#that invaded fantasy and sci fi

[yorksnapshots]

Crikey, think I need a Doctor!

Minding my own business in York when suddenly from a rooftop, Yorksnapshots Stop. You are to be upgraded!

[du-hjarta-skulblaka]

Oc stuff I've been cooking in my head thenlast few days

I'm trying to move away from the standard fantasy race things and tldr I think elves might be from space?

Lemme elaborate a little. So my origional setting is kinda riffing on Disco Elysium with reality pockets separated by vast unexplored expanses of The Horrors, my current thing is travel between these is primarily over water through what are essentially submarines. But. I also kind of want the rival empire to my main one to be aeronautically focused, like okay yall nailed sea travel at this point so fuck you we got airships. But then I get to thinking. Why would going too far up be any different than going too far across-

....post canceled I just realised I think I accidentally recreated Githyanki

[head-vampire]

Pinball backglass art

[texasthrillbilly]

[warrior-of-z]

Another alternative for War other then rage machine Kharn.

War vs. The Stranger (Darksiders vs. Furi)

Two "riders" who's mere presence is a sign of the apocalypse and who fight with sword and gun in hand. They have faced many powerful enemies and conquered all, each with the "help" of a charismatic overseer (War's Watcher and The Voice).

Honestly it has a lot of similarities and contrasts that almost make it work more then vs. Kharn.

Dark Fantasy vs. Neon Sci-fi

Biblical themes vs. Alien themes

Man-sized sword vs. Regular sized Katana.

I don't know it vibes with me on a spiritual level.

[saintheartwing]

Welcome to the Bottom

The Irken race had been decimated by what the Great Diamond Authority had done. Once on a brighter path to a kinder, more just future, now the only thought Irkens have is vengeance against the Diamonds, who's weakest link is Pink Diamond, or rather...Steven Universe. Steven now has to face the consequences of the Diamonds actions...and he can't just sing them away...

The cover art was done by  reynaruina, whom you can find here on Tumblr. They did a great job, and I can’t thank them enough. Enjoy the story!

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It was probably not a good idea for Steven to bring the doll to the house, but…he couldn’t resist. Something about it was…it spoke to him. And so that…was how the son of Rose Quartz came to possess such a strange little thing. He, half gem-alien and half human, who still possessed his mother’s rose quartz crystal in his belly button, had found it dropped on his front seat in his car. He’d been at an ordinary gas station, returning home to Beach City and…well, it looked so unique! He HAD to take it back.

Garnet looked down at the doll, arms folded across her own chest. The tallest of all the Crystal Gems, Garnet had three eyes, one hidden behind the big visor she always wore, and a big afro. But it was shaped like a big square, not round at all, and her skin had a distinct magenta tone, while she also had a small nose and big, “thicc” thunder thighs! Standing next to her was Pearl, another Crystal Gem. She had much lighter skin, very pale skin, in fact, with a slender, thin build, ivory skin, light cyan eyes, a pointed nose, and thin lips. She had light peach hair that resembled a pixie-cut in the front, while in the back, her hair was brushed to a fine point. Next to her, was Amethyst, who was twirling a lock of her thick and messy pale lavender hair around a finger. She had lilac skin, plump lips, a small and upturned nose, and she had her gemstone right in her chest, which had a black tank top shirt on it. 

Sitting on the couch in front of the doll was Steven Universe, who was somewhat, with a thick, stocky build. The white-skinned kid had curly dark brown hair and he had grown quite a bit over the years. He now was taller than he used to be, with a sky blue t-shirt that had a gold star in the middle of it. He commonly wore cuffed blue jeans, and pink flip flop sandals that matched the tone of his shirt, a pink varsity jacket with white trims,  and there, on his stomach, where his navel should be, was his gemstone.

Now what were these “gemstones”? Well, you see, Steven’s mom, Rose Quartz, aka Pink Diamond, had been a “Crystal Gem”, an alien being from another world, all of whom were, in essence, living gems that manifested themselves” via a kind of hard light that emanated FROM their gem. He was different. He was half human. This made him super special. He had incredible powers! At the moment, he was munching on a “Cookie Cat” ice cream sandwich with Connie Maheswaran sharing the box of “Cookie Cats” with him. Connie was an Indian American girl, she had a slightly large and pointy nose, and she wore a white blouse, denim shorts, pink and white sneakers, and had dark eyes, and no shoes. She also used to wear glasses until Steven’s powers had healed them. 

“The doll looks like…Pink Diamond. Like Rose.”  Amethyst said firmly as Steven pulled up his shirt a bit to scratch at an itch around his gem. 

It was a very odd doll. It did, indeed…look like his mom in her “Pink Diamond” form. Big pink hair and pinkish skin with eyes to match, a sort of “Clownish” kind of regal attire that almost made her look like a court jester crossed with a princess. She had a rather stupid, silly grin, almost…unnaturally wide. It was so large that, frankly, it didn’t seem possible for a ANY being to have such a big mouth. It almost looked like the doll had been bisected through the head and a mouth hastily made to cover this up. And the coloration was super pink, too. All the clothing was shades of pink! Even more Pink than his own mother, PINK DIAMOND, had been! 

“It IS rather...ugly.” Garnet remarked. “I don’t know who made it and I can’t use my Future Vision to see anything about it.” Indeed, Garnet had the ability to see probabilities, the most likely sort of futures, and yet…this thing was as a black hole. She couldn’t even begin to peer into ANY sort of future involving this thing.

“It was weird, too…” Steven admitted to Connie as she raised an eyebrow, examining the doll as she then handed it to Pearl. “I think somebody gave it to me as a gift, but just couldn’t openly do so. I don’t know why. Maybe they were shy. But they must have heard about my mom somehow.”

“Say, why don’t we go watch a movie?” Connie suggested. “I’ll pick something. Netflix, HBO Max or Amazon Prime?” 

“I’ll go put this doll away with our little “trophies”. Pearl intoned as she nodded at the others, picking the doll up and heading off as the rest of the Crystal Gems began to debate which streaming service to use. Pearl headed through Steven’s house, heading for the attic. There was a host of various little trophies collected from their adventures, several artifacts and the like, mementos from the escapades they’d had, and Pearl was looking for a shelf to put the doll on. She finally found a spot, before…the doll winked at her.

Pearl screeched at such a high pitch only dogs could have heard it, flopping back, looking at the doll…but it didn’t move again. She rubbed her eyes, staring back at it, then poked and prodded it with a fireplace poker hanging nearby. 

Nothing. It didn’t move.

“I must have worked myself up. My imagination’s getting to me. I have GOT to stop watching all those horror films Steven keeps recommending.” she muttered as she put the doll on a…HIGHER spot. And then decided, just in case, to stick the doll in a big metal box and put a bunch of heavy books on top. Not because she believed it would move or anything. Of course not. Dolls didn’t move. How silly.

Indeed, the doll didn’t move. But it softly let out a signal, being sent miles and miles and miles away. The one who’d dropped the doll off passed a small little “smart pad” screen to his friend who looked it over.

“...yes. That’s her. I recognize her gem.” A black, gloved,clawed digit pointed at the screen as his friends gathered around. “...on that portrait in the back. And the same gem’s on his belly. I noticed it when he scratched at that itch.” 

“And they distinctly said the Diamond was his mother…” 

“We’ve got the right person then. Let’s get some answers…and get even. They’re going to answer for what they did.” The leader said as he nonchalantly waltzed off, heading for a big, enormous truck, and  opened up the back doors. It had taken a lot of time, resources and effort but they’d managed to get their very valuable prisoners into the back of this huge truck, and now…the three OTHER Diamonds fearfully looked up at him. White, Yellow and Blue, eyes wide, stared into eyes of green.

“I’d like to have a little talk with you about…Pink Diamond.” The Irken asked. “...tell me about her.” 

…

…

…

…Who WERE the Irkens, I hear you cry?

The Irken Empire had, once upon a time, been run by two people...Tallests Red and Purple. Yes, dear readers, I said “Tallests”. The criteria for ownership of the Irken Empire was simple...just be taller than everyone else. “Your leaders are just taller than everyone?” As one of its biggest critics, Dib, defender of Earth, had said. Now, to be fair, they were somewhat imposing figures.Not merely for their tallness, their immense height, not even for the armored gowns they wore, and the gauntlets over their hands, two sharp, long claws sliding out, no “thumb” on display. 

No, no, it was more than that. They had distinctly dangerous edges to them, Red slightly more so than Purple, with their color-coded patches on their PAKs, the big metal capsule-esque backpack-like things on their backs that matched their names.  Their eyes, too, like their armor, were the same color as their names, and they had, like most Irkens, spiky black antannae that had large triangular spikes on the end, and green, faintly scaly skin. 

But see, the thing waaaaas…

They weren’t…actually…tall.

Tallest Miyuki, a blue-eyed, rather lovely-looking woman who had blue armor on her frame and dazzling blue eyes to match, had narrowly avoided death from an irritating experiment done by one “Invader Zim”, who’d made such a mess of everything that they’d shipped the moron off to a scientific position in the hopes he couldn’t hurt anybody on the battlefield. It had worked for all of a month…when he’d invented an “Infinite Energy Absorbing Blob” that had escaped and nearly destroyed everyone. The good news was that Miyuki had just barely survived, pulled away JUST in time thanks to a Vortian, a faintly goat-like alien with greyish skin, horns, and digitrade legs. Lard Nar, a brilliant scientist, had saved her life just in time and it’d been ZIM who’d been swallowed up by his own creation instead.

Miyuki had been, alas, badly hurt IN the attack all the same, and things hadn’t improved much when Tallest Spork, a yellow, slightly beady-eyed Tallest took over after. He’d wanted to track down the IEAB because it had swallowed up their infinite energy absorbing PRODUCTION machine! A beyond invaluable resource. They needed it back! Pronto. So he’d had all of the Irken navy going out to track it down and had left what he THOUGHT was the second Tallest people in charge, Tallest Red and Purple.

“Really? THEM?” 

Senior couldn’t believe it when he’d asked Spork. He, Miyuki, Spork, Red and Purple had grown up together, went to training camp to get their stations in the Irken Empire, and he knew Red and Purple very well. But the thing was…they were not leader material. Spork knew this too. He cringed as he looked over at them, the two guffawing as they planned “Pin the tail on the Service Drone”. Poor Service Drone Bob was hanging from a wall, and the Tallest were blindfolded, and had to put a pin “tail” on his butt as he squirmed uselessly, a gag in his mouth to keep him from talking. 

“...if I could pick you, I would.” Spork confessed. “But they’re literally one inch taller than you.” He sighed. “I mean, who else is high up the line? Skoodge?!” “Hey, Skoodge is nice.” Senior protested. The head communications officer of the Massive, Senior was a really compassionate sort. He was the kind who’d help you up if you fell down in the mud on the training course. Which was especially helpful because until he became Tallest, Spork’s name was “Accident Pants”. Spork didn’t forget his debts, he and Miyuki had both been happy to promote Senior to a high position, but…even so, he wasn’t…HIGH enough to be in charge. And Miyuki was in a coma. Couldn’t have a comatose ruler!

“Skoodge is far too short and fat to be in charge. Just…make sure those two stupid idiots don’t blow anything important up.” Spork remarked with a deep sigh. “And don’t go screwing this up, either. I’m trusting you to be my eyes and ears, even if your butt belongs to them.” Skoodge, watching from across the room with the other Invaders, cringed. He really wished Miyuki wasn’t in a coma right now. Bob was yelling and screeching into his gag cuz they’d pinned the tail on his skull. “No, my Tallest, you did not pin it on his butt.” He had to say as Tallest Red asked if they’d gotten the right spot. He cringed and shook his head as Purple now gave it a try-

“...oh that’s not RIIIIGHT.” Senior groaned as he covered his face, lifting up the covering over his lower mouth that matched the rest of his green attire, groaning deeply as his slightly bell-bottom-esque pants walked on over to the main communication center and he ended the call so that Spork didn’t have to watch the abysmal aftermath of this “Pin the Tail” session.

But oh the GLORIOUS day that he’d learned Red and Purple weren’t tall enough…when he’d walked in on them having sex in their room. They’d had a choice then. Either resign immediately and give him the position of being in charge…or they’d be shot out of the airlock like they’d done to people they didn’t like. Which was quite a few. You didn’t wanna be another Sneakyfoota, did you?!

So Senior had been in charge as Tallest Miyuki remained in the hospital, still comatose, but he would continue to come visit her as the planet Irk now underwent some changes. First thing’s first…

“Alright, we’re giving up all our claims to these colonies.” Senior said as he sat down at a very large, circular table with his head council, all his friends sitting around him. It was good to have a nice, large team you could rely on! Like all communication officers, Senior had a "communicator patch" on both sides of his head, a metallic sort of pair of "headphones" that were silver and green, much like the Irken PAK on his back. He also had spiky antannae, spikes rose up and down the black stands popping out of his head as he tapped one side of his head. “I’ve been speaking to Lard Nar. Miyuki was kind enough to relinquish ALL Irken claims on Vort and make them free as thanks before she slipped back into the coma, so I’ve decided to do the same for the other planets. Lard Nar’s been helping me with outreach for some of the…angrier ones who were VERY mad we didn’t do it sooner.” “Can we just do that?” The short, fat, ruby/maroon-eyed Irken alien, Skoodge, was sitting next to him as he analyzed a data pad. “The Control Brains won’t freak out?” “I and the other Consulars will…deal with them if they really object. We will be VERY forceful, if need be.” A soft, slightly dark voice intoned. This Irken had white robes, and his antenna were balled, a MOST unusual appearance indeed. He had pale, soft white eyes that indicated he was blind, and he sipped from a glass of what looked like wine. Darithil, aka Darth, nodded around at the others as they all nodded back, pleased with his idea. 

“After that, our next big project should be working on the PAKs.” Trivvik, aka Trik, said. Trik was an Irken with dark blue eyes who was wearing a labcoat, goggles of aquamarine and teal over his forehead as he snapped his clawed digits and hovered a little radio-like device over to him as it began to play some soft music for them to enjoy, the technopath smiling cheerily at them all. “Defectives” like him who had strange powers would have been put to death usually or horribly exploited under previous rulers…but people like Senior and Miyuki saw them as what they were…people. People who had a right to live, and had something to give. Something incredible…like the classical music playing!

“Where’s this from?”

“Oh, another piece from Earth.” Trik said as Senior grinned.

“Ahh, I TOLD you guys, I TOLD you Earth had really great music!” He laughed. Indeed, Senior had tapped into Earthen music when scanning for signals on the flagship of the Irken fleet, the Massive, the one gigantic ship left behind to guard Irk that hadn’t gone with the rest of the navy. He’d heard plenty of stuff but what he’d really enjoyed was when the Voyager satellite had floated close enough and the music it had within began to be played. He just HAD to learn more about this planet, Earth…

And he was glad he had. He’d kept sneaking signals from the planet, music played on the airwaves, television shows, movies…and letting his friends get sneak peeks too. It’d turned into a lucrative underground market because…well, frankly, Irken music was abysmal. “When you’re gone, won’t you bury me deep cuz they’re slorknacks reported in the area” was NOT a real headbanger. Especially considering it was played on the Irken equivalent of the fuckin’ accordion! 

“My new project will merge the PAKS with our body. Eons ago, Irkens with powers like me were FAR more prevalent, but the Control Brains couldn’t have that…or unregulated behavior.”

“Indeed, hence why they chose leaders who were Tall and nothing else. Easier to manipulate.” Darth said, speaking psychically to all of them with his powerful mental abilities as he sipped from his wine. “We will return to the days of old!...though I’d like to keep our love of sugary snacks and the like?” “I can arrange that.” Trik laughed as Tessirak, aka Tak, sat across from him and raised a nonexistent eyebrow, purple eyes a-glittering.

“What about Miyuki?” She wanted to know. “Is her condition any better?” 

“No. But it’s not any worse, so thank goodness for small mercies.” Senior said quietly. “...I’m going to go stop by to see her after I call my family. You all take care. Take the rest of the day off.” 

“Say “hi” to May for me.” Tak offered warmly. With Spork gone, Tak was now in charge of the military forces on Irk and the “Battleaxe” as they called her LOVED it as much as she loved attending the sports games they’d adopted from Earth culture, especially baseball. Not because she was good at the game herself…no. Tak just liked to yell at people. 

Senior made his way back to his room, passing by the prisoner’s ward…where Red and Purple were. “Red…I’m depressed.” Purple said as he sat on the bed across from his bunk mate, Red groaning, knowing where this was going. They’d been stuck in that room for well over a year now and they were going stir crazy. “And you know what I do when I’m depressed?” He asked as he reached under his bed and took out-

“I play the BONGOS!!!”

“...now I’M depressed…” Red moaned as he saw Senior walking by. “I am BEGGING you! Let me out! I’ll do anything! I’ll suck you off for an hour straight! PLEAAAASE!”

“...enjoy your bongos.” Senior cheerily remarked, waving cheekily at Red as Purple began to play, Senior heading to his room and booting up his computer as he got into contact…with his Vortian family.

May Nar, the sister of Lard Nar, had three beautiful kids, one of which was actually his! Little Nora Nar was the youngest, a beautiful baby girl with pink eyes, whilst Bo and Ian, her brothers, were playing with their mom in the living room. They had all finished their dinner, evidently…but Nora had hers in front of her in the kitchen as Senior clucked his tongue.

“Noraaaa, your mom and I have told you, veggies are good for you. They help you grow big and strong.” He insisted warmly. “Even though I agree that brussel sprouts look like giant boogers, you gotta eat SOME veggies. You don’t get any ice cream or cookies if you don’t eat your vegetables.” Senior remarked.

“But Daaaad-” Nora began to whine.

“This is nothing new. Pick one. Then eat your broccoli. Broccoli’s actually not bad at all.” “Really?” Nora looked down at it, cringing a bit, then took her fork and prodded at it.

“Look, even if you eat only half of it, I’ll let you have ONE cookie or a tiny scoop of ice cream. Sound fair?” Senior asked.

“Okay.” Nora’s little, slightly squeaky voice sighed as she prodded at the broccoli before lifting the piece on her fork up to her mouth and nibbling on it.

“Okay. Now, I’ll talk to you when I get home tomorrow. I’m gonna call your uncle Lard.” Senior remarked as Nora nodded.

“Does Uncle Nar’s name really mean “He Who Guards the Fat”?” Nora asked as Senior began to laugh, May’s voice ringing out in the background.

“Yes, but don’t tell that to his face, he HATES it.” May admitted with her own giggle. “It’s not his fault, Mom came up with his name when she was super hungry!”

“Ah, maneems. Whatcha gonna do?” Senior chuckled as he ended that call and then began to call Lard Nar up. Lard Nar was wearing his normal goggles, green-tinted, over his face, and his dark blue attire, a tight-fitting vest/jacket combo as he sat in a chair, looking at a datapad.

“How goes the outreach with the Screw Heads?” Senior asked. “They were the most furious about Irken occupation.”

“You guys are almost totally gone, and the good news  is that the screw heads MOSTLY have been cool about everything.” Lard Nar confessed.

“...I’m sensing a “but” coming…?” Senior quietly inquired.

“Yeah, thing is, um…er…” Lard Nar cringed, and then held up the datapad, showing off some photos of what the Screw Heads had done to the former Irken headquarters on the planet…which was now a smoking rubble that Screw Heads were literally dancing on, naked, shaking their asses around and hooting and hollering. 

“...I see. So “mostly been cool” describe their AVERAGE reaction. Well, could be worse. They haven’t killed anybody, have they?” Senior asked, nervousness rising in his voice. “No, we didn’t give them a chance. You can’t blame them for being mad, you’re just up and leaving and going “good luck with everything”...” Lard Nar remarked.

“Well, we’re still trying to reorganize our planet. I’ve got no clue how much time it’ll be before Spork comes back. With a little luck, we’ll be able to start paying back planets like the Screw Heads in the next year as payment for everything the Irken race did to them before Miyuki was in power.” Senior remarked.

“...is…she still comatose?” Lard Nar quietly inquired as Senior bit his lip and he found himself slightly glancing away. “...when my own father got really sick, he got this…brain disease. He couldn’t recognize me or my family much. It was like I was seeing a stranger with my father’s face. It…it hurt more than knowing he was dying.”

“...so…I should be happy she’s not dead, then?” “No, just…yes, it could be worse, but…try to have hope. We did.” Lard Nar said gently. “At the end he was able to recognize us one last time. Even if that sort of thing is a cold comfort, it’s…it does help. A little.” The Vortian intoned as Senior wiped some tears from his eyes, as they slightly burned a trail down his green cheeks.

“...th-thanks, Lard Nar, you’re…you’re a great friend.” Senior said. “I always enjoy our talks together.” He commented as he ended the call, and then rose up to go see Miyuki in the hospital. It’d take an hour to get there but he had time…enough.

It didn’t take long before he was holding her hand, and softly squeezing it. The woman he loved like a friend, mother, and sister all in one. Miyuki. His dear buddy. The sister he’d never had. The mom he’d wanted. Family and friend in one, and…all he could think was…that bed is too small to contain all of her. It was as if she was inside a mere shell, and he could FEEL her straining inside to get out, and he wanted to just rip that shell open and tug her free, to hold her in his arms again, and talk about all they used to. The orange skies of Irk…the wind on their faces after a great run across the plains. Fun with their “Jet-PAK” settings on their PAKs…

And he wanted to tell her how big his little Nora was getting. How much the Irken race had done so far. How they were closer than ever to being what Miyuki had wanted, a proper meritocracy more democratic and more equitable than ever. 

“I DEFINITELY wouldn’t be throwing people out of airlocks for fun. Or for anything.” Miyuki had insisted when she and Senior had spent one night looking out over the capitol, at the top of an enormous tower, letting the wind waft through their antenna. “We can be far better than that.” “Even if somebody deserved it?” “You don’t do that.” Miyuki insisted. “It’s not about deserving. It’s about…trust. If you don’t behave well, nobody else will trust you. We need to lead by example to show others they can trust our kind. THAT’S why we have to be better.”

“...yeah, I guess you’re right. We’ve had centuries of corporal punishment for the most stupid things like being gay or having relations with other races. It’d be a nice change to try other ways. I…want people to like us. To like ME.” Senior confessed. “It feels nice, being wanted. Being liked. Being loved.”

“You could have been a great sharpshooter, though.” Miyuki admitted. “I saw your target scores on the range. But I’m glad you chose not to.” She added. “Being a communications officer’s a noble profession. We need kinder people like you and me, because the Empire right now is FAR too mean.” “...could I, though, have…made a bigger difference in the army?” Senior wondered. “Like…sometimes I wonder if maybe me rising the ranks in there, and getting to be in charge of all the military or even just…shooting a really scummy general one day, would THAT be better? What if taking the crueler route, the more violent route, saved more lives?” “Did you WANT to do that? Do you think you COULD do that? SHOULD do that?” “...no.” “Then there’s your answer. Don’t overcomplicate it.” Miyuki had insisted. “You need to be able to live with yourself. And if your moral compass can be so easily put aside for the sake of some “greater good”, maybe it wasn’t that great a compass anyway.” 

He would have no clue what he was in for. None of them did. Because within a year…

IT had happened. Within a year, there’d be no reparations for those other planets. They would get some measure of the “justice” they wanted, though...those who’d wanted to see Irk suffer for its sins. 

Because within 363 days…THEY had come. And Irk…

Had burned.

And because of that…

…the Diamonds would pay. 

The only question was…was “Pink” still around to pay as well? Or was Steven truly an innocent, who didn’t deserve any judgment? The Diamonds had told Senior that Steven had her diamond because Rose had turned INTO him, giving up her life to make him, leaving her husband alone to care for him. Was that true?  Was there really nothing left of Pink Diamond at all?

Nothing left of the one he hated the most.

Because out of ALL of them…

She’d been the only one who’d seen what was happening…looking saddened. Looking horrified…mournful…

And turned aside. 

That…was much worse that hatred. Disinterest. Because knowing somebody felt bad about your pain…and doing nothing when they could stop it…that would always be worse. 

Steven Universe. Do you deserve to live? 

…

…

…

…Steven Universe was fast asleep, snoring softly. His dreams were a muddled blackness, an inky, confusing void, a mixture of nothingness and tip-of-your-tongue ideas continuously out of reach. But as he slightly turned on his side, he found himself on a bed not his own. He rose up, feeling over his frame, realizing he was in…his mom’s room! His mother’s OLD room at the Homeworld, with elaborate, beautiful pillars of pink crystal, and bed sheets and blankets to match the sheer PINKNESS all around. Cute little bubbles hovered in the air, soft crystals floating within to provide light, as he rose out of the bed, and bit by bit, the crystals began to flash, in perfect unison, forming a rhythm. He could feel it, a thrumming rising up around him, a soft score rising up as words began to ring through the expanse…

Welcome home, it's been a while…

We've been expecting you!

You try to deny your family…

Oh, but we came through so…

Slowly but surely, water began to fill the room, Steven gasping as it rose up more quickly with every passing minute! He gasped in horror as he tried to climb up a pillar to escape, to avoid being drowned, before realizing it just wouldn’t stop! So he spread out his arms, launching off the pillar and POOF! A pink shield surrounded him, a nice, round bubble of protection, and he floated in the water as the furniture began to drift around him. Down, down he sank, plopping on the ocean floor as the words continued to echo so perfectly in his mind…

Welcome…welcome…welcome to the bottom!

And then, THWOOSH. In an instead, it was all sucked out, and he found himself in a long field of high grass. The sky was white, the grass black, and a cold wind was biting at him as he shuddered, the shield fading away. “What’s going on?” He murmured as THEY emerged! All of his family rose up from around him! Not merely the Crystal Gems, oh no!

Blue Diamond, long, straight, alice blue hair, two symmetrical locks curling and pointing inwards towards her face, just below her cheekbones, hair that gave her almost a…shawl-like appearance, with a long, ovoid face, a straight nose, and very sadward, downward-glancing eyes. Yellow Diamond, wearing a dark yellow and olive bodysuit, dark yellow eyeshadow, short, helmet-like bob hair with two spiked tips. White Diamond, spiky white hair in the shape of a pentagon-esque star, light grey eyeshadow, black fingernails, shiny black lipstick and a long, transparent dress to boot, with a cape that had glittering diamond fragments and stars filling it.

The waters gone, and the grain is back,

It's not exactly where you wanna be!

But we're the only true friends you've ever had,

This company loves your misery, so…

They all stood around, arms up, palms up, as if like dolls…Steven recognized it well, the infamous “pose” that White Diamond would force upon subjects she thought were being too rowdy, all in the name of “order”, before Steven and the others managed to change her mind, to see the damage she and the Diamonds had caused. They spoke as one voice and yet…the voices were not their own, nor White Diamond’s…

“Weeeeeelll…” They all sang out in a low, chanting unison, as that unfamiliar voice kept speaking, a faintly ethereal one, golden and dark, yet soft, almost comforting as well…

Welcome…

Welcome…

Welcome to the bottom!

Welcome…

Welcome…

And then…he was there. Towering high above them all, a being with white, blind eyes, spreading his arms wide out, and somehow, without sight…looking right at Steven.

Welcome to the bottom!

And with THAT, came the horrifying assaulting visions. Steven screamed, feeling the pain, the desperation, the loss, watching Pink Diamond, his mother, forced into her room again and again, for days at an end. Unable to eat. Barely able to sleep. Watching her struck. Watching her dismissed, ignored, condescended to. He saw the cruelty and ignorance and neglect inflicted on her by her family, and finally, the crushing horror as white light shone around her when she was Rose Quartz, and her own family unleashed their greatest weapon…and everyone who she couldn’t shield was just…

Gone. 

Gone. Their corpses lying around her, cracked and battered, some outright shattered…the gems that had been her comrades, her friends, all gone, and only Pearl and Garnet there, looking mortified and horror struck as Pink realized something. Her family had cared, in their way, after all…cared enough…to practically destroy the planet. Just for “killing” Pink Diamond. Now she couldn’t go back. Torn between a sad realization that her family had cared and she couldn’t see them again…and the hatred for taking her new family away.

And it was just…too much.

Welcome tooooo the moment!

To the highlight of your life!

“STOP! STOP!” He screamed, as the images swirled around him, clutching his skull on either side.

Welcome toooo the horror…

And there's nowhere you can hide!

The being raised a hand up high, high into the air.

“Welcome to…the bottom.”

SCHAKKA-THROOOM! The ground opened up, and the water swelled forth, knocking him about, as everything became inky black ocean. He struggled to stay afloat, feeling the water flooding into his lungs. His screams were drowned in the cacophony of roaring water, his eyes bulging wide, and then

In an instant, he’d washed up on the edge of a grey beach, the white skies above as empty as ever as he panted and heaved, continuing to hear that voice ringing in his mind…

The acid burns and it takes its toll…

But we all get used to it!

He looked up and saw, not his own world, not Homeworld either, but a new world, and new people. The same race as the gigantic, antannae-having being he’d seen before, speaking among themselves, walking slowly towards what was unmistakably a gigantic city. He could see the smiles on their faces, obvious parents carrying children on their backs, others playfully fiddling around with gigantic metal backpacks, using the jetpack function to soar through the air. Fireworks were going off, as they whooped and hollered, and big banners reading “Good Fucking Riddance” were unfurled.

He walked alongside them, unseen, passing through them as if a ghost, noticing a gigantic stage, and a rather lovely-eyed, blue-armored specimen of them was speaking to the masses. Her voice reminded him of his own mother, there was a soft and matronly quality to it, but a kind of delightful energy a little sister would have to it as well, as a being with kind, green eyes stood not far away.

He couldn’t understand the words, but…the meaning…the FEELING was there. One of freedom. Happiness after centuries of enslavement and cruelty. A new hope swelled in them and a delightful feeling of joy that made them all whoop and holler as the green-eyed one patted the blue, taller one on the back, then gave her a deep hug. A hug he recognized…one of family. Of deepest friendship. He’d given dozens to the Gems…

There's no give and take,

Its just push and pull…

It only hurts for a bit, so…

And then…darkness began to quilt the land. It was not clouds rolling in. It was ships, and he knew why, because…he recognized the make. Gem ships. Homeworld’s fleet. And…an all-too-familiar gigantic statue, formed from the Diamonds’s own personalized ships. And he saw…Pink Diamond. He saw…his mother. And then…

Welcome…

Welcome…

Welcome to the bottom!

Welcome…

Welcome…

Atrocities. 

Welcome toooo the bottom! 

People were dying left and right. These new creatures, these…Irkens (how did he know their names?) were far better fighters than primitive humans. Maybe even a touch more skillful than the standard gem warrior. Their metal backpacks had spider-like metallic blades they used to skuttle across the ground and fight, their laser weaponry shot forth to attack the Gems that were invading. They would not allow a homeworld so freshly liberated from tall tyranny to fall to even more of it! There would be NO “meet the new boss, same as the old boss”. Not in a million years!

Welcome tooooo the moment!

To the highlight of your life!

But things got different when the Diamonds stepped in. Entire buildings were being torn apart and wrecked. Bodies were flying left and right. Steven suddenly found blood splashed over him, blood so…eerily red…so much like his own. He could see the war playing out, pulsating in his mind, as the Diamonds began to turn the tide, and his mother just…stood to the side. She watched almost sadly, glancing quickly away, as if ashamed to look at what she saw, before, after days and days, just…going into the ship. 

Welcome toooo the horror…

And there's nowhere you can hide!

It was, perhaps…a comfort…that he did not see her participate in the direct action…or the FINAL action, when the Irkens began to retake the planet in a renewed vigor, only for the Diamonds to unleash their greatest weapon anew…

And now…so…

So many bodies. Not gems. Not simple rocks lying on the ground.

Just…corpses.

Corpses everywhere…

“Welcome toooo…the BOTTOM.”

There he was. Now Steven found himself in a black abyss, and facing the being before him, who walked towards him, advancing slowly.

“H-Hold on, I-I know you’re really, REALLY mad about what happened, I-I get that, I really do…” Steven began to say. “And I’m so, so sorry, but…I’m not Pink Diamond, I’m not my mom, and…and if I could undo what happened, I would, but the Diamonds aren’t like that anymore, and-”

“It’s so endearing…how you thought you could change.” The being said, a dark smile spreading over his face. “We know you’ll be happy…you just need someone to BLAAAAME.”

He was suddenly in front of Steven, lifting him up, and…how did they get over a cliff, with Steven seconds from being tossed into the roaring, dark sea below, an endless ocean of black?

“Welcome back…we’re glad you know your place. It’s ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU.”

He then tossed Steven forward…as something rose up. A twisted amalgamation of every single Diamond’s hand, gripping him hard, and down, down into the darkness he went, his voice cut off by the water flooding into his jaws, as he screamed futilely. 

Welcome tooooo the moment!

To the highlight of your life!

Welcome toooo the horror…

And there's nowhere you can hide!

Welcome tooooo the moment!

To the highlight of your life!

Welcome toooo the horror…

And there's nowhere you can hide!

And then, he was back…back in his room, coated in sweat, panting heavily…

Welcome…

Welcome…

As the same being with white eyes stood at the foot of his bed, and grinned a small, terrifying little Mona Lisa smile. 

“Welcome to the bottom.” 

[quasar1967]

Cinefantastique #60

July 1986

Cover: Invaders From Mars. Big Trouble in Little China, Labyrinth, Hypersapien, The Great Mouse Detective, Howard the Duck, The Fly, Aliens, Invaders From Mars--the remake, Invaders From Mars--the original, Poltergeist II, Short Circuit

[charliechaotic]

looking for IZ rp, or just generally fantasy/SciFi rp-

I have an IZ au and enjoy ZADR personally! within universes they're proper ages together, if you don't like it that's OK! :)

edit:I prefer to be my version of Dib named Dan btw

EDIT EDIT: THIS IS OLD. LOOK AT MY NEW STUFF IM LOOKING FOR UNDERTALE RP NOW

[roymacdonaldphotography]

A terrifying nightmare lurks deep within the shadows of a government cover-up that has existed since 1943. Based on actual events, “Directive 771” is a riveting sci-fi / horror novel that challenges all of our preconceived perceptions of alien abduction and government conspiracies.

[lezhka]

(via GIPHY)

[runa-falls]

friendly favors

pairing: best friend!steven grant x reader

w/c: ~750

c/w: suggestive content (18+)

a/n: SCREAMING this into the void (YEA I KNOW I HAVE WIPS BUT FUCK IT)

part two | part three

---

the arrangement started when you noticed how stiff he was next to you as you watched a movie. even though his eyes were locked onto the screen, you could tell that his mind was elsewhere.

his leg bounced nervously when you looked over at him. he thought you wouldn't notice his embarrassing hardness under your shared blanket, but he was so desperate that his bulge was quite obvious, even with the extra layer.

it was the film that made him like that.

as your pick for the week, you chose a particularly adult film compared to the usual sci-fi/fantasy marathons you've been having. so far, there's been at least 3 make out scenes and 2 sex scenes.

steven's been counting.

usually, he would be fine.

if the actors didn't have insane chemistry that could convince the audience that they're really in love and obsessed with each other, he wouldn't be in this position.

unfortunately, that extra touch of genuineness turns him on to an unbelievable degree.

he couldn't even stand up and excuse himself the first time they kissed because he was already harder than he'd ever been in his life.

then there was you, sitting right next to him, smelling as lovely as always, dressed in comfy clothes that make him delirious. and then there's the way you look at him, speaking to him like he's a sleepy puppy. like a fragile thing for you to take care of.

"you want some help?" he freezes at the soft sound of your voice.

the movie was turned down low (to placate the neighbors) so he couldn't just ignore you and pretend like you didn't say something. you sound so sweet like you're offering to fold his laundry out of the goodness of your heart.

"help...? with what?" his eyes avoid yours as his hands attempt to pull a throw pillow over his lap. you gently slip it out of his hand with a soft smile and plop it on the carpeted floor.

"you seem a bit stressed, steven." you sound breathy as you take in his flushed appearance, appreciating his disheveled curls and shy glances. "let me help you relax, honey."

"i dunno...what you're talking about." he continues to play dumb, too mortified that this conversation is happening, but he can't avoid it once you peel the blanket off of both of you.

"this." his breathing quickens rapidly as your hand smooths over his thigh and palms over the tent of his pants.

"oh..." you squeeze and he loses his sight for a second. "...that" he barely wheezes out.

---

you're best friends with steven -- and you have been for a while. as a long-time tour guide, you took him under your wing when he started to train at the museum (he got a promotion!) and it wasn't long before he happily let you invade his life outside of work too.

now you have weekly movie nights, alternating lunch 'dates' (if he shows up to work), and daily 'friendly favors', or hook ups if you want to be brash (again, if he decides to show up).

you spend so much time with him, you really don't understand why he doesn't get the hint and just ask you out already!

you're know he can be naive, but you're still surprised that he truly believes you're loving on him as a friend. he's so hesitant, like you'd refuse him if he tried to kiss you or hold you close, even though you've shown him time and again that you crave his touch and affection.

you can tell he really appreciates your help though, always being gentle when he uses your mouth and throat, and cleaning you up when he's done. he makes sure to tell you when he's about to cum, not wanting to make a mess, though you'd love it if he would.

at the end he always says "thank you" like the polite boy he is as if you're doing him a favor, when really, you're being quite selfish, taking everything he gives you with hidden desires and intentions. then he steps away from you with a blush, zips himself back into his pants, and pretends like he wasn't just whining and begging for your tongue.

today is different though.

today, you weren't the one to make the first move.

steven was.

"love. could we--instead of you helping me...i was wondering if i could use my mouth on you."

"me?"

"if you don't want to--"

"no! i-i...let's try it out."

--

ok, this literally isn't my fault. i've been seeing steven posts/edits/fics/ideas BLASTED on my dashboard. WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO IF NOT WRITE SOMETHING INDULGENT 😭

[fandom]

TV Shows

So much sci-fi and fantasy—almost like you’re looking for an escape. Weird!

Stranger Things +51

The Owl House +1

Our Flag Means Death

Arcane

House of the Dragon

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir -1

What We Do In The Shadows +39

Supernatural -7

The Witcher +9

Succession

Moon Knight

The Sandman

Heartstopper

Amphibia +6

Doctor Who +2

Obi-Wan Kenobi

KinnPorsche

9-1-1 +7

Hawkeye +52

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles +58

Good Omens -6

Euphoria +45

The Umbrella Academy +3

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Hannibal -13

Gravity Falls +5

Bridgerton -8

Interview with the Vampire

The Mandalorian -25

Danny Phantom -3

Avatar: The Last Airbender -22

Eurovision Song Contest -16

Loki -31

The Book of Boba Fett

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Bad Buddy

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared

Supergirl -17

The Untamed -25

Killing Eve +48

Star Wars: The Clone Wars -9

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Breaking Bad

Steven Universe -20

Game Of Thrones +23

Merlin -13

South Park +37

Shadow and Bone -40

Baymax!

Better Call Saul

The Legend of Vox Machina

First Kill

The Boys

The Academy Awards

Ninjago

Riverdale -12

Teen Wolf -10

Derry Girls

Young Justice

Ted Lasso -21

Chucky

9-1-1: Lone Star -13

Druck -53

Young Royals -14

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine +9

Squid Game -44

Ms. Marvel

A League of Their Own

Lego Monkie Kid

Andor

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Criminal Minds -38

Gotham

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power -37

The Wheel Of Time

Cobra Kai -19

Black Sails +17

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series +1

Wandavision -73

Star Trek: The Original Series

Adventure Time -52

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

The Emmy Awards

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier -77

Community -13

Invader Zim -35

The Simpsons -14

Lucifer -48

Ghosts -23

Not Me

Love In The Air

Over The Garden Wall

Bee and PuppyCat

Legacies -13

Infinity Train -60

Abbott Elementary

The Flash

Columbo

Animaniacs -88

Peaky Blinders -18

The number in italics indicates how many spots a title moved up or down from the previous year. Bolded titles weren’t on the list last year.

[gsirvitor]

I'm going to start a long post.

The main issue I find with most world building, especially in sci fi and fantasy, is the lack of fleshed out infrastructure, economics etc etc.

Science Fiction

Halo

For instance, Halo is an amazing series, an amazing Science fiction universe, however, how is it that the Covenant feeds itself, how do the human worlds cope with not only an ever growing population, but a finite amount of space due to the fact that despite having 800 worlds, they only have 20+ colonies.

Earth itself had 38 billion inhabitants at the start of the Human Covenant war, how were they able to feed this massive population, let alone house it, what programs did they initiate to increase crop yield or reduce the effort needed to raise animals.

With the Covenant, the Sangheili for instance are a highly advanced species, yet they farm in the same manner medieval peasants did on earth, this not only isn't efficient, it would never produce enough food to feed just the Sangheili, let alone the other species of the Covenant.

How do they feed the Hunters, who are comprised of Lekgolo worms who consume forerunner technology, metal and other things needed to keep the Covenant war machine running.

With species like the Brutes, I can understand, they're a highly carnivorous species that will willingly eat their fellow Covenant, and can be kept fed by the bodies of their enemies.

Then there's the Grunts, they vastly outnumber and outbreed the other species of the Covenant, how do they keep them fed? Or is the entirety of the Covenant constantly on the brink of starvation?

Are the Covenant species paid? Do they buy things? If so what do they buy, what is their currency, is there a solely Prophet run stock exchange?

I mean, there must be since the jackals are literally mercenaries, who began as pirates, yet this is rarely if ever mentioned.

40k

Now, Warhammer 40k tries to make their faction infrastructure believable, however, even their attempt isn't enough to explain away the massive amounts needed to feed the Eldar let alone the massive machine that is the Imperium of Man.

The Eldar eat fruits vegetables, juices and fermented beverages made from fruits and flowers, and meat. They trade with the exodite worlds for the meat, however, the Eldar population is vague, deliberately so.

Their numbers change depending on the story being told, yet they seem to number in the billions, a trickle in the bucket compared to the Imperium, but no small feat to supply.

The small number of Exodite worlds are wild, untamed worlds of savagery and little agriculture, Exodites live as nomadic hunter gatherers, the litte meat they trade to the craft worlds would barely feed a few thousand, let alone 1 billion at the least.

Now the Dark Eldar make sense, they are a smaller population, a faction of cenobite-like space pirates that subsist off of pain and suffering, and the plunder they take from worlds they invade.

The Tau also make sense, their Empire is small, they are highly organized and regimented, their infrastructure is very advanced and well organized, while the specific details are missing, them being able to feed themselves makes some sense.

Their subject species subsist off of things the Tau wouldn't even consider to be food, such as the Kroot, who eat the fallen of the battlefield, much like the Brutes of Halo.

Orks, don't need to bring them up, they're the only faction who has a well thought out, yet silly, infrastructure, other than the Tyranids.

Now the biggest culprit of not explaining infrastructure is the ever imposing Imperium of Man, sure there are Agri-Worlds, yet even these wouldn't work.

The Imperium of Man, depending of the source has a population that ranges from 4-8 Quadrillion, to 1.5 Quintillion, to feed this population, the Imperium only has 81 notable Agri-Worlds.

On these worlds, 85-100% of their surface is used for crops and animal husbandry, now, crop cultivation, hydroponics, animal fodder or animal husbandry are done with the use of unknown advanced farming equipment made prior to the Horus Heresy.

The population of these worlds usually range from 15'000 to 1'000'000, which are widely spread across the planet, however, even then, this would not be enough manpower.

Then there's the issue that's only touched on in 40k, the Imperium does nothing to keep these vital sources of food protected, let alone running.

Put simply, Agri-worlds cannot be expected to sustain food production, or even an environment, for more than a few hundred years.

The first few harvests would be the most productive an agri-world could ever be.

As production continues, the effects of this large-scale farming make themselves known.

First, within a few decades, the abuse of the water table leads some patches of the Agri-World drying up.

This is caused by over-drawing on the water table, releasing salt that would usually be retained in water, eventually leading to the salt leeching into the soil making the land infertile.

Rehabilitating the land is difficult, and may takes shipments of off planet water, however these first patches are but a precursor to the wider problem.

Next, the planet will feel the effects of nutrient loss.

In the short term, this can be ameliorated through the application of ammonia and phosphate fertilizers, generally imported from off-world, 40k does touch on this.

However, the sheer size of the world means that the rate of import will never match the speed of usage, and exhaustion.

Meanwhile, the planet’s CO2 balance, which was perfect for growth, begins to change.

As the massive intake it received prior to its role as an Agri-World vanishes, and the atmospheric carbon balance decreases, optimal plant growth decreases.

The carbon loss can be mitigated by the burning of fuels, however this is often a temporary measure.

Eventually this will render the planet unable to support large-scale growth operations, and the planet will no longer be an Agri-World.

Like I get it, 40k is fucked, it's grim dark, people starve and the Imperium only sees its people as meat in the grinder, however even the smallest Empire would fall due to a lack of food and infrastructure, let alone a behemoth like the Imperium.

I can go on...

Fantasy

My issue with fantasy on this is actually more tame than my issues with Science Fiction.

Fantasy writers typically only need to write about and show some agriculture to make a setting believable, however, even if a writer does not show the infrastructure of a Kingdom to their readers, it is information the writer should have for themselves.

The population of a region, the dietary requirements of the people, their cuisine, the crops grown, the animals raised, how much crops even the smallest village would need to survive the winter, let alone how much a city would need to survive a siege that could last for months.

Trade routes, modes of transportation, communication, natural obstacles, challenges to trade, prices, the market, subtle or very drastic price differences between regions, exchange rates of currencies, what resources a culture values over others, preservation methods, mercantile guilds, competition, brigands and banditry, the lingua franca etc etc.

For instance, trade between kingdoms, and even villages will take a certain amount of time, a landlocked kingdom would value fresh fish from the sea more than a village located in a Fjord or inlet, and so fish would vary in price based on where you get it, same with metals, if a town specializes in tin mining, it could be very cheap to use tin in the town, however, the same tin could triple in value when shipped to a region months away that has no tin.

This is something that happens in the real world, for instance the British isles had a shit tonne of tin, making it invaluable during the Bronze Age, anyone who could get tin from these far off lands and safely, and reliably ship it, would not only become rich, they would become powerful, as they could control who got their hands on the metal needed to make bronze.

Copper by comparison was easy to come by, so much so many could successfully scam others with bad copper, such as the oh so infamous Ea Nasir.

Here's another issue, how long it would take to travel from point A to point B, you need to factor in transportation methods, food and water, travel by day or night, routes taken, how well they have been maintained, are they monitored by armed forces, are there bandits, dangerous wildlife, how quickly an individual can move without harming their horse, is it a horse, how often do they take breaks, do they sleep in shifts, do they understand how to hide their fires while camping, weather, etc etc.

For instance, Hannibal crossed the Alps when everyone thought it impossible, he moved a massive army through a mountain range, with elephants, how? He not only thought of all of the above, he used chemistry.

What do I mean? He melted and cracked the stones of the Alps that blocked his path with boiling vinegar and fire, after which they were able to remove sufficient rocks to pass and invade Italy.

Think of that, Carthage invaded Rome, with Elephants, through a Mountain Range with France, by using basic chemistry, now imagine if the Haradrim in the LotR were this ingenious and used similar methods with their armies and oliphaunts.

Imagine the shock of those hiding in a Mountain hold, when an army marches over the top riding oliphaunts, I'd be shocked, can't imagine how the Romans felt.

I could go on a long tirade about ecology, and understanding how species would interact, however I think I've gone on long enough.

Sure sure, it's fantasy, you don't need to go into insane details to explain how things work, however, it is good as a writer to have these details explained to yourself, especially if someone asks questions about your setting.

If else anyone has gripes, feel free to list them here as well.

[goodluckclove]

How I Critique Writing (A Loose Collection of Tips)

Someone asked me for insights into my methodology when it comes to giving feedback on writing and I realized I had way more than I could say in a reasonable amount of private messages. Are you someone who I've spoken to about their writing? Did someone send you their work and you don't know how to respond? Maybe this will help? Based on how people react I feel like it might be controversial but it seems to work.

When someone sends me their writing, no matter the size, subject or genre, I:

Take it seriously. It's a generational epic about the Vietnam war and its effects. It's a cute, young adult romance. It's Zim and Dib from Invader Zim realizing they've always been in love with each other. All of these things can be written with earnestness, strength, honesty and skill. It's fucking hard to write and if someone writes a single sentence that wouldn't otherwise exist its worth holding in your hands and examining with the same eye as if you were taking an interesting book off the shelf.

Respond with curiosity. It's common for critiques to follow a theme of ambiguous disdain. This doesn't work. Delete this. Bad. No. Gross. Guess what? That's not helpful. If you got that feedback, even if you followed it, you wouldn't be thrilled about it. Oftentimes you can take a line that makes you want to say Bad and ask something else. What is this supposed to express? What were you trying to do here? Am I supposed to feel happy/sad/uncertain when I read this? Curiosity can reframe something that you don't think works as a reader and turn it into an opportunity for the writer to look inward and solve their own problem. They might explain what they were trying to do, and if you were to say that it didn't pan out for you they're way more likely to tweak things themselves and feel like they still have control over their project.

Give comments. I've started giving more in-depth comments on the writing people give me depending on how anxious they are about it. If you're a pretty confident writer I'll give a summary of what I gained and what I was left wondering, what I thought and what I felt, what associations it made me think of in terms of tone and other forms of media - stuff like that. For newer writers, especially those who are far more doubting of their own abilities, I go buck wild. And in my opinion notes should be less like Good! I like this! Wow! Nice! (What are you, grading my book report? No thanks), and more like what you think when you're reading a book you're truly invested in. Make jokes about the characters (Not mean ones. I will send bugs to you in the mail.), chart exact lines that provoke physical reactions, even a small one. Can you imagine reading someone treat your work like it has its own fandom on Tumblr? You can do that for someone else.

Fucking have some fucking awareness of the fact that it might not be for you and that doesn't mean it's bad. I'm angry about this one considering the novel a friend sent me last night that they've been too terrified to try and post online, despite it being fucking brilliant. I'll try and calm down. Listen - you read what you like. I mainly read literary and experimental fiction, some poetry, horror and some sci-fi. Not a lot of genre fiction. But I will always be down to read someone's high fantasy story, because even though I don't really like fantasy I know what the good ones sound like. I've forced myself to gain a sense of what someone else would like, even if I don't like it. And I can still critique it. If I'm a builder and I see a house that's painted a shade of green I find sinful for a home (i.e. mint), I can look past that and focus on the state of the walls and the stability of the foundation. You aren't a reviewer, man. You are neither Siskel, nor Ebert. They write for readers, you write for writers. So you don't like historical fiction? Cool, man. Congrats. If someone trusts you enough to give you some to read and critique, you should still do so objectively. If you give it an automatic F because you wouldn't buy it, then you are legally a stinky little trash man. That's just the law.

Ask them what they liked to write and what was the hardest. There's apparently a weird trend on online writer communities that say there are specific rules that all writers need to follow. This is not true. It just isn't. If the dialogue in a story you read is weak, and the writer says they hate writing dialogue and really struggle with it, maybe tell them they don't have to use it. You might change their entire life.

RESPOND WITH CURIOSITY. You see the Ask games where people try and get more detail on the WIP of certain authors. If you have a WIP and I ask you a worldbuilding question that doesn't relate to the direct plot of the story as it exists now, I bet you'd like to talk about it. If I ask if you were inspired by a certain tone or movie, you might know the work I was talking about and feel happy. Or you might not know it, look it up, and feel inspired. I don't think people realize that a critique of new/unfinished writing is not a one-and-done exchange. You are taking part in an isolated process in a way few other people on the planet will. It's not homework. It's. Not. Homework. We spend so much of our time alone just fiddling our hands and making our magic, and in instances like these we share something in one of the ultimate forms of artistic trust. They're taking you into a world that hasn't fully formed yet. Is it cool? Can you tell me about it? Can they?

Be nice. Storytime, friends. In the way early 2010s, there was something on the internet called sporking. It was pretty much a line by line roast of someone's writing - typically fanfic. And I hate to say this, but I read a lot of it. I was 13, somehow untreated and overmedicated, and I was miserable constantly. Just cold in my chest. At one point I had the chance to critique a stranger's story - probably another child - and I essentially mocked the whole thing. They ended up deleting the story off the website. I cannot begin to describe to you the shame I feel about doing this, even ten years later. It burns in my heart and makes me sick to my stomach. If you are a serious writer, especially a young writer, and you insult another writer's craft to their face just as they're getting started - you will regret it. I promise you that. You will think about holding something alive and full of potential in your hands and squeezing your fists until it is just flecks of meat and crushed bone. It will haunt you. Maybe only a little, but constantly and for the rest of your life. So don't do it.

Wow what a grim note to leave on! That's essentially my philosophy on writing critique, do with it what you will. Want to send me some writing to receive this kind of excessive treatment? Cool! I have an email in my pinned post and I'll do that! I'm also down to chat if anyone wants to send me asks or DMs on writing/writing struggles/publishing tips.

[texasthrillbilly]

[theresattrpgforthat]

THEME: Space and Stars

This week's themes are all loosely categorized under space, from space-westerns, to space-fantasy, to some games entirely within their own genre.

Boar Beasts on A Barbarous Planet, by Z.W. Garth.

Boar Beasts on a Barbarous Planet is a 2-page Push Powered roleplaying game of boarfolk warriors surviving on a planet of swords-and-lasers, covered in hostile biomes and littered with the sci-fi tech of planetary invaders who couldn't cut it in this harsh world. 

Players take on the role of warriors dedicated to protecting their sounder from the many threats that plague them, in this harsh, psychedelic world. 

Push games use an interesting 'push-your-luck' mechanic, in which your can choose to re-roll and add to your roll in order to make a "weak" success stronger - but roll too high, and you meet disaster. In my opinion, it's an SRD that feels a little over-looked in the indie scene.

This game is meant to be brutal and violent, on a world that is difficult to survive. Your characters enter the story battle-scarred, and will leave the story worse, possibly even dead. This looks to be a game that’s full of prompts and roll-tables, so if you like random generation, I recommend checking this one out.

From Out of the Boundless Deep, by Scyllaycs. 

From Out the Boundless Deep is a two-player game about a mech pilot and an engineer working on the starship the Boundless. The game follows the pilot’s dangerous missions off the ship, the engineer’s meaningful repairs onboard the ship, and the brief moments the two meet between missions.

This game has two players, and no set GM. If you want to be a character who’s interacting with a dynamic set of stats and risky endeavours, you can pick up the Pilot. If you like building and modding things to set up the two of you for future challenges, then the Engineer might be more your style. The Game itself is split into two phases: Ship Phase and Mission Phase, with each phase giving the player a chance to shine. A Tarot Deck will be used to provide benefits and drawbacks throughout the course of play.

This is a game where you can really explore the conflict and community between two characters, in a situation where they can’t always communicate in a way they’d like. It doesn't demand an epic storyline but definitely has the space for it. This is also a great game for two people who have different and complimentary styles of play. 

Dead Belt, by A Couple of Drakes. 

Dead Belt is played by building a Belter and taking them out into the Belt to scavenge randomly-generated starships, using things you already have laying around: a six-sided die, a deck of common playing cards, and a few tokens of whatever sort happen to be close at hand.

With a dozen unique ship deck plans, over 100 flavorful prompts, and plenty of character stats to help you avert certain death, no two ships will ever feel the same. You’ll board these derelict starships, navigate barriers, dodge threats, monitor your air-supply, and salvage as you go.

You’ll deal with all the dangers lurking onboard these starships, push your luck, and finally return to spend your hard-won booty to secure better equipment, improve your skills, pay down your crippling debt, and hopefully, maybe, eventually set yourself up to live out your dreams far from the Belt.

There are three ways to play this game: Solo, Co-Op and Rivalry. This means that in a two-player game, you can choose to either work together or attempt to sabotage each-other in a race for pay. This game is an homage to Cowboy Bebop and similar Space Westerns, with a lot of tantalizing options designed for duet play.

Vaults of Vaarn, by graculusdroog.

Vaults of Vaarn is a 48-page, black and white tabletop RPG zine, which presents setting information, a full game system, and character creation procedure for adventures in Vaarn, a vast blue desert that lies at the very end of time. The game is built on the chassis of Knaveby Ben Milton, with lightweight rules, speedy character generation, and gameplay that emphasizes creativity and problem-solving on the part of players and referee. 

This game setting feels like a space opera smashed together with acid fantasy, with bright colourful descriptions of strange monsters, NPC’s and locations. It is a dangerous setting that is designed to work with OSR games, primarily Knave but I have a feeling it would be pretty easy to steal ideas from this for other OSR systems as well. If you’re a fan of big space epics like Dune or weird futures like Numenera or Gamma World, this game is probably worth checking out.

If you want to see what the community has created for this setting, I recommend checking out the submissions to the Vaarn Summer Jam of 2022!

Nibiru, by Araukana Media.

Nibiru is a science fiction tabletop roleplaying game, set in a massive space station in a neighbouring solar system. Players take on the role of Vagabonds; people who woke up in the space station with no memories of their past.

Nibiru tackles themes of memory, nature and artificiality through simple mechanics, evocative art and immersive worldbuilding.

This is a game in which you create your character’s backstory as you play, filling in pieces of memory as you explore a space station filled with strange inhabitants and abandoned or deteriorating locations. The way you write about yourself will also fuel your character progression, with rewards for creativity and turning some of your memories into tools that you can use as you play. The setting is unique, evocative, and has a lot of potential to tell a compelling and heart-wrenching story. 

If you want to see a bit of the game in action before buying it, there is a Quickstart Guide available on DriveThruRPG!

Other Space Recommendation Posts

Star Trek (and its sequel)

Space Adventures

Space Westerns

Space Fantasy