Writing Log 13

Writing Log 13

Been gone again. School's just around the corner, so I've really been trying to focus on my story, amongst other things. The "other things" actually stalled my progress for a bit, but today I managed to push out an entire scene in chapter 5.

3 entire pages of the first-ever genuine conflict my characters face. It's a mess, and like everything else, I'll absolutely have to rewrite it. I barely knew what I wanted from it going in, and now that I've written it, I know it's NOT that, lol. But it's helped shaped what I DO want just a little bit more. A win is a win.

OC Confession Tag!

Thanks for the tag, @thecomfywriter (here)!

Rules: Post a scene where one of your character's does a confession to another character from your wip. It doesn't have to be a love confession. Maybe it's a lie. Maybe it's a crime. Maybe it's betrayal. Go buckwild, go crazy!

Let's go with two scenes involving different siblings from my WIPs in different contexts!

Lie Confession

Nahrieh began, voice even and smooth like honey, strangely calm, "Mayhaps...' The Sorcerer paused, fiddling with his necklace, the only sign of his nervousness, "I wasn't being fully truthful when I said your brother had nothing to do with the Rift."

Declan stammered, halting in place, "What?"

The immortal tilted his head, "Did it not seem strange to you? The argument. Your curse. Did it not strike you as strange how you were healed from it days after the Rift began?" He asked, somewhere between a genuine inquiry and a rhetorical question, "How your brother seemed distant - perhaps out of guilt - shortly before his disappearance?"

Declan's heart skips a bit, and he clutches his own arms, nervously trying to keep himself grounded. He gave an awkward scoff, "Keir would never - he... he's a knight!" He says, though his voice sounds unconvincing - it doesn't sound like he is convincing himself with it, as he continued, trying to seem certain, "He would never betray the realm."

Nahrieh chuckled, a deep, quick sound, like the rolling of water and sand on the ocean's floor, "Child, do not underestimate the lengths people will go to for love." He looks away, "I slaughtered an entire civilization to avenge my innocent spawn, fully aware I would be deemed a monster."

After a pause, he turns back to Declan, an unusual sorrow in his eyes "Do you think your brother would not make a deal with an eldritch force to spare your life?"

It was not a question - for they both knew the answer to it. Declan opened his mouth to rebuke, but no words came out. Instead, he growled softly, shaking his head.

The Sorcerer gave him a sad smile, "You know the truth Declan, - you just don't want to admit it. Yet." His voice grew pensive, and he twisted the string of his necklace between his fingers, swinging his legs softly where he was sitting on the edge of the smooth rock, "But now, another question remains - when you find Keir again, will you still be able to look upon his now bloodthirsty, hate-filled eyes like you used to? Knowing his corruption was the price for your life?"

Betrayal Confession

"Jack." Deimos paused, fingers gripping the metal threshold shakily, waiting for the other to respond, "There's... something I need to talk to you about."

Within the cockpit, Jack was organizing his things, namely placing some wrapped up sweet protein bars and a chocolate milk bottle inside a small locker beside his pilot chair. He looked over his shoulder, "Yeah!" Jack smiled, "Of course, what is it?"

Deimos cringed, crossing his arms over his chest and taking a shaky, deep breath, trying to keep himself grounded for what he was about to confess, "So." He began, searching his mind for the words, "This... t-this isn't easy for me to say, but I need to." The alien stammered, resisting the urge to change the subject before he could even start.

When he continued, he tried to keep his voice even, a pragmatic tone that did nothing to hide the panic and guilt underneath, "Your capture by the Junction, the reason why it was so sudden, so easy for them, it... it was because of me. I did it."

Jack frowned, slowly straightening his posture as his face fell into an expression of pure anxiety - it was clear he had already understood what he'd meant but didn't want to believe it, "... What do you mean?"

"I mean I set you guys up!" Deimos blurted out, closing his eyes for a moment. There was a long, painful silence spread out in the space between them, the weight of those words weighing them down as if the ship's artificial gravity had been turned to the maximum.

The young alien noticed as Jack faltered, anxiously grasping the leather seat of the pilot chair beside him, hands beginning to shake. He noticed how his brother looked away from him, face pale, eyes filled with a painful mix of betrayal and rising panic.

Deimos raced to try and soften the blow of those words, hating himself more and more with every passing second, knowing the damage was already done, " Jack, I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. I made a mistake. And... I took the easy route to f-fix it." He grimaced, nails digging into his own arms, painfully. Deep down, Deimos figured he deserved to feel the pain, seeing the sadness in Jack's eyes, knowing he'd inflicted it.

He sighed, finishing his explanation, "The Junction offered me a deal. I took it. I set you guys up and for that - I'm sorry."

Jack seemed about to pass out, and when he looked back at Deimos, the young alien hated the hurt bubbling behind his brother's kind eyes, as the other spoke, "O-oh. Oh, okay. Um. Why?"

His voice was nothing like the confident, upbeat tone he usually had. It was quiet, and frazzled, flickering like a dying lamp - and right now, Deimos would do anything to take back the deal he'd made.

The alien spoke again, searching for the words to fix this, when there were none, eventually, he settled for simply being honest, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did - I know. I-... I know I was probably weak but - I was... so scared. I wouldn't be able to handle what Eldora would do to me if she captured me again. I can't even stand the thought of going through... all that, again."

Jack still wasn't looking at him, staring vacantly at the floor. With his augmented hearing, Deimos was able to catch the phrase his brother had muttered under his breath, apparently despite himself, "...but what the Director is doing to me, that's okay to you, huh?"

Deimos felt his world crash, wanting to curl up and die at how defeated Jack sounded. He hated how much he knew his brother believed the words he'd just muttered - he hated how much Jack didn't even seem surprised.

He stepped forward, "No! No, it's not!" Deimos almost yelled, desperate to make Jack understand this was all just a mistake. That he never should've left them in the first place, all those years ago. His voice softened, and he reached forward slightly, "You're my brother, I would never want you to get hurt. I-I didn't even think it would get to that -!"

Jack flinched away, stepping back, almost curled in on himself, as he cut the other off before he could finish his sentence, "Well, you should have!" He snapped, and Deimos had never heard such a bitter rage in Jack's voice. It took him off guard, freezing him in place.

The young pilot continued, "Everyone... everyone told me I shouldn't trust you again. When you came back. But I did. I really... really did." As Jack looked back at Deimos, the blue-haired alien wished he hadn't. Something had changed, behind his kind eyes, like a broken mirror, never to be the same again - and Deimos knew he was the only one to blame for it. Jack growled, tilting his head slightly, "Only to find out that all this shitstorm that's happened, all this pain we went through - what he did to me - was because..."

His voice broke, " - Because of you?"

Tagging (gently): @sleepy-night-child, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @smol-feralgremlin, @oh-no-another-idea, @littleladymab,

@winterandwords, @eccaiia, @the-letterbox-archives, @illarian-rambling

@agirlandherquill, @anoelleart, @ray-writes-n-shit

@writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @forthesanityofstorytellers, @finickyfelix

@i-can-even-burn-salad, @cakeinthevoid,

@lassiesandiego, @thepeculiarbird, @clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams and OPEN TAG

Tag List (Supernova Initiative) below the cut ✨

Supernova Initiative Taglist (-/+): @ray-writes-n-shit, @sarandipitywrites, @lassiesandiego, @smol-feralgremlin, @kaylinalexanderbooks,

@diabolical-blue @oh-no-another-idea

@cakeinthevoid, @clairelsonao3, @sleepy-night-child

@thepeculiarbird

@the-golden-comet, @urnumber1star, @ominous-feychild, @anyablackwood, @amaiguri, @lyutenw @finickyfelix

@elshells, @thecomfywriter

Let me know if you'd like to be added!

OC Most Likely Tag Game

Thank you to @sunset-a-story for the tag! (Go here for that post.) I'm really enjoying these most likely games. It's hilarious.

Rules: Choose one of your OCs that best matches the given statement, and briefly explain why.

Most likely to eat a whole raw ghost pepper to prove something/impress someone.

Jack and/or Cameron. Maybe they bet each other. Maybe Jack's trying to prove it's fine to eat in order to get someone else to succumb. They enjoy spicy food, so trying a ghost pepper may not be that weird.

The dragon boys are disqualified from consideration as they can breathe fire.

Most likely to see Jack eating a whole raw ghost pepper and immediately go off in search of milk/ice cream/etc.

Cameron. I don't know how to explain why other than it's Jack and he's Cameron.

Most likely to have a tumblr account.

If there was a tumblr equivalent in #plot armadillo, it would be Cal. She'd hang out with artblr and occasionally peruse the science side of tumblr. She wouldn't post/reblog though. She's just following people. Like a bot.

Jack is the most likely to post on the tumblr equivalent.

Dovenroc is on the PAL equivalent of Twitch. Canonically.

Who wants to play? These are so much fun it should just be an open tag. So let's do that, and I'll add the suggestion that @anyablackwood, @thatndginger, @tabswrites, @touloserlautrec, and @sunset-a-story.

Questions:

Who's most likely to adopt a racoon/crow/skunk/fox/miscellaneous local wildlife for a pet? (Please tell the class how badly it would go. Please!)

Most likely to verbally eviscerate someone for something petty.

Most likely to go viral unintentionally.

Villain Crimes Tag!

I had this idea for a tag game a while ago and I think its time I finally put it to practice!!! Plus I think its really cool and you guys will probably enjoy it!

Rules: What crimes would your villains be convicted of if they faced trial in the real world? In short, list what crimes your villains have commited, in modern terms.

TW. Mention of some pretty gnarly crimes - but NOT in detail - because these are Villains after all.

Supernova Initiative

The Director/Dr. Darius Merrik

Multiple counts of First & Second Degree Murder + Manslaughter (The Director, behind the scenes, is a very brutal and vicious man - the antithesis of whom he pretends to be to the population. Darius has ordered the execution of/personally killed multiple people who were accused of stirring up "illegal insurrection and rebel efforts" against the Junction, as well as has killed any and all who discover his secret experiments without his explicit permission. His methods of experimentation are also so brutal and extreme that his subjects/victims often, really often, die as a result of it, whether that was the intent or not. Darius doesn't care at all, being at most disappointed at needing to find another test subject and starting from scratch.)

Human Experimentation/Torture/Illegal Laboratories (As mentioned before; Darius is a mad scientist who conducts highly illegal experiments on people, especially those who stand against him. He believes what he is doing will supposedly "bring even more progress" too the galaxies and change the tides of the civil war, and doesn't care how many innocent people he brutalizes in the process. Countless people have already gone through his secret labs - without the population of the Junction even knowing there was a secret lab - and most of his test subjects have died as a result of the experiments, and those who did not were changed in horrifying ways)

Blackmail/Extortion (Darius often counts in severe forms of blackmail and extortion to keep his rivals in line and to make people obey him. Part of how he became so powerful and influential in the Junction was by blackmailing and extorting powerful people and eliminating any possible chance of people looking into his schemes. Another example of this is that the Director only manages to get Jack Tithus to comply to becoming his test subject by threatening to hurt the young man's sister. To protect her, Jack accepted to be experimented on.)

Funding terrorist groups & War Factions/Accesory to Colonization (The Director holds a strong position of power in the Junction, often tampering directly with the civil war by funding extremist organizations and raiding war factions in order to "facilitate" the Junction's advance into enemy territory. Because of him, factions like the Skull-Reapers - space pirates/raiders - were able to raze whole planets - like Acaeth - and allow the installment of Junction settlements there. He also vehemently supports the Junction's official military advances onto other independent planets, and often provides the government's Sentries with new weaponry and armor.)

Ecological Destruction (The Director also funds many mining and deforestation efforts in non-Junction planets, often to get the raw materials he needs for his inventions and experiments, but also to profit from the trade of those spoils. The sheer rate of these "efforts" have already caused considerable devastation and damage to those planets' ecosystems.)

Embezzlement/Money Laundering (Darius is one of the richest men in the Junction, being also one of the most influential. But where does he get that money? From his experiments, inventions and trades? Yes, but that is only a small fraction of it. Most of his vast fortune comes from money laundering and corruption schemes, especially targeting politicians who somehow pose a threat to his plans, a self-fueling cycle that maintains his sheer fortune no matter how much money he spends)

Eldora Thalax

Multiple counts of First Degree Murder, Multiple War Crimes & Genocide (she literally is a warlord hellbent on conquering as much territory as she can both in her planet and others. Eldora is a skilled warrior and assassin, and has killed people before - many of them innocent citizens of places that refused to bow to her tyranny. She also sent hitmen after her husband when he and their son ran away from her, leading to his assassination)

High Treason (Eldora has essentially betrayed her people's high council, known as the Hearth, after her mother and the actually honorable Matriachs denounced her disgustingly ways and exiled her. She also betayed many political deals to have more advantage. Eldora wrongly believes that if she gets as many conquests as she can, that the Matriarchs will forgive her and accept her back, giving her a seat at the Hearth, when she's actually proving them right about her - kinda like Lord Shen did in Kung Fu Panda 2)

Sexual Coercion (her relationship/marriage to Damen was arranged and thus she specifically didn't... really care about his consent or not. Full 'Game of Thrones' arranged marriage to make heirs kind of situation but make it futuristic - he technically said 'yes' to the marriage but did he have a choice? No.)

Kidnapping, Torture & Human Experimentation (She is known to torture prisoners of war, especially those who once held positions of power - at times just for fun, at other times for information, for compliance or to extract information. When Deimos Soll discovered how corrupt she is and tried to desert her ranks, she captured him and had him tortured AND experimented on in an attempt to brainwash him into some kind of supersoldier)

Domestic Abuse/Psychological Torment (Eldora was very abusive to both her husband, Damen, and their son, Kye. Though most - but not all - of her outbursts of physical abuse were directed at her husband, the former prince of the region she'd conquered, Eldora was extremely emotionally abusive to Kye as well, especially because she had a tendency to threaten to hurt his father further to get their boy to obey her)

Dictatorship (Eldora has conquered multiple regions of her home planet and has long since started "brainching out" her influence to other nearby planets, almost conquering an entire solar system. She is known for being a cruel, corrupt, violent and often ruthless ruler who controls the places she conquers with an iron fist.)

Illegal Arms Trade + Slave Trade (Eldora prides herself in having the most top-of-the-line weaponry in the galaxies, being an ardent client of many infamous arms dealers and intercepts some of those goods to sell to her allies. She also is known for proffiting from enslaving portions of the civilizations she conquers, especially if they try to rebel or are accused of trying to betray her, or simoly are her prisoners of war, and selling them as slaves in the underworld market to the highest bidder, though she keeps many to strenghten her armies.)

Arachnys & Red Adder

Racketeering/Fraud/Loan Sharking (They are mobsters. The most dangerous mobsters in the galaxies. The Crime King and Queen. Protection schemes, false business/racketeering, major fraud are just another tuesday to them, and a huge part of what they do on a daily basis.)

Illegal Drug Trade (Any and all addictive substances in EITHER GALAXIES is sold and manufactured by people working under the behest of Arachnys and Red Adder, especially some high-ranking crime families. They're known for making some of the most dangerous and addictive/destructive drugs in any planetary system, and keep their control over their planets underworlds by using those chemicals to keep the population obedient/dependent on their supply)

Being Leaders of a Criminal Organization/Mob (Self-explanatory. Arcahnys and Red Adder are the heads of the most dangerous and powerful crime family/mob in the Khosmonian galaxies, and now in the Junction as well.)

Illegal Casinos/Houses of Gambling (And man do they profit off of it, because those places are popular in both galaxies!)

Human Trafficking, Slave Trade, Organ Trade (They are known for being involved in the most nefarious side of the interplanetary black market, and that includes, unfortunately, the trade of people - be it in full, by selling/buying slaves to/from warlords like Eldora Thalax, with whom they have a longstanding business relationship with, or in... parts, because they also sell organs and cybernectic parts, which they harvest from humanoids and cyborgs that fall into their hands.)

Illegal Prostitution Schemes/Forced Prostitution/Dehumanization (The MAIN "business" of the Saphir crime family is the "pleasure business". They pride themselves on having the finest brothels and strip-clubs in their planets, with most of the entertainers being either slaves they've captured/bought OR... sentient robots. Not cyborgs, but actual, sentient robots, their newest and most popular invention - sentient robots, unlike cyborgs, are fully artificial despite looking like regular humanoids, and their adaptable appearance makes them very popular in the Saphir's business. Meridian Shardd, the story's most innocent character, was one of those sentient robots - having gained conscience/broken free of their programming shortly after being manufactured, Meridian ran away from the factory thankfully before being put to work by the mob, and is terrified of being found.)

Tagging (gently): @kaylinalexanderbooks, @smol-feralgremlin,

@oh-no-another-idea, @littleladymab, @winterandwords, @eccaiia,

@the-letterbox-archives, @illarian-rambling @agirlandherquill, @anoelleart,

@ray-writes-n-shit @writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @topazadine

@forthesanityofstorytellers, @finickyfelix

@cauliflowermaterial @thepeculiarbird,

@clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes, and OPEN TAG

Taglist for Supernova Initiative below the cut! 🌠

Supernova Initiative Taglist (-/+): @ray-writes-n-shit, @sarandipitywrites, @smol-feralgremlin, @kaylinalexanderbooks,

@diabolical-blue @oh-no-another-idea

@cakeinthevoid, @clairelsonao3,

@thepeculiarbird

@the-golden-comet, @urnumber1star, @ominous-feychild, @anyablackwood, @amaiguri,

@lyutenw @finickyfelix

@elshells, @thecomfywriter

Why is it so difficult to describe a room or a house? I'm no interior designer, can't I just write "they're in a room and there's furniture"? Ooof... Writing is difficult sometimes...

Writing Share Tag!!!

Thanks for the tag, @cowboybrunch (here)! <3

"What are you doing out here?" Cassiopeia stood by the metal staircase leading to the glass-domed hangar of the ship, at the center of which Meridian was sitting, staring through it at the starry cosmos above and around them in wonder.

The robot replied, dejected, but not tearing their eyes away from the sight before them, "Couldn't sleep."

Cassie began walking down the stairs, her fluffy slippers squeaking on the smooth floor, and cocked an eyebrow at the robot's peculiar answer, "... Do sentient robots sleep?" She asked, hesitantly, as if afraid to come across as rude or ignorant, "I didn't know that."

Meridian hummed, a whirring, metallic sound that somewhat sounded like a kitten's purr, "Not really. A robot can turn itself - uh" The robot stopped himself at the slip up, looking at their hands for a moment, shaking their head, before correcting the mistake "-themself off like a computer or a machine. But its not really like human sleeping. Lately I've been trying because, maybe, with some practice, I can learn to sleep the human way. I'd like that."

From where she was standing, coming ever closer to her friend, she noticed the robot's sheepish, slightly hopeless smile as they declared the forlorn, guileless plan they intended to put into practice. The sheer sadness of what this meant took her off guard, so much so that, for a moment, Cassie didn't know what to say.

She sat down beside them, shaking her mind back to the present and gave them a kind smile in return, "Well... trying is a good start!" The girl began, looking up at the stars as well as she wrung her hands anxiously. A thought crossed her mind, and she voiced it out loud, "Hm. Maybe I could research some ways to rewire your systems, safely, so we can figure out together a way to help you do human stuff like sleeping." She chewed on her lip, "If you'd like my help."

At that, Meridian gasped, finally looking at her, eyes practically glowing with happiness, "Oh. For real? You... you really think it could work?" Their voice, albeit synthetic and mechanic, was filled with the most hope and wonder she'd ever heard in her life.

She couldn't help but feel the same as she answered, "Well, only one way to find out!" The young inventor said with a bright, optimistic smile. If she was being completely honest, she didn't actually know if it could be done - but she was certainly going to try.

Tagging (gently): @kaylinalexanderbooks, @smol-feralgremlin, @oh-no-another-idea, @littleladymab, @winterandwords, @eccaiia,

@the-letterbox-archives, @illarian-rambling @agirlandherquill, @anoelleart,

@ray-writes-n-shit @writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @topazadine

@forthesanityofstorytellers, @finickyfelix

@cauliflowermaterial @thepeculiarbird,

@clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes,

@starlit-hopes-and-dreams and OPEN TAG

Taglist for Supernova Initiative below the cut! 🌠

Supernova Initiative Taglist (-/+): @ray-writes-n-shit, @sarandipitywrites, @lassiesandiego, @smol-feralgremlin, @kaylinalexanderbooks,

@diabolical-blue @oh-no-another-idea

@cakeinthevoid, @clairelsonao3,

@thepeculiarbird

@the-golden-comet, @urnumber1star, @ominous-feychild, @anyablackwood, @amaiguri, @lyutenw @finickyfelix

@elshells, @thecomfywriter