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ladyeckland28 · 3 months ago

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The Feet Of Hannah Tingle

A Comedy horror by Lady Eckland and Ms Darkwood

Pendleton & Sons: Where Souls Go To Staple

The fluorescent lights of Pendleton & Sons Document Solutions hummed a dirge for ambition. Grey cubicles stretched towards a perpetually overcast window, each containing a soul slowly dissolving into the beige monotony. In one such cubicle sat Charlotte Eckland, mouse hovering over a spreadsheet cell containing a number so meaningless it might as well have been ancient Sumerian. Her shoulders slumped, mirroring the wilting pot plant beside her monitor – a leaving gift from Brenda in Accounts two years ago, now clinging to life with grim determination.

To her left, Yin Darkwood was deep-diving into the internet's murky depths. Her screen wasn't filled with pivot tables, but with grainy JPEGs of supposed UFO sightings and forums debating the reptilian nature of the Royal Family. Yin wasn't just bored; she was existentially suspicious. Everything was a potential conspiracy, from the suspiciously uniform shape of digestive biscuits to the way pigeons always seemed to be watching.

Across the aisle, Glennis Riley nervously adjusted his spectacles, polishing the lenses for the third time that hour with a small microfiber cloth he kept in his top pocket. Glennis existed in a state of perpetual low-grade anxiety, amplified by Yin’s constant stream of paranoia. He was attempting to reconcile expense reports, occasionally sighing deeply and running a hand through his thinning hair. His desk was impeccably tidy, in stark contrast to the controlled chaos surrounding Yin.

Their lives were a triptych of drabness: lukewarm tea, printer jams, pointless meetings about synergy, and the crushing weight of another Wednesday (as it was today, April 2nd, 2025) that felt exactly like Tuesday, which felt exactly like Friday. Escape, as always, came through the glowing portals in their pockets and on their desks. YouTube was their preferred anaesthetic.

Charlotte, seeking distraction, typed random words into the search bar. "Soft..." "Cozy..." "Relaxing..." The algorithm, in its infinite and often disturbing wisdom, offered up a thumbnail that caught her eye: perfectly formed, immaculate bare feet resting on a plush velvet cushion. The channel title: Hannah's Sexy Feet.

Intrigued, slightly baffled, Charlotte clicked.

The video opened on the aforementioned feet. They were elegantly shaped, the toenails painted a demure rose pink. A voice, smooth as silk and undeniably feminine, began to speak. "Hello, my little foot fanciers," it purred. "Hannah here, ready to share a little slice of heaven with you."

The camera panned up slightly, showing Hannah Tingle from the shins down, lounging on what looked like an incredibly expensive chaise longue. She wore silk pyjamas. She picked up one foot, cradling it gently. "Feel how soft they are?" she whispered, stroking her own arch. "Like warm velvet. I moisturise them three times a day with my own special blend... organic shea butter, a hint of lavender, and... well, a girl's gotta have some secrets, hasn't she?"

Charlotte felt a strange warmth spread through her chest. It was oddly mesmerising. Hannah continued, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Imagine these tracing patterns on your skin... gently... teasingly." She flexed her toes. "Or perhaps," she brought her foot closer to the camera, tilting her head just out of shot, "you want to know what they smell like?" A delicate sniff. "Clean linen, a touch of rosewater... and something else. Something... intimate."

Charlotte swallowed, her mouse hand frozen. This was... unexpected. And undeniably doing something to her. Over the next few days, Pendleton & Sons faded further into the background. Charlotte devoured Hannah’s back catalogue. There were videos of Hannah walking barefoot on grass, wiggling her toes in sand, even suggestively crushing ripe berries underfoot. The comments section was a bizarre mix of breathless adoration and outright creepiness, but Charlotte found herself adding her own, anonymised appreciations. 'Amazing!' 'So beautiful!'

She started DMing the channel, expecting no reply. To her shock, 'Hannah' replied almost instantly. The messages started innocently, discussing foot care routines (Charlotte suddenly developed a keen interest), but quickly shifted. Hannah was flirtatious, complimentary, and seemed genuinely interested in Charlotte.

Hannah's Sexy Feet: 'Your comments always make me smile, lovely. You seem to truly appreciate the artistry 😉'

Char_Eck: 'They're just... captivating. You have a way of describing them.'

Hannah's Sexy Feet: 'Perhaps I could describe them to you in person sometime? 😉🦶'

Charlotte’s heart hammered against her ribs. A date? With Hannah Tingle? The foot goddess of YouTube?

"She asked me out," Charlotte breathed, staring at her phone during their designated fifteen-minute afternoon break.

Yin, who had been explaining how contrails were actually nano-particle delivery systems for mind-control agents, paused mid-sentence. "Who asked you out?"

"Hannah. You know, from that YouTube channel?"

Yin’s eyes narrowed. Glennis, who had been meticulously arranging his pens, dropped a ballpoint with a clatter. He bent to retrieve it, his face flushed.

"Hannah Tingle?" Yin hissed, leaning closer. "Charlotte, no! Have you not been listening to anything I've told you?"

"What are you talking about?" Charlotte frowned. "She's lovely. And very... descriptive."

"Descriptive?" Yin scoffed. "Charlotte, she's a prime candidate! Think about it! The perfect features, the weirdly specific obsession, the anonymity – she never shows her face! It's classic infiltration technique!"

"What infiltration?" Charlotte asked, exasperated. "She just really likes her feet!"

"Or," Yin lowered her voice dramatically, "they're not her feet. It's a disguise, Charlotte! There are forums dedicated to it. People think she's part of the Xylar Collective – bio-mimetic scouts sent to assess planetary weaknesses!"

Glennis, having retrieved his pen, nodded nervously, adjusting his tie. "They say they probe... sensitive areas, Yin! For weaknesses! Frightfully invasive, if you ask me!"

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Oh, for goodness sake. It's just a foot fetish channel! It's a bit weird, maybe, but she's not an alien!"

"How do you know?" Yin pressed. "Have you seen her face? Has she mentioned family? Does she ever talk about, I don't know, tax returns?"

"We mostly talk about feet," Charlotte admitted, flushing slightly.

"Exactly!" Yin slammed her hand on the desk, making Glennis jump and clutch his chest. "It's textbook diversion! Focusing on one insignificant detail to distract from the larger deception! Charlotte, promise me you won't go."

"I am going," Charlotte said firmly. "It's just drinks at The Soggy Otter. What's the worst that could happen? She tries to give me a foot massage?" A part of her wouldn't entirely mind that.

Yin looked desperate. "Okay, okay. Go on the date. Fine. But," she leaned in, her eyes gleaming with a terrifyingly practical sort of madness, "after the date... we grab her."

Charlotte stared. "You want to... kidnap her?"

"It's an intervention!" Yin insisted. "A citizen's investigation! We take her back to mine, restrain her – gently, obviously – and we get the truth out of her. For your own safety! And potentially, the safety of the planet!"

Glennis wrung his hands, forgetting his pen momentarily. "Oh dear. Kidnapping? Are you quite sure about the legal ramifications, Yin? It sounds awfully... actionable."

"It's fine, Glennis, it's for the greater good," Yin waved a dismissive hand. "Think of it as a... surprise wellness check. We just need to be sure she's not a Xylarian foot-probe."

Charlotte laughed, despite herself. "You're insane. Absolutely not."

But Yin was persistent. Over the next two days, she bombarded Charlotte with 'evidence': blurry photos allegedly showing strange reflections in Hannah’s toenails, audio analysis 'proving' her voice had subsonic frequencies common in reptilian species, complex diagrams linking foot-related YouTube channels to known alien abduction hotspots. Glennis added worried affirmations, forwarding articles about people who vanished after meeting strangers online, often muttering things like "One really can't be too careful these days."

By the time the date rolled around, Charlotte was still determined to go, but a sliver of doubt, nurtured by Yin’s relentless paranoia and Glennis’s fussy anxiety, had taken root. The kidnapping plan, initially ludicrous, now seemed... almost prudent? In a completely deranged way.

"Fine," Charlotte sighed, the night before the date. "We do it your way. After the date. If she seems even slightly weird... or tries to probe me with her toes... we bundle her into your car. But if she's normal, you owe me fifty quid and you have to stop talking about aliens for a month."

Yin grinned triumphantly. "Deal. Glennis, get the duct tape."

Glennis swallowed hard. "The... heavy-duty parcel tape from Stationery? Will that suffice?"

"It'll have to."

Ankles, Ales, and Abduction

The Soggy Otter was exactly as charming as its name suggested. Sticky tables, the faint aroma of stale beer and regret, and lighting dim enough to hide a multitude of sins, or perhaps, an alien disguise. Charlotte, wearing her best (and only) non-work blouse, nervously scanned the patrons.

Then she saw her. Seated in a corner booth, bathed in the amber glow of a faux-Victorian lamp, was Hannah Tingle. Or at least, the top half of her. And she was stunning. Flowing chestnut hair, high cheekbones, warm eyes, and a smile that could melt glaciers. She looked disarmingly, disappointingly normal. And human.

"Charlotte?" Hannah’s voice was even smoother in person, less breathy than on YouTube, but just as captivating.

"Hannah? Hi." Charlotte slid into the booth, her palms sweating. "You look... different from your videos."

Hannah laughed, a musical sound. "Well, you usually only see me from the shins down. I thought it best to bring the rest of me tonight." She gestured to her feet, tucked demurely under the table in elegant, low-heeled shoes. "Though they're here too, of course. Wouldn't want to disappoint."

Charlotte blushed. "Right. Of course."

The conversation flowed surprisingly easily. Hannah was witty, intelligent, and asked thoughtful questions about Charlotte’s life, managing to make even Pendleton & Sons sound vaguely interesting. She spoke of her 'online content creation' as a form of performance art, exploring themes of sensuality and intimacy in unexpected ways. There was no mention of Xylar Collectives or planetary weaknesses. She even complained about the unseasonably damp April weather in Nantwich.

Charlotte felt a wave of relief wash over her, quickly followed by annoyance at Yin. She was just a woman. A beautiful, charming woman with a foot fetish niche.

"So," Hannah leaned forward slightly, her eyes sparkling, "tell me, Charlotte. What is it about feet that fascinates you?"

Before Charlotte could formulate an answer that didn't sound completely mortifying, Hannah subtly slipped off one shoe beneath the table. Charlotte caught a glimpse of a perfectly pedicured bare foot resting on the worn carpet. Hannah’s toes gave a tiny, almost imperceptible wiggle.

"Is it the vulnerability?" Hannah mused, her voice dropping slightly. "The way they carry us through the world, yet are so often hidden? Or is it just... the shape? The softness?" Her foot brushed lightly against Charlotte’s ankle under the table.

Charlotte froze. It wasn't aggressive, wasn't probe-like, but it was definitely... intentional. And incredibly effective. That familiar warmth spread through her again, stronger this time. Okay, maybe she wasn't entirely normal. But alien?

They talked for another hour. Hannah was captivating. Charlotte found herself laughing, sharing stories, feeling more seen than she had in years. The foot under the table remained a tantalising, static presence against her leg. When Hannah suggested they get some air, Charlotte readily agreed, momentarily forgetting the ludicrous plan she’d half-heartedly signed up for.

Outside, the night air was cool. They stood awkwardly for a moment under a flickering streetlamp.

"I had a really lovely time, Charlotte," Hannah said softly.

"Me too," Charlotte replied, meaning it. All thoughts of conspiracies had evaporated.

Suddenly, a battered Vauxhall Corsa screeched to a halt beside them. The back doors flew open.

"Now!" Yin yelled from the driver's seat, her face grimly determined.

Glennis tumbled out of the passenger side, looking pale and flustered, clutching the roll of parcel tape as if it were a life raft. "Right then! Prepare for... intervention!" he announced, his voice cracking slightly.

"What the-?" Hannah started, turning in confusion.

Charlotte’s mind raced. Oh god, they're actually doing it. Part of her screamed No!, but the seed of doubt Yin had planted, combined with the sheer momentum of the situation (and maybe a tiny, traitorous flicker of curiosity) made her hesitate for a fatal second.

Glennis, despite his nervousness, made a surprisingly decisive, if awkward, move towards Hannah, holding the tape out. "No sudden moves, please!" Yin, abandoning the wheel, darted around and grabbed Hannah’s arms from behind.

"Get her in!" Yin grunted.

Hannah struggled, bewildered. "Charlotte? What is this? Who are these people?"

"It's... an intervention?" Charlotte stammered, feeling utterly ridiculous as she lamely helped Yin push a protesting Hannah towards the open car door. "A wellness check?"

"Get off me!" Hannah yelped, but she was surprisingly easy to manoeuvre. It was almost too easy. Between Yin's surprising strength and Glennis's slightly panicked attempts to assist ("Careful now! Watch the door frame!"), they bundled her into the back seat. Charlotte scrambled in after her. Glennis hurried back into the passenger seat, fumbling with the tape roll.

"Drive, Yin, drive!" Glennis urged, adjusting his skewed glasses as Yin slammed the driver's door shut and peeled away from the kerb, leaving The Soggy Otter and Charlotte’s dignity far behind.

In the back seat, Hannah stared at Charlotte, her eyes wide with shock and betrayal. "Charlotte... why?"

Charlotte couldn't meet her gaze. "My friends... they think you're an alien." It sounded even more idiotic spoken aloud.

Hannah blinked. Then, unexpectedly, she started to laugh. It wasn't a panicked laugh, but a rich, rolling sound that filled the small car. "An alien? Is that what this is about? Because I like feet?"

Yin glanced in the rearview mirror, her expression unreadable. "We'll see who's laughing, 'Hannah Tingle'. We're taking you somewhere secure for questioning."

"Secure?" Glennis muttered nervously, trying to tear off a strip of tape with his teeth. "Yin, your flat security is hardly up to snuff. Remember that draft excluder incident?"

"It'll do, Glennis," Yin snapped. "Just... be ready with that tape."

Glennis looked doubtfully at the struggling YouTuber, then at the roll of stubborn parcel tape in his lap. This was not proceeding with optimal efficiency. Or maybe, Charlotte thought with a sinking feeling, it was going exactly according to Yin's insane plan.

The Unmasking in Flat 3B

Yin’s flat smelled faintly of damp, instant noodles, and paranoia. Conspiracy charts adorned the walls, connected by lengths of red wool. A haphazard pile of books – The Reptilian Elite, Chariots of the Gods?, Is Your Cat a Government Drone? – teetered on a coffee table. It was the perfect place for an interrogation, provided the suspect didn't mind questionable hygiene and the overwhelming sense that the truth was not only out there, but probably hiding behind the sofa cushions.

They’d manhandled Hannah onto a sturdy dining chair Yin had dragged into the centre of the living room. Glennis, after several flustered attempts involving getting tape stuck to his fingers and complaining about the lack of a proper dispenser, had managed to secure Hannah’s wrists and ankles to the chair legs with several wraps of the brown parcel tape. It looked less like restraint and more like the chair had been badly packaged for shipping. Hannah, surprisingly, hadn't fought much after the initial shock, instead watching them with an unnerving mixture of amusement and curiosity.

Charlotte hovered awkwardly by the doorway, feeling like a prize idiot. "Look, Hannah, I am so sorry about this. They're... enthusiastic."

Hannah raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Enthusiastic? Charlotte, they abducted me based on a foot fetish and some internet rumours." She tested her bonds slightly. They held, but didn't look particularly robust.

Yin planted herself in front of the chair, adopting what she clearly thought was an intimidating interrogator stance. It mostly made her look like she needed the loo. "Alright, 'Hannah Tingle', or whatever your designation is. The game's up. We know what you are."

Hannah sighed dramatically. "Do you? Because right now, I feel like a slightly bewildered YouTuber trussed up in a flat that smells like conspiracy theories and despair. What exactly do you think I am?"

"A Xylarian!" Yin declared. "A bio-mimetic scout! Sent here to assess vulnerabilities via... podiatric manipulation!"

Hannah blinked. "Podiatric manipulation?" She looked down at her bound feet, still clad in their elegant shoes. "You think I'm trying to take over the world... with my feet?"

"It's a viable infiltration strategy!" Yin insisted. "Lulling targets into a false sense of security through sensual distraction!"

Glennis nodded quickly from beside Yin, nervously clearing his throat. "They say you find the ticklish spots! To map our nervous systems! Most irregular!"

Hannah threw her head back and laughed again, that same rich, rolling sound. "Oh, this is priceless. You genuinely believe this."

"Stop trying to distract us with your human-like mirth!" Yin snapped. "Confess! What is your mission? Who sent you? And are those feet even real?"

Hannah stopped laughing, her expression shifting. A strange stillness came over her. She looked from Yin to Glennis, then her gaze settled on Charlotte, holding it intently. The amusement was gone, replaced by something calculating, ancient, and utterly unreadable. The air in the room grew heavy.

"You want the truth?" Hannah asked, her voice losing some of its silken quality, becoming flatter, more resonant.

Yin leaned forward eagerly. "Yes! Finally!"

"You're right," Hannah said calmly. "I'm not Hannah Tingle. That's just a construct. A... convenient vessel."

Glennis gasped audibly, taking a step back. "Good heavens!" Charlotte felt a cold dread mixed with a perverse thrill. Yin was right?

"And my mission?" Hannah continued, her eyes still locked on Charlotte. "Observation. Assessment. Earth is... fascinating. So messy. So emotional. So easily... tickled." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. It wasn't Hannah's smile anymore.

"And the feet?" Yin demanded. "Are they part of the disguise?"

"The feet," Hannah said, a strange reverence entering her tone. "The feet are exquisite, aren't they? Such complex structures. So sensitive. Humans hide them away, treat them as mundane, even ugly. But they hold so many secrets, so much potential for... interaction." She flexed her toes within her shoes. Charlotte could almost feel it.

"Interaction?" Charlotte whispered, finding her voice.

Hannah's gaze softened slightly as it rested on Charlotte. "Intimacy. Sensation. Your species craves connection, touch. You focus on hands, lips... but you neglect the foundations. The parts that ground you." She paused. "Some of us appreciate them more."

Yin was practically vibrating with vindication. "I knew it! Xylarian foot probe!"

"Not Xylarian," Hannah corrected, sounding almost bored. "That's such a primitive designation. We don't have... names, like you do. We simply are." She looked back at Charlotte. "You were drawn to the 'artistry', Charlotte. You sensed something beyond the superficial."

Charlotte felt confused, scared, and strangely flattered. "What... what are you, then?"

Hannah surveyed the room, the cheap furniture, the conspiracy charts, the two humans gripped by fear and confusion, and the one utterly bewildered one. "We are explorers of sensation. Cartographers of nerve endings." A low, rhythmic clicking sound started emanating from her throat, almost like a purr, but deeper, more mechanical. "You want to see? You seem... more open than your companions." She nodded towards her own neck. "There's a seam. Just under the jawline. Very fine. Part of the bio-mimetic layering."

Yin recoiled. Glennis made a small noise of distress. "Don't touch it!" Yin hissed. "It could be a defence mechanism! Corrosive substance! Paralytic agent!"

But Hannah was looking only at Charlotte, an invitation in her unnervingly calm eyes. "Go on, Charlotte. You started this. You deserve to see what you brought into your life. What you felt a connection with."

Charlotte’s heart was pounding. Every rational thought screamed 'Run!'. Yin was right. This thing wasn't human. But another part of her, the part that had been mesmerised by the videos, the part that felt a bizarre connection to this creature, was undeniably curious. Was this the ultimate intimacy Hannah had hinted at? Seeing beneath the surface?

Slowly, hesitantly, she approached the chair. Yin and Glennis watched, frozen. Glennis looked like he might faint. Hannah remained perfectly still, only the soft clicking sound continuing. Charlotte reached out a trembling hand, her fingers brushing against the cool, smooth skin of Hannah's neck.

And there it was. A faint, almost invisible line, tracing the curve of the jaw. A seam. It felt... artificial. Like the edge of a very sophisticated mask.

"Go on," Hannah (or whatever it was) urged, the clicking becoming slightly louder.

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte hooked her fingernail under the edge. It peeled back with disturbing ease, like cheap wallpaper. Underneath wasn't flesh, but something else entirely. Pale, faintly luminous, and textured like... like smooth, damp rubber.

She pulled gently. More of the 'Hannah' skin peeled away, revealing the structure beneath. It wasn't horrifying in a gory way. It was horrifying in its utter wrongness. Too many slight, subtle curves where angles should be, a faint bioluminescence pulsing beneath the surface.

"Keep going," the creature clicked, its voice now distorted, deeper, multitimbral.

Charlotte pulled harder. The mask came away from the cheek, the nose, revealing... more. No recognisable features, just shifting, pale, rubbery flesh. And then she reached the eyes. The warm, human eyes detached with the mask, leaving behind... multifaceted, insectoid orbs, glistening blackly in the dim light.

Glennis made a choked, gagging sound and stumbled backwards, tripping over Yin’s pile of conspiracy books and landing hard on his backside. "Merciful heavens!" Yin scrambled backwards, tripping over a pile of UFO magazines.

Charlotte, holding the eerily lifelike 'Hannah' face in her hand, stared at the thing strapped to the chair. It wasn't humanoid at all beneath the neck. The torso seemed segmented, and what she had assumed were legs under the silk pyjamas... weren't. They were thinner, multi-jointed appendages, ending not in feet, but in clusters of fine, feathery tendrils that twitched slightly. And there were too many of them. Six, at least. Maybe eight.

The clicking intensified, morphing into a series of low, guttural chuckles that seemed to vibrate in Charlotte's bones. The creature flexed. The brown parcel tape, designed for cardboard boxes, not extraterrestrial explorers of sensation, strained audibly.

"You wanted to know," the creature rasped, its multifaceted eyes fixing on Charlotte. "You wanted... intimacy."

Rip. One of the wrist restraints gave way with the sound of tearing paper.

"Now," it chuckled, the sound wet and horrid. "Let's explore... your sensitive areas."

Rip. Rip. The other wrist tape tore. Then the ankles. The tendril-tipped appendages unfolded, stretching out with unnerving speed.

The Alien Tickle Monster was free.

The Tickle Chase

Panic erupted in the small flat. Glennis, still on the floor, scrambled backwards crab-style, yelling "Get away! Unhand me, you... you... tickling fiend!" Yin fumbled behind the sofa, searching for a weapon – her hand closed around a sturdy umbrella. Charlotte dropped the 'Hannah' mask, which landed face-up on the carpet, its empty eyes staring accusingly.

The creature unfolded itself from the dining chair, rising to its full, unsettling height. It was vaguely insectoid, vaguely cephalopod-like, all pale, rubbery flesh, segmented limbs, and those terrible, feathery tendrils that quivered with anticipation. It wasn't massive, maybe five and a half feet tall, but its proportions were all wrong, making it seem both fragile and deeply threatening. The clicking chuckle intensified.

"Run!" Charlotte shrieked, finally snapping out of her horrified trance.

She scrambled for the door, grabbing Glennis by the arm and hauling him unceremoniously to his feet. Yin, brandishing the umbrella like a sword, yelled, "Back, foul creature!" before realising the sheer inadequacy of her weapon and promptly turning to flee as well.

The creature moved with startling speed, its multiple limbs skittering across the floor in a way that defied normal locomotion. It wasn't chasing them aggressively, more... playfully? Its tendrils reached out, brushing against the fleeing Glennis's leg as he stumbled towards the door.

Glennis let out a noise that was half-yelp, half-giggle. "No! Stop it! Ghastly! It tickles!" He stumbled, nearly falling again, a bizarre mixture of terror and helpless laughter contorting his face as Charlotte dragged him out into the communal hallway.

"Leave it!" Yin yelled, slamming the flat door shut. They could hear frantic, multi-limbed scratching and that awful clicking chuckle from the other side.

"We can't just leave it in there!" Charlotte gasped, propping Glennis against the wall as he tried to catch his breath between horrified giggles. "Mrs. Higgins!"

"Mrs. Higgins thinks the council uses fluoride to control squirrels! She'll cope!" Yin retorted, fumbling with her keys to lock the door, which seemed utterly futile. "Stairs! Now!"

They clattered down the echoing concrete steps of the apartment block, Glennis still emitting choked giggles and gasps of "Intolerable!" and "My nerves!". The door to Yin's flat burst open above them with a crack of splintering wood. The skittering sound pursued them.

They burst out onto the street, into the relative normality of a Wednesday night in Nantwich. A few late-night dog walkers and pub-goers stared as two terrified women and one utterly flustered, giggling man sprinted past.

"Where are we going?" Glennis panted, straightening his hopelessly skewed tie even as he ran.

"Anywhere but here!" Yin gasped.

The skittering sound was closer now. Charlotte risked a glance back. The creature was loping down the street after them, its pale form almost glowing under the orange streetlights. Its feathery tendrils waved gently in the air. It looked utterly absurd, yet terrifyingly relentless.

"Split up?" Charlotte suggested breathlessly.

"No! Stick together!" Yin countermanded. "Safety protocols dictate concentration against single anomalous entities!"

They veered sharply down a narrow alleyway smelling of bins and damp brickwork, hoping to break line of sight. They emerged onto the deserted High Street. Shops were shuttered, the only signs of life the flickering neon of a takeaway kebab shop at the far end.

"The Kebab Krazy!" Yin wheezed. "Civilians! Potential witnesses! Or distractions!"

They pounded down the pavement. The skittering was right behind them. Charlotte could almost feel the feathery brush of tendrils on the back of her neck. She risked another look. The creature paused, tilting its multifaceted head, and seemed to sniff the air. It focused on a discarded political leaflet plastered to a bus stop. It reached out a tendril and gently... tickled the photograph of a local councillor. A low chuckle echoed in the night.

"It's distracted!" Charlotte hissed. "Keep going!"

They burst into the Kebab Krazy, nearly colliding with a large man attempting to balance a tray of cheesy chips and a can of dandelion and burdock. The smell of roasting meat and chili sauce filled the air. Two bored-looking teenagers manned the counter.

"Help! Alien! Dreadful tickling creature!" Glennis gasped, collapsing onto a plastic orange chair and fanning himself with his hand, finally managing to suppress the giggles into ragged breaths.

The teenagers exchanged unimpressed glances. The man with the cheesy chips slowly edged away.

"Alright mate, bit early for that isn't it?" one of the teenagers asked laconically, wiping down the counter.

"No! It's real!" Yin insisted, pointing wildly towards the door. "Pale! Far too many limbs! Armed with tickling tendrils!"

Just then, the creature appeared in the doorway. It paused, its black eyes sweeping over the scene – the greasy counter, the rotating elephant leg of meat, the bewildered humans. It seemed momentarily confused by the bright lights and the smell of garlic mayo.

The man with the cheesy chips dropped his tray with a clatter. The teenagers’ jaws dropped.

The creature took a hesitant step inside. Its tendrils twitched. It focused on the dropped cheesy chips, lying sadly on the linoleum. It extended a tendril and poked curiously at a cheese-coated chip.

"Oi! Get out!" yelled the braver of the two teenagers, grabbing a long metal tongs. "No weirdos! We've got hygiene ratings to think about!"

The creature retracted its tendril from the chip, seemingly offended. It emitted a series of high-pitched clicks and turned its attention to the teenager. Its tendrils quivered menacingly.

"Don't provoke it!" Charlotte yelled. "It... it tickles!"

The teenager looked utterly confused. "It tickles?"

Before anyone could react further, the creature scuttled sideways, its limbs moving with that unnerving speed. It didn't go for the teenager, but instead darted towards the giant rotating spit of doner meat. With surprising dexterity, several of its tendril-tipped appendages wrapped around the warm, greasy cylinder.

And it started... tickling the kebab.

A series of rapid, feathery strokes danced across the surface of the meat. The creature emitted a low, continuous chuckle, its multifaceted eyes gleaming with what looked like intense concentration, or perhaps, pleasure.

Everyone in the shop stared, utterly dumbfounded. The alien tickle monster, the explorer of sensation, the cartographer of nerve endings, was currently engrossed in giving a doner kebab the tickling of its life.

Yin slowly lowered the umbrella she hadn't realised she was still clutching. Glennis, mouth agape, simply stared, his earlier panic replaced by sheer, uncomprehending astonishment. Charlotte just watched, her mind struggling to process the sheer, unadulterated weirdness of the scene.

The creature seemed entirely absorbed in its task, clicking and chuckling as it meticulously tickled the rotating meat.

"Right," said the teenager, slowly lowering his tongs. "Okay. That's... not standard."

Yin nudged Charlotte. "Now's our chance. While it's... communing with the processed lamb."

Slowly, carefully, they backed out of the Kebab Krazy, leaving the alien to its intimate moment with the doner. They didn't run this time, but walked briskly, casting nervous glances over their shoulders. The skittering sound didn't follow. The last they saw of the creature, it was still diligently tickling the kebab, seemingly lost in a world of greasy, meaty sensation.

The Aftermath

They finally stopped several streets away, leaning against the cold brick wall of the closed Nantwich Museum, chests heaving, minds reeling. Glennis was smoothing down his trousers and muttering about needing a stiff drink, Yin looked strangely exhilarated, and Charlotte felt a confusing mix of terror, adrenaline, and profound embarrassment.

"See?" Yin finally panted, a triumphant grin spreading across her face. "I told you! Alien! Though," she frowned, "the kebab affinity wasn't covered in any of the literature."

"It... it tickled the meat," Glennis said, sounding deeply disturbed. "The sheer impropriety! Why would it do such a thing?"

"Maybe it's assessing the texture for colonization suitability?" Yin mused. "Or perhaps it's just really, really weird."

Charlotte just shook her head, leaning it back against the bricks. "Hannah's Sexy Feet... was an alien tickle monster." She started to laugh, a slightly hysterical sound. "It wanted intimacy... with seasoned meat on a stick."

The absurdity washed over them. They looked at each other – three ordinary office workers who had just kidnapped (sort of), unmasked, and been chased through Nantwich by an extraterrestrial being obsessed with feet and tickling.

"So," Glennis asked, adjusting his glasses meticulously, "what is the protocol now? Do we inform the authorities? The parish council?"

Yin shrugged, straightening her jacket. "Go home, I suppose. Lock the doors. Perhaps invest in some feather dusters for defence? And definitely avoid the Kebab Krazy for a while."

"And work tomorrow?" Charlotte asked faintly. Pendleton & Sons seemed like a different universe now.

"Well," Yin considered, "we can hardly tell Mr. Henderson our P45 reconciliation is delayed due to an encounter with an intergalactic entity with boundary issues regarding kebabs, can we?"

They stood in silence for a moment, the strange events of the night settling around them like bizarre, unwanted fog. Charlotte thought of the 'Hannah' mask lying discarded on Yin's floor. She thought of the creature's unsettling chuckle, the skittering limbs, the feathery tendrils. And weirdly, she thought of those perfectly pedicured feet on YouTube.

"You know," Charlotte said slowly, "part of me still thinks those were really nice feet."

Yin rolled her eyes. Glennis just shuddered. "I think I need that cup of tea now. Very strong. Possibly with a biscuit."

The walk back to their respective homes was quiet, punctuated only by the distant chime of St Mary's Church clock and the lingering smell of doner meat that seemed to follow them through the damp April night. Their drab lives had just taken a sharp left turn into the utterly surreal, and somehow, the prospect of facing those grey cubicles tomorrow felt even more ludicrous than being chased by an alien tickle monster.

#Hannah Tingle #horror stories #comedy horror #horror #tickle content #eldritch horror #lovecraftian #tickletorture

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historyhermann · 2 years ago

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Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake Spoiler-Filled Review

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake is a mature animated series developed by Adam Muto. It is a spinoff of the well-known Adventure Time series. Unlike the original, it is aimed at a young adult audience. Muto, Fred Seibert, and Sam Register are executive producers. Debora Arroyo is another producer. Frederator Studios and Cartoon Network Studios produced the series. This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without labor of the actors currently on strike, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, being reviewed here, wouldn't exist.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the fifty-second article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on October 9, 2023.

Unlike the original series or the Adventure Time: Distant Lands specials, this series focuses on alternate versions of Finn the Human and Jake the Dog: Fionna Campbell (voiced by Madeleine Martin) and Cake (voiced by Roz Ryan). Character designer Natasha Allegri created them years ago. These characters debuted in the season 3 Adventure Time episode "Fionna and Cake." They made additional appearances in Seasons 5, 6, 8, and 9 of that series. In that series, they are part of Ice King's Finn and Jake fan fiction. Also, the characters appeared in comic books which Allegri co-created with other comic book artists.

This series brings Fionna and Cake beyond their depictions in Adventure Time. In this series, Fionna works as bus tour guide, but struggles to find her place. The fact that her apartment is a mess, with uncleanliness and dirty dishes, is symbolic. It shows that her life is disorderly. In many ways, her character is relatable. She stands up for herself and is on the edge between having work (and not). The latter is not unique. Protagonists of Magical Girl Friendship Squad, The Great Jahy, and The Devil is a Part-Timer! are impoverished and live in similar circumstances. The difference is that Fionna actively does not want to go to work. Instead, she likes to hang out with street musicians like Marshall Lee (voiced by Donald Glover).

Everything goes off the rails when Cake runs away, through a portal, and ends up in the land of Ooo. This terrifies Fionna, who desperately looks for Cake. In her search, she meets Hunter (voiced by Vico Ortiz), a woman who is planting weeds rather than picking them up, Ellis P (voiced by Pendleton Ward), who is her world's version of Lumpy Space Princess, and owner of a bakery where her friend Gary (voiced by Andrew Rannells) works: BB. The latter is her world's version of Princess Bubblegum. Gary is called Prince Gumball in Adventure Time.

As you can tell, there is a barrier to entry when watching this series. This series is made for Adventure Time fans. Those who aren't fans of that series can watch this series. However, they may miss something. Savvy fans may see comparisons to series such as The Legend of Korra, Bee and Puppycat, and Steven Universe Future. Others may recognize the anime references, either to Sailor Moon or My Neighbor Totoro, in the first episode.

This series may excite those who enjoy multiverses and alternate realities. In the first episode, Fionna believes she is chasing a rat bus which somewhat resembles the cat bus from My Neighbor Totoro, while wearing a Sailor Scout costume. At the last second, the mysterious Ice Prince saves her. Her alarm clock wakes her before she can learn more. This dream's importance is clear later in the series. Also, the fact that everything on TV is Cheers is significant not only because it was Simon Petrikov's favorite shows, but the show's tagline: "filmed in front of a live studio audience." It implies that Fionna's world is manufactured.

In Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, Donald Glover, Tom Kenny, Sean Rohani, Roz Ryan, Madeleine Martin, James Kyson, Andy Daly, and Pendleton Ward reprise their roles as Marshall Lee, Simon Petrikov, Prismo, Cake, Fionna, Big Destiny, Wyatt, and Lumpy Space Princess (in the form of Ellis P.). Jeremy Shada, Hynden Walch, Olivia Olson, Ron Perlman, and Felicia Day voice the supporting characters Finn the Human, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline the Vampire Queen, The Litch, and Betty Grof, as they do in the original series. Kayleigh McKee, Cree Summer, Jinkx Monsoon, Andrey Bennett, and Brian David Gilbert join these voice actors.

These voice actors lend their voices as the Scarab, the Lemoncarbs, Astrid, and the Winter King. Summer and Monsoon are known for their voice and live-action roles. This series is McKee's first lead role. This is significant because McKee is a trans woman and due to the fact that her only voice roles before there were anime dubs for series such as Kageki Shojo!!, Sasaki and Miyano, and Lycoris Recoil. As for Bennett, this is one of her first voice roles, apart from work on Not Quite Narwhal, Ada Twist, Scientist, and City of Ghosts. This series is also the first major voice role for Gilbert as well.

Like Bennett and Gilbert, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake is one of the first voice roles for Vico Ortiz. He voices Fern in this series. Previously, Ortiz voiced Tefé Holland in Harley Quinn. Ortiz is non-binary and genderfluid, and a Puerto Rican actor, activist, and drag king. Andrew Rannells, another voice actor for this series, is a White gay man. He voiced gay characters like King Barton in Princess Power, Matthew MacDell in Big Mouth, and William Clockwell in Invincible.

The wonderful thing about this series is how easily it meshes with the existing Adventure Time universe. There is little retroactive continuity. Extraordinarily little of previously established narratives are changed. Unpopular elements don't return nor are dead characters revived or reality disregarded. The series plotlines easily fit with plots in the original show. It is set after Adventure Time and Adventure Time: Distant Lands.

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The second episode of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake makes this clearer. There is an interesting contrast between Simon's messy problems, which he hides away, and his attempt to keep his 20th-century antiquarian house clean, as an exhibit. It is revealed that Cake and Fionna were his creations. He dismisses them as "old stuff." This comes to a head when he talks to Finn in a bar, saying he can't relate to this alternate world, the Land of Ooo anymore, and admits he missed Ice King.

He goes on a quest led by Finn to an ancient part of Ooo. Simon reminisces about his "good memories" with Betty. However, so much is going through his head that he's unsure what to do. A song by non-binary screenwriter Rebecca Sugar, best known as the creator of Steven Universe, clearly and eloquently explains to the viewer what he is going through. Sugar has an upcoming personal album Spiral Bound released in November.

This comes with a fun moment between two queer characters known by Adventure Time and Adventure Time: Distant Lands fans: Princess Bubblegum (PB) and Marceline. Simon tries to talk about his struggles, after he admits that he made a little girl cry. Unfortunately, Marceline can't hear him since she, and her girlfriend, PB, are trying to get matching tattoos, but the artist is having trouble. On the one hand, this scene shows how Simon is holding back his true feelings by claiming "everything's fine" and there are no issues. On the other, it is a representation of queer representation in the series. Those who like the Bubbline pairing of Marceline and PB may be overjoyed by this short funny scene.

That scene is one example of representation in Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake. The series intercuts the growing relationship between Marshall Lee and Gary to that of Marceline and PB. This includes a world where PB and Star (a version of Marceline) are locked in combat. This could be an indication that PB and Marceline, in whatever form they take, have intertwined romantic destinies. Such storylines gave this queer couple "multiversal staying power."

The queerness of Gary and Marshall is shown unabashedly and openly, without anyone bating an eye. This contrasts the heterosexual themes in Adventure Time and previous fights by the crew of that series to have queer inclusion. Series creator Adam Muto said that LGBTQ+ representation in this series came from show writers and artists, who wanted their identities portrayed and expressed. Hopefully, other shows follow suit, even as animation industry is in crisis. As Raye Rodriguez, showrunner of High Guardian Spice, recently put it, "there are some companies that...have decided that they are like protectors of the gays...but that’s only as long as those companies decide to be that kind of brand." This was the case for The Owl House. Disney cancelled the series, and gave it a shortened third season, after executives declared that the show didn't fit the company's brand.

The second episode hints at what is to come: inter-dimensional travel of Cake and Fionna to the Land of Ooo. Simon uses an evil Choose Goose (voiced by Jeff Bennett), that taunts him, to open such a passage. Cake comes through, surprising Simon. To make matters worse, Prismo ignores a blinking light on his universal remote-control, indicating a new portal. In the third episode, Fionna follows a sparkly blue light and appears in Ooo. Simon determines that she isn't "real" and blames the goose. Thanks to help from a big Fionna and Cake fan, Astrid (voiced by Andrey Bennett), she saves Cake after she is kidnapped following an encounter with a talking squirrel. Soon enough, Prismo realizes this is a major issue which could get him in trouble. It would reveal his unauthorized world, where Fionna and Cake live. So, he teleports Cake, Fionna, and Simon to his headquarters-of-sorts.

The stakes of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake are raised when Scarab (voiced by Kayleigh McKee) enters the scene. They are an auditor tasked with tracking down violators. They set their sights on Prismo for letting an item on his remote-control blink for too long. It is possible that Scarab may have had a previous bone to pick with Prismo and is using this as an excuse to get back at him. The entire universe of Fionna and Cake's universe (called "Fionna World" for short) is at stake. Prismo made it in an unauthorized fashion and stored it within Simon's head. The world changed after Simon was no longer Ice King. Prismo warns that the fact that the universe exists at all could result in unintended consequences for other realities.

Before Scarab catches them, Simon, Fionna, and Cake escape the Time Room and appear in another world. Thus begins their trip through the multiverse to find a crown. The plan is for Simon to become Ice King again and bring back magic to Fionna World. They first arrive in Farmworld. Simon hopes they can get clues about the crown's location in the library, but this is soon dashed. Library books are stolen so they can be burned and used for a funeral. In the process, they meet Jay Mertens (voiced by Tiffany Wu). He has a crush on Little Destiny (voiced by Mickey Zacchilli) of the Destiny Gang. Fionna is scammed by the world's version of the Choose Goose, who gives them a fake crown. In response, Cake beats them up.

This world involves Finn leading a family with several children and a traitorous Choose Goose. Scarab follows them, thinking he can chase them down. Unfortunately, they can't find a magic crown, as it was annihilated. Furthermore, a version of PB tattles about where Jay, Simon, Fionna, and Cake went. Scarab, after capturing Prismo, catches up with them, following them to the next world: the Winter Kingdom. In that world, Fionna develops a crush on the Winter King.

The Winter King acts suave, which pulls in Fionna. He claims that he created his own winter wonderland by sheer "force of will." He also declares that he is making Simon a duplicate crown. In some ways, he resembles the Diamonds in Steven Universe. He has servants called ice scouts, which somewhat resembles pearls, and he sings a song to explain his story. Fionna even slays citizens of the Candy Kingdom to rescue Simon and Winter King from Candy Queen. She is a version of PB, a cross between Spinel and Harley Quinn. As it turns out, the world falls apart when Fionna kisses the Winter King. PB reforms into her usual form. She kisses Fionna on the cheek as a thank you. Fionna lifted the "curse": negative energy from the crown changed the Candy Kingdom's citizens into monsters.

In Fionna World, the romance between Gary and Marshall, as mentioned earlier, develops. Gary is worried about Fionna's whereabouts. He plans to start his own business. He even goes to a local fair with Marshall. Later, in an attempt to help Gary's recipes gain traction, Marshall brings in the Lemon Carbs. In their typical fashion, the Lemon Carbs, which have a sour personality by their very nature, hate the snacks. Even so, Marshall and Gary get closer. They go to a gothic-style church where Marshall's parents live, where Gary pitches his pastry idea. He ends up calling out Marshall's mom. Although hesitant at first, Marshall ends up leaving with him. Both kiss in an elevator as they leave the building, infuriating everyone, especially Marshall's mom.

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Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake has a serialized storyline. This is clear from the fact that Fionna reflects on her actions, like hurting innocent candy people in the sixth episode to make her "dream" true. Although Simon claims that the next world will have a Simon cursed in the "right way," she isn't sure. Her suspicion is correct. In the next world, a non-magical Simon was killed. Then, the Vampire King adopted Marceline (called Star in this world). As a result, she became a vampire princess.

This world is one of the more interesting. Bonnie heads up a tank, with Martin Mertens and Huntress, to settle a score with Star. However, Star messes with/flirts with Bonnie, saying she will "have her heart." Although Simon says that in his world Marcy and Bonnie fell in love, the Bonnie of this world pushes this idea away. The attack on the "hive" of vampires seems to be successful. Star ensures that the battle is far from over. She and Bonnie fight, with queer tension between them, as much is present in the fights between Catra and Adora throughout all five seasons of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

Fionna cares about Cake, and Cake cares for Fionna. This dynamic is fraught with tension. For one, Cake is angry that she was pulled to a terrible wasteland world since their dimensional remote control is malfunctioning. She was prevented from grabbing the Vampire King's magic crown. Fionna and Cake seem at odds with one another. After watching disturbing videotapes from Ice King, thanks to BMO, both realize that the crown caused Simon to lose his mind, and this tension ends.

All of this happens while Simon is struggling to realize what his identity is in the world, and what Betty means to him. He often reminisces about his "fond memories" of Betty, including how they met and went on adventures together. Fionna and Cake return to their world. He is forced to confront this when he meets Golb. The Lich, which destroyed everything in an entire world, is a being which now feels empty and worthless. Golb easily turns the Lich into a block without much effort.

This results in a journey in the last two episodes. Simon attempts to look, in the form of Shermy, for a book about a magic crown. He wants to return magic to Fionna World. He follows the story of Nova and Casper, which parallels his relationship with Betty. As a result, he comes to realization that he caused Betty to subordinate her desires to his. At the same time, Fionna and Cake come back to their world and fight off the Scarabs with help from Gary and Marshall. This is unsuccessful. Scarab reforms, due to Ellis P.'s cluelessness.

The final episode of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake ends with a bang. Simon realizes that he doesn't need to be Ice King. He only wanted that so his life would matter. As a result, he gives Fionna control of her world. She brings it back into existence while Scarab is trying to destroy everything. Scarab remains determined to destroy it piece by piece, even after it becomes a canonized universe. Prismo deems Scarab "not cool" for their destructive actions. Fionna ends up winning the battle against Scarab, who is now weaker. In a huge form, she crushes him, thanks to Cake becoming a hammer. This allows him to be captured.

The series finale implies that it will be self-contained and not have a season 2. The world continues to be rebuilt. Gary's business is booming. Marshall protests his mom. Gary and Marshall remain a couple. In addition, Simon enjoys himself, even talking to Finn's mom about the experience of Fionna and Cake on his life. Prismo collaborates with Scarab, who can't harm anyone anymore. They create a medieval mystery drama world together.

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake could be an effective way to wrap up the Adventure Time franchise, which began in 2007 with a pilot for Nicktoons. Later, that pilot was adapted into an animated series. It premiered in April 2010 on Cartoon Network. As noted before, this series includes more queerness than before. Fionna might be queer. She is attracted to Winter King, and likes being around Hunter, as shown in a final scene.

Additionally, this series has racial diversity. It is the first time that Marshall Lee is a visibly Black character. Muto said that “it would have felt harder to rationalize not showing [Marshall Lee] that way.” Some fans have questioned whether Marshall's more well-known female version, Marceline, was Black, even though she was an established character of color with a Black or Brown mother. It ignores the fact that Olson, who voices Marceline, is of Afro-Jamaican descent. Muto added that they tried to make sure that the show's cast had "representation that better reflects the world we live in." Show writer Kate Tsang helped them in this task.

Whether Marshall or Marceline, there are Black vampires across media. This includes characters in a mature action and dark fantasy series, Castlevania: Nocturne, like Drolta Tzuentes. This representation comes at a time that the number of Black animated series are increasing. This year, alone, there have been series such as My Dad the Bounty Hunter, Supa Team 4, Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. A recent addition, Young Love, joined this list, based on Matthew Cherry's 2019 short animated film, Hair Love. It is also airing on Max. However, it aired four episodes a week rather than two episodes a week for some reason.

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There are other praiseworthy elements in Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake. Melissa Villaseñor, Cristina Valenzuela (also known as Cristina Vee), Phil LaMarr, Chelsea Peretti, Robbie Daymond, and Ellie Newlands guest voice characters. These people are known for their voice work on Amphibia, Primos (upcoming), RWBY, Helluva Boss, Futurama, Samurai Jack, Static Shock, My Dad the Bounty Hunter, The Legend of Vox Machina, and Unicorn: Warriors Eternal.

There are six people who wrote on, or storyboarded five or more episodes of this series: Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Jacob Winkler, Iggy Craig, Graham Falk, and Jim Campbell. Most of them had previously worked on Adventure Time: Distant Lands, and four of them worked on Adventure Time. Also, Winkler storyboarded for Infinity Train. Craig wrote and did prop design on the same series. Falk, Nyström, and Campbell storyboarded on Summer Camp Island. Adding to this, Craig was a character designer for Craig of the Creek. Campbell storyboarded and wrote episodes of Over the Garden Wall.

Other storyboarders and writers worked on two or more episodes. They include Lucyola Langi, Sonja von Marensdorff, Nicole Rodriguez, Haewon Lee, and Jackie Files. Two worked on the aforementioned Distant Lands. Others worked on Summer Camp Island, Infinity Train, or OK K.O.: Let's Be Heroes!. Langi and Rodriguez worked on series within the Steven Universe franchise. Langi designed characters for Steven Universe. Rodriguez storyboarded on Steven Universe Future and Steven Universe: The Movie.

Langi storyboarded for We Bare Bears. Rodriguez storyboarded on The Owl House, Central Park, The Great North, Hazbin Hotel, and Helluva Boss. She also animated Obituary: A Grave Beginning, later turned into a webcomic. von Marensdorff previously storyboarded episodes of The Jellies. She also animated the animated short, entitled Crow. The supervising directors for this series, Ryann Shannon and Steve Wolfhard, are well-known for their work in the animation industry. This includes OK K.O.!, for Shannon, and Bravest Warriors, Amphibia, and Big City Greens, among others, for Wolfhard.

Overall, this series avoids inconsistencies and focus on all-ages in Adventure Time. It is more of a united story than Adventure Time: Distant Lands, a limited series with four loosely connected vignettes. Furthermore, there is no wasted space in this series. No part feels like "filler." Instead, everything fits well together. The characters, animation, and voice acting mix with a strong story. With the animation industry in turmoil at the moment, and Warner Bros. Discovery purging Max of animated series deemed as "low rated," a second season seems unlikely. If so, this season easily wraps up the plot, like My Dad the Bounty Hunter does in its second season. An additional season could be weaker than the first one.

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake can be streamed on Max. In Australia, it can be watched on Binge and Fox8.

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