Hi Everyone! Amy and I have decided to make the two fics we started a series of short stories that bounce off one another. It started as spin off from Ego wanting Joe's lover Madeline to have his heir in Secret lives. Amyltrer Wrote "Promises" as the first and Ebony wrote "The trials of fatherhood" as a follow on. I'll look at putting the stories into Archive as a series...that OK with you Amy??? We can add to it there and the ones we write are still under our names in the Joint series... It will be a lot of fun!

Yess, I'm looking forwards to it. I'll upload "Promises" here soon.

Cooolll we will have to note on the story that it a part of that series so people who read it will know Amy.

Since bloody FF.net won't show my ficlet on the Gatchaman stories list, here's the link: Experimentation required CLICKY!

I found it there! I had a quick look... I just have to read it now! Amy we can have some good stories with this series! I'm looking forward to seeing were we go with it!

Sometimes it takes awhile for these stories to show up. I think this will be lots of fun! I can't wait to find out what Junie does to baby helm!!!!

Yes it will, we just have to make sure we are on the same track and it will be fun to do, won't it Amy! hehehe imagine all the scenarios that can happen!

Originally posted by Ebonyswanne hehehe imagine all the scenarios that can happen!

Oh, noo, my mind is getting all naughty, naughty......

Like Jun is good at finding ways to get him away from her..after all the Swan is a smart woman! Ken could Jealous at the attentions and wants to smack him but he can't blow his cover!

I still think baby Helm has electric blue poop... what a great weapon against Galactor! Blue poop bombs... And what would happen if Baby Helm calls Junie 'Mama'? Awwwwww.... she'd become attached, wouldn't she? Now *there's* a monkey wrench in her relationship with Ken. I can totally see Junie using Helm as an excuse to wander around the base too. "Oh, the baby needed some air..." and then having Helm spit up on Galactors just for fun... Ah, the possibilities...

Originally posted by Transmute Jun I still think baby Helm has electric blue poop... what a great weapon against Galactor! Blue poop bombs... And what would happen if Baby Helm calls Junie 'Mama'? Awwwwww.... she'd become attached, wouldn't she? Now *there's* a monkey wrench in her relationship with Ken. I can totally see Junie using Helm as an excuse to wander around the base too. "Oh, the baby needed some air..." and then having Helm spit up on Galactors just for fun... Ah, the possibilities...

Good, this way she'll get closer to the father. speaking of which wasn't he smitten by the swannie?

Of COURSE Ego is smitten by the Swannie!!!!! Who wouldn't be? But as to whether or not she returns his affections... I'm sorry, but I have a hard time seeing past that magnificent Eagle and his equally magnificent Condor second.... Of course, this is your fic, not mine, so you will have to be the judge of this!

Actually is Ebony's fic. But having Ego turned down by a woman is sooo funny.

Originally posted by amyltrer But having Ego turned down by a woman is sooo funny.

Can't argue with that!

The chase can be more fun and that the Swan is a smart girl and finds clever ways to get him off her tail...mmmm lots of good short stories there just to have a bit of fun... I'll do one in the next week on how the boys get their covers for the caslte...then from there it can be spin offs and loads of situations!

Originally posted by Ebonyswanne I'll do one in the next week on how the boys get their covers for the caslte...then from there it can be spin offs and loads of situations!

Ken can be Ego's new servant who brought him the wine. And he'll always see Ego trying to get the Swan. Blue boy could even ask him dating advices for the Swan Hehehe, so evil............

Plotting at its best! This is going to be so interesting to read and see what situations they get into.

Ohhh thats good! Ken has a moustache to hide his features from Galactor!

Will you give him a red tailored coar and a matching cape with an R on it?

You guys are hysterical! I can totally see this! Since Galactor is so easily fooled by the numbered shirts, you know just adding a mustache onto Ken's face would be enough to prevent Ego from recognizing him!

The idea was to make him look like Red Impulse. I know Ebony's Ego really hates those guys.

Awww that sounds like being a bit too mean to the eagle. Surely he does not deserve such a curse?

NOBODY deserves the curse of being compared to Red Impulse... ugh! (In case you didn't guess, I am NOT a RI fan...)

Originally posted by Firebird Awww that sounds like being a bit too mean to the eagle. Surely he does not deserve such a curse?

I know, FB! But I couln't find something worse..... maybe to have Ego bosslerng him around....... I am the no. 1 fan of the Eagle bashing............

So then, this is your smilie for Ego talking to the Eagle:

# imagines Ken disguised as servant flipping off Ego from his behind#

I can see it now... write it in! And don't forget to make a drawing!

Originally posted by Transmute Jun And don't forget to make a drawing!

I think I will.....albeit I'm not sure you'll like it!

Now I'm *really* eager to see it!

This sounds like it will be a comedy in places

Not unless seeing a (literary) bashed Eagle makes you laugh. It makes me though

I am sure with so many Swans here the eagle will be suitably looked after

Amy, I always enjoy your fics, even when you're Eagle bashing. After all, there is some truth to the notion that he deserves it... Your fic about the Gatch F alternate ending is hysterical!

Originally posted by Transmute Jun Amy, I always enjoy your fics, even when you're Eagle bashing. After all, there is some truth to the notion that he deserves it... Your fic about the Gatch F alternate ending is hysterical!

I hope I will get the same effect now with my new Experimentation acquired

I'm looking forward to finding out!

Amy a bit of eagle bashing is good for himand we all think he deserves it at some point or another so look forward to it.

It's on fanfiction.net. Workin' on the thrird chapter now!

Ooh... I'll have to check it out!!!!

Posted chapter 3 here: CLICKY! I don't like the way is shaping out this story. Criticism muchly needed

I like this... you've got a lot of great ideas! The idea of Helm going to seek a mother is a good one... cute and heartwarming and funny all in one... and I think I can guess whom that mother is going to be!!!! The poker thing with Ken is funny too... and the clouds of dust in the Snack... it's my impression that in F they almost never opened the Snack so it's spot on! What parts did you think needed revising?

Originally posted by Transmute Jun I like this... you've got a lot of great ideas! The idea of Helm going to seek a mother is a good one... cute and heartwarming and funny all in one... and I think I can guess whom that mother is going to be!!!! The poker thing with Ken is funny too... and the clouds of dust in the Snack... it's my impression that in F they almost never opened the Snack so it's spot on! What parts did you think needed revising?

I think a mecha stomped on the Snack when it attacked Utoland. As for Helmy's mom.........well I still have to decide. Thanks, TJ! I think the plot is too non-substantial. Does it sounds forced? Am I bashing Ken too much? And I don't even dare to think abou the missplellings

Amy give yourself a general map of your story, details help make it happen and give the reader interest to keep reading it ... I liked it that little Helm was interested in his mother...a child that at that age who has grown up without a mother and his father is very illusive about would do that at the level of intelligence that he shows here. If you need help with some spelling I could help you..I'm better when it is not my story..LOL Ken does need a push and Jun gives him one here...but not what he thinks, and that is her...put 'em to work! To me it will be determined by the direction you want it to go from here as you have put a foundation in place..and a plot development in this chapter to me it was a small twist that could be going towards a bigger twist in the end... (I love the poker game and Ken has a gambling problem...that could be explored!) But Amy you need to know what this story is going to do and them the details come... I rarely put out a story and not know...occasionally I have and them it gets pointed out that it has to much of a plot there to be a short story...you have talent for great plots Amy and stories with depth to them. I hope my input has helped as well....

Hey, Ebony, stop pointing fingers at me!!!! Amy, non-substantial is up to you as the author. But IMHO, it's got a lot more plot than some of the PWP pieces out there. I can see what you mean about it being a bit forced... but I think it's fine. If it feels forced to you then try to break it up more. I find that jumping back and forth between A and B plotlines (or multiple B plotlines) keeps a fic more fresh. So for example, you could have Helm ask what a mother is in the scene where he's correctly guessing his father's password, and this would segue nicely into Rottendorf's musings on whom the mother could actually be. It would also add to Ego's discomfort in answering the question (the fact that someone else is there). THEN you could bring it up again later on, when Ego goes to his son's room. By breaking it up, it's less of a 'hit you over the head' thing, KWIM? As for bashing Ken too much: not necessarily. It's YOUR fic after all, and he IS an idiot where Jun is concerned. ITA that a sub-plot about Ken's gambling addiction would be hilarious! I'm thinking about Chevy Chase's character in Vegas Vacation... Besides which (and this is coming from someone who hasn't seen Fighter at all), I understand that Ken was a lot more of a loose cannon in Gatch F... not thinking through his actions so much and not thinking through things as much as he could... so this could fit in with that.

Well TJ is right Amy it is YOUR story...advice has to fit in with what you want from it. By that I mean a beta reader will help you with ideas that you may not have seen yourself... weather you take them up in it is entirely up to you, you know your story better than anyone else! Your writing lends itself to more plots...why not give it a go!