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eyrieofsynapses · 1 year ago

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why Aurora's art is genius

It's break for me, and I've been meaning to sit down and read the Aurora webcomic (https://comicaurora.com/, @comicaurora on Tumblr) for quite a bit. So I did that over the last few days.

And… y'know. I can't actually say "I should've read this earlier," because otherwise I would've been up at 2:30-3am when I had responsibilities in the morning and I couldn't have properly enjoyed it, but. Holy shit guys THIS COMIC.

I intended to just do a generalized "hello this is all the things I love about this story," and I wrote a paragraph or two about art style. …and then another. And another. And I realized I needed to actually reference things so I would stop being too vague. I was reading the comic on my tablet or phone, because I wanted to stay curled up in my chair, but I type at a big monitor and so I saw more details… aaaaaand it turned into its own giant-ass post.

SO. Enjoy a few thousand words of me nerding out about this insanely cool art style and how fucking gorgeous this comic is? (There are screenshots, I promise it isn't just a wall of text.) In my defense, I just spent two semesters in graphic design classes focusing on the Adobe Suite, so… I get to be a nerd about pretty things…???

All positive feedback btw! No downers here. <3

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I cannot emphasize enough how much I love the beautiful, simple stylistic method of drawing characters and figures. It is absolutely stunning and effortless and utterly graceful—it is so hard to capture the sheer beauty and fluidity of the human form in such a fashion. Even a simple outline of a character feels dynamic! It's gorgeous!

Though I do have a love-hate relationship with this, because my artistic side looks at that lovely simplicity, goes "I CAN DO THAT!" and then I sit down and go to the paper and realize that no, in fact, I cannot do that yet, because that simplicity is born of a hell of a lot of practice and understanding of bodies and actually is really hard to do. It's a very developed style that only looks simple because the artist knows what they're doing. The human body is hard to pull off, and this comic does so beautifully and makes it look effortless.

Also: line weight line weight line weight. It's especially important in simplified shapes and figures like this, and hoo boy is it used excellently. It's especially apparent the newer the pages get—I love watching that improvement over time—but with simpler figures and lines, you get nice light lines to emphasize both smaller details, like in the draping of clothing and the curls of hair—which, hello, yes—and thicker lines to emphasize bigger and more important details and silhouettes. It's the sort of thing that's essential to most illustrations, but I wanted to make a note of it because it's so vital to this art style.

THE USE OF LAYER BLENDING MODES OH MY GODS. (...uhhh, apologies to the people who don't know what that means, it's a digital art program thing? This article explains it for beginners.)

Bear with me, I just finished my second Photoshop course, I spent months and months working on projects with this shit so I see the genius use of Screen and/or its siblings (of which there are many—if I say "Screen" here, assume I mean the entire umbrella of Screen blending modes and possibly Overlay) and go nuts, but seriously it's so clever and also fucking gorgeous:

Firstly: the use of screened-on sound effect words over an action? A "CRACK" written over a branch and then put on Screen in glowy green so that it's subtle enough that it doesn't disrupt the visual flow, but still sticks out enough to make itself heard? Little "scritches" that are transparent where they're laid on without outlines to emphasize the sound without disrupting the underlying image? FUCK YES. I haven't seen this done literally anywhere else—granted, I haven't read a massive amount of comics, but I've read enough—and it is so clever and I adore it. Examples:

Secondly: The beautiful lighting effects. The curling leaves, all the magic, the various glowing eyes, the fog, the way it's all so vividly colored but doesn't burn your eyeballs out—a balance that's way harder to achieve than you'd think—and the soft glows around them, eeeee it's so pretty so pretty SO PRETTY. Not sure if some of these are Outer/Inner Glow/Shadow layer effects or if it's entirely hand-drawn, but major kudos either way; I can see the beautiful use of blending modes and I SALUTE YOUR GENIUS.

I keep looking at some of this stuff and go "is that a layer effect or is it done by hand?" Because you can make some similar things with the Satin layer effect in Photoshop (I don't know if other programs have this? I'm gonna have to find out since I won't have access to PS for much longer ;-;) that resembles some of the swirly inner bits on some of the lit effects, but I'm not sure if it is that or not. Or you could mask over textures? There's... many ways to do it.

If done by hand: oh my gods the patience, how. If done with layer effects: really clever work that knows how to stop said effects from looking wonky, because ugh those things get temperamental. If done with a layer of texture that's been masked over: very, very good masking work. No matter the method, pretty shimmers and swirly bits inside the bigger pretty swirls!

Next: The way color contrast is used! I will never be over the glowy green-on-black Primordial Life vibes when Alinua gets dropped into that… unconscious space?? with Life, for example, and the sharp contrast of vines and crack and branches and leaves against pitch black is just visually stunning. The way the roots sink into the ground and the three-dimensional sensation of it is particularly badass here:

Friggin. How does this imply depth like that. HOW. IT'S SO FREAKING COOL.

A huge point here is also color language and use! Everybody has their own particular shade, generally matching their eyes, magic, and personality, and I adore how this is used to make it clear who's talking or who's doing an action. That was especially apparent to me with Dainix and Falst in the caves—their colors are both fairly warm, but quite distinct, and I love how this clarifies who's doing what in panels with a lot of action from both of them. There is a particular bit that stuck out to me, so I dug up the panels (see this page and the following one https://comicaurora.com/aurora/1-20-30/):

(Gods it looks even prettier now that I put it against a plain background. Also, appreciation to Falst for managing a bridal-carry midair, damn.)

The way that their colors MERGE here! And the immense attention to detail in doing so—Dainix is higher up than Falst is in the first panel, so Dainix's orange fades into Falst's orange at the base. The next panel has gold up top and orange on bottom; we can't really tell in that panel where each of them are, but that's carried over to the next panel—

—where we now see that Falst's position is raised above Dainix's due to the way he's carrying him. (Points for continuity!) And, of course, we see the little "huffs" flowing from orange to yellow over their heads (where Dainix's head is higher than Falst's) to merge the sound of their breathing, which is absurdly clever because it emphasizes to the viewer how we hear two sets of huffing overlaying each other, not one. Absolutely brilliant.

(A few other notes of appreciation to that panel: beautiful glows around them, the sparks, the jagged silhouette of the spider legs, the lovely colors that have no right to make the area around a spider corpse that pretty, the excellent texturing on the cave walls plus perspective, the way Falst's movements imply Dainix's hefty weight, the natural posing of the characters, their on-point expressions that convey exactly how fuckin terrifying everything is right now, the slight glows to their eyes, and also they're just handsome boys <3)

Next up: Rain!!!! So well done! It's subtle enough that it never ever disrupts the impact of the focal point, but evident enough you can tell! And more importantly: THE MIST OFF THE CHARACTERS. Rain does this irl, it has that little vapor that comes off you and makes that little misty effect that plays with lighting, it's so cool-looking and here it's used to such pretty effect!

One of the panel captions says something about it blurring out all the injuries on the characters but like THAT AIN'T TOO BIG OF A PROBLEM when it gets across the environmental vibes, and also that'd be how it would look in real life too so like… outside viewer's angle is the same as the characters', mostly? my point is: that's the environment!!! that's the vibes, that's the feel! It gets it across and it does so in the most pretty way possible!

And another thing re: rain, the use of it to establish perspective, particularly in panels like this—

—where we can tell we're looking down at Tynan due to the perspective on the rain and where it's pointing. Excellent. (Also, kudos for looking down and emphasizing how Tynan's losing his advantage—lovely use of visual storytelling.)

Additionally, the misting here:

We see it most heavily in the leftmost panel, where it's quite foggy as you would expect in a rainstorm, especially in an environment with a lot of heat, but it's also lightly powdered on in the following two panels and tends to follow light sources, which makes complete sense given how light bounces off particles in the air.

A major point of strength in these too is a thorough understanding of lighting, like rim lighting, the various hues and shades, and an intricate understanding of how light bounces off surfaces even when they're in shadow (we'll see a faint glow in spots where characters are half in shadow, but that's how it would work in real life, because of how light bounces around).

Bringing some of these points together: the fluidity of the lines in magic, and the way simple glowing lines are used to emphasize motion and the magic itself, is deeply clever. I'm basically pulling at random from panels and there's definitely even better examples, but here's one (see this page https://comicaurora.com/aurora/1-16-33/):

First panel, listed in numbers because these build on each other:

The tension of the lines in Tess's magic here. This works on a couple levels: first, the way she's holding her fists, as if she's pulling a rope taut.

The way there's one primary line, emphasizing the rope feeling, accompanied by smaller ones.

The additional lines starbursting around her hands, to indicate the energy crackling in her hands and how she's doing a good bit more than just holding it. (That combined with the fists suggests some tension to the magic, too.) Also the variations in brightness, a feature you'll find in actual lightning. :D Additional kudos for how the lightning sparks and breaks off the metal of the sword.

A handful of miscellaneous notes on the second panel:

The reflection of the flames in Erin's typically dark blue eyes (which bears a remarkable resemblance to Dainix, incidentally—almost a thematic sort of parallel given Erin's using the same magic Dainix specializes in?)

The flowing of fabric in the wind and associated variation in the lineart

The way Erin's tattoos interact with the fire he's pulling to his hand

The way the rain overlays some of the fainter areas of fire (attention! to! detail! hell yeah!)

I could go on. I won't because this is a lot of writing already.

Third panel gets paragraphs, not bullets:

Erin's giant-ass "FWOOM" of fire there, and the way the outline of the word is puffy-edged and gradated to feel almost three-dimensional, plus once again using Screen or a variation on it so that the stars show up in the background. All this against that stunning plume of fire, which ripples and sparks so gorgeously, and the ending "om" of the onomatopoeia is emphasized incredibly brightly against that, adding to the punch of it and making the plume feel even brighter.

Also, once again, rain helping establish perspective, especially in how it's very angular in the left side of the panel and then slowly becomes more like a point to the right to indicate it's falling directly down on the viewer. Add in the bright, beautiful glow effects, fainter but no less important black lines beneath them to emphasize the sky and smoke and the like, and the stunningly beautiful lighting and gradated glows surrounding Erin plus the lightning jagging up at him from below, and you get one hell of an impactful panel right there. (And there is definitely more in there I could break down, this is just a lot already.)

And in general: The colors in this? Incredible. The blues and purples and oranges and golds compliment so well, and it's all so rich.

Like, seriously, just throughout the whole comic, the use of gradients, blending modes, color balance and hues, all the things, all the things, it makes for the most beautiful effects and glows and such a rich environment. There's a very distinct style to this comic in its simplified backgrounds (which I recognize are done partly because it's way easier and also backgrounds are so time-consuming dear gods but lemme say this) and vivid, smoothly drawn characters; the simplicity lets them come to the front and gives room for those beautiful, richly saturated focal points, letting the stylized designs of the magic and characters shine. The use of distinct silhouettes is insanely good. Honestly, complex backgrounds might run the risk of making everything too visually busy in this case. It's just, augh, so GORGEOUS.

Another bit, take a look at this page (https://comicaurora.com/aurora/1-15-28/):

It's not quite as evident here as it is in the next page, but this one does some other fun things so I'm grabbing it. Points:

Once again, using different colors to represent different character actions. The "WHAM" of Kendal hitting the ground is caused by Dainix's force, so it's orange (and kudos for doubling the word over to add a shake effect). But we see blue layered underneath, which could be an environmental choice, but might also be because it's Kendal, whose color is blue.

And speaking off, take a look at the right-most panel on top, where Kendal grabs the spear: his motion is, again, illustrated in bright blue, versus the atmospheric screened-on orange lines that point toward him around the whole panel (I'm sure these have a name, I think they might be more of a manga thing though and the only experience I have in manga is reading a bit of Fullmetal Alchemist). Those lines emphasize the weight of the spear being shoved at him, and their color tells us Dainix is responsible for it.

One of my all-time favorite effects in this comic is the way cracks manifest across Dainix's body to represent when he starts to lose control; it is utterly gorgeous and wonderfully thematic. These are more evident in the page before and after this one, but you get a decent idea here. I love the way they glow softly, the way the fire juuuust flickers through at the start and then becomes more evident over time, and the cracks feel so realistic, like his skin is made of pottery. Additional points for how fire begins to creep into his hair.

A small detail that's generally consistent across the comic, but which I want to make note of here because you can see it pretty well: Kendal's eyes glow about the same as the jewel in his sword, mirroring his connection to said sword and calling back to how the jewel became Vash's eye temporarily and thus was once Kendal's eye. You can always see this connection (though there might be some spots where this also changes in a symbolic manner; I went through it quickly on the first time around, so I'll pay more attention when I inevitably reread this), where Kendal's always got that little shine of blue in his eyes the same as the jewel. It's a beautiful visual parallel that encourages the reader to subconsciously link them together, especially since the lines used to illustrate character movements typically mirror their eye color. It's an extension of Kendal.

Did I mention how ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL the colors in this are?

Also, the mythological/legend-type scenes are illustrated in familiar style often used for that type of story, a simple and heavily symbolic two-dimensional cave-painting-like look. They are absolutely beautiful on many levels, employing simple, lovely gradients, slightly rougher and thicker lineart that is nonetheless smoothly beautiful, and working with clear silhouettes (a major strength of this art style, but also a strength in the comic overall). But in particular, I wanted to call attention to a particular thing (see this page https://comicaurora.com/aurora/1-12-4/):

The flowing symbolic lineart surrounding each character. This is actually quite consistent across characters—see also Life's typical lines and how they curl:

What's particularly interesting here is how these symbols are often similar, but not the same. Vash's lines are always smooth, clean curls, often playing off each other and echoing one another like ripples in a pond. You'd think they'd look too similar to Life's—but they don't. Life's curl like vines, and they remain connected; where one curve might echo another but exist entirely detached from each other in Vash's, Life's lines still remain wound together, because vines are continuous and don't float around. :P

Tahraim's are less continuous, often breaking up with significantly smaller bits and pieces floating around like—of course—sparks, and come to sharper points. These are also constants: we see the vines repeated over and over in Alinua's dreams of Life, and the echoing ripples of Vash are consistent wherever we encounter him. Kendal's dream of the ghost citizens of the city of Vash in the last few chapters is filled with these rippling, echoing patterns, to beautiful effect (https://comicaurora.com/aurora/1-20-14/):

They ripple and spiral, often in long, sinuous curves, with smooth elegance. It reminds me a great deal of images of space and sine waves and the like. This establishes a definite feel to these different characters and their magic. And the thing is, that's not something that had to be done—the colors are good at emphasizing who's who. But it was done, and it adds a whole other dimension to the story. Whenever you're in a deity's domain, you know whose it is no matter the color.

Regarding that shape language, I wanted to make another note, too—Vash is sometimes described as chaotic and doing what he likes, which is interesting to me, because smooth, elegant curves and the color blue aren't generally associated with chaos. So while Vash might behave like that on the surface, I'm guessing he's got a lot more going on underneath; he's probably much more intentional in his actions than you'd think at a glance, and he is certainly quite caring with his city. The other thing is that this suits Kendal perfectly. He's a paragon character; he is kind, virtuous, and self-sacrificing, and often we see him aiming to calm others and keep them safe. Blue is such a good color for him. There is… probably more to this, but I'm not deep enough in yet to say.

And here's the thing: I'm only scratching the surface. There is so much more here I'm not covering (color palettes! outfits! character design! environment! the deities! so much more!) and a lot more I can't cover, because I don't have the experience; this is me as a hobbyist artist who happened to take a couple design classes because I wanted to. The art style to this comic is so clever and creative and beautiful, though, I just had to go off about it. <3

...brownie points for getting all the way down here? Have a cookie.

#aurora comic #aurora webcomic #comicaurora #art analysis #...I hope those are the right tags???#new fandom new tagging practices to learn ig #much thanks for something to read while I try to rest my wrists. carpal tunnel BAD. (ignore that I wrote this I've got braces ok it's fine)#anyway! I HAVE. MANY MORE THOUGHTS. ON THE STORY ITSELF. THIS LOVELY STORY #also a collection of reactions to a chunk of the comic before I hit the point where I was too busy reading to write anything down #idk how to format those tho #...yeet them into one post...???#eh I usually don't go off this much these days but this seems like a smaller tight-knit fandom so... might as well help build it?#and I have a little more time thanks to break so #oh yes also shoutout to my insanely awesome professor for teaching me all the technical stuff from this he is LOVELY #made an incredibly complex program into something comprehensible <3 #synapse talks

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blakbonnet · 6 months ago

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AUTHOR OF THE WEEK: @clairegregoryau 💕

Everytime the topic of fandom kindness and community comes up, of helping each other out and fostering a quiet corner where people can be themselves, most people in our little fandom think of Claire. She's written over a million words of OFMD fic and read even more, and you can always see so so many recs over on her twitter. Incredible good vibes, and an author who truly lives to lift other authors up. She also does SO SO much for fic authors over on the OFMD Fic Club server <3 And she was incredibly kind and shared her entire writing process with me:

What's your writing process like? Do you start with the beginning or the end? Do you write in order or as the scenes come to you?

I’m a huge advance planner, which is a process that has developed for me over more than 25 years of writing original fiction. I’ll get whacked with a story idea, then I’ll sit down and set out the central kernel of that idea, and where it needs to start, where it needs to end, and what the turning points need to be to get there.

A lot of the time I use a three-act structure, largely because Jenkins has talked about OFMD using that structure (one example here). So that makes it easy for me to hold to the canon beats when I’m writing AU stories, or to mirror them in canon-era stories, which is also something I try to do most of the time. With long experience (and now 1.7 million words of OFMD fic written (!)), I find this part of the process really easy. I’ll usually do that plotting by hand-writing out my notes, because it really fires up a different part of your brain.

Because I am such an advance planner, I do tend to write in a completely linear way from start to finish (I also pretty commonly post my long-fics as I write- each chapter goes up as soon as it’s finished and has a final editing pass). Punching through it in a linear way, knowing the ending that I’m working towards and being enthusiastic to get there, really keeps me motivated.

I do all of my writing in 30-minute sprints at the OFMD Fic Club Discord, where we’ve built a lovely and LOUDLY enthusiastic writing community that anyone is welcome to hop into 24/7. For those who find the constant chat a bit overwhelming, we also have a Quiet Focus Sprints channel. Again via long practice, I’m a very fast writer, but that’s accelerated a lot more over the last couple of years, paradoxically because I couldn’t write the way I used to anymore.

I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that includes some fun brain impacts at times, and it’s really hit my working memory especially. I used to be able to hold all the strands of a complicated story together in my head as I wrote, but now I can’t do that as easily. So that’s why the outline is important for me, so I never lose track of the idea- I’ll also do a quick outline at the start of each chapter I’m writing that notes what needs to happen, and then I’ll write in what I call layers, getting down whatever I can first, and then doing sweeps back through it to add internals, narrative detail, sensory details and so on. I make a LOT of notes and square brackets as I go to remind myself of things to look at later.

I also use a plot matrix [Twitter thread, Example Matrix] that you may have seen floating around- I mostly use it to keep track of plot details that have already happened within a story, so that I can check it out at a glance, but I will sometimes plan certain elements in advance (as in the case of Tree Change, which covered 87 of the 93 Kinktober prompts last year across 12 carefully planned chapters). There’s always space when I’m writing for the characters to surprise me within that plot framework- as a final plotting thing, once I’m at the halfway mark I’ll often plot backwards from the planned end to make sure that I’m on course, and to see what I need to adjust.

Favourite trope or headcanon you like to explore while writing?

I really like to dig into the friends-to-lovers trope that sits at the heart of the show. The Ed and Stede relationship reminds me immensely of my own- like Rhys and Taika as friends, we’ve been yes-anding each other for over 25 years (all of my least hinged fic ideas come from bouncing thoughts back and forth with my husband), and it’s been a steady mix of constant silliness, curiosity, and care. We’re best friends first and that’s one of my favourite things about Ed and Stede, that they are, too.

What I really love about it is the vulnerability of these two people who’ve been hurt so much by others in the past, who’ve never been fully appreciated for all the things that they are, and in each other they find the one absolutely perfect person who just gets them, and it makes all the difference. It’s always fun to play with that and variations on it in fics, and it’s usually the beating heart of my stories.

Whose voice is easier to write - Ed or Stede? Why?

I want to say that I find them both equally easy depending on the story. Ed as a character speaks very much the way I think- he has that ADHD buzz, the high swear level, and a very AoNZ turn of phrase that’s also very familiar to Australians (like me). Writing Ed is like turning the inside of my head out and it always flows easily.

But I have always said that I see myself in both characters in equal parts, so I find Stede pretty easy to write as well. I feel like I pretty solidly understand him as a person, with his history of rejection and his commitment to trying anyway, and trying to be kind, and letting himself be fascinated by things, from piracy to books to moths to Ed (that one’s not hard).

Your personal favourite thing you've written that you'd like more people to read

This is a near-impossible question with 69 OFMD fics up on AO3 😅 I really do love them all, and I have a lot of smaller one-shots that haven’t been read as much, but overall I’m incredibly lucky with readership and so so grateful for everyone who enjoys my work.

But my recent Reverse Bang fic The Broken Lines is hugely important to me and I think it’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever written anywhere. It’s set in the aftermath of the First World War (my professional zone of expertise), and features a Stede who’s lost his voice, his memory, and as far as he knows, his Ed. He gradually remembers what happened with the help of the crew and another Ed, who appears in his mirror from 1719, searching for his own Stede. It was a beautiful collaboration with artist Gerlinde to begin with, but I also got to work with one of my longest-term writing friends Jill @followedmystar as my beta, and then with Boy, who made a truly transcendent podfic that I can’t yell about enough.

What is the one word that you think you use a lot?

I think the word I have to zap more than any other is “actually”, and there are still a million of them in there when I’m done. The main reason is that to stick close to canon voice, I try to incorporate a lot of the less iconic/ more ordinary turns of phrase that the characters use a lot in their speech (I’ve watched every episode of the show… way too many times), and both Ed and Stede actually use “actually” a surprising amount. I just use it an even more surprising amount 😂

(This just sent me on a QUEST to find a specific number because I am that kind of nerd- Stede says it 15 times in S1 and 12 in S2, and Ed says it 8 times in each, for totals of 27 and 16, many of them in distinctive moments; it just gives that little buzz of recognition for me. I started out screenwriting before I moved to prose, so my writing tends to lean pretty strongly on having a recognisable, almost audible voice to the dialogue, as well as a cinematic visual style for the big adventures especially).

Do you have a beta reader? Have they made you a better writer?

I quite deliberately don’t use a beta reader for most of my OFMD fics, because being in this space is an exercise in recovering from lifelong paralysing perfectionism around writing especially. I’ve spent so many years not finishing original work because it never feels like it passes the invisible bar for perfection that exists in my own head. So when I started writing OFMD fic, I set out to accept good enough as good enough, and to get back to enjoying writing as fully as I can.

Obviously this means that my work could be better, but I’m actively working on letting that thought go and loving everything I’ve made just as it is. When I have worked with beta readers on projects that require them, like the Reverse Bang, it’s been with friends who I trust and adore, who I know will listen to what I need (cheerleading, mostly), and will do their best to work with me on improving the story without letting me spiral into hating it all because it wakes the perfectionist beast back up.

That doesn’t mean I’m without regular support, or that I’m not trying to improve my writing! I read an absolutely insane amount of fic, and I’m always in awe of the talent we have on this ship, and always learning from what other people do well. In lieu of beta readers, we share snippets of work all the time in our sprints team, so I get feedback there; I also get it from readers in progress, who often give me a sense of what’s hitting the way I hoped and what needs a bit of tweaking. I also have lovely group chats and individual friends like Kerry @communionnimrod and Lis @ghostalservice and Jill who I can run to if I need an opinion on whether an idea feels right or not, which I will often ask.

I’m very very careful with my writing, but in a couple of rare instances readers have also DMd me to note spots where I’ve inadvertently included something that doesn’t reach the sensitivity standard I’m aiming for. I’m always grateful for that gentleness and bravery in reaching out and I’m always happy to change something or to add tags or notes as needed.

Why OFMD 🥹

I watched the whole show in one hit a week after the final episode aired, and I loved it immediately, but I thought I was going to be normal about it. The unravelling into complete, unrelenting obsession happened gradually as I rewatched it with my husband and teen, then again, and again, then started to read fics and hunt up art, then started joining fan spaces, and then dived into writing my first fic in two and a half decades (all original writing between The X-Files and here), thinking it would also be my last.

I’m still here, still writing constantly, and a major portion of it is the show and how distinctly it reflected all the many parts of me, some of which I’d never seen so clearly before. I had a tough childhood in a few different family respects. I didn’t understand that I was neurodivergent until I turned 40 and my own kids were heading for diagnosis, and I’d been rejected constantly throughout my life for being too much. I was a high achiever who was in the process of crumpling under pressure right when I watched it, and while I’d been figuring out my sense of my own queerness for a few years, I’d never had a community that helped me feel at home with that.

And in the end it’s the community that’s been the reason I’ve been fully sucked into fandom for the first time since my teens- the writing in this space is top-tier wonderful, and the community is such a found family, just like the Revenge. Being able to write and have people actually want to read that writing, being able to cheer others on and hype their work, being able to help set up the OFMD Fic Club Discord and make it a safe spaceship for so many people, has been incredibly fulfilling and lovely.

Please head over to @ofmdlovelyletters (who also made the header) and send your love to all your favourite authors (and authors of the week 😈 watch that blog for some special letters coming your way)

#aotw #author of the week #artist of the week #clairegregoryau #ofmd #our flag means death #writing

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quinloki · 9 months ago

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What's your writing process like? Do you draft everything at once and then release chapter by chapter as you edit or something similar?

How to you keep your notes organized? I think you've said before in an ask you use Scrivener (me too!), how do you organize that? I love seeing peoples writing processes in general, if your comfortable explaining!!

Okay you're awesome thank you 💛

Process. Ah. Ahem. Organization... /sweats/

Okay, so organization I have something like that. Thanks almost entirely to Scrivener if I'mma be honest. My projects are organized by blorbo - so like all the Kid x Readers are in one project, and then broken down in files by book.

Except for A Light Touch - cause that's in the Grandline AU collection project, and all associated stories are in there with it.

Notes, though, and er... drafts... Ah.

So I would like to note I mean this in the stereotypical pop culture way, and not in the legitimate way, but I'm insane.

I have never known how long a story was going to be until I wrote it, and while I've had a few slapdash outlines for stories, I never manage to stick to them, so I barely even bother writing them out anymore.

Usually the process is something like:

Inspiration -> Idea -> details for Idea -> some notes -> decide certain parameters -> and time allowing either set aside or start writing chapter 1.

Quicksand, for instance, was inspired by a piece of fan art. It was going to be a one-shot. I started world-building and deciding functional parameters and uh... it's 20 chapters if you don't count the alternative story line. The inspired scene doesn't even happen until like chapter 18.

And even within that, I'd meant for Crocodile to be way more terrifyingly yandere to the point that Doflamingo was going to be the GOOD GUY.

That was the plan. That did not happen.

Inversely, I had the first 5 chapters of A Dragon's Clause outlined, and got so into it those 5 chapters were 8 chapters when I ran out of outline. There are, however, THREE different pages of notes for world building, characters and orgs, and important details, that I reference while I write, and I very much expect the story will be near to 50 chapters, if not longer.

Hey Doll has no outline. It's got a page of notes.

The Host Club AU as nothing set in stone except the Club itself and the owners. Yeah I did some headcanoning and world building via asks, but I still don't know what I'm going to keep and what I'm going to cut, and I'm going to start writing chapter one in June XD There is no outline.

Hell, the ending of a Heart of Gold was decided by a scene in A Light Touch, so one of the reasons I'm going to a little slower than usual is because I have to make sure Heart stays on track. (And yes, A Light Touch, Quicksand, Heart of Gold, and Thrice Prophesized all happen in the same AU at the same time - it's not just a backdrop AU for those stories like it is for Some Direction and Hey Doll.)

But yeah, that's uh... that's it. I don't really have much of a process beyond "This is what I want to work on" and then I turn on a appropriately themed playlist, pick some art to have on one monitor and write on the other. And honestly, thank fuck for like @swampstew, @mamaalpha, @standfucker, @lyndsyh24, @writing-yarn-goblin, @kazieai, @anon-germany, @theaceofflamesposts, @zorostittiesz, @leakyweep, @icy-spicy and @thus-spoke-lo and @mewiyev for all being awesome fucking friends.

Between writing sprints, and beta-reading and inspiring with head canons and thots and art and support and the list goes on and on - I just. (and gods that's not even including @friedbluechicken and @cyborg-franky and can you understand how long this list is gonna get?)

I just kind of stumbled into this whole fandom thing. I didn't know wtf I was doing or what, and I swear I tripped into being friends with Lyn and Raven and it's all kind of a blur and from those two to everyone else on that list to many more beyond that and these alarmingly talented people talk to me of all the random ass bastards out there, and folks are sending me asks thinking I'm cool and wanting to know my process and like -

I'm just a stoat in a trench coat man, I don't even know what I'm doing here.

/ahem/ Okay, I got a little off the topic, but I guess I can't really say I have a process, and I don't plan out my stories much at all. But I will have highlights like I want x, y, and q to happen, so how do I do that? And the real relief is being okay when the story goes a different way and I just let it. I wrote Some Direction inside of a month just doing that. The only thing I knew about that story was who the antagonist was going to be ^^;

#quin answers #quin rambles JFC quin #anon asks

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moonshine-nightlight · 9 months ago

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Any advice for writting longform stories like NWWD?

@honoikazuchis

thanks for this ask!

thats a pretty open ended question and my answer will inherently be relatively specific to me and the way i write, but i'm happy to share my advice!

I will link a few other posts where i answered some other writing asks:

worldbuilding [x] editing/exposition [x] writer's block/POV [x] plotting vs pantsing [x] how long does it take me to write stuff [x] my writing process [x] writing spicy scenes [x]

otherwise, see below for me rambling way too long about writing.

disclaimer: this is just my opinion and how i do things, obviously there's a lot of variety and nuance for everyone's writing process.

firstly, is that personally, i'm inclined to writing longform stories so thats a bit of a built in strength of mine. generally speaking my story ideas come with lots of lore (see above for my love of worldbuilding) and i like relationships that are deeper/longer, with slow burn being a favorite of mine (why basically all my short stories have the two people involved having met prior to the story starting). that being said, technically the main character in 'Nothing's Wrong with Dale' doesnt meet demon!Dale until the flashback of chapter 2 and why is part of why that story is so long/has a built in arranged marriage premise. Of my two potential long form stories i'm going to do next: one they already know each other (and are basically already in love just being pining idiots about it) or two the story takes place over several months/high stress situations and does not end with marriage etc. But thats more of a concern if you're writing romance.

in general, my advice for longform stories is to already have a relatively complete, high level view of the story when you start. some people can just improvise the entire story as they go--I cannot. i think its very helpful to know where ur story is going to end, more crucially when it is long and you'll be taking a while to get there. by this i primarily mean the setup for the story, then general ending, and vaguely what sort of metaphorical journey they take to get there. you do not need to know every scene and detail in the middle--and plot points/characters can and will evolve as you write and think more on everything--but having the broad brushstrokes figured out asap is critical, in my opinion.

I also, as a side note, don't set out with a story length in mind. i can generally get a good handle on how long a story will be by the idea and outline, but i dont try to make it long. if anything, i did try to challenge myself to write shorter stories, like my novellas, when i started this blog/posting original writing here. that was not only because i do tend to get very complicated/long original ideas, but also because i think it was important to me to actually finish some original work, which i had never done before.

shorter stories tend to have more straightforward plots. not that you can't boil down longer stories to simpler summaries, but generally longer story ideas have more stops along the way so to speak that come to me when i'm developing the idea because i want to cover more with the story. the main character in dale having had childhood illness, dale raised by his grandparents, there being tournament stuff and assassins stuff and uncomfortable parties and most importantly MC figuring out dale was a demon immediately and dale not knowing the MC knew that were all things i came up with (loosely) very soon after i started working on it.

which leads into my next piece of advice: write everything you brainstorm down - you will forget and you will remember there's something u've forgotten and it will annoy the hell out of you. write your notes, write your what ifs, write down possible character names, write down cool ideas for scenes--heck write some of the scenes up then, evn if its for chapter 24 of 35. dont save what ur most excited for as like a carrot on a stick, i find that it doesnt help and that having part of my story that i love existing already is a much better motivator to write the rest

i'm also a big outliner and planner. i think some people think what that means is that u should b able to write a plan once for a story and then never change or deviate from it--but no! change the plan as you go; scrap things that dont work out and add new ideas when they come to you. however, i do think having something down that covers the whole story, lets you get a good idea of the shape of the story, and reminds you of your end goal, are all incredibly helpful. i also keep multiple worldbuilding notes docs; character and location lists; picture inspiration; etc to support the longform idea

i think u also hav to hav confidence/delusion that you will in fact finished. i hav started multiple longform original writing ideas in the past. none of them are done except dale. and part of it was not taking some of my own advice up top, but i think i also just wasnt as committed? lik it'd get lost in worldbuilding, or writing other projects, or life happening (which is all absolutely fine) but dale was the first longform idea where i like, really believed i could write it all and where i was dedicated to putting in the time i'd need to finish it. i knew i would need to take breaks and it would take more than a year (which i did and it did) but i still believed i'd get to where i am now, with a finished draft which i think was really key.

also, practice, i've been writing for years and year; i've been reading for even longer; and i've been writing and posting fanfic for years as well. some of my longer fanfics were such good practice for how to plot a long story without having to generate all the lore myself and having guardrails on for the story/characters in general. aside from dale, my next five pieces of longest writing are all fanfic.

lastly, find at least one person you can talk to about your story. i really think that helped me stay excited and motivated about my longform story in particular. i of course like talking about shorter stories too, but i dont think i felt as compelled to keep talking about them during the process of writing them as i did for my longform stories (even my longer fanfics i talked with other ppl in the big bang about or other writers on discord). and i dont just mean posting the rough drafts as u go like i did, but friends, irl or online, that either are also writers or are just interested in what story you want to make. i think it helps make it more real to you, it gives you ways to talk through issues that come up, its a way to get excited because they're excited, and it makes someone besides you ask how everythings going. the longer stories ideas i had but never got finished are also ones i primarily kept to myself, because i dont think i'd realized how helpful it could be to share them and also because i was still sure that in order to justify telling someone or evn for someone to care, it would hav to already be written, but it doesnt! and in retrospect, i wish i had because maybe those stories would exist--or maybe i'll dig up those notes and talk to someone about them and then find myself back to writing about them (rip to Aftermath, that corrupted external hard drive did u dirty and killed my motivation).

i think getting to understand and figure out your own process, to really look at yourself and see what works and what doesnt (as honestly as you can) is extremely helpful. u'll also figure stuff out along the way--dont hesitate to try to new strategies or drop one that are really not working for you. its all a learning process. be nice to yourself! give yourself the grace to make mistakes (or tell a friend so they can bully you into to cutting urself some damn slack when u can't stick to a weekly upload schedule u made up for urself).

whatever longform story you've got in ur head is one worth sharing and seeing through to completion--and then inflicting on everyone else lol OUR problem now ;)

#writing #writing asks #my writing #writing longer stories #let me know if u meant anything more specific as far as what u wanted advice on #the question was broad and open ended so thats where i went with my answer #i hope this was helpful and please feel free to send in any followup asks if it as confusing or didnt address something you want to know ab #thats open for everyone #not just the original asker #and definitely ask around to other writers you like #its always good to get multiple perspectives #clearly i am always happy to talk about my stories or my writing process #thanks again for sending in this ask!

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lunarleonardo · 7 months ago

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hihi!!! :D fanfic author to another fanfic author hehe

i’ve read all of your drv3 fanfics and they are very intriguing, in canon characterizations, plot driven stories that make me very happy to read and look forward for more! (abso love trans shuichi hc too aaa)

i was wondering if you make pre-planned outlines for your fanfics or do you go straight into writing and planning it as you go? i’m struggling in finding a fitting method myself to write my fanfics because i often jump straight into writing, but that got me stumped in my writings at times. asking for advice because i really love your compelling writing style but you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to :D!

First of all... Hi! :D Thank you so much!! I do my best <3 💕

Second... Oh boy, I sure do have a process xD (this might be a long post but I like yapping and overexplaining so bear with me qwq)

if you don't want to read it all though, the shorter answer is: Kind of? I don't fully plan it out, but I don't always totally wing it. I take notes and I build off of important scenes, and then I jump in and hope for the best lol

When I first decide I want to write something with intent to post it, I create a document soley for *notes*. Theres a few things I note before and when writing.

1. I replay/rewatch the canon game and take notes on everything I possibly can. For example! I'm replaying DRV3 chapter 5 (cus i, unfortunately, had an idea q_q). I note down what I see as important or what really stands out to me :) Hell, sometimes I'll even "transcript" down canon dialogue! For example, this is what some of my notes look like (ss1 is taken from my drv3 c5 notes, ss2 is taken from my blue eyes notes):

2. Little things matter. When starting my notes, I often write down the date I started and the basic synopsis of what the story will be about. I try to think of a name for the fic later because my #1 weakness is naming things >.> ... But also! Writing down the important details of your story is suuuper helpful, because you don't want to lose track of stuff like that!! It can prevent accidental retconning, unnecessary repetitions, and stuff like that 'cause i ran out of examples... Oh well. Here's a screenshot of the start of my notes for Motive 5 (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)

3. Believe it or not... i don't always plan ahead. I write a lot of my fics with one or more certain scenes in mind, and then I blink and there's suddenly a 7k word document in front of me and Oh Fuck I accidentally made a whole fanfic on that one idea. It happens more than you'd think. Using Motive 5 as an example again, there were a few scenes I had in mind when I was first writing! I don't remember what order they came to me in, but a few significant ones I fell asleep to was Shuichi losing his hand, Hajime and Maki facing off, Nagito and Shuichi meeting after the Coffin Puzzle, and the aftermath of Shuichi's "punishment" (PS. did you know he was originally gonna be tortured with sound? then i wanted to hang him from the ceiling periodically, but i gave that up for the "detention" theme.) this one is getting long but when it comes to planning, I always build off of important scenes in my mind. "How can I make this happen?" "What do I do to make this/these character(s) react like this?" or, my favorite... "What can I do to totally fuck up these sad gay losers?"

You mentioned you get stumped writing sometimes, and THAT'S OKAY. i do too. Chapter 8 of Fever Frost was a whole ordeal because I realized "wait. Kokichi would never confess his feelings first in this situation??!!!" While planning ahead may certainly help save you from some of those moments, they won't stop it entirely. It does feel really refreshing when you manage to skirt your way around the issue, so really what can you do ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

So yeah, I do kind of plan ahead. I plan MOST of the plot (I didn't even know I was gonna kill someone in Fever Frost at first >.>) and then as you write, stuff tends to tie together and build from there. In my experience, 70% of writing is just "shit kinda happens" xD

This is just how I do it, and it's okay if it doesn't work for you. I'm just the kind of person that will replay an entire game to write a fanfiction (⁠─⁠.⁠─⁠|⁠|⁠）I hope this could help a little, though! Good luck on your fics! :3💕

#smookies asks #i promised i would never replay the fifth chapter #and yet here i am now #replaying the fifth chapter #life comes at you fast #trans shuichi hc is based btw glad we can agree!

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danceswithsporks · 1 year ago

Text

Calm - Part 8

Part 2 of 6 in The Complete Series

Wrecker x Seamstress!Reader

Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Chapter Summary: Chai returns to Pabu with interesting news for all of you that will shake everything you’ve worked to repair.

Authors Note: Here we are! The second to last chapter before the end of this fic! I can’t believe we’re already almost there! I sadly don’t foresee the final part being finished before the premier of S3 of Bad Batch but I’ll def do my best to get it done soon!

If you haven’t seen my previous updates in regards to the final season! The events of The Complete Series have already been pre-planed and outlined for each fic! Nothing will change unless I find it massively imperative to the story!

Calm, well as calm as things can be when you’re making clothes to outfit an army. Or more directly ex-army. Somehow you’d been talked into supplying clothes, along with others, to Chai’s new business. She wouldn’t give too many details, apparently the less you knew the better, but she’d taken on supplying clothes to those who’d served in the war and their families. Wrecker had told you that they were important men to him and his brothers. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that they were mainly clones. There were those rare moments where you sent children's clothing as well that made you wonder who else was being helped. You didn’t push to find out.

You were proud of Chai. It had been six months since Tech’s death and although things were rough in the beginning, she seemed to be doing better. She was helping those in need and running a successful business on an entirely different planet. At least you figured it was successful with how much you were being paid for making all this clothing. You could have sworn you’d heard Crosshair mention something about wealthy donors but once again, you didn’t push. If it was this much of a secret then you’d let Wrecker and the others keep it. All you knew was that those you cared for were helping those in need. That was enough for you.

So when Chai returned suddenly to Pabu and asked to talk to you, you were a bit surprised.

“C-Chai! What are you doing here?” Standing in the doorway of your home, you took in the almost frazzled look on her face. “Are you okay? What happened?” Your hand moved to her forehead where a healing cut could be seen.

“I needed to leave. Can I come in?” She fidgeted slightly before stepping in when you moved to the side. Her eyes looked around at your home and she smiled softly at the signs of a family living here, not just you. On the dining table was a handmade clay vase that housed a bouquet. A few new holo-flats of you, Omega, and Wrecker had been added to the walls and a child’s jacket could be seen on the couch. “Omegas at school?”

“Yeah, Wrecker’s down at the docks helping bring it today's catch. Sounds like it was a good one if they needed his help.” You moved into the kitchen and grabbed the tart you’d made the night before and two plates. “Sorry about the mess. Omega had her first sleepover a few nights ago and we’re still recovering.” Five little girls did more damage than you thought possible.

Chai followed behind you and grabbed two glasses and a pitcher of water from the fridge. “Wow, sounds like everyone’s settling in.”

Placing the plates on the table, you nodded. “It’s taken some work, but I think we’re finally getting back to normal. Omega’s making a lot of friends at school and even Crosshair is settling in.”

“Are they still having nightmares?” Chai placed the glasses down before taking a seat at the table, the bag she’d been carrying sat on the floor next to her leg.

You chewed your lip for a moment before sighing softly and sitting down. “Periodically. But calming down after is getting easier.”

“That’s good.” Pouring two glasses of water, Chai chewed her lip for a solid minute. It was clear there was something on her mind.

“Chai. What’s going on?” You reached across the table and took one of her hands in yours. “What happened? How did you get this?” You pointed to the cut on her forehead.

She reached up with her free hand and carefully touched the still-tender cut. “Fang. He attacked me behind the shop.”

“What? I hope you taught him a lesson.” You moved to stand but felt yourself pulled back down.

“I did my best but someone ended up stepping in and saving me.” Chai didn’t make eye contact with you as she spoke, clearly glossing over something.

“You know that Crosshair and Hunter are going to demand you take self-defense lessons now, right?” Releasing her hand, you grabbed the knife and cut two slices of tart. All of the boys had taken on caring for Chai. No doubt feeling a sense of duty to protect her and be there for her in Techs sted. “Did you get the name of your savior? I hope you thanked him properly.”

Chai watched as you placed a slice of tart on a plate and passed it to her before plating one for yourself. “It wasâ€¦Tech.”

Your hand froze over the piece of tart in front of you. “Wh-what?” You had to be hearing things. Maybe she said a different name?

“It was Tech who saved me. He’sâ€¦alive.” The look of disbelief on your face seemed to match hers at the time.

Blinking rapidly, you tried to focus on her words. She was being serious, wasn’t she? “Ch-Chai, are you sure? It’s not someone who looks like him?”

Chai reached into her bag on the ground and grabbed her datapad. Tapping at the device pulled up the surveillance feed from the shop. She clicked on a saved file that showed the clone stepping in and saving her, his face clear and crisp on the screen. “Here. I couldn’t believe it at first either.”

You took the datapad from her and watched as Tech tased the attacker before helping Chai stand and rush into her shop. “But wait, why are you here if he’s alive? Shouldn't you two be making up for lost time?” Passing the device back to her, you caught the way her bottom lip trembled. “Chai?” It was like a damn was broken, as soon as you said her name the girl broke into a fit of tears.

“He doesn't remember me!” She covered her face with her hands and broke into loud sobs, her body shaking. “Kix says it’s a severe case of amnesia and there’s a possibility that he’ll never get his memories back!”

Oh, that was a lot more than you were expecting. “Amnesia?” Stars, that was far worse than him just being dead. At least with him being dead, she could move on. With him alive and her knowing that he didn’t remember her it would be like torture. “Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry.”

“I tried, I tried to just be normal with him. I made him tea and talked with him like we used to but” she sniffled and wiped at her face with the long sleeve of her shirt.

“It wasn’t the same?” She nodded to you, making you frown. Standing you moved around the table and held your friend close. “There’s the chance he’ll remember one day. Right?”

“Echo says it could come with time. I just...I couldn’t be around him. Not yet at least.” Her head shook against your shoulder. “Am I a coward?”

“Shhh” You rubbed her shoulder gently. “Not in the slightest. You suffered more than the rest of us through all of us. I don’t think of you as a coward for leaving.” You tapped your teeth for a moment before continuing. “But I will think you a coward if you avoid him forever after this.”

“Avoid who?” Wrecker stood in the doorway of your home with a smile and a large fish in tow. “Hey, Chai. Didn’t know you were coming for a visit.”

“It’s not a visit.” She shifted awkwardly against you. How would she tell him that his brother was alive? From what you’d told her, he’d suffered harshly after the supposed death of his brother. “I’m moving back.”

“Was it Kix? Did he overstep? I told him he needed to be careful with his flirting with you.” Wrecker shook his head disapprovingly before moving to the kitchen to place the fish in the fridge.

Kix had a crush on her? She never noticed that. “Umm, no.” She wiped her face with her sleeve once more before pulling away from you slightly. “Kix has been nothing but a gentleman. They all have been.”

Wrecker stepped out of the kitchen with that happy smile still plastered on his face. “That’s good to hear. Didn’t want to have to beat up my vod.” He chuckled deeply but found the gesture not returned. “What’s going on?” He looked at Chai closer and noticed the cut. “What happened? Is the shop okay?”

“She was attacked behind the shop. By Fang.” You stroked your friend's arm gently before stepping away. You’d handle this. “But one of your brothers stepped in and saved her.” Stepping over to the man you loved, you grabbed one of his hands and looked up at him.

“Which one? Gotta thank him.” Why were you looking at him like that? “Sarad? What is it?”

“You should sit down, Wrecker.” Stroking his hand gently, you took him over to the couch and watched as he sat down. That sweet, pure brown eye was staring at you with so much love. He was doing so well lately and now you were going to destroy all this progress. “Love, the brother that saved her was” You took a long deep breath. “My love, it was Tech.”

-*-

Wrecker watched as the same scene played over for the fifth time on Chai’s datapad. Tech. His vod. He was alive. “Tech…but how?” He looked at Chai who’d now taken a seat across from him while you sat safely next to him, a hand on his forearm.

“His repel line snagged on a service ladder. It helped cushion his fall.” Chai poked a fork at the tart still sitting uneaten on her plate. “His femur injury reopened from the fall and he developed amnesia. Some villagers found him and nursed him to health. Once he was healed, he left to try and figure out who he was.”

“He found his way to Ord Mantell and to you. It’s a sign from the universe.” You leaned your head against Wrecker's arm and watched him press replay on the video once more. It was no surprise that he was shocked by the news. He’d watched his brother die. Had blamed himself for weeks over his death. If this was how he was then how would Omega be?

“Will he get the memories back?” His eyes took in the way Tech carefully approached Chai after tasing Fang. It wasn’t the usual confident way Tech moved, this was timid and filled with nervous energy. How could Tech be alive? His brain just couldn’t seem to wrap around the knowledge.

Chai picked up her glass of water and swirled it for a moment. Unable to look at the large clone before her. “Kix and Echo say there’s a chance they’ll never come back. But that’s a small chance. For now, we just need to not force anything. Let it all come back naturally.” Which she was doing amazing at by running. Maybe you were right, she was a coward.

Tech could never remember them. If that happened then it would destroy Omega. “Omega can’t know. Not a word to her about any of this.” He placed the datapad down on the table and chewed his lip. “We need to tell Hunter and Cross. They deserve to know.”

“How long can we keep something like this from her though? Surely one day someone would slip and reveal it. How mad would she be when that happened? How heartbroken?” Beside you, Wrecker shifted awkwardly in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of lying to Omega. It was clearly for her own sanity but still.

This was something he needed to talk to Hunter about. He was their leader for a reason. “Justâ€¦nothing to her for now. Not until we have a plan.” Or Tech got his memories back.

“We can invite Hunter and Crosshair over for dinner tonight.” You looked at Chai and smiled softly. “You’ll be there too. Once Omega goes to bed we can go over everything and see what they think.”

Chai just wanted to go home and check in on her family. It had been months since she’d seen them last and she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t missed them. “Are you sure you need me?” When you nodded to her with a stern look, she knew there was no way out. “Alright.” She moved to stand up but stopped when she heard the door open once more. “Oh, Omega.”

“Chai!” The young blonde quickly ran across the room and hugged the woman tightly. “What are you doing here?” She could have sworn you’d said it would be a miracle if Chai came back anytime soon.

“Just came back for a visit, that’s all.” Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a small container. “Brought ya something from an old friend.”

Omega's eyes lit up and sparkled as she opened the container. “Mantell Mix! Thank you!” She excitedly jumped in place before turning to show Wrecker. For a brief moment, she found a serious look on her brother's face. But as fast as it had appeared, it was gone. How strange. “Wrecker look! So happy they let us out early.”

You moved around the table and took Omega’s satchel from her. “Why did they send you home early?” It wasn’t like the school to let the kids out early.

“The teacher droid said a storm is coming.” Omega popped another piece of mix into her mouth before moving around the table and sitting closest to the tart. She remembered you making it the night before and how delicious it looked. Silently, she pointed at the tart earning a smile and a head nod from you. Her eyes lit up at the silent permission you gave her and quickly she grabbed the knife and cut a slice.

“Yeah, all the boats are being called back early. That’s why they sent me home.” Wrecker watched as Omega carefully cut a slice of tart and happily ate a small bite.

“Storm, huh?” You walked over to the kitchen and grabbed your datapad. Sure enough, on the screen was a message from Shep to the entire island letting them know about the storm. “Looks like it’s gonna be a rough one. We should probably secure the shop and the house. With us being so high on the mountain we’re gonna get hit with the wind worse.” Already you could hear the wind picking up a bit.

Wrecker stood and stretched carefully. “Chai, want me to walk ya home? Gonna check in on Hunter and Cross and invite them to hide out here for the night.” He looked at you. “If that’s ok, Sarad.”

Already you were making a mental list of everything you’d need to do. There was fabric air drying that would need to be pulled in and patio furniture you’d need to secure. Wrecker asked you once more if it was ok for the boys to hide out at your place and you smiled. “You never need to ask, Wrecker. <strong> Our </strong> place is always open to your family.” Strong arms wrapped around your body and pulled you close as a warm stubble-covered face rested against your cheek.

“Thank you.” Came as a whisper from him and you knew it wasn’t simply for letting his brothers come over. With the news that you’d all just received, all any of you wanted was to be with those you cared for. Your arms wrapped around him and held him close. “Of course, my love.”

Omega made a fake gagging sound as she watched the two of you. “You two are doing it again.” She watched as you smirked and rolled your eyes.

Chai chuckled at Omega’s dramatic playfulness. “They do this a lot?”

“All the time. Super lovey-dovey. Especially after they go on one of those long dates in the Marauder.” She bit into another piece of tart. The flavor exploded in her mouth as a berry popped. She giggled playfully as you gasped at her words. “Well, you guys do! For like three days after you two are extra kissy.”

You hadn’t realized your trips to the waterfall with Wrecker lifted your mood so much that Omega noticed. Chai shot you a knowing smirk and you felt like you were going to die from embarrassment. “Good to know, Mega. How about you get started on your homework?” And give you a moment to not feel so embarrassed!

“Don’t you need help securing the shop?” She took another bite of the treat in front of her, enjoying the way your cheeks were getting redder and the way Wrecker was trying not to laugh.

Damn, you did need her help. “Uh, yeah. But I need to fold fabric and bring stuff in so it’ll be a bit before I need your help.” Beside you, the clone was shaking from trying to hide his laughter. It wasn’t funny…ok it was a little bit. You thought you’d been secretive about how the trips went but it seemed not. Stars, Doll was going to have a field day with this, and with the way Chai was looking at you? It seemed like she was going to tell the innkeeper as soon as she could. “Homework now and I’ll grab you when it’s time.”

Omega nodded and stood with her now empty tray. “Okay.” She paused for a moment and looked at the three adults in the room. Something was going on. Things had felt tense and heavy when she walked in earlier but now it seemed fine. Maybe things were okay? But something in her stomach was telling her that they weren’t. It was that same feeling she’d had after they’d lost Tech.

“Omega? You ok?” You walked over and took the plate from her while watching her carefully. The girl blinked a few times before shaking her head and nodding.

“Y-yeah. Sorry. Can I take the mix with me?” She held up the container for you to see.

“Just a little bit. Wrecker brought home a beautiful fish for dinner tonight. I figured you could help me make it after we get the house secured?” A strand of hair was brushed behind the girl's ear with your hand. The blonde locs were getting long. The length looked good on her.

Brown eyes lit up and shined at you. “Yes! Of course!” She loved cooking with you and Wrecker! It was always so much fun! The feeling in her stomach disappeared slightly, now replaced with the excitement of helping you. She’d definitely finish her homework fast now. With a wave to everyone, Omega took off for her room.

You waited until her door had shut before speaking to Wrecker and Chai. “Let the guys know we want them for dinner, but don’t tell them why. It’ll come as a shock to them too and it’s better if we do all of this as a family.”

“Including Omega?” Chai looked down the hall to the extra rooms. The girl was so sweet and pure for everything she’d gone through in life. She could only imagine how this would make her feel.

Wrecker looked down at you and the two of you shared a silent look before he shook his head. “Not yet. Not until we have better news for her.”

“Agreed. We can take a group vote tonight to see what Hunter and Crosshair think. But I feel that they’ll agree with us.” Walking over to Chai, you hugged her tightly. “I hope you’ll come back tonight for dinner.”

Chai returned the hug while nodding. “Of course. As long as the storm doesn’t get too bad. I’ll be here.”

Omega stood with her back against the door to her room, her ears straining a bit to hear what was being said. What were you guys not telling her? Why did you need to take a vote with Crosshair and Hunter? She heard the door open followed by the heavy footsteps of her brother. Whatever it was, she’d find out.

-*-

“Stitches, dinner was amazing.” Hunter sat back with a satisfied sigh, his hand on his stomach. He had to admit that you were one hell of a cook. Wrecker was one lucky man to have you by his side.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. But it would have been nothing without that amazing fish Wrecker caught today.” With a happy hum, you stood and began to clear the dishes.

Omega stood up quickly and grabbed some of the plates nearest her. “I’ve got it!” The longer she stayed up the more likely the adults would say something to her, right?

You watched in surprise as the young blonde grabbed the dishes in your hands and carried them towards the kitchen. “O-oh. Thanks, Omega.” It wasn’t uncommon for her to help you after dinner, but it was a surprise that she was so eager. Usually, you had to ask. You felt a tug on your wrist and found Wrecker pulling you back down into your seat.

“Seems like the kids settled in nicely.” Crosshair pulled a toothpick from his pocket and stuck it in his mouth. Arms crossed, he watched Omega place the dishes into the sink and turn in the water. “So, what’s going on? Why are you here, Chai?”

Eyes flickered quickly to Crosshair as he asked his question. “Umm, perhaps we should wait until she’s asleep.” Your voice was low as you tilted your head towards the kitchen.

Hunter chewed his lip while the sound of clinking dishes filled the room. “That important, huh?” When you nodded to him he sighed. “Should have known this wasn’t just a group dinner.”

“We still have a reason to celebrate. Chai’s home. The gang’s almost completely back together. Just need Echo.” And Tech. But the others didn’t know that yet and the idea of him being able to join you all once more was still just that, an idea. If the amnesia was as bad as Chai was saying it was then it could truly be a long wait before he was truly back to you all. You caught the way Chai shot you a look. No doubt she wished you could say Tech's name as well.

“If we’re gonna celebrate then we need some cake.” Wrecker proudly cheered, trying to keep the air light and joyful. The moment the others learned of Tech everything would change.

You chuckled brightly while leaning against Wrecker. “Well, I didn’t make a cake. But Chai brought some macarons from the shop.”

Chai smiled at you and pulled the round container from her bag. “Assorted flavors. Couldn’t decide on just one so I made a little of everything.” The lid popped off with a small hiss and the colorful rainbow of treats was now visible to all.

Reaching across the table, you snagged one of the pink ones and happily took a bite. “Mmm, Rosewater?” The flavor lightly danced across your tongue making you hum excitedly.

“Of course. I know they’re your favorite.” Reaching into the container, Chai grabbed one of the yellow ones. “Omega! Come try some of these and let me know how they taste!”

The sound of dishes clattering into the seat and the water suddenly turning off made those around the table chuckle. The blonde came running into the room with still-dripping hands as sweet chocolate eyes scanned the table for the aforementioned treats. You smiled brightly as she found them and quickly made a grab for one. Hunter reached out and gripped her wrist, mentioning that she should dry them first before touching the macarons. The girl made a defeated whine before wiping them on her pants quickly. Earning an eye roll from Hunter and Crosshair and a laugh from the others. You allowed yourself the moment to enjoy the happiness of your group, knowing that in roughly an hour it would all change.

“So, Omega. How’s school been going?” Chai watched the child wiggle happily as she bit into one of the sweets.

“Really good!” Omega bounced back and forth in a happy dance as she took another bite. “We learned about currents in the ocean and riptides. Lyana said that’s why we can’t go to the cove?” She looked at you and Chai for verification.

You nodded while reaching for another macaron. “Yup. The current is too strong and will pull ya right out to sea. Usually, people use boats to get over there or if the tide is low enough then they swim over. But that’s rare these days. Especially since the tsunami.”

Omega sighed dejectedly “Oh man. It sounds like a cool place. I wish I could see it.”

“Oh, it’s the coolest. We used to spend so much time there a few years ago. Was the first place you showed me after my family moved here.” Chai ran her finger around the rim of her wine glass. The amber liquid within pairing nicely with the sweets she’d brought. “Isn’t that where you and Paolo-“

You feigned a coughing fit, stopping the woman from continuing her train of thought. She shot you a knowing smirk and it took everything in you not to fling a macaron at her. You loved her but damn did she know how to push your buttons. “Like Chai said, it’s a cool place. Maybe we’ll take you there when the weather gets better.”

“Paolo, huh?” Wrecker smirked at you before leaning over and kissing your temple. “You’ll have to tell me more about him later.” He teased you with a grin while grabbing a treat for himself. It wasn’t hard to figure out where Chai had been going. He’d wondered who your first had been, seems like he’d just found out. As did the others.

“Take it that the spot is popular with the teens and young adults of the island?” Crosshair raised a knowing eyebrow as he watched you and Chai redden at his question. When you nodded sheepishly he smirked. Perhaps his pretty little Doll would be up for a visit.

“Why would it be popular for them?” Omega bit into her third macaron with a happy hum. Why was everyone looking at her like that? “Oh, is this another adult-only thing?” She hated being young. Even if she was technically older than the boys.

You’d be flinging macarons at all of them at this rate. Omega was hearing far too much for someone her age. Clapping your hands loudly, you tried to change the topic “Omega, how about you show Chai the new decorations we added to your room?”

Omega tilted her head as you changed the subject. She may be young but she wasn’t dumb. You wanted to talk about something else. “How old do I need to be to be able to talk about this stuff?”

“18”

“30”

Everyone looked at Hunter in surprise at the absurd number he’d just spit out. What? He wasn’t ready for any of these conversations with her yet. You’d mentioned to him something about the talk about puberty soon and he’d nearly passed out. “Uh, 18. Of course.” He feigned a laugh as the sound of the rain outside picked up. “Chai, these are delicious.” Hunter picked up a raspberry macaron and stuffed it into his mouth. He wasn’t cut out for this life.

Now Hunter was getting red! Omega giggled before stepping away from the table with two more macarons in her hand. “Come on, Chai. I’ll show you my room. We got these pretty star decorations that hang from the ceiling. I really like them.”

You watched as Chai followed the girl down the hall while chatting about the new decorations. Thank goodness Omega tended to be easily distracted. Picking up your glass of wine, you took a slow sip and sighed. This was nice if only it would last all night.

-*-

“He’s alive?” Crosshair felt his heart race at the words. Alive. Tech was alive. Omega had been sent to bed and the group had retired to the shop to not wake the girl. Already he’d heard from Chai twice on how his brother had survived and yet he still couldn’t comprehend it. “Tech? You’re sure?”

“Yes.” Chai passed her datapad to him, the video from earlier playing once more. “It’s him in every way possible.” Even if he wasn’t fully himself, it was him.

Hunter leaned against the wall closest to the door with his arms crossed, a frown on his lips. “Kix is positive there’s nothing we can do?” The door was currently cracked open slightly allowing the smell of rain to waft into the shop. Outside the wind howled with the storm and thunder rang out in the distance. The smell of your shop and its fabrics mixed with the rain making his senses override. It was a curse, his heightened senses, made situations like this difficult. Tech was alive, his brother was alive and yet he couldn’t focus on it. It was like his brain was telling him it was all too much. That he needed other things in his mind.

Chai shook her head quickly. “Nothing. He’s worried that if we push too hard we could cause more damage.” There was so much she’d wanted to try and yet she couldn’t risk him losing his memories forever. Something she equates to torture and thus why she’d returned to Pabu. Being around him, even for that little bit of time the first night, had been far too tempting. All she’d wanted to do was kiss him once more and yet she couldn’t. She’d lied to him, told him they had just been friends.

“All we can do is support Tech and be here when he’s ready.” You leaned against Wrecker, his arms tight around your waist as the two of you sat with your back against the counter. “The real question concerns Omega. Do we tell her?”

“The kid’s been through a lot.” Crosshair pointed at Wrecker with his toothpick. “Ya said she had those nightmares for months.”

“Yeah. A mix between Tech’s death and what happened on Mount Tantiss.” You felt Wreckers shift so one of his knees was up, it began to bounce nervously. Reaching out silently, you placed a hand on his knee to calm him. “She still has one every once in a while now, but it’s not as bad as it was and she’s gotten better at calming down on her own.”

Hunter chewed his lip in thought for a moment. “We shouldn’t put her at risk then. Won’t be fair to the kid.” He didn’t like the idea of lying to her and keeping such important news a secret. It was clear on everyone’s faces that none of them did. “Echo still not answering?”

Chai shook her head before tapping at your datapad in her lap. They’d been trying for the last hour to contact Echo and get his input on everything but had failed. She worried something had happened when not even Kix had answered her call. “Somethings wrong.”

“Something bad?” You continued to hold Wrecker's knee still, able to feel the tensing of it as he tried to bounce it.

“They would have triggered one of our alarms if it was really bad. I would have gotten a notification.” What if it was Tech? What if something had happened to him? What if … he’d left? Would it be considered her fault if he did? Chai shook her head before trying Echo once more, this time from her datapad. After a few moments, the call still wasn’t answered. Sighing, Chai placed the datapad down. “Looks like it’s up to us. I vote we keep it a secret until he remembers her.”

Crosshair and Hunter both shared a look before nodding in unison. “Agreed.” Came in dual voices.

Wrecker swallowed loudly before nodding as well. “Yeah. Sounds like a smart idea.”

Thunder cracked loudly outside making you jump slightly. “Then we’re all on board with this. Until Tech remembers her, Omega will not know he’s alive.”

“What?” A soaked Omega stood in the doorway of your shop, a shocked Hunter staring down at her. “H-He’s alive and you weren’t going to tell me?” She hadn’t been able to sleep knowing you were all keeping something from her. Tech had once taught her that water could wash away one’s scent and thus made it harder for Hunter to track, a lesson that she’d used to her advantage. Sneaking out to your shop had been easy and she had silently thanked the universe for the door being cracked open. She hadn’t caught the entirety of the conversations, just the end, but it had been enough.

“Omega!” You jumped up at the sight of the soaked girl. “Look at you.” Turning around you grabbed a pile of fabric off the shelf and ran over to her, ready to wrap the material around her and dry her off. “You’ll get sick if you stay drenched lik-“Your words were cut off as she moved away from you angrily.

“I trusted you!” Her brown eyes shook with a mix of anger and sadness. “You were just going to lie to me? For how long? A week? A month? Forever?”

You shook your head quickly as you stepped towards the girl once more. “Omega, it’s not that simple. Weâ€¦”

“Why should I trust what you have to say?” She looked at everyone in the room. “Why should I trust any of you?” With that she turned and bolted out of the front of the shop and down the path, her bare feet sliding slightly against the cold cobblestones.

Instantly you were racing after her, the cold sting of the powerful rain whipping across your cheeks. “Omega!” Where was she going?

Wrecker and the others weren’t too far behind you. It had taken them all a moment to process what had happened before they were moving and running down the path calling out for her as well. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her act this way. Running off recklessly into a storm. “Omega! Stitches!” He called for you both loudly, his voice booming like thunder.

Omega wasn’t sure where she was running to but she allowed her legs to carry her wherever they desired. How could all of you agree to lie to her? Keep from her that her brother was alive? Alive. Tech was alive! But he didn’t remember her? Wasn’t that what you’d been saying? That you’d keep the secret until he remembered her? How could he forget her? After everything they’d been through together. The past conversations with him ran through her head, especially the one in the cave after the mining incident. “Tech … ” tears mixed with rain as the girl continued down the path and now towards a destination.

“Omega, please!” She turned left off the path and suddenly you understood where she was heading. “Omega! Stop! It’s too dangerous!” Behind you, Wrecker's voice boomed as he called out for the both of you. The path turned from cobblestones to mud and grass as you followed her toward the cliff overlooking the cove. You hadn’t had time to put shoes on and thus the thick mud was now sticking to your feet giving you some resistance. “Ome-“ you gasped before tumbling forward and the feeling of fire shot through your ankle. You landed in the mud with a hiss and swore loudly. Looking at what had tripped you, you found a sharp rock jutting out of the earth. Pain shot through your ankle as you tried to fight back tears.

Wrecker was just barely far enough behind you to not see you trip due to the downpour showering the island with a wall of water, so when he found you sitting on the ground with mud on your face and your hand around your ankle he was shocked. “Sarad! Are you ok?” He yelled to you over the rain and thunder. Taking a closer look at your ankle he noticed red seeping from between your fingers. “You're hurt!”

“Don’t worry about me! Get Omega! She’s heading towards the cove!” Fuck your ankle hurt. You watched as he gave you a nervous look. “Go, Wrecker!”

“I … but your ankle. Are you sure?” When you nodded to him he kissed the top of your head quickly before taking off once more in the direction that Omega had run. Hunter and the others had to be close. “Omega! Stop!”

“Leave me alone!” Omega yelled over her shoulder as she continued down the path. Where was the turn-off towards the beach? It was so hard to see with all this wind and rain. Suddenly, the ground tapered to a point making Omega fumble to stop. With a screech, she slipped in the mud and went over the edge. “Wrecker!! Help!” Her hands gripped a large root sticking out of the mud. Below her, the waves of the ocean crashed against the rocks and licked at her ankles. If she fell she’d be swallowed by waves and pulled out to sea.

Wrecker heard her before he finally saw her. It was like a flash from the past. She hung from a root with fear in her eyes. Below her, the sea churned and reached for her like some terrible monster. Instantly he was back on that broken rail cart staring down at Tech. His brother hanging from a repel line for dear life as troopers fired upon them. The height wasn’t nearly the same but it still threatened to push him away from the edge. No, he’d worked too hard with you to face these fears. If it came to it he’d jump from their ledge to her. He’d lost Tech that day, he wouldn’t lose Omega. Reaching down, he gripped her wet hand tightly. “I’ve got you, Omega! Just hold on.” The crash of the sea below and the thunder and rain above mixed into a deafening roar that nearly drowned his voice out as he tried to find a better grip on the child. She’d weigh nothing to him and he knew as much, but it was finding a grip.

Omega scrambled to cling to Wrecker's large arm that offered safety, both hands letting go of the root and holding onto his hand instead. She felt herself move as he began to pull her up and a sigh of relief left her lips. Her hands slipped from Wreckers, the mix of mud and rain making it too hard to hold onto. A scream left her as her eyes closed and she braced for the icy grip of the deadly waves below.

“No!” Not this time. He wouldn’t lose another family member. His hand shot out and gripped the first thing he felt, her shirt. With an angry yell, he allowed his body weight to pull them both back and thud into the sticky wet mud.

Warmth, fabric, safety. Omega opened her eyes and found herself in the protective grasp of her brother, both of them safe on the ground. He’d saved her, ripped her straight from the air, and certain death of the angry sea below.

Hunter and Crosshair both supported you on one of their shoulders as the three of you finally caught up with Omega and Wrecker. A red bandana was currently wrapped around your ankle to staunch the flow of blood and protect it from any more mud. Crosshair was positive it was broken, Hunter was hopeful it was just a sprain. They’d wanted to sit and wait for Chai to run and grab one of her brothers to help get you back to the shop while they went after their siblings but you’d been decidedly against it. This was partially your fault. You should help get her back.

“He got her.” You let out a relieved sigh at the sight of Omega in Wrecker's arms. The girl's face was currently buried in the clone's chest as her body shook, a sign she was crying.

“Here, hold onto her. I’ll let them know you're ok.” Hunter passed you to Crosshair and nodded to you before walking carefully toward the other two.

“So, you and Doll?” A knowing smirk was passed from you to Crosshair who rolled his eyes.

Crosshair shifted you in his hold while chuckling deeply. “You do know I could release you and let you fall into the mud, right?”

-*-

“There. Nice and clean.” You ran the towel over Omega locs one final time before placing the towel down and covering the girl with a blanket. You’d all been out in the mud, wind, and rain for far longer than necessary, you wouldn’t be surprised if one of you got sick. Once you’d all returned to your home it had been a few rounds of everyone showering before Crosshair took a look at your ankle. Hunter had been right, it was sprained. Much to everyone’s relief. Until the storm subsided and you were able to get to the island doctor you’d need to be off of it. Something that Wrecker was diligently seeing to. Omega knelt in front of you on the floor while you rested on the couch with your foot propped on a pillow. A blanket was laid over your lap and one of Wrecker's large long-sleeve shirts enveloped your body in a warm embrace. The big clone himself was in the kitchen making all of you warm drinks, also worried about someone getting sick.

Omega chewed her lip as your fingers began to run through her hair, the feeling making her relax slightly. “Thank you, Stitches.” She heard you whisper ‘You’re welcome’ and the room soon fell into silence again. It was five minutes before anyone said anything, the silence being broken by Wrecker stepping in with a tray of hot milk and honey. Carefully the mug was pulled from the tray and Omega allowed the warmth of the mug to radiate through her body before finally taking a sip. The warmth of the sweet and creamy drink raced through her body in a calming surge. She needed this. The warmth gave her the courage to speak finally. “Were you really going to keep it from me?”

You’d wondered how long it was going to be before she said something. Looking around the room at the others, you took a sip of your drink before sighing. “Sweetie, there’s something you need to understand.” The figure in front of you moved and turned around to face you. Those sweet brown eyes stared into your eyes making your heart twist. How could you have thought about lying to such an innocent child? Yes, you’d been doing it to protect her from the pain of knowing the truth. But Omega was smart for her age, she understood things better than most. You’d fallen into the trap of seeing her as a child when she was in fact an advanced clone. “Tech has a severe case of amnesia.”

“Like Gregor had?” She looked at Hunter who nodded. “Well, that’s good then, isn’t it? Gregor got his memories back. I helped Nala Se look him over when he returned to Kamino.” Omega looked at everyone with a happy energy. “We just need to support him and be there to help him remember, right?”

The way she seemed so hopeful at the prospect hurt the clone Sargent’s heart. “That’s just it. It’s been six months and he hasn’t remembered anything. Kix and Echo are concerned that he may not remember anything at all.” Hunter placed the warm drink he’d taken from Wrecker down on the table. “Ever.”

“O-Oh.” She knew all of this, didn’t she? She’d researched amnesia after hearing about Gregor and had read as much as she could. That's how she knew about being there for him and helping him to remember. No matter how she tried to search her memories though she couldn’t seem to remember anything else.

You watched as her bottom lip slowly began to tremble. “Oh, sweetie. It’ll be ok.” Moving to get off the couch, you felt Wrecker's protective hand on your shoulder silently telling you not to move. Instead, he reached down, easily picked Omega up, and hugged her tightly. The little clone's face buried into Wrecker's chest as sobs ripped from her once more.

Chai stood from the opposite couch and walked over to Omega. Gently she stroked her back and shushed her. “When I found out I felt the same way you’re feeling. How could I even be around him knowing he didn’t remember me?” You cleared your throat next to her and she raised her hand to calm you. She was going somewhere with this. “But Echo talked to me and told me something that put things into perspective for me. Would you like to hear what it was?”

Omega turned her face from Wrecker's chest and looked at Chai. “Y-yes.” Chai offered her hand to her and with a small bit of hesitation, Omega tapped Wrecker indicating that she’d like to be put down. Taking Chai’s hand, she moved next to you on the couch and sat down.

Kneeling in front of the girl, Chain reached up and adjusted the blanket around her shoulders. “Echo helped me see that if Tech doesn’t get his memories back then that means that we can make new memories together.” She let out a hum softly. “Think about it, getting to know him all over again. It could be fun. I know you’ve all been through a lot with one another.” She looked at the group as a whole. “You all have a brother's bond with him, made memories that only you know of. You’ll get to make new memories with him now, we all will.”

“Then …” Omega chewed her lip in thought. Should she ask her the question brewing within?

“What is it, Omega?” You reached over and stroked a piece of her hair. The blonde looked at you nervously.

Swallowing the fear inside of her, she looked back at Chai. “Then why is Chai here and not with Tech?”

“Because..” Chai remembered what you’d said earlier that day, that she was a coward. “I’m a coward. I ran when faced with the knowledge that he may never remember me.”

“Why?” Omega knew she was asking a lot of personal questions right now, but she needed answers to so many burning questions inside of her.

“It’s hard for me to explain. But know that I love your brother very much. I left for selfish reasons and planned on staying away because of those reasons. But being with all of you reminded me how important being there for the ones you care for is.” She took Omega's hand in hers and patted the back of it gently. “It’s Tech, he’ll get his memories back, and if not then we’ll make new ones together.”

“So you’re gonna head back then?” You watched your friend nod at your question. “When?” It made you happy to know that she’d be going back. Tech was far too important to just give up on and avoid. Now that all of you knew he was alive and safe, you needed him to come home.

Chai smiled softly while wiping away a stray tear from Omega’s cheek. “Probably in a week or two. I’ll try Echo again in the morning and let him know I changed my mind. Gonna stick around and help my family with the shop for a bit. My brothers have been doing the stocking and everything is a mess now.” Standing up, she stretched her arms over her head. “Maybe Omega could come with me. Seeing his sister may be what the clone needs.”

Hunter and Crosshair both shifted awkwardly at the request. Omega hadn’t left the planet since they’d rescued her. Too worried about someone else coming after her. “Maybe.” Was all that came from Hunter before he grabbed the cup of cooking milk and honey.

-*-

“Echo, what are you doing here?” It had been weeks since the clone had been on Pabu and nearly a week since you’d last spoken to him. Last you’d heard Tech was in some kind of Jedi trance working on getting his memories back.

“Hey, Stitches. You still have that pile of clothes you made for Tech?” He watched as a small smile began to form on your lips. Stepping to the side he allowed another figure to stand in the doorway.

“Stitches, it has been a while.” Tech nodded to you with, to your surprise, a smile. He extended his hand out to shake yours, another surprise.

You took the offered hand, grasped it tightly, and pulled him into a tight hug. Tears burned at your cheeks as you took in that the clone remembered you and was here on Pabu. You held him tightly for a few moments before sniffling and stepping away. “Sorry. Just happy you’re back. Come in, I’ll grab those clothes.”

Echo chuckled while slapping Tech's shoulder firmly. “You’re not the first to hug him like that, probably won’t be the last either.” Both of them stepped in and followed you as you walked over to a linen closet in your main area. “I see Omega’s still making messes.”

“Huh?” You looked over your shoulder at a stack of books and blankets on the floor. “Actually.” Moving a large box to the side, you found the stack of clothes perfectly folded where you left them. “That’s Wrecker’s mess.” With a happy sigh, you pulled the stack out and looked at the two clones. Tech was giving you a surprised look that made you smirk. “He didn’t tell ya that they live with me now, did he?”

Tech crossed his arms and shook his head. “It seems Echo deemed it unnecessary for me to know such information.”

“Thought it would be more fun for you to learn this way.” Echo took the stack from you and looked through it carefully before deciding on something for Tech to change into. “Where are they anyway?”

“Oh that’s a good one, she liked that one a lot when I made it.” White linen pants and a cream-colored cotton top. You’d made a gorgeous cream flowing sundress for Chai to match him. Nearly every one of his outfits had a matching outfit for Chai. “Wrecker took Omega down to the docks to grab dinner. Sounds like the fishermen brought in another good haul today. Ever since the tsunami the catch has been perfect. One of the benefits of that day I guess.” You smirked at Tech. “What do you think, Tech?”

“It is indeed a great benefit. However, I feel I may have something better.” And thus he’d come to the question that had been burning at him the entire trip to Pabu. “Will she be happy to see me?”

Oh, how sweet was he? Walking back to him, you looked him over carefully. Stubble was beginning to form on his chin and his hair was now longer and nearly covering his eyes. At least his giggles were back. “We should clean you up a bit. Looks like you need a haircut.” Reaching up, you brushed some of his hair out of his eyes. “Tech, she’s going to be so happy to see you, she may just cry.”

“Tech?” A small voice called from the doorway. She couldn’t believe it, he was here. Omega shakily made her way towards the clone, nervous that this was suddenly all a dream.

Tech turned and looked at the sound of his sister's voice. With another smile, he waved to her. “Hello, Omega.” The child was suddenly in his arms and holding him in a deathly grip. If she was Wrecker’s size this may hurt, but at her size it was endearing.

Omega felt tears run down her cheeks as she felt Tech's arms wrap around her and hold her close. This was real, he was alive and he remembered her, right? “You remember me?”

“Of course, you are my sister after all. My vod.” Her hair had gotten longer and she seemed approximately two inches taller. Interesting how much she’d changed in the time he was gone. No longer did she dress as a clone but as a young woman. Instead of pants, she was wearing a sundress with small heeled sandals and a braid around her crown with a ribbon holding the ends together at the back of her head. “You look like you’ve settled. I am glad this place has been good for you.”

He really did remember her! A tear-stained smile played on her lips as she continued to hold Tech. Like heck was she going to let him go anytime soon. “Wrecker! Get in here!” Still holding onto the goggled clone, she turned them both to face the door.

“I’m coming, ‘Mega!” Wrecker ducked as he entered the house, arms holding a small crate filled with crustaceans for dinner. Smiling, Wrecker looked for a place to set the crate down when he finally registered who was standing in the room. “T-Tech?” His eyes went wide as he dropped the crate, making you squeal in happy surprise, and walked over to his brother and sister.

“Hello, Wrecker.” There he was, the last face he’d seen before the fall. Omega didn’t move as the large clone pulled them into a tight hug. Now this was a squeeze that could injure them.

“Wrecker, riduur, you’ll injure them.” You placed your hand on the large clone's bicep and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“S-Sorry.” Tears trickled from the corner of his eyes while he stepped back. “Tech, I’m sorry I didn’t pull you up.” The words spilled from him before he could stop them. It was like seeing his brother instantly made everything want to pour from him.

“We were being fired upon and the rail cart was in jeopardy of falling. Understandably, you were unable to simultaneously protect Omega and pull me up at the same time. Thus while I enacted Plan ninety-nine.” Tech reached over and placed a hand on Wrecker's shoulder. Echo had explained the difficulties that Omega and Wrecker had both experienced after his supposed death. “Wrecker, my falling had nothing to do with your inability to pull me up. However, if it will help you to feel better, then I will accept your apology if you accept mine for having to watch me fall.”

Wrecker swallowed the large lump in his throat as he nodded slowly. “Deal.” Was all that he could seem to say before he pulled his vod back into a tight hug. Tech grunted at the feeling but didn’t fight the hug, much to Wrecker’s delight.

You blinked back tears as you watched the scene before you. Wrecker and Omega both seemed to visibly relax their shoulders and you realized that some kind of weight that neither had realized they were carrying was finally released. Beside you, Echo let out a happy sigh. Everything finally felt right. A calmness settled over the room as the three stayed in their hug for five minutes. “OK, OK. We can’t hog him all day.”

Omega wiggled her head free from the hug and looked at you. “Why not?” She didn’t want to let her brother go.

“Because.” Echo smiled and held out the change of clothes with his good hand. “He’s got a date that he’s already late for.”

Taglist:

@rndmpeep @sarahskywalker-amadala @queenariesofnarnia @idoubleswearimawriter @bambambunny @ravenclawbitch426 @jupitersaturnapollo @mzjakao @heylosers06 @dangraccoon @impala1967666 @andrakass2 @ducks118 @motte-the-goblin @rintheemolion @merkitty49 @jediknightjana @onyxtides @moon-wrecked @mssbridgerton @griffedeloup

#clone wars fic #fanfic update #the bad batch s2 #the bad batch fanfiction #bad batch wrecker #tbb wrecker x reader #wrecker x you #wrecker tbb #tbb wrecker #Spotify

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theambivalentagender · 1 year ago

Text

My Comics Process

I've seen other people post an overview of their comic making process, so I figured I'd put up my own for Valley Echoes. Fair warning, a lot of this is probably good examples of what you really shouldn't do. There's bits to it I need to tweak. But overall this is just what works for me.

Step 1: Borderline Maladaptive Daydreaming

I have a general outline of upcoming comics and plot points, mostly in my head, partially written down in a Notepad file named "ejfiejfeij." Sometimes I'll see something like an incorrect quote or headcanon that inspires a part of a comic, and when that happens I'll try to take note of the original creator of said inspiration to credit later.

Several of my comics have been literally inspired by weird things that have happened while playing modded Stardew - one good example being this bit.

Step 2: Sketch Concept

I don't always do this stage in full for every comic - sometimes I just know exactly how things are going to go. But a lot of the time I like doing it because it's a quick way to note down specific visual ideas I have for upcoming comics so I can save time once I get to them.

Funny enough I don't really write scripts for my comics. Again, probably something I should do, but I find writing out scripts actually makes it harder for me to get ideas out fluidly. A script feels like I have to lock down a lot of details right away - that isn't necessarily the truth, it's just how it feels for me, and can result in me not being able to just get the ideas out of my head.

I purposefully keep this stage very, very simplified and loose, mostly for the above reasons. The idea is to keep as much detail-oriented thought away from this stage of the process as possible. You'll see I use certain quick markers to differentiate characters - Shane's sideways hair triangle, Emily's curl, Clint's beard, and Zeke's zig-zaggy hair.

I may write down specific dialogue lines that I know for sure I want in the final comic, but mostly it's just general dialogue ideas or reminders to myself what the "bit" is supposed to be if it's not immediately obvious. I'll add small direction lines if they're important, and quick speech bubbles as a reminder that a character is talking offscreen.

Apologies for my abysmal handwriting. It's readable to me, and in this stage that's really all that matters.

Step 3: Detailed Sketch

This is the part where I finally sit down and take a couple of hours to do the initial comic sketch. Sometimes the final version of this won't entirely match up with the concept. Rarely, I've added or removed panels up until the final image. In most cases, though, this is where the overall comic gets locked in.

I use CSP's 3d models and assets for most of my scenes. I have saved models for each of the characters' proportions, which I find is super great for keeping relative heights consistent. Most of the time when I need props or other set pieces in a scene I'll just use various primatives, however there was absolutely no way in hell I was going to be able to pull that off for the camera, so that's its own asset.

I don't carry my notes over from concept to this stage, I mostly just refer back to the concept layer when I need to add those bits. I've been trying to get more in the habit of sketching out word bubble blocks at this stage to get an idea of how much space I need to leave in each panel. I didn't do this for this comic, which did lead to issues with the one panel where Zeke is trying to walk naturally, but oh well.

Step 4: "Inking"

I like to call this stage "inking" but it's really doing the final clean up layer. This is where I start messing with vectors.

There's actually a lot of steps to this that I can't quite show in this final layer version. Here, I start with just drawing over the lines in the detailed sketch layer with my "inking" pen. I try to keep my lines clear and tend to draw over crossing lines so I can erase the overflow later for a cleaner look. Throughout this stage I'm doing a lot of line adjustments, simplifying where I can, just to make the next part easier.

After I've done all that, I'll go back and adjust line thicknesses. I could probably do a whole post on that alone, but in general I lean toward thicker lines, thickening the lines of clothing, hair, eyebrows, and eyes in particular, as well as thinning wrinkle and other small detail lines.

Step 4: Base Color

I have a pallet of base black-grey-white colors for Valley Echoes, each of which I use consistently for different details. For example, nearly all characters get the same "skin" color (exceptions being Maru, Jas, and Demetrius, who each have their own). Zeke and Shane's hair and common outfit colors are also saved, as well as a few for other recurring characters.

Other than that, I try to "color" according to what needs to stick out in a scene and just trying to make sure grayscale tones aren't too similar next to each other and muddied. If two characters are going to be standing next to each other frequently I try to give them noticeably different shades in their clothing.

The process for this is slightly different for in-color comics. I also have pallets saved for those comics.

Step 5: Details

This is where I'll go back in and add other details that can't simply be added with fill and other tools. In this case, I added Shane's stubble, the blushing in several panels, and Clint turning blue with effect lines.

This is also where I'll add a background. Again, I try to keep the backgrounds so that they don't muddy the foreground elements.

Step 5: Dialogue

This is the bit where I'm likely going to do some revamping in the future. CSP's base dialogue tools are...not great. I'm considering finding another program for doing this bit.

I've also been trying to learn more about methods for dialogue bubble placement in general. This is the bit that can be the most frustrating for me, but overall it works.

How to write the dialogue itself would probably take up multiple posts in of itself. It's a bit instinctual to me because I have much more experience with writing in general. There's also a lot you can say about how splitting dialogue into different bubbles changes how those lines are interpreted, etc.

In this case, a chunk of this comic is taken directly from the original SDV scene, slightly altered for timing purposes. When it comes to canon scenes, it variates on how strictly I follow the dialogue.

After this step, it's just splitting each of these into separate images for each panel and uploading to Tumblr. And I guess that's my very messy, still in development process.

#valley echoes asides #comic #comic process

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uncleasad · 6 months ago

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for that fic ask meme - 14, 26, 50, 53, 55

14. what’s your worst writing habit?

Oof! My entire writing process is one giant bad habit, so it’s hard to pick the worst part 😂

I know I just reblogged that post about ignoring the tyranny of the daily word count, but I’m going to say not trying to write a few words every day, or a sentence a week, or something like that…I let myself get into writing droughts that go on and on and on (and, yes, I’m busier than I was in 2020 and 2021, but I love writing and doing so always makes me feel good), so trying to stop those pauses before they become droughts is something I need to do to break a bad habit.

26. do you like to write one-shots or series, and why?

Both? I write what the idea I have calls for, I guess? (Almost all of my series are collections of one-shots; I have never thought of writing a series consisting of multi-chapter fics, but one kinda sneaked in there 😳)

I enjoy—and sometimes specifically choose an idea because it fits—writing one-shots because they’re a good way for me to get back into writing when I’ve been too busy with life or bogged down in one of my long WIPs. Last Christmas’s Mischief and Mistletoe is a great example of this: short, self-contained, and seasonally relevant 😏 I liken these sorts of fics to artists doing a doodle or quick sketch as a warm-up.

Sometimes while writing a one-shot I’ll think of something that will open the door to a sequel, sometimes there’ll be nothing specific but nothing to rule out more in the same vein (e.g. the Tales from the Salvatore Kitchen series), and sometimes readers will have a suggestion I hadn’t thought of that I love that will turn a one-shot into a series of one-shots.

It’s nice to have a series or two where you enjoy the world/setup, because it’s fun and easy to dip back in and write some more (so all the benefits of a one-shot) and you (I!) can develop ideas, characters, and events without feeling guilty about not updating (vs a single multi-chapter fic where readers have started reading and want more 😏); there’s less expectation.

(My true favorite things to write are the big, expansive, complex stories, but they’re simultaneously my least favorite for all those reasons 😂)

50. do you plan or do you write whatever comes to your mind? 53. when writing, do you have an outline? and do you stick to it?

These two are related, so I’ll tackle them together. I’ve linked to and written about George RR Martin’s post about gardening before, so there’s good background there and I’ll (try! to) make this the short version.

I mostly have a lightweight plan for what I write: a collection of scenes, or some important character beats or plot points, and often, but not always, an idea of what the ending is (sometimes my idea for the fic is “I want to write this scene that is probably somewhere in the middle of an actual fic 😂 but more often it instead is “this would be a fun situation to throw them into; let’s see what happens!”). That’s as close as I’ll get to an outline 😳

I’ll often also make a series of notes as I’m writing, again of the same types of things as in the “plan,” plus dialogue and details, as a sort of “living outline” for what’s next/coming up. But nothing formal or well-structured (which does make it harder to do those bigger stories, naturally). I have hated outlines since elementary school, so…

I’ll diverge from what I have “planned” any time I have an idea I really like or think will improve the story, although to my recollection it rarely happens, and when it does it’s more small changes. I’m much more likely to split “planned” chapters and make a fic 4x longer than I originally thought it would be 😂

So, needless to say, I mostly write what comes to mind. Sometimes that’s filling in the big blank spaces between things I know I want to include, and sometimes that’s deciding where the whole story itself will go. (My mind is wont to come up with crazy twists and tangents #this is the way my mind works 😂)

55. do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

I don’t think I have any WIPs that I’ve started writing that I never intend to come back to/finish. I have an entire laundry list of WIPs that I have not written on in months or years, though.

My story as a current fanfic author goes like this:

Started writing Have At Least One Totally Epic Love in spring 2020, ran out of steam/got stuck near the pivotal moments.

Had an idea for After Ten Long Years and started writing it to try to work through that block, but got stuck on it.

Had an idea for Old West Hosie; started writing it to work around that block, then got stuck on it, too.

Had an idea for Hosie Alternate Realities; started writing it to work around that block, then got stuck there, also 😳

[Cue Hope Mikaelson: “Love, Lose, Grieve, repeat”]

At some point in there, I wrote the first one-shot in the Tales from the Salvatore Kitchen series, You Complete Me, to break the cycle and publish something, which turned into 3 more seasonal one-shots (initially), and then I finally finished Have At Least One Totally Epic Love, almost exactly 1 year after I had left off. 2021 I think was a pretty good year, lots of shorter works finished, but also several more big works started where I once again ran out of steam/got stuck/got distracted by the shiny new idea 😂

(Also, after the experience with Have At Least One Totally Epic Love, I rarely actually write and publish things serially unless I have a really, really good idea of the scope of the fic and also know I’ll have decent amounts of writing time—so there’s nothing out there that readers would perceive of as abandoned. The biggest example of a fic I’ve written and published serially since HALOTEL is And I Will Always Love You, 8 chapters, 32K words, written from February to May.)

So approaching 200K words of incomplete WIPs now, but nothing I intend never to finish.

Thanks for asking! Lots of great choices 😀 Hopefully I didn’t bore you to sleep with the answers!

#ask #ask games #ask game for fanfic writers #writing process #fanfic writers

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shadowbunnydragon · 1 year ago

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Question for you! (shadowbunnydragon):

What is your process for creating a story? How do you go from a rough idea/concept to the final written story? What are things you have to consider when writing a story, whether original or fanfic?

I struggle A LOT with creative writing and would love to hear how you do it for your stories. Thanks!

Oh gosh! That is quite the question!

Hmm, okay, well, first I come up with a fun idea, like one about a human boy finding himself in the world of Zootopia and following his daily life and the lives of others similar to him finding a home for themselves, or maybe about an isekai'd former human now in a world of magic and adventure as an OP anthro bunny girl, or maybe even one about a human boy who winds up turned into a mouse and living amongst a tiny hidden kingdom in the woods? (Coming soon! :3)

After coming up with said idea, I of course write it and all info about it I can think of, so I don't forget. I then like to think it over for a little bit, usually while out walking and listening to music or maybe doing something else where I can shut my brain off and just go with the flow for the idea. When I get a general idea for a larger story, and we're talking VERY general, a VERY rough and barebones idea, I add that to the idea concept I've already written down. Then, I like to take some time, maybe an hour, with some chillhop playing in the background, and write out a general outline for the story. How I want it to start, the overall direction I want it to go in, and how I'd like it to end. (It should be noted that any of these could change in small or even major ways during the course of writing. This is just to help focus the idea a bit.)

From there, I like to take a bit to just imagine the world and the characters I want in the story. Does this world have any history? What are its "rules"? What is this character's personality like? What is their motivation for doing the things they do? (A VERY important thing to keep notes on to track during the course of the story, as I have learned the hard way. While you want your characters to learn and grow and be shaped by their experiences, you also still want there to be a logic to it. Example: When writing about Judy, I try to think about her personality from the movie and how she would act in whatever random scenario comes to mind. How would she go about trying to solve X problem?)

I also personally have a love for world-building. I often enjoy listening to music and letting my mind drift as I daydream about these worlds and the things going on in them. You don't need to be as detail oriented as Tolkien, but you do still need to be mindful of the world and how it shapes and is shaped by your characters and events. That is especially true for original stories, but fanfics also can benefit from this as well.

Also, it helps to be open to constructive criticism, as there are a lot of insightful folks out there who can offer a helpful tip or insight. (Though you do gotta be careful to ignore haters and trolls, and also to remember at the end of the day, it's going to be YOUR story, so what you, the author, say ultimately is what goes.)

You should also remember that you'll pretty much be your own worst critic, so please try to remember to be kind to yourself. Any mistake can be edited, a section or even an entire chapter that just doesn't feel right can be partially or completely re-written.

You'll also want to pay close attention to words or phrases you may have a habit of using often, and consider looking up synonyms or trying to come up with different ways to say what you want to say, just to keep the writing from getting too repetitive.

Finally, the old adage practice makes perfect can be applied to creative writing as it can to everything else! This can all seem like a lot, and I'm sure I've forgotten about other useful tips when writing stories, but the more you take the time to work with them on your project(s), the more second-nature they will start to feel.

I hope that this was helpful!

(P.S. You should also try to remember that you are your own worst critic, and that the pursuit of absolute perfection one that, while it can push you to better yourself, can also keep you from actually getting the project done. So when working on a story, or art, or anything really, please try to be kind to yourself! I'm sure you'll write a great story!)

Thank you so much for asking!

#human #zootopia #comedy #foundfamily #fanfiction #the door #the keyhole #ao3 fanfic #adoption #shadowbunnydragon #i'vebeenreincarnatedasabunnygirl?!#animal kingdom come

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transmasc-wizard · 2 years ago

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hey nico! been a while! i think since around the time i first started following you i wanted to ask how you personally go about outlining your wips! i never used to outline my stuff but recently i've been getting back into writing so i figured i might as well finally ask you for any advice you can give :)

im so sorry if this took me a really long time to answer, my perception of time exploded awhile back and i have no idea how long this has been sitting in my ask box. but on we go

so basically. my outlines. are a mess. but it is a mess with PROCESS so i will try to explain (<- hasn't outlined in like 8 months)

my outlining process always starts with. idea. like a scattered handful of ideas that i have. major themes, the biggest plot point i have in my head, whatever the actual concept is, etc. and then i pull together my characters FIRST. i don't try to outline till i have a good grasp on who those fuckers are (their motivation, main personality traits, biggest fears, what makes them feel safe, main philosophy, style, culture, what's important to them, their approach to other people, what they want, what's stopping them from getting it, that sorta thing). once i've got my blorbos, i take the concept i have and wonder why They're there. i figure out why they're the main characters, basically. what they have to do with the plot. how they get INVOLVED. and with that, i've got my inciting incident (the shit that made them have to Be There and Have/Solve Problems!)

then i decide generally how i want it to end. i need to know where i'm headed. this can change later on somewhat but usually i have a pretty good idea of it. then, extrapolating from my concept, characters, their dynamics with each other, anything i know about the world, that end, and the scattered ideas that i started with, i make like. 5-10 major scenes i want. and i write those down. THEN is the fun part

i open a new document, with all my notes to the side, and make. literally just a list. i list off what i want to happen. i can get really detailed here; i've had like 300-500 words describing a scene before. but, depending on how much i've got in my head, it can be as little as one sentence. i just keep going till i've got a bullet point list of every single scene i want to happen in the book, with all the plots and subplots and arcs and thematic moments, and then maybe go back and flesh some of it out, and then. im Done . and i can start writing ! i don't follow it exactly all the time, and often i add or take away entire scenes while drafting, but like. it gives me a really good road map that helps me stay with a project a lot longer and make the draft a lot neater than anything i just wing.

as for actually coming up with all that plot and subplot and character arc stuff for the list, it's mostly a loooot of daydreaming while drawing or on walks or generally doing something else, and then also letting the parts naturally connect to each other (this is part of why starting with fleshed out characters helps so much; they Are going to do certain things if they're defined people, so coming up with plot becomes much easier).

i hope that ! makes sense ! i am scattered and sleepy ! if you have any follow up questions about my process or if your immediate reaction was "nico what the fuck are you talking about" please feel free to ask !

#writblr #writeblr #outlining #asks #goofy-gay-anarchist #outlines

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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 2 years ago

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I am a new reader of your blog, and that is something I want to know (but it's totally okay if you want to ignore this ask!) why you stopped liking [with you]? Is there something in particular that bothered you about this fic?

That... is a question with a loaded answer.

The quick answer is:

I put way too much pressure on myself with [with you] that caused terrible burnout and I couldn't do any creative writing for a long time after; a small portion of my readers were pretty hostile about slow updates; there were criticisms about the story that I had a hard time with; and there are a lot of story beats and writing decisions I made with it that I'm very critical of. All of those things combined, I now have a lot of negative feelings associated with [with you].

The not-so-quick answer involves a lot of self-criticism about my prose, poor choices, the criticisms by my readers, and some behind the scenes stuff. I'll put all that under a "keep reading" for anyone interested in more detail.

When I started [with you], it wasn't meant to be a 50k+ story, it was just going to be a simpler story told in a couple parts... that I then kept expanding. I'm pretty sure every note I have on the original version posted on here starts with, "hey y'all, this story is this many parts now whoops haha"

I had very little planned out, I was just discovery writing my way through everything. I wrote a chapter, read through it a couple times, said, "yeah that's good enough," then posted. Y'know, like what a lot of people who write fics do. "no beta, we die like Ben falling down the bell tower" and all that.

I had ideas of where I wanted to go, but I didn't start an outline until I was well into the story. It was bloated. I felt like I needed to add every single idea I had, and needed to expand on every character, even if it didn't do anything to advance or enhance the story... and that became overwhelming for me to keep track of since I wanted it to all tie together in the end and please my readers.

When I read through it now, there is so much that can be cut that no one would miss. It would flow better and be easier to read.

My prose [the actual writing style] is all over the place and reads like a first draft, especially in earlier chapters. Spelling errors, run-on sentences, whole paragraphs that I should've cut. While I feel better about my dialogue, there are some conversations that read as awkward.

Honestly, the best part of the entire fic is Clementine and Louis' story, which... yeah. I'm pretty happy with the way I portrayed their dynamic, dialogue, and romance. I just wish I hadn't bogged it all down with everything else, like... that's all it needed to be, it just needed to be about clouis.

Oh, and I still like the dream sequence. That's probably one of the better chapters, if not the best chapter.

Now, when I say I made bad choices with this story, one of those choices I'm referring to is my "big rewrite." This was incredibly stupid. Past CJ thought it was a good idea but she's a dumb ass. You can't listen to anything she says.

Basically, I got the brilliant idea that I would take [with you] down and rewrite the whole thing before I wrote the final chapters. I wasn't satisfied with how it was written. I felt I could do so much better. I was going to trim unnecessary fat, expand on important details, make some heavy changes, improve everything, and then repost it with the ending.... so I deleted it off AO3 and got to work.

Terrible idea. Don't ask me why. What I should've done was discontinued that version, made a note that it was old, and then published the new version separately. But I didn't. And a lot of people were pissed at me. Shocking.

I should've just finished it. I should've finished it, posted it, and then went from there. But I didn't. Ever since then I've gotten a lot of readers who would go on anon and send me messages about [with you] that are passive aggressive or guilt trippy. That soured my feelings about the story and myself as a writer tremendously.

Then there's Violet.

I wrote the first few chapters before Ep4 of TFS was released, meaning I wrote Violet before we found out that she's blinded in the explosion in her kidnapped route. I took the "Violet despises you" route, and a big plot point of the story is Violet dealing with all these conflicting feelings about Clementine, hating her but also not, distancing herself from the group, the strain it put on her and Louis' friendship, etc.

I don't like how I portrayed Violet for a number of reasons. I know what I was trying to do, and I knew I couldn't [or wouldn't] scrap everything I already wrote about her and rewrite in a blind Violet on friendly terms with Clementine... because sure, I wanted to do this grand rewrite that sounded easy enough on paper, but in practice that was so much work that intimidated me.

Because behind the scenes fun- for the rewrite, I wanted to do that. That was a major change that would've cut so much from the story I wasn't happy with, and would've been a more positive portrayal of the character. But then I saw just how much would be cut and how much I'd have to write and it scared me off from the idea... so I tried to work with what I had and I still hate it.

Violet's very antagonistic in the story. She attacked Clementine after the boat explosion. Everyone thinks she'll attack her again. Mitch calls her a traitorous bitch and doesn't trust her to not stab Clementine in a conversation. There's even a point where it's mentioned that in the past she slapped Louis during a conversation. She just has a pissy attitude throughout the story but then berates herself for it and I just... I was going for a slow burn recovery that explores her trauma and ends with her reconciling with Clementine... but it doesn't come off that way? Some parts I think I executed better than others but most of it I look back at and say, "...No, past CJ, that doesn't read like you think it does...."

But that wasn't my only criticism I got about the way I wrote Violet, and this one is... a little complicated? And something most probably wouldn't take issue with or even notice unless you're a major Violet stan... but I pretty much gave Mitch [a character I loved at the time] a lot of Violet's canon character points and explored them more positively, then turned around and made Violet more antagonistic, which......yeeeeeah.

The only defense I have for this is it wasn't intentional. It really wasn't, but I understand and think it's a valid complaint. Like... I used to get these anons who would tell me this and I'd quietly delete them because, "...nope, not touching that. If I don't acknowledge it, it doesn't exist."

Lemme explain: In my fics, Mitch is gay. He had feelings for his best friend and roommate, Justin, before he died to walkers, and Mitch hasn't trusted "gross feelings" ever since... until James shows up and Mitch has to face the fact that he has romantic feelings for him while not being completely over Justin...

...y'know, totally different from Violet who is gay, had feelings for Minerva before she "died," and hasn't trusted mushy feelings ever since... until Clementine shows up and Violet has to face the fact that she has romantic feelings for her while not being completely over Minerva....

It's surface level stuff since they are written differently, and it's not like you're not allowed to have more than one character with character beats like that, but it's enough of a similarity that I get why it would rub Violet lovers the wrong way. Especially since nothing about that is canon with Mitch's character, y'know? It's the character I gave him.

I don't think it was coming from the Violet crowd [the aggressively obnoxious fans no one likes], I think it came from people who were genuinely bummed or put off by my more antagonistic portrayal of her, only to see similar traits portrayed positively with Mitch.

And that bothers me. I do like the way I wrote Mitch, but I hate the way I wrote Violet. It's made me step back and analyze why I wrote them the way I did, y'know?

But the BIGGEST criticism from readers I've gotten?

[with you] is unfinished.... valid, but there isn't anything I can add that. Sorry y'all, it's discontinued, I'm never going to finish it.

The best I can give you is what I planned: a big wedding scene where Clementine and Louis exchanged vows and kissed. Violet showed up and made amends with Clementine. Clementine talked Mitch into dancing with her even though he hates dancing. Aasim tried to ask Ruby to dance, panicked, and asked Mitch instead who was like "...Fuck no, RUBY COME DANCE WITH AASIM!" Louis and Clementine left early to head back to their room and it probably would've ended with some sappy line about being together to the end.

So... there ya go? It's not a final chapter but that's the gist of what would've happened.

But moving on, I was also going through a lot of things in my personal life that I won't get into. I was working on other writing projects that I had more interest in, so [with you] was put on the backburner. Then, over time I grew more sour about it the more pressure and guilt I put on myself, added with the pressure and guilt put on by my readers.

I do want to clarify that it's not like ALL of my readers were like this. Most of them were sweet, supportive followers who only had nice things to say. But you know how it is... you could get ten comments/asks, nine of them positive and one negative, and it's the negative one that's going to stick to you.

So, to my lovely readers, I am sorry that I let you down by not finishing it. To the rude readers, I'm less sorry because y'all were dicks.

Y'know... I can look at all of my other works and either be like "Yeah, I'm really proud of that story," or "Eh, it was one of my earlier works, so I can't be too hard on it."

But [with you] puts me in a crisis of "oh god I'm a fraud, I was never a good writer, what am I doing??? why?? why are you like this??"

and I have to snap myself out of it. That's why I'm so like this about it now.

There are other little things I could go into, but this answer is long enough. I figure if anyone has any further questions or criticisms, they'll send 'em in and I can answer them that way.

I've moved on from all my twdg writing, I'm writing dragon age stuff now, and it's finally working for me so it's not like [with you] has me all hung up still. Plus, I think it's good to go back and learn from mistakes made in old works, y'know?

#asks #[with you]#twdg clementine #twdg louis #twdg violet #twdg mitch #twdg ruby #twdg aasim #twdg james #i have a lot of feelings about my old writings and trying to not repeat mistakes sksksks #because hhhnnnggggg... i made mistakes #but it's fine #it's fine i am different now and current cj has improved.... she said through gritted teeth #no but really i'm doing so much more writing these days and it's actually *fun* again... writing hasn't been fun for a long time #and writing da fic is like... a totally different experience? because it's a very different world/fandom than twdg... obviously sksks #plus i'm just a lurker in the shadows of the fandom and i haven't posted any writing yet so there are zero eyes on me #there was a point where i felt like stagnant with twdg? like i wanted to branch out and write different kinds of fics but was too worried #about my readers and followers judging me for it or that no one would want to read it because it wasn't tfs stuff #like.... ugh do i dare share this? ....it's in the tags and no one reads those so i'm sure this is a safe place for confession... sksks #i entertained the idea of writing a long fic about david and lilly meeting and joining the delta together #that would've dealt with much heavier mature themes than any of my tfs stuff did #...don't look at me like that okay I KNOW sksksk livid was a huge meme on this blog and behind the scenes i was like #'...wait what if though??' and never did it because i *know* how it would've been received and frankly i didn't wanna deal with that #plus i had so much other shit to write and [with you] constantly on the back burner screaming at me sooooo.... yeah #but anyway... i'll stop venting in the tags and thank anon for the ask and for reading my stuff #despite my hang ups with it i do truly appreciate you for reading my work and hope my answer makes sense

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