Journey To Hellspost (TXT X READER)

Notes

*this is just me describing my thought process on the story, you don't need to read this*

Wow... this story took me too long to write. Let's start with the conception of this idea.

Of course, the VR Concept pictures from Blue Hour did play a big role in starting to write this story. I'd been watching a D&D campaign as well, and gaining interest in that. All of that paired with a long time obsession with The Hobbit, and that's how I came up with the idea for this story.

In all honesty, I haven't read many TXT fics recently, so I don't know what's out there rn, but I think that the fantasy genre is super underrated. It's underrated but they suit the concept so well. And when the Star Seekers, a fantasy themed series was released??? I was ecstatic. I'm not saying I semi predicted TXT fantasy genre, but I also kinda did. Not accurately by any means, but if you squint then the connection is there.

Now the characters.

When I was coming up with Yeonjun's character, he was very different then I ended up making him. These were the trait points I had for him:
- Innocent
- Pure
- Authoritative
- Leader
- Not easily influenced, unless it is someone he is close to
- Is a literal god and will make you see him that way

  In some ways I was able to stick to my plan, but I think plans are for losers, so I deviated from it. In the end, he was cocky with a childlike innocence. That sense of wonder that he gains from going on the adventure is what demonstrates that. To juxtapose that, you have the extra guard he places in front of strangers, a hardened stone facade of an emotionless man, ready to cause harm if the circumstances require it. And then you have the facade he shows when he is more comfortable with people. It's the cocky, joke making, flirty guy. He has a duality and he is just such a round character.

  Next, Beomgyu. Now, I can't remember everything from when I started this story, but I believe that I intended for Beomgyu to be executing his assassination on Yeonjun during the story. Let's just say that he changed... a lot...
These are his original trait points:
- Cunning
- Deceitful
- Close to Yeonjun
- A follower to balance Yeonjun's leadership role
- Observant
- Nature Oriented
- Friendly with animals
- Dextrous

  Beomgyu definitely ended up being more loyal. His character is friendly and accommodating. Despite his past plans to kill Yeonjun, he has given them up, but still embraces them as part of his past. He is never really ashamed of his plans to kill Yeonjun, but he instead chooses to emphasize his loyalty to Yeonjun.
  Another thing about him is his powers. I saw you all in the comments. I read every single one. "Okay but Beomgyu can shapeshift tho" "When will Beomgyu Shapeshift"
  If there is one thing you should know about my writing, it is that I will ALWAYS take the chance to use pathos against you. If there is a chance for me to make anything more painful or sad, I will, because that's the best way to evoke emotion.

  Beomgyu has the ability to Shapeshift, but power comes at a cost, and the cost for him is that every single cell can feel itself changing to form a new animal. Imagine becoming aware of your scalp and every hair your head. Imagine becoming aware of your breathing and blinking and your tongue in your mouth. Imagine becoming aware of your limbs. Imagine becoming aware of every hair on your body. Your eyebrows, your eyelashes. Imagine becoming aware of all of the blood, pumping through your veins and arteries and capillaries. Everything. Imagine becoming aware that your nose is always in your range of sight. Now take that awareness and turn it unto pain. That is what Beomgyu feels when he Shapeshifts.

  Not only was this a way to punch the reader in the gut, but it was also a way for me to limit his power. Whilst others had different limits, Beomgyu didn't have one. In my mind, he was powerful and strong, so there wasn't a skill barrier that could stop him. Instead, I gave him physical barrier.

  Next is HueningKai. Now... out of all characters that changed from the original plan, I think he had to have changed the most.
These were his original character traits:
- Charismatic
- A strong fighter
- Innocent spirit
- Lively
- Inspiring
- Mystical
- Very happy
- Secretive
- Mysterious

If there's one thing I capitalized on, it was the innocent spirit. Everything else is up in the air... I gave him this childhood innocence and this fear because if he had no fear, he would be unstoppable. He gets anxious and nervous during times of conflict. He is one of the few mystics and he is determined to hide it unless he needs to reveal it. I like to think that generally, I stuck to the HueningKai spirit.

Next, Soobin. Soobin stayed pretty consistent throughout the story. These are his original trait points:
- Unsociable
- Introverted
- Good with bows
- Tends to create close bonds with others, if any.
- Has good ears
- Authoritative
- Head strong
- Follower
- Wise

  I cannot even think of any other words to describe him, other than that he is a leader who leads by following. There are times where he must take control to get the best outcome, but he stays in the background and observes.

  Next is Taehyun. I don't know why, but I love his character. Each character has their charming points, but if this story was an otome game where I had no preconceived biases with any of the members, I would've chosen Taehyun with no hesitation. There's just something about him that I can't put my finger on... anyways, these are his original character traits:
- Determined
- Serious
- Powerful
- Intelligent
- Driven
- Follower
- Quiet type

And I think I stuck to them very well. He has a badass vibe to him. He is also cocky, but he doesn't have the same childlike innocence as Yeonjun. He's an independent traveller who has been hardened by many adventures. Idk, he's just my favourite. I hope I didn't write this story too Taehyun biased.
When it came to Taehyun being the heir to the throne of Hellspost, there were two details that could tip you off about it.
1: (the obvious one) there is no mention of his parents.
2: (the subtle detail) in chapter 19, Taehyun, a character who lives in extremely cold northern climates has become sensitive to cold in a short period of time. Born in a southern kingdom, naturally, he would adapt to warmth easily and after being in the north, he would gain some amount of desensitization towards the cold, but if he travels back south, his body would adapt to the warmer climates faster, whereas a true northern citizen would have great difficulty adapting to southern heat.

Finally, the Main Character. I didn't make trait points for her. She has also remained fairly consistent. Guarded around strangers, softer around those she knows. Used to violent nature and in afraid of violent situations. TRAUMATIZED. Charismatic. She's everything I wanted her to be.

  Now the plot... In all honesty, I did rip off some of the Hobbit. Only the concept of confrontation with the elven king and an orc pack and a dragon. But the king attempting to strip the half elves of their heritage was all me. I think it was just such a badass moment that I got to write. The fuck you energy of using the Elven King's plan against him by poisoning him using your own blood??? I love it.

  Finally, the ending. I know. The soldiers from Eboncross had known Yeonjun was alive since they received word from the elven king. It makes sense that if they travelled with haste, they wouldn't be far behind. Rushed. Anticlimactic. How could I leave it there?? Good question.

  Well, of course, just as my other TXT X Reader story, this one will also have individual endings for each member that fully encompass the ending. Each ending stems off differently from that point.

  Not only that, but when I thought of it, I saw it as a movie. Each character standing together in a room filled with endless riches, realizing that their adventure is over, and then the slow motion cuts of the soldiers reaching Hellspost and finding the dead dragon and then the kidnapped prince, injured near death, with his page and four other strangers, cuffing the strangers and bringing them down to their knees. It's just a cinematic ending to me and it's the perfect ending, at least I think. I don't think any other ending could have conveyed the abruptness of an end. When something's done, it's just done. When you finish something, you can no longer continue it. There is a definite point where it ends and you can't continue it after that. There is no falling action. There's just an end, and that was their end.

  Anyways, I think that's all I really have to say about the making of this story. I know I had another version of my notes, but this one is wayyy more coherent and precise.

Thank you so much for reading this note, and my story. It means a lot to me and I genuinely appreciate it with all my heart. I hope you're doing well and I hope all goes well for you. Thank you again!