#I thought the formatting was messed up cause it's an archived page but no. the interviewer's initials are just also JL haha

[vimbry]

[beesandwasps]

A Confession of Digital Mess

I’m looking for citations to back up a post I made, and I am having just a bit of a problem. This is kind of boring, but since @deepfriedinfant deserves some kind of update, here it is (hidden because it’s long).

Google is rather notoriously starting to get bad at finding things. And the thing I’m looking for is something which… well, unless I already had the specific details which I’m looking for, there are way too many things out there which basically share all the possible search terms.

That’s not the problem; that’s a thing that everyone online encounters these days. If that were all, we’d be done; it would just be a matter of me either admitting defeat or doing a search and examining every single one of hundreds of results.

The problem is searching my own stuff.

I keep files. When I see an image I may want later, I drag it to the desktop. (For those using other OSes/browsers which don’t behave the same way as the Mac: this saves the file to your account’s Desktop folder.) When I see text I like, if it’s just part of a page I select it and drag the selection to the desktop. (A feature Apple created years ago and kind of seems not to like any more — this creates a .textClipping file containing the text in rich text format, unfortunately using an archaic storage mechanism that is otherwise almost completely abandoned for the last 2 decades.) If it’s an entire document, I save the document to the desktop.

Every so often, I go through the huge mass of files on my desktop (right at this moment: 516 items — I’m overdue), get rid of anything which has outlived its usefulness, and throw all the remains into a folder named “To Be Filed”.

Which is all well and good, but:

I very seldom go into the “To Be Filed” folder and actually file things. It contains many, many thousands of items, some of them dating back to the GWB administration. (And many of them now completely lacking context — I’m now, IIRC, two computers on from what I was using back then, and when you copy files from one computer to another, the modification date is changed and some of the filesystem metadata is lost.) And I actually have an even older “To Be Filed” folder which I thought I had lost, causing me to create the current one, which also contains vast numbers of files.

Many years ago, I did do a bunch of filing, at least in the sense of separating text and images out a bit. I have a folder named “Random Text” which really ought to have subfolders already and will absolutely need them if I ever get around to adding more stuff to it, and an “Images” folder containing subfolders with the names of topics and/or sources. So not everything that I might want to search is even in the “To Be Filed” folder(s), some of it is elsewhere.

Much to my delight, a while back Apple added OCR software to the Mac OS. This is very useful, and the last time I used OCR software, which was at least a decade and a half ago, it was ludicrously bad, so the accuracy they have in their freebie version surprises me. But this does mean that any image sitting around which has identifiable text in it is indexed for searching, so now I get huge numbers of results for practically everything by default. (And while you can restrict search results by type, you can’t do a negative restriction — you can’t search for “not images”, and there are multiple types of files which contain text so you can’t do a single search for all text types.)

I have periodically downloaded big collections of things. I have complete runs of comics. I have that archive of game walkthroughs that somebody compiled from GameFAQs a while back. All kinds of stuff. Now that Apple indexes images, all of it can pop up in search results — and none of it is typically what I want. (Okay, yes, every once in a while I end up looking for a walkthrough of an old game or a specific comic strip. But that’s genuinely a rare thing.)

Just to make things even better, it turns out that Apple’s text indexing system does not index .textClipping files. This is something which has been true all along — Google shows that people were complaining about this all the way back in 2008 — but recently it has begun to dawn on me that, given the number of clipping files I have around, many of which are exactly the kind of thing I might want to use as a citation, this is very specifically my problem. These have to be searched manually every time I want to find something, unless I can remember the location of the file and the name (which is automatically created from the first few words of the text). Ouch.

So right now I am taking some steps to ameliorate the problem while I keep looking. First, I’m looking for things which are giving me large numbers of results I don’t want, like the aforementioned GameFAQs archive, and changing them from folders into compressed read-only disk image files, the contents of which are not part of the general search index. (If space was an issue, it would be better to use compressed archives files like 7Zip, which get somewhat better compression levels, but that obviously isn’t a problem if I’m already holding on to the uncompressed files — and a disk image file can be mounted, searched, and used directly without any hassle if I do want to find something in that specific collection, whereas archives can be problematic no matter how much effort is put into making them act like they’re just a special type of folder.) I’m also looking into some kind of scheme to convert all my .textClipping files into an indexable format, but this turns out to be a more convoluted operation than you would assume.

This may take a while. It will speed me up in future searches, but it may take a while.

[findingjoynweirdstuff]

The fact that you do so many lore recaps ALL BY YOURSELF is amazing to me. You should like, get a team of people to help you. Like you do wednesdays and fridays and someone does mondays and saturdays and someone does the other days or something

I've thought about it, but idk. I've said all this to the dsmparchive people a while ago 'cause with the vod preservation effort I really couldn't do that much on my own besides screen recording a few Captain Puffy lore vods last January the hard way lol. so I really needed to put together an actual group of people who are way more capable than me (@ the mod group: you guys rock :D), but with the recaps it's kind of a matter of like,

there's a lot of people out there who do recaps and it's something you can just do your own way yk? but with the way I do it specifically I feel like it might be hard 'cause the format is kind of a complicated mess.

There are aspects of the format that were added later on that when I first started on them I was just saying, there's no way I can keep this up and I'll probably go back to the earlier version. But because I've been adding those changes gradually, I've gotten used to it

A lot of the twitter recaps can get them out literally the minute the stream ends and that's amazing jesus, but I personally prefer taking the whole day to rewatch moments and double check details and transcribe things and just, it's a whole process

and also the reason I never made a separate blog for recaps is because I really like having every one of them available on the same tumblr archive page (even if it's being finicky, it still works)

I started writing a guide to the format I use so we'll see I guess! Maybe it's not as complicated as I think it is

[thecrenellations]

Return of the Thief Notes, Part Two: The Book of Pheris, Volume 2, Chapters 1-5

Notes from my first read, October 2020. (Part One | Part Three | TaT)

Contents: Me losing my mind in multiple ways each chapter, helpful links, nighttime garden cousins, an Irene pun, notes from my second read, “mwt is just like going for it,” and “this is so fucked up and heartwarming.”

Format: Page number. My thoughts (Context?)

Volume 2

Illustration

Book 2 bro

Now we’re caught up and changed forever by lots of things

What printer’s apprentice made this?

Elephants!

Chapter 1

175. me too, Costis, me too. I am so tired. (it’s hard to sleep when your brain and heart and everything are fizzing because you’re reading Return of the Thief for the first time and a new Queen’s Thief book for the last time) 

176. Klimun + Gerosthenes vibes [moon doodle]

Holes in documents. That’s cute

Gen!!! <3

Wtf Ansel was hoodwinked!

177. The Queen waited

They’re ridiculous

Hi Pheris

Wtf he stole her earrings for Melheret?!?

178. Excuse me??? What is this book (sleeveless leather tunic)

He still roams!!!

Tattoos!

179. a sentence I never fucking expected to read ever “The absence of tattoos…”

180. that’s interesting

Stacked like kindling wow oh dear

181. She wants him to move in lol

Lol sorry Ion

Did she just want them to leave the room?

182. I can’t with this… I can’t. Why is sex symbol Relius canon. (the play that featured him! It’s great, it’s great, it was just a lot to take in!)

Silver crown?

183. Cleon! Rude!

Did they call Costis to deck him?

Queen scene!! <3

184. This is an epic. Abt Costis. Dirty stranger

185. he’s “the high king”

Lol

187. prophet (Pheris sure makes Costis sound like one)

Shut up Piloxides

188. resources for war! (book launch foreshadowing part two! She talked a lot about this kind of thing as well, and recommended the book Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army)

189. “we”

What were you gonna say (Gen almost says something to Costis part one)

193. RIP The Magus Archives … it was not to be. Yet.

194. Melenze’s doorstep. Why? Bc Melenze is Ferria’s dog. (idk dude that line from ACoK has just never left me)

195. This is … a big war

196. Oh gen

Nighttime garden cousins.

Chapter 2

197. wtf did Relius think of that play

Also … not a peep from the sacred mountain huh

198. wtf will happen with Cleon

with Erondites

with THE MOUNTAIN

a lot going on

everyone was in that room but Kamet! So close!

199. Cute Fordad + Gen friendship (I never said these notes would make me look smart)

Same 2 T + R! :) It’s not them is it? (I NEVER SAID THESE NOTES WOULD MAKE ME LOOK SMART)

Poor Teleus

200. gdi Gen

Excuse me? Is he worried for Pheris??? (taking his tablet)

They trust each other! C’mon!

Sure he has reasons

202. oh dear. :( that’s … the worst cover story

Also falling

203. wow almost like a story huh

Ula’s altar :(

Why haven’t we had a Gen and Costis scene IN THREE BOOKS

205. I just … I don’t know if he’s just miserable or if it’s all a plan. I feel like I should know it’s all a plan. But he really feels like he has far to go. He’s just a mess and the same and so different. (having a small Gen meltdown)

205. he did give him the gun

Odd that he missed Quedue

206. he’s gonna bite them (buckle up! it’s abdication time!)

207. Power. Power. Power. Power.

Thx 4 the editorializing Pheris

208. Gen is making choices. That’s a choice.

209. There’s KoA down the drain

Aaaand he’s Eugenides

“Eugenides stared into the future”

The page of like 3 different tumblr posts: Trophy husband, Library, No! yes!

210. make sure he doesn’t leave lol

211. Pheris :(

Also fucked up timing for Irene

I love them

212. again with the birthday book

He’s still the king in the narration

Go on the roof! So close!

213. EUGENIDES IS ALWAYS APPROPRIATE my motto

Viper! Bastard!

Oh shit. I love them.

214. “our treaty” “our queen”

AAAH! Wedding night!

Asked her to leave!

Smash Erondites and peace out, literally

215. a frank talk

HE SAID IT.

216. The Bructs?

Wait is this his grandfather (taking a moment to remember all about Susa)

Also that’s Costis territory

217. who is this lion

218. #3 to Gen.

219. hmmm ring

There’s been a lot to unpack wow.

Did this happen, Pheris? Pheris?! 

220. Atté atté!

(Dear reader: for some strange reason, I completely forgot about taking notes on the final pages of this chapter. These notes are from when I reread those pages a few minutes later.)

Erondites full cup to brimming

The Pherises…

We must think of others before ourselves … occasionally

I do not like Orutus

Don’t fence Costis in! Does this count as prison? No (I had a square on my bingo board for “someone ends up in prison” ... but it turned out to be for someone else)

221. damn Costis

Aaah

Costis …

Irene… your jokes (I mean, it’s a joke, but also it is very real for her.)

SHE SAID IT!

My heart

222. where is Relius going?

SPYING

What you see and what you think it means (I love these instructions/this quote so much)

So are Susa + Erondites 2gether or what (listen ... proximity generates meaning in these books)

Also, like

What can

I say

WHAT CAN I SAY (Hell yeah! Never more glad to be wrong about the magus)

[page long list of doubles and parallels - from Cleons and Pherises and Ions to god-character and character-character connections]

Also the fact that in KoA and TaT Relius was like … oh … no … I just live a gentle life being friends with my king and queen and being scholarly. But no. He’s SPYING and TRAVELING MYSTERIOUSLY and has MANY LOVERS and also has been WITH TELEUS ALL ALONG and there is a PLAY written about him and he has a ~messenger~ network and PLAYS THE FLUTE and DOESN’T MAKE HIS BED and DISLIKES MATH and oh and he’s VERY HANDSOME! (Yes I was losing it, I hope my note from after the poem helps show some of the feelings behind this rant.)

Fucking … Wine shop. Should have known.

Chapter 3

224. ominous

Hello magus!

Sophos … babe (his impatience!)

225. Magus … cool your socks that’s your bff (he’s just describing Helen’s dead body! Fun!!!!)

In the van

That was good I love them

Why is it Couples Hour?

226. finally we’re out of the capital of Attolia

Ok they’re so cute

She was NEVER Helen in ACoK narration! 

Also – Pheris. This is all Pheris. (Pheris plus information others told him!)

227. Bringing each other up to date – that’s their thing. Talking forever

All this talk of shooting Therespides

228. EX FUCKING SCUSE ME (time to learn a lot about the country of Eddis)

He was 15! (or almost 15)

He didn’t know! Or did he!

The MoW!

All thru Pheris

Fuck you magus

When did he know

229. EXCUSE ME

The emeralds?

Assumed the worst?

That classic quote about little to do with winter but with “seducing other people’s lovers”

230. yeah Sophos that’s a lost cause (“spare me my blushes”)

Also she didn’t answer you

What are they laughing about (the generally nameless men we’re learning many things about this chapter)

233. Gen I think it’s fair to say that was a mistake

234. wtf Gen

GEN! he just. Had those. (the jewels!)

Her crown

I cannot

235. Gen!

237. Crash

Her CHANGES

238. THESE TWO

239. called annux

Yeah it’s like … a family meeting (the war council)

Bring your father to work day

241. Oh no.

Stenides! Boagus!!!!!!!

EDDIS!

Wolves! Lol

mwt is just like going for it

243. aww

Eddis > Boagus > Gen

244. Yeah I’m with her on this. (“if that doesn’t frighten you, it should”)

Chapter 4

245. Gen and Magus scene yes!

Two people affected by his long hair (Gen and the magus? I think?)

Pheris are you there?

Gen … you used to wish yourself out of existence

Wow

Hair vanity

Yeah also battlefield

Ion is a darling tbh

248. Is he. Is he going to fight all of them

Also they are all his cousins huh

AULUS! I liked you!

Same, Hilarion

Taking a page out of Costis’s book?

You have definitely seen it before. (I mistook his lie for truth!)

Will Costis hear about this? (please)

249. #4 to Gen!

Pheris where are you

Why doesn’t the Continent want to conquer them (do I get partial credit for this)

A tattoo!

250. “Do not offend the gods”

Honestly … too bad Helen DIDN’T do this

251. he said he’d give all he had

I’m sure there are rules

253. Just men? :( (let everybody fight him!)

Ornon is back! I mean, of course he is

Also yea they practice

HELLO ORNON

A house being built … or one knocked down. Nice

Is Teleus in on this?

254. Pheris called him my king!

255. I wanna know which guards though

:( he’d been faking

Kicked him in the head (ouch)

256. “when he fell”

I … don’t like this

He never gives up. The thieves don’t have limits. They have flash points.

Stepped on his hand

“Enough Gen” – what Irene said?

257. :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

The magus. I forgot he was there.

The magus said … nevermind …

The magus is probs very into this as a cultural thing. Also he was talking to the MoW

Pigeon. The sky. :( Like in TT (OH BOY, THE SKYYYY)

If there was a god, Pheris would see…

258. They’ve, they’ve been through a lot.

Oh god what’s next

259. I … no. not in his arms to the palace.

The palace where….

The stairs…

They are all 3 lookers. Basilisks and brass and lead

I hate this. But I love this.

I will someday see this differently.

Ah yes… the grunt. Approval.

260. Honestly, this is so fucked up and heartwarming. These books.

Lol don’t defend Hilarion, we know him

Eddis visits him.

Attolia watches him.

261.WTF Gen. I knew it. Why.

Crying or laughing? Crying? :(

How does this not undermine her now that he is her king?

But … what he wouldn’t do for her.

262. “he did fine”

This book is like… Reasons Gen Says Sorry

So, so… - Helen

GEN!

263. I am right. I am always right. It’s a curse.

Helen :( :( :(

The amount of times these people have seen him beaten.

He’s like … self destructive, but in a way that gives himself more power. Which he hates.

Gen, let them in. Let them in.

Chapter 5

264. honeycomb

OH NO. is it happening?

266. I’m just supposed to accept this?!! What does it mean?!

267. … a my king moment … important

But like … now can he fight?

Caryatid? [doodle after I looked it up]

268. Teleus!

C’mon Teleus. Everyone you love or respect loves him!

Honestly Pheris and Teleus … not a duo I expected

THESE TWO ARE SO DEDICATED TO TELLING HIM THAT! Ok I should chill. At least he said “may.” These are like … Pheris’s life lessons.

Honestly… I love that Teleus likes poetry, or at least likes it for Relius.

269. Lol Legarus. It’s been years! I mean, I guess that was a big deal for him… (almost being executed is a big deal for most people.)

Does he not love Gen because of Relius? Because Gen manipulated him? Because he keeps sending away his successor? Why on earth not! Hop on that train! (...)

It’s interesting that their relationship is the one that touches Pheris, not Gen and Irene. Hm.

Also … “Idiot.” The parallels.

“relatively gently” (it’s so good)

~Teleus here to talk about love~

This book is full of surprises.

270. That is NOT the bright side, Gen (“I could use my newfound authority to insist on going into battle”)

271. BUNNY! Wtf is a wineglass warrior

Very cute everyone, good job.

Still sad about Helen’s tears.

271. Gen. Don’t say these things. [volcano doodle]

272. SEE I was worried about this! The doubt!

I am not ok

This is TOO MANY Eddisian Revelations (Lader time)

Yeah. Wow.

273. Cleon x5

I … his grandfather

No.

Baby Helen begging

How did Pheris get this scene

Gen chose Cleon for his plan

275. IRENE WITH THE STATS!

276. lol Gen

My brother Sounis!

277. Missing Relius club.

Where is he though

Yes! Sophos Gen food fight!

Grapes!

“Wisdom”

He’s “the king” here and in KoA bc that’s the story but also that’s who he is to Pheris and Costis

278. So how did that Irene and MoW meeting go anyway?

How does Aulus know???

Thief short story! Probably terrible to reread, oh no

279. Are … are Aulus and Boagus together???! (“his slightly smaller partner”)

This feels … potentially traumatic … but fun? Idk

Fleece

280. This dang book. No rules!

The chandelier! So dramatic!

Mwt had … a lot to put into this one. A lot. A lot.

283. “not the Thief he was chasing”

284. The queens! The salute!

He can’t give this up.

Official Worries:

100,000 soldiers heading towards Kamet

Re: Lyopidus, Gen called Sophos his brother. Helen apparently might BE his sister. Temenus and Stenides are also going to a war where 9/10 will probably die.

Also

the MoW could have been a king if he’d stolen Helen’s throne. A lot there.

why does this book have the vibe of the library post, my comic from 2010, the king and queen interactions here, and the military tactics dream

[detroit-become-hurt]

More Than Enough

Sorry this took me a while to get to!

Requested: Yes

Summary: Reader is very strong mentally, always helping others around her and listening to their problems. One day at work, when the paperwork piles up to high, she looses her cool, storming out. Connor goes home and finds her upset and drinking

I hope this was okay, enjoy!~

(Gif does not belong to me)

You were a strong person, mentally that is. Perhaps your physical strength was lacking slightly, but that was alright. Mentally, you were able to handle a lot more than others around you. In a way, you took pride that you were able to handle tense situations calmly, to be able to tackle pretty much any problem that was thrown your way. The words of praise from co-workers and your boss fueled you on. However, you had been struggling lately. Everything was just starting to feel like it was...too much. But instead of stopping and acknowledging the problem, you forced a smile on your face and made yourself continue with your work.

Walking into the precinct you waved at some of your friends, eye’s searching for a certain android as you placed your belongings at your desk. You didn’t spot him, so you supposed he was either not here yet, or looking for his partner. Sighing you briskly walked to the breakroom, grabbing a cup of coffee and making your way back to your desk. You groaned out loud seeing the stack of file reports you had to go through. “Some days I wish I had my own partner to help with these.” you grumbled while taking a sip of your coffee. Cracking your knuckles you get to work, eye’s scanning and searching for mistakes or errors. Each file was several pages long, and then you had to go and retype them in the correct format, so this was going to take a while. When it was lunchtime you had managed to make it through only two reports, still having three more to read, and then you had to retype them all.

Pushing work out of your head for the time being you cracked your back, smiling when you felt a pair of hands begin to rub your shoulders. There was only one person who did such a thing at work. “I missed you earlier.” You say looking up. Connor’s brown eyes stared back as he stopped rubbing your shoulders, “I am sorry. Lieutenant Hank and I had a case earlier we had to investigate.” Nodding you stand up smiling, “That’s alright. Want to join me for lunch?” You asked hopefully grabbing his hands. Connor’s LED blinks yellow a few times before he answered. “Unfortunately, Lieutenant and I have another case to go to in a few moments. I was just notified.” He says. You feel your shoulders slump slightly in disappointment. “That’s okay. I’ll see you later then.” Before you can pull away Connor speaks again, “I should be around the precinct later before it’s time for everyone to go home. We can leave together.” He suggests, making you feel slightly better.

Giving him a small smile you press a quick kiss to his cheek before grabbing your bag. You’re walking out of the DPD to grab some food when one of your co-workers stops you. “Hey y/n! Some of us are going to grab some lunch, want to tag along?” Jack asked. “Sure!” You reply walking over to him and some others. Together you all head to a small pizzeria that was just down the block. You thought this was going to be a pleasant lunch, but in all reality it was more of a therapy session. It seemed that everyone at the table with you had some kind of problem, and they didn’t know how to deal with it. Now there was nothing wrong with just venting about things, however your co-workers weren’t doing this. They were specifically asking you for advice.

There was Jack who had a problem with his wife at home, something about her being clingy. “You’re a woman y/n, what would a guy have to do to get you to give him some slack?” He joked, causing a chorus of chuckles from the table. His comment irritated and hurt your feelings a bit, but you just shrug it off. Another co-worker, Mary, was getting to in depth about her relationship problems, and was trying to pry into your own relationship. “So tell me, how does...you know….work with Connor?” She asks making gestures. You weren’t entirely sure if she was serious, or just kidding. And the gestures she was making wasn’t helping either. By the end of lunch you were pissed off, and annoyed. You walked ahead of everyone, making it back to the DPD before all of them. Arriving at your desk you stop seeing more files piled on top of the ones you had yet to touch.

You were just about ready to scream in frustration, throwing your bag on the ground and ripping your jacket off. Everything was beginning to feel overwhelming. You didn’t know what to do anymore, both in terms of doing your work and trying to take care of yourself. For a while you had been aware that you were putting to much pressure on yourself. Trying to be there for everyone around you, and volunteering to help out with specific tasks. In your mind you thought you could handle everything and still get your work done on time. But that wasn’t the case right now. You knew that it wasn’t healthy to take on other people’s burdens, their problems. And it also wasn’t right to practically do someone else's work when you had your own to do (you immediately think of Gavin). However, you weren’t sure how to tell everybody around you that you now needed a break, without sounding like you didn’t care at all.

Dejectedly you grab one of the top files, beginning to get back to work. You weren’t even done with the first page before Gavin showed up, sitting on the corner of your desk. “What do you want Gavin.” you asked, attitude apparent in your voice. “Ouch, what’s got your panties in a twist?” He jokes. When you don’t reply he keeps speaking, “So hey uh, remember how you helped me with those reports a few weeks back?” He asked. You hummed not really paying full attention to what he was saying, “Well...something happened, and I kind of uh, need your help again.” he says rubbing the back of his neck.

Slamming your hands down on the desk you startled Gavin, causing him to fall onto the floor. “No. You know what? I’m done! I’m fucking done, helping you do something so simple! Every time we talk it’s always about me helping you, what do I get in return? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! I’m so sick and tired of being everyone’s therapist, and doing everything for everyone! I’m sick of it!” You shout, gripping your head in your hands. By now the entire precinct was quiet, everyone watching you as you grabbed your stuff and storm out of the DPD. No one moved or said anything for a moment, before returning to their jobs, quietly discussing your little outburst.

Walking through the front door you slammed it shut, before going to the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of wine. Opening it you take a swig straight from the bottle, before going to your bedroom, falling onto your back. You couldn’t keep the tears in anymore, they began to fall and soon you were a sobbing mess, drowning yourself in the bottle of wine. Meanwhile back at the DPD, Connor and Hank walked in, having returned from their most recent case. Connor’s eyes looked for you, but found your desk empty. He assumed you were probably in the bathroom, so he went to the archives to log in all the data he had from the case. Coming back he saw that your desk was still empty, so he decided to wait for you by it. However, seeing that your belongings were gone he asked around if anyone had seen you.

“Excuse me, have you seen y/n?” He asked someone sitting nearby. “Yeah, she stormed outta here after blowing up on Gavin. Seemed really upset.” They say before going back to work. Connor’s LED blinks yellow before he started to briskly walk out of the DPD. When he arrived at your home, he knocked several times calling your name. “y/n, it’s me Connor. Open up.” He says, knocking several more times yet still receiving no answer. Looking around the front of your house he found a spare key, using it to enter the house rather than break in. After being yelled at by Hank he learned that breaking people’s windows to get in was not a good idea. “y/n?” He calls out looking around the house. He saw your stuff thrown on the ground, and the open cupboard, and wine cork. Going to the bedroom he saw you lying there, an empty bottle of wine on the floor.

“y/n, are you alright?” He asked kneeling down to look at your face. You turn your head to face him, eyes bloodshot and puffy. “Connor, when you get ‘ere?” You slur your words slightly, rolling over onto his side. Connor brushes some hair away from your face, “Just now, I came to check on you after not seeing you back at the precinct. Why did you leave?” He asked. Closing your eyes you can’t help but shed a few more tears. “I..I don’t know. I just, I feel like everything I’m doing isn’t enough. Everyone expects so much of me, and they want so much from me! I can only do so much Connor, I’ve tried my best. There’s so much that people want from me, a therapist session, filing their paperwork, answers on my personal love life! It was just to much!” You ramble on, rubbing your face with your hands.

Connor takes your hands in his, rubbing his thumb over them. His LED is blinking yellow as he’s silent for a few moments. “Y/n, I believe you are to harsh on yourself.” He says getting your attention, “You do more than enough, helping others before yourself.” You stop your crying, looking at him through watery eyes. Hearing those words made you feel immensely better, as stupid as that sounded. Right now you just needed to hear something...positive about yourself, something that didn’t tear you down and wear you out. Wrapping your arms around Connor you hug him as best as you can in the position you two were in. His LED spins yellow for a second before returning to blue, both his arms wrapping themselves around you. “Thank you.” You whispered against his neck holding him as tight as you could. “Of course. I love you y/n.” He says. Smiling you bury your face deeper into his neck.  It was moments like these that you were glad Connor was by your side.

[comicteaparty]

September 13th, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on September 13th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on Gemini Journey  by Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Gemini Journey by Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero~! (http://geminijourney.com/) Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

Shen

i liked when she was getting ready for interviews and she messed up her makeup and her buttons popped 100% relatable

Tenor | Shinavar

Hi Hi! Q1: TOO MANY. But specifically I really enjoyed Veil's anger he morning after Gemini went missing. I just really appreciated getting to see someone actually care someone just wandered off, and him still having lingering emotions about the whole incident of her returning home.

aliceapproved

Oh gosh, that one was such a BIG MOOD!!!

saetje

whoo-hoo! Thanks @RebelVampire for putting on CTP. And hey all, thanks for coming :)!

Kabocha

Oh, boy, this is a hard one to answer, to be honest! I really liked the first chapter, where Gemini and Veil were going up against the Dragon-Roach... I was like "WAIT HOW CAN YOU HATE DRA--- Oh." Also, this scene: http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=69 Veil. You are the best.

It was fantastic handling of that... Creeper Kappa? Is the flasher a Kappa?

Shen

i just give 100% of my heart to Veil he works so hard hes so tired let him rest

Tenor | Shinavar

Flasher, I'd say

aliceapproved

Gosh, yeah, the dragon cockroach was really creative and I'm SO HAPPY there's a Kappa and they had to do the "bow" move to "defeat him"

Tenor | Shinavar

But yeah I love how 'street smart' he is about like, everything going on.

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

a book nerd with street smarts

Kabocha

Veil has no time for any of these Shenanigans

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

he's amazing

aliceapproved

I really love Gemini's "guilt" expression in one of the interviews

Superjustinbros

Hello!

RebelVampire

yeah i think veil is also a great character balance to gemini. cause when you have someone who is into the shenanigans, you need someone to be a grounding influence

Tenor | Shinavar

I also really like that though because he shows a level of attentiveness and perception to the world around him. <3

saetje

yess! It's a flasher Kappa! Glad you liked that scene.

Shen

yeah sometimes the "straight man" character can come off as a wet blanket but he genuinely cares for Gemini. i'd like to see more of that, like how they mnet or something one day in the future

aliceapproved

Yeah! Veil and Gemini are such a dynamic complimentary duo, from personality, body shapes, and orange and blue colors!

Shen

EXCELLENt design

Superjustinbros

Oh yea, huge props for how polar opposites Gemini and Veil are

aliceapproved

OH!!! One of my favorite scenes is when Gemini firsts visits the creepy circus and the scene transitions to her perfectly waking up in bed. That was such a cool transition!

Kabocha

Yesssss!

mathtans

Yes, I agree, the two play off each other well.

Kabocha

It was!

Superjustinbros

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=198 Also, I like this scene, in part cause it reminds me very well of what happens to me some days

aliceapproved

I'm really eager to see how the circus devolves and how Veil and Gemini will handle it. Also those rad fox twins!

mathtans

(I may have to leave at a moment's notice when the baby awakens, if I suddenly go silent.)

Jess

You guys are so nice. I don’t know if I can add smilies fast enough haha

Kabocha

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=55 Also, the lighting on this page was woooonderful. I wasn't sure how to read Veil's expression though. It was kind of like... "wait. Do you not want her to move out? Or... Are you just... ....caught off guard by dog fire?" ....Then the next panel is like "Back to reality."

Jess

Yeah the scene where it transitions from her as a circus performer to her in the bed was one of my favorites. @saetje really owned that scene

Tenor | Shinavar

I read it as he's a bit hurt at the "You can finally be alone!" more than her moving out

Superjustinbros

wow that is some really good lgithing

Jess

I think that was the first time that I didn’t second guess the panel format

RebelVampire

to repeat something already said, i loved the dragon bug. that was such an immensely creative idea, and i think it was a great way to open the comic. we get a great way to get not only the impression of what the world is like, but we get to get a great feel for the personalities of the characters.

mathtans

I gotta say though, my favourite was apparently Death owning a flower shop that has the slogan "You Don't Gno-me". Gotta love those little details.

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=44

Tenor | Shinavar

GASP I MISSED THAT

OMG I LOVE IT

Jess

Yaaaaay!!

RebelVampire

yeah i give death's appearance an A+. that and gemini's confusion about why death asked about her immortal soul

aliceapproved

I looove all the mythology monsters at play in the background!

saetje

A lot of those details are thanks to @Jess who does final rendering/lettering. Flower-shop Wraith/Death will actually be showing up again I think next update, haha.

RebelVampire

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=45 although i was also distracted by the page right after. this feels so true for getting a job.

mathtans

It's the Wraith of Khan.

Shen

LOL Gemini's entire job ordeal is so relatable. "i workeds hard on this one application im gonna go get a treat" girl, same

Superjustinbros

hehee

Kabocha

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=157 Veil's distress :<

Tenor | Shinavar

Gemini sets off my inner Veil tho bc I know so many friends who do like

1 app a week

Shen

UGH hes so cute when hes sad XD

Tenor | Shinavar

and it's like: HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-

mathtans

Back to what Rebel said though, I agree the dragon as a bug was hugely creative, and a good way to see the main characters play off each other.

Tenor | Shinavar

istg I relate to Veil the entire job process lmao

Kabocha

I love the expressiveness of both Veil and Gemini, but yeah, I really really feel for Veil

aliceapproved

I love how much Veil cares! He cares SO MUCH!!!

Tenor | Shinavar

Did anyone else notice in he dragon roach scene Veil has Gemini's shoe the whole time as the weapon?

RebelVampire

i love that page, @Kabocha like the lighting plus that expression made my heart weep

mathtans

I like that Gemini did start to take it more seriously for Veil, or at least seems to have been at interviews.

RebelVampire

weep so dang much

mathtans

Tenor: I don't think I picked up on that.

Kabocha

Although, how much is Gemini caring vs the Circus influence infecting her with confidence?

Tenor | Shinavar

I realized it after I noticed Gemini running around without a shoe and had to go back to see where I missed it lmao

saetje

@Tenor | Shinavar AH! Someone noticed that!

Superjustinbros

(I'm gonna go AFK for a bit, got some things I have to do but I'll hopefully be back later!)(edited)

Tenor | Shinavar

IT'S CUTE BUT MAKES ME WONDER HOW WE GOT TO THAT POINT LOL

saetje

Yes, Veil took Gemini's shoe despite having larger feet than her. I could jsut imagine the behind-the-scenes squabbling about it

aliceapproved

OOOH Good point about the influence! I'm really intrigued by the hypnotic circus

Tenor | Shinavar

Kabo: Caring about what, specifically? Like, about the circus, trying to get a job...?

(Sorry if I'm slow on the draw, got kids here )

Jess

On our world dragons: Yeah. It came from a conversation that dragons are the pests of the magical/mythical world. To the roach/dragon thing just kinda took form from that Ahahaha

RebelVampire

yes i noticed the shoe and thought that was a great art touch of continuity

Jess

Ahaha yeah!!! I mean. My boi got nice shoes. He can’t be using them for that

aliceapproved

I'm really glad dragons have the roach aesthetic, too! As someone who loves all dragons, I draw the lines at cockroaches XD

Shen

yeah that poster at the end threw me for a loop i thought it was a legit magic look-alike so when i saw the poster i was like "whoaaa no way" haha makes me VERY interested to read more

aliceapproved

Veil is so clean haha!

Kabocha

@Tenor | Shinavar -- Just in general honestly. Gemini started putting more effort into things, but it didn't feel like she actually really gave a damn more than she had gained some level of confidence.

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

i really liked gemini's haunted mascara

saetje

I'm glad you all like the Dragon Roach opening/idea too. It's also the idea...trying to imagine how mythical things might have 'evolved' along with our modern world, and yeah. Dragons are pretty much pests you always have to exterminate, yeah?(edited)

Kabocha

Although maybe that's the magic of the circus

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

or maSCAREa

mathtans

I grinned at it being one of the flying types.

Tenor | Shinavar

Ooooh that's fair, and a good point.

mathtans

Made me think of ants. I hate the flying ones.

saetje

@mathtans directly related to past experience with real life 'flying ones'. Nothing makes a roach worse than realizing it's one of those

omg ants too

Tenor | Shinavar

Saetje: So would this modern world have those 'fortune cat' memes but with the dragons instead? Reblog for good fortune?

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

god i related to that line so much bcus of how often i had to deal with flying roaches as a young childe

saetje

hmm, fortune cat memes? Like on tumblr when someone reblogs a picture of a cat with money on its head? XD

Tenor | Shinavar

Yeah~

!*

aliceapproved

OMG

Kabocha

I could do without the flying insects aaaaaaaa

aliceapproved

gEmini and Veil on social media haha!

Shen

i bet Gemini is a memelord

Jess

Yeah!! For the circus - we’re at the point not where we can start unraveling some of the mystery. Throughout the story so far we wanted it to be sorta ambiguous about if that Gemini in the circus was the same one. In the next oncoming scenes you’ll see what’s real and what’s not. But hopefully the way it’s being read is that the readers (y’all) are realizing it might actually be Gem

Tenor | Shinavar

I'd collect flying insects if they were smol dragons justsayin

Oooou~!

Jess

She is definitely a memelord Hahahah I love that

saetje

I doubt about dragons being seen as fortune memes since dragons are seen as pests and they tend to keep you from your money (ala sitting on the horde and breathing fire) or take loose items into their hidey holes-- so they're not seen the same as lucky. But that might just be for Gem and Veil's part of their world

aliceapproved

I'm so excited for the Circus to "unravel"

Shen

i bet she texts memes to Veil from across the room and then just waits for him to look at her in disapproval =3

Tenor | Shinavar

I've been under the impression the circus might not be entirely real and the performers there are stuck against their will - kinda fae-style. <_< So either she's performing against her will and is not yet fully bound or it's been an illusion to GET her there

RebelVampire

is veil thus the type to post all the old timey book quotes then? XD

in regards to the social media thing

mathtans

Yeah, at first I thought maybe Gemini was just seeing herself in place of who was actually up there, but with the poster it seemed likely that they were actually making her do the things.

aliceapproved

Oooh, I think it could go either way with trapped souls and she's not bound yet, or it's all an illusion to trap her.

Also, Veil posts moody aesthetic boards

Shen

XD

aliceapproved

"Juggling is not a garbage job" :V

saetje

yeah we're getting into I guess the third act and I hope it comes together and makes sense. as we unravel some mystery. There's more stories we want to tell after "Barley & Bay-Lily" that all follow continuity, so I want to wrap Barley & Bay-Lily where you all know what's going on but there's more overarching questions than answered in some ways.

I'm loving these thoughts on it!

mathtans

Clever play on Barnum & Bailey, by the way.

Jess

Thanks!!

RebelVampire

i want to say i loved the juggler. that was a great design and gemini's reaction to it made me laugh. although i do wonder now if the juggler is part of the circus conspiracy

mathtans

I wonder if it's significant that they seem to be foxes.

Kabocha

Foxes are tricksters, so I mean

aliceapproved

Kitsunes!

Tenor | Shinavar

My fear about the poster though, and why I hink it's a trap, is it said her "final act"

mathtans

'Tis true.

Jess

Also I don’t know if anyone noticed but the juggler was only juggling 2 balls with 4 arms

aliceapproved

Very fitting to make them foxes! Cute and mischevious and devllish

Tenor | Shinavar

so it's like; HHHHHHHHHHHHH GEMINI BBY NO RUN AWAY

aliceapproved

YEAH!! GEMINI GET OUTTA THERE

Jess

So lots of talent going on in the streets of New Olympia hahaha

mathtans

Jess: I caught the four arms. Guess I didn't count the balls. Seems like less of a challenge there.

Shen

"mysterious circus ive never heard of down a dark alley? sounds like a great time and not at all suspicious!"

Jess

Right!?

saetje

yes, what @Kabocha said. The idea for GJ is this is HER story/myth/hero's journey. Foxes are pretty archetypal to suspect characters in folklore and fairy tale. WHAT they are exactly, well. More to be revealed :' D you guys have some awesome theories.

mathtans

Maybe there was a chainsaw off panel.

saetje

hahahaha

Kabocha

This'll be really cool to see as it approaches the end

(of the chapter, anyway)

Tenor | Shinavar

yeeees

Jess

That’s true! Whether she was a good juggler or not is the true mystery

mathtans

The foxes are actually out of work actors.

saetje

oh god.

Mathtan you figured it out

noooo

Jess

Yesssss

aliceapproved

I misread that as "work out" actors LOL

Tenor | Shinavar

choke

saetje

oh even better

Tenor | Shinavar

Explains why they are trying to start their own circus

aliceapproved

LOL "Get BUFF with JUGGLING"

Shen

LOL

mathtans

Appearing next in the Big Top - Jazzercize.

Tenor | Shinavar

WHEEZE

saetje

Possessed Scary Circus Zumba

Shen

Crossfit but its clowns

Jess

That’s terrifying

Tenor | Shinavar

I h8 u all bc I can't draw this right now

RebelVampire

i would pay to see clowns doing crossfit

saetje

now tHAT'S a million dollar comic idea, Shen

or idea in general, yes

aliceapproved

I know it's probably way off in the future, but I'm curious about plans for Veil-focused arc in the future

Shen

yeah same, im sure its planned but im interested

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. While searching for a job, Gemini clearly has gotten wrapped up in a dangerous situation involving a circus. What do you think the circus’ goal is in general for the people it entraps? Who exactly are the fox ringmasters running the show? Why was Gemini in particular targeted as opposed to other people in the audience? Why did Gemini seemingly come home in a trance, and what do you think it means for whatever is happening to Gemini? How do you feel the performer who represents Gemini’s ideals fits into all of this? Do Gemini’s anxieties have something to do with all this do you think? Lastly, how do you think Gemini will get out of this mess (or is she just doomed)?

Shen

i wanna know why he puts up with her tbh ^^; seems like she can be a bit self interested

aliceapproved

Also that it's confirmed he has friends cuz of that phone call. I'm sorry, I keep assuming he's a Sad Books lonely boy

Shen

no friends its just his mom

saetje

yeah you guys don't know if he's just sadly talking to a dial tone

Kabocha

The circus' goal is to... Basically steal her life energy! Somehow. But we'll see. Or enchant her and spirit her away~ Once she becomes part of the spirit world she won't really be albe to retuuuuuurn~

Shen

SAETJE THATS SO SAD XD

RebelVampire

well now you made it sad. XD

Kabocha

@saetje oh noooooooooooooooooooooo

aliceapproved

LOL! As for Question 2: Like most shifty magic things, steal her soul! Trap her in the circus

Kabocha

What about Gemini's mom? I'm sure he's probably got her on speed dial

RebelVampire

i assume soul stealing. i mean thats pretty standard evil fair. and who doesn't need a good soul

Shen

i dont think they targetted Gemini specifically as much as they laid out a trap and waited to see who stumbled in, and she did so they ensnared her

mathtans

Veil seems too organized to talk to a dial tone. It'd at least be the official time signal.

aliceapproved

I think the Circus targets ppl who are down on their luck or confidence or don't have a quote "real job" atm? Like job hunting is really stressful and feels hopeless a ton of times

so it looks for vulnerable ppl imo

mathtans

Gemini came home in a trance because the cab was too expensive.

Jess

That’s how I do too

saetje

BRB faking trance to get out of cab faire

aliceapproved

To heck with fantasy Uber and Lyft!

Kabocha

It shows them something akin to their best selves, maybe?

saetje

hahaha

RebelVampire

what if this is a known phenomenon in their world so when someone says "they ran away to the circus" they mean that whoops, got that soul life energy sucked out

aliceapproved

Yeah! The play of "UGH I should just run away and join the circus" it's so cool!

Shen

i once saw a video of a woman pretending to be a ghost to get out of paying a toll

Tenor | Shinavar

Q2: The specific part I havenb't already kinda answered is: I feel she is part of Gemini's subconciousness in the sense of having her "act" together. Her life wouldn't be too chaotic, she's able to balance all that is expected of her without being a 'clutz' or anything she seems to think at least minimally negatively on. (seen by her admiring the grace and such)

Kabocha

She's a representation of everything Gemini wants to be?

aliceapproved

^^^^

Tenor | Shinavar

Not exactly but def a bait, in some way

Kabocha

Except moving more toward that ideal means that Gemini gets trapped...

Well, representations don't have to be literal >_>

<_< I figured it was all pretty figurative

Tenor | Shinavar

True true

RebelVampire

the thing i cant figure out is why the trance thing. like gemini was in the circus, just suck out her soul. why give her the chance to escape?

aliceapproved

Since we see Gemini specifically, I'm assuming the audience members are just an illusion

Maybe these foxes like playing with their "prey" and make it a slow burn

mathtans

It could be through the music that the circus gets you. That alley cat seemed real scared of it, while Gemini was drawn in.

Alice: Oh, I like that.

Tenor | Shinavar

Rebel: If i works like fae magic, you gota get them to agree to it

aliceapproved

Yeah, why play if there's no risk involved?

mathtans

Rebel: To recharge?

Tenor | Shinavar

You also can avoid like - all legal repercussions if it's "willing" >_>

aliceapproved

^^^

Jess

Ahahaha consensual death is the best ... death?

aliceapproved

For lawyers, yES!

mathtans

Now waiting for the scene where Veil rules-lawyers the foxes.

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

thats how it be sometimes

aliceapproved

Law & Order with VEIL

Tenor | Shinavar

Also it hurt a lil bit I couldnt resist. Crossfit clown from geminis world lol

Shen

JKRFJGJHMHG LMAO!!!

saetje

omg @tenor hahaha

mathtans

That's a garbage job. ^.-(edited)

Tenor | Shinavar

BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE VEIL THROW DOWN VERBAL LOOP HOLES IN CONTRACTS

saetje

IT'S NOT A GARBAGE JOB, VEIL. I mean MATH.

Tenor | Shinavar

Just like, pops on some glasses and busts out a book from no where

Kabocha

That's Veil's magic power -- BOOK LEARNIN'

Tenor | Shinavar

YES

Jess

Yessss

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

magic is a thing, he probably just pulls out outta his pocket dimension- which is in his pocket

Tenor | Shinavar

He has a pocket just for his books

aliceapproved

I love all the art you guys do of Veil with his book beasts! They're the best!

Tenor | Shinavar

all 2k of them

saetje

haha,t hat's actually a joke we've been wanting to use somewhere-- "I love your dress" "Thanks it has pocket dimensions"

Jess

Omg I love it. All pockets are pocket dimensions from now on

Tenor | Shinavar

OMG YES PLZ

DO IT

aliceapproved

OMG PLS DO THAT

Tenor | Shinavar

AS A PARENT IT'S A NECESSITY wheeeeeeeeeze

aliceapproved

pockets are THE BEST

imagine a pocket dimension!

This world gets better and better! Minus the creepy circuses

Jess

Right

Hehehe

mathtans

"My pocket dimension is full of clowns...."

Jess

Nooooo worst dimension

Kabocha

I saw a few other people ask it, but... Why is Veil so tolerant of Gemini's shenanigannery? I mean, I am a far less patient roommate than he is...

saetje

I figure a pocket dimension dress would have to be some kind of plot device though for a future arc. i mean, HAVE to be.

Tenor | Shinavar

New def to clown car

Kabocha

matth whyyy

Tenor | Shinavar

Kabo: My shipping side if he finds it endearing

Exhausting but endearing

saetje

wellp, clowns ruined it

RebelVampire

i do applaud veil's sheer patience

Kabocha

I WAS LEANING THAT WAY BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S JUST ENTERTAINED OR WHAT

RebelVampire

but i do assume the blushing is more than just blushing

Tenor | Shinavar

CON GRATS REBEL

YOU DID IT

Jess

Ah. Well be answering that soon. I think so far we’ve been focusing on Gem and some of her worst traits - her selfishness, but

Shen

nice~

mathtans

Kabocha: Because I can. As to why Veil's tolerant, maybe he knows someone like Gemini in his family or his past.

Kabocha

I figured Veil was kind of perpetually blushing unless otherwise upset.

Shen

i am absolute ship trash and i am waiting for this to sail but i am patient

Jess

And we’ve focused on veils best - his smarts and his loyalty

Tenor | Shinavar

I keep getting little hints Veil at least Likes her.

Kabocha

Hm. So he knows Gemini could be Amazing if she'd try?

RebelVampire

i think there is some of that yes

Tenor | Shinavar

But doesn't push it

RebelVampire

wait veil has bad traits?

i dont accept this

Tenor | Shinavar

No he doesn't

don't listen to them

shh

Shen

no, veil is perfect

Kabocha

Veil's afraid of bugs....

mathtans

Veil just likes Gemini for her shoes. Much shoe blushing, wants to wear them.

Tenor | Shinavar

Je

aliceapproved

I'm sure Veil totally finds Gemini charming and really.. pr-pretty BLUSH

RebelVampire

being afraid of bugs is a good trait

Jess

It’s true. And he won’t dirty his own shoes

RebelVampire

bugs carry disease

Tenor | Shinavar

But is he afraid of bugs

or the fact they can catch shit on fire

aliceapproved

Veil is very much a neat freak which is a double-edged sword

Tenor | Shinavar

like his books

aliceapproved

and not very impulsive, so Gemini helps liven things up for him

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

tenor raises a good point

Shen

thats more "quirky" than a character flaw lol

like "clumsy" girls XD

Kabocha

They're foils for one another, you say? That's how these sorts of friendships balance each other? NEVAAAAAAR! ....I ship them unless there is a reason I should not.

Shen

these ship goggles dont come off

Kabocha

Several people are typing...

aliceapproved

Yeah, this arc is very Gemini focused and how she needs to grow as a character

I'm excited to see how Veil needs to grow as a character in the future

Kabocha

Yesh!

Shen

aye

aliceapproved

Gotta take turns!

RebelVampire

admittedly i do think veil kind of needs to learn to have fun probably

as a character arc

Tenor | Shinavar

But books are fun

Work is fun

saetje

well but organization is fun

RebelVampire

although i do wanna know now who veil is calling

and what he does with his not gemini friends

Tenor | Shinavar

RESPONSIBILITY

aliceapproved

Yeah, that's definitely something I see with Veil

Tenor | Shinavar

Just what the dr ordered

RebelVampire

i agree with organization and books but i meant more in how he carries himself

Jess

Oh! It’s a dial tone

RebelVampire

gotta learn to tweet those memes back

saetje

hahaha

Tenor | Shinavar

lmaaao

Shen

thats fair he could stand to lighten up lol they both need to learn a bit from each other. hes not got time for fun if he has to always be the "responsible" one because someone else took up all the "fun" XD

aliceapproved

Yeah! Guy needs to party and have an impulsive time for once rather than strictly schedule

They need to work together

Tenor | Shinavar

I do agree tho, with how in the know he seems to be, I'd like to know who all he's got, esp depending how they'll influence stuff in the future.

bc it seems he's from here whereas Gemini isn't soooo <_<;

mathtans

Veil can be fun. Veil can't be impulsive.

RebelVampire

yeah i do hope this circus experience teaches gemini more responsibility. in that maybe she should fill out more than a few apps XD

aliceapproved

Does Veil have a hard time making decisions?

Shen

"look how impulsively i filled out your applications for you isnt that fun?"

mathtans

Alice: Not if blueberries are involved.

aliceapproved

And yeah, Gemini certainly learning more responsibility and also, to trust in herself if she applies herself and focuses

Jess

Ahahaha

Tenor | Shinavar

I think Gemini jus needs to get to the point she doesn't need a child leash

Jess

Well and for me - I think when people are going through hardships, like Gem not being able to land a job, sometimes the worst parts of themselves show up. And while I love the character - (and hopefully) she’s shown to be kinda funny and not overly mean - I thought it was important to show her bad side early on

mathtans

I don't see her as mean, just easily distracted.

Tenor | Shinavar

^Same

She's irresponsible but not in a malicious way

Like if she hurt someone I'd be dead up surprised if it was intentional

aliceapproved

Yeah, that's definitely it ^^

mathtans

Tenor: She killed a dragon.

aliceapproved

I never thought of her as "mean"

Tenor | Shinavar

she is a sweet widdle cinnimon bun who needs protected from circuses and flashers

I said someone

Not thing

Kabocha

Gemini is Dovahkiin now lol

aliceapproved

I'm sorry, Mat, but they're pests in this universe. Cockroaches uugh

Tenor | Shinavar

Difference ;)

RebelVampire

oh yeah gemini is still super likeable. its more shes that adult who hasnt quite grown up yet. and youre kind of hand waving her to make stop being a kid 100% of the time.

mathtans

Fair.

aliceapproved

Yeah! She's like a kid fresh out of college

Jess

Oh good! Was kinda worried. But she’s definite selfish and flighty and I’m happy to see that it’s coming through

Without making her irredeemable

Draco Plato

yeah she's definitely still likeable

aliceapproved

Open to the free adult world, but still needs to learn how to adult cuz lord knows school prepares us for THAT

Tenor | Shinavar

Yeah nah there's not a mean bone in that child's body

Free spirit, I think is a good desc?

mathtans

The foxes are also spirits, but they're not free.

saetje

I'm glad! That's what we're going for- she's not intentionally harmful but has a lot of growing up to do. I don't think she realizes when her actions can hurt someone else.

aliceapproved

She's selfish and irresponsible, but there's still potential to be redeemed. She's a well-rounded character that's set up to evolve from this story and that's what makes sticking with this story so worth it!

saetje

no one's free when they teach Clown Jazzercise

RebelVampire

those poor foxes. gemini is actually doing them a service

mathtans

I wonder if this world has the Zodiac? Is Gemini's name at all related to that?

Kabocha

Pffff

Tenor | Shinavar

Oooh. <.< Good q

aliceapproved

Like, Veil is obviously responsible and an adult, so Gemini doesn't seem to think she has to think about Veil's feelings or words on some matters? He's got it all figured out! Me though? I need help. Veil, veil help me! What applications?! Not boring help ;; That's how I see Gemini

Kabocha

Gemini's the twins, yeah? Does Gemini have a sister, or a hidden second side where she's actually really competent?

mathtans

Maybe she's the good twin, and the evil one is in the circus.

aliceapproved

OOH, I'm curious about that, too, Math. I'm a Scorpio!

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

that means you have a scorpion in the circus

Shen

"the twins" the foxes...

Jess

Ahahaha yesssss

saetje

Can't really reveal the Gemini connection yeeet buuut, duality and twins have some play in the overarching story yes!

aliceapproved

DUN DUN DUUUN

Shen

PS im a Gemini~

Jess

Me tooooo!! Yesssss

Are you also plagued by fox clowns out of work

Kabocha

Gemini probably hasn't really taken time to consider other people's feelings long-term. I don't think she's quite there emotionally, but when she actually like.... really has it sink in that she worried Veil, that'll be interesting. Although she did acknolwedge she scared him, so I mean

aliceapproved

Secret revealed, Gemini is called Gemini cuz Jess is a Gemini

Tenor | Shinavar

Naaaice ~ Also omg the fox twins ffft- Makes me think

Kabo: Yeah, I don't think she fully got how bad the scare was?

Shen

sweet im gonna name my next character Sagittarius

Kabocha

Yeah, it's the depth that I think she lacks

Tenor | Shinavar

Like "I'm sorry for scaring you but not sorry I did the action to cause it :D" levels of immaturity

aliceapproved

@saetje What's your zodiac sign if you don't mind sharing?

mathtans

Plot twist, Gemini sells her soul to the Flower Wraith Shop, and the foxes have to buy it back to keep their shenanigans going.

Tenor | Shinavar

kjdhaskj

Kabocha

When she gets more insight it'll be awesome as she grows

Shen

LOL

Tenor | Shinavar

Kabo: Yeeeeees

Jess

She’s two fishes

saetje

Pisces

aliceapproved

Yeah, Gemini maturing as an adult is really exciting to wait for

My sister's two fish, too XD

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

twins............. two fish..............................

i see a theme here

Tenor | Shinavar

I really wanna see Gemini work for Death now hhh-

aliceapproved

OMG

Yes haha!

Maybe a temp job that doesn't work out somehow

Kabocha

Twist: Death only claims dead plants

Tenor | Shinavar

Mostly bc I'm stuck with Death having the VA as the Death from Conker's bad fur day and I just. Can't.

mathtans

"You should probably hold the scythe the other way."

Kabocha

"You're going to hurt yourself if you trim the shrubberies this way."

Tenor | Shinavar

"Why are you wearing all black it's hot af out go change, child"

RebelVampire

i hope death only claims dead plants cause otherwise gemini is basically going from one soul threatening adventure to another

saetje

haha so true

XDD

Tenor | Shinavar

WELL I MEAN

she just have to give death her soul

it's never said when

mathtans

Does it have to be her soul, or just a soul? Or maybe soul music?

Tenor | Shinavar

oh god

Just a soul can be how we find out Death accepts plants

RebelVampire

death better be a fan of soul music

saetje

you've split this concept wide open Maths

Shen

the sole of this shoe

Tenor | Shinavar

Shen NO

Shen

=D

saetje

SHEN YES

Jess

Yessss

aliceapproved

Another note about this story, is that I think it's a really good Young Adult story, cuz I feel myself and a bunch of other adults or kids coming out of college can relate to Gemini's story of trying to find work after moving out to live on their own

Tenor | Shinavar

That's Death's brother, Reaper.

mathtans

Veil: "Your spell checker has done you in. Gemini only has to give you her shoe sole."

Jess

Awwww!! Thanks so much

Tenor | Shinavar

Alice: Yeees. Tho I think this first big arc is good for younger children too

RebelVampire

the shoe in the dragon part was foreshadowing

aliceapproved

Yeah!

Tenor | Shinavar

Like my kiddo would love the art and atm if it goes where I suspect it might, it's a great lesson to learn young

saetje

Thanks @aliceapproved !! that makes me happy to hear because that's also what we're going for

Jess

Yeah actually when whenever we show Gem getting rejected I get real sad. Since some of it draws from our experiences

aliceapproved

You guys nailed it

Yeah, it was a big mood for me this year, so this story has been helping

Tenor | Shinavar

Rejeced? D:

Jess

Younger out of college Jess applied to be the new death - and I got turned down

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Though we certainly know Gemini and Veil a bit, much of their past history has yet to have been discussed. Why do you think Gemini has struck out on her own? Do you think it’s just to embrace adulthood, or is there something specific she’s seeking? Was there anything about Gemini’s journey into adulthood that you connected with? What about Veil? What do you think Veil’s backstory is? How do you think Veil and Gemini even know each other? Do you think Veil’s overprotectiveness of Gemini exists for a reason, or do you think it’s just part of Veil’s personality? In regards to their future, do you think that the two will be able to remain friends, or will their differing personalities get in the way of peaceful cohabitation? Do you think Gemini will be able to successfully get a job? Finally, will Gemini move out once she gets a job, or will Veil potentially actively sabotage it?

saetje

I guess now that we're getting more shows like "Aggretsuko" I'd say we'd like to hit around that target. Like, we're sort-of 'mature' only because of some of the (not-NSFW) themes resonates more with older folks. But hopefully there's still more to be enjoyed from a slightly younger YA/teen audience.

mathtans

Interesting last question there - I don't think Veil would actively sabotage, but might passively, without really thinking about it. "You can't move out next week, it's supposed to rain."

Shen

i think Gemini's irresponsibility combined with the double life (???????) shes got going on now is leading to a big fight with Veil. I dread it though

aliceapproved

SAME SHEN!!!

A big confrontation scene!

I can feel it coming

Veil finally calling out Gemini

I can only imagine the emotions!

Kabocha

...Can Veil handle confrontation where he gets pushback?

like, he can handle snark, but, an actual argument?

RebelVampire

yeah. veil might be the type who cant really deal with confrontation like that

Tenor | Shinavar

3: Gemini is homeschooled. If she's trying to branch out there's a chance she might either feel shackled a bit, or she's been encouraged by her parents to stretch her wings. Gemini ran into Veil lost puppy style, trufax. Brought her in from the rain and cold Veil's personality is probably tied to sorta trying to guide Gemini in the sense of law and order. Everything has a place, so you gotta do it- where you going coME BACK OMG I AM TRYING TO HELP YOU. I do believe here is going to be some strife at some point because Gemini has shown a lack of communication and emotional skill and Veil has shown a lack of willingness to bend. BUT I do believe this will clear up after some resolution from some juicy content So yes I believe they'll stay friends.

RebelVampire

although i think the confrontation is coming

saetje

That's a really great question, Kabocha. We haven't shown that yet :)c

Tenor | Shinavar

Maybe at worse a temporary not friends moment to crush our hopes and dreams

aliceapproved

Or maybe "not speaking" terms atm

RebelVampire

actually ya know what i could see as veil's big character arc is addressing change. cause the moving out thing may be more than veil just doesnt want gemini to go. it may be that veil is the sort that completely shuts down when there is change

saetje

y'all you guys have such insight, I'm loving your thoughts here. It's a relief to know you guys are getting a lot of what we're trying to put out and I love hearing your concepts, and concerns, for the characters!

Kabocha

I dunno that Veil realizes how overbearing he can be, to be honest. So.. Gemini's gonna get pushed to the edge and push back against him.

Tenor | Shinavar

Rbeel: Oooooh, that can be true too

aliceapproved

I think Gemini might resolve to move back in with her mom (which is LEAST wanted thing for her cuz I think she loves being out on her own), but Veil offers that she could still say with him, granted now that she has a proper not circus cursed job

Tenor | Shinavar

SOME chaos is good but what is his limit.

aliceapproved

RebelVampire, that's a really good note on Veil!

Tenor | Shinavar

Kabo: Yeah I get that. He seems so happy to 'help' but because he knows what you NEED to do to get done, he doesn't seem to fully 'get' that it's a lot for Gemini

aliceapproved

Veil's very much overprotective

Tenor | Shinavar

A bit of lack of empathy for the situation in the face of necessity?

aliceapproved

Yeah, like filling out applications is FuN???

Kabocha

He also doesn't understand how to break things down into smaller more completable tasks

mathtans

Gemini needs a source of income, maybe Veil's letting her stay for cheap?

Kabocha

he can handle a long list, but.... honestly, Gemini needs to feel accomplished at each step of the way and realize how much progress she's made

aliceapproved

Yeah, Gemini is a person that needs to be eased and break down steps, not all dumped at once

saetje

@Kabocha exactly- one of the flaws we've hopefully seen in Veil is that he can be pushy (literally physically pushing her around town int he beginning arc) and then tends to put too much on Gemini than what she's ready for at times.

Tenor | Shinavar

I got pushy though I didn' know the physical part was part of it

aliceapproved

Yeah! That page with her smushed with all his word bubbles was a great representation of that!

Tenor | Shinavar

I figured him grabbing her was because it was liTERALLY UNSAFE LOL

mathtans

Veil isn't as observant as Gemini, maybe because she's so distractible. He didn't realize she knew his fave berries and such.

saetje

Well I might've misspoke- it was more of a visual analogy for being emotionally pushy than, like, physically harmful or abusive.

Kabocha

He's basically trying to herd her lol

saetje

yes like a little sheep dog lol

aliceapproved

Yeah!

Tenor | Shinavar

OOOH OKAY

I getcha now lol

aliceapproved

Veil is honestly a toothpick and I bet a small breeze could push him over

Tenor | Shinavar

laskdjKLSDFJ

Jess

Lmao

saetje

omg

Tenor | Shinavar

Don't insult my son like that

just bc he can takje flight with those ears don't mean nuttin

Shen

LOL

aliceapproved

He's a GOOD SON!

saetje

oommg haha

aliceapproved

I love him!

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

veil is a good boi

aliceapproved

Boy ain't gonna win a bar fight is all haha!

Bless this sensitive boy!

Kabocha

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=178 "You are in my personal space"

Tenor | Shinavar

Nah legit tho being the tiny I'm surprised he CAN push her, or at least shows she's willing somewhat to be guided

Jess

Guys. It’s the nose isn’t it

Tenor | Shinavar

omg someone draw me Veil getting carried off by gemini plz

Jess

He can do no wrong with a face so right

mathtans

Veil has a large picture of Spock in his room. Big fan.

Tenor | Shinavar

That's exactly it Jess

saetje

Honestly Gem could just pick him up and swing him around like a baseball bat if she wanted, I think.

Tenor | Shinavar

kaisdjfKHJDSF

I mean he is such a stiff

saetje

@mathtans definitely a huge Spock influence!

aliceapproved

OMG BASEBALL BAT

RebelVampire

veil's number one advice to gemini is to just think of what would spock do

Shen

PFFFFF

RebelVampire

then gemini asks who spock is

aliceapproved

http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=186 < a M O O D

mathtans

Gemini to Wraith: "Dammit Bones!"

RebelVampire

oh i loved that page with the giant to-do list

it was a great visual gag

aliceapproved

I definitely "treat myself" for small tasks when there are still more or bigger tasks to do haha!

Jess

Lol me too

saetje

I was REALLY into Star Trek a while back and almost did some 4-panel Star Trek Gemini Journey AU comics...I don't know if I have the sketches anymore though. Kind of psyched myself out of them

I think everyone works differently. You gotta treat yourself once in a while though!

Tenor | Shinavar

^

Jess

But going back to the characters - we hope to focus on their dynamic more and more. We love all y’all insight tho!

Tenor | Shinavar

reating yourself is importaaant

I LOVE THEIR DYNAMIC AND AM HYPED FOR MORE

mathtans

Their dynamic is mezzoforte.

saetje

yeah I'm loving hearing all your thoughts and getting some insight into how you all are reading the comic. It can be tough when you're so close to something to really 'see' it anymore

I appreciate your thoughts!

aliceapproved

Yes! They're a great duo!

I'm always excited when there's an update and Veil and Gemini are interacting

And yeah! Ofc dude! Lots of pairs of eyes help

mathtans

Just want to say the style of the comic is really interesting... I don't think I've ever really seen it before, just having the one panel. Most trend to pages or 4-panel or whatever. But one panel can really speak volumes, even if it's just a reaction shot, done in this way.

Jess

That means so much to hear!

Tenor | Shinavar

As someone with a messed up wrist I appreciate it too bc scrolling hurts so this worked great

aliceapproved

I think the webtoons layout for it works really well for scrolling! I love reading updates before bed It fits so well!

saetje

Thanks! Honestly it's how I've always 'seen' it and I'm glad you all like that-- It's been a bit of a point of uncertainty for us. I'm hoping in the future we can get some sort of swiping option for mobile devices to swipe between panels on full-screen instead of always clicking

and yes! Webtoons has done well for us too

Kabocha

Yeah, I'll agree - carpal tunnel makes scrolling format hard, but your website is perfectly suited

thank you for having both options!

Jess

I gotta be honest when we made the decision to do it this way - we were so conflicted. We wanted to do this format becuase we envisioned it with simple panels and @saetje really works hard to make things look cinematic

Tenor | Shinavar

omg if you get swipe in I'd be so happy bc I do like 90% of my reading on my phone ;u;

aliceapproved

Yeah, I would definitely love that as a feature in the future. Clicking is fine, but it can be difficult going back and forth and waiting for a website to load

Oh yeah! This story really reads well as a show or film! The storyboard format

RebelVampire

yeah i was skeptical of the one panel thing at first but once i got used to it i thought it was really nice. especially for how much it allows to be fit on any one "page"

saetje

yeah! Tenor, we always wanted it to be REALLY mobile friendly. Like my ideal is to just let the panels fill a mobile screen and swipe to read. We just....aren't really programmers so we haven't figured that out so much yet XD BUT- I'm really happy to hear the one-panel tapping is easy on wrists! I've heard other people call us 'accessible' for that and that was an uninentional side effect but I'm happy to hear it.

aliceapproved

Yeah! Plus, you get cool scenes like the circus sequence back to Gem waking up in bed in the same pose as the juggler

Tenor | Shinavar

It's muchly appreciated too <33

RebelVampire

on a different note, im really intrigued by the fact that gemini's savings are in the form of like actual treasure. and im really curious if thats literally their hard currency, and if not, where did gemini get all that treasure.

Tenor | Shinavar

I think it is bc she says the coffee was a gold coin + a virgin's tear

Superjustinbros

I'm back!

Shen

"a gold coin AND a virgin tear what a rip off"

mathtans

They're paste gems.

aliceapproved

I think it's Mom's allowance to her before she moved

Superjustinbros

And glad you're aiming for a smooth mobile experience with the comic.

Tenor | Shinavar

So I'm curious, if you two are willing to answer this (and it's cool if not!) But what's inspired you guys to tackle this story? :D

Superjustinbros

I have to admit, sticking to one panel per page helps a lot

mathtans

Yeah, maybe Gemini should store up her tears and sell them on the street?

Tenor | Shinavar

omg math

saetje

omg

Superjustinbros

@mathtans

mathtans

Tear-able idea, I know.

Jess

It’s probably a bit different for both of us: We’re huge myth nerds but we felt like there wasn’t a story that really talked about what ppl just starting their journey was like.(edited)

Superjustinbros

oooo

saetje

@Tenor | Shinavar no problem at all! Honestly GJ has been through many iterations including an animated series pitch in 20...12?? It was my and @Jess 's senior project! It was always very heavily myth-inspired because we're really into that. It's a modern hero's journey

Tenor | Shinavar

Oooh~! <3

saetje

but basically what @Jess said

Superjustinbros

Did someone say, animated series?

Jess

Like the feeling of being unprepared to adult and the lack of jobs. The scariness of being on your own. Finding love, and losing it. And the fear of letting people down.

aliceapproved

That's a really good point, a Journey!

Jess

It’s why Gemini’s full name is Gemini Journey

aliceapproved

Also mythology is SO GOSH DANG GOOD

mathtans

I thought that was a clever play on words.

aliceapproved

I love all the mythical creature references!

Jess

And plus—- all this myth jokes Hahahaha

saetje

Yeah. What can we say--- we were starry-eyed animation students once (well, @Jess was a graphic design major)

Superjustinbros

Seconding mythology

and wow, that's quite impressive!

mathtans

Wouldn't want to myth out.

saetje

yes! I'm REALLY into myth, folklore, and fairy tales. Bookshelves are lined with them, and I still don't know everything. It's a really rich topic.

Jess

I was not a animator hahah but I like them. They are awesome

aliceapproved

World Mythology class was one of my all time favorite classes in college haha!

Jess

Me too!!

aliceapproved

and your animated ad was BEAUTIFUL

saetje

same @aliceapproved !

and thank you!

aliceapproved

Seeing Gem and Veil move is gorgeous and I could see little gifs of them interacting

mathtans

As for the question of the half hour, I'm thinking Gemini answered a "want ad" from Veil, looking for a roommate, and she was the only one willing to take the place. Everyone else thought he was too strict, would get upset if they left the milk out.

RebelVampire

oh thats good to know. i did wonder what the significance was in that her name was gemini journey

aliceapproved

when time allows to work on those kinds of things haha!

Jess

I think myths in general tell important truths about people while still being entertaining. I hope our story gives them justice

aliceapproved

You guys totally do!

RebelVampire

veil does seem like the type whod make horrified faces at the milk being left out XD

Jess

Yeah. It’s a play on the Hero’s Journey

aliceapproved

I wonder if Griffins will make an appearance. I love that Teacup manticores exist haha!

saetje

Definitely lots of fights about how to load the dishwasher correctly (if they even have one)

Superjustinbros

lol

Tenor | Shinavar

I believe you guys give them great justice! I's def creative and fun for sure! :D

mathtans

"You bought the powdered soap again...."

RebelVampire

posting a bit early but i feel we are segueing into the next question already

QUESTION 4. Although the world has present-day elements, there are also a slew of magical things. What aspect of the world intrigued you the most and why? Are there tidbits mentioned that you’d love to know more about in the future? Alternatively, is there any magical related creature or being that you’re hoping to see make an appearance in the comic? In regards to actual story canon, do you feel Gemini is familiar with this magical world or that she still has a lot to learn? In what ways do you think magical elements might come into play and make trouble for Gemini? Regardless of magic, what sorts of other conflicts are you hoping to see/do you think we’ll see, especially in regards to Gemini learning to be an adult?

saetje

@aliceapproved honestly one of our downfalls is @Jess and I want to showcase TOO MANY mythological animals b/c we love so many of them and have a lot of ideas for how they'd work in our world. But, to what cost to plot, ugh.

and yeah griffins are like on that list b/c GRIFFINS

Shen

give me werewolves

ill give you a dollar

Tenor | Shinavar

brb

mathtans

Magical dishwasher.

aliceapproved

VERY GOOD

mathtans

Do they have flying cars?

RebelVampire

have we seen a minotaur yet? need some minotaurs up in this joint.

and unicorns

aliceapproved

What I'm interested is the fact that Gemini is an Antlantean and I wonder how that factors into future story elements if any

And yes, PLEASE griffins, unicorns, and minotaurs

saetje

WELL, here's something I think I can give away that hasn't exactly been pointed out a lot of times in our story yet (we are getting to it): there aren't any humans in the GJ universe (http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=74) so a concept of a werewolf to them would really be a "werehuman", haha. But there are other wolfed-figured beings like Wulvers from Irish myth.(edited)

Superjustinbros

Unicorns, you say?

~~suddenly thinking about centaurs~

aliceapproved

YEAH THAT'S RIGHT! I remember giggling at that "HUMAN TALE"

Human tale must be so boring to them XD

It's like OUR world, but NO MAGIC

oh wait, they're horror stories

saetje

^^ yes

mathtans

Is Gemini actually a magical girl?

saetje

I MEAN, there are some strong "Princess Tutu" influences already and even more so coming up

Shen

magical girls are my jaaaaaaaaaaam

RebelVampire

did notice gemini was an antlantean, didnt realize there were no humans

i actually hope the gemini veil fight happens

Superjustinbros

What does the transformation sequence look like

RebelVampire

so we can see gemini's home

that sounds amazing

Superjustinbros

I must know

mathtans

Gemini is a duck?

saetje

how did you know?

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

a WHAT

Jess

Nooooo you figured it out

aliceapproved

I wanna meet Gemini's mom haha!

I've seen the art but gosh

or Veil interacting with them

Honestly, Veil and Gemini meet the other's parent(s)

mathtans

Waiting for the episode where Cupid accidentally shoots Veil with an arrow.

Jess

Yeah admittedly - the character designs for gems mom @saetje has done I’m really digging. I can’t wait for her appearance

mathtans

Veil falls in love with a dial tone. Very embarassing.

Jess

“Accidentally”

I love that

We need to rewrite the next episode stat

mathtans

He meant to shoot Gemini but Veil protected her.

saetje

um YEAH Math is going to be our new head writer

awww

mathtans

aliceapproved

LOL

Superjustinbros

Math, you should re-write all our comics/stories

saetje

omg agree

aliceapproved

I think you guys have a great Valentine's idea strip coming!

Superjustinbros

mind blown from the idea of a Math/SJB production

puns and jokes and visual gags everywhere

RebelVampire

i hope gemini's mom is super awesome. i feel like she must be and gemini wants to be awesome like her

mathtans

Let me try to get to 10 people reading my own comic first, maybe.

Superjustinbros

lol

I read your stuff and it's pretty rad @mathtans

mathtans

Would Gemini's dad still be in the picture, I wonder?

Superjustinbros

Gemini's uncle?

aliceapproved

Gemini's grunkle?

Shen

My dad? your dad?

saetje

hahaha, Uncle Saggitarius, Auntie Pisces...

aliceapproved

OMG

Jess

All dads

Superjustinbros

OMG

aliceapproved

HAHA!!! Great idea!

Superjustinbros

I dunno why but i always caught onto the name Saggitarius

Shen

in a shocking twist, veil isn't Gemini's love interest hes her dad

mathtans

Gemini could have two moms for all we know.

saetje

LORD

Superjustinbros

and it's totally not because I love centaurs

mathtans

(I now ship Gemini's parents, I guess...?)

aliceapproved

For Halloween, there probably should be a "Scary Human Tale" and it's filing taxes

Shen

XD

RebelVampire

well to be fair, dont need to be blood related for him to be her dad in a way. i mean he is basically pushing for her to succeed, teaching her stuff, and generally being the responsible adult

Shen

Veil is her dad confirmed

he loves and supports her and wants the best for her even when shes at her worst

Superjustinbros

daww

Shen

ps saetje and Jess i hope you guys are in DMs with each other just screaming about all the dumb shit we're saying XD

Superjustinbros

lmao

Jess

Are... you here with us

Superjustinbros

I never thought of CTP's featured creators ever doing that

aliceapproved

Repeating what a previous comment mentioned, it'll be fun to see how Veil falls for Gemini, like the spark that ignited his feelings for her and hopefully for Gemini in turn

Shen

LMAO

mathtans

Veil is actually a magic clone of her dad that was sent by the ghost of her grandfather, Thor?

saetje

oh, @Jess is my S/O so we're just chatting in our living room together and loving everything y'all say

Jess

But honestly this has been so inspiring

Shen

oh even better!

Tenor | Shinavar

BACK. #4: THe aspect that inrigues me the most is how diverse the world is and how it just is all one big melting pot. It's colorful and you've no idea what's around the corner. :D I'm curious if something like a Wendigo might get seen! :D

Superjustinbros

Daww, that's cute! (edited)

also WB!

Tenor | Shinavar

THaaaaank

Superjustinbros

np~

brb for a sec

mathtans

Wendigos is scary stuff. O.o

Tenor | Shinavar

Yes they are

saetje

I LOVE the myth of Wendigo! No plans, esp. because they start out as human, but. I enjoy that one a lot

Tenor | Shinavar

But also like, one of my favorites so-

That's fair!

RebelVampire

can never see wendigo in a positive light. 2spooky.

mathtans

Wendigone.

Shen

that eliminates vampires, too....

RebelVampire

i hope there are phoenixes. and i hope gemini doesnt know them offhand and freaks out when one bursts into flames.

aliceapproved

Would aliens fall into the category or is that too sci-fi?

Lol a fantasy world that has stories that are sci-fi

Jess

But what if we made a chain. And it’s a reheaded wendigo that sells burgers with square patties

Tenor | Shinavar

Y R U MEAN TO THAT CHILD REBEl

omg

oMG

plz

Jess

I mean —-

mathtans

Oh, phoenixes are fun.

aliceapproved

Phoenix chicks!!!

Tenor | Shinavar

"We sell Hyumahn meat"

aliceapproved

Little baby Phoenixes pls haha!

Shen

phoenix lady dating a merman

aliceapproved

Fresh from death!

I mean Rebirth!

mathtans

Jess: I got that.

Sassy twitter extra.

saetje

We've been throwing around a phoenix story idea! They're also a personal favorite

again: too many great myth/fairy tale creatures we love, guuh.

aliceapproved

Again as said earlier, I'm really happy that Kappas made an appearance, too! I love it when mythical creatures from all over the world are in one place together

Shen

i just love how he knew how defeat the kappa lol

mathtans

"Why's that bird hanging around the Vietnamese shop?" "It's a Pho Enix."

Shen

BOOO MATH XD

saetje

IE: we thought of Veil and Gem "babysitting" a sphinx and Gem keeps feeding it puns and popsicle riddles (junk food) when it needs, like, existential riddles for nutrients, ha.

RebelVampire

yes i do think theres a great mixture of things from tons of diff cultures. it really makes the world extra super colorful.

Tenor | Shinavar

AWH

Yes plz sphinx bby

RebelVampire

i bet veil has some great existential riddles

mathtans

Aw, those are cute drawings.

aliceapproved

AAAAWW

Shen

GOSH

Tenor | Shinavar

I'll hate it because the puns will hurt so much but UGGGH IT'D BE SO CUTE I'LL DIE FROM IT

Shen

SLEEPY VEIL MELTING MY HEART

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

OMG CUTEEEEEEE

Kabocha

Awww, Veil, that is just way too cute ^_^

aliceapproved

Your sketches are SO GOOD

mathtans

(Speaking of, when do we get the pastries that I saw on Veil's plate for the CTP today?)

aliceapproved

Your guys' ideas are SO GOOD

saetje

older concepts BUT. Again. there are SO MANY potential for fun-myth-animal stories we tend to get lost in them, haha. I don't know how much/if any will make it into the comic

I'll mail them out Math!

Jess

The pastries were there all along. In your heart

aliceapproved

Do you guys plan to do little intermission stories before doing a big arc like this one?

saetje

yes! Just like the roach comic

Jess

Yup!

aliceapproved

Like the dragon cockroach felt like a good mini-story before we got a meaty story

saetje

we plan to do little minis between bigger arcs

aliceapproved

YEAH!

Tenor | Shinavar

Sweet! :D

Jess

We want to alternate between large stories and smaller world building stuff

Tenor | Shinavar

Exciiiiiited

mathtans

Anyway, gtg, baby needs me. Best with the comic!

RebelVampire

good luck math~!

Jess

Best!! And thanks for stopping by!!

saetje

thanks for coming Math! Best wishes

aliceapproved

Bye, Math!!!

Tenor | Shinavar

Oh more queestions~ Due to how your comic is constructed, do you find you have more time to work on it, and/or you got a good healthy buffer?

BYE MATH

saetje

oh that's a really good question Tenor!

Originally, for like the last two years we've had almost a 6 mo queue, because also only update bi-weekly. But we recently ran out of that queue because LIFE and freelance hit us hard XDD so we've been trying to catch up somewhat successfully. As far as page-speed creation, I think it can vary widely but both @Jess and I have gotten a lot faster than we used to be. When we're really able to focus after-work hours (no life and freelance jams getting too much in the way) we can do about 4-6 panels in a single week, about 10-20 hours between us

The thing is though, one of the draw-backs of single panel shots is you DO have to show a lot more, I think, than just a page-layout comic.

Superjustinbros

Oooh!

That's interesting~

also bye Math

saetje

like, if we took those panels and made them into a page layout we would get away with showing less, I think, and possibly saving some time? But it's hard to gauge because also there's panel layout and flow and page composition to consider that we don;t have to worry as much about

Jess

Yeah I was gonna say the same thing. Actually the full panels largest drawback is that you have to draw sooooo much. In a comic with many panels you could cut to a talking head suddenly - in ours, because of the layout we have to be very careful not to take them out of context too quickly and too frequently

saetje

yeah good point Jess

Tenor | Shinavar

That's a good point. It's such an interesting thing o consider because - I guess the easiest way I can describe it is like the illustrations in children's books. They can be just so world building and easter-eggy so it's interesting to consider the differences!

Jess

So it’s a mixed bag. On one hand you are making only one image at a time. Sometimes even usi a lot of the same assets. But on the other - it’s a full color illustration and having to show minute changes in expression to keep the pace from seeming too quick can be a challenge too

Yeah that too!!

RebelVampire

im curious if you took printing into consideration. idk if youve printed the comic before or ever intended too. just wondering how a single panel per page comic would work in that case.

Superjustinbros

Yeah, I see what you're saying, do one-panel updates but fill them with lots and lots of detail?

saetje

or if the pacing reads too slow too- panel comics (or comics made by animators in general) can also be too slow b/c us animators LOVE showing those minute pose/expression changes, which can sometimes read slow. I'm always stressed about the pace, ha.

whitneyandcompany

Hi! Love the comic

Tenor | Shinavar

I could see, in print form, largely remaining single panel per page, or for the more fast paced ones tweak to 2-3 on the page

saetje

@Jess and I always imagined the comic a digital-first production, but if we were to go to print it'd likely be something along the lines of what Ava's Demon did. Just, single panels-per-page. But @Jess being the graphic designer who often works in print too might have some other ideas on that

Hi @whitneyandcompany thank yoouu

Jess

So when creating one of the things we did as a priority is consider the mobile screen first. Which is the opposite of what is the norm. If we were to do a book it would be handled where we put a very limited amount of images on a page. Maybe 1-2 similar to Ava’s demon

aliceapproved

Yeah, the drawback of single-paged stuff is exactly that. Focusing more on some things, like a character going through emotions can read more slowly even tho it's important to the story

Tenor | Shinavar

ugh ilu for the mobile love lol

Superjustinbros

Just thought I'd say before the CTP ends- good luck with the rest of Gemini Journey, @saetje and @Jess. It's really coming along well and you're definitely got a good story here to tell as well.

aliceapproved

But it works so well for mobile scrolling, it's so friendly!

Tenor | Shinavar

Like I can't express how frusrating it is for me bc there's SO many people who own their own sites and it's not mobile friendly

saetje

thanks @Superjustinbros have a good night!

aliceapproved

Maybe you could have 3 panels per page if printed?

Tenor | Shinavar

I live on the go I NEED THAT MOBILITY ;n;

Superjustinbros

You too, and thanks for being here, @saetje!

saetje

@Tenor | Shinavar I got to be honest with you- as a webcomic fan and reader for MANY years I feel that

Kabocha

I really look forward to reading this in the future. It's enjoyable and to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what I was in for at first... BUT it is a pleasure to read!

Superjustinbros

And cya to you as well, @Jess.

Jess

Awwww thanks!!

Kabocha

Thank you for creating an amazing comic. :3

Superjustinbros

Anytime!

RebelVampire

yeah im glad priority was placed on mobile because it is basically the way thing are going, whether ppl want that or not.

Superjustinbros

^

Tenor | Shinavar

YES it was a fun surprise! (And def last minute for me bc I didn't realize it was something I could read lmao OTL)

saetje

Thank you @Kabocha for your wonderful insights and kind comments! Thanks for coming

RebelVampire

and its definitely a beautiful comic. i think the pacing works out great as well~!

whitneyandcompany

You guys are the reason I downloaded the web toon app, I look forward to every update

aliceapproved

Thank you for making such an inspirational and gorgeous comic!

Jess

Awww well it means so much to hear you guys say that

aliceapproved

I always look forward to your updates!

Superjustinbros

In that case, cya everyone!

aliceapproved

And yes, you're the reason I downloaded the web toon app, too!

saetje

oommmg @whitneyandcompany , thank you

Shen

im glad i got to read this story its so good so far and i cant wait to read more~

Jess

It’s been really humbling for us to put our work out there. But I am so incredibly touched right now

Superjustinbros

Glad to hear~

saetje

Thank you @Shen! I look forward to more of your comic as well! I'm glad you like it.

Shen

GOSH <3

saetje

Yeah everyone, thank you for coming and letting us know you thoughts It has meant the WORLD to us

aliceapproved

You guys are amazing and I love your work

Tenor | Shinavar

Thank you for signing up so we could disect it /shot

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up this week’s Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero, as well, for making Gemini Journey. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: http://geminijourney.com/

Donate via Paypal.me: https://www.paypal.me/YeseniaCarrero

Tracy’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/saetje

Yesenia’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Demongemini6

Comic Tea Party- Thursday Book Club

Next week’s Thursday Book Club will be about The Hunter of Fenaur by CalimonGraal. For participants, you have the next week to read as much of the comic as you would like~! We hope to see you on Thursday, September 20th, from 5PM to 7PM PDT for the chat in #thursday_bookclub!

Comic’s Main Site: http://hunter.fenauriverse.moe/

Comic’s Tapas Mirror: https://tapas.io/series/the-hunter-of-fenaur

[thebooksaidthat]

20 Favorite Books of 2020 Recommendation List!

Phew, 2020 is about to end. What a year, isn’t it? It’s been a long, tiring and bad year all round for a lot of people in different aspects and reading is a way for all of us to escape our realities. I’ve never had a year like this at all, in terms of my reading habits. The lock downs and time off from school allowed me to read probably the number of books in my entire childhood in less than a year. I read 100+ books this year, varying in pages and formats but it still surprises me that I managed to read that much. This probably won’t happen again in the coming years because of college and etc but I had a good time reading. So, I thought I would share some of my favorite books/series’ that I’ve read this year and give a short description/opinion on it. Hope something catches your eye here! 

side note:

most of these fall under the fantasy category but there are some other genre’s too like romance/contemporaries/non-fiction

the books are listed only based off their category and not in any specific preference order but if you’re interested to see a review/rating on it you can visit my Goodreads profile.

 1. Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Do you enjoy reading fantasy books with powerful female protagonists? Do you like dragons? How about a queer F/F pairing as the main couple within the story? Priory of the Orange Tree was a book which I didn’t expect I would enjoy when I read the first few chapters. It’s a book that requires quite a bit of commitment considering the sheer page count of it (though if you read any Stormlight Archive it shouldn’t be a problem) but I grew on the plot line and characters after a bit. There’s classic tropes thrown in here and there but what made me enjoy it was that it focuses on female characters as the heroes rather than male ones. Don’t get me wrong though, I enjoy some books with male-centered characters too but it’s nice to see some good ol’ fantasy with protagonists I can identify with. 2. Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald 

The first book of a series(unsure how many books atm), this debut was just a fun read. I love strong and rule-defying characters and this book gave us just that and more. Although I think the storyline might be a bit bumpy for me, I found that this book perfect for my reading slump and I really liked how it ends too. It might be worth waiting till 2021 to read this because the ending is pretty cliff-hangery in my opinion. I’m hopeful for the sequel to be even better because there are hints of a slow burn, enemies to lovers(F/F) pairing for this one! 3. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

This was one of my earliest reads of 2020 and I really enjoyed it. The premise of the story is not one I’ve seen before in YA books and it should appeal to many readers. In a world where the ruling king ‘captures’ beautiful women from around the nation to be made his concubines, we follow Lei as she experiences all of that and her journey in going against everything. This is the 1st book out of 3 and its definitely a strong start to a series. There’s some great topics touched upon that is great for discussion like sexual-abuse and the aftermaths of it. Romance(F/F) also plays a big part in this book so if you’re into fantasy + romance that is done well, add this to your long TBR list! 4. Crier’s War by Nina Varela

Another debut book but this time make it sci-fi! Crier’s War is a fast-paced book set in an era where Automae(robots?) are the rulers and humans are their servants. It’s about how a female Automae, Crier, goes against her father’s opinions about the humans and basically overruling all the norms of Automae being prejudiced. It’s hard to describe the book much without spoiling but this is 1/2 of a duology and the second book picks up right where the 1st ends so make sure you read that too because it gets even better in its sequel!  5. The Weight of the Stars by K. Ankrum

Sometimes all I want is a quiet, character-driven book. This checked off those wants for me in the best ways. In a story where I believe focuses more on character relationships, I found that I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It’s a comfort read packed with some occasional twists and the writing style is immaculate! The book is about how two misfits get entangled into each other’s business when an accident happens to one of them. It’s a slow burn(F/F) romance which I think was written very well and the characters had good chemistry. This includes their other friends in the circle too which is nice to see! 6. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir 

If you want to read a different kind of fantasy/sci-fi book, you’ll have to check GtN out! It’s a humor-filled necromancy book with great characters and such an interesting premise. The 1st out of 3 books from The Locked Tomb Trilogy, GtN follows a murder-mystery plot line, similar to And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie but much more fun of course. The main character is also a lesbian which is always nice to see more of in the crowded space of books. Make sure you check out Harrow the Ninth too after GtN because that picks up right after this one and is so different but still does an incredibly good job of hooking readers in. 7. The Poppy War Series by R.F. Kuang

The Poppy War series holds a special place in my heart. I binged all 3 books this year and let me tell you this: I usually find sequels in a series to become less interesting/loses its magic but this is definitely not the case for this. With a very different setting from what we usually see in the fantasy genre, TPW is set in ancient historical China and the books are heavily influenced by real events that happened before. It’s a grim-dark type of series for sure and the protagonist, Rin, is sort of morally-grey in many ways which made it a much more compelling read to me. The final book for me was and iis one of the best ways I’ve seen a writer end a series. If you’re looking for a fantasy series with a fascinating magic system with a grim-dark plot, you’re up for a treat here! 8.  To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

I rarely read novellas but when I do, they usually leave me fairly unsatisfied at the end because I find them to be hard to connect to because of its length. To Be Taught if Fortunate is another book which I would describe as ‘quiet’ and just overall a comforting read. It’s hopeful, filled with a diverse group of characters which is always welcomed in the books I read. I think one of the best parts of the book is the way its written which had a very soothing feel to it. It’s hard to describe but reading this made me really interested in reading other works by the author. The ending is also excellent too and leaves you thinking for a while. 9. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

Is political intrigue something you enjoy in your books? Do you like your characters interestingly named like Six Helicopter or Three Seagrass? How about analytical banters/discussions between characters about language? If that’s so, AMCE is a space-opera that will check all those boxes. Seriously, this is a well-built world with fun characters and I loved them so much! There will be a sequel coming out early next year but the book ends with a fairly satisfactory ending so you can jump into this without a commitment to the series (a duology if I remember correctly). 10. The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

The 1st book out of a currently 6 book series(with more to come), The Final Empire is an action-packed, female-lead book in a world where slavery still exists. The magic system here is one of the more interesting ones I’ve seen too. The thing about Sanderson books is that they are typically written in a straightforward, non-prosey, type of style. I appreciate that especially right after reading a book filled with purple-prose and I think this added to my enjoyment, for sure. In a fairly long first book, the world building here was done well and I think it does a good job of not pushing everything into your face all at once and instead, builds the world up slowly in different interactions between the characters. Although a tad bit cheesy, especially when it comes to the romance, I enjoyed this greatly and will probably continue with the rest of Era 1 in 2021. 11. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

I’ve read a few of LaCour’s work but I still find myself enjoying this the most. When I read contemporaries, I like characters who I can identify with and drives the story well. In a fairly short novel, the book made me cry several times and I still think about the book once in a while nowadays. The story centers around Marin’s relationship with her grandfather and her best friend Mabel. There’s a mystery regarding her grandfather which is the main plot line of the book but its definitely a more character-driven type of book for sure. It’s a book where you’ll need to read it to understand the hype surrounding it so try this one out if you’re in a mood for an emotional contemporary with good mental health representation.

12. The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

The Falling in Love Montage is hands down one of my favorite romance novels that I had read recently. It’s funny, romantic and also touching in all sorts of ways. The main character is a queer,sarcastic mess which frankly, I relate to a whole lot. It’s a book to read if you like your romance novels not entirely very light but also pulls on your emotional strings when you’re reading it. The writing style is also commendable for sure for a debut! I’m very much looking forward to future works from this author for sure. 13. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I rarely read historical fiction but when I saw this recommended in a Goodreads article/list, I was intrigued! This is one that surprised me a lot just cause of how it all ties together at the end. Some things didn’t feel very relevant at first but once  it was revealed, I couldn’t contain my surprise. Also, Evelyn Hugo as a protagonist was such a delight to read about! She’s an empowering woman who’s ambitious and did a lot of things to achieve her goals and she’s an amazing role model in that and many other regards. Besides that, I think this also had great representation on bisexuality too and Madam Evelyn will always remain as one of my favorite fictional bisexual queens! 

14. Loveless by Alice Oseman

It’s rare to have a book which includes asexual characters in general and it is even rarer to find a book with the topic of asexuality as a whole be the main theme of it. Loveless was such a delightful and insightful read into a character who although I don’t identify with, I could understand her frustrations a lot. This is a book about self-discovery and accepting oneself and one another for their identity and I think the author did a great job tackling this topic. If you’re looking for a contemporary book to diversify the type of characters you read about, Loveless is a good choice.

15. You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

If you liked books such as The Falling in Love Montage, You Should See Me in a Crown is another you should definitely try! This light and fun romance(F/F) follows Liz and her journey trying to win her school’s prom. It’s a great title to pick up if you’re in a middle of a reading slump because of it’s pacing and it’s overall just a book I enjoyed a lot. 

16. Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Do you sense a pattern here? I love reading these light-hearted queer romances which doesn’t go through a series of stressful moments like coming out or homophobia etc. It’s important for books to have representation like that because it still exists and needs to be acknowledged but taking a break from that feels good too. Written in the Stars is an adult romance novel which I can see being a Hallmark-type of cheesy movie for sure and for good reasons! It has all those tropes that people love, enemies-to-lovers(sort of), fake-dating and the whole refusal of feelings for each other even though it’s obvious to the reads type of stuff. Hoping to see more adult romances like these in the future! 17. Who I Was with Her by Nita Tyndall

Who I Was with Her is an emotional roller coaster of a read, in a good way, of course. This book reminds me a lot of Hold Still by Nina LaCour mainly because of the way both the author’s dealt with the topics of death and grief. It’s a book that should be read when in a good mental-state as it might trigger some people as there are discussions on a character’s death. One of the main reasons I like this book is how the main character dealt with her attachment to her ex-girlfriend and her associating running with their relationship. It was a book that was difficult to get through but ended with a meaningful tone.

18. They Never Learn by Layne Fargo 

I love empowering and strong female characters. Even when they’re kind of morally-ambiguous like Scarlett Clark. A woman who goes around killing men who sexually abuse others? Sign me up for that heroic Killing Eve shit! In all serious notes though, this was a great read and I loved the whole alternating viewpoints which seems unrelated at first but ties together well at the end. It’s not exactly super thriller-y like its advertised but its for sure a character-driven book with a bonus romance(F/F) plot too plus bisexuality rep! So if you want to read about a kick-ass lady and don’t mind some murder involved in your books, read this ASAP! 

19. One Life by Megan Rapinoe

I’m not a soccer fan or anything like that but Megan Rapinoe’s advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community and racism intrigued me about her. I listened to this over a few days and I think anyone that wants to have an insight/experience with topics like sexism in the soccer industry, sexuality and racism, this is a must-read. I didn’t find her to be self-flattered or anything like that which I have encountered in some memoirs and I respect her humbleness a lot. 

20. Becoming by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming, was an incredibly fascinating read about her life from her childhood to becoming the First Lady of America. I found her writing to be pleasant and flows very well for a memoir too. It’s a fairly long read but I enjoyed learning about all these experiences she’s had such as her time being a lawyer and her life when Barack Obama, decided to run for president. It gave me a different perspective on her and I have new profound respect for her so much as a person. 

[themarginalartist]

Think... Ink: Chapter 2

So it was mentioned to me that Archive of Our Own wasn't accessible for some so I am reposting the story here for those who can't get there. If there is a formatting issue I won't be able to fix it until tonight so sorry about that! 

I have to find Bendy. I have to find him. Maybe he will know what's going on. Why I now look like this. 

I have to find Bendy. 

I have to find Bendy. 

I have to find Bendy. 

I have to find Bendy. 

I have to find Bendy. 

I have to find him. 

I have to find him. 

I have to find him.

I have to find him.

I have to find him. 

I have to find it. 

I have to find it.

I have to find it. 

I have to find it. 

I have to find it. 

Find it.

Find it. 

Find it. 

Find it. 

Kill it. 

Bendy moved down the silent hallway, the only noise being the ripples of ink pushing aside as he moved. He checked the doors as he went, peering inside to see if he could find any signs of Henry, but he kept coming up empty handed. Growing more frustrated and sad that he couldn't find him he let out a growl. 

What had happened to Henry? 

The last thing he remembered was the two of them falling asleep in a side room. When he'd woken up there was no trace of Henry, not even his axe. Had Henry abandoned him? 

He shook his head fiercely. He couldn't think like that. Something had to have happened. Henry had made his promise that he would help him get out (even though he still didn't believe him a little bit). Henry had been there for him through everything so far. 

So why did it hurt so much the longer he looked? 

He moved into one of the side rooms and shut the door. Moving towards the desk in the back he left a large in puddle before reaching inside himself and putting his paper on the desk to stare out to the room. When the ink finally dripped away he was sitting on his line, knees curled up to his chest. 

"I wish Henry was here right now..." he whispered to the empty room. It had been so hard already. 

Searching for Henry alone. Fighting searchers alone. Being alone. Tears formed in the corner of his eyes. It just wasn't fair, things had been going okay for them for once, Henry hadn't been injured for a while and his leg had been getting better and he had been gaining better control of his other form. He'd gone an extra couple of minutes longer each time he left the safety of a room to look for Henry. 

"Where are you Henry? Why did you leave me?" Bendy laid down on his side and closed his eyes, a nap would help, he'd have to search for Henry later. 

Sad. 

Why sad. 

So sad. 

Hurts. 

Do not like. 

Anger. 

Replace sad. 

Hate sad. 

Kill it. 

Sad bad. 

Only anger. 

Only hate. 

 Kill it. 

Kill it. 

Kill it. 

Kill it. 

Kill it. 

Tired. 

Rest. 

Pool. 

Sleep. 

 Find it. 

Find it. 

Find it. 

Find it. 

Find it. 

Later. 

Wait. 

Sleep. 

Hide. 

Wait. 

Kill it. 

Bendy had woken up a little while ago and had started searching again. He still tried to hope that Henry was safe and that nothing had happened to him, but as each minute dragged on, it was harder and harder to hope. 

Why did you leave me Henry? Why? 

Bendy kept on though. He decided that after that last break, he was done taking breaks, he had to find Henry. 

 No matter what. 

 Even if that meant he lost control. 

Rage. 

I feel it.  

It hurts. 

It feels so bad. 

Why. 

Hate it. 

Do not want it. 

Want it to stop. 

Want to kill it. 

Want to sleep. 

Do not want these. 

Feelings. 

It hurts. 

It hurts.  

It hurts. 

It hurts. 

It hurts.

Anguish.

Do not want. 

Kill it. 

End it. 

Make it stop. 

It caused this. 

End it. 

Make it hurt too. 

End it. 

Kill it. 

Kill it. 

Kill it. 

Kill it. 

Kill it. 

Make it suffer.

Bendy had lost control. He raged through the hallways. Any searcher that came up in his path was turned into a splatter against the wall. He roared. The pinprick of light in his eye scanned the hall as he went. He clawed hand leaving marks in the wall as he dragged it against it. He growled. 

He was angry. 

He was furious. 

He was desperate. 

As he continued down the current hallway he came to an area flooded in ink. Nothing that he wasn’t used to. He entered it without thinking. 

Searchers popped up from the pool. He snarled. And the fight began. Left and right he swung his arms and smacked the searchers out of existence. He roared as some of them tried to get him from behind, quickly smashing those ones as well. 

For what seemed like ages he fought off the searchers. 

And then they stopped coming. 

He panted heavily, rage starting to fade away slightly. His form smoothed out. He was back to normal, or at least back in control. He looked around at the pool. The area was silent. Too silent. 

Then he heard it behind him. Something coming out of the ink and raising up. Excess dripping and falling off the form of what it was. He turned around. 

It wasn’t the other ‘Bendy’ as he had initially feared. And it wasn’t a searcher. But it was terrifying. 

It stood at the same height he was. Black and staring with a single wide eye. Entire face covered in ink. A large spike protruded from its head. It was leaning forward, huge arms supporting it upright, legs defined but just goopy messes that widened out as they went to the pool. They stared at each other. Squaring each other up. Tension in the room rising. Low growls coming from the new creature. 

It roared, ink making stringy lines where it’s mouth was, and launched itself at him. 

It’s spike aimed straight for his chest. Bendy dodged out of the way in the nick of time. It stopped itself quickly and turned raising an arm to swipe down at him. He blocked it with his own arm, keeping the hand from reaching his head. It grabbed him with the other arm though, yanking him aside like a doll, and threw him against the wall. 

Bendy growled. It was strong. And he didn’t have Henry here right now to help him. He was just going to have to fight it on his own. But why did it’s head shape seem familiar? 

He had no time to question it further as the creature launched itself at him, trying to drive its spike through his chest again. Bendy ducked down as it did so and grabbed the creature around it’s torso and threw them both down into the pool. He pinned it’s arms down, struggling to make sure that he had control of the creature. It lifted it’s head trying to use the spike to slice at him. Bendy was cut on his shoulder as he moved his head out of the way. He hissed in pain. 

And suddenly it stopped. It froze. Eye widening. 

And it hissed. The frozen moment suddenly gone and it pushed Bendy off with enough force to launch him some ways away in the pool. 

“HuRTs” It growled. 

That voice, distorted but familiar. Bendy hissed in pain as the cut on his shoulder let ink flow out of his form, the gash while not leaking heavily still hurt. 

It came at him again. 

But didn’t use its spike, swinging its arms instead, like it was afraid of something. 

Bendy dodged out of the way easily. It seemed to be slowing down for some reason. 

“SToP iT” It roared. dropping to its knees and clutching his head. “PaiN. dO NoT waNt It” It was shaking. 

Bendy was too. He realized why the voice sounded familiar. Why when he first saw its head it was familiar. Why he was familiar. 

“…Henry?” Bendy quietly questioned. It snapped its eye towards him and stared, only confirming Bendy’s suspicion. 

“Henry, is that— Is that you?” Bendy felt the tears begin to well up in his eye. He was shaking heavily, trying to keep his form stable. The loss of ink from his shoulder, having come out of berserker mode a little while ago, and having just fought his only friend in the studio was taking its toll on him. But he needed to press through it, just for a little while longer. 

“hUrtS” It hissed quietly. 

“Henry it’s okay. It’s me. Don’t you recognize me?” Bendy carefully moved towards Henry. Henry didn’t move. He kept watching him. Shaking. 

“Henry you need to calm down.” Bendy hated how much he had to speak right now. How his voice was distorted and awful. But Henry needed him. 

Henry’s form was now losing globs of ink. He was slowly changing back. But back into what? 

Bendy was two feet away when Henry’s form changed in a large splash of ink. Everything from that old form had fallen away. And left in its place was Henry. 

Except he was definitely not human, or not fully human. 

Bendy looked over his friends form. Henry’s body was coated in ink in different places. His chest obscured by ink leading down into his right arm and making it as large as Bendy’s own. His left arm starting just above his elbow was a skinnier, shorter version of the same. He saw how the ink was all the way up to Henry’s hip on his left leg, and from what he could tell it looked to be that his right leg started below the knee as Henry’s pants were still visible. White hair was all that protruded from his head, the remaining brown coated in ink that fell to his shoulders. 

Bendy couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down his face. 

“I— I’m a monster— I hurt you— I— I can’t— I can’t stay here— I can’t—” And with that Henry ran. 

Bendy started to chase after, but immediately had to stop and clutch his head, waves of fear, sadness, and self loathing rolled through him. He remembered feeling those. He knew those feelings well. But those were not his. These feelings though overwhelmed him and he quickly spotted a door and threw himself inside slamming it shut. Spotting a desk he quickly reached in and pulled his paper to lay on the desk. 

When the ink cleared away, Bendy was panting on the page, shaking. 

“What, what was that, all of those feelings. And Henry, Henry what happened to him? I GAHH” Another wave of emotion hit the toon. It hurt so bad and it made him feel terrible. He wanted to help Henry so bad. He needed to help Henry. But he was just so tired. 

Without realizing. Bendy eventually closed his eyes and fell asleep. 

The last thought the toon had before he finally fell into a dreamless sleep from the exhaustion of the days events, ‘I will help you Henry, I promise.’

Alternate ending… 

Bendy was too. He realized why the voice sounded familiar. Why when he first saw its head it was familiar. Why he was familiar. 

“…Henry?” Bendy quietly questioned. It snapped its eye towards him and stared, only confirming Bendy’s suspicion. 

“Henry, is that— Is that you?” Bendy felt the tears begin to well up in his eye. He was shaking heavily, trying to keep his form stable. The loss of ink from his shoulder, having come out of berserker mode a little while ago, and having just fought his only friend in the studio was taking its toll on him. But he needed to press through it, just for a little while longer. 

“hUrtS” It hissed quietly. 

“Henry it’s okay. It’s me. Don’t you recognize me?” Bendy carefully moved towards Henry. Henry didn’t move. He kept watching him. Shaking. 

“Henry you need to calm down.” Bendy hated how much he had to speak right now. How his voice was distorted and awful. But Henry needed him. 

Henry’s form was now losing globs of ink. He was slowly changing back. But back into what? 

Bendy was two feet away when Henry’s form changed in a large splash of ink. Everything from that old form had fallen away. And left in its place was Henry.

Except he was definitely not human, or not fully human.

Bendy looked over his friends form. Henry’s body was coated in ink in different places. His chest obscured by ink leading down into his right arm and making it as large as Bendy’s own. His left arm starting just above his elbow was a skinnier, shorter version of the same. He saw how the ink was all the way up to Henry’s hip on his left leg, and from what he could tell it looked to be that his right leg started below the knee as Henry’s pants were still visible. White hair was all that protruded from his head, the remaining brown coated in ink that fell to his shoulders. 

Bendy couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down his face. 

“I— I’m a monster— I hurt you— I— I can’t— I can’t stay here— I can’t—” 

Suddenly a door creaked open. A small figure appeared and crossed into the ink and stood a bit away from the two, the three creating a triangle. The figure crossed it’s arms and frowned deeply. 

“What the hell you two?” She growled. “Why are you fighting? Just hug it out.” 

“What—“ Henry started. 

“You heard me. Hugs, now, you both need them.” 

“Who are you?” Bendy looked down at the person? Wait, it was a cat? A cat person?

“ShinyZango. Now hugs. Do it.” Bendy and Henry looked at each other, then back at ShinyZango. 

“Now.” She said again tapping her foot. 

The two shuffled towards each other. Pausing just as they got next to one another. They looked back at ShinyZango again. She then mimicked with her hands them hugging. 

Bendy was the first to move, wrapping his arms around Henry and holding him tight. 

“See, much better.” ShinyZango nodded as she said this, then turned around, walked back through the door, and shut it with a slight slam. The door then quickly opened and she poked her head back out. “MARGINAL STOP HURTING THEM!” And with that she slammed the door shut. 

“What the hell was that?” Henry asked after Bendy released him. 

“No idea…”

[kyberled]

- share the latest entry in your diary/journal. (!!!)

Interview my muse || I lost this one

[[Adding in a key for this, ‘cause Braig’s journals, unless they’ve been properly formatted for archival purposes, they’re kind of a mess. So:

Normal text is written in black ball-point pen.

Italicised text is written in red ball-point pen. 

Bold text is written in green fountain pen. 

Bold and italicised text is written in red fountain pen.

[Text written in square brackets is scribbled in the margins.]

{Text written in these fancy brackets, and in a smaller font, is a description - eg, if it says ‘{a picture of flowers}’, that means that Braig’s drawn a flower there.}

A series of lines like this: | , || , ||| , |||| , |||| are tally marks.

XX/XX/XX

Long day today. Not a bad one, though. Finally back in the Temple, and it was one of those missions where I actually wound up missing my classes. I never really liked desert planets. I think I’m still shaking sand out of my hair. [{A drawing of a small, triangular building with little hills on either side.}]

Anyways, to conclude the summary from yesterday, we got the last of the droids rounded up and dismantled. Solahst Vurrr was harder to get together, especially since he wouldn’t stop running away. I admit, watching him zip around like [running low on Alderaanian Jasmine. Pick up some from Mrs. Toduwieedoo’s next walk.] that made me wonder what it’d be like to have that many legs. On one hand, it’d make getting around a lot easier, but on the other, sleeping might be a bit weird, as would, I can imagine, hugging people. Actually, if you grew up like that, you’d probably be used to it. {A few stars are drawn.} He still creeps me out, though. Anyone who initiates a video call while in the process of eating their own eggs is no good. I still can’t tell if he was messing with us, or that was actually his idea of a nice snack. I’d have to ask one of the culture teachers, most likely. On second thought, I’ve decided I don’t want to know.

We put Vurrr in one of holding cells on the main ship. The one that didn’t get shot down. I asked Obi-Wan if {green smear from a flower being pressed} we were going to interrogate him, but he said that he’d rather leave that for when we got back home, if we were going to handle it at all. I was kind of relieved, admittedly. Vurrr doesn’t sit well with me. 

Not much happened after that. Went home, spent probably an entire rotation in the sonic, then fell asleep. The usual ‘thank the Force that’s over’ routine. Vurrr’s in the prison now, so, I guess he’s not our problem for the time being. Woke up and went to class. We’ve got a book report in tactics, so I’ve got to look into that. [Topics: Subtlety and Subterfuge, by Marlis R. Tyroo The Importance of Understanding Terrain, by Col. Meebur Gascon Excerpts from the Sith Wars, as compiled by the Temple Archivists ]  Talked more about the Living Force in FS, and whether or not the Force constantly renews itself, or if it’s the same Force now that it was hundreds of years ago. I feel like I should ask Master Yaddle about that one. Went through the usual physical training, but got pulled out of the typical saber classes to work on Vapaad. [I think Master Xi’Gol’Ah is jealous. I can’t blame them.] I tried not to let Master Windu know how tired I was, but I think he noticed. He was going pretty easy on me. I think Gramps is tired, too. I hope we get to stay in the Temple for a while.

{The bottom of the page is decorated with small figures in various hastily-scribbled poses, each baring a lightsaber. It appears as though Braig started to label them, but gave up after the second and scribbled the writing out. There are a few spots of what looks to be dried tea droplets near the edge, and one corner has a spiral doodled in. The bottom corner of the page is dog-eared.}

[uniniverse-blog]

FAQ, RULES, AND GUIDELINES

GENERAL RULES & IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This fest is exclusively about bottom!jongin. He has to be the sub/bottom because it’s a bottom!jongin fest. All genres are encouraged and all ships are welcomed as long as Jongin is included in the main pairing and that the fanworks revolve around him.

Sensitive topics such as HEAVY VIOLENCE, DUBCON, CHARACTER DEATH etc., must be TAGGED and WARNED accordingly. Non-graphic violence is good to go! Sexual content is fine as long as it’s warned.

A minimum word count of 1,500 words unless stated otherwise (there is no maximum) is required to submit a final fic.

There are no limits to the number of prompts you can claim, however, you can only claim them one at a time.

Being a bottom does not necessarily mean that your fic has to be NC17 and sex has to be involved (e.g you can incorporate D/S themes/elements/undertones to your fic with Jongin as the sub while staying perfectly within PG13). Uniniverse fanwork doesn’t have to have smut. If your fic does include one, however heavy or light you choose to go with that is completely up to your discretion, but please tag accordingly.

Non-consensual sex and pedophilia are NOT ALLOWED.

DO’S (aka what is expected to be abided in this fest)

Be friendly! Keep up the good spirits and conviviality; let’s create a genial community!

Be respectful to everyone, including the rules stated above.

Cooperate with the mods to make this fest a success!

DONT’S (aka your one way ticket to being banned).

Any acts of Plagiarism.

Bashing someone else’s work.

Causing conflict (consult the Uniniverse mods should any problems arise to avoid it from getting bigger).

Claiming a prompt and then disappearing during the deadline and not replying to our check-in without asking for an extension (If you can’t meet the deadline and would like to extend it, please inform any of Uniniverse’s mods ASAP).

No “Koreanism” such as “annyeonghaseyo”, “oetteokhae”,etc. However, titles of respect such as oppa, hyung, halmeoni, etc, are fine to use. 

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

➤  WHAT ARE THE WORKS ACCEPTED FOR THIS FEST?

Fanfictions

Fanarts, which includes drawings, paintings etc.

Fanedits, which includes edits, graphics, videos, etc

➤ HOW AM I TO WORK BASED ON THE PROMPTS?

For fanfiction: You will have to write a story according to the prompt you have chosen. It can be words to be inserted, actions, a specific universe, kinks, clichés, etc. The prompts are not to be seen as restrictions. They can be discreetly added in the work or be as prominent as you like. The whole purpose of this fest is to have fun!

➤ WHAT IS THE MINIMUM REQUIRED FOR MY WORK?

For fanfictions: Minimum word count is 1500 words. We don’t know if it’s incredibly long, but you have at least a month and a half to work on it, or maybe even more. When progress check-in comes, we’ll do a poll to ask if the participants are ready to send their fics to the mods, and if a lot of you aren’t ready just yet, we’ll give you an extension.

For Art: Artists have no minimum requirement, but please try to ensure that it is a finished piece of work. No rating restrictions too. A single piece of art, or even a series, that is complete is enough. However, you need to put some thought/effort into it.

For Edits: Editors have no minimum requirement, but please make sure it is a finished work that you are posting. There are no restrictions with ratings either, rated ones will be marked with a warning. IMPORTANT: Please only edit pictures and videos that are allowed to be edited (some fansites do not allow editing so play safe and use with approval from image/video source or official images).

Others: no idea, but if you want to do anything else than mentioned above, contact us so we can discuss it!

➤ ARE THERE ANY LIMITATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO RATINGS?

None at all! G, PG13, NC17, R. You name it! The ratings are up to you.

➤ IS IT REQUIRED TO PUT TRIGGER WARNINGS?

It is compulsory. It’s called a trigger warning for a reason. If your piece includes sensitive topics, such as dub-con/incest/mutilation to name a few, it’s best to attach warnings to your fic so readers who don’t like to read (explicit) works of this kind can avoid it beforehand.

➤ DOES THE FIC NEED TO BE A HAPPY ENDING?

Not necessarily. Happy, Sad/Tragic or Open endings, it’s up to you. You are the master of your own ship!

➤ WHY ARE THE PROMPTS AVAILABLE FOR CLAIM ONLY ONCE?

Simply for convenience, and the fact that it is the most suitable for this fest.

➤ WHERE WILL THE FEST BE HOSTED ?

There are two “official pages”; one on Tumblr and the other one on Archive of Our Own (AO3). Regular updates and such will most probably be managed through Tumblr and Twitter since it’s more convenient, while all the works will be posted on AO3 for the same reasons. Entries will be posted on AO3 and then shared through a link on Tumblr.

➤ IS IT OKAY IF I SUBMIT A WORK WITHOUT EDITING IT MUCH ?

Please try to proofread as much as you can. If there are obvious grammatical/spelling mistakes or other such things, the works may be sent back. If you want, you can find a beta in our archive, although it’s not required.

➤ WHY AO3? WHY DIDN’T YOU CHOOSE LJ/AFF/TUMBLR TO HOST THE FEST?

We chose this site based on the mods’ preferences.

➤  WHAT IF I DON’T FIND A PROMPT I LIKE IN THE PROMPT LIST?

If participants don’t see a prompt that they like but still want to participate, they can simply pick a prompt that they feel they can work around to incorporate their own ideas. Or in other words, you can self prompt!

➤ I DON’T KNOW IF I LIKE THE IDEA OF SENDING YOU MY WORK AND HAVING NO CONTROL OVER IT FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. WHAT IF YOU MESS WITH IT AND WHAT IF I WANT YOU TO TAKE IT DOWN LATER?

As a disclaimer, your work will not be touched unless there is a major problem e.g. formatting, or an excess of spelling mistakes. If it’s the case, we will seek you out to find a solution. After the fest ends, if you wish to publish this on your own page and take your work down the fest’s AO3 and Tumblr, please inform and update us with the link so we can post it instead.

➤ WHAT IF I NEED TO DROP OUT BECAUSE OF SOME REASON? IS THERE ANY CONSEQUENCE TO DROPPING OUT?

You can drop out of the fest anytime you want. We only ask that you inform us as soon as possible so we can free your prompt.

➤ WHERE DO I SUBMIT FIC/ART/EDIT?

For fanfics: Submission of fanfics will come with a submission form that is required to be filled in later on during deadline and the finished works will be asked to be sent to our email. (uniniverse88@gmail.com)

For fanarts: We are accepting fanarts throughout this fest meaning that you can post your finished work whenever up until the reveals date. Your work should be posted/tweeted on your own twitter/tumblr accounts with the hashtag #uniniversefest, we will be posting links to your original post from our tumblr/twitter. 

For fanedits: The same rules for fanarts apply here. (ex: picture edits and videos should be uploaded on your accounts with the hashtag #uniniversefest and we will be posting links to your original post from our tumblr/twitter.)

If you don’t find the answer of your question, don’t hesitate to ask us!

Email: uniniverse88@gmail.com

Twitter: @uniniverse_fest

Tumblr: askbox

[comicteaparty]

July 20th, 2017 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on July 20th, 2017, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on There Was a War by aislinn e.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

Good day everyone~! This week’s Comic Tea Party is now officially beginning. Today we are discussing There Was a War by aislinn e~! (https://tapas.io/series/TWAW) For those new to CTP, discussions about the comic are freeform, so please feel free to bring up whatever you wish. However, every 30 minutes I will be dropping in a discussion question to help those who would like a prompt. These questions are totally OPTIONAL to answer so pay them no mind if you wish~! Remember, constructive criticism is allowed, but the primary focus here is to have fun and appreciate the amazing comics that the community makes~! Each chat a top comment will be picked and featured on an ad for this chat, so let’s have a great discussion~! With that said, let us begin with this first question~!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

mathtans

I knew that would be the question, and yet I'm having trouble picking something out. The explanation of vanishing into the underworld and seeing God I found amusing, perhaps I'll choose that.

RebelVampire

i really liked that scene. that was a pretty funny line. but i also liked that scene because i think it showed a more human side as it were to her captors in a way. especially with the more recent page where one of them is trying to apologize.

mathtans

Yeah, that's true, it made them more than the faceless guards (though I'm horrible with names...). And the "she wasn't there!" was amusing too in the discussion.

The apology thing in the latest update surprised me.

RebelVampire

really? im more glad it went that way because from the beginning i felt they werent awful guards persay. especially cause i feel like a big motif of this comic is about a lot of people doing tons of stuff they dont want to do for the war. and i often got the impression the guards are not particularly fond of participating in the war either. just gotta do what they were told.

mathtans

Oh, I'm glad it's going that way too, just I hadn't figured on the discussion going there somehow. I guess, while I don't know the legend that this is based on, I'd thought it'd be more focussed on the humanizing of the main characters.

War sucks. I wonder if the war in the title references the one that nearly wiped out the tribe to the south...? (I might have misinterpreted things.)

RebelVampire

well to be fair i think its more messing the entire war. cause they are still very much at war. i think its using past tense cause of the prologue. cause its framing this as a story thats being told almost. so in a way the entire story is a flashback you could say.

mathtans

Valid point.

Even if it's not necessarily active (though I guess it must be, for Balor to have been brought out), neither side really understands the other. So tensions are high and things can erupt at any time.

I wonder to what extent Cath can see the future.

RebelVampire

yeah i feel like her powers are a bit vague. but probably intentionally so. i get the impression she cant see very far into the future tho and i feel like a lot of her power is probably going to be based on her ability to interpret

mathtans

Yeah, not very far, and maybe only if she's thinking about it? Unless it's something key?

She must be able to teleport too, since she did a lot of travelling and yet was still able to get back to the pool. But maybe it's a thing where she can only get there.

I'm not up on my Irish mythology. (I think it's Irish?)

RebelVampire

idk. idk how based on mythology its supposed to be. if its irish definitely out of my expertise.

and maybe tbh i find their camp layout hard to understand XD

like ok the pool is underground but whats its relationship with the rest of the area

mathtans

I remember in the Q&A a mention of mythology and when I looked it up I think it was Irish.

Yeah, I haven't really put much thought into where things are.

I get a bit taken in by the art style, the sort of flowing down the page, like it's all a bit nebulous anyway.

Not a bad thing, btw. In my opinion.

RebelVampire

yeah i think a lot of the pages at least take super advantage of the scroll format. particularly the scene where balor falls down into the pool for the first time. cause you really get the impression of balor falling down into it

mathtans

Oooh yeah, that'd slipped my mind.

Something about the art that's really cool, that I only really picked up on when I peeked at the mythology - Balor has an evil eye. And here it's his left eye, which is always in shadow or closed. Only his right eye's "normal".

And my gendering sucks, those should probably be "her" and "She".

I don't remember if the original Balor was male though?

RebelVampire

i dont think so cause they refer to balor as princess and daughter.

mathtans

Okay, the site where I looked it up talks about a "he". Maybe I just looked up the name and ran into totally the wrong myth. The "evil eye" thing seems to fit though.

RebelVampire

oh wait do you mean original balor as in a mythological one? cause i didnt know such a balor existed XD

mathtans

Yeah, there's an original Balor in Irish Myth. Seems to be a guy. With an evil eye. Don't know if this is related.

RebelVampire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balor

mathtans

I got curious after reading the Q&A.

RebelVampire

thanks wikipedia

mathtans

So could be a different take on that story, or could be the internet only knows one version of a mythology that's much broader.

RebelVampire

more likely a different take

but this explains the framing of the prologue

QUESTION 2. Cethlenn and Balor reveal the humans and the Fomor have vastly different ideas on how the war started. Humans believe the Fomor eat people and destroy their settlements, while the Fomor believe the humans were tricked by their gods into warring with them. How do you think the war started? How will these differing viewpoints be relevant to the story?

mathtans

Truth's probably somewhere in the middle, I suppose....

RebelVampire

but back to what i was saying, if this is a diff take on the myth, i feel like the prologue is saying "yeah here we have this myth about how evil balor was but nope the truth of myths are not easy."

mathtans

That makes sense. I like when things are made not easy. ^.^

Interesting that Fomor don't have magic, and humans do. I wonder if that played into the start of the war.

As to viewpoints, pretty obvious that the humans have bought into the propaganda, based on that guy in the cart. Meaning emotions will beat out "truth", if there can be said to be a truth.

It was good to see him, to start seeing that side of the story too.

I also confess, I'm a bit shallow, and like the brighter colours. ^_^

RebelVampire

i do like that the comic is a big more vibrant now.

i think humans having magic at least partially explains why they even stand a chance against the fomor

mathtans

It provides a contrast between the worlds well.

RebelVampire

since the fomor are huge

mathtans

That's a good point. Explains why they feel the need to pull out Balor every so often too, why they can't handle it, and why they try to remove the magician humans.

RebelVampire

in all honesty i kind of feel like its the humans fault the war started cause i feel like they sent the first blow. cause i believe theres some truth to the story balor tells in song. so the humans probably did show up, got spooked by the first fomor they saw, and killed that fomor out of fear. and then the fomor were mad and retaliated. and then things escalated

mathtans

That would make sense. Though there's also different tribes of Fomor, who probably look better or worse - do you remember if it was said whether it started in the South? Like, maybe they're the scarier ones and it's all racism from there.

RebelVampire

i think the song mentioned the war starting in the south

so it could be theyre scarier seeming

ok its more vague

it says "son of the South East"

mathtans

I suppose I could look this up. -.- Oh, good for you on checking. And now they're headed North, so people could be seeing what they expect, not differentiating the different types.

Like, even the guards are different, one has more prominent teeth, I think?

RebelVampire

yeah. although the fomor just may have vastly more genetic differences than humans by comparison. but it could in large just be an issue of racism at play.

mathtans

Well, now I'm looking up Fomorians...

RebelVampire

haha you have me at a disadvantage cause i usually dont read Q&As. but thats just bias from doing reviews every month cause i cant really base story judgements on outside info.

mathtans

Yeah, that's understandable. Plus you have a lot to read as it is, I don't always go through an entire archive. Though I did in this case.

Looks like humans weren't the first to challenge Fomorians in legend. Huh. I'm learning stuff.

Kind of tangential to what's going on here though.

(Previous challengers died of "an epidemic".)

Anyhue. War. What is it good for? I suspect one of the protagonists, if not both, are doomed to die... but maybe that brings peace?

RebelVampire

the description for the comic mentions that the story has a sad ending. i get the distinct impression that they both die...and then the war continues. forever. cause if we assume it follows the legend and balor somehow leads the people, someone will just replace balor. although i feel like if balor dies the fomor will be at a huge disadvantage

mathtans

That's true. They won't have their ace in the hole (uh, kinda literally) any more. Maybe the whole point is the humans win, because that's where we're at now, and history was written by the victors.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Throughout the comic so far, Balor’s main conflict is being used as a tool of war due to the evil eye curse Balor possesses. Why do you think Balor has this curse? Is it truly a curse or is something larger at work? Do you think Balor will somehow get rid of the curse of the evil eye and gain freedom?

mathtans

Oh, that's a good question. Pretty sure he won't gain his freedom, in fact I somehow feel like he's gonna end up using it in a tragic way. But I don't know where he got it from. Particularly if the Fomor don't use magic.

I'm usually pretty good at offering theories, but I'm kind of drawing a blank. Maybe because I feel like a proper theory would take from the mythology.

Oooh, thought. Maybe the curse comes from something she's GONNA do. Like, she gets cursed back into her past/from her birth because of something that happens later. In a "brought it on yourself" sort of way.

Ugh, and my gender pronouns are all over the place.

RebelVampire

lol thatd be trippy but possible for something mythology based.

granted im not sure its a curse. i like to think like some unknown power wanted to give the fomor a little advantage

cause of how far the war has gone

mathtans

Humans might have the power to curse, is the thing. Though that's a good point, maybe she comes by it "naturally", so that there's an equilizer.

Sometimes I wonder what the "gods" are thinking.

(Like, not just with this comic, but in general.)

I wonder if there's a way to counteract it. That hasn't been found yet.

Not in terms of a cure so much as something that can be done to stay alive... though a cure might be interesting too. Even if I suspect it would be a deception of some sort.

RebelVampire

there is a cure. its called death.

/shot

joking aside i hadnt considered that maybe it was a curse from the humans

which would be hilariously ironic

as it brought about their own destruction

mathtans

Well, there's that too, ouch. Yeah, or a curse from the human gods, meaning the fomor aren't wrong in saying the humans are being coaxed deeper into this war.

"Please kill all these types, we'll even make them extra powerful to give you a reason to fear them."

RebelVampire

im really curious as far as the story goes how involved the human gods are involved. like...weve never seen one so are they even real in this story? cause while the existence of the fomor leads to the idea that of course they must be, theres room for doubt. so rather than the gods themselves manipulating the humans, it was evil humans saying "oh yeah the gods told us this stuff." and since the war is so old no one remembers enough to question it

mathtans

Oooh, that's a really good point.

Word of mouth causing more problems, much like the way things got played up for that farmer who wasn't even there.

(I keep calling him a farmer, I don't know why, he was just in a cart and had a place nearby... I'm horrible for stereotyping...)

I'm reminded of the "subtle flirting" "less subtle flirting" thing though, that was amusing. I like the occasional amusement particularly when things are a bit bleak otherwise.

RebelVampire

yeah im glad this comic does have some of the lighter lines throne it to keep things from being soul crushing.

the farmer person (cause might as well continue stereotyping) made me laugh just cause of how wildly crazy that version was in a way

although that scene made me really hmmm at cethlenn's origins because she seemed a bit spoiled by not being afraid of the war

mathtans

I guess I saw that as youthful optimism.

Maybe she thinks her magic can protect her too.

RebelVampire

it could be youthful optimism. could just be her personality too. she's a bit spunky. i mean she did recently sneak into balor's cell and is like "yeah w/e its cool im cool were all cool."

mathtans

Hah. That's true. It makes her a pretty good counterpoint to Balor, might explain why Balor's happier around her.

Maybe that's also the source of the initial fascination, to some extent.

RebelVampire

probably. tho to a degree im sure its balor just clinging to something to keep sane. cause balor's life is pretty depressing.

mathtans

Truth.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 4. The comic focuses quite a bit on the developing relationship between Cethlenn and Balor. However, the themes of war and its effects are always looming in the background. What do you think the ultimate fate of the two will be? Will they be able to stay together or will they eventually be found out and torn apart in the spirit of their war torn lands?

mathtans

Yeah, I don't see it ending well. One or both dying. Just... it's war, and I get this tragic vibe.

Romeo and Juliet (or Juliet and Juliet, I dunno).

RebelVampire

yeah that last one. although they may at least die together. maybe theyll start there own rebellion faction. and try to end the war by going to war

cause logic

mathtans

Hm. I wonder, maybe Ceth dies, and Balor somehow turns her vibe on the Fomor in grief, and then realizes what she's done, and suicide? ... I like the dying together better. o.o

I wonder how long it'll take though. Like, will there be a time skip? They're both awful young here.

RebelVampire

idk. although honestly, im not even sure what the time passage is. its really vague and kind of bothers me. cause it effects a bit how sorry i feel for balor. like has balor been doing evil eye stuff for a few months or a few years? that makes a really huge difference

mathtans

That's true. How do Fomor even age? Was it implied anywhere?

At the same time, I kind of get the idea that when you're effectively in a prison, time becomes rather meaningless.

Oh, one thing I wanted to mention, the language thing with Ceth's real name versus what Balor called her, I thought that was clever and fun too.

RebelVampire

oh thats a really good point. i never considered that the time was intentionally vague because such is the way of prison. thats a very interesting interpretation.

i thought that was a cute scene. especially cethlenn trying to teach balor how to say her name right.

mathtans

Sometimes I'm interesting. It also means we don't really know how long they were playing together in the pool versus being stuck alone. Time expands and contracts depending on mood.

Heh, right. Maybe that should've been my fave scene. (I guess I like the more comedic stuff.)

Maybe the fact that there's drawings on the walls can act as an indication.

RebelVampire

thats true cause balor was putting up a count which im gonna assume was days.

mathtans

Was there a count along with other things? How can you measure a day though, if you can't see any sun? Maybe it was times he got pulled out.

RebelVampire

i think theres a hole in balor's prison tho so im gonna assume balor could see the passage. but to be fair the count couldve been something else. and idk if balor kept up with it.

since i didnt really mention it, i think my fave scene was actually the flashback scene of balor with the older fomor. cause i think it was just a very warm scene that showed the fomor arent always these war torn fighters and i think it gave a really good perspective on the war.

mathtans

I think the light through the hole is only when people are looking for him. But yeah, hard to say.

That's a good point. Important to have, particularly as a counterpoint to the human stuff later.

RebelVampire

yeah although id like to see more of the humans

cause mostly weve just seen them be prisoners or become fried chicken

mathtans

I guess I'm a bit torn on that topic. It'd be good, but at the same time, the more that gets shown the less the imagination can play around.

Just loaded the site again and noticed the chapters are denoted with little "chalk markings", that's a neat touch.

Reminds me of one other praise, the way expressions are done, in terms of the artwork.

RebelVampire

i like the artsy style of the comic in general. now while admittedly its not a style i would go for for personal entertainment persay, i think it works for what the comic is trying to go for. i think overall the art really expresses and hits the mark for every tone and mood it wants to emphasis and show

mathtans

Agreed. Impressive shading. Even the font choice has a Celtic feel to it somehow. Maybe that's just me.

(I think it's the E's.)

RebelVampire

nah i did get that impression too. that there was a celtic feel to the font.

RebelVampire

Unfortunately, the scheduled Comic Tea Party is now complete~! Thank you everyone so much for joining this week’s chat~! That being said, if you would like to continue discussing the comic, we encourage you to do so~! We want to give a big thank you to aislinn e, as well, for volunteering There Was a War for our reading queue. If you liked the comic, please be sure to support aislinn e’s efforts. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions about CTP, please feel free to PM me, or e-mail me at rebelvampire@startfaire.com.

With that said, next week’s Comic Tea Party will focus on Aether Eternius by Novasiri. Please use this week to read as much of the comic as you would like. Hope to see you next Thursday (July 27th) from 5PM to 7PM PDT~! Until then~! @Novasiri Comic: https://tapas.io/series/Aether-Eternius(edited)