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Hey Cloudheads! (I just thought about it on-the-fly, so I apologize if it sounded off) The recent chapter looked like it would see a decline in votes before I went offline, but in the end, it pulled in a flood of votes near the payout and turned into my highest-voted post to date! Big shoutout to @curie, @steemtrail and @fiction-trail for the huge boost, to @ezzy and @dreemit for the continued support of the series, and to everyone who voted either manually or via bot/streemian!
You might've noticed a sharp drop-off in the story from the first chapter. One might say that the story was ... brought back down to the ground (*puts on sunglasses * YYEEAAHH!!!! ( • _ •) / ( • _ •)>⌐■-■ / (⌐■_■) )
On a more serious note, I consider the latest chapter as the beginning of the story, while the first chapter as sort of a prologue. To give you guys a clearer picture, I'd like to use this installment of Silver Lining to explain my cousin's family structure, highlighting the supporting characters in Zepp's story.
This is a recent family picture, so they have aged a bit since the story's setting. I hope to fill in the gaps with this brief explanation. At least, I'll try to keep it brief. People who know me know that I have a tendency to talk a lot. And now I'm rambling again.
Erwin, the father and breadwinner. Ever since I've known him, he has always worked as a transcriptionist for a US-based company. He was a stay-at-home freelancer even before it became a trend. Always up-to-date with pop culture, he has a quick wit, well-versed in geeky stuff and has a very easygoing attitude. He earns quite enough to provide for his family, and he's a real hands-on father. I'm just using the earning of A Day in the Clouds and Silver Lining to help them with the expenses of Zepp's treatment, which makes a real dent in the back account. If it isn't obvious, he's Dadier in the story. Pronounced in however way you want, but I envisioned it as sort of a French-sounding version of "daddy."
Kirsten, the older sister. She's the ever-dependable sister and daughter that most parents dream of for a kid. Her shy and quiet demeanor often hides the fact that she's excelling in her academics. I mean, her grades are off-the-charts! She's currently a highschooler studying in a Science school (one of the preeminent learning institutions in the country). Her character's name is Teten, based on her real nickname.
Thiella, the mother and my cousin. The mold from which Kirsten was shaped. She's the eldest among my father-side cousins, and she really exemplifies that guiding force role to the tee. Nowadays she's a dedicated mother, but in the past, she had been involved with several businesses and ventures, even going to other countries, to help out with the family savings. She even went back to college for a time to learn occupational therapy to better understand Zepp. This woman would go to any lengths for her family, and is the main reason why I'm alotting all of the earnings I make for this series in aid of their situation. She's obviously Mamie, and she's just as loving (if not more) in real life.
Vedder, the younger brother. His character's name is Eddie, get it? Eddie Vedder. I wasn't kidding when I said that this family is rocking. From Led Zeppelin to Pearl Jam. He's grown up a bit in the picture, but he was such a chubby baby when he was born. The pillow scene didn't really transpire in reality, but I wanted to root it in such a way that it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. If anything, I drew the inspiration of the scene from my own experience. Not that I went through with it with my younger sister, but during times when I felt jealous of the attention she was getting, I admit it crossed my mind. I was a kid, sue me!
And, there we go. I'll expound more as the story goes, but for now, I hope the overview of the family gives you a clearer view of the (real) dynamic. Thanks to everyone who has supported this initiative so far. All the comments and reads are highly appreciated. Words alone can't describe how grateful I am. I hope this brief explanation adds a layer to the experience when you read it from "Zepp's/Ledd's" perspective :D
Profile Progress
No updates on this end yet. I've been asking my cousin about it, but they seem to be very busy, understandably so. For now, I'm holding onto the earnings until they are ready to be transferred. I'm planning on donating to the charities/funds/researches with every $100 earned. Since 50% goes to Zepp and 50% for others, that's $100 for their 50% and not the total.
Thanks for reading! I love supporting other people's work, but I follow people based on who's commenting on my post. So be sure to leave your thoughts down below.
