PROPHET

tell me... what have you seen? i've seen the beginning.

[massieh]

I decided to share a chapter from the middle of Crucify today. It gives away next to nothing, but I hope that the surrealism hits just as hard without context. Unofficially ( but unlikely to change ), have Chapter 11, posted to DA because I no longer trust Tumblr’s read mores.

Transfigure Ch 1. can be read in full HERE.

[massieh]

also i’m soft blocking anyone writing cy//berpunk content. i’m tired of explaining that it’s transphobic. i’m tired of explaining that it’s ableist. i’m tired.

[massieh]

Thinking about just using this blog to document thoughts about the story. Make it password locked and give it only to people who I trust.

[massieh]

Oh, right. Asa’s name is changing because I got creeped out by all three protags having two a’s in their names. So their name is now Osiris or Osa. 

[massieh]

how terrible would it be to just write up summaries of all three books despite the fact that none of them are currently available in print or ebook?

[massieh]

i may look like i’m doing jackshit, but guess who just figured out the whole plot for the third book.

[massieh]

Did some concept art since I’m going more graphic novel now. The two in purple are Talbot. The other two are Andy and Kane.

[massieh]

Various TCR inspiration, part 1 :

SCP FOUNDATION. To absolutely no one’s surprise. It would be an injustice not to credit the entries among the SCP Foundation that helped to inspire the Cage, Appalachian Unit, Divide, Depths, and more. The series’ original form was an AU thread with a roleplay partner of 10+ years, with Andy’s character loosely based on the role their OC took in the thread. Not only do I have permission to use this, but they regularly give feedback on the story’s progress; they may be one of three who have always known the story in full. The original thread barely holds a resemblance to TCR’s final product, but inspiration can still be seen in the SCP Foundation, primarily in the entries SCP-354 and SCP-096. The former, I’m still working toward weening out, as it’s still too similar.

HOZIER’S TAKE ME TO CHURCH. I feel like everyone was inspired by this one at some point. It happened to come out when I was just starting out with the story. The deep tones of his voice, the poetry of the lyrics, the haunting-but-empowering swell of the choir backing him? I want to create ( without forcing it, of course ) that same feeling. 

NEW ORLEANS. Honestly, the whole place, since that’s where Sector 52 was settled. With both its sci fi scope and a post-apocalyptic setting, however, things aren’t wholly recognizable. However, a few places littered throughout the city did supply direct inspiration, as well as landmarks for the narrative. Included are Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, Jazzland / Six Flags New Orleans, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Iberville Projects / Bienville Basin Apartments, and the Delta Queen. These locations were used in narrative, but with Six Flags on its way to being demolished and Iberville recently being renovated, a change was both necessary and exciting. The locations will remain, but my approach to portraying them as individual settings in an altered timeframe is changing.

ANGEL LORE AND FICTION. And when I say “angel lore”, I don’t mean flying babies in diapers. I also don’t mean whatever tf came out of spn. I mean those scary motherfuckers with six wings and bodies made of eyes. Utilized throughout the book are Enochian, various references to the angels Azrael and Apollyon, as well as plot devices designed around the various mythologies of angels. Yes, the Bible is one source, but it isn’t the only one. Not by a long shot. I’ll give the full list as I find references during the next edit.

JOB 41. “Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook or tie down its tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through its nose or pierce its jaw with a hook? Will it keep begging you for mercy? Will it speak to you with gentle words?” The entirety of the chapter can be read here. Job questions God’s competence on the grounds that Job himself is suffering, so God is clearly doing something wrong. Chapters 40-41 are God’s response, asking if Job can do the work of a god, since he’s so goshdang smart. Personally, I’ve always loved the description of the Leviathan and wanted to show that love in narrative.

[massieh]

or i could change asa’s name to apollyon.

[massieh]

hi, friends. it’s not monday, but it has been a while.

[massieh]

Did you inherit the sins of your father?

[massieh]

          ( this was a meme, but i’m not linking it. ) @finalvlog​ said, ‘ but you kept trying , didn’t you ? ’

          ‘   you make it sound noble.   ’          a soft chuckle lends to his laugh lines, despite the grain of truth he feels the need to wheeze from the back of his throat. trying—it’s a funny concept no matter the use. and he can hear in echoes of his mind the recycling of the lionized phrase: there is no try.

then comes the guilt.

          it climbs through the cage of his ribs, a cold sweat threatening to break just to keep it from reaching his eyes. but malachi, as much as he may sometimes resent it, is nothing if not wholly honest. the smile does not drop nor wane. it remains as much of him as the growing pit in his stomach.     ‘   honestly, nothing changed until i gave up.   ’

[massieh]

CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT, RAMASA “ASA” VASI.           part 1.

role: primary protagonist. NOTE,   Much of Asa’s outline is still under heavy construction. I don’t have a physical description of the character yet, nor do i know how extensive their knowledge is. That’s alright, though.   You can still have this :

Asa’s story is a little different from our first two protagonists, as they lived to not only see the foundation of the First Sector, but to partake in it. The second of five children, with a single mother no less, the financial state of Asa’s family is well below the state’s poverty guideline. Though this has led to more struggle than anything, Asa remains optimistic. As they would say: Why worry about the end, when everything is just beginning? It’s this mindset that leads them to the First Sector, where they witness first-hand the start of something much bigger than even the future OFSP can fight.

[massieh]

“It is, in one of the most literal ways possible, a call of the void.”

[massieh]

One of the most rewarding and tedious things about TCR is that I never wanted any real heroes or villains. Every turn has meant pushing characters to extremes, standing back, and deciphering what would drive them to do these things. This process has left me with a collection of characters and plot devices beyond anything I imagined for the first draft. I’m learning how to speak about and treat my work with the same love that I have for others’. Honestly, there’s a lot to love.

[massieh]

NICOLA SAMORI   //   “My attention is focused on the last moments of a work when a form of exhausted, at-the-limit beauty is impressed in it. I like taking the image to a breaking point, putting its form into danger.”

[massieh]

Today may be the day I begin Asa’s character outline. I won’t have the full design until I work through the exact actions taken in the third book. Seeing as they are my last primary protagonist, however, most of the work has already been done.