Let’s meet the city’s own version of the Odd Couple.
Welcome to the next story. We’ll be moving away from Dave for awhile — he’ll be back one rainy day — and looking at other inhabitants of the city. This time around it’s Marcy Wei (who was recently added to the gallery) and her sister, Vivi Wei. I’ve seen work in progress sketches of Vivi; I think you’ll like her.
Also new is “the intro,” a series of paragraphs to introduce each new story. I’ve retroactively added it to coa//002. This, like the “about” page, is an encapsulated introduction to the City of Angles universe. Eventually we’re going to get to the point where you can hop into the series at any point — you might want to read earlier stories, particularly if they introduce characters used in that story, but it should be possible to enjoy the latest story if you’re a new reader without having to plow through the backlog first.
Oh, also — update on the ads. So far, I’m uncertain as to their value. I’ve been tracking the progress and I have gotten some clickthrough, and some folks reading coa//001. I don’t know if they’re sticking around or if I’m paying too much for those clicks. I’ll probably let this campaign end when it runs dry, then rejigger the ads for round two.
For now, there’s coa//003. I’d love to hear your thoughts. This is also the first time in awhile that I’m using Swinging Singles, as it were, rather than teenagers who blunder into destined love interests immediately and live happily ever after. It’s going to be a bit of a challenge to write. Hopefully they’ll read as authentic. Time and more pages will tell.
Lirazel says
I like the way you have the vivacious white babe as the disabled refugee child. Nice writing against trope!
How can a native be an echo?
Is Picasso Syndrome really contagious, as in don’t let one sneeze on you?
Stefan "Twoflower" Gagne says
It’s a generalized concept, that EVERYONE is an echo. A native is an echo of an echo, something that never actually existed, so they’ve got it even rougher on the existential crisis scale. Hence why Marcy feels she’s somehow less real than her sister.
Nobody’s entirely sure how Picassoing works; there’s a lot of rumor and speculation and old wives tales, but scientific study of the phenomenon is discouraged as it never ends well. Plus the Department of Safety is run by Seth, who is quite keen on supporting the interests of Bedlam and thus very keen on discouraging understanding and encouraging paranoia.
loopychew says
For some reason, the name “Ghostwriter” rings a bell. Did you used to use that name somewhere?
Were Marcy and Vivi sisters before being echoed into the City, then? It sounds like they’ve known each other a long time and have been in the City a long time, but it’s not fully defined at the moment.
Stefan "Twoflower" Gagne says
I’ve used the name for a Rock Band character in the past. He was kind of a hipster dude, though.
The Wei family (Marcy and her parents) are natives; Vivi is a refugee who they adopted. I thought that was clear but I can clarify it in edits, it’s not meant to be a mystery or anything.
loopychew says
No, it was clear. I apparently missed that paragraph on a PageDown or something. D’oh.