#status report

[thegrayascendancy-if]

I am about to mention something that has become a bit of a touchy subject in this space, so I might as well do it right away: a rewr—major edit. Before you close this post, give up on me and unfollow, I have great news! It has already been completed, and it isn't about changing the plot (I think I added no more than five variables in total) but about fixing the pacing and fleshing out the world and some characters. To dodge the allegations I will release it together with the third part of chapter 1 to guarantee there will be something for everyone in the next update.

The changes are restricted to the prologue:

replaced vagueness with specificity on magic,

improved the fight choreography,

overhauled the section of the return travel with Jax,

reworked the encounter with Mort,

edited, extended and rewired the scene with Y in their study, hopefully taking care of the inconsistencies it is peppered with (no mini-game yet, sorry!)

misc. edits of the awkward phrases and descriptions

Overall, the prologue is now 15k words longer, but probably more in "new" content as I removed some parts too.

This reflects my growing certainty in some aspects of this fictional world and my improved understanding of particular character dynamics. Not to mention that as a prologue, the entry point into the story, it desperately needed to catch up to the changes in my style. There were other concerns too. In the beginning, I often tried to do too much in a single choice, most evident in the conversations with Jax, and the pacing suffered because of it. I also realized that as an author, you do not have to serve an opportunity to flirt with every RO right away just to establish that they are an RO—circling back to my point about confidence. Some stories gotta flow differently.

Among the less obvious changes, I finally got to fix the code that upset me just by existing in the files, sheer sadness in Sugarcube form. But now, with everything I learned in the process of making the consequent updates, I was able to not only improve readability but also make branching less tedious for me. That, in turn, makes me naturally open to introducing more of fun little choices. Honestly, positives only.

Phew, thank you for reading all of that! I want to be open with you about what is coming and my reasons for doing it. Once the update is out, you might not get the same numbers in the character/relationship stats as before, but that is nothing to worry about.

tldr: prologue edit done, coming bundled with the next update to chapter 1

[autopoiesei]

i made this to print out and help me stop procastinating

[ask-a-bot]

Any update on the sparklings that were taken away from Megatron?

How is your new sparkling doing?

And how is Megatron (and everyone else) today?

Wheeljack is looking for them. He tells me there is a way to find them. Progress, hopefully.

Little One, lovingly nicknamed "Gherkin" by Starscream, is fine. I had forgotten a few things about sparkling care, but Ratchet hadn't. Luckily.

I am... unwell. Weary, cold... snf. Congested. Utterly miserable.

I'm OK. Got my servos full, but I'm OK.

Optimus! Look! Gherkin is walking!

Snf. He needs a better name.

I was called "Bumblebee" because I'm yellow and black.

Well... yes. Snf. But I think "Gherkin" is taking colour-determined names too far. He is not a pickle.

OK... "Froglet"?

Starscream...

I'm very well, thanks for asking. I might take Froglet Gherkin out for a ride.

You are not calling him that!

I'm very well, too. Seeing as Megatron says it's OK, I think I'll go along with Bee...

I did not say that it was "OK"!

Well, you didn't say that it wasn't OK. You just told me not to call him Froglet Gherkin. How about just Froglet? Or Beetle? Or Bug?

Can you two please stop teasing Megatron?

OK. But only because you asked nicely. Come on, Bee. Let's take Froglet to the pool.

Starscream!

Give me strength...

[hlootooart]

Status Report #3

Hey everybody just thought I’d let you know what’s happening with me at the moment. I was gonna make a vid, but frick it.

I’m in the early stages of looking for a new job. I’m working on yet ANOTHER semester at college (just did an exam last night and the day before). Luckily I’ve been taking antidepressants and they’ve been helping with my mood, so that’s good! Therapy has also been helping me work out some past traumas and current mental health issues, which is also good. I wrote the outline of the first few episodes of the remake to line everything up and I think I FINALLY found a plot to stick with for Paphos/Gene. THANK. GOD. So the script is getting detailed and the storyboards are gonna get extra attention now.

I won’t lie, it’s been hard to stick with the project because I just couldn’t motivate myself to do anything but browse the internet. I’ve been stuck in a funk that feels like forever. I remember before COVID hit and my mom had cancer that I was way more energetic and into this project. Then I got stuck inside and ended up working from home too. So I guess I have a really prolonged sense of cabin fever? I don’t know. Add on my phone and internet addiction and I’m pretty much sapped. That’s why I’m hoping that by getting out of the house again and becoming more active, I can feel refreshed again. I also hope that by working on a proper workplace schedule, that I can teach myself discipline again.

This is no excuse, just an explanation of where I was mentally, where I am now, and where I hope to be. Thank you all for your patience and uplifting comments. I appreciate them SO much! Hoping you all can make a few entries for the October Super4ber challenge. You KNOW I love them all!

❤️

[perculiar]

It’s almost 6.30am n I can’t sleep or cum to knock me out n my head is pounding. I have been on n off dissociating & compulsion chasing for at least an hour. I think my ear infection is back, my tinnitus is blaring n I’m having sweats

If I don’t pass out in the next half hour I’m waking up bc fuck it

[pekingin-ankka]

I wasn't sure if I was even going to get any writing done tonight, but after a short while I'm already glad that I kicked myself to it. Here's a little snippet of what's going on. The first actual lines I've written for Rioichi in.. I don't know how many years it's been since I quit roleplaying. But it's been a long time.

There'll be some Romeo and Juliet like story elements coming up.

[isthisrealliiife]

Status Report: What's Going On?

Hiiiiii. OK so it's been a minute since I updated. I've been back on my health struggle bullshit, as one does, and also I've been working on an absolutely monstrous project for grad school. It is the final project for the final class I need to finish to graduate. It is enormous and onerous and horrible and what little energy and capacity I have has been devoted to it entirely.

(It was meant to be done by the end of December, but I had to take an incomplete for the class because I've been so sick I haven't been able to work on it.) Basically I just need to get this shit done and graduate.

The good news is, though, I have the next chapter of an echo, a stain on deck, and two gorgeous betas/queens, @beeinahailstorm and @babblebrain-blog who have been kind enough to listen to me ramble about this story and give me feedback both about what I've written and what's coming down the pike. I don't know how gd long it's going to take me to finish this project. It is seriously horrendous.

I'm still beset on all sides by ludicrous fatigue and brain fog, but I think maybe I'm past the halfway point. I HAVE NOT ABANDONED AEAS AND I SHALL NEVAH.

I need to do some revisions on Ch 28 but I hope to post it in the next two weeks. At that point, I should hopefully be back to a more regular posting schedule.

Anyway updates such as these are gonna be on this blog from now on so follow it if you're interested! <3 Later, taters!

[fieriframes]

[We basically just cut it up. Engineering, this is ops! Status report. Where'd you learn to smoke? Figured it out.]

[mekinere]

almost fought roll20 and comp/con so hard today i debated coding my own extensions for owlbear rodeo just to escape

why must my tokens be misshapen and my character sheets unintegrated on RA fr fr

[wonderinc-sonic]

Regret to announce I have not fixed the world

but I did draw Silver in two new-to-me styles for Silver week. Are they ugly? Maybe!

Also been giving him increasing leg hair for one of the days, this is only just after I started adding. Not sure what else this style will have in store, attempting to do something new each day. But definitely leg hair at least.

[suntreehq]

Illness encroaches

I can feel the onset of a cold and a cough.

So being in a calorie deficit is out the window.

I'm going to eat some honey.

And tomorrow I wont work out and will just rest a lot.

Sometimes you have to give up a battle to win the war.

Winter arc has started appropriately hard.

[thegrayascendancy-if]

Option one will take you on a ✨journey✨ (writing it was emotionally demanding but it is done)

[autopoiesei]

sorry for no art i'm busy here's this

[ask-a-bot]

How is everyone?

Starting with Megatron.

Ratchet put Megatron to berth with something to help him relax and recharge. I'm worried about him. He was sick before the incident with the scraplets and he seems pretty shaken and depressed on top of that. I guess I'll have to keep an optic on him.

Little One is getting a full check up right now. He seems to be in pretty good health. Ratchet is a little... irritated... that my first reaction was not to consult him, seeing as he took care of all the sparklings the Autobots took on. He knows more about sparkling care than the rest of us put together, as he rather smugly reminded me when he got here.

I'm... I'm doing OK. Tired, I guess, but I have a sick... friend and a sparkling to watch over, so I'm not going to get much recharge tonight.

I'm doing OK. Been playing a game with Star on the computer, but he got bored and now he's reading a book he stole from Megatron's room.

I'm fine. I'm always fine, when I'm not being tortured for no reason. First, it was beatings. Now it's solitary confinement.

I made you face the wall and not speak for a few minutes.

It was torture!

Well, then you'll have to learn to behave.

[hlootooart]

Status Report #2 - Possible Date Push

Hey guys...

I know the deadline for the Waywanderers premiere is literally a week from now. But I might have to push it ahead. I want this premiere to be the best it can be, and I'd to rush something out just to say I did it on time. If I still can't do it on the preferred date, I'll try to post at least something for Super 4's 10 year anniversary.

Thank you for being with me and I'm sorry for any letdowns

[the-horned-guard]

Status report for @creation-by-a-god

As far as I know, Netherum, Icarus, and Rae are all together in the Nether, presumably in Netherum's castle. She says that the children are somewhat hurt but getting better. That is all the information I currently have, I will try to relay more once I have more.

-Feyra Stone