#and start the script for the technical first chapter

[haliaiii]

hmm if I created a comic/webtoon, should I upload it only on webtoon, or like create another blog just to post it? I mean I could do both probably, webtoon in general kinda sucks and It'd be cool for my comic to be accessible in other places too...

[oonajaeadira]

@jolapeno is encouraging us all to list the favorite things we've made this year. And @sixhours and @jeewrites are superlative humans and they have tagged me and I am grateful for that!

I'm not gonna lie, y'all. When I'm asked to reflect on what I've created in the fandom this year...well, "depressed" is a word I could use.

But. It's been such a lovely year in the fandom. We were treated to a Fox, a Roman general, a boy-who-never-grew-up, and a penis collector, not to mention the promise of a very flexible scientific-genius wifeguy and sneak peeks of everyone's favorite melancholy apocalypse survivor.

Thank you to everyone who was helping us keep a lookout for nasty folks and helping to combat deplorable behaviors, and thank you to everyone who did their part keeping spirits bright.

And I will be forever grateful for @pedroscouts and @pedrosummercamp ...it literally gave me something to focus on when my days were running away from me and introduced me to some really sassy and hilarious new friends. <3

Still. 2024 put me through a professional and emotional wringer. So. Here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna list my wins. First, we'll start with what Jo asked for!

PEDRO PASCAL CHARACTER FANFICTION

Okay. So the rules said it had to be a finished project. Playing by the rules, I would have nothing to post. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Poop. So, in the interest of choosing joy, breaking the rules it is!

Fluffbruary Six-Sentence Ficlets - multiple I tried, y'all. I tried real hard. I got through 15! And I was making a new header for each one! And then life got real busy and I had to stop. But I have every prompt assigned and I decided I'm gonna reblog the first half and post the second half this February. I know they're not a popular series, but they make me happy, so they're getting doing!

Leave Off Your Wandering - Joel Technically, I did finish this one, since I had always planned for it to be just the four parts. But at the end of the Winter chapter, I realized it needed an epilogue, so there's another chapter coming. And it's not far off. I may finish it before the end of the year and then it will really not be a lie. But first.....

That Awooo Inside You (Part 1, Part 2) - Fink This may not qualify yet, but the final chapter will be finished before the end of the year. I have it half written and there's a chapter pic ready to go. Proof:

.

And that's mainly it. I did write some pieces for @morallyinept's spooky moodboards as well and really enjoyed that! But that's been what I've been able to do. So to combat the whomp whomp in my heart about it, I include here another list after the tags.

tagging! @katareyoudrilling @secretelephanttattoo @fromthedeskoftheraven @goodwithcheese @walkingaline

And you!

Your Favorite Things 2024 with Jo

PROFESSIONAL CHECKLIST OF 2024

(Pedro girlies can stop reading here. This is solely for me to really take account of and be proud of everything I accomplished this year, but also to let it soak in that I do not want another year like this again.)

JANUARY:

Researched, wrote, developed, costumed and constructed [solo show]

Performed [solo show] in Minneapolis for a limited group

Performed one night in an Off-Book quest slot performance

Performed [solo show] in Tuscon

FEBRUARY:

Prepared for the hellish year to come

MARCH:

Helped to develop new script for [indie company]

APRIL:

Directed new script for [indie company]

Developed, costumed, constructed and performed a short detailed piece for a fundraiser by a company I dearly love and hope to work for

MAY:

Continuance and opening of new script production for [indie company]

Both managing and guest performing in a large fundraiser show for my work

JUNE:

Performing [solo show] in Atlanta

Performing as part of a trio in a long-form improv production in Atlanta

Directing a brand new set of 5 trateau pieces for a company I dearly love

JULY:

Trateau rehearsal continues

AUGUST:

Trateau performances

Huge annual arts event that my work actually centers around

SEPTEMBER:

Travel to Sweden and Finland for work

Travel to Sweden and Denmark for pleasure (first time out of the US since 2019, so it was an accomplishment for me)

Start work on a project that will require me to direct, create, costume, design, manage, market, and help write five separate 60-mintue shows that will all perform within one week of each other

OCTOBER:

Aforementioned 5-show nightmare rehearsals and marketing continue

Performed in all 5 shows

Coordinated an 11-day pop-up market during that same week which included a complete (floor, ceiling, walls) set-dressing of a small room, while being the proprietor and coordinator of all sellers and wares

NOVEMBER:

Died a little inside

Cleaned my studio for the first time in a year

DECEMBER:

Started rehearsals for a show I'll act/sing in this spring, one that will be stress free and a fkn joy and everything that 2024 was not.

[home-sweet-hive]

new comic new comic new comic new-

North Shore Folly

Chapter 0: One Step aHead

[The Beginning/ Page 1 (you are here!)] | Page 2 ]

[Ko-Fi] [V-Gen]

--

Hi yes new comic!! Finally!! This has technically been in the works for QUITE the while, and was the reason BA HRT was coming along so slowly - there's four pages that I had drawn for this that'll never go beyond Discord because they were for an old version of this comic's script that I had to rewrite because EIGHT STEPS OF THE EYE PART SIX SPECIFICALLY INTRODUCED LORE THAT SHATTERED IT (light hearted)

But one rewrite and a new starting page later - here we are! And yeah I'm gonna be posting this one page by page, this first chapter here is 22 pages long so. Yeahhh-

Hope you guys enjoy!! I'm so excited to lead you all down where this goes~

[cjlouwho]

Under These Bright Lights- Chapter 4

Excerpt:

“You know, it says in script that th- the first time we see him, he's shirtless and we're staring at him like he's some sort of sex symbol. The script actually says that: sex symbol, Tommy.”

“Okay?” Tommy replied, confused. “And?”

Buck huffed. “I just don't understand why they hired him as the sex symbol when...” his voice trailed off as his brain caught up with what he was about to say.

“When?” Tommy questioned, eyebrows raised. “When they have you? Is that what you were just about to say to me?”

“Technically you said it.”

Tommy grinned, shaking his head. “I think we're good on the knots for today, Evan,” he said, taking the rope from Buck's hand.

“Wha- I still haven't learned the Prusik though.”

“I thought you didn't see the point in knowing any of the knots?” Tommy questioned.

“Well, I... It's always nice to gain the knowledge.”

Tommy paused, then handed the rope back over. “This one looks complicated, but it really isn't,” he began, reaching over to guide Buck's hand with his own.

Buck ignored the tiny leap in his heart when they touched.

start at chapter one

[rottenraccoons]

HIIII I wanted to ask a more technical question related to the game. I know in another ask I think you mentioned that the ending you get in chaper 1 would determine where the story goes in chapter 2, but I was curious if individual/specific choices from chapter 1 would make a difference or effect anything like a bit of dialogue in chapter 2.

Like for example in Oleanders route you pick a trinket and that can effect a few lines of dialogue later. Will some choices like that carry on into other chapters? Tho I'd totally understand if not since it'd probably get too complicated to do stuff like that ^^

I really hope this isn't spoiler territory. I tried my best not to do that ><

The short answer is yes! Choices you make in chapter one can absolutely be referenced or have ongoing effects in later chapters. For anyone who has never programmed before, I'll explain a little about how choices work under the read more and show some examples of Obscura code, but the simple version is that it's only a little more work to include stuff like this: a line of code and then whatever the extra/alternative dialogue is.

So!! If you've never programmed before, the word you'll want to know is variable. A variable is basically just a box that contains information. In basically all visual novels any information the game needs to remember is stored in a variable. And in Ren'py games, it is very easy to make and use variables for a lot of stuff!

Your protagonist's name, for example, is put in a variable box labelled "Name", and so we can just type [Name] in dialogue and Ren'py knows that what we're asking for is the contents of the "Name" variable box, so it just shows that. You can see us doing just that in the first line of this code screencap! So when you enter your name at the beginning of a playthrough, you're telling the game what information goes into the "Name" variable box.

(You can also see how we set variables here, with the "trust_keir" variable remembering if you said yes or no to trusting him, and if you say no then he gets one point added to his affection score.)

Within a single playthrough/save file your variables stay the same until something in the code changes them, but starting a new game makes a new set of variables for that playthrough. That's why no matter how many new games you start and enter a different name into, your old saves will still have the name you entered there.

Since Chapter 2 is going to be a direct continuation of Chapter 1, you're still in the same save file and so all your variables just continue being used. And that means they're available for us to use for all sorts of things! Using variables can be complicated if there's a lot of them that interact in a lot of ways (ask me how a certain date scene is going!), but here's a pretty simple version.

There's two ways onto Keir's route: you can get kidnapped by him normally, or Vesper can accidentally find a way into Mouse Hole after leaving Cirrus' route. If you do leave Cirrus' route, the variable "cirrus_escape" is set to True. That means that later on, I can program dialogue that will only be shown if you left Cirrus' route, in this case mentioning him by name while passing his church. There's a different line for players who didn't leave Cirrus' route. And we can do that with basically any variable in the script!

(For those who want a total breakdown, the screenshot above works like this:

First line: everyone sees this.

Second line: the code that tells the game only to show anything "inside" it (below and indented) if the player left Cirrus' route

Third line: the piece of script that's shown to players who left Cirrus' route

Fourth line: the piece of code that says "anyone who didn't get to see the third line get to see anything inside this"

Fifth line: the piece of script that's shown to players who didn't leave Cirrus' route

Sixth line: everyone sees this.)

So yes, there will be references to previous things that happened where they're appropriate! We love weaving references to things that happened before into the script, it makes everything feel more alive and responsive to your choices, even if those responses are individually pretty small.

[yuri-is-online]

For who would go crazy in TWST trying to save u over and over i have thoughts:

Vil - Mr. Perfect? Not being able to reach his goal, trying to get to the person who understands him best? ESP. thinking about how he's based on the Evil Queen, someone well known for having a Very Poor reaction to not getting her way? He'd absolutely lose it, have a "where are they now" episode about washed up celebs cause EVERYTHING he has is dedicated to saving you

Malleus - He wields some of the most powerful magic in the world, but he can't save you? Absolutely not. He refuses. Also in his case he's probably resetting the world himself, so the repeated deaths he can't save you from are arguably being caused by him to. He has no sense to pet go - you love him, know him so intimately that a world without you is meaningless. Reset.

Azul - There's no bargain he can make, power he can steal, trick he can pull strong enough to fix this mess. He's blindly ambitious, and refuses to hear the word "no". How could he give up his precious pearl, the one person he knows could see through everything he is that's nasty and gross, and love the whole of it? He knows, deep in his mind, that he can't change this fate. But to give up on you? Truly impossible.

notes: referring to this shitpost here, discussion of spoilers for all currently available books including book 7, I'll slap Malleus's part under read more to make those a bit more avoidable

No but annon your mind... so correct about all of this for all stated reasons and more. Seriously how did I not think about Vil? That's genius?

Assuming the original timeline follows the events currently evolving in game, I assume that Yuu ends up dying as part of Grim's overblot. I think it makes sense for the boys to die that first time too, only to wake up alive and in the middle of preparing for NRC's entrance ceremony. After they make sure that this isn't a dream, and that they really are alive and somehow back in time they start making plans.

Vil

I can see og timeline Vil regretting that he didn't pay attention to Yuu before VDC, and trying to figure out how to stay in their life during his fourth year internship because (even if his feelings technically run a bit deeper) genuine friendships are important to him. Remember how happy to see everyone he was in chapter 6? It's all he can do to remind himself you probably don't know who he is anymore when he sees Crowley drag you into the mirror chamber, he just wants to kiss your preciously confused face.

Something Rook immediately picks up on because I'm pretty convinced he would notice if something was that majorly off script about his queen. Vil's raised eyebrow is .3 centimeters off from his normal concerned face :/ he needs an explanation.

Vil's relieved at first, he has Rook's help and you are surprisingly receptive to his advances. For just a brief moment he has you in his arms and you are alive, and then you are torn away again. And again, and again and again and-

Vil's signature spell is a curse, he can recognize the traces of one, and I agree he would be so determined to break it he would slowly start to deteriorate into a actual villain. It's not like time is advancing forward otherwise, it's not like he can advance his acting career while he is stuck in this time loop trying to save you, trying to not let your zero percent of survival stay zero. I could see him spending a loop killing the other overblot mages before they build up enough blot to hurt Yuu only for that not to work and him to get even more unhinged as a result.

Azul

Ok so you remember that bit in the Ghost Bride event where Azul gets borderline creepy over the thought of being rejected? Or that part of New Years where he suffers a bit of sunk cost fallacy over the grab bags and gets back in line to spend more money on more stuff he doesn't need? Or how about his level up lines? Laughing at the thought of being satisfied with "just this much power" or warning that you will just be taken advantage of in this world, and inviting you to seek safety with him when that inevitably happens?

Well you did and he failed you. And no he isn't really someone who lets go of things. He goes out of his way to tell Riddle that he thinks being greedy is a good thing; you could have had a very long and happy life together that hit every milestone you set out to achieve and it still wouldn't be enough for Azul. He will never be satisfied, never have enough of Yuu.

But he's smart, he knows when things just aren't possible. It makes him more determined to prove himself. If he can't outsmart something as trivial as fate, can he really claim to be a brilliant mage?

Unlike Vil, I don't think he would immediately tell the twins what was happening. I do think they would figure it out eventually, and I do think they would help, but I think they would also maybe... eventually... realize that there was no saving you and maybe it's best for everyone involved if that's accepted. I could see Jade and Floyd going to Yuu directly and asking what you want, not because they are opposed to saving you but because they want Azul's suffering to end.

I don't know if you have ever played Amnesia Memories, but I could see Azul following a similar path to the Joker World/Ukyo (they are not similar characters but meh) in a situation like this. Won't spoil that here but I highly recommend it if you like otome games.

Malleus

In a twisted way I could almost see him being satisfied with being stuck inside a time loop trying to save you. Not at first obviously, at first Malleus refuses to believe he could fail in saving you. He is the fifth most powerful mage in the universe. He is a King, he can not think of anyone, anything that is stupid enough to tell him no.

Maybe he speed runs his own overblot and tries trapping you in a dream, only for that to kill you. Reset.

How about killing the other overblot mages? He'd arrive at that one a lot faster than Vil. Also doesn't work. Reset.

I don't think Malleus would bring Lilia, Silver, or Sebek into the loop of what was going on. Lilia- he's smart, old, and understands just how powerful Malleus really is, but I'm not sure he would be able to realize time itself is being reset. I think he would pick up on what Malleus's plan is in each individual universe and goes out of his way to prevent him from doing something stupid. You know who I could see picking up on it though? Leona and Idia, forcing them to work together to get Malleus to stop further driving a wedge between Malleus and the rest of the student body.

And then there is you, troublesome you. We don't really know what causes Grim to overblot, I could almost see a situation where Yuu does everything they can to save their friends, aware that time is being reset and thinking that finally, this time they can keep everyone from dying. They are completely content to die if it means no one else gets hurt, completely unaware that self sacrifice is what is causing all of this. What is one life compared to everyone in all of Twisted Wonderland after all?

Everything, it is worth everything, this world really is meaningless without you in it. Reset.

[whats-she-gonna-post-next]

So I just finished binding Trust Life by the absolutely amazing @chaiandsage (Hello, I am ready to be perceived now, I hope that I have done your story even the slightest bit of justice) and I just wanted to make a post both showing it off, and going through what I learned doing this bind because I did a few new things here and want to talk about it.

Also I'm not going to subject you all to this, so most everything but the final product here is going to be below the cut.

(Also so sorry that the photos aren't the best. I am... Very bad at photography, lmao)

Ok, so let's start off with some of the cool things I learned during this bind. Or, maybe not necessarily cool, but they are things I learned and I think that learning is cool!

First off, I learned how to download and add fonts to Microsoft Word, which while not interesting, does open up a whole world of fonts for future binds. Is it a little late in the game to have found this? Probably. But it is what it is. I actually downloaded a pretty good chunk of different ones, but the fonts I actually used were MF Love Dings for the heart motif dividers, which was a new download, and then a few standard fonts - Edwardian Script ITC for the title pages, Baskerville Old Face for the chapter headers, Book Antiqua for the chapter titles, and good old Garamond for the actual text of the novel.

Here is the divider and the title fonts. I just think they are neat.

Another thing I learned was how to make book cloth! I found these squares of white cotton fabric at a dollar tree and decided to give it a go. The way I did mine was by painting them first (a task in and of itself, and as you can see on the cover, did not turn out super even, but I love them nonetheless) and then I glued down a layer of tissue paper to give it a little stiffness and make it stick to the chipboard easier, it was a super cool process and I look forward to trying it again in the future now that I have done it once and have a better idea of how I can improve in the future

And now onto some of the other cooler parts of the process!

So I had a lot of fun doing the formatting, it's my favourite part of any binding process, I cannot tell you how many fics I have formated that I have yet to print out and actually bind because I enjoy the process so much (the answer is actually 5 that are completely formatted and ready to go, 3 that I am actively in the middle of formatting, 4 projects completed - including this one, which... may technically count as 3, granted 2 of them were gifts for other people - and 3 that I am planning on doing that I haven't gotten to start on yet. Oh, and a 5 part series that I have printed out but haven't actually bound yet. I have a problem, lmao.) As I mentioned, I downloaded a few fonts for this but it just ended up looking so good in the end. Here is what some of the inner formatting looks like (I did just take the screenshots from word, I thought it was easier than getting the pages in the book)

Something else! This was the first time I actually broke a single fic into multiple parts, and I do not regret it. Each section is fairly large on its own, so it would have been a monster all together. I gave them basically the same title pages and such, just used the main stories summary for all of them and copy pasted everything - work smarter, not harder - and kept the same format for the chapters and such. There were 2 obvious spots (at least imo) for breaking things up, those being at the end of chapter 24, and then again at the end of 57, if you know, you know. However, that made the divide be 24 chapter, 33 chapter, 9 chapters. I was a little worried about how that divide to affect the look of the books, but I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked out. Book 2 there is quite obviously the largest part (it's basically double the length of book 1) but book 3 was surprisingly long for being only 9 chapters and I think they look fairly cohesive together. I didn't realize how long the last nine chapters themselves were. The first and third ones are actually about the same size together as book two, which is pretty cool!

When it came time to put together the actual books, I stuck with my tried and true french link stitch, as I find it to be a sturdy stitch, and then used green, yellow, and red card stock for the end pages, I felt it thematic.

I'm super excited to have this as a physical book now, thank again to chaiandsage for allowing me to bind this amazing story and just for writing it in the first place! I read it like twice in the span of a month, and I swear I have read chapter 57 and 58 themselves way too many times to count. Not even going to mention the amount of times I read the last 6 chapters because I just love a good happy ending.

But yeah, I'm really happy how this bind turned out, I still have to put an actual cover in these - which I plan on doing, I have a friend who is going to help me with the cover design when they are free, so there will be an update at some point.

[tevanavernus]

You Look So Pretty, Pretty Like The Sun - Chapter 1

Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , Chapter 5 , Chapter 6 , Chapter 7 Chapter 8 , Chapter 9 , Chapter 10

Link to ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55256683/chapters/140163892

No matter what Buck did, he could not get Tommy out of his mind. The countless times he picked up his phone to text the guy, to apologize profusely, and to beg for another chance were driving him insane. He was never good at explaining his feelings when it mattered; the words would make sense in his head, but the moment it came to speaking them out loud, they would come out jumbled, and he, more often than not, would mess it up. If there was one thing that he was great at, it was messing things up. Hell, this week alone seemed to be just one screw-up after another.

The jealousy, the near-strangulation by an alien hand, maiming his best friend, and now royally screwing up the one date he really wanted to go well. Worst of all, the date was actually going better than he had expected for the most part. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so nervous about a date; it felt like he was about to jump out of his skin. If he were honest, Buck wasn’t sure how he even managed to function as a human being; certain things just blurred in his mind. At times, he remembered his mind zeroing in on not letting his trembling hand spill the beer as he raised it, on making sure he wasn’t eating too slowly or too quickly, or worse, choking on a date again. But above all, he remembered Tommy sitting across from him, looking at him, giving his full attention only to him. It left Buck a stuttering and blushing mess, yet Tommy never pointed it out or made him feel self-conscious. If anything, he didn’t bat an eye at Buck stumbling over his words; he just laughed lightly at Buck’s stories and shared his own in turn. Tommy would smile that dashing smile and make Buck forget how to breathe. It was easy to forget they were technically on a date, that it was his first time being out with a guy that wasn’t strictly platonic.

That was until the bill came and reality hit him like another lightning bolt. Suddenly, it all became too real; he was on a date with another man and he couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone was staring at him, accusing him of being a fraud, of pretending to be someone else. It was as if everyone could see straight through him and recognize every mistake he'd ever made. He feared that Tommy would take one more look at him and see it all too. Suddenly, all the desperate need to be seen by Tommy disappeared, replaced by dread. Buck shrunk back into himself so far he might as well have left his body, only to watch himself dig such a deep hole and bury his chance at something with the first guy he ever liked.

Which led him to his current predicament. Days later, he still couldn't stop thinking about the man. Buck thought about what he would say, made a whole script of countless ‘ hey’ and ‘I’m sorry’ messages in his head. Had lifted his phone to write them, but every single time he opened the messaging app, the words died at his fingertips. Their previous conversation history would pop up, and there wouldn’t be good enough words to start the message. It only caused Buck to sigh and run his hand through his hair in frustration, feeling a light pang in his chest. They hadn’t exchanged that many texts, as both had hectic schedules but they would get few words in here and there in between calls, mostly about possible places to go. Yet the messages represented the time where they were good.

It took both coming out to Maddie and Eddie for him to pick up the phone again and actually press the button. He waited with bated breath as the phone dialed, his heart pounding inside his chest.

“Hello?” Tommy finally answered, causing Buck’s breath to hitch.

“Hey Tommy,” he managed to choke out. Clearing his throat, he quickly added, “It’s Buck. How… how are you?”

Before Tommy could answer, he heard voices in the background and hastily added, “Sorry, is this a bad time?”

“No, I can spare a few minutes,” came Tommy’s reply. God, Buck really wished he could see the man. Hearing his voice did things to him, but it didn’t compare to seeing him in person.

“I’m good, how are you?”

“No, I’m great. Listen, I, uh… I really want to talk to you,” Buck managed to get out. “Not that we are not talking now, 'cause obviously we are, but…”

But Tommy deserved better than just a phone call. He came to Buck’s place the last time he wanted to talk, which led to the man kissing him and inviting him on a date. The memory of the unexpected but very welcomed kiss caused his brain to haywire, and he realized that silence fell over them as Tommy waited for him to continue.

“Could… Could we meet up?”

It took Tommy a moment to respond, as if he was considering how to reply. Buck’s nerves picked up again. He really wouldn’t blame Tommy if he said no, not after how he behaved the last time. But before he could drown in doubts, Tommy pulled him back with a simple:

“Sure, Evan. When are you free?”

“Tomorrow?” Buck winced, hearing the eagerness in his own voice, but nonetheless his chest swelled with happiness and a wide grin broke on his face. He could barely contain the urge to fist bump the air. “I can send you the details or if—“

“Great, I will see you then,” The screeching ring of the bell interrupted them. “Unfortunately, I do have to run now.”

“Yeah, of course. Thanks, Tommy. Have a good shift.”

“No need to thank me, Evan.”

With that, Buck was left feeling giddy, standing by the counter in his kitchen with a huge smile, as if he were a lovesick teenager once again.

———

The early sun basked on his shoulders as Buck navigated to a free table outside, two cups of coffee in his hands. He had no idea how Tommy liked his coffee, so he got one with cream and sugar. Buck felt more relaxed this time around, more sure of himself, but that didn’t stop him from subconsciously wiping his hands on his jeans. Luckily, before his mind could overthink it, he spotted Tommy turning a corner and walking up to the table with hands tucked in his navy zip-through hoodie. Buck couldn’t help but eye him up. Not only was Tommy gorgeous, but the way he effortlessly held himself with such ease was captivating

“Hey.” Buck greeted him, breathlessly, his heart racing as he straightened up . Tommy smiled, still with his hands in his pockets, his eyes warm and inviting as he stopped in front of the table.

“Hey,” he replied lightly.

“Thanks for agreeing to meet me.” Buck said, his gaze flickering between Tommy’s eyes and the table.

“Of course,” his gaze briefly dropping to the table before meeting Buck's eyes again, a hint of curiosity in his expression. Buck motioned for him to sit down, his hand gesturing towards the empty chair opposite him.

“I, uh, got you a coffee,” Buck said, a nervous smile tugging at the corners of his lips as Tommy thanked him and finally sat down.

“I- I didn’t know how you take it, so I, uh, took a guess.” He was quick to add to fill the silence. He swayed a bit in his chair, the nerves making him feel jittery. Tommy took a sip and put it down almost immediately, a playful glint in his eyes as he teased, “Mmm, so not like that.”

Buck chuckled, his own tension easing slightly in response.

“Seems like there are a lot of things we don’t know about each other.”

“Practically everything.” Tommy quipped, the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement.

“Well I would like to change that,” Buck declared, his voice steady and certain. “First, I need to apologise. For the way I behaved the other night.”

“You’ve nothing to apologise.” Tommy was quick to reassure.

“No, I do.” Buck met Tommy’s gaze.

“No I didn’t cut things short because you behaved badly. I did it because I didn’t want to pressure you.” Tommy explained.

“Still the way I reacted was not my proudest moment.” Buck admitted, his voice tinged with regret.

“Noted.”

“So uh.. You said before that you don’t think I’m ready.” Buck swallowed. “And the truth is, I don’t know what I’m ready for. But I am ready for something. And I think that something could be with you.”

There he said it, passing the ball to Tommy. A small hope blossoming inside.

“You already know that I’m interested.”A small smile broke out on Tommy’s face

“Come with me to my sister’s wedding.”

Tommy chuckled in surprise, his eyes widening in disbelief.

“What?”he asked incredulously, his tone filled with surprise and amusement.

“I want you to be my date at my sister’s date.” Buck clarified with a wide grin. He really wanted Tommy to join him. To be able to not only share such important moment with him but also to show him off to the people that were most import in Buck’s life. To have Tommy by his side through the celebrations and the dancing.

“Evan.” Tommy replied, still in disbelief, and Buck relished in the moment of having the rug pulled from under his feet for the first time.

“Come on, I’m serious,” Buck continued, happy yet briefly wondering if he broke the man from how shocked he looked. “You know half the people there and she wants to meet you.”

Tommy leaned on his arms across the table, making Buck distinctly aware of the space between them. Ever since they met, they seemed to gravitate towards each other, and Buck wanted to close that space now.

“Are you absolutely sure about this.” Tommy asked again, his brow furrowing slightly.

“Yes I’m sure. There’s going to be free food, and I need someone to dance with.” Buck replied confidently, his eyes meeting Tommy's with determination.

“Okay.” Tommy said, nodding slowly as he processed Buck's words.

“Yeah?” Buck asked eagerly, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

“Yeah,” Tommy confirmed, a small smile playing on his lips.

“’Kay great.” Without thinking, Buck reached across the table and gently placed his hand on top of Tommy's, feeling a rush of warmth and butterflies in his stomach as Tommy's other hand immediately covered is.

A comfortable silence enveloped them, allowing Buck to relish the sensation of holding hands.

“So,” Tommy finally spoke lightly, his fingertip lightly brushing against his knuckles. “You told your sister about me?”

“Well more about me yet again managing to mess up a date but yeah, you came up.” Buck chuckled, his cheeks flushing slightly.

“Dare I ask what she thinks?” Tommy asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“She’s happy for me. And probably pleased that I survived the date without an emergency tracheotomy again.”

“Come again?” Tommy raised an eyebrow in surprise, sounding half concerned.

“It’s uh a long and embarrassing story.” Buck chuckled, scratching the back of his head. His cheeks flushed deeper.

“I don’t know about you but I have time,” Tommy smiled, giving Buck's hand a reassuring squeeze “And I would love to get to know you.”

“Yeah, I do have time.” Buck replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The unspoken ‘for you’ lingered at the tip of his tongue.

——-

They lingered at their table for longer than it was probably appropriate. Their conversations about work and light personal stories made time fly. In what felt like mere moments, even though the coffee had long gone cold, Tommy checked the time on his phone and sighed.

“I've got a shift starting soon.”

Buck offered to walk him back to his car, reluctantly pulling his hand away from where it had been grazing Tommy’s on the table. As they strolled to the car, time seemed to pass too quickly, even though they didn’t rush. Buck enjoyed the closeness, and though they weren’t holding hands, as they walked, their fingertips lightly brushing against each other.

“So I still don’t know your coffee order.” Buck mentioned as they stood beside Tommy’s car, not wanting their time together to end just yet. They would have to part ways soon enough, but neither of them seemed eager to do so.

“I guess we will have to keep going out on coffee dates until you figure it out.”Tommy smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief.

“I would like that.” Buck replied, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Me too.” Tommy smiled warmly and Buck couldn't help but glance down, not so discreetly, at his lips. He subconsciously lifted his hand and touched his own lips, their last kiss, fresh in his mind. He watched as Tommy’s gaze moved to his lips as well, catching the action. Buck wanted to kiss him again. Or be kissed by him. Whichever came sooner.

“I should get going,” Tommy finally mentioned, his eyes flicking back to Buck’s. With knees that felt like they were about to give out, and feeling a burst of courage, Buck closed the space between them, letting his lips brush against Tommy’s. He wasn’t as smooth about it as Tommy was, almost clashing their teeth together in his eagerness . But none of it mattered. Any coherent thought vanished as Tommy wrapped his arm around Buck's waist, pulling him closer as he returned the kiss. It was as chaste of a kiss as it was in his apartment, but it made Buck melt into the embrace. His hand instinctively reached for Tommy’s bicep, feeling the firm muscle beneath the hoodie. He could taste the coffee Tommy drank on his lips, the smell of his cologne hitting Buck’s senses and sending a pleasant shiver down his back. A smile broke out on Tommy’s face as he parted his lips and leaned into the kiss more.

Momentarily, Buck forgot they were in the parking lot, so consumed by the feeling of Tommy. He almost whined as the man finally pulled away, instinctively trying to reach for Tommy’s lips again.

Reopening his eyes, Buck watched as a grin spread across Tommy’s face, his eyes smoldering with intensity.

“You are something else, Evan,” Tommy murmured, his tone filled with adoration.

The tips of Buck's ears burned, and he ducked shyly at the compliment.

“Have a good shift,” Buck smiled coyly. “And call me.”

With a chuckle and a promise of a call later, they separated. Buck slowly made his way to his jeep, a stupid grin plastered on his face and excitement cursing through his veins

———-

[gynandromorph]

the script is... drafted. i've been editing and revising as well; over half of it is a "draft 1.5" version that's more acceptable for other people to see... 48/~78. i wasn't so successful at killing my darlings or shortening the script. in my second draft, i will use more highlights for myself, to highlight what exactly i know TECHNICALLY is not necessary (such as beat panels), including entire scenes that i should perhaps elect to draw later. tangentially, i'm considering not drawing this comic chronologically, in order to "hide" style drift/art evolution (TM). i will still try to draw less "exciting" scenes first. i don't know how that will shake out with the patreon situation. perhaps totally randomly selected chapters posted out of order will make an audience less likely to give feedback that would compel me to change the story. the commentary would consequently focus more on the development process than the story or writing. before all of that, though... i still need to settle on a size for the book. i am going to draw a test page, possibly of a scene randomly chosen by a number generator, then resize it for some dimensions i've been considering. i'll be using real writing for it so that i can see what the actual story will look like in those dimensions, not just a random one-off joke page. so far, 9x7 or 10x7 seems desirable, just from holding various comic books in my hands. i've been preoccupied with the size of the text, even though books i considered far too small (blankets, nofna comics) i had absolutely no issue reading, and it never even crossed my mind that they were "small." the only other benefit to significantly larger pages would be fitting more panels into one page, which would at least soften the blow wrt page count. at the end of the day, i cannot even start to thumbnail without knowing what page dimensions i intend to work with. i will deal with it after i finish the preliminary editing.

[lurkingteapot]

Kidnap the novel, ch. 5 "Skyfall" -- brief synopsis

I have been informed that what I've been calling chapter summaries are technically synopses! til.

I thought the joke'd be on me because I wasn't going to manage to complete the synopsis in time, but maybe I did! So. First points actually already were shown in ep. 4, so I'll leave those visible and add the cut after.

Chapter 5 starts on Q waking up from a nightmare first in his own bed, then wakes again in Min's bed (and arms). Doesn't even think about moving + falls back asleep.

Kachaa is studying the photos of Q laughing with kids about his own age (we assume Min, Men, Khanomjeen). He's glad Q is hidden away in a place his enemies would never think to look. He texts his source thanks, then gets a phone call from Phum, who says he has evidence it wasn't his son involved in the warehouse fire. Kachaa agrees to meet with him.

The scene they rehearsed at the end of ep. 4 is from Min's work! So from the show we saw him working on in eps 1 and 3.

Min's bluescreen moment is down to the fact that the next line he'd have to say contains a confession of love. Q is ??? about it ("get a grip, dude, this is your job, right?") and criticises the script ("who the fuck would willingly die for another person, that's so unrealistic" and of course Min protests he'd die for Men, which Men objects to. (I read it like "oh fuck, that's a death flag" and pray I'm gonna be wrong)

argument about Min's (lack of) acting skills leads to a tussle, Q and Min end up falling to the ground in a pile and laugh their asses off. Men thinks he has them figured out, or at least Min -- he's convinced Min is in way deep, but can't quite get a read on Q.

Min goes to work at Hidden Dragon and overhears conversation mentioning Q's father and Phum by name -- and that Phum has apparently been 'taken care of', and that they're trying to figure out Kachaa's weak spot. Min takes that to mean Q.

While Min is at work, Men tries to figure out what Q thinks of Min -- starting with "so you and Min really are friends, yeah?", and when Q confirms like "what else", Men lists the things that make him think they're way past friends, especially Min, and asks whether Q has any other friends that treat him this way. Q deadpans that he doesn't know because he doesn't have any friends. Men asks him whether he'd be okay with Min liking him for real. Q deflects: there's no way Min likes him, Min just cares for and about people.

Men realises Min forgot his work keycard and dithers about bringing it to him (vs not exerting himself as told). Q immediately volunteers. Men is like "you might not realise this because you don't have any friends, but normal friends don't just drop everything and hurry to bring their friend stuff they forgot."

Min has retreated to the locker room to sort his thoughts. Seua confronts him about not being out on the floor, working. Min asks about quitting. Seua tells him this isn't the kind of job you can quit. It starts to dawn on Min that he's signed away his freedom.

Q gets to Hidden Dragon texts Min that he brought his card, but Min doesn't seem to be reading his messages. Q decides to wait inside. Someone comes to seat him, but their attitude changes when he tells them he brought Min's keycard and they let him into the back. He starts to wonder what kind of place this is ... and then he sees Seua, whom he recalls from the time Yaadaa and Seua came to his house. At that moment Min texts and tries to tell Q to not come to the restaurant. When Q doesn't reply, he even tries to call. Q, who's never seen Min frantic like this, comes to the conclusion that Min must work for these people and decides he has to see for himself. He follows them inside.

Q sees Min across the casino floor, standing next to Seua. A few moments later, Min sees him, and panics both because Q shouldn't be here and because Q looks at him like he's a stranger. He tries to make his way over to Q, but the floor is very crowded.

Q doesn't trust easily and feels massively betrayed, questioning every interaction they had. He's nearly out of the room when he bumps into Yaadaa, who clearly remembers him -- and he her. Seua stops Min from running over to them.

Yaadaa takes Q to her office. Yaadaa tells Q they have a common goal -- to get Kachaa to withdraw from the case. Q plays along to an extent, but doesn't feel inclined to trust her even one bit. When she asks whether he has any questions, he asks about Min. Yaadaa tells Q Min's one of her favourites and asks whether he knows him. Q tries to deflect: nah, he only met him just now. Yaadaa doesn't seem convinced, but before she can press the issue, there's a gunshot and an explosion -- the transformer blew. Communications within the restaurant also seem down. Yaadaa leaves and just leaves one guard with Q, telling him he cannot leave. Q gets increasingly concerned because the fire alarm is going off and there's smoke seeping into the room. He tries to fight the guard, who isn't impressed and tries to hit Q in turn. Min comes in and covers Q, knocks out the guard, and they escape on Min's motorcycle.

As soon as they're away from the restaurant, Q tells Min to stop and let him go. They fight. Q doesn't know how he can trust Min now, Min is hurt Q would think that badly of him. They do return to Min's house together, it's strained, they're not talking or even looking at each other (Men notices). Men helps Min with the welt on his back, asks how he came by it -- did he cover Q like in his script? Min and Q snipe about it and Min goes upstairs. Men is confused and asks Q what's going on. Q tries to deflect because he doesn't feel like explaining the whole kidnapping situation and just asks what kind of person Men thinks Min is.

Min says he'll sleep on the sofa downstairs that night. Q goes to bed in the bedroom by himself and feels strange about seeing all the padded edges Min fixed for him.

In Q's house, Seua is presenting Kachaa with a bloodied mess of documents that Phum had on him when he died. Turns out Seua is spying on Yaadaa for Kachaa. He wanted to help Phum, but couldn't, and feels bad about it. He's also the one who'd been keeping tabs on Q for Kachaa, and the one who started the fire at the casino earlier that day when Yaadaa got hold of Q. They agree that Q was safe with Min, but that that may not be the case anymore. Kachaa will think of a better way to protect Q -- he doesn't want the past to repeat itself.

Q's flashback is to when he was 18. He's running through a field of maize after his mother told him to run, and he's terrified the criminals will catch up with him. He wants to call for his dad, but is also terrified the pursuers will hear him. When he wakes up, he grapples for Min, but Min isn't in the room, and Q has another mini-breakdown when he remembers what happend that day, and how he'd drink or medicate himself to sleep since, until he started to stay with Min. He decides to go downstairs anyway because he needs someone there. Turns out Min had been pacing outside his door anyway, worried Q might fall down the stairs. Hugs and comforting ensues, and they talk a little. Q demands Min tell him why he does all he does if that's not his job. Min says he can't tell, but he just doesn't want to see Q hurt. It's very emotional. Q makes Min promise he won't abandon Q. They hug about it, and it's ~different.

Min has to go to work to shoot the scene he practiced with Q and Men and gets a little too into it -- bursts into tears, sees Q's face superimposed over that of Miki (the actress). Everyone compliments him, and Min has a bit of an "oh shit I love him" moment.

[mer-acle]

Alright, since I'm super active on AO3 again recently I thought I might as well do a breakdown of my work :)

My current fandoms are Marvel (MCU) and EPIC the Musical

The characters you are almost certain to meet are Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and Athena (Goddess of Wisdom)

Okay let's have a breakdown (epic people you'll have to scroll)

The Spy and the Assassin

This is a series about the backstory of Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, starting from childhood and catching up directly to Iron Man 2.

This is the most "inspired by visual media" of my works. Parts of it is written in Script form and the chapters are meant to be 25 minute episodes of a TV show that would run for three seasons.

It's MCU phase one compliant and takes some inspiration from the Avengers Assemble TV show canon (mainly for Clint's backstory)

Good for: People who like Phase 1 best, and who wished for a more comprehensive Black Widow origin (this is 500k words type comprehensive)

Coming back for you

What about another Black Widow origin, but Phase 2 compliant this time?

When writing The Spy and the Assassin, I did my best to adhere to the superhero genre, so you could feasibly believe this was a true prequel

For this one, I took more liberties, and focused more on hurt/comfort.

Laura and Cooper are in this, and so is a Budapest scene bc how couldn't I?

Again, technically Phase 2 compliant if you tweak the timeline just a little, but still no Black Widow (2021) to be found.

Good for: People who enjoy hurt and comfort with a focus on recovery and healing. People who like Laura Barton XD

One I will break, the others I will tear apart

Technically a sequel to The Spy and the Assassin, but stands on its own.

In about 2014, Steve, Tony, Clint and Natasha are kidnapped and imprisoned by a smug and sadistic asshole named Victor.

His plan: Torture one of them, watch the others break apart from guilt and anguish. And he chooses the one who has already endured more pain than anyone ever should to be his sacrificial lamb.

This is unapologetic Nat Whump. Like, there is intense physical and psychological torture in this. Nobody except Victor is having a good time.

(This is my favorite fic I've ever written)

Good for: People who like their whump and like it brutal. People who agree with me that Nat is the best avenger

The time they broke me

A retelling from Natasha to the team of what happened in The Spy and the Assassin. That's it. People enjoyed it for some reason lol.

Good for: People who want a Natasha backstory but want to know how the Avengers would react.

The Avengers Scenes

A series of deleted/extended scenes for the MCU. (Yes Natasha is in all of them)

------------------------------

Okay Epic friends, now for you

All of my epic fanfic is gathered in the Warriors of the Mind series, but I'll introduce you to the episodes.

In general, I know what you are like, those of you who liked the Wisdom saga will probably read anything with Athena in it atm

The Reunion Trilogy

(Work 1-3)

After the Events of God Games, Athena's first meetings with Odysseus, Telemachus and Penelope respectively.

Light h/c and lots of cute moments

Hermes presents: God Games

(Work 4)

Hermes explains our favorite wet man Odysseus what went down during God Games, things are appropriately chaotic.

Later, Athena receives a prayer

You can go home now

(Work 5)

Athena goes to free Odysseus instead of Hermes. H/C ensues cos guess what she's injured actually

Has two separate endings, one with Hermes and one with Apollo.

The one who makes her kingdom fall

(Work 6)

What happened on Olympus after God Games. How did the players treat their injured sister afterward.

Apollo, who always wanted a relationship with her

Hephaestus, who has known her the longest

Aphrodite, who has seen a different side to her

Ares, who deep down knows he never hated her

And Hera, who starts to believe she's done wrong by her

And all concludes with a crazy divine council meeting.

Goddess and Man

(Work 7)

A reflection by Athena on the times Odysseus called her "Thea"... And how she starts to think he didn't mean "goddess", but something more endearing.

Athena deals with feels. In the end she gets to confront them in person.

Ichor is not meant to fall like rain

(Work 8)

Athena meets her father for the first time after God Games. It's... Complicated.

Note: Winged Athena

Still watching over you

(Work 9)

A thunderstorm hits Ithaca. Both Athena and Odysseus may have some PTSD about that type of thing.

Also honorable mention of the absolute legend that is Eurycleia.

Fighting to be loved

(Work 10, in progress)

Athena is pretty badly hurt. The royal family of Ithaca tries their best to help her.

(FW this is whumpy as all hell)

A warrior's refusal

(Work 11)

Odysseus has decided not to go to war. Now he just has to tell Athena...

[rainwingmarvel7]

🍓🍄🦴 for the Truth or Dare ask?

Thanks for the ask girl!

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction?  Technically, I started writing fanfiction in middle school, when I wrote Wings of Fire stories all the time with my friends. However, I’d say that my first serious start in fanfiction writing was when I began writing a MCU fanfiction for me and my friends after Thor: Ragnarok came out. It’s currently over 80 chapters long and still going strong.

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

Ok so my favorite MCU ship of all time isn’t even canon, but I have been a Steve x Natasha shipper since Winter Soldier, and in my head they are happy and alive and living their best life together, and somehow they find away to have the cutest (and probably most dangerous let’s be real) babies and they have a happy little family and live happily ever after.

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing?  Depends on what I’m writing to be honest. Fanfiction is pretty much always inspired by the media it is about. My original works are inspired by a combination of things, usually movies or other books that I’ve read that pertain to a genre that I find particularly interesting. When it comes to script ideas, oftentimes the vibes and choices made in other films will inspire me.

[howdy-folks-its-showtime]

It's Showtime! - July 2024 Devlog

Howdy! Cobalt here, and wow, July really went by quick for me. Luckily, I also got a good amount of things done! In fact, I did a lot of things I've been holding off on for a while. Sorry the dev log is late,despite knowing I should, I didn't make notes on what I did this month nor did I start it earlier… Then I had a really bad time with my body (just cramps, dw!) the last few days of the month which made it hard to write. I swear I'll develop better habits for this as it goes on.

when it comes to programming, I've gotten a few minor things going on. I have a cut scene manager script now that keeps track of various things, including which cut scenes have already played but also which cut scenes you've seen between save files and stuff. This way it can make any cut scene you've already seen in any of your playthroughs skippable. I haven't actually gotten the skipping script to work yet nor stuff like triggering the cut scenes, but I'll need more placeholder sort of things to work on that stuff. The inventory also reorganizes itself after you use an item to make sure empty slots are at the bottom and filled ones are on the top. A lot, I mean a lot, of writing has been done this month. On Focuswriter [the program I use for all my writing] I hit the longest writing streak I ever had, 63 days in a row of meeting my daily goal [which is 500 words]! My in-depth/in-game writing doc has 16,783 words right now and my game design document [which contains the story summary] 20,764 words. [It actually shrank a bit because I made the story summary of chapter 1 like an actual summary, instead of being far too in-depth on a lot of parts. But that's still an improvement even if it seems weird on the word counts.] I've done a lot of writing out the story beats I've had in my head for a while but haven’t inserted it into my documents yet. I wanna focus on doing stuff like writing out the ending and more general story beats since I don't really want to go too far into development without way more of the story taken out of my mind and actually written down somewhere. Despite how excited I am to show more to the public. Since we will not be releasing It's Showtime through the chapters, I'm gonna try to make development less chapter focused, I don’t know how we’ll be releasing it, complete or in some other parts… But we’re not really far enough into development to be thinking of that yet. Luckily, I can say confidently I'm delighted with the speed of development so far. It's not much by most standards but for two queers making their first game of this scale while also balancing learning adult stuff, we've done way more than I thought we would so far! In terms of art, there's been both a lot done and not a lot. We've been doing a bit of concept art, getting references done, and speculating on things. But the place where the most progress has been made technically wasn't actually for the project itself… See, this month I think I finally started to really get the hang of blender. I finished a model for a friend of mine of their version of Evan from the Bendy Novels. It's fully rigged and I'm really happy with it. I'm also almost done with two other big models I'm making of someone's Bendy au designs and I'm sure when you guys see them, it'll make you excited for what the models in Showtime will look like. In general, I think I've finally found a workflow I'm happy with, and that allows me to make models both quickly but also to a quality I'm very happy with. I imagine very soon I'll be doing the first true collections of models for Showtime, whether they'll be the ones seen in the final release I don't know. But the practice alone will surely teach me a lot more about Blender.

As for other things… Ink Demonth is happening again and this time, I would love to create something for each prompt. They probably won't be posted daily, or in order, but still, I'd love for me and my partner to make something for each prompt within the month. Specifically related to Encore! and such. It'd be a good way to keep the blog alive and to stir up more attention on It's Showtime! This isn't a promise we will, but I thought I'd mention our hopes for Ink Demonth. Overall, I'd just advise all of you to be on the lookout for things going on with this game. I've got a lot of little plans for it that are almost ready to be put into motion and I'm super excited to show you guys more as things go on. Once again sorry it was late, but I hope this update was exciting! See you guys next month!

[thatstroubling]

I'm just really curious about how people view this aspect of the trial because (to my knowledge) it has never been addressed in the game directly.

More detailed versions of the answers are below:

Kokichi thought his spinal injury was too serious for him to stay alive and sharp until the class trial even with the antidote having gotten rid of the poisonous part

Kokichi (correctly) assumed that Kaito wouldn't trust him enough to believe that he wouldn't seriously try to get everybody killed to end the killing game. He thought Kaito would refuse to get crushed as to not let him do whatever he wanted in the class trial.

Kokichi wanted to be the mysterious enigma 'till the very end. He didn't want others to know his true intentions to such an extent that he chose dying before having to explain that he wasn't actually the mastermind and he also apparently wasn't even that evil (awkward :S)

Kokichi wanted to give Kaito a chance to prove he is truly "not boring" and so he forced him in a position where Kaito had to abandon his morals and lie to his friends in order to make Kokichi's death not completely in vain

Kokichi became a bit delusional at the end (the stress of the killing game plus poison in the bloodstream) and really started to believe that he, the big bad guy, should be the one to be mercilessly murdered, for whatever unhealthy reason

Kokichi had been planning on being the victim of the unsolvable case for sooo looong and didn't want the amazing detailed script he wrote to go to waste (yes, reminds me of Korekiyo's seesaw trick)

Kokichi somehow knew Kaito was seriously sick and he wanted to give Kaito the chance to achieve being the first blackened who technically wasn't executed by Monokuma (another "fuck you" to the killing game)

Kokichi didn't actually want to sacrifice everyone to end the game: he knew very well that Kaito would fold in in last minute but he also understood that the Luminary's heroic exit would inspire the others to fight the killing game and succeed in ending it somewhere down the road. He had realized that with the image he had made for himself, his own execution could never have such a positive impact on the group and therefore couldn't be used in bringing the whole game down anyway (this is my personal favorite tbh)

[master-jarrus]

What's being worked on

Alright so what I am currently working on:

The Lloyd Garmadon cosplay: I just recently moved out of my parents' home but I don't have all my stuff and it's looking like I will not be able to get it until I move back to the same state as them. So I may have to buy new stuff which equals more time before I can start it because I need to earn the money first. I'll see about working up like the costs not including my time so I can set up goals of what needs to be earned.

Youtube videos: I suck at technology. I have a video all ready but I can't get the program it's on to let me have it because of it's length and I can't afford the subscription to get the longer video. So that may get added with goals

Motorcycle endorsement: I know how to ride and how to do it safely but I technically can't do it legally until I finish a course and considering it's snowing outside right now... it's going to be a minute

Fanart: Got a few in the works. I'm just struggling because my brain went into writer mode 😅

Fanfics: Green Tea and Things already has another chapter started. I also started the scripts for 2 animations. One being the ninjago tiktoks and the other being for a fanfic idea that won't leave me alone and will look way better animated if that makes it multi-year project

[misskittyhart]

Chapter 7: Patient Is The Night

Before they knew it the night had fallen. The sun slipped behind the large oak trees over the road to the cabin. Their gnarled and twisted branches choked out the ruby sunset, the night breeze stirred the moss hanging from those limbs. The headlights of Alastor’s car lit their way out of his domain. Kitty seemed in better spirits, almost as if she was growing accustomed to the darkness that was engulfing her soul, and to the blood staining her hands.  

All things aside, this almost seemed like the start of a beautiful and wonderful romance. Murder set aside. She hummed softly to fill the silence that was in the car. Alastor seemed to perk up hearing her dulcet little tones filling the cabin. His eyes glanced to the side, stealing a glance at his darling.  

She was stunning. Always. He felt himself becoming more and more attached to the little spit fire. Oh, thank the stars for that fateful night they had danced. He thought about it all the time, what were the chances of such a meeting? One in a thousand? One in a million? To find someone like him out there, who saw eye to eye with his ideals. To be able to whisper all his dark thoughts to another was thrilling. She always listened and would agree with his thinking. This pleased him greatly. He slipped one of his hands from the wheel and placed it upon her knee. 

Kitty stopped humming for a moment at the sudden touch. Her eyes flicked to him, and she gave him the kindest smile. Oh, how his heart fluttered at that. His fingertips lightly squeezed her knee. Then, he was delighted as she put her small delicate hand over his. Oh, he was over the moon with his little jazz starlet! 

“Say, darling~” He said suddenly, “would you do me the honor of singing on air tonight? I think my fans would be delighted!”  

Kitty beamed at him, “You mean it, dearest? Why it would be a great honor to perform on your show!” 

Ah, how she spoiled him, wrapping him in compliments. The radio host gave her one of his signature grins, it crinkled at the corner of his eyes. “Oh, you will? My! What a treat!” He seemed very excited for tonight’s broadcast. Not to mention, his mind was wandering to the splendid night he had planned for them, post show.  

It was a splendid drive into the city, just filling the silence with idle chatter. He hadn’t got to spend an entire day with her yet, this was a first. He felt he would become addicted to this. She was like whiskey, loud jazz, whirling dancing, and the scent of magnolia on the night breeze, on a warm summer night. Just an absolute delight was his sweet.  

If anyone had tried to take her from them, he’d kill them. If anyone dare lay a finger on her or touch a single red hair. They’d meet God. Simple as that. He’d tear asunder hell and earth for this creature, who had seemed to claw her way into her heart. 

Before long, they pulled up to his radio office, the small tower climbing into the sky above the building. He parked and got out, opening the car door for Kitty. He offered his hand, which she took and stepped out of his car. For a moment, he pulled her to him. Her small form flush to him. He gripped her chin, gently, and lifted her face to his. His lips taking hers in a show of admiration. Kitty felt breathless at the sudden act of affection from him.  

He broke the kiss, and grinned seeing her flushed cheeks. “My darlin~ you’re as red as a rose.” He teased.  

“Gee, I wonder why!” she said flustered, pushing him playfully. This earned a low rumbling chuckle from deep in his chest. “Devil.” She smirked. 

“Angel~” he cooed back. He pulled away but took her hand in his. He led her into his office. There was a small staff working diligently, working on scripts, and working on the technical side of things.  

Everyone looked at the two of them. The question was palpable in the room. Who was she? He never brought women to around to the radio station. Alastor beamed, “Everyone, I’d like to introduce Miss Kitty Hart to you. Yes, that Kitty Hart, the jazz singer from the Silver Magnolia.” He seemed filled with pride at having such a woman on his arm.  

One of the men whistled, “Lucky you, Al!”  

Alastor looked over at the red headed young man, sporting a brown plaid suit. “Oh, why yes, I am quite the lucky fellow, Thomas.”  

There were two other women working there as well. Kitty smiled lightly nodding her head in greeting. “No way? You’re for real, Alastor? You finally goin’ steady?” the brunette wearing a dark blue dress said, giving him a bright smile. 

“Oh, Alice, I couldn’t resist~” He chuckled lightly. He looked over his round frames looking at Kitty, a burning admiration in his eyes. 

“She certainly is pretty, Al.” the blonde wearing a light grey dress smiled. 

“She sure is, isn’t she, carol?” He sighed content.  

Kitty felt a little embarrassed by the sudden attention and doting by his co-workers. She spoke at last putting on that performer's air she used at work. The confidence and pride rolled off of the jazz singer. “The pleasure is all mine. Alastor has been gracious enough to ask me to sing tonight on the air. I do hope to make you all proud. I know how important this show is, and I will put forth my very best.” 

Alastor seemed pleased with how she was carrying herself. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “You will do marvelous!” He said grinning, “Now...I smell coffee! That seems like a delightful treat as we get started.”  

Kitty followed after him as he went to go get a cup. The co-workers came together quick to whisper excitedly. They seemed happy for their boss. Alastor sipped his coffee, his gaze on her. Gosh she was just lovely, and she was all his? Even better. He went to sit down at his desk. Sorting through papers, he got his notes together for tonight’s broadcast.   

It was showtime! His honey toned voice exploded over the night airwaves. People tuned in all over the crescent city to listen to New Orleans by Night. He would tell funny stories and act out a mystery he had written with his co-workers. Putting on a lovely radio show. Kitty watched it all, it was such a happy place! They all seemed to have a blast together.  

She sipped some tea with honey, getting her throat ready and warmed up to sing. It had to be perfect. Kitty wanted Alastor to be proud of her.  

“And my darling listeners! We have a special treat tonight. I have here in the station, the sweetheart of the Silver Magnolia, Miss Kitty Hart! We will be taking a break to listen to some jazz, and then she will grace you with her magnificent voice! Stay tuned~”  

Alastor pushed back from the desk and walked over to her. “Hm, ready darling? You are on next.” He took her hands in his, “what do you think? You get to see the magic behind the scenes.” 

She smiled warmly holding his hands, “Oh, darling. It’s been lovely. You are such a fun little group to be around.”  

He grinned at her, pulling her hand to his lips giving her a chaste kiss on her knuckles. “I am glad!” He sighed. He smiled brightly, his golden honey eyes glimmering as he looked into her eyes. He was content to share his work with her.  

“I hope I can keep the energy up~ You are a hard act to follow.” she teased. 

“Oh darlin~ You’ll do marvelous. You’re my girl after all.” he said brushing his thumb against her cheek, giving her a reassuring smile. "Now, come over to the mic.” he said softly, guiding her over.  

She walked to the microphone, grasping it. It was strange to not have a physical audience before her. It was certainly interesting. She didn’t feel nervous, like she did when she walked across the stage. Her mind wandered, imagining all the people huddled around their radios, listening to the show. She felt lucky she would be able to share her music with them this night. 

Alastor caressed her back softly, “You’ve got this, cher.” He said kissing her forehead, before stepping away to give her space. He gave her cue and came back over the air, “welcome back, dear listeners~ As promised to get settled in to enjoy the sultry tones, of Kitty Hart!’ 

Kitty closed her eyes and burst into song. The soft soundtrack of jazz playing behind her, as she sang into the microphone. Alastor leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head. His eyes transfixed on her. She was like his personal little songbird. He sighed content. Simply radiant, his Kitty was. You could hear the passion in her voice, as the music overtook her soul. The way she sang was so honest, and raw with emotion. That’s why she was so popular. Music consumed her and her soul radiated it outwards to touch her crowd.  

The music went on for a few numbers, before they began to wind the show down. “Wasn’t that marvelous?” Alastor sighed into the microphone, “Thank you Kitty for gracing us with your music tonight! It was a treat. Make sure you go see her sing in public down at the Silver Magnolia over in the quarter.” He added, “And with that.... I bid you well wishes, happy dreams, and good night!”  

When the show wrapped up, he moved over to her. “That was incredible.” he said, taking her into his arms and showering her face in kisses. “You must come again and sing for my audience!”  

Kitty laughed softly “Oh, I would love to. That was a lot of fun!”  

He grinned at her, “say...let’s beat it. I’ve got to spoil you tonight, after that performance!”  

They wrapped everything up, chatting with his crew a little, before they headed back out to his car. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. He felt so lucky to have her as his. He squeezed her tight, before helping her into the car. He closed her door, minding her dress. Then they were off again, driving into the night. It was early night by New Orleans standards.  

He drove to the quarter, and parked. They headed into the bustling streets. The loud sounds of jazz echoed into the streets. People came and went laughing and singing. Kitty stayed close to Alastor, who wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked down the street. He was taking her to his favorite little gin joint. They ran a late-night menu. That had some seafood dishes that were to die for.  

He whisked her inside and got them a table. He could feel eyes on them, but not just from people. From something else. He glanced around subtly, not to startle her. He saw a few green eyes on the wall watching in silence. His eyes darkened as he stared back. He had a feeling they would be following him all night. As he grew closer to Kitty, it seemed his patron was also becoming intrigued by her. The darkness in her heart calling to the ancient evil. Alastor looked at Kitty. He would never let that monster hook its claws into her.  

That was one thing it could not have. He tried to clear his mind by looking down at the menu and going over it. Dinner was wonderful, they had started drinking, and were starting to feel the familiar warmth of drunkenness heating their faces.  

They headed into the streets. Laughing, dancing, and singing together. They looked like the perfect couple, strolling along under the flickering streetlamps. He smiled softly looking at her. “You are drunk Miss Hart.” He teased. 

“Not as drunk as you! Are we even going to be able to drive home?” She chuckled. 

“Mnn...don’t worry about it. I have a place to crash in the quarter.” He pinched her cheek lightly. She laughed softly.  

“Oh? Secrets, secrets~ How many secrets do you have, darlin?” she leaned into him laughing. 

“Many! But that’s what keeps me interesting, doesn’t it?” he mused. He felt them again. The eyes. Watching quietly. Glancing around subtly, he could see them everywhere. Staring. He scowled lightly. He pulled her closer to him. Possessively.  

“Woah, darlin~” She laughed, “mmn...what’s come over you?”  

“Hmmm men are looking at you, so I’m sending a message.” He grinned, well that wasn’t the whole truth. However, she didn't need to be burdened with this.  

He brought her to a row of white apartment buildings. Each had its own balcony with ironwork railing. A classic staple in the quarter. He swept her into his unit and headed up the stairs with her. Unlocking the door, he ushered her inside. He locked up behind him. It was a simple apartment, but still carried his darker tastes. Set similar to the cabin in the wood.  

“Make yourself at home” He said starting to unbutton his vest, as he walked into the kitchen. He pulled out more alcohol.  

“Alastor~ more?” she laughed. 

“Oh yes! More! We are celebrating after all.” he grinned, “if it becomes too much, just crawl into my bed and sleep it off.” 

“Fair enough.” she shrugged. She sat down on the couch. He brought her a drink. She was a little surprised when he sat on the floor between her legs. He leaned back against the couch and grinned up at her.  

“This is a nice view.” he mused.  

She reached down and ran her fingers through his hair. Rubbing his scalp lightly. He leaned his head back, resting a hand on her leg as he closed his eyes. He was enjoying this doting. It seemed like the night stretched on endlessly, as they got drunker. Before long they were both passed out in his bed. Sleeping off their drunken stupor. 

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