#its nice when i can make art and post it on the same day without sweating it :)

[ps-aeiou-vowels]

[OC]

blue.

[maddascanbe-blog]

Nice to see you again Ma'am. This is the only redesign I'm going to both posting new for and not just update the original picture. Some of this was simple changes in style, and due to resizing issues Chloé's line art got really grainy. But more importantly I want to change Chloé in terms of my re-write, and I want to acknowledge my improvment.

Before we get to that lets talk small design changes. I likes my Anti-bug design originally but it waned on me over time. Recently I did a doodle of Chloé with the actual Ladybug miraculous (a hypothetical heroic) if you would. And translating that to Anti-bug made me much more satisfied with her.

I gave Queen Bee rounded stripes on her OG-redesign, but after looking at cannon again, she just is better suited for sharper shapes. So I changed her legs to something closer to her cannon design, the thigh-high boots feel much more Chloé.

Similar with Queen Wasp, just small changes, this time with her leg stripes just getting wider. I also decided to change her wings back to blue albeit a much darker color than Queen Bee's

Civilian Chloé and Zoé are the same, I already updated kid Zoé a bit for her page so I was able to just keep that asset and move it here.

Re-write. I've changed my opinion on Chloé a bit since I initially planned her re-write. Put simply, the only way I could think to redeem Chloé before was to make her an entirely different person.

Well not anymore. We're gonna rebuild her story from the ground up. First and foremost, Chloé is still a bully. She wants what she wants and doesn't care who gets hurt to help her get it. Now, she's not a full blown villain, because she doesn't need to be. But she does need to be selfish.

Chloé has a very short list of people she cares about. At the moment that includes Adrien, her Father, and Sabrina. Specifically she needs to care about Sabrina for the sake of her downfall and turn around, and later this list would include Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Zoé. She cares about them, and shows it, but everyone else isn't worth her time. This Chloé wouldn't insult Sabrina for not wanting to go through with a plot but she would still go and steal Marinette's diary.

But she also isn't oblivious, Chloé knows the class doesn't like her, he just doesn't care. She can still get what she wants, Marinette's seat, the Class Rep position, Ms. Bustier's favoritism, without the class liking her. Oh uh- small change her though, Chloé was bad at the student complaints and suggestions on day to day school stuff but I head cannon she was good at event organizing. As much of a pain as she was to work with, the school dances 'til now were spectacular. Mostly because I think Chloé needs to be good at something, and event planning is probable.

The first time she realizes her actions may have consequences (at least ones she cares about) is when she gets akumatized. She likes Ladybug, and Chat Noir if not as much. Her actions, her tantrum, not only didn't get her what she wanted but actively hurt two people she actually likes. This doesn't super change her behavior, but it does trigger the realization that she can't get everything she wants, and will in fact do things she doesnt want and cant fix in her wake.

The next is Lila showing up. Because she's spent her whole life around businessmen and politicians. She knows a liar when she sees one. But hey, if her class are idiots its not her business to educate them, its a little frustrating that Sabrina doesn't believe her. She just makes sure Adrien knows, and is surprised to know Marinette also already figured it out.

Then Zombizou happens, and everyone in the class are refusing to leave her alone and are protecting her. On one hand, no she doesn't want to be a zombie. But two, she thinks their idiots for sacrificing themselves over and over. They aren't friends, so why would they care? Then in a split second decision, Chloé gets between the zombies and the heroes. At this point she's acknowledged she's more a burden than a help, and that the heroes will be able to work better if she's out of their way. It's fine, they'll save her anyway. And they do.

This is where her character arc is actually going to start. Not with just with Bustier, but with her just gradually getting less antagonistic. She has her low moments of course. Since she hasn't exactly gotten better, just quieter the incident with the fire department causes Adrien to break off their friendship. And Lila successfully pulls Sabrina away from her. Now Chloé has no one.

And this is when she meets Pollen. Unintentional, but Chloé still loves Ladybug, so of course she wants to help. She doesn't give Pollen back at first, but she wasn't stupid enough to reveal her identity. Chloé is specifically not an idiot. She's actually one of the few who seems to regard Hawkmoth with as much fear as the heroes. She isn't expecting Marinette to turn down the opportunity and for the first time, Chloé see's her mother the way everyone else does. Flighty and Vicious, and uncapable of loving anyone but herself. And at the same moment she realizes that's the direction she's going.

Chloé realizes she's got to change. And she'd going to have to do it alone. Ladybug can support her, but not carry her. Marinette still doesn't trust her has far as she can throw her, and Adrien has his own stuff to worry about.

Then Zoé happens.

[vessel214]

WARNING POST ABOUT ALEXBSTUDIOS

hello lotf fandom👋

so some of you may have noticed this guy alexbstudios hanging around the lotf tag lately, hes posted in it a few times (mainly asking about jalph) ive also seen him like some posts and comment on some posts

PLEASE READ THIS POST!!!!! IT HAS ALOT OF INFORMATION IN IT AS THE OP HAS HAD A LOT MORE EXPERIENCES WITH ALEXBSTUDIOS THEN I HAVE.

please do not interact with him!!

this guy has done some really shitty things, including harassment, ableism, and editing/posting other's art without permission or credit. this has gone on for several months to my knowledge. it started off in the ghost and pals fandom, which is why he knows me, but he has started interacting with the lord of the flies fandom too, likely because of my posts here. again, please do not interact with him.

he posted this, with a heavily implied slur, and then a list of people who have blocked him with a specific time and reason, which implies that he's basically stalking people's accounts

there are instances of him editing/reposting other's art without permission, this being one of them. this drawing was a shitposty one in response to an ask he sent, but either way its unappreciated, especially since he's done the same to other's stuff that they worked very hard on, such as the one below

there's also multiple instances of him making comments like this on people's art (this one was on a lotf post). i dont know what his intentions were with this comment but i find it creepy when considering some of his other similar comments (a few of which can be found on the linked post), so im including this too

again, please read the post i linked at the top. it has a lot more information then what i put in this post. have a nice day, drink some water, stay safe guys

[kithj]

recently i've been making an effort to go through and play a lot of the games that have been languishing in my steam library (for many years, at this point...) here are my brief thoughts on a few so far:

gone home - this was constantly recommended on my old post about haunted house games. i actually bought this back around when it was first published, 2015/2016. and i think if i had played it at that time, it would have really hit for me. i've discussed birdland here previously and 2015 is around the time i played that game, too (probably my first exposure to interactive text games) and it had a profound impact on me as a younger lesbian who hadn't quite come to terms with my identity yet. all that to say, i recommend this if you're looking for a short, atmospheric experience (i played with headphones and definitely got creeped out a few times) but prepare for a bit of a dated narrative. some of the art was done by E.M. Carroll, a name you might recognize from their viral comics.

TACOMA - this game came out back in 2017, and it's another walking sim similar to gone home and from the same developers, though it has a bit more interaction, namely a mechanic where you "reconstruct" scenes and play through them to extract data. but this one definitely felt dated. not entirely, to be fair, some parts did still feel evergreen, specifically around the discussion of AI and human labor rights... but TACOMA chooses to focus more on "AI rights" in the end, which feels a little silly in this day and age, and in general it's a sci-fi game, so it's a bit more fantastical than what we're seeing now in real time. also there was a magazine i found that had an article referring to "president musk of south africa" which induced a full body cringe from me. E.M. Carroll appears here again and is credited with the character concepts, i really enjoyed their designs of the crew & the crew themselves as we slowly learned more about them and their relationships while moving through the station. it's a little longer than gone home but still pretty short, and i did enjoy it, so i recommend it if you can get over the dated AI depiction. i really liked the reconstruction mechanic, and following the "ghosts" around the station. (if you can't tell, i enjoy games where i get to be nosy and go through people's stuff)

Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk - so i made the mistake of playing this without realizing it was the sequel rather than the first... i don't think it impacted too much but i would probably recommend to play it in order, so play Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk first (unfortunately i don't have this one myself). i find this game kinda hard to review, but i really liked the way the player served as the mc's internal voice, and how the game & its mechanics are utilized and contextualized within the narrative as a way for us, "The Voice," to make choices for her, if that makes sense (there's some fourth wall breaking too, which is always fun; she refers to herself as a VN character at one point). i liked all of this, the art and the writing & the animations, though all in all i'm not quite sure how much of it i fully understood, and this could also be because i played it out of order (or it could just be abstract on purpose). i did also only playthrough once, but i believe there are a lot of possible variations, and it takes a lot of trial and error to see everything. i tried my best to be kind to her and help her out :( however i did like how there wasn't always a "nice" option, just like a real internal voice would work; you aren't always kind to yourself even when you should be...

the next few i hope to get through are Mundaun, Saint Maker, and Sub-Verge :3

[mollysunder]

What If Jinx and Local Cuisine (LC) Were in Cahoots?

A writer for Arcane confirmed that Jinx does have friends that will be revealed next season, and I realized LC might actually fit the bill as one of them.

First, I should explain what kinds of traits make people gravitate towards Jinx.

From the few scenes we see of LC, he actually demonstrates the kind of traits that would make him compatible for Jinx's circle. People in Zaun, from regular chempunks to Inx members admire (and even champions like Sylas) Jinx because she satisfies/inspires their desire for revenge against their oppressors in Piltover. These are people that accept the necessity of violence and choose to go further by reveling in it as a source of catharsis.

What does this have to do with LC? Well the first time we meet LC is at the brothel where he was seen wearing the Wolf's mask. The Wolf is a part of a twin personification of death in Runeterra, known as the Kindred. The Lamb represents quick and painless death and wears a wolf mask, while the Wolf wears a white lamb mask and represents violent and painful death. The Wolf associated with punishment because when you refuse the Lamb's "gift" by resisting death the Wolf will relentlessly hunt down the fying to tear them apart to make them submit.

LC's association with the Wolf, related to violent death, has fueled speculation on his purpose going into season 2. Even if you don't subscribe to the theory that he's related to the princess beheaded by Ambessa and he's on a revenge quest, the show chose to depict him as an entity kills with a violent passion.

If the theory's true why wouldn't LC want to see Piltover burn as much as the Medardas if the theory's true? The princess theory offers solid motivation for why he wouldn't just be targeting the Medardas, but Piltover too. While Noxus is the warmongering expansionist empire that killed the princess, Piltover is the nation that facilitates its survival as vital trading partner to the empire. The advent of the hexgates has likely only improved the efficiency of Noxian warband supply lines. People like the Medardas invest in Piltover to keep themselves wealthy and on top, hell the practically run it now.

A righteous thirst for revenge and no compunction with violence against Piltover makes Jinx and LC potentially birds of a feather. If that's true then LC could theoretically fulfill a critical component for Jinx's operation, information.

For Jinx to pull of even half her exploits she needs an intel source, and LC is the most obvious connection. LC is the only character from Zaun that can regularly move between the two cities on legitimate business to meet his high profile clients like Ambessa without drawing attention. If most of his Piltovan clients act like Ambessa, then they probably talk about sensitive topics at and around him all the time, like the one between Ambessa and Jayce that led to the refinery raid. LC is probably the best source of informal knowledge on ongoing developments in Piltover's highest circles of society.

There's no way Jinx could pull of the heist without prior inside knowledge. The shipment raid and the heist all happened on the same day, Progress Day, within a handful of hours. Jinx would have had to know that there was a hexgem to steal in the first place, because that was a guarded secret. Even the first time she robbed a home in Piltover required an outside party, Ekko, to case the joint for her. Instead of robbing a nice trinket from a great house for Silco as an apology, which she was entirely capable of, instead she KNEW to target the hextech workshop. Jinx knew where the guards would be posted and what abandoned building to set on fire and rig with explosives. Almost like she already had intel on the hexgem and decided to strike when it was convienent.

I'd also like to include the fact that even in the concept art for Jinx's hideout we see Jinx in the zone on her work bench while a mysterious figure comfortably leans into her space.

While the figure has few discernible features that matches with most of Zaun's cast in the show and the concept art, there is one determinable feature. The figure has a sleeve with a red and gold stripe pattern similar to the one LC wears at the brothel.

The mysterious figure also lounges on the rail in a similar fashion to how we the audience were first properly introduced to LC.

Personally, I think it makes sense for Jinx to make friends with figure like LC because not only do the have similar goals, Silco would likely approve of it too. Silco doesn't like Vi or Ekko because they threaten his relationship with Jinx, someone like LC, who doesn't work for him, but is still under his purview won't do that.

And honestly, LC gives the same vibes as Chadd, a violent, organized, and prominent member of the Inx (Jinx followers), just with less hero worship.

Sidenote: Wouldn't it be hilarious if it were the case that the only reason Jimx knew how to break into the Kiramman's home is because LC told her about it. You can bet this dude went on jobs as an escort to atleast one Councilor's party in their home.

[frejkon]

I THINK I FINALLY UNDER STAND HOW TO MAKE GOOD ART!

(sorry for the miss spellings & the bad English)

Its all about emotion, not style

I felt as though my art style wasn't that good and that my old art style was better so I decided to do an art study. And now I understand!

If you look at any type of art form, lets take animation as an example. Have you've seen the guy who makes videos about stick figures who lives in a computer? When you look at those videos you can see the emotion in there movements and poses, you can see what they are trying to express without them having any frases, faces and hands. You understand becuse of the scenario.

Meanwhile if you look at music you can instead hear the emotion without any lyrics, its in the tone of the instrument (or voice) that is used. And the speed of the music can also determine the emotion.

But if you look at a drawing that is still, how are you suppose too make it expressive? Well there are a bunch of ways!

Color theory:

Certain colors or color combinations can express certain emotions.

Shadows:

Some angels can express more emotion if they are shaded.

Wrinkles:

You're character does not need to be old to have certain expression writers, like when they are worried.

Eyes and eyebrows:

If you're character is shocked their eyes might be more open or if they are confuse they might raise an eyebrow.

Backround:

Backround can tell us what theme It is and what emotions are currently expressed (and it ads dep).

And you dont need to use all of these aspects if you dont want to (and there is probably more, I just dont know any right now).

How do I know this?

Well for the most part I think its a guess or maybe a preference BUT if you look at these two drawing that I drew while my art study you can see that the old one more expensive than the new one even though its almost the same drawing

New Old

I think that is all, I may update this post if I know more, have a nice day

[suffering-frombrain-rot]

Obey me brothers + crew watching MC do a diamond painting

I've never done a post like this before, let alone anything for this fandom, but I'm doing a diamond painting myself, and these boys decided to rotate in my brain while doing so. I hope ya'll enjoy this crack post!

Lucifer

-he thinks it's an interesting concept

-he likes checking in on your progress as you place the tiny gems on the right spaces

-far too tedious and time consuming for him to do

- if he ever had a break, then he'd maybe like to try it out with you

-he'd let you work on it in his office while he works as long as you SWEAR you wont make a mess with the gems

-if you do happen to spill some, he'll make sure you pick up every last one, double and triple check that they're all accounted for

-if you give it to him, hed definitely frame it and put it either in a hallway or in his room

Mammon

-he thinks its dumb, why would you spend so much time doing something like that when you could just get a premade one or the same image without the gems?

-he loves watching you do it, he'll say all that to your face, but we all know he'd wanna watch you the whole time

-gets exited when you send him updates, but he'll just respond with a "nice" or something

-he'd wanna try it out with you so you get him one of his own

-he spills the crystals all over the sticky part on accident

-doesn't know how the tools work, he'd also put them on upside down on accident

-he'd frame your finished one and hang it above his bed~

-he's never letting his see the light of day

Leviathan

-he'd play lots of puzzle games, so he sees the appeal in doing something like that

-it's said in a group chat, idk what it was called, but he likes to be able to be in a room with a person and do two completely different things, he doesn't need constant communication or even doing the same thing as the person really to be happy in their presence

-so I'd like to imagine he'd love having you work on your project on the floor of his room while he plays a game or watches a anime

-he'd occasionally check up on you to see your progress!

-maybe he'd order his own of Hana Ruri off Akuzan to work on with you the next time you bring it over to his room

-I don't think he'd hang it anywhere if you offered to give it to him, boy has too many posters on his wall anyways

-he'd say that you worked too hard on it to give it away to someone so quickly

Satan

-my true love <3

-anyways

-Satan is an art enthusiast and gives me a 'try anything and everything' type of vibe

-he'd want to do one with you, he'd make a date of it and everything

-get him a cat one PLEASE!!!

-he'd probably also like one of the starry night, but cats are the top priority 👌

-he'd start to get a bit impatient over time, and a little frustrated if he makes a mistake or spills the gems everywhere

-but he has you with him, so he can easily laugh it off and go back to working on it

-especially if you're enjoying doing it with him, that's the most important part!

-he'd probably want to trade with you once you both finish with them!

Asmodeous

-Also very artistic, like Satan

-he'd comment on how you're doing

"Wow! Your hands are so steady~"

"You have such a nice concentration face!"

-all the compliments might get frustrating if you're trying to focus, but it's okay because you love him

-he'd get one to do with you once you finish your first one, he'd love the closeness of working on such a long project with you

-he is very VERY good at the placement of every gem, he does nails and makeup as well as art occasionally so it is only natural

-he wants it to be perfect

-definitely posting work in progress pics on Devilgram

-takes pics of you working for himself~ he loves the candid shots

-and of course posts the final products together once ya'll finish

-he'd let you hold onto the one you did together so you can look at it and think of him~

Beelzebub

-he'd try to eat it

-it looks like little candies

-candy goes in his mouth

-simple math

-but seriously, make sure he's not gonna eat it if you do one of these around him

-he'd try his hardest to help you out if you ask, but I don't think he has the hand-eye coordination

-like Levi, I think he'd like to watch you in silence as you work on it

-maybe do some workouts while you work?

-he'd probably want to hang it on the fridge since that's where he is a lot of the time, and the others can look at it when they're in the kitchen :)

Belphegor

-Belhpie probably wouldn't care all that much

-he'd think it's pretty, but watching you work on it is putting him to sleep

-he'd probably also want to help you with it, just so it doesn't take you too long

-he can just tell that working on it hurts your back from being hunched over for too long

-go lay down with him, it'd be much nicer, he could rub your back as you both fall asleep

-there's always tomorrow to work on it

-he'd wanna show your work to Beel once it's done

-hed also wanna hang it on one of the walls on his side of the room

Diavolo

-LET HIM DO ONE TOO

-PLEASE

-IT LOOKS LIKE SO MUCH FUN!

-he'd watch you do it, then try to learn the best ways to do one himself

-(may be projecting a little here) he wouldnt know that you could place more than one at a time

-gets well over a quarter or so of the way through before realizing the long thing at the end of the pen you can use to place multiple down at once

-he feels silly but that's okay because hes having fun!

-he'd get one for Barbs too so the three of you could work on it together during any free time you have

-Puts too much pressure while going to pick up the gems and spills them all over out of the tray

-you help him clean them up every time, and you frequently have to use tweezers to take the gems off of the spaces of the picture they spilled on

-even if it's a messy process, you both have lots of fun making them

-he'd put it on his desk in a frame if you gave him yours

-you probably gave it to him as compensation for his messed up one

-shows it off every chance he gets

Barbatos

-if he sees that you're struggling with your project, he'd take over for a bit to show you the best way to do it

-he's like an annoying art teacher that keeps correcting your project when you didn't ask for it

-it's fine though, just tell him you don't need help and he'll respectfully leave you to your work

-he'd make you tea and snacks while you work if you're someone like me who gets too absorbed in your work to take a break

-also would massage your shoulders while idly talking with you about whatever topics your conversation leads

-he'd organize the bags of gems for you, makes sure everything is neat and tidy weather or not you ask for it

-if you wanted to give it to him, he'd happily set it up somewhere visible in the castle

Simeon

-Ugh!

-he'd love watching you work on it!

-he thinks its so pretty how it comes together and becomes so vibrant!

-he'd go and get several to bring up to the celestial realm

-he'd love working on them outside in the light of the celestial realm because of how shiny they are!

-he'd definitely hide things from you just to mess with you

-you need a certain color? Simeon has it in his pocket

-you set your tool down to do something else? He's grabbed it

-will give it back if you kiss him~ he promises <3

-he'd cherish it forever if you gave it to him when you're done!

Solomon

-he'd use magic to mess with you

-inverting the colors, making the colors the same, placing them on the spots for you with magic

-TELL HIM TO STOP

-the fossil has no right

-anyways hes like Simeon with the prank pulling

-he'd stop once you tell him and will revert the changes, then would go back to watching you peacefully as you work

-would be so so happy if you gave it to him, he'd brag to the others that you gave him such a personal and intricate gift

-he's gonna get killed by the others some way or anthother

-but that's fine

-he loves toying with death

[fraeuleintaka]

AAIC Gameplay Video (PS5)

This is the 57th post in the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Countdown: 24 days left until release!

Today's topic: some Gameplay footage from the PS5 version of the collection!

I talked about some of the gameplay we could see from the Switch video but there's also one for PS5 showing other scenes and aspects of the game that I'm going to talk about in this post. (Before you're confused about some of the screenshots, I took them from the Switch video but they also appear in the PS5 video and I wanted to make both posts about the same length so I included them here.)

Going back to the title selection screen for a minute, when you start the game or a case for the first time the artwork isn't unlocked yet which makes sense to avoid potential spoilers and also functions as a sort of reward for finishing the case (the DS versions did this as well). Instead you get this fancy little screen with just the episode title. I love the gold framing that carries through the entire menu design and the outline of the Prosecutor's Badge behind the episode title, it looks gorgeous!

With that we also get the new name for the first case of Investigations 2: Turnabout Trigger (Turnabout Target in the fan translation). I really like Target as a name and Trigger is pretty similar and just as snappy, it's a good choice imo. It even wonderfully foreshadows its relevance for the rest of the game, as this is the case that "triggers" the whole chain of events following it. In that sense the name is particularly meaningful and I love that.

Apparently, before you start the game for the first time you get asked directly to pick the art style that you want to use, it's not set to one of the two by default which is kinda nice. You can always change it during playing, of course. It's also useful to see an example animation directly in the menu so you know exactly what each of the two styles looks like. Very accommodating. The loading screen is great as well, the little burgundy-coloured knight piece fits perfectly! Simple and pretty!

The PS5 video shows some more of the menu structure and options screen. It's about as gorgeous as I expected it to be! The black chess pattern for the save files, the large Prosecutor's Badge outline for the options menu, the gold framing for everything... Love it! There's an Autosave file which is neat when you forget to save and several different save slots available. The options include pretty much all that you could ask for, even adjusting the Text Window Transparency or turning Text Skip on/off altogether. It's so weird to see because I'm still used to playing Ace Attorney games with no such options at all 😄 But it's definitely good to have! You can even change the Automatic Play Speed for the automatic modes. Interestingly, there's a warning that says that you won't be able to get some accolades when using Story Mode. Since you basically get the answers given to you, you don't really "achieve" anything regarding the solutions when playing so it definitely makes sense to disable that. Otherwise you could just skip through the hard parts and still get all the same achievements as the others which would make them feel cheap. But it's definitely something to keep in mind when wanting to use Story Mode to only get through one specific question you don't know the answer to without having to present every piece of evidence randomly; maybe that will already prevent you from getting some/all accolades.

Seeing the chibi sprite animations in continuous action in the gameplay highlights even more how well they work in the interactions and how amazing they look! Just Miles' visibly shocked face when stumbling upon the body in I1-1 followed by him dropping his suitcase without really noticing adds so much to that scene! And his epic side-eye to the intruder threatening him with a gun - even more badass!

It's hard to see on screenshots but the animations are wonderfully fluid and it just looks amazing. They even have some mouth movements for the longer animations when characters are talking. I also don't recall the crowd being this animated during I2-1 in the DS versions. Here, they regularly turn their heads to different directions and some even twitch a little at their spot just like you'd do when being impatient. Or maybe they also did back then and it was just more difficult to see with the pixel graphics... Anyway it looks great and makes the whole scene feel even livelier and more genuine!

I also love how funny Nicole (Tabby Lloyd) looks waving her arms around and trying to get Miles' attention. Waving frantically, standing on her tiptoes, her eager smile when holding the microphone towards him. Everything just comes across even better with all the added details! I genuinely can't express how much I love these new chibi sprites and animations. These two are already my favourite games in the series but with this the experience is gonna be incredible on a whole different level! Can't wait to play through them again myself!

On language, "Ruffles" is a fun nickname for Miles and it's completely in-character for Nicole to call him that! I think she didn't use any kind of nickname in the fan translation but I like this addition, it makes their interactions a little more unique. I don't recall if Lotta has a nickname for him, maybe she adopts this one from her mentee? Would be fun!

Somewhat sadly, I have to report that they changed Miles' iconic "I won't rest until I've inspected every suspicious-looking nook and cranny" line for the 2nd game. In I2 it seems he says "I must scour the scene and inspect anything that catches my attention" whenever you get a close-up view of an area to investigate. It will be missed but that seems to support the interpretation that Miles isn't as obsessed with nooks and crannies as some people might've painted him as 😉

[major spoilers for Investigations 2 in the last section]

As per my last post, I'm not going to do an extensive line-by-line comparison between the two translations but I do want to compare one line directly because it's one of my favourites in I2 and I remember the fan translated version by heart. It's this one here from Huang's (Wang's) speech just before he's shot at.

Fan Translation: "The Hammer of Justice shall be brought down upon all evil!"

Official Translation: "We shall crush the wicked with the righteous hammer of justice!"

Content-wise the two lines are pretty equal, "righteous" doesn't really add anything that isn't conveyed with "of justice". The official version sounds a bit more impressive and fancy whereas "all evil" and the passive voice from the fan translation makes it easier to apply the line in a completely different context. That's the reason I love this line so much: On the surface, Huang is talking about putting a stop to the criminal activities doing harm to his country but since he says this right before the shot of the fake assassin rings out, the moment a certain someone's revenge scheme kicks off, you can also see it as him announcing his and his cronies' own downfall as they are the evil (or wicked) the hammer of justice is brought down upon (or crushing).

I adore this double meaning as it's so wonderfully ironic and poetic in a way and I hoped that the official translation would keep the line similar enough so that it still applies. And it does! Yay!

[crimsoncold]

Just wanted to say hi and I think I’ve recently come across some of your Sansa Stark character analysis added as reblogs (I usually tag “thank you op” but rebloggers are important too!!!) and appreciate them for adding to the discussion! Definitely add to my love of Sansa!

And Arya, definitely a more valid critical look at Arya’s classism, which often gets overlooked because of the excessive amount of hate heaped on the more obvious (learned, expected behavior of) Sansa.

Hi back!

And thank you so much for saying this!

I've definitely been challenging myself to start dabbling with replying to some of the incredible story or character metas out there and its always encouraging to hear that anyone appreciates some of my (sometimes very very late) additions to fandom discussions

Being very introverted (like pathologically shy since I was a kid) I've unfortunately been more of a longtime fandom lurker than someone who comments on or adds on to fandom discussion but it definitely gets to be kind of discouraging when rather than a fandom being treated like an interactive and welcoming community people frequently seem to just "consume/like without engagement" the fandom stuff that many people put so much time and effort into creating (metas, art, edits, fics, etc.)

I know I really appreciate getting to see the thoughts and creative works of others in this fandom (as well as anyone who takes the time to engage with my own little fandom efforts) ...and sometimes just following someone or liking/reblogging a post doesn't always seem like it does enough to show this sentiment to the OPs, so I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone and do my part to be a more active participant in fandom

The best starting point I've found so far has been jumping into some of the really thoughtful discussions and analysis around some of my favorite characters- Sansa in particular- because it makes me happy to engage with interesting, astute, and positive discourse on the fandoms/characters I love

And hopefully I can work up to the point where I habitually start commenting/complementing the types fandom posts that don't get the same engagement (everytime I see fan art or writing that I know someone spent hours on I cry a little on the inside that its not common place for people to reblog instead of just liking posts- especially with the addition of even a simple/nice little comment or tag about the work- and I always swear one day I'll convince my own strange little brain that leaving a little compliment in the tags of a post is not me being a bother but is something the creator will actually appreciate)

I totally agree that Sansa is such a target of so much unnecessary hate (and typically very uncharitable or inaccurate interpretations) and that is often where I focus my asoiaf fandom criticism but likewise arya is a character who often suffers from poor interpretation as well- though typically in the opposite direction, a she is perfect and can do no wrong- ignore and deny anything about her and her storyline that proves otherwise, which can be disappointing in its own way

i think sometimes fans are so obsessed with the idea of their favs being superior or without flaws from the start that they ignore or miss out on the aspects that make a character complex, sympathetic, realistic, and ultimately capable of so much growth... which is disappointing because in my opinion it is these very human qualities and imperfections that makes a character so compelling!

[sabrinahawthorne]

The Forever Game, pt 2: What Gets to Be a Forever Game?

referencing this post

Let's talk about what counts as a Forever Game, shall we? Considering it's a term I saw once on a post I can no longer find and proceeded to formalize with Proper Noun Caps, it certainly can't prove to be a reductive taxonomy, can it?

As I mentioned in part 1, I think of Forever Games as being a type of game on its own - something with a certain approach to character design & progression, which is built with some assumption of long-term play. After all, I don't usually suggest Mage: The Awakening as a one-shot game.

This conception clearly isn't universal - a number of respondents brought up the fact that just about any game can be the one a table comes back to as their baseline, so long as they like it enough. And that's absolutely true - For the end user, any game can serve any purpose. Unfortunately, and with respect to the people who brought it up, this observation just isn't very useful for our purposes.

It's absolutely true that any game can be someone's forever game. But that's a feature of tabletop games as a medium - the fact is, at the end of the day all games take place inside our heads. This is why people use D&D 5th edition as a murder mystery game, or a tabletop-visual-novel; they understand that the fundamental mechanism of this art form is the limitless power of imagination, and are comfortable using the same rules framework every time to build whatever narrative they like, regardless of whether or not better-tailored alternatives exist.

If we want to get on the same page about Forever Games, we need to look at something concrete - like on-paper design of games themselves. That in mind, let me put forth some qualities that a Forever Game might have:

Almost certainly a trad game. While games like Wanderhome exist, the vast majority of titles I'd list as forever game candidates have a GM and probably use at least two denominations of dice.

A multi-faceted character framework. In other words, a race/class system is better suited for a Forever Game than simple Playbooks, generally speaking. This is for replayability's sake. Some folks play wizards all the time, every time - but if you've just spent five years as Slagnarr the Axinator, it might be nice to start over as a healer for the next go round.

A customizable progression track. The more a game allows you to make a capital-B-Build, the better. This is part & parcel with the above point, re: replayability, but it serves another purpose - embodying your character concept. Imagination is well and good, but there's something special about having a class feature that supports the way you want to play your character. It makes them feel more real.

At least one game mode that involves intricate mechanical interactions. The classic version of this is a grid combat system - but a crunchy exploration system or involved crafting mechanic are also good examples of this. The more rich and interesting a game's... well, game elements are, the better the game will hold up over time. Note that I don't say complex, but rich. There's a reason GURPS light is more popular than the full ruleset. Games tend to last longer when they give more of the table something to be doing at any given time, minimizing dead zones in play.

Little in the way of social mechanics. Hear me out on this - for a lot of tables, the ability to get together with friends, put on a mask, and goof off without fear of social repercussion is a huge draw. Having to do the same kinds of rules reference for politicking that you use for mosnter slaying doesn't facilitate the fantasy; it hinders freedom of play. You want the chance to fail your Will save because it creates interesting drama. The idea that you might be punished for shamelessly flirting with the King while his consort is Right There ruins the fun. A table's forever game is going to be something that lets them play casually. I don't think this is a controversial opinion; the idea of a "beer and pretzels" game is older than I am, and anyone who's been in a long-term game with friends knows how loosey-goosey things can get. I think that facilitating jokes has a solid correlation to facilitating coming back to the game.

This isn't really working towards anything. Really, I just wanted to take the opportunity of my own vagueness to elaborate a bit on what exactly I mean when I say "forever game," so if I decide to keep poking the hornet's nest, we can at least agree on whether I'm using a stick or a branch.

[workingforthewidow]

‘Sweetest of the Sunflowers’

This started off has an HC list of the Sinclairs dating twins but then it took on a mind of its own and now its over 25K words and I have no end in sight. So I’ll post a portion every couple days! Title inspired by Sun to Me by Zach Bryan you don’t have to listen to understand but I think it fits the way the story is heading :)

Summary: Twin sisters Catherine (Katie) and Caroline end up in Ambrose after their car breaks down on their drive from Georgia to California. Bo convinces Vincent they should keep the girls and make them their wives. A twin for each twin. Will the girls escape? Will they learn to live their new lives? Will they even survive?

I have a post where I kinda give some insight on certain aspects (ex- I hc Vincent ‘can’ talk but doesn’t like to and why) here

This is for 18+ only minors DNI just go watch the movie with your parents permission.

Warnings: kidnapping, forced marriage, dub-con, attempted non-con, abuse, Stockholm syndrome, age gap (15 years- K&C are 19 Sinclairs are 33 soon to be 34 yes we will have a birthday party for them). Don’t like it don’t read it.

So welcome to the first chapter of this story!

Tag list: @ostricx (let me know if you want to be tagged!)

Bo couldn’t hold back the smirk when they walked in the shop. Two beautiful twins. They were identical with the same dark chocolate hair and hazel eyes that seemed almost green in the lights but they were different- one had her long hair down and following freely in wavy curls looking lost in space as she wandered around his shop while the other had half her short hair pulled up in two buns and was trying to explain what was wrong with their car looking very focused on getting back on the road. “Well doll it’ll take me a while to go over everything. Why don’t you go on up to see the town jewel. House of Wax, just go on in I know the owner you’re safe.”

“Okay. Thank you so much. Come on, Caroline.”

“But Katie, why can’t we just stay here? I don’t want to walk anymore.” The one with curls, Caroline complained. Caroline, pretty name for a pretty girl.

“Just come on. This is your fault anyway. I can’t believe you have never taken your car to get checked.” Katie huffed out grabbing her twins arm pulling her to the door.

“Well sorry some of us weren’t so far up dad’s ass to learn all the special shit about cars, Catherine.”

“This is basic knowledge Caroline, don’t go full name on me. Let’s go.”

She was finally able to pull her out the door and towards the museum.

He knew what was wrong with the car it needed oil- from what he just heard hadn’t been changed in a while or maybe ever. But he had no plans on fixing that anytime soon. He made his way through the underground tunnels to find Vincent, “Vinny you ain’t gonna believe what little slices of heaven just fell in Ambrose. Walking through town like angels.” He said forcing Vincent away from his work and up to the museum so they could watch the girls.

“Oh my god this stuff is creepy. It’s like a house full of dead people.” Caroline said with a disturbed look.

“1. Be nice someone worked really hard on these. 2. They aren’t creepy they are cool. The artist is so talented.” Katie scolded her sister and continued to admire the art.

The boys continued to follow them around the museum until they had seen everything. Suddenly Caroline gasped, “A puppy! Look, look! Hi puppy.” A black and white dog trotted over to where the girl had squatted down. “Oh she’s so cute. Do you think she lives here?” She looked up to her sister.

Katie sighed softy almost a laugh and bent down with her sister, “Probably, she seems content here. She probably belongs to the owner of the museum.” She looked at the dog’s collar, “Jonesy, that’s a cute name.” She scratched the pup’s head before Jonesy licked her arm, “A sweet baby too.”

The girls loved on Jonesy a few more minutes without noticing the watching eyes on them.

—-

The boys went back to Vincent’s studio under the museum.

“So what ya think? We could keep them. I’ll take the curly hair and you can have the other one. She seems to appreciate what you and Mama do.” Bo looked at his twin who had already started getting back to work. Vincent shook his head and continued working. Sure the girl was beautiful and it was nice to have someone besides his brothers say nice things about his art. But he could never live a normal life like Bo or Lester could.

“Come on, Vinny. I think its time we find us some girls. Get to work making Ambrose full again.” Bo wasn’t backing down.

Vincent scribbled fiercely on a notepad and thrust it at his brother, ~Do whatever you want. Maybe Lester wants the other one~.

“Nah, it’s perfect for us. Twins and twins. I know you think she’s pretty.” Bo said tossing the notepad back letting Vincent write out his reply.

~How do you expect this to happen? How is it going to work?~

Bo read over the replied and chuckled darkly, “Easy. Knock ‘em out. I’ll bring mine back down under the shop and you bring yours back here. They gotta listen and cooperate eventually if they want anything.” Of course Bo’s plan was by force. Vincent thought it over knowing his brother wouldn’t back down. It would be nice to have someone has his own. He had been alone for so long since Mama had died. And if this girl liked his art than maybe she could learn to like him, even love him.

He finally turned fully to look at Bo and nodded his head.

“Well damn that took less convincing than I thought it would. Okay they should be back at the shop by now looking for me. Just gotta get behind them and grab.” Bo smirked and started walking away with Vincent trudging behind.

—

‘Oh no the cute car guy is gone.’ Caroline thought as she and her twin walked in the door before speaking out loud, “Where’d he go?”

“Maybe he’s in the back or something. Let’s just stay here and wait. Then we can keep going. We’re almost halfway to the coast.” Katie said stepping back looking around for any sight of the mechanic, Bo he had said his name was. Then she heard what she thought was a footstep behind her. “Did you hear th…” before she could finish her question a rag was held up to her face and a hand wrapped around her waist from behind. The rag smelled funny and her eyes grew heavy before she went limp in the arms holding her.

“Hear what?” Caroline was about to turn around to face Katie when hands grabbed her from behind clapping a rag over her face too. She tried to scream but nothing escaped as she too grew tired before everything went black.

[events-in-the-velvet-room]

Author Guessing Post!

So for our first annual New Years Community Prompts, we had 6 lovely contributors!

NextTrickAnvils ( @nexttrickanvils )

Ravenoftheskyes ( @ravenoftheskyes )

Oceantoast ( @ocean--toast )

marshie_marshmallow ( @purplespacefairy )

shadow_reader (I don't know your tumblr, please send an ask or DM me so I can add you if you want)

a_salty_alto ( @yusuke-of-valla ) (aka me)

They contributed 11 wonderful works!

All I Want For Christmas is Yu

Nanako wants nothing more than to see her big bro come home for Christmas. But unfortunately, that’s not happening.

But maybe the magic of Christmas can help…?

Countdown

Happy New Years from Toshiro and Takuto!

Cracks in the Stained Glass

Yusuke finds himself in Ueno, staring at that genuinely bright portrait being subjected to the harsh artificial brightness of the spotlight. It feels so hollow here, surrounded by other works of art and gawked at from afar rather than being the quiet fireplace it had been in LeBlanc. Yusuke wonders how long it had been there without him thinking anything more of it than the pedestrians stopping and passingly mentioning its beauty before moving on.

How easily he had fallen into the same blind contentment as Eve. Allowing Maruki to guide his thoughts as far back as October, easing him into the idea that he could be happy being so divorced from the art that inspired his career path like this

glory and gore

The Metaverse is amazing. She can move just as well as- no, even better than Kasumi. Feats that no human could ever actually pull off are possible in this world. She has power running through her veins and she can do anything.

And it’s the one thing that Kasumi doesn’t have.

A Leg Up

The Metaverse starts taking a toll on Ryuji’s leg.

make me feel something

Toshiro meets a strange man at a bar

Oh Captain, My Captain

Toshiro gets bullied into confessing his love for Eri by a 19 year old boy he met two minutes ago.

Operation: First Date

Yosuke wants to ask Labrys out on a date, there were just a couple hurdles for him to get through.

Really bad day in Mementos

A day where things go very, very poorly for the Phantom Thieves.

Prompt:

Characters getting afflicted with some of the weirder SMT status conditions such as Vamp, High, Drunk, Guilt, puppet, etc.

Red Alert!

Rise finally hits the button.

Self (in Approximation to Others)

All she’s ever wanted is to be loved the way that Kasumi has been. The way that’s been afforded to her for just existing in a way that Sumire was never good enough for. Not even good enough, just never enough to deserve.

“I know I don’t say it enough but that’s one of the reasons that I love you, Sumire.”

Her red bangs fall in front of her face and her glasses clang on the tile when she lowers her chin. Her jaw tightens and her hands ball into fists. She thinks she hears Akechi but she can’t understand a thing that he says. “Shut up.”

If you still want to have some fun, you can guess in the comments and tags of this post who contributed what!

Ground rules:

No guessing on the fics themselves, because it'll be awkward if you're wrong.

Be polite! If you don't have anything nice to say, you don't have to say anything at all!

If you can, comment on the fics themselves! They turned out great!

If you don't want to comment, share this post so others can see everyone's hard work

Authors will be revealed next week, so let's start off the year with some fun! Good luck!

[rottytops]

squid thoughts after finalfest...

readmore bc i dont think anyone cares or even knows who runs this blog anymore but anyways

squids huh...........i have such a weird and intimate relationship with splatoon, i was SO into it when s1 came out i literally wouldnt shut up about it, i was on fucking. SQUIDBOARDS everyday pre-release sucking up all the info i could on splats, and i played it to absolute death too. at the end of s1 for final fest i was in a really weird housing situation bc i was leaving college and my like 2 month lease at my apartment i couldnt afford was running out, but i dont think i had a tv or something? so i had to use the apartment's like...public office room to play that final fest at like 2AM (i was team marie of course)

then splat 2 happened and i think splatoon was like, my entire life for several years no joke. i fell into a big splatoon community, got really into making splatoon art and OCs, had tons of splat friends, it was kind of a whirlwind. splatoon was the launching pad i used to get into freelancing commissions which is really funny in retrospect because i could not and still cannot figure out how to draw the inkling mask to save my life.

those were really really fun days and i still consider 2 the peak of my interest in the series as well as my favorite splat game + idol group, the good days in my splat fanbse didnt last forever though since my mental health and the difficulties of freelancing ate me alive in a way that im only just now recovering from, but that doesnt tarnish the memory or anyhting, the friends i made during s2's run are some of the closest ive ever had and im still with them even today, so i guess in a way splatoon 2 affected my life in a way only comparable to like...the disgaea series which is REALLY SAYING SOMETHING

but that brings me to 3 which is definitely when i fell off of the splat boat and wanted to move on. to be honest a lot of drama happened post 2's end that made me not wanna look at splat 3 at all but of course i caved and bough it anddddddd barely even played it, lol...i missed a ton of the catalog battle pass things and didnt feel the need to play that much, i didnt even get side order until like 2 months ago... it makes me sad to think that something so important to me is just not quite for me anymore, even if i love it dearly, part of that i think is just ive accepted im REALLY BAD AT SHOOTERS no matter what. a million hours in 1 and 2 and my aim is still super bad, i was able to get all X rank in S2 but in S3 i can barely land my shots or use my brella and had to swap to the 52 gal...its embarassing! i think id get really into a splatoon RPG or something, so maybe they just need to make a splatoon spinoff for me to get absurdly hooked to it but for now im pretty content closing a book on playing the games

but man, final fest made me realize how much splatoon has done for me over the years, i think ill always adore the world and its characters, even if i dont keep up with the games very much. im a little miffed team past won beecase even if i love the squid sisters, i reaaaally dont wanna see them doing more idol stuff. let those bitches retire!!! theyre like 30 now and still doing the same songs and outfits they wore nearly 10 years ago!! aauuhg, though i guess me caring so much about virtual squid idols shows how much the series still means to me...

i dont have any closing thoughts and i dont think anyone read this far either but it does feel very nice to word vomit on my blog which i. do not do. anymore. for some reason..

i love splatoon a lot i think, maybe i should just draw squids without playing the games...i think ill do that...

[fhylie]

I think I will start making text posts about my 5ED&D game & homebrew world that I've been running for a few years.

First off, I'm super lucky to be able to play with a great group of players and roleplayers that have been interested and consistent every Monday for years. That's tough to wrangle! Not to mention the great fortune of having a friend (@aaeds) make great character art.

A bunch of words follow.

So, the idea I had for the game at the outset when designing a homebrew world is a combination of a bunch of borrowed stuff from other games and other systems I have run, but the base of it is A) planet has tidal locking due to an impact event in the past, which limits places people can live without the assistance of magic, and B) said impact event is (loosely) the origin point of magic on this world, where previously it enjoyed a post-renaissance / early modernity level of technology, and due to a few mechanisms regressed somewhat from that. The world, Aterpe, was enveloped in an enchanted layer of obscuring fog or smoke colloquially referred to by its inhabitants as the Mist.

A lot of this was hidden (haha, more obscurement) from the players and explained through lore and investigation from more of a lens of people living in the world rather than something objective; what I told the players at the outset was important was a quote from the Iain M Banks novel Excession that I enjoy. "An Outside Context Problem was the sort of thing most civilizations encountered just once, and which they tended to encounter rather in the same way a sentence encountered a full stop. The usual example given to illustrate an Outside Context Problem was imagining you were a tribe on a largish, fertile island; you'd tamed the land, invented the wheel or writing or whatever, the neighbors were cooperative or enslaved but at any rate peaceful and you were busy raising temples to yourself with all the excess productive capacity you had, you were in a position of near-absolute power and control which your hallowed ancestors could hardly have dreamed of and the whole situation was just running along nicely like a canoe on wet grass… when suddenly this bristling lump of iron appears sail-less and trailing steam in the bay and these guys carrying long funny-looking sticks come ashore and announce you've just been discovered, you're all subjects of the Emperor now, he's keen on presents called tax and these bright-eyed holy men would like a word with your priests."

Like Banks did, I also enjoy the Civilization game series, and the idea of the crisis of encountering an advanced society and how things tangle up when their abilities and differences clash with one another is fascinating to me, and a great base for fueling narrative conflict and roleplay struggles.

Assuming I remember to keep doing this, we'll get to how the starfarers descending on Aterpe mess everything up, but for now I'll post some other setting facts that are more on the ground, things that the present day players have had to deal with, and maybe some character profiles.

[emilieautumnarchives]

Stark Raving Sane: Biscuits

Posted: June 29, 2023 Archived from EAOnline

Biscuits: Mixed Media - Digital and Acrylic Paint, Audio, Scent [mod note: image cropped due to tw:ed concerns, see full version below the cut]

Dearest Inmates,

I shared Biscuits a few days ago on the old IG (did it, sharing art/music/other secret artistic projects because anything more seedy will be placed here alone, but I do have a trick: I never post from my phone, but from the very large screen computer that I use for recording, because I usually don’t know where my phone is, but really because then I don’t lose my wide vision of reality and goodness and truth and compress my focus into a tiny little screen which makes me spiritually nauseous—I highly recommend this).

I shared Biscuits, which was begun whilst we were traveling to location scout recently (this is why starting projects on an iPad before going to physical is so bloody nice), but I hadn’t been ready to say anything about her or what she might represent.

I think I might be now, or I may (probably will) delete this post in five minutes.

Biscuits has no tits and neither do I at present. I’ve lost them, along with my arse, and most of my muscle mass, because that’s what happens when you’ve got an auto-immune issue and it hurts to eat because your body is attacking itself. (I never say auto-immune “disease” because it’s an ugly brown and I don’t like the way the “s” that is really a “z” feels in my mouth, and it also sounds unnecessarily dramatic and that embarrasses me). I prefer not to talk about this. With anyone. I will fix it. I am fixing it. And I will be able to sing and dance. And that is all.

Biscuits has all the trappings of femininity, except for her actual body, which is clearly missing a few things, and that’s how I feel. A woman but not. And it doesn’t make me sad, but it makes me curious, because there is something beautiful in each layer of identity that is peeled off, or flakes away on its own without anybody’s doing, as we go down this path of life. I suppose what I’m really settling into is that I am not my tits, nor my womanhood, nor my ability to fit into my fabulous pink wardrobe, but am rather just me. I have not changed, because the “I” that is “I” can never be anything other than what it is. But I could do with a few more calories.

Biscuits needs a biscuit. Biscuits needs a few. I hope someone gives them to her.

To see more of her, tap away:

BISCUITS - FINE ART GICLEE PRINT [mod note: yes, EA has this linking to "Vampire's Daughter" instead of "Biscuits."]

I’m going to go try and digest some keto ice cream. It’s salted caramel. May you do the same, dear friends.

[papillon82fluttersby]

Famous Five Art Nostalgia #16 – Part 3

Introductory post

Masterpost

🛩️🦋🐷 Five Go to Billycock Hill – Le Club des Cinq et les papillons

Original publication date: 1957 (UK), 1962 (France)

(Cover art by Jean Sidobre, 1983)

Plot summary (adapted from Wikipedia):

The Five are camping on Billycock Hill, near the farm of Toby Thomas, a boy who goes to the same school as Julian and Dick and loves jokes and pranks. The Five meet Toby’s parents, who are very welcoming, as well as his little brother Benny, who never goes anywhere without his pet pigling Curly.

(Holiday planning!)

(Off to Billycock Hill)

(Five meet Toby’s adorable little brother, Benny – Timmy seems very intrigued by the little boy’s pet pigling, Curly 🐷)

(Poor little Benny is often the recipient to Toby’s practical jokes and pranks!)

(On the way to find a nice camping place up Billycock Hill – Timmy’s heading the way along with Toby’s collie Binky [Clairon])

Toby is delighted with his visitors and wastes no time showing them around, such as leading them to a lovely pool where they can enjoy a refreshing swim, although they soon get told off by an Air Force officer for trespassing on military property. They also meet the eccentric Mr Gringle, one of the owners of a nearby butterfly farm, who gives them a visit.

(Meet Mr Gringle)

(Toby delights in practical jokes, in this case scaring the girls with a fake spider 🕷️)

(Toby brings the Five to a lovely pool, ignoring the “DANGER – KEEP OUT” sign in front of it… what could go wrong?)

Back to Billycock Farm, the Five meet Toby’s cousin Jeffrey, a flight-lieutenant at the neighbouring airfield.

(A zoological interlude: “Tea was now ready and they all drew up their chairs. Benny wandered in with his pigling 🐷 under his arm, and set it down in the cat’s basket, where it stayed quite peacefully, falling asleep and making tiny, grunting snores. / ‘Does the cat 😺 mind?’ asked George, astonished, looking at the basket. / ‘Not a bit,’ said Mrs Thomas. ‘It had to put up with two goslings 🪿🪿last year in its basket – and something the year before…’ / ‘A lamb 🐑,’ said Toby. / ‘Oh yes – and old Tabby – that’s the cat 🐈– didn’t seem to worry at all,’ said Mrs Thomas, pouring out creamy milk for everyone, even Cousin Jeff. ‘I once found her curled up round the goslings one morning, purring loudly.’”)

A big storm occurs that night, and the campers’ evening gets disturbed, first when they see Mr Gringle’s associate Mr Brent roaming the area, supposedly looking for moths, and then when Timmy puts up a fuss at seemingly nothing, before they all hear the sound of an aeroplane flying away.

(A stormy night...)

(... really stormy!)

The weather is still rainy in the morning, so the Five decide to go visit a local tourist spot: Billycock Caves. At some point during their visit, they hear some horrible whistling noises that scare them away.

When they hear from the radio that Toby's cousin Jeff and a fellow pilot, Ray Wells, are reported to have defected and stolen the newest aeroplanes that were being developed at the airfield, the Five and Toby are shocked. The media later reports that Jeff and Ray crashed their planes and drowned at sea. Toby refuses to believe that Jeff was a spy.

(The military police interrogate Mrs Janes, who works as a servant at the butterfly farm)

After poking around and talking to Mr Gringle, the children realise that the so-called “Mr Brent” whom they saw during the stormy night was an impostor, and that something fishy is going on at the butterfly farm. That night, Julian, Dick and Toby do some snooping around there.

(Investigators deep in discussion…)

(Julian and Dick on a mission)

(Julian espies Mrs Janes’ son at the farm)

They learn from Mrs Janes, the house servant, that her layabout son Will has been hiding four men who have been watching the airfield day and night. The Five bring this information to Toby’s father, who gets in touch with the police, and it is confirmed that the two pilots who died were spies, but that Jeff and Ray are prisoners at an unknown location.

(Five on their way to Billycock Farm to bring news about their investigations)

As the Five attempt to comfort Toby while helping around at the farm, they realise that little Benny and his pigling have disappeared. They search for the missing pair all around the farm, and finally find Benny next to the entrance to Billycock Caves, upset that the pigling “runned away” inside the caves.

The pigling does find his way back to the farm on his own later on, with a message leading the children to find Jeff and Ray imprisoned in Billycock Caves. The prisoners are rescued and all ends well!

(Heroes of the day!)

~~~~~~

Thanks for reading!