Upload Notes: Beyond the Sea Chapter Five (Patreon)

Perhaps the most action-packed story I've written so far as Cursey~ 8k words long, and most of it involves chaotic clashes. I was really looking forward to getting to these scenes since I love writing out action, especially when it's a unique dynamic like pirates versus a giant, haha. I had a lot of fun! I'm sure most of that is felt in the writing, hah~

I'd definitely say a few inspirations come from One Piece. That's one of my favorite anime/manga and it's what got me to love seafaring adventures so much! I pretty much always think back to One Piece when writing about the ocean or pirates, haha. I've not really talked about Leonie, but she's actually a character I lifted from a D&D campaign I did... which also happened to be heavily One Piece inspired. She was a villain I wrote in for a quick minute as an early boss, and now she lives here, in Beyond the Sea. Aaaaand she's gone. Will Leonie come back later in the plot? I don't know! Not yet, anyway.

I had fun writing out Moana navigating through the town again. Lots of cute interactions -- I think a giant trying to put out fires is adorable, and it proves to be a decent chore for even a giant to have to handle. I like how Moana here faces challenges that scale upwards: she jumps the gate and breaks it open without any trouble, she starts putting out fires by thinking fast on her feet, and then she's really given a challenge with trying to stop the barque. I think that keeps the tension nice and hot for most of the chapter~

Sophie has been a fun character to write for, too. I'm really looking forward to writing more of her dynamic with Moana, they have a pretty solid set-up as a normal/giant relationship! Moana is known for her energy, but years of maturing as a chieftain have definitely mellowed her decently, whereas Sophie really wants to break out and see the world for the first time. Soon enough, these two will be traveling on their own-- ohoh, spoilers maybe? Hah, well, I think most people may have assumed that's how the story would continue.

This is actually the last bit of Beyond the Sea I'll have ready for awhile! You might recall that I wasn't posting this story at all, since at the same, I preferred to keep it a private project. When I finally decided to start posting it, I had four chapters all written out, and this fifth one just got done -- and on schedule, too! This does mean that updates to Beyond the Sea are gonna have to take a break, as it only gets updated 2k words a month as a pledge reward. I'll admit, that's a bummer! Especially since this next chapter would probably be a really, really nice stopping point since it will resolve the current story arc... But have patience~ This story will definitely be getting continued, and there's a lot to look forward to in the coming chapters! Things really start to roll into motion as Moana and Sophie get into the larger plot.

That's about all I've got to say here~ Thanks for reading, and I hope you stay tuned for the next chapter! Thank you all for the support~ Next time you'll hear from me, it'll most likely be October! A very, very good month, right? If you have any ideas on what I could do to make things more Octoberish, let me know~ I'd love to set the mood right for the best month of the year!