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The Chrysanthemum Tango - a new fantasy adventure

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  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Hello people! I finally got a new chapter of The Chrysanthemum Tango out! It's been long, but I hope I'll be able to get back to my more frequent updates! I hope you guys enjoy!

    Chapter 35: Heart-to-Hearts
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    Amelia thinks about love. Tad seems to be worried about something. Awkward talks ensue.

    Have a lovely time!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    edited June 2017
    Guys! Hi! I finally finally finally managed to get the next chapter to The Chrysanthemum Tango done! I'm scared and excited, as this and the future chapters have been a blast to write, but they've also been so difficult and I'm kinda scared I'll end up writing myself into a corner or something. But hopefully that won't happen. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy!

    Chapter 36: Out of Time
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    Time is running out, but Time also has something to say. Tad faces ethical dilemmas while unfriendly forces – and people – seem to be on the move.
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    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    edited June 2017
    Hello! I'm back with a new chapter for The Chrysanthemum Tango! Things will get slightly intense, but nothing too bad, I think. I have one more chapter almost done so there might be one more rather quick update coming up. Though I'm trying to get Forget-Me-Not updated next.

    Anyway, here it is:

    Chapter 37: Champions and Pawns
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    Cosmic beings are definitely not the only ones who are trying to play with the lives of Amelia and her friends. Most of the time it's the people one has to be really afraid of.

    I hope you enjoy and have a lovely time!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Hello lovely people! I have the next chapter to The Chrysanthemum Tango right here with me! I hope you guys enjoy and have a lovely time in general.

    Chapter 38: Hunted
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    Amelia learns what it's like to be hunted. It's not a pleasant nor a pretty lesson. 

    Also I have the next chapter already written! Though I do still need to take the pics for it and do a lot of editing. I'm on a roll... I think my mind wants to get this story arc finished, even though I love writing this story. :)
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    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Hello again! Wow, I think I've managed to do sort of weekly updates on The Chrysanthemum Tango lately. Go me! And here's the newest chapter:

    Chapter 39: From Bad to Worse
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    Regrets, fears, and a short respite. Is this the calm before the storm? Yes, yes it is.

    I hope you guys enjoy and have a lovely time!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Hi everyone! What's this? Another Chrysanthemum Tango -update within the week? The world must be ending! Or not. I just have a vacation. :D

    Well, here it is:

    Chapter 40: Cheating Death
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    Sometimes it’s about narrowly avoiding something fatal. And sometimes it’s about hitting Death hard enough for things to go all kinds of wrong.

    Have a lovely time you guys! :)
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Hi guys! It's me again! With a new Chrysanthemum Tango -chapter!

    Chapter 41: Mindscapes
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    When the worst happens, one might not even be safe in one's own mind. Let alone somebody else's. Time keeps running out for everyone.

    I hope you guys enjoy and have a lovely time!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Hello! I'm back with the next chapter to The Chrysanthemum Tango! And now I have the next three chapters written and screenshotted as well, so all I need is some editing and... then this story arc will be done! I... don't even know how I managed to make it this far and somehow keep my plot even this coherent... if it even is anything resembling coherent. :D

    Chapter 42: Askew
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    The world feels when things are not right. Amelia, Vanja, Novak, and many others feel it too. And it's time to do something about it. Meanwhile, Tad and Emily have their own battles to fight.

    I hope you guys enjoy and have a lovely time.
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Hi again! Here's the newest chapter to The Chrysanthemum Tango:

    Chapter 43: Timely Interventions
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    Sometimes the darkest hour can fit into seconds.

    I hope you enjoy and have a lovely time!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    edited July 2017
    Hi! My updating spree continues for a bit longer. Here's the second to last chapter to The Chrysanthemum Tango (or at least to its first story arc):

    Chapter 44: Trial and Error
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    Tad has to face the consequences of his adventure. He’s not the only one who ends up facing things. Sometimes both help and enemies can come from surprising places.

    I hope you guys enjoy and have a lovely time!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • CathyTeaCathyTea Posts: 23,088 Member
    OK! Let's talk about this amazing chapter! :)

    I've got so many spoilery things I want to comment on, so I guess I'll use spoilers!

    First...
    I really love the opening screenshot. I first read this on my nook, so it was smaller, and I was just so driven to read the plot that I hardly even paid it any mind, but now, I'm reading on the laptop with a bigger screen... and it works SO perfectly to illustrate the paragraph which follows, which works so well to foreshadow that the chapter will turn out OK, which I really needed, because it's SO SCARY!

    All of the screenshots
    are perfect, really. I love the use of black and white in the Time-Stopped illustrations. That must have been pretty hard to do. It looks seamless!

    Also...
    the acting is SO good! I love everyone's facial expressions and range of gesture!

    Now... onto my favorite lines!
    Of course I love the first paragraph! I swoon over sentences that use the word "microbe" and "molecule!" I love the rhythm of medium-sentence, long-sentence, short-sentence, short-sentence, medium-short sentence.

    I absolutely love this line of Amelia's: " Because he told me the universe is fixed again, and really, it didn’t seem to even be all that broken at any point!"

    I also love this concluding line to Lydia and Gaius' story, "They ran away, minds filled with regrets and trauma, but also a spark of hope."

    This is probably my favorite line of the whole chapter: "Amelia was overjoyed to notice that Riverview was where they had left it."

    Brigette's awesome line: "“Universe breaking always sounds bad. "

    So many wonderful sparkles in here! And I love how Brigette's line ties back to the awesome opening paragraph about everything being all right--the universe being now fixed.

    And... that incredible plot!
    Even with the happy-resolution foreshadowing of the opening paragraph, I was still SOOOO scared pretty often. First, is Tad going to be erased? Then, is Amelia going to die? Then, will Tad be erased to stop Amelia from having to die, and will she die to stop him from having to be erased? It was that Chinese finger-trap of sacrifice, and I loved it! I was also SO relieved that they used trickery and bravery to escape the inevitability of sacrafice!

    I also really love the strong theme of friendship that runs all through this novel, culminating in this chapter.

    It shows how truly strong friendship can be--such durable love! :)

    This is what I call ending with strength!

    The whole novel has been brilliant and strong, and this chapter is up there with the best of the best! It's really great for the penultimate chapter to be one of the best of the lot, and it's so hard to do! Really amazing work, and really what a satisfying reading experience! :)

    Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology

    Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    edited August 2017
    @CathyTea :blush: Thank you so much! It makes me so happy to know you like my story so much!

    The last few (but not necessarily THE last) chapters in a story are often the ones I want to have the most effectiveness. The last chapter will often be mostly just a quiet fade-out after the heavy, more exciting stuff (of course this depends on the story a lot). Though in this story the last chapter definitely won't be all happy or light-hearted either. I have the last chapter written, but I've been sitting on it, waiting for a good moment to publish it. I'm thinking maybe towards the end of the week. I'm kinda scared that I won't be able to create a strong enough ending for this... and that some of the things that happen may feel a bit pointless. :/ But we'll see.

    About the screenshots:
    The black and white with some colour -screenshots were more time-consuming than difficult. I had to duplicate the image layer, create an alpha channel for the top layer and change that layer to black and white. And then it was just using the eraser tool to make the still colourful layer show in the parts I wanted it to show. I'm really glad with how they turned out, and I'm glad you like them too.

    The opening screenshot was one of my "let's take pics of pretty scenery and skies" that I was going to either not use at all or use for the final chapter, but I realised that it worked much better here.

    Also I was pretty happy with the
    sacrifice-situation too. If they hadn't been able to find a loophole, Tad would have definitely let himself be erased without question if that meant he could spare Amelia. And he would have overruled Amelia's protests with "I'm Death, so your argument is invalid" or something. But luckily I was merciful for both them and myself (I would have hated either of them having to die/be erased), as for the story it didn't matter that either of the sacrifices were made, but that both Tad and Amelia were ready to make them. :) I'm glad I kept things exciting/tense enough.

    Also I love depicting deep friendships, so the fact that friendship became a central theme here was no surprise at all.

    Also I'm so, so glad that you like my lines and the rhythm of my sentences. I put a lot of effort into making my text sound nice (to my ears/mind, at least).

    Thank you again for your kind words!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Hi guys. I'm a bit sick and I want to get this finally out of the way and bring the first story arc to The Chrysanthemum Tango to a close. This isn't the end of the entire story, though, as I have more ideas for this. I will, however, take a break from this and focus on my others stories, which I have neglected during the summer. Once I get better, that is.

    Anyway, here it is:
    Chapter 45: The Not Quite Perfect Life
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    Endings. Beginnings. It’s not perfect, but when is life perfect anyway?

    Thank you all for your support, my awesome readers! Have a good day, everyone!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • CathyTeaCathyTea Posts: 23,088 Member
    Congratulations on completing the first arc! It was such a great ending.

    I was so teary-eyed by the final scene. Something about healing and resolution and friendship and everything coming full circle--but rather in a spiraling way so one is in the same place, but not the same place--really touched me.

    It's a perfect ending, even if the life is not-so-perfect! :)

    Congratulations! Hope you feel well soon!
    Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology

    Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    @CathyTea Thank you! :blush: I'm glad you liked the ending. It was surprisingly easy to write especially since I struggled with almost everything else in the chapter.
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Hi guys! Surprise! This wouldn't leave me alone so I had to do the first chapter to Chrysanthemum Tango's second arc!

    Chapter 46: Snowflakes and Shadows
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    It’s snowflake day, and it doesn’t begin very pleasantly for some. But maybe it can end in nicer circumstances.

    I hope you enjoy and have a lovely time!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Hi guys! Sorry, it's not an actual update, but it's a post that reminisces the first arc and stuff. So if you're interested, feel free to check it out:

    Memory Lane Challenge

    I'll try to get a new chapter done soon-ish. :)
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    edited December 2017
    Hello and happy holidays! I bring you a present: a new chapter for The Chrysanthemum Tango!

    Chapter 47: Fear. Happiness. Beauty.
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    In another place, another time, Emily did not celebrate Snowflake Days. Now it’s time for her to get properly acquainted with it. And maybe others will make new acquaintances as well.

    I hope you enjoy and have a lovely time!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • simscognitosimscognito Posts: 16,599 Member
    Yay! Can't wait to catch up with this in the New Year. :smiley:
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Yay! Can't wait to catch up with this in the New Year. :smiley:

    @simscognito :blush: I'm glad you like it!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    edited February 2018
    Hello everyone! It has been far too long, once again, but I have a new update for The Chrysanthemum Tango! I hope you like it and have a lovely time!

    Chapter 48: Teen Angst
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    A set of teens who are not really teens contemplate their worries, and they're not the only ones feeling down.

    I'm so glad I managed an update after a yet another break! I'm sorry these take so long.
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Wait! What's this? A new Chrysanthemum Tango -chapter? How can this be? Did I actually decide to just stop hesitating and finish the chapter I've been feeling unsure about? I think I did. So there you go:

    Chapter 49: Ghost in the Mail
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    Tad searches for his wayward pupil. Amelia grieves. They try to help each other, and a haunted mail-order becomes important. So it's all pretty normal, all things considered.

    I hope you enjoy and have a lovely time!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    *gasp* What's this? A miracle! I mean... a new chapter for The Chrysanthemum Tango! Which, yeah, considering my current snail-paced updates, is kind of a miracle? Anyway, I hope you enjoy! :)

    Chapter 50: Regrets
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    So many regrets and failures... so many ways to deal with them.

    Also I've apparently managed fifty chapters of this word-mess. Milestone? I guess...
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    Hello! It took some time again, but I finally got around to writing more Chrysanthemum Tango and man, I missed it! So here is the next chapter:

    Chapter 51: Gates and Kindness
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    Disegno meets someone at a gate, and so does Emily. Amelia struggles with locks in her mind and heart.

    I hope you enjoy and have a lovely time!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
  • RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    edited April 2019
    Hi guys! Happy spring! I finally got a new chapter for Chrysanthemum Tango out!

    Chapter 52: Comfort Food
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    Amelia wakes up to a happier day for once. Tad gets help with making friends. Food brings people together.

    I hope you enjoy and have a good time!
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    My Sims stories:
    The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
    The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
    Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
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