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Post by Rikku on Oct 28, 2011 16:21:06 GMT -5
Have I mentioned that I kinda want to write fanfic set in this world already? xD Because fae! And steampunk! And fae and steampunk in a way that makes sense. (Actual reason for goggles = OMGYESPLZ)
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Post by Tam on Oct 31, 2011 14:40:26 GMT -5
Have I mentioned that I kinda want to write fanfic set in this world already? xD Because fae! And steampunk! And fae and steampunk in a way that makes sense. (Actual reason for goggles = OMGYESPLZ) =DDD *beams* See, 'cos! 'Cos at first it was just because goggles are awesome, and that was enough reason for me to write about it, really, but yes! Truly there are boundless strokes of serendipity to be found. I mean. There's so much serendipity going down here it's crazy.ALSO I have determined that this year will probably be the worst as far as Google-search-patterns-that-are-likely-to-get-me-taken-away-by-CSIS-in-the-dead-of-night go. So far I have spent a great deal of time browsing pages related to biological warfare, Victorian firearms, illegal narcotics, split personality disorders, and various forms of faerie magic. And I haven't even started writing yet. >___>; |
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Post by Tam on Nov 1, 2011 20:24:40 GMT -5
Damien, you have a weird way of telling stories. I've somehow ended up with a format that has each "chapter" only last as long as it takes for Damien to get frustrated and/or bored with the way he's currently telling the story and switch to a new scene. Which means that my story basically has three different beginnings so far, each one of which makes up its own chapter. xD; It is weird. Why can't you have some self-confidence and be consistent like a normal storyteller, Damien?
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Post by Rikku on Nov 1, 2011 23:23:42 GMT -5
Personally I think that sounds intensely awesome. >.> But that's just me.
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Post by Tam on Nov 2, 2011 1:14:38 GMT -5
Personally I think that sounds intensely awesome. >.> But that's just me. Oh, I don't mean I want to change it! Not really, anyway. It's kind of fun. Plus, it's a really convenient way of dealing with those times when I get frustrated/bored with the way the story's being told. I was just wondering out loud why my protagonist is so weird. Which. Is not a question I expect I'll have answered any time soon, but. =D; UM EXCERPT Mr. Thumb wiped his hands on his apron and looked at me with concern. "What happened here, Damien?" he asked.
"It was my fault, sir," said Sun Lin, stepping in front of me. Sun was my shop partner, but she had been lucky enough to be working at another bench when our project exploded. "I gave him the wrong fuel."
My smile faded, and I glanced at her. "No you didn't," I said flatly. "There was nothing wrong with the fuel you gave me. I must have messed up on the additives—"
"No really," said Sun firmly, her face free of any emotion, "I wasn't paying attention and I handed him the wrong flask by accident. He's just trying to take the blame for my carelessness, sir."
"That's actually the exact opposite of what I'm trying—"
Mr. Thumb held up a massive hand. "It does not matter to me whose fault it was," he said. "All I wish to know is what happened, so that it may be avoided in the future."
Sun and I closed our mouths self-consciously and nodded. I took my chance before Sun could speak up again.
"I think the sparphenol caused the fuel to burn too hot, sir," I mumbled, not wanting to meet his eyes. "Too much of it in proportion to the fuel."
"Yes that must be it," said Sun, doing a rather abysmal job of looking either surprised or guilty, "I knew I should've paid more attention to the sparphenol."
I opened my mouth to retort, but Mr. Thumb cut me off.
"Thank you both. I hope you take more care in your measurements from now on — your project was coming along quite nicely. I trust it's still salvageable?"
I poked at the charred skeleton of the machine with the toe of my boot. "I think so," I said. "The canvas is toast, but the rest should be fine with a bit of cleaning."
"Good, good." Mr. Thumb nodded his head three times, carefully. "I'll leave you to it, then. I look forward to seeing your finished device." And with one final nod, he wandered away to the next workbench over.
"You did not mess up the fuels," I grumbled as the few lingering onlookers finally moved back to their benches and Sun came to join me near the smouldering wreckage of our project. "This was one hundred percent due to my incompetence at basic math, and you know it."
"I couldn't let you take the fall for this," said Sun as she crouched down and helped me tear the old canvas away from the metal frame. "You're actually good at Kinetics. Getting into this mess because of a problem with the Theoretics side of things hardly seems fair."
"But you're good at Theoretics, so it isn't fair to let you take the blame for a botched equation either," I protested.
Sun sighed, crumpling the blackened canvas scraps into a ball and tossing them over her shoulder into the waste bin. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, if I ever run into a mechanical problem in one of my Theoretics classes, you have my permission to take all the blame onto yourself so that I might save face in front of my hypercritical math-minded peers." She met my eyes, and gave a small smile. "Until then, let's just agree it's what best friends do and forget about it."
"Deal," I grinned, and I shook her hand. |
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Post by Tam on Nov 3, 2011 21:12:32 GMT -5
Meh. There are six hours between the time school ends and the time I need to go to bed tonight, and I've already used three of them to get home, make/eat supper, and putter around on the web. I still have over a thousand words to write before I hit today's quota, and I'm not into the story enough yet to really want to write them.
I wish I could give myself a kick in the rear sometimes, I really do.
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Post by Birdy on Nov 3, 2011 22:39:34 GMT -5
D: *hugs*
I know what you mean, though. ^^; I haven't written anything since my 1200-word introduction/prologue thing. >_> *needs a good kick in the rear herself*
But. You are Tamia - failure is impossible. *hugs* ^_^
((Also, might I add, that that is a winful excerpt? ^_^ Arguments over who is to blame. =D Yes. ^_^))
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Post by Tam on Nov 4, 2011 1:21:31 GMT -5
D: *hugs* I know what you mean, though. ^^; I haven't written anything since my 1200-word introduction/prologue thing. >_> *needs a good kick in the rear herself* But. You are Tamia - failure is impossible. *hugs* ^_^ ((Also, might I add, that that is a winful excerpt? ^_^ Arguments over who is to blame. =D Yes. ^_^)) <3 *hugs back* Thank you so much, Birdy. This actually really, really helped me keep writing tonight. I didn't get as far as I wanted, but I did get a bit farther, and I'll have way more time to catch up tomorrow. And the day after. And pretty much any day that isn't Wednesday or Thursday. xD; And Birdy, you can catch up too! =D I won't let you not write this story you've started. It's too brilliant. It needs to be told, and you're the only one who can tell it. <3 We can do it! Together! 8D ((And thank you. ^^; *hugs again* I really appreciate it.)) Um. More excerpt, because why not. Warning because it is not particularly cute or funny like last year's excerpts, blah blah blah. I stepped over the threshold and entered the room as some might enter a dragon's cave. "Yes?" I said, trying to make my voice sound bolder than I felt.
He continued to type. I watched the movement of his shoulder blades under the puce-coloured fabric of his shirt as his arms reached up and down to touch the typewriter keys. "How was school?" he asked without turning around.
I tensed up. He never asked about my life unless he was planning something for me.
"It was fine." I swallowed. "Busy, I suppose. I have a major biology project due tomorrow, so I'll be heading over to Sun's right away to work on it. I might not come home tonight."
"Hmm," he said, his fingers continuing to expertly find all the right keys. "But you will be home on time tomorrow, I hope. It's your mother's birthday, and she would very much like it if you were to visit her."
I bristled, hating how he thought he could order me to go see her when he hadn't even stood in the same room as her in over a month. Fighting to keep my voice under control, I said, "I visit her every day."
"Then make sure you do so tomorrow as well."
"I—"
"Say: Yes, Father."
I bit my tongue. "Yes, Father," I muttered.
"Good," he said. "And bring Russet when you go tonight. I don't have the time to worry about her."
"Yes."
"Yes who?"
"Gesundheit."
The clacking of the keys stopped, and I felt a cold thrill of fear run up my spine. For a moment I thought he was going to turn around, but he didn't move, his hands held poised above the typewriter. The sudden silence in the room closed in on us, pressing up against my senses like it wanted to smother me.
"Damien," he said, his voice perfectly calm, "I thought I'd made it clear what happens when you speak back."
I clenched and unclenched my fists, staring resolutely at the back of his neck. "Yes, Father."
"I had hoped," he said, "that that particular lesson might be learned by now."
"I'm sorry, Father," I said, without meaning it at all.
His hands moved back to the keys, and he began to type once more. The clattering noise instantly evaporated the sense of dread that had clouded the room just moments before, and I allowed myself an unsteady exhale.
"Good," he said. "You'd best be on your way, then."
I nodded, unspeakably relieved by the dismissal. "Good evening, Father," I said, giving a curt bob of my head in farewell. And then, rubbing the backs of my hands unconsciously, I left the study as fast as I could. ...I actually think I'm a bit scared of Damien's father. >_>; |
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Post by Robyn on Nov 4, 2011 1:34:40 GMT -5
/chills/
absolute /chills/
tamia you mad genius you mad genius of characterization
i'm scared of him too
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Post by Birdy on Nov 4, 2011 17:17:20 GMT -5
D: *hugs* I know what you mean, though. ^^; I haven't written anything since my 1200-word introduction/prologue thing. >_> *needs a good kick in the rear herself* But. You are Tamia - failure is impossible. *hugs* ^_^ ((Also, might I add, that that is a winful excerpt? ^_^ Arguments over who is to blame. =D Yes. ^_^)) <3 *hugs back* Thank you so much, Birdy. This actually really, really helped me keep writing tonight. I didn't get as far as I wanted, but I did get a bit farther, and I'll have way more time to catch up tomorrow. And the day after. And pretty much any day that isn't Wednesday or Thursday. xD; And Birdy, you can catch up too! =D I won't let you not write this story you've started. It's too brilliant. It needs to be told, and you're the only one who can tell it. <3 We can do it! Together! 8D ((And thank you. ^^; *hugs again* I really appreciate it.)) Um. More excerpt, because why not. Warning because it is not particularly cute or funny like last year's excerpts, blah blah blah. I stepped over the threshold and entered the room as some might enter a dragon's cave. "Yes?" I said, trying to make my voice sound bolder than I felt.
He continued to type. I watched the movement of his shoulder blades under the puce-coloured fabric of his shirt as his arms reached up and down to touch the typewriter keys. "How was school?" he asked without turning around.
I tensed up. He never asked about my life unless he was planning something for me.
"It was fine." I swallowed. "Busy, I suppose. I have a major biology project due tomorrow, so I'll be heading over to Sun's right away to work on it. I might not come home tonight."
"Hmm," he said, his fingers continuing to expertly find all the right keys. "But you will be home on time tomorrow, I hope. It's your mother's birthday, and she would very much like it if you were to visit her."
I bristled, hating how he thought he could order me to go see her when he hadn't even stood in the same room as her in over a month. Fighting to keep my voice under control, I said, "I visit her every day."
"Then make sure you do so tomorrow as well."
"I—"
"Say: Yes, Father."
I bit my tongue. "Yes, Father," I muttered.
"Good," he said. "And bring Russet when you go tonight. I don't have the time to worry about her."
"Yes."
"Yes who?"
"Gesundheit."
The clacking of the keys stopped, and I felt a cold thrill of fear run up my spine. For a moment I thought he was going to turn around, but he didn't move, his hands held poised above the typewriter. The sudden silence in the room closed in on us, pressing up against my senses like it wanted to smother me.
"Damien," he said, his voice perfectly calm, "I thought I'd made it clear what happens when you speak back."
I clenched and unclenched my fists, staring resolutely at the back of his neck. "Yes, Father."
"I had hoped," he said, "that that particular lesson might be learned by now."
"I'm sorry, Father," I said, without meaning it at all.
His hands moved back to the keys, and he began to type once more. The clattering noise instantly evaporated the sense of dread that had clouded the room just moments before, and I allowed myself an unsteady exhale.
"Good," he said. "You'd best be on your way, then."
I nodded, unspeakably relieved by the dismissal. "Good evening, Father," I said, giving a curt bob of my head in farewell. And then, rubbing the backs of my hands unconsciously, I left the study as fast as I could. ...I actually think I'm a bit scared of Damien's father. >_>;You're very welcome, Tamiafriend. ^_^ *hugs* ...And really? ^_^; *is glad she was of some use* x3; And hooray for having time to catch up! =DDD And I hope so. ^_^; *shall have to use her time wisely* Get all that pesky homework out of the way, and then get going on the important stuff. 8| And ^____^;;; Thanksies~ *feeling motivated now* c= (...Which of course means I have to get off the computer in like, fifteen minutes. >_> *sulks*) ...And thank-you. <3 *hug* ((You're welcome! =D *hugsback* I'm glad I can be of some use in motivation. xD; ^_^)) ...And that new excerpt. ... You aren't the only one scared of him. ._.; *winced at the sudden stopping of the typing* >.>; |
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Post by Jayeee on Nov 4, 2011 17:33:05 GMT -5
Yes, that is one scary father! D:
Very well written though! =D
I'm enjoying following this thread immensely, Tamia! Damien is awesome; he's just the type of character that I love to go through. Your excerpts have been awesome to read! And I really like that you're writing this in first person - it seems to fit so well with the story! =D
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Post by Tam on Nov 6, 2011 16:45:55 GMT -5
Gah, thank you so much you three. ;___; I would write long rambly replies to each of you, but I'm still running a bit behind and I think I just need to keep ploughing away today. I'm sorry but believe me when I say I love you all <333 In the meantime, excerpt? =D; It was a fairy. There was nothing else it could have been, really. He (or maybe she; it was difficult to tell) was taller than a human, but his build was slender, almost delicate. Yet at the same time, the way he moved as he stepped forward made him look somehow... supple, like a young tree swaying in the wind. Both his skin and golden hair were so pale that he practically glowed in the moonlight, and I suppose it's possible he actually did. But by far the most strikingly unusual thing about him — even more unusual than his golden hair or his pointed ears or the way his cloud-coloured eyes seemed to pierce straight through us — were the iridescent, intricately-patterned sapphire wings that sprouted from his back.
"Sun Lin," said the fairy in a high-pitched, entirely alien voice. He grinned, showing off two rows of dazzling, terrifying teeth. "It is our most excellent pleasure to meet you."
There was movement near his feet, and from the shadows behind him came two smaller shapes, one on either side of him. They were cats, or something close to them: sleek, well-proportioned, their black and white stripes spaced more regularly than any normal feline's. They also appeared to be on fire. Blue fire, as a matter of fact. I stared.
Sun, whose mouth was hanging slightly open, hadn't said anything in reply, and I didn't blame her. But now, suddenly, the fairy's head whipped around and he turned his too-wide eyes on me.
"Who is this?" he asked, briskly, but it was clear he wasn't asking either me or Sun. The fairy glanced down at Russet, who growled in the back of her throat. The fairy's eyes narrowed. "This is a human boy and an unpleasant wolf," he declared with evident distaste. "Kill them."
It was at that point that three things happened at nearly the same time. I took a few clumsy steps backwards, my heart pounding somewhere in the vicinity of my eardrums; the Fae cats tensed to spring; and Sun yelled with a force I had never thought her capable of.
"Stop!"
And remarkably, everything did.
Sun was standing in a braced stance, her hands balled into fists and a dangerous glint in her eye. More than dangerous — lethal. I had never seen her like that before. I was terrified.
"I don't care if you're a fairy or the Devil himself," said Sun through gritted teeth, "lay one hand on him or his dog and I will end you."
The fairy watched her carefully. His toothy grin had vanished, replaced by an expression of shrewd appraisal. After a few moments he smiled again, more slowly this time. Nodding, he said, "Of course it will be exactly as you wish Sun Lin. It would cause us a great deal of sadness if we were to upset you on this our first meeting." His wings fluttered gently as he swept an overdramatic bow. "Please accept our most humblest apologies and allow me to introduce myself as Ealhdun and these my companions as Aelfwine and Aelfreda." He gestured to the fiery cats, who were now sitting patiently at his feet, flanking him. "They are cats," Ealhdun explained helpfully.
Sun glanced at them uneasily, then at Ealhdun. "They're cats," she repeated dubiously.
"Yes," said Ealhdun, pleased that he was getting his point across, "cats."
"I'm here because someone said they could tell me about my dreams," said Sun, who looked rather uncomfortable with the fairy equivalent of small talk. She removed the letter, still neatly folded, from her pocket, and opened it up to show him. "Was that you?"
"Your dreams, yes," said Ealhdun. "Yes, that was us. We know all there is to know about your dreams."
"We?" asked Sun, frowning.
"Yes," said Ealhdun, "we."
"Who is we?"
"We are the breathing circle," said the fairy. "We are the Court of Fae. We are all that binds life outside the walls of the humans you have lived among. And now once more we are you."
Sun glanced at me. That one glance said everything that she couldn't say, and it said it sort of like this: Okay, I am now thoroughly creeped out.
"Alright," said Sun, awkwardly, "I have some questions to ask, then."
"Then you must ask your questions," Ealhdun agreed, "and I will give you these the answers you seek."
Sun frowned. "You seem awfully confident."
"I am not confident," replied the fairy with a smile. "I just know what it is you dream of."
"Really." Sun said, raising an eyebrow. "Then you should be able to tell me what the last thing I dreamed was."
"I can."
We both waited for him to continue. When he didn't, Sun said, perplexed, "So tell me."
The fairy plucked a leaf daintily from the tree next to him, and examined it in the palm of his hand as he spoke. "You dreamed of a forest. You dreamed of trees, and the sky, and a moon that you could read. You dreamed you lived where we live. You spoke with the nymph Arethusa who has become your friend, and you met Rhoslyn for the first time and you found you had much in common. You spoke for so long in the shade of the great oak that the hours turned into days and you did not notice. You picked a lily to give to the river. And then you woke up."
Sun was speechless. "That was — there, there is no way you could have possibly known that," she said, a hint of indignation creeping into her voice. "You used magic to look into my mind."
"That is not what I did at all," said Ealhdun, mildly offended. "What I did was that I placed the dreams inside your mind to teach you about us."
There was a second's tense silence. I looked from one to the other, for the moment forgetting completely about my near brush with fairy-sanctioned death. "What?" stammered Sun finally.
"I have placed all your dreams for all your years," said Ealhdun. "This is my job."
"Your job was to invade my mind every night to... to teach me about fairies?" Sun demanded, now more dumbfounded than angry. "We're at war with you! What possible reason could you have for doing such a thing?"
"Well of course to make it easier when you came to live with us in the waking world," said the fairy, surprised.
Something about this was very wrong. There was a shred of intuition within me that wanted to scream at Sun, tell her not to ask the question I knew she was going to ask, knowing it would not yield an answer she wanted to hear.
But either Sun hadn't picked up on that sense of warning or it just wasn't enough to override her desire to finally understand everything, because after just a brief pause, she managed, "Wh— why on earth would I go to live with you?"
"Because child," said Ealhdun, with outstretched arms, "it is time for you to come home." Ha ha my fairies are weird. Wasn't expecting that. Yay for NaNo surprises. Also, sorry, Damien doesn't do much here. >_> I'll try to post something where he's a little more of an active participant in things soon. |
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Post by Robyn on Nov 6, 2011 17:13:27 GMT -5
they are cats!
lol i am kind of in love with ealhdun
the kind of love that makes me want to punch him in the face a little
OMG HE'S LIKE COYOTE
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Post by Rikku on Nov 7, 2011 22:55:35 GMT -5
<3 "They are cats." Naturally.
I think I love your fae. <3 I mean, your fairies, whatever, irrelevant, I just love 'em. <3 They make me want to write fae. This is handy.
(Also Damien's father is scary.)
(Also, keep on doing your writing and being awesome and excerpt-posting and yes. <3 Didn't say that before. SAYING IT NOW. I am reading this with avidness. Avidness with bonus eager. Bonus eager and glee.)
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Post by Tam on Nov 9, 2011 3:19:11 GMT -5
<3 ...You two deserve proper replies and I think I shall do that next time I post here, but right now. Well. I'm running a little low on both enthusiasm and time. I don't know why I barely wrote anything yesterday and today; I had hours of free time. And I want to write; I want to explore these characters and build their world and get to the good parts, but I just... blargh. Can't seem to focus. I hope it's just that I've been kind of distracted by this ridiculously comprehensive date-heavy midterm I have tomorrow. I really, really, sincerely hope that's all.
...Anyway, yeah, you guys get replies and enthusiasm tomorrow. <3 *hugs* Trust me, it'll be worth the wait. I think if I tried to be enthusiastic right now, the results would be mildly painful. xD;
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