is it always the crux of a story where my fucking muse always slams headfirst into a wall?
What comes before? Easy. Smoothest ramp-up you've ever seen.
What comes after? Done already. Amazing pay-off, will make you cry.
The crux itself? CANNOT FUCKING PUT IT INTO WORDS THAT MAKE SENSE AND FEEL GOOD

Okay so this bit is like 2000 words already and I'm not even halfway done.
I should probably cut it in half at a natural breakpoint, huh...

Since my body isn't letting me fucking do anything right now, I idly counted the words in the "second half".
There's like 4000 of the buggers.

Half, my ass.