Chapter 2, Episode 13

Transcript: Chapter 2, Episode 13

In a brightly sunlit room, Blaze does a left leg lunge on a green yoga mat. He’s shirtless and wears calf-length teal leggings. He narrates, “Finally, my morning yoga.”

As he transitions through an advanced pose, balancing on his hands with his knees draped on either side of his shoulders, he narrates, “After a night like last night, I need all the peace and serenity I can get.”

Now seated calmly with his legs crossed and palms together, he narrates, “Nothing compares to the feeling of calm right after a—“ Meanwhile, two ceiling lights come crashing down on either side of him.

A view of the ceiling shows a broken ceiling light fixture beside and extremely smoky Alastor. He perches on the ceiling with his knees and elbows bent backward like a spider’s legs. His eyes glow white, his teeth are bared, and he hisses. From off-panel below, Blaze yells, “WE NEED TO ESTABLISH SOME GROUND RULES, ALASTOR!”

Cut to white.

Blaze, now dressed in his white tunic shirt, pours glowing sage tea from a teapot. With a slight frown, he narrates, “Damn… He can’t even get through the night without going full-on smoky.”

The view zooms out to show Blaze standing at his sunlit kitchen counter, the filled teacup in front of him. Smoky Alastor stands behind him, one arm wrapped around his chest and the other across his jaw, two clawed fingers stretched across his lips. He says in ominous, fiendish text, “YOU KNOW WHAT’S BETTER THAN TEA?” Blaze replies, No. No breath today. I have a long workday and I’m tired.”

In the same fiendish voice, Smoky Alastor grins toothily at him and says, “COME ON, JUST A LITTLE PUFF.” Blaze faces him, holding tea teacup up to his face, and says, “Finish your cup!”

Narration reads, “This is gonna be harder than I thought…”

A little later, Evie sits at the dining table, with rays of morning light spilling down on her as she looks at her clipboard. Blaze leans forward with his hands on the table and tells her, “Sorry for the late notice, but I brought home a new spirit last night, and he’s an urgent case. I need to put him in my morning slot.” Evie replies, “Okay.”

Blaze circles around the table on his way out of the room, his head turned back to Evie as he continues, “And I need him on a tea regimen. Double strength, six times a day.” Evie, looking startled, asks, “Six times?” Blaze replies, “He’s reeeally smoky.”

As Blaze heads out, he says, “I can do the morning and afternoon doses. But if you can help with the rest…?” Evie looks down at her clipboard, her pen at the ready, and says, “All right, I’ll schedule it. What’s his name?” Blaze replies, “Alastor.”

The view closes in on Evie’s startled face as she looks up with furrowed brows.

A logo appears: Into the Smoke. Intothesmokecomic.com

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