Date: December 21 2021 1:14 PM Title: Haven
Man I haven't read Omegaverse stuff in a long time, it's nice to see this universe still being revisited every now and again. I'm not going to go into the theorycrafting the other reviewers are doing, I'm just going to say this is a good story so far.
Shame Ackbar seems to have stopped writing completely or at least doesn't do GTS stuff anymore.
Author's Response: Thanks for reading. I too would enjoy seeing something new from Ackbar.
[Report This]Date: December 18 2021 3:45 PM Title: Haven
This month I have been reading the history of Inheritance and the initial part of Animus I don't know how many times in a row. Analyzing it and the truth is that I cannot stop reading it. I am one of those who immerse themselves in stories and try to draw at least one lesson or conclusion. What I always wonder is why Bridget was allowed to be the executor who carried out Lexi's sentence. Even in a conventional investigation, if a detective or criminologist from an investigation team has a sentimental relationship with a suspect, it is automatically removed from the investigation. As Evelyn said, what was Bridget trying to prove? In the long run it would hurt. even if Lexi had been guilty the damage would be done no matter what. Wouldn't it have been better for another executor to handle the case? Oh well, I guess Lexi being innocent was even worse because her own sister was the one who did her senseless harm. It was devastating in both ways. From what we see in this chapter, the feeling that her sister dehumanizes her and sees her as if she were an insect still remains in Lexi.
That is why I would like to see how the literary teacher Jacksmith solves these conflicts between the sisters. As Bridget told Lexi:
Please, please keep writing this story Jack. It is very good.
Author's Response: Glad it's been worth repeat reads. To be honest, this story isn't really going to deal with the logistics of why/whether Bridget should've been allowed to be Lexi's Enforcer in the first place, but obviously the overall story will be all about lingering conflicts.
[Report This]Date: December 03 2021 6:46 PM Title: Advent
It's great to see you continuing one of your old series.
Author's Response: Thanks for reading
Date: December 02 2021 5:46 AM Title: Advent
After having mulled over it it seems that one of the reviewers of Inheritance was right when he (or she) suspected that Bridget was done with being an Enforcer.
It even seems possible that she is done with believing in the dream of Kayla and thus her situation is all the more painful : her individuality doesn't believe that Betas are inherently good, that Omegas also are and that Alphas are an unpredictable variant... But the Fire in her does.
Sanctuary also seems to raise an important question : what do you do with immortal half-gods who have, for whatever reason, stopped believing in the Dream of Kayla ? And how many are there after barely a century or so of existence for the Omegas ?
Perhaps it's precisely their hability to still relate to humans around them (mostly Alphas but also Betas) in a human way which hurts and compromise them, in which case it means that the older and more detached they'll become, the less they will be prone to this sort of rejection of the Fire.
Which is worrying in itself of course. Both because even younger Omegas may have difficulties dealing with their older peers and because it'll make the world order more set in stone and unable to evolve as needed.
Author's Response: Interesting thoughts. Bridget has indeed not been doing any Enforcing since the incident.
[Report This]Date: December 02 2021 12:35 AM Title: Trees
Brilliant. Very well captured and narrated the moment of Lexi's reunion with her adoptive mother. But I have a question: What is Sanctuary? Some kind of rehab center for Omegas or what?
Author's Response: Thanks very much. We'll learn what Sanctuary is soon-ish.
[Report This]Date: November 29 2021 5:45 PM Title: Trees
Oh the goosbumps !
I guess it's only natural for Lexi to feel like that about Evelyn who, in the end, never hurt her directly. Also, it seems she suffered quite the odreal during all those months trying to hold to her dignity until she realized there was no shame using Kayla's money.
But damn... Bridget in Sanctuary ? It feels like she still is in a mental health facility then...
Author's Response: Thanks for reviewing!
[Report This]Date: November 14 2021 6:00 PM Title: Advent
I’m also intrigued to see how the “instant size change” tag will come into play. Some great ideas from other reviewers so far, but I also think the title of the story, “Animus”, is hinting at something. Anyone who’s played the assassin‘s creed games will know what I’m talking about.
In the assassin‘s creed lore, the Animus project aimed to create a machine that allowed a user to experience other peoples’ memories. However, during an initial test of the machine, something went wrong, causing both subjects To essentially swap bodies.
I’m probably reading into things way too much, but that sort of plot line feels like something out of the Omega universe to me.
Author's Response: Again I'll let the story speak for itself instead of confirming/denying things ahead of time, but I'll say the instant size change tag will have an important use or multiple uses in the story, and the Animus subtitle will definitely have more than one meaning.
Date: November 12 2021 1:06 PM Title: Nightmare
You are right Kurogane335 in your assertions. I think the second thing you said was fine, Bridget believed with all her heart in the system her parents founded. That was her mistake, but it is normal after all it is not a perfect system but it is quite fair (given the situation of the universe in which it is framed) Even so, Bridget believed in that system more than she believed in her adoptive sister and although these contradictions are manifested in her being in the Inheritance story yet she should have at least given her sister some credit. Ask for the investigation, see if at least what Lexi said was possible. It's just that for some Omegas it's hard to see the flaws in the work when you just admire its magnificence. How quickly Evelyn realized that something was wrong just by remembering that Nathaniel's last name. But she was two weeks to realize in which her daughter had to make her sister suffer. But still I think Bridget is taking things very seriously. It is normal for her to suffer that way. It's not every day that you realize that you made the person you care about most suffer senseless. It's okay at first, but to separate completely from her sister? Not looking into her face again? I think that would cause more damage to both of them. Between good sisters everything is solved sooner or later.
As for the instantaneous size change, it remains to be seen if it is from Bridget or Lexi or someone else. It may be that Lexi, given her contacts with Kayla, will do any of the alternatives you mentioned. There is also the possibility that he asks her to be an Omega to share her sister's point of view and also become a champion of world justice (or worse, a cataclysmic force that consumes it hahaha. Although I doubt that Kayla will allow it). Although I think that with the fame that Lexi has (the apple never falls far from the tree) it is difficult for Kayla to grant it to her.
Author's Response: There are definitely meant to be some difficult shades of gray to deal with in Inheritance, and that will carry over into this story too
[Report This]Date: November 12 2021 9:26 AM Title: Nightmare
I'm less harsh on Bridget that some of you for a few reasons :
- Kayla's the one who created the Omegas to be biased toward Betas and unrelenting
- Bridget is a young Omega who believed wholeheartedly on the system in place - which was crafted by her parent's generation
- She probably shared Evelyn's idea that something had never been dealed with and healed about Lexi's past and that it had simply accumulated until she broke
- Lexi didn't live with them for quite some time and while they were close it's entirely possible she fell in with a bad crowd who had ignited something bad in her
- Finally, the sad idea that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree can have played a part
All that isn't to say that what she did was okay. It wasn't. But when you're inside a system and that you benefit from it (and let's not beat around the bush, Omegas benefit tremendously from it, what with being immortal half-gods and all that) it's extremely hard to see the flaws and even more to correct them or oppose the system.
Now, unrelated to it, I'm extremely intruiged by the fact that Lexi's the one seeking out and the Instant Size Change tag. I've got two ideas around it : either Lexi will ask Kayla to make her a Beta because she wants to entirely sever her ties with Alma, or Bridget will ask to be made an Alpha, even temporarily, to try and better understand her sister.
Also, I still maintain that Bridget's not loving Lexi only like a sister.
Author's Response: You bring up good points. Lexi suffered much more than Bridget in the last story, but Bridget also was never meant to feel like a villainous force. The instant size change tag will definitely have an important part, or even part(s), in this story
Date: November 11 2021 7:39 PM Title: Nightmare
IMHO Bridget deserves it. It is that we will no longer go into the subject of Kayla and her mind reading because she would have saved Lexi thousands of problems but hey... Why didn't Omega believe in her best friend? Even though she told him over and over that it wasn't her. Despite how overwhelming the evidence could have been, there are 3 things that I do not accept:
1- Suppose she had really been Lexi. Did Bridget seriously believe that she would not tell the truth of what she had done to her friend to save her time from torture? If Bridget really knew Lexi for so many years, as she said, she should know that if her friend didn't say so it was for something.
2- Why was the chewing gum evidence not relevant? If Lexi was in that alley and had traces of the chewing gum on her shoe, it implies that she did not clean them which means that traces of the skin, bones or blood of the Betas that she had allegedly beaten would have remained in the alley. And if these traces were not found then the story of those 5 was not entirely true. To top it off, there was one left to wake up and they didn't even bother to postpone the "Lexi sessions" until she woke up. It was easier, for the Omegas, to follow the evidence of a stranger (who by the way, no one bothered to investigate from the beginning) rather than the claim of innocence of an Alpha they had known for years. I don't blame Bridget for that, she's just an Enforcer after all, but I do blame Evelyn. I guess Lexi was just followed by her heritage. Ha ha ha
3- If it really had been Lexi, did the Omegas seriously believe that she would be so stupid? When you commit such a crime, in Ackbar's universe haha, everyone knows the consequences if the truth is found out. So it would have been easier for Lexi to erase all the evidence of the crime. It would be easy for Alma's daughter since she knew how Omegas worked and no one had to know.
So in short, why didn't Bridget believe her friend? Why does she treat her like she's just another crap Alpha who mistreats Betas? Why didn't the Omegas even bother to corroborate Lexi's version, as incredible as it was? Well Bridget there you have the consequences. You will have to live with it.
Author's Response: I'm sure Lexi has wrestled with some of these same questions. Thanks for reviewing
Date: November 10 2021 4:27 PM Title: Nightmare
Poor Bridget , she needs some therapy or something
Author's Response: For sure
[Report This]Date: November 10 2021 3:25 AM Title: Nightmare
I feel like Kayla despite doing overall good caused this. It's kinda her fault too. Like I would put less blame on her if she wasn't some goddess with mind reading powers and was just big. But she can READ MINDS! How is she not sitting at every single alpha interrogation making sure that they actually did wrong?
If she's gonna be tormenting and even executing people as punishment for crimes and she has the means to be 100% sure that they ARE crimes, why isn't she there? If she doesn't want to be stuck reading every mind of every potential criminal Alpha then I argue she shouldn't be torturing or killing, only locking them up.
This could have been avoided. Again, if she didn't have that mind read ability I'd be more on her side. I'm sure she has alot on her plate too but cmon! Don't be torturing and killing ppl if you can't even bother to make 100% sure!
Author's Response: Fair considerations. Thanks for reading
[Report This]Date: November 09 2021 5:47 PM Title: Nightmare
Nice, I knew from the beginning it was Bridget's dream.
She deserves the pain. When character loses to the Fire, you are weak. These fearful people who need governmental approval to feel good about hurting others. Those are the worst and are capable of betrayal while telling you how you need this and what good people they are. I hate these types and you see these stouges too, supporting the richest and most evil people in the world.
Love your universe, learned a lot from you and Ackbar in writing.
Author's Response: I can tell a lot of readers were hoping to see Bridget face some punishment for the last story. Thanks for reviewing
[Report This]Date: November 09 2021 2:48 PM Title: Nightmare
Good chapter and only the beginning of what she deserves. Love it ^^
Author's Response: Thanks for reading
[Report This]Date: November 09 2021 12:44 PM Title: Advent
Well now wasn't it worth the wait ?
There is something quite interesting in Bridget's guilt crafting this sort of nightmare because, in a sense, it could well be the way Omegas would go, down the line. If they live, say, ten thousand years, how will they see Alphas ?
Betas are protected by the Fire but Alphas aren't. I guess this story will be exploring what drives the Omegas and will force them to confront ugly truths about themselves. I do wonder how far you went just for the title alone, honestly !
I'll probably read this chapter several times over in the 'ext few days but I can say it was supremelly interesting to see that even after two years Bridget can still suffer so much from her guilt... And that she can still try to wring a martyr complex out of it.
Can't wait to see Lexin confronting her sister just to make her understand that her so called penance is just a way to avoid dealing with the consequences of her actions.
Also, quite intriguing that Bridget wasn't offered some excellent psychiatrists. I suspect a part of her do believe Alphas are impure and Betas are innocence. The Fire in her talking perhaps. But you'd expect her kind to want her back in good shape sooner rather than later. As it is, it's almost as if Omegas didn't know how to deal with that trauma and are thus loosing a previouy excellent Enforcer who is, clearly, not fit for the job right now.
Author's Response: Interesting thoughts. I do think it's likely that Bridget would've been offered help, but either refused it, or attempted and found it didn't help.
Date: November 06 2021 3:37 AM Title: Advent
Nice interaction with Lexi and Opal. Still hoping everyone that wronged Lexi to be suffering from guilt and not think they can just be friends again.
Was expecting two different routes from the sequel one Lexi tries to confront and try to start from square one to remake relationships but will never go beyond acquaintances or two Lexi comes back with a vengeance and becomes a true monster (one like the world has never seen before) like everyone treated her to be. Seems we are going with the first route which I do enjoy happier stories.
Cant wait for more, keep up the great work.
Author's Response: Thanks; I think people are going to be surprised by the events to come.
Date: October 22 2021 4:17 PM Title: Advent
What's great is that you know you're reading a Jacksmith story when you read an answer to a review and you can simultaneously "Don't you dare go that road!" and want to see it played out at the same time.
Yeah, I'd be done for a vengeful Lexi a little, if only because seeing a Omega squirming to try and get forgiven would be interesting !
Keep up the good work Sir, you're an inspiration to many here :) !
Author's Response:
Thanks very much
Date: October 21 2021 4:01 PM Title: Advent
Woo! It's great to see this series continuing and this is sequal to one of my favorite stories in it! Inheritance was amazing because it took the Omegas' "we're always right" mentality and shattered it. Hard. The fact that they turned on such a close friend, a sister, albeit reluctantly, without being suspicious of anything really sold the idea that: while Omegas mean well, they are also kind of high on their rightousness and it took ruining a wonderful relationship for them to realize that and snap out of it. I rather like stories where the giantess act so high and mighty and self rightous but then realize they were wrong all along and feel guilt from it.
And for the betas, it showed that now that some are not so willing to just move on from their horrible treatement by alphas. There is pain and trauma and a desire for justice or vengence. Now that they have the omegas on their side, some might get bolder in taking the fight to the alphas, to socio-politcially squeeze them as a form of retribtuion.
And now we have Lexi returning to her "family" It was nice that, while she was hurt and her trust broken by Bridget, she still didn't regret all the good times they had together. I'm excited to read this story and see how the two handle meeting each other and trying to rekindle some form of positive reltionship again. I don't expect there will be total forgivness or complete trust this time given that last time, Bridged automatically accepted that Lexi had done the crime despite knowing her so well and only seemed sad that Lexi wasn't "admitting" to it. There will definitely be some permanent walls between the two, a safe distance of sorts. Close enough for friendliness, but far away enough that it won't hurt Lexi as much if she gets betrayed again.
Author's Response:
It's safe to say there's a lot of guilt and emotional damage which will be dealt with somehow or other in this story. Thanks for reading
Date: October 21 2021 12:27 PM Title: Advent
@Sovereign
Maybe I'm just a big softy, but I don't see Alexandra wanting payback for Bridget. The poor girl also adored her and I think lacking Evelyn and Bridget in her life also hurt her a lot.
However I suspect she won't be the one desperate to rekindle what they had (which is, by the way, impossible I suspect). Can't wait to see how Bridget will react to the return of Lexi owever. It should be very interesting !
Author's Response:
Can neither confirm nor deny, but at least in this first chapter, I'd say this isn't a vengeful Lexi we're seeing
[Report This]Date: October 21 2021 5:10 AM Title: Advent
It's alive. ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE !
Joke aside, I'm really happy to see a direct follow-up of Inheritance, which is by far my favorite tell of the Omega-verse (with which I only have one small problem, I don't like my super-sized class citizens to be immortals, but that's not really important when the stories are so well written).
I'm also super-happy to see Bridged and Lexi back because I think there is a lot of tension left to explore, especially from Bridget side. I haven't read Inheritance and Hostage in a long while, but I always felt that bridget's sisterly love had evolved into simply love from Lexi, even if the Omega hadn't realized it yet.
I wonder how the two of them will be able to interact now : Lexi will have a lot of traumas with her "sister" now and it'll be especially hard toà deal with it now, since she flew away and I don't think that in a year and a half she'll have dealt with it at all, instead burying it. It'd be a tough game for Bridget to actually try and repair their relationship.
Can't wait to read more !
Author's Response:
We will definitely see those tensions and traumas explored in this. Thanks for reviewing