#I am awful at being active pffff**

[funis-infinite]

@gadget-red​

“I am everywhere,” amusement laced his tone as he spoke. The long brush of black and white fur swaying behind him. “It is almost cute that you thought you could run from me. Let us finish this now. No more games.”

[lilac-sweet-giggles]

Let’s Just Chat (BNHA Ojiro and Shinso)

Fandom: My Hero Academia

Description: During the preparations and buildings of the Culture Festival, Ojiro runs into Shinso once again. Shinso asks if he and Ojiro can try to hang out and get to know eachother which leads to more bonding than expected

(ft. the help of the lovely @gotmeringinghellsbells​ )

Word Count: (1922)

Just a couple more wood to the gym

Ojiro was briefly helping Sero and the stage group set up some things in the gymnasium. As he was walking on his merry way, a figure stumbles back from their booth and into said Ojiro himself. His tail instinctively caught the person before they could hit the ground and puts his Woods down onto the ground, “Woah you ok?”

“Yeah, I guess so, thanks.” wait, the voice, Ojiro turns around to see the person he recognizes from the sports festival; Hitoshi Shinso.

“Oh it’s you.” Shinso says as he saw the blonde locks and the familiar tail quirk he possesses. Helping him to his feet, the blonde goes to pick up the wood he placed down, “Doing something for the festival?” Ojiro asked the taller.

“Mhm, haunted house.” he says as he points to the decorations in the boxes near the entrance of the potential haunted house, “And yo-“

“Shinso-San! We need your help with some more decorations!” A girl with blonde hair and two pink bubbles following her yelled out to her classmate, the Violette sighs and looks to the house.

“Ok how about this, you have freetime later?” The taller asked the other quickly.

“Yes? Why you wanna meet up?”

“At my dorm?” Huh, He’s never been to Shinso’s dorm before so why not?

“Oh sure, 1-C heights alliance right?”

“Yeah, see you after 6?”

“Sure thing...” the two nodded before parting ways to get back to their festival activities.

———— 

Around 6, Ojiro was walking up to the door of 1-C and waited for an answer, “Oh it’s you! Need to see Shinso?” It was the same girl from earlier with the two pink bubbles that follow her, “Yeah, you know where his room is?”

“Yes I do! Second floor, last room on the end of the hall-“ she says as she directs him to the elevator, “Thanks ms?”

“Kamusu; Tami Kamusu” she says as she held her hand out, Ojiro shaking said hand, “Ojiro.”

After the brief meet, he finally got to Shinso’s room, knocking softly on it and waiting for a response. The door opened and Shinso quickly brought the other in before shutting the door. "Oh um, hi to you too?" Ojiro was a bit confused by the other's rush to shut the door. "Ah, sorry. Just don't want to really socialize with anyone else who may walk by." Oh, Ojiro nodded before looking around. "Your room is pretty cool." It looked a bit like Tokoyami's room with a bit more formal gothic design, cat stuff, and was that an eraser head figurine?

"Mew." The male froze himself, looking to see a small kitten sitting on the bed. 'Aw, you have a cat?" Shinso gave a nod. "Aizawa's had an accidental litter. He wasn't allowed to keep more than two in his dorm so he passed some around. Her name is Smudge." He gently pet the kitten, earning softer mews and cuter purrs. She was such a sweetie! He didn’t even expect the teen to be into cats, who knew?

“She’s sweet.” Ojiro sat on the bed and the kitten gets onto his lap and tried to climb up, sharp claws!! Ojiro gets her off and places her beside his tail and curls the tail around her like a blanket.

Shinso follows and sat next to the blonde and kitten, “So you wanted to see me, what about?” Ojiro asked softly as he didn’t make eye contact.

“We were just busy I guess, so I thought that we could just get to know one another, besides quirks.“ Shinso mumbles the last part briefly, “Oh? Seems fair.”

“I also wanted to apologize for being too irrational during the Sports Festival. Just wanted to get into the top, not try to offend you or downgrade you, Monkey.” Shinso says as he pets the kitten too, “Ojiro.”

“Hm?”

“Mashirao Ojiro, not monkey.” Ojiro chuckles softly

“Oh, damn it....” Ojiro chuckles some more from Shinso’s nickname for him

“Anyway, What is it that you’re doing with your class?”

“Dance + music concert, I’m one of the dancers.” he says as he shyly rubs the back of his neck, “Dancer huh, you don’t seem that excited though.” Shinso says to Ojiro.

The tail twitched awkwardly as Ojiro tried to think of a response. "Uh.... well... just kind of nervous. I've never really danced in front of people before." He looked down as he spoke before slowly bringing his hands up to press his index fingers together. "Mina is in charge of it; She's really good at breakdancing." Shinso quirked a brow before sitting down with the kitty. "So shouldn't you show yours to your classmates too? Seeing as your going to be dancing anyway maybe get used to people being there."

Yeah, he had a point huh? "Yeah, probably should do that. So hows that haunt-" he was cut off. "Show me." Huh? Ojiro looked up shocked before Shinso realized how demanding he sounded. "Ah, sorry. I'd like to see if you're comfortable." Oh,um, Ojiro blushed.

"Don't tell me you have stage fright." He nodded awkwardly before feeling a hand on his back and on his stomach. "W-What are you," the other smirked. "My dad used to do this when I'd get nervous before performances. It loosened me up and made me feel better about what I was doing." Aizawa may have done it a bit here and there to mess him up on his form. Which worked but he wouldn't stop after the male failed. Lectures were hard to hear when tickled.

"Huh? What do- NAH!" Ojiro's tail stuck straight out as the male covered his mouth, eyes wide. Oh no.

The kitten escapes and goes over to her big ol kitten house as she lets the two interact. This gave Ojiro the chance to fall onto the bed and shove at the hand on his stomach, “Hehehe what’s that for??” Ojiro laughs as he wags his tail.

"Didn't you listen," Shinso chuckled. He gently started to tickle Ojiro's tummy. "Sthahahaop! Thahaht tickles!"

“That’s the point, Dumbo. It’s go get the butterflies out, or am I increasing the butterflies?” Shinso was just straight up in thought.

“Pffff don’t phrase it like thahahahahat!” He was wearing a thin t-shit so this wasn’t helping him be protected. Fingers moved gently over his stomach than dug into his sides. Ojiro looked like a beetle stuck on it's back as he tried to squirm around and free himself. From under his curled legs, his tail was going a mile a minute under him. Has he always wagged his tail when it came to these things? Who knows?

Shinso wanted to take the hand away from Ojiro’s mouth; it was the first step to get him less nervous. Ah the hell with it-

He goes forward and takes the hand from said mouth and there it was; The giggling smile, he’s never got to see Ojiro smile, especially from the Sports festival, "H-Hehehey! Shinso!" Ojrio had one eye open, stuggling, but open. His face was starting to turn pink despite the tickles starting to stop. "How is tickling me going to make me less nervous?"

“Well for starters; you’re showing me you now uncovered smile.” Shinso points out as he ruffles the blonde locks.

....now that Ojiro noticed, he was also showing his blush, huh....

This only caused him to blush more before he curled up some, tail hiding his flustered face. "Stooopppp." Pffff, dork

Shinso chuckles and scoots around to get to Ojiro, continuing to mess with his hair, “Pffff stop that!“ Ojiro says as he reaches for the hands but as his arms were up, the hands went to Ojiro’s underarms and that’s when they clamped down, “PFFFFF SHIHIHIHINSO!!!!!”

The male threw his head back before bucking and squirming about. "Leheheheht ghahahao! Leheheht ghahahao!" He slightly scoots the blonde into his lap, head resting as it looks up to Shinso.

“So how’s it going, Monkey Brains?” Shinso asked as he smirked and saw the boy’s slight eyes opened, Ojiro’s laughter picking up just from the smirk looking down at him.

“HAHA THIS IS TORTURE!!” His Tail says otherwise, wagging like the pup-cat-monkey he was.

"Should I stop, huh?" The other blushed before looking away. He was too emabressed, “Y-Yes-“ What the-

THAT LITTLE SHIT-

HE USED HIS BRAIN WASH ON HIM-

He watched Shinso move and lay down on the bed, his head on his pillows,“Sit up and lay right next to me?” wait what?

Under the quirk, he follows what Shinso said and then felt Shinso spoon in from behind, huh? Then he felt a small flick of the finger at his forehead, snapping him out of it, “Ow, What was that for?” He asked as he rubs the small flicked area Shinso flicked at.

Shinso shrugs and just spoons into him some more, arms around his torso while his chin rested on Ojiro’s shoulder, “.....too shy to ask.....” PFFFF AW SHINSO-

Ojiro blushed before smacking him with his tail. "Ask anyway! I don’t like being a zombie." Shinso chuckled. "Your a cute zombie though." Cheeks were puffed before tail swats ensued. "Ow, hehehe hey! Okay,okay! Ah, in sorry!" Ojiro showed mercy to the other before sighing.

They stood for a moment in time, Ojiro getting a bit more used to the affection he was getting from Shinso, then the Violenette spoke up, “Speaking of zombies, Imma be one in the haunted house.” huh, Ojiro didn’t expect that.

“Wait really?”

“Mhm, covered in rag clothes, blood, Imma look like a freak.” he says as he once again ruffles the addictive blonde locks, they were soft. 

“Pff, more of a dork than a freak...”

“A dork huh? Would a dork do this?”

Shinso leans in and noms along his neck, tail riling up again and squealing madly, “GAAAHAHAHAHA!!!!”

“Would a dork do this?” Shinso asked once again, “YEHEHES THEY WOULD!!” Ojiro laughs as he then felt the noms of said zombie.

“HAHA DON'T EAT ME YOU DOHOHOHORK!!!!” Ojiro laughs

Ojiro continued to attack him with his tail, eventually being released from the other. "Alright, alright. Would you like me to walk you back to your room?" The other hummed before smiling. "May I sleep here?”

.....well then; It was Shinso’s turn to blush.

“You wanna sleep here?” Shinso asked a second time to confirm if he heard right, “You mind?” Ok it wasn’t a dream-

The messy haired teen nods his head and laid back again, “Not at all.”

Ojiro smiles some more and took his phone out his pocket, texting Kaminari that he was gonna hang out with a friend that was in general studies and places the phone over the headboard shelf.

“For once I did a good idea.” Shinso chuckles to himself and passes another blanket to Ojiro to use in case he gets cold some more.

“And all we did was talk to eachother...wanna call a truce?” Ojiro asked as he looks to the other with his natural tired eyes, “Yeah, truce.” Shinso says as he pulls the covers over the both of them.

“Good, Night Shinso.” The tailed teen says as he closes his eyes and nuzzles into the warm dark covers, “NigHT-“ uh, he looks down to the covers and saw the tail at Shinso’s feet.

A small chuckle came from Ojiro and an eye that was still peeled open, “....or maybe we could stay up a bit more....”

Oh boy, time for Ojiro’s vengeance....

[bladekindeyewear]

Bloggin’ bout HS^2′s second upd8 continued.  > (==>)

And it had felt so real, almost like he could have reached out and touched him--

--Yeah, the next page is gonna be BGDirk just standing there like I saw before I read the update, right?

> (==>)

> (==>)

Two pages. Close enough.

> (==>)

Hah!  Get fucked, Dirk.  (Even if you’re supposedly one of the better Dirks.)

> (==>)

Yep, all see-thru and everything.

DIRK: You passed out in a puddle of your own drool. And what the fuck is that on your face? JAKE: My face? What do you mean on my face? DIRK: The moustache, Jake. Who’s idea was that. JAKE: Oh! You dont like it? DIRK: I didn’t say that.

Oh come the fuck on.  He looks good in a mustache, Jane-influence or no Jane-influence.

DIRK: We’ve had this conversation before, dingus. I’m you. And I’m me. But I only exist because of your powers. The fact that I’m manifesting here, in the new universe, outside of a dream, is evidence in itself for just how absolutely boned you are.

Now what exactly do you mean by that last part?  How is this a sign of trouble?

--Is it because this Dirk thinks he’s needed?  And therefore shit will be going down?

DIRK: You’ve been a useless sack of shit for two decades. I’m here to kick your ass back into active duty.

...Hm.

I mean, Jake MIGHT be able to help stop this stupid goddamn war, but this IS Dirk trying to help him, so...

JAKE: And what side am i supposed to be fighting on? for jane or against her? DIRK: Against her. Obviously. What the fuck, dude.

Pffff.

JAKE: But you were the one who wanted her to run in the first place! You wrote her bloody speeches! DIRK: Yeah, I did. And every single one of them kicked ass. I wanted Jane to be the democratically elected president. Not a cake-slinging Jeff Bezos with a great rack.

Pfff.  I mean, you didn’t do a great job the first way, either.  It’s heavily implied things in Canon-land were about to go to shit too.

Not as FAR to shit, nor as quickly, but still to shit.  So, really, how DIFFERENT is this from the way you wanted it done, Dirk?  How can you claim this isn’t half YOUR fuck-up too?

DIRK: Don’t worry about it. The point is, you have a chance to make a difference. You’re in the perfect position to infiltrate her operation.

Oh hell no.  Don’t send him back in THERE you utter horse’s ass!  How could THAT be good for his mental health!? What the fuck about Tavros?!?

DIRK: That’s horseshit and we both know it. Jane would take you back in a second. She loves you.

I think Jane’s definition of “taking him back” would be a bit broader than his body or soul could fucking afford.

> (==>)

Eugh.  You really liked the Condesce’s way of doing things right down to her style, huh?  To think you used to love the spoon.  Is that a fucking spork?  Is that zilly Battlespork your go-to weapon now?

Also, it took me a moment to realize those green and orange silhouettes were Jake and BGDirk.  I was a little like “how did Rose get here?!?”.

> (==>)

Have I mentioned how good all this art is?  So much attention being paid to the use of color, to making everything look so soft and streamlined?

Looks like she’s going in for at LEAST a hug.  And the art style might be mercifully light on showing us indulgent details of just how asset-laden Jane is supposed to be.  Shots of Jake’s manly bod aside, something in me doesn’t like the traditionally-sexualized stuff pushed like that in a canon that’s been light on it for so long...

> (==>)

Oh, that... THAT looks fake.  Or like, she’s about to turn around and happily wail on his ass or something.

JANE: Boo hoo hoo! Oh, Jake! Something awful has happened! JAKE: It--it has? You mean more awful than usual? JANE: The opposition has taken Tavros, Jake. They’ve finally shown their true colors. I knew it was only a matter of time before they attacked our family directly!

.....Ah.  Well, that explains it.  She’d never cry like that about HIM returning AFTER STEPPING OUT ON HER.

It’s then that Jake realizes that Jane isn’t mad because she’d never realized he was gone.

Poor pages, huh?  All their most dramatic gestures always undercut.

...It seems like we might see Candy kind of resolved in less of a fucked-up worldstate after all, at this rate?

She seems to have forgotten that she’d been cross with him the last time they met, because now that Gamzee is gone, there’s no one left to talk to.

It’s true. Gamzee’s absence always improves things.

> (==>)

All of it is made worse by the occasional wry glint in her eye, or moment of self-deprecation in the slant of her mouth. It reminds him of the Jane he used to know. Or the Jane he thought he used to know.

Ambition is a hell of a thing.  Seems like she’s drunk of it almost as deeply as Prince Dirk.  I’d imagine this could be a pretty consistent thing with really active Life players when they get actual power, huh?  The way it just gathers to Life players in all its forms -- power over others, status, wealth -- it’s easy to start to leverage it in ways that constitute abuse of power over others from a Riddle perspective.

At first Dirk stands at Jake’s elbow, a one-ghost support staff, before he appears to lose interest in Jane’s rant and wanders off across the office, reading the spines of books and spending way too long staring at a startlingly phallic piece of installation art,

--PLEASE let us see it.

, the provenance of which Jake doesn’t know, but could hazard a guess it wore a codpiece.

Nope, never mind. Interest lost.

> (==>)

Then he settles on Jane’s desk, propping his ghost butt there and sort of just...well. Here’s a picture of what he does.

Um.

Where is this going?

> (==>)

Oh, so the BEST option, then.  :D

Okay. That’s a bit of an exaggeration.

Boooooo.

> (==>)

--Alright, forgiven.

he’s thoroughly exhausted from attempting to pay attention to his supervillain wife while trying not to look at the crotch of a ghost man from his brain.

...Okay, hold up.  BGDirk, are you trying to steer him into doing this for self-indulgent, non-comedic purposes? Or is this a bit of Prince Dirk in there?  (I mean... I can’t definitively say Jake wouldn’t have wanted this.)

And I’m still wondering how all of this is going to be relevant.  IF it’s going to be relevant.  Despite promises to the contrary that are seemingly being ignored.

> (==>)

DIRK: All according to keikaku.

Fuck you.

JAKE: i really didnt think id fall off the wagon so quickly. I dont think being here is good for my emotions to be honest. DIRK: Yeah, probably not. But that’s okay. They don’t matter. JAKE: Oh.

Yeah, Dirk, you suck at this more than you know.  This ain’t going to go as well as you “hope” I don’t think.

DIRK: Don’t know anything about stiff lips, dude. But that’s not what I mean. It’s not because you’re a man. You’re a god. JAKE: Oh right. That. DIRK: The world comes first, even at the expense of all your relationships and personal happiness. That’s what being a hero means. JAKE: I guess...i never really thought about it like that.

You’re also not guaranteed to be fucking right, you know.

There are definitely dichotomies where what was best for the world wasn’t best for the person, so far, and vice versa in Homestuck.  But Dirk’s taking his anime-flavored principles as gospel as usual, and ignoring, oh I dunno, the impact of the heart in all of this.  Some people, ESPECIALLY JAKE and other Pages so far, CAN’T operate at their best until they’re at least reasonably healthy and sure of themselves, and investments to that effect are essential to letting them slowly realize their full potential.  Brain Ghost Dirk is likely making the same goddamn mistake he made with his overbearing Dirkbot back on Jake’s island.

> (==>)

DIRK: Think what you want about Jane, but at least she realizes that none of you can ever be normal, and she never bothered to try. Can it really be a god-complex if you’re actually a god? DIRK: People like us don’t get happy endings.

...Yup.  This is the fucked-over part of Dirk’s worldview coming in full play, here.  And he believes in it so strongly that he couldn’t even fucking leave NON-CANON alone anymore.  Fuck.

JAKE: Thats bleak dirk i dont think i could possibly believe that!

Mmmhmm.

DIRK: Yeah. That’s probably more a Dirk thought than a Jake one. I told you, it’s hard to tell sometimes. JAKE: Is...is that really how dirk felt the whole gosh darned time?

Mmmhmm.

> (==>)

Last page of the upd8.  Well... all I can say is, it’s a good thing he’s a fucking ghost here.  And half Jake, at that.  At least that can limit the damage.  Hopefully giving Jake just enough of a kick in the doing-something direction without being so overbearing that he makes things worse, making for a balance of...

...Wait.

Wait, is that why we’re here?

Maybe that finally makes some sense of all this.  Of this cut, of this small violation of that last sentence in Meat, of--  ah, yeah, I might be on to something here!  Only maybe, but still--!

We’re quite possibly bearing witness to a realm of influence where, through measures outside of his control, Dirk has a balanced impact.  Where this same ideology of his, tempered by Jake’s hopeful mindset and Dirk’s inability to take direct action, might just manage to make things better and actually make everyone happier by the end, while solving Earth C’s fucked-up Candyland state at the same time.  It’s possibly to show the readers (through the lens of a Hope player specializing in positive possibility) that Dirk, had he been restrained, COULD have had a positive impact, even at the same time that we’re shown Prince Dirk at his soul’s most overblown and heinous.

And, if we want to be optimistic..... perhaps this’ll show Dirk, too?

Canon and Non-Canon may not “meet” again.  But that doesn’t stop Dirk, via this fragment of his multiverse-spanning soul, from seeing Non-Canon.  From seeing how well things COULD have worked out, had he held back.  And if we keep cutting like this -- back and forth between the “real” story and these events in Candyverse -- perhaps the moment at which Brain Ghost Dirk realizes what he’s accomplished, realizes how much better things are because he could hold back, will coincide at the end with Prince Dirk finally, belatedly, realizing just how fucked his plan was, and understanding at the very, very end why he has to fucking die?

THAT would be interesting.

I guess we’ll see?  Talk to y’all next upd8.

[comicteaparty]

August 23rd, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on August 23rd, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on Pathways: Chronicles of Tuvana by Elaine Tipping.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

COMIC TEA PARTY START!

Good day everyone~! This week’s Comic Tea Party is now officially beginning~! Today we are discussing Pathways: Chronicles of Tuvana by Elaine Tipping~! (http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/) For those new or in need of a reminder, discussions about the comic are freeform, so please feel free to bring up whatever you wish. However, every 30 minutes I will be dropping in a discussion question for participants to help those who would like a prompt. These questions are totally OPTIONAL to answer! If you miss out on any though, they’ll be pinned for the duration of the chat once they’re posted~! Remember, constructive criticism is allowed, but the primary focus here is to have fun and appreciate the amazing comic~! All that being said, let’s get started and have a great discussion!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

snuffysam

the most recent couple pages are my favorite

"help me!" hides under cape

Kabocha

Ufufufu. Actually I'm really enjoying the current scene and chapter with Atawn trying to escape. Both he and this guard are in for an adventure... Also, the guard is such a good egg. I hope we find out their name soon.

Respheal

The guard is a good friend

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah i loved the cape thing. mostly cause i appreciate any cape that is big enough to hide a whole person

Respheal

I liked finding the people in the cave because that was the first bit where I was really like "Go on....-scoots forward in seat-"

Kabocha

The stakes are super high, too. Like, I'm already super into the adorable scholar character type, so I want to protect him. I'm a little bit surprised how quickly things escalated. (Well, not really)

YES

I wonder what the deal is

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2595217/pathways-58/ We know they're considered Gods now, but it's like. ........ All right, so....... how doomed is everyone, and how many survivors are there going to be out of the researchers, not counting Atawn

snuffysam

doomed from the gods or doomed from getting their camps burned?

Kabocha

It's DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM Does it really matter? I mean, Zealots are gonna zealot....

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

unless the zealots arent zealoting and just know more and are trying to save everyone from the scourge that is their spooky gods

TriaElf9

Eee I'm glad people like the cape bit, I'm so happy we hit it before this chat happened ^_^

🎵Tenor🎶

IDK if ill be back in time but wanted to say I love the story and art and I have so many speculations. Love its presentation and eager 4 more

Kabocha

@✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨ ...Good point. That would be a twist XD

"OUR GODS ARE AWFUL, WE WANTED THEM TO REMAIN BURIED AND DEAD"

snuffysam

"nobody leaves" sounds like a fun way to save people

as does setting their tents on fire

Respheal

My first impression is that the Akarna aren't awful? I didn't get that sorta vibe from them.....in what little we've seen

But yeah, zealots gonna zealot

Kabocha

What types of gods command you to light things on fire?!

The best ones

.......or the worst ones, if they're living things

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

well tbf they couldve lit the tents on fire while the scholars were inside

legit that is what i expected when atawn turned the corner

to just have on fire ppl everywhere

>_>

Respheal

Hahaha kinda x'D

That woulda been baaaaaaaaaaad

As if the situation isn't bad enough as it is

Kabocha

you mean they're not planning to do that now?

I mean, they realized Atawn escaped, if he gets caught, he's SUPER dead

and so is the guard, I'm sure

Respheal

.....probably

They certainly don't want this info leaving

Kabocha

Yeahhhhhhh

Respheal

Makes me wonder if they have some more "humane" way of not letting the information leave

Since clearly the books aren't leaving this camp

(Mind wiping? I dunno lol)

Kabocha

What is the magic like in this world, I wonder :3

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i think they mentioned they were gonna lock them up

so just eternal prison

forever

Respheal

Oh

Kabocha

They're going to get tired of feeding them at some point

TriaElf9

Yeah I will note, that big tent was the main research tent, so essentially they burnt all the information that'd been collected

And yeah, they have indeed started the clock on that, where it leads, we'll have to see ^_-

Kabocha

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

TriaElf9

TELL ME ABOUT IT it's very hard to not just blurt it all out AHHHH

Respheal

x'D

It was smart to tell Atawn to just memorize everything though

Kabocha

I'm not at the point in the comic where I can start spouting conspiracy theories. I MUST KNOW MORE

Respheal

Good bit of foresight there

Kabocha

or am I

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

plot twist: everyone just goes home and lives happily ever after, no deaths. and the bad guys pay for the damages.

TriaElf9

I want to know the theories!!

AHAHAH perfect, it's just festivals and parties until the end

Respheal

All I know is I'm in the "An Akarna person joins the party" party

Kabocha

Ahahahaha

The Guard's actually a spy

Respheal

Wakey, wakey, Akarna person, you've overslept by like a thousand years

Kabocha

He's infiltrated the Mikarna, and is looking to get information out about their gods, and the TRUTH about the Akarna's sudden disappearance

The truth being they have a secret magitek that was sealed away -- because they threatened the world. The other countries engaged in a war with them resulting in a pyrrhic victory... and forcing the Akarna underground for millenia...

.................................And they all had cake

TriaElf9

mmmm cake

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

well at least cake denotes a happy ending O_O

Kabocha

That's the terrible Magitek secret the Akarna had. A killer cake recipe.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

the one cake to rule them all

snuffysam

there's a reason they call it death by chocolate

Kabocha

GASP

TriaElf9

AHAH ^_^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

aside from the guards since were still on favorite scene i want to mention i really enjoyed the festival montage. it was nice seeing all the activities, and i think the fireworks at the end really tied it all together with some beautiful imagery

Kabocha

A shame they're going to soon be embroiled in an international incident

TriaElf9

Aww, yay! ^_^

eheh

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

well we have to have calm before the storm O_O so ill take what calm i can get

Kabocha

I'm sure there'll be plenty of nice, calm moments

TriaElf9

I actually drew all that after having gone through festival season here, as well as a fireworks festival, so I had a lot of places to draw from for inspiration ^_^

Kabocha

enough for us to get attached to all of the adorable characters

Awww

TriaElf9

OH yes, I want to show the world through down-time as well as the AHHH time ^_^ it can't all be AHHHH or we'd get tired

Kabocha

YES

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i also wanna say i really love that one doublepage where you see the crowd and the wall. i really love that huge sense of scale that makes you go "dang those walls are some marvel of architecture."

Kabocha

The color illustrations for pathways are a treat, too

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2534068/chapter-2-the-dig/ Like, even though this is based in what could be a very brown landscape, the reds and greens add such a nice warmth to it, and the cool blues for shading are just pleasant

TriaElf9

Fun fact, that city is actually the smallest of the main cities in Tuvana ^_-

And I'm glad that page came out well, it took foreeeveerrrrrrr

Kabocha

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2622607/chpt-3-attack-on-the-camp/ ...To be honest, it took everything in me not to start throwing fire puns when this page came out

Respheal

Do it

Unleash the puns

Kabocha

It's so serious in context, I can't help but make fire jokes

TriaElf9

I love how it was all "yeah, I'm gonna start this comic, it'll be great! I'll just start with....a massive festival... with thousands of people WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i demand fire puns

Respheal

They are both very nice cover pages

Ha! xD

TriaElf9

omh puns are the best

Kabocha

This cover page is HOT -- have you seen it yet?!

TriaElf9

HEHEH

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

beautiful

serious context is even more reason for puns

gotta defuse that tense situation

TriaElf9

so true

Kabocha

The Mikarna really brought the heat!

My passion for this comic cannot be extinguished!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

but puns aside i do think the chapter covers are really nice. its some immensely beautiful coloring.

TriaElf9

Ah, Miakarna ^_^

but yes, they did bring the heat eheh

aww, thank you! ^////^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

masterpieces. kabo just gonna have to make a book of puns to story situations

Kabocha

Things are really heating up for the researchers... ....You could say it's... in tents...

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

the holy head guy was like "you need to put the heat on." miakarna set the tents on fire. holy head guy like "I DIDNT MEAN LITERALLY"

Kabocha

PFFFF

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

QUESTION 2. After discovering the supposed Akarna, things go downhill for the scholars at the ruins rather quickly. Do you think that Atawn will manage to escape? If he does, will he actually manage to make it somewhere safe, or will he be pursued and captured eventually anyway? Where will Atawn even go? Why do you think that Miakarna guard is helping Atawn, and will the guard suffer consequences for helping later on? Will Atawn’s records be of use, and if so how? What do you think will happen to the other scholars that Atawn left behind? Lastly, what do you think will be the consequences for the Miakarna regarding their actions? Will they spark a potential war, or will their declaration of the scholars being profane be allowed to stand?

Kabocha

Someone told the Mikarna to light a fire under someone's ass to get all the research disposed of -- they probably weren't meaning literally

TriaElf9

Oh man, all great questions!!!

snuffysam

maybe this whole thing is a misunderstanding. maybe the miakarna are fine with discovering religious secrets, they just don't like holes in the ground.

Kabocha

@snuffysam -- like Trypophobia, just on a large scale?

where there's one hole with people in it, there might be another

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

holes are like graffiti of the earth

cant have hoodlums adding their graffiti

snuffysam

my hope is that atawn and the guard become best buddies and escape to visit taria and friends. and then the gang has a bunch of misadventures in an attempt to quell a brewing holy war.

Kabocha

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2610497/pathways-62/ Well, Rykhana'i will probably not take this well. "Oh, yeah, we uh, lost one of your guys, and burnt all their research. No you can't visit them. NO. THEY'RE TOTALLY FINE"(edited)

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

this is assuming they can get word out. which tbh i do think they can

i think atawn will make it

with the guards help

Kabocha

we can hope

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i believe O_O

although i dont think the guard is going to be safe in the long run

Kabocha

Is the guard already raising death flags for you?

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yes

ankoart

Atawn's gonna escape, but probably be pursued as he tries to tell others about what he's seen. A man on the run! The guard is gonna join him cause he probably knows shady stuff is afoot and feels guilty just standing by and doing nothing. He seems like the thoughtful type, and he probably became a guard to protect and serve others, not deceive them.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

super death flags

the guard is a profaner O_O

Kabocha

To be honest, I think Atawn's more likely to be injured badly and have to adapt, the guard will be fine long-term.

ankoart

-hugs the guard- don't you touch him

TriaElf9

eats popcorn, grinning

Kabocha

oh no

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah i do get the impression the guard has a kind soul at least and is becoming disillusioned

which good for the guard

Kabocha

I still think the guard's a spy

TriaElf9

WHY CAN'T I DRAW THE COMIC FASTERRRR so many parts to get toooo

Kabocha

AHAHAHAHAHAH

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

someone on the inside should be thinking "maybe its us who are the bad guys"

TriaElf9

"are we the baddies?"

ankoart

Maybe the real baddies are the friends we made along the way

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

LOL the plot twist of the century

Kabocha

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2550453/pathways-43/ I dunno, Guard totally knows who the baddies are. They're very observant

OH NO ANKO

@TriaElf9 -- ....how long until we find out the Guard's name

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

in regards to the other scholars i also see death flags over them. like i think for now theyll be locked up. but then ya know, public executions of the profane and all that to set an example

im gonna burst out laughing if the guard's name is "Guard"

Kabocha

As soon as Atawn finds a place to stop and write a letter, there's going to be a newspaper or something: "SCHOLARS FIRED"

TriaElf9

AHAH

Respheal

> FIRED

Why

Why do you do this

TriaElf9

We'll learn more about the guard soon, I've drawn those pages already, it's just a matter of getting to them in the posting schedule ^_-

extra extra, read all about it! ^_^

Kabocha

@TriaElf9 appreciates my awful, awful jokes

ankoart

It's good to have things to look forward to reading soon!

Respheal

The guard seems smart, so I imagine they'll make it out of this alright I don't foresee them following the narrative much though? But that's just my guess

TriaElf9

I'm trying to build a buffer, so I'm like a bunch of pages ahead, so I keep getting surprised when I check the site and we're not there yet lol

Kabocha

Aaaaaaa I know this feeling. XD But that's okay

So, so far, I can group everyone in this comic into two distinct groups: "Adorable Characters I must protect" and "Flamethrowers"

Respheal

Yes xD

TriaElf9

EHEH

ankoart

I get the feeling they're gonna be joining the narrative to stay~

Kabocha

Actually, you know.... Could we call this event the start of a... flame war?

TriaElf9

I think the other question is, how is this all going to affect Atawn really ^_-

AHAHAHAH

Respheal

istg

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel the guard will be around for a while at least. the guard will rise to help again O_O

atawn will be fine. no years of therapy needed or anything

Kabocha

Yep

Respheal

Oh yeah I imagine the guard'll be back at some point if we do part ways with them now

TriaElf9

no survivor's guilt or anything NAH

Kabocha

definitely no therapy necessary never

Respheal

Ahahahaha poor Atawn x'D

Kabocha

Y'all should look at the vote incentive

snuffysam

atawn and the guard get captured. the rest of the comic is taria and gang doing something completely different.

Respheal

Wait

Waaaaaaaaaaaait

the person behind Atawn

TriaElf9

Oh yeah, my full cast art reveals a lot lol

Respheal

I rescind my remarks; Guardfriend joins the gang

Kabocha

GuardFriend is even more adorable without the helmet

TriaElf9

tho it takes the context of connecting faces and people eheheh

excelleennnttt ^_^

Kabocha

+10 want to protect score

Respheal

Also I do really love the umbrella idea with that art. So cute!

ankoart

I wanna know more about the dragons. Everyone deserves dragon cuddles.

Kabocha

YES OH GOODNESS

the dragons are freakin' CUTE

Respheal

Shvir is a good noodle friend

TriaElf9

I also wanted to do a pride yukata picture, but I just didn't have time that month, sadly

Kabocha

How large do the dragons grow?

TriaElf9

a full cast of 8 characters turned out to be murder on the hands lol

they vary in size

they can be tiny to massive

Kabocha

Oooh

ankoart

I need one

Alakotila

Just in time for the cute dragon talk!!

TriaElf9

I haven't much gotten into the dragon stuff yet, but a few people picked up on some of it during the first chapter

eyy, dragon talk! welcome! ^_^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

the dragons were cute but i was curious why all the royalty seemed to have them

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

pant pant pant

Sorry I'm late!

snuffysam

maybe just a popular pet

a popular, expensive pet

Respheal

I suspect there's more to it than that

TriaElf9

more popcorn and grinning

Kabocha

I imagine there's some sort of bonding

ankoart

Yeah they seem like more than just "pets." Companion seems a better word

TriaElf9

Companion is a very good word for it ^_^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Heehee~

So i see you're the creative mind that made this comic, aren't ya Tria?

ankoart

I'd like to know how they find each other, dragons and their people.

TriaElf9

I am indeed ^_^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Heehee, pleased to meet ya~

TriaElf9

and I'm having such a hard time not just like spilling all the beaannnssss

Kabocha

Are you cackling like mad?

ankoart

Oh no, all these beans!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

maybe its both. maybe the dragons are companions...but also expensive pets O_O

TriaElf9

cackling ^_^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

A 500 dollar pet?

Kabocha

Don't spill the beans, they're needed for setsubun

TriaElf9

very true, gotta keep those oni out

I will drop that size of dragons is actually a plot point, there is a reason to size ^_-(edited)

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

oooh?

Kabocha

Ooooh

Interesting...

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Are you hiding something from us?

Kabocha

............................................................................ HMMMMMMM

Well, yes, that's the point of telling a story :'3

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Ye~

Kabocha

things are hidden from the reader and gradually revealed

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

And I like that there's dragons that are friendly to each other

TriaElf9

it's not a huge thing, really, but there are layers to it ^_^

Respheal

It's definitely just the royal people that have dragon companions, since a merchant recognized them as royalty for having dragon companions

A pact, mayhaps?

ankoart

The bigger the dragon the gayer you become

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Hmm, Ice Candy

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel like it must be related to magic somehow. but thats all i got on that one. need to see the dragons more.

Kabocha

It's interesting that royalty is easily able to walk amongst their people. Must be a pretty peaceful country.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

As a food enthusiast I need to know exactly what kind fo treat it is

Is it like water ice but with bigger chunks of ice?

Kabocha

It'd be a shame if the Mikarna did something....

TriaElf9

Oh Ice Candy is similar to shaved Ice ^_^

snuffysam

might just be a funny way to say sno cone

yup got it in one

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Heehee

I was thinking of having a snow cone earlier lol

TriaElf9

they call it kakigori at festivals here

and it's one of my go to favs, so I had to include it of course eheheh

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

You live in Japan?

TriaElf9

I do! ^_^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

That's epic! I always wanted to see what living there was like but I'm too afraid to leave my own home XD It's got everything I could want, but I digress

Kabocha

http://i.imgur.com/sZQnzuA.jpg This, I feel, is an accurate representation of the Mikarna. But, y'know, with fire

Respheal

snrk

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

And I love that the dragons share the treats with their masters~

ankoart

Haha, cat reaction posts are always best

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

So many food vendors too at this fair in the first chapter

Respheal

A cat dragon

snuffysam

i feel like fairs generally have a lot of food vendors?

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yea

though some just serve lots and lots of fast food

and it's usually the same stuff every time

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

tbf in the comic its the harvest festival

TriaElf9

the dragons are very cat for sure ^_^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

and well

harvest

food is implied in the name O_O

snuffysam

you know what my favorite thing to harvest is?

ice

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

You have a good point there

TriaElf9

It's basically a matsuri

ankoart

lol

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

>harvesting ice

Kabocha

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2521877/pathways-8/ EVERYONE MUST ATTEND AND HAVE FUN

TriaElf9

it's a festival to celebrate a time or a thing, but they also have staple foods at these things

Kabocha

actually, Shvir's expression is just Way too cute there

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

like the aforementioned candy ice?

wondering what flavors they have there too

TriaElf9

various Tuvana fruits flavors probably

also, I am that servant, and Taria is deffo people trying to get me to stop working and GO TO THE DARN MATSURI lol

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel like being told its a royal order is a gurantee to not have fun. too much pressure. starts running around forcefully laughing saying, "AM I HAVING FUN NOW!?"

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

In the end it's all about the matsuris

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

QUESTION 3. At the beginning of the comic we are introduced to Taria, Dhiren, and Quinel, royalty far detached from the current situation at the ruins. What do you think their overall roles in the story will be? Will they deal with the situation at the ruins personally, have heavy involvement in the political arena regarding the Miakarna, or will they be involved in some other way? Will Dhiren successfully have his ceremony to celebrate the promise of Cova’t with Jorah, or will the situation with Miakarna throw those plans into disarray? Will Quinel’s role at the House of Healing be significant, and do you consider it foreshadowing of something to come? What about Taria? Will her fighting skills come into play, her apparent charity, or something else?

snuffysam

i think they'll be among the first to find out about the tent-burning

TriaElf9

AHH EVEN MORE GOOD QUESTIONS

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

That's our Rebel!

snuffysam

atawn manages to escape and gets word to them somehow

TriaElf9

Given that Taria and Atawn are from the same country, that's a good bet ^_-(edited)

snuffysam

and honestly quinel being a healer could factor in right then and there

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Maybe~

snuffysam

i doubt he'll escape without a scratch

Kabocha

Taria strikes me as an action princess, so she's going to want to be out there to check on things. I wonder if she knows Atawn though?

Yeah, Quinel's going to be very useful... ............."Yeah, we'll dispatch our best healers to help" ...."Everyone's dead."

TriaElf9

I wonder what the state of necromancy-like magic is in Tuvana? ^_-

Kabocha

.................

OH NO

TriaElf9

This could mean everything OR NOTHING

cackles more

Kabocha

They're going to end up pod people! and then there to wage war against their own peoples!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

quinel for resident necromancer

Kabocha

NO

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Finally, I binged all the way to the end so far!

Respheal

Just need a lot of diamonds.........#dnd(edited)

TriaElf9

We also have 3 more characters to meet ^_-

Kabocha

I object to this! Atawn strikes me as much more likely to approach Necromancy from a scholarly point of view.

TriaElf9

I can't wait for chapter 4 ahhhhhhhh

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

3 more to meet, you say? :3

TriaElf9

so many diamonds

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

quinel's healing will be useful tho. healers are always useful.

Alakotila

hohohoho

TriaElf9

need that revial spell lol

Alakotila

I guess I can't say anything there

Kabocha

OH DEAR

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Made it for the second hour. ^.^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

hey math~!

Kabocha

ALAKOTILA KNOWS SPOILERS

TriaElf9

woo, welcome! ^_^

OH RIGHT

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

I also like Atawn's water-generating ability

Alakotila

EDITOR IN THE HOUSE

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

also HEY MATH!

TriaElf9

MY EDITOR KNOWS THINGSS

Kabocha

:'3

Respheal

That was handy xD "Oh, no access to water....welp. -generates water-"

Alakotila

that was a whole ton of good questions up there Rebel!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

speaking of the water-generating ability i was super stoked to see magic used for something practical like that

thank you

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Oh, you're the editor of this here story?

Alakotila

yeah! that was awesome!

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Hmm, so the royalty will probably have to try and calm down the populus when they see all the smoke from the fire.

snuffysam

how far away is the site?

Alakotila

just the copy editor! all fabulousness is created by @TriaElf9 !

Respheal

I imagine the camp is pretty far away

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

There is hydrogen and oxygen in the air, just need the magical bonds.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Sometimes mundane is all you need

And nice X3

Kabocha

If you really want it to explode, just break those bonds

TriaElf9

yes, they check me on my very over use of commas and my rambling ahah

Kabocha

and uh ....add a spark

ahahahah

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

lol

TriaElf9

Yeah the camp is pretty far and surrounded mostly by mountains

we'll see more of the land in the next upcoming bit

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Oh Tria, I have a small idea for the sit if you're the one that made/coded it(edited)

Kabocha

Rumors of the scholars' fate may spread like wildfire once Atawn escapes....

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

so i feel like war is for sure brewing and theyll have to try and stop it. cause at the very least i think this current discovery is gonna make the miakarna invade all the ruins which iirc are spread out on all four lands

TriaElf9

and I'm glad you're liking the magic! I'm really proud of the system and can't wait to share more ^_^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yea, it's really good magic~!

Kabocha

The Akarna ruled the world with their cake recipes!

Alakotila

CAKE

Kabocha

I mean, they were considered Gods... OF BAKING

TriaElf9

Oh and no, I have loads of help on the site, I'm useless at those things lol

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Lol, alright then

ankoart

Now I wanna make cake

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Cause I thought of suggesting using the arrow keys to navigate through pages

instead of just clicking the page

also

DID SOMEONE SAY CAKE?

TriaElf9

I always want cake, I went out and got cake during last night's typhoon

Kabocha

Ooooh, what kind of cake though

ankoart

-stares at bag full of ingredients to make ace dessert- maybe I'll finally do that this weekend

Respheal

....-wants cake now-

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

I got italian ices during a bad thunderstorm

Alakotila

that's pretty extreme cake getting lol

TriaElf9

I think the arrows do navigate?

snuffysam

this... this is the true power of the Akarna!

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

They take the cake.

TriaElf9

I got strawberry shortcake b/c of course ^_^

Kabocha

I think Justin means using the arrow keys on the keyboard

TriaElf9

ooooh

ankoart

YOU BOUGHT CAKE DURING THE TYPHOON? (Haha I thought about stopping by a conbini actually but I was actually soaked)

Kabocha

That... might be doable...

TriaElf9

I have no idea if SJ has the ability to do that ^_^;;

Respheal

It does, I can link ya

Kabocha

throw it at me

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Back on fave scene, I just wanted to mention I liked the bit near the start where it looked like as the people were meeting back up, so were the dragons. That was just a nice little detail. Hadn't expected different breeds of dragon.

Alakotila

the dragons are wonderful

TriaElf9

oooh I love that bit!

Kabocha

Shvir is like... a noodle cat dragon

TriaElf9

and yes, I wanted to vary dragon types ^_^

Kabocha

also the meeps are great

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

I wonder how many dragon species total exist

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

And in terms of theories, when they first found the door, I wondered if they'd open it and that high priest guy would just be sitting there with a TV. And he'd go, "Well damn, you found my tech man-cave. Now I have to kill you."

Did not expect the frozen gods.

TriaElf9

EHEH

Kabocha

Are they frozen or just... On ice?

TriaElf9

pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Ice see what you did there.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i expected religion breaking secrets but not frozen gods

Kabocha

It looks vaguely computerized. They need an IT person to come in and take a look before the whole system freezes up

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

for a sec I thought they were mummified

ankoart

They're taking a long nap. I relate to them.

TriaElf9

Also, dragon-wise, so far we've met Tova, Shvir and Var ^_^

snuffysam

the secret is that's where candy ice comes from!

the frozen gods!

ankoart

Ice candy, god flavor

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Interesting that the most important God was at the top, as opposed to at the bottom. Is it really safe up there? Is that also where the power is being generated? (And are they "on ice" in a magical way or a tech one?)

snuffysam

"And are they "on ice" in a magical way or a tech one?" is there really a significant difference?

Kabocha

The ice treats are like soylent green

Respheal

por que no los dos?(edited)

Magitek cryostasis

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Well, this is mostly a magical world, but that area was only recently getting magic, hence the desert. Maybe there's an incompaitiblity... or maybe all the magic was being absorbed by the stasis tubes. So could make a difference for plot.

TriaElf9

oh mannnn I'm loving this AND equally tortured that I can't say anything aHAHAH

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Hmmmm

You're onto something Math

TriaElf9

I'll be dropping more in chapter 4, so look forward to that ^_-

snuffysam

yeah i'm just saying that in this world, it seems like magic has a big impact on technology, and vice versa

TriaElf9

I wish there was a plotting emoticon

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Gotcha.

Maybe the dragons are actually mechanical beings.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah i feel like its significant that it looks like theyre being preserved by technology in a world where there isnt a lot of technology around or so it seems

TriaElf9

I will say some of the things people have said today are indeed on the right track

now the question is WHICH of the things muhahahah

Alakotila

hmmm yes

where did the tech come from?

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

I wonder that as well

Respheal

Aliens

Alakotila

ALIENS

Kabocha

They're gods because of the tech!

TriaElf9

that's another emoticon we need

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

"What solved the world crisis?" "Aliens."

Kabocha

any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic!

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

The shipping of Atawn and that Guard is the right track, yes? Surely someone already proposed that?

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Always blame it on them

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

The Gods are actually aliens. They crash landed here and decided to seal themselves away from the cavemen until there was a decent enough civilization to rule over.

Alakotila

setting ships sailing is fun

snuffysam

actually i don't think anyone mentioned the atawn x guard ship

Kabocha

They gave people enough to get started, then went into stasis until they could take over

snuffysam

even though it's a pretty good one

TriaElf9

I've gotten some comments on the comic about it, but not here yet

Kabocha

"Yeaaaaaaaaaaah, your world isn't comfortable enough... we'll be back when you make it better..."

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

snuffy: Glad I corrected that oversight then.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel the atawn x guard ship is just obvious is all. they got all them googly eyes going.

Kabocha

Ahahaha, right?

Alakotila

LOL rebel

Kabocha

but more than anything, I want to protect them both

Alakotila

do they

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Rebel: Maybe the Guard has a nice sister he wants to marry off, who knows.

Alakotila

I gotta look closer for the googly eyes

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"I want a smart guy, but not a guy who's TOO smart. The scholar who dehydrates himself will do nicely."

TriaElf9

AHAHAH

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

no the lol part is to the fact i now cant unpicture them with googly craft eyes glued to their eye lids.

http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/supplyimages/564756_1000_1_800.jpg

ya know those kind

TriaElf9

dehydration is definitely something to look for in an SO

Alakotila

oh so those kinds

yeah

I can see how that would give the ship away

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

"Stay hydrated!!"

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"You know where there's some moisture? In mah mouth..."

TriaElf9

PFFT

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"I have a spell though." "Oh, well fine."

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

thats gonna be the guard's best selling pick up line book

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

In terms of the fact that there's new characters we haven't met - there's four kingdoms who can lay claim to that one area, right? And we've seen two of them...? Maybe there will be counterpoints to Taria. (Or is Dhiren already one?)

Like, they'll have a Summit.

TriaElf9

Dhiren and Quinel are from another kingdom yeah

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

dhiren and quinel are both from kuvar

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

I really want to see the other kingdoms now that you mention it

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

I am SO bad with names.

TriaElf9

The only one we've yet to see is Durhan

lol me too, and I wrote them ahah

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

this is why notes exist

especially when you got a billion fantasy names

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"There's these four kingdoms, uh... A B C and D."

TriaElf9

I changed the spelling on a few, and I keep getting confused eheh

yuup, I have so many lore notes ehehe

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Do they speak different languages in the different kingdoms, I wonder?

Or is magic the universal langauge?

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

thats a good question

about languages

Kabocha

We can probably safely assume the characters all are fairly well educated

Alakotila

Is there a common tongue?

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

When magic's involved, spelling counts.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yes

snuffysam

to be fair, we don't know if the guard is well educated

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Who knows what can happen if you mis-pronounce a certain spell

snuffysam

he may have just been hired to stand there

Kabocha

I dunno, I'm still going with spy theory

TriaElf9

there is at least a common tongue, yes

so far we've seen that and magic

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

snuffy: True, but they probably don't want people who are too dense walking over the scholars.

"This is actually a recipe for biscuits, yes."

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

QUESTION 4. The comic quickly makes it apparent that there are many mysteries afoot regarding the past. In regards to the ruins, what do you think the Miakarna are hiding and why? Did they know about the supposed Akarna there? Are they protecting the land simply because they believe it’s holy? Alternatively, is something else going on? What lengths do you think the Miakarna are willing to go to protect the ruins? Atawn also briefly mentions that magic had not returned to the area the ruins are in. What do you think that means for the past and present day of the story’s world? Of a last note, do you believe the people under the ruins are the Akarna, and if so, what are they doing there?

TriaElf9

SO MANY GOOD QUESTIONS

Kabocha

Qualifications for being a Mikarna guard: -The ability to yell "PROFANER" in at least 3 different languages -Looks good in helmets -OK with bringing the heat(edited)

TriaElf9

EHEHEH

snuffysam

the way the miakarna were acting was like there was a specific thing they didn't want the scholars to find. so i think this was that thing.

TriaElf9

and an almost fanatical devotion to the Akarna

snuffysam

like each day they seemed more worried that the archaeologists were going to find something

Kabocha

The Miakarna probably knew, or had an inkling of what they'd find, just not WHERE and when. And they're hoping to harvest that sweet, sweet cake technology

TriaElf9

hey, cool cake in a desert? priceless

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

snuffy: I got the impression that they didn't know what it was they were even protecting though. Like, they didn't want them to find... something... this is probably it, burn it all.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Of course

use fire at first resort

Great idea

TriaElf9

people knowing things and straying from their control is BAD

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yes(edited)

snuffysam

i'd hate to see what the miakarna will use after fire fails to get atawn

Kabocha

OH GOSH

THE AKARNA KNEW... how to make ice cream cake

like the perfect ice cream cake

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Unless the Miakarna are actually under the mental control of the Akarna. Subconsciously or not.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

im gonna be honest i think its a mix. like the miakarna were told something vague like "this is the final resting place of the akarna" cause there has to be a reason they already considered the land sacred. so they knew theyd find something they either proved that right or wrong. and then ya know, they found pods.

Kabocha

GO HOME EVERYONE WE'VE SOLVED THE CONSPIRACY

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

BY BURNING IT ALL \o/

Kabocha

.............

darnit

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

the miakarna being under the control of the akarna sounds interesting though

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Rebel: Or maybe they were just told that where the magic was weakest was the final resting place or something. Way vague, which is why they don't want anyone until they figure it out themselves.

Alakotila

it does make sense they'd have been told something vague AT LEAST in order to consider it sacred

I wonder if they expected to find what they did

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Arkarna are all telepaths.

Kabocha

The Akarna were the ones who made the desert

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

swings pendulum "You are getting... creeeepy."

snuffysam

*dessert, kabo

TriaElf9

PFFT

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

as a general semi crack, semi serious theory, i think theres gonna be war as the miakarna block the others from the ruins. but then theyll wake up an akarna. and then the akarna will yawn and wage an even bigger war and everyone will have to come together to scream oh shit oh shit the gods want to murder us.

Respheal

Ahahaha I can get behind this theory x'D

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

never trust the pod ppl

Respheal

The pod gods

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

better, even more specific

Kabocha

An ancient empire awakens, bent on reclaiming the world they once dominated. A small group of people, drawn together by a common cause, are determined to stop them. However, they face more than threats from the outside.... I mean, the synopsis of the comic is this....

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

dont trust pod gods

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

^

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Rebel, I can totally see that. Suddenly the Miakarna wave the white flags, "Stop shooting at us, we're under attack from within too."

Respheal

Yuuuuuuuuuuuppppp r.i.p. everyone when the pod gods wake up

TriaElf9

author cackling continuessss

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Unless the Gods decide to use the Miakarna as the instruments to wipe out the other kingdoms.

Kabocha

Does "Mi" have a meaning

because Mi-Akarna

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Mama Mia.

Kabocha

are we following hi-fu-mi here

bc if so, this means they're the third iteration of the Akarna's people... potentially

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

mi actually used to be my because the miakarna are the descendants of their slaves O_O

Kabocha

GASP

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

They're also probably great at dodging magic, if they're spending a lot of time defending a region that doesn't use it.

Kabocha

Bwahahahahahaha

So, basically, we can sum this up as: "They're all doomed"

The Akarna join with their faithful servants,and..............................

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

R.I.P. everyone

Kabocha

TAKE OVER THE WORLD

snuffysam

unless a rag-tag group of friends can stop them!

Respheal

Well if the Miakarna consider the Akarna to be gods, I can't imagine it'll take much to convince them to join in on the conquest

ankoart

Everybody wants to rule the world

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

maybe this will be a technology vs magic war. cause the akarna could be technology wizards instead of regular magic wizards. and the akarna are the reason magic went away.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

oooh

That'd be epic

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Leaves it up to the cat dragons to save the day.

ankoart

Cat dragons save the day! That would be the best

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

The smallest and cutest fighters

Kabocha

The akarna are all sudo rm -rf /

snuffysam

the entire story is just the akarna trying to remember the admin password

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"As soon as we thaw out our army, you'll be in trouble."

(Wasn't there an episode of Star Trek Voyager like that?)

(Dragons Teeth or something.)

snuffysam

use a blow drier to thaw out the army

have to go to the store for extension cords because of the size of the room

it's a whole thing

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Unless blow drier runs on magic. Also, they'll have fabulous hair.

Kabocha

Sam -- you know, they probably just have to boot into single user mode

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"Aim for the heads." "Why aren't they wearing helmets?" "Would you cover up that hair?"

Kabocha

http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/comics/2595215/pathways-56/ "What, you must be mistaken" Clearly they know what's up

Gaslighting before they torch the place

Respheal

I dunno, might be legitimate surprise

TriaElf9

which one which oneeeee ~dances~

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i read it as legit surprise too

Kabocha

....you missed the joke T_T

TriaElf9

OH

OHHHHH YOU

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i saw it O_O i just dont have a witty response to it XD

Kabocha

ahahahaha

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

TriaElf9

sorry I'm getting prepped for critical role lol

Kabocha

It's ok XD

I'm being awful

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Seeing that panel reminds me, did all characters have slightly pointy ears, or no...?

TriaElf9

I HAVE FAILED YOU

it's mixed

Kabocha

IT'S OK, THIS COMIC IS WONDEFUL

TriaElf9

Dhiren and Quinel both have rounded ears

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Gotcha, thanks. I wondered about races at some point there, then forgot.

TriaElf9

so does Vala

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

I guess it's connected to Kingdoms.

TriaElf9

yup, it's just a little detail ^_^

it's actually not a spoiler or anything, it's just a genetic variation in this world

like connected earlobes or detached earlobes

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Nice detail. Actually, really good artwork, given the large setting too.

Kabocha

I'm 100% here for the pointy ears

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

interesting.

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

There's also, like, foreground-background in places.

Kabocha

@TriaElf9 -- now, I have to ask one question before it gets to the end... Is ther ea character we'll get to shout "YOU HAD ONE JOB" at

and will they have a ribbon

TriaElf9

it's more of a "this isn't Earth" tidbits ^_^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

is there any sort of discrimination caused by the difference in ears or is everyone shrugging about it?

TriaElf9

also I like pointed ears ahaha(edited)

Alakotila

me too

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

The person who made the large cloak, when it fails and Atawn is seen. Had one job.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Mind of I say one last thing before this chat ends?

TriaElf9

for sure!

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Because this is an incredible read so far with lots of cool (and sometimes cute!) ideas and I love everything about it thus far

TriaElf9

eeee ^////^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Hope it continues on and we experience a lot more about this world you created

(and long live candy ices!)

TriaElf9

I've been working on this comic for a few years now, building the world, I'm so glad people are liking ittt ^_^

oh it'll keep going for sure ^_^

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Glad to hear!

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Is Tuvana the land or the planet?

TriaElf9

and if we hit the next goal on my patreon, it'll reliably update twice a week

ankoart

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us!

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Sweet!

TriaElf9

instead of my 1-2-1-2 pattern I have now

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah the effort put into the world really shows through. its got a lot of those necessary details that really bring the foreignness to fruition.

TriaElf9

it's both

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Gotcha.

TriaElf9

the world is the land is the planet

TriaElf9

Tuvana is what they call the whole thing, and then there are 4 distinct countries

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Helps the aliens out that way.

TriaElf9

heheheheh

hey it does have a dash of sci fi ^_-

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

That's cool~

TriaElf9

I've only had one panel with it I think, but keep an eye on the sky, there are a few cool things there ^_-

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Yeah, definitely didn't expect the pods... I wonder if they're all actually functioning? Oooh, what if they're all just holograms?

"Thank you for opening my pod, this is a recorded message..."

TriaElf9

EHEHE

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

"...to build the thermonuclear device, insert tab A..."

Respheal

Now I'm going back through, looking at all the sky shots lmao

Divulge your secreeeeets(edited)

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel like some of the pods must of failed maybe. at the very least i can hear them waking up and being like "General Lod is okay but General Joe Bob kicked the bucket I'm afraid."

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Always nice to have reasons to go back. Like, even hair has tufts and strands.

Kabocha

AHAHAHAHAHAHHA

TriaElf9

it'll show up more in coming pages

Kabocha

I can't wait to read more

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Same here~

TriaElf9

but the night sky has a little fun thing ^_-

MathTans the super Pun 👑Prince👑

Rebel: Hope they took out life insurance.

snuffysam

looking forward to more world building!

Kabocha

I want to see more cuties

TriaElf9

oh there will be more cuties for SURE

also more world building

Kabocha

EVERYONE IS ADORABLE NEED ALL OF THEM ALL THE TIME

TriaElf9

chapter 4 we get some world lore AND some cuties

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

COMIC TEA PARTY END!

Unfortunately, the scheduled Comic Tea Party time is now up~! Thank you everyone so much for reading and joining this week’s chat~! We want to give a special thank you to Elaine Tipping, as well, for making Pathways: Chronicles of Tuvana and volunteering it for our reading queue. If you liked the comic, please be sure to support Elaine Tipping’s efforts however you’re able to. All that being said, if you would like to continue discussing this week’s comic, we highly encourage you to do so~!

For next week, Comic Tea Party will focus on The J-Man by Jonny Aleksey. As always, please use the next several days to read as much of the comic as you would like. We hope to see you next Thursday on August 30th from 5PM to 7PM PDT for the chat~! Until then, happy reading~! @The Undefeatable Jonny Aleksey Comic: http://jonnyalekseydrawscomics.com/thelatestpage/

[this-is-jes]

Is all the countries too much to ask?

Okay, it took FOREVER, but I actually did pretty much all of them (I left out like three). If anyone actully bothers to read through this, they’ll definitely get to know me a lot better. Man, was that a lot of questions!

America: What is your favourite place to eat? Home or Abuela’s house. My mom and abuela’s cooking is seriously the best.

Australia: Do you have any quirks when speaking? I was homeschooled for a long time, and I’m an avid reader, so I sometimes mispronounce words I’ve only ever seen in print. I’ve also been told that I have a really slight accent and that I pronounce certain words strangely. I also use the word funner even though I know it’s not technically a word.

Austria: What kind of person do you wish to be? Intelligent, faithful, and kind. I want people to see Christ’s love when they look at me.

Belarus: Is there anyone you love? Family, friends, romantic interest? Well, I love my family and friends, of course. I am currently single, but there is a guy I like.  

Belgium: What do you think of your siblings? They’re sometimes fun, sometimes annoying. We have good times and bad.

Botswana: Do you like to sing? Why or why not? Yes, I just wish I was better at it!

Bulgaria: Who do you consider close to you? My family and a few childhood friends.

Cameroon: Describe your culture. Beautiful, diverse, and LOUD. (There are so many questions, I don’t want to go into more depth about the Cuban culture rn.)

Canada: Favourite wintertime activity? Sledding.

Cuba: What sort of grudges do you hold if any? When someone is disloyal, lies to me, or hurts an innocent person, I find it hard to forgive.

Cyprus: What hands-on activities do you like (drawing, carving, building, etc.)? Beading

Denmark: Do you wish for something of your past? I miss all the free time I used to have as a kid. If I had it now, I’d have more time to write.

Egypt: Do you stand up for what you believe in? Yes

England: Are you controlling? I believe I have a tendency to be this way, and I’m working on it.

Estonia: Do you think people often misunderstand you? ALL THE FREAKING TIME.

Finland: What do you prefer, kindness, sternness, or apathy? What kind of a question is this? Kindness, of course.

France: How do you show love for those you care for? Thoughtful gifts. Acts of service. (This question made me realize that I definitely don’t do either enough though.)

Germania: What is the hardest thing you have ever had to do? Forgive someone who wasn’t sorry.

Germany: Do you have a hard time forgiving yourself? Yes. I am extremely hard on myself.

Ghana: What is your favourite sport? Baseball

Greece: Do you let others help you when in need? It depends.

Hungary: Who is the person you trust most? My parents.

Hutt River: What is the most memorable dream or nightmare you have had? When I was a kid, I once dreamed that poisonous flamingos were chasing my down the street.

Hong Kong: Do you fear death? A little. I fear a painful death.

Iceland: Do you hide your real personality? Why? Pffff… like all the time. I’ve been told that I’m kinda rude (unintentionally!!!!) and abrasive, so I try to force myself to be super friendly and cheerful.

India: How important is family to you? Very.

Kenya: What is your favourite wild animal? Octopus

Korea: What is one thing you accomplished by yourself? 

Kugelmugel: Is there anyone you have a love-hate relationship with? I don’t really think I hate anyone. I sometimes have a hard time getting along with my sister though.

Latvia: Do you believe you are brave? Sometimes. I want to be braver though.

Ladonia: What is the internet site you visit most often? I’m not really sure. I’m on Tumblr a lot though.

Liechtenstein: How do people underestimate you most often? They think that I am physically weaker than I am.

Lithuania: Do you desire power? It depends.

Macau: What is your favourite festival or celebration? I love spending Noche Buena with my family.

Molossia: Do you consider yourself strong? In some ways. In others, I am not as strong as I wish I was.

Monaco: Do you think you are a lucky person? I don’t really believe in luck.

New Zealand: Would you rather be an elf, dwarf, Hobbit, or wizard? Elf

North Italy: What is your least favourite part of your personality? I wish I wasn’t so anxious.

Norway: What was the most disappointing time in your life? When my aunt left her husband for another man. It really tore the family up, and it hurt my cousins so much. It still hurts.

Netherlands: Most generous thing someone has done for you? My parents helped me pay for part of my college when I wasn’t making enough money for tuition.

Poland: Hardest thing you have gone through? Having a really bad anxiety disorder in high school and when my aunt got divorced.

Prussia: Would you prefer to live forever or die alone? What kind of a question is this?

Roman Empire: How would you like to be remembered? As someone who served God faithfully and firmly stood up for what is right.

Romania: What is something you are very ashamed of? How I sometimes flip out over small things when my anxiety disorder decides to resurface again.

Russia: Have you ever suffered from low self esteem? Yes.

Sealand: Who is your best friend? Sadly, my best friend and I have drifted apart since she got married. It’s really sad. We’ve known each other since we were really little. She’s one of my oldest friends.

Seborga: What is your favourite beverage? Coffee, but I’m trying to cut back.

Seychelles: How do you handle people being rude to you? I usually just brush it off.

South Italy: What is your favourite part of your personality? I’m not sure. I’ve never really thought about it before.

Spain: What would you tell to the person or people you hurt most if you had a second chance? I was wrong, and I’m sorry that I hurt you. Please forgive me. (TBH I can’t really think of anyone I hurt super bad though.)

Sweden: Are you a leader, follower, or independent? It depends. I’m going to go with independent though.

Switzerland: Would you consider yourself evil, good, or neutral? Idk. I’m working on good though.

Thailand: How good is your poker face? It depends on the situation. Sometimes it’s really good, and at other times it’s awful.

Tibet: What do you value most? My relationship with God.

Taiwan: What do you think of the people or person who raised you? I love my parents, and while they are imperfect, I think they did a pretty good job.

Turkey: Would you ever want children? Yes. I think I would especially like to adopt.

Uganda: How would you like others to see you? As an intelligent and kind woman of strong character.

Ukraine: What is one thing that has made you stronger in life? My faith in God.

Vietnam: What is something you are proud of about yourself? Idk. I tend to beat myself up a lot, so this is a hard question to answer.

Yemen: What kind of art do you like? Literature.

Zimbabwe: Who is your favourite character from any folklore? I’m not sure I have a favorite.

[tinkdw]

Sam & his view of Dean

I’ve been having some thoughts and conversations about Sam’s view of Dean recently with Dean’s facade coming heavily into play in the narrative this season and thinking back over the seasons and some of my struggles with how I have perceived Sam in the past. 

I feel like this season is addressing this head on and I applaud this, it’s actually very refreshing and freeing to not have to keep my negative thoughts on some of Sam's behaviour to myself as it’s clear that this is how it was supposed to be perceived as it is now brought to the forefront of the story in order to be overturned as Sam is led to realise some things...

Continuing under the cut as this post got a long longer than I intended...

I’ve struggled with what I’ve sometimes perceived to be Sam’s selfishness, his acute self assurance and belief that he can outsmart Dean, that Dean is his kind of irritating but endearing older brother who he rolls his eyes at, while also behaving like a child and treating Dean like his parent figure, rebelling because “you just don’t understand!”, specifically with Ruby and Lucifer, being jealous of Benny and Cas etc etc. These are not constant - they seem to rear their heads when needed for the narrative, but they are recurring...

Disclaimer: I LOVE SAM! He has a million AMAZING qualities that I’m just not going to address in this particular post as they’re not overly key to my point, I'm just noting down some thoughts I have around this more ‘negative’ side and here I’m going to explain why I think these are not all Sam’s fault OK :)

While there are clearly parts of Dean that are not so glorious and these aspects of Sam are what I think endear a lot of Dean girls to Dean because despite all this Dean still puts him first and doesn't really call Sam out on his selfishness, jealousy and (negative) self assurance which does come out quite consistently and leads to bad things for both of them (Ruby s4, Benny s8, Lucifer s11). 

I personally particularly struggled with Sam’s attitude towards Dean early on in season 8 and his jealousy of Benny (and ongoing of Cas), I’ve heard rumours that even Jared asked what the hell was happening with Sam in season 8 so I don’t think I’m alone in this.

So yes, sometimes I don’t like how Sam acts towards Dean, kind of like the stereotypical only child (I am an only child, I know what the stereotype is, it’s constantly thrown in my face as a ooooh but you don’t ACT like an only child! pffff). 

However as much as Sam can learn to do better with regards to Dean it is also now up to Dean to be less of an enabler for Sam, to let him grow up and stop trying to protect him, even from himself and even from Dean himself, to actually sit him down and discuss these things and show him that he is his own person and who he is. This is something that happens in film/tv particularly in single parent families (I cannot speak for real life myself, so I’m just referencing stories), where the parent puts the child first before themselves and represses their own desires and needs, leading to not only issues for themselves but also for the child. 

As always so much can be said for a good conversation in this show.

This all fits into what we are seeing this season with Dean letting down his walls, while Sam seems so confused by this - he doesn’t really know Dean, he has taken performing!Dean quite literally for so long and this is both their fault, although I don’t really see it as fault but as a result of really freaking horrifying childhood circustances for both of them. 

There are many instances which show Sam and Dean’s relationship in this parent-child light but it seems even more obvious this season, with 12x11 being very much focused on a child like losing their parent theme rather than an equal-level sibling relationship and the repeated references to Sam thinking about seeing Dean naked much more child-parent than sibling reminiscent.

Sam didn't know that Dean is scared of flying, that he likes Vonnegut and romantic fantasy films and Dr Sexy. He’s surprised when Dean turns out to love a clean and tidy home, can be a great cook when given the tools, when he reveals he loves Dory and..... so many things.

His view of Dean is warped to the point that just this season he seems to really believe he can convincingly lie to Dean and befuddle him with computer babble when in the first episode of the season we were given clear exposition that Dean is more than capable. There is so much exposition of 'real Dean' and how Sam doesn't see it, it's clear to me that it is an important factor in the season...

When Sam says in 12x11 that seeing Dean becoming not himself might be worse than seeing him dying… please. This is who Dean is without the baggage and a large part of that baggage is Sam (through little fault of Sam’s... yes he could have tried harder to actively try not to treat Dean like a parent and get to know him as a person but I will not hold it against him due to their awful circumstances). 

The fact though that Sam does by the end of the episode acknowledge that this Dean seemed happier is telling.

So I think this will play a big factor in their dynamic moving forwards with Dean now appearing to want to move on from this dynamic, appearing happy with separate rooms in 12x16, having private conversations with Cas, allowing Cas to do the leg work on finding Sam in 12x01-02 - this is a huge deal in letting go of some of that codependency and after red meat letting go of some of that toxic side of their relationship.

They need to have this conversation, Dean needs to talk to Sam not as a child but as an adult and Sam needs to allow Dean to be his brother and peer and not a parent. (I think @godshipsit alluded to this in a way today with a series of posts about Sam and Dean’s codependency, so it’s a running theme this season that many of us are hoping to see culminate soon as the narrative seems to be leading up to addressing this).

Sam is not stupid and he is sympathetic, I do believe he might balk at first out of surprise (as it’s clear so far in the past and this season he has been surprised at the ‘real Dean’ he’s seen coming forwards) but in the end he will understand and be happy for Dean as he loves him and is a supportive and caring brother when he can be and isn’t put by himself and Dean in the position of the child.

I do think these aspects of their personalities are part of the show on purpose and we can see in season 12 how it is being addressed which is exciting for both characters’ development :)

[blaperile]

Hiveswap Episode 1 Reaction Part 6: Background info mania (ballet slippers, pogs, pet treats, flashlight VS left part of Joey’s room)

Day 6 of playing Hiveswap! Today we're probably not going to make a lot of progress. It's already 8:40 PM, and we got a bunch of new item combinations to discover after the new items we acquired last time. Nonetheless, there should probably be some pretty sweet new background info to find today! Especially by using the Ballet slippers on some things, I imagine. Let's see...

I wonder if we'll even be taking any of these items with us to Alternia, other than the key items. I imagine the pet treats might be used to get Tesseract to leave the dog house, the Cherub Key will be used to activate the portal... not sure what we'd use the pogs for though. :mspa: Pogs && Pet treats ==> Ha, immediately some funny retro references. Ren, Stimpy, Doug... all those ring a bell to me, I don't think I've ever seen any of those cartoons though! Or I must have been REALLY young. Pogs && Cherub Key ==> Pffff, for a second they had me fooled there and I thought something was actually happening to the pogs, haha. Pogs && Ballet slippers ==> And suddenly we're going down a poetic tour. Did they hire Rose Lalonde to write this piece of narration? :mspa: Pet treats && Cherub Key ==> ... ... 0_0 The ferocity of a much angrier gazelle, oh dear god. xD I wonder if Ms. Claire had any pets and if so, what kind? Pet treats && Tap shoes ==> Huh? Why would Joey feel differently about this based on her location? I mean, tapping on those treats would get crumbs everywhere no matter where you are, right? This is starting to make me wonder if we could perhaps bring these pet treats with us to Alternia. Also, the meta reference to feeling different based on the location reminds me of examining Terezi's dragon hoodie in [noparse][S] Kanaya: Return to the core[/noparse] and feeling differently based on which character is examining it, hehe. Pet treats && Ballerina shoes ==> Pffahahaha, amazing. I like that just like how combining the Cherub Key with certain other items makes Joey think of her mother, combining the pet treats with certain other items makes Joey think of Tesseract! Pet treats && Joey ==> Oh wow, I was kinda confused there for a second. I didn't realize she meant "man" as in "mankind", I thought she meant "man" as in "oh man", as a kind of sigh. So for a second I thought with "the most dangerous animal of all" she was referring to Jude's pet, haha. Ballet slippers && tap shoes ==> Pfff, nope, that will have to wait for a while. :P It would be funny if we CAN do this at some later in the game, to do some outrageous combo attack at an enemy. :D Ballet slippers && Ballet poster ==> There's our first Joey ballerina dance! :D D'aww Joey, don't be so hard on yourself, your dance looks great! Pogs && Connect Four ==> Pog Museum! :D Hahahaha, that is amazing. They do kind of look like they'd fit in there, haha. Pet treats && Connect Four ==> Connect Four Treats, yes, no? Pogs && Dresser ==> Hehe, the mention of Jude "snooping around" in Joey's room immediately reminds me of John's "snooping around" in Rose's room. (Too bad there was no Snoop Dogg watermark here xD) Pet treats && Dresser ==> Ants confirmed for not being Jude's pet. Only thousands more possibilities to cross of and we'll find the answer. :mspa: Pogs && diary ==> Ahahaha, I love this. The reference to her hand and her pockets makes me think of something though: what/where IS Joey's inventory anyway? It's not a Sylladex at least, it seems. Is she storing all those items in her pockets? :P Pet treats && Diary ==> Pet snacks data FTW! I wish we could actually make a new entry about that in her diary. :mspa: Ballet slippers && Diary ==> ...Viz Media, I'm sensing an excellent idea for a new type of book to bring out! :D Oh man, wouldn't that be cool though, to see Viz Media publish a professional diary made by Joey, documenting what she does after the events of Hiveswap and Hauntswitch? Pogs && Ms. Claire picture ==> Hehehe, I imagine collecting pogs is a nerdy interest that Jude inherited from Grandpa, it seems like a thing Jake would do. Pet treats && Ms. Claire picture ==> Yes, let's not try to feed pet treats to Ms. Claire nor to Joey, haha. Ballet slippers && Ms. Claire picture ==> Oh god this must be the saddes moments in Hiveswap so far. :( Poor Joey... I really wonder what happened to Ms. Claire that made her die so young, does it have anything to do with Sburb and/or the adventure Joey is embarking on? Sadly, unlike the B1 Kids and B2 Kids, it seems very unlikely Joey will ever get the chance to meet Ms. Claire again. Not as a Sprite, nor as a teenager. :( Pet treats && Tesseract picture ==> N'awww. Yes, I hope Joey will get the chance to feed Tesseract once more before she leaves to Alternia. Ballet slippers && Tesseract picture ==> Quite a difference with Tesseract's feelings about tap dancing! Seeing as ballet's more quiet, it does make sense that Tesseract would like that better. Pogs && Hot Steppin' poster ==> Who knows, maybe Jude's just interested in other types of dance? I'd love to hear his opinion about dancing at some point. I can imagine him being a hiphop guy. :P Ballet slippers && Hot Steppin' poster ==> Welp, looks like another combination they forgot to implement, sadly. Pogs && Canadian Campfire Spook-ems poster ==> Also insert "dear", "precious" and "innocent" here. :P Pet treats && Canadian Campfire Spook-ems poster ==> Don't you mean the "tail"? :D Ballet slippers && Canadian Campfire Spook-ems poster ==> Wait, since when is Swan Lake about killing clowns? xD Pet treats && The Story Keeps Happening poster ==> Yes, Luck Dragons are fictious and never in danger, unless they've got the rabies. :mspa: Ballet slippers && The Story Keeps Happening poster ==> A+ comparison right there, Joey. :P Pet treats && Acorn's Shadow poster ==> Joey's got an awful lot fantasies involving hurting her arms or legs. Maybe a subconscious manifestation because she depends on them so much for her dances? Also, "The Shadow Who Clops"... That's all there really is to say on the matter. Pogs && Magical Animal Companion Heal Rescue poster ==> I just looked it up, and [url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menko"]Japan sure as hell DOES have a variant of pogs[/url], actually! Dating back to the 17th century, even! Hahaha, when I read that I just knew that either it would turn out that Japan invented them in the first place or that they'd have a variant of their own. Pet treats && Magical Animal Companion Heal Rescue poster ==> Pffff, plainWonder's right, "treat basket galaxy" is probably a play on hammerspace. xD Ballet slippers && Magical Animal Companion Heal Rescue poster ==> Now the best question to ask is, is this cousin also an animal or not? Seeing as Shika's brother is. Also... that is kind of creepy. Why am I getting Caliborn vibes here. 0_0 Pet treats && Bounty Hunter poster ==> Pfff, I assume this is an actual thing from a Metroid game? It also kind of reminds me of Samus saving and accompagnying Pikachu in the Subspace Emissary, the story mode of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Ballet slippers && Bounty Hunter poster ==> Well, now that I'm referencing Super Smash Bros. Brawl anyway, Zero Suit Samus is indeed QUITE acrobatic and would probably have a body capable of doing something like ballet. Not that I could imagine her ever doing it, though. xD Ballet slippers && Star Avenue poster ==> Hehe, another reference to an actual existing thing. Looks like that movie featured Fred Astaire as a ballet dancer! And I've seen that apparently Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers did a lot of things together. It amuses me that Homestuck contains so many references to Fred Astaire, while Ginger Rogers is in Hiveswap! Pet treats && Block Hustle poster ==> The metaphor is strong with this one. xD Ballet slippers && Block Hustle poster ==> Kind of sounds to me like a thing Jude would also do, to try and find similarities between two totally different things, in order to make his conspiracy theories. Pogs && Second Mom poster ==> I... I guess Mother 2 scratch-and-sniff pogs are real then? Do I even want to look it up. 0_0 [url="http://earthboundcentral.com/2010/03/earthbound-pogs-in-nintendo-power/"]OH DEAR GOD THEY ARE[/url] Pet treats && Second Mom poster ==> plainWonder's right that this is probably a genious Undertale reference. I think I've seen more games like that, but I can't immediately name one. Also, it kind of reminds me of how Tavros and Gamzee decided to control/befriend the Underlings instead of fighting them, plus also how Sburb players can talk to Denizens instead of fighting them. And I wonder... is this also a meta reference to Hiveswap itself? Like, is befriending enemies a thing we can also actually do in this game (I assume not with these black monsters, but rather with Trolls on Alternia)? Ballet slippers && Second Mom posters ==> Looks like they did indeed release Earthbound internationally in 2013! Nice job, Nintendo. :P Pogs && TV ==> Ah, copyright issues, am I right? xD So meta. Pet treats && TV ==> And then Tesseract quickly comes to clean up after Joey's thrown them to the TV? :D Ballet slippers && TV ==> Oh okay, so it doesn't serve to watch actual tv! I wonder if they've got another TV somewhere in the house? Pogs && Game Console ==> Well, you'll be able to judge for yourself Joey, in just a few hours, to see if they really are the worst/best toys. :P Pet treats && Game Console ==> Pffff, so cute. Also, totally not a waste of time. xD Pogs && Game controller ==> Another indication of how Joey really doesn't like violence at all! Pet treats && Game controller ==> Haha, that's right, actually! I hadn't realized yet how Metroid, Earthbound and Bubsy all have these 'cute pets' in them. Ballet slippers && Game controller ==> Ha, same response as Ballet slippers && Game console, but with a bonus dance included. :P That response actually makes most sense here, seeing as the SNES is tucked away under the TV and shouldn't really be easy to trip over, unlike these controllers. Alright, jeez, it's already 10:25 PM here, so we're calling it a day here. We took the entirety of today just to do all the combinations of the new items with each other and not even half of Joey's room, oh dear god. >.< Looks like I know what we'll be doing tomorrow as well! :P