So… this is where I'll probably mostly be complaining about the process of writing, and my aptitude - or lack thereof - for it, reblogging cool things other people wrote... oh very well and I guess I'll also be posting some of the fiction I write, which will either be here or on Dreamwidth under the #MizWrites tag, or on AO3, because… well, It's The Big One.
Am I proud of everything I put out there?
Of course not. Nevertheless…
My brain is constantly plagued by too many half-formed but fascinating story ideas and vignettes. They haunt me, day in, day out.
Unfortunately for me, I have neither the time nor the skill, really, to do even one percent of them justice.
Unfortunately for you, however, dear reader, I decided to try and get some of my writing in front of other people's eyes anyway, in a possibly misguided attempt to at least do something about the 'lack of skill' part above by maybe getting some feedback, because it's really hard to get better in a void.
Basically, it's the old "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice!" gambit but, you know, with a live audience…
I'm sure it'll be fine.
Hopefully.
Probably.
Maybe.
“Okay,” Feathers says, lifting its head up from a double-digit number of hours spent buried face-down in a pillow. “We are in Hell. For… all eternity. Truly fallen.”
“And a girl!” Azaerixia helpfully adds, bouncing into bed next to Feathers before crashing face first into its outstretched palm.
“One thing at a time,” it says, unceremoniously turning her away. “We don’t want to be in Hell.”
“A lotta people say that, but I think you’ll find-” Vixitana starts.
“Hush.” Feathers interrupts her.
“Okay so we’re clearly still working on manners-”
“Grezayla, tell us how to like it here,” it asks.
“Oh! Well it’s really just a matter of figuring out what you want-”
“No, no,” Feathers says, shaking its head. “We don’t want to figure out what we want, tell us how. What do you, Grezayla, do? How do you go from nun to succubus and be happy? Explain it to us.”
“Well, there’s the gay thing,” says Grezayla.
“Plenty of people are gay,” Feathers says, waving a hand dismissively. “They don’t immediately pivot to serving the Queen of Succubi. There are even nuns that remain servants of Christ while engaging in homosexuality together. There must be something else.”
“Do they get into heaven?” Vixitana asks.
“Not the point.”
“Oh man, uh…” Grezayla sighs. “Well, we were- oh my fucking god you have me doing it- I was never really actually happy as a nun, I don’t think.”
“And we have never felt more than the satisfaction of a purpose fulfilled,” Feathers groans. “You still became a nun, you sought God for a reason, and now you choose this! Make us understand so that we might find peace!”
Grezayla makes a strained, noncommittal noise.
“You’re kinda putting a lot on her, Feathers,” says Helneth.
“Not our name!” says Feathers.
“Pick a name then!”
“One thing at a time!”
“Okay, okay, I do have one thing I like to do down here that fits with what I wanted from being a nun,” Grezayla says, “but I don’t think you’ll like it.”
Feathers gestures expectantly, and Azaerixia gasps with delight.
“Do you mean-?” she starts to ask, and Grezayla blushes.
“Well don’t say it, it’s, y’know, embarrassing, it’s just between you and Lilith and me. But um, I guess if you really think it would help..?”
“This is nothing at all like the sacrament of penance,” says Feathers, as it watches Grezayla squirm in Lilith’s lap.
“It, it a little is,” she insists.
“I certainly hope it isn’t,” purrs Lilith. “We ask you to repent for nothing, little lamb.”
“We know you’re a good girl!” says Azaerixia, gazing up at her from her spot knelt between the two’s legs.
“It’s, I mean-” Grezayla stammers. “Look, it’s the closest we’re going to get, and it’s why I came down here, so… maybe it’ll spark some kind of insight?”
Feathers sighs and waves its hand dismissively.
“Fine,” it says. “Continue.”
“Glad to have approval from the cuck chair,” Lilith snorts, rolling her eyes before turning her attention fully to Grezayla. “Now: Tell us what’s been on your mind, darling.”
“Well, um, aha-” Grezayla laughs nervously, as her clothes evaporate and Lilith drags a claw down her side. “I- I got summoned a while ago and the guy was like, really rude and impatient? So I wayyy highballed him so he would fuck off, but he still made the pact? So I ate like eighteen months of his life, and um, at the time I felt great but now I feel bad for taking so much.”
Lilith snorts a small plume of smoke.
“You don’t need me to tell you it’s okay to charge whatever you want for your services,” she says. “If I had exact rates I wanted you to adhere to I would have told you, and if I felt bad about taking too much time from mortals I wouldn’t eat their eternal souls. No, still a good girl. Azzy?”
“Definitely a good girl!” Azzy agrees. “I ate ten years off somebody once and had the best nap after. If someone wants to start negotiations off by being a jerk, why would we ever want you to take that lying down?”
“So, how does our good girl want her reward to start?”
“Right, um, start slow so I can explain. So Feathers- EEEP!” Grezayla squeals, because apparently Azzy heard ‘get up here and bite my nipple’, which doesn’t sound at all similar. “Slower than that!” she giggles.
“Sorry!” Azzy apologizes, not sorry in the slightest.
“Ahem. So!” Grezayla starts again. “Wasn’t happy being a nun, so why do it, right? And I guess what I thought was that god lays out all these rules to live by, and if you follow them you’re all good and you don’t have to worry about it.”
“What a dreadful way to live,” says Lilith.
“Okay, well, yes; but that’s not what I’m getting at,” says Grezayla. “The thing is that I worried about it anyway. All the time! And so I prayed for reassurance, and… nothing. Nothing at all. And people said they could feel god when they prayed, so I thought maybe I just wasn’t trying hard enough? So I went and became a nun.”
“If He was in your ear reminding you what to do at every turn, virtue would be meaningless. You’re meant to prove yourself,” Feathers says.
“That’s stupid!” says Azaerixia.
“Profoundly stupid,” Lilith agrees. “I’m always here for Grezayla when she needs me. Is there anything else on your mind, darling?”
“Oh, um, I… I still don’t feel like a very good succubus, sometimes. Everyone is so much better at everything than I am, and I haven’t even taken anyone’s soul or anything…”
“Aww, precious…” Lilith murmurs. “You’ve been growing wonderfully. These things take time, you can’t compare yourself to everyone else. Even Vicky has almost a hundred years on you.”
“I know…”
“And we all see how hard you try!” adds Azzy. “That counts for a lot!”
“We see it, and we’ll do anything we can to help you succeed,” Lilith says. “And you know what that means.”
“I, I get rewarded for bringing my worries to Mistress so she can help me be my best!” Grezayla recites eagerly.
“This is ridiculous!” Feathers complains. “You’re telling us that all it takes for you to change everything about yourself, cast aside your faith and serve a demon instead; is the fact that she dangles treats in front of you?”
“Oh please,” Lilith scoffs into Grezayla’s neck, fangs nipping at her soft skin. “Like promises of Heaven aren’t the same. Why did you first summon me, Grezayla? Was it for treats?”
“N-No! Not at all!” Grezayla says, shaking her head. “I just wanted something to answer me! If a demon showed up then I would rebuke it, and I would know that god was with me.”
“Ohh,” Lilith gasps, reminiscing. “With your little crucifix and jar of salt. You made for a very cute exorcist. And yet, as I recall, no power came to smite me at your command.”
“…Yeah. And so I thought, well, first summoning didn’t go to plan, but- I couldn’t let a demon go around telling people I was into her, and I definitely couldn’t be into her, so I had to summon her again to be sure everything was clear, and… I don’t know.” Grezayla fidgets, blushing. “After the initial shock wore off, and she wasn’t trying to antagonize me, she was…”
“Well, yes, all of those! And so was Azzy!” Grezayla says, petting Azzy’s hair. “Even when I didn’t think I deserved it. I felt like they cared about me when god had already written me off.”
“We want to help mortals please us instead of casting them aside the moment they fail to. Don’t we, Azzy?”
“That’s rii~iight!” Azaerixia coos, wiggling with excitement. “Can we give her her reward now?”
“In a moment, dearest,” Lilith purrs, smug; her tail swishing through the air proudly. “We are kinder, less demanding; our kingdom more impressive-”
“You’re gloating at the angel instead of pampering me,” Grezayla pouts.
“…Ah, I suppose I am. But you understand, don’t you Feathers?” Lilith asks. The candles in the room falter, light receding from her presence. “Grezayla is a wonderful devotee, all she ever needed was a little appreciation in turn. And really, can you blame her? Doesn’t it sound nice? Wouldn’t you like it too? To have your hard work rewarded? Your desires fulfilled, after so long?” she asks, her eyes burning violet. “Wouldn’t you like to be mine?”
Feathers shudders. “…No,” it says. “We… We don’t know if we can. An eternity of indulgence… what would we even fill it with?”
“Any bullshit that seems interesting, really,” says Lilith, as the light returns to the room. “I’d enjoy if you became a huge pervert, but- well, I’m biased, and you don’t have a soul to give me anyway. I’m sure your friends would love to figure it out with you, wouldn’t you girls?”
“Yep!” Azaerixia agrees, and Grezayla just nods frantically.
“Mm? Oh, I think our good girl is getting impatient, Azzy. Feathers, would you like to stay and watch, or-?”
“No, we will take our leave,” Feathers says. “…Thank you for explaining. We understand Grezayla a bit better now.”
“Anytime,” says Lilith, before turning her attention away from the angel entirely. It stays for a moment, to study Grezayla as the other two succubi begin to- urgh, no, it can’t watch this, it feels- very strange. Disgusted and anxious and envious of all involved, in equal measure.
It vanishes from Lust and reappears in Lucifer’s office, where the other angel gives it a glance and quick nod of acknowledgement before returning to work, leaving it to ponder its most recent outing in blessed silence.
i keep seeing tmnt fans say the gross pizza glop is a reference to the show but thats literlaly not true im sorry in the show they like have gross toppings but the pizza is literally drawn normal style how do u get from this
There’s a principle I talk a lot about in relation to Lancer game design which I call the Knight Boat Principle. In Season 6, Episode 13 of The Simpsons, “And Maggie Makes Three,” this exchange occurs:
TV Announcer: We now return to Knight Boat, the Crime Solving Boat!
[a boat chases several men on jet skis]
Michael: Faster, Knight-Boat, we’ve gotta catch those starfish poachers! Oh no, they’re headed for land!
[the starfish poachers switch from jet skis to motorcycles and speed away]
Michael: We’ll never catch ‘em now!
Knight Boat: Incorrect. Look, a canal!
[cut to the Simpsons’ living room]
Bart: Aw, every week there’s a canal!
Lisa: Or an inlet!
Bart: Or a fjord.
Homer: Quiet! I will not hear another word against the boat.
I actually hold the belief that it’s perfectly fine for there to always be a canal, or an inlet, or a fjord, because this is a show about Knight Boat, the crime-solving boat, and if you don’t have a waterway down which Knight Boat can travel, you are kneecapping the entire premise of your show.
Lancer is a game about mech fights. Major problems in the Lancer universe must always, in some way, have a solution that includes fighting in mechs. If players travel to a place in their mechs, it should be a place with architecture sized to reasonably accommodate them.
This is the guiding thematic principle around which I write for Lancer. I need to justify why the mechs are fighting in a theme park, but I do not need to justify why the mechs are able to fight in the theme park – In Golden Flame and in the greater extent the whole of Lancer is a setting about giant robots being used for things they definitely shouldn’t. If you need me to explain to you why the theme park uses fully-armed giant robots as mascots, you are in the wrong game.
yeah i like to give my blessing to the most pathetic looking weak little knight at the tournament. she can’t even look me in the eye when i give her my flower and she stutters out that she’ll do her best or something of the like. i think its funny when she has to cry and beg my forgiveness and i get to say “such a shame, i suppose my hand in marriage will have to go to someone else…” and then i get to hear her whimper like a dog. ive done this like 6 times alrea-
In my post about male authors writing female characters, I mentioned Jókai, and it pains me that non-Hungarian readers never got to know Lady Baradlay. The Sons of the Stone-Hearted Man, or The Baron's Sons, as it's called in the existing but super obscure English translation, was a formative read for me, a big adventurous emotional big-R but also small-r Romantic novel like Les Mis or Count of Monte Cristo, and it all hinges on the Lady Baradlay.
The novel starts with Lord Baradlay, a dying Hungarian baron, dictating his last will and testament to his wife. It's a set of hyperspecific instructions on how his conservative, pro-Habsburg political legacy must be carried on after his death. The Baron orders his wife to remarry after six weeks, to his closest political ally, allowing the man to take possession of the Baron's castle and his seat in parliament. He has three young adult sons, one training as a diplomat, one as a military officer, the third as a courtier/civil servant, all three with the potential to reach a high and influential rank, and the Baron gives specific instructions on how their careers, and even their private lives, must be organised to further their father's political agenda. And then he dies. And immediately after his death, his wife, who truly loved him, kneels by his bedside and swears an oath to god that she will do the exact opposite of everything he ordered, she specifically says may God only have mercy on his soul if I manage to undo all the evil he planned.
And then the rest of the novel is about her doing that. Refusing to remarry, breaking with her husband's political allies, giving the castle and the parliament seat to her eldest son and supporting him in a progressive, anti-Habsburg political career, and convincing her two younger sons to come home from Vienna and join the cause of Hungarian independence. The latter includes her doing a fair bit of espionage and semi-accidentally stealing an entire company of hussars. Of course the plot then runs into the 1848 Hungarian revolution, and as we know it doesn't exactly end well, but it's a really wonderful historical family epic.
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