Silence is Golden Extras and Insider Info!

[zenelly]

Remember how I said that a while ago I'd be posting up stuff about Silence is Golden?

Well, it seems that now is the time.

Let's start out with the chapter names. There actually is a naming scheme to them, though I'd be surprised if anyone had figured it out, because it's not typical. Sorta.

Every single chapter title comes from either the lyrics or the title of a song that I have on a playlist I made specifically for this story. Unfortunately (or fortunately), there are more songs than there are chapters.

Here is the playlist (in the order that I listen to it), and the chapters they correspond to.

1. Waltz from Swan Lake (Opus 20) - Tchaikovsky - Chapter 4, Waltz
2. 5 Maerz - Megaherz - Chapter 6, Horst du mich?
3. Flugufrelsarinn - Sigur Ros - None
4. Time's Scar Piano Solo - Unknown - None
5. 1000 Miles - Vanessa Carlton - None
6. Jaded - Aerosmith - None
7. Desert Rose - Sting - Chapter 2, Dream of Rain
8. My Eyes - Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog - Chapter 9, I Cannot Believe My Eyes
9. It Sucks to Be Me - Avenue Q - Chapter 1, Prologue
10. Stamp on the Ground - Italo Brothers - Chapter 3, Come and Join
11. Passion - Utada Hikaru - Chapter 7, You Who Are Faintly Wounded
12. Alice - Pogo - Chapter 5, Alice
13. Predilection - Nittle Grasper - None
14. The Book of My Life - Sting - None
15. Flames - VAST - None
16. Violin Piano Duet - Unknown - Chapter 8, Duet
17. Kiss the Rain - Yiruma - None

So, that's the play list that I listened to while writing this. You might notice that a lot of the songs are kinda ... well, slow and sad sounding. That's because the first chapter wasn't the happiest in the world, and that's the one I made the playlist around. After that, the story took on a life of its own and ended up much happier than the music makes it out to be.

That's okay, though. The playlist I have for Mnemonic is much happier than this, and the story is much darker.

*sigh*

Alright, more things that I know about Silence is Golden.

1. Until the last chapter, Demyx never says Zexion's full name while he knows Zexion can hear him. It's only when Zexion and Demyx are having their little talks that Demyx calls him "Zexion".

2. The reason why Zexion freaks out in the car in Chapter Seven is actually mentioned in the first chapter. His parents died in a car crash, and yes, he will eventually tell Demyx this. Also, because of this, Zexion doesn't know how to drive.

3. Axel did love Demyx when they were sixteen, but it wasn't enough to make him stay.

4. Axel never went back to the city where he met Demyx.

5. The original plan for this story never had Axel leaving, and instead Demyx was hit by (or almost hit by) a car.

6. Sora's whole intuition thing was way more important in the first draft of this.

7. The first draft was sixteen to seventeen chapters long, but I couldn't find a way to do that without it being really stupid and half of the chapters being really pointless. I don't regret cutting it down at all.

8. Never having Zexion speak was easier than it may seem, because he was constantly talking with his actions.

9. Axel will always be just on the nicer side of being a complete jackass. He's much more entertaining this way.

10. The fifth and sixth chapters as they are now never existed in the original version.

11. Saix, Xigbar, Xaldin, Xemnas, Leon, and Cloud originally made appearences (and reappearences) in the half-baked plan I call the first draft.

12. If you've ever seen "How I Met Your Mother", you might catch a few references to it.

13. No, the defenestration thing is not because I'm a Demyx Time fan. I've never seen Demyx Time. I will eventually, but that's not why it's there. It's there because I like that word.

Alright, so, if you want to ask me anything about Silence is Golden (AND I DO MEAN ANYTHING), just comment below, and I will totally get back to you!

Comments

[onemoreparadise.livejournal.com]

9. Axel will always be just on the nicer side of being a complete jackass. He's much more entertaining this way.

Isn't that how Axel is in the game? I would think that's just good characterization.

Anyway, I have read this story of yours and I loved it. I actually would have liked to see it go down a darker road (Demyx getting hit by the car) because it totally would have freaked Zexion out to the extreme. Most of my fanfictions take the lighter road at the end, but for some reason I enjoy not everything ending perfectly happy. I like things being happy for a while and then get completely destroyed >:3

Maybe I'm just weird and sadistic and love character torture. I did love the ending to your story though. The scene where Demyx carried Zex back to his room was precious. I also thought it was very creative how you added a back story to Axel's eye tattoos.

[zenelly.livejournal.com]

Isn't that how Axel is in the game? I would think that's just good characterization

Precisely! But sometimes people forget that he's a manipulative bastard to put even Zexion to shame, so I try and make him what he is.

Thank you! I would have liked it to do something darker too, but I just could not think of a good way to do that without it coming off as completely cliche. And it was cliche central, let me tell you that. Having not everything end happily makes the story seem so much more realistic (and I think this is one of the reasons I like Mnemonic so much.

You're not weird and sadistic. I love fluffy and happy stories, but every single pairing I like has this twist of hurt to it that makes it impossible for me to write them completely happy. And Demyx would totally do that. That also woke Zexion up just in time for him to hear everything. Again. *grin*

Axel's tattoos' backstory was something I came up with on the fly when I was back in the early chapters and not sure where to go. But I loved it so much, because it just seemed like something he would do.

[onemoreparadise.livejournal.com]

Precisely! But sometimes people forget that he's a manipulative bastard to put even Zexion to shame, so I try and make him what he is.

.... Thank you .____.
So many other fans I've come across either make Axel out to be this complete badassed-has no friends-all enemies kind of guy, or they turn him into a ball of fluff who would curl up in a corner and die is he lost his Roxas.... AND IT DRIVES ME NUTS! Yes he is manipulative and on the whole, a bad guy, but I think a lot of fans are really ignoring that he has done things that I think redeem him. I know the first game in which we were introduced to him we never saw the good side of him, so evil, backstabbing, manipulative Axel was the only canon they knew, but since KHII and 358 days it's not true anymore. The only reason he even lied to Roxas was to protect him (I fail to see the HOMYGOD EVIL in that). I donno, sometimes I want to ask people if we were even playing the same games. In my book, mischaracterization is only allowed until every aspect of their character is revealed, so before KH II it was fine. Bah, I have the same arguments with Demyx though. People are still mischaracterizing him even after his full personality was revealed >:|

HOMYGOD, have you ever read "The hand life deals" on FF.net? That story is literally my darkfic inspiration and I don't know why. The way things ended in that story were so real and none cliche and sudden that I use it as a guide for "how to darken shit up without being a fangirl about it."

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4311663/1/The_Hand_Life_Deals

Sometimes the ending of Sex ed 101 has the same effect... :| And I can't wait to see how Mnemonic ends :]

I wish the game would give a back story to Axel's tattoos. I would really like to see what they can think up.

[zenelly.livejournal.com]

Welcome! ^^

See, I always saw him somewhere in the middle of that, even when I had just played KHII, not CoM. (Am still a sad person who can't get hang of the combat system enough to finish the game, but damnit, I want to make it to Riku's side of the story...) Playing through Chain of Memories and 358/2 Days has made it easier for me to see the darker, less caring side of all the characters, and I sorta like it. Now, mind, I'm still upset at what they did to Demyx, because I think they should've kept a little more of his "No, we have hearts" thing he had going in KH2, but that's just personal preference.

Everything Axel ever did was for Roxas. Doesn't make him evil, doesn't make him needy. It's just true. Every. Single. Thing.

And, no, I haven't read it, but I'll check it out when I have time! It sounds interesting, and Heaven knows I need all the help I can get with non-cliche endings.

XD. Just like that. Right now, I'd like to see how Mnemonic ends... /scowls at story. It's being all over the place. But I'll pull it back in soon enough!

That's sorta what I'm hoping Birth By Sleep will do! (HOMG, I SO WANT TO SEE LEA, AND BABBY!IENZO, AND WHY CAN'T THEY PUT MYDE IN THEEEEREEEE?)

[onemoreparadise.livejournal.com]

He is definitely in the middle <3

I actually enjoyed Demyx's personality a bit more. Granite I did enjoy the "We do have hearts" Demyx. It actually made me support Zemyx more... as crazy as that sounds. I find more similarities in their personalities now. The only conflict would be the Lazy + hard-worker things. Even that though, I personally know that those two meshing personalities CAN work. I'm a hard worker, and my boyfriend of two years is very Demyx like in work ethic. We get frustrated with each other and fight but sometimes I find the way he gets around work clever and kind of funny. It also takes a hard worker to keep someone lazy on schedule. Vise Versa, It takes someone lazy to get a hard worker to drop their work and relax. I really enjoy the dynamics of the Zemyx relationship and how it can play out. I do picture arguments over work, but something in my mind tells me that if they were in a relationship those arguments would get resolved (because Demyx does EVENTUALLY work... or get Roxas to do it) and who could stay mad at Demyx little face?

Exactly. I don't understand why it's so hard for people to understand that a bad guy can't have a best friend he cares about :|

YESPLZ OHGOSH! is it really that hard to throw in the last few members as sombodies? .____.

[zenelly.livejournal.com]

Definitely. Axel's wonderful like that.

Don't get me wrong, I liked Demyx too. I just wished they had kept a bit more of his kinda naive idea that everything would work out fine. It would've been a nice balance to everyone else, since they're all doom and gloom. And oh, god, Zexion's actually pretty damn lazy. Efficient, but he prefers to get others to do his work. Which makes me giggle.

Because they want it to be "TWU WUV FO'EVAH" which they apparently can't do without making Axel practically a woman. DX.

I KNO, RITE? Oh man, can you imagine how CUTE he'd be? *squees*

[onemoreparadise.livejournal.com]

Eh, well there was nothing in 358 days that suggested that he can't still be naive, just not about them having hearts. Personally I don't know how they can avoid the doom and gloom. I think Xemnas was just out to screw them all over .____. Haha, I don't think it's really laziness as much as it's manipulative skillz >:3 What surprised me was the Demyx seemed to have the same skillz when it came to getting Roxas to do everything for him.

OH GAWD THOSE FANS >:0 Do not understand DDDD:

Oh gosh! Ienzo's just a cutie pie! he looks like such a little sour-puss. I love that he's so young too. I can just picture the original six as his babysitters and family. It paints such a cute image in my head!

[zenelly.livejournal.com]

That's true, I guess.... I haven't played that game more than once, so obviously it's gonna take me more than just one playthrough to get everything. (Aw shucks, I 'll have to play through a KH game...) Xemnas really was just ...fucking with everyone.... *sigh* Demyx is more manipulative than people give him credit for. He pulls off blonde and ditzy too well.

I don't either! It makes it so much more real when Axel has that taint to him!! *growls*

ISN'T HE??? ISN'T HEEE? Oh, I just want to cuddle him! *can't wait to see all of the Somebodies in the game*

[onemoreparadise.livejournal.com]

AJSJDLJASLJD you have to unlock.... or just look up, the secret diary entries from the other organization members in 358 days. It not only shows all those HOMYGOD AXEL'S EVIL fans that Axel DOES have a nice streak, but it really hinted to me that Xemnas was about to screw them all over. There's actually a really sad diary entry by Luxord that I liked :|

I unlocked some of them in game but GAH it takes way too long, don't do it. Look them up -_____-

[zenelly.livejournal.com]

Aaaaaaaaaargh, there are SECRET ones? *bangs head against wall in frustration* I'll go look them up. Soon. Tomorrow. *is tired* Luxord's such a dear, and I'm sorta sad that I don't get to put him in many more situations than the "Oh, look, I gamble on the rumor mill" one. He'll get more than that eventually. Hopefully.

[onemoreparadise.livejournal.com]

They're on Game FAQ's. They definitely add a new dynamic to Axel. He mentions several times that being around Roxas and Xion make him feel human, and that being around so much emotion overwhelms him.

[zenelly.livejournal.com]

.....I wanna hug him now....... *wibbles*

[madeupmelodies.livejournal.com]

Defenestration definitely falls into my list of favourite words. C:< ((Though I can't remember where you use it in the story. *read it quite awhile ago*))

So, that basically means I don't really have further questions, since I can't remember in detail . . . I'm sure I've had some questions, so I'll probably go through it and ask. (('Cuz I'd like to find out if I did have questions . . .))

But yeah. Thanks for this! It was interesting to read and know these little fact things. xD

[zenelly.livejournal.com]

It's an awesome word. Definitely one that sounds worse than it actually is. ((I think it was in Chapter 4. I think.))

Eeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhh, ask away. Ask anything. Seriously, I'll try and give an answer.

Welcome! I thought that it would be an interesting read!

[madeupmelodies.livejournal.com]

I know, right? It definitely sounds worse than it really is. Lol.

Oh, I will. ((Once I find something to ask. Lol.))

And that it was~!

[zenelly.livejournal.com]

Awesome, just let me know when you think of something!!

HALLO

[key2thekingdom.livejournal.com]

Pfft, the song thing was supposed to be a secret? I even I, blonde in all but hair color, figured that out. I also knew that Zex freaked because of the whole car-crash thing; though I didn't know that he couldn't drive.

...Yeah, if you haven't figured out who I am with only a 1 letter username difference; I'm afraid you might just be dumber than me. A better writer, but still dumber. XD

Re: HALLO

[zenelly.livejournal.com]

It wasn't supposed to be secret, per say. Just... not exactly obvious. And besides, the entire playlist wasn't used, so.... *shrugs* And the Zexion getting freaked out because of the accident... well, I had a few reviews that were wondering why he freaked. I just decided to add that in there just in case.

(I AM NOT DUMB, I FIGURED IT OUT IMMEDIATELY, AND I AM GLAD THAT YOU ARE UP HERE NOW!!)

Re: HALLO

[key2thekingdom.livejournal.com]

Wow. People dumber than me. I am amazed.

(PFFT. YOU BET YOU ARE.)

Re: HALLO

[zenelly.livejournal.com]

*shrug* Well, it had been a while, and honestly, I didn't expect them to reread chapters every time I updated the story, so it makes a sort of sense. The people who read it after I was done had a much better memory of that event.

((DXXX

Re: HALLO

[key2thekingdom.livejournal.com]

...THIS IS TRUE. XD