New chapter! I kept trying to read this, but my internet connection has been super slow in the evenings every night this week for some reason. But finally I was able to read it, and what a chapter!
There is so much to love here. Hard to decide which parts to comment on.
Of course, as usual, your screenshots are stunning. This chapter is a visual feast.
Speaking of feasting.... "So who had too much to drink, Oskar? Was it this man, or was it you?" cracked me up. Such a good line.
I actually enjoyed seeing Oskar be a bit less restrained. I think he needed that drink. That guy was awful. I can see why he's buddies with Annorin. I also loved the snooping around in Annorin's personal stuff part. I had kind of forgotten that Kat's ship got stolen, but now, heh heh, the plot thickens. I wonder why Annorin would take it, though. Just to sell it? Or use it? To find something he thought was on board it? Because keeping Kat there on purpose seems like it would be an odd motive for him.
Owen is interesting. I'm curious to see if anything comes of that conversation that he and Eli had.
Very worried about Oskar now. Drinking the poisoned tea right in front of Annorin has tipped him off that Oskar isn't human. Though thinking he's fae is a cool twist.
All in all, I think this is actually one of my favorite chapters so far.
@GlacierSnow Thank you for commenting as always < 3 And no worry!
I love Kat's line about the blood and also the pictures were fun to do for this one! Seeing Oskar less restrained is so fun. It's fun to finally see the side of him that isn't the surrogate dad or the as people in the story say 'eccentric' woodworker.
So Annorin didn't know it was Kat's boat since I think she was staying in the inn when she had it 'parked' there, but Annorin probably noticed some of the crystals and such lying around on it and decided to just take the whole boat and use all of those crystals and other alchemical / magical components for his own potions to sell. He didn't care who it belonged to, he just saw an opportunity to save a Simoleon (and probably help thwart any potential competition in the process.)
Oh indeed, Annorin's suspicions have been sealed in that moment. The other thing about him thinking Oskar is either a fae or a changeling is that similar was thought about neurodivergent folk IRL historically speaking. Annorin touches a bit on that next chapter in a horrible way.
they/them or she/her - remember to only support ethical CC creators! -
Wow. That was intense. Oskar with the brakes turned off is a pretty scary guy. I LOVE the images in this chapter. Your use of color and lighting conveys the emotions better than words ever could.
I just noticed at the end that Oskar has horns in his true vampire form. I was going to check if he had those at other times he shows himself like that, but can't remember which chapters his vampire form appears in, and poking around randomly didn't land me on the right ones. But at any rate, I liked that detail. Nice touch.
It was kind of surprising how quickly Annorin's guests turned on him/ridiculed him/abandoned him. Sort of suggests he doesn't have any real friends at all, not even in his own social circle.
Owen's contribution to the situation is intriguing. I can't tell what his motive is at this point. But as a character (not necessarily as a person) I am inclined to like him. Very curious to see if he becomes a bigger part of the story or not.
This story is awesome. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. You are talented at writing this kind of drama.
One behind the scenes question: Do you happen to remember where you got the various masks that guests are wearing in these last few chapters for the ball? I've been looking for some like that. I especially love Kat's mask with the rose, and the winged mask that the guy in the red tunic is wearing in this chapter.
@GlacierSnow Thank you for commenting as always < 333
Oskar going feral is just as fun as Aine going feral in that one chapter, I love it. Everyone should go feral : P
I stayed up until 5 am last night to finish off this chapter I'm glad it paid off. The pictures were fun to do, I love messing about with GShade presets. Oh yeah they're new! Originally Oskar only had really short claws, but I added wings, longer claws, horns, and creepier eyes. I don't think this has come up in the story yet, but the vampire lore is that, the more they give in to their bloodlust, the more 'monstrous' their vampire form becomes in the process. IDK whether it's permanent or something they have to keep up though. I guess it's probably permanent, we all know how creepy Violeta's is : P The black feather wings are inspired by the ff7 character Oskar's design is inspired by.
I'm not sure what will come of Owen to be honest. I always planned for Eli to have a brother who was the apple of his father's eye, and who doesn't seem like he cares about Eli but he does. I will be really honest, everyone turning on Annorin so quickly was a bit unrealistic but some arcs just need to be resolved and I figured I'd go along with it. Though the other elites just think he's embarassing as opposed to terrible, and they're just glad it's him who's getting flamed over the terrible things he's done and not them. I'm so glad you like the story and I really appreciate all of your comments and insight < 3
Sure I'll send a PM with the masks!
they/them or she/her - remember to only support ethical CC creators! -
they're just glad it's him who's getting flamed over the terrible things he's done and not them
Yup! That's very much the impression I got too. Which I feel actually does explain why they turn on him. It's a kind of cover-up for themselves to scapegoat someone else. But that's what I meant that he doesn't have any real friends. There's no loyalty whatsoever happening here. It didn't feel forced at all story-wise. It felt very true to life, actually.
Yeah you're definitely right there, sorry I forgot to address that part of your comment in my reply ;-; But yeah there's no real support or friendship among these lot. It's all just dog-eat-dog like Regan says, only everyone thinks they're the dog eating and not the dog being eaten : P
they/them or she/her - remember to only support ethical CC creators! -
The pictures in this chapter were just stunning, wow! I mean, they're always very good, but the attack scenes where everything turns red, or when Oskar shows off his full "monster form" were really memorable!
I also remain of the idea of seeing so much violence against a hateable character like Annorin is very cathartic, now I mostly wonder about which could be the consequences of letting all those witnesses alive...
You can follow the Legacy Miller from my blog and the forum thread, *Chapter 6.9 posted on the 4th of June 2023*
I've been thinking about your story and wanting to comment for a few days now, but my schedule got off. I had to wait for time to read Chapter 2:19. But now the gap between 2:19 and 2:20 may feel shorter.
I'm generally surprised by what happens in these newer chapters, which is fun.
Eli, Owen, and Samuel -- I'm intrigued by their family dynamics. I honestly did not expect Owen to care about their father hitting Eli because Eli is extremely rude, and … his father supports them. I thought most people would think Eli deserves it, but that seems not to be the case. I was even more surprised by Owen's behavior later - he admits that his father wrote the letter, etc! Maybe I'm wrong, but I still don't trust Owen. He seems overly nice?!? He mentions that the gryphon is tenacious and ruthless, so I imagine that he's ruthlessly getting rid of family competition, no matter who.
Oskar is going off the rails a bit? He looks cool with wings (reminds me of Sephiroth tbh - but I'm only familiar with that character's name and looks (not lore) so sorry if the comparison is off), but … he's giving off villain vibes with that speech. I think he should have consulted Eli before torturing his father. I also think that he has too literal an interpretation of what Kat meant by not killing people--I don't think she means that everything as long as it's not killing is fair play. Then again, maybe the creepy red lighting, the shadows, and the dark atmosphere are making him look worse than he is. Also, I realized that I was just casually brushing over how Annorin steals Kat's boat and also tries to kill her so maybe Oskar is more justified in his behavior than I originally thought…
I expect Annorin to try to strike back later if he recovers. I'm excited to see what happens.
@haneul Thank you for your comment as always < 3 And no need to worry, I'm always happy to hear feedback regardless < 3
I'm SO HAPPY you made that comparison because that's exactly who Oskar's overall human and dark form design is based on, and also his backstory as a soldier! : D Though thankfully Oskar is nothing like Sephiroth personality-wise... XD That's also why he has the black feathered wings. I was originally going to give him more batlike/draconic ones.
The family dynamics are pretty screwed up. Annorin always favoured Owen over Eli, and even then he still got slapped about in his youth. Yeah, it's hard to judge exactly where Owen will go from here. He's incredibly let down by his father's actions, but moreso because he considers him an embarassment than anything else, though he is genuinely angry at him for attacking Eli. Owen's more about beating the legitimate competition, as opposed to going for the comparitive 'small fry' like Kat's cunningwoman stuff.
Oh yeah, Oskar's defo gone off the rails a bit here. It's a stark reminder that, although we've seen the nice, mostly reformed Oskar for the most part, he's still a vampire at heart. That was exactly what Kat meant, but in part due to Oskar's neurodivergence, he took it literally as 'I don't care what you do so long as you don't kill anyone', so there's been some miscommunication. I think it's the lighting that helps enhance the villain vibe, you're right there. Yeah, Annorin's done enough to Kat. It's a wonder how she's still sticking to her mostly-pacifist ideas at this point.
they/them or she/her - remember to only support ethical CC creators! -
Blogger isn't agreeing with me, so am pasting it here for now 😁
The pickle is talking 😂🤣🤣 bwahaha. Owen just earned a ton of points with me, lol. Oooh, Owen is siding against dear ol’ dad, huh? And in public, at the first real chance he gets. That guy is a dangerous one. And Oskar is right there to stoke the flames with the information he found while snooping around. I wonder how this is going to end. The “angry mob” would probably lynch him, but what would his fellow nobles do…?
Ah. Just mocking and making a laughing stock of him. That might be enough for Kat, but I doubt Oskar is going to leave it there. Oh dear. Yup, he’s going after them. Gah, those images edited all dark and red are haunting.
Ah yes, tell the guy that’s turning into a living nightmare that he should have been killed or put in an asylum. Real good survival tactics right there. Oooh, the wings and horns were a surprise. I don’t fault him for thinking of a Fae, but my first thought there was angel of death. I have to agree with Haneul here - Oskar is giving off real bad vibes there, even though he's justified in his reasoning. I guess it's the old revenge vs becoming the evil you hate thing. Oskar isn't snakelike like Annorin but in that moment, tormenting three people just because he can, they both look like monsters. I wonder if Kat will have the same thoughts if she finds out?
Now… how big is the chance that Annoying was actually scared straight, and won’t try to do the same thing to Oskar that he did to Katlego? Hmm…
Hosting D&D sessions on the side. Interested in playing through some fantasy-themed shenanigans? Send me a message 😘
@_sims_Yimi I will beat Blogger up later! Thank you for your comment as always < 3
That line makes me laugh every time I read it XD Despite Owen being the obvious favourite I'm sure he got slapped about by his dad plenty of times, and though it doesn't seem like it sometimes he's always cared about his little brother. Yeah, his fellow elites don't feel bad for anything he's done, they just think he's embarassing for wasting his time on the 'small fry'. They only like seeing him get dragged because their own dirty laundry still hasn't been aired yet. You were spot on there. Kat was happy to see the start of his downfall, and Oskar felt that downfall needed accelerating. XD I'm glad you like the pics . < 3
Even when he's seconds away from potential death Annorin still thinks he's untouchable. Angel of death is a good idea actually, Annorin probably could've come to that conclusion as well. Yeah this is it really, you only end up with a dark form like that by indulging in bloodlust, and that's never a good thing... He could've stopped once he'd gotten his point across, but proceeded to toy with them anyway like a cat toying with their half killed prey that they're not even going to eat. I think Oskar has the complete wrong end of the stick thinking Kat left because she didn't care what become of Annorin after finding out what he'd done, and that he was the reason she was stuck there.
Indeed, indeed...It'll take time for Annorin to somehow recover from this. Maybe he never will. And if he does, well, who knows what tricks he's got up his sleeve...
they/them or she/her - remember to only support ethical CC creators! -
It read that way to me as well. I interpreted that as Kat going "well, his reputation is ruined, my work is done" and leaving satisfied. Not "well, he's worse than I thought, I'm totally fine with torture and violence now" but then again it's much too easy to interpret silence in your own favour. To me, it seemed like Oskar wanted to do that to them, and so he read Kat's reactions in a way that was favourable to him, giving him permission to set loose. 😅 This thought penny has been brought to you by Yimi Just Before Chicken Time!
Hosting D&D sessions on the side. Interested in playing through some fantasy-themed shenanigans? Send me a message 😘
That's an interesting theory actually. I think it's completely open to interpretation, but what I bore in mind during that scene is that sometimes Oskar struggles to read between the lines. So when Kat said 'don't kill anyone' he took that as 'do what you want so long as you don't kill anyone' as opposed to 'don't go too far'.
they/them or she/her - remember to only support ethical CC creators! -
New chapter is now uploaded to the Chapter Index.
This is the last chapter of Act Two. I already have the Timeskip 'makeovers' done so they'll be posted at some point.
I will also be writing up the Divided Act 1 and Act 2 recap. HOWEVER, this will be designed as a memory aid, and not as a replacement for actually reading the chapters. Way too much going on for me to include every single thing! Then again who knows cuz we all know how bad I am with brevity.
Post edited by SnowBnuuy on
they/them or she/her - remember to only support ethical CC creators! -
There is a lot going on, it's hard to comment on everything... Showing that Oskar didn't take what he did to Annorin so lightly after all is quite interesting, and it's also touching to see how much he actually cares about Eli. Learning more about the level of damage Annorin received sounds like quite an important point, as well.
Kat instead keeps having the opposite approach than him instead, talking to Owen and still arguing with Oskar for having injured Annorin. Her point of view is quite understandable on an idealistic level, but Oskar's more practical way of solving problems with brute force seemed quite effective (at least for now).
And then there is Eli, he really had a hard time in this chapter. Thinking about biological vs acquired families, and about what violence can solve and what not, it's not easy at all (in particular at that age...)
At least the end was sort on a lighter tone with Oskar's birthday, Aine and Reynold were quite cute this time! And Eli's present was impressive, he really has a talent for the job!
As for the recap posts in preparation instead, I fully understand it can take a lot of time to summarise so much in so few words! Whatever you decide to include I'm sure it will be useful for us anyway, I'm actually curious to see what you plan to include.
And I'm even more curious to see what happens after the new time skip in part 3, so much suspense!
You can follow the Legacy Miller from my blog and the forum thread, *Chapter 6.9 posted on the 4th of June 2023*
@HermioneSims Thank you for your comment as always! < 3
I'm glad you picked up on so much. Oskar didn't feel bad at all for what he did to Annorin, but I think he was taken aback by just what he may have been capable of...He doesn't even remember exactly what he did, only that he at least survived, and he remembers his dark form feeling different. IT's a bit of a 'debate' point I guess. Was attacking Annorin excusable for all he did to everyone else as well as Eli? Or had Oskar gone too far and not thought about Eli and how he might feel about it? It's all very morally messy this chapter. It hurt to write Kat and Oskar at each other's throats, but Oskar feels betrayed / like it wasn't his fault for not understanding and Kat is tired of people resorting to extreme violence. I did like the ending of the chapter! It was going to end with Violeta's present, but at that point Oskar felt too hurt by her. He's so used to her just not questioning anything he does that it got to him.
they/them or she/her - remember to only support ethical CC creators! -
Okay, so here are the timeskip lookbooks for next arc! Plus some teasers based on my current notes. All subject to change of course, but! : D
Before I even start writing Act 3 though...Recap...Must do the recap. I still have a lot of planning before I can start with Act 3.
they/them or she/her - remember to only support ethical CC creators! -
Everyone looks great!
I enjoy Oskar's range of outfits.
You're not wrong about your girls, but let's not shortchange Eli eh? He's clearly left the awkward stage.
@mightysprite Haha love it XD I’m sure Eli would soak that compliment up like a sponge. @Lucy_Henley No rush it’ll always be there until the end of time…I’ll probs still be writing that recap by then XD
they/them or she/her - remember to only support ethical CC creators! -
The ending of Act Two is really good. I liked how you showed different characters' reactions to what Oskar did. Not everyone feels the same way about it. Makes for interesting tension among the main character set. Looking forward to the next Act, especially since you mentioned more focus on the witch hunters.
Everyone's new looks are great! Thanks for sharing those.
However long it takes you to get the next part ready... I'm here for it.
Comments
There is so much to love here. Hard to decide which parts to comment on.
Of course, as usual, your screenshots are stunning. This chapter is a visual feast.
Speaking of feasting....
I actually enjoyed seeing Oskar be a bit less restrained. I think he needed that drink. That guy was awful. I can see why he's buddies with Annorin. I also loved the snooping around in Annorin's personal stuff part. I had kind of forgotten that Kat's ship got stolen, but now, heh heh, the plot thickens. I wonder why Annorin would take it, though. Just to sell it? Or use it? To find something he thought was on board it? Because keeping Kat there on purpose seems like it would be an odd motive for him.
Owen is interesting. I'm curious to see if anything comes of that conversation that he and Eli had.
Very worried about Oskar now. Drinking the poisoned tea right in front of Annorin has tipped him off that Oskar isn't human. Though thinking he's fae is a cool twist.
All in all, I think this is actually one of my favorite chapters so far.
So Annorin didn't know it was Kat's boat since I think she was staying in the inn when she had it 'parked' there, but Annorin probably noticed some of the crystals and such lying around on it and decided to just take the whole boat and use all of those crystals and other alchemical / magical components for his own potions to sell. He didn't care who it belonged to, he just saw an opportunity to save a Simoleon (and probably help thwart any potential competition in the process.)
Oh indeed, Annorin's suspicions have been sealed in that moment. The other thing about him thinking Oskar is either a fae or a changeling is that similar was thought about neurodivergent folk IRL historically speaking. Annorin touches a bit on that next chapter in a horrible way.
Wow. That was intense. Oskar with the brakes turned off is a pretty scary guy. I LOVE the images in this chapter. Your use of color and lighting conveys the emotions better than words ever could.
I just noticed at the end that Oskar has horns in his true vampire form. I was going to check if he had those at other times he shows himself like that, but can't remember which chapters his vampire form appears in, and poking around randomly didn't land me on the right ones.
It was kind of surprising how quickly Annorin's guests turned on him/ridiculed him/abandoned him. Sort of suggests he doesn't have any real friends at all, not even in his own social circle.
Owen's contribution to the situation is intriguing. I can't tell what his motive is at this point. But as a character (not necessarily as a person) I am inclined to like him. Very curious to see if he becomes a bigger part of the story or not.
This story is awesome. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. You are talented at writing this kind of drama.
One behind the scenes question: Do you happen to remember where you got the various masks that guests are wearing in these last few chapters for the ball? I've been looking for some like that. I especially love Kat's mask with the rose, and the winged mask that the guy in the red tunic is wearing in this chapter.
I stayed up until 5 am last night to finish off this chapter
I'm not sure what will come of Owen to be honest. I always planned for Eli to have a brother who was the apple of his father's eye, and who doesn't seem like he cares about Eli but he does. I will be really honest, everyone turning on Annorin so quickly was a bit unrealistic but some arcs just need to be resolved and I figured I'd go along with it. Though the other elites just think he's embarassing as opposed to terrible, and they're just glad it's him who's getting flamed over the terrible things he's done and not them. I'm so glad you like the story and I really appreciate all of your comments and insight < 3
Sure I'll send a PM with the masks!
Yup! That's very much the impression I got too. Which I feel actually does explain why they turn on him. It's a kind of cover-up for themselves to scapegoat someone else. But that's what I meant that he doesn't have any real friends. There's no loyalty whatsoever happening here. It didn't feel forced at all story-wise. It felt very true to life, actually.
I also remain of the idea of seeing so much violence against a hateable character like Annorin is very cathartic, now I mostly wonder about which could be the consequences of letting all those witnesses alive...
I'm generally surprised by what happens in these newer chapters, which is fun.
Eli, Owen, and Samuel -- I'm intrigued by their family dynamics. I honestly did not expect Owen to care about their father hitting Eli because Eli is extremely rude, and … his father supports them. I thought most people would think Eli deserves it, but that seems not to be the case. I was even more surprised by Owen's behavior later - he admits that his father wrote the letter, etc! Maybe I'm wrong, but I still don't trust Owen. He seems overly nice?!? He mentions that the gryphon is tenacious and ruthless, so I imagine that he's ruthlessly getting rid of family competition, no matter who.
Oskar is going off the rails a bit? He looks cool with wings (reminds me of Sephiroth tbh - but I'm only familiar with that character's name and looks (not lore) so sorry if the comparison is off), but … he's giving off villain vibes with that speech. I think he should have consulted Eli before torturing his father. I also think that he has too literal an interpretation of what Kat meant by not killing people--I don't think she means that everything as long as it's not killing is fair play. Then again, maybe the creepy red lighting, the shadows, and the dark atmosphere are making him look worse than he is. Also, I realized that I was just casually brushing over how Annorin steals Kat's boat and also tries to kill her so maybe Oskar is more justified in his behavior than I originally thought…
I expect Annorin to try to strike back later if he recovers. I'm excited to see what happens.
The family dynamics are pretty screwed up. Annorin always favoured Owen over Eli, and even then he still got slapped about in his youth. Yeah, it's hard to judge exactly where Owen will go from here. He's incredibly let down by his father's actions, but moreso because he considers him an embarassment than anything else, though he is genuinely angry at him for attacking Eli. Owen's more about beating the legitimate competition, as opposed to going for the comparitive 'small fry' like Kat's cunningwoman stuff.
Oh yeah, Oskar's defo gone off the rails a bit here. It's a stark reminder that, although we've seen the nice, mostly reformed Oskar for the most part, he's still a vampire at heart. That was exactly what Kat meant, but in part due to Oskar's neurodivergence, he took it literally as 'I don't care what you do so long as you don't kill anyone', so there's been some miscommunication. I think it's the lighting that helps enhance the villain vibe, you're right there. Yeah, Annorin's done enough to Kat. It's a wonder how she's still sticking to her mostly-pacifist ideas at this point.
Ah. Just mocking and making a laughing stock of him. That might be enough for Kat, but I doubt Oskar is going to leave it there. Oh dear. Yup, he’s going after them. Gah, those images edited all dark and red are haunting.
Ah yes, tell the guy that’s turning into a living nightmare that he should have been killed or put in an asylum. Real good survival tactics right there. Oooh, the wings and horns were a surprise. I don’t fault him for thinking of a Fae, but my first thought there was angel of death. I have to agree with Haneul here - Oskar is giving off real bad vibes there, even though he's justified in his reasoning. I guess it's the old revenge vs becoming the evil you hate thing. Oskar isn't snakelike like Annorin but in that moment, tormenting three people just because he can, they both look like monsters. I wonder if Kat will have the same thoughts if she finds out?
Now… how big is the chance that Annoying was actually scared straight, and won’t try to do the same thing to Oskar that he did to Katlego? Hmm…
Even when he's seconds away from potential death Annorin still thinks he's untouchable. Angel of death is a good idea actually, Annorin probably could've come to that conclusion as well. Yeah this is it really, you only end up with a dark form like that by indulging in bloodlust, and that's never a good thing... He could've stopped once he'd gotten his point across, but proceeded to toy with them anyway like a cat toying with their half killed prey that they're not even going to eat. I think Oskar has the complete wrong end of the stick thinking Kat left because she didn't care what become of Annorin after finding out what he'd done, and that he was the reason she was stuck there.
Indeed, indeed...It'll take time for Annorin to somehow recover from this. Maybe he never will. And if he does, well, who knows what tricks he's got up his sleeve...
This is the last chapter of Act Two. I already have the Timeskip 'makeovers' done so they'll be posted at some point.
I will also be writing up the Divided Act 1 and Act 2 recap. HOWEVER, this will be designed as a memory aid, and not as a replacement for actually reading the chapters. Way too much going on for me to include every single thing! Then again who knows cuz we all know how bad I am with brevity.
Kat instead keeps having the opposite approach than him instead, talking to Owen and still arguing with Oskar for having injured Annorin. Her point of view is quite understandable on an idealistic level, but Oskar's more practical way of solving problems with brute force seemed quite effective (at least for now).
And then there is Eli, he really had a hard time in this chapter. Thinking about biological vs acquired families, and about what violence can solve and what not, it's not easy at all (in particular at that age...)
At least the end was sort on a lighter tone with Oskar's birthday, Aine and Reynold were quite cute this time! And Eli's present was impressive, he really has a talent for the job!
As for the recap posts in preparation instead, I fully understand it can take a lot of time to summarise so much in so few words! Whatever you decide to include I'm sure it will be useful for us anyway, I'm actually curious to see what you plan to include.
And I'm even more curious to see what happens after the new time skip in part 3, so much suspense!
Before I even start writing Act 3 though...Recap...Must do the recap.
I enjoy Oskar's range of outfits.
You're not wrong about your girls, but let's not shortchange Eli eh? He's clearly left the awkward stage.
The character screenshots are awesome! I bet Róisín looks cute.
@Lucy_Henley No rush it’ll always be there until the end of time…I’ll probs still be writing that recap by then XD
The ending of Act Two is really good. I liked how you showed different characters' reactions to what Oskar did. Not everyone feels the same way about it. Makes for interesting tension among the main character set. Looking forward to the next Act, especially since you mentioned more focus on the witch hunters.
Everyone's new looks are great! Thanks for sharing those.
However long it takes you to get the next part ready... I'm here for it.