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duck-in-a-spaceship · 5 days

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Making the Future

Please reblog my writing <3

Ao3

Masterpost

If you'd like a chapter out early, every $30 towards my kofi goal is an early chapter!

You can see the chapter schedule here

CWs: Fantasy Racism, Explosions

Taglist: @duck-in-a-spaceship @cutebisexualmess @oatmeal-stans-the-trash-rat @disco-and-vinyl @pandagobrr

Please tell me if you'd like to be added/removed!

Chapter 2

The next day, Fig was at their workshop, inspecting the robot. While they had looked at it yesterday, it had been a quick glance, and they wanted to make sure they didn’t miss anything that could give away their location.

After ten minutes of searching the thing, Fig couldn’t find any trackers, so they started to take it apart, carefully. Although they still weren’t sure of the best way to do it, since a robot is a rare find. Using their gloves, they donned their gas mask, and started unscrewing the robot. It was a long process before they could access the wires in the arm. Slowly, they started to try to figure out what the wires did. However, too late, they noticed that not all the wires were connected. And within a few minutes, the robot started to heat up.

‘So this is why this one was scrapped,’ they thought to themselves, before using the little magic they knew to protect themself from the blast.

As scorching heat emanated through the workshop, Fig couldn’t help but be grateful that they didn’t obey the laws, since they would be dead by now if they didn’t use any magic. Still, the heat hurt, and their ever painful legs only got worse with the horrid temperature. And now they couldn’t even use their walker, as, if it was still functional, it wasn’t safe to touch any of it for another few hours. It took a few minutes, but eventually the heat died down, and the robot was no longer shooting fire throughout the workshop. And Fig left, just in case someone saw it, just in case someone heard, just in case a Sentry found out.

Rushing away as fast as they could, albeit pretty slowly with their legs flarin up, they managed to find a rather large house in the woods. Looking around quickly, they figured out pretty quickly that it wasn’t abandoned. There were sheep in a nice pasture, and there were a couple fenced off pastures that were growing more grass. And there was, what they assumed to be an abattoir, a little ways off. While Fig was never a huge fan of them, there were a couple in town, but it did keep everyone as fed as they could be. (Although most of the food from the outskirts went to cities and surrounding areas. But it did keep people from moving out there too often, so Fig thought it was a win-win situation.)

“Who are you?” Came a thick, gruff, voice behind them. Jumping, Fig turned around to see an orc.

“Uh… I’m so sorry—”

“Why are you wearing a gas mask?”

“Right, um…” Fig wasn’t sure how to answer that without saying something incriminating. “It’s in fashion?”

“Is that why your clothes are singed too, is it also part of some fashion statement?” The orc sounded slightly amused, as if he no, they, found Fig’s answers amusing. (Fig really needed to get better at not gendering people they just met.)

Still, they didn’t have an answer for the orc that lived here, and it was a little hard to focus on figuring out a decent lie, when it was getting harder for them to keep standing by the second. The heat had really amplified their leg pain, and they didn’t have their walker, since it had been in the fire at their workshop. Which meant that there was a good chance that Fig would have to remake it, or at least remake the wooden seat.

The orc seemed to notice their unsteadiness, as they looked at them.

“Stay here. I’ll get you something to sit on. Mind you it’ll be uncomfortable,” And Fig just nodded, watching as they went into their house. As the orc came back, carrying two large wooden seats, Fig couldn’t help but be grateful, glad to sit down on something. Rather than being forced to stand through what was bound to be an awkward conversation.

“So,” the orc started to speak, after placing down the chairs, “what are you doing over in these parts of the woods. And none of that, ‘Fashion statement’ crap. You’re practically on fire, and hiding your face at that, might as well be honest.”

Fig wasn’t sure what to do, or how to lie their way out of this situation. But they certainly couldn’t say the truth. They didn’t want to risk someone going to the sentries and snitching on them.

“Look, I’m no snitch, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Could this orc read their thoughts?

“Why would I be worried about a snitch?” Their voice was too high pitched, there was no way this orc would believe them for a second. This thought was only proved to be correct when their companion raised an eyebrow at them.

“Want to try again?”

“Look, it’s really not that big of a deal…” Fig tried to search for something to say, something that wouldn’t land them in trouble.

“How about we start over. I’m Glorgol, Glorgol Oxcsham. I live here, in this wonderful, secluded area. In order to stay safe from the same sentries that you don’t want me telling about you.”

Fig was very glad for the mask right about now, as their face was beet red from being called out like that.

“Okay, um… I’m, uh… Look will what I say stay between the two of us?”

“I got no plans to tell noone.”

Fig knew they shouldn’t trust someone they just met, but there was no way they’d get out of this without telling them.

“I, okay, I was, I take scrap metals and devices, and…” Fig was trying to figure out the best way to put what they do into words, “and I invent things? Sort of? It uh, it didn’t go too well this time. My workshop blew up, meaning I’ll have to build a new one. I ran here because, well because it was the direction I ran. And I just happened to find your place here.”

“How do I know that you aren’t lying to me again?” Which was a fair question, Fig did try to get passed the weirdness of a wearing a gas mask by saying it was a fashion trend. (Seriously, a fashion trend? What were they thinking?)

“Uh, okay, Glorgol right,” at the orc’s nod, Fig kept talking, “I could show you the charred remains of the base. But, I should warn you, I have no idea if the sentries know about it with the explosion that kind of happened.”

“If we get close enough, the stench of charred whatever it was your workshop was made out of, should coat the air. Along with the lingering smell of smoke.”

Oh yeah, smoke smells, and so does burnt wood. Fig forgot that little fact on their run from the burning workshop.

“Right, well then, follow me!” Fig hopped of their chair as Glorgol followed them through the woods. Although, they were limping slightly, trying to use each leg as little as possible, since they both still hurt as if though something was stabbing them.

Fig could feel Glorgol staring at them, probably trying to figure out what was wrong with their legs. Which fair enough, even Fig wanted to know why their legs hated them. Still, the marched on in silence, until they smelled it, the suffocating smoke that Fig had escaped earlier.

“Alright, I believe you. Would you like to go back to my place?”

“I,” Fig probably shouldn’t trust them, but Glorgol hadn’t tried to kill them since they met, despite Fig’s trespassing, and they couldn’t exactly go home like this, “sure.”

Walking back, Fig couldn’t help but hope to be able to sit back down again. And soon. It had been ages since their legs had hurt this badly, and they didn’t know how much longer they could walk without collapsing. Still, Fig was a bit uncomfortable, sure Glorgol had been kind so far, but what if it was a ruse of some sort? They didn’t know this humanoid before today, could they really trust them?

Although, considering the compassion they had shown when Fig was having trouble standing up earlier, they felt guilty thinking Glorgol was going to harm them in some way. So they kept following them, trying to shake their anxiety, knowing that they could defend themselves on the extremely low chance that anything would actually happen.

******************

Fig felt a bit out of place as they sat on the seats in Glorgol’s kitchen. They weren’t sure what to do with anything. Should they talk or stay silent? Should they help with something or stay where they were?

Thankfully Glorgol broke the silence first.

“Are you going to take off that mask?”

“Oh, sure.” Taking off their mask, Fig sighed, the weight on their head no longer nearly as heavy.

“Still haven’t caught your name, if you’d be inclined to share it.”

“Oh, I’m Fig.”

“Fig, interesting name for an interesting lady.”

Wincing a bit, they couldn’t help but try not to sigh. This would either go well or horribly wrong.

“I, uh, I’m not a lady. Or a sir!” Rushing in that last bit so that Glorgol wouldn’t go that route either.

“Alright then, not a gal, not a lad. May I ask what you are?”

“Er… that’s, that’s a complicated matter for now. But I do use neutral pronouns, they/them and such.”

“Alright. Well in that case, I will divulge that I am a gent myself.”

Fig nodded, feeling relieved that the conversation went so well. Maybe it hadn’t been their best choice to start that conversation in the middle of nowhere, but they had been kind of exhausted with being gendered that really, it didn’t matter so much if the talk hadn’t gone well. (Although they were definitely anxious about it and could have been more tactful just in case, but Fig had never been one for tact).

Mind wandering onto the events of earlier today, they were hit with one thing.

“I don’t have a workshop anymore!”

#making the future #glacierruler #THIS IS RLLY GOOD #IM SORRY ABOUT YOUR WORKSHOP FIG #maybe you should be nicer to robots /j #also glorgol seems great #i want to share fig's distrust a little but tbh i love this dude #“Is that why your clothes are singed too is it also part of some fashion statement?”#<- this has the vibes of a parent or teacher or something making fun of ripped jeans being a trend lol #/pos #it's very funny to me #excited to see where this goes next :D

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duck-in-a-spaceship · 5 days

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i take fanart very seriously

#american arcadia #LMAO #love it

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duck-in-a-spaceship · 6 days

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Update Harvard students are walking out in solidarity with Columbia’s students

These are billion dollar for profit institutions that directly impact financial backing of Israel’s apartheid regime

#free palestine

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duck-in-a-spaceship · 6 days

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Jarolend

Please reblog my art

OC for my original story, Making the Future: Link to story here

Consider supporting me on kofi!

Making the Future taglist: @cutebisexualmess @duck-in-a-spaceship @oatmeal-stans-the-trash-rat @disco-and-vinyl

Art Taglist: @nebulous-astronaut @uhhh-hi-there-i-am-nervous @hyperfixated-homo

Please tell me if you'd like to be added/removed

Consider supporting me on kofi!

This character is NOT going to memberships first, as a thank you for all the money that was raised!

Again, please reblog my art <3

#making the future #glacierruler #jarolend!!!!#cool ass dude #i rlly like this coloring style #it looks nice :D

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duck-in-a-spaceship · 7 days

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What's Fig's workshop like?? The little glimpse we got in Chapter 1 made me interested to see more. Is it in some existing structure, or did they literally make it themselves? Room to work with or a claustrophobic mess? Any fun decorations?

Making the Future is my own original story that you can find the link to here!

Okay, so it's something they kind of built themselves? Sort of? More like (amateur) repair work on a wooden building that they found in the middle of the woods. It's a little drafty, and they always have to rush to put some sort of water protection over it when it's rainy. But it's cozy. If you don't mind tripping over random metal and wood and wires anyways. There are two hand crafted work benches, but those are usually cluttered (I love Fig so much, but if I'm being honest, they're messier than me!)

Cool decorations wise, there's different lamps that they've made messing around with things. Also they have strung up fairy lights that they purchased, although they don't work too well (Fig messed with the wiring). There are a few unfinished devices that are being kept on the back burner for a little while.

Also there's like, no outlets in this wooden shack, as most places don't have outlets, so most of the electric stuff is powered with magic. Kind of like the communication Device that they and Jarolend have. Of course different electronic devices need different amounts of magic to power them, but all the ones that Fig is actively working on only take a little bit of magic to power them for a while.

It's also good to note that there are scorch marks everywhere. From small explosions to the time they tried (and failed) to make a functioning fire weapon.

I'm afraid that's all that I can say about their workshop for now, as anything more would be spoilers for chapter 2

Chapter 2 comes out June 15th 2024! If you'd like it earlier, consider donating to my kofi! Every $30 is one early chapter! As of writing this post, only $10 more is needed for an early chapter!

#making the future #ooo love all of this #the general mess and scorch marks everywhere feels very on brand lol #would love to see some lamp designs at some point #i feel like those would be fun to play around with #also fig i am BEGGING you to get some more permanent waterproofing #you have a shack filled with electrical components PLZ

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duck-in-a-spaceship · 7 days

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🎣

#stardew valley #sdv harvy #sdv willy #my favorite GUYS op i love all of your willy art thank you dearly #and harvey with his plane sweater!!!!!#excellent

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duck-in-a-spaceship · 7 days

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#big fan of lichens and also mosses #dont worry babes i'll be with you shortly

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duck-in-a-spaceship · 8 days

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Making the Future

Ao3

Masterpost

Consider supporting me on kofi!

Please reblog my writing!

CWs: Theft, Fantasy Racism, Accidental Misgendering, War Mentions

If you'd like to see the Content Warnings of the whole story, please go to that section in the masterpost!

Taglist: @cutebisexualmess @duck-in-a-spaceship @oatmeal-stans-the-trash-rat (tell me if you'd like to be added/removed)

Chapter 1

Fig was constantly checking their watch, knowing their mother would expect them home soon for dinner. Still, they weren’t quite ready to leave the scrapyard, as there were still so many marvelous finds to be had. Plus there weren’t that many risks, as the sentry that usually guarded this yard had switched over to the other one he was in charge of for the day. Still it was best to be cautious, because if they were caught it would be at least five years in jail. It was stupid, but that was the case with most laws.

Pulling something out of the rubble, Fig realized that they had discovered a whole robot. Their eyes started to widen a bit, they quickly stuffed it in their bag o’ junk as they called it, and started making their way to their hideout.

Fig had been walking for five minutes before the pin like pain in their legs became sharper. Pulling out their bag, they rummaged through it a bit, before pulling something that looked like a weird 3D cube out. Pressing a button a wonky, uneven, walker appeared, made out of mostly metal and each side was a bit uneven. However, the seat was made out of sanded down wood, as they didn't have leather to make it more comfortable yet. While it was still a work in progress, they used it when they could because it did make their life easier. Regretfully though, they couldn't use it often, as not even their family knew it existed, and Fig knew it would be an awkward conversation to have. So they had gotten used to using it on the tough forest terrain, still working on making it better to go over roots and other various obstacles.

Naking it to their hideout, Fig quickly looked over the robot; using the little magic they knew to look at any spots they couldn’t easily get to. They were looking for any alarms or trackers even though the sentries would’t notice nor think to track a discarded robot, because if Fig set off the alarm they would have to move their hideout again. Which was not ideal, especially with all the stuff this place held, and how long it had taken them to build it here.

Getting rid of the devices was easy enough, they would just go back to the junkyard and destroy them on their way home. The sentries would think that the rest of the scraps had destroyed the thing.

Sighing, Fig glazed longingly at their hideout, before they pressed a button and their walker became a cube again. They started heading back the way they came, putting on their gas mask, just in case the sentries spotted them on the way back. While they were part changeling and could therefore change some of their facial features, because they weren't a full changeling, they couldn't do much with it.

After disposing of the trackers, Fig went a bit away, taking off their gas mask and hid behind a tree to take a five minute walking break.

*************************

Fig ate silently as they listened to the chaos, that was their family, surround them. Getting back home had been a journey and a half without their walker, but it was important that they put it away for things, in order to stay safe. After all if the sentries found out about it, they would most certainly be screwed. Looking outside through a window, they realized it was sunset, and they couldn’t help but be amazed at how pretty it was, even though it came by every night. It was stunning, always changing, and yet its beauty never seemed to fade, and Fig was certain that they had the best sunsets in the kingdom. Jarolend, their friend that they talked to when they could, agreed.

Still, Fig wanted to explore, they wanted to see the world. But it wasn’t safe to, not since they’re a changeling. Changelings have been viewed as one of the worse races, since before the infamous war, however that war had just made things worse.

The official narrative was that, changelings, orcs, drow, goblins, and dragons rose up in opposition to the other races. That their greed and lust for money and power drove them to their demise, that they committed unspeakable crimes, that they were evil. And everyone was just supposed to accept that, even the races that this rhetoric effected.

However, Fig had been doing research of their own, looking through their ancestors’ journals to see what it was really like back then. They were grateful that their mother kept the journals, although they were slightly less grateful that these journals were on the top shelf of her bedroom. That made it harder for Fig to look through them, and they knew their mom didn't want them looking through the journals. But Fig had always been rather curious, and they just couldn't accept the narrative that they were bad. That they were here to take someone else's place and steal their livelihood, that they were evil like the textbooks said. It helped that the town was inhabited by other unprivliged races, it helped that the elders assured them when they were kids that it was the world that was wrong. But it sucked, the culture that was stripped from all of them, in fear that they would rise up, that they would revolt against unfair laws. So almost no one in town was allowed to practice magic. That didn’t stop Fig, though they practiced in secret. Still, they wished they were able to do more, and be more free. But they couldn’t, so in public they conformed to the rules set out for them. Have a set look, and don’t change it; hair stays the same, eyes stay the same, nails stay the same. Nothing changes. And they couldn’t help but feel that’s how society was anyways, stagnant, hopeless and resistant to change. And they hated it. But that’s what their tinkering was for, it was fun to do and a fuck you to the government. It wasn’t something that did something technically, but it felt good, especially when Fig felt helpless to do anything to change the world.

“-ig! Fig!” Their head snapped up to greet their mother’s voice.

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay honey? You’ve just been poking at your food all night.”

“Yeah mom, I'm alright, just wish I could visit Jarolend more often."

Fig hated lying, it always meant that it was just one more thing they couldn't share with their family. But if anyone knew that they were stealing from the scraps, well it wouldn't be pleasant if someone found out.

"I know. Maybe when you have your own money..."

"I've been trying to find someplace to work! But you know how hard it is!"

"I know, I know. Still, if you do manage to get the funds to visit your friend tell her I said hi!"

"I'll tell em."

Their mother might still be getting used to their friend’s new pronouns, as ey had come out close to when ey had left, but it still sucked that Fig had to be the one to correct her. That it felt like for all their mom’s trying, she never really got it. Despite being a changeling, and the concept of gender being fluid, that she thought the only options were girl and boy. Sometimes, it felt like while you could be either, you couldn’t be both at the same time or neither. Which isolated Fig even more as they were trying to figure themselves out. But they knew their mother didn’t mean to, and that she’s trying, so they tried not to hold it against her.

Still, they’d rather not have to correct their mother altogether, but it was how things went. So they started to eat a little bit, ignoring the looks from the rest of their family, and then went upstairs to their room, trying not to feel desperately hopeless at the state of everything. At least they’d have time to tinker and experiment with the robot tomorrow.

#making the future #reblogging so i can remember to read this later lol #im VERY excited but also very tired rn #fig time :D

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