Other People's Worldbuilding - Tumblr Posts

This is so cute!!!

I made Fuafua, the slug-fox mascot of my fantasy world Yssaia, into a kawaii bag! The bag is very lumpy and doesn't fit my shoulders very well, but I'm new to sewing and I'm pretty proud of it!

Fuafua is a maret -- which fills the same niche as ocelots, only way more aquatic focused. It has the texture of like... a stress ball -- sticky but not HORRIBLE. They do come in many bright colors -- in the wild, they tend to be more brown and gray speckled with color. But humans like it when animals are pretty colors and have made pastel ones.

And Arlasaire starts using one as a service animal partway through the story and names it Fuafua -- which is the sound pillows make in Thuillean.

Diacaius is DEEPLY amused by this because, not ONLY is Fuafua nothing like a pillow, but also, Fuafua may secretly be a very powerful, world-shattering entity and he thinks it's great his daughter basically named it "fluffy".

Smash or Pass: OC edition

@garthcelyn tagged me in this a few days ago and I have the perfect character to throw at y'all. I'm going to tag @thetruearchmagos @rainbow-colored-writer @anyablackwood @sunset-a-story @heartofnovel and whoever else wants to play!

Rules: pretty self explanatory. include physical descriptions or pics, and propaganda. the “other” label can be used for “sexuality misalignment” (ie: oc is femme and you’re gay, vice versa or you aren’t into smashing but a specific thing you wanna do with them like perhaps hug or study them under a microscope idc)

The one, the only, Darcey Olson!

uses he/him pronouns (cismale) and usually presents pretty masculine

Gay, but has been known to be flexible in the past with his partners

former Navy, didn't last long because he couldn't follow instructions

Very sweet and quiet nowadays, but has a past history of being an utter asshole and causing murder

Youngest sibling

natural ginger (ew) (a/n I am a natural ginger)

Decides not to wear his hearing aid (only on one side) 75% of the time so you may have to repeat yourself 2-3 times

Big man, soft and good for cuddles

Loves cooking; you will be eating good

Has a pet snake who he treats better and babies more than he would his own hypothetical child

Mommy and daddy issues

Slight obsession with explosives and sometimes designs bombs in his free time

Also a slight obsession with architecture

do you see why this might be a problem.

Worldbuilding in Five

Both @thetruearchmagos and @theprissythumbelina tagged me in this! I'm going to tag @anyablackwood, @laffy-taffy-creations, @mikathewriter, and whoever else wants to play!

Rules: post 3-5 images of a place in your world and tell us a bit about it.

So I feel like NYTF gets enough love...how about the world of Ateine? This is slightly more than 5.

Base Sky (Watcher settlement)

Base Sky is the primary Watcher (rebel) settlement, and is the host of its extensive government. Despite having a large population (well over one million people), Base Sky looks like an uninhabited jungle, as buildings are designed to blend into the trees and stretch deep into natural and hand-carved cave systems. Its crowning feature is a large, underground arena where Arena Combat Simulations are held, along with other large-crowd events such as concerts and performances. Base Sky is located in the dense, tropical jungle about 50km from Kaptol.

Kaptol

A bastardization of the word "Capital" and sometimes spelled Kp-tol, Kaptol is the large hexagon city where the first Ateineians were created/born/arrived (depending on your religious sect). It's a very large, technologically advanced city which erases its past as it builds to new and grander heights. The culture here is a massive melting pot, borrowing from each of the six partages. It is built on a peninsula, bordered to the north by a dense tropical jungle. The cliffs along the edge of the city drop of precipitously, lifting it high above the water.

The High Sanctum

In the midst of the hi-tech and quickly-evolving Kaptol is a building seemingly untouched by time: the High Sanctum. Built by the god AllPower herself, it is the religious, governmental, and cultural center of Ateine. It is a grand building of white stone, full of vaulted ceilings, towering columns, and 6 massive statues of the six gods. Each is over 10 meters tall, and on their pedestals, people leave offerings and sacrifices. Throughout its grandiose halls, the theocratic government of Ateine operates.

The High Sanctum's tallest spire is the highest point on Ateine; nothing can be built higher. High rises and skyscrapers throughout Kaptol and Ateine try to creep as close as they can.

OC in 3

I was tagged by @drchenquill and @wiredhouse-deactivated20240524 thanks for the tag!

rules: post 3 pictures relating to your oc

Mi K

Ermenberg

Tagging: @anyablackwood @the-ellia-west @frostedlemonwriter @willtheweaver and @illarian-rambling

I haven't the SLIGHTEST clue about science-y things but I LOVE a magic system that works like/with science!!!! Go nerd mages, go!!!!

Badly Summarized Magic System

Thank you to @anyablackwood <3 <3 <3 for tagging me, even though I have been AFK for like a month. Today we're:

Rules: "Explain the magic system of your current WIP as poorly as possible -- ideally using bullet points.

But guys, gals, and NB pals, I don't bullet points because I have SCIENCE:

What if thermodynamics had a COLD particle?

And what if the COLD made spontaneous effects happen because of chaos theory?

...

That's it.

Now base all of engineering off that! Haha!

Tagging: @reaperofcrows and @galacticsand and @satohqbanana to explain their magic systems to me :DDD

SKELETAL!!! HORSES!!! STEAM!!! TRAINS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know your wip but I'm ABOUT TO!!!!!

Badly Summarized Magic System

Stole from @anyablackwood's post :D

Rules: "Explain the magic system of your current WIP as poorly as possible. Bonus points if you use bullet points."

God exploded. His wife is 3 wives now. He turned into a worm

There's more god now. like a planaria..... They're just guys (hungry)

Creationism if it were cool and epic

Creationism is gods trying to one up one another. No MY toy is better then YOUR toy! Well im going to nerf your toy >:3

Mole People

DIVINE GIFTS IN THE BLOOD. GENETIC MAGIC

Souls are complicated... :( and prone to breaking

Afterlives are also complicated :)

Atheism is like being a flat earther. Like... the gods are right there, guys. You can shake their hands.

Gods crave consumption....... What if you consumed them instead!? You get incredibly lame vampires.

Ah fuck there's another demi-god running around

Skeletal horse steam trains who don't stop hunting for anything.

What if the guy who channelled God was under 3ft tall

Shens funny humonculi!

Fae are bug that fell in a puddle

You guys should do it @bloodmoodtrash @saint-nevermore

Badly Summarized Magic System

Stole from @anyablackwood's post :D

Rules: "Explain the magic system of your current WIP as poorly as possible. Bonus points if you use bullet points."

God exploded. His wife is 3 wives now. He turned into a worm

There's more god now. like a planaria..... They're just guys (hungry)

Creationism if it were cool and epic

Creationism is gods trying to one up one another. No MY toy is better then YOUR toy! Well im going to nerf your toy >:3

Mole People

DIVINE GIFTS IN THE BLOOD. GENETIC MAGIC

Souls are complicated... :( and prone to breaking

Afterlives are also complicated :)

Atheism is like being a flat earther. Like... the gods are right there, guys. You can shake their hands.

Gods crave consumption....... What if you consumed them instead!? You get incredibly lame vampires.

Ah fuck there's another demi-god running around

Skeletal horse steam trains who don't stop hunting for anything.

What if the guy who channelled God was under 3ft tall

Shens funny humonculi!

Fae are bug that fell in a puddle

You guys should do it @bloodmoodtrash @saint-nevermore

HELLO I am here for Supernova Q&A!!! I love world building and planet building in scifi. Love to get in the weeds about it. Can you please ramble at length about your favorite aspect of inter-planetary politics? Specifically within the Khosmonian Galaxies (just to narrow it down). How is trade? Weirdest planet import/export? Is there a 'galactic basic' of sorts, or are politicians expect to know multiple languages? A fun little tidbit of world building that won't ever come up in the story?

Thanks for the ask, @littleladymab!!!!

Can you please ramble at length about your favorite aspect of interplanetary politics?

Absolutely!!!!

So, it's hard to pick a favorite, since there are a lot of different political angles and details that eventually make up the story's current political context, but here go a few aspects that I find particularly important, intriguing, cool, or haunting!

The Junction came to power centuries ago with the promise of bringing utopian-like progress to a galaxy in shambles after the downfall of an ancient civilization that had once ruled over it. And in a way - as far as the common citizens of the rich, metropolitan central planets and space stations of the Junction are concerned - they kind of did, in a twisted, flawed way. Their capital cities and main Stations are highly technological, clean, and supposedly safe, though that safety is maintained by the steel watch of the Junction Sentries (who are infamous for being particularly ruthless to rulebreakers). However, most of the other planets and moons under Junction jurisdiction do not bask in the same "utopian" reality as the main Stations and capital planets do. Most of the planets on the outer rims of the Junction galaxies, and those that compose the main bulk of the Junction's ever-expanding empire, merely serve as the feedstock that provides the main planets and stations under the regime with the resources they need to maintain their so-called Utopia, while those planets - the vast majority of the Junction galaxies - are strip mined, colonized and have every resource of their milked dry and sent to the main planets. This makes it so that this dichotomy causes a lot of tension in the population, generating a strong, generational hatred between settlers (the Junction) and the planets they conquered for resources, a pressure box that eventually breaks and culminates in the Civil War currently going on in the story.

The planet of Thalassen has infamously gigantic sea creatures, with some behemoths reaching almost 300ft with ease. Though it does have smaller, and even microscopic creatures, almost everything within its oceans is larger than it is in other planets, almost double the size. This makes for quite an interesting wildlife that lurks on the inky depths of the planet. Thalassen is located on the edge of one of the Khosmonian galaxies but is a mostly neutral or independent planet that hasn't sided with either the Khosmonians or the Junction, though it is eventually invaded by the Junction, which does seal its position against it. The population of Thalassen lives on giant, floating, mountain-like islands that fly/float scattered across the pinkish skies of this planet thanks to a gravitational anomaly (the same anomaly that allows its sea creatures to grow so gargantuan), and their cities are amongst the safest and most technological in all the galaxies, while they do remain close to their ancient traditions as well.

The Khosmonian Galaxies are by far much larger and much more ancient than the Junction Galaxies. They've been here before the Junction even existed and before the downfall of the civilization that preceded the Junction. They are a varied, culturally vast cluster of interplanetary civilizations. Due to their vastness, their galaxies are represented by chosen leaders that form the Khosmonian High Council, a political alliance between all the different galaxies under the Khosmonian Rule, and who represent the people, in theory. In reality, the members of that Council have become just as corrupt and belligerent as the Junction, eventually allying themselves to infamously murderous warlords like Eldora Thalax or even demanding weapons from AstraCorp, founded by the genius ye political extremist and anarchist, Zenyth Astrophell.

How is trade?

Trade depends a lot on which part of the galaxy we're talking about, but it is mostly a pretty crucial part of both daily life and politics in the galaxy. While there are far too many different exports and imports to explain here and they all depend on which planet, moon, or even galaxy we're talking about, one important detail about trade is that most of it heavily relies on the intergalactic portals built to facilitate the travel between the Junction and Khosmonian Galaxies and that while regular trade is pretty bureaucratic and heavily monitored by both governments, especially given they're in the middle of a civil war, there is a sprawling network of the underworld, black market trade that is controlled by powerful crime families on both sides of the war, most notably the Saphyr crime family, and almost every planet and moon - some more than others have some form of underworld marketplace where the smuggled goods and contraband are sold.

Weirdest planet import/export?

Hmm. Tough question!

I would definitely say that the Glow-Slugs from Cethea III, used in the traditional glow slug jiggly pudding of that moon and often considered a delicacy in a lot of other planets are among one of the most disgusting/weird/unusual exports in the galaxies, especially when considering that some of those Glow-Slug Puddings are literally made raw and with... still live, wriggling slugs?

There are a couple of others but my Insectophobia tells me the Glow-Slugs are the Top 1 Weirdest Export/Import of all time lmao

Is there a 'galactic basic' of sorts, or are politicians expected to know multiple languages?

Yes to both!!!

There is a galactic basic language that is generally referred to as "Common", "Basic", "Base" and other synonyms. It's used as a common tongue in most of the Junction as the Main Language and is widespread in most of the Khosmonian planets as well as a Second or Third Language, though the Khosmonians do tend to speak their native languages or dialects as a first language, differently than the Junction settlers.

As for the politicians: while all politicians from both sides are perfectly fluent in Common or at least have some form of automated translator device, most politicians, diplomats, figureheads, and generally influential people are expected to know at least three to five extra languages, especially those from the planets in their region of influence.

A fun little tidbit of world-building that won't ever come up in the story?

While the following tidbits/fun facts are at least mentioned or referred to/implied in the story, they aren't main plot points so I think it counts! Here it goes:

Zatrians - the native species of the planet Deimos Soll comes from - have mammalian-like biology but are born from actual eggs, which are incubated in communal Nests, that are beloved and protected by the community as a whole. The species is also known for practicing alloparenting, and the hatchlings/kids of a certain Nest consider each other as Nestmates (best friends/surrogate siblings) regardless of whether or not they come from the same bloodline until they come of age.

The dwarf planet of Stryxus has fungi/mushrooms instead of trees in its sprawling tropical forests and some of those fungi species can be as tall as some skyscrapers.

This is actually important to the plot but it is really cool so I'll mention it: sentient robots, despite being fully made of artificial materials and synthetic imitations of organic matter, actually are capable of feelings and complex decision-making if they are freed from their original programming (like Meridian Shardd did), and cyborgs, while often confused with sentient robots, are traditionally humanoid alien/human beings like any other that "upgraded/added" cybernetic implants to their naturally organic body gradually, so cyborgs are a mesh of metallic servos and actual organic flesh.

Sad Fact: Individuals of the Melieth species have special neural connections to those they share blood with. This means they can communicate to their family members telepathically and also sense what they're feeling as if it's their own emotions/sensations. This unfortunately means Kid!Vesper not only witnessed Atherys' torture but also may have physically felt some of it as if it were her that was in pain, because of their neural connections as Melieth siblings.

Supernova Initiative Taglist (-/+): @ray-writes-n-shit, @sarandipitywrites, @lassiesandiego, @smol-feralgremlin, @kaylinalexanderbooks,

@diabolical-blue @oh-no-another-idea

@cakeinthevoid, @clairelsonao3, @sleepy-night-child

@thepeculiarbird

@the-golden-comet, @urnumber1star, @ominous-feychild, @anyablackwood

Let me know if you'd like to be added!

WIP Aesthetic Tag!

I don't know if something like this already exists as a tag game but I'm inspired so here we go: new tag game!

Rules: Make a moodboard for your WIP, a playlist (3+ songs/music will suffice but it can be as long as you want) and describe the Vibe of your WIP.

I'll go first with my new side project, Crooked Fable, a twisted/dark fairytale-style fantasy novel!

✦ Moodboard! ✦

✦ Playlist ✦

Instrumental:

Prologue - Beauty and The Beast

Once Upon a December - Piano Version (Emile Pandolfi)

Ice Dance - Edward Scissorhands (piano version)

Love Story - Indilla (piano version)

Salvatore - Orchestral Instrumental Cover

Vocal:

Rewrite The Stars - The Greatest Showman

Hold Me (Alternate Version) - The Sweeplings

The Wish - Eurielle

Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush (Karliene Cover)

As Long As You're Mine - Wicked

Far Too Late - Bad Cinderella

✦ Inspirations/Vibe ✦

Traditional fairytales given a dark/unexpected twist

"There's something lurking in the enchanted forests and that something isn't very nice"

Forbidden Love Story/Princess & The Pauper Love Story

Magic, prophecies, spellcasting, and other mystical shenanigans are a daily occurrence.

There are actual soulmates, prophecies, enchanted mirrors, talking animals, memory-changing magic, potions, a Mysterious Morally Grey Supernatural Guide, nightmare fuel magic, story-bound magic (magic that needs to be written, fates and lives as threads in the tapestry of history, etc). This is, after all, a Twisted/Dark Fairytale, so most fairytale tropes are present here but given a twist or subverted.

Masquerades, mystery, enchanted places and cursed ruins!!!!

Tagging (gently): @sleepy-night-child, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @smol-feralgremlin, @oh-no-another-idea, @littleladymab,

@winterandwords, @eccaiia, @sarahlizziewrites, @illarian-rambling

@agirlandherquill, @anoelleart, @ray-writes-n-shit

@the-golden-comet, @writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @forthesanityofstorytellers

@i-can-even-burn-salad, @cakeinthevoid

@lassiesandiego, @thepeculiarbird, @clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams and OPEN TAG

OC ORIGINS TAG

Thanks to @anyablackwood both for tagging me and for the very cool post about her relationship to Japanese immigrant names! The rules for this one are:

"Talk about the origins of the names and personalities (and maybe even the design?) of a couple of your OCs!"

We don't have time for a couple so we will, of course, do Arlasaire from my Untitled Yssaia Game!

🏷NAME

Arlasaire comes from the Googly-Translated words for "Of Fire" in Irish. But then I spelled it more French because Thuillean (before I made it into a real Conlang) was me taking Irish words and spelling them "more French."

In universe, Giluniques d'Magnia made the name up for her because he was 10 and 10 year olds think stupid names sound cool. (Take me at 10, giving all my characters Japanese names to make them "more anime". Ick!) Why did he name her something? Because she was burned so badly and all her family died, so she couldn't speak for a long time. She couldn't read or write either, so House d'Magnia just said "Gil, this is your new human pet! You name her!" And so he named her Arlasaire.

"But she was like 8, right? What was her name before that?"

Good note: Before that, she was named Tjen-Sa -- which is a Saegen name because her father was Saegen. It means Boon.

This is because, before I was adopted in China, I was left on a orphanage with a note pinned to me, saying my name should be "Tian Zao" (which I think is 1st-tone, 4th-tone?) which means like "To be a talent from the Heavens". So yeah, Arls is fully a self-insert and I'm happy to own that -- make me the next Dante's Inferno.

(Sidebar: I've always thought of that as like... "My True Name", if that makes sense -- like in the Fantasy Magical Names sense. But that means it is too sacred to go by on a day-to-day basis. It's like... I'm Belle and you should call me Belle. But my legal name is Isabelle and my True Name is Tian Zao. I also had other Chinese names because of the way orphanages work and stuff. It's like... a gradient of trueness. Also, while I don't know much about Chinese culture, I know names are tied to your fate and sometimes, kids have to change their names if their fate is too big or something. But I have always felt that's the name that fit me best -- it SOUNDS the most like the kind of person I want to be.)

🕯CONCEPT

Arlasaire was most inspired by Tehanu from the Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K LeGuinn and Violet from Violet Evergarden.

🎨VISUALS

Visually, Arlasaire was inspired by Zuko and Todoroki, but while their scars make them look more handsome, I explicitly wanted her scars NOT to make her prettier. It was important to me that you wince when you look at her for the first time -- because that's what people in the world do. And I think, IRL, that's what we do too when we see someone who or hear someone who is little bit mutilated and we're not used to it -- even if we don't want to!

That being said, Arlasaire is also supposed to be babygirl. Look at her. She's just a little blorbo! She's just a baby 🥺 She only stabs a little! I want her to have these big gold eyes -- like how a scared black cat will hiss and bite and then look up at you big when you pet them and they realize they like it.

Her First-Half outfit is supposed to be simple but recognizable -- SO I CAN DRAW IT over and over and not die. You know how a lot of anime takes elements from Western fantasy but you look at it and go "Nah, that's so Japanese"? That's what I wanted to do in reverse, is take vaguely Japanese influence and then make it Victorian/French-ish. (So basically, I did western clothes without the buttons!) And then her simple outfit became the backbone of all Thuillean fashion moving forward!

SO YEAH now you know :D

Siblings and Questions Tag!

I saw this tag floating around here on Tumblr (notably this post) so I thought I'd give it a try! Let's go with some siblings from Supernova Initiative!

1. Who looks the most like Dad?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Undoubtedly Jack. He has his father's bright red/auburn hair, tan white skin and brown eyes, though his clothing style (causual, typical "pilot style", with simple white shirts, leather jackets and cargo pants & boots) and general build (tall and athletic, rather than average height and very skinny), is more similar to that of his mother. His personality also strongly differs from his father's, and though he inherited his soft-spoken, bleeding heart nature, his rebellious, impulsive, and leadership tendencies come from his mother as well.

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

Because Pax was adopted into Ethean's family by the latter's parents, there isn't a biological tie in their appearances, though Ethean & Pax do share some similar traits, mostly due to coincidence and upbriging. Despite that, because of Pax's constant efforts/need to feel like he belongs in the family, the younger boy subconsciously - and at times consciously - emulates his adoptive mother's way of dressing (formal, impeccable) and even some of her personality traits.

2. Who looks the most like mom?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Cassie! She has their mother's voluminous, curly brown hair, warm white freckled skin, and face shape, though her eyes are brown like their father's eyes. HOWEVER. That's about it for similarities between them. Out of the two siblings, Cassie took after/imprinted on their father way more than with their mother (mostly because both Cassie and Florian, their dad, shared a passion for engineering and making robotic inventions), while Jack took after their mother and bonded more with her (because he wanted to be a rebel and a pilot like her). Not that Cassie wasn't close with their mother - or Jack with their father - but there are some clear parallels/similarities between Cassie & Florian, Jack & Lauriel, that are undeniable.

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

Ethean longs to be the "perfect Junction soldier", much like their father, who is a respected figurehead of state in Station Nexus. He wants to make their father proud more than anything, and indeed does look like him quite a bit - dark hair, tan skin, strong features - rather than like their mother.

3. Who eats the most?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Cassie! She's always snacking on something at any given time, from fried chips to crispy waffles, to pasta or fish sticks, there's always some kind of food/snack in her surroundings, especially when she's working on an invention. Jack doesn't eat a lot, a habit he developed during their tough childhood, and even though now they have all the food they can eat his appetite remains little, and he usually only eats some protein bars and chocolate milk between meals.

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

They both eat a lot in different circumstances, but Pax definetly has the wildest and most voracious appetite between the two brothers.

4. Who has been on the weirdest situations?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Both of them lol

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

Definetly Pax!!! That boy is a trouble magnet, and Ethean is the poor soul that has to drag him out of danger most of the times, and who is also just as confused as anyone else as to how Pax got into those situations.

5. Who sleeps the most?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Neither! They both have a tendency to go to sleep late and wake up early. Depending on the day, Cassie tends to be a bit grumpier in the morning, but not always.

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

Pax! He loves sleeping, and often goes to sleep early and wakes up late. He is like a zombie in the mornings, especially when he has to wake up earlier than usual.

7. Most stable romantic life?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Both of them have pretty stable/healthy romantic lives with each of their respective partners (Cassie with Artemis, Jack with Lyorna).

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

Ethean has never dated before, because he is far too focused on his career as a fighter pilot, though most of the girls around him crush on him (he is oblivious) he has never even kissed anyone before. Pax used to be too awkward to date anyone, but then he met Tarah, who is just as awkward as he is, and now they (Pax + Tarah) have a very much lovely but awkward romance lol.

8. Worst habit of each one?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Jack: Selfless/Self-Sacrificing to the point of being Self-Destructive, has seriously low-self esteem and lives for others

Cassie: Needs to prove herself to others (namely to her brothers) to an extreme, to the point she becomes frazzled

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

Ethean: His sense of duty is stronger than his sense of personal identity, he wants to be an honorable soldier and that sometimes gets in the way of his personal life

Pax: Is too reckless and tends to act on impulse before thinking things through, and then panics when he gets stuck in a dangerous situation

9. Who's the most dramatic?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

It depends on the situation. Jack tends to be very chill/calm and rarely lets emotions get to him, but if he wants to he can and will put up a dramatic show, especially if it is to annoy his friends or siblings. Cassie tends to have a more dramatic streak, but similarly to Jack, only in light-hearted situations.

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

Definetly Pax! Ethean is very down-to-earth, while Pax has a strong love for theatrics. Plus, sometimes Pax is actually, unironnically, dramatic by accident due to his anxious nature.

10. Who had a weird phase?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

... Eh, neither, I think. They didn't really have "phases" while growing up, and usually just adapted really well to different situations as time passed. However, Cassie did have a more angsty/angry/upset phase when she was around 14-15, because she was feeling betrayed by Deimos, after he left them, and subconsciously became obsessed with "proving that she was good enough", but for the most part, Jack was able to help her out of that midset. However, when Deimos returns to the group when she is 18, that aspect of her personality which she thought she'd gotten past/buried came back strongly whenever she and Deimos interacted, though it did not change her other relationships in that time of the story.

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

Not really a "weird phase", but when he was a teen, Ethean became obsessed with philosophy and existential questions, etc. He also developed a love for conspiracy theories and a desire to navigate the unknown. He wanted to travel to new planets, and started to question if he really wanted to join the Junction's armed forces. He almost planned on running away to have a "vacation" travelling to new planets, like a backpacking year, but he decided against it because he didn't want to disappoint his parents (who were actually caring though strict and narrow-minded) and couldn't bring himself to leave Pax behind. His "free-spirited Era" was then completely quashed when he joined the Junction's Void Program to become a military fighter pilot, and he started to conform/obsessively follow the status quo in order to become an "examplary soldier" and uphold his war hero reputation.

11. Best cook of the family?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

DEFINETLY JACK. Cassie could BURN WATER if she tried. She absolutely cannot cook. Its so bad that once she ended up "banned"/grounded from cooking in their spaceship's kitchen because she burnt two sandwiches so badly the whole ship was flooded with soot and smoke. Jack isn't any Michelin-grade chef, but his cooking is actually good and while he only knows simple, more basic receipes, they're definetly edible and tasty. Meanwhile Cassie's cooking is... charred to a crisp at best and lethal at worst lmao.

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

Neither of them are great cooks, but Ethean is actually pretty good at baking sweets, while any and all savory dishes he tries to make are either painfully bland or overseasoned. Pax probably knows the basics of the basics too, like, "how to fry an egg" or "how to make instant noodles", but that's about it.

12. Best memory together?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Quite a few! They tend to have a "enjoy every waking moment of life" kind of mindset, which means they usually find fun in any and all situations if they try. I think that some of their best memories are their first off-world heist job with Deimos (their adoptive brother), which was the beginning of their intergalatic thieves career. They've had some pretty amazing memories after and before that too. One of those memories would be Cassie's 12th birthday, which was one of the first real birthday parties they've had since their parents died - and it was especially great for them because: 1. it was the first year Jack was able to afford giving Cassie the birthday gift she wanted, 2. Deimos, their adoptive brother, had never experienced what a human birthday was like and he had a lot of fun (Zatrians, Deimos' species, have Name-Day celebrations but they're usually solemn and very simbolic moments, very different from the way humans usually celebrate birthdays).

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

I think that one of their best memories together was the day after Ethean returned from his first sucessful mission as a pilot - they had never been apart for that long ever since Pax was adopted by their family (the mission lasted six months off-world), so they decided to celebrate their reunion by sneaking out of the gala hosted by their family and going to an amusement park in the other side of Station Nexus. They had a lot of fun, and it was honestly one of their greatest moments together, especially since they didn't have to be perfect like they had to in front of their family and got to just have fun like proper teenagers.

13. Worst memory together?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

They grew up on the streets of Cethea III, one of the most dangerous, downtrodden and crime ridden moons on their planetary system, with no one to look out for them but each other. This means they've been through some pretty serious hardships together - especially since, destitute as they were, there was a time period where they could barely afford food or shelter. I think one of their absolutely worst memories was when Jack got very sick - and since they couldn't afford medical attention, he almost died. Deimos managed to steal some medicine for him - which did save Jack's life - but then, after delivering the medicine to Cassie, Deimos ended up caught by some Sentries and beaten up to an inch of his life. So yeah... not great times.

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

This is a bit of a spoiler but here we go: during the events of the story, after Ethean decides to secretly disobey his orders for the first time in order to help Pax and his newfound friends, he ended up betrayed by his superiors, who had found out about his "treason" and had pretended not to know - until they sent him to a doomed mission on the Khosmonian galaxies, which was purposefully set up by them in order for the mission to go wrong and Ethean end up captured (the Junction did so because, since they didn't want to overtly kill him and get in trouble with his rich family, they decided to set him up so they could pretend he was "killed in action"). Only at the last minute did Ethean realize there was not going to be any rescue mission and that he'd been betrayed, but by that time, he ended up captured by the Khosmonian Council - who decided to interrogate him for information on the Junction (which, despite having been betrayed, he still refused to give - mostly because he knew there were innocent citizens in the Junction + his whole family and friends lived there and he couldn't possibly put their safety on jeopardy). Pax realized what had happened, and despite his friends' warnings, decided to try and rescue him alone. Which was a very bad idea because he then ended up captured himself and forced to witness Ethean's torture (and the aftermath) - which was, even by Khosmonian standards, pretty gruesome (so much so that Ethean permanently lost a leg because of it). Luckily their friends were able to rescue them both alive, but the event left the duo (especially Pax) seriously traumatized and took a lasting toll.

14. Dream trip together

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Exploring both galaxies and visiting new, uncharted planets, as well as some known ones. As the story progresses, they end up doing precisely that, though while attempting to stop a civil war and being hunted down by a dystopic regime. Still, travel is travel, right lol?

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

When they were teens, they always planned on leaving Station Nexus and just roaming around the galaxies freely, especially to visit/see some far away nebulas in the neighbouring planetary system.

15. Would you rather not being able to shower for a month or have the same clothes for a month?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

They have already done both in the past (again, they were street urchins for a huge chunk of their childhood), and they would probably absolutely hate even the thought of doing something like that again. If they had to choose, I think they would choose the "same clothes for a month" because then they can still wash said clothes every day and take showers everyday, while the alternative would be much ickier in their opinion.

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

I think Ethean would also choose the "same clothes for a month" option in a hypothetical scenario, because in reality he is always prepared and always packs at least 5 changes of clothes when he travels. Meanwhile, Pax would probably start overthinking the question and eventually trail off into different topics without finding or choosing an answer lol.

16. Who's the older one?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Jack is 7 years older than Cassie. When they were orphaned he was 13 and she was 6. In the current timeline of the story, Jack is 25 and Cassie is 18. (Jack raised Cassie on his own ever since they were orphaned, because they had no living relatives to take care of them. When he was 15, they met Deimos Soll, who was 16, and who became his best friend and their adoptive brother, helping him raise Cassie)

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

Ethean is 8 years older than Pax, and in the current timeline of the story Ethean is 27 and Pax 19. When Pax was adopted by Ethean's family, Pax was 4 and Ethean 12.

17. Describe each other in three words

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Jack would describe Cassie as: Bubbly, Energetic and Smart

Cassie would describe Jack as: Kind, Protective and Stubborn

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

Ethean would describe Pax as: Reckless, Anxious and Funny

Pax would describe Ethean as: Popular, Righteous and Empathetic

18. Role model?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Jack's Role Model: Their late mother

Cassie's Role Model: Jack is her number one role model and someone she looks up to greatly/wants to make proud. Another role model of hers is their late father.

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

Ethean's Role Model: His parents, especially his father, whom he looks up to and often tries to emulate.

Pax's Role Model: Their mother, someone he subconsciously wants to be like and is always trying to get her approval. He also looks up to Ethean a lot, who is kind of like a hero to him, especially because of his reputation as a literal war hero.

19. Who usually has the worst ideas?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Both of them, in different circumstances lol. HOWEVER - while Jack occasionally has bad ideas and is reckless with his safety, he is usually the more responsible one, and Cassie definetly takes the cake as the most gremlin-like of the two when it comes to causing chaos. She has a very "oh I wonder what this does" attitude to anything in life and no common sense whatsoever.

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

PAX. DEFINETLY PAX. ALWAYS PAX. That boy is the human embodiment of an orange cat with a Single Braincell TM, and that combined with his need for approval and adventure is like a time bomb for chaos, especially since he ALMOST NEVER thinks things through before acting out his plans. He should not be left unsupervised lol. Ethean is super responsible, down-to-earth and pragmatic, and Pax is basically his opposite, which makes Ethean really struggle to keep him out of trouble - think like, an Anakin & Obi Wan dynamic except without the betrayal and angst.

20. A GIANT insect is on the wall, who's taking care of it?

Jack & Cassie (biological)

Oh, 100% Cassie. Jack has some serious insectophobia and he especially hates flying insects or uncanny ones. If he walked into the room and saw one he would just go "NOPE" and walk out of there so fast he'd basically teleport somewhere else, fully ready to be like "the spaceship is now yours, insect!". Cassie will probably get one of her robotic creations to smack the living crap out of the offending insect so they can carry on with their lives normaly afterwars.

Ethean & Pax (adoptive)

... None of them are very brave when it comes to bugs and insects, especially roaches and beetles, except they don't really mind spiders and scorpions. If its the latter, they'll probably scoop up the insect and kindly yeet it outside without squishing it. If its a roach or a moth however... that's a whole different issue. Pax would probably goad Ethean into killing the bug like "oh, so you're a war hero but can't handle a roach?" while hiding behind a door or wardrobe. Ethean would be determined to prove him wrong like, "fuck it, Imma kill this bug" then walk towards the insect with the hesitation of a thousand anxieties, wielding a broom. If the bug doesn't fly, he'll probably be able to squash it. But... if it does fly, oh both of those boys are ✨RUNNING AS FAST AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE✨ out of that room and will probably wait until the bug leaves on its own.

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