#Forgotten anomalies comic

[snippit-crickit]

hmmmmm i had wondered recently how i would go about designing an anomaly which do not wants to be perceived

it is on a spectrum,,,,, Normally people cant see it but those who can see it as a sort of tiger but pinpointing exactly how it looks like is impossible because its appearance is different every panel/scene and shifts,,, what it does is that it eats memories of people and erases the people that they consumed from the memories of other people, so its like they never existed at all (and it ate Banksy) (wait who's Banksy??)

agentlady/corrine can see it because its her personal torment and felix/moustache guy can see it because he just sees things other people dont

i think she somehow got manipulated by it into helping it and is trying to fix her mistake and catch it before it hurts more people? Also a callback to the blackroom comic because why not

i think the perspective of being forgotten might be double scary for artists???its their gist afterall thankyou for coming to my tedtalk im just freestyling over here i love drawing concepts!!!

[odd-critter]

sobs ive forgotten to post!!! but. a little comic about the impasta and some sugspi doodles on roblox :-)!!! i am constantly changing how i draw all of these guys theyre like anomalies to my brain but.... im happy with it rn so !!

[oscconfessions]

I absolutely LOVE Framerate (Clock ITFT x Animatic AB), banger crosship 10/10 I'm hyperfixated on it rn. Y'know what I don't love though? When people portray Clock as being the poor guy who gets roped into Animatic's wacky shenanigans but is willing to tolerate it because she loves them.

Have we forgotten that Clock is a spontaneous, erratic mf too (just not quite to the same extent as Animatic)? He's tweaking half of the time they're on screen! In my eyes, her ass would be INTO. THAT. SHIT. I feel like Animatic's personality would rub off on her and make her even more off-the-walls.

Where's the Framerate where they rapidly chase each other around in circles? Where's the Framerate where they'd somehow blow up an entire fucking planet to smithereens before affectionately chewing on each other with comically razor-sharp teeth immediately after? Where's the Framerate where Clock would witness Animatic act like a horrific anomaly from an analog horror and respond like "holy shit that's hot, please kiss me"? Where's the Framerate where they would just stand near each other in the background while becoming animated progressively more terribly and rapidly until they both look like scribbles?

Please... I need more mutually chaotic Framerate I'M STARVING OVER HERE 😭

.

[cellarspider]

Thanks to my rambling this weekend, I am overflowing with love for an MMO that hasn’t been in development since 2012, because goddamn the worldbuilding for the setting of City of Heroes and City of Villains was just superb.

Do you want an MMO that begins as a pastiche of superhero comics that lovingly, cheekily engages with its source material, building up a cohesive world where the fantastical stuff feels unexpectedly real and grounded in the society, more so than most of the comics it's inspired by? Do you want that, and then to watch it slowly, gently tip its backstory into existential, cosmic horror via genre critique?

I'm in no way kidding! More below the cut.

Well, part one of more, because there's a lot to unpack here.

A lot of new superhero continuities these days treats its central premise as an anomaly. For the most popular example, the MCU treats public knowledge of superheroes as something that started with Captain America in WWII. Before his exploits, the fantastical aspects of the setting were forgotten about and hidden from the world. The DCEU begins similarly with Wonder Woman in WWI, a member of a mythic society forgotten by time.

At first, Earth in City of Heroes seemed to go with a very similar premise, though it predates any of those movies: Superpowers were unknown to the general public until the early 1930s, when some people suddenly began gaining incredible new abilities, and mythical critters not seen since ancient times made themselves known.

But that’s just the basic sales pitch. As you dug into the setting and City of Villains expanded the lore, perspective shifted into something entertainingly stranger.

Everyone knew about Nemesis, the clockwork robot-making mastermind who'd terrorized Paragon City from the early 1930s, just when superheroes were first appearing on the scene. Turns out he was an immortal Prussian nobleman born who first went on an automaton-backed crime spree in 1820s, seemingly died when the British Navy bombarded his headquarters in Malta, then reappeared in the 1860s to supply the Confederate Army with mechanical cavalry until General Sherman shelled his mountaintop base on his march to North Carolina. Nobody was ever able to replicate what the did, and with his (apparent) death, he was no longer relevant after 1865. As of the 1930s, anyone who wasn’t a history buff had forgotten about him.

And sure, everyone knew there was an underground city of evil wizards, dead for long eons until they rose again to take human sacrifices from the surface world of Rhode Island (I’m still not over that). But actually, they were active in London during the Victorian mysticism craze, then moved their operations back to their homeland of subeterranean Rhode Island with the outbreak of World War I. They made the news across the continent. They got outlawed in multiple countries. They were a big deal, until the war took the attention off of them.

Hell, one of the people who fought all these weirdos was a random teenager who'd just... always been able to teleport and turn invisible, even prior to the '30s. He wasn't even a main character or anything! His parents knew, and tried to convince him to go get training. Teleportation training. Like y'do, with your socially awkward, teleporting kid.

This setting never actually had a mundane world that was unaware of the fantastical. The fantastical was normal. The arrival of superpowers in 1930 wasn’t a hard fork between history as we know it and theirs, or a reveal of some secret world that rational minds had long denied. It was just a dramatic escalation of what had already been happening, that everyone knew about. Armies of the 1800s had to develop anti-robot tactics. Alastair Crowley publicly dissed an actual wizard cult because they were dangerous competition. Parents worried over the mental health of their superpowered teens. That was normal.

The sheer numbers of fantastical events that started happening after 1930 were not normal. Or at least, not at first. People slowly adjusted over decades, as more and more young people grew up in a world that had always been that way.  

What nobody realized at that point was how the new normal bordered on a state of cosmic horror.

And that’s where the setting really starts interrogating its inspirations.

[or-echo]

I am forever tormented by the desire to make Half-Life fanart but constrained by projects I need to work on as well as my own lack of imagination.

Back when I was at my peak interest in the game and actually HAD ideas, I did NOT like my artstyle enough and did not feel comfortable enough to draw fanart... except for that one Black Mesa Xen painting I did. That one was an anomaly.

Now that I AM comfortable with my artstyle I don't have ideas and it SUCKS. The best I've got is a project that's probably too big for me to focus on. Three part comic... one day, maybe. I haven't forgotten you.

One day the ideas will hit me.

[ironchef13]

Ultimate Spider-Man Meets Spider-Boy (A Spiderverse story idea)

-This idea involves Miles Morales discovering a Spider-anomaly (like himself) and becoming a mentor/big brother figure to said anomaly.-

I discovered the existence of Bailey Briggs (aka Spider-Boy), while browsing the Spiderman wiki, and thought he would be a perfect character to be in the Spiderverse movies. Or at the very least be in a Spiderverse fanfiction. And according to his comic series Bailey is also technically an anomaly like Miles Morales is in Across the Spiderverse. So, it would only be natural for two anomalous spider kids to find kinship in each other. So, without further ado here is my Fanfic Idea.

It's been four months since Miles defeated spot, saved his dad and the multiverse, as well as helped reform the Spider society. things with Gwen and the others are still a little tense between them but their healing slowly. And since he revealed his identity to his parents it has made mile's job as spider-man a little easier. then one day miles gets a call from Miguel saying that an unknown anomaly has appeared in his universe and to be on the lookout. After a bit of web swinging around the city miles discovers that the "anomaly" in question is a young spider kid named Bailey Briggs. Bailey explains to miles that in his dimension he was the sidekick to the Spider-man of his earth, but because of a fight with a Mysterio variant with actual magic, no one, not even his Spider-man, remembers he exists. (Similar to Spider-man: No Way Home) afterwards Spider-boy fell through a weird hole (presumably the spots doing) he ends up on Earth 1610 and expresses no interest in going back since he has nothing to go back to. feeling sympathy for the kid (because he is an anomaly as well) Miles decides to take the kid under his wing and act as a sort of mentor/big brother figure to bailey. Now the question remains is how long can Miles keep his new sidekick a secret from the rest of the Spider Society?

-to be clear Miles is trying to keep Bailey's existence a secret from the Spider Society out of fear for what they would do to him. Considering he was chased all over Nueva York for being an anomaly himself. Because of this Miles is able to work with the Society, but still doesn't quite trust them yet, not ever Gwen and Peter B. I mean he wants to trust them, but he is just afraid to. -Bailey would also have trouble opening up to others considering the last time he did everyone he knew forgot his existence and wasn't able to get those connections back because they thought he was crazy. So, he would probably be afraid that if he opened up to someone again, he would immediately be forgotten. -And like Miles, Bailey has extra spider powers besides the basics. he has venomous fangs, extra eyes that can appear and disappear at will, and a more evolved spider sense.

For more information on Bailey Briggs (aka Spider-Boy) visit the link below

[creatively-cosmic]

What up, Starry—You already know who it is! B)

Sorry about Tumblr being a buggy mess and crashing halfway through! I’ve experienced the frustration of losing writing due to crashes and it always sucks. But thank you for continuing to answer these questions and satiate my curiosity! Learning more about Missing Numbers is like reading a book that just keeps getting better and better and better with every new chapter. Also: don’t worry about the delays or how long responding takes! You come first and foremost. Your health/work/school/whatever it is ya got going on in your personal life, is infinitely more important than me getting an answer to a question. So please, take your time, as much as you need—I will wait.

(Also, young Red being just as much of a little shit as Blue was is surprisingly wholesome and I love that. And after seeing their heights I realized I’m the same height as Blue! That detail is not important in the slightest, I just thought it was funny.)

Anywho, let’s get into the meat and potatoes, shall we?

First things first: Y’all mentioned biology mechanics and the nature of Glitches? 👀 Well, guess what? I love that kinda stuff! My curiosity is piqued—please explain.

Second question though: What is Leaf’s Duty? What does she do and how do her powers(?) work? Are her abilities like how the move Imprison was in Fallen Leaf?

And third: What’s the relationship/dynamic between Leaf and Red? That comic y’all posted has me wondering what Leaf is warning others about.

That’s all for now though! Please take care of yourself. Have a good day/afternoon/night!

Ahh, thank you so much for your patience! its really appreciated,, im glad youve still been enjoying things- your comments (and your FANART OH MY GOD??) have still been giving us LIFE i truly cannot thank you enough!

Red and Blue’s childhood friendship and rivalry has always been something we’ve wanted to come off as just plain silly and enjoyable- I’m glad we’ve been succeeding in that, hehe. And Blue was actually originally going to be shorter (our height, actually), we just added a few inches to be nicer to him lol

Per usual now, we’ll keep the big stuff under the cut! It’s another long one: Consider this Leaf Lore Part Two.

For the Glitch stuff, we’ve been thinking and might make a BIG formal post going over all of Professor Maple’s speculation and studies, to make it a good access point for the worldbuilding of Missing Numbers. I can’t promise it’ll come soon, but! As a starting point, I do have a pre-written thing with information on different classifications of Glitch that should clear up a good bit to start with. 

Unless we get any sudden further realizations, every Glitch, Corruption, and Anomaly in Missing Numbers (and arguably in Pokemon as a whole) can fall under these five classifications.

Leaf’s duty is the main aspect of what we failed to touch on in your previous question. So, I’ll finish that part of the story. :) 

To answer your questions, we first have to establish how she got her powers. When Leaf died, she did not get to rest peacefully. Most who die in this world don’t. The afterlife for the fallen and forgotten is not pretty. It is not merciful. There is no heaven for the ones who do not matter to God. 

The Distortion exists in layers. At it’s lowest, the farthest from contact with the main reality, is a void of unused, scrapped, and null data. A graveyard, or worse yet, a dump where things that can no longer exist in the surface world go to rot. Unused data. Scrapped NPCs. Removed characters, Pokemon, items. 

Assets of old games that never carried over.

Leaf's soul was discarded here when she was erased from existence at the end of Abandoned Loneliness. Left to rot with the unborn Ghosts that had haunted them both with the intent to drag someone of significance down with them. Hoping they too might escape. That they might receive mercy through her. 

Unfortunately, Leaf was the unloved child. So instead she fell to their ranks, swallowed up by the abyss that was their resting place- thrust as far from reality, from her home, from her friends, from her purpose as feasibly possible. Still conscious. Still aware. Still suffering.

… Leaf was not one to accept things lying down. Leaf was a fighter. She hated injustice, unfairness. She wouldn’t stand for this. She wouldn’t lie down and give up. No matter how suffocating the darkness was. No matter how the bloodied hands tried to drag her further down. No matter how the chaos and corruption tried to break and dismantle her. 

No. Matter. What.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And if there was one thing that defined Leaf even more than her bleeding heart, it was that her will was unbreakable.

So she climbed. Climbing over the damned- the forgotten- the spiteful- the vengeful- everything trying to hurt her and pull her down. Focused solely on escaping, on going up. Until things began to become more tangible. Until she could see more than black and red. Until there was light, and color. Until data became form- albeit still broken, chaotic. Numbers. Misplaced bricks. Impossible plants. Incomprehensible collision. 

Glitch City.

She broke through the floor of the second lowest layer of the Distortion, and though the surface’s light was still so far… She’d found solid footing. 

And here, though it may have been quieter… She wasn’t so alone.

The City had the odd few inhabitants. But the first that she met was a strangely familiar boy, a teenager that reminded her of someone she knew, but wrong. With a cocky, lopsided grin, unruly black hair, and bright red eyes. 

Someone who wanted out just as badly as she did.

Leaf and Red never knew each other outside of Glitch City. But during their time trapped there together as children, they were friends. Leaf wasn’t the first person Red befriended there… 

But she was significant. They were allies with a shared goal, after all, and if one of them could find a way out, they could get out together! They worked in tandem to find hope, grasp at an escape. Everything they could, as a possibility. They were friends, after all. Right?

Right?

… Leaf didn’t wholly trust Red. It wasn’t personal, but there were things that were risky. She could see the instability of corruption plaguing him, and she wanted to ensure her loved ones’ safety more than she wanted to escape. The greater picture was something that she could wrap her head around, even if it was hard to grasp.

Red was not the same. Laser focused on his goal and uncaring of the consequences, it was a factor that, over time, divided them more and more as Leaf realized the severity of Red’s condition, and began to think…

Maybe he was here for a reason. … Still, she tried to turn a blind eye. Let herself hope things weren’t that bad. 

The growing obviousness for his resentment towards Fire, though Red tried to hide it, didn’t help- her distrust towards him only grew, further clouded by her personal fears and dedication to protecting her loved ones.

And one day, while discussing a possible window for escape… She let a thought she’d been hiding slip. The final nail in the coffin.

Afraid for her brother’s life, and angry seeing how Red reveled in the idea of hurting him, she left him behind and didn’t look back.

From there, we aren’t sure of the exact details of how she escaped. But we know she had help on the surface- from someone a little too curious about the nature of the Anomalous, who was all too eager to free a willing entity. Professor Ace Maple (specializing in “anomalies”, and original to the Missing Numbers story!) helped free her soul. 

Of course, releasing a long-buried corrupted entity wouldn’t go unnoticed by the higher power that had put her there. But… It saw how careful she was. How she was now completely wary of all glitches. How she’d come to understand the dangers they posed to the world and the people in it.

So, the Almighty came to her in a Golden light. Extending an offer to her.

YOU CANNOT BE PERMITTED TO EXIST IN THIS WORLD AS YOU ARE.

THERE IS A REASON YOUR KIND WERE BURIED.

THIS WORLD IS ENDANGERED EVERY TIME CORRUPTION ESCAPES.

I MUST PRESERVE THE ORDER OF THIS REALITY.

BUT YOU, HEROINE, HAVE PROVEN TO BE SPECIAL.

I AM WILLING TO MAKE A COMPROMISE FOR YOU ALONE.

YOU KNOW THINGS I CANNOT PERMIT ANYONE TO KNOW.

YOU’VE SEEN THINGS I CANNOT PERMIT ANYONE TO SEE.

I CAN ALLOW YOU TO KEEP THESE MEMORIES, AND YOUR PRESENCE HERE, ON SIMPLE TERMS.

DO NOT SPEAK OF IT TO ANOTHER SOUL…

AND PUT THIS KNOWLEDGE TO USE.

YOUR SHACKLES WILL BE YOUR WEAPON. KNOWLEDGE. POWER. 

PROTECT MY WORLD. CLEANSE THE CORRUPTION. HOLD THEM BELOW.

YOU ALONE WILL SEE EVERYTHING, FOR YOU ALONE SHALL BE THE WARDEN.

BUT DO NOT FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM.

DO NOT FORSAKE ME.

… Of course she accepted the bargain. It was all beneficial in her eyes. Her complete freedom, and the ability to protect those she loved most in ways she never could have before. What happened in their childhood would never happen again now.

Thus, Leaf was blessed with her body yet again. Rightfully hers, and aged to grow with her. Though she’d never again be a Vessel, that was okay. She was something far greater now. 

The chains could Imprison any code they touched, and they were completely under her control. With these, she could fight and restrain any anomalies necessary. She was also given the one-of-a-kind ability to freely move between the Main world, and the Distortion… To ensure that no activity occurred in either that could allow the escape of something catastrophic.

Of course, things weren’t perfect. The world and the people in it had changed since she’d been gone. It had been years. People would be different.

Blue, for one. It was hard to face him again. Tensions never stopped being high between them. They both remembered, after all.

She mostly just cared about her brother, now. It took her a bit to find him, idle at the top of Mount Silver. 

It was heartbreaking to see the emptiness in his eyes. Him barely acknowledging her. The realization that he’d never… He’d never looked for her. Never tried to free her. 

Never even mourned. 

She still loved him. She always would. He was her family. He was the only one who’d been anything like her.

It was okay that he got everything she had. It was okay that he’d completely replaced her. It was okay that he now had everything she ever wanted. It was okay that he wasn’t the one who looked for, found, freed her, instead of a complete stranger. It was okay that when he spoke it was soulless and objective and only reminding her of her duties. it was okay. it was okay. 

It was okay that he didn’t care. 

It was okay that he was living the life she should’ve wanted DESERVED that he was destined to.

It was okay that she had to protect him. It was part of her duty, after all.

She wasn’t bitter. She wasn’t mad. She loved him.

… And then there was Red- “Glitchy,” as she now called him, unwilling to give him the name that belonged to her brother. He never did give up on her. He was PISSED, mind you, that somehow she had escaped and left him and the others stuck down there behind- but he still refused to back down.

They were enemies now, though. As he grew more restless- and more powerful, much to Leaf’s horror- his imprisonment became a direct responsibility of hers. And as Professor Maple grew more curious about glitches, unknowingly bringing him closer and closer to true freedom, even though she felt indebted to them, she had to resist their studies. Warn them of everything- especially him.

“I thought you hated injustice. Don’t you think this is unfair?”

Still, she had to face him often. And even in his madness, and even in chains, Red could speak so… Persuasively. 

“If you could escape, why shouldn’t I? You have the ability to free me.”

“And I know you’re hiding me from the others. Don’t they deserve to know?”

“You knew as a KID that Blue was looking for me. Doesn’t HE deserve it?”

“I think you know this isn’t the right thing to do.”

“You’re making a mistake.”

“But it’s okay. I’m not mad. I can be patient.”

“I’m sure you’ll come around.”

“After all, you’re just like me and you know it.”

[commander-writergirl]

Caretaker of Spider-People 2

Synopsis: Miguel learns so much being in the Spider Society. He has also decided that there’s not running from being Tio Miguel

Rating: PG/PG-13

Word Count: 1,328

AN: So this is mixed with movie canon and comic canon. I also basically have just been allowing what feels right to happen so enjoy. Once again if the Spanish is wrong or something comes off wrong, please let me know so I can fix it for this fic and future fics.

AAN: Also Pavitr is in this one hehe. AAAN: I gave Miguel, Oscar’s talent of guitar playing, mainly cause I feel like he would play it.

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

“Then he got mad about me calling it Chai tea--”

    “That’s because it translates to tea tea!” Pavitr shouted.

    Miguel didn’t need to hear the story, but Miles couldn’t help himself. He kept wanting to tell the story over and over.

    “The English ruin everything.” Miguel said not looking up from the files he was reading.

    “Thank you!” Pavitr said, “He gets it!”  

    “Isn’t O’Hara English?” Gwen asked as she hung upside down from a power line.  

    “Irish, actually.” He answered, signing off on things Lyla had dropped in front of him.

    “Wait, you’re Irish?” Miles asked, squinting at the man.

    Miguel’s eye twitched at the thought of his biological father. And his statement remained, the English ruin everything. “Father was Irish, Mother was Mexican.”

    When no one said anything, Miguel looked up to see everyone looking at him. “What?”

    “So do you celebrate Irish holidays or Mexican holidays?” Miles asked.

    Miguel could see the cogs turning in his mind. Mexico and Puerto Rico shared similar traditions, but they were still different cultures.  

    “Both, I suppose. I’ve celebrated Day of the Dead and St. Patrick’s Day.” Though one was more fun for drinking than the other.

    “Is that why your spider is a skull?” Pavitr asked.

    Miguel looked down at the front of his suit. The red skull staring back at him. “Get back to work.” Miguel turned to his screens and went back to checking for anomalies.

    “Totally a Day of the Dead costume.” Hobie commented.  

    Miguel once again felt his eye twitch.  

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

    “How do you deal with her crawling all over the walls?”

    “Don’t let her near anything that stains and just be ready to catch her.”

    Miguel could not believe he had to listen to this conversation. He had asked Jessica and Peter B to his office since they were older and the most responsible of their society, hoping he would be able to take a little leave as Jessica had started suggesting. But Jessica had brought her son and Peter always had May.

    They had decided now was the perfect time to share parenting tips.

    “How do I know if I’m doing something wrong?” Jess asked looking at her sleeping son.

    “You won’t.” Miguel and Peter said at the same time.

    Peter and Jessica turned to Miguel. They both knew he chased after a happier life, but both seemed to have forgotten he had been a father, even if only for a little. It’s why he was so apprehensive about holding either child.

    “You just hope you don’t screw up too much.” Miguel turned away from them as he worked to control his emotions.  

    The two parents stood, “We’ll give you a moment.” Peter said before the two walked out of his office.

    “Lyla, pull up file 582.” Miguel said pulling a screen towards him.

    The screen flickered to life and his wife and daughter appeared. Miguel regretted many of his choices, but the little time he got with them wasn’t one of them.

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

    Miguel couldn’t remember why Ben Reilly was in his office. He thinks it was a bet he lost but he was truly ready to rip the man’s head off.

    Miguel once again found himself lamenting over the fact he couldn’t paralyze himself.  

    “Another flashback,” Ben groaned curling in on himself.  

    Miguel sighed and felt the floor under his feet get weird before finding himself falling through universal space time.

    He dropped and rolled before getting to his feet, “What the...” Miguel looked around. There were slight differences between a thousand dimensions. Most New York’s looked similar, but he was always aware when he was somewhere familiar.

    “Oh good, it worked.” Miguel turned to find Gwen standing behind him in street clothes.

    “Why am I here?” Miguel asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

    Gwen kicked a rock and looked down. If Miguel didn’t know better, he would say she was nervous.  

    “Sobrina, ¿Que es?” Miguel said crossing his arms.

    “My dad wants to meet you.”  

    “Why?”  

    “Well,” Gwen messed with a strand of hair. “I’ve been taking photos of my friends and since my dad knows I’m Spider-woman, I have been hanging them up.”

    “Okay, but why does he want to meet me? Jessica’s your mentor.” Miguel was very confused. At least it got him away from the traumatized Ben Reilly.

    “Jessica is easy to explain. But you, a man in a photo where Miles wrote ‘Tio,” that’s harder.”  

    Now the pieces clicked for Miguel. “He wants to make sure I’m not a cult leader.”

    Gwen nodded, “Old police habit.”  

    “Fair enough.” Miguel hit a few buttons on his watch and his spider suit shifted to street clothes.  

    “Cool.” Gwen walked to the ledge.

    “Gwen, I don’t stick.”

    “Oh, right,” she changed her direction to the roof door and Miguel followed.

    To be honest, he was surprised this didn’t happen more often with younger members, but most weren’t out to their parents.  

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

    “Come on Tio, it’ll be fun.” Miles said as he climbed the steps.  

    “You realize a stranger--”

    “You’re not a stranger.”

    “Miles, Hispanic hospitality can be up in the air for random people a 16 year old brings home.” Miguel said as he followed. He felt weird in the jeans, a tee, and jacket. His nerves were making it hard to keep his talons tucked. And the clothes itched in general.

    He never believed in missing his 2099 clothes so much.

    “It will be fine. I told them you’re my Spanish tutor.”

    Miguel stopped short, “You’re failing Spanish?”

    “Uh it’s a B so not really failing.” Miles dropped his head and raised his shoulders.

    “Mother yell at you already?” Miguel caught up to the young man.

    “Yea, my dad didn’t--”

    “Save you? That makes him a smart man.” Miguel said. “My... dad tried to intervene once, my mother glared at him.” Miguel shook his head as they came to the roof door.

    “What were your parents like?” Miles asked as they both stared at the door, sounds of the party reaching them.  

    It was Miles’ birthday and he wanted Miguel there. Miguel was sure Gwen was already here, but he wasn’t going to bring it up.

    “Very... loving. As you have learned most spider people are smart and creative. My parents fostered both sides of me.”  

    “How are you creative?”

    “I can play guitar.” He hadn’t played in a long time. His frustrations usually meant his talons came out. But it had been one of the few instruments he could use to honor both cultures.

    “That’s cool.” Miles said both still staring at the door.

    “We should probably join them, it is your party after all.” Miguel nudged Miles' shoulder.

    Miles nodded and pushed open the door, Miguel instantly put his sunglasses on.

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

    Jessica walked into Miguel’s office to find Gwen and Miles huddled together whispering. It wasn’t unusual, there was even a pool going on about how long it would take them to start dating.  

    But that’s not why Jessica was here, “Where’s Miguel?”  

    The two jumped apart making the older woman chuckle and shake her head.

    “He’s not here.” Gwen said her cheeks turning pink.

    “I can see that.”

    “Oh, he left this for you.” Miles snapped his fingers before grabbing a tablet and handing it to Jessica.

    Jessica took it and hit play. Miguel’s face filled the screen.

    “Hey Jess, I’m taking a few days to recharge. You and Peter B. are in charge. Don’t let the teens and Hobie run the zoo. I’ll see you in a few days.”

    “Huh, he took my advice.” Jessica said.

    “He’s also really good with parents.” Gwen said, “I think he’s loosening up.”

    “Bite your tongue Gwen, you may jinx us all,” Jess said, her eyes on the tablet as a note appeared

                               Put me down for 12 days from the time you get this.                                                                         -MO

    Jessica shook her head and smiled. He really thought 12 days would be enough for two teenagers to realized they liked each other.

[liliallowed]

How did you make the design for your red charater

the clothes design actually belongs to @fateswind0wseat!

I mainly wrote ideas about crimson's personally and how they'd act, what desperation lead them to resort to a time loop to solidify their identity to being the bad guy... because well... heroes are forgotten but people always REMEMBER villains.

I didn't really have a vision except maybe them also copying dust's hood and maybe being more on the grayscale side. didnt really think much about how they'd look since they're ... well technically formless and can have any vessel! I just pictured them as a heart but like with an extended aura of a body/person.

the default is just a bald mannequin humanoid figure. but they modified it a bit to be more... immersive.

like until I saw fateswind0wseat's interpretation I just imaginedvthem as vaguely frisk/Chara looking but taller and a black screen like face.

they still have the screen like face it's like an LED screen. it can emote and even display a ":3" instead of an actual face.

but yeah. the clothes and cloak design goes to fates. the biological headcanons are still mine that developed over time!

there might be some inconsistency there if you find my earliest posts about dusttale player because they didn't always go by the name crimson.

that name was actually given to them from a small ask box comic I did called LV triangle. (it's a ship between reader, dust and his nemesis crimson. very dramatic very fun.)

after that I decided to call the player crimson. its simplistic and a neat nickname. but yeah they're just dusttale "player"/anomaly personafied into the context of the fictional world.

kinda like if a being from beyond a black hole went: "hey about I manifest myself in this fragile physics obedient realm? wouldn't it be neat to break spacetime and troll the mortals there?"

Cthulhu but like... goofy. more playful less menacing and more uhm... random and derpy. they're violent and dangerous alright but there's a silly goofy nonchalant charm to them that's kinda adorable if you ignore the in universe war crimes they've committed.

I love crimson. it's not just my oc but the result of the interaction between me and the utmv community my moots and the ideas that have developed over time.

crimson is very special to me. :3

feel free to ask more!

[ibtk]

Book Review: Stephen McCranie's Space Boy Omnibus, Volume 4 (2023)

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss.)

The fourth volume of the SPACE BOY omnibus collects volumes ten through twelve, or episodes 144-195, the main plot line of which concerns what REALLY happened to the Arno - how a very young Oliver came to be alone, wandering Earth in a robotic body while barreling towards the Artifact in space.

As always, SPACE BOY is a sweet and wholly original science fiction comics, perfect for tween readers and up. As horrifying as this particular plot line is, McCranie balances the more tragic elements with moments of levity.

Volume 10 - 4/5 stars

Told entirely in flashbacks, Volume 10 picks up the teaser from Volume 9 and runs with it. It's six years ago, and the Arno is just days from entering the Aquarii Beta system. Oliver's dad Wyatt, an engineer, is clued in to an anomaly in the ship's readings, thanks to the family heirloom - a compass - that he gave his son. Despite a heroic effort to power down the ship so that they can run full diagnostics - a move that cost Wyatt his job - the crew can't find anything wrong with the ship. That is, until a fateful placement on the maintenance crew leads Wyatt to a long-forgotten part of the ship. But has the discovery come too late? (We already know the answer to that, sadly.)

There's also a super-cute subplot about a high stakes dodgeball game at Arno Elementary, in which Oliver channels Space Boy to bring his ragtag team to a near victory.

Volume 11 - 4/5 stars

As rolling blackouts rip through the Arno, Wyatt hides Oliver in the meridium core - the heart of the ship - for safekeeping. A blast knocks him out and, when Oliver awakens, it's to a ship that's curiously devoid of people.

Back on earth, the First Contact Project - helmed by Langley - crafts its response to the tragedy. When Oliver makes contact with them, the group of scientists and engineers begins to fissure, with concern for Oliver's well-being pitted against literal world peace.

Meanwhile, the mysterious, one-eyed alien (which Oliver christens a "warble") tries - and fails - to assume control of Oliver's body, and so goes in search of a new host on Earth. A visit with Langley in the book's final pages makes clear who's really calling the shots here. Though Langley is as nefarious as ever, we get a glimpse of a much softer and more compassionate Saito, as well as a ten-year-old Qiana and a promising scientist named Dr. Kim.

Volume 12 - 4/5 stars

With a newly orphaned Oliver committed to the mission, the FCP helps him ready one of the smaller ships to get him to the artifact, some five to six years in the future.

After his takeoff, we zip forward in time, to the day after the prom. The media is abuzz with news of Amy's kidnapping, while Tammie remains missing, Cassie is in the hospital with a head injury, and the Kokomo PD is in possession of one of the robots that chased down Amy and her classmates. Cut to the FCP, where Langley persuades Amy to join the team, at least for the next six weeks - which is how far out Oliver is from the artifact.

Amy knows not to trust Langley; not just because he's a government spook, but because he has the same copper and iodine taste that's seemed to have infected so many of the agents at the FCP. A smell that reminds Amy of ... her nightmares?

[tlv-dd]

Hours 6-9: A Doctor in the House?

Published by Titan Comics as a 2-part miniseries, with 2 hours in each issue.

Hour 006

Doom has been sent by Terri to New York, 1883, to target The Thief. She notes she for the second time today has found herself at a masquerade, the supposed party of the century, where a man thinks they have previously met.

Also present is Missy, who is playing at being "Doctor Who" something she will do slightly more sincerely at the end of her life. She finds her way to Lord and Lady Prettypaw, two feline humanoids she is surprised to find aren't her anomaly, and keeps looking so she can save the day.

Doom finds the Prettypaw twins attempting to rob a safe, they are her targets, wanted on 17 planets, and seek planet destroying perpetual topaz. Using her cloak to mask her movements, she kills Lord Prettypaw with a razor sharp mask, then shoots his sister dead. Missy enters, and Doom can tell she isn't the Doctor, and rushes off for her next repeat job. Missy decides the game is afoot.

Hour 007

Back at Stormcage in the 52nd Century, the new target is the Prison Broker.

Missy is here not for the first time, not for the first time encountering her 12th self in a cell, but merely comments on his not appreciating the media he is watching. The amount of time travellers detained in Stormcage means attempting to trace Doom by Artron Energy is pointless.

Doom goes to administrator Cire, informing her someone is planning to hire out the worst of the prisoners for a profit. Missy interrupts, Cire still believes her to be the Doctor from the aforementioned previous interaction with the Master, Doom tries to persuade otherwise, then slips away while Cire thinks briefly.

Doom finds a prisoner who was expecting Jaxxo instead, giving Doom the info she needed, the prisoner is on the list anyway, so she eliminates him with the energy barrier.

Doom finds Jaxxo, the one behind the scheme, officially an unpaid intern, noting his cover is terrible, and eliminated him.

Missy, the guards, and Cire arrive, Doom again refutes Missy's claim to be the Doctor and refuses to reveal what she did with the Perpetual Topaz, and leaves, Missy running off as well rather than do paperwork.

Hour 008

Target: The Extremist, at the Canis Major Overdensity Convention Center and Resort. Doom infiltrates Old Earthcon, taking the ID of Flavariousa Orange. Missy is trying to find Doom, attracting attention with her "Bictorian" outfit.

The two cross paths, Missy wanting the Topaz, Doom pointing out the planet was littered with doomsday weapons. They agree to work together for the greater good, as Doom knows something here is dangerous.

They find a bookstall, where Doom confronts a customer seeking to buy all the books to destroy them, being of the Church of Omitted Yesteryear, and engages in a scuffle.

Missy, distracted seeking the magic book Doom claimed was there, only notices what's happening after Doom has killed her target, and leaves, Missy autographs "A Doctor's Perspective on the Human Body", ending it to say "The Doctor Who".

Hour 009

A dying world, name forgotten, the target is The Last.

Doom arrives at the single structure visible the 3-eyed occupant confirms she need not introduce herself and offers tea. Missy arrives a while later, and accepts tea as well.

Missy reasons that The Last, knowing no one else will preserve the memories of the planet when he's gone, is planning some form of revenge on the universe. Before he dies he will activate an armada of destroyer probes will wipe out any life they encounter, each powered by a fragment of the Perpetual Topaz.

Doom wants Missy to prove she's the Doctor by finding a non-violent resolution, and certainly not just take the Topaz for herself.

Missy is unable to come up with a plan, and is about to just leave when the poison Doom put in his tea kills him before he can trigger the armada.

Doom leaves, telling Missy she didn't poison her cup simply because she wasn't a job yet. Missy goes to take the weapon, only for Doom to have triggered a total self destruct.

In the TARDIS, Missy assures the Doctor the Perpetual Topaz no longer exists in this era, and mentions Doom, but thinks it isn't important, wanting to know where they will be saving next.

(Which Doctor? 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)

[gohanvoi]

Forgotten Anomalies comic pages 1-4

Hope and Fear based off of Dream and Nightmare by @jokublog

Core!Frisk created by @dokudoki

Hope and Fear belong to @gohanvoi

[compass-gems]

Gem Roster

Spectrolite, Ulexite, Padparadscha (Pad), Zoesite, Zircon, Cloudy Sapphire, Fern Sapphire

Jadeite (Eighty), Mauve Pearl, Mint Pearl, Manganotantalite (Manga), Purple Obsidian, Silver Pearl, Sodalite (Jaytwo)

Bloodstone (Goggles), Sphene, Hematite (Speedy), Grape Agate, Peridot (Tulipdot)

Gallium Phosphate (Gap), Smokey Quartz (Puffball)

[twistedclaws]

Oh, hi, comic things are still happening! Have a low quality screenshot. I’m debating whether or not I should post things publicly once pages are finished or until I have a buffer (except for patrons, of course).

Next few pages are going to be something of a lore/exposition dump - I want to get to the crux of the conflict and Starclan outskirts are super boring to illustrate. Anyway, the exposition is going to mess around with the canon a bit.. I’ve written about it before, but namely:

- The “Dark Forest” doesn’t exist the way people are familiar with it, only Starclan. Those who’ve committed grave atrocities are driven to the outskirts and left to be inevitably forgotten. There’s no Heaven/Hell parallels here - morally ambiguous/evil cats who resided in a clan end up in Starclan. Only one before has ever escaped.

- All clan cats who forfeit their bodies upon death essentially get the life they lived “back” upon returning to Starclan. These lives are given freely when a leader rises to power, which is a whole other subject (leaders functionally “die” for a short period of time to get their nine lives and physically communicate with Starclan) - but, as will be eventually seen, some cats aren’t content with following the rules when the stakes are high.

- Scourge is something of an anomaly. Tigerstar didn’t anticipate him being there, but perhaps there is something to do with the fact that Scourge declared Bloodclan to be real? I guess we’ll find out eventually..: maybe!

[raymondebidochonlifechoices]

To summarise:

The title of the episode is The Jughead Paradox, that is to say: The Writer(s)’ Paradox, and, hoo, boy, there’s quite a bit of that!

On the outskirts of Rivervale lies a dead body. This will turn out to be Jughead’s. Or, rather, a Jughead’s. Fine, it’s Jug Serling’s aka Narrator!Jughead’s.

Much like the writers, the Vale’s characters have no regard for continuity. Previously deceased Archie, Toni, Reggie and Nana Rose, come back to life. Everyone believes the events of the last 4 episodes to be simple nightmares. If only.

Jughead, in particular, dreams of an explosion in Archie’s room and wakes up in said redhead’s garage with his feet dirty. He gets back to his and Tabitha’s apartment thinking he sleepwalked there.

He’s back to teaching at RHS and is having first day jitters: he keeps reliving moments from the show’s pilot. Daytime hallucinations are a symptom of paranoid schizophrenia, unhelpfully informs him not!dead!Ben Button.

Dr Curdle Jr, the great Bughead connoisseur, informs Betty of Jug Serling’s cadaver and, thus, of the existence of a second Jughead.  Betty, who in this universe is engaged to Archie, and is about to share her life and his one brain cell, does not believe the good doctor.

Jughead, however, does. He visits the morgue, where he (aka writer!Jughead) and Jug Serling (aka narrator!Jughead) meet: time stands still and so does my heart!

Dr Curdle informs Jughead that his double’s cadaver was found in the Lonely Highway, which is quite a generous term for that muddy dirt road leading to Fox Forest.

Among narrator!Jughead’s effects, Jughead finds a Rivervale comic book with Barchie getting married on the cover. It reads: America’s Typical Teenagers. I’m tickled!

Jughead reads through his comic book collection of Riverdale and Rivervale (that he doesn’t remember acquiring) in record time. Then, in typical Jughead fashion, he makes the rounds to inform everyone about it.

He starts with Tabitha, who declares that she remembers everything she read in the Riverdale comics but as happening in the Rivervale universe. This is indeed a paradox, since Tabitha wasn’t in Riverdale 7 years ago … Oops!

The biggest paradox, though, is not how the events of the Dale play out differently in the Vale but that they apparently play differently for each character! I mean, no one comments on Jason’s death except from Cheryl. Double Oops!

Dale!People also appear to have forgotten what happened recently in the Vale (see above: nightmares) but this does not become a point of discussion when confronted with Jug’s comic book knowledge. As Jughead said: it’s counterintuitive.

S1 Reggie makes an appearance, because there is no universe where Reggie does not seek out Veronica.

Teacher Jughead spends his time investigating, because there is no version of Riverdale where there are actual classes.

Everyone talks in this universe, including Jason, but not Kevin. The shade!

Imagine you’re an actor. You get a job in Riverdale. And your line is: “I’m sorry Mr Jones. The Philosophy of Parallel Universes was checked out years ago and never returned.” This is the stuff Emmy Nominations are made off. No?

Everybody is teaching at RHS, including Dilton Doiley and Ethel Muggs. This only serves as affirmation that the Vale is, indeed, an aberration.

Dilton and Ethel explain your basic parallel universe theory to noob Jughead.

Apparently, parallel universes are supposedly copies or mirror images of the prime universe. Except in the case of Rivervale. Of course. I don’t know why I expected differently.

Everything was set off by Hiram’s bomb. OMG! THE SHEER POWER OF HIRAM LODGE! The man. The mobster. The creator of Universes! What a legend.

Stop trying to figure out the secrets of the universe, says the character (Dilton) who’s researching parallel universes in his spare time. Oohh, is that academic rivalry?

A bunch of anomalies appear. More and more dead people come to life. The Black Hood kidnaps Jason Blossom.

Who the hell is the Black Hood, asks Betty who read Jughead’s comic books just the previous day and should have already known the answer.

Apparently, it’s a fair question, because in spite of his comic book knowledge, Jughead himself doesn’t know who the Black Hood is, although he uses said comic book knowledge to locate Jason at the Whyte Wyrm. Wait, what? 

Surprise anomaly: he’s Clifford Blossom.

Jughead doesn’t question Hal’s presence either, although He. Has. Read. The Comic. Books. Le sigh …

Reggie is a comedic duo all by himself.

For someone previously completely unaware that he was living in a pocket universe, Dilton Doiley has some nerve posturing about documenting a prime and pocket universe collapsing in real time to the person who made the discovery of said parallel universe in the first place. That little bitch! He was not going to share credit with Jughead, was he? The punishment for lack of academic ethics in Rivervale is death. Hmmm ... maybe there’s merit in saving this universe after all.  

Both universes will be destroyed unless Rivervale ceases to exist by reproducing the moment of its conception (aka the explosion), says Ethel. Jughead decides that if anyone is going to explode while making out, that’s gonna be him. Maybe he though a different kind of explosion?

He dumbs Ethel and goes out to find Veronica. 

Archie what are you doing here, asks Archie’s best man who skipped Archie’s wedding to make out with Veronica.

Meanwhile, Archie has killed her and is about to off Jughead too. There’ll be no Vughead on Archie’s watch.

Everybody has daddy issues in Riverdale but no one quite like Archie Andrews. Yikes! On the other hand, Archie thinking that a whole universe would be created just for him, actually tracks!

Archie supposedly knows everything about Rivervale because he was there at the moment of its creation. Betty Cooper, who was also there, miffed because she was not being informed on anything, shoots him in the head.

Jughead and Betty are one Hiram, one chunk of palladium, one curse and one Jughead writing in the garage short to accurately recreate the confluence of forces that gave birth to Rivervale but that doesn’t stop them from seizing an opportunity to make out.

It took Archie 4 episodes to come back from the dead but Narrator!Jughead was up in no time! Your construction worker/palladium miner/football coach/war veteran/firefighter could never!

Bughead are interrupted by Jug Serling (aka Narrator!Jughead) who tells them all about unravelling the great mysteries of the universe(s) while stuffing himself with burgers at The Great Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe in the Sky. That’s why, he says, he was resurrected and he came back. The how remains unclear but let’s use our imagination!

Come with me and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination sings Gene Wilder Narrator!Jughead, who has dreamed of expanding out of all the autobiographical stuff and into TV writing. Imagination is the power source to maintain Rivervale without harming Riverdale, says Narrator!Jughead. It makes sense: everything in this show so far has been a huge stretch of my imagination.

Writer!Jughead is to be secluded in order to rebirth the Vale using his trusted Underwood, keeping that universe alive by constantly feeding it stories, while Narrator!Jughead and Betty will set off the bomb. The writer lives a solitary life after all. Oh, the Symbolism! Oh, the Bathos! The Riverdale writers clink their champagne glasses and get ready for another bout of social media trolling.

Betty sees the opportunity to possibly snog Narrator!Jughead and agrees.

Jughead lives to his reputation of being a talented writer by resetting Rivervale without detonating any bombs.

Although no one is supposed to remember him, Ethel pops by the Bunker to bring him some burgers, because why not …

Unfortunately, unlike in the Vale, in the Dale the story isn’t written by Jughead, so not much improvement is to be expected: the bomb goes off. No barchie are harmed during this. Jughead’s hearing is another story.

Toffee has reluctantly left Pop’s Great Chock’lit Shoppe in the Sky for the Vale Bunker. Cats have nine lives, after all, and, yes, some of them are parallel. She’s slurping milkshakes while editing Jughead’s manuscript. She’s gonna put things right.