#this is too different to the last art i did heh

[rhys-ravenfeather]

Introducing Oasis to Oakwood’s second character, Benny :P

As you could probably guess from the name, he’s a retooled version of/based off Bendy from my BATIM AU...albeit older and a LOT less cheery than the pure demon babey, heh. Though I imagine he was a lot more like his original BATIM counterpart when he was younger.

Text for those who can’t read it:

‘I’m...not really sure how to feel about this guy. Okay, so Benny was the first person...or shadow, I guess, to find me after I transformed who DIDN’T freak out and/or try attacking me...at least not for long...but hey! He agreed to help me! So now we’re traveling together--he helps me find a way to get back to normal, I help him find his sister...and hope this moody shadow actually keeps HIS end of the deal. He doesn’t really seem like a fan of humans. Still, he’s pretty strong, so for now I guess I’m better with than without him...’

Bonus versions without text:

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[doodle-girl]

*cracks knuckles* Okay folks (@arkaix)

DOAI Possum Ramble 2 Electric Boogaloo: The Office

So basically if you already got what’s to know about the Modern Prometheus AU, then you most likely know about the whole “Lankmann feeling the eyes of the writers of this AU”/“If Pastra isn’t writing this story, then who is?” thing. Well, as shown in the last coupla reblogs of this thread, one idea is that we (the DOAI tumblr fandom) are basically all doing our fandom craziness in some kinda big office setting where we’re able to peer into the AUs we make via eyes, those eyes appearing somewhere in the world when we’re observing.

Cut to like an hour or smth later after @corrupteddoodles and I went ham in dms about worldbuilding >:]

Welcome to the DOAIblr Offices; where your ideas become a reality outside this one™️ (art and caption by @corrupteddoodles )

So basically what’s to know is that the inside of the building itself doesnt really follow the rules of reality all too much, it’s just doing it’s own thing to go along with our own craziness. Each member of DOAIblr has their own hallway of sorts, representing ourselves as creators. Some people’ve already started designing their own hallways!! Each hallway has doors (number of doors varying per person) leading towards different office spaces (which will be talked about a bit more later) representing the AUs we’ve created. If an AU has multiple creators, the door will manifest in several hallways.

The Sitcom AU door is pretty much a wildcard and is basically in everyone’s hallway, as that doesn’t really have a “creator” and is a big hodgepodge of everyone’s ideas and stuff (@purplechaosguardian sparked the original idea for it but being completely honest this au doesnt truly “belong” to one or a few people, it’s kind of a big group effort). It might as well be its own hallway with how absolutely huge it is.

I like to imagine that if an AU isn’t revealed to the public just yet (i.e @blazefirefox ‘s swap au as seen in her hallway), then to anyone who isn’t a creator the door kinda looks like what a door in Encanto looks like before a Madrigal kid gets their gift, if you’ve seen that movie. To a non-creator, it’s basically a regular door radiating with creative energy, if you listen closely you can hear small barely intelligible whispers of lore and ideas. Until it’s revealed to the public, only the creator(s) can see what the door really looks like, and only the creator(s) can get into it.

Getting into the offices themselves, the insides are basically amalgamations of different elements of the AUs themselves, all of them having different sheets inside for character refs and character sheets and lore and etc etc. For some decor examples, the inside of the Williams Foundation AU office would most likely be bathed in green and have various gadgets and etc for sciencey stuff™️. The Ragstra’s Show AU office would most likely resemble the backstage of a theater, with some mannequins/dolls and thread strung about.

What’s important to note is that each and every office has an Orb™️ in the center, representing the AU itself. The orb in the sitcom au basically takes up half the room with how big it is. (One thing to note: the orb for the Modern Prometheus AU starts to crack once Lankmann realizes the 4th wall/the writers)

The orb also acts as a way to “observe” and peer into the AU, said observing being how the eyes manifest into the world of the AU. Of course, the eyes shouldn’t be visible to the characters of the AU. *casually uses this as an opportunity to show off some of my own wip eye designs* *I plan to do more but this is what I did so far lmao*

These are all based on respective sonas/representative ocs ahehe (Idk what color the Tigera eyes would be but the Ark eyes are supposed to be teal lmao I just pulled it from a wip sketch) (Also purplechaosguardian doesnt have a sona iirc so in my mind theyre just Big Fuckin Purple Eyes heh)

Also this isn’t necessarily worldbuilding important but I think it’s fun to note: A potential scenario in the Modern Prometheus AU where someone accidentally no-clips out of the office and into the AU since the fourth wall is already breaking and someone has to come get them so there’s no more existential crises lmao

Aaaaaaaand that’s all I can think of for now!! As you can see we have once again spiralled into infinity with an idea and had a blast with it the whole way through :] 👍 This idea is definitely still in development and open to all to add ideas to, of course, as has been this whole thing for a while hehe <3 The possum is done with it’s screaming for now and shall be here if you need it again later o7

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

just read your fic that wxplains how lilia is going to sneak into family day lol. so this interactions takes after that. “Hi Silver! Happy Family Day! Did your mom or dad happen to drop by? I’d love to meet them.” To myself: and now I will finally find out what your last name is heh heh heh!! 😈

[Referencing this fic!]

[Someone actually also made fan art of how everyone else will perceive Lilia in the enchanted gag glasses; you can see that here!]

*Casually redacts Lilia’s Silver’s dad’s eyes* Warning everyone now, you’re going to see redacted Lilia in a lot of the upcoming writing pieces since lots of the requests I got are Lilia-related yes, they involve Mama Spade too 🦇

Fun fact, Super Mario’s full name is “Mario Mario” as of 2015 😂

Family means Nobody is Left Behind or Forgotten.

“Hello. It’s good to see you in high spirits for Family Day.” Silver greeted you with a small smile. “If you’re interested in meeting my father, he’s socializing with some of the other parents."

Silver turned his head, and you followed his line of sight to a small group of adults. You couldn’t immediately tell who was the right man—there was no cap of telling silver hair to tip you off. That’s right, Silver said he was adopted. They wouldn’t look alike.

“Which one is your…” You looked back at the second year—and startled.

A man had suddenly appeared beside Silver.

He took one look at the surprise in your expression and gave an impish grin. "You called for me, and so I have appeared."

His voice, you noticed, was as deep as the darkest night, or an abyss without an end. But it was far from empty—there were unsaid secrets and wisdom threaded in the way he spoke, a sacred and sagely quality to his words.

“You’re…”

"Father." Silver lowered his head in a polite bow. "This is my friend."

"Is that so? Hello, hello! Such a pleasure to meet one of Silver's bosom buddies. Thank you so much for looking after my boy.”

“Oh, it’s no problem at all! Silver’s a great guy, he’s very easy to get along with.”

You took a step back and slowly scanned the smooth-talking stranger up and down.

He was a shocking short fellow, with black hair swept into a high ponytail that cascaded past his back. From his deep voice, you’d had anticipated someone more intimidating—hadn’t Silver mentioned his father being a general?—but he moved and spoke with all the care of a gust of wind, liberated from the stuffy suit he wore. The jacket casually laid on his shoulders, too, seemed to come to life and dance with him, relishing the beautiful day.

And his face was…

You rubbed your eyes and looked again, squinting this time.

Something was odd about his face.

You had always known Silver for his strangely iridescent eyes. They shifted color in different lighting, sometimes more pink or blue or purple depending on the time of day. But his father’s features were all jumbled.

Whenever you thought you had something pinned down—the hawkishness of his nose, the shape of his mouth, the color of his eyes—they seemed to change every so slightly. Suddenly the nose was rounder, or his cupid’s bow had sharpened, or his irises had gone from gold to violet to green. Everything seemed blurred, as though you were gazing at him through a heavy veil of fog.

What’s going on here…? Am I not fully awake?

Silver’s dad chuckled lightly. “My, is something the matter? You’re staring at me so intensely.”

"Er, have we met before... sir?" you asked, hesitant. For a moment, you thought you caught Silver's face paling and tensing. "You seem familiar somehow, but I can't put my finger on why."

"No I’m afraid this is our first encounter," Silver's dad said, his every word coated with mirth, "but perhaps some of my charm has rubbed off on my son here. As they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!"

He dug an elbow into Silver’s side. The knight sighed—but from the twinkle in his crooked half-smile, you could tell it was done in fondness.

“Never mind, must just be me then.” You automatically stuck out your hand. “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Mister…?”

This is it!! Hope swelled in your chest. The moment of truth…! I’ll finally know what Silver’s last name is!!

The ponytailed man happily clapped a hand into yours, giving a firm shake. When he smiled, his teeth came into view—the shapes of them inconsistent, just like the rest of his face.

"You can call me Mr. Silver,” he crooned.

“Oh, sure thing—” Your hand went limp as realization suddenly sunk in. "Wait… so that means your son’s full name is…”

Silver Silver?!

“That’s… right,” Silver said carefully. He cast his father a weary look. “Yes. I was named for my hair color, which happens to be the same as my surname.”

“Gosh, no wonder why you never use your last name then!” you cried. “It’s a weird conversation starter to introduce yourself with the same thing twice!”

“Admittedly, I’ve never been too good with naming!” Mr. Silver confessed. He let your hand drop, and straightened his lapels. “But I’m a firm believer that it’s the content of one’s character which determines their worth, rather than the titles they hold.

“Kufufu. I do hope that you and Silver can continue your studies together and become adults of wonderful character someday.”

[elderemorune]

Beautiful IF.

This evening, my wife and I went to see a movie. This isn't anything unusual, we love the theater, and will take any excuse we can to go when she has time. Last we were able to get out just the two of us, it was to see Lisa Frankenstein, which I wholly recommend by the way. It was great, feminist as fuck, and frankly (see what I did) fun as hell.

But that's not why I'm here tonight.

Tonight, we're here for John Krasinski's IF.

IF is a movie that's part of a rare genre. The Family Film. You know, the kind that came out when millennials were children, like The Addams Family, or Hocus Pocus. A movie made for everyone to enjoy.

Now this is probably confirmation bias, since most of the fandoms I'm in are serious business, or at least they think they are, and such most of what I watch is grim, dark, or otherwise edgy. I won't deny being an edge marquis, I've been one since middle school and I'm not stopping now!

This movie, simply put, is beautiful. As we start to see more and more art about fighting (or subliminally supporting) fascism, it's like we shy away from beauty and instead want to focus wholly on how dark things are for us. And with a constant barrage of messaging like that, it's hard to stay hopeful, easy to stay mad.

Then we get a movie like IF. It takes a look at life through the most hopeful lens it can, a kid's. I don't want to get too into the story because my roommate reads this and I want them to see this as blindly as they can, but I'll tell you this: IF wants you to know that it's okay to be a kid.

But what does that mean? To be a kid? Is it to engage in wild flights of fancy where you imagine great, impossible things like an elephant made of cotton candy? Is it using play to cope with hard times? To be innocent? What is innocence anyway?

IF isn't trying to answer those questions at all. All IF cares about is that you know that it's okay to be a kid, no matter what.

For a super spoiler-free quick rundown, IF follows the adventures of Bea as she tries to help place imaginary friends (IFs) with new kids and find a new sense of purpose. Imagine (heh) Foster's Home for Imaginary (heh) Friends, but age Mac up a year and have her partner be a big furry purple guy (Hey! Like Eduardo!) named... Blue? Is this possibly an... GASP! AN EASTER EGG RIGHT THERE?! The big difference is that imaginary friends can't really be seen by anyone, except Bea and this other guy, Calvin. We'll talk about him later.

So let's talk about the rest of the movie, because there's not much more I can say without spoilers.

Just look at this man. He's distinct. You know EXACTLY what he's about, who he is, everything you need, just from looking at him.

And the same holds true of every other IF that you see (and don't) on screen. The team that worked on them did an immaculate job, perfectly capturing a child's imagination and how they see the world around them in these funny lil guys. Like how Blue is purple because his kid was colorblind, so he looked blue TO HIS KID, and how the robot IF was the kind of thing that a kid fond of taking things apart might imagine as their friend. Their personalities are all so clear, and when they're on screen they really steal the show.

Speaking of theft, let's talk the casting. Cailey Fleming plays Bea and gosh is her performance just the tops. Her first onscreen part was as young Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (which I didn't watch because I just don't care much for Star Wars). This is the first place I've seen her work, and I one hundred percent believed she was actually John Krasinski's daughter.

Who, by the way, plays her dad. A lovable goofball who tries to find the fun in everything, he's sick (though we're never told with what) and is in New York for surgery. It's a big one, apparently, and there's a chance he won't wake up from the anesthesia, but he's determined to make it through. Really, what can I say about Krasinski's acting that fans of The Office haven't already said? This guy is the kind of dad I want to be when I eventually have kids.

Steve Carell voices Blue, the big purple IF on the poster. Sure, I guess if I had A critique of this movie, it's that it's another Steve Carell Funny Voice(TM) but fuck off, I had fun and it was clear he loved the project. I loved Blue, I thought he was funny and so sweet, and he was just so goddamned lovable that I genuinely had no notes.

Last, and he'd probably say least, Ryan Reynolds plays Calvin, a very handsome gentleman who can also see the IFs like Bea can. He started the effort to rehome IFs with new kids, but hasn't had much success at the time the movie starts. He's a bit of a curmudgeon, pessimistic that anything they do will work, and refers to his ability to see them as a curse, but he still does everything he can to help Bea place IFs in new homes. While still your typical wise-cracking Ryan Reynolds character, it was interesting to see him playing a character who's not about diving into things headfirst, instead giving us a more timid person who would really rather be asleep.

The cast all worked exceptionally well together. As I said, I came out of this movie truly believing that Fleming was Krasinski's daughter, and the chemistry between her and Reynolds was amazing. They really felt like friends, and I never once felt like their relationship was weird in any way. Carell and Fleming were also delightful together, with Blue serving as wonderful comedy relief.

Lastly, I guess is the score, right? I'm new to caring about this, so forgive me if I forget an important part.

Music was done by Michael Giacchino, who's score was frankly perfect. He captured the vibe perfectly, and I can honestly think of no higher praise for a film score. In particular, there was a scene that really hit me, and if the Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia hadn't been the song used, I'm not sure I'd have cried near as hard.

So that's it. IF. A beautiful movie, a poignant message, and something that I think everyone could benefit from seeing.

Because what IF it's right? And it IS okay to be a kid?

That means anything is possible, doesn't it? What IF you COULD have a cotton candy elephant? Or a small army of Bionicle robots who are fiercely loyal to you as you lead them across Mata Nui to expunge the darkness? (Don't tell me you didn't do this. If you had Bionicle, you did this.)

What IF?

[darkhymns-fic]

Can I get a tiny umbrella to go with that?

So, a Princess of Hell walks into a bar…and the bartender isn't prepared for what she's asking. Luckily, Husk is a softie at heart.

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel Characters: Husk, Charlie Morningstar, Alastor Rating: T Word Count: 4342 Mirror: AO3 Notes: This is a nicer HH fic for once! Wanted to write both mine and @ms-notebook's favorite characters interacting. (There's also lovely art by her for this story!) Please forgive me for the dumb humor in this.

--

Husk heard the princess slump against the bar counter behind him. A small groan, followed by a thud. Then, followed by a plaintive “Oww…”

He sighed, turning around from setting up the shelves with new stock. “Tripped?”

Charlie had a hand pressed against her forehead, a little pout forming on her face. “No…I just wanted to lay my head down here.”

“Yeah, well, don’t exactly got pillows.” Husk gestured to the lobby. “The couch is right there if you want to relax.”

But he already guessed that was not what she came for. Still, he wasn’t going to pry unless she opened herself up. And he knew behind that usual bright, and sometimes manic smile of hers, there was a lot weighing on the girl’s mind.

Charlie took a deep breath, finally ignoring the little bump on her scalp. “Um, actually I wanted a different way to relax… You know?”

Husk raised a large eyebrow. “Do I know?”

“Y-yeah! Of course you do! Oops, sorry… I shouldn’t just assume.” Charlie brushed away a lock of her hair. She shifted nervously on the bar stool, her other hand tapping away the counter. “You just usually seem to know things…”

Yeah, he did. And he had a pretty good suspicion right now. “You here for a drink?”

Charlie looked left and right, now using her hands to twiddle her thumbs. Then, she nodded vigorously.

“Heh. Does Vaggie know you’re ‘partaking’ in some sin?”

“I mean! I just want a little sip! Or… unless you think I shouldn’t.” Charlie gave a small whine, hanging her head. “It’s just been so stressful lately with the Extermination being pushed up and we still haven’t gotten any new guests since Sir Pentious…”

Probably because they had Mr. Smiles as their marketing manager and a drunk manning the front desk/bar, but Husk wasn’t really about to point that out now.

“Hey, kid. No worries. I’ll fix you up something real nice then.” He leaned towards her, wings tucked in, feeling more awake than usual. “So, what do ya want? This your first drink?”

Charlie giggled nervously. “Ah, I’ve had champagne at this fancy dinner once… Like half a glass.”

Husk smirked. “So, you’re saying we should start you off strong. Got a couple of shots of vodka here in the back if you’re daring.”

Charlie’s eyes brightened in wonder. “Vodka… I always was curious…” Then shook her head. “Um, maybe not yet! It might be too strong for me…”

At that, Husk had to laugh a bit. His shoulders shook slightly, half-covering his mouth with his hand. “I was mostly joking. Look, we can start off small. You seem like you’d be into cocktails, so I can fix you up a dry martini, tequila sunrise, whatever sounds nice to you.”

Somehow, just listing off basic drink names was enough to get the princess’ face glowing, like she was a kid in a candy store. It was almost adorable, the way her already-blushed cheeks seemed to blush even more. “Tequila sunrise…that sounds so beautiful! You can make that?”

“Been making it for years. Known plenty of ladies who were into those. Though…” He tapped a finger against his chin, giving her another smile. “If I made you a piña colada instead, I can give it to you with a special garnish.” A pause, seeing Charlie wonder just what he meant before he finally said, “A tiny umbrella.”

Charlie stared open-mouthed. “No one ever told me drinks had tiny umbrellas in them!” She brought her hands to her face, awed by this knowledge. “That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Husk literally could not remember the last time someone got this excited over him making them a drink. (Well, maybe except Mimzy, and those weren’t pleasant memories). But Charlie’s excitement was infectious, and Husk had gotten a little soft for the princess. Even if he thought her redemption ideas were half-baked at best.

“You never knew what you were missing, huh?” he teased. “Just sit tight and I can whip you something up here—”

“Oh wait, I forgot!” Charlie straightened, hands pressed flat on the counter. “Alastor recommended me to get a certain drink from you!”

And suddenly, all the good mood in Husk’s heart went sinking right into the damn floor. Oh. So that’s why she was here.

“…The boss?” Husk blinked. “Recommended?”

Charlie nodded, still beaming her innocent smile. “I told him I’d been feeling a bit stressed lately and… that’s when he mentioned you! And your bar! And your special drink!”

Husk didn’t have a ‘special drink,’ unless one counted the cheap booze he kept underneath the counter for his own imbibing, but he didn’t deny it just yet.

“What did he say exactly?” Husk asked, trying to keep his tone normal. Maybe his boss was just actually being considerate of Charlie. For once. It’s not like Alastor didn’t come by and ask for a few fingers of rye on the rocks himself. And he and Charlie were basically business partners, in a sense.

Charlie clasped her hands together, smiling at Husk as if she was being the most perfect student, all attentive and eager. “Well, he said… Oh, actually he even instructed me on how I should say it! Since it’s a secret menu item and all!”

This was the first he ever heard of any secret menu item. Husk was waiting for the moment all hell would break loose, but he played along. “Okay, uh… go ahead?”

The princess’ expression then turned all serious. She cleared her throat, clenched one hand, and then slammed it on the bar counter. Or, at least her version of slamming a fist. The force of it was barely able to rattle one of the whiskey glasses that Husk was still in the middle of cleaning.

“Husk,” she started, her tone low, her eyes narrowed. “Give me your tallest glass of milk.”

He had to take a moment to be sure he heard that right. Charlie still gave her hard-set stare, which wavered to softness by each passing second.

Yeah, okay, she did just say that.

“…Are you asking me for regular milk?” He paused. “Or like a milk brandy?” There was no way she even knew what that was.

Charlie blinked. She shook the hand that she had slammed with, waving away the aches she must have given herself. “Uh, Alastor didn’t mention? He just said you had some very special milk! And that I should go and try it! Because I also like milk!”

“Special milk? The fuck did he—” Husk blinked. Then, he realized.

Then, he winced. Oh, that disgusting bastard.

Charlie was still in the dark and just kept talking, oblivious to the implications. “Alastor was really raving about your milk, too! How it’s the best out there, but that it’s rare to get? And that you only serve it when you’re in a good mood! He told me that even he can barely get it that much from you himself—”  

Husk pressed a hand to his face. He wanted to be buried alive, right now. “Charlie, please stop talking.”

“Oh.” Charlie hunched a little, noticing now the changed atmosphere in the room. “Did…did I say something wrong?”

That was such a loaded question but Husk didn’t have the energy to explain it all, nor did he think explaining would do any good except make Charlie give out a string of apologies that he would barely be able to handle. So instead, he gave another deep sigh and placed a hand on the princess’ shoulder.

“Here, just a piece of advice. If Alastor seems too excited about something, I’d take it with a big fuckton grain of salt. The guy does stuff for shits and giggles and you’re prime entertainment for that.”

Charlie’s eyes lowered, her perky energy from before looking all sapped away. “Oh, so he was just playing a prank on me…” She then looked to Husk again, with what little hope she had left. “You don’t have any milk at all?”

Husk really wished he could fucking kill Alastor this very second. Or at least kick him in the teeth if doing so wasn’t going to get his stomach sliced open for the Radio Demon’s buffet.

“I don’t got milk, kid,” he finalized with a pat on her shoulder. Then he looked to the side, muttering to himself. “At least, not as much anymore.”

“Huh?”

It almost physically hurt hearing his own slip-up coupled with Charlie’s curiosity. God dammit, this whole stupid thing from Alastor was now messing with his head! Husk stepped back. “Just— Don’t worry about it.” 

Ugh. He was already exhausted. It didn’t even make any sense to Husk. This wasn’t his boss’ usual style of humor. Did he pick it up from Angel? But he also remembered how Alastor didn’t even like Angel that much anyway, so that wasn’t it. Whatever. This wasn’t a mystery he needed to solve and didn’t fucking want to anyway.

By now though, Charlie looked deeply sadder than before—and also guilty. She knew she had made the air between them awkward, even as Husk tried to get past it. It's not like it was her fault that she was as naive as they come.

“Look, let me just make you something. Still want the umbrellas?”

But Charlie no longer looked as enthused, and shook her head. “Maybe…maybe another time. I should probably get back to work. I forgot, I have to set up the Pilates schedule for everyone! All, um, two of them..”

Ah, man. Husk mentally kicked himself for getting so worked up before. “Hey, Charlie, it’s–”

“No, no, don’t worry! I shouldn’t have bothered you while you were working anyway. I’ll just get out of your way!” And with that, she quickly got up from the stool, put on her great smile that was stretched just a little too wide, and looked a little too tight.

She wasn't as good at hiding things like his boss was, but he could see the similarities.

“I’ll see ya later okay bye!!” And then she hoofed it out of there, even before Husk could say another word. 

He leaned on the bar counter, chin placed in his hand and sighed. So much for always bitching to the bartender. Because Charlie just took up all her hurt and swallowed it away instead.

--

“Alright, everyone! Great job today!” Charlie gave a double-thumbs up, panting heavily as she wound down from the routine–and kept doing so, still wearing her long-sleeved coat and pants while doing stretches and jumping jacks just a few minutes ago. “We’ll pick it back up tomorrow with some pictionary later, alright? Oh, and, uh, sorry about before, Sir Pentious.”

He didn’t really hear her, because he was too busy crying into Vaggie’s shoulder, who had resigned to carrying him to his room. She struggled a bit, occasionally tripping over his long tail/body that kept wriggling in her hold.

Angel, meanwhile, was wiping away some yellow goop off his boots as he followed them out. “Ugh, I told him to not let his little Egg Boiz get near me! I can’t really pay attention to stuff when I’m in the zone!”

Eventually, all left the hotel lobby, leaving Charlie by her lonesome. She finally put down that smile of hers, and sighed, letting herself fall against the couch cushions.

She must have been really out of it, to not notice he was still around.

A quick tap on her left shoulder, and Charlie turned to her left, seeing no one there. Then a quick tap on her right shoulder, and she turned to her right, again seeing no one there. “Huh? Whuh?”

Husk was right in front of her, giving a small wave. “Hey.”

“WHOA WHAT THE HELL?!”

The yell was unexpected, making Husk lower his ears. The girl really did have a pair of lungs on her.

“Ah! Sorry, sorry! I, uh, just didn’t see you there!”

“I mean, I’ve been standing here for like ten minutes,” Husk explained, feeling awkward as he stood plainly right in the middle of the room, wings half-extended. “Watched the whole pilates exercise. And the death of Egg Boi number… four? Two?” He shrugged.

“Oh, right… I’m sorry, again. It’s just I’ve been… um…”

Trying to avoid him, he suspected. He could already see the guilt come back to her face, her fidgety hands playing in her lap, the flush of shame on her cheeks. The tension between them was already back.

Well, looks like he’d have to make the first move.

Husk then stepped over to the couch, sitting right next to Charlie, his wings folded in to avoid them bumping into her. He placed a hand into his pocket. “Hey Charlie,” he started to ask, eyes shifting to her. “You like magic tricks?”

Immediately, that got her.

Husk had never actually seen anyone vibrate from excitement before, but he swore he could feel it through the couch they both shared. Charlie had turned to him, eyes shining in wonder, her body thrumming like some sort of machinery. She was no longer just a kid at a candy store, she was a kid that got brought to the circus for the very first time.

“You mean the magic they do on Earth that looks like real magic but isn’t actually at all?! I love those!” Charlie had her feet tapping in excitement. “I didn’t know you did that type of magic!”

“Heh… yeah, it was a thing of mine back in the day.” Before all the real magic came into his afterlife, but he can’t help but love the classics. After a quick shuffling of his deck, he then held out several cards in his hand, their black foil surfaces gleaming in the lobby’s lamplight. “Pick a card. Any card.”

“Ooo, I know this one!” Charlie kept bouncing in her seat as she quickly picked the left-most card. “And then I memorize it, right? Oh, and I can’t tell you!”

Husk nodded. “Yep, you already know the rules. Now you know what happens next?”

Charlie, grasping the card in both hands, looked at Husk with that same wonder. Stars were literally in her eyes, making Husk blink at the brightness. “I give it back to you?”

Husk shook his head. He then took off his hat, revealing a bit of fur tuft that he never bothered to comb back anymore, and held the open end of it to Charlie. “Put the card in here.”

Charlie blinked, then blinked again. Then she vibrated again. “This is different!!”

“The key to magic is to keep them guessing,” Husk said with a proud smile. “Or would you rather hold onto that card as a keepsake?”

“Ah, no I want to see the trick!” Charlie then quickly deposited the card into the black abyss of the hat’s opening. It was so dark inside that no light seemed to be able to penetrate it.

Husk then lifted the hat to eye level, turning it over a few times for Charlie. Then he reached in and pulled it inside out. There was felt and lint, but no card to be found. “Nothing to see here.”

Charlie gasped loudly. “Where did it go?” Then, a haunted look in her eyes. “Wait, does this mean I lost your card? Oh no… I didn’t mean to…”

“Huh? No, this is fine!” Husk quickly answered her, already seeing the guilt come back again. Damn, she was the kind of girl to get weepy over stepping on a blade of grass too hard. He’d have to be careful. “This is how it goes. Relax, kid. We’re still not done with the trick.” 

“Oh, okay!” Charlie smiled brightly again, then clapped her hands. “This is so exciting!”

Husk couldn’t remember the last time he had a great audience like Charlie. It kinda made his chest feel warm at the thought. Clearing his throat, he pushed back the inside of the hat so that it was normal again. Then held it out to her. “Now go and get your card back.”

She blinked, looking at the hat, then pointed to herself. “But, I don’t see it in there?”

“Just humor an old man, why don’t ya?” Husk said, making sure his tone was as easy as they come.

Charlie only hesitated a second before putting her hand inside the hat. Husk had to do all he could to suppress the grin he was feeling at the edges of his mouth.

Because then he saw the look on Charlie, saw her mouth gape open as she pulled in her arm, and was now holding a certain cocktail drink in her hand, in a tall highball glass with orange and red colors, complete with a matching orange slice and–

“Oh my gosh there's even a little umbrella!! ” She gasped, looking at the drink even more. “How was it even in there!? You were moving your hat around and, and, oh wow is that fruit? I love fruit!”

“Yeah, figured you had a sweet tooth.” Husk chuckled, plopping the hat right back on his head. “Now, if you want something with a bit more kick to it, you can try the sunset version, but I think tequila sunrise suits you more.” 

The cocktail was one of the easiest he could make. It only took him a few minutes to make, and the presentation was worth the effort, giving a simple drink that little flair that Husk used to enjoy more before he became a certain Overlord’s minion.

Charlie kept looking at it like it was a piece of art, admiring the colors and poking at the umbrella that stuck to the orange slice, and had a pierced cherry right in the middle. “Can I, um, eat this? Or is that frowned upon?”

Husk snickered a bit. This princess was good to have around. “You can eat the cherry. The orange slice is for flavor, but if you wanna gobble that up too, feel free. I don’t suggest eating the umbrella unless you have a specific taste for it.”

With a happy squeal, Charlie picked up the umbrella to gulp the cherry. She was kicking her feet in excitement, once again looking to the drink, then back to Husk. Then back to the drink.

“Charlie, if you think you need my permission to take a sip, you don’t.” Still, he gestured to her with a furry hand, and that was apparently the last barrier for the princess to get through.

“Okay, well… bottoms up!” She took a sip–a big one, which maybe Husk should have warned her about. Because right after, Charlie coughed, the ice clinking together with her motion.

“Whoa, slow down,” Husk said. His wing had instinctively moved, the tip placed against her back as he helped her clear her throat. “Unless you’re having shots, drinking doesn’t have to be a race.”

Charlie straightened then, blinked at Husk. What followed was a wide grin, coupled with starry eyes that were even more radiant than before. “It’s…good! I mean, it’s a little burney in my throat, but I can deal with that. It’s really good!” She took another sip, only coughing a little bit this time. 

Damn, at this rate, he wondered if she’d get tipsy already. But nah, surely the Princess of Hell could handle it, even if she never drank before. It was in her makeup, wasn’t it?

But before she had her third sip, she stopped just in mid-tip to her mouth. She then lowered the glass, her brow furrowing.

Husk would have been lying to himself if he said he wasn’t worried. “What’s wrong? Something about it not agreeing with you?” He’d known people who got tired of a drink just a few sips in.

“Hm? Oh no! It’s great! But I’m just remembering the card… Where did it go? I saw it go in your hat…”

Ah. Charlie didn’t like leaving loose ends, he noticed.

Husk held out one finger, then pointed at the umbrella held between her fingers. “May I have that?”

“Uh, okay.” She did so, laying it gently in his palm. The little pink and violet colors that made up its tiny canopy was bright against his fur.

He then rolled the umbrella to hold between his claws by its wooden stem. Then, he closed the umbrella so it was thin, balancing it on his knuckles for a bit. Suddenly, with a flourish that was hard for the eye to catch, he was now holding the missing card in his hand. “Two of hearts, right, princess?”

If Charlie was already drunk by this point, maybe it would have explained a few things. How she gasped loudly, eyes getting so wide that he wondered just how she was able to do so without transforming into some demonic entity. “That’s amazing! It was the little umbrella this whole time!?” 

Or, maybe that was just how Charlie was. He flipped around the card in his hands once more before it vanished into thin air. “Can’t tell you all my secrets. Now come on, you still got a lot to chug down.”

Charlie, with a little giggle, went back to nursing her drink, now taking her time to enjoy it. Husk relaxed then. Maybe after this, he could have her try another mix, if she’d be up to it.

--

It really shouldn’t have been a surprise to Husk that Charlie would be a lightweight when it came to alcohol.

The fact that after her fourth sip and numerous giggles, she then promptly fell asleep on his shoulder, snoring loudly, was a bit of a dead giveaway.

Husk had to, carefully, take the half-empty glass from her hands in case she spilled it. Seriously, four sips? And then lights out just like that?

Occasionally, she giggled in her sleep, rubbing her face into his body with no shame. “Hehe, this pillow is furry…”

“...Kid, you’re lucky you’re cute,” Husk muttered. It wasn’t the first time he’d have a drunk fall asleep on him (or get angry with him, or flirt with him. There were many kinds of drunks in Hell), but he’d fight back or throw off the drunk for invading his personal space.

He could let it slide for Charlie.

But when a familiar shadow slid over them, he felt his fur stand on end. The result had Charlie giggling more, saying something about being ticklish.

“Well, Husker! Truly a compromising position I find you in.”

Husk rolled his eyes. In reflex, he started drinking Charlie’s cocktail for the familiar, pleasant buzz. It was the only way to deal with the constant buzzing that was Alastor’s voice. “I’m on break, so don’t get all uptight.”

With both hands on the top of his mic cane, the demon raised an eyebrow as looked over at Husk and Charlie. He then leaned forward, eyeing Husk in particular as Charlie snored open-mouthed, and a bit loudly.

“Now, my good man, I hope you’re not doing anything untoward to her. It certainly wouldn’t do any good for this hotel’s reputation.”

Husk could physically feel a vein pop in his forehead, as well as a growl leaving his throat.

“I’m gonna rip that mouth of yours if you don’t quit it with these stupid fucking jokes.”

“Jokes? I’m simply voicing a concern.”

“Bull shit. You just–” Husk tried to stand, then felt Charlie’s weight, which kept him locked in place. “Ah, fuck.” He didn’t want her to wake up to an argument.

Alastor placed a hand on his chin, his textured chuckles sounding even more obnoxious than before. “Are you now the princess’ pet as well?”

Husk made sure to keep his voice low, but he put all the annoyance right into his inflections. “I’m no one’s pet. And you know this isn’t actually anything. First you tell Charlie some weird fucking joke because you knew it would piss me off and now you try to make it sound like I’m being a creep. What is your damn problem? You’re the one that forced me to work at this hotel in the first place. Worried I’ll make friends here or something?”

And with that, he realized it. It was quick, but the twitch in Alastor’s right eye and the sharp little static that fizzed, Husk had been able to learn his boss’ tells.

Maybe Alastor just hadn’t expected Husk to change his ways.

But the Radio Demon simply shrugged, turning away as if he was suddenly bored with the situation. “I was brought here to keep an eye on the hotel, and all of its residents. I only want to make sure everything is in working order. Also,” he turned his neck completely around, the crack making Husk wince. Ugh. He always did that to weird him out. “I just like to have a bit of fun once in a while.”

His boss’ exits were the same as his entrances–quick and full of shadows, but this time leaving the lights in the lobby brighter than before. Husk sighed once he saw Alastor was gone. He didn’t know if that was another weird temper thing with his boss, another prank of his, or what. 

Charlie started to murmur in his sleep, sounding a little upset. “It’s dark…”

“Hey, it’s alright.” Husk wrapped his wing around her like a blanket, and Charlie instantly snuggled into it. She breathed more evenly, and the lines on her face were gone. “No more nightmares, ok?”

Huh, he wasn’t sure when he became a softie, but the princess did say how she wanted to redeem everyone…

Husk looked at the tequila sunrise in his hand, the ice mostly melted, the orange slice nearly slipping off the rim. Huh, what a weird hotel, he thought, before taking another sip. He’d stay here for as long as Charlie needed. He could use the rest, too.

“Sleep tight, princess,” he said, watching as she gently curled more into his wing to keep warm.

[dirtyoldmanhole]

YRMR cover progress for the curious!

before drawing, there were a few things i knew that the cover had to have/show:

critically, had to have vibes of an enemies-to-lovers dynamic in the sense of ... the power tilt? even though that's not "technically" the true nature of their dynamic. gunter's not a nice guy in this fic, even aside from the possession, and i also didn't want anybody to run into this unsuspecting the darker parts to the fic. him more looming/threatening than you'd expect in base game, etc.

wanted to emulate kozaki's style through the whole cover in line qualitty, coloring, and composition. thankfully he gives a few tips over on his twitter. it's both a neat little nod at the source material, and also as a style experiment.

a big theme in this fic is gunter being made of so many masks/shells (there's a perfect blue cover, see below, that specifically made me think this composition could work.)

learning that kozaki hews pretty close to grids + the golden ratio was another big lightbulb moment, here's a drawing yoinked from his twitter where he shows it himself.

after scraping/studying from kozaki's twitter, i made one or two thumbnail doodles below. you can see the solid one had a golden ratio + general line dynamic check squiggled to the side. there's room for the title, the focus is on corrin, it'll work both in a horizontal and vertical crop, looking good so far.

you can see how pretty tightly to the thumbnail i kept, other than moving the vertical text to the top since i didn't have as much room there. i'm a little worried about the different line quality between how big the face is vs corrin but we'll see.

something i also realized i like about the composition is corrin "could" look like she's attacking the viewer, but she also looks like she could be guarding him with her back to him, which.... heh. comes up in some interesting ways in the last third of the fic (possession wise).

bunch of cleaning up.

as I suspected since this is 11x17in (much bigger than what i normally draw) i had to grab a different brush for gunter since thin lines were not going to work as they did for corrin. i think kozaki's real genius is how he treats texture with his linework; where he does thin lines, where he puts the thick ones, etc.

corrin's coming along great but there's a spirit to the first face on the left i think i'm missing now, so i'll probably re-insert that. (also decided to at least draw in his face there even though the masks/slices will distort that). i think what also helps is gunter's face is very low contrast and needs to remain low contrast, to help corrin pop out in front.

then i started thinking about typography. a lot of the fonts i had were either way too masculine/bland/modern, or way too feminine/curvy. this title needs a hint of masculinity to nod at FE's general action-adventure RPG roots, but it's also very distinctly the kind of erotica that doesn't easily lend itself to a genre. it's tender horror, it's daddy kink, it's vicious romance, it's ... a lot of things.

here's another thing: when thinking about title typography, another consideration is genre. briefly i considered something like lovecraftian covers; my doujin circle and i had been sharing pictures of old pulp covers. i also noticed a lot of my favorite JP erotic horror doujin have very spiky titles. this title also needs to be scrunched up in a tight space so it's not like we got a sprawl of acreage here either.

what doesn't help is enemies to lovers doesn't really have a visual language in mainstream media.

it's a staple of Ao3 (written) genres, but the closest you'd get otherwise would be romantic horror (kind of says a lot about who makes what huh?). for example, the shape of water (movie) isn't a 1:1, but it's pretty damn close -- unfortunately that poster dodged the question by using an art deco-inspired font typeface that was more about the setting than the genre.

and then i had an epiphany. maybe i was approaching this from the wrong direction: it's the knight/liege romance that's the heartbeat to YRMR.

think more old dragonlance novels. old medieval/fantasy pulp novels; plenty of kinky sex and ass in there, and still close enough to FE. remember everyone and their mamma having a bi ass crush for bad boy raistlin? that's the vibe i want.

this kind of glorious deranged shit. you're not gonna be surprised at possessed grandpa whip kink if you read these on the regular.

after ~*arcane designer magic*~ (I do this for a living) bolton and magiona display were the two fonts that were gonna work just fine together.

god that looks so much better. this looks believable now.

the thin/thick line weight contrast in magiona display is going to accentuate the lineart in a way that might be tricky with other fonts that work better on painted covers. bolton's "squished" vertically enough it doesn't compete with the other one, and makes for a good secondary/tertiary font.

few other things happened.

i shrunk gunter's face because not being able to see his jawline (sex appeal u see) was bothering me from a composition standpoint. it's the same reason frank frazetta didn't censor his glorious asses.

(said seriously, by the way. so many people don't give their lust in art enough credit.)

i also needed more room for the title to show, and the line quality/scale difference between his face was also bugging me. does this mess up the golden ratio composition? sure, temporarily, but his armor's weirdly flexible that we can adapt it pretty easily.

it's about this time i'm also looking through my hydrus network stash of favorite covers for what color palette and contrast to use. kozaki tends to skew purple/cooler hues for nohr characters, and that'd go well with these two.

purple/green hues that play well with light purple and the yellow from those old covers i love so much, low contrast midground, and something that'd contrast well with text above. dark/black background for the gothic vibes, and the text will probably need to be white or some sort of light-warm hue for that "pop".

doing color tests is more of a leap of faith and intuition than an exact science, but damn it is it satisfying when you nail it in one go and go 'holy shit i want to read this. :D

(green/gold for the hint of anankos' mask, also matching the yato and her warmer skin tone. purple flames for him, but the high contrast armor to separate her from his larger shapes. we've got the dragonstone and the yato as flexibility for lighting and emphasizing contrast with her. )

i kind of like how i accidentally made the mask shards reflect(?) a bit of his own face. hell yeah throw it in. this is something that's more likely to work than not. this is something that has that mix of id and horror i've been going after.

here's another version with references to the side and the golden ratio laid on again.

honestly a lot of it at this step is going 'dude you know what would be SO DOPE.... PURPLE FIRE...' 'dude..... fuck yes....' 'what about some sick ass sword effects?' 'YEAH....' and saving a bunch of backups in case of the idea didn't work out.

(am i going so much harder on a literal gilf porn fanfic cover than i need to? hell yeah. gunterfuckers deserve better. :D )

anyway here is when i start questioning everything, so i'll take a break from the colors to tighten up the lineart. now that the composition's settling in much tighter, i'm also thinking about how the two shapes interact with each other and if there's any potential issues with tangent points (where two lines intersect each other in a way that makes an optical illusion.)

that said i love how his jawline "points" at her face, that kind of line you want.

grinding away on corrin's lineart. also double checking that the shapes/colors/forms for her "make sense" both standalone and with the composition too. what's nice is she's at the point where i can just turn off my brain and polish up.

naturally couldn't resist poking at it more and this is when the rest of it clicked after figuring out which bit was anankos' mask, which bit was possessed!gunter vs himself (polished up the armor a bit too. at this point i'm pretty confident that it'll stay "set"; the biggest thing i'm likely to change is the blue silohuette to the dragonstone side for corrin.

here's the last true screenshot before cleaning up the last 2% of the lines. added the pulp cover texture around the border, switched the colors of the text so the cream would stand out more, cleaned up gunter's face and also increased the darkness of corrin's body so it'd contrast more with him behind.

thanks for reading. :D

[lehdenlaulu]

Oh, that's Klimt's Hygieia from one of the Faculty Paintings! Medicine, I think. The actual painting was much bigger than that, though.

But eh, the real story is relatively similar, so let's just go with it I guess. I'll try to can my annoying art history nerdery. It's not like this show is rooted in realism.

Oh dear that girl's hair. This was too early for that to even be back in fashion. 😂

Wait, did they recruit that one chick from the last episode?

No, that's a different crew? Juicy.

A Coolidge? Heh.

Well, one version of it.

Not a huge fan of even this fictional version of the painting being framed as "Holocaust art", I must say. But okay. *deep breaths*

Well, it's not like Parker is wrong...

Ooh, a vindictive ex?

I wonder how many people bought this back when this aired?

Not a super convicing fake funeral, though. 😂

But aw, Eliot called her 'sister'.

Hah, nice headstone.

Oh yay, more Hyundai advertising.

Way to be extra, Eliot.

Oh Parker.

You two just share a personal bubble full-time now, huh? Don't think I didn't notice that, Eliot. 😏

Sophie is looking really lovely, by the way. We can only hope to look that good in the coffin, as it were.

Yup, that story is true actually.

That's Café Terrace at Night but the colors are wrong?

I know, I know. Shutting up now.

Glasses!

Did he mess up his face again or is this the same injury?

Hey, you're pretty good at that dress up stuff, don't sell yourself short.

And again with the lack of personal space.

Oh Parker.

Aww, Sophie and Hardison really don't hang out much, huh?

Ooh, this is fun.

Girl version of Eliot? Fun.

What was that? 😂

Chaos?? That's the lamest hacker name I've ever heard.

Well, that's all very Shadowrun.

Don't be sexist, Hardison. Ex-Mossad or not.

The bird's actually pretty genius. Happens at my workplace all the time.

Birds getting in and sometimes triggering stuff, I mean, not heists.

Oh, I think I've seen this one in gifsets.

Nice, Parker.

Well, that's very gentlemanly of you to get on even level, Eliot. 😂

Nice Elizabeth Swann move. I approve. 😏

He's really met his match, huh? 😂

They all have, I guess. Some are just more... horny about it. 🤭

Hey, the headstone changed. Boo.

Oh Sophie.

Don't rush her, Nate, she's right.

[pico-digital-studios]

Into, Across and Beyond! Scripting: MtOU Post-Credits

Many months before MtOU...

Dimension ALT-2006

06!Tails: Heh, I never thought you'd be late getting here.

LM!Sonic: Even with my speed, I can't be everywhere at once.

06!Tails: I mean, using the communicator could've worked.

LM!Sonic: I was away for a few hours. What happened while I was gone?

06!Tails: Okay, okay, okay. I know what all this looks like, but I got some good news!

LM!Sonic: Ah, great. Here we go.

The events of OMT!Mina's crossover scuffle are shown around 06!Tails.

06!Tails: The wider multiverse HASN'T collapsed.

LM!Sonic: Ah, sweet!

06!Tails: A little touch and go, but it worked out!

LM!Sonic: Great story. Did you finish your gizmo, by the way?

06!Tails: Don't get too excited, Sonic. It's still a prototype.

LM!Sonic equipped the device on his wrist.

06!Tails: But you could be one of the first to make a proper multiversal jump! Or the last.

LM!Sonic: So we're just gonna roll the dice and see if it works?

06!Tails: Mhm. So, where do you wanna go first, Sonic?

LM!Sonic: Let's start from a beginning point, one last time; Dimension OVA-1996.

Dimension OVA-1996 - North Pole

LM!Sonic leapt out of a portal in front of OVA!Sonic.

OVA!Sonic: Huh? What the-?

(It's in the Sonic Advance style in this mockup, but in-universe, both are animated in the OVA's art-style.)

LM!Sonic: I'm Sonic. I need you to come with me.

OVA!Sonic: And just who might you be? Another of Robotnik's robots?

LM!Sonic: I-I just told you. Now, listen, I'm from the future.

OVA!Sonic: Urgh, how much are you gonna keep talking and pointing?

LM!Sonic: Wha-?! You pointed first!

OVA!Sonic: Ain't it rude to point?

LM!Sonic: YOU'RE being very rude! You're not even believing what I'm saying, you're saying I'm not who I say I am when I tell you who I am —

(at an aside point)

OVA!Knux: Er, which one was pointing first?

OVA!Tails: It's gotta have been one of them.

OVA!Eggman: Sonic pointed first, obviously!

(back to them)

LM!Sonic: You're pointing at me right now, as you say that! Look at you! Look at your finger! Look at your finger right now! What is it doing? You are pointing at me — YOU'RE ACCUSING ME OF POINTING AND BEING A FAKER WHILE YOU'RE-!

OVA!Sonic (at the EXACT same time): I'm not pointing, you're pointing! I'm just pointing at your pointing, which is different than normal pointing! Strange, isn't it? You haven't seen pointing until I'm through with you, and then you'll know-

THE END

[drifting-pieces-blog-blog]

Breaking down the Comics: Like a Drugged Up Business Man (Issues 4-7)

Marc Spector - Moon Knight: Issue #4: Wild Midnight

Written by: Charles Dixon

Art by: Russ Heath

ALRIGHT. Let's get back to our new writer, Chuck. 

So Chuck wrote issues 1-24 and issue 34. Apparently he wasn't too keen on it. It was a job. A job at Marvel. And it was an in to get into the comic writing big leagues. 

Now, issues 1-24 is nothing to sneeze at. It's a good number of comics. However, there is some criticism that he left the series on a half hearted cliff hanger. He introduced plot lines then left before he finished them. 

Never a nice thing to do to a series or to the next writer (Ask Star Trek TNG how they felt about that with the borg writer that tried to leave. Seriously, ask. I love Star Trek.) 

Why am I bringing this up on issue # 4? We'll get to that. Just keep that in the back of your mind as we go along. 

You guys see probably looking at that guy on the cover and going "HEY! That guy looks familiar! And Midnight? This is obviously a play on the name. Is this Midnight man?" 

And I'm here to tell you that: You are paying attention. Good for you. 

We open on Atlanta Georgia! 

We see a glass building with a man climbing up the side with classic 1990s suction cups on his hands and knees. I can't tell you how many movies I saw with these. 

Also? 

“Heh heh heh” (this always gets me laughing.) 

"VERY scary, Mr. Spector!" 

"Marlene! I thought I locked that door." 

"You didn't." 

"I thought that rough guy talk came naturally. I didn't know you practiced." 

"I WASN'T! I was just trying on my new kevlar costume and kind of got in the mood.

The last one got pretty shot up when I was getting you out of Burunda. I thought I'd look into something more bullet resistant." 

Yeah... Marc would need something more bullet resistant since the man doesn't know how to DUCK. 

Marlene doesn't like him joking about Bushman. She is still upset that Marc didn't kill him. 

"He's never going to stop hounding you. You should have kiled you." 

Marc laughs at her blood thirsty attitude. 

Marlene is still not impressed. 

"You were a MERCENARY, Marc. You traded in death every day. But after your original run-in with Bushman you put on that goofy costume and all of a sudden you became a Choir Boy." 

(No, that's Dare Devil.) 

My argument that Marlene is a toxic partner continues. She always wants him to be something different. In the original run she just wants Steven and for him to settle down with her. Here, she has 'accepted' him as Marc, but she wants him to be what her idea of him is: A brutal killer. 

She is not having any of Marc's silly ways. And this just kills me because Marc, under all that angst and trauma, is a silly guy. 

Marlene is not having his silliness. 

"I hope you get a chance to grow up before somebody kills you!" 

And she storms off. 

A little later, Marc goes looking for Marlene and comes across Chloe. The new 'cook'. And there she is cooking in her bikini top again. 

He asks if she's seen Marlene. 

"Not lately, Marc. She took the porsche and went to her apartment in the city. She said that she would see you again when you grew up and stopped playing cowboy." 

"Her exact words?" 

"I would not repeat her exact words, Mr. Spector." 

Frenchie interrupts the two to tell him that Marc's accountant is there to see him on urgent matters. 

"On the last six Friday nights, six different businesses in six different cities were broken into and valuables stolen. A real pro. He only skimmed the best stuff. Cash... Paintings... Securities... Anything that wasn't nailed down." 

Turns out Marc is a major stockholder in every one of those businesses. 

Turns out, this makes Marc a suspect because his name keeps popping up in the investigation. 

Poor Marc. "Paper rich but cash poor." 

(Steven sure did know what he was doing with investing and things as a way to plan for the future. Too bad Marc has no idea what he's doing.) 

Marc asks more about the burglaries. 

Turns out at each robbery, a clock was smashed with the hands at midnight. 

And I give you a close up of Marc’s reaction to that bit of news. 

“Midnight?!” 

This man... 

Elsewhere, we find some thugs trying to offload some fur coats. 

They are arguing about price and things are starting to escalate when BLAAM. 

Moon Knight literally blows a hole in the ceiling and busts in. 

He'd like to talk to one of the thugs. 

"You guys don't mind if Winslow and I talk privately, do you?" 

turns out Winslow used to fence Anton Mogart's stolen items. 

You all remember Aton Mogart, right? The original Midnight Man. 

Winslow is interrogated and declares taht Anton is dead. 

Moon Knight declares that Anton is alive and that "I'll be back. If you've heard from him, I'll find out and I'll burn you down. Kapish?" 

(Awww Marc, I love that Yiddish). 

And then Moon Knight leaves back out the hole he made.

I mean... At least he's actually using the same exit now. 

Back at the mansion, Frenchie noted that Marc was "wound up so tight over Mogart." 

"It's personal. He's goading me. I made a mistake thinking he was dead and now he's rubbing my face in it. Not only is he stealing from me, but he's making it look like I have something to do with it." 

Frenchie tells Marc that it's a shame no one can tell him anything. (Where's Jake when you need him?). 

"Too bad you can't just invite him out for a beer?" 

And I kid you not. Marc and his amazing bad decision making skills everyone: 

"You're just shy of being indicted, you're under investigation by every federal agency but the department of agriculture and you want to throw a bash?

Half of the guests are going to be feds. You're wired for sound better than a David Bowie concert. A low profile would be best." 

"You want me to act guilty, right, Hal? It's Friday night and a week since his last job. The wealthiest stiffs in three states are here. Our thief won't be able to resist." 

"I heard that you were some kind of adventurer in your past. But this kind of stunt is stupid." 

"You're a hardcase, Hal, but you're still an accountant You know your Jungle and I know mine." 

Pretty smug there Marc. 

And at the party, we find a platinum blonde making her way around. Oh look at that! Felicia Hardy! 

For those not in the know, she's an on again off again love interest for Spider-Man and also a cat burglar, and also Black Cat! 

Wonder what she's doing there? Hmmmmmm. 

Meanwhile, Frenchie is also displeased at this whole affair. 

"I hate this whole idea, Marc. There're too many people around. It's a bad situation." 

"Stop worrying, Frenchie. This apartment is unapproachable from anyother building and the basement is locked up tight." 

Marc explains that they've left no option but for the Midnight Man to be drawn out. The place is a 'fortress'. 

"Just like the Alamo." (oh Frenchie how I love you). 

And then Marc notices "the blonde". Marc no.

Marc. Marc no. No Marc. No. 

Lucky for Marc, he's interrupted by a gushing lady about how generous he is with his donations to the local children's hospital. 

He's ushered up on stage to start the pledge drive just before midnight. 

Marc stars by donating One Hundred Thousand dollars. 

He's informed that someone else has donated Half a Million Dollars. 

Out done at his own shindig, Marc askes who donated the check. 

"A mister Anton Mogart." 

Side note: This art style is reminding me of early Spider-Man art with all the handsome but reactive close up faces of Peter Parker and it is sending me. 

It's at this time that smoke bombs go off in the ballroom. 

Considering that the party is full of FBI and various investigators... We see several of them spring into action, pulling out weapons like it's the 50s. 

Ms. Hardy also springs into action, making a break for it. 

And then we see a figure clad in all black running through the crowd snatching up all the fancy jewelry. 

And then Moon Knight also runs by in the gas. 

Which... now you have two figures in a cloak and hood running through a gassed up room. Good job Moon Knight. 

The feds mistake him for the bad guy and open fire. 

Marc Spector, Everyone:

Our Mystery Moon Knight makes a run for it, sucker punching Frenchie and slipping down a hall. 

He's got a game planned and Moon Knight is invited to play. 

"C'mon, Moonie! You can't win if you don't play!" 

He tosses more gas bombs and makes to escape only to run face first into Moon Knight's fist. 

"You should have stayed dead, Mogart. I don't know where you've been holed up all these years..." 

Midnight man rolls away and runs for an open window then dives out, landing in "One of those slide tubes for high rise rescues." 

I'm glad I'm not the only one that has no idea what those things are called. 

Moon Knight watches as Midnight Man slides away in the tube. 

"But I'm not stupid enough to follow him down this thing..." 

"Then how stupid are you?" Black Cat!

She sucker kicks him. And I gotta say, that had to hurt. 

Little History of Black Cat, AKA Felicia Hardy! 

First appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man 1979! Daughter of a world renowned cat burglar. 

Depending on how she's being written, she also has the ability to cause bad luck to anyone that comes up against her. Sometimes love interest, ally, and enemy to Spider-Man. Too bad she has no interest in his alter-ego Peter Parker. 

Something else about her? She has superhuman strength. She packs a punch! Along with agility, balance, and expert knowledge in fighting styles and gymnastics. 

I was honestly surprised to see her in this. There was no indication of a ‘special guest appearance’ on the cover. Usually there is when you bring in a pretty face like this. 

Especially in a two parter because this is the end of the issue! 

But we certainly see her on the cover of the next issue!! Interesting choices being made here. 

Marc Spector - Moon Knight: Issue #5: Rockin’ at Midnight

Written by: Charles Dixon

Art by: Sal Velluto

Another change in artist. In a two parter. That’s pretty weird, honestly. What the heck was going on at Marvel at this time? (aside from the mass exodus to DC that took place followed by a new editor and chief, and Stan Lee leaving New York for LA to start up Marvel studios to start producing cartoons and shows, leaving a void in creative control that was filled by the editor in chief and big wigs. You know… all that.) 

Alright, we open up on Moon Knight not having a very good time. 

We start with Black Cat mistaking him for the other hooded figure that stole all the jewels. 

Moon Knight tries to reason with her. 

"It's Anton Mogart we're after. He calls himself Midnight." 

"And what do you call yourself, Caspter the un-friendly ghost?" 

"Uh... Moon Knight?" 

Yeah she's never heard of him. 

Poor Marc. 

They fight a bit and Marc tosses her in the closet and locks the door to chill for a minute. 

He turns to give chase to Midnight and comes face to guns with the FBI. 

They think he’s the thief and they try to arrest him. 

….Marc that’s not how you… 

So he beats them up and runs off. 

Black Cat bursts through the door and also runs off.

He instructs Frenchie to get them airborne quickly. 

"I ran into some bad luck. It started when a black cat crossed my path." 

Black Cat catches up in time to watch them take off in the chopper and she manages to somehow attach a line and get pulled along without them noticing. 

They manage to spot Midnight Man getting into his car just before he takes off. 

At this point, Black Cat jumps on top of the chopper to say hi. 

"Who is she, boss?" 

"Uh... Someone I met at the party. Keep your eyes on Midnight, Frenchie." 

Yeah... Just...ignore the lady in the literal cat suit sitting on top of the plane. Good plan. 

They zoom off after Midnight and of course he looks up and notices the moon shaped plane chasing him. 

They zip across the bridge and Black Cat is impressed with their gumption. 

"You are WAY crazy, Casper, climbing down a ladder from a chopper doing at least seventy. But, I haven't been to Queens in ages. Not since Parker and I called it finito. Y'know, Casper's costume's not much... But with a build like that... What did he say his name was? Moonbeam? Moonshine? Moonraker? 

Get serious, Felicia. Why would a guy name himself after a James Bond movie. Especially a Roger Moore James Bond movie. ICK!" 

LOL What's great about this is that as a fan of the 90s Spider-man cartoon growing up, they all had fast talking monologue thoughts and I can hear this in that style. 

It's just wonderful to hear how the writing style was back then.

Alright a lot is about to happen and fast talk is only the first half of it! Welcome to the end of the 80s and early 90s! 

Moon Knight drops from the chpper to land on the getaway car. 

"Moon Knight! My main man! You come to see the USA in my Chevrolet?" 

(Midnight man suddenly sounds like Lobo from DC comics who is the MOST late 80s early 90s character I've ever come across and the reason why I still to this day still will randomly call someone "My main man".)

"When did you develop a sense of humor, Mogart? A stupid sense of humor." Marc's just mad he's not the one cracking the jokes. 

"Oh, Lots of things about me would surprise you, Moonie." 

Black Cat is close on their tail as she leaps car to car through traffic. 

She notes that Ol' Moonie was telling the truth after all and seems to be the good guy. 

Moon Knight demands that Midnight pull over. Midnight politely declines. 

And welcome to Marc continuing his string of bad luck. 

I don’t even know where to start. 

It's okay. The car lands in the water. 

Black Cat is sad to see all the stolen diamonds sinking down with the car. 

Frenchie flies in and drops a ladder. 

Luckily, Marc surfaces. 

He's unable to locate Midnight man. 

"No sign of him. ....Huh. You always were a lousy swimmer, Mogart." 

This is a hilarious call back to the first time Mogart fell off a cliff into the water and 'drowned'. Then again later when Mogart kidnapped him in the sweres and 'drowned' again. He uh... He's got a problem with water. 

Moon Knight has another concern. 

"Lost another cape. That's getting expensive." 

And with that, Moon Knight flies off and Black Cat watches him go. 

"Catch you another time, Moonbug. Maybe we'll get to party again. I'll bet he's cute under that creepy mask. What IS it about a man in a mask tha tmakes me melt?" 

Black Cat certainly has bad luck when it comes to men. 

Frenchie and Marc return home. Frenchie remarks about the fuel being on E because Marc was so insistent on searching up and down the river looking for Midnight, just in case. 

"I wanted to make sure he's really dead this time. No more unpleasant surprises." 

"Your entire life is a series of unpleasant surprises, Marc." 

Frenchie, you hit the nail on the head real hard there, buddy. 

Speaking of unpleasant... 

They land and Marlene is there to greet him. A little desperate. 

If you recall, the last we saw her, she had stormed off after picking a fight with Marc. 

Now she's back and she throws herself into his arms. 

"I wanted to apologize for the way I acted yesterday. I have no right to try and change you." 

And then she finds a platinum blonde hair on his outfit. (Black Cat brings all the bad luck) 

"A little disagreement and you run off with the first tramp you can find! You disgust me, Marc!" 

And she storms out again. 

Marc's pretty pissed off. He goes and has an argument with the Khonshu statue as usual. I'm glad to see that remains from the original days. Is it even Marc if he doesn’t have a moment or arguing with and blaming all his troubles on a statue? 

"What are YOU looking at, Khonshu? If it weren't for YOU I wouldn't have all these complications in my life. I'd be happier and things would go a lot smoother with Marlene. Sure. 

If it weren't for Khonshu, I'd be DEAD and so would Marlene. Both of our lives were saved the night that I took on the cloak of Khonshu and became Moon Knight. I just have to learn to live with an Ancient Egyptian GOD in my life--And the guilt over my less-than-moral mercenary days. 

Could be worse. Some guys have to live with their in-laws. Where'd the water on the floor come from?" 

Marc…. 

Window exit! Do I count this? Also, he’s constantly trashing his own mansion. 

Marc.... Marc.... 

He refuses to listen and Midnight puts up a fight. 

"If I have to kick your butt to get you to listen, I can do that!" 

And then Marc's new 'cook' Chloe shows up, distracting Midnight. 

Moon Knight manages to punch him out

Moon Knight unmasks him to find.... "It's just some kid." 

He picks up the unconscious man and starts to carry him inside. 

"What should we do with him?" 

"This kind of situation wasn't covered in your maid job description, but could you get me a bottle of asprins and a couple of beers to wash 'em down, Chloe? We'll BOTH need them." 

Marc, you are just filled with bad ideas. 

Now with the new Midnight man tied up to a chair, he regains consciousness and Marc starts his interrogation. 

"Now maybe you can tll us who you are, Kid." 

"Sure thing. You can ditch the mask though. I already know all about you. Spector." 

“What’s the use of a secret identity if everyone already knows it? How do all the other guys do it?” - Marc who is so bad at keeping his identity that he stopped trying later. 

Yeah, totally called it. It seems any time an old villain shows up and isn’t the old villain, it’s always the son or something. I’m…Just surprised that Mogart had a kid, to be honest. 

Jeffrey Wilde, the new Midnight man, goes into his story. 

His mom didn't marry Mogart. He was a fling baby. 

That makes sense, knowing Mogart. 

Mogart sent money for support "when he thought of it". 

He met Mogart for the first time when Mogart was dying in a hospice of cancer. 

Turns out the chemicals that deformed him also gave him cancer. 

As a kid, he had collected newspaper clippings of Mogart's special activities. While visiting his dying father, Mogart had disclosed his techniques and asked his son to stay on the right side of the law. 

Marc is surprised to hear that Mogart really IS dead and that he isn't the one that ended up killing him. 

He asks the kid why he's been bothering him and framing him and all that business. 

"To show you what I picked up from my old man. To show you how good I am. That I can be your partner." 

Oh boy, this is going to end well. 

Marc is just as incredulous as I am. 

"Say WHAT?!" 

The kid wants someone to show him how to "learn the crimefighting game" and he figures Moon Knight is the best there is to do that. 

(LOL I Love you Frenchie). 

Marc reads him the riot act, telling him to run home to his "Mama". 

"...Stay off my back and stay away from anything to do with me." 

He has Frenchie send the kid home. 

This is not the last we are going to see of Jeff Wilde. 

A product of the late 80s and early 90s when everyone felt like all the heroes needed some sort of protege or to work with younger kids wanting to become heroes. And, spoiler here: It doesn't end well, as most things don't end well when it comes to Marc Spector. 

Alright.... So now we go elsewhere and pick up a completely different story plot. 

Just, out of the blue that's going to leave off on a cliff hanger and lead into the next issue. 

I find this sort of story telling deeply unsatisfying. There's ending on a cliffhanger, then there's just dropping plots and deliberately setting up another issue. 

Not to mention Marvel did that thing they always do that I hate where you have a whole "LOOK AT THIS CROSSOVER" with Black Cat who then just goes "Yeah, I'm not interested" and leaves. 

It's just such an obvious ploy for readership and money. 

That's my two cents. Anyways.... On to elsewhere. 

We find ourselves in a subway station with a big guy and a bunch of rowdy teens. 

The teens point out that the big guy in a suspicious trenchcoat and hat smells really bad. 

The guy exits the subway (not at all suspicious) and makes his way down town. 

More punks give the big guy a hard time until the big guy pulls out a huge machete. 

The punks pull out their guns and open fire on the guy. The guy gets shot in the head and all over but keeps coming till he stabs one of the punks. 

The big guy goes down while the other punks freak out. 

Then we get a close up look at the guy's face. 

It's actually pretty grusum and I'm not going to post it, but he's pretty decayed looking with yellow and red eyes and gnarly teeth. 

The caption: ZOMBIE FRIDAY NIGHT. 

And that's where the issue ends. 

Now, if you were with me in the Moench run break downs, you’ll remember we already covered zombies with Brother Voodoo. 

.....Taking a peak at the next cover we get "Brother Voodoo comes to town!" 

Yeah... Apparently Brother Voodoo only covers zombies... Hmmm... Only this time he's not in the jungle, but in the big city. 

I'm going to be honest here: I'm not going to cover every issue. There's no way. The late 80s and early 90s were ROUGH. 

You are going to find a lot of themes of BUSINESS and DRUGS and PUNKS and JUNKIES and YOUNG TEEN VIOLENCE. These were all the major hitters for the late 80s or early 90s. 

They did everything to make the comics seem exciting and relevant and were often written by new arrivals to big comics that were trying to attract readers. 

So I'm going to skim this one real quick for you guys (because you're also going to get a lot of stereotypical black man jive stuff in this and it's painful to read through). 

Marc Spector - Moon Knight: Issue #6: One Hand in the River 

Written by: Charles Dixon

Art by: Sal Velluto

We start at "Spector Enterprises Inc" (What the heck business does he do? No one knows. Some complicated business stuff I'm sure) where Marc is pulled in all sorts of directions for his business needs. 

You see, Marc isn't used to business. This isn't Marc Spector's bag. This is why he needs Steven Grant. This is why I don't understand why the writer decided to get rid of Steven and Jake. It makes no sense. 

Marc has placed himself as the president of Spector Enterprises Inc. and he has no idea what he's doing. 

Oh look. Midnight returned all the stolen property to the FBI offices in Brooklyn. The FBI has decided Marc isn't worth looking into....

But the IRS is suddenly VERY interested in Marc's business practices. 

He's being Audited. 

Marc heads to his office to sulk and finds Brother Voodoo waiting there for him. 

Marc points out that Brother Voodoo looks a bit rough. 

He sure does. 

Jericho says he needs Moon Knight's help. 

Marc ones more complains that someone knows who he is. 

"I think I'm going to take out a full page ad in the times and tell EVERYBODY my 'Secret Identity' and get it over with." 

Turns out a cult is in New York. The same cult they fought way back in the day that likes to play with Zombies. 

At this point Brother Voodoo takes off his snazzy sunglasses and reveals that he too has been made into a zombie! 

We cut to outside where Moon Knight's biggest fan is waiting in a car. "Well if it isn't Marc Spector, AKA Moon Knight. Thought you'd shake me, didn't you, m'man? Well Midnight's no brush off I wonder who his creepy amigo is." 

We see Marc walking to a cab with Brother Voodoo. 

Brother Voodoo is apparently fighting off being controlled by the cult by eating salty snacks. The salt does some chemical mumbo jumbo to give him control. 

He can also sense when other zombies are near and look! our trench coat friend is walking by. 

They follow the zombie into a building. Up on the top floor there is a fancy restaurant where some mafia sort of guys are having lunch. 

They talk a bit of shop about paying people off and yadda yadda yadda... 

We see two heads talking about turf and disputes. They start talking about new guys in town that come from some 'kinda cult thing'. 

And boom! Trench coat zombie man busts in! 

And Moon Knight busts in. (When and where did he have time to change?!?) 

If I had to put money on this... I'd say this was the same fancy resturant that was previously featured in an earlier comic where the big violent guy went on what he thought was a date and then tried to blow the place up. 

Moon Knight and Brother Voodoo fight the gangsters for some reason. The gangsters all dealt with, they turn to confront the zombie to find... He's got a bomb strapped to his chest! (this poor resturant). 

The zombie is ready to detinate and Brother Voodoo tells Moon Knight that "No one can sway him from the spell he is under." 

Just when all seems lost, Midnight swings in (literally) and tackles the zombie. 

He kicks the zombie out the window (hitting him square in the dynamite) and the zombie explodes, blasting out the window and causing some damage to the side of the building. 

"That stupid kid. That stupid, stupid kid!" Moon Knight is not pleased. 

"You've been following me! I told you to back off, Kid! I don't need a partner! I don't want a partner!

Why are you still tagging along behind me, kid?" 

"Could it be your winning personality?" 

Moon Knight is stunned speechless. (I like to think it's because he isn't used to being addressed like this and the jab at his personality hits home since Steven and Jake are apparently being suppressed or just flat out denied). 

Pissed off, Marc storms off with Brother Voodoo. 

They all pile into Midnight's car where awkward introductions are had. 

They head back to the mansion. 

Meanwhile, in South Bronx, we find ourselves in a slum where a bunch of zombies are watching.... THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. The zombies appear to appreciate it. 

And now we got zombie cult guy making deals with south american cartel gangsters that wanted to wipe out the mafia guys. (I told you this was going to get complicated) 

Back at the mansion, we find Jericho trashing a room while Marc and Jeff are waiting outside the room while Jericho 'gets his head in order' before they storm the zombie cult location. 

Oh look! Chloe shows up to demand to know what's going on. 

And Jeff CLEARLY has the hots for her. Hmmm. 

The room inside is getting trashed, but it's better than the time he brought home Jack Russell the werewolf and locked him in his room... Marc...needs to make better decisions. 

ANd Brother Voodoo has his head in order now and pops out to tell him that the zombies are located in the South Bronx and they have work to do! 

End issue. 

Oh boy... A multi parter... I can’t help but think back to Moench’s time when each issue had the ability to tell the story and stand alone. Sure, we got a few multi part stories, but they flowed together so well. 

Thena gain, they didn’t really have standard volumes that told one story like comics do now. In today’s comics, you have Volumes that contain roughly 5-6 issues that all connect together. Sometimes you have a stand alone issue mixed in, but usually it still has a way to lead into the story. In the original comics, each issue stood alone and didn’t end until a massive change in writer and direction of the comic was needed. We moved from Moon Knight to Marc Spector Moon Knight and got a new set of volumes. 

And while, sure, it’s interesting to see them telling longer stories… These aren’t ALL connected stories. These are special guest cross-over stories. Collect them all and put them in a volume and you still get the most random stuff. And each ending of the issues just feels like they are cutting the story in half. 

I’m starting to see why Ol’ Chuck Dixon isn’t a well known Moon Knight writer and why his run in particular was criticized like it was. Interesting. 

Marc Spector - Moon Knight: Issue #7: Zombie Saturday Night

Written by: Charles Dixon

Art by: Sal Velluto

Alright... Now... We uh...

We got the gang all here having breakfast in the kitchen and...

What the hell is going on in this picture...

That GIANT plant up there (I guess Marc’s love of giant potted plants goes back to 1989). The kitchen looks tiny compared to the GIANT mansion we know it’s in. 

Why is Frenchie getting manlier and manlier every time he’s drawn in these issues? Why is he casually oiling all his guns at the table? 

WHY IS MARC DRINKING OUT OF THE BLENDER?!

MARC. MARC NO. 

Well... despite what's going on in that picture...

Brother Voodoo is getting a good breakfast with plenty of salt to help his synapses fire or something. 

He remembers what happened to turn him into a zombie and he regales the group with his... Hey wait... 

....Where's his brother? That's his whole schtick! Brother Voodoo can see the ghost of his brother, who possesses people and helps him! 

Anyways... He tells the group how he was hunting down the zombie cult when he was captured and forced to drink the poison that turned him into a zombie. They also stole his Magical Medallion that was "the focus of my own voudon powers". 

He was then locked up in a ship and taken to New York. 

He tells them about the Slum where the zombies are being trained to kill (and watch Andy Griffith?) 

Frenchie asks how Jericho got away. 

"With the help of my brother, Frenchie." 

See, Frenchie out here asking the important questions. 

Alright, all that out of the way, they decide to head to the Bronx. 

He tells Jericho to take teh van and the rest of them get the chopper (it really only comfortably seats 3, after all). Jeff is excited about the chopper. 

But before they leave, Marc gets a phone call from his really pissed off Accountant. 

It's about the IRS Audit. The accountant is understandably nervous and needs to go over things with Marc. 

Marc blows him off and they leave. (see? There's so much business at stake in these comics.) 

We enter into the typical Moon Knight landing on a roof and rolling into action scene. Only now we have the kid, Jeff, stumbling around because he's not used to Marc's hard hitting take the punch and glider style of fighting. 

Inside, we have the Drug cartel arguing with the Zombie cult about what's going on. With Moon Knight making his way in, the Cartel boss gets antsy and makes a run for it. 

We see more Zombies watching tv and...Oh. I get it. It's the early 90s hysteria about how watching TV makes you into zombies. I remember that. It's a commentary. Hm. 

Brother Voodoo make his way through the building and faces off against the cartel guys. 

Moon Knight makes his way down from the roof, fighting zombies and trying to keep track of Jeff, who reveals his costume is just spandex and not Kevlar like Marc's is. 

Marc... Not everyone can afford Kevlar. 

Marc's fighting zombies, trying to protect Jeff, and trying to deal with Jeff bumbling around. 

At one point Marc gets mad and resorts to his old style of just punching things till they go down. ....Problem is, you can't just punch a Zombie down. 

....So Marc punches him out the window. 

I see Marc's moved from jumping through windows to just throwing things through windows. 

They eventually meet up with Jericho and find themselves surrounded by zombies and the leader. 

Jericho calls for his brother. A little possession here, a little spell chanting there, the zombie leader loses his power and all the zombies go down. 

Jericho manages to get his Medallion back and it restores his power. 

We cut to the Cartel leader calling someone saying he's done with zombies and they need to get their gig up and running again. But outside, another zombie (or the same zombie, it's not clear) in a trench coat has a gun and his picture, clearly there to eliminate him .

And that's the end of this issue and FINALLY the end of this cliffhanger run. 

WHEW. 

Look, some stories are harder to get through than others. Even Moench had a couple of issues that were difficult to read, but they were difficult because sometimes the story just didn’t click with me. I still appreciated the art and the little side bits and nods and fun Moon Knight moments. 

The Marc Spector Moon Knight is difficult for a LOT of reasons, that unfortunately have a LOT to do with the age, the comic style, and the art isn’t as pretty either. 

You got a lot going on and they sacrificed art style for getting as much in as they could to keep the action GOING. It’s rough. There’s a reason why a lot of things from the late 80s and early 90s feels like you’re talking to a coked out business man. And boy howdy do these feel like we’re talking to a coked out business man. 

There’s just so much at stake ALL of the time. And Marc is so bad at managing things. I’d say it’s fascinating to watch Marc crash and burn without Steven and Jake, but the writer CLEARLY has no intention of including Steven and Jake and honestly, would probably prefer to remove all the mental health issues that Moench so lovingly included and dealt with in the creation of Moon Knight. 

So am I going to do a breakdown of ALL the comics in Marc Spector Moon Knight? …I’m going to burn out if I try. So I’m going to find a way to get through them, because I want to read it. I know I skimped it the first time I laid my hands on it, and now I want to see where our Moon Man has been. (plus the next issue includes the Punisher!)

Most likely I’m going to do big long posts that are a summary of multiple comics at once with some pictures to highlight certain aspects, art, or just Marc being MARC. (he’s so bad at everything here). 

Let me know what you think! The 90s were rough people! 

[fizzingwizard]

Last: gameplay

I knew this game would only last a few hours or so. Still I was surprised it went on as long as it did. You do a lot and it doesn't feel empty to me at all. I'm at best a light gamer... I mean, I play the Sims... uhh... Yeah I have absolutely nothing to compare with, just saying I found this game quick but fun. And I will probably play it at least one more time to try to figure out what side quests I missed and just to enjoy the ambience. The art is really lovely and the stellar music from Sigur Ros totally makes the atmosphere.

Preeeettyyy!

This one I'll put under a cut

I played on Mac. It was so easy.Just space bar, A, S, D, and shift. Despite being so simple, there were lots of reminders and hints, so very friendly to kids. Sometimes though that simplicity was a con in the sense that, when the game didn't try to hold my hand through everything, it made me suspicious that I wasn't doing the right thing. The game does get more difficult as you go farther and the guidance eventually stops more or less. However these instances happened earlier and felt random.

I really loved the whimsical, highly Moomin-ish solutions to various problems. In the first problem with the spider, I remember being surprised that I was clearly meant to lob a bird at the spider instead of asking it nicely to leave. Then, lo and behold:

Heh. "I got your number, game," I thought. But then the spider was a jerk! A sweet jerk tbh. Who enjoys bullying and being bullied haha. So I had to lob the bird at it anyway.

I do find it VERY funny that this game, with its strong theme of needing each other and not only relying on your own wits, solves a lot of its puzzles by stepping on creatures or lulling them to sleep or hitting them with well-aimed birds.... It's 100% therapeutic but it's also so mean bahahahahaha. Like at first it seems like you'll solve every problem by hypnotizing people with the lovely melody of your musical instruments... But by the end even the drum is used to scare them off, and even flatten ferns! omg snufkin such violence

Trashing the Fillyjonk's house to make her come outside is a great example. This game just says "Chaos is the answer" and goes for it xP Imagine uprooting someone's flowers, breaking her statues, and dirtying her laundry, only for her to say "Oh, an invite to a play, how nice" lol. BUT! I do very much appreciate the reference to the Fillyjonk's need for a bit of chaos in her life. I wish they had stuck with that rather than fabricate a crush on the Park Keeper... anyway.

Loved playing with the band, wish that part had been longer/more involved. It was so much fun to have different instruments - I would have liked the drum to do more than just thud, but maybe the designer didn't really know much about hand drums.

Didn't understand the point of the Painter Hemulen, but possibly although I completed his side quest I may have missed another that came after. I really expected Stinky to be connected to the main story through Ninny. I thought he would be hiding Ninny's clothes with the theater costumes, but nope. Unrelated side quest.

I also really enjoyed the witty descriptors for items and quests, they made me giggle.

Ran into a handful of bugs/glitches as well. It could be because I'm on Mac, or because I'm on wifi. Idk if everyone experienced these. The biggest was jumping glitch. Several times I would just get stuck and be unable to jump no matter what I did. I'd try waiting for the indicator to appear, using different key combos, choosing the direction carefully, leaving and returning... Nothing worked, especially at Moominhouse (which I was sad we don't get to go inside) and these parts of the Hattifatteners Island:

Got stuck a couple other places too. It did eventually work, but with no rhyme or reason I could find. Path-finding also sometimes lead to getting stuck and I just had to wiggle around for a while before I could get out.

This above too about streamer mode. I literally can't read it on my screen. I had to cap it and zoom in in order to make out the type against the light color background.

However the worst glitch seems to have ruined the entire Hemulen's Butterflies side quest. I caught all three butterflies and was returning to the Hemulen when I guess I took a wrong turn and the butterflies left. Other times, when someone is following you and you go somewhere they can't follow, they will reunite with you when you come back to a good spot. But the butterflies flew away and didn't come back. I returned to catch new butterflies, but they appeared VERY rarely, and once caught glitched and disappeared. On top of that, the sound of my harmonica then vanished completely. I had to close the game and reopen, at which point I accidentally went too close to a loading screen and lost the chance to finish the quest. (I could have, if I hadn't continued onto the dam scene, but at that point I was too annoyed and kinda felt like the Hemulen will just have to get his own butterflies haha).

ETA: Realized I forgot some stuff!! So there are another couple quirks I ran into that I'm not sure if they're bugs or inevitable or what.

The first is that I completed many of the quests/side quests without meaning to. I gathered all the ingredients for all three of the Muskrat's stews before I even knew he wanted them. The game sent a message that I could increase my stamina by visiting the Muskrat's campfire, so I tried to go back to where you first meet the Muskrat and couldn't. Then it wasn't until much much later that I found him, and had to eat all three stews in one go. More importantly, that means I beat the game with the same stamina, never getting the increase until the very end (you don't even need it for the last park outside the dam because Moomintroll doesn't run).

I also found many other things just through playing naturally, which isn't itself a problem - but when I figured out what went with which quest, the game had trouble registering the quests as complete. It did eventually. But each time, I'd visit the character concerned, and they'd give an intro or a mid speech, then pause for a while and I'd start to leave before they'd finally give the complete speech. It was rather confusing. I do like the open world kind of feel and I def don't mind being able to do quest before they're introduced. But it was... nearly every single quest. I just gathered everything I saw that I was allowed to pick up. Some items DID seem as though they were hidden until you unlocked the quest. But most just appeared.

There were also several times I helped a bee or found an egg for a nest etc and nothing seemed to come of it? I'm guessing maybe there's a hidden "you rescued all the critters!" sidequest or something I didn't quite complete...

I really enjoyed the quests tho and my secret fav was "flattening the ferns with the drum" haha. I also think inspiration should go till level 10 only because maxing at 8 was too easy. Then again you def don't need it, musical prowess is irrelevant after you free Moomintroll, which is kinda sad since you spend so much time working on that skill alone.

I think that's about everything. Really loved the game (don't take my little critiques too hard!). A wonderful game for Moomin lovers and I hope many kids enjoy it too and become Moomin fans. Last here are some assorted bits and scraps I had nowhere else to put

The art is seriously sooo gorgeous. Also look how grumpy Little My looks in that bee costume

This close up of DLC for Snufkin. Loved it. It doesn't appear in the cut scenes but whatever.

Also... Snuf what is that plant you're eyeing??? HMM??? (Nettles lol)

And I seriously loved the chime-like music flowers and ferns would make when you run through them, and especially these gorgeous glowy mushrooms.

That's all folks!

[chromatic-lamina]

Any number you haven't yet answered but want to for the writer ask meme!

Heh-heh! Great ask ❤️

26. Would you rather write a fic that had no dialogue or one that was only dialogue? One with no dialogue, because I can always throw in reported speech and thought processes. Takes a particular skill to make a fic that is all dialogue authentic and interesting.

28. Does anyone read your fics before you post them? If so, who? Sometimes. I won't name 'em cos' I don't want to clutter up their notifications, but especially for exchanges, or if I've used someone's art (with permission) as inspiration, or for zines, etc.

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it? Okay, I guess the most recent is valuta from the Corazine (aftersales almost finished, but that's just an aside). I thought I did a pretty good job on portraying what the Donquixote brothers went through, also Cora's relationship with Sengoku and Law, and then Law with Sengoku, but maybe it was too much for the word count. It got very little interaction in the way of comments, at least. I like the KidLaw fics I did for the 2022 exchange and for the OP secret santa that year, but they remain two of my least popular fics (in terms of hits).

I like valuta for story parallels (Cora and Doffy, Law and Lami, etc.). I like the KidLaw fics because they make me laugh.

38. Did any of your fics get surprisingly popular (whatever that means to you)? Which ones? Why do you think they were so successful? Yeah. I think I've answered this before, and it's not massively popular compared to some fandom behemoths, but the Usopp vs the Heart Pirates fic: Dark like the North Blue Sea (aka The Sea-Hill you Die On) . I think it grew in popularity because it's canon compliant (also, maybe funny). Once a fic gets a certain number of kudos or hits too, it feeds its popularity growth, because people sort by kudos and hits, so all those hidden gems remain hidden! I'm happy that people enjoy it though!

43. If you take/write prompts: what’s your favorite prompt fic that you’ve written? Probably the one that @afterdeck-ace gave me of: Chopper and Law talking about courage or Jolly Rogers. They're talking about both in softening the fall of snow. That's followed or on par with screen / shiki-e, which was inspired by a tsute doodle. You can see the doodle and links to tsute's art on the AO3 page.

47. If [taxi] was a pair of shoes, what kind would it be? Describe the shoes.

Her jeans cost more than his weekly pay, hell — monthly— and her sneakers were scuffed and used in a way that hid or emphasised their one-of-a-kind design. Pretty cool. A red tonbo — dragonfly — from what he could see, stretched from the toe, its thorax and segmented body running along one side of the shoe, a blue chrysanthemum and pond reeds rising from the heel and undulating in the air below the insect.

I used a ref for that, but can't remember where I sourced it from.

I changed a few things, and the maker's name is on the jpg, fortunately!

48. What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

Yes! I recommend it: Ours lives like sand in the gears of the world by @afterdeck-ace (Lily_Amazon). A platonic Law & Robin ficlet that explores the parallels and differences between them so well.

Also, a quick but satisfying read (sounds like Borsalino's possible reflection on Akainu) with this fic, In The Dappled Sun. Lemon mentioned (tumblr's being silly with throwing out community settings left, right and centre, so sorry for the return to FFN vocab). Fic author @kookoofufu

Am continuing to read saltyrock's It Takes a Lot to Know a Man but haven't read the latest chapter yet. LawBin and CrocoBin. Endgame LawBin.

There's a lot of good stuff out there, and so little time!

[via-the-ghoul]

Day 9, in the shadows. A’Ghor Via-scp-verse lore let’s goooooooo, another text and art one let’s gooooo

TW: “there is absolutely no good in the world” type talk, psychological abuse, implied physical abuse, both of which from a parent, murder via impalement, talk of the death of someone implied to be a child, talk of cults, imprisonment, blood and guts. A’Ghor basically equals “this is a bad one”

There was always a hole in her heart.

There was absolutely no good in the world, that was what her father said. Just spreading darkness and vile people. Despite how much she hated it here, despite how much fear was in her heart whenever her father was around, she was lucky to be with him.

She barely ever left her tower, sitting in the shadows, curled up. Alone.

Her children would bring anything they could find, objects, animals, scared people, but nothing could fill the hole in her heart. Just more trash from a trash filled world. She’d destroy it all.

Once, after being brought to some new worthless world, her youngest, a child of shadow, delivered onto her a woman in orange, with messy hair and tired eyes. Yet another victim of a world without love. But then-

“Are you ok? Who are you?”

This human was… concerned about her. She never got concern, no one got concern. But this woman had it.

“…I am the princess of shadows. I am as ok as you can be in a world of destruction.” A soft dark voice. The human sighed.

“And I’m Siqinq. Where are we, exactly?” The human looked around the room. Too dark.

“My tower. My father build it for me.” Anyone else would have faded into these shadows by now, but this Siqiniq was different. Light where there shouldn’t be. Light that was real, here with her now.

“Seems nicer than where the Foundation kept me at least.”

“…You’re a prisoner too? I mean, I’m not a prisoner, I thrive here, but-“ slip of the tongue, she was lucky to be here, she was lucky to be here.

“Some fucked up cult kidnapped my daughter for some fucked up ritual. Didn’t even do anything, it just killed her. And they just moved onto their next prisoner. I tried to stop them, but the pigs got me and the cult convinced them I was crazy. Maybe I am, heh.”

“…oh. I hear about those people a lot, humans are always so greedy and violent and-“

“Not my girl. I’d do anything for her, and I knew I’d go through Hell to make it up to her. Anyways some guys in suits offered to give me freedom if I participated in some experiments or whatever, and the cult was still out there while I wasn’t so I had to get out ASAP. Then some shadow kid grabbed me during a breach or something and now I’m here.”

“…you and your daughter really cared about each other huh?”

“Yes. …And I still couldn’t save her…”

“Who did that to her. Who crushed one of the few existing pieces of light. I’ll crush them.” A piece of light, real. Something good. Her children could handle some puny humans.

“I think it was called something stupid, was it… the children of the Sc-“

Her father’s hand came crashing through the woman’s torso, and she collapsed. Dead.

“A’GHOR.”

“Dad, dad, I was going to kill her, please don’t hurt me dad, I’ll do anything, please,” she frantically grabbed the body of the woman, curled up with the human.

[Image ID: a grey girl in a dark room with long dark grey hair and a red dress. She cradles the body of a dead, olive skinned girl with messy black hair and an orange shirt. A hole is in the orange shirted girl’s chest, with guts and blood trailing out.]

She still has her body. The closest anything came to filling this hole in her chest. The only thing that was good. Why should anything continue without the last remaining good?

[trrickytickle]

Ten-Tickles 🛸

the punchline was “what does it take to make an alien laugh?” but then again, title would get too long. last fic i did for this franchise was so bad (it was pretty much a glorified headcanon list) so i deleted it 💀 Be warned, a lot of these drabbles have the same sort of wafer-thin setup, I just need excuses to write the situations they're in.

Self-indulgent switch Ben+Gwen drabbles I did in between prompts and such. because 1) I’m a 2000s CN kid and 2) I’m trash lmao. Props to my brother for putting up with me for asking him questions about a show I haven’t seen in years and then again it was only bits and pieces of said show. they should have had a tk scene let me live my truth. and yes i've never watched this show in years but i do have a human encyclopedia at my disposal (shoutout again to my poor brobro)

But anyways, oh my DAYS, Ben and Gwen. Still essential parts of EVERY tickle doodle sheet. They were THE ler-leaning switches ever in my day (old hag voice). DEF annoying lers, tk potential THROUGH DA ROOOOF but the shenanigans are better in small doses. footerfeet tickles in ditto + wildvine + greymatter drabbles btw (if u dont like) (OH and in the last drabble as well)

I am NOT familiar at all with any of the story stuff or like 128923 other serieses. All I know is that there's a blue furry now and what my brother tells me (a whole bunch, it's the tism) (same). This is just my brainvomit.  So yeah. These are the small shenanigan doses. 10 drabbles, 10 aliens, that’s the gist.  YEAH IM TRASH SUE ME

Putting the weird gut-wrenching feeling he got after the Omnitrix would power down again aside, Ghostfreak was a fun one. What was not to love about phasing through walls like a peeping Tom and scaring the crap out of little kids? Best part was- Gwen didn’t seem to like him.

This past summer, the Rustbucket had parked its tires down next to many, many art museums, much to Ben’s dismay. The Cleveland Art Museum was no different to him (it was in Ohio, so it was probably worse).  Marble statues and paintings filled a lifeless square with ivory walls as if to compensate for something. Like the art strung up on the walls, it was a tragic sight. Ben gave a loud groan, to which Grandpa Max shushed in response.

“Look, it’s all part of the deal-” he lectured. “We went where you wanted to go-”

“Blehh-bleh-blehh-bleh-bleh-bleh-bleeh..” Ben mocked, just barely brushing past a delicate display.

“Can’t you have some culture, mush-for-brains!?” Gwen snapped. “This place has lots of history behind it!”

They kept walking, stopping to admire piece after piece after piece, and then they just had to read the little information cards on the bottom. Boring.

“Yeah, yeah, history, schmistory. The guy who drew that’s probably dead anyway. Speaking of dead…” Slamming the dial on a spooky silhouette, Ghostfreak floated up with a chill in the frigid air. 

 "Boo!" he joked, startling Gwen (and everyone else in the museum) with a jolt. She scowled, glaring daggers into Ghostfreak's single pupil.

“What? This place is practically a ghost town already.” Another glare from the ginger. “Tough crowd, I guess.”  Ghostfreak phased through a few statues and peeled off its skin to scare onlookers, then went back to bother Gwen again.

“Heeeeeyyy…” 

"What.” Gwen snapped, turning around from her view of a sculpture. The alien dove through her torso, phasing through and quite literally getting inside her head, possessing her and stringing her hands around like a disorganized puppeteer.

"Stop tickling yourself." Ghostfreak rasped. Out of her control, Gwen's own hands danced around her tummy. Her possessed body struggled to keep from breaking out in a laughing fit, snickering, snorting and gritting her teeth.

"NGH-gh-hh-heh.." Gwen grunted, contorting her twisting smile into a grimace. Her own arms still moved unwillingly around her sides, and Ghostfreak's teasing whispers rang through her own corporal body.

"Stop tickling yourself. Stop tickling yourself. Stooop tickling yourself~" Her cousin's nagging voice surrounded Gwen's thoughts louder than usual, and if that wasn't bad enough, her own fingers involuntarily dug their way into her ribs, and along the hallowing halls reverberated her shrill, loud shriek.

'Hehehe-haha-hYIEEEEK!! Youhohou're such a dweeb!!" Through laughter, her own hands squeesed their way down her sides.

Ghostfreak phased out of her, laughing in a strange demented manner. Scowling, Gwen and Grandpa Max were dragged out of the building whilst Ben floated behind, gloating.

Well, this wasn't the first place they were kicked out of.

The Plumber base was cool at first. The secret entrance was cool. The alien ray-guns were cool. Even the prospect of plain old Grandpa kicking butt for a living was cool. As visits became more frequent, the wow-factor dulled. Grandpa Max would almost always be off discussing confidential matters, and Ben and Gwen would be left to their own devices under the vague condition of "don't touch anything", and more often than not, Ben would run into a room he wasn't allowed in while Gwen ran after him, and such was the case. A monitor twice the size of a movie screen fell before the cousins' eyes, with a keyboard thrice as wide to boot.

"Too many failed login attempts. Try again in fifteen minutes!?" Ben groaned. "You'd think we'd be allowed to test some of this stuff out.."

"What part of "don't touch anything" do you not understand, bozo?" Gwen retorted.

"Relax, it's not like he'll notice.." Ben shrugged in response, fingers wriggling over the cluttered keyboard. Before he could lay a finger on it, Gwen held him up by the back of his shirt.

"Hey! Do I look like I want Grandpa to kill us?"

Writhing, Ben looked down, turning the Omnitrix dial and slamming it, resulting in a mass of neon-streaked ferrofluid coagulating into his technological form. Upgrade slithered its way out of Gwen's reach and enveloped the screen, and Ben was interlinked to the monitor.

"Wo-ho-hoah! Look at all these! I don't even know what to name all of them!" Upgrade chirped, putty-like head popping out of the monitor. Slides of alien data files popped up in duochromatic green and black. Gwen groaned in frustration and scoured the keyboard for some sort of power down switch.

"Come on, come on! The Plumbers should know where to put a dang off button!" Disgruntled, Gwen's fingers closed as many tabs as her cousin could open. Ben felt jolts of static zapping at his mechanical form. For every press on the unnecessarily complicated contraption, the little zaps would grow increasingly inconvenient. And they tickled. Bad. Upgrade thrashed, threatening to jump out of the screen.

"-ngh- Would you stop -ugh- bothering me? I'm trying to get us- YOU out of trouble!" Gwen dodged the assault of his synthetic limbs while resuming her attempt to shut the device off.

"Hehe-heh-hey! I'm nohot trying to, you're tickling me!" Upgrade jittered. There was an eager glint in Gwen's eyes which made him regret his choice of words. Like a pianist, she cracked her knuckles, wiggling her fingers before the keys.

"Oh yeah? How's this for tickling? How about this?" Gwen pressed a crescendo of keys in a sadistic cacophony in a quick, succeeding fashion. Her fingers precisely clicked away from the top row all across the bottom. Upgrade's putty-like construct could barely constrict, only jutting outwards as each shockwave coursed through his synthetic body.

"G-gh-HA-HA-heh-HAHA-hah-heh-ha-HAHAHAHAHA! Quihihit it, lame-brain! Stohop, stohoho-hop! Ihi-hihi'm beheh-hehe-gging you!"

"Nope. Serves you right!" Gwen continued, smirking in sadistic glee at her newfound knowledge. Her hands criss-crossed across the board, aiming for certain nooks and crannies (the space bar was especially bad), laughing along with the Mechamorph.

As what was left of ten minutes ticked away, the clicking of keys grew louder and faster, and Upgrade's chippery laughter rang through the hallowed halls of the Plumber base.

It wasn’t fair. No matter how many games of license plate bingo Ben betted it on, it was always Gwen who got to sit and soak up the AC in the front seat. It was torture, seeing her kick back, a gloating grin square on her face when she looked back at the shaky, sizzling back seat- and desperate times like this called for desperate measures. Annoying ones. Wandering his way down the matted carpet of the Rustbucket on his tiptoes, Ben crept up at his cousin and goosed her in the sides with an evil glint in his eyes.

“Poke.”

A squeal! made Grandpa look back from the steering wheel and groan dejectedly. Gwen scowled, gritting her teeth.

“Rrrr!  Why do you have to be such a- EEEEE!!” A plethora of pokes followed from her sides up to her ribs, along with occasional digs at her armpits- that is if they weren’t slammed shut in preparation for imminent attack.

“Gr-Grandpa! He’s being annoying!” To no avail, Grandpa Max kept on driving, trying to shut out her high pitched laughter.

“I’m only stopping if you’ll let me sit up front..” Ben retorted obnoxiously. “Poooooke- OW!” Gwen flicked him on the index finger in response, giggling smugly. He attempted to reach in numerous times afterwards, but each one would be deflected by Gwen’s hand.

“Nice try, doofus! That won’t work on me!” she stated, hands on hips. It was desperate times like now which called for desperate measures. Knowing Ben, he wouldn’t back down from a challenge, and when Gwen heard the dial-turn of the Omnitrix, it spelled trouble.

“But this might!” Four-Arms’ booming, baritone voice growled. His massive size bent him double against the roof of the RV, which only made Gwen closer to (two) arms’ reach.

“Don’t. Even. Think. About. It.”

But think about it he did. Gwen’s wrists were grasped by Ben’s single muscle-bound alien arm, lifting her up, and his other three were prodding away while she squirmed at the hands of the squatting extraterrestrial.

"Hihihehehehehe-AH-haha! Puhuhut me dohohown!" She bucked, instinctively kicking the window so hard the air freshener swung like a pendulum. Grandpa Max lifted one hand off the steering wheel to facepalm and rub his temples. Kids.

"Surrender the front seat!"

"Or whahahat, you slimeba-ha-hall!?"

"Or I'm amping it up!" Halting the stabbing jabs, Four-Arms lifted Gwen's legs up, receiving full access to her torso. Her long-sleeved tee was pulled to reveal her midsection, which his brawny lower hands then toyed with like an organ. "So, about that front seat.. Ready for it to be mine now? Huh??.." " ..Huh? Aw, MAN!" Like it was fate, the Omnitrix timed out in a flash of red, and Ben was met with a stern Grandpa-glare.

Why'd she always have to win?

"Kk-ggh-HA-HA! That's unfahair! G-Gwen, you're che-hee-HEA-ting!" 

"Hah-how is it chehe-heating if- -ngh- I'm nohot letting you cheat!?" 

The plasticine squeak of chafing against polyester was frequent as gunfire in the warzone that was the Rustbucket and laughter filled summer air like mustard gas- an all-out tickle tussle had arose in the midst of a stop for gas and supplies. Gwen had the upper hand, as Ben had slid off onto the carpet from her dirty tactic of holding up his left hand (conveniently also his cool alien watch-wielding hand) and targeting his armpit. Hypocritically, she reached over for her spellbook,  leaning over on the booth seat as her cousin floundered on the carpet, and she had let go, unaware, only to look back at a flash of neon green. Ditto emerged, splitting into one- then two- then three. 

"Uh-ooooh, looks like somebody's outnumbered!" One chatty clone piped while the other snuck up behind her back, putting its arms above Gwen's shoulders and mercilessly targeting her tummy. The other two, however, grabbed her ankles and tossed her shoes off and gave each other the same shit-eating knowing smirk, cartoonishly wiggling their free fingers. 

"Hah-hehe-HA-ha-HA! Ahaha-ha-quit it, quit it, qui-hih-hi-hit it!" Gwen repeated, giggling.

"Raspberry on three?" the Ditto at her left foot remarked, the rest nodding. 

"Three.. two.." 

"One!" Gwen yelled, squeezing the Ditto behind her's side. All three yelped in unison, and the smile on her face shifted to one involuntary to a knowing grin. Smirking, she pinned the clone down, pursing her lips and leaning in for a satisfyingly sloppy raspberry, then  another, and then another. All three laughed hysterically, swatting at air. 

"guh-HA-HAHA-AHAHAHA-HA!! Stoppit! P-puh-PLEEASE!" 

"Hah-HA-Ha-HAHA-Haha-have MERCY!!" 

"Nnnnghh-HHHAHA-HA!! It TICKLES!!" 

"Not 'till lunch, dwe- ACK!" Gwen called back as the Omnitrix timed out, only to be greeted with a pounce by her now-human cousin, his fingers threateningly spidering over her. "Don't even! B-Be-hehe-hen!"

Typically, Gwen wasn't one to boast. It was mainly Ben's antics that kept her humble during the road trip. Today seemed to be a rather obnoxious exception- she'd just grasped a spell, and used it every chance she got. Throughout this long summer day, cries of "Reanima Verdanica!" irritated Ben and to an extent, Grandpa Max to no end as flowers bloomed wherever she went.

"Alright, alright! I get it! You can make a few posies and pansies, what's the big deal!?" Ben whined. No response. Thinking the campsite they were parked at could use a little sprucing up, wildflowers sprouted from the mana on Gwen's hands onto the ground. Flowers that were tenfold their original size were visible from the sun-faded windows. Ben slumped onto the dinette table, rolling his eyes, when not long after he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"A little Wildvine'll show her who's boss!" Evergreen now surrounded the inside of the vehicle in a flash of light.  Ben, in Wildvine's form, slithered out the door and snuck up behind his cousin.

"Reanima...verdanicAAHHH! What is WITH you, freakazoid!?" 

"Hah! How's this for a plant?" Wildvine growled. "Betcha flowers can't do this!" Extending like a jumper cable, a tendril from his left hand extended, grabbing Gwen by her legs. Upside-down, the spellcaster struggled in her surprisingly strong bonds. Her spellbook fell to the floor with an underwhelming thud.

"Grrrr! Let me down, or-"

"Or what? You're gonna make me a flower crown?" He gloated. Wildvine's tuberous face shifted into a smirk, and from his sides, he conjured three sets of rakelike vines- two of which wormed into Gwen's armpits, the other pair slowly skittered against her ribs and tummy, and, to her relief, the last pair laid still against his roots. His methods were slow, but boy, were they evil.

"Ngh-hehe-gGGGGH! Reanima-haha... Verda-HA! Reanima Ver-daha-HAnicA! Ngh.. STUPID spell!" Continually, Gwen attempted to say the spell straight-faced, but humiliating giggles would slip out in between her attempt to resist. Not even weeds would grow from the ground. 

"Payback, princess!" Wildvine rasped, the last set of arms shot up and the left arm grabbed hold of her left foot, whilst the right took off her shoe and began to scribble and shuffle against her sole in quick succession. The other vines followed suit, speeding up.

"Ugh! Reanima-HA-HAHAHAHA! Eeee-ya-hehehe-HAHAHA! You are so-hoho getting it when I'm out of here!"

She'd keep that promise and keep it well.

(oh ma JESUS i had to do research (ick) to get this one to work, i'm also a dog person if you couldn't tell)

Most people associated summer with sweltering heat and running through sprinklers. Most people, however, would not associate it with a life-or-death journey to retrieve lost alien DNA samples across the galaxy on a spaceship. Half the Omnitrix's rogue's gallery had been magically corrupted in a battle with Hex, giving Ben limited access to its library. 

It wasn't as grueling as the past battle against Vilgax- the aliens scanned in the past had offered themselves up again without a fight- but Wildmutt's sample was different. Its home planet Vulpin also housed heaps of malignant radioactive waste, so Tetrax, the crystalized mercenary, took matters into his own hands and brought it onto the ship. Flighty, feral and difficult to control, it was hard to ease. 

"Now, no sudden movements.." Tetrax husked. "Just touch and scan." 

"Aw, yeah! Just one left and it's hero time!" Ben boasted. To prevent further damage, the Vulpimancer was surrounded by a ring of creeping green crystal. 

"Nice doggy.. good doggy.." Gwen attempted to reason. The alien responded, eagerly lapping her face and showering it in thick drool. "Ugh! Gross!" Sniffing the air, the canid alien inched toward the two human children. It snarled, then with a series of curious pants, leapt at Ben. 

"Yeesh. Talk about a sudden movement." Gwen chided. The Omnitrix-bearer was nervous- its sharp teeth and cud-like drool was an inch to his face. Tetrax and Gwen flinched. Ben knew Wildmutt, and he knew him well- this beast could maul him at any second. 

What came instead was much less lethal- the alien's panting changed to that of excitement, and nuzzling against the fabric of Ben's shirt, it started to sniff him, the gusts of hot air blowing against his tummy. 

"Nnghh! Gh-hh-Ahah-Hh--" 

Gritting his teeth, it didn't take long before he'd burst into loud, embarrassing laughter. 

"AH-hah-ha-ha-HAHA! Hehe-haha- Te-hetrax! Make him stohohop!" 

Tetrax stood, smiling innocently. Boyish laughter urged the Vulpimancer to lean in closer and pepper Ben with slobbering dog-kisses, much to Gwen's delight- this was perfect blackmail material. 

"Aw, who's a good boy? Whooo's a good boy? Who loves torturing my doofus cousin? You do, ooooooh, yes, you do!" Gwen cooed, teasing Ben with wriggly fingers. 

"Gaha-guh-Gwen! J-Juhust ge-heh-het Wildmutt offa mehe-hehe!" 

"What's that? The doofus says he likes it?" She chided. 

"Now, now, don't tease him too much. Scanning mode will trigger soon." Tetrax responded, ceasing playing dumb. 

Ben bucked, as the Vulpimancer's head wormed its way into his armpit, instinctively causing him to conk it on its skull with the Omnitrix. The watch glowed a dim orange as a robotic voice reverbrated-

 "Scanning mode engaged." Finally. Both Tetrax and Gwen helped the mushy, giggly puddle on the floor which was Ben Tennyson up. Panting in relief, the tingly, shaggy sensation passed. The Omnitrix was complete, and it was safe travels back from here- safe, long, travels where Gwen wouldn't let him live this down.  

(this picture looks really stupid HAHA)

Despite the wide range of useful alien heroes in the Omnitrix, it was no secret that Ben had a clear bias towards Four-Arms- what more could you want? Heck, the guy was hulked out, with four knuckle sandwiches at the ready- and his strength could fare useful for any situation.. especially annoying Gwen. The cousins were tasked to work together on setting up camp, and knowing them, things would only take a turn for the worse. Littered across the campsite were pinewood not yet built into a campfire and tents left unpitched- all because the two were too busy squabbling. 

"...What part of "pitch a tent" do you not understand, bonehead!?" Gwen nagged, hands on hips. 

"Grandpa said that was your job! Remind me who helped gather the firewood earlier?" 

"Four-Arms." she chided. "It's not fair! You get to go hero and I've gotta do everything myself!" Just as fate had intended, the Omnitrix sparked green once again, and Ben gave a mischievous grin, making the redhead want to swallow her words. 

"Oh, I'll have fun showing you what else he can do!" He wiggled his fingers, pressing the watch dial down. In a flash of quick metamorphosis, the boy emerged as- 

"CANNONBOLT!?"  

"Hah! Please. Like that thing can pitch a tent." 

Ben, disappointed with the form he had taken, looked down at his radish-like feet, then back up at his armor plated shoulders- then his fluffy claws... and a devious idea hatched in his spherical head. Grabbing Gwen, Cannonbolt curled up halfway, and though she couldn't see it through her predicament, there was a wide, fanged smirk across his face. 

"AH!! Whatever you're doing, don't even-" 

"Too late! Tickle-tickle tickle tickle-tickle.." His four-pronged claws wormed their way into Gwen's shirt, scribbling and squeezing against her sides while their unbearable fur fluffed against her midsection. Her tummy jerked around as she writhed and threw her head back. 

"Ggg-rr-HHH!!-Hh-HAHAHA-hahahEEEEK! Eeee- Sss-HH-Stoppit! Put me dOHOWN!" 

"Hmm... no. Unless.." Laying on his plated shell, Cannonbolt remained nonchalant as Gwen squealed, cackled and bargained. He upped the ante, lightly tracing over her navel and going over her shirt to poke at every individual rib while she was held snug in a bear-hug. "You let me go hero." 

"Nnnnn-NEHE-Never!" Fighting the press of its claws, Gwen put up a fight- only urging Ben to further egg her on. Bad idea. 

"Well, in that case..." A barrage of quick, spiderlike claw-movements were skidding and skittering around Gwen's tummy. The pine forest clearing around them were as much as a wreck for once, and a familiar voice boomed from within the trees louder than her laughter. 

"Benjamin. Kirby. Tennyson." Grandpa Max scolded. Gwen and Cannonbolt stood like deer in headlights, darting their eyes along the mangled campsite. At least there was someone who could keep Ben in check.

Nothing in the Rustbucket worked like it was supposed to. Flushing the toilet was a three-man effort, the oven would start sparking when the stove was on, and most inconveniently, opening the fridge cut the air conditioning- which was left running as the Tennysons trekked back from a strenuous hike at the Grand Canyon, and to their dismay, Ben and Gwen were greeted by a snail trail of melted ice-cream stretching from the faulty fridge.

“Aw, man! That was our only real food!” Ben whined, wiping his brow, standing at the puddle like it was blood at a crime scene. Gwen stood next to him, equally distraught, as the chunks of cookies and cream barely reached their shoes.

“Yeah, if only SOMEONE didn't leave the AC on!” she snapped.

"Oh, that's an easy fix. A little Grey Matter'll work wonders!” The tiny trooper jumped up onto the kitchenette’s counter, over the stove and made a springy leap up to the top of the fridge and launched himself toward the dusty air vent. Incessantly technobabbling to himself, Gwen looked up with a little too much faith in him. 

"You know, I think this is one of the only good ideas you've had all summer.." 

Grey Matter crawled, slimy hands soldering wires to the best of its abilities. Almost there. Wiping out gunk from crevices without breaking a sweat, his sagacity was paying off well.

“I think it’s working!” exclaimed Gwen, a moment too soon.

“Just a clean around the filter, and..” Red light creeped through the vent as a low jitter signaled the Omnitrix’s cooldown. There was a thud- and Ben’s lower half stuck out through the roof, leaving the air conditioner in worse condition. 

"-Unf! Oooowww!!" 

Stuck in the vent from his shoulders up, he could do nothing but kick and flail- as Gwen erupted in mocking laughter. 

"Hey, hey! Help! Seriously! Stop laughing and let me down! Ugh, I'm telling on you!" Ben whined and kicked at Gwen's face, unaware. 

"Oh, I'll help you down, alright.." Her smug smirk, one of pure, unadulterated childlike mischief, was out of sight, which left Ben oblivious to the assault that was to come. Yanking his shoes off with a struggle, and swiftly, her shifting fingers swooped along his socked feet.  This was so worth losing an entire tub of ice cream.

"WAIT!!- Nnng- heh-HUH-hahaha-Whahaha-what gi-HI-hihives!?" 

"I'm just helping you down, what's with the attitude? Do you want to spend the rest of summer vacation with your head up a vent like an ostrich!?" Gwen played dumb, almost-reluctantly sliding off Ben's left sock, nimble fingers flossing through toes, ringing unrelenting laughter. 

"Ggh-HAH-haha-HA!! Stohop making f-huhun of me!" With each trace at the arch and dig at the toes, his face flushed from above. Gripping desperately onto the roof, he thrashed, threatening to crash on the carpet. 

"I bet there's a spell in here somewhere.." pondered Gwen. 

"nn-NNN-PLEAHASENO!" In fear of the mere suggestion, Ben fell facefirst into the confection on the carpet. Holding back giggles, Gwen walked away as he grumbled. 

They wouldn't be getting any cool air for days.

"G-AAAAAAH!!" 

A failed leap of faith sent Gwen, donning the Lucky Girl mask, careening down the Seattle Space Needle hopelessly, just barely escaping Charmcaster and her bag of tricks. Her own hero exploits were as infrequent as they were dangerous- which was why, for safety's sake, she would be frequently accompanied by Ben.

"huh-huh-Phew..-whoo-.." 

As her arms flailed in an ostrichlike attempt in flight, Stinkfly's gangly hands had grabbed her mid-air, a light buzz coming from his insectoid wings. Gwen was safe and sound- but his putrid smell couldn't escape her. 

"I really saved your butt there, didn't I?" his phlegmy voice reverbrated, Charmcaster's flying golems hot on their trail. They weren't any trouble- they were easily apprehended by the goop from his eyestalks. 

"Yeah, but you really didn't need to smell like one! Now, hurry!" As they lost the evil enchantress, Gwen sassed and the duo flew toward the Rustbucket. Manoeuvreing over buildings with beating wings and showing off to onlookers, Ben was taking his sweet time for someone she told to hurry.

Gwen rolled her eyes. "What part of hurry don't you under-ST-eEK! " With a mischievous smirk, Stinkfly's legs reached over to poke at Gwen's middle- exposed from the wind blowing against her costume. Letting go of one arm, its brittle claw wormed (insect pun) into her armpit.

 "Ahaha-HA! Y-yooo-you-hoo-hoo STINK!" she bucked. 

"I know!" Keeping it up, two legs squeezed at the midriff like dough, while another set prodded at her ribs. "Not so lucky, are you now? Are you?" Even in a repulsive form, Ben still couldn't help but boast. 

"Ghh-AHAHA-Heh-sto-STAHAHAP!" Gwen cackled. Fortunately, he heeded her demand- but only when they noticed Charmcaster, brandishing her magical bag behind them. Glowing red, the Omnitrix cooled down. Trouble. 

"Looks like Lucky Girl has a weakness!.." she cooed. "And, oh, would you look at that! I have just the thing.." As wriggly, teasing stone hands flew towards Gwen, she couldn't help but grumble under her breath. Cousins.

(I ran out of "good" aliens.)

(also Gwendolyn's design is just so fucking good I literally love it for reasons I can't explain)

Another time adventure was the perfect opportunity to whisk Ben and Gwen away from a lunch of fried grasshoppers. Though their presence would cause many, many timeline discrepancies, they were the key to thwarting a major anomaly in Ben 10,000's way ..but their importance wouldn't stop the two from running amok in his headquarters. The two marveled at their own accomplishments, their egoes only expanding in the process. 

"Woah! I get to learn more spells?" Gwen leafed through collections of magical runes, unusually eager. A slew of scrolls rolled off onto the metallic floor making a mess. "And that's my black belt!" 

"Another hoverboard? Oh-ho-HO, check it out!" Pushing buttons and flipping switches they shouldn't have, the cousins made a mess of the tall tower- and it wasn't long before their future selves stepped up from the elevator doors, glaring dourly. 

"What have we told you two about not touching anything?" reprimanded the older Ben. "That was a present from New Petropia!" 

"You too, Gwen." Gwendolyn deadpanned. "You know, I'd think us- you out of all people would know better." 

"Ugh, jeez! Guess you're still no fun.." The ten-year-old Ben rolled his eyes, blowing a raspberry at his elder- who exchanged a sly, knowing smirk with Gwendolyn.

"Well, we do know a thing or two about fun..." In the blink of an eye, Future-Ben went Four-Arms, holding his younger self up by the wrists with his first pair of arms. Gwendolyn straddled the latter cousin's legs with a wry smile. 

"Consider this revenge." she teased, baring her long nails at Gwen, tracing, scribbling and spidering over her sides. Four-Arms, bigger and more rugged than he was in the past, dug into Ben's ribcage and armpits, just harsh enough to be unbearably soft. 

"Wha-What are you- Wait! No! We're really so-HORRY! Ah! Haha-hah-heh-HA!" Gwen pleaded through laughter, throwing her head back as her older self dug into her armpits while she thrashed with every touch. 

"Ple-HEASE! I'm -huh- not gonna-ha-ha- touch yo-hour stuff! You're gonna KI-HEHE-HILL ME!" 

"No use bargaining, shrimp." Changing form, a (new!) agile simian alien emerged and webbed Ben up. "I call him Spidermonkey." Its tail yanked his shoes off, and eight fluffy fingers spidered over his soles. Hitting the floor, he thrashed in silky bonds as one of many new forms exploited weaknesses that he himself knew better than anyone. 

"Just s-huh-SE-hehend us to the Null Vo-hoi-d ahat thi-his point!" 

"We're just getting started! I've got 9,998 heroes left!" 

"You know, Gwen.. great point earlier. I did get to learn more spells. Esthesio Pluma!" The younger redhead gulped, preparing for the worst. Fluffy feathers descended out of nowhere, flitting and floating at the flick of Gwendolyn's wrist. They ghosted over her stomach, telekinetically flying into her shirt to fluff at her belly button. The other plumes brushed over her neck in slow methodical fashion, and into her armpits. 

"AH-hehe-HEH-hehehe! Lemme GO-hoho! You've behehe-heen through this!" Gwen reasoned, attempting to swat away the feathers, curling up into a kicky ball. 

"Should we let up?" Nonchalantly, the older Ben rasped whilst running around in XLR8's form, waggling his tail quickly over his younger self's stomach while his claws targeted multiple spots simultaneously.  

"We don't want us to suffer forever.." Gwendolyn assured, relinquishing control of the floating feathers. As quickly as he started, XLR8 stopped, reverting back into Ben. The past-cousins had a moment to catch their winded breath before getting back on their feet. 

"-huff- I'll get me back someday.. Maybe.. now!" Just as Ben was about to slam his watch, his future self poked him on the stomach. "-y-IEEK!" 

"If you tried, we'd know." she jeered. 

----------------------------------------------

and that's the end of that! damn, that last one was long. back to requests!

[morshuu]

I have some questions about Opheo

1. Is Opheo the Master of labradorite or Imagination or is he the master of both?

2. How did Opheo's element(s) come to be?

3. What kind of abilities does Opheo's element give them?

4. When was Opheo introduced

5. When did Opheo start getting feelings for Nya and Jay?

6. When did Nya and Jay start getting feelings for Opheo?

7. How did Kai react when he learned that Opheo has feelings for his little siblings? (I like to think that all of the ninja-the couples obviously as siblings)

8. What is the other ninja's relationships like with Opheo?

And the last question is Opheo a Ninja?

Heh.. glad you asked heh.. warning for lots of text below my dear followers!

1. I just put two different names for fun. It's the same element; labradorite represents his element! I just call it imagination.

2. He discovered his element when he was making a drawing of something. It scared him shitless when suddenly his very crude drawing of a cat came to life in front of him at age 10 and tried getting buddy buddy with him. Totally freaked him out and Ryacus had to figure out how to get rid of the thing cause Opheo hid in a trash can for hours and refused to come out.

3. Now that he's more in control of his powers and art skills don't effect how he pulls from fiction (he has nightmares about that drawing it scarred him).. Imagination allows him to pull things from ficticous universes; from books, comics, drawings, and from his or others own imaginations. It can vary from small inanimate objects to living monstrosities and giant weaponry.

Of course there is limits; the more ambitious the thing he's trying to "warp" to his reality, the less effect it has.

Something simple like a magical dagger will be able to have no problem being used in his universe, but if he brought something like a powerful god that's capable of destroying universes it would be more like just some guy with a good ass cosplay and somehow can make cool effects. They wouldn't be capable of damaging ANYTHING because that'd take too much energy up and not even Opheo would want to really do that.

He can also make hallucinations he pulls from his targets imagination. Unlike illusions these aren't real and can only be seen by the person themselves. It's usually either their greatest fear or their guiltiest pleasure. Think of it like they're having something like a night terror or day dreaming.

These can be broken by taking a picture of what's around them because they wouldn't show up, reassurance that what they aren't seeing is real, and or knocking out Opheo's focus.

4. Opheo met Jay and Nya ( and Zane, because he's dating Ryacus' brother and also was sent on the mission) when they were snooping around his home city. His home, The City (yes its called the city because i have no time to come up with names right now) has ridiculous amounts of unexplainable energy coming from it and went to investigate to make sure it wasn't something they needed to deal with.

Opheo is very protective of The City; it used to be similar to Imperium before he, Ryacus (his brother), and a rebellion removed the previous government. So anyone just snooping around like that gets him a little heated.

This occurs before the Merge. So he knew the group before whatever the fuck happened.

5. It probably was after a year or two of knowing them. He didn't like the Ninja at first, especially Jay, Nya and Zane coming into The City and trying to meddle with it. Eventually he mellowed out, got to know Jay and Nya, and to his dismay started crushing on them.

Even displeased with this he liked to flirt with the two of them to cope with it lol

6. They fell harder. Took them a little longer to realize but when they did they sat down with their head in hands because "how do we like this stupid snake boy who tried killing us".

Jay was the one to confess first and invite Opheo. All 3 now happily kiss and cuddle.

7. Kai didn't know until he overheard Jay and Nya talking about Opheo. Before that, he would get mad at Opheo for flirting with them because well, why is he flirting with two married people? THE ONES WHO ARE ALSO DATING EACHOTHER? AND THE ONES YOU TRIED KILLING? And would often chase him off because Opheo can be a lot sometimes.

He eventually also mellowed out, and once he got to see Opheo for who he really was. They're relatively good friends now, but get on eachothers nerves because Opheo is similar to Kai's younger self but a bit more mature lol.

8. He's good with them all. He's not best friends or anything, but he doesn't hate anyone. He likes to hangout with Cole a lot, and finds Lloyd peculiar (but relatable for being a hybrid. As far as Opheo knows, he and Ryacus are the only existing human/Serpentines around) and likes to tease him the most. Zane is probably his favourite because that's who his big brother is dating and he is INFATUATED with the fact this guy is a nindroid.

And to answer your last question; no, he's not a ninja. He doesn't plan to join them. He's the only other guardian of The City and he refuses to have to be seperate from it for long periods of time; and he knows damn well the Ninja are out doing shit constantly.

[not-souleaterpost]

ENTP CRONA DUMP

Not going back on my word, just forgot to post a dump of "ENTP Crona" stuff I planed to just post all at once in a year, but after trying to stop doing stuff like that, I just thought I post what I had and be done with it.

, the thing even I don't really find funny, but I think I have to do it to get it out and book end it. A lot of it isn't really funny, some of it may sound a bit edgy or abrasive, but it's just in good fun, still putting it under the "keep reading thing" because of the amount and shittyness of the "content" Enjoy or yeah...sorry

ENTP Crona experiencing a soul rejection, screaming in agony because of not being able to deal with figuring out if "video games are art" or "video games aren't art" is the more contrarian oppinion at the moment

ENTP Crona reading shizophrenia symptoms on google "Wow, he is literally me"

ENTP Crona fleeing into the desert, going down a hole to cry

Ragnarok "Wait, the cow already killed Medusa a year ago, why we doing this bitch shit again?"

ENTP Crona "I posted a deliberately controversial and edgy meme into the group chat again, when they all see it, I wont be able to deal with how angry everyone will be..."

Soul: "You cant just nonstop spam shit on the internet, people will think you don't have a life"

ENTP Crona: "But I kinda don't..."

Soul: "Still writting on every single subject for 10 hours straight must be tiring and exhaustive, take a break"

ENTP Crona: "But I wrote everything in the last 5 minutes

Soul: "Heh, dont like partys either? Guess reading the room can be stressful even for somebody as cool as me sometimes-"

ENTP Crona "No, I can read it just fine, just then choose to say the thing that sets the roof on fire and regret it five seconds later.

ENTP Crona trying to figure out if Maka subscribes to the theory that Holden is a child abuser himself in "The Catcher in the Rye", only if yes, to arguee that not even the creep teacher was one and it is a misreading, and its actually about idk, read it in school so cant even come up with an explantion.

ENTP Crona trying to cheer up a crying Maka, after she got made fun of for liking bad music by Soul

"No, I like Speeding bullet 2 heaven too! Well except the Beavis and Butthead skits, even I am not that contrarian"

ENTP Crona curled up in the corner of the dark dungeon, not able to face the world, cause liking Ringo Star is to mainstream now but changing to hating him is just too painful...

ENTP Crona after everyone gets confronted with their lives just being fiction

"Well actually I prefere the anime ending"

But after mostly everyone agrees

"But, actually the manga works in a certain way afterall-"

ENTP Crona during the anime only scene where Maka and Crona talk about Maka's mom - its the same scene lol, remember those 4th wall breaking snide comments Crona barely managed to not blabber out loud lol

ENTP Crona "Marvel movies were allways bad"

Marie "Oh you aren't dumb and incompetent!"

ENTP Crona "Why did it took me 8 hours to put together the IKEA table?"

Marie "Oh dont be to hard on yourself, screwing in the table legs upside down could happen to anybody!"

Maka confronting Medusa: I'm here to save ENTP Crona and Mary!

Medusa: Nah, they both are still stuck in the maze going in circles

ENTP Crona after a tourist asks for directions in Death City: "I'll be honest, even though I am living here for years now, I myself cant deal finding my home without google maps"

ENTP Crona "I'm the Joker, baby! (Jared Leto version)"

ENTP Crona "-oh so a glorbo, or smol bean, cinamon bun is a charachter like Paulie from the Sopranos!"

ENTP Crona after trying to read "Finnegans Wake" "Damn, thats how high I still have to climb..."

ENTP Crona watching X:RA "Wow, I actually get 90 percent of the wordplay! This show is great!"

MGMT Patty : "Time to pretend..."

*ENTP Crona visualising all the different ways to take out and kill the people around*

Ragnarok "And I thought I was the psychopath! We aren't even eating souls anymore, whats guipi wrong with you?

ENTP "Grocery shopping is boring and I thought about the 3 different storys I'll never write down enough for one hour..."

ENTP Crona "-and that's why the metodology that is used to diagnose diseases by only relying on a checklist of data points that may have many different origin points is flawed

Stein "I am the doctor with 10 years experience, take your antibiotics prescription and get out!"

Stein, litting a cigarete after ENTP Crona goes out after apologising "Damn, the kid may be right, shit..."

ENTP Crona be like "Actually, I think Epstein is still alive"

ENTP Crona "Yeah Myerrs brigs and Horrorscopes are the same... Because they both actually are describing something and aren't completly wrong, if you know you know...

ENTP Crona actually getting a tatoo even though it is a stupid thing to do in general, because thats the only way to remember Maka's birthday. Cause aint nobody remembering more than 4 digits...

ENTP Crona using all experience and time to reflect, to start a dramatic uplifting speech that leads into Maka defeating the Kishin with a punch- Ah wait thats just what happened in the anime again lol

ENTP Crona: "I wore a dress for most of my life, yet that is not as embarassing as riding on an electric scooter"

ENTP Crona "Oh ofcourse I'm to scatterbrained and lazy to actually finish a webcomic, that's why I included an in universe callout by a charachter, so I will stay motivated out of spite and want of being better than those, proving the mean pixels wrong!"

ENTP Crona: -the setting being the aftermath of a nuclear testing site is a brilliant synedoche of our society pre and post world war 2, how the atomic age is nearly unrecognisable, being both so much more advanced that previous incarnations do not even look human in retrospect, while exagerating ourselfs into cartoon versions of ourselfs do to paranoia and stereotypes, shared faster and faster, that we soak up like Sponges, being the perfect worker and consumer in one - in a way thats Rock Bottom, the breakdown of communication, only restored by recognising the humanity of the other, even if they look at us with even more potent disgust than we already do.

Maka: Wait, I thought these iceberg videos were just supposed to list of fun facts and triva about Spongebob

ENTP Crona: What gave you that idea, Maka?

TERF Maka: I STILL hate J K Rowling

EC: "Borat is racist-"

M: "No the joke is that he exposes the prejudices of the common american person-"

EC "against Kazakhstanis"

M: "No no- wait... you are right..."

EC: "If MF Ghost was with the culture, it would have used Phonk instead of Eurobeat"

EC: "Where the fuck is Marioh Judah?"

*EC annoys excalibur into quitting*

EC :"Im like prince, everybody thinks In gay but actually im homophobic-"

EC: "Non-cellular phones actually had their purpose - like if somebody called them, you would either know nobody is home, or the person who answered could either inform you where the one you are calling is if you didnt reach the person or just find them - also the fact it was in the same spot ment nobody lost it and could allways find it when needed and it never ran out of battery, also-"

M: "If you don't like the phonecase I gifted you just say so...

R: "Dude, dont we still use mirrors for comunication"

EC "Think Im constrained by the limitations of canons?"

TRAD Tsubaki "Well they didn't make a sign of the cross in the church, so they kinda deserved being slayn by Ragnarok..."

M "Hey you are looking down, everything ok?

EC "Thanks for caring, but the thing is, to explain it all, all the connections and reasons and evidence would make me just look more weird and whiny, and this all, including the fact that I cant even say why I cant say without being whiny and long winged is part of it...

EC "I used trouble not descending into negative loops of self pity and disgust with myself and the world... But then I just developed a hyperfixation on not-having-hyperfixations"

???? Death: IDK

EC *reading the bible* "It even predicted people obssesing over lolcows with the whole golden calf story, damn...

EC: Rip Kissinger

EC: Slouching? No, I'm just posture-divergent

EC: I do love myself - one has to love even their biggest enemy...

EC in the future:

M: Are you really ready for children?

EC: I accidentally watched a trailer for despicable me 4, and after hearing all the pandering 80s song and repetitive family hinjix humor I just thought "Oh, how cozy would this be to watch with my Kids and Wife!"

So yeah, I CAN deal with it

[bloodsbane]

Hello, Happy (late? Its 1 am so I think technically late) birthday :) I just saw in yer tags that you decided to play Slay the Princess on your birthday, and I wanted to ask what you thought of the game :)

thank you~ ^^ i'm more than happy to talk about it!

short answer is that yes, i did play, and i had a really good time! I did one "full run" of it. for those curious, i got these in order: the Fury, the Razor, the Damsel, the Prisoner, and the Adversary.

it's a game i'd definitely recommend to anyone who's at least slightly interested in it! and that it's absolutely one that's the most fun going into as blind as possible, BUT by its nature, you'd still have a lot to discover on your own even if you watched someone play part of most of a run ;)

(more concrete commentary and vague spoilers below)

(and of the routes i got, I think Fury and Adversary are my favorites, though I did the Godkiller branch of Fury so I'm really curious to get that again and try going with the Broken's suggestions heh)

I ended up getting what I think could be called a 'middling/Neutral' ending, which was fine, I was playing to explore and pick what felt right in each moment rather than get something more definitive. I think I got a lot of insights by the end of my route so I'm eager to get back into it and play the game at least like 2 more times.

I REALLY enjoy the game, I think the ideas behind it are so cool and I love how it has so much replay-ability. like, I watched Joseph Anderson's playthrough of it (which was super funny, though I didn't finish watching the end of it bc he got a different Ending than I did and I didn't wanna see every detail of that), and it was really interesting to see not only what other routes he discovered, but how when he encountered routes that I'd also run into (Razor, Damsel), he managed to get slightly-to-moderately different versions of them! Like, his version of the Princess at the end of his Damsel route was totally different from mine!

The presentation is perfect, too. I'm already quite familiar with Jonathan Sims' voice talents of course, since I've been a huge fan of The Magnus Archives for the last ~5 years, and he wrote/voiced in that podcast. He does a phenomenal job acting out all the Voices in STP, and it was really nice to hear him performing again (even as I'm keeping up with the TMA sequel podcast, where he also voices, just not as predominantly!)

The voice acting for the Princess was amazing too, I LOVED hearing all the different variations of her vocal presentation. I thought it was such an immediately cool detail... especially since I chose to take the knife down with me on my very first go at it, so my first impression of her was the much more dangerous and stern delivery, which I wasn't expecting - I anticipated the writing to have her play innocent at first, but of course I know now why that wasn't the case, hehehe.

and of course the artwork is amazing. i LOVE how it's kept to a more sketchy, work-in-progress feeling style, i think it conveys the fragility and impermanence and transformative nature of the game and where it takes place. and of course all the ways the princess is stylized, both more subtly and obviously, in each route, is one of the most fun elements of discovering new versions of her. a lot of the compositions are great and i love her expressions a ton!! uhg just really great artwork all around

and speaking of art, the ost is fantastic, really perfect ambiance as well as tracks that convey the feel of each route, like, i'd call them each uniquely textured in a way perfectly suited to each. i'll probably throw the ost on by itself at some point to try appreciating the music on its own a bit more

overall great game!! im excited to play it again and im curious just how many variations of paths and endings there are!