#culecore

As The World Caves In (#culecore): A 70s-inspired eldritch horror romcom about a woman on the verge of a nervous breakthrough. When a one-night stand leads to world-shattering revelations about her connection to a distant eldritch god, Cara (far left) must confront love, loss, forgiveness, and her community in order to halt an impending apocalypse. Dealing with centuries of relationship drama from her demigod paramours is just the icing on the cake. Messy, queer, and unapologetically indulgent, this is essentially a creative sandbox that I play in almost 24/7!! I love smashing together these terrible little bitches like dolls :]

From left to right we have Carolyn Klein (main character, cuntress supreme, can easily whip a dish that will bring you to tears), Saoirse Ross (not-really-tortured artist, grappling with the world's most protracted identity crisis, eldritch splinter of Chaos), Jude Collins (walking Leyendecker illustration, Captain Autismo, eldritch splinter of Light), and Victor Ward (depressed line cook energy, massive flirt, eldritch splinter of Void).

Threads of Gossamer and Glass (#tgg): A high fantasy political thriller about what comes after survival, reinventing your mind upon meeting someone new, and trying to not break the world in half a second time. This is a novel-length work I'm currently working on, which means I have a novel-style blurb for it LOL:

"Maria has worked her entire life to secure a seat in the Artea Crea, an artist's guild that serves as the highest governing body in her home nation of Trevigi. But when her sister's illegal magical abilities are discovered, she's given an impossible choice; play diplomat in a suicide mission to a land of savage mages, or see her sister hanged. However, Maria quickly discovers that there's more to Peykangraz that meets the eye; deadly games of magic and politics, a mountain range that appears to be shifting, and a powerful mage who is as confounding as he is alluring. With every new ally, deal, and discovery, she begins to glimpse the buried truth that lies between the land and her mission. But what is she willing to risk -- and to lose -- in pursuing what she believes in?"

(art by the lovely @dying_anniris on Twitter!!)

&Lavender (#&lav): In a story that extrapolates the machinations of the fae courts onto high-class mob politics, Lav finds themself walking the razor edge between worlds when their quiet life collides with the unknown. As a jeweler specializing in intricate gem faceting, Lav creates flashy pieces for humans and fae alike, performing humanity for their clients through a combination of glamour magic and ascerbic wit. The Courts ignore them, and they ignore them right back. As a wyldfae -- too unimportant to be considered Seelie or Unseelie -- they're used to the lack of interest. But when a dangerous artifact comes into their possession, they must risk everything and forge an alliance with a member of the Unseelie Court to protect it. What follows is a saga of lust, destruction, and all the terrible things that happen when you understand how much you're truly worth.

Plus, I've got a few miscellaneous OCs (including Beverly, a waifish Texas cannibal, and Ariadne, a vampiric Oath of Conquest paladin) who fall into their own individual universes! Together they form the Insane Blood-Splattered Women Brigade <3

CULE:

(Saoirse) 20: If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so? Re: platonic and romantic love, it's not too different for them! I don't think they see much of a distinction -- for them, relationships are very cyclical, so it's more about the point in the cycle the relationship is in (growing & then fading closeness/intimacy) than other distinctions. For example, she considers Victor a friend, but has a deep, intimate dynamic with him that involves sex. It's more about what the other party wants to classify the relationship as; if they had it her way, she wouldn't label them at all.

(Saoirse) D: Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look? Nope! Saoirse went through a big change when I was first settling on character designs. They've always been goth, but she originally had a different hairstyle (natural hair w/ braids on the sides to emulate a fauxhawk) AND was plus size! I knew I wanted to have plus size characters in the cast, because the splinters can 'choose' what form they pick, and I wanted to demonstrate that fatness was something people can and would chose to be if social and medical stigma around size didn't exist. But then I read a book called “Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia” by Sabrina Strings, where she argues that "slim, desirable white women [are explicitly and figuratively juxtaposed] against corpulent, seemingly monstrous black women." Well... I had made a thin white woman and a fat Black femme (who was also somewhat monstrous as a part of the story) as juxtaposed parties. That book as well as some gift art I received from YOU made me reconsider which characters I wanted to be fat -- and I eventually settled on Carolyn and Victor. I gave Saoirse another one of my favorite body types instead -- broad shoulders, narrow waist!

(Cara) 34: How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt?  Ooh, this is a juicy question. Cara tends to move to the beat of her own drum; the rules that society holds aren't necessarily the ones she believes in or follows in her day-to-day life. Where she feels the most guilt is when she feels like she's failed by her own metrics; when she can't live up to the ideals she holds for herself. She pretends it doesn't affect her when she fails to live up to her own expectations, but it will eat away at her until she directs her frustration at the nearest target.

(Victor) 43: If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so?  "I'm bi. Why, you interested?" (In fact, the entire quartet is bisexual! As a bisexual myself, it's very important for me to increase bi visibility through my characters. Plus, that way I can smash them together in whichever configurations I please <3)

(Jude) 7: What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling? Answered here!

(Jude) G: What trait of theirs bothers you the most? There's plenty to get bothered over when it comes to Jude, but the trait that bothers me the most is his obtuseness; he REFUSES to be vulnerable with others, and instead thinks he can guess what someone will like better than they can judge for themself. Instead of just letting someone fall in love with him, he tries to put on a show and tailor himself to their expectations. That and his (related) milquetoast opinions bug the hell out of me. Where's the vulnerability?? Where's the locked-and-loaded rant about your least favorite pastry????? He won't risk being 'wrong' for someone, which inevitably means that he's never right for someone either.

TGG:

(Lucia) 23: How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)?  She gets VERY competitive when envious (which happens a lot in the story; she has incredible magical talent, which has been outlawed in her home nation, and comes from a very low social rung). She WILL prove that she's the best, that she deserves what she wants, tooth and nail -- even if she's leaving with broken bones and bloody lips. It'll all be worth it to prove everyone wrong.

(Maria) 38: What memory do they revisit the most often? Maria holds a lot of fond memories around the ocean; it was a source of independence and bonding for her and her sister, and represents a wild kind of freedom that she was never allowed to embody growing up. She'll often return to a memory of her floating naked in the ocean underneath a full moon, completely at ease, and completely alone. No expectations, no needs she must address... just her and her skills, and the uncaring eye of nature.

(Maria) F: What do you feel when you think of your OC (pride, excitement, frustration, etc)? LOVE!! I love Maria so much. I've poured so much of myself and my experiences into her. She perseveres alongside depression and chronic pain, and her creative and passionate spirit never dims even in the worst circumstances. Her curiosity, kindness, and fierce defense of the ones she loves is what it's all about, babey!!

(Alaric) 28: Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth?  Never. Lies ruined his life at a very young age, and turned him into the bitter fuck he is today. He makes it his mission to force people to face unpleasant truths whenever possible. Otherwise, when the truth eventually reaches you (and it will reach you), everyone will be caught in the crossfire.

(Alaric) B: What inspired you to create them? This is a great question! The seed narrative that would become TGG originally included just Maria and Leander -- but I decided I wanted a messy, bisexual love triangle (as well as a twist on the 'evil advisor' trope), and Alaric was born. Though that love triangle element wasn't retained into the current story, I still think it's a very fun dynamic. Two people who butt heads bond over the man they think they can't have, and have sex with each other as a substitute instead? That's the exact kind of mess I love. If the romantic rivals simply had sex with each other to blow off that frustration, everyone would be happier.

(Leander) 22: How does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)?  ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION! Leander gets (even more) withdrawn when jealous, mostly because it's a very overwhelming feeling. It's very rare that he's confronted with something he wants but can't have, and even rarer that someone is willing to challenge him. It's... refreshing, in a way. So while he does get withdrawn, it's not in a submissive way, but in a 'the volcano is quiet but there's still molten rock underneath' way. That challenge is exactly what he needs to actually kick his ass into gear sometimes. Be assured; he might be quiet and stony-faced, but the gears are turning.

&LAV: (gonna answer for the main three -- Lav, Ro, and Zan -- since u didn't specify a char!)

40: How sensitive are they to their own flaws?

Lav: They try not to think about it (which works sometimes, and not others). They try their best to live an upstanding life, but upstanding lives are just so boring. The constant battle is between impulse and societal pressure, and they've yet to balance them in a satisfying way. Slipping up is a 'flaw' -- but they discover that flaws can actually be kind of delicious when held in the right light.

Ro: Kind of, but it doesn't get to her. I mean, her job is literally to get showered with praise in exchange for performance, so a healthy sense of self-confidence is key. She's had her ups and downs -- and she would say her biggest flaw is her isolation -- but has gotten to a place where she can handle herself with grace and confidence. Sometimes a little too much confidence.

Zan: Very sensitive. He was recently punished -- both socially and physically -- by his superiors for slipping up. Now he's back and trying to prove himself, and he's very aware of how much is on the line. He's prepared to claw his way back to the top (and then some), but he'd be lying if he said he never dwelt on what landed him in his current predicament.

E: Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?

Lav: They are very pretty, but we don't have much in common. I'm a very energetic person, and they tend to be more withdrawn; they're very refined, and I am... not that. I think we would have great conversations about their work (they carve gems! That's so cool!) but it would be a congenial exchange and nothing more.

Ro: A tentative yes! She's a homebody, so I think she'd appreciate that my idea of a fun hang-out is snacks and a movie at home. However, she's busy as fuck, so we wouldn't get to see each other often. Kind of annoying, but it's always a good time when we do see each other!

VICTOR (character playlist) (misc. playlist) (in-character mixtape)

Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable? Depends on which laws! Laws created to govern human society largely aren't relevant to him anymore, just because he can magic his way around most of them with eldritch fuckery. He's a lot more aware of social rules and his own personal ethical rules, which he follows more strictly. At the most immovable, though, are the 'laws of the universe' -- as perceived by him, at least. He has an extra peek behind the curtain of reality because of his status as a splinter of the eldritch god of Void, and that absolutely colors how he moves through the world.

Do they swear? Do they remember their first swear word? He does! He's not the most excessive swearer, but that's mostly due to the fact that he's not the most excessive speaker in general. He prefers a well-timed swear word to punctuate a sentence, and is a little more thoughtful about when and where he'll use them. He's a bit more strategic about it than, say, Cara, who will just use them as filler words, but he's not so prudish as Jude who barely ever swears at all.

RO (character playlist) (story playlist)

What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do? Ro is a fairly antsy/active person, which is why dancing works out so well for her as a profession. She doesn't like sitting still, and if she's still for too long it can get actively uncomfortable (especially if she has her wings tucked in to hide them). If she had to sit still for longer than 30 minutes with nothing to do, she'd find something to do. Probably some weird yoga or calisthenics.

7: What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

Cara: There was a point before some very big life events happened in her childhood where everything felt 'perfect' -- her grandmother was alive, she was close to her rabbi, and she felt connected to her community as a whole. She has a tendency to look back at those times with rose-colored glasses. Hey, if you can't romanticize the present, at least you can romanticize the past...

Victor: Reconnecting with his ex-husband, Jude. They share a lot of history together, and as bad as they are for each other, spending time with him reminds Vic of how much fun he used to have when he was younger. He was confident, hot-blooded, strong, energetic... things he's not sure if he'll ever be again. Maybe that's why they're still each other's sneaky link after so many centuries.

Saoirse: Interacting with Cara, funnily enough. They remember when they were new to this world, how confused she was and how blindly they followed people like Victor. Seeing Cara repeat some of her same mistakes is both painful and vindicating. They like to think that they're so experienced now, but Cara makes them confront the fact that she still has no idea what she's doing. It's confusing, and it sucks... but it's also a comfort, in a weird way.

Jude: His human partners tend to trigger nostalgia for him. Usually it's when they're discovering something he loves for the first time -- a movie, a play, an old poem -- and watching their reaction anew makes him fall in love with being human all over again. It classifies as nostalgia because he hasn't been human in a long, long time... but he still looks at it fondly (and holds it in a vice grip).

15: How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first?

Cara: She has zero filter, and tends to say exactly what's on her mind (with plenty of dry sarcasm and swearing peppered in). Cara is one who has big feelings, and those feelings absolutely come out in speech (as much as she tries to bury them). She comes off as kind of a cunt to people who aren't prepared for it, but what she actually is is bracingly honest... with everyone except for herself.

Victor: He's a soft-spoken guy in spite of his size; he tends to speak in fragments instead of full sentences, and won't use five words when three would do. It makes him a bit hard to read, but it's less because he's genuinely aloof and more because he's pretty introverted. The one time he does get flowery is when he's flirting.

Saoirse: Saoirse has a flair for the dramatic, even when it comes to casual conversation. Plenty of metaphors and figures of speech pepper their way of speaking, and they always manage a conspiratorial tone -- as if you two are the only ones in the world sharing a hilarious secret. She does have a fairly chill vibe, though, like they're perpetually running on 1.5 hours of sleep.

Jude: He tends to speak very formally, even among friends. He has a specific cadence that feels 'vintage,' even for the setting -- like you're watching an old Golden Age film instead of someone genuinely speaking their mind. It can get especially annoying when you're arguing with him -- like, who are you even trying to impress? There aren't any cameras here!! Give it a rest Lawrence Olivier!

19: What is their favorite number?

Cara: Cara likes 12; 12 months in a year, 12 years old to become an adult in the eyes of her religion, and all the nice ways it divides (by two! by three! by four! by six!). It's easy to find, and thus is a constant comfort in the mundane parts of life. It feels like a whole number, for lack of a better term. I'm sure that's not reflective of any kind of envy or yearning at all.

Victor: If you asked him, he'd probably chuckle and say he hasn't thought about it that much. Push him, and he'd say something lame like "infinity," even thought it's not a real number. It's a nice thought, though, right? That things don't always need to end? That something could go on forever, in spite of everything?

Saoirse: Something so obnoxiously indie and/or specific that you kinda wanna groan when they give you their answer, like the Euler-Mascheroni constant or ~zero.~ It's clear she's trying to casually outdo everyone in the room creatively when the question is asked. But beyond the posturing is a genuine appreciation of anything undefinable or mutable -- they like finding where definitional systems fail and get weird.