“State your name for those gathered,” Judge Rudolf demanded in a firm baritone, looking not at Margreta, but at the crowd before them. Margreta did not answer and looked as though she did not realize she had even been asked anything. A second of silence passed, then when it was evident she would not answer she was struck in the left arm with...
2023-11-15 19:30:11 +0000 UTC View PostHi, I'm sorry to say that owing to significant life events and needing to properly allocate my attention AYP will be going on another hiatus following this next chapter. It is not the end of Volume 3 like I had planned, but it is both the longest chapter in the series so far (at roughly 30 pages), and also contains what I think to be its best wr...
2023-11-15 19:27:05 +0000 UTC View Post“We are gathered here today before the eyes of justice, which so graciously offer to show us the errors and deviations which we cannot see in ourselves; to look upon us, unclouded by judgment or personal bias, and see within where the truth lies. Regardless of the verdict rendered today, know that it is delivered without malice; it is solely b...
2023-11-09 23:26:44 +0000 UTC View PostThe session began with a terror which had until now never visited Aster's household. A civil officer— a human attaché of the state's police force— was standing in the doorway, looking Aster's father over with piercing eyes. This gaze was intensified by his diminutive glasses and their circular lenses, which seemed to focus his eyes in a way...
2023-11-02 21:40:52 +0000 UTC View PostA horrendous guilt had made its nest in Aster's heart. For a week— that is, a week of real world time— Aster had dutifully furnished this nest with no end of woeful, self-hating, wretched thoughts which the guilt consumed like fire of oxygen. It eclipsed the happiness to be made of the successes that came out of the residency— which had in...
2023-10-26 21:37:17 +0000 UTC View PostAt long last it is finally finished! Please enjoy the splendor of Sylvia in motion; the first animation I've ever done!
I've attached a version with the full song below, in case you'd like to watch Sylvia dance on loop for hours.
2023-10-23 20:03:20 +0000 UTC View PostSeveral days rest was all the band got before the inaugural night of their residency had come upon them. It was an intermittent rest, whose peace was disturbed by an ever increasing amount of demands and requests. Shop owners the square over were asking the band to come visit more frequently— being seen in their shops was good for business— ...
2023-10-19 19:47:26 +0000 UTC View PostThe session had approximately reached its mid-way point when Mareby-Roquefort burst through the door of Studio A's control room. Behind him followed Neil Applegate, who entered the room with a look of total indifference, like one walking into a doctor's appointment. Mareby-Roquefort threw out his hands in grand fashion to announce his entrance, ...
2023-10-12 20:23:03 +0000 UTC View PostAster knew that she would never be a mother. Such an existence was as distant to her as the stars were in the sky. Yet, walking with the group towards Cherry Lane Studios on that cold January morning, she couldn't help but feel she had joined their sorority in at least one way— watching the things you nurture grow up before you know it.
...
2023-10-05 20:33:13 +0000 UTC View PostFurther work on the Sylvia animation. This is a fun project, because I can't really draw, let alone animate, so it's neat to actually see it come together. Further work must be done on her bow's perspective and un-stiffening her legs, and probably beat matching her to the music better.
2023-09-29 22:03:17 +0000 UTC View PostA dead quiet fell across Aster's bedroom as she and Cecil settled into their positions— Aster on her bed, Cecil awkwardly on a chair closer to the staircase. Aster's room had no door between it and the stairway entrance— only a curtain hung for privacy by Sylvia— and so the light sounds of jazz and poetic murmuring floated up from the shop...
2023-09-28 21:00:49 +0000 UTC View PostRiding on the tumultuous winds of the previous day's events, the Love You Forevers— energized by a new sense of purpose— convened to discuss the dire need of practice for the residency and their first album, whose session loomed only two days away.
In the storeroom of the shop, they had gathered and taken their positions around two cou...
2023-09-23 22:15:32 +0000 UTC View PostCecil had set off for Floyd's shop that afternoon with all the excitement of a man being led to the gallows, and— as he entered— none of the desire to keep living.
“Cecil!” exclaimed a man sitting opposite Floyd. “It's been so, so long!”
This man, from beneath his meticulously cut blunt bangs, smiled as though someone had...
2023-09-21 19:01:59 +0000 UTC View PostMarion ran his thumb over the elevated bumps of his knife's handle, distracting himself as he and Aster waited outside the administrative building for Sylvia to tender her semester's resignation. He was leaned against the brick facade of the building, watching with little interest the student body passing over the campus, when his ear was caught...
2023-09-21 19:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostWelcome back! Starting today, AYP chapters will be resuming their regular weekly schedule until the end of Volume 3.
Royal Road postings resume next week, so I will be catching this Patreon up to its five advance chapters by posting Chapters 52 & 53 today, and 54 & 55 next Thursday.
I have a few goodies in store as well: I've...
2023-09-14 21:46:01 +0000 UTC View Post"I can't believe you got the cops called to the store while all my men were outside! You think it's easy making a getaway that quick? He just couldn't have had a normal party, could he? We could've had some food and put on some music, but no."
"Doesn't it look pretty in the snow?" Sylvia murmured, ignoring Marion. With fond eyes she took i...
2023-09-14 21:45:00 +0000 UTC View PostIn the chambers of Cherryaire's heart was loaded a bullet—
“You never know when it will come,” said an old man to a young lady. He had snatched her dainty wrist in time to save her from an unseen truck rounding the corner.
“It can be taken from you like that!”
With stunned, terrified eyes, the girl watched as...
2023-09-14 21:44:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Many apologies for the late posting, I've had a bunch of personal thing which to slow progress on finishing this, but here you are— the band outside of Cherry Lane Studios!
2023-05-09 20:00:24 +0000 UTC View PostHi guys, I've recently been starting to suffer burn out, so to afford myself time to properly write and flesh out Volume 3 posting will be on hiatus for a little while. Billing will be paused, and April's drawing will still be delivered in a few days.
Thank you again so much for your support up till now! It really has motivated me these pa...
2023-04-24 01:13:35 +0000 UTC View PostAster hesitantly raised her eyes to the man, who immediately looked back down at her.
His joyfully pursed lips then burst into a sneer of delight, beaming.
“There's my band!” he growled, devouring them with his gaze. “I cannot tell you how happy I am to have you meet with us— God knows how many others were probably trying to ...
2023-04-24 01:05:59 +0000 UTC View Post“They're not real.”
These words ricocheted through Aster's furious mind, inciting yet greater degrees of anger the more she thought upon them, like snarling little solar flares upon the roiling hate within her.
She looked about the group sitting around her— her bandmates, Floyd, and Mareby-Roquefort. She was more keen than ever...
2023-04-16 21:11:58 +0000 UTC View PostLike a hand swatting through mist, the sanctity of Aster's life was at once untangled, the little stability within it feathering through the fingers of fate.
Euthanization was something that Aster had never expected to deal with in her life.
It was what happened to other, unfortunate people on the news. It was a punishment, the sad r...
2023-04-09 21:49:24 +0000 UTC View PostAs she had dreaded, Aster was stolen away that night, snatched from a sleepless, dreamy haze. Her head was replete with anxiety, muddled with musings on the countless developments of the past two weeks, which she was eager to discuss with Nancy.
Nancy however, made haste to return Aster home, promising her that they would have plenty of ti...
2023-04-02 22:20:28 +0000 UTC View Post
Finally finished! I wanted to preview this earlier but I was away on vacation for the first half of the month
2023-03-29 19:08:45 +0000 UTC View Post“Marion, is there not a more appealing way of going about this?” whined Floyd, peering out of his shop's window. Through it, he observed as a formation of Marion's gang stood watch, keeping at bay a large and restless crowd.
“How else are we supposed to do it?!” Marion shot back, insulted by Floyd's embarrassed tone. “You wanna h...
2023-03-26 20:39:10 +0000 UTC View PostFloyd's excitement in waiting for that evening's broadcast of Willie Cooper's show was so great that, by the time the group had arrived at the station that evening, he had scarcely even remarked on the complete state of ruin in which Mareby-Roquefort had left the shop.
“It's absolutely trashed!” Cecil yelled as they departed from Sylvi...
2023-03-19 21:11:46 +0000 UTC View Post“I'd like to introduce you to Samuel, my assistant,” Vincent began, motioning to a young man sitting behind the mixing desk. Samuel was fresh-faced and eager, and looked to be about the same age as the band members. This instantly established a silent rapport between the two groups, though Samuel was keen on displaying deference to his boss,...
2023-03-12 16:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostIt was as if an invisible hand, born of elation, had lifted the dismal drapery of the world clean off.
No longer did the smiles of passersby appear unsightly and noxious, nor did the busy clamor of the street irritate her with its noise as it so often had.
Instead, wherever Aster seemed to look she saw things in a new light, embellis...
2023-03-05 17:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
