Silent Phantom

...

[silentphant0m]

To the 3 anonymous readers of my sequel

I don't know who you are, but I love you. I honestly didn't think anyone had finished the first book, let alone kept going with the sequel. Thank you. I'm continuing to subject myself to weekly updates for these people.

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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

I’ve started my next project. This is actually week two, but I’m not super great at posting all my updates on here. I guarantee, though, that the chapters do go up on AO3 weekly, even if I forget to post about it. I don’t know how much people actually pay attention, but normally I post on Mondays, and today is, in fact, not Monday. That’s because I’ve moved my weekly posts to Fridays. (It’s also not Friday yet in my timezone, but close enough.)

Anyways, the sequel to The Inmates is now in motion. If you liked the characters in the previous story, I have great news, because it’s still about them, and now there are even more. I’m so excited to share these boys, and it’s been really great seeing other people love them and enjoy them so far. 

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Original Work Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: found family - Relationship, Married Couple - Relationship Characters: Robin Granger, Jason Lee, Raven De Angelo, Rone, Suttica Walker, Nicholas Granger, Norren, Edwin Dorphus Additional Tags: Sequel, The Inmates, Found Family, Seizures, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism Series: Part 2 of The Boys Summary:

Following the events in the prison, the boys are out and about, loose in the world. They have no identities and no home to turn back to, only each other. All they can do is keep moving from place to place, surviving off of whatever they can get their hands on. It's not all bad. Thanks to their skills and talents, they're thriving, for the most part. However, it quickly becomes clear that they're not the only escapees, and with no records of the inmates remaining, there doesn't seem to be anyone else capable of tracking them all down to protect the public.

On the flip side, those who knew the boys before their disappearance are doing everything they can to find them. It's a race to see who can find the would-be dead men first: their loved ones, the law, or the people behind the prison. Witnesses and anonymous tips come in from everywhere, providing each side with valuable information, but never quite enough. After all, it's hard to chase ghosts. Who will put the pieces together first?

[silentphant0m]

Finally completed some art of The Boys. Kills me a little not to put them in more personalized fits, but alas, they wore the orange suits the entire narrative, so it wouldn't be right to put them in something else. It's not super spectacular, but I put time and effort into it, and I think it's pretty good for my skill level.

If you don't recognize these characters, and you're curious, you can read about them in my recently completed AO3 story. Link and archive warnings below.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/72940836?view_full_work=true

Warnings: Teen and Up Audience, Graphic Depictions of Violence

Summary: Four boys, four walks of life, four perspectives. Each of them has their own inner demons to battle. After all, you don't get sent to prison solely for murderers without having a few issues to work through. Whether it was gang-related, framing, vengeful patricide, or the dissociative killing spree of an assassin, they all ended up there for a reason, and they're all there for life. Roommates for life. Might as well make the most of it, right? The only problem is that someone turned the place into a dangerous playground for all kinds of killers, and not everyone plays nice. While these four are getting along and helping each other learn to communicate, to trust, to reflect, and to be honest, the rest of the prison is falling further into disarray as inmates realize how much they can get away with.

[silentphant0m]

I just posted the last chapters of my first complete work. I finished writing them over the weekend, but one of my readers "kindly" asked me to wait until Monday to post them so she could catch up. I'm very excited, though, and already planning the sequel. Thank you to everyone who's been reading, especially to those who commented or left kudos. I've had a lot of fun with this project and enjoyed interacting with my readers throughout.

If you haven't seen my story before and are curious, you can see the summary and archive warnings below. There's no strong language or sexual content, but it is rated teen and up for violence.

Chapters: 29/29 Fandom: Original Work Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: found family - Relationship Characters: Rone Castaway, Robin Granger, Raven De Angelo, Jason Lee Additional Tags: POV First Person, POV Multiple, Prison, Found Family, unhinged character, Overstimulation, Seizures, Unrealistic Depictions of Prison Life, Angst, Family Fluff, Character Growth, Murder, Safe For Work, no strong language, No Smut Summary:

Four boys, four walks of life, four perspectives. Each of them has their own inner demons to battle. After all, you don't get sent to prison solely for murderers without having a few issues to work through. Whether it was gang-related, framing, vengeful patricide, or the dissociative killing spree of an assassin, they all ended up there for a reason, and they're all there for life. Roommates for life. Might as well make the most of it, right? The only problem is that someone turned the place into a dangerous playground for all kinds of killers, and not everyone plays nice. While these four are getting along and helping each other learn to communicate, trust, reflect, and be honest, the rest of the prison is falling further into disarray as inmates realize how much they can get away with.

[silentphant0m]

Weekly Chapter is Up

I can't believe how close this chapter brought The Inmates to 35k words, but it didn't quite make it. 54 words short, which, compared to chapters that are ~2k, is nothing. I'm just really excited about every milestone I reach, and I got a little disappointed that I fell short on this one.

Anyway, Chapter 21 is now available on AO3. Link and description below if you want to check it out.

The Inmates - Chapter 21 - SilentPhantom_Writes - Original Work [Archive of Our Own]

The Inmates is narrated by four boys convicted of murder and imprisoned together. By some twist of fate, they've ended up sharing a cell, making them all roommates for life. At first, getting along is a challenge, especially with Raven's habit of pushing buttons when he gets bored. Robin's temper scares most of the inmates, including the ones harassing Jason, and keeps them at bay, but his roommates are equally afraid. It takes the newest arrival, Rone, to start changing the dynamic. Getting along solves a lot of problems, including healing some of their personal ones; however, as it becomes apparent that this prison isn't for that, more trouble is on its way.

Rated teen and up on AO3 because of the violence and dark themes. This work does not contain any NSFW content, but again, recommended for mature readers.

From this chapter: "I considered Raven’s words, let them sit with me for a while. He was right. Robin’s feelings would be hurt if he knew I was going behind his back to learn about his family. I was afraid to ask him about them, but it really wouldn’t be right to get answers from Raven about Robin’s personal life. Maybe Robin was waiting for an invitation to talk it out, like Raven was. It’s easy to forget that it’s ok to talk about things now. I really didn’t need to dodge admitting I get sick, just like I can admit being bad at cards. Nothing bad was going to happen if we were honest with each other. So far, a lot of good things have happened, actually. Maybe if I told Robin that, he would be ok with talking. Maybe it would help."

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Weekly Update

Chapters 19 and 20 of The Inmates are now available. I got a little ahead of myself and finished chapter 20 ahead of schedule. Instead of waiting another week to post it, I decided to put up both chapters today. The work is now 32k+ words, and I actually have an idea of how many more chapters there will be.

Link and summary below.

The Inmates - Chapter 20 - SilentPhantom_Writes - Original Work [Archive of Our Own]

The Inmates is a story told through switching perspectives, following four boys convicted of murder and imprisoned together. By some twist of fate, they've ended up sharing a cell, making them all roommates for life. At first, getting along is a challenge, especially with Raven's habit of pushing buttons when he gets bored. Robin's temper scares most of the inmates, including the ones harassing Jason, and keeps them at bay, but his roommates are equally afraid. It takes the newest arrival, Rone, to start changing the dynamic. Getting along solves a lot of problems, including healing some of their personal ones; however, as it becomes apparent that this prison isn't for that, more trouble is on its way.

Excerpt from recent chapter: "Jason looked up and, after a moment of thought, gave me a nod. I could tell he was in no hurry to get into any scuffles. However, I think by now it had settled in that I expected something bad was on the horizon. Even knowing about my paranoia, Jason was taking my concerns seriously. Maybe he could feel it too."

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Chapters: 18/? Fandom: Original Work Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: found family - Relationship Characters: Rone Castaway, Robin Granger, Raven De Angelo, Jason Lee

“ Maybe my luck would never change. I was in prison for life, after all. Still, I guess I did what I always have and tried to make the most of it. I’d somehow ended up with the best roommates. They were kind and clever, and most importantly, strong. They could handle my bad luck because, well, they were just as used to misfortune as I was. All things considered, they were a perfect match for me. Somewhere in all the tragedy, I managed to find the first thing I’d given up on: a family. Suddenly, a lot of things didn't matter so much. “

Chapter 18 of my original work went up on AO3 earlier today, bringing the work just shy of 30,000 words. This chapter was a lot easier to write than the last two. I had a pretty busy week with my job, so I thought I was going to miss this week for sure, but since I already knew what I wanted for this chapter, it didn’t take so long. Two more chapters of the Musician’s Muse arc, and then it’s Robin’s turn for the spotlight.

Thank you to everyone who’s been reading the story so far, and especially thank you to the people who interacted with me genuinely without trying to scam me 👍Seriously, why have I gotten so many scams

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Chapter 16 is up. It's late, it's long, and I've rewritten it three times.

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A better doodle of Rone. I was on a train when I did the sketch and didn't use a reference but it's fiiiine.

He loves his cube.

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Enjoy a low quality doodle of Rone eating a burger. 🍔

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"All his bravado, all that I-can-handle-anything attitude—it was smoke and mirrors, wasn’t it? I saw through the cracks now. Alone, scared, pretending to know everything while really, he was just as lost as Rone was when he arrived here. Raven was brilliant at reading people but still so unsteady at truly connecting. I realized he was acting, and my heart broke a little more. The acting could only last so long." 

Chapter 15 of The Inmates is officially up. Like the previous two chapters, this one focuses on Raven bonding with his cellmates while trying help sharpen their skills. His relationship with Robin definitely takes a turn for the better.

[silentphant0m]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

“Raven stared me down once more. His expression was unreadable still, but a hint of his true feelings was starting to shine through. I could see him fighting it, though, trying to maintain his aloof appearance. He couldn’t stop his eyes from becoming shining pools, however, when tears gathered against his will. He quickly turned away, supposedly to compose himself.”

Chapter 14 of Inmates is officially up. This one is a bit shorter, I think. It’s mostly dialogue and some relationship development between Raven and Jason. I mean, they’ve been living together for eight months now, surely they are ready for best friend status. Maybe not best friends. Yet. 

New week, new chapter, same poor life choices. What is a sleep schedule, honestly? It is nearly 3am.

[silentphant0m]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

“Cold. My whole body went cold as Raven’s question sank in. Memories were pushed forward, sounds and images flashing before me. Cold was probably an appropriate feeling to accompany the memories. The gun always felt cold when I first grabbed it, and in the end, the bodies were cold too.”

Chapter 13 of The Inmates is now available. Once again, I am posting at 2am, but this time it’s because I finished polishing up the chapter and couldn’t wait until a more reasonable hour to put it out there.

With this newest chapter, the work has officially surpassed 20k words, which I’m proud of. I also realized it’s reached 100 hits and 10 kudos, both very important milestones for me. It’s also 2 a.m., though, and I’ve lost all ability to think and express emotions. 👍

I’m sure it’ll be ten times more exciting after I’ve gotten some rest.

[silentphant0m]

“It was as if I were underwater, trying to see the world beyond. The struggle to breathe and crushing weight only added to the illusion. It felt like drowning. I hated drowning, hated the feeling of panic it sent through me.”

Happy Monday! This week’s chapter is a little longer than usual. I appreciate everyone who’s read the story so far and hope you’ve enjoyed it. The plot is finally kicking off (at chapter twelve? Yes, I know, it’s about time). 

If you haven’t checked out my story yet, keep reading to see the archive warnings and overall summary.

Chapters: 12/? Fandom: Original Work Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Rone Castaway, Robin Granger, Raven De Angelo, Jason Lee Summary: 

Four boys, four walks of life, four perspectives. Each of them has their own inner demons to battle. After all, you don't get sent to prison solely for murderers without having a few issues to work through. Whether it was gang-related, framing, vengeful patricide, or the dissociative killing spree of an assassin, they all ended up there for a reason, and they're all there for life. Roommates for life. Might as well make the most of it, right? The only problem is that someone turned the place into a dangerous playground for all kinds of killers, and not everyone plays nice. While these four are getting along and helping each other learn to communicate, to trust, to reflect, and to be honest, the rest of the prison is falling further into disarray as inmates realize how much they can get away with.

[silentphant0m]

Good morning! It is Monday. I've uploaded the newest chapter of my original work on AO3 like I do every Monday. It's not as early as last week, but considering I usually post in the afternoon, 6am feels early.

I didn't notice until now, but the new chapter brought the word count up to 15,000+ 🎉

If you do decide to have a look, please leave a comment here or on the original work. Even something as simple as "I'm here" or a hello. It means a lot to me.

Chapters: 11/? Fandom: Original Work Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Rone Castaway, Robin Granger, Raven De Angelo, Jason Lee

[silentphant0m]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 10/? Fandom: Original Work Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Rone Castaway, Robin Granger, Raven De Angelo, Jason Lee Additional Tags: POV First Person, POV Multiple, Prison, no females, Found Family, Major Original Character(s), unhinged character, Overstimulation, Seizures, Unrealistic Depictions of Prison Life

From the most recent chapter:

“Part of me wanted to ask Rone if he knew what a family was and what it involved. I knew all too well, however, that asking Rone to explain himself was like trying to solve a math problem that didn’t have any real answer, like “If Robin has two dollars and fifteen cents, and Raven stole ten dollars from him, how did they get on the roof?” Oftentimes, it just left you more confused than before. The other two probably thought the same thing, as neither of them asked Rone about his declaration either. “

It’s Monday. Didn’t get around to posting on Tumblr last week when I posted the 9th chapter, but I promise it happened. Chapter ten of my original work just went up.

Yes, I procrastinated until Sunday night, and yes, I posted it at almost 2am. It’s been a busy week, and I’m working a day shift during the hours I usually post. It had to be done. Hopefully, getting chapter eleven out will be easier. We’ll see, with Christmas and all.

[silentphant0m]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 8/? Fandom: Original Work Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Happy Monday (again)! As usual, I’ve posted a new chapter of my personal project on AO3. It’s up to eight chapters now, and with the newest chapter, it’s surpassed 10,000 words 🥳. It’s far from my longest project, but it’s the first I’ve decided to share. I’m pretty excited to be showing off my writing and sharing my characters, so come take a look. 

“Truth be told, I wasn’t entirely sure what my motivation was anymore. Of course, I was bored; that’s a given. If that had been the only reason, however, then this whole thing was over. I should have been able to rest and come down from whatever high the hunting game had given me. I won. Maybe I wasn’t satisfied leaving my prey alive. I knew he wouldn’t have been satisfied. If word got back to him that one of my targets had not only evaded me for a week, but survived our meeting, well. Any notion of eventually leaving this place was out the window. I’m not exactly in any kind of hurry to get back to working nonstop, but I wouldn’t want Sir thinking I’d gone soft during my vacation. He was my ticket out. Leaving me to rot in here so long was probably his idea of punishment, but he wouldn’t completely abandon his precious prodigy. He needed me. At least, he needed me as long as I remained useful. Assassins that leave their target alive? Not useful.”

If this sounds interesting, come check it out.