#there are certain scenes I wanna seee and i hope they do them

[storge]

Fullmetal Alchemist 2-Part Sequel: Revenge of Scar/Final Training (2022) Trailer

[artgurusauce]

Make It Or Break It: Exclusive Deleted Scene

Hey there y'all, still packing and still going through the motions but I've got a nice little surprise for y'all.

So whilst cleaning out my laptop again, I found a very old deleted confession scene I wrote for Make It Or Break It that I decided I'd revamp and post here for you guys to read. Honestly, the confession scene was the most re-written thing in the whole fic, since when I first wrote it, I had a very different plan for the entire fic. But funnily enough, it ended up becoming an English assignment for Senior year and things just kinda...changed.

But boy am I glad they did, cause I definitely took a much better direction than some of the other stuff I wrote. Still, this is one of the few deleted scenes that had a couple ideas that weren't that horrible. So I re-wrote all the stuff I hated about it and made it into a semi-independent one-off sort of. I mean, it still mostly applies to the context of Make It Or Break It, but you don't have to read it to enjoy it if you are a first timer reading this post so hey.

Buuut, if you do want to read the original fanfic, you can find it here: Make It Or Break It

I promise I will post on my other fics again as soon as possible, but here's some fluff for ya while you're waiting. Thanks again for your support and I really hope this move smooths over soon. Toodles my little noodles~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As every night, they were closely watching the stars that glittered in the sky, while their Pokémon played care-freely in the motel room. And, like every night, they exchanged pleasantries as they pointed out various constellations and made up their own. They were both smiling, they were both laughing. It was moments like this that made Gladion believe that all his running would end up being worth it in the end. Perhaps he could even stay here, with him. That would be like a dream come true. For some reason, the air felt very different tonight. The wind was calmer and more gentle. Gladion wondered why that was. But it seemed that Hau hadn't really noticed it. Or had he? It was hard to tell these days. Hau was a lot more perceptive than he gave him credit for, after all. Despite how much he tried to hide his fears and his worries, Hau could always see right through him. He could always guess his plights accurately. Almost as if...he knew Gladion's look for some reason. Was that because he himself had looked that way before to others? All his self-doubts seemed to suggest that perhaps Hau knew him so well because he was like him. Maybe not afraid of everything, but, afraid of something. That fact alone irked him. He hated the idea that anything could be troubling Hau. It's why he always considered himself a burden to him. After all, how could anyone be "happy" that someone put a target on your back? And yet, he was almost insistent Gladion wouldn't leave him. Even if the Aether Foundation comes to get me, I don't care! Those words lit a flame inside of him. For the first time, he had felt hope. He felt as though things really could be ok for them. He didn't feel fear, or doubt, or sadness. He felt warm, he felt safe, he felt...happy. Hau was his sanctuary, and despite his fears, he'd be loathe to part with him now. Even if things got dangerous, they should stick together, shouldn't they? Or was that just his attachment talking? Hau's smile looked so pretty as he laughed. What was this fuzzy feeling in his stomach? Gladion couldn't stop himself from laughing himself to tears alongside Hau. He couldn't even really remember why they were laughing anymore. This moment was just too blissful and mesmerizing. Hau snorted, and wiped away his own tears with his thumb as he tried to calm himself down. Still, his huge grin remained like the flushing on his cheeks. He too, had forgotten what was so funny. But he didn't care. He was enjoying himself far too much. Finally, he calmed enough to speak. "Y-Your laugh sounds really weird, Glad~" "D-Does n-not~! You're th-the one snorting~! Hahaha~!" "Sh-shut up~! I'm just...snrk...m-my nose i-is just stuffed." "Yeah, right!" Hau sighed, wiping one last stray tear from his eye before smiling warmly at his travel companion. He was still stifling his scoffs of laughter and failing miserably. "I'm just kidding. It sounds really cute, actually." Gladion's coughing laughter was instantly silenced and he blushed. He peered up at Hau shyly, "Y...You really think so?" Hau nodded, "Yeah! It's nice to see you so happy, you know?" Gladion couldn't help another shy smile as his cheeks glowed even more. "T-thanks...you too." Hau looked up at the stars again, tilting his head to look for a new constellation. "Hmmm, do you see anything else up there, Glad?" he asked. Gladion scanned the sky, squinting at a certain collection of stars. He traced them with his index finger, miraculously making the mental image of an Eevee's face. "I see...an Eevee, over there," he said, drawing Hau's attention. He tilted his head at it and squinted his eyes as well. "Hmm, I don't see an Eevee, but I do see a Floette." Gladion snickered again, "How do you see a Floette?" "How do you see an Eevee?" "It's right there!" Hau suddenly frowned as his eyes lit up. The odd reaction made Gladion's smile fall with worry as he raised a brow at his friend. "What's wrong?" Hau shook his head rapidly to shake himself out of the internal epiphany he appeared to be having. Then, he beamed and grinned widely again, "I-I just remembered something! Stand up, I wanna try it with you!" Gladion was perplexed by this, but didn't hesitate to rise to his feet alongside his companion. Hau approached him, suddenly excited for some reason. "It's a trick I learned from my mom. I think I remember how to do it." Gladion sneered at this, "O-Ok...it won't hurt, will it?" Hau waved his hands back and forth frantically, "Oh, no no no! Totally pain-free, I promise! She once told me that the eyes are like...a window to the soul. So if you read them like you read palms, you can tell a lot about someone!" "Really? C-Can you read mine?" "Sure I can! Give me your hands." Hau held out his palms, and Gladion gently placed his hands on top of them. His fingers curled into Hau's, and a faint blush came to his face again. Luckily, it was hardly noticeable this time. He looked into Hau's eyes, trying his best not to let his blush get any brighter than it already was. Though it was difficult when he was gazing directly into Hau's deep, dark eyes. He felt like he could stand here like this forever, really. Hau peered at him, smiling coyly as he seemed to be examining him. "Hmmm...I seee...a curious wanderer." Gladion was caught off-guard by this answer. Was he really so invested his surroundings all the time? He hadn't noticed. He tilted his head slightly, perplexed by the odd observation, "You...do?" Hau nodded, "Mmhm!" He continued his assessment without prompt, "I see someone...who's really interested in the world around him. He's smart, and he learns real quickly and real easily." Each new reading flattered Gladion more than the last. He wondered if Hau really thought these things about him, or if that was really him reading his eyes. He smiled, "Wh...what else do you see?" Hau squinted his eyes at Gladion for a moment, pouting a bit as if trying to focus. "I seeeee..." he trailed off. For a moment, he seemed to struggle to find anything else, which made Gladion's smile fade as he began to worry again. However, Hau's eyes suddenly became wide open as he peered at the older boy again. It suddenly seemed he was saddened by whatever it was he saw. And hesitantly, he continued as Gladion listened eagerly. "...I see a boy. He's...really lonely. And scared. And sometimes he does some really reckless things with the best intentions because of it." Gladion's spirits drifted down momentarily. All this was horrifyingly true. He had never felt so alone and frightened as he did being out here on these islands. Hau and his Pokémon certainly made it feel a lot less like hell, but something still felt like it was missing. But what was it? He felt like now he had everything he'd need right here. His Pokémon, his new friends, Hau. Wait...what is this feeling? He could almost swear that the whole world had disappeared except for Hau and himself. Suddenly, Hau smiled again. "But, I also see someone who's brave. A boy who's done a lot of good, and doesn't realize it," he suddenly finished. Gladion's eyes glazed over as he tried his hardest not to let himself cry. He had no words for what Hau had just said. He felt touched and yet, he also felt relieved. Did Hau really think he was brave? Had he truly done as much good as Hau said? Arceus, he would give anything for that to be the truth. He had done so much wrong. Screwed up so much. He'd give anything if he could make a change for the better. Hau took his silence and his reaction poorly. He instantly recoiled, loosening his grip on Gladion's hands. "...A-Ah...sorry. That was...too far, wasn't it?" Gladion snapped out of his trance at this. He didn't know how to respond, unfortunately. It was a little far into his head, he will admit. Though, was it really a bad thing? Then, a strange idea came to him and he pulled Hau's hands up to get his attention, "...C...Can I..." The younger boy tilted his head at him curiously, wondering what it was he wanted to say. Finally, he got it out. "...Can I try it?" "You...want to read my eyes?" The blonde nodded, "Mmhm. I-I don't think I'll be as good as you, but⁠—" Hau waved one of his hands back and forth again, "No no! I'm sure you'd be fine! It's not hard! G-Go ahead..." He brought his hand back down to grip the one he had let go of, staring carefully at Gladion. The older boy nodded again, and stared back into his eyes. "O-Ok...I'll try my best..." he muttered. He stared for a long minute, before his head started filling up with numerous thoughts. He wasn't sure if it was because the reading was working, or if his heart was the one speaking when he began assessing Hau. "I see...a boy who's very happy, and optimistic. Always smiling, even in the worst of times. His happiness is...infectious, really." He smiled shyly, his blush getting a bit more noticeable. But Hau was blissfully oblivious to it, grinning and beaming excitedly. The mere idea that his upbeat attitude had a remote affect on his friend made him burst with joy. "Really?" he gasped. Gladion couldn't help but scoff in a slight chortle again, "Yeah~. And I see more, too." Hau couldn't help but bounce up and down with anticipation. "Tell me, tell me!" The older boy chuckled, "Ok, ok~! Stay still." Hau forced himself to stand perfectly still, though he was still trembling a bit from the excitement. He could hardly contain his goofy grin. Gladion smirked coyly, deciding to have some fun with the cute bundle of joy. "Mmm...I see a real airhead. Someone who must jump into things without thinking about it even more than I do. He's very enthusiastic to say the least. And I also see someone who can get a little too ahead of himself sometimes~" he teased, barely able to contain his chuckles between words. "H-Hey!" Hau couldn't help but chuckle despite the mockery. "I'm not done yet~" "You're just making fun of me, you jerk~!" "Shhhh, stay still." Hau tried his best yet again to remain still. It was a bit easier this time, but this time he was mostly trying to contain his laughter. His face was flushing again, most likely from his struggle to keep quiet. Gladion began in a teasing voice again, causing Hau to snort, "I seeee~..." He trailed off suddenly, when Hau squeezed his hands to release some of the adrenaline coursing through him. It was a small gesture, and he probably hadn't even noticed he'd done it. Still, it snapped Gladion right back out of his playful attitude. The air felt really different now. He stared deep into Hau's eyes, his smirk fading as his eyes glimmered. Why was his heart racing all of the sudden? This was just some silly game, wasn't it? And yet, it felt like more than that. He tried again to get his words out, but his voice was a bit shakier this time, "I...see..." He couldn't finished again, and Hau noticed. His own smile faded as he no longer struggled to keep in his laughter. He stared at Gladion curiously. Had he seen something that scared him? Just as Hau was about to ask, Gladion's eyes changed again. He seemed to see more clearly now. "...I see a boy who's a lot stronger than he looks. A lot tougher." Hau blushed a little at the sudden compliment. Why did he feel so warm so suddenly? Gladion continued with a sad look, "He's happy on the outside, but on the inside, he's kind of sad. He toughs through a lot to make others happy. He puts them over himself." Hau's expression turned sheepish at this. Even had had to admit he was indeed guilty of this. Still, it was overshadowed by the odd fuzziness he felt. Why did he feel so hot? Wait...the air is different, isn't it? How did he not notice before? "And he's never afraid of anything scary. Or the possibility that anything may go wrong. He's courageous," Gladion finished, his sad look fading away. He had a strange glint in his eyes. A look of adoration. God, those emerald eyes were so bright and beautiful. Hau couldn't possibly look away from them. Hau muttered, unable to find proper words, "G...Gladion..." Damn, what's going on? Stop reading too much into this...! This is just a game, isn't it? So then why...? Why does it feel...like something's happening here? Why is he looking at me like that? Everything's changed...my heart won't stop racing. Why...? The boys were oblivious to each other's thoughts, not even realizing they both felt it. They both felt that something was different. Something about this, whatever it was, was making them both vulnerable. Still, Gladion decided to continue onward to try to push it all back. He began stuttering as he struggled to focus, "...I-I...I see someone...that's a talented Trainer, even if he doesn't realize it. His Pokémon adore him, and he loves them back." He wasn't sure if this was even what he saw in Hau's eyes anymore. His mind was running rampant with Hau. Only Hau. He didn't even realize he was blushing so brightly that Hau could see it anymore. Though even if did realize, he wouldn't even care. Wait, why would he care? He was struggling harder now as he tried to continue coherently, "I see a boy who's kind and compassionate, who's always there for others and never there for himself. I see...a friend." Hau's eyes lit up at this reading. True as it were, Gladion had already called him his friend before. Still, it always felt so exhilarating to know he valued him so. Gladion meant everything to him, after all. It was only natural that he pined for Gladion to see him the same way, wasn't it? Oh, Arceus, what was this? Hau's cheeks glowed as he felt Gladion squeeze back at his hands. But he didn't look down. He kept his eyes trained on the emerald orbs that stared back at him. He could tell the older boy was really struggling now. Something was going through his mind, but what was it? "I-I see...I s-see..." he trailed off again. What was wrong with him? His mind was juggled with too many thoughts. He couldn't pick one. He wondered if Hau was still silent. There was a irritating distant ringing in his ears that made him think he might have been losing his mind again. He hoped he wasn't breaking down in Hau's arms right at this moment. He didn't want to do that to Hau. They were supposed to be having fun. They were laughing and smiling just a moment ago. Why was it so quiet all of the sudden? His heart skipped a beat, as his mouth moved before his brain could even process what he was saying. "...I see a boy...th-that I'm in love wi⁠—" He gasped, stopping himself before he dared finished and bringing up one of his hands to cover his mouth. His face turned bright red, and Hau's mimicked his own in this regard. Despite his efforts, the damage had already been done, and the older boy knew this as he stepped back, releasing Hau's other hand. Hau's eyes were wide, staring at his friend bewildered. Almost...horrified. No...no no no. How could he have let something like that slip out of him? He ruined everything! He couldn't face Hau. No, he didn't want to. He turned away from him, hugging himself and keeling over with shame as he hung his head. The older boy trembled, resisting the urge the cry even harder now. But he couldn't keep it up this time. Tears slid down his face against his deepest wishes. Still, he was able to withhold whimpers and sobs from escaping his lips. He didn't want to bother Hau with his trite tears. He wouldn't blame him if he locked him out of the motel room for this. Hau reached his hand up to the older boy, but stopped himself when he had turned away. He slowly put it down, staring at his friend with worried eyes. He could tell his friend was shaken. Was that just the slip of the tongue? Or did he truly mean what he had said? Perhaps it was both. Hau was sure it couldn't have just been a mistake. The way that Gladion looked at him, the way his eyes changed...it all felt real. Was this why the air was different? Was this why it was so quiet just now? A determined glint shone in his eyes suddenly. He knew he couldn't just let Gladion stand there and suffer if what he said was how he truly felt. Hau wanted to tell him the truth too, like he should have to begin with. He approached Gladion slowly, gently reaching out his hand again to touch one of Gladion's. He whispered gently to his companion, hoping to soothe him by remaining calm with him. "Can I...start over...? I forgot something..." he whispered. The blonde peered at him curiously, his brow raised in confusion. "H...huh...?" "Just trust me..." Hau didn't really noticed that he had been crying until he stood up straight and turned to face him again. It shocked him for a moment, but he didn't let it distract him. Instead of grabbing onto Gladion's hands again, he reached up and caressed his cheek gently. He swiped his thumb along his cheek briefly, causing Gladion to blush as his eyes widened with shock. The touch was odd, but he much enjoyed how the contact felt. Hau smiled gently as he began reading Gladion's eyes again. "...I can see a boy. He's taller than me, and older than me, and smarter than me too. He likes to read, and it's really cute how excited he gets about books. His smile is..." he blushed a bit before continuing, "It's beautiful. And when he's happy, it makes me happy." The older boy's eyes glimmered as his tears began to dry up. His heart was racing again as he listened to Hau's words. His face turned red again however, when Hau brought up his other hand to brush Gladion's bangs out of his face. "...I see a boy, that I..." Is this really happening...? If I'm dreaming, please don't wake me up... "Th-that I've loved since we began travelling together." Gladion's eyes lit up with a brightness the likes of which Hau had never witnessed before. Though his tears began shedding again as he trembled once more. His voice was shaky as he called out his companion's name, "H-Hau..." Hau could only think to try to wipe away the endless stream of tears that slid down Gladion's face. He made no progress, but he refused to give up. It took the older boy a few moments to process what Hau had said, before he finally gave a proper response. "You...you t-truly...m-mean that...?" "Of course I do." It all almost seemed completely perfect. Gladion's heart had ached for so long. He pined for someone, anyone to love him. He had been deprived any attention, any care for years now. And yet, Hau was so willing to give it without condition. Wiling to give it so often, and promise him almost every day now that he'd never abandon him. That was the one barrier that had kept him from trusting in Hau the most. His mother had already damaged him so much it was near impossible to reach his heart. And yet, Hau still wouldn't give up on him. He wouldn't leave, no matter how much danger they were in. No matter how much risk Gladion was to him. No matter if he knew the full story or not. He had always been there to help Gladion when others wouldn't. The older boy never realized before how much he needed Hau. How much he needed to hear those words. How much he adored the peppy, vibrant boy. He wanted to smile and laugh along with him. He wanted to feel at peace again. And Hau allowed him feel that way. Hau noticed Gladion grip at his hoodie tightly. It seemed he was struggling to decide something still. He looked into his eyes again, "What is it...?" Gladion bit his lip, struggling to figure out the answer to that question. His head was so fuzzy. His chest was fuzzy too. "I just...I-I want..." he trailed off. His inability to reach an answer was beginning to frustrate him. What did he want? What more was there for him to...Suddenly, it hit him like a train as he stared at Hau with infatuated eyes. "I think...I want to kiss you." "...Then kiss me." Gladion leaned closer to Hau's face, his eyes fluttering shut. Hau leaned up as well, meeting him halfway as they locked their lips in their first kiss. Hau brought his hands down, wrapping them around Gladion's neck. The older boy wrapped his own arms around Hau, pulling him closer as he deepened the kiss. His tears had completely dried themselves at this point. All he felt was pure bliss. And Hau felt the same, hoping to Arceus that this moment would never end. But alas, air was still an important resource. Eventually, they had to part their kiss to breathe. They pressed their heads together, gazing into each other's eyes endlessly as they tried to catch their breath. Hau was the first to do so as he spoke up. "E aho, Gladion. I'll be here as long as you need me. I promise you," he whispered lovingly. Gladion couldn't help but smile at the sentiment. "Thank you, Hau. I'm glad...that you're still here with me," he whispered back. "Of course...how many times do I gotta tell you, you big dummy?" "I know...we're...friends." "Well...we're more than that, now." "Hm...I like the sound of that~"

[suudonym]

ah do you have any tips on planning/writing long fics that you'd be willing to share? bc you do a great job of it and I've only ever written stuff like oneshots before so it's a lil itimidating ahh... thank you Q-Q

aahh I never know if any of the advice I can provide about writing is useful at all but I’ll try and see if I can come up with something decent!!

let’s seee I think the first thing you can do to reduce the intimidation factor a bit is to think of it less as a long story and more as just…. a story. ‘cause at the end of the day that’s really all it is: a story that would be a bit too much to read all at once so you’re breaking down into more easily digestible chapters

I think a good way to approach a multi-chapter fic is with a sort of open-ended idea that can be expounded upon easily. like, the entire concept behind chf was “I want to write a story about a stalker,” and for tata it was “man the time loop aspect in re:zero is so cool I wanna write about something like that.” they’re both really simple concepts that COULD be handled as one-shots but become longer and fuller the more you want to put into it

so, for me, once I have that sort of vague concept in mind, usually I start thinking about different scenes and events that I’d like to write. for example, lately I’ve been thinking about the holy knight story in the back of my head and thinking that I want to have Totoko in some kind of active important role (not really sure what yet, the natural route is to have her be a songstress like Nyaa-chan but then what significance does that have to Kara and the story in general hmmm). anyway it’s hard to describe but what I’m trying to get is like... just..... think of a ton of shit. anything that relates to your base idea and appeals to you, doesn’t necessarily have to be connected or even coherent at this point

personally I find it easiest to get going when I have a very very loose sequence of events but still know generally what order things go in. usually I have a series of scenes that I’m really really really looking forward to writing, like so much. and it’s good to have those milestones to have something you want to aim for. most of the time I don’t really have a very good idea of what happens after a certain point towards the end. like I have a vague idea of “and everything after this is the ending” but what actually happens in said ending? anyone’s guess until I actually get to writing it. that’s where I’m at with plans for tata right now in fact

re: scenes that you can’t wait to write - some people like to jump around and write the things that come easiest first, and for some people that works really well! I don’t have any luck with it myself, I prefer to write completely painstakingly chronologically because sometimes plans change along the way and I just HATE writing things that ultimately don’t get used, plus it’s good motivation for me to get through boring parts when I know I’m eventually going to get to write the stuff I’ve been imagining since the beginning. some folks don’t operate as well that way and actually it just occurred to me that this probably isn’t an issue that’s unique to multi-chaptered stuff and you probably already know your preference from writing one-shots so NEVER MIND

something that helped me a LOT with chf and is helping a LOT with tata is having people you can talk to about your work. they can help keep you motivated and get through the boring stuff that you don’t feel like writing as much and figure out things that you’re stuck on or things you’re not sure about and find unexpected ways to make things better in general and just. endless benefits. that’s another “for me personally” thing though, I’m sure there’s plenty of writers who go it alone and it’s certainly perfectly possible to do so!

mmm okay lemme try to like summarize important points in roughly chronological order

find yourself an idea that can be expanded a lot (actually thinking about it now you probably already have one of those which is why you asked about planning/writing long fics and not about coming up with ideas for them so again, NEVER MIND)

think about it until you’ve got some scenes in mind that you really like and want to write

think about it a bit more until you know more or less how you’ll probably go about getting from point A to point B

choose a starting point and dive in!

deal with it in parts, aiming for one milestone at a time. keep yourself open to change and don’t worry about shuffling events around or changing them or even discarding them altogether if you think it makes the story better/more fun to write

consider giving yourself a daily word quota? I find it useful to pick a number that feels doable based on my current condition and aim for it. a while ago my daily quota for tata was 1000 words, then I cut it down to 500, and right now I’m... finding it difficult to even get to 150, but even five words a day is still progress! heck even just thinking about writing is its own kind of progress, the important part is that you keep on taking steps forward - even if it’s only the smallest of steps. and don’t beat yourself up if you slow down or get stuck because the process of creation is huge and challenging and you can expect to feel more of that enormity the longer you spend trying to bring the same thing into existence. probably. I admit that I lost my train of thought a bit just now.

commit! do what you gotta do to stay invested! for me, it’s posting it on ao3 because I get a huge guilt complex over abandoning projects after making them public. probably not an effective tactic for everybody and I’m sorry to say that I don’t have much else to recommend in that regard but if not that then I’m sure there’s somethin out there that’ll work for you when you find it!

uhhh come to think of it that huge pile of words is probably not doing much to dispel the intimidation but despite the fact that I just rambled for who knows how long about way too many intricacies the simplest way to go about is just to do what feels the most natural! I imagine it’s probably a bit weird switching from one-shots to something that takes much more development but really, in the end what is a long fic but a one-shot that got way too out of hand? that’s.... not a good analogy actually, you can probably more or less ignore that.

ANYWAY best of luck anon! multi-chaptered stories can be a bit tiresome but in my opinion they’re also a lot of fun and really rewarding to build and create! I hope you’re able to pinpoint a process that works well for you and can tell the story that you want to tell in a way that makes you happy!! (❁´◡`❁)