#a dumpster fire pretty much sums them up nicely too

[sea-and-storm]

hey how hot do you think trashcans are?

Not My Type | Alright | Cute | Adorable | Pretty | Gorgeous | LORD MERCY | GHOA’S ULTIMATE WEAKNESS

[niconiconii-na]

10:48 AM

Along with the fine art of easing myself out of Twitter, because of the absolute dumpster fire it's quickly becoming, I'm also quite keen on taking more time to write again. To write more meaningfully, with the capability to dance with my thoughts and, hopefully, spin them into something more coherent and purposeful than a witty punchline intended to elicit a passing giggle.

Come on, Nina, we've been through this before.

I'd like to think I've been doing fine the past few months. Busy, but fulfilled. Working on myself and my mental health, but also constantly able to remember that "normal" is a construct and everyone's got a burden to bear.

I don't know if it's being 27 years old, or some other thing, but I've also been able to sort through my feelings and decisions with a bit more ease. I used to meet new feelings with discomfort, guilt, woe for the old feelings that used to sit where the new ones coexist. It's not always that big of a deal. Sometimes, it's just been as simple as deciding that some of my old belongings need replacing.

I've also spent the past few months, without knowing it, preparing for the next four years. I've got a place that I've been paying for since May. Four years is a long time, but happily, I've saved up enough for most of it and have only the lump sum to think about. I say "only" as if the lump sum isn't money I've never had in my life, but I already worry enough (maybe too much) about things on the day to day. I'll take a small reprieve where I can.

I've also had a pretty good year as a voice actor. That probably deserves its own post. So what else for now?

Well, I hope you're having a nice day.

[keyheartsia-dorm]

*Sighs*

I’m bored let’s do a lore dump

It’s a Map~

Oh Yeah I mentioned a Sprinkle of Final Fantasy and KH but I haven’t talked about that Aspect of my Canon At all have I? Well truth be told it’s cause I’m focusing on getting the more Basic Aspects of my Oc’s Before I get into that but Guess who made this Baby on a Whim!

So this is the Map of the Isle of Light well the Main Island at least there are other Littler Bits of land Yet to surface I̶t̶’̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶t̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶I̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶A̶d̶d̶ ̶o̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶L̶a̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶h̶a̶h̶a̶ oh yeah did I mention it’s a FLOATING ISLAND!! Yeah P Sick right? Okay so I’ll go into the Island’s History and it’s Area’s but it may have some Spoilers I guess you could say but honestly I wouldn’t wait on me making a full fledged...Anything outta the Story I’ve made like I’ll sum it up (not here but like in general) but comics are hard Videos are hard Fics are hard maybe not individually but this is more of a Anime Series then an Anime movie if you feel me without further ado...Stuff

Oh god this was longer then expected

Some General Background

So The Isle of Light was Originally the Black Forest A Place of Freedom and Expression for all who lead lives who Needed to hide Such and Some Such was The Coven of the Black Forest made up of 3 sisters (not biologically also there was a 4th) they all found comfort and love with each other one being the Princess of the Kingdom nearby (The 4th and Littlest one) She had a fiancé who was Mad with a Lust for power and Control over things he Didn’t need power and control over He Treated the Littlest one Cruelly when the other 3 Decided enough was enough when he did...SOMETHING to Part of the Forest so Horrible it turned Dead and Cruel (Subtle Subtle Hint Hint Wink) When all 3 Of them saw the Ruin They went so mad they turned to Darkness and fought him and all his Manmade monstrosities there when the Princess Arrived there was so much Dark energy everywhere it was Bad like Real Bad So with her friends now monsters she Fought them with a heavy heart her heart broke so much she fell afterwards immediately Unintentionally Sending her Kingdom to somewhere nobody knows where she is though...That’s an even bigger question BUT the story would live on as a Weilder of the key blade who slayed 3 evil witches...(Oh yeah did I mention Crowley knows And that’s Why He Let the Girls Attend because he thought they might be the Black Forest Coven Reincarnated And the Prophecy that when they Awakened the “Keys to their Hearts once more” They’d Free The Princess From her Mirror Prison Oh Yeah also the princess DID Die But her Reincarnation Goes inside a Mirror and is trapped there when she turns 17 and Doesn’t leave until she dIES ALSO ITS HIS OLDEST DAUGHTER THIS TIME ALSO YES HE HAS 2 DAUGHTERS...Okay lemme just calm down..Also yeah she thought of the Princess System) but After a Wish got safe haven for all Keyblade Weilders (I have KH Oc’s other then these don’t ask Longer story they live and basically founded Fortana Haven) I guess the Isle of Light Rose from the Shadow Realm to be just that oh yeah also the Isle of light is literally that kingdom if ya didn’t know

Fortana Haven

(Some Love Nikki BGs for Visualization if I’m Wrong about this from being from Love Nikki Correct me pls and if this is your art sorry and I’ll take it down)

Okay this Place Basically a Modern Fairytale Everything is so Rustic~ but they Have Cafe’s and Stuff~ They’re still very much in Development as a City..or town..or whatever Boss of everything Locket Clover (An OG KH OC) Runs Everything Wonderfully she welcomes everything with open arms and If you wanna run a shop or want a Building for a particular Thing or Activity she’s Pretty open to the idea unless it’s Incredibly Dumb But she will make you get The Wood and Supplies and The Bricks and the Brick Stick Sauce or whatever it’s called she might get give you help constructing but dang is she a firm believer in “DIY” but I like how she’s Determined to Have a Good Balance between Industrial and Rural In fact there is a Mall (God knows how it got there) And that’s pretty much all there is for your Juicy Capitalism Fix She Runs “Hope Stir” Workshop according to Her boyfriend Ephmer It was always Called a workshop but for the longest time she did EVERYTHING Subtle Farmwork And Animal Husbandry ACTUAL Workshop things all cause she wanted to help every Weilder she knew out and made sure they had a place for food and such She is a bit of a Moneyholic but when you’ve been doing what she’s been doing I bet you’d be too overall While it doesn’t have much History yet Fortana Haven (4-Tana is how you say it btw) Is truly well a Haven

The Crowned Castle

(More Pics for Visuals I don’t think this is from love Nikki but if this is your artwork same applies I’m not gonna be the guy who Claims just cause it’s on google it belongs to everybody or something even though yeah I did find it on google)

The...Crown of the Isle of Light Before We came to the Isle for the first time Apparently Everyone In Fortana thought it was Haunted! Which..Fair enough Before we Placed the Princess Medals (Okay QUICK SUMMARY OF THIS BIT Okay so in the KH Mobile game there’s Medals and I wanted them to be in my story basically They’re Memories formed into powers when all my Oc’s Met the Princess’s Of Heart They Each got a Medal Representing them and then the Medals Restored the Castle I left out some details but basically that’s it) This Castle is the BOMB There’s Cool Pretty Princess Room’s And a Bedroom JUST FOR SLUMBER PARTIES!! And it’s just a good Place to Vibe and Hang out with your friends (I’m sorry I’m about to Lore Dumb all over this place) The Princess’s Fiancé Made a Crown for her before she could put it on he put some of his Subconscious in it poor Eden When she wanted to get stronger for Malleus (Malleus is her adoptive big brother and she was upset cause she felt she wasn’t good enough ran away to get power and found the crown) It really did almost completely overtake her I shudder thinking about it “Kachow”...Ew (The fiancé said that a lot ok) a lotta bad stuff happened here but as selfish as this may sound I feel like I earned my spot here and I wanna keep sharing it with my friends

The Matteria Deadland

(Also Imagine some Pointy Mountains and some Lite Mech debris)

Man What to say... So Much Happened here as well probably Tragedy I can’t comprehend there is a few good places about this place though Diane likes to Scavange around Here for Interesting Debris Eden doesn’t like the Air around here but she says she finds Interesting Jewels here and Latte says the same thing so there is good to be found here We all come here every so often to try to help..Anything grow but they don’t call this deadland for nothing but still ya can’t give up hope! I wanna grow some beautiful Lillies here one day! Also hey! Also pretty cool name (Matter-RI-a is how you say it btw) All the sadness that happened here it actually did make the land rich in Metal if nothing else there’s even a whole Cavern we found in the mountains...it almost killed us but we found it

Opal Cove

(also these are Gacha Backgrounds)

Is this Place an Actual Cove? Idk

Is this Place super cool and pretty? Yeah

Is this one of my favorite places in this whole Isle? FRICK YEAH

okay I love a lot about this Isle but Opal Cove!!

Our mermaid friend Mitella I guess “Runs” the Place Our KINDA merman Friend Skye also spends a whole lotta time here Basically it’s a Giant Pool and rumor has it...It’s endless Water...CAUSE IT IS SOMEHOW CAUSE I KNOW weird thing is the Sand it’s at the end of the Isle so there’s not really a beach just...Sand Near Water Odd The Coral Near the Bottom or well “Bottom” Is SO PRETTY it’s like Crystals in the morning the light shines its SO DANG PRETTY I’m glad Mitella is a Sea Witch Or else we couldn’t go so deep underwater it’s SOOO worth it!! She does NOT let a lotta people at once though Heck she doesn’t like Skye that much from what I can tell but she makes an Exception for ~friends~ So...BE NICE TO OUR CUTE MITELLA I’m glad we have a Convient Place for Blitzball practice and also Swimming around with pretty Mermaid Tails (New Nix Mermaid Action Fashion Doll only 25.99! Get it for your Child or they’ll cry!! Also a 5 dollar Boy doll take his Shirt off! That’s it!) Hyde Mi And Skye are kinda an Iconic Trio Mi Also Teaches how to swim with a mermaid tail better for the Weilders who wanna go to Atlantica Hey Mermaids gotta eat so get a Swim Lesson! (And also a transforming Mermaid Doll!)

Bianco Nero Forest

Well tbh I have the least to say because it’s Appeal is simple ADVENTURE AND MYSTERY! Lots can happen in Bianco Nero it’s Basically the Base foundation of the whole Isle! Presumably cause it’s the Black Forest or was at least though it can be dangerous it’s the only place heartless are know to appear in the whole isle (So where you’ll grind In the Video Game that’ll definitely happen :Says the girl who can’t commit to a single comic) They drop all sortsa cool stuff! Heck you can FIND Cool stuff just...Around so..Yeah!!

It’s 2 am maybe I’ll edit this later thanks for reading sorry I got obviously tired by the end goodbye my dearests~ (Seriously y’all deserve like a reward for reading this dumpster fire) I was inspired by those maps in those scholastic books like the Rainbow Fairies I think it was called (Anyone remember those?) that had lil maps in the beginning and also the map’s stickers all on PicsArt

[nelllraiser]

the ring-o was their name-o | remmy & nell

LOCATION: on their way home from smashing karkinoids. PARTIES: @whatsin-yourhead and @nelllraiser. SUMMARY: nell offers remmy a deal they can’t refuse a la godfather.

The single word that would sum Nell up after everything that had occured with the big papa lobster and Mister Eye was...exhausted. After her last spike of adrenaline had worn off as they got out of the ocean, she was ready to go home and sleep for hours. Still, she couldn’t deny that she’d reveled in a good fight. Finished with scooping a handful of the strange coins from the chest, she’d walked with Remmy away from the chest, the eye, and the beach. Hopefully she’d be able to unravel some of their mysteries when she had more of her magic readily available. The last thing she’d taken from the beach was a bit more of the lobster brains, just in case Remmy got peck-ish on the way home. “So-” she began nonchalantly. “You didn’t drop your knife again during the fight, right? Or in the ocean.” Nell didn’t have any particular desire to run into the tide in hot pursuit of any red-eyed zombie ever again.

Remmy felt a little dizzy, but after everything had started to heal back up, they didn’t feel any worse for the wear. They felt a little tingle in their arms, and somehow, their chest felt lighter. As if a weight had been lifted off it. For now. The slow trickling threat of their anger was still there, now just smeared across their knuckles as the only reminder left. They’d wiped some more of the guts off and used their now tarnished jacket as a towel for the rest, holding it out to Nell when they were done. “Oh, uh, no,” they said back, giving a little frown, “where um-- where did you even find it? I lost it awhile ago, I just assumed I’d never see it again.” They pulled said knife from their pocket, emblazoned with the army insignia on one side, their initials on the other. Darie had gotten it for them, when they’d been on their first leave from being posted overseas. They sighed with the memory, feeling that aching in their chest starting to come back. “And uh...sorry. About…” nodded back towards the beach. “But it uh-- it all worked out, right? I didn’t--” hurt anyone. The words left unspoken.

“Oh, thanks,” Nell said with a smile as she accepted the jacket. She was perhaps too drained to consider any possible magical cleaning at the moment. “I uhhhh-” How to broach this subject? “Well it actually kinda turns out- I’d met you even before the bracelet and Alain thing all happened. I didn’t know it was you, though. One time when you were zombie-d out. I’ve been looking for the zombie- er- you- ever since then.” She was glad to see they hadn’t lost the knife to the depths of the ocean, though. “Oh- don’t worry about it. If I was a zombie and I saw a giant eye...slop into the ocean, I’d probably try to run after it too. That’s like- probably a zombie dream or something.” But her grin grew wider as she didn’t hesitate to confirm. “The only thing you hurt were the karkinoids, Remmy. You were a goddamned superhero with your speed and strength!”

Remmy remembered those few days with a pang of guilt. They still weren’t sure what had happened during the black out, just like...just now, but that time was different. The last thing they’d seen was Blanche’s face, and then they woke up days later in alley covered in blood. “You saw me? I didn’t-- I didn’t like...hurt anyone that time, right?” They looked away. “That was um...I think the first time I’d really...lost control. I can’t remember anything.” They turned the knife over in their hands. “Oh, I-- I wouldn’t go that far. You like...summoned fire dogs! And, well-- I don’t remember much after that. I remember following you, though? And tunneling through that…” and glance over their shoulder, even though the beach was out of sight. “It felt kinda...nice.”

“No!” Nell said hurriedly, not wanting Remmy to worry. “I mean- you like decimated a Garkain. But it was super awesome! The thing didn’t stand a chance!” She could see that Remmy was still...acclimating to all this, and she tried her best to offer a moment of comfort. “But hey- now you know how to keep yourself from getting like that!” A small scoff filled the air, as if having super strength was not something to be underestimated. “I mean- I love my hellhounds but- like you could probably chuck a dumpster or something across a football field! That’s pretty damn cool.” But perhaps here was her in. “The...fighting? You know- that’s actually like- kinda the reason I was looking for the zombie that I didn’t know was you.”

“Garkain?” Remmy’s brow scrunched. “I don’t...know what that is.” It wasn’t important, though, because it wasn’t a person and that meant Remmy hadn’t hurt anyone because of their ignorance. It was like an entire sandbag was lifted from their shoulders in that moment. They let out a long sigh. “Yeah, yeah, I do. I’m trying my best.” They perked up a little. “You think so? A whole dumpster? Not that I would. That’s like...property damage or something, probably.” The next thing came as a bit of a surprise to Remmy. “What, really? Fighting? Why were you looking to fight a zombie?? Or, gerkin? Or….whatever it was called?”

“It’s like uhhh- a really big bat, kinda. A really big deadly bat that wants to eat people and other things. And you just totally went right in and completely made a meal of its brains. It was literally so cool.” Nell gave another encouraging smile in Remmy’s direction before saying, “Yeah! And you’re doing great!” The grin became perhaps the smallest bit more mischievous, as she pictured Remmy throwing a whole dumpster. “You know, we could try it. That’d be fun. We’ll just find like- some random dumpster no one cares about!” There was a slight hesitation as she tried to decide how best to put this, not wanting to mess up something that might actually be good for Remmy. “No, no! Well- kinda. I was looking to uh- capture the Garkain. I know I said I’m a bounty hunter but that’s not really...the bulk of my work. Also Blanche doesn’t know about this yet, so please don’t tell her. But here’s kind of like….an underground supernatural Fight Ring? I thought you’d be great in it. And if the beach felt good for you...imagine how good it could feel to do stuff like that all the time.”

“Woah, I…” Remmy had to pause a minute, take in what Nell was saying. “Wow.” was all they said. “You think so? I still feel sorta…” Angry? Upset? Confused? Remmy didn’t know the exact word, but what came out was, “uncomfortable.” But with what aspect, they weren’t sure. They let the thought peter off, though, enjoying the feel of the adrenaline rushing through them, and the stupid, dopey smile Nell had on her face that made Remmy smile, too. “I guess if no one got hurt, it could fun to try. I’d like to see like...how strong I could be, you know?” They paused again, stopped walking. Blinked. “Fighting ring?” Their immediate thought was that sounded dangerous. “Like...with people or more things like...the karkinoids? I- I don’t know if I’m really cut out to fight people. I’m-- but I mean…” they looked down at their hands. It had felt really good. To let go of everything and just let fists fly. And Remmy had been trained to fight. They flexed and unflexed their fingers. “What is it, exactly?”

Nell cocked her head to the side, not entirely certain what Remmy was getting at with their reaction. “Uncomfortable? Like- how so?” But her smile was quickly returning, glad to see that Remmy seemed to be enjoying this as well— at least on some level. “We’ll find a nice big open field! We can get tons of stuff to chuck around!” She tried her best to gauge their words, truly feeling that perhaps the Ring could help Remmy get a very good form of release. She still remembered how they’d talked about that anger inside them, and what better way to get it out than this? “There’s lots of things that fight there. Mostly supernatural, but some humans as well. I fight there, too! Not just work for them. I think you could be good at it. You’ve been great every time I’ve seen you so far.” Perhaps her and Remmy had a bit more in common than she’d originally thought, at least when it came to crushing things. “A lot of the time- it’s basically anything goes. There’s some different categories and things to fight in though, too. You can choose whatever you want to do. As for what you’re fighting, I only bring in the things that are causing too much trouble- things that deserve it.”

“It--” Remmy looked at Nell. “It’s nothing. Never mind.” Remmy nodded after a moment. “Yeah, okay! Sounds fun, actually. We used to line stuff up at camp and have shooting contests. It was fun.” They said, imitating holding up a rifle and taking a shot. “I was always pretty bad at it, but maybe I’ll be better at this.” It seemed like they could be, and the thought of actually being good at something made Remmy’s heart jump a little. They smiled. “You fight in it?” they asked, raising a brow. Well, if Nell did it, then it must be okay. Nell was a good person, and Remmy liked her a lot. Plus, Blanche trusted her. So, Remmy did as well. After a long moment, they nodded again. “I, uh-- I think I’d like to do it. It sounds…” they paused, looked down at their hands, “well, not fun, but maybe fun? It felt good doing that on the beach. It feels good, you know, knowing I’m good at something. But, um-- only monsters. I only wanna fight things like the karkinoids. If that’s okay?”

“That’ll be just like this! Except with more dumpsters and like- less guns. Though- if you want to bring a gun or something, that’s your prerogative.” But Remmy’s imitation brought a grin to Nell’s face, always feeling lighter by how pure they and their actions seemed. “And I have a feeling you’re going to be very good at dumpster throwing.” Then Nell was puffing out her chest in the slightest, a part of her glad that...she could finally have someone who knew about her and the Ring. Well- someone like Remmy. “Yeah! It’s super fun! I love it. A great way to just...feel alive, you know?” Like how she’d felt alive while fighting the karkinoid. “Really, though?” she asked, mildly surprised but also excited. “You want to try? It could be so fun! Maybe we could even fight together sometimes! We made a pretty kick-ass team on the beach, in my opinion. But for sure- only monsters,” she confirmed with a wave of her hand. “And you’re not just good, you’re great. Oh also-” How could she forget this part? “You get to keep your winnings- like if you win a fight. You get a cut of the money.”

“Oh, no,” Remmy said, shaking their head, “I don’t do guns anymore.” Not that they were entirely against guns, but they weren’t allowed to own one as a citizen, so it didn’t matter anyway. They looked over at Nell. The way she described fighting made Remmy feel warm. The things they’d felt weren’t weird or out of the ordinary. Someone else felt that way, too. And… “Feel alive…” they muttered. That was what they’d been chasing this whole time, wasn’t it? Wanting to feel alive. Not being able to be touched or hug someone or accept themself. It was because they didn’t feel alive anymore, whatever that truly meant. But this...this could be the solution to that. Remmy nodded. “I wanna try,” they confirmed again. “I’ve already got like...combat training and we had to do hand to hand stuff as well at boot camp, so I’m decent at it.” Not just good, but great. Nell’s words echoed in Remmy’s head again and they looked back down at their feet, smiling. “Money? Like, from bets?” The money was just a bonus, though it would be helpful. They hadn’t cashed their disability check since finding out they were undead, so that extra money could come in handy. Not that they needed the disability anymore. It almost felt like cheating the system. They stopped and turned to Nell. “Okay, yeah. Let’s do it. I’ll do it.”

“Oh,” Nell shrugged, not having realized that. “That’s cool, then. Just dumpsters.” But as Remmy looked at her...she couldn’t help but feel like they got it. They understood that need for the blood rushing through their veins, and the edge that fighting something brought. Her own smile grew a little softer, not entirely sure she’d ever seen that in someone before that wasn’t a Hunter. And even then— it was generally something that was trained. So it was nice that someone simply just understood. “For sure- you’ll be awesome, I already know. And we could also maybe work on your like- control over going Hulk and stuff, if you wanted to. That’d probably help in the Ring, too.” Remmy’s seemingly pleased reaction made her happy, though— happy that Remmy seemed happy. She still remembered...how it had been messaging her friend after everything with Alain, and the admission they’d made. “Yeah! Exactly! It’s a decent amount the more you fight, usually. Or the better the show you put on.” She couldn’t seem to stop grinning as she stuck out a hand to Remmy, as if meaning to have a handshake. “Let’s fucking do it.”

Shaking Nell’s hand felt good, in the moment. Remmy still couldn’t remember exactly what had happened on the beach, but they knew that, at some point, it had felt good. And if they could keep feeling good, then maybe things would start to get better. Maybe then they could really be good. They smiled, the thought settling in their stomach like a warm cup of tea. “Practice will probably be good,” they finally said, before they started walking again. They hooked their arm into Nell’s as they walked. “Also, um-- I don’t think I said it, but thanks for helping me out back there. Let me uh-- let me walk you home as a thanks?” They gave a shrug. “I’ll think of something better later. Promise.”

For a moment, Nell went in to change the handshake into a little die hug, a bit sheepish about it, but doing it nonetheless. A moment too late, she realized she’d only succeeded in globbing their mutual sliminess together, and pulled away with a bit of a chuckle. “Then we’ll practice,” she confirmed, eyes still proudly crinkled as a little glow settled into her heart, only bolstered by walking alongside Remmy arm in arm. “Thanks for helping me out, back there. And yeah- I think that’s a pretty good start. So chivalrous,” she teased as the last dregs of sunlight vanished below the horizon.

[stripestheboar]

Day 3 - Bratty/Catty (Undertale)

Well, I like this one. It went better than I thought it did. Originally, this was supposed to have dialogue, but with the more exposition I put in, the more I decided that it was better if no one really spoke. 

This is more of an aftermath of Undetale, focusing on the girls.

Pairing: Bratty/Catty

Word Count: 2,067

Bratty and Catty usually weren’t ones to admit defeat, and this wasn’t an exception. Despite any hardships, they were always able to surpass them through their determination and their support of each other. Being a part of Hotland and parked right outside the Core just by Mettaton’s resort, the girls were some of the first to see the rays of sunlight from aboveground. The two had been waiting their entire lives together for this moment, and they were more than prepared, mostly because the two didn’t exactly have any furniture or decorations that needed to be moved out. It took a while for all the commotion and hubbub to settle down between the humans and monster, but once everything seemed in the clear, the Hotland pair purchased a small apartment together with the G they had saved up from their Underground shop. And now, despite the fact that it had only been a short while since their emergence, one thing was already clear to the two: living aboveground is one of the hardest things ever.

Things had been fairly promising at first. The humans had been surprisingly welcoming at first, and the world above was such a wonder to see. Breathing in fresh air, taking in the warm sunlight, and having just having the never-ending space of the entire world to roam were all greater than they had ever dreamed. Just interacting with some of the humans made them rethink their whole “eradicate humanity” stance.  

However, things weren’t so cheery after a good month in.

After the first thirty days, they came to the realization that rent was still a thing, even up aboveground. Still, it didn’t bother them too much. They decided they needed to get a good source of income, and it was Bratty that came up with the brilliant idea to continue to run their little shop they once had in the Underground. It seemed like a pretty good idea at first, since everyone in the Underground had loved their very used wares. The humans had loads of good stuff they just threw away for no good reason; these things were even better than what they’d find scrounging in the dump. Of course, they got a few weird looks as they were dumpster diving, but they were sure they understood. So, with their wares ready, they set up a little stand in between Muffet’s new shop and the MTT-Brand Burger Emporium.  

As it turns out, humans weren’t exactly interested in objects they themselves threw out, calling it all things like “trash” or “garbage”. They were pretty steamed about it, but it did kind of make sense when they thought about it. Monsters were equally as unimpressed, to their great surprise, and after a good month of trying, they suffered from pretty much no sales at all, not to mention they smelled of garbage almost every day of their work. With the threat of being kicked out of their own apartment looming overhead, the two were kind of forced to get jobs. It was rough at first, but they soon got the hang of it and were able to earn a bit of money. Catty was a bit on the moaning and groaning side, but with Bratty there to support her, she knew she could bear through a simple nine to five.

And then came some of the rude humans.

As Catty learned the hard way, not all humans were nice and welcoming. Being the chattier of the two, it was more often that coworkers or just regular people nearby came up to her just to tell her to shut her trap. While it was just bizarre to her at first, after the next few times, it actually began to hurt a bit. And because she and Bratty worked separate jobs, it was weird for her bestest friend to not immediately come to her aid and rescue. There were also the name calling that had her a bit discouraged. Annoying, tubby, bratty, fat, bitchy, ratty, dumb ass, retard, plum; almost every negative word in the dictionary had been thrown at her, and it was a fairly new experience for the smaller cat monster. She was a bit of a cryer, but she tried not to let it it go that far. Bratty also received the same sort of attention, but Catty seemed to get the worst of it. Another month in, however, and it actually started to get to her.

Catty began to feel somewhat self-conscious of her looks. Without Bratty telling her how pretty she was 24/7, the negative comments had her squirming under staying gazes. She stopped liking what she saw in the mirror every day. She ate a bit less. She didn’t talk as much around others. She stopped complaining. It took about a fifth of a second for Bratty to realize something was wrong, and immediately asked to know what was wrong. Of course, being friends since forever, Catty had no problem voicing her concerns to her BFF. Bratty was quick to shut that situation down, storming into her friend’s workplace to tell off not just the workers, but the entire establishment, saying things such as they didn’t know something valuable if it was slapped across their faces. Sure, it got Catty fired faster than the speed of light itself, but she didn’t care; she was mega glad she had a friend as good as Bratty. Her friend even quit her own job to match. She promised her BFF that they were going to work together from now on, just like they always have. If people didn’t like one or the other, they could either take it or leave it, because they weren’t separating again.

It was soon a month later and the issue of a job was once again back on the table, and Catty was unsure of how to solve it. Bratty didn’t fret, though, and formed a laundry list of jobs they could pick up. They began going down the line, from working at a clothing boutique to servicing at one of Mettaton’s many catering businesses. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, they couldn’t seem to land a job. They were either too unprofessional or the company refused to accept both at the same time.

Another month rolled around and they were struggling to pay rent. At this time, Alphys and Undyne were finally getting married, and because Alphys was almost like a sister to them, of course they went, even if they didn’t have anything impressive to wear. They still had to support their friends after all. Despite this, Catty happened to notice how much slower Bratty seemed to be at the reception. She made sure to grab her friend’s hand during this time, just to let her know she was there.

The next thirty days just seemed to fly by in an instant. Bills mounted and they had already received a notice and a deadline from their landlord. Some of the monsters had decided to hold a large picnic to celebrate their few months of freedom, and that young human, Frisk had personally invited the girls. They went because, hey, free food, and because of course they wanted to go to a picnic hosted by their friends. While this happened, Bratty was obviously a bit sleep deprived, despite her efforts to keep it hidden from everyone else. Three quarters into the banquet and she had already fallen asleep on Catty. The cat didn’t mind, though, and held her hand the entire way though as she held her weight to support her best friend for life.  

Another month passed, and as expected, they were forced out of their own home. While they were able to scrounge up a bit of money for some food, they still needed a place to live. Frisk ended up inviting them to bunk with their family until they got back on their feet. The two were eager to accept. And yet, despite their new home, it didn’t stop Bratty from breaking into tears that night. Apologies and the recounting of all their stresses spewed from her as sobs wracked her thin frame. Catty didn’t mind this, and encouraged that she let it all out to her, even crying with her in order to lighten the weight of the pain. Not much sleep was had that night, but the two had a lot to talk about. Catty promised her BFF that no matter the hardships, she was always going to be there for her, and nothing would ever deter her from that. Bratty couldn’t help but tear up once again, promising the same to her. They shared their first kiss that night.

A month had passed once again, and the two were closer than ever. Toriel and Frisk didn’t mind hosting them for so long, understanding their struggles and wanting to help in any way they could. Going about it another way, they decided to take tips from others. Toriel suggested to keep their morals in place and to not deter off the good path, and they would find success. Frisk told them to keep trying, no matter how difficult the task. Burgerpants just said to not stick with a dead-end job for the rest of their lives because they would so regret it. Sans advised that they invest in the fried snow business. Sans was ignored. Muffet, who now owned her own café, told them to focus on what they were good at, which was probably buying and selling material items. Grillby told them that they should start their own business, as then they could start fresh and by their own rules and standards.

Taking the advice of their friends, some of which was old and some new, they laid out their plan.

Three months passed this time and the girls were ready to move out. They finally found jobs working with friends and doing a bit of manual labor. It was tough work, but they definitely collected a pretty large sum of G. However, the biggest help was from Frisk, who donated more G than they had ever seen in one place before. They asked them where it all came from, but Frisk only shrugged, mentioning something about residue and Tems. So the girls went about renting an apartment once again and purchasing a small shop, fit snuggly in a nice plaza. They got to work on fixing the place up their way, and by the time it was done, the walls was a mix of colorful designs and fairly impressive paint work. From here, they went back to square one, going back to getting people’s used wares. Of course, they stopped digging in the garbage, but instead Bratty came up with the brilliant idea to start up a donation pool for people to just dump the things they no longer wanted and sell them to those who might actually want them. After all, with all the thing they found in the dump back in the Underground, it was obvious that humans tended to waste quite a lot of things. As the saying goes: one man’s trash is one monster’s treasure.

Two months had come and gone once again, and while thing had started out slow for them, they were soon earning a modest amount of money from their rather simple idea. They found themselves being able to pay off their bills and rent once again, with the threat of a deadline no longer worrying them anymore. Catty had felt her confidence swell after a time and was able to backtalk or force out any human or monster looking for trouble, and Bratty was finally starting to get a good night’s rest for the first time in months.  

Things seemed to be going well for them, and they had their friends to thank, as well as each other. They had stayed together for an entire year above ground, and yet not a single time did their faith in each other waver. They now spent their days together hand in hand, and their nights snuggled up against one another, always letting the other know they were there to support them or love them. They were BFFs. They were lovers. They could never be torn apart, no matter what the problem. They were looking forward to spending another year together, knowing their friendship and love wouldn’t change a single bit the whole way through.

[disandroid]

Top 9 Instagram Photos of 2017: 1. Pretty much sums up what most of are feeling. A giant middle finger to that stupid orange cretin and his namesake. What a dumpster fire most of 2017 was dealing with this garbage pail (kids) of an administration. 2. Coming in as a surprise, didn’t really think anyone cared that I met another celebrity, let alone Kevin Nealon, lol. He was really nice, and as always very funny. He laughed nostalgically when I mentioned one of my favorite SNL characters of his was ‘Mr. No Depth Perception’. Should’ve said ’Subliminal Man’ tho. Womp, womp. 3. One of my favorite photos of Glen Hansard and I, as this seems to have become an annual tradition. He continues to be one of the kindest, most humble musicians and humans I’ve ever met. Alongside his terrific music, check out his continuous and relentless charity work with helping the homeless find shelter over in Dublin. He’s got a heart of gold, and vocal chords made of them too. 4. Me and Mr. Gordon Sumner, Sting himself. Former English teacher and bus conductor. A wonderful human rights activist as well. He was very kind but very intense, and also kind of magical, if you will. Was fortunate to meet him when I was working on the Celebrating David Bowie shows last year, this one was in Los Angeles. I remember him standing on the side of the stage really enjoying all of the other performers. He came down well before his slotted songs and just soaked it all in. He was only scheduled to perform the first night but he loved it so much that he came back for the second night and blew everyone away with his haunting versions of the late Bowie’s ‘Blackstar’ and ‘Lazarus’, which had never gotten to be played live by his band yet. 5. The afterglow of the Northern California wildfires burning in October and stretching out over the ocean. Such a tragic time for those that were affected. As well as those currently affecting in the Southern California wildfires. 6. Me attempting to hang with the big boys in the Pacific Ocean, while also flashing back to the 1800s here. (#s 7-9 continued in the comments)

[spynotebook]

What makes a comic worthy of a “Best of” list? Uniqueness. I’m sure we can all agree that it’s easy for our pull lists to grow longer and longer. We read new comics every Wednesday, but not all of them make the same impression. This year Rich Johnston and the Bleeding Cool writers (not Jude) give you 11 comics to reflect on as we say good riddance to 2016 and welcome 2017 with nervous worry.

Jonathan Rich

Motor Crush #1 by Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart and Babs Tarr.

Though this very website posted a few retailers experienced initial trepidation in ordering a new independent title featuring a black female protagonist, the release of Motor Crush #1 from Image Comics proved those fears were largely misplaced and misguided. The terrific trio of Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart and Babs Tarr built upon their pre-Rebirth success reinvigorating DC’s Batgirl to forge a new path with a unique creator-owned title that manages to visually and narratively surprise as much as it delights. The art collaboration of Stewart and the Tarr fluidly moves on the printed page and Fletcher does double duty contributing to the writing of the main story as well as a backup feature previewing his upcoming Isola publication with art by Karl Kerschl. Anyone wanting something different from what’s offered from Marvel and DC should line up at the start line to get their monthly Motor Crush fix before this becomes the next big thing in comics. The buzz surrounding this title became louder at HeroesCon and echoed when the goods were delivered at the end of the year. 2016 may be remembered as a dumpster fire for many other reasons, but Motor Crush gives hope new voices will be heard and have something to say throughout 2017 and beyond.

Eliot Cole

  A-Force #4 by Willow Wilson, Kelly Thompson and Jorge Molina.

I’m unsure that I really have the words to sum up issue four of A-Force, but suffice to say it’s basically a perfect comic book. This book, more than any other that I read this year gave me hope, pride in general, and a sense of comradery in the team that I have just not felt from any team book, or indie on the stands this year. Jorge Molina and Laura Martin’s art evokes the main characters so well and (if I were to focus on one of them) brings the innocence of Singularity to the page like Alphona did with Molly Hayes in Runaways, but Singularity is SO pure, and SO there, that you HAVE to know what’s going to happen to it next. Script wise, G. Willow Wilson and Kelly Thompson just give us everything; non-clunky exposition (A HOLY GRAIL), science, science fiction, conversational depth without overly long dialogue, clever characters, bold heroes, snarky witches, and remnants of a universe that should never have existed as a single entity fashioned in a human form. Finally, though, this year I’ve not gone through the gamut of emotions as hard as I did in this one book, it enveloped me wholly, and took me over. Read the first trade of the post Secret Wars A-Force and tell me that which ever part of it is covering issue four doesn’t get you in your sweet spots, and I’ll give you a jar of my tears to help you along. Stay feely, Bleeding Cool. Oh look, I can did wordsings.

Jeremy Konrad

Superman #6 by Peter Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, John Kalisz and Rob Leigh.

When Rebirth was announced, I was relived. For me, Superman was one of the characters that suffered the most during the New 52 era. I felt DC never really had a concrete idea on what to do with him, always preferring to keep him…ahem…Grounded. That is not Superman, he needs to be portrayed as the ultimate hero, high in the sky. The opening arc of the Rebirth run accomplished that in the first 10 pages of issue one, but it was this issue, and the page here that brought a tear to my eye. My Superman was back, and this is one of my favorite Superman images of all-time. Yeah, it invokes other images and even Superman 2. But I don’t care. This creative team was born spin tales of the Man Of Steel. I could have picked any issue of the run so far, they are all damn good. I can’t wait to keep taking the ride with them for as long as I can.

Joe Glass

DC Comics Rebirth Special #1 by Geoff Johns, Phil Jimenez, Ethan Van Sciver, Gary Frank.

After years of darkness, grim and gritty takes on favourite superheroes, and seeing characters get maimed, raped, mauled, immolated, decapitated and every other imaginable way of dying, Rebirth brought a breath of fresh air.

When DC announced the Rebirth line of books to come, I was initially cautious and pessimistic. I’ve been burned before.

But then this one shot came out. And it was Geoff Johns at his absolute finest, going to almost every corner of the DCU and bringing back much-needed light and, most importantly, hope. With a cavalcade of artists each bringing their absolute A-game, the book couldn’t be put down. In fact, I read the book three times in a row, before coming back again and again for subsequent readings later.

In a year that’s been pretty rough all over, it’s been nice to have a bit of hope shown, even if just in a comic book.

And I am not ashamed to admit, it drew a tear to my eye once or twice too.

The possible reveal, if it really is as we all are suspecting given the strong visual, structural and dialogue clues throughout, of the Watchmen characters being brought into the main DCU, and what’s more, being essentially the antagonists behind many of the dark times that have been mixed into comics since the 80s, was controversial, but excellently executed.

And if it is how it plays out, I am intrigued to see how that works out. But of course, it all started here.

Abdulkareem Baba Aminu

  Black Panther #1 by Ta-Nehesi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze.

The Black Panther was such an important character for my friends and I growing up in Nigeria, where the scarcity of black superheroes was felt, more so an African one. Thirty years later, saying Black Panther #1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze (Marvel) is the comicbook I waited for throughout my childhood might sound like stretching it, but it’s the simple truth. Other runs by other great writers and artists still stand solidly, but the current volume touchesA on almost everything I’ve ever wanted in a Black Panther book. The words which opened the issue set the tone perfectly: “I am the Orphan-King who defied the blood, who defied his country and was divided from you.” And thus began T’Challa’s journey through the deepest troubles he’s ever faced as a king, and as the costumed superhero Black Panther. The issue has it all, including a beautifully-realised Wakanda, new characters, and then there’s the awesome new way the titular character’s costume comes on, no doubt inspired by Kirby-esque tech. The story, which sees the king of Wakanda grappling with internal strife in his kingdom – basically an insurgency – is nicely tucked in at the end by DVD-style extras that proved a splendid touch. This creative team, for me, most certainly put out the best single issue of a comicbook in 2016, and I’m hoping they keep it up in 2017.

Ray Flook

Black #1 by Kwanza Osajyefo, Tim Smith III, Jamal Igle and Khary Randolph.

Black #1 is as in-your-face a comic as I’ve read in years; and in a comic book world populated with mega-crossovers, shared universes and books tailored more for the screen and less for the reader…it’s refreshing to be reading something that’s bold and righteously unapologetic. Writer Kwanza Osajyefo (with co-creator/designer Tim Smith III and artist Jamal Igle; and powerful covers from Khary Randolph) offers-up a world to us that’s sadly and strikingly similar to our own but with one catch: superheroes exist in their world…but as the title strongly suggests, in their world super powers aren’t meant for everyone. Osajyefo’s world is our world but with a twist…and that “twist” quickly forces the reader to confront their personal views on racism, police brutality and our country’s long, bloody and violent history with race relations. Black #1 is one of those rare books that you need to reread once you’ve finished it…and then reread it again a week later to truly appreciate what it has to say. It changes how you think. It changes how you feel. And that’s a pretty rare thing these days. Oh…one last thing: definitely remember the name “Kwanza Osajyefo” because his voice is an important one and one that I’m sure we’ll be hearing from for some time to come.

John Odum

Vision #12 by Tom King, Gabriel Walta and Jordie Bellaire.

It’s the rarest joy to find one of those handful of books, songs, films, paintings etc, that manages to hit every note just right. A work that simply makes you incapable of nitpicking because you’re completely lost in it. Add the entire Vision series to that list, but no issue more powerfully than the final one. If quality is measured by emotional impact, Vision #12 gets my unconditional vote as the year’s best. From issue one, a palpable feeling of dread manifests itself into ever-deepening layers of full-blown crisis, in the process forcing the reader to confront uncomfortable questions about humanity and morality. Married to an artistic style that creates a pitch perfect synergy with the text, Issue 12 not only rises to the lofty expectations set by the previous eleven, but exceeds them with that rarest of things: a truly unexpected – and emotionally devastating – final turn. Read with tissues handy. I’m not kidding.

Rich Johnston

Pope Francis Goes To The Dentist by Paul B Rainey

You know the kind of people who will bore anyone by talking in extreme details about a specific medical problem they are suffering with? My mother-in-law and her eyelashes, my mother and her ears, and get me in a pub corner and count the seconds till I start talking about my gout. Well, with Pope Francis, it’s his teeth.

And possibly my favourite comic of the year. A compilation of strips, mostly involving Pope Francis and his obsession with his local dentist – I say local, but it appears to be in British suburbia. Oh and his dad is also a Pope. And his mother is a nun. This is never commented on but it makes for a slick suburban sitcom that is the funniest, surrealist sketch that Monty Python never did, with lines that ground this most ridiculous situation with the mundane. Add a few appearance of the 14 Year Old Stand-Up Comedian and the French artist Monsieur Octopus and this is a real gem of 2016.

Providence #11 by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows

This issue of the League Of Extraordinary HP Lovecrafts comic Providence marked the first time that I realised how Alan was using the actual name of Lovecraft in the story, a magical term, a way of making people love, to obsess, to have desire for someone or something else through whatever means possible. It was achieved through the repeat image of the song “You Made Me Love You” until the dissonant images hammered it home. Jacen Burrows making each oh-so-similar image distinct as he rips the comic book through the decades, in a way that outdid Eddie Campbell’s similar portrayal of passing time in From Hell. It’s been said that good writers give readers the chance to fill in the circle themselves, it’s all about judging how wide a gap to leave. In Providence, Moore leaves wider circles than most, but they are such a thrill when you make that jump.

Providence is published by Bleeding Cool’s publisher, Avatar Press.

No Mercy #9 by Alex De Campi and Carla Speed McNeil.

From the opening page of this teen survival story flashback issue, there is incredible disconnect between expectations and reality, never more effectively portrayed than with the facial expressions of the characters and the double meaning of “coming out” in high society, as well as what is meant by “be yourself”. No word is wasted, every syllable targetted in one direction, from beginning to end it’s a devastatingly clever, poignant and angry take on the gap between children and their parents.

And the second page personifies both as two distinct figures, the person and the clothing, and the mental anguish divides the two, quite literally covered up. In those opening two pages, No Mercy managed to say more than most comics managed in a five year run. The rest of the comic? It matches up. Page four was probably the angriest page of the year…

And then the gap becomes so wide it breaks your heart, and you spent the rest of the comic looking for the light amongst the dark – until you find it. If you squint. A possibly perfect comic book. For emotional effect, no other comic came close for me in 2016.

Chew #59 by John Layman and Rob Guillory.

An example of one of the greatest bait and switches in serialised comic book history. Chew has always been a most entertaining comic, telling the story of an impending alien invasion, the banning of eating chicken worldwide, and super powers related to food emerging all over the place, all dovetailing together. But with its penultimate issue, John Layman wrote something very special. We’d already had a teased vision of the future that turned out to be a vicious tease for the audience, but we were grateful for the dodge, the people we thought would die, didn’t, it was all beautifully explained away in a previous issue as it headed for its denouement. And then with #59, it did it all anyway. This issue was a masterpiece of structure, and its a credit to Guillory that he created such depressing scenes while maintaining the cartoony style that had defined the look of the series. One of the crueller pieces of torture inflicted upon an audience and masterfully cast.

Bleeding Cool’s 11 Favourite Single Comics Of 2016