@ Raven - I actually have a sort-of-complicated response to that...

@OL:

For what it's worth, I think you probably made the right call there... That would involve your protagonist crossing a pretty significant line, I'd say, and while that's kind of the point of that scene, that might have been too far to really recover from.

@Ruwin:

I'm gonna need a link to that fic.

@Orcish: No, that's totally understandable, and I personally agree with you. Certain things are highly situational.

Of course, I was more referring to Jackie just removing the problem entirely rather than, uh, having fun...

(Also I was joking, just in case either you or Ruwin resent me threatening your characters!)

Yeah.

As I've said elsewhere, I really struggled with that scene in general. I am, honestly, pretty really happy with where it ended up, but those are just waters which I am not very comfortable swimming in, and, in the end, it was just easier to miss on the side of "do no harm" when it came to several aspects of the interaction. I know there's a stronger version of that scene which can be written, but I think I'm just not the right person to do it.

PARANOIA EDIT: Just to be 200-percent clear, all my problems with that scene were *my* problems. Ruwin provided great feedback on the drafts I showed him and was largely responsible for getting it to be as good as it turned out.

Thanks all for reading last week! This week has been pretty intense - sorry I never got around to your comments! I will say that, originally, the Lucy/Jackie scene was written from Lucy's point of view - my contribution was mostly to suggest that it should be from Jackie's, and that was simply to keep the story within Fisco and Jackie's particular viewpoints!

Anyway, today's update is Rescue, a tale of Jinsen's rise to legendhood, and Monster, to celebrate Pendulum's inclusion into our little canon family.

Enjoy!

I think you're selling your feedback a little short. You also pointed out -- correctly! -- that I had Lucy very out-of-character in that initial version.

Anyway, on to more pressing matters. Ruwin, these continue to be wonderful little surprises each Monday morning. Quick thoughts.

Thanks for writing!

Not a lot to say about these other than I really enjoyed them. I like these two characters quite a bit.

Thanks all for reading!

@OL: I'm pretty sure Jinsen has nothing but good sides until he draws his Katana, so you're probably safe! Yeah, I always feel very... eeurgh, constrained, I guess, whenever I have to meticulously render every portion of a fight scene. I prefer it this way - though I'm sure that, if told from Jinsen's point of view, this entire scene would play out waaay differently.

I've been meaning to play Mass Effect. I haven't gotten around to it, though. No time. Well. Maybe if I can get my laptop to run it...

@Raven: What can I say, he just makes for a really good kung-fu protagonist. And whose to say Jinsen HASN'T already come across someone who can best him??? DUN DUN DUN! (It's happened a few times, but it's extremely difficult for anyone to stand against him martially because of his skillset and some other things that I'll talk about as they show up. WINKY FACE!) That all being said, you know I'm always down for a little collaboration...

Innistrad is singularly suited for this sort of xenophobia that Roth displays. It's understandable. Hard to take chances in a world where trees kidnap children. This experience could not have been very beneficial for Pendulum's self-esteem, though.

@Keeper: Enjoying it is enough, my friend! They've been fun to write as well.

Upd8 will occur once I get Internet on my computer!

Maybe before if I get creative. We'll see.

I was not, in fact, able to get creative.

I blame all the green.

Anyway, this week is a single update (the first single update) featuring Motta in Fire! Enjoy.

Oooooh Motta D:

(The Hermit's Burden is still one of my favorite stories in our archive actually...)

What a weird coincidence, it's one of MY favorites, too! O_O

In all seriousness, I read it a lot when I'm looking for a bit of inspiration, which led to this! Plus, Motta is definitely a cool character that deserved to be expanded upon. I may do another featuring him, but after Aloise's intervention, rather than before.

Thanks for reading, Keeper!

Add me to the choir. There's just a real, emotional heart to that story. I have been known to get a little teary at the end.

Anyway, what a pleasant surprise to see Motta again, even if I wish it would have been under better circumstances. Somehow, though, because I know what his future holds, it's easier to read this.

This may sound like a very strange sort of compliment, Ruwin, but I'm always impressed by your ability to articulate the physical and emotional aspects of suffering, to really convey hurt in a way which is tangible but not gratuitous. Again, I think "The Hermit's Burden" is a prime example, and that same sort of thing is present here.

Looks like I'm not going to be able to update today.

I sort of had a crazy week and didn't get around to writing a new chapter.

Anyway, sorry about that, everyone! I'll get back on it next week, I promise.

Really, though - thank you all for reading!

I feel like I may have been too subtle, so I adjusted my previous post...

Oh, well played, sir. Well played.

I'm really glad you did these, Ruwin. They're wonderful in and of themselves, and the fact that they helped to kick-start even more microfiction is just icing.

I feel like I've heard that laugh somewhere before... Hmmm... Hmmmmmm...

Yeah I liked this one. Short, sweet, and fills in some more background intrigue.

One thing I find interesting with Liar is the way that he keeps showing up in stories where he doesn't seem to belong, or his actions occur in a microfic like this. There's something very formally fascinating about that, and it's something that you can only do in a serialized shared world, I think.

Woohoo medium specificity!

Thanks for reading!

@OL: Yeah, writing for the Liar is this sort of... weird experience for me. Very tactile and staccato. I always find myself tapping at the keys a little more pointedly when I'm writing for him. And giggling quietly to myself to see how it sounds. Gets me a lot of weird looks that's for sure.

@Keeper: That specific sequence of laughter always struck me as insincere and forced, whenever I read it. He's got a good grasp on the sort of thing that looks good on a computer screen, doesn't he?

As for the medium - I'm not well versed in this sort of thing at all, but I like the idea of the Liar showing up and sort of throwing things off. I'm trying to figure out the best way to insert him into the major story I have in the works, and I have a few interesting ideas... We'll see how it goes!

@Raven: Oh, I have plans for Xeran, but first I need to establish a baseline... Maybe a little glimpse into what he really can do... Hm. Ideas, Ideas. Glad you liked it, Raven!