Now alone in Ben’s front room, Ace and Athena–and the bare beginnings of their friendship–found themselves sitting in a very awkward silence. Whatever casual conversation may have begun at any other point in time was stifled with the weight of their newfound knowledge. Ace’s mind was swimming with all he had learned about his father, his curse, and the seemingly impossible feat of breaking it. Athena, on the other hand, knew Ace had to be struggling a great deal, but worried she didn’t know him well enough to try to talk him through it.

Despite thousands of other thoughts to chase, Ace knew he couldn’t ignore the young woman sitting on the other end of the couch. “Um–so,” he began, though his words dried up before he could continue.

Athena pressed her lips into a faint smile. “I’m sorry about… all this,” she shrugged when she, too, lost where she had been trying to go.

He hummed, half-shrugged, and reached over his shoulder to scratch his back, “I guess I’m glad to get some answers; I just wasn’t quite expecting them to be so… drastic,” he paused to scowl, “and deadly.”

“And now we know where to start,” she nodded, her tone remaining positive. “Before long, we will know exactly where to go and exactly what to do to break the curse.”

His eyes narrowed skeptically. “You think so?”

The smile continued to warm her face. “I know so.”

The smile was beginning to rub off on him. “Are you really going to come with us to find Prince Ingarathos?”

“Absolutely,” she gave a short nod.

A grin tugged at his lips. “You don’t mind putting your valiant quest of becoming a lady swordsmith on hold to join with some random stranger you just met on a quest that may or may not even work out?” 

She broke into a short laugh. “Of course–except that I think it will work out.”

He bowed his head almost sheepishly. “Well… thanks.”

She simply smiled again and glanced toward the door.

Ace followed her line of sight. “Well, don’t feel like you need to stay here. I mean–I was thinking of going back to my place, but–you know–I’m already here…”

Athena found a smirk, noticing the haughtier tone his voice took and the casual way he stretched his arms over his head. “As a matter of fact, I had just left the inn I’d been staying at this morning; I was hoping to settle into a new apartment, but it wasn’t available after all.” She gestured to the bag and thin rapier near the door. “I have all of my belongings with me, and I will graciously accept Ben’s hospitality so I don’t have to look for somewhere to stay at this time of night.”

“Oh,” his arms fell against the back of the couch. “Well, that was lucky.”

“Or meant to be,” she tilted her head as the smile widened.

His face flushed and he instantly slapped a hand to his cheek in the guise of scratching near his ear.

She tried to stifle another giggle as she turned away, also finding herself blushing. “I just need to go check on Allan and give him some water and a snack before I settle in.”

“Oh!” Ace got up with a start. “I’ll go see what we’ve got. Ben almost always has some chicken of some sort. Hopefully it’s cooked...”

Athena laughed as she followed him into the kitchen. “I take it you used to live here? At least, that’s what I gathered from some of Ben’s comments.”

“Yeah,” he opened the electric-powered refrigerator and started rummaging through a wide array of bottles. “I ran away from home when I was twelve, and Ben was the only person I could think of to run to.”

“You ran away?” Her face twisted in concern. 

Ace, still turned away, didn’t notice. “Yep. My adopted mom had kept in touch with Ben for a while, and miraculously, I remembered how to find him.” Ace turned back to her with a paper package in hand. “Would this work?”

She opened the package to find a cooked chicken breast and nodded, but her frown remained unchanged. “Why did you run away?”

It was his turn to frown as he returned to face the refrigerator. “My adopted dad was abusive, and I got tired of it.”

She took a step back. “Oh, Ace; I’m sorry.”

He shrugged and managed to find a bottle that didn’t contain some sort of unknown liquid. “Sweet–apple cider! Want some?”

“No, thank you,” she took another step back, still holding the chicken. “I’ll just get some water for Allan.”

As Athena turned to the cabinets over the sink to find a cup to hold water, Ace had taken another paper package of chicken and the bottle of cider and sat down at the table. As he ate, he watched Athena carry the chicken and water outside, and then caught a glimpse of the raven landing on her arm through the half-covered window.

Alone with his thoughts, his mind wandered wistfully to his previous family: a mother who had just lost her own baby stepped into the adoption clinic moments after Ben had walked in with a starving newborn in tow. It seemed like pure luck that she was able to immediately accept the “unnamed Gallagher baby,” name him Michael Harley, and bring him home to be the younger brother to her four-year-old son.

“James,” he spoke the name aloud as memories of his childhood flooded his thoughts. A smile warmed his lips, at least until the memories touched upon the father of the family.

His adopted father had originally been accepting of this new addition; but, as time went on, the man began drinking more and caring less. The son of the “Siren of Fortanya” was born out of back luck, after all; and he brought that misfortune upon their family. Ben, who came to visit every once in a while, was now a threat and was banned from his home. And the worse things got for the Harley family, the more physical his attacks became–and the more they spread to other members.

The front door opened, releasing Ace from another downward spiral. He blinked himself back into the room, finding Athena returning with a good portion of the chicken package in hand.

“Not hungry?” He asked, eyeing the chicken.

“He ate some,” she returned to the table. “We can save the rest of this for Ben.” She glanced at the table and at the empty bottle of cider and the cleaned chicken bones in front of Ace. “Or perhaps you,” her grin widened.

Ace grunted nervously and looked down. “I hadn’t eaten dinner.”

“I won’t judge,” she set down the remaining chicken on the table beside him.

He smiled, half embarrassedly, and decided a free meal was a free meal.

Silence again seeped into all of the space of the sitting room. Ace was acutely aware of how loud he was when he ate chicken, but he hoped Athena was far enough away not to notice. She had relocated to her pack of belongings and was hanging up her sword belt and small round shield on a rack beside the door. She had also removed her shoes and set them on a small mat below.

When he noticed her standing up and slinging her bag on her shoulder, Ace got up and loudly crinkled both paper packages, and he was sure to make an exaggerated grimace from the sound as Athena approached him. He shook his head as she laughed, but, at once, he felt even more self-conscious when he found the young woman was now lingering beside him with her hands gently clasped around her bag strap.

He casually laid a hand against the refrigerator beside him. “Um–did you need anything else?”

She had just begun to shake her head when the movement slowed. “How,” she paused. “How did you come to be called Ace?”

He huffed the start of a chuckle through his nose. “I meant from the fridge, but…” he leaned his back against it, crossing his arms with a smirk. “When I ran away, I wanted to distance myself from my adopted name; so, I took an old nickname and started calling myself Ace Gallagher.”

“And Gallagher is your mother’s surname,” she recognized.

Ace shrugged. “I was always called ‘Gallagher’s son’ anyway. So, why not embrace it?”

“It suits you.” She finally met his eyes, the hint of a smile playing on her lips.

He, too, felt his lips tug into a smile–and the heat of his face flushing red under her gaze.

With a more pronounced smile and a straightened posture, Athena bobbed her head in a short bow. “I’d better get to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yeah,” he pushed himself from the fridge, though he wavered in his boots before he got any closer to her. “Um–hope you sleep well!”

“You too,” she slipped past him. “Goodnight, Ace.”

He bolted to the edge of the kitchen, though, once again, found himself hesitating before he could catch another glimpse of her ascending the stairs. When the sound of the door closing reached his ears, he exhaled the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Goodnight, Athena,” he mused, chewing on a smile.

He took a few steps backward before turning to face the couch. He glanced back at it, realizing this would be his bed for the night. He wasn’t sure if it was an upgrade from his hammock, but it looked well-worn and comfortable enough. A blanket was already folded over the backrest, though part of it was inadvertently tucked into the seat cushions.

He gave the blanket a light tug to free it. Two silver pieces popped out from between the cushions.

The silver glinted in his eyes. A thought entered his mind; a thought that–up until that point–had not even surfaced that evening.

He crouched down and began to search the cushions for any more loose change, and he was surprised to find one more coin that had slipped underneath.

He looked at the three coins in his hand. He could bring these to any gambling hall and place a bet. He had given away all he had to Dorian; these coins could be his ticket to earning a few more for their trip. Bengal wouldn’t miss them, considering they had been lost between couch cushions up until that point.

He bit his lip as he stood up. The smallest twinge of regret settled in his stomach.

It subsided almost as quickly, and, with quiet determination, he crept out of the house and into the darkness outside.

---

While Mioko and Dorian are visiting Mioko's aunt for lavender oil, Ace and Athena have a semi-awkward but friendly moment alone at Ben's house. He's gone to bed, and the two of them, who had only just met earlier that day, now have to figure out what to do.

One of the fun things that happens with Ace and Athena is how she immediatley begins to influnce him to be a better person. With her, he does not think about going gambling until after she leaves the room. He also doesn't for a second think about how he can con her into taking her money like he has with every other girl he's met to this point. She shows him kindness and brings it out of him as well. That doesn't mean Ace instantly becomes perfect (in fact he struggles again with gambling in book 4) but he now has something to strive for and influence him - and that's also with the others, too. Dorian may be the only other to really start knocking some sense into him, lol.

It's just cute to see how these two start out... 💙

A few more! 

The Outlier Awakens, 9/2020

Outlier Ace is so cool. I wish I could figure out a way to give him this power in the Tale of Ace Gallagher, but part of what makes him who he is is how he does all that he does without any magical assistance. He learns how to work hard and train and put his heart into what he does, and I feel like giving him the ability to control all water would be a bit much. I do think he'll end up with his mom's  totem and the mist spell at some point, but I can only think of one place where he'll use it for plot purposes ;)

Unlikely Allies, 1/2021

Aside from introducing Westfall and reuniting The Doctor and Gemini, my favorite part of the last Gemini Archive was Ace and Elliot teaming up with The Doctor. It was just fun watching how they'd interact with each other.

Showoff, 9/2020

I think I originally gave Outlier Ace his water horse for a scene that never happened in the final Gemini Archive when he teams up with The Doctor. Like they have to run somewhere and Ace is a complete showoff and makes a horse out of water and rides off and Elliot just rolls his eyes and gets on a real horse and The Doctor is like "wait what??" I just like the little look of HAHA on his face.

Into Wildfire, 1/2021

I did not remember this started off as a pencil drawing! But this is one of the ones that actually translated pretty well into digital. I was able to make the fire all fiery anyway. But it's fun to see how it started!

Wedding Day, 11/2020

Awww. Lookit them how cute. I vaguely remember trying to figure out what their wedding outfits will be; ironically I'm not sure their wedding will end up "on screen" after all this because I think I've added a time skip from the end of the jousting tournament story where they get engaged before jumping ~5 years into their marriage. But it's still good for drawing purposes!

Wedding Day Outfits, 11/2020

More figuring of the outfits without them covering each other up, lol. I've actually tried to keep their outfits more medieval since they've always been a weird blend of modern and not. But the story is a bit of a blend on its own.

Give and Take, 12/2020

And this was RIGHT AFTER the drawings of them getting married and that made it hurt even more... the things the plot makes me do I swear 😭

But I definitely didn't realize I've had the "Athena doesn't make it to the end" storyline brewing since 2020... But, this is it, down to the scene, so I guess I've been trying to figure out if it was part of the plot or not since then. But OOF.

Whittacre, 11/2017

My majestic deer!! Look how gorgeous he is. His proportions may be a little wonky but he looks soft. He always ends up been linked to winter in a lot of my drawings.

Winterbourne, 12/2020

Case in point, lol. More Whitacre winter. The antlers seem... backwards? I'm not sure. But this looks like a prime "turn it digital" territory right here...

Qul'tuq sketch, 2023

The first sketch of Klingon Gemini was in my little sketchbook! I do remember this since I photographed it to draw for the rest of the story, but yeah! No idea what her outfit is doing.

You are a Child of Mine, 10/2023

The last drawing in my book... little Hudson in the creek getting baptised :D There's an epic song by Mark Schultz that fits Hudson's struggles and his quest to be who God wants him to be, and I sketched it out I think on a plane. It will need a "real drawing" one of these days.

Next up; I have MUCH OLDER drawings on random papers in a big folder under my bed... once I scan them I'll have to share the fun ones again!

It's time for a few more! 😁

Inktober 2018, Day 10: The Three Witches

I'm not sure why but I love this one so much. I think I did a specific medieval set for the 2018 Inktober, because they were all "knight of shadows," "the river maiden," "the dragon queen" and all, and I actually tried to create new characters vs borrowing mine. But of course Ace was pulled in for The Thief and a few others made an appearance. But these ladies heading off for some witchy things is adorable and I love them.

Inktober 2018, Day 11: The Wizard King

I like his design and facial structure. He reminds me of Merlin a bit :D

Inktober 2018, Day 19: The Old Dragon

I mean, what can be better than an elderly dragon feeding pigeons at a park 😂 Adorable.

Inktober 2018, Day 31: The Fighting Friar

Nobody steals the from the church with this guy around. The expressions of all 3 make me laugh.

Farro Rescues Rain, 2019

It's the dinos! I've kinda just let them fade away, but at least I wrote the whole story, lol. At some point I would like to tighten it up and publish it, but we'll see how Ace goes first.

I really like how Farro (once freed from the stone that makes him a bit of a ...ahem, ladies man) actually becomes a very strong ally for Rain, protecting her out and holding a great respect for her (and vice versa). I toyed with the concept of them actually falling in love in a part 2... buuuuuut I've been very good at not trying to go there until I get some other things done first 😁 

Aurora Revealed, 11/2021

This was most likely drawn after I had the dream that turned into how Ace meets his mother Aurora. I love the columns and the lighting and the curious fearfulness as Aurora reveals herself stayed pretty consistent to when I wrote the scene afterwards. 

I Though You Could Use Some More Light, 7/20

Ah, Ace Gallagher at his finest (and then very quickly at his worst thanks to being tricked into drinking a delirium potion 😅). "The Ambassador" is still one of my favorite snippets!

On the Wall, 8/2020

Part of the same story, I forgot I drew when Ace hops on the wall near the end to escape the palace. It's just another... Ace on the wall... ha. haha.

Unnamed Okapitaur, 2020

I have no memory of this lady okapi-centaur, but it's a fun concept! I really like creating centaurs but never actually writing anything for them. But, again, it's good that I'm not since I have enough writing without them lol.

I think I've got enough for one more set!