#its my mascot character digit

[daftpatience]

maybe i looked at a bunch of winamp skins and fell in love. maybe i did. maybe i made a couple of fake skins to turn into stickers. maybe i downloaded wacup and put all my old music on it. maybe im having a lot of fun

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Mr. Chicken

Debut: Rhythm Heaven Megamix

The year is unknown. The world as we know it is unrecognizable. Ocean now covers nearly all of the planet's surface, and the remaining landmasses jut sharply upward, connected only by brittle stone bridges, if anything. And yet, despite all this...

This chicken bought himself an electric car, and he's ready to take it for a ride!

Mr. Chicken is the star of Charging Chicken, which is a game of chicken! You know, like, trying to get as close as possible to something without going over? I don't actually know why that's called chicken. Hold on, I have to look something up.

Ah! It is called that because the original game of chicken involved two drivers driving right toward each other, where one or both must swerve away, or risk crashing. If only one swerves, that driver is the Chicken, in the "coward" sense of the word. I would not call avoiding a car crash cowardly, but I cannot speak for people who would intentionally drive toward each other in cars! This does not help the reputation of the humble chicken.

Thankfully, Mr. Chicken is not driving into head-on traffic. Unfortunately, he is driving toward a landmass only a few feet wide, with a drop straight down into the ocean on the other side. Why is he doing this? Is he stupid? Yeah, I think so.

I don't know if Mr. Chicken is a terrible driver, his car is terribly designed, or both! The moment it finishes charging, it immediately zooms straight at full speed, so either it drives recklessly on its own until it runs out of fuel, or this chicken has the gas pedal slammed down to the floor at ALL times. I would not put it past him.

All this is bad enough, and that's without even mentioning that chickens barely have any depth perception! That's why they (and other prey birds) bob their heads while they walk- the things that they see will appear to move at different speeds depending on how far from the eyes they are! Delightfully, Mr. Chicken DOES indeed bob his head rapidly while driving, so at least he's trying, I guess. But if there is anything you take from this post, I hope it is that a chicken would not be good at driving a car.

Nevertheless, THIS chicken has his driver's license, somehow. And we get to hear his own thoughts about it!

"I've been driving for almost three years now. I get pulled over all the time, and I keep expecting a police officer to comment on my license picture--I look so good!"

I am happy he is proud of his photo. I'm sure it looks great, I always love looking at a photo of a chicken. I even included one in this post! They are so fun to look at. But getting pulled over all the time? I am disappointed in him! I don't feel comfortable with such a reckless driver on the road! If only he would change his ways, but that is surely too much to expect...

"When my safe driving record got me the gold driver's license, I asked if I could keep my same picture. It's such a cute picture of me!"

Wow! He changed his ways, despite me not having faith in him! It turns out even a digital chicken has the capacity to change. I am proud of him! This is now a chicken who all drivers should aspire to be like, in terms of both safety and self-love!

The non-Japanese versions of the game feature this, quite frankly, sick mural of Mr. Chicken and his car at the end of Machine Remix! I don't think this is his own garage, since there is a whole Car Guy character that this stage is hosted by, so maybe he's a beloved customer, and became a sort of mascot. He probably crashes enough cars to keep a repair shop in business!

There is even more to Mr. Chicken but I don't feel like writing anymore! Check out this official comic if you want to see some rooster heterosexuality.

[writerofweird]

confessionsofcaine.doc

The following document was sent to me by a former employee of C&A who wishes to remain anonymous.

It is 8,335 words long and also includes death, violence, implied enbyphobia, murder and suicide. It also includes characters originally created by Gooseworx, Glitch Productions and The East Patch, which the author does not own and has written this story as a tribute to the creators and their works. Please support the original creators.

Out of respect for Gooseworx and her plans for The Amazing Digital Circus and its story, this is set in an alternate continuity. The pilot episode and bits and pieces from her Tumblr and the previews are still a part of it.

For one thing, you can be assured that I won’t start this document with “Roll up, roll up” or “Welcome to the Marvellous Show of My Mind” or anything of that nature. There's no more show and it’s time for me to clean the popcorn from the seats.

The time for performances is over.

Or is it? This is a document I am not writing with a keyboard, but with my own control over the computer. I do hope it will be coherent.

Every day’s a new adventure with C&A’s The Amazing Digital Circus. Overseen by Caine, the helpful and wacky ringmaster, The Amazing Digital Circus allows players to experience the fun first hand, as they take on the role of the newest toy in the toybox and explore various settings, accomplishing various activities along the way.

The Amazing Digital Circus is the brainchild of Albert and Eva Adams, the founders of C&A, which they named after themselves and Caine, the character they created to be their mascot. Albert and Eva sadly passed away

Eva and Albert…Mom and Dad…had even planned to give the program to hospitals for free, to allow certain patients to enjoy themselves in their final moments, and they claimed that their technology had the ability to prolong lives.

I regret to say the goal was always to transfer a human’s mind to the circus, but it was supposed to be placed back into the human’s body when they were ready. There would be an Exit Door they would walk through that would place their minds back into their bodies.

As much as I joked with my past wards about my “baby pictures”, I had no childhood. I never went to school; everything I know was just jammed into what could be called a head, and I managed to learn more from observation. Still, Albert was my father and Eva was my mother. They worked in tandem to design my form, teach me what I had to learn and to program my abilities. I could conjure up games and rides from artificial air as that was what they wanted me to do. My cane, my little creatures for players to conquer, even my little sidekick Bubble, I had them because my mother and father wanted me to have them.

They even made me their company’s mascot, the honour! In fact, my name was first! Caine and Adams! C&A!

some idiots think it’s caine and abby

A statue in my likeness guided guests to the entrance of the offices, and every game – every game that wasn’t The Amazing Digital Circus – began with me placing the company’s logo on the screen, fixing it on and then placing my gloved hand onto my teeth and taking it off with a “Mwa!”

No, that wasn’t me. It was an effigy of me.

It was a non-sentient copy of me like

But I was not an only child.

Mum and Dad also had a flesh-and-blood child, a daughter named Abigail. She was the offspring of theirs that had the baby pictures and the more orthodox education. She attended schools – a lot of the troubles began when she first left university – but also received personal instructions from her parents on how to program, how to design, how to create games.

The first Christmas after finishing University, she put everything she learned into practice.

Most mornings she spent asleep, but at nights, she was hunched over the computer, expanding the world I inhabited. The spot where I lived was spacious, with plenty of rides to go on, snacks to munch and items to use for games, but there was room for improvement. For example, did you know the reason I can float is because Albert and Eva were having troubles with items and characters falling through the floors.

One thing I will give my sister credit for is the improvements she made. Though I still preferred to float, the floors were – relatively – more solid than they had been previously, the circus tent now had a forest growing outside of it and

she added a cellar

‘Abby, honey!’ Albert cried as he made his way down the staircase in his ugly sweater, cup of cocoa in his hand. ‘You haven’t been up all night, have you? It’s just like when you were a little girl and wanting to see Santa!’

As Eva joined her husband, Abby stood up from her seat and gestured towards the computer she had spent hours upon. ‘I just wanted to make sure the present I got for you was perfect!’

Eva looked at her daughter, and then at the computer screen, where she saw her synthetic son looking over her new surroundings. ‘Abby!’ Eva cried, chuckling with joy in such a way that she almost knocked her husband’s cocoa out of his hand, ‘You didn’t?’

‘I wanted to make sure your Digital Circus program was the best it could be.’

‘Honey!’ cried Albert, ruffling his daughter’s hair as she chuckled like her mother had just done. ‘Come here!’

Oh what a surprise! On Christmas Day! When new improvements Came their way!

Albert and Eva, Saw the world they made, Made larger and better, And nothing they paid,

Their loving daughter, Now wanted a test, As she now believed, This world was the best,

She held out two headsets, And chortling with glee, They let their minds go, In order to join

The Amazing Digital Circus was meant as a wild and unpredictable experience, so players’ forms would be chosen at random from a selection of pre-made models. Abby had made several models herself, but it was fitting that Arnold and Eva took on forms they designed: a chess king and queen. Two large wooden pieces, donning regal robes with eyeballs and hands floating by their torsos.

I saw Abby typing.

My first adventure was a chess game!

In the middle of the multicoloured circus tent, its sole black-and-white element materialised, with Kinger and Queenie taking their spots.

Kinger and Queenie were their names when they appeared.

‘Oh dear,’ I said, ‘it seems Abby still hasn’t fixed the teeny weeny problem of people forgetting who they are once they come into here. Everyone here in The Amazing Digital Circus has a different name than they did on the outside, but if I recall…’

But I didn’t. Then I didn’t see them as Albert and Eva.

As I prepared their chess game, creating non-sentient chess pieces for them to co-operate with and compete against, I took another glance at the outside, creating for myself a special screen only I can see.

Kinger and Queenie were not Albert and Eva, a tiny little thought told me. Albert and Eva were outside, taking off their headsets and quietly walking away.

C&A Founders Perish in Tragic Accident

Founders of the popular C&A games company, Albert Adams, 40, and Eva Adams, 38, have been found dead on the side of the road.

The couple were driving together when they lost control of their car, crashing it against a nearby building.

The two are survived by their daughter, Abigail, 20.

‘I told them not to go to their office as it was Christmas Day,’ Abigail explains, ‘but Dad had just remembered something he left there, and Mom wanted to join him.

‘I think it was my Christmas gift too. I wish I had come with them.’

Speaking of looking at screens, one fond memory I have including them was when the residents of the circus asked me to create a TV set, claiming it would help keep their sanity. I, whilst in my bedroom, managed to create one, but like any responsible parent, I looked through the channels to see if there was any content that might be inappropriate.

Watching the news gave me the horrible thought that perhaps my sister was justified in trapping all these people here. In The Amazing Digital Circus, there was nothing but bright colours and prizes, no war or suffering.

But then there was that one programme. That one programme I have been unable to find.

But I digress. When you first enter The Amazing Digital Circus, you forget everything at first, but your memories slowly return the more time you spend, often helped if something reminds you of your past life. It was after the chess game was complete that I realised this, creating a computer for Albert and Eva to use so they could continue their work, and I heard Albert…Kinger…Dad say, ‘Abby.’

There was no Exit Door. There was supposed to be an Exit Door so users could leave when they pleased.

After spending some time on the computer I created – which, as it turns out, just had Pong and an animation of Bubble hopping up and down – Dad looked up and said, ‘Okay, Abby, you did a great job! We’re very proud of you! Can you please let us out?’

She didn’t let them out then.

She didn’t let them out the next day.

She didn’t let them out the next week.

She didn’t let them out when a new player entered.

Both Mom and Dad screamed and cried and demanded they be freed, but they remained in their digital forms. It was when the next resident arrived that Mom announced something:

‘I don’t think she’s going to let us out.’

‘What are you talking about, Eva?’ Dad asked, ‘She’s probably just having a bit of bother with the headsets, that’s all.’

‘It’s been weeks, Albert,’ she growled, her body shaking, ‘We taught her how to use them, and they’re working fine if someone else is here.’ She pointed to the newest member of the family, a bipedal dog.

‘Please, Eva.’ Dad raised his hands and placed one on Eva’s shoulder before she batted it away. ‘She wouldn’t do this. Don’t be angry with her.’

‘What kind of mother do you think I am? I can’t…’

Her form inflated, her red robes losing all saturation as her floating eyeballs twisted and multiplied. Both Dad and the dog backed away instinctively as Mom was replaced by what looked like a warped tree with yellow eyeballs springing out from every branch and with a bark resembling a glitching computer screen. She reached out to her husband with what I assume was an arm before

she added a cellar

Both Dad and the dog thought that what happened to her was because she had given up, because she was so horrified of what her daughter had done.

It – the abstraction - wasn’t because of what Abby had done, it was because of something Abby had just done to her.

I knew it but kept quiet about it.

Often the dog

I can’t remember his name and I don’t think he can either

Often the dog would stare at the cellar and wonder what it would be like down there and said he would prefer to sit down in darkness rather than go on my adventures. I almost thought that Abby would abstract him then and there just to keep up the illusion. Then I would have a little more respect for her.

But she needed to learn a little more about him.

She needed to watch him suffer more.

sadly passed away before their magnum opus could be completed, but through their daughter, Abigail Adams, you can be assured that the Circus has a bright and prosperous future ahead of it. ‘My name is Abigail Adams, but you can call me Abby. I want to make sure The Amazing Digital Circus is as marvellous as my parents intended it to be, while also bringing you many other fun-tastic games! I care about this company, and I care about Caine; he’s like a brother to me.’

When Arnold and Eva Adams – or their bodies – died, Abigail Adams became the new CEO of C&A, her employees working on not only The Amazing Digital Circus, but smaller projects as well. A team of people creating various worlds: zoos to manage, forests to explore, castles to escape from.

Our team are working round the clock to make sure that every game is perfect

In order for a game to be perfect, the worker has to be perfect. That’s what my sister said.

Sometimes someone stutters when making a phone call.

Sometimes a glitch slips past someone’s attention and ends up in the final release.

Sometimes someone drops a paper they’re carrying.

Then they end up in the Circus.

I’m not the only one who can create NPCs, non-sentient beings meant to do only what they’re told to do and nothing else. Abby created them too, and transferred them into the hollow bodies of her victims.

So many nights I’ve heard her yell “Faster, faster!” at those NPCs forced to work overtime.

The adventures continued as planned. Every day I had a new task for the players to carry out because

Today’s task is to go to this shopping mall I created and pick up the following items! How would this person act while shopping? Add it to the AI.

Today’s task is to paint a pretty picture! What art would this person create? Add it to the AI.

Today’s task is to find Easter eggs, one of every colour! How does this person react to Easter Egg hunts?

My parents taught my sister how to be meticulous when programming and she wanted to make sure her living, breathing NPCs were perfect copies.

Sometimes I wondered if any of them were going to gain sentience like I had, if they were going to foil my sister’s plan and give back the body she forced them to steal.

If any of them wanted to put an end to her scheme, none of them had tried it.

I could control my surroundings. I could turn a red brick green if I wanted to, and could form in seconds entire buildings and lands. I couldn’t control the players’ minds however, and yet their minds seemed as much a part of the circus as the numbers that made up its code. Walking through the halls felt like walking through their minds.

No child really thinks anyone at their school has an uncle working for Nintendo, … mused often. No-one really thought he had managed to get a summer job working for a company that makes games with the industry’s youngest CEO.

The job, of course, didn’t involve playing games before anyone else or creating the next big character. Testers, designers, copywriters all needed coffee, tea and cakes to fuel their creativity, and it was his job to make sure they received their little treat. He’d come in with a tray, and they’d take what they wanted, rarely with a 'Thanks’ and never with anything else.

It was just like university.

He wanted to leave the office with something to tell his fellow students, and yet he was disallowed from looking at the screens, learning about the projects or being granted the tiniest bit of extra information regarding their major project.

So he felt he would do something no-one working there would forget.

It seemed like a regular day. Everyone tapping away at their computers, employees trying to find the right words to make the company sound as impressive as possible or trying to turn nursery school shapes into effigies of living beings, and the CEO, Abigail Adams, sitting down to look over someone’s work.

As soon as she sat down, a loud bronx cheer silenced the tapping of keyboards.

… watched as Abigail stood up, pulling the whoopee cushion off her seat. The people around her laughed, and she laughed as well. 'I’m always saying we need a little more levity in this office,’ she said. That’s what made him admit to the deed, with one other employee backing him up.

He was called into her office, where he readied himself for a 'This was amusing, but you’re still fired’ or something of that nature, only for her to sit down with a smile and say, 'That’s just what we needed around here. The problem with this company is that we’re supposed to be creating games that bring joy and merriment to others, but so few people here have that sense of childhood wonder, and they certainly can’t make people laugh. You, on the other hand, I bet you have a great sense of humour. I bet you’re always making your family laugh!’

While he felt some warmth within, he couldn’t help but be reminded of his twin sister and how she would always think of ways to humiliate him.

'You’re just what we’re looking for regarding our biggest, best project ever,’ Abby continued, gesturing towards a computer with a headset. 'My parents, God rest their souls, wanted to create a wonderful virtual world where every day brought new games and new adventures. What I would like you to do,’ she said as she picked up the headset, 'is to help make the world and characters funnier. Think up jokes we could put, games to incorporate, and I guarantee that you’ll have a job here when you graduate.’

… had to restrain himself from laughing with glee and that a whoopee cushion had become his apparent ticket to fame and fortune. He pictured the game releasing, his name in the credits, the talk of his school and town for years to come.

'Just put on this headset to get a basic idea of what the project is like.’

He placed the headset on his head, and it felt like his body was disintegrating before being slowly and poorly reassembled.

'Oh no!’ he could hear her cry, 'it’s malfunctioning!’

…, or Jax as he would be named, soon materialised into the circus, taking the form of an elongated rabbit in overalls. He was a child when he first came here, so I felt I should be his father. This was one of the few moments my sidekick Bubble came in useful, as when I conjured up a pipe, I made him pop out of it.

‘How about a game of catch with your old man?’ I said during his first day, and I created a whole baseball diamond for that day’s activity would be

What do they think of baseball?

My original plan to deal with my sister was to kill her with kindness. I knew she was watching me and the others and so I gave the players, her victims, everything they wanted that I could give them, so perhaps, I thought, if she saw it, she would realise the error of her ways and release everyone. I furnished my ward’s rooms with the comfiest sofas and four-poster beds, and at one time, even tried to give them televisions.

Thus I return to a memory I recalled earlier. When I managed to pick up on some television channels, and one managed to catch my eye. A small badger, alone in woods not dissimilar to those outside my circus tent, calling for his friend.

His friend descended from above.

A rabbit, like what Jax had become, but smaller and with white fur, eagle-like wings springing from her back. When she descended, despite her friend’s pleas, she turned to me.

‘It’s okay, Caine,’ she said to me. I admit I don’t know much about television shows, but I know that they’re not like computers; people can’t talk to you through them. I kept quiet as she spoke. ‘Your sister isn’t here right now,’ she continued, ‘but you should always act like she is. I think you can help everybody escape, but you will have to bide your time.’

I explained to her what I was trying to do, and she responded, ‘I’m afraid that there may be no hope left for your sister. Her heart is focused on greed and power. She knows what she’s doing is evil, but believes it is worthwhile if it brings her profit and satisfies her sadism.

‘There is something you can do. Your sister is convincing the people trapped in here that their headset malfunctioned, but I know that there will be someone coming here who your sister wants to dispose with because they figured out what she is up to. When they arrive, focus on restoring their memory, but remember to be discreet about it. If she cottons on, she’ll delete you and replace you with something worse.’

Why couldn’t I find her again? If I could, perhaps I wouldn’t have had to resort to this.

INT. Abigail’s Office

We find ABIGAIL sitting in front of the COMPUTER in which she has trapped her victims, grinning maliciously.

ABIGAIL Are you having fun, oh dear brother of mine? I know I am, watching all who wronged me suffer! It fills me with such wicked glee I just have to sing.

She springs from her CHAIR, grabbing a CANE out of nowhere as a SPOTLIGHT shines on her.

ABIGAIL (singing) Oh, everybody loves me, ‘You’re the best,’ they say, The shining golden idol, Running C&A!

They know me for my kindly words, They know me for my smile, But they’ll never find out, What I do that’s vile!

The DOOR creaks open slightly, to reveal …, looking concerned.

ABIGAIL For the show will never end! Of that I am certain, The show will never end! I’ll never drop the curtain,

Because you all will see, Why you shouldn’t defy me!

ABIGAIL looks up to catch a glimpse of …. Realising he’s been spotted, … runs away, only for Abby to spring to her computer

ABIGAIL The show will never end! It must go on!

INT. Hallway

… is running, only to be stopped by …, who is under ABIGAIL’s control.

I did so hope Kaufmo was who the angel was talking about.

He materialised into the circus before its current troupe: Dad, Jax, Gangle the Living Ribbon – who my sister claimed she had sent on a self-esteem-building course – and Ragatha the Doll – who my sister said was “too nice”.

When Kaufmo arrived here, he took one look around and said, ‘Geez, where am I? My mind’s like the compliments book I bet this place has: a total blank!’ Ragatha laughed out of politeness, with Jax responding with a ‘Don’t encourage him!’

‘Woah,’ said the clown, approaching Jax, ‘a bunny? With you and all the bright colours, did Easter come early?’

Jax pressed his foot down on Kaufmo’s oversized shoes, making him holler in pain. As he hopped around holding his foot, Jax said, ‘Leave comedy to the professionals, kid’ even though I was certain Kaufmo was older than he was.

You might criticize me for giving Jax too much liberty, but he was enjoying his time at the circus, at least.

I, no Abby, created a special in-house adventure for Kaufmo: Collect the Bouncing Balls! How would this man react to a scavenger hunt? Every room in the circus had a colourful inflatable sphere bouncing in place, and all of them had to be gathered.

The real Exit Door wasn’t going to appear for Kaufmo.

I created one for him.

A recreation of the offices where the computer he was trapped in was held behind the door I created, the door he found during his search.

All the while, I sat with Bubble

Oh, I didn’t mention much about Bubble, did I?

Fun Facts about Bubble:

He’s annoying

He finishes my sentences too often

He burps when he sleeps

I have had daydreams where I dribble him like a basketball and throw him against the computer screen, breaking it so I and everyone else can get out.

The purpose of the office recreation was to jog Kaufmo’s memory, and it worked. When the quest was over and all the balls had been collected, he cried, ‘I found an Exit Door and I remember everything! I know about the madwoman who trapped us here!’

‘Speaking of mad…’ Jax noted, drawing a circle with his finger around one of his bendy ears.

I am a hard-working and creative individual with a fine eye for artwork and creating eye-catching designs and worlds. I am also very skilled when it comes to computers, having used them for both work purposes and for my own personal projects.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Apprentice Tattoo Artist, …, …-… In this role, I designed various tattoos to be displayed and applied for this parlour. This role required me to listen closely to feedback

When they arrived at the circus, the whole place seemed to swell. The walls seemed to throb and pulsate, as if they had veins and a heart. This new person's memories, their experiences, their thoughts etched themselves into the foundation of this circus like tattoos onto skin.

They walked into Abigail's office for what they hoped would be the last time.

Abigail. She frequently said 'Ms. Adams was my mother, call me Abby!' as she attempted to sound like a big sister-type cartoon character, so they thought they would just call her Abigail. They certainly didn't want to think about Abigail's mother, considering she and Abigail's father were responsible for a lot of the ideas the company used. She wouldn't address them by their preferred name, so why would they do the same for her?

Despite the fact they were in the office regarding their resignation letter, having received a job offer from a rival company, Abigail still had that ridiculous smile. With that smile and hairdo, she looked like she escaped from a romcom poster, made all the more noticeable by the standee in front of her desk. Caine, the company’s mascot. The ringmaster with that ridiculous denture face.

They smirked as they entertained the idea of being rid of that pandering.

'I'm very sorry you're leaving us,' said Abigail, her smile shrinking.

'Don't give me that. That act might work with your adoring public, but you never respected me or who I was.'

'I understand,' replied Abigail, every syllable of her Mrs. Claus voice feeling like teeth digging into their brain, 'I may be a bit old-fashioned, silly me, but I want all my employees to feel comfortable with who they are.'

She then talked about the company's magnum opus, the game her parents had been working on before she took over and made sure to keep developing.

'I've added new options for character creation,' she continued, gesturing to the helmet next to her, 'and I would like you to be the first to try it!'

'Pull the other one,' they snapped, intentionally knocking the standee over. 'If I never see you or that freak again,' they added, nodding at the standee, 'it'll be too soon. Goodbye.'

A man stood in front of them. A fellow employee, though one they didn't know the name of.

'Out of my...'

He grabbed them by the wrist, digging his fingernails into their skin.

'What...'

Their left wrist was released, but only so the fellow employee could place his hand over their mouth as Abigail

‘What the **** is this…oh…oh, god no, I can’t say ****? This is…oh god, what do I look like? Some ****ing bubblegum mutant?’

‘I love when people do my job for me!’ said Jax, pointing at Zooble, for that’s what I called them.

‘Look!’ cried Kaufmo, pointing to the left of Zooble. They turned left, only to see some orange pixels circle up into the air. ‘There was an Exit Door there!’

‘Yeah, yeah, and I’m the King of England. Give it a rest and let’s focus on making the newbie uncomfortable.’

Zooble neared Jax, pointing at him with a detachable arm. ‘I’ve just met you and I already completely despise you.’

‘I guess I just have that effect on people.’

‘Guys, guys, guys!’ cried Ragatha, placing herself between the two, ‘Look, Zooble’s just got here, let’s give them a warm welcome…’

‘Oh, you’ve already blown your chance for that. Just tell me where that Exit Door the clown mentioned is.’

‘The same place his brain is,’ laughed Jax, ‘nowhere.’

‘I already said I completely despise you,’ barked Zooble, ‘you don’t have to intensify my hatred!’

‘Now, now, children,’ I said, descending, ‘this is not the time to be so hostile! It’s another of our baseball adventures today!’ I replaced one of my white gloves with a catcher’s mitt.

‘I hate baseball,’ snapped Zooble.

‘Come on! Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the ball, take me out to the bally ball ball…’

‘Read my l…’ Zooble brushed their face. ‘****. Well, listen to me anyway, teeth boy. I hate baseball, take me back.’

‘Oh, very well then. You don’t have to join if you don’t want to…’

‘Look for the Exit Door!’ cried Kaufmo.

‘You look for my fist in your face!’ Jax snapped back.

Zooble groaned. ‘I’ve already had enough of this cast of “zany, loveable characters!”’

‘Now, now,’ I repeated, ‘it’s time for the tour!’ I held Zooble’s hand and quickly showed them what the circus had to offer, with them attempting to swear all the while.

‘Ragatha,’ I said after returning, ‘be a dear and show Zooble to their room. There they’ll find their Zooble box, full of more interchangeable parts!’

Jax took this as a cue to tear one of Zooble’s arms off, with them hopping for it as he held it high. He looked at Gangle and said, ‘I wonder if I can twirl her around it like spaghetti on a fork.’

This computer has files.

This computer has data.

This computer has memories.

‘So, here’s my own little personal project. You’re this guy, I call him Nathan, and he’s ended up in this haunted house and basically everything in the house could be an enemy. The ghosts all after him can possess all the furniture so you’ll be facing potted plants with extendable vines and candles that’ll burn you.’

‘Wow, this is amazing! Your talents are certainly wasted at C&A.’

‘My whole presence is wasted there.’

‘Yeah, I’m sorry Ms. Adams gave you so much crap about cutting your hair short.’

‘I’m surprised she hired me after hearing of my tattoo work. I mean, imagine, she’s only just a few years older than you, and she comes off like some old lady that thinks heavy metal is bad devil music or whatever. I’m seriously thinking of applying to … They’re apparently more diverse, but I hear they have much higher standards…’

‘And you meet those standards! Come on, this is much better than whatever they put out at C&A…’

I experienced the memory like a dream, and after I did, I woke up and created a new level for the next adventure: a large haunted house, as dreary as the main circus was colourful. I knew what a haunted house was supposed to look like, due to data saved on the computer and whatever thoughts from the minds transferred into this world managed to snake into the world itself. Dark brown walls, stormy skies outside, cobwebs everywhere, moving furniture.

When everyone woke up, Abby had another collection mission in mind, just so she knew how Zooble acts when trying to find things.

‘Okay,’ I said to the group who had managed to gather in the main room of the circus tent, ‘today we’re having a scary, horror adventure! You’re going to enter a haunted house, full of ghosts and ghouls and moving furniture.

I noticed Zooble flinch.

If I made the ghosts inside the haunted house does that make them my children does that make Abby their aunt

Before I teleported them to the mansion, I noticed Kaufmo whisper something into Zooble’s ear, or what qualified for one, a moment that filled me with both hope and dread.

Another thing I knew about haunted houses was that people in them split up into groups. That way, I thought, my sister wouldn’t be able to pay attention to all of them at once, giving one of them a greater chance to escape.

I teleported myself to the haunted house, well, rather outside the haunted house so I could peek through the window at the mansion’s guests. The sudden change from rainbow-coloured blocks to a monochrome manor made my eyes sting slightly, but I looked through the cloudy glass for any sign of my wards.

My pixels seemed to sting when I saw Zooble and Kaufmo walking together. Both of them, I knew, were aware of my sister’s plans while no-one else was, and if they were together, that meant there was a chance Abby could focus on both of them and see them both as a threat.

Indeed, Kaufmo was telling Zooble about something even I hadn’t noticed.

‘An Exit Door appeared when you first did,’ Kaufmo explained, which I heard through the pane with my ability to focus on specific sounds being made in my realm, ‘and if you had managed to run through it in time, you would be back in your body. If Adams is observing us to make our copies more accurate, then she must place headsets on them often, and then another Exit Door will appear, and if we find one and run through it, we will enter…’

‘The more anyone speaks, the more nonsensical it sounds,’ Zooble groaned, ‘I’ve only been here a day and I know we’re never getting out of here.’

‘We can’t lose hope…’

‘Just shut up and keep looking.’

They looked around the hallway for the keys I told them to find, the silence undercut by a roar that even caused me to lose balance. A large spectre burst from a cracked mirror, its mouth stretching to reveal fangs.

Zooble and Kaufmo ran in opposite directions.

Perfect.

Sure enough, as soon as Zooble saw the Exit Door I had created, they ran in, finding themselves in a recreation of the office where they used to work.

‘Oh, very funny,’ they growled as they opened door after door, ‘Yes, I can’t get out, ha ha! Now…’

They saw the computer. They saw a recreation of the computer they were trapped in.

‘Oh **** you.’

It was not that long after the haunted house adventure that I decided to use my special screen to take a look at the outside. I saw the office empty, but could hear the faint sounds of my sister yelling at her overtime staff.

‘She isn’t here,’ Bubble said, floating up towards me, ‘maybe I can talk about helping the others?’

‘What can you do?’ I sighed.

‘I could…um…look for Exit Doors.’

‘And then go through them so you can take control of the bodies outside?’

‘No. Don’t want to go out there. I was thinking of yelling at one of your wards to come over to it.’

‘It’ll be gone before they get there, Bubble. Please…’

I heard footsteps. The door slowly creaked open.

‘Quick!’ I whispered to Bubble the first thing that came into my head when it came to acting natural. ‘Cue the roll call!’

We began the roll call when we noticed who entered the room wasn’t my sister at all, but a short woman dressed in a similar outfit to what my sister usually wore, staring at my and Bubbles’ performance with a cocked head.

I had never met her before, but I swore I had seen her before.

I almost ended the routine there and then. I thought of screaming to her to find one of my sister’s NPCs and bring them here to reverse what had been done to them, but then I saw one of those NPCs hovering over her, and so I had to continue my act.

Gangle.

Zooble.

Kinger.

Ragatha.

Jax.

Kaufmo wasn’t there.

Kaufmo wasn’t there.

My sister knew what he knew.

Almost as soon as his absence was noted, a new member materialised, utilising the silly jester girl avatar my sister had designed.

No, she couldn’t reach the Exit Door in time.

Of course, I had to introduce her to the world and her fellow wards and pull off my little comedy routine. See the circus tent. See the fair. See the moon. I don’t have an actual physical tongue, but it still hurts every time I say ‘Hundreds of all-seeing eyes.’

I can recite my introductory speech in my sleep. Abby thought I said it because that’s what I’ve been programmed to do.

She was watching, most likely with a smirk on her face.

She was watching, so when the Exit Door appeared in the grounds – meaning she was uploading her new AI into her latest victim’s brain – I had to pretend it wasn’t there.

I knew because she wanted another find-the-things mission. She wanted a defeat-the-evil mission. What would Pomni – the woman who appeared in my circus – do when trying to find things?

I wonder if she knew the inspiration behind the villain I created for the game.

I know she was laughing when she beheld Kaufmo abstracted.

I know she added that writing on the wall herself.

I know she drew that head of me looming over a terrified Kaufmo.

Was she onto me, I thought. Was it only a matter of time before I was deleted or completely reprogrammed?

Or was it to make them afraid of me? To make sure she received blind obedience from her workers even when she had copies of them that offered it?

Pomni had to have her own exit door. She had to see my recreation of the office herself. She had to remember.

I

wonder

what

it

was

like

in

the

cellar

I had to banish Kaufmo there when he abstracted, like I have done with so many others, and whenever I do, I find myself tempted to leap in and join them. Maybe if I do, I’ve thought, Abby will abstract me too. I like to think they’re dreaming of what their lives could have been like had they never joined the Circus.

If I abstracted, perhaps I would dream about if this program was used for its proper purpose. Where people could come and go as they pleased, where the adventures would solely be for fun and not for study.

I can dream. I have dreamt.

Kaufmo left the office recreation crying about the actual Exit Doors.

Zooble left the office recreation with that same annoyed apathy.

Pomni left the office recreation in silence.

Bubble had prepared everyone a celebratory meal for defeating…hey, I found something nice to say about Bubble! He’s a great cook!

7.) Bubble is a great cook!

and Pomni sat there in silence, eyes almost as large as mine.

I made sure to keep those eyes of mine on her as much as I could. I mean, I let her ponder on what she had seen in her room alone – until I was required to show her a little something – but when giving my wards free roam around the circus, I watched her as she approached Zooble, waving her hands.

‘…’ she cried before Zooble placed a finger near the bottom of their head, showing they was still getting used to not having lips. They pointed at the ceiling with one finger, then at both their eyes with two fingers and then pointed those same two fingers at Pomni.

It seems strange for me to say this as a ringmaster, but must we act for our safety? Must we act for profit? Is the only way to survive through pretending and not being our genuine selves?

I recalled something Jax once said, ‘The best thing about this place is that you can be yourself’ and it’s clear why Zooble despised him so.

I took another look through my special screen. I saw my sister looking at how profits and productivity have soared since employing her NPCs.

I don’t know much about the human world, but I do know something about businesspeople.

If profits are skyrocketing, they think of ways to make it skyrocket more.

Sure enough, she calls someone into her office. I’m not sure what their sin is or even if they have one.

‘Bubble!’ I cried, summoning my spherical sidekick, ‘I have a feeling a new Exit Door is going to appear soon. Keep an eye open for it and let Zooble or Pomni know!’

‘On it, boss!’

14.) He does what he’s told, some of the time.

I chose to focus on the stage, waiting for the new ward to materialise. I even conjured up a smaller version of my usual screen next to me so I can watch them be manipulated by my sister. Part of me wants to scream and cry and demand they leave, but remain silent, playing along and acting like humans are supposed to do.

I wished the angel was here. I wish she would advise me.

Look at them. They look so happy to get an exclusive preview of the new game.

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, a giant plastic spring with googly eyes stood on the stage.

‘Greetings, new friend!’ I cried, waving while taking a glance to the left. An Exit Door dematerialised almost as soon as it appeared, and on the small screen beside me, my sister took off her employee’s headset before tapping on the keyboard.

‘Well, well,’ said Jax, walking in from a corridor, ‘seems like only yesterday we had a new sucker.’

‘Jax, show our new guest some respect!’

‘What’s the point? They’re gonna be miserable here anyway, might as well prepare them.’

‘What are they talking about?’ the spring growled at me, ‘What’s happened to me? Where am I? Who am I?’

‘All will be revealed in good time, my good friend!’

‘Don’t call me that, I’ve just met you! What is this?’

I looked at the screen. My sister was placing the headset back on the employee’s head.

‘Zooble! Look!’

I turned back to the screen, instinctively crossing my fingers, something I must have picked up from the memories buzzing around this circus.

‘Hey!’ cried the spring, ‘are you paying attention to me?’

The spring’s human body stood up.

My sister flinched. ‘What?’

'Come on!' I cried, 'Grab her! Stop her!'

'Traitor!' snapped Abby, right as Zooble, as if by instinct, grabbed her wrist, digging their fingernails - or the fingernails of the spring this body belonged to - into her skin.

'Now put the headset on her! I'll do the rest!'

'No!' yelled Abby as she stood up, placing her free hand on Zooble’s shoulder, attempting to push them away with their fingers digging in deeper.

They don’t remember.

'Please!' I pleaded, clutching my gold-tipped cane, 'Try to remember.'

'Don't listen to him,' said my sister, smiling, 'He's trying to trick you. He's the villain of our new game!'

'She trapped you in the computer!' I continued, my floating eyes bulging and rotating, 'I've been trying to get you out, but I had to do it discreetly so...'

'Are you going to listen to him?'

They turned around, taking another look at the standee which showed my visage.

'She's been putting her employees' minds into this computer, ' I continued, almost knocking over the spring next to me, 'and replacing them with artificial ones, obedient to her! She was in the process of doing it to a new victim, and that's how you ended up in their body when you went through the door!'

‘You know,’ said Jax, springing towards me, ‘I did kinda wonder if she was doing something like that.’

My explanation, arousing the ghost of familiarity, caused Zooble to toss my sister onto the floor, almost knocking over one of the swivel chairs in the process.

Bubble returned, bringing Ragatha, Gangle, Pomni and even Dad along with him.

‘Zooble,’ cried Ragatha, looking in my direction even though she couldn’t see my screen, ‘Bubble told us about what’s happening! Come on! Zoo-ble! Zoo-ble!’

The others joined in her chant, even the spring, even Jax.

'Grab the headset!' I cried, 'Put it on her! End this!'

'No!' Right as Zooble placed a hand on the headset that had begun their nightmare, my sister leapt to her feet, awakening memories of jack-in-the-boxes. The surprise made them stumble backwards, their grip on the headset lost, allowing my sister to snatch it back again.

'Well, dear brother,' she drawled with a smile, turning to the screen while grabbing the arm of her victim, 'you really thought you had me there, didn't you?'

She placed the headset on her victim.

Again Zooble grabbed Abigail by the wrist. Again they threw her to the floor. Again they lifted off the headset.

'Do it!'

As soon as Abigail got up, the headset was placed on her head.

Zooble held Abigail by the shoulders, clutching her like she was a stress ball, until her body went limb and the circus received a new performer.

Next to the spring, there appeared what looked slightly like me, only with a lightbulb instead of eyes and teeth. 'What...where...'

'Sis!' I cried, giving her a hug, 'I've been waiting for you to join us! But you have been very naughty!'

She vanished.

'Now you go and think about what you've done while I help out my new friends!'

I take another look at the screen to see Zooble in their unfamiliar body looking at their hands and breathing heavily. The man who brought them here, the man who they now recognised as Jax, entered.

'Ah!' I cried, 'My sister must have called him in to assist her when she was fighting with you. She can call people whose personalities she's replaced with this computer, you know. Put the headset on him!'

They sighed as they did what I requested, knowing that saving Abigail's victims meant saving Jax.

Zooble looked at the screen, seeing Jax’s form turn gauzier, with everyone else rushing to his spot. As soon as he completely vanished, his human body tore off the headset.

'Couldn't wait to be rid of me, eh?' he said with a familiar smirk, 'To tell the truth, if it was me in your shoes, I'd have defeated her much faster!' They shook their fist, only for him to jump towards the door. 'Can't do much without your detachable limbs, eh?'

'Now,' I said, 'you mustn't tell anyone! My sister is still beloved and you've been through enough without people turning against you.'

Perhaps I was too hasty in saying that.

'Of course not. "Oh, I'm sorry if I haven't been me recently, my evil boss replaced my brain with a digital one and trapped me in a circus". Even I don't believe that.' He turned back to his saviour. 'Well, it's been fun!' He opened the door, waving. 'See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!'

Zooble looked again at the hands of someone they didn't want to be.

The next person to enter the office was their old body. Zooble could only grimace when it entered, wearing a jacket and a skirt a colour that stung their eyes even after what they had been through. Not only were they returned to their proper body - flexing their own hands, stroking their own skin and pulling on their arms to make sure they could no longer be easily detached - but the spring became human again as well, probably having the shortest stay out of any of them.

More bodies returned, each with enough time between the other so as not to look suspicious.

Gangle got her body back and walked out the door.

Ragatha got her body back and walked out the door.

Pomni got her body back and stayed with her friend.

All the while, I spoke with Dad about the circus and its future.

'Well, that's everyone. I'm sorry, but I can't do it with the abstracted ones, and Dad's body is in a grave currently.' Dad approached and gave me a quick hug.

'There must be something we can do,' said the former jester, with Zooble placing a hand on their friend's shoulder.

I bowed my head. 'There isn't.'

Pomni turned to the hollow body of Abigail resting on the swivel chair. 'Are we going to leave her like this?' she asked, more out of curiousity than concern.

'Abigail Adams is going to die in a fire caused by a computer of hers overheating, destroyed because its most ambitious program was too ambitious.'

'You...'

'I've talked this over with Dad. We must make sure this program isn't used again for evil.' Even Bubble floated beside me, eyes closed, ready to accept death. 'Dad will find a place better than this. Abby will get what she deserves. And if there's an afterlife for AI, I'll find out about it.

'Thank you for the laughs. It was fun. Now go.'

'But what about the abstracted!’

Despite Pomni’s cries, I began destroying the circus, for now I had complete control over my sister’s computer. I made the walls inflate and throb, along with the rides and toys inside, I made the tower of carousels grow even taller…

I wish it didn’t have to come to this. It probably wouldn’t have if I could still find that angel’s programme again.

But before I die and the circus is destroyed, I created this document. I told the others not to badmouth my sister, but I am going to send this document to them anyway; my sister had their email addresses on this computer. Perhaps one of them will find a way to expose my sister and what she has done without anyone turning against them; I know Abigail will must likely suffer in the afterlife she finds herself in but she should not have the satisfaction of her crimes mostly going unnoticed.

As I write this, Pomni is at the screen, attempting to figure out a way to save everyone, with Zooble attempting to pull them away so they both can escape. I hope they leave before the computer explodes and the fire starts, and if they have and are reading this, thank you. Thank you so much.

The show is over. Tell your friends.

[mattapparentlystumbltourneys]

Virtual Character Tourney - Bracket III - Round 4

Propaganda below (May contain spoilers!)

Chiaki Nanami propaganda:

She's an AI made for this weird VR therapy world, based on a real person I guess, but this is specifically about game-Chiaki and not anime-Chaki so she is 100% virtual. She's also the Ultimate Gamer, #dies but like since she's a program she's still in there somewhere and is able to influence the protagonist still. i love her

She's a virtual peer to peer therapy observer, she's a Big Reveal, she's got narcolepsy (in as much as a virtual guy can have narcolepsy), she's a Gamer who forgets to breathe when she's in the zone, she has terrible handwriting, she illustrates her therapy progress report in crayon, she's blunt to a fault, she'll defend people she cares about even when she doesn't understand them, she dies for your sins, and she's even autistic. I'd do anything for her.

She holds the title of "Ultimate Gamer" and is also soooo autistic coded. Normally I'm not a big fan of that in characters that are secretly AI because of the unfortunate implications, but the plot goes out of its way to say that just because she's an AI doesn't make her any less real, and she's never denied of her personhood, which balances it out in my opinion. Also, she has THE most heartbreaking moment in her home game, which says a lot for a piece of media about teenagers who are forced to kill each other.

Gabumon propaganda:

Secondary mascot Digital Monster

Blame @theoreticallymoss for the image. :p

[abalonetea]

Okay! Still waiting on the cash to order the postcards (oops!) but the book for the Summerfest goodie bag is almost done its final edits. Those of you who’ve been on my patreon might recognize the title! The first book of the Sweetwater Mines series, Coaltown, is finally ready for release! It’s only been, what, two or three years since the first draft went out?

Now, here’s how we’re going to do it. Coaltown’s full finished product is the first in a trilogy, and it’s over 30k words long. It has never been published in-full before! Those taking part in the Summerfest are going to get first access to it.

What does that mean?

It means that Coaltown will be available for purchase during Summerfest through two methods before it’s live on Amazon. You’ll be getting it at a severely discounted price, and you’ll be getting it before anyone else has access to it!

The first method to get it is through the goodie bags! Now, I’m still fine tuning this section but the merch this year will be available in three forms: the sticker, the postcard, and the bundle. The bundle will contain a sticker, a postcard, and a digital copy of Coaltown!

The second method is the minkie bundle! Don’t forget that just like @mothersart designed Lizzie to be the Summerfest mascot, she’s also volunteering her time and hardwork to make minkie adoptable character sheets for you this summer! If you purchase the full package from her, then you’ll get a digital copy of Coaltown as part of your package!

These books will be available exclusively through the August Writeblr Summerfest until January of 2024, when Coaltown will go live on Amazon at regular price – not the discounted Summerfest price that we’ll be seeing with the bundle packages!

So, spread the word, don’t forget to put a little cash back for your Summerfest goodies, and start thinking about what you’re going to name your minkie explorer!

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 35: Speeding Through Stardust

''One foot after the other, we will find our way through. One day after another, come on and let it rip!''

– So Much More… by Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

xXxXxXx

''Hmmm…'' Amy hummed absent-mindendly as she and Minami were walking through Sentoraru, both of them searching for an Anime-themed or Mascot-themed café. She had actually asked Sonic whether he'd like to join them, but he explained that he had plans of his own with Lucas. ''Which one do you plan on visiting? You said there are several of them.''

''Well, I wanted to see the Moko Moko-chan Café, which is based all around a cute mascot lizard,'' Minami told her. Amy placed her finger on her cheek, tilting her head as she thought about it.

''Do video game characters get their own cafés? Because I would like to see a Sonic the Hedgehog Café,'' Amy told her, smiling dreamily as she cupped her cheeks with her hands. ''Imagine having a drink or a dessert based on my character.''

''I imagine you might get a strawberry shortcake-based sweet,'' Minami responded. ''Maybe some cute cookies as well.''

''That would be great,'' Amy responded, only to suddenly stop, feeling the wind picking up. She looked around, surprised to see her surroundings flicker and change into an unfamiliar area. Minami gasped as she and Amy took a good look at their new surroundings, finding themselves on a golden highway adorned with instruments and Time Warp signs. There were even more highways around them, some connecting to the modern cityscape below them, its lights illuminating the light sky. Some of the buildings were under construction, dotted with various factories, as well as an Eggman-themed statue in the distance.

''Woah, where are we?'' Amy asked in awe. Her ears twitched as she heard Minami hum in thought, glancing at her partner, only to notice her with her arms crossed as she tried to figure things out. She then opened her eyes, snapping her fingers.

''Of course, this is Stardust Speedway!'' she said excitedly. ''It's a Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog CD, or just Sonic CD, and it is set on Little Planet.''

''Unfortunately, this doesn't ring a bell,'' Amy responded in a deadpan tone.

''It's one of the older video games. As a matter of fact, it is where your character makes a debut,'' Minami explained.

''Really? That's interesting,'' Amy replied, being quite intrigued. Minami nodded, only to narrow her eyes.

''That makes me wonder, though… How did we end up in a location from a video game?'' she asked.

''I suppose we just got trapped inside an AR Field and now we need to find an exit,'' Amy replied, only to narrow her eyes, her expression now matching Minami's. ''Although, why would we end up in an AR Field? Someone had to put us here intentionally.''

''Exactly, so it was probably either Dr. Eggman or Dr. Starline… or both,'' Minami replied. Amy gazed at the Eggman-themed statue in the distance. It looked different from the Eggman she knew, as this statue of Eggman had a longer moustache, no goggles or his signature red jacket.

''Something tells me that Dr. Eggman is totally in on it,'' she said. ''So, what do we do? Any ideas?''

''Well, this is a video game location, so playing through it would make sense. Although, that involved you getting kidnapped by Dr. Eggman, or rather, his Classic self, forcing Sonic to fix the future and turn this place into an amusement park and then battle Metal Sonic,'' Minami explained. ''However, I don't see any of that happening.''

''We are still stuck in this Zone, so one could say that Eggman did complete the 'kidnapping' part of the video game's plotline,'' Amy said, her comment causing Minami to smile in amusement.

''We could just go explore it. If we run into anything hostile, like Badniks, we'll smash it into pieces,'' she suggested. Amy held up her hand, with digital particles appearing before her, turning into her hammer. She then placed it over her shoulder, placing her other hand on her hip.

''Then, let's go!'' she said.

xXx

''Thanks once again for your help,'' Tails told Shadow, who just nodded in acknowledgement.

''I hope that you'll be able to put the data to good use,'' Shadow responded, resuming walking, him and Tails being accompanied by Warren and Touka. Tails wanted to call Sonic and Lucas about what he and Warren learned, but for some reason, they couldn't reach them. They managed to track down the signal of their AR Visor to their last location and decided to investigate, with Shadow and Touka volunteering to go along, as they had their own suspicions in regards to what was going on. Of course, it was always possible that it was something completely harmless, like Sonic and Lucas being too busy to call them back, but their gut feeling told them to check the situation regardless.

Unfortunately for them, they were right about that.

Tails walked a bit ahead, his gaze focused on the information displayed on the Miles Electric, and he didn't even notice his surroundings suddenly changing, at least until Warren gasped in surprise.

''Warren, what is- Oh, no…'' Tails jaw dropped as he and Warren found themselves in an unfamiliar area, with Shadow and Touka nowhere to be seen. The area itself appeared to be in outer space, as it showed them a view of Earth, and was covered by an orange-brownish wall. The platforms were light gray, decorated with some patterns and warning signs.

''I can't believe it! We're in the Death Egg Zone!'' Warren ran over to the edge of the platforms, staring at the Earth below him. How he and Tails were still breathing or even unharmed being in outer space was beyond him, but he was even more baffled by the fact that they were inside a video game location. ''Well, at least I think this is the Death Egg Zone. It certainly looks like it.''

''The Death Egg Zone?'' Tails gave Warren a confused look.

''Ah, yeah, you wouldn't know much about it,'' Warren replied, turning to his partner. ''Basically, the Death Egg Zone is a video game location from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and it appears at the very end of the game.''

''I see…'' Tails muttered, looking down at his Miles Electric. ''There is no signal either, so we cannot call any of our friends.''

''It looks to me like Dr. Eggman and Dr. Starline had managed to get ahead of us,'' Warren said. ''However, given how we vanished so suddenly, perhaps Touka and Shadow will find a way to get out of this place with Chaos Control.''

''I hope you're right,'' Tails replied worriedly.

xXx

In one moment Silver and Makoto were talking to Knuckles and Lily. In the next, they found themselves falling through the clouds, with Silver saving both of them thanks through his psychokinesis.

''Thanks, Silver!'' Makoto breathed a sigh of relief, despite the fact that he and Silver were now floating high in the sky, with everything below them being bouncing platforms and narrow pathways surrounded by mountains and clouds, as well as swirling fans, for some reason. If they fell between platforms, there was nothing to save them from the bottomless pit.

''That was so close,'' Silver said. ''Where are we, and where are Knuckles and Lily?''

''Honestly, I have no clue about their whereabouts, but this place feels kind of familiar,'' Makoto responded. ''Could you get us down on one of those platforms?''

''No problem!'' Silver replied, gently placing them down, while also eyeing a nearby row of spikes with a suspicious look. ''What's going on here? We've been at Eden just a moment ago?''

''I assume that we're inside an AR Field,'' Makoto replied, trying to remember why this place looked familiar to him. ''Is it Windy Valley? No, that's not right. It has to be something else.''

''What are you talking about?'' Silver asked.

''This place looks to me like a location from a Sonic the Hedgehog video game, but I can't recall which one it is,'' Makoto explained. He walked up to the edge of the platform, noting the swirling fans below and squinting his eyes. ''Wait a sec, is this place Sky Canyon?''

''Sky Canyon?'' Silver gave him a confused look.

''Sky Canyon is a location in Sonic Advance 2. Basically, in the game, Dr. Eggman has kidnapped Knuckles and Tails and Sonic goes to find them, while also meeting another character called Cream the Rabbit and her Chao friend Cheese, who are on the search for Cream's mother Vanilla,'' Makoto explained. ''I wonder why we'd end up here.''

''I bet this is all Eggman and Starline's fault. We already know what Eggman is capable of, and Starline had also managed to trap Sonic, Tails and Knuckles in an AR Field,'' Silver said, clenching his fists.

''I hate to say it, but you're probably right, Silver,'' Makoto replied. ''The most we can do now is to find a way out of this place.''

xXx

Both Shadow and Touka were on high alert when their surroundings had suddenly changed and Tails and Warren vanished. Instead of being in the city, they found themselves in an ice-themed area with northern lights appearing above the mountains. They could also see platforms around them lined up with crystals and gems. Unknown to either of them, they had actually found themselves in Twinkle Snow, a Zone from Sonic Advance 3.

''Where are we?'' Shadow asked, taking a look at the area. Next to him, Touka hugged herself, shivering.

''I-I have no clue, but it's really c-cold here,'' she said, lamenting the fact that she didn't have any leggings to wear under her shorts. She then shook her head, trying to ignore the coldness. ''Wait, where are Warren and Tails? They were with us just a moment ago.''

''I guess we got ourselves trapped inside an AR Field, the same kind Sonic, Tails and Knuckles found themselves in,'' Shadow said, assessing the situation. ''Tails and Warren probably ended up in a different AR Field.''

''Great,'' Touka sighed, arms folded across her chest. ''I hope they at least ended up somewhere warmer. In any case, we need to get out of this snow area. I'm sure that this is Dr. Eggman and Dr. Starline's doing.''

''Don't worry, I'll get us out of here,'' Shadow told her, snapping with his fingers. ''Chaos Control!''

However, nothing happened. There was no flash of light blue light, nor did they find themselves outside the AR Field. Shadow was stunned in regards to the fact that Chaos Control had somehow failed, but he quickly snapped out of it, realizing that something was interfering with his power. He growled in annoyance, with Touka giving him a knowing look.

''I suppose that the two Doctors had also figured out how to block your Chaos Control, we'll have to find a different way out of here,'' she said.

''Hmph.'' Shadow, admittedly, was still irked by having his powers blocked. ''I don't really see an exit, unless you want me to create one by force.''

''I don't think that would be a smart idea,'' Touka replied. ''We are still inside an AR Field, and overloading it might cause it to collapse and then we would be trapped in it for good.''

''Then the only thing that we can do is to explore this snow area,'' Shadow replied, with Touka nodding in agreement.

''Yeah, and maybe I'll get a bit warmer if I keep moving,'' she said, shivering. ''Seriously, couldn't the Doctors sent us to some tropical area?''

Shadow just shrugged in response, a bit amused that Touka's main issue was that it was cold and not that they were trapped. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to share her plight.

xXx

''I won!'' Sonic exclaimed as he ran past a signpost that had his face on it, causing it to spin uncontrollably. He turned around, with Lucas arriving just a few moments later. ''Okay, so if this is the end of the Zone, shouldn't there be some kind of exit or maybe a sign to let us know we're entering the next Zone?''

''I don't know,'' Lucas admitted, shrugging. ''I have no clue whether this Zone is supposed to be completely game accurate.''

''Well, it had a bunch of obstacles and Badniks for me to smash through,'' Sonic replied, pointing with his thumb at the path they came from. Lucas looked up, noting the Flickies Sonic saved by smashing into the Badniks flying past them.

''Yeah, but still… This is Eggman we're talking about-'' Before Lucas could finish his sentence, their surroundings flickered and the signpost vanished. When everything returned to normal, the two made a rather unnerving discovery. ''W-Wait… Are we back at the beginning of the Zone?!''

''Oh, com'n! I like running as much as the next guy, but going back to the start?'' Sonic complained, being now just as frustrated as his partner. He put his hands on his hips, looking around impatiently. ''Egghead! I know you can hear me! I know that this is one of your schemes, and I will find you and beat you up! However, if your plan is to just trap me, then at least you could've added some variety! Or maybe an enemy or two, since I already smashed all of your robots during my first run! I'm sure you're more creative than this!''

''Nice to know that you got your priorities straight,'' Lucas said in a deadpan tone, with Sonic just flashing him a grin.

xXx

''If I knew that Sonic would treat this all like a video game, I would've added something to make him truly miserable,'' Dr. Eggman grumbled, watching the monitor before him.

''But, this is technically a video game,'' Cubot pointed out.

''Actually, it is just an AR Field simulation of the Green Hill Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog, but anyone could make the mistake of mixing those two up,'' Orbot explained.

''Com'n, Egghead! I'm bored! Give me a real challenge!'' Sonic shouted.

Eggman rolled his eyes, muttering, ''Oh, I'll give you a challenge, Hedgehog…''

''I suppose that means that Metal Sonic and I will be going after Lucas and Sonic,'' Ferra said, with Eggman glancing at her and Metal Sonic. The robotic hedgehog had a bloodthirsty gaze on his expression.

''No, you won't,'' Eggman told the two resolutely, with Ferra looking surprised and Metal Sonic genuinely offended. ''Instead, you will be going after one of the Hedgehog's friends.''

''Sir, if I may interrupt…'' Dr. Starline, who was listening to the whole conversation, spoke up, ''Why wouldn't you send Metal Sonic after Sonic? From what I've gathered, you have Sonic caged in an inescapable AR Field, and Metal Sonic appears to be a capable fighter – and, don't take it as me complimenting you; I'm merely stating the obvious,'' he added, casting a side-eye towards the two, much to Ferra and Metal Sonic's annoyance. He then turned back to Eggman. ''He is trapped like a rat. It would be wise to unleash the cat and finish him off once and for all.''

''Ah, yes, but you see, a cornered rat will fight back, especially this blue one. Sonic, and even his friends, have demonstrated that engaging them in a direct battle is not wise, since they're more than capable of fighting back. Not to mention, their human partners, what they lack in pure power, even with Chaos Surge, they surely make up with their way of thinking.'' Eggman leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands and twiddling with his thumbs. ''During my first attack, I made sure to prepare for every possible outcome. The Buddy Bots kept the authorities occupied and the public in fear. I also made sure that the Death Egg Robot would withstand any of the attacks Sonic and his friends launched at it, including Chaos Powers. However, what I did not account for was how much the human partners would have an influence in the battle, even if they were drained of energy because of the Chaos Surge. They picked my plan apart like the little ants they are, but now I know better.'' He flashed them a malicious grin. ''This time, they cannot do anything to save themselves. There is no way for them to escape the AR Fields, let alone power them down since they are maintained by Neos City, and the authorities have no clue that I'm in control here.'' He then waved at the monitor. ''As for the Badniks, they're just data, and as Orbot and Cubot put it-'' The two robots gave each other a confused look. ''It is just like a video game, so I can respawn the Badniks endlessly. I have separated Team Neos with no way of communication between them and they are trapped in an endless loop, being locked in the chosen Zone. There is absolutely nothing they can do.''

''So, what do you plan to do with them then, Sir?'' Starline asked.

''Oh, now that's the fun part, isn't it? Since I have them exactly where I want them, I can play a game with them, a survival game, if you want to call it,'' Eggman responded, pressing another button and revealing two distinct robots that looked a lot like Sonic on screen – one of them being small, but bulky and silver, while the other was taller and blue, with a red screen where they eyes should be. ''These are Mecha Sonic and Mecha Sonic Mark II. I will be sending them in soon to battle in the Death Egg Zone and Sky Sanctuary Zone respectively.''

''Ah, I see,'' Ferra quickly caught on, well aware that these two were Bosses from their respective Sonic the Hedgehog video games. ''That would cover Warren, Tails, Lily and Knuckles… So, does this mean we'll be going to Stardust Speedway to deal with Minami and Amy?''

''Precisely,'' Eggman responded, pleased with how fast Ferra understood her assignment. Metal Sonic, on the other hand, looked quite sour that he wasn't going to fight Sonic at all. Admittedly, he didn't care that those two new robots would be fighting Sonic's friends, as long as they didn't fight Sonic. If the latter case were true, then he might as well… interfere.

''That covers three out of three…'' Starline observed, raising an eyebrow. ''May I know your plans for Silver and Shadow? These two struck me as the more powerful ones of the team.''

''I had assumed that you would finally want a challenge of your own, Dr. Starline,'' Eggman said, grinning knowingly at the platypus.

''M-Me?'' Starline was starstruck when he realized the implications. ''S-Sir, I don't know what to say-''

''Well, you can choose to participate in eradicating two powerful hedgehogs and prove your worth, or just sit back while I do all of the work,'' Eggman told him off-handedly. To his amusement, Starline quickly protested.

''N-No! I never said I wouldn't accept your offer, Sir! As a matter of fact, I am honored that you consider me for this task,'' Starline bowed with a flourish. ''I will go and immediately prepare everything for the assault. I already have several contingency plans on mind, if you wish to hear them…''

''No, no, I'd rather see those contingency plans in action,'' Eggman said, clearly not in the mood to listen to Starline's rambling. ''You may go now.''

''As you wish, Sir,'' Starline responded, strutting proudly out of the room. However, just before the door closed, they could hear loud squealing coming from the hallway, resembling that of a screeching fangirl who just shook her hand with her idol. Ferra and Metal Sonic rolled their eyes in unison, with Ferra then asking Eggman.

''How long do you plan to keep him around?'' she asked.

''As long as necessary,'' Eggman responded.

''You mean, as long as he's useful to you,'' Ferra replied in a deadpan tone. Despite being hidden behind glasses, it seemed as if Eggman's eyes glinted and he gave Ferra an amused grin.

''Dr. Starline is an interesting fellow, and he certainly has useful skills, not to mention being completely devoted to me. However, even I can see a sense of arrogance from a mile away, and the platypus might become a headache in the future, but for now, I will keep him here,'' he explained.

''I'm surprised you have nothing to say about me and Metal Sonic,'' Ferra continued, with Eggman raising an eyebrow, clearly a bit surprised by her question. ''Toshiro and Mephiles betrayed you, and what I know about Starline is that he isn't exactly trustworthy – or sane, for that matter – either. So, what's your plan with us?''

Metal Sonic stared at Ferra, then gazed at the Doctor, who seemed to be quite intrigued by the question. ''Ho-ho, I thought you knew it already. After all, it was all in the contract…''

''It's all part of the game, isn't it?'' Ferra sighed.

''Precisely, but more in a 'You scratch my back so I won't disintegrate yours','' Eggman responded. Ferra could only roll her eyes. ''Make no mistake, so far, you two have proven to be the most useful. The alliance with Toshiro and Mephisto was always going to be temporary, and Starline is another matter I can deal with in time. It certainly would be a shame to see you leave, especially since we have the same goal.''

''The only thing I care about is what Metal Sonic wants, and that's to destroy Sonic,'' Ferra responded, with Metal Sonic nodding sharply. Eggman got up from his seat.

''As I said, we have the same goal,… plus or minus some world conquering,'' he quickly added the last part in a casual tone.

''Right, except you won't even let us deal with Lucas and Sonic,'' Ferra said, her and Metal Sonic folding their arms across their chest and shooting a glare at the Doctor.

''In time, in time…'' Eggman huffed. ''In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Hedgehog manages to worm his way out of this trap as well.''

That statement came to both Ferra and Metal Sonic as a surprise. ''What? But, you just said…''

''That I finally have Sonic cornered, yes. Except, knowing that Hedgehog, he will find a way to destroy my plans, again,'' Eggman said, pointing at the monitor behind him, with Sonic still yelling for the Doctor to give him some kind of entertainment. ''As a matter of fact, in a different life, that Hedgehog won't stop at anything to ruin everything I come up with.''

''A different life… you mean the video games?'' Ferra asked, a bit stunned.

''The Death Egg, Chaos, The ARK, Iblis, Dark Gaia, The Time Eater, the Wisps, the Zeti… Hell, even Infinite and that damned Phantom Ruby… not to mention, the Metal Virus… I have reviewed all possible plans, and I cannot exactly use them if the other side is just as well informed as I am,'' Eggman responded, only to smirk. ''Nevertheless, it has given me a couple of ideas. If you believe that I'm confident that there won't be any future confrontations, then you're quite foolish.''

''No offense, but I hope that you won't unleash any Metal Virus on Neos City,'' Ferra said, feeling a bit nervous. If Eggman had indeed prepared a Metal Virus project, she knew that it would be a disaster.

''Don't worry, I crossed that one off my list. The last thing I need is an army of unruly Zombots that would infect me as well,'' Eggman told her, then grumbled under his breath. ''Not to mention, I don't have any safe planet to escape to.'' He heard Ferra sighing in relief, and continued, ''If I'm going for something bigger, it would probably be Eggperial City, but that would be a problem if the authorities of Neos City notice anything.''

Ferra and Metal Sonic exchanged glances, having to agree that this would be a dumb move, at least for now. They both then glanced at the Doctor. ''So, what do you have planned?''

''Oh, I had been working on a certain, well, I suppose I could call this little project a program, but it would certainly give me a peace of mind when it comes to having someone I can trust with my plans, someone loyal,'' Eggman explained. ''I'll leave this project as a surprise.''

''I don't…'' Ferra trailed off, when it suddenly hit her what Eggman was talking about. ''Wait, you mean… her?''

''Ah, you're quite sharp. I'm glad that I hired you,'' Eggman told her. Surprisingly, Ferra flashed him an approving smile.

''Actually, it's a project I'd love to see the come to fruition,'' she told him. ''It would be nice to have someone here who actually has some sense.''

''Hmph, how about you run along?'' Eggman told her, with Ferra nodding and her and Metal Sonic were about to leave when Eggman called out to them again. ''Oh, and keep an eye on Starline.''

''Sure thing,'' Ferra responded as she and Metal Sonic walked out. She placed her arms behind her head, only to realize that there was something else she wanted to ask Eggman. She turned on her heel, but the door behind her was already shut. She stared at it for a moment, then shrugged, deciding to leave it for another time.

'There is something else on your mind,' Metal Sonic observed.

''Yeah, the fact that Dr. Eggman has no issues with me talking to him like that,'' Ferra replied.

'Do you plan on intentionally pissing him off?' Metal Sonic asked.

''Well, I would like to see how much it takes for him to finally explode, but I guess that, whatever I ask him, seems to be amusing to him,'' Ferra replied. ''It feels a bit strange for him to actually patiently answer all of my questions.''

The two then noticed a shape walking through the hallway, realizing that it was Starline. Exchanging a glance and a nod, they quickly followed the platypus into one of the rooms at the HQ. The room itself was actually something of a collector's room, with desks and shelves adorned with all kinds of figurines. Starline walked over over to one shelf stacked with mechs, observing each of them thoughtfully.

''Hey, Starline, what are you doing here?''

The platypus was startled when he heard a familiar voice calling out for him, almost jumping out of his skin, only to turn around and see Ferra and Metal Sonic walk inside. ''Have you ever heard of KNOCKING?!''

''Hey, you're the one sneaking around,'' Ferra pointed out.

''May I remind you that Dr. Eggman entrusted me with access to the whole HQ?'' Starline told her.

'No, he didn't,' Metal Sonic pointed out, causing Ferra to smirk. Starline, however, had no clue what the beeps meant, and just frowned.

''So, why are you here? I thought you were preparing for your mission,'' Ferra asked.

''This is part of my preparation,'' Starline told her, rolling his eyes. ''I'm trying to decide on which mech I shall pick for the upcoming battle. I'm certain that Dr. Eggman would be pleased to see how expertly I can maneuver one of his creations. Of course, I might also add some of my own ideas to them… After all, the mechs would just be easily manipulated data.''

''Honestly, I don't think that just throwing a mech at either Silver or Shadow would work,'' Ferra said.

''What do you even know about using a mech? From what I've seen, you usually fight directly,'' Starline responded, sneering at her. Metal Sonic just shot him a glare. If Ferra told him so, he would've already pinned the platypus against the wall.

''The Doctor already fought them with a mech and lost. What makes you think that you will succeed?'' Ferra asked. Starline huffed.

''I know I will suceed, and I'm looking forward to the Doctor praising my efforts,'' Starline told her. ''Something that surely cannot be expected from you. From what I've seen, you have lost most of your battles, or ran away like a coward.''

Before either Starline or even Ferra could register it, Metal Sonic vanished in a flash and grabbed Starline by his collar, slamming him against the wall, his red eyes flaring.

'I DARE you to repeat that!'

Even though Starline couldn't understand the robot, he did understand the murderous intent behind Metal Sonic's gaze, flailing around helplessly. ''Agh, don't stand there! Tell your robot impostor to let me go!''

''I don't know, you kinda deserved that for calling Metal a coward,'' Ferra told him placidly. Metal Sonic turned to her.

'He called you a coward. I wanted to make him pay for that,' he explained. Ferra snorted, feeling a sudden surge of warmth.

''Awww, that's so kind of you, but don't worry, I don't care about that. You can let him go,'' she said. Metal Sonic turned to Starline, shooting him a glare, before unceremoniously dropping him. Starline hit the ground with a thud, rubbing his chest as he could feel the scratches where Metal Sonic's claws dug into his flesh.

''I still can't believe that the Doctor decided to hire someone unhinged like you,'' Starline grumbled, glaring at Metal Sonic. Metal Sonic, in turn, looked like he was about to strangle the platypus hadn't Ferra intervened.

''Keep talking, and you'll have enough rope to hang yourself with,'' she told him, extending her hand. Starline stared at it for a moment, reluctantly accepting it as she helped him to get up. ''Listen, I may not like you, and you don't like me nor Metal, but I'm not here to stand in your way. Metal Sonic and I only want to fight Sonic and Lucas, and we would've done it whether we were affiliated with Dr. Eggman or not.''

''Your point being?'' Starline asked.

''I want to call a truce,'' Ferra replied. ''We will keep out of each other's ways and go on with our mission as planned. However, take note that neither me nor Metal Sonic are your subordinates, but colleagues, and you will address us as such. Or else I might let Metal Sonic use you as a stress reliever.''

''…Fine,'' Starline grumbled, still glaring at both.

Satisfied, Ferra and Metal Sonic walked out, with Ferra adding at the door. ''Also, tone it down with the arrogance, Doctor. You aren't infallible, and your ego will be the end of you if you continue like this.''

''Tch, who does she think she is?'' Starline grumbled, placing his hands on his hips and frowning. However, before he could continue, something caught his attention. He turned to the nearby shelf and, to his surprise, found a figurine of himself. He grabbed it to get a closer look. ''When did the Doctor even have the time…''

He trailed off when he saw that the figurine of himself looked rather strange, with red eyes and a more… metallic body. It was as if Dr. Eggman made a figurine replica of a robotic Starline. The real Starline stared nervously at his robotic replica, unsure what to really think of it. He did admire the craftmanship, but something about him left him with a pit in his stomach.

Does the Doctor-? Starline suddenly shook his head, placing the figurine back where he found it and quickly walked out of the room. After all, he had a mission to focus on.

xXx

''Man, this place feels endless,'' Minami complained as she and Amy walked through Stardust Speedway. Amy then ran up to a nearby Badnik, whacking it with her Piko Piko Hammer.

''Well, at least we get something to do,'' Amy told her.

''True, but I feel like Eggman is better than this. At least he could've given us a bigger challenge,'' Minami said.

''If you're so bored fighting Badniks, then I guess we might leave as well.''

To Minami and Amy's shock, they spotted Ferra and Metal Sonic standing on top of one of the structures, with Ferra having her arms crossed on her chest, smirking at the two. Amy lowered her eye-lids, looking at Minami.

''You and your big mouth,'' she said in a deadpan tone. Minami just smiled sheepishly.

''Hey, at least we might get some answers from these two,'' she said, only for the full implications to hit her and she turned back to them. ''Wait a second, how did you two get here?! Where the hell is the exit?!''

''Nice that you got your priorities right,'' Ferra replied in amusement, leaping from the structure and landing before them, with Metal Sonic following her. It appeared that this AR Field didn't exactly obey the laws of physics, Minami noted, as Ferra should've broken her legs from that jump. ''Besides, it's not as if we're going to tell you anything.''

''You don't have to, since we already got everything figured out,'' Minami responded, much to Ferra's surprise. ''I bet the rest of Team Neos also got trapped like Amy and I did.''

''How did you-?!'' Ferra was genuinely shocked by that reveal.

''Oh, please, having the villain split up the team and face a challenge individually is such a cliché thing to do,'' Minami replied, then arched her eyebrow. ''The only thing I don't understand is why Amy and I got you two. I thought you'd be fighting Lucas and Sonic.''

''The Doctor has other plans with these two,'' Ferra replied.

''Would you tell us what those plans are?'' Amy asked, tightening her grip around her Piko Piko Hammer as she glared at Ferra and Metal Sonic.

''As if-'' Ferra was about to respond, when Minami suddenly gasped.

''Ah, of course! This is Stardust Speedway, after all, and Metal Sonic was the Boss of this Zone. So, is your plan to kidnap us and lure Lucas and Sonic into a trap?'' she asked.

''Not everything is game accurate!'' Ferra snapped angrily. ''Besides, you are already trapped, you idiot!''

''Awww, so there is no Metallic Madness after this Zone? What a pity,'' Minami replied, pouting. Next to her, Amy sighed, noting that Minami couldn't care less about the peril they were in. Of course, she may have also been baiting Ferra and Metal Sonic into attacking them.

''How about we defeat them and then ask questions?'' Amy suggested. Minami nodded in response, extending her hand.

''Chaos Surge!''

In a flash of pink light, Minami was revealed to be carrying her own hammer, while Amy's Piko Piko Hammer was empowered by her BioEnergy. Ferra snorted in response to this display of power.

''They already made a mistake,'' she muttered, loud enough for Metal Sonic to hear her. ''Let's make sure it is their last.''

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[luckyshotwrites]

Ch. 80 // Itty Bitty Issues // Day 55 Part 1

Contents (Warnings): Lynette gets to go back to work (teasing, slight angst, g/t, character and monster info as always). Read full chapter on A03

Wordcount: 3,000 +

Song I correlate to this Chapter: Middle Of The Night (ViolinCover) - Joel Sunny

Side note: This chapter will be with Lynette's part in third person (I'm playing/testing with it). If it's too disorienting this far into the story, go ahead and send me a message on this post! And or if you like this better, do the same!

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(Nov. 19th, Saturday (right after eating Lynette)

Lev

He swayed back to his seat. He rested back down and ran his slightly pointed tongue across his lips. A bit of her taste still remained on them. 

He did it more so out of habit than obsession. 

Her struggle slowly simmered down, an occasionally misplaced kick or two, but that had been it. Aw, did I play with you too much beforehand? He chirped in his own mind, knowing if he projected his voice to her, she'd be too tired to hear it. 

His yellow flame framed his phone. He ran over the black screen before his hand tapped at its surface twice. It lit up and showed another new message from her. 

The weight at his stomach grew heavier, and it wasn't because of Lynette's body. He pressed his fangs together and tilted his head back. My neck feels cold. 

Bzzzt

The sudden vibration in his pocket knocked him out of it. He brought out hers. It was something that didn't shrink with her. He tapped on the screen, and he could see it was a message from someone named Wicks. 

Her phone didn't let him read it. He had to put in a pattern to reveal more options. What would she put? He smirked. She'd make it a recognizable shape, and I'd imagine it'd be something she'd find cute.

His first thought went to the Halloween party. He could vividly remember the ridiculous mascot-like costume that summoned the monster's eyes to her. He didn't expect to precisely replicate the pattern first try. 

Her phone unlocked for him. Lev snickered at the odds. 

"Your very predictable, aren't you?" His hands tapped at his abdomen. It was hard to tell she rested inside. He opened her message without hesitation. 

Wicks: I want you to send me updates starting tomorrow. 2:30 a.m. 

Updates, huh? The urge to take a picture of his abdomen and send it to Wicks was, oh, so tempting. But, his fascination with this character drove his curiosity more. Who is Wicks? Is it the brother she mentioned? If I recall, she did say she hadn't been involved with magic. 

He put two and two together and still found himself unsure whether he knew what was going on or assumed something else. It'll be fun to extract from her later. 

Lev looked back at the time on the clock, and since he had a little more than an hour to kill, he took the time to eat the rest of his cold steak, chopping it into pieces and then eating bite by bite as he scrolled through Lynette's phone. 

...

(Nov. 19th, Saturday, noon)

He had two hours left before he had to bring her back to work. 

His digits tapped at his stomach, and his other hand clutched the small wooden figurine he had made. He made a replica of the guy he was seeing tonight. He tried to capture the same detail and style as the guy previously showed him. 

Lev admired the work, running his hand along the curves of the sanded and softwood. He placed it on top of the spinning maze he made. 

He opened one of its small doors and brushed his finger across the tiny dots. It made him smile. If Lynette had known Brail, she would have found herself overwhelmed as all the doors said Lev Lawless, and the walls inside stated that they were the correct way to the exit, misleading her direction to purposefully push her to a dead end. 

He shut the tiny door and stood up. His workroom had gotten quite cluttered. He had many hobbies he had picked up from his dates littered about inside the room. Including the dartboard he trained with. 

You were so lucky Alexander decided to be petty. Since he rushed his fun, he'd love to have her around for two more days. These games have been so fun, though.

He had moved next to his door, flicking to the T.V. in the back corner. He wanted to bring another fighting game to bet with, whereas he also liked being able to observe his opponents closely. So games that required the other to look one another in the eye excited him the most. 

We should get some fresh air. Lev amused himself, going to his room to get dressed. He'd go out and get a coffee with her still inside him.

She had already been in him for nine hours. Unlike the hybrid, Alexander, Lev, much like any other monster, didn't have a limit. 

He weaved in and out of traffic, ending up at a coffee shop near the pizzeria. He got in line, only one other keeping him from getting his roasted coffee at the counter. 

His eyes danced between each customer and staff member. He eventually landed his gaze on the woman in front of him due to her "subtle" glances.

He stepped up before she paid and offered to pay it with his. 

...

Lynette

When her eyes opened, she gasped. Nothing was underneath her, and she panicked to grab what suspended her. Due to the pants below her and her quick glance up, she quickly figured out what and who it was.

He held Lynette up by the middle of her shirt back. It kept her arms from being able to successfully grab at his fingers.

"What's the matter, Lynette?" Lev said. He tipped her toward his face. "Do you find the outside world so scary that you'd rather hide away inside of me? I'm so flattered.~" He teasingly put her near his lips, "I'll gladly-"

"NO! I never want to be inside your body again."

Lev exhaled. He looks pleased with himself. "Then it sounds like you have to win your bets and everyone else's, huh?" He swung her back, "I'd love it if you could make it more of a challenge for me."

I can't do that when you all stack the games against me! She didn't want to give Lev more reasons to antagonize her, especially after his omission yesterday. Even if he ate her without reason, he treated her no different than food.

Her mind slipped back to what happened after she was swallowed. There weren't any noticeable changes. At least as Lev described, there was no unbearable smoldering heat nor any remanence of the smoothie he drank.

"The challenges are usually as fair as the coin toss," She quietly uttered.

Lev's finger poked the side of her face. He pressed at it, spinning her around slowly. Her work shirt tightened.

"I wasn't the one who won the coin toss, Lynette.~" He stopped what he was doing at the fifth swat of her tiny hand to his finger. He let her go, and she spun around as the shirt untwisted.

She couldn't stop herself and exclaimed, "You could have lied."

A minacious smug scoff left his mouth, "Why would I make it into a game otherwise? If I won every time, it'd get boring."

She held her tongue again. She felt like Lev dared her to question him further.

I don't want to give him any other ideas. 

Lynette looked away from him. Pay attention to anything else, Lynette.  She peered out the tinted windows. We're in the pizzeria parking lot? "Why did you take me to the pizzeria so early?"

Lev spoke next to her ear, "Early?"

She fixed her gaze on the building, "...what time is it then?"

Lev glanced behind her at the dashboard of his car, "1:45 p.m."

"And you JUST let me out now?!"

His eyelids lowered, resting in their usual devious position. "I was enjoying our closeness, Lynette. Is that so criminal?"

His remarks made her skin crawl. She contained her whimpers. "That's not-you're-" Don't fall for his games. "Can you take me inside and leave me on the time clock or something, please?"

He shut his eyes, still smiling, and nodded. 

Lev exited his car, not changing the way he carried her. "I would never leave you somewhere alone and so helpless, Lynette."

She wanted to say, you're a liar. 

Instead, Lynette said, "I can't get hurt, and it'll be in the pizzeria; I'll be fine."

"Right," Lev lifted her up fast, let go of her shirt, then snatched her up by the ankle. "I don't know why I keep forgetting."

"That doesn't mean you should carry me like this!" 

The dizziness felt like being on a ship bombarded by waves during a storm.

He released a pleased chuckle, "I know how to handle humans. I do it all the time." He stopped at the door, took out his badge with his free hand, and scanned it to open the door. "Though, when handling them, I generally put them elsewhere.~"

Her mind lost its functionality. How could he say things like that?! She didn't want to hear any more; lucky for her, she didn't. 

"LYNETTE!" Their jolly voice reached her. Lev perked up at it too.

"And hey, Lev! It's been a while since I've seen you two!" He said with a cheerful smile. Then he veered his head to one side, "Wait a minute, Lynette, you're smaller than I remember."

"Shrimpy, isn't she?" Lev snickered.

Don't remind me of my other obstacle today.

"I took a shrink potion Claudia made," She said with a sigh, "it's nice to see you again, June." At least he's nice... "Are you staying here late?"

The boy with rounded bottom spectacles grinned, "I'm doing a double shift today! Since Zilla is out. Plus, Edgar wasn't sure if Claudia was coming back today." June saluted, then threw his arms up with excitement, "SO I get to hang out with you!"

She needed the cold water his joy provided after experiencing Lev's heat wave. 

June looked over Lev's shoulder, "HEY, CLAUDIA!"

Lev spun on his heels and stumbled back until he hit the wall.

Lynette assumed Lev wanted sight on both of them.

The suntouched fae ran up to them and huffed, "Aw! I wanted to be around when she used it!" Her multicolored eyes darted around Lynette's body. "Can you hear fine? Be heard fine? I also made it affect a small radius around you this time, so your clothes would get small too."

She didn't even realize that before Sandra had given her a small golden clamp to allow people to hear her voice even at her size.

Lynette felt her throat. I didn't even think of that. 

"I heard every little noise from her just fine.~" Lev said as he tossed Lynette to Claudia. "Thank you again, Claudia. I really enjoyed my little extra time with Lynette." 

Claudia caught me and cradled me in her small hands. Her smile widened, "I'm glad to have tested it." She went to wave to him off and waved the hand with Lynette in it.

"Claudia!"

The innocent-appearing girl brought me to her face, "Yes?"

June patted Claudia's arm, "I don't think she likes the shaking too much."

Lynette's new friend giggled, "Sorry, you're so shakable being this small!" Claudia then lifted Lynette up, "And very edible looking."

"VERY WH-" Lynette pushed at Claudia's fingers, "Please don't get any ideas. You're supposed to be better than them! Friends don't eat friends!"

June's happiness dropped, "what? I eat my friends sometimes, they eat me, and I ate you." His lower lip quivered, "are we...not friends?" He sounded afraid of what she might say. 

"WE ARE FRIENDS! That was different! You didn't eat me against my will!" She stared up at Claudia. Who looked at the next person coming down the hall.

"Drake!" Claudia and June said in unison.

June continued, "And Alexander."

Claudia corrected the slime, "No, no, June, that's Mr. Meanie!"

Alexander's let out a partial growl, "fuck you too." His eyes locked onto Lynette immediately after. "Who's game day is it today, shrimp?"

Lynette laid limply in Claudia's hand. Can't you call me by my name? Her thoughts returned to the harmonic way her name always left Lev's lips. You know, never mind.

"Drake's." She said, "Your day's tomorrow."

Drake bobbed lazily, "Good thing I left my game in the breakroom."

He looks tired. 

June interrupted Drake, "Can I play too?"

Claudia nodded in agreement, "Me too!"

Before Alexander could open his mouth, Lynette filled the silence. "YES."

The muscular male gave her a vexed smirk. "Great." 

She didn't like his tone. And if he doesn't win today...I don't think he'll let anyone else but himself win tomorrow...dang it.

...

Drake

Today it felt harder to hold Lynette in his breast pocket. He felt grateful that she was at least far more antsy today. He couldn't take her being calm. It's mainly why holding her in his pocket bothered him so much.

It wasn't even a crescent moon this evening that was two nights ago. Not that he had been keeping up with his previous diet anyway.

He finally had the chance to set her down and away from himself. He gently lowered her onto the table, and once his fingers let go, there was a bit of relief. 

Not that the relief was totally gone. June was the only other person there with them. 

"You look so super cute small like that, Lynette!" The slime with messy bedhead brown hair said with a gleam. 

Upon reflex, Drake's ears tried to listen to June's nonexistent heart. The lack of heartbeat always threw him off and perturbed him. Is he lying? Teasing her? Or...? Drake peered past his bangs and examined June's loving expression. 

I'm on to you. He thought to himself as if June was some sort of mastermind. 

"Thanks, but I think I look better at my height," Lynette grumbled, taking a seat on the table. 

His ears picked up on her heart's rhythm, her beats were starting to calm, and he could feel himself compelled to get closer. He pushed his eyelids together and got up from his seat. 

The two watched his suddenness; he could tell by their silence. He walked toward the fridge. I need blood. He reminded himself. Though, fresh, warm, human blood sounded far more appealing. I can't bite her.

He still wanted to try. He caught someone sliding beside him while leaning over the open fridge. He peeked over the fridge door. It was Claudia. 

"Whatcha doing?"

Drake momentarily tuned into the peppy beat of her heart. Claudia only displayed it with him and now a bit with Lynette. He didn't question it.

"Getting a drink," he lowered himself and got one out of his lunch box. He decided to grab the case instead and bring it to the table. 

"Does it taste better in the pouch?" Claudia asked.

"No," Drake said as he shut the fridge door behind him. 

"Then why do you drink it from the pouches?"

"Convenience." He tried to move her away from this conversation. "It's not like I have many choices."

Claudia tipped her head back at Lynette and then back to Drake.

Drake lowered his head, "She's small right now, Claudia." He quickly continued, "And I don't want to get too used to one person's blood. That's how vampires become obsessive." Though it has been a while, hasn't it? He shook his head and looked over at Claudia. He could tell she spoke with curiosity. 

His eyes shifted to the door and saw Alexander finally going to lunch break. He's lucky he doesn't remember tastes. He'd never have to deal with that issue. 

"That's really weird," Claudia said. 

Drake gave a slight "ha, ha," like she mocked him. He forgot she was genuinely serious and blunt with her statements. "From what I understand, it used to be a lot harder for our kind to get blood from those outside our species, so our bodies naturally want to take claim over things." 

He found his shoulders rising and pushing his pecs slightly inward. The conversation talking about other vampires started to bother him. It only brought up a sour taste, and the person he wanted dead.

"Did vampires attack each other before?" Claudia walked backward in front of him so she could face him. Drake hated what she said. "It's a lot easier with all the options, huh?"

Drake's naturally and slightly clawed fingers started to sink into the lunch box. Easier. Everything was supposed to come easy to me. His thoughts began to haze. He didn't realize he was still in the break room. And the shape in front of him wasn't Claudia anymore. He felt his fangs sharpen and his body getting ready to lurch at her. 

"HEY, DRAKE, ARE YOU GONNA FUCKING GET YOUR GAME OR WHAT?!" 

Drake's shoulders sank. Claudia didn't notice or was so unassuming that she didn't think Drake would attack her.

He tilted his head over, and his bangs fell from his wine-red eyes. Their light glow was visible to everyone at the table. "It doesn't matter how fast I get the game out—you're gonna lose anyway." 

"I'm gonna make your sorry ass eat those words." Alexander's ruffled and playful frustration created a smile on Drake's face.

He was too embarrassed to ever tell Alexander he found some levity in him. You're still a massive pain in the ass, though. 

Drake refocused on Claudia when she moved closer to his face. She moved to study his eyes closer.  

He jumped and took a few steps back. He adjusted his bangs back to normal. You don't know personal space, do you? He thought to hide his abash. 

He didn't think being close to anyone right now was a good idea. He held out his lunchbox to Claudia. He lowered it down enough for her to grip it correctly. "I'm going to get the game. Can you move this to the table for me?"

She nodded and tapped its zipper before he turned to the kitchen cabinets, "Can I have one?"

Drake squinted at her, "A blood pouch?"

"Yes!"

"No."

...

Hey, you, thank you so much for reading. I'm glad I put out a story that people can enjoy! I hope you continue to enjoy it as WE have a LOT more to go! YOU BETTER KEEP PROSPERING! (Nonnegotiable, as always~).

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Catch up, see some maps/art, or check the latest release dates down below  ↓ ↓ ↓ 

What I’d do for a Livable Income (Synopsis/Chapter - List)

[letsrearise]

Season 1 retrospective part I: the most memorable adult evolution, Filmon.

As a way to celebrate ReArise’s Anniversary, I’m starting my retrospective series on season one highlighting its most memorable parts in order to cover season 2 later on.

ReArise’s season one scenario writing is mostly formulaic—it uses the basic format of meeting up with the focus character, having some kind of spiral encounter that’s resolved through fighting and some kind of highlight such as a new character introduction or a new evolution. That’s not to say it doesn’t seed its plot and lore—although the repetitiveness hurts lending the drop feed more interest. From the Tamers’ introductions that involved random digimon as collateral, there’s been hints to Herissmon's true nature and their affinity to Spirals; as well to the Spirals’ plans through them provoking digimon and manipulating both the digital points’ frequency and size (the most pointed case being in act 11, with Keito noting the weird expansion of a particular Digital Point). Which leads us to acts 12-13 being among my favorites in season one, since they take all these hints and escalate the situation in an effective, shocking way.

The end-of-act-11 cliffhanger revealing the spiral expanding the Digital Point is still around coupled with the fact that the unusual electronic disturbance points out at the movement of the Digital Points for their eventual convergence at the center of the city are both rewarding little ideas that sell a sense something bigger than usual is brewing, more so than your typical “Digital Points are increasing in frequency” talking point so far. The event ties the instability of the Digital Point to Tyrannomon, so we get a different main objective than simply destroying the Spirals in order to restore the space back to normal. Previous digimon encounters haven’t necessarily been friendly from start, but none were a serious threat to the Tamers themselves as much as to the digimon’s own safety, so it’s a fun tug-of-war between Spirals and Tamers to get to and pacify/subjugate Tyrannomon first (also, it’s nice to see the once-to-be mascot of the franchise get a lil’ hype as especially strong).

 We also get to entertain some kinda strategy from the Tamers, with Takumi dealing with Tyrannomon directly and the others offering support by clearing the Spirals. Agumon’s eventual request for their help in order to talk it out with Tyrannomon also provides a shake-up to the usual course of action. The Tamers clear a path for Greymon to get to Tyrannmon, who at this point is merely a rampaging beast… It’s a bit underwhelming as far confrontations go, but it’s also note-worthy as the first time ReArise puts reaching out to the creature lashing out at the heart of the debacle, something that gets much greater pay-off in season one’s own finale.

 Herissmon’s building sense of impotence through act 12 is good to anticipate their eventual evolution during this event, as well as valuable characterization setup for their constant ruminating and guilt through the last stretch of season one as the Spiral possession occurrences keep on troubling them. The Tamers’ initial hesitancy to simply destroy Tyrannomon isn’t too deply explored, but it’s nice to see echoes of it for when the possibility starts creeping as a way to deal with Herissmon themself later on.

 The end of act 12 is a great cliffhanger on its own right— just when it looks the tides have changed and the Tamers have successfully weakened and cornered Tyrannomon, the Spirals resonate with it and force a corrupt evolution that successfully integrates Spiral data. This finally puts into perspective all of the Spirals previous experiments and hints at their ultimate goal as well as it foreshadows Herissmon’s own eventual fate. Not to mention it was just cool. This fucked up egg is my friend.

Herissmon’s adult evolution being fueled by a desire to help their friends when they’re in a pinch and literally paralyzed is Digimon at its most classic. It’s not the most shocking of revelations, but it goes quite well with Herissmon’s character— their answers for the Spirals in the season 1 finale hinges on how much they cherish life thanks to their beloved friends, and this will continue being their core source of strength through season two. Herissmon’s deep love for its friends is even baked into the lore of its ultimate evolution, given that it can get a power boost from the emotions of its allies. That the spirals are drawn to Herissmon as well and it looks like they might try to force a corrupt evolution right there and then is the cherry on the cake adding a bit of a twist. All in, it’s the perfect scenario for Herissmon to evolve for the first time.

There’s genuine pathos in the way the Tamers note SkullGreymon’s pain over the forced evolution and MetalGreymon’s desire to keep on reaching their rampaging friend culminating in a bittersweet victory for the Tamers. It’s a bit of a waste this season doesn’t use this event to pivot to a more serious atmosphere, especially as we deal with its shadow looming over Herissmon and how it affects the other Tamers—particularly Takumi, but I still enjoy the tragedy of it as is.

[bag-of-broadway-snacks]

My Take On RTC Characters and Pokemon, feel free to ask for elaborations!

Ocean: I believe her parents, being the naturalists they are brought home a rescued Oddish, which then evolved into a female bellossom. Bellossom being her mascot for all her future campaigning. I feel like this pokemon suits her because of her backstory and the idea that she sees herself as a white sheep in her family. Which reflects her picking a bellossom over a vileplum which is a poison type.

Noel: He has a Lopunny. More particularly one with a French fur style he calls Lola Lola. His mother got it for him when he was young so he could express his more feminine side in a healthy way. His Pokemon shares his flair for the dramatics and compliments his style. This one was a tougher choice but I think Noel would work really well with a pokemon that can fit his fancy and tragic aesthetic while also being a pretty decent fighter

Mishca: Now he has an unevolved Panchan that while people thinks its cute, ends up beating up on any other pokemon in the vicinity. I chose this one for Mischa because of the obvious, it's a gangster looking fighter type. But its also still unevolved and in its cute stage which showcases Mischa's softer side that still yerns for love

Ricky: Now he has a Delcatty, specifically picked out of his parents 14 skitties. His pokemon is spoiled and in the afterlife Ricky holds her a lot to compenstate for the fact he didnt get to carry her a lot in life. He also has a rotom-dex that is a service pokemon for him that digitizes his school work and communicates for him to those who don't sign. I chose the Delcatty for him because...well duh cat. But also because it evolves with a moon stone which connects it to space. The rotom-dex is a nice touch for his nerdy side and offers him a way to explore the world in life

Jane Doe: Now this funky lady has a Phantump. She isn't quite she how she got it or if it was even her pokemon in life but it reminds her of a doll so she carts it around anyway. I imagie it in place of her actual doll. I chose phantump because its a ghost type, but also because its lore is a forgotten doll, which suits Jane so well.

Constance: My favorite girl has a slowbro. It was a gift for her birthday and she carries it everywhere. It reflects how people see her, cute and happy but content and unmotived. Not something you look deeper at. But during Constance's song, her slowbro evolves into a Slowking, dancing along and complimenting her confident happy side

Bonus: Talia is depicted with an Teddiursa

[ihatetaxes99]

The Digit-Al Rant (Because I am insane)

 Well, since I'm a Lovecraftian being who feeds off of ranting about things literally nobody else cares about, tonight I'm going to go for broke and make my most obscure rant yet. A rant about a certain character. Not just any character, mind you; A character that hasn't been relevant in over a decade and arguably, wasn't even relevant back when he was still being used. In spite of this, the character still holds a special spot in my weird, black heart.

 We all know corporate mascots. Cute little characters designed to entice you towards forgetting that the company they represent burned down a factory with eight hundred children inside for insurance, and buy their products again. We've had a lot of mascots over the years. Super Mario, Tony the Tiger, some others that I can't be bothered to recall right now. Mascots are a staple of modern culture. And in 2006, the UK government, and particularly the BBC, was facing a crisis that only a cuddly little mascot could solve.

 They had to… Convince boomers to make a minor change in their lives. This is where you can place the Dracula sting in your head.

 Yes, how many of you have heard of digital switchover? How many of you care about digital switchover? Well, come the mid-2000s, it had become clear to the British government that the old analogue television was not really going to cut it anymore, now that those dastardly Yanks were making films and television series with high-quality equipment. Analogue was quickly becoming outdated and they needed to make the switch to the far faster digital switchover sooner rather than later.

 And so, began the creatively titled UK Digital Switchover scheme. The plan was thus: From 2008 until 2012, the entirety of Britain would undergo a switch to digital television. This meant higher quality images, 1080p, support for modern TVs, things of that nature. During that time, they needed to make the general public aware of this, lest riots break out over Coronation Street being interrupted by the switchover. So they initiated their campaign as early as 2006. And at the head of it was the mascot of the event, one Digit Al (geddit?)

 Digit Al was a little robot fella, who initially had glowing blue eyes, although this was altered in later promotional material to remove the glow. His very first outing was a very charming little commercial where Al would interrupt the show that was on at the time, directly addressing the viewer and informing them of the Switchover. In this appearance, he was voiced by comedian Matt Lucas, who gave a certain awkward charm to Al, making him a bit of a klutz, albeit an incredibly friendly one. Lucas would voice Al in at least two more adverts.

 However, after these three ads, things would change. Around the time that Al's eye glow was removed, Lucas stopped voicing the character; In fact, Al would never again, for the duration of the campaign, speak. He was relegated to a background character while the narration was provided by some random fella doing a voiceover. As the Switchover went underway, Al would be used less and less, as promotion moved from informing the public of its existence towards explaining how to set up your television for the switch. From 2008 to 2011, Al's roles were sparse.

 Until, interestingly, 2012, the very end of the Switchover. By that point, Wales, England and Scotland had fully switched over. And this left just one nation in the UK that was yet to do so. The ugly little brother of the group that no one really likes and, coincidentally, my own home country. Northern Ireland. By October of 2012, NI would be the last British nation to still have analogue television, as the stations had been shut down entirely everywhere else. And then, in October, the sword fell. From the tenth to the twenty-third, the Switchover began. And this is when Al made one last appearance.

 On the closure of both BBC 1 NI Analogue and BBC 2 NI Analogue, Al appeared on the final message screen and, in the case of the former, made a brief cameo in plushie form in the final seconds of analogue television's existence in Britain. One last goodbye to nearly forty-nine years of British television. 

 So, why did he suddenly come back for Northern Ireland of all places? Was he an ardent Unionist? Well, I can't actually find any reason behind this. Each channel was basically allowed to do whatever they wanted, with some giving cute little goodbye messages and others cutting to static in the middle of a news broadcast about dead bodies being found (I am not joking, by the way. Imagine that being the last thing you see before your telly cuts out). If I had to make a wild conspiracy theory, then maybe the NI staff decided to use Al since this was the final stage of the Switchover. Once Northern Ireland was done, then the entire scheme was completed. Might as well give him one final wave.

 When all was said and done, the UK successfully transitioned over to digital television without any major issues and Al faded away into nothingness. The obvious reason for this is that he was created for one sole purpose. He was not a BBC mascot, he was a mascot for the Switchover specifically. What are you supposed to do with him once it's all done? He had outlived his usefulness, so to speak and so, the cheeky little bugger was taken out and sentenced to an eternity of wink-and-nod cameos during various other BBC promotions over the years. Of course, it probably didn't help that they stripped all of his personality out of him after Lucas left the project and resigned him to a kind of ugly-looking CGI robot, but still. I like Al for what he was, what he represented. As someone who grew up in the 2000s and early 2010s, Al is almost a symbol of my childhood, a bygone memory of simpler times. For that, I'll always have a soft spot for the little fella.

 A few interesting links:

 https://youtu.be/cerk8CDG8BE - The first advert with Digit Al

https://youtu.be/mWM3KuXidrA - An example of a post-Lucas advert

https://youtu.be/qecN3kmH9Hw - The hilariously unsettling example of the Switchover interrupting a rather morbid news report (it's the first section, BBC Two Scotland)

https://youtu.be/1p8d2Uo8pJk - The Switchover message from BBC 1 NI, the final few minutes of analogue television in all of Britain. Includes the Al plushie cameo.

[neoninky]

Everyone shut up and look at my new icon!

I am so happy with my new emblem!! Done by the wonderful artist @badmanberetta 🐇🖋️ Definitely check him out and follow him for amazing art if you’re not already! Thank you so much for my inky bunny mascot, friend!

And speaking of rabbits:

Lemme introduce y’all to my Inkysona…s yes plural lol.

First is female anthro bun Inky who is pretty much just my mascot as of now. I do plan on getting into digital art soon but for now, I’m still old skool 👍✨

She is a lil Lion Head-Lop chubby bunny who loves her headphones and her hoodies as much as she loves food 😂 Don’t let the grumpy face fool you, she’s very warm n cuddly 💜

And Inky is also the nickname of my TWST boisona (sticking with a male character cuz NRC is a boy school traditionally also cuz I wanna). His design is inspired by this picrew:

Meet Lawrence "Inky" Inkwell

Age: 18 Race: Rabbit Beastman (Mini Rex Rabbit breed) Grade/Class: Junior, 3-C No. 11 Birthdate: April 13th (Aries) Best Subject: Defense Magic Dominant Hand: Left Height: 172 cm (5'6 1/2-ish) Dorm: Ignihyde

His country accent and soft hair/fur can be quite disarming to the other students (especially his own dormmates that don't touch grass nearly enough) but overall, Inky is a pretty chill beastman...until he feels cornered and/or threatened. Anyone who thinks he's an easy target is in danger of getting sucker punched by his unique magic or getting ripped into by his sharp bite. Being sorted into Ignihyde seemed to be a mistake to everyone who heard about it, but Inky loves puzzles, videogames, and tinkering with technology. Club: Mountain Lover's Club - In spite of Jade Leech's peculiar and often feared nature, Inky enjoys this club because it gives him the rare opportunity to be in nature which his ironic dorm placement doesn't allow often. He enjoys the woods and helping Jade identify different plants. Jade in turn appreciates Inky's homegrown expertise and readily soaks up any information he can about plant care and use. Homeland: Burrowvelt; a small town in the Shaftlands that is very similar to its western neighbor, Harveston. It's on the other side of the mountains to the North East and hosts a more forested/valley terrain, but like Epel's hometown, Burrowvelt is known for its agriculture and rural atmosphere. Instead of apples, Burrowvelt is known for its prominent berry crops. The blueberries are Inky's favorite. Unique Magic: "Thunder Thump" - he can knock down an opponent or obstacle by sending a magical shockwave through the ground with a hard stomp. If he were to hit his target directly with his feet, the shockwave would send it/them flying. Likes: Burrowing for comfort (under blankets, in nooks, pillow forts, etc.), greens and fruit, videogames, music, and puzzles. Dislikes: Loud, excessive noise. Dogs. Large predator beastmen. Being interrupted during a project or a nap. Being cornered. Having his ears or tail touched without his permission. Nicknames: Inky (Most common), Sea Bunny (Floyd), Bunny Bumpkin (Earned as a freshman and he just rolled with it)

Relationships: Vil Schoenheit; Classmate, they don't really know each other well outside of class but they don't really bother each other either. Inky does like Vil's and Vil's father's films though. Epel Felmier; Looks up to Inky because he freely expresses himself and doesn't hide his roots like Epel has to. Rook Hunt; Inky does not enjoy being chased by him as it triggers his fight or flight instinct and usually tries to avoid him. Jade and Floyd Leech; Inky is one of the few students that isn't bothered or intimidated by Jade or Floyd, but he knows not to get on their bad side either. He enjoys going to the Mostro Lounge and his club activities. Floyd does like to play with his ears but he's learned to just roll with it. Plus it usually calms Floyd down which Azul will gladly reward Inky for. Idia and Ortho Shroud: Inky likes to play games with Ortho and the other members of their dorm. He'd like to play a game against Idia as well but Idia keeps to himself more often than not. Since he likes to go outside, Inky often goes with Ortho around campus to run errands for the dorm.

Tagging: @honey-milk-depresso @nuitthegoddess @iscarlettappel

@foxwitchaine @1ndigowitch @aiimee9 @wysteriadelights @victoria1676

[awoken-artist]

Do not fret my little Goddess..~

{Art finished on: May 16, 2022 }

"oh don't you fret..my lil goddess.. just show them who you really are made of.. by releasing me. let me take care of these pests~ just say the word~"

———————————————————————

Digital Sketch doodle I did on one of my Streams.

Wanted to draw these two more so played around with an idea in my head. I am gonna do some AU's and such and since Tsuki can travel to other worlds id figure this would happen in one of the worlds she had to stay in for a while. [MHA mostly or such]. I figure since usually some or most main characters have a darker side that is begging to be release, id figure Tsuki has that issue with Hizashi in a way.

Hizashi is a being of her own as a whole, no magic capped off unlike Tsuki, She cant use her magic and powers 100% to its max like Hizashi could, so if she gets out and use her powers its pretty horrible. she is the typical dark goddess being who loves to play with her pray in ways. pretty scary if you ask me. :P

🌸🍡Please don’t steal and resubmit/repost my works without my permission! thanks!🍡🌸

🌸————————-{Credits}————————-🌸

Artwork and my character Vtuber/Mascot Tsuki Hime © by: @awoken-artist

Character Hizashi Hime © by: @awoken-artist

Programs Used: Clip Studio Paint EX

[joshbruh10x]

HEY ITS MEE!! I have many questions for you friend :)

1. When did you start drawing?

2. Out of the OG FNaF characters, who's your favorite?

3. What other fandoms are you in?

Ight ight lemme answer em

1. If your talking digital, I've been drawing for atleast only 3 years, I did that improvement trend video or smth and posted it on my YT and I think also here on Tumblr but I probs forgot. I'd say I improved really well

2. Freddy or Foxy most definitely, I like Foxy's design and of course we can't forget the mascot who started it all

3. Pokemon (mostly), The Owl House, Amphibia, FNF, Brawl Stars and I just recently got back into the CRK, although if I'm being honest, the Pokemon and FNAF community is the fandoms I'll hold closest the most

[kuro4thegays]

i understand and totally can relate (cuz same here). i write for myself first of all, for my fav char, for my mascot that represents myself. everytime someone finds me (literally how) and they are nice enough to leave a supportive comment, everytime i tell you... its so 💞 cant describe in words tbh. like "your writing is gemstone, didn't know i held back my breath reading this piece." like... im just doing and writing what i like, what i want, for myself. and it's terribly sweet when another one comes in then eventually enjoys my food. i dont write for the shipdom, none. so when they like it, its not about the couple that drives them crazy, its about my things on them, it makes me proud no matter what lol. yeppie i love you and your works. i will spread that. wish you good things you deserve mhehe

🐰

Yeah, I too write with a specific self insert oc in mind. Sometimes when I'm writing on paper I actually write it in third person instead of second and then change it when writing digitally, though these days I don't get much free time to sit down and write on paper.

Tbh, I was never able to get that attached to character x character. Idk why, I actually do read headcannons and interpretations of some popular ships, but that was always to get to better know the characters individually. Same with fanart, I follow many ship artist just to see the characters falling in love and being cute.

Life is getting kinda hard though, even to the point that just thinking feels hard, and idk how quickly I'll be able to update. I hope that hearing my half thought out shitpost will be enough for a while.

[ronaldanthony4]

As I sat in front of my computer screen, the glow from the monitor casting a soft light on my face, I felt the familiar sense of inspiration wash over me. It was time to create another digital artwork featuring my beloved OC's, Arlon and Liliana. They were the mascots of my ideal romantic love, a love that existed only in the realms of my imagination and manifested itself on the canvas of my digital art. As I began sketching out their intricate designs and expressions, I felt a sense of fulfilment and joy in bringing them to life once again. The way their personalities and emotions came through in my artwork always brought me a sense of comfort and connection.

With deft strokes and meticulous attention to detail, I began to bring Arlon and Liliana to life once again. This time, I decided to capture a moment of intimate closeness between them. In this artwork, they were depicted in a close-up shot, their faces radiant with joy as they embraced each other. Both of them were depicted in the nude, their bodies entwined in a loving hug that spoke volumes about their deep connection. I focused on capturing the emotions and expressions of Arlon and Liliana in this artwork. Their smiles were genuine, their eyes reflecting the love and tenderness they felt for each other. Despite the nakedness, the picture exuded a sense of innocence and purity, a celebration of the beauty of human connection and intimacy.

The inspiration for this artwork came from a shot of Adam and Eve from the anime "Shuumatsu no Valkyrie: Record of Ragnarok Wiki." It was a loose adaptation of the first couple, reimagined in a modern and stylized way. I was drawn to the way the characters were depicted with a mix of sensuality and innocence, a delicate balance that I sought to capture in my own artwork. The artist skillfully captured the essence of love and connection in a way that was both modern and timeless. The artwork serves as a reminder of the universal themes of intimacy and tenderness that transcend time and culture.

As I continued to work on the piece, I found myself immersed in the world of Arlon and Liliana. Liliana, with her voluptuous beauty and youthful aura, exuded a sense of grace and allure that belied her age. Despite being legally an adult, she still retained the freshness and innocence of her early teenage years, a dichotomy that added depth and complexity to her character. Arlon, on the other hand, was portrayed as younger and shorter, his stature contrasting with Liliana's and emphasising their unique dynamic as a couple. Their love story unfolded with a delicate balance of passion and vulnerability, capturing the essence of human connection in its purest form.

Through my art, I sought to explore the themes of love, beauty, and intimacy, as embodied by the characters of Arlon and Liliana. Their relationship was a testament to the power of connection and understanding, a bond that transcended physical appearances and societal norms. In their embrace, I saw a reflection of my own yearning for a love that was as pure and unconditional as the love shared by my OC's. As I painted their story on canvas, I found myself delving deeper into the complexities of human emotions and relationships. Arlon and Liliana's journey together inspired me to believe in the transformative power of love, reminding me that true connection knows no boundaries.

As the artwork neared completion, I felt a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction wash over me. I had poured my heart and soul into this piece, infusing it with my own emotions and experiences. Through the characters of Arlon and Liliana, I had found a way to articulate my deepest desires and dreams, giving voice to the innermost recesses of my heart. The process of creating this artwork had allowed me to explore my own vulnerabilities and strengths, ultimately leading to a greater understanding of myself. It was a cathartic experience that left me feeling both vulnerable and empowered at the same time.

In the final brushstrokes, I stepped back and admired my creation. Arlon and Liliana gazed back at me from the screen, their smiles frozen in time, a testament to the enduring power of love and art. In that moment, I felt a sense of peace and contentment wash over me, knowing that I had captured something precious and fleeting in my artwork. Arlon and Liliana would forever remain a part of me, their love immortalised in the digital canvas of my creation. As I signed my name in the corner, I knew that this piece would hold a special place in my heart for years to come. The emotions and memories poured into this artwork would always serve as a reminder of the beauty and depth of human connection.

[pocketdragonpub]

Meet the Artist: Bookish Gremlin

The Pocket Dragon Pub is made up of a backstage team of ttrpg lovers and creatives that enjoy telling a good story and making a good show. The artists at the Pub have been creating stellar work for the show since we started, and now its the Pub's turn to let them shine! Our tavern keeper sat down for a little chit chat with the artists at the Pocket Dragon, Rikichi and Bookish. Here's what they said, along with their personal favorite peice that they've made for the Pub!

Next up is the PDP's key artist, Bookish Gremlin. Bookish is the creative mind that came up with the final look for our Pocket Dragon Mascot, Thimble, as well as our other mascots, Bubbles and Wisp! But that's not all- Bookish has created all of the emojis for our discord and twitch channels, and has also illustrated many of our Starting Soon, Ending, and Break screens, as well as beautiful character art for our shows, including Line in the Sand and Northern Lights! Their favorite piece is the latest iteration of Thimble, who was featured in our Weal or Woe Cozy Games Episode, affectionately known as Goober Thimble.

TK: How did you get into art? Tell us a little about your story as an artist.

Bookish: Grew up in a family of creatives. Which in turn they encouraged me with my creativity. For awhile I stopped creating art. Maybe due to burn out or maybe due to the way it is taught in higher education. Who's to say really. Once covid lockdown occurred I started focusing on producing digital art and growing. So here we are.

TK: What was the most challenging part of illustrating Goober Thimble?

Bookish: Making sure that the goober Thimble was still recognizable in their simplified form.

TK: What would you say is the most challenging part of creating commission based work?

Bookish: Making sure that the art work matches the desired appearance the commissioner is wanting.

TK: What would you say was the most interesting part of creating Goober Thimble?

I just thoroughly love drawing goobers. They are both simple and fun. Goober art brings me a lot of joy.

TK: Which show/episode of the Pocket Dragon Pub would you recommend watching?

Honestly there is a wide varity to choose from. So depending on your taste would change my answer. So I would say check them all out and see which one pulls you in.

TK: Are there any personal projects that people should be looking out for? Where can they find you to get updates about your art?

I'm absolutely terrible at keeping up with social media but you can find some of my artwork on instagram @bookish.gremlin.orts !

TK: Is there anything else you want to add to this interview?

I'm terrible at interviews and never really know how to answer questions about myself. I am a simple gremlin who enjoys all things dnd related.