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InBrightestDay

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  1. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from JayDee in InBrightestDay's (Originals) Review Reply & Discussion Thread   
    Ok, so I was away from home for a while, but we have some more reviews for WitS from @GeorgeGlass!
    This is definitely an area where the compressed timeframe of the story affected how fast it moved.  This whole thing takes place over about a week, and I had a hard time believing Eparlegna would wait too long to make his move.  Given that, I definitely ended up having Luzurial come to her decision faster than if the story had taken place over, say, a month.  I was definitely aware of what you’re talking about, which was why I stretched the timeline out by one more day, so that Luzurial had around an entire day to think about what she was going to do, rather than, say, a few hours.
    Thank you!  That kind of came from JayDee.  In Whore of Heaven, the barrier is described as looking vaguely like smoke, so I figured there might be a sense of that as it expanded, and with the agents driving away from it I was kind of reminded of the pyroclastic flow scene from Dante’s Peak.
    Correct.  I didn’t think I’d be able to create a Sloth monster that was actually threatening, but figured out I could make it work if it sapped the energy from people around it.  The Gluttony creature you only hear about, from the elevator shaft, actually has a little bit of extra story behind it.  I remember talking in the review thread for one of @InvidiaRed’s stories about insect mouthparts and the proboscis, and posting by way of example a wheelbug up close to show it.  Invidia was like “Well THAT’s terrifying.”  I couldn’t resist having a creature design with a similar organ and have someone else take Invidia’s “Well SCREW that!” attitude toward it.
    Thank you again!  I was rather fond of that one.
    *shakes fist at the sky* JAAAAAYDEEEEEE!
  2. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from JayDee in InBrightestDay's (Originals) Review Reply & Discussion Thread   
    Alright!  The last review from @GeorgeGlass
    I won’t go into this too deeply, as a future story may have a scene addressing the topic again, but this is definitely an overriding philosophy on display here: science and philosophy (religion included) are two ways of looking at the world, and if both religion and science are equally valid, as is the case in this story, then at the points where the two touch, they should overlap without conflicting.  I personally like the effect when you combine the two.  This comes up in Chapter 3 with Luzurial’s happiest memory being 13.6 billion years ago, fusion igniting inside the first star, when Luzurial explains that lower-ranking angels look like the mortals of whatever planet they’re assigned to and so on.  It’s something I really enjoyed doing with the story.
    I had so much fun with that.  Credit must also be given to @JayDee, because way back in the day, I was actually just going to have Luzurial get a new sword when she regained her wings.  However, during conversation with JayDee, they mentioned that the sword is actually a part of Luzurial, like a shard of her soul, so at that point she had to get it back, and the idea of using the flaming whip like that was way too good to pass up!
    I thought about that, and I admit this has to do with the mental image that resulted.  Holy water is water that’s been blessed by a priest, and when I considered it being standard use against beings like this, I had the image of a bunch of priests on like an assembly line, blessing holy water in huge quantities...and I started chuckling at the image.  So yeah, holy water is made in relatively small quantities, but it’s for a very personal reason.
    So...I am very sorry about that.  I wish there were some manner of explanation I could give you, but the simple fact was that I didn’t think of it.  I can’t begin to explain why I never thought to have her say it in the denouement.  Doesn’t make me look particularly intelligent, does it?  Again, I’m sorry.
    Thank you again!  The Hell scene wasn’t something I’d planned from the beginning but evolved out of the storytelling.  It all started with that bit in Chapter 4 where I was sort of summing Eparlegna’s character up through dialogue, and then later with his dialogue with Kevin in Chapter 6 he kept insulting Lucifer and I started to have thoughts...
    Thank you for the reviews, and I’m really happy you enjoyed it.
  3. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from JayDee in InBrightestDay's (Originals) Review Reply & Discussion Thread   
    I got two more reviews for WitS, though, which I can respond to before work.
     
    Well, Cthulhu fhtagn.
     
    Note that these aren’t the entirety of the reviews, but the rest are links to...somewhere (I didn’t follow them).  As this is rather obviously spam, I’m deleting these.
  4. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from JayDee in InBrightestDay's (Originals) Review Reply & Discussion Thread   
    Ok, so I looked back to see where I’d last responded to @Sinfulwolf’s reviews, and it turns out I’d somehow neglected to do so since her review of Chapter 9.  So I have several reviews to respond to, not just one.  First, Chapter 10.
    I have included this sentence of the review purely for the sake of irony.
    Thank you!  I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this elsewhere in this thread, but I got my start writing Gundam fanfiction, and writing the action scenes has always been fun.  I should probably write another space battle one of these days.  Not to spoil anything I’ve started reading recently, but you write some pretty intense action scenes yourself, so that’s a serious compliment.

    I definitely see what you’re getting at.  It is a tricky sort of balancing act, and I’m not sure I’ll ever entirely master the “detail versus flow” thing, but I will try!
    Thanks again!  Your comments did make me really think about why I was writing this the way I was, and made me realize that while it’s somehow socially acceptable for a male protagonist to have a love interest who’s a noncombatant, it doesn’t seem to be done the other way around.  I guess we’ve gotten to the point where a large segment of the population will accept women as action heroes, but at the same time there are boundaries on masculinity we’re reluctant to push.  The Non-Action Guy, as TV Tropes puts it, is often played for comedy rather than just accepted as viable.
     
    The traps are another example of me trying to follow stuff @JayDee set up in WoH, expanding on a quick line and working to figure out what “the traps of Hell” might be like.  While I like the matter prism from Chapters 11 and 12 is cool in a very “high magic” sort of way, there is something about the aesthetic of the fractal impalement trap that I think works on a visceral level; I may have mentioned The Evil Within as an inspiration before, but that trap is something I can sort of imagine being in the first game, crawling through a maze while spikes grow toward you with metal rasping noise.
    And once again I am really glad at how popular Luzurial’s “Fine, I’ll let you talk to my boss” moment is.  Because, as I said when I read (some of) MRaD, fuck that guy.
  5. Haha
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from InvidiaRed in AFF Holiday Party 2020   
    *nods* Such are the choices that vex the hearts of men...
  6. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from JayDee in "Nonsense reviews"   
    I’ve gotten three: two on WitS and one on The Least I Can Do over in Books.  I’ve deleted them, and thankfully had the same thought as Bronx when it came to the links.  I don’t really want to turn off anonymous reviews, as I’ve gotten several genuine reviews from fans who simply don’t have an account, so I’ll just keep deleting them as they pop up.
  7. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from GeorgeGlass in "Nonsense reviews"   
    I’ve gotten three: two on WitS and one on The Least I Can Do over in Books.  I’ve deleted them, and thankfully had the same thought as Bronx when it came to the links.  I don’t really want to turn off anonymous reviews, as I’ve gotten several genuine reviews from fans who simply don’t have an account, so I’ll just keep deleting them as they pop up.
  8. Like
    InBrightestDay reacted to GeorgeGlass in "Nonsense reviews"   
    In the past couple of days, I’ve received five “nonsense reviews” that look like this:
    From ANON - on October 06, 2021

    NKGfAy cgrngykbkdod, uwuuwppwtogw, [link=http://dbghcmuhsqds.com/]dbghcmuhsqds[/link], h**p://hgavtlargcnu.com/
    There’s no obvious rhyme or reason to which stories are getting them, as some are in Cartoons and some are in Originals (the only 2 archive sections in which I have stories posted). A recent post from @InBrightestDay suggests that he’s getting them, too. Anything to be done besides deleting them?
     
  9. Like
    InBrightestDay reacted to Desiderius Price in AFF Holiday Party 2020   
    Right now, I’m on a roll with the fanfic--managed 2.2kwords BEFORE I had to go to work today.  If I get stuck on that & have a good story idea, I’ll likely write something.
  10. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from BronxWench in AFF Holiday Party 2020   
    *nods* Such are the choices that vex the hearts of men...
  11. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from Desiderius Price in AFF Holiday Party 2020   
    *nods* Such are the choices that vex the hearts of men...
  12. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from Desiderius Price in Jaimie's Campfire (StarRebels)   
    And wouldn’t you know it, one story became your own little shared universe!  Lots of effort, I realize, but hey, the result is kind of cool.
    Sorry about that!  I realize it can be kind of a hassle.
    That’d be a hell of a thing, though there is some precedent historically.  Christian modernism (or liberal Christianity, whichever term you prefer) was the predominant form of the religion in the US up until the world wars happened.  It’s debated exactly what the cause was (it may have been the world wars or even the Cold War; why change your traditions if the world is about to end in nuclear fire?), but post WWII saw the rise of evangelicalism, a term I’m using here in its political science definition (Christians who tend toward biblical literalism/fundamentalism and social conservatism), as the larger branch of Protestant Christianity in the country.
    I’m not sure what would cause a shift so drastic that the WBC would look normal, but it’s possible.  I just really hope that doesn’t happen (fingers fucking crossed).
    Hey, we have something in common.  We’ve obviously landed in rather different places, and talking with you more, I really do hope nothing I’ve said has brought up any bad memories.
    I wasn’t really aiming for a debate, but I am glad this is a positive experience for you!
  13. Like
    InBrightestDay reacted to Desiderius Price in Jaimie's Campfire (StarRebels)   
    I’ll shorten the above to keep the “replied” tag, but not swampthis reply.
    First, I appreciate the discussion … it’s great to have one!
    Second, this is the first work in the verse, despite it being listed where it is; it had started as a kludge, where I started to add in flashbacks, tales of some of the side-characters.  Once I had realized that I was getting confused, I realized the readers had to be lost.  Thus, I split it apart, spinning off the Alaska Trekkers and Dolbourne Chronicles as separate, and posted this afresh – though I see it’s been five years.  Alaska Trekkers is quite solid at this point, finished, though I might visit it again with an editor if I decide to self-publish it.   Anyways, trying to remember what I was thinking five years ago…
    I do plan to address the religious slide in Dolbourne Chronicles because Jaimie’s the history buff.  I’m trying to avoid a deep dive in Jefferey so I can leave this to Jaimie.  Suffice it to say, the world wars the US lost, pushed for some level of theological change, making Westboro seem closer to “normal”.   Though, I do admit getting the denominations mixed up (I was raised Lutheran).  But, you can assume an amendment or three were made, allowing for the government to stick its nose into everybody’s spiritual welfare – roll back on LGBT rights included.  Politicians of this era will be clergy or theological (nothing illegal, yet, to being a used-car-salesman applying, but such a candidate wouldn’t get the votes).
    Had to reread for the baptism scene (and noticed I got the televangelist’s name wrong, it’ll be Aubley Wurtz when I revise to be in line with the other stories).  The minister’s comment was more a reminder of the loss, which was more relevant when the stories were crammed together, it might get nixed on the revision.  (Dolbourne Chronicles needs to be finished before I can really work on Fiends, it’s about the chronology.)
    But, yep, this story will be mainly from Jaimie’s POV.  (Joe’s POV will likely be #2 here.)  The POTUS is given a scene so the reader knows something is up, the government is interested in Jaimie’s affairs, even if Jaimie’s unaware of it – this goes to the plausibility of what gets offered to Jaimie.
    Sure, I’ll take credit for the St. James Bible … trying to find any notes on it anywhere else.  Going with it because, as you said, I can massage the theology
    Janitorial actions are best kept… under wraps.  As in, it’s hush-hush.  This is what the Alaska Trekkers teenagers run into, the beauty of that operation is people simply “vanishing” without a trace.  As to techniques – vanishing is great, an accident is fine, them being an idiot is okay, suicide is...borderline.  Depending on the denomination, the person might have already been shunned & disfellowshipped, so family & friends might not really care, too.   And they can justify this action in Matthew 5:29-30; Mark 9:43-47, where cutting off a part of a person to save the whole, applied to a whole society, ie, cutting out the rot.
    Anyways, thanks for the debate, always makes my day
  14. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from Desiderius Price in Jaimie's Campfire (StarRebels)   
    Ok, so I’ve finished Chapter 2, and am sort of figuring out how to write the review for it, but it occurs to me that there’s a question concerning Chapter 1 I actually forgot to ask.
    I’m not going to ask about how the theocracy works in general, since you explained a decent amount of it in the post above, and the question of how we got here may come up later (or, frankly, might not actually be important), but I will ask about this: the theocracy is referred to as Christian, and it is, in broad strokes, but throughout the first chapter you seemed to be dropping hints that these people aren’t a denomination of Christianity as it is practiced today.  During the baptism scene, for instance, the reverend says to Joe that it’s been x amount of time since his brother “was given angel wings”, and says that said brother is watching over them.  While you do sometimes hear this from laypeople, it would be somewhat odd to hear it from an actual minister.  In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, angels are a very different form of life, and humans do not become angels when they die.  Later, during the shared birthday, you had one of the boys given a “Saint James Bible”.  So far as I can tell, no such translation exists, which suggests that the theocracy has its own version of the scriptures, likely edited for its politcal purposes.  I thought this was actually really clever, but it did catch my eye that the gang is attending what’s referred to as a Baptist church.  The theocracy has practices that don’t align with Baptists (a toddler is being baptized in that one scene, and the Baptist denomination doesn’t practice infant baptism, instead waiting until the child is around seven or eight years old), so what’s going on there?  It’s possible that Southern Baptists were allowed to continue worship as they do (though a lot of Christian denominations would end up opposed to this theocracy, and would likely have been driven underground), or that this church used to belong to the Southern Baptist Conference but now belongs to whatever denomination the theocracy is.  I was just curious about how it worked out.
    Examples of the “driven underground” thing above:
     
  15. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from Desiderius Price in Jaimie's Campfire (StarRebels)   
    Sorry if that came across as harsh.  The cut-offs really were the only thing I would call a criticism, and that is a delicate balancing act, figuring out when and where to employ it.  Like I said, there were times it worked exactly as intended and made the dialogue feel more real. 
    As you no doubt noticed from there being no review today, I won’t be able to do one of these daily.  I have several other things I’m reading and writing.  Amusingly, one of the stories taking shape in my head (I have the plot, but haven’t worked out the main character’s arc yet) is almost like Fiends’ mirror image.  Anyway, I will try and steadily work my way through Chapter 2 soonish.
    You mention that this is an early work and maybe a little rough compared to your later stuff, but while I don’t have anything later to compare it to, I think it’s a hell of a good start!
  16. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from GeorgeGlass in InBrightestDay's (Originals) Review Reply & Discussion Thread   
    Alright!  The last review from @GeorgeGlass
    I won’t go into this too deeply, as a future story may have a scene addressing the topic again, but this is definitely an overriding philosophy on display here: science and philosophy (religion included) are two ways of looking at the world, and if both religion and science are equally valid, as is the case in this story, then at the points where the two touch, they should overlap without conflicting.  I personally like the effect when you combine the two.  This comes up in Chapter 3 with Luzurial’s happiest memory being 13.6 billion years ago, fusion igniting inside the first star, when Luzurial explains that lower-ranking angels look like the mortals of whatever planet they’re assigned to and so on.  It’s something I really enjoyed doing with the story.
    I had so much fun with that.  Credit must also be given to @JayDee, because way back in the day, I was actually just going to have Luzurial get a new sword when she regained her wings.  However, during conversation with JayDee, they mentioned that the sword is actually a part of Luzurial, like a shard of her soul, so at that point she had to get it back, and the idea of using the flaming whip like that was way too good to pass up!
    I thought about that, and I admit this has to do with the mental image that resulted.  Holy water is water that’s been blessed by a priest, and when I considered it being standard use against beings like this, I had the image of a bunch of priests on like an assembly line, blessing holy water in huge quantities...and I started chuckling at the image.  So yeah, holy water is made in relatively small quantities, but it’s for a very personal reason.
    So...I am very sorry about that.  I wish there were some manner of explanation I could give you, but the simple fact was that I didn’t think of it.  I can’t begin to explain why I never thought to have her say it in the denouement.  Doesn’t make me look particularly intelligent, does it?  Again, I’m sorry.
    Thank you again!  The Hell scene wasn’t something I’d planned from the beginning but evolved out of the storytelling.  It all started with that bit in Chapter 4 where I was sort of summing Eparlegna’s character up through dialogue, and then later with his dialogue with Kevin in Chapter 6 he kept insulting Lucifer and I started to have thoughts...
    Thank you for the reviews, and I’m really happy you enjoyed it.
  17. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from GeorgeGlass in InBrightestDay's (Originals) Review Reply & Discussion Thread   
    Ok, so I was away from home for a while, but we have some more reviews for WitS from @GeorgeGlass!
    This is definitely an area where the compressed timeframe of the story affected how fast it moved.  This whole thing takes place over about a week, and I had a hard time believing Eparlegna would wait too long to make his move.  Given that, I definitely ended up having Luzurial come to her decision faster than if the story had taken place over, say, a month.  I was definitely aware of what you’re talking about, which was why I stretched the timeline out by one more day, so that Luzurial had around an entire day to think about what she was going to do, rather than, say, a few hours.
    Thank you!  That kind of came from JayDee.  In Whore of Heaven, the barrier is described as looking vaguely like smoke, so I figured there might be a sense of that as it expanded, and with the agents driving away from it I was kind of reminded of the pyroclastic flow scene from Dante’s Peak.
    Correct.  I didn’t think I’d be able to create a Sloth monster that was actually threatening, but figured out I could make it work if it sapped the energy from people around it.  The Gluttony creature you only hear about, from the elevator shaft, actually has a little bit of extra story behind it.  I remember talking in the review thread for one of @InvidiaRed’s stories about insect mouthparts and the proboscis, and posting by way of example a wheelbug up close to show it.  Invidia was like “Well THAT’s terrifying.”  I couldn’t resist having a creature design with a similar organ and have someone else take Invidia’s “Well SCREW that!” attitude toward it.
    Thank you again!  I was rather fond of that one.
    *shakes fist at the sky* JAAAAAYDEEEEEE!
  18. Haha
    InBrightestDay reacted to InvidiaRed in InBrightestDay's (Originals) Review Reply & Discussion Thread   
    I still stand by that
    We got biological syringes walking around.
  19. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from JayDee in InBrightestDay's (Originals) Review Reply & Discussion Thread   
    Another review from @GeorgeGlass, this time for WitS chapters 4-6!
    One does wonder about the insurance claim there…  Kind of reminds me of that bit from Big Trouble in Little China where Jack Burton is trying to figure out what to do concerning the loss of his truck due to supernatural forces.  “...And I don’t want to hear ‘Act of God’.”
    The Charnel Spider does seem to be something of a fan favorite.  Because none of this would have happened without JayDee giving me permission to write it, they got an advance copy of every chapter before posting, and I remember being really excited to show them the Charnel Spider, due to the...well, I guess it really being kind of fucked up horror imagery.
    I wasn’t really sure how to portray an Envy-based monster.  The problem there was that the obvious solution, shapeshifting to be what it wants to be, was something that, if I recall correctly, Fullmetal Alchemist had already done with the homunculus Envy.  The idea of, instead of copying what you want, taking it from someone else, was sufficiently creepy to me (“I wish I had skin like that...so I’ll just take yours.”) that I went with that.
    I’m glad the confrontation was reminiscent of WoH, as this was probably the part of the story where I was most dedicated to evoking some of the feel of JayDee’s first story.
    Thanks again for the review!
  20. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from InvidiaRed in InBrightestDay's (Originals) Review Reply & Discussion Thread   
    Another review from @GeorgeGlass, this time for WitS chapters 4-6!
    One does wonder about the insurance claim there…  Kind of reminds me of that bit from Big Trouble in Little China where Jack Burton is trying to figure out what to do concerning the loss of his truck due to supernatural forces.  “...And I don’t want to hear ‘Act of God’.”
    The Charnel Spider does seem to be something of a fan favorite.  Because none of this would have happened without JayDee giving me permission to write it, they got an advance copy of every chapter before posting, and I remember being really excited to show them the Charnel Spider, due to the...well, I guess it really being kind of fucked up horror imagery.
    I wasn’t really sure how to portray an Envy-based monster.  The problem there was that the obvious solution, shapeshifting to be what it wants to be, was something that, if I recall correctly, Fullmetal Alchemist had already done with the homunculus Envy.  The idea of, instead of copying what you want, taking it from someone else, was sufficiently creepy to me (“I wish I had skin like that...so I’ll just take yours.”) that I went with that.
    I’m glad the confrontation was reminiscent of WoH, as this was probably the part of the story where I was most dedicated to evoking some of the feel of JayDee’s first story.
    Thanks again for the review!
  21. Like
    InBrightestDay got a reaction from JayDee in InBrightestDay's (Originals) Review Reply & Discussion Thread   
    Ok, so, I’m working on a few different things, and I just now happened to go to my gmail account and oh crap @GeorgeGlass left a WitS review two days ago and I didn’t notice it!
    Well, let’s rectify that.
    Thank you!  The “castrate him with a spork” thing made me chuckle a bit as well.  I mentioned this in the AN, but the tentacle scene was the first one I’d ever actually written, so I was definitely nervous.  The positive reception it’s gotten has been very encouraging.
    Finally, I’m glad you enjoyed the little bit of payback Hobbes gets.  I knew what I was going to do to Barbara, and I just kind of wanted to give her...I don’t know, something, some little moment where she gets back at him at least a little.
    Glad you’re enjoying the story so far, and I hope it continues to be fun for you!
  22. Like
    InBrightestDay reacted to Sparrow in Bunkerkampf (Mortuus Orbis Part Two)   
    Chapter three is up. Much shorter than the previous one, I’m afraid.
  23. Like
    InBrightestDay reacted to Sparrow in Bunkerkampf (Mortuus Orbis Part Two)   
    Chapter two is up. Better grab a sandwich or something, because this is a long one.
  24. Like
  25. Like
    InBrightestDay reacted to Sparrow in Bunkerkampf (Mortuus Orbis Part Two)   
    Authors: Sparrow and InBrightestDay
    Title: Bunkerkampf (Mortuus Orbis Part Two)
    Summary: Following the events of Part One, the remaining survivors attempt to rebuild their numbers, only to face new threats in the dead city. More pressing, however, is a threat already among them, that their fragile unity may not survive.
    Feedback: Reviews and constructive criticism much desired.
    Fandom: Misc Video Games/RPGs > Crossovers
    Warnings: Abuse Angst Bigotry BMod BP Contro HC Hum MCD MF MiCD Minor2 Oral Racist Rape Solo Tort UST Violence
    Solo or chaptered story: Chaptered
    URL: http://games.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600091480
    Review Reply thread: http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/topic/69143-mortuus-orbis-discussion-thread/
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