Random Musings

Painting Realistically

2012-01-31T00:01:00.001+01:00

Painting has always been a weakness of mine, especially digitally, and I hate failing at things. So, naturally, I've been practicing, practicing and, yep, you guessed it, yet more practicing. Now... I seemed to have gotten a grasp of the basics. Maybe. I'm slowly improving anyway.

So, without further ado, here's a couple of pieces I've completed in the past couple of days.

Life and the leading of it

2012-01-26T00:06:00.001+01:00

January has been a hectic month. I've moved into a new flat, and a pretty decent one at that, I'll be starting a new course shortly, I've practiced my artwork a heck of a lot and improved quite a bit, and I've actually managed to find some free time for myself as well. Miracles never cease.

I'm actually looking forward to this course I'm about to start. Exploring the English language in its varying forms around the world is thoroughly intriguing. Anyone who knows me knows I can be quite... particular about SPaG, and I'm not sure if this will just perpetuate it or improve it. We shall see!

I'm also trying to work on a cover for a short story. I've found painting scenery can be... frustrating. Still, it's steadily coming along and hopefully it'll be of decent quality when it's finished. :)

And then there's my writing. I've finished part one of the novel and a little way through part two. I haven't really found the time to write much more in the past month, but I hope I can start back on it soon, even with the course upcoming. *fingers crossed*

On Art and Writing

2011-12-12T00:36:00.007+01:00

I've tried and tried over the years to refine my art style, to little avail. I haven't consistently practiced, though, and I think that's the problem. Practice makes perfect, right? Well, perfection is a fallacy, but let's not go there.

I've been practicing my drawing daily and although I've had a fair amount of frustration, namely due to the fact that I have no graphics tablet and inking with a mouse is chaos incarnate, I have at least managed to complete some pieces. I'll linky them here.

First off, here's some character concept art for my novel, Leventus' Aria:

This is Anytos Ven Anaxian, mentor to the main protagonist, leader of Scion Xiphos, and all-round generally imposing guy. Except, he turned out looking a whole lot younger than I had intended, so let's just say this is him in his early years. xD And on that topic, I'm collaborating with another artist to make a short prequel comic for the novel. Shall see how that turns out. c:

Okay, more of a rough sketch this time and I haven't fixed the crummy pose or wonky perspective, blargh, but here is Vrack M'rtho, the main protagonist's first teacher. He's eccentric, unpredictable and reckless, but sometimes he has it in him to do the right thing, even if it's in a weird way.

And here's the protagonist herself, Squin. Squin is, in fact, her child name, but I shan't be revealing her adult name just yet. :D This is, of course, her as an adult, fully trained and ready to be unleashed on the world. Or Hylaxi at least!

I'm currently working on yet another character sketch, of Mavin, Squin's childhood friend. He's not in the book much at the moment, but he will be~!

Just one more drawing then, and this one is unrelated to my book. It is a fan art in fact! My sister and I were discussing that there really should be a female assassin ancestor in the Assassin's Creed franchise. Now, I can see why there hasn't been one. Desmond exploring the memories of a female ancestor could be a little... awkward. xD But! The character we came up with doesn't necessarily have to be Desmond's ancestor. She could be any assassin's ancestor. So, here is Katerinka, 13th century Russian assassin. :3

So, back to writing, I go... oh yes, and finishing the script for the comic. Busy, busy~!

Le News

2011-12-01T15:39:00.003+01:00

Hello December. You came quick, didn't you?

NaNoWriMo just passed and completed this year. The novel that's come from that, Leventus's Aria, is still a work in progress, but it's well on its way. At least the first part is written. That will make up about one fifth of the book. It'll be a long one, for sure!

Some artwork should now be forthcoming. I'll be drawing some character concept art for the book, as well as simply experimenting and hopefully finding a colouring style I'm comfortable with.

There's plenty of distractions due out soon to prevent all this happening quickly though, namely some darn fine games. Skyrim was recently released, but I've at least completed the main storyline in that one. Assassin's Creed: Revelations is another. I do enjoy that franchise. So much so, I got it into my head last night to dust off my video editing skeelz. Yes... as you can see below, I'm a tad rusty. But there might be some more videos coming up anyway. ;)

New Website

2010-04-21T19:34:00.002+02:00

Yep, I've gone and done it again. I've created another new site for myself, except this time, it's not purely a blog! :P

Now that I've become more serious about my writing, I've decided to host my work online (that which I don't plan to publish elsewhere, that is) as well as create a nice little environment for other people of similar interests.

Clicky here to go check it out. ^^

Another Update!

2010-03-23T22:55:00.004+01:00

I've failed a bit, creativity-wise over the past month. D:

I've moved house. We bought a shiny detached villa and moved in, so things have been a bit hectic. Needless to say, I've not managed to update any of my fanfics nor work on my original stuff.

I've also got two assignments plus the end assignment for my university course coming up in the next month, so going to be uber busy with that, and haven't even started them yet!

Good news is that I've been encouraged to get my original pieces published by an author, so will try and focus on that once I get all these boxes unpacked. Oh, and after I do the assignments, of course. *nods*

We'll see how it goes. *sigh*

Update

2010-02-01T23:08:00.003+01:00

I've been a little busy the past couple of weeks. *gasp*

Initially, I started writing a story for my fiancé's birthday, but it has evolved into something far more epic than I had originally intended. It's a fantasy fiction which was supposed to be a short story, but as these things have a habit of doing, it took on a life of its own and now it looks like it'll be of novel length. I've had some encouraging feedback for it, so I may write it with the intention of having it published.

In other news, I've posted some of my shorter original works up on two different sites, Storywrite and Fictionpress. I really do like the Storywrite site. It has lots of interesting features. You can check out both sites from my links section on the right.

I've also started up a fanfiction review site with my sister, with the aim of helping out aspiring writers and pointing potential readers in the direction of the truly good stuff. It's hard to find! The site is hosted on wordpress, so essentially it's a blog, but we're rather proud of how it's shaping up. We called it FanFiction Finesse and you can go check it out here, or by clicking on the link on the right of the page.

Thorny Path Chapter 9

2010-01-16T18:23:00.001+01:00

I finished chapter 9 of Thorny Path today, so posted it up for your viewing pleasure.

It's been about a month since I updated that story, but with the hustle and bustle of the Christmas period, I didn't really have time until now.

There weren't really any major plot developments this chapter, just a bit of teasing actiony moments which will lead on to a more explanatory chapter 10.

I'll be working on some original work in the coming weeks before I think about updating my fan fics again. I need to think about income and such after all. >.>

Entwined Chapter 14

2010-01-11T12:49:00.000+01:00

Finally posted up the next chapter of Entwined. It's, sadly, shorter than usual, but I thought something's better than nothing, right?

The scene that follows on from this chapter will, in theory, be rather long, so I thought it better to end the chapter there. Plus, my readers have waited long enough for an update, I think. >.>

I'm going to finish the next chapter of Thorny Path now, and then work on one of my original short stories. Balancing all these different projects is becoming more difficult. Perhaps I've bitten off more than I can chew? D:

Ah well, time will tell!

Epitaph of a Lost Soul

2010-01-04T15:30:00.000+01:00

I've submitted my TMA for my course, so now I'm posting up the 2,192 word short story I wrote for it. I'm still not entirely happy with it, but if I linger on it any longer, I'm probably going to start dreaming about it... or having nightmares. >.>

Epitaph of a Lost Soul

My world is one of scampering and scurrying, of ducking and running. One cannot simply stroll through this life, nonchalantly nodding their head at passers-by, neglectful of small details that could be so very important. If I had been so lax up until now, I would surely be dead. My world, my life, my fear hardened soul belongs to this existence, for I am an assassin.

Such an ominous word. When I hear it, images of cloth wrapped villains, knife poised to strike from some dark recess, come to mind. So unlike the reality. It would probably be better if we weren’t referred to with that title. Killer for hire might be more fitting. Hell, murderer would do just as well.

Does my disregard for my target’s life make me a bad person? Perhaps. The world is not simply good or bad in my experience, though. What one person might consider as morally corrupt, may not even touch the heart of the next person. That is what makes life interesting, is it not? The variety.

I found myself on the streets at a young age. I was four, maybe five. My parents had been murdered in front of my eyes and, in a state of confusion, I wandered away from that grisly scene, losing myself in a maze of towering structures and long, fast moving legs. It is ironic perhaps that I ended up pursuing this line of work after my parents became victims of murder. Or maybe it is the reason. It doesn’t really matter, either way. I am who I am, not merely the sum of my experiences.

I’m not sure how long I roamed the bustling streets back then. Time is such a fleeting entity, but it must have been more than a few days as I remember distinctly the sharp pangs of hunger and swollen tongue which ceaselessly demanded that I find water. That was when he found me. He dragged me into this world. He gave me a hot meal, a mug of steaming tea and a warm bed to sleep in. It was an unexpected act of kindness, or so I thought, and in my naïve eyes he became my saviour, a new father figure, if you will. I only knew him as Blake and twenty five years on, I still haven’t the slightest clue if that is his real name or not.

As my boyhood years ebbed on, I catered to the burly man’s every whim and order, wanting to please my newfound mentor in any way possible. At the time, I thought the games we played a little odd, but eagerly delved into them with all effort. Of course, now I know them for what they actually were; rigorous exercises to increase my endurance, agility and strength. Blake certainly knew how to manipulate a young boy into becoming a killing machine, that’s for sure.

There came the point when I realised that I was being moulded into something and that Blake was the expert sculptor, precise and adept. By that time though, I had become so reliant on him, I practically could not breathe without him. There was no way I could think of defying him. I lived for that slight upturn of his crooked mouth, the approving smirk when I performed to his satisfaction. If I had to admit it, I probably still do, even though I haven’t seen the man in many years.

I was eventually unleashed upon the world, as Blake put it, during my twenty third year. I had racked up ten kills to my name, at my mentor’s side. It was the magic number, apparently. I had proven myself, both to him and those we worked for. That day I was given my new name, shedding my old life well and truly behind me.

We had just returned to our small, shabby apartment from performing a small commission locally when Blake had gripped my shoulder firmly. He placed a Beretta 92FS Inox in my hand, the handgun of choice for my mentor due to its wide availability, making it difficult to trace with forensics, and with that quick little smirk of his, offered the words that are still planted firmly in my mind.

‘This is yours now, boy. Treat her well and she’ll do the same for you. Don’t disappoint me, Owen.’

I have wondered more than once why he chose to call me that. What is in a name, eh? I can just imagine his scathing remark if he knew I was dwelling on something so insignificant.

Still, we went our separate ways. I was anxious about being on my own, the first time in my entire life that I wouldn’t have a supporting figure looking over my shoulder. I buried myself in my work, accepting any and all contracts that came my way. Man or woman, homeless or government official, it didn’t matter to those in charge, so why should it matter to me? Weeks turned into months, months became years, and then I took on the contract for that fateful target.

As usual, I picked up the small brown envelope from locker number forty five at the nearby train station. Inside had been two documents; a sheet of paper with a name and address on, and a Polaroid photograph. She was a pretty young thing and I had to admit that the commission did not sit well with me. However, I had learned long ago to separate my emotions from my actions. There had been no other specific instructions, which meant I could deal with her in any way I saw fit.

Three days later, after performing some research and finding out her usual routine, I threw on my long, midnight blue coat, tucked my Beretta into my shoulder holster and headed out into the darkness of the night. The woman, Anita was her name, lived in a fairly upmarket area of the city. Winding, tree-lined streets and groomed lawns painted a pretty picture of the lifestyle of the families that lived there. The house she lived in was a carbon copy of her neighbour’s and every other building on the street. I remember thinking that the monotony of the place would surely drive me mad.

Entering her home proved simple. The cheap security system was circumvented with a couple of snips of the all too easily accessed wiring. Picking the lock took even less time. Why do people even bother? It was clearly more for show than anything else. The house was dark, its inhabitants wrapped up in their beds, oblivious to the death that was creeping upon them.

I entered the woman’s bedroom, gun gripped lightly in my hand. I raised the Beretta, silencer attached, towards the slumbering form that I could make out in the inky darkness, and that’s when my blood froze.

‘Mama?’

Just one word. That’s all it took to shatter my carefully constructed barriers and defences. The voice had belonged to a small girl who shifted next to her mother; my intended target. The child’s voice was innocent, unaware, and all too familiar. In that instant, memories of my childhood flooded back to me, when I had uttered exactly the same word to my own mother, or rather to her corpse.

My mind must have blanked out. The next thing I remember seeing was Anita folding her arms around her daughter protectively, a defiant glare aimed towards me. She didn’t beg, she didn’t cry, she simply stared, as if daring me to destroy both their lives.

I fled. Like a coward, I ran from the house, without a single look back, clinging to my gun like it was some kind of lifeline. At the end of the street, I heaved the contents of my stomach onto the pavement. Yet another blemish on my record. It was the first time I had ever failed to complete an assignment and I knew, it would be the last time. Disappointment was not rewarded well by my superiors, let alone leaving witnesses in my wake.

I didn’t resist when they came for me. I had already resigned myself to my fate, my punishment.

The man sitting on the opposite side of the smooth metallic table continues to stare at me, his cropped hair and slight build brings to mind images of a weasel. His narrow, beady eyes bore into me, judging me. I look away, unable to keep eye contact, I feel sick to my stomach. The small, square, completely unadorned room we are sitting in feels suffocating, making it difficult to draw breath. I feel the prickle of sweat beading on my forehead.

No words have been spoken between us and I’m beginning to wonder what the hell they’re up to. I shift on the hard metal chair, resting my elbows on the table, threading my fingers through my short hair, discreetly wiping away the sweat. I don’t want to show how nervous I am.

I’ve only heard rumours of what happens to those who fail and I’m not one to listen to conjecture or hearsay. Yet, my mind seems to drift back to those stories, of the unidentifiable bodies being washed up on the riverside or other similarly morbid versions. My current situation does not bode well for me.

I hear the click of the door opening and a slight breeze brushes against my cheek. I resist the urge to turn and see who has just entered. No, I must remain calm and collected, all that is befitting an ‘assassin of my calibre’. Ever since that day, that woman and her child, my thoughts, my emotions have been waging war upon each other, confusing me, tormenting me.

I hear a sigh as footsteps patter against the smooth concrete floor.

‘Boy.’

My stomach lurches as the familiarity of that voice reaches my ears. Abandoning the cool facade, I stand abruptly, the chair screeching against the floor. I turn and the man I haven’t seen for seven years greets my unbelieving eyes.

‘Blake,’ I breathe, my voice betraying my surprise.

Why? Why is he here? I can’t comprehend it. Of all the people I didn’t want to learn of my failure... Anything else I could deal with, even death, but Blake’s disappointment was something that could easily crush my resolve. No, what did it matter? I shouldn’t care about what he thinks. He forced me into becoming what I am. He stole my life from me.

My eyes sweep over him, taking in his expression, reacquainting myself with him. He hasn’t changed much, a few more grey hairs perhaps. His chiselled features twist themselves into a scowl.

‘I asked for one thing from you, boy, and you couldn’t even manage that.’ His low voice holds a tinge of anger.

I cringe at the very obvious way he refused to use my name. I feel the beginnings of irritation surge within me. Fine, if this is the way it’s going to be, I can damn well say my piece. I’m sick of having to live my life for other people.

‘What are you doing here?’ I grind out between clenched teeth.

His lip curls into a sneer.

‘I came to deal with yo-’

‘Fuck it. I don’t care,’ I interrupt him. ‘I’m not a boy any more, and you are not my father. I realised long ago you only wanted to use me. Why should I continually seek your approval?’

His eyes narrow as his hand snakes inside his jacket and he pulls out a handgun, his trusty Beretta, aiming it towards me. My breath hitches in my throat as I stare down the barrel.

‘You’re right, boy,’ he uses the term mockingly. ‘It’s too late for that. You messed up, and going by our code, you cannot be allowed to live to repeat that mistake.’

I feel a bitter smile spread across my face. I wonder briefly what is so amusing. The man who rescued me, raised me, taught me, who meant everything to me, is to be my executioner. Surely I should feel sadness? Yet, I don’t. I simply feel relief. A chuckle escapes my lips.

Blake’s eyebrows knit together in a frown. ‘Have you lost it?’

‘Get it over with, Blake. I think I’ll be glad to be rid of you, rid of all of this.’

My heart skips a beat as that slight smirk appears on his face. I may have told myself countless times in the past few days that I don’t care about him anymore, but that one fleeting gesture washes that determination away, like driftwood. My expression hardens as I berate my own foolishness.

‘I thought you were a coward. Perhaps I was wrong.’

His thumb brushes against the safety on the gun, releasing it. I follow the movement, before making eye contact again.

‘Goodbye, Owen.’

My eyes widen slightly at the use of my name. For all his stubbornness at refusing to use it before, he’s softer than I realised. He is actually human. I laugh inwardly at that thought. His finger squeezes the trigger and the resounding bellow of the gun firing echoes around the room.

New One-Shot

2009-12-20T02:47:00.000+01:00

Okay, so I posted this new one-shot I'm referring to, called Wintry Solace, quite a while ago. It is of course, another UDDUP fan fic, and I had originally intended it to be a Christmas Special for my fanfic.net readers, but I finished it a lot sooner than I thought I would, so I posted it up early.

It is, essentially, a smut fic. *gasps* The fandom was lacking, what could I do? D:

Clicky here to go check it out.

In other news, I've been furiously working away on my latest course assignment, which is to write a short story of 2,200 words. I'm not used to writing anything that short, but I think I've managed to create a believable piece of fiction... I hope. :o

I'll post it up here once I have it all polished and shiny. ;)

Thorny Path Chapter 8

2009-12-02T22:03:00.000+01:00

Chapter 8 of Thorny Path has just been posted up.

Phew, what a struggle it was to write that chapter. I'm not sure if it's my odd sleep cycle at the moment or something else, but I had a tough time getting the word count up. :o

Thankfully I had some help via some suggestions, so it's finally all done. :D

I'm hoping the next chapter will come more easily to me. :o

And yup, I've still not completed the lasted chapter of Entwined. I just can't seem to find any motivation to continue it at the moment. It's not as if the story is dull or anything either. Bah. :/

Little Red Riding Hood - Revisited!

2009-11-30T01:20:00.001+01:00

So, I had a little exercise to do for my writing course. I had to write two 150 word scenes from the fable, Little Red Riding Hood. One I had to 'tell' the scene, the other I had to 'show' the scene. Not too sure how successful I was, but here you go. ;)

Little Red Riding Hood - Telling

Little Red Riding Hood walked along the long path that meandered through the woods. She spotted some flowers growing at the edge of the tree-line and paused, crouching down for a closer look.

Her mother had told her explicitly not to stop on her way to her Grandmother’s house, but her instructions were now forgotten as she placed the basket loaded with goodies on the ground. She proceeded to pluck some of the flowers from the grass and inspect them with an innocent happiness.

Suddenly, she jumped to her feet as she was surprised by a voice behind her.

‘What are you doing out here all alone, little girl?’

She picked up the basket on the ground and turned around. Her mother’s second piece of advice was now also forgotten – ‘don’t talk to strangers’.

‘I’m on my way to my Granny’s house,” she said cheerily.

(Word Count: 145)

Little Red Riding Hood - Showing

The woodsman craned his neck, his eyebrows furrowing together. His fingers held onto the warm wooden handle of his axe loosely as his eyes took in the sight before him. The flimsy looking door to the cottage stood partially open and he crept towards it, knees bent, weight on the balls of his feet.

His breath came more quickly and he could feel the prickle of sweat beading on his forehead. His head jerked to the side as his over-strained hearing picked up a low, rumbling creak in the inky darkness. The knot in his stomach tightened as he took another step forward, engulfed by the blackness that blanketed the interior of the cottage.

‘Help.’ The whimpering cry seemed to crawl up his spine before entering his ears, his heart skipping a beat.

The weapon in his hand felt heavier than before as he raised it before him, his muscles tensing.

(Word Count: 151)

Thorny Path Chapter 7

2009-11-29T17:42:00.000+01:00

I posted up chapter 7 of Thorny Path last night. Woot!

Even though I'm suffering pretty badly with jet lag this time around, it doesn't seem to be affecting my writing too much. I think I made a little slip up at the end of the chapter, but it's nothing too huge, and it did sort of fit in with the mood of that scene.

Going to start on chapter 8 now. :)

I wonder if I have the right balance of action and fluffiness now... *shrugs*

Thorny Path Chapter 6

2009-11-26T04:55:00.000+01:00

Yep it's that time again. A new chapter of Thorny Path has been finished and posted up for your viewing pleasure. ;)

Things get more action-y, with Mamoru indulging in one of his favourite pastimes, and Haruka collapses! :O I had to bump the rating up to M as Mamoru was... well, Mamoru. It happened a bit sooner than I had expected, but ack well, what can you do when a story writes itself? :P

Flying back to Sweden tomorrow, so with all the travelling and the recovering from said travelling, I may not have a new chapter finished for the next few days. You never know though! :D

Thorny Path Chapter 5

2009-11-23T20:32:00.000+01:00

Chapter 5 of Thorny Path has been uploaded! Well, technically, it was posted up last night, but my memory failed me again, and I forgot to post here. >.>

This chapter has no MamXHaru interaction. :( Well, I needed to get the plot sort of kick-started, so I concentrated on developing that. So, Mamoru's in some scenes we're more familiar with. I think that's a good thing... right? >.<

Anyway, I'm still failing at updating Entwined. I probably won't get a chance now until I get back to Sweden. :<

Thorny Path Chapter 4

2009-11-21T09:10:00.000+01:00

Whoo! Chapter 4 of Thorny Path is completed and posted up! Go me! :D

I really enjoyed writing this chapter, even though there wasn't any action in it, which is one of my favourite things to write... hmm, what's wrong with me? Am I turning soft? :o Oh oh, but Mamoru did draw his weapon, so that's got to account for something, right? There's a lot of thought dialogue in this fic, a lot more than I usually put in my stories, and it's rather difficult to know if I'm doing it in a way that's true to the characters. I mean, you don't get to see a lot of the characters' inner thoughts in the manga, because of the type of media it is, so their true inner selves are difficult to see, and thus portray. Meh, I'll just chalk it down to artistic license. That usually works. :P

I also got some more of Entwined chapter 14 written. It's coming along... slowly, but surely. >.>

Thorny Path Chapter 3

2009-11-20T04:38:00.000+01:00

Chapter 3 of Thorny Path is up!

Was a little bit later than I had planned, but was still a heck of a lot faster than my usual updates. :P

I just realised, the main character is a blind swordsman who kicks ass, but I've written three chapters where he hasn't kicked anyone's ass yet! Amg! In fact, he's not even drawn his weapon yet. >.> Must remedy that!

Will try and get Entwined chapter 14 finished in the next day or two. :)

Thorny Path Chapter 2

2009-11-18T22:47:00.000+01:00

I posted up chapter 2 of Thorny Path last night. That surely must be a new record for me. Two chapters in one day! O.o

I'm also in the middle of writing chapter 3. That should be finished by the end of the day, and will be available for reading online tonight... hopefully.

The story's only had about 20 hits so far, which isn't all that surprising, sadly. I wonder how I could get the word out about the UDDUP manga so more people can start reading it, and enjoying its awesomeness? :O On a brighter note, I have 2 fantastic reviewers already, who actually put an effort into their reviews instead of the usual 'update plx' and no more. Thank you, you two! You know who you are! :D

As for Entwined. I'm about halfway through chapter 14. I'll probably finish that chapter before writing any more of Thorny Path, but it shouldn't take all that long. :)

Back to the grindstone then! :D

New Fan Fiction

2009-11-17T23:46:00.000+01:00

Yes, I know, I probably have too much on my plate already, but I just couldn't help myself. >.>

I've just posted the prologue up for my new fan fiction called Thorny Path. It's based on the Until Death Do Us Part manga, which is sorely under-read I might add! It is also extremely poorly represented, fan fiction wise, which was a contributing factor to me writing this now.

The story is based around the manga's two main characters - Mamoru and Haruka. In the manga you can tell a romance is bound to bloom between them, but Haruka is only 12 at the start of it, so I'm using some artistic license to move my own story on in years a bit to make the romance a bit less... icky. :p It is first and foremost an action story though, so expect lots of kick ass swordplay and general awesomeness. ;)

Now to finish Chapter 14 of Entwined, so I don't feel too guilty. :P

Small Passage of Fiction

2009-11-13T23:42:00.001+01:00

Well, I just received the marks back from my first assessment for my writing course. It was less than I had hoped for at 76%. There were several parts to the assessment, the passage of fiction being the second part. I'm going to post it here for you to read. :)

Lost Hope

The day had finally come. All the trouble, the hardships, the intensely difficult training; it had all been for this day.

Vera lazily surveyed the room. She barely took note of the furnishings. The bed she had slept in the night before was still unmade, the twisted sheets attesting to the restlessness she had been feeling for several days now. She paused as she noticed her reflection in the full length mirror that was hanging on the wall beside her.

Unconsciously, she tugged at the hem of the silky blouse she was wearing, smoothing the material. Her eyes trailed upwards to her face. What she saw there startled her. Fingertips gingerly probed the smooth skin of her cheeks, tracing a line to the corner of one eye. Why was her skin damp? She saw her fine, blonde eyebrows knit together in a frown and her eyes widened as the memories came flooding back to her.

Oh yes, it was that day. The day that was supposed to fulfil her life’s wishes. The one she had been working towards since before she could remember. Yet, all she had dreamed of, all she had hoped for, had been blown away by a single piece of news. Fresh tears rolled freely down her cheeks.

It was gone.
____________________

Vera stepped out of the hotel room, closing the door behind her. No matter how upset she was, she couldn’t let it show outwardly. Her hands trailed to her hair, yet again, checking it was all in place. It had refused to sit flat, so she had twisted it all together and pinned it behind her head in a loose bun.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for the day ahead of her and turned to walk the few feet to the elevator, almost barging straight into the front of an expensive looking, crisp white shirt in the process.

Practically leaping a step backwards, she bit back the scathing remark that was to be aimed at the wearer of the shirt - a slender, dark haired man of perhaps thirty years of age. Full lips curled into a smirk.

“I didn’t mean to startle you, Ma’am.” His voice held a gravelly tone to it, putting Vera immediately on edge.

She groaned inwardly at her own reaction. She had been in a daze for the better part of the morning, so much so that she hadn’t even noticed the man approaching her.

“It’s fine,” she mumbled dismissively. She really was not in the mood for any kind of human interaction at the moment.

She offered a half-smile, more out of politeness than any real sincerity and moved to walk past him and towards the elevator. The lingering scent of stale tobacco and something she couldn’t quite identify reached her senses as they passed each other. She mused over it for a moment before dismissing it.

“Vera Layton, yes?”

She paused at the sound of the gravelly voice again, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. Turning, she saw the man had taken only a few steps in the opposite direction.

“Who are you?” she asked, somewhat suspiciously.

That smirk was back on his lips. “Apologies for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Alec Kale.”

His hand slid into his suit jacket and he fumbled about until he found whatever he had been looking for. He flashed a toothy grin as he pulled out a small yellowing envelope.

“I believe this’ll be of interest to you, Ma’am.” He waved the envelope in front of him for added effect.

Vera stared blankly at the object in his hand for a moment, before her gaze shifted to his face. The grin had faded and he met her look confidently. She had no idea who this man was or the reason for his sudden appearance, but she presumed it was no coincidence that he was here now, on this day, after the news she had been given earlier.

“Very well, Mr. Kale. I’ll hear what you have to say.”

His lips twitched slightly, and Vera presumed he was trying to suppress that annoying smirk.

“Good choice, Miss Layton.”

He strode over to her, his immaculate leather shoes thudding softly on the carpeted floor and offered her the envelope.

Vera grasped the yellowing paper, but as she tried take it, Alec tightened his own grip. She glanced at the man’s face, half scowling. His head was cocked slightly to one side, all traces of humour had disappeared from his features.

“I hope you’re ready for what you’re about to discover, Miss Layton.”

(Word Count: 761)

Entwined Chapter 13

2009-11-05T20:00:00.000+01:00

Woohoo, I finally finished Chapter 13 of Entwined! Oh yes, and posted it up too! Clicky here if you want to take a look. ;)

Wow, that sure took some time, huh? Sorry, sorry. Initially, I wasn't too happy with it, but after re-reading it and tweaking it a bit, I'm sort of okay with it now. Not very encouraging, eh? >.>

Ack well, now to get started on Chapter 14! :D

NaNoWriMo

2009-11-04T17:51:00.000+01:00

If you've not heard of it before, this post title's probably got you wondering what I'm smoking, right? Well, not to fear! It's only tobacco! Anyway, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it's being running for a few years (not sure how many exactly) during the month of November. Basically, it's a challenge to write a 50,000 word (or more) novel from scratch within the space of that month.

The idea is to simply just write and not worry about content too much, or editing. That comes in December. :P The only reward if you reach the goal, is some downloadable certificate, but I think the sense of accomplishment you would get is a sufficient reward, amirite? Anyhoo, here's a link to my profile page, and you can go and sign up from there or read more, etc, if you're interested!

I'm at 11,545 words at the moment, so it's going not too badly. Fingers crossed for me! :P

Oh, and Entwined Chapter 13 is almost finished. Go me!

Shame On Me!

2009-10-20T13:31:00.000+02:00

Well, it's been a while, but thought I'd post an update here. :)

I'm busy studying away at the moment. Well, technically, not really studying, as the course I'm doing is a writing one. It doesn't really require 'study' per se.

I'm part way through writing Entwined Chapter 13. Haven't really had the time to finish it though. I did open up the document yesterday, but then was called away to do something else. >.>

I've also written quite a bit more for my original fiction, so that's coming along nicely.

I'll post a small passage of fiction here that I had to write for my coursework. 75 word limit.

The sun had set hours ago, leaving the cramped, overly-filled office space in a state of gloom. The usually glaring overhead lights were off and the only source of illumination came from an old, barely functioning table lamp.

A solitary figure sat behind the dull glow of the lamp, half hidden behind a clutter of office paraphernalia stacked haphazardly on the desks surrounding him. He was scouring through a dog-eared day planner, muttering to himself.

(Word count: 75)

Entwined Chapter 12

2009-09-09T19:58:00.001+02:00

Oh, I completely failed at keeping this blog up to date this time. >.>

Well, Chapter 12 has been up for a good week or two now. Oops! I have excuses though! Yay!

I'm actually on the Isle of Arran at the moment, on a little family vacation with my parents. To say the internet connection here is unstable, would be generous! Ah well, only a few days left then I'll be back in Sweden. :)

Theeeen, in the beginning of November, I'm off to L.A for 2 weeks. Woot! That should be interesting. *nod nod*

Anyway, because of all this hustle and bustle, Entwined will probably not be updated as much as I would like. It's bad enough already, I know, but real life must take priority. :<

I've already started on Chapter 13, so don't despair! :D

Entwined Chapter 11

2009-07-25T12:30:00.001+02:00

Darn, this post is a couple of days late again. >.>

Oh well! The next chapter of Entwined is up on FFN now! :D

Again, it took a rather long time to get the chapter completed. I’ve been finding it difficult finding time to write as well as the inclination. So, meh. :(

This last chapter seems to have been well received though, so that makes me happy! As always, I shall try my best to update a little quicker with the next chapter, but I can’t make any guarantees.

I’d better leave this post here. I have some dinner event thingy to attend and need to get ready within the hour. Aaargh, cannot be bothered with it, really! >.<

Technorati Tags: fan fiction,vampire knight

New Story

2009-07-02T01:45:00.000+02:00

Soooo, I had this sudden burst of inspiration last night. I know! It finally happened! O.o

Well anyway, this isn't a fan fiction that I started writing today, it's a completely original story! Ohmigosh! So, sorry dear fanfiction.net but this story won't be gracing your pages. I'm really excited about it though, I truly love the idea I've come up with. Gotten about 14 pages written so far, and it's progressing nicely me thinks.

It's less serious than my usual writing, though it still has serious overtones.

Don't worry though! I shall still be updating Entwined, of course. ;)

Now... I wonder if anyone actually reads this blog to view this tidbit of information... :o

Entwined Chapter 10

2009-06-28T22:30:00.000+02:00

Three weeks have passed since I posted the last chapter. Blimey! I am such a slacker! :o

Ah well, I do have valid reasons, though I'm not going to make excuses, as I have been slacking too. >.<

I got me a new PC though! Well, actually it's my fiancé's 'old' one. Only a few months old, and he felt he had to go get another new one, and I got the hand-me-down. *chuckles* I can't complain though, it's pretty nice. It's a fantastic gaming computer. Now I just need to start playing some games again... No! I musn't! Must devote more time to updating Entwined! *cough*

Anyway! Hope the wait for the chapter was worth it! *trudges off to begin writing next chapter*

Entwined Chapter 9

2009-06-07T22:52:00.000+02:00

Oh dear, I keep forgetting to add updates to this blog at the right time. I'm a day or two late again. :<

Chapter 9 took quite a while longer to write than the other chapters as my fiancé decided to give me his flu. How generous, eh?

The most annoying thing is that it never came out properly, so I was moping around for a week feeling generally miserable with no end in sight. I suppose the good thing is that it could have been worse. But coughing your lungs up when you have broken ribs is just... eek!

Anyway, enough moaning from me! The new chapter is up on ff.net aswell as media miner (though I'm not sure if it's worth posting it on both sites). It seems to have been generally well received so far, and the scene I'm currently working on is so much fun. *giggles maniacally*

Entwined Chapter 8

2009-05-23T03:15:00.001+02:00

Whoo, Chapter 8 is now up on ff.net.

Thankfully, no silly writer's block this time, and I'm quite happy with this chapter. Let's hope my readers are too. :D

Time to go do some Archaeology work now though. >.>

Entwined Chapter 7

2009-05-20T14:35:00.000+02:00

Finally got the seventh chapter of Entwined posted up on ff.net. And, boy, was it a struggle. Silly writer's block. I really hope the chapter didn't suffer because of the struggle.

Here's hoping that it never, ever happens again. Though I probably won't be so lucky. >.>

Disaster Strikes!

2009-05-18T18:17:00.001+02:00

Oh noes! Okay... it's not a complete disaster, but I seem to have been struck down by a case of writer's block.

I've already discussed this with my sister, and her suggestions were great. She said I should continue on with a scene of the fiction that I was looking forward to. But unfortunately, I can't seem to focus on it as my frustrating mind seems to keep wandering back to the scene I was originally stuck on. I really dislike leaving things unfinished, and especially that I must complete said scene to be able to post the chapter. So... well... bleh!

I've been reading some other fanfictions to try and get some inspiration. Hasn't been successful so far. :(

I have been listening to some fantastic music though. I managed to write a couple of lines while listening to E.S. Posthumus' albums Cartographer and Unearthed. Great music by the way! Unfortunately, the spurt of writing didn't last too long, and I'm back to being stuck again. *sigh*

*ponders whatever she should do*

Entwined Chapter 6

2009-05-17T11:22:00.000+02:00

I'm a bit late with this post again. *cough*

I posted up yet another chapter of Entwined on ff.net on Friday. That was a really quick update for me. *grins proudly*

My course started officially yesterday, though I've not done anything towards it yet. *whistles innocently* I wanted to keep up the quick updating pace, but looks like that won't be entirely possible. As I said before, though, I shall at least aim for once per week. *fingers crossed*

Right, time to go read some books on Archaeology... >.>

Artwork

2009-05-14T02:27:00.000+02:00

I've added some thumbnails of some of my own artwork to the sidebar on the right. Not only does it make the blog look more pretty, but I like to show off. :P

Okay, showing off is maybe an exaggeration. All the pictures are fairly old, at least a few years, and not exactly amazing. But they're good enough quality to post up here me thinks.

If you'd like to see bigger images, please let me know, and I'll think about putting a slideshow or link to an online album up. :)

Entwined Chapter 5

2009-05-14T00:30:00.000+02:00

I posted Chapter 5 of Entwined up on fanfiction.net two days ago. Blogspot was down when I tried making this post before, so it's a tad late. :P

Ahh, it was fun writing the interaction between Kaname and Zero, finally! There's going to be lots more too. :D

Now... to get to writing Chapter 6... *cracks knuckles*

Oh also, as a sidenote, I'm starting my Archaeology course next week, so updates may be a day or two slower in the coming months. I'm hoping not though!

I'll make a more informative post about my new course on my personal blog on LiveJournal. :)

Entwined - Chapter 4

2009-05-06T00:39:00.000+02:00

Woohoo, Chapter 4 completed and posted up on Fanfiction.net!

Again, was a little slow going, but that was only because I kept getting distracted by other things, as well as the fact that my broken ribs have been giving me hell this week. *sniff*

The story is coming along nicely now, and I'm really rather looking forward to the next chapter, where we'll see our two protagonists, Zero and Kaname, actually interact for the first time. *grins*

Let's hope I'll get some more people reviewing, as that really helps motivate me. *smiles*

Entwined - Chapter 3

2009-04-28T17:24:00.001+02:00

Finally finished Chapter 3 of my first Vampire Knight fan fiction! *cheers*

This one seemed to go very slowly. The previous two chapters just sort of wrote themselves, but this one seemed to crawl along. Still, i'm happy with how it turned out, and I hope everyone else will be too.

Now, just need to wait on a certain someone proof-reading it, and I'll get it posted up on ff.net. :D

Decisions, Decisions

2009-04-26T20:25:00.001+02:00

Okay, so i've decided what to do with this blog.

I shall be using it for updates, ideas, thoughts, etc for my writing. Whether that be fan fiction or original projects. My Livejournal blog will still be in use, but more for ranting about the state of the world, and more personal notes. ;)

Now... to just get people to read them! :D

My Muse is Back!

2009-04-26T02:42:00.000+02:00

Oh yes, finally. My little muse has awoken from her several year long slumber, and i'm back to writing! Starting off with fan fictions, as the ideas or characters are already well established, it makes the writing process so much simpler. :)

I had to create yet another FF.net account as the other three were so old, I had forgotten my log in details. >.<>Here's a link to my profile, so if you're interested you can take a look at either fictions.

Now i'll need to concentrate on writing, and getting at least one of them regularly updated. :)

Trying Out Blogger

2009-04-25T21:29:00.000+02:00

Having had a blog up on Livejournal for a relatively long time, I thought i'd try Blogger out, as it's supposed to be a bit more versatile and independant than LJ. I've yet to decide on those counts yet, but we shall see.

Now... time to fiddle around with settings! *cheers*