The Future of Pleasantries
Aug. 10th, 2010 11:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
genlisaeI want to start this post by saying that I love all of my readers, the ones who comment regularly, only sometimes and the ones who never comment at all. I know you are there and reading along and it always makes me smile. I am a very thankful story teller that you are here and reading. It is with you guys in mind that I am making this post.
Okay, for the two people who just stopped breathing thinking that I am canceling the story, please inhale before you turn blue. Pleasantries is not going anywhere. We are going to talk about the nature of the beast, so to speak, and that beast is very, very ugly.
Since the beginning I have said that we are going dark places with this. I meant it. These kids are going to go through hell and not all of them are coming back. Not all of them are going to want to and a few that do are going to wish they hadn't. If you are reading along hoping for a happy ending and won't be able to handle anything else, please stop reading now. There is no happy ending here, only levels of coping. No black and white. The "good guys" are almost indistinguishable from the "bad guys", you can't even tell them apart by their intent. If this is more than you can deal with, stop now while we are still in the fluffy stage. I will not be offended and we will both sleep better at night. It is going to get worse, not better.
That is not to say that it is all bad, but don't take that as a sign of hope either. I am not pulling any punches here. I am not sugar coating anything. One thing you can be sure of as you read along, the only thing you are reading that is truly fictional is the existence of known Alien hybrids. Everything else has been well researched or is based on personal experience, usually the last option there.
One thing I have noticed is that I have some younger readers. This is awesome. I really love that you guys are reading along, (not that I would usually recommend a story like this for anyone under 17, but I am not your parent am I? The few of you that I have spoken to have also shown to be remarkably mature for your age). You guys especially though I want to take note of this next part. At the beginning of the Prologue I listed the following warnings: Graphic Violence, Death, Verbal Abuse, Adult Subject Matter, Alcoholism, Discrimination, Alternative Sexuality, Underage Prostitution, Mental Illness. These are the starting points. These cover the very base of what happens and future events will build on and expand, in detail, on these.
I think I have gotten my point across, yes?
Right. Enough from me. You all know where this is going and that it will not be pretty. Now I can relax and get back to doing what I do and you can get back to being the awesome readers that you are.
Now, because I would never make a post like this without something fun to go with it, have some pic spam!
Winston is a much more exciting teacher than this I promise! Usually.
I don't know if it has ever been mentioned but Rein and Dirk both work at J'Adore (with Angelo from Chasing Daylight!) where this picture was taken. Here they are after closing talking to Resha Jacquet (Gilbert's adopted little sister) and Tiethys Loner. Tiethys and Resha have their own stories to that I will get to telling one of these days, however, from the look on Dirk's face, Rien might just be telling them an interesting story right now! I love Rein. She has never been the most tactful personality.
This. They do this with surprising frequency. It is like the Villega house is the unofficial gathering point and they all just walk right in. Lilith has been known to randomly nap on the couch ... all night.
A better view. They are all there. There is enough seating in the room they could be watching TV. They choose to hang out instead, on the floor. :D
And finally a small preview of an upcoming (very soon upcoming!) set redesign.
Okay, for the two people who just stopped breathing thinking that I am canceling the story, please inhale before you turn blue. Pleasantries is not going anywhere. We are going to talk about the nature of the beast, so to speak, and that beast is very, very ugly.
Since the beginning I have said that we are going dark places with this. I meant it. These kids are going to go through hell and not all of them are coming back. Not all of them are going to want to and a few that do are going to wish they hadn't. If you are reading along hoping for a happy ending and won't be able to handle anything else, please stop reading now. There is no happy ending here, only levels of coping. No black and white. The "good guys" are almost indistinguishable from the "bad guys", you can't even tell them apart by their intent. If this is more than you can deal with, stop now while we are still in the fluffy stage. I will not be offended and we will both sleep better at night. It is going to get worse, not better.
That is not to say that it is all bad, but don't take that as a sign of hope either. I am not pulling any punches here. I am not sugar coating anything. One thing you can be sure of as you read along, the only thing you are reading that is truly fictional is the existence of known Alien hybrids. Everything else has been well researched or is based on personal experience, usually the last option there.
One thing I have noticed is that I have some younger readers. This is awesome. I really love that you guys are reading along, (not that I would usually recommend a story like this for anyone under 17, but I am not your parent am I? The few of you that I have spoken to have also shown to be remarkably mature for your age). You guys especially though I want to take note of this next part. At the beginning of the Prologue I listed the following warnings: Graphic Violence, Death, Verbal Abuse, Adult Subject Matter, Alcoholism, Discrimination, Alternative Sexuality, Underage Prostitution, Mental Illness. These are the starting points. These cover the very base of what happens and future events will build on and expand, in detail, on these.
I think I have gotten my point across, yes?
Right. Enough from me. You all know where this is going and that it will not be pretty. Now I can relax and get back to doing what I do and you can get back to being the awesome readers that you are.
Now, because I would never make a post like this without something fun to go with it, have some pic spam!
Winston is a much more exciting teacher than this I promise! Usually.
I don't know if it has ever been mentioned but Rein and Dirk both work at J'Adore (with Angelo from Chasing Daylight!) where this picture was taken. Here they are after closing talking to Resha Jacquet (Gilbert's adopted little sister) and Tiethys Loner. Tiethys and Resha have their own stories to that I will get to telling one of these days, however, from the look on Dirk's face, Rien might just be telling them an interesting story right now! I love Rein. She has never been the most tactful personality.
This. They do this with surprising frequency. It is like the Villega house is the unofficial gathering point and they all just walk right in. Lilith has been known to randomly nap on the couch ... all night.
A better view. They are all there. There is enough seating in the room they could be watching TV. They choose to hang out instead, on the floor. :D
And finally a small preview of an upcoming (very soon upcoming!) set redesign.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 06:28 am (UTC)I panicked so much at the start!
But that aside, so fucking excited! Especially for the dark stuff. Because I trust your writing, I just know it's going to be awesome and painful and emotional and great to read. Why must you tease us so, woman?!
no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 06:42 am (UTC)I don't mean to tease :( not really, just a nit-picky, scatter brained, slow typer! lol. Also easily distracted by shinnies ... you can totally blame Amo for the recent round of shinnies! She's got me waving purple flags even! Okay they are black flags now. Still her fault!
♥
no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 06:43 am (UTC)My god. Since giving in and jumping headlong into all of this, I seriously think it's impossible for me to NOT fangirl over someone's character. Of course, my fangirling usually ends up biting me in the ass.
I think this was a good preparatory warning and also, I think I want to hang out at your P.U.R.E. After typing this, I realize it sounds like a come-on... XD
I should go sleep now or something :P
no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 06:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 06:59 am (UTC)There is way too much Ke$ha in my life I've noticed.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 07:06 am (UTC)I have a similar Ke$ha issue. I also may have an issue with my mp3 player being too loud as evidenced by entering the kitchen the other day to my daughter washing dishes singing "Take it off". We had a discussion about appropriate behaviour to emulate and her mother was NOT a source of said behaviour.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 07:09 am (UTC)Anywho....
I had a similar issue with mine as well. This time involving the song "Booty Call". She was just singing away, when she decides to pause and of course, ask the dreaded question..."What exactly is a booty call, mom?"
F**K. Um...haven't a clue, dear. It's some new fangled slang you kids have come up with that mom's just don't know anything about. Can I interest you in a Donny Osmond song?
no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 07:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 07:34 am (UTC)I swear though, the beginning of this post did make me jump a little. I'm glad it's not the "bad" kind of post where you've either a) given up b) your computer borked and you lost everything. D:
Anyway, you can count me among your readers. I really love your writing.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 08:33 am (UTC)I have both a and b covered pretty well with full back-ups of everything on both my mother's and my fiance's computers (Fiance actually has a complete image as of a week ago of the whole game on prep for a desperately needed reinstall on my part) so baring a huge disaster it is not going anywhere at all.
I am very glad to hear that you will still be around though once you get caught up! :D
no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 07:41 am (UTC)That said, I look forward to what you'll be doing with your Sims. Just because (so far) I tend to spoil my Sims rotten doesn't mean I won't be interested in seeing you go seriously dark.
God knows I've written stuff in my time that has had my betas say 'you just made me cry, dammit."
no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 08:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 02:28 pm (UTC)The one thing I'm looking forward is getting into some dark places in your story. I might just be crazy here but hell can be oh so very beautiful... in a dark, frightening, evil sort of way :P
no subject
Date: 2010-08-12 08:24 am (UTC)I completely agree with you though! I do like the fluff too, but there is just something so achingly poetic about dark and painful.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-12 12:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-12 04:53 pm (UTC)