OUROBOROS (WIP) [Updated 12th June 2023] [NEW! discord + tumblr + patreon]

@G_G Oh :> This makes me so happy. I always feel like my writing oscillates wildly from too perfunctory to the purplest of prose. I’m so glad to see that you appreciate it :’) Thank you!

Re:update: I really take your silence as support, and I hope you won’t mind. I have pushed myself so hard these past three months, november being insane in terms of progress, and even while it didn’t get me quite past the finish line, I can taste it. I can feel it. I’m so close. There is so much in this update that I feel like the wait will be worth it, or so I hope, even though I know that my failed deadlines and promiscuous hopes can be a bit frustrating.
It’s a learning curve for me too, not only working in choicescript and everything that diverging narratives imply, but with this scope of a story. There is so much to keep track of that it gets overwhelming, enough so that I have to take a few days off writing sometimes just to piece together the information myself. And then rewrite, because I came up with a better way to present a certain clue. Sigh. Sometimes I ask myself why I decided this was a good idea. I have outlined and outlined again, but once you get into the nitty gritty of it, of actually making it work in dialogue and subtext and theme… It can be really daunting and intimidating to stick to it.

I have to say that the urge to share this massive update with you in one piece is keeping me from sharing it partially, as it’s one of my greatest motivators. Forgive me :woozy_face:

But!

I come bearing a very peculiar sneak peek. I have been following a very interesting discussion on the forum about AI. And I wanted to share something that I AI-generated in the story! I struggled with this part for quite some time, enough of a time that I’m really reluctant to share the initial content of the paragraphs that I had set. They’re awful. Not sure if these are better… But for the first draft of the full story, they will have to do.

I was recommended this AI, and it is really something. I used Jeff Vandermeer as my seed (the winding text in the tower, if you are familiar with the Southern Reach trilogy) and then tweaked it with certain words to mention, and then with some of my own rewrites. It spat out some of the worst writing I had ever seen, and I loved it. I think that’s only because I was using AI’s greatest strength to work for me: to write what looked and felt like the ramblings of mad men. It worked out great.

See for yourself!

Eh! It’s quite something, isn’t it.
If you didn’t catch it, It’s the content of the letters from the wayward runners.

AI was a great tool, being there when I twisted myself into knots, trying to write even half of the mess of words that it churned out in seconds. I really don’t know how I feel about AI as a whole, but using it in this instance was a blessing, lmao.
I guess all there is left to see is if Skynet will ever be as proficient as, say, Brando Sando with churning out actual, coherent stories. I very much doubt it.

That’s about it… Thanks for sticking through this with me. I appreciate it. Back to writing! :two_hearts:

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My silence is still support! You will forever have my love and adoration. I just haven’t been on the forums to stalk you. :heart:

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My dear, I’ve been here waiting for the update like:
burying-dying

Very relatable :sweat_smile:

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@jay-walker @Radiantbliss you make my heart sing :flushed:

Thank goodness I’m not alone in this! It’s such a hefty undertaking, feels a bit like sailing a vast ocean on nothing but a dingy raft with a pen as a paddle. Wishing you the best in your endeavor, through the highs and lows, it will at least be an experience to remember :') (And be proud of!)

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^ this has been me for as long as I can remember. But enough is enough. I can’t finish everything I wanted to because I’m notorious of putting too much on my plate. With me going from 75% to full time at work, the stressful holidays and my mental health circling the drain, I have to put my foot down (Take that, me!!) and just humbly offer a smaller update than what I originally intended, so I can go on my birthday vacation with an actual intention to rest. Both me and my pup need it, badly.

So here’s the update:

  • 1 full chapter (the flashback chapter we have @AdmiralLynx89 to thank for!),
  • a new path in the intro for you stubborn MC’s
  • the full meeting with Lena if you ally with her
  • and a little itty bit more

A bit above 50k I’d say, but I could be wrong. The rest of the act is almost done as well, but I just can’t finish it right now. I feel close to tears whenever I look at the story, and I just can’t have it that way.

Even though I’m feeling super insecure about these words, I’m ripping the band-aid off and sharing it, which is a huge success for me either way! Know that I have written this with rewrites in mind, so keep your feedback honest (but feel free to throw some mindless praise encouragement my way too! Only me and one other set of eyes have read this, and I know there’s a lot left to be desired. lmao)

And, lastly, since there is an erotic scene; please keep the NSFW conversations to the adult thread.

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Lol go enjoy a well deserved break and i look forward to seeing the new stuff youve added :smiley: will offer comment after ive done so.

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:> Thank you!!! :two_hearts:

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:eyes:
may I ask for which character?

edit: I haven’t been following along very closely so if there were teasers I may have forgotten ><

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For L! :smiling_imp:

It doesn’t make sense from a far, but I promise that it does while in the chapter (Or so I hope? lol). Their romance is a bit backwards :joy:

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Is there a way to save our home if we refuse to leave with Ida? I picked the option that I have to save my home instead of staying hidden but its still gone. Seems really depressing that something our hunter worked on for 200 years gone :frowning:

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Would you mind blurring the spoiler, please? :> And you will find this out in the next update, if you are going the Id route; later if not! It is indeed depressing, however. Poor MC can’t have shit to themselves. :joy:

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Can we get some puppy pictures when you get back? Well not here, but we got a furball thread for it here.

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Yes! I’m just gonna go the regular Ida drags us back route again XD
Btw our hunter can be so mean! Its essentially their fault for what happened to Ida and they can say some hurtful things to them

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@E_RedMark of course you can. :smiley: I froth at the mouth at the prospect of sharing my lil banana baby. Here’s some of my faves of her, (I call her Nana, but on paper her name is Nala)




image

Isn’t she a beaut. :> She had paw surgery this week for a cracked nail, but is recovering just fine (and without the dreaded cone!) Currently she’s laying beside, staring at me with those ‘where’s my treats’ eyes. I love her so much it’s insane!

@Frieza hahaha, right! I wanted the new path to sting a little, but in a way that makes sense. I hope it wasn’t too punishing!! And yes, the MC can (rightfully so) lash out quite a bit. It’s only human. But if they do, they have consequences they must face.

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banana lol

Wait…is she a grey hound dog?

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She is! Well, a mix between a whippet and a greyhound. She is a bit smaller in stature than a full-breed one. A lurcher, I believed its called! :>

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I love this wip :star_struck:

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:face_holding_back_tears: Well I love you for saying that! :> (truly, thank you for taking the time to letting me know, and leaving all your likes. I see you and always smile!!)

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Absolutely loved the update! Especially loved the last memory segment discussing the clergy and capital.
Ida/Leith polyamorous route was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. Now my poor hunter Whitecrow can have a backstory in which she failed both her lovers! The angst, ah the sweet angst.

A couple of bugs I noticed (there are more but it's 4 AM so I'll try to post rest later):

In this segment i picked the bold option but game played both variants at the same time:

And not sure if should keep it here or move to adult thread but in a segment of Leith romance scene before the option to skip/show the explicit bit fem Leith suddenly turned into a french gentleman for a second:

I noticed a couple more times where female ROs are referred to as “he” and a few times Leith is written as leith. Will try to find exact locations later.

Also I was wondering if we would get to pick a weapon MC uses.

Hope we can get an unspecified sword so i can headcanon my hunter elegantly strolling around with a swiss saber

Swiss_Sabre


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Also how do you meet/ally with Lena? I didn’t get any interactions with her, demo is supposed to end after the “what-to-do-with-capital” flashback, right?

Keep up the good work and wish you the best!

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Awesome, great news with the update @hyperbolou. And the pupper is a beaut.

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