Hi, I'm Sage! This is my artfight. I like to make art and write. I do my best.
This year I'm trying to get more followers for my tumblr lore/art blog, @otherpeoplesstories ! I will attack you if you send me your tumblr on Artfight, or your artfight over here. Or if you attack me, I always revenge (at least for attacks posted pre-July 30th), and I'm fine with friendly fire, though that's a bit less of a concern this year! If you want me on your list of people who will attack you early, and therefore first, you can hmu before artfight, just don't chose a character of yours for me, I like to have a choice on which one to draw in an attack.
I think it's important to know that this quote is about Marco from Animorphs realizing he can cause a major blow to the Yeerk Empire by killing his deeply beloved mother. And he nearly does it too and is only stopped by another character physically intervening.
I dunno, stop apologizing for your art. This includes not posting enough, too much, changing style, inconsistent style, repetition, subject. Its your art its your expression. Have fun.
Stop making “she was different from other girls” the whole personality. Different how? tax fraud? lactose intolerance? emotionally unavailable but good at pottery? be specific.
Your protagonist's flaw isn't supposed to be charming. If readers find the flaw endearing, it's not actually costing the character anything, which means it's not a flaw, it's a personality quirk wearing a flaw's clothes. A real flaw should make the reader wince a little, should make them go "please don't do that" and then watch the character do it anyway. That wince is the whole point of writing one.
What helped me write trauma better is remembering that the nervous system learns predictions. If danger used to come after quiet, calm can feel threatening. If kindness used to come with a price, kindness can feel suspicious. So healing is not just “they know they’re safe now.” Healing is the slow, annoying, deeply unfair process of teaching the body that the old prediction is not always the present truth.
very important for elf characters to freak the fuck out about the aging difference thing and pre-grieve like crazy and scream themself hoarse with denial when they can’t stop death itself and they still look the same as when they met the frail aged body that’s going cold beneath their touch and eventually settle into a numbness that they’ll call acceptance but they never really let anyone get as close as they did in the first century of their life unless they know they’re going to stick around as long as they will
Star and Eclipsa must navigate a diplomatic visit with the representatives of several monster nations.
Wordcount: 3228
"Ugh, what's taking her so long?" Star groused to herself, pacing by the door and gnawing the sleeve of her expensive dress absentmindedly as she glanced at the clock- they'd be here any minute!
Sure enough, as she was pacing, Manfred walked up to her.
"Our first... Guest" he said, spitting the word out like it'd gone sour, "has arrived, shall I let it in?"
"Oh-" Star took her sleeve out of her mouth, only just realizing she'd been biting it, "Of course".
She tried to tug it back into something respectable and prepared to greet the first of their guests.
She was here representing New Septarsis. Star smiled, offering a hand to the woman, who curtly shook it before settling at her place on the table.
Star lingered around her, "Soooo" she started, "How was your trip?"
"... Fine" said the short woman, hunching over in her chair.
"Can I get you a drink?" Star asked, at last. At this, the septarian seemed to brighten somewhat.
"That would be wonderful, thank you" she said. "Do you have mother's ichor?"
"Oh" said Star, "That's... vinegar mixed with..."
"Blood, yes" said the septarian, "And a bit of honey."
"Weeell" said Star, "we'll see what I can do."
"Water is fine, too" the septarian added helpfully, "Just, please, no alcohol"
"Got it, noooo alcohol" said Star.
It was a reasonable accommodation- a common one, even, as alcohol was well known to be deadly to many of the lessor-other species of the multiverse.
Her mom had even kept alternate intoxicants in stock, just in case- not all of them worked on mewmens, Star had checked, and a few were even toxic in the wrong way, which is the point she stopped experimenting because her mom had walked in on her throwing up and then she'd had to tell the royal doctor what'd happened.
But, that was for the cats with human faces and the pigeons and the sea people- she had no idea what septarians did.
Not that that mattered, she reminded herself- the septarian lady wasn't looking to get drunk.
She walked to the kitchen, and found to her relief that the kappa chef Eclipsa had employed understood the request perfectly- within a couple minutes, she returned with a cup full of blood.
When she returned, the septarian smiled at her, "Why, thanks- uh" she faltered, expression souring as she caught sight of something on the cup.
She set it down, refusing to take a sip.
___
Soon enough, their next representative arrived- the one from Bovidia, known to the Butterflies as size-shifter country.
Star straightened up, prepared to greet the stranger... Only to see they were another septarian.
She glanced over at Eclipsa, who looked just as nervous as her.
"Uh-" Star started.
"A coincidence, I'm sure" murmered Eclipsa, "Just because it's a size-shifter nation doesn't mean that only size-shifters live there"
This new septarian shook Star's hand, greeting her curtly... But pointedly ignored Eclipsa, pulling their arm back and rushing past her to sit with the first envoy.
"Well, that was odd." Star muttered.
"Yes." said Eclipsa, frowning. She'd been expecting this from mewmens, but monsters... Monsters were supposed to like her.
Then again, septarians weren't like most monsters.
The third and fourth representatives were also septarians- each new arrival treating Eclipsa the same, and with each new arrival, Star and Eclipsa grew more uncomfortable.
Star sat next to Eclipsa at the table. The four septarians sat across from them.
Quietly, Eclipsa's servants, largely demons, although a handful of Moon's old team had switched over as well, came in with the feast.
Contrary to the stories Star had heard, which suggested that septarians had bottomless appetites, these ones just sat there, staring at their plates, muttering darkly amongst themselves and casting dirty glances at their hosts.
Eventually, one raised her hand.
"Do you mind giving us... Metal, silverware?" she asked.
"Uh- certainly" said Eclipsa, "Reginald?" she called over her demonic butler. "Can you give these nice people the... silver, silverware?"
"Yes, your majesty" said Reginald, fluttering away to the kitchen. Within a few minutes, the staff returned, switching out the fine ivory for silver.
Most of them began eating after that- but the representative of New Septarsis, the first to arrive, sent her meal back. She had lost her appetite.
___
After the disaster of a dinner, Star found herself leading the septarians through the halls of the ancient temple, showing off the artwork that served to insulate the cold stone halls.
"And this one, uhhh..." Star looked up at a depiction of an ancient battle- this one depicted a pair of Solarian Warriors battling a dragon. "Uh, moving on..." she muttered, but, turning back to the septarians, she saw she needn't have bothered- the septarians weren't paying attention to her.
"Sickening." the lanky Bovidian representative was muttering to the one from Testudine, the two of them looking up at one of the tapestries. "Absolutely sickening- and in the Bovini temple, too"
"Centuries later" she muttered back, "and they still don't know any shame. We should go."
The lanky septarian raised his chin, "No, no- we have a job to do. We should at least make an attempt."
The septarian from Testudine sighed, but didn't protest.
Sensing that the tapestries weren't going over well, Star stepped in with a smile. "Ah, not big on tapestries, eh? That's fine, that's fine" she laughed, a touch maniacal, at the feeling of all the reptilian eyes baring down on her, "We've got plenty of OTHER entertainment options!" leading them into the next room, she said "How about this charming, traditional Lapidoptian dance?"
The gathered septarians sat, staring skeptically at the stage before them.
The music started, and a group of mewmens dressed in brightly colored clothes stepped onto the stage, performing something between a ballet and a fast-paced mock battle.
Glancing over at the septarians for approval, Star's face faltered when she saw the looks of shock and disgust on their faces.
Around the middle of the dance, the New Septarian rep leapt to her feet, running onto the stage. "STOP, freaking, Stop this!" She shouted.
Star stood, "Hey, they worked hard on that!" she said.
The New Septarian representative glared down at her, "Oh, did they?" she said, "Wow. I didn't know they worked hard on it, if only I'd KNOWN, then I wouldn't have been OFFENDED" she hissed through her teeth. "Do you people have no common sense? No empathy? You invite us, a bunch of septarians, over, and you show us- THAT?"
Star stood tall, summoning all her Queenly training, and said: "All evening, we've been trying to show you hospitality, and you've only rejected it! What's your problem with us? You COULD just accept that we're trying and at least PRETEND to be nice, but you just had to hate everything we show'd you! The food, the tapestries-"
"LOOK at those tapestries, really look!" shouted the septarian woman, finally fed up.
Star slammed her mouth shut, shocked at having been interrupted, and then stepped back into the hall.
There were many tapestries, but the biggest, and quickest to draw the eye, was a battle scene showing none other than Solaria Butterfly- in the process of chopping up a screaming septarian.
"And these vile cups?" she demanded, shoving the glass full of slowly congealing blood in Star's face.
On the side, it showed a demon lord Star thought she recognized from family portraits in Tom's summer palace, buried in the upper caverns of the Underworld, far away from the rising magma. He was all of eighteen feet tall, towering over a group of cowering septarians in chains.
"It was a long time ago..."
"And that 'dance'?" she demanded, "Celebrating the capture and execution of three hundred monster civilians who were framed as rebels? That happened under your mother."
"Well..." said Star, "They helped kill my grandmother, didn't they? Or, they at least supported it- I'm sure you'd do the same!"
She made a sound of deep offence, "I would NOT" she protested.
"And lets not forget those cursed items made from our flesh and bones that you, apparently, still own" cut in the Hydrandrea representative, his eyes narrowing. "Even though New Septarsis has repeatedly asked that you hand them over."
There was a moment of silence.
"The WHAT?" Star asked.
"The septarian bone utensils! Septarian gut harps! Surely, you can't be that ignorant!" said the New Septarian representative.
"Oh God- I didn't even know that! I'm so sorry!" said Star, she turned to Eclipsa, "Eclipsa, did you know this?"
"Uh-" Eclipsa started. She surveyed the septarians, taking in their accusatory glares. "... There's nothing I can say to defend myself, is there?" she asked.
"No. No, there isn't." said the Bovidian representative.
Eclipsa sat down, wisely shutting her mouth.
Star, cowed, kept talking. "I'm so, so, SO sorry!" she said, "What can I do to make up for it?"
"For a start" said the Testudine rep, "you could return those remains to New Septarsis"
Star sighed. "It will be done" she said, "Manfred?" she called.
"Yes, Your Highness?" said Manfred.
"Gather up everything in the temple made out of a septarian, and prepare for it to be returned to New Septarsis. Like they've asked."
"Uh, Star" Eclipsa protested, "These are family heirlooms- some of them are older than me. Are you sure?"
Star turned, looking at Eclipsa like she'd grown a second head, "Why would we even want to keep that stuff?" she asked, shocked, "It's CREEPY! And gross! And, keeping it around is hurting our relationship with the septarians, so I really don't see why we should!"
"For shame" muttered the Bovidia rep, shaking his head. And then, he coughed. "The Bovini pacifists were driven out of this very temple by your mother. They've wanted it back ever since- and, frankly, they were not happy when YOU moved in, prospective Bovini queen or not. If you could start making arrangements to move out, and to give them back the temple and the lands which surround it, it would go a long way towards improving relations."
"But- we live here! And, what about the village?"
"Ah, your... 'Monstertown'" said the Bovidia rep. "We won't ask anyone to move, people have lived by the temple for generations. We hope they'll live there for generations more- although" he added with narrowed eyes, "I'm sure the name is due for a change"
Eclipsa took a deep breath. Closed her eyes.
"We have Globgor in one of the lower chambers, still frozen. I will release him, if you'll let us keep the temple."
The Bovidia rep snorted in disbelief. "Your husband? You'd use your own husband as a bargaining chip?"
Eclipsa raised her hands "It's not like that! I- He's very unpopular!"
"Is it, ma'am?" said the Bovidia rep, "if he was my husband, he'd be out already."
"But- will you at least consider it?" she pleaded.
The Bovidia rep shook his head. "No one wants HIM" he said.
"But- he was the prince of Bovidia!" said Eclipsa.
"And? The Bovidian royal family is three hundred years dead. Globgor defended their killers." he sighed. "Tell me, Eclipsa, what would we do with a treasonous prince?"
Eclipsa fell silent, her expression stormy. "Well." She said, "Is there anything ELSE you people want from me?"
"Yes" cut in the Testudine representative, "Testudine demands the release of Lara Killdear."
Eclipsa fell silent, working her jaw. Eventually, she said, "Who the hell is Lara Killdear?"
"One of our national heroes, she was crystalized fighting YOUR mother." said the Testudine rep, "She resides in our capital, but we know that crystal can be broken- I've seen it with my own eyes" she said.
Eclipsa looked nervous, "But, Rhombulus would never-"
"You don't need Rhombulus."
Eclipsa fell quiet.
"No" she murmured. "But if I agree to free one, you'll want me to free them all."
"Yes." said the Testudine rep, meeting Eclipsa's gaze unflinchingly.
Eclipsa closed her eyes, breathing in.
Star placed a hand on her arm. "Hey, uhhh.... Eclipsa, can we talk? In private?" she said, glancing at the septarians.
Eclipsa's face softened. "Of course... I need a moment."
The two of them stepped out of earshot.
"What is UP with you, Eclipsa?" asked Star, "You're normally much calmer than this."
"Well." said Eclipsa, "Septarians... Septarians are different. They're far more demanding than anyone else."
"Well-" Star began, "I guess it seemed that way, at first, but once they told us what they were upset about, it actually made a lot of sense. And even when they were shouting, they were a lot nicer than some of the mewmens we've spoken too- they didn't swear or threaten us or anything."
Eclipsa was about to respond, but had to shut her mouth- she didn't have an answer.
Eclipsa looked away. "... Fine. We can hear them out." She said. "But- they'd better be prepared to talk."
That resolved, Eclipsa stepped back out, Star trailing behind.
Star smiled at them, awkwardly. "I'm very sorry about that" she said, "I'm sure we're-"
"Why are you all septarians?" Eclipsa asked, a snide suspicion slipping into her voice.
Star turned to her. "Eclipsa!" She hissed, "you can't- wait." She turned back to the group. "Uh, why did they only send septarians?"
All four of them glanced between each other.
The Hydrangean rep leaned forward. "Because" he said, "they wanted to be assured we would come home."
"Oh." Said Star, putting it together. "Did that... Happen often?" She asked.
"It happened enough." Said the Hydrangean rep.
"And so, what? All diplomacy goes through you now?" Cut in Eclipsa, "very convenient."
"Well." Said the New Septarian rep, "No, it's really just you."
Reginald coughed.
"I think" said the Bovidia rep, "that we'd all feel more comfortable if you put away the wand."
"It's a symbol of my rule." Said Eclipsa.
"It's a doomsday weapon" said the Bovidia rep, "you don't need to have it out now; especially if you're going to throw around accusations"
"What accusations?" Said Eclipsa, "I'm just saying what I see"
"I notice that your staff are all demons" commented the New Septarian rep. "And yet, I am not accusing you of conspiring with Hell." She sighed, "if you want to meet with people who aren't septarian? Fine. Prove that you can be trusted, and we will trust you- but for now, our immortality is an assurance they desperately need."
Star tugged on Eclipsa's arm. "Come on, Eclipsa" she said, "drop it- you're just arguing in circles."
Angered, Eclipsa pointed an accusatory finger. "The septarians killed my mother!" She said.
"We did NOT" squawked the Bovidian rep, at the same time the New Septarian rep said "Fuck your mother!"
Star waved her hands, "Everyone, quiet!" She shouted.
Turning to the septarians, she said, "Well? Did you kill Solaria?"
She'd heard the story, of course- Solaria and her royal guard were traveling home from the front lines, when they were ambushed by a whole army of lizard men. She fought valiantly, killed a few, some of the wilder legends claimed, but was ultimately struck down by Seth himself- but, that was the official history, pulled and buffeted by the forces of time and the hands of royal propagandists. She knew better than to trust it.
The New Septarian rep raised an eye ridge. "Well?" She said, "what do you mean by that? Because I certainly didn't kill her."
Star blushed, "I mean" she clarified, "how did Solaria die? I- I know our history is... Biased."
"Ambush." Said the New Septarian rep, "and, yeah- it was mostly septarians there, but we weren't the main folks planning it. When you're immortal" she said, glancing to her fellow representatives, "people tend to pick you for the dangerous stuff."
"So. The septarians weren't behind it?" Said Eclipsa, sounding doubtful.
"It'd be easier to tell you who wasn't." Said the New Septarian rep, "it was pretty unanimous."
Eclipsa stood there, nails digging into her skin.
"Yeah." Star hissed through her teeth, glancing to Eclipsa. "Thank you for telling me." She said.
Then, Eclipsa spoke up, her face in a tight little smile. "Star, dear, can we talk a moment?" She asked, stepping away and beckoning for Star to follow.
"Give us a minute." Said Star, giving the septarians an apologetic glance. Following Eclipsa out of the room, she asked, "What is it?"
"I'm just worried, dear" said Eclipsa, smiling anxiously, "you know septarians are... Slippery, you can't take them at their word. Especially when everyone else from that time is dead."
"Well." Said Star, "I suppose, but I'm not taking them at their word- I'm taking your mother at her word."
Eclipsa flinched, "what do you mean?"
"I mean I've read her chapter- she did horrible things, Eclipsa. She did horrible things, and she was proud of it, and if she ever showed remorse she never wrote it down." Star sighed, "I know she was your mother, but ... When that septarian woman says it was unanimous? I believe her."
Eclipsa could not meet Star's eye.
"You're right, Star." She said. "Mother did... A lot of things I'm not proud of, but... Many things can be true. The septarians used the chaos she caused to push their own agendas, and that's not right either, Star."
"And, so?" Asked Star, crossing her arms, "Of course they have an agenda- but so do we. That's everything you're supposed to do as queen, it's what diplomacy is, but when they do it it's suddenly a problem?"
"Yes, but- Star, you don't understand! They hate us!"
"You think?" Said Star, raising her voice, "we aren't having this meeting because it's all hunky dory right now- we are TRYING to ease tension! And you're not helping!"
They glared at each other, breaths heavy.
Eclipsa bit her lip. Star... Wasn't wrong. But she didn't like it, didn't trust it- those septarians hated them, hated their lifestyle, their traditions, and they'd made that abundantly clear. But... Of course. Star was right. So much of queenhood was based in this silly game. In pretending you had no agenda and politely ignoring the agendas of your allies. In championing a noble cause to bury the true, self serving motive. In taking decisions that should be based off of love and making them about convenience- it disgusted her. But... She had to do it, didn't she? She did it every minute Globgor stayed locked in that crystal.
Eclipsa's expression hardened.
"You're right, Star." She said, "this is about the kingdom, not us." She steeled herself. "I'm sorry, I've been selfish."
Star huffed. "Yeah." She said. "You have."
The two of them returned to the dining hall to the sounds of argument. "- should just go-" someone said, before Star cleared her throat.
Four pairs of critical eyes turned to them.
"Eclipsa has something to say." Said Star through gritted teeth.
Eclipsa sighed. Smiled. "I'm sorry about that" she said, "where were we, now?"
"I was suggesting" said the Bovidian rep, "that you put away the wand."
Still grinning, Eclipsa said "... Of course. Archibald?"
"Yes, your majesty?" Said Archibald.
Eclipsa put her wand back in its case. Handing it over to Archibald, she said, "put this in it's usual place."
"Of course, your majesty" said the demon, and then he flew off.
The Bovidia rep nodded, satisfied. "Now that that's out of the way..."
Stop making “she was different from other girls” the whole personality. Different how? tax fraud? lactose intolerance? emotionally unavailable but good at pottery? be specific.
Worldbuilding & Tattoos: Things to Consider about Tattoos in a Fantasy Setting
If there is no electricity, how are tattoos done? By hand? Magic? Using another tool? More like brandings?
What are people's prejudices towards tattoos? Is it totally common or does it mark you as type of a certain group? Do different species have differing opinions? Why?
Can all species get tattoos? What would the most common style or imagery be for each species?
(If they exist,) How would a species with naturally occurring patterns on their skin feel about tattoos?
Can tattoos and magic somehow be intertwined in the forms of runes? What is the most powerful or dangerous rune someone could have? What is a rather silly one?
Would magical healing get rid of tattoos accidentally?
