Kendra's Thoughts

Magic Vs Tech – A Nerd’s Personal Choice

Leave a comment

I was thinking recently about writing that I do, writing that a friend does, and writing we do together. And I came to a realization or two, which I’ll share now.

Now, I haven’t read a ton of this friend’s solo writing. Mostly, I’ve just read some of her NaNoWriMo projects. But, that’s been enough to help me with something. Because, I realized that our writing we do together, our role plays, are almost always based in magical worlds or worlds like our own. We really don’t do sci-fi writing. Occassionally, we’ll go down a more technologically advanced route.

My own writing is much the same. I’ll tend more towards magic, demons, and the supernatural despite being a techie. I can’t speak for my friend and why she also seems to tend towards that side of things, but I’ve been considering why I might.

To understand my thought process when thinking about this, you have to know a little more about me. As I said, I’m a techie. I love tech, new and old, and playing with it and learning how it works. I went to college for computer networking, then got a job doing computer programming so I could understand all sides of how a computer works. If I could afford to, I’d find a good, old fashioned typewriter for my rough drafts. (I really love the sound of a good typewriter, same with mechanical keyboards.)

I also love to write. You may have gathered this, if you’ve been around here before or seen any of my other posts. I love the sound of pencil on paper, to the point that I will simply write the alphabet out over and over when I’m stressed or need to clear my mind. It’s soothing, that soft scratching noise, as is the smooth glide of pen or pencil on paper.

Writing goes hand in hand with reading, in a way, too. Both give me an escape into the related world, and escape from the insanity and fear and anger of the world today. But then, that begs the question: If I love tech, if I’m a techie, then why do I prefer to write about magic and worlds with less tech than ours, and read medieval fantasy?

I think it’s because I love to learn. I want to learn everything I can. I’ve yet to find a field in which I have no interest. Mechanics, lockpicking, art, music, voice acting, game creation (both video and board), cooking, aeronautics, science of all kinds, tech of all kinds, and the list goes on.

This is part of why I love the Great Courses, now Wonderium, so much. There are so many different things for me to learn about, just by listening to lectures. (And so much more, now. They’ve expanded to many extra ways to learn, hence the name change. Seriously, def check it out if you haven’t.)

But, I think this is also why I prefer magic. I understand tech. I may not understand exactly how each piece of tech works, or the science behind it, or what have you. But I do understand tech. Magic is different. The kind of magic in stories, I can’t easily study that. But I can create it, in my own worlds, and I can learn how each story works with it. Where tech is finite and knowable, magic is infinite and impossible to truly master.

Tech is also man, where magic is nature. That might not be a direct connection, but that’s how I feel about it. Man makes tech, but, much like rivers or wind, man can only use magic. Even in the real world, magic is in nature. It’s a natural process. A breath-taking scenery, a chance encounter in the forest with a majestic animal, the first breath of a new life… All of these are magic, but they are made of nature. We have “magic”, too, but it’s really just skills and science that we utilize. The real magic is in the little things. A human can master tech, but a human cannot master magic.

And that’s appealing to me. Something that is both knowable and unknowable, that can be learned but never mastered. Something that one can see, but never hold, never truly have. I love the idea of it.

I also get too drawn into tech, because I get caught up too easily in trying to discern how exactly it works. With magic, I let it do its thing and pull me along for the ride. Tech, I try to hold in and sort it out before we can continue.

Tech, then, becomes another lesson, and magic… Magic becomes an experience.

Magic is also something that I cannot be wrong about. If I’m creating magic, I cannot be incorrect about how my magic works. I cannot create something that would never be possible by the real rules of magic because there are no real rules of magic. Tech, however, I can be wrong about. I can mess something up in a way that slows people down. I know I get tripped up if I’m reading a story and see something that I know just does not work that way. That happens with tech, but it can’t happen with magic.

Magic is different from story to story. People don’t expect you to follow the same rules as a different story unless your story is set in the same world. Tech, people expect tech to follow the rules of the world. They might set aside a few things for futuristic tech that might work that way one day, but there’s a limit to how far you can go with that.

I think this is all pretty good for explaining why I prefer to read and write stories based in magic. In its own way, it can also be explanations for why someone else may prefer tech. But what about you? What do you prefer, and why do you think that is? I bet you’ll find the answer more interesting than you expected.

Shorty's Media Corner

Media Review, But A Little Different This Time!

Leave a comment

Hey, all! It’s Shorty! Back with another media review.

This time, we’re doing something a little different. Normally, I try to review things that I feel are beneficial in some way- Knowledge, fitness, mental health, what have you. Today, I’m reviewing something that we just plain love, and one of the several inspirations for Life Is Super!

Today, we’re talking about the Webtoon comic Kitty Kitty Bang Bang! It is an absolute masterpiece of a story. We follow Kit, a girl fighting crime. Legally, might I add, as part of a sort of bounty force called the Bounty Killers.

Now, I don’t want to get into too many specifics here, because I really don’t want to spoil any of the magic, but I will say that the dialogue is witty and charming, but also knows how to get serious. It’s a great crime fighting story, and takes partial inspiration for the Collectors from Life Is Super. You’ll see why it’s partial inspiration later, I promise.

It also inspired the style of Life Is Super, and the desire to make a comic rather than a regular story. If Kendra learns to draw, or we find an artist that’s willing to go in on the project for a portion of anything we make, then we’ll still make it a comic. (And probably put it on the same app as Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, to be honest.)

Now, the art for the comic… Absolutely on point. The style has evolved a little as the creator’s continued to make the comic, but in a great way. The shading and line art are absolutely amazing! And we’re just starting a new… Arc? Chapter? I’m not sure how the creator, Evan Moe on the app, wants to refer to it.

The fan community is also pretty fun. In the comments, you’ll find jokes, laughter, and… Puns. I warn you now, there are puns, and Kendra is Punmaster General. Just… Be prepared. And Evan definately encourages the puns, as seen by replies to comments.

The comic gets updated fairly often, unless Evan’s got something going on or just has writer’s block, but there’s no fast pass option. That’s not a drawback, though, because Evan manages to get new episodes up on a near daily basis most of the time, and lets us know if something’s going on. (Moving has been one recently, and no one can fault that!)

If you need a fun read with brilliant writing, a Randy “Macho Man” Savage meets Kool-Aid Man insane part-time villian, and amazing art and characters, definitely check this one out! You can find it on Webtoons, as I said earlier, and trust me: It is worth taking the time to catch up!

Uncategorized

Taking Back The Kingdom – Chapter 8

Leave a comment

I decided to leave camp that night, with no one to watch. How could I trust that man on his word alone? Yet, at the same time, I couldn’t just accept the words of the rebels, either. I needed to speak to ordinary people, poorer people who were affected differently by the changes.

I had to educate myself, since I couldn’t trust either side to be completely truthful with me. The capital city itself would be my school, then. Walking among the lower class, learning from them and seeing how they viewed the changes the usurper had made… That would be the best education. The well-off citizens had already made their thoughts known, but if the king was right… Well, if he was right, then there wasn’t going to have been a way to make changes without angering them. Even making more gradual changes would’ve angered people.

It was nearing dawn as I roamed the poorer district of the city. All my life, I had heard tales of how run down and disasterous this district was. Something was different now, though- Everywhere I looked, I could see repairs being made. People that were out by now all looked happy, and healthy despite their leanness.

“Excuse me-” I called to a young man, close to my age, after a couple hours. He looked over, confused, but then moved closer to see what I wanted. “I don’t mean to bother you, I just have a couple questions if you can spare a moment?”

“Yeah- I’ve got time. What can I do for you, stranger?” He was relaxed, and smiled when he spoke. This was a young man who was happy, I could tell, and not just pretending at it.

“I was… Well, I’ve travelled a long way, due to the new king… And I’ve been learning as I go about the things that have been done and how they’ve been viewed. It came to my attention recently that… I only considered people with privilages like mine or better. I didn’t talk to anyone who might have had a better opinion of things, anyone who might have been helped- I don’t mean to make assumptions about you, but you seem happier than people I’ve talked to recently. What are your thoughts about changes made right now?”

The young man looked a little surprised, but pleasantly so. “A guy like you, clearly decently well off, wants to know what the poor think?” He asked, then grinned when I nodded. “Out of all the changes happening right now, that is the smallest. But it’s the best. Let me explain my thoughts, then- And if you want more opinions, I’d be glad to introduce you to people around here.”

He led me to a bench we could sit at, taking a seat and smiling. “Things have gotten better around here since King Marcus took over. I’m sure you’ve noted the construction around here- He donated his personal money to get things started. Said he needed to work on the budget to make sure he could fix infrastructure across the kingdom, including buildings and housing, without hindering any other important things. Came and spoke to us personally, telling us that some reforms he has coming in taxes and the prison system will help him either increase the treasury or save money for the kingdom without endangering it, so he can use it to open free public schools. He told us he hopes to be able to open some trade schools for those who otherwise couldn’t afford it, to help decrease the poverty level and give more people the tools they need to care for themselves.

“The prison reforms… They’re great! He’s trying to find ways to give lesser criminals a second chance- Get things done in the kingdom while giving these people skills that may help them find work. My brother was a theif- Just a theif. But under the old rules, he was going to spend the rest of his life in jail. Now, he’s out working on infrastructure and learning skills that will let him support himself without stealing when he gets out. His term is now three years, enough time for him to learn. Murders, arsonist, rapists, they don’t get this offer. The really violent people, the dangerous people, they don’t get a second chance. But, by doing this, he’ll get people that were just in a bad position out for a new chance, and he’ll save money on imprisoning people. He said he’s also working on restructuring what terms each crime gets, and the system to track those crimes and sentences. He’s trying to make things equal, so everyone is treated fairly.”

“What about the assistance system?”

“Oh, the changes to that are going to be great, too! I personally know three people that have been kicked off the system, and they’re not happy… But they were abusing it, and they know it. They weren’t trying to support themselves, just getting paid by the government to do what they wished. It wasn’t fair to people like me, working to support myself and just needing a little more assistance. And government assistance isn’t the only thing getting a boost- There are less kids living on the streets. Only the most stubborn have stayed, rather than going to an orphanage. They opened a new one nearby, and it seems pretty nice. If it stays well-funded, a lot more kids will be able to grow up safe and healthy, and maybe even find families.”

This man felt confident in the new ruler. He felt the new changes were helping him, and the honest folk around him. Hearing him talk about the changes and improvements eased my heart, but I couldn’t base my opinions on the thoughts of one man.

“This is very enlightening,” I told him with a smile. “I do want to talk to some more people- Get a real feel for consensus. If I’m going to educate myself, don’t want to base things on the thoughts of one man, right?”

“Sounds right to me.” He stood and grinned. “I can show you were folks socialize, so you’ll have more people to talk to. I’ll try to steer you to people I don’t know so well, if I can, so you’re not just hearing from my circle.”

“That’d be great, thank you. If I’m taking up much of your time, I’ll gladly pay you for the guidance.” I stood as well, and followed him as he started walking. This was going to be a very educational day, and probably longer. I wouldn’t fall prey to misinformation, handling things like this.

Updates

Thoughts, Insights, and Ideas

Leave a comment

Hey all! I know this is titled kinda how we do Monologued Dialogues, but this is just from me! Just a quick check in on a couple things going on, and a couple things that might be in the works.

First, updates. I don’t remember if I mentioned it, but I had a goal of finishing Taking Back The Kingdom by my birthday, in late November. I feel like there’s, at most, three chapters left to that story, so if I can keep up my pace and decide how exactly it ends, we’ll have that goal crushed. It’ll be great for my self-confidence!

But, that does bring me to something I know I haven’t mentioned on here before: Everything I’ve posted on here is first take, first drafts, and definitely not polished. I may go back and edit when I find a typo or something, but that’s really all I fix. None of the stories posted have been reviewed by more than a test reader or two, and none of them were edited much from that point. So, if you have suggestions for something in one story, or something doesn’t make sense, or there’s a plot hole? Don’t be afraid to point it out! You can post about it in the comments of the post, or you can message me using the “Contact” page of the blog.

Admittedly, that also applies to The Monologued Dialogue series, but those are also slightly different. Those are me talking to… Well, me. And I like to try to keep those relatively authentic. All that gets edited for those is format, to make it flow more similarly to a real conversation. It’s still an artificial structure, of course, but have you ever listened to people talk? It’s hard to truly replicate that in text if you aren’t just transcribing a conversation. It’s really kinda neat how I do those, and I really do learn a lot about myself by doing them. I can explain it sometime, if people are interested, but I don’t know how easy it will be to explain.

Now, speaking of those particular posts… I’m thinking about re-creating them in another format. Either as a podcast, or as a short video. (I’m not yet sure if I’ll do Shorts on Youtube, or if I’ll just do TikToks. I’m not even sure if I want to do vidoes yet!) The only problem I’m having with those is 1) What Dialogues do I re-create? and 2) How do I best represent Shorty?

For those who don’t know yet, Shorty is literally just me personifying a part of my subconscious and personality. The personification is based on my… Well, I guess she’s my OC of sorts. She started as a Naruto OC that’s kinda transcended from that plane of existance. Now, she’s getting her own culture and religion, her own world to live in. It’s kinda neat. Heck, I’m even creating a language for her people to use. (It’s difficult and I didn’t realize there were tools some creators use for this until I already had a couple hundred words. I’ve just been using Excel and my brain lol)

She also started as a version of me my child self wanted to be when she grew up. Now… She’s me setting an end goal for various things I want to do. I want to improve my fitness, build muscle, and learn certain skills that she has. I intend to turn myself into a fusion of the two of us, in the long run. But, of course, all of that makes representing her in a “real world” form difficult. She’s basically me, after all. But, if I decide to do videos (or people really want them and ask me to start them) I’ll figure it out.

I do have a few other ideas, though, that I’ll share here. I’m considering actually trying to publish Taking Back The Kingdom, though I’m not sure how much interest there is in it. It turned from a sort of challenge for myself into a “don’t judge a book by its cover” moral for the story. Once I finish that story on the blog, though, I will most definitely be looking at Journey again, since that one seemed pretty popular.

Originally, Journey was a National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo, or NaNo for short) project that was going to cover 30 days of this adventure. As I work on it, though, I would just be falling into the “filler” trap if I continued to push it to 30 days. So, instead, I’m going to try to just make it make sense for when it ends. I don’t know how well I’ll do, but that’s alright. That one won’t ever get a book form, anyway- It’s just my first (and only) fanfiction, and I’m quite proud of how it started. (Also, I totally love the end I have planned.)

I’m also working on a larger project, as I’ve mentioned recently, that I don’t intend to post to the blog directly. If I get it completed to a point I wish to publish it, I may decide to post excerpts to hype up the publication, but I probably won’t. I am quite excited with this project, and I hope that people will enjoy it as much as I already do.

I’ve also considered starting a Patreon, to help me make a little bit of money to help with bills. It’s hard to find time to write on this when I’m working two jobs to make sure I can afford food, bills, and my car. I just don’t know what I can offer to people as a subscription bonus, unless it’s glimpses into my writing process, private livestreams on Twitch, or what have you. If anyone is interested and wishes to make suggestions, feel free. (I have dabbled with the idea of, while my fan base is small, a “birthday prompt” short story type deal, where you give me a prompt and I give you a short story, preferably sometime in your month of birth. I don’t know yet if it would be a one-time deal, or a yearly event per person.)

If I do make a Patreon, one of my subscription bonuses might be sneak-peeks of stories. For example, I have later parts of Life Is Super written, just not published as they aren’t the part I want to post next. I might share one of those a month with Patreon subscribers, or parts of my big project. I might also share small dabblings, ideas that I’m not sure I’ll follow through with. Basically, a sneak peek of what might come, and also a chance to test read some of my ideas I’m not so sold on.

Now, I mentioned NaNo earlier, and I intend to participate this year. Last year, while I didn’t do some whole novel, my project was to get the first chapter of Life Is Super done and written. The only thing with NaNo this year is: I have no idea what I’ll do. Normally, I have a prompt that I intend to use, though I refuse to plan much or write anything until November. (In the spirit of the event!) This year, though, I don’t even have a prompt planned out.

So, if you have a prompt you’d love to see me tackle? Feel free to send it to me! You can comment on this post, or you can use the “Contact” page. And if you have opinions on the video, podcast, or Patreon ideas, feel free to leave them below! Would you check out the varied content? Would you consider subscribing to Patreon for me? Let me know, and thanks for reading my content!

Kendra's Mental Health Central, Monologued Dialogue

Personas, Presentation, and Choices

Leave a comment

I’ve come to a realization.

Why don’t you sound happy about that?

Because I’m not. I don’t like what I’ve realized.

Oh boy. What is it, then?

You’re the one everyone sees.

What?

You’re the one everyone sees. Out and about, cheerful and energetic. You’re the extrovert, not me. I’ve always been an introvert just good at pretending to be an extrovert, but now I see it. In those positions, it’s you in control and people see you. I’m the one there for my fur babies, relaxing at home with a book or a game, but when other people are there… Mostly, it’s you. Shorty, you’re the cool one, the strong one, the one everyone likes. I’m just… Kinda here.

Well… I love to disagree with you in this case, because you’re wrong.

Wha- Bu-

No, no, hear me out. When we’re out and about and extroverted- Good with customers, good on the phone, smiling and cheerful, initiating conversations… Yeah, that’s me showing. But when we’re alone, and quiet, and have no energy? When we struggle to so much as eat dinner or shower? That’s more… We’ll name that one Exaviour.

Like… One of your old enemies?

Exactly.

Okay, but if you’re my outgoing and positive self, and Exaviour is me the rest of the time… Where exactly do I fit in?

Well, you’re both of us. We’re the way you present yourself, but you are both of us in some way or another. I mean… You have the capability to be me, or I wouldn’t be a presentation you show. Likewise, you have the capability to be Exaviour, to be basically a withdrawn couch potato. But which one you ultimately, truly are is up to you. You can be capable, successful, and couragous. You can be withdrawn, doubtful, and alone. You choose, simply by the choices you make. When you make choices that put you in positions where I present, then you start skewing more towards me. When you cancel plans and allow yourself time for Exaviour to rule, you begin to slide towards him.

So… What you’re saying is, I’m allowing myself to be a loser and a loner? I’m not trying hard enough?

No. What I’m saying is, there is a part of you that enjoys that, and a part of you that does not. Regardless if I present or not, you are still an introvert and get tired from being social. Your battery, as you see it, drains. You allow Exaviour out in an attempt to recharge. There’s nothing wrong with that! Everyone needs down time. But, when you’re recharged, you can still choose to continue charging. Have you noticed that you get tired of social things faster the more you’ve been alone?

Yeah…

Much like a phone battery, over-charging can damage your battery life. Likewise, letting your battery be too low for too long can cause you problems. There’s a balance, but you decide what that balance is, and if you’d prefer to balance towards me or Exaviour. Even when you’re alone, you can still balance towards me by doing just one thing at a time that you know you need to, but don’t want to. Washing dishes. Mopping. Laundry. It doesn’t have to be hard, just something to get you doing something more Shorty-like and less Exaviour-like.

So… I’m both my good, public side and my not-so-great private side, but I can skew more toward my public persona by just making one or two choices at a time?

Exactly.

That’s some real self-help bullshit if I’ve ever heard it. But damn, you’re right. I mean, look at the Exaviour part of me that says I’ll never finish any projects? It gets quieter the closer I get to completing Taking Back The Kingdom, the more I work on my new project. They aren’t finished yet, the new project not even close, but the closer I get… The more I prove that I can do it, if I just allow myself. Admittedly, Taking Back The Kingdom won’t be finished finished with the final chapter being posted.

No, because it’s 100% all first drafts. If you ever decide to publish it as an actual book, you’ll need to flesh it out more, revise, proofread… What have you. But, you’ll have gotten to a true stopping point with the story. I say, once you finish that, pick another project on the site and work on. Because if you do, you give Exaviour less room to work with. And when you get home from work tomorrow, since you get home just in time to shower and sleep tonight?

Um… Dishes?

Sounds like a plan. See, we’re taking the steps needed to shift you more towards me and less towards Exaviour.

Stories, Taking Back the Kingdom

Taking Back The Kingdom – Chapter 7

Leave a comment

“That’s everything,” I reported, having repeated everything the usurper had said, and handing over the files. “He seemed genuine- So either he is, or he’s a good actor.”

“So, you trust his word?” One of the leaders of the rebellion demanded.

“I never said that. He believes what he says, or he’s good at faking it. That’s all. I’ve seen enough people that were harmed by these reforms to cause doubt in his words.” As many people as could be close enough to hear were crammed around me in the center of the camp, listening in and forming their own opinions. I could see a few faces that were confused, many that were hard set and clearly still against the king. Yet, there were a couple, here and there, that looked thoughtful and considering. “I think we should move carefully- If he’s swayed enough people to believe him, we’ll have a hard fight against our own people. We should try to minimize that bloodshed or we’ll just start a civil war. That would be the ruin of the kingdom.” The leaders looked at each other, clearly not having considered that fact.

“You’re right. We’ll talk, come up with a plan,” Another leader said finally. He looked around, then sighed. “Can you spread the word? Anyone that believes him and wants out… They may go, with our blessing. But if they stand against us, should a battle come… We won’t hold back.” I nodded and went to spread the word as the crowd broke up.

It took me a couple hours to get through the camp, making sure everyone knew what we knew. At least we had that right- Everyone had a right to make their own decisions in this area. And, as I worked, I started to come to my own decision regarding how to proceed, and how I felt about the meeting. Heading to where my pack had been put, I began to prepare for my next move.

“My lord… We’ve gotten a large influx of young men and women volunteering for the army,” An advisor said, coming to find Marcus. “They seem to sense trouble on the horizon.”

“I see…” Marcus sighed. “I will prepare to speak with them, I suppose. We still want to try to avoid a battle, but… We will at least have enough people if it comes to that. What news of the rebel camp and forces?”

“We’ve reports of a small percentage of people leaving the camp, heading for their homes. The representative appears to have indeed shared your words and the files. It hasn’t convinced them all to let this progress, but it has gotten a few to give you a chance.”

“I’m sure there are more still considering things. Perhaps they, too, will head home. Perhaps not. We need to be ready for either, without putting undue hardship on our people or taking too many forces from anything important. Especially if incoming reports are correct about our wonderful northern neighbors building a force at our border.” Marcus sighed again and stood to look out a window in his study, hands clasped behind his back as he thought. “Have I made a mistake? Moved too quickly to try to right the wrongs of this kingdom? It was in a dangerous state, near collapse or rebellion… Have I only swung the threat of rebellion to the other side?”

“What does that matter now?” The advisor asked. “What’s done is done. You cannot go back and change your decisions now. Either this will blow over safely, or you will pay for your decisions, in your blood or that of the people. But how you proceed from here will continue to write your character in history for all to see. If you feel you may have rushed too quickly before, try to prevent doing so now. Think your next decisions through carefully, and perhaps we can shift the course of things to prevent a civil war, or total distruction of our kingdom.”

“Or perhaps not.” Marcus murmured. “Perhaps it is already too late… But we won’t know that until the next move is made.” He turned to look to his advisor. “Can you gather the others of my council? I think it’s past time I had everyone’s input before I make another foolish decision. I should have started this way from the start, but better late than never.” The advisor smiled slightly.

“Of course, my lord. I will have them gathered and in the largest meeting room within an hour.” He turned and left, letting Marcus prepare for a potentially kingdom saving meeting.

Stories, Taking Back the Kingdom

Taking Back The Kingdom – Chapter 6

Leave a comment

“Thank you for making the trip to come and meet with me. I understand your people are unhappy with changes I’ve made, and I’d like to hear what about them has upset people. Every policy or change I enact will, of course, have opponents. But I’d like to try to find an amicable resolution to all of this, rather than just blow your opinions off.” This Marcus guy was more relaxed than I’d expected. Perhaps killing him would be easier than I thought. But, why did he want to talk about why we were unhappy? Wasn’t it obvious?

“You’ve increased taxes. That’s going to make anyone unhappy, for starters.”

“Ah- I knew that might be part of it. You see, I only raised taxes for those who had unfair tax advantages. The tax rate is now even across the board. My predessesor allowed the richest people to pay practically nothing, while the poor paid most of what they made. If your family was affected by the shift, I must apologize. It had to be done, however, to try to help those most in need. And the tax money is already going back into the kingdom- A boost to the assistance system, more money for schools, and money to build or improve orphanages.” This jerk actually looked happy with himself- Then again, if he was telling the truth, that was for the better… The school system certainly needed the help.

“Why boost the assistance system if you’re denying it to people?” I growled. I couldn’t fall for his ruse.

“Only to those who could find work and simply won’t. We can’t help everyone who needs it if those who could manage on their own simply don’t want to try. Unfortunately, there’s no way to guarantee no one can abuse the system, but we can try our best to cut down on those who would.”

“And the increase in the number of orphans? How’d you manage that, through your mass executions?” He looked perplexed.

“I haven’t executed anyone since I took the throne. Imprisoned, a couple of murderers. But I didn’t want to start my rule with killing. No, the orphans are those who slipped through the cracks and were living alone or in gangs on the streets. I’m saddened by how many did, but we’ll get them the education and safety they deserve. Preferably, we can also find them families.” He sighed, watching my face. “You don’t believe me- No, I can’t say I blame you. I should have considered this, the way that rumors and misinformation would spread. Not much one can do about it, though, and people will believe what they wish to.”

He meant it, didn’t he? Good grief, either this man was legitimate or he was the best actor I had ever seen. I felt myself relaxing a bit as I considered this.

“And the slavery accusations?”

“Slavery… Well, I suppose it could be seen that way, but no- It was voluntary. An offer to small-time convicted criminals, to rehabilitate them and give them a skill set and second chance at life. At the same time, things around the kingdom get fixed up. If you ever get a chance to speak to one of these men, you’ll see they’re quite happy with the deal. And no one dangerous gets offered the deal- Murderers and rapists will remain locked up.”

“I… Can’t tell if you mean it all, or if you’re the world’s best actor,” I admitted after a quiet moment of thought.

“That’s fair. I can’t expect you to change your mind immediately, nor to trust me so quickly. I expect I’d feel the same in your position.” He offered me a file chock full of papers. “Please… Feel free to share this information with your comrades. Nothing in here is confidential. I understand if not everyone, or even no one, stands down. I only ask that you all please just give me a chance to prove myself. I haven’t even been on the throne for six months yet.”

“Yeah… Sure. I’ll share this with them,” I nodded, taking the file, and my leave of him. This was going to take a lot of contemplation, but I had a feeling hardly anyone would buy it. I wasn’t even sure I bought it.

Marcus watched the young man go and sighed, rubbing his face. “He doesn’t believe me. People are so prepared to believe the worst of the government… I can’t blame them, given the previous king.”

“No… This is different. These, from what we can tell, are upper class citizens. Well off. They’re affected most by your reforms, at least in terms of taxes. They expect more breaks just because they’re well off, and they’re rebelling because they want things easy for them again. Some are upper-middle class people, like that young man. They’re being told spun versions of the reforms, and haven’t interacted enough with the poor folks to know how they feel about it all.” His advisor, stepping in from the next room, watched the new king. “There’s little we can do except be transparent, and hope the common folk step up to help educate the rich.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that- Innocent people would be hurt or killed. I want everyone to live in peace.”

“There’s a hope we can all get behind.”

Updates

A Brief Update

Leave a comment

Things have been hectic lately, but I assure you I’m not idling. I started a second job to help build up my finances more, and I’m working on a relatively massive new project. When all’s said and done, if I actually bother to finish this project, it’ll be a grand total of 7 books covering two stories and up to six different view points.

Granted, that’s if my brain doesn’t get more grand ideas and increase the number of books somehow. Originally, it was to be six books, with the second story being only from one person’s point of view, but… Well, that didn’t happen. I decided the second story would be better from two points of view.

I’m also hashing out a couple ideas for other content for the site. I’ve so far considered, though not deeply looked into, a podcast and a patreon account. I’m also considering turning The Monologued Dialogue into a TikTok series, but I’m less sure about the potential for that. While it would lend itself well to a video format, if I figure out a good way for both Shorty and I to be shown, I’m not nearly as sure about TikTok, its tools, and its audience. If people seem to want it, though, I’ll continue to look into it.

And, several old projects will be coming back. Some have had delays due to writer’s block, some due to lack of time, and some… Well, Life Is Super is kinda in suspended animation at the moment because I would like to get it drawn as a comic, perhaps on WebToons, but I’m not very good at drawing and haven’t had much luck in finding an artist willing to work for whatever can be made off the comic. Considering that could end up being just notice, I don’t blame them! I wouldn’t want to work for someone for just notice.

I have written a couple more parts for Life Is Super, it’s just that they’re out of order of what should come next, and I haven’t decided if I care or not. This might be a “jump around” series for now, and later be compiled in a real timeline. It also might not. I know one of the parts I’m working on won’t be out for a long time, as it’s end of the timeline stuff. (Not saying that things might not continue after that part, it could end up being “end of arc” rather than “end of series” but we’ll see.)

Soundtracking will also be coming back when I get the time to write it up. I have a list of songs for it, just haven’t had a chance to get them typed up and explained! So be prepared for a mega post for that later!

As for the paranormal site, things have been busy enough I haven’t had a chance to post my review of the Missouri State Penn yet, nor my first Cryptid posting, but they’ll be up as soon as I can find the time! I’ll also be doing a review over there of the Elms in Excelsior Springs, MO, as I’m going there soon!

To close this little update out, I’d like to say that I have a goal for the blog: I want to finish out one story (Taking Back The Kingdom) before my birthday this year. I feel like that one’s rapidly drawing to a close, and I’ve started the next chapter already. I think maybe three more chapters max on that one to round it out. This will be the first story I’ve finished since I was in school, and the first story I’ve finished that wasn’t a short story. I think it’ll be the confidence boost I need to start closing out some other projects, so I’m shooting for it!

That’s all for today. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy my content as it evolves and grows!

Stories, Taking Back the Kingdom

Taking Back The Kingdom – Chapter 5

Leave a comment

At last, and with companions in tow, I approached the rally point for the rebellion. We had several hundred people in the camp, as I could see from a hill above it. I could also see the kingdom’s army stationed a few hundred yards away, far enough to prevent unnessecary fighting but close enough to be ready if we made a move toward the capital, which was well on the far side of the kingdom’s soldiers.

“Well, this is a large sack of manure,” I muttered to my new friends. “Why are they fighting for him? After the reports we’ve had…”

“Who knows? Did you lot hear, orphanages are filling up and new ones being built. Sounds like he’s already killed enough people to increase the number of orphans in our kingdom.” A scout nearby growled and spat on the ground, then looked at us again. “We’re getting things settled, when to attack and who will do what. Go see our leader, that red tent in the center of camp.”

“Thanks,” I nodded and went down the hill, frowning. That many more orphans? What was this monster up to? Well, no matter, I would certainly help put a stop to it.

I heard more murmurs of his wrong-doing as I went. Government assistance for those on hard times had been cut or completely denied to some. More talk of slavery and increased taxes… Was this man trying to run this kingdom into the ground?

“How hasn’t his army turned on him yet?” Clara asked us, frowning. “For as monsterous as he sounds, you’d expect the soldiers in the nearby camp wouldn’t be so relaxed and well-behaved. Why hasn’t this camp been wiped out yet?”

“Perhaps he underestimates us. And perhaps he’s lied and manipulated the soldiers…” I sighed, running my hand through my hair and thinking. “I don’t like it. Someone needs to get in, kill’em, and get out. I don’t think we can stand against the whole army.”

“That’s certainly what we’re thinking.” Someone had come up behind us, making all of us jump. “I’m in charge around here- Lucas Samold. Pleasure. I see you’re new- Welcome to the resistance.”

“Thanks for the heart attack,” Clayton muttered.

“We need a newer person for a chance opportunity- The usurper has agreed to meet with one representative of our group. I want someone new, so he may believe he can sway them. I want you to find out what lies and manipulation he’s using, and report back. Who’s in?”

“Gladly,” I answered. “If I get a chance to kill him?”

“If you see a perfect opportunity, take it. I doubt he’ll give you the chance, but certainly try if it presents itself.”

With that, I was stocked up and sent off for the capital. Now, I just had to keep my head… If I did, I might get a chance to save the kingdom.

Marcus sighed, looking over reports. “It breaks my heart so many children were simply left on the street when they were orphaned… So many innocent lives, slipping through the cracks. We must do better, find them foster or adoptive families and ensure they get a good education, good food, and safety. They’re the future of our kingdom, they deserve the best we can offer them.”

“Your are right, my lord. And the tax money redirected from those abusing the assistance system will help ensure as much,” an advisor agreed. “It will only be a stop-gap, I think, until someone thinks they’ve found a loophole with the new assistance rules.”

“There will always be a loophole,” Marcus sighed. “We can’t see what it is now, but someone will find and exploit it. We can’t tighten the rules too much, or those truly in need will slip through the cracks. But I want to get as many of those off the system that are truly able to work and just don’t wish to look for it… I want them to find work, and I want to find a way to provide them opportunities.”

“You are truly honorable and noble, my king,” The advisor smiled, bowing to him.

“I hope the resistance representative feels that way… Otherwise, this may yet all fall to pieces.”

Shorty's Media Corner

Getting Back To Goals, And My Tools For The Ride – A Review Of Nerd Fitness

Leave a comment

Hey all! I know I usually leave reviews for Shorty, but being a part of my mind means she can only enjoy a little of today’s topic. Sorry, Shorty!

Pfft, you’re not leaving me outta this. Our whole dynamic was partially created out of things you did and learned in Rising Heroes.

Alright, we can tackle this together! Now, before we begin the real review, let me shout out the man, the myth, Rebel One himself- Steve.

Steve Kamb, specifically. He is the creator of Nerd Fitness, and comes across as a cool and caring dude. He takes the time to really explain things when he writes. His book, Level Up Your Life, is also very informative and useful. We recommend grabbing the audiobook form along with the physical/e-book copy. That’s what we did.

We’ll definitely do a review of Level Up Your Life eventually- I’m setting to re-read it soon here, so likely after that. After that super brief shout out to a man who deserves more, let’s head to the main content.

Nerd Fitness is exactly what it sounds like: Fitness for nerds, by nerds. Truthfully, it’s fitness for everyone, but built on all the nerdy references. Nerd Fitness calls its members the “rebellion”, as part of a sort of storyline to help you… Well, Level Up your life.

The rebellion is built on making getting healthy more fun and into an adventure. Your goal is as it should be: To “level up” your life. See what Steve did there? The things you can level are split into three important categories: Mindset, Nutrition, and Fitness.

Fitness and Nutrition probably sound pretty obvious: Getting fit, getting healthy, losing weight… Everyone tells you it’s all about diet and exercise. But Nerd Fitness ties it all together with the most important part: Getting your mind in order to actually keep the progress you see.

As Nerd Fitness will teach you, one of the big reasons diets and exercies regimens fail is a lack of habit building. You get to your goal, then go back to what you were doing before you started. Often, this will just bring you right back to where you were when you started, and make you unhappy. Keep in mind, using a generalized you here. For all I know, you specifically are a record breaking body builder or a ninja or something.

I really doubt any ninja other than myself are here.

You’re not even a ninja anymore, just a badass warrior. Hush. Anyway, the point is, Nerd Fitness doesn’t just teach you about how food works with your body, or against it, or how to move said body in a way that gets you those gainz- They want to help you build the habits that will keep those gainz. Or that weight loss.

Stop saying gainz, it’s not cool.

Hush. I wasn’t going for cool.

Riiiiight. Let’s move to what else Nerd Fitness can offer you: The forums and the programs. We haven’t hit the forums in quite a while, but we can still tell you there’s a lot of love and care there. Other rebels are there to encourage you, hold you accountable for what you say you plan to do, and especially to help you celebrate your wins- Big and small.

The programs are there to help guide you, in one way or another. I’ve got the Nerd Fitness Academy – Women program, personally, but I’ve tried a couple others as well. In fact, I got to be one of the intro folks given a free trial for the latest offering: Nerd Fitness Prime. Prime offers you access to several of the Nerd Fitness programs for one price, and also gives you access to Nerd Fitness Journey – A mobile app to help you on your way. (Side note: Anyone with academy at the time Prime released, if I remember correctly, got a free trial of prime. So don’t think I’m special, at least not like that. 🙂 )

The Academy, one of the offerings included in Prime, is kinda what it sounds like: Courses designed to help you learn and grow in the three core elements. Instead of “classes”, you get Quests. Each quest will give your created character, representing yourself, experience points. Get enough points, you level up. And it’s all an “at your own pace” thing!

Nerd Fitness also offers other courses. During the course of our Prime trial, we tried the Yoga package. It’s similar to Academy, but it’s focused on yoga and what it can do for you. I never realized just how hard yoga could be until I tried that module.

It was certainly funny to watch.

You are so mean.

Next! We have the Rings and Handstand courses. The Rings course is for using, well, rings- Specifically, the kind you see gymnists using. The Handstand course, naturally, is to teach you to do a handstand.

These side courses are cheaper than the Academy itself, since they cover less material. I haven’t tried the Handstand one, and I really have no inclination towards the Rings set, but I hear good things about both. If I try them, I’ll give a separate review of them.

Really, we intend to do more in-depth reviews of Academy and Level Up Your Life later, anyway. Yoga, too.

Now, we move to the personalized offering: Nerd Fitness Coaching. It’s exactly what it sounds like: A personalized coaching program, tailored the the Nerd Fitness way of getting healthy! As you onboard, you’ll be asked various questions about your goals and your Big Why. Your Big Why is the absolute core reason, boiled down, that you want to achieve your goals. For example, my Big Why is to become a real ninja, master of my own body and everything it does. Your big why could be as simple as “I want to be able to play with my kids/grandkids without wearing out so darn fast” or “I want to be able to look in the mirror and love what I see” and so on. Here’s an article on forming your Big Why from Nerd Fitness, I recommend checking it out.

Once your goals and Big Why have been explained, you’ll be matched with a coach that the team feels will be most able to help you reach them! The coach will help you build habits, tailor workouts to your specific goals and body type and all, and help you stay on track by holding you accountable. Through the app they have for the program, the coach will reach out and check in on a daily basis, or more if need be, and you can report your progress. At about $197 bucks for a new client, it’s also a lot more affordable than some personal trainer programs, and can always be made to fit your schedule. I absolutely loved this, but my finances tanked and I could no longer afford it. I’ll be returning when, eventually, I’m more financially stable.

For all of these resources, you also have a huge community behind you. Facebook groups, the forums, and even a discord server for Prime, you have people all around the world going on the same journey as you and willing to support you and give you advice. You can share your big wins, your small wins, your ups and downs, and know that you’ve got a support group behind you.

Nerd Fitness also had a great story going, Rising Heroes, but they’ve since closed enrollment for that program. Kendra was one of the first couple of waves of enrollment for that offering, and it was amazing!

I had to stop when my finances tanked, as it was also a subscription service, but I did absolutely love the story. You became an agent of the rebellion, fighting a Shadow Organization trying to take over the world by making people lazy and unhealthy. The story was deep, and the outcomes changed based on what you and the other agents did in real life. You missions actually mattered, and doing your share helped the rebellion to succeed.

We expect much more amazingness to continue to come from Steve and the Nerd Fitness team for the forseeable future. They’re always working to help make your health more fun and potentially easier or less scary.

And I’ll be right there, the whole time, to experience everything I can. I hope that you check out Nerd Fitness as there’s really something there for everyone. Even if you only read their free articles or sign up for their toolkit, it will definitely help you get started or continue on your fitness/health journey. Keep an eye out for my separate reviews of the various offerings of Nerd Fitness on their own, since this was really kind of just an overview review. If you’re already a user of Nerd Fitness, leave a comment telling me what you like best! If you give it a try, let me know what part you tried and how you like it! And come back soon for more from Short and Scorch.