It’s Open Mike Night. Somebody go get Mike and a pair of pliers.
Welcome to the start of coa//004… a new story, a new character, new aspects of the city being revealed and the weirdness behind the scenes starting to peek out around the curtains.
I’ve had artwork for Cass up for some time, but it took me a long time to settle on exactly who she is and what’s up with her. I THINK I’ve finally got it and hope to weave an interesting story along the way. I’ve had this sitting in my “buffer” for some time now… too long, honestly. I am now officially out of buffer.
Reason for that is because my life has been very, very odd lately. First Guild Wars 2 launched, a huge game with lots to do and totally fun yay! And… then NCSoft unceremoniously executed City of Heroes. I’ve been playng CoH every single week for the last EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS with the same group of friends. It honestly feels like someone close to me got hit by a bus. We’re going to keep our group together in other games and such but it’s gonna be rough not having our home to go back to each week. Depressing as hell.
For that reason and a smorgasboard of other personal reasons, I’ve had Personal Issues again of the anxiety and insomnia and apnea flavors, and… yeah. Rough ride, all around. Glad I wrote so much in advance for you. I’m still planning to make next Monday’s update but I can’t promise it’ll be a big one.
So, read, contemplate, and leave feedback below. Thanks so much for your support.
chivari says
Honestly I never review because I feel like I have nothing of value to say. If I did, I’d say it. Readers tend to be more hesitant when they’re coming from communities that are usually grumpy over the short thank you and we like this.
That said the setting of this project is awesome.
Stefan "Twoflower" Gagne says
I’m totally okay with a short thank you and we like this. Even a post isn’t some sprawling paragraph by paragraph rundown, it at least lets me know there’s a reader out there and that I’m on the right track for that reader. It’s valuable, indeed.
(For sprawling paragraph by paragraph rundowns I’ve got LoopyChew, who is clinically insane and an awesome editor. :)
Thanks!
Jeremy Jinkerson says
Always a pleasure to receive your writing despite Personal Issues. However, if you’d like permission from a reader to chill out, then permission granted.
Lirazel says
I thought that was where the nasty-lawyer thing was going. Speaking as one married to a lawyer, I am glad you recognize the difference between people with legal training and people who are kind of dicks, because lots don’t.
Ginsberg was, for the most part, Not Really A Nice Person, but he was always authentic. A much better choice for your purposes than some of the other Beats.
Lirazel says
I like this. I REALLY like this. Partly because it echos (!) my own experiences of the interplay of imagination and reality, and partly because I like the idea of Alan Ginsberg growing up to be fairly nice as an old man, and partly because I think I spent some time in the 70s sitting in that club.
Query: the words say TURN LEFT but Cass takes a hard right?
Also, it’s nice to see Dave again.
But… beware of the lawyer-as-nasty-shark trope.
Stefan "Twoflower" Gagne says
Ahh. Editorial mistake; originally she turned right but I decided for thematic reasons a left turn was better. Must’ve missed that instance of it.
I did a LOT of research on Allen and the beat poets for this chapter. Tons of documentaries, etc. I’m not sure I’m going to capture his voice right but this isn’t the same Allen; he’s an echo and he’s had different experiences as a result.
EDIT: One other thing — I forgot I needed to emphasize that the reason Cass is in big trouble now is because A) her passenger got injured badly due to no seatbelt, and B) he’s kind of a dick and sued the company. This mostly applies to the next scene, but.