- Tedd seeing Mist in the mirror

Since the start of this comic, I've written things panel by panel, comic by comic, page by page. It felt like the most natural way to do things, and in many ways, it has been. 

What I've also found, however, is that it's absolutely terrible for writing ahead when dealing with stories (as opposed to standalone joke comics). I'd spend considerable time thinking of things like what note I want to end a page on, or what might fit into a specific panel, or when the next row of panels would start, etc.

It's a series of speedbumps and set stopping points. There's a feeling of "done!" when I think one comic has been written. That's not an insurmountable obstacle, but it can stop what might otherwise be the natural flow of writing.

Starting with this part of False Kings, the experiment has been writing without any regard for panels or pages. It is only when I do the page layouts that I edit what I've written to work in comic form.

Three finished pages in, and I'd say it's working very well. There's a lot more editing of the script at the layout stage than before, but that's by design. Things will naturally be added, removed, or changed to work better in comic form.

For example, Mist's rant in panel three. That didn't exist in the rough draft. It was only when it came time to figure out what would be on this page that Mist's rant came to be, and I could only really know there was a place for it because I was working on the layout at the same time.

I'll likely have more to say about the pros and cons of this approach later. For now, I can think of one con: I don't actually know how many pages I've written ahead. I know I've written plenty of stuff happening, but I won't know how many pages they really represent until later.

Uh-oh?

Probably uh-oh.

Possibly "eep," even.

--

- Thursday EGSNP

- Tedd meeting Lavender and gradually learning about projections and how he unknowingly contributed to many uryuoms gaining clone forms (from Layers).

- How projections works in detail via information disguised as a custom TableTop RPG ability.

- Hope seeing through Po's projection by virtue of detecting the magic involved with a greater projection

Not that hard to see through, actually

After seeing some reactions to the previous page, I decided I needed to address one of the ways of seeing through a projection:

Simply knowing about it.

Seriously, there's a reason many uyruoms were thrilled about clone forms. Projections are simultaneously the most reality-bending broken things and totally fragile.

Anyway, I decided the simplest way to have that explanation over and done with was to toss in text from the information Tedd was given. For anyone who remembers it, hey, callback! For anyone who doesn't, "that's a weird way to do narration, but okay."

I hope.

--

- Tuesday EGSNP

- How projections works (from Layers, thought to add it shortly after posting)

- Hope seeing Po's projection

- Bishop's assessment of what happened when Po and Mist invaded

- Tedd and Grace getting to see Po's old woman projection (via Hope recreation)

- When last we saw Po

"Also, I keep hearing boss music? Can't imagine what that's all about."

Thus concludes part 7, and part 8 will begin... RIGHT NOW!

By which I mean Wednesday.

Normally I'd consider a break between parts mandatory, but I already took a brief break for planning purposes recently, and the current EGSNP storyline is already nearly over (and there'll be an EGSNP break after it as I'm simply not ready for whatever will follow it).

--

- Saturday EGSNP

The trespassing angle of this scene is inspired by an exciting brush with the law I once had!

By which I mean, back when I was a teenager, a friend and I wanted to get a view from the top of a parking garage where we did NOT have a car parked. A couple of officers wound up asking us questions, suspecting us of potential foul villainy, and pointedly pointing out a sign detailing who was, and who wasn't, supposed to be at that parking garage before sending us on our way.

To be fair, they did say there'd been cars broken into recently, but we'd just gotten there. I boldly think it would've been fair to just say "you're not allowed here if you don't have a car parked, please leave now, 'kay thanks."

Anyway, it gave me inspiration many, MANY years later, so... Thanks?

My other exciting brush with the law was when I was asked whether I was skateboarding somewhere it was not allowed.

I did not have a skateboard with me.

I remain confused about it to this day.

--

- Thursday EGSNP

- I suppose they're not taping the old computer back together

Tedd's idea simply would not work if Jeremy couldn't be confirmed as "normal" (though rare). I mean, it could work, but no way would either them accept "the kitty has to hide." It also addresses the general matter of there basically being no past effort to hide the kitties (this includes Max, Raven's cat).

If anyone thinks that's convenient and silly, you have a point! It's far from the most convenient and silly thing in this comic, but you still have a point.

Anyway, why IS that guy there? Surely not for ominous reasons.

--

- Tuesday EGSNP

- Grace has a few friends (Scene from Layers in which she greets a lot of off-panel people)

- Walk from the parking garage

- Just going to Tedd's house is suspicious

Recent rewriting was afoot, as evident by the lack of a Friday page last week. There was a big missing piece to the bigger puzzle that was missing until recently, and I finally figured it out.

I can't say what it was, and I can't point it out when it comes up, but it'll be important, and I'll be able to say much, much later what it was.

(Note to self: Say what it was much, much later.)

An Offer Not Given

One of the impulses I resisted while writing (and re-writing) this was providing an explanation for why Rhoda and Diane, who parked closer to the pancake place, didn't give Grace and Tedd a ride to the parking garage. This was a worthwhile impulse to resist, as it is SUCH a minor detail that wouldn't actually go anywhere important.

Nonetheless, I can give excuses:

They're all distracted, and none of them thought of it.

The other lot IS closer than the garage, but not so close that it's worth giving Grace and Tedd a lift.

A walk will do Grace some good after all the pancakes she presumably ate.

Rhoda and Diane wanted to discuss how the lunch went and that kept them specifically from considering the option.

A shiny object distracted the lot of them. Grace barely managed to look away from it. Rhoda is still chasing after it as of this page.

--

- Thursday EGSNP

- Saturday EGSNP

- "Seriously, why do you insist I'm smart?" (The page before the Grace quote for easy context)

- "The verbal equivalent of moving a horse" (The actual page of the Grace quote)

For an example of the instincts I do intense battle with atop rooftops on stormy nights while writing comics, I had to resist the urge to have to have Ellen clarify that there might be additional rules for official tournaments, mention "en passant" (a relatively obscure move in which you can capture a pawn that has moved two spaces as though it only moved one), and any number of other minute details that just do not matter in the context of this page and the story.

Queens, Bishops, Rooks, and Knights

I originally imagined visuals that would reference Agent Bishop (seen earlier in this arc) and Agent Knight (introduced back in Balance). I haven't an Agent Queen or Agent Rook yet, however, and I wanted emphasize the Knight being the horse.

So I settled on drawing cartoonish versions of actual chess pieces. This went roughly as one might expect with panel four, the first chess panel I sketched.

Then I sketched the queen in panel three.

All I know for sure is I wanted her to look dangerous. The rest just sort of happened.

Clever Horse

I tend to refer to anything in which something sneaky is enabled by a diversion as "velociraptor tactics," so this was pretty much inevitable. If you're unfamiliar with the first Jurassic Park movie, this might not make sense to you. I recommend watching it sometime. I am fully willing to boldly declare that, yes, it's pretty good.

--

- Tuesday EGSNP

- There being a shrink spell at the party for Ashley and Tedd being shocked on the next page when Ashley was shrunk to 1:2 scale

- Rhoda's obstacle course at 1:10 scale

Pancakes are never late. Nor are they early. They arrive precisely when a scene needs a note to end on.

For quite a while, I was going to have them consider various ways they could explain Rhoda being clued in about magic without incriminating anyone for blabbing or revealing that Rhoda had magic. There was no quick way to scheme such things, however, and I really wanted a snappier solution.

Fortunately, Rhoda was ready and willing to break Tedd's mind by revealing just how ridiculous she is. Thanks, Rhoda!

-- 

- Saturday EGSNP

- "I've no idea what the animated carriages stabled here are called."

- "I'm stupid, okay?!"

"I must meet her immediately and make certain she's getting enough food."

"She doesn't need to eat."

"Okay, then I must meet her immediately, learn what she does need, and fuss over those things."

--

- Thursday EGSNP

Firstly, EGSNP is back. Huzzah!

- Rhoda grows the boar, from the end of Death Sentence

- Rhoda is given a spellbook towards the end of the EGSNP storyline Escape From the Mall (the storyline before that, Marker provides a some setup and context, but is mostly silliness)

And of COURSE Diane figured out where Tedd was going with this in approximately two seconds.

Heck, I nearly had her figure it out in panel four. I had to convince myself it would take an additional bit of context and/or a few more seconds.

Escaping From the Mall and such

Escape From the Mall is a storyline I should put in the main comic section the same way I did Question Mark, and I actually did some work towards that at one point. I never figured out where to put it, however, and I stopped thinking about it until riiight about... NOW.

Well, last week. "NOW" is funnier.

I feel I should look into that again, but for the moment, the EGSNP storyline are available.

- Past dream nonsense that ultimately convinced Grace that Rhoda and Catalina had magic (this page is her thinking about it, but the memory is triggered two pages before, and there's a splash page of her remembering without text one page before).

- Diane being informed of said dream nonsense, thus explaining how Rhoda knows

- Declaration of figuring out magical aura (and a bit of elaboration 21 pages later)

- Magic defense attorney

- The belief that Rhoda might be royalty based on more recent dream nonsense

And after the previous page, it was recommended that I reference Pandora warning Sarah not to trust Tedd's father with secrets (on the basis that he shares them) back during Question Mark.

Specifically, that he was protecting Tedd and his friends from greater scrutiny be way of full disclosure. In other words, he essentially said "I've got this covered, so don't worry about it."

Magic Lawyer

The page after I first revealed that Elliot's father was a magic defense attorney, I provided an explanation as to how Elliot and Ellen did not know that.

I imagine some people appreciated that, as I saw that Elliot and Ellen not knowing what their father did for a living challenged many people's suspensions of disbelief.

That was fair enough, I suppose, but what's funny is that I ALSO saw responses from parents that amounted to "yeah, that sounds about right."

I guess what seems realistic depends a lot on perspective.

"Did I overhear that woman say she wants to announce something about the pancakes to everyone?"

"That's... Ominous."

- "I HATE having to hide who I am!" from the end of The Secret of Sam

- Grace's desire to tell Rhoda from before the party for Ashley

- Emphasis on hiding being a seyunolu before meeting Ashley (the page before that was Grace considering what kind of person Ashley might be)

And recommended after the last page:

- Liz talking to Elliot about corruption and such during a conversation that starts here

"So THAT'S why he always writes something down when I have friends over."

Once again, secrets are isolating.

Granted, Tedd's an introvert and has what they consider to be an enormous friend group, so Tedd isn't particularly feeling that isolation.

Tedd specifically, mind you.

- Justin not wanting to get a spellbook from Tedd's dad

(which happens near the end of a conversation lasting nearly THIRTY PAGES?! that starts here during the party for Ashley)'

- Incidentally, Justin gets a spellbook from Hope later

Grace: "Because Tedd's dad is a cinnamon roll!"

Tedd: "He is?"

Grace: "Well, he's really nice and looks out for people, anyway, and he used to be in charge!"

Rhoda: "Used to be? Who's in charge now?"

Tedd: "...So about these pancakes."

- On the page where Tedd's thoughts hint at the pendant having a purpose, Susan did indeed have thoughts about the comfort of the pendant. Diane knows Susan well.

Grace isn't actually concerned about being overheard. She just wants pancakes.

I originally wrote Tedd claiming that he usually wore the pendant. Then I looked back through the arc and found that Tedd's only worn it in a scene that technically took place in the previous arc.

Which was fine. It makes sense to me that Tedd would WANT to get used to wearing it, but still often wouldn't. It especially makes sense that Tedd wouldn't want to wear it while studying or during finals if he was still adapting to wearing it. It did mean I needed to change what Tedd said to not make Tedd a liar, however.

- Start of Tedd trying out a new look (From part 1 of Layers)

- Two pages later when Tedd vaguely thinks about "real reason" for aspects of the outfit

- Tedd copies a spell on the fly (From part 7 of Hope)

This page made me consider what the comic would be like if Tedd were more nervous around women and it was a big will they / won't they thing with nearly everyone becoming interested in him as a result of taking interest in his magic (and getting to know him better in the process, romantic comedy nonsense, yadda yadda yadda).

I decided I'm glad I'm not writing that comic.

Nonetheless, this scene would totally happen in such a comic. Tedd would just be significantly more flustered in it (along with Diane and Grace, because comedic jealousy nonsense).

Any resemblance to wizards from urban fantasy novels who don't actually wear hats in the canon but do on most of the novel covers is entirely coincidental.

Were I vaguely alluding to Rhoda reading a novel series, it would be The Dresden Files, but I sort of expect that whole "doesn't wear a hat in canon but does on the cover" thing applies to more than one character. Hats look good on covers.

Leading up to this, I considered whether Grace would have shown Rhoda a picture of Tedd, and the answer was a definite "no." Not because Grace wouldn't enjoy taking and sharing pictures, but because both Tedd and Grace habitually wouldn't take pictures due to secretive magic nonsense. They're very much not in the habit of doing that.

- Diane remembering upset Rhoda just before Rhoda is assertive

- (Two pages later) Intimidating Rhoda

- Rhoda gets in trouble by being assertive

Tiny-but-fierce passive area of effect intimidates anyone within a particular radius who fails their roll against being spooked.

Which stat is necessary will vary by system, and I am not just saying that because I don't know what it would be in the specific system I'm thinking of.

Maybe Will.

—

- Saturday EGSNP

- Pancakes

"The parking garage should always be next to where I want to go.

"I don't think that's possible."

"I am learning magic. I WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE."

An incredible mystery

I'm about to solve a mystery that I'm sure every last one of you has been wondering about:

Tedd and Grace didn't enter the Dunkel household with any luggage, so how did they bring their outfits with them?!

"They put sets of clothes in Hope's suite before going to the Dunkel's."

They put sets of clothes in—Oh. Um...

Well, it hadn't been mentioned, and now it has, so... ADDRESSED!

Interview!

I've heard what Ellen says in panel four as essentially what's happening at a job interview. You've impressed them enough on paper to be there. What's left is to show that you're someone they want to work with.

Which I assume is very much speaking generally, and there's always exceptions when speaking generally. Exceptions such as "hi there, hello, IMMEDIATELY TAKE THIS APTITUDE TEST and solve this riddle three."

But it makes sense to me.

—

- Thursday EGSNP

I don't imagine that everyone who reads this comic gets their lessons on how to handle interpersonal situations from it.

Regardless, I really wanted to point out that, no, it's usually not a good idea to respond how Ellen did.

Anyway, I find myself thinking about footstep noise.

The entrance to Hope's suite is below the stairs. If not for dimensional nonsense, the stairs would overlap a great deal with the first room. Because there is dimensional nonsense, however, the sound of those footsteps would have to bounce around and go through the entrance, and there wouldn't be footstep noises where the stairs and room (sort of) overlap.

But... The entrance to the room is the only part that "overlaps" with the outside reality... Sound clearly travels through that entrance, but the walls themselves are beyond the entrance. Sound from outside wouldn't vibrate through those walls, they'd have to come through the open entrance, so...

If every wall, floor, and ceiling is soundproofed, but there's an open door-sized opening, what does that do to sounds going in and out of the room? How soundproof, if at all, is it?

I'm writing this way too late at night to think through this properly. I just wanted to point out that the overlap with stairs was weird, but now I'm trying to figure out how interdimensional soundproofing works.

—

- Tuesday EGSNP