#anyway yeah trying out some new procreate brushes

[thewiglesswonder]

Lamb’s fucking pissed and follower Shamura.

[thedumbguywithaheart43]

Boomlord weird adventure

Chapter 8 what time is it?

It was early morning in the omnispace void. Boomwood had gotten to the kitchen to start brewing coffee as the footsteps of a yawning purple hair woman enter the room."morning Twilight."Twilight mearly gave him a wave before sitting down. Looked at her noticing the look on her face. To be honest she looked exhausted.'ah shit'he quickly poured a shot glass of the Cuban coffee and handed it to her. She stared at the coffee for a minute."I appreciate the gesture but I doubt this is going to do much for me."good Lord gave out a chuckle."Twilight trust me this is Cuban coffee any more than this and you'll be wired."He gave out a chuckle before Twilight downed the shot, unsurprisingly her face scrunched up. This was probably the most bitter thing she ever had."bleh! Why would you drink something so bitter!"Boomlord shrugged."honestly I only drink it for the caffeine. If it helps I think I have some orange juice in the fridge."Twilight just looked down rubbing her head . Not long after the other girls walked in each of them heading into the fridge grabbing various fruits mostly apples. Pinkie pie was the only one who grabbed something else, looks like she found the flan and was in heaven."oh my Celestia this tastes so good!"At least she wasn't breaking the fourth wall again.

2 After everyone ate they all headed to the living room again."ok girls this is it we are heading to the next world. Now before I go this mission is not meant to be dangerous however the world we're entering can be a bit chaotic so be prepared for anything."The rest of the girls nodded they likely had assumed as much from the previous conversations."so where are we going anyway"dash blurted out as boom pulled out his pen."yeah I'm with Dash partner id hate to go in blind."Aj took a step forward to make her point."we're going to a place called ooo I spent a lot of time there and it's the only place I can really say I have friends anymore...."booms voice got deep as a sorrowful look overtook his face for a minute. This was enough to make Applejack back off. Twilight in particular took a mental note of this.'guess friends are a touchy subject for him.' boom grabbed his notepad An drew another circle, in the center he wrote °adventure Time 1°as always the golden electrical ring formed with a blackened middle. Boomlord jumped into the portal and when he landed his feet were on solid ground. Solid green grassy ground. He surveyed the area around him noticing he was in a grassy clear field however the ends of what looks like old nuclear bombs stuck out overtaken by the grassy plains. The girls enter next each of them still in their same outfits however 4 of the girls had notable changes to them . Twilight and rarity each had a sword at their side. Twilight sword with a sleek and purple short sword with her cutie mark on the hilt. Rarity sword on the other hand looked as if it were made of blue crystal with a white metal hilt her cutie mark also on it. Fluttershy and rainbow Dash had also had the return of their wings which Dash took this opportunity to fly up into the air a bit doing a few loops and swirls."Hell yeah I missed this!"boom couldn't help but smile."Real fly girl up there."a few of them awkwardly smile."so where's our destination?"Twilight asked giving him a quick grin knowing that he's trying his best to make everyone feel better about being in a strange world."we're going to see princess bubblegum at the Candy Kingdom."and just like that he found himself lying on the ground being pinned by pinkie pie."DID YOU SAY CANDY KINGDOM! A KINGDOM MADE OF CANDY IS THIS PLACE PARADISE O.M.C O.M.C."Twilight practically had to pry pinky off of him ."yes the entire Kingdom from the trees to the ground is made of candy including the people."He started to brush himself off as pinky smile only widen."but please don't eat the Candy people or I will probably have to stop you"pinky reluctantly nodded.

3"rainbow do you mind taking an aerial view try to find the place that looks like it's surrounded by Pink cotton candy trees.... Well because it is surrounded by Pink cotton candy trees."boom called out before stopping looking at the ground a large Shadow now loomed over them. It was Spike. All the ponies turn to look back in both shock and horror. Spike mostly remain the same with one slight difference... He was absolutely Giant. His whole body in total was about the size of a two sorry house and his wings could probably cover all of them with ease."oh yeah I forgot dragons are huge here but at least he still looks different from them normally they're just Giant tube dragons with big ass butts."The ponies/girls stared for a moment but in silent agreement they chose not to address it not that Spike would mind he was too busy checking himself out."oh crap I'm HUGE you guys look so small from up here!" It was the most adorable giant grin in the world. Rainbow decided now was a good time to take him to the air as she being flapping her wings disappearing above the clouds. Surveying the land below she was able to make out what looks like pink trees and a large structure that looked somewhat like a castle."guess that must be what I'm looking for."she kept looking around noticing in One direction was a rather large tree that almost looks like it had Windows in it and in the opposite direction she noticed tall mountains made entirely of ice."heh heh heh what do we have here"a voice from nowhere stated in a malicious tone from behind her. Is she turned to look behind her she saw a giant monster with a bat like face and long blue limbs with crooked nails.'OH SHIT'at this point rainbow Dash started nose diving down towards her friends with the creature in pursuit who was maliciously chuckling the entire way down. The rest of the group saw the creature and the girls had various reactions. Applejack rarity and Twilight look like they were getting ready to fight with rarity and Twilight pulling out their swords. Fluttershy and Pinky had decided to stick near Spike who is now using his wings to shield them.Then there was boom standing out in the open as dash passed him and he just smiled. Apon seeing him the creature stopped a look of surprise on our face."hey Marceline it's been a while"the creature began to shrink taking on a human form she had pale white skin and incredibly long black hair which reached down to her feet a simple jacket and jeans and her ,guitar-axe strapef to her back and a nice big floopy hat which covered her in a shroud of darkness. She give out a wide smile revealing her fangs before wrapping her arms around boom giving him a hug."holy glob dude!your back it's been like 4 months!"he returned the embrace from his old friend as the rest of the girls started to calm down noticing that whatever that thing was it seemed friendly at least now it did."oh that's right."he turned to the girls and dragon."everyone this is my old friend Marceline... The vampire queen"a few of the girls jaw started to drop."your freinds with a literal blood sucking vampire?"Marceline shrugged at Twilight comment."actually it's just the color I'm after."Marceline started floating on her back around them."so boom what brings you and your new friends back to ooo."Boomlord got quiet."I found it Marcy.... I found the Rose fire and they're here because Twilight here"pointing at the slightly flustered purple pony girl."is the key to everything."Marceline stopped moving for a moment the words settling in her mind."oh we need to get to the Candy Kingdom right away then."then without word Marceline started floating off towards the direction of the Kingdom and boom followed along with the girls and the giant dragon...... Yeah that might be a problem.

4 After a few hours of walking they all managed to reach the candy kingdom with Spike deciding to hide in the trees to avoid unwanted attention. Pinkie pie look like she was about to go crazy or more crazy."o.m.c so m-much candy!"she was practically foaming at the mouth."look pinky just eat the sidewalk or something just please don't start eating random people I don't want to deal with any drama today especially because we need the princess's help."the pony started walking forward into the rather nice town and to boomlord credit every building and every person was made of candy, And many candies citizens passed by. Mr cupcake crunchy punch bowl guy."wow this is actually really fascinating I can't help but wonder what they're DNA is like how do candy people procreate do they need to breathe or eat its quite fascinating"Twilight then begin rambling about a whole bunch of science jargon that boom did not know but he found himself listening to every word she spoke it wasn't until arsenaline tapped his shoulder that he snapped out of his trance."I see you found a real good friend~"she whispered in a teasing tone."w-what no she's just um cool you know for someone who was a horse the other day."Marceline rolled her eyes."horse or not you always did have a thing for a Smart ones~."boom felt his blood pump. "Oh you're one to talk."Marceline then backed off she knew how far she could go before boom would made her regret it. After a while of walking the group then found themselves at the castle as a pink cared and pink skinned princess in a long pink dress noticed them."oh my! Boom you have returned and with.. many female companions huh"princess bubblegum gave a smirk."oh don't you start now too!" Boom was probably going to say more before pb gave him a warm hug."so I assume this has to do with the rose fire."bubblegum look down at him and while she kept a smile her face was full of worry."yeah Twilight here um it's kind of a long story."bubblegum nodded."it always is."about an hour had passed after this meeting and boom had explained to Marceline and bubblegum how we came to meet the girls and discover the fire leaving out the parts where he burned himself or threw a skillet at Twilight."interesting I'll probably have to run a few scans on Twilight then with her permission."Twilight nodded."good we'll start by using the rejuvenation tank to monitor your body and vitals while I conduct a few scans"boom notice that she was pointing to the large tank filled with water and knew that this meant that Twilight was going to have to strip down which he then took his cue to leave. "I'll be back soon gonna check on stuff."and before anyone could say anything he left the room.

(oh and before I forget I'll be opening asks for boomlord and Friends so if they appear in the story feel free to ask them a question ask box is officially open)

[toxicsquad]

There is no better way to get to know someone than through a good question tag. In this case we have decided to make an Indie game dev question tag with the responses of our four developers. We hope that it will reveal many unknowns, but if you are left with any questions, do not hesitate to use our ask.

What part of game development are you responsible for?

Athe: I write and write, I melt in my seat, I correct, I cry and then I program. It’s an endless cycle. Occasionally I laugh like crazy while I eat Pringles.

Sam: I draw and color without leaving the lines (almost always) the sprites, the illustrations and the ravings that usually occur to us past 3 in the morning.

Illy: English translations.

Sher: I draw BGs

What tools do you use (hardware / software)?

Athe: Recently my desktop PC has passed away, so I’ve had to rescue my old PC from the garage. I also have a laptop that saves my life more times than I would like to admit. As for the software, I need, above all, drive documents, video editing programs, image etc (I have an Adobe package) and of course Renpy and Atom.

Sam: My main friend and companion is my tablet, a wacom intuos S (pistachio color, so cute). As programs I mainly use the Paint Tool Sai, because there is nothing in this life like its stabilizer. And less frequently than I would like (for details, texture brushes, effects ...) I also use Clip Studio Paint, which I only know how to use at about 2% of its capacity ... If someday I have time I would love to stop and learn seriously what can be done with it.

Illy: During the school year I live in a residence, so I use an old laptop, and when I return home I use a desktop computer that never has memory space. I translate the chapters in the same Atom where the complete script is and I keep them in google drive files where I share them with our beta reader. I also use editing programs like photoshop when I have to translate comics or procreate for when my artistic skills are required.

Sher: ipad+procreate+some final tweak in photoshop, I don't need much more

What is your favorite part of the job?

Athe: Would it be wrong if I say that is when we released the episode? During the whole production time everything is very stressful, there are times when it’s really uphill, but when we release a new chapter it feels soooo good. It's like saying to yourself, yeah, dammit, I can do it. Look at everything you've climbed by yourself. You're doing it right.

Sam: In general, my favorite parts are when the first scenes start to be programmed, and I can see the sprites with the backgrounds, the texts, and how the illustrations look. Everything always looks so much better when viewed in-game… I also really like being able to check out the script as it is written. And from the artistic part that concerns me, when I see that my hands capture the idea that I had in my head ... Especially in character designs.

Illy: Having to find a way to translate very spanish expressions into English, research vocabulary that I have never had to use and commenting on some translations with our beta reader (which we adore) to make it understandable without losing the original meaning.

Sher: I like to do the lineart when the sketch is complete, if I no longer have to think about anything else and it's just going through it, I find it very fun and relaxing

What is the most difficult part for you?

Athe: Offf, yes, I admit it, sometimes writing is the WORST. Other times I love it, especially when I can expand on the descriptions or stop at a part that is intimate or that I find interesting (for example, Hasiel's conversation from 6.3, small spoiler: P). But, I HATE having to paste scenes, often the protagonist moves between scenes and you always have to add lines to those transitions that really do not interest anyone, but that otherwise the text would be confusing. Anyway... It is a very wide world, with a lot of history, I have to deal with what I need readers to know to understand the facts, although sometimes it gets a bit boring.

Sam: What part does not... Rather who e.e Zihel and Ariel are a thorn in my side. Especially Zihel. I know it has to do with the fact that it has never been my strength to draw boys, and much less if they are more masculine in appearance... That's why I also suffer a lot from drawing muscles. Another thing that brings me a headache is the perspective of the illustrations. Every time I try to get out of the typical shot or poses a little... It doesn't work out.

Illy: Doughy’s  stuttering ¬.¬

Sher: chairs, sofas, tables... anything with four legs is my enemy

Anything to help or encourage you while you are working?

Athe: I need music, no, seriously, I NEED IT. I’m unable to focus without it. If, on top of that, I can get what I hear to act as a sounding board for what I write, the text is a thousand times better... But the muse is a pretty bad person.

Sam: Having a show/movie in the background that entertains me. The longer the better, so I don't have to stop to think what I want to put on next.

Illy: Eating sunflower seeds to trick my brain and not be tempted to do something else that distracts me.

Sher: I try to see other artists to motivate and inspire me before I start drawing, what I find most difficult is that initial push and that is where I need the motivation, then I usually have something in the background but it is not necessary

Something that’s a pet peeve or discouraging?

Athe: Some narrative climax moments. Generally, they are not important plot moments (that is almost entirely decided), they are often small decisions to go from scene A to scene B, but I can spend a LOT of time deciding which is the fastest and best way to tie those two ends. I'm the worst.

Sam: Many times when starting, I can't get the poses to fit the way I want, for example.

Illy: Finding many parts in a row that I find especially difficult to solve and that make me believe that I have forgotten how to English properly. And looking at how many lines I still have left.

Sher: When I don't know how to fill in some area, if I see something very empty but I don't know how to solve it, I can spend days looking at the screen without being able to advance, even if I have other areas that I could do in the meantime

What is required on your table or work surface?

Athe: Notebooks, sticky notes, pens… I’m a person who writes everything down, especially the tasks, but I also order the story by color schemes. The stack of sticky notes have 9 different colors, each one represents a character and I play a lot with them for a lot of nonsense. Besides, even though I have been writing on the computer for many more years than I wrote by hand, I still have a preference for the analogical.

Sam: Coffee, sweets, chocolate, cereals... And cats.

Illy: My phone, the sunflower seeds, a Capital America: Civil War 1L water cup, sticky notes that remind me of tasks.

Sher: I have nothing really lol all my things are for decoration

Your most productive hours?

Athe: Owl. Totally nocturnal. Although I have several crises a month to force myself to work at other times that always end... Wrong.

Sam: Also at night for the most part, although I can no longer stay awake as long as I endured before having a job (the good old days...) However, in the middle of the afternoon, when the zoo that I have at home is still taking a nap, I also manage to go a long way.

Illy: From when I finish eating until 7 or 8 in the afternoon, when I don't have to cook, clean, run errands...

Sher: I take over for Illy apparently, from 7 or 8 is when I start to get into the mood until bedtime

Do working hours make you forget to eat or make you eat twice as much?

Athe: It depends, in the past I ate a lot, now if I have stress I don't eat anything. If I'm in a normal productive phase and I'm not on my nerves, I'm probably eating by inertia.

Sam: They make me eat more, but especially junk food e.e And they make me forget healthy meals, especially dinner at night.

Illy: It depends on my mood, but I usually eat twice as much.

Sher: I'm generally a VERY distracted person so I don't usually get to focus on a task to get to either of those two modes but I guess when I am sooooooo much on the task, I forget. But that happens like a couple of times a year and "forgetting" is "I delay an hour."

What part of your set up would you improve / change (in aesthetics or functionality) if you had no money limit?

Athe: I'm trying to match some of my peripherals with the rest. They are all a damn different color, apparently I'm cursed... Now seriously, I wish I had a better graphic card that would allow me to make video captures, some speakers and a quality printer.

Sam: Actually, I don't think I need anything more complex than what I already have… But if I had to improve something, I'm curious about the most professional tablets, the big ones with the included screen and all that stuff.

Illy: A new laptop that lets me open 4 chrome tabs, Atom and photoshop at the same time without dying.

Sher: A pc screen that will not change the colors I use on the iPad would be nice, really

Which character are you most like? And why?

Athe: Phew I think the easy answer would be to say Akane ... But, Akane is a better person. : P

Sam: This is very difficult... They are all very different, but still I do not think I look much like any of them. If I have to say something, I could identify with Maske's tendency to avoid problems, and his more homey and calm side. And well… Since Akane has been an OC of mine for many years, surely I have something of her too.

Illy: I think I partly have Maske's instinct to stay out of trouble, and on the other hand Joe's shallowness, although tbh I wish I really did look like any of our awesome babies.

Sher: surprised because (unpopular opinion around here) is one of those who I "least care" about really but I would say that Pin because he is a little dumb, happy and probably has a Satanic room and proud of it

Favorite CG/art.

Athe: AT THE MOMENT. Maske chapter 1. It couldn't be more predictable. I know.

Sam: I quite agree with Maske in chapter 1. But I would also put Pin in chapter 5 and Akane in chapter 6.2 on the top.

Illy: Kyeran in Coco's tank ?? Is he even real? Being basic is my brand.

Sher: surprised again and disappointed but I would say that of angel Hasiel because I like pretty dresses, pretty hairs and pretty wings

Favorite BG/scene.

Athe: The Red Light District amazes me. I already liked the life of that place, its history, but the way of expressing it... Uggg Sher took it to another level. The dirt on the street, the night, the constricted buildings...

Sam: I think I’ll say Raziel’s square, I like it a lot from the first day.

Illy: I don't know if I can choose just one T__T but I would say that the Red Light District and Valefar's pub are at the top.

Sher: for not repeating the red light district that I also like very much, I really like the areas of Coco's laboratory, including the “main” area although the perspective is horrible and makes the characters look tiny, but I like how it looks :(

Your favorite chapter to date?

Athe: Ufff... The first and second one I assure you no, hahaha. I will say that the third one, but also for things that are not necessarily from the chapter, but of the production. It was a good moment. I felt that everything was flowing with ease. We all assumed a clear role, they were times that made us feel comfortable and capable of assuming what came next, I think it was a qualitative leap also, both in texts and in art.

Sam: Oh. Well let's see... Chapter 5 is amazing for me, for everything that happens but also because there are many personalized interactions and choices. I can't say I have a definitive favorite, but it could come close… Also from the last ones I really like the 6.2.

Illy: Chapter 5 has so many details, so many things happen, it's hard not to be my favorite. But the last ones with the specific routes are so great that if I stay with the 5 it’s with the  pain of my heart to have to choose one.

Sher: I would say 5 also because in the end when a lot of things happen is when you remember the most

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No hay mejor forma de conocer a alguien que a través de un buen tag de preguntas. En este caso hemos decidido hacer un Indie game dev question tag con las respuestas de las cuatro desarrolladoras. Esperamos que os aclare muchas incógnitas, pero si os quedáis con alguna no dudéis en usar nuestro ask.

¿Qué parte del desarrollo del juego llevas a cabo?

Athe: Escribo, escribo, me derrito sobre mi asiento, corrijo, lloro y después programo. Es un ciclo sin fin. Ocasionalmente me río como una demente mientras como Pringles.

Sam: Dibujo y coloreo sin salirme de las líneas (casi siempre) los sprites, las ilustraciones y los desvaríos que suelen surgir a partir de las 3 de la mañana. 

Illy: Las traducciones a inglés.

Sher: Hago fonditos

¿Qué herramientas utilizas (hardware/software)?

Athe: Recientemente mi PC de sobremesa ha fallecido, así que he tenido que rescatar mi viejo PC del trastero, también tengo un portatil que me salva la vida más veces de las que me gustaría admitir. En cuanto al software, necesito, sobre todo, documentos de drive, programas de edición de video, imagen etc (tengo un paquete de Adobe) y por supuesto Renpy y Atom.

Sam: Mi principal amiga y compañera es mi tableta, una wacom intuos S (color pistacho, muy cuqui.) Como programas uso sobretodo el Paint Tool Sai, porque no hay nada en esta vida como su estabilizador. Y con menos frecuencia de lo que querría (para detalles, pinceles de texturas, efectos…) también utilizo el Clip Studio Paint, el cual sólo se usar como a un 2% de su capacidad… Si algún día tengo tiempo me encantaría pararme a aprender seriamente todo lo que se puede hacer con él. 

Illy: Durante el curso vivo en una residencia, así que uso un portatil del año que reinó carolo, y cuando vuelvo a mi casa un ordenador de sobremesa que nunca tiene espacio en la memoria. Los capítulos los traduzco en el mismo Atom en el que está el guión completo y los guardo en drive donde los comparto con nuestra beta reader. También uso programas de edición como photoshop cuando tengo que traducir viñetas o procreate para cuando mis habilidades artísticas son requeridas.

Sher: ipad+procreate+algún retoquito final en photoshop no necesito mucho más

¿Cuál es tu parte de favorita del trabajo?

Athe: ¿Estaría mal si digo que es cuando sacamos el episodio? Durante toda la producción todo es muy estresante, hay veces, que se hace realmente cuesta arriba, pero cuando liberamos un nuevo capítulo sienta taaaan bien. Es como decirte a ti misma, sí, joder, puedo hacerlo. Mira todo lo que has escalado tú solita. Lo estás haciendo bien.

Sam: En general, mis partes favoritas son cuando se empiezan a programar las primeras escenas, y puedo ver los sprites con los fondos, los textos, y cómo se ven las ilustraciones. Todo queda siempre mucho mejor cuando se ve dentro del juego… También me gusta mucho poder cotillear el guión conforme se va escribiendo. Y de la parte artística que me toca, cuando veo que mis manos plasman la idea que tenía en mi cabeza… Sobretodo en diseños de personajes. 

Illy: Tener que buscar la forma de traducir a inglés expresiones muy nuestras, investigar vocabulario que no he tenido que usar jamás y comentar algunas traducciones con nuestra beta reader (a la que adoramos) para conseguir que se entienda sin perder el significado original.

Sher: me gusta hacer el lineart cuando el sketch está completo, si ya no tengo que pensar nada más y es solo ir repasando me parece muy divertido y relajante

¿Cuál es la parte que más te cuesta?

Athe: Ufff, sí, lo admito, escribir a veces es lo PEOR. Otras me encanta, sobre todo, cuando puedo explayarme con las descripciones o detenerme en una parte íntima o que a mí me parece interesante (por ejemplo, la conversación de Hasiel del 6.3, pequeño spoiler :P). Pero, ODIO tener que empastar escenas, a menudo el protagonista se mueve de escenarios y hay que agregar siempre líneas a esas transiciones que realmente no interesan a nadie, pero que de lo contrario el texto quedaría mal montado. En fin… Es un mundo muy amplio, con mucha historia, tengo que lidiar con lo que necesito que los lectores sepan para entender los hechos, aunque a veces se haga un pelín peñazo.

Sam: Qué parte no… Quiénes, más bien e.e Zihel y Ariel son mi espinita. Especialmente Zihel. Sé que tiene que ver con el hecho de que nunca ha sido mi punto fuerte dibujar chicos, y menos si son de aspecto más masculino… Por eso también sufro mucho dibujando músculos. Otra cosa que me trae de cabeza es la perspectiva de las ilustraciones. Cada vez que intento salirme un poco del típico plano o poses… No sale bien. 

Illy: El tartamudeo de Doughy ¬.¬ 

Sher: sillas, sofás, mesas… cualquier cosa con cuatro patas son mis enemigos

¿Algo que te ayude o anime mientras estás trabajando?

Athe: Necesito música, no, en serio, LA NECESITO. Soy incapaz de concentrarme sin ella. Si ya consigo que lo que escucho haga de caja de resonancia de lo que escribo, el texto es mil veces mejor… Pero la musa es bastante mala gente.

Sam: Tener alguna serie/peli de fondo que me entretenga. Cuanto más larga mejor, así no me toca pararme a ver qué es lo que quiero poner después. 

Illy: Comer pipas para engañar a mi cerebro y no tener la tentación de ponerme a hacer otra cosa que me distraiga.

Sher: intento ver otros artistas para motivarme e inspirarme antes de empezar a dibujar, lo que más me cuesta es ese empujón inicial y es donde necesito la motivación, luego ya suelo tener algo de fondo pero no es necesario

¿Algo que te corte el rollo o te desmotive?

Athe: Los nudos narrativos. Generalmente, no son nudos gordos de la trama (eso está decidido casi en su totalidad), a menudo son decisiones pequeñas para pasar de la escena A a la escena B, pero puedo tirarme MUCHO tiempo decidiendo cuál es la forma más rápida y mejor planteada para atar esos dos cabos. Soy lo peor.

Sam: Muchas veces a la hora de empezar, no conseguir encajar las poses como quiero, por ejemplo. 

Illy: Encontrar muchas partes seguidas que me cueste especialmente resolver y que me hacen creer que no tengo ni idea de hablar inglés. Y mirar cuantas líneas me quedan todavía.

Sher: cuando no se como rellenar alguna zona, si veo algo muy vacío pero no se como solucionarlo puedo tirarme días mirando la pantalla sin ser capaz de avanzar, incluso aunque tenga otras zonas que pudiera ir haciendo mientras

¿Qué no puede faltar en tu mesa o superficie de trabajo?

Athe: Libretas, post-its, bolígrafos… Soy una persona que lo anota todo, sobre todo, las tareas, pero también ordeno la historia por esquemas de colores. La pila de post-its tienen 9 colores diferentes, cada uno representa un personaje y juego mucho con ellos para miles de idioteces. A parte, a pesar de que llevo muchos más años escribiendo a ordenador de los que escribí a mano, sigo teniendo querencia a lo físico.

Sam: Café, chucherías, chocolate, cereales… Y gatos. 

Illy: El móvil, las pipas, un vaso de 1L de agua de Capital America: Civil War, post-its que me recuerdan las tareas.

Sher: no tengo nada realmente lol todas mis cosas son de adorno 

¿Tus horas más productivas?

Athe: Búho. Nocturna totalmente. A pesar de que tengo varias crisis al mes para forzarme a trabajar a otras horas que acaban siempre… Mal.

Sam: También por la noche en su mayoría, aunque ya no aguanto trasnochando tanto como antes de trabajar (qué tiempos aquellos…) Aunque a media tarde cuando el zoo que tengo en casa aún está echando la siesta también consigo dar un buen empujón. 

Illy: Desde que acabo de comer hasta las 7 o las 8 de la tarde, cuando no tengo que cocinar, limpiar, hacer recados...

Sher: le tomo el testigo a Illy aparentemente, a partir de las 7 u 8 es cuando empiezo a entrar en el mood hasta que llega la hora de dormir

¿Las horas de trabajo hacen que te olvides de comer o te hacen comer el doble?

Athe: Depende, antes comía mucho, ahora, si tengo estrés no como nada. Si me encuentro en un rango productivo normal y no estoy de los nervios, probablemente, esté comiendo por inercia.

Sam: Me hacen comer más, pero sobretodo porquerías e.e Y hacen que me olvide de las comidas sanas, sobretodo de cenar por la noche. 

Illy: Depende de mi estado de ánimo, pero normalmente comer el doble.

Sher: en general soy una persona MUY distraída así que no suelo conseguir centrarme en una tarea para llegar a ninguno de esos dos modos pero supongo que cuando estoy muuuuuuy dentro de la tarea, me olvido. Pero eso pasa como un par de veces al año y “olvido” es “lo retraso una hora”.

¿Qué parte de tu set up mejorarías/cambiarías (en estética o funcionalidad) si no tuvieses límite de dinero?

Athe: Estoy tratando de que alguno de mis periféricos peguen con el resto. Todos son de un maldito color diferente, al parecer estoy maldita… Ahora en serio, desearía tener una mejor gráfica que me permitiese hacer videocapturas, unos altavoces y una impresora de calidad.

Sam: En realidad, no creo que necesitara nada más complejo de lo que ya tengo… Pero por mejorar, me llaman la atención las tabletas más profesionales, las grandes con la pantalla incluida y eso. 

Illy: Un portátil nuevo que me deje abrir 4 pestañas de chrome, el Atom y photoshop al mismo tiempo sin quedarse tieso.

Sher: Una pantalla de pc que no me cambiara los colores que uso en el ipad seria bonito la verdad 

¿A qué personaje te pareces más? ¿Y por qué?

Athe: Ufff Creo que la respuesta fácil sería decir Akane… Pero, Akane es mejor persona. :P

Sam: Esto es muy complicado… Son todos muy distintos, pero aún así no creo que me parezca mucho a ninguno. Por decir algo, me podría identificar con la tendencia a evitar problemas de Maske, y su lado más casero y tranquilo. Y bueno… Dado que Akane es OC mío de hace muchos años, seguramente tenga algo de ella también. 

Illy: Creo que en parte tengo el instinto de alejarme de las movidas de Maske, y por otro la superficialidad de Joe, aunque tbh ojalá parecerme realmente a nuestros bebés geniales.

Sher: sorprendida porque (unpopular opinión por aquí) es de los que “menos me importan” realmente pero diría que Pin porque es tontito, feliz y probablemente tenga una habitación satánica y orgulloso de ello

Tu CG/arte favorito.

Athe: DE MOMENTO. Maske capítulo 1. No podría ser más predecible. Lo sé.

Sam: Coincido bastante en la de Maske del capítulo 1. Pero también metería en el top la de Pin del capítulo 5 y la de Akane del capítulo 6.2. 

Illy: ¿¿Kyeran en el tanque de Coco?? ¿Es siquiera real? Ser básica es mi marca.

Sher: sorprendida de nuevo y decepcionada pero diría que la de Hasiel de ángel porque me gustan los vestidos bonitos, los pelos bonitos y las alas bonitas

Tu BG/escenario favorito.

Athe: Me flipa el Barrio Rojo. Me gusta la vida de ese sitio, su historia, pero la forma de plasmarlo… Uggg Sher lo llevó a otro nivel. La suciedad de la calle, la nocturnidad, los edificios constreñidos...

Sam: Creo que me quedo con el de la plaza de Raziel, me gusta mucho desde el primer día. 

Illy: No sé si puedo elegir solo uno T__T pero diría que el Barrio Rojo y el bar de Valefar están en el top.

Sher: por no repetir el barrio rojo que también me gusta mucho, me gustan mucho las zonas del laboratorio de Coco, incluida la zona “principal” aunque la perspectiva sea horrible y haga a los pj parecer diminutos, pero me gusto como quedo :( 

¿Tu capítulo favorito hasta las fecha?

Athe: Ufff… El uno y el dos os aseguro que no, jajaja. Diré que el tres, pero también por cosas que no son necesariamente del capítulo, sino de la producción. Fue un buen momento. Sentí que todo estaba fluyendo con facilidad. Todas asumimos un rol claro, unos tiempos que nos hacían sentir cómodas y capaces de asumir lo que venía después, creo que fue un salto cualitativo también, tanto en los textos, como en el arte.

Sam: Ay. Pues a ver… El capítulo 5 es una pasada para mi, por todo lo que pasa pero también porque hay muchas interacciones personalizadas y elecciones. No puedo decir que tenga un favorito definitivo, pero podría acercarse… También me gusta mucho de los últimos el 6.2. 

Illy: El capítulo 5 tiene tantos detalles, pasan tantas cosas, que es difícil que no sea mi favorito, pero los ultimos de rutas específicas son tan geniales que si me quedo con el 5 es con un poco de dolor de tener que elegir uno.

Sher: Diría el 5 también porque al final cuando pasan muchas cosas es cuando mas se te queda grabado

Twitter​ | Instagram​ | Itch

[38sr]

i love your art style so much! i completely forgot that i’d followed you, but i saw once of your klance comics on my dash and thoughts it was sooo good! 😋 anyway i’ve been going through your blog all morning and it’s just so amazing and your art style is so cute! i would literally buy comic books from you! anyway, i do traditional art a lot and haven’t really gone into digital, but i kinda really want to nowadays.. any advice for just starting out? (tablet suggestions, marketing, etc.) 😊

Hello and thank you so much for the compliment! It’s going to be a while since a lot of planning, writing and drawing needs to be done before I can print the comics, but I’m happy to hear that you would buy. ^^

Advice about starting digital drawing….there’s so much this post could become a novel! But I guess I’ll start from the main thing: software and tablets.

Software

Okay, so, there are a lot of different programs for digital drawing and it might take a while before you find the one that works for you. Most artists that I know of either use Photoshop, SAI, CSP, or Procreate. As of now and for the last 3 years, I’ve been using Clip Studio Paint (CSP for short) for both my digital illustrations and animation. CSP is kind of like…a Mac version of SAI if that make sense? There’s so much to the program but it’s not as daunting as Photoshop. Also! Right now, they’re having a Black Friday Sale, so, the program cost only $25 for the whole weekend. It’s far more affordable than Photoshop and you can do the exact same stuff without having to take out a loan or something haha. Also, Photoshop isn’t and was never meant for digital drawing since it is originally a photo manipulation program. You can still use it for digital drawing if that what suits your tastes, but SAI and CSP are specifically made for digital drawing so the interface, brushes, and all that stuff were made and designed for the digital drawing. However, SAI is only for PC users. If you’re a Mac user (like me), I would recommend CSP. But if you don’t have money, there are free programs as well! Medibang and Krita are free drawing programs and are just as good (and I would argue good dupes) for SAI and CSP. I would suggest trying out the free programs before making a purchase for CSP, SAI or Photoshop though. Going from traditional to digital is an odd feeling so it’d be such a waste if you spent money and found out that digital drawing isn’t for you, ya know? 

Tablets

Alright! So, here’s the thing about tablets: buying the most expensive one isn’t always the right choice. There are plenty of tablets that are far more affordable than a Cintiq. Also, you’re only starting out so I would never advise to go out and buy a $1000+ tablet when you don’t really know if you like digital drawing yet. My first tablet was a Bamboo tablet by Wacom and it was only $100 (at that time). I would suggest buying a small tablet like the Wacom Intuos Small or a Huion since their prices normally are under $100. There are some mid range ones ($200-$300) like the Intuos Pro and XP-PEN that perform just as well as a Cintiq but I wouldn’t buy those unless you were really starting to think about working as a digital artist.

For digital artists, tablets are an investment. I currently own a Cintiq 13HD and iPad Pro but one is for personal use (iPad) and one is for work (Cintiq). Since I mainly do computer animation and digital illustration as my job, I needed to get a tablet that performed better than my small Bamboo Intuos. Also, I needed one in order to improve my workflow and efficiency. So, don’t go out and buy a Cintiq. Try out a smaller tablet. Or even better, if you have any friends who have drawing tablets, ask them if you can try them out and see if you like the feel of it. 

Tips/Advice for Digital Drawing

Okay so I’m just list off certain things I’ve learned along the way that I wish I knew when I first started digital drawing haha.

1. Take the time to learn your drawing program. Learn the interface, the hot-keys, shortcuts, tools and customize it to your liking for optimal efficiency. 

2. Use references! It’s okay to use references!

3. Don’t compare yourself to other artists. You’re only just starting so it’s not good to compare yourself to someone who has had more experience at digital drawing than you. You’re going at your own pace and that’s okay.

4. Your first drawings are going to be bad, and that’s okay. Sometimes you gotta make a hundred bad drawings before you get a good one. 

5. Be willing to try out new techniques and different methods.

6. Flip the canvas while you draw, don’t wait until you’ve finished the drawing. Flipping the canvas can help find inconsistencies.

7. Layers are your friends! You have friends, right? You know their names, right? So how come you don’t remember your layers’ names? Label your layers so you don’t end up sketching on the wrong layer!

8. This is if you own a Cintiq (or something similar): If you’re right-handed, customize and put all your hot-keys and shortcuts on the left-handed side of your keyboard. If you’re left-handed, put it on the right side. Efficiency boosted by 1000%.

9.  Have fun! Draw what makes you happy!

Lastly….marketing….well, I don’t really do that? Ah, it’s one of those things I’m not sure what to say cause even I don’t know if I’m doing it correctly haha. Or at all. But if you’re looking to establish a following centered around your art, I noticed there are 2 types of digital artists: the one that solely makes original content (OCs and their own stories) and the other one that makes fanart. Now, there are a variety of different digital artists. I’m just saying these are the most 2 common types I see. I’ve noticed…that if you make fanart…you’re more likely to gain traction faster. Since fandoms are such a huge thing now on social media, it’s easier for your art to get noticed if you draw fanart from a popular show, movie, game, etc. However, this doesn’t mean that if you don’t draw fanart you won’t build a following. In fact, there are tons of artists who solely create their own original content and hardly draw fanart but have a following that’s 10x bigger than mine. It really comes down to what you want to do. Actually, you can do whatever you want as long as you are enjoying it haha. If drawing fanart makes you happy, go for it. If drawing your OCs makes you happy, go for it. Personally, I love drawing fanart cause I enjoy creating scenarios and comics of my favorite characters outside of canon. I do have OCs and stuff, but I hardly post them cause they’re a bit more personal (and also I think no one would be interested in them haha). But yeah…I just think you should draw and make work that you enjoy cause that attracts people to your work. Sorry, that was a really long and confusing(?) answer but I hope that helps you haha. 

[schreibaby-of-the-skies]

Wrapping up 2018 + Christmas/Hanukkah haul!

Hey everyone, I hope you’re enjoying the last of 2018. It was a pretty proactive year, though I felt like the events after Halloween til now went by too fast. I think it was because I’ve been mentally preoccupied with planning my trip to Japan (I’m going in February) that I have not really sat and savored the holidays.

Anywhoo, as usual, I’m gunna post some of the goo I got for the holidays

*yeah we got so many presents we had to get a second Christmas tree out*

The booty!

Two new pairs of Vans sneakers!

This lovely shoerack (cuz I got tired of always tripping over my shoes in my room).

Camo Vans shirt.

This Hercule shirt I got from @stoller

This 80′s Japanese mixtape shirt from @chiauve

Fleece camo footie jammie pants from my older sister

Some thermal pj pants and longsleeve shirt (despite living in California, where I live it’s VERY mild and does get 40 degree F weather, so these are super insulating!)

Some art books I got from various people: The 21 Draw book in the upper left is from @digitank-blog the one next to it is from @technomaru the Will Eisner book is from @crossoverprincess and the Pixar book is from my younger sister!

I’ve been furiously contemplating getting these and I think my mom was looking over my shoulder when I was checking them out cuz now I got a set of my own!

(btw these are FABULOUS, I’ll get the 92 set later on)

Sketchpad from my brother

Yooka-Waywee from @digitank-blog

(I know it’s been available to download for a year but I just wanted the hard copy more. ;v)

A crystal maple tree I got from my mom. (She thought it was a real maple tree seed and she was disappointed at first but I told her I’ll keep it as an autumn desk ornament for next time fall comes around; she offered to go out to get me a real maple tree sapling...when they’re in season, of course).

Simpsons 2019 desk calendar from mom.

A travel-sized fleece/sherpa blanket that I’m gunna bring for when I go to Japan since it’s gunna be really cold when I go.

Wonderful Christmas cards I got from @stoller @ghostric and @vederlicht

A cute bird pouch, a soft kitty plush, and birb socks from @stoller (very thoughtful, thank you so much again Dan!)

An Anime Impact book from my older sister.

New sweatshirt from mom.

Of coourse an iPad 12.9 with pencil! I know I have a smaller iPad but I need to draw with my elbow, not just my wrist. it’s so super compact and very light to carry (like something I can draw on while I’m on the plane). I’ve been meaning to get it as a little bedside tablet (to draw on while I’m lounging on my bed and/or watching TV) since I don’t like feeling *locked* to my desk and drawing on my Cintiq.

(although I have my Cintiq Companion the fluidity on the iPad is far more handy than that of a regular Wacom)

Yeah I went overboard with Procreate. SPYROOOO.

Last but not least my niece (my sister’s daughter) made me this monogram ornament and she went all out with the Christmas trees.

I feel like I stuck with some of my resolutions from last years so here’s some new ones I got:

Still brush up on my Japanese

Work out more frequently

Put more money away (next time I go to Japan after this I want to travel with someone)

Try to be more organized and make a daily itinerary the night before

Draw daily no matter how “meh” I feel

I think that’s all I got. I work in a bit but luckily it’s from 4:30 til 7ish, though I hope this will be the last time I work evenings during a major holiday event. Then afterwards, go downtown with @digitank-blog to ring in the new year!

Anyway, happy 2019 everyone!

[lafaiette]

Little Star

Jaal is already a beautiful, handsome, marvelous man, but with a baby in his arms? He is absolutely perfect.

In which Ryder and Jaal finally meet little David, the first human baby born in Heleus.

Spoilers for “The Little Things That Matter” mission.

Podromos is precious to her, one of her successes that she allows herself to be proud of. It’s a symbol, the proof that the Initiative – and the humans – are strong and stubborn enough to live in Heleus.

After the two previous failed outposts, this one is more than a victory and she wants to enjoy every part of it.

So it doesn’t really surprise anyone when she asks Kallo to bring them to Eos and see how Bradley and his people are doing.

There are still some things they have to prepare before disobeying Tann’s direct orders and reach what appears to be Meridian and since this is probably going to be one of their most dangerous missions, Chloe wants to make sure things are okay in all the places they know.

They have already gone to Aya, Voeld, and Havarl, even finding the time to say hi to Jaal’s mother, then to Kadara and New Tuchanka. Their last stop was at the Nexus and now they are on Eos, its air clear, its sand finally not so scorching anymore.

To be completely honest, she has another reason to be on Podromos. Bradley and the colonists are her first priority, of course, just like the kett still lurking on this side of the planet, despite the destruction of their base.

But there is another person she really wants to meet here. The circumstances weren’t favorable enough before, but now they are and her curiosity, her desire to see the first human baby born in Heleus is too strong.

Now that she thinks about it, little David is a sort of pathfinder, just like her: a pioneer who will have to make the first steps in the unknown, unsure of what to expect.

He won’t carry the emotional baggage most colonists have on their shoulders, though: he never knew the Milky Way Galaxy and will never do. He will grow up considering Heleus his only home, with no old memories and old landscapes to keep him awake at night.

Not that Chloe feels that way: she misses the Milky Way, yes, she misses the Citadel and Earth, but she grew accustomed to this new home faster than she expected and she found out that others did the same.

And not just people who had good reasons to leave their old home behind: young, elderly, middle-aged people on the Nexus revealed to her that the memory of Earth or their old homeworlds doesn’t stop them from enjoying this new life and believing in it.

She agrees, even though she feels sorry for those like Liam, Suvi, and Kallo, who still cry in bed at night despite their new friends, new discoveries, new wonders this galaxy gave them.

She often wonders how things will be in a few years: she dreams of a future without kett and the pang in her heart every time she does that tells her how painful the angara’s lives have been until now; she likes to picture human and angara children playing together, then her minds add other alien kids too, a paradise of joy and understanding.

She likes to picture Heleus as a welcoming, comfortable, safe place, its planets finally viable again, the Scourge kept in check, the Initiative working as it should.

‘Someday.’ she thinks wishfully. If everything goes well on Meridian, then that dream might actually come true sooner than she hoped.

Jaal and Liam are coming with her today: they are both as interested in Podromos’ progress as her, although the latter shares that enthusiastic “we did it!” feeling with her, a personal sense of human pride for their accomplishment.

What Jaal feels is admiration and pride directed at her: he sees and acknowledges the colonists’ hard work, but he can’t stop repeating how she made this possible, as if he wants her to never forget it.

Perhaps that’s his intention: he wants to reassure her she is a great Pathfinder and leader, that she is making her dad proud too, that she’s got this.

It means everything to her and now there is something else she wants to share with him, an accomplishment perhaps even greater than the outpost.

“You never saw a human newborn, right?” she asks him as they walk out the Tempest, hand in hand. Everyone on Podromos knows they are together and it’s not like they ever hide it.

“Right. I…” Jaal blushes, giving her a shy smile. “I haven’t gotten to that part yet, while studying your species at the Cultural Center.”

“Remember Dr. Kennedy? She is here on Podromos.” She grins at him when he nods at her. “I contacted her before leaving the Nexus and she said she would be happy to show us the baby.”

Jaal’s face lightens up like the console of the Galaxy Map. Liam swears something under his breath and moves in front of them, while walking backwards.

“Shit, really?” His grin is even wider than Chloe’s. “First human baby of Heleus! That’s huge, Ryder, I gotta see him too!”

“I think the others will join us soon, so…” She smiles at the two men, squeezing Jaal’s hand. “Let’s hurry before it gets too crowded! I want to make all the funny faces at him without worrying about my reputation.”

“Do you…” Jaal stops, opens and closes his mouth to find the right words, then blurts out, faster than she expected: “Do you like children?”

She blushes too and nods. She knows why he’s asking her that and her answer clearly pleases him a lot.

“I used to babysit my neighbors’ child, when I was in highschool.” she says, smiling at the memories.

She isn’t really the greatest babysitter in the world, in her opinion – she tends to spoil the kids or panic when things go wrong and she always makes a mess in the house -, but she gets along with them well and she can understand them pretty fast. That always earned her praises, gratefulness, and a lot of personal satisfaction.

Maybe she is so good with kids in general – not including how much she spoils them and her alternative teachings, like “yeah, we can have a dessert-only dinner today” or “if a kid punch you, punch him back” -, because she is still a child too… sort of. She is definitely young, though, and not really as mature and adult as a real mom, so that probably helps.

“Babysit?” Jaal repeats, frowning in that adorable way that means he’s confused. “You used to… sit babies down?”

Liam does his best to hold himself back, but it’s too much for him and he bursts into laughter, while Chloe giggles and shakes her head, explaining:

“No, it means taking care of children for a short amount of time when their parents can’t. They pay you to do it.”

Jaal looks even more confused and even a bit flabbergasted.

“But… what about their relatives?”

“Sometimes they have none or they can’t take care of them either. Babysitting was sort of a necessary trend, back in the Milky Way.”

“Yeah, young people could earn something while just keeping an eye on some kids.” Liam shrugs. “And the parents could do whatever they needed to do without worrying about their children’s wellbeing.”

“I see.” Jaal stays quiet for a moment, then adds slowly: “It is a strange concept, though. Paying a stranger to make sure your children are safe. Angara families are so large you would never need to do something like that. The children are always taken care of, either by their siblings or other members of the family.”

“I know.” Ryder chuckles, patting his hand.

“And even if an angara was asked, under incredible circumstances, to protect the children of another family, they would do so out of the goodness of their heart, not greed.” Jaal grumbles, shaking his head. It seems this topic is particularly delicate and important for him.

“I know, Jaal.” she repeats, her voice softer, gentler. “Babysitters didn’t always do it to earn money, though. Most were happy to watch over the kids for free, especially if they knew them well.”

“Were you?” he asks, new curiosity shining in his eyes, and she chuckles, nodding.

“Yeah. The kid I used to babysit was pretty awesome, it was like having a little brother. Much younger than Scott, anyway.” She kicks a small pebble on the ground, blushing a little because Jaal’s gaze has become intense and sweet. “I often refused to take the money, especially if his parents had had a bad time at work.”

“Wow.” Liam whistles, hands in his pockets. “I’m sure I never did that. Needed that allowance too much.”

“You are a greedy person, Kosta.”

“I am.” he confirms, playing along, his tone as solemn as hers. “Can’t upgrade your omnitool without money.”

“I… I didn’t mean to offend.” Jaal suddenly says, panicking. “I wasn’t implying you were greedy or wicked for taking that money. It was a job, after all.” He swallows, turning to Chloe with big, sad, eyes. “Darling One…”

“Oh, Jaal!” she laughs, pulling him into a hug. “I know what you were trying to say. And I understand, it must be a really weird idea of a job for an angara.”

He tightens his arms around her, humming affirmatively, and he brushes his mouth against her temple, mumbling sheepishly: “Maybe, but I can see why your people needed to do it.”

“Don’t worry, big guy.” Liam says. “Also, we won’t be needing babysitters for a long time…” His grin turns smartass and smug, causing Chloe and Jaal to blush. “Unless we start procreating or adopting, of course.”

Jaal’s bioelectricity increases at those words, causing Chloe’s hair to stand up, and he lets out a timid sound. Her face is so flushed red she looks like she’s having a stroke, but she manages to keep her face somewhat blank.

“Right.” she croaks out, before grimacing. Of course her voice would betray her first.

Liam snickers without shame, proceeding forward to give them time to recover.

It will take them a while, though: Chloe is sure scientists would find a new shade of red on her face and Jaal’s static is going wild, sending pleasant vibrations all through her body. She feels tingly, like a bubbly drink.

“Well…” she chuckles nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before sliding her arm around Jaal’s waist again. She finally overcomes her shyness and embarrassment and looks up at him, wondering what she will see on his face.

Love. Tenderness. And something else too that she can’t quite recognize, something like… longing? Desire?

It makes her heart race faster and she thinks they absolutely have to return from Meridian in one piece.

“Adoption sounds pretty awesome.” she quietly says, moving her eyes down to Jaal’s Rofjinn. She smooths a wrinkle on the collar, clearing her throat. “Conception might be a little harder. Between humans and angara, I mean.”

Jaal’s bioelectricity is soaring to so high levels, he could fuel a power station with it. Her arms are a little numb and her hair must be quite the spectacle from afar, but she doesn’t care.

The look he’s giving her now is the most beautiful, intense thing she ever saw. It’s like he’s looking right into her soul, her inner core, and she is lost in the galaxies swirling in his irises.

“But…” she adds, voice even softer, almost dreamy. “I met an angara woman on Aya and she was scanning me and she said humans and angara are pretty similar and she wondered…” She stops, because Jaal’s hand is now cupping her cheek and he rested his forehead against hers, never breaking eye contact.

“She wondered… how her grand-grandchildren will look like and I…”

Now Jaal’s current is steady, less explosive, although she can still sense how excited he is. She has learned to read it pretty well and can now recognize what the little differences and sudden changes mean.

He is thrilled, happy, probably even surprised, and a smile is forming on his lips. She smiles too, sharing his same feelings, his same hopes.

Their relationship is proceeding steadfastly well and even though they still haven’t done that, the signs are all there and she knows it’s only a matter of time before they will become one with their bodies too.

Well. She is starting to sound like him.

Sahuna promised her she would introduce her to the other mothers and their children during her next visit and she is looking forward to that. She wants to meet Jaal’s nephews and nieces and see how cute angara kids are.

It would also be… educational. Useful for the future. Because if their future really is going to be much better than the present, full of promises and safety, then there might be good probabilities of settling down with Jaal and…

And she wants it. She wants to form a family with him. And even though she has no idea whether the Ama Darav family would accept her – an alien - as a new mother, hell, she is more than willing to become one and pamper all the kids and teenagers of the house.

She pictures Jaal and herself as the relatives of other kids and her heart sings. Then she imagines Jaal and herself as parents – adoptive, biological, it doesn’t matter – and her heart starts a full musical number.

Oh, she is so deep into it.

She knows it’s still too soon – Heleus is still a dangerous place, she still has many things to start and finish as Pathfinder, and both she and Jaal are pretty young. However, she can see how serious their relationship is and there is no doubt in her mind that the future has a lot of beautiful things in store for them.

It’s refreshing to have such a great, positive certainty, for once.

He’s thinking the same thing, she can see it and feel it through his bioelectricity, and their feelings for each other are strong and clear, just like he is, just like the Resistance and the angara in general are.

His smile widens and he rubs his nose against hers, an affectionate gesture he learned from one of the vids Liam sent him.

He opens his mouth to say something – and Chloe is sure the whole outpost, the whole planet, the entire universe stop for a second to hear him -, when Bradley, the only one who clearly didn’t stop, interrupts them.

“Pathfinder! Good to see you again!”

She yelps and turns to where the mayor is standing: on the stairs, right next to the open door leading into the building they need to visit. He’s grinning, hands on his hips.

“Nice to see you too, Jaal.”

“Hello.” Jaal says, nodding at the man. He is polite as always, but she can see the slight annoyance in his eyes for having been interrupted. He was going to tell her something really important, then.

“Here for the baby?” Bradley continues, pointing at the door with his thumb. “That little bundle of joy has caught more attention from the Nexus than our discoveries here on Eos.”

“Really?” she chuckles, before clearing her throat. She and Jaal are still hugging each other and even though it would better to pull away and talk normally to Bradley, she really can’t bring herself to move away from Jaal.

He clearly has no intention of letting her go, either. At least Bradley doesn’t seem to care about it, even though she can hear some of the colonists giggle and snort.

“I told Kennedy she should start selling tickets. With the kid and Liam’s soccer tournament, Podromos would become one hell of a tourist trap.”

Right then, a loud cry echoes in the outpost, coming straight from the house. It’s the unmistakable, distressed wailing of a newborn and someone swears, before being scolded for doing so.

“Not in front of the baby!”

“Shit, sorry, ma’am! Oh, damn…”

“Kosta!” Bradley roars, glaring into the room. “Stop teaching the kid bad words!”

“I’m not, I swear it!”

The wailing gets louder, probably because everyone is shouting, and Jaal snorts, shaking his head, while Chloe lets out a heavy, long sigh.

“We should get in.” she says, kissing her boyfriend’s cheek, the one where the scar is, and he agrees with a nod of his head and a sweet smile.

They pull away, but the first thing they do before entering the building with Bradley is taking each other’s hand again.

- - - -

Dr. Kennedy is lulling the child, showing Liam how to correctly hold him; the ex-cop stands there, looking at the child with an ashamed, guilty expression on his face, which breaks into another grin when little David finally calms down and starts gurgling.

“Oh, Pathfinder!” Kennedy exclaims softly as she sees Ryder and Jaal enter. She glances at their hands for a second, before looking back at Chloe with a proud smile. “Here is my little champion.”

Chloe hears Jaal hold his breath as they approach and she would be lying if she said she didn’t do the same.

The first human baby of Heleus, safe and sound thanks to her team and Dr. Kennedy’s courage, which Addison would rather call stubbornness, but who cares.

He is beautiful. Wrapped in a white cloth, he has fallen asleep. One of his tiny hands, closed into a fist, is peeking out from the blanket and Chloe coos softly, poking it with a finger.

“Oh my God, he is so cute!” Warmth spreads in her chest and her cheeks start hurting, because she is smiling a lot. “Really, Dr. Kennedy, he is the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen.”

“Damn right, he is.” the woman laughs, leaning in to press a light kiss on his forehead, and the little one makes a tiny, funny sound, but doesn’t wake up.

Chloe glances at Jaal, wishing to ask him what she thinks about the child: he’s staring at him and his look is almost as intense as the one he gave her before.

His eyes are so big they seem to take all the space on his face and they follow every movement, every twitch of the baby.

There is a deep rumbling sound coming from his chest, one she recognizes as the one he usually makes when he’s deep in thought, tinkering with something he’s trying to understand.

“Isn’t he adorable?” she asks him, rubbing her thumb on his hand, and he nods quickly. When he smiles – an awed smile that illuminates his face, even the whole room –, her heart skips a bit.

She imagines him making that face while watching their children and she nearly combusts on the spot.

“Want to hold him?” Kennedy asks her and before she can prepare herself, there is a mewling baby in her arms, warm and soft like a petal.

She adjusts her arms to hold his delicate neck better and the mother chuckles appreciatively at that.

“Either you are a natural or you handled your fair share of babies in the past.” She glares at Liam, whose shoulders slump. “Kosta here almost dropped him on the ground.”

“Oh, come on, now!”

“You are so cute.” Chloe coos, brushing a fingertip against David’s cheek, a feather-light touch that makes him gurgle again. He’s still sleeping, though, and she lulls him a bit.

“Yes, you are.” she continues. “The cutest human in the galaxy. Welcome to Heleus, little David.”

She taps his nose, gently, and it seems to her that the baby is smiling, although it could just be an effect of the light in the room.

“Uh, Ryder?” Liam chuckles. “I think you broke Jaal.”

She looks at her boyfriend and sees that he’s staring again: he looks enthralled and the awe on his face is so strong, so much, she blushes and laughs, looking back at the baby.

She feels… flattered. Jaal is looking at her like she is the most gorgeous sight in the world and she doesn’t know how to react to that.

“Would you like to hold him, too?” Kennedy asks him, a knowing smile on her lips. Jaal gasps and straightens his back, tense like the strings of a violin.

“May I?” he whispers, incredulous, and the woman laughs and motions him to take the baby.

“Here.” Chloe smiles, handing him David and showing him how to hold him. “Raise his head like this… Good. Now put your other hand here.”

Jaal’s hands are big and large and the small bundle of joy looks even smaller in them. But he is holding David with the utmost delicateness and care and his smile is the kindest smile she has ever seen.

“So light.” he murmurs, before tracing the baby’s brow with his gloved index finger. “And soft.”

David gurgles and wraps his minuscule hand around Jaal’s finger. Chloe’s heart stops: Jaal is already a beautiful, handsome, marvelous man, but with a baby in his arms? He is absolutely perfect.

There are people who look good only with a gun or sniper rifle in their hands, others who would never be able to even lift one without looking funny.

Then there are those special people who can kill, plan attacks on enemy bases, and plunge a knife deep into someone’s chest, but also hold children with all the love and care in the world without looking ridiculous or awkward.

Jaal is one of those special people, just like all angara, and she feels so lucky to be in his presence right now, so lucky to be able to witness this. It’s a gift the world is giving her, like a painting, a masterpiece meticulously crafted by a talented artist.

She nearly starts recording this, but her eyes just don’t want to move: she can’t stop looking at his smile, at the tender look in his eyes, at the way he completely surrenders his finger to little David.

“You are a little star. Soon you will illuminate the sky for your people. You are a very special gift.” he says, swaying a little, and David seems to agree with a high-pitched noise.

It means he’s awake; in fact, after a few moments, he opens his eyes and sets them on Jaal, who beams at him.

“Here you are!” He taps his nose like Chloe did. “I’m Jaal Ama Darav. My taoshay and I saved you and your mother on Voeld.”

“Jaal, he can’t understand that.” Liam chuckles, still not daring to approach the baby again, but at least he’s looking at him from the wall he’s leaning on.

“His soul can! It’s important to talk to babies.” Jaal fixes the blanket around David’s head, adding: “That was Liam Kosta. A wonderful, strange friend. He is a human just like you.”

“Aw, thanks, bro!”

He turns to Chloe, who is watching the scene with her mouth hanging open.

Jaal would be a fantastic father.

“Darling One!” he laughs, taking her hand and pulling her into a one-sided hug; he doesn’t even need two arms to hold David correctly and when he rests his hand on her waist, she can feel how happy he is.

His internal current is running fast, but she realizes he’s keeping it under control to avoid hurting or bothering the baby. He immediately remembered he’s not an angara and acted accordingly, mindful of the little one’s different biology.

Her heart sings and she slides an arm around his waist too.

“You are…” she murmurs, before smiling at him and concluding: “You are really good at this.”

“I have many nieces and nephews. I grew up with babies all around me.” he chuckles, kissing her head. Then he turns to David again: “This is Chloe Ryder, my taoshay! That means ‘Darling One’ or ‘girlfriend’ or ‘beloved’ in your language, little star.” His chest swells with pride. “She is the human Pathfinder. She can heal worlds, you know?”

David stars slobbering on a corner of his blanket, but that only makes Jaal smile more.

“She is the most perfect creature in the universe.” he continues and she giggles, hiding her face against his Rofjinn. “Incredibly brave, kind, and brilliant! She brings joy and life wherever she goes, a deity of renewal and joy covering the ground with flowers.”

“Wow.” Bradley smiles, raising an eyebrow. “I should take romance advice from you, boy.”

“And the funny thing is that he’s not joking. He literally talks to Ryder like this all the time and he means it all.” Liam adds, shaking his head with a grin. “It’s both embarrassing and adorable at the same time.”

“Ignore them.” Jaal grumbles, still talking with the child. “Liam thinks he’s funny, but he rarely is.”

“Oi, rude!”

“Look at her, little star. Look how beautiful she is.” He slightly raises David’s head by moving his arm and the kid’s eyes seem to focus on Chloe’s smile, although his sight isn’t much strong yet.

“Hi again!” she says, tickling his belly with a finger, making him gurgle happily. “Isn’t my Jaal awesome?”

Jaal laughs and rubs her waist and the small of her back with his broad, warm hand.

They keep talking to the baby like that, holding each other, until Kennedy makes a funny sound and says, a hand on her cheek and an incredulous smile on her face:

“Damn, Pathfinder. You would be pretty good parents, you know? Seeing you two like this, it almost looks like David is your son, not mine.”

That makes them blush so much everyone notices and starts laughing. Jaal mumbles something shyly, on his face the same expression he had while his mother complimented his qualities to Chloe.

She is going to die again and she even asks SAM on their private channel if her heart is still beating or about to stop soon.

“Your heart is working perfectly fine, although the speed of your heartbeat has increased alarmingly. Do you want me to do something about it?”

“No.” she tells him, grateful that her mental voice won’t break like her physical one. “It’s okay. Thanks, SAM.”

“I agree with Dr. Kennedy. According to my calculations and estimated data, you and Jaal would prove to be affectionate, loving parents.” A pause, during which Chloe is sure she is dying. “No matter the number of children.”

Despite her heart threatening to explode, a huge smile spreads on her face and she watches Jaal give the child back to Kennedy with a surge of love thundering in her soul.

She smiles at him when he looks at her and he smiles back, face still flushed, and their hands look for each other.

They observe in silence as Liam tries to take the baby again, helped by Kennedy and Bradley, and together they dream of the future where they will hold their little stars together.