#vowtogether

The first line of a short story can do so much. It's the sentence that hooks you, reels you in. It sets the tone, showcases the first glimpse of writing.

I thought it would be fun to look at the first sentence of every short story in the anthology:

"Seeds of Solace": River’s childhood home was tall and straight-backed, the very picture of discipline.

"Anniversary": Death came to Longsummer on a mild, moonlit night, in the hands of an old master and a pair of satin shoes.

"Virgin Cocktail": It all starts, quite simply, when Val is helping close up the bar.

"Heart of Stone": Nicolas Baudelaire walked Longsummer's historic district without a single thought spared for the people around him.

"A Simply Miraculous Invention": I've always been kinda scared of dolls.

"Indelible and Nocturnal": “I’ve won races, I’ve gotten podiums, but I’m hungry for more.”

"Corylus and Stone": Notorious Tree Strangler Allowed Second Chance

"Mending Ribbons": Every morning, Kai woke up wrapped in fresh, white linens and a warm body.

"Ancient History for Modern Lovers": There were a great many things about the twenty-first century that Xanthe Pravus appreciated.

"Le Chien Noir": Arriving in Belle Reve felt like stepping into another world —one to which Jay definitely didn't belong.

"The Antidote to Memory": It took Domi two weeks of hunting to find the door.

"Every Medicine, a Poison": Dr. Faucher's garden rivalled Eden.

"Labrys": There is always a monster at the center of the maze.

"What Happened at Wisteria House": Asha’s heart was in her throat as she prepared the spell, but she took comfort from the sound of her big sister’s voice through her earbuds.

On August 6, Voltage Entertainment and the Voltage Organized Workers announced that they had reached an agreement, ending the 21 Day Lovestruck strike that began on July 16.

The strike began after all 21 freelance writers for Voltage’s Lovestruck app, a romance visual novel style platform, banded together under the name Voltage Organized Workers (VOW) to demand better wages, conditions, and transparency. According to VOW, the writers were often forced to work under tight deadlines and were paid half the industry standard. The strike led to the delayed release of many “episodes” on Lovestruck.

Negotiations between the two seemed to stall on July 21 when Voltage released a public statement refusing to recognize VOW as a union and engage with collective bargaining. This response generated pushback within the Lovestruck community, as both fans and former Voltage employees pushed back against the company’s unfair wages and supposed union-busting tactics. However, VOW said that they remained hopeful.

The reaction on the fanbase and continued stance of the writers appear to have been effective, as Voltage and VOW announced that they came to an agreement. VOW released a statement on Tumblr announcing that all 21 writers had received “a meaningful pay increase and improved transparency at work.” They went on to thank their fans’ support during the strike and expressed their enthusiasm at returning to work and welcoming players to return to their favorite characters.

VOW told YuriMother: “We really hope this turns into a net positive for everyone. We want fans to play the game”

Voltage’s statement thanked fans for their patience and claimed that new internal policies were implemented as a result of the strike. While the release schedule will continue to be slow, the company hopes to get back to full-scale daily releases.

Rereading Helena again because of the strike

Sketching her is always a delight but her outfit is always so hard to draw even tho it's just a sketch sjsjwjwk