I took a breath. “How does Arcane Fate work outside of Creation?”
Velma was silent for a long moment. “I swear to Upper Management, half the reason The Company hasn't replaced Contractors with hyper-efficient simulacra is that they will invariably push the button they've just been forbidden from.”
“Hmm... yeah, you're doing a great job. I feel seen,” I replied in a dry and amused tone. “So...”
“I see where you're going...
2024-12-19 15:46:42 +0000 UTC View Post
Ugh, holiday stuff. Had to do a lot of cleaning for family that got in last night, so I've been busier than usual.
Still, here's the promised update of Mind Games. I had a bit of trouble deciding where to cut the chapter off. Part of me wanted to do the entire date in one go, but... I really enjoy writing Hitoshi/Himiko interactions and would have probably turned this into a 7-8k monster if I'd gone that route. So the date will finish up next chapter. Which... will probably be the ...
2024-12-19 15:42:50 +0000 UTC View PostThe embers I'd worked hard to keep smoldering had been fanned into a flame that was going to consume that galaxy if it wasn't stopped.
Which, admittedly, I could do fairly easily.
The issue was doing so in a manner which wouldn't immediately lead to the collective might of all of the alien races of the galaxy attempting to smash down on the Systems Alliance.
Both my own knowledge and countless simulations indicated that, were I to confront the r...
2024-12-15 01:52:31 +0000 UTC View Post
As promised, a new chapter of Winning Peace as we draw ever-closer to the end of the line.
I'll be working on the next chapter of Industrious' Marvel storyline in the coming week... along with what's probably going to be another chapter of Mind Games. Because I can't help myself.
So look forward to those. Everyone stay safe as you have fun/travel over the holiday season.
Thank you again for your support and stay awesome.
2024-12-15 01:50:38 +0000 UTC View PostSo, this is kind of a 'Year in Review' for 2024.
First off, even though I try to say it a lot, I'll say it again: Thank You. It means a lot to me that everyone here is here in the first place, helping me support myself and augment a fairly meager income at my regular day job. Your support also helps me turn my writing into something that's actually profitable, which eases a lot of stress in my day-to-day life when I know that I can come home to something that I enjoy doing and be comp...
2024-12-13 02:17:27 +0000 UTC View Post“You look better,” I commented, clapping Kirishima on the back, the gesture making him miss a step and stiffen awkwardly.
“Ah... you think so?” Eijiro asked, visibly looking himself over as we walked along the park, his school clothes probably seeming the same as they ever were. “I've been... uh, working out? A little?”
“Nah, that's not it.” I released a short airy breath between my lips, the noise a negative hiss as I shook my head. Kirishima frowned, almost poute...
2024-12-10 12:49:25 +0000 UTC View Post
So... here's a 5k chapter of Mind Games.
I, uh... I made myself sad writing Himiko.
I think I need to go write about the imminent machine apocalypse now, to cheer myself up. Hope everyone's week is going okay?
2024-12-10 12:46:50 +0000 UTC View Post“I don't like this,” General Tanizaki Amuro stated firmly, his expression as firm and disapproving as a granite cliff you were about to collide head-first with.
Kikuoka refrained from initiating a shouting match with his nominal superior using what he felt was an admirable amount of restraint. Though, it said something damning about his current state of mind that he even entertained the notion, however briefly. “It's the best we have, sir.”
The older man huf...
2024-12-07 10:17:23 +0000 UTC View Post
Another look past the curtain into things happening IRL with everyone's favorite overworked government functionary. Thankfully, he seems to be making some unexpected progress in his goals.
Alright, on to other news! I actually had to count votes this time instead of there being a clear winner. So here are the totals after adding up everything between the two sites:
Winning Peace: 86
Industrious: 84
Mind Games: 73
...with The New Ron taking up fourth and Where ...
2024-12-07 10:14:46 +0000 UTC View Post“And it is with great honor and gratitude, that we award Dr. Ezekiel Lopez the highest tier of Hierarchy Citizenship for his immense service to the state as a whole, the turian people, and our struggle against the New Prothean Empire!”
Edgar leaned back in his sim, watching the full panorama of the opulent Palaven ceremony in all of its military splendor.
The entire affair made him vaguely queasy.
And reignited his disappointment wi...
2024-12-04 12:43:52 +0000 UTC View Post
...and here we go!
More seriously, we're entering the end game for Winning Peace. Not sure how many more chapters we have, but I think this one will be ending either this month or next. So enjoy!
As I've said before, there's the outside possibility of a continuation of WP after a significant hiatus and planning period, but that won't be for a while.
Next up? I'm thinking... Where Your God Is. It's been a while since that had some love. Look forward to it soon. ...
2024-12-04 12:42:24 +0000 UTC View PostSecond Verse, Same as the First!
2024-12-01 07:15:31 +0000 UTC View PostAlright! Here's the December Poll!
I'm going to be changing things up a little bit and swapping things out.
Nexus Event will be cut from this month's poll, but reappear next month, likely taking the place of Where Your God Is. I'm doing this in an effort to break up the streaks that some of the top projects seem to maintain. I'll also be moving forward with the plans for a $10 Tier sometime either later this month or early January with a special bonus poll for an extra-long cha...
2024-12-01 07:12:47 +0000 UTC View PostIn my defense, I'd only transmigrated to this world about a month and a half ago and had promptly buckled down and begun planning a routine to prepare myself for hero highschool, make a few credits from my corporate overlords, and generally not destroy the best chance the heroes had to fight off the local Big Bad by tampering with the timeline too much. Ever since then, I'd been very busy properly acclimating to my new environment, getting in shape, and starting up a moderately successful str...
2024-12-01 05:31:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Winning Peace will be out in a day or two. The chapter is fighting me.
In the meantime, have more Mind Games.
Thank you for your patience, polls will be up in a few hours after I get something to eat.
2024-12-01 05:26:44 +0000 UTC View Post“I don't like it,” General Philips, looking through the one-way glass at Nina Price.
“Out of curiosity, General, is it her you don't like or the fact that a woman can bench-press more than Captain Rogers?” Peggy asked dryly as she flipped through the file that would be sent to the higher-ups.
“That's not the issue at hand and you know it, Carter,” Chester growled, scowling at his liaison. “Rogers, Barnes, hell even Winston... they'...
2024-11-29 08:25:09 +0000 UTC View Post
As promised, a Marvel Industrious update!
Still working on the next one, I should have it out either Saturday or early Sunday with the new December Poll.
Hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving! And be careful if you're going out Black Friday!
2024-11-29 08:22:38 +0000 UTC View PostIt wasn't my fault.
I just... want that on record before I go any further.
What happened over the past six months was most assuredly not my fault.
“That Jackson's coming down on the Seminoles hard, I hear! He'll have them whipped and the Spanish out of Florida in no time flat!”
I twitched slightly as I stomped through the thick snow, hearing another pair of students enthusiastically championing the cause of a war th...
2024-11-26 11:27:51 +0000 UTC View Post
Little bit later than I thought this would be out, but it has some nice length to it and some good content. Little Henry rapidly comes to realize that he may have set off something of a bomb in the timeline as the repercussions mount and things go rapidly off-course.
We're in for some wild times.
In other news, Thanksgiving is almost upon us for my American brethren. This means visiting family, but also time off work. I really want to get out two more chapters before we hit Dec...
2024-11-26 11:25:40 +0000 UTC View PostI blinked, sitting up groggily as my hand groped for whatever was making the noise that had disturbed my sleep. Eventually, I grabbed the Kimmunicator, my Kimmunicator, and tapped it. Taking a breath, I cleared my throat and crushed the automatic annoyance response at the current situation and composed my best customer service tone. “Good morning. You've reached Ron Stoppable. Who may I ask is calling?”
“Ah, Young Ronald. Always a pleasure. Do fo...
2024-11-24 01:26:46 +0000 UTC View Post
Full credit for being able to post this chapter goes to my friend's internet. For some reason (cough - Comcast - cough), my internet's been pretty goddamn glitchy lately.
At any rate, I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter. I'm working on having something out tomorrow, but I'm not sure what.
As far as The New Ron goes, this is something of a short 'breather arc' between the Adrena Lynn stuff and the next big mission. There'll also be some NSFW content at the end, so look forwar...
2024-11-24 01:23:53 +0000 UTC View Post“And we're runnin'-runnin' and runnin'-runnin-” I chanted under my breath, an errant thought putting my chanting to the beat of a two-century-old song by a specific vegetable-named group of musical artists. “In this context, there's no disrespect, so when I bust my rhymes-”
“What song are – haugh – you singing?” Himiko asked, gasping as she tried to keep pace with the quick pace I was setting.
“Let's Get It Started, by th...
2024-11-21 11:39:52 +0000 UTC View Post
No self control. I blame the people who encouraged me.
Now... The New Ron over the weekend.
That said, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. In an effort to build up a buffer and more chapters for Patreon, this one won't trigger a roll-over. So, enjoy having private access to it for longer, woo!
Thanks for all your support again, and I'll be back with another offering soon.
2024-11-21 11:37:43 +0000 UTC View Post“So, what do you think?” I asked, sitting down on the sofa next to Sasha as she held Casey's sleeping form. My voice was low in volume and soft in tone, a measured response to the napping child's presence that ensured he wouldn't wake.
“She's cute,” Sasha replied, automatically shifting to the same voice I was using.
Granted, we could have done this using point-to-point comms, but... I was trying to be as human as I could around her. Not the enormous posthu...
2024-11-18 12:06:34 +0000 UTC View Post
Alright, here's the next WP, as promised! It's a little bit shorter than what I've been putting out lately, but not by much. Sometimes that's just how the words fall and the scenes break.
Next up is... probably either the Marvel side of Industrious or The New Ron.
NGL, I want to pop out another chapter of Mind Games, so we'll see if my self-control holds.
Thanks again for all your support! Hope everyone had an awesome weekend!
2024-11-18 12:04:16 +0000 UTC View PostLet's talk a little about the Ship of Theseus.
For the uninitiated, Theseus was the famed Athenian King... who varies between myth and reality depending on your specific world. According to his legend, though, he is credited with saving the children of Athens from King Minos after slaying the monstrous minotaur and then escaping on a ship. Athenians would, for centuries afterwards, use that same ship to make a ceremonial pilgrimage in honor of Theseus' memory and the Greek God A...
2024-11-14 01:42:44 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's more Mind Games.
Since I didn't comment on the end of the poll when I posted Industrious a few days ago, it is a bit surprising how closely all three are supported. It does tell me that, no matter what, one of these moving up to take a spot on the monthly polls would be well-received. So that's good.
In any event, I hope everyone enjoys more MHA shenanigans. Next chapter of MG will likely be the end of this arc, though possibly not tie up all the loose ends. That might ...
2024-11-14 01:36:44 +0000 UTC View PostSome people would think that bringing an eldritch pseudo-chakra beast into the physical world through the use of artificial infusion of arcane life force into a beyond bleeding edge piece of functional magitek would involve a lot of chanting, ritual, an elaborate laboratory setup... and probably a bit of the traditional mad scientist laughter.
I refrained from the stereotypes with admirable restraint.
In the end, it was a simple procedure.
Yakumo l...
2024-11-11 10:34:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Me: "The appointed time has come! The stars have aligned! The age changes! It is finally time to write the chapter I've been planning for months and-"
Brain: "No."
Me: "What? Wait, but I've had this planned for months. I have! I know what I need to do!"
Brain: "Yeah, but your copious notes on the subject don't plan out the scenes well enough. I'm going to have to fine you... hmm, twelve hours sitting a blank screen and then I'll dump almost 3k words on you hours befor...
2024-11-11 10:31:25 +0000 UTC View PostI think I said something about this?
Anyway, here's a non-binding poll to gauge the popularity of the three potential stories that might enter the monthly poll coming up in December. Winning Peace SHOULD, in theory, come to an end soon. There's the possibility that I could extend it past the climax with the Reapers, but if I do it will likely be after a few months of hiatus and a break for me from writing it. Regardless of anything else, I'll likely face burnout if I keep doin...
2024-11-09 08:56:24 +0000 UTC View Post