#hopefully next modding idea is something easier i beg

[cervinecytoplasm]

They really do be handing out these summer internships to anyone now don't they?

(More modding shenanigans. The Gamecube was like what heavily inspired me as a kid so like being able to just now mod in whatever I put my mind to is wild. Truly astonishing.)

[ponds-of-ink]

Glitchtrap but Vocaloid: Building Off the Concept (a bit too much?)

You can thank/blame @aftons-pet-rabbit for the idea that spawned this personal expansion of the concept… Depending on your opinion of Vocaloid as a whole. Hopefully, my take on what started as a joke is sort of plausible.

Anyway, here’s what I’ve got. It’s a bit long/detailed under the cut, so buckle up:

*It all started as Vanessa being a rookie Vocaloid user in this timeline. Making songs here and there, but never really using it due to not having that much time outside of office work. She did make a custom model, but it was very basic. Cute design, but basic.

*Then she became a Beta Tester for Fazbear’s new VR game. Cue the story of Help Wanted, with at least one change to the ending. When Tape Girl says “Play the music and flip the switch”, Vanny gets an idea. Why not use her Vocaloid program in place of the broken Showtime button? Or at least mod it in so they can hear some music?

*Somehow, someway, that idea genuinely works. During the merging sequence, Vanny presses the button and gets her selected song going. Glitchtrap, knowing the VR game inside and out, is confused but undeterred. He tries to keep going, almost makes it, then watches as the game literally crashes. Unlike most crashes, however, he can feel a transfer happening.

*Little do both of them know what either of those things actually mean… Until the next morning when Vanny checks her program to see some new voicebank files.

*Long story short, Glitchtrap/possibly William Afton himself (depends on which theory y’all stick with) is stuck in her voice synth program. And now he has to play the AI singer as “punishment” for his recent antics, while she has to be his “manager” of sorts. A thing that they mutually have to get used to.

*The kicker is that Vanny only has preset voices that she’s tweaked a little— And all of them are female. So he has to be an “Anime Girl” for the time being. Yes, that includes the custom model used for performances.

*But, of course, they’ve gotta hide the fact that rouge code’s escaped from a Fazbear game. So, Vanny gives him a cover story. His character, who she’s nicknamed “Sixteen”, is a futuristic cyborg gone haywire. Sixteen was supposed to entertain and act, but something’s fooled with her code. Now she’s something much more… vicious, to say the least. Thankfully, due to any performances being done through projections, Sixteen can’t really hurt any actual people. Holographic characters, on the other hand…

*Yeah, remember that one I mentioned Vanny made at first? That more peppy-themed chick goes down swinging in “Sixteen’s” introductory performance— A rendition of a Sister Location-themed Vocaloid duet called “How to Pretend”. This song pick was Vanny’s idea, since she thought it fit. Glitchtrap hated the high notes, but at least he got to pay a tribute to Circus Baby/Elizabeth… In a weird way.

*Vanny’s new coworkers were a bit surprised by how dark the storyline was, but liked the mini-play well enough. News reached the higher-ups, who offered her a chance to program something for the Glamrocks’ holographic shows. Being inexperienced, she declined the chance. This encounter did give Vanny and Glitchtrap an idea on how to continue the story, though.

*Basically: Sixteen climbs the ranks to become her lab’s CEO through performances and on-stage charm. When she makes it to the top, that charisma freezes and shatters. She turns into an even worse boss than the one who ordered her to be made. The only thing that keeps her at bay is the “ghost” of Vanny’s first character acting as her conscience (a story beat Vanny added to keep Glitchtrap in check)… Well, until it’s time for Sadistic Music Factory. Then Sixteen purges The Ghost from her system.

*Thing is, as much as Glitchtrap liked performing again and the new form (complete with snazzy outfits), he STILL didn’t like all the bonkers high note stuff Vanny wanted him to do. So, he begs her to let Sixteen’s story have an actual ending so he can have a new form. One that’s much easier to manage, “vocal” cord-wise.

*Vanny readily agrees, for once, since she finally got a handle of making actual custom voicebanks. She reworks the ending to have one last twist: Sixteen has a robotic mental breakdown after taking over, causing a system shutdown after one blitz-through of Sadistic Music Factory. The Ghost miraculously returns to reset Sixteen, which prompts the cyborg to reflect on her life before the infamous glitch. Cue “Kokoro” as a final farewell and an apology… of sorts. With a pained smile on her face, she turns herself off for good as the video feed to the lab turns to static.

*After the initial test of Kokoro’s music video, Vanny’s coworkers (and anyone who watched the uploads to social media) were left on a slight cliffhanger. What was Vanny’s next story going to be? Who was the new character that she was teasing in Break Room Texting Group?

*Well, Glitchtrap sure knew. He was actually helping make this one, after all. Giving Vanny voice samples from various interviews when he was properly Afton or Spring-Bonnie voice clips from Fredbear and Friends, giving design pointers for the model, and even helping build a plausible backstory. Thing is, neither one of them have figured out a proper name yet. Glitchtrap definitely plans on coming up with one for his new persona, though.

*Thankfully for both of them, the story was a lot less complicated than last time. TL;DR is that this guy is some bunny-eared dude who inexplicably is able to sing like a siren. Listen to him a little too much, and you might end up like The Ghost from the last story. Is he a vampire with different ears? A siren shape-shifter? A rejected ringmaster’s son? Who knows? He’s not telling unless you charm him enough.

*When October came ‘round that year, a surprise video hit the Break Room Group. Not entirely sure what song would’ve been used to be the cover, but for some reason Ashes to Ashes might work? 🤷‍♀️ Point is that Glitchtrap’s proper Vocaloid form finally showed up. And some people in that office went wild.

*Good. All according to Glitchtrap’s new plan. If he can’t kill directly anymore, then maybe being the mermaid-like bait would be a decent trade-off. Now all he hopes is that Vanny doesn’t pull any last minute tricks of her own… Like using what he’s shared of his real “backstory” (*cough cough* his childhood when he was William *cough cough*) against him…

[greeksouvenirsbyaz]

replies

many and long, so:

tyrellsimsoficeandfire replied to your post “replies”

I'm such a bad follower ;-). I must catch up with your writing. Always had just time for a quick like. I must read and give proper feedback. I know you deserve!

Thank you for following the story anyways! It’s quite lovely of you to even mention that you don’t have time to read... And I would love to have you as a reader, too, and hear what you think about the plot and characters... But take your time to do as you wish dear!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “At the sound of the racks crashing the boy stopped, just under the...”

No - but that is your wish Andreas, to make time stand still so as to behold the vision a while longer. I feel you, kid.

There is an eternal quality to time (and space, and light) and I sometimes seem to detect it a lot stronger when I am in Greece... But yes, Andreas does enjoy looking at Konstantinos, and is mentally photographing this moment!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “What?” < previous     ||     next >”

Oh he's irresistible! And a little cocky! GET HIM ANDREAS!!

I’m sort of proud of having created this boy, do enjoy his looks a lot! 

Andreas would be a little embarrassed with the encouragement, for he is slow in such matters...

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “How could someone so young be so blasé? Not effortlessly, Andreas...”

"Home with you" Is the answer we all need here!!!

Yes, but where is home here? Andreas doesn’t have a home anymore, and we know nothing about the boy’s life yet... Oh, you mean they should do it! But then any alley would do, right? ;)

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Work?”  So obvious it were that the boy answered Andreas with another...”

That is the perfect pose for this rebuke!

This is a lovely pose @starsha-sims!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “And my bag?” Andreas insisted. He finally identified across the...”

Cock-blocked by the Uncle. Typical! (Just teasing lol)

Haha, I had to look the term up on a slang dictionary to see what it meant... Hum, is Uncle Alcandros that powerful as to own Konstantinos? Or is he maybe the boy’s pimp?

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Andreas shook the rack he still held behind him, and the sudden noise...”

You have nothing to lose Andreas. Do it!!

I remember telling this to myself just too often, and still feeling unable to act on my desire... :/

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Halting once more, the boy turned only his upper body towards Andreas....”

Never mind what Dev would have said - you say what you feel Andreas!

Dev sounds like an imaginary friend of Andreas, doesn’t it?

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “I live here.” Again, the answer – followed by a shrug – being so...”

I think he is playing it cool - or hard to get? :D

Whatever Konstantinos is doing, he is deeply affecting Andreas, so it must be just the right thing to do! The boy is a natural seducer! 

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “The boy was about to turn around again, resume his way, closing their...”

Let's hope he is genuine and doesn't see Andreas as a cash-cow

Another term I had not previously heard of, but that I understood right away! It sounds somehow sexy to describe someone that way... Cow... milk... milking... sucking... oops!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “The bells of the neighboring church and their echoing around the walls...”

He will clearly stand out in a crowd Andreas. Don't worry!

Do you really think so, my friend? Andreas is asking you, begging for confirmation, biting his pouting lips... The idea of not seeing that boy again makes Andrea regret being so slow, so clumsy...

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “The Three Graces. The three scorched graces, though – and not very...”

Agree with @simblu​ Watch it boy!

Let’s hope Andreas has taken some lessons of self-defense! (for he doesn’t seem the type who has been in fights often)

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “His mood immediately brightened and, as if becoming just then aware of...”

I'm glad he has his senses back - for now. Great reading, as always! Loving it!

Thank you soooo muuuch for reading the story, dear!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “But the exchange between the three boys and the old porter did not...”

'Malakia Dickheads' is what I am hoping Andreas has learned. Mutter that to yourself Lad!! :D

Andreas is so thrilled when you call him lad... Else, he is incapable of swearing!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “That he had not spotted a single policeman, and instead kept bumping...”

**Passes the boys the Penis & Height Slider Mod** There ya go lads - go play and be happy about life!

(Because I get the impression that their ego's are bigger than them!)

Haha! Maybe it’s the perspective in the pictures? They are smaller than Andreas, but not that much small :D

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Slightly aware that his stare might have turned into ogle – that they...”

Oh shit! I didn't know that @simblu​ I would have took it as begging and offered them some Vape Oil :D :D :D

Vape Oil? I had to Google that too! :D

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Cigarettes?” A token, a fee – like they were the toll booth to the...”

Oh my! This is the first time I have noticed the prominence of that tattoo outlined above THAT Stitch on his pants. . . How very... VISUAL! :D

(Also, I am glad I noticed! lol)

I did mention that tattoo previously, in this post, where it did not show, though... I am glad you noticed it, and am not so sure other people have... They will, when Andreas heads to the beaches...

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “I… don’t smoke.” Andreas affirmed – without much conviction –, upon...”

Stand up for yourself Andreas! They are just kids - BE CONFIDENT!

Oh dear, Andreas is NOT confident at all... but thank you for cheering him up and encouraging him anyway!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “I… don’t smoke.” Andreas affirmed – without much conviction –, upon...”

Ahh SHIT! Went to click Next. Cried.

It took just a week or so between updates, for I am trying to post LoSSS in between those, but I am still sorry to keep you waiting!

tyrellsimsoficeandfire replied to your photo “Slightly aware that his stare might have turned into ogle – that they...”

And yet, the boys look absolutely hot!

Hot... under the sun? :D

I know, and they enjoy your compliment, though!

lifeasasim replied to your photo “Not meant as the trick he had tried with Konstantinos, Andreas...”

"Foul fart" hahaha

I hope that is an appropriate expression...

lifeasasim replied to your photo “Oh, parakalo!” Andreas exclaimed, unsure to be using the right word...”

Rude >:(

They are, aren’t they? Let’s hope Andreas does not fall in love with them just because of their rudeness ;)

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Not meant as the trick he had tried with Konstantinos, Andreas...”

Was 'Gay Friendly' even a term back then? I don't know how underground it all was. Wasn't this in the 80's did you say?

This is the mid to end of the 1990s as mentioned here, and LGB ( as well as gay friendly) was a term already in use since the beginning of the 1990s. 

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “No, it’s left.” Answered the boy in red – bearing the uniform of some...”

Hopefully - glad to help! And how brave Andreas was to ask them like that - they could easily beat him up on their assumptions of his sexuality!

He seems to prefer to trust these thugs than the old porter, that he disliked from the start... Andreas, I fear, is not always the best judge of characters... Though he doesn’t seem to fear violence from that source -- his sexuality, I mean --, and is more concerned about being robbed!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Oh, parakalo!” Andreas exclaimed, unsure to be using the right word...”

Well that was a lot easier than it could have become! Nice one for making it out of there in one piece Andy!!

simblu replied to your photo “A deep breath for each step taking him past the boys, and away from...”

Quite the surprise.. I thought for certain it was going to go another way

I’m answering both @declarations-of-drama and @simblu in the same reply because it’s on the same topic...

Andreas has brought his metropolitan life neurosis with him to the island, so that several of his perceptions are tainted with that, and rarely correspond to the reality... He was super afraid of something that was simply never going to happen, though he kept seeing indications that it would!

[hlsummerexchange2017]

What if we are not comfortable with using a beta for personal reasons? Does that mean we shouldn't sign up? :/ I hope this doesn't come across as rude, as it's just a genuine question. thank you.

Hi, Anon! Thanks for your message. We’re glad you’ve reached out to us, and you don’t come off as rude at all.

Just a little background: We (mods) decided to run this fic exchange because we have all enjoyed participating in exchanges, because we love writing and reading fics, and because we want to help bring more fics into our fandom.

We truly want this to be a positive experience for everyone (writers and readers!) and we’d love to explain why we think using a beta is so important. Because we have our own reasons we use betas, two of us decided to answer you. All three of us agree that we want people to participate in this exchange. Please come off anon and chat about this issue with us. You can contact us through Tumblr or through email (hlsummerexchange2017 at gmail dot com).

Below the cut you’ll find our thoughts on working with a beta. Hopefully this will help explain why we made having a beta one of our expectations. Thanks, and we hope to hear from you again!

Mod One Here!

I have a lot of love of betas for a few different reasons and for me they’re an invaluable resource. My first friend in this fandom was actually one of the other mods because I randomly reached out to her to see if she’d beta for me and we clicked.

I’m sure you know this, but betas can serve a variety of uses. For my first fic, it was in pretty good shape when I handed it over. I mostly wanted a second set of eyes to make sure my grammar/spelling/punctuation/etc was correct, but I had been through an MFA program in fiction and was very used to critiques and was open to any other suggestions for improvement. My beta ended up calling out some fandom crutches that were overused that I decided to take out and also a weird tonal shift during the smut that didn’t match the rest of the fic which I then reworked for consistency.

Because the whole concept of a fic exchange is that you’re gifting the fic to someone else, I wanted it to be in the very best shape it could be in. For me, personally, that means trying to minimize the amount of times a reader would be drawn out of the story, whether that’s because of punctuation or inconstant characterization or not maintaining tone or any of hundreds of other things betas can flag.

I keep using words like ‘suggestions,’ ‘called out’ and ‘flagged’ because I also think one of the best things about having a beta is just giving yourself time to think about the choices you’ve made as a writer. Although I do end up accepting most of the suggestions my beta makes, I don’t blindly accept or accept them all. But, when there’s a suggestion, it gives me pause to think through why I made those choices originally. If I think my reasons are more valid or I made that choice for a particular reason that I stand behind, then I’m more confident in posting because I’ve made ABC decisions and I’ve heard reasons why maybe XYZ is better and I’ve thought about and I’m happy with the choices I’ve made.

Now that we’ve worked together for (drum roll please…) nine months, I tend to bounce ideas off of her, talk through issues I run into while writing, and make her hold me accountable for writing when I’d rather lie around dramatically whining about how hard writing is. I also love having someone to talk punctuation! grammar! word choice! other nerdy writing stuff with.

All of that is all my primary beta. Because I love betas and I’m a perfectionist, I tend to have one or two more people read it closely before I post and they invariably find repeated words/missing words/errant punctuation/etc which I am always eternally grateful for.  

Anyway, I realize how long-winded this was and your ask was not for a love letter to my beta or an in-depth look at my writing process. But, one of the reasons I came back to writing after a long break was because of the sense of community I’ve found within fan fic, and my betas are a big part of that. This exchange is now a big part of that too. I really want all the authors to feel comfortable here and for this to be a positive experience and not something that’s causes undue stress. I also want as many fics as possible! It’s been a rough year in the fandom and I think fics are a big reason why a lot of people have stuck around.

Clearly I think betas are important and worthwhile, but I understand that it can be nerve wracking to have someone else read your work! I’d love if you wouldn’t mind coming off anon and hopefully we can work through any issues/concerns you have about betas. The three of us have been chatting about what reasons someone might have for not wanting to have a beta and we might have some ideas or solutions. I want as many people as possible to participate, but I’d also like all the fics to be in the best shape possible (no one is expecting total perfection; we’re all amateurs and writing because we love it), and I’m confident that we can come to a compromise so that everyone is happy with the process.

Mod Two′s Thoughts:

Hi Anon! I agree with the other mod’s thoughts but wanted to add some of my own.

I think a beta is really important to have, because a beta makes your writing better. And everyone could write better. 

Remember, you can use a beta to your comfort level. You can ask someone to do a what I call a “deep read” (where they really pick the work apart), or you can ask for a more surface read (where they check for glaring errors and spelling mistakes and typos). Either way, a beta helps make a story sing.

Also, you don’t have to agree with every comment a beta makes, although I’d at least take some time to consider what they say, since they took the time to read and offer feedback. Often my beta will point out something is confusing or ask why I did something. I’ll write back why I made the decision and it turns out I need to add a single tiny phrase somewhere to make everything fit into place. Other times I’ll disagree and leave things as they are.

As writers, we are so close to our writing. We know why our characters do things, but we’re not always so good at explaining that to readers. Or a plot point makes perfect sense to us but is confusing to someone else. And a beta can help catch those mistakes our eye skims past.

No matter how many times I read my own work (on various screens, in various fonts, and out loud), I still miss things. More than once I have written the wrong name. Niall literally left the room…he can’t also sit next to Harry at the table! I have a weird quirk with double words in my work (…and and he…). A new mistake that I’ve started writing is using him/his in the wrong place. It’s not that I don’t know which word to use–it’s that my fingers don’t care. Once I even said a character killed another person when I meant he kissed the other one! (Spellcheck would not have caught that, and this was not a love-to-hate-to-murder fic, so…)

Writing this out has made me realize, I use beta readers to make me look good. :D

When reading, it can be really distracting to find typos and story mistakes in a fic. I don’t expect perfection–this is fanfic, it’s for fun! But as a reader, I want to be able to immerse myself in fic without a jarring read. And a writer, I want my readers to lose themselves in my work. A beta reader helps make that happen.

Also, since this is a gift exchange, I want to give my prompter something nice and clean. Using a beta is sort of like making sure your fic is gift wrapped.

As a side note, I think a lot of people try to perfect their writing before giving it to a beta. I took a writing class where a professional author said it’s a good idea to get things pretty clean, but not perfect. That way when you get feedback, it’s easier to take it. :)

Finally, I will be the first to say that a strong beta/reader relationship takes time to build. I’ve worked with people I won’t work with again, but I still learned from them. Now I’ve got my crew of betas, and I’m going to beg them to read my dissertation eventually. :) (That’s going to be a huge job; I’m already saving up for deluxe fruit baskets.) I know finding a good beta can be daunting, but it can also be so, so rewarding. If anyone is going to work with a beta for the first time and wants some tips and tricks on how to navigate that relationship, let us know and we’ll draft an answer! Since this is so long, I’m going to leave those tips off for now.

Like the other mods have said, please come back and chat with us. I want to find a way to get you writing and comfortable having it beta read for this exchange. Thanks for sending in the ask!