Checking in + January Q & A plans + Chapter 7 Teaser! (Patreon)

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to pop in with some information and some plans for January, as well as a romantic Aster sample from Chapter 7.

First off, if you haven’t voted in the poll on how you’d like your spicy extras written, please check it out. So far, it seems voters either prefer both RO variations or are happy with either of the options I presented. The poll closes tomorrow!

I also wanted to propose a Q&A with you as part of January’s line-up. I’ve debated about this and maybe doing character interviews for a while, but I’ve been thinking that you may not be interested. A dear friend encouraged me to throw the idea into the ether, and if you are into it - great - and if not, nothing is lost. So, if you have questions about God-Cursed (including nsfw ones), the characters, the process, development, anything - please send me a DM or comment down below. If you are a bit shy, I’ve got you. This is a judgment-free zone, and if you are more comfortable, send them anonymously through Tumblr. Obviously, I can’t spoil plot points, but I will answer all I can. This will be posted for all tiers, but anything spicy will be answered after everything else, so that if anyone doesn’t want to see those, they don’t have to. I’ll also note that depending on what you ask, I may be inspired to write a POV or do a Lore Drop for it instead!

January will see more of these snippets/POVs/lore. Since the poll is leaning like it is, you’ll probably get two variations on each of the spicy stories for the Raven Tier.

Chapter 7 is coming along and stands at 62k words, and a vast majority of that is proofread (at least preliminarily) and coded as well. It’s not as far as I’d like, but this month has been hellaciously busy for me. I’ve had a few days of some serious writer's block, and I think I was just overtired. I’m playing it safe because I really don’t want to burn out. Aster’s scene helped move me out of that a bit, how ironic.

I’ll note, too, that even though I’ve had a block this week for GC, I did some just-for-fun writing for my own sake that I enjoyed. I’d like to share it with you when it’s done, but I’ll be prioritizing other things, so I’m not sure when that will be.

So, for your peek into Chapter 7 here, you’ll get some private moments with each RO. There may be some variations depending on the relationship your MC has with them. Below is a snippet of a conversation with Aster and an MC who is having conflicting feelings of romance and fear...

...

With a swift motion, he pulls the shirt over his head and tosses it on the vanity before scrubbing at his chest with the cloth.

You think that you shouldn't stare, but that thought slips from your mind the moment it arrives as your eyes drift along his torso. The hair along his chest and down to a fine trail along his stomach matches his beard – a reddish brown, though a bit lighter in shade. He doesn't seem to remember that you're there as he dips the rag back in the basin and rings it out lightly, though it's still dripping as he runs it along his torso, sending drops of water rolling down along his stomach. For a noble scholar, he's surprisingly muscular.

Aster's hand stops suddenly, making your eyes shift to his face. He's staring back at you, looking a little surprised. He raises an eyebrow and smirks. "Enjoying the show?" he asks.

You gasp and then stammer like an absolute fool, failing to come up with any reason that you'd be staring at his bare chest.

"You keep acting like a skittish rodent around me, yet here you are staring. You seem to want something but are afraid to ask for it. And I think you like me a lot more than you're trying to let on; it's terribly cute." He winks.

Perhaps you walked into that.

He studies you before he tosses the rag down and begins to invade your space, sending you backward until you hit the wall next to the door, which he quickly and quietly closes.

You swallow hard as he crowds you, leaning over and supporting himself with a forearm against the wall. "Is that what you want, my little mouse? Do you want to even the score and touch me?" He tilts his head. "After all, I got to touch you, even if it was for…scholarly purposes." He narrows his eyes playfully. "So timid, but I can't help but think that it's all an act to antagonize me. Is that what you're doing?"

You shake your head adamantly, voice lost under the pressure of his dark stare.

He leans close enough for you to feel his heat. "When you look at me like that, it makes me feel like a cat playing with its food… I want to grab and hold you down, and every time you try to wriggle away, squeeze my claws around you."

Unsure of what to do, you keep your eyes trained on his face. A call for your parents would take care of him quickly, but…you don't think you want that, not really. He might be onto something, you like this, though you’re not necessarily trying to antagonize him.

"It's only fair," he says with a low tone. "You can touch, if you like. Perhaps it will finally rid me of the feeling of filth against my skin," he says in a bare whisper.

You can't help but wonder if there's another meaning behind his words...

So...do you dare take the offer?