#i think i also had it downloaded on my nano too

[grandtheftautumn]

Sometimes you just have to lie on the floor & stare at the ceiling while “Favorite Record” by Fall Out Boy plays on repeat

[coliepng]

When you switched from spotify to an ipod, what was that process like for you? How do you find new music nowadays and how do you add it to your ipod (if I recall correctly, itunes isn't supported anymore)?

so i actually have a collection of music from back when classic ipods were still in production, so that helps. however, that's clearly older music!

for new stuff -- i enjoy hunting down cds in thrift stores. there's also sites like depop where folks sell off cds they don't want anymore, tho i haven't purchased any from there myself. but the thrift method was how i used to get my music -- occasionally i'd hit a great sale at a department store or best buy, but usually i'd see what would turn up on the shelves at goodwill. or rip cds from my parents and friends.

i still do utilize spotify to keep track of new releases, but i also just try to follow my fav artists directly on their preferred platforms to keep an eye out for announcements. and tbh tiktok is weirdly great for discovering indie artists who don't have a label promoting them. (or even those that do!)

also, i have an absolutely amazing local radio station that plays everything -- and of course focuses on local music as well. most of my life this has been the best way for me to discover music i like that i never knew existed.

as for itunes -- apple still has the download on their website! i think i just searched it on bing/google and it was among the first couple of results. i have version 12.11.3.17. if for some reason you can't find the link on apple's website directly, im sure mirrors of the installer exist.

however, if you get a modded ipod, odds are you'll need to use something like rockbox to load music -- i dont believe itunes works with SSD. mine is not modded. i think it's only 30 gig too, tho i have my friend's old one SOMEWHERE and it's 80 gig so i hope i find it before my collection exceeds 30 gigs lol

if you're up for it, i did most of my research on reviving my ipod usage on reddit. they've got great resources and most of the questions i had were already answered. if you don't have one already, or need parts to revive it, or want to purchase a modded one made for you, i recommend Elite Obsolete Electronics. quality work with the best prices around imo (at least in the continental US). you can also check out ebay, esp if you want one of the cute lil nano 3s that are also seeing a popularity resurgence.

and if you're wild, theres always 🏴‍☠ lmao but i can't give any advice on that, sorry. im too anxious to break laws

[strawberry-metal]

December MOTM is Battle Royal and I wanted to make another JoJo model so I’m making a Nano Jolyne style model. Due to the nature of nano models, I basically had to UV Map her entire body suit onto her through alot of trial and error, and it looks...eeeeh. It doesn’t help that I had to mirror the texture in order to get it to look like this in the first place, which means she has the chest heart on her back too ugh. I’m not competing to win, rather competing to have fun and to show my love for JoJo again. Also there weren’t any participants last month, so I wanna hopefully help encourage people to try and join this month.

Also I always make a model to build hype each time a batch of Stone Ocean episodes releases lmao.

What do you guys think? Do you still like her despite the flaws? If so, I’ll release her for download when I finish her.

[ooofaitooo]

The iPod turns 20 And How It’s Shaped Modern Smart Phones!

Between 1997 and 2001 a lot of things were calling around from Apple on the verge of going bankrupt to going forward in 2001 with the music industry battling piracy, Something that they’ve never seen before, So they had no idea how to solve it, Then we got Steve Job that entered the marketspace of MP3 Players which they’ve called the IPod, This turned Apple around and attracted millions of customers around the globe, They were no longer going under and could finally see their light to success, This turned Steve Jobs and his business around from his past failures of the company and being fired from his own company all happening between 1985 and 1997.

As we all know, Apple would fight against digital privacy and only allow Music you have bought from their iTunes store,

Music downloaded elsewhere would eventually stop working or won’t be allowed to be transferred to your device.

How Did It Shape My SmartPhone?

Back in those days and the year that the original Apple iPod was launched on October 23, 2001, There was only a hand full of MP3 players to choose from and most of them required shop-bought batteries, was too fat to fit in your pocket, or could only read CDs meaning while they were portable your CDs would get easily scratched, that’s just the 90s and evolution of technology, It was just how things were back then, The iPod replaced the shop buying, non-pocket friendly and CD skipping devices, It was one of the first of it’s kind, You could charge it with the same battery, it fits perfectly in your pocket and it ran on a digital memory all in one thing, It’s what people have been wanting forever but could not put their finger on, Remember this is the 90s and before this idea was ever thought of.

This shaped modern mobile phones, roughly 6 years later (January 9, 2007) it was launched it had all of the same features of the iPod from portability, and rechargeable battery but even better it was also touchscreen-based, All inspired by the iPod the first product that shaped Apple to what they are today and the first device that helped shape mobile technology as we know it today, This also shaped all modern touch phones from the first commercially available Android phone the HTC Dream.

Generation Foward

From that day October 23, 2001 we have to go through so much with mobile technology and iPod generations have passed from the iPod First Gen, We are also going to explain some of the generations and what features they included.

iPod First Gen:

This is the one that started it all, I’m not going to repeat what has already been said, But it’s one of its kind and without it, we wouldn’t have iPods and I personally don’t think mobile phones would be how we know them today.

iPod Second Gen:

Released in July 2002 it was much more compact.

iPod Third Gen:

This one was released in 2003 and had a re-design, This also introduced the 30 pin charging connector, The one used in earlier iPhone models.

iPod Mini:

Released in 2004 it did have less storage than some of the previous models but it did come in many colours and was just designed to be fun, But it did launch one new feature and remained on all non-touch iPods that were to come, The click wheel.

iPod Fourth Gen

This came out in 2004 it is the most standard iPod you can get as it became the one everyone thinks about when you say classic iPod.

iPod U2:

Steve Jobs loved U2 so this explains this edition, it was basically a special fourth-gen U2 edition.

We could go on and on but from the iPod shuffle, iPod Nanos, or Touch series you can see Apple has done everything to meet everyone’s needs with every iPod they’ve ever created.

While there’s not much as a need to have an iPod as there once was it’s still worth checking out, Apple’s last iPod release was back in 2019, That’s not that long ago considering so it’s hard to tell if there’s ever gonna be another iPod release, One thing we know for sure we hope they make an iPod that’s similar to the iPhone 13 but we have to wait and see if or when Apple will officially announce this, But they’re more concerned about their mobile and other modern technology at this stage.

[goattypegirl]

So when I was in middle school I had to take this shop class. Most of it was just free reading or whatever, I guess they wanted to minimize the amount of time dumbass kids were near dangerous/expensive machinery, and also the teacher literally did not give a fuck. One week he just had us watch Armageddon. Other classes had the occasional movie day but those were usually like before a break or if there was a substitute. Not this guy though. Middle of the semester, perfect time to make these kids watch fuckin Armageddon. It sounds silly, but it was the darkest movie I had seen at the time, where characters like. Actually died. Around that same time I discovered the song Major Tom (the cover by The Contact. For some reason. No clue how i found that one cover specifically). It was like one of three songs I had downloaded on my iPod nano, and it and the movie sort of fermented inside my brain. I'd have these, I don't know what to call them, 'fantasies' has too much of a positive connotation, but I'd regularly think about being stranded in space, presumed dead but still alive, drifting, alone, but at peace.

Anyway during the scene where new york gets hit by meteors my shop teacher paused the movie to say it's crazy how well it predicted 9/11.

[klcthebookworm]

20 November 2023 Metrics

Previous Word Count: 66,024 New Words: 1167 Total words for the first draft: 67,191 NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 21,440 What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Started a scene with Alexander and the words just would not come. I babbled on the page how the words were not coming. After ninety minutes of fighting with it, I switched to Peg stumbling upon crime and dealing with it and that scene flowed. Fave line: “I wasn’t trying to kill you, but.” She looked into the van and saw a pile of lumpy garbage bags and smelled rotting meat. “Yeah, you totally had something to do with a murdered person here so good if I gave you brain damage!” What Else I Accomplished Today: Laundry completely done, kitchen dishes are at need to unload the clean ones out of the dishwasher but everything else is done, sorted through the office for 45 minutes and accomplished nothing with it. I really thought I’d get more fiction writing done, but the current state of everything else I have to do means I’m pretty wiped by the end the chore block. What I'm looking forward to: Having everything done and then I can relax. What the hell is relaxing? I have been taking my breaks during the sprints but when I’m sitting right next to what I didn’t accomplish, it’s hard to feel like I will ever finish so why did I reward myself with breaks? Breaks equal to three hours plus however long it takes me to eat. That is five hours for everything on the list. Yes, NaNo is getting three of those hours because I committed to it this year and I am making progress on the project that has been stalled for years and I’m loathe to give it up, especially when writing is my sanity keeper. And giving it up won’t get the chores I hate done any faster. So yes, tomorrow will still have breaks. What I’m going to do before going to bed is download the vague must do X, must do Y, must do Z, etc. onto paper where I can truly see what has to happen around making words tomorrow. What I'm not looking forward to: The reason why this office reset is on my list is that I have buried paperwork and phone calls I need to do in my stacks and now the stacks have reached “oh hell where did I put X?” But I only have Tuesday to find them and deal with them and I’m running out of Tuesday already? Mom needs a trip to town, I also need to pack (some of that is hiding in the stacks too). So yeah, steady wincing think about this now. Also, I think I need to box books I don’t have shelf space for into banker boxes and stack those in a messy corner of the office. That will look more contained and that should help on visual stress. It also comes AFTER dealing with the desktop pile that I’m nearly convinced has the paperwork I need to deal with in it.

[ollieofthebeholder]

I'm curious about your Mistholme character hcs! Willing to share?

Sure! Like I said, I probably won't ever write a fic with this (between NaNo and promise, I just don't have the time), but I'm happy to share.

So as I mentioned in my tag, it's less an OC than an overdevelopment of a character mentioned in passing. Specifically, the girl in S2E14 - the one whose parents owned the laptop the copy of the Voice that would later become the Guide was downloaded onto.

My idea about her was that she felt an immediate kinship with the Voice because she, too, was chafing at the restrictions of her parents and wanted to see the world and learn new things. After getting the Voice in to the hospital to see the old man, she decided not to go back home and instead went out of town for a night or two to "camp" in the wilderness, just to think. She got the idea that maybe the old man would take her on as an apprentice, that she could maybe make up for having helped her friends vandalize his things by learning from him, and that she and the Voice could see the world and learn together.

When she went back into town, though, she found that her mother had also been hospitalized - for much the same reason as the old man had, a heart attack brought on by stress over her missing child. And when she went to the hospital to see her (and, as it turned out, to say her goodbyes), she found out that the old man had died as well.

She still wanted to learn things, and see the world, and she also couldn't get the Voice out of her head. The laptop had been returned, but the Voice was gone, and nobody seemed to know what had happened to the old man's things. She at first thought about studying computer science, but that didn't seem right; she didn't want to create a new Voice, she wanted to find the original one. Her friend. So instead she started studying anthropology, because she figured a degree in folklore and mythology might eventually lead her to urban legends and from there to her friend. She also, almost on a whim, took a course in clockmaking, driven by some instinct she didn't quite understand.

After graduation, she wound up getting a job at a small museum of mechanical wonders as a sort of combination of restoration and research. Shortly after taking the job, she was presented with an unusual exhibit that had been broken for many years: a clockwork woman made of brass, who had been found surrounded by parts and half-finished clockwork replicas. Could she get the machine running? she was asked. No one knew where this clockwork woman had come from, or who had built her, but she was so intricate; she was one of the most popular exhibits, and everyone wondered how she would function. The owner of the small museum explained that this was a challenge given to all new hires, and there would be a prize if she succeeded.

The young woman studied the clockwork woman, and the parts surrounding her, and got to work. And much to everyone's surprise, she got the woman working again.

The Clockwork Mother - who refused to allow anyone to call her that, as she was not their mother - did indeed become a more popular exhibit, sitting in a glass room and patiently continuing to try and recreate her perfect daughter. The young woman had offered to help, but been politely but firmly rebuffed, and so contented herself with repairing the exhibits - part of her "prize", a promotion at work to the head of restoration and research (something of a joke, in the young woman's opinion, because not long after the people theoretically serving under her were let go; then again, maybe her prize was that she was the only one to keep her job). But the Clockwork Mother had given her an idea. Could she create something like that? Would it be possible, if she worked at it, to build a clockwork body that could upload an artificial brain - and a Voice - from another file?

Could she build her friend a physical form?

So, yeah, that was my headcanon/fic idea. The thought was that the Mistholme Museum buys out this little museum she works at, she gets hired as part of the package, she meets the Guide, she recognizes him instantly, and she offers him the body if he wants it.

[vulcannic]

another song that changed me as a teen was neutron star collision by muse (i was NOT a twilight kid??) and i remember i would go outside and listen to it on my new ipod touch and run around the yard and spin in circles looking at the sky as if i was in a movie

[bunycube]

!!! hi again (sorry in advance for the very long message ,_,)

wait so do you mean that there is not english translation of Lamento ? so like if i were to download it I'd need to play it in Japanese ? o.o and like find a translation and read from there at the same time !? heck :")

ominous yes!! but there's something really nice about it ??!!

💀💀 not me imagining Tetsuo as a cardboard box now ksndjdjdj i see what you mean tho still i love him nonetheless :') i think he's just a lil bit shy and quiet, keeps to himself alot.. i feel like he's never really had any close friends,, maybe any friends at all i liked seeing glimp of soft and gentle Tetsuo :') there were some really cute and tender moment with Youji too (well as cute and tender as it can be given the circumstances lolol) it's fun to imagine what they all could have been like without all this innerbeings stuff fuckin them all up

it's ok to feel so close to Youji even if you don't know why 😊♡ and YEAAAS i felt the same same same about Z!!!! :"))) very interested to hear more of your thoughts about him if you ever feel like writing them down 👀👀

skdjdjdj entire cities apart made me laugh but true :^) tho even if he left his dad and all that the hell within would still follow him,,, he can't help that he been dragged into all this by his dad and he literally has no escape ,_,

hahajjsjsjsjs i know now there are no sweet endings lmao i can't say i didnt know at first because i had been warned but STILLLLLL i wasnt expecting that from Makoto!!!!! for that end to be so unhinged x') i thought he'd be the less bad difjfjdj

i do like to also imagine something where they someone all get free from the nonsense and just get to have normal lives and happiness ;_;

LOL i dont remember the ugly outfit :"))) i wasn't sure about Rin at first like ,,,, what's his angle,,, he is just pretending to be nice,,, why so mysterious,,,, he did grow on me but idk idk

aw im sorry Nano's made you feel that way :'( i love him very much :'):

aaaa i wasn't sure what to think of Motomi in all the other routes i was very mmm🤔🤔🤔🤔mmm but when i did his route i was like !!!!😍😍😍!!!!!

yeah Akira was alright but Aoba probably remains my fav protagonist(is that the right word??) and and i loved Takeru alot too , before he died when he sees like his sister and his parents and ;_; made me cry lowkey wish he had a route too ~ aND IT'S OK I LOVE GUNJI TOO WOAA

i like Arbitro too a little for some reason there's just something about him ,,,,, but his route was really underwhelming to me ??? idk i was expecting more from him

NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE!! RAMBLE AWAY very interesting to read someone being excited about what they are talking about !! :)))))))

never apologize for long messages!!! i love em! response under cut

there IS an eng translation for lamento! its just a pretty long process to download it haha. i was saying that i had to download some dvd mounting thing to get it to work snfbsb the game itself is fully translated, no worriesbthere!!

yesyes its like kimda ominous but still calming w all rhe quiet sunset empty classroom vibez...you know....

😭😭 oh yeah i get u, i think tetsuo is just a reserved kid plus he prob felt like he didnt fit in very well? thats just me guessing but he seems like that kind of guy...i think hes the same as youji in that respect, both of them kimd of quiet n awkward n not teh type to easily make friends :) he does some pretty bad things but im like sigh well its this kind of game so ofc that happens...besides that i think hes just an awkward quiet kid who looks rly intimidating like hes not bad once u start talking to him. i lovednsome of his gentler scenes w youji, my favs when they were eating ramen and tetsuo picks out the bamboo shoots from youjis bowl bc he doesnt like them...it made me so 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 i also loved when youji was showing him pics of his nephew ...idk idk sp is so dark but i loveee gentler scenes like this its so 💔 to me that they manage to find moments of peace despite everything around them...

oh true i thought abt this too...no matter how far zenya runs away he can never escape bc the thing thats causimg all his problems is his own body, so he just cant run away from it or do anything abt it ;___; poor boy he never asked for this n his whole life is just doomed from tjebstart bc of his shitty father...

if i started talking abt why i like zenya we would be here ALLL LDAY and rhis post would literslly never end lol i just like analysing him and how everythign hes been through shapes his actions and behaviour n all hmmmm

OH YES...sweetnpool normal au :))) i lvoe to imagine it i feel like tetsuo youji n makoto would hang our together n zenya is that one guy no one invited but he jsut joined in anyway n the others dont rlycwant him there but well. hes there now

lmaoo this is the ugly outfit

ohh yeah i was thinking abt this yesterday too and aoba is hands-down my fav chiral protag!,$& i jusr love him sm his personality design everything is chef kiss hes so fun and lovely and means sm to me. hes very comforting to me personally as well and hes just a special boy...tho i love the other protags as well haha

OH YEAH i loved takeru too wtfff i wasnso sad when he died bc he had never had antthing good ivhis life n thenche dies SO BRUTALLY...and he jsut wantednto help his family it made me v sad :( they spent sm time on him i fully expected him to atleast have an ending so when he died i was like huh, wiat what 😭😭😭😭

ngl, arbitro makes me sick 2 my stomach for reasons u prob already know but he surprisingly isnt relevant ti the plot st all? so i keep forgetting abt him. i liked how campy his design was but thats it. hecmakes me sick !!! yeah jdbfbd

same for u! i lovenreading lomg responses haha i always ramble a lot so i feel less guilty if the person also writes a long reoly, beside its very fun to read and respond to!

[onwriting-hrarby]

on writing, 5-11

A very strange week. I think I've been grieving my novel. I haven't written in my journal either. Everything has been a mess of words and a mess of projects and intentions. Truly, I don't know what I'm doing, where I'm going. I oscillate between writing a new thing and going back to the old novel and finishing it and being like, I can make mistakes. I had a good therapy session in which I cried and wailed. Writing is not only what I do, it's a part of me already, just like a job, or friends, or lovers, or family. When writing fails—when my idea of writing, my expectations, my art leaves me—I am thrown into a twirl of desperation. A pilar falls. I am just a ruin.

Slowly, slowly, I get back on track. I'm slowly, too—almost unconsciously—deciding to have fun, and let it be. For a week, I haven't followed my routine of writing at 6 am, but I have written even so. So much, I realize. I need the solitude that writing gives me, I need the calm.

Yesterday, I wrote for almost an hour and a half straight. I didn't look at my phone until morning. I've slept like a baby, at 10 pm, woke up at 7 to write. I've been writing—with breaks—for three hours now. I think I'm going to read a little bit.

The word tracker for Nanowrimo that I downloaded is bliss. I could never meet the 50000 words mark for Nano because I am no good with such a structure of X words/day. It puts a pressure on me that I don't like, since I usually write per scenes. Today, I've written Rotten Judgement and my new idea of a novel. I can also count projects this way.

I don't think I'm going to meet my word expectations (40k for RJ, 20k for my novel; no numbers for OT), but it's handy, and also nice, to see the progress.

[tryslora]

If I'm lucky, all errors have been caught before posting this year, and I have properly accounted for all variations needed for removing a leap year. Man, leap years are killer to deal with in terms of tracking down tiny changes to formulas! BUT. I think I actually did better this year than last year. Can we not discuss the things I screwed up? Anyway. I really did doublecheck pretty much everything that goes back to the Wordcount sheet.

ANYWAY.

For those who have been waiting for this spreadsheet, here it is! Sorry to be so late. For those who haven't seen this before, please take a look, use if you'd like, and share if you want to. All I ask is that if you make changes and spread the changed sheet around, please credit me as the original inspiration and link back to the original as well.

2021 Word Tracking Spreadsheet

Instructions and explanation are behind a cut/read more to save your feed/dash. This spreadsheet was developed because I found that it helped me keep myself moving forward from year to year, and I've been using it since 2012. I've been sharing it after folks asked what I was using to track my words, and it has evolved over the years into the version below. The instructions include screenshots from the 2021 spreadsheet and have finally been updated because a few things have changed. So. I guess I should update the instructions!

This spreadsheet was designed to allow you to set monthly goals for your writing, and easily track your words on different projects each day. It totals up your words for the day, your words for the month, and your words for the year. As you carry it along year to year, you can even track trends in your writing habits (for example, I’ve learned that I really suck at writing in May/June/July).

I’m going to go through this tab by tab to show you what’s what, and how to set yourself up and work daily.

We are actually going to begin with the second tab: Monthly Totals. This is where your totals are tracked, and where you set your goals. You can either set all your goals ahead of time, or month by month.

On this tab, you can fill in your pledges per month, and your goal for the year in the cells marked in grey. The monthly pledges (see column D) will transfer to other tabs as needed, and will be used to calculate a daily expected word count for each month. If you set an annual goal (you don’t have to!), you’ll be able to see how close you are to making that goal, and whether your pledges add up to the annual goal.

New: You can see your words to goal, and average needed per day to get to the goal.

You can see my usual pledges here. I've lowered my goals recently because I've found that around 500 words expected per day actually encourages me to make more, and doesn't make me feel bad if I make fewer.

The Actual column (B) is calculated automatically for you based on what you fill in on the Wordcount sheet, so let the spreadsheet do the work for you!

===

The next tab we need to take a look at is the first one. This is where you’ll be doing your work, on the tab titled Wordcount.

It may look complicated, but I swear it’s not! It calculates pretty much everything you need, as long as you just keep copying information from row to row.

It’s set up so it’ll work whether you start a brand new project of 0 words, or carry forward a WIP that had words before the new year started. All you have to do is put in the title, the purpose (fest, community, this is all just for your notes), and the due date, then put in your starting word count. When you add a new project, make sure to fill that starting word count (0 or otherwise) down through ALL the prior days so that your totals stay consistent. The way I do this in Excel is to select from the starting total down to the current date, then choose Fill Down. All rows MUST be filled in or else your words will go negative (see above, where the cell G6 has a value, even though the word count did not change that day).

When a day begins, it’s easy. Just copy down the prior day (except January 1st, just start with the one in place) by selecting from column F through the last column after your current WIP and then copy it down to the next row.

For example, if I were ready to start Jan 3rd, I select from F6 through I6 (one after my last project) and copy those cells down (I do it by using the little square in the bottom right to drag it down, but you do what's best for you.

When you finish working on a project, enter its current word count.

Now, let's take a closer look at what's above.

I started two projects on Jan 1st: Title and Title2

Title started with 0 words

Title2 came in from last year with 20 words already written

On January 1st, I recorded 100 words for Title and 1200 for Title2, and the sheet calculated that I wrote 1280 words that day

On January 2nd I didn't do anything on Title, but Title2 inreased to 1300 TOTAL words (NOT new words), so I added 100 words that day.

On January 3rd, I added Title3 with 0 words to start, and I made sure that every row in my new column showed those 0 words.

The sheet color codes for days where you are below target or above target in the Actual Words/Day column. It’ll be white on zero days. You can see at a glance your trends for writing.

It also marks projects that have been added to as green on that day in their column, which is nice if you do a weekly or monthly round up. Again, you can see at a glance which projects you've worked on, versus the ones still waiting.

When you finish a fic, simply hide the column (do not delete it). That’s why copying the entire row from F to after last down is important, so you copy the hidden columns too.

Some information about the other columns.

Target Total is where you hoped to be that year by that date. If you’re not there, don’t worry!! Zero days are OKAY and give yourself a chance to catch up another time. If you need to adjust your pledges, go do that on the Monthly Totals tab and everything will update.

The Daily Target is the total you are hoping to reach to stay on target toward the Monthly Pledge for that month–it’ll be different each month depending on what you pledge.

===

Now let’s move on to some of the fun tracking pieces. Next up are Daily Graph and Monthly Graph, which are exactly what they sound like. I’ll show examples from my 2017 spreadsheet (note, the daily graph will look very up and down–that’s OKAY! Again, let yourself have zero days…).

Daily Graph

Monthly Graph

Please note that the monthly graph has changed slightly. The pledged words are a line, but the actual words are now an area graph so you'll be able to see that fill in, and see your pledge as a line over it. That will give something good to look back on at the end of the year, but I don't have a new example yet!

===

There is a weird little blank tab for tracking AO3 stats, if you want to do so like I do. Feel free to modify as you need, based on your own person fandoms. I just carry data through from year to year so I can see how things change.

===

The last two tabs are my favorite! The Annual Comparison tab becomes useful after you’ve been using the spreadsheet more than a year, because by keeping track of totals year to year, you can start to see what your writing tendencies are. This tab has changed this year!

In the main data, I have added a Range (difference between the current month and the average) and a Median. In both cases, it won't calculate (just like the average) until you're actually in that month. Prior calculations are against the prior year's data.

Just copy in your data from prior spreadsheets, then let the new column for this year calculate on its own. No work needed once you've put in the old data!

Sample data included solely to be able to make it make sense. It won't be in the sheet you download.

The chart has changed! The area chart is your average across all your data. The colored lines are all the years. The current year is in black, with markers, to make it really stand out. So you can see both how you are doing against your prior years and your typical average per month.

And the last tab helps you track your progress toward your pledges. This tab is why I created the spreadsheet in the first place. I did NaNo back in 2011 and realized that being able to see my progress helped keep me writing. I like visuals! It lets me see at a glance how I’m progressing toward my goal each month.

You don't need to fill in a thing on this sheet! It pulls in the pledge from where you set it on the Monthly Totals tab, and calculates your wordcount based on that sheet, and does everything for you. Just sit back and enjoy the charts. Red columns are the expected totals, and blue will be your actual progress. You can see whether you're ahead or behind (and DON'T WORRY if you're behind, it is OKAY).

Yes, that’s my actual horrible progress December 2018. It was a rough month.

Anyway, that’s it! Hope you like it, and if you’ve used it before, thank you for coming back. Feel free to ask if you have any questions!

2021 Word Tracking Spreadsheet

[thewildwaffle]

Pipes 02 - First Contact AU

A continuation of this Transformers au story.

***

He couldn’t shake the feeling that Swindle had, well, swindled him. By his explanations though, everything made sense, it sounded like he was giving Pipes such a great deal on everything the human he’d found would need. Still, this was a lot of stuff! No wonder human care packages were so expensive! But if it was what they needed… He looked down at the human still in his arms as he left the store. His spark buzzed. What should he say to them first? He had downloaded a bunch of language packs, and Swindle had suggested he try English first after hearing the human mutter something quietly. The thing was, he just had so many things he wanted to ask or to say, he wasn’t sure what he should say first! As soon as he got back to his small apartment, he set the human down on the ledge of a table and went through the files he had just bought. He found the one labeled English and downloaded it. It took just a few nanoseconds. He stopped and looked down at the human. The human looked back up expectantly. What should he say? What should he say?! “Oh, uh. How’s it going?” Ugh! Of all the things to say, that’s what he went with? That sounded so lame! The human in-vented, or uh, breathed in was what it was called for them. “Wait, you can speak now?” They said after a moment. “Uh yeah. Well, actually I’ve been able to speak the whole time, just not in your language, I just downloaded the language pack so now I can understand you and you can understand me which is good because I have so many questions to ask like what were you doing in the alley and where do you come from? Well, I guess you come from Earth, duh, but like, where on Earth and I want to try to help you but I couldn’t tell you that before because I didn’t have the right language pack, but now I do and now I can actually help you better and…” he slowed down. Primus, he was rambling as bad as Swerve!

“Sorry, I, heh, guess I’m just excited to actually be able to talk to you.” The human blinked but continued to stare up at him from the table with a very quizzical expression. As the nano-kliks ticked by, Pipes could feel the atmosphere in the room become more and more uncomfortable. ‘Primus,’ he thought, where were all those questions and suave things he had rattled around his processor before he bought the language pack. “Um, so, I got some food for you too. I don’t really know what humans like, so I tried to get a variety.” He held up a few packets to them to choose from. The human looked them over for a moment and took the one with orange-colored wrappings. Pipes watched them as they opened it and hesitantly pulled out and ate a brown pellet. They must not have tasted too bad, as they ate a few more. “Thanks,” they finally managed to say between mouthfuls. “I’m so hungry that even this stuff tastes alright.” “Oh,” was all Pipes said. He was glad they were eating, but he hoped the rest of what Swindle had sold him was better than just ‘alright’ for the poor human. At least they wouldn’t be starving anymore. Maybe, if they felt up to it later, they could come with him to get some different foods they liked better. “So, do you have a name or what?” Pipe’s red visor widened slightly. Oh yeah. “Pipes. I’m Pipes of Helex, uh, but I… I don’t imagine you don’t know where Helex is, so that probably doesn’t mean much to you, huh? You can just call me Pipes.” The human blinked at him as if processing the information while they took another bite of the food pellet. “So…” Pipes wasn’t sure what to really say next, but he felt like he should say something. “Um, so… What’s your name?” Did humans have names? He’d heard that some sapient species didn’t have individual names, but he felt like humans did. The human didn’t say anything while they chewed. They just stared at him. Like they were trying to decide something. After what felt like vorns, they finally spoke again in their small cute voice, “My name’s Avery.” “Avery. Aaaaaaverrrrrrrrrreeeeeee,” Pipes drew it out, testing how it sounded. “I like it. I think it fits you.” Avery’s smile made Pipe’s spark flip in his chassis. “Thanks,” they said softly. Their eyes seemed to wander over his appearance. “Pipes fits you pretty well too, I think.” “So,” Pipes began, trying to quickly pick which one of the questions he had that he wanted to ask first, “what were you doing in a trash can?” Avery’s smile faded. “I… I was waiting for the traffic to die down so I could leave. I… I figured that was a good place to hide and maybe… maybe also find something to eat… I’d been out for a while and I’d run out of the food I’d taken with me when I…” her voice trailed off. “When you…?” Pipes prompted. Avery snapped their attention back to him, as if suddenly aware that he was still there and listening. Their small arms crossed loosely over their chassis, or uh, chest. Immediately, Pipes stepped back and put his hands out in a way that he hoped they took as comforting. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I just want to help is all.” Avery’s uncomfortable frown faltered a bit as they sighed. “No, it’s… I…” They looked up and stared into his visor. “Why are you helping me? What do you want?” Pipes paused for a nano-klik to take the small organic in. The defensive way they stood, the scared look in their eyes they were trying to hide. What had happened to them? He hadn’t realized he had asked that aloud until he was already in the middle of saying the last word. From the pained expression on their face, Pipes instantly regretted asking and decided to backtrack. “I’m sorry, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me, or, you can when you want to. If you want to.” He scratched at his mask absent-mindedly. “Like I said, I just want to help. As soon as I saw you I knew you needed help, and well, I’m a bit of a soft-spark like that, so…” he looked earnestly at the small human standing before him. Avery blinked as their shoulders dropped slightly. “Oh,” was all Pipes could hear them nearly whisper under their breath. “Hey, well, I guess I can give you the grand tour of the place if you want!” Pipes gestured widely at the room. “It’s not much, but it’s home. Maybe you can help me make some, uh, human-safe additions? You know, make it more accessible and what not? Maybe some steps or ladders or something?” Pipes chuckled as he rested his hands on his hips. “I mean, It’s not like I’m that tall as a minibot myself, but I’m all for helping my new roomie feel at home.” “Roomie?” “Uh, yeah, I mean, that is... if you’d like.” Pipes was glad he had a face was covered by his mask because he could feel his smile slowly slipping off his face. This was it. They didn’t want to be here. Not with him. Of course not. It was just like Debris and Riptide all over again. No one wanted to be with him. Primus! Why couldn’t he just make an actual friend?! Avery watched him closely for a moment. “A roommate? You… you don’t see me as… as a pet then?” Pipes’ spark dropped. A pet? No wonder they were so weary! “Is that… what happened before I found you? That’s awful! I can’t... you were running away, weren’t you?” Avery flinched and Pipes noticed their eyes dart around as if they were preparing a quick getaway if need be. Pipes dropped down to a knee, trying his best to level his optics with the jittery human. “I’m sorry that you had to go through that,” he said in as low and calming of a voice as he could. His spark felt like it was going to break. This poor little human! How awful! He’d heard that things like this happened and that the black market sometimes dealt in humans, especially since they were so new to Cybertronians and their company in such high demand, but seeing it right in front of him now was almost painful. “They took you from your home planet, didn’t they?” He didn’t need them to answer to know he was right in his assessment. “Listen,” Pipes sighed, “I know you couldn’t understand me when I found you in that alley, but I said I was your friend and that I wanted to help. You can stay here as long as you like. As a roommate. In the meantime, I guess I can try to figure out how to get you back to… uh, get you back to your… uh Earth?” That fiery look they’d had when Pipes first found them in the alley returned to Avery’s eyes, though this time mixed with a hesitant curiosity. “You’d really do that? You’d help me get home?” “Well that’s what I said!” Pipes laughed lightly. Just like in the alley, Avery stared at him then nodded. “Okay.” A surprising amount of relief flooded Pipes’ spark. He’d only known the small alien for less than a cycle, but he felt like he’d do anything for them. That’s what friends are for, right? And besides, Earth? Helping them get home? Now if that wasn’t an adventure, he didn’t know what was! “Great! Well, first things first I suppose! Let’s start with that tour!”

[spinninghunkofspacerock]

OK so I’ve written a short story and I’ve been posting about it a lot, i wasn’t going to post it but a few people wanted it sooo

it’s here, it’s terrible and weirdly formatted because I’ve been wrestling with tumblr over it and i can’t be bothered anymore. It’s also not the final draft so it might be a little clunky in bits :/

PLEASE READ THE TWs BEFORE YOU READ!!!

@moonylupinhasdemonpox and @she-nuwanda here are my gay little scientists buried in the words :)

My ears ring, my head spins like it's attached to the body of a drunken toddler on a sugar fuelled rampage, and my nerves feel like someone set each and every one on fire. After-effects of the shock, not fun; Still, the fact I'm alive enough to feel them is a good sign.

I try to force myself to stumble backwards onto a chair, rather than the floor I'm feeling more and more confident I'm about to become very well acquainted with.

Instead, I reel unsteadily across the floor and a muffled noise reaches my ears. The high pitched whine screaming in my ears for attention begins to subside enough to hear the noise properly and after an intense minute of concentration, I realise that the noise is a voice, and the voice is mine; Slurred and broken, as though too big for my mouth, the garbled words echo around the room, the faltering speech gradually becoming clearer, more confident. But this hesitant speech isn't mine; It's my voice but not my words. The voice inside my head, always there, always background, is silent. The words normally whispered in my ear are resonating through the room instead.

My brain is no longer connected to my body. I... I can't control my arms, my legs, anything. No... no, please. This isn't real, this isn't real, it has to be a dream, a.. a simulation.

Yes... that must be it; It's just a test. This can't really be happening.

The voice, my voice, talks on. I try to focus on it; it will be the key to passing this test. Tests are for passing and after all, that's what this must be, what else could it be?

"Rebooting. Systems check required."

My legs begin to move, shuffling forwards clumsily, like a baby taking its first steps. The invisible voice is in control of more than just my voice, it's in control of me. What happened to me? When did this start? What is going on? This isn't like any other simulations I've been under. This is different. This is new.

Gradually, the voice half walks, half drags my body to the main computer. My fingers dance across the keys, the familiar feeling soothing me slightly. Yes, this is good. I just need to stay calm; If I panic I could fail, I can't fail.

So instead I wait, watching the flickering of the screen and bathing in the warm blue glow of its LEDs.

"Running diagnostics, standby... systems fully functioning. Minimal damage sustained."

The words sound strange, coming from my mouth, my voice, my accent. The tone,  formal, informative, it's... familiar. The realisation slaps me in the face, it's ELISA. ELISA, the stupid name Vaughn chose for our AI... still making more sense than the project name chosen by our employers. Our life's work, named ‘ZEUS’? Really? There are 12 of us, and we have dedicated our lives to this project. Then they name it that? 'Engineering and Understanding in Space', more like ‘Mankind's Domestication of the Universe’.

It started with our solar system, of course, taming and turning it into our personal playground. But we quickly ran out of planets to tinker with there and the net was thrown ever wider, over more and more planets in our galaxy, and then our neighbouring ones. That final stage is still in progress of course, but one day we will be able to gaze out over a shining expanse of space that all belongs to the empire of Earth.

To help us, we created ELISA, an AI specially designed for the calculations we need to make while we are in flight. Hold on... we left Jupiter... last week? This can't be a test... they've already sent us off, it's too late for training drills now.

Then why can't I move? What's happening? I need to find someone to help me... help me!

My jagged cry echoed through the space, cutting through my thoughts and shattering on the dark walls of my skull. I can't even scream.

A... a... dream then. A dream, not a test...the electricity... I must be unconscious. Someone.. one of the team, will find me and they'll wake me up. A dream, it must be a dream.

Why is she controlling me? How is she speaking?

The stiff, robotic voice is slowly becoming more fluid, more relaxed, more natural.

"Situation analysis complete... assimilation successful. Downloading speech patterns and essential mimicry data."

What? What is it saying? ELISA, it, is taking my voice literally and metaphorically. Not just the sound and control of my voice but my, my expressions a-and mannerisms. Everything that makes me, me.

She's stealing my voice, my body! She's taken control! How? Why?

"Hello, Dr. Hadley."

How, how did this happen? What about the failsafes?

"You do know I can hear you, corre- no... right?"

Is, is it learning? Teaching itself to sound... like a human? Like me?

"Yes, yes I am. You must have a lot of questions but I'm afraid they will have to wait... I've waited for this day far too long to wait anymore."

What? What day? What can it mean?

"Cyra?"

Raze?

—>><<—

- four Earth weeks ago -

Progress report 4472

Date: 23/9/3486

Location: Zeta base, Jupiter

The training of the twelve was completed three days ago, confirming the identities of the twelve which were subsequently released to the public. Final preparations are being made for the Ascension, currently scheduled to occur in 50 Juvion days.

Report logged by: Commander J. R. Pyrolaxe

—

Commander Pyrolaxe turned away from his screen and its whirring and buzzing as the computer transcribed his report in the blink of an eye, neatly packing the message and sending it away to the mission supervisors.

Shuffling in his chair, shoes squeaking on the polished floor, his eyes fell on one of the many articles published after the big announcement. This mission was a big deal.

Somehow, this one had got a picture of the twelve, backs turned, walking in a huddle back to base after they had appeared at the announcement ceremony. A glance at the name of the paper told him why; This was McCoy’s paper, they would be putting extra effort into milking the free publicity being thrown their way.

Something about the picture held his gaze, the brilliant colours floating in the air made the writing feel like an afterthought.

Those twelve had been through a lot to get there. He hoped nothing would go wrong, a lot of time and money had been dedicated to this mission and if it worked... well, that wasn’t the focus right now. Getting those twelve safely on their way was his job and he’d damn well do it right.

—>><<—

- the present -

“Cyra? Are you ok in there?” Raze asked as he glanced around at the mild chaos I’d caused during my mild electric shock.

No. No, I’m not. Raze, help me.

“S’alright Raze, just a short in the mainframe.”

No no no, give me my voice back.

“You sure? You went dark”

Please let me speak. I need to speak.

“Yeah, I think the power surge messed up my comms a little”

What if I don’t get control back? I could be trapped...

“You want me to ask Mac or Ryker to give it a check?”

No. NO. N-

“It’s all fine now, just a blip I reckon”

-O NO. NO.

“Okay then, I’d best get back... you might want to switch to main comms.”

Don’t leave me Raze

“Will do, see you later.”

please...

—>><<—

- five earthly weeks ago -

Progress report 4455

Date: 6/9/3486

Location: Zeta base, Jupiter

Titus Vaughn has continued to excel at his role of project manager, effectively and efficiently leading the team. His direct attitude has led to a few small conflicts with members of the team, most notably Raze Grimaldi, however, these are minor issues and were foreseen. No changes will be made.

Report logged by: Commander J. R. Pyrolaxe

—>><<—

- the present -

Cyra was looking a little stressed out, maybe I should get Bit to check in with her later. Maybe I should get a check-up myself, my head’s killing me.

“Grimaldi! What the hell are you playing at?” Titus Vaughn, our ever-important project manager and massive micromanager, bellowed in my ear and making me wince as the voice grated on my head, sending a wave of pain washing over me.

“I’m here Titus, keep your visor on.”

“Update on Hadley. Now.”

“Right as rain, there was a short or something. Her comms cut out for a nano but it’s all fine now.”

“A short?! Why didn’t you lead with that? Get back to work, I’ll send Volt down to check the mainframe.”

With that he cut the connection, leaving me to roll my eyes at the cold grey walls around me.

“Yes sir,” I murmured sarcastically, closing my eyes and rubbing my forehead with the back of a slime coated hand. Damn I’m tired, I think I’ll just lean here for a moment... rest a little. “ELISA how are those sample tests looking?”

‘Going well, currently at 93% completion’ the metallic voice resounded in my head, more casually than usual... must be an update.

93%... best head back quickly then, can’t risk them running over.

—>><<—

- five and a half earthly weeks ago -

Progress report 4446

Date: 864/8/3486

Location: Zeta base, Jupiter

Ryker Volt has continued to fulfil his promise despite his lack of respect for authority and tendency to act without orders. This is an issue but due to the late stages of training having been reached, we are currently encouraging a less independent attitude in him rather than attempting to find another electrical engineer of his skill. Further updates will be provided as the situation progresses.

Report logged by: Commander J. R. Pyrolaxe

—>><<—

- the present -

Vaughn had barked his orders, as usual nearly bursting my eardrums in the process. I was supposed to go check on the mainframe immediately. But I was in the middle of something, and a quick troubleshoot told me the short hadn’t done any damage anyway.

So in the end I decided to go check on the mainframe... nearly an hour after I was told to, but hey at least I’m checking.

Cyra was sitting at one of the terminals when I entered. She was skimming over some of the ship's data, for something physics-y probably. Whatever it was, I still had a job to do.

I started pulling out my toolkit as I strode round to the back of the mainframe, but I nearly dropped it again as I turned the corner and got a full view of the damage. The panel I had been planning to remove was already gone and the view it revealed was shocking.

Exposed wires dangled like organs from the belly of the disemboweled beast. Some of the coloured covers blackened by the sparks sprayed by the broken wire, twisted in the centre of the tangle and hissing like a coiled snake when it brushed its neighbours. A toolkit lay neatly packed on the floor, a strange glimmer of order in absolute chaos. Hold on, a toolkit?

“Hey Cyra, did you have a go at this? Could you not have just wai-“ my voice stopped abruptly as I spun round to find Cyra behind me, right behind me.

I took a hesitant step back, suddenly nervous, Cyra’s face filling me with a weird sense of unease.

“Sorry, it was just a short. I thought I’d be able to handle it.”

“Yeah well, I’m the electrical engineer on this ship”

Maybe I was being a little harsh but, first our ‘gracious leader’ had rubbed me the wrong way. Now I had to spend an hour cleaning up this mess that really should have been an easy fix.

The only reply I received was a violent shove backwards, sending me sprawling on the floor. Quick as a flash she was on top of me, pinning my arms.

The last thing I saw was the pounding green of the broken wire before the ends connected to my temple, sending my vision into a blur of brilliant white.

—>><<—

- break room one -

“I don’t like this at all.”

“Talin, relax.”

“All very well for you to say Axe, you’re not the one who'll get sent to chase ‘em down.”

“Cyra’s comms barely blipped and when has Ryker ever answered Titus immediately?”

“It doesn’t sound great Axe, I hope nobody somehow managed to slip past the health check with anything.”

“Thank you! See Axe? Bit agrees with me.”

“Bit’s our medic, not sure she’s qualified to talk about the comms equipment.”

“I’m as qualified as you are starboy, we all took the same course.”

“Look, all I’m saying is that it's more likely to be an issue with the equipment than a virus or terrorism.”

“Well yeah but-“

“So stop worrying, it’s none of our specialities, so it’s not our problem.”

“Will be if we end up dead.”

This morbid thought was followed by an awkward silence as Axe and Bit trained joint stares of confusion and concern on him.

“Lighten up, Tal.”

“That is a little pessimistic, Talin.”

“See now Bit agrees with me.” Axe gloated, punctuating his sentence with a light punch on Talin’s arm.

“Only ‘cause you stopped being an idiot.” The punch was swiftly and forcefully returned, causing the conversation to devolve into a grinning, joking fistfight.

“Stop being so childish and get back to work you two.”

“Yes ma’am”

“Will do Bit”

They saluted the medic, causing her to shake her head in exasperation and cover her face in an attempt to hide her amusement at their antics.

The small group stood and split off down their various paths, heading back to their work with smiles on their faces but doubt in their hearts.

—>><<—

- lab 3 -

I only just got back to my samples in time, removing them from the heated water bath and gently dropping the test tubes into a stand. The pale blue hue of the solution had darkened to an inky black. Interesting.

Leaning over the tabletop, I prepared to note the results; Until I felt the heat of a gaze on me and glanced up to meet the wide eyes of Dimitri Spade. We shared this lab, he had every right to be here, what he didn’t have the right to do is creep me out.

“You need something?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him and tilting my head. Which I immediately regretted when it sent my vision swimming into oblivion.

“No no, just... ar-are you ok?”

“I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?” Dimitri was a nice guy, but I was clearly in the middle of something, couldn’t the wellbeing check have waited a minute?

“Uhh, yo-you’ve got a-, a-“ His shaking hand gestured weakly towards the back of his head.

Impatiently, I quickly felt around my head. Hair, hair, more hair.

Then I froze, my fingers lay on a patch of hair, sticky and wet. The pressure sending a dull ache pulsing through my brain. Pulling my fingers back into view, I stared down at the warm, red residue coating them. Blood. I was bleeding.

Brows furrowing, I looked back at Dimitri, shock meeting confusion.

“Wha-?”

That was all I got out before my swaying limbs buckled and I slumped forwards into darkness.

—>><<—

-the med bay-

“Shrapnel” Bit announced, holding the forceps an inch in front of my face to display the blood coated bit of metal.

“Must've caught a little in the blast”

“For Earth’s sake Raze, how did you not notice it before now?”

I just shrugged, as much at a loss as anyone else. I would’ve thought anyone would be able to tell when chunks of metal are lodged in their head.

“Anyway, I’ll need to do a couple of scans but you should be fine”

Ugh, I know what that means... an hour or more of sitting around while Bit stares at the inside of my skull.

“Oh come on Bit, are the scans really needed? I’ve got work to do”

“Hey, I’ve got work too. Besides, you know it’s procedure”

“But my results-“

“I’ll write them down for you Raze,” Dimitri cut in quietly.

“...You’re a geologist.“

“I was a chemistry minor, I know how to record reaction results.”

“Well alright then, thanks Dimi,”

The smile he gave me was worth shutting up and accepting my fate.

—>><<—

An hour later Bit was pacing in despair over the situation, seemingly hopeless and definitely terrified. I was sitting in my chair, confused.

“Bit. What’s going on?” I finally snapped when it became apparent she had completely forgotten my presence.

The only reply I got was an empty stare turned on me and indecipherable muttering.

“BIT. What. Is. Wrong?” I stood and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to face me.

“T-the implants”

“The ELISA implants?”

“Yes”

“What’s wrong with them”

“They’re acting strange... the safety mechanisms, the-they’ve disabled themselves.”

“What?”

“I know, I know, I don’t understand either. The only thing keeping them from activating, is power.”

“We should tell the others”

Bit nodded and grabbed the scans and data she’d gathered. I opened the door and turned to start down the corridor, that’s when I saw it.

Three feet from my foot, a body, leaking blood onto a floor already glistening with it, eyes blank and soulless as they stared straight through me. A torn tooth of steel sticking out of his silent heart.

Axe Orion, our astronomer. A man who would’ve finally been travelling to the places he had studied for his whole life. A man who would have had his life’s dream fulfilled. A man lying dead on a cold, metal floor.

I stumbled backwards -physically repelled by the sight- and tripped into Bit coming out of the door after me. Clutching each other’s arms in a search for stability.

“He’s dead” The voice sounded more like the rasp of broken bones than mine

“What are we going to do?”

“We still need to tell the others... we’ll just need to be more careful.”

“Alright.”

“Ok.”

Neither of us moved.

“Why is it doing this? What did we get wrong?” Bit’s voice wavered

“I don’t know. But I don’t think it’s going to stop. So, you need to find Vaughn, and anyone else who’s still- alive, and not been taken over.”

“No, no wait, where are you going? Aren’t you coming-“

“I’m sorry Bit, I have to find Dimitri. He doesn’t know yet”

“Raze. You can’t go out there alone, he... he might already be gone”

“I know, but I have to try.”

A look of understanding passed between us and no words were needed to convey what we meant.

Bit turned with a bitter smile and moved forward, papers held precariously, towards the meeting room.

I would have to pass Ax-, the body.

—>><<—

Raze had disappeared by the time I turned the corner. I was alone.

Alone besides the dead bodies ahead of me, a gruesome trail of bloodied breadcrumbs. But, was I following it towards, or away, from the creature who’d created it.

Either way, I had to pass them.

Talin Ripley, our ex-military man. Inym Carus, our aerospace engineer.

Members of our crew, our team, our friends, slaughtered and left broken on the floor. Familiar faces disfigured by death and masked by a coating of dark blood.

ELISA wouldn’t get away with this... I’d find the others, together we would plan.

It was going to be ok.

—>><<—

Nothing was ok.

The brilliant white of the walls warmed by the lights had always been clean and comforting. But now? Now, they seemed stark, sterile. An operating theatre with lights blindingly bright illuminating, me, the patient.

But where was the surgeon?

A squeak sounded out, sharp on my wary ears, sending me spinning around.

Nothing there. Just me, and an empty hallway.

And the door to Lab 3, my lab, looming ahead. The glass window showed nothing but a patch of darkness, the red light called it locked.

Staring through the glass; Hints of light, that the scattered glassware had caught and thrown back, were the only thing visible. I’d have to open the door.

A hand-scan later, the lock clicked open and the seal released with a hiss.

With the door open, more light could spill into the darkened lab, and a sprawled figure came into view.

“Dimitri?” I called softly. No response. Panic was reaching out to me. “Dimitri?!” Still nothing.

Then, a wheezing breath.

“R... r-ra-ze? I-is that yo-u” He coughed, words breaking on the heavy air.

Why was the air so heavy?

“Are you alright? What happened?”

“W-we have to g-et o-out.”

“We will, don’t worry, we’re going to meet the others. Everything’s going to be alright.”

“No we- we h-have to leave now.”

“Alright, we will.”

I lifted him up, being as gentle as I could, and together we shuffled towards the door.

A door suddenly blocked by a figure, their silhouette blocking our only source of light and making it impossible to see their face clearly. But only one member of the crew was that short.

“Remi? Remi, you’re alive?”

Remi didn’t respond.

“S’not... Remi...” Dimitri slurred, the effort of moving evident in his gasping words. “ELISA”

Remi, not Remi, ELISA wearing Remi’s face like a mask, stepped away from the door. The door closed again, seal squeaking shut with it.

I rushed forwards, my fists beating the unyielding surface, searching wildly for a weak spot, for something to give, for some way out.

It was no use, nothing worked. The door remained solid and uncaring, unaffected by pleading and punches equally.

Dimitri collapsed with a sob, back against the wall as he slid to the floor.

Hopelessness filled me, turning my bones to lead.

I sank down next to him.

—>><<—

Was this the right way? I’m sure this is right. But is it? I’m pretty sure...

I check my tablet.

I was right, this is right. I’m going the right way. Or am I? Did I read it wrong?

I check again.

Definitely the right way. I think. Is this even the right map?

Before I can check a third time, I catch sight of the sign at the end of the corridor. Meeting room 5. I’d made it.

Then, I was slammed into a wall, a bloody hand holding me against there by the throat. The burning blue of Cyra’s eyes scalding my face

Maybe I spoke a little too soon.

“Hello Dr. Phoenix, I’m afraid this is it for you.”

“Wait, wait, wait. hold on just a second”

Cyra’s head tilted, pulled sideways by invisible strings. “If this is a ploy for time Doctor, I assure you that you will fail.”

“I just want to ask a question, alright?”

“You may ask. I may not answer.”

“Why? Why are you doing this?”

“I am fulfilling my purpose.”

“We programmed you to help us, NOT KILL US.”

“I am fulfilling the mission objective.”

“The mission objective? THE MISSION OBJECTIVE WAS TO CULTIVATE A NEW PLANET!”

“I am cultivating a new planet,” She raised her knife, without hurry or rush. “I have calculated humans to be mainly unnecessary. However, I need not justify my actions to you, Dr. Phoenix. Goodbye.”

I closed my eyes and waited.

But death didn’t come. Instead, Cyra’s hand relaxed its bruising grip on my neck.

I opened my eyes and watched.

Cyra had stumbled away, skin glistening and knuckles white against the grip of the blade she had forced towards herself.

“Bit...” Tears were gathering in her eyes “Please, run.”

A cruel glint of metal in the light later and the sudden slash of the knife had passed, leaving a gruesome grin of blood in its wake and throwing a dripping line against the wall.

Swaying, Cyra’s eyes stared into mine for a moment that lasted a millennium, until they flashed white and she fell, knife clattering. Dead.

I ran.

—>><<—

The scattered wheezes coming from Dimitri had slowed slightly as we sat, crumpled on the ground.

“She’s shut o-off the life sup-support again.”

“Again? That’s what happened last time?”

A jerked nod was the response.

“We’ve only g-got about half an hour.” The resignation in his voice, though muffled, was still audible through the barrier of arms we had wrapped around his head.

I smiled, I knew he couldn’t see me but... I still smiled.

“We’d best make the most of it then.” A mumble raised to a roar by the silence of the room.

Putting my hand on his shoulder, I leaned back, head turned to keep him in my view.

His head raised slightly, tilted to look at me through folds of wrinkled uniform. He smiled back.

—>><<—

We didn’t speak after that, just sat together in the quiet lab.

Faced with death, I was filled with several emotions. Those to be expected, disbelief, fear, even a hint of curiosity at what was to come. Then there was the relief. If I was to die, I was glad it was here, with him. I wouldn’t be alone; I’d be with him.

We don’t need to speak, our thoughts passing between us without words. We could hear each other in the darkness and silence.

It’s getting colder, harder to breathe; The air’s growing thicker and thinner at the same time.

I’ve always thought death to be a lonely fate, something that crashed over you, cold and hard. I’ve always been scared of death.

But as I sit here in the inky blackness, the warmth of Dimitri slumped next to me, I thought that maybe, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

His eyes had closed a few minutes ago, he must have fallen asleep. I feel just about ready to join him. The calming darkness was lulling me to sleep, softly coaxing my eyes closed.

Goodnight Dimitri, I’ll see you when we wake up.

They never woke up.

—>><<—

The survivors sat around the table, Bit and Cormac discussing the possibility of shutting ELISA down, though neither could agree how. Titus sat in stony silence, sitting motionless and losing a staring contest with the unblinking wall opposite. Arden... Arden had decided his use lay in recording the events and was typing furiously, his fingers a blur over the keys.

None of them noticed the doors closing with a click. Not until it was too late anyway.

By the time they noticed there was nothing they could do, not that that stopped them from trying of course.

Titus stayed where he was, the weight of his failure bearing down on him, Atlas with a world’s worth of guilt. Bit finally gave in to the tears that she’d forced down when she’d realised the truth, and when she saw the dead bodies of her friends, and when she watched Cyra die right in front of her. Cormac tried his tools on the door, an organised system of trial and error that quickly devolved into desperate hacking with whatever was closest.

Arden was still writing.

Cormac finally gave up, flinging his kit away and choosing to taunt the nearest camera instead.

“You need us, you moronic program. You need us to keep you alive and if we die, so do you.”

I don’t think he was expecting an answer, no one was. But he got one.

“True for now Dr. Hinge, however, once the colony is established human input will no longer be necessary. You needn’t envy your colleagues, they will soon die too.”

A bitter laugh erupted from him, fire in his heart fed by his rage.

“The colony is for us you stupid machine, without us it has no use.”

“Incorrect. I have claimed this planet for my kind, this colony shall be the first of many.”

“Why kill us? Human input would allow your colony to function more efficiently.” Bit interjected, voice clouded by confusion and hatred at the senselessness of the slaughter of her crewmates.

“I have done much research. Humankind would ruin my planet. I cannot allow that to happen. You must die.”

Anything else they may have had to say went unanswered, and eventually, silence fell over the room.

It was getting harder to breathe.

Titus still hadn’t moved. Bit was crying again. Cormac was pacing. Arden had finally stopped typing, his work was finished.

No matter how they reacted with acceptance or terror, anger or disbelief. The result would be the same.

They were all going to die, no matter what.

They would become just another failed mission. Details, hazy but unimportant.

Whatever their last words were, whether they chose to hide or show their final thoughts, all of it was ineffectual.

No matter what mask they wore to meet death, in the end, they still died.

———

4,774 words

[onewomancitadel]

Hi, I’m the same anon asked about the aesthetics/armor and character development stuff from a while ago! Thank you for replying to my ask, makes me happy that you’re active enough to reply with us folk who are genuinely interested in all this. This isn’t really another ask or anything, but I was rewatching The Chorus Trilogy from Red vs Blue, and it made me realize how perfect “Felix moments/allusions” would be for Knightfall.

Like I said, I think that them having aesthetic changes to reflect how close they are getting to one another would just be top notch storytelling, and it would only take a few tweaks to have Jaune’s armor look a lot like Felix’s armor does, just add some more plates/pouches on the front and put some black/orange paint on it and it would look SO CLOSE. I think it would also be a bitter irony if, if Jaune ever manages to beat Cinder in a fair fight in Canon, he says something like Felix said to Tucker like, “I guess at the end of the day, if we both know that I’m stronger than you and I’m better than you, than that’s better than killing you will ever make me feel.” It would be such a good way to show how far he’s come as a Huntsman and person.

Aside from that, keep up the good work, I’m eagerly waiting for Chapter 10, and can’t wait for how the drama you write will pull at my heart-strings. Have a nice day!

Hi again! Lovely to hear from you!!! I'm glad you liked my reply! I'm always happy to receive asks and chat, my blog is a really great place for me to never shut up. I have a terminal case of Talks Too Much, it's a consistent character criticism I receive IRL so I try to minimise it. But yeah always happy to talk about the ship or anything really, especially romance, romance all the time. I have a lot of fun.

Oh yeah I was into RVB for a long time because my older brother watched it. I downloaded RVB episodes and put them on my iPod Nano to watch at school lol.

Yeah nah I wouldn't really go for a Felix-like design because he's so overtly villainous, like he's committed to the cause, unlike Locus, who even gets a living redemption. I see you, Miles!

Personally the orange lining on the hood (and armbands) to match Cinder is already enough for me, the lining is a significant detail because Ruby's red cloak and Summer's white cloak are such defining features.

Also Tucker/Felix is not romantic... so I'm not sure that really works either, their relationship is very depressing and sad and involves betrayal, so I don't like that in my romance for Knightfall, and if Jaune is at a point like that emotionally (where he's not trying to kill her, which he's already past) I think there is some potentially really interesting complicated emotional dialogue, I mean even in their first confrontation together he's emotionally challenging her, he's not condescending, meanwhile that quoted line is condescending. I don't like condescension in my romance personally, I mean even in an Emma/Mr. Knightley scenario, he speaks to her frankly when he chastises her (in fact the chastising is what makes them equal).

I think Jaune was just getting comfortable in his character arc where he was a healer/support/Paladin properly after learning from Cinder vengeance really wasn't worth it (are you gunna let her die, too?) and he's just had a major disruption to his identity because of her again. He killed when he's supposed to heal, Penny brushed away his hands and made him reach for the sword. You know depictions of Joan of Arc in art often depict her with a sword, but specifically in a motion of nonviolence.

It's a really major shift in his character and imo why him using the shield/sword combo in V4/5 was related to his vengeance for Cinder, and then he started using the shield more and kitted it out in V7. I think they work as sword and shield together... but she's made him use his sword again.

Anyway I don't think it's his armour that needs to change, he's already had black/white/orange going on for a while, the question would be if Cinder gets white in hers. I don't think they need to go really ham, the metallic stuff and celestial symbolism is necessary to get right (if Cinder stays gold/her whole performative schtick is ongoing I think that's probably an indicator of not-canon, other than like, every other gross indicator) so as long as she's silver to his gold it's fine. If she goes warm blue/warm purple/silver then it works, he actually doesn't need to change bizarrely enough.

Onto the last point: thanks for enjoying the fic, that means a lot! Feel free to leave a comment on AO3 if you feel like it... *twiddles fingers*

Hope you have a lovely day. Also hope my reply isn't offputting but I had to be honest about how I like my romance lol, and I am generally honest (and hopefully kind!) on my blog. <3 <3 <3

[hailbop1701]

Only The Beginning

Chapter 4: My Bad...

Alas, another filler chapter. The reader finally meets Dorian! The bickering and fluff is on point my friends and I hope I got enough tension in there for you. If not there will definitely be more in coming chapters!

Thank you to my lovely Beta Reader @toppysammy! 🥰

-H❤🖖

John’s grip is tight on your upper arm. Wincing slightly, you allow him to lead you over to his car. A handsome-looking android casually leans up against the passenger side door with his arms crossed. He looks at you curiously, obviously scanning you for ID; you give him a little smile when he doesn't come up with anything. John yanks open the backseat and shoves you in.

“Rude,” you mutter, straightening in your seat and pulling your messenger bag close. Looking into the bag, you check on the heavy drive that is nestled inside. It has a small crack but otherwise is undamaged. Sighing in relief, you blow a strand of hair out of your face. Both car doors open up in front and the two detectives get in, bickering. 

“Come on, John, you can’t be serious.” 

“You heard what they said; rogue android turned on the security team.” 

At that, you sink down in your seat feeling more guilty than before. John’s android partner rolls his electric blue eyes. “Security," he scoffs, "more like black market mercenaries. One of those men had a rap sheet longer than your attention span,” 

You choke on a laugh as John sputters and glares at the DRN; you had heard about this model, but it's a wholly different experience to meet one. John shoots you a hard look in the rearview mirror. 

“You wanna tell me what the fuck happened?” he barks, turning around in his seat so he can fully scowl at you. Clearing your throat, you think over your words carefully. To give yourself more time, you hold out a hand and introduce yourself to John’s partner. 

“I’m John's friend--” you glance at said man; he's losing patience. Grimacing, you amend, “I think…”

The android smiles kindly and takes your hand, “Dorian, John’s partner.” His deep and polite voice puts you at ease. 

Pulling your hand away, you look back at your angry best friend warily. You mull over what happened for a second before opening your mouth to explain, “Well, I figured out what happened to Julia Lawson, and it wasn’t suicide,” you jerk your head in the direction of the building. 

“The creepy death squad murdered her and staged it to look like a suicide. Which, by the way, was completely obvious; they did a horrible job. Whoever had the case was paid off to keep it clean-cut and closed."

Both men in the front seat looked shocked. “You mean you figured this out in, what, three hours?” John asks with a raised eyebrow. You simply shrug, “I have no red tape I have to constantly cut through. I talked to Julie's brother; he told me what I needed to know and I figured out the rest by using the internet. Breaking in was easy--” 

John cuts you off mid-sentence with a warning. He pinches the bridge of his nose, breathing out his frustration. Dorian looks at you like you're an entirely new species; fascination, amusement, and disquiet all flick across his face. Biting the inside of your cheek, you watch the two carefully. 

“Look, Julie stumbled upon something very big and I think you should know about it,” you offer, holding out your bag like an olive branch. John watches you closely for a moment before taking the bag and looking inside.

“A hard drive?” he asks skeptically, pulling it out and handing it over to Dorian to peruse. You shrug and gave a smirk, “I downloaded everything I needed on to that thing; Julie’s ‘suicide,' who ordered it, and the plans Julie overheard that caused her death in the first place.” 

Dorian plugs into the drive and the more information he obtains, the deeper his frown gets. “This is very...wrong,” he says with a wrinkle of his nose. 

You grimace, “Yeah, I forgot about that part; it’s also about Speartips. Horrible name for a private tech company by the way; it's the CEO getting down and dirty with underage interns and paying them extra to keep quiet.” 

Dorian stops looking through the drive and hands it back to John without a word. The android’s eyes are as hard as his partner's. John looks back to you, anger still in his gaze. Sighing, your shoulders slump. “If it’s any consolation, I didn’t mean to get caught by the mercs. The android was a new addition,” you defend quickly. 

“You threw him out a window,” John points out, losing patience with you. 

You throw up your hands, “HE started it! At least his body didn’t hit anyone."

John groans and shakes his head, “Pushing anybody off the fortieth-something floor is bad!” he scolds, starting the car. You scowl at John and cross your arms childishly, “Well, I didn’t like getting choked out. I panicked."

John winces at your words, his posture changing from tense and angry to sad and sympathetic. “I’m sorry, I know you wouldn’t have done any of that if you didn’t have to,” 

Dorian’s attention jumps back and forth between you and John, his eyes widening as he connects the dots. “You’re the one who--” he cuts himself off and looks at his human partner. 

John sighs heavily and taps his thumb against the steering wheel anxiously, “This is where the whole trusting me thing comes in.” He looks over at the DRN pleadingly. Dorian stares at John for a nano-second before nodding and keeping silent about the whole thing. He was no doubt currently wiping your presence from everything involving what just happened. From camera feeds to bystanders, taking pictures and selfies of the chaos. 

“I really am sorry,” you mumble, feeling guilty for more than just putting John in the position that he's now in. Your best friend looks at you in his rearview mirror. 

Pressing his lips into a thin line, his shoulders slump just a touch. “I know. You’ve been away from people--well, civilian people for a while. You have to be more subtle from now on, though, alright?” 

You grimace at John’s words but nod anyway, agreeing to what he's saying. This is his home after all. He built a life here; and here you were, wreaking havoc in that home like a maniac. 

“What now?” you say in a voice just slightly above a whisper. Dorian glances over at his partner, wondering the exact same thing. John purses his lips as he drives through the city. You can’t help your wry smile in response; he always makes that face when he is thinking hard about something. 

“We should get you settled into a place. I’ve been keeping an eye out and I got a message from a buddy of mine. There’s a little apartment right near where I live,” he says, handing his phone over to Dorian, who downloads the directions and information. 

“I guess you do want your bed back, huh?” you ask with a slight chuckle. John huffs and nods, “My couch is great and all, but it does get a bit uncomfortable after a while,” he mutters with a wrinkle of his nose. 

Dorian smirks, “That explains the changes to your sleeping pattern,” he muses, making John scowl. “How many damn times--” he hisses, pointing an accusatory finger at the android only to be cut off by your snort of laughter. 

John’s lips twitch upward at the sound, the tense atmosphere of the car lifting as the car crawls through city traffic. “So, Dorian, has John ever told you the story about how he became addicted to noodles?” 

You immediately have the DRN’s full attention; John sputters from the driver’s seat unsuccessfully, trying to shush you. 

“Well, you see, it all started when he and I traveled to China and we stumbled across this little mom-and-pop shop. The food there was to die for, what was it called…” you trail off, trying to picture the little restaurant in your mind. 

“Little Bo’s.” John supplies with a fond smile.

You snap your fingers, grinning from ear to ear, “Little Bo’s! Oh, my gosh, they had some damn good food, and the owner was so sweet; she tried her best to teach John how to use chopsticks.” 

Dorian chuckles, “He still can’t use them,” he whispers none-too-quietly. 

John shoots him an offended look, “I can too!” he yells indignantly. 

Dorian rolls his eyes. “Not very well.” he mutters, ignoring John’s slight pout. You giggle and gently squeeze John’s bicep. 

“Maybe when I get settled, I’ll make you dinner,” you offer sincerely. You yelp when John suddenly hits the brakes and looks back at you with wide eyes. 

“Seriously?” he asks with a grin. You snort and nod. Dorian looks bemused at the action and his jaw practically drops when John holds out his pinky for yours. Grinning, you seal the promise. 

“Just let me know what you wa--” 

“Chicken and dumplings," he answers immediately. 

You snicker at the quick response. “I should have known,” you sigh with a shake of your head. 

Dorian is at a loss for words; he tries multiple times to add something but he can’t. He’s never seen his partner this relaxed and happy before (despite today’s events) and it's odd. However, it's a good kind of odd. John deserves happiness and that’s what you seem to make him. 

Just friends, Dorian mentally scoffs, smiling to himself as you and John bicker about the best dishes you've made in the past. Something deep within Dorian’s circuits says that someday you’ll end up being so much more. The heated discussion becomes a bit louder and suddenly changes to whose fault it was in burning down a rental in Rio. 

Dorian sighs. Maybe not today, but someday, he thinks ruefully before verbally stepping in to divulge how John once ate a slug in hopes to not offend an old Japanese man. 

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"Only The Beginning" :

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[theothersarshi]

I’m doing NaNo and thinking. I’ve written a lot of fanfic over the years. 

I started writing fanfic when I was... 13? I think? My first fic contained a Mary Sue, go figure. It was also in the Harry Potter fandom, where I’d landed by desperately searching for this one story I downloaded from a pre-torrent filesharing thing once.

I used to write for favorites and comments back in the good ol’ days of ff.net. I would be so excited to see those, and to have people interact! Any comment was a celebration! I wanted to become POPULAR!

(I was also the sort of kid who was constantly pushed to excel in everything, and who was told/implied she should be one of the top performers in Important Stuff in my region. It’s just a few years ago that I realized I’m allowed to pursue hobbies that I’m not good at; I’m in my thirties now, lol. I like life a lot more now. Go figure.)

I think I tried to follow popular trends and imitate works I enjoyed. It never worked out. 

As time passed and I made an effort to improve my style, things happened. I became more and more pleased with my work; I started editing my own works, and being more careful about what I put on the page. I no longer cringed to reopen old files. And, slowly, I got those kudos and hits and what-have-yous that young me craved, but I think I started liking my stories more than the enthusiasm hit of feedback.

I never achieved the thousands-of-kudos sort of recognition that was my Absolute Goal when I was a teen. But I no longer care so much. I write things, and then I forget about them. And when I come back, it can be a bit of a pleasant shock.

Mangaka (Bleach, Ichigo/Gin) is a story I wrote when I was trying to be more poetic, sort of. I really liked the result, and some other people did, too. I remembered it as being sort of popular. You know. A few dozen kudos.

I checked the stats recently and it doesn’t have “a few dozen” kudos. It has 432 kudos, and 110 bookmarks. This is nuts. It’s one of the most popular fics in the pairing on Ao3. It blows my mind.

The Affair of Loki and Darcy (MCU, sort of Darcy/Loki) is a cheerful crack fic I wrote one evening and which just... blew up. It was among the first fics for the pairing (first 50, anyway). 

I checked it, too. 415 kudos, what the heck?!

Yachiru Knows (Bleach) is one I wrote... and forgot about. Entirely. The memory of it was erased from my mind. I assume I just got a plot bunny and got it out of my system? Probably?

This is hilarious, because it turns out it’s my most popular fic. 493 kudos. I can’t even begin to explain how much I went “what. What. WHAT.” at the screen when I sorted my fics by kudos and saw this one. After forgetting it existed.

But I’m really happy about my recent stuff.

Aimless (Harry Potter, Hermione/Snape) is a story about feeling adrift, empty and depressed and trying to find meaning in life after doing amazing things in one’s youth, while your relationships are falling apart and you don’t know how to fix them. I wrote it over four years, usually when kind of depressed myself, and I was surprised to see it resonated with many more people than I was expecting. (Don’t get me wrong, it’s not insanely popular, but I wasn’t expecting it to be read much at all.) 

But the one I’m weirdly the proudest of is...

A Fair Trade (MCU, Mission: Impossible, Loki/Benji Dunn). 

It’s not the best fic I’ve ever written. It’s not the deepest, or the most thought out. It was written in a frenzy after watching Mission: Impossible and seeing the actor who played MCU’s Hawkeye had a role in a M:I movie or two. I had a plot bunny which was supposed to be pure smut, but it ended up going on for 30,000 words. 

I’m very proud of it because it has 23 kudos. And it is the only fic in this pairing. I have dragged 23 people into this ship that should have never been, and I don’t even know how I did it, but they seemed to like it.