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rolandtowen · 4 years ago

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three times Zuko comes into the Jasmine Dragon coffee shop, and one time Sokka leaves with him. Set in the Neurodiverse Zukka AU, but can read as a standalone.

*banging pots and pans together* "Come over here and get yall Neurodiverse Zukka!"

Read it on Ao3 or under the cut!

TW: discussions of skin picking and implied child abuse

When Sokka pulls into the parking lot of the Jasmine Dragon, he is unsurprisingly the first car there. Being a freshman in town means getting the worst pick of shifts at local businesses. Sokka was hired on to work the opening shift, which means he wakes up at the ungodly hour of 5am to open the shop before the first round of sleep-deprived college students comes in. The pay isn't bad, Mr. Iroh is an incredibly fair man,

The bell on the door jingles on his way in, and he flips several light switches on, watching as the coffee shop slowly comes to life. He busies himself with getting the beans for the day grinding, pulling his first shot and dialing in the expresso. When he takes a sip, the espresso is spot on for the day, which is a relief. Having to make adjustments as customers start filing in is a nightmare.

Today's brew is floral and citrusy, so he decides to make himself and iced lavender latte - with oat milk, of course, because he's gotta do it for the gays - and he spends the next 20 minutes setting out pastries and fiddling with the display cases, making everything look perfect.

At 6am sharp, Sokka unlocks the front door and flips their sign to open, before retreating behind the bar to nurse his latte. Not even five minutes later, the door bell jingles, and Sokka sees a flash of dark hair, face obscured by a pile of textbooks and binders. The figure runs into one table, and then another, and Sokka is rushing out from behind the counter. He gets there just before textbooks go toppling everywhere, his hands taking a firm hold of the top bundle. As he pulls the books into his arms, he sees the face behind them.

Breathtaking golden eyes.

And.. a massive burn scar.

"Hi!" Sokka says, "I'm the barista on shift today - my name's Sokka." He would reach his hand for the other man to shake, but for the stack of textbooks in them.

Golden Eyes smiles.

"I'm Zuko, Zuko Sozin," he says, setting his remaining textbooks on the table by his side. Sokka follows suit.

"Hey, I think I've seen you before - are you taking Piandao's Intro to Biology class?"

"Uh, yeah - yeah! You sit a few rows in front of me." Zuko laughs. "Your doodles are uh, something alright."

Sokka knocks him good-naturedly on the shoulder. "I gotta keep my hands busy for my brain to focus." He looks down at the stack of books on the table. "What on earth are you studying, to have that many books?"

"Uh, Biology and Chemistry double-major, Pre-Med track." Sokka's eyes widen. "It's really not that much! I got a bunch of stuff out of the way with AP credits."

Sokka raises an eyebrow.

"Okay, it is a lot - but I'm really passionate about it. I want to be a doctor."

"Well, Dr. Sozin, what can I get started for you today?"

"Can I get a iced matcha, with a lot of honey?"

Sokka raises his other eyebrow. "A doctor with a sweet tooth?"

"Kind of?"

"Don't worry, I won't rat you out to your dentist. An iced matcha with extra honey?" Zuko nods and Sokka smiles. "You got it, doc."

ii.

Sokka falls into a routine at the Jasmine Dragon. He opens the shop every morning, and every morning of the fall semester so far, Zuko Sozin comes in at precisely 6:05am. Zuko will order an iced matcha with honey, and sits at a table by the window with his laptop and at least two textbooks open at all times. Then, at 11:50am - Sokka guess he has a class that starts at noon - Zuko leaves the shop, always making sure to throw his spare change into Sokka's tip jar.

He's so beautiful.

On a slow day, Sokka comes out from behind the safety of the counter and works up the courage to ask Zuko if he can study with him. Zuko looks shocked at first, but his lips quirk up in a smile as he gestures for Sokka to sit in the chair across from him, moving his textbooks to make room for Sokka's one book and laptop.

"What are you studying, Sokka?" Zuko appears to be genuinely interested.

"Oh, uh, social work, with a concentration in mental health." Sokka waits for Zuko to laugh at him. It never comes. He looks up at him over their laptops.

"That's really cool."

"You think so?"

"Yeah! I mean, some pre-med majors can be really pretentious, really dismissive of mental illness, but um - not me. I don't really have that luxury." Zuko laughs, as though at a joke with himself. "What's the Intro to Biology for, then?"

"Not all of us got our common core out of the way with AP credits, like some nerd I know." Zuko smiles at that, and looks back down at his laptop screen.

Sokka pulls his keys from his pocket and starts fidgeting with the stim toy he keeps on his keychain as he reads through his latest assignment for his Mental Illness and Society class. He bought it on Etsy, relieved to find a neurodivergent-owned shop after scrolling through a lot of stores that just seemed to be hopping on the 'trend' of selling fidget toys. He flips to the next page in his textbook, popping the buttons back and forth in a steady rhythm. He remembers Zuko's sitting across from him and stops abruptly.

"Is this annoying? Do you want me to stop?"

Zuko just cocks his head. "Why would I get a say in what you do? It's kind of your shop, right?"

"Um, to be polite?" Sokka laughs. "And you would be surprised how many customers I get who think they get to tell me what to do." His eyes settle on the half drunk latte in front of him. "It's not really my shop either, I just work the early morning shifts so Mr. Iroh can sleep in. If you ever get to stay past noon sometime, you'll see him come in. You can't miss him, short guy, talks in riddles. He's older, a war vet I think - I just get that impression from some of the stories he tells me. But anyway, did you want me to stop fidgeting?" Sokka looks back up to meet those golden eyes.

Zuko glitches for a second. "Oh! No, no, go for it - if it helps you to study, I'm all for it."

Sokka smiles, and looking at the way Zuko keeps picking at his cuticles gives him an idea. He digs into his backpack and pulls out another stim toy, an acupressure ring. ""Do you want to try this instead of maiming your hands?"

Zuko hesitantly holds out a hand and Sokka drops it into his palm. "You don't have to."

Sokka scoffs. "I know I don't have to - I want to. Come on, I wear it on my thumb sometimes -" and suddenly he's taking Zuko's hands into his and getting very close to Zuko's face. Zuko can smell espresso on his clothes and Sokka's hands are so warm against his. Calloused, sure, but warm. He holds Zuko's right hand gently, pressing the spiky ring onto his thumb. "And you can rub it back and forth with your pointer finger and it gives you that kind of prickly sensation that you get from skin picking, just without the skin picking." Sokka pulls his hands away and Zuko immediately misses them. "Give it a shot, tell me what you think."

Zuko tentatively rolls the ring over his thumb. Huh. The cute barista's right, the acupressure gives him that same prickly, scratchy feeling that picking at his nails and cuticles does. "Wow," he says, "I think you've converted me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Then keep it, I've got a thousand more where that came from, ADHD perks."

Zuko instinctively opens his mouth to protest but the words die in his throat.

"You, you have ADHD?" He stops rolling the ring across his thumb.

"Yup." Sokka's lips popped on the 'p', and he turned to the next page in his textbook. "And I'm pretty sure you've got some spicy stuff happening your brain, too. But you don't have to tell me."

"How are you so open about it?"

Sokka's hand stills around the fidget. "My parents never treated me like I was deficient in any way - my brain just works differently, which means I have trouble with some 'normal' stuff. But I also strengths in areas that others don't have naturally. Accommodations aren't anything to be ashamed of."

"Sounds nice." All of the levity drops out of Zuko's voice.

Sokka levels a look at Zuko. He lets his eyes flit to the right side of Zuko's face and the scar there. He's seen it so many times, and the burns look so concentrated, almost... intentional. His stomach churns at the thought. The scar's old... and Zuko's at college now, he has to be safe - he has to be.

"Like I said, you don't have to tell me." Sokka's hand starts to fidget with the buttons again. "But I have it on good authority that I am a good listener."

"I'll... I'll keep that in mind." Zuko looks down at his hands, fingers rolling the ring back and forth against his thumb. "Thank you."

"Anytime, doc."

iii.

Somehow, fumbling through their collective social awkwardness, they manage to swap numbers.

At the end of the fall semester, Sokka texts Zuko for the first time.

S: hey, im gonna be a few minutes later. don't worry, im still coming.

Z: okay. thank you.

When Sokka finally pulls into the parking lot fifteen minutes late, he sees Zuko waiting outside the door, sitting on a bench, head buried in one of his chemistry textbooks.

"Hey," he puts his keys in the door. "You can just come in while I open, it won't take too long."

Zuko follows him inside, and he closes the door against the chill.

"You didn't have to text me," Zuko says, like it's a question.

"I wanted to," Sokka starts flipping on light switches. "I know you've got your routine, and I didn't want to stress you out when it got messed up."

"Why would that matter to you?"

"Um, I don't want you to be stressed? I kind of care about you."

"You... you care about me?" Zuko stands in the middle of the coffee shop, unmoving.

Sokka smiles. "Yeah, I think I do."

"Why?"

"I think we could be friends?"

"Oh." Zuko's face falls for a second - what Sokka has come to understand is his 'processing' face - and he looks back up a second later. "I think we could be friends too."

"Friendship with a barista has great perks, you know." Sokka laughs as he starts up the grinder. "Although the perks of a social worker friend aren't too bad either."

"How's that going? With your first semester ending?" Zuko sits on a stool at the bar and watches Sokka putter around behind it.

"Well, I'm going to pass Intro to Biology, not for lack of trying on Piandao's part - I swear he's trying to weed out all the humanities kids. It isn't even a weed out course!" He polishes an espresso glass furiously. "How are you doing?"

Zuko chokes. "Oh, I'm - I'm fine, you know it's a hard class and all -"

"You're getting an A, aren't you?" Sokka squints at him from behind a bag of coffee beans. "Curve breaker," he scoffs.

"Hey, it's not my fault that I'm, what did you call it? A 'burnt-out gifted kid with people pleasing tendencies'." Zuko crosses his arms and huffs at the memory of that conversation. Sokka had read him like a picture book. And it was not fair for one person to be that good at emotions.

"You are correct, I did indeed call you that." Sokka pulls the first shot of the morning. "And it looks like I was right."

"You know what you said the other week, about being a good listener?"

"Sure do," Sokka takes a sip of the espresso, swishing it around in his mouth before spitting it out. "What's on your mind?"

"Well, if we're going to be... friends, I just think you'd want to know that - I'm autistic." Zuko stares at Sokka searching his face for any cues about what the next words out of his mouth will be, waiting for the facade of friendship to drop. He furiously rolls the acupressure ring up and down his thumb.

"Okay, that's great!"

"...what."

Zuko's hands freeze and he squeezes the ring against his skin, feeling the pressure increase.

"That's great, I'm glad you felt safe enough to tell me that. I kind of guessed your parents weren't as accommodating as mine?"

Zuko laughs something sour. "No, no they were not." He looks up in surprise as Sokka puts an iced matcha, extra honey, in front of him. "You're right though, I do feel safe here. I feel safe with you." Zuko looks down at the acupressure ring on his thumb, softening his grip. "You could have totally ignored me, but you didn't. Or you could've been mean about my quirks - but you weren't. Why?"

"Well, for starters, you tip well." Sokka smiles and leans across the counter, bracketing Zuko's elbows in with his own. "But you're also a really great guy - you're passionate, you want to make people's lives better, and you're also like, really beautiful."

Zuko feels his cheeks flush. "You really think that?" His fingers still against the fidget again, but he doesn't feel the need to press it into his skin. He's captivated by Sokka's words. Surely, Sokka couldn't actually mean -

"Oh, yeah. Every bit." Sokka brushes his hand against one of Zuko's, the one with the fidget ring. "Can I hold your hand?"

"Yes, please, yes." After weeks, Sokka's hand is back in his, and Zuko thinks he's going to implode. "Can, can you hold both of my hands? With both of your hands?"

"Of course," Sokka's positively beaming, grabbing Zuko's hands and running his thumbs across his knuckles. "Now you're absolutely allowed to say no to my next question, and there are no hard feelings."

"Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"Fuck yes."

The iced matcha is forgotten.

+ i

Sokka's feet hurt like hell. Mr. Iroh had called in him to work a double on Friday, and since he doesn't have any classes on Fridays, he foolishly agreed.

It won't seem so foolish once you see the paycheck, he reminds himself. He and Zuko have a deal. Zuko pays for his medical school with his job shelving books at the University library, and Sokka pays for their tiny apartment by caffeinating all of the other broke college kids in town. By some miracle, they seem to be able to make it work. Zuko graduated into the medical college a year early, which helps with tuition costs, and of course his brilliant boyfriend got all kinds of scholarships.

Sokka is indescribably proud of him.

The door bell jangles just as Sokka is wiping the crumbs off the last cafe table. "Hey, we're starting to close up for the night, so it'd better be a to-go order," he calls over his shoulder.

"Even for me?"

"Zuko!" Sokka drops his cloth immediately and spins around, pulling Zuko into a hug. Zuko taps the small of his back when he's ready to let go, and Sokka lets him go, beaming. "You came to visit me at work?"

"More like I picked up your favorite soup dumplings from Haru's across the street and thought we could walk home together?" Zuko shrugs, gesturing to the brown paper bag in his arms. "How's that sound to you?"

"Baby, that's just what I needed today." Sokka picks up his cleaning supplies. "Okay, I just need to put all of this away and then we can lock up and go home, how's that?"

"Great," Zuko smiles at him. "I may have also picked up some more Doctor Who DVDs from the library," he smirks.

"Oh, you trickster!" Sokka yells from the kitchen, before appearing again. "You used my one weakness, pork soup dumplings, against me in order to get your nerdy way."

"Oh, big talk coming from the guy who watches astronomy documentaries for fun," Zuko laughs as Sokka leads him out of the shop, switching off the lights and locking the door behind him. "If it were up to you, we'd be watching Cosmos all weekend, and I can only take so much of Neil deGrasse Tyson explaining the peculiarities of the moon."

"Hey, the moon is cool!"

"You are correct, the moon is very cool. It's freezing, because it's a rock. In space. With no atmosphere. Or life." Zuko deadpans, earning a light punch on the shoulder from Sokka.

"Fine, you get Doctor Who tonight, but Saturday is going to be all PBS Nova, baby. Brace yourself." Sokka takes Zuko's free hand into his as they start the walk home.

"Well, as long as you're there, I'm happy."

Notes:

fidgets in this work were inspired by those from shop StimBox

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dottie-wan-kenobi · 5 years ago

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A @batfam-christmas-stocking fic written for @lurkinglurkerwholurks!! happy holidays <3

----

“You guys really don’t have to do all this for me,” Duke says as he and Alfred step out of the suit fitting place. His words are part uncomfortable and part resigned. Jason and Steph have both already talked to him about what it’s like to be a Wayne kid—to have all that money at his disposal, and adults around who will spend it on him without a second thought—but actually living it is different.

There’s some Wayne Foundation event happening soon, and Duke is expected to go. He’s also expected to have a suit, and since he hasn’t had to wear one since his aunt’s funeral way back when he was a little kid, Alfred made plans for him to get one. Several ones, actually, but today he only tried on the one meant for the upcoming party.

Alfred slips the cuff links they brought along back into their box. “It’s no matter, Master Duke,” he says, casually handing the box over like it doesn’t hold very expensive cuff links that Thomas Wayne once wore. “All young men need a well-fitting suit.”

Staring down at the box in his hands, he asks, “But one so… much?”

After a brief moment, Alfred closes Duke’s fingers over the box and guides him gently by the wrist to slip it into his jacket pocket. They start walking, and Alfred pats his shoulder once. “So much, sir? If you mean the cost, I assure you, this is hardly a drop in the bucket. Master Dick in particular has gone through a great many suits in his lifetime, and there have been no repercussions.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about, though.” Feeling like he can confide some in the older man, Duke says, “I don’t know, it’s just…. That thing cost so much money, and I’m only going to wear it once? It just seems like a waste.”

“If you’d like, you may certainly wear it more than once. People will talk, of course, if you do so more than once every few months, but the opinions of others should have no consequence on how you live your life, Master Duke.”

“I guess. Hey, where are we going? The car’s that way.”

“Oh! I’m sorry, I’m afraid I forgot to tell you. There’s another stop that needs to be made at Trader Joe’s.”

Duke makes a face. That sounds boring, and he’s ready to go home. “How long do you think you’ll be?”

“Not long at all.”

“Can I like, do some window shopping then? I won’t go too far, I just haven’t seen much of this part of Gotham, you know? I figure some exploring will help me with my, uh, job.”

Knowingly, Alfred agrees. Soon enough, they get there, and Alfred promises to not dilly-dally. Shrugging, Duke waits until he’s inside to wander off, glancing at the shop windows. One is a toy store, and though Duke is sixteen, much too old to play with toys, he finds himself standing there for a while, staring at all the colorful and expensive items.

It’s weird, knowing that if he asked for something inside, he could get it easily. His life has never been like that—even before the orphanages and group homes, his parents’ jobs weren’t well paying enough that he could ever get something from this place. They did their best, and he can’t think of a holiday that went by where he wasn’t happy. The memories of his parents’ smiles, exhausted but content, are never far from his mind. But the facts are that this store would’ve probably always been out of their reach. And now, if he wanted, he could go and ask Alfred for some money, enough to get something from here, and Alfred wouldn’t say no. Maybe he’d say Duke needs to follow a certain rule, like only get what he can hold, but that would be it. He can’t imagine Alfred would say anything about only spending so much.

It’s different and kind of overwhelming, but he’s getting used to it, he thinks.

If Steph is to be believed, he might never be fully used to it, though. Honestly, Duke isn’t sure that��s a bad thing. He doesn’t want to lose sight of what it’s like to struggle, but at the same time, it’s nice not having to worry about it anymore.

Seeing two men hustling it down the street, he’s thrown from his thoughts. Relatively well dressed, though not anything like the suits Duke was just trying on, they seem mean and like the thugs he’s come into contact with through his day job as the Signal. Not the ones he’s really used to, the ones who he used to see when he was a kid, who rob people because they’re starving and there’s no other way to get money quick enough.

It’s somehow still surprising when they see him, standing there in a nice outfit and with a visibly expensive watch, and decide that he’s the one they’re going to target. Not that surprising, granted, but for some reason, he had thought crime wouldn’t be so bad here. The rich parts of Gotham always tout themselves as being “safer”, after all. He should know better by now.

They descend on him so fast it’s kind of impressive, honestly, or at least it would be if it weren’t extremely annoying. The taller of the two speaks first, his voice gravely and deep. “This is a mugging,” he says, pulling a gun from his pocket and aiming it at Duke’s chest. “You gonna make it easy on us, kid? ‘Cause me and my pal here got no issue doing this the hard way.”

The thing is, Duke is a civilian right now. Any other day, any other circumstances, he’d be suited up as The Signal, and he could deal with these losers easy as pie. He can easily envision how he could take them down—the shorter guy has a weapon, too, but he’s anxiously gripping it in his pocket. It’s probably not a gun, or he’d have brought it out when his friend did. Maybe a knife, or some other kind of blunt object. Which means that Duke could allow the tall guy to get close so Duke can disarm him, and punch him hard enough to knock him out before moving on to Shorty. No real threat of being shot, and whatever Shorty’s got, it shouldn’t be too hard to disarm him too. Duke is getting really good at these petty fights, enough that he doesn’t really feel threatened.

Except Duke can’t do anything. Duke Thomas, the civilian, is someone who isn’t supposed to know how to fight, just another rich wimp.

Raising his hands, he tries to seem weak. Like he’s scared and playing it off like he’s amused. There are layers to this shit, and he’s not about to fail at one of the easier parts of the job—acting. “W-what do you want? Money?”

“Your watch,” Shorty says. “And your jacket.”

“You got any weapons on you?” Tall Guy shifts his aim up and down, trying to be threatening.

“No,” Duke says honestly, but they don’t believe him. Pulling him roughly to a nearby alleyway, they pat his pockets, and when they find the box, Shorty slips it out and carefully examines it. It’s a nice box, old but hardly worn at all.

“Thought you said you don’t got any weapons,” Shorty growls, slowly opening the box while Tall Guy keeps the gun aimed at Duke. When Shorty sees the cuff links, he snorts, puts the lid back on, and slips it into his own pocket. Then he steps forward and keeps patting until he finds Duke’s wallet. “You richie-riches. Pah,” he says as he opens it up.

Duke can tell the moment he recognizes the name he sees on Duke’s driver’s license.

Duke Thomas is a name that’s becoming well known, same as all the other Wayne kids. He’s the only one who’s consistently been in the papers lately, though, since everyone is curious about the newest foster child.

“You one of them Waynes?” Shorty demands, tone harsher than the grin widening on his face would suggest. To Tall Guy, he says, “We should kidnap ‘im, man. Get a ransom offa Wayne. I hear he don’t mess around when it comes to the children.”

“You’re right,” a new voice, a familiar voice, interjects. “He doesn’t. And neither do I.”

As Tall Guy and Shorty turn their attentions to Alfred, Duke… doesn’t relax like he thought he might. Instead, he tenses, because how likely is it that Alfred is distracting him, blocking out the mouth of the alley, so Duke can have a chance to fight these losers? He knows Alfred isn’t helpless, but of the two of them, Duke is the one with more experience dealing with losers like these two.

With their backs to him, he drops his hands and starts to crouch into a fighting position.

Except…it turns out, Alfred doesn’t really need him to do anything. Tall Guy steps forward with the gun aimed high, his finger on the trigger. “Who’re you?” He demands, standing straight and tense as Alfred approaches. “The nanny?”

“The butler, actually. In any case, that is my grandson you’re threatening, and really, sir, simply so you can steal his watch?”

Tall Guy and Shorty don’t seem to know what to say. Shorty pulls out a knife.

Alfred disarms and knocks both of them out within a few minutes, and Duke hardly even has to help, just punches Shorty when he comes staggering over, dazed and in pain. A few punches is all it takes before Duke’s knocking the guy out. Before they leave the scene, he makes sure to retrieve the cuff links, not wanting to lose them.

They hurry back to the car, and once they’re both settled in their seats, on the road back to the Manor, Duke can’t keep quiet anymore. “Why did you do that? I could’ve handled it.”

“Yes, I have every faith you could have, Master Duke,” Alfred says. “But your identity must be protected. If this gets out, no one will be much surprised to hear that I fought them off. No suspicion will be slung at you. And even if that were not the case, you are family.”

“I’m only Bruce’s foster kid,” Duke refutes. It’s easy to think of the Waynes as family. It’s not as easy to think about his real parents, and what they would think about all this, what they would want for him. They would want him to be happy, he knows that, and he’s happy with Bruce. But he can’t ignore that his parents could still be out there somewhere, that for all everyone knows, this could be temporary. It doesn’t feel great to put distance between himself and the others, but right now, he kind of needs it.

“Yes, but still, you are family. You always will be, my boy. And while you are part of us, I will defend you. Unfortunately, you’ll just have to get used to it.” Alfred smiles, then, and though Duke is feeling a big mess of emotions, he can’t help but smile back. It felt really nice to be defended. He hasn’t always had someone who would do that, and even if in the past few years his friends have filled that role, he remembers being a young kid, no one in his corner once his parents were gone.

It’s a good, good feeling.

#bcs19 #duke thomas #alfred pennyworth #batfam #batfamily #batfam fic #fanfic #my writing #lurkinglurkerwholurks

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softeryoons · 6 years ago

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lost and found (taegi)

Fluff | Angst | Cute

1584 words

Archive link - https://archiveofourown.org/works/18680977

When Yoongi doesn't come home, Taehyung looks for him.

3:04 am

The bed is cold when Taehyung wakes up. He had only meant to have a nap while waiting for Yoongi to come home, but he had been asleep for longer then he meant and judging by the clock on his bedside table, it’s just past 3 in the morning. His Yoongi hyung isn’t here, his baby, his soulmate. And that’s just, that’s just unacceptable. And at this time in the morning! Taehyung immediately decides that something must be done. He steels himself for the coldness when he removes the sheets, slips his feet into those adorable bunny slippers Jimin bought him years ago, and begins the search for Yoongi.

3:16 am

Taehyung has been everywhere. He’s looked in the kitchen. In the bathroom. In the laundry. In the other bathroom. Under the couch. In the closet. He even has a peek in Seokjin’s room, even though Yoongi hasn’t slept there for the 6 months they’ve been dating – he far prefers being surrounded by Taehyung, both in a physical sense when they cuddle and in a mental sense when he’s covered in his sheets. Plus, it means Namjoon’s free to visit the eldest whenever he wants so, it works out for everyone. Except for the fact, of course, that Yoongi isn’t there. Texting him is no help – it never is, Yoongi will only respond to a text under pain of death. But Taehyung has been trying anyway.

To: baby <333 Today at 3:07 am

where r uuuu? :(((((

Today at 3:09 am

im worried baby

Today at 3:12 am

r u hurt? have u been mugged?

Today at 3:13 am

OMG NOW I THINK UVE BEEN MUGGED PLS REPLY

Today at 3:15 am

i miss u :(

Today at 3:16 am

r u in the studio? u promised u would take a break :(((((((

No response. Taehyung sighs heavily. Yoongi still isn’t responding which usually wouldn’t worry him but just – it’s late (or rather, it’s early). His mind is filled with images of Yoongi working himself to death in the Genius Lab, ruining his eyesight and spine. It’s true, Yoongi had promised that he’d limit his time in the studio for the sake of Taehyung, and it’s true he’s been getting better with limiting his work, not letting his perfectionism force him to sacrifice his sanity. Still frowning, Taehyung grabs his coat and calls an uber to the BigHit building.

3:36 am

Taehyung lets himself into the Genius Lab. He remembers the day he got the passcode like it was yesterday – two months into them dating, he had been standing outside holding takeaway food and knocking on the door. Yoongi had texted him the code and even though he sounded aloof in the text, he was blushing like crazy and refused to meet Taehyung’s eyes once he got in. The code was (and still is) 123095 which is just – unbelievably adorable, and lead to Taehyung kissing every available bit of face that Yoongi wasn’t hiding in his hands. But now, each number causes a little more disappointment to fester in Taehyungs gut. And he knows its unfair, he knows that being disappointed because his boyfriend had to work is selfish but if he’s being honest, he doesn’t care. Yoongi had promised him this, had promised him he would be home before midnight at the absolute – absolute latest. And he wasn’t. Taehyung is young and allowed to be selfish, and half of his disappointment comes from concern for Yoongi. Every night that Yoongi spends locked inside his studio is another night that he hasn’t eaten properly, another night he hasn’t slept properly, and Taehyung is worried, ok? But he practices his best ‘No, I’m not angry Yoongi, I promise’ face and swings open the door. Yoongi isn’t there.

3:48 am

Taehyung isn’t stressed. He’s not. He’s really, really, not. He’s just anxiously pacing the length of the Genius Lab for fun. The fact he’s almost pulled his own hair out – well, that’s just him trying out a new look. Because Yoongi – Yoongi isn’t anywhere. He’s been waiting here for 3 minutes, in case Yoongi has just gone to get a snack. And then he went to check the dance rooms, checked the offices, checked the cafeteria, and ended up back at the studio. Again, no sign of Yoongi. In fact, no sign of another breathing soul, despite a security guard that looked at him oddly. He’s just so worried. The studio seems like he left in a hurry – his phone is on the desk and the lights were still on. He has no idea what he’s supposed to do now – go back to bed? Wait in the Genius Lab? Text Yoongi 17 more times? He tried the last one. There’s been no response. He thinks he’s justified in being concerned but now, there’s nowhere for that concern to go. He ends up wandering the BigHit building, hoping that Yoongi will jump out of nowhere – maybe throw him a 7-month early surprise birthday party. To no-one’s surprise, it doesn’t happen.

3:56 am

He’s made it to the roof. From here, you can see the expanse of the city, but still feel removed. It’s quiet here as well. And cold. The ideal place you’d come to calm down and focus after a bad day working. Thinking back, Taehyung can’t believe he didn’t think of it sooner. Because there, leaning against the air conditioning unit, is a dark figure. As he gets closer, he can see the figure is wearing dark jeans and a large oversized hoodie. As Taehyung gets even closer, he can see the delicate features from under the hood – the doll lips and kitten eyes. Which are currently closed, showing that Yoongi is fast asleep.

“Yoongi. Yoongles. Hyung. Baby?” A quiet groan, and a shift of the shoulders.

“Hyung, wake up please?” A moment, and then the pretty eyes open. “Taehyung-ah!”

There’s another moment of silence, in which Yoongi takes in his position on the roof, the fact that Taehyung is still wearing pyjamas, and the fact that he somehow made it all the way over here wearing bunny slippers. Another moment as Yoongi wakes up and realises how long after he was expected home it is. One more moment, and Yoongi registers the relief and worry in Taehyung’s eyes.

“What time is it?” “It’s almost 4, hyung. What are you doing out here? Why didn’t you respond to my texts? I was worried, Yoongi-hyung, I- I missed you.” Yoongi frowns at the confession, but he seems more disappointed in himself at causing Taehyung to feel that way. He stands, leading Taehyung to the barrier at the edge. He chews his lip and tries to find the right words. “I’m sorry, Tae. I…I was having a bad day. Nothing seemed to go right for me as I was working and I…I don’t know what happened, but I just started thinking about all of these horrible things, Tae… I thought I was over having panic attacks when things didn’t go my way, but I guess…”

Yoongi lets out a bitter laugh, staring at the ground. He’s too ashamed of himself at putting Taehyung in this situation to meet his eyes.

“And then I came up here to try calm down and I guess it worked a little bit but… I left my phone in the studio and just the thought of going back there seemed … too much. I’m sorry I didn’t respond to you, Tae. And I’m sorry that I didn’t come home when I should of, and I’m sorry I left you to sleep alone, and I know that this doesn’t really make it better but I am really sorry, Taehyung-ah, I’m so sorry and-”

Yoongi’s long winded apology is interrupted by Taehyung pulling him into an embrace. All the bitterness has melted out of him upon hearing Yoongi’s reason. But still, there’s something he wants Yoongi to hear.

“You know hyung,” Taehyung speaks into the top of Yoongi’s head, refusing to let him out of the embrace. “You could have just talked to me. You don’t have to be alone in situations like these, hyung. Let me take care of you, ok?”

Yoongi swallows harshly and takes a moment to reply. “I didn’t want to-to bother you, Tae. I’ve always dealt with them myself and…” His voice is so unbearably soft and vulnerable it melts Taehyungs heart, but then steels it as he decides on a new resolve.

“I’m not going to let you suffer alone again, hyung, ok? I don’t want you to. So tell me! No matter when or where.” The two pull apart as Taehyung looks into Yoongi’s eyes.

“Promise me, hyung. Promise me you’ll tell me when you’re suffering.” “O-ok, Tae. I promise.” They kiss, sealing the promise as one Taehyung never intends to break. The romantic moment, however, is interrupted by Taehyung yawning loudly, causing Yoongi to take his hand and tug him towards the stairs down to the exit.

4:34 am

They sleep, bodies entwined. Their eyes are both closed. They sleep soundly throughout the night, the whispers of promises never to be broken ringing in their ears. There are far worse things, after all, to be ringing in your ear. (Such as the noise of an alarm clock going off at an unacceptable time, signalling that even those going on 3 am hunts for their boyfriend still have to get up at 6 am).

#yoongi #yoons #taetae #taegi #kim taehyung #min yoongi #taehyung #drabble #bts drabble #v #taegi drabble #taegi fanfiction #bts fanfiction #bottom yoongi

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increasethythunders · 6 years ago

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LEVIATHAN | 15. Epilogue | MASTERLIST

words: 3k+

A/N: and there it is :') im still in shock that the second ever fic i finished is fuxjcking about godzilla of all things (and clocking in at about 80k+ words in total, it’s the longest thing ive written so that’s fitting i guess) but ngl, i had the most fun writing it and i actually felt motivated and even excited to start a new chapter ?? and it feels almost a little weird to see it end; anyway, it always feels nice to finish a project ur passionate about, no matter how self indulgent it is

you can also support this fic on wattpad & ao3

Jodie adjusted the mic on Dr. Graham's blazer.

It had been a long time since she had seen her so nervous, not since the mass awakening. But she couldn't blame her. She tried giving her a reassuring smile, but the woman was staring just past her shoulder, at the wall behind them.

"Uh, Dr. Graham?" Coleman cleared his throat as his head peeked through the door. "You're on in about in a minute."

Vivienne snapped to attention almost immediately, and Jodie stepped away. The doctor wrung her hands as she took a deep breath, taking a tentative step towards the door.

It was a big day, one that could potentially take a step toward mending Monarch's relations with the government and the public alike. Or, it could just make it worse. Jodie already felt her heart thunder in her chest, the start of a headache forming in the back of her head. She had suspected the oncoming barrage of conferences and hearings and the like after Boston, but she didn't think it would happen this soon.

"You got this, Viv." she punctuated with a thumbs-up.

The smallest of smiles appeared on her face before she turned away. Taking a deep breath, Dr. Graham stepped through the door, and in the brief moment before it closed Jodie could see the flashing of camera lights illuminate her form. Now, all she could do was wait.

Sitting down at one of the tables in the small, rectangular room, she pulled out her tablet from her bag. Things had been so hectic - what with being tasked with co-running the Monarch archive that Sam had created - that she barely had any time to catch up with her usual journalistic endeavors. She scrolled through the influx of newsletters that had flooded her inbox over the past couple weeks. It was odd, suddenly seeing 'deforestation halts across the globe', '14th species to be taken off the endangered list', and 'coral reefs restored' among other things. The general public was still unsure about titans as a whole, but their importance was undeniable.

Suddenly, she could hear Vivienne's muffled voice from just beyond the door.

"The Rise of the Titans was an unspeakable tragedy, one that we may never truly recover from. And while we've done all we can to track and contain the ones that were released, we have confirmed that they've begun to retreat to their natural habitats on their own. But it seems that is only the beginning. We believe that there are more titans to be discovered, ones that Ghidorah's call was not able to reach."

There was a massive uproar after that, but Jodie drowned them out. Or, tried to at least. Just then, a notification popped up at the top of the tablet's screen. It was a video call - from China's Yunnan Province. Opening it without hesitation, a livestream filled the screen.

It was Gill. Jodie had been waiting in anticipation for the stream to start, as she was just as excited as the rest of the expedition team for the trek into Mothra's temple. Though, Gill probably had her beat in that aspect.

The feed crackled every now and then, the soft fuzz of radiation seeping through the camera. It was dimly lit, but a fair amount of what looked like a tunnel was illuminated by a handful flashlight beams. It looked like they were walking down a spiral staircase, if those stairs had been carved straight out of the earth. Every now and then they would pass by tall, wide pillars. Just ahead of Gill's point of view were two figures leading the expedition.

In the background, just behind the door, the rabble died down and Graham continued with her speech.

"Which is why Monarch is currently developing a more effective means of dealing with the titans that will potentially..inevitably..wake in the coming years. More effective than our current containment facilities. Now, these plans are still in early development but we will make sure to provide you with regular updates as the project progresses. Which leads me to our next point,"

They had been walking for a while now. And every now and then someone would speak, but their voices would be difficult to make out. Just how far down had they gone?

Suddenly, the static on the camera spiked, filling the screen for a brief second before stabilizing. The feed was still fuzzy, but Jodie could tell they had entered a large chamber. As the flashlights fanned out, Gill's camera swept through the chamber.

There was a raised dais in the center of the room, and on either side were impossibly massive statues. They were identical, and they both depicted women standing almost protectively, their arms splayed out, pointing to something between them. Something massive.

Gill and the two figures that had remained ahead of her approached the object, while the others continued inspecting the rest of the room. One of the figures turned around, looking at Gill with raised eyebrows. It was Chen, and it wasn't too out of the question to assume the person by her side was her sister Ling.

They both pointed their flashlights at the object.

"As of now, Monarch will be operating with full transparency. In accordance with the United Nations, 60 years worth of our documentation regarding titans will be freely available to the public. And with each new discovery, there will be no more secrets. No more hiding. In a post-Godzilla world our mission was to provide a means of defense against every titan we uncovered. And now we believe that staying informed is the greatest defense of all."

Gill's camera was facing downward now, glancing at the EKG monitor in her hand. It was steady, but every other few seconds she could hear the beep of a heartbeat. The object on the massive platform was alive. Jodie felt a wave of chills rush down her spine.

Gill and the twins focused their flashlights onto the object, condensing into one beam. Jodie suppressed a gasp as she realized what the object was.

It was an egg, a giant egg about the size of two buses stacked on top of each other. It was a dull blue and yellow, with light white-ish spots accenting the striped pattern. She heard Gill laugh, unbelieving of the find. She turned to face the twins, and they had each lay a hand on the egg, staring up at it with the lightest of smiles on their faces.

Covering her bases, Jodie thought to herself. She couldn't help but smile along with them.

"We hope that with this new development, we can navigate this new era not just together, but with the titans as well."

_____

Darkness.

She couldn't tell if the void she was in was the size of a crawlspace or the entire universe. But what she did know was that it was pitch black, and it was cold.

She took a step forward, but found that she was frozen. She tried to wriggle her fingers, kick her legs, anything that would allow her the slightest of movement, but it was all futile. Elena could do nothing but silently scream into the abyss, the deafening silence threatening to push at the fabric of her mind.

She was about ready to give up her struggle until she heard it. The laughter.

That same lilting cackle.

It kept echoing throughout the space, three separate sounds melting into something so loud she thought her eardrums would pop. She wasn't sure if she was screaming or sobbing, but she had to find a way out.

Get out get out stop laughing let me OUT -

Elena shot up in bed, eyes wide and tear stains trailing down her cheeks. That was the third time that month where she had "The Dream", as she had been referring to it as. With a shaky hand, she wiped the drying trails away with her palms, quietly looking around her room. It was cold, and the blanket was so warm, but yet she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, brows creasing in annoyance as she reached for the alarm that blared in her ears.

She lay there in the stiff bed for a moment, face half-buried in her pillow as she stared ahead in the dimly lit room. There was an ache in her bones that had never quite left her since the battle of Boston, and some days it wasn't anything more than a dull stiffness that would soon fade as the day went on. But there were others where it spread anywhere it could reach, seeping into her limbs and leaving her wanting to never get out of bed again. Today was one of those days.

For all its inconveniences, she couldn't hate the feeling - not completely. She liked to think of it as proof that she was alive. But that didn't mean it wasn't a bitch to deal with.

Eventually, she knew she would have to drag herself up and out unless she wanted someone knocking at her door, so she did. Swinging her legs over the mattress, she pushed herself up, shuffling to the bathroom. Brushing her teeth, the lukewarm water hitting her face in the shower - it all felt hazy through the sheet of grogginess that still clouded her mind. It wasn't until she looked at the time while getting dressed that she finally snapped back to reality.

Grumbling to herself, she shot out into the hall of Castle Bravo's living quarters, messily tying her hair back in a ponytail as she walked.

It wouldn't have taken her so long to reach the command center had she not decided to stop by the mess hall, picking up a cold bagel and a cup of black coffee. Discreetly popping a painkiller in her mouth, she took a swig out of the cup, walking over to the figures standing in front of an array of controls.

"Well, it's about time." Dr. Stanton said, glancing over his shoulder before returning to his screen, staring intently at the steady beeping that came from the monitor. "Tall, dark, and atomic over here isn't the most patient of lizards, you know."

Elena made no comment save for a roll of the eyes as she ambled over to the front of the room, approaching the wide window that took up half of the wall. Godzilla was just on the other side, multiple drones flagging him like remoras with their floodlights trained on his form. He didn't look particularly upset, but he didn't look too happy either. It was hard to tell with him sometimes. But he seemed to be in a good mood nonetheless, or about as good a mood as the newly crowned "king" could be. But that was likely due in part to the minuscule figure just ahead of her.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor was Madison.

She looked up, giving her a quick wave and a small smile. Elena gave her a friendly nod, crossing her arms and trying not to look directly at the titan as she leaned against the window. Elena wasn't too keen on being around the titan even now, but the child had insisted she be there to 'send him off'.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked.

The girl shook her head. "Nah, he's gonna leave in a little while anyway."

She nearly sighed from relief. "Busy schedule, huh?"

"I guess," Madison shrugged. "Says he's got somewhere to be."

Not too far away from them was a large, mobile screen. Hooked up to it with a handful of thick wires was a familiar device. The ORCA 2.0's soft humming thrummed throughout the control room as a series of words appeared on the screen.

> YOU MAKE IT SOUND SO CASUAL

Madison snorted. "I'm sure whatever you need to do isn't as dramatic as you say it is."

> IF ALL GOES WELL

> THEN HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE

Elena slightly raised a brow, but she decided not to ask any questions. Since Boston, her fear of the lizard had significantly faded, but she still found herself on edge whenever she was around him, no matter how much Madison reassured her.

"You won't be gone long, right?"

> YOU WORRY TOO MUCH

> TINY SPEAKER

Madison grinned sheepishly at the comment. Smiles like those were rare for her. From her mother's detainment to her father insisting she be given a "proper" education outside of Monarch's programs, Elena suspected the time she spent using the new and improved ORCA were moments of relief. It almost reminded her of..her. Or at least a long lost version of herself.

In that moment, Godzilla's eyes wandered from the girl over to Elena. She felt herself stiffen, but the lizard himself didn't seem to notice. At least, he didn't make it obvious that he did. Instead he let out a snort, a trail of bubbles fluttering above him. Madison had tried coaxing her into talking to him, even to say a simple 'hello'. But she wasn't sure if she was ready, not yet.

> I'LL SEE YOU

> WHEN I SEE YOU

As he began to turn around, Madison waved him off. Elena simply watched, taking a bite out of the bagel still in her hand. With a strong whip of his tail, he shot away from the base. The drones around him returned to their stations, and the ORCA 2.0 quieted as its translation feed shut off automatically.

"Where did he say he was going anyway?" Elena asked as she watched the titan disappear into the blue.

Madison stood up, smoothing out the jacket that had bunched up behind her. In a voice that was all too calm, she answered.

"Skull Island."

_____

Mateo led the men clad in black uniforms down the dimly lit corridor.

Despite their seemingly calm demeanor, they made him nervous, what with their heavy boots and steely gazes. None of them were talkers by any means, but that wasn't what made them seem..off. It was something in the way they acted, the way they spoke that unnerved him. It's not that they didn't act human, it's that they were trying too hard to be. That was especially true for the man that he assumed was their leader. Mateo had known people like him before, hungry for power no matter the cost. He didn't ask many questions, for at this point he just wanted their deal to be over and done with. Despite how uneasy they made him, he couldn't back out now. They were the ones that had approached him, after all.

And even if he could refuse them, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. The world had been changed forever. Much of his family and friends were either dead or scattered around the world due to the mass evacuations held just mere months before. He hated remembering it, how he could have been there for his family.

He had happened to be out at sea when Rodan woke from his slumber deep beneath the island's volcano, and he had been near enough to witness the drop of a bomb that left the waters lifeless. And during Ghidorah's storm, he had managed to make it to shelter. When it was all over, not many of his old relations were left. But he still had his boat and his fishing gear, even though they hadn't served much of a purpose since then. The island's seas were barren, and all the fish that had been killed during the bomb were poisoned.

But somehow, luck had been with him. He had made a good catch, and the strange men had come to pay him for it. Or they would just kill him and take it without a word.

They didn't look like any of the military folk he had ever seen, but they had a similar air to them. And in his experience, that usually did not bode well. But he had run out of choices, and he couldn't do much other than continue to lead them further down the warehouse.

"It's a brave new world, my friend." he told the leader with the calmest tone he could manage. "Such things as this have become much more valuable since the rise of the king."

The leader said nothing. Mateo swallowed nervously.

"Took nine fishing boats to raise it," he continued. "My men, they don't ask for much. Just enough to help their families."

Finally, he saw the entrance to the room where their prize lay.

"Can't fish here anymore..everything's dead."

As they reached the open warehouse space, he saw his men waiting to the side. They all seemed just as uneasy as him. But not because of the swarm of men behind him, but by the source of the stench of death that permeated throughout the room.

He flipped on the lights, and prayed that it was what they were looking for. His coworkers stepped away from it, recoiling as if it could strike them at any moment.

Even in death, covered in seaweed and barnacles, his once golden scales dulled by decay, Ghidorah's head was still terrifying. He had seen it happen, when Godzilla tore it off with his bare teeth and dropped it in the sea just before the bomb hit. He didn't have the slightest idea as to why these strangers payed him and his men to fish it out, but he knew - vaguely - how much titan parts ran on the market. He refused to dabble in that sort of thing, as something about it made him feel wrong. But evidently, whatever they were planning to do with it, the leader had no such qualms.

The leader stepped into the light, walking so close that he was able to touch the creature. As the white-haired man placed a hand on its slimy, rotting flesh, he stared up at it with an unsettling expression. His eyes were as placid as a lake, almost expressionless, and yet he was smiling. But there was nothing denoting happiness in that smile. It was the sort that his father used to call la sonrisa del diablo.

For the first time since his arrival, the man spoke.

"We'll take it."

#godzilla #king of the monsters #godzilla king of the monsters #kotm #godzilla fanfic #leviathanfic

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comicteaparty · 6 years ago

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May 23rd, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on May 23rd, 2019, from 5PM - 7PM PDT. The chat focused on Maiden of the Machine by Caitlin Like.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! Our final Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Maiden of the Machine by Caitlin Like~! (https://maidenmachine.com/)

Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

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

i think my favorite scene so far is when elizabeth and victor decide to sleep together. part in for its serious drama. theres so many questions about victor created from just the visuals, and then theres the stakes at hand of elizabeth's reputation. but then, there is also a good balance of comic relief to a degree since victor told her to ask no questions and she asks the one question that he probably didnt see coming. all around it was a pretty satisfactor culmination of their relationship so far at a juncture that felt natural.

another scene i really enjoyed was the ball scene where victor and eric are having a chat about elizabeth and then elizabeth and victor have a passionate liason. im mostly a fan cause of the dramatic convo. cause theres a deep and terrible sense that both characters truly know what their risking, what the situation is, and how they still are into each other. plus, its all very tense cause it just takes one person being in the wrong place at the wrong time to blow their cover.

honestly i think itd be accurate to say all my favorite scenes are with elizabeth and victor. romance is one of those genres i can struggle with, because theres always something missing. but oh man do i love the romance in this comic. there is nothing more i want than to see then elizabeth and victor finding a way to be together in spite society trying to kick that down at every turn.

i will give a special shout out to the scene where eric, abhaya, milo, and the cousin are meeting to discuss the affairs of the estate. i just like it because it basically shows all the characters' worst sides. abhaya is brash and reckless, milo is just kind of there, and eric is a greedy mofo. and whats worse is literally none of them thought to bring elizabeth. they may have their excuses of protecting her...but part of me still thinks thats a super dick move and shows even abhaya just kind of views elizabeth more as a pawn than a person. but all in all, nothing like money and estates to show off everyone's worst traits. it is very true to life, and i can respect that.

another non-victor/elizabeth scene i respect is the scene where elizabeth is out dress shopping and eric is like here i got you these dresses. just cause i knew eric was kind of a creep, but ho boy, he dialed the creep up to number 11 on a 10 meter scale. but at the same time, i think that really helped to erase all sympathy i might have had for him. thus paving the way for me to not really feel guilty on elizabeth's behalf for her trespasses against him.

mathtans

Hello, I made it... unfortunately this is a rather bad week, I only made it through the first two chapters.

RebelVampire

i also like scenes with west in them. cause I like that between all the people around Victor, West seems the most honest in a scoundrel sort of way. Which that is basically what I like about him in every scene. He causes trouble and pushes the limits, but at the same time hes always at least pretty upfront about his intentions.

thats unfortunate cause its a great comic, but glad to see you anyway math!

mathtans

Which kind of sucks, I like the whole concept of the kick ass ladies. Even the pirates.

Maybe I'll find time to read more in the background.

The bit I liked most of what I read I think was back in the first chapter, when Elizabeth makes the callback to when she got out of the ropes at the very start of the story. It was a nice subtle detail which I found very clever.

I'm not at your bits yet but I can see how the Elizabeth/Victor thing is being set up. Also there seems to be some question of whether Abhaya likes him... or possibly other ladies? I may be reading my own interests into that.

RebelVampire

you may be reading your own interests but later on there is a female character i ship abhaya with atm

so there is that

i dont think youve met her yet tho

mathtans

Also, yeah, the whole estate thing creates an interesting dynamic. That was a clever way of using the period to generate conflicts.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. A large focus of the comic is on Elizabeth and Victor’s relationship. At the end of the day, do you think the two will find a way to be together? If so, how will they get over the scandal Elizabeth would face and the fact those around Victor want him to marry a titled woman? If you don’t believe they’ll find a way to stay together, what will stop them? Further, given the most recent events, how will Eric Wollstonecraft play a role in the future of their love story? How does the narration framing seen where Elizabeth is addressing her potential son affect your opinion? How do you think that future came about, and how soon will it come to pass? Last, what do you think of their relationship in terms of Elizabeth wanting to make her own choices in life?

mathtans

I ship Abhaya with everyone.

RebelVampire

yeah i have to say if theres one thing i appreciate its combination of progressive themes while at the same time acknowledging that the period was not the friendliest towards these things

especially in regards to how elizabeth is treated since her only purpose apparently to everyone is to get hitched to a titled guy

and i mean

thats depressing

yet also true to the period

even though we get to see elizabeth take a journey and reject those social conventions

in regards to the current question, i am choosing not to think about whether in the long term elizabeth and victor will get together for the rest of their lives. because if they dont i will cry but i could see this realistically being the case given the tone of the narration. cause that...does not sound like an elizabeth who lives in eternal happiness.

mathtans

Back, sorry. Yeah, I'm usually not much of one for period pieces, but I like the narrative viewpoint. Also, pretty neat airships.

There was the point where she talked about leaving Victor behind back in Chapter 1 (I don't recall the exact circumstances) but I wondered if it was because he causes her heartache, or just because it make their lives more complicated.

Incidentally, the first thing I thought of with the name "Lovelace" was Lady Ada Lovelace. The mathematician. Not sure if that was an intentional reference to another well regarded woman.

RebelVampire

i love period pieces but i think the steampunk aspects help twist it enough to make it a bit more unique.

mathtans

(I don't think the time frames synch up but I don't recall when the comic takes place...)

Oh, it's definitely unique. I like the gadget aspect too.

RebelVampire

i would not be surprised if the name choice was purposeful. if only because the comic has lots of strong ladies. i doubt well see any real historical figures though.

i appreciate that the comic actually kind of starts off with the airship escapade

cause it really showcases the ways in which their world differs

where you get airships

and sky pirates

mathtans

That's a good point. Helps with the world building before we get down into some of the classic period issues.

RebelVampire

yes. and i also kind of like it starts off more action-y. not that there isnt action bits later mind you. but more i think it helps set up the main conflict while tying in the romance. because it makes it so the romance isnt some forced subplot. rather its kind of integral and has as much to do with the whole highjacking as the rest of the story. since later on youll see that elizabeth's proximity to victor keeps bring that part of the story into the limelight

mathtans

That's a good point, in terms of tying things together. Also possibly sets up a key antagonist (or at least revenge plot) in that burned pirate lady.

RebelVampire

she does come back

i will spoil that much

mathtans

I figured she had to some time, whether it was by the present updates or not.

I've resumed reading a bit in the background. Seems like both the Watson ladies are doing their best to get arrested. ^.^

RebelVampire

well at least Abhaya is.

cause Abhaya is a risk taker who puts herself in many situations where people are gonna stop and stare

mathtans

Well, yes. But Elizabeth also seems to be taking risks where Victor is concerned. Or at least stepping out of her comfort zone.

Certain people have certain effects on us I guess.

RebelVampire

nah thats true. I just think Elizabeth just takes more social risks. Like not the kind that are gonna get her arrested, but more the kind that are gonna get her socially shunned.

whereas Abhaya is the punch one who is gonna get charged with assault

mathtans

That seems like a valid viewpoint. It fits with their personalities when we saw them in their youth.

The cutting back and forth between the two sisters in Chapter 3 is well done.

RebelVampire

yeah in general i like the PoV switching of the comic. because every scene is pretty well-chosen and advances the plot in some manner. and it lets us see others parts of the comic developing. cause later on you do get to see more of victor without elizabeth some and get to go "hmm" to all that hes up to.

mathtans

Ha! I like Chapter 3, page 31, where all the dialogue seems to fade out as Victor touches her. Cute.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Besides romance, there is a larger plot posing real and deadly danger to the characters. Who do you think the Angel is? What are the Angel’s goals, and why is she excessively targeting Victor? Further, what do you think the source of her power is? Also, what does have kidnapping people like Ambrose have to do with her goals? Alternatively, is Ambrose there of his own free will (and if so, why)? Considering Abhaya is being sought by Amabel for help, what do you think Abhaya will do? Will Abhaya be able to uncover more of the truth, or is Abhaya just going to get herself into more trouble? How will Abhaya’s involvement affect Elizabeth and herself? Last, can Amabel be trusted, or is it possible she’ll abandon Abhaya when Abhaya might need her?

spoiler Amabel is who I ship Abhaya with

mathtans

Related to those questions, I do wonder a bit if Victor has a sordid past or something. Like maybe his empire wasn't entirely built on the up-and-up... with his knowledge or possibly without it. So there could be a reason there for him to be targeted.

I've looked on the character page and I approve this ship.

RebelVampire

oh yeah. Victor is 100% definitely a scoundrel. There is one scenes that really hints at this, but even before that i agree with you. Victor is not on the up and up entirely. I don't think he made his fortune without cracking a few skulls.

although idk if this is what makes him a target persay

or maybe it oes

but more in the way hes done the forbidden when it comes to tech

mathtans

Was he totally aware of the repercussions of whatever he did though? Because the people around him seem to like to keep him in the dark.

brb

RebelVampire

im sure he knew the repercussions. the people around him are more about keeping him in the dark about romantic matters. cause as was implied by one of the questions later on you find out the main thing ppl arent telling victor is that elizabeth is just there to open him up to the idea of marriage so he can marry a titled lady

cause everyone is all about those titles

In regards to the current question while you're away, I think Abhaya will help Amabel and get herself caught and get into a whole mess of trouble that for once, Elizabeth will have to break her out of. But I think it'll be a dual sword cause I do think Elizabeth's relationship to both Abhaya and Victor is gonna put her in the crosshairs. cause like, what an easy way to get Victor to show up. Get Elizabeth, tell Victor you'll never see her again if you don't show up.

as for the angel's goals, I feel shes on a path of vengence against the entire world, but particularly victor cause hes high up there in the industrialist chain

and knows something she doesnt and that she needs to bring her plans to fruition

mathtans

Back. Okay, that does make sense, darn titles.

Interesting, this Angel talk. I wonder if it's the same "angel" we see in the title card for Chapter 2?

Sounds like you think it's not personal, the Angel's path, merely that Victor is a convenient figurehead.

RebelVampire

i mean the angel is kind of the one from the title card. those are her wings for sure, though she doesnt look quite like that the one time you meet her

it could be personal, but i feel like the angel just has bigger fish to fry

from the impression i got from her

since shes kidnapping a ton of ppl

and you dont need to kidnap ppl to your cause if all youre doing is hunting down some industrialist

who almost got caught

if not for abhaya and elizabeth

mathtans

Ah, so she's the one behind the disappearances then.

(Still reading in the background.)

RebelVampire

yes. i mean its pretty implied but you get confirmation later that yes its her. though you can definitely speculate on the why

cause i have no clue

shes still enigmatic

mathtans

Looking for a husband? ^.^

RebelVampire

shes reading the wrong romance advice book

when elizabeth and her meet, elizabeth will point her in the right direction

and the angel is like "oh wait so youre not supposed to kidnap them? huh?"

mathtans

And then we ship Angel and Elizabeth.

RebelVampire

no. ill ship Abhaya and Angel

Elizabeth and Victor are the OTP

i said but then was like "nah id totally ship Elizabeth with West"

mathtans

Heh. That's fair, they are the main couple. Though West is an interesting guy, just needs to learn social cues.

RebelVampire

nah thats why west is amazing

he doesnt know social cues

and is awkward

yet helpful

and hes the only dude of victor's who seems to be in elizabeth's corner

mathtans

Right. I think it was said that he's not used to the lifestyle?

RebelVampire

yes that is what he said

which makes me want a side chapter just about what he did before he came to victor

cause i dont feel like victor would just hire some rando. he must of seen something in west

mathtans

Maybe he took pity on the guy, something about the scar.

RebelVampire

that could be cause victor understands the burden of scars

or something like that

whereas i just think west's scar gives him character

QUESTION 4. Mixed in with the present drama is a lot of unsolved past drama. Who do you think Victor really is? What do you think happened to Victor based on Milo’s story that he was telling Abhaya? How do you think Victor managed to overcome this to become the person he is today? Also, what do you make of the room Victor seemed to have sealed off in his house? Besides Victor, there is also a lot of drama between Jules, Abhaya, and Milo. What do you think happened between the three of them that managed to damage their relationship forever? Will spending more time together heal their wounds, or is it impossible at this point? Further, what was Jules up to the whole time he was away with Victor? Last, what do you think Jules’ goals were for introducing Elizabeth and Victor, and why does he seem immensely conflicted about her presence?

mathtans

Sorry, biab

RebelVampire

kay

I think Victor was some fellow servant kid who was Jules' only friend after Jules got sent away. And then Victor almost died. Although I'm changing my previous speculations. Maybe the Angel is more literal and she literally showed up, saved Victor with tech with the promise to return, and then left. So now shes back for her comeuppance. Meanwhile, Victor decided technology was great and he needed to bring it to the world cause it was what would keep him alive and save others.

as for the three, at this juncture it seems pretty heavily implied Milo and Jules were in a relationship and that Milo called off the wedding to Abhaya cause he didnt want to live a lie in regards to how he felt about Jules. Regardless of the what, while Milo i feel will legitimately forgive and forget, I dont feel Abhaya or Jules will. Abhaya cause she doesnt seem the type to ever forgive ever. And to just hold onto her hatred and seethe. Jules in the meantime I think wont forgive until he gets revenge in some way. Cause the two probably betrayed his trust big time and he kind of got the most screwed over by what happened

i think Jules wanted them to meet for the exact reason that the others implied: they want Victor to warm up to the idea of women so he can get married. However, I feel Jules now feels like a jerk who is taking out his anger at Abhaya on Elizabeth who had 0% to do with what happened between the three. and yet he knows hes in too deep to turn back now.

mathtans

Could be that Victor was initially poor... in fact maybe he married into the company somehow? Could the Angel be his wife? o.o

I wondered about Milo and Jules. My initial thought had been that Abhaya had called off the engagement though, so that's an interesting other look at things.

Jules and Elizabeth were close too, back in the day. One wonders if he's that good at seeing how things play out long term.

RebelVampire

nah its definitely his company. but victor was probably poor. if only cause everyone calls him new money. so it means he has no predecessor parent who made their fortune.

Jules strikes me more as the type who things hes great at planning but really, really, really isnt

and then tons of consequences come about that he has to accept and deal with

mathtans

That makes sense and could explain the sympathy for West too, maybe he knows West even though it doesn't necessarily go both ways.

Yeah, Jules seems to think he's got everything well in hand but he doesn't seem to account for the human factor.

Made it to the end of Chapter 4/Act 1 now. Apparently the Angel kidnaps people to literally graft wings onto her spine. Ouch.

Interesting callback to Victor's wounded leg though.

RebelVampire

i think even more than the human factor, Jules is just bad at making plan Bs for when things do go wrong. then panics and makes bad decisions

like not telling victor the factory is in danger

mathtans

Maybe that thing that Victor has in the factory is a time machine. Turns out he's actually from the future, he brought back all the technology and that's why the Angel is after him, she thinks it's stolen.

You're not wrong there, about Jules.

RebelVampire

ya know...i can support this time traveler theory. i mean it doesnt quite fit considering flashbacks

but id 100% buy victor built a time machine

cause why not

victor is amazing

mathtans

Maybe his company is corrupt because they're still trying to get the patents.

RebelVampire

i mean

its a company

so its probably corrupt to some degree regardless

mathtans

That's also a good point.

RebelVampire

i mean i can point out the fact they want victor to marry a titled lady to be a form of corruption. cause thats just marrying someone to advance your social standing for the business

mathtans

I guess we're near the end... haven't said anything about the art yet. I suppose I like the shading, and I thought the sound effect use was clever.

Need someone to star in the commercials.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my wife loves this new device I call a roomba."

RebelVampire

i really love the clothes. i mean theyre simple, and yet all seem to fit within the period that this comic is trying to go for

but if they get a roomba what are the house wives supposed to do

not sit at home cooking and cleaning all day?

also about the art, i really love the steampunk designs. you can definitely tell the steampunk inspiration in them, yet theyre really unique and not really like any steampunk ive seen before

and i can for sure appreciate uniqueness

mathtans

Yeah, that's true. And there was that neat detail of the corset being laced up the front, I wouldn't have thought of that.

Uniqueness is good. I wonder what the machine connection will end up being.

With the whole "maiden of the machine" thing there. (Won't be a roomba, after all.)

RebelVampire

ah thats a good point as well. i loved that detail about the maid being able to tell elizabeth didnt have a maid

mathtans

Maybe Elizabeth gets upgraded too.

RebelVampire

the comic was about the angel all along

and the angel's victory

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up our final Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Caitlin Like, as well, for making Maiden of the Machine. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Caitlin Like’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: https://maidenmachine.com/

Caitlin Like’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CaitlinLike

Caitlin Like’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/caitlike

Caitlin Like’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/caitlike

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #book club #bookclub #webcomic book club #webcomic bookclub #comic tea party #ctp #maiden of the machine #caitlin like

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rogue-snorunt · 7 years ago

Text

Why I made a ko-fi

I got an anon who said that if I'm going to ask the public for money, than I need to explain why and it better be good. Which. Subtlety kind of rude but I get it. I'd want to know the story too and while I did give the explanation already in my first post about it, because I broke my own link with my incredible stupidity, I took it down.

reposted the link to my Kofi that hopefully works now but did leave out the explanation because I feel bad involving others in my problems and I don't want people to hear em and feel guilted into anything.

So here it is: the full obnoxiously long saga of the series of unfortunate events that had led me to making the Kofi from start to finish describing my 2017-2018 life presently.

It all started back in January of last year..

The cafe in which I work.. Worked? Work.. closes every January for cleaning for anywhere between 2wks and a month and in the time they encourage us to apply early and collect unemployment. This would be my first and last ever time doing this.

Why close? Mainly because my bakery is an old fashion French bakery where our lawyer city boy rich owner went to France and liked some countrymans brick oven so much he dropped I think it was a million or so to not only buy the oven, but to actually bring said oven to America brick by fucking brick.

And to clean this wood fed oven the size of a living room, you need AT LEAST 2-3 wks to let it cool down enough for some poor scrawny guy to climb in through the tiny wood stuffing hole and excerise all that soot. Plus deep cleaning a detached two story bakery; the kitchen and cafe itself..

Anyway back to the plot:

So on Jan 1st,2017 I applied and by Jan 14th2017, the place temp closed for cleaning.

I had saved 900$ for this because I'd be okay for the month.. $200/month for rent; $50 for phone, $35 for gas, $130 for groceries for me (who has strict diet of lactose and gluten free diet because I WILL die if I eat gluten because my organs swell; attack themselves and try and shut down. Rip™ my diet gets fucking hella expensive. Bread alone is &4-$5 bucks) $300 monthly student loan etc..

Well: not a week in our gas heater said fuck you. So to help repair, there went -$400 bucks. A WEEK IN. Than my grandmas car died, -$250 a week later. Fuck me gently.

Than the fateful blizzard night of Jan 31st 2017 that would be the catalyst of unfortunate bullshit leading today.. at 4:35 on my friend was bringing me home after a fun weekend, as I do not have a car, and he wanted to make sure I got home safe before the super storm hit. The cafe was reopening Feb 10th.

I was later informed that at around 4:56, my friend hit black ice and we °360 hard into a tree. I only remember seeing it about to happen and worrying about my glasses about to break, then nothing. Then looking at my blurry hand and even with my one good but still kind of blind eye, I saw that it was black; blue and I couldn't move it. Then I guess I said "well shit" and went to sleep.

I had broken not only my glasses trying to protect them, the fucking irony.. but my metacarpals; my nose, inhaled the chemical death from the airbag and recieved mild chemic Burns to face and throat. My smol rib cage was punched by the airbag so hard it got bullied out of place and was now compressing my lungs and a severe concussion.

My friend luckily being a 6' ft some man was set far away from air bag and being the impact was more my side, had only bad bruising to the limbs but okay. His truck now an accordion.

The doctor only looked at my hand and ignored my concussion, as I had an in the ambulance and was apparently making stupid nonsense jokes. So they assumed I was fine I guess.

I had to call in to my job and sadly tell them the news I would not be able to work for maybe a few months.

A month later while home and coming down the stairs, I suddenly could not breathe and got light-headed. Not good when you on stairs. I ended up refuckin up my metas and now add broken tail bone to the list.

My return to work just went from hopeful 3-4 months to 6. I was not financially equipped for this

But wait rogue! The unemployment!

Ah yes. The fucking thing that would fuck me harder then the airbag and stairs combined.. You see:

I had asked everyone I knew that had ever collected unemployment before what to do and even the girl who did the disability thing: for I was unable to work; disability would not kick in until at least a month. I got bills men, life don't stop cause bad shit you know?

Everyone told me, collect unemployment until Disability kicked in. Then stop. Okay.. these 6 people would know best right? Dingdong: unfortunate event #3 so far:

By the time disability kicked in I had collected $700 caps. Nice! Right? Well my honest naive ass thought how you cancelled unemployment was to tell em to cease and why. So I did.I explained what happened. This proved to be the biggest mistake of my pathetic life and installed the lesson of "don't be honest with big brother." They said "oh no you got injured? Well guess what fucko. You now have to pay back the $700, or else and guess what, we adding an bonus fuck you of $200 ."

Hahahahahaha-what?

I'm not able to work; disability only gave$100 some and I got friends and family I am in debt to for helping during these shenanigans.

Then unfortunate events #4-#9 took place. my aunt died.

I had to be hospitalized for pancreatitis; kidney stones and infections a few times, sometimes for all em at once.

Then my dog prostate cancer became apparent and despite the medicine and surgery every thing that could hell, he had to leave us for the rainbow bridge.

Than my grandma's car died again.

Then my stepmother died.

Grandma had to get surgery for her knees and began to complain of occasional blindness and migraines.

Went back to work early because you guys do what you gotta do man, only it's 7 months later and in a couple more, the fucking Cafe is going to close again.

By the time it did, I had been using every paycheck to catch up on bills; pay back the my friends and family lent, paying the late bills from my dog and car repairs, back owed payment and feedback to the student loan. and just as I had started seeing the light at the tunnel.. we closed and I wasn't prepared.

Unemployment have nothing but the middle finger.

It'll be fine.. I can handle a month. It'll suck but-

ITS NOW MAY AND THEY AIN'T OPEN.

During the time I was laid off this year I spent my time as follows:

Joined Tumblr and began to meme to counter that bi-polar depression and made some friends, looking at you @m-is-for-mungo 😘💞💞

A man grabbed my hand that didn't heal right and squeezed it so hard he fucked the bone. Had to go back to p.t. Hand once again fucking useless and I had posted about this way back, if you dig in my archive, you'll find the posts.

Applied for a state job at our prison with my friend whose already there, as kitchen worker

Got the surgery that I could no longer put off as it was too fix the anatomical problem contributing factor to my organs rioting like they do, but thankfully since it was considered life threatening, my insurance covered it.

Finally deal with death of my dog; and my family. Then my dad having a stroke and other family stuff.

Got that pesky rogue ribcage displacement taken care of

Fell down the fucking stairs again.

Adopted a special needs cat.

Became once again a financial burden and the moment I could, filled the still laid off time by trying to help my friend at their restaurant as much as possible.

Got the "we want you asap BUT thanks to state Bullshit like budget stuff.. We have to wait for the actual state to say yes" call from the prison call.

My uncle was discovered to cancer but by the time it was found, he had a week left. Then he died.

Got my shit broken by the scorned ex of our roommate

And then got the fucking letter from unemployment mildly threatening me to pay up.

But you said you didn't have a car in January 31st but then you do now??

After the car event, my friend told me to seek comp because I did get fucked up and being a baker who broke their hands, shit ain't good.. I did not want to because it was my friend, it wasn't their fault and if I had had my own car or just during go there in the first place this wouldn't have happened. Reluctantly after much badgering, I did.I did not get anything however until a year and half half later. and yeah, I’ll tell you how much seeing how Im being brutally honest: $10,000.

I immediately bought a $4000 car so I would never again be a burden and every single car I’ve ever owned have been $100+ garbage death traps I got from shady people and for once in my fucking life I wanted a car that wouldnt break down or try to kill me a week later; helped my grandma buy a car that wouldn't fail her, bought her a new fridge because hers died and paid some of her bills she got behind on. My friend had fallen behind on their bills as well and I owe everything I am and still being alive to these people.

You bet my stupid ass, I used almost every dime to help them. And id fucking do it again because: homies help homies.. And when your Nana whose been both mom; dad and nana to you and is the reason you weren't place in foster care needs you.. You fucking help her no matter what.I did have enough to pay the student loan for last month and this month. I got a new track phone because mine broke, bought a pair of shoes because I've only ever had my loafers and the soles fell off finally and I brought groceries. I have enough to pay rent and I am now tapped out.

My only debt is this $900 fuck you from the government and my $15000k student loan.

And now y'all caught up on the fucking disaster that is my life.

I'm sorry for this sobstory of me crying about my problems but i.. I really do not like asking for help.i hate asking for help. I hate that I have to ask for money because I've been in desperate shitty situations my whole damn life and managed to somehow scrape by but for the first time, I'm in a situation that I can't fix alone. And I fucking hate it and that I have to admit it. but I need help .

This is why I made the Kofi

A kofi that is absolutely only for and will only be used, to pay that $900. I promise you that even if I become homeless, I am going to pay that goddamn bill before anything else. Because I helped everyone with their debt and they are all good now, we all squared and now it's my turn to be okay glib-dimit

#ask a rogue a question #explanation #i defeatedly #desperately and guiltedly i need fucking help #kofi roguesnorunt

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obsessedauthorchan-blog · 7 years ago

Link

Gift Return - Eruri - ErwinWeek - Day 7: Birthday

Rating: General Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: M/M Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan Relationship: Levi/Erwin Smith Characters: Erwin Smith, Levi, Hanji Zoe (mentioned), Eren Yeager (mentioned), Mikasa Ackerman (mentioned), Armin Arlert (mentioned), Mike Zacharias (mentioned), Nile Dok (mentioned), Dot Pixis (mentioned) Additional Tags: erwinweek, Day 7, Birthday, birthday fic, Prompt Fill, Prompt Week, last day of prompt week, last day of Erwin Week, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, confessing without actually confessing, awe its so cute, Fluff, Banter, sort of, what is tagging, not enough angst to be tagged angst, maybe light angst, okay fine, Light Angst, im so sad erwin week is over now, Canon Universe, but obviously not canon, cause ya know..., they kiss, happy birthday Erwin! Language: English

Summary:

Erwin thought Levi had forgotten about his birthday. Turns out he was just conflicted.

Story:

Erwin really didn't care much about his birthday. Honestly, he wouldn't have minded if everybody just pretended it was no different than another day, mostly because he didn't think it really was any different. The Titans were still out there and still winning, and humanity should focus all of their attention on fighting them - regardless of what day of the year it was.

And yet at breakfast, Mike clapped him on the shoulder and gave him well wishes, congratulating him for surviving yet another year in the Scouting Legion.

Hanji took time away from her experiments to congratulate him in typical Hanji-like fashion - overly loud and chaotic, but with good intentions behind the madness.

Eren and Armin pitched in their well wished as well - Mikasa had simply nodded in respectful acknowledgement, which he appreciated - and Nile even sent a message from Wall Sina to congratulate him. It arrived around noon, so he must have sent it at bare minimum the day before in oder for it to have reached him on the right day. Pixis, too, sent him something: a bottle of wine, which was entirely according to his general character.

Erwin was touched by the gestures, even if he hadn't thought them necessary. He was pleased that, despite everything happening, the people around him felt he was important enough to celebrate. All of them had been very thoughtful.

All but one.

Erwin told himself that he wasn't disappointed that Levi hadn't even given the same level of acknowledgement as Mikasa Ackerman. Levi had seen him at every meal, had discussed several matters in his office, and had passed him in the halls half a dozen times, but he'd never given a single clue that he even remembered that it was Erwin's birthday at all. He told himself he didn't care one bit, but he was unused to denial, and the lie sounded foreign to his own mind.

He had considered if Levi knew, had known all day, but knew that Erwin didn't want to make a big deal out such inconsequential things. He wondered if Levi had simply respected that wish and went about pretending the day was no different than any other - because it really was.

Erwin wasn't sure if that was the case, and it was the uncertainty that was killing him.

Sometime around dinner, Erwin just decided to do his best to put the issue to the side as best he could and focus on his work. Because of his wandering thoughts throughout the day, Erwin hadn't been half as productive as he usually was, and he decided to stay up late to catch up. He left his office to take care of a few things and make a few deliveries that would normally done by subordinates had it not been so late. By the time he returned to his office it was fully dark outside and nearing midnight.

He'd put out all the lamps before he left to save fuel. When he entered his office it was pitch black, but he had no difficulty navigating it in the dark. It was simple and bare of all embellishments or decorations - his office was for working, not getting distracted - so the only things for him to trip over were his desk, his chair, and the two chairs in front of the desk for meetings. Neither were by the lamp, so he had nothing to avoid as he made his way over.

He grabbed the matches off the shelf upon which the lamp sat and lit one. He held it to the wick and waited a moment for it to catch before snuffing the match and replacing the glass bulb. He turned around to go to his desk but froze before he took a single step.

"Hey," Levi said quietly from his perch on the edge of Erwin's desk.

Erwin kept his expression neutral as he nodded. "Levi. Can I help you with something?"

"It's you birthday," was all Levi said, and, though it wasn't much of an answer to Erwin's question, he couldn't help a small smile.

"You remembered."

Levi gave him a look, minuscule though it was, that was clearly hurt. Or at least, it was clear to Erwin, who had long ago learned to decipher many of Levi's minute expressions. "You thought I forgot?"

Erwin took a deep breath, trying to decide how best to answer the question without offending the man. "Well, you didn't say anything. So I assumed that you either forgot or were choosing not to make a big deal out of it as I usually request every year. It wasn't as though I minded, Levi."

One of Levi's delicate eyebrows rose into his forehead. "You didn't mind," he repeated dubiously.

"No, I didn't."

"I thought you had decided not to lie to me. Or yourself."

Erwin sighed, rubbing a hand over his face as he internally ceded the point. "What do you want me to say, Levi? That the only person I wanted to remember seemed to be the only person who didn't?"

There was silence in response, and Erwin mentally shook his head in disappointment. Not with Levi, but with himself. He should have known better than to say something like that. It cut far too close to the truth at his heart, and he knew Levi was smart enough to connect the dots, if he hadn't already done so long ago.

Erwin swallowed around the lump in his throat and started to walk around to behind his desk. He was parallel with Levi when the shorter man broke the silence. "I was trying to decide what to get you."

For the second time that night, Levi had stopped Erwin in his tracks. "What do you mean?" he asked, hoping an elaboration on Levi's part would help Erwin get his head back on straight.

"For your birthday. I was trying to decide on a gift. I haven't had any leave to go buy something and the only thing I know how to make is tea. You don't drink tea."

The small smile from earlier had returned to Erwin's face. "You didn't need to get me anything, Levi. You still don't."

Levi shook his head. He turned to look at Erwin and, after some hesitation, stood up straight. "I know I didn't have to, Eyebrows. I wanted to. I still want to."

Erwin's eyebrows furoughed, unsure of where Levi was going with this. Whatever gift Levi had in mind must have been small enough to fit in a pocket, because he didn't see anything else.

Levi continued. "I've spent the last week trying to come up with something, but I could only ever think of one thing. And since nothing else came to mind, I spent all day today trying to decide if I wanted to go through with it or not."

Now Erwin was really confused, because Levi wasn't really much for hesitating or second guessing himself. "Did you come to a conclusion?"

"Would I be telling you all this if I decided against it?"

Erwin tilted his head to cede the point. "Fair enough. So what have you been debating for so long?"

Levi had moved closer to Erwin throughout the conversation. Now he was only a couple feet away from the man. "I had actually decided against it when I came here. I was just going to wish you a happy birthday or whatever so you knew I didn't forget." Levi smirked. "Then you were gone so long I thought your birthday would be over by the time you got here."

Erwin smiled softly. "Yes, well, I've been a little distracted today. I had some things to get done."

Levi took another step closer. "Distracted by everybody's well wishes, or distracted by waiting for the one person you wanted to remember to show that they had?"

Erwin managed to stop himself from blushing, but it was a very close call. "Levi, I-"

"I had decided against it," Levi interrupted, and Erwin wondered when was the last time Levi had said so much in one conversation, if he ever had. "But then you said that, about wanting me to remember, and I changed my mind. You changed my mind."

Erwin swallowed, wondering what exactly Levi could be talking about and wishing he would get to it because this conversation was making him nervous. "Oh?"

Levi took one more step and now there was less than a foot of space between them. "It's not midnight yet," Levi said, and his expression changed, making it look almost like he was smiling. "I can still give you your birthday gift."

Erwin didn't have time to ask him what it was before Levi slid his hands behind his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

It was... amazing, especially considering how short it was and how long it took Erwin to overcome his shock and return it. In fact, by the time he was ready to participate, Levi was already pulling away, his expression neutral once more. "Sorry if you don't like it, Eyebrows. It was the best I could come up with." Levi hesitated for half a second, then he gave him a curt nod and turned as if he was going to just leave. As if Erwin would let him just leave after that.

Like hell, he was.

Erwin grabbed him by the arm, just above his elbow, which stopped Levi in his tracks. "You're right, Levi."

Levi stiffened, and it seemed as if he had even stopped breathing. He said nothing, nor did he look at Erwin.

Erwin smirked to himself as he continued. "I'm not satisfied with my gift." Then he used his grip on Levi's arm to pull him back and spin him around until their chests were pressed together and he was holding Levi in his arms. "I'd like to return it."

This time Erwin kissed Levi and it lasted a whole lot longer.

When they pulled apart, Erwin was pretty sure he was smiling like an idiot, and Levi was blushing red as a tomato and unsuccessfully trying to hide it. The shorter man cleared his throat, probably as a means to distract from the rosy tint to his porcelain cheeks. "Oi, Eyebrows. Don't you know it's rude to refuse a birthday gift?"

Erwin nodded in faux consideration. "I suppose you're right, Levi. I must apologize. I suppose I'll just have to take my gift back."

This time when they kissed, neither of them stopped at all, until the clock in Erwin's office chimed midnight. Levi pulled away, his expression the most vulnerable Erwin had ever seen it. "So how was this year's birthday, Erwin?"

Erwin smiled at him and gave him a peck on the nose, which Levi wrinkled in faux disgust. "Best ever, as far as I'm concerned."

"Good then. No more returns after midnight."

Erwin sighed in pretend disappointment. "Well then, I suppose I'll just have to come up with another excuse to kiss you."

Levi rolled his eyes. "Or you could just kiss me because you want to. Baka."

"Yeah," Erwin agreed, "I suppose that would be a pretty good excuse."

Levi didn't look amused, but he still let Erwin kiss him again, so that seemed like a win.

#erwinweek #eruri #day 7 #birthday fic #im so sad erwinweek is over now #ao3 #fanfiction #first kiss #fluff #cute

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skepticaloccultist · 8 years ago

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Hell Fire Club Books

Hell Fire Club Books is a rather remarkable, very old school approach to book binding and publishing. Helmed by Eamonn Loughran they have released an astounding collection of esoteric and occult volumes over the last two decades. Individually hand craft leather and vellum bound volumes, hand worked tooling and incredible editions and folio bindings are a hallmark of HFCB work.

After reviewing his incredible edition of the Keys of Rabbi Solomon I thought that a chat about the work his is doing would be enlightening to those who, like myself, have a love for fine bindings and beautiful books.

+++

Lets start off with a bit of background on Hell Fire Club. When did you start publishing fine bindings? What was your first volume?

Well 'Hell Fire Club Books' really began about 20-21 years ago with my interest in the PGMs (Greco Egyptian Magical Papyri) where I produced a facsimile of one document with suggested new readings, it was the legendary 'Headless God' invocation, something that I am working on completing for this year (yes 21 years later!). The real intent of Hell Fire Club Books was to provide a window into the magical current of an old incarnation of Thelema and to link that with the modern world. I was living in Buckinghamshire (UK) at the time and had been simultaneously researching Crowley's techniques in Liber Samekh and the history of the 18th century Hell Fire Club. Behind 'Hell Fire Club Books' is actually a small circle which keeps the legends and symbolism of the original Hell Fire Club alive, thats what makes it unique!

Fine binding is having a renaissance at the moment, with deluxe editions becoming the norm for most publishers of the esoteric. HFCB on the other had is all fine bindings. How do you choose which works you feel need the special bindings you create?

Things jump at me! I literally get a big charge from the creative and magical work I'm handling and from there its a daemonic rush to the bindery where something physical takes shape! I was trained in a bindery in Nottingham UK which was established in 1903, the old guys had never worked anywhere else and binding in leather by hand was a daily practice. My first real test there was a run of over 450 leather bound books in silk lined boxes for the Houses of Parliament, a row of highly skilled craftsmen working like steam engines drinking tea all day and chatting about fishing and cricket with me in the middle trying to keep up! I learned from working with them and soaked it all up with enthusiasm every minute! I suppose I'm a visual and tactile thinker really, I've never understood the concept of a non-physical magic, for me everything is inherently physical and where the manifestation of a book touches people not only in distant places but across time then we can be sure that their experience is a more powerful one, a book literally initiates a new current.

Leather and vellum binding and sourcing high quality papers are increasingly difficult. Where do you acquire the variables for your productions?

Fortunately the best producers are all still in business! In the UK there are a number of bookbinder suppliers both trade and conservation etc plus good tanneries both here and in France and Germany. I have to say that from long experience there is only one supplier of vellum I would use and thats William Cowleys of Buckinghamshire, they have been in business over a hundred years and their work is perfection every time. I have used many paper-marblers and toolmakers over the years and have ventured into using letterpress a few times, we have two large format vintage presses here which I hope to use more of this year.

As our readers are aware I am a lover of beautiful bindings and consider it an art. Each of your works being made by hand and not outsourced means they are practically art objects. How do you feel about the sometimes eye watering secondary market valuations of your work?

Well to an extent the 'dealer' market can help to keep things in the public eye for many years, I do believe that many dealers are simply looking at the math and pricing accordingly, but yes there are a few examples of unfriendly pricing which is a pity. Personally I get more satisfaction in knowing that somebody out there got the one thing they really wanted than that a small number of people have one of everything. Im a bit of an idealist and would like to feel that handling a book or other object made by hand inspires people to really get into something, to really live it and for that magical act to reverberate throughout their lives.

Having done a bit of binding myself one hurdle has been finding the tools required to do the gold tooling for the covers, particularly the brass text pieces. How did you come on to the tool set you have?

I literally built it up over the last 10-15 years, I did inherit a significant collection of 19the and 20th century brass letters and tools (including sets in Greek and Hebrew) from the bindery I worked for, otherwise I have had tools designed and cut for each individual project. Theres a tray cabinet in the bindery with over a hundred drawers of tools and blocks which is a goldmine of ideas, sometimes I just spend an hour browsing!

Your recent publication of Peterson's translation of the Honorius looks to be another exceptional work. As you move forward with HFC do you foresee more contemporary works and translations being released?

Yes absolutely, in fact over the last year I have expanded the bindery and whether for my own imprint or for others I have been involved in at least one new publication per week. Over the last 9 years I was mostly involved in running a village pub in a place called Castle Bytham in Lincolnshire, the bindery then was a converted barn at the rear of the main building. To be honest I had outgrown it in the first few months and was looking for a larger workspace either within the village or nearby. About 12 months ago I took on a huge space in a Victorian malthouse which has since been filled with more benches, presses and so forth, a simply enormous studio but I love it!

Are you doing all of the bindery work yourself or do you have assistants? A run of hundreds of volumes is an incredible amount of work for an individual.

I am doing all the work myself I do have a bit of help with hand sewing one day a week but apart from that it's me myself and I! I was trained in a bindery established in 1903 and the prevailing attitude was pretty Victorian, the company was considered old fashioned on the 1960s and hadn't changed a bit when I worked there! I worked with a bunch of old guys who had either been letterpress trade apprentices or had gone up in the trade as bookbinders, one even had his original indenture (a form of apprentices' contact which goes back over 100 years). I actually own a set of presses and hand tools which were bought by the company when they stared as a stationers shop in the early 1900s, one of the hand tools is dateable to the 18th century (it was in a biscuit tin!) and was a treasured talisman until the company moved premises and I inherited it.

I do often hear the voices of the old binders I used to work with, turning the same presses daily that they worked at for forty years, old chaps who loved cricket, fishing and weekends away in caravans. What always tickled me was the way they gently poked fun at each other about things that happened over thirty years previously! I'm the late 1960s one of the guys had fancied himself as a songwriter and even appeared on an early television talent show, he was beaten to the prize by a singing dog, his workmates never let him forget it and thirty years later they all still sang the song on his birthday!

Do you have a particular work you feel is your masterpiece so far? One that stands out to you as an exemplar of your fantastic skills?

I guess I would have to say that the vellum edition of The Holy Books of Thelema in a leather clamshell box was pretty damn good! I got a real kick out of making all the books and boxes for all the different sets, it was over 1000 books handmade plus boxes etc so a huge commitment for one person but to think that it was the first time (since Crowley's own 1909 edition) that the Holy Books had been produced in the manner he specified, arranged exactly as the A.'.A.'. students ought to receive it. After that I think that 'The Sacred Magic of Abramelin' edited by Georg Dehn (both vellum and calfskin editions) and the 'Honorius' by Joseph Peterson are rather special.

Tell me about the re-release of "Secret Symbols of The Hell Fire Club". What type of binding and edition size can we look forward to?

The Secret Symbols of The Hell Fire Club has been an important publication for us since its first release seven years ago, it went out of print very quickly and copies are extremely difficult to find even for our members. An electronic version was made available but since then both new information and original sources have come to light which make a new edition essential. I should imagine we will produce a limited number of leather copies and a trade edition which will be sent out mainly through the United States.

The book traces the ideas and history behind the Hell Fire Club of the 18th century and gives an insight into its survival today, following clues left in the caves at West Wycombe and architecturally in the house and surrounding area, an initiatory journey is unfolded which throws light on the nature of the current of Thelema before Crowley, a mystery school with a symbolism otherwise unknown.

Have you done commission work or custom volumes for individuals or other publishers? Is that something you are open to doing?

I have done many commissions over the years and am working on a few now, mostly private manuscripts that require archival boxes or some manner of conservation but occasionally rebinding older printed books and creating blank books and artists books. Large format work is a particular favourite of mine and I love using the bigger presses to produce monsters!

I have worked with other publishers on a number of occasions and there are some well known esoteric works I have had a quiet hand in, I think in time the bindery will expand again as we continue to publish and to accept archival and private work. Who knows what the future holds...

Explore the many creations of Eamonn's Hell Fire Club Books here:

www.hellfireclubbooks.co.uk

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breeeliss · 8 years ago

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[Femslash February]: Flowers

i feel like i’m just going to accept the fact that i’m going to be perpetually a day behind on these things.

also this took forever to write im off my game today xD

Day 9: Flowers (Alyanette)

Words: 2200

Link to Archive of Our Own: [AO3]

[Previous: On Wheels] [Next: Sunlight]

One of the first things Alya learned about Marinette was that she doodled flowers when she was bored.

They started off as small, blossoming roses in the corners of her notebooks that weren’t any larger than the tip of her pinky. If you left her to it for long enough, she’d wrap vines, leaves, ladybugs, caterpillars, bees, birds, clouds, and more flowers all around the margins of her book. Sometimes, she’d sneak her colored felt pens and highlighters to school and add in whorls of colors and outlandish patterns until her entire notebook page was covered with fields and gardens and windowsills dripping in plants. She’d always take a picture of it on her phone -- to turn it into an embroidery, or a screen print for a t-shirt, or a design for a book cover -- and pout pitifully for Alya to send her copies of her notes.

It blended seamlessly into the normality that was Marinette -- the color pink, pigtails, the smell of bread, pinpricks on fingertips, different nail polish everyday, humming music under her breath, and doodling flowers in class.

One day, Alya’s hand was right next to Marinette’s notebook, and Marinette continued the doodle from the edge of the page onto the back of Alya’s hand. Alya raised a brow when she started, but shrugged when Marinette asked if it bothered her. As far as idiosyncracies went, Marinette’s were all rather harmless. Besides, it was rather nice to take notes with one hand and feel the light brush of Marinette’s pen sketching away against her other.

It always took three washes in the shower to get all the pen out, and her mother kept worrying her with folk knowledge about skin cancer and ink poisoning, but Alya didn’t like showing up to school the next day with the sketches still on her arm. It almost felt like her duty to give Marinette a blank canvas everyday, to encourage her darling little habits that were secretly the highlight of Alya’s day.

“Why flowers?” she asked Marinette as she added yellows and oranges to the sunflowers she was drawing along the vein inside of her wrist.

Marinette tapped the end of her pen against Alya’s nose. “Pretty flowers for a pretty lady.”

“How flattering,” Alya joked. “Do you sweet talk all of your notebooks like this too?”

“Of course,” Marinette chuckled, extending her horizon down Alya’s arm so she could add another row of flowers. “Nah, they’re just easy to draw. Mindless enough that I can half pay attention to the lesson.”

“You could just pay attention to the lesson and doodle later,” she teased.

But Marinette gripped Alya’s arm and held it still as sketched. “Noooo, physics is so boring. Besides, you and Adrien are better at explaining it. And god forbid I want my art advertised.”

“To who? My family?”

“Yes. Their approval is very important to me.”

“I actually think my mom loves sunflowers, so that shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Look at that! I’m psychic too! Sometimes I surprise even myself.”

Marinette started taking pictures of Alya’s arms as well, and she’d send them to her at the end of every class. Alya just sort of kept them in their own little album in her phone and flipped through them when she was waiting for the bus or laying in bed at night trying to fall asleep. Sometimes, they were incredibly simple -- like a long chain of tulips wrapping around her wrist. Sometimes, during long periods, Marinette would manage to create abstract drawings filled with rings of daisies with hearts in the middle, swirling clouds that circled fields of violets, and shining suns with beams turning into longer vines of leaves and flower buds that left Alya reeling from the detail of it all. On the weekends, when she knew she wasn’t going to see Marinette the next day, she’d avoid washing it off just so she could trace all the lines and patterns with her fingertips and marvel at the talent.

It almost seemed like something Alya could force meaning into if she really wanted to. Like those moments where you realize you’re the exception, and your heart wants to add sentimentality where it doesn’t necessarily belong. But it was such a mundane habit the two of them shared, that it seemed silly and self-indulgent to even hope for something like that. Even selfish to demand more of something that was already special and perfect.

Adrien laughed when she moved to sit next to him in class one day to work on the literature project they partnered up to complete. “Daffodils today, huh?”

“Sometimes I have to look them up online,” Alya said. “She drew amaryllises the other day. I didn’t even know that’s what they were called.”

He gestured for her arm. “Can I see? I was watching while she was drawing on you today, she was concentrating so hard.”

“Yeah, she added butterflies to this one and started getting all crazy with the wings and the lines and stuff,” Alya mused. “It’s pretty with all the red and purple added in, but it’s going to take forever to wash off.”

“Well, that’s Marinette. Putting 110% into everything.” Adrien turned her wrist to the left and squinted at one of the designs. “Huh. I didn’t know she writes things, too.”

Alya frowned. “She doesn’t write anything. Not that I know of anyway...”

Adrien shrugged. “Then maybe I’m just seeing things. Thought for sure that looked like an ‘M’.”

“Where?”

“Right here. Above the bone in your wrist. Next to the tree with the red leaves.”

Alya checked where Adrien was pointing, and sure enough, there did look to be something that resembled an ‘M’ resting just underneath a flower petal that was lying right next to a great tree that took up half of Alya’s arm. “Huh. You’re right. Does look like a letter.”

“Could be just an accident.”

“I dunno,” Alya squinted. “Hard to accidentally draw an ‘M’. Plus, it’s just under the flower lying there out of nowhere.”

Adrien tapped his pen against his lips. “Maybe it’s just her signature, you know? Doesn’t she monogram ‘M’s on everything?”

Alya hummed. “Yeah, she does. But, what, she’s signing my arms now?”

“She did say she wanted you to show off her art,” Adrien chuckled.

“Well, damn, good to know I’m her new canvas,” she said, pretending to sound annoyed. “I thought she was kidding about that.”

“Marinette doesn’t strike me as much of a kidder,” Adrien said. “I mean you definitely know her more than I do, but it always seems like she’s got a reason for doing something you know?”

Alya ran her thumb across the letter. “Yeah....that’s true.”

She pointed it out to Marinette as a joke the next morning. Marinette contained her smile by biting her lip, dipped her head so that her bangs covered her face, and muttered, “Yeah, that’s me. Signing everything...”

“Guess you’re serious about me advertising your art, huh?”

“Yeah...” Marinette said absently. “I never kid.”

Alya spent the entire walk back to her house from school looking for Marinette’s initial on her arm, wondering where she’d hidden it that day. Except, Alya never found an ‘M’. Instead, she found an ‘E’ written along the vine wrapping around her thumb. The day after that, it was what she was sure was a ‘J’. Then, another ‘E’.

Was it a message? A word she was trying to spell out? MEJE hardly meant anything, unless she’d caught Marinette in the middle of a word or a sentence. Maybe it was a joke she was trying to spell out, or some silly message that she wanted to sneakily place into her art. Like that time Marinette sent her ten texts that were just pictures that was supposed to say “Please help me I am very hungry and very sad.”

“Maybe it’s in another language?” Nino offers when Alya shows him the ‘T’ on her sleeve of buttercups that Marinette drew on her arm during maths. “Doesn’t she know Chinese?”

“Barely,” Alya smirked. “Plus, wouldn’t she just use characters and not letters?”

“I guess so.” Nino laughed and twisted Alya’s arm around to stare at the design that was looping around all of her fingers today. “Must be something really important. She’s putting a lot of work into these doodles. You might as well get one of these tattooed.”

“Watch it be a meme she found on the Internet the other day. If it is, I’ll kill her.”

An ‘A’ and an ‘I’ came next, and then another ‘M’ before the letters started to repeat. Alya waited until she was home and typed in all the letters she’d gotten so far: MEJETAIMEJ.

It seemed like nonsense to her at first, and Alya blamed the late hour for making her miss what was so obviously right in front of her face the entire time. But she blinked at the letters right in the middle of the jumble and felt her chest tighten a little.

JETAIME.

Je t’aime.

She had to rewrite all the letters four times over to make sure she didn’t miss one, to make sure they were all in the right order, to make sure that she wasn’t just projecting her feelings onto something as innocuous as silly little messages left in the doodles that Marinette left on her arms. But Alya wasn’t wrong, and that may have been the most confusing and frustrating part of all of this. It didn’t make any sense. They told each other they loved each other all the time. They were best friends, of course they loved each other. Maybe it was just that. Maybe it was just a cute little message from a friend that she wasn’t meant to read into. Maybe.

Or maybe there was a reason Marinette wasn’t just telling her. Because it was heavier than it had been before. So heavy that Marinette couldn’t bear to say it with a new meaning -- a meaning that could very well add a different filter to everything.

Alya waited for more days -- waited for the ‘E,’ ‘T,’ ‘A,’ and ‘I’ -- until it was Saturday and they were lying down on Marinette’s bed, limbs tangled together, watching a movie on the laptop balanced on Alya’s stomach. Her right arm was held up while Marinette started drawing roses on her wrists again.

Alya cleared her throat and lowered the volume on the movie. “It’s an ‘M’ today again. Isn’t it?”

Marinette’s pen stilled for only half a second before she continued shading in a petal. “So you figured it out?”

“Pretty sure,” Alya muttered. She was hyper aware of the feeling of Marinette’s head pressed up against her temple and Marinette’s nose that was tucked against her neck. She swallowed and tried to make her voice sound stronger than her resolve felt. “I...I love you too.”

“But do you?” Marinette muttered, keeping her eyes on her pen and on Alya’s arm. “I mean, really honestly. Do you? Because....i-if you don’t, it’s fine. I just...sometimes I feel like I have all these things I want to tell you and I don’t know how to say them. So I just...picked the best thing that fit. But if you don’t....I mean, I don’t have to -- ”

“You’re rambling, babe,” Alya interrupted gently.

Marinette laughed against her skin. “Sorry. I’m not very good at this sort of thing. And I don’t want to freak you out.”

“Nothing you do could freak me out, Mari. You don’t have to worry about that” Alya assured. “I’m not freaked out.”

“So then....what are you?”

Things with Marinette always felt so natural, like one thing bled seamlessly into the next. Nothing felt jarring and nothing felt strange enough to need a period of time to settle and adjust. Things just were, and no matter what came up the two of them molded into it perfectly without ever needing to explain or defend. Alya wondered if this was exactly what was happening now. Because Alya had always loved Marinette, always loved her with all her heart. She traced back along the past year to see if that love turned into a love, if that comfort turned into a need, if those changes were even the sorts of things you could track and notice. But there was never a sharp jolt or jump to indicate a change. Alya wouldn’t be surprised if one morning she woke up, got dressed for school, saw Marinette stumbling into class with only seconds to spare before the bell and realized ah! There it was. There were all the small letters left behind like clues forming together into something beautiful that Alya could treasure deeply.

It took no work. Smooth. Effortless. Everything always easy.

What are you?

Alya shut her eyes and pressed a small, short kiss on Marinette’s lips, smiling at the gasp that jumped up from Marinette’s throat and past Alya’s lips. They pushed back against hers as Marinette kissed her back, and for such a brief moment the whole world stilled and everything felt perfect and righted.

“I’m happy.”

#miraculous ladybug #alyanette #alya cesaire #marinette dupain-cheng #alyanette fanfiction #miraculous ladybug fanfiction #my writing #femslash february 2017 #femslash february alyanette edition #flowers

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optimisticpoetrypost-blog · 7 years ago

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Insurance agents or total lost vehicle owners??!?!?

"Insurance agents or total lost vehicle owners??!?!?

So as you can see from the picture my brand new car of 8 months is totaled. Filed a claim, other person got a ticket because it was their fault when the accident happened. My car was valued at 23,600 change and I owed 24,120. The payout difference isn't so bad and no I don't have gap insurance (I guess I wouldn't get in a accident, considering I drive very safely) I gave my insurance all the information to my account number from ford credit also everything else. So my question is! How long do I have to wait for this payment from the insurance to pay off my car and see the difference to what I owe out of pocket? Do I get like a check in the mail? Or how does this exactly work? Will I see a difference in my account when I log in where I do my monthly payments? Also, will my credit be damaged in anyway? Help me out! I will call as well but they are closed on Sundays... Figured I'd get an idea if anyone can reply. THANK YOU!

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The car is registered in my name has current tags, plates, etc. I live in California and I am 26. I just got my permit to learn to drive. Since I live in small town and driving school here is only available to high school students and I don't have friend that will let me practice/use their car for driving test I have to use mine. I have a licensed friend who will teach me on my car but won't let me drive theirs because its manual and Ive never driven and they don't want to mess up their transmission.""

Can relative use Insurance to get car towed?

Hi everyone. Had some trouble with my car in that it broke down 30 miles from home. The insurance company ( Halifax but outsourced to green flag) have told me that it would cost 160 as it is outwith the 10 mile radius ! So i had it towed to a local garage who tell me it needs a new engine !! Bad luck this car. I have arranged for a company to buy it back home despite being non-runner, so question is can my mum use her insurance to get it towed 30 miles free of charge ? Possible problems being that she might have to be at the car or they won't tow to the car buyer. Help please.""

What is the best insurance policy is best for my children? Plus what carrier is also best?

Pulled over with no insurance in my friends car?

last night i got pulled over in my friends car and i got citation for having expired insurance since he hadnt payed it how do i pay this off?

Will my insurance rates go up if there are mulitple cars registered to my address?

My Husband and I have both of our cars registered but.. two other people registered their cars to our address. I was concerned with our own insurance premiums and hope it doesn't affect us.

How much does insurance cost?

in california? my mother is on a stupid hmo, i was wonderingif i paid for a better insurance if it would get better.""

What would insurance on a 2001 Mustang GT be in Michigan?

I'm deciding between a Mustang GT and any V8 Ford pickup. The mpg on the Mustang will be probably at least 5 miles per gallon better than the pickup, but I'm sure insurance will be more. I want to know which one would be cheaper to own in the long run. I plan on driving about 40 miles per day for work and this would be my first car. I am in highschool so the insurance will be even higher than if it were for an adult.""

Does anyone know a cheap but good insurance company?

im 19 in dec and have been driving an year, with no incidents so far :) the company i was with has gone up! and they said they were gna go down, i know i can get a better deal sum were else so im not goin to stop with them, jus wunderd if anyone knew any good company's? please leave websites aswell :)""

Do you know how much your health insurance premium will be going up?

I just received a newsletter from my health insurance company with these items: Health Insurer Fee to be phased in starting 2014: There will be a Health Insurance Provider Fee on premiums charged by health insurers. Some plans will be exempt, for example: Medicare, Medicaid, etc. It is estimated this will add at least 3 percent to insurance premiums. Congress anticipates $455 billion savings from cuts to both Medicare and Medicaid. Providers and healthcare facilities are expected to cost-shift expenses to commercial plans. The U.S. faces a shortage of primary care physicians (40,000 in the next decade), Oncologist (3,000 to 4000 already today), Nephrologists and -- perhaps the most scary -- Nurses (300,000) in the future according to one study. These figures do not account for the demand created by health care reform. So, we have a ways to go before we have reached our goal of affordable healthcare for every American. The Affordable Care Act is a good start toward that goal. What is the Affordable Care Act? .""

Title insurance premium? One time fee or periodic payment?

I recently purchased a house in Southern California and just received some documents by mail stating that there's a title insurance premium of $500. Is this one time fee? But doesn't the word premium in insurance terminology mean periodic payment? I m confused.

Actuarilly fair price of insurance?

Suppose that every driver faces a 1% probability of an automobile accident every year. An accident will, on average, cost each driver $10,000. Suppose there are two types of individuals: those with $60,000 in the bank and those with $5,000 in the bank. Assume that individuals with $5,000 in the bank declare bankruptcy if they get in an accident. In bankruptcy, creditors receive only what individuals have in the bank. What is the actuarially fair price of the insurance? What price are individuals with $5,000 in the bank willing to pay for the insurance? will those with $5,000 in the bank voluntarily purchase insurance? (Hint: Remember that there are state law facing individuals to purchase auto liability insurance)""

Why is car insurance for girls cheaper than for guys??

funny.. Each time i notice a careless/reckless driver, its a female.""

Where can I get the best price on private medical insurance?

How much does the cheapest insurance cost for a honda fit in the US?

i heard that cars r pretty cheap in the US, but insurance is a must they say??!, im from south east asia, and they sell cars triple the price here but dont required insurance, so how much is the average insurance for a honda fit in springfield virginia???""

Insurance agents or total lost vehicle owners??!?!?

Is it cheaper to have two people sharing one car and insurance?

Basically, both going to be learning together then buying one car for us both. We'll both be new drivers and we will use the car whenever we both need, kind of new to this so any information will be helpful :)""

Cruiser vs. Sportsbike Insurance?

I am 18 years old and looking to buy my first motorcycle. I like both styles of motorcycles but was wondering which type would be easier on my wallet. I am assuming a sports bike would be more expensive but how much more? Input would be great.

What would be the possible price of car insurance?

My mother and I have been looking at cars since I will be 16 in a year so we wanted to get a head start on what car we would try to get for me. I believe I found the perfect car for me. It fit all the qualifications my mom had set. The only problem that she has with it is that it's a coupe (although she didn't seem to have a problem with getting me a coupe a few months ago since she almost bought me on but I said no to it). She said the insurance would be a lot since it's a coupe but I figured as long as I handle my money the correct way, I could handle it. The car that I've fallen in love with is a Toyota Celica( 2001-04). The car for sale is slightly under 5k, gets 25mpg city and 32mpg highway, and it has less than 80,000 miles on it (not to mention, it has the sporty look to it that I can tune over the years). Does anyone know how much car insurance would be around/could start at with this car? The help is greatly appreciated!""

Best health insurance in colorado?

Insurance for a 17 year old on a Ford Fiesta 1.4 Zetec Petrol?

Hi, I'm currently 16 years old and my birthday is coming up in late May. I'm thinking of buying a car and I'm trying to keep costs to a minimum. As I can't get a quote on any insurance companies yet. I'd like to just know roughly how much I would have to pay on insurance for a Ford Fiesta 1.4L Petrol Zetec, it has an 06 reg plate, 3 doors and 49k on the clock. thanks.""

How much is car insurance for a 16 yr old girl in FL?

i want a car, something sporty but it can also be 4 dr too. =]""

Health and Auto Insurance?

I'm 25 and have no health insurance, and am still on my parents auto insurance. I would like just the basic for both - I can't really afford anything but the minimum. Any suggestions besides 1-800-safeauto? Affordability is the only thing I care about.""

""If your auto insurance expires today, do you get a grace period?""

If so, how long is the grace period?""

Is this the big health insurance lie?

The legislation would impose several new fees on firms in the health sector. New fees would be imposed on providers of health insurance and on manufacturers and importers of medical devices. Both of those fees would be largely passed through to consumers in the form of HIGHER PREMIUMS for PRIVATE COVERAGE. Congressional Budget Office An Analysis of Health Insurance Premiums Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act November 30, 2009 BUT..... The average premium for an unsubsidized, nongroup policy will cost 27-30% MORE. (same report) So won't private coverage decrease sharply ... And so too the fees collected from them ... which are suppose to pay for the subsidies . Or will really caring people flock to buy this extra expensive insurance?""

Creditable coverage for health insurance?

Heres my situation. I live in California. I get my health insurance through the company that my father works at (Im on my fathers health insurance plan). I Am turning 26 in October, so I wont have health insurance starting November 1st. I have been on my fathers health insurance plan since November 2011. I also have 2 preexisting conditions- OCD and ADHD (psychological conditions), and I have been seeing a psychiatrist and taking medications for those conditions for many years. I want to sign up for a new health insurance so I can get health insurance starting November 1st. I am thinking of getting on blue shield of California. Will I not be able to sign up for their health insurance because of my preexisting conditions? Or can I sign up for the health insurance and use creditable coverage to get my preexisting conditions covered? How does it work? What should I do right now and what should I ask the insurance companies?""

Car insurance question?

I live in indiana and my friend lives in texas. He has car loan for a car but is going to let me just take over the payments. The loan will still be in his name but I will be paying for it. Can I get the car insurance under my name??

Since the Democrats are forcing Americans to buy health insurance?

Should the next Republican administration and majority force Americans to buy and maintain firearms?

How much will my car insurance premium change when i turn 25?

I'm 24 and a car in insurance group 6 is costing me 600-700. I've heard this goes down significantly when I turn 25, is this true and how much should it go down by?""

Are there any schools out there that offer their teachers affordable family insurance?

My husband is a full-time teacher. I work part-time and am a grad. student. He has great insurance for himself, but I have to pay for my own separately. To add me to his plan would cost us $650.00 a month (adding 1 to 9 people is one lump sum, $650). I can barely afford what I pay on my own ($160+) and then there's the deductible... (basically my insurance doesn't end up paying for anything... it all comes out of my pocket). I guess I just always assumed that if a person had a good full-time job that family insurance would be included or affordable... It's not even an option. Seriously, who can afford $650 a month and on a teacher's salary? Is there any school out there that has a better insurance plan? We love where we are, but we can't afford to live. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?""

""17 yr old in uk, looking for any tips to get cheaper car insurance.?""

looking for helpful tips to legally lower the price of my car insurance ie what company to go with, whether i should put my mum on my policy etc.""

Advanced driving courses/car insurance?

Hi I am a 20 year old male, i passed 2 years ago, but since my dads insurance went up to 7000 with me as an additional driver both of us totally clean on a 1.4 astra i have been without my own transport as i had to be removed from the policy which is understandable. i've always been a sensible driver with 2 years no accidents or convictions but i have always been an additional driver to save costs on insurance but now the time has come to start building my no claims and i am struggling to find a car i can afford to insure. So long story short what i was wondering was could anybody please tell me of any advanced driving courses or any other ways to lower my insurance quotes and post links to them so i can find them easier. please help its becoming a real nightmare and i am sure if you can help me here you are helping thousands of other young drivers who are being punished because of muppets out there. Thanks for any help i would greatly appreciate it""

Where can I get a very good insurance quote?

I'm looking for full insurance coverage on a Toyota Camry LE. 2005. In Ca

Should parents pay for their kid's car insurance?

Our 17-soon to be 18-year old daughter has a part time job. She's going to be a senior this year in high school. We gave her a car when she turned 17 and put her on our insurance policy. Her insurance runs us $80/month. We have been paying this for almost a year now. I feel that since she has a job, and has no other financial responsibilities (besides her cell phone), she should be paying this insurance. She is very irresponsible with money, and spends money on a lot of frivolous things. I think having her pay her own insurance each month would help teach her fiscal responsibility. My husband, however, feels that it's the parent's responsibility to pay for their kid's car insurance. What do you think?""

17 pregnant wirh no health insurance.?

I am 17 I turn 18 in June. I found out yesterday that I am 8 weeks pregnant.. I have no health insurance and am wondering what to do?! Is there a way I can get health insurance so I can go to the doctor for me and the baby? Please help.

Classic car insurance for 18 year olds?

I was wondering whether it is possible to be put on a classic car insurance policy at 18. I've looked around and nearly all say you have to be over 25. I would like to somehow be insured on an Escort XR3i or RS turbo. I understand that because of may age this isn't going to be very easy. would it be cheaper to be a named driver if my dad owned the car ?

If a car looks fast will insurance cost more?

its for a new driver. say they were driving a muscle car with a small block 350 and it also looks fast would insurance in anyway be affected? would an older car cost more insurance because of less safety features?

How much will my insurance go up?

about 3 months ago i got a ticket for going 23 over and went to court. the judge gave me a $40 fine and said if i didn't get another ticket for 6 months that the first ticket wouldn't be on my record. this morning i got a ticket for going 10 over. it was really stupid because i was going the speed limit and had cruise locked on but it was a downhill and i got going. the ticket is $20 and i dont have to appear in court. Will my insurance go up? if so how much should i expect. the judge told me last time that if the insurance company doesn't look at my driving that they dont send them notification.

How much will cost to remove two wisdom teeth without insurance?

I,m male 21 years old and i'm wishing to remove both bottom wisdom teeth since it cause me feel bubbles on my ears and headaches, i don't know how much will cost me to remove them without insurance, but what is the average price on most states? i live in Oklahoma.""

Scooter/moped insurance costs?

I'm thinking of getting a scooter/moped as an alternative to a car. I'm wondering what the insurance would be like for a scooter (50cc) compared to a car (medium sedan)? I am an 18 year old female who recently obtained a drivers license.

Car insurance question?

Okay, I'm 18 and I've been driving for over a year now. I was wondering if my car insurance payments will decrease because I've been a good driver. I currently pay $275 a month for my mother and I. Anyone know if my payments will decrease and if so by about how much? Oh yeah, I live in southern California if that means anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated.""

Insurance agents or total lost vehicle owners??!?!?

""What are the motorcycle insurance fees where you live, compared with car insurance?""

I mean the minimum required by law in your country. in some places it's only medical coverage in case of accident, in others third-party insurance is mandatory as well - please elaborate in your answers. I ask because where I live (Israel), it would cost 3 times as much to purchase mandatory insurance for a 250CC bike than for a compact car, and the bike fees are going to get yet higher soon - so I wanted to learn how it goes in other countries.""

What is the cheapest individual health insurance plan in California?

I am young and healthy and need a health insurance plan for myself. Essentially, I just need health insurance in case of a freak accident that will land me in a hospital. Any suggestions? The cheapest so far has been $51 a month. I don't care about deductibles or any of that. Just that it has the lowest monthly fee. Thanks!""

How much will insurance go up? ?

How much will insurance go up if you are 18 and just got into an accident with a park car and only hurt there bumper?

Can you be insured on a car with two different insurance companies?

At present I am already insured on one of my cars, however I want to be insured on another car that I have recently bought. the problem is that the insurance company I am with now isn't the cheapest to insure on my new car, there are other insurance companies that offer a cheaper insurance quote. So my queston is can I have two different insurance policies for two different cars? and will this void my present insurance in any way if I buy another insurance policy?""

Are there any programs for college kids to get cheap dental insurance?

In college, not covered by my parent's insurance and can't get it at my job. Is there any sort of programs where College age students can get a relatively cheap dental insurance, or dental work done on the cheap? If it helps, I'm in Oklahoma.""

Sr-22 insurance how much does i t cost?

I got a dui in 2002 and i havent drove snice i have a car paied off and its a 92 cavilier does anyone know how much my payments would be each month and all i want to put on it is just relaible insurance

Insured car but driver not on insurance?

I have liability insurance on my car but the person driving my car was not on the insurance and they rearended someone .... what can happen and will the insurance company pay or am I responsible?

Is insurance expensive for a 17 year old Riding a 125 ped?

i live in bromley south east london/ kent i have recently bought a Gilera Runner VXR 180 Reg as 125, im using it for college and seeing family, i have completed my C.B.T Bike is road ready MOT&Tax could anyone give me a guestimate on how much it would be on your previous experience and any good companies that insure young drivers ? thanks alot (P.S if you would like too right a smart ar*e comment please dont do it on my post, im asking for advice not a lecture)""

Does car insurance rate depend on a car's make and model?

I'm trying to decide whether to buy a 1999 toyota camry or a 2003 honda accord and i'd like to know if it makes a difference on the rate depending on year. I also recently got into a car accident that was my fault which i know will obviously increase my rate.

What is the best health insurance?

Hi! I have been trying to find an affordable health insurance company. I am young and in good health. I am a nanny and am not offered health insurance. At my husband's job they ...show more

How much would insurance be for a 17 year old girl with a 2010 camaro ss?

okaii. so my birthday is coming up...and ill be getting my lisence and a car. i believe my parents are considering getting me a camaro ss. I promised that i will be paying for the insurance for my car. its the least i can do. I was wondering. how much it would cost? I live in Miami,Fl if that makes a difference...I live with my parents we have 3 cars in total. with the camaro it would be 4. my parents both have clean records etc. if any of that helps(discounts etc) i appreciate any help!""

Help with Car insurance?

My mom pays for my car insurance. I pretty much moved out, and I'm living at my boyfriends house. (we have been together 3 years, not the point here though). I want to get my car insurance in my own name, going towards the point of being independent and taking care of myself. Problem is, everyone I confront my mother about it she's either too drunk or just avoids the topic. Is it possible to switch my car insurance brands without having her approval?""

California auto insurances?

There's a car under my parent's name and under their policy. i'm 19 and i have my license for a year now. Since i am on my winter break now and i would like to drive it sometimes. However, i'm not under their policy nor any policy. So, i am driving their car and if 'm involved in an accident, will i be covered under my parent's policy? And i heard that if i am involved in an accident i will be covered by my parent's policy for the first time only, so is this true?""

""I damaged my car, i got a quote off the garage, and the insurance said they will pay,?""

so i let the garage send a quote and the insurance said i can leave my car in, but now i have found another garage nearer to my house and he will match the quote, plus repair it at weekend , so i dont need the car. can i change to this garage .. i live in Ireland thanks""

Does anyone know the estimated cost for a FULL physical w/o insurance?

does anyone know the estimated cost for a full physical (that detects cancers, run pee tests etc.) for someone with no insurance? Are there any programs or places that will give the low income a more affordable price? In the California area.""

Car insurance prices ?

How much does insurance cost for your first car and also how much would group 14 car insurance cost for a first car

Cheap car insurance in PA?

I'm 17 and am looking to buy a 06/07 Cobalt SS coupe (non-supercharged) and am wondering what the cheapest insurance would be?

Will it raise my insurance?

this was my first speeding ticket. i was going 42 in a 25 mph zone. i live in oklahoma and i have state farm. will it goto my insurance?

Are insurance companies allowed to take skin colour into consideration when working out a cost?

If it is found that black people make more claims can the use this

What insurance rates do u all pay?

Just wondered what u all pay as i pay alot so does anyone else. Age -20 Sex -Male Car -Focus 2.0litre No mods Convictions-16 Month ban 3 years ago 1500 Anually

Getting Insurance to get a license?

I am having a hard time getting my without insurance. I have a permit but I need insurance to take the drivers test, but I don't have anyone to put me on theirs so I can take the test. Is there anything I can do so I can get insurance. Please help me""

Does my contractors liability insurance cover roofing subs?

Where to find a dental insurance/plan that provides full coverage(if not 100% something close)?

I am sick and tired of being robbed over and over by those dental offices...whatever my dental plan says it saves on me they always come up with something to make me pay as I am not insured at all! I am willing to pay more for and expensive dental plan/insurance that covers me 100% or very close from that(=> 80%) I just don't want to go through the price of each service I get from the dental office because its useless! ... and please don't post me links to those websites that collects my private information just to give me quotes! Only if you tried the insurance or know somebody tried it...I am looking for life experience not google search results! thank you very much :)

How much does insurance on a 66 mustang cost?

I'm looking to buy my first car and i dream of buying a 66 mustang that i've fallen in love with only thing is i have to pay for insurance and im wondering how much it might cost. I'd be added onto my parents insurance (i'm not sure the carrier) but I am a female and 18. How much do you think it would run me?

Can you transfer car insurance to someone else?

My mom bought me a car. She lives in Pennsylvania, I live in Michigan. She's going to buy insurance for the car in PA, in her name, so she can drive it here. Can I use her insurance or can it be transfered? I would rather it not be transfered just use her insurance.""

Insurance agents or total lost vehicle owners??!?!?

Amica car insurance........?

I heard this is the cheapest auto insurance out there and wanna ask what makes it so cheap and what do you need to qualify I want to insure my dodge stealth if that helps thanks in advance

""Car accident no insurance no driver license, what can I do about it?""

I got into a car accident last week, and it was the other party's fault. however, the guy doesn't have car insurance or a valid driver license. The cops came and did a report, but never made the guy show his license or give him a ticket (according to the report I got from the police). What can I do about the damage that he did? Can I sue him to get the amount? Shouldn't they impound his car and arrest him? It was a huge accident, my car is messed up in the back now. btw, I'm from Northern California""

UK car insurance for 17 year old male... Please Help...?

Hello, I am 17 and I am a male and now I am learning to drive and when I pass my test (well I hope I do) I want to get a car for transport to and from college and if I can get an Apprenticeship then also for use to get to that job. I want a car that will be safe and cheap to insure that has low running costs. Been 17 and male I know that insurance is high and this is why I am posting here for advice on cheap insurance and low running cost cars. Please do not say things like you are 17 and no car will be cheap or any stupid comments as this is not helpful. The lowest quote I have had is over 4,800 and that is on a Chevrolet Matiz. Thanks for any help and advice.""

Cheaper car insurance ?

Which insurance companies out of the major ones have you found that are the cheapest for a 19 year old on their own policy?

""I live in So Ca am 55 years old and I don't have medical insurance, I have ongoing medical problems. Any help

Any subjections for low income doctors.

How much do you pay for auto insurance?

I just spent a few hours getting an auto insurance quote from a number of companies. I got a real good rate ($573 for a whole year) for our 2004 car and all the extras. I think this is a pretty good rate but wonder if others are paying more or less. How much are you paying?

""If I bought the DB9 they wrecked in the Bond movie, where can I get it repaired really cheap.?

Is insurance cheap and can I drive it really fast because it was used in a movie?

Which company have cheapest auto insurance?

Which is cheapest auto insurance

Affordable Health Insurance for Student in MA?

Hi, if you go to school in MA, you would know that the insurance company offered by school are overpriced. I'm looking for affordable, low-cost, health insurance for college student in Massachusetts. Thank you.""

Are Companies Required to Offer Health Insurance?

Are companies with a certain number of employees required to offer health insurance?

International health insurance question. ????

I'm planning on moving to Finland this March-October and have been looking online for health insurance while I am away from the US. Can anyone recommend some companies which offer good coverage, but is also affordable?""

""If your auto insurance expires today, do you get a grace period?""

If so, how long is the grace period?""

Progressive insurance auto full coverage?

I've had progressive insurance now for an year, I renew every 6 months. However I'm not too happy with the dollar increase every renewal. Is this normal? I have full coverage and pay $84 now (monthly) I've never had a ticket, no accident whatso ever in my life. So I would like input whether or not all/most auto insurance charge you an increase for insurance renewal? Please DO NOT tell me it's cheaper to pay a lum sum to get a discount, I can NOT do this.""

Car insurance away at college?

A friend of mine who is away at school with me (200 miles from home) said he gets reduced insurance because he is away at school without a car. However, he is always driving his girlfriends car. He claims that its OK for him to do this. This sounds a little fishy to me. He is getting the discount because his insurance company thinks he isn't driving, right? If he wrecks his girlfriends car is he covered? I am worried about being in the car with him. I don't want anything defaulted onto my insurance in the case of an accident if its just him and I in the girlfriend's car. Let me know what you guys think!""

""Cheapest car for insurance, and also cheapest insurance company in uk?""

hi, I have just passed my driving test, so I am looking to buy a car. As I am a new driver, I would like to get some tips and help about choosing a car that is cheap to insure and also a cheap insurance company. to give u an idea I have around 2000 to 2500 pounds to spare for a car and insurance. do u think it would be possible with my budget Please help.... thanks.""

Is -3 driving record bad or good for insurance?

I just got promoted at work and now I have to be issued a company truck and i am wondering if my employees insurance would cover -3 driving points.

Does my car insurance help me get another car if my car is totalled?

I was in a car accident last week, which wasn't my fault. The auto body shop said my car is totalled because of the damages, it can't get fixed. The other person's insurance is going to pay it off because of the loss, I have full coverage and my question is, can my insurance get my another car or do I have to get it myself? I got it in April, gave a down payment, and have only made one payment. I need a car badly for work!!""

Insurance?

isnt an insurance company suppose to cover your car regradless the person driving it? well my boyfriend was driving my car-just bought-brand new car- and got into an accident. Now my insurance company denied my claim cause they say he wasnt under the insurance. but should my car be cover regradless if the person driving wasnt? I mean I pay monthly payments and then they are just gonna deny me after an accident. could anyone help me? any advice?

How much would the car insurance be if i get a first car for 20k? UK?

""Of these cars which has the best reputation for safety, cheap to insure, low maintenance, and high mileage?""

dodge charger jaguar XKR porsche boxster audi A5 cadillac CTS and for people about to say that if you can afford one of them why is being cheap to insure an issue, ive been saving up to buy a used one of these cars as i am still a college student thanks""

Home insurance?

I am buying a home. How do I find a home insurance company? Will my mortgage company help me with that?

""If your home is valued at 73,000, why would your insurance company raise the coverage to 101,000?""

If my house burns down, would they really pay out 100,000 or just the property value ?""

Question about life insurance?

I have life insurance and went to update my insurance today. In 2003 I became disabled and did not know about the disability clause. Where I don't have to pay the premiums anymore. Can I change my term life to whole life? Will I get back pay from 2003? I want to know this before my agent calls me next week with the answers. Please don't try and sell me insurance for as I won't qualify anyways just the answers please.

Car Insurance question?

I own a car with me and my boyfriend.( I am on the title) I live with my parents. I'm going to get my license soon, and it is required I go under their insurance. Do I have to pay for both, or just go under my parents'? Thank you.""

How much does it cost in America for Pay Per Mile Insurance?

I was curious about the Pay Per Mile Insurance and how is the pricing in America? Let's say I havent had any accidents and I want to get a car for me and I wanted to know how much per mile costs for insurance or if I were going to drive 1,000 miles a month how much will it cost and is there a contract?""

Insurance agents or total lost vehicle owners??!?!?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-broken-windows-michael-nolan/"

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shprojectphotography · 8 years ago

Text

‘‘The ideological message has changed.Where once it was, ‘Never mind what work you do , so long as you get paid at the end of the week’, it is now,’Never mind what you’re paid, so long as you have a job.’In other words, be prepared to make any and every concession, to suffer humiliation or subjugation, to face competition and betrayal to get or keep a job, since ‘those who lose their jobs lose everything.’’-Andre Gorz,’‘Reclaiming Work:Beyond the Wage-Based Society’‘,1999,p.56.

Along the lines of a chapter on ‘’The Lost Magic of Work’’ written by Andre Gorz almost 20 years ago, I would like to base my inner discussion on the job industry today. Hello to those who occasionally or accidentally enters my blog. I write mainly for myself for a purpose of creating personal memories. I write here to show my work and express my passion for arts and fashion. I write what interests me and what makes me want to write here. Today, at 12am on the first day of Summer,1st of June, I will be writing about my dream job, my thoughts on the life of work and my personal ‘’workography’’.

I began to understand how Capitalist regimes operate at the age of 17. I got introduced to the life of a worker who has responsibilities, basic pay and no days off. I started off my ‘’career’’ as a bartender in my uncle’s pub, The Prince Albert. I was excited. Although, as time passed, my excitement turned into exhaustion and forming a bad relationship with my family. That year, 2013 going into 2014 has brought a lot of pleasant surprises to me. I met the love of my life and he moved over to life with me in UK. We both were employed by my uncle.It was our chance to get a taste of real life.And it was not tasty...After going through a stressful summer 2014 of work before the beginning of my first year at Goldsmiths University I have already found myself in a critical position. Starting a job does not only mean having responsibilities and extra money, it also means growing internally and developing fears. After quitting my bar job, I began working for Jamie Oliver. Starting to work as a waitress and earning good tips was great for a while. I learned a lot, I met a lot of people and began to form my own views on life. I looked ad people and asked myself ‘’What is each of them doing here and is this a dream job for them?’’ The again, I felt that I have to grow further. I left Jamie’s Italian after 1 year and a half. During the time there I was volunteering and interning as a gallery assistant at Constance Howard, as part of my University Placement and learning about visual merchandising at Margaret Howell brand in London (mentioned earlier in my blog last summer 2016).Volunteering at Constance Gallery was more of an independent project work ,rather than a learning curve. One month spent of working in an archive( more talking then working really) and being boring, but a line on CV which makes me stand out.I was also taken on by London Craft Week 2016 team and them rejected by them a day after I worked there for a day sorting out their emails and event at Google (very, very boring that was) with an excuse that my experience has not met their expectations. The email stated that they have found a better volunteer. Yes, a free worker who is not getting paid for their ‘’rich experience’’. I understand when someone finds a better employee, but not a volunteer!? Then, London was and continues to be my desired destination where I am searching for a job of my life. I like to hustle,I am active and excessively vain. I believe it is my great asset.I am Capricorn and I am proud of it. Of course, from having a taste of hospitality field and working in a franchise restaurant business I wanted more. So I searched and continue to search. Later, I got taken as an auction assistant at MacDougall’s Auction House in London. MacDougall’s Fine Art Auctions stands along the lines of powerful Sotheby’s, Christine’s and Bonhams, and specialises primarily in Russian art. Thanks for my Russian background and my best Russian friend, I got a placement there for a month on a very low intern wage. But I was over on the moon. I thought now my CV valued something!But wasn’t as I expected (again!). I met a lot of good and bad people there. I met directors, lawyers, bankers and others who circulate in within the elite group. I hosted events and poured Champagne into people’s glasses who earn millions. I was doing the dirty job,I guess which at the time seemed very upsetting.Today I look at it as experience. Well, they got to if they buy art at the auctions....The processes behind the auction itself opened my eyes as well. Don’t get me wrong, I am an art historian(don’t laugh), but paying 500,000 for Nicholas Roerich painting?Errm, no! Maybe I just don’t know what rich people are up to those days...but I want to be amongst them.The good ones of course..

So there is 6 work placements (not including a work experience during school at the age of 15 and other volunteering such as blog writing and an interview for Mary Katrantzou fashion brand for free of course ),of them which 3 of them payed, 1 underpaid, and 2 purely free labour. And I feel like a 50 year old ready to retire in 10 years and it’s just the beginning...So here I am, 21 now, almost graduated and working for a worldwide fashion brand Hugo Boss as a brand specialist. I like dressing people and I am a visual person, although retail is not my niche for sure. I know every business has their targets to meet, but how business pressure people these days is not healthy.And yes, I might be over reacting and stressing out too much, but this is so far the most challenging job I had and actually, I learned to like it. I meet people who have money and a desired lifestyle. I work at Canary Wharf which is a business centre in London and that was my choice. I travel to work around 1,15 hour just to be in London and it worth the sacrifice. People might look at me like crazy for communing so far from Kent bud I don’t care. But still, I wish I had more money... And this is everyones problem and I don’t want it to be this way. I catch myself thinking: I am looking or a job that pays well and that’s it? I mean, can it be the case of liking the job and salary or is it one way or another?I have came to a conclusion that never mind what work you do, what counts is having a job. I feel valuable when I have a job and is this a right approach?Such ideological message is essential for a wage-based society, where not having a job equals uselessness. But why is it that every time I get a job my expectations are not me?Is it me who strives towards non-existent employment place?I am annoyed that everything that I like is not payed.How am I supposed to provide for myself financially if I am not getting payed?But I have belief.I want to achieve. Belief that I will either start my own business and learn to love the job I do. The funny thing is, even University for a 27,000 grand is not guaranteeing me anything.It is another experience. I feel angry at those who don’t have a plan and rather study and spend more on a Master’s. What do there freelance artists from my course are going to do with their life’s when Im here stressing about and finding ways of living a dream?

#work #thoughtsonlife

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comicteaparty · 6 years ago

Text

May 9th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on May 9th, 2019, from 5PM - 7PM PDT. The chat focused on Lodestar by SasstastiKim.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Lodestar by SasstastiKim~! (http://lodestar.smackjeeves.com/)

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

Darkhalo4321

My favorite scene has to be... the coffee shop book place thingy. With taylor! Sarcasm max.

Letter Bee

Elliot being told to trust his new friends by his mother.

SpazztastiKim

Author note: chapter one is getting "remodeled" so any suggestions are welcome

Kabocha

My favorite scene? Probably be this one: http://lodestar.smackjeeves.com/comics/2597078/ch2-pg-17/ ...It's so atmospheric, and that is a very good and creepy looking heart. I'm into the atmosphere. Under @SpazztastiKim's cute artwork lies something deceptively dark...

Darkhalo4321

I looooooovethe backgrounds in that sequence

L O V E

Yes, very dark. >:3c

RebelVampire

yeah i got second that as my favorite scene. cause the atmosphere is to die for. and i love how contrasted it is from the previous scenes cause you go into it and immediately go "oh no a spooky dream"

Kabocha

Also, Kim -- if you are interested in critique, etc, I can throw you thoughts in private, but I didnt' like, make any notes or anything. It's your comic and I figured that you were doin' errything to have fun! (And get some good creepiness in there too)

SpazztastiKim

You are welcome to!

Kabocha

Okay. I'll do that offline and another day, then. But I do think you've got a good story here, so please don't feel obliged to open yourself up to such feedback!

SpazztastiKim

Thank you

Darkhalo4321

Let us gush over how superb becky's optimism is

SpazztastiKim

Lol

RebelVampire

im busy gushing over the dialogue on this page http://lodestar.smackjeeves.com/comics/2749604/ch3-pg10/

Kabocha

Honestly I just really like the magic effects, not gonna lie

RebelVampire

like its so silly and yet reminds me of youth

Kabocha

I'm looking forward to more magic and ghost stuff

RebelVampire

cause these are random convos i would have as a youth with ppl

Kabocha

YEAH

Darkhalo4321

Same here!

Kabocha

It's so dramatic, and... man,... I remember being like that when I was younger

I don't recall if it's stated in-comic, but how old is everyone?

SpazztastiKim

Not stated yet. You can guess tho XD

RebelVampire

elliot was a 30 year old man this entire time

SpazztastiKim

Oof XDD

Kabocha

Ahahaha. I was guessing 14~15

Darkhalo4321

Im not allowed to guess because i kinda know XD

SpazztastiKim

Lol

Kabocha

Either way, I'm guessing high school for all of them, but nobody's a senior XD

Darkhalo4321

Except for ally

Shes like younger, like idk maybe hr high ish?

I actually dont know for sure her age

RebelVampire

i wouldve guessed middle school personally. but its hard to tell cause i need to see more adults

Kabocha

Maybe? She throws me a little bit? XD She's probably 13ish?

Darkhalo4321

Shes a precious cinnamonroll and needs protected at all costs

RebelVampire

yeah id peg 13ish for ally personally too.

idk if she need the protecting. she is not the one who got tackled to the ground

Kabocha

I would not fight her

Darkhalo4321

She will tackle you to the ground in l o v e

Kabocha

I do also really like how everyone's designs are unique

So it's really easy to distinguish who's who (and I'm pretty sure if it was a greyscale comic, it'd still be very easy... Which is really good)

....ALSO WHAT WAS WITH THE POINTY EARS

Darkhalo4321

Yeah kim

S'plain

X'D

Kabocha

I'm getting the feeling that there are spoilers in that answer

SpazztastiKim

OP... someone noticed

Kabocha

but

I can't help but feel like there are some alternate world or reincarnation shenanigans afoot

RebelVampire

elliot was an elf in a past life and the birth he witnessed was from back then

ya know what scratch that

he was the elf prince

Kabocha

Okay so I'm not the only one that thought that though

RebelVampire

just make everyone a prince

SpazztastiKim

Pfft yes

Kabocha

What's with the lanterns though... hahaha

But I really do have to wonder what all is going on there. The wolf skeleton was warning him about a thing he... sealed away.

SpazztastiKim

Was it sealed tho?

Kabocha

.... Maybe not

Darkhalo4321

Kabocha

but, I mean, it's hella vague I feel like the wolf is protecting Elliot tho

Darkhalo4321

I get that vibe too, wasnt nice atthe end tho >:T

Kabocha

No, but this probably has happened before

Darkhalo4321

Ya think?

RebelVampire

when you say this are you talking about the dream itself or like the sealed away creature thing?

Kabocha

http://lodestar.smackjeeves.com/comics/2612346/ch2-pg18/ Well, the wolf says that Elliot's been dragged away before

so the thing that's hunting Elliot in his dream proooooooooooooooooooooooooobably has gone after him before

unless the "Birth" in question means it manifested in physical form

Darkhalo4321

Kabocha

KIM IS THIS NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, AND ALL THESE KIDS ARE GONNA GET KILLED BY FREDDY

Darkhalo4321

Maybe

MAYBE

SpazztastiKim

Pffft

RebelVampire

that theory did occur to me

cause of the dream themes

that this is basically monster in the dreams

rip everyone

Darkhalo4321

I mean, I know kim loves horror movies SO

Kabocha

Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Warriors II

RebelVampire

so the thing about the pointy ears that actually interests me the most is that elliot didnt seem to notice all that much or care. and like i know there was a bloody skeleton wolf scaring the crap outta him, but i feel like hed have at least been a little like "hey i am an elf boy now"

also the fact that the dream did not start off with pointy ears

they only showed up with wolf dude

Kabocha

It might be a sign of magic or something. Or maybe he and his ghost are just used to the pointed ears showing up

Darkhalo4321

Ooohh

I didn't notice tyhat!

Kabocha

I did have to re-read that part when I looked at this earlier this week -- it was like "waaaaaaaaaaait a minute"

SpazztastiKim

Hmm WHEN did the change happen again?

Darkhalo4321

Hm indeed

Kabocha

It seems to be a slow transition to be honest

Darkhalo4321

you know who we haven't mentioned yet- TOM my favorite character.

Kabocha

http://lodestar.smackjeeves.com/comics/2456424/ch2-pg11/ On this page, they start to look slightly pointed http://lodestar.smackjeeves.com/comics/2505393/ch2-pg12/ AND THEN He starts to hear things and cough... And magic shows up in the next page

mathtans

Here for the moment, the little one is being very fussy this evening. I think my favourite scene was in the night terror in chapter 2, where we just had the glowing eyes - and then Mandy's glowing hand. Creepy and atmospheric.

Scrolling back to read, I liked how Elliot was thankful not to be a hobbit when he woke.

Darkhalo4321

Right?

Imagine if he woke up and HAD POINTY EARS

the rest of the cast would have been howling

Kabocha

Also, he's focusing on the important things: Not being a dream zombie

RebelVampire

i will be surprised if that doesnt happen one day. that he wakes up with elf ears and has to explain to everyone that surprise, hes an elf now

QUESTION 2. Dreams seem to be central to the story at hand. How do you interpret Elliot’s latest dream? Was it a dream, or was it something more? Whose birth did Elliot supposedly witness, and what exactly is it hungering for? Who is the black wolf that delivers the warnings to Elliot, and why is Elliot the one tasked with helping to defeat whatever the wolf is warning him about? Additionally, if this is no simple dream, why doesn’t Elliot remember this supposed event? Last but not least, what do you make of Elliot’s appearance change within the dream, and what do you think the meaning of the lantern is?

mathtans

I don't think it's a nightmare on elm street kind of thing, because Crystal Lake was dropped as a reference, so these sorts of things already exist in the characters' universe.

Chapter 4, Elliot joins an elf help group.

RebelVampire

but see thats the genius of it. drop the refs, nobody thinks anything of it and is like "ah just a red herring"

and then boom

dream murderer

Kabocha

THE DREAM WAS A WARNING I don't know if the "Starve it" Though... well. Maybe it wants to eat his dreams. Dream eater. OH MY GOD ELLIOT'S BEING HUNTED BY A DROWZEE

Darkhalo4321

THAT PUN WAS GOLD

That would be sneaky!

mathtans

It can't be a simple dream either way. Mandy joined him. That can't be a normal thing for ghosts. Can it?

RebelVampire

yeah starve it really interesting. cause what do you have to deprive the creature or whatever it is of to starve it? is elliot just not supposed to get eaten? is it dreams? is it ghosts?

although maybe its the lantern

nah

no way that was just a dream

Kabocha

Maybe. The lantern did come out as danger started to come near

RebelVampire

that was a vision

Kabocha

what is Mandy anyway

didn't he say that she was never alive to begin with? Or was he speaking generally

....What if Mandy was a victim of the thing?

RebelVampire

or even worse

mandy is the thing

SpazztastiKim

Scary

Darkhalo4321

Mandi is an imaginary friend taken form because of El? Maybe? Like, Can El manifest things?

Without knowing it-

RebelVampire

that could also be true

but im now sticking to the she is the thing one

cause it would explain why the wolf kicked her out

and said "no dream warnings for you"

Darkhalo4321

I know she's not like... real but she HAS FEELINGS DREAM WOLF

OH, but aside from just El having that one nightmare, apparently it's a prevalent problem going on- so it's not just isolated.

RebelVampire

ya know, i just want to point out if the dream wolf is going around warning ppl, the strategy is not very effective. fear is not the answer wolf.

Kabocha

Based on the comic description... We'll have to see more about that though

I dunno, if you scare someone enough, they'll stay away

Darkhalo4321

maybe el gets royal treatment of being warned

Kabocha

maybe the wolf is protecting the place where "it" is

Darkhalo4321

while everyone else just gets stalked with EYES

Kabocha

it's because he's acutally Frodo Baggins

Darkhalo4321

YES

HE IS SHORT

Kabocha

and the thing after them is Melkor. Or Sauron.

SpazztastiKim

obviously its voldemort

Darkhalo4321

!!!

you mean, he who should not be named!

Kabocha

GASP!

What about the Babadook

SpazztastiKim

my bad

OOF

RebelVampire

where elliot lives the dream wolf is just how the letters are delivered

Darkhalo4321

Baba Yaga

RebelVampire

http://lodestar.smackjeeves.com/comics/2597078/ch2-pg-17/ so i wonder who all the creepy ppl are in the bg

mathtans

Maybe it's like regular dreams, you don't really remember them unless you're woken up in the middle. So the wolf is waking everyone up with love bites.

RebelVampire

like was the creature born cause ppl were like "yaay sacrifice"

Kabocha

Oh, great, the wolf is my cat

SpazztastiKim

pfft

Darkhalo4321

if that's what you call a LOVE bite...>>

RebelVampire

the wolf is reading the wrong book of how to talk to humans

SpazztastiKim

lol

mathtans

There were five witnesses to the birth maybe, Rebel. They were summoned to the place in dreams.

Superjustinbros

HELLO

Kabocha

I'mma go out on a limb and say the people in the BG were part of the creation. THE COUNCIL OF CREATION A bunch of high elves that decided one day, "hey, let's just do this whole thing and nothing can go wrong" And Elliot was like, "NOPE" And died and went into another world where it was nearly unleashed upon them.

Justin, what are your thoughts on the Wolf and the Five people on Chapter 2, Page 17?

mathtans

They're looking at a heart.

Superjustinbros

Can I bring it home and call it Maniac?

SpazztastiKim

good name for it

Superjustinbros

Anyways hey there, sorry I'm a bit late

Room's getting redesigned but to stray from going offtopic I wanted to drop in and hand out and see what we're all talknig about tonight

RebelVampire

they are looking at a heart. Elliot was the mage who betrayed the council and realized his magic was for healing not the dark arts

Kabocha

Yep. We're talking about this week's comic -- Lodestar. As is the usual thing on the Thursday Bookclub~

Superjustinbros

Oh yea

Kabocha

http://lodestar.smackjeeves.com/comics/2597078/ch2-pg-17/ But really, I wonder what "it" is. .... Maybe there was a ritual.

Superjustinbros

Is that white line it's eye

Kabocha

Also -- did Eliot's magical scratch appear when the lantern showed up I'm just noticing this Does magic have a price?

RebelVampire

i assum eyes, the white line is its eye

that page did have the atmosphere of ritual

mostly cause of the heart

you dont hold beating hearts unless youre doing a ritual

idk i couldnt figure out when the scratch showed up. id have to look again super close

Darkhalo4321

It's def. Skooky

Kabocha

http://lodestar.smackjeeves.com/comics/2547332/ch2-pg14/ It's this page, Rebel

Superjustinbros

I ruined the feel of this image

SpazztastiKim

pfft(edited)

meme material

Darkhalo4321

I mean- MAYBE the wolf thing, wants to be empathetci?

Kabocha

"The woods cried out: FEED ME pls can i haz yer dinner hoomin"

Darkhalo4321

also likes hoomin heartz

SpazztastiKim

GOOD LORD XDD

mathtans

The whole glowing eyes thing is pretty cool. Not sure how the effect is done, but nice.

Darkhalo4321

It's not like I LIKE you or anything! B-BAKA!

SpazztastiKim

TSUNDERE DEMON

Darkhalo4321

kiss kiss fall in the lake!

Kabocha

Also likes hoomin necks They are like beef, but more gamey

mathtans

Maybe the demon is actually that aunt, the one who made the tea.

SpazztastiKim

Nom nom

Darkhalo4321

Taylor?!

Kabocha

... I mean, dreams can be representational

so you got a Mama Wolf protectin' her youngins

Darkhalo4321

maybe- el is part dream wolf?

SpazztastiKim

i'm dead

mathtans

Yis. Summoned Elliot into town so the ghost Mandy could help.

"My other form is also a wolf."

RebelVampire

elliot wasnt real all along

he was summon

Kabocha

Oh no

Darkhalo4321

MAYBE- el is the creation woooooo

Kabocha

This isn't Final Fantasy 10, Rebel

unless we're getting meta, and we need El's father to be the wolf -- a summon from a dream becomes a dreaming summoned beast...

Darkhalo4321

I mean like-

We haven't SEEN el's dad yet so

Superjustinbros

"Hey, you OK?" "Does this look "Okay" to you?!"

_okay I'm done

Back to the comic

RebelVampire

yeah i was just about to say this is really gonna mess up the archives if it continues since i cant include images XD

Superjustinbros

Yeah lol

I feel like the joke has run it's course anyways

SpazztastiKim

I'm crying

Superjustinbros

You can only hammer in a joke edit so many times before it stops being entertaining

RebelVampire

onto the scratch. i get more the impression that the scratch was gonna happen anyway and the lantern showed up saying "hey stop scratching my boy"

Kabocha

image: [Elliot: don't make me Tidus- I wanna be Cloud]

SpazztastiKim

asdfghjkl!!!!

Superjustinbros

you wanna be a Cloud?

Darkhalo4321

giant SWORD

Superjustinbros

Oh that Cloud

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Early on, we learn that Elliot is supposedly psychic or an empath. Do you think Elliot is telling the truth about mostly just seeing ghosts, or does he really have other psychic powers as the others accuse him of? Who exactly do you think Mandy is, and what do you make of her closeness with Elliot? In other words, how do you think the two met? Do you think Elliot was born with whatever powers he has, or does it somehow tie into the creature he was warned about in the dream? Overall, how do you think Elliot’s abilities will help or hinder him in his task? What about in general for his newfound life in the town?

Kabocha

Elliot would not be a good Cloud, honestly. He's got too much personality, and too little damage from experimentation

Superjustinbros

Well we've seen a demon and a ghost so...

Kabocha

I THINK Mandy is his sister from another life. Or his best friend. And she couldn't be reincarnated with him, so she stuck around.

RebelVampire

was gonna go with his stillborn sister who never was

Darkhalo4321

But she was stated as never having BEEN alive?

That she wasn't real?

Kabocha

She's real for sure

She could also be a magic spirit, so she was never alive in the sense that humans would comprehend

Darkhalo4321

Real blue

SpazztastiKim

Har

mathtans

Elliot is all digital. He's in the Cloud.

RebelVampire

Elliot: I'm sorry Mandy but you're not real. Mandy: I'm...I'm floating right here and we're talking. Elliot: No, still not real.

Darkhalo4321

Maybe- El got the magic powers? ? From his last enounter that almost took him? And maybe mandi is some form of like... side kick from that?

Superjustinbros

Cloud saves? @mathtans

mathtans

I do think Elliot probably has other powers, but I don't think he actually knows about them. As to Mandy, I like Rebel's theory.(edited)

Kabocha

El goes on Dr. Phil, gets told "Perception is reality" Mandy laughs because... well

RebelVampire

so basically mandy is his familiar?

Superjustinbros

>Dr Phil I haven't heard that in a long time

Seems like it

Darkhalo4321

honestly, El would just sass his way out of dr. phil's show. they'd be like plz leave

Maybe?

RebelVampire

thats when they send him to jerry springer

mathtans

How did Mandy get her name? She must have existed at some point. Elliot doesn't seem like the type to just come up with that name, he's too introverted.

Kabocha

Maybe she has some sort of secret magic name

Darkhalo4321

Maybe Mandi named herself?

or came with a name?

Kabocha

and "Mandy" is just short for like Almandiasoriginamyeriath

mathtans

Bless you.

Darkhalo4321

cough kabo that's... I'm dying XD

Kabocha

HEY I know what "Bless you" means in some places!

Darkhalo4321

Salude

SpazztastiKim

ME TOO

Superjustinbros

Gesundheit.

RebelVampire

if we go with reincarnation being in this, maybe mandy isnt real cause she hasnt moved on in this life, has no memories of her past, and is basically just an empty shell floating around

Darkhalo4321

Oooh?

That's an interesting theory

Superjustinbros

I've seen stories with spirits like this

Kabocha

I'm curious to see what Mandy is later in the story, though. Like, if she's not real, then what is she. I'm pretty sure if she got kicked out of the dream, she's got some substance to her.

Superjustinbros

Yeah..

RebelVampire

well i guess it largely depends on what elliot's definition of real is

Darkhalo4321

RebelVampire

i could also argue elliot is just deluding himself as to whether shes real or not because its how he protects his sanity

cause elliot doesnt seem fond of the idea that he has powers

so if he pretends none of its real its fine

Darkhalo4321

Yeah considering that he got REAL dark real fast when Becky kind of prodded him about the idea of it being... odd-

but thank god for Mandi she reeled that back in fast.

Kabocha

Elliot's been through some crap, hasn't he

Darkhalo4321

I FEEL like it- He's been through something- :/ but what? WHO knows-

RebelVampire

Elliot remembers the great elf war

Darkhalo4321

maybe el is actually an elf from another world, and this is an isekai story and we have no idea

Kabocha

"Remembers" only in his dreams

I AM DOWN FOR THIS

Darkhalo4321

reverse isekai?

RebelVampire

i am ok with this

Kabocha

YEP.

SpazztastiKim

Y'all would be great at DnD

Darkhalo4321

I'm going to get yelled at aren't I?

Superjustinbros

is not a DnD player(edited)

Kabocha

I'm also cool with it being a reincarnation story, or just that El gets to see all sorts of monstrous things because he's got some sort of magic shenanigans going on

Darkhalo4321

poor unfortunate soooooul

RebelVampire

im ok as long as elliot lives to tell the story cause the world would be a lesser place without his snark

Darkhalo4321

I would cry

SpazztastiKim

X'D

Darkhalo4321

I would actually FLY TO KIM'S AND we'd have a long talk

>:T

#teamelliotlives

SpazztastiKim

-tosses the idea pretending I never planned it-

mathtans

Maybe Mandy will start possessing people. Suddenly Becky gets real mellow. Suspicious.

SpazztastiKim

pfft

Superjustinbros

Oh good just what we need

Ghosts doing ghost stuff

RebelVampire

wait maybe mandy is just the manifestation of elliot's lantern hence why she was never alive and isnt real

Kabocha

WAIT, Is there a risk of people actually dying in this story ... ...Kim are you going to kill off Elliot

SpazztastiKim

Darkhalo4321

I feel like Becky would out.... do a ghost?

SpazztastiKim

Darkhalo4321

SHE IS JUST TOO MUICH spirit for them XD

RebelVampire

Tom though is probably doomed for possession

SpazztastiKim

Poor Tom

Kabocha

.... Oh god you're probably right Rebel

Darkhalo4321

Becky is the one that would go " NO YOU DONT! " and unpossess herself with will power

Kabocha

Tom gets possessed and he seese EVERY HORRIBLE THING he's forced to do to feed the hunger

Darkhalo4321

NOT TOM

Kabocha

turns out the hunger is just really into chocolates

SpazztastiKim

PFFT

Darkhalo4321

NOOOO

Kabocha

They break into a Godiva shop with Tom's body

Superjustinbros

Did someone say chocolates?

Darkhalo4321

CHOCOLATE?!

Superjustinbros

http://lodestar.smackjeeves.com/comics/2771909/ch3-pg14/ I wonder what flavor everyone's getting then

Kabocha

The Wolf isn't super keen on the whole Chocolates thing though, because, y'know, theobromine poisoning...

SpazztastiKim

hehe

Darkhalo4321

so that's why the wolf says STARVE it

Superjustinbros

Tsundre wolf cannot consume ice cream

RebelVampire

well at least a chocolate quest would be more pleasant than alternatives XD

Darkhalo4321

TRUE

Superjustinbros

Chocolate Ice Cream? :3

RebelVampire

thats going too far in the sweets department questing O_O

Kabocha

Hey, at least Tom won't have to gorge himself on other things. But they do find out their local big box store was robbed of all its chocolate rabbits around easter...

SpazztastiKim

Truly the worst that could happen to this town(edited)

RebelVampire

but after Tom is freed hed never want to eat chocolate ever again

Kabocha

That's a tragedy.

Superjustinbros

RIP Chocolate rabbits.

RebelVampire

i want to see more tom though. i appreciate his calm demeanor in the face of the girls rampant amounts of energy

Darkhalo4321

Yes

Tom seems like the, solid rock founddation of the group type

mathtans

I like that idea that Mandy is just the manifestation of some object. Maybe something Elliot carries with him. A watch? He was good at pegging tea time.

RebelVampire

also cause tom is the useful one. cause becky is like "FARM FESTIVAL" and Ally is like "SWIMMING AND ICE CREAM" meanwhile tom is being a good boy and researching stuff for elliot

mathtans

Tom is a good counterpoint. He understands all the characters too.

Darkhalo4321

Like Hey let's do the job our club is suppose to do, shall we?

RebelVampire

Elliot is a time lord

mathtans

Oh yeah, the Farm Festival is sure to be a plot point. It's a metaphor for something.

RebelVampire

mystery solved(edited)

Darkhalo4321

I mean, if this were ouran host club, he's kyouya ... the only one that keeps the club on TASK

mathtans

Elliot's consciousness is trapped in a pocketwatch. With Mandy.

RebelVampire

ya know i could dig time lord elliot tho for reals. cause it explains why hes an elf or something. he just time travels and forgets he time travels. but why he knows how to save ppl from falling stuff

Kabocha

The farm festival will be... full of lore. About how they had the festival to appease a hungry beast.

Superjustinbros

oh boy

Darkhalo4321

Maybe

They farm

hearts

SpazztastiKim

gross

Kabocha

Hey, the heart could have been a Deer Heart

Darkhalo4321

was it though?

Kabocha

Coulda been.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 4. As the comic opens up, we meet a slew of characters and learn some notable things in regards to dream. What do you make of the fact another person is supposedly having intense dreams similar to Elliot’s? Does this have anything to do with the creature, or is it simply a red herring? If it does have something to do with it, what do you think Elliot will have to do about it to help the victim? In general, how do you think the dream club Elliot joined will help him in his overall task? Moving on from Elliot, which of Elliot’s friends are you looking forward to learning more about? In what ways do you think these friends might help Elliot deal with his problems and his quest?

Superjustinbros

How intense we talking? Like, Math Test insane?

Darkhalo4321

WELL Becky has every intention of making sure el has a social life, some what-

Tom will probably ensure no one dies- or he'll die trying.

RebelVampire

dark no

dont even suggest tom dies

Darkhalo4321

What if

he does die tho

RebelVampire

protect that child

Darkhalo4321

RebelVampire

no protect that child

Darkhalo4321

Ally tho

RebelVampire

or dont and be optimistic and assume him becoming a ghost will make him the most powerful being

Darkhalo4321

Ghost Tom

mathtans

Elliot's the replacement Chosen One. The current one in town is having trouble.

Darkhalo4321

current one?

Superjustinbros

SpazztastiKim

esplain Mathans

Kabocha

So, if we were to categorize these characters as horror characters...

Darkhalo4321

NOOOO

like horror movie horror, or like scary movie parody horror?

SpazztastiKim

Yes

Superjustinbros

Oh dear, this is gonna be fun >:3

Kabocha

.... Elliot's our Canary, though sometimes the canary lives Tom's dead. I'm sorry. Becky will be scarred for life, but probably will be the one carrying the plot and making sure everyone survives. Allison... She will not be in the horror parts. She'll be the character that calls the cops at the end.

Superjustinbros

rip Tom.

RebelVampire

no all of you need to stop killing off tom

SpazztastiKim

Just straight up kill off Tom

RebelVampire

the next page of the comic is literally just a dagger flying through the window and stabbing tom in the heart

Darkhalo4321

I'm pretty sure I saw the next page, can confirm

Superjustinbros

oof

Darkhalo4321

tom actually falls backwards out of his chair and LANDS on a dagger. effectively killing him off. Then the comic ends. Tom was the danger ALL ALONG(edited)

Superjustinbros

Dear god

That's cold

SpazztastiKim

A twist to make m night shyamalan proud

Kabocha

Lol Justin if you believe that you obviously haven't read through this comic

RebelVampire

no no the comic continues. the wolf comes back and is like "bro i told you to starve it not kill it. youre under arrest. this is a sting operation"

Darkhalo4321

SpazztastiKim

-wheeze-

Darkhalo4321

Elliot gets hauled off to DREAM JAIL

Mandi is denied visitation rights

Becky becomes his laywer

RebelVampire

then elliot becomes a dream defense attorney and has to prove his own innocence

becky would be a scary lawyer

i could just see her taking the floor and talking for hours

and her client is found innocent just cause the jury wants to go home

Darkhalo4321

She'd probably make a good case though-

Superjustinbros

@Kabocha Even if I did that's still pretty cold lol

Darkhalo4321

Jury: She talked for 5 hours, but... she wasn't wrong innocent!

Wolf thing : damn it!

SpazztastiKim

Ghost Tom: Language...

Darkhalo4321

Elliot: @#$% the establishment! throws a chair

Everyone just has the surprised pikachu face, after that!

SpazztastiKim

Superjustinbros

That face is glorious

RebelVampire

at this point i think were just all drunk and have gone mad with power

SpazztastiKim

lol probably

RebelVampire

im really curious to see what happens at the farm festival tho. mostly just cause maybe nothing bad will happen and theyll just have fun. like go on a nice hay ride

that will not trigger unpleasant memories and not start a fire to the whole festival

SpazztastiKim

hay rides are included tho

Kabocha

Maybe we'll find out that they have a sleep study at the contest

erm

festival

Darkhalo4321

And then after it's been ALL good- and it's all fun and stuff-

Kabocha

why am I thinking contest

Darkhalo4321

THEN

Superjustinbros

Oh god what's happennig here now

Darkhalo4321

then it will go downhill

Kabocha

Yep. It'll be a hot mess. AND FREDDY RETUR--- wrong series

RebelVampire

id really want to see elliot in a sleep study now tho

just imagine the scientists face afterwards

as theyre like wtf are these readings

Superjustinbros

oh boy

Kabocha

"This boy never enters REM sleep!?"

RebelVampire

what is life

Kabocha

"How is he alive?!"

Darkhalo4321

Right?

my question exactly ^^^ lol(edited)

RebelVampire

elliot was the one to have never been alive to begin with. the whole mandy thing is him projecting

Darkhalo4321

it would explain why some scenes have her split off of him?

Kabocha

oh that would be a twist.

Two souls one body?

Darkhalo4321

THAT IS MY JAM

RebelVampire

i had considered that as a realistic possibility. or more that mandy is just an aspect of elliot's soul

SpazztastiKim

-watches with entertained glee-

Darkhalo4321

Oh maybe?

RebelVampire

http://lodestar.smackjeeves.com/comics/2704817/ch3-pg4/ off topic but i just noticed that computer has a pear on it and that makes me laugh

Darkhalo4321

Like the NICE version of who El is, and all the snark remained in the actual body

El is just Snark

that's it

TOM HOW CAN YOU

Superjustinbros

Shoutouts to Pear Products

mathtans

Sorry, called to crib. Have we talked about the title yet? With "lode"star? Is that like a metaphor for Elliot's powers, or something else?

RebelVampire

we have not talked about it.

mathtans

(As to explaining about the chosen one thing, the person with night terrors in town wasn't responding properly, so that's how Elliot ended up in town too.)

Darkhalo4321

We havent'

RebelVampire

i assumed it was a play on a lodestone

Darkhalo4321

I don't actually know about the title so much

PROBABLY

What is a lodestone?

RebelVampire

“A lodestone is a naturally magnetized piece of the mineral magnetite. They are naturally occurring magnets, which can attract iron. The property of magnetism was first discovered in antiquity through lodestones.”

Darkhalo4321

RebelVampire

elliot is the attracter of evil

Darkhalo4321

PROBABLY

el is an unlucky person

Kabocha

MAGNETIC SOUL

SpazztastiKim

poor kid

mathtans

Mandy being part of his soul is interesting. It reminds me, I liked in the first chapter how there were hints of her at times, and eventually it became clear.

Oh yeah, and I loved the Pear Computer, Rebel. Glad you remembered to mention it.

Yeah, I thought it was like lodestone, but being a star, maybe it's good somehow even though there's a burden involved.

RebelVampire

i liked the small hints but at the same time i was confused and wondered if he was communicating telepathically with becky XD

Kabocha

I'm curious to see where this all goes. There's not enough information to really like, get super crazy with fandom yet

mathtans

I did wonder where the thoughts were coming from.

Also, before the end, gotta mention the Becky and Ally ship. Those two can feed off each others' energy, it's sweet.

Darkhalo4321

they can power the entire town with their energy

RebelVampire

i will support the elliot/tom ship

Superjustinbros

Since the CTP is ending in a bit, thanks for the CTR, and thanks for the cool comic as well @SpazztastiKim, it was fun checking it out

mathtans

There you go. Can't ship Tom with his sister, after all.

Darkhalo4321

El == shippable with everyone honestly

mathtans

El is shippable with the wolf?

Darkhalo4321

...

SpazztastiKim

asdfghjkl

Kabocha

...yes

RebelVampire

yes

Darkhalo4321

I MEAN, as Friends?

Kabocha

BFFS

Darkhalo4321

El seems like he needs more FRIENDS

Kabocha

Anyway! Thank you Kim! I look forward to seeing where this comic goes~

Darkhalo4321

and boy and his aggressive wolf friend

mathtans

Wolf's name is probably Lodestar. Got it from a book.

Best with it, Kim!

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

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

Read and Comment: http://lodestar.smackjeeves.com/

SasstastiKim’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SpazztastiKim

SasstastiKim’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpazztastiKim

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #book club #bookclub #webcomic book club #webcomic bookclub #comic tea party #ctp #lodestar #sasstastikim

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comicteaparty · 6 years ago

Text

November 8th, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on November 8th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PST. The chat focused on Anacrine Complex by Sae.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Anacrine Complex by Sae~! (http://pigeoncomic.com/)

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

RebelVampire

i liked the whole sequence in Lee's head. illustrative wise it was really creative and had so much subtle detail that helped breathe that sense that they were not in the real world. not to mention the color balance really leaves you feel kind of ominous

ShaRose49

What criticism? Man, I agree! I loved the sequence in his head, it was cooler to me than Inside Out in many ways cause it reminded me more of my own head

I think Lee was my favourite but Ben was so funny he reminded me of Hinayana from Haikyuu

Superjustinbros

Hello there~

ShaRose49

Hinata

Is what I meant to say

Hi!

Superjustinbros

Pleasure to be here ^^

ShaRose49

My favourite scene was probably the scene in Lee’s mind too-but I also loved the Jujitsu scene, and the scene at the beginning with Ben and Lee and the explosion

The pleasure is all ours

And I just found out that I have nowhere to be this evening so I’ll probably be chatting more than I thought

RebelVampire

fantastic

Superjustinbros

http://pigeoncomic.com/page/4

Looking through, I found this one charming

ShaRose49

It was a ton of fun

RebelVampire

i think ben is my favorite. cause while hes not as serious or practical as lee (which lee is a precious angel), i like how he has to basically interpret everything as a game. and i think they just make him really unique and entertaining

i like ben and lee as a package though. i think they have an interesting personality mesh that isnt quite perfect for drama but isnt quite completely opposite so they can work together and achieve common goals. like its that perfect blend of subtle awesome that not a lot of comics can achieve

Superjustinbros

http://pigeoncomic.com/post/170447488832/spider-ben-spider-ben-does-whatever-a-spider-ben This one was also good, the effects especially.

ShaRose49

Yeah I think characters were this comic’s greatest strength, which is the most important part of a story to me

AAAH that was great

Superjustinbros

Oh yes

Characters mean lots to me

Of you write them well and provide enough side-material to back them up

RebelVampire

yes that was definitely a fun scene. in general i like how the powers are visually depicted. i think it was a great choice to give them all diff colors schemes and aesthetics. it makes them stand out and you can always tell who is doing what.

i also love the random pigeon cameos.

these are the most photobombing pigeons in the land

Superjustinbros

Giving powers different colors is part of the fun, IMO

mathtans

Made it. You can probably guess at my favourite scene.

Superjustinbros

Glad I don't live in New York City then

Let me guess

It's loaded with puns

mathtans

It's where the trigonometry was used to knock the guy out. ^.-

Superjustinbros

mathtans

Also, Ben was using degrees, rather than radians, implying that it is coming from his own experiences rather than some meta-math in the environment.

'Course he uses the imperial system too, for whatever reason.

RebelVampire

that scene made me sad with jealousy because even when i was good at math, i always sucked at mental math. XD

mathtans

The sequence in Lee's head was pretty cool and creative. I suppose I felt I couldn't get as into it, I think because it just represented such an invasion of his privacy. (I liked how Lee addressed the whole "manipulation" thing later.)

Heh. I think that sort of mental math is beyond most people.

The visual depiction of the math-type powers as more cubic/angular was a nice choice too, I found.

Superjustinbros

>Rebel mentions math while Mathtans is in the chat(edited)

mathtans

Math's good stuff.

Superjustinbros

yes

It was my best school subject

till they stopped teaching it after tenth grade

mathtans

Actually, I kind of hate it when "doing mental math" is presented as some kind of superpower. I don't feel like that's the case here, because being able to judge distances, monetize portions of food, and hit precise estimations isn't the same thing as "I can multiply real fast". So that was good.

Superjustinbros

Yea

mathtans

Incidentally, how does magnetization powers give one the ability to X-Ray? Maybe I missed something in my science classes.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. Of all the characters, Lee seems to have the past that is most covered in mystery. What do you think happened in Lee’s past that caused him to have such a core of guilt? Was it related to Ana or was there something else going on? What even was Lee’s relationship with Ana? Why do you think Lee turned to illegal car theft activities, and what do you think caused him to go clean? Why do you think Lee is so desperate to patch things up with Sterling? How do you think Lee even knows Sterling in the first place? What do you think any of this has to do with the comic’s opening scene? Lastly, do you think Lee will manage to meet Sterling? If so, what do you think will happen?

mathtans

I think Lee and Sterling worked together in the past, maybe in a post-doc or something. There was that flashback sequence with the motorbike (I think that's what it was?) and stuff.

RebelVampire

arent mri machines basically just giant magnets?

i assume they took creative license based on that

mathtans

Ahh, maybe they are, right. Can't bring metal in and such.

RebelVampire

which actually explains why ben has that headache meltdown everytime hes near lee using his powers

cause like an mri machine, lee is pulling those metal shards

causing more damage

good job lee

lightlybow

Creator here, hey guys!! I'm so happy to see this discussion! To address the x-ray thing, there is a bit of creative license applied for sure. Lee can't literally see people's bones like in an x-ray, but he can sense metal objects and magnetic fields. I just had to find a way to visually represent that, and x-ray visuals felt like something that would be a really quick read for most of my audience.

And yeah Rebel, you're right on the money! Lee can easily move the little bits of metal around in Ben's brain if he isn't careful

mathtans

Right, the metal shard pulling thing I figured. (Also, I tend to agree with Lee that the guy should get that checked out! It cannot be good for the health.)

Oh, hihi creator! Must be early morning for you I guess.

Superjustinbros

Hello Lightlybow!

ShaRose49

Will Ben not have superpowers if the metal is removed?

RebelVampire

tbf going to the hospital might not do ben any good. cause if theyre in his brain thats already a very dangerous surgery

Superjustinbros

ShaRose49

But will he get killed if he doesn’t remove the metal?!

mathtans

I feel like he might be able to calculate a way to deal with it mathematically. I mean, it was the substance on the metal that gave him the abilities, right? And it's supposed to be healing or something, so that's probably why he's still functional.

ShaRose49

Yikes wow but still

mathtans

Removing metal from head before wounds close seems prudent. shrugs

lightlybow

Ding ding ding! Ben's powers do come from the metal! Idk how many details you guys want...

Superjustinbros

Now that's why he can't do the surgery then, cause, well.

He loses the powers

ShaRose49

I think Lee worked with Sterling and they both love the same woman and that caused a rift between them. Maybe Lee tried to win Ana away from sterling or left him when he needed him because of Ana. This may be the biggest cause of his guilt since the thought of talking to Sterling is the only hope he has

But what if it’s unhealthy for Ben to have that metal??

mathtans

Ahh, interesting. (I mean, what do I know, right? ^.- ) Maybe Ben will learn that he doesn't need superpowers to be a cool guy. Particularly if he retains the fighting techniques.

RebelVampire

it is definitely unhealthy for ben to have metal in his head, especially around lee who can make it worse. XD i dont forsee ben wanting to give up powers tho

mathtans

Sha: I'm kind of with you, but I'm not sure Ana necessarily caused a rift directly... I feel more like maybe Lee decided he just couldn't work that close to them any more, and went looking for other work.

Illegal work, possibly.

Maybe he's got a bit of self loathing or something.

lightlybow

In terms of metal in the head/ injuries! There are reported cases of people living normal lives with shards of metal stuck in their brain matter. I was going off those when writing Ben, especially a case of someone who shot themselves with a nail gun and turned out to be just fine

Superjustinbros

That's an interesting piece of trivia

I have heard of people living with bullets lodged into their brain for years

as an example

mathtans

I've heard of that stuff, possibly even seen an XRay one time. Gives me the willies.

RebelVampire

yeah its definitely possible. but basically no mris ever which limits diagnostic tools ppl can use

which is not good cause mris are super powerful

im gonna go out on a limb and assume ana is dead or potentially in a coma. and that lee is (or assumes he was) the cause because whatever he used to contain the medicine that sterling had him built

and thats where his guilt is

mathtans

Lee's kind of my fave character, actually. Ben is too eager to treat everything as some kind of game, and Veda has no respect for boundaries.

RebelVampire

and that what happened between lee and sterling is they both feel responsible for what happened

and while lee wanted to move on, sterling wanted to obsess

mathtans

Rebel: If that's the case (interesting theory), maybe Lee just feels like if he'd stuck around (assuming it happened after he left), he'd have been able to do something.

RebelVampire

yeah.

alternatively

maybe ana is just sick in the hospital

and sterling is obsessing trying to save her

mathtans

Maybe he even has a theory for how to fix things but Sterling put a hit out on him and refuses to hear anything.

RebelVampire

and while lee should be supporting her he doesnt have the strength too

mathtans

Either way, if they end up talking, I feel like it would be near the climax.

Superjustinbros

Seconding Math

ShaRose49

I don’t think Ana is dead, otherwise this would be a lot like Miraculous Ladybug is recently

RebelVampire

i forsee that, but i also hope they dont wait till the climax. and that they hug and talk it out. and while they patch some things up theres stuff about the disease that fall to deaf ears on sterling's part(edited)

mathtans

I don't follow the reference, but okay.

ShaRose49

Sorry Miraculous is a silly romantic superhero cartoon that I love for some reason

RebelVampire

yeah i go back and forth on ana being dead. although i think we can at least assume something bad happened to her

mathtans

Just want to say, I thought putting in that scene of Sterling was a great move. I'd kind of pictured him having gone all "mad scientist", so the idea that he's kind of tortured and trying to fix things was an interesting window.

ShaRose49

Yeah I felt sorry for him he’s like an even more realistic Hawkmoth sorry I keep referencing Ml

I love the realism in the drama for this comic

mathtans

Plot twist: Ana is actually one of the pigeons. Things went terribly wrong.

RebelVampire

yeah i really liked what that scene of sterling did

cause it knocked him down from enigmatic evil overlord to tortured human soul who is trying to fix something he doesnt know how to fix

lightlybow

OMG MATH

I'm crying

RebelVampire

ana is trying to tell lee shes a pigeon this whole time but lee just doesnt get it

lightlybow

all the pieces are falling together

mathtans

Ana tried to use the bird woman to get her message across. That also went badly.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Much of the current events of the comic are now being driven by Veda who wants to save her sister. Do you believe all Veda really wants to do is save Dani, or is something else going on? Do you think Dani is being held against her will, or might there be a reason she doesn’t want to see Veda? How exactly do you think Veda became exposed enough to the medicine to gain her powers? Is Veda so aggressive with her powers because of desperation to save her sister, or do you think it’s telling about what Veda does for a living in some way? At the hotel, we also see Veda get sick for a moment. Do you think her sudden illness is revealing? What about her words as she looked in the mirror? What consequences do you think this “sickness” will have for the group as a whole?

Superjustinbros

Math does it again

But I do wonder if there is some kind of dark secret to the pigeons, and why they're everywhare

lightlybow

"That also went badly"

ShaRose49

I think Veda is trying to save her sister, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was another motive as well. I think she gets fatigued severely from using her powers too much

Superjustinbros

I mean, magic exists in this world so that wouldn't be far out of the ordinary

but back onto the subject

RebelVampire

on a tangent i liked lee's convo with the old lady because it was so utterly ridiculous on so many levels. like who approaches some old lady on the bench and assumes she knows a lot about pigeons just cause shes showing them mild affection.

ShaRose49

Wait magic?! I missed that

Yeah but he was desperate lol

junebugjo

More like superpowers

Superjustinbros

As in, the en mase of pidgeons being a result somehow of everyone having powers

ShaRose49

Yeah I don’t think this was magic I didn’t get that at all just superhero sci-fi

Superjustinbros

lol

ShaRose49

Magic and sci-fi together can annoy me sometimes I just love my scifi

RebelVampire

i do think veda is trying to save her sister. but part of me wonders if its not just that her powers exhaust her. what if veda has the disease too and thats actually why she was exposed to the medicine? that is my out there theory

ShaRose49

Oh yeah....

That could be it

I wonder if people get the disease if they get the powers or if the powers don’t actually cure you

RebelVampire

oh man thatd be ironically sad. that the cure comes with the disease

mathtans

Sorry, in and out as the little one makes a fuss. I wonder if Veda's trying to save her sister more for herself than for her sister's sake. Like, she feels guilty over letting her go in the first place. (And what other doctor is she going to take her sister to if they get out? I mean really.)

RebelVampire

yeah i thought that too

about where would veda even take her

lightlybow

Yeah there aren't really any other doctors who can solve her problems but she's desperate

ShaRose49

Yeah Math could be right. (I’m doing Laundry right now lol) good luck with your little one!

RebelVampire

any other doctor is probably gonna tell her theres nothing they can do but make her comfortable and manage the symtoms

and give a death time estimate

lightlybow

*curently

*CURRENTLY DANGIT

Superjustinbros

Guess doctors aren't common in this universe or soemthing

junebugjo

Well doctors who can cure the disease aren’t

RebelVampire

well doctors who can cure this specific disease, yes XD

lightlybow

Junebug! Hello!

junebugjo

Hey!!!

RebelVampire

to answer another question on the list, i think dani's imprisonment is a bit of both. that sterling 100% is holding her but that even if veda came dani would tell her to go away for some reason. maybe to protect veda...or maybe veda and her had a fight just like lee and sterling had a fight. and later on that fight is something lee and veda can bond over

junebugjo

Certainly the fact that her ailment can’t easily be cured by someone else is a motivation for Dani to stay with Sterling

mathtans

Or maybe Dani also has mind powers and can tell that Veda's not being real sincere or something.

Superjustinbros

Hello Junebug~

lightlybow

Something the future script will touch on is whether the Cure is more important than the Person. If their physical health should be prized over their emotional well-being

RebelVampire

that sounds deep

ShaRose49

Hmm. I don’t know I wonder if Lee and Veda will start to like each other. Probably not but they do have some things in common

junebugjo

I really want them to(edited)

ShaRose49

What good is emotional well-being if you’re sick as a dog? You need a combination of both I guess

junebugjo

I desperately need them to be begrudging friends / partners in crime

ShaRose49

Haha

mathtans

He is a chick magnet. (That was a good line.)

Superjustinbros

Good one Math

RebelVampire

i feel like before lee and veda can get along they need to have a huge fight. like get all their reservations an stuff out in the open air. cause at the moment the entire relationship is kind of soured by veda's emotional blackmail

lightlybow

Yeah as it stands there's not much room for "getting along"

Superjustinbros

Yeah, that there's pretty twisted

junebugjo

I’m just a big sucker for characters like Veda esp if she goes through some good ol character development

lightlybow

wink wonk

RebelVampire

i think of the characters veda is the most likely who's gonna grow too. cause right now shes toeing that bad guy line a bit too hard

QUESTION 4. All these super powers are caused by one thing: Sterling and his magical Anacride medicine. Why do you think Sterling developed this medicine in the first place? Does it have something to do with Ana given the number of times she’s shown when talking about the disease it cures? What is going on with Sterling currently given he refuses to let families see those in his treatment program? Are there some sort of detrimental side effects he can’t control, or is something else afoot? Do you believe he can fix everything, or are the powers and other side effects now permanent? Also, what do you think happened to him that landed him in the hospital during one flashback? Finally, what does all this mean for Ben given that he has metal dangerously embedded in his head? Are Ben’s powers really caused by a brief exposure to the medicine, and will this journey change him in some way?

Superjustinbros

Character development makes the world go round

junebugjo

Ana could have the disease

Also is the uh medicine named after her

I feel like he could be desperate to find her a permanent and less detrimental cure so he goes through others not caring what happens to them so he can save Ana ?

RebelVampire

omg

i never connected ana's name was in the word anacride

junebugjo

I just now saw it capitalized and was like ???? Maybe ????

lightlybow

DING DING DING

junebugjo

Do I win a prize

Lol

lightlybow

Yes you get a pigeon. Here

junebugjo

I will take good care of him

Superjustinbros

Aww

RebelVampire

thatd be a sad approach is sterling was using everyone else to test the medicine before testing it on ana, assuming shes a victim. but now im wondering if maybe she isnt a victim. maybe she helped make the medicine but she had a falling out with sterling and now sterling hopes that if he makes the medicine succeed ana will love him again

Superjustinbros

Maybe

junebugjo

I feel like Ana has some dark side to her

mathtans

Okay, back, mostly. Oh, good call on the naming! Didn't register that.

junebugjo

Like she at least a little bit fudges the lines when it comes to pharmaceutical experimentation but wouldn’t go as far as sterling would idk

mathtans

Remember there was that flashback scene where Ana was actually helping Sterling due to his heart problem or whatever. I think maybe SHE developed the medicine, and Sterling's trying to perfect it for her.

So I guess similar to the "love me again" idea.

Except maybe it's just in her memory.

'You will be the last victim of this disease'...

RebelVampire

well tbf, the only viewpoints weve had of ana are those from ppl who love her in some capacity. so to them ana is probably an angel. so her having a dark side would not surprise me at all cause nobody is perfect an all that jazz

and yeah i considered that too, math. that this could just be a "last victim of the disease" sort of thing

mathtans

Ana is actually an NPC in the story.

She hands out the quests.

As a pigeon.

RebelVampire

its a good thing they have ben. he will figure out you have to accept the pigeon quests in order to progress the story

Superjustinbros

I shall do that o_ o\

Give me all them challenges

lightlybow

The clues were there all along. There she is, pigeon # 62

mathtans

Yeah, some of the "deluded Ben" stuff when Lee first found him was amusing. I'm glad it didn't become an overlong gag though.

lightlybow

http://pigeoncomic.com/post/162180122762/the-horror

Superjustinbros

For a sec I thought those were bats

mathtans

Speaking of amusing things - I liked some of the little background naming things. Like the diner that had been crossed out and it's like "Al's now" or whatever. Or the donut box saying to drink juice.

lightlybow

I'm so happy you noticed

mathtans

My favourite was the self defence book. "This convenient book is going to show you how not to get punched in the face".

Superjustinbros

The best kind of book

lightlybow

And in Ben's apartment there's a statue of Han Solo with the words "_ shot first" and the name is covered

mathtans

I think it also had a picture of the Matrix in it or something.

junebugjo

THATS MY FAVE

the Han statue

mathtans

Ahh, I interpreted that as "Han" (the statue) "shot first".

lightlybow

Oh I see!

mathtans

Probably why Ben's roommate moved out. A Star Wars disagreement.

lightlybow

Anyway I'm glad you guys enjoy the stupid jokes in the flavor text

junebugjo

I almost walked out of watching a new hope bc my friends all said exactly the opposite of who I think shot first

Superjustinbros

Always fun when the author sneaks in background gags/jokes

lightlybow

OMG

mathtans

I wonder what's in the van. Like, is it more of the drug? Could they actually analyze it before they do the run? (Though, they probably don't have time for that.)

RebelVampire

i assumed it was more of the drug

although

that begs the question of how its made

cause youd think sterling would make the drug in his lab

mathtans

Maybe he outsources.

junebugjo

Maybe ingredience

mathtans

Right, just gotta mix it with fructose.

lightlybow

The drug needs to go through a special process of pressurization and maturation before it's viable... so Sterling designs the drug but no one knows if it will work for a few weeks until they test it

mathtans

It's important to be mature about such things.

lightlybow

pun game on point

mathtans

Oh, nice detail about Lee's card being demagnetized btw. Hadn't occurred to me.

Poor guy.

lightlybow

In that pigeon comic it's implied that he keeps breaking watches too. It's really inconvenient!

Superjustinbros

Well, I guess it's almsot the end

RebelVampire

having magnetic powers sounds like all kinds of trouble. cant take him camping cause hell throw off the compasses. although you could use him to hold metal screws for you without them getting lost

mathtans

Right! I remember noticing that. Guess it does make it easier to fall off the grid.

Superjustinbros

In that case cya, and thanks for the great reads, @lightlybow

It was great metting ya.

mathtans

I wonder if Ben will compare him to Magneto.

junebugjo

He should

ShaRose49

I wonder what Dina!s gonna be like she looks like she could be a sweet but tortured soul

lightlybow

Great meeting you too @Superjustinbros !!

ShaRose49

He already did compare Lee to Magneto!

I remember he said “You totally Magnetoed him”

mathtans

I am clearly not paying enough attention. Must have read it as magnetized. It makes sense given his Marvel references.

lightlybow

Omg rebel I just imagined Veda sticking screws to Lee's face like "Here, hold this"

ShaRose49

Omgosh

mathtans

I could see that.

Anyway, definitely pulling for Lee. Guy can't seem to catch a break. Hope his mental demons are appeased.

lightlybow

Me too, buddy. Me too

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

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

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

Sae’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cottonart

Sae’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/lightlybow

Comic Tea Party- Thursday Book Club

Next week’s Thursday Book Club will be about Skeletons in the Closet by Niah. For participants, you have the next week to read as much of the comic as you would like~! We hope to see you on Thursday, November 15th, from 5PM to 7PM PST for the chat in #thursday_bookclub!

Comic’s Main Site: https://tapas.io/series/Skeletons-in-the-Closet

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #book club #bookclub #webcomic book club #webcomic bookclub #comic tea party #ctp #anacrine complex #sae

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comicteaparty · 6 years ago

Text

September 13th, 2018 CTP Archive

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

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

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

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

Shen

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

aliceapproved

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

saetje

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

Kabocha

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

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

Shen

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

Tenor | Shinavar

Flasher, I'd say

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

a book nerd with street smarts

Kabocha

Veil has no time for any of these Shenanigans

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

he's amazing

aliceapproved

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

Superjustinbros

Hello!

RebelVampire

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

saetje

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

Shen

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

aliceapproved

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

Shen

EXCELLENt design

Superjustinbros

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

aliceapproved

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

Kabocha

Yesssss!

mathtans

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

Kabocha

It was!

Superjustinbros

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

aliceapproved

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

mathtans

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

Jess

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

Kabocha

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

Jess

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Superjustinbros

wow that is some really good lgithing

Jess

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

RebelVampire

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

mathtans

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

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

Tenor | Shinavar

GASP I MISSED THAT

OMG I LOVE IT

Jess

Yaaaaay!!

RebelVampire

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

aliceapproved

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

saetje

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

RebelVampire

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

mathtans

It's the Wraith of Khan.

Shen

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

Superjustinbros

hehee

Kabocha

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

1 app a week

Shen

UGH hes so cute when hes sad XD

Tenor | Shinavar

and it's like: HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-

mathtans

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

Tenor | Shinavar

istg I relate to Veil the entire job process lmao

Kabocha

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

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

RebelVampire

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

mathtans

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

RebelVampire

weep so dang much

mathtans

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

Kabocha

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

saetje

@Tenor | Shinavar AH! Someone noticed that!

Superjustinbros

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

saetje

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

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

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

Jess

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

RebelVampire

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

Jess

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

aliceapproved

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

Shen

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

aliceapproved

Veil is so clean haha!

Kabocha

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

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

i really liked gemini's haunted mascara

saetje

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

Kabocha

Although maybe that's the magic of the circus

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

or maSCAREa

mathtans

I grinned at it being one of the flying types.

Tenor | Shinavar

Ooooh that's fair, and a good point.

mathtans

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

saetje

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

omg ants too

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

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

saetje

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

Tenor | Shinavar

Yeah~

aliceapproved

OMG

Kabocha

I could do without the flying insects aaaaaaaa

aliceapproved

gEmini and Veil on social media haha!

Shen

i bet Gemini is a memelord

Jess

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Oooou~!

Jess

She is definitely a memelord Hahahah I love that

saetje

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

aliceapproved

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

Shen

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

RebelVampire

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

in regards to the social media thing

mathtans

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

aliceapproved

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

Also, Veil posts moody aesthetic boards

Shen

aliceapproved

"Juggling is not a garbage job" :V

saetje

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

I'm loving these thoughts on it!

mathtans

Clever play on Barnum & Bailey, by the way.

Jess

Thanks!!

RebelVampire

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

mathtans

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

Kabocha

Foxes are tricksters, so I mean

aliceapproved

Kitsunes!

Tenor | Shinavar

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

mathtans

'Tis true.

Jess

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

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

aliceapproved

YEAH!! GEMINI GET OUTTA THERE

Jess

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

mathtans

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

Shen

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

Jess

Right!?

saetje

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

mathtans

Maybe there was a chainsaw off panel.

saetje

hahahaha

Kabocha

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

(of the chapter, anyway)

Tenor | Shinavar

yeeees

Jess

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

mathtans

The foxes are actually out of work actors.

saetje

oh god.

Mathtan you figured it out

noooo

Jess

Yesssss

aliceapproved

I misread that as "work out" actors LOL

Tenor | Shinavar

choke

saetje

oh even better

Tenor | Shinavar

Explains why they are trying to start their own circus

aliceapproved

LOL "Get BUFF with JUGGLING"

Shen

LOL

mathtans

Appearing next in the Big Top - Jazzercize.

Tenor | Shinavar

WHEEZE

saetje

Possessed Scary Circus Zumba

Shen

Crossfit but its clowns

Jess

That’s terrifying

Tenor | Shinavar

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

RebelVampire

i would pay to see clowns doing crossfit

saetje

now tHAT'S a million dollar comic idea, Shen

or idea in general, yes

aliceapproved

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

Shen

yeah same, im sure its planned but im interested

RebelVampire

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

Shen

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

aliceapproved

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

Shen

no friends its just his mom

saetje

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

Kabocha

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

Shen

SAETJE THATS SO SAD XD

RebelVampire

well now you made it sad. XD

Kabocha

@saetje oh noooooooooooooooooooooo

aliceapproved

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

Kabocha

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

RebelVampire

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

Shen

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

mathtans

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

aliceapproved

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

so it looks for vulnerable ppl imo

mathtans

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

Jess

That’s how I do too

saetje

BRB faking trance to get out of cab faire

aliceapproved

To heck with fantasy Uber and Lyft!

Kabocha

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

saetje

hahaha

RebelVampire

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

aliceapproved

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

Shen

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Kabocha

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

aliceapproved

^^^^

Tenor | Shinavar

Not exactly but def a bait, in some way

Kabocha

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

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

<_< I figured it was all pretty figurative

Tenor | Shinavar

True true

RebelVampire

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

aliceapproved

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

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

mathtans

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

Alice: Oh, I like that.

Tenor | Shinavar

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

aliceapproved

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

mathtans

Rebel: To recharge?

Tenor | Shinavar

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

aliceapproved

^^^

Jess

Ahahaha consensual death is the best ... death?

aliceapproved

For lawyers, yES!

mathtans

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

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

thats how it be sometimes

aliceapproved

Law & Order with VEIL

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Shen

JKRFJGJHMHG LMAO!!!

saetje

omg @tenor hahaha

mathtans

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

saetje

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Kabocha

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

Tenor | Shinavar

YES

Jess

Yessss

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

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

Tenor | Shinavar

He has a pocket just for his books

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

all 2k of them

saetje

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

Jess

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

Tenor | Shinavar

OMG YES PLZ

DO IT

aliceapproved

OMG PLS DO THAT

Tenor | Shinavar

AS A PARENT IT'S A NECESSITY wheeeeeeeeeze

aliceapproved

pockets are THE BEST

imagine a pocket dimension!

This world gets better and better! Minus the creepy circuses

Jess

Right

Hehehe

mathtans

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

Jess

Nooooo worst dimension

Kabocha

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

saetje

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

Tenor | Shinavar

New def to clown car

Kabocha

matth whyyy

Tenor | Shinavar

Kabo: My shipping side if he finds it endearing

Exhausting but endearing

saetje

wellp, clowns ruined it

RebelVampire

i do applaud veil's sheer patience

Kabocha

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

RebelVampire

but i do assume the blushing is more than just blushing

Tenor | Shinavar

CON GRATS REBEL

YOU DID IT

Jess

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

Shen

nice~

mathtans

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

Kabocha

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

Shen

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

Jess

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

Tenor | Shinavar

I keep getting little hints Veil at least Likes her.

Kabocha

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

RebelVampire

i think there is some of that yes

Tenor | Shinavar

But doesn't push it

RebelVampire

wait veil has bad traits?

i dont accept this

Tenor | Shinavar

No he doesn't

don't listen to them

shh

Shen

no, veil is perfect

Kabocha

Veil's afraid of bugs....

mathtans

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

Tenor | Shinavar

aliceapproved

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

RebelVampire

being afraid of bugs is a good trait

Jess

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

RebelVampire

bugs carry disease

Tenor | Shinavar

But is he afraid of bugs

or the fact they can catch shit on fire

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

like his books

aliceapproved

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

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

tenor raises a good point

Shen

thats more "quirky" than a character flaw lol

like "clumsy" girls XD

Kabocha

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

Shen

these ship goggles dont come off

Kabocha

Several people are typing...

aliceapproved

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

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

Kabocha

Yesh!

Shen

aye

aliceapproved

Gotta take turns!

RebelVampire

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

as a character arc

Tenor | Shinavar

But books are fun

Work is fun

saetje

well but organization is fun

RebelVampire

although i do wanna know now who veil is calling

and what he does with his not gemini friends

Tenor | Shinavar

RESPONSIBILITY

aliceapproved

Yeah, that's definitely something I see with Veil

Tenor | Shinavar

Just what the dr ordered

RebelVampire

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

Jess

Oh! It’s a dial tone

RebelVampire

gotta learn to tweet those memes back

saetje

hahaha

Tenor | Shinavar

lmaaao

Shen

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

aliceapproved

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

They need to work together

Tenor | Shinavar

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

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

mathtans

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

RebelVampire

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

aliceapproved

Does Veil have a hard time making decisions?

Shen

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

mathtans

Alice: Not if blueberries are involved.

aliceapproved

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

Jess

Ahahaha

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Jess

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

mathtans

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

Tenor | Shinavar

^Same

She's irresponsible but not in a malicious way

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

aliceapproved

Yeah, that's definitely it ^^

mathtans

Tenor: She killed a dragon.

aliceapproved

I never thought of her as "mean"

Tenor | Shinavar

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

I said someone

Not thing

Kabocha

Gemini is Dovahkiin now lol

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

Difference ;)

RebelVampire

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

mathtans

Fair.

aliceapproved

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

Jess

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

Without making her irredeemable

Draco Plato

yeah she's definitely still likeable

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Free spirit, I think is a good desc?

mathtans

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

saetje

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

aliceapproved

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

saetje

no one's free when they teach Clown Jazzercise

RebelVampire

those poor foxes. gemini is actually doing them a service

mathtans

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

Kabocha

Pffff

Tenor | Shinavar

Oooh. <.< Good q

aliceapproved

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

Kabocha

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

mathtans

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

aliceapproved

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

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

that means you have a scorpion in the circus

Shen

"the twins" the foxes...

Jess

Ahahaha yesssss

saetje

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

aliceapproved

DUN DUN DUUUN

Shen

PS im a Gemini~

Jess

Me tooooo!! Yesssss

Are you also plagued by fox clowns out of work

Kabocha

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

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

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

Shen

sweet im gonna name my next character Sagittarius

Kabocha

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

aliceapproved

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

mathtans

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

Tenor | Shinavar

kjdhaskj

Kabocha

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

Shen

LOL

Tenor | Shinavar

Kabo: Yeeeeees

Jess

She’s two fishes

saetje

Pisces

aliceapproved

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

My sister's two fish, too XD

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

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

i see a theme here

Tenor | Shinavar

I really wanna see Gemini work for Death now hhh-

aliceapproved

OMG

Yes haha!

Maybe a temp job that doesn't work out somehow

Kabocha

Twist: Death only claims dead plants

Tenor | Shinavar

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

mathtans

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

Kabocha

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

RebelVampire

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

saetje

haha so true

XDD

Tenor | Shinavar

WELL I MEAN

she just have to give death her soul

it's never said when

mathtans

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

Tenor | Shinavar

oh god

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

RebelVampire

death better be a fan of soul music

saetje

you've split this concept wide open Maths

Shen

the sole of this shoe

Tenor | Shinavar

Shen NO

Shen

saetje

SHEN YES

Jess

Yessss

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

That's Death's brother, Reaper.

mathtans

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

Jess

Awwww!! Thanks so much

Tenor | Shinavar

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

RebelVampire

the shoe in the dragon part was foreshadowing

aliceapproved

Yeah!

Tenor | Shinavar

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

saetje

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

Jess

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

aliceapproved

You guys nailed it

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

Tenor | Shinavar

Rejeced? D:

Jess

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

RebelVampire

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

saetje

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

mathtans

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

Shen

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

aliceapproved

SAME SHEN!!!

A big confrontation scene!

I can feel it coming

Veil finally calling out Gemini

I can only imagine the emotions!

Kabocha

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

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

RebelVampire

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

RebelVampire

although i think the confrontation is coming

saetje

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

aliceapproved

Or maybe "not speaking" terms atm

RebelVampire

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

saetje

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

Kabocha

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

Tenor | Shinavar

Rbeel: Oooooh, that can be true too

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

SOME chaos is good but what is his limit.

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

aliceapproved

Veil's very much overprotective

Tenor | Shinavar

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

aliceapproved

Yeah, like filling out applications is FuN???

Kabocha

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

mathtans

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

Kabocha

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

aliceapproved

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

saetje

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

mathtans

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

saetje

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

Kabocha

He's basically trying to herd her lol

saetje

yes like a little sheep dog lol

aliceapproved

Yeah!

Tenor | Shinavar

OOOH OKAY

I getcha now lol

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

laskdjKLSDFJ

Jess

Lmao

saetje

omg

Tenor | Shinavar

Don't insult my son like that

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

Shen

LOL

aliceapproved

He's a GOOD SON!

saetje

oommg haha

aliceapproved

I love him!

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

veil is a good boi

aliceapproved

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

Bless this sensitive boy!

Kabocha

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Jess

Guys. It’s the nose isn’t it

Tenor | Shinavar

omg someone draw me Veil getting carried off by gemini plz

Jess

He can do no wrong with a face so right

mathtans

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

Tenor | Shinavar

That's exactly it Jess

saetje

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

Tenor | Shinavar

kaisdjfKHJDSF

I mean he is such a stiff

saetje

@mathtans definitely a huge Spock influence!

aliceapproved

OMG BASEBALL BAT

RebelVampire

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

Shen

PFFFFF

RebelVampire

then gemini asks who spock is

aliceapproved

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

mathtans

Gemini to Wraith: "Dammit Bones!"

RebelVampire

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

it was a great visual gag

aliceapproved

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

Jess

Lol me too

saetje

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

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

Tenor | Shinavar

Jess

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

Tenor | Shinavar

reating yourself is importaaant

I LOVE THEIR DYNAMIC AND AM HYPED FOR MORE

mathtans

Their dynamic is mezzoforte.

saetje

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

I appreciate your thoughts!

aliceapproved

Yes! They're a great duo!

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

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

mathtans

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

Jess

That means so much to hear!

Tenor | Shinavar

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

aliceapproved

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

saetje

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

and yes! Webtoons has done well for us too

Kabocha

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

thank you for having both options!

Jess

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

aliceapproved

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

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

RebelVampire

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

saetje

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

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

It's muchly appreciated too <33

RebelVampire

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Superjustinbros

I'm back!

Shen

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

mathtans

They're paste gems.

aliceapproved

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

Superjustinbros

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Superjustinbros

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

mathtans

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

Tenor | Shinavar

omg math

saetje

omg

Superjustinbros

@mathtans

mathtans

Tear-able idea, I know.

Jess

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

Superjustinbros

oooo

saetje

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

Tenor | Shinavar

Oooh~! <3

saetje

but basically what @Jess said

Superjustinbros

Did someone say, animated series?

Jess

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

aliceapproved

That's a really good point, a Journey!

Jess

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

aliceapproved

Also mythology is SO GOSH DANG GOOD

mathtans

I thought that was a clever play on words.

aliceapproved

I love all the mythical creature references!

Jess

And plus—- all this myth jokes Hahahaha

saetje

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

Superjustinbros

Seconding mythology

and wow, that's quite impressive!

mathtans

Wouldn't want to myth out.

saetje

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

Jess

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

aliceapproved

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

Jess

Me too!!

aliceapproved

and your animated ad was BEAUTIFUL

saetje

same @aliceapproved !

and thank you!

aliceapproved

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

mathtans

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

RebelVampire

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

aliceapproved

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

Jess

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

aliceapproved

You guys totally do!

RebelVampire

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

Jess

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

aliceapproved

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

saetje

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

Superjustinbros

lol

Tenor | Shinavar

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

mathtans

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

RebelVampire

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

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

saetje

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

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

Shen

give me werewolves

ill give you a dollar

Tenor | Shinavar

brb

mathtans

Magical dishwasher.

aliceapproved

VERY GOOD

mathtans

Do they have flying cars?

RebelVampire

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

and unicorns

aliceapproved

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

And yes, PLEASE griffins, unicorns, and minotaurs

saetje

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

Superjustinbros

Unicorns, you say?

~~suddenly thinking about centaurs~

aliceapproved

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

Human tale must be so boring to them XD

It's like OUR world, but NO MAGIC

oh wait, they're horror stories

saetje

^^ yes

mathtans

Is Gemini actually a magical girl?

saetje

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

Shen

magical girls are my jaaaaaaaaaaam

RebelVampire

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

i actually hope the gemini veil fight happens

Superjustinbros

What does the transformation sequence look like

RebelVampire

so we can see gemini's home

that sounds amazing

Superjustinbros

I must know

mathtans

Gemini is a duck?

saetje

how did you know?

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

a WHAT

Jess

Nooooo you figured it out

aliceapproved

I wanna meet Gemini's mom haha!

I've seen the art but gosh

or Veil interacting with them

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

mathtans

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

Jess

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

mathtans

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

Jess

“Accidentally”

I love that

We need to rewrite the next episode stat

mathtans

He meant to shoot Gemini but Veil protected her.

saetje

um YEAH Math is going to be our new head writer

awww

mathtans

aliceapproved

LOL

Superjustinbros

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

saetje

omg agree

aliceapproved

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

Superjustinbros

mind blown from the idea of a Math/SJB production

puns and jokes and visual gags everywhere

RebelVampire

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

mathtans

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

Superjustinbros

lol

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

mathtans

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

Superjustinbros

Gemini's uncle?

aliceapproved

Gemini's grunkle?

Shen

My dad? your dad?

saetje

hahaha, Uncle Saggitarius, Auntie Pisces...

aliceapproved

OMG

Jess

All dads

Superjustinbros

OMG

aliceapproved

HAHA!!! Great idea!

Superjustinbros

I dunno why but i always caught onto the name Saggitarius

Shen

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

mathtans

Gemini could have two moms for all we know.

saetje

LORD

Superjustinbros

and it's totally not because I love centaurs

mathtans

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

aliceapproved

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

Shen

RebelVampire

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

Shen

Veil is her dad confirmed

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

Superjustinbros

daww

Shen

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

Superjustinbros

lmao

Jess

Are... you here with us

Superjustinbros

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

aliceapproved

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

Shen

LMAO

mathtans

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

saetje

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

Jess

But honestly this has been so inspiring

Shen

oh even better!

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Superjustinbros

Daww, that's cute! (edited)

also WB!

Tenor | Shinavar

THaaaaank

Superjustinbros

np~

brb for a sec

mathtans

Wendigos is scary stuff. O.o

Tenor | Shinavar

Yes they are

saetje

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

Tenor | Shinavar

But also like, one of my favorites so-

That's fair!

RebelVampire

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

mathtans

Wendigone.

Shen

that eliminates vampires, too....

RebelVampire

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

aliceapproved

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

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

Jess

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

Tenor | Shinavar

Y R U MEAN TO THAT CHILD REBEl

omg

oMG

plz

Jess

I mean —-

mathtans

Oh, phoenixes are fun.

aliceapproved

Phoenix chicks!!!

Tenor | Shinavar

"We sell Hyumahn meat"

aliceapproved

Little baby Phoenixes pls haha!

Shen

phoenix lady dating a merman

aliceapproved

Fresh from death!

I mean Rebirth!

mathtans

Jess: I got that.

Sassy twitter extra.

saetje

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

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

aliceapproved

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

Shen

i just love how he knew how defeat the kappa lol

mathtans

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

Shen

BOOO MATH XD

saetje

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

RebelVampire

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

Tenor | Shinavar

AWH

Yes plz sphinx bby

RebelVampire

i bet veil has some great existential riddles

mathtans

Aw, those are cute drawings.

aliceapproved

AAAAWW

Shen

GOSH

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Shen

SLEEPY VEIL MELTING MY HEART

Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself

OMG CUTEEEEEEE

Kabocha

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

aliceapproved

Your sketches are SO GOOD

mathtans

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

aliceapproved

Your guys' ideas are SO GOOD

saetje

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

I'll mail them out Math!

Jess

The pastries were there all along. In your heart

aliceapproved

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

saetje

yes! Just like the roach comic

Jess

Yup!

aliceapproved

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

saetje

we plan to do little minis between bigger arcs

aliceapproved

YEAH!

Tenor | Shinavar

Sweet! :D

Jess

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

Tenor | Shinavar

Exciiiiiited

mathtans

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

RebelVampire

good luck math~!

Jess

Best!! And thanks for stopping by!!

saetje

thanks for coming Math! Best wishes

aliceapproved

Bye, Math!!!

Tenor | Shinavar

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

BYE MATH

saetje

oh that's a really good question Tenor!

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

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

Superjustinbros

Oooh!

That's interesting~

also bye Math

saetje

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

Jess

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

saetje

yeah good point Jess

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Jess

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

Yeah that too!!

RebelVampire

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

Superjustinbros

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

saetje

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

whitneyandcompany

Hi! Love the comic

Tenor | Shinavar

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

saetje

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

Hi @whitneyandcompany thank yoouu

Jess

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

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

ugh ilu for the mobile love lol

Superjustinbros

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

aliceapproved

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

Tenor | Shinavar

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

saetje

thanks @Superjustinbros have a good night!

aliceapproved

Maybe you could have 3 panels per page if printed?

Tenor | Shinavar

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

Superjustinbros

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

saetje

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

Kabocha

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

Superjustinbros

And cya to you as well, @Jess.

Jess

Awwww thanks!!

Kabocha

Thank you for creating an amazing comic. :3

Superjustinbros

Anytime!

RebelVampire

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

Superjustinbros

Tenor | Shinavar

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

saetje

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

RebelVampire

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

whitneyandcompany

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

aliceapproved

Thank you for making such an inspirational and gorgeous comic!

Jess

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

aliceapproved

I always look forward to your updates!

Superjustinbros

In that case, cya everyone!

aliceapproved

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

saetje

oommmg @whitneyandcompany , thank you

Shen

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

Jess

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

Superjustinbros

Glad to hear~

saetje

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

Shen

GOSH <3

saetje

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

aliceapproved

You guys are amazing and I love your work

Tenor | Shinavar

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

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

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

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

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

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

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

Comic Tea Party- Thursday Book Club

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

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

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

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #book club #bookclub #comic book club #comic bookclub #webcomic book club #webcomic bookclub #comic tea party #ctp #gemini journey #tracy maclauchlan #yesenia carrero

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