What were your expectations for Book One/ICoS series?

[Sonny]

This is actually something that I've been wondering about for awhile now. For awhile we had regular reviewers e-mail wise and on AFFN but in the past few months for one reason or another, many have disappeared. When the site first started we had a small group of regulars but once again in the past few months, many have disappeared.

Although it is always sad to see people go (especially our original fans who used to review every chapter with thoughtful questions/comments), that's not really what this post is about. People move on, people get bored, and sometimes people even get disappointed with the direction the story has moved in because they thought it would go another way.

And that leads me to my question...

What did you expect from the story and the characters? How did you think Boyd and Sin's relationship would proceed (I noticed that around the time their relationship turned sexual, is when a lot of the older reviewers/fans disappeared) and how different were your expectations from how things in the story actually happened? Are you disappointed? Are you pleased? What was your theory?

This is something I'm really curious about because although I'm not the type of person to go and change my work because a few people show disatisfaction (not because i'm a stubborn asshole who can't take criticism, but because everything we've written and every chapter that still remains unwritten is already planned out fully and usually changing one thing will cause a whole chain of events to have to change, and also because a lot of times things will have future effects in other books), I always want to know what people think and if people have good ideas/suggestions that we never thought of, it may be something we might choose to implement later.

SO OBVIOUSLY EVERY PERSON WHO REGISTERED ON THIS FORUM SHOULD REPLY OR I'LL BE SAD. =(((

(and no one probably will so that note will be pretty embarassing *cough*)

[Ais]

Yeah actually I intend to do a massive edit at some point of the earlier chapters at least. I don't know how much or what will change but I would also like to know what people were expecting. So you should tell us + feel free to be truthful even if you're expressing dissatisfaction! <3

Also, Sonny, you make me laugh XD

AND IF YOU'RE READING THIS AND HAVEN'T REGISTERED FOR THE FORUM, FEEL FREE TO LET US KNOW ANY OTHER WAY! Check http://www.aisylum.com/sonnyais/contact.html for more options.

[ta.]

[Ais]

You know, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. There was this one super awesome story I read once that I used to actually mark the weekly/biweekly release dates on my calendar and it was super UST and then when the sex came, I was like... hmm. And stopped reading *cough*

But in my case, it was because she'd built it up so much but then didn't actually even write the sex scene out, and for some reason I was sort of put out by that... Which is really dumb of me since I didn't always read the entire lemon anyway, sometimes I just skimmed parts. And it was probably smarter to leave something a little vague than write something out that people could conceivably think is lame. Like, waiting that long, maybe people would be disappointed so she tried to leave it to the imagination a bit more? But somehow for me it came off as if she didn't want to put the effort into it. And I was always a dork, but my favorite parts of sex scenes/lemons was the dialogue and the change that could be seen in the characters. When a scene is just not written, well especially if it's the first time after a bunch of UST, I always feel like... Dude, that's an important step there. Why'd you block me from seeing that character development?

But the main reason I stopped was because the plot line I'd been really avid about reading was sort of resolved in that same chapter and I knew she'd be focusing on the secondary plot which I didn't care as much about. Also, she stopped releasing the chapters on a regular schedule, and I was losing interest in the entire fandom at the same time.

So I think it was a lot of factors for myself. But I do know that was also a super long story that was really plot-driven and had all this UST going on and then when the chapter came with the sex I was like, "Alright I guess I'm done for awhile now..." ...wow, I'm rambling.

I suppose if that were the case, there isn't much we could do about it, to be honest. Which is too bad because it's not like the plot or conflicts or anything are going to go away. The chapters we're working on are no less filled with plot and such stuff as the earlier chapters were. Monterrey sort of became this lull that to be honest I grew a little bored with, but knew was necessary for the plot and character development. Hopefully the chapters didn't bore people as well, come to think of it...

[Sonny]

[peach]

XD Okay, let me tell you real quick about my reaction to the first chapter ... er... the prologue.

I ALMOST stopped reading when I saw Vivienne. I was like, "A WOMAN IN MY SLASH?" buuuuut... I noticed that you guys actually knew how to SPELL. and use PUNCTUATION. so I was like, "stfu self, females don't always suck!" and kept reading.

When I finished, I totally had the impression that Boyd was going to be like, this superhero type of person... like, GENIUS (which I guess he kind of is, eh? XD), and strong, and like, ready to rumble with Sin. Because if Vivienne, who seems uber judgemental, thinks he can wrangle Mr. Serial Killer, then he must be AMAZING.

And it was the second chapter that had me hooked, because Boyd wasn't Mr. Perfect Smartypants and Sin was incredibly amusing. Their initial reactions to eachother and whatnot... XD I mean, I was thinking, "Will they ever actually like eachother THAT way? ARE WE SURE THIS IS SLASH?" But again, that was just me being stupid. And I was very happy by Sin's whole... "I WANT HIM. BLONDEYPANTS." and then Boyd being all smart...

Okay okay, so then I started making guesses. Like, I thought maybe on a mission down the road, Sin will see Boyd getting all hurt and FINALLY jump in and stop being an asshole. And when he did, I was super ecstatic. ; ; And then Andrews' question (I think it was Andrews anyway) of, "are you two lovers?" was like, the nail in the coffin. The boys totally had chemistry. I guessed that others would see the chemistry before both of them because, well... Sin was Mr. IDon'tTrustYouSoHowCouldILikeYou and Boyd was Mr. Well,I'llJerkOffToThoughtsOfHimInTheShower...ButThatDoesn'tMeanAnything...

I totally expected on the next few missions that Sin would now be part of the TEAM! Like, working with Boyd... and they'd kick ass. But then Sin was like, "I don't think so!" with his not-following-through-with-the-plan business. It was unexpected, but in a really good way.

All of the Thierry business was completely...I didn't see a single bit of that coming. XD Boyd is the farthest thing from a whore I could think of, and yet...he TOTALLY whored himself out! And then Sin's drunken business was kind of scary. D: Like, the boys had walked back ten paces in their relationship. Gay suckage. (But it was still really fun to read.)

Yaddayadda. When I read that the boys would be living together in Monterrey, I totally knew they would finally start sexing it up. XD I remember reading a book a long time ago about this girl...and in the summer time, she was a complete slut. Like, the summer heat makes for hothot tempers and hothot sex.

So right now, I expect that the boy's relationship will cool off when winter comes or something. 9 9 Because the winter snow makes for icyicy tempers and shrinkydinky dicks. Orrrr something. Or maybe they'll slow down their rabbit-like screwing and discuss WEDDING PLANS?

Okay I'm done. XD

[Cherubium]

Ummmm I'm still here. It's just the fact that I don't really know when the updates happen and I forget to check sometimes for a week.

As well to commenting on chapters. eheheh I'm to lazy to write a essay for each chapter and i just want to go off in my own imagination for a bit. When I do that I forget to come to the forum. *cough*jerking *cough*.

[R.K.]

I found this fiction on a recommendation site. It had a link to your AFF page and I noticed that it had HUNDREDS of reviews and ratings instead of the usual 10 or 20. I trust reviewers. I trust recommendation sites. I was expecting a well-written, but extremely typical slash involving one obviously submissive blond boy with an oh-so-tragic childhood almost drowning in his emo thoughts and loneliness and one super coolio assassin who posed in the moonlight, awed everyone around him and who would bend the aforementioned blond over a counter within the first 1000 words.

The prologue proved me wrong. Completely wrong. I must say that is was the presence of Vivienne and the fact that the very first male you meet (Carhart) is actually HETEROSEXUAL (or at least seems that way) that piqued my interest. When was the last time I read a slash in which NOT every male character was gay?!?

I see this story as an adventure/sci-fi novel (in the works). It just so happens that the whole thing is complicated by the fact that your main characters are male and fucking each other. I admit. I actually feel sort of nervous reading graphic homosexual sex scenes (or maybe I'm just too embarrassed?). I tend to rush through them while throwing nervous glances over my shoulder. I truly enjoyed the fact that this story satisfied my undeniable need for slash, but it was clean... I wasn't doing anything REALLY bad.

Don't know if you know what I mean.

The sex started. I started getting nervous whenever reading this. Felt like I should avoid posting, so people wouldn't know I was reading it (completely irrational, really.)

But now they're back to the missions.
And I'm happy again.
Whoot! Go Sin and Boyd.

[Sonny]

[Ais]

XD when i lived at home i was always like that. now my roommates know i read/write gay male fiction but even so, i don't like having things on the screen when theyre around. so XD i understand what you mean. those sex scenes are difficult for Sonny and i to write because we're both like GAH..

at the same time, it just seems like it'd be ridiculous to go into so much detail in other ways and then skim over that. SO WE PERSEVERE.

XD

[niapri]

Heh. When I found this story, I was just searching for something halfway literate to read, and it blew me away. (Though my initial thoughts were identical to Peach's. xD) I was just killing time and it got me hooked. I've been reading it every spare moment lately to get up to speed (I'm finishing 35 and 36 at the moment, got sidetracked when I spotted the forum URL...I don't really review on AFF. ^^; ), and I stopped giving it literary criticism a few chapters in. Just to let you know how good this story is, in all aspects.

Initially I thought it would be the whole assassin-seduces-delicate-pretty-boy...then I was totally thrown for a loop when things started to progress. Mainly because they stayed in character. (T_T <--tears of joy and love.) Then I expected Sin to save Boyd at some point, but...it didn't start or end the way I expected. (...maybe I'm just bad at predicting? ;D) The thing in France completely caught me off guard, and once again, didn't turn out the way I expected it to. (Yes, horrible at predicting.) Aaaand I can't leave out the fact that the story behind both of them was fascinating...and the miscommunication... Finally, the sex in Monterrey wasn't unexpected or out of character, but again...not predictable. (Now I just sound like a blithering idiot.)

Ahem. I think you get the idea. Honestly, it's way more than I would have expected out of something published, and that is not meant to be flattery in any way, shape, or form.

Part of the reason I adore this story is because of the UST between Boyd and Sin, but also because there was so much time spent developing them and everything else in the story rather than just being sex laid on top of a marginally interesting premise, some bare-bones plot and half-assed backstory. It was...*gasp* a real story.

I'm usually one of those people who stops reading when the sex starts, but for once, I couldn't stop. =^.^= Though I ended up looking over my shoulder a lot, too...mostly becuase lately I've been forced to read chapters in the breaks between classes...in public...but they were good enough to risk the mockery. I didn't think they were disappointing at all. Though some of the things both of them say make me cringe a little because it's so...proper...I've kind of come to see that as just a part of their character, and I'd be disappointed with anything less.

And I registered here just to reply to this, so keep it up or I'll send rabid pixel-kittens to eat you. You have a rabid fangirl now. I just wish I'd found this story early enough to become one of those "regular reviewers" you speak of. =^.^=

[Ais]

Aww, I'm really happy to hear that the forum's been helpful for you and you even made an account just to write that, niapri! And thank you for the great explanation.

I know what you guys are all referring to when you say that you expected it to be more of a typical slash/basically be sex with a bit of plot. Having read a ton of slash/yaoi/etc, it's true that's the norm for a lot of stories. And although I have to say it seriously did not occur to me at all that having Vivienne in the first chapter would throw slash readers off, it's true that there are some pretty lame female characters in some stories I've seen. I guess I've always sort of been a nerd for character development... I used to read sex scenes because I wanted to see what the change was in the characters, what their dialogue was and maybe how their intimacy changed, and not as much for the sex itself. I'm kind of a dork that way, I guess But it makes me really happy when people say they like the story and also that they think it's good quality.

Ahh, rambling... as usual...

niapri -- don't worry, we won't be going anywhere. Not unless some random Act of God occurs, at which point I make no promises, lol. And you can always become a regular reviewer now! All it takes is giving us some feedback fairly consistently oh hoho we shall see if my powers of persuasion do not fail...

Also -- RK and cherubium! I'm happy to hear from both of you again! You know, it didn't even occur to me that maybe people stopped reading/seeming to review as much/whatever around the sex scenes not because they thought they sucked, but because it put them in an awkward reading position. XD Having been in similar situations now, in retrospect I can see how that could happen...

Oh, and RK, your description of the typical-slash-version of this story cracks me up XD I can just see Sin posing all bodybuilder style in the moonlight and Boyd all "WOE IS ME OH NOES" in the corner and THEN random sex. But mostly it's the idea of Sin posing in the moonlight. Actually, my mental image includes him with one arm bent with his hand near the back of his head and the other straight in front of him at an upward angle, one leg in front, one in back, both knees bent, and his head tilted so he's staring at roughly the same angle as his arm. This is what I imagine, and it makes me laugh

[R.K.]

LOL. I could totally imagine that. But I was thinking more the typical, you know, silhouette of a guy with his hair blowing and his long trench coat rippling in the wind to the side. Eyes glowing of course.

But I guess yours works too.
LMAO

[Ais]

XD Well, I suppose yours would be a little less embarrassing for Sin...

lol

[Nymph]

You know, I actually was planning to respond to this one day, and completely forgot.

Typical.

Anyway, I have to agree with the other reviewer's here. This was your totally atypical slash.

I found it on AFF, and I have to admit that the summary was rather intriguing.

When I actually sat down, and had a bit of a look at the story, I noticed, first of all, that it was not a style I will usually sit down and read. I'm pretty fussy with what I read, and what I like, and, with 90% of what I glance at, if it isn't written in a way that I enjoy reading, then I'll ditch it.

But I was intrigued enough by the premise of the story, and the prologue that I still wanted to read it. Which, note, is a huge thing for me, because I usually pick writing style over plot any day.

So, I kept going, and I got completely hooked. This is a totally unique, mindblowing fiction that seems to combine a lot of genres and ideals into something comprehensible and totally enjoyable.

My favourite scenes were probably Sin and Boyd's first joint mission, and the few times that Sin and Boyd were in the apartment together. Oh, and the shopping scene (that was the cutest thing ever). I suppose where it was just Sin and Boyd, their interactions - with Monterrey as well.


The two of them just clicked, in a totally subtle way. I loved it.


I have to say, I've always felt that you never really took the chance to flesh out the 'fake' Sin. The Sin that he shows everyone else - the sarcastic, snide sociopath with an inherent dislike of everything, so much so that it's a surprise whenever he acts that way towards people, rather than it being a surprise when he <i>doesn't</i> act that way towards Boyd.

I like how he does stop it when Boyd is all like "I'm not interested in you, or in taking your shit. Whatever", but I think the story could really benefit if you took some time to develop <i>that</i> first Sin, so the difference is easier to see.

Perhaps things like excerpts with other characters, or even some more with Boyd, before he and Boyd have that conversation?

I don't know.

Sometimes the character's drama got to me a little, too. Take the scene with Sin looking up the videos. The premise was just a tiny unrealistic - it just seemed unlikely that Viv would upload videos like that...After all, they contained footage that would have embarrassed her (her son eyefucking another boy), even if the corporation felt that they needed it. But, hey, that's just my opinion.

I think they were the only two nitpicks that I had about the entire novel, though.

I really enjoyed it. The plot is just so -wow- that I'm still following it avidly, even after all this time.
_________________

[Ais]

I was actually just going to clarify something-- Vivienne didn't upload those videos, a special criminal/background history unit did.

NOTE: The rest of this entry contains potential SPOILERS through at least Evenfall. To be safe, this is best to read after Afterimage as well.




The videos were something that were found when the Agency did a thorough research of her before she was recruited, and because they pertained to Boyd, they were later put in his file as well. Those videos and other information are in Vivienne's files as well; anything that the Agency feels is pertinent, can be used against them, may compromise the Agency, etc.

She had accessed them 3 years after they were uploaded, though, which is what Sin noticed when he went through. She didn't have the capability of deleting the files and even if she had, she wouldn't have because it would have given too much power to the files if she'd acted as though they bothered her. Whereas if she left them alone it made it more clear/seem like it meant nothing to her.

Also, the fact that Boyd's gay is something that she disagrees with on a personal level but can be put to use for the Agency (obviously) and she would have felt that her interaction on the film proved that the Agency would not need to worry about her being overly emotional around her child. Especially since it's clear in the video in the kitchen that Boyd and Lou weren't expecting her.

So actually even though it confirms Boyd's sexual orientation, it puts her in a good light. Plus, it showed there was one more thing that could be potentially exploited by the Agency since there aren't many gay field ops and the ones who exist are typically deeply closeted.

She'd have more of a problem with the video when Boyd was a child and Cedrick was alive, because she's protective of Cedrick even though he's been dead a long time.

The only one she would have voluntarily uploaded herself (but wouldn't have needed to because the criminal/background history unit would have found it) was Lou's death because it provides useful information as to how to control Boyd. The videos were pertinent information to the Agency because it proved not only how close Boyd and Lou were, but that they had known each other from childhood-- that's why the Agency knew to use it against him for torture.

Along with that, when Boyd's nomination came up, Vivienne disclosed the specifics of what she knew would hurt/control Boyd the most, which included informing them that he has a fear of being held/tied down and that she suspected psychological torture would likely affect him more than physical. Although it's not something that has really come up in the story, Boyd knows she would have known about his fear and that she probably told the Agency or else why had they known right away what to do to hurt him the most?

This is one of the reasons he sometimes gets frustrated with her because he knows she did her best to give them every single thing to exploit him. He knows that, despite being his mother, she didn't even attempt to hide anything and if anything she offered information only she would know, that the Agency probably wouldn't have found if she hadn't spoken up.

Maybe now she would have the power to remove/delete files but prior to that she didn't and she also wasn't in the position to be able to add anything herself; she could have suggested items if she'd wanted but not add them. That was not only an aspect of her position of power but also because they wouldn't have wanted her to compromise the files if she'd felt the need to do so due to her relation to Boyd.

Even so, she wouldn't delete those files even now because it's pointless since they can exploit him with them.