Thirdly

This chapter was brought to you by the magical @Cia who managed to fix what I broke so that it could post normally. Thank you, @Cia~

I dove towards the reeds again, zooming past the bay root, picking up speed until I tucked myself away into the cavern I shared with my aunt, deep within the underground maze. The maze was a complex network of tunnels and chambers, each with its unique features and dangers. More bettas lived in these caverns, but no one knew the specific paths leading to one another's abode. My aunt and I had frequently lost our way during our first few moon cycles living here. I peered over my shoulder to make

The movie Wicked mimics the Wizard of Oz title by using the same font. But imagine if they titled it Shrewish instead. 🤣

They are more than useful, they're enticing. I only read some of these stories because of your reviews!

Best blog ever!?!?!? 😍 Now we dont have to hunt for each of your individual reviews and can reference this, too!

We all have different methods. Some of us are more detailed than others, some are more action-centric, others are more about the romance...I struggle with settings, atmosphere, and humor these days (which is ironic because when I first began writing, the comedy flew right out of my fingers and onto the pages...I've been losing senior family members back to back lately though, and grief is a stronger beast that impeded me more than depression does, though both states are like cousins to one another when it comes to keeping me from writing the humorous things I want to write.). The point is that from here on out, it is just deciding what you want to write about and what interests you.

Took me a while to get back but I finished it! I love the writing style and the characters, the details, and the setting. I would have liked to have read the "scene change" moments as their own separate chapters, as many didn't feature Juan. I'm not the biggest fan of chapters that don't have the main character in it, but in my first stories, I did the exact same thing. It wasn't until I went back to read them years later that I changed it all to focus on just one character instead of the others. The pacing on my first story was way too fast, but I am too lazy to go back and fix pacing issues in my older stories. The pacing of this one was very steady in the beginning, but it wavered a bit from steady to fast-fast-medium speed-fast-fast which makes it feel like you were rushing to finish, and I understand why since this was supposed to be for one of the events. Things like pacing and following around just one main character are stylistic choices you figure out on the way. Even with the not-as-steady final third of the story, it was a VERY good and entertaining read. I would read anything else you choose to write. It's seriously 3 times better than any of my first stories. I look at this and wonder why you haven't written us anything before.

It can be any 2 dialects that popped in your head while reading. This one is one of my simpler stories, and I still think I could have been more descriptive, but I'm glad you were able to envision it! I was initially trying to go for a fairytale style mini story. This final draft is not as complex as the other projects I'm currently working on. But I did enjoy writing it, nonetheless.

It's all posted, though not on an exact schedule, as I lost track of which days I scheduled and it's too late to change them. But I can say for sure that it is 6 chapters long. No real mention of humans in this story, but I was greatly amused picturing this! 😂

Beneath the dark waters of the Sein channel, my heart raced in my chest, a symphony of fear reverberating in my webbed ears as I forced myself through the thick reeds. I plunged downwards, my hands trembling as I frantically dug my tail into the sand. As the mounds of sand rose, forming protective walls on either side of my rainbow-hued scales, I hunched over them, shielding my bright colors as best as I could. I cursed inwardly, the vibrant hues that made me stand out, a beacon in the darkness,

Peter and Griffin meet at the edge of their communities and become fast friends. They yearn to meet in the middle and live a new life together. But their own people are a much bigger barrier to their love than the massive brackish water path that physically separates them. [BL, mermen]

You say it's plenty of time, but to very slow writers...😂 either way, my new concern is "make sure this is under 25k words." And thank you!

Is there a deadline yet?

Blast! Just when I was getting started, I realized I had to leave in 10 minutes. Before I forget, one of my first thoughts was ‘Sanchez potteries and ceramics’ - As common as Sanchez is as a surname, it reminds me of this one time that my dad's family name was plastered on a van in Puerto Rico and I think they were plumbers. 🤣 Just a fun thought that if I had been born to that branch of the family, I'd have known more about plumbing. I'll be back to finish reading after getting home!

I apologize if someone already posted this one within the last couple of years. *drops the ear worm and scampers away*

Over the top my butt, @Headstall!

Though it also feels like cheating, one thing that came to mind other than what @kbois wonderfully suggested, are handwritten notes. 👀 I was a teenager once and I remember playing messenger passing notes from girls to boys, or girls to other girls, and so on. When writing from one friend to another (or anything intimate between couples), so much can be read between the lines. It's why there is a collective panic whenever someone intercepts those notes, especially anything incriminating like calling an ex a fusion of a magical girl and their scent of choice "Sailor Spice."

Well, that anthology sounds like it's right up my alley. 🤣

On the note of passing the torch, there isn't anything wrong with that (published authors sometimes like to shake things up by having chapters led by other character other than the main one, and it still works if the information is pertinent to the main character or affects them in some way). You just run the risk of snapping the reader out of the immersion. I learned that the hard way with one of my older stories, just how close readers can be to the main character. In my case I also realized that it felt like I changed the genre and tone of the story towards the end, which is even more jolting to readers (to me it didn't feel like the genre and tone changed at all because it was all planned ahead of time, but I didn't convey it well, and that's something I personally am still working on...it's like when milk used to come in cartons and you had to shake it because it wasn't homogenized? I didn't shake the carton well enough with the genre and tone to make it feel like one cohesive thing the whole way through).

EK, I wanted to clear something up. That wasn't criticism, merely reactions and my personal opinions. Always take anything anyone says with a grain of salt. If you feel like polishing this story up at some point, you totally can. I've done it in the past with my oldest story. I gave you my opinions and some of the methods I use to see what you choose to use for your next project (you don't have to use any of it if you don't want to). Remember, you already have me beat by finishing a story of this genre. (I am still haunted by the crime one I have to eventually finish. So much research.) What I try to do is really figure out what the most important parts of a chapter is and try to make sure it is illustrated well with a decent limelight, something I usually do with my comic pages. The trick with mysteries, though, is not withholding information, but hiding it in plain sight or in pieces to make readers try to piece it together themselves. What I like about what you did with this one is that the information you gave from one chapter to the other was gradual and in increments (at least for me who read it in one sitting). The pacing was great, as well, the action slowed when it needed to slow and picked up when it needed to pick up. Anything I haven't talked about or mentioned is top notch to me: characterizations, descriptions of locations, the plot itself, the ease and flow of reading...

“Michael will be with you shortly. May I bring you a cold coke, sir?" es, please.” - Feeding the addiction. He shook his head. “Somehow, I was too nervous to get anything done today. My boss had pity on me and prepared this for us.” - Aww. He was nervous. “Once, she asked my date whether he was top, bottom, or versatile.” - What if he's all three? "I know one is not supposed to talk about that on a date, especially the first one, but you’ve told me that you had four relationships that didn’t work out. Tell me more about that.”“Oh Mike. That’s so Germanic. Straight to the point no matter the costs.” - True, true. Had I known about the police rumor mill before joining, I’d have chosen to apply to a different police force than the one in which my dad was a response shift sergeant. - Ooooh. That sucks. My then-lover had only been after popping my cherry. - That jerk! One night when I was out on patrol, I saw him outside a nightclub passionately snogging another guy. - That jerk! The long distance thing didn’t work out. I’d put a lot into our relationship, more than he was willing to invest. - Well, at least this one was sort of reasonable. Brian shaped me to become a manifestation of Leon Scott Kennedy, the main character of his favourite game, the remake of Resident Evil 4. - Oh, the otaku asshole. Forgot about him. Giving gamers a bad name. This has nothing to do with what you’ve told me, I would’ve asked this anyway, but would you object to testing together with me for any STDs? - Mike's thinking ahead. “You’re silly,” he giggled while trying to take off his jacket.“I’m something else right now.” - 👀He sure is. “Please, let me hold you a little while longer.” He smiled and did. - Told you he was a keeper!

“Jamie, I’ve got half the shift calling in sick, three cell watches, two court papers due tomorrow, and you’ll probably be the only unit available. So, if Mike turns up here tonight, he’ll be your crewmate. Please act like a professional and get your hormones under control.” - Woo! Let's go, sergeant!! “One-Three-One, I have another immediate for you.” No way! “You must be kidding me.” - Yeah, they can't catch a break today. “It’s easier than you make it sound. I can show you. I’m a chef.” - If I weren't into girls, that'd have been a total keeper for me. That was it. Fuck controlling my hormones! I exploded. “Mike, I’m really sorry, but I can’t work with you anymore! I can’t stand that you’re an excellent crewmate, real fun to be around with, and bloody good-looking. I’m sorry if that insults your heterosexuality, but I’m finding you extremely attractive, and I’ve had enough of suffering being here next to you.” - LMAO!! Let's go!! Mike turned to me and grabbed my stab vest by the shoulder. He pulled me closer and next thing I knew, his lips were on mine. - *intense happy squealing* Go Mike! Ten minutes of mostly long wail later, I had a headache thanks to the siren and the stroboscopic blue lights in the darkness. - I can only imagine. Ouch. “He asked whether I had to be drastic which I confirmed. He asked whether we were dating which we haven’t spoken about, so I didn’t know. He asked whether I’ll ask you out on a date which I confirmed. And then he told me that I must look after you or he’d come and kick me.” - Nam's such a good wingman! “Imagine someone had filmed you.” “I did. Dashcam.” “I’ll see this footage!” “Never.” - 🤣 Mike was waiting for me. He looked up from his phone and said. “You look good in that.” - 👀 I bet he does.

Today, when the shift assembled in the briefing room, I’d of course noticed Mike who had waved at me enthusiastically when I entered. - My heart. Poor cutie. Had she forgotten about or ignored my request of not to be crewed again with Mike? - LMAO! You're gonna have to deal, buddy. we were told that we mustn’t activate speed cameras. The resulting admin work to clear the automatic fine was too expensive. - Uh-oh! His knowing his stuff was one of the reasons why I was so upset. I fancied him, badly. So badly that he’d featured in my thoughts while I was masturbating under the shower this morning. - Huehuehuehuehue 😈 I grabbed the receptacle with my hand coming up half over his. Touching his fingers felt like an electric spark traveling up my arm into the whole rest of my body. He looked at me, and I looked into his captivating blue eyes. The color of sapphires. - *happy squee* Mike, my sapphire - *happier squee* In the end, it’s only what the kid believed he’d taken. What the scumbag dealer had given him, who could say? - Exactly. “He’s straight as an arrow.” “Already asked?” “Fuck you..." - Besties~ Who’d say no to a kebab? - Not me. 🤤 “No worries, my treat. You were great today.” Really, Jamie? - 🤭 Nam was astonishingly civil, not mentioning anything embarrassing about me, about lovebirds, and he refrained from making any secret cheesy references. - 🤣I love Nam so much. I had to cough. I stared at Nam from under my bangs, secretly imploring him. Nam didn’t look at me nor at Mike. He just said, “Sounds like a serious case of hero worship to me.” He took a forkful of food. - Aaaaaah! I love Nam so much!! I dreaded being alone with Mike again. I got up. “Yes, me too. Have a good night, mate. Get home safe.” - Dagnabbit, Jamie. Stop running away. the Kawasaki ZZR 1400 - Yoooooo!

Law, I feel cursed. As I started reading this first chapter, I realized it sounded familiar...cuties with blue eyes being paired as partners, a shift sergeant with my namesake...I've tried reading this story before months ago! At this point, I am frustrated by all the interruptions. I want to see what happens to these cuties, dagnabbit! Now then: Lecker - Oooo, I learned a new word. 👀My goodness. *fanning self* “Leon," I said and earned some snickers from colleagues. “Shoulder number 1233.” - Wait, why are they snickering? I brought some carrot cake. Want some? - I am now craving carrot cake. I hadn’t thought him to be over thirty. A couple of years older than me, he was hot. - 👀Helloooo Mike. Wait, older? Just how long has Leon been an officer? WHAT? You can apply as young as 18 in London?? Over here they have to go through an academy and everything. “Don’t be fooled. They’re making fun of me. Shall we head out?” - WHAT? Why? Jerks. Also, I have to get a new examination every three years. The two since then, I’ve always refused the syringe. - Good for you. I'd have refused, too. The last time I was injected with anything that wasn't a vaccine was when I broke an arm and they used morphine. It was a highly unpleasant feeling that burned in my veins. I seriously preferred the excruciating pain of the broken bone over that burning sensation. “Standing around and looking important as well as driving around and looking important?” - 🤣 I made my way to the Sergeant’s office to ask Sergeant Ward to never crew me up with him again. - Aww. But you work so well together! Resident Evil 4 Remake with a hero character named Leon Scott Kennedy - PFFT! So, he's a RL Leon! That makes sense now. Sometimes, I wondered whether this man was indeed my best friend or the universe's form of exercising a punishment on me. - Well, that's what besties are.

Do we find out what happened to Damien? Yes. Do we find out why? Yes. Was this story interesting from start to finish? Also yes.