemhoff and Brody's Hyde Park apartment and then, as our numbers grew, began to gather at the Blue Gargoyle, a community center and coffeehouse in the multicultural, nondenominational University Church on the University of Chicago campus.

Talking soon led to action. The first public Gay Lib event I participated in was a protest four months before the Stonewall march, on the snowy afternoon of Wednesday, February 25, 1970, outside the Loop headquarters of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois. The group was hosting a program on "Youthful Offenders" with a Chicago police officer, Sergeant John Manley, as guest speaker. But for us, the offender was Manley himself. The blond, muscular cop was notorious for entrapping gay men in Lincoln Park restrooms; wearing street clothes, he would pretend to solicit guys for sex and then arrest them if they responded to his invitation. Mattachine Midwest, an established "homophile" organization in town, published Manley's picture in its mimeographed monthly newsletter and mockingly suggested Manley himself was a closet case: "If I were gay and I didn't want anybody to know, and I felt very, very guilty, I think I might get a job where I could cruise in the public interest," wrote David Stienecker, the newsletter's editor. On February 7, 1970, Manley made an early morning appearance at Stienecker's third-floor apartment to arrest him for criminal defamation.

"After I unsuccessfully attempted to make a phone call, Manley called for a police van and I was escorted from my apartment in handcuffs," Stienecker now recalls. "Upon arriving at the precinct house, Manley suggested that if I just pleaded guilty the judge would only give me a slap on the wrist." But Stienecker, represented by the diligent and fierce lesbian attorney Renee Hanover, fought the charges. After several court appearances, most of which Manley missed, the case was thrown out of court, but Stienecker lost his job as an editor at World Book Encyclopedia due to the ensuing publicity—there then being no legal protection against employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Manley later rose to the rank of captain in the police force, but his career crashed and burned in the mid-1990s when he was fired for sexually harassing female officers under his supervision. Some 20 years later, his name popped up in the news again when he was ticketed for, of all things, impersonating a government official after he posed as a U.S. Maritime Service "special agent" to avoid a parking ticket. Stienecker, who went on to a successful career writing educational books for children, is credited as a program supporter of Gerber/Hart's "Out of the Closets" exhibit.

In March 1970, we responded to the release of The Boys in the Band, the film version of the 1968 off-Broadway stage hit. Our aim was not to boycott the movie—which used waspish humor to illustrate the pathological, self-hating behavior of a group of gay New York men—but to use it as a teaching opportunity. We handed out flyers on the street outside the Carnegie Theatre on Rush Street (where Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse is now), which read in part: "The pain and cruelty typified by The Boys in the Band should be understood as the expression of human lives damaged by an environment of condemnation, suspicion, job discrimination, and legal harrassment [sic]."

Gay Liberation also organized dances, which drew large crowds from around the city. Though same-sex dancing wasn't illegal, it was forbidden in the mob-owned gay bars in Boss Daley's Chicago, where periodic police raids were a given. The first two Gay Lib dances were held in the protected environs of the University of Chicago campus. (It inspired other LGBTQ student groups to hold their own dances at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle—now UIC—and Northwestern University. At the latter, music was provided by the Siegel-Schwall Band, then one of Chicago's hottest blues-rock bands. )

When the U. of C. demanded that CGL move its dances off campus because the crowds were getting too big, we booked the Coliseum, located on South Wabash between 14th and 16th Streets, a huge venue that had hosted several Republican presidential conventions, sports events, rock concerts, and, a few weeks previously, a congress of Black Muslims. As historian Timothy Stewart-Winter, author of Queer Clout: Chicago and the Rise of Gay Politics (University of Pennsylvania Press), recounts in a Slate article titled "Beyond Stonewall: How Gay History Looks Different From Chicago":

"[T]here was a problem: The venue required an insurance policy, and every insurance agent the organizers approached said the risk was too great that the police would raid the dance, cart the attendees off to jail, and levy fines. Only on the day before the dance did the activists find a broker who'd sell them a policy—a black man whose company had insured the Nation of Islam's annual convention at the same venue."

About 2,000 people showed up at the Coliseum to dance for liberation on April 18, 1970. So did the police. But when the cops entered the hall and came face to face with a phalanx of attorneys—including the formidable Renee Hanover—primed to document any civil liberties violations, they shrugged and went away.

The Gerber/Hart exhibit includes copies of the mimeographed newsletters that Gay Lib used to spread its message in those long-ago pre-Internet days. Also on display is a copy of the Chicago Seed, the city's hippie/radical underground paper, which published an eight-page Gay Liberation supplement in one issue. There's also a well-deserved tribute to the late Frank Robinson, who gave Chicago's LGBTQ community the first professional- quality publications we could call our own. Robinson was a closeted middle-aged editor for Playboy magazine; unable to come out for our demonstrations, he devoted himself to behind-the-scenes messaging. After publishing a one time "Gay Pride" paper to promote the 1971 Pride Parade (which by then had been relocated to the Lincoln Park/Lakeview area on the north side), Robinson put out two editions of The Paper, a 1972 tabloid that covered local LGBTQ arts and politics. The Paper ran interviews with local counterculture celebrities such as painter Ed Paschke, lesbian singer-songwriter Linda Shear, female impersonators Roby Landers and Wanda Lust, and stage director Gary Tucker, aka "Eleven," whose gender-bending Godzilla Rainbow Troupe was then running its hit production of Charles Ludlam and Bill Vehr's outrageous Turds in Hell. A copy of The Paper on display at Gerber/Hart shows a photo from another landmark of Chicago's fledgling off-Loop theater movement, the Organic Theater's sci-fi epic Warp!, featuring André De Shields (who just won a Tony for his performance in the Broadway hit Hadestown) as Xander the Unconquerable. In 1973, Robinson had relocated to San Francisco, where he became the speechwriter for a camera store owner and activist with aspirations to a political career—Harvey Milk. But by then the city had its first (more or less) regularly published newspaper, the Chicago Gay Crusader, edited by activist Michael Bergeron with copy editing supervision by his lover Bill Kelley.

The success of the June 1970 Stonewall anniversary march (no one got arrested!) encouraged members of Gay Liberation to start developing a larger agenda. Inevitably, there were conflicts. Some wanted to merge Gay Lib into a broader leftist coalition; others preferred to keep the focus on LGBTQ issues. GL's women's and Black caucuses went off in their own directions; the Black caucus turned into Third World Gay Revolutionaries, led by Ortez Alderson, who went to prison for destroying draft records in downstate Pontiac. And in September 1970, as reported in a CGL newsletter displayed in the Gerber/Hart exhibit, "Tensions that had been brewing for some weeks finally came to a head . . . with the result that the group suffered a schism and a large number of members announced they were forming a new group—not a new caucus—to be called 'The Chicago Gay Alliance.' . . . Though there . . . were moments of acrimony, the parting was amicable. . . . All present expressed a desire to avoid the infighting of competitive groups in other cities"—a reference to the internecine turf wars that tore at the fabric of New York's gay community around the same time.

The debut issue of the CGA newsletter in November 1970 explained: "The Chicago Gay Alliance is actively interested in alleviating the ghetto (whether spiritual or physical) conditions of homosexuals, in dispelling the psychological and sociological mythology that has grown up about the subject of homosexuality, in providing referral services to homosexuals, in helping homosexuals 'coming out' develop a sense of pride in who they are and courage in facing the generally hostile outside world, to provide additional social outlets so that homosexuals can meet each other as human beings, to change repressive laws and end police and political harassment, and to improve communications between the homosexual and the heterosexual communities."

In 1971 CGA gave Chicago its first LGBTQ community center, a ramshackle red-brick two-story rented house on an Old Town side street at 171 W. Elm. By 1973 the center had closed for lack of financial support, and CGA ceased operations. But the activism continued. A July 1973 issue of the Chicago Gay Crusader reported that 20th Ward alderman Cliff Kelley, working with a group called Illinois Gays for Legislative Action, had introduced legislation in the Chicago City Council to prohibit discrimination in jobs, housing, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation. It took 15 years for the City Council to finally vote an LGBTQ-inclusive Chicago Human Rights Ordinance into law on December 21, 1988.

The Old Town community center paved the way for today's gleaming Center on Halsted. The Gay Crusader was succeeded by the weekly newspaper GayLife, founded in 1975 by the late Grant Ford, and then by Windy City Times, cofounded in 1985 by Tracy Baim, now publisher of the Reader, and still publishing in print and online 34 years later. (I served as editor of both GayLife and WCT in the '80s.)

The Gerber/Hart exhibit's narrative arc climaxes with a major event from 1977, chronicled in an issue of GayLife on display. On June 14 of that year, singer, orange-juice industry spokeswoman, and former Miss America Anita Bryant arrived in Chicago for a concert at the historic Medinah Temple at Wabash and Ohio (it's now a Bloomingdale's home furniture store). The concert had been booked before Bryant achieved national notoriety as leader of an anti-LGBTQ initiative in Dade County, Florida. LGBTQ activists, including me, picketed the Bryant concert in Chicago, despite being cautioned by gay establishment leaders that our action would be an embarrassing failure. By then, it was thought, the activist energy of the early 1970s had waned, and the only time queers turned out en masse was for the Pride Parade. But a spontaneous, unexpected turnout of 3,000 to 5,000 (depending on whom you ask) proved the naysayers wrong.

Chicago Gay Liberation, the Chicago Gay Alliance, and the other groups that sprang up in the wake of Stonewall ran out of steam by the end of the decade, but the sense of empowerment they gave the community—and the lessons we learned from their successes and setbacks—guided us into the 1980s, when the AIDS epidemic and the struggle for civil rights at the city, county, and state level drove a new activist spirit. "The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long," notes Gerber/Hart's James Conley. "As transformative as those groups were, they were temporary. But the impact they had in their short span of existence was monumental and lasting."   v

Special thanks to Amber Lewis at Columbia College Chicago

Correction: This article has been revised to reflect that the Siegel-Schwall Band played at a dance held on the campus of Northwestern University, not that of the University of Chicago.

Source: https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/gerber-hart-gay-pride-history/Content?oid=70924510

[modernbookfae]

11 Questions Tag

First questions are by @catastrophicallyinlovewithbooks​! Thanks Bianca! ♥

1. What is a book you have that has sentimental value to you? I actually have scrapbooks so does that count? Literally I have 4 books full of photographs, ticket stubs and other mementos since I was a baby.  2. Is there a scent that reminds you of something nice? Pumpkin and chocolate scents mixed together reminds me of autumn evening baking cookies with my mom.  3. Who would you choose to be stuck in a lift with for 24h (real life person or fictional character)? Cassian simply because he would make me laugh my fear away. (Seriously this is one of my worst fears!) And hey he could bust us out of there if needed! (And then comfort me later with cuddles and what not!) 4. Do you have a lucky item? No, but I have a lucky number: 4 5. What would you order if you went to a restaurant right now? Pasta and CHEESECAKE! 😋 6. What’s the most beautiful book you own? Probably The Art of Tangled that I bought during my Disney College Program. Imagine a full spread page of the floating lantern scene! 7. Walk on the beach or hike in the mountains? This is so tough! Mountains if it’s summer or fall, but if not then I am heading to the beach. 8. What’s next on your TBR? I’m torn between A Torch Against the Night or A Gathering of Shadows. But it will be one of those! 9. Favourite poem? The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost 10. Who are 5 people you’d invite to dinner (real people, either dead or alive)? Cassandra Clare, Renee Ahdieh, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller and Chris Evans. I look up to each of these people and I would be thrilled beyond imagination to meet with them and chat.  11. Who’s your favourite person who shares your name? I would say Tristan from Arthur’s Knight of the Round Table. People always ask if I was named after him! 

Also tagged by @readinglikewildfire​! Thank you so much Helena! ♥

1. Do you have any piercings or tattoos, what are they? Just two piercings - one in each ear. 2. Who is your style icon? I don’t usually put to much thought into style icons since I am mainly into casual fashion, but I LOVE Zuhair Murad’s designs.  3. Are you a night shower or a morning shower person? Night 4. What do you study at school if you are at school? If you’re not at school what do you do instead? I studied public relations and I am currently getting a job to work at an Escape Room which is similar to a real-life Clue game. 5. Do you speak multiple languages? What are they? No, but I wish! In high school I took 3 years of Spanish, but the teacher made the class so dreadful that I decided against continuing in college.  6. What do you like most about where you live? I live in a fairly nice sized city and it’s a college area so there are plenty of cool places to explore! 7. Favorite piece of jewelry, why? My Alex and Ani Mickey Mouse bracelet since it brings back great memories from Florida! 8.  Whats one random fact about yourself? I have actually rappelled down a fire tower before! Climbing up the tower is exhausting, but going back down on the ropes is worth it. 9. TOG or ACOTAR? ACOTAR 10. Do you like fantasy books with a lot of romance or does it not really matter to you? It doesn’t matter, but I do like it when a romance slowly develops. NO INSTA LOVE! 11. Favorite color! Light blue 

My Questions

1. What fictional world would you want to live in (book, tv show or movie)? 2. Favorite book quote? 3. What is your patronus? 4. Favorite word in the entire universe? 5. OTP(s)? 6. What would you name a character or future child? 7. If you could travel through time where would you go and why? 8. If you could be any mythical creature what would you be? 9. If you could change one book’s ending which one would it be? (You don’t have to say spoilers if you don’t want to!) 10. What book character do you relate to the most? 11. What are your top 3 books you want to read for the last half of 2017?

Tagging: @illyriangoddess, @cassianandfenrysaremyboyos, @cassiancalore​, @highladyofdreamcourt, @herpowerisdeath @highlord-tarquin @rowan-buzzard-whitethorn, @nessiansmut and @lronteeth (sorry if some of you have already done these!)

[tsgneworleanslouisiana]

Fly GLO to Arkansas: The Scouted Itinerary

GLO Airlines was started by a friend of mine, Trey Fayard, whose lifelong dream has been to connect regional destinations with direct flights, bringing businesses and tourists together quicker.

Since its launched in 2015, I’ve been waiting to fly GLO. This April, I finally made the trip and selected Little Rock as my destination. Why Little Rock? Its one of the five destinations this regional airline travels, this city is a member of The Scout Guide network, and is close enough distance to the new Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, AR that I’ve heard so many people talk about. By the time I planned and executed the trip, The Scout Guide launched a Northwest Arkansas Guide, meaning more carefully selected boutiques, restaurants, hotels, and museums to enjoy! 

Early April, my mom, godmother and I set out to scout the best of local using The Scout Guide as our guide and GLO, a member of The Scout Guide New Orleans, as our mode of transportation. And I must admit, without GLO, Arkansas wouldn’t have been at the top of my getaway list. But, GLO makes it easy by cutting the nine-hour drive into a one-and-a-half-hour flight, making it an easy choice. 

Flying GLO felt like the perfect mix of commercial convenience without any of the aggravation or stress. Here’s what you can expect when you board a GLO Airlines flight:

This is a commercial airline, with a personal touch. That means you fly right out of Louis Armstrong, but you don’t have long, chaotic lines at your gate. Plus, most of the people flying and working on your plane call our region home so there’s a neighborly vibe.

There’s no middle seat, and tons of legroom in the back of the plane. When you’re booking your flights, you don’t have to worry about getting stuck in the middle. Look for seats toward the back where you’ll have a bit more room to spread out.

You get two free checked bags and two free carry-ons! This comes in very handy for those of us who enjoy shopping tours on our getaways. 

The commissary program supports small local and family owned businesses. Currently, passengers receive Louisiana-made Zapp’s potato chips, Hubb’s peanuts and PJ’s coffee for an in-flight snack, no matter how short the flight. 

The flight attendants wear uniforms that are locally designed and made by NOLA-based studio The Wild Life Reserve.

You get the best in-flight reading, of course! Passengers will find a copy of The Scout Guide in their seat pockets. All you need to scout your destination can be found in those pages.

What I love most about flying GLO is that it makes completely unique regions feel that much closer…making it all the more easier to scout the best of local!

City Guide to the Best of Local: Arkansas

Prior to launching The Scout Guide New Orleans, my hobby was scouting. I have always loved discovering new places and the hidden gems that make them unique. I would always reach out to a friend via phone or email for insider suggestions. When The Scout Guide was created, my life became a lot easier. The trusted recommendations of a local could be found in a beautiful city guide…and as the platform evolved, I found the real scoop online. 

Lucky for me, I now have a friend in over 60 cities. Anna Serpente, Editor of TSG Little Rock and Rebekah Lawrence, editor of TSG NW Arkansas are just two of them, so planning a trip to Arkansas was easy. You too can benefit from their inside scoop by following their local blogs and checking them out on Instagram (@tsglittlerock | @tsgnwarkansas). 

Where to Stay

To start, the two girls helped me secure hotel reservations at their Scout Guide preferred hotels: The Capital and 21c Museum Hotel respectively. 

THE CAPITAL IN LITTLE ROCK

While these hotels are completely different in style, what they share in common is the experience. The Capital has an old world style. It is called “The Front Porch of Arkansas” because it truly feels like you’re coming home to a dear friend’s house. In true Southern fashion, rooms are complete with amenities like sparkling water, toffee and spiced pecans. Anna tipped me off to the insider secret: “The Adult Turndown.” Order one before departing for dinner and when you return, you’ll find an Irish coffee and other surprises waiting for you. On my pillow was a typed note written personally to me. It was just one of the many letters I received during my short stay that really made me feel like a valued guest. 

21c MUSEUM HOTEL BENTONVILLE

We left the Capital and drove three hours west to the 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville, a modern day space filled with loads of contemporary art … and green penguins. Penguins are the signature mascot of 21c, and they’re also a form of interactive art. Life-sized green (plastic) penguins are always popping up where you least expect them. For me, it was the elevator when I was on my way to hotel restaurant The Hive. For my mom, it was on top of the toilet seat when we returned from dinner. Penguins don’t move themselves, guest do. It optimizes the fun!

Where to Eat and Shop

So now, where to eat and what to do! Its all right here in these two guides: The Scout Guide Little Rock and The Scout Guide Northwest Arkansas. 

LITTLE ROCK

In Little Rock, you’ll want to eat a meal at Samantha’s Tap Room. Order the Parmesan Salsa. It’s to die for. Tulips is full of absolutely adorable clothes, jewelry and amazing prices. Box Turtle is another great shop filled with two stories of gifts and clothes. And, what isn’t in The Scout Guide but should be: The Purse Museum and Fresh ID. We missed a ton so before your trip, be sure to order a copy of the Guide online!

BENTONVILLE

In Bentonville, we dined at The Hive, a James Beard nominated restaurant. Rebekah introduced us to the keeper of the town: Debbie Matteri and the owner of In Season, a darling boutique across the street from the hotel. We walked less than a block to the adorable town square and visited the original Sam Walton Five and Dime store and the Wal-Mart Museum. Afterwards we enjoyed a homemade sparking soda at the soda fountain! We turned the corner and hit a few more local boutiques that were soon to make their debut in TSG Northwest Arkansas. I will tell you, even me, a devoted supporter of local businesses, now has a new appreciation for big box after hearing Sam Walton’s story. 

What to See

I originally learned of Crystal Bridges through the New Orleans Museum of Art Contemporary Curator, Katie Pfhol. At a NOMA Young Fellows Cocktail Party, I asked her to tell me her favorite Museum in the country (other than NOMA, of course!). Expecting her to say something like the Art Institute in Chicago and the Getty in LA, I was taken aback when the first one she named was in Arkansas. What could be the attraction? Well, naturally I set out to figure it out and boy was I blown away.

No doubt the best part about the visit was the visit to Crystal Bridges! When I learned that you could bike ride from 21c to the Museum, I knew it was going to be a hit. We rode our bikes right from our hotel through a trail system to the museum’s grounds. Crystal Bridges is situated on more than a hundred acres of lush Ozark forest and offers miles of nature trails, dotted with unique sculpture gardens. As you explore the grounds you become fully aware of the museum’s aim: to tie nature, art and architecture together. Once you see the museum itself, the architecture part clicks. Designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, it looks just like it’s floating on water.

Diane Carroll, the Director of Communications, invited Rebekah and me for lunch in the Museum Café, and she gave us a brief overview of the Museum, and made sure we knew about the upcoming Chihuly exhibit this June. Next we visited Frank Lloyd Wright's Bachman -Wilson House on the museum grounds. The space’s symmetry and alignment really made an impression on me. And the home was meticulously maintained—even the sofa is pristine!

We meandered through the galleries spotting a few favorite pieces like: Rosie the Riveter (Norman Rockwell) and Dolly Parton (Andy Warhol), two of the most iconic pieces of modern American art in the collection. We also saw George Washington’s portrait, painted by Gilbert Stuart.

Just to visit Crystal Bridges and to experience the museum’s architecture in the middle of Arkansas’ natural bounty is a magical experience, and that’s not even counting the exhibits themselves. Now is the perfect time to book your tickets to Arkansas on GLO Airlines to visit this true Mecca. Starting on June 3 the museum will be the first ever to present Chihuly: In the Gallery and In the Forest, with indoor and outdoor exhibitions. Tickets are on sale now! 

Between June 3rd – August 14th, 21c Bentonville will be offering a special hotel package for guests wanting to experience the Chihuly exhibition at Crystal Bridges while staying with 21c. The package will include 2 tickets to Chihuly: In the Gallery and In the Forest, $50 towards The Hive and $30 towards the 21c Museum Shop. Book your trip by clicking this link or calling the hotel and asking for the Chihuly package. 

Return Trip The Brightest Way to Fly

Arkansas, when you are ready to fly South to New Orleans on GLO, I’ll be waiting for you. Reserve a room at The Terrell House Bed & Breakfast or the majestic Windsor Court, which is offering a special rate for those who mention The Scout Guide. If you’ve visited New Orleans a thousand times, plan to scout Louisiana’s Northshore, an hour from the city center, and overnight at the charming Southern Hotel in Downtown Covington. 

Find everything you need to know for an insider’s trip to New Orleans in The Scout Guide New Orleans. Order your copy of this curated city guide or peruse it online. Follow me on Instagram, read my local blog and learn more about how to scout NOLA in TSG style.

TELL THEM SCOUT SENT YOU!

���TAYLOR

P.S. You can fly GLO to Memphis too and use The Scout Guide Memphis and Editor Muffy Turley as your Guide! 

Photos of Taylor Morgan and Rebekah Lawrence by Meredith Mashburn

[expressandadmirable]

Honeybee

“Wanna go exploring?”

Morgan -- Cidney Morgan, or Cid, now that there were two Morgans present -- paused her tinkering, setting the half-finished music box on the desk and turning backwards in her chair to focus on the Tiefling. “Where?”

Lux shrugged as she palmed the strings of her shamisen. “Maybe the merchants’ row? We’ve done enough walking around to get a pretty good layout of the city, but we’ve had so many pressing tasks we haven’t had the chance to just wander. We could pick up supplies, peek in windows…” She smiled. “Find a tea shop. Get out of the house for a bit.”

Given the shadow that flitted across Cid’s expression at those last words, Lux knew she had struck a nerve. Perhaps that was good. The Gnome’s entire world had turned upside-down in the past two days, and hiding in her (adopted?) parents’ home, its unfamiliar walls heavy with memories she did not possess, was doing nothing to calm her raging mind. After a moment, she nodded. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

“Okay.” Uncurling from her position on the floor, Lux stood at a stoop in the Gnome-sized bedroom. “Is it alright if I leave these in here?” she asked, gesturing to her instruments and notebook. “I think Sol is sleeping and I don’t want to disturb her.”

“Yeah, of course.” Wiping her hands on a rag, Cid stood from her chair and let out a definitive huff. “Let’s go.” Lux nodded her assent and fell into step a pace behind, letting Cid lead the way out of the house and into the street.

Though the clock in the hallway had read half past two, the relative lack of natural light kept the city of Scanderimus in perpetual sunset, the rows of buildings set into the walls of the volcano bathed in the warm glow of the magma far beneath. Hot, dry air ruffled the pair’s clothing as they walked, bringing with it a sense of hushed excitement; word of Gurgu’s return had spread throughout the city, and the citizens’ joy buzzed like electric currents on the breeze. Aside from the occasional gleeful whisper as they passed, however, the Heroes were allowed to wander unmolested, for which Lux was thankful. While Cid loved her mother very, very much, Lux wasn’t sure the poor Gnome could handle any more doting attention.

While Cidney Morgan may never have considered herself an “adventurer” before destiny reared its ugly head, her wide-eyed curiosity and thirst for knowledge made her a delightful window-shopping companion. Spying an artful display of mechanical contraptions, she raced forward and pressed her nose against the glass. “Ooh! What do you think these are? Let’s find out!” Before Lux could reply, her friend had already disappeared through the door.

They were, as it turned out, kitchen appliances, powered by the force Sarah Morgan had explained as “electricity”. It seemed as if everything in Scanderimus ran on invisible controlled lightning. Cid requested demonstrations of each and every piece of machinery, plying the shopkeep with questions as to their functionality and inner workings. The shopkeep was patient in their explanations, even after it became apparent their customers were not planning to purchase; perhaps realising who said customers were, the older Gnome gifted Cid with a pouch of gears and other metal scraps for use in her personal projects. Eyes shining, Cid promised she would put each piece to good use.

Having brightened considerably since they first set out, Cid peeked through the window of the next shop in the row. “Tunics!” she chirped. Then: “I could probably use some new clothing… I’ve been washing the same few shirts since we left Corneria.”

“Did you not get anything in Aelfheim?” Lux frowned. She assumed everyone had restocked their wardrobes in the Elvish city -- save for Sol, who had studiously avoided leaving the manor grounds during their stay.

Cid shook her head. “Couldn’t find anything me-sized that wasn’t for children. By the time I thought about having something made, it was time to go.”

“Well,” Lux responded with a grin, “good thing we’re in a city where everything is you-sized.”

Several tunics and trousers later, the pair ambled into the next few shops, finally stopping to take a closer look at a tiny room piled high with antiques from all over the region. Books in languages neither of them could read lined one wall while mismatched porcelain and ceramic crockery sat precariously against another. The table in the centre was littered with odds and ends, everything from statues of obscure gods to an ornate set of mahjong tiles. Rifling through a stack of papers, Lux uncovered several pages of interesting sheet music, while Cid found herself a battered mess kit she decided she could use for crafting (or, she supposed, its intended purpose).

As they exited the antique shop, Lux paused, her gaze fixed on a sign a few buildings down. “Huh. Do you mind if I drop in there?”

Cid cocked her head, taking a few steps closer to peer at the rather distinct window display. “What’s… Oh! An erotic shop!”

“Yeah. If you don’t mind, I’d like to… look for a few things.” Lux weighed her words carefully. While she carried no shame regarding the intimacy of her relationship, there was a limit to what one shared with others, and she preferred to err on the side of ‘no-one’s business but mine’. “Is that alright?”

To Lux’s surprise, Cid smiled warmly. “Of course!” she replied, already setting off toward the shop. Just as the Tiefling opened her mouth to ask if Cid wanted to wait outside, the smaller woman blinked at the window. “Is that… mechanical?”

“I guess we’re going to find out.”

The shop’s stock was impressive even by Lux’s standards, with an array of items sized for customers of her stature as well as for the Gnomish residents of the city. She considered her options carefully, making her selections, fulfilling the wish list she and Sol had developed in their idle conversations. Wouldn’t she be surprised.

“Lux! Look at this!” Bounding up to the Tiefling, Cid presented a slim, rounded piece of metal that somewhat resembled one of the bullets from her gun. She dropped it into Lux’s palm and pointed to the little dial at the top. “Turn that!”

Lux did as she was told, nearly jumping out of her skin as the gadget buzzed to life in her hand. She stared at it. “What…?”

“I found it over there.” Cid pointed to the far wall, thrilled by her discovery. “They have a whole bunch of things with tiny motors! The craftsmanship is amazing!”

Following Cid’s gesture, Lux squinted at the rack of elegant clockwork toys, tilting her head in confusion until realisation finally dawned. “Huh.” She turned off the vibrating device and added it to her purchase.

“Gnomish lesson!” Cid announced as they approached the last shop on the row. “You know all the letters on that sign; try giving it a read.”

Humming to herself, Lux pieced the sloping shapes into a word. “It says… ‘Strange’?”

“Good!” Cid beamed. “The closest translation is ‘oddities’. I bet there’ll be some fun things in--” Her expression went slack. “Ohh…”

Lux looked over the Gnome’s head and through the shop’s front window, flinching backward as she saw what had grabbed her friend’s attention. A small, oddly slender wooden pumpkin sat on a cushion, a hideous toothy grin carved into its front. Little gears had been nailed into the wood above the maw, creating mismatched eyes that stared in two different directions. It was one of the most unsettling things Lux had seen in some time. “Oh, gods…”

“I need him.” Eyes the size of dinner plates, Cid looked up at the Tiefling. “I need him!”

“Wha… Why?”

“Because!” Cid turned back to the window. “He’s unique. And… He looks like he could do with a friend.”

“I… Huh.” Lux allowed her words to fade, taken aback by the sincerity of Cid’s answer. Contemplative silence lingered. Then: “What’s his name?”

Cid thought for a moment. “Petyr. He was the hero of my favourite book series when I was young. Well… Young in this lifetime.” She peered in the window again and nodded. “Yeah. He looks like a Petyr.”

Lux was not entirely sure he looked like anything deserving of a name, but that did not matter. “Alright. Better go get him, then.”

With her new friend safely in hand, Cid was ready for tea. The pair scanned the restaurants dotting the row, eventually selecting a pleasant-looking cafe with outdoor seating built to accommodate patrons of varying sizes. As they settled themselves at one of the tables, Cid placed Petyr on the additional chair, looking deeply pleased with the arrangement. Lux tried to ignore his manic expression.

The tea arrived quickly, but Lux’s attention had been drawn elsewhere, to the trio of servitor units who had appeared at the edge of the seating area. Stepping onto a low buskers’ stage, two of the servitors retrieved guitars from their backs while the third smiled a metallic smile and waved at the cafe’s customers. The servitors lacked the fluid movements of the higher-functioning models they had met in the city, but when they began to play, all thoughts as to their construction vanished from Lux’s mind.

A slow, melancholy ballad floated through the air, the three servitors singing in perfect harmony. The song spoke of a lost love, affectionately known as “honeybee”, without whom the speaker was going slowly mad. Lux’s fingers twitched against the table as she listened, committing the notes and lyrics to memory. When the performers finished, she and Cid burst into enthusiastic applause, their joy far exceeding that of the other patrons; spying their fans, the three servitors grinned and waved before launching into their next song.

“You were trying to memorise that, weren’t you?” Cid asked when Lux turned back to the table. “Did you get it?”

“For the most part, yes. I can reconstruct anything I missed when we get back.” Lux smiled. “How are you feeling, honeybee?”

“Good.” Swirling the tea in her cup, Cid considered her answer, flushing slightly at the newfound nickname. “Better.” She paused again. “There’s still a lot I don’t understand. A lot I need to think about, and a lot of answers I need to find.” She looked up at the Tiefling. “But I think I needed this. This feels nice. Even… normal.”

Lux snorted into her tea. “Normal? I don’t know the meaning of the word.” She set her cup back on its saucer and reached for Cid’s hand. “I’m glad. Tomorrow will get Weird again, but for today, we deserve to be normal.” She glanced at their companion. “Though I have to be honest, Petyr’s making it a bit difficult.”

Cid giggled. “He’s no less normal than Maergrahn.”

“Touche.” Lux sipped her tea, letting a comfortable silence descend over their table as they listened to the servitors’ music. Today, they deserved to be normal.

(This piece was constructed out of a number of conversations with Morgan’s player @stufflaalikes as well as K from @glitchinthesystemspiderbyte. It’s also the second piece to reference its title song; give it a listen here. Finally, Petyr is based on a real piece of Halloween decor I found this year, viewable here. He’s horrifying.)

[swipestream]

Ghosts of Dathomir Review

Fantasy Flight Games Ghosts of Dathomir Product Page

Fantasy Flight has been producing Star Wars RPG material since the introduction of Edge of the Empire in 2013. In that time, they have produced seven standalone hardcover adventures, spread out over each of the Star Wars RPG lines. If you are interested in some of my previous reviews of the FFG Star Wars RPG line, you can find reviews here: What Do I Know About Reviews? Fantasy Flight Star Wars

This brings us to the most recently released Fantasy Flight Star Wars adventure, Ghosts of Dathomir. This adventure is for the Force and Destiny line, so it focuses on Force sensitive player characters and things that would utilize the Force as a theme.

The Mists of Dathomir’s History

Many of the adventures and sourcebooks in FFG’s Star Wars lines touch on what is now Legends material, as well as incorporating the most recent material being produced in the canon movies, novels, comics, and television shows.

Dathomir and the Nightsisters have been around in Star Wars circles since The Courtship of Princess Leia, published in 1994. At that point in time, the Witches of Dathomir were split much like the Jedi and the Sith, with the Nightsisters being the dark side representatives. Throughout Legends continuity, the witches of Dathomir were utilized in many places right up to the end of the previous extended universe.

In canon stories, they first appear in the Clone Wars television series, and from a canon standpoint, only the Nightsisters exist. Canon Nightsisters, however, are a little less clear cut than their Legends counterparts—sources such as the novel Dark Disciple make it clear that the Nightsisters will use the dark side of the Force, but they still consider it dangerous. Giving in to the dark side, as the Sith do, is something to be avoided.

When the lore on Dathomir is utilized in this adventure, it seems to lean heavily on the canon version of the witches, with only the Nightsisters referenced. The history of the planet, when events outside of the adventure are mentioned, sticks with events as they unfolded in canon sources such as the Clone Wars animated series.

The Ritual of the Book

Ghosts of Dathomir maintains the standard structure for the Fantasy Flight Star Wars RPG adventures. It is a hardcover book that clocks in at 96 pages. The book starts with a one page “crawl” summarizing the adventure, and the final page of the book is an ad for other FFG Star Wars products.

The production values of Fantasy Flight’s books are always high, and this one is no exception. Each chapter has a two-page spread summarizing a potential action scene for that chapter, and there are numerous half and quarter page illustrations. There are a few repurposed pictures from other Fantasy Flight products (such as a few illustrations of Stormtroopers), but most of the art is specific to this adventure, portraying NPCs and locations detailed within the book itself.

Fantasy Flight Games Ghosts of Dathomir Product Page

Never Tell Me the Odds

This review touches upon a few plot points for the adventure. As such, there may be a few spoilers scattered throughout. If you don’t want to stumble across any spoilers, you may want to skip the in-depth look at the various sections of the book.

Introduction

The adventure opens with the single page of fiction that Fantasy Flight uses to kick off their products, detailing an event that sets up the starting point of the adventure. From there, we have an adventure overview, which explains some of the backstory leading into the adventure. We have a list of important NPCs, and an adventure summary, explaining how each chapter is intended to unfold. There is a section on game preparation, as well as a new Force Power tied to the main villain of the story.

One aspect of the backstory that I really liked was the idea of a mega-corporation sending floating cities to various planets that they are strip mining to oversee the process. Inhabitants of the planet causing the floating city to crash is a suitably epic event to have occur. This feels very Star Wars in scale, and yet isn’t something we have explicitly seen previously.

The new Force Power is something introduced in Chronicles of the Gatekeeper. I like these, because they illustrate that the Force Power trees are just a means by which one tradition may learn to use the Force, not the only “true” way to progress within a limited set of pre-determined powers.

This power tree allows a character to generate fear in opponents, eventually allowing them to feed off that fear to regain strain. At the highest levels of mastery, a practitioner can use fear to cause an opponent to take actions they wouldn’t normally take. It’s a nice villainous power tree, but one that will potentially cause a lot of Conflict for any PC that starts to learn it.

As in Chronicles of the Gatekeeper, there are numbers that indicate at what point in the adventure the PCs can start to learn different levels of this power tree. Specific events that trigger in certain episodes allow the power to be accessed and advanced, if the PCs choose to do so.

Episode I: Inquiring Minds

The adventure starts with the PCs attempting to track down an artifact that is rumored to have a connection to the Jedi or the Sith, and starts them on Toydaria, looking for an art dealer that is going to auction off the artifact.

As they look for the shop, depending on the skills they are using to find the place, they may be able to find out some ancillary information that may clue them in on the wider story of what is going on surrounding the dealer and his shop, but there aren’t really any stakes. It is essentially having the PCs land on the planet and then make several checks until they can narrow down where the shop is located.

Eventually the PCs will find out that the shop owner and the artifact have been taken by thugs, and they have the chance to either beat up or bribe the local thugs for information on where he’s being held. Upon arriving at the estate, they can poke around for more clues to the greater context of what is going on. They are detected and fight the kidnappers in their attempt to recover their prize. The villain of the adventure shows up, but only long enough for them to see her and potentially figure out what that crazy circular lightsaber on her back means.

The initial searching for the shop feels like a very cold open to a Star Wars adventure. It also feels like there are a few other missed opportunities.

The initial encounter in the shop could have been comedic gold if they had fleshed out the encounter in more detail—a protocol droid leading cleaning droids to defend the household is just begging for its own chart of potential mishaps using the narrative dice symbols.

There is the feeling of balancing risk versus reward as the PCs explore the estate where the NPC and artifact are being held, risking discovery as they do more research and pick up more clues—unfortunately, the only explicit “timer” on the PCs being discovered is that eventually, they will fail a stealth check when moving around.

Some of the information the PCs might gain from a successful roll when looking around is a false lead for what is really going on—I would much rather hand the PCs a false lead than force them to “spend” a success on learning it. That just feels a little dishonest from the GM side of things.

  Episode II:  Deadly Visions

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In this chapter, the PCs get pressed into service to find another NPC that will allow them to find out more backstory for the adventure. They also start having Force visions triggered by the artifact that they recovered. Eventually they get an idea of where their final destination might be, and they are pointed towards a place where they can research that location before heading out.

The PCs head into the wilderness on Toydaria to help recover the person that owned the artifact before the art dealer, and between the wilderness encounters and a run in with Imperials, potentially debilitating Force visions start to kick in.

I really like that the Force visions are keyed to the characters’ emotional weaknesses, as well as being divided between those that are likely to appear to light leaning Force users versus dark side using Force users—I wish that the visions themselves more explicitly stated what the PCs should be taking away from them.

It’s fine for visions to be vague, but if the clue is in one sentence out of the five provided in the description, that’s the difference between “I don’t know why the blue bottle is significant,” and “wait, there was a blue bottle in my vision? I don’t even remember you reading that.”

As presented, the PCs have their ship impounded by a Hutt until they recover the previous owner of the artifact, but there is also an ISB agent involved. The ISB agent is looking for the villain of the story, but is utilized mainly to go after the PCs as an added complication.

I think it might have been more interesting to have options where either the crime lord or the ISB agent impounded the ship and pressed the PCs into service, instead of forcing a more linear resolution of this chapter. Moral quandaries are part of what sets Force and Destiny apart from the other Star Wars lines, so what better way to introduce one than to have them work with the Empire against another Force sensitive?

Episode III: Echoes of the Past

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Between the visions and the clues provided by the NPC in the previous chapter, the PCs should be able to determine that the resolution for this story is on Dathomir, the planet where the main villain is from—she was a Nightsister recruited by an Imperial Inquisitor, who then killed her master and went rogue. It is also the planet of origin for the artifact.

Because Dathomir doesn’t have many modern settlements on it, the GM is instructed to have the PCs look around for a while to find the final resting place of the crystal mass where the villain is going.

There are some modular encounters that take place either in the ruins above the crash site, or in the underground location the PCs are trying to find. There isn’t a set number of these that should be used, and there is no mechanical trigger for any of them, they are just included as examples of encounters the PCs could have.

Eventually the PCs will find the villain, who has begun to learn how to control the greater crystal mass to boost her powers, and she will have Nightbrother guards to help her in this final confrontation. Then she literally summons illusory ghosts of Nightsisters with the stone to help her attack the PCs.

I’m still a little confused about the chain of events here, even after taking notes and reading several sections multiple times.

The villain wanted both shards that broke off a larger crystal mass on Dathomir, but after attempting to get the shard that the PCs have in the first chapter, she decides she only needs the one she has always had. She then proceeds to go to her own home planet, which she always knew was the origin of the crystal?

The NPC Nightsisters that live nearby are “neutral” but “positively disposed” towards the villain, because she took the crystal away, and its influence faded—but she’s bringing it back, so why be positively disposed towards her?

The Nightbrothers that show up in the final act also seem to be thinly drawn—the villain used to be a Nightsister, so they decide to follow her.

While the text instructs the GM to make sure the PCs feel that the search takes a while, and they are told to resolve this with only a few rolls, there aren’t really any tools provided to increase the stakes of searching.

There are some good seeds in this section that I wish had been utilized more. Instead of just giving up and taking her one shard, the villain could have taunted the PCs into coming to Dathomir to either join her or try to take her shard, so she could ambush them and gain theirs.

Side Note: How Much Dathomir is in Ghosts of Dathomir?

If you are a fan of Dathomir and the Nightsisters, this adventure may not have as much content as you were expecting. The crystal mass that produces the artifacts that put the story in motion aren’t tied to any Legends or canon lore on the Nightsisters or Dathomir. This mysterious mass could have sprung up on just about any planet.

Fans think of a lot of things that are synonymous with Dathomir. The Nightsisters with their energy bows. Zombies. Giant rancors. In this adventure, only the Nightbrothers show up, justified in that they are following a (former) Nightsister. There is a brief mention of negotiating with the local tribe to get them on the PCs side, but they have no statistics, and no Nightsister NPC is named or given any personality traits in this adventure.

The Force is My Ally

The floating factory cities of the mega-corporation are a great visual that could be used as a recurring theme in a campaign. The main villain has a great backstory, being tied to both the Nightsisters and the Inquisitors, and she is made more interesting by the fact that she is also on the run from the Empire. The Force power tree is a great inclusion for GMs to use with NPCs, or to dangle in front of PCs to tempt their moral fiber. The structure of having visions keyed to emotional weaknesses and dark or light side leanings is a great tool. Modular encounters are always good to drop into other adventures where appropriate. It wouldn’t take much to repurpose elements of this adventure for use in an Edge of the Empire game.

There are some useful tools in this adventure that might appeal to you if you are a Star Wars RPG completest, but if you are looking for a good Force and Destiny adventure, Chronicles of the Gatekeeper holds together better than this one, and if you are interested in the potential Dathomir lore, it is only superficially addressed in this adventure.

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I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing

While the motivation for some of the primary NPCs makes sense, the secondary NPCs in the adventure seem to exist just to move the plot forward. False leads that should just be given to the PCs, for them to accept or scrutinize, are handed out as part of their successes for some tasks. The clues that exist in the adventure to explain the backstory of what happened may never come together. The clues are very discreet from one another, and may not be obvious, meaning there could be a lot of wasted backstory in this adventure.

The actual plot structure feels a little rushed, especially at the end of Episode II and going into Episode III. Its linear, but the main villain just drops everything to do the next thing on her list because it’s time for the next episode. It’s clear that Dathomir, as a setting, is intended to be a selling point, but the climax of the story could have happened on almost any planet where the GM wanted to have the crystal mass show up.

Tenuous Recommendation—The product has positive aspects, but buyers may want to make sure the positive aspects align with their tastes before moving this up their list of what to purchase next.

There are some useful tools in this adventure that might appeal to you if you are a Star Wars RPG completest, but if you are looking for a good Force and Destiny adventure, Chronicles of the Gatekeeper holds together better than this one, and if you are interested in the potential Dathomir lore, it is only superficially addressed in this adventure.

The two main issues with the product are that it adheres to a much more “traditional” structure for designing an RPG adventure that doesn’t take advantage of the unique aspects of the FFG system, and that there are areas that were not developed in the space allowed, which may have made the overall adventure better. Specifically, the ISB agent hunting the main villain and the nearby village of Nightsisters needed more information to make them matter.

What did you think of the review? Agree? Disagree? Is there anything I might have missed? Please let me know in the comments. Additionally, feel free to let me know what kinds of reviews you would like to see in the future, and thanks for your time!

Ghosts of Dathomir Review published first on http://ift.tt/2zdiasi