current chapter word count: 3841
scene worked on today: Shinkansen to Kyoto
because: introspective!Subaru is too introspective, thinks too little and reveals too much (also, there's not enough gecko in his pov!)
because: granny will be in spy mode later
character who was surprisingly helpful despite being absent: Tree-san
character who is not very considerate to fellow travelers: Seishiro
because: I'm experienced in folding 1.8+ m into a railway seat for over an hour
quote of the day: His family was big in pretending.

Current Mood: headached

current chapter word count: 3735
scene worked on today: arrival at the estate - the gecko standoff!
what does it take to catch a predatory shikigami in the Sumeragi household? another one
what does it take to make Ham-chan entirely overreaction: said capture
what happens: the scene!
character who is too worn to find this amusing: Seishiro
character who is too scared to find this amusing: Ham-chan
character who does not find this amusing by default: Subaru
because... his grandmother won't find this amusing (and she already is not amused!)
quote of the day: "This is a shopping receipt!"

other TBX events today:

1. started the editing process of the entry for that contest!


2. spent the last two evenings with a very enjoyable meta-discussion on Su & Sei's characterizations with mithrigil in the comments of her secretary AU scene set 2.

Current Mood: dorky

current chapter word count: 3635
scene worked on today: Shinkansen to Kyoto
scene finished? damn, yes!!! (finally)
next scene: Kyoto Station
because of Ham-chan, of course! (Do you remember Ham-chan?)
character who is now "dressed to read": Seishiro
character who can't help but notice that: Subaru
research of the day: Nozomi 51 arrival time and track in Kyoto
quote of the day: "They have the problem; we decide on the remedy."

Current Mood: blah

chapter word counts: mostly unchanged
because the sniffles make me seriously unimaginative this time
except I wrote a second entry for that contest, which I like (in contrast to what I had at first) so I might actually end up entering something.
BUTT: that's not FM, so it doesn't count in this context.

Current Mood: blah

Today's reordering of scenes and events finally brought the conclusion of Family Matters into shape. If nothing unforeseen happens (:::cough-36°9-cough:::), the second story of the Decagram will have 20 chapters (including introduction and epilogue, excluding interregnums 1-6).

Word counts after reordering are:
chapter 17: 3777 - announcing the unimaginable
interregnum 6: 612 - behind the scenes
chapter 18: 703 - providing evidence (special guest stars: the Emperor & two very dead onmyoji)
chapter 19: 454 - picking up the pieces, making a collage
chapter 20 (Epilogue): 239 (if the scene I wrote 2 years ago stays)

Current Mood: accomplished

current chapter word count: 3958
scene worked on today: showdown, third night
character who is so messed up and happy about it: Subaru
characters who are out of their sorts with him: the elders
character who mostly enjoys the show: Seishiro
character entirely absent from this scene (so far): Akiko
character who will not be absent in the end: Ameru
quote of the day: He didn't have to listen. He knew what they were talking about; had known before he even left his room this very morning...

Current Mood: ill

current chapter word count: 3609
because of deleted excess & added scribbles
scene worked on today: First night
unusual compliant character: Seishiro
quote of the day (1): "You want me in your bed?"
quote of the day (2): "You already paid for it."

Current Mood: sick

current chapter word count: 3649
because... Seishiro doesn't feel well & I caught a cold
scenes worked on today: Subaru's shocking misbehavior & first night
plot devices: unsteady hands, soiled yukata
quote of the day: *Mine!*

author's note: too bad that my TBX-flu-fic is already written... *achoo*!

Current Mood: sick

current chapter word count: 3414
scenes worked on today: journey to kyoto, the first morning
anything finished? dream on!
character who gets a crash course in power play: Subaru
character who learns that he is a dedicated pupil: grannyS
character who is the house guest of hell: Seishiro
surprisingly useful plot devices: Genji monogatari, phone book advertisings, caterpillars
quote of the day: "Rumiko-chan," Subaru said tiredly. "Please, get him his coffee. He's unbearable before his first cup in the morning."

Current Mood: calm

current chapter word count: 3145
scene written today: on the shinkansen to Kyoto
scene finished? no.
because... long scene with lots of important content to be presented in the right order and appropriate terseness
character drinking bitter coffee while thinking about sex: Subaru
character blissfully asleep with a book beside him: Seishiro
issues to be addressed in this scene: (in no particular order) Akiko, Seishiro, Omi, mutilated spirits, the Dao, Kamui, Kamui, a biting dragon, a slashed dragon, grandmother, tactics, Sun Tzu, reading, job offer
surprisingly useful plot devices so far: Battle Royale, bitter coffee, railway attendant, station announcements, Fuji-san, green class comfy, somebody else's kids
research of the day: see here!
quote of the day: It was one thing when the head of a house didn't lie with his wife...

Current Mood: drained

current chapter word count: ...is still changing
research of the day (1): Nozomi Shinkansen (everything from station layout, interior layouts & coloring, amenities, car order, car style, lavatory layout, vending machines, phone booth, service personnel, time table, attendant uniforms... AAAAAAARGH!)
research of the day (2): Battle Royale - cover of the original novel published in April 1999 (yes, it is possible to spend 4 hours on amazon.co.jp without being able to read anything but numbers and still finding what you were looking for!) [and it is a hassle if the corresponding movie was released in the same year!]
research of the day (3): I don't know yet...
on the plus side: the scene definitely works! And solves the delayed issues from 16. Giving Subaru time to think things through is useful (sometimes)!

...more later. Except I start rereading my translation of Battle Royale! :)

Current Mood: crazy

start-up word count for chapter 17: 2726
character who is so not going to behave in this chapter: Subaru
scene worked on today: Shinkansen to Kyoto
character who's thinking about the lack of kids: Subaru
character who's reading about killing kids: Seishiro
surprisingly useful plot items: on board coffee service, Battle Royale (1999 novel edition)
because of plastic cups (what else?)
research of the day: different Shinkansen traveling times Tokyo-Kyoto and their start of service, Battle Royale
quote of the day: With Akiko he failed his duty; with Seishiro he committed far worse.

additional word counts are
0262 - Interregnum 6
0648 - chapter 18
2103 - Mariko (side story)
0558 - Michiko (side story)
0989 - x2009 contest entry

Current Mood: tired

Fandom: Tokyo Babylon, X/1999
Story Arch: Decagram
Story: Family Matters
Chap.: 16 - SumeraMori 2
Rating: NC-17
( read if you dare )

Current Mood: accomplished

The first round of editing revealed a troublesome scene, which has to be redone in a different manner in order to properly deWIMP Subaru in the rest.
[For the information of those who know what a where are the hands!?!-scene is: yes, it is one of those! (The rest: don't ask)]
I hope to get the chapter back on track within a week.
[Note: within a week, not within the week.]
:)

Current Mood: exhausted

status of chapter: done & hauled off to solo (Wish me luck!)

How to find background information about homosexuality in Japanese Buddhism and Shintoism:

1. read article about republican vice president candidate Sarah Palin on Spiegel Online: US Wahlkampf: Die bigotte Glaubenswelt der Sarah Palin (US election campaign: the bigotry of Sarah Palin)


2. followed explanatory link about Pentecostalism to Spiegel Wissen: Pfingstbewegung (based on Wikipedia)


3. followed explanatory link to Homosexualität (Homosexuality)


4. followed link to main article Homosexualität in China (Homosexuality in China)


5. followed link to Homosexualität in Japan (Homosexuality in Japan)


6. then it was the fifth listed web link: Homosexuality in the Japanese Buddhist tradition

Current Mood: giggly

current chapter word count: 7510
number of scenes remaining for fine tuning: 2
number of scenes fine tuned this weekend: all minus 2 (including adding more flesh to three of them)
status of the chapter: almost done. solo where are you???
character who is now a tad more introspective despite Kali-addiction: Subaru
character who is sane afterwards anyway: also Subaru
character who kind of enjoys that: Tree-san
characters who will not enjoy that next chapter: grannyS and the elders
research of the day: Japanese police cars
quote of the day: He didn't feel up to face the truths buried under the Tree's bloodied roots.

request: There is precious little in depth information to be found about the Battle of Ueno (mostly English and German Wikipedia and a few bits on tourist sites and about the Shogitai). For one of the next chapters I'd love to have the name (rank, age, social status, etc.) of the highest ranking officer, who died in the BoU. I'd prefer not to make up that kind of information. :)

Current Mood: accomplished

current chapter word count: 7557
because of tinkered grannyS and expanded cop scenes (the latter of which might be tightened later on)
character more obsessed with face than with dirt: grannyS
character more obsessed with dirt than with face: Subaru
character who accepts easily a bit of both: Ameru (*eg*!)
scene which absolutely has to go into the next interregnum: two raunchy elders hackling and gossiping about the blessings of properly hidden filth!
quote of the day: "And believe me, those two *were* associated."

additional note: it's unlikely that I get this chapter done till Sunday (sadly). There are still too many spots I want to be more poignant, less wordy, more tactile & directly told, and so on...
...but it's really making progress now!

Current Mood: sleepy

current chapter word count: 7585
tinkering complete? no!
because its characters are still too nice, murderous, accommodating, carnal, naive, filthy pure & stained dirty, emotional distressed, insensitive
character who's scenes don't need tinkering:Ameru
because the gecko is cute!
quote of the day: "Bet on it!"

Current Mood: blank

current chapter word count: 7739
amount of chapter considered done discounting tinkering: 100% (!!!)
amount of chapter considered done including tinkering: 98%
number of unfinished or fragmented scenes: 0 (!!!)
number of scenes to be tinkered: ...4...5...6 (depends; tinkering is like that)
character lacking his appetite: Subaru
character being surprisingly helpful: Tree-san
research of the day: Tokyo Babylon vol. 7
quote of the day (1): They were going to weed the Mori...
quote of the day (2): ...and the Sumeragi.

Current Mood: drained

current chapter word count: 7280
reason for that: deleted Omi's House Visit of Hell & Meeting the Boss
because... they can be told nicely concise in chapter 17 and 18, without being the bloated, OC-laden monsters they were in 16!
amount of chapter considered done: 98% (including tinkering)
number of scenes to be written: 1 (Tree Talk 2)
number of scenes to be tinkered: 1 (2 if one counts Tree Talk 2)
number of scenes unfinished: 0 (!)
quote of the day: "Get in hand? They won't even listen to me!"

Regarding my earlier post: a lot of my frustration about the Decagram came from the fact that up until now I hadn't found a way to tell this crucial chapter without loading it with OC-focused scenes and I was very concerned that it would get worse, should I continue the plot arch. However, maybe the "I give up"-notion earlier finally freed my head for the necessary changes and I'm now confident to be able to continue the plot without turning it into an OC-fic with Sei/Sub being side-characters. Considering the publicly posted outcry earlier, I'd like to say something about the listed plots:

1. I will write the Yue story at some point, because the matter - and his made-up vita - are very fascinating for me. This will not be a fanfic, however, because - probably aside from the Sakura - there will be no TBX-canon characters in it (and the Sakura can hardly be considered such a character in the first place!). At this point, I don't know if it will be beta ed, because OrigFic-betas are hard to come by. :)
2. Setsuka's story (and Subaru's parents, though unrelated) will be necessarily revealed in the sequel, so there's no reason to make stories of their own out of them (maybe aside from the occasional short story, that is.)
3. Seishiro's earlier life is already a sizey side-story at this point (working title: "Michiko"), albeit an unfinished one, which will likely be finished after FM and before I continue with the sequel. If it continues growing like it does, it might become one of the main stories of the Decagram, just from it's size.

primera

Current Mood: determined