ART: Consort Call

Puppies vs. Kitties. I held a poll over on Patreon, then again on Twitter, offering readers the chance to decide which they wanted in time for Christmas. In both places, kitties won the day, and so I bring you another illustration of cast members from Bk6. On the off chance that those here haven’t yet found the time to indulge in Bk6, I’ll keep the full illustration under a cut.

. . .

Jacques knew he wasn’t meant to pay a speck of attention to staff. Beneath notice and all that. But if his instincts were on point, this resort employed an unusual number of felines. Pretty boys, all. And with an instinct for attention, because the two fellows assigned as their escorts definitely noticed that he was noticing them.

Pimiko and the Uncharted Island

. . .

Consort Call | art by FoxOfTwilight

Honestly. Until I wrote the chapter in which Anjou and Eiji are introduced, I didn’t know they’d be part of the story. As is often the case while I’m writing, they simply showed up. On a subconscious level, I was probably worrying over what happened to all those cats Dr. Kodoku brought onto the island. So I gave them a face. Well, two faces. And as usually happens, I grew attached, and these young gentlemen went and became important. (Everyone is, you know.)

Fun Fact: Anjou’s name was originally Doux, but these days, I can almost hear Travis Baldree’s narration while I’m writing, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that the homophones might become tiresome (doux, do, dew). Hence the change-up.

Funny Fact: One of my proofers likes to give nicknames to my characters, and they were hilarious in Bk6. Since they were deemed indistinguishable, they were dubbed Simp1 and Simp2. (For the record, I can tell them apart. It’s not *that* hard.) That’s Anjou on the left. I chose hues from lavender fields in France for his palette & a crystal earring as a nod to his status as an adept. Travis gives him a French accent, which is lovely. And on the right is Eiji, whose training makes him an asset in *or* out of a lady’s chambers. Ahem.

. . .

The silver, whose eyes were vividly blue, introduced himself as Anjou. The white, whose eyes were a calm green, gave the name Eiji. Jacques suspected that they’d been assigned because both were fluent in Japanese, which made things easier on Akira.

Pimiko and the Uncharted Island

. . .

You can expect Anjou and Eiji to recur, now that they’re safely ensconced at Stately House.

… and for you puppy fans, one is still forthcoming. Because he has a place on January’s art card for the first patron mailing of 2023! ::twinkle::