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love-and-anarchy-au · 3 years

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Love & Anarchy: Chapter 24

helloooooo, i know its monday xd but i decided to post three chapters this week, so i finish L&A’s second season part xd (besides, the first two weeks of january i’ll just post one chapter per week so). this chapter is KEY to everything that will happen later; is kinda short though xd. im not terrible at writing action scenes, neither awesome, but well, i did what i could xd. hope ya enjoy this chapter and see ya on wednesday! <3

ps: i did a pinterest moodboard for the au, so if you want to check it out, here it is <3

REMEMBER THIS AU HAPPENS IN THE SAME UNIVERSE THAT THIS ONE

Find out what this AU is about here

Masterlist

Tag list: @healing-winston-pratt @honey-hippie-harper @obsidianfr3sk @nodrianbcyes @everyone-has-a-nightmare @magykaldealings @nobellrenaissance @cerenoya @cassin-the-assasin @cindersnightmare @its-liiinh-cinder-official

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Part 2: A teen named Ace Artino

17 years old Alec

Don’t mess this up.

I won’t.

It was 7:30 A.M. on a Monday, which was also the first day of school of the semester. Gatlon’s Bridge, in addition to being covered with a thick fog, was overflowing with cars stuck in traffic, cars with diverse people, cars with children ecstatic with anxiety. The environment was populated by speakers, crying children, and occasional songs played at a volume not recommended if you intended to preserve your hearing, but beyond that, everything was calmly normal (if you could call that daily routine of Gatlon City).

For the moment.

It was no accident that traffic was jammed, not at all; it was an act completely planned and carried out by his Anarchist brothers, Leroy Flinn and Henry Bleach, or as they would be called from that moment on, Cyanide and Magma. Both were preventing the vehicles from moving forward with acids and spikes that punctured the wheels of the cars in a discreet way to postpone the onset of generalized panic, preventing them from getting to their destinations.

Forever.

It was no accident that the bridge was covered in a mist so thick it seemed tropical, not at all; it was a thoughtful and planned act, one Alec had asked from his Anarchist sister, Margot Climat, alias Tempest. Her powers seemed limitless, for the moment, and that's how Ace liked it. It was strange to see how her eyes changed color constantly, and how her eyes dipped when it rained, as if her irises were rainclouds as well. She hated that, so she covered her eyes with sunglasses; it didn't stop her cheeks from getting wet.

Alec was standing behind a tree on the coast of Gatlon’s River, hugging his helmet against his ribs. He was wearing a black and gold uniform, with the coat that James had given him and leather shoes, the kind he would only wear to go to mass (although he had stopped going a long time ago for different reasons). His hair was stuck to his skull, although it was useless since, with the helmet on, it would ruffle itself. He was rummaging for sugar (sour gummies helped him calm down a little bit) in his pocket when the walkie-talkie beeped.

“Ace? Ace? Do you copy?” Henry called through his own walkie-talkie.

Alec was regretting agreeing to use that as a mean of communication during the meeting.

He sighed.

“I am here, Magma. What do you need?”

Henry laughed, and his laughter sounded like metal needles colliding against a clock.

“Nothing, just wanted to check on you and ask you when we’ll be starting.”

Alec felt an almost irresistible urge to destroy that damn walkie-talkie and send everything to hell itself. Anxiety was almost as contagious as panic, and, when it came to Alec, it was fair to say it had a far worse effect. If the others were anxious, so was he, and that made him very irritable.

An irritated telekinetic could only lead to chaos.

The opposite of what he was looking for in that moment.

Breathe in and out, Ace. You’re no longer a nobody, you’re the voice of the voiceless. Use it wisely, James commanded in Alec’s mind.

He nodded. The walkie-talkie rang again.

“Anarchy, I'm ready; why don’t we just begin? I'm boreeeed,” Margot complained. Alec tightened his hold on his helmet.

“It isn't I who has to give the signal,” he replied, and switched channels until he was on Honey's. “Queen Bee, are you ready? Magma and Tempest are eager.”

The walkie-talkie made the same radio sounds, and it took two minutes for Honey to respond.

“Not yet,” she said; then, she corrected. “Now I am.”

Alec smiled and turned on all the channels simultaneously.

“Phase One begins now!” he announced, and that was when the orchestra of everyday urban sounds was interrupted by a deafening buzz.

Many, rather.

Hundreds, thousands, millions of bees, bumblebees and wasps, completely invaded the bridge and changed the course of the daily orchestra, to one of terror. The horns became screams, the cries intensified as more people joined the symphony, the cars accelerated and collided with others in what was the impulse to press the accelerator to escape that nightmare.

That was just the beginning.

The bees were denser than the fog itself; Gatlon’s Bridge seemed engulfed in a buzzing cloud, with stingers, stripes, stings, and small wings. Honey must be on the pedestrian side of the bridge, controlling her bumblebees and showing herself to the world as the Queen Bee, in her yellow and black sequined dress, her towering heels, and her makeup dripping like melted wax.

Alec felt like time was led in his veins; it seemed not to move at all.

He wanted, needed, to come in and help Honey prolong the chaos, the anarchy.

Patience, Julieta and James whispered.

After two minutes passed, and the bees dispersed, it was time to move on to the next phase.

“Phase Two, Tempest, go!”

“Finally,” she grumbled breathlessly.

A wild and uncontrollable wind hit the bridge, forming a tornado, strong enough to engulf the cars but not to destroy the bridge.

It was their turn.

The tornado spun around and around until it became a thread of fury and madness, filled with desperate cars and people. Like when an elastic band couldn’t be twisted anymore, the tornado freed all its prisoners and threw them into the river, where they were drowned in seconds, practically. The volume of the symphony of screams and cries increased, and that was the signal Alec was waiting for.

“Atomic Brain, Flower Power, ready to proceed?”

“More than ever!” yelled Bruce, stunning Alec.

“Let's do this,” he announced and took a deep breath.

The first time Alec flew, it was by mere accident.

They were on the river coast, as always, eating fries, as always, but this time, there was something… different. Alexandra was wearing a dress tighter to the body, James’ shirt had three loose buttons and he… felt free. He felt as if the wind could carry him anywhere, and he would not care, because he was made of atoms that were as free as his soul, and those atoms made him a free, free, free being.

Just like that, out of nowhere, his feet rose from the ground and his hands approached the sky, and he was so close to touching the stars, until ...

“ACE!”

Alexandra gave a hysterical squeak, while James tensed like a wire.

Alec landed gracefully, only for his friends to pounce on him and start killing him with questions. Alec could not answer any, nor could he at that moment, when he was about to jump into the river with the hope he would fly again, not to touch the sky, but to break the ground instead.

He could only wish the practice days with Alexandra and James would work out.

So he jumped, feeling his bones, his muscles, his clothes, feeling.

And he did not fall.

He rose and rose, meters above the river and the bridge, and stood there, breathing in and out, floating for a few moments, suspended by an invisible but tangible thread, staring at the tragic Gatlon’s Bridge, which seemed as if it were underwater, as its choir of agony became isolated, and the bees and acids and winds were a gray and black and yellow blur. It was a hideous, hideous, despicable bridge...

Destroy it.

Alec closed his eyes and, still feeling himself, spread his hands as if he could touch the bridge, and he imagined it. Beams, cement, glass, plastic, garbage, meat, bone, blood, exoskeletons, poison. Everything on that bridge throbbed, full of life, and felt so… manipulable.

Suddenly, he sensed vines wrapping around the main girders of the bridge. The vines were thick, and they put considerable pressure on the rafters. Alec felt the cement crack and the metal twist, little by little. In the girders by the opposite side of the bridge, atoms were beginning to disappear and reappear in amorphous and useless objects. The metal within the concrete pillars, present in one blink and absent the other. The bridge wobbled and looked at Alec, expectantly.

He was begging for him to destroy it.

Focus.

He collected each of his moments of contained rage throughout the years, piece by piece. When they murdered Julieta, an innocent girl, without any mercy. When they burned Alexandra, one more teenager. When James, a visionary anarchist, was poisoned. When they stoned every prodigy that ever walked the streets, doing nothing but existing.

When no one, not even God himself, did anything.

Alec's teeth gnashed. His brow furrowed.

All that fury, that helplessness, those screams stuck in his throat, were redirected to the bridge.

Gatlon’s Bridge shook, once, twice, five times. Cracks spread across the deck, thick cracks like the destroyed girders of the bridge, horizontal and vertical cracks. Cars and people fell into the cracks and tried to hold on to something but fell anyway. It was almost as if he had taken the screaming volume switch and turned it all the way up, to the point of stunning him, who was fifty meters away. He let the cracks spread like a virus, and suspended the bridge under his power for a few seconds. His hand was open and extended.

Do it.

He clenched his fist.

Alec released the bridge and gravity exerted its force. Cement, metal, sheet metal, steel, plastic, flesh, bone, blood and screams rushed into the water, pleasantly slow. The chorus of screaming rose a notch louder and pleased Alec's ears, like James’ piano melodies. Screams caressed his eardrums and he felt as if the ghosts of all the prodigies killed in the streets were cheering on him , and thanking him for avenging them. He never had been freer, happier, prouder of himself.

A proud laugh that could have easily been maniacal bubbled from his throat. Until that moment, he had not been aware of what he was capable of, of his full potential or all his… power. He felt more alive than ever, feeling the destruction and chaos around him; that chaos and destruction he longed for, like someone who wanted to buy something but didn’t not have enough money and must save and wait and persevere until they got it.

Revenge was exactly the same. Planning, patience and perseverance.

That was why there was nothing more delicious than a well-deserved revenge.

James had known that.

How lucky he was that he had passed on some of his wisdom!

Knowing everything he knew, he allowed himself to re-experiment with his powers. He used his mental hands to knock down a pillar. Another. Part of the board. It was like playing with wooden cubes, exactly that, only on a large scale.

He felt like a god.

How had he survived so long without that feeling? That of having all eyes on him, although he was only a point in the sky, that of being able to manipulate the world at will, that of being responsible for those who committed gruesome crimes received what they deserved, that of power. To be able to be, to be able to do, to be able to destroy, to be able to create. To be able to do everything.

He could do everything. Because he was a goddamn prodigy.

He laughed again, happier than ever.

Well done, Artino, congratulationed James.

His walkie-talkie beeped.

He took it with his left hand, and announced, empowered:

“Well done, Anarchists. Phase One of The Plan has been completed.”

The walkie-talkie hummed and Margot replied:

“Now it's time to kill those suckers.”

Alec smirked.

“Wait for it, Tempest. We may leave to get ready for Phase Two.”

Margot huffed.

“As you please, Anarchy.”

Alec put the walkie-talkie in his pocket.

And he went flying in the direction of the coast.

The other Anarchists did the same.

Leaving only chaos and destruction behind.

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finalrespite · 5 years

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Manifestation

(feat. @yunkinko) (theme 1) (theme 2)

From darkness, a line of bright yet sickly light pierced through. This gap widened, as the intense groan of metal followed; an attempt to resist giving away secrets long plunged in shadow.

Finally, however, the gates were thrown wide.

Kharaa stood at the threshold, relaxing her stance upon having pried the doors open until the conceded to her forceful entry. She narrowed her gaze as she attentively peered in; a ramped corridor, descending into a veil that light’s reach quickly tapered off, again to near-pitch black.

“That clinches it. Let us proceed.”

“Oh, well done!” Ai responded, as she came around to flank her friend. “But, um, Miss One— Sorry, uh, Kharaa, I guess— Are you sure about this?”

“Positive. I was bade to return to this place, and since we arrived it has been as if a beacon has been guiding me, beckoning me home. This is it, I am certain.” Kharaa glanced back at Ai. “Ready?”

“Ah, I— yeah…” The girl nodded back, rubbing her hands together. It was then that she thought to reach into her bag and pulled out her magitek bit, giving it a soft toss upward to let it take flight.

In truth, she was more concerned about the fact that they were in the Gamma Quadrant. While this made sense, given its importance in Azys Lla for developing machina, it was nonetheless crawling with Imperial troops. None would take kindly to intruders. Still, Vision One was made— born for these kinds of endeavors, she knew, even while having her in tow. If One had no concerns about the Empire, then she would do her best set aside her own.

“Just stay with me, and permit me to lead. There may yet be hidden security protocols in this facility.” Kharaa followed up, and Ai tried to focus, chakrams ready in reply. With that, the two disappeared into the abyssal hall.

The pair and bit did not walk for long before finding a conspicuous sort of platform in the last dim light. Kharaa stepped forth and knelt to examine it.

“Well, what is it?” Ai inquired.

“An elevator,” The Xaela replied, rising back to her feet. “However it seems it no longer functions… “There appears to be an alternative route. Let’s head that way.” She turned to another threshold - more descending hallway, and they proceeded. Shortly, the last vestiges of ambient light were snuffed out.

“I can’t see for the life of me down here… um, must be great for you, though!” Ai scoffed toward Kharaa, whose striking yellow eyes were unmistakable. She could also make out a certain whirring of mechanisms opposite her…

“Hey, Bit! Lights, please!” Ai reached out unceremoniously tapped her fist against the magitek bit, sending its flight path swerving for a brief moment. Still, in compliance, seconds later did it project a cone of light ahead of them, granting Ai the sight she yearned for.

All sides of the twisting, descending hallway was in that signature Allagan fashion: intricate trails and ridges of copper with interspersed neon, only with no fluorescent glow proceeding them. Being otherwise plunged in silent darkness, it made the path seem all the more claustrophobic and foreboding. There was no telling to its end, it seemed.

Still, to their benefit, they had yet to meet with any lurking threats.

“I sense a change in the air,” Kharaa finally spoke up. “I do surmise the end is near.”

“Um, could you word that a little nicer, Miss Kharaa?” Ai chuckled nervously, only to be stopped and startled by bumping into her bit - hovering in position. Quickly, she took stock of her surroundings; the corridor had opened up to a much larger room.

Ai’s gaze followed the bit as it scanned its light abroad: an array of computers, empty containment vessels and other cryptic machinery filled the room. All seemed to be long untouched, and Ai couldn’t begin to parse what it all did. Her hands hovered beside her chakrams…

“Hm…” Kharaa began to step forward, in slow measured steps. It was then that Ai noticed … a change. The further her friend went, more light seemed to pulse out from those steps, running throughout the room along geometric trails. They almost seemed like echoes made manifest, or the very room was reacting to her approach. As the light grew brighter, a hum followed. And then a flicker.

“U-uh, Miss Kharaa…??” Ai started stepping back until the room came alive. The apparent facility and all of its machines brimmed with neon blues and greens, instilling a sense of awe in both parties.

“Whoa…”

“This really is it, Ai,” Kharaa looked back. “This is where ‘Epitaph’ began.”

“‘Epitaph’...?” Ai mulled that over. “Um, right. That was your weapon. That node?”

“//Epitaph is more than a simple node, child of Allag.” An electronic voice rung out in reply, startling the girl.

“Eep! Um… hello? ‘Child of—’ Well… I guess I am a clone... but what does that make you?”

“Maxie,” Kharaa realized. “That is your voice, am I correct?”

Between the pair, a conspicuous sphere the size of their heads promptly formed and took shape, hovering fulms above the floor.

“//Affirmative,” MX-I responded. “//It has been a while, approximately thirteen moons, not counting for lack of calibration. “//...It is good to be at your side once again.”

Ai looked pleasantly surprised. “Oh! It’s your other node friend! Did she not get crushed too?”

“//At approximately 1900 yalms below ground surface level, yes my original shell was destroyed. However, my software has long been backed up in this facility, allowing me to retain and restore my existence. The same factors applied to Epitaph systems, courtesy of developer C. Veld.”

As Maxie spoke, numerous projected screens filled the air around them, displaying curious imagery and swathes of text in an ancient script..

“Um, this is all… a lot,” Ai rested her hands on her hips. “What is this Epitaph? It saved, er, Miss One too, right?” Kharaa quietly observed.

The ancillary node hovered around them while screens changed and more piled up. “//While significant quantities of data remain corrupt or missing as a result of the Fourth Umbral Calamity, such is certain; Epitaph was an attempt of Allag to create a node-based global network with superior intelligence, based on the highest understanding of technology and aetherochemistry — not unlike the basis for Vision One. The name ‘Epitaph’ would suggest that its creators perhaps foresaw Allag’s ruin in some way or another, and as time would show you, mankind pushes its limits when they believe they are at the brink.

“//It is a system of data that has only been layered on over time, made to evolve, thriving as a vast cloud of information, retaining as much of Allag’s legacy as possible, albeit limited by the ruined state of its infrastructure. Because Vision One has long been synchronized with the Epitaph’s intelligence, their own data — their soul — was also preserved and floated upon the network by which we have a hold; albeit there was nominal control over where or when Vision One would ultimately arrive.”

“Wow... Amazing! That makes sense!” It did, in sooth, not make sense to Ai.

“//Regardless, it was through such coordinated means that One could be reintroduced to a physical form… However, it was always imperative that you find your way here, not only to retrieve a restored processing unit, but to properly reintegrate yourself with our updated drivers. At this point, all that it requires is that you make contact with this node.”

Promptly, a nearby platform seemed to generate a silver sphere, comparable to a giant ball of mercury; not quite solid, not quite holding shape. As it hovered, it took form like another Allagan node.

Kharaa turned to the sphere and stared with a measure of hesitance, before she began to approach it. Ere she had a chance to get too close, however, Maxie chimed in again:

“//It is advised, however, that you momentarily discard any personal effects of organic or chimerical nature before you proceed, as potentially irreparable damage may occur in the process. Epitaph holds no liability for such expenses.”

Kharaa paused, then shrugged gently before beginning to undo her tabard and sashes.

Ai snapped herself out of her moment’s lapse in focus to find the Au Ra nonchalantly pulling off her top--

“Aaii!! Miss O— K-Kharaa?!”

--prompting the young woman to flinch and shield her eyes.

“Hm? Is there a problem?” Kharaa looked back to her flustered friend.

“N-no! No! I’ll just - um - look over here for a bit!” Ai hastily turned away and tried to avert her attention toward anything else; in this case, the number of projected displays at present. Her bit joined her at her side. “Mph..!”

Ai’s eyes darted from screen to screen, trying to make sense of all the various analyses and diagnostics checks. Most of it escaped her, especially since it was all in Ancient Allagan, so she tried to affix on any images that drew her attention. One of them did.

“What’s this…?” The display seemed to shift at intervals to convey a variety of individuals, or perhaps one type of individual with different variants — among them Ai could swear to make out those with semblances to One, both past and present. These were accompanied by streams of code - different from the other Allagan letters but still quite incomprehensible.

Maxie floated over at Ai’s curiosity to single out the display. “//Inquiry acknowledged. Subject reads as project code: SERAPH. A cursory scan of supplementary data infers a possible continuation of the clockwork replicant project that fostered ‘Vision One’. This data, however, is incomplete and offers no indication of having progressed. Probability is reasonably high that no further units would see functionality up to or after the Fourth Umbral Era.”

“Hm…” Ai looked pensive. “That’s so sad... It’d be nice if Miss One had a little family in the realm.”

Kharaa heard this, giving a soft smile at the sentiment. By that point, she had taken off the last of her attire and was ready to go forward.

She sauntered forth, stepping carefully onto the platform and standing before the amorphous sphere. She could only gaze upon it, weighing her own thoughts in doing so.

“Just one thing,” Kharaa said. “I have felt as if the more I know, the less I have been able to grasp in my continued existence. What am I supposed to make of this, exactly?”

“//...You have the right to be here,” Maxie responded, seemingly taking a softer, slightly less formal tone. “What you make of it falls upon you; It is up to every inheritor of Allag’s legacy to decide their place in this world, and what they have to give to it. Nothing else can answer that, not even Epitaph.”

Kharaa furrowed her brow, contemplating for a soft moment. “...You seem different, Maxie.”

“//I could apply the same sentiment to you, Kharaa. Not to mention, I adapted from you.”

The Xaela grinned, point taken. With a small sigh, she reached out and placed her hands on the sphere. To the touch, the malleable metal seemed to harden and then take on a glow.

“//Initializing. Calibration in process.”

Numerous beams of light and esoteric panels of steel accumulated around Kharaa before culminating to gather around a single bright pillar..

“Oh!!” Ai turned back around, taken aback by the sudden illumination. “M-Miss One?”

“//Validating…”

“//Confirming…”

“//Complete.”

The surrounding steel withdrew and the light dispersed, particle by particle, as One stood - eyes opening bright before fading into standard, limbal rings assuming their place. For appearances, One generally remained unchanged as an Au Ra, although in this interim state her body’s panel and joint lines were made visible, bringing awe to Ai. Notable also was that her hair appeared to have withdrawn in length.

“//All systems green. Nominal deviation detected.”

“//Systems check and synchronization complete. Please stand by.”

The android flexed the joints in her hand and looked up. She turned to Ai, somewhat alarmed by how her friend’s gaze looked; piercing eyes almost a life of their own were made even more poignant in contrast to black sclerae. But an assuring smile gave her ease and cause to smile back.

“//Now preparing and initializing supplementary loadout sequence.”

One raised a brow, then looked back down, examining herself as matter seemed to manifest out of nowhere around bare skin, atom by atom, trailing static in their wake. It all felt rather light, actually, like the materializing suit was an extension of herself. A mask on her face was last to form.

“Whoa…” Ai mused. “Um, is this still even Allagan?” She noted that it seemed unlike anything she had seen prior, be it from the Allagans or the Garleans.

“//Your new tactical and special operations rig, a late period design,” Maxie clarified. “You will find that it utilizes a blend of cutting edge nano-tech innovation similar to those in the Vision and Epitaph projects to shift and adapt to your current style protocol. Field testing is highly recommended; feel free to access the database for further information.”

Lastly, a pair of bizarre yet familiar blades appeared in One’s hand.

“//Finally, your renewed core equipment in their ferrofluid-based potential. It will change in shape as necessary, and further battle data has been pre-installed for your usage. Continued combat testing is recommended.”

The node spun in almost an excited manner around the android. “//Orientation briefing complete. Welcome back, Master. Awaiting further query.”

One put her blades away and stepped off the platform. Her full-face visor withdrew as well, seemingly into the suit. Ai approached, gathering her partner’s clothes in the process.

“Um, what now, then?”

One smiled. “...For now let’s leave, and we’ll figure it out from there. One step at a time.”

A series of thuds ensued as if in response, like more machinery firing back up.

“//Central lift is now fully operational. Warning: multiple signatures detected near surface level. Preliminary analysis suggests magitek units of the VIth Legion.”

One crossed her arms and smirked.

“Well, there’s the first step.”

#ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #ffxiv rp #writing #drabble #vision one #kharaa #ai #ai deahli

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give-me-chocolate-croissant · 5 years

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Ah I said i’m taking music surveys, so here’s another one. Still my fav songs playlist on shuffle. It's the first line of each Song. Hope it’s funny to read :c

What were the first words to Abe Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address?: Have you ever been hated or discriminated against? (Cleaning out my closet • Tribe Society)

What did Martin Luther King have a dream about, anyways?: They want to know the state of that union (Robots can’t drink • E Dubble)

Tomorrow’s newspapers will all have the major headline of: Focus on you in the light, it helps me fill my emotions (Flare guns • Quinn XCII) [that would be weird xD]

If someone offered you some free drugs, how would you respond?:Do what I want cause I can and if I don’t because I wanna (Hate to say I told you so • The Hives)

What kind of higher power do you believe in?: It was a quarter past 2 when I started feeling blue and if I tell the truth I was thinking about you (Fire up the night• New Medicine)

What do people really notice about you?: Try to tear us apart but know that we’ll wear our scars (Scars • I Prevail) [?!]

What do you notice first in the preferred sex of your choice?: May the last leaf fall (Did we miss the morning ? • Seafret) [okay.]

What do you look for in reading books?J’ai vu ma mère amorphe et morfler sous morphine (Vagues de glace • Lechad) [it means “I saw my mom lifeless and copping it on morphine”. The title means “waves of ice”. It’s a very sad but beautifully written song...]

What’s a must-have quality in a friend for you?: I just need some time, I’m tryna think straight (If you want love • NF) [xd ok?]

What scares the shit out of you?: When did I become so numb ? (Paralysed • NF)

How do you laugh?: I can see the sunset just inside of your bedroom (The Afterglow • Silverstein)

Why do you do these surveys?: Toujours au même endroit à la même heure (SI j’étais pas là • High Five Crew) [it means “always at the same place at the same time” and the title means “if I were not here”]

Do you have anything you’d like to confess?:we all know quite a number of people who have everything it would take to be happy (To be happy • Joey Pecoraro) [actually true]

How do you feel about the person you cannot stand the most?:he said son, have you seen the world ? (hero of war • Rise Against)

The best date ever, in your book, would consist of…: I questioned my fate, wasn’t sure about my place (One • Lovex)

If you sent a random Hallmark card to a friend, you would write to them: Get it, text message I don’t know the number (Praise the lord • A$AP Rocky) [XDDD]

If you had the chance to speak to (a) God, what would you say?: J’ai longtemps parcouru son corps, effleuré cent fois son visage, j’ai trouvé de l’or et même quelques étoiles en essuyant ses larmes (dernière danse • Kyo) [ahhh.. it means “I’ve glanced at her for a long time, stroked her face hundreds of times, I found gold and even a few stars while wiping away her tears”. isn’t it beautiful? Also the title means “last dance”.]

Finish the sentence: “When the going gets tough…”: put your lighter in the air and lead me back home (break in • Halestorm) [yeah]

How do you deal with your stress?: I still see your shadows in my room (Lucid Dreams• Kid Travis (Juic wrld cover)) [:x]

What is your biggest burden in life?: at the 50 yard line, I saw her feet (Stacy • Quinn XCII) [XDDD]

What’s the coolest thing about your best friend?: On the ground I lay, motionless in pain (time of dying • Three Days Grace) [coolest thing, right?]

Why do you love the one you do?: Do you think about me ? Cause I don’t have any doubt you must (Never There • Sum41)

If a friend broke their arm and got a cast, what would you write on it?: Yeah, I come alive, I’ll survive, take on anything (Bow Down • I Prevail) [nice one xD]

You see a stick and wet cement. What do you write?: You're probably having the same conversations with your friends, that i always have with mine (sorry • tea)

A guy just stole your (purse, car, etc)! What do you yell at him?: When you’re alone, do you think of me ? (Oh well, oh well• Mayday Parade) [XDDD]

You pass a crack addict on the corner one day. Solemnly he tells you: “baby get down on your knees” I said “babe if you insist” (Her lies • Asaf Avidan) [HAHAHA WHAT. that’s the best one xD]

What will your baby’s first words be?: White Stones, Queens 1974

Fathers talking shit, motherfucker slam the door (1998 • Rancid) [I’m dying oh god xddd]

You are at your wit’s end, and decide to write a suicide note. It begins: What happens to a man when he spills his heart on a page, and he watches words float away then, his feelings lie over a page alone., There waiting for someone who cares to read them., to open there eyes to see them. to see if they can make his thoughts their own. (Pages • 3 Doors Down) [well it matches perfectly but it’s actually really sad]

Why can’t there be peace in the world?: All of us believe that this is not up to you. The fact of the matter is that it's up to me (No Reason • Sum41) [I’m sorry guys it’s all my fault!]

How do you think people see you?: I lie here restless like lines for a guest list, waiting for your message, (U&Us • Quinn XCII) [that might be because I ignore almost everyone :D]

Inside, though, what kind of person are you really?: Hey there shadow (Millennia (acoustic) • Crown The Empire) [thanks :c]

If you wanted to comfort a friend, you’d say: Once upon a time you dressed so fine (Like a rolling stone • Bob Dylan) [I’m sure it would help them a lot hahaha]

When you want to cheer someone up, you say: evening rises,

darkness threatens to engulf us all (The Labyrinth’s song. • Asaf Avidan) [are you kidding me?! XDD]

You’re unbelievably depressed because your friend just told you…: She said I don’t spend time like I really should (Erase me • Kid Cudi) [like I would give a fuck lmao]

When you are incredibly bored, you start thinking about…?: She speaks to me in Persian, tells me that she loves me, the girl with golden eyes (The girl with golden eyes • Sixx.A.M) [no I do not think about drugs when I’m bored dw]

You’re a classy person, so instead of cursing when you’re mad, you yell…?: If you could only read my mind, you would know that things between us ain't right (Want you bad • The Offsprings) [hey that’s not bad!]

you’re writing a love letter, but what are you going to begin it with?: Frozen in time, when the world is moving at the speed of light, trapped inside these walls, you can't rise until you fall and start to trust your heart over your mind (The Leap• Our Last Night) [that would be a good one tbh]

If you were to write a letter to the President of the USA, it would say…?: I'm sick of losing out on life's bets (Cheers to the down and outs• The Bad Chapter)

What would someone have to tell you to make you really angry?: What happened to you (Over my head • Sum41) [no not rly D]

…To make you really depressed?: I've been fighting the same Old war

Against a disease without a cure (Same old war • Our last Night) [damn yes..]

...To make you sexually aroused?: You can't feel the heat until you hold your hand over the flame (Satellite • Rise Against) [XDDDD WHAT]

Your first thoughts waking up were…: Allez parlons encore, encore ce soir (la lune à 3h du mat’ • Maxenss) [it means “let’s talk again, again tonight”. and the title: “the moon at 3am”]

Your last words before falling asleep will be…: Don't give up, it takes a while, I have seen this look before, and it's alright, you're not alone (Accidents can happen • Sim.A.M) [great song to listen to when you feel like your life is fucking shit btw]

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urbanteeth · 5 years

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Novel Prep

Thanks to @dimawriting and @maple-writes for tagging me!!

WIP: The Inbetween

Tagging: @drist-n-dither @theforgottencoolkid @minny-santa and uhh anyone else who sees this!

This gets pretty long so I’ll put it under a read more.

First Look

1. Describe your novel in 1-2 sentences (elevator pitch)

The crew members abroad the Perseus Space Station were tasked with investigating the first signs of early human-like civilization on an exoplanet. The truth behind the ruins scattered across the dying planet, however, is stranger, darker, older than anything they ever expected.

2. How long do you plan for your novel to be? (Is it a novella, single book, book series, etc.)

As of right now, The Inbetween is a single book divided into 5ish parts. The POV will be third person. Still not sure if I want to switch between characters for each chapter or if I want each of the 5 parts told through the perspective of one of the main characters. I am playing with the idea of a sequel. I also want to write about the before and after the events of The Inbetween. There are also at least two AUs running around my mind so I might explore those too.

3. What is your novel’s aesthetic?

Dark skies full of stars, floating weightlessly, lonely planets, geometry, singularity, the smallness of existence, amorphous shadows on the wall, empty corridors, static, flickering lights, hearts racing from adrenaline, the taste of blood in your mouth as you run for your life

4. What other stories inspire your novel?

The Inbetween originated from me wanting to take some of my unused characters beyond them just being characters. The earliest drafts of The Inbetween were short stories inspired by Wolfgun’s music. The story eventually grew into what it is now thanks to a few episodes of Star Trek and Welcome to Nightvale. Lots of the scenes I currently have written were born from daydreaming to Carbon Based Lifeforms’s music. I would say CBL has had the biggest influence on the story.

5. Share 3+ images that give a feel for your novel

This one is for the last part of the book.

Main Character

6. Who is your protagonist?

There are five protagonists:

Emmett Reyes: Mexican-American, 19 (at the beginning of the story), aro/ace, trans, biologist

Johann Herschel: British-German, 20 (at the beginning of the story), bi, nonbinary, pilot and navigator

Neveen Jalal: Egyptian-American, 19 (at the beginning of the story), lesbian, chemist, starship medic, lowkey inspired by my high school chem teacher

Oliver West: Korean-Canadian, 20 (at the beginning of the story), gay, mechanic

Alternis: A.I., years active unknown, primarily used for security and scouting

7. Who is their closest ally?

Their closest allies would be each other. Here’s some specific friendships:

Overall: they grow as close as family. Nothing like a near death experience out in the middle of the cold, indifferent void to make five kids bond for life.

Neveen + Emmett: Nerd friends! With him being a biologist and her becoming a medic, they share a love for the subject. They bond over their love for their cultures. They teach each other words in their native tongues.

Johann + Emmett + Oliver: Partners in crime!! These three are as ride or die as you can get with a group of friends. While Johann isn’t always keen on the chaos, he still goes along with it because “who’s going to serve as your guys’s impulse control???” Secretly, he loves it.

Oliver + Johann: Oliver becomes pretty supportive of all his friends and his relationship with Johann is no different. Oliver makes for a pretty good listener and he doesn’t mind hearing about his friend’s worries. He’ll offer some pretty good advice as well.

Neveen + Oliver: Oliver is, without a doubt, the most social of all the crew members. Unlike him, however, Neveen is the exact opposite. He will respect her space if she needs it, but he is also there to make sure she doesn’t lose herself in it. In a lot of ways, he reminds Neveen of her own sister.

Emmett + Alternis: These two form a pretty close bond. Both share feelings of becoming static in life. Both struggle with insecurity and general feelings of anxiety that they are not good enough. However, they both also share a deep curiosity for the world around them. She likes to ask him questions knowing he won’t brush them off and he feels comfortable enough to ramble on about whatever subject is most interesting to him knowing that she is willing to listen with interest herself.

Bonus:

Commander Mitch Connor + his crew: At first, Mitch was pretty hesitant to be this mission’s commander. They’re all kids, two of them fresh out of high school almost. However, he quickly learns that this crew is more than capable. They’re adaptable and fiercely resilient. They know how to use their strengths to their advantage and do so creatively. Most importantly, though, they genuinely care about each other.

8. Who is their enemy?

The story’s main antagonist is a weird hivemind entity that is partially made from various alien life forms and part alien tech. It’s main purpose is to find creatures its programming deems perfect specimens and then merge with (eat???) them to take on their abilities. The creature was once a technologically advanced alien race from a different dimension who sought to create the “perfect being”. No one’s really sure what “perfect being” meant for them, but eventually they, and most of their old universe, were all consumed by their creation. The entity then traveled across many other dimensions still seeking specimens to consume. While it has no definite shape or can even be considered a single animal, it’s still very much sapient. It’s hard to tell the age or if it was supposed to be machine or animal or even what species it originally was. However, the minds and voices of its creators live on with it.

If you want an idea as to how it sounds, it’s a little like the Warpers from Subnautica but with multiple voices. Here’s a clip.

9. What do they want more than anything?

They all have different dreams that they are pursuing, but they basically all want a life where they can be happy and have closure.

Emmett wants to be at peace with himself.

Johann wants to find a place that he can call home.

Oliver wants to protect the little he already has.

Neveen wants to achieve her dreams.

Alternis wants to belong.

10. Why can’t they have it?

Emmett is, first of all, much too doubting in himself. He worries so much that he can’t appreciate the things he has done right or the things he can do. He isn’t very kind to himself.

Johann misses the life he had on Earth. He and his family moved to a new planet because they don’t really like Earth and want to experience something new. But Johann never feels the same sense of “home” as he did on Earth.

Oliver’s job is helping out his mother with their repair shop. So, when the shop is threatened with closure, he is desperate to find another job, but since he dropped out and never finished school, he’s having a really hard time coming up with something that will provide enough. This is why he ends up joining the space program.

Neveen is in a somewhat similar boat. She has dreams of working as a doctor and all of her time and effort goes into studying for that. She, however, ends up getting rejected from three different schools in her area. She starts to feel like time is somehow running out for her.

Alternis has had a hard time. When she didn’t fit the expectations her creators set, she quickly discovered that her differences were seen as something flawed. She spent a lot of her early days either alone and she grew to be resentful towards people. But she wants to be accepted, so when they told her she was to be assigned to the Perseus Station, she had a lot of mixed feelings about the situation.

11. What do they wrongly believe about themselves?

Emmett: not smart/good enough, not allowed to make mistakes

Neveen: her success determines her worth, has to do things just right or Else

Oliver: dumb for dropping out of college, is not much other than the comic relief in his friend group

Johann: thinks he can run from facing what’s really bothering him

Alternis: needs to have a purpose to be worth something to others, needs to change to be accepted

12. Draw your protagonist! (Or share a description)

Emmett: 5′2, curly brown hair, brown eyes, tan skin, a scar running from jaw to cheek, there’s a picture @auroradrawing made here!

Neveen: 5′5, long black hair, brown eyes, dark skin, red hijab

Johann: 6′2. dark blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin

Oliver West: 5′10, black hair, brown eyes, pale skin

Alternis: i made a post on her appearance here

Plot Points

13. What is the internal conflict?

I would say that the overall internal conflict for all the characters is them struggling to understand that they are human which means that they are allowed to be wrong, make bad decisions, have emotions, and fail and none of this undermines their value in any way.

14. What is the external conflict?

The main external conflict is survival. They come into contact with a powerful interdimensional creature who is possibly hundred of thousands of years old or more and they have no idea how to stop it. After their station and only way home gets destroyed and they find themselves stranded with no way to let anyone know what’s happening, they realize that they have to find a way to at least repel the creature as it’s not just their survival at stake, but also that of their friends and family back on Earth.

15. What is the worst thing that could happen to your protagonist?

Death, probably. There’s a lot of things that would be left undone and unsaid and also literally no one else knows what is going on, so it could be a while before anyone back home realizes they’re never coming back. And that thought is one of the scariest things they can imagine.

16. What secret will be revealed that changes the course of the story?

Basically the purpose of the entity and them figuring out what it is and what it wants changes everything they were led to believe at first about the planet and the origin of the ruins.

17. Do you know how it ends?

Yes. They all get a happy ending because I’m done with the sad shit. Also happy endings are good?? Like give me more happy endings dammit! They go through so much shit and get tested so much, like, they deserve their happy ending.

Bits and Bobs

18. What is the theme?

You are stronger than you think. Let yourself be flawed. Things might not be okay, but they will work out. You have a place in the universe, no matter how small. Tomorrow is a new day.

19. What is a reoccurring symbol?

Darkness, geometry/symmetry, fire (?),static, lots of the names of things have meaning behind them

20. Where is the story set? (Share a description!)

There are two made up planets on which this story takes place. The first planet is Thesan-4. This planet is a desert-like planet. It’s in the Milky Way for sure, but I haven’t exactly figured out where yet. This planet is primarily used for military/astronaut training. At least 40% of the story will take place here. The other planet is an icy, Earth-like planet. I call this planet the Mirror World in my head but the actual name is pending. Here is where the remains of early civilization are found and this is where the Perseus crew is assign for their mission. At least 60% of the story will take place here.

21. Do you have any images or scenes in your mind already?

Hell yeah! Scenes and a general outline are all I have right now. A lot of the little details are still pretty vague though.

22. What excited you about this story?

Oh man, is “everything” an answer? I always wanted to write a story set in space, but my biggest issue was finding a good plot. Like, I had the characters and I had some vague idea of a setting, but no actual plot or conflict. This story spent a lot of time on the back burner and I honestly thought about abandoning it a few times. However, it has come to grow so much and I’m really happy I didn’t abandon it. I love the lore behind the antagonist and the character interactions and uhhh well damn. Everything!

23. Tell us about your usual writing method!

I think the very first thing I come up with is either the setting or the characters. Then, I make the characters that I feel would go best with the setting or vice versa. Other details like names and stuff come way later. 99% of my writing process is music. If I need a certain mood for a scene, I’ll put on some music that fits and I’ll listen to it a few times before actually writing. I find that this helps me come up with scenes so I don’t really struggle at that. Putting them down on paper is harder lol, especially when I can see at least three different ways to write the opening. But once I start writing, everything flows much easier.

#these were all such excellent questions #thanks for the tag

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