#jadie fic

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Grown up Mica and their family at the end of the Postcards series ✨

Still don't know if MiKose or ArCa sounds better haha.

For anyone who hasn't read Postcards / Satellite etc:

Mica is a SlateSpar hatchling in this AU who grows up to be a pilot and an engineer for the OWV. They built their own ship and named it Infinity.

Arkose is as an astronaut, and their specialty is chemistry. When they're not flying their own ship (the Nitro) they're Mica's copilot. They have (mutual) lifetime beef with Galena.

Feldspar II is their (Mica and Arkose's) hatchling. They take after their late grandparent in every single way despite having never met them. And like just the GOAT, they have everyone wrapped around their little finger (and worried about their self-preservation instincts).

Gneiss (Jnr) is Gossan and Slate's first-hatched. They were Feldspar's 'Godchild'. They are now fire watch for the village and resident weirdo who sees and hears things that other people (except maybe Gabbro) don't. They rarely talk unless absolutely necessary.

Marc and Mal are Slate's twins who hatched in the same year as Gneiss. They're a pair of punks who are always fighting, but can't stand to be away from each other for very long. They've also taken to mechanics and airship repairs, but their pride and joy is the invention of the first Hearthian all-terrain rugged land vehicle, (which is almost as loud as a rocket engine by design).

Slate is Slate (AKA Gram-gram), just older and with worse eye sight and less mobility. They've traded in a life as a lonely hermit for all of the above.

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Satellite Chapter 12 now on AO3 :)

READ HERE 🌑

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Guess who?

Hint: Refraction turns 1 year old on 17/03 😊

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Movement

Definition #1: A piece of music that can be performed on its own, but is often part of a greater composition.

Here we have four of the Founders with their signature instruments: Feldspar on the bagpipes, Hornfels on the fiddle, Gossan on the acoustic guitar, and Esker on the bodráhn.

Together they perform some very soulful music, but just let them have a couple of drinks and it'll quickly evolve into foot-stamping, heart-pounding, grin-triggering reels and jigs 🎶

Lore and musical inspiration below the cut:

Hornfels:

Hornfels hails from the south. As the brilliant, curious (read: oddball) youngest hatchling of a pair of well-off Hearthian folk, they moved to Hearthdale to study music and science at the old Citadel university in their late teens. This is where they met Slate, and the two became a pair of unlikely friends through their shared affinity for mathematics and engineering

However, while Slate is very 'grounded' in the practical aspects of science, Hornfels has their head in the clouds, constantly dreaming up 'new' and 'original' ideas, then rarely seeing them to their finish. This has led to clashes in personality between the two of them more times than they can count (and effectively doomed any attempts at pursuing a romantic relationship before they could get very far).

However, a certain travelling merchant caught wind of this young intellectual 'prodigy' and saw wonderful potential. Thus, with some nudging in the right direction, Hornfels later found themself designing and building state of the art navigational equipment for a number of prototype airships, and later, the Ulysses itself.

Hornfels never stopped dreaming, however. Now, having grown tired of simply improving navigational systems (and after a rather explosive disagreement with Slate over the 'superiority' of the diesel engine and the impending decline of clockwork mechanics), their sights are set on greater inventions, such as a system for continuous two-way long-distance voice communication using electricity. In the meantime, they own a clockwork shop in town called 'The Daily Wind' (which is predictably the butt of many jokes).

When they aren't consumed with drafting their ideas, Hornfels might be convinced to visit the tavern to catch up with old friends and maybe even play some music, although having Feldspar around is more likely to get them out of their workshop than any invitations to eat and drink.

Fun fact: Hornfels owns an elderly pet gecko named Angelo, who lives in their workshop. He has his own heating lamp.

Fun fact #2: Hornfels is embarrassingly head-over-heels for Feldspar.

Fun fact #3: They have an apprentice (Reg) and a shop assistant (Galena).

Esker:

Esker is a originally from the Highlands of Attleland where they were formerly a wooly bug farmer, and later became a mechanic out of necessity. There they met Feldspar numerous times over a couple of years when Feldspar was still delivering post by train.

Esker pursued their mechanic career further by working on steam engine locomotives, later including other steam-powered vehicles like as boats and early airships.

They eventually settled in Hearthdale where they started their own mechanic workshop, and pretty soon afterwards took a young Slate under their wing. Once Slate graduated from their university studies, Esker, Slate, and Hornfels worked together to design and build the Ulysses, and immediately following that, the Ulysses Universal Trading & Postal Company was born.

Several decades down the line, Esker still works with Slate, but the roles are reversed– Slate runs their own repair and fabrication shop, and Esker works for them handling engine diagnostics and damage reports.

Esker enjoys spending their free time strolling around town and spending long hours at the tavern listening for news and gossip. They also love an opportunity to play their recorder or bodráhn with the other 'Founders'.

Fun fact: Esker has a pet gecko named Amelia, who hatched from the same clutch as Angelo. She rides on Esker's shoulder most places, and even has tavern visitation rights.

Fun fact 2: although both Esker and Tektite hail from Attleland, Tektite has a much stronger accent/dialect, and is often difficult to understand even for Esker.

Read about Slate and Gossan here, and Feldspar here.

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Movement Art

Some lore below (under the cut because of Scientific nudity):

Shorefolk

Shorefolk AKA 'Lakers' are believed to be the predecessors of Hearthians, and most likely Dragonfolk as well (if they, in fact, ever really existed). They tend to inhabit small towns and villages along the coastlines and islands, spending their lives as sea farmers, fishers, pearl divers, etc. While Lakers' skin is able to absorb small amounts of oxygen from the water and they can hold their breath for an exceptionally long time, they can't actually breathe underwater.

Lakers value industriousness over aesthetic or convenience. They take great pride in their trades and traditions, and as a result, some struggle to adapt to the changes of modern industrialism.

These folk have a few key adaptations for aquatic work:

A.) Backward pointing ears, usually lacking notches

B.) Narrow shoulders

C.) Proportionally long arms with streamlined musculature

D.) Large ribcage (greater lung capacity) and shorter torso

E.) Large Hands

F/L.) Webbing between fingers

G.) Strong nails (aids in sea foraging)

H.) Intact short crested tail used when swimming (resembles a newt's)

I.) Proportionally long legs with defined musculature

J.) Large 'flat' feet

K.) Webbing between toes. All toes roughly the same length

Clothing:

M.) Jewellery and personal effects are usually handmade from materials like driftwood, coral, and whalebone

N.) Clothes are usually loose-fitting and made of light breathable material

O.) They almost never where shoes

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Hearthians

Hearthians are the descendants of Lakers who adapted to life on land. They've taken to living in villages, towns, and cities inland.

Hearthians are known for their ingenuity and resilience, and have in a short time spearheaded inventions that have revolutionised travel.

It would seem that Hearthians in general possess an insatiable thirst for discovery, which is likely the driving force behind their oftentimes reckless endeavours.

Hearthians are noticeably different from their Laker kin:

A.) Outward facing ears with notches

B.) Broader shoulders

C.) Slightly more proportional arms

D.) Smaller ribcage and longer torso

E.) Smaller hands

F.) Softer nails, often kept short

G.) No tail (falls off a few weeks after hatching)

H.) Legs tend to have less defined musculature

I.) No webbing between toes

J.) First toe is bigger than second, which is bigger than the third.

K.) (Apparently they don't know the whole alphabet)

L.) No webbing between fingers

Clothing:

M.) Clothing is designed to cover as much as is practical for work

N.) Shoes have become as much a matter of etiquette as a way for accident-prone Hearthians to protect their feet

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Dragons

Dragonfolk (???), if they truly existed, were believed to have descended from Lakers (speculated to be a sort of hybrid between Shorefolk and Hearthians), who adapted, not just to life in the mountains, but somehow took that adaptation a step further.

Not much is known about their culture, habits, or values outside of hearsay and legend (which don't paint a very pretty picture of the race as a whole). They're believed to be on the brink of extinction, if any remain at all...

If one were to stumble across a dragon, telltale features would be:

A.) Outward pointing ears without notches, slightly upturned at the end

B.) Large wings

C.) Broad shoulders

D.) Defined musculature on the back, chest and torso

E.) Large hands

F.) Tough nails

G.) Long legs with strong bones

H.) Large feet (second toe is longer than the first and third)

I.) Long serpent-like prehensile tail

J.) Rather than scales, the tail is covered by smooth skin like their Laker predecessors

K.) A small amount of hardened cresting remains at the base of the tail

Clothing:

L.) Clothing is believed to be culturally significant. Their love for gold jewellery is what gave them the reputation for being hoarders.

M.) Open shoes are preferred

N.) Combining comfort and beauty is a time-honored skill

(Three bipedal lizards walk into a bar...)

Of course, the above are simply 'templates', as there's plenty of variation in colour, height, and body type for each race.

As for the true nature of Dragons...

...time...

...will...

...tell.

Read on AO3

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After not drawing for almost 2 months, it's been difficult to get started up again 😔 So I decided to try something different: painting sillouhettes!

Based on Chapter 16 of Satellite, here are the 'New Travelers'☺️

From L to R: Mica (29, pilot/engineer, loved by all), Arkose (27, pilot/pyrotechnician, #1 anglerfish hater), Galena (27, ground control, workaholic, likes moonshine a little too much, would smoke if cigarettes existed) Moraine (31, Radio astronomer/Moon warden), and Tephra (24, pilot/Moonee/Lunar Outpost technician).

And here we have the savages (twins):

Marc (Marcasite) and Mal (Malachite), 16, Junior mechanics, troublemakers, and inventors of the first Hearthian automobile (AKA 'The Beetle', 'Death trap on wheels', 'Noisy Monstrosity'). If they look baby, that's just because they inherited Gossan's vertically-impaired genes ☺️

And I can't forget little Gneiss (16, Junior fire watch and quantum frequency enthusiast, novice instrument maker, mostly non-verbal, sees things you don't):

Although they ain't so little anymore (put them next to Mica for comparison (who is almost as tall as Slate)) :3

Managed to do a rough sketch of adult Mica too...

I hope to draw and fully render the lot of them properly at some point as well. Will see what time and mood allows 🤞🥰🚀🌌

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Gabbro from Movement, playing their bansuri 🪈🎶 Looking positively Cosmic, as they should ✨

I love drawing their tail, but their wings are bhfdhjdhdhdhd 😭 a challenge...

I had the flute solo from Horizons Pt. 1 by Rura in mind while drawing this:

Visit Original Link

Monochrome version and other musical inspiration below the cut 👇

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I get asked about this subject a lot, so I did the thing.

Yes, it's messy. No, it doesn't make sense 💕