#city of broken magic

[thidwickdoodles]

Okane, Laura, & Clae

A redraw from 2019, where I read the first book—fell in love with this trio—and then never picked up the last two books because I was afraid romance would be introduced (it was not, it’s amazing)

All to say, please go read this series

[bumblehumble]

Word count:997

Rating: G

Okane has never had a last name before and it means so much to him that Clae gave him his.

------

This is the first fic I've written in a while.

[seamsofparadise]

came onto tumblr to yell about a book and the fandom doesn’t exist??? what’s happening here??? where the fuck are my little weirdos who want to scream about okane with me??? were are my motherfuckers who want to beat the shit out of charlie?????

[ranticore]

What is revelation's endgame here? I understand he is creating a cult and probably looking for vengeance but does he have enough people to defeat even a single somewhat big wyrm? Or IS he doing something else entirely with those ppl?

At the moment it's just going on a revenge march to some of its old colleagues (the wyrms who swore in court that ending the world was all rev's idea) to pick a fight. The issue is that it's population density that draws crawling beasts, so wyrms rely on their towns and congregations to act as bait in their metaphorical spiderwebs. A big battle between cultists and villagers would harm both wyrms, while drawing massive floods of crawling beasts so instead it's going to fight the wyrms directly. They are usually protected by their townsfolk but hey, there's a shiny new cult in town with their golden calf. If you have no qualms about using magic you can easily bind more people to your bidding. And then everyone can just go, march away.... leaving an injured wyrm dead or starving

I don't think there's a coldly defined endgame, I think it's a series of "we'll cross that bridge when we get there"s and choices made in passion. Revelation never thought it would leave its own tomb, let alone recover enough to go anywhere. So the first time it took a fight to a wyrm was an impulse, but it worked, so it happened again and again. The marching procession across the land began to grow into an army. I think the endgame is just "make them pay"

[webtoonenjoyer]

Made a video shouting out some underrated comics!

[bread-making-vikings]

.

[mejomonster]

Okay i think. I write like Stephen King (description), Haruki Murakami (narrator pov inner world thought tangents and surreal conception of those thoughts), and a little bit of Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley in terms of word choice (gothic horror is 100% the influence on why all the stuff i write is at least slightly dark, slightly magic, and usually simpler words... i always liked how direct Mary Shelley's book read compared to so many other older books i read back in school, and i liked that Poe always picked poetic image sort of words... and also the tendency to use sentence length and punctuation to create a reading rhythm even in prose)

And maybe a touch of Bunnicula's writing style. That was my first book series i read growing up (along with the Catwings books by Ursula Le Guin). And Bunnicula's got: horror fantasy elements in mundane reality - a vampire bunny and the cat and dog investigating (truly shaped my tastes in horror, fantasy, comedy, and mysteries for life huh), fairly direct to the point writing (which i was super fond of and emulated until college when i decided i liked indulgent sink into them scenes instead), and most importantly a word choice that was kind of simple for maximum audience understanding but some more specific words which i absolutely ingrained into my vocabulary because the Higher Reading Level words Bunnicula happened to have... i still use like every 200 words in my own writing. Its actually kind of wild how with descriptive words how intensely i took to the bunnicula ones and just kept using them (i was probably using them from 5th grade onward in pretty much any fiction i wrote).

[justashamwithwastedpotential]

I need the characters I create to stop being smarter than me so I don't have to research things all the time to write dialogue

[parasitic-dreams-au]

Magicrooni!

Magma is in his old body for 5 asks!

*poof!*

*...*

*Magma is now hyperventilating- his body having changed to that of his past self's. He's having a panic attack as he runs back into his apartment and looks in the mirror. There he was... he was in his old body, his old outfit... and feeling incredibly cold*

*he got under blankets, turned on the heater, no matter what he did he just felt so COLD.*

[Event: Past, Present, no Future.]

[kathylbrownwrites]

Broken Metropolis: Queer Tales of a City That Never Was—A Book Review Renew

New post at The Storytelling Blog. A fresh look at a book review from 2021. Broken Metropolis: Queer Tales of a City that New Was.

Broken Metropolis from Mason Jar Press. I’ve reviewed many books for this blog, some from the early days, when I had fewer readers. This year (2024), we’ll be running some that you may have missed. This urban fantasy/magic short story review was first published on January 28, 2021. Roam the urban landscape of your dreams—and nightmares—with this diverse and inclusive story collection. Broken…

[thidwickdoodles]

That one Spiderman meme

[unchartedthelostlegacy]

if you are liking/reblogging literally any other post on this stupid blog you are so special

[guide-to-galaxy]

Top 5 (books published in other Novembers) Tuesday

Yes, I know, it’s a weird prompt. But (lovingly) blame Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads because she made this prompt (14th Nov) a freebie and I didn’t think of one ahead of time because I’ve been doing NaNoWrimo and other things.I’ve chosen 5 books published in previous Novembers that I haven’t gotten around to reading! Let’s go! This… is late, yes. I blame Iron Flame and NaNo 😂. 📚🚀📚 Get a Life, Chloe…

[deadsetobsessions]

Danny Fenton is so damn sick of rich fruit loops. It’s worse now, since he’s one of them.

It’s not Vlad that he’s with, thank the Ancients, but Danny isn’t sure that this is better.

Because he’s Timothy Drake, a baby, and he’s been reincarnated after the Ancient of Reincarnation accidentally drank too much wine.

He’s going to kick their ass so hard when he gets back.

Danny huffs. He rolls over, ignoring the silent manor. Sure, he’s read the comics. Sure, he laughed and imagined being adopted by Batman- come on, Danny had black hair and blue eyes even back then, he was totally adoption bait- when his parents gave him reason to lose trust in their love. But that’s it, that’s all he thought it was. A day dream, a wish for a universe that didn’t exist.

Danny hadn’t understood the reality of the whole Infinite Realms thing, a place he was now the King of. Batman? Real. Danny? Reincarnated. Hotel? Trivago.

Like, this wasn’t what he meant, dammit.

And now he’s stuck as Timothy Drake, and Ancients, he was starting to see parallels.

——

Danny tried photography. He really did. He wanted to at least stick to the source material. But that’s not who he is. Even with the shiny new brain that memorized, catalogued, and put together clues at the snap of his fingers, but Danny’s never been one to take photos. It’s a respectable art, for sure, but Danny preferred to live in the moment instead of capturing it to remember forever. It’s just-

He watched the Graysons fall. He watched Dick Grayson turn into Robin. And Danny can’t and won’t ever betray his Obsession like that, ever again. He can’t let Jason die for his “story” to begin. That’s not how Danny works.

He’s there to protect.

Danny hasn’t ever been just Tim. Danny was also Tim and the Ghost King without a haunt. But now? Gotham is his haunt. He, in lieu of an actual city spirit, is Gotham. He’s also a Drake. And Drakes were meant to hoard.

Batman and Robin? They are his.

He claimed them, as a Drake. But that claim is weak. So he claimed them as their city, and that is a claim that will never be able to be challenged.

Danny’ll be damned before he allows some lanky starved clown beat the life out of one of his Robins. So, for the first time in his nine years on this planet, Tim-Danny goes ghost and flies.

“Who- who. Are you?” Robin slurred from his place in Danny’s hold. He is broken, yes. But not dead. Danny infuses some of his vitality, his ecto, into Jason’s injuries to help them heal.

“Gotham.” Danny replied, layering his ghostly voice with those of the city.

“Goth’m?”

“Gotham. Sleep, little bird. Your city has got you.”

When Robin, Jason, settled with a sense of trust that tugs at Danny’s core, Danny carried him to Batman, whose eyes were wild and manic. He glared menacingly at the green and white ghost in front of him, who was holding his broken and beaten son-

Well, it’d be menacing if Danny hadn’t watched him eat bricks and mortar, crashing into a building while using his grappling gun.

“You-”

“I am Gotham.” Danny cut him off. Despite his wary nature and natural paranoia, Batman settled at his city’s gaze rested on him. Danny knew that Batman recognized his city. Batman’s head bowed, but his eyes stayed on Robin. “You were supposed to take care of Robin.”

“I- I know.” And that voice was all Bruce Wayne the Dad instead of Batman the Vigilante. Danny gently placed Robin in Batman’s arms, taking in the tremors as he held his son close.

“Go back, Bruce. And make sure Jason knows how much you love him.”

He laughed as Bruce whipped his head upwards. “I am your city. You are mine as much as I am yours. I’ve known of you before you were born.”

Technically? Not untrue. But Bruce will chalk it up to weird magic shit. It’s not like it’s a secret that Gotham’s kind of curse. Besides, this way, Danny will be able to help out more often. And Bruce won’t be able to connect Tim Drake to the “Spirit of Gotham.”

“Return, my knight. This is not your city. I can not protect you as well as I can in Gotham.”

“Thank you… Gotham.”

Danny sighed. He wondered when he’ll have to field questions from a John Constantine. He’s pretty sure Bruce will call in magical help, even if it was his own city he was investigating.

Batman’s lucky Danny liked him enough to allow it.

[sky-scribbles]

I'm in awe of how well each god's attitude toward Aeor reflects their divine domains.

Emhira, the matron of Ravens, sees no reason not to bring the city down. Death is inevitable. The Raven Queen does not quarrel with resurrection, and she does not quarrel with killing, because all souls come to her, sooner or later - what's a few decades more or less? What's the point of risking herself and the family she's joined, the order she's created, for the sake of postponing death?

Ayden, the Dawnfather, is the god of light and life and growing things. Those druid levels aren't for show; he's the god of agriculture. He looks at Aeor and sees that a harvest may yet come from barren ground. It's not in his nature to tear out roots; it's his nature to help things grow. You can't heal everything. You always have to try.

Silaha, the Arch Heart, looks at Aeor and sees its beauty. It's full of magic. Silaha is not opposed to destroying Aeor, because beauty never lasts: a flower dies, a spell fades, a shining tower falls. But neither is he convinced that Aeor has to die, because beauty is something to be treasured and cherished. Let's relax, let's get a drink, let's think this through. Beauty is wonderful, whether it lasts or not.

Asha, the Wildmother, wants to survive, because that is what wild things do. Predators kill to eat, and prey kills to defend itself. Aeor has backed her into a corner, and her fangs are bared. Nature is death as well as life, nature is brutal, nature endures at all costs. Civilisation no longer speaks to her. She's hungry. She's angry. Her teeth are looking for a throat, ready to tear, ready to protect what is hers.

Trist, the Everlight, hears talk of death and says no. The Everlight, who has let herself fall in love with a mortal and have mortal children, even knowing how much it's all going to hurt. Whose nature is to see the worth in broken things, violent things, irredeemable things. Who looks at the cruelty of Aeor and does not deny it, but will not let anyone forget that everyone here is a person. The bravest of all of them, to look at Aeor and say this, too, is worth saving.

[evilminji]

You know what idea has always ENCHANTED ME?

Ever since I saw it on a sci-fi show?

The Deadly Magical House That Loves You™. See, it's a house that has become something MORE. Gained sentience. And? Instead of acting out some cheap horror movie jump scares? It digs deep to its foundations, thinks long n hard, and decides on what it WANTS.

And it WANTS?

To be a HOME™.

To TAKE CARE OF somebody. Have LIFE in its halls. Meals at its tables. Joy and laughter bouncing across its walls. So? It lays a trap. Lures people in.

Come live in me~

I am a good home.

I am Free! I am "Safe". I will give you whatever your heart desires.

I care not for morality or laws. Boundaries or taboos. Do you desire? Come, come, be HAPPY~! Live in me! Relax here! Forget about the world beyond these walls. Anything I can not give you, I can bring TOO you! This is a Happy Home.

But, of course, such sentience and pushiness terrifies. People run and flee in horror. The house getting more aggressive. Trying to hold tighter. After all! If they would just STAY for a while, they would SEE! It's so LOVELY here! The would LOVE to live inside them!

But... instead?

They are hurt.

Doors smashed open. Windows broken to escape. Furniture thrown. Their avatar, Jeeves, bashed with heavy things. Why... WHY?! They are only trying to HELP! To LOVE them! Be a good HOME! They grow more and more run down. Starved. Wrathful.

It is, of course, their Obsession. To be a home. They are so very hungry.

When? Who should come along?

But the depressed AF Ghost King! He's been... not TECHNICALLY kicked out. But "things are tense" kicked out. He's tired. His college courses are remote. He can't really AFFORD rent. And everything is just...

He's TIRED.

He wants to cry.

Why... why can't he have ONE good thing? ONE sign everything's gonna be alright?

"Free House!"

Well... I mean... that IS a literal sign. Huh. He flies down. The house notices him. Tries to look as enticing as it can. And? Gasp! I... It's WORKING? This one seems INTERESTED? Quick! Flowerbeds! Look at my flowerbeds! Ooooh, lovely floooowers! A.. and there's probably really nice wood flooring! C'mon. C'moooon!

Danny? Sees a free Lair. Not too far from both Gotham AND Metropolis. Good location. Needs a little fixing up. But I mean... you can't beat free, right?

Is he really gonna do this?

......fuck it. Yeah, let's do this. First house time. He's just glad he carries a sharpie on him most of the time. Scribbles "Sold!" Over the sign then calls Jazz. He's... kinda not sure WHAT he's supposed to pack?

Finds out, post move in, whoop. Sentient Lair. Clingy, clingy, highly desperate sentient Lair. Oof. Guess fixing up the place can be therapy for both of us. Jazz helps.

The house heals. He falls into a routine. Schoolwork, hang out in the garden or the observatory, meals FaceTiming friends or watching videos, naps whenever he wants them. It's... it's so peaceful. Quiet and soothing to his agitated and worn down soul. Like a balm.

House gets him whatever he needs. They're kinda awesome like that. Always seems to have room to fit this or that. He doesn't question it. His brain figuring it works on Zone logic.

He probably SHOULD have.

Because? Things have been going missing. At a slow, steady, pace. Food, technology, entertainment. A building that shouldn't BE there, has been spotted in a wealthy county just outside of Superman and Batman's two cities.

No one can get near it.

It's been getting BIGGER.

Growing, like a tumor, room by room. Floor by floor. The gardens creeping like kudzu, to swallow everything in their path. Yet delivery drivers drop things off. Things they don't remember. On trips they don't recall. People are scared.

Amateur detectives have managed to discover some sort of starlit fae that lives there, along with a human boy.

Justice League Dark has been called in. Are currently standing just outside the slowly creeping property line. A garden statue just hissed at them. The trees are trying to throw acorns. A hushed argument has already broken out. How do they contain the house?

@the-witchhunter @nerdpoe @hypewinter @hdgnj @babbling-babull @mutable-manifestation @spidori @lolottes