>>37 Ah, apologies. I was under the impression that emoticons were associated with being underage, but figured it wouldn't be a problem if the words I said had thought behind them. For me, posting here is a chance to unwind after a long day of studying lit. at university; I love the subject, but I hate the stuffy formality. I suppose I use emoticons because I like how casual they feel by comparison, and because I felt more free to use them here than in other places...only apparently I'm not. I still feel that not all emoticon usage is dumb, just informal. Just like how not everything on a chan is inherently badly written. I'd hoped this chan would judge on a case-by-case basis, but I have more important things to fight for than the right to use smileys. I'll refrain from doing so in the future. >>36 Maelgwyn, I have to disagree that the one-shot didn't work on its own. I thought more detail in specific areas would have improved it, but I was still enthusiastic about the whole. Take the line: "He was angry when he found the cold one had removed the nails from my fingers, but it didn’t stop him making me use them inside him to make him fly". In one sentence, it shows that the Sniper is so lust-ridden he'll let his lust override his guilt and take advantage of a prisoner, maybe even using his guilt to add to his lust. It offers a look into his messed up mind and evokes horrible imagery (of the captive's fingers, of how the Sniper fucks her even when she's in pain, etc.) without needing to go into step-by-step detail. Now, if Mus chooses to add more step-by-step detail, that'll be more than great, but I think the one-shot says a lot with relatively few sentences, which is a good technique to have in writing. But again, that's just my opinion. What one person finds to be a delightfully understated sentence that evokes a dozen fascinating scenarios could just seem vague to someone else. What one person finds to be an eloquent, detailed line could seem stuffed and gratuitous for someone else. Of course, it's up to Mus to decide which is which, but I'm glad you have taken the time to express your opinion articulately and politely. It's always interesting seeing what other people think about the things I read. Mimi (Scout concrit coming up. Soon...)