#feedback wanted

[jil-hue]

Hiiii, I'm sick again 🫠

What better time to come to start a new life project that is filling up all my spare time and is likely to span over several years. No that sounds a bit too exaggerated. It's really making me happy right now and I want to get it out there.

Okay I know they're still naked. But I'm working on an equipment system for interchangeability. Feedback welcome!

I'll talk about the game and my ideas in later posts, but I'm not revealing too much when I'm telling you it's going to be a cozy farming sim about goblins in the woods.

I really started it last week and as I'm crazy I started with composing music to motivate myself. I know I needed something to push me over the doubts of only creating bad things. But I managed to finish 3 tracks I really love.

I don't know if I should publish them yet, because I never done something like it and I don't know if it's smart. Maybe it's better to get a trailer ready and publish it within.

For documentation and devlogs I use obsidian, which I set up to fill my needs.

However. I'm not 100% sure yet, but I decided to use godot for now. Here we go 😉 byee

[wtchgrrl]

alright so here’s the thing. im making a story abt two little freaks in love and i want to hear other opinions on it.

The following content contains discussions about murder/violence, cannibalism, sex, child abuse and forced surgery onto intersex people, specifically children/adolescents, also known as medical abuse. Please, proceed with caution.

so. the main characters in this lil thing im writing are Lily and Nick, short for Elizabeth and Nicholas. Lily was born with ovotesticular syndrome, while Nick was born with partial androgen insensitivity. they both meet in their senior year of high school, specifically in the nurse’s office. they bond a lot during their adolescence, specifically over the fact that they were both being abused by their fathers. Lily’s abuse was emotional and sometimes physical. Nick’s was verbal and spiritual. they both suffered medical abuse.

Nick was forced into a surgery because of his gynecomastia, which left him with permanent scars that he is very ashamed of. Lily was forced into a procedure that would remove her testicular tissue. her father decided to perform it himself, since he was a doctor. it did not go well, and not only did it leave very a bad scar, she was also left infertile afterward, due to her father messing it up somehow (haven’t decided on the specifics yet).

after all their pent up anger and hatred towards their fathers builds, they both decide to kill their own father(s). they meet in the woods, both dragging bloody bags the size of bodies behind them. not saying anything, they decide to run away together, surviving off the flesh of the people they hate the most.

what follows is them killing, and sometimes eating, the ones they feel deserve it (usually people in positions of power), moving across the country, hiding from the police, and eventually, developing romantic and sexual feelings towards each other. they feel like they are the only people who can truly love, understand and respect each other. their trust has been so broken by the world around them forcing them to endure such horrors, that they can only trust themselves. it’s the only way they know that they won’t be hurt. because they could never hurt each other. neither of them could live with hurting the other.

the whole story is supposed to be, essentially, a love letter from an autistic intersex horror author to the slasher community and over the top internet creepypastas. it’s about people being so scared of being hurt again, that they kill and maim anyone they suspect of being capable of hurting them. it’s about falling in love with the things you thought others saw as horrific and disgusting. it’s about finding love in the most decrepit, gory places. its about unlearning the idea that wanting to be romantic with someone and wanting to have sex with someone doesn’t make you filthy, it never has. it’s about cannibalism as a metaphor for romance.

im very passionate about these two little weirdos, in case you missed it, and am looking forward to writing about them and their relationship. im especially interested in the one sex scene i have planned for the two, as i feel like it’ll be a really good way to show how close they are/how much they trust each other, how much they love each other and their insecurities, and because you don’t really see intersex people having sex in media (unless said media is making a joke about their body, cause haha their body looks like this, and that makes them ugly!!!! haha aren’t ugly people so gross?? god, micropenises are sooo funny haha/sarcasm) im especially excited cause i plan on having them kiss and caress each other’s scars and then them loving the parts the other hates the most, and Lily ensuring Nick that it’s not filthy to want to be intimate with someone while having scars, and Nick telling Lily that she’s not broken and she’s always been lovable, and then they kiss and touch each other’s scarred bodies and they’re so in love and aaaaaaa

i just really love these two little freaks and wanna share my thoughts about them with people (even if a very small amount of people are gonna see it). i also wanted to know if anything about it could be seen as offensive. like, i don’t find any of it offensive, but im not the spokesperson for intersex people, we don’t have one. i just wanted to get some different perspectives, different opinions, see if anything came across as kinda wrong. (other than the murder and cannibalism, obviously).

i think im mostly just scared of people reading it and watering both of them down to “cis people with disorders”, even though their intersexuality is a key element to the story. maybe i just hear too much about discourse on tiktok and this won’t be an issue. idk.

why do i even bother with that little note at the end, no one’s gonna see this lmao

[badly-drawn-doflamingo]

Guess who made a SANJI THEMED CHAPTER this time… WITH MUSIC!

I’ve never written about him and his grief but, ya know, seemed like a grand time!

[veescraft]

I'm looking for feedback/ideas/any sort of help with my iron farm build... it's kind of a totally-featureless box right now :/

Any tips appreciated! (other than "tear it all down" because I'm in survival and I'm not even considering ripping out THAT much deepslate brick, lol).

(There's lore for the logo on the front, btw, so that's probably staying too!! Might tweak it a little, but I don't wanna totally get rid of it...)

[snicks-doodlez]

Hey! I am making ‘Chain Charms’ of the ARS trios and I need feedback!

I am getting ready to hopefully make these into real products but I NEED FEEDBACK first! So, give some time to fill out the interest form? It will help greatly!

EDIT: IT IS NOW CLOSED! CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE KICKSTARTER!

[csvent-2]

genuine question for y'all speciesgoers: i really want to make my own species. i already have the concept art down, and I've been tweaking things as i go along to try to make them at least somewhat unique. i think the main appeal though is going to be the events? so i guess just. looking for opinions! does this sound too convoluted to yall, or would you actually be interested?

(@ mod - sending the actual info in a second ask so you can put it under the cut or something)

KEY: tesnames - placeholder species name since this is anonymous. not the actual name, or even close to it.

pebbles - placeholder 'normal currency' name.

gems - placeholder 'special currency' name

incense - placeholder 'freebie token' name

so! tesnames are planned to be in a world where there's a lot of hostile 'mobs' around their camps and towns. because this is the case, i'm giving tesnames experience/levels that are tracked seperately, and people can send their tesnames on two different types of quests! these have different levels of difficulty which I'll elaborate on in their own passages.

a solo quest is exactly what it sounds like - one single user sends however many of their tesnames they'd like to out on a quest that will last one day. you could send all of your level 5s to a level 7 area and hope for the best (medium risk, good reward) or maybe send them all to a level 3 area seperately (low risk, low reward). the choice is yours! depending on the level you've chosen, you could get pebbles, gems, or if you're extremely lucky, maybe even some incense!

meanwhile, a co-op quest lasts longer, is more difficult, and has more rewards. there will never be more than one co-op quest going at the same time, but signups will begin a week prior to the quest. these quests are much tougher, but with the help of your teammates, you can reach great heights! every few days, participants will be polled on what they would like to do from a certain point. if you strategize well, and make it to the end of your quest, you can find pebbles, gems, incense, and even straight up MYOs! i also want to use quests as a way of revealing lore over time, while making players feel like they've accomplished something.

we'll obviously still have the normal "prompts" and art turn ins as an option for those who want to keep it simple, but would something like this be a 'turn off' in a species for you?

[morris-wayts]

If the #readingcommunity of tumblr were inclined to give my #FridayFlashFiction a look, my inner wolves would be very happy. It is a #free2read #fantasy story, and as always, interaction and sharing makes you a VIP in my book. Much love, thank you!

[liquid-alicorn]

And lo, there was much bass, and it did wobble so magnificently

[hedomasochistnist]

#4

Fever in my morning tea Straining is too hard Yearning for more than scared me But you didn't play the part If I had an idea for each one I flushed down the drain I'd turn into what I had became After you Didn't you Seem to see it through to me But passing the torch burns you And burning burnt me So now we're scared Acting like we live far apart My jig is up and scarred Saw no one else fit my puzzle part Straining is just too hard But it doesn't make things worse It makes me real, makes me feel alone with a good hurt

[adj4mp]

An Ethical Framework

I realised that we kind of need an ethics code for all industries law. So I outlined this in a discussion with a friend

Any industry or job title where any individual receives pay in excess of twice the median income is required to have a public ethics code to which all people with that job title or role are contractually bound.

Those ethics standards must include at least the following items

To not commit crimes as part of your job

To report up the chain, to the OfEWP and relevant law enforcement when crimes are committed

Looking out for the well-being of subordinates

Ensuring the actions taken are in the long-term interest of the organisation

etc etc (I am sure there are hundreds of suggestions that could be made please comment your own)

And may include additional items depending on the job role, responsibilities and public perception.

We are creating the Office for Ethical Working Practices OfEWP, who will be responsible for providing the guidance and moderation for the various codes of ethics proposed by industries and taking public feedback on both the practicality and reasonable expectations of the various Ethical Codes that may be produced by industry bodies, unions or other organisations empowered to produce an ethical framework.

Where some job title or job role exists that doesn't have a professional body to help with the production of an ethical framework the OfEWP will be able to maintain and provide on request the currently agreed ethical standards.

Example roles at the time of publication include:

CEO

COO

CFO

Director

Executive

Senior Manager

Board Member

This is not an extensive list

Where creative naming of job titles is used to avoid a particular ethical framework the OfEWP is empowered to determine all the appropriate Ethical Frameworks based on a list of job responsibilities, where more than one is necessary to cover all responsibilities the person would be bound by law to all those frameworks.

Where Ethics codes are violated we give the courts power to enforce earnings restrictions and job role restrictions for those who use unethical practices, violations of these restrictions will incur fines starting at the total earned above the restrictions and jail time.

Where the OfEWP and an industry body cannot agree on an ethical framework the OfEWP can require the withholding/garnishment of 10% of salary for each person with that job role, this money is to be retained by the government/OfEWP until the ethical framework is agreed, sanctioned money will be returned after no more than 12 months without any accrued interest and only after the resolution of the ethical framework dispute.

However I feel I'd need to dress it up in legalese and address some of the gaping omissions in how it's written above

This idea is roughly in line with Wylie's suggestion about industry ethics law in the Cambridge Analytica book I read not too long ago

Twice the median income seems like a reasonable cut-off at ~£70k currently in the UK. I'd imagine most industries with anyone over £50k would come together, establish an industry body and agree an ethical framework aspirationally

I think that having an 'independent' body responsible for the maintenance of ethical standards is necessary or you face easy corruption through parliament. The development of ethical frameworks is kind of beyond the scope of parliament anyway.

I think the sanctions need to be real not simply a vanishingly small fine.

If someone was limited to "a median salary equivalent annual income" by the courts and they lie and get paid millions then they should be fined all the money they should never have been able to earn.

If someone is limited from certain job roles or jobs that require certain ethical requirements for 5-10 years that would also be reasonable as a way of discouraging unethical behaviour individually.

There might need to be costs for companies that have unethical employees too.

The withholding of pay forces in some ways the industry to come together and actually produce a reasonable ethics code and/or provide reasonable assurances as to why a particular ethical practice should be excluded from their code.

Anyone subject to these sanctions would have a year of sanctions returned on resolution (if it dragged out)

After a set up period, the interest on withheld funds might pay for the OfEWP's work without additional cost to the treasury, long term that might not hold true because industries would want to create and abide by the ethical standards.

Any expired sanctioned funds should get added to the treasury to make a dent in the national debt, as it cannot be a reliable income stream by definition I think this is the best use of those funds rather than earmarking them for other parts of the budget.

Lastly, if an industry wants to be unethical it technically could by effectively increasing the tax rate of people with that job by a flat 10% (no matter their tax bracket) and they get shamed as an industry that can't produce or agree to an ethical framework. That would be an option within law if an industry wanted to do that.

I think as written right now this needs a lot of work and polish, but I think it provides an interesting baseline to consider going forward

[onmyyan]

It's 5:48 am for me rn but this is h e a v y on my mind so I'd love to hear your thoughts!!! i wanna write an isekai'd fic where reader gets yoinked to a fro my favorite slasher movies and naturally all the slashers become Yandere for her, if y'all don't know what an isekai fic is, long story short you get reincarnated into another world/movie/show/ect, and Scream is the first movie I'm writing for, but I'm not sure about the rest, I want there to be at least four more movies cuz I got big brain plans for this fic, I want it to be smutty and spooky and the readers gonna be unhinged so keep that in mind, idk if y'all are interested but if so feedback is always appreciated!!

[ejsuperstar]

how many of y'all would want to watch a TADC animatic to Day Job by Emerson Brophy cos i both am obsessed with that song and think it could fit really well with tadc

[arsonisticpotato]

So I was just looking through my drive, as you do, and stumbled across a short story that I wrote my senior year of high school and??? It's actually pretty good??? Can't remember the grade I got on it tho :(

I'm also thinking about making a webtoon, but can't decide on the story (I have too many), so thoughts on me adapting this??

“New Blood”

The door burst open, the crash of it hitting the wall echoing around the large room, drowning out the uneven pounding of the teenager’s feet hitting the floor. In the center of that room stood a grand desk, dwarfing the man that sat at it. He looked up at the intrusion, away from a pile of papers and books that were haphazardly strewn out on the wood.

“Ah, Zero! I was wondering when you’d show up.” He grinned at the teenager still storming towards him, his brown eyes retaining their usual coldness.

Slamming their hands down on the desk, a few papers flying to the floor, Zero spat at the man. “Was that part of your plan? What were you thinking?!” Their eyes blazed, teeth bared at the man whose grin only grew.

“Was it not to your liking?” The man asked, already knowing the answer.

“My liking- Darius, my entire team was killed!” Zero fumed. They were still in their uniform, ripped, covered in dirt, and splattered in blood. Their gun was still in it’s holster, but their knives were missing. Most likely lost in the mission. “How could losing your best squadron to try to kill a politician, of all things, be to your liking?!”

“My dear Zero, I did not lose my best,” Darius spread his hands, eyes softening slightly. “You are standing before me, after all.”

“Only because Meave threw herself over me!” The teenager growled, crossing their muscular arms. They made quite an intimidating figure, fresh from battle, but the man was not perturbed.

“Oh, stop whining. They wouldn’t have been able to harm you anyway.” He rolled his eyes.

“Don’t tell me to shut up! Those weapons could have even killed me! It was an absolute bloodbath!” Zero yelled a wordless sound of frustration. Why was Darius being so calm about this! He killed their entire team! Why couldn’t he see his fault?!

The man’s grin turned smug. “Truly? Why don’t you tell me more about those weapons.” It wasn’t a question.

Zero gaped. “You-” They laughed without mirth. “Of course. That was your plan? You made me lead my team to slaughter to learn about their weapons?” They turned, limping towards the door still standing ajar.

Darius rose, face forming a blank mask. “Zero, where are you going.” Again, not a question.

Zero didn't even bother to look back. “The Lab. I can’t deal with you right now.” They frowned down at their uneven steps. Their right foot was still completely shattered, and while the pain could be ignored, Zero knew that healing was taking far longer than it should have.

Darius probably said something in response, but Zero wasn’t listening, instead thinking back to their horribly failed mission. It was supposed to be a typical assassination, in and out, their team keeping watch; the lazer guns forcing them to cosplay swiss cheese were unexpected, to say the least. It was a little overkill to protect some no-name politician who cared more about unfairly taxing the labor force than protecting the country from domestic terrorists. Why would they have done that? Did they know they were coming?

Zero paused outside of the Laboratory door, blinking. Was there a mole? They shook their head. No, it was useless to become paranoid right now. It was time to mourn and reevaluate their attack strategy.

The door slid open, revealing a sterile white room filled with medical equipment and sciency stuff. Zero didn’t really know the room’s full capacity was capable of, but it did make them, so it was definitely impressive. The only occupant to the room was a man, a few years older than Zero, at a station looking through a microscope. He looked up at the sound of the door opening.

“Zero! You're back! How was the mission?” He tilted his head. “And where’s the rest of your team?”

“Dead.” Zero sat down on one of the examination chairs, sighing in relief at the weight off of their foot. “Leima, I know you have questions. Interrogate me after you look at my foot? It's all messed up.”

"...Alright then," Leima shrugged. He wasn't all that close to Zero's team, only ever seeing them when they were injured. Although, he knew Zero ever since he had started working in the Lab five years ago, since Zero was practically raised from there.

Rolling himself over in his chair, Leima slid to a stop in front of the teenager. "Take off your boot, show me what I'm workin' with."

Zero complied with a grunt, scrunching their face up in pain as their boot was pulled over the worst of the injury. Leima sucked in a breath at the sight. A gruesome collage of blues, browns, and purples spread across the disfigured foot, contrasting horrifically against Zero's pale skin. Leima looked up, his blue eyes locking with Zero's own red, the worry in them tangible. 

"What happened." Not a question, but unlike Darius' demands, the young man's was made with concern.

"Steel beam fell on it," they broke eye contact, instead focusing on their foot. Zero wiggled their toes, testing the pain. Ouch. "Which, normally, I can just walk off, you know? But I was hit with some lazer thing-- which healed, don't worry-- and then my foot was squished. Now I'm not healing."

"Mm, guessing that's how your team died?" Leima hummed, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a syringe filled with a light blue substance.

"Yep. Probably some sort of biological warfare weaponry." Zero leaned back in the chair, bracing themselves. That shot would hurt, the liquid inside a healing booster made specifically for them. "And can you believe that it was all Darius' plan? He knew they would die! What kind of leader does that?"

"A crappy one." Leima injected them with the syringe slowly, right in their calf muscle. Zero was right, it did hurt. "Ya know, why don't we get a new boss?"

"What, like anarchy? Walk up and take the metaphorical throne out from under him?" Zero rolled their eyes, then winced at the feeling of the booster reconstructing their foot. That was something they could never get used to.

“Why not? I’ve been thinkin’ about it for a while, ‘cause this wasn’t the first suicide mission he sent out.” He pulled out the syringe, frowning. “We’d be better off without him leadin’ us.”

"I doubt that can happen without bloodshed." Still focused on their foot, Zero wiggled their toes again, easier to do this time.

"Do it," Leima met Zero's eyes again, more intently than before. "Zero, he wants to make more of you. More weaponized this time. Blood will be spilt; just make it in our favor."

"What? That's not good." Zero frowned. They were made as a living weapon, scientifically altered at an embryonic state to regenerate almost instantaneously. Anything unnecessary, like reproductive organs and the appendix, were removed before they were ‘born.’ The drawback is that they are highly susceptible to airborne viruses and illnesses. More 'Zeros' wouldn't be ideal, nor very humane. "Wait- are you saying you want me to be the new boss?"

"Well, yeah. You're, like, my closest friend, and even though you just barely qualify as an adult, I know that you'll be great as a leader." Leima smiled. He rose, and patted Zero on the shoulder. "Alright, you’re all healed up! Go snatched that throne from Darius."

The teenager laughed at their friend’s antics, pulling their boot back on. "Okay, okay! I'll be the new leader." With a wave goodbye, Zero left the Lab, already forming a plan on how to take over; something that showed power, but nothing too flashy.

A few hours pass before Darius summons them to a meeting to debrief the mission with the higher-ups. Zero stepped into the large office, this time without a broken foot, and analyzed the situation. On the desk sat three vials in a protective case, most likely ingredients to make more ‘Zeros.’ There were four men in the room, other than Darius, none of which were fighters. Perfect.

"Zero, dear, there you are!" The lead man himself said, standing and spreading his arms in a sort of greeting. "Why don't you tell us about the mission you were on earlier in the day, hmm?"

"No." Zero raised a knife that they had grabbed before coming, and threw it. It embedded itself right in the center of Darius' forehead, knocking the man back onto his seat, killing him instantly. The other men were too stunned to speak, or to do anything other than stand and stare.

"Well then," Zero stated, no emotion on their face, wiping nonexistent dust from their sleeves. The teenager walked around the desk, shoving the corpse off of the chair and onto the ground with a thump. They’ll have to get that cleaned up. That’s why Zero never liked to kill indoors; too messy. Sitting on the leather throne, crossing their legs, eyeing the others in the room who stood there gaping at the scene having just taken place, Zero addressed them for the first time:

"It was about time this organization was led with new blood."

[titlemewickedwonderland]

Just Witchy Stuff (Nameless Poly!Ghouls x OC) Part 1

Summary: As a witch, Ollie lives a quiet life. While most people find her stingy or eccentric in her beliefs and superstitions her presence is well known around the town as that 'witch' at the corner with her little witchy shop. But unlike what people think she has been around a very long time - never staying too long in one town for them to realize she never seems to age. Because of her moving around she wracks up a lot of favors. What she didn't expect was for one of her old favors to show up at her doorstep.

AN: Ollie is an old OC of mine based on a lot of myself that shows a glimpse of the writer behind the writings :) Enjoy!

Pairing: Nameless Ghouls Poly x OC

My Workshop!

-part 2

If you were to ask her what her favorite part of being a shop owner in this part of town was; she'd surprise you with the answer. While most people would say the foot traffic or tourism that comes through. Maybe they'd say it's just business and they love the money aspect of things; being able to do something to pass the time? Ollie would say she loved being a business owner because she loved to meet the people that would wander into her shop - the souls that would come in all clouded with whatever troubled them only to walk out with a precious part of them returned or uplifted with hope. To be able to make a difference even without them realizing it. Even when people often scoffed at her methods. She never batted an eye at them; perhaps when she was younger it bothered her. But when you were over 500 years old scathing comments and judgemental gazes did little to chip anything off her shoulder.

Ollie loved her small shop. She'd taken great pride in making it comfortable. As if one walked into another's home. Upon entry with the sound of a jingle bell above the door like a fairy chime to announce your arrival the first thing you'll most likely take in is the heady scent of Cedarwood, Sage, and Rosemary in the air around you that Ollie used in a homemade cleansing spray to clear the negativity and promote a protective cleaning aura upon entry to her small but protected domain. If you look at each corner of the room there are fresh sprigs of lavender and eucalyptus hanging from intricately intertwined leather cords that give the room an added layer to your senses also used for protection and calming. There are two areas in the large open space that is partially blocked off by a Japanese partition wall for a sense of privacy each section contained comfortable couches, an armchair, a low coffee table and some throw pillow to sit on to relax in with a single small bookshelf to each mini portioned privacy rooms with a bowl of crystals and some incense holders burning cones on top of the short bookshelves for others to choose from to indulge in. Beyond the closed-off rooms, it looked like any other small store; with rows of dark antique shelves lined with products - everything from spell books, bundles of herbs, and satchels of premade crystals charged and cleansed personally by the residential witch that owned the shop. There were loose leaf teas of all sorts of blends promoting different aspects of chakra, aura, and mental spell barriers to help the mind, body, and soul.

Other shelves were lined with different jars with spells within, jewelry made and blessed, and even a little bar area that offered complementary teas that were on display for sale as well. Signs offering personal spells made to order and other nicknacks only a witch or pagan would appreciate for she did not just delve into the surface of what people thought witchcraft was. There were things from all sorts of different religions as well as deities to work with. From candles, offerings, and little booklets she'd written and printed to help those who wanted to work with certain deities. Some items were....not for the faint of heart that involved voodoo and dark magic that she kept locked behind the checkout counter at her personal disposal. It would be bad if some unknowing wanderer were to get a hold of such items not knowing what it was.

Ollie prided herself in her cozy store. She had put a lot of work into it as well as money but mostly mental focus and energy to be able to keep everything up. No one would have realized that there were certain aspects of her store she was rather protective of and took seriously. Like the line of salt just inside the door of her shop. How there are lines of salt on the edges of window sills and any entry towards her home. Of how beneath the wildly colorful rugs scattered around her store there would be graphs and symbols carved or painted into the hardwood floor where no one else would see.

She was thorough if nothing else but despite the protection meant for not only herself but those who walk through her door, she is rather open and friendly to new faces. That was one thing she had going for her. So deceptively sweet, sassy, and kind that people did not see the beast that lurked beneath her violet eyes. Another signature trait of hers that people believed was contacts. The one thing people did not understand was that that kind person like Ollie who was sweet and open; giving without expecting anything in return their other sides are just as extreme and strong - god or whatever deity that person serves better protect them well if anyone gets on Ollie's bad side for there is nothing worse in this world and the next than a woman scorned - destructive if she's a witch; for she does not work alone.

After a long tiring day of smiles, spells, and emotional distress that her psyche took today, Ollie was more than happy to be able to flip the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed' on her door so that she may make herself a cup of tea and meditate but as she turned to walk back into her store a voice called from down the street sounding awfully familiar in it's over the top cheerfulness that no one should be having at midnight.

"Olivia, My dear! Won't you wait a moment?! We must see you, urgently!"

The woman spun on her heel and watched with furrowed brows as a group marched their way in a cluster down the deserted streets towards her quickly. Now because of her profession, Ollie kept her store open no later than midnight in case there was a wandering poor unfortunate soul that needed her help without the stares or judgment of others on the otherwise timely streets her store was located on but those were few and far in between. But the voice was certainly one she hadn't heard in many years - and she secretly grimaced at the realization of who was approaching.

The woman was tall and blond with her greying hair pulled up into a form of bun updo at the back of her head and her face although far more wrinkled than Ollie had last remembered her having was more prominent in the yellow light of the street lamps - no amount of concealer, foundation, or lipstick could conceal her age.

"Sister Imperator." Ollie's voice was even as she eyed the group while leaning against the open door. "I'm surprised you remember my shop after all these years." a wry smile tugged at her pink lips as her violet eyes gleamed in the light while she examined the ragtag group behind the imposing woman and the oddly dressed man trailing nervously.

Besides Sister Imperator, there were 6 others. A man who was dressed in a scarlet red suit from head to foot and what looked like some kind of mask painted on his face that made him resemble a panda as he walked with a cane in one hand although he clearly didn't need it and a fedora hat on his slicked back black (but greying) hair. His eyes were mismatched she'd noted. One white eye and the other a normal green that looked almost grey in the shadows. Behind him were 5 others dressed all in the exact same black attire. Black skinny jeans with black suspenders while their skin-tight black button-down shirts tucked into the pants and black riding boots. What was curious was the fact they all wore what looked like a faceless silver mask with engraved hair and horns - a form of devil mask or something of the like. But the masks only covered their heads and faces down to the noses leaving the people's chins exposed; well would have been if they weren't covered in black fabric. They looked stoic and their stances were....unnatural; too stiff and detached. She wasn't too keen on their energy either; dark and foreboding - like swirling black smoke that only her eyes could see coming from them.

"Olivia, dear?" Sister Imperator's voice broke through the fog of the witch's thoughtful examination bringing her slowly back to the present as if she was slowly being pulled from the water.

"Hmm?" Ollie blinked and turned her attention back to the woman before her lips curled slightly. "Sorry, Sister. Of course, come on in." she swept her hand inside her store.

The blonde woman walked straight in with no problem and while the man began to follow he paused halfway in and turned awkwardly towards her. He pointed with a gloved hand at her face and she raised a brow curiously when he didn't say anything at first.

"Is that you're real hair color?" he asked in a tone of voice that clearly spoke volumes of his lack of social skills.

Ollie reached up to tug a piece of her pure white hair in front of her eyes in amusement as she looked closely at her own hair as if realizing it for the first time that it was snow white.

"Why, won't you look at this?" she murmured before meeting the man's gaze with a humorous one of her own.

"Yes, it's natural. I actually used to be a brunette but...it changed over time. One of the hazards of my profession" she replied truthfully which seemed to satisfy the man as he gave a little hum and began walking inside again.

Ollie watched as the bulkiest of the silver-masked fellows followed after the man and presses a hand to the door to keep it open to allow Ollie inside first and she began to turn away until she realized that...he wasn't moving. His foot was hovering over the edge of the door but it didn't go past the line of salt at her doorstep. Her gaze stared at the foot before slowly dragging her eyes back up to meet the pale purple behind the mask.

"Sister Imperator. I don't believe you introduced me to your friends." Ollie's gaze did not leave that of the masked figure.

"Oh, yes well..." the woman behind her cleared her throat uncomfortable as she looked around the store as if realizing for the first time where she was.

"They are safe, Olivia. I promise you on my life." the blonde said her tone leaving no room to argue but Ollie did not move for a hot minute.

"It's not your life I'm worried about." she finally shot over her shoulder before her foot moved forward carefully and brushed the toe of her boot across the salt line slowly.

"Don't touch anything," she warned the masked figures in a low voice that broached no argument before swiftly turning and heading deeper into the store.

The store itself was dimply lit. The lights above were shut off and only a few oil lamps on a few surfaces within the store gave light. She led the way to the partitioned area and moved to the small counter where she kept her complementary teas.

"Alright, now that you've invaded my holy space." her voice was only partly joking as she busied herself in preparing a personal blend of tea.

"Would you like to make the introductions?"

Sister Imperator sank into one of the armchairs and sighed. "Always with the pleasantries, Olivia."

"Ollie."

"Or should I call you The Arcane Priestess." there was a gleam in the other's eyes that made Ollie tense up.

"I haven't gone by that name in centuries. A name you should not even know. Now talk. You know damn well I don't enjoy these little visits of yours so let's stop with the pretense of friendship. I'm tired, I've had a long day." Ollie snapped her gaze sharp as she turned cooly towards the group.

"Touchy aren't we?"

Ollie's violet eyes flashed and her hand clenched around the edge of the counter. "Your crossing the line sister, do you want me to take back the youth I gave you?" one brow quirked up and that seemed to shut the other up if only for the moment as the older woman's jaw tensed and she flapped her hand around the group.

"This is my son, Papa Emeritus IV -"

"Please call me Copia, mi cara." The awkward man in the suit gave a little smile to the witch who merely flicked her gaze up and down his frame a few times as if seeing him differently.

"These are... Well, these are my ghouls." Copia motioned for the masked group that had yet to take a sit; they damn blended into the darkness of the room so silent and still she didn't even bat an eye at them.

"I know it may seem a little out of this world -" Copia began but Ollie raised a hand to him to stop his upchuck.

"The names Ollie." she interrupted with a tip of her head and outstretched hands. "I'm a witch. There is nothing from this world or the next that can surprise me Copia. I think you should have already known that - or at least realized upon coming to a witch shop in the middle of the night." she snorted.

Copia seemed to flounder for words as he idly tapped his fingertips together. "Si si..."

Ollie then turned to Sister Imperator. "Now, you delivered your charges in my care. You may go."

"I am not leaving Olivia this is-"

Ollie leaned forward towards her; violet eyes darkening into something dangerous; the threat within them was clear as day and dangerous. "I. Wasn't. Asking." her gaze flickered to the door.

"Copia can fill you in after the visit when he returns to you. You're aura is suffocating and I cannot work with you breathing down my neck, snake. Now leave."

Sister Imperator stared shocked at the younger woman. It was hard to think that a girl who looked no older than her early 20s was speaking in such a way to a woman old enough to her be mother; the lack of respect. But it was the look in those purple eyes that held such years in them. A power in them that radiated through her entire being so palpable that even Sister Imperator had to rise to her feet feeling like a caged and cornered animal in a cage with a predator that could rip her to shreds and then some.

"Papa, I will be waiting for word." the woman stated with a false smile and nod before she all but ran from the shop. The door clicked shut behind her with more force than needed.

Ollie inhaled deeply and raised her hands to her temples to rub at the throb that was beginning to form but when she felt the unnerving pairs of eyes on her she lifted her head to peer at the others in the room. There was a heavy silence before she let out a puff of air from her mouth and placed her hands on her hips.

"Sister Imperator and I have known each other since before you were born Copia." Ollie gave a slight smile. "I knew Papa Nihil when he was younger than you when the Clergy was first starting. Trust me, I know a lot more about you guys than I should; I just like pretending like I don't in front of your mother. Gotta keep my trick cards close hmm?" the witch gave a bit of a more genuine smile before straightening up and motioning around.

"Alright, now let's go somewhere more private so we can talk. These walls have ears." she led the flabbergasted Papa and his ghouls from the room and behind the counter. She stood in front of a bookshelf and did an intricate sign with her hands. Seconds later the bookshelves parted to reveal a small well-lit tunnel.

She could tell as soon as they began to walk how the ghouls at her back visibly relaxed as the trap doors closed behind them - locking them inside as they walked. The tunnel was deceptively long in comparison to the building's structural making and if that itself was confusing the hellish creatures could feel the magic that palpitated from the very stone as they walked. Like honey coating the walls they soaked it up subconsciously basking in the magic energy like starving animals while they listened to the little witch and Papa talking ahead of them.

"You may have felt a difference," she shot her violet gaze back at the creatures with a small smile that held hundred years of secrets. "I don't like to practice my personal preferences in the common shop. That is more for show - for the customers that need the basics; it's for protection...for the light magic that people expect. Down here, gentlemen. This is where my true art takes form. Where the darkest of lies and secrets can be unfolded and the more...macabre and black magic can be done without the judging of others."

They came to an old-looking Victorian door with a brass knocker in the shape of a demonic-looking lion's head before she grasps the ring the head held within its menacing-looking jaws - knocking it loudly with a sound that vibrated the air around them it. And then with a start, the lion's head came to life - its golden eyes blinked open and they landed on the group.

"Sorry, Volrath. Didn't mean to wake you. May we enter?" Ollie spoke to the head.

The door knocker blinked slowly at her before its eyes closed again and the door clicked open allowing the group within the confinements of within.

"Oh...." Copia murmured as he stepped in looking around the vast space.

Ollie spun her arms around with a proud smile on her face as she pinned her guests with a look.

"Welcome to where the magic happens, boys."

The space was large. Looking like a two leveled warehouse filled to the brim with shelves of books, statues, and cases filled with items that looked older than time. A living area with comfortable couches covered in soft fabric with an old kitchen off to the side of the open floor space. The top level was guarded by archways made of stone and railings of iron that lead to a half circle wrapped around. One side was what looked to be a library or office space filled with all sorts of things up there that they couldn't make up while the other side looked like her personal living space and bedroom.

"This place is..." Copia began as he spun around feeling as if he'd stepped out of time for a moment.

"It's neat hmm? I like to contribute different eras I've lived through to my personal space. This is where I live. Below the shop. This space was designed to house and entertain different creatures and such that would pop down here for my services." Ollie looked visibly happier and more relaxed now that she was in her space as she idly pulled her snow-white hair up into a messy bun.

"What kind of magic work do you do?" the quiet voice of one of the ghouls spoke up causing her to look over her shoulder at the bunch.

"What do you think?" her lip curled up slightly but when no one replied she sighed out a chuckle. "To the world above," her voice was gentle and almost wistful as she pointed to the ceiling.

"I am just the crazy witchy lady that sells stuff people think is a hoax or a scam. Down here though, I practice far harder and more dangerous magic than some love spells, blessing crystals, and burning sage." she laughed

"There is a reason Sister Imperator calls me The Arcane Priestess. I've been around a lot longer than I look, boys. I've worked with so many deities, gods, creatures, and magic that you'd be surprised. So trust me when I say, my personal space is a safe space for you lot." she wagged a finger at the ghouls.

"Now drop the glamor. It gives a bittersweet taste to the air and I don't like it," she ordered placing her hands on her hips.

Heads tilted to look at each other silently but she was patient as she gave them time to adjust and instead look over to Copia. "Trust me, they aren't the first ghouls I've worked with or helped before. Now, what's going on that needs my help?"

Copia played with his cane as he nervously looked around. "Well..."

"Copia. I don't judge. I'm a freaking witch for crying out loud. Working with hellish creatures is child's play for me. Shit! That reminds me. I need to visit Luci." she clapped her hands and darted up the stairs towards her office workspace on the second floor; unbestowed to her that others followed behind her.

She was finishing lighting a black candle with a white marked seal on the side when she turned to find one of the ghouls reaching out to touch one of her other alters and she reached out sharply to grab their wrist.

"Don't." her voice was firm even when her grip was gentle as she guided the clawed fingers from the alters and shiny objects placed on that particular alter.

"Mother Hecate isn't very fond of others touching her stuff," Ollie stated softly before she turned away to view the others.

The ghouls were all standing there looking around but silent; deglamoured and their ashen skin and tails were flicking back and forth. She did not say anything about their masks figuring when they were ready and comfortable enough that they'd take it off when they were good and ready to do so. Instead, she guided everyone further into the room and motioned for Copia to take a seat on one of the couches situated inside the room.

"Sorry about that. Now. Go ahead and tell me what trouble you've gotten yourself into. Have you summoned a ghoul you can't control?"

"No....well not really. I mean si." Copia floundered waving his hands. "We did do a summoning but it backfired and well...it wasn't exactly a ghoul that we summoned - we sent it back of course but not before...well..." he looked towards the ghouls.

"Not without a scrape or few..."

AN: If you guys enjoyed this let me know if you'd like for me to make one shot series for Ollie and the Ghouls! I'd love to hear your thought. Did you like it? Would you like to see more of Ollie and the Ghouls outside of this series?

[troublebrewing-if]

Request for reader input

How do you think your MC is feeling about their family at this time. We want to cover a range of emotions with this one within the next few chapters. Can't promise we can include everything, but any and all feedback is appreciated.

Thanks! :)

[papercraft-storymode]

Should Olivia confess to having a crush on someone in episode two, or should she have something different going on?

I didn't have anything else planned for this scene, but I want to get her right as a character, so I'm not above a little retconning (since the continuity of this particular thing is strictly under the hood).

Just to be clear, her confession would be based on the player's choices, and there's a good chance people won't even see it on their initial playthrough.