but in other words, life might have done this to help Alinua realise her own strength, or to just wind her up enough to get the job done, considering that Alinua’s magic is strongly tied to her emotions, unlike Erin’s or Tess’s, whose powers are tied to their intelligence and muscles, respectively
or maybe life didn’t see it as her place to intervene; when she brought out the plant colossus, she was intervening in the matter of a life mage terrorising a forest god and a town, so she saw it as her responsibility. however, this conflict is more Tynan VS Zuurith, and doesn’t directly involve primordial influences. perhaps she thinks this isn’t her jurisdiction, or her concern, and she doesn’t wish to interfere in the world more than necessary
Falst: It’s happening again.
A.M.: AGAIN?!
Be it saving a village that’s lost it’s wind, concealing herself for a dramatic entrance or breaking open a deathtrap prison, the answer for Alinua is always, Tree. Time and future chapters will tell if she sticks to the same rootine as usual or branches out. … I’m so sorry.
Looks like Ali could do it by herself after all; she just needed to let loose a bit. While it could be Life being indifferent to their lives I get the feeling this was a little test for Alinua by Life to show her that she has the power, ability and sense of self to do it on her own.
It could also be a lesson about going all out and letting go of her restrains, something Ali would probably find hard to do after a decade of constant self-control.
Prediction for next week: A.M. with a very aghast expression, think Jolon at the end of chapter 10, as the prison comes down and the prisoners and guards inside get to safety. Alinua surprised at what she just did, maybe even with Life saying something like “See? You didn’t need me”. Maybe Falst slips away and/or delivers a funny line too.
Exactly what I was thinking as well. I had a similar moment in a game I’m DMing, a desperate character was making a pact with a deity she didn’t understand well yet, and when she defiantly tried to set counter terms to the deal, ‘dared’ to foist rules onto a god… his response was “Perfect!” He’s a LN semi-Trickster god (the rules you need to set are for how *you* will play the game that is your life, have to keep the bargains you make but are not beholden to rules you don’t agree to abide by before hand, etc., and part of the game is getting other people to play by your rules.)
@InsertPunHere: yes it does
@RealPeterM, @Bluefire: /cackling
@AdamB: huh thats kinda interesting actually
(the page didnt load comments fully or i would have responded to stuff in the same comment)
Life: What do I want from you? To get mad and do it yourself.
Also: Happy Purim! For anyone who lives in a city that had walls a few thousand years ago that is…
(And yes, I’m Jewish, whatcha gonna do about it?)
WELP. Just hoping the guys inside are fine after that sudden redecoration. I can imagine this being either a moment of self actualization and growing confidence in her powers, or a knife twist on all of Alinua’s old insecurities about unintended consequences.
OR BOTH.
She could realize the new extent of her powers *and* how people are like ants she actively has to avoid hurting. For all we know, Alinua can change landscapes and disrupt ecosystems if she is not careful.
If prior to awakening as Life’s vessel she had to worry about her magic doing things on it’s own, now she has to worry about the full range of consequences of what she actively chose to do, and it can be way harsher to deal with. If people get hurt now, it would not be up to chance, but because she didn’t think things through.
I have a theory for Shrike (the bounty hunter lady.) I believe that, since previous alt text suggested she won’t appear until this arc is over. With that I believe she will be captured by escaped prisoners in revenge or something.
With that I want to bring up something. WHILE MOST PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY INNOCENT IN ZURRITH’S PRISON, THERE WILL STILL BE TERRIBLE CRIMINALS. (Sorry for accidental caps lock. Don’t even know how I caps lock for this long.)
With this in mind how they treat Shrike is up in the air. I believe her getting captured would advance the hinted redemption arc as she grapples with the reality of her actions.
I was thinking of this because I love a good redemption arc.
That escalated quickly
Also, is it just me or does the strand of hair in the first panel make it look like she has another eye on that side of her face?
Um… I really hope that those boulders don’t crush anyone.
Falst? I know the giant glowy tree is very distracting, but you might want to pay attention to the guard you’re fighting.
Evil Tree:
I like that callback to chapter 10. Also, I agree with your points on why Life could’ve decided to sit back on this; Alinua does need to realize that she’s capable of wielding this power (refuting my option 4 from Wednesday) and that, in appropriate circumstances, she doesn’t need to restrain herself anymore.
… HUMONGOUS DAFFODIL! I-I guess congratulations to alolanvulpix for guessing correctly in the most literal way possible. Ana a special thank you to everyone who provided extra Gift Horses (bonus answers)! You are all very creative and I couldn’t have been more proud of this community.
(For the people who picked A, I’ll congratulate you or not when life confirms is. Until then, this is alolanvulpix’s win)
@Matthew (concerning your last post): So, are you a Warhammer40k fan or a Technoblade fan?
@RealPeterM: Pffft-
@Alex: PFFFFF-
@Bluefire: -Zuurith’s prision fal-ling down, good hecking rid-dance
Did you know…
A danger danger divers face when surfacing is as sending too quickly. The air tanks that are used are a compressed mixture that incudes nitrogen, which goes into the body’s tissues at higher pressures, and when when you ascend too quickly the nitrogen creates bubbles that can damage tissues and nerves.
RealPeterM:
Ayyyy, I see what you did there, I like that pun.
Alex:
I guess we finally got the prison break people were calling for when the prison was first reavealed.
Bluefire:
My fair Zuurith…
TheUnkownGame:
Don’t worry! The guards are distracted too!
@ Humanoid Clay It doesn’t seem like the Futrivia has been answered yet. Life didn’t really say why she said no, Alinua just fresked out and broke open the prison.
plant volcano
i want to see erin facepalm when he sees the new giant tree on the prison thats glowing green
on a completely different note, yesterday i finally figured out how to make chocolate syrup, and this morning i had some on pancakes for breakfast
“I can’t do it. Please do it for me.”
“No.”
“What? No? Well if you won’t do it, then I’ll just do it myself!” *Super Saiyan scream as she cracks the mountain open, fuelled by pure spite*
I think part of the reason Life Mom is refusing to help here is that in order to manifest, she needs a large source of Life energy. Last time she appeared, there was a lacrima full of power. Alinua doesn’t have that right now. If Life Mom were to make an appearance here, where would she get that energy from? I don’t think there’s enough ambient Life energy in the air right now, and ripping it out of those around her seems counter to Alinua’s goal at the moment…
That, and she wants Alinua to realize that she can do this on her own, as everyone else has been saying.
*whistle* damn. That was impressive. I do hope that Life said no for that reason…
Zer0wolf, *applause* nail, head, etc. I do hope you are right.
RealPeterM, badum-tshhh
The octopus, they do?! :O
#theOSPaddictthatjusthappenedtostumbleby (First off, your username is long… it took me forever to write down lol) also, yup, agreed. Reminds me of reverse phycology sort of…
Not good at usernames, agreed, Red your work is gorgeous as always! Theses last few pages especially have been absolutely beautiful!
Veggiesnake, I can see both of these as correct. It’s a little better than the explanation that life just doesn’t care about the people in the jail, more that she shouldn’t interfere considering that this is Tynan vs. Zuurith. But then again, the others did a pretty good job of interfering! (I suppose they weren’t primordial deities though…)
Evil Tree, Yeah, I really like that prediction! I just want to see a shocked and horrified arenamaster to be honest. Also those puns… I’m not sure whether I should laugh or cry…
Alex, LOL IT IS!!!
Bluefire, LMFAO, I’m much prefer this version of the song!!!
DragonMaster66, you tryin’ to take my job??? (Jk lol)
Wood guardian, Oh, happy Purim! Also, as to your question, I am going to treat you just as respectfully as when I didn’t know your religion and I am going to verbally slap anyone who tries to treat you differently or badly, that’s what I’m gonna do about it.
Gogo the Mimic, Oh. Shit. I did NOT think about that. Red wouldn’t do something like that to us though, right? Oh wait, nvm she totally would, it is a certified fact that red likes yanking at our heartstrings.
Archaleus, oooh that WOULD be interesting! I’m really curious now to learn about shrike, even more so than before!
StealthOfAir *wheezes* I’m sorry but that floomph just made my day! That was amazing!
TheUnknownGame, yeah Falst,please don’t get stabbed. Pretty please?
Monkey In A Shoe, oh wow, that’s interesting! I think I heard of that before very briefly…
Hermit Thrush, hell if half of how to go through life (not life the deity, life as in real life) was explained with a manual, we would all be geniuses, living in a perfect utopia!
Alolanvulpix, yesssss it would be awesome to see Erin go, aw darn it Ali, this is the fifth time this week! (Not literally, but seeing him facepalm would be nice)
Skye, *applause*, guys we need to make this a whole damn song! Give me one sec, I’ll compile the lyrics we have so far.
Steve, Lord of Darkness, oh that’s a really good point!
Also, damn everyone else is replying to people, y’all trying to steal my job? T-T (Jk, it’s fun to see the different replies)
Ladies, gents, and non binary friends, may I present, the Zuurith’s prison song by Bluefire, Humanoid Clay, Skye, and Hiii
Ahem-hem
Zuurith’s prison is falling down,
falling down,
falling down
Zuurith’s prison is falling down, good fucking riddance (or good hecking if we want to keep it child friendly)
“Hold the mountain up with vines,
Roots and vines,
Boughs and vines,
Hold it fast with root and vine,
My fair Alinua”
Falst protects and stops the guards
Stops the guards
Stops the guards
Falst protects and stops the guards, thank goodness for Ferin
Arenamaster is a jerk,
Is a jerk
Is a jerk
Arenamaster is jerk, both racist and classist
Zuurith is a pile of sand
Pile of sand
Pile of sand
Zuurith is a pile of sand, and I think he deserves it
Dainix tames his inner fire
Inner fire,
Inner fire,
Dainix tames his inner fire, now go beat tynan’s ass off
Ruunsaser siblings Go go go
Go go go
Go go go
Ruunaser siblings go go go, I love sibling dynamics
Tynan wants to flood the place
Flood the place
Flood the place
Tynan wants to flood the place, the floof squad’s here to stop him!
Because Zuurith’s prison is falling down,
falling down,
falling down
Zuurith’s prison is falling down, good fucking riddance
*Bows*
Bluefire:
I guess you did. Congratulations! Which reminds me: I came up with a different Aurora song parody that I’m saving for the appropriate moment in the story, which is probably at least a few chapters off, when the group approaches Helm; it’s a parody of “The Spine” from Transistor, composed by Darren Korb. I look forward to when I can finally share it!
Now this is the beautiful music I’ve been missing all these years. Truly spectacular, a million times better than whatever junk the gym teachers are blasting on the radio.
The Aceassin: Good point, although I did put a disclaimer that when Life actually confirms it, I will give a secondary congratulations to the people who were correct. However, it was unfair to specifically single out the people who guessed A, so comment retcon, the parentheses are for everyone who guessed. I was just so surprised that Life didn’t go into detail.
Bluefire, exactly! I wish that this was the sort of song we listened to in gym! I mean, we have a pg version! I do think I’m going to change the seventh verse, and maybe come back and add a verse for Kendal. But other than that, I’m pretty happy with it!
Bush Guardian, thank you, thank you
Average aurora enjoyer BAHAHAHA LMFAO, that was AMAZING!!! That’s right Ali, give Life a waffle fry!
Alolanvulpix, lol you remind me of a friend of mine on Tapas, you two would either be best friends or worst enemies, that’s for sure!
Okay, I went back and made the improved version of the song
Ladies, gents, and non binary friends, may I present, the Zuurith’s prison song by Bluefire, Humanoid Clay, Skye, and Hiii
Ahem-hem
Zuurith’s prison is falling down,
falling down,
falling down
Zuurith’s prison is falling down, good fucking riddance
Hold the mountain up with vines,
Roots and vines,
Boughs and vines,
Hold it fast with root and vine,
My fair Alinua
Falst protects and stops the guards
Stops the guards
Stops the guards
Falst protects and stops the guards, damn, that Ferin’s a badass
Arenamaster is a jerk,
Is a jerk
Is a jerk
Arenamaster is jerk, both racist and classist
Zuurith is a pile of sand
Pile of sand
Pile of sand
Zuurith is a pile of sand, and I think he deserves it
Dainix tames his inner fire
Inner fire,
Inner fire,
Dainix tames his inner fire, now go beat tynan’s ass off
Tess and Erin stop the storm,
Stop the storm
Stop the storm
Tess and Erin stop the storm, three cheers for Ruunaser siblings
Kendal holds off Tynan’s wrath
Tynan’s wrath
Tynan’s wrath
Kendal holds off Tynan’s wrath, don’t worry Dainix’s coming
Tynan wants to flood the place
Flood the place
Flood the place
Tynan wants to flood the place, the floof squad’s here to stop him!
Because Zuurith’s prison is falling down,
falling down,
falling down
Zuurith’s prison is falling down, good fucking riddance
*Bows*
And here’s the pg version:
Ladies, gents, and non binary friends, may I present, the Zuurith’s prison song by Bluefire, Humanoid Clay, Skye, and Hiii (pg version)
Ahem-hem
Zuurith’s prison is falling down,
falling down,
falling down
Zuurith’s prison is falling down, good hecking riddance
Hold the mountain up with vines,
Roots and vines,
Boughs and vines,
Hold it fast with root and vine,
My fair Alinua
Falst protects and stops the guards
Stops the guards
Stops the guards
Falst protects and stops the guards, dang that Ferin’s awesome
Arenamaster is a jerk,
Is a jerk
Is a jerk
Arenamaster is jerk, both racist and classist
Zuurith is a pile of sand
Pile of sand
Pile of sand
Zuurith is a pile of sand, and I think he deserves it
Dainix tames his inner fire
Inner fire,
Inner fire,
Dainix tames his inner fire, now go beat tynan’s butt off
Tess and Erin stop the storm,
Stop the storm
Stop the storm
Tess and Erin stop the storm, three cheers for Ruunaser siblings
Kendal holds off Tynan’s wrath
Tynan’s wrath
Tynan’s wrath
Kendal holds off Tynan’s wrath, don’t worry Dainix’s coming
Tynan wants to flood the place
Flood the place
Flood the place
Tynan wants to flood the place, the floof squad’s here to stop him!
Because Zuurith’s prison is falling down,
falling down,
falling down
Zuurith’s prison is falling down, good hecking riddance
*Bows*
Any other ideas for characters I should include in the song?
You should be happy with it, you got a lot farther than I did haha.
You also wouldn’t want to be in my gym class, it happens at the same time as other gym classes and this one teacher (I don’t have him) comes in and turns some music making thingy up as loud as it will go, which when combined with the sound of 60 ish people in the gym at once is… overwhelming. As someone who hates loud noises, it’s the worst.
Also made a dumb drawing yesterday of me being annoyed at having to take gym class based solely on the realization that “nope” could be stylized as “no P.E.” and I thought it was funny.
Bluefire:
Does anyone actually like P.E. classes, really? Sometimes you get to play something you like (I enjoyed badminton the most), but those precious few days are completely surrounded by sweat, cramps, fatigue, and exhaustion. One of the things about high school that I don’t miss. (Having to strip down to underwear in front of thirty-something people to change into and out of uniform in a room that smelled of body odor and Axe definitely didn’t help.)
Make a big-ass tree! Trees drink water, so, the flood will subside at once!
If, with “at once”, one means “at once” in large-tree-time-scale, which would be… longer… for puny bipedals.
I spend PE sitting on the sidelines with this one other kid hoping we get ignored. I’m one of the slowest, least fit kids I know since I’m a skinny little couch potato and my only exercise is the occasional walk. Heck, the last time I took gym prior to this year was two years ago, when I did a quarter year weight lifting class. I was the weakest, of course.
I mean, when I grow up the most strenuous physical activity I’ll have to do is walk around a room watering plants and maybe lifting a few heavier ones. Why am I even taking these classes?
As a homeschooler, one of the things that always blew my mind about public/private schools is that the students are regularly forced to change in front of each other and that’s just… considered normal???
Bluefire, oh my lord, YES! I am also a skinny couch potato who absolutely HATES exercise! I don’t do any sports. The most exercise I get is carrying my ten pound backpack (I kid you not it is a whole ten pounds, but mostly because I shoved like 4 books in there as well lol) during school. But yeah, I HATED electives, and when we first started being allowed to choose electives I was ecstatic. I also got to choose my own classes, and beginner Spanish and band were awesome, and probably the only reason I didn’t go insane that year lol.
Hermit Thrush, *shrug* I guess so. I’m just surprised that after that they get so upset at us for not following our school dress code (which is dumb and definitely favors boys over girls)
ImuyanMangoCat, thank you, thank you. I did totally sing this to my mom btw, and she gave me the typical “my daughter is crazy and weird, just like me” look, but she seemed impressed. I didn’t tell her I wrote the song (because I’m shy about my writing and work and I’m afraid of being judged) but she was still impressed
My school doesn’t have much of a dress code. We have no uniforms and for the most part people go to school dressed like they just got out of bed. There’s this one kid who even wears a blanket in school.
I don’t have to change in gym, there was only one P.E class available during the block that used to be my free period (RIP free block, you are missed) and it isn’t that intense so no one changes. It’s literally team building nonsense that always fails because most of the class either gossips/ fools around or doesn’t care and sits to the side (like me). Once I tried to get everyone in order but I gave up. It was an impossible task.
Hiii:
I have a rolling suitcase of a backpack that if placed on one’s back hurts since the bottom is hard and bumps your spine. So I have to grab the handle and carry the thing. My school has four floors, almost nobody can use the mostly non functional elevator, and I have to carry a computer and a bazillion notebooks (thanks AP biology). And I never have two classes in a row on one floor (lunch is also factored into this). So yes. I understand the backpack thing perfectly.
At least you can sing, and are brave enough to. I never do because, well, stage fright. It’s a long story.
@the people talking about PE.
So reveal time, I don’t live in the US. My school system is different, PE focuses half on sports and half on dancing and I’d say the dress code is more balanced here.
What “PE” entails at my school depends on which class you choose, you need to do a certain amount but what you do and how long each part lasts is up to you. You can do weights for 1/4 a school year, yoga/ meditation for 1/4 a school year, and some sports stuff is 1/2 a year. There’s more I’m sure but I don’t know all the details. Dance isn’t really a thing as far as I know, though I know other schools that do offer it.
I am quite interested in how school systems work outside the US, I haven’t heard that many firsthand accounts of other schools and am a little curious, I must admit.
Bluefire, YOU ARE SO LUCKY! The dress code here absolutely SUCKS, and it’s not balanced AT ALL! The boys get by wearing almost nothing and the girls get in trouble for the tiniest things! It’s absolutely ridiculous! It sucks! And it’s just crazy because no one ever cares about the things they say will distract us! And P.E. Is boring as heck, and half the kids would lie around. That’s pretty much the only reason why kids choose P. E., is so that can laze around and do nothing. Also, I can sing (horribly) but only to my family etc. because I am also shy, which is weird because my personality otherwise is as far from shy as you can possibly get!
ImuyanMangoCat, yeah, I showed her it, but I don’t know if she’ll recognize which commentor is me or pay as much attention to the comments.
Yeah dress codes at schools tend to be stupid. So long as you’re not freezing to death or boiling over I really don’t care what you wear. Nobody’s clothing has ever bothered me because I never pay attention and I doubt many students do. We’re all too focused on actually doing school stuff. If anyone is getting distracted, I’d bet it’s the teachers.
I only took PE because it’s required for graduation, same with art. Ain’t no one ever gonna tell me how to draw thank you. I wish I could fill my schedule with science but you can only take two science electives, and even then a lot are exclusive to seniors or not related to what I want to study. I’m not too fond of most offered courses at my school. They seem to focus more heavily on arts and the humanities.
I have been told I have a good singing voice but being shy is a thing as is just not enjoying singing. I rarely do, unless it’s saying something funny in a singsong-y way.
I feel you. When I first tried my hand at writing I was really nervous about sharing it with anyone else, too–which made it very hard in eighth grade when my ELA class required us to keep a journal as an assignment that would be turned in for a grade, and one of the assignments within that journal had to be a short story. I think I ended up writing some pretty awful Pokemon Mystery Dungeon fic (having never written a larger plot before, it was cliche’d to hell), and was horribly self-conscious and even a little ashamed when I turned the journal in for the first time…But the teacher loved it. I mean, in hindsight, it could very well be that she was just trying to be kind, because as I said this was not good writing and I was very nervous, but she was an amazing teacher and I loved the class, and the encouraging sticky notes that I found whenever I’d get the journal back meant a lot to me. I ended up finishing that story and starting another before that class was done, and I actually became excited when it was time to turn in the journal because I wanted to share the story I was working on.
A couple years later I discovered by accident ff.net, and after a while began writing a new story. I wanted to post it, but I was afraid, too–this was a far greater unknown than the sharing of a story with a kindly teacher, and being an author was a part of me I wasn’t sure I was ready to share, for fear of getting hurt. But it was remembering the kindness of that teacher that gave me the courage to post that first chapter, and now…
Now I’m here. I’m here, and I’ve got worlds living in mind that I’d never have known if I hadn’t taken that step. And I don’t just mean that fanfic that I posted, which allowed me to get better at writing and eventually spun into something far greater than I would have dreamed–I have three multi-book fantasy worlds and a superhero story that I’m refining, hoping to put them to page and publish someday.
Now, I won’t say that the path has been an easy one, because even with fanfic there will be obstacles, and there will be haters (and some of them are nasty enough that they have their own hate clubs). But there is also a wonderful, supportive community out there, and I’ve made friends along the way. And being able to find a place as a writer… Well, it’s definitely helped me accept who I am.
Honestly, I didn’t mean to go on a bit of a….whatever this is….but if anything, I hope it helps you, too. Admittedly, I still keep my writing fairly close to my chest IRL (old habits die hard), but having that alter-ego online to share stories through… Honestly, I’m not sure where I’d be today if I hadn’t taken that step.And if I can do it, so can you.
Gotta say, if your writing is anything like this post, I’m surprised it ain’t published. Any chance of sending a link to your work? I’m kinda out of what to read.
I like to write a lot as well, though having a horrible teacher who hated everything I did last year hasn’t helped me. I went into a kind of writing flunk last year, not putting anything down unless it was assigned since the teacher was out there to trash everyone and had a policy of never giving anyone an A+.
“You can’t enjoy writing! That means you suck at it!”
But then this year I got a really nice teacher who encourages me to write and I have just taken off. I have gotten closer to finishing a story than ever before and have extended my first story beyond 150 pages. Everyone (save the bad teacher I had last year) seems to like my stories and want to read more. This year I’ve really been reconsidering my desire not to put the stories on the internet though for now I’ll stick with not doing it because I am shy and also inconsistent. Schoolwork takes up time and I’m not always inspired.
But I do agree that having a great teacher does help you, especially with something as personal as writing. Maybe one day I’ll be less shy. We’ll see. Point is, your story is inspiring and I could see myself in it, perhaps a little farther back that path.
That teacher is getting a dedication in whichever book I get published first. It’s the least I can do for her, and I hope that there were other kids who she managed to inspire to keep writing the way she did for me.
I’m glad you have a more encouraging teacher this year–you’re right, the attitude of a teacher towards the student can make all the difference. I had two wildly different Drawing teachers between high school and college, and it definitely affected how I saw my artwork. Of course, there is a difference between having strict standards and being an asshole, and while admittedly from the student’s perspective it can at times be hard to tell which is which, there are still some people who don’t make the best teachers, and I’m sorry you had to study under one. Granted, there is the slightest silver lining, in that you have experience with haters and extreme or unfair criticism (or so I tell myself about my own experiences), but it still leaves a sour taste that can be difficult to overcome. But knowing that your readers love your work is an amazing balm for such wounds–remember that when you find yourself flagging.
And honestly, don’t sweat the fact that you can’t always maintain inspiration or a steady update pace. Life happens, burnout happens, interests change–I am myself incredibly guilty of this. Part of it is that I’ve always been this way, jumping from hobby to hobby and interest to interest. Part of it is that I’ve found it hard to keep an hour in my schedule strictly for writing (and limiting myself to that hour when I have much more to do). And part of it is that there are days I just don’t feel interested in it at all anymore. And I will admit, I feel a little guilty because there are people waiting to see my stories progress, and I haven’t updated in a couple years. But writing is something we also do for ourselves–you can post just so you have somewhere to keep your story, and if others find it and love it and gain inspiration, well, that’s just a bonus.
It all comes down to what you feel comfortable with, though–if you don’t feel ready to post, then that’s okay. If you do, then go for it! And if you think you’re ready but are hesitating on the threshold–I’m not gonna lie, it’s a leap of faith. But you never know until you take it. And you have people rooting for you, no matter what you decide.
And…I’m glad that you can find inspiration in my story. The support I got from my teacher meant the world to me, and quite honestly came at a time in my life when I really needed it–if I can do the same for another aspiring writer, well….That means a lot to me, too.
I doubt I will ever write professionally, or even as a source of income, since my writing is more just “I had a cool idea and wanted to record it” then I go back and edit. There’s a few stories I’ve been developing for years and a lot of history in my world building, then there’s stories I just thought “hey, this would be cool.” My writing can be deep and meaningful or just plan wacky, it’s inconsistent.
I have my 150+ page graphic novel in progress stored as sheets of paper in some binders, the rest of my stories are just unwieldy documents. Organization has never been my strongest suit.
There are days when you write 20 pages, and weeks where you write none. I can kill my hand in one day writing, then sit about for months eating chips and lying about when I could be writing. Actually, that could make for a good poem. Maybe I’ll add it to my steadily growing poetry document.
My school seems to have a problem with bad literature teachers. There’s a lot of complaints going back and forth about most of them, not for strictness but for insensitivity, rudeness, and disrespect for the LGBTQ+ community. The problematic ones are all old, wrinkly, gray people hunched over in perpetual misery with a constant frown. Really unpleasant folks.
Then you have my teacher, who’s nothing but cheery and can be sidetracked for a whole class if you bring up a topic she likes. She’s pure energy and it really rubs off on me, being around her is like charging your battery.
Ultimately, I will probably go into botany. Maybe with a focus on genetics, even more specifically maybe specializing in carnivorous plants. Even now, I spend too much time drawing plants into the background or using them for symbolism. They even wind up starring in poems dometimes. Writing and drawing and “tackling all the arts” as a friend put it is my go-to cool down response and emotional outlet. I would like to keep it around as an option if I get stressed and hopefully get better at it.
:O
Well, at least she managed to break the prison
Well, at least that broke
through the prison complex, right…?
Watch out for debris…
That is probably *not* fine
I have no words for that pain, wow red that’s impressive, just wow
also in panel 6 is it just me or does the tree look like green lava
“This exactly”
-Life
“That. I want you to prevail with your own power. Because you are not my puppet.”
Wow. This is pretty groundbreaking.
@Zer0 W0lf yeah that’s my guess, too
Looking like the “you don’t need my help” explanation was correct.
The voices in your head just might know what they’re talking about on this occasion
Yeah, that’s prolly the case. Nice move, Life— refuse to help her, and let her inadvertently help herself.
offtopic but can we appreciate the glowy stuff in this comic please? the magic effects are just stunning. (also wth life??)
So “What do you want with me?!” she cries
She rages, her power flairs,
The green light flairs, Falst looks in fear
And now the prison shatters.
life said “no follow-up questions”
but in other words, life might have done this to help Alinua realise her own strength, or to just wind her up enough to get the job done, considering that Alinua’s magic is strongly tied to her emotions, unlike Erin’s or Tess’s, whose powers are tied to their intelligence and muscles, respectively
or maybe life didn’t see it as her place to intervene; when she brought out the plant colossus, she was intervening in the matter of a life mage terrorising a forest god and a town, so she saw it as her responsibility. however, this conflict is more Tynan VS Zuurith, and doesn’t directly involve primordial influences. perhaps she thinks this isn’t her jurisdiction, or her concern, and she doesn’t wish to interfere in the world more than necessary
Falst: It’s happening again.
A.M.: AGAIN?!
Be it saving a village that’s lost it’s wind, concealing herself for a dramatic entrance or breaking open a deathtrap prison, the answer for Alinua is always, Tree. Time and future chapters will tell if she sticks to the same rootine as usual or branches out. … I’m so sorry.
Looks like Ali could do it by herself after all; she just needed to let loose a bit. While it could be Life being indifferent to their lives I get the feeling this was a little test for Alinua by Life to show her that she has the power, ability and sense of self to do it on her own.
It could also be a lesson about going all out and letting go of her restrains, something Ali would probably find hard to do after a decade of constant self-control.
Prediction for next week: A.M. with a very aghast expression, think Jolon at the end of chapter 10, as the prison comes down and the prisoners and guards inside get to safety. Alinua surprised at what she just did, maybe even with Life saying something like “See? You didn’t need me”. Maybe Falst slips away and/or delivers a funny line too.
This is the most literal prison break sequence I’ve seen.
@zer0 w0lf
Exactly what I was thinking as well. I had a similar moment in a game I’m DMing, a desperate character was making a pact with a deity she didn’t understand well yet, and when she defiantly tried to set counter terms to the deal, ‘dared’ to foist rules onto a god… his response was “Perfect!” He’s a LN semi-Trickster god (the rules you need to set are for how *you* will play the game that is your life, have to keep the bargains you make but are not beholden to rules you don’t agree to abide by before hand, etc., and part of the game is getting other people to play by your rules.)
TL;DR: Zuurith prison’s falling down, falling down, falling down…
@Evil Tree: the punsss XD that was great, i needed that, thank you <3
@InsertPunHere: yes it does
@RealPeterM, @Bluefire: /cackling
@AdamB: huh thats kinda interesting actually
(the page didnt load comments fully or i would have responded to stuff in the same comment)
Life: What do I want from you? To get mad and do it yourself.
Also: Happy Purim! For anyone who lives in a city that had walls a few thousand years ago that is…
(And yes, I’m Jewish, whatcha gonna do about it?)
WELP. Just hoping the guys inside are fine after that sudden redecoration. I can imagine this being either a moment of self actualization and growing confidence in her powers, or a knife twist on all of Alinua’s old insecurities about unintended consequences.
Life: No comment.
*walks away*
OR BOTH.
She could realize the new extent of her powers *and* how people are like ants she actively has to avoid hurting. For all we know, Alinua can change landscapes and disrupt ecosystems if she is not careful.
If prior to awakening as Life’s vessel she had to worry about her magic doing things on it’s own, now she has to worry about the full range of consequences of what she actively chose to do, and it can be way harsher to deal with. If people get hurt now, it would not be up to chance, but because she didn’t think things through.
Hyped for the next chapter
Hopefully nobody gets hurt from the massive amount of *wall* that’s about to fall
I have a theory for Shrike (the bounty hunter lady.) I believe that, since previous alt text suggested she won’t appear until this arc is over. With that I believe she will be captured by escaped prisoners in revenge or something.
With that I want to bring up something. WHILE MOST PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY INNOCENT IN ZURRITH’S PRISON, THERE WILL STILL BE TERRIBLE CRIMINALS. (Sorry for accidental caps lock. Don’t even know how I caps lock for this long.)
With this in mind how they treat Shrike is up in the air. I believe her getting captured would advance the hinted redemption arc as she grapples with the reality of her actions.
I was thinking of this because I love a good redemption arc.
Alinua: “WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!”
*floomph*
Life: That.
That escalated quickly
Also, is it just me or does the strand of hair in the first panel make it look like she has another eye on that side of her face?
The tree is going to disrupt the winds of the storm causing it to peter out. Like how a hurricane cannot sustain itself over mountains.
Yup! Teachable moment.
Um… I really hope that those boulders don’t crush anyone.
Falst? I know the giant glowy tree is very distracting, but you might want to pay attention to the guard you’re fighting.
Evil Tree:
I like that callback to chapter 10. Also, I agree with your points on why Life could’ve decided to sit back on this; Alinua does need to realize that she’s capable of wielding this power (refuting my option 4 from Wednesday) and that, in appropriate circumstances, she doesn’t need to restrain herself anymore.
… HUMONGOUS DAFFODIL! I-I guess congratulations to alolanvulpix for guessing correctly in the most literal way possible. Ana a special thank you to everyone who provided extra Gift Horses (bonus answers)! You are all very creative and I couldn’t have been more proud of this community.
(For the people who picked A, I’ll congratulate you or not when life confirms is. Until then, this is alolanvulpix’s win)
@Matthew (concerning your last post): So, are you a Warhammer40k fan or a Technoblade fan?
@RealPeterM: Pffft-
@Alex: PFFFFF-
@Bluefire: -Zuurith’s prision fal-ling down, good hecking rid-dance
Did you know…
A danger danger divers face when surfacing is as sending too quickly. The air tanks that are used are a compressed mixture that incudes nitrogen, which goes into the body’s tissues at higher pressures, and when when you ascend too quickly the nitrogen creates bubbles that can damage tissues and nerves.
RealPeterM:
Ayyyy, I see what you did there, I like that pun.
Alex:
I guess we finally got the prison break people were calling for when the prison was first reavealed.
Bluefire:
My fair Zuurith…
TheUnkownGame:
Don’t worry! The guards are distracted too!
that tree is gorgeous :0
She wants you to see you can do it on your own just fine, obviously. xD
alt text: it’s tough when being a chosen one doesn’t come with a manual
@ Humanoid Clay It doesn’t seem like the Futrivia has been answered yet. Life didn’t really say why she said no, Alinua just fresked out and broke open the prison.
plant volcano
i want to see erin facepalm when he sees the new giant tree on the prison thats glowing green
on a completely different note, yesterday i finally figured out how to make chocolate syrup, and this morning i had some on pancakes for breakfast
this makes me think of 12:01 in trope talk 22
(link here;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhonpfb98Kk&ab_channel=OverlySarcasticProductions)
“I can’t do it. Please do it for me.”
“No.”
“What? No? Well if you won’t do it, then I’ll just do it myself!” *Super Saiyan scream as she cracks the mountain open, fuelled by pure spite*
DragonMaster66, Humanoid Clay, Monkey In A Shoe:
*Hits reply all*
Thanks for enjoying (and adding to) my TL;DR, I thought I made a funny one this time round.
…Well. This should make things interesting when Zuurith manages to pull himself back together long enough to manifest…
To everyone contributing to the ‘London Bridge’ spoof:
Ooh, my turn!
“Hold the mountain up with vines,
Roots and vines,
Boughs and vines,
Hold it fast with root and vine,
Fair Alinua”
(You could probably get away with the last line being “My fair Alinua”, but it’s stretching the syllable count a little. Thoughts?)
I think part of the reason Life Mom is refusing to help here is that in order to manifest, she needs a large source of Life energy. Last time she appeared, there was a lacrima full of power. Alinua doesn’t have that right now. If Life Mom were to make an appearance here, where would she get that energy from? I don’t think there’s enough ambient Life energy in the air right now, and ripping it out of those around her seems counter to Alinua’s goal at the moment…
That, and she wants Alinua to realize that she can do this on her own, as everyone else has been saying.
*whistle* damn. That was impressive. I do hope that Life said no for that reason…
Zer0wolf, *applause* nail, head, etc. I do hope you are right.
RealPeterM, badum-tshhh
The octopus, they do?! :O
#theOSPaddictthatjusthappenedtostumbleby (First off, your username is long… it took me forever to write down lol) also, yup, agreed. Reminds me of reverse phycology sort of…
Not good at usernames, agreed, Red your work is gorgeous as always! Theses last few pages especially have been absolutely beautiful!
Veggiesnake, I can see both of these as correct. It’s a little better than the explanation that life just doesn’t care about the people in the jail, more that she shouldn’t interfere considering that this is Tynan vs. Zuurith. But then again, the others did a pretty good job of interfering! (I suppose they weren’t primordial deities though…)
Evil Tree, Yeah, I really like that prediction! I just want to see a shocked and horrified arenamaster to be honest. Also those puns… I’m not sure whether I should laugh or cry…
Alex, LOL IT IS!!!
Bluefire, LMFAO, I’m much prefer this version of the song!!!
DragonMaster66, you tryin’ to take my job??? (Jk lol)
Wood guardian, Oh, happy Purim! Also, as to your question, I am going to treat you just as respectfully as when I didn’t know your religion and I am going to verbally slap anyone who tries to treat you differently or badly, that’s what I’m gonna do about it.
Gogo the Mimic, Oh. Shit. I did NOT think about that. Red wouldn’t do something like that to us though, right? Oh wait, nvm she totally would, it is a certified fact that red likes yanking at our heartstrings.
Archaleus, oooh that WOULD be interesting! I’m really curious now to learn about shrike, even more so than before!
StealthOfAir *wheezes* I’m sorry but that floomph just made my day! That was amazing!
TheUnknownGame, yeah Falst,please don’t get stabbed. Pretty please?
Monkey In A Shoe, oh wow, that’s interesting! I think I heard of that before very briefly…
Hermit Thrush, hell if half of how to go through life (not life the deity, life as in real life) was explained with a manual, we would all be geniuses, living in a perfect utopia!
Alolanvulpix, yesssss it would be awesome to see Erin go, aw darn it Ali, this is the fifth time this week! (Not literally, but seeing him facepalm would be nice)
Skye, *applause*, guys we need to make this a whole damn song! Give me one sec, I’ll compile the lyrics we have so far.
Steve, Lord of Darkness, oh that’s a really good point!
Also, damn everyone else is replying to people, y’all trying to steal my job? T-T (Jk, it’s fun to see the different replies)
Wait, did I start a song parody?
I haven’t done that since middle school…. Wow. A blast from the past.
Ladies, gents, and non binary friends, may I present, the Zuurith’s prison song by Bluefire, Humanoid Clay, Skye, and Hiii
Ahem-hem
Zuurith’s prison is falling down,
falling down,
falling down
Zuurith’s prison is falling down, good fucking riddance (or good hecking if we want to keep it child friendly)
“Hold the mountain up with vines,
Roots and vines,
Boughs and vines,
Hold it fast with root and vine,
My fair Alinua”
Falst protects and stops the guards
Stops the guards
Stops the guards
Falst protects and stops the guards, thank goodness for Ferin
Arenamaster is a jerk,
Is a jerk
Is a jerk
Arenamaster is jerk, both racist and classist
Zuurith is a pile of sand
Pile of sand
Pile of sand
Zuurith is a pile of sand, and I think he deserves it
Dainix tames his inner fire
Inner fire,
Inner fire,
Dainix tames his inner fire, now go beat tynan’s ass off
Ruunsaser siblings Go go go
Go go go
Go go go
Ruunaser siblings go go go, I love sibling dynamics
Tynan wants to flood the place
Flood the place
Flood the place
Tynan wants to flood the place, the floof squad’s here to stop him!
Because Zuurith’s prison is falling down,
falling down,
falling down
Zuurith’s prison is falling down, good fucking riddance
*Bows*
To the makers of that song: *wipes a tear from my eye* Beautiful… Simply Beautiful.
The Aceassin: I think you mean ‘freaked’ not ‘fresked’. and stop trying to tarnish my glory, brother of mine
@ alolanvulpix At least I use capital letters.
Bluefire:
I guess you did. Congratulations! Which reminds me: I came up with a different Aurora song parody that I’m saving for the appropriate moment in the story, which is probably at least a few chapters off, when the group approaches Helm; it’s a parody of “The Spine” from Transistor, composed by Darren Korb. I look forward to when I can finally share it!
“I want waffle fries”
Hiii:
Now this is the beautiful music I’ve been missing all these years. Truly spectacular, a million times better than whatever junk the gym teachers are blasting on the radio.
Aceassin and alolanvulpix, I’m not sure whether I should break this up or grab the popcorn and watch…
*sticks out tounge*
The Aceassin: Good point, although I did put a disclaimer that when Life actually confirms it, I will give a secondary congratulations to the people who were correct. However, it was unfair to specifically single out the people who guessed A, so comment retcon, the parentheses are for everyone who guessed. I was just so surprised that Life didn’t go into detail.
LIFE!! That’s emotional manipulation!
I love Falst, just beating up guards on the side, looking up and seeing this.
Also, @Hiii, that was indeed a masterful creation that you have shared with the world.
Bluefire, exactly! I wish that this was the sort of song we listened to in gym! I mean, we have a pg version! I do think I’m going to change the seventh verse, and maybe come back and add a verse for Kendal. But other than that, I’m pretty happy with it!
Bush Guardian, thank you, thank you
Average aurora enjoyer BAHAHAHA LMFAO, that was AMAZING!!! That’s right Ali, give Life a waffle fry!
Alolanvulpix, lol you remind me of a friend of mine on Tapas, you two would either be best friends or worst enemies, that’s for sure!
Okay, I went back and made the improved version of the song
Ladies, gents, and non binary friends, may I present, the Zuurith’s prison song by Bluefire, Humanoid Clay, Skye, and Hiii
Ahem-hem
Zuurith’s prison is falling down,
falling down,
falling down
Zuurith’s prison is falling down, good fucking riddance
Hold the mountain up with vines,
Roots and vines,
Boughs and vines,
Hold it fast with root and vine,
My fair Alinua
Falst protects and stops the guards
Stops the guards
Stops the guards
Falst protects and stops the guards, damn, that Ferin’s a badass
Arenamaster is a jerk,
Is a jerk
Is a jerk
Arenamaster is jerk, both racist and classist
Zuurith is a pile of sand
Pile of sand
Pile of sand
Zuurith is a pile of sand, and I think he deserves it
Dainix tames his inner fire
Inner fire,
Inner fire,
Dainix tames his inner fire, now go beat tynan’s ass off
Tess and Erin stop the storm,
Stop the storm
Stop the storm
Tess and Erin stop the storm, three cheers for Ruunaser siblings
Kendal holds off Tynan’s wrath
Tynan’s wrath
Tynan’s wrath
Kendal holds off Tynan’s wrath, don’t worry Dainix’s coming
Tynan wants to flood the place
Flood the place
Flood the place
Tynan wants to flood the place, the floof squad’s here to stop him!
Because Zuurith’s prison is falling down,
falling down,
falling down
Zuurith’s prison is falling down, good fucking riddance
*Bows*
And here’s the pg version:
Ladies, gents, and non binary friends, may I present, the Zuurith’s prison song by Bluefire, Humanoid Clay, Skye, and Hiii (pg version)
Ahem-hem
Zuurith’s prison is falling down,
falling down,
falling down
Zuurith’s prison is falling down, good hecking riddance
Hold the mountain up with vines,
Roots and vines,
Boughs and vines,
Hold it fast with root and vine,
My fair Alinua
Falst protects and stops the guards
Stops the guards
Stops the guards
Falst protects and stops the guards, dang that Ferin’s awesome
Arenamaster is a jerk,
Is a jerk
Is a jerk
Arenamaster is jerk, both racist and classist
Zuurith is a pile of sand
Pile of sand
Pile of sand
Zuurith is a pile of sand, and I think he deserves it
Dainix tames his inner fire
Inner fire,
Inner fire,
Dainix tames his inner fire, now go beat tynan’s butt off
Tess and Erin stop the storm,
Stop the storm
Stop the storm
Tess and Erin stop the storm, three cheers for Ruunaser siblings
Kendal holds off Tynan’s wrath
Tynan’s wrath
Tynan’s wrath
Kendal holds off Tynan’s wrath, don’t worry Dainix’s coming
Tynan wants to flood the place
Flood the place
Flood the place
Tynan wants to flood the place, the floof squad’s here to stop him!
Because Zuurith’s prison is falling down,
falling down,
falling down
Zuurith’s prison is falling down, good hecking riddance
*Bows*
Any other ideas for characters I should include in the song?
My gosh. I don’t check in on the comments for a while and THIS happens! it’s a weird but extremely pleasant surprise.
Welp! Time to reply to the whole…. Hullabaloo going on in the comments.
@Evil Tree. Don’t you DARE apologize for that glorious pun!
@RealPeterM. Another glorious pun!
I don’t think I have to tell a cheesy joke today, the comments are full of them.
@Bluefire, Skye, Hiii, and Humanoid Clay.
Bravo! That song is WONDERFUL! I shall surely sing this to my siblings.
“No, I won’t puppet you, your anger is all you need to get shit done faster. The real power was within you all along! : )”
And nothing potentially worrying is going on at all what so ever.
Task failed successfully
hope that mega tree canopy provides at least somewhat of an umbrella
Hiii:
You should be happy with it, you got a lot farther than I did haha.
You also wouldn’t want to be in my gym class, it happens at the same time as other gym classes and this one teacher (I don’t have him) comes in and turns some music making thingy up as loud as it will go, which when combined with the sound of 60 ish people in the gym at once is… overwhelming. As someone who hates loud noises, it’s the worst.
Also made a dumb drawing yesterday of me being annoyed at having to take gym class based solely on the realization that “nope” could be stylized as “no P.E.” and I thought it was funny.
So yeah. I don’t like gym.
Great song though, *applause* that was brilliant.
Bluefire:
Does anyone actually like P.E. classes, really? Sometimes you get to play something you like (I enjoyed badminton the most), but those precious few days are completely surrounded by sweat, cramps, fatigue, and exhaustion. One of the things about high school that I don’t miss. (Having to strip down to underwear in front of thirty-something people to change into and out of uniform in a room that smelled of body odor and Axe definitely didn’t help.)
Make a big-ass tree! Trees drink water, so, the flood will subside at once!
If, with “at once”, one means “at once” in large-tree-time-scale, which would be… longer… for puny bipedals.
TheUnknownGame:
Why is this so relatable??
I spend PE sitting on the sidelines with this one other kid hoping we get ignored. I’m one of the slowest, least fit kids I know since I’m a skinny little couch potato and my only exercise is the occasional walk. Heck, the last time I took gym prior to this year was two years ago, when I did a quarter year weight lifting class. I was the weakest, of course.
I mean, when I grow up the most strenuous physical activity I’ll have to do is walk around a room watering plants and maybe lifting a few heavier ones. Why am I even taking these classes?
As a homeschooler, one of the things that always blew my mind about public/private schools is that the students are regularly forced to change in front of each other and that’s just… considered normal???
@Bluefire @TheUnknownGame sorry forgot to specify in my previous comment
Bluefire, oh my lord, YES! I am also a skinny couch potato who absolutely HATES exercise! I don’t do any sports. The most exercise I get is carrying my ten pound backpack (I kid you not it is a whole ten pounds, but mostly because I shoved like 4 books in there as well lol) during school. But yeah, I HATED electives, and when we first started being allowed to choose electives I was ecstatic. I also got to choose my own classes, and beginner Spanish and band were awesome, and probably the only reason I didn’t go insane that year lol.
Hermit Thrush, *shrug* I guess so. I’m just surprised that after that they get so upset at us for not following our school dress code (which is dumb and definitely favors boys over girls)
ImuyanMangoCat, thank you, thank you. I did totally sing this to my mom btw, and she gave me the typical “my daughter is crazy and weird, just like me” look, but she seemed impressed. I didn’t tell her I wrote the song (because I’m shy about my writing and work and I’m afraid of being judged) but she was still impressed
Hiii, Hermit Thrush:
My school doesn’t have much of a dress code. We have no uniforms and for the most part people go to school dressed like they just got out of bed. There’s this one kid who even wears a blanket in school.
I don’t have to change in gym, there was only one P.E class available during the block that used to be my free period (RIP free block, you are missed) and it isn’t that intense so no one changes. It’s literally team building nonsense that always fails because most of the class either gossips/ fools around or doesn’t care and sits to the side (like me). Once I tried to get everyone in order but I gave up. It was an impossible task.
Hiii:
I have a rolling suitcase of a backpack that if placed on one’s back hurts since the bottom is hard and bumps your spine. So I have to grab the handle and carry the thing. My school has four floors, almost nobody can use the mostly non functional elevator, and I have to carry a computer and a bazillion notebooks (thanks AP biology). And I never have two classes in a row on one floor (lunch is also factored into this). So yes. I understand the backpack thing perfectly.
At least you can sing, and are brave enough to. I never do because, well, stage fright. It’s a long story.
@Hiii
does your mom also read the comic?
@the people talking about PE.
So reveal time, I don’t live in the US. My school system is different, PE focuses half on sports and half on dancing and I’d say the dress code is more balanced here.
ImuyanMangoCat:
What “PE” entails at my school depends on which class you choose, you need to do a certain amount but what you do and how long each part lasts is up to you. You can do weights for 1/4 a school year, yoga/ meditation for 1/4 a school year, and some sports stuff is 1/2 a year. There’s more I’m sure but I don’t know all the details. Dance isn’t really a thing as far as I know, though I know other schools that do offer it.
I am quite interested in how school systems work outside the US, I haven’t heard that many firsthand accounts of other schools and am a little curious, I must admit.
Bluefire, YOU ARE SO LUCKY! The dress code here absolutely SUCKS, and it’s not balanced AT ALL! The boys get by wearing almost nothing and the girls get in trouble for the tiniest things! It’s absolutely ridiculous! It sucks! And it’s just crazy because no one ever cares about the things they say will distract us! And P.E. Is boring as heck, and half the kids would lie around. That’s pretty much the only reason why kids choose P. E., is so that can laze around and do nothing. Also, I can sing (horribly) but only to my family etc. because I am also shy, which is weird because my personality otherwise is as far from shy as you can possibly get!
ImuyanMangoCat, yeah, I showed her it, but I don’t know if she’ll recognize which commentor is me or pay as much attention to the comments.
Hiii:
Yeah dress codes at schools tend to be stupid. So long as you’re not freezing to death or boiling over I really don’t care what you wear. Nobody’s clothing has ever bothered me because I never pay attention and I doubt many students do. We’re all too focused on actually doing school stuff. If anyone is getting distracted, I’d bet it’s the teachers.
I only took PE because it’s required for graduation, same with art. Ain’t no one ever gonna tell me how to draw thank you. I wish I could fill my schedule with science but you can only take two science electives, and even then a lot are exclusive to seniors or not related to what I want to study. I’m not too fond of most offered courses at my school. They seem to focus more heavily on arts and the humanities.
I have been told I have a good singing voice but being shy is a thing as is just not enjoying singing. I rarely do, unless it’s saying something funny in a singsong-y way.
to: hiii
I very much appreciate your verbal slap threat!
Also, spectacular! hail the new mozart!
To Hiii:
I feel you. When I first tried my hand at writing I was really nervous about sharing it with anyone else, too–which made it very hard in eighth grade when my ELA class required us to keep a journal as an assignment that would be turned in for a grade, and one of the assignments within that journal had to be a short story. I think I ended up writing some pretty awful Pokemon Mystery Dungeon fic (having never written a larger plot before, it was cliche’d to hell), and was horribly self-conscious and even a little ashamed when I turned the journal in for the first time…But the teacher loved it. I mean, in hindsight, it could very well be that she was just trying to be kind, because as I said this was not good writing and I was very nervous, but she was an amazing teacher and I loved the class, and the encouraging sticky notes that I found whenever I’d get the journal back meant a lot to me. I ended up finishing that story and starting another before that class was done, and I actually became excited when it was time to turn in the journal because I wanted to share the story I was working on.
A couple years later I discovered by accident ff.net, and after a while began writing a new story. I wanted to post it, but I was afraid, too–this was a far greater unknown than the sharing of a story with a kindly teacher, and being an author was a part of me I wasn’t sure I was ready to share, for fear of getting hurt. But it was remembering the kindness of that teacher that gave me the courage to post that first chapter, and now…
Now I’m here. I’m here, and I’ve got worlds living in mind that I’d never have known if I hadn’t taken that step. And I don’t just mean that fanfic that I posted, which allowed me to get better at writing and eventually spun into something far greater than I would have dreamed–I have three multi-book fantasy worlds and a superhero story that I’m refining, hoping to put them to page and publish someday.
Now, I won’t say that the path has been an easy one, because even with fanfic there will be obstacles, and there will be haters (and some of them are nasty enough that they have their own hate clubs). But there is also a wonderful, supportive community out there, and I’ve made friends along the way. And being able to find a place as a writer… Well, it’s definitely helped me accept who I am.
Honestly, I didn’t mean to go on a bit of a….whatever this is….but if anything, I hope it helps you, too. Admittedly, I still keep my writing fairly close to my chest IRL (old habits die hard), but having that alter-ego online to share stories through… Honestly, I’m not sure where I’d be today if I hadn’t taken that step.And if I can do it, so can you.
Gotta say, if your writing is anything like this post, I’m surprised it ain’t published. Any chance of sending a link to your work? I’m kinda out of what to read.
Skye:
I like to write a lot as well, though having a horrible teacher who hated everything I did last year hasn’t helped me. I went into a kind of writing flunk last year, not putting anything down unless it was assigned since the teacher was out there to trash everyone and had a policy of never giving anyone an A+.
“You can’t enjoy writing! That means you suck at it!”
But then this year I got a really nice teacher who encourages me to write and I have just taken off. I have gotten closer to finishing a story than ever before and have extended my first story beyond 150 pages. Everyone (save the bad teacher I had last year) seems to like my stories and want to read more. This year I’ve really been reconsidering my desire not to put the stories on the internet though for now I’ll stick with not doing it because I am shy and also inconsistent. Schoolwork takes up time and I’m not always inspired.
But I do agree that having a great teacher does help you, especially with something as personal as writing. Maybe one day I’ll be less shy. We’ll see. Point is, your story is inspiring and I could see myself in it, perhaps a little farther back that path.
To Bluefire:
That teacher is getting a dedication in whichever book I get published first. It’s the least I can do for her, and I hope that there were other kids who she managed to inspire to keep writing the way she did for me.
I’m glad you have a more encouraging teacher this year–you’re right, the attitude of a teacher towards the student can make all the difference. I had two wildly different Drawing teachers between high school and college, and it definitely affected how I saw my artwork. Of course, there is a difference between having strict standards and being an asshole, and while admittedly from the student’s perspective it can at times be hard to tell which is which, there are still some people who don’t make the best teachers, and I’m sorry you had to study under one. Granted, there is the slightest silver lining, in that you have experience with haters and extreme or unfair criticism (or so I tell myself about my own experiences), but it still leaves a sour taste that can be difficult to overcome. But knowing that your readers love your work is an amazing balm for such wounds–remember that when you find yourself flagging.
And honestly, don’t sweat the fact that you can’t always maintain inspiration or a steady update pace. Life happens, burnout happens, interests change–I am myself incredibly guilty of this. Part of it is that I’ve always been this way, jumping from hobby to hobby and interest to interest. Part of it is that I’ve found it hard to keep an hour in my schedule strictly for writing (and limiting myself to that hour when I have much more to do). And part of it is that there are days I just don’t feel interested in it at all anymore. And I will admit, I feel a little guilty because there are people waiting to see my stories progress, and I haven’t updated in a couple years. But writing is something we also do for ourselves–you can post just so you have somewhere to keep your story, and if others find it and love it and gain inspiration, well, that’s just a bonus.
It all comes down to what you feel comfortable with, though–if you don’t feel ready to post, then that’s okay. If you do, then go for it! And if you think you’re ready but are hesitating on the threshold–I’m not gonna lie, it’s a leap of faith. But you never know until you take it. And you have people rooting for you, no matter what you decide.
And…I’m glad that you can find inspiration in my story. The support I got from my teacher meant the world to me, and quite honestly came at a time in my life when I really needed it–if I can do the same for another aspiring writer, well….That means a lot to me, too.
Skye:
I doubt I will ever write professionally, or even as a source of income, since my writing is more just “I had a cool idea and wanted to record it” then I go back and edit. There’s a few stories I’ve been developing for years and a lot of history in my world building, then there’s stories I just thought “hey, this would be cool.” My writing can be deep and meaningful or just plan wacky, it’s inconsistent.
I have my 150+ page graphic novel in progress stored as sheets of paper in some binders, the rest of my stories are just unwieldy documents. Organization has never been my strongest suit.
There are days when you write 20 pages, and weeks where you write none. I can kill my hand in one day writing, then sit about for months eating chips and lying about when I could be writing. Actually, that could make for a good poem. Maybe I’ll add it to my steadily growing poetry document.
My school seems to have a problem with bad literature teachers. There’s a lot of complaints going back and forth about most of them, not for strictness but for insensitivity, rudeness, and disrespect for the LGBTQ+ community. The problematic ones are all old, wrinkly, gray people hunched over in perpetual misery with a constant frown. Really unpleasant folks.
Then you have my teacher, who’s nothing but cheery and can be sidetracked for a whole class if you bring up a topic she likes. She’s pure energy and it really rubs off on me, being around her is like charging your battery.
Ultimately, I will probably go into botany. Maybe with a focus on genetics, even more specifically maybe specializing in carnivorous plants. Even now, I spend too much time drawing plants into the background or using them for symbolism. They even wind up starring in poems dometimes. Writing and drawing and “tackling all the arts” as a friend put it is my go-to cool down response and emotional outlet. I would like to keep it around as an option if I get stressed and hopefully get better at it.
😮
Alinua’s eyelashes 🙂
I love the hand traced by green light under the blue hand in panel 3.. Well done!