#I'm a very “send it to print and learn from it later” kinda guy when it comes to my personal projects lol

[a2zillustration]

I wanted the culmination of this project for me to be pretend screenshots of some interactions with Hambone, visual novel style. I scripted a handful of things, which I'll be posting in batches! If I were a truly ambitious person I would've made this animated or playable but,

I am not. :)

RPG NPC OC Project

[candy-corps]

Valentines

Jess belongs to @mygardenofmuses

Damien didn’t think of Valentines as a big deal. It was a holiday for couples and he and Jess weren’t, so there was nothing big to celebrate. He knew it was a deal for her though, so he slipped the unsigned card - addressed to Jess - into the ‘Jones’ mailbox. It was a simple envelope and a simple card, just reading 'I DON’T DISLIKE YOU’ in capital letters. Because as he was thinking closely about it, he got cold feet, cut out some letters from newspaper headlines and stuck them on the card so she wouldn’t recognize his writing. Relieved with nothing leading back to him - not even finger prints cause he’d been careful - he was on his way home again, happy and content.

Jess was very surprised when she found the card on the mailbox some time later. Knowing Kerberous, she knew her mom’s boyfriend wasn’t the kind of guy to do Valentines cards. No, Kerberous was more of big parties in the underworld, really expensive gifts and generally ancient ways written all over his actions. And her mother hadn’t received more letters from fans for a while…

So that left open the possibility that the card wasn’t addressed at her mother at all. Plus the writing… Not disliking? Hiding writing under newspaper letters? It seemed like a thing certain bat would do…

She took out her cellphone and began to type a text. A new idea was taking shape in her mind.

[text] Hey Damien, are you busy today? I need your help to resolve a mystery!

He was about to enter the door to the house when Jess’ message arrived. Oh? That was sooner than expected …

[What kind of mystery?] he asked back, not telling yet if he was busy or not.

[ I found a mysteryous card in my mailbox. Do you want to help me to find out who sent it? I think I have some clues already… But I’d need the help of an expert, and you were the first coming to mind. ] Jess laughed a bit while typing that. This would be a fun way to enjoy the chessiest holiday of the year!

Damien didn’t keep going, but also didn’t head back, just yet. He just stood there in his thick jacket and stared at the screen.

[Is it so important who send it?]

That went through as a casual question, right? It would be hard to balance the line between suspiciously caring and suspiciously not caring at all. He had a free day though - aside from learning and training and helping his dad - and he planned for it to not go all that smooth. He was curious if she’s been happy about it…

[ Why yes, of course! Sending a card in this day is a BIG DEAL! I never received a Valentines card before… If someone likes me, I must know who is that person~ ]

His reaction already said it all, but Jess was having a lot of fun with this. She kinda wanted to give him a hug, maybe an extra kiss to thank him for the card, but that would have to wait. She wanted to hang out with him first. That wouldn’t be a date, right? Because they were best friends. Still… the idea of hanging out with him on this made her blush.

Oh, was that so. Damien scratched his head while he read the new message. ‘If someone likes me’ she said. He didn’t say that … ? Not like it wasn’t true, but it was nothing he did say per se.

[I'm on my way. Should I bring some ice cream?] It wasn’t quite the season for ice cream just yet, but it was a sunny day and he knew there was a stand near the building that Jess lived in.  

[ Sure! Ice cream is always great! And maybe in the way you can already search for clues! ]

Jess got up and put her phone in her pocket. Elton rubbed itself against her legs and she smiled a little. “Don’t worry, Elton. We don’t need to go out to find out who sent it… I’m just going to play along a little, hehehe!”

Him searching for clues turned out to be checking the footprints near the mailbox - a thing he was more than okay with. Because once he was there and has been ‘checking’, there already was an excuse for his footprints to be nearby. Truly, there was no reason to worry, and he could just enjoy a free day with Jess.

About half an hour later, Damien sneaked through the front door and rang the bell to Jess’ place. He already ‘checked’ the ground as promised. Now all of the prints were smeared up and not to make out. Pity.

In his hands, he held two cups with ice cream, wrapped in thin paper. He didn’t have to ask Jess which kind she wanted - he had a feeling that once he picked the most embarassing combination imaginable, it would be all alright.

“I’m coming!” Jess went to open the door for him. She was wearing a nice white dress, with a heart brooch decorating it on one side. She wanted to look her prettiest in such special day. After all, it was the first time someone sent her something for Valentines day - better to reward his eyes, right?

“Hey Damien! So good to see you! Please come in! Did you find any footprints that could tell us who was the mysteryous person sending the Valentines card?”

‘Mysterious person’ is what they were gonna call him - Damien meant to ask, that was, when he wasn’t way too busy frowning at Jess at the time. It was Jess, but something was … OFF. She wasn’t wearing pink - Any pink or shade of it.

“I brought you this” he said instead and pushed the still wrapped ice cream in her hands to hold it for him. He guessed they’d inspect the card first of all things, therefore he’d rather loose his jacket; hence, needed his hands free.

She noticed his frown and chuckled a little. “Thought it would be nice to give you a break from all the pink I usually wear.” she giggled, giving him a playful nudge.

“And thanks! So nice of you.” she added, picking up the ice cream. “I left the card on the table of the living room. Mom went on a date with her boyfriend so it’s just us right now. You can check it, if you want. I trust you.”

Why was she saying that she trusted him now of all times? Was she implying that he couldn’t be trusted? Not trusting this yet, Damien stored the jacket and went ahead, letting her figure out which cup of ice cream was for her. Either the mint and vanilla … or the one with raspberry, cream and red sprinkles.

“To answer your question” he started, walking ahead and talking loud enough for her to hear since there was no one to be considerate for, “Um … Seems mystery guy knows how to hide his tracks. Have you considered he doesn’t want you to find out?” he asked, picking up the card he made not all that long ago. Now his finger prints were on it … a shame.

“If he didn’t want me to find out, he wouldn’t have sent me anything to begin with.” Jess walked after him and rested her chin on his shoulder, looking at the card again. It was really hard not to give up on the game now and tell him the truth, but if they finished it now it wouldn’t be half as fun.

“Notice how he was so careful to cut all those letters and arrange them. I think we should start looking for magazines and newspapers, not only in the building, but in the whole neighborhood. Maybe someone saw something, or perhaps we can find remains in the trash. Any clues could help.”

“He so badly wants you to know, he used at least three different kinds of newspapers to not give away his handwriting … ?” Damien mentioned, hopefully not giving something away she didn’t figure out by herself yet.

“Let’s have ice cream, and then play detectives” he suggested, putting the card down again. He knew what it said, after all.

“Really? Three different kinds? What a good observation! You’re so smart, Damien!” Jess leaned back and handed him his ice cream, while she was ninnling at her own.

“We can go downstairs and see if we can find the remains of those newspapers. Who knows, maybe he isn’t too far away, either!”

“You think he’d done it here? Or lives here?” Damien wondered, not intending to go down just yet. Instead, he sat down on one of the chairs, sinking the plastic spoon in the just slightly melted cream. He didn’t like sweet things all that much, but every now and then and in good company, it was something else entirely.

“You don’t already happen to have a spuspect… ” he wondered, all calm. She’d not believe he came back to the crime scene just like that in case it was him, did she.

“Suspects? What suspects?” That was the quickest way to avoid answering a question that would push her to lie if she wanted to continue the game.

“There isn’t any other kids living in this building except me, so… Either it was an old man with a creepy liking for young girls, or a kid of the neighborhood. There’s a few kids living in the buildings surrounding mine, so it could be anyone. We’ll just have to go downstairs and see if we can find remains of those newspapers.” she added, winking him an eye, and gave another lick to her ice cream. “C’mon! Adventure is out there~!”

Yeah, but he just arrived and has been walking the distance between here and his dad’s place … twice! Not that he could tell her about it, or show …

“Okay.” He shouldn’t be so mean and not do her the favor. He knew there were just that many opportunities for her to leave the house without someone someone to stick nearby. He pulled up the hood of his sweater to cover his ears and got up again; just wondering if he should store the card or not.

Jess picked up the card and placed it into the pocket of her brown coat, which had that pocket close to her heart. Brown over white, she almost seemed a walking chocolate figurine with rosy cheeks and the biggest smile.

“I’m ready! Let’s go!”

“Alright.” Hey, thinking of … maybe that non pink attitude was a good thing today. He didn’t want anyone fron their school to see them out together - especially on a day like this - but with her and him camouflaged, just maybe, it wouldn’t be that bad? It took Damien just a second to put his jacket back on; storing the ice cream on a low table meanwhile.

“Got your keys?” he asked, once ready to go. Not that they couldn’t break back in, but they could also easily avoid it.

“Yes, these are my keys!” she said, showing him the card that both her mother and her used to open the door of the apartment. She saved it in the pocket of her coat as well. It was then when she noticed a black hat on the coat rack. Probably her uncle had forgotten it there a few days ago.

“If we’re going to play detectives, we’ll have to look like some. Here, put this hat on, Damien Holmes. And I’ll be Jess Watson. Now we’re ready to go!”

When it made her happy … he didn’t really mind. Yet, Damien huffed as he turned the hat once in his hands. “Shouldn’t you be Sherlock?” he wondered out loud. After all I’m just a bystander who got dragged into this … “

He raised the hat, ready to put it on her head when she would allow him to.

“Well, if you want me to be Sherlock, I gladly accept~!”

Jess made a playful bow and lowered her head so Damien could put the hat on her head, giggling all the way. She was having so much fun with this! Even if she felt a bit guilty for dragging Damien around like this, she knew the reward she’d give him would make the walk worth it.

“Have a blast” he just asked from her, giving up on the hat. Well then. “Let’s go?” he guessed, smiling a little.

“Let’s go!” Jess took his hand and led the way. It wasn’t long until the two of them were in the street. The girl, with the hat nicely adjusted to the head, made her hair slightly poofy.

“Do you see any clues, Damien? A magazine, some footprints, a candy wrapper that shouldn’t be there… Every clue matters!”