Category: Shard-verse

Shard-verse Rambling about multiplicity

I swear I’m going to start actually drawing the comic, but I keep getting distracted by my conlang.

I know I have at least a couple multiples who read my tumblr, so if you want to comment / critique / offer suggestions, I’d appreciate it.

I’ve been a bit annoyed because I have two multiple-ish systems [1. I say multiple-ish because in-universe they’re questionable. Swordcat doesn’t really have two people in one body – one has a body of its own, it’s just that that body is a sword so it also uses Swordcat’s. Because swords don’t have, like, legs. The other is Iosis/Ostanes who are questionable because they split themselves with magic alchemy.]  who are both villians / antagonists. [2. If Iosis/Ostanes were the protagonists, they could be anti-heroes, because although they kill people and stuff, they’re doing it for a good reason and they don’t do it indiscriminately.] Which sucks, because that’s about the only exposure people get to multiples/pluralities.

I had already planned on having Delia’s admin assistant at Future-Tech be multiple, but that’s just one (and I want to change their system name) and I don’t know how often they’ll show up. BUT. I’m going to make Delia’s cook (Jane Quigley is the legal name) also multiple – and they helped the other guys get the job at Future-Tech (both groups belong to a multiple like club/support group thingy in or around Shard City). I gotta figure out how exactly that’ll work and work it into the story asap (Swordcat first appears in issue #5). Jane first shows up in the story after that.

I kinda want to keep things simple for the first few issues – keep the Burton’s to Delia and Joel, with her brother-in-law showing up briefly as support / someone to elicit some info-dumping. But I may switch those two stories around, because I’d rather some civilian / good guy systems show up before a criminal one. [3. Iosis/Ostanes won’t get published for years still, so Swordcat should be the only problem for a while. And neither of them are really terrible people – Leon is kinda sweet actually  – but they’re still in prison and stuff, so…] And I still need to figure out who the people in the Quigley system are.

Darn me and my attempts to be a responsible writer.


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Shard-verse – Nathan Burton

Here’s Nathan Burton, Delia Troy’s (aka the White Knight) husband. This replaces the previous design, although he doesn’t usually run around shirtless.

Nathan Burton - a tall white man with dark hair tied back in a loose ponytail, dark body hair, and wire frame glasses. He's at a bathroom sink gesturing to somebody out of view. He's in dress pants and shirtless.

The pic came out a little darker than I wanted, but I don’t really feel like putting in more hours adjusting it, doing test renders, and then waiting an hour+ for the final render. His hair is dark brown, not black, as are his pants.


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Shard-verse – Deputy Chief Donna Cooper

Shard City is a big place, so she’s not in charge of the whole police force. She’s the person Delia (as the White Knight) interacts with the most, and the boss of the three police officers I’ll be using the most.

She’s very tall, white, far-sighted, trans, bisexual, and disabled.

Donna Cooper, a tall tanned older white woman with shoulder length brown hair. She's missing her right arm and wears glasses. She's walking in a park and looking up, covering her eyes from the sun.
Yes, she is missing an arm.

She generally doesn’t wear a prosthetic unless she’s going to be working in the field or doing target practice. She was born with about six inches to her right arm and while the prosthetic is really good, it feels weird to her.


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OCTP Challenge art dump

Yeah, I had a couple of these done and never posted them. Both of these are for the second one, holding hands. There’s non-explicit nudity in the second one, btw.

Wild Rush & Daisy - OCTP2
A fast and lazy coloring job because I had to redo this one because the shadows were messed up. … And I missed a bit of Daisy’s skin (between her shirt and pants). Oh well.

Charles & Andre - OCTP2
Not a lazy job. They’re very cute together.


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Shard-verse diversity – the Flock

Input welcomed to make stuff more realistic or to point out stuff I missed, especially from people who are multiple. (I am not)

Delia’s admin assistant is multiple (in-universe there’s something called Multiple Consciousness Condition – it’s NOT a disorder or disease. Multiples who need help get something similar to family therapy to work together and communicate better). (I’m specifically working on getting a ‘normal’ multiple in there because I have a couple characters, Swordcat and Ostanes/Iosis that are artificially multiple.) (Er, spoilers?)

(I’m going to say right here, anybody who’s going to try to say that multiplicity isn’t real or that it can’t be healthy or that people are doing it for attention or any other garbage like that can just shut up right now. I don’t want to hear it, I won’t approve comments along those lines, and, also, you’re wrong.)

The person who fronts the most at work is Irina. The body is female, 30-ish, and white. Over time Irina has grown to resemble the body more, although she’s still blonde while the body has dark hair. She’s non-binary and her in-world body is genderless. She showed up with a dozen others when the original was about 11, for no especial reason. (The home life was chaotic with lots of moving and family members in and out, but nothing horribly abusive). They faded / left for other worlds / died along with the original leaving Irina scrambling alone for several months. Irina took the legal name (was just ‘the pink girl’ – they were mostly named after colors by the original). She has anxiety and depression. She’s got a bit of a short temper which she tries to control. She tries to polite and nice to everyone, but she’s stubborn and impulsive.

The next people to show up were the twins Kim and Viola Violet who showed up when the body was about 13.

Kim’s a little boy aged about seven. He’s got periwinkle-ish skin, violet eyes, and butterfly wings. He can’t walk, but floats. In meatspace he’s very clumsy and stumbles a lot. He likes boys and gets lots of crushes. He likes birds and dinosaurs and loves to birdwatch. He’s very forgetful and kind of selfish (like a little kid), but loyal to his friends.

Viola age slides between 12-ish and 25-ish. She’s got red eyes, red hair, and dark purple skin. She’s asexual, has depression, and light and noise sensitivities. Because of their chaotic life she overcompensates by trying to control everything. Kim helps her remember to lighten up. She’s got tons of survival skills, the most useful one lately being able to pick locks. She loves languages and is always learning new ones. She fronted for most of the body’s teenage years. She takes a long time to warm up to people.

They’ve had a large amount of headmates show up and then fade over the years. During their teenage years it was about one a month on average.

The last one to stick around is William Beck. He’s moody, a bit of a hoarder, and has anxiety and paranoia. He’s about ten years older than the body and ages with it. Walked in from another world about when the body was graduating high school, and their family was moving across country (they decided to run away not long after that). He likes opera and has a good voice. He’s very loyal and kind. He’s got an excellent memory in-world but loses time when not fronting or co-fronting so he makes lots of notes.

William can be co-present with anybody but when not co-fronting can’t talk it Kim or Viola. Viola can only be co-present with Kim or William and loses time when not fronting. Kim can co-front with anyone. Irina doesn’t lose time and can always talk to everybody. They’re all generally co-conscious but during times of stress the fronter will get locked in for up to months at a time, which everybody hates. Kim hardly ever fronts because he can’t fake being an adult well.

They’re estranged from their family because they couldn’t handle it. They’ve got overlapping groups of friends. Delia, their boss, knows they’re multiple as do all their friends (because it isn’t stigmatized except by very conservative people). It’s easier to let strangers and other random people think they’re a singlet.

Comments? Suggestions? Critique?


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Character Writing #10

10) Can you define a turning point (or more than one) in your character’s life?

(TW: character death,

Delia – when she met Mick Adler (leading to the creation of Future-Tech), when her husband died (the final straw to becoming the White Knight)

Wild Rush – when he got the only birthday present he ever got from his parents (fourth grade, a book of magic tricks and a deck of cards), when during a break-in he got sprayed with chemicals (leading to the grey skin and ending the headaches he got from his powers), when he met Daisy.

Daisy – when her mom died (leading to her dad abusing to her), when she met Wild Rush (leading to her powers expressing themselves and her being happy).

Andre – moving out on his own (he was a spoiled kid and having to take care of himself was a huge shock), joining a gang as a kid (his family is rather straight-laced, but Andre was a rebel and stubborn).

Charles – getting into a fight in junior high (ne was a big kid, but quiet. Got noticed by some people that ended up leading nem into crime)

… trying to think of a character with some non-obvious ones…

Sergeant Kella Aurita – getting arrested for shoplifting as a kid (got chewed out by parents to no end, including a trip to tour the police station. Got talked to by an understanding officer who ended up mentoring her a little bit and is why she joined the police academy)


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Character Writing #9

#23 Is your character superstitious?

Wild Rush – he has a vague sense of things being lucky or unlucky or a bad idea, but nothing set in stone. He’d say it’s just hunches.

Daisy – not at all, but she can get hunches too

Andre – a little bit, just standard stuff like not walking under ladders, avoiding 13s.

Charles – ne’d say he’s not, but ne’s got a bunch of folk beliefs

Delia – more spiritual than religious. Believes in spirits in all living things, so we need to be respectful, especially old things

Silver Dollar – ooooohhhh, yeah. Exceedingly, about tons of things.


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Character Writing #8

#31. Is your character right-, left-handed, or ambidextrous? More complicated than that?

  • Wild Rush – left-handed. Can shoot and throw with either hand.
  • Daisy – right-handed, unless she’s been around Wild Rush for a long time (I’m really trying not to spoil stuff about her but it’s haaaaarrrd…)
  • Delia – primarily right-handed, but good with either for sports / fighting stuff.
  • Joel – taught himself to be ambidextrous, but better with his right
  • Charles – right-handed
  • Andre – right-handed, somewhat ambidextrous. Can shoot with either hand.
  • Techrat – ambidextrous, a little better with his right
  • Gimmick – left-handed

#9 Who do they trust?

  • Wild Rush – not very many people and he’s fast to distrust. He trusts Daisy unconditionally and pretty much trusts Charles and Andre.
  • Daisy – Wild Rush, Charles, Andre. She’s pretty quick to trust, even though she should know better.
  • Delia – Depends on the situation. Joel, of course. Her business partners and friends, if it’s not superhero stuff. The police chief, Donna Cooper.
  • Joel – his mom, most people
  • Charles – Andre & Daisy, not a whole lot of other people.
  • Andre – Charles & Daisy, not a whole lot of other people.
  • Donna Cooper – she only trusts people so far, because she’s been burned so many times. It take a lot to earn her trust and not a lot to lose it.

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Character Writing #7 (or so)

I misnumbered one last time and had a mini, but we’ll call it seven.

Yeah, been a while since I did this. I’m trying to do Camp Nanowrimo and don’t really feel like working on the story I was trying to do, so I’m doing this instead. And counting it.

It occurred to me a few days ago that Wild Rush’s grey skin could be related to argyria (tw for medical stuff and eyes in that link). He got splashed with some sort of chemical in a robbery gone wrong and a patch of skin turned grey and then spread. Now, he stayed grey and turned completely grey because he wanted to, so his powers made it happen. But. I dunno.

I’m currently trying to find out if it would turn his tongue and around his eyes grey too. (The pictures I can find of people with argyria aren’t very clear). It looks like it’s worse where light hits it? So the inside of the mouth probably wouldn’t be affected? (Unless I decide it is…)

But. To the actual character writing.

#29. How does your character smell? Do they wear any perfume / cologne?

Wild Rush – like wool and aftershave

Daisy – I’d imagine she likes flowery scents and would wear perfume. If she hasn’t put any on, she smells like jasmine or something from her shampoo.

Delia – when she’s superheroing, like leather and metal. Otherwise, probably likes spicy scents.

Joel – he burns incense a lot, so he smells like that

Leonard Burton – cotton, leather, and motorcycles. Just good man smells.

Charles – ne wears perfume, something spicy and flowery.

Andre – he wears a subtle cologne, something with a vanilla undertone

Techrat – like cotton. Doesn’t wear anything. Often sweaty and metallic smelling from working too long with electronics.

Gimmick – if he’s working, like metal and sulfur and other electronic smells. If he’s showing off, like nice cologne.

Swordcat – like a cat. Kinda a dusty musk.

Mask – not good. Wool, with b.o. He doesn’t sweat and hardly has a sense of smell. He does his best, but it’s an uphill battle.

 

 


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Preview for OCTP #2 Art

octp2

This drawing challenge is going to take me WAY more than 30 days, but I’ve finally started the inks for the second one – Daisy and Wild Rush holding hands. And yes, I still need to actually draw the mini-comic I started.

I have a little bit more than this done (Wild Rush’s head is done – and his hair is always kind of a pain). Planning on not coloring this one.


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Let’s talk about Swordcat

(TW: mental institution / prison setting, mild threats, cold)

As a reminder: you can request to find out more about the world of the White Knight! Check out this post for topics.

This guy
This guy

Swordcat, aka Leon Smith (the mostly human part) / Lenxoli (the part associated with the sword, which wants to destroy all humans) (See this post for details – tw for ableist language)

 

So they found out that keeping the sword in the freezer helped out Leon one day, during the coldest winter Shard City had had in decades, when the heating system in Stomlin Ward (the special security ward of Stow Prison) broke down, completely.

A little before the normal free time they herded all the prisoners that weren’t horrible security risks into the break room. There were extra blankets and electric heaters. Swordcat was usually found without a shirt [1. Which totally isn’t author appeal / fan service, I swear], but today was covered up, while most of the other inmates were wrapped up in blankets (except Wild Rush, who didn’t appear to notice temperature changes of any sort).

The biggest and baddest claimed spaces in front of heaters, pulling chairs and sofas closer. Wild Rush claimed a couch and heater and curled up next to Daisy. Swordcat dropped a blanket to the floor in front of a heater, growling slightly when another inmate gave him a dirty look, and curled up on the the blanket, his tail covering his nose.

Pretty soon, people were getting cozier, forming clumps of those that could get along.

Magpie sat down next to Swordcat, scratching his shoulders. When that had no negative affect, she curled up next to him. Others joined them. Daisy pulled Wild Rush over, and he sat warming what would have been her cold side.

Finally Techrat was the only one left, sitting on a couch near a heater, with his blankets carefully positioned to not aggravate his phobia of being restrained, and bearing a look that said clearly “Do not touch me. I will turn you inside out. I have the technology” as his teeth chattered. He apparently decided that being close to others was less offensive than freezing and sat between Daisy and Gimmick who both scooted over enough that he was only barely being touched.

It was when the heating was fixed and the store room where the sword was kept rose above freezing, that Swordcat returned to what they had thought was his normal, growly, threatening self, in contrast to the purring snoozing Leon they had found as they checked the break room (It was inhumane to not let the inmates be warm – and there was nowhere they could have been shipped off to – but it would be just carelessness to not check for trading of contraband while they were all so close).

It took only a few experiments to confirm it, and from then on the sword was stored in the kitchen’s deep freezer. While Lenxoli could still be talked to (for those doctors that wanted to risk it), it was much easier for Leon to shut it out.

 

(Note to self – each cell has a window on the other side of the bars made of nearly unbreakable plastic that can be opened as the inmate prefers)


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