Thank you! The artist really cooked with Flea, for sure. I've gone on record as saying the cover art for this chapter is my favourite, too. I love how much progress is encapsulated in such a simple image.
Your theories and thoughts are very entertaining for me! I look forward to showing you how hot or cold you are.
I'm really grateful for the Ted appreciation, too. To me, there's nothing more attractive (platonic or otherwise) about someone than when they can let almost anything wash off their back if they know it's coming from a place of pain. Ted's definitely been around the block with vulnerable people who are hurting and lashing out many times before.
I hope you enjoy what comes next! I'm hoping to get Chapter 8 out in December. <3
It felt important to have a slice-of-life chapter here, both because the Detective/Flea relationship needed some focus, and because the previous chapter got pretty dark.
Flea's brand of helpless, petty jealousy was something that I had in mind for him from the very conception of his character, and it was so fun to finally write it. So many of the things he's experiencing are firsts for him now, including these feelings he'd never imagined himself capable of feeling. It's a lot!
That's so fun you realised your detective had changed AS you were playing! I love that. I try to inject moments for protagonist character arcs, if the reader so chooses, and there are some developments that NEED to happen to further the story, but... I really love it when they seem to happen so organically you don't even realise at first. That's not something I can precisely engineer, so it's so exciting to hear about those kinds of moments.
I'm glad you're enjoying the (slow) progress of the detective going from completely helpless to not quite as helpless to ehhhh actually still pretty helpless to... who knows, in the future! I guess I have a soft spot for characters that have the deck stacked against them but their tenacity is what carries them through.
I love how clearly you see to the heart of Flea sometimes.
It's truly fascinating--getting to see how your and your detective's relationship with Flea develops with each chapter.
I don't know if the questions you posed were rhetorical or not, but I'll answer the toilet one with a big shrug! I've kept some of the nitty gritty details of how Flea's body works deliberately ambiguous, so readers can basically "headcanon" whatever they'd like on that front. (I know what I believe, of course... ^_^)
Haha! There might come a few moments with Ted where you're left thinking, "...I bet that's REAL awkward in the alternate universe where the detective's in love with him!"
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts in such detail. I hope you continue to enjoy. <3
Not only is it delightful for me to get such in-depth, developing thoughts as you play, but you’re so insightful and really engaging with the story. I feel like Flea can’t get too much past you! ;-) Thank you so much for sharing your experience, and I hope you continue to enjoy. <3
Thank you! I'm glad this first chapter piqued your curiosity. And that you enjoy the only-slightly-more-than-your-average-guy-ness of the protagonist. Thanks for playing, and for sharing your first impressions!
Hi! Thanks for being a longtime player of Aloners. I’m sorry it’s been such a hassle trying to buy this version here. Email me and we can work something out! sonnet009@gmail.com
Yesss, I wanted it to be the exact right time to really hit the detective where it hurts. Thanks so much for letting me know the parts that really worked for you!
Thank you so much for the detailed feedback! Heh. I'm just imagining Ted walking through the door and Josie saying, "Hey, honey--how was your day?" And Ted just... staring helplessly while he tries to work out how to even BEGIN with that...
Haha! I understand the frustration of it, and the lack of satisfaction, but... I guess that's kind of what I was going for. To really kick you in the gut with how doomed those feelings always were--not just to never be reciprocated, but to be something that never should've been brought out into the light. I get your pain, though--I really get it. <3
They have very unusual lives, but a lot of their vulnerabilities are very relatable, I think--so I'm really glad something is resonating there. <3 Take care of yourself! <3
That is such a compliment! Thank you so much. And I agree the cover art this chapter is gorgeous and encapsulates a new side of Flea so well. Vic's an amazing artist!
