Another insightful perspective from Tebogo. This one looks at something I have personally pondered. How we perceive different continents as being just one country, or that people are familiar with all the other countries on their continent. She explains this much better. Very much worth the read.
What Would I Know About, The Other Place? [Part 13]
(Books by Authors Who Never Existed: A Steampunk Hybrid story)
By the author of BARD: Owner of the Gemstone
What Would I Know About, The Other Place? [Part 13]
(Books by Authors Who Never Existed: A Steampunk Hybrid story)
By the author of BARD: Owner of the Gemstone
Lady Steamsail tilts her head and stares up at him. “A slab of ice that doesn’t melt?” she asks.
“One in which someone could see another place?” Chief Shabuni has to shock her into giving away something in her expression or voice.
“You mean like a steam TV?” she asks, then gives a quiet laugh.
“Better quality,” he replies.
Her eyes turn away for a moment, as she purses her lips. “I have heard rumours that Mr. Claws and Ulysses brought something else back, other than just the books by authors who never existed.” She glances up into his face. “But there’s all sorts of rumours floating around in this town.”
He nods his head. Siku Claws and the giant Newfoundlandtir, Ulysses, always brought a great deal of excitement to Londonera. Rumour was that Mr. TLC protected his human father, and dog brother’s findings, from everyone but Mrs. Claws. “What do you think the interest would be in this slab of ice?” he asks.
“Well, if it can see into the Other Place, could it also be a portal?” Lady Steamsail replies, with an unconvincing shrug.
“Who would want it?” he asks, while watching her intently.
“What would I know about The Other Place,” she replies with a fake laugh. She nonchalantly whips out the necromantic dragon knife. “Sure you don’t want to take this away from me? Could be dangerous,” she says with a menacing voice that does not match her beaming smile.
“No, you might need it. There seems to be ninjas out stealing slabs of ice that won’t melt, and automatons trying to steal books by authors that never existed. Thank you, and stay safe, Lady Steamsail,” he finishes with a warm grin. “I’ll see myself out.”
As he walks towards Lady Evelyn Oolong’s Tea Shop on Tannic Street, he ponders Lady Steamsail’s comment on The Other Place. The way she said it, sounded very much like it wasn’t the other place, but an actual place, called The Other Place.
***
One of the goals for these writing experiments is to include makers, and models of Steampunk. Ben Lanzenstein of Switzerland creates Steampunk vehicles, weapons, and more. I will be posting a short interview with Ben in very near future. Meanwhile, you can see his work at: ben_lanzenstein
Unwoman.com
Joanne Gosling (as Lady Marina Steamsail): Jgosling@calclosets.com
Fireandsteel.ca Dragonrider Folding Knife
GRACEART Unisex Steampunk Top Hat with Goggles
Alivila.Y Fashion: Women’s Faux Leather Steampunk Corset Victorian Bustier Top
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What Is It You Want To Know, Chief Shabuni? [Part 12]
(Books by Authors Who Never Existed: A Steampunk Hybrid story)
By the author of BARD: Owner of the Gemstone
“Come with me Chief Shabuni,” he hears Lady Steamsail call, in a motherly tone. Which he finds unnerving, since he’s sure he has ten or more years on her.
Lady Steamsail leads him up a staircase to its landing. He glances from a shelf full of trinkets up to the wall itself. Paintings of great sailing ships take up most of the space. However, there is also a panoramic picture of soldiers from the Great War.
“I don’t recognize the ships, nor the uniforms the soldiers are wearing,” he says quizzically.
“Perhaps you haven’t come across them in any books, yet,” she says in a taunting lisp.
He nods his head, and stares easily over her head at the picture and the paintings again. Putting his symbolic detective hat back on, he asks, “Do you think the books Mrs. Claws has, would have any pictures such as these?”
Lady Steamsail scrunches up her face into a thoughtful expression. “Could be. Is that what you came to ask me about?”
“More so,” he says, staring down at her, “whether you’ve heard any rumours about a slab of ice that doesn’t melt.”
***
One of the goals for these writing experiments is to include makers, and models of Steampunk. Ben Lanzenstein of Switzerland creates Steampunk vehicles, weapons, and more. I will be posting a short interview with Ben in very near future. Meanwhile, you can see his work at: ben_lanzenstein
Unwoman.com
Joanne Gosling (as Lady Marina Steamsail): Jgosling@calclosets.com
Fireandsteel.ca Dragonrider Folding Knife
GRACEART Unisex Steampunk Top Hat with Goggles
Alivila.Y Fashion: Women’s Faux Leather Steampunk Corset Victorian Bustier Top
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Questioning Lady Marina Steamsail [Part 10]
(Books by Authors Who Never Existed: A Steampunk Hybrid story)
By the author of BARD: Owner of the Gemstone
Chief Shabuni excuses himself from Mrs. Claws house. The Clockmaker will be arriving soon, and Inspecter Harper and Campbell, along with Mr. TLC, will keep watch over Mrs. Claws, and on The Book Stealer. He needs to do something else in the meantime.
He keeps thinking about the four thieves dressed as ninjas. There wasn’t time to process what he saw before but now he realizes they all had womanly figures. Lady Iris comes to mind but he won’t go near her. Some call her a witch, while others, a sorceress. Whatever, she is, she sees him as a source of magic, and that terrifies him. Where he came from, albino children were often captured. A limb or their entire bodies amputated. Their bones dried and ground into dust to make tonics believed to contain powerful magic. That leaves three others to visit. Lady Elsewhere, the owner of the Krystal Jewellery store; Lady Evelyn Oolong, the Vintage Tea store owner; and Lady Marina Steamsail, the boat supplier.
He walks down Main Street, nodding down at passersby’s, as he turns left onto Cauldron Street. A short time later he sees the river Thamesmar and a large steepled building made of cedar wood. He steps up the marble stairs to an arched alcove. Two oak doors greet him. He takes a bronze handle in the shape of a dragon’s head, and knocks.
The door opens and he sees Lady Steamsail standing by a grandfather clock. “Come in Chief,” she says with a charming smile full of venom.
As he enters the spacious hallway, he notices shark teeth, and helms wheels, decorating the walls between large, oil paintings of famous sailing ships. He takes off his stovepipe hat, and asks in a weary voice, “I need to ask you where you were the other night?”
“Don’t you want to disarm me before questioning?” Lady Steamsail asks, proffering her very ornate knife.”
He immediately notices the knife’s handle is in the shape of a necrotic motorcycle, with the twisted body of a dragon. He gazes up her pink skin to her charming, yet deadly smirk, to her engulfing, blue eyes. Then he stares for a long moment, at the skeleton key earring, that hangs from left ear. A tiny, tanzanite crystal glimmers from the centre of the earring’s head. “That won’t be necessary,” he answers.
***
One of the goals for these writing experiments is to include makers, and models of Steampunk. Ben Lanzenstein of Switzerland creates Steampunk vehicles, weapons, and more. I will be posting a short interview with Ben in very near future. Meanwhile, you can see his work at: ben_lanzenstein
Unwoman.com
Joanne Gosling (as Lady Marina Steamsail): Jgosling@calclosets.com
Fireandsteel.ca Dragonrider Folding Knife
GRACEART Unisex Steampunk Top Hat with Goggles
Alivila.Y Fashion: Women’s Faux Leather Steampunk Corset Victorian Bustier Top
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“Owner of the Gemstone” poem/song
Video with music of the author reading “Owner of the Gemstone” from the epic, deep, and dark fantasy novel, BARD: Owner Of The Gemstone.
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Random Thoughts: Pretending I Knew A Famous, Dead Stranger
My take on this? Not everyone is meant to parent a family. T.N.’s exploration of one’s personal destiny, goes much deeper.
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The Race Series: What Is The Opposite Of Generational Trauma?
There’s a conversation going around these days about the generational traumas we inherit from previous generations and pass on to our descendants. I’d say it’s an attempt to justify all the inexplicable patterns that crop up in families -regardless of whether or not the people who constitute that family know better. The patterns may be in illnesses that are common in that clan, or behavioural hiccups that cause much pain and discord amongst those family members. The patterns are in mindsets that keep people from progressing in different kinds of relationships or in their finances.
In other words, generational traumas are seemingly unbeatable curses which uncommon individuals in the family are then tasked to break in their lifetime. It’s all quite legendary, makes for a good story if you are able to cast yourself as The One who will fight those battles for your loved ones -wage the ‘war to…
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The Gravity Crystal [Part 9]
(Books by Authors Who Never Existed: A Steampunk Hybrid story)
By the author of BARD: Owner of the Gemstone
Lady Iris opens one of the glass doors of her China cabinet and steps back. A large, teardrop crystal hovers inside. The crystal is about as large as an egg holder. She blinks against its constant prism of light and places her hand, palm up, below it. She blows on the crystal. As she pulls her hand out, the crystal follows.
As she brings it closer to her face, her own tiny crystal, that hangs from her gold necklace, shines blue. A gift from The Inventor. A gravity crystal, or more often called, an antigravity stone. This is one of the many particularities to Eartherra, that does not exist in The Other Place. Now that she has the panel of ice that does not melt, she can prepare the next step, in her grand scheme.
It’s too bad the Bookstealer didn’t succeed, already. She closers her eyes and sighs. She wants Mr. Toklo Claws and Avonlea Claws to succeed in finding a portal to The Other Place. Perhaps, they’ll find their father without getting captured. However, she doesn’t want anything from The Other Place to enter Eartherra. She is a temptress, and one that likes to control. She does not want a chasm of chaos to be opened.
She stares at the gravity crystal and tries to brush it with her index finger. A smile crosses her face as it moves away. She blows on it and this time the crystal lets her caress it.
*** One of the goals for these writing experiments is to include makers, and models of Steampunk along with musician and artists I have been following. Maggie Boone (@missmaggiemoon) is an extremely talented musician and singer. When you go to her site you’ll see she’s also the creative director at Vignettes bar.
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I’ll See What I Can Do [Part 8]
(Books by Authors Who Never Existed: A Steampunk Hybrid story)
By the author of BARD: Owner of the Gemstone
The Inventor wears an inconspicuous midnight blue cardigan poncho cape cloak with the hood pulled up. It’s twilight and the Krystal Jewellery Store is about to close. A song by Unwoman is playing within. The Inventor watches as the last customer departs, before slipping inside.
The store is full of glass shelves with a variety of jewellery set quaintly on silk cloths of different colours. Throughout the store shine kaleidoscopic prisms.
“I wouldn’t have recognized you,” a lively, young woman, with dark brown hair, and sparkling blue eyes, says to The Inventor, “other than your left hand is where your right should be. You are the only person I know of who has two left hands.”
The Inventor hisses. It’s the only other part, other than the heart, of The Inventor’s twin that The Inventor still has. “Lady Raven Elsewhere, I need to speak with the witch,” The Inventor says in a raspy voice. Someday, someday The Inventor will make a better voice box.
Lady Raven Elsewhere continues to lock up the glass counters as she glances back at The Inventor. “She prefers, sorceress.”
“Vampiress, witch, sorceress, elder….” The Inventor lingers on the last word.
“She definitely does not like to be called elder,” Lady Elsewhere says, correctively.
The Inventor sees a darkness flicker across the enchanting eyes of Lady Elsewhere. They’re all witches, succubus’s, sorceresses, perhaps elders, or something else, not to be trifled with. “The vile Maine Coon, Mr. TLC, hindered my Bookstealer. Now the police have it.”
“Lucky you told Lady Iris of what you intended to do.” With a sweet smile, Lady Elsewhere combs back her hair.
The Inventor sees a skeleton earring with an amethyst stone hanging from her left earlobe.
“You invented the Bookstealer?” she asks.
“Yes,” The Inventor replies, wondering what the cost will be this time.
“Just a piece of skin and a tiny vial of blood,” she tells him.
*** One of the goals for these writing experiments is to include makers, and models of Steampunk. Ben Lanzenstein of Switzerland creates Steampunk vehicles, weapons, and more. I will be posting a short interview with Ben in very near future. Meanwhile, you can see his work at: ben_lanzenstein
Unwoman.com
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The Inventor (Part 7) (Books by Authors Who Never Existed: A Steampunk Hybrid story)
By the author of BARD: Owner of the Gemstone
The Inventor leans over the next generation in automatons. In a fowl mood, The Inventor is determined to get a hold of the books Mr. Claws left to his wife. Books with knowledge The Inventor desperately wants. To learn how to become invisible! How to build a vehicle that can not only travel under the waves but stay below the surface indefinitely! But that cat, that darn Maine Coon, Mr. TLC caused the Book Stealer to run out of steam! The Inventor never liked that undersized tiger. Neither did The Inventor’s twin. Shame about the automaton. Maybe the witch will help get the automaton back. The image of her standing close, completely enthralled in his plans, while shaking her long, silken, raven hair, and staring with utter interest with those large, almond shaped eyes. The Inventor jolts out of the reverie.
The Inventor and The Inventor’s twin used to torment that stupid Newfoundland dog, Ulysses, when they visited Mrs. Claws. That nasty, miserable, vicious Mr. TLC was just a kitten then. Yet, that malicious, horrible, evil kitten swatted The Inventor’s twin for bullying the slobbering, giant dog. And Mrs. Claws defended that irascible, untamed—kitten.
The Inventor’s beautiful, loving, understanding mother was horrified when Mrs. Claws accused her children of being untrustworthy, spoiled, and needing discipline. Mrs. Claws even accused The Inventor’s twin of trying to steal one of the “precious” books her husband gave her. What rotten people the Claws are! The Inventor’s twin actually took two books. Only one was returned.
The Inventor adjust the brass masks on The Inventor’s face. During the Great War, The Inventor and The Inventor’s twin joined as Royal Engineers to learn more about explosives. They were both, a little too enthusiastic, about adding mixing TNT, RDX, and ammonium nitrate together to make a bigger bang. Afterwards, only one of the twins survived, that the world knows. A genius doctor not only rebuilt the Inventor’s face but also added The Inventor’s sibling heart beside the one nearly destroyed. Now endurance is never a problem. But after studying The Steam Man of the Prairies by an author no one has ever heard of. An Edward S. Ellis of Ohio, Maine, a place that exists on no known maps. Perhaps that’s where that wretched Maine Coon came from. The book is a marvel! And now, The Inventor is more interested in becoming superior by melding machinery, with flesh.
*** One of the goals for these writing experiments is to include makers, and models of Steampunk. Ben Lanzenstein of Switzerland creates Steampunk vehicles, weapons, and more. I will be posting a short interview with Ben in very near future. Meanwhile, you can see his work at: ben_lanzenstein
Caedar Writing & Artwork 