Wolverine Stew: The Uncanny

I was born deep in the valley

To a mother who loved mountains

And a father who longed for the coasts 

I loved to venture out when I was young

And be with people in the sunlight

But my smile is always a bit too short

My eyes always a bit out of position

My reactions always a bit off cue

My phrases always looped like a record

My frame always stretched and looming

My walk always pointed and crooked

My name always unconnected to anything 

My presence always a bit unexpected 

I laugh at static to laugh at something

I live for stages to feel at home

I watch the world spin and want to spin with it

Maybe you see past the mask I craft

I certainly do, but I’m still not sure

What exactly is supposed to be underneath

I spent so long studying what might be there

But all I know I have is skin 

Fitted forever over an unknown 

But whatever might be there

I hope it’s something nice

Something that makes people happy

Something that’s close enough to human 

That would be nice

Please be patient with me

I’m learning how to be a person  

The Kingdom of Tokavsk is Back for Season 2!

Hello. Sorry that I’ve been silent lately, but being an eldritch being from the great beyond university student does take its toll. I’m going to continue the story I began last year using the same format. This isn’t a style of writing I’m used to, and it’s interesting to go out of my comfort zone. Season 2 will unfortunately be the final season, as I shall assume my true form graduate in May.

I started this series with the intention of making it a worldbuilding project, but because I am primarily a storyteller, a narrative gradually evolved (to find out what it is, read season 1!). I don’t have a concrete plan because the workings of my brain are mysterious even to me, but I will (hopefully) finish the story this spring. I tend to plan things on a week-by-week basis.

What to Expect from Season 2:

  • More organization (I hope). I want the throughline of Season 2 to be more clear to create a more cohesive narrative/anthology thing.
  • Intrigue. Can’t have a court setting without intrigue.
  • Interesting characters. I love character writing, so get ready to look inside the minds of fictional people.

I look forward to seeing what this season brings. Stay safe out there, especially during spooky season. Always remember that the shadow behind you may not be your own.

Wolverine Stew: Aimless

I have a headache

I treat it with two ibuprofen pills

And drink them down with bean broth from the garden back home

Mixed with tattered bits of veggie bacon

That I took back here in a Tupperware container

The ones with light blue lids that pop when you press them on

Never thought that would remind me of home

But still makes me smile

And all my thinking of silver hands and standing stones

And jumping with banshees to avoid the last stair of the fire exit

That only goes down and not up for some reason

Lets me get out of that feeling of my face being wrong

The hair glued to the scalp

And the air feeling too still 

And I don’t mind the mosquitoes

Putting a bump on each of my right fingers

Because I get to wander and look at mushrooms and cobwebs

And send pictures and recorded rivers to Mom and Dad

Smiling at the texts they send back

Because I like to share the earth in photos

And at night, when I don’t need to write about headstones

(One of the few times staying up ‘til 1 AM feels good)

I’ll spend them watching Bella Lugosi and listening to jellyfish lofi

But this time, I don’t laugh alone

Words flowing between like a two-stream-at-least river

And that will always be enough   

The Kingdom of Tokavsk, Session 21: A Hastily Scrawled Entry from Tomon’s Servant

Editors’ Note:  This entry was written by the same servant of Tomon who wrote the to-do list.  The handwriting is sprawling and very distinctive, and we find it hard to believe it could be replicated.

Tomon’s meetings were canceled today, and now I don’t know what to do with myself.  Tomon doesn’t, either.  I’m writing this while he isn’t looking, but even if he does see me I don’t think he’ll do anything.  He’s relaxing in his chambers and not doing much at all, going through papers, I think.  Anyway, he has expressed interest in taking a walk around the grounds.  I hope we can go this afternoon because my legs are shaking so badly from nervous energy.  I’ve heard rumors that something happened, that somebody was killed.  Some high-up of the king here.  We are forbidden from discussing it while working, which makes me feel even worse because I feel I have to talk about it or something in me will burst.  So I’m writing it here.  I heard this morning that somebody was murdered on the grounds, and now everybody is wondering who did it.  I think it was somebody who was an opponent of the guy or a person who wanted his job.  Maybe a hire since people that high don’t always do those types of things themselves.  Not that the upper classes are weak, of course.  Just that they can pay someone else to do those kinds of things for them, I would pay someone to carry out a murder if I had someone to murder and the money to pay.  I would never commit murder, but if for some reason I felt the need, I’d probably do it myself.

My favorite theory is that an opponent did it because I think that sounds the most interesting.  Maybe he disagreed with a guy on something, so that guy decided he needed to go.  Of course I can only imagine what that kind of disagreement would be.  I don’t really know much about how kings work, so it could be anything, really.  Maybe somebody wants a coup.  But if they wanted to take over, wouldn’t they have gone for the king first?  Unless it was a practice kill, which doesn’t make sense if you think about it.  That just makes you more likely to get caught.

A Day In Our Lives #25

Hey guys,

This week I am showing some of the collage work that I have been working on! In my practice, I focus primarily on women and the female experience. I was recently tasked with creating a book multiple times over, cutting it apart, and putting it together to make a story. I love collage and think that it is really calming to do. I have lots of old graphic design books that were gifted to me that I use in my work. I like incorporating my poetry and writing in my collages as well as some of my illustrations. Collages can be a really expressive medium. I love thinking about color and how it will affect how the viewer perceives the text. I sewed this book together and love how it came out. I feel like it is a really good representation fo what I believe in.
See you next week!

Marissa


The Kingdom of Tokavsk, Session 20: The Testimony of Solamina Kolpakina, Maid

I was completing my early rounds yesterday morning as was customary.  There is much preparation to be done before the members of the court awaken.  I was tasked with disposing the waste.  I went outside and thought I saw somebody, so I went to investigate.  I know it was improper of me, but curiosity has always gotten the best of me.  I suppose I should have known it would bring me to trouble eventimes.  So I had already disposed of the trash as I had to, and I went around the corner where I had thought I had seen the figure and saw nothing.  I thought it was just my eyes playing tricks on me when I walked a little ways down the alley and saw something for real this time.  There was something unusually dark on the ground, and I figured it was not water because of the cold.  Or perhaps it was freshly spilled, I don’t know.  Whatever my reasoning was, I went to look and saw…him.  You know.  And I screamed.  What else was I to do?  He was lying there and…I never thought I would find…I had no idea what to do.  I ran back screaming for help, and that’s when one of the guards rushed up to me.  But I was too terrified to form words.  You don’t believe me, do you?  You think I was….  I would never.  Never.  And now multiple servants were swarming me and I had to get them to follow so they could see.  But when I got there another guard had already found him.  And they didn’t believe me until I was searched and Solkha—you know Solkha, he was in charge—told them I had been with him.  And I had been asleep before then and could not have left.  Somehow they didn’t fully believe me.  And here I am, still not believed, and now people think I’m a killer.  Like I would ever have any reason.  I have a job and lodgings.  Why would I risk all that?  He is an advisor.  I don’t know of the advisors.  I mean, I know of some of them, but my work is not about them.  I am low level, you see.  Only been here five years.  Low level and needing to keep my job.  So no, I did not notice anything before that, have no idea how others thought of him, anything.  I am a maid, after all.  Well.  I know you won’t believe me, but that is all I have to say.