Latest Posts by slimethewalkingdisaster - Page 2

Oh my gosh. I just found this website that walks you though creating a believable society. It breaks each facet down into individual questions and makes it so simple! It seems really helpful for worldbuilding!

First Line Prompt #5

A “THE END IS HERE” sign hangs around the neck of a zombie that limps through the view of the scope on their rifle.

As chair of the wizard- [PARRIES A SPELL] As chair of the wizard counc- [PARRIES A DIFFERENT SPELL] As chair of the wizard council, I- [PARRIES A DIFFERENT SPELL] As chair of the wizard council I think staffs should be illegal during these meetings.

Caring for natural (curly) hair in a setting with no access to modern hair products

So it’s the apocalypse. Your curly-haired character is on the run. They find themselves on an adventure in a fantasy world. It’s a castaway story. Or the whatever-eth century and they’re in an environment that doesn’t exactly accommodate curly, coily haired types. 

Either way, manufactured hair products are far and few between, or they’re simply not made for afro hair. Considering how your Black character handles their hair in this environment makes their circumstances more realistic and relatable.

Topics Featured in this Guide:

Hair Products found in Natural Environment

Hair Oils - Benefits and How To Extract

Protective Hair Techniques & Styles

Curly Hair Types & Hair Needs

Hair Routine Samples

Hair Straightening 

FAQ

There is a writing takeaway at the end of each topic. 

Brief descriptions provided after images. Contact me for fully accessible version.

Hair Products found in Natural Environment 

Consider the essential needs of afro hair: water and fat.

Water (or liquid) is essential for nourishing the hair. 

Fat (hair oils, creams, butters) is essential for both growth and protection.

Many curly-haired folks already use natural resources and plants to care for their hair - aka DIY hair-care. So characters concocting their own products should not be a strange concept. (I personally buy most of my natural hair products, and create my own hair masks, protein treatments, and oil blends.)

What they could use would depend on environment, time, and availability. 

Hair Healthy Produce 

Coconut - The all-purpose hair aid with multi forms, from oil to solid cream. Hardens in cold weather; best not to use when environment has freezing temps. Banana - Typically removed after use (hair masks, conditioners) Avocado -  Applied as hair products, masks, and oils. Strawberry - Mashed and applied directly to hair or mixed with oils.

Hair Healthy Proteins, Plants, Fats

Eggs - Hardens when dry. Strong odor. Removed after use. (protein masks) Honey - Pulls moisture from air into hair - avoid during the dry winter! Shea Nuts -  Made into shea butter. All-purpose hair and body care. Flaxseed - Gel made by boiling & straining flax seeds. Many DIY videos online.

Hair Healthy Herbs and Flora

Hibiscus - Sebaceous = oil-producing gland. Flowers crushed into paste or oil. Peppermint - Can rub out oil from leaves. Often used in oil form on scalp. Lavender - Often used as an oil directly applied to the scalp, or brewed as tea. Rosemary - Often combined with olive oil in use with hair; can be used alone. 

More Hair Healthy Herbs and Flora

Aloe Vera - Succulent. Can extract sap directly from leaf and apply like gel.  Burdock - Contains essential fatty acids and phytosterol compounds. Dandelion - Can use the roots, stems, leaves and sap for hair and skin. Rose - Common use is rose water: steep roses in boiling water to create.

Hair Healthy Products (rare or require effort to make/find)

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) - Diluted before use and often washed out after. Bentonite Clay - Aged volcanic ash. Combined with ACV for best activation. Oils - Key component for sealing moisture. See the next discussion. Yogurt - Base of many DIY hair products like masks and deep conditioners.

Oils for Hair 

Oil is a key component to afro hair care. It nourishes and seals in moisture. Let’s discuss common hair oils and extraction methods that could, more likely, be done using homemade or historical equipment. 

Oil Extraction

If oils aren’t readily available to purchase, the person would need to find or create tools to either extract the oil via pressing or heat the nuts or seeds. Consider the basic tools that have been around since ancient times. For example, the mortar and pestle. What creative use can be made out of existing tools in the person’s environment? 

Hair Oils and Benefits  (by potential ease to extract.)

Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Almond Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado and Grapeseed Oil. 

FYI: These aren’t the only methods or necessarily professional means of extraction. I also left off hair-healthy oils that seemed complicated to extract without high-grade equipment. So, this isn’t an all-inclusive list of oil or methods. 

Natural Hair Product Creation

So what exactly would your character create? Here’s some natural hair products and potential main ingredients. May be used alone or combined. 

Leave-in moisturizers: Plain water, coconut water, rose water

Leave-in creams: (protect/style) honey, shea, aloe vera, flaxseed, flora

Hair Cleansing Conditioner: plant water, coconut, honey, light oils

Hair Rinse/Co-wash: Apple cider vinegar, coconut, brewed tea water

Hair Masks: Mashed fruits, yogurt, proteins (eggs), clay, honey

DIY Recipe Search: Try keywords like “DIY natural hair” + “curly hair” “Afro hair” or search all natural hair products and read over the ingredient list. Try small home business and independent sellers (Like etsy)

More Sources:

15 DIY Hair Recipes for Almost Every Step in Your Regimen

14 Homemade Leave-in Conditioner Recipes

Best DIY Recipes for Naturally Curly Hair

Product Storage:

Most homemade products last everywhere from a few days - weeks

Extend the life of spoil-prone products via the cooling system in the work.

Honey does not spoil. Be mindful if it’s mixed with spoil-prone ingredients.

Oils can usually be kept at room temperature and last a long time.

Keeping a small bit of ready made supply may prove time-efficient. If impossible, they may opt to use products that don’t require much time and effort, and are worth their time to make in small batches or to potentially dispose of after.

Writing Takeaway - Natural Product/Oils Creation  

With just the above compounds, I can see creative naturals being able to create styling products and moisturizing leave-ins, shampoos, conditioners and hair masks.

Do consider the following:

How simple or complex can their regimen be?

Would they rely more on protective hair styles in their situation?

What is the natural environment: what products are accessible?

How will they store products or must they make a new batch each use?

Can items be purchased by craftsmen or found in abandoned locations?

Can they afford to use edible plants if food is scarce? Food scraps and non-edible plants (like the flora) might be what they rely on.

What are their specific hair care needs? -Discussion on this later-

Natural Hair and Styling 

LOC Method as base style

Moisture, sealing in the moisture, and protection are the basic needs for natural hair. The Liquid, Oil, and Cream (LOC) Method, or a variation of the steps, fulfills those basic needs. It can be treated as both a care routine and a style in itself. Personally, if my hair is not in a protective style, I use it every week.

Liquid - Liquid opens hair cuticles to allow moisture to enter hair strands.

Oil - Once cuticles are opened, the oil penetrates hair & seals in moisture.

Cream - Cream further locks in the moisture, and can be used as a styling agent as well to shape and define curls.

Should you use the “LOC method” by name in your work?  

A modern setting? Sure. But don’t assume readers know what it means.

A fantasy setting? Probably not, unless earth and its terms carry over. 

A historical setting? No. It is a newly coined term. 

Protective Hair Styles

Protective hairstyles protect the hair by tucking ends away from the elements. For example, heat, air, hand and fabric manipulation. While not forever solutions (except maybe locs which are a permanent style) there’s many benefits to your character’s wearing them.

Benefits:

Hair growth retention

Saves time styling hair

Helps prevent damage and keep hair healthy

Ideal for any natural (the best style itself may depend on hair type)

Lessens hair’s need and dependence on moisture and hair products

Eliminates some hair maintenance activities (such as detangling)

Considerations:

Hair more difficult to wash and dry thoroughly. 

Dryness (unable to access all tucked away hair to moisturize)

Styles kept in too long accumulates dead skin and product build up.

Uninstalling styles can be time consuming, and should be done gently.

Style gets frizzy from growth overtime and/or getting soaked in water.

Protective Styles Short-term (lasting days to weeks)

Afro puff(s) or bun(s)

Back Tuck or Roll and Tuck

Bantu knots

French roll  

Pompadour

Roller set

Two-strand twists

Wash and go (low manipulation style)

Shaved (lower maintenance, but not an overnight decision)

Protective Styles Long-term (lasting weeks to months+)

Braids (endless styles and patterns. Typically smaller braids last longer)

Cornrows

Dreadlocks/locs (permanent style, research the hair care)

Extensions

Flat Twists /Twists

Head wraps and hats (endless wrapping styles, colors and patterns!)

Wigs (unless glued, hair maintained underneath or often put in braids)

Writing Takeaway - Protective Hairstyles

Protective styles are an amazing way to protect the character’s hair and would very likely be the go-to for any natural in an uncertain or fast-paced environment. Just in everyday life they’re highly worn so it would especially be the case! Just remember the character needs to eventually undo whatever protective style they have installed to do some hair maintenance (washing, detangling, etc) and give their strands a rest. Also, even hair in protective styles need some attention.

Curly Hair Type and Associated Needs

Determining your hair type is important to knowing its needs. Certain ingredients work best for certain hair types. However everyone is unique and there are more factors to consider than just curl pattern (Also, most curly folks cross into a mix of hair types). There is hair thickness (width & density) and how much moisture and product your hair absorbs (porosity) to consider as well. 

I will only cover curl pattern and the commonly associated needs here. To learn more about porosity, width, and density check out the FAQ under the read more.

naturallycurly.com is a great resource and is the source for the images, terms, and information provided below. 

Curly Twirly (3A) 

Defined loopy “S” pattern. Curls well defined and springy. Big, loose and shiny. Size: Sidewalk chalk size. Best Products:  Gels and creams with light moisture and curl definition.

Curly Spirally (3B) 

Well-defined, springy copious curls that range from bouncy ringlets to tight corkscrews. Size: Sharpie size. Best Products:  Gels and styling creams with extra moisture and frizz control.

Curly Kinky (3C) 

Voluminous, tight corkscrew curls. Either kinky or very tightly curled, with lots of strands densely packed together. The very tight curls are usually fine in texture. Size: Pencil. Best Products:  Styling creams, butters, and oils. Needs gentle care.

Coily Springy (4A) 

Well-defined “S” Pattern. Tight, coily, and the most fragile curls. Size: Crochet Needle or smaller.

4A Best Products & Tips: Styling creams, butters, and oils. 

Clarify scalp with tea tree or jojoba oil during washes

This hair needs extra moisture and tender care

Be gentle when handling and detangling hair to avoid stress & breakage

Use thick moisturizers like mango and shea butters to maximize styles

Coily Crimpy (4B)  

Less-defined “Z” Pattern. Tight, coily fragile curls. Hair bends at sharp angles.

4B Best Products & Tips:  Styling creams, butters, and oils.

Add moisturizing oils before washing (pre-poo/pre-shampoo) with coconut or castor oil to help retain the natural oils in scalp

Do heat-free styles on stretched hair for maximum definition and less frizz

Air-dry hair whenever possible, or use soft cloth to gently dry.

Terry cloth will strip hair’s natural moisture and cause tension on strands 

Coily Ziggly (4C) 

Tight, coily, fragile curls. Curl pattern won’t clump without styling. Little to no visible definition.

4C Best Products and Tips:  Styling creams, butters, and oils.

Use a cleansing conditioner with slippery elm or marshmallow root

Use a creamy humectant [like honey] as a leave-in to maximize protection

A curl defining custard or gel can stretch the coils safely for styled looks

Read the full guide here: Curly Hair Guide: What’s YOUR Curl Pattern?

Writing Takeaway - Hair type and needs

While hair type is just the start of all the intricacies of natural hair needs, it’s definitely a good start. There are other important parts to consider for real life naturals, but going off from hair type and the commonly associated needs should be enough for a story. (But read the FAQ under the read more to keep learning)

Do not get lost in the details, especially for a story that won’t need to cover tons of it. Learn enough to know what you’re talking about and can describe hair care accurately for situations that would affect hair.

Writing Takeaway - Overall:

You don’t have to be lavish in detail, but acknowledging how hair is handled here and there or in a dedicated section is thoughtful and satisfying to see included. It’s also a neutral way to show race without the use of micro-aggressions or racism. Finding the time and means for proper hair care would be a part of their life and potentially a stumbling block on the adventure, so mentioning how hair is handled during these circumstances is a fine idea. 

It’s also a great means for representation.

–Mod Colette

Additional Info:

The following information will be nestled under the read more:

Hair Routine Samples - One super simple and one complex hair routine 

Hair Straightening - Not ideal to maintain in survival situations, but also was a means of survival and daily living during some historical contexts

FAQ - Would any of this matter during the apocalypse? And what about natural products that attract bugs? Plus more.

Keep reading

Hanging out with old people rules because after a while they trust you enough to confess to murder totally unprompted

When inventing a fantasy religion a lot of people a) make the mistake of assuming that everyone in fantasy world would worship the same gods and b) assume that polytheistic religions see all of their gods as morally good

Something Dungeons & Dragons gets right about its worldbuilding is that most of its iconic monsters are both capable of speech and willing to argue about incredibly stupid shit – just A+ understanding of the medium there – which makes it doubly perplexing that the game goes out of its way to specify that skeletons can't talk. Skeletons are, like, the classic monster to engage in ill-advised banter with, and it's preemptively taken off the table. What the fuck.

Basic overlooked worldbuilding questions

Whether you are writing a futuristic dystopia or a cloud city of dragons, you need to figure out how people get basic supplies. These are often the most overlooked worldbuilding questions since it’s more fun to think about how cultures honor the dead or where the mountain ranges are, but answers are necessary to create a complete world.

-Where does the water come from and how is it distributed?

-Who makes the food?

-Who transports and distributes the food?

-If your world has modern utilities, are they widespread or only for the rich? For that matter, do utilities have to be modified to work in your world (for example, electric lines with anti-magic coating)?

-What happens to trash?

-What happens to sewage? 

-What building materials are available?

-What do people do when they get sick?

-What do people do in the case of a natural disaster?

-What do people do in the case of a fire?

-How are large objects moved?

-How are items that take skilled labor to make created and distributed?

Remember, the answers might be different for people at different economic levels.

Something I find incredibly cool is that they’ve found neandertal bone tools made from polished rib bones, and they couldn’t figure out what they were for for the life of them. 

Until, of course, they showed it to a traditional leatherworker and she took one look at it and said “Oh yeah sure that’s a leather burnisher, you use it to close the pores of leather and work oil into the hide to make it waterproof. Mine looks just the same.” 

“Wait you’re still using the exact same fucking thing 50,000 years later???”

“Well, yeah. We’ve tried other things. Metal scratches up and damages the hide. Wood splinters and wears out. Bone lasts forever and gives the best polish. There are new, cheaper plastic ones, but they crack and break after a couple years. A bone polisher is nearly indestructible, and only gets better with age. The more you use a bone polisher the better it works.”

It’s just. 

50,000 years. 50,000. And over that huge arc of time, we’ve been quietly using the exact same thing, unchanged, because we simply haven’t found anything better to do the job. 

Happy Halloween!

Here's your modern monsters character!

Her name is Victoria 'Ick' Eyessacs.

She's a conspiracy theorist who may or may not be completely human.

She has a pet dog named Snapper and lives in the back of her bug van from her grandfather's long ago shut down exterminator company.

She found a picture of 'Johanna Ever', a cowboy's long lost love only to realize that she looked a little too similar to Johanna Everstone '2'.

The mysterious stranger who claims to be a distant relative of Evermore's founding family that, like her 'long lost cousin' was named after the original Johanna Everstone, who didn't 'survive' the witch trials.

Needless to say, she's more than a little curious especially when she finds other strange photos and paintings that look an awful lot like the new stranger's friends....

Hope you like her!

Love her! She sounds fun lol.

Monster Memes;

Here's your Modern Monsters' character's boyfriend!

Silas Pan.

He's a modern day Satyr and unlike the other monsters in town, he's pretty new.

He runs into Ick not long after roaming into town for the annual Everstone Fall Festival.

Cute! He looks great, thanks!

Small fantasy worldbuilding elements you might want to think about:

A currency that isn’t gold-standard/having gold be as valuable as tin

A currency that runs entirely on a perishable resource, like cocoa beans

A clock that isn’t 24-hours

More or less than four seasons/seasons other than the ones we know

Fantastical weather patterns like irregular cloud formations, iridescent rain

Multiple moons/no moon

Planetary rings

A northern lights effect, but near the equator

Roads that aren’t brown or grey/black, like San Juan’s blue bricks

Jewelry beyond precious gems and metals

Marriage signifiers other than wedding bands

The husband taking the wife's name / newlyweds inventing a new surname upon marriage

No concept of virginity or bastardry

More than 2 genders/no concept of gender

Monotheism, but not creationism

Gods that don’t look like people

Domesticated pets that aren’t re-skinned dogs and cats

Some normalized supernatural element that has nothing to do with the plot

Magical communication that isn’t Fantasy Zoom

“Books” that aren’t bound or scrolls

A nonverbal means of communicating, like sign language

A race of people who are obligate carnivores/ vegetarians/ vegans/ pescatarians (not religious, biological imperative)

I’ve done about half of these myself in one WIP or another and a little detail here or there goes a long way in reminding the audience that this isn’t Kansas anymore.

I'd love to hear more about your Modern Monsters story.

Specifically about Johanna and her relationships with her friends and boyfriend.

Johanna's relationships with her friends and boyfriend (and, by extension, her family) have always been seen as a bit odd.

Meaning the brunette has always been extremely loyal to her friends and her partners and even her family unless given an extremely good reason not to (i.e betrayal, a large difference in views, etc).

Her death (?) as a child at her mother and village’s hands affected her greatly—making it difficult for her to be around her family, even if she would still do anything for the Everstone family's descendants.

She's had brief interactions with her family members before the events of the story but she hasn't communicated with these modern descendants of hers (except for the oldest of the family) yet. And when she does, it's awkward because it's still painful for her.

It doesn't help that the town of Evermore hasn't forgotten her. Hasn't forgotten the history her mother rewrote. Like the not so little detail where her mother changed her age at death from 12 to 19 to make her look better (spoiler alert: it didn't work with most people).

Being in Evermore and being around her family is painful. Hence why Johanna never really stuck around with for long in the last 397 years.

(She was born in 1616 and Evermore, Massachusetts was founded in 1620. She died and was revived in 1628).

In those 397, she made a lot of friends and dated a good amount of people: all of whom Johanna cared about deeply.

The first of her friends that Johanna met was Lucius Ryder, an incubus—who she met while trying to summon a demon. She was cursed during the incantation out of frustration and poof! There he was.

When he realized what had happened he laughed at her and refused to take her soul. Lucius stuck around as Johanna tried to summon one who would take her soul. That led to Morana Crimson (a demon), Desdemona Grimm (no one knows what the fuck she is), and Octavius Taranto (some kind of shapeshifter) showing up.

All of whom refused her soul.

Much to her frustration.

The four of them ended up sticking around in her life.

It's because of them she was able to save Halmar Starkden when she was sixteen after finding him after what his witch hunter did to him when he released someone they thought was a witch. They helped her nurse him back to health to the best of their ability.

Long before they found out he was a wizard.

Johanna has an uncanny ability of being at the right place at the wrong time and the wrong place at the wrong time. It's because of that ability that Johanna met all of her friends and saved them/got saved by them.

She was there with a magic ring when Douglas Graves struggled with being a skeleton. To explain what happened to him and to help him get readjusted into society.

Johanna was there when Fin Finley, a merman, was dying of dehydration. There when Mako Akula seemed shady but turned out to just be a 'monster' like the rest of them. There when Clover Boggs, a fairy, injured her wings and couldn't escape hunters. There when Samantha Bellweed, a tree nymph, was struggling with pollution. There for their friends when Victoria 'Ick' Eyessacs confronted all of them on not being human and she was there to answer Ick’s questions.

She was there when Ick turned out not to be human and she was there to help Silas Pan, a satyr, get used to the human world.

Johanna was there for the people who would become her friends and they were there for her.

Her friends were there for Johanna through every betrayal, every death, every tragic event, etc.

The lot of them are there to help discover the secrets of their pasts, the mysteries of the present, and being around one around is very beneficial to all of them because each of them? They are othered.

They are from different times, different places, and are living in a world that isn't full their own through choice and have been doing so for decades.

Does that make sense? I hope that answers your question.

I'm revamping the story so I can't mention every character. But I can definitely tell you more if you want.

Question about The Deadly Game of Life:

How did all the kids find each other and group up?

Erica Triggs, Knox Triggs, Vic Triggs, Alda Triggs, and Berk Triggs are cousins who live next door to each other. 

Knox and Vic are brothers.

Erica, Alda, and Berk are siblings who live with their mom while their other siblings live with their dads. 

The five of them were home alone with Erica, Alda, and Berk’s mom (Bobby-Day) when the zombies got inside the states. 

They were playing in the trailer park while Bobby-Day was…preoccupied inside. 

They managed to get inside the trailer only to get attacked by a freshly turned Bobby Day, who Knoc managed to successfully take out. After that they stayed inside, trying to figure out what to do (while panicking, of course). Luckily, Erica had a special interest in the zombies they'd never seen before and with the help of her best friends, Bryce and Logan, had created plans to prepare for this exact situation.

(Corduroy Triggs being a doomsday prepper and an electrician came in handy for something after all). 

The first thing on their plan was to pack the important stuff (i.e stuff they need to survive and the sentimental stuff they absolutely cannot go without). The second thing was for them to get supplies and the third thing was for them to try and find each other with their walkie talkies. 

So that's what they did. 

It takes them a week or so to get to Bryce.

They find Melinoë locked inside a slab in the morgue—she'd been hauled up in the morgue with her stepmother, Kore, when she'd gotten the news about the zombies and locked the shop down. Unfortunately, about a day or two before the zombies managed to break in. She'd been shut in there because Kore hoped it would save her. 

Unfortunately for Melinoë she couldn't get out of it on her own, despite the fact that it wasn't closed. Luckily for her, no one had a gun at that point and Erica was both thoughtful and brave enough to check to see if it was or wasn't a zombie. 

They continued on—having to stop on the way to find directions to where Bryce was. Since he'd been at a family reunion when the whole thing started and no one knew where it was. 

Melinoë and the Triggs cousins ran into the Murdock brothers (Buster and Casey) and their cousin, Donovan Houdini, next. They came across one another while scavenging for supplies (Melionë lost her mind when she found out they didn't have a first aid kit and demanded they look for one immediately because “NO! ibuprofen, Allergy medicine, bandaids, and cold medicine is not enough to help us!”). 

After a conversation and maybe a minor scuffle (haven't decided yet), the nine of them decide that it's best for them to stick together for at least the foreseeable future. Because after all, a bunch of kids (a four year, two five year olds, a seven year old, three nine year olds, and a ten year old) are better together in a big group than split into two groups. 

They pick up Bryce after that. 

Saving him from his grandparents’ zombie infested ranch. That's filled with his zombified relatives. He'd been holed up in his grandpa’s bunker (his grandpa was a war veteran and built it in case of emergencies). 

After that, they try to clear the ranch of zombies and try to find more supplies so the ten of them are more prepared and they settle for the night. All of them agreeing that it's best for them to plan ahead before they continue on to find Logan (even Logan himself agrees that while he's scared he'll be more scared if they get hurt because they rushed his rescue). 

When they leave the ranch (after trying to do a little burial for Bryce's big family. I say trying because, well, the oldest of them is ten. They can't lift full grown adults and have to settle for burying little items of theirs) none of them look back. None of them think of staying there. 

They can't get rid of the bodies. 

And even if they could, it's not like Bryce would want to stay there. He heard and saw his family all die. His grandparents, his mom, his cousins, his siblings—his nieces and nephews. He saw even the ones younger than him die. He couldn't save them. 

It haunts him. 

None of them think of staying there because they understand his pain. 

The ten of them struggle to find River because he moved to a different town nearby due to his single mom getting a job offer that paid her better. So none of them know where to find him based on memory and have to find the directions based on an address with the maps app on Bobby-Day’s cellphone (that has spotty connection) and a paper map that none of them are actually able to read too well. 

They have to put a hold on finding Logan for a bit because Casey, Berk, and Alda all came down with a nasty cold. Likely due to them all not being used to the non-stop traveling and other factors such as the kids other than Bryce not being the best at cooking. 

Because of this, the group has to split up briefly. Donovan, Buster, Knox, and Vic stay behind to help Melinoë take care of the three sicker little kids while Bryce and Erica go loot the library for any medical, cooking, and internet tech books they can find in the hopes of being able to help with the situation. 

Unfortunately for them while they’re searching they get jumped by the zombified Librarian they had thought abandoned the place—to be more specific, Bryce got tackled by the zombie. Which caused his gun to go flying. Erica, who doesn’t know how to use an actual gun, tries her best to use it—but she doesn’t know what a safety is or how to turn it off. Her pencil gun is in her backpack so she can’t use that and Bryce is struggling to hold the zombie off.

All she has is her wooden sword. 

She broke it over the zombie’s head, causing the zombie to forget about a stunned Bryce and go after her. Instead.

In that moment, Erica sees her short life flash before her eyes that she doesn’t remember squeezing shut—remembering every scolding from her parents, every argument she’s ever had, every broken promises and wishes that she could have been better. She silently apologizes to her siblings and cousins, hoping that they’ll forgive her for leaving them—sure she’s a goner. 

And that’s where Brie ‘Koala’ Schmidt comes in. 

The eleven year old jumps down from the rafters where she was hiding and lands on the Zombraian’s shoulders and starts punching her in the end. 

Her intervention allows for Bryce to get a hold on his bearings and his hockey stick, which he promptly knocks the Zombraian to the ground with. Together the three of them are able to kill the zombie and find the books they came looking for, and together they leave. 

The others don’t question the extra member. 

They continue on after a day or two. 

They stumble on a reserve or maybe a home (I haven’t decided yet) where they find an eleven year old Dakota Bravebird locked in a closet. Someone from the group who had adopted/taken  him in a couple of years before had locked him in there because the zombies had gotten in and the rest of the group who hadn’t stayed behind to fend off the zombies didn’t know the boy had survived. He doesn’t remember anything about his life before they adopted him, just that it wasn’t good and that the people who had adopted him had taken good care of him. He was devastated that they were gone.

The group of eleven decided unanimously that the boy was to come with them so they could help find his family, if they were able. 

They found Logan in his new home not long after and then set up camp at a wooden playground they’d all played at before. They grab tents from a nearby store and some playhouses once Knox figures out how to drive. 

And towards the end of the book, they wake up to Ivy ‘Stinkbug’ Haywood stealing some food from their stash. 

They get into a scuffle.  

Things are heated.

Then Melinoë oh so helpfully reminds the group that you need food to live and the rest of the group feel bad so they let Ivy stay, even if she isn’t very sorry. 

And that’s how Forsaken Falls is formed. 

It only continues to grow as the series goes on.

(All of this is subjective to change. Thanks for the ask).

"THE VAMPIRES NEED CLOSURE, SHANE!"

- Me watching the Jack the Ripper watcher podcast for no reason whatsoever.

Welcome to Nowhere Character Moodboards;

Captain Shadow, the ruler of Nowhere. Age 14.

Bones, Shadow's older brother. Age 16.

Antlers, Shadow's older brother. Age 17.

Wolf, Shadow's older brother. Age 15.

Fangs, Shadow's brother. Age 14.

Men like to believe theyd be great in apocalypse scenarios but they dont even know how to sew

Moodboards for books I wanna write part 1;

Story Title; The Fleeting Five.

Summary; A story about 5 individuals from 5 different worlds. A story of friendship, sticking to the man, betrayal, and revenge. A story of cat and mouse. This is a story of rock, paper, scissors....

Genere; Action.

It's a heist story based on 'A Heist in Monaco' from Choices.

Theme Song/Intro; 'Partners in Crime'.

Story Title; Not So Holly Jolly Holidays.

Summary; A group of friends travel to their friend's half brother's place for a Christmas get together only to start dropping like flies. Making this winter holiday anything but jolly.

Genre; Horror-Comedy.

It's a Christmas horror comedy, in case you didn't notice.

Theme Song/Intro; ‘I’ll Be Buried By Christmas’.

Story Title; Color Me a Mate.

Summary; In a world where you see everything in black and white until you meet your true love, a little girl meets hers at a pool party. Now, 10 years later, she has to figure out which of the boys from the pool are the one. Which is harder than it should be.

Genre; Romance.

It's a love story that's more than a little odd.

Theme Song/Intro; 'True Colors'.

Story Title; Welcome to Nowhere.

Summary; This is a tale of a land no one but children can find. A land with an ever changing landscape. A land were monsters lurk and children work, with no memory of who they are or were. Which leaves them wondering what happened to them and why they can't even remember their own names.

Genre; Mystery.

A story of a land that children rule-- where monsters roam and the kids try to remember their home. Based loosely on the Ed, Edd, and Eddy Purgatory theory and the story of Peter Pan.

Theme Song/Intro; 'Nowhere Kids.'

Story Title; The Deadly Game Of Life: Year One.

Summary; What happens when the survivors of the zombie apocalypse consist of mainly children? Well, they turn it into a game and adapt of course.

Genre; Horror/thriller/fantasy?

This is basically a story where a bunch of kids survive the original outbreak of the zombie apocalypse, use resources to keep things like electricity alive, and turn it into a game to survive. Making colonies that they call 'Kingdoms'.

Theme Song/Intro; 'Teenagers'.

Old version. I'll redo it later.

Modern Monsters Moodboards part 2;

Name: Shepherd Wellermen.

Species: Angel.

Modern Job: Kroger worker.

Significant other: None.

Physical age: 22 years old.

Name: Douglas Graves.

Species: Skeleton.

Modern Job: Smoke Shop Cashier.

Significant other: Unknown girl.

Physical age: 19 years old.

Name: Lucius Ryder.

Species: Incubus.

Modern Job: Chef and Ametuar Flim Director.

Significant other: Desdemona Grimm.

Physical age: 21 years old.

Name: Desdemona Grimm.

Species: Goddess.

Modern Job: Artist and Mortician.

Significant other: Lucius Ryder.

Physical age: 21 years old.

Name: Morana Crimson.

Species: Demon.

Modern Job: Mortician.

Significant other: None.

Physical age: 18 years old.

Name: Finn Finley.

Species: Merman.

Modern Job: Musician and Baker.

Significant other: None.

Physical age: 19 years old.

Name: Clover Boggs.

Species: Fairy.

Modern Job: Teacher.

Significant other: None.

Physical age: 22 years old.

🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟

Requested by my good friend, @crimsonstar2096 .

Part 1.

Old version.

I'll redo it later.

Modern Monsters Moodboards;

Name: Johanna Everstone.

Species: Witch.

Modern Job: Author.

Significant other: Halmar Starkden.

Physical age: 21 years old.

Name: Manih Attor.

Species: Dragon.

Modern Job: Musician, Chef, and Martial Arts instructor.

Significant other: Britannia Attor.

Physical age: 21 years old.

Name: Britannia Attor.

Species: Gorgon.

Modern Job: Golf instructor and sculptor.

Significant other: Manih Attor.

Physical age: 22 years old.

Name: Tezuka Katsuro.

Species: The Oni.

Modern Job: Martial Arts Instructor.

Significant other: Unknown girl.

Physical age: 23 years old.

Name: Shanti Perez.

Species: Poltergeist.

Modern Job: Babysitter.

Significant other: A long, lost human boy who's name is lost.

Physical age: 22 years old.

Name: Halmar Starkden.

Species: Wizard.

Modern Job: Musician.

Significant other: Johanna Everstone.

Physical age: 23 years old.

Name: Nathinel Bennett.

Species: Ghost.

Modern Job: None.

Significant other: None.

Physical age: 14 years old.

Name: Octavius Taranto.

Species: Archnecentuar.

Modern Job: Event caterer.

Significant other: Unknown girl.

Physical age: 22 years old.

Name: Boris Conall.

Species: Werewolf.

Modern Job: Waiter at Cracker Barrel.

Significant other: Unknown human girl.

Physical age: 20 years old.

🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟

Requested by my good friend, @crimsonstar2096 .

Part 2.

Staff I made for my Modern Monsters character, Morana Crimson;

Description: The creature in question looks and dresses like a cave man/woman (or Neanderthal) of varying skin tones except for their glowing pink eyes, brightly colored hair, colored spots, and dripping/melting in appearance skin.

They're usually seen only at night and, upon noticing they've been spotted, they flee—either by crawling up the wall or by melting into a drain. Leaving no evidence that they were even there save for whatever graffiti they've left behind.

They communicate mostly through grunts and other sounds and are known to be skittish around uninjured humans but, interestingly enough if they spot an injured human or animal they tend to do their best to give assistance. Especially if the person or animal in question is a youngling or an elderly.

They are passive creatures who have sightings dating back to ancient times all over the world and have different names in different places. They have also been documented as friends of the 'Never-weres.'

They paint with the hair on their hands and through the paint they seem to breath/spit out.

Modern Monsters Playlist;

Edits:

No edits yet.

Art:

No art yet.

Incorrect quotes:

No incorrect quotes yet.

Kingdom Territories:

Camp:

The Forsaken Falls Kingdom/Camp in Year 1 of the full zombie takeover.

Two Additional Characters for Book 1:

Meet Logan Truth Jitters, the escape artist. Age 8 years old.

Song that makes me think of this character: "Get Out Alive" by Three Days Grace.

Dakota Bravebird, the survivalist. Age 11 years old.

Song that makes me think of this character: "Devil Town" by Cavetown.

Happy New Years everybody! If anyone wants the backstory on these characters lmk and I'll make a post about it.

The Deadly Game of Life (Year 1)(Characters);

Meet Erica Denise Triggs, the leader. Age 9 years old.

Song that makes me think of this character: "Let You Down" by NF.

Meet Knox Alastor Triggs, the navigator. Age 10 years old.

Song that makes me think of this character: "Warriors" by Imagine Dragons.

Meet Victor 'Vic' Wilder Triggs, the mechanic. Age 7 years old.

Song that makes me think of this character: "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons.

Meet Alda Bellona Triggs, the scavenger and main lookout. Age 5 years old.

Song that makes me think of this character: "What I've Done" by Linkin Park.

Meet Berkley 'Berk' Lucian Triggs, the farmer/gardner. Age 5 years old.

Song that makes me think of this character: "Lemon Boy" by Cavetown.

Meet Buster Everett Murdock, the storage manager. Age 9 years old.

Song that makes me think of this character: "Protector" by City Wolf.

Meet Casey Shiloh Murdock, the hope for the future and secondary look out. Age 4 years old.

Song that makes me think of this character: "I'm Just A Kid" by Simple Plan.

Meet Bryce Scout Lionheart, the bait. Age 9 years old.

Song that makes me think of this character: "You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid" by The Offspring.

Meet Donovan Umbra Houdini, the weapons expert. Age 9 years old.

Song that makes me think of this character: "Ready Aim Fire" by Imagine Dragons.

Meet Melinoe Eiling Hickey, the medic. Age 9 years old.

Song that makes me think of this character: "How To Save A Life" by The Fray.

By the way, I was inspired to make these edits by this beautiful post right here. If you want me to explain why I picked the names let me know.

Quotes From My Characters (Part 5);

-Harriet Mannings, from 'A Not So Holly Jolly Christmas'.

Quotes From My Characters (Part 4);

-Erica Triggs, from 'The Deadly Game Of Life'.