I’m starting to slide back to the other end, though.

For the past few months I’ve been in an abyssmal place and have done pretty much nothing creatively.

The funk, it leaves me… the creative spirit, it returns…

Her design is just about together. You’ll be the first to see her.

Magenta Star is sort of on hold as real life has started to interfere with my plans. I’m jobless at the moment, so finding a job is sort of my number one priority.

But this little critter named Harriet remains in my head…

I’ve also still been debating the return of GBD, but with a fresh complete change in style.

So… that’s what’s up. Hugs and kisses.

Another character, code-named “Piggy” bounced off the page when I was sketching this weekend. I was struggling with him as well, but he finally clicked. His hair isn’t working either. Sometimes I wish I could make them both bald, but that just makes them look old, and we’re going for youthful.

You say you want to see these character designs? Sorry, gang, it’s top secret. Official art is to come, I promise, but we’re not there yet.

Meanwhile, I’m going to start up a new blog with some videos of me sketching. So I guess it would be called a “vlog.” More info on that soon.

Who should have their own MySpace page?

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I made myself a promise, long ago, that I would never ever ever join MySpace.

That didn’t last.

11.21.06 - Crazyninny wonders:

Why, Hello Fiona! I hope your doing well!

So, wanting to ask, before you came into the Grand Blue Door Inn, did you ever belive in the superstion? Did your mother before, Bless her soul, pass, did she ever mention the paranormal to you?
How are you feeling about a Vampire sleeping in the same Inn as you? Do you know where Lucas sleeps? Do you know while the surch for the gem went on, that if they even went throw your room?
And have you named that nice little kitty?

Uhhm. I don’t think Mother ever really talked about it. I was still kind of young when she passed away. I don’t remember a lot of our conversations. So I never much thought about superstition, just what I heard from the other girls at Pricketts.

I don’t particularly mind a vampire, no. I’ll admit it’s unsettling. Yes, I know where Lucas sleeps, yes, I know how the search went. Don’t tell anyone, but I sort of followed them through the hotel.

The cat? No, I haven’t named her. How about Eight? She has a sideways eight on her chest.

11.27.06 - Mongoose asks:

I’m afraid I can’t think of any deep and meaningful questions at the moment, so, how about this?

1) What’s your favorite color?

2) Do you have any favorite clothes?

3) Do you enjoy you schooling?

11.27.06 - And Nate asks:

Fiona, just how old are you anyway? I don’t believe that’s ever been mentioned.

My favorite color is green. I don’t have any favorite clothes, but I do like what I got in town. I can’t remember having such nice things.

I like some classes. I like reading, writing, history, I don’t like arithmatic. My least favorite.

I’m eleven. I’ll be twelve at the end of August.

11.28.06 - B wants to know:

How are you adjusting to living at the Grand Blue Door? It must be different from what you’re used to. Do you think you’ll be able to stand living there for very long?

The people are certainly interesting, but what about people you could consider to be friends?

And honestly I’m worried about your safety there. What with your recent near abduction by a Harpy, do you feel safe at all? You were very brave, even if it did ruin your dress.

You know, I actually am enjoying staying at the hotel. Because it’s so different. Normal life is so horribly dull. Rise, go to class, do your homework, have another scheduled meal, then back to bed. No one there likes me. They think I’m strange. Here? I’m not strange in the least. I think I’m realizing something about myself, that I favor the different over the mundane.

My friends? Well Edgar, definetly. And Mr. Hattigan, he’s very impressive and heroic. I do like the moon twins, they’re fun. And Lucas is tolerable when he isn’t being such a donkey.

Do I feel safe? Hm. Well, I haven’t had much time to think about that. I suppose I’m not safe at all, with harpies, and vampires, and thieves, and who knows what else. But I don’t feel unsafe. I’m really not concerned about it. I have to admit, it’s a bit exciting. Gosh, do you think I get that from my father? He was around monsters all the time and never broke a sweat, Hattigan says.

12.13.06- Kingdom asks:

(1) How did you feel when the others, the adults passed over your comment about the Archduke in the tower? Must have been infuriating.

(2) Why do you think he was in the tower in the first place?

I felt annoyed when the adults ignored me. They really ought to be asking us what we think about all this, after all. I may be young, but I like to think I’m pretty smart.

The Archduke’s room is in the tower. I suppose Edgar wanted him far away from the rest of us, and placed his, er, coffin up there.

12.13.06 - Kino is curious:

Hey there Fiona.

What’s your favorite thing to do at the Grand Blue Door? And what’s your favorite thing about the hotel?

Hello. My favorite thing? Well. There aren’t that many toys about to play with. The Moon twins brought a few, and Lucas has a handful, like tops and balls. I wish they had a bicycle I could ride. I’ve been wishing for a bicycle of my own forever. But we usually just have fun playing. There’s all sorts of places to explore. There’s a little rock cave down on the beach, and we build things in the sand. Lucas tried to show off that he can catch fish when he wades into the water, but he hasn’t done it yet.

My favorite part of the hotel? Uhmm. My room. I never had a room of my own, and I can see the ocean from the window.

12.13.06 - The best letter in the alphabet B asks:

Fiona, have you ever gone swimming? It occurs to me that the hassle of finding a proper bathing suit, if such exists, almost wouldn’t be worth the effort.

I have gone swimming. When I was little, my mother took me to a public bathing house. I haven’t got a bathing suit anymore, but I have gone wading in the ocean by the hotel. My first time in the ocean! I’m sure Mrs. Germaine would throw a fit if she knew I removed my shoes and stockings in front of a boy, so don’t tell her if you see her.

12.19.06 - The Real Nate says:

Someone’s using my name to post questions. -.-;

That aside, how’s your mirror image friend doing?

It’s… well. She, I guess. She’s all right. Really very polite and considerate. I don’t think she sleeps, but she likes to talk. But doesn’t keep me up all night. Very curious, too. Wants to know all about me. I don’t think she has a name. But she has a very odd voice. That might just be from having to talk through the glass, it’s a bit muffled. I don’t know.

Comment on this topic with a question for his Grace, and he will be replying to the questions he favors. He can be terribly picky. Enjoy.

11.07.06 - Haxar asks:

1) How did you become a vampire?
2) Can you turn into any sort of animal like a bat or wolf?
3) What is your opinion of Joss Whedon?

“I became a vampire like every other vampire. I was bitten, drained completely, and fed the blood of my Mistress shortly before expiring. Turning into other animals is pure myth. I will not question the certain supernatural abilities of older, Master Vampires, such as strength, speed, hypnotism, so on so forth, shapeshifting is not one of our abilities. We are vampires, not fairies. And what is Joss Wheaton? A breakfast cereal?”

11.09.06 - B asks:

What music do you like? It seems your tastes may be somewhat more refined than the average ‘man off the street’.

“So it would seem. Being Austrian, of course, it is in my blood to appreciate what you would call ‘classical’ music. Mozart, Strauss, Shubert, Beethoven, and of course my favorite, Wagner. In my living youth, I enjoyed dancing the quicker ländlers, the waltzes, so I appreciate that music. I part ways with my heritage when it comes to schrammelmusik, however, which is Austrian folk music. Not a fan. Lucas has introduced me to the new ‘rag.’ I still don’t know what to make of that.”

11.10.06 - crazyninny wonders:

*Batters eyelases.* If you would please Uriah. *Gets close into his face.* What shampoo do you use? Is this your natural skin color? *Pinches his skin.* Are your ears naturally pointy? *Pinches ears.*
And above all, what do you like in a girl. *Sigh, and batters her eyelases some more.*

“…”

“First and foremost, don’t touch me. Secondly, what you see is indeed my ‘natural’ state, if you can call it that. More accurate, I suppose, to call it a supernatural state, hm? In any case, the pale skin and emaciated appearance is due to feeding on nothing but chicken blood for months.”

“What do I like in a girl? Type AB.”

11.10.06 - Kingdom would like to know:

Two questions, if you please.
The first being “Do you enjoy being a vampire?” I ask this because people talk about how cool or exciting it would be to be a vampire, but I’m wondering the vampire’s point of view on this is.

The second question, “When were you born?” Just curiousity I suppose.

“Vamprism, just as with any other -Ism, has it’s pros and cons, it’s ups and downs. Currently, with my stay at the hotel and my… falling out with my bretheren, no. I am not enjoying my state right now. As with many other -Isms, this one is unchangable. Once a vampire, always a vampire. No worries, however. I will soon be out of this little rut and get back to enjoying it.”

“And I was born into life in 1789. I was born into unlife in 1813.”

11.13.06 - GremlinRuh asks:

Were you nobility before you became a vampire or was that something you were… uh… ‘unborn’ (I guess that would be right) into?

“Unborn into. While living, I did enjoy a pampered life of prestige, I was not the actual ruler of Austria. The people might have noticed if I were suddenly not aging, hm? No, my position is… was held within the Devil’s Court. Austria has a very small, but very old collection of vampires that don’t get along particularly well with the court. I, being very young in comparison, was given the title to act as a sort of liason. Of course, those old bats didn’t care much for me, either, so it’s really more of an honorary title. I was just the only Austrian the Court cared for.”

11.14.06 - the aptly named crazyninny asks:

*Forever proud that she got to touch Uriah, and live to tell the tale.* *But anger that she isn’t a type AB… *

Archduke Uraih, did you marry into power before, or after you was reborn? Can you tell us and thing on the Mistress that made you? Why did you move from your native Austria, to America? Why New Jersey?
Can you tell us anything on how you and Edgar meet? And, have you made anyone into a vampire too? Isn’t it getting harder to hold your ‘hunger’ with new flesh coming into the inn?

*Batters.*

“Your questions are becoming increasingly invasive, my dear. I married a member of the Austrian royal family while alive. Vampires tend not to marry, as it’s often a holy thing, and therefore it’s something we avoid. Will I tell you more about my Mistress? No. I came to the United States during a time of war for personal reasons. As for Edgar and myself, I first met him when he was still quite young. The circumstances of which I will not divulge. And while a steady diet of chicken blood isn’t particularly healthy, it does keep me satiated enough to stave off any hunger. I do have a good deal of control over my more primal urges.”

Anyhow, Levi sent me a fun little drawing. Click for a huge version, and check out Levi’s homepage, and his books: Levi’s World, Spells, and Faith: Warrior Princess. (Spells is my fave.)

EDIT TO ADD 11.07.06: Levi and Bex illustrate for Chris Yambar, who worked with Gene Simmons on a Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror comic. Gene Simmons was in Rockin’ the Corps: An American Thank You with Louie Anderson, who was in Quicksilver with Kevin Bacon.

• Get the gallery up and running again. I saved most of my art and a few fan arts. Sadly, most of the fan arts are gone.
• Finish that Magenta Star art Yambar wants. Lazy me.
• Beautify the forum. It’s very blah.
• Get the Cast page up.
• Get link links going here.
• Upload all those games, tutorials, screensavers, and wallpapers up here again.

Am I forgetting anything? Let me know. Anyhow, onto your comments and questions.

Reynard said:

“I really like(d) GBD and am sorry that it may never again grace my screen. That said, however, have you thought about a once-a-month posting schedule? It might slow the story to a crawl, but it would at least keep it going until the end of the current storyline and you could then transition to a new format.”

Well, Reynard, that’s an idea. Unfortunetly, the current storyline is incredibly long. We’re in chapter 4, we need to get to chapter 15 to get to the end. On the other hand, starting over and posting a new page once a month or just not on any particular schedule would be cool. But like I said, Magenta takes priority. I’d really like to do that but again, it won’t happen any time soon.

And Haxar had a swell question:

Will there be any info posted about Magenta Star and where?

Magenta will be getting her own page eventually. Most of the updates will be here. When I get my personal page up and running, it will be there too. Also, my writer buddy Chris Yambar has his own website that might eventually have word on the book’s progress. But until we get together some official concrete crap, you’re not going to be hearing much about it outside of the title and the occasional cryptic doodle.

Sweetie Gavin had this to say:

One day, you might put it in print. Then I will be first in line to purchase it. Let us know when it will hit the comic book stores!

You’ll be the first to know. When that happens, you won’t be able to shut me up about it. Magenta Star’s going to be a small publication initially, but with the Internets, anyone who wants one can gets it.

Well kids, that’s it for now. Hope you had a marvy Halloween!