#upcoming chapter

"Obviously not. You wanna let me in on the secret?"

Scowling, she looked away. "You said you were an orphan. Have been for years. Didn't you grow up in the system?"

At this, he snorted. "Please. I knew damn well what would happen if I lived with ordinary humans." His mind flashed to a workshop in flames, and a woman who had dared to care about him more than she should have. "The adults tried to catch me, but they never could. Well, they did once, but I kicked out the back window of the car and escaped."

Lady sighed. "Of course you did. That is so… you." Releasing Nero to continue pretending to maul Dante's wrist, she instead wrapped her arms around herself in a surprisingly vulnerable gesture. "For those of us without super strength, the foster system is waiting with open arms. Whether we like it or not." The bitterness in her voice didn't surprise him. He'd heard plenty of horror stories from other street kids, so the emotion was nothing new. But what she said next did surprise him, in the worst sort of way,

"They're going to try to take Nero."

Dante recoiled like he'd been slapped, and it was his turn to snag Nero in a protective embrace. "They can't! You… You said that lawyer was the real deal, and all the paperwork went through! Nero's mine, legally. Hell, if they do a DNA test, I'll register as his father! They can't take him!"

"They can if someone like upstanding member of the community Headmaster Albus fucking Haas tells them that there's a baby living in a shithole like this! With a broke nineteen year old mercenary as his only guardian!" she snapped.

“Well how are we supposed to undo it then?”“Maybe they can get a divorce and get it over with, but then again we don’t know much about their alien culture?” Alan said, rubbing his eyes due to the lack of sleep.

The three of them sighed softly, their were tired and were ready to go back to bed. They were stumped on how to end the marriage proposal, but no Micheal couldn’t do this himself and just had to bring them into this. Silence fulled the room for a second until Edgar got an idea for their problem. “Well why don’t we try and find them that way we can get the answer we need about the proposal and get to know them in detail.” He explained while Alan and Sam looked at each other for a moment before getting up to stretch.

Even though I’ve been quiet over here, I’ve actually been a busy little bee. 🐝 As you all know, we recently got the poll results back, and can someone please tell me why my readers on the COG Forum didn’t stick to the agenda? They chose the side story His Touch, while y'all on Tumblr and Patreon picked military Cadmus × broken-hearted MC. So what does that mean for me? It means that come August, I’ll be releasing four demos. Yup, you read that right—four.

I’ve officially passed the 4,000-word mark on the first side story—and since I’m still feeling motivated, I’ll probably keep going and save it for the next update, which will likely drop in about four months (because, hey, we’re working with a roster, right?).

Starting tomorrow through to Monday morning, I’ll finally have the time to plug in my music and get some solid writing done. I’ve figured out exactly how I want TS fight scenes to go, and I’ve finally mastered the art of scene separation. T’s scene is currently kicking my ass, so I’ve decided to start chipping away at Cadmus’s staircase scene with MC instead. This version is for romancers—platonic players will, of course, be approached by N.

Today I had a little sit-down with myself and promised I wouldn’t stress over how the Yesenia fight scene turns out—first drafts are meant to be messy. And guess what? Everything suddenly clicked. I even remembered the counterfeit book that was created in the opening of Chapter Three… so yes, consequences.

Also, slight change of plans: I’ve decided not to have MC and Caddy fight, since they’re in the same student batch. But Cadmus and Atticus—yeah… they nearly killed each other, so that’s still on the table.

So, the three people MC can challenge will officially be Drusilla, Yesenia, and T. For the Patreon update dropping in August, all three fight scenes will be fully covered. Honestly, I’m so over this chapter—ugh. Anyway, during N’s scene, we’ll also explore Sascha’s fight, where the MC finally finds out what their ability is. So that’s another exciting bit to look forward to.

As for the inspiration behind the fight scenes and the overall vibe—let’s thank a few series that fed my nightmares for weeks: Sweet Home (Seasons 1–3), Solo Leveling (Seasons 1–2), Gone Girl, Get Away, Happiness, All of Us Are Dead, #Alive, Kingdom (Seasons 1–2), and The Menu. Yeah… most of those are zombie shows. And yes, I had nightmares because of them. Thanks for asking.

Onto our next topic... what’s happening with Dangerous Games?

I am working on it—slowly. These past few days, I’ve been balancing all my IFs. If I wake up and feel demotivated with one, I just chip away at the other. But yes, an update is going live for this one. Honestly, I’m planning to release everything at once so y’all can just binge and enjoy yourselves.

I also figured out something important about Dangerous Games. Originally, I thought if players chose not to look after the babies, the story would just end... and that’s just bleh. So guess what? This author is forcing that babysitting job on y’all. Go clean a diaper or two and accidentally fall in love with the Underworld boss’s son. He’s hot, tatted, and yes—he has nipple piercings. Cadmus 2.0? Possibly.

Just imagine... eating waffles off those abs. I’m kidding. (Kind of.) Anyway, yes—I always have to include a male RO in my IFs. Why, you ask? I don’t know—men are just interesting creatures. They’re built different. Sometimes I want to dissect them like frogs...Don’t listen to me. It’s definitely the sleep talking.

But the good thing is—we’re already ten thousand words in, currently at the will scene where Bob tells you who killed your father. Between me and you? I don’t trust that man.

Next weekend—or maybe even tomorrow—I plan to start working on the second side story demo. So, as you can see, we’ve got a lot to tie up on our seemingly overflowing plate. But one thing’s for sure: I’m having fun. During my one-week rest, I spent some time watching a few series. Turns out, watching something on my tablet while scribbling away on my phone does wonders for productivity.

So for this week, we’ll be working on a few things...

Tomorrow, I’ll finish Drusilla and MC’s test match. Then, we’ll move on to the opening scenes for both the Platonic and Romantic routes with Cadmus—so that’s two different scenes to knock out. Once those are tied up, we can focus on the first day of school, especially Instructor Levesque’s class.

For Dangerous Games, I want to focus on the will scene, then the discharge scene, and from there, the visitation to Alister’s grave—where MC will meet the second RO. As for the third RO’s career... I’m still deciding. Should I make them a manny/nanny? A next-door neighbor? A doctor? Or maybe MC’s personal assistant at AetherCorp Industries? Decisions, decisions.

As for the side stories:

I’ll start the opening for His Touch.

For the other one, I’ll finish the breakup scene between MC and Emory, and have Kyle (your supervisor) burst in—guns blazing... but not literally. Then I’ll write the flight scene. So that’ll be my focus.

In the coming week—or maybe Sunday—I’ll try to fit in answering some asks. I’m here, I’m always around, but I also know how it feels to want to give attention to everything at once and only have the capacity to focus on one thing. August will be that month—the one where you’ll probably worry about my mental state from how much I’ll get done 😅

I’ll leave a few screenshots down below of what I’ve been working on. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your night. See you in a few. 😊

Shiro’s family history.

My own draft notes cracking me tf up

(Torture)

(Torture)

Darth Maul's ambitious plan to leverage the chaos from the aftermath of the Clone Wars has led to suffering of refugees and the forgotten inhabitants in the Galactic Underworld is a calculated strategy to build power and influence from the shadows of Coruscant. Here’s how he could orchestrate the operation with Dryden Vos and Crimson Dawn:

Step 1: Establishing the Humanitarian Front

1.1. Employing the service of Dryden Vos:

Maul has Dryden Vos, a cunning and ruthless leader of Crimson Dawn, to manage the operation. Vos’s experience with the criminal underworld allows him to navigate the complex networks of power and resources.

1.2. Creating a Cover Story:

To gain the trust of the public and the underworld, Vos crafts a narrative that Crimson Dawn is a humanitarian organization aimed at alleviating the suffering caused by the Clone Wars. This includes distributing food, medicine, and financial aid to refugees in the Undercity.

Step 2: Mobilizing Resources

2.1. Gathering Supplies:

Crimson Dawn uses its vast resources to acquire supplies through both legal and illegal means. This could involve negotiating with sympathetic suppliers, stealing from warehouses, or even using bounty hunters to procure goods.

2.2. Distributing Aid:

Vos sets up distribution points throughout the Undercity, staffed by Crimson Dawn operatives disguised as charity workers. This provides a façade of legitimacy and allows for the gathering of intelligence on local populations and potential recruits.

Step 3: Building a Network of Support

3.1. Community Engagement:

Crimson Dawn engages with local leaders and influential figures in the Undercity, providing aid in exchange for loyalty and support. By positioning themselves as benefactors, they begin to build a network of allies among the downtrodden.

3.2. Recruitment of Disenfranchised Individuals:

As the humanitarian efforts continue, Crimson Dawn identifies individuals with skills, such as former soldiers, mechanics, and navigators, who are desperate for work and a sense of purpose. These individuals are offered roles within Crimson Dawn, often with promises of wealth and protection.

Step 4: Covert Military Training

4.1. Training Recruits:

Under the guise of providing vocational training, Crimson Dawn begins to train these recruits in combat and guerrilla tactics. This training is conducted in secret, ensuring that the recruits remain loyal to Maul’s larger goals.

4.2. Establishing Cells:

The recruits are organized into small cells that can operate independently within the Undercity. This decentralized structure allows for flexibility and deniability, making it harder for the Republic or Jedi to trace these activities back to Maul.

Step 5: Strategic Operations

5.1. Sabotage and Disruption:

As the network of recruits grows, Maul directs them to conduct sabotage operations against Republic supply lines and infrastructure, further destabilizing the situation on Coruscant and inciting unrest among the populace.

5.2. Building Public Sentiment:

Crimson Dawn uses propaganda to portray the Jedi and the Republic as oppressors, framing their actions as a necessary rebellion against a corrupt system. This narrative can draw more individuals to their cause.

Step 6: The Endgame

6.1. Coordinating a Large-Scale Uprising:

With a significant force built from the ranks of the disenfranchised, Maul plans a coordinated uprising within the Undercity. This would catch the Republic off guard, leading to chaos that could spread to the surface levels of Coruscant.

6.2. Sacking Coruscant:

The ultimate goal is to create enough unrest and chaos to launch a full-scale attack on key locations within Coruscant, allowing Crimson Dawn to seize control and establish a new order under Maul’s leadership.

Conclusion

Through this multi-faceted strategy, Maul aims to exploit the vulnerabilities exposed by the Clone Wars, using humanitarian efforts as a cover for building a loyal army. By manipulating the suffering of the populace and positioning Crimson Dawn as their savior, Maul seeks not only to gain power but to position himself as a formidable force in the galaxy, ready to strike against the Jedi and the Republic at the opportune moment.