Day 8 of @the-line-is-erased:Japan- Reunions - Inventions, creations, and crossing the line.
Cel and Sassraa talk about gender
“Cel, I have a question.”
They leaned back from where they were installing part of the elemental engine that would power the airship. Cel’s draconic wasn’t great, but they were working on it constantly, so between that and Sassraa’s English they could get by easily enough.
“Sure, what is it? If it’s about Skraak’s suggestion for the rudder, I told him already that it won’t work, and if he’s trying to get you to convince me, I’m-”
“No, no.” Sassraa looked down sheepishly. “It’s about your society.”
“Oh. You mean, the society of the village I lived in just recently? Or half-elf society? Oooh, is there an alchemist’s society you’ve heard of that I am somehow not a part of?”
“Maybe I said that wrong…”
“No, no, it’s all good.” Cel offered a supportive smile. “I got carried away. Go ahead.”
Sassraa sat down next to Cel. “Well, I was talking with Hamid, and I realized that much of his culture seems to revolve around two main genders. Not that there aren’t others”- Sassraa gestured to Cel –“but they’re a rarity, and not always well regarded. Among kobolds, we have… eight sort of ‘common’ genders, but there are way more than that and sometimes people have a mix or have multiple. And nobody bothers you for your gender or makes you live and work in a different role because of it. It’s just… very strange.”
“It absolutely is,” Cel replied, nodding and letting out a heavy breath. “A lot of languages are very much not welcoming to a gender that isn’t male or female. You have to make your own rules. But, hey, if your gender doesn’t, I don’t know, translate across from your society, you don’t have to try and press yourself into one that people around here might know of. Just be you.”
“It’s hard.” Sassraa chuckled. “I’m sure you know.”
“I’ve had a lot longer to figure it out, though. You’ve just been thrown into this.”
“You and Hamid have been trying to teach me English, but pronouns… I don’t know which ones to use for me. There are a few that could fit, I suppose-”
“You can use more than one set!”
Sassraa’s eyes grew wide. “I can?”
“Of course! You can use as many pronouns as you want! Or none, as the case may be, and we’ll just use your name. And it can change day by day, whatever you’re feeling. Or! Or you can make your own pronouns! Like I said, you get to make your own rules, which is scary, but also freeing.”
“Hm.” Sassraa thought about it a long while. “I think I’d like to try they and she?”
Cel smiled. “Absolutely. Is there anything else I can try and help with? Not sure I helped at all here or if I just rambled.”
Now it was Sassraa’s turn to smile, placing a hand on Cel’s arm. “You helped a lot. We make our own rules. We don’t force ourselves to play by someone else’s.”
“Exactly.”
“Alright, now I should go tell Skraak how terrible an idea that rudder design is.”
Cel chuckled. “Good luck; he’s real set on it.”
With a fond roll of her eyes, Sassraa stood and trotted away to continue their own construction work. Meanwhile, Hamid came over to Cel with an armful of equipment they had previously requested from the scrap of Earhart’s last ship.
“Is everything alright with Sassraa?” He asked.
“Oh, yeah, she’s all good. I was just helping them out with some cultural things.”
Sassraa wasn’t quite out of earshot yet, and Cel swore they could see her smile as they heard both sets of pronouns used.
Day 7 of @the-line-is-erased:Rome - Sacrifice - Things hidden in history that will never come to light.
Thinking bout those goblin kiddos
“Grizzop? Are you asleep?”
“No. Are you?”
“Obviously not.”
Grizzop let out a huff of acknowledgement, but a faint sob escaped his lips at the same time, just loud enough for Sasha to take note. She rolled over to face him.
“Are you alright?” She asked.
The obvious answer for both of them was ‘no.’ They were trapped in the past, and Grizzop had the added bonus of his surroundings being particularly hostile to anyone who wasn’t human. But the life he left behind was so much fuller than anyone may have realized.
“I have… I have kids,” he said quietly.
At that, Sasha’s eyes opened wide with surprise, and she practically bolted out of her makeshift bedroll. “You’re a dad!?”
“Me and Vesseek, we-”
“You and Vesseek!?”
“Sasha!” He cried in a whisper. “We’re supposed to be laying low, not waking everyone up because we’re yelling.”
“Fine. It’s just a lot, you know?” Despite her protestations, she lowered her voice to a more manageable level. “I had no idea you were a dad.”
Grizzop sighed. It wasn’t something he liked to talk about, but he trusted Sasha, and it wasn’t like he had much to lose since they were stuck in the literal past anyway.
“Yeah, Vesseek and I, we have a clutch. Vesseek looks after them while I do my paladin stuff, and I send whatever money I make back to them.”
“Must be hard to leave them all the time.”
“It is.” Grizzop tried not to think about how he might never see them again, never hold Vesseek again, never hear his kids call out ‘Papa!’ again. “But if I can make the world a little safer for them, then it’s worth it. Got to make sure they have a future, right?”
Sasha nodded, but said nothing, silently scanning Grizzop’s features.
“Here, this is them.” He handed over a magical photograph of his family. “It took almost an hour to get everyone to sit still for that.”
“I believe it,” Sasha chuckled as she looked over the image in the dim light of their safehouse.
Grizzop continued. “And it just hit me… I always knew there was a risk that I would die while doing my duty, and that I would leave my family behind. But now… now I’ll be living out the rest of my life without them. The thought of spending however long I have left without ever seeing them again, it…”
There was another sob again, building up in his throat, but he swallowed it down and shut his eyes tight.
With his eyes closed, he didn’t see Sasha reach out for him, but he felt her place a hand on his shoulder. “We’re going to get back,” she insisted. “You’re going to see them again.”
“I hope so.” He let out a heavy exhale, then took the picture back from Sasha and tucked it carefully into his armor. “And if we arestuck here, it’s not like I’m going to be overly reckless or anything. There’s still plenty that needs fixing here, plenty of good to be done.”
“Don’t worry, Grizzop, we’ll get you home. After all, you have to introduce me to all your kids. I can’t wait to teach them some knife tricks.”
“Absolutely not!” He shrieked, and Sasha burst out laughing. “That’s a disaster waiting to happen!”
Day 6 of @the-line-is-erased:Damascus- Party - The choices we make and the consequences, whether good or bad, therein.
aka when Paladins have conflicting oaths
How could she be so blind? There was more at stake than just the life of one person she cared about. If they didn’t shut down the factory, stop the production of the simulacra, the entire world was going to fall, including her brother.
Grizzop vibrated with rage. Azu just stood there, acting like love conquered all. Foolish. But he shouldn’t have expected anything else from the Aphrodite lot.
Of course he wanted to go after Vesseek. It was hard enough to leave them alone with their clutch, but it all hinged on the fact that the entire world could fall apart if someone didn’t do what needed to be done to save it. And if Grizzop had to leave in order to be that person, then he would be.
Vesseek knew that the greater good came first. They understood this from the start. And Grizzop remembered his oath to Artemis.
As much as he longed to run off to Rome and save Vesseek and the others, he set his sights on the funnel above and the machinery around them. There was still work to be done.
~~~
How could he be so heartless? Was the life of someone he loved worth so little to him that he would let them be beaten and tortured by the Cult of Hades? If they didn’t go to save their loved ones, all of them, then they would be killed.
Azu clenched her fists tight. Grizzop just stood there, acting like the world would fall in an instant if he didn’t try to stop it. Foolish. But she shouldn’t have expected anything else from the Artemis lot.
Of course she knew that their current mission was important. It was a major setback to have to leave the factory as it was, but Emeka and the others could dieifsomeone didn’t do what needed to be done to save them. And if Azu had to be that person, then she would be.
Emeka knew that love came first. He understood that when she left their village in the first place. And Azu remembered her oath to Aphrodite.
As much as she wanted to finish the task at hand, to destroy the factory and stop more simulacra from being made, she racked her mind for any knowledge she had of Rome. There was a long journey ahead of them.
~~~
Then Azu noticed the tears in Grizzop’s eyes, tears he tried to blink back as he looked at anything and everything but her.
“Grizzop,” she said softly. “We’ll rescue them. All of them, okay?”
“Please.” Grizzop never sounded or acted his size, but in that word, he was smaller than he ever was before. With a cough and a shake of his head, he puffed out his chest and, in a clearer voice, added, “I know you will. And I’ll take care of things here. We both have our own jobs to do.”
Azu nodded. “And we both have our own oaths to fulfill.”
With a toothy smile, Grizzop met her gaze. “Thanks, Azu. I’ll meet up with you all when I can, yeah? And tell Vesseek… tell them…”
“I will.”
Grizzop gave one last nod and then climbed up to the top of the funnel with an adamantine arrow between his teeth. He didn’t need to worry about Vesseek – Azu was on her way, and she would never let anything happen to them.
Day 3 of @the-line-is-erased:Paris - Goodbyes - The crack in the ceiling bringing the house down.
“Oh, and thanks for the room. You know it’s too much for me, but it’s nice, yeah? Feels like you could fit half of Other London in it, there’s so much space! And there’s this metal person who keeps following me around and knocking on my door. The gargoyles are well good, though.”
Sasha sat beside a brain in the heart of Mr. Ceiling. She didn’t know which one was Brock’s, and she wasn’t sure she really wanted to either, because that would make it real. He’d been taken, killed, and assimilated into the necromantic monstrosity of brains around her, but if she didn’t see any part of him, sometimes she could pretend that he was still out there, still exploring the world and living the life they once dreamed of.
“Sitting on the roof with them, reminds me of our favorite hiding spot,” she said, talking to the brain. Whether or not it or Brock could hear her, she didn’t know, but she still told it of all her adventures since leaving Other London. Surely Brock remembered her? He bought her the Presidential Suite, and Mr. Ceiling seemed fond of her. But that wasn’t the same.
“I miss that,” she murmured, brushing her fingers against the glass. “I miss spending time with you. Like, yeah, Other London was horrible, but you always made it better. I…” Sasha let out a quiet chuckle to herself. “We both know there’s no good from thinking about ‘what if’s’ and all that. But… I regret not getting to say goodbye. I wish we could’ve had a proper send off. I mean, obviously I wish you’d actually gone off to have a better life above ground and all that, but that’s too farfetched for people like us. Just a goodbye would’ve been nice.”
She continued to sit for a while longer, silent as the whir of machinery surrounded her. Trapped in Mr. Ceiling’s lair, there wasn’t much else to do, so she visited that brain often, having decided that it was as good a point of contact as any to Brock, though most of the time she said nothing. If she closed her eyes and tried to drown out the noise, she could almost pretend they were back in Other London, sitting on their favorite rooftop.
But when Hamid frantically hit at the controls and Mr. Ceiling began to collapse in fire and the cacophony of screeching metal, Sasha knew there was no more pretending. As they raced out of the basement, she stopped one last time at the entrance to the brain room, even as Zolf on her back told her to keep moving.
Wilde sees Guivres break free from Apophis’ grasp, sees her fly toward the tower, sees her ascend so that Zolf and Babbage are directly in front of her.
No one can survive fire breath at that close range, not even Zolf, who thinks himself both invulnerable and expendable all at once.
He sees Zolf stare down Guivres, recognizing the resolve in his gaze even from so far away, and he knows that this is the end.
In an instant, he flies upwards. In the seconds before fire consumes them, he hovers next to Zolf and puts his hands on his shoulders.
“We’ve got this.”
Wilde has been dead before. It was peaceful in its way, with no one pestering him for another job to do, no persona to play or airs to put on. But it was lonely.
And as the fire consumes them in burning light, at least Wilde takes solace that this time he won’t be alone.
Day 2 of @the-line-is-erased:The Channel - Travel - To catch a breath; to rest and relax.
“Boss, what happened to your stuff?”
Zolf glanced over at Sasha. They were in the back of a cart on their way to Paris after Doris’ car exploded. Sasha was midway through munching on a carrot and looking at Zolf cautiously.
“I pitched it. When I dove in to get you,” he answered.
She took a bite of carrot and looked away. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s just stuff. I can get new armor and another mace, and Poseidon got my trident back to me.” Zolf ran his thumb along the smooth metal. “Those things I can replace. There’s only one you.”
Sasha didn’t reply, but it was clear her mind was spinning faster than the lightning elemental in the tiny sparking horse car they’d just destroyed.
“You’re more important than some things, Sasha,” he insisted. He’d never been good at the emotional side of things, but this needed to be said. “Even if it wasn’t me that dragged us out on that damn boat in the first place. I’d still dive in after you. You’re worth being saved.”
“But… you almost drowned too.”
Zolf shrugged, and Sasha sighed, shaking her head.
“If I’m worth being saved, or whatever, which, well…” She mumbled some disconnected words to try and refute the statement without outright saying so. “What I mean is, you’re worth being saved too. And like, yeah, I’m grateful you went in to get me and help me. But… sometimes I think you don’t care about yourself as much as you should? There’s only one you, too.”
Sasha watched him out of the corner of her eye as she spoke. Once she’d finished, Zolf nodded slowly, realizing that she’d read him like an open book.
“Yeah, maybe I do tend to dive into problems headfirst – this time literally.” He saw Sasha chuckle, and he couldn’t help but smile at that. “And I know we both have a hard time thinking we’re worth being saved at all. But… I know you’re worth it, and if you think I’m worth it, then, well… I guess I better start trying to believe that. Because maybe there’s something in me that’s still worth saving.”
“I’ll remind you if you ever forget it, or have trouble seeing it,” Sasha said.
“And I’ll do the same for you.”
Zolf reached out a hand for Sasha, thinking that he would put it on her shoulder to reassure her, but he hesitated. He knew she didn’t like to be touched, and he didn’t want to betray her trust, especially after the moment they just had.
It didn’t matter, though, because Sasha saw his indecision and took Zolf’s hand in her own. She gave it a quick but kind squeeze, then released him and grabbed another carrot for the rest of their ride into Paris.
They didn’t speak much for the remainder of their trip, and Zolf didn’t mind that at all. Sharing the silence was a calm moment of peace in the center of the storm. And when the hurricane came raging forth again, leaving Zolf suffocating in its wake, he would remember Sasha. If that scraggly kid from Other London thought there was something of worth inside of him, then he had to keep going, keep putting one foot in front of the other. Whenever that hope truly began to waver, he could still hear her voice in his head and remember the feeling of her hand on his, and he knew he would make it. For Sasha.
hi, all! i’m going to be opening quick commissions in my minimalistic style, in both the flatandfancyvariants! we’re tight on money at home because last week our relatively new washing machine broke down, and my cat’s cancer treatment got extended. so, if you can afford it and want a very cute commission in this style, you’ll categorically be a great help!! i’ll be offering these again in the future but not as cheap -this is because we’re in a bit of a hurry, so yeah!
here’s how it works: you can choose between the flat or heavily detailed variants, and get either one or two characters, in full body and in full color. since these figures look so nice on their own, i will also throw in a sheet for you to print them as stickers for personal use!
the prices are in USD, and in the flat variant they’re $20 for a single character, and $30 for two. in the fancy variant, it’s $40 for a single character, and $70 for two.
characters from any media are okay, OCs are encouraged, mecha and furry are allowed, but no n/sfw this time around. as long as you can provide good references, it’s all good!
payment is upfront and via ko-fi. i will try to keep turnaround quick but my schedule’s tight and i do ask your patience!
shoot me an email at [email protected] to discuss any doubts or your potential order. if you can’t afford this, don’t worry, i know we’re all struggling! i would appreciate reblogs if you can, though n.n
thank you so much!
right so i am A Dingus and my layers got mixed up so- the prices in the description are the right ones!!! i messed up in the images
single character is $20 for the flat style and $40 in the detailed one; two characters are $30 in flat and $70 in detailed. i’m so sorry for the confusion!!!!!!!!
It’s Sunday - time for more art for Il Re di Ladri, a Rusty Quill Gaming fanfic by @franzis-frantic-thoughts, with art by @evieebun125 and myself, made as part of the Fiction Podcast Big Bang 2022 by @podcastbigbang!
[ID: A full colour digital drawing of a scene at the docks in front of the MacGuffingham estate, from Il Re di Ladri, a fanfiction of the Rusty Quill Gaming podcast. The scene is set at night under a full moon in a slightly cloudy sky. Wilde is in the foreground, looking back at the shore over the edge of a small boat that’s sailing away. He’s a white human with shoulder-length brown hair and a light fur coat. He’s holding one hand up, surrounded by purple illusion magic. A fiery bullet, almost looking like a comet, is being shot at him from the coast by Vesseek, a short green goblin in a half crouch, looking over their gun. A walking stick lies abandoned next to them. A few feet away stands Grizzop, a taller grey goblin with a bow in one hand and a quiver over his shoulder. He has red eyes and a toothy smile that reflect the light as he points towards Wilde. At the dock in front of them a small sailboat is moored. A black and brown dog is running up the dock, while another one stands at the edge of the dock, barking at Wilde’s boat. The gates to the MacGuffingham estate are open, next to the estate’s walls is a small grove. End ID] (Thank you so much to @guinevere01 for the image description!)
Venice. The Floating City. An unlikely stage for an unlikely story.
The actors? A group of people who could not be more different.
A runaway girl, wanting to protect her adopted brother. A jaded P.I., trying to make ends meet. A masked thief, supporting the less fortunate. A mysterious client, hiring his services. A group of orphans, building a life for themselves. And a playwright, looking for inspiration.
Join them, as they meet, and plan, and chase their goals. And let the Floating City take you away into a fantastical world full of magic, friendship, and second chances.
[ID: A digital drawing of Zolf walking alone at night in Venice as it snows. He is looking up as a street lamp shines down on him.
The background is a colorful mix of buildings ranging from beige to dark pinks, plasters and brickwork is used interchangeably. There are a few darkly-coloured individuals walking around, their heads are down as they walk on either side of the canal. In the channel there is a gondola with two people riding in it, one is the gondolier and the other a passenger. Zolf is a blonde-haired, white dwarf with a forked beard, he has green eyes and is wearing a grey trench coat. /End ID]
[ID: A digital drawing of Cel Sidebottom from Rusty Quill Gaming. They are fully transformed into their beast form, a empty bottle is in their hand as they wipe their chin. Cel is a tall white half elf, They have spiky short blonde-gray hair and green eyes, their skin is covered in freckles. They are wearing a brown coat with pale gold accents, and goggles with red lens sitting on top of their head. /End ID]
