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#as. i have done ZERO nano today
bookwyrminspiration · 6 months
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hey (getting ready to post the final chapter of the wings au, the finally completed epilogue, if you even care)
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mossflower · 6 months
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happy nanowrimo to those who celebrate <3
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authoralexharvey · 1 month
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Alex Does Camp Not-NaNo — Day 10
We are 1/3 of the way through April! Yeesh. I'm just over ⅓ through my goal. Still worked today on the mecha short, which I shouldn't have been touching, but I also need it done in time for Pride so. Dilemmas.
Anyway. As usual, let's talk stats!
Words Wrote Today: 873
Total Word Count: 27,818
Excerpt:
Her gaze zeroed in on the pen cup on the desk. A pair of scissors winked at her. 
For the second time that week, a terrible idea came to Jane's mind. She lunged for the pen cup. The scissors were icy to the touch and so slim her larger fingers struggled with the holes. She took a deep breath, then another. 
The scissors were a hairs-length from her chest when a sharp yank stopped her. 
[NAME] loomed over her as her head cracked against the back of her chair. Swearing, he pried the scissors from her grip. A dull clatter from the other side of the room told her he'd discarded them. 
“I know what you're trying to do, Ms. Macintosh. It won't work.”
Jane was too busy focusing on the stars swirling across her vision to reply. 
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acaciapines · 6 months
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nano day twenty-five
words today: 5156
words total: 68018
man what even to say lol. im nearly done. one more day should do it i think, and i finally got to write a scene thats been in my head since the START, at least of for the future. and its so different than how i pictured it but so much BETTER and oh my god you guys have i mentioned how much i love king and the collector before have i--
but. yeah. wild to think at the start of this month i had written Zero Words. and now ive written a novel <3 like to be fair i do this most months but i usually do that by going hard on weekends n its nice to spread it out a bit more! i say still having written 5k in like 2.5 hours today lol. look i might change a bit but not THAT MUCH.
writing is more than a hobby to me. more than a passion. it is a lifestyle. i will Never Stop. except hopefully i will when i finish this series lol it would be nice to have time to do other things.
my favorite part of what i wrote today:
“But.” Their voice is weak and trembling. King’s far far far away. Some gap they dunno how to cross. Their best friend. But he slumps giving up ‘n they gave everything for him. Made a world so they’d be safe. Snarled and snapped and fought off everyone who might trap him. “I never do anything. How is being trapped my fault?” “Do you really?” King asks, and when he looks at them they can’t meet his gaze, wanna roll over ‘n whine, wanna blast him ‘til he can’t ever look at them like that again, ‘til the only person is them them them ‘cause they’re the only one who won’t set traps. “Or is that just what you tell yourself? Because—I don’t know what happened with my dad. Maybe you were right, then. But here?” King gestures to the scene around them. “After all of this?” He shakes his head. “You’ve done a lot.” They take a step back. “No.” “Okay,” King says, “prove it, then.” And he nods to the nearest toy. “Set everyone free. Stop ruling over the Isles. Prove that me saving you was the right choice. That it wasn’t just some mistake.” “I.” They’re shaking. So many toys. King right there. What if someone tries to trap them again? What if they succeed, this time? What if this time King just watches as the trap closes down, as the world goes dark, as everything is empty and void and them them them and they can’t be alone again they can’t can’t can’t because everyone tries to trap them, everyone. “I, I—” “Yeah.” King sits back down. “That’s what I thought.”
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galactic-pirates · 6 months
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The NaNo Report: Day Ten
So I missed yesterday. Not just report wise, it was a zero day. I had an eye test first thing and it messed me up. Felt unwell for the rest of the day.
Anyway today!
I did the math and I worked out to get 30k for the 17th I needed to write 2,174 words until then, I think it was, and obviously I then proceeded to not get on with it. Mum called and I wound up going to her house to do some cleaning. That took a few hours out of the middle of my day. Around 3pm I had a decision to make. I was so unbelievably tempted to not start again. I had done one sprint that morning, but that would just make me even further behind.
So I am very proud of myself that for once I made a good choice. I did write more words. Did I get the near 2.2k for par? No. But I got a lot closer than I would have if I had not done anymore. I am still in the game. 30k by the end of the 17th is not out of the realms of possibility - well, I do still have the issue of no more plot to deal with, but that's a tomorrow problem.
Words today: 1,618 Current total: 14,220
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dogmomwrites · 1 year
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Camp Nano Update
Camp Nano April 2023 Day 1 Words written today: 0 Total word count: 0/25,000
Zero writing will be done today, but that's okay. I was busy running errands with A today, and I got some new stuffies! (they're under the cut for anyone who wants to see). Now just having a chill evening at home with the guys, playing video games and listening to the lovely sounds of the dogs eating their chew sticks. I'll worry about word count tomorrow.
Hamish the donkey, Rúna the chocolate lab, and McKinley the german shepherd
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six-of-ravens · 2 years
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realized Friday is April 1st and I now have only 2 days to get my shit together for mini camp nano....
*insert this is fine meme here*
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gordonthesquid · 2 years
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What about your body are you grateful for?
Virg posed this question today and posted his answer over at @vgtracy. And I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. It might be easier for me to say my stunning good looks, yes, and while that might be true, there’s a reason this question is bothering me. And it requires the solemn answer, not a throw away joke. 
Rambling in bound, so apologies in advance. 
There’s a lot I’m grateful for. Virgil is more the type for these little daily self-reflections. I’ve done my share of those while I was healing after my accident, and they helped, but it’s been a while since I’ve pulled out my positive mindset journal.
By the accident, I mean the big one. Not the one from the Hood when I was retrieving Braman.
That’s why I think this question resonated with me today, by the way. Because it was a quick one to answer. There is only one answer it ever could be. The answer for me is my back.
All of it, the parts that healed, the parts that didn’t, the scars that will never go away, the complex network of nano-generated nerves that gave me a chance when there may not have been one.
For those that may not know (because I won’t assume everyone knows everything about me), when I was in the service, I was involved in a tragedy that killed my team and injured me for life. I lost all movement and feeling in my legs. It was only through my family’s love for me, my doctor’s belief in me, and the circumstances of my own privilege that I healed to the extent I did.  We weren’t sure I would be able to walk ever again.
There are days when I can’t move from my bed, and the agony comes in waves, and I pretend not to be in tears. And it’s...awful. But it’s a pain I live with. Not suffer from. There’s a distinction there.
My family will probably never understand, because it hurts them to see me like that, but I can only feel grateful. It’s a part of me.
I can’t begin to imagine what it was like while I was asleep, but I know from the moment of the explosion, what happened to me… it happened to my family too. Something like that affects everyone around you to some extent. It would be selfish of me to not realize that. I’ve heard a little bit about that time and after. Virgil went from student to caretaker. Hell, in my darker moments, the things I said to him?
But he kept coming back. They all did. They all lifted me up, and those first steps? They weren’t because of Gordon Tracy.
Can I tell you a secret? One of my worst fears is that Scott was shot down because of me. That he was distracted. Just enough, that that missile hit home, that his reflexes weren’t as quick as they could have been. I will never forgive myself for that.
Ah. Please keep that to yourselves.
So, another important distinction: we had money. I, the soul of the man named Gordon, could have been born to anyone. Call it a roll of the dice, or the will of something higher, whatever you may believe, but somehow, I was born into a family with more zeros than most families ever see in their whole lives. Born into the Tracy name and given opportunities associated with that name. And why? Fuck if I know.
It’s why we try to use our opportunities for good.
So when experimental treatments were offered, we had the support we needed to give them a chance, for me to have the best possible care in the globe. Not the nation. In the world. The best of the best, and a series of specialists in their fields who took a chance on the Tracy name, and then came to know the soul that is Gordon, and then believed in that human life.
And I don’t know why the world works the way it does. I don’t know why bad things happen to good people, or why I was the lone survivor of my team. I’ll probably never understand, and that pain is something I can’t even begin to explain. One I will always keep.
So if it had to happen - if someone had to be given the injuries I was given – I don’t sit here and think “why me of all people?” I’m grateful that this happened to me of all people. Because the soul that is Gordon Tracy was born by chance under the right stars for these circumstances. And because of it, I was able be the test for treatments that have since created medical opportunities for healing so many others. And all of that is bigger than little ol’ Gordon.
And I don’t know about you, but it feels like luck to me. How could I be anything but grateful?
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trolleybitch · 3 years
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trolley does nano days 16 (?) to 29 - IT’S DONE!!!!!!
i have continuously forgotten to update here because work has been frantic and writing around a full-time job + a bunch of other crap has left me with zero brain power for other things however!!! 50,000 words have been written!!!!!!!
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i got behind from the 20th due to real life nonsense plus general nano burnout, and i’ve kept writing consistently but stayed behind the goal every day until today! i finished yesterday on 45,775 but was determined to finish today - i set myself a tall order but i had no plans and thankfully my motivation stayed with me to churn out over 4k and finish NaNo 2020 with a whole day to spare!!
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you can see the unevenness of my graph, but i’m just phenomenally excited that i actually managed to hit the goal 😭 earlier this week it was looking like i’d be close but just miss out and although that’s obviously still way more words than i would have had otherwise, i wanted to get that winner badge!! finishing today also means i have monday to thursday free to prep for the job interview i have on friday, so that’s another stress off my mind in knowing that i won’t have to worry about writing tomorrow 🙏
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i was continuing work on an existing project so technically bending the rules of nano, but i only counted new words in november towards my nano count. my total word count is sitting at 147.5k, and the november spike on my graph is just extremely satisfying. i’ve completed three full chapters and two half chapters this month, meaning i’m (checks notes) almost three quarters through the whole thing! there’s still a good 50-60k to write if my predicted total stays accurate, but my plan for december is to give myself a break, get this job interview out of the way, and do some work on my planning spreadsheet so that i can move forward into ‘act three’ of the story (which starts at the end of my current chapter) knowing a bit more detail about what i need to be writing! 
alrighty i’m gonna stop going on about this now but thank you for putting up with me!!! i did the thingggggggg!!!
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theoriginalladya · 4 years
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How am I measuring productivity today?
Got to bed late (oops, tyvm, Critical Role), but woke up later than usual (this is good).
Starbucks.  In Speedway.  On race weekend.  Even during the pandemic, traffic is nuts, but I did it anyway.  It was like the Mako run to the mass relay on Ilos.
Grocery store.  Done.  Gas in the car, good.
Lunch.  Eaten.
Now I need to figure out the rest of my day until I get to be a werewolf tonight.  Knitting NEEDS to happen on the quarantine project.  (and it will)  But thanks to @urrone and @swaps55, I’ve got a pair of soldiers in my head trying to stir things up.  (okay, it may also have to do with the prompt that got a bit carried away yesterday ...  which, come to think of it, should probably count toward camp nano  *goes to rectify the situation*)  Maybe some of Caleb’s ME3 game.  Maybe back to the unexpected playthrough of Horizon Zero Dawn I pulled back up yesterday (still trying to remember controls on that - going into the Proving blind was not fun).  
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tea-intheworld · 4 years
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Check up tag game
@dczwrites tagged me in this checking in post.
I’m going to tag @apileofgoodthings11, @finding-kate, @littlemaust, @scroogesnephew, @rachelhanke27, @brokenjar, @katrinabadina, @anon-em-ous, @geneticallymodifiednerd, and @hrroyalgeekness
How has your day been?
My day has been strange because I didn’t have any sort of plan as to how my day would go. I woke up at 8am but didn’t get out of bed until like 10am. And even though today is technically a “work day” I did zero work. Instead I spent some time working on some collages and then my friend drug me out of my trance to go on a walk. After that I took a nap and talked to my girl. Then tempo run.
What was the last thing that made you smile?
It would either have to be my crazy tempo run because of how gorgeous the place I live is. And I always find myself smiling on runs. Or my fur babies because they are the light of my life.
What’s keeping you entertained these days?
I want to say that I’m doing a lot but at the same time I feel like I’m doing nothing. I haven’t been reading a whole lot, something that continues to disappoint me. I have been writing (did nano last month) and I’ve been transcribing and old nano project that I hand wrote and editing as I go. I’ve started collaging again as something to do. Normally I use it as a sort of dream board activity, but now I’m using it just to create. I take interesting passages or verses I find and give them a background to match. 
If you are in some type of quar/iso is there anything you’d like to achieve at this time?
I don’t think there is anything I want to “achieve” but I definitely feel like I need to be productive. This quar has shown me how insidious the American ideal of productivity is in my relationship to down time. I always thought that I was just uncomfortable with long periods of doing nothing, but I think there is an element of not being enough/productive that plays into it now. Growing up, down time in my household was seen as lazy or useless. We needed to be doing something with our down time. And sure sometimes that thing was meant to be fun but it still needed to be active.
However, I have been working on my spanish and art/writing so I guess I want to get things done there.
Post a selfie:
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alcego-writes · 4 years
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4/18 Camp Nano Update
18.3k/30k through my goal at the moment. It’s been a little rough going, as I’ve been adjusting to a new medication and only figured out how to minimize the side effects last night, which is pretty clear to see in this snippet (and the Serious shift in quality re: good action writing halfway through) that my head has Not been here these past few days. It did come back today, which is real nice because it made writing a fun scene even more enjoyable than usual.
All that said, here’s an excerpt from Rules for Living in Winter, with warnings for graphic depictions of violence, guns, and dynamite. (506 words)
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It’s not my best work, and there’s a bunch of ways I want to improve it, but it’s a zero draft so I’m stuck sticking all those thoughts into my notes lol. It gets the gist down, and that’s what matters. Also, really gratifying to realize that this is, in fact, a viable option for blowing up dynamite.
Tag List: @maxgraybooks​ @milkyway-writes​ @ofvisitorsthefairest​ @reininginthefirewriting​ @aslanwrites​ @ancientwritingstudent​ @velvetinewitch​ @kentwrites​ @ladywithalamp​ @tcsuuse​ @dove-actually​ (Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed!)
Transcript:
“Shit,” Percy said. “Hand won’t stop shaking.”
Nico looked at him, at the pain in his face, and knew it was more than that. Figured that by now Percy must be having trouble seeing straight, that he must be dizzy. Knew there was a one in a hundred chance that he could make the shot, and lord knew they didn’t have a hundred bullets to spare.
“Let me do it,” Nico said. “Let me try.”
Percy raised an eyebrow dubiously. It was a well-deserved look; Nico was nothing if not a terrible shot. “This isn’t the time for target practice,” he said, and technically he was right.
“Now’s the perfect time,” Nico said anyway, because they were also right. They had to hit this, and if they did, everything would work out. They could do it.
Percy coughed, gasped at the pain of it. Then he handed over the gun. “Just be careful.”
“I’ll try not to inhale any bullet casings.”
“I’m serious,” Percy said. “You’re most vulnerable when you’re shooting. Leaves you out in the open.”
Nico nodded, realizing just how stupid this was. But Percy was struggling, could barely sit up straight, and they needed to discharge that dynamite yesterday. So they would do it. One way or another, they would make this work. They wiped the gun’s grip against their pants, drying it of Percy’s blood, making it sturdier to hold. They closed one eye, even though Percy had told them that doing that actually made it harder to aim, and looked down the sight. They thought, maybe—just maybe—that they might be able to line up a shot if they had the chance.
When the next pause came, Nico jutted up over the cart and lined up a shot, hands shaking, palms sweaty. They fired once, twice—missed both times. Grimacing, biting their lip between their teeth, they shot again. Almost hit.
Almost.
Not enough.
They ducked back down, narrowly avoiding getting shot. Swore they heard feet shuffling in the snow, hoped that the gang hadn’t realized that they were sitting ducks over here, that Percy and Nico would be easy fodder, that all they had to do was sneak up on them and fire off a couple of shots and they’d be done for. They tried not to think about it, tried being the key word there. There was too much going on in their head, not enough quiet, too much sound. They just needed to breathe, to take a moment, to line up a shot. To forget, for just one second, that Percy’s face was growing paler, that he was struggling more and more to sit up straight, even with the cart as support.
They gasped through a sob, shook their head. Line up the shot, Percy had said, feel it, guide it. Ride the recoil—don’t let it ride you.
Another pause, another chance.
The words hadn’t made sense then, hardly made sense now, but Nico thought that maybe—just maybe—they could do it. Thought that they felt the shot lining up. Felt their breath slow as time became sluggish. Felt it as naturally as walking.
Pulled the trigger on an exhale.
Saw the bullet hit—
—saw the dynamite blow, ducked away, covering their head, their ears, falling to the dirt with the force of it.
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galactic-pirates · 3 years
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Where does the time go?
I mean I know the answer. I just lost over a week to a mental health downswing :( and that’s why I’m now so behind but still ugh. Where does it go? How is it July tomorrow?!?!
To go back to that list I posted some progress has been made but absolutely nothing is ready *cries*
For the Librarians prompt month I have 5 fics written but no graphics for any of them (so they aren’t ready to post yet). I still have the Sanctuary MerMay fic written (but again no illustration so I can’t post it). I’ve written more on Gentlemen of Blood but again it’s not finished. The two drawings for prompt month have had zero progress made on them for weeks *screams* and as for that Sanctuary OT3 gifset...
*falls over*
It is taking the most ridiculously stupid long time. Like no gifset should take this long ever. I’ve pored hours and hours into it already and it’s still only maybe I don’t know 60% done. If nothing else this proves how much I love my OT3. This gifset is like the ultimate love letter to them I swear.
Also that crossover fic. I haven’t written anything on that in a couple of weeks so I’m still sitting at 23k and it’s half-finished. The first prompt it uses is on July 2nd and *laughs hysterically* yeah there’s no way I can post in 2 DAYS!! So I’m going with Plan B for that and I’m going to post teasers linked to the prompts and then drop the whole fic at the end of the month. Which means I do need to do the fic graphics (and yes I have not even started).
Oh and to cap it all off I don’t have summaries for any of the fics written either...
It’s also Camp NaNo starting tomorrow. At least I’m going with Plan B for that (aka write All The Things) and so basically I’m just continuing with what I’m currently doing. Not very satisfying but extremely necessary.
Haha one last thing. After a content drought for months Warcraft is dropping the new patch today /headdesk. I’ve basically not played at all in months and I don’t have the time! But, but my guild. But, but, my to do list. *screams*
Honestly I think my mission at the moment is just to survive July. What have I done to myself? This is all crazy. I am not prepared!!
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elenajohansenauthor · 4 years
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Happy Storyteller Saturday! What are some ways you keep your balance, juggling your craft and the demands of daily life? Do you set aside time for your stories or just squeeze it in where you can?
Some days it’s easier than others. Due to circumstances, I’m only at my job a day or two a week in the evenings, which means (in theory) I have tons of time to write. On a good day, I wake up feeling decent, make myself a lovely breakfast, and get started right away. If that happens, I call it quits when my stomach tells me it’s lunchtime, then I have the rest of the day to deal with the rest of my responsibilities. If I have more time/inclination later in the day, I might have a second shorter session.
Then there’s days like today. It’s 4:35 pm as I’m writing this response, and I have done zero writing-related work today. I woke up feeling groggy, lazed around for a few hours playing mobile games and trying (unsuccessfully) to read, then realized if I didn’t kick my own ass I’d waste the whole day that way. Since our cupboards were looking a little bare, I planned some food prep, took a trip to the grocery, and got started cooking and baking when I got home. So far I’ve made:
chicken noodle soup with corn and potatoes (dinner tonight, and several other nights once I freeze the leftovers)
watermelon syrup (for drinks and shaved ice)
a batch of oat milk (so much cheaper than buying it!)
banana-oatmeal bread (currently in the oven)
Once I get all my asks caught up, I plan to do the dishes. Editing will have to wait until after that, but I’m sure I can squeeze in an hour before dinner, at least (especially since it’s already made and I just have to reheat it.)
My goal to make writing/editing a priority every day has been working since the beginning of July (thank you, Camp NaNo) even if I don’t spend a lot of time writing any given day. Yesterday I did--I think I was editing for four hours, because honestly, I was using it as an escape from the state of the world. Today I decided food was the higher priority. Tomorrow, who knows?
I’m not the best at sticking to a schedule, even a loose one...
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dat-town · 4 years
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CODE Z3RO | CODE 01
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characters: BTS & Red Velvet genre: thriller, futuristic au warning: none summary: The twelve most ambitious and promising university students are welcomed in Choego, the world’s first entirely artificial intelligence-driven city, to compete for five job contracts that could change their life. But what if something goes wrong? What if they get trapped? What if the city suddenly turns against them? Can they find a way out before the countdown reaches zero? words: 4.4K tagged: @philosopher-of-fandoms​
➼ Chapter Index
Smart cities had been prickling people's mind ever since microchip was created and even before. A place with infrastructure so developed you could find everything you need in a 10 minute walk radius, with such top security you wouldn't have to be afraid of letting your child outside, with an air so clear thanks to the green places and lack of cars that you could see stars clearly at night. The city that itself produced all the energy it needed making it sustainable and environmentally friendly. A community that didn't need nor relied on physical workers anymore but had machines to do everything they did. A city like that used to be a dream. Now, after dozens and dozens of failed projects, that city was Choego.
And Jeon Jungkook was there to make a name for himself.
After getting checked by a high tech security system, not to mention the more than 6 months long application and selection process, he was finally here, inside of those enormous gates of the artificial city, in the heart of future, as the second youngest of the twelve candidates to be a part of the real-life simulation, to experience another world, the life as it was and what it could be.
"This is beautiful," a girl with her brown hair in a ponytail, tied by a red ribbon whispered on his right in awe.
Jungkook glanced at her a little disinterested but followed her gaze anyway to marvel at the city built of metal and glass, pretty parks in-between of the human-made constructs and a part of him agreed. The lack of annoying mass of people flooding the streets, the clean roads without litter or stinking smell, the mathematical architecture of this place sure impressed him too.
Even if Choego was more of a ghost town with the lack of people than the dream city presented on ads.
"Sure if you have the taste of a caveman," another girl chimed in sarcastically, flipping her long black hair behind her shoulder, grabbing on her Gucci bag like her life depended on it.
Jungkook scoffed, averting his attention back to the huge projectors welcoming them in the city of future. It was a short movie about the development and building of the town, the fight and struggle of the hundreds of researchers, scientifics, politicians and other powerful people who dreamt a place like this could exist as it was today. 
An awkward laugh cut through the murmurs of arrived students as their host descended on the granite stairs.
“Sorry for the advertisement. Our PR team insisted on showing you this,” said the tall, graceful female figure. She had a lab coat over her carmine dress, thick framed glasses on her snub nose and ginger hair so shiny she could have made an appearance in advertisements. She looked gorgeous, no wonder half the boys widened their eyes at the sight. However, the other half turned a blind eye to the welcoming committee, more immersed in the city itself.
Jungkook barely bat an eyelash at her as his mouth rather hang agapé on the enormous computer and server room the city had, a whole new district of wires and chips and machines that keep the city alive, it was basically the heart of its blood circulation. Amazing.
“My name is Han Raina and I’m the lead researcher here,” the woman bowed towards them slightly and being either polite or intimidated, most of the candidates did the same. “It’s my pleasure to greet you all.”
It sounded a bit forced, artificial but everybody anticipated her welcome speech because of the loads of classified information they basically came here in the blinds, not knowing anything about what to expect. Jungkook for one was clueless, and as he looked around, the other candidates had just as curious eyes like him. He was sure in one thing: he won’t go home without getting a job and the foundation of his stable future here.
“First of all, congratulation for passing our tests and being chosen. You are the greatest hope of the next generation and that’s exactly why you are here now. To see and be a part of the future. I would like to remind you that everything you do is recorded on hidden CCTV cameras all around the city because of security reasons and so that we can monitor your reactions.”
“I haven’t seen any cameras,” a pastel-haired boy interrupts as he checks the surroundings. A few follow his lead and he’s right, there are no cameras that can be seen around.
“They are too small to see. Probably micro or nano-sized,” Jungkook muttered and relished in the way every head turned towards him. As an electronic engineer student that was something he knew well.
“That’s right, Mr. Jeon, great thought,” Miss Raina smiles at him fondly and the screen that previously showcased the city’s presentation, was now divided into nine smaller frames, live recording of them from different angles. “But please, don’t pay any mind to them, act natural.”
For those who weren’t overdramatic, it was an easy task since they were aware that each public places had these kind of cameras recording people’s every move even in Seoul. Also, for safety reasons of future it was essential for the city to have eyes everywhere.
“I know all of you are very excited and curious since we left you in the dark but please understand that the simulation will only be realistic if you don’t know the details. However, it’s time to give you a little head-up on the city and about your week here. We can sit down and make ourselves comfortable in our meeting room. Follow me,” she beckoned a finger, inviting them closer and the dozen of university students followed her in unison.
“Sorry,” the earlier, ponytail girl apologized when she bumped into Jungkook on accident. She had pure innocence and childlike wonders in her eyes. Kim Yerim, the boy glanced at the name card hanging in her neck and he made a mental note about this girl not being a real competition.
“Let’s go, Yeri,” an older guy, Kim Seokjin based on his card, nudged her to move forward and there was both familiarity and fondness in his voice as he guided the girl by a hand on the small of her back. What a coincidence for siblings to make it to the top 12. Smartness must run in family or maybe the researchers wanted to add this as a factor to the simulation, who knows?
The group walked along a wall with a huge 3D map of the city into a room on the second floor which had a great view of the park in front of the building. They were merely 2 hours from Seoul yet it felt like another world, fancy, clean, ultramodern and green. Even the chairs in the room were done with utmost care to fit all the health requirements and ergonomic needs.
As soon as everybody was seated, the woman pulled out a high pack of documents and shared one pile of paper with each of them.
“First, we will need you to sign a non-disclosure agreement. You can’t tell anybody what you saw or experienced here. It’s a business know-how we can’t risk. If it’s done we can finally talk freely,” she explained as nobody complained. When they agreed to help this project, it was an evident, understandable condition.
Quickly everybody scribbled their names onto the paper but only a few of them read the contract throughout about the consequences of violating the confidentiality. Jungkook was one of those people.
When all of them handed the papers back to Miss Raina, she clapped happily.
“Okay, so now let’s talk about the city. You probably know a lot about its history, or if you don’t, you can always take our leaflets, so now let’s talk about its design,” she pointed at the map appearing on digital screen. As she was talking about certain parts of it, the map constantly changed, zoomed in or out. “We are now here, in the main research building of the town. Next to us is the laboratory, there’s the hospital, the public offices on the other side of the road. You can see the parks as the green blocks yourself too. Your dorms are located in the residential area, on the western part of the city. So yes, you will be able to see the sea but we do not recommend visiting it. For security reasons we closed off the ports.”
“And the bridge too,” a messy, brown haired guy mumbled as he stared at their cheerful host with cold suspicion. No matter how quiet he was, with that firmness of his voice nobody could not hear what he said and the hidden implication behind it.
Han Raina raised one of her prettily arched brows. 
“Sorry but what do you mean by that?”
For a minute, it seemed like the guy was about to leave it with a grimace and careless shrug but then he pointed at the eastern side of the map where the Bridge of Silence, as they called it, connected the artificial island with the mainland.
“This city is totally closed and has only one way in and out with a gate controlled by electronics. Do you have any emergency plans for like terror attacks, or if they hack the gate?” he asked edging on the border of being necessarily polite and an arrogantly know-it-all. However, it was undebatable that the question he stated was an essential element of the security and safety of Choego. 
“That’s highly unlikely to happen, Mr. Min but of course, “ the researcher lady nodded and sat down with her elbows resting on the table. She acted like the patient elementary school teacher educating the kids about the basic laws of physics. “Imagine this city as a huge computer. What happens when a computer is attacked?”
“The firewall kicks in,” the apparently tech-educated guy replied without hesitance and earned a satisfied smile from their host. A pang of envy poisoned Jungkook’s veins as he watched their interactions. Wasn’t it unfair for one of them to have a head start like this?
“Correct, it’s the same here too. Though, since our security is so high level any computer control panel has three-factor authentication including a biology one too,” Miss Raina explained and as Jungkook looked around, he wasn't sure everybody understood the concept of three-level protection. That it needed three separated traits to open a door, one knowledge-based like a password, one possession-based like an ID card and one biology-based like a retina scan. Because of the latter it was the most difficult kind of security system to trick without making a scene and the researcher echoed his thoughts:
“It’s impossible to hack our system from the outside. If anybody tries that, they have to be here and then we can pull a Louvre move on them. Does anyone know what happens if the security system detects a theft in the most famous museum of Paris?”
Ah, what is this? A quiz night? Jungkook almost grunted because he had no idea but he was actually surprised that for a long minute, nobody spoke up.
“It will close its doors, seal the endangered zone with bars until the police arrives,” the tall, wide-shouldered guy from earlier, Seokjin said much to the delight of the lady.
“Yes, so if anything like that happens, we plan to trap the intruders inside. The sectors would be switched off the electrical grid one by one until the attacker has no choice but to wait for the authorities right here,” she concluded and turned back to the suspicious guy. “And we have evacuation plans, too. Don’t worry.”
Jungkook wanted to laugh. If they were worried about something that definitely wasn’t terrorist attacks or a tsunami flooding the city. What were the chances of these events to happen right now while they were being evaluated? See? He was more stressed of the possibility of leaving without a contract in his hands, head down in shame.
“Okay, so since we talked about your dorm. Here are your ID cards,” Miss Raina flicked her fingers and at cue, the staff started handing out metal bracelets for each of them. “You can take off the visitor cards you got at the gate earlier since you are going to use these bracelets for identification from now on.”
The accessory’s design was simple, gender-neutral, easy to clamp on and light on the wrist.
“This functions as the prototype of the chips that will be injected into our future residents. It not only stores all the data about you but also monitors your health in case you were in an endangered situation. It also keeps track of your GPS coordinates to locate you and it holds all your authorization to make sure which sectors and offices you can and can’t go in. Your authorization level right now is a common researcher’s so you access most of our buildings including the labors. Once you will work here, of course, it will depend on your job position.”
“Does it have a camera in it, too?” a guy in baseball cap chimed in certainly not impressed by the idea of always being followed around. Not like phones didn’t have the same functions already and millions of people used those voluntarily.
The woman was quick to shake her head, seemingly absolutely horrified at the presumption.
“Of course not, we respect personal space.”
“But you will know when we go to pee,” said the guy as he threw in his visitor card that said Jung Hoseok to the middle of the table and put on the bracelet anyway. Even if this test took the evaluation process a bit too seriously with analyzing all their reactions, none of them wanted to leave. No matter how much doubt or fear they felt, they were too curious or too ambitious.
“What’s more, based on our health factors they will know when we need to go before we do,” a red-haired girl chirped and Jungkook frowned at the bracelet clipsed on his wrist.
“Yes, Miss Son is right, it’s an advanced tool, but keep in mind, it’s for your own good. It’s the future,” the researcher lady reminded them. The ‘future’ seemed to be their magic word solving every problem and being the ultimate answer.
“All in all, you need to have the bracelets on you all the time since it’s the key for your dorm rooms, too. Boys and girls will be separated, of course, but we provide you a common area to socialize where dinner and breakfast will also be served everyday. Based on your daily activities you will have lunch in either the offices’ or labor’s canteen,” she once again points at the map that highlighted the mentioned parts and flashed tomorrow’s menu on the board. Reading about Korean barbeque and pasta salads with salmon made Jungkook hungry as it was almost dinnertime and he hadn’t eaten since morning.
“Ahh it’s excited, isn’t it?” Miss Raina clapped enthusiastic again but nobody joined her. A few forced an awkward smile and some didn’t even care. They didn’t come here to have these chitchats and the middle-aged woman was most likely aware too as she added: “Don’t forget, even though we evaluate you individually, you have to work together in teams to succeed the simulation. Any questions?”
A few candidate exchanged uncertain glances but then a stern looking guy in dress shirt asked the question that had been on all of their mind: “What is the simulation about exactly?”
With his Rolex watch and elegant attire, it was obvious he came from a rich household. The son of Parks, Jungkook had heard about him. It was all in the news, that the child of the right-hand of Seoul's mayor will be a part of this test, one of those who can experience the dream city first hand. Some even thought he came here to spy for his father.
It was an interesting thought. Why would the investors of Choego let a potential rival's son on their land willingly? Or people are just being nosy and making fuss about nothing?
“I can’t tell you, sorry," Miss Raina shook her head and provided a diplomatic answer about her reasons. "It would change your natural reactions and the results of our research would be false.”
It actually made sense but Jungkook still couldn't make anything out about this project. He applied for the promise of bright future but they all basically dove into the unknown as they came here. But he wasn't the only one worrying about being left in the dark.
“And when will we be notified about our daily activities?” An older girl with rounded glasses asked as she was tapping on the glass table rhythmically but the awaited answer was just as vague as the earlier one.
“You will find your schedule for the week in your dorms. If you don’t have more questions, my colleagues will accompany you to there. Rest well, tomorrow will be a long day,” the researcher lady bid her goodbye with a well-practiced smile and two other scientists showed them the way to their temporary residences.
“You were brought here in an environmentally friendly bus but since the city is designed for pedestrians and not for cars you'll have to walk convenient distances like this,” they explained as they headed outside.
Their guides kept talking about the advanced technologies used in certain parts of the cities, the borders of the zones, the buildings' functions but Jungkook's mind wandered off as he stared ahead at the paradise made of glass, metal and money. He would live here one day, he decided and he wouldn't let anybody stop him now that he was finally here.
Kim Yerim had long learnt that in every group of people there was that one who knew the most nasty secrets of everybody and couldn’t shut up. She didn’t have to wait long to realize that among the twelve of them, Park Sooyoung was the gossip queen. No wonder since her whole family came from the tabloids.
“I really don’t get what half of these people even do here. It was in the requirement to have a major that can contribute to the development of the city and yet, here we have a psychologist, a sociologist and even a journalist?” she scoffed pointing at Joohyun, Hoseok and Yerim one by one. She didn’t even try to be discreet about her opinion as she was talking to noone in particular. She just wanted to show off but maybe it wasn’t the best crowd to do so, to outstand from. The mentioned boy didn’t seem to care that he was titled useless while the group’s eldest, Joohyun turned tomato red. It must have been quite offensive to her to be told off by a third-year while she was working on her doctorate.
And Yerim, she quickly turned her gaze away and her brother patted the back of her hand.
“Don’t even listen to her, okay?” Seokjin whispered into her ear and shot a sharp look at the girl in brand designed clothes. He was trying hard not to snap. He might have been a pretty calm person but for his sister, he would have done anything, to any extent.
It definitely wasn’t the hosts’ greatest idea to lock them into one place competing to get those limited job offers while they had to cooperate. They were both rivals and team members. What kind of absurd paradox it was? So when after having their nutritional dinner at their dorm place, they were advised to get to know each other a bit by introducing themselves or at least their name, age and major, it was almost obvious it wouldn’t end well.
“And that shabby kid?” Sooyoung carried on unbothered, pointing her finger at the youngest engineer of the group, Jungkook, if Yerim remembered correctly. “Believe me, he is the charity case here. This dorm is a real glow up from his place. The city creators must have taken pity on him”
“Oh as if you are any better. What the hell are you doing here, little vacation girl?” Jimin snorted and brought his arms onto the table, locking his fingers and looking straight at the Gangnam girl over his hands. From the look of her eyes, it was obvious the two of them had some history together or at least they knew each other, which wasn’t surprising as both of them lived the high life of rich kids. “You are only here because your daddy slipped a big pile of money to the investors.”
“Excuse me,” Sooyoung’s breath hitched and she looked downright offended by the accusation. “Every city needs tourists and that’s why I’m here. It’s just as important as the bullshit you do.”
That said bullshit was actually genetics, an innovative and really fascinating field of engineering. Yerim was actually quite impressed that even genetics were presented by the candidates.
“What did you just say? At least my field makes our lives better and healthier, it makes progress while you are just money-hungry...” the politician’s son kept raising his voice until Jin interrupted him:
“Enough,” he stopped the heated dispute with a single word before it could get even worse. “Haven’t you heard? We will need to work together. Not against each other.”
Maybe it was his Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management masters classes that taught him how to approach these problems but unfortunately, not everybody was so cooperating.
“As if,” somebody mumbled from the back, his lilac hair falling onto his forehead. He looked like he wanted no part in this desperate attempt at staying civilized as he stood up and left without any further goodbye. It stirred up the calming atmosphere again and Yerim couldn’t help but wonder if it was on purpose. Marketing was the keypoint of manipulation after all. That’s why she didn’t blame Sooyoung entirely for stereotyping all of them based on their majors and the information her father provided.
“Watch if I ever team up with these,” Gucci girl’s mouth pulled a grimace and as dramatic as she could be, she walked out the opposite direction Taehyung did, towards the girls’ dorm.
Yerim sighed. It was only their first day here and yet tension was already cuttable in the air. And the couple’s fight didn’t help either…
“Stop being so clingy, Joon,” the red-haired med student snapped at her boyfriend in disbelief. “We are not on a vacation, for god’s sake, let’s be professionals about this.”
“Huh? Now you’re saying we can’t be boyfriend and girlfriend here or what?” The pastel blonde hair guy blinked in confusion and - in Yerim’s opinion - understandable hurt written clearly on his face.
“It’s nothing personal, honey, but it’s basically a very unique job interview and you don’t befriend your rivals,” she said and trotted after Sooyoung.
A heavy sigh left Namjoon’s mouth and Hoseok who sit on his other side patted his back in empathy.
“My girlfriend also applied,” he told the exasperated engineer. “But when I got my letter, she said she was happy she didn’t got in because it would tear us apart. For your sake I hope she was wrong.”
She probably wasn’t, they all knew but nobody said anything and slowly they went on their way dispersing in the building.
Yerim got a good night hug from his brother and waved him off as she scribbled down some notes in her diary about today. Nobody was bothered by her little bit childish antics, nobody cared. The dining room was empty - save from one boy on his phone - when she finished and got up to shower and get ready for tomorrow.
Her assigned roommate was a very quiet girl called Seulgi who learnt some quite fancy named major - Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering as Yerim recalled - and she seemed pretty kind so far. They exchanged a few words before Yerim could actually use the bathroom. By the time she let her sore muscles loose under the hot water and brushed her teeth in front of the foggy mirror, Seulgi was fast asleep. With her nerves, the younger girl wasn’t so lucky, she struggled to close her eyes and let dreamland take her. Even the smallest noises of the ventilating system kept her awake.
After half an hour of tossing and turning in bed, she decided to take a world and have a glass of water so as quietly as she could she left their room. When the door closed behind her the corridor’s lamps automatically turned on much to her relief. She followed the directions she remembered from earlier, occasionally opening doors with her high-tech ID bracelet. Luckily she didn’t take it off for sleeping or else she would have had to go back for it. To her own surprise, she was able to locate and found the common room with kitchen without getting lost.
She filled a glass full of refreshing cold water and gulped it down as quickly as a man on verge of dying. Just as a relieved sigh bubbled up from her throat, she heard it… the clock ticking and hitting another hour. Then a flash of red painted the whole room colourful and Yerim almost dropped the glass as she turned on her heels. Putting it down onto the counter, she took careful steps towards the floor to ceiling glass windows. Her palm fit onto the cold surface nicely as she watched the moon’s reflection on dozens of glass buildings with wide eyes. The red light came from the building vis-á-vis burning carmine and angry. Yerim’s heart skipped a beat when suddenly she heard the unmistakable sounds of sirens.
“Ah I knew you were going to be here. Can’t sleep?” a familiar voice questioned in an amused tone and in her panicked state, the girl turned towards his brother, face breaking into a confused and terrified expression just like hers when they were children and she found a spider in their room.
“I think there’s something very very wrong, Jin,” she whispered in a trembling voice.
The faint distant sound of alarms and the warning red light suddenly stopped and then, all the lights darkened in the sector next to them. Like somebody turned the light switch off right at two o’clock and the border between the zones sparkled with electricity.
“No, it’s okay,” the elder said hurriedly pulling his sister away from the window. Just in time so she couldn’t see that lost bird flying right into the invisible wall and falling down as if it was struck by lightning. “I guess the simulation just started...”
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nadunacreates · 4 years
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NANOWRIMO 2019 • WEEK FOUR
WIP: heroes bleed red
THIS WEEK’S WORDCOUNT: 7’054 / 11’669
TOTAL WORDCOUNT: 58’242 / 50’000
read on under the cut for some excerpts and other fun stuff.
GENERAL RANT:
this week was like the exact opposite of week two. i had such a hard time and really hit that writing slump, hated everything about my story but still forced myself to write at least 500 words a day. i’m not sure if i’ll be able to use a single one of those in the end. i completely lacked the motivation to write this round up, which is why i’m only doing this now, on december 1st and i’m also really just counting that week four and not the last two days. i’ll post a total roundup of the whole month, too, as well as future plans, but i don’t know yet if i’m going to manage to do this today or only tomorrow. anyway, week four was positively shitty all around and thus the following excerpt won’t be great, but… have them anyway.
FIRST LINE BIT I WROTE THIS WEEK:
“Sorry,” Kaliope says, and decides to just once in her life fuck it and tell the truth. It’s not it can do much damage, right? She’s not interested in a friendship with Moe, after all, or even getting to know her any more closely than what is strictly necessary for the observation of her enemy. She’ll be keeping an eye on her, as much as possible, and nothing more. It doesn’t matter if Moe likes her or not, whether she thinks of her as a freak or not. Kaliope will not matter more to Moe than any other customer does. So. Truth it is, no matter how bitter it tastes going over her tongue, the regret and fear of rejection just things she doesn’t really feel.
-
yeah, kaliope, keep telling yourself that. so it runs out i’m really bad at writing consistent characterisations and not turning everything into an angst fest. also this is somewhat towards the end of my main characters’ first interaction as civilians, and it’s definitely one of those things that will drastically change in the second draft, if i ever make it that far.
 •
LAST LINE I WROTE THIS WEEK:
Amethyst likes these days, when she’s got enough brainpower and energy left to place these kinds of mind games, think about all the possible consequences to her actions. When she’s not just left playing catch up and trying not to die.
-
amethyst is moe’s hero identity, in case i’ve forgotten to mention this before. which i probably have, knowing me. it’s a bad line of an even worse scene and it’s most likely to get cut, heh
AN UNEXPECTED REVELATION THAT HAPPENED:
apparently both moe and kaliope are bad at making friends (or at least feel that way). so both their co-workers decide to friendship-match-make them. which is so not how i planned this whole thing to go, but oh well. now at least i get to write them texting and having moe be oblivious that kaliope is that annoying villain that she likes to complain to her about. identity porn is my jam, even though i feel like i’m really bad at writing it and also i’m giving out spoilers here like warm bread or however that saying goes. although i doubt that anyone is even reading this, or that i might ever get to the point where these things count as actual spoilers because i feel like i’m never going to be able to finish this. one of the reasons is the other “unexpected” revelation, with a lot of emphasis on unexpected, because by now i should really know myself better:
this story will not be done in 50k. is not done in 50k. i barely reached the middle of the first act now, although my outline is patchwork at best. which means that i think this story is going to be at least 175k, which would mean writing more than 1000 words every day until the end of february, sooo. gonna be playing the long game here. which means, in turn, that i’m probably going to be posting about this wip for a long time to come. if anyone wants to opt out of the tag list, feel free to do so, because i feel like my incoherent ramblings are not the most aesthetic things to read, or whatever. but also if you’d like to cheer me up, please do so. i need it ^^°
- the following excerpt is the second part of this match making thingy, happens very soon after the first lines of this week’s writing -
“What are you trying to do?” Moe asks then, and there’s so much suspicion in her voice that Kaliope can basically hear it dripping off of it. She did mention that Farren could get into strange moods, though, so maybe this is just one of their great ideas that Kaliope and Moe will have to wait out.
Maybe not, though, because Emerson suddenly clears their throat, moves down the bench to sit close at Kaliope’s side, and then they slip her own phone back into her hand. Kaliope startles, first, and then she glares. “Where did you get that? Why did you get that?” How didn’t I notice?, most importantly, because what kind of super villain is she if she doesn’t even notice her own phone getting stolen?
“You put it down on the table in front of you,” Emerson explains, calmly, as though this is something entirely rational. “I know you don’t have a code. I just put in Moe’s phone number, don’t worry about it.”
“Don’t worry about— why the fuck would you do that?”
“You need more friends,” Emerson and Farren both say at the same time, because apparently Farren is trying to explain the same thing happening to Moe. It’s making Kaliope feel a little better, to be honest, that even the Great Hero Amethyst didn’t notice that her phone got stolen, that as an actual hero she should be able to prevent that kind of thing, let alone let it happen to herself.
“And Moe is the perfect choice, seriously. You don’t have to do anything but come here a few times a week and let her talk to you during her break.”
“What in all hells? Why are you trying to take our lives in your hands like that? We’re actual grown adults—”
“—and certainly older and more mature than you, Farren,” Moe puts in, and—
“—and certainly older and more mature than you,” Kaliope repeats, “and we don’t need you to friend-match-make us.”
“We were getting there on our own,” Moe puts in, and—
“We were getting there on our own,” Kaliope repeats. “Wait, what? No, we were not!”
“See?” Farren says, probably to Emerson, considering their conversational tone of voice. “I told you they wouldn’t get around to it by themselves. We did a good thing, there, and you don’t have to feel guilty.”
“Oh no,” Kaliope says, “you have to feel very guilty. Keep on right doing that. I’m done with you, you little traitor.” And Kaliope doesn’t even know herself if she’s joking or not, because she does mean it, a little, and at the same time she doesn’t, there’s just— something that she feels, something curling low in her belly and squeezing tight around her chest, something she doesn’t have a name for, something she doesn’t want to find a name for.
It’s an unfamiliar kind of feeling, and she doesn’t particularly like it, wouldn’t want to have it repeated.
RANDOM CHARACTER FACTS I DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE:
there are way too many side characters that suddenly got way too much screen time and importance to the whole story. and it seems like i can’t stop making new ones.
there’s the owner of the garage where moe has her second job at, for example. he turned out to be lenny’s grandfather (lenny is one of moe’s best friends from her high school time and it was basically their death that triggered her whole “i’m going to be a superhero now” thing and yeah. it’s probably time i make some proper character introductions. maybe that’ll help me get my motivation back.) and that’s big. also he apparently knows that moe is the hero amethyst? although i’m pretty sure that i mentioned in one of the first scenes that absolutely no one knows about her being amethyst. seriously, this is going to take so so much work to edit.
but yeah, another new character is the wind, apparently, and that’s going to change so much? but also make a lot of the things make more sense?
also there are like four cops or “hero liaisons” as i call them for some reason, and somehow they get to have a lot of impact as well??
look, i have zero control over anything in this story, i’m just glad to get any words out at all and maybe do some world building and character development while i’m at it.
SOME LINES THAT I ACTUALLY LIKE, SOMEWHAT:
Moe doesn’t know if she’ll be able to sleep now. […].
She wants to. She wants to get to. No Amethyst, not today.
(And yet, she turns on the radio, puts it on her nightstand, lets the static trickle on and hopes it won’t get interrupted, won’t turn into voices asking for backup to go up against a villain.)
(And yet, she puts her suit on the free space next to the radio, ready to be slipped into at a moment’s notice.)
(And yet, she’ll be ready to leave at that same moment’s notice, no matter the time of day or night.)
and that was the last roundup! i’m kinda glad it’s over, save for the total roundup now, because i’m really bad at picking out interesting stuff and not rambling too much and actually stick to a posting schedule and everything else, basically. i hope that at least some of you liked these posts, but well, even if you didn’t, it still helped me reflect on the week and see that i actually managed to get some things done, and yeah, not everything is bad and a lot of it is fixable. much more fixable than an empty page would be, at least, so! and i won nano early, that’s worth something, right?
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