Post by: Keep Looking on April 08, 2020, 12:03:08 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 1: Awakening
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Prompt 1: Awakening
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Although the next chapter cover is still to be revealed, today marks the first day of our chapter break filler (and no, I have not thought of a better name) - with a creative work by one of our very own Minnions for each day of the break! Today's prompt is 'Awakening', and to kick us off we have our wonderful mod and veteran of many an advent calendar, wavewright62, presenting us with an awakening of a rather... beary-eyed nature (haven't we all been there?)
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Wavewright for taking the first day! And remember, if this prompt happens to inspire you in some way, feel free to make something of your own and share it on here as well! I'm sure we'd all love to see it.
Post by: wavewright62 on April 08, 2020, 12:46:15 AM
(I know it's a typo, but I think it's a Freudian slip apropos of the recent pages to refer to the crew as 'beary' eyed!)
Post by: Keep Looking on April 08, 2020, 12:48:03 AM
EEEE I was so happy to make this! Here (http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=318) is the page, for reference.
(I know it's a typo, but I think it's a Freudian slip apropos of the recent pages to refer to the crew as 'beary' eyed!)
Oh, haha, that was a typo! But you're right - a rather appropriate one. Maybe I should keep it.
Post by: Jitter on April 08, 2020, 02:12:45 AM
It's now also open for dailies, right? Here's a little slice of life.
Awakening
Sigrun stretched. The roughness and somewhat stale smell of the blanket reminded her they had reached the pickup point. Her first awake thought was the crushing realization that three of her team were lost. The second was remembering that the boys had returned yesterday! Suddenly happier, she opened her eyes and stared directly to Mikkel’s. In the morning light his pale eyes looked surprisingly greenish. “What! Why are you staring! What are you doing!” Mikkel was sitting next to her bed.
“I’m watching my captain sleep. But now she’s awake, and apparently content. I will go find some breakfast” Mikkel answered levelly.
Post by: Grade E cat on April 08, 2020, 03:04:20 AM
The warmest welcome
Onni was woken by a giggle from Tuuri. The first thing he became aware of was that he had not fallen asleep with his right arm under his blanket, as something warm and heavy was now keeping it pinned to the ground right next to his bedroll. He briefly wondered what it could be before remembering he was no longer travelling alone and that his travel companions were extremely dedicated to making sure he didn’t go off on his own a second time. Lalli in particular had been reluctant to leave his side. He was probably the one currently sleeping on his arm. Tuuri’s voice responded to the thought with amusement:
-It isn’t Lalli.
That explained the giggle from earlier. Onni was now reluctant to open his eyes. He couldn’t think of an option that was not going to be embarrassing. However, he quickly realized that how carefully he was planning to get his arm out of under the other person depended on their identity, and looking at who it was would be the only way to know. He opened his eyes. It was the cat. Onni hadn’t paid much attention to her aside from noticing her presence and her new collar. The cat hadn’t seemed to pay much attention to Onni either. Yet, there she was, sleeping on his arm, something she wouldn’t be doing if she didn’t feel safe around him. His plans for getting his arm free hadn’t taken her into account. He didn’t have the heart to disturb her peaceful slumber anyway. He decided to catch a few more minutes of rest.
Post by: Mariiii on April 08, 2020, 06:26:57 AM
It's now also open for dailies, right? Here's a little slice of life.
It is really well done !
As Keep Looking can confirm, I took care of my official prompt quite... promtptly, and decided that if I got ideas for any of the other prompts, I'd write them down. Of the two ideas I ended up needing to get out of my system in advance to be able to focus on a longer fic idea I'm trying to get off the ground, one of them fit nicely with today's prompt.
I hope we will have this kind of interactions between Onni and Kitty happening in the comic :)
Post by: Jitter on April 08, 2020, 06:57:31 AM
Now I wonder has Lalli arranged this with Kitty? Are they getting along too?
Mariiii, thanks! I have more on the next prompts, not for every one at least as of yet but we'll see :) Most of the ones I have already aren't this directly from canon, however.
Post by: yeethaw_gang on April 08, 2020, 08:33:48 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 08, 2020, 09:46:43 AM
Post by: yeethaw_gang on April 08, 2020, 10:15:18 AM
Awakening
The sun rises, the rays wipe
The traces of sleep from your eyes
The dust circulates with your breathing
And everything comes into focus
The sun sets, the rays retreat
Sleep settles on your eyelids
Like the dust does on your covers
Everything fades away
What did you do the entire day?
Did the ripples of your actions
Spread into the ocean of so many others?
Did you make a difference for someone?
The sun rises, the sun sets
Time passes
You grow older
And life goes on
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 08, 2020, 12:20:09 PM
I also love the bonus written vignettes! So simple and nice...
Yeethaw, the poem is sweet!
This is going to be an interesting chapter break :)
Post by: Mebediel on April 08, 2020, 01:59:29 PM
Post by: Alkia on April 08, 2020, 03:58:21 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on April 08, 2020, 05:55:13 PM
Grade E Cat and Yeethaw, may I request that you remove the spoilers on your posts? Your pieces are well short enough to not require data protection, plus y'all need to be loud 'n' proud about that content!
Post by: Vulpes on April 08, 2020, 06:38:49 PM
Post by: Keep Looking on April 09, 2020, 12:22:28 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 2: Sunlight
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Prompt 2: Sunlight
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Today's prompt is Sunlight, and steadfastjewel has provided us with a beautiful artwork of our favourite golden-haired cleanser that's almost overflowing with sunshine.
Spoiler: show
Thanks to steadfastjewel for this wonderful piece, and if any of you are inspired by this prompt, feel free to post your works here as well!
Post by: Keep Looking on April 09, 2020, 12:56:27 AM
Jitter, for some reason I find the mental image of Sigrun waking up to see Mikkel, completely deadpan, staring directly at her very hilarious - I loved that little snapshot.
Grade E Cat, that's such a heartwarming scene - and I also liked Onni's internal monologue!
Yeethaw, your poem is beautiful - it's so calm and rhythmic, yet also makes you think.
Post by: wavewright62 on April 09, 2020, 01:48:53 AM
Post by: Noodles on April 09, 2020, 02:50:06 AM
Post by: GaelleDragons on April 09, 2020, 02:51:48 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 09, 2020, 03:27:42 AM
Your art goes well with my vignette, however I also have a photo to go with it so I'll post when I manage to get the photo from the phone to the laptop. Which I'm sure I'm capable of. In a minute.
Post by: yeethaw_gang on April 09, 2020, 07:23:02 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 09, 2020, 09:12:53 AM
Sunlight
Lalli was awakened by bright sunlight. After a brief moment of disorientation, he remembered. They were safe. Finally safe. The sun took on Emil’s locks, making them even more golden than usually. Emil was still asleep, snuggled onto the bed of leaves and mosses next to him. “The day is beautiful and we are safe! Wake up, my sunshine!”
Spoiler: show
Post by: thegreyarea on April 09, 2020, 10:21:42 AM
So I’m here to say that everything is amazing! Suddenly chapter breaks seem much less frightening! :)
Thank you so much, Keep Looking, for going outside your comfort zone and organizing this for us *applause*
Wave, that’s a great drawing, plenty of lovely details like Sigrun having a knife under her “pillow” (which is perfectly expectable), Mikkel trying to arrange his hair or Lalli being ready before everybody else… I love the style, colours, everything!
Jitter’s Awakening is as perfect as Sig and Mikkel relation!
Grade E cat is also great. Like Jitter, I was expecting somebody else… :)
eethaw_gang awakening poem is beautiful and calm, and spread ripples of reflection to us.
steadfastjewel amazing Emil filled my screen and I almost needed sunglasses to look at it!
Jitter’s Sunlight, with it’s delicate picture, brought me warm and safe feelings.
So, that’s it! This is going to be a great chapter break! Sorry for not bringing any contribution, yet, but I will, hopefully before my prompt. :)
Post by: Mariiii on April 09, 2020, 10:23:35 AM
That's a very nice photo Jitter and the little story is really cute :))
Post by: Jitter on April 09, 2020, 11:41:08 AM
Post by: thorny on April 09, 2020, 01:21:08 PM
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 09, 2020, 05:00:58 PM
Jitter, your vignette is so sweet, and that photo reminds me so much of old camping trips, waking up at dawn... There is an incomparable quality to that first light.
Post by: Mebediel on April 09, 2020, 07:08:43 PM
I was inspired by sunlight in the forest (we have a forest just around the corner so can go there with doggo) which first brought to mind J.R.R. Tolkien's illustration in the Hobbit titled something on the lines of "Bilbo was awaken by bright sunlight in his eyes" (I have the book in Finnish only) which then brought in mind a morning moment. And who else could be involved in "Sunshine" but Emil? And that obviously also brings in Lalli. So here we are. This was the first one I had.For those who are curious, the English title to JRRT's illustration is "Bilbo woke up with the early sun in his eyes." Picture below a spoiler, since it's not thaaat relevant to the topic of this thread:
Spoiler: show
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 09, 2020, 07:20:23 PM
Post by: Jitter on April 09, 2020, 08:04:02 PM
Post by: Vulpes on April 09, 2020, 08:19:10 PM
Post by: Keep Looking on April 10, 2020, 12:24:14 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 3: Warmth
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Prompt 3: Warmth
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Today's piece is brought to us by none other than Jitter, with a fic that's wonderfully heartwarming in a very Finnish way.
Spoiler: show
Thank you very much to Jitter for contributing today's work, and if this prompt has inspired you to create something, go ahead and share it here as well!
Post by: Keep Looking on April 10, 2020, 12:32:11 AM
Post by: Grade E cat on April 10, 2020, 03:20:51 AM
Post by: Róisín on April 10, 2020, 03:31:56 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 10, 2020, 04:41:18 AM
Grade E Cat, I actually left the nature of their friendship intentionally open to make room for people to have their own readings. I myself am in the same ship as you :lalli: <3 :emil:
Post by: Keep Looking on April 10, 2020, 05:15:42 AM
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Taking the bus home on the first day of a last term, I learnt what sunshine feels like.
The air outside was filled with the soft warmth of spring, and the golden-bright warmth seeped into my chest and filled my lungs until the very air I breathed seemed to glow. I still held the memories of the day - of a train-ride conversation punctuated with laughter, of reunions held beneath the screeching lorikeets and the promise of another bright morning. There on the bus, the sunshine swirled over and about my memories, breathing warmth and light into the cracks, banishing the cold dark dampness that still lingered in the corners.
I spent so long in the cold. Back pressed against a damp brick wall, watching and waiting but never saying a word, trapped in my isolation like a grey and swirling fog. You forget, when you’ve spent so long in the cold, that the damp dark numbness isn’t normal, that somewhere out there the sun is still shining. I forgot. But I remember now.
I’ve learnt to live again. I’ve learnt to believe that things can get better, that even the thickest fogs will eventually pass. That there’s a place for me in the world, even if I can’t see it. I’ve learnt to trust again.
What does it mean to trust someone? To trust that you won’t be left standing alone, to trust that the future will bring laughter and love and people who understand? I’ll tell you what it means.
It means that the sun has finally come out.
Spoiler: show
Post by: Jitter on April 10, 2020, 05:22:56 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on April 10, 2020, 06:08:12 AM
Keep Looking, I'm so glad that you find your way. Those moments happen, I believe, to all of us. They surely happened to me, and them, surely, the sun came out. :)
Well, I talked some time ago in going outside the comfort zone, so here I am, inspired by Jitter, standing by my words and giving you my very first piece of poetry since... forever? *
Droplets
From the golden neck came a first droplet
Down the strong torso it slid
Carrying memories of fire and Sunlight
It reflected a Silver shine
From silver-white hair came the second droplet
Reaching the tip, dangling there
Containing ancient knowledge and Moonlight
It reflected Gold and sparkle
And the droplet loosed its grip
And through the hot air shining it dropped
And then Silver met Gold
And the droplets merged
____________________
I think I managed to be a little over Vogon level on this, so I'm hoping nobody get hurt reading it...
* Maybe I wrote some decades ago, I'm not sure
EDIT: corrected one typo and one crude mistake in a verb tense. My apologies.
Post by: Jitter on April 10, 2020, 06:26:41 AM
Respecting the nature of this challenge and this board I choose to believe it depicts the moment the boys sit side by side in the sauna <3
Post by: thegreyarea on April 10, 2020, 06:43:39 AM
Grey, it's lovely!
Respecting the nature of this challenge and this board I choose to believe it depicts the moment the boys sit side by side in the sauna <3
Thanks! And that's exactly what I was thinking! <3
(what else could it be? ;) )
Post by: Mariiii on April 10, 2020, 06:46:57 AM
Keep Looking I love your poetry !
And yours is really good too thegreyarea
Post by: Jitter on April 10, 2020, 06:54:34 AM
Warmth
The Haven was still a mess of roots and gnarled trunks. Nevertheless, Reynir called for Lalli. “Come on, please let me help you”
“Go away! I’m fine!”
“I know you are not fine! Why won’t you let me in?”
“You know nothing! GO!”
“She… someone told me once, that when you are upset you need to talk. I’m the only one you can talk with right now. Please let me help!”
“Go. Away. Or…”
“You think I’m stupid, but I’ve noticed how you have been cuddling Kitty. Actually, you are sleeping curled around her as we speak! I can tell you are upset!”
“I need the warmth!”
“I know you don’t usually like Kitty. You are upset.”
“I was ill for days! She keeps me warm, that’s all!"
"But..."
"LEAVE! Or I’ll have to punch you again! I would be fine, if I could have some peace!!” Sighing, Reynir gave up.
“Ok then. But you really do need to talk. I’ll be ready when you are.”
Leaving Lalli's place, Reynir sighed again. Lalli’s right though, he has been ill. Reynir made himself wake up and tiptoed to Lalli, sleeping with Kitty at his side. Carefully Reynir placed an extra blanket over the sleeping boy and cat, before returning to his own bed.
Art:
http://sssscomic.com/mainimages/art/cat_nap.jpg
http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=326
http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=666
* Occurred to me when I was sloughing on the couch with doggo. She's very warm, as are cats, since their body temperature is a bit higher than humans'.
Post by: Alkia on April 10, 2020, 07:11:57 AM
grand tidbits of sunlight and warmth whenever I want to <3.
Steadfastjewel, that Emil is so pretty!! Jitter, that sunlight picture is lovely, and both the Emilalli and Reynir and Lalli pieces warm my heart so much aaaahh (heh, I guess that is the point of the prompt). I love your introspective prose, KeepLooking , and woW, you did poetry, grey!! i really like the gold and silver duality
Post by: Keep Looking on April 10, 2020, 07:18:05 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 10, 2020, 07:40:55 AM
Thanks! And that's exactly what I was thinking! <3
(what else could it be? ;) )
I suggest we let this train of thought stop right now. Sauna is nice.
Post by: thegreyarea on April 10, 2020, 07:45:37 AM
Jitter, that's a lovely piece. I feel that Rey is exactly that kind of person that puts an extra blanket over you, expecting nothing in return.
And yes, I agree with you, Sauna is nice :)
Post by: Jitter on April 10, 2020, 09:27:30 AM
No bathers in the pics so safe for everyone!
http://www.luotosenkamppa.fi/ The top row on pictures has some of the feel I think there would be, of course boat and buckets are made of wood. The red color will come later.
https://www.styleroom.fi/album/43871-pihasauna This is an interior design blog, mostly saunas aren't quite this pretty :) It gives some idea about the space however, but the Hotakainen sauna is darker in color.
https://www.styleroom.fi/album/49491-pihasauna another interior design, mainly refer to the picture with the bucket
https://www.meillakotona.fi/artikkelit/tama-on-suomen-kaunein-mokkisauna
https://www.ronola.fi/sauna-is-about-mindfulness/
https://www.luontoon.fi/suomunvillevuokratupa pictures 1 and 4, the interior shown in 2-3 is too large
https://erakamppa.fi/kuvagalleria/ manufacturer of pre-cut saunas and other outbuildings, includes a picture of how the timbers are laid
Post by: Mebediel on April 10, 2020, 04:22:44 PM
Thanks for sharing your introspective prose-poetry with us, Keep Looking! It's beautiful, and your writing is very evocative.
thegreyarea, your poetry is really good! Comparing it to Vogon poetry is unfair lol you would beat them without contest
Post by: Jitter on April 10, 2020, 05:35:44 PM
Post by: Keep Looking on April 10, 2020, 11:45:41 PM
I think writing the vignettes is exactly what I need right now. They are happy, low effort, but nevertheless something I have managed to produce, and they appear to be giving joy to you guys. Writing them makes my life better at this very moment when I’m far too high-strung. So thank you again, everyone who are making this happen, and especially Keep looking! <3 <3 <3 to all!
That's precisely why I made this event, actually. When I came up with the idea a few weeks ago, I was in a pretty bad place mentally (mostly because of virus-related stress), and writing poetry for the new pages of SSSS was what was keeping me afloat. But since it looked like chapter break was coming up soon, I wasn't sure what I'd do when it happened, as at that point even the weekends were tough. I figured I might as well do something about it, because other people were probably feeling the same way, and because being creative can be really helpful when times are tough, and so can having something to look forwards to each day.
I'm feeling in a much better place now, but I'm really glad that this event is helping you guys get through these times!
Post by: Keep Looking on April 11, 2020, 12:36:11 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 4: Nostalgia
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Prompt 4: Nostalgia
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For today's contribution, the wonderful Mariiii has provided us with a beautiful and bittersweet artwork for the prompt of 'nostalgia'.
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Mari for today's piece, and if any of you are inspired by this prompt, feel free to post your own creative works on here - we'd love to see them!
Post by: Grade E cat on April 11, 2020, 02:04:55 AM
Post by: wavewright62 on April 11, 2020, 02:30:02 AM
Nostalgia
Here, snow drifts inside
Crude shelter, good enough, though...
I dream of ice cream.
-----
Did I ever tell
about the time a PlayGuy
I threw killed a troll?
----
The crosswords were mine,
yours the rest of the paper.
Now - insulation.
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 11, 2020, 09:26:52 AM
Jitter, I like the long-form story and the vignette! You did a nice job establishing the setting. I've never been in a sauna, closest I've come is the weird woodcuts my Finnish grandmother had on the walls of her house (as a little kid, my brothers and I found them funny, being that they were naked people on benches. the sophistication of youth)
The story is also a tasteful level of shippy, well-balanced. ;) And I love to see Reynir being a good friend.
Keep Looking, I love your introspective poetry. It's timely. Thanks for hosting the party.
Greyarea, I enjoy the poem AND the Vogon reference. (Poetry is less painful the more you do it! Feel free to share more, haha)
As for today, Mari! I love to see baby Hotakainens, even if it gives me a moment of angst. My favorite detail of the piece is Tuuri's braids. pastOnni's surprisingly detailed boots are a close contender!
And Wave, if it doesn't feel dodgy, is it really haiku? ;D I like them, particularly the third bit.
Post by: Jitter on April 11, 2020, 10:07:47 AM
Wave, great haikus! The lost comforts of a gone by world.
Today's vignette takes us far off canon.
Nostalgia
Suddenly the warm wind carried a soft bleat to Reynir’s ears. But surely this was too far from any farms? He was never one to ignore a lamb in need, so he stepped off the rocky path to investigate. Soon enough he spotted a month-old curled between the almost barren rocks. It was clearly starving, the volcanic soil of the area could hardly provide much to eat for a young lamb. It would have perished already, but for the warmth from the nearby geysirs. “Oh, where’s your mommy? Come here!” Reynir gently wrapped the lamb inside his peysa.
The heat and flutter of a young thing against his chest brought back to many memories. All the children of the villages he had blessed. His own children and grandchildren, whom he had held and sang to through so many nights. And even further back, the lambs he had carried when he was but a shepherd boy at his parents’ farm. Such an innocent existence! That was right in the beginning of his journey, before the Seiður and the adventures, before Pastor Anne.
Even before he ever met Onni. How strange it was to think there was such a time when they didn’t know each other. How much knowledge of the new magic could have been lost, if he had stayed at the farm with the lambs? But how much easier would his own life had been? Sighing, Reynir ensured the lamb was secure and warm “Now now, little one. I’m sure we can find your home!”
The perpetual mists of the valley closed after the old man and the young animal. Spirits of the land were alone once more.
Photo collage from Icelandic geysirs under the cut
Spoiler: show
Post by: Mariiii on April 11, 2020, 12:29:21 PM
Wavewright62 I really like your haiku !
Jitter this makes me want to go to Iceland right now !
And Keep Looking thank you again for the organisation of this wonderful chapter break :))
Post by: Mebediel on April 11, 2020, 01:24:46 PM
Wave, I really like your set of haikus. Now I'm also dreaming of ice cream.
And Reynir as an old man! That's something to think about :D Thanks, Jitter!
Post by: thegreyarea on April 11, 2020, 01:30:25 PM
Wave, those haikus are lovely, and that reference to ice cream is perfect
Jitter, the story is fantastic! (I'd love to have more in that timeline...) And so are the photos.
I feel that Reynir is the kind of person that would drift into a nostalgic moment, and so I decided to try a bit of poetry again. Blame steadfastjewel, that liked my first try (thanks!) and told it would be less painful...
Nostalgia
His spirit drifts, away from the darkness
Searching for the blessing Sun
Across the Ocean, far from cursed noises
Looking for the peaceful sounds
He finds soft green hills, the sweet welcoming smells
Hears again beloved voices
Around the hearth, eating talking and laughing
Brothers, Father, Mother, Home
His youth, left behind to dive in a journey
Of love, courage and madness
Beyond return he must plunge into silence
Where unforgiving things await
His will is steel, unbreakable, resolute
No baulking nor failing friends
Yet his heart ached
With longing
For his
Sheep
Post by: Jitter on April 11, 2020, 01:59:43 PM
Thank you, Mariii and Mebediel! Mariii, Iceland is totally worth visiting! It’s wonderful! In the literal meaning of the word! It’s very expensive but still worth all of it. We only had a stopover, 2,5 days there, but a many wondrous places are very close to Reykjavík so we managed to see so much. Not enough though, I hope I’ll have the opportunity to go again!
Post by: Jitter on April 11, 2020, 02:14:38 PM
Post by: Róisín on April 11, 2020, 02:25:56 PM
Post by: thegreyarea on April 11, 2020, 05:42:26 PM
Haha Grey, your poem had me first sighing and then laughing aloud :)) I just posted some more photos on the Scouting trips thread here, there are also sheep! https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=954.30
I'm very glad that I made you laugh! Not because it's an achievement for someone the writes (although it is hard to make people laugh) but because I love to make my friends laugh!
I guess you thought that the Reynir's heartache had a different destination... :)
Oh and Grey, I don’t know anything about the timeline. I had the plan of grandfather Reynir remembering his youth because of meeting a lamb, but the children in the villages, Onni and the new magic appeared on their own :) Who knows, maybe they will tell me more about themselves later?
Who knows, time will tell. Isn't amazing how things suddenly appear when we're writing? It's like a very peculiar magic that makes the narrative almost alive, with it's own will...
I will be curious to see how your take on the new magic compares to mine. You may have noticed if you have read any of my fanfic that I write it as a fusion of Finnish and Icelandic magic. The origin of it gets a mention in the later chapters of ‘Caring For a Friend’, and we see Future Lalli having gone to that mage school in ‘An Historical Document’ which is set a thousand years after the Rash.
I believe that someone that writes is, in good part, the sum of everything read before. And a lot of that "processing" happens in the subconscious, where paths, stories, characters and so on become a great mix and crossbreed, creating new ones that wait for something in a story that will "call" for them... Maybe Jitter's new magic is the result of a previous reading of some of your stories, Róisín (that are great, by the way) and it found that a story in the future was the right moment to "pop".
Post by: Mariiii on April 11, 2020, 06:43:57 PM
Grey thank you so much ! I really like your poem, especially the end ! ;D
Jitter well I think I know where I'll go on my next trip ! ;)
Post by: wavewright62 on April 11, 2020, 06:51:06 PM
Post by: Alkia on April 11, 2020, 07:49:02 PM
Post by: Keep Looking on April 11, 2020, 09:14:25 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on April 11, 2020, 09:32:19 PM
The first one is not specific, but characters sheltering wherever they can, even in a ramshackle building which doesn't keep out the snow. Then once they are 'safe' they can allow themselves dream of what they miss.
The second one is Veeti, who held onto his toy way too long after it was rendered useless, until the day it came in handy.
The third can be either the Västerströms holed up in their summer cabin in Sweden, or Gøren & Ingrid doing the same in Dalsnes.
Post by: Keep Looking on April 12, 2020, 12:08:11 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 5: Family
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Prompt 5: Family
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For today's prompt of family, the wonderful artist Kyara has created a touching piece about family both lost and found.
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Kyara for today's contribution, and if any of you feel inspired by this prompt, feel free to share what you've created!
Post by: Róisín on April 12, 2020, 12:23:43 AM
Post by: GaelleDragons on April 12, 2020, 04:56:08 AM
As for the story... *wipes tear from eye* it's like an emotional rollercoaster and I love it.
Post by: Róisín on April 12, 2020, 05:09:09 AM
Post by: Count_Shrekula on April 12, 2020, 06:36:12 AM
Post by: Kyara on April 12, 2020, 07:02:55 AM
(wavewright, steadfastjewel, Jitter, Mari) your contributions are fantastic! Whether it was drawings or stories, they were sooo enjoyable to read/watch.
All the little side contributions (the poems by Gray, and Keep Looking and Wavewright), the little stories from Jitter and Grade E cat are fantastic too. They all bring at least a smile (if it is not laugh) and it warms the heart! Thank you for your work !
I wanted to comment all along posts but the comic has really keep me busy a lot these last days.
For details (and maybe readability), Keep Looking had the good idea to put the postimage link below, so that you have it large (very large).
Thanks already to Róisín and Count Shrekula and Gaelle for your comments ! I am super happy that you enjoy it :))
And Róisín, just the fact that you take the time to watch it again and comment on it is great (All these details were not in vain).
It is an emotional elevator, but hope that the balm at the end leaves you with a light heart.
Post by: Mariiii on April 12, 2020, 07:11:30 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 12, 2020, 07:54:49 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 12, 2020, 08:30:54 AM
Family
“Look at her! She is so tiny, and so perfect!”
“Yes, she is! And you! You are perfect! You did so so great, love. I’m sorry you had to go through this… all of this. But she’s perfect, and you will be all right, and she will be all right”.
“But we won’t! Nothing’s going to be all right. Ever again!” Aino went from extasy to panic in the span of a second. Saku tried to calm her, but no success.
“Don’t worry Aino, we have everything under control” Tuuli burst back into the sauna. She had washed her hands and was composed as always. “We have medical supplies, and enough firewood to stay here the entire winter, and…”
“I’m not talking about this winter! There is no world for her to grow in! None, nothing, nada!!” Aino was wailing again.
“Everything will be all right. You will see she’ll get to grow up! Thanks to the fact that she has family who is sensible enough to prepare! Unlike her parents!”
“Ok thank you Tuuli. Could you please give us some privacy now” Saku ushered his sister-in-law out.
“Tuuli is intense, but she’s right you know. Maybe we don’t have a world, but we do have family.”
Post by: Alkia on April 12, 2020, 09:16:04 AM
Jitter, I was wondering the same thing- how did Ensi's parents react to her being born in an apocalypse? I feel like this is very accurate!! And sweet (and comforting, and good to remember in corona times).
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 12, 2020, 09:43:43 AM
Jitter, another cute vignette. Now I'm thinking about my cousin's baby, who (due to real world events) I haven't met... does make the world feel a bit small, when you can't see family that live 30 minutes away. But she's got two great parents and an elder brother to look out for her.
Oh, and a happy Easter, to any of you so inclined! Thanks everybody for contributing to this project <3 <3 <3
Post by: yeethaw_gang on April 12, 2020, 10:08:26 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on April 12, 2020, 10:16:23 AM
That last image when we see them from the top sparkled a question in me. Is Mikkel looking at us? Or at the stars above?
And then it occurred to me that for our heroes we and the stars are quite the same, distant, untouchable watchers, apparently indifferent to their lives and struggles.
Yet we are not indifferent, we care for them, a lot. We just can't help, but we do cheer.
Tonight I'll look at the stars in a slightly different way.
Jitter, that is an amazing story! I feel that Ensi's life is a gold mine of inspiration for more stories. :)
"She has a family", said Saku, in the following day. "And we will teach her everything. Even if the World is lost, she will know it and one day her, or her children, will claim their legacy."
Aino, holding Ensi on her breast, stood silent for a while. "No, love, maybe one day, later." She looked at the baby. Her eyes were open, looking back while she sucked. "We shall first teach her the old ways of hunting, fishing and moving in the woods, like our ancestors did. That's also her legacy. She will belong to two families. Us, and the forest."
Thanks to all that liked, and laughed, from my poems. I will pass today, because I'm worried about my contribution. Everybody is putting the bar very high, and I have to get a lot of balance to reach it! :)
Post by: Jitter on April 12, 2020, 11:17:07 AM
Grey, you already contributed for today! A beautiful addition!
Post by: Grade E cat on April 12, 2020, 03:04:32 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on April 12, 2020, 09:40:26 PM
Post by: Keep Looking on April 12, 2020, 10:45:33 PM
Post by: Keep Looking on April 13, 2020, 12:51:18 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 6: Baking
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Prompt 6: Baking
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For today's prompt of baking, Noodles has dished out a sweet treat complete with a steaming cup of tea!
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Noodles for today's contribution, and if you feel inspired by this prompt, go ahead and share what you've made!
Post by: Jitter on April 13, 2020, 05:51:31 AM
Post by: Count_Shrekula on April 13, 2020, 05:59:50 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 13, 2020, 07:34:06 AM
Baking
“Onniii! Help! Quickly!” Lalli’s shout startled Onni, weeding the veggie patch. Heart pounding, he ran inside.
“What is it? The kids? Is somebody hurt? Are you hurt?”
“Kitchen! I need help!” Onni bounced through the door into disaster zone. Everything, including Lalli, was covered in flour. Actually, especially Lalli. The kids were throwing flour and lumps of batter and clearly having the best time ever.
“What in the name of Mielikki…!”
“I wanted to make a cake for Emil. I thought it’d be nice if I did it together with the kids. I was wrong. You must help me clean!”
Post by: Jitter on April 13, 2020, 07:39:22 AM
Post by: yeethaw_gang on April 13, 2020, 07:55:21 AM
I ask if you want to knead the dough
Not because I need the help
But because I want to be in the same room as you
Because I love the flour fights we get into
And because I love you
This is perhaps the most heartfelt poem I have ever written. It's very short, but uh. I wanted to convey one of my personal joys of baking.
Post by: Jitter on April 13, 2020, 09:40:58 AM
Post by: Keep Looking on April 13, 2020, 09:50:22 AM
Jitter, yours was very funny! And Yeethaw - you're right, it's very heartfelt, and I love it for that.
Post by: thegreyarea on April 13, 2020, 11:26:16 AM
Jitter, that's so funny! I imagine that just after Lalli spoke that last sentence Onni was hit by a handful of flour! :D
yeethaw_gang, that's very heartfelt and also sounds very personal... I wish you many flour fights in the future! ;)
Keep Looking, thanks, again and again, for organizing this! If it weren't for you we wouldn't have all those delightful things.
Sorry but no poem today :( Had to do many things (including a reminder). Maybe tomorrow...
Post by: scottishnottish on April 13, 2020, 11:44:31 AM
I kinda combined a few prompts for this poem, and it's in two parts, the first part is sort-of a neutral tone, and the second part is a somber/sad tone, but the two can kinda be taken individually if you don't want a downer. Anyways, have a gloomy poem written from Lalli's perspective
---
I find difficulty in the sunlight
A strange burning a million miles away
Greeting me in the morning
As if my skin was worthy of soaking in its amber rays
I squint at its pleasantries
Good morning, friend, how are you today?
Just let me cover my head
And close my eyes again, sleep the day away
I find comfort in the midnight
Some time alone in the long hours after day
No conversations, just the silence
Nothing to think of, nothing to say
---
The night is my steady friend
I find difficulty in the sun's shimmering waves
Playing in the soft clouds
Reminding me of the ocean, the bay
The cool pebble beaches
Along the river where we used to play
And splash, for brief happy moments
So long ago, before the seas took you away
Post by: Jitter on April 13, 2020, 12:09:55 PM
Post by: Noodles on April 13, 2020, 04:13:01 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on April 13, 2020, 04:45:07 PM
Post by: scottishnottish on April 13, 2020, 05:23:07 PM
I come alive in the sunlight
A pleasant warmth from a billion miles away
Greeting me in the early hours
Like little hugs on my cheeks through window panes
I speak softly to the morning sun
Good morning, friend, how are you today?
lay still for a moment, let it soak in
and stretch out the night's stiffness and aches
though the midnight gives me shivers
like frostbitten fingers on a snow-blind day
I think of the sunshine, not far off
and how I will greet it, what I will say
Post by: thegreyarea on April 13, 2020, 06:19:02 PM
Post by: Mariiii on April 13, 2020, 07:13:55 PM
Jitter I love your little story, I don't think Lalli will try to do something with Emil's cousins anymore haha
yeethaw_gang and scottishnottish these are lovely poems !
Post by: Vulpes on April 13, 2020, 08:13:22 PM
Post by: Jitter on April 14, 2020, 01:41:48 AM
Post by: Keep Looking on April 14, 2020, 01:55:28 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 7: Feast
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Prompt 7: Feast
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Today's prompt is Feast, and the one and only Róisín has provided us with a wonderful tale of food, family and surprisingly functional solar panels.
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Róisín for today's piece, and if any of you feel inspired by this prompt, feel free to share with us what you've made!
Post by: Grade E cat on April 14, 2020, 02:41:52 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on April 14, 2020, 06:22:17 AM
I think the we are all hoping now that Minna will take the story in that direction.
(Which, in turn, will be quite strange to happen, unless Minna and Róisín share a telepathic link or Minna is not totally happy with her actual planned outcome, reads this story and decides to change plans)
Post by: JoB on April 14, 2020, 07:03:48 AM
Case in point, the exact same story is 76 words in Finnish!Filling 147 lines, I trust. >:D
unless Minna and Róisín share a telepathic link or Minna is not totally happy with her actual planned outcome
Spoiler: show
Post by: Jitter on April 14, 2020, 08:08:34 AM
Feast
It was time for the Ukonvakka, and Jukka and Juha were excited. Usually it was celebrated at the village, and the big celebration was held in Vakkasaari only every few years. The last time, they were almost kids still and got only a taste of the sacred beer.
“Do you think Anne-Mari is here somewhere?”
“I’m sure of it. I can’t wait! I think this is the year we make the promise!”
“You are so lucky to have her. How does such a sweet girl like a stupid one such as you!”
“You are the stupid one! You are just jealous!”
“Well, I guess I am…”
“Don’t worry, you’ll find someone! You are stupid but you do have the family good looks! I’ll go look around Anne-Mari’s village’s camp. See you at the Circle!”
Jukka arrived at the Circle alone. All young people seemed to know each other already, and Jukka didn’t want to disturb them. Maybe the Circle would shuffle the crowds a bit. And Ukonolut was good and strong, to bring blessing and fertility for the year.
After the ceremonial drink, the feast proper began. Jukka wandered among the tables, beer in hand. There were so many kinds of fish, and even some meat with the baked goods and jams. Fresh spring greens were used as both garnish and decoration. Clearly the winter had been gentle on many of the islands, and it was looking like it would be a good year ahead. Jukka was deep in thought, so much so that he bumped to a lone girl with beautiful blonde hair. She spilled her beer.
“Ooops! Sorry. I’m a clumsy idiot!”
“It was my fault too, I wasn’t looking! I’m Tuulikki, by the way.”
Ukonvakka or Ukonvakat was a spring celebration held probably in late May to ask for rain and blessing for the crops. It was in honor of Ukko, the high god of sky. A key element was making and drinking of sacred beer (here called Ukonolut, Ukko's beer), in addition there was feasting but it’s a bit unclear whether the food was only eaten or also sacrificed. The beer sacrifice was a tankard or so poured away, and the rest was drunk by the celebrators. The point was to be drunk. Like many spring festivals, it was a fertility celebration and probably resulted in unions and new babies. They were held in some places at least until late-ish 1800’s.
It was usually held by each village, but here I’ve thought the villages in the area gathered for a larger feast every few years. And of course, the Y0 survivors knew of genetics so they would have known it’s beneficial to find mates from another community. The description is largely based on scenes from Mikko Kamula’s book “Ikimetsien sydänmailla” which unfortunately isn’t available in English.
Here’s a song about Ukonvakat by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani (name of song is spelled Ukon Wacka):
The lyrics (in Finnish) are posted as a comment
Ok, so posting my own pictures is tricky, but YouTube appears as a link. Good to know :) If you want to see the lyrics comments, you probably need to go into YouTube proper.
Post by: Jitter on April 14, 2020, 08:11:22 AM
Filling 147 lines, I trust. >:D
Both English and Finnish of "Baking" under the cut for the linguistically curious :)
Spoiler: show
Post by: Grade E cat on April 14, 2020, 09:35:15 AM
“How does such a sweet girl like a stupid one such as you!” “You are the stupid one! You are just jealous!”
Calling loved ones "stupid" runs in that family indeed.
Post by: Róisín on April 14, 2020, 10:04:26 AM
And no, no telepathic link to Minna that I know of, other else I would maybe have some tiniest smitchín of artistic talent, rather than being totally devoid of it! She would be joyfully welcome to use any idea of mine that she wished to, of course, as would any here. Just let me know what you plan to do with it.
And wow, Grey! Somebody else who knows what a geas is!
Post by: Kyara on April 14, 2020, 10:40:17 AM
The little drawing by Noodles was adorable! But inedible. Who would want to eat such cute little kittens?
Roisin's stories describe a whole place and mood in a few words and it is great. We can see it so well this farm, it's full of details and life and it feels good. Thank you for this story and yes, I sincerely hope that Minna is not wearing an aluminum hat to protect herself from potential telepathic waves ! Russu gives so much good vibes, I'll love to see such a character in SSSS.
Post by: thegreyarea on April 14, 2020, 01:44:12 PM
(And the music is great, too)
Post by: scottishnottish on April 14, 2020, 09:20:11 PM
The evergreens swayed gently overhead, like sentinels towering over their humble campsite. It was a rare moment Lalli felt safe out here, in the silent world, but for some reason tonight he did. There was a pleasant warmth on the spring wind. Crickets sang from somewhere not so far away. The world was quiet here, but not quiet in the way he'd grown used to where beasts, trolls, and unspeakable dangers were near. Just calm, at ease, as if everything sighed in relief and contentment for a moment.
He didn't understand much of what the others were saying, just a word here and there, close enough to what he knew of Swedish to get the idea across. Of Reynir's question Lalli understood "eat" and "home," and guessed the rest from context.
He didn't need to translate Sigrun's answer. From her miming taking a big drink and wiping her mouth, he guessed some sort of beer or mead. She spoke with her hands and her expressions, telling of a party with friends. Of dancing and games. Laughter and good cheer. Strangely, he coveted that. His people were typically quiet and reserved, and he exceptionally so among them. He knew that. And he knew at times he could even be cold. Better to be cold than to burn out too soon, he thought, as Tuuri's smile drifted past his mind's eye. But there were moments, such as these, he wished he could burn bright too.
Mikkel was speaking. He said something that Sigrun recoiled at, Reynir looked confused by, and Emil didn't seem to understand at all. Mikkel smiled coyly, as if he'd told a joke only he was privy to. Sigrun punched him on the shoulder. The smile grew a little, almost imperceptibly. Lalli wondered what it meant. Some weird Danish thing, maybe. He barely understood Emil's jokes, he wasn't even going to try to understand Mikkel's.
Emil went next, something about cake. Afterwards he translated for Lalli. "Back home we had this amazing chocolate cake with this really rich icing. It was so good. You remember seeing little fat Emil in the dream? That cake was why. And the lack of—gods, what's the Finnish? Oh! Exercise. Wasn't a big fan of the outdoors back then." His accent was still poor, but his wording had improved. Lalli smiled a little, a private smile for Emil's eyes only as the others listened to Reynir's answer. Something about "sheep" he picked up, but he didn't really care. He only cared about the warm sparkle that entered Emil's eye at the sight of his smile.
Emil did this, the goofy Swede. Got all happy whenever Lalli showed a sign of joy. He wanted to explain that he wasn't good at showing emotions. He wasn't good at—feelings. He'd been raised, trained, to put them aside and act. It had always got him out alive when he was working, and he'd always worked alone. He'd never needed—no, no, that wasn't right. He'd never seen the need for friends before. But now, things were different. And he... liked it? He liked seeing that sparkle in Emil's eyes. He liked seeing Emil happy. And if him being happy made Emil happy, perhaps it was a good thing to want. Happiness.
"What about you?" Emil asked. He'd half abandoned the full Finnish, and was now mixing it with Swedish in a way Lalli could just sort out. "What do you want to eat when you get home?"
Lalli put a knuckle to his chin, and looked into the fire for a moment. He thought of Tuuri's delight while shopping for sweets in the market in Mora. Thought of himself and Emil enjoying sweets together in the dream space. Thought of someday enjoying a tasty treat again with his friend, and feeling this contentment, this safety, this happiness for more than an evening. And he answered as simply and clearly as he could.
"Cake."
The others nodded in approval, and Emil smiled and patted him softly on the shoulder. Lalli let a little smile slip loose again, and patted Emil's shoulder in return, letting his fingers linger a little longer than he normally would. The warm night air, the warmth of Emil's skin, the warmth that filled his own chest, that sparkle, that smile. It was enough.
—
What's this? Scottish is writing SSSS prose! Believe it or not, I'm more comfortable writing prose than poetry, and SSSS allowed me to set sail into some uncharted territory on the poetry front. I don't often write fan-fiction, but I had an itch to write something cute about my boys, and was in a prose-y mood. Also, wonderful posts Jitter and Róisín! Your warm, delightful scenes inspired me.
Post by: Róisín on April 14, 2020, 10:10:13 PM
Post by: scottishnottish on April 14, 2020, 11:23:23 PM
Scottish, yours is warm too, and just lovely. Now I wonder what Onni would want to eat - mämmi?
Thank you! (Also I didn't have a good enough working knowledge of each country's cuisine to guess at what each person would pick, and was too lazy to do the research, thus I kept it really vague and used the language barrier to get away with non-specific answers heh.)
Mämmi sounds tasty, probably quite a treat to Finns in y90. I'd also be interested if anyone knows a good gross-out Danish food Mikkel might suggest to get a reaction out of the others.
Post by: Keep Looking on April 15, 2020, 12:17:20 AM
Post by: Keep Looking on April 15, 2020, 12:23:24 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 8: Harvest
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Prompt 8: Harvest
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Today's contribution is from Grade E Cat, who's written a story set during a very fateful harvest indeed.
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Grade E Cat for today's piece, and if any of you are inspired by this prompt, please feel free to share what you've come up with down below.
Post by: wavewright62 on April 15, 2020, 03:04:13 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 15, 2020, 04:16:09 AM
Scottish, it was wonderful to read prose from you! I especially liked the way you described Sigrun's party through Lalli's observation (which this time probably was more accurate than his earlier "you are an orphan" :) ). All in all Lalli's musings on the subject were well-constructed and very him. My first thought was also to have Sigrun describe one of her naturally completely unforgettable parties, but then I wanted to stay in Finland. Good that you did! Thank you!
Grade E cat, oh no poor Onni. If only he didn't have to grow up so fast after all. I can't comment any more on this as now I'm completely crying. Thank you so so much.
Post by: JoB on April 15, 2020, 06:00:40 AM
I'd also be interested if anyone knows a good gross-out Danish food Mikkel might suggest to get a reaction out of the others.Whatever the Danish cuisine has to offer in that category, I have a hunch that Mikkel would have add(-lib)ed hearts of palm to it. And maybe electric lights, so much more advanced than candles.
(Having that said, in spite of even domestic criticism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_cuisine#Criticism), I don't see anything genuinely disturbing listed by Wikipedia.)
Post by: Mariiii on April 15, 2020, 07:05:33 AM
The other contributions were amazing too !
Grade E cat your story brought tears to my eyes, I love it !
Post by: thegreyarea on April 15, 2020, 07:43:34 AM
Grade E Cat, I love this piece. That also entered to my headcanon! :)
This way we will one day, not very far away, have the entire history of the Hotakainens since the Prologue (and far in the Future).
Post by: Jitter on April 15, 2020, 08:24:13 AM
Harvest
“Now we surely are done for!” Arni is desperate. “All the currants are gone. It must be the birds!”
“We will manage, don’t despair, love. Freya will provide!”
“You keep saying that but when will she? Two ewes lost, maggots in carrots and now this! We can’t survive the winter on potatoes alone. I think we have to sell another ewe to buy fruits.”
“We can’t! We’ll be three in the spring. We need to grow the flock!”
“We won’t be three in the spring, if you get scurvy during the winter. It used to be a horrible scourge for our ancestors!”
“Remain calm, love! Freya will provide, I know it.”
Following morning Guðrún tells Arni of her dream. “I was riding the golden mare I often see in my dreams lately. Suddenly she spoke to me.”
“Who did?”
“She, the mare! She said “Reynir wants to help” So, I looked around, and I saw a young redheaded man waving. He looked kind of like your dad, but young. I waved back to him, and he pointed towards a gully I haven’t really noticed before. Then he vanished! It was very vivid, much more lifelike than any normal dream.”
“Honey, I believe you that the dream felt powerful for you. Still, it was just a dream.”
“I think it’s worth checking nevertheless.”
Arni decided to come too, mostly to humor his pregnant wife and also to keep her safe. He didn’t think they would find anything, but to his surprise Guðrún walked as if on a very well-known path directly into a gully. Inside they saw a copse of rowan trees, all bearing loads of red berries.
“See! I told you! Rowanberries are tangy, but rich in vitamins. We’ll just need some sugar for jam! It’s good we brought baskets!”
(https://i.postimg.cc/3d8CPXw0/pihlajanmarjat.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/3d8CPXw0) (https://i.postimg.cc/s1SpBnMh/20191025-090410.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/s1SpBnMh)
Post by: Jitter on April 15, 2020, 08:36:01 AM
Whatever the Danish cuisine has to offer in that category, I have a hunch that Mikkel would have add(-lib)ed hearts of palm to it. And maybe electric lights, so much more advanced than candles.
(Having that said, in spite of even domestic criticism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_cuisine#Criticism), I don't see anything genuinely disturbing listed by Wikipedia.)
Maybe he's taking something from the Faroese kitchen? An example here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garnat%C3%A1lg
Post by: thegreyarea on April 15, 2020, 08:52:57 AM
Do you know what is a reynir in Icelandic?
I didn't. Now I know :)
That's a beautiful story, while dangerously close to those time-travel paradoxes... But we can always think that they would found that place (or other solution) later, without help, so the outcome would be the same :) I'm intrigued, however, by the golden speaking mare...
Post by: scottishnottish on April 15, 2020, 09:26:18 AM
Scottish, it was wonderful to read prose from you! I especially liked the way you described Sigrun's party through Lalli's observation (which this time probably was more accurate than his earlier "you are an orphan" :) ). All in all Lalli's musings on the subject were well-constructed and very him. My first thought was also to have Sigrun describe one of her naturally completely unforgettable parties, but then I wanted to stay in Finland. Good that you did! Thank you!
I admit, I probably took a little bit of liberty with how much Lalli would understand her, I doubt Sigrun is very good at charades/pantomime hah.
Whatever the Danish cuisine has to offer in that category, I have a hunch that Mikkel would have add(-lib)ed hearts of palm to it. And maybe electric lights, so much more advanced than candles.
I imagine Christmas/fairy lights for some reason. They're quite chewy, but the trick is to slurp them up like noodles.
Maybe he's taking something from the Faroese kitchen? An example here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garnat%C3%A1lg
Reynir would be confused by this because that's not what they use sheep intestinal fat for, then go on to describe a different dish they use it for.
Post by: Jitter on April 15, 2020, 10:46:27 AM
Thank you all! And very nice story Jitter, for some reason Reynir pulling off some time-travel shenanigans feels right (if I'm interpreting that right, it seems like there are several possible explanations which makes it even more intriguing.)
I didn't. Now I know :)
That's a beautiful story, while dangerously close to those time-travel paradoxes... But we can always think that they would found that place (or other solution) later, without help, so the outcome would be the same :) I'm intrigued, however, by the golden speaking mare...
It wasn%u2019t him him, just a part of the vision sent by Freya to help! So no paradox. And anyways Arni%u2019sfather is also Reynir, so it could be either or a general helpful rowanberries-distributing person.
I think the the mare is self-evident!
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 15, 2020, 11:09:54 AM
So much wonderful writing to return to, and so much of it food-themed! The one true constant of the SSSS fandom- there will be snacks (whether squirrel-cookies, or adorably illustrated Kitty-cookies, or...)
People have already captured well much of my feelings, so I'll settle for saying well done all. The fluff, the angst, the poetry, it's marvelous. Particular compliments to scottishnottish, who appeared in the thread while I was gone and made some stellar contributions. And I like Roisin's imaginative piece as well (again, such fOoD ;D )
Post by: thegreyarea on April 15, 2020, 11:45:44 AM
It wasn%u2019t him him, just a part of the vision sent by Freya to help! So no paradox. And anyways Arni%u2019sfather is also Reynir, so it could be either or a general helpful rowanberries-distributing person.
I think the the mare is self-evident!
I was imagining that our Reynir found a way in the dream world that carried him to the past (he seems good at finding ways even when he doesn't know where they lead) and that he wanted, as always, to help. But it could be someone else, of course. :)
I must be distracted (I'm trying to get some work done...), but I can't see the mare self-evidence, sorry. Could you enlighten me?
Post by: Jitter on April 15, 2020, 11:52:37 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on April 15, 2020, 12:06:26 PM
It's Guðrún's fylgjaAhhh! Of course! I was looking inside the story or in my (limited) knowledge of Nordic mythology (couldn't see why Loki would be in this story :D ) and never thought in the most obvious answer... Thanks!
Post by: scottishnottish on April 15, 2020, 02:35:25 PM
It wasnt him him, just a part of the vision sent by Freya to help! So no paradox. And anyways Arnis father is also Reynir, so it could be either or a general helpful rowanberries-distributing person.
Ahh I see, that makes sense. I was a little slow on the uptake on that one hah.
Particular compliments to scottishnottish, who appeared in the thread while I was gone and made some stellar contributions.
Thank you!!
Post by: Grade E cat on April 15, 2020, 03:15:13 PM
For anyone who can stand another gut puch, check here (http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=561) for the reason for which the headcanon that inspired the ending is actually a few years old (Lalli's more recent flashback only provided me a more concrete canvas to paint it on).
Post by: Jitter on April 15, 2020, 04:44:15 PM
Grey, the mageing must come from somewhere, right?
Grade E cat, ouch! That was nasty (from Rey at least)
Post by: Keep Looking on April 16, 2020, 12:17:28 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 9: Garden
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Prompt 9: Garden
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For today's prompt of Garden, Jon Steele has brought us a beautiful story of growth and recovery even when everything has changed.
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Jon Steele for today's contribution, and if any of you are inspired by this prompt, feel free to share with us what you've made!
Post by: Jitter on April 16, 2020, 03:56:54 AM
I present mine in a highly similar vein, perhaps set a few years earlier than Jon's
Garden
“I miss things. Apples, for example. Don’t get me wrong, my heart, I think we have built a good life here! Actually, many of the things that seemed so important at the time now feel meaningless. Many more things than I thought I could so easily do without, even forget. But apples were nice. And ice cream. Rock concerts. Travelling to the Mediterranean…”
“Love, you are getting carried away. We agreed it’s best not to think about it. It’s clear by now that it’s going to be long before things are back to the way they were.”
“To be honest, I don’t think it will be. Not in our time. Maybe not even in Ragnar’s. You weren’t there, at the sea. It’s… it’s worse than you think.”
“Shh, shush now. It’s in the past. Let it stay there. Freya will look after us now.”
“You are right. I’m sorry. I won’t speak of it again”
But later, every time Arni walked among Guðrún’s apple bushes or bit into the sweet fruits, he remembered. So many lost things. So many lost lives. Ragnar will never need to know what it was like. I’ll make sure he’ll grow up knowing this garden is the most beautiful garden in the world!
***************
One might think that apples can give fruit in Iceland only in the greenhouses, but one would be wrong. Here’s one gardener’s story: http://www.fruitforum.net/articles/icelandic-apples Lately much hardier varieties have become available at least in Finland, and they bear fruit even in Ivalo, which is situated north of latitude 68, some 230 km north of the Arctic Circle. So, while the Mediterranean is out for Arni, apples he can get.
In terms of timing, the discussion is probably before Jon's piece, but the time there actually are any apples in the bushes may be after. Getting them established and then grow big enough to get fruit will likely take several years.
Post by: Róisín on April 16, 2020, 07:44:29 AM
Where I live is on a high inland plateau where the Barossa, the Murraylands and the Adelaide Hills come together, so although we have the usual baking South Australian summer it can freeze in the winter, which apples really need to bear good fruit.
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 16, 2020, 09:13:24 AM
Roisin- I've never seen a red-fleshed apple like that! Interesting. I quite like tart varieties myself ^-^ Certainly no difficulty with apple orchards in my part of the world- Northeast US has many.
Post by: Keep Looking on April 16, 2020, 09:28:43 AM
As for apples, here in Western Australia around the town of Donnybrook is where most of our apples are grown. I don't know much about Donnybrook, but I've driven through it a couple of times, and it's really going ham on the apple theme - the streetlamps even have apples hanging from them. Reminds me of another town that was a bit closer to where I once lived - Cowaramup, named for the cowara bird (or the '28' parrot), but since it was right in a dairy farming region it had slowly transformed into a cow-themed town. There are cow statues everywhere and half the shops are named with cow-based puns. It's weird, but kinda fun.
(edit: the wikipedia page for cowaramup says that the golden cow statue on a tall stick is locally called 'rump on a stump'. they're wrong. it's called 'roast on a post'.)
Post by: Jitter on April 16, 2020, 10:06:53 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on April 16, 2020, 10:31:53 AM
Also fascinating how sturdy and adaptive apple trees seem to be, growing in so many different countries and climates. I've never heard, tough, about an apple that's red inside like Róisín described.
Post by: Róisín on April 16, 2020, 12:35:02 PM
Post by: Keep Looking on April 17, 2020, 12:12:55 AM
Chapter Break Filler
.._.._..
Prompt 10: Growth
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.._.._..
Prompt 10: Growth
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For today's prompt of Growth, Abprallen has wonderfully depicted the growth of one particular character, from now to what might be the future.
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Abprallen for today's contribution, and if any of you are inspired by this prompt, feel free to share what you've made!
Post by: Jitter on April 17, 2020, 06:30:19 AM
Mine is again in a similar vein as today's main work, as in personal growth although of a different person. I only wrote this yesterday and still don't have an idea for tomorrow, so we shall see.
Growth
The grown-ups are weird. They seem to have completely forgotten the illness. All they talk about how we are going to have a nice holiday at the cabin. Who would take holiday in such weather? They are not fooling me!
* * *
The PlayGuy died. I don’t understand why I can’t get the batteries from the radio. Nothing’s on anyway, and nothing will be because of the weird static! But no, “This is important, dear” “We have to have it in case of emergency.” What emergency could possibly be worse than what we are having? And who would come?
* * *
That was no squirrel! It had the bushy tail, but that face… I don’t want to tell anyone it bit me. They’ll make me go away! But… but I have to! I could make someone else sick. What if Ensi gets it from me? I must tell! “Dad, about when I was in the wood just now…”
* * *
“But he’s my baby! He can’t survive on his own!”
“None of us survive if he stays! We’ll give him supplies of course, but this is the only way. You know that. I’m so so sorry”
“Don’t cry, mom. I want to go. I don’t want anything to happen to you! Or Ensi! She’s just a baby!”
* * *
I’ve been on the little island for over three weeks now. I’m getting really hungry. Could that mean I’m… turning? Into one of those things? But isn’t it normal to be hungry when you are out of food? I hope I’ll die soon so I don’t have to be hungry.
* * *
“Son, it seems by some miracle you are immune to it. You will be sorely needed on the defenses. I’m sorry you have to grow up so fast.”
“Dad, it’s not your fault. Besides, I’m grown already”.
Post by: thegreyarea on April 17, 2020, 08:41:12 AM
Jitter, that's Kaino, right? That's a fast way to grow, no doubt! It's a great take. I did said that we will compile the whole Hotakainen story one day... :)
Keep Looking, I will not cease to thank you for this wonderful series of fillers! What a great idea!
Post by: yeethaw_gang on April 17, 2020, 10:05:59 AM
I did a small sketch in one of my workbooks because the idea would not leave me.
Spoiler: show
Post by: Jitter on April 17, 2020, 10:50:16 AM
Yeethaw, the idea is beautiful!
Post by: thegreyarea on April 17, 2020, 11:04:59 AM
Grey, it's Veeti, i.e. the son of the Hollolas who is a kid in Y0 (and Taru's father later). Kaino is Aino's and Eino's sister, already adult in Y0. I tend to think that's who you meant, since Kaino obviously isn't a "son".
Yeethaw, the idea is beautiful!
Yes, Veeti, of course. My confusion. :)
Yeethaw, that's a nice idea for a poem, too.
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 17, 2020, 11:20:55 AM
Jitter, another cool vignette. I'm enjoying the deepdive into some of these seldom mentioned figures in the story, interesting to think about.
Yeethaw, your skull is cute :) I quite enjoy doodling skulls, something about their architecture is pleasant.
Post by: Jitter on April 17, 2020, 01:32:54 PM
This one I had to do a bit of fishing for, I was reading the Prologue and looking for something to take my fancy (and suit "Growth"). I still don't have one for tomorrow! I know it's not a chore and I'm not going to stress about it, but after I had made a few I sort of challenged myself. Maybe the muses yet turn up!
Post by: wavewright62 on April 17, 2020, 06:57:56 PM
The immediate years after Y0 fascinate me too, especially for the Hotakainens, and it has inspired many of my fics. I wouldn't mind seeing your take on Kaino's story.
Post by: Keep Looking on April 18, 2020, 01:02:31 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 11: Leaves
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Prompt 11: Leaves
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Today's prompt is Leaves, and Silvergarnet12 has provided us with a wonderful and very autumn-themed creation.
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Silvergarnet for today's contribution, and if any of you are inspired by this prompt, feel free to share what you've made!
Post by: Grade E cat on April 18, 2020, 02:18:07 AM
Post by: GaelleDragons on April 18, 2020, 05:06:05 AM
Seriously tho, I love the textures and the colors, it all fits together really well! <3
Post by: Jitter on April 18, 2020, 05:07:16 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on April 18, 2020, 06:02:42 AM
Damn my soft spot for cute cats playing with random things... XoX.
Damn, our soft spot for cute cats playing with random things... XoX!!!
That's beautiful, SilverGarnet12!
Post by: yeethaw_gang on April 18, 2020, 06:53:32 AM
Post by: wavewright62 on April 18, 2020, 07:27:53 AM
That is all.
Post by: SilverGarnet12 on April 18, 2020, 07:35:16 AM
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 18, 2020, 12:00:39 PM
Post by: Mariiii on April 18, 2020, 12:40:18 PM
Post by: thegreyarea on April 18, 2020, 04:40:02 PM
Leaves
Dawn's pure light cross the branches
That bend for the wind, so gentle, so slow
Splattering clear, warmth patches
The world turns at ease, I breath, and blow
Fall offered me a cushion
Winter's a remote memory
Woods get colours of passion
The distant stream's singing merrily
A faint creek calls, I let my ear sway
Just leaves on the wind, dancing
Inviting me, calling me to play
Eyes opening, a paw raising
I could catch them, easy, just a jump away
But there's wind, warmth, cushion, stream
I just let them go, too far, I say
And I am to lazy, today
Post by: Jitter on April 18, 2020, 04:52:29 PM
Leaves
“Come on Lalli, give me a break! That’s just a bunch of leaves!” Emil groaned.
“Not just leaves. Nothing is “just”, stupid. This one is food. These, medicine.” Lalli was piling leaves and other parts of plants on the table. “You must learn. This one’s roots are food, this gives berries, this used for dyeing, spice, tea, tea against cough, helps with sleep, food, spice…”
“But they all look the same!”
“Pay attention. I teach. You learn”
“But why do I have to…”
“You live here now, with us. You learn. Let’s start again.”
*Sigh* “Ok. But you are a pain in the behind sometimes you know.”
“Pay attention now. Let’s start with the ones you should know. I show, you tell.”
“Right, right. I’ll try. So. Puolukka.”
“Correct. What is it?”
“Berries, in the autumn.”
“Yes. This?”
“Mustikka. Berries in summer.”
“Good. See, you pay attention, you learn. Go on.”
“Voikukka. Food, all parts in different time. Ratamo, for wounds. Poimulehti… for eating and tea…”
“See. You are stupid but you can learn!”
********
The plants are puolukka = lingonberry, mustikka = bilberry, voikukka = dandelion, ratamo = plantain, poimulehti = Lady’s mantle
Post by: Róisín on April 18, 2020, 05:22:58 PM
Post by: thegreyarea on April 18, 2020, 06:27:52 PM
Finally I have a small one, inspired by our very own Róisín!
And well inspired you were! A lovely piece!
Beside that, I never grow tired of Emil and Lalli interacting. I'm surprised, however, that our golden boy didn't mix things. He must be making his very best to avoid being "stupid" :)
Post by: Vulpes on April 18, 2020, 07:14:36 PM
Post by: Jitter on April 18, 2020, 08:01:52 PM
The plants lesson is by no means the first one :) And the ones he remembers here are plants Emil likely knows from Sweden, although not necessarily all of the uses. Anyways likely easyish to know.
Btw the berry mustikka is bilberry, which often is called blueberry outside of North America, but the true blueberry doesn’t grow wild here. I only just learned the difference now. The American true blueberry is called pensasmustikka i.e. “bush blueberry” in Finnish. I’m sure most Finns know “blueberry” as the English name for the wild berry but actually* the correct name is bilberry.
* I am an engineer! I must get an occasional “well, actually...” to keep functioning!
Post by: Crumpite on April 19, 2020, 12:05:52 AM
First, Jitter, I did have a *type* of Corona virus, NL63, which is a kind of common cold virus.
Rosin wondered if it might not give partial immunity but so little is known that it's an open question...
There have been some wonderful posts here lately !
I wish my talents ran more toward the artistic side so I could contribute.
As it is I give heartfelt thanks to those who do and share 😀
Oh, and I just got the bill for my two week hospital stay: $90,000 !
Of which I only need to pay $250 😀😀😀
I can see I need to do more to be worthy of the effort spent to keep me alive !
Post by: Keep Looking on April 19, 2020, 12:50:42 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 12: Flowers
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Prompt 12: Flowers
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For today's prompt of flowers, your humble organizer Keep Looking has taken the stage.
Spoiler: show
I would normally put a thanks here but it seems very weird to be thanking myself, so anyway - if any of you are inspired by this prompt, feel free to share what you've made!
Also, I want to apologise to anyone who got told by me that they had a week until their prompt was up but actually had six days. I forgot how weeks work and only realised that I'd been counting it wrong yesterday.
Post by: Róisín on April 19, 2020, 02:43:38 AM
You forgot Kitty! I know what her plant would be, and will try to add a verse to your work, if I may? Can’t draw it though, but you probably know the plant well enough to make a picture if you think it suitable? May I?
Post by: Grade E cat on April 19, 2020, 03:13:55 AM
Bouquet
People just out of quarantine had become a consistent source of revenue for Guðrún’s flower shop. Each time one of them stayed at the nearby hotel, they would buy flowers every day, for several days in a row, due to having greatly missed them during quarantine. Unfortunately, sooner or later, they all moved to a remote town on joined a party planning to build a brand new one from scratch. Saying she never saw any of them again would be a lie, as Reykjavik remained the only place where certain goods could be purchased. The people she recognized as former post-quarantine customers, however, never seemed to remember her. It was hence a pleasant surprise when Árni, a man who had babbled about becoming a sheepherder, came back to tell her he had moved into one of one of the “new towns”, which was more of a hamlet by his own admission, and his new life project was well on its way. She had an even more pleasant surprise when he decided to buy a bunch of flowers from her “for old time’s sake”. She didn’t know what to say when he presented the bouquet to her right after paying for it, asking if she was interested in sharing dinner. She managed to calm herself, and remember it was just dinner. They would both figure out if there was any kind of future for the two of them later. Nothing was more uncertain with the Rash slowly eating up the rest of the world, and the recent realization that even without the constant flow of foreign tourists, Iceland wasn’t producing enough food to properly feed its own population.
Post by: wavewright62 on April 19, 2020, 03:47:14 AM
And Grade E Cat's headcanon about how Guðrún and Árni (hahaha babbling) met, is touching and rings somewhat true to what could have happened. I like it a lot.
Post by: thegreyarea on April 19, 2020, 04:15:55 AM
Grade E Cat, that's another that goes right into the headcanon! Well done!
Oh, Crumpite, about the "I can see I need to do more to be worthy of the effort spent to keep me alive !", for me you are our Crumpite, and that justifies it all! :)
Post by: wavewright62 on April 19, 2020, 04:28:39 AM
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/1bf54cc59339ee90c613e951d7b37f1e/425382c1c82eaf19-2c/s2048x3072/4bb80b3449f6febd5c1db96c6a4782926f578f69.jpg)
Post by: Róisín on April 19, 2020, 05:24:31 AM
Crumpite, the medical money is very well spent. We treasure you and would miss you from the Forum.
And Grey, you are right, Keep Looking’s stuff does remind me of those illustrated journals of C18/19 botanists and people doing nature study. I have looked at more such things even than usual since one of my grandsons got a job last year at the British Museum organising parts of their collections of unexhibited botanical materials and accompanying notes. For him it is the dream job, and I hear about it.
Post by: Keep Looking on April 19, 2020, 05:56:51 AM
And Wavewright and Grade E Cat, I love what both of you have made! I haven't really been keeping up with commenting on all of various people's contributions (I'm busy enough organising this thing), but rest assured that I've been thoroughly enjoying them!
Crumpite - wow, that's a big medical bill! I'm glad you didn't have to pay the whole thing.
Post by: Jitter on April 19, 2020, 09:58:17 AM
Wave, lovely Lalli!
Grade E cat, I love your vignette and it plays very well with my earlier ones where Guðrún is plants person :)
Mine is again in a similar vein, this time with Grade E cat's. Some new people though.
Flowers
“Don’t you think it’s time we made this official?” Signe asked and gestured around in the cottage.
“Make what now?”
“This. You and me. Oh, you silly man, ask me to marry you!”
“Um… I’d love to, no question about that. But there’s no official anymore. Who would officiate? Where would it be registered?”
“Well, I guess you are right. But I still want to… do something. Show everyone that I’m here to stay. With you.”
“I suppose we could ask everyone to come over, and maybe say some vows? Marry ourselves?”
“Well, everything is down to ourselves anyways, so why not. Now, propose!”
“My love, would you like to marry me? Say, next Tuesday?”
“Ok mister, you have yourself a deal!”
“Great. I’m… I’m the happiest man on earth?”
“Drop it, you are not a romantic. And neither am I”.
Tuesday afternoon everybody from the village is gathered on the Madsen farm. Signe is waiting at the cottage, but Michael is nowhere to be seen. If he’s gotten cold feet, I swear to god I’ll… But now Michael returns, carrying blooming cherry branches.
“Flowers for my beautiful bride!”
“Aww, they are pretty! But I’m not a romantic. And neither are you!”
“True. But I am the happiest man on earth today. And you are my beautiful bride! Please take them!” Signe takes the offered blooms and arranges a few white flowers into her hair, as well as Michael’s.
“Let’s do this!” Hand in hand they walk onto the farm green and face the villagers. Face a large chunk of the population of the whole world.
"Here we go" she whispers to Michael, and then loudly “Dearly beloved…”
Post by: thegreyarea on April 19, 2020, 11:20:05 AM
Later...
"So, which name?"
"Name? For what?"
"For our sons, silly! Bornholm needs children!"
"You are pre..."
"No! Yet! But I like to think on that kind of things"
"Well, if it's a girl she could have your name"
"Boring! But we can name her after my mother... And if it's a boy? Don't tell me you want Michael."
"Eh... Ok... Then... Magnus is an excellent name."
"You want to name our son after your cat ? Let me tell you one thing..."
Post by: Jitter on April 19, 2020, 12:17:29 PM
The question of names by the way remimds me. I’m going to think the family trees aren’t necessarily complete, but only show the branches leading to the main characters. So that for example Signe and Michael may have more children, but they are not pictured because of lack of room.
BTW would it be better if I wrote the exchanges like that? I.e. everybody’s lines on their own, well, lines? Is it hard to follow?
Post by: LooNEY_DAC on April 19, 2020, 12:36:59 PM
BTW would it be better if I wrote the exchanges like that? I.e. everybody’s lines on their own, well, lines? Is it hard to follow?One of the rules of written English is: when changing speakers, start a new paragraph. Even though you'll find examples of this rule being broken around the internet, we native speakers actually find it less confusing when the rule is followed.
Post by: Jitter on April 19, 2020, 01:24:28 PM
Thanks for the advice!
Post by: Jitter on April 19, 2020, 01:43:36 PM
Post by: Grade E cat on April 19, 2020, 03:03:49 PM
1) Proteaceae are the family I got to know best during the period for which I was seriously considering going into academic research, so it was nice to see a beautifully drawn Banksia.
2) I didn't notice what I did with "babbling" until it was pointed out.
3) Michael and Signe romance fics never get old either.
Post by: Jitter on April 19, 2020, 03:06:33 PM
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 19, 2020, 03:44:25 PM
Wave, I love Lalli with the flower crown. Flowers are better than birthday hats.
Grade E Cat and Jitter, your short-story skills are delightful! I have a harder time writing compliments for writing than for art, but i've read every single piece! They make my day so much better.
Post by: wavewright62 on April 19, 2020, 04:57:50 PM
Michael/Signe fics are among my favourites, and I like this take. (Do they have cherries on Bornholm?)
I agree with the standard English protocol of putting each new speaker in a separate paragraph, but I will insert wordless reactions into the same paragraph. eg "Let's go, Emil!," Sigrun whooped, "me & my right-hand warrior will get that troll, don't you worry." Emil gulped and gave a weak smile. "On with the butter, Emil, out, out!," she unsheathed her knife and was halfway across the clearing before finishing the sentence.
"On my way!," Emil called after her, searching frantically for his second boot.
Post by: Abprallen on April 19, 2020, 05:35:43 PM
Loving everything I've seen so far! I am surrounded by Talent.
Post by: Jitter on April 19, 2020, 06:17:57 PM
Our plum is a cultivar but it’s beautiful as well
(https://i.postimg.cc/TLG9HGy4/91-B52-A3-F-5-EF0-46-E9-9960-DA75-E8-A68-F00.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/TLG9HGy4) (https://i.postimg.cc/R66Myrjw/A918-DCBF-366-C-43-E1-9-ED2-013-D7945-F73-D.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/R66Myrjw)
Post by: scottishnottish on April 19, 2020, 08:56:19 PM
and you found me in the meadow
a picnic basket in your hand
as I promised, "I'll meet you there."
your head laid gently in my lap
your eyes closed, your cheeks warm
as I weaved flowers in your hair
and we wandered that quiet place
the grassy hills, the shady trees
something sacred in the silence
broken only by soft laughter
and we wondered how we'd ever
lived so long, so long without this
oh, please find me in the meadow
you need bring nothing, just your smile
as warm as summer evening air
and you eyes, sparkling with splendor
like dewdrops on flowers petals
and I promise I'll meet you there
Post by: scottishnottish on April 19, 2020, 09:06:26 PM
Edit: Oh! I meant to add this but I forgot, huge inspiration for today's poem from "Beyond the Pines" by Thrice, one of my favorite songs musically and lyrically.
Post by: yeethaw_gang on April 19, 2020, 09:31:55 PM
Sottish...wow, what can I say? The feeling of longing, of wishing for a time before, you captured that perfectly! Amazing piece.
Jitter and Grade E Cat, your writing is amazing and I always look forward to reading it!
Wave, Lalli in a flower crown is the drawing we didn't know we needed.
Currently running on massive amounts of caffeine, but I managed to write a poem.
Flowers
My lover blooms in the moonlight
They spread their petals
And catch the silver spilling from the sky
They wipe away the moon's tears
As she mourns over the loss of the stars
As she mourns over those who were left behind
She weeps for the forgotten
The broken
The lost
Those who look to her for hope
My lover dances in the moonlight
They sway their petals in the midnight breeze
They tend to the moths that flit around
They let them come and go as they please
My lover wilts in the moonlight
They droop their petals
The sliver dripping from them
The moon surrounds them with her light
The moths flutter around them
The midnight breeze ruffles them one last time
Before they are gone
Post by: crowbarrd on April 19, 2020, 09:44:13 PM
So without a page to connect it with, I'm finding it harder to write poetry strictly accurate to the comic story/characters, so here's something sort-of adjacent instead. If you want to see it from the perspective of one of the comic characters that's fine, or if you want to see it as unrelated that's cool too! It's not quite either in my mind, because I find a lot of sense of longing in the comic, whether that be romantic longing, longing for friendship, or longing for a lost loved one -- and so for me this is kind of a vague portrait of some kind of longing.
and you found me in the meadow
a picnic basket in your hand
as I promised, "I'll meet you there."
your head laid gently in my lap
your eyes closed, your cheeks warm
as I weaved flowers in your hair
and we wandered that quiet place
the grassy hills, the shady trees
something sacred in the silence
broken only by soft laughter
and we wondered how we'd ever
lived so long, so long without this
oh, please find me in the meadow
you need bring nothing, just your smile
as warm as summer evening air
and you eyes, sparkling with splendor
like dewdrops on flowers petals
and I promise I'll meet you there
sorry to randomly butt in, but your poem is really lovely !!
Post by: scottishnottish on April 19, 2020, 10:26:17 PM
sorry to randomly butt in, but your poem is really lovely !!
Aaah thank you! It's never butting-in when nice compliments are involved!
Post by: Keep Looking on April 19, 2020, 10:49:07 PM
Post by: Keep Looking on April 20, 2020, 12:05:39 AM
Chapter Break Filler
.._.._..
Prompt 13: Forest
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.._.._..
Prompt 13: Forest
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For today's prompt of Forest, Gaelledragons has created a beautiful artwork full of very lush forest greenery (complete with a speedpaint as well!)
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Gaelledragons for today's piece, and if any of you feel inspired by this prompt, feel free to share what you've made!
Post by: Jitter on April 20, 2020, 01:22:43 AM
sorry to randomly butt in, but your poem is really lovely !!
Crowley, this thread is open for anyone! So you are by no means “randomly butting in” :) You are also very welcome to contribute if some of the prompts inspires you!
Scottish and Yeethaw, both your poems are wonderful*. And put together they form an even better combination.
* I’m getting bored of my vocabulary in commenting all your lovely pieces! So much talent and such a limited number of ways to say “this is wonderful” ^-^
Post by: Jitter on April 20, 2020, 02:06:32 AM
Post by: Mariiii on April 20, 2020, 04:31:09 AM
Keep Looking I loved your descriptions of the crew through the flowers, I found them pretty accurate
Post by: Jitter on April 20, 2020, 04:31:31 AM
Forest
It’s Lalli’s birthday. No one cares. Wake up, breakfast, wash. Lalli doesn’t care for any of that weird stuff, cakes and all. It’s stupid. He goes to work, silent and efficient. Birthdays are for stupid people anyway.
At dinner, Lalli is quiet. “What is it? Bad day?” Emil asks.
“No. I’m fine.” Silence again.
“Well, I’m glad you are fine.” Emil is irritatingly normal. It’s just like the stupid Swede to forget!
They do the dishes together. Maybe Emil doesn’t really care for him. Maybe he’s fooling Lalli for some weird reason! Lalli almost breaks the plates piling them into the cupboard. Stupid plates!
Dishes done, Lalli puts on his coat to go out to sulk. No reason. He’s fine. He’s just irritated and Emil is stupid and the day is stupid and everything is stupid. He needs the calm of the forest.
“Honey, wait for me!” Now the weird Swede is putting on his coat! Doesn’t he really see that Lalli wants to be alone! Why must everybody be so stupid today!
Emil must notice Lalli’s glare, but he just says cheerfully “Let’s take a little walk in the forest.”
“The forest? You don’t like the forest after dark!” Now Emil is stupid and weird.
“No, but you do. Come on.” Emil picks up a basket and leads Lalli towards a forested stretch of the shore he knows Lalli particularly likes.
At the shore, Emil takes furs for them to sit on from the basket, followed by cinnamon rolls, cookies, a small cake. “Happy birthday, love!”
“What? For me? You didn’t need to…”
“I wanted to. Just say thank you, silly Finn”.
“Don’t be weird about it!... but thanks.”
Songs of blackbirds, waterfowl rustling in the reeds and a gentle wind surround the boys, munching sweets in the night.
Post by: Kyara on April 20, 2020, 05:31:03 AM
Gaelle, we are spoiled XoX The atmosphere is great, the characters and clothes's details are well done ! And Emil expression is so cute ... Chapeau bas ;)
Jitter Terribly cute ! It makes me laugh so much that Emil is considered as a boor while he thinks of everything. He is so innocent and full of good attentions, it's to wonder if he realizes that Lalli is really grumpy because of his birthday.
Post by: Jitter on April 20, 2020, 06:20:28 AM
Post by: GaelleDragons on April 20, 2020, 06:26:29 AM
Jitter, it's absolutely adorable! I love how Lalli seems to not care about his birthday, but in reality he's upset Emil hasn't wished happy birthday to him yet! It's so like him!
Post by: thegreyarea on April 20, 2020, 07:15:37 AM
But it's Lalli's birthday, and Jitter gave us a beautiful gift! That's the best use of Lalli's "stupid" I've seen! :D
...And them Emil was happy, his plan worked perfectly, he and Lalli were having a fine time, alone in the night and, suddenly... the rest of the gang shows up!
Post by: Jitter on April 20, 2020, 07:23:09 AM
The problem is I have now made myself crave for cinnamon rolls.
Grey, haha! Their presents are pictured by Gaelle in the Art Museum thread :)
Post by: Mariiii on April 20, 2020, 07:57:14 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 20, 2020, 08:41:45 AM
Post by: scottishnottish on April 20, 2020, 10:13:45 AM
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 20, 2020, 11:52:40 AM
Gaelle, your forest is so dreamy and luminous. Your art is tremendously inspiring. I like that you can see where Emil has trod a path in the grasses, that detail tickles me.
Jitter, fluffy shippy goodness. Heartwarming.
Post by: Crumpite on April 20, 2020, 07:43:49 PM
And now Jitter has made *me* hungry for cinnamon rolls 😀
Now where is my sweet dough recipe...
Post by: scottishnottish on April 20, 2020, 09:28:09 PM
And Scottish, I have never heard that song before, but it's going to go in my 'music that makes me want to go camping' playlist now :sigrun:
Now I'm interested to know what else is on that playlist!
Post by: Keep Looking on April 21, 2020, 12:25:45 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 14: Path
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Prompt 14: Path
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The chapter break might be over, but this event isn't quite done yet! For today's prompt of Path, Wavewright gives us a glimpse of one character's journey onwards.
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Wavewright for today's piece, and if any of you feel inspired by this prompt, feel free to share what you've made!
Post by: yeethaw_gang on April 21, 2020, 07:25:00 AM
Here's a poem I've written. It's a but short, but eh.
Path
There’s a well-worn path
In the forest
Past the trees
In the morning
I walk it
And tell the critters all my worries
I sit in a clearing
Pour my heart out
Then, when it’s empty I leave
The squirrels know my woes
The spiders know my fears
The deer know all my lost loves
There’s a well-worn path
In the forest
Trodden down with secrets
Post by: Keep Looking on April 21, 2020, 07:53:37 AM
Mulla Mulla (or p****tails)
Soft as a kitten but tough as a stone
It carpets the desert, rarely alone.
Raising its clumps of bright flowers to the light
It spreads on the barren ground, heartening sight.
The soil is enriched by its growth and decay
It leads other flowers and shows them the way.
Pointing a path through the rocks and the sand,
Showing a safe track through dangerous land.
Playful and friendly, useful and bold
This pioneer bringing the new to the old.
(https://i.imgur.com/Lx0TPp6.jpg)
Mulla Mulla is often found in the Pilbara, which is a rather arid area - red dirt and iron mines - but it's also got some amazing plants. It also has gorges, which are both really cool and full of interesting plant life, because it's way cooler and damper down there than it is up on the surface. (note: this is not where you find Mulla Mulla. I just mentioned this because gorges are cool)
(I have to remind myself that people who aren't from Western Australia don't automatically know what 'up north' means and I can't just refer to the Pilbara as 'up north' and expect people to understand)
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 21, 2020, 10:06:35 AM
Yeethaw, I think your poem is a great length, actually. Short and sweet.
And Keep Looking and Roisin, you make a wonderful duo. The illustration looks so nice and fuzzy, and the poem is vivid and charming. You're giving me emotions about a plant! (In fairness crying about nature is probably one of my top hobbies)
In reply to Scottish- I could actually stick the camping playlist on here somewhere, if people were interested? I'll find a more suitable thread, though. Would people be better served by a spotify link or an old-fashioned artist/songname list?
Post by: Róisín on April 21, 2020, 10:59:06 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 21, 2020, 11:01:42 AM
Yeethaw, beautiful! I kind of feel like that sometimes, especially now that I'm mostly confined to the house.
Róisín and Keep, it seems very apt for Kitty!
Steadfastjewel, there is a Music thread somewhere, probably on general board.
Mine has a photo again so it's under cut. A very short poem this time. The photo is from near here and taken a couple of weeks ago, of course any paths the crew will be following in the comic at this point will be much greener. On the other hand the spring light is interesting, when the leafless trees let it fill the forest to the brink.
This reminds me that I sort of meant to include photos on the Forest bit also but forgot!
Spoiler: show
Post by: wavewright62 on April 21, 2020, 04:47:07 PM
I love the collab on the mulla-mulla and the notes you've put with it - really helps brings a sense of WA to us.
Similarly Jitter's forest photo - I can smell the chilly damp leaf litter just warming up.
That smell also really helps me reconnect with the part of me that would do the same, yeethaw_gang, same. My childhood home was on wooded acreage and I often would go up to the woods to vent in solitude. (But not in autumn, 'cause that was deer season and oh hell no I didn't really want to get shot.)
Post by: Jitter on April 21, 2020, 05:32:31 PM
In other news, just today I heard the blackbird singing, and in the daytime too. I’ve seen them hopping around for a long time already, but they haven’t really started singing in earnest yet. The small birds are singing already. Last summer (or was it the one before that?) one blackbird often came to perch on our tv antenna and sing his heart out. <3
Post by: mar106 on April 21, 2020, 11:12:38 PM
Along a wooded path they travel now,
Along a grassy path they've traveled long.
Through snow, through rain, through blood and guts and trolls,
They gained a new friend, but lost one not yet old.
This path was once well traveled, now abandoned.
The next a path they forge all on their own.
It is one that could never have existed,
Before the rash took all that had been known.
Though walking all together they once spurned,
With each other they are now irrevocably concerned.
Post by: mar106 on April 21, 2020, 11:13:59 PM
I like the photo better than the poem. Rhyming in English is hard!
https://www.rhymezone.com/ is useful for that!
Post by: Keep Looking on April 21, 2020, 11:37:10 PM
Post by: Róisín on April 21, 2020, 11:39:00 PM
Yeethawgang, lovely path poem too!
Keep Looking, I know and love those gorges, and have worked there several times either doing seed collections of rare plants or being camp cook and bushcraft person for expeditions doing other stuff there. Plus used to go there for fun with some of my relatives who lived in Broome. My uncle was the doctor at the leprosarium there, which will give you an idea of how long ago it was.
Post by: Keep Looking on April 22, 2020, 12:13:50 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 15: Mist
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.._.._..
Prompt 15: Mist
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For today's prompt of Mist, Yeethawgang has brought us not one but two wonderful pieces!
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Yeethaw for today's piece(s), and if you feel inspired by this prompt, feel free to share what you've made! We'd love to see it.
Post by: Purple Wyrm on April 22, 2020, 12:48:07 AM
(I've particularly enjoyed the various ancestral flashbacks, and the Australian flowers.)
Post by: Róisín on April 22, 2020, 02:53:19 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on April 22, 2020, 04:23:49 AM
Sorry for being a little absent, but I'm struggling to finish my prompt. With luck it will be ready today and I'll be able to be more present :)
Post by: Mariiii on April 22, 2020, 06:20:22 AM
Yeethawgang I loved the concept ! You don't want to mess with the seagull mage and the story with Tuuri is really sad and beautiful at the same time
Post by: steadfastjewel on April 22, 2020, 10:08:09 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 22, 2020, 01:32:22 PM
Someone was hoping for more on the old Reynir timeline. I have another bit here. It's a bit longer so I put it under the cut.
Mist
Spoiler: show
Post by: Joe Steele on April 22, 2020, 01:39:30 PM
01001000 01100001 01110000 01110000 01111001 00100000 01100010 01101001 01110010 01110100 01101000 01100100 01100001 01111001 00101100 00100000 01001100 01100001 01101100 01101100 01101001 00100001
Post by: Keep Looking on April 23, 2020, 12:11:59 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 16: Starlight
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Prompt 16: Starlight
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For today's prompt of Starlight, Purple Wyrm has created an excellent piece about just how confusing starlight is (because really, it's confusing).
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Purple Wyrm for today's contribution, and if any of you feel inspired by this prompt, feel free to share what you've made!
Post by: GaelleDragons on April 23, 2020, 04:57:33 AM
Also who knew Sigrun had the mind of an astrophysicist? ;D
On a much more unscientific (and creepier!) note, I drew a little something for today's prompt too. ^^
Trigger warning for mild horror (just in case creepy monsters lurking in the dark are not your thing ^^")
Spoiler: The drawing • show
Post by: Róisín on April 23, 2020, 05:12:55 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 23, 2020, 05:15:43 AM
Purple, that is great! Who knew that about Sigrun! It seems to run in the family, however (I wrote this a few days ago).
Starlight
“The stars sure are beautiful! I thought we were remote before and could see clearly, but this is completely different!”
“Oh, I’m glad you are happy you hoped for the electricity to go out! Enjoy it, while you can!”
“You think they will be able to fix it?”
“No, I think we’ll all die! This is the end of the world, can’t you see!”
“Oh relax, we’ll be fine. The road is gone, nothing will find us here.”
“Yeah, we are spared for now. But, I’m sure it’s everywhere. There is no one to find! We’ll run out of food, or the monsters will come and eat us, or we’ll get sick with something else and die…”
“You are not helping! Gather yourself!”
“Oops, yeah, you are right. Sorry. But I’m so very worried.”
“We are all worried, but we’ll have to keep on going. Hey, at least we are all here together. That’s something, right?”
“Well, I guess you are right. It’s better to be stranded with you than just me and grandma.”
“You are right about the stars, though. They are very bright, and more beautiful than I ever imagined. Do think there is anybody there, in the stars?”
“Well, if there are, they are dead by now. The light we see is millions of years old!”
“Why must you be like that! Can’t you just say one positive thing for a change?”
“Well, I guess I can try… there are billions of billions of worlds. I’m sure there is someone, somewhere, who is right now thinking the same and wondering about us. And in that world, there is no apocalypse, and everything is well.”
“Yeah, everything is well somewhere among the stars. Maybe we’ll find a way to make everything well here too.”
Post by: Róisín on April 23, 2020, 06:21:51 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 23, 2020, 07:17:26 AM
I notice I haven't said who these two are, but it's clear from the hints, right?
Post by: Róisín on April 23, 2020, 07:59:48 AM
Post by: Alkia on April 23, 2020, 08:47:19 AM
And Gaelle, those colors are beautiful.
Jitter, I really like your take on how the prologue characters are reacting to the apocalypse!!
Post by: Jitter on April 23, 2020, 09:45:30 AM
Alkia, thanks! Others have written about them too!
Post by: Jitter on April 23, 2020, 01:10:04 PM
Post by: LilG on April 23, 2020, 02:33:25 PM
Gaelle , really like the heavy lighting contrast and night sky colors, reminds me a bit of the Tuuri drawing I finished coloring some weeks ago (mainly the top part of it), though mine didn’t have such great colors and blending as yours, since it was in crayon.
Jitter, I wonder who those two future Norwegian mother and father might be, hmmmmm....
Also, while I’ve only commented on this prompt, I really enjoyed everything that’s been posted in this thread and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the following prompts.
Post by: Jitter on April 23, 2020, 04:23:56 PM
Post by: Róisín on April 23, 2020, 09:58:13 PM
And given the nature of Icelandic magic, both in our world and in the Minnaverse, the spirits leading Reynir with the Wayfinder makes perfect sense. Our-world Icelandic magic uses such patterns a lot - think of them like circuits for the magic to flow in.
Post by: Purple Wyrm on April 24, 2020, 12:05:56 AM
Lovely picture GaelleDragons, and story Jitter. It was pretty clear who was talking based on context.
Wyrm, though I think it’s a bit ooc...
Have you read any of my other fics? ;D
Post by: Keep Looking on April 24, 2020, 12:16:41 AM
Chapter Break Filler
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Prompt 17: Window
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.._.._..
Prompt 17: Window
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Today's prompt is Window, and Alkia has given us a glimpse into each of the characters (and added to our character-flower speculations!)
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Alkia for today's piece, and if any of you are inspired by this prompt, feel free to share what you've made!
Post by: LilG on April 24, 2020, 04:46:17 AM
Have you read any of my other fics? ;D
I can’t say that I have... or haven’t, I can’t really remember.
But, even though I’m not really into ooc stuff, I’d be interested to look through them and see what alternate takes on some of the characters you might have, if you have some sort of index or Ao3. I might even come across some that I have read.
Also, looking through your past posts, I’m glad to see another Warhammer 40k fan ;D
I have unfortunately found the absolute worst time to get into this fandom, since GW doesn’t deliver anything during this period, and the only Dark Imperium set (this being the first thing I’d like to get started with) that I could find for sale in my country goes for about $25 more than if I were to buy it from GW (and GW also doesn’t charge shipping for it). Sooo... yeah, I’ll get my chance to actually get started only when quarantine ends... and I have to do other stuff than just sitting around at home, which is kind of terrible timing.
And, regarding WH40k, do you think it’s a good idea to paint my minis with regular acrylics? I know that I need a wet palette, and to thin my paints (saw this one enough to have it drilled into my skull), and that I need to prime the mini (though I won’t be using a spray, I’ll just paint a coat of white, gray, or black with a brush), and that the tone of the thinned acrylic won’t look as good as the thinned Citadel paint tone. I’m asking this mainly because I don’t want the paint to start chipping the moment I start playing with them, and though I don’t expect it to last as long as Citadel, I’d still like to know if it will last at least a couple of months and it won’t just start falling off without doing anything to the mini at all.
Post by: LilG on April 24, 2020, 05:06:14 AM
Post by: Róisín on April 24, 2020, 05:14:18 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 24, 2020, 06:55:34 AM
It seems to me the Seiður might be just a tad arrogant, at least they don’t appear to be trying to arrange any cross-traditional studies (although we don’t really know, that’s just how they come across) so I wouldn’t really be that surprised if they hadn’t even tried to communicate with the spirits. So my thinking is that Reynir and Onni’s “new magic” is derived from the combination of Icelandic magic including the staves, provided by the Norse gods, and communicating with the landspirits that have been previously overlooked by the Seiður.
I still don’t know if I’ll ever write anything further on that, but since these two scenes have appeared, maybe more will in time?
Post by: Róisín on April 24, 2020, 07:31:31 AM
And yeah, the Icelandic Seidur (sorry, can’t make that accent thingy work) do strike me as arrogant. They remind me a lot of the attitude of the English folklore collectors of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, who were incredibly condescending to a lot of the cultures whose lore they collected. The one that personally annoyed me was the assumption that the mass of traditional songs, music, poetry and epic tales collected from the folk of Wales, Ireland, Scotland and the Isles could not of course have been composed by such barbarians, but must have been composed by somebody civilised, and they were just parroting what they had heard......*grinds teeth*. Yes, I have worked my way through many decades of the Annals of several English folklore societies in search of stories.
Post by: Mariiii on April 24, 2020, 08:09:11 AM
Gaelle your drawing is beautiful I love the colors of the sky !
Jitter your story is great too, it's always cool to see characters from the prologue ^-^
Alkia this is lovely ! I really like the concept ;D
Post by: Vulpes on April 24, 2020, 09:37:44 AM
So much creativity here! I love all of the art and stories.
Post by: Jitter on April 24, 2020, 10:06:09 AM
My Window has flowers too!
Window
It was a great day. One of the very few nice days in the first year. No monsters had been heard or seen for months. The radio was of course long gone, so there was no way to know, but for now it was looking like they might make it after all. For whatever reason the cold seemed to have affected the monsters, since after the very cold February things had quieted down. “Honey, really I think we can open one of the windows. The plastic probably doesn’t make any difference anyways.” “Ok, I guess you are right. Light and air are also important. And it’s been quiet for a long while now.” “Yeah, let’s do this.”
Stig and Ulrika asked everybody to come over to the large window that opened on the front of the cabin. “We’ll take this one plastic sheet down now. This does not mean that you can let your guard down. And there will be NO opening of the window under ANY circumstances unless specifically agreed and a guard is posted. Is this clear?” When everyone agreed, Ulrika grasped the sheet and revealed the window. “Oo, look mom! Liverwort is blooming! It will be spring!” Mia exclaimed. Stig gave Ulrika a little half-hug. “You were right, dear. It is important. I’m sure it’s worth the risk".
Liverwort (Anemone hepatica), or “blue anemone” (blåsippa / sinivuokko in Swedish / Finnish respectively) is a harbinger of spring in the Nordics, being one of the first wildflowers to bloom. The English name is somewhat underwhelming :)
Post by: thegreyarea on April 24, 2020, 10:22:40 AM
Alkia, these drawings are beautiful and so delicate... I love them! I see them stitched in a pillow or something like that.
Wrym, that's an amazing story, with a surprising look (to some) at Sigrun. I always thought on her as very clever. She just likes to solve things straight, instead of thinking much on them. It's also great to have Tuuri as part of the gang. :)
Jitter, all your stories are fantastic and you keep getting better at this. Now I want continuations, please! What happened after? How Reynir spoke? What was the answer? That's a excellent beginning for a Reynir+Onni story... Askel and Sigrun's story is also begging to be told, and has an inspiring end. :) And the Väterströms are so unexplored... Makes me want to start writing about little Mia and her adventures!
Gaelle, that's a great scaring thing! I particularly like the simplicity and the contrast between the starry skies, that grab our attention, and the darkness of the silhouetted thing, that wants to grab us! Very well done!
Post by: Jitter on April 24, 2020, 10:46:12 AM
Funny, I don't mind getting jossed for stories set in the future, but I really don't want to write something about the past characters that would turn out to be completely wrong in relation to canon. No idea why!
Grey, I have read something about Aksel and Sigrun the elder in the Archive, go poke around there :)
Speaking of the Archive, should I compile the prompts into one thing and put it there? You guys seem to like them.
Post by: thegreyarea on April 24, 2020, 11:30:49 AM
I'm thinking in some future adventure we'll see more of the Västerströms. Surely the burning buildings are in Emil's dreams for a reason? I'm more comfortable writing about the early Hotakainens as we know something of their fates, and I also think Reynir's family has lived in relative peace. Although we haven't really seen or heard anything between Árni the elder at the ship and then Reynir's family now, so there could be any sorts of developments in years 1-70. But I'm thinking Minna is not planning to go all the way back to the prologue characters, if we see e.g. Emil's backstory I assume it will be about Torbjörn and Torolf's family. Hopefully time will tell!
Funny, I don't mind getting jossed for stories set in the future, but I really don't want to write something about the past characters that would turn out to be completely wrong in relation to canon. No idea why!
Grey, I have read something about Aksel and Sigrun the elder in the Archive, go poke around there :)
Speaking of the Archive, should I compile the prompts into one thing and put it there? You guys seem to like them.
I hope Minna will explore all the backstories and places from our team. The first story set up things, the second is going over the Hotakainens and Finland, maybe the next is on Sweden, Emil and his family. As you said, I doubt all that about burning buildings around Emil's house are there for nothing. :)
I also think that Minna isn't going to go back to the Prologue. She never hinted at that, and I believe she's more the kind to think on the Future. If she runs out of ideas for SSSS (which I doubt) she would probably start a story on the City of Hunger scenery.
That should leave us comfortable to write over the previous years, but I feel the same that you referred about going outside the canon.
My conviction is that we create stories in a setting (let's say Y1) and we want it to be our canon, even if Minna never speaks about that period.
So I fear that at some moment she will decide otherwise and leave my creation without connection, even if we know that it wouldn't change anything. A story is good, or not, independent to its adherence to the official canon. I don't feel it regarding my current story timeline, because it's too far in the past, but when I'm writing in the future, Y94/95, I keep thinking like "what if I'm writing about this character and Minna kills that person?".
I'll check the archive, thanks! And yes, I think your prompts can make a nice (and hopefully growing) collection. :)
Post by: Alkia on April 24, 2020, 05:43:38 PM
Jitter, that’s such a sweet spring story!!! I agree the Swedish/Finnish names sound much better than the English name for the flower. And yes, you should definitely compile these prompts!!
Post by: LilG on April 24, 2020, 06:20:02 PM
Post by: LooNEY_DAC on April 24, 2020, 09:01:54 PM
...if you have some sort of index or Ao3.Did you say index (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=943.msg131119#msg131119) and AO3 (https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleWyrm/pseuds/PurpleWyrm/works)?
Post by: Purple Wyrm on April 24, 2020, 11:36:01 PM
Also, looking through your past posts, I’m glad to see another Warhammer 40k fan ;D
One of us! One of us! ;D
I've replied to your painting queries in a spoiler so as not to clog up the thread with excessive nerdery...
Spoiler: show
).Did you say index (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=943.msg131119#msg131119) and AO3 (https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleWyrm/pseuds/PurpleWyrm/works)?
Thanks Looney!
Post by: Keep Looking on April 25, 2020, 12:52:46 AM
Chapter Break Filler
.._.._..
Prompt 18: Home
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.._.._..
Prompt 18: Home
.._.._..
For today's prompt of Home, thegreyarea has stepped out of their comfort zone to bring us a truly magnificent reminder of the many places and people that we can call home.
Spoiler: show
) everything. There's still a detail picturing just the bookshelf, where all books have the (user)names of Minnions (39* (!)) to allow anyone that don't want on can't see the larger version to, at least, see that part.Thanks very much to Grey for today's piece (wow), and if any of you are inspired by this prompt, feel free to share what you've made!
Post by: Róisín on April 25, 2020, 01:24:59 AM
Post by: Grade E cat on April 25, 2020, 02:03:30 AM
Otherwise, is that supposed to be Ensi in the dream's background? Also had a nice laugh whe I noticed Lalli had sparkles too.
Post by: Róisín on April 25, 2020, 03:25:41 AM
And I noticed Lightning/Lynn hung on the wall with Mikkel’s shotgun and Lalli’s rifle. This is beautiful!
Post by: GaelleDragons on April 25, 2020, 04:54:30 AM
- Lalli and Emil with hair sparkles
-the Rubix's cube on the sofa
-Tuuri and Reynir each hiding card behind their backs (and Reynir's prehensible braid is a big YES)
-Reynir's and Mikkel's shirts
-the SSSS books on the shelf
-Kittyyyyyy!
I also made an illustration for today's prompt, though it's not nearly as full of details.
Basically I wanted to draw Reynir and also an icelandic landscape. So here it is: Reynir, at "home". ^^
(https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/b341db75-28ed-416a-bd81-a49fbce10349/ddvpad8-d24d2d97-accd-45ac-a623-f6d2259a4d1d.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2IzNDFkYjc1LTI4ZWQtNDE2YS1iZDgxLWE0OWZiY2UxMDM0OVwvZGR2cGFkOC1kMjRkMmQ5Ny1hY2NkLTQ1YWMtYTYyMy1mNmQyMjU5YTRkMWQucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.8g4DFHYiKuzqA8kKYrpq7u2Oaj-KYze1dsTiJXPa20o)
It took me about one and a half Minna streams to complete (you do the math). I had a reference picture for the background, and I'm pretty certain it's Skógafoss.
Full size picture is here (https://sta.sh/02et8kijd7z) if you want to download it ^^
Post by: Jitter on April 25, 2020, 06:04:36 AM
I will take a loong look on a bigger screen and come back with comments. I noticed myself on the shelf but couldn’t read the title on this measly screen. Could you link the full size image too?
Gaelle that is lovely! It could also go with my story Mist (although the real world Skogafoss is probably closer to the sea than Bruaradalur.) I love Icelandic scenery.
Post by: Jitter on April 25, 2020, 06:10:43 AM
Post by: LilG on April 25, 2020, 06:11:22 AM
Wyrm, I’ll make sure to go through the fics at some point.
Also, thanks for all the advice. I live in an apartment, so sprays might not be the best choice, but I guess I could spray them in the bathroom and vacate it for a while afterwards. Also, would soap and water also work to clean the sprue of anything that might hinder paint adherence?
And yes, I’ll be sure to post everything I make on the forum ;)
Gaelle, I like the painted look of the background (and especially the sheep and their shadows) with the more cartoony looking characters in the foreground. I can only dream that I’d be able to finish a drawing of this quality in 2 to 3 hours.
thegreyarea, really love all the details in the drawing!
A few that stuck out to me:
Spoiler: show
And, regarding a previous comment
Spoiler: show
Post by: Keep Looking on April 25, 2020, 06:14:23 AM
(Also, Grey, your drawing may have ended up being my laptop wallpaper, heh)
Post by: Jitter on April 25, 2020, 06:41:15 AM
Post by: Róisín on April 25, 2020, 06:59:20 AM
Post by: Mariiii on April 25, 2020, 07:02:31 AM
Gaelle your drawing is beautiful ! I love your art style !
Post by: thegreyarea on April 25, 2020, 07:24:17 AM
First, let me try to put the links here to ease the access to everybody (click in the link - if it works - or copy and paste the link in your address bar):
The large size image (5000 px) wide is here: https://i.postimg.cc/PfQHbnm7/home-large.jpg (this should be large enough for printing up to A4)
The bookshelf is here: https://i.postimg.cc/c4DNj7kM/home-book-shelf.jpg
The real size image (10000 px wide, 33Mb) is on my dropbox, here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yfu1zgz8c9p2ep9/home%20-%20real%20size.jpg?dl=0
As I said to Keep Looking, this was quite an experience, way outside my comfort zone. It's been almost 30 years since I really draw people, back at university initial years. I'm ar architect, and I'm used to draw, but not faces, hair or hands (aaaargh! Gaelle, you're so right!). I usually draw buildings, inside and outside, but not as a final presentation (that is usually done in 3D), and people are silhouettes to give scale to the rest. Anyway I decided to take the risk. My daughter lend me her Intuos drawing tablet and I had to learn how to draw without looking to my hand, but to the screen (I promised myself that when I'm comfortable with money I'll buy a Cintiq, like Minna's, where you can draw directly on the screen). There were moments when I wanted to drop it and write a story, but I'm very stubborn sometimes, and I ended loving the experience and learning a lot.
The bookshelf was supposed to be just a scenery element, because a proper home, to me, must have books, but then I noticed that I could write the names of the books and that crazy idea led to including you, my friends. Because if home is where the heart is* then my home is not only my beloved family but also the people to whom I interact and care, which means you in our little and nice community. I wished to put more Minnions in the shelf, but I had to stop at some time, surely forgetting some that should be there, sorry.
* strange, and fantastic, how we can relate with the thought of a roman citizen from 100 generations before, isn't it?
That said, answers:
Róisín, I'm very glad that you liked it. And I'm proud that you noticed Lynn in the background! And of course you can print it as much as you want! :)
Grade E cat, thank you! I'm happy that you noticed Lalli's sparkles! Must be the shampoo...
Gaelle, any praise coming from such a wonderful artist as yourself makes me jump out of happiness! (BTW yours piece is amazing. I wish one day I could draw like that!). And I also love that you noticed all those details, and I want those shirts for myself!
Jitter, I'm delighted that you like it, and I hope that the links above solve your problem in seeing it properly. I'll be waiting the extra comments... :)
LilG, I saw with great satisfaction that you noticed a lot of things, including Tuuri's transparency being a problem for her... :D I hope that she found some good ectoplasmic stores on clothing, and sweets! And yes, Väinö seems to be watching with interest this nice reunion, and I didn't mean Ensi (yes, it's her) to be bothered, but happy to see her boys sharing a good moment. And Jitter already post the link to my story that explains why there's a (very special) Katana on the wall.
Keep Looking, I'm proud that you find it worth of becoming your wallpaper! Thank you so much for all this!
Mari, thanks! And you noticed the portraits! (the best designs on the picture, of course...) :)
Post by: Purple Wyrm on April 25, 2020, 07:41:02 AM
Also a beautiful picture Gaelle!
LilG, does your bathroom have an extractor fan? If so spraying in the bathroom should be fine. Otherwise you might be better off heading outside (I also live in an apartment and ended up building a spray box that sits on top of the stove and connects to the kitchen fan - but that's probably a bit hardcore :))
Soap and water should work fine, just make sure you've washed all the soap off before you let the sprues dry!
Post by: Róisín on April 25, 2020, 07:45:39 AM
And yeah, I still enjoy the work of both Plinys. Always felt sorry for the fate of the Elder. After all his adventures, what a way to die. And with Pliny the Younger, his nephew, watching on from the ship. Still, I can see him accepting any danger in the name of making his natural history observations......
Post by: thegreyarea on April 25, 2020, 07:46:46 AM
Wrym, thank you very much! And, of course you must be there!
Post by: LilG on April 25, 2020, 07:47:45 AM
Post by: Jitter on April 25, 2020, 08:16:50 AM
Home
The Home is very cold. I’m scared. There is wet cold blackness everywhere. Sisters and brothers are cold, and quiet. Too quiet. Mother has been gone for a long time and I’m cold and hungry and sad. More wet cold is coming in! Mother, help!
Oh no, a giant approaches! Bigger than Mother, dangerous! Will it eat me? It’s reaching for us! It takes all sisters and brothers out of Home. It’s coming for me! It will eat me! Mother, where are you!
The giant takes me in its paws and carries me away from Home! I smell Mother nearby but no help, it takes me and runs. I’m hungry and cold, I can’t keep my eyes open. Mother!
I wake up covered in white. I’m warm and I smell food! And Mother! Mother is nearby! No, Mother’s smell wanes… she’s not here anymore. I’m alone again. With the giant. The giant gives me food. I’m too sad and tired to eat. The giants leave, but I’m too small and too sick to escape. This is the end, Mother can’t come for me.
I wake up, soft and warm. I smell the best thing ever! The giant is here, but it hasn’t hurt me. It makes friendly noises. It’s giving me the delicious pink food! It has small teeth and no claws. I eat a bit and feel better. Then I sleep. Mother, I don’t know where you went! I think I may have been saved.
I wake up in my new warm Home. The giants are near. They all speak gently, and pat me and give me treats. Missekat and Kisa are the best. The Angry Kisu hisses, but I like new Home. Mother, if only you could be here with me. This is a good and nice Home.
Arts:
http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=363
http://sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=584
ps Wyrm the page index has been invaluable!
Post by: midwestmutt on April 25, 2020, 08:42:23 AM
Post by: Róisín on April 25, 2020, 08:47:29 AM
Post by: Vulpes on April 25, 2020, 09:24:45 AM
Turn my back for a few hours and all this goodness appears. Wow, grey, that is amazing - and thank-you, thank-you for including me on the bookshelf. You even got the right insect order - Hymenoptera - although my main area of interest is bees, not ants, not that it matters, I'm still gobsmacked.
And the details - I laughed aloud when I noticed the gull peering in the window. I can totally see Onni as a falling-asleep-in-a-recliner kind of guy. And the prologue characters on the wall... brilliant.
Gaelle, I love your art style, that is a lovely image of Reynir and his home.
And Jitter, I'm sorry I couldn't properly enjoy your vignette, I got something in my eyes, they teared up something awful.
This whole thread is amazing, thanks again Keep Looking for organizing it, I've enjoyed everybody's contributions.
Post by: Alkia on April 25, 2020, 09:34:48 AM
Gaelle, the light and the clouds and the colors of the grass— it’s such a beautiful scene!
Jitter, yet again you amaze me with your ability to create so much in such a small amount of words! A sad but comforting story
Post by: Jitter on April 25, 2020, 11:35:32 AM
Grey, where do I start? Many of the observations have luckily already been made by the others. I recognised Lynn immediately, but only in the full size (well, the 12 MB) picture I noticed the Eldritch Runes on her. In the bookshelf... surely the entire series isn't just my haikus? Four volumes of great haikus is an intimidating task! Even if the pages are quite lightly filled as it tends to be in Haiku books (speaking of which, I seem to have misplaced the one I bought before I have read it!) Many of the book titles are very clever, especially I liked Looking for Rachel, Across the Dungeon by RanVor, The Book of Job, Wyrm's * Love (and) *Craft, and The Tate Exposition for Gaelle!
The characters... so much to love! How Mikkel has hair on his legs and arms, but the boys don't (I'm not sure about Onni? There is a little something but very little? Is he just so blonde that it doesn't really show?), and Reynir's freckles! Lalli's crop top allowing us (and Emil) adore his stomach muscles. The way the clothes are different for everybody, you have clearly given it some thought. I have to say Lalli and Onni's pants look comfier than Mikkel and Rey's almost-leggings :) And I love Reynir's shirt! Mikkel's is great too, and the traditional type trims on everyone's.
Speaking of clothes BTW, Minna promised to make a reference sheet on the team's current clothing with the real-tradition pieces she used for inspiration! Here I like the way you have taken elements from the heavily traditional influenced clothing we have seen on the crew and used some elements in the more contemporary homely clothes. I'm sure especially in Sweden and Denmark also the 2010's aesthetics would have some influence on clothing and other style things, even if the nations turning to their old gods have also looked deeper in to the aesthetics of their historic traditions.
On facial expressions, Onni is snoring right? It's lovely to see Lalli smile, and Sig and Mik all sweety pies. First I thought Ensi was staring in somewhat threatening way (what movie poster is that from?) but the close-up shows her gentle expression better.
All in all it's hard to believe you haven't drawn people for decades! Although I guess the architectural drawing does show, especially the recliner Onni is sitting in and the sofas are a lot more contemporary than traditional :)
Needless to say, but I say nevertheless: I love it!
The ancestor portraits I recognised immediately, probably because I've been poring over the Prologue and especially the Family Tree lately. It's a nice touch! Where is their home located btw, Östersund? There's too much forest to be Iceland and too much mountains to be Finland or Denmark. Norway around Aurland or Sweden would seem likeliest.
Post by: thegreyarea on April 25, 2020, 01:30:04 PM
Jitter, your "Home" is amazing, sad, and happy. You surely made many shed a tear or two (myself included), but that's a part of the game...
Midwestmutt, thanks! I could not forget you in the list! (BTW I just remembered that I did forgot Elleth :( Sorry...)
Vulpes, It's fantastic that I almost got it right, but to be honest it could be ants or bees, but it had to be short, because there wasn't much space... ;) I'm glad that you noticed the winged spy...
Alkia, Thank you! We are so lucky to have you, and others like you*, that arrived recently on our community to bring so much energy and light!
* Butterscotchbread, Keep Looking, Gaelle, Mari...
Jitter (again! but I'm going by order... :) ), I love your observations! I'm sure that you will soon have enough haikus for such a publication, and if you look close enough you will notice that it's a bilingual edition (FIN+ENG) so each haiku will make two (you could have one language on the right pages, and one on the left). Translating them would probably be quite a challenge, tough. And it's great to know that you enjoyed the book titles. :)
As for the characters, I didn't intend to draw hair on Onni's legs and arms, probably just some loose lines... But I did intend to draw Lalli's muscles <3, and to make everyone wear different, albeit comfortable, clothes. Lalli and Emil's are supposed to match (can you imagine why?), and I do want to have those shirts! Maybe I will print them in some print-on-demand place one day... Anyway I'm looking forward for Minna's references. Must be fascinating stuff.
And yes, Onni's probably snoring (a little) but also having a good time in the dreamworld, where Ensi is happy for her boys :) (she's so small that it's hard to see well without zooming, tough).
The drawing part was my "How hard can it be" moment. I was confident that I knew all the theory on how to do it. And I was right. The problem was the practice... :D
But in the end everything worked, and I'm happy with the result, albeit knowing there are numberless errors and faults on it. However that also happens in my projects, so I'm quite used to that feeling.
Speaking of that, I wanted to make the room a bit contemporary on purpose, so the furniture looked new and not salvaged. (Nothing against reusing furniture, but old looking sofas, combined with the wooden walls and ceiling, may be read as if they were somewhere in the silent world. It could be, but Home goes well with Security, so...). The recliner is basically a rendition of my preferred chair, the Eames Loung chair (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eames_Lounge_Chair), just because I love the design. (I'm still to earn enough money to buy one, tough. The thing is quite expensive)
And since you talked about location, I must admit that i didn't thought much on that, but your suggestions seem good. I'd choose Östersund, to put it a bit closer to Finland when the Hotakainens want to visit their forests. :)
Post by: GaelleDragons on April 25, 2020, 01:50:41 PM
Grey, wow, knowing it was your first time drawing humans in so long makes your drawing even more impressive!! And now that you mention it, I can see the architect way of drawing in the perspective and the furniture (drawing interiors, that's something I'll have to get better at, because for now I'm avoiding it like the plague!). And by architect way of drawing I mean: really well drawn!
And I feel your pain trying to draw with an Intuos for the first time. Again, I can only admire how clean your linework is (it took me months to get a proper smooth line with my first drawing tablet!). It's true screen tablets are really good, but in my opinion you can draw just as well on a tablet with no screen. It just takes a bit more time to get used to it... also it's less expensive and more practical (I use my old small Intuos when I'm travelling and my Cintiq at home, and both work pretty well for me ^^).
LilG, thank you! The drawing process took a bit more than 2-3 hours though. I don't know for certain, but it was more around 5-6 hours split between 2-3 days ^^"
And thank you to everyone who said nice things about my drawing! Every comment makes me eee, just so you know. ;D
Post by: JoB on April 25, 2020, 01:57:36 PM
Thank you for including me in the library! I’m quite pleasantly surprised to have found myself on one of the books, considering that I haven’t really contributed with all that much in terms of artworkSeconded ... or actually, more like eighthed.
(... what does it say about me that I'm feeling a bit extra tickled to have been depicted as one of the closed books!? :3 )
Reynir pointing out that Tuuri is cheating behind her back... because she’s completely transparent (she’ll have to get used to that from now on).Also seconded - though I have to say that, if I were actually in the storyverse, with its well-known primary source of weird body modifications, I'ld much rather look the other way as Tuuri cheats me than play with the guy with the prehensile braid ... !
[...] Reynir also cheating behind his back by using his braid end as a third hand (I suppose his hair really does have a life of its own).
The Rubik’s cube is finally complete, hurray! Though by whom, we may never know... (my bets are on Kitty randomly playing with it and solving it by accident)My headcanon is that ARtD's swan visited them, OCDed about the Cube as she usually does only about her files, spent an ungodly amount of time-stretching magic to get it solved before its owners mortality kicking in, and put another spell on it to prevent anyone un-solving it ever again.
It probably surprises no-one who knows me that the yet-undiscovered details I can drag into discussion are technological ones ... like Mikkel wearing a wrist watch that looks a lot more Y0-ish than the expedition gear (http://sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=257), and the home having radiators with thermostats ... (I don't think we have ever seen a (working) heating in the comic that wasn't some sort of open fireplace, have we?)
Post by: thegreyarea on April 25, 2020, 03:33:14 PM
Gaelle, thanks for the sympathy! It was really hard at the beginning, and for unknown reasons some lines in some directions were very difficult to draw, were others went easily... But I managed (after more than a few moments when I considered backtracking an doing it all by hand, tough). :) Drawing furniture is fun, believe me. It's a matter of practice and using the old Renaissance perspective rules. I really enjoy doing it, and sometimes I do create furniture for my projects or for my house. The really amazing part is that you can create a piece, find a carpenter and have it materialized in the Real World in a few weeks, while buildings take months or years. So it's very satisfying. :)
JoB, I'm glad that you enjoyed it! You undoubtedly deserved your book in the shelf :) You will surely understand that I couldn't put them all open, but I assure you that Mikkel is a great admirer of the many technological tips that make it one of the most sought-after books in Y90 (according to the Reykjavik's Book Annual Review from Y91).
Reynir's prehensile braid may be frightening, particularly for those afraid of snakes (or tentacles) but, luckily, is entirely powered by his magical abilities. As you can see it's very useful to hold cards (and opening doors when his hands are full).
I don't know anything about the cube, however. It just forced itself into the drawing as page 260 was published...
Now, technological details! :D yes, Mikkel is wearing a fancy wrist watch. It's a nice (and very expensive) mechanical one, built in 1960 and owned by his grand-grand-grandfather, that shared the same name*. it's been passed on in the family, generation after generation, and our Mikkel left it in Bornholm before embarking in the first adventure, afraid that it might get lost in their struggles on the Silent World.
* That is me shamelessly entangling this drawing with one of my stories, the second part of "A beginning" :)
As for the heating, you are right. but the fact that we never saw it does not means that it doesn't exist. As with the modern furniture, I wanted to depict a very comfortable home for our beloved team. Considering the cold climate, it's reasonable to expect that, in the more secure parts of the Known World, the ancient technics for heating were still in use. The renowned "Book of JoB" contains, I've been told, several insights on how purely mechanical thermostats work (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermostatic_radiator_valve) ;)
But speaking of a fireplace, this comfy room also has one, but it's on the fourth wall, conveniently removed so we could see our team. I have a drawing with the distribution below.
(https://i.postimg.cc/zXsrZGDB/distribution.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/CzstbYqT)
Here we can see the fireplace location, the entrance door (entering through the windows is unpractical) and two extra things: the second part of the bookshelf, were are the books with all the minnions that I couldn't put in the drawing (believe me!) and the distribution of the characters, that was made pretty much by my subconscious but, on a second look, shows that they form a circle, with their relative positions influenced by their relations in the comic and in my head, so:
Tuuri is next to Mikkel (I'm sure they would be very good friends, sharing a common curiosity over many things)
Mikkel is next to Sigrun (I'm a shipper)
Sigrun is next to Emil (brothers-in-arms)
Emil is next to Lalli (I'm a shipper)
Lalli is next to Onni (cousins-in-magic)
Onni is next to Reynir (I'm a shipper)
Reynir is next to Tuuri (I'm sure they would be very good friends, sharing a common curiosity over how to cheat in games) :D
Post by: Vulpes on April 25, 2020, 04:47:00 PM
I've got to get the pencils and pens out and do some drawings - I really enjoy drawing interiors (without people... people are haaaard) and it's a great way to get the drawing skills back up to speed. I worked on a couple of farms one summer, and in my spare time did drawings, and ended up with a nice matched pair: Stu's stoves, and Bill's barns. Really enjoyed getting deep into perspective, lines, and relationships.
Post by: LilG on April 25, 2020, 06:04:38 PM
LilG, thank you! The drawing process took a bit more than 2-3 hours though. I don't know for certain, but it was more around 5-6 hours split between 2-3 days ^^"
Even still, my latest drawing (Lalli as Hotline Miami’s Jacket (https://lilg9.tumblr.com/post/616490612998520832/i-dont-know-how-many-people-in-the-ssss-fandom)) and those before it took me about a day and a bit each in terms of hours (I’m a very, very slow drawer). And they’re not even close to the same level of quality that you and many others on the forum can make, so to me, anybody that can do that (or even simple sketches) in just 5 to 8 hours is a BEAST.
And don’t even get me started on those absolute gods on Deviantart’s front page, who can draw highly realistic paintings in merely 12 to 14 hours. I think I could only achieve that in my wettest of dreams (either that, or a century after I kick the bucket, in whatever second tier afterlife I end up).
Post by: thegreyarea on April 25, 2020, 06:24:42 PM
Grey, I like the drawing even better with all the background information and the floor plan - agh, I love me a good floor plan! And all of us Minnions looking through the fourth wall... <3. Your architecture expertise is showing. The circle of characters is a really interesting touch. You put so much thought into this!
I've got to get the pencils and pens out and do some drawings - I really enjoy drawing interiors (without people... people are haaaard) and it's a great way to get the drawing skills back up to speed. I worked on a couple of farms one summer, and in my spare time did drawings, and ended up with a nice matched pair: Stu's stoves, and Bill's barns. Really enjoyed getting deep into perspective, lines, and relationships.
Thanks Vulpes! If you enjoy drawing you should really get your stuff out of the drawer and on the paper. It's an amazing activity. It takes time, but IIRC you just finished the semester, so there's some free time, right? It may be harder to recall in the beginning, but it's totally worth the effort. And don't forget to share it with us!
LilG, I understand you so well! Some people draw at incredible speed with incredible quality. I try to comfort myself thinking that they are (more or less) professionals, but anyway...
Post by: wavewright62 on April 25, 2020, 06:32:03 PM
Grey, I too have appropriated the drawing for my wallpaper, thank you for that, and I am honoured to have warranted a book of my own. I spent a bit of time trying to work out how you managed to skew the Prologue character portraits into their frames, but ofc as an architect that was probably the easy bit for you, as well as accomplishing all those bits of interior that would leave me a twitching mess on the (wonky) floor. And yet, it's the *characters* (I was going to say 'humans' but that leaves out four) that make this room, with all of those details. (Although I'm still puzzled by the idea that Onni has hair drawn on him - I took those lines to be delineating the shinbones?)
Well.
I also very much appreciate the view of Iceland, and Reynir's place in it, from Gaelle. Well you should have an exhibition monograph of your own in thegreyarea's bookshelf.
And Jitter, awwww, smol Missekatt Kisu's POV. Splendid.
I swear, you people, *sniff*
is good
bye
Post by: Jitter on April 25, 2020, 09:06:44 PM
I was also apparently kind of invested in Lalli’s recent birthday. I had a dream, where I was thinking that oh it’s so sad, no one seems to remember. But then mail go delivered (at the door, not the box) and there was a very fancy card and a gift certificate for him from the university (??). And after I signed for those (apparently Lalli’s postal address was ar our house) the postman provided a wad of birthday cards from hi: too! There were a total of 16 greetings. So I was happily thinking that oh Lalli will become glad when he gets these. And then I woke up.
I think the greetings were from you guys, because there were so many and they were very different cards so probably from all over the world!
Post by: thegreyarea on April 25, 2020, 09:31:52 PM
Grey, I too have appropriated the drawing for my wallpaper, thank you for that, and I am honoured to have warranted a book of my own. I spent a bit of time trying to work out how you managed to skew the Prologue character portraits into their frames...
...Although I'm still puzzled by the idea that Onni has hair drawn on him - I took those lines to be delineating the shinbones?)
Thanks, Wave!
The character skewing is actually quite easy if you know magic!
...but it's the kind of magic that you get when you use something like Photoshop, Corel Photo Paint, Gimp (IIRC) or Clip Studio Paint (that I used), because all those come with a function called "distort" or similar that gives you small squares (markers) on the corners of the selected area, and you just have to click on those markers and drag them to where you want. Thus it's easy to distort a rectangular pic to fit on the frame previously draw. See? Magic!
Yes, those lines were supposed to be his shinbones. Maybe I should have been more consistent, because Onni and Reynir have them, but Mikkel doesn't...
And I am honoured that you are using my drawing as wallpaper! :)
Haha I love how you’ve drawn us in the schematic :D
I was also apparently kind of invested in Lalli’s recent birthday. I had a dream, where I was thinking that oh it’s so sad, no one seems to remember. But then mail go delivered (at the door, not the box) and there was a very fancy card and a gift certificate for him from the university (??). And after I signed for those (apparently Lalli’s postal address was ar our house) the postman provided a wad of birthday cards from hi: too! There were a total of 16 greetings. So I was happily thinking that oh Lalli will become glad when he gets these. And then I woke up.
I think the greetings were from you guys, because there were so many and they were very different cards so probably from all over the world!
So you liked my Minnions! :) I like them too! And yes, one of those dreamcards was sent by me three days ago on dreamworld postal services. Lalli put your dreamaddress in his dreamprofile, it seems. He didn't want anyone else wandering into his dreamspace like Reynir did. :) Don't worry, he will probably show up in some dream, very soon, to collect his cards. Give him a hug for me, and also tell him to smile a little more. Emil will be very happy if he does.
(And I have to go to sleep, it's 2:30 in the morning... see you tomorrow :) )
Post by: scottishnottish on April 25, 2020, 10:14:03 PM
And lovely work GaelleDragons! I can really feel the breeze and the warmth of the sun in it.
Post by: Keep Looking on April 25, 2020, 11:53:50 PM
Chapter Break Filler
.._.._..
Prompt 19: Safe
.._.._..
.._.._..
Prompt 19: Safe
.._.._..
For today's prompt of Safe, Gwenno brings us a peek into what Reynir might be doing while he's staying home and safe from the virus.
Spoiler: show
can't have some fun, however! This started off somewhat orderly, but deteriorated to silliness very quickly!Thanks very much to Gwenno for today's contribution, and if any of you are inspired by this prompt, feel free to share what you've made!
Also, how do you put more spoilers inside of a spoiler? It never seems to work for me, it just ends up breaking the first spoiler.
Post by: Róisín on April 26, 2020, 01:30:33 AM
And I meant to ask, did you propagate that little potted Dracaena?
Post by: Grade E cat on April 26, 2020, 02:30:34 AM
Post by: wavewright62 on April 26, 2020, 04:54:36 AM
Side note, yes, you can put spoilers within spoilers - I do it for the Advent calendar all the time. The trick is to nest the beginning and end spoilers properly:
[spoolera]
Content
[spoolerb]
moar content
[/spoolerb]
[/spoolera]
Post by: Jitter on April 26, 2020, 05:55:50 AM
Now I must insist to see a picture of the full mural, as well as the Reynir and Hummingfluff painting!
Post by: Purple Wyrm on April 26, 2020, 07:09:20 AM
Great work Gwenno!
Post by: thegreyarea on April 26, 2020, 12:59:54 PM
Now I must join Jitter in our demand to see your mural! I particularly like the little black "dots" with eyes O_O
Speaking of Jitter, I think I was too scarce on showing how much I enjoyed your "Home" story. Kitty POV is very well made, and if you ever fell inclined I believe that some great stories could be told having her as the main character. It would be a challenge, no doubt, to see the world through her eyes (and other senses), but has lots of potential.
Scottishnottish, thanks! Of course you deserved to be in that shelf :)
Gaelle, I forgot to tell that your Reynir ended up being my wallpaper! :D
Post by: Jitter on April 26, 2020, 04:12:25 PM
I wasn't quite as safe as I could have today, I fell and skinned by knee. Didn't need any medical attention beyond hubby cleaning it, but it put me off the mood for writing for a while. Here however is today's piece.
Safety
I will take them to real safety. I can’t believe I couldn’t save anyone else! Not even mum! All the training and… tears welled in Onni’s eyes again. No. Stop it. You did just what grandmother told you to. Tuuri is safe, that is the most important thing. And Lalli. Now, make sure they stay safe.
Iceland is safe. But we don’t have any money. And I’m not sure the spirits would hear me there. Surely Mielikki wouldn’t like us moving to the area of foreign mages. And they have no forests there. No, safety or not, Iceland is out.
Keuruu. We will go to Keuruu. I’m sure I can get a job there. I’m strong! Grandma said I have a lot of potential, even though she couldn’t train me much.
“So, Mr Hotakainen. Onni, is it? And these are your young siblings?”
“Tuuri is my sister. Lalli is my cousin, he lives with us.”
“And why is that?”
“His parents are dead! I’m sure you know what happened at Toivosaari!”
“Oh yes, an unfortunate incident indeed. Please rest assured a similar attack will not be possible anymore. Well, we understand why you want to come to Keuruu after that. Unfortunately, we don’t have childcare facilities.”
“No matter, I will keep them with me!”
“Or school for such young pupils.”
“That’s ok too! Tuuri is very bright, she can go to classes for teenagers. And Lalli will go to mage training. He’s immune.”
“Hmm, your brother… cousin has the sight? And immunity? That’s interesting.”
“We are grandchildren of Ensi Hotakainen!”
“Oh, I see… we also don’t have free family housing units.”
“I am a mage too. And I will be strong, Grandma said so!”
“Well, all right. Go to the Quartermaster’s office. She’ll see what we can do.”
Post by: GaelleDragons on April 26, 2020, 06:02:11 PM
Stay safe, Reynir!
Grey, I can understand how drawing your own furniture and then making it real is a very satisfying process! I can imagine the situation: "Wow, you have a very nice living room!", "Thanks, I made it." x)
And eee I'm glad my Reynir pic ended up as your wallpaper! Thank you!!
Jitter, love the story! The Hotakainen's backstory will never stop being a source of great content :D
Post by: Jitter on April 26, 2020, 06:04:56 PM
I'm afraid there may be hurdles before they can really get settled!
Post by: thegreyarea on April 26, 2020, 07:30:05 PM
Gaelle, it's really great, except for chairs, that are the furniture equivalent of drawing hands (aaargh!) :D We know how they should be, but it's damn hard to get them right!
Post by: Crumpite on April 26, 2020, 09:05:27 PM
I'm touched ((but people have said that for years...) ok, ok, I'll see myself out...)
I am honored, Grey 😀
Amazing artwork and stories, as usual 😀😀😀
I had a bit of milestone today, I actually got to walk around a bit with very little pain.
I'm starting to see some progress acclimating to the new chemo, yes !
Maybe I'll be able to post more often now 😁
Next I just need to figure out what to put in my book...
Post by: thegreyarea on April 26, 2020, 09:40:19 PM
Now it's time to work on that book. At least you don't have to worry about the title! ;D
Post by: Róisín on April 26, 2020, 10:31:43 PM
Also glad you are doing better, Crumpite! Good luck.
Post by: Keep Looking on April 27, 2020, 12:28:25 AM
Chapter Break Filler
.._.._..
Prompt 20: Sleep
.._.._..
.._.._..
Prompt 20: Sleep
.._.._..
Well. Just as the first full week of comic pages starts, so does our chapter break filler end. Before we get started, I wanted to thank all of you guys - for all of the wonderful things you've created, whether they were submitted to me or posted down below; for all the encouragement you've given me and each other - just for being a wonderful community, really, and one that I'm really grateful to be a part of. I'm so glad I was able to facilitate this event, and I hope it's made these particularly hard times a bit brighter for you guys.
Our final prompt is Sleep, and from Count Shrekula we have a beautiful piece of music to send us all on our ways.
Spoiler: show
Thanks very much to Count Shrekula for today's piece, and for the final time - if any of you are inspired by this prompt, feel free to share what you've made.
Post by: wavewright62 on April 27, 2020, 03:24:53 AM
And thank you so much to Keep Looking for curating all of us in this massive effort!
Post by: thegreyarea on April 27, 2020, 07:46:28 AM
And I loved Minna's illustration, that I don't recall seeing before, but maybe I did, and that's where my subconscious found Tuuri and Reynir playing cards that I draw...
Keep Looking, once again I must express my gratitude for your idea and for all the effort that you put in turning it to reality. You made the dreaded chapter break become the delightful chapter break, and that's quite a feat! You deserve our applause!
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:sparkle: :sparkle: :sparkle: :sparkle: :sparkle: :sparkle: :sparkle: :sparkle: Thanks, Keep Looking!!! :sparkle: :sparkle: :sparkle: :sparkle: :sparkle: :sparkle: :sparkle: :sparkle:
(now, after so much applause, we will be waiting for the encore... ;D )
Post by: Mariiii on April 27, 2020, 07:51:32 AM
Gwenno I loved seeing Reynir at home ! What did he tried to cook ?
Thank you again Keep Looking for the organisation of this beautiful event !! <3
Edit : Here is the little contribution I made for this prompt, I hope you like it !
(https://zupimages.net/up/20/18/okr4.jpg)
Post by: Jitter on April 27, 2020, 09:09:21 AM
Mariiii, sweet sleepy kitty!
The other team kitty sometimes has trouble sleeping too. No wonder with his history! So, to conclude my series, I give you hurdles.
Sleep
“I’m sorry, Onni. But this is best for everyone.”
“No! I will keep him here! We are doing fine!”
“It’s admirable that you want to care for him. But you are only 17. Your unit has only two rooms. And with his… issues…”
“He has no issues with us! We are fine!”
Lalli was under the table, hood and hands over ears, wailing.
“We can see he’s not fine. And hear!”
“That’s because you are scaring him. Let us be!”
“You are not his parent. This is not your decision. Lalli will move in with the nurses.”
“No! Onniii!! Help!” Lalli was kicking and scratching the medic carrying him. Tuuri was clinging on to Onni and crying. Onni was trying to remain calm, but he was just as shaken as the little ones.
***
“Onni, you have to come with me. It’s your cousin.”
“Lalli! Is he hurt?”
“He’s… ok. Come and see.”
Lalli was curled into a ball in the farthest corner of the small room, eyes closed, ears covered, humming tunelessly.
“He’s been like that since yesterday. Completely unresponsive. He won’t sleep or eat.”
“Well, why do…” Upon hearing Onni’s voice, Lalli shot from his corner and grabbed Onni’s shirt with both hands.
“Onni! Take me home, Onni! Please! I’m scared here!”
“Hmm… we may have an error of judgment here. He’s not completely unresponsive after all.”
“I told you we don’t have issues. Let us go home now!”
“Maybe we could try that. If you insist.”
“I insist! Come, Lalli.” Lalli let go of Onni’s shirt, took his hand and followed him calmly.
That night all three Hotakainen’s crawled into their shared bed. Onni hugged Tuuri and Lalli to him. Tuuri was smiling in her sleep. “Onni keeps voices away. Now I can sleep” Lalli muttered quietly.
Keep looking, just as everyone has said already: thank you so much! This has been such a lovely effort, and very important at least for me personally in the isolation and worry we all must go through. The break would have been unpleasant in this situation, but now it's been a delight.
Thank you everyone for your contributions! I am proud of us! So many different media too, prose, poetry, digital art, manual art, photographs, music, crafts! Wonderful!
I will not copy Grey's clapping here but I will add that the applause is for Keep looking but also all of us! (On my behalf that is, but I'm guessing Grey will concur)
Post by: thegreyarea on April 27, 2020, 11:45:14 AM
Jitter, that's a great conclusion for the series. It gives us a glimpse of how hard those first times must have been for them. It also adds a glimpse of Lalli's complicated growth. He's almost a child, and yet haunted by the voices that never shut up while bearing the tragedy of loosing almost everyone he loved and care. I'd say that's a surprise that he managed to become a relatively balanced person.
And yes, I agree, we all deserve that applause! I'd say that Keep Looking was the conductor of our orchestra, and every player was an essential part of this beautiful piece. :)
Post by: Jitter on April 27, 2020, 11:54:07 AM
Post by: Mariiii on April 27, 2020, 12:44:39 PM
Mari, that's a lovely Kitty. Mine is sleeping by my side, now, almost in the same position. It's so wonderful the way they turn in a ball of fur like that! Makes me want to grab her, but then I'd break the magic... :)
Thank you ! I agree, when my cat does that, I always want to do the same. She took the pause while she was sleeping on my bed so I couldn't resist to draw Kitty like this too !
Post by: GaelleDragons on April 27, 2020, 04:25:52 PM
It makes me think of a relaxing nap in the middle of a garden outside an old house, with the song being played on a old radio... All very rustic and peaceful!
Jitter, oooooh more cute yet sad Lalli backstory! I love it! Now I really want to hug baby Lalli and tell him it's all gonna be alright
Mariiii what a cute ball of fluff!
And of course an enormous thank you to Keep Looking for planning this great event, and to everyone who participated!! *applause* ;D
Post by: Alkia on April 27, 2020, 04:31:22 PM
Mariii, Kitty is so cute!!!!
Jitter, that’s a beautiful little story! Makes me want to go to the Lalli character development thread and muse about him.
And I echo everyone else in a HUGE thank you to KeepLooking for organizing all this!!!! 👏👏👏👏
Post by: LilG on April 27, 2020, 05:03:09 PM
Thank you Keep Looking for organizing this ;D !!!
I’m looking forward to what the next chapter break filler will have to offer, if something like this will also be organized for that occasion.
Post by: Count_Shrekula on April 27, 2020, 09:19:25 PM
Also, I just wanna say thanks for hosting the chapter break filler Keep Looking! You did great, and it was really fun to participate and see everyone's contributions.
Post by: Mebediel on April 28, 2020, 12:32:22 AM
As for everyone who contributed for the previous days, all your contributions are amazing!!! And shout out to Grey for the cabin picture...I was super excited to see that my name was on a book, and the title was spot on, too!
Many, many thanks to Keep Looking for all your hard work organizing this!!!
Post by: Keep Looking on April 28, 2020, 02:58:25 AM
I know that a lot of people would like to see another event like this next chapter break (and I would too!), so I'll just say a couple things about that. The reason why I came up with this chapter-break thing (coronavirus) is also the main reason why I had time to organise and run this event all myself (also because it conveniently landed right in my school holidays so I didn't have many commitments). Because Western Australia is doing quite well with 'flattening the curve', schools are going back tomorrow, and it's quite likely that by the time next chapter break rolls around I'll be busy with a lot of studying and all that. I'm still up for running something like this next chapter break, but I don't think I will be able to run it all myself like I did this time around (especially with the whole 'posting stuff at a consistent time each day' thing, but just in general it's quite a large task, and if next break happens to land somewhere inconvenient (like exam time) I just wouldn't have the time).
I was wondering if any of you guys would be able/willing to help organise stuff for next chapter break, if we want to keep this going. If some of you are, we can start discussing in the organization thread for this event (remember the one we did the sign-ups in?) about the different tasks that could be allocated in order to distribute the workload and ways to manage this event with more than one person running it (because a lack of communication can be deadly). People could also bring up any changes/improvements they might want to see next time around.
Post by: yeethaw_gang on April 28, 2020, 07:12:42 AM
Secondly, everyone's works are sooo good! I've run out of words to describe how good they are.
Third of all, I'd be willing to help with next chapter break.
Post by: thegreyarea on April 28, 2020, 07:18:42 AM
Post by: Purple Wyrm on April 29, 2020, 12:26:02 AM
Post by: wavewright62 on April 29, 2020, 01:58:19 AM
(Some of those books in thegreyarea's bookshelf are dauntingly thick and need content!)