#lexical earth

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Got some Lexical Yurislop cooking. Shit came to me in a dream and they have not left my head since yesterday

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Get to Know Your Moots Writeblr Interview

Was poked by the wonderful co-writers of Sunset @sunset-a-story and @touloserlautrec. Go read their posts here and here!

On the Tumblr Writing Community

How long have you had your writing Tumblr/Writeblr? A short eternity (first post is mid 2022)

What led you to create it? Was very bored at work and wanted to share some recent stories. Also I had never tried social media before, it this looked like the most interesting place to try it.

What’s your favorite thing about the Writeblr community? Getting to see other people's imagination unfiltered. I've read plenty of great works before, but it was definitely an entertaining first to see the author later publicly say "this is my favorite little guy, can't wait till the next time he suffers."

What’s one thing you’d like your mutuals to know about you? I constantly feel like I'm bothering people and or feel self conscious when talking about me/my stuff, so bare with me hah.

Is there anything you’d like to see more of on your dash? Just some really unhinged stuff about y'alls stories. I want to open my phone and see someone discussing the seven major heresies dictated by some cabal of priests only to later realize "oh, this is someone's fever dream, not a history lesson".

What tips/advice do you have for someone who made a Writeblr today? Interact more, take up the offer of "open tags" on other people's posts. Also throw your ideas onto the table for other's to look at, we all seem to love just watching someone go off about something they love.

WIP it Good

Which Works-in-Progress (WIPs) or writing projects are you noodling about, lately? Been in a bit of a writing drought. Lexical is always getting worked on, more so the TTRPG stuff than any story right now though. I've had a few projects pop into my mind and leave over the past while. Have a cluster of characters I can't get out of my head, but no narrative or setting to properly put them into. A god of violence and the man that cut her out of himself, a cultish vampire philosopher and his favorite little guy (little guy has a knife). Surely something will come of this, or they'll continue to just exist in one-off stories in my own head. Amber Hill, specifically The Lawman, is still somewhere in here but it's been struggling to come out for a while. Been trying to find Lars' voice as a POV character.

How long have you been working on them? I've been working on something based in Lexical since mid 2022 (huh, exactly around I first posted here); the other guys are new and only a few months old at most.

Do you remember what inspired them/what got you started? Lexical is a can of worms. The short answer is that my irl DnD group wanted to play something more free form and creative leaning than what our 5e campaign was allowing, so I said fuck it and started homebrewing a system based in a world I have vague ideas about. The long answer is that Lexical is a sequel to a Pathfinder campaign titled "Demis", which was about fantasy super heroes. It was heavily inspired by My Hero, Worm, and inescapably Homestuck. So when it came time to make a whole new system for these same players I took some concepts that worked in Demis, applied some occult-adjacent philosophy I was/am into, and ended up with my years long passion project. Atem and Sadaf were born out of my growing need to explore violence as a concept, philosophy, and inescapable existential crisis. The Vampire and his thrall Ish spawned out of a desire to have a toxic romance to think about. And AmberHill was inspired by a desire to create something cozy and occulty. Ended up being SCP adjacent but maintained the idea of a small community that cares about itself.

How much time, in your best estimation, do you spend thinking about them? Lexical- not enough, I'm lucky I have at least some productive thoughts throughout the day. Atem- too much, his tired ass sat down in my head and I've been too polite to ask him to leave.

When someone asks the dreaded, “What do you write about,” question, what do you usually say? "Urban Fantasy with science fiction elements"

What do you want to say (if it’s different from what you do say)? "My dissertation on the semi-real building blocks of both physical and social reality, also wizards punching people."

Let’s Rotate Blorbos

Name any characters you created. We've got the original Lexical boy Samuel Smith, Atem and Sadaf who you've already heard of, Lars DuPont from Amberhill.

Who’s the most unhinged? Sadaf.

Who comes the most naturally for you to write? For whatever reason Samuel's self-loathing PI perspective just comes very natural and is maybe someone I should write more about.

Do you ever cringe at them? Nah

How much control do you feel you have over your characters? Depends, my mind does not wonder so much that I don't feel like I am ever not in control. But who I am able to focus on tends to be a matter of debate.

Do you enjoy people asking questions about your characters? Yes absolutely. Characters, worlds, magic systems; I'll rant about any of them given the chance.

On Writeblr Engagement

What makes you want to follow another Writeblr account? A combination of preferred genre (urban fantasy), shared interest (books/games/table top). Also if they have Scribe as part of their name it's just an auto follow.

Do your mutuals’ characters occupy space in your noodle? There's a few. The telepaths from Sunset and their many ways of being terrifying are the first that come to mind. Since I already mentioned the scribes I'll go ahead and tag @scribe-cas , @covenscribe and leave the rest of the tag open. Here is an empty template

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Smith of Masks: An Old Friend

[Urban Fantasy/Nior-esq/690 words] @flashfictionfridayofficial

Ashley was on vacation, a sudden windfall of canceled family plans left her free and halfway across the world. So it fell on me to man the office. Or maybe the term was 'to wyrd' the office? Haunt? Yeah, it fell on me to haunt the office. Not that I minded it. She deserved the break, and the community knew that I could use one as well.

My office building was an unassuming place, but it had grown stranger since I became aware. Used to be my office neighbors were lawyers and office workers. These days they were petty mages and alchemists. Though there was still a lawyer kicking around, but she had stopped hiding her horns. I had thought to share a lunch with her, if the day was slow enough.

Sadly that didn't end up being the case.

Smith and Byrne Investigation Agency was scrawled across the fogged class of my office door. The locks were simple, the wards more complex. Which made the fact that someone was already standing inside all the more worrying.

Unnervingly perfect in one too many ways. Red hair and an amount of Irish descent now mixed with the intoxicating delight of Fae physiology. It failed to compel me now just as it had back when we first met.

“Smith, a pleasure to see you again,”

Annabelle’s tone was disarming, words an enticement. I wondered which part of me she was referring to: the Smith as it is written on my door, or the Smith of Masks. I doubted she even knew there was a difference. Some nights I might agree.

I closed the door behind me, made my way to a bookshelf, and chose one at random. The pages had words this time, but it didn't relieve me any.

The faeling chuckled with a lifted hand to her mouth. A measured set of movements. “Ah, you remember our first meeting.”

“Hard to forget your first encounter with the supernatural,” I brought the book with me to my desk and relaxed into it. Technically it wasn't my first, but no need for her to know that. “You can cut the court act.”

Her soft features and mannerisms melted away ever so slightly to something more natural. The amused smile turned coy and a touch smug. Fucking courteers.

“Ashley's on vacation, why are you here?”

The amusement in her eyes deepend, “You're the investigator, read the narrative.”

Fucking hate Faes. Acting like they were in control all the time, holding all the cards. It was even more annoying that they often were.

We shared a moment of annoyed silence while I stared at her. I wanted to see if she would hand over the information if I didn't answer; but I was also taking the time to put the pieces together. She held her tongue, and my own thoughts were fighting to leave my skull.

“Your family ends up canceling their plans for a get together in their homeland, but Ashley's calendar was already cleared and her tickets paid for by then. She texts me this morning that she landed safely, and shortly after you show up at our office.

“I'm guessing there was no planned family vacation, just you pulling strings to get Ashley away from here or to somewhere you've already made safe. I'm reading that you have a job for me, and it's something you wanted to keep your dear sister away from.”

“And I've come to the best paranormal investigator this side of the Mississippi for help,” Annabelle took a seat across from me and folded herself up into a proper, courtly, posture.

I got out my notepad, ripped the pages from the last investigation off of it, and settled in for another job. “First things first, the fees. Though half of this office's investigators are gone I'll be asking for our usual price, considering the circumstances.”

Her false softness returned and she put on a sad tone like a clown puts on makeup. “Oh? No favors for an old friend?”

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Hi, I'm Scribe

(Art by Kollapsar)

About: As per the title you can call me Scribe; I also go by Knight (see Avatar) They/Them. I am a re-professional Psychologist, I pretend to know things about Philosophy, and I have been known to write things that take place in my own silly little world. Also a TTRPG hobbyist that dreams about making my own one day. I mainly write modern fantasy with horror elements from a first person perspective. Things tend to get existential and there is often not a difference between reality and metaphor. Also there is no shortage of queer folk with super powers or deep occult knowledge in my stories. Currently most of my work is in the form of short stories and flash fiction, with a novel/serial in the works here or there.

Intent: What an ominous section title. Honestly I'm here to make friends in the writing community. I want to read other people's works and I want others to read my work. I want to encourage and be encouraged. I want to see the little notification number pop up on my screen and give my brain the good chemicals. Take this as blanket consent to tag me in games, to send me asks, and to send me messages. Tell me about your OCs and I'll gladly talk your ear off about world building. I also intend on getting published one day. It would be lovely to meet others going through the process.

Lexical Earth: Is the setting of most if not all of my writing. It's a modern fantasy setting who's hidden magic side was forcefully revealed during the year 2000, when the First Wave of Inscribed started showing up. Now governments are struggling to retain control, Thought Entities are going public with their machinations and hunger, and there is no small population of super heroes and villains trying to impose their views on reality. The magic system of this setting is generally soft with harder rules the closer one is to the material world. The Realm of Spirit is swirling occult bullshit, but it takes someone with actual knowledge to pull it down into reality. Experiment with Jungian masks, personas, and shadows; see the connective tissue of stories stretch across cultures; and walk those paths. Alternatively write words on your Soul and bend reality to the whims of your Inscription.

Directory: Bellow is a collection of the works I have posted and a short description of which each is about. Let me know if you would wish to be added to a general Lexical Earth tag list or if there is a specific series/protagonist you'd want to be tagged for.

(Under construction, there are a few works buried deep in my blog that I need to go excavate)

Samuel Smith, the Smith of Masks: Private investigator, grumpy and sarcastic, and part of the pre-inscribed world of Lexical. He's paid to solve issues between the Wyrd and the human; and often gets too emotionally invested. 1 – PI just wants to read books between jobs but Wyrd stuff is happening. Technically the first Lexical short I ever wrote. 2 – Sequel to the previous short. PI has a bad time working on this case, ends up having to sell part of his soul. 3 – Stand alone story. PI forgets what he's doing several times before solving a serial killer problem. Marian Wheeler would be proud.

Ken “Host of Fangs”, Lord of Hearts: Telepathic Inscribed that makes a hivemind with animals as his main power. He has substantial family and old life trauma and a masc., non-binary, partner who's soul is shaped like a jellyfish. 1 – Date gets interrupted by old woman/man Humanity handing out super powers. 2 – Ken gets a letter from his Ex and has big feelings about it.

Wander/er, Wanderer of Spirit: First Wave Inscribed that noped out of reality and went deep into the Realm of Spirit to learn about the Wyrd side of things. Generally an important person who shows up around big events, but more an advisor than a hero. 1 – Wanderer and a Thought Entity friend travel a bit too far away from earth. Careful not to wake Slumbering Kings.

Lexical Lore: For the World building and TTRPG side of Lexical. 1 – Inscribed, how do they work? How do you become one? Would they make a good RPG player character? All answered here. Go and make your own Inscribed and @ me with the results.

Lexical One-Offs: for stories that don't have a named protagonist or just aren't part of a series. Bedroom – Someone wakes up and gets ready for work. The Recursive Tree – The life cycle of one or more Thought Entities as seen from the perspective of a Soldier.

Otherverse fanfiction Ben 1 - young man becomes a wizard Ben 2 - less young man does some justified property damage

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Happy spoopy season STS! Which of your OC's is the Final Girl and how do they survive the horror movie?

Hmmmmm

As per a previous ask I've noticed that I tend to write characters that are "horror movie protags that fight back", which to my knowledge lines up with the trop of Final Girls. That said, I'm now imagining Sam or Lars in crop-tops and short-shorts having to run away from a classic horror villain and this brings me joy.

The most appropriate answer here would be to nominate Joshua (of Broken Whole). He's a mundane human who's greatest "power" is being the moral/emotional foundation of supernatural people. As such he'd absolutely be a camp-counselor desperately trying to save the other characters from a classic horror monster, till it was only him left (and surviving). Which kind of lines up with the multiple layers of survivors guilt he has ICly anyways.

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It ain't much, but I'm proud of it. Through the encouragement of a friend and the threats of an angel I've managed to finally get some words down. Robin's Beach Episode isn't done yet, but it's closer than the day before.

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Author Ask Tag

Once more I get to talk about my work due to fellow Scribe @covenscribe (Scribe unity). Read their post here. I'll be answering these questions focusing on my WIP Fleshtown.

what is the main Lesson of your story? And why did you choose it?

Fleshtown has several: cities can turn into abusive hellscape where an individual human doesn't matter, just their flesh and the work one can squeeze out of it. Those that sit at the top of societies like this are parasites (very literally in this story). Kindness is a powerful thing against those affected by it, but eventually violence becomes the only song society can hear.

What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding?

General lexical inspirations that affect nearly everything I write in it are: KSBD, SCP, Worm/Otherverse, and inescapably Homestuck.

Though for Fleshtown itself I think I was exposed to a game called Fear and Hunger (very heavy content warning) and the aesthetic of it stuck with me for a while. Then eventually a thought spawned in my head “I haven't written a romance story yet. I should try that in the flesh walls of this awful city I've imagined”.

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, help readers grow as a person?

Poet arrived at The City on accident and is really just trying to get out. Virus/Prince is trying to get back to the Court of Parasites so to behead the stagnant king. I, meanwhile, am trying to get them to realize that they don't have a home to go to if they did escape; and the eternal torment of this city can only be stopped by those living in it.

As for a lesson taught: violence is the only tool we have to fight tyranny, but by that very same tool we forge the shackles of the next generation uhhh? Healing a community is a worthy and fulfilling thing? idk Fleshtown has a lot of scattered ideas right now.

How many chapters is your story going to have?

Don't know, hopefully more than 1 and less then 100 but we'll see. It's planned to be a Novella right now, but its rough draft isn't done.

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Original content, and not sure. I imagine I'll post a non-insignificant amount of it on Tumblr/send it to whatever mutual wants to read it. Maybe classicaly publish it, maybe do web serial stuff with it. Really I haven't had any major thoughts/decisions about that nor intend to till it's more finished.

When and why did you start writing?

Way back in intermediate/middle school me and my friends were nerds playing games like runescape. One of my friend made the mistake of showing me the RS roleplaying forum. From there I went on to roleplay from site to site for a while. I only started “writing” in a conventional sense recently. As for why? Because it's fun and I find fullfillment in it.

Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of writeblr? What other writers of tumblr do you follow?

Hey! You, yes you. Write whatever you want. Forget that things like rules exist, forget that stories need a flow or need to follow some set chart. Make something without the limits of what is conventionally “good”.

Have to shout out the first Writeblrs that I really interacted with on here @sunset-a-story and @vicstmichael, who's attention and encouragement kept me working on this platform. Also to @squarebracket-trick @iced-ginger-tea for sending me so many asks over the last while. Y'alls small acts really do mean something to me, and always make my days better.

As for tags: Whoever is reading this. Open tag, you're all getting hit with the talking stick.

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heyy, happy STS!! October being the spooky month, here's my spooky question for this week—what kind of environment would frighten/set your characters on edge the most? e.g. a haunted mansion, a thick forest in the middle of the night, a corn maze? where are they most likely to lose their cool and get freaked out?

Hey Cee! Happy Story Teller Spookday

So I've been pitching the idea of Amber Hill to friends and inside my head as "cozy modern fantasy"; but as per usually I can't get away from a fair bit of my favorite genre leaking in.

Despite his hatred of social norms and being one of those "we live in a society" type people, Lars would lose his cool without people around. Haunted houses and factories are his usual work places, but more primal hauntings would be too much for the small town punk. He wouldn't do well being alone in a woods.

Lexical characters are a bit harder to translate for me since a lot of them are "horror protags that fight back" as a general rule. That said, I think Sam would lose his mind in a back-rooms type setting. Somewhere vaguely familiar that he has no power over and gets lost in.

Thanks for the ask!