Part 22 - Sophia and the Open Sea

Part 22 - Sophia and the Open Sea - PDF Version

For the full story in html click "read more"

Click Here to see all published stories

This is new and as of now, not posted anywhere else. I hope you all enjoy.

Part 22 Summary

Part 22 starts the morning after the new years party that took place in part 21, still in Surda. Spoilers below.

Click Here to see all summaries

Small Update

So I just realized it's been nearly two whole months and haven't said a word. I thought as the weekend approaches I'd just pop in to say I'm still working hard at the new job, still writing when I can, but it's going slowly.

I also think I might be hitting a problem I didn't anticipate. I created Surda, a made up country, so that I wouldn't have to make someone be from a real place I'd be able to make it up to be whatever I wanted it to be for the purpose of the story. What I might not have considered, is that because I've created a whole new place I want to fill it. I keep struggling as I write to not sidetrack myself with needless details that slow down the movement of the story. So I may end up having quite a few "cut scenes" that don't make it in because it adds nothing but details in a story that's frontloaded with details and not a lot of action till later. I've cut back on now thousands of words that I had written but going back over could be replaced by something much smaller or removed completly. Some of it will get folded back in later on perhaps, but that's also adding to my slow pace. From when I went back to "tighten things up" to now, the word count is almost unchanged but I've gotten a lot farther which at least feels like forward progress.

Not cutting it all out of course, don't want a totally empty world, but it's just a problem I hadn't predicted. I thought making my own world would save time than finding the perfect real world equivalent, I might  have been wrong, but I'm not going to go back now and do it any differently. I like the world I made, even if its details will only be known to me and maybe anyone here who wants to read the extras.

So.. I'm trying to progress along it's just being slow, BUT I am still writing!

Going forward

So, now that I got the latest part finished (woho!) I need to also add something not as fun. I hinted at it in my little disclaimer update, but recently my working situation has changed. A good friend has started their own company, it's longer hours but it's with people I actually like. It's meant that I've had less free time to write and a bit less energy for when I do have time. I kind of pushed myself to get this last one done, because I didn't want to leave you all hanging with too many unknowns, but in the near future at least I'm going to be getting slower.

I'm not stopping or giving up, I want to make that clear. I just have fewer hours to commit and not just from some game but because I'm working much longer hours and it can sometimes drain me. And when I'm drained, writing is a slower process. It may be several extra weeks between stories for the next little while. This might change if things start settling down but not sure that will happen for a while. I wish I could just mentally transcribe all this in a weekend, but sadly that's not how this works.

Part 21 - Zainab and the Spring Flower

Part 21 - Zainab and the Spring Flower - PDF Version

For the full story in html click "read more"

Click Here to see all published stories

This is new and as of now, not posted anywhere else. I hope you all enjoy.

Part 21 Summary

Part 21 picks up moments after the end of part 19. Andrea and Megan are with Zainab at her family's home in Surda. Spoilers below.

Click Here to see all summaries

New story this weekend, but first a quick word.

So I know it's been forever, a new job has started and it's eating up a lot of my hours (but it's a good friend's startup so the long hours aren't nearly as soul killing!), but I'm finally nearing the end of the next story. Day or two tops!

However, aside from that I want to say one thing that's been on my mind some as I write this next story which goes back to Andrea, Megan and Zainab in Surda.

What I'm writing is fiction, but fiction that borrows from elements around us. I'm personally white and American, but now a bunch of my characters are not in America so I'm starting to get into less and less familiar and intuitive territory. They're in a fake country I made up in part so that I don't misrepresent or insult a real one. I grew up in a very Persian heavy neighborhood, so I have some familiarity with at least the kinds of Persians who fled the revolution. But even still, even with it being a fake country with fake people, I don't want to insult any real ones. Just kind of the way I am personally. I'm the kind of person that throws a party and spends the whole time making sure other people are enjoying it and never being able to enjoy it much myself so long as I think other people aren't also.

So, this I guess is my one big disclaimer. I'll say it here so I hopefully don't feel the need to pester and repeat it with every chapter that's taking place in Surda:

I try to do justice to representing people from other places as real human people not only relying on stereotypes and culturally assumed tropes too heavily. In some areas I have personal knowledge and experience I can draw from, in some areas my understanding is only Wikipedia deep. If at any point, you find something hard to believe, just try suspending your disbelief a little harder if you can. If at any point I offend you with my ignorance, know it's the last thing I intended and please let me know where and how I did it because it's the only way to learn and improve. The last thing I want to do is paint whole groups of people unfairly. I don't expect problems, I feel like I do a decent job to keep people human (though not always very likable), I just needed to say my piece this once.

A call for art

Increasingly, though I don't think I've put it this way, I've begun to see the story as different "volumes" for lack of a better word. Think of them like seasons of a tv show with each part being an episode. The first volume is parts 1-8, it's meeting the girls, having them first dabble and have them culminate in the end with Sophia heading off and the others free but shamed. The second volume is 9-18, involves Sophia's journey through Atlantic City, Lea's reaction to it, and the introduction of Zainab into the equation. Now we're just starting the third volume. It will not be the "final" volume, but it is a slightly modified version of what was the "final" part of my original arc and so it feels a little "final" to me nonetheless.

So as I keep thinking of these as two now complete "volumes," I've been having more and more thoughts about something I've always wanted for this series: art.

This might be pie in the sky thinking. The problem is that I may have a way with words, but my artistic skills otherwise are just not good. I can sometimes do passable simple stills, but I couldn't draw a decent person to save my life. But none the less, I've often (and increasingly so of late) wondered about having a piece or two of cover art. It's asking a lot to get one for every single part, but.. that's why the idea of volumes has been making me think of it. A cover for volume 1, a cover for volume 2, that's not exactly exorbitant.

So I'm putting a call out. If any of you fans can draw, it would be utterly amazing. But if not, if you know people you think would do this well, who's style you like, and who takes commissions at a reasonable price, let me know. I don't have a lot of money, but I am possibly willing to pay a fare price if it's needed. I don't want to make things complicated here by asking for money directly from anyone, which is why it would obviously be ideal if any of you had any kind of skill or willingness to get commissions for me. I'm also more than willing to basically pay "in kind." I could put you in the story, make another story you'd describe, or just at minimum give you advanced access to early drafts and such.

Just a topic to leave you with for now that I'm sure isn't going to be quickly settled.

Part 20 - Lea and the New Partner

Part 20 - Lea and the New Partner - PDF Version

For the full story in html click "read more"

Click Here to see all published stories

This is new and as of now, not posted anywhere else. I hope you all enjoy.

Part 20 Summary

Part 20 follows Lea for a few days after finishing her contract with the casino. Spoilers below.

Click Here to see all summaries

Lea's Newest Residence

In part 20, Lea is finally finished with her contract and finds a new place to live. Like with the cabin, I found as I was writing I was having a hard time picturing it in my head, so I decided I needed a reference layout to keep things consistent. Unlike past ones I didn't make this one I found it, but I used it while writing to try to keep things right. I'm putting it in the "read more" because for anyone who hasn't read part 20 this is a little bit of what might count as a spoiler.

New distraction

So it's been about a month and I just wanted to give a quick update. Unfortunately I've been going a little slow but I am still going! Just slower. Kind of found a new addicting thing and it's been slowing me down. I got Crusader Kings II during the recent Steam Summer Sale after heavy recommendations. I'm now 165 hours deep, It's been making the writing go slower. Sorry, still just human and all that.

I'm hoping the next part will be done next week or so.

Part 19 - Andrea and the Long Journey

Part 19 - Andrea and the Long Journey - PDF Version

For the full story in html click "read more"

Click Here to see all published stories

This is new and as of now, not posted anywhere else. I hope you all enjoy.

Part 19 Summary

Part 19 takes place at the start of spring break for Andrea, Megan and Zainab. Andrea and Megan join Zainab and her family as they travel back to her home country of Surda. Spoilers below.

Click Here to see all summaries

Meet the Characters: Zainab's family

In Part 19 we get our first look at some of Zainab's family. This includes her father Farhad and mother Leyla, as well as her uncle Omid. The following goes a little above and beyond what's covered explicitly in the story, but it should add a little background for those interested:

Surda

Surda is a fictional country, invented for the series. I did so in order to be more able to have it suit the story. It takes elements from the real world, but still leaves me the freedom to make it however it is I want to make it for the story.

Surda is a small chain of volcanic islands at roughly 22°N, 63°E where the Indian and Arabian tectonic plates meet. It is 100 km long end to end.




History

It was first settled by Indian traders in the 500s BC. A strong navy and the wealth from being a trading hub kept them as many small but prosperous independent kingdoms throughout the classical age. They had tin and copper mines, but they had problems of impurities that made them not particularly profitable. And while it allowed them to cheaply make bronze, the bronze age had long passed before the mines were active. Those not involved in trade or mining were usually involved in fishing. Very little of the islands were suitable farmland (with no major rivers to feed them) so aside for some minor grazing land, seafood became the primary staple food. In 714 they were attacked by an Arab fleet who successfully conquered the wealthiest island of Madtha. The other islands joined together to retake it over the next three years. When trying to decide who owned the reclaimed island, since its former rules had been killed, infighting broke out and continued off and on for generations. It resulted eventually in the first unified kingdom of the whole island chain in 802.

This new unified Surdanese Kingdom reemerged as an important trading port between India, the Arab world, and the East African Coast. They formed a particularly large and prosperous slave and spice trade and were famously good boat builders. Because of the constant contact with the Muslim world, more and more Muslims began to settle on the island chain. While still a minority, they made up a lot of the traders and were disproportionately wealthy. There were tensions, but the Hindu Majority still held most of the power.

During the Delhi Sultanate, war broke out with the Surdanese Kingdom leading to eventual conquest of the whole island chain by 1386. Muslim families largely supplanted or married into the old Hindu ruling class over the following generations. In 1451 as the Delhi Sultanate fell to incursions from another dynasty, the islands broke off to form the Surdanese Sultanate with its seat of power in Dakhari. They quickly worked to build a gunpowder navy and were able to resist conquest from both the Mughal and Safavid Empires. Muslims remained a numerical minority, but quickly grew to adopt many of the traditions of the island. Inter-faith marriage, especially among the ruling families was exceedingly common as a way to ease religious tension. One of the early rulers in particular, Shaha the Wise even went so far as to blend Hindu culture and festivals into official observance even by Muslims.

As Britain began to build it's power, both in India and Iran, Surda felt the pressure as well. They eventually relented and signed a treaty in 1861 to make itself a protectorate of Britain just as most of India had become. It remained part of the British Empire for almost exactly a century, gaining independence November 1, 1963. It became a constitutional Sultanate with an elected parliament. The prime minister runs the government while a restored Salton has limited powers but is the head of state.

Modern day

The country became noteworthy to global affairs after the fast rise in value for certain rare earth metals. The mines on the island produced copper and tin, but were always burdened with higher than usual impurities. Impurities that had no use throughout most of history but which became essential and lucrative minerals to the technological world. By 2020, their production was second only to China. As technology allowed them to mine deeper than they ever had, they also began to find large veins of platinum and other precious metals. It has brought in a fantastical level of money for an otherwise small country, concentrated in the hands largely of the rich, but the prosperity has not gone totally unnoticed by everyone else.

At the time the story takes place, the population has grown to 480,000. It makes it a very dense nation, ranking in the top 20 densest sovereign nations on earth. Most of the population has historically been concentrated on the main five islands that surround the Bay of Surda. The outer islands are now however a tremendous source of wealth, most of the (easily accessible) mineral deposits are found on those less populated and less developed islands. The GDP per capita is very high, $68,494 in modern dollars. However, there are a hand full of people who make so much from their mines and mineral rights that it greatly distorts the picture. A more "typical" income would be closer to ~$19,000.

Surdanese culture is largely a mix between Hindu and Muslim practices, but has many unique features. The tie to the water is unmistakable. Swimming is a near universal activity. Pools and water gardens have traditionally been the sign of decadence and luxury among the rich. The warm and consistent temperature also kept dress minimal, airy, and commonly topless. The history of inter-marriage between the two religions kept the people unusually tolerant of religious diversity. It also lead to a fusion of Indian and Muslim style in art, architecture and music like is common in much of Northern India. This slightly more liberal attitude kept the Muslim population from ever really radicalizing in any significant numbers.

One tradition imported from India is the Basivi. Basivis are woman who offer themselves in ritual servitude to the Gods. They would serve however the priests would need them to serve, which often included time serving in the courts and homes of nobles who are patrons of the temple. In return it's a way for these women to elevate their family's status, and to bring support to their family from the religious order they serve. Some offer themselves for life, which is a commitment that elevates not only the living family, but all future generations beyond them. Since the move towards employment contracts and the rise of unemployment, there has been a resurgence in the Basivi tradition. Contracts puts in writing what had been custom for a long time, the basic needs of a family of a Basivi would be met making it a very attractive offer for many.

Zainab comes from one of the older and wealthier families of the island. They came to power following the conquest by the Sultanate, and have been an important family since. The current head of the family (and therefore the bulk of its wealth) is Zainab's eldest uncle, Omid.

Map of Surda

Here is a map for the fictional location of Surda:

I will update this map if more places become important, but for now this should be all the major islands and locations. Most of the population live on the five islands named here that surround the Bay of Surda. Zainab's family, the Tahrinis, live on Madtha. The family just above them, the Dalals, are the wealthiest family in the county who do become relevant to future stories.

Part 18 - Sophia and the Changing Venue

Part 18 - Sophia and the Changing Venue - PDF Version

For the full story in html click "read more"

Click Here to see all published stories

This is new and as of now, not posted anywhere else. I hope you all enjoy.

Part 18 Summary

Part 18 takes place over a nearly two month period of time, mostly following Sophia starting from shortly after the Barbarian Horde. Major spoilers below.

Click Here to see all summaries

Lots of change

So as most of you can probably guess from the last episode, a lot of things are about to change. Lea's reaching the end of her contract. I still need to "go back" chronologically to catch up with some Sophia stuff that happened before then. However, at the end of the story a lot of things will be different. As such it's important I make sure things still work. I will be posting it soon, but the delay has been because I want to get ahead on future stories for a bit before releasing this one to make sure they work properly.

It also means a lot of things may seem up in the air, but sometimes that's just what change looks like even if it seems like a mystery at the time. I will also be broadening things as Andrea and Megan take a trip to Zainab's home country of Surda. I like to try as much as possible to not change my work (aside from the typos I always seem to miss no matter how much I proof read!) once it's posted. That way, once it's up that's what basically happens. So when I'm upsetting the balance of things like I am now, I really really want to make sure I'm upsetting it the right way before releasing the thing that starts it all.

So the long and the short of it is: it will be about a week or so (as a target at least) because I really want to get ahead on other stories before posting part 18 which will create a lot of ripples. I know you are all thankfully patient, but I just wanted to explain why there's been a delay with this part after earlier saying there shouldn't be long delays with these three parts.

Part 17 - Lea and the Alien Experience

Part 17 - Lea and the Alien Experience - PDF Version

For the full story in html click "read more"

Click Here to see all published stories

This is new and as of now, not posted anywhere else. I hope you all enjoy.

Part 17 Summary

Part 17 takes place over a nearly 2 month period following Lea as she goes to the end of her contract with the casino. Spoilers below.

Click Here to see all summaries

Meet the Characters: Rora (Kiara McLeod)

Birthdate: April 4, 2010
Hair: Straight brunette hair, usually dyed one color or another
Eyes: Brown
Skin: Slightly tan
Height: 5’7” (170 cm)
Weight: 130 lbs (59 kg)
Measurements: 35B-26-34

Kiara McLeod is first introduced in part 17, originally under the name Rora. She is 25 years old and is paired with Lea for just over a month and a half. She is nearly identical in stature and facial structure, which is the reason the two were paired together. Kiara is bisexual, switch, and very sexual. She originally worked as an accountant, with a long string of sexual relationships as her primary off time activity. After a year on the job, she realized she might have more fun if sex were simply her job, and so she signed up with Olsen resorts in part because of their experimentation and their integration of NESICs. When she meets Lea, she is only a few months in to a one year contract.

She is mostly laid back, and is open to at least try most things both sexually and non-sexually. She is very keen in having other people enjoy themselves. She doesn't have strong preferences about what she would rather to do in order to make that happen, since she can generally enjoy herself no matter what as long as sex is involved and the other person likes it. However, she also is very competitive in games or anything that by rules have a clear "winner" and "loser."

Part 16 - Megan and the Benefits of Trust

Part 16 - Megan and the Benefits of Trust - PDF Version

For the full story in html click "read more"

Click Here to see all published stories

This is new and as of now, not posted anywhere else. I hope you all enjoy.

Part 16 Summary

Part 16 takes place over several weeks, following Andrea's relationship with Zainab and Megan's journey forward following the events of Christmas Break. Spoilers below.

Click Here to see all summaries

Update soon

I just wanted to drop in and let you all know I'm putting the finishing touches on the first of the group of three stories. It'll cover a long period of time, a period of time when Sophia and Lea will be doing other things as well that are not mentioned until their stories. So this group of three will kind of "repeat" January, February and into March from multiple viewpoints. I also took the unusual step of adding dates before some of these sections, I don't plan to do that with the others but it would have been too convoluted to say how much time had passed any other way with this story.

So in a day or two I should be done and ready to publish. Thanks for all your patience, and I hope you enjoy it!

Winter Lull

I realize it's been some times since I've said anything.. and while I still don't have a story ready for you yet I thought I'd give you a quick update regardless. As I've mentioned a few times already, for a whole bunch of reasons winter is a slower time of the year for me to write. But as it's starting to warm up again, I'm getting lighter work and finding myself with both slightly more motivation and more free time!

I am also busy writing multiple "threads" at once I guess is a way to put it. Megan/Andrea, Lea, and Sophia all acting mostly independent but not completely. And while none are yet publishable, I have been making a lot of progress the last week and a bit especially. I want to get everything lined up right so that interactions happen the way I have them in my head. That might mean that I'd rather hold back until everyone's caught up with everyone else. This is bad in that it might make the wait for the next story longer. But it's good in that (a) I'd feel more comfortable publishing when everyone's caught up so everything meshes well and (b) it will make the wait for the part after next a bit shorter.

Just like how parts 14 and 15 kind of started off together and split, parts 16, 17 and 18 will probably be released more closely to each other. But that makes part 16 potentially a bit longer of a wait than it otherwise would be.

Trust me, as a sometimes obsessive fan of many a thing (latest new obsession being Saga.. come on once a month? I read the first 25 chapters in a weekend, once a month is practically torture!) I know first hand waits can suck. But I also know you'd rather I take my time and have it be up to standard than rushed and fall short. I just thought I'd keep you all updated on how the progress has been going.

Characters: Mixed Together or Distinct Stories?

So this is just a though I've been having as I continue to write the next part. What became Part 14 and 15 started as one story that switched back and forth between characters. But due to length, I wanted to split it in two, so the logical split seemed like it should be divided between settings.

So my question is, which do you all prefer? Stories that follow just one set of characters, or stories that follow more than one? Neither answer would make updates come any faster or slower, so it's purly a question of taste. I'll leave a poll up top but feel free to leave comments.

Part 15 - Sophia and the Barbarian Horde

Part 15 - Sophia and the Barbarian Horde - PDF Version

For the full story in html click "read more"

Click Here to see all published stories

This is new and as of now, not posted anywhere else. I hope you all enjoy.

Part 15 Summary

Part 15 takes place around the end of December or so and is a story only about Sophia where she gets a shot at a new opportunity. Spoilers below.

Click Here to see all summaries

Part 14 - Zainab and the White Christmas

Part 14 - Zainab and the White Christmas - PDF Version

For the full story in html click "read more"

Click Here to see all published stories

This is new and as of now, not posted anywhere else. I hope you all enjoy.

Part 14 Summary

Part 14 takes place in the days leading up to (and including) Christmas. It follows Andrea, Zainab and Megan as they go through a tumultuous vacation. Spoilers below.

Click Here to see all summaries

Update on the writing

Sorry I've kind of "gone dark" for so long, so I just wanted to ensure you that I have not abandoned the story!

I had been writing a major story, one with threads going on both for Sophia, and for Megan, Andrea and Zainab. Both sides of the story however have ballooned, it happens. Now it's looking like they will likely work better as two separate stories since keeping them together would probably now make the story be too long. Not to mention that the tone of the two are quite different, and so jumping between them would perhaps not be as fun as reading one after the other. There's still work to be done on both fronts, but I wanted to give everyone an update that I am still alive and still writing!

When I have a better time estimate I will let you all know.