IconFlash: The Bug Rebellion

Continuing flash series! I'm going to write one flash for every Icon I have, over 4 LJ accounts, 1 DW, and a whole bunch of not-currently-in-use, until I get bored or run out of icons.

Today's icon:

Swirls, picked by @dahob

Icon by lo_rez

I have been using this icon for my Bug Invasion series.

It hadn't been Kaylie's intention to steal a Bugship. She and Derrick had just been trying to get away, as away as they could get when Derrick had one of those bugs in his head, just trying to have the closest to privacy they could get.
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Neighbors, a story of Steam!Callenia for the Giraffe Call

To fflox's prompt

Soon after Every Gift and Building the Wedding-House
If the demolition and construction of the new intersection, the re-construction of the former Bureau of Education building, and the presence of soon-to-be-newlyweds in said building hadn't gotten the neighbors' attention and drawn their ire, the two mechanical contrivances on the front sidewalk definitely did.

But not just ire, Katyebah was gratified to discover. People were also curious, and, more than that, people wanted to give advice. In Lannamer, heart of the Empire, heart of the Emperor's engineering corps, it was unsurprising, she supposed, that most people were front-porch engineers.

"Shouldn't that gear be turning leftwards?"

"Shouldn't you have used brass and not silver? Silver tarnishes."
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Callenian Poetry, an Excerpt

This is the donation-level perk for the June Giraffe Call. It's not done yet, but here's the first bit.

Callenan poetry falls into several different categories, but the largest division, describing all else, is spoken vs. written poetry.

Written poetry originated with the priesthood, and before them with the gods-chasers¹ of the original Home Valley. The Callenian language, written, lends itself to artistic forms and decoration.

In the early days of the written word, the god-chasers would mark short prayer-poems, often calling out to longer spoken-poem works, onto the skin of the tribe's Riders, onto the leather of their saddles, and onto the fur of their goats. As time went on, the artistic forms became more complicated; the holy texts of Callenia are written in formed poetry.²

Spoken poetry existed long before the written, and was first used to pass on stories and lessons from one generation to the next. In the style of epics, spoken poetry tends to rely heavily on repetition, rhyme, and a strong rhythm to carry mnemonic cues.


1. The Callenan left the original gods when settling Reiassan. See http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/365239.html
2. For examples see http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1001

Excerpt - from the Character Development Meme - Timora, Year 9

Timora

24.) What might your character’s ideal romantic partner be?
Timora wants a white knight. She wants a truly nice man who sees her for the lovely soul she is and doesn’t mind that she doesn’t look like the popular girls; she wants someone who wants long walks on the beach and gentle kisses and will rescue her and carry her off on his horse.

They read you Cinderella
You hoped it would come true
That one day your Prince Charming would come rescue you
http://www.elyrics.net/read/j/john-michael-montgomery-lyrics/i-can-love-you-like-that-lyrics.html

Failing a fairy tale, she wants a nice guy who likes spending time outdoors and won’t make fun of her.

Weaving a new way, a story of Reiassan, just-pre-Steam!Callenia, for the Giraffe Call (@lilfluff)

For lilfluff's prompt.

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In the era of Empress Eetanasaria; before the Emperor in which most of the Steam!Callenia stories are placed

"But what is it?" The head of the Textiles Guild stared at the contraption, keeping a good distance back, in case it bit, or exploded. Down in the ironworker's corner of the city, things were prone to doing that.

Byornon smiled, and fingered the glass beads in his beard. "This, Sir, is my life's work. I have spent every moment not dedicated to the Empress's Army on this machine, and on the machines necessary to build this machine. I believe it will change your life forever, and mine as well."

"But what is it?" The Guildhead stepped back a bit further. A machine made by one of The Empress's engineers that could change his life... if it blew up, it was likely to be on purpose.
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