#improved shapes formatting

[whumpy-tiime]

Shifting Shapes - #1

Here is my first little thing of this story! This is honestly an introduction to the main character, if even that lmaoo

No warnings as this is just a silly little thing, though future ones will definitely have warnings :D

It had been about 6 months since Norman had officially joined Team Tarantula, though he still felt like a complete stranger to his team. He hated the feeling of intrusion he felt whenever he walked into a room the others were in and they gave him that look.

The look that told him they hated him, despised him, wanted nothing more than to kill him. The look that told him that if it weren’t for their boss, he would have been left for dead.

The loud, joyful conversations that turned to harsh whispers the second he stepped within vicinity.

The passive aggressive jabs at his past and present mistakes.

The impatient remarks of a team that didn’t want to deal with teaching him, helping him.

He was used to it, his old team made sure of that, but he couldn’t help the hurt his teammates brought him.

He did all that he could to please them. He had taken up doing most of the household work, though he had to admit it might’ve been more for himself than the team.

Doing as many chores as possible made him feel fulfilled, even if his team tried to ignore him, he noticed the doing of his work. Not only could he prove he was useful in a domestic setting, not just a battle setting, but he got a nice, distracting routine.

Routine is all he needs; it helped him get through being with his old team and it’ll help him get through being with his new one.

Vacuuming was one of his favorite things to do. Just a repetitive movement to space out too while getting a job done. Though apparently he isn’t allowed peace for too long as multiple of his muscles constrict and contract, making him stumble while trying to process the sudden pain.

Norman rolled his eyes before turning off the vacuum and looking around himself, making sure none of his teammates were around. When he decided it was safe to do so, he allowed himself to slowly shift those muscles.

His body ached to find relief as soon as possible though, and, much to Norman’s dismay, the second tension was released from the muscles, he fell to the ground. His body melted, not being able to support himself.

He was soon a pile of dark sludge. Relief flooded his body, or, what was left of it.

Being a human was tiring, or at least holding the form was.

Being a shapeshifter had a lot of pros but tended to have more cons. Though he could hold certain forms for a long time, if he didn’t take a break, his body would fight to change.

He hated it. Why couldn’t he just be a person? Why couldn’t he just be a guy? Why couldn’t he just be a regular human that had regular human problems, instead of whatever the fuck he was doing right now? Why did he ever leave the tank?

“What the fuck, man,” a voice tore Norman from his sulking session and he quickly reformed into a person.

“Sorry, Axle,” the shifter looked at the man that had suddenly entered the room as his newly formed face warmed up in embarrassment.

“It’s, uh, it’s… fine. Just, can you not do that in the lounge area?” Axle grimaced at the guy in front of him.

“Yeah, no, no problem, sorry,” Norman brought his hands together to fidget with his fingers as he nodded to the other.

“…Alright,” Axle slowly turned and walked out of the room.

‘Well, that fucking sucked,’ Norman thought as he sighed, deciding enough chores have been done.

He had plenty to do in his room anyway.

Thank you so much for reading!! I hope this tiny little snippet was an enjoyable start :D

[girlietips]

Ways to level up when you are bored🎧🤍🧘🏼‍♀️

Here are some simple things you can do when you have nothing to do that will still be more productive than doom scrolling.

Learn a new hair style/makeup look! (Works best if you search it with your face shape)

Watch a video essay about a topic you know nothing about.

Take a color analysis quiz and see what colors you have in your closet that suit you.

Create a vision board (physical or digital)

Try a new recipe for easy snacks

Reorganize your space so it flows easier.

Journal about your dream life as if you already have it.

Take a walk and listen to a podcast.

Clean your makeup brushes.

Try to make outfits with clothes you never wear.

Do a face mask and a hair mask.

Try a new workout format

Go over old flash cards (no point learning something if you forget it after the test)

Say affirmations into the mirror.

Record yourself speaking normally and see if there is anything you can improve to help with public speaking.

Go down a Wikipedia rabbit hole (learn something new)

That’s all I have for now what do you do when you are bored that’s not scrolling?

[hooksbooks]

This is the second of two books I bound for @renegadeguild's Tiny Books Bang. The story is brilliant (like a confession) by kathkin (@penny-anna) and was typeset by @wolfsbanesparks. It's a Clark/Lois identity reveal story where Lois confesses her feelings about Clark to Superman. Let me tell you what, identity shenanigans is a trope I never get tired of no matter how many stories I read with it.

I had the idea to cover the book in blue bookcloth with the Superman symbol on the front, and then re-cover the book with white cotton shirting with a functional button placket so you could unbutton the shirting and pull it aside to reveal the Superman logo underneath. I thought about having the placket extend from the front to the back and having the symbol on the spine, but I was worried about longevity and if it would be awkward to hold the book open to undo the buttons so I ended up doing it just on the front cover.

I had some normal-sized shirt buttons I was planning on using, but luck had it that I found some tiny buttons at a garage sale the morning that I was going to sit down and sew the placket and buttonholes, so that was serendipitous.

I tried my best to balance the necessity of having enough wiggle room in the shirting so that you could pull it to the side and see the symbol underneath without having so much that it looked weird when the buttons were closed. I'm not sure I for sure succeeded--I think the book looks a little weird when buttoned shut. Possibly it would have worked better with shirting that had a bit of stretch in it rather than the 100% cotton that I used, or perhaps the book is just too small and it would have worked better in a larger format.

I used yellow polka-dot endpapers because the Superman symbol is very red-blue-yellow. I already had blue bookcloth and a red bookmark so I wanted yellow endpapers, and what I had was polka-dotted. I also sewed a charm in the shape of Clark's glasses onto the end of the bookmark.

Technical details:

Sextodecimo size (approx. 2" by 3")

Sewn-on endpapers

Rounded but not backed

Trimmed with a utility knife and a straightedge clamped down to my worktable

Things I especially like about this bind:

I'm really proud of the idea of opening up the "shirt" of the cover and seeing the Superman symbol underneath. It's a really fun idea, and I think I pulled it off as well as could be expected on such a tiny book.

The glasses charm is adorable.

Things I'd like to change/improve for next time:

The shirting pokes up weirdly at the top and bottom of the front cover when the buttons are closed. I don't think there's any way I could have improved things on this tiny of a book, but I probably wouldn't do it again unless the book was at least a quarto.

The shirting made the front covers quite thick. I added an extra spacer of cardstock between the cover and the endpapers to help the inside of the covers not be so lumpy, but I feel that they're still a little out of proportion. Likely this wouldn't be an issue on a book with a larger format.

Overall feelings: Fairly pleased. I didn't knock it out of the park, but the idea was good and I did a pretty good job.

[thebarontheabyss]

The Abyss Beckons Once More.

The Bar on the Abyss 2.0 Update is Here!

Start your afterlife anew with new mechanics, expanded content, and deeper choices that will shape your MC's journey in the Abyss and beyond.

READ HERE

What’s New in 2.0?

50K+ Words of New Content!

Choose Your Grief Path: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, or Acceptance—select the emotional journey that fits your MC and explore how it shapes their afterlife.

36 Career Backgrounds: Deepen your backstory with various career paths that unlock additional choices and provide unique perspectives on events unfolding around you.

A New And Improved Skill System!

Your Spirit Gift: Choose from six mythical artifacts that enhance your abilities and open new ways to approach challenges.

Detailed Death Choices: Define the circumstances of your character’s death—was it a tragic accident, a deliberate act, or something darker?

Bug Fixes and Improvements: Enjoy a smoother reading experience with numerous bug fixes, text-flow improvements, and better formatting.

How You Can Help

Thank you for reading The Bar on the Abyss, I’d love your thoughts on the new update!

Your feedback is more important than ever— suggestions for more choices, ideas for how your character should react, and thoughts on the latest content; I’m all ears and eyes, like some biblically accurate angel!

Based on your feedback, this update will continue to evolve, with a few “patches” while I work on the next chapter.

So don’t be shy—I want to hear both the good and the bad!

I’m so proud to have brought this update to life. This year has been so hard, but writing this game and connecting with all of you has been truly the best experience.

Thank you for reading The Bar on the Abyss and sharing this eternal journey with me. I wouldn’t change a thing.

See you in the Abyss!

[sunnysideray]

Before Jack came along, sunshine wasn’t quite alright…

(he definitely changed him for the better, just look at him :1 stinky doodoo head fr)

(((Ray-my stinky doodoo head insert-is actually certified crazy in this lmao)))

Also, sorry if the panels are confusing. I was straight up making it as I came up with the comic, so whoopsies. My bad :( (the next page is in traditional comic format, dw!)

Part 1 || Part 2 || Revelations

Other Versions Below! Just showcase funsies :)

Flat Colour Ver; - You can see Ray’s gradually fading hair dye now :D

Flat Colours + Screens/Effects; - Neato effect stuff I did with TVs, it was fun to mess around with colours and layers on Ibis lol

And finally a Transparent Ver cuz idk; - wahoo transparency or something 🎉

~~ Anyways ~~ that was actually really fun to make. I got to improve my comic skills (a bonus, always need that 😓), slap colours around (always fun), and got to improve my Jack design more! I basically figured out his face shape + facial features lol. POST NOTE: I FORGOR TO SHADE THE DESK NOOOOO whatever ig *:’(*

Tis merely Part 1 of a fun little series - ‘VHS Meetings - Sides’, where I’ll do more pages of this comic and maybe do one with Jill. Or something.

More art is on the way though! Doodles, full art, etc., is all on track and will be posted here as soon as I get done with it haha. (Hint for the (most likely) next art post: Perfect Human Specimen - Lynks, banger song and suure reminds me of someone….)

[kudouusagi]

Pash Utsumi Hiroko Interview

It's sure to be a heartwarming, Fan & Fun experience!

It's about the moments you weren't able to see in the main series.

--Looking back at the scenario meetings, is there anything that stands out in your memory?

Like the fact that there was a longer version where (series writer) Ookouchi Ichirou, the producers, and I all came up with ideas for what to do in the OVA and decided on it, only to realize it didn't fit into the time limit plan I came up with myself and so it was rejected (laughs). Of course Reki and Langa are the main characters so they're going to appear in the OVA but we really wanted to include them all... and that would be difficult to do in one story so we made it into an omnibus format.

--What do you want people to pay attention to in this OVA?

I'd like it if you could check which scenes were shown in the PV. For example, Reki and the others play karuta, but what kind of karuta is it? Who's playing against who? Will Langa, who is bad at reading and writing, be okay?! In the part with Sakurayashiki and Nanjo set in the past, what was their high school life like? What were their fights like back then? How developed are Nanjo's muscles?! Also, the unknown life of Kikuchi, which was kept top-secret in the main story, is revealed...!?! And more!

--Please tell us about what you remember when looking back on recording the voices for this OVA.

I was happy to see that Hatanaka Tasuku-san, who plays Reki, and Kobayashi Chiaki-san, who plays Langa, were still the same Reki and Langa even though several years had passed. I didn't feel any time had past... ∞(eternal) Friendship! It was also memorable how Koyasu Takehito-san, who plays Ainosuke, struggled with a certain scene. Look forward to finding out which scene it was! It had been a while since I last did the voice recording for SK8, and it brought back memories for me, making me feel like SK8 was back!

--What exactly is the theme for this OVA...?

Since it is an omnibus format, there is no overall theme, but they're each filling a gap that wasn't able to be seen in the main story.

--In order to get to know the characters more deeply before the OVA is released, are there any behind-the-scenes details that you haven't revealed yet (that you couldn't show in the first season of the TV series)?

The different headband Reki is wearing in the OVA PV is a souvenir present from his sister Koyomi. It's shaped like an akabeko with a tiger pattern... it's quite unique. Reki only wears it at home. Langa doesn't care about clothes, so he'll wear anything that's comfortable to move in, so he's wearing something strange this time. Please check out the OVA to find out the details☆

--For those who are rewatching the first season of the TV series, what are some of the points you would like people to pay special attention to?

Don't miss anything! The relationship between MIYA and Reki, the outcome of Hiromi's fleeting love, the current fight scenes between Sakurayashiki and Nanjo, the vibe of the master and dog relationship between Ainosuke and Kikuchi, etc. The bond between Reki and Langa through the whole series and how it develops into friendship, keeps your eyes peeled on it till the very end!! And since the theme song for this OVA was created with the TV series in mind, so I'm certain it will improve your understanding if you watch the whole series and think of it while listening to it☆

--Finally, please give a message to the fans of "SK8". 

We're sorry to have kept you waiting for so long, but thanks to everyone who has been waiting that the day we can finally deliver it to you is fast approaching...! There's only a few more sleeps till the OVA is here ♬ How about going to the cinema to watch "SK8 EXTRAPART" as the finale to your New Year's celebrations? It's sure to be a heartwarming, Fan & Fun experience! Please look forward to its release☆

[astro-royale]

AstroObservations:Pt12 🍒

Disclaimer: my opinion💋💋💋

Venus 9th house individuals may travel a lot in their childhood

Pisces moon individuals are very pleasant and calming to be around. They may also be naturally good painters.

Yeah what they say about 18 degrees is true. It will cause health problems or it will create a vicious cycle where someone is always working on improving that particular thing because the energy there isn’t stable.

Mars vs Pluto (Pluto is the higher octave of Mars) in the first house… Mars 1st house will be very overtly aggressive or open with their anger. May come across as assertive, independent, someone who is confident in what they have to say. It’s very “what you see is what you get” and it feels much more extroverted. They don’t find it uncomfortable to call things out.

Pluto first house however is much more secretive, and the power it conveys does not have to be directly spoken about. It is like something emanating beneath the surface and can seem shady or mysterious. 1st house Pluto individuals can also feel the need to create “influence” . I believe this is because the Higher Octave planets refer to the collective and “bigger causes” which can influence the tone of a generation, so this is how it comes across to me regarding Pluto.

Mars also feels much more self centred in the 1st house than Pluto does, again because Pluto is connected to the collective unconscious. You go beyond the self, realising the interconnectedness nature of things.

Pluto can be self centred in the 1st house with a much more humanitarian cause or to use their power to influence a large group of people. Mars 1st house use their power as fuel to just get things done, I’ve noticed. And Mars 1st house can have much more physical drive and energy too,

10th house sun always always always succeeds in their career

Virgo Risings may be quite tall, have lighter eyes and hair natural model look

Taurus influence on appearance can make someone quite shapely

Venus 11th house just loveeeee to socialise

Neptune 7th house are always looking for their soulmate

Cancer 2nd house may really succeed or be able to work from home.

I think everyone with strong Scorpio placements would benefit from having someone to talk to once a month in a therapeutic setting. Just anything to help you detoxify actually. Money well spent because your health depends you on eliminating what no longer serves you.

Self promo:

If you’re a beginner in astrology or know someone who wants to get into it I’ve made a beginner series on the houses on my YT channel.

They’re in short format and very digestible and easy to understand and it’s great for anyone who wants to have a rough idea.

I have created a playlist with them :))

Consider sharing it and checking it out if that sounds like something you or someone you may know may need.

[gsweazel]

your work is so beautiful!! can you share a little bit about your process when working with gouache and india ink?

thank you so much! and of course I can!!!

it’s a long one…details below!

I use gouache just because it’s what I have to hand, but watercolour would work well, if not better.

I start with a sketch, then a wash of the blue, covering the whole page - it can be messy because most of it will be covered with the black ink. at this point I like to go over the shapes with the blue just to vaguely define the forms.

I like to start with the darkest areas! usually this is around the studs, or the ‘seams’ (if there are technical names pls let me know 🙏). I try not to focus on one area too much at once just to keep everything proportional and remind myself of the overall form! India ink is fab because it dries so quickly, and as far as I’m aware it doesn’t lift once dried, so I can go over the fine details to add reflections and shading! when I do the shading, I treat the ink like watercolour - I dilute it heavily, going from light to dark. you can always add more pigment later!

I always forget to take photos as I go along, but hopefully this kind of illustrates what I’m yapping about

I was very silly and forgot to take my brushes with me to uni… buuuut from memory, I think it’s a ‘round’ brush? it can carry a lot of ink but tapers to a very fine point at the end, allowing for the teeny tiny details on the armour, as well as the larger washes of pigment. this is a4 paper for scale (I think that’s around 8.5 x 11 inches!) I use a bigger round brush for bigger areas! I also loosely sketch out the details in pencil before painting but the drawing is usually more ambitious than what I can realistically achieve at this scale - the squiggly lines were the hardest! I tended to depart from the reference at this point and make up some organic shapes. basically the smaller scale means it’s no biggie if you do make a mistake!

I use bristol paper - super smooth surface that holds the ink really well!

it’s a little different for my first knight though (below)! still started with the blue gouache wash, but I used fine liner pen. I think it’s either 0.5 or 0.3 - leaning towards the latter just because of the smaller details! this is a less forgiving medium imo, but super satisfying. I used black gouache to fill in the background for this one - I didn’t have any inks at this point. I’m working on a5 paper here in a moleskine notebook, so it wasn’t really meant to be damp.

also I am still bad at taking photos of my art - but I am getting better! I scanned the painting, then adjusted the shadows (just using the photos app). literally the only edit is turning ‘shadows’ down to -100, but you can see how much of a difference this makes! I’m including this because it’s always so disheartening when the camera doesn’t pick up the artwork properly. something I struggle with when using ink is getting an even surface with large areas of undiluted black, which is why I tend to adjust the contrast. if anyone has any tips on this I would appreciate it!

apologies for the very long post - if there’s anything else I can clarify please let me know!! I’m quite new to tumblr so sorry if the formatting of this post is a little off.

unfortunately I have just gone back to university, so it will probably be a while before I have some art to post - I also left all my art supplies at home… whoops! maybe this is a chance to improve my digital art!!

and thank you so so much for all the notes on my previous post! I read every tag on reblogs and they always make my day <3

[herotome]

Devlog #170

Hi-ho, Wudge here.

I don't feel good today, but I already put off devlogging last week-- so I'll do this real quick then get some rest!

An's upper lip-- but after a long struggle this Griffin expression FINALLY feels accurate to the emotion I've wanted to convey!!

A very big special thanks to long-time friend @potedo, who not only helped remind me that The Road to El Dorado, er... exists as a phenomenal reference, but also drafted some sketches for me!

You can see my very first attempt at the expression & mouth shape in the upper left. It was fine, but I was dissatisfied with it bc it didn't feel right.

I have another shout out for @qkayoostudio (who also has games on itch!!) for art of the MC's new phone!

And.. special thanks to me for spending the hours it took to adjust the code formatting (otherwise the icons n text messages were uh, floating off to the sides) and updating the build-in speech bubbles improve legibility and contrast. By default, the phone system uses a yellow background for the recepient's message frames -- I don't have too many issues with my vision but /I/ was having trouble reading it. So, the yellow has been updated to a dark purple-ish gradient.

Andddd I made a cleaner concept for Mia's hero helmet, and actually imported it into the game. I'm not sure I'm 100% satisfied with the design, but at least it's there in code and can be easily swapped out if I have an update.

Speaking of Mia. I wrote!!! New content for her!!! That was last week. And this week I wrote new content for nurse Jordan scene! WOOO. More writing than usual from me. Here's some peeks.

This one happens if you pretend you don't recognize Mia, or somehow, genuinely do not think the "red hero" and Mia are the same person:

griffin "[MC], this is Tough Girl. She's been the new kid here for a little while." mia "... We already met yesterday." griffin "Wh-- kiddo!" mia "What? [MC] totally recognize[s] me, [she]'s just playing dumb!" "She whirls to glare at me." mia "I'm onto you!" mia "I {i}know{/i} you're trying to sabotage me somehow. I haven't forgotten the way you embarrassed me in front of Warden!"

But if MC recognized Mia and got her to reveal her secret identity, this happens instead:

mia "... We already met yesterday." griffin "Oh. Did you shake hands?" mia "... No." griffin "Well then, chop chop. Good relationships start with a hand shake!"

As for the nurse scene, hidden among the entire swaths of new writing and code I've put in, we have this brand new dialogue option:

"HEWWO?! IS ANYBODY THEWE?"

No I will not elaborate.

ok time for me to rest ;;;

Stay safe and keep warm,

Wudge.

[sanguinesky-if]

[Dev Log] February 2025

Hello, I hope your winter days are going well!

This is the first dev log of 2025, which means the end of my January break and the resumption of:

▹ Patreon billing and monthly activity. ▹ Monthly dev logs.

Although I took things easier in January, I still worked on the story and have quite a bit to share about my progress.

What was done last month?

▹ Worked on the draft for Chapter 3 Pt. 2.

Since shifting the story format from a visual novel to IF, my draft has required some changes and updates. There are some scenes I'd like to include from the old version, but I hesitate due to the potential increase in workload [I discussed them on Patreon]. Even without those additions, Chapter 3 Pt. 2 is shaping up to be massive, and I already can tell it shouldn't be expected until late spring [assuming I decide against including those moments and scenes]. As usual, the most recent updates on my progress will be shared weekly on Patreon and monthly in the dev logs here on my blog.

▹ Refined stats and their distribution.

I began refining the stats distribution in December, but I also made some changes throughout January. Overall, the full list of changes includes: ▹ Refinement and redistribution of personal and hidden stats. ▹ Renaming the "Approval" stat to "Alignment" [this change will apply in the next update]. I'd like to thank this anon for the idea; I should have done it sooner. A few more words about the stats: Something about the personal stats feels… lacking. I can't quite pinpoint what it is, but I have a feeling I need to progress the story further to understand what's missing, so for now, I've decided to focus on Chapter 3 Pt. 2.

▹ Finished the shortcut to Chapter 3 Pt. 2.

I decided to take care of the shortcut feature in advance, and it took me some time to compile all the choices due to the variations readers can encounter in different scenes. While I may return to it later if I decide that some choices from Chapter 3 Pt. 1 should be included, I'm glad I finished adding all the essential parts.

▹ Improved some scenes and fixed numerous grammatical errors, as well as a few coding issues.

Here's a list of major changes: ▹ L's phone call scene [Chapter 2]: Added a reserved flirt option and made the non-romantic option available to everyone [these changes will apply in the next update].

▹ K's morning scene [Chapter 3]: The last assertive flirt option in K's scene no longer includes "I forgive you", so the reader is not forced to immediately let go of all the tension when choosing a flirt option. Small note: I have some reservations regarding the choices provided in K's scene after their apology, so I will likely post a poll on Patreon to gather feedback on this matter.

▹ Solo morning scene [Chapter 3]: Due to an oversight, the solo scene didn't include a variation where the reader decides not to talk to the MC's twin sister and immediately goes to sleep. This variation of the scene has now been added.

What will I be working on in February?

▹ Chapter 3 Pt. 2: translating the draft and outlining the files for coding.

In addition to that, the bonus content on Patreon that will be released this month will include:

▹ Morgan's NSFW Alphabet. ▹ K's NSFW Side Story POV [Interactive].

Author's note.

I'd like to extend my gratitude to everyone who took the time to send helpful error reports, asks, and kind messages! Your support and interest help me improve my story, which truly means a lot to me.

Thank you for reading to the end! Wishing you a wonderful week and days after that! ♥

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Levels of Editing

The 5 Stages of Editing: Beta Reading, Developmental Editing, Line Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading

The Editorial Process

Writing

Drafting

Sourcing feedback from beta readers

Self-editing

Developmental editing or manuscript evaluation

Line editing

Copyediting

Proofreading

Publishing

2 Levels of the Process

MACRO / STORY LEVEL

This is where developmental editing (also sometimes called content editing, substantive editing or structural editing)

and manuscript evaluations (sometimes known as manuscript reviews or editorial critiques) are to be found.

It’s big-picture work that looks at the novel as a whole. Editors who specialize in this level of service focus on how your book works – stuff like structure, plot, flow, point of view, characterization and pace.

Story-level editing involves the following concepts:

Character arc: Goals, motivations and conflict

Effective dialogue

Genre: Impact on writing style and length

Narrative arc: Beginnings, middles and ends

Narrative style: Viewpoint, tense, voice and distance

Plot and subplot analysis

Problematic representation, stereotyping and othering

Story structure and pacing

Themes: the main ideas that connect the components of the story

World-building: creating engaging settings

MICRO / SENTENCE LEVEL

Includes line editing, copyediting and proofreading.

Sentence-level work that looks at the text on a line-by-line & word-by-word basis.

Sentence-level editing involves the following:

Chapter sequencing

Character-trait consistency

Cliché and awkward metaphor

Dialogue expression: style, tagging and punctuation

Effectiveness of sentence-level narration

Letter, word, line and paragraph spacing

Narrative style: Consistency of viewpoint, tense, voice

Effectiveness of narrative distance

Pace and flow: Special attention paid to repetition and overwriting

Problematic representation, stereotyping and othering

Spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, hyphenation and capitalization

Standard document formatting using Word’s styles palette: indentation, paragraph style, section breaks

Told versus shown prose

The Levels of Editing

STAGE 1: BETA READING

Authors send drafts of their novel to test-readers.

To receive feedback on structural issues such as plot, pacing, characterization, writing style and reader engagement.

Not the place for uncovering micro problems (spelling/grammar).

Beta reading may be free (via, say, a writing group or a critique partner) but some professional editors provide paid-for services (sometimes called early reviews) that provide guidance on the next-best editing steps.

It’s a good first step for those who want someone else to take their novel out for a test-drive before deeper levels of intensive editing begin.

STAGE 2: DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING

Also called structural or story editing - the shaping stage where decisions that affect how the novel works as a whole are made: Plot, story arc, structure, pacing, characterization, genre, narrative viewpoint and tense.

When the reader has finished the journey, they should feel satisfied by the experience of reading your work.

The journey might be bumpy. There are peaks and troughs – action, contemplation, and deduction, all of which are structured and paced so as to engage the reader as the story unfolds.

Developmental editing is where your story is tested and revised so that readers want to turn the page.

Alternative: Manuscript Evaluations/Critiques

Critiques can be thought of as mini developmental edits.

A professional editor provides a report that analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the writing, and what the author can do to improve their book.

Unlike full developmental edits, no changes are made to the book file. They’re an affordable first step for any author who wants to learn how to implement their own structural revisions.

Additional: Sensitivity/Diversity Reading

This is a niche form of evaluation in which a specialist reports on the potential misrepresentation and devaluation of marginalized others.

Readers are looking out for cliched, harmful, biased or false content and non-inclusive language.

Sensitivity readers focus on how others’ identities are represented in terms of race, sexuality, gender, physical ability, mental or emotional health, political beliefs, religion, age, culture and socioeconomic status.

Others identify potential problems with how those who’ve experienced abuse, trauma, violence, bigotry, illness, bereavement and poverty are portrayed.

They’re a valuable addition to the editorial process for authors who want to positively diversify the voices in their fiction but don’t have the lived experience of the individuals/groups they’re writing about.

Identifying goals and selecting a sensitivity reader with the appropriate experience is essential.

STAGE 3: LINE EDITING

The smoothing stage.

Sense is checked and flow is mastered so that the reader is driven to stay on the page and immerse themselves in the story’s world.

Good writing acknowledges that readers absorb words in a certain way – in the West we read from left to right and top to bottom, regardless of the device through which the book is delivered. Though our brains allow us to take in more than one letter and one word at a time, unless we’re scanning we move through sentences from start to finish. Those sentences should say what they need to say, and only that. Too many words, or repetition of what’s already known, can make the reading experience boring and frustrating.

Authors can play with sentence length and language style to reflect the historical period, genre, and the mood of a given scene. And punctuation is not about pedantry. It’s a powerful pacer that can evoke tension and impart clarity.

If a strong story compels readers to turn the page, line editing is what helps them want to stay on it.

Alternative: Mini Line-Level Critiques

No changes are made to the book file.

Instead, a professional editor provides a report that analyses the strengths and weaknesses of sentence-level craft.

The editor may suggest recasts to dialogue and narrative with a view to improving line-level flow, pace, drama and readability.

They’ll also offer advice on layout, spelling, punctuation & grammar conventions.

They’re an affordable first step for any author who wants to learn how to implement their own sentence-level revisions.

STAGE 4: COPYEDITING

The correcting stage

Inconsistent or incorrect spelling, grammar, and punctuation are attended to, and where logic is checked, such that the reader is allowed to follow the story without distraction.

Compelling writing makes readers forget that they’re reading.

Copyediting removes distractions.

Style sheets are the author’s and editor’s friend.

They record decisions on the language choice (e.g. American or British English), style (e.g. -is- or -iz- spellings, both of which are standard in British English), proper-noun spelling, character traits, location identifiers, the book’s timeline, use of idiom, dialogue treatment, how numbers are rendered, how capitalization and hyphenation are handled, and a hundred other decisions.

Many professional editors carry out line- and copyediting simultaneously because they’re complementary processes.

STAGE 5: PROOFREADING

The quality-control stage

Any final literal errors and layout problems are flagged up such that the book is fit for publication. Since human beings are doing the editing work, it’s rare for a book to get to the pre-publication stage without a few snafus remaining.

During the previous rounds of editing, new errors might have been introduced by accident. The design process can cause problems too:

Some elements of the book (a heading, a paragraph, a footnote) might be formatted inconsistently and incorrectly … think about indents, line spaces, end-of-line wordbreaks, page-number chronology, running heads and alignment just for starters.

Proofreading is the final line of defence.

The Order of Play

There’s a logical order of play when it comes to editing.

Think of it like building a house:

Developmental editing is like laying the foundations and building the structure

Line editing and copyediting are like plastering the brickwork, painting the walls, and sanding the floorboards

Proofreading is where you move in the furniture and fill in any tiny cracks that have appeared

Swap the order around and you’ll end up in a pickle.

At best you’ll waste time; at worst you’ll waste money.

Let’s imagine you invest in smoothing your prose and eradicating most of the spelling, grammar, punctuation, and consistency problems (line editing and copyediting). Then you discover a gaping plot hole that requires you to move two chapters, rewrite three, and make 75 sentence-level tweaks throughout the rest of the book (structural amendments).

Every move, every deletion, every rewrite, and every tweak brings with it the chance of damaging the line/copyediting work.

That’s time and money down the drain.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

[altocat]

i'm sorry I need more of that time travel au of cloud meeting sane sephiroth

HEHEHE

Sephiroth mostly spends all his time doing mundane paperwork in his office while Cloud spies on him in the vents. He gets really excited when he sees that Sephiroth is scribbling down something sus at the corner of one of the documents..........it's just a doodle of a cat.

SEPHIROTH BURNING DOWN THE ENTIRE BATTLEFIELD...and then immediately putting out the flames because he doesn't want his men getting burned. Fire safety is important!

Cloud bristles when Sephiroth starts hanging around Zack. Oh gods is he going to threaten to KILL him? Turns out Seph and Zack just went to engage in a casual training spar, complete with Zack telling Sephiroth about the history of cheese or some shit.

Cloud asks Sephiroth what the word "Jenova" means to him. Sephiroth perks up at once and shows Cloud the irl composite sketch he made based on his memory of his locket. He looks unbelievably proud of himself.

Cloud asks Sephiroth what he WANTS.

"Oh um...I would request that Lazard raise the AC a bit in the main office. It gets a bit drafty in the evening."

Cloud stalks Sephiroth in the kitchen. Sephiroth is just sitting there eating cup noodles.

SMUG SEPHIROTH SMIRK?!?!?! Oh it's because he "accidentally" spilled ketchup on the take-home medical form Hojo assigned him.

Sephiroth is sitting motionless on the couch, no doubt having a mental breakdown and plotting some sort of revenge!

....He's just looking at a scrapbook of memories Angeal made for him. The one in the middle featuring the First Trio dramatically pointing at a suggestively-shaped cactus formation in the middle of the fucking desert.

Cloud being so fucking pissed, so fucking DONE, so ready to find ANYTHING on this guy.

Sephiroth in the background asking Zack if knitting would improve his dexterity.

[drowned-cypress]

I'm fixating on this idea currently; Architects, from what we know, seem to be a peaceful species. But they would be so scary if you got them pissed off.

What do you think about angry Architects? :3

We know that architects do experience anger. Al-An specifically worries that his people might be angry at him. I'm reminded of this post, which notes that one of the symptoms of Kharaa is increased aggression, and speculates that Al-An may have already had his people's anger aimed at him.

The thing about anger, and emotions in general, is that it's a physical reaction. Emotions were evolved as a part of a series of biological responses designed to serve specific functions to help an organism survive in their environment.

So what would anger physically look like in an architect? They have fundamentally different biology. In humans, anger involves primed adrenal responses to better prepare the body to fight. It basically triggers the fight part of the fight or flight response. This includes doing things like dilating the pupils, desensitizing the body to pain, sweating, slowing digestion to let the sympathetic nervous system use energy more efficiently, and heightening the senses. Architects don't have eyes, or a digestive system, but the principle is the same. The physical reaction would need to divert energy away from unnecessary biological processes to allow the body to spend more energy enhancing the senses and improve reaction time. I'm reminded of this post which sorts Al-An's bioluminescent colors by energy, with higher energy emotions emitting lower energy colors. I thought this was interesting because it could mean that architects turn red when they're angry as an energy saving feature.

What about body language? We can really only speculate based on the kinds of animals they incorporated into themselves, and their general body shape. There's a data entry that says they most closely resemble several species of mountain goat. Goats express annoyance by pawing, and stomping. Goats also display aggression by staring as a threat, tucking their chins and presenting their horns as a threat, rearing, chasing, pushing, and headbutting. These can all potentially apply to architects (yes you can stare without eyes, it's a stance thing,) assuming you believe that their horns are defensive and not actually sensory organs. I think it's more likely that they use their hooves and claws as weapons than their horns, but they could still display aggression by kicking or snapping their claws in threat.

That's analyzing potential architect behavior at the most basic animal level. Architects aren't animals though. They've extensively modified their bodies through genetics and cybernetics. They don't even identify with their own bodies anymore. Their bodies are just tools to them. Architects conceive of themselves as primarily a collection of data. I do wonder if they even experience emotions the same when they're in purely data format (like when they're in storage) as they do in their bodies. Storage is supposed to involve whole brain emulation, so presumably they should be able to emulate anger, but it's also possible that they don't feel emotions in storage the same way they do when they have bodies because they allow the body to regulate that kind of thing. There's also a good chance they modified their bodies to regulate their emotions at will, meaning, if they start experiencing physiological effects of an emotion, and they would like to stop, they can. Body producing adrenaline for a situation in which that is not actually helpful? Just turn it off. It seems like something they would do.

[slutforpringles]

The key difference to McLaren that makes Ricciardo's revival real

Ricciardo drives the car very differently to regular driver Yuki Tsunoda, but also to Pierre Gasly - who was Alpha Tauri’s spearhead for several seasons. They prefer a later-braking approach with a sharp, later rotation - the V-style we often hear drivers talk about, and that Ricciardo wanted to move away from at McLaren but couldn’t. The way Ricciardo brakes and approaches a corner puts very different demands on the car and tyres, and requires (and instigates) a different kind of car behaviour. What you saw in Mexico was the result of Alpha Tauri really adjusting the car to that for the first time.

“The driving style is different and not only from the mechanical or aero platform, but we know the Pirelli tyres are quite sensitive,” says Alpha Tauri’s chief race engineer Jonathan Eddolls. “The way he drives we can see different tyre temperatures, different tyre temperature balance. We're not talking big numbers, it's not massive, but we can see differences in the way he drives. And he makes the laptime in different parts of the corner. Therefore he exposes different weaknesses to say Yuki does - he drives it in one way, Daniel in a slightly different way. So we just need a slightly different set-up direction for him.”

Ricciardo prefers to carry more speed through the corner by making it more of a ‘U’ shape. To do that he needs a little rear instability on entry to turn in, and enough grip to rotate the car mid-corner without the rear braking away. The McLaren had a lot of peak downforce but it was not always usable, making the car unstable and inconsistent to drive in certain corners and conditions. That was murder for Ricciardo’s preferences. And even now, in a McLaren regularly scoring podiums, Lando Norris says he wants to ‘U’ a corner but has to ‘V’ it off because the car can’t handle that.

Ricciardo admitted he’d had a limitation exposed by his failure to switch styles in the way Norris could, and even how Ricciardo’s replacement Oscar Piastri has. But give him the right car and he was adamant he could still work wonders. That’s what he seems to be moving towards with the AlphaTauri. But achieving that by pursuing this set-up direction was not the work of a moment. AlphaTauri started to experiment after the summer break but Ricciardo only managed one and a bit practice sessions at Zandvoort before breaking his hand.

Then the first attempt at his second comeback of 2023, at Austin, was hamstrung by it being a sprint weekend. Given it was his first race back, upgrades had changed the car’s behaviour in his absence, and the sprint format meant just the one practice session before qualifying, AlphaTauri played it safe and put Ricciardo on Tsunoda’s set-up. That didn’t really work for him. So it was all about getting to Mexico and working on different set-ups to try to unlock a bit more potential from the car based around his driving style. “One of his big limitations has been the front end,” says Eddolls. “So the [new set-up] directions have been able to improve the front end of the car for him, accepting the stability compromise and how that impacts the tyre temperatures through the corner and through the lap.”

It may sound surprising given this was his Kryptonite at McLaren but what Ricciardo has been clear on from the start at AlphaTauri is that he could live with a bit more rear instability. There were signs of this right back in Hungary, where Ricciardo drove the car for the first time. There, and in his second race in Belgium, there was some under-rotation in the car. While the AlphaTauri lacks the aerodynamic peaks of what Ricciardo was driving at McLaren, it seems to have a more stable platform. It’s consistent, and understandable. So Ricciardo actually found that he could cope with some more rear instability than it had, to help give him the front end he needed, without it prompting the kind of inconsistency in car behaviour that he could not handle the way Norris could at McLaren.

The key to understanding the difference is to consider that not all rear instability is the same. AlphaTauri has battled some specific corner entry trouble all season, mainly when its drivers were braking late into heavy braking zones. Given he generally struggled with rear instability at McLaren, it was initially a concern that this might be an issue for Ricciardo. But with the way he drives compared to Tsunoda, Ricciardo didn't counter the same issues with the AT04. Instead, Ricciardo knows what to expect from the car and is able to take it to its limits more comfortably.

“Probably the car that we've got, the characteristics, it behaves,” says Eddolls. “Maybe we haven't quite got the load or efficiency of some of the top teams. However, there's no big fundamental weaknesses of the car other than a lack of a bit of load. He knows what it's going to do. And the fact that it does the same thing, every lap, corner to corner, it's given him the confidence to be able to throw the car into the corners and know that it's going to stick and knows that it’s going to do the same every time. Once we've got that platform in those couple of races earlier in the season, then we can start working on changing the balance corner to corner or through corner with the set-up to try to extract a bit more performance. It's a car that's given him the confidence to be able to push it closer to the limit than maybe he had in McLaren.”

Since Ricciardo’s early races before the summer break, the team has added a bit more aero load through upgrades, and the new set-up direction has now unlocked an even more Ricciardo-friendly balance. In Mexico, Ricciardo was able to use the stronger front end to rotate the car through the corners more to his style - braking a little earlier but riding it a little longer, giving him the grip to turn the front in mid-corner and carrying speed through. The result was being at ease with the car in qualifying, visibly leaning on the front and throwing the car around more.

It doesn’t mean he was on another level to Tsunoda, who looked like he could have been just as quick were his qualifying not sacrificed because of a predetermined engine change and grid penalty. But it did mean Ricciardo was more at the limit of this car for the first time, and feeling more like his old self. This continued in the grand prix itself. The controlled tyre management and comfortable race pace was different to the vast majority of his grands prix for McLaren. Were it not for a red flag, Ricciardo probably would have finished fifth – the final stint suggests he’d have had the race pace to fend off George Russell’s Mercedes (who jumped him at the restart instead), and Norris would have been too far back to catch and pass him on his recovery drive from the back of the grid. Ricciardo also looked feisty at both the start and the post-red flag restart, doing a good job amid frenetic runs to Turn 1 and beyond, and even launched an attack on Russell the final lap. It didn’t quite come off, but how often did you see him able to try that in papaya?

“It was a little weird, at the start of the stint, I didn’t feel as good as towards the end,” Ricciardo said of the second part of the race. “It felt like it took me a little bit to get a rhythm with the tyre. Then the last probably 10 laps, I was able to really start pushing harder. Lando getting George probably hurt George’s tyres a little bit, so that brought him back to me. It was tough. I probably didn’t expect to get that close. When you’re that close, you’re like ‘ah, we could’ve!’. But he protected well in Turn 4. At one point, I was trying to go on the outside, but I could see we were both going to run off and had to abort the mission. We tried, but ultimately, just to be battling a Mercedes at the end, that makes me more happy than just missing out on sixth.”

Ricciardo probably does need a Red Bull Racing promotion to start doing that on a regular basis. Getting the most out of the car he has now must be the objective for the rest of the season – and on this evidence, it should be sustainable. “After last week, it’s funny,” he said. “You can never guarantee a good weekend [but] I’m not surprised we had a good weekend. I was just ready for it, and I think the direction we went with set-up, I knew that would allow me to have a bit more confidence with the car. There’s still certainly some things to get out of it. Even in the race, my first sector was a little average, I wasn’t very consistent there through the first chicane. For sure some things I could improve on, but overall I was very happy with the weekend.”

via: The key difference to McLaren that makes Ricciardo's revival real | The Race

[spotaus]

Realization (New Age AU Drabble)

Another pre-story segment all about Nightmare's first interaction with Dust! (I'm fibbing, most of it is actually Killer's bad storytelling skills-) As always, no refining, no spell-checks, I die like a man. Hope y'all enjoy!!

(Formatting Note: Normal text is active story, Italics are excerpts from Nightmare's journal!)

(It's been a while!! but hello @ancha-aus, @papiliovolens, and @mutzelputz! I've missed you all!)

“Killer, what were you able to find?” Nightmare posed the question almost quietly from where he sat at his large, dark, wood desk. He’d been sat there for a few hours now, periodically swapping between budgeting and the local laws of the city he’d just sent Killer and a few others to investigate for fraud and black-market dealings. How had his mother allowed so much to happen just under her nose?

Killer, his first knight and most reliable soldier thus far, had just bounced in from the hall seeming much too cheery having just gotten off from interrogating prisoners caught in the dungeon. His grin was usually wide, but in this instance it was even more-so, stretching up so his cheekbones made his dark sockets form crescent shapes. 

“There wasn’t much from the new guys we pulled in, my king,” He said lowly, voice hushed as the door remained cracked open in his wake, “But! One of the guys from the second bust we’ve been holding onto finally decided to speak up! He says he’s got a lot of dirt, but he, and I quote, “Doesn’t feel comfortable telling a glorified hunting dog.” so he said he needs a visit from someone more qualified.” 

Killer seemed not at all bothered by the demands of this imprisoned person, his tone jovial and almost anticipatory. As though he was humored by the name-calling and claims. He stepped closer to Nightmare’s desk, and he watched as Killer then stood at attention before him and his work. For a brief moment, Nightmare was charmed. Killer had been a lot less antsy around him since his knighting ceremony and the party which followed, which he had decided was a good step in the right direction for the knight. He needed to be able to relax a bit outside his training and duties. …Of course, these were his duties right now.

“You are the most qualified of those present here in the castle, did you tell him this?” Nightmare asked, raising a brow curiously.

Killer nodded, “Yeah. He just gave me a look,” Killer furrowed his brow and mimicked a bored look, “Then stopped talking to me. Figured I wouldn’t get much farther than that.” 

Nightmare hummed, setting down his quill on his desk and rising from his seat. He knew his tendrils were twitching, but not by much. Dealing with Killer had… improved his social skills. If he hadn’t known how to talk to the public before, well, Killer spoke in unprompted and often unfiltered manners that had often, at the start, startled him. No longer could the whims of a chaotic sentence fluster him into inaction. Most of the time, at least. 

“I see… I suppose I shall give him as he asks, then.” Nightmare didn’t bother to do much for his appearance aside from straightening his cloak from where it had fallen askew on his shoulders. He circled around his desk to stand beside Killer, peering down at the skeleton as he peered up. Killer enjoyed meeting Nightmare’s gaze. “What raid did you say this was from?” 

“Parpeak, out near the border. One of the perimeter runs to cut off the supply routes.” Killer answered easily. “It’s the guy we found burning those documents to cover his tracks. Lightning magic, had to put lots of cuffs on him. Real quiet.” 

Right. Nightmare did remember the report. There was a skeleton who Killer had fought one-on-one after he’d fried several of the guard and was caught destroying documents containing names and maps of routes. Unfortunately, they were all unsalvageable and Killer had returned to the castle with an intense lightning burn and scrape across his shin from the magic of this monster. Unusually strong, entirely silent. Nightmare had meant to visit him a lot sooner, actually. Just… with Killer’s ceremony and the new morale of the kingdom after their first few raids, he’d been busy trying to figure out how to fix what had been so broken. The strange monster had completely slipped his mind. 

“Right, yes. Parpeak…” He trailed off, moving to the side of the room. 

Ccino had recently ordered a nice new set of shelves from a local carpenter, dark wood not unlike his desk, but light and with many, many spaces. The top area held scrolls, copies of his new laws and trading treaties to come, so he had them on-hand. Below were larger cubbies, each dedicated to one of his big ‘restorative’ projects. The top one was regarding the black market, of course. 

Nightmare ran a finger along the pages, the little bound books each holding notes and reports on a different area in his kingdom, each meant to document the proceedings and his progress in each space. He found Parpeak (he ordered them alphabetically so it was quite easy) and plucked the little journal from the shelf.

Flipping through it revealed a detailed list of reports and charges and issues with the allowance of criminal activity which was harming the people and the control of the crown. Of course, his people deserve freedom, but first he must fix what his ancestors made wrong so many years ago. Parpeak was a city towards the border of Orchard, set on the very edge of a cliff which overlooks a ravine with a wide river. The other side of this river leads into a kingdomless outlands space filled with wild darkwood forests, and beyond that begins the plains of Whistling, one of their neighboring countries who Nightmare sorely hopes to avoid dealing with anytime soon. Parpeak had reports from nobles that they would see strange people scaling the cliffs and arriving in the city unannounced with all sorts of unsavory and dangerous goods. Normally Nightmare would ignore such rumors, but he sent a few of the guard to check up on the space anyhow, and discovered that the rumors were very much true. The market chose Parpeak to base some of its operations. Naturally, he’d sent Killer as soon as he was capable enough. Killer and a small group of other guard, chosen by Captain Rogers, had managed to locate the main base, an unassuming Inn which had a tunnel system beneath dug into the cliff face, and dismantled its loftiest players, confiscating supply as well. Much of the supply was being stored in one of the castle’s wine cellars for safe keeping until Nightmare hired a professional to sort through it, while many of the major players sat still in the dungeon.

Among the crimes in Parpeak, many were lesser. Smuggling of outside goods, such as clothes, weapons, exotic animals, and grains. Others were larger, such as monster-human trafficking and the making of false coin. …Actually, maybe Nightmare should hire on whoever carved the stamps they’d been using, because there had been word among the servants that perhaps it was time to make a change in the design of the coins. Nightmare was a bit sick of seeing his mother’s image on every piece of gold in the treasury. 

Aside from the point. This had been the beginning of the current decline they were experiencing. Nightmare had unknowingly hit the jackpot somehow for locations to target, because it seemed like lately the rats running these little rings were getting desperate for supply. It made it a lot easier for city guard or his scouts to spot them and then report. 

“Alright. Killer, would you accompany me to the cell of this one who would not speak?” He requested. 

“Of course, my king.” Killer said before bowing deeply. 

By the time he was back up and facing Nightmare, his mask was covering his skull and he was grinning from beneath it. The orange tiger with the deep black stripes running across its ferocious face was a perfect fit. Nightmare couldn’t have asked for better. 

. 

Nightmare was grateful upon coming to the stairs of the dungeon. He had no worries walking in his halls, he knew that the people within him equally respected and feared him, or respected members of his staff enough to not bother him. It was just that the dungeon was quieter, and calmer.

Torches lined the walls, but from inside the cells shined natural daylight. The path of the hall was lit by criss-crossing overlaps of streaks of shadow and light. One of his first moves upon finding the previous state of the cells was to find a way to allow daylight in. No monster, human, or beast deserved to be trapped without just a bit of sunlight. Very reinforced bars, of course, with a little magic barrier, but it worked all the same. It made for an odd dance of light and shadows as he trailed Killer down through the narrow space between the cells. Many on either side, fronts entirely made of iron bars, separated by walls of thick layers of stone, or what Nightmare assumed was stone. Though, like much of the castle, it looked like petrified and tangled roots. Whoever carved this castle must have been a master. 

Only about four cells were filled before they reached their destination, each prisoner either being held for a trial later to come or for an execution date to be determined. Nightmare did not like killing these people, but very few times he had found that it was simply unsafe to keep them alive. If it came between his family and these dangerous strangers? Well, he’s already proven many times his decision in the matters.

Nightmare was drawn from his thoughts when Killer stopped and loudly clanked his knuckles against a set of iron bars which contained the prisoner they’d come to visit.

“Wakey wakey in there!” Killer called out. 

Nightmare vaguely caught a startled twitch from the figure who had been laid out on the cot along the wall. He couldn’t help but notice how even the cell which contained the monster was one of the few magic-proof ones available, left behind from some bygone era of one of the human kings in Orchard. They hadn’t much liked the influence of magic aside from their own, and so imprisoned traveling wizard and mages for execution. They had apparently been very efficient and much the reason no king after them had bothered to open up another magic academy. Nowadays, it was strange to imagine any one prisoner would need this much confinement, but he couldn’t fault anyone for making the safest choice for those living in the castle above. 

“Killer.” Nightmare warned. As much as he was irked by the supposed behavior of this monster, he did not appreciate his Knight being rude. He only continued when he saw Killer jolt, then step back and away from the bars. “I apologize for my knight. It sounds as though you were rather doubtful of his place among my ranks, and in light of that I chose to visit you myself to reassure you of his qualifications.” 

This was when the figure on the bench shifted. It seemed like they were hesitant, making small shifts at first, before eventually sitting up and turning toward where Nightmare stood tall outside the bars.

The first thing Nightmare noticed? This monster was small. He was a skeleton monster and while they usually have very little meat on their bones, he would know, this monster in particular was very small, and looked very thin. His feet dangled off of the cot he was sitting on and for a brief second, Nightmare was reminded of a child. It was a brief thought, but one that was not helped when the monster lifted a hand to cover a yawn escaping his jaw. Two white eyelights, dull and glowing faintly, watched Nightmare from beneath a rudimentary hood connected to a tunic. He seemed to slump in on himself as he stared at those outside his cell who had awoken him. 

“Mm.” Was all he said.

Nightmare did not lose his composure, instead he took another slight step forward and ensured he was stood in the light of the upper window in the cell. He hoped the shadow he cast was intimidating as he’d been told it was. 

“I am King Nightmare. As I am here now, I would like to speak with you. Hear what it was that you could not tell my direct next of power. If you would allow me, of course.” He declared.

This monster tilted his head a bit, looking between Killer and Nightmare, before shrugging. A confirmation. 

Nightmare took that as a good sign and approached the locked door of the cell. One good thing about the apple’s magic was that even rooms like this one, where magic was meant to be suppressed, could not contain even a sliver of his magic. Not enough to affect him, at least. He’d tested it several times with Ccino by his side while the dungeons were empty, just to be sure his own land could not be used against him, and it had never once contained him. That was why he let himself in using his tendril, slipping the pointed end into the old lock, letting it mould into the shape of a key and shifting it around until the metal clicked and the door gave way. Much faster than getting the warden.

It took him hardly three seconds before he was tucked into the cell with this dangerous, small, skeleton. He pulled the door closed behind him and approached until he felt a dull hint of annoyance radiate from the skeleton he was to be speaking to. When it grew to be enough, he stopped and stood calmly, tucking his arms behind his back and beneath his cloak.

NIghtmare did not prompt for any questions. If this monster had something to say, it was best not to intervene or give suggestions which may stray away from the intended topic the monster had in mind. Only, it seemed like it would be a game of patience as the skeleton sat still on his cot, staring at the ground, then at Nightmare, then back out at Killer, then at Nightmare again. 

“You… haven’t been king long.” The monster stated. His voice was so dull and certain it was said almost as a fact.

“Indeed, we are cresting towards my third year on the throne.” Nightmare agreed.

Again there was a stretch of quiet. Nightmare stood there nearly still as a statue himself, if not for the flicking of his tendrils. He was trying his best to sense whether this monster was distressed, or stressed, or scared, or mad, or anything, but all he could taste was the annoyance and frustration quietly wafting from Killer’s soul. He often got mad when people did not bend immediately to Nightmare’s will, he was an impatient sort. Normally this frustration was welcomed, but in this situation it was hindering him in his own interrogation of sorts. 

He was a few seconds away from asking Killer to stand watch at the stairs when the monster spoke up again.

“Playing hero hurts your people.” He said this time, just as matter-of-fact as his first observation.

This time Nightmare left a few breaths to see if he would elaborate of his own accord, but found that nothing came of the silence aside from more of Killer’s frustration. It was endearing, but deeply distracting. Though the self-control was frankly impressive thus far.

“Would you… care to explain?” Nightmare asked gently. 

This time it took only a few seconds for the monster to react. He looked up at Nightmare dully, planting his chin in one of his hands to prop his head up. White bone slightly escaped the shadow of his hood, though the sunlight made it hard to see any expression aside from those pale eyelights.

“The markets. Why take them down?” He asked.

Nightmare didn’t refrain from allowing a frown to slip onto his face. Why would he ask about the markets? Did he not already intimately know the atrocities committed? Well, of course he did! He was the one burning the information, after all. He had to be aware. Nightmare almost did not want to humor the rest of the conversation, many nobles had made jabs of a similar manner that he had learned to evade and ignore, but begrudgingly he forced himself to speak. It was too early to judge whether or not this monster was trying to make a fool of him. 

“They harm my people. The threat brought to this place by the imported weapons, those enslaved and brought here against their will deserve to be freed, and the animals which do not live in the area which may bring disease and plague in their wake? The poisons and potions and magical items are unregulated and untested. The market has been allowed to run for too long.” He responded. A speech similar, though abbreviated, which he had given to the council to justify his actions and averting of resources towards the takedown. It would have to suffice for this imprisoned monster.

The monster stared at him, before giving a little nod. He seemed to space out again, staring down towards the floor for a few breaths.

“Agreed.” he stated. Nightmare nearly jumped at the agreement. He couldn’t sense a lie or any twinges of glee which he usually sensed from the untruthful. “How about the food?” 

The food? Why… why would he bring up the food? 

Nightmare paused for a moment to think. The food was being kept among the other confiscated items, assumed to be unsafe or contaminated in some way. He needed to have his people check them before he could decide what to do with it, just like the rest of the loot collected. 

“Confiscated, just like the rest. Illegal imports are now just as punishable as any other unauthorized transaction across the borders. Official trade routes are being established and black market imports would only weaken trust between our suppliers and ourselves.” He explained briefly.

The monster sat there again, before another yawn escaped him. It was long and drawn out, and Nightmare could suddenly feel the exhaustion sweeping over the monster’s magic, dampening his aura completely. It seemed any of his normal emotions might have been entirely swallowed by it.

“Cherris. The main belltower. Drugs in the bell at high sun. Fifth prayer day.” He said in the wake of his yawn.

Nightmare almost startled himself with how quickly he tugged the little pocket journal from within his robe, flipping to the page he’d entitled ‘Interrogation with Prisoner ____’. He quickly wrote down the town he’d said along with the location and time. Whether it was an honest location or not, Nightmare would simply have to send someone to find out. Hopefully, it was real. It hadn’t felt like a lie.

“Hmm, I will have to look into this. Thank you for the help…?” He had realized he hadn’t asked the prisoner’s name, how rude of him,but stopped himself when he noticed it. 

The monster which had just been speaking to him seemed to be sleeping sitting up, having passed out in his hunched position, head resting in his hand. His sockets were closed and his breathing already slowed. Not even Dream had ever fallen asleep so quickly and efficiently, this one must’ve truly been drained of energy. Needed the rest. 

Rather than wake up the poor man, Nightmare sighed and moved back towards the door of the cell. He slipped out and locked it up behind him. Killer was waiting outside, now equal parts amused and annoyed. Though he seemed happier when Nightmare returned to be outside the cell and obviously more focused on Killer himself rather than the sleeping inmate. 

He would come back later to speak with him again. Ask him more. Perhaps get to the bottom of his odd questioning. In the meantime, Nightmare bid the prisoner a good rest in a hushed tone before ushering himself and his knight out from the dungeons. He had research to do regarding Cherris. 

.

Cherris: A small town founded in the reign of God-King Beau, father of God-King Nim. 

Originally, it seems that Cherris was a religious town, a nunnery of sorts in which young maidens would be sent as tribute to live and serve on the grounds in worship of the then-King, Beau. The nunnery was initially only a few buildings surrounding a grand temple built by their best craftswomen, but after the King made fit to visit and survey the space, as well as take a few promising worshippers along with him back to the capital, it became much more popular. With an influx of offerings in the form of young girls, those in charge deigned to expand the grounds into the nearby plain-land and make use of the river which snaked outside their little settlement, instead making it the center-point. This allowed for trade to travel through more efficiently. 

As far as documents will show, the King returned every five years or so for most of his rule in order to lay claim to three promising young maidens. The rest regularly provided sacrifice, wrote songs, poetry, and hymns in his name, and produced much of the garb of the era which was exported all across the land.

When King Beau passed his godhood on to his surviving heir, King Nim, the land shifted focus to pray to the new King instead, though rumors of the images of God-King Beau still remaining were not entirely devoid of truth. King Nim seemed to continue these visits every five years, doing much the same as her father and taking three young maidens to be her own each visit. This action seemed to suddenly halt in more recent years. It seems that mother King Nim stopped visiting several years prior to the birth of myself and my twin and hadn’t returned since. 

In the wake of King Nim’s absence and my own unfamiliarity with the tradition (and disinterest in supposedly relocating fair maidens to my home) it seems that the city has remained largely in tradition. Not much news makes it outside of the walls, but traders who are well-traveled claimed that the inhabitants have moved on to worship of myself, though as ordered by the recent decree they have ceased blood sacrifice. The community is supposedly strictly for maidens to live, and anyone else they admit are guests or traders, and may not remain for longer than four days lest they taint the sanctity. 

Keeping this in mind, I will have to send Killer with some of our able and willing female guardsmen. As much as I do not enjoy the thought of a cult brewing on my land, it is something to handle another time. For now I shall send them with letter and seal, and perhaps a gift to show I have not forgotten them. Ccino suggested they may be more amicable to Killer’s presence if he acts as a messenger rather than a conqueror. Ccino is very perceptive to the reaction of others and as always is an invaluable asset.

Now I can only hope that Killer will be able to parse out the truth, whether it be that our informant within his cell is lying, or that there truly will be some sort of illicit substance tucked away on the underside of the grand bell. My letter will detail that Killer is there on behalf of myself prior to a visit in order to examine the function and state of the temple itself. That should allow him full access into any room he so pleases, as well as the bell tower. If they refuse to allow him there, I shall leave responsibility to him to do as he pleases, barring unneeded bloodshed. I trust that Killer will find a method of scaling the tower and getting to the bottom of this. Even if it turns out to be false, it is a risk I am willing to take the blame for when I do visit in the fall. We must get to the bottom of this.

.

Report: Black Market branch Dismantling within Cherris (Direct Transcript of Events provided by the Royal Knight Killer) 

“Of course, my Lord. 

“Myself and a small group of royal guard… [June, Poppy, Cara, and Raven] …arrived at the gates of Cherris on the fourth sunrise of Summer. Those at the gate were hesitant at our approach, but came to meet us upon my announcement of business on behalf of our king. You, my Lord, just in mention drew them to us like a moth to a flame. Just as instructed, I told them we were to check in on the wellbeing and upkeep of the city and its lovely ladies (Killer then paused and said, ‘They didn’t appreciate that comment, apparently. They were very pretty though!’) …anyways, I told them it was a check-in before you would be stopping by in early Fall for a brief visit. 

“The ones at the gate pretty much ushered us through and into the main city after that. No talking, no nothing. They were efficient though. Took us straight to the big ol’ temple right in the middle of town and made us wait outside the doors while they whispered some stuff to a person standing outside. 

“We weren’t waiting long, but there wasn’t exactly much to snoop about at that point, so I decided to try and get a good look at this place. Huge stained glass window right in front above the doors with the Orchard royal crest, entryway surrounding the doors was like a tunnel with statues of huge ladies standing on either side, pretty sure the space above the door was some sort of carved rock. Looked like the guy from one of the tapestries so I’m guessing one of the former kings? He had… let’s just say a lot of underdressed monster ladies all around him. Have a feeling we wouldn’t have liked him much, be ready for that sight on your visit, My Lord. [Though this should not have been mentioned in the final report, I do find appreciation in his warning. Likely this is likely an image of the God-King Beau made at the founding of the city.] Then I looked up a little more, had to shuffle a little, but I got line of sight on the spires and the belltower. The spires are huge and pointy and made out of the same white-ish stone as the rest of the place, but the belltower is taller than all of them. I just eyed it up, and for the record it seemed like it wouldn’t be too hard a climb if I got a head-start, but I just waited. 

“Next thing I knew the big doors were opening and a lady half my height walks out. She basically cast a shadow over me when she finally stopped and gave a curtsy. Introduced herself as the Head Priestess Nos. She’s a dog monster, nice tan fur that hangs off her like noodles, but I couldn’t see that at this point. She was dressed head to toe in a bright cyan dress with a hat and veil and shawl and gloves, the whole nine yards. I’m not even a hundred percent sure how she could see us through all of the ceremonial-wear, probably magic, but she looked at each of us before she centered back on me. Asked if it was true that King Nightmare, you, would be arriving in Fall. I gave her the usual cheshire grin and handed over the letter you sent me with. A monster and a human had followed her out from the doors, and the human hastily pulled a letter-opener out of her pocket to hand to the Head Priestess. She popped the seal and read the thing word for word before tucking it carefully into her dress, some sort of hidden pocket I think, and dropped the letter opener back to her little lackey. 

“She was pretty much exactly what I was expecting from a temple that worshipped Nim at some point. She looked me over again and asked, “So you are the King’s Knight, the Tiger?” She sounded bothered, but I just told her “Yes, Pontifex Nos, I am the Tiger of Orchard.” And she seemed a little impressed by that. Won some brownie points. [I asked Killer to clarify his statement, which prompted the following.] Right, yeah. I called her ‘Pontifex’. Kind of because it’s another popular name for people in charge of the temples to call themselves. Implies a stronger connection to the deity or figure, and more respect from their underlings. Not sure it was on purpose, though. [I will pursue more research on this title later. Killer’s mood seemed to sour a bit at the thought, so I asked him to continue with his report.] 

“Okay, where was I… Nos, I’m just going to call her by her first name for now, Nos seemed to breath easier seeing that I wasn’t immediately starting shit, and she obviously clocked that the rest of the guard was made up of women, because she seemed more than happy to ask what we’d like to investigate first. I just asked if we could wander town today, get some food and speak with the people, and reconvene to join their evening ceremony. She sorta… bristled, like I’d stepped on her nice clean rug with muddy boots, at that last bit. Which I figured would happen. We got farther than I thought, though, because she said the rest of the party was welcome to come. Not me though. I know I was just too ruggedly handsome. [I feel it is important to note that this was in a teasing manner, as he grinned and placed a hand under his chin in a playful manner before returning to his normal cadance.] I told her that would be fine, I was warned ahead of time that I should respect the traditions in this place as long as I was a guest. Nos seemed to relax at that one and gestured to one of her little followers, a mouse monster who was a quarter of her height with bright red fur and wearing dark robes. Introduced her as “Mina” and said she’d show us to the Inn and be our guide. 

“The others gave her bows, I just nodded, and we went our separate ways trailing Mina around the side of the temple and towards the river’s edge. Turns out the rest of the city is just a pretty as the temple, and Mina knew her way around great, even if she was kinda tiny and almost shook us a few times by accident. The city has a lot of smaller paths for smaller monsters, so many of them are like this tall or shorter! [Killer held his hand out at approximately his midriff, which equates to about 2-3 feet in vertical height.] Eventually she got us to the Inn though. Basically gave us the rundown while the keep grabbed us keys, that I was free to wander, but many establishments beyond the river sector probably wouldn’t let me in, which was fair. The others had a lot more free reign of the place, and Mina actually invited them to visit a tavern closer to the temple sometime. Something about her girlfriend working there. Discounts for the king’s servants? I wasn’t really listening, the keep dropped a key into my hand at that point and gestured down a hall supposedly meant for travelers and the non-women who visited the port. I said thank you, because I’m trying to keep those manners in tact, and by the time I looked back to the others Mina had already gotten their keys to the other guards and was pointing down a different hall than mine.

“Thank the stars they know better, because they all looked back to me for orders first. I basically told them to make sure they stayed sober enough to properly report to me in the morning, and to enjoy themselves at the tavern, and the ceremonies tonight. Then they were dismissed, and I turned for my room.

“It was pretty cushy, nice, no magic tied in for spying as far as I could tell, but I left just my travel supplies behind and carried my knives and the journal you provided to me on-hand in my armor. Just in case someone decided to make sure I didn’t have anything nefarious in my belongings. You know. (Killer winked here, and elaborated that upon his return he did find that someone had failed to re-tie the knot on the latch of his backpack correctly, implying there had been an undisclosed search of his personal items.) Then I headed back out and wandered the river’s edge.

“Talked to a few tradesmen on their boats where they were docked, did a little trading myself too. I found this cute little blade with a cat carved into the hilt, decided it’d look nice on my shelf. But they didn’t have much insight on the place besides how often they stopped in and how nice everything was despite the chaos outside. They always had clean water, good meals, everything. Sounds like a flood hit them that damaged their bridges, but everything was repaired by the time my group was present, so it must’ve been an easy fix. 

“I stopped for some food at some point too, about midday, but didn’t eat much of it. Not that it wasn’t good, the intent just uh… wasn’t the friendliest. Didn’t want to risk it. 

“And then people started shutting down and heading for the temple, so I excused myself back to the Inn. Easier to stay in one spot and not get accused of anything, right? I spent a little time in there, and when the streets seemed quiet I ducked out of my window and did a little stroll. Some ladies seemed to stay at the city walls, little specks in the distance against the sunset, and the rest of the streets were empty, everyone seemed to be in the temple together aside from one other guy I thought I spotted going into the guest hall before me. I didn’t spend long out there, the music from inside the temple kinda drained out into the streets and it didn’t sit right with me. Climbed back in through the window, lit a candle, and worked through another chapter of the book that you recommended.

[A brief recess in which Killer quickly recounted the plot developments in the book ensued. Normally I would cut this out, but it is important to note what transpired as accurately as I can and do justice to the flow of speech during any report lest I fall prey to rewriting history.]

“Morning came pretty fast, and I met the others in the empty lobby of the inn before first light. They gave me a quick report of their afternoon, having stuck together in a pack for accountability. They had been shown enthusiastically about town by Mina, the mouse monster acting as a personal tour guide and pulling them into any boutique or fabric shop or blacksmith which she saw them even glance at. Then she pulled them along to visit the bar she had mentioned, Squeaky Glass I think? They said it was really nice and had a lot of fancy old booze, they boasted some of it came from before Nim which honestly I could see, and they had something to eat while Mina told them all about the city. How it was a very nice place to live, no crime and no danger, everyone could walk the streets safely without fear or worry, and even the weather had been no issue for their walls and mages who had traveled from abroad to join the order. None of the guard looked convinced, but they seemed a little shell-shocked as they reported it. I mean, I get it, to them it must look like a paradise. (Killer shrugged at the statement.) But then they told me that the temple was beautiful inside. It had a choir and instruments and was just as big as the main ballroom here in the castle, with seating to accommodate the whole city and more, multiple levels overlooking a stage and an altar. They said they weren’t supposed to divulge any of the content to me, which I reassured them was okay, but they did explain that Nos came on stage, spoke briefly, then ducked behind a curtain for the remainder of the service, supposedly speaking as a voice from the spirits of the former kings rather than as herself. 

“After the report, I told them to go get something to eat, spend the morning mingling more and checking out businesses. Under the pretense of checking the economy or whatever, but also so they’d have fun and let me do what I needed to for a little while.

“The plan was initially to go find that Nos lady and talk to her about getting a tour inside the temple with supervision so everyone would feel better about my presence, but I barely got halfway out of the river sector before Mina scurried out of seemingly nowhere and asked for my help with something. Of course, as your Knight, I’m bound to follow any clues I’ve got, so I trailed her back into the river district at a… fast pace. Faster than normal. She was basically sprinting and I was jogging behind her trying to make it look like I wasn’t chasing her.

“Eventually she stopped outside of some shop and I saw her gesture for me to lean down. When I did she basically whispered that a trader was causing trouble inside and she didn’t have time to seek out the guard on the walls. She needed help. Discreet help. As not to alert the High Priestess. Sounded dangerous, so I pulled one of my knives and waltzed in through the door.

“I didn’t really process it at first when I went in, but there were a couple of guys inside, some scrawny bird monsters, backs to a door that I guessed was to the back of the shop, and there was some ox monster leaned over the counter looking just about ready to bash someone’s face in. I asked what was going on, everyone turned to look at me, and one of the bird monsters started explaining that the ox was trying to harass one of their workers. The ox bit back that the cashier was his wife who ran away with him to this, quote unquote, harem city. I wasn’t totally sure what to do with the trouble, so I pulled your name out of my repertoire, my Lord. “As far as I’m aware, the laws of this city are more of a religious site than an actual city. If your wife did in fact run away to live here, then it was her choice, and this city is her safe harbor until, or if, she chooses to leave. At least, that’s how King Nightmare defines the jurisdiction of religious sites.” And of course he asked how I would know. What stakes I had in defending his defecting wife. I calmly expressed my knighthood and status, and because we were both guests of this place it would be rude to kill him, but if he acted to cause this woman or any peoples within the walls, I’d have to get my hands dirty. That seemed to spook him enough that he stormed out of the building, and I watched him go until he jumped onto a trading boat a while down the sidewalk.

“In the aftermath, the two birds and a very strong-looking llama monster came up to me when I ducked back inside the shop, and Mina slipped through the door when I had held it open. The three of them seemed annoyed, but thanked me for the help. Mina came to my defense, explaining I was just the nearest strong-arm who could help get that guy out, and they seemed to calm down. It seemed their normal guard remained on the perimeter of the city rather than among the streets. They invited me to stay for a while, it was some sort of cafe, and Mina actually stuck around too. 

“She started asking me all sorts of questions. About you, the new rule, what it was like being a knight and getting to fight, the whole nine yards. I gave her stories, trust me. By the end of it she seemed a lot happier to have me around. Aaaand I may have spent a good few hours doing that. I’m pretty sure the only reason we stopped talking was because it was time for the ceremonies again. I had to head back to my room again, but I asked Mina to tell Nos to meet me outside the chapel at sunrise. I was finally going to do the inspection now that the others had given the city a clear bill of excellence. 

“The third day we were there was the one you actually would like to hear about, my Lord. I spoke to the guard in the morning again, and this time asked for them to stand outside the temple while I was inside doing the inspection. Figured it’d be nice to not have anyone come bursting in for no reason. And then we all headed out just before the sun peeked up over the wall in the East.

“Nos was waiting for us outside, along with Mina and the human lady she hadn’t introduced. I confirmed the message I’d sent with Mina, that I was going to come in alone and that they could have as many people of theirs escort him as they liked, so long as he could just get a look at the quality of the place. Nos just nodded and led the charge, I sidled up next to her, and the human and Mina flanked us. We went in through the huge main doors and. Man. The others weren’t kidding, it was a real flatterer of a building. A bunch of pews and individual seats, two tiers with more seating held up with arches, a fuckton of- sorry, a load of stained glass either showing pretty ladies or the old kings. They stopped me in-front of the one they must’ve made recently, because it was of you, my Lord. [I must note that here, Killer paused to watch my reaction to the statement, which he must have found some humor in my displeasure, for he laughed under his breath.] It was… abstract, we’ll say that. Might want to have a gentle talk with them about it. I won’t lie, I had to stop myself from laughing at it. 

“Besides the point, though! We kept walking, moving up the aisle until we stopped at the nave. Halls broke off down either side, more pews facing the huge stage and altar we were right in front of. Nos moved up and onto the stage and ran her hand weirdly over the altar. Then she asked me a question, “Tiger Knight, I do not question our king, I would not dare. Yet I must ask, to what end does the King seek to dismantle tradition?” And I kinda just gave her my blank grin and asked what she meant, before she kept going, “First the loss of both the Late-King Nim and the banishment of the Dawn-Prince Dream, then the banning of all forms of sacrificial worship. The altars are dry and the news from outside our walls seems grim. Flooded crops and raids by royal parties on citizens, now the King seeks out our haven. He came for yours early, did he not? Your order must have been disbanded, name sworn away from your throat by oath. Do you not miss the feeling of community? The blood running between your fingers in the name of the King?” She just kept going on and on and on. I held up a hand and it shut her up long enough for me to spit out a “No.” She seemed shocked, I think, I know she moved to stand firmly behind the altar, at least. Like it’d put any actual kind of shield between the two of us. She asked me what I meant by no. I just told her I left my order long before I met you. I don’t miss it at all. I didn’t realize it until Mina gasped, but my soul was starting to wobble just thinking about it. 

“Seemed to reel Nos back to the present a little, she asked if I was ‘feeling well’. Bitch. I just told her I was fine. That we should keep moving. 

[Personal Note, to be removed amidst review. Killer’s soul wobbled here in my office and his emotional aura seemed to grow distressed as he was reporting the words of this Nos. I will speak to him and ensure he is well after he gets some proper rest.]

“She got down off the stage and led us down to the side of it, into the spaces where all the real important stuff is. Their treasury, their offering rooms, the prayer table, the barracks for the higher-ups, the meeting room where they said they’d probably be hosting you when you visit, my Lord. I kept an eye out for anything weird, but things seemed to be in place, and there were no signs of smuggled drugs, magical or otherwise. We circled through the ground and second floors, before I asked about the towers. She agreed to show me, even though they were both mostly just for decoration. Big fancy paintings were hung and drawn on the walls in the peak of one, and the other had a bunch of maps and drawings and some weird tube thing pointed out the window towards the sky. Astronomy, I think Nos said, something about seeing the god-kings in the stars. No drugs though. So, I asked about the belltower. 

“Nos got all tense, asking why the King would visit the belltowertower of all places. I clarified that you probably wouldn’t, but it’d be nice to know it wouldn’t collapse if there was a little too much excitement in the city from your arrival. I explained the time that one city used fireworks to welcome you… Yeah yeah, accidental gunpowder explosions aren’t the same as fireworks, but where’s the fun if I tell her that? Anyways, she seemed like she was going to try and talk me out of it, but noise started echoing down the halls and we all realized it was already time for their little ceremonies. I agreed I’d come back tomorrow to check it out, and Nos seemed more occupied on getting me out of the building than agreeing to the new plan, but it could matter less to me. I showed myself out the main doors, working against the flow of traffic until I was outside. 

“And, my Lord you’ll have to forgive me, I put some of my old expertise to use. [This statement was accompanied by a signal with his hands that I have since learned meant ‘stealth mode’, in which he resorts back to his talents gained during his days as a criminal.] When the crowd had mostly gone inside, I slipped against the side of the building and found the base of the belltower. It was made up of big, chunky, stones you see. So I simply found a handhold on the side opposite from the sun and started climbing. 

“It was easy, honestly, and when I peeked up over the ledge, well… Our little pal down in the dungeon wasn’t lying. Actually, he was selling this place short. The entire upper area of the belltower was absolutely covered in the stuff. I hoisted myself up and ducked behind some of the crates, and a look inside one of the lower ones confirmed that they didn’t just store some minor magical items up here. All twenty or so crates, all stacked along the support columns to hide them from ground-level, were full of magic drugs. They seemed weak, but I’m also not the best reference point for how magic does or doesn’t feel. I decided to stay up there just a little longer to think and ultimately? Well, I figured no one would willingly go seek out my presence in the morning aside from the guard, and the guard knows better than to try and trail me on missions like this, I’m always up to dumb shit that gets the job done. I decided to stay the night up there. Either catch the culprit red-handed, or wait till they go to kick me out and can’t find me, then expose the scandal and shout it from the rooftops. 

“So there I sat, twirling my knife and waiting for sunrise to come. I think it was a few hours after sunrise when a little hatch burst open from the ground across the way. I was sitting between some boxes, the wind was brutal, so no one saw me when they crawled up and out. Three people who definitely weren’t from Cherris came up first, two guys and a girl, some sort of wind monsters. After them came exactly who I was expecting. The human who’d been trailing Nos, and then Nos herself. She wasn’t wearing her veil this time, or her gloves or normal robes, but it was definitely her. She holds her snout at a very specific angle, and her posture was the same. So I sat, and I waited for a few seconds. One of the elementals spoke up about the load and early departure, and I heard Nos say something about a knight on inspection duty, and I figured I’d missed my cue. 

“I just stood up and said “At your service, Pontifex.” Which obviously sent the present five into a flurry of chaos. I figured it’d be best to just take a few prisoners this time, since I was up in the belltower all alone and I’d asked my back-up to scatter through the city. I’ll admit, I dusted two of the smugglers, and I ran my knife through the human’s chest when she tried to latch onto me. The elemental surrendered and I hit them with magic restricting cuffs, then used a normal cuff to latch them to one of the crates, but when I looked back for Nos, who was frozen in shock the entire time by the way, she was already trying to get away down the halls. 

“Lucky for me, she ran directly down the hall out towards the main temple, and because of the large doors, she was slowed down just enough that I could catch hold of her and tackle her. Unlucky for me, she called out for help after we were through and I was placing the cuffs on her, and I didn’t realize they did optional morning prayer sessions. So, it was a bit more of a scene than I’d really wanted. The monsters and humans all stood and panicked when they realized what was going on. Nos started shouting nonsense, accusing me of things I definitely wasn’t doing, so I held her muzzle shut with a hand and tried to figure out how to calm down a temple full of people who were now assuming me the enemy. There was a lot of shouting and a few immediately went into hysterics? I just kinda sat there for a few seconds, holding down Nos, until it clicked that I was the one who had to do ground control. 

“I dragged Nos back up to her feet and made her walk to the stage, then to the altar, and the crowd finally wet quiet when I shoved her against it and held her in place by her mouth. I knew I didn’t have a lot of time to explain, I didn’t really want to waste time on it at all, but it’d have to be done. I told them, “Your priestess has been lying to you all.” I basically yelled it, “There’s no divine intervention making sure your land is prosperous, I would know. She has been making deals on the black market and selling unclean goods to outsiders, inviting them into your temple and endangering your lives and livelihood.” It felt good. I can’t lie, getting to tell people Nim isn’t out there granting wishes from beyond. It was nice. Then I wrapped it up with a bow, “Our King, Nightmare, sent myself and my party here to root out the seed of deceit among your people, and here she is. Now we will be taking our leave, and removing the harmful supplies from your stead so that you can reorganize and better yourselves before the King arrives for his visit.” 

“There were no objections, so I hummed and told someone near the doors to go and fid the rest of the guardsmen who’d arrived with me, and babysat the former high-priestess until they arrived. 

“From there it was relatively easy. The guard took charge of our prisoners, Nos being our primary informant, while the remaining wind elemental, Eros, is our connection to information on where the drugs were going to be taken. We purchased a good cart from them and left before sundown with the prisoners and the drugs in tow. Made sure we left right on the dot for how long I was welcome to stay, to respect their wishes, of course. Then the ride back to the castle was very unexciting. Hardly any movement from the prisoners, no lost cargo.

“The only thing of note is that, when I was escorting Nos down into the cells, she caught sight of our little friend taking his nap in his cells and tried to break away from me to B-line for him. She was mad as hell, and started cursing at him from down the hall the moment I let go of her mouth and shoved her into her own. Apparently, his name is Dust, and she fully believes that he is the one who sold her out to you. Booking forward to seeing how mad she gets when you go talk to him again. 

.

Additional Notes: 

It appears that I will need to send word to Cherris to check in on their wellbeing. Killer seems to be assured by his past that there should be protocols in place to decide a new leader in any religious environment, but upon further delving into the presence of former High-Priestess Nos, it appears that she may be a boss monster who has been present since sometime during late-king Nim’s reign of Orchard. If she has been ruling for so long, it would be cruel of me to expect one of her lessers to stand up and learn how to manage an entire city all on her own. If I am able, I will be sending a few guards with instructions, along with a gift of some sort as compensation for disrupting their ways. Perhaps this is a proceeding to bring up with the council sometime during this week’s meeting?

I was also able to speak with Killer on the subject of his distress during this mission. For his privacy and my peace of mind I will not be writing down what he confided to me, but for the sake of record-keeping. I will not be sending Killer on any return missions back to Cherris, nor do I plan to have him accompany me when I leave to visit in the fall, for better or worse.

My next step is to have a chat with Dust, the prisoner who informed us of this place. He was cryptic and short upon our first interaction, and I hope to entice him into speaking more with me, as his information was invaluable. I will ask him if he would like anything in return, and the only thing I cannot allow myself to grant to him is a full freedom, or the death of another. I am open to negotiation elsewhere. 

.

It had been a few days, and Nightmare was more than a little frustrated that he had let the matter go unattended for so long. Instances had come up and gotten in his way, and he found himself strapped for both time and mental fortitude to complete his more pressing tasks. Among them was the discussion with Dust. 

He had sent Killer down as soon as it was sure to him that he wouldn’t be capable of performing his duties, to inform Dust of the new offer and to thank him for the tip. It seemed Dust had spoken a few words along the lines of ‘I’ll think’ and ‘I’d rather the King’ when Killer attempted to ask him anything. Though, he was much more successful with word from Nos. Apparently the woman did not appreciate the confinement and Killer was able to stand by and listen to her rant until information about her dealings fell out of her mouth in a desperate bid to appeal to him. She is still confined in the dungeon. 

Now, though, he had enough time to make it down. Killer was right behind him, just as usual. When they rounded to stand before the cell holding their small prisoner, Killer knocked much like last time, stirring the man inside awake from his slumber. 

“Hello, Dust.” Nightmare greeted from the other side of the bars as Dust sat up on his cot and turned his head to face where he stood. White eyelights still shined dully beneath the shadow cast by his makeshift hood. 

“King.” Dust replied, sounding tired. Looking tired.

“I am going to come in again to speak with you, are you willing to speak with me about my offer?” He asked, though already moving towards the door. He caught sight of a nod from beyond the bars and so shoved his tendril nimbly into the lock once again, door swinging open and closed. 

Now inside, he repeated his actions form last time, moving closer until he was at about the same distance he’d taken up before, and he stood right before Dust. The small skeleton seemed less annoyed by his presence this time around, which he hoped was a good sign for their blossoming partnership. Maybe his offer of good will would be taken faithfully?

“Got Nos.” He voiced first, gesturing a hand lazily to past Nightmare. Nos was further into the dungeon than him, that direction. He seemed… pleased? He hoped he was pleased, at least. “You go?” 

Nightmare blinked at him for a moment before the question struck logic in his mind. Had he himself gone?

“I did not visit Cherris, no. Killer and several of my guard went as a team under my direction and discovered quite a showing just where you said, though a bit understated. I owe you my gratitude for the direction.” Nightmare explained. “Though if it eases worry, I plan to visit the location to ensure everything is running smoothly. Removing a high profile figure from such an isolated community is sure to bring turmoil.” 

Nightmare stood there, tendrils twitching, as he awaited any insights from his prisoner informant. As it stood, he found himself wondering back to Dust’s initial question. ‘Playing Hero’ he’d called it. After further thought, Nightmare had decided that Dust was talking about his seeming nonchalance about the state of the towns he sent his men into. While he knew he was doing a good job of sending repairs and payment for destroyed property, he wasn’t all that certain that the news of his restoration efforts were spreading fast enough. Perhaps Dust simply didn’t know? That had to be it, because Nightmare was sure he’d covered his bases. 

“Did he tell you?” Dust asked out of the blue in a hushed tone. Nightmare waved a hand, asking for elaboration. “It’s a paradise.” 

He seemed… rather abysmal when he said the words. They tumbled out with the same cadance one might use for the phrases ‘We lost’ or ‘He’s dead’. It didn’t feel right, and neither did the emotions that trailed with the statement. Nightmare bristled a bit, a single tendril lashing behind him before he took a deep breath. In, out. Just like Ccino taught him. He didn’t know what weight the words carried, but he was here to learn. 

“My men did describe Cherris as a sort of haven for the women living within its walls. Tidy, well-kept, populated, and doing quite well in the current state of the kingdom. If it were not for the drug trade I would have liked to leave them alone. My thumb should not have been required otherwise.” He confirmed. 

Nightmare watched carefully as Dust seemed to shift about on his cot. He leaned back momentarily, and Night wondered if he’d attempt to fall asleep mid-conversation again. Instead he lifted one leg onto the cot and tucked it beneath his other. After the action he let out a huff, as though the slight shift had winded him, and then settled back to his slouched staring. He skimmed Nightmare and didn’t seem phased to catch the King’s eye. 

“How?” Dust just said the single word. 

Now, this felt a tad insulting. Nightmare had experienced questioning of this manner before many times in his life. Most of it stemming from his youth, when his tutors would ask him a question and he wouldn’t know the answer. They would ask him one-word questions until he finally puzzled out the answer a good several minutes to hours later. On occasion he used to break out into tears, and while they couldn’t punish him, it was no surprise that he was given even more to read before the next time they had a session. Those who subjected him to such treatment were crude and cruel, exerting their power upon a young boy who was looking to them for guidance, and they asked their questions out of malice. The only thing stopping him from impulsively leaving at once was that Nightmare did not sense any malice from Dust. Only that numb exhaustion. 

And so, it was a genuine question. What was the question again? How was Cherris such a haven amidst the chaos of the kingdom? Yes, that. 

He stood stock still as he thought over the most likely culprits. They could be supplying their own food and supplies, only they did not have a single farm within or outside the walls. That meant they must’ve relied on trading. Killer had mentioned the port and all of his resources supplied that when the wall was built, the river became their main source of goods. The gold brought in by the ladies who moved there was able to be traded for goods, and those goods were transformed from raw material to more specific items, then were traded away for food and more gold. It was a reliable and formidable system, and Nightmare would claim that to be the reasoning. Except… Except the farming in the neighboring towns was declining heavily based on other reports he’d been given, and the traders who traveled through were rumored to be local. Prices at market have been steadily rising since the floods and storms, and so the usual trading system would begin to fail. Unless, of course, they could pay the fees of the local farmers. With a trade-based system, the people of Cherris couldn’t price gouge like the farmers could, they sold non-essential goods. Frivolities like dresses and jewelry. They would have to make the extra gold somewhere and… and perhaps that somewhere was the black market. 

Nightmare sat in quiet with the thought, rolling it around in his head before deciding that yes, this did make the most logical sense. Having more gold is less suspicious for a notoriously wealthy, thoroughly isolated, city than having sudden abundance of food that was not supplied by those closest. The reason there was no through-line from the profit was simply because the money received from passing on the drugs was being sent directly back into the local economy and not mentioned again. 

“Cherris relied on the gold from those trades to support their entire way of life amidst the changing landscape of Orchard under my rule.” Nightmare practically mumbled, already pulling his journal out from within his cloak, quickly writing in his usual script. A reminder to tally exactly how much gold that shipment had been worth, and to begin monthly supplements of gold to the newly appointed High Priestess so she may be able to continue purchasing her people proper supplies and good meals. 

He couldn’t believe it had taken him so long to realize this. There was a food crisis thanks to the weather changes! Of course the people could not risk waiting for trade routes from a King yet to prove himself, it is only reasonable that they fell prey to the whims of a malicious black market. It was that, or death by starvation.

“So?” Another single word question from Dust.

Nightmare straightened from his writing at that one, trying not to look as shell-shocked as he felt. His hand was trembling a bit, and he clenched his fist back at his side, arm tucking beneath his cloak. He knew his tendrils must’ve been swishing behind him now as he tried to halt his already racing mind. He had a task here.

“An… oversight. A large one, that I will work to rectify thoroughly, but not which is immediately prevalent to what I came to discuss with you.” He decided to side-track. He had to remind himself. Criminal. No matter how helpful and non-malicious he seemed to be, he could not so easily allow himself to drop his guard. The small and sleepy nature of this monster could non lull him into any sense of security. What if he could somehow still escape? Or lie? “Do you have an answer to the query I sent my knight with a few days ago?” 

He watched carefully as Dust let himself sag a bit more, much like their previous conversation he rested his elbow on his knee and place his skull into his hand idly. He seemed… to be thinking. An uncertainty in the air. 

“Something traded for information?” He clarified, and when Nightmare gave him a single nod, he agreed. “Payment, in gold. Sent to my family.” He said with a tired yawn following the last word almost immediately. 

That hadn’t been what Nightmare had been expecting in the slightest. He hummed curiously at the statement, but when Dust didn’t offer any information, Nightmare took a breath. It was unlikely that this monster would lie to him to obtain gold when he would not even be the one to use it or hold onto it. 

“Simply supply a number and location, and it shall be done. After, of course, your next intelligence check clears as correct. Though I have little doubt that it will be a falsehood.” Nightmare agreed. 

The small monster looked up at him once again from under his hood. 

“Closest. Easy. Apricourt, in the back of the tavern’s stable. Moves people at dawn. White horse. Take apples.” He supplied in rapid succession.

This time Nightmare took his time writing down the information, and nodded in understanding as Dust watched him without much concern. It seemed that, perhaps, the gold truly was the motivation for this monster. Nightmare had plenty to spare, and he’d need the extra help in uncovering these locations. Especially if he now had to allocate research and manpower towards the farming crisis. He feared that the farmers could not adapt as easily as he had hoped after all. 

“Think about your number, call for me when you decide, or I shall collect it upon my next visit. Thank you, Dust.” He said easily. 

Dust said nothing as Nightmare made his exit, and by the time he was back outside the cells beside Killer, the skeleton inside was already moving to lay himself back comfortably. Perhaps he would next send for extra plush bedding to be sent to this cell, just as an extra thanks for the help. Flattery had gotten him far.

Though, ultimately, comfort was an afterthought. He would have to bring this to the attention of his inner circle and decide what steps to take. Killer would need to prepare for another, much more pressing, trip. All of them would have to prepare for a long, long process of repairing this kingdom.

[moonchildridden]

ThamePo’s Episode 11. Let’s talk about it

So, I am currently stuffing myself with everything sugary I can find in my kitchen to replenish myself for the amount of energy that I spent watching this episode and trying to calm myself down because my brain is just a cacophony of thoughts trying to make sense but failing miserably. I’m pretty sure I wont touch this episode again in my entire life, not even during my rewatch sessions because everything that happened was engraved in my brain in pure iron and I won’t forget so easily.

I had another post to write (and I still will write it) about ThamePo, but then this episode happened and everything went south in a matter of minutes. Suddenly, my main goal was not to gloat about Thame and how his surroundings shaped his visions of romantic relationships but how this episode was just a visual demonstration of the sabotage Pemika has been making with MARS since day 1. So, yeah, let’s talk about episode 11.

I won't make this post in the format you guys are used to when it comes to my thinking bits about something because I don't even have a clear idea to where to I even start talking about what’s been bugging me, leaving me to do things randomly and hope they make sense:

Pemika’s golden egg is solemnly Thame. Not even Ice, one of her most famous artists gets the “preference treatment” Thame gets, even if it’s not what Thame wants.

This is not something new, we saw this happening time and time again, since episode one, in how Pemika looks at Thame as Oner’s golden ticket to success and will do whatever it takes to make that happen, even if it means sabotaging her other artists. However, in this episode, alongside the last week’s one, made very clear that Pemika, as a CEO, has a very biased and tunnel vision when it comes to her business. For her, Thame is the only one worth investing, the only one worth saving, and the only one worth pushing higher, because is the one, according to her, responsible to push T-pop to new heights. In her hands, Thame it's just a pawn in a game he did not consented to play.

2. Because of that tunnel vision, she never really viewed MARS as what MARS was supposed to be seen as, a five member group, but rather as a stepping stone to make sure Thame could get the attention necessary to align with her plans.

Take what happened after the announcement of Thame’s korean debut: Dylan, who was never allowed to write songs to the company or have his songs recognized by the company, got the chance to write one song with a well known writer; Jun managed to get a lead role in a series/film; Nano got a couch assigned to help him improve his singing and raping. Those things happened very suddenly and in rapid succession, making me realize that Pemika has been withholding opportunities from the members of MARS, opportunities that would’ve helped them develop their talents within the group, because she needed to make the others appear as “weak” compared to Thame, because she wanted Thame to succeed and the other stay stagnant.

Don't get me started on the “I’m helping them archive their dreams by doing this” bullshit because she knew Nano needed to improve in other skills but refused to acknowledge that until Thame was dead locked in going to Korea. She knew Dylan wanted to write songs with other people but refused to let that happened until Thame was forced to leave the group. She knew Jun wanted to have lead roles but probably refused whatever offer was made to Jun regarding that until Thame was out of the picture. The fact that Pepper wasn’t even mentioned in having a specific thing attached to him can be a visual testament in how the company sees him a disposable person, that adds nothing to the group and it’s only there to make MARS be a five member group and nothing else.

What the rest of MARS got after Thame was pushed away was nothing more than a consolation prize, a way of her saying “see what happens when Thame does what I want? You get to have your dreams fulfilled”, because Pemika needs to use Nano, Jun, Dylan and Pepper’s dreams as a trading coin with Thame, as she knows Thame will ALWAYS choose MARS over his solo career.

One thing that occurred to me while having those epiphanies was the fact that all the rest of MARS got after Thame was pushed away could’ve been theirs sooner but Thame reuniting the group paused Pemika’s plan.

PEMIKA. USED. THEIR. DREAMS. AS. CONSOLATION. PRIZES. Change my mind.

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I know I mentioned about Pemika’s sabotage of MARS as the main subject of this post but there’s few more things I would like to talk about the episode:

The words choices from Pemika (again!) when she talked with Po. I may be thinking like that because of the fact that ThamePo have a queer relationship and all that but the words “clean and pure” sounded a tad homophobic to me, specially considering the fact that she was trying to make a “cleanse” on Thame’s image to go to Korea. Again, I can be reading too much into it (not only because of ThamePo but also because me, myself, being queer) but if you guys can bring another interpretation to those words that don't go into homophobic territory, I would appreciate it a lot.

Po and Baifern’s talk, where she explained her feelings towards Thame’s “departure” from the group. She talked about how, no matter how sad she became after the news broke, she couldn't impose her needs on Thame, because as a fan she needed to focus on what was best for him as a person/artist and not what he thought was the best for him; now, tell me, where was that rational thinking when Pepper’s “scandal” happened and she simply decided to close the fanbase because “her feelings as a fan got hurt”. I am in to right to judge other people’s emotions regarding certain things but it irked me the way she could be so rational about Thame (because it was related to his professional life) but couldn't extend the same courtesy to her bias (because it was related to his personal life). Baifern is the fandom stand-in in the series and was used brilliantly to showcase the double standards fans have when it comes to their favorite artists.

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Now, onto things to turn this Friday night even more depressing:

- Thame was forced to watch his members break down in front of him, without having the power to change anything. Even if, this time, all of them saw how important MARS is for everyone, having to confront the news together, instead of second guessing the reasons to why their dreams were being cut again, the pain was doubled because it was live, there, for all of them to see it. Nano loosing it was like ripping my skin apart, being doused with gasoline and lit on fire after, pure diabolical.

- When Earn broke up with Po, he had Baifern to console him and be there for him, while Thame was left alone dealing with the aftermath of the shitshow that was his clash with the rest of MARS. Now, while Thame had MARS by his side, Po was left alone to heal because Baifern couldn't know that he had been dating Thame or it could make things even worse.

All in all, this episode was simply made to make us suffer. I wish I could show you guys actual footage of me crying my eyes out during the breakup scene for you to understand how painful it was to see all that unfold, Thame begging for Po to fight for them and Po having to turn his back on the man he loved, Po alone in his apartment, Thame walking until his house, crying, hurt and confused, trying to understand why things had gone south out of nowhere, being hugged by his members and then having all he wanted stripped away from him because Pemika decided that greed was more important for her than her artists. I hate how hollow and furious this episode made me feel and will need more than a week to forget all I felt today.

If you guys want a place to vent frustrations, cry or just reminisce how we spent a week freaking out because of ThamePo’s first kiss, I’m all eyes. That being said, please, take care of yourselves, I love all of you.