Ani Was Writing

    TL;DR at bottom, if you don't feel like reading. I understand not everyone wants to.  During the last few weeks, I've been keeping my head down. I pop up in a livestream chat here, maybe a voice chat on Discord there. Other than that, I've been doing my best to get Christmas presents done and maybe -just maybe- get to sleep on Christmas Eve instead of finishing up presents all night long.   Before I know it, it is the 29th. The last Sunday of the year. I've been up since Saturday. My mind has shifted from taking care of Christmas stuff to taking care of last minute journal business. The new journal for 2020 is ready to go. The old one is waiting for the last few hours of writing or drawing I can muster. I take a moment to admire the stickers on the fronts of both journals as I feel a tiny tap on my shoulder. I don't bother to register it until I feel a tiny hand on my shoulder. "Animus."   I blink and look to the source of the sensation....

Jouska: The imaginary and often lively conversation that you carry out in your head between yourself and someone else.     It is not unusual for me to experience this on a regular basis. It doesn't make me different than anyone else; I actually feel like I'm pretty normal in that aspect. There are some moments, however, where this sweet bliss of jouska demands to become more than a personal conversation. It demands to be written down on paper, or -in this case- typed out.    Here are some of the ones I've had in the last year. Specific names (either real or online names) are left out on purpose:     Look, I get it. It's hard to live your life when you really want to be with someone. But that's not all there is to this life. It really isn't. I mean, if you want to focus on that, go for it. I can't and won't stop you. But... I mean really? Come on, my dude. There are far more interesting things than spending time with another human. ...

  I slump over my notebook, busily scribbling out the last few words of my writing. I am so tired. There's too much on my mind with this project that I can't help but scribble at this rate.   For the entire month, I've been doing a challenge for National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short. Most people will go out of their way to write a word count per day type of goal, but I really didn't want to do that. I had a lot to do during the month as it stood (especially with the Thanksgiving/Christmas double whammy), so I needed something short and sweet that still made progress. Instead, I focused on writing one journal page of words a day. I have no idea how many words that was, but I was determined to do it. This first draft of this story was in desperate need of progress, and - oh boy, howdy- I was going to get some progress made on it.   Now sitting here on the last day of November, I finished the last word. I stared at the page for a second. That was long e...

Hola everyone! o/   I figured I would stop by and give you an update on my life.   So far, so much of the same. Work is taking a lot of time. What few hours I get at the end of the day is usually spent talking to people and generally not being online.   This month is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. For this year, I am working on a novel that I penned on and off, currently called Dayspring. I am hoping to get through a good chuck of it so I can dedicate a stream to typing up my pieces at the end of the month on 30 November.   Other than that, it's blankets. I crochet lots of things, and most of it has been blankets or blanket pieces to give to family or to keep as a treat for myself. This month means playing catch up. I'm hoping to have many blanket pieces (known to the crochet world as granny squares) made by the 30th so that I can finish my blankets and work on some other smaller things during December. If I get those done at a decent rate, I'll...

Hola everyone!   The date of this post is a bit off... I was supposed to have something ready for you all on the 15th. Obviously, it is no longer the 15th... far from that.   I wish I could have a perfectly valid, reasonable explanation. Why would it take a writer like me 18 days to get something out when I have so much to write about? Why would I set up a Strawpoll about this blog and then do nothing with the results?   The explanation is multi-faceted: My current job (which some of you know about) now takes up quite a bit of my week. It may only be four days a week, but I pretty much put in close to 40 hours. You can do the conservative math on that one if you feel up to that. While I have small pockets of time, most of that has been crocheting. I have a few different projects to complete and need to get them done before the end of the year. Most of them are Christmas presents. So... there's that.  And the writing I have done is all stuff for a novel. U...

Mamma Mia: Chapter 10   Arthur storms into his mother’s library with little concern for the world around him. He doesn’t bother to take off his shoes or straighten his clothes, or take off his baseball cap. He barges into the library to see his mother and a book reviewer mid-discussion. The two jolt at his intrusion.   “You.” He points to the reviewer. “Out.”   “Mr. Altamura, this is an unwelcomed-” The reviewer begins.   Arthur cuts him off. “I said out.”   Mia and the reviewer exchange glances.   Arthur huffs. “This is the respect you show for the heir of the MWS?”   Mia holds a hand to Arthur while addressing the reviewer. “I apologize for my son’s irrational intrusion. May I have a few minutes with him to resolve this?”   “Of course, Mother Altamura.” The reviewer gathers his notepad and communicator. “Perhaps we can continue our conversation tomorrow? Same time?”   Mia smiles warmly. “Most def...

  I stare at my screen and finally heave a sigh of defeat. "I guess I'm doing a birthday stream at the end of the month, Amethyst."   Amethyst gives me a surprised look. I don't blame her. I don't usually commit to streaming, not to mention I don't commit to birthday plans. I keep my birthday stuff to myself, especially now that I'm past 21. "What's the plan with that then?"   I shrug. "I have no idea. Games, obviously. Probably building and chatting in Minecraft, then maybe some games with friends." I suddenly realize something. "I'm going to have to put OBS back on my computer, aren't I?"   Amethyst laughs. "I mean, that's the only think you know how to use that actually works well." She glances through my game list. "Maybe you can play some of that MMO you are playing. And maybe pick up a game or two you haven't in a while."   I nod. "Probably. When should I do it though? I ...

Mamma Mia: Chapter 9   “And now for more local news: Our beloved Mother Altamura has her hands full yet again as her own son -the young, handsome Arthur- sorry, as her son Arthur has caused havoc at the Cressidan School. Reports are coming in by the hour, ranging from harmless pranks to outright crimes. Security has been keeping an eye on him as he finishes his last local week at Cressidan. As the heir to Mother Altamura’s leadership, it is critical that Arthur maintains as clean of a record as possible. With that said, a few experiences add flavor to a personality that rarely exists in the role of a syndicate leader. If any newsworthy happens, we will keep you informed.   “In a related message from the MWS, the local annual apprenticeship selection deadline is coming soon. Students who are not chosen or do not attempt to obtain an apprenticeship will be subject to denigrated forced labor or assignment by Mother Altamura herself. So get those forms in and interviews ...

 Mamma Mia: Chapter 8 “And you feel this will be a proper appointment for both of them?” Mia asks. “What if you take my son under your apprenticeship, and I will take yours.” Mia suggests, “My son could learn how to gather relevant information and use it correctly. Your son -under me- could learn how to lead and gain some insight into what goes on in the higher workings of the syndicate. It will give Arthur all the information he needs to understand what is going on, and it will give Carlo a piece of the truth and how to properly conduct himself. Arthur as the informant, Carlo as the diplomat.” At first, Kent seems a bit apprehensive, but she also mentions how useful it would be to keep Carlo and Arthur close to each other and allow them to go on certain missions together. Then Kent appears more invested in the proposal. He offhandedly mentions his son’s loss of time to the conspiracies. Mia agrees with Kent while mentioning her own son’s disgust with the young Kent’s new obsession...

Mamma Mia: Chapter 7   The rise. The whip. The fall.   Arthur’s practiced tail whip lands just as well as the other ones. If he had a guess, he would say that he’s done this tail whip correctly at least one hundred times. It sounds like something Carlo would have been impressed by -if he wasn’t scrolling through chat rooms and informational rabbit holes on his communicator. “Why are you doing your ‘research’ out here again?” He asks Carlo after landing another tail whip.   Carlo stops fumbling with a list of information links. “Because my parents are going nosy about what I’m looking at. I don’t want them to know what I’m doing.”   Arthur comments to himself about his mother’s surveillance system as he retorts, “You know, the more you stay away from them while you’re doing that only increases the chances of them thinking your gaining stimulation from femoid pin posters from-”   “They already think that. I mean, not the femoid pin posters...

Mamma Mia: Chapter 6   Mia relaxes in her executive chair as the AMS press praises her choices. The Father himself sends her a communication personally thanking her -and Arthur- for bringing his son home safely and without drama. The rest of the press is all speculation: rumors and conspiracies the young Uccello dredged up, a lack of mind-saving medication, and a small inquiry about the legitimacy of the wild claims the young man made. Both the MWS and the AMS state that they do not tolerate babble of that nature.   She hears the library door open and sits up. She suspects it to be her son, but -to her relief- it is the doctor. “Dr. Khalil! This is a pleasant occurrence.”   “I am coming on unofficial business, Mia. May I sit?”   She nods eagerly and gestures to an open chair across from her. He sits and crosses one leg over the other. She relaxes into her chair again and slides a small dish of assorted sweets toward him. He holds his hand up gentl...

Mamma Mia: Chapter 5  “It starts with my father. It always does. My father -a long time ago- had a family. One wife -which is unusual for our syndicate- and a son. Me. Then something happened. He won’t tell me what, but it was important enough to get my mother -his first wife- out of the picture. And I don’t think she died. If she had died, there would be a record of it. But there is no record of her at all. My birth record shows a redacted black bar where her name should be. Then Mia -sorry, Mother Altamura - pops into the scene. Out of nowhere. Even the press says so! She first comes in as a writer and the new wife of the previous MWS Father. She marries him after publishing, then later on he dies of ‘natural causes’ and somehow she ends up being the Mother of MWS.   “It makes me wonder if I’m a child of two syndicates, you know? So I went to go look at Mia’s records, and she has records just as convoluted as mine. She has redacted information all over the place. It mak...

Mamma Mia: Chapter 4      The Feather stops an hour later. “Coordinates reach. Invitation to dock by unknown sender. Proceed?”   “Where are we?” Arthur asks.   “R7-SS42-S3172-ST3.” The ship reads out.   Carlo sits up. “Wait, aren’t those the coordinates for-?”   “What is the current timeframe for the coordinates?” Arthur interrupts.   “The current timeframe for R7-SS42-S3172-ST3 is September 12020.” The ship answers.   “No wonder our communicators don’t work.” Carlo sighs, “We’re in the Exile Ages!”   “It explains why our communicators are freaking out at the moment.” Arthur comments as he taps the computer screen. “How is this ship supposed to find him if we’re in the Exile Ages?”   The ship reels in and descends toward the planet below them. It instinctively camouflages itself as it enters the atmosphere seamlessly. “Can you imagine what would happen if this ship wasn’t as awesome as it...

Mamma Mia: Chapter 3 “I can’t believe we get to go into the Strings to find Alonzo Uccello!” Carlo drops into the co-pilot chair and puts his hands behind his head. He glances to his bored friend and pats Arthur’s propped legs. “Come on, Arthur. No need to have that frown. We’ll be there in no time.”   Arthur glances blankly to Carlo, then to the computer screen, then up to the lights sliding by as they travel. The long trips like this always get to him, especially when it has anything to do with his mom. It never fails. He could be off to save a deity in the Void; as long as mom was involved, all of the joy was forcefully removed.   “Hey, Arthur?” Arthur glances to Carlo, who is staring at Arthur’s resting communicator. “I think your being buzzed.” Arthur picks up his sphere and watches it light up. So many flickers of light, but one stands out: a red question mark near the center – a coded private message from an unknown number. Arthur sits up and tosses his commun...