The weather has been gorgeous though. Yesterday I was able to spend some time writing on my front porch for the first day this year. That was nice. I'm also writing this blog post on the porch. Perhaps getting out of the winter weather will help. My only concern is that this year has had quite the yo-yoing weather. One day it's a cozy 50F (~10C), and I can see grass... and a LOT of mud... but still... I can see grass, and I only need a light coat or heavy sweatshirt. The next day we'll get about 3in (~7.6cm) of snow and I'm bundled up like I've forgotten what heat feels like. It's been killer on my immune system, so I've been battling sinus issues and scratchy throats pretty much all season.
If we can just have this gorgeous weather from now until November, I'd be set.
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| Okay, arguably, this picture isn't the nicest. It's been drizzling all morning, and the breeze is a bit cold. I don't know if I'll stay out here the whole time I'm working on my blog because my fingers are already a bit numb from the wind... but at least I can get a few minutes. So... yay? |
The "nice" weather has only been around since this past weekend, though, so I was still zombified leading into this post update.
I've spent far too much time trying to figure out what on earth I was going to do for that 'Your Voice' prompt for the Fluff WEEK story that should have been done a month ago, but here I am still chugging along with it....
The original inspiration I had for the prompt just does not work. It goes right back to my other Ladybug-involving stories: hurt/comfort. Chat Noir has to be in a low or life-threatening position for the prompt to work the way I originally planned. I'm THIS far into Fluff Week, and I'm already doing so terribly with it, that I just can't do that to my readers. Not with this collection. I'll have to tuck that in my back pocket for a future story.
So now all I have is the prompt - Your Voice - and a vague premise: Adrien realizes his feelings for Marinette, and either suspects or hopes that Marinette is Ladybug. A parallel to the previous 'AU Day' prompt and my story/chapter using that: Making the Complicated Simple.
I don't have a plot though. At least, I didn't for most of last week. To try to help me become inspired, I went back to the Fluff Week Tumblr page to see what everyone else came up with for the prompt. Of course, I already knew what three people did, and I already talked about their over-all stories a couple of weeks ago.
While I did enjoy a lot of the other stories, there were two that really stuck with me. Sctwilightvampwolfgal over on FFN had a lovely little drabble using the prompt: The Encouragement I Hear.
Marinette has the wedding jitters, and begins reflecting on how much she truly relies on Chat Noir's encouraging words. She focuses on Chat Noir's voice in her head as she waits for the wedding ceremony to start. It is so sweet, and the pacing and build are done beautifully, especially considering how short the story is.Summary: There is one voice that Ladybug hears in her head that gives her the encouragement to whatever lays before her, the same voice that one of her earliest memories of, is giving her encouragement. [sic]
Over on AO3, Pengirl91 had a gloriously stupid way for a reveal to happen, and I loved it!
The Good Parts of Life
It's another short story, but it is funny and sweet, and I love watching Alya's reaction to everything!Summary: Alya is mad that she wasn't able to get any footage of a late-night akuma attack. As she tries to vent about it to her two very sleepy friends, she realizes there might be an even bigger scoop surrounding Marinette and Adrien.
Writers who can convey so much so quickly always astound me. They have better skill than I.
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How about CN can't see for whatever reason, and has to follow LB's voice, and that need to focus on her voice is what triggers it for him? It's possible. It's probable, even. But why wouldn't CN be able to see? I can't simply take out the lights, because he has night vision, and making it so dark that even that wouldn't magically work is tricky. I could temporarily blind him, and have his vision restored with the Miraculous Ladybugs, but that's getting kind of angsty again. Blindfolded? What would be the point of having him blindfolded for an extended period of time? How is it he couldn't take the blindfold off? Would it be part of LB's plan? What would be the need? He was blindfolded in the episode "Reverser" to help prevent him from getting scared.... Could I think of a similar scenario without outright rehashing? What if he were in a labyrinth of some sort, and needed to listen to Ladybug instruct him on where to go? How did they get separated? Why does LB know the layout? Why can't she just break him out of the maze, or why can't CN use his cataclysm to get out? How entertaining would it be for readers to go through a chapter of LB instructing CN where to go? Even with an extended amount of time of CN listening to LB via earpiece, how would he not think of the voice as Ladybug's? There has to be another element that helps him forget who is talking to him juuuuust long enough for it to trigger.
It wasn't until my roadtrip down to visit my sister for her birthday did I come up with something remotely viable.
By the way...
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| Generated by Bitmoji Happy birthday to my godson, and a happy birthday for my sister! |
It's not really working though. I was going to have Marinette's voice strained from exhaustion, and Chat Noir noticing LB's voice was just as strained, but I'm not liking how it's coming together. I'm spending too much time with the duo in class, describing Marinette's voice, and Adrien being distracted with concern. Then I have to take into consideration that Marinette now has a suspicion that Adrien is Chat Noir, so she'd have to be extra cautious about talking around her partner because it's kind of a dead giveaway that it's the same voice.
Unless I go the route of a lot of fanart that tease that the characters could dye their hair - usually Adrien dying his blonde hair pink - and the other STILL wouldn't be able to put two-and-two together.
So back to the drawing board. I'm now thinking of the trust-escort mission concept again. Except, instead of Chat Noir being the blinded one, what if it were Adrien? He might get hints of "huh, Marinette kinda sounds like Ladybug" because she is in her Take Charge voice after a little while of realizing she's responsible for Adrien's safety and he wholly trusts her. However, I really need Chat Noir to picture MARINETTE while Ladybug is speaking for it to truly work the way I wanted it to. So, maybe he has "she's kinda like Ladybug" moments, but it doesn't actually click until later. He instead is hyperfocused on Marinette's voice and absorbing what it truly sounds like while she's directing him. Then, when listening to Ladybug he realizes it's not Marinette who sounds like LB, but it's actually HER that sounds like MARINETTE to him.
It has potential. I just need to still lock down HOW I'm going to do it. What would be the situation in which Marinette - of all people - is in charge of a "blind" Adrien trust exercise? I could go the way of some Fluff Week 'Trust' prompt stories, and have the class practice trust exercises, and Marinette is paired with Adrien. On the one hand, why wouldn't she be paired up with Alya (her bestie) or Lila (being forced for them to build trust)? On the other, perhaps the students can just pick the people they trust, and Alya claims she wants to be matched with Nino to improve their relationship???? An obstacle course isn't exactly life-or-death, though, so would Marinette switch to Serious Mode? And how does she not then switch to be lead by Adrien, and be hyperaware of his very Chat Noir-like voice?
I could have it be similar to Oblivio, in which there was an akuma attack, and they're stuck alone and untransformed as they try to find a way to get the other to safety while also trying to sneak away to transform, and they happen to be somewhere dark??? Adrien doesn't have night vision out of the costume, but Marinette never has it, so if it's too dark for Adrien, how is it not too dark for Marinette?
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| Hacker Girl Facebook sticker by Birdman, Inc |
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| Hacker Girl Facebook sticker by Birdman, Inc |
On top of THAT, this Friday is the 13th! It will be my last "Plagg Appreciation Day" until November. I need to think of something good for that. So the Fluff Week stories are going to have to take a back seat for a week.
So much for my schedule to get One and the Same back on track....
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On top of all of the inspiration troubles, I was really drained last week. Nothing due to illness, so don't worry.
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| Facebook meme |
WHAT I REALLY NEED IS SUNLIGHT!
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| Generated by Bitmoji |
In the meantime, I guess I'm still writing through all the ideas that WON'T work in hopes that writing them out will clear them from my head and open the way for ideas that WILL work. Such an inefficient way to write. I hate it, but it's better than no writing at all, right?
I also need to start consuming other forms of story again, in hopes that will also help re-inspire me. Reading other Fluff Week stories hasn't really helped, so maybe I need to go back to the source. Or some other fictional TV, or movies, or video games....
D&D hasn't really been helping, mostly because we only played once in February. Last Thursday was the first game in two weeks, and it was mostly "try not to let these low-level monsters kill you noobs." I mean, seriously, we're 4th level characters and we STILL have to at least take a short rest after every battle! How did we screw up our collective attack power so much?
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| Ya-Ya Facebook sticker by Birdman Inc |
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| D&D 5e illustration of Sun Blade |
Even with that awesome turn of events, however, I don't have the drive to write about Kriv like I normally do. Stupid Zombie Mode.
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| Generated by Bitmoji |
Until next week!
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