#this is the third time I've had to completely re-write this story.
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bobanchikn · 3 months ago
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Results!
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Meet Liane Sage! (Though she prefers just Sage) One of the major characters for a story I'm working on. Still not sure what medium it will be but hey I'm still at the beginning of writing it so it's whatever.
Guys I need you to help me with design decisions
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elviraaxen · 7 months ago
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ive really been loving the pacing of your story and i enjoy the concept and the bits that have been released about the plot! youre doing really well, and i admire it greatly!!
ive been having trouble figuring out an overall plot in my own work, i just have character ideas and the vaguest idea for a storyline. i try to just write but then i usually end up taking a break (re: dumping it) because i don't have anymore ideas for how to complete the plot. i've laso been curious about how you go about writing for a comic (do you write then do thumbnails? do thumbnails then go back to figure out dialogue? a third thing?) so i was wondering if you had any advice or resource tips for writing? both for comics and for overarching plots, if that's okay
if you don't have any ideas tho, no worries. i was just curious. good luck with Felt World! i love everything that's coming out so far, thank you for gifting us it!!
Oh thank you so much!! I can't say I'm a comic book artist at heart because I really don't have much experience, I was only an illustrator for a short while and never wrote anything myself, but learning from past mistakes (i.e. I don't stick to plans), I've so far done this and it seems to work:
I'm one of those that don't like to plan strict layouts for the entire thing, because chances are I will not stick to it, so what I've done for felt world is just write a sketch for the overarching plot, the b-plot and c-plot, with rough estimates in what order I want the major plot points and settings to be. My current sketch looks like this;
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(which is done in Miro) and as you can see there aren't that many plot points, because I want to have the wiggle room to come up with something on the spot. And also, my comic focuses a lot on interpersonal relationships, character development, and themes rather than the plot, which means it needs to be concise or else the comic is gonna take 6 million years to finish.
And now,, I think this might just be how I work, but I think it's easier to be creative when you have strict restrictions rather than all the choices in the world.
for me, personally, I restrict an update of 10 pages tops, because instagram only allows max 10 images per post! This means I have to 1) fit all I want to say in 10 pages, 2) it has to be concise or else I infodump on readers, and 3) I have to answer some sort of question within the update, or else I said nothing and I start over.
As for scripts, I tend to write one or two sentences of what's going to happen for the update, and then I get to thumb-nailing and sketching right away! I come up with most of the dialogue on the spot too.
And also, I think what's most important, is that you take your damn time! If you aren't immersing yourself in your own world, how do you expect your readers to do the same?
I'm very much a believer that the stories you are telling are something that comes to you naturally if you just sit with it and listen rather than demand that it makes itself known to you. When I brainstorm for felt world I quite literally sit in my bed and go "omg!! And then what? :0" TO MYSELF LMAO as if I'm not making everything up myself! I think that's extremely important that your story is engaging to you first and foremost!
And as for more practical tips
carry a notebook with you or use your notes app AS SOON as you get ideas to write them down! No you will not remember, lol.
set rules of what you're not allowed to do with your story so that you don't fall into lazy trope territory! You can do that when you brain storm, but finesse the story post brainstorm to just make it.. smarter.. if that makes sens For example, don't kill your gay characters, don't make sensitive men the butt of the joke, don't make your women fight over men (unless it's the point), etc.
set physical restrictions! For example, max amount of pages per upload, max amount of pages for the whole story, max amount of characters, etc.! That literally forces you to problem solve, which by definition is creativity! Like, oh you can't do this the obvious way? Do it the creative way! That's way more fun!
I could probably go on, but this is too long already! But I hope it at least helped somewhat!
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bomberqueen17 · 1 year ago
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The Witch King
This is not like, a coherent review or anything.
Yesterday I was just like possessed with anxiety nonstop the whole day and everything I did seemed to make it worse and i just like spun my wheels and I got some things done but mostly felt worse and worse and more and more stressed, due partly to external circumstances but largely, i think, to nothing in particular. And finally after dinner I was sitting on the couch comfortably and realized you know what, fuck it, I am not going to "try to write" and wind up refreshing tumblr and chatting on discord all night, not while I'm already fretting and stewing like this, i'm going to be miserable and probably get in a fight or something and i don't want that. Fuck it. So I went to the tab I already had open in my browser, which I'd had open for weeks but the time was never right, and I bought the kindle version of Witch King and read it right there in my browser, the whole way through, did not click away or put it down or move or do anything else, and you know what it was fantastic.
I'd read a preview and been like hm i don't know what this is about and read a couple of amazon reviews that were like this was really confusing, some of which concluded so i didn't like it and some of which concluded so i super liked it, and like, I've been a fan of Martha Wells since she put the Element of Fire up for free chapter by chapter on her Livejournal when the rights reverted to her in like 2006 or so, so I knew what I was going to get and also knew that I would not particularly know exactly what I was going to get until I got it, and I also knew I was going to enjoy the ride, but I hadn't wanted to read it in stolen or exhausted moments lest the "this is confusing" bits prove too much.
In the end I found it not in the slightest bit confusing, it was a very straightforward interspersed flashbacks storytelling technique that i thought suited the story beautifully (not to be spoilery but we join a character in medias res with an action scene and it's him trying to figure out who has betrayed him in a complicated political scenario, and in the process of unspooling this he has to revisit the site of where the complicated political scenario was first set up, some sixty (?) years earlier, so he's retracing his own steps and it's really well done I think, introducing new bits of history right as they're relevant to the current storyline-- and just fantastically done, not at all forced, completely natural and compelling, and no the reader isn't told anything they don't need to know but you do get everthing you need to know, there's no unneccessary coyness at all).
So anyway i loved that, and I hope there's a sequel planned but it stands alone just fine if not, I'm already figuring i'll alternate my rereads and do every other chapter each time, so I can do All The Backstory first, then All The Current Timeline story, and that's such a fun way to eke out many many many rereads of a story that like all of Wells' works I will reread until I have chunks of them memorized (anyone who has read my works surely has found whole undigested bits of hers bobbing around in there because I do this so much; I found the phrase weary past bearing in something of mine the other day and was like oh that's moon when ember first shows up i stole that whole emotion wholesale out of the third raksura book yes i did).
Little side notes: Love the aroace qpr vibes with Kai and Zeide, also sort of enjoy the lowkey genderfuckery that comes with a demon who has his own gender then inhabiting bodies that had different genders. Great magic system too, and I love that we first get introduced to how Kai's pain magic works as a like totally fait accompli chunk of didactic worldbuilding and then in a later chapter we get to see the flashback of him inventing it and understand why it works the way it does, that was also so well-wrapped-up.
Anyway-- Definitely recommend this one but probably it is best if you can do it like I did, in one big binge-read. It took me probably three hours and I was trying hard not to read it too fast.
Yeah. Anyway. People assume I'm a big reader. I was, as a kid. I am not now. This is the first new book I've read since probably the spring sometime. I don't casually read things i only read them if I'm going to add them to my Pantheon of Rereads, and that goes for fic too mostly.
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streetkid-named-desire · 2 months ago
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uwu @luvwich tagged me for a writer interview (?!) so let's get to the navel gazing
i tag @wanderingaldecaldo and @medtech-mara
When did you start writing?
Since I was like 8. I'm not joking. When we were selling the condo after I'd moved out my mom and I pruned the "kid art" boxes together because she kept nearly everything creative we ever did. There was this assignment where we had to write our own version of the tortoise and the hare in second or third grade and it was honestly pretty witty. Like, it was still very much in the voice I still write with today.
Then in middle school I wrote vampire rescue stories (girl is mid-assault or nearly assaulted and near death, vampire rescues and has to tun her to save her life, she wakes up in a castle) but it was way more gory. I never finished one. As I got older I dabbled here and there but again, rarely finished something. I've written a variety of short fiction and you can read some of my stuff here.
Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?
Nooo. Even with movies I generally stick to horror and sci-fi which is also what I enjoy writing. Although, I do enjoy like literary fiction? Satire? Idk I really love Chuck Palahniuk and Doug Coupland.
Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?
I don't think I've ever been compared to anyone, no. I know my style is influenced by Weird Al, John Scieszka, Chuck Palahniuk, Stephen King, Neal Stephenson, William Gibson. Probably some others but I can't think of their names.
Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?
GOD either my phone in bed or at my desk. My desk is messy and there is a cat bed on it so the cats can be close to me without being fucking pests and walking over my keyboard. I bought a new desk in like June of last year when I first moved into me new place and I...still have not put it together.
What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?
Watching horror movies. Also just starting to write. I have to remember to trust and just write, just start writing.
Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?
I will say I was SO shooketh when I picked up A Streetkid Named Desire again, especially for how much of myself, my past, my experiences, my history I put into Bea and VG. Otherwise, recurring themes are cynical optimism, push and pull love, autism, kinda antiheroes, body horror, and complex characters. Not to toot my own horn on that last one.
What is your reason for writing?
I have to. I have to get this story out of my head. I play in my imagination. It's actually the only way I can really daydream, that's why I call it my imagination playground.
Mostly because it's part of who I am. I write. I'm a writer. That's all there is to it.
Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?
I have...so few comments. The best ones are about my characters and emotions. But any comment is motivating. Mostly because I'm just putting all this out there and it would be so nice for other people to read and share in this experience because it's not just a story it's kind of baring my soul.
I want someone to see me through my writing.
How do you want to be thought about by your readers?
Eeeehhhhhsgghasgbdf I don't wanna think about being perceived. I think just a good author.
What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?
Snappy dialogue and character dynamics.
How do you feel about your own writing?
I feel very neutral until I re-read it on AO3 and go "damn, I really cooked." I kinda get excited when I am re-reading for the first time and it's actually good.
When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?
Completely and purely for myself. My story and characters are very close to me and I feel just compelled to tell it. I mostly let the characters decide as I write. I write for myself because it's fun and I like seeing the story in my imagination in my head. I want other people to enjoy my writing too but unfortunately I am not likely going to cater to readers lol
This is why I likely will only ever be self-published if I do publish an original story because I could not fathom or tolerate an editor wanting to cut certain things or make it more marketable or something. My writing is all a part of me and part of my soul and not staying true to that, not writing what I want or how I want is crushing.
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all-souls-matinee · 1 month ago
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Quick-bite reviews: V/H/S/Beyond (2024) dir. Jay Cheel, Jordan Downey, Virat Patel, Justin Martinez, Christian & Justin Long, Kate Seigel
I finally decided to stop covering this franchise (last year's '/85' remains unwatched) when '/Beyond' had to go ahead and be pitched as an alien-centric V/H/S with a segment written by my horror enemy Mike Flanagan. I've seen a fair chunk of alien horror movies and never have much to say about them because... they're bad... but I'm always rooting for a good one to come into existence. They're like my now-horrible home baseball team; I KNOW the storytelling optics aren't there, it wouldn't be a problem if we could assemble the perfect cast and crew and have infinite time and infinite money. The original V/H/S actually had a memorable piece of alien horror so that's encouraging? It wasn't good but it was memorable! It was there! My feelings on Flanagan only made for extra incentive; if I couldn't have a good alien horror movie at least I could have another alien horror movie to be performatively mad at.
Mike Flanagan has been forgiven; alien horror has made it to first base.
Beyond is still very much a V/H/S movie so was never going to be my thing, but I think it's successful(!) because every segment understands that the job of a V/H/S movie is to feel like a theme park haunted house. The usual buckets of gore and barf and what have you are coordinated this time around, showman-like. The frame story, notoriously the worst part of even the best anthology horror, re-grounds the aliens when segments stray and is a great example of how to lovingly and effectively mock cable-cum-YouTube documentaries. The creature design and bad acting of the first segment are fun enough, while the second segment is a commentary on Mumbai's Film City that feels like homage to and improvement upon the original V/H/S. The third segment goes crazy; UFO attack on a skydiving plane?? and then aliens with interesting designs chase everyone in broad daylight and rip them apart into Halloween decorations??? That's what we've been waiting for! The momentum is building! Then there's Justin Long's abysmal segment. Most unfunny comedy torture-horror I've ever seen, made me think I was going to have to rate this even lower than past panned V/H/Ses, Saw 18 directed by Doug Walker, etc., etc., until, finally, we lose the haunted house angle and Flanagan takes center stage.
His alien story is so good I didn't want to believe it was him writing it, and so painfully UNBEARABLY Stephen King I knew it couldn't be anyone else. Clever sci-fi concept that does my favorite thing in the world by focusing on the UFO itself, eye-rollingly maudlin over American family values, intentionally funny in places, and scary!!! I said 'no way' out loud when I realized how it was going to end; timed just right, not too early but still well before the protagonist. I'm giving Flanagan so much credit because it's the kind of short story I would've been completely enraptured by as a kid, but on film its function is really thanks to director Kate Seigel and near-solo actress Alanah Pearce. They use their medium (infrared camera!) and place in the framework to full advantage, which is why I'm glad it's a little treat within a schlocky horror anthology instead of a short film in its own right.
Buy a ticket? With these V/H/S reviews I always say 'no it's bad don't watch it unless you already like the franchise,' and THIS time... still no lmao. It isn't quite good enough to merit a recommendation, but that's on high highs and low lows rather than the kind of mediocre stickiness of past entries. If you're interested in going through a haunted house (these things continue to hit right at my limit for gore and body horror) to include one gnarly alien story and one interesting one? You could do worse. Not a home run, but first base. They hit the ball <3
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lovely-showtimes · 8 months ago
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Hehe… silly request time… Can you do Tsukasa, Airi, and Haruka x a reader who is “self-aware” (self-aware in this instance meaning they know they’re in a game)? It’s okay if not (^_^)
♡ . self aware.
characters - haruka, airi.
type - scenario.
warnings - unreality.
a/n - i'm so sorry that this took so long T_T i wanted to get to this earlier because i think 'self aware characters' as a concept is very interesting !!! but my brain wouldnt let me write unfortunately... haruka might be ooc, despite how much i love them im very unfamiliar with mmj as characters & their stories </3 i'm also sorry for not doing tsukasa for this one, i wanted to include him and i originally did have an idea for his section, but i took so long to write this i forgot what it was ... i hope you enjoy anyway!
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"Do you see anything you like?" You call over your shoulder, turning your attention away from the sweatshirts in front of you.
Airi stands by several dresses, scrutinising them. The two of you decided to go out shopping together, as you felt like your wardrobe was lacking. Airi was eager to help, confident in her sense of style that she can get you something nice, as well as something for herself.
Her brow creases in thought and she stops in front of one particular dress.
"C'mere for a sec," she calls back to you, and you walk over. Airi steps to the side, gesturing to the dress with a furrowed brow.
"Have I worn this before?" She asks. "I mean, I doubt you'd know, but still. It feels so familiar, but I also feel like I've never seen it before."
You squint at the dress. That's right... you recognise it, don't you?
"You wore that in the trained version of your Re-tie Friendship card, didn't you?" You comment quietly. "I liked that one, it was pretty."
Airi goes quiet for a few moments. You catch a befuddled look on her face out of the corner of your eye. "...Excuse me? What's a 'Re-tie Friendship card'...?"
You spin to face her, eyes wide. "Eh? It was your third focus event. Don't you remember it?"
Her confusion only grows. "What on earth are you saying? No, I don't remember it."
Your eyes lock for a brief period of time, the two of you studying each other for a single hint of what the other was talking about. Then, it hits you.
"Oh!" You gasp. "You didn't know about the whole game thing...? I thought everybody knew, but we weren't supposed to talk about it."
The fact of your entire life being a simple game was one you've always been aware of. You had never tried to bring it up to anyone else, or research it before. It had never occurred to you - it was as obvious a fact as saying "the sky is blue".
Airi shakes her head, placing a hand on her temples. "You're making no sense! What game thing?"
You open your mouth to respond, but you hesitate. Should you really elaborate on what you mean? Maybe it's for the best that you don't tell Airi about your shared existence within a game. It might be a bit much to take in all at once.
Maybe another time.
You smile brightly and shake your head. "Oh, you know what? I just realised, I was thinking of something else. Oopsies! Ignore me."
"...Right." Confusion and slight frustration still lingers on Airi's face, but she sighs and shakes her head. You're probably just referencing something from some game you like, right? Maybe she should look into it later, to understand what you just said to her.
Airi's gaze drifts back to the dress once more. That feeling of déjà vu still hovers in the recesses of her mind when she gazes at it, and it's unsettling. Maybe she should look for something different to wear.
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"I had the strangest dream last night," Haruka comments, staring at the sandwich in her hands thoughtfully. The sun shines down on you both as you sit on a warm, grassy hill on a red-and-white checkered blanket.
You beam brightly, head tilted curiously. You swallow the bite of food in your mouth. "Oh? What happened?"
"I was dancing to a song I've never heard before. It was in a completely different style than we usually dance to as well, it was quite mellow and calm. I was dancing with a few other people too... Kohane, Ichika, and two other people I didn't recognise... a girl with grey-ish green hair, and a boy with ginger hair."
Haruka shakes her head. "How strange. And the weirdest part was, when I woke up, I remember thinking 'Ah, another one of those dreams'. I haven't dreamt of anything like that before."
She takes a thoughtful bite of her sandwich.
You can't help laughing a little at her bizarre dream. "I always have those dreams! The people who play this game like to make us dance with the other characters. It's quite fun, I like trying to think of what kind of person makes me dance to a certain song with certain people."
You tap your chin curiously. "Perhaps they like to think of me and the others in a romantic relationship? Perhaps they like to think of a different scenario where we are in a band together? Perhaps they feel romantically towards me? It's so interesting."
You chuckle to yourself once more, taking another bite of food. Goodness, it's so tasty. The work the two of you put together to create this whole picnic really paid off! You were especially looking forward to trying those cupcakes, you put a little extra love into each of them! In particular, you-
"Love, what game? What- What are you talking about?"
Haruka's voice snaps you out of your thoughts. Her gaze is full of confusion and concern for you. Her grip on her sandwich has gotten just a little tighter.
You simply gaze back at her as if it's all perfectly normal. "The game we're in. You didn't know?"
Silence hangs in the air. Haruka's gaze shifts around, landing on you for a moment or two before looking away.
Eventually, she clears her throat and nods, deciding to play along. "Right! Of course, I remember now. How could I have forgotten?"
Your joke had unsettled her a little, but she decides to just shake it off. That's all it was, anyway. You're just joking, aren't you?
...Aren't you?
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genericpuff · 1 year ago
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Hello you often use the word “retcon” and I’m not sure what it means. I looked it up and I’m still super confused. Could you please explain?
A "retcon" is an attempt to change a plot point that has already been established, typically as an overcorrection to a past plot point that a writer may be wanting to change. Retcons are usually seen as cheap ways to erase, deny, or "fix" the canon you've already established, instead of working with the canon you've set up for yourself. They can happen a lot in works that weren't planned well enough ahead of time, such as LO. It's essentially the writing version of gaslighting LMAO
Think of it this way. You're watching a movie where a character's family member has died, killed by a random gunman committing a robbery. The main character grieves the loss of this family member, but eventually learns to move forward with their life and live with the values and morals passed down to him by them, carrying on the legacy that that family member left behind. Two movies later, it's suddenly revealed that that family member wasn't killed intentionally by a robber, but accidentally by another gunman who was teamed up with the original robber (but never shown in the first movie). That new gunman is one of the 'bad guys' in this third movie.
What I've just described to you is the retconning of Uncle Ben's death in the original Raimi Spiderman trilogy LMAO originally Uncle Ben died in a random but tragic shooting that was framed as an intentional murder for getting in the way of a carjacker, but later on in Spiderman 3, they suddenly change what 'really' happened into Flint Marco (Sandman) shooting Ben accidentally after asking him for his car. It doesn't really add anything to the plot at all - even Peter lampshades this (calls it out) slightly when he asks why the police department is just now finding this out and telling them when it's been years - and it's clearly being used just as an easy plot device in Flint Marco's backstory and Peter's symbiote plotline. Rather than write a new backstory for a new villain, they changed what information they had already established to 'fit' an easy backstory for a new villain. Ironically, had producers not interfered with Raimi's original vision for the film, it would have worked a LOT better to just stick with what they had already been building up to for the past two films, making Harry the new Goblin and the central focus (but instead he plays third fiddle to the Sandman and the symbiote, both of whom were random villains with zero foundation in an otherwise well-structured trilogy.)
Anyways, rambling about Spiderman aside, that's essentially what a retcon is! It's typically in the form of introducing new information that erases or 're-explains' old information that didn't necessarily need to be corrected or otherwise should have just been stuck with for the sake of continuity. In LO's case, there's clearly so little planning on the story's trajectory that it basically retcons information every other week.
In this case, as I'm assuming you're referring to my recent essay post about the SA retcon, it feels like they're trying to subtly retcon the story away from the SA plot, by giving us a sob story from Apollo's POV and by claiming that Persephone found Apollo 'handsome' (she didn't) and that she felt 'special' around him (she did not). They're revisiting a past scene with descriptions that are completely false and inconsistent with the original scene, hence, a retcon.
Hope that answers your question! :)
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torasteals · 10 months ago
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The End Of Tora Steals Things: A GW2 Fan Comic/Novel
Hey! So with the end of Amulet Of Bolli having gone up on Dec. 23rd, 2023, it's time to talk bout something I've been putting off for awhile now.
You read the title, let's get into it: The End Of Tora Steals Things.
Amulet Of Bolli is the last story I will make for Tora Steals Things. That's it. There's no more. It's ending there as I move forward with Apocalypse Child (which launched on Dec. 21st at apocalypsechildcomic.com!).
So why is it ending?
Those of you who've watched my streams probably already knew this as I've been talking about it ending for awhile now. Hell, many of you may have figured out it was singing its swan song when I first announced Apocalypse Child, or changed the update schedule to once every two weeks, or changed it to a webnovel format... Many of you probably knew it was dying before I was willing to admit it myself.
Truthfully, I have roughly 16 or so stories left for Tora Steals Things, and I really wanted to make them all. TST means a lot to me: it taught me how to make comics and it brought me joy during some of the hardest moments of my life. I'm honestly so touched that so many people read and enjoyed it over the years. You guys made it worth it, you really did.
However, TST has long lived past its due date, and this last story proved that to me. Amulet Of Bolli Part Two took six months to write--six months where I had no time to edit past a first draft, could not build a decent buffer, and had no time to work on writing for Apoclaypse Child. Did it take less time than it would have as a comic? Yes, absolutely, but it still took far more time and energy than what it's currently worth. It exhausted me to my limit to make.
I don't know what else to say, really--I burned out on TST years ago but just kept pushing. I'm sad I couldn't complete it the way I wanted to, sure, but I can't tell you how relieved I am to finally allow myself to stop working on it.
For those last 16-ish stories, they're now available in written summaries as bonus material for the deluxe edition of the third and final e-book for Tora Steals Things. I hope that will satisfy those of you curious over where the story was gonna go, had I kept making it.
On that note, the last e-book collecting the last of the comics and prose for TST is out and available for purchase: Volume 3--Contract Complete which you can pick up here.
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What's next?
As my focus moves onto Apocalypse Child, the Patreon for Tora Steals Things has been made to re-focus on that as well. I'm still keeping all the previous rewards for TST available on that Patreon. In the future, time-willing, I may collect those rewards to sell in digital bundles alongside the e-books so that those of you interested in just the Tora Steals Things sketch pages, scripts, thumbnails, and so forth, can just buy it instead of signing up for the Patreon. I'm also considering doing a live Q&A stream for the ending of TST near the end of the month. Might not do it. Depends on interest, really.
If this is something that interests you, I'll be sure to update this space or my twitter (@GriffinSBNorth) if and when anything happens.
All that said, I wanna just like, thank those of you who read my work all this time. Tora Steals Things was always a bit out there as a fan project and it means the world to me that so many of you loved my hot mess of a plant thief and all his friends.
Really, truly, thank you.
And please, feel free to ask me questions if you have any.
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sirowsky-stories · 7 months ago
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The Flowers Always Know
Chapter 1 - Welcome Home
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Description: As you came home from your vacation in Europe, you knew something was wrong. Hoping it was merely jet-lag, you tried to ignore it, but that was a mistake.
**Beware! Author chooses NOT to display warnings on the individual chapters of this story. Read at your own risk!**
Author's Note: This was my third ever series, and I've learned so much as a writer since then that I wanted to take another stab at it and make these characters richer and the writing easier to follow. The original posts seem to be trapped in the past, however, so if I want to use the updated editor I have to re-post them, which means there might be a minor Marcus Moreno spam on this account for a while. Sorry about that in advance. (Not that one could ever have too much MM...)
Rating: Mature 18+ONLY Word Count: 811 (133 words added) Masterlist (this story)
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   Somewhere in Egypt, a woman sits strapped to a chair. She’s clearly been tortured and is bleeding from her nose, ears and a multitude of cuts and abrasions. She’s connected to several machines by tubes as well as wires, and a dark figure moves through the shadows around her, waiting and hoping that his experiment will succeed this time.
-=¤=-
   The sun seemed brighter than usual when you stepped out of the airport.    Normally, you loved basking in the sun, feeling that heat going all the way into your bones and seeming to soften you from the inside out. But right then, it felt so bright it was blinding. Almost as though you could feel the rays burn your skin in mere seconds, even though you knew they weren’t.
   You wanted to get away from it as quickly as possible, so you ducked into a cab, stealing it from what looked like a banker, who was just about to get in when you all but wrestled past him through the door.    You didn’t even bother apologizing as you closed it in his enraged face with a loud bang, and sank into the mercifully dimmed backseat as you gave the address of your home to the driver.
   God, what was wrong with you? When had you ever stolen anything from anyone? You let people ahead of you in the que at the grocery store, for fuck’s sake.
   Once home, you dashed inside and hurried around the house to close all the blinds and curtains. You’d never done that before, not since buying the place six years earlier, so little puffs of dust were disturbed as you roughly yanked at the fabrics, making you cough.    You had changed the curtains, of course, but you weren’t the most prolific duster of a person, so the curtain-rods had never been cleaned despite the swaps of fabrics.
   Not that you cared about the dust now either. You were more concerned with why the daylight was suddenly bothering you so much, since you weren’t a damned vampire.    With the entire house plunged into a wearisome gloom you stepped into your bathroom intending to take a shower, hoping that washing the hours of travel off your skin might make you feel less sensitive somehow.    But you stopped on the threshold, suddenly worried that even the bright light of the bathroom ceiling lamp was gonna hurt you.
   “Stop it, girl. Light doesn’t hurt you,” you admonished yourself, and then flipped the switch.
   You were relieved when the artificial light didn’t seem to bother you at all, but then you caught your reflection in the large mirror above the sink, and flinched when you almost didn’t recognize yourself.    You were pale. And not just pale but slightly grey as well, to the extent that your veins were visible through your skin. The whites of your eyes were bloodshot, and your irises seemed to be the wrong colour, turned deeper and darker than they should be.    Even your hair looked completely lifeless, and somehow, the roots had turned grey.
   Suddenly you understood why the light was bothering you so much, as you seemingly had no pigmentation left to protect you from it. But how did that even happen? And especially considering that you’d been alright less than twenty-four hours ago.    Something had happened to you in Egypt, you knew that much. But unfortunately, you had no recollection of it, and therefor couldn’t guess at the severity of it.
   You’d just woken up in a hospital the day before you were meant to leave, and the doctors had told you how you’d most likely suffered heat-stroke, since they hadn’t been able to find anything wrong with you.    You had found it strange that you seemed to be missing two whole days of time, but since the doctors had given you a clean bill of health, you’d decided not to worry about it. And yesterday, when you’d left for the airport, you’d felt fine.
   This was not fine. You were not fine. You needed to go to the hospital.    But the thought of going outside again while the sun was still up felt so distressing to you, that you decided to wait. You’d have your shower and then try and eat something while you waited for it to get dark.    But you did make a stern promise to yourself to call an ambulance if it got any worse.
   It was strange how you could look so abhorrently ill, and yet not feel all that bad. You were tired, sure, and your appetite could have been better, but you didn’t feel anything close to as bad as you looked.    Although, if you’d had any idea of just how bad things were about to get, you’d have slapped yourself silly, and gotten your scrawny fucking ass to the hospital the moment you saw your reflection.
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lollytea · 1 year ago
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You said that asks may help you formulate your au thoughts and prompt you to talk about it so if it helps- I'm very curious about the cliffhanger the last lore dump left us on, re: Luz! Very curious to see how she fits into all of this. Sidenote about hunters deal: is Belos like. A stagemom in this au? A stage uncle? Highly entertaining if so. Demoted in power but still just as evil
Hmm!! Yeah I think it would absolutely be easier to drop info about the AU in little bits at a time depending on what questions I get. I've already thought about almost everybody in this AU and where they're situated but I guess I was getting overwhelmed with thinking about writing it all down at once.
Anyways!! Miss Luz Noceda!!
In this universe, the "fancy hospital" was located in California so Luz and her parents packed up and moved from Conneticut when she was a little kid. Her Dad Manny spent a few years drifting away, slowly at first, and then all at once. And Luz, a girl who's already a bright and imaginative storyteller, falls deeply in love with the fantasy book he left her.
What begins as a healthy coping mechanism devolves into escapism as Luz desperately clings to fiction in order to endure the difficulty of real life. School is hard, making friends is hard and nobody really understands her hobbies and passions, not even her mom (Even if she tries. She tries so hard.)
Living on the outskirts of the world of showbusiness, Luz quickly takes an interest in the magic of the screen. More than anything else, Luz wants to create. And creation comes in many forms and she has no intention of being confined to just one. Luz wants to be an actor, a writer, a director, an artist, an animator, a singer, a dancer, etc etc.
It's when her mom Camila finally puts her foot down and insists that Luz needs to learn to separate fantasy from reality, that her life really kicks off.
The Reality Check Center, an after school program which Luz is meant to attend every week day at 3:30pm sharp.
But after meeting somebody special, this is not where Luz goes every day after school.
Instead, Luz is hanging out in the house of Edalyn Clawthorne, an ex-starlet who Luz recognized on sight as Hecate in the 1980s Azura film adaption.
It's always been a mystery why Eda did not reprise her role for any of the sequels/spinoffs that Hollywood churned out for years afterwards. But upon meeting her and learning a little more of her story, Luz learns the truth from behind the scenes.
Eda has a chronic autoimmune disease and she was considered too "inconvenient" to have as a star of the franchise, so she was quietly let go after the first film released. She hasn't acted since and really has no intention of returning to that life.
Luz idolizes Eda and quickly latches on to her, demanding that she be her mentor and show her the ropes of showbiz. Eda hems and haws for a while before being worn down by Luz's persistent enthusiasm.
Luz meets Willow when the latter is trying to talk herself out of having a complete meltdown and the two quickly bond over being a pair of neurodivergent academically and socially challenged silly billies.
Willow is weak for pretty girls so she lets Luz talk her into sneaking her on set. Predictably, Luz causes havoc and gets banned from the premises within a few hours.
But that's okay! Because guess what! Turns out Luz is a perfect third musketeer for the funky little friend group Willow and Gus already had going on.
Luz does tons of stuff. She writes fanfiction. She has several notebooks full of anime art. But most notably, she has a YouTube channel.
Remember mid 2000s YouTube? Before it became the corporate husk that it is today? Back when it was just kids dicking around and posting their dumb silly vlogs.
Thats what Luz does. She posts dumb silly vlogs. She infodumps to the camera about her interests, she films herself while she's out with her friends. She just has fun, yknow?
Willow and Gus have fun too. Considering they are featured in like 90% of Luz's videos, laughing and joking around with her. But thats not all they do.
Willow, who has spent several months being the butt of the joke in the the Hexside show, is experiencing what it's like to be behind a camera while being respected and loved.
Willow is an exceptionally talented rollerskater. So of course Luz is filming her do tricks around the skatepark, whooping and hollering and chanting her name. Willow has a huge interest in botany. And superhero comics. And photography. And romcoms. And Luz will let her share fun facts about her interests, or maybe even babble for a bit, and Luz will act as though she's privileged to speak to a professor of the subject. It makes Willow blush and giggle, pretending it's not a big deal.
It's a huge deal actually.
It's through Luz's vlogs that Willow's authentic personality finally bleeds through the screen. Willow Park is not Paulina. She's not ditzy. She's not unobservant. She's something else entirely.
Willow Park is soft spoken but opinionated. She is witty and expressive. She's tough and sporty. She's wise beyond her years. She's wild and mischievous. She's sweet and silly. She's so many things that she'll make your head spin.
The scripts of the final Hexside S1 episodes are beginning to trickle out around this time and honestly? The writers are sick of Paulina. They're tired of the character. They're tired of the "She's stupid" joke. They feel like they've hit a brick wall with her, in a creative sense. But now they have Season 2 to work on and...ugghhh...
That's when one writer just happens to stumble across TheGoodWitchLuzura on YouTube and finds two young actors that they know very well, just existing outside of the set.
Willow is different on Luz's videos. While on set around the likes of Amity and Adrian, she simply keeps quiet, keeps her head down and does what she's told. She doesn't really spark any inspiration, yknow?
But after seeing this? This bright, sharp witted, skater girl on a griny camera recording? Well after seeing that, they really start feeling the urge to maybe spruce up Paulina's character a bit. Make her a little more compelling.
So, in that way, Luz Noceda completely changed Willow Park's life.
Willow still doesn't think she believes in God but if angels exist, Luz is definitely one of them.
If you said this to Luz, she'd disagree. She'd prefer to be a Demon >:3
________
ANYWAY!! On to the Belos question.
See, I think I'm going to take inspiration from the show's canon version of the Wittebane family as an endless cycle of pain and suffering.
Philip and Caleb Wittebane were a pair of orphan boys that managed to somehow weasel their way into the spotlight at an early age. It fed them well. It kept a roof over their heads. So that meant that this was a nice life, right?
The two brothers were considered timeless stars and their names would go down in history as some of Hollywood's finest.
In the year 1990, Caleb Wittebane was found dead in his home at the age of 30. Based on the evidence, it appeared he had taken his own life.
Philip was then given custody of his brother's infant son and promised that the boy would be raised to understand just what a wondrous legacy his father left behind.
Caleb Wittebane may have been buried 6ft under but Philip had no intention of letting him die. His DNA was still preserved, attached to this fat clump of an infant.
This baby was Caleb's second chance to live. Philip was going to make sure his stupid brother made the right choices this time.
Caleb wasn't going to throw it all away this time. Philip wouldn't let him.
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hide-in-imagination · 6 months ago
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Another question, hehe yes it's me again 😅 To specify the scene, what do you think would have happened and how would the story between Ámbar and Simón have unfolded if Benicio had not appeared here? ( i mean episode 10 in the third series)
I actually wrote a whole oneshot about this, which I was going to refer you to, but then I read it and I realized it's cringy as hell and I need to re-write it, so don't read it kjsdnf.
What could've happened? Well, if Benicio didn't show up, they definitely would've kissed, and then maybe Juliana could've shown up instead, like I wrote in my oneshot. If not that, well, they would've have to stop kissing at some point either way and face the music.
I imagine they would move a little away from each other and look around self-consciously once they realize what they had just done in such a public place.
-----------
Simón cleared his throat, still looking away from her. "It seems like Benicio is still missing, so we can stop the rehearsal, right?" He said quickly.
Ámbar was looking at him and she couldn't stop the ironic humor from pouring out. "You're gonna call that a rehearsal? Because I don't remember there being any kiss in the choreography, let me tell you." Her lips were still tingling; she did not imagine that.
Simón kept his head low as he skated back to the bleachers. Ámbar followed after him, watching as he sat as if to take off his skates.
"Hi, sorry to insist," she told him more harshly this time, in opposition to her words, "I know you want to go and all, but it seems to me like it's been proven very clearly that it doesn't bother you to skate with me, nor do other stuff with me, and I've got plenty of witnesses," she gestured around, "in case you want to ask them."
Simón finally desisted in taking off his skates and instead got up once more, standing in front of her.
"Make fun of me all you want but what happened there was about us two, not just me."
"I'm not making fun--"
He scoffed and looked away. "Yeah, right."
"I'm not making fun of you, but could you please-" she grabbed his chin and made him look at her "-look me in the eye and face that it happened? Don't just ignore me."
Simón searched her face moment. "Okay." The look on his face settled on something kind of like a dare, but with the complete confidence that he already knew the outcome. "Okay, you wanna talk about feelings? I'm listening." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited.
Ámbar's brows raised up high and she huffed out a laugh. "'Feelings'? You mean the feelings you have towards me, I imagine. Feel free to admit to them whenever you want."
"And you feel nothing towards me," he said like a question.
Ámbar shrugged, her thumbs tucked inside her back pockets in the perfect image of nonchalance. "I mean, not nothing nothing, obviously. I've never denied that I'm somewhat interested in you."
Simón's face was never really open but it was completely closed off now.
He nodded slowly to himself. "Right." He moved a little closer. "Look, how about this?" He proposed. "I'm going to get back to work, and whenever you feel like admitting anything, you can go and look for me, okay?"
He turned around and left before she could say another word.
Ámbar deflated and rolled her eyes before returning to the rink.
...It seemed like she would have to drop her act if she wanted to get anywhere with Simón.
She just wasn't sure if it was worth it, yet.
-------I'll leave the dialogue in Spanish here too just because------
"Parece que Benicio sigue sin aparecer, así que podemos dejar el ensayo, ¿no?"
"¿'Ensayo' le vas a llamar a eso? Perdonáme pero que yo recuerde no había ningún beso en la coreografía."
*Simón se va a los asientos a sacarse los patines*
"Perdón que te insista, sé que te querés ir y todo, pero me parece que quedó bastante claro que no te molesta patinar conmigo, o hacer otras conmigo, y tengo varios testigos, por si les querés preguntar."
"Búrlate todo lo que quieras pero lo que pasó ahí fue cosa de los dos, no solo de mí."
"No me estoy burlando--"
Él bufó. "Sí, claro--"
"No me estoy burlando pero ¿me podés mirar a los ojos por favor y afrontar que pasó? No me ignorés así."
"...Okay. Okay, ¿quieres hablar sentimientos? Te escucho."
Ella expulsó una risa y levantó las cejas. "¿Sentimientos? Los sentimientos que vos tenés por mí, querrás decir. Lo podés admitir cuando quieras."
"Y tú no sientes nada por mí" lo dijo como si fuera una pregunta.
She shrugged, her thumbs in her back pockets in the stark image of nonchalance. "O sea, nada de nada no, obviamente. Nunca he ocultado que algo me interesás."
Él asintió para sí mismo. "Claro." "Mira, ¿qué te parece esto? Yo voy a volver a trabajar, y cuando sea que tú quieras admitir algo, vas y buscas, ¿órale?"
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copperbadge · 2 years ago
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I started Shivadh!verse this morning, and I am . . . almost a third of the way through Infinite Jes. I have also recommended it to at least three people. It's so fun!!! It's been a while since I enjoyed getting to know new characters this much.
Also, for some reason I got it in my head that one of the books was called "Romancing the Rambler" (I think I was mixing Royals/Ramblers with the general Romance genre?), but when I realized it *wasn't* I thought of how hilarious it would be if someone in-universe wrote a thinly veiled pastiche of Greg and Eddie's romance with that title - maybe a king falls in love with and woos the traveling bard known as "The Rambler" who's come to perform at some sort of royal celebration? I feel like Eddie would love it and read the spiciest passages out loud to a very embarrassed Greg.
I'm so glad you're enjoying it! I had to re-read a bit of Infinite Jes yesterday to check something for Twelve Points, and gosh I loved writing that story, and it's egotistical but I love re-reading it. I don't think that the Questions Game scene is the best prose I've ever written but it might be one of my favorite scenes ever.
At some point I do want to write a story -- either short or novel, haven't decided -- where either someone does write the thinly-veiled romance novel about the royals, or a film crew comes to Fons-Askaz to film a movie (something Gregory's been trying to woo a bit) and it turns out it's a Hallmark film based on Eddie and Gregory's unlikely romance. It's too recursive to do now, but most serieses that run for a long time eventually get rather weird, and I'm figuring around book 15 or 20 I'll hit the Weird Era and write the Hallmark Movie book.
I am admittedly feeling slightly scattered about the novels just now, mainly because everything's moving forward but all of it very slowly -- I'm in rewrites on Twelve Points, but I need to set a date to publish, and I'm working on Royals/Ramblers but I'm stuck a bit and feeling like I need to put Twelve Points to bed before I can keep going. And Simon the Chef's novel is going to take some extra brainpower to do the interesting experimental structure I want to try, so I need to get AT LEAST two of the four books I'm working on (Twelve Points, Royals/Ramblers, Chef Simon, Football Novel) off my plate first. Having four novels in various stages of completion is like, the best kind of problem to have, but it is still a problem. And I can't bump the football novel up ahead of it because Simon's book is set in the summer of 2023 and the football novel doesn't start until autumn 2023.
Also I still need to pin down Simon's love interest beyond "salty-ass chef who just moved to Fons-Askaz". If anyone has strong opinions now's the time to air them. The idea is that whoever they are, they manage to put Simon a little back-footed to start with, and then they're forced to work together -- it's a bit enemies-to-lovers but just light on the "enemies".
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jacaranda-bloom · 1 year ago
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Thank you to @allwaswell16 @disgruntledkittenface @uhoh-but-yeah-alright and @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed for tagging me to do the Fics by the numbers challenge, this was super fun!
Rules: give us the links to your fics with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and fic with the fewest words.
I got a bit carried away, so I've put most of this under the cut.
Fic with the most hits: (55,698) In A Twinkling - No surprises here, I guess. My first foray into the world of Advent Fics was a whirlwind. Something about this story just (and I strongly believe the chapter-a-day release method was the driving forcer here) really drew people in. FUN FACT - Out of all of my fics, this is the only one I've never re-read. I feel like I lived and breathed this story so intensely as it was posting, and it was such a unique and special experience, that I almost want to keep it in a little time capsule forever.
Fic with the second most kudos: (1,737) When Tomorrow Comes This is probably the fic of mine that people come back to read more than any other, which is so lovely and quite surprising, as it's only 11k. I adore writing ABO. It's my fave trope, I think. I remember when I read my first ABO fic, Swim In The Smoke (and yes I know, I was late to the party here, and the world of fanfic in general), I was blown away. FUN FACT - This fic is not just 11k, it's actually exactly 11,111 words. I recall finishing the story and it landed on this word count, and I was like - whoa., okay then. But then I had to go back and make a few late edits before it posted, so I had to purposefully make sure it still came out at 11,111, because, you know. Why not?
Fic with the third most comments: (234) From Dust To Lust - This one is a bit of a surprise, but then I went back and looked at some of the comments and was reminded of the overwhelming love this fic received. This love was headed up by none other than @disgruntledkittenface, who practically inhaled this story and whose comments are so kind and enthusiastic that they give me life. Thank you, Maggie, I adore you. FUN FACT - I wrote this story for one scene and one scene only. It's in Chapter 3 and the rest of the story is just an enabler to allow me to indulge in that moment. For anyone who has read the fic, you'll know exactly which one I'm talking about, and for those who haven't, maybe this is enough of a tease to encourage you to go and check it out hahaha.
Fic with the fourth most bookmarks: (755) Player - Well, well, well. Hello there, old friend. This one is such a fun ride. Harry is a pro tennis player and Louis is his Publicist. It's an easy job for Louis 'cause, you know, Harry's amazing, until he Instagram's an x-ray to his 18 million followers that just happens to clearly show his dick. I'm a bit surprised that this has the fourth most bookmarks, but it's been appearing on a few rec lists lately (thanks @allwaswell16 !!) and is experiencing a bit of a resurgence in interest. FUN FACT - This fic was inspired by a true incident when UK tennis pro, Andy Murray, did exactly this back in 2019 after his hip surgery. No seriously. Google it. It's brilliant.
Fic with the fifth most words: (55,916) If You're Out There (I'll Find You Somehow) - Oh man. This fic. Okay, so, firstly, if I'm ever asked if there is a story of mine I've most proud of, or one that I hope people will read, it's probably this one. The challenge is, that it isn't everyone's cup of tea. It's a hybrid fic. Yup. I can already feel you scanning down this post to the next bullet point. But wait! Hear me out. Yes, Louis is a kitten hybrid (a kybrid), so he has a tail and cat ears, and he hasn't had the best life, nor have any hybrids for that matter. And it's a historical fic without any fixed time period, because the world is entirely invented, so readers have to allow themselves to be completely immersed in what I present them. But, while the world is hard and unfair at times, good triumphs in the end, and in a way that is truly uplifting. The Epilogue is possibly one of the best things I've ever written and I swear I cry happy tears every time I re-read it (which is a lot). FUN FACT - The story that nearly wasn't. At the time I wrote this story I'd sort of been inhabiting a nice little corner of the fanfic world. Each new story I put out there was easy enough to write and people were receiving them well and enjoying my imaginations. When this idea came to me though, it knocked me on my ass. I thought about it constantly. It consumed my musing by day and invaded my dreams by night. But writing a hybrid fic seemed like I was stepping out onto a new landscape and it was pretty scary not knowing how people would respond. There were plenty of times when I nearly gave up and packed it in, but I had lovely people around me to encourage me and keep that fire lit. And so, I persevered, and I'm so glad I did.
Fic with the fewest words: (666) Exposed - This fic was so much fun to write! It was written for the Trick or Treat Fest back in 2019 and had a word count requirement of exactly 666 words. I'm not much for shorter fics because I like to write whole story arcs, so the challenge for me was to try and do that in 666 words. FUN FACT - This is 1 of only 2 fics, out of 63 total fics that I've written, that is rated Mature. The other 61 are rated Explicit. I managed to justify a mature rating in 666 words because Louis is basically naked for the entirety while he's posing as a live-art installation covered in body paint hahaha.
I’m a bit behind on doing this challenge and I don't know who else has participated, but I'll tag these lovely writers if they'd like to share: @ireallysawanangel @louandhazaf @neondiamond @beardyboyzx @lululawrence @larry-hiatus @larrysballetslippers @hellolovers13.
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breakfastteatime · 2 years ago
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Here we go! Breakfast Tea's (vaguely) coherent Survivor Thoughts!
Spoliers under the cut. You have been warned.
Cal - HOW MUCH TRAUMA CAN YOU PUT ONE PERSON THROUGH?!?!?! My heart aches for him. When the game tells you to use his dark side powers in the third act, I absolutely refused, hoping the game would auto-continue because I refused to engage. NOPE! NO CHOICE. And okay, yeah, it was A LOT of fun but ow ow ow ow ow. He needs SO MUCH TIME to heal. The end of the game hit so hard because it feels so heavy and uncertain. We don't leave off with Cal feeling hopeful for the future. He admits he's scared, oh, and by the way, STILL TAPPED INTO THE DARK SIDE. Throughout the whole story, he just goes and goes and takes blow after blow, and then it ends with him hearing Cere. Watch me write fanfic set after the game in which I send Cal off on his own because REASONS. Ahem, anyway!
CANON JEDI CANNOT COOK AND ALSO DRINK TEA, THANK YOU.
BD-1 - BD remains the best droid. The BEST. He is always there for Cal, and he's so happy to see Cordova. And when he hugs Cal after Cere dies? *sobbing* Also, it did NOT escape my notice that the option to EMBRACE THE DARK SIDE comes up after Bode punts BD across the chamber. I LOVE THIS LITTLE DROID SO MUCH.
Echoes - I love how the echoes work in this game. The entire quest starts out partially because Cal finds an echo. Some echoes are visualised, and you can re-experience them, which is nice to see in canon. Cal also walks through Dagan's memory which intrigued me. Basically, they remain completely integral to both Cal and the wider narrative.
Also, as a game, it is just a lot of fun to play. There are puzzles that make you feel clever for solving them. Combat was fun and exciting, I loved all the lightsaber forms, and I have learned that I am over-reliant on Slow in JFO. Honestly, it's all still buzzing in my head. I need to replay it at a much slower pace now that I can relax about spoilers.
The Mantis Crew - While I knew they would've all gone their separate ways, it was still a lot to take in. It makes sense to me (Greez isn't cut out for this, Merrin wants to see the galaxy, and Cere's longing to reclaim the Jedi's legacy), and I'm glad everyone got together eventually, but I missed their vibe... At least we got flashbacks!
Cere - Absolutely devastated at her loss. She was Cal's mentor and therefore basically doomed by Star Wars law (she's the Obi-Wan), but it absolutely destroyed me. And it destroyed Cal, too. Cal, who was hanging by a thread for so much of this. Losing her, and the way he lost her, was too much for him. I wanted to see more of her SO MUCH, but I understand why we didn't. Ooof, I'm not getting over that anytime soon. I got my wish to play as her (and yes, she's WAY stronger than Cal), but... but...
Bode - I had a strong feeling he would betray Cal, but I had no idea WHY. It was a really nice touch and worked really well. His motivations make perfect sense, and they aren't some galaxy-bending quest to rule over others - he's just a father desperate to protect his daughter. I *love* how this series tells personal stories in the midst of such *literal* spectacle. Cal chasing after him, everything that's happening because Bode's a traitor... ow, ow, ow, ow, ow. And then the end, when Cal kills him to save himself and Merrin? GoodBYE. Oh, and now I'm walking around finishing up missions and there are NEW ECHOES EVERYWHERE that come from Bode.
Cordova - WHAT?!?!?! I screamed, I cried, first when he turned up, and then again when he died. Agony. I am in AGONY. I can barely think about the game right now without breaking down. Also loved the reference to Qui-Gon Jinn, although I also think that makes Cordova a lot younger than I've been headcanoning? Oh well!
Merrin - She remains so much fun. Her and Cal's relationship wasn't what I wanted, but it was handled well enough. The whole fight with the two of them against the giant drill was AMAZING. I absolutely loved the visualisation of her warping power. Oh, and when they take shelter from the sandstorm, and she holds his hand while he's having a nightmare? Perfect. While I would've preferred the two of them remaining friends, them being together doesn't bother me too much.
Greez - he is just so worried for Cal. HE MADE UP A ROOM FOR CAL IN HIS CANTINA AND MAKES HIM TAKE A NAP AND THEN WAKES HIM UP LIKE OLD TIMES YES I AM ALREADY COOKING UP A FANFIC FOR THIS I CAN'T HELP IT. I love how he's always checking in with Cal, making sure he's okay, telling him VERY firmly it is not his fault when Cere dies. Oh no, here I go again, can't stop crying...
Koboh - I love that town and building it up. I'm nowhere near finished yet, and in no rush to do so.
Finale - it took me a while to really sit and take that ending in. In recent years, we've become so used to second parts of trilogies not really having dark and uncertain endings that it really hit me how bleak it initially feels. We are leaving Cal still mourning, still struggling with his own darkness, still hurting... and that works. It works because he isn't finished growing and learning. He's a survivor, but he's a long, long way from thriving. The ending fits. It hurts. Everything hurts. But that story got the only ending that fit how dark it is.
Hey. Hey, Sequel Trilogy. THIS IS HOW YOU TELL A COHESIVE STORY ACROSS MULTIPLE PARTS.
HATE VADER'S REDEMPTION EVEN MORE THAN I ALREADY DID, THANK YOU.
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bettsfic · 1 year ago
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(Love on Display is the series name for ASE and its sequel)
okay so for this commentary i went through my ASE tag to read the asks i'd gotten about it because i can't really remember the whole process, and found this response i'd written:
you know how like when you read or watch something, you kind of look for the character you relate to most? when i was rereading the hunger games last month i was thinking, i don’t relate to a single one of you bitches. and then annie shows up like “nope nope nope i can handle exactly 0% of this bullshit” and i was just, ah there i am
looking back on my mental health issues, the irony is that i was writing about madness in a time i was actually pretty stable, despite the pandemic being in full swing. i remember writing ASE throughout summer, sitting on my grandma's porch swing and admiring her garden, going inside only when it got dark enough for the fireflies to come out. at the time, i was approaching my third year of rejections on the original fiction front; i'd been querying agents for over a year and submitting short stories, and i felt like i wasn't getting anywhere. i was also about to start a phd program, which i was apprehensive about, to say the least. i wish i'd listened to that "i have a bad feeling about this" instinct.
tbosas had just come out (to almost no attention or acclaim; even now with the film coming out in a couple weeks, the gifsets i've been reblogging don't get a lot of traffic and the tag only has 250 fics in it) and so i read it, loved it, and immediately re-read the hunger games with the new lens of snow's origin story.
the hunger games is one of the few things that i think is completely worth the hype. it's a beautifully written series and i really admire it. tbosas i thought was even better, because it felt like suzanne collins had full creative control. it's not easy writing a villain origin story and i think she really managed to thread the needle with coriolanus as a POV character who is really the antagonist of two protagonists whose POVs we don't have access to.
anyway as soon as i finished re-reading the hunger games, i went back to read the one thg fic i'd written after the film series concluded, the baker's son. it wasn't as bad as i remembered it, because 2015-16 were the years i was really starting to figure out how to write, so everything from that time in my memory is hand-wavy at best. but i remember thinking, this could have been really good if i'd just taken my time with it.
back then, i never took my time with anything. i had so many ideas that i had to churn through them in order to get to the next one. when you're just starting out writing, you haven't followed through on enough ideas to know how to sort through them properly and find the ones that have legs. so i was still learning how to control my attention.
and so ASE marked a huge change in the way i viewed my own work and the reception thereof. i was getting nowhere in publishing, i was no longer in one single fandom and so i didn't really have a community, and i finally realized the only guarantee i would ever have is my own joy. that changed everything.
i know i'll always love the hunger games, because i genuinely believe it's good. it's engaging and entertaining and meaningful. before, i'd written for canons i actually didn't like, because communities had formed around them and i was inspired by what i felt was unmet potential in canon. but i know i'll never rewatch supernatural or the 100. in fact i didn't finish either of them. with big fandoms, sure, i get more traffic and comments. but i'd stopped writing for traffic and comments. i wrote ASE because it was fun, and i knew in 10 years i'd read the hunger games again, and i would want my perfect fixit fic. and i would want it to be long, and well thought out, and something i could be proud of.
i've kept that "i'm writing for my 40 year old self" mentality for all my writing. at 40, i want to look back at what i wrote at 30 and know it was time well spent because it made me happy during a hard time in human history. it's a lot easier to make creative decisions when you're writing for an audience of your future self.
with tbosas coming out soon, i'm hoping to finish the coriojanus fic i started in 2020 (i think it's 7k?). and looking back through my ASE tag i also saw how many ideas i had for finnick POV and i could see myself fiddling around with a few of those prompts eventually.
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druidx · 9 months ago
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WIP Intro - Her Countenance was Light
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~SYNOPSIS~
The 1970s, twenty years after the rebuilding of Toreguard, semi-retired Sergeant Elowyn O'Toreguarde is called in for a new case - the murder of her childhood best friend, Evelyn Strucker. When the King of estranged Iceland turns up for an unexpected visit, the Triumvirate Council force O'Toreguarde to play tour guide, passing the murder case to her subordinates. But it doesn't completely leave her hands. A strange set of circumstances reveals an ethereal side to the City, filled with secrets. Secrets which may hold the key to Evelyn's murder.
~DETAILS~
Genre: Crime/ Urban Fantasy Type: Novel POV: Third person limited, predominantly Present tense Themes: Grief/ mourning, Change is neutral, Accepting who you are, Mercy is the preferred choice Aesthetic: Dieselpunk, Detective Noir, Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales Status: Technical editing. Posting weekly on Archive of Our Own and Tumblr. Tags: #WIP 'Her Countenance was Light' (All posts inc. meta info); #HCWL Chapters Only (Follow this tag for only the chapters in posting order)
~MAIN CHARACTERS~
Elowyn O'Toreguarde - F, Sergeant-Detective, Freeman of the City
Johan Strucker - M, Evelyn's Father, General, 1/3rd of the Triumvirate Council
Storri Nargondsson - M, King of Iceland
Lerrald Brauma - M, Master of the Exchequer, 1/3rd of the Triumvirate Council
~MINOR CHARACTERS~
Farren Breakwood - M, Constable-Detective, Elo's Police partner
Thazaar Clayrmantle - M, Acting Magister, 1/3rd of the Triumvirate Council
Snotgrut - M, Unusual fellow. Curiosity. Shouldn't exist. ???
Meredith Gruksdottir - F, Bodyguard of K. Storri, Old friend of Elo's
Yoruk Copperheart - M, Bodyguard of K. Storri, Husband of Merri
Irvine Cobbleskater - M, Constable, subordinate of Elo
~OTHER STUFF~
Written for NaNoWriMo 2017. Technically a Modern, Mundane-ish AU of a TTRPG set in the Fighting Fantasy World of Titan. Formerly known as "FF/T Modern-Ish AU".
The plot is... not something I would normally write, and for a long while I hated it. Then I thought it was a too cringy, and tried to 'fix' it, only to give up. Now, on a recent re-read, I think this is the shape this story has always had to have. So I've decided to suck it up and get it ready for posting, so at least it's out there and not loitering on my hard drive.
Title is from a traditional song, Besse Bunting, arranged by Mediæval Bæbes.
~EXCERPT~
She cuts through a narrow alley of dark soot-stained brick, trots down a short set of steps and onto the flagged towpath next to the canal. There is an improvised bridge up ahead that will allow her to pass over the canal closer to where the station lies. She has run this route a hundred times, she knows every nook and cranny along this path, so when she reaches where the bridge should be, and finds it missing, she is perturbed, but not worried. Maybe someone finally reported the ramshackle thing, made of old boards and stolen scaffolding.
It was quick work though, she thinks as she back-tracks to where a tree clings to the bank. The bridge was still there when she came home in the early evening. She shakes the thought aside as she unhooks a rope swing from the tree. It's been a while since she had to use it, but she's in a hurry and has no time for the uncertainty that tries to drape over her like a cloak. With a running start, she jumps. It is only as she enters the apex of the swing that she realises something is wrong. The weight of the rope is too heavy, it shifts alarmingly as she reaches the apex of the swing. Then it has snapped, and she is falling, and she cannot remove her hands from the tacky surface of the rope, and the water is closing in over her head, and she thinks she sees the blaze of red eyes on the bank as she sinks through the darkness.
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