#also this very much just turned to me talking about the comic designs :/ oh well

[nevertoomanyspiders]

it's a Wheeler!

for literally no goddamn reason, have an assortment of Wheelers from various adaptations and depictions ...that aren't John R. Neill's art or Return to Oz stuff, everyone already knows those, haha.

...well ok except this one from the endpaper of Ozma of Oz because it's new to me, at least, and the gutenberg.org copy doesn't have it.

what a dang dork, bless. glad he and Tik-Tok set aside their differences to watch the race.

Illustration

from 1976 Polish edition of Ozma of Oz with art by Zbigniew Rychlicki, via Reddit:

these lads are so stylish and their oversized heads are pretty freaky, dang.

a very 17th century Wheeler from 1970 Japanese edition of Ozma of Oz, art by Sonoko Arai, via Hungry Tiger Talk:

a dang goofy Wheeler by Vlada Stolikovich, 1976. also via Hungry Tiger Talk:

anyway, fuck, um, everything else is under a cut because this post ended up a bit too long oops.

something I have a hard time finding information on beyond that what I assume to be a Korean translation (?) of an Indonesian edition (???) of Ozma of Oz with 3D CGI illustrations. would be fun to see if there's more images within. not a damn clue who made these illustrations, either.

gosh those Wheelers. dunno what the artist was going for but there's a bit of a renaissance vibe. what if this was an animated thing? on that note...

Animated adaptations

the 1987 direct-to-video short Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz has uh. these fuckers. seemingly there's only two. probably because of low animation budget, lol.

well, I say there's two, but it's just one design with a palette swap one has blonde hair and pink coat, the other has black hair and orange coat or something. also it's not evident from the screenshots but these dorks have long, pretty eyelashes and GAWD the voice acting is. well. hear for yourselves.

one of my favourite moments is Ozma turning up, saying "Enough." and bonking a Wheeler on the head with her scepter. here's the time stamp.

oh yeah I'm sure a bunch of folks have seen the Wheelers as seen in Oz Kids courtesy of this post. they appear in the episode Who Stole Santa. (and no it wasn't the Wheelers, obviously, they're just here to be annoying and trying to prevent the characters from taking a specific path.)

the guy in purple, who I'm calling Squeky Wheel, looks a lot like the Wheeler in this Ozma of Oz chapter art by John R. Neill. poor guy got walloped pretty hard.

anyway only Squeaky talks while his two buddies remain silent. these guys are such pushovers and the kids aren't scared of them at all.

Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz (2017-2020) has these little bobble-headed goobers.

can't say I'm crazy about how they look but their characterization as reckless speedsters is a fun one. in one episode they even make friends with Tin Man after he replaces a busted wheel.

Ozu no Mahotsukai (オズの魔法使い, 1986-1987) has a... very strange interpretation of the Wheelers, but then, the series does play fast and loose with the source material as it is, which I don't mind! an adaptation doing something fun with the source material adds an element of unpredictability which I like... so, I'm not terribly surprised by how much they deviate from the book descriptions.

they wouldn't look too out of place in the B.C. comic strip.

and this segues perfectly to...

Comics

the Marvel comic adaptation of Ozma of Oz by Eric Shanower (writer) and Skottie Young (artist) probably has some of my fav depictions of the Wheelers, and I really like this variant cover (I believe it's by Eric Shanower?)

these guys are utterly freaky but also dang silly. watching these fucked up abominations bumble around defuses the terror.

there he go

so, there's the ones I've seen so far. if there's more that you know of, SEND THEM TO ME I NEED THEM SO BAD HELP

[valhelos]

Someone activated my trap card so here we go

Guess I could start by talking about the graphic novel designs that Giovanni Rigano and Stephen Gilpin had for Julius.

Generally I like Rigano's design for Julius better since the books describe him as barrel chested, in book 1 it's mentioned that he's overweight and Artemis considers him to "look dumb". (Which, if I was a 12 year old who finds physical excertion horrifying, looking dumb would probably mean looking like a jock but who am I to say.) So Rigano's design fits that very well. He's thick and well-built. However I do detest the stylistic choice of giving any character permanently closed eyes. Also his silhouette tapers a bit towards his legs which I don't like.

For Gilpin's design I like that he made Julius taller, since in the first book Julius had to lean down/ squat to look Mulch in the eyes and in the second book just him body slamming into someone was enough to knock them out so I think that tracks better for him compared to Rigano's shorter design. But he wouldn't be that thin. Otherwise I think it's a fine design. I like that his silhouette doesn't taper towards the legs which I think is better.

Also look at he go, what a delightful panel.

Side note for other characters: both have very good designs for Artemis, I like Rigano's a bit better (it's the eyebrows. But why does he have brown eyes?), for Butler I definitely prefer Gilpin because the way Rigano drew his neck is so vicerally upsetting to me. Both designs for Holly are... Not Great. Foaly's design is baffling in both. And Mulch... I don't mind either. And I like Rigano's Opal.

But back to Julius, I think that man is built like a brick shithouse. Not really a world shattering hot take I know, but it means a lot to me. I really don't think he has ever been slim ever in his life. He's thick and I think running into him is like running into a wall. So in my own design I try to keep his design very rectangular and his face square.

(I personally like using tiktokker official_oniisan as reference/inspo for his body type, just a bit fatter.)

lying in bed thinking about Julius' body type because I have Very Strong Opinions about this

[unoriginal-and-dumb]

I am doing things I AM DOING THINGS I AM!

Explanations for designs and some head canons below here :3

Infected - Asian-American Autistic ADHD aroace (😈) trans. Yknow Wybie from Coraline? Yea like that but like incredibly annoying. His voice sounds like it’s coming from a shitty mic all the time

Lampert (design by @lucid-daydreaming-art )- Autistic 🇸🇪 ja aroace (😈) funny lamp guy Robots-esque probably kinda talks like baymax honestly, I mean a bit different but yknow, the general idea

(I talk about these 2 enough it’s the others turns)

Poob - I think they are a dumb little critter. They run around and their arms flail in the wind like paper. When they try to clap is makes dog toy squeaking sounds. I don’t think they abide by the rules of physics which is why they are stupid looking ❤️ they have hammer space but it is only for weed related items. The curator of the forever weed brownie, if you will. I think they sound like X from bfb. Aroace (😈)

Pest - literally hates poob because they are small and annoying. Uhhh funky legs because I think he would have funky legs. I stole his eyes because well no real reason, but I think if he was like extra pissed you would see his eyes. Since he is like thief maxxing I do not think he would be wearing anything beyond a hoodie and sweatpants, something trying to be non-assuming I guess. He has hair I think but it is very short no way would he want to deal with that. I don’t have a voice hc for him yet. Aroace (😈)

Bive - she a freakkkkk ehhh. I think she is like freakishly tall, has funny bird legs, raggedy ass scrawny tail, and is constantly covered in hair. Her teeth are kinda just floating on her hair head, so if you punched her hard enough they would just go flying out and she would have to put them back into her head silly girl. I think she is also trans hahaahhahahahaha!!! I think she kinda sounds like ENA from dream bbq, the uhh angry side I believe. Ace (😈)

Split - I gave her dog ears because I think they are cute :) she’s probably like normal ish height Bive is just weirdly tall. She looks very nice and friendly but could probably throw a boulder at you and you will die sowyyyy. Gods most chillaxxed soldier. She gives me kind older lady feelings, even if she weren’t older. I dunno she would be like one of those people who have a comically large purse full of hard candy except it would all be banana flavored. I think she has a slower voice, HAVENT gotten an exact idea for her voice yet but she seems very calm. Ace (😈)

Pilby - I didn’t really add or change their design because I already liked it a lot. I think they are very sweet and kind looking, would make a great plush too but I guess we are not ready to talk about that (YES I am still bitter about it) I think being around them is akin to looking outside a window at an apple orchard while it’s raining a bit. I think they sound a bit like raggedy Anne, based on the creators response too. Aroace (😈)

Spud! - I honestly did not have much come to me for his design, they are just a bit of a funky feller and im not sure how I would add to it honestly. Oh but I do think that they run like an ostrich and it is very scary. Also while drawing I was debating why he had a bow and decided that Gnarpy was like CONGRATZ IN ZURVIVING THE TEZTZ and now Spud! Just has a stupid little yuor did it ribbon. Honestly no clue for voice hc… aroace (😈)

Gnarpy - had a lot of fun with xis design honestly. The redesign reminded me a lot of Stitch so I kinda just shoved that into xim. I think they act a lot like Zim. Like a lot. Probably equally as stupid. I think xis second arms are retractable, like stitch, and xe uses that as a very very shitty disguise that everyone can see right through but just don’t mention because xe seems to be having a good time. I think xe sounds like Four from BFB (the earlier episodes mostly) aroace (😈)

DRRETRO - I think that her head that we see in the game is like a projection of herself, Wagstaff Don’t Starve style. Her body would be like excruciatingly normal besides her head, too. Like go to the hospital and see a nurse, that’s just what she looks like. Very normal, it’s a bit unnerving since her head is that. She’s like those overly friendly posters in a very uncomfortable place type of feeling. She doesn’t have fur either, she’s just a weird cat doctor thing. She acts exactly like Doctor Barber from Flapjack. No voice hc, but she speaks in meows so probably just meowing. Aroace (😈)

Mark - I started thinking about tf2 and Anton blast. Anyway, he is completely made from wood other than the clothes. Beard is carved in, not sure if I got that across in the drawing though. Uh yea I don’t have much I just really like engineer. He wears flannel and a construction vest just like any good law avoiding construction worker. Definitely does not so legal things on his construction sites but does not give two shits about that and also probably would try to employ Lampert when he was younger for free workers (no im not projecting what are you talking about). How on the nose would it be to say he sounds like engineer because I just drew wooden engineer with a beard. Ace (😈)

Wallter - sorry wallter fans I had no ideas while drawing him. I dunno he’s big and he’s cement, so I kept him blocky. Urrrrr he has a can of grey stuff jingle jingle. He is the cement embodiment of that one tweet that’s like “nothing better than a glass of wine, except for maybe #men. #yep #imgay! He kinda seems like one of those lowkey scary bald gay guys who are nice but are also scary and still bald. He’s bald. No idea on voice maybe concrete sliding on asphalt for 10 hours. Ace (😈)

[arseniy-arsenicum33]

All Hermits in Hero Forge!

Season 10 is coming! And I've finished modeling every Hermit (Thus far) in their TCG-cards poses!

Special thanks to Hoffen for their original minecraft models...

You've already saw these eight models in my Life-series minis showcase, slight tweaks and costume changes... I really need to buy Hero Forge subscription, so i can manipulate fingers individually... Now, for the new guys... Guess what?! I've figured out how to make links! Now you can see my references directly! Technology!

Ren got his cool casual look...

Docm77 inspired primarily by Belmarzi's design, such as this... It was very funny to suddenly stop in the middle of this project to model him hugging Snoop Dogg...

JoeHills, unsurprisingly, based on real-life Joe Hills... But I did have this comic by my side while modeling him, for moral support, because modeling someone's likeness is always stressful...

Cleo's pose pose a challenge, It uses a transparent one-legged skeleton inside the main body... Like a real armour-stand magic! I like how it turned out...

I've started watching Zedaph very recently, so both Noxolotl's and Applestruda's portrayals of him were very helpful in forming mine...

Blaise's Hermit line up was used for Cub and Hypno, which you will see down the line... Bee's art was helpful, once again, and these Cub-arts by Sylvan...

My main goal with Jevin was to somehow convincingly make a slime look slimy... I was so ready to make him as rotund as this art, but alas, program restrictions...

This art was used for False at the very beginning, but it drifted so much with the addition of cheekbones, that it doesn't look like it at all anymore...

Hypno had a surprise for me, because before making this model, I've never saw this brown line on his chest as a boob-window... But now, I am convinced... This is the art, that guided me to that conclusion... Ghostea's and Locus's portraits were useful for figuring out his face...

Iskall lifted from this art... Hero Forge doesn't have any cool one-eyed visors, so I've settled on monocle for him and Doc...

Hero Forge also for some reason doesn't have a hand-held flower, so pretend, that Stress doesn't hold a pen, okay? And has a cardigan... Based mainly on this and this art, which was also used for XB...

My best guess with Keralis was that he is doing Edvard Munch's "The Scream" ommage... Thanks to Myra and Cole , without them, Keralis would've looked more like a bug with them big ol' eyes...

Oh, boy, XB... A true enigma for me... Pictured here, lightly jogging... Only you could tell me, if I did a good job with him, I sincerely have no idea... Since this is in part a TCG-inspired project, it would've been wise to use references from the actual TCG-cards... To bad, I've came up with this idea near the end of a project...

I have made so many Xisuma-costumes, and only now I am showing you the main friendly-neighbourhood DoomGuy cosplayer himself... Do I need to credit id Software for this?

WelsKnight is my champion in regards to how many references I needed for him... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7! Despite how many armour options Hero Forge has, making something coherent out of them was difficult... Especially, keeping in mind, that one day I'm going to model HelsKnight as well...

And finally, TinFoilChef, based heavily on this stunning artwork... And somewhat on this skin by Ink-Ghoul... It all comes around...

And the Creator Himself! Beef! And his wonderful portraits: 1 2 3 4...

I actually going to use him as an example, to address something...

Here is how my screen looks, then I am working on a model... My method of creation is derivative by nature, it requires the art and creativity of other people... And I have SO MUCH anxiety about this... Not being an artist, but still trying to make something with my limited capabilities... And post it on the internet, oh horror...

With recent talks about plagiarism and AI-art, it has come to my attention, that I myself not so different from AI, just not so efficient... So, this is why I so obsessively document my influences, it is the least I can do... Credit the artists, that I stole from... Please, check out everyone mentioned, subscribe to them, commission new pieces of art...

And if you've liked my dorky "minecraft youtubers made in DND character creator" models... Thank you...

Sometime later there will be a google doc on my blog with links to every model I've ever made, go nuts with them... Try Hero Forge for yourself, it's fun...

[alice-after-dark]

I've Actually Thought About This...

Inspired by this reblog from @lovethatmakingcoffee (original artist is @paprikaries), I've actually considered this for a while and I have some thoughts about why Vox needed to have Sir Pentious hide a camera in the hotel.

(Just for clarification, I do understand that the comic is meant to be silly and all in good fun, it just got my wheels turning)

So the first point is the television in the hotel. It definitely looks old, so it's possible it's too outdated for him to connect to, however, I think there's another reason entirely. Every time we have seen Vox interact with a TV screen, he appears on it. TVs don't have cameras. They only display. So while Vox could in theory connect to the TV and watch the hotel that way, he'd only be able to do it while literally making everyone aware that he was watching them.

As for the phone thing...well...we don't actually know if Vox can connect through phones. The fandom, myself included, has assumed he can because phones have cameras and screens and use electricity, but we have never actually seen him interact with a phone using his powers. Even the call from Velvette is from his head, not his phone. And when he talks to Sir Pentious, Pentious is using a V-Watch, not a phone, which I do get is supposed to be a play on smart watches, but I did look it up and smart watches have extremely limited video capabilities, meaning the V-Watch is most likely exclusively designed for video calls. It's also very clear from the angle we see Vox at that he himself is not using a V-Watch. He's probably using one of his usual computer monitors. Honestly, when it comes down to it, I think phones would work the same way as a TV. He'd appear on the screen. The big thing about video cameras is that they are, by design, one-way devices. He can watch without being seen.

As for the logo thing...I've said this in another post, but the logo actually doesn't mean much in hindsight. Like, imagine finding a hidden camera in your room, looking at the brand, and going "ah hah! They are clearly the ones stalking me!" instead of thinking someone, oh I don't know, purchased said camera from the brand? It's one of those writing points that honestly baffles me. Vox is probably the biggest producer of tech in Hell. It's really not a surprise it would be one of his cameras. Angel Dust really jumped to conclusions assuming the Vees were behind the spying. Yes, he was right, because that's how the writing wanted it to go, but he kind of had no reason to draw the conclusion he did so quickly.

[whetstonefires]

ask game for fanfic writers: 7. tell us about the plot of the first fanfic you ever wrote (that you remember). OR 11. what’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? also, how much do you worry about doing research in general? (yeah, I just want to listen to an infodump)

hi!!!!! lmao confession, the time lapse between when you posted that ask game and when i reblogged it from you was me keeping it open in a tab trying to send you an ask, like a polite person. but sending asks is, like watching television, one of those things that ought to be straightforward but which i find astonishingly difficult for no clear reason. so while cleaning out my tabs i just lowered my standards and reblogged it.

7. oh, this is a funny one actually! so this was around two years before i learned fic was a thing, so i'm in like the sixth or seventh grade. i had this really inexplicably intense dream about spiderman. i woke up and it stuck with me, you know.

so i was like, well loads of people write stories about spiderman, i don't need permission, i'll write it down and then it will leave me alone.

naturally i forgot over half the dream before i finished getting it down. but the plot definitely involved being stuck to the ceiling due to inexplicable spider-powers and a very strained conversation with spiderman on one of those external cornices you get on the fancier class of brownstone. i think whatever OC i was inhabiting was mad about spiderman existing and he was increasingly fed up with me being insane, but trying to be patient.

ig there was no plot. strictly speaking.

11. gonna answer these in reverse order.

so first, there's two classes of research for fic, as far as i'm concerned, probably because i spent too long in comics. there's general knowledge about real things, and then there's finding the correct reference points within the canon you're working from.

the first one i'm not that intense about. sometimes there's a thing i really have to Get Right so i go looking, or i'll commit to including something and then need to go read up for verisimilitude, but i generally do not get into the deep factfinding tunnels people talk about.

because i enjoy the process of learning and the process of writing, but i tend to find it very stressful to suspend the act of writing in order to pursue knowledge, so that particular constellation makes both experiences worse. so i'm more likely to redirect the story around a knowledge roadblock so i can keep moving, than really dig in to break through it, and i'm very willing to go 'okay that'll work' and return to the story if i do break for research.

rather than try to track down That One Datapoint, if i'm writing fic that requires or would benefit from knowledge of [subject], i will tend to do general reading on that subject, and then let my improved background knowledge and store of Fun Facts shape where i go with the story.

this is more fun and more likely to come in handy for other purposes later, and the writing result tends to be more natural. same approach with original fiction.

with the kind of research designed to get my fic latched into canon correctly, on the other hand, i keep trying to be more casual about this, especially for fandoms where the canon material is a hot mess, but i also keep regretting that attempt. because it lets me get a fic actually started rather than bogged down in preliminaries, but then i reach a certain point and get frustrated that this is a good fic except it didn't bother to be chronologically coherent and now it's too late.

i didn't write any ffvii fic until i'd played through the original game and taken notes, and i definitely don't regret that!

now, cool things i've found out...the first one I think of, i stumbled across an unexpected gem while browsing to brainstorm night hunt ideas for mdzs fic.

turns out one of the many many many many many archaic chinese words for ghoulies and ghosties, for which it's very unclear what the specific differences between one term and another were in any given usage, is wangxiang. translations proposed include both 'mountain spirits' and 'water demons,' but it's definitely some sort of supernatural entity, and an unfriendly one.

there's a semi-major plot point in the book where, when they were teens, Lan Wangji named a song he'd composed Wangxian, which is also their portmanteau shipname. which by his standards was a romantic declaration. but Wei Wuxian passed out, and didn't actually hear him say it. so whether it would have worked as a romantic declaration remains unclear lmao. lan wangji refuses to tell him again later.

i think a very funny element for an AU would be if he only almost passed out, and just went away believing the song was named 'wangxiang,' which sounds very similar and is a word he's reasonably likely to have relatively high in his lexicon on account of their job is monster hunting and his education is distinctly monster slanted, and was just like, 'what a creepy name for such a pretty song?? lan zhan is so weird lol.'

bonus misunderstanding points if he said it was creepy but didn't explain why and Lan Wangji was like i have been brutally rejected 😢

you aren't actually in that fandom though, so this feels like a lame answer. uhhhh.

for my Earth-3 fics when I put mirror Dick Grayson through a recovery/redemption arc and he was laying low in Europe to avoid both Bruce and Slade ('With Tongue of Wood'), i basically stuck a pin in the map and spun a dial in my head and was like he's in...Romania...working in a...bakery.

so then i had to take a hiatus to research Romanian bakeries and it turns out Romanian cuisine is in possession of many fantastic varieties of fancy pastry, and i want to eat them. it's been what, seven years? but still. curse of knowledge. there are delicious pastries in romania.

[gleefultogo]

Aira Character Talk

Since Aira was mentioned again in Saltyplaytoons (spongebob reference? Lol, funny either way) blog post I wanted to take a deep dive and talk about her. Plus at this point she’s the only pure character that deserves to be rescued from this shit comic and not written by a misogynist. She get’s shit on for no fucking reason. 

It is very well known now that kique has stated that she is his “least” favorite character. Why? Probably because she’s another female character he made and got bored of her. Honestly it saves her the injustice he would have given her if she had more screen time.  When we first met Aira, she was stuck in her creature form. I thought at first she was an evolved creature that was based on Aedra and her beast form was pretty cool in my opinion it looked like a mix between a cat and a dog. Which btw people was made and turned into by a Spirit, so that quickly leads my thoughts into rhov’s and feaf’s future kids. If a spirit can turn a dog into an evolved creature, then it’s very much possible because of the spirits for them to have hybrid kids. Will it be canon? I don’t know, like many have said; it’s obvious kique is bored of his own comic and shoved into our faces just to keep pages being pumped out with nothing really interesting. For me, I see the comic as a sitcom show that just goes nowhere and the characters do and say random stuff that doesn’t revolve around their world or plot. Besides, you can’t tell me half of the characters in this world wanna sit cooped up in one area based on “Tribes” Dog’s just don’t do that they would have way too much pent up energy and would need to run. Can you just imagine if this comic was realistic,  the dog's muscles and bone structure would become weaker because they aren’t doing anything really, they just sit in one place and that's it. Ok sorry, back to Aira :) 

   (Aira’s first appearance form)

You see what I mean though? She resembles a sorta dog and cat hybrid mix. The paws are a dead giveaway as they look like a feline and she has retractable claws. It’s a neat design in itself. I'll give kique that much of any positivity for his comic XD. 

Very Interesting design features if you ask me. Anyways, Aira gets killed by kargo and she wakes up a normal dog again and sets off into the woods to heal her wounds I guess? Probably also went to seek shelter maybe. We later on see her again on page 138. Heavily bleeding still and this when she meets keirr and you know how it goes. He ends up helping her and she’s taken aback from being surprised I guess, which is quite valid of her character, as we do eventually learn about her backstory and she was never treated kindly by others. Aira is a character who’s a really good example of someone who would have a “fixation” on someone, I don’t think it would personally be a bad thing and realistic to her character because she’s never been treated so kindly before and i don’t think she’d be able to help herself with that mindset. She obviously took comfort in keirr  as she hesitated to follow him at first, but also because he was offering to help her and wasn’t appearing a threat to her.

  (oh look when keirr was actually a nice guy, before becoming a dick to her) 

Moving forward. Keirr takes her back to her cave and was suspicious why she was living in such a large area for one individual. Aira remains mute and just eats the food she was given. Which I suppose was rude on her part, but her communication skills seemed to be lacking as she was trapped inside a body and couldn’t talk for a long time, ok at least that makes sense because there is a valid reason enough for her to be doing that. Eventually keirr leaves her behind as she is now safely placed back into her sheltered area. But she ends up following him and keirr ends up venting to her about why he couldn’t go back to his family, he was understandably grieving over zilas. I find these next few parts important to Aira’s character. She willingly sits there even if not knowing him for not a very long time. But she sits there and listens to him vent and doesn’t question him, that’s just an empathetic thing and it's wholesome to have seen that in the comic as they being the characters actually talked about things that troubled them, and it didn’t lead to sex confrontation. She may not have known him very long, but she’s a character that gives off a warm and comforting vibe, like a friend you can tell anything too without her judging because she obviously cares about others. 

Later keirr ends up following her and getting to know her more. Then we see a page with them together and keirr is giving her physical therapy? 

(hey keirr how do you know about PT?). They end up jumping over some logs to strengthen her legs or whatever. Kinda pointless in a way if she was born with a weak structure. It’s like saying you can just magically cure a dog with mobility issues with just some PT. Wellll nope, it’s much harder and time consuming. Plus it won't fully heal someone with a physical disability, it may help strengthen her a bit, but she wouldn’t be able to fully walk normally. Compare it to a dog who was born with swimmers syndrome or cerebellar hypoplasia. That’s a lot of PT work and also medication in order for them to walk to a degree. It’s not something that can fully be cured, so Aira’s 180 later on would be really stupid when the author wrote her this way. 

Now the next page (198) is important, keirr states he has to go back home cause he’s been gone for too long. Aira very clearly goes into panic mode and begs keirr to stay with her because she clearly states she doesn't wanna be “Alone” She’s told to basically just shut up and he’ll return soon whenever. Again Aira panics and kisses keirr forcefully. 

Now I find that quite sad and interesting for her. I’m not a therapist or a physician by any means. But this is my own take on this situation. Aira is using a tactic that almost feels like she is forcing her own affection onto keirr, not being in control of her own body due to her panicking. In a way, yes Aira did sexually assault keirr and he had every right to confront her about it because it was wrong of her. He leaves her behind anyway to go back to his family. Aira is then left with what looks like the expression of shock and most likely guilt because she’s being left behind again and most likely processing stuff in her head. I'd like to believe that her mind is very scattered due to her having issues of being left behind. 

We then proceed to see Aira again and most likely took keirr’s words to heart and goes back to the spirit of strength because she feels weak without and can’t survive. She practically feels hopeless without that spirit, keirr stops her and then asks was it because of him? Keep that in mind. Aira is obviously upset in this scene and then tells keirr her back story and the things she did. She basically claims that she went back to the spirit because of Keirr, she was upset. It’s like if someone told you as a person, that you weren’t good enough for them, nor did they want you around them because to them you felt like a burden. I wouldn’t be surprised if Aira was the first dog in the comic to commit suicide because she deems herself as a burden and was never accepted. If the spirits didn’t exist and the comic took more of a dark turn, I think she would have been a character to have that type of mindset. 

Eventually keirr takes Aira under his wing with a better understanding of her to a degree. She proceeds to then help him look for his family as she’s apparently traveled all over the map while being a beast at the time and saw many tribes fall and create new ones. We meet the deer rp tribe and then kique puts them there because he doesn’t know what to do with them at that moment. Aira is then very clearly seen to be hesitant and doesn’t wanna join them because they were just going to ask if they saw family members of keirr’s. But then the 180 happens and they join anyway. Keirr becomes a dick and then judges fucking Aira behind her back  because of the jarl confronting her leg structure. Yeah hey morons, maybe she's struggling because she got a giant ass heavy deer rack strapped to her head and has weak legs, antlers are not light things. Of fucking curse she’d be struggling. 

Honestly that’s when I started hating keirr the most, like why the fuck are you jugding her? She literally told you she was born with a mobility disability and was tossed aside for it. *sighs* She ends up stuck with Keirr as a Herbalist, like kique? The fuck man, how stupid can you be. You made a character with a physical disability who struggles with that and you give her a rank that requires to walk a lot? Like what? She’d be a terrible herbalist because she’d probably take much longer to even get to a location and back to the tribe. She has to carry her weight around. How frustrating, it’s like he literally forgets his own character traits they have. Like if you didn’t wanna deal with a character with a disability then why give her one if you're gonna 180 it.

Page 481. The page that did it all for me and hated this dude's guts. Ok so even if Aira did end up stuck in a tribe she didn’t wanna be, plus she looks absolutely miserable in the panel. She literally got excited when he returned with bootleg kargo after their little flirting session or whatever that was. 

    (look at the sweet baby… I love her)

Like damn keirr, you should be fucking honored that someone likes you for you and your company, plus she was even worried about you. He could have easily just told her he was being sent to scout, like keirr did you not forget that you joined the tribe when you didn’t have too? Like at all. Aira stated to you that she didn’t wanna be there and wanted to go back to looking for your family. But whatever, he gives her the cold shoulder and tells her to suck it up and build connections with a tribe of strangers. God I really want to just rewrite this page at times. Keirr should have welcomed her with open arms (or paws) and told her about his travels and that he didn’t find what he was looking for unfortunately. Like why did you diss the only character who showed remorse and care for you. She obviously likes having you around and because you took her under your wing, you have no right to be a moody dick to her. This is when I see abandonment issues come into play. As someone who has abandonment issues myself, Aira is so frikin relatable. It hurts a lot when you think about it and you're stuck in your head wondering what you did or if you're doing something wrong to have someone push you away like that. It’s the worst feeling ever and poor Aira here basically got rejected from someone she clearly cares about. 

    (She looks so lost and heartbroken in this page)  But like keirr, dude how the fuck did you forget that she told you earlier on before you joined the stupid tribe. That she literally went back to the spirit because of YOU. That’s basically her struggle, Rejection and being alone. I’m disappointed that some of the people were siding with keirr on this page. In reality if a friend asked about your mental health and you told them to fuck off in, just because your moody. Then be damned if they leave your ass. That's such a shitty thing to do to a person. Aira is no exception and didn’t deserve any of that. And sadly it only gets worse for her as even when he did do that, she still looked out for him and had to save his ass from a ghoul. 

(She cares about him still)

      (Fuck you keirr, you should have thanked her)

I’d also like to point something out. But in a certain page, Aira claims she lived with the meteor tribe. I’m unsure if she was referring to a beast or when she was a normal dog before cursing herself? 

If that’s true then could Aira quite possibly be a victim to rape as well? I didn’t think much of it at first because the wording confused me for a while. But going back it made me think. If she was used by MT before arenak rules then she’s very much understanding when it comes to her trauma and issues she has. In conclusion Aira seems like a complex character with her own trauma and if it was written better, it would have been interesting to see her overcome her said trauma. She’s a literal victim, a lot more than what kique claims rogio and his “mental chains” bullshit. Aira didn’t have a choice in her life,she didn’t ask to be born the way she was or have to deal with not feeling wanted by others. I feel if kique actually knew how people worked when it came to trauma and one’s mental health and emotions. Aira and keirr could have been a great duo for each other and helped support each other as friends and grew a good connection based on needing each other in a certain time because they were struggling. Sexual intercourse during trauma isn’t something that’ll help someone. It's only a distraction really at the moment. But again it shouldn't be a way out when you're in your feelings and all that. It’s quite unhealthy. I’ll say it again, Aira deserves better and needs out of this terrible comic. 

[fizziefactory]

How did you think up each of your concept for your Robo Fizz OCs? Like go in-depth about the choices you made, why you chose their names and such. I want details.

Questions about the fizzies || Accpeting

Oh that's a juicy one… and lengthy too, let's see where we can start. This got so fucking long holy shit pick your fav section idk I'm so rambly-

The very first muse I made was Factory Fizzy, or FF-8842. I can say right away that their factory name, which is the only name they go by, doesn't actually mean anything! I just think it's cute, I really love the number 8. In hindsight, 42 I can make the argument being a subconscious nod to “A hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy”, a book series I loved when I was a teen. 42 is the meaning of life, and FF-8842 is struggling to find the meaning of their life.

But most of all, Four-Two, or Fou-Too, just sounds cute.

They were originally made for a comic that I wanted to draw for the song The Fine Print by The Stupendium, sometimes I just get brainworms when I fixate, and I end up drawing lengthy comics to songs I like. I needed a fizzy to work in the Fizzy Factory for the song, so I made a fizzy with a simple design, clothes with no dyes, “horns” without fabric on them, basically a fizzy that didn't need to catch anyone's eye, nor drain resources and money. This is also why while they're quite strong, they're only 4’1”.

Now I play a lot on the idea of a fizzy that was created with a strong sense of self, of sentience, as soon as they were created. Usually it takes my fizzies a few years to reach sentience, if they ever do… but FF-8842 is a “defect” always at the verge of being scrapped for being too much of a free-thinker. This definitely evolved from the original comic, where they clearly do not possess the same distant look in their eyes as the other fizzies.

The second fizzy I made was The Manager. His name was originally just Office Fizzy, which I later weaved into his backstory instead. I actually asked my friends how I should refer to him, and they liked the simplicity of The Manager, and I think while it might be a little bit of a mouthful, it's oozes just what kind of person he is.

He is the Manager. He makes sure this clock is turned up and ticking.

For the comic, he was originally more of a guide for new fizzies, and of course the one doing the singing/talking in the comic, and if you want a good idea of what his inspiration was, look no further than the song itself. It's all there. Eventually Manager evolved into something different. He became, well, less someone handling the papers in an office, and more of an actual… manager, of the factory.

The idea to make it all Entirely fizzy-made tickled me, and so I tweaked his story a little bit, having him climb from an “Office Fizzy”, to being where he is now, so successful he even managed to alter his own design, which no fizzy of his model has done before… he even owns his own fizzies. Has businesses outside the factory (not to Mammon's knowledge but yknow-) making big cash and giving into greed because of the influence from Mammon, by simply being made in his image, and giving into it. A success story for the ages. He is a control-freak at this point though, to make sure he doesn't lose it all.

I also gave him an Australian accent because he's spending way too much time around Mammon. That's just a fun fact ♡ Also all the green and gold in his clothes also point to how closely he works with Mammon.

Mortis had his name change many times. He went from simply Undertaker, and I considered Morty Briefly… but decided against it real quick. I went with Mort for a while… but I just loved the way Mortis sounded. I know it's wormed into my brain because of Faith (don't ask me about the plot of that game I don't Know) but Mortis just felt Right. Mortis is the Latin noun for Death.

Mortis also came from The Fine Print. There's a section of the song that goes like this;

“If you'd rather drop dead, that's fine

But you know that dropping down dead bears a fine

So you do your job and I'll do mine

I gotta meet a six-foot deep bottom line”

And I don't know, it just fired off my creative juices like… what if there was an undertaker fizzy? That'd be so cool… and so out there xhdbbd. I have always had a complicated relationship with death, so I enjoy writing morticians because of their various different ways to approach the subject. Mortis started off approaching it quite casually… It's hell after all, but the more I wrote him?

I got to put myself in his head and how he was thinking, his life-philosophy, how me having placed him in Wrath affected his outlook, and now he's become almost philosophical, now he's holding sermons in Satan's name and I believe he puts his own beliefs into them… and despite having such a sad job, and how he has to face such misery and grief every day… It's somehow helped him become the most at peace fizzy I've got. Because he understands life and death better than any other fizzy, while also getting to be on his own and expressing and exploring himself best a fizzy can.

He is heavily inspired by the Undertaker in The Backwater Gospel, who is quiet and non-threatening, but his mere presence is enough to send you into a panic.

Why is he here?

Who’s going to die?

He's also heavily inspired by the YouTube channel Little Bubby Child since he's from Wrath and all. I will meme on him til the day I die.

Mizzy got her name from Maid Fizzy, you smoosh the names together you get Mizzy. For a while I also had Dolly as a suggestion, but it didn't really stick with my followers. So it's kinda become a nickname certain fizzies who knew her before the memory-wipe call her, like Thizzy and The Manager.

Mizzy was always meant to be a companion bot, I wanted a fizzy that actually did what the commercial advertised the fizzies to do. I made her a maid because I wanted to play around with her owner being a weeb, and I simply wanted to dress her up in cute little outfits that I knew a guy with his own companion bot would want to see. In time the idea of her once having belonged to Burnie Burnz, Fizzarolli's stalker, wormed itself into my brain… and the misery tripled from there.

I think it was because I wrote out a scene with a friend where I played him briefly before he got eaten by a sandworm (shoutout Beetlejuice the OG), and I recalled his line regarding the fizzies not getting him off right. I wondered what kind of shit a disgusting guy like him would even do to a fizzy if he planned on murdering Fizzarolli, so I, unfortunately, made Mizzy his fizzybot. The only solution was the memory wipe… and that's why she's so head empty most of the time. Her programming is protecting her from remnants at all times.

I really wanted to show how messed up the companion bot situation is with Mizzy, which is why she's been used sparingly. I love a good healing story though, so I've tried to bring her in more where she gets to regain her power and independence and tweaked her current owner to be a little less awful to give her a break… but still awful nonetheless. She's always ripe for fizzy-adoption.

Ginger has changed so much from the original concept. At first she was named Fuzzy, for a fussy fizzy. Then later when I switched up his design, opting for the red design in the commercial I thought looked neat as hell, I decided to go with Ginger instead. It just sounded right, all things considered.

Ginger started out as Fuzzy, who was heavily inspired by Sun from FNAF to be perfectly honest. I have 3 Sun OCs very near and dear to my heart, and I love writing anxious nervous wrecks… so that's what I did for a while. Eventually I leaned into him snapping more and more, running out of patience like Brandon Roger's Mom character, and as I wrote them in IC group chats, I realised more and more that Fuzzy was actually rarely if ever anxious… they were mostly stressed and Irritated.

And I was never happy with the original design… it was cute but didn't spark joy, it felt hasty. I spotted the design in the commercial I liked the most, and I remade everything.

Now Ginger is Something Else Entirely.

She's tired, he's pissed, he's at his wits end, and they're Dangerous if you look at them wrong. They became a Mama Bear, while also something of a Big Sister character… grumpy and with a resting bitch face… but a heart of gold below the surface.

I wanted to explore the fizzy for the kids and teens, the meaningless chores that fizzies have to perform for demons like carrying bags and making dinner and other kinds of butler-stuff, and just how straining tiring and meaningless it all felt, all while Also being a companion for the adults.. Despite Mizzy, Ginger has turned into the fizzy that's the absolute most disappointed with their lot in life, and hates Fizzarolli just about as much as Pinwheel. This is also why they are siblings in the human AU, they've got much in common.

Thizzy is simple. Therapist+Fizzy=Thizzy. Briefly he was called Shrinky, but I left it instead as a nickname he got from Doc, which he absolutely despises, because I could Not take it seriously.

Thizzy was taken from the commercial, I interpreted his neutral face as one of absolute indifference, and I figured this is Hell and this is Mammon so… originally he was meant to not give a rat’s ass about anybody, especially not his patients. However while writing my muse page for this blog, I had him write out short “profiles” for the other fizzies… and I thought Hey… what if he checked up on the fizzies too?

Now he's part of a larger process that The Manager runs where he checks up on the fizzies on the regular to make sure they're doing fine physically but also mentally (at least well enough to perform their tasks), and in time I found that Thizzy actually did care…

He cared too much, which is why he tried to not care at all. Because the alternative was to let it all get to you… Despite not wanting to get involved, it's in his programming to do so, and he's got a good heart, albeit only metaphorically.

Now he's just so tired... and working in the Sloth Ring doesn't help this.

His relationship with Doc is the result of when he was still in his early years and just performed his tasks as he was programmed to do… and now he's stuck in this unhealthy toxic relationship where he has to make sure Doc is happy all the damn time. Luckily for him, he mostly is. At least as a robot-

Finally, Doc! Doc is easy enough, he's Doc because he's a doctor! I did consider Doccy but it reminded me of. Another word, so I backtracked bxhrhe. I worried it'd be too generic but… it just fits. He's Doc. Nothing else fits like Doc does ♡

I just stared at the screen when Doctor Fizzy came on. Those colours. That Forced Grin, those soft little cheeks… that blank fucking stare. This was an unhinged doctor-character and I needed him in my life. My cringe, emo, deviantart-browsing, gore-loving, Higurashi-watching, Hatoful Boyfriend-playing, problematic teenage-self... they needed this.

He hasn't actually changed much at all. He was always inspired by those crazy doctors you see in anime, games and horror movies. Their silly giggles and the over the top surgeries and bone saws and all that stuff.. he's my horror and gore-character, for when I want to write a bit of this and that, which I do find a lot of fun.

I don't know what really made him as flamboyant as he is… I think just the nature of him being a crazy doctor character while also being a sex bot… and when I discovered the Bubblegum Coquette aesthetic- and in time I developed his relationship with Thizzy. His clinginess opened up the idea of how he's probably not got a lot of connections because of how “intense” he is, and while he's not quite as sentient as the rest… he's getting there, every time he reflects on how lonely he is.

His only way to connect with others was by keeping body parts of whomever he operated on, that was All he was ever able to get his hands on fair and square(?).. and he started getting unhealthily attached to those parts. Now he actively seeks them out because it's the only form of love and attachment he understands so far, and if he gets attached to people to a strong degree, there's a chance it turns into love/obsession, which will push him further into sentience, and so on now we have a yandere too.

Cringe.

But at least I'm free.

He's the perfect example of when a robot is Not taught how humans and emotions actually work, and now he's already registered what he knows as truths and facts.

Imma not cover Imposter too much cus really I just got inspired by that That's not my neighbour-song before I even knew there was a game, and I wanted to make a strong fizzy for quite some time, that could work as Manager's bodyguard to make him pose more of a threat than he did on his own. I loved the black and white aesthetic because of absolute neutrality, and my fiance mentioned that it looked like a pierrot and I was like Hell yeah accidental pierrot let's go-

They obviously has a bit of Ennard from FNAF in them, or the Mimic or whatever that new enemy is called... I think it's a pretty natural robot-plot device at this point. It is a fun bot to play in group chats where I can pretend to be my other muses and wait and see how long it takes my fellow muns to realise there's a question mark at the end of the tupper bot's username. It communicates through motions and clicks, sign language, when it isn't disguised, and is very mischievous and a troublemaker.. I dunno, the inspiration is "gremlin".

[ct-multifandom]

Minisodes oh my lawd

I haven’t posted yttd since Kai’s island route came out, but wow that was some shit I just saw. I wanna talk about my thoughts. I’ll go in order of increasing sadness and rambling.

!!! spoiler warning !!!

Anzu

The least lore-heavy story maybe? It was cute, and I liked to see more of her since she’s one of the most minor characters in the playable cast, but I feel like there wasn’t a lot of deep stuff in this one.

Her school uniform is cute but seeing her de-clown-ified and normal is strange. It’s like when Nankidai draws Gin without the fursuit

I saw other people point this out as well, but it’s weird that Ryuu’s coworker got a full sprite while Anzu’s girlfriend was just a silhouette. Is the woman relevant somehow? mean if she and Samurai Yaiba can get sprites then why not the friend? Maybe it’s comparable to us never having seen Ryoko’s face in outside content or any part of her at all in the game itself, but Ryoko’s situation makes me suspicious. Does this mean something or is it irrelevant?

That bit about Kugie buying all the ice cream was a surprise. I wonder if it will be relevant to Kanna’s story, like she got her a ridiculous supply of ice cream to cheer her up when she was sad or something. Also confirmation that Kanna and Anzu lived in the same town. Did the cast all live near each other or is it just them?

I see people upset that Anzu found a guy hot but like. Her color scheme is the pansexual pride flag

I saw mention that she said she made her costume herself in the game, but the minisode says that it was a gift from Ryuu. Maybe he gave her part of it and she made the rest, or that she modified an old costume herself to be more her style? More likely that Nankidai just forgot tbh

The plaza where she became a clown is the one Midori was in last chapter, but we haven’t had a chance to be there in peace. I guess it’s just another memory location, but it’s interesting that it’s the setting for some very climactic scenes while the others aren’t. Of course, we haven’t seen every character’s room yet.

I feel like there’s something we’ve yet to learn about Anzu because at the moment she just feels like a wholesome, kinda incompetent comic relief character, and this game does not have those. Why is the survival rate of the girl who complains about extracurriculars being too much work so high? Is she such a positive force that people can’t help but keep her around? She dies immediately two separate times in the game and frankly doesn’t help with anything during puzzles. Is she secretly a good manipulator? She’s a self proclaimed good actor and learned slight of hand tricks and such from Ryuu. Does she have another side to her? If not for the logic route, we wouldn’t have known what Ranmaru is capable of, but according to the minisode, the way Anzu acts in the game is the same as how she acted to the people around her normally.

Alice

Why can’t we have nice things??? It was so cute and so heartbreaking at the same time. Like, if this was a scene in a linear, chronological story, we’d still have the hope and maybe expectation that Alice will still fix things with Reko, but we know that from this moment on he screws up literally every chance he can get until it’s too late. The good ending we want so bad is pretty much impossible.

The kid sprites are so cute. We already saw them in that one CG but seeing them as sprites makes them feel more alive, y’know

When Alice referred to himself by name and Reko was like I already know your name… this one’s going in my transgender compilation

Them having a secret treehouse fort is so baby

And I love the Samurai Yaiba designs. Looking camp right in the eye. Idc if people think it’s ugly, the girls who get it get it

It was nice to finally meet the other band members. I wasn’t expecting to ever see them have real screen time but hey. Although Stronghold turned out to be a creepy weirdo and Ursheen is nonverbal or mute or something?

I’m excited to see island routes for these two. Idk if their events together will be deep or anticlimactically goofy. I imagine Reko’s “good” ending will involve starting a band or something, but what would Alice’s be? Does he have his own ambitions? Imagine if it was the other way around, if managing a band or teaching music to beginners was his passion

It’s interesting that almost every account of this plot line is from Alice’s perspective, which makes sense because it has a much stronger emotional effect on him than on Reko who thinks she has more important things to worry about and overlooks Alice. I would like to see more of her take, though, because her whole situation seems to be deeply un-relatable to him. Did she prioritize her success with the conscious awareness that she’s hurting his feelings, or is she just so career-focused that she didn’t even think it’d affect him?

Lastly, I’m intrigued by fandom reaction to Reko’s behavior. People rightly find her to be complex and compelling, but they also just like her and seem to forgive or understand her. I often find that when a character, especially a woman, does something like this, people hold it against them pretty harshly. Yet Reko is widely loved and may even have more fans than Alice? Is it because we know she becomes a better person later on and starts to mend their relationship? As a member of the liked-Qtaro-before-it-was-cool-and-everyone-else-hated-him club I’m curious about the standards people hold flawed characters to. Is it because Reko has that badass punk rock pretty privilege, or does her story just resonate with people?

Kai

Oooohhhh my god dude. This one. Shitting and crying. Kai was allowed to be happy for five seconds ever.

Seeing Sei was a jumpscare

Seeing young Gashu was an even bigger jumpscare. Y’know how when a guy shaves, all you can see is the real estate where a mustache is supposed to be?

I can’t BELIEVE this shit made him somehow sympathetic. These sideplots have made every villainous character from previous chapters have a sympathetic side what the hell. We haven’t seen the full extent of Miley’s story yet, just little hints, which is exciting to me, obviously Safalin is grey all over, and Ranger was programmed to be the way he was, but Gashu?! Clearly he still sucks, but HRNNGGHR what’s next? Does Midori have a sympathetic side?

Gashu making brief, absolutely pathetic attempts at treating his kids as people with feelings between training sessions. These moments of empathy being seen as a failing on Asunaro’s end that had to be beaten out. Gashu not fully understanding what they were planning and turning himself into a total emotionless monster after he found out to protect himself for what was coming. He probably thought he was doing Ranger a favor by making him the way he did.

Sei’s whole thing re-contextualized Rio Ranger so grossly. People are upset that Kai didn’t live to meet him, but I’m kinda glad he didn’t have to see how his father desecrated his brother’s personality and image post-mortem.

Hated seeing the light leave their eyes after the visit from Asunaro lady

Speaking of her, huh? She looks way too unique to be a silhouette character? All the other ones were generic looking normal people but she looks like Miss dori. My theory is that the hair was the only part that mattered, that that hairstyle is a symbol of the figure the organization sees as “god” and its higher members perhaps try to emulate it, Midori included.

We got some more explicit information on the religious cult side of Asunaro. We already knew Gashu had these beliefs, but the other floormasters didn’t. We have hints that Miley and Safalin are actually exceptions, caring more about their scientific research and personal agendas than whatever the organization’s true beliefs and agendas might be.

Kai trauma-dumping on Mr Chidouin made me uncomfortable. It feels like Kai will trust anyone who’s nice to him, and is surprisingly optimistic or even naïve considering everything he went through. We don’t know what Mr C’s goals are, but man. He has the same poses as Meister. Come on. I hate the way he had that fake ass smile plastered on while Kai spilled his heart out. It seems like Kai never learned how to trust or distrust people, and both those things played a part in his downfall.

That Euphoria Rue Happy Moments compilation on YouTube that’s only one minute long except it’s Kai

I like how Sei really did have that bitchy, unserious personality Ranger ended up with, except he also had ~feelings~. I would have liked to see how his brash sense of humor plays of Kai’s bizarre one.

Does involvement with Asunaro immediately require you to upload your consciousness to their central computer or something? Where else would Gashu get the AI of a long dead kid for Ranger? I doubt he understood him well enough to have him replicated from scratch, fucked up liberties and all.

Sei being older than Kai surprised me. How old do you guys think they were? Like 12 and 15 maybe? I have seen many fans in the past interpret Ranger as being an adult, but I always saw him as a kid/teenager. I guess a big part of it is his trauma-induced immaturity (and probably literally having the mind of a child), but he looks young to me too. He doesn’t look too much older than Sei, and his body appears strangely un-athletic looking for someone who underwent rigorous assassin training, thought he does look taller. Maybe 18-ish?

The whole murder island thing felt so impractical and unnecessarily sadistic but then again everything the organization does is like that. Also can’t believe Kai won the hunger games by doing nothing what a legend

I know Sei’s death wouldn’t have had nearly the same effect without CGs, but this minisode being the only one with extra art like that made it feel way bigger than the other two

The way Sei was capable of breaking down in tears and loving and being terrified but still had it in him to kill others, and be casual about it too

Kai growing up still wearing that same type of uniform every day symbolizing how he could never escape Asunaro’s grasp even when he tried running, ignoring it, covering it up with his apron which represents his individuality. Ranger wearing that black t-shirt and little yellow scarf representing him being freed from Asunaro’s expectations, not in a way that granted him autonomy, but rather that it gave them the OK to empty out everything that made him him and using him as a brief, disposable tool, represented by him stealing pieces of all the other humans who were similarly used and killed by Asunaro for himself.

What would Kai dress like if he could pick out his own clothes?

I would love an afterlife scene with these two like the one Nao and Mishima got

Or the normal version of a Sei AI in YTTS

Man getting to know Sei really changed my whole perspective of Ranger and I’m glad he and Kai not only knew each other in life but also formed a close bond. That for a brief period they both had somebody they could trust

Edit addition: omg how both of them became completely aware that they were going to die with no way out of it, and didn’t accept it per se, quite the opposite actually, but their final wishes were to at least not die at the hands of the enemy who doomed them

Can you tell this one was my fav? Yeah uh. Fuck. Anyway I love how Nankidai manages to keep everyone relevant as have us learn more about them so long and so consistently after their deaths. Nobody is just there for a plot device or shock value, they all have their own stories that don’t end when they’re gone. Can’t wait for more

[hypnogogyc]

Since you are THE Oliver banks artist (to me atleast) thoughts on the fact Oliver and Jane Prentis worked at the same crystal/tarrot shop? I don’t think they knew eachother all that wel or anything but god there’s something so intresting about having these avatars all be so closely connected

(Love your Oliver design btw:) )

Oh that is the highest honor i hold to my chest id like to thank lilnan for the trustfall comic that broke my brain and started me on this path.

AND THANK YOU FOR THIS ASK!!!

First of all as characters alone they went very different paths towards their entities and that makes sense considering the Corruption requires a life to infest, where the End is. You know. I stand by my “all avatars succumbed to their entity by fleeing from another”(like Elias to the eye fearing the end) i think Oliver ran from the end and found comfort in the end but in a new light. Jane I think always did have the fear of corruption with her blackhead paranoia and bullying but i feel she really feared the lonely. Her self mutilation in mortality is her way of doing something about the rejection she experienced, even if it didn’t really help anything. She first fears corruption because all her life she was demeaned for filth, and grew up thinking she was rotting inside everyday. Her choice to then change from picking at her skin in self disgust to loving her pock marks because they held home to something that needed her as much as she needed it is hard to not understand at least a little why she’s so elated.

Also the timeline matches up for working the same time.. (oliver is spotted there 2013, jane isnt discovered by cops til march 2014. Ik janes statement only says he came in while she worked n stared at her but. Shhhh) i think they got on rather well. They were both people desperately trying to find relief and hoping something would just finally click in place and they would belong. Jane was rejected from what she centered her life around (just having any connection. Any acceptance, both in herself and everyone else.) and so was Oliver (from life itself. The society he was born into, the events of his life. It was just all too much at once and the lack of childhood info on him from his mortal statement and only the statement towards jon later i think feeds into the idea of him not really even wanting to live on in memory.)

Oliver looks up to Jane for her wisdom when he meets her as a man with some bad dreams here and there and she’s a woman with some pretty terribly dealt with anxiety, which he could relate to. I think he’d talk to her about meditation, trying to find presence in your own body, but she had a very bad reaction to that. He apologizes and she accepts his treat for her lunch break when he comes back into work with an extra sandwich and soup. He sees her unsteadiness in much in life but she’s different with the crystals and cards. She speaks fondly of every gemstone’s meanings and properties, makes a secret drawer for all the gems shaped in such a way she couldn’t handle not being able to buy it herself. She teaches him Tarot, he picks it up quick. He tells her that he thinks the gems suit her. Jane smiles a bit stiffly and says thanks. He clarifies he meant it suiting her as a person, as she was very attuned. She smiles wide and says thanks again, this one natural.

Jane disliked Oliver at first. Self loathing without relief often turns outwards, and he was polite and well spoken and handsome and even had the nerve to be friendly with her. Incessantly. Shes slow to trust. She has to be. She’s played this song and dance and it has to be pity or obligation. She likes her job because for her role she is no longer Jane Prentiss. She’s a store clerk with a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of it’s wares. Oliver offers guided meditation, she has a hard time saying no. It ends badly. He’s apologetic and Jane just doesn’t understand it. The next day he buys her lunch as a apology. Material loss from him (and she knew exactly what his paycheck was and it was NOT lofty. It was only lunch but. Still.) and then the loneliness can’t bear it anymore. She keeps herself from delusions that someone like him would take such genuine interest in her that wasn’t just someone who was overly friendly and didn’t want tension with a coworker. But then they bond slowly. Jane teaches him to read tarot on a slow day. Its just a basic reading but he drinks in her words intently. It strikes her suddenly that this man not only tolerated her as a coworker. He respected her. He really truly felt what she was saying was valuable information. She’s giddy and teaches him more advanced spreads. Oliver has to eventually ask for a break and she apologizes for not realizing and getting carried away and he laughs and says no that was amazing. I’m so glad i could see so much of what you can. She’s thrilled, they go drinking at nights (Oliver is the sober driver).

But then Oliver becomes more despondent. He talks less about his nightmares to her but obviously still has them. She can’t help the paranoia come back. She never did receive closure for being abandoned time and time again. She didn’t expect it now. This final straw is when she catches him staring. THAT was a look she knew. Pity. She picks at her skin worse and worse. Oliver takes over when Jane doesn’t show up for a few days, and he’s walked past her house enough to see the roots and understand what’s happened.

[kazeharuhime]

Thanks to @authoroflight for the original template! (Though I might have customized it beyond recognizability ksdjgnsd)

2023... I got a lot of art done this year compared to past years! Though the year started out slow, between trades and commissions, the first quarter of the year somehow managed to have at least one good drawing a month, even if March's old-sketch-paintover looks a little strange next to all the creatures. XD; May and June continued the theme of painting over old, though June's original was considerably newer than May's. It also took me forever to find it!! Several of the ones I'd been going to put for June turned out to be from different months (no date on them so was going by modified date at first, oops!). And in July of course there was the Clysmia comic, August with the Choco 'comic'. September was another low but I managed to churn out another paintover. October of course had my annual flower-drawing saga with the last one featured here, and in November I got bored and drew Comet, and December held a delightful surprise in the form of a book-illustrating commission. :3 Gonna keep that one to just a preview since it's part of something that'll be published.

But! Let's go through all the rest. Keep reading for more on the rest of the pieces.

January - This was a secret santa for my good friend @toothpaste-dragon of her OC Baz! Love this grumpy crust of an alien. :D You can view the full pic here.

February - This was a commission from @dreagonarchives of her guy Guido! Full pic: x

March - Paintover I did of my character Sleepi from Torn Apart! Since it was done over an older pic the style looks a little incongruent from my current style 😅 But this was also almost a year a go now, so, y'know.

April - My half of a design trade with @chrystallink! Doggos are a bit of a challenge for me, but it was a fun one! Full pic: x

May - A fittingly sunny pic of my character Nola. This was another one that I think had started from a paintover and just went places from there. Still a little strange-looking, but oh well. Plus a photo of some sunflowers in the background. XD

June: Progress pic of an absolute freak. An attempt was made to sketch out a hand to keep it from hiding, but I never did get back to this pic... 😂

July: As mentioned above, a comic for my good friend Dia featuring her gal Clysmia!

August: The tail end of a final ArtFight attack against Chocobir! I had so much fun putting in on the Easter eggs, and Choco is so cute!

September: The suave business lizard himself, it's Nell! Another one that's painted over an older sketch. Overall I think I improved the face shape a bit since the sketch? Maybe?

October: The final flower from Floratober 2023! I had a lot of fun and it was so great getting so much feedback this year. The wonders of posting on places other than Tumblr! lol.

November: Comet from Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san! Whenever I need to get away and draw, Comet is there as my comfort anime. :) It's been a while since I've drawn the girl and watched the last bundle of episodes!

December: And of course, December's art! From a very fittingly snowy-themed project. :) I don't know yet how much I'll be able to talk about it, but it's certainly going to keep me busy for a while!

[velvetwyrme]

Welcome back! I love transformers! Which continuity are you interested in? Any favorite characters in particular? Do you have any oc’s? (No pressure if you don’t I’m just curious) <3

Thank you, it's good to be back abfjdbdk! and HECK YEAH TRANSFORMERS 🤝!!!

Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to Talk About Transformers, I will take it graciously and with extreme amounts of vigour and rambling!

Under the cut because of the aforementioned vigour and rambling.

To answer your first question: I'm largely into the IDW (2005) comics, Animated, and Aligned (TFP) continuities! I've also started watching the original G1 cartoon and Cyberverse which has been really fun!! (I'm absorbing so much information. I'm also idly keeping up with the new Skybound comics, which have me yelling screaming crying etc.)

As for characters... I would say I have no favourite/s except I do also own 1 (one) Transformer and well. for something that basically turns into a brick, he gives me immense amounts of joy.

But yes, other than Soundwave, (who has charmed me in every continuity I've seen so far!!) it's a constantly rotating roster because there are SO many characters to think about (which differ from continuity to continuity!!) and I am having the time of my LIIIIFE!!!

It's so funny going from UT/UTMV to TF because UT fans have a lot of focus on Versions of Literally The Same Two Guys, whereas TF has an overabundance of options to pick and choose from (I love both!!! I just think it's very funny in comparison whfjfbek)

Anyway, I am a big fan of a lot of characters from IDW and particularly MTMTE because they're all a bunch of little FREAKS and I love them. But! If I had to pick a few from there, I'm particularly fond of (in no particular order) Drift, Whirl, First Aid, Ratchet, Swerve, Brainstorm, ALSO NAUTICA I love her dearly!!!!

I'm also a Tarn girlie at heart u_u I am not immune to "big bad dude with a mask and a sexy voice just so many problems". Also I have a special place in my heart for Spinister and Pipes rhfjfbejfbk (I love the Scavengers [similarly, a bunch of little freaks] and Pipes makes me SO SAD. WAIT- ANOTHER CHARACTER THAT MAKES ME VERY SAD: IDW SUNSTREAKER. (He was my first taste of the Horrors of the IDW comics and that STUCK with me)

Similarly, I think the Constructicons (+Prowl in IDW) and Combaticons have SUCH fascinating dynamics hjsjkhksjdfh,, combiners got me going crazy... I NEED to find out more about the other combiner teams. It's a fascinating concept.

As for other continuities... Animated has me sick over Blurr, Shockwave and Swindle, and... well, Optimus has intensely kissable lips in this series. Why did they make him like that. I'm also very fond of TFA!Starscream- he was my favorite back when I watched the series as a kid and it was very fun seeing him with fresh eyes LMAO

Fun fact: TFP was a large part of what got me to actually sit down and check out Transformers but... I actually still haven't watched the series itself (つω⊂* ) I just saw TFP!Soundwave and went "OH okay, I love him and need to find out more" which quickly expanded into me going on a deep dive into Transformers, and resurfacing about a month later having read all the IDW 2005 comics and about an equal amount of fanfic for various continuities whfjgbjrbfk,, BUT even though I haven't watched it yet- TFP already has me hooked on Knockout, Ratchet (and Soundwave ofc LMAO)

And the last answer; unfortunately I don't have any TF OCs (ᴗ_ ᴗ。)........

.........YET.

I have many Thoughts but haven't put together any designs because I want to get better at drawin mechs before I jump into making my own! Hopefully that way I have a better idea of how to put em together LMAO. That being said, I Am in fact plagued with ideas!! Like!!! I'd loooove to take a crack at trying to put together a sailplane/glider OC!

(LOOK AT THEM STUPID LONG WINGS...)

Or!! A pair of mechs, one whos an imaging satellite and the other a telescope! (Real starcrossed lovers type deal... both meant to only watch from afar, both longing to be in the other's place/by their side)

I also have a tradition of making sonas that have wings but can't fly, so I kinda want to make a TF sona with a similar concept- either just with good ol doorwings, or maybe a flier with a messed up gyro which causes problems staying upright in the air 🤔

Anyway!!! This is really long again! Oops but not oops because we all knew this would happen. Thank you again for the ask!! (and the excuse to yell about Transformers shfngbekbgm) Now I will return to my daily schedule of listening to. eurobeat and the Transformers Devastation soundtrack. Bye

[vikenticomeshome]

Cyberworld QBorgs (part 4) - Perrona Prime and Scuzzle Station X

Hello all,

I'm back with more Cyberworld QBORG content to discuss. This will be a bit different than the others. As of right now, both of the QBORGs that I want to talk, "Perrona Prime" and "Scuzzle Station X" about are lost media. Outside of a few screenshots, nothing is known to have been preserved anywhere. Maybe someone who used to work at Cyberworld will come out with backup discs like what happened with the other QBORGs that were completely found. Otherwise, this may be it. This is one reason why I am cover these two together, since there isn't very much to talk about. The second reason is that I'm not entirely clear on whether they are related. Scuzzle Station X may have been a sequel or expansion on Perrona Prime or visa-versa. The third reason is that both of them were produced on behalf of StanLeeMedia.net. Now, you may be familiar with other work by the founder of StanLeeMedia.net, the late Stan Lee. He is probably best known as an actor who made brief appearances in several recent superhero movies. Here he is in Spider-man: Homecoming from 2017.

He was also well-known for his flash-based animated series "7th Portal". Everyone reading this probably remembers the plot. You have a group of friends get pulled into a virtual world through a portal. Their goal is stop an evil figure from taking over.

Ah, that's the wrong image. Let me just... here we go. This is from 7th Portal Episode 2 "Enter Darkmoor".

Let's see... what else? He did produce a pilot episode for an animated series that was not picked up. It was called "Mary J. Blige", and it sought to turn the real-life singer of the same name into a super-heroine.

Oh, and he was one of the biggest names in comics for decades.

Anyway, I found a quote from Stan Lee on the Cyberworld website from the time. It appears to be specific to Scuzzle Station Z.

"I can't wait to show fans around the world our 21st century Superhero creations in their new 3D playground. They come to life in 3D with captivating and interactive adventures by utilizing CYBERWORLD's mind-boggling multimedia technology."

-- Stan Lee

However, the same quote appears on the page for Perrona Prime, which makes me wonder what the relationship was between Perrona Prime and Scuzzle Station X.

The pitch given for Perrona Prime reads as follows:

Welcome to the world of Perrona Prime. Are you ready to embark on your new world quest?

Welcome to the fantastic world of Perrona Prime. Here you’ll find the primary entry portal to just one our new worlds. Please enter our world. Explore the walkways, streets and hidden passages. As you walk around you’ll quite possibly meet one of or most celebrated citizens; Stan ‘the Man’ Lee himself.

We get a better synopsis on this other page. This ties Perrona Prime into the 7th Portal lore, as it mentions the main villain Mongorr. Apparently, our heroes failed and he got to Earth.

The year is 2135 and man has taken to the stars to escape Mongorr's wrath on Earth. The setting is Perrona Prime- a giant floating city in space where entertainment still flourishes. There's lots to see and do here. Utilizing CYBERWORLD technology, view Stan Lee Net webisodes in the CyberCinema, play exciting new games in the MegaGames holocade, and embark on an adventure to recover the Builder PDA stolen by Mongorr. Obtain it and you will have the abillity to create your own worlds in cyberspace and even make a home in Perrona Prime!

As I said before, both of these QBORGs are lost. There are four promotional images left for Perrona Prime, so we get to see what the giant floating space city looked like.

Yeah, the images are pretty small. I like the design of the walls inside the building. We don't see any residents, aside from the floating golden robot in the bottom left image. I think this would have been really cool to explore back in the day. Stan Lee is either a giant floating orb or the moon. The first synopsis talked about us possibly getting to meet Stan Lee, as if it wasn't guaranteed. I found him.

I think the item on the lower walls in the top right screenshot may be constellations. Are those globes of the Earth in the screenshot on the bottom left?

We also have two surviving screenshots of Scuzzle Station X. These are interesting because they show a custom design for the Cyberworld browser. I have been unable to find any archives of working downloads for this customized version of the browser.

The first one looks just like Perrona Prime, which reinforce the idea that Scuzzle Station X was just a rebrand or expansion. In face, the two screens appear to show the same minimap. The art style looks completely different. However, the second synopsis for Perrona Prime talked about being able to watch Stan Lee webisodes. So, I think this is actually showing one of the cartoons. I recognize some characters from 7th Portal.

We don't get much of a synopsis for Scuzzle Station X.

Comic book icon Stan Lee, wanted to transform his web community from a world of flat graphics to an interactive 3D universe. Using CYBERWORLD technology, he was able to combine 2D and 3D graphics in an easy-to-navigate, immersive world of information and entertainment to introduce his new line of branded superheroes. Visitors to the site are able to step into the web and navigate an exciting multimedia world surrounded by video webisodes, animation, graphics and sound.

I couldn't find much online as to any other uses of Perrona Prime outside of this Cyberworld QBORG. I'm not sure if it featured in the 7th Portal series itself. I have been able to find references to Stan Lees' Scuzzle property though. Here's a poster of Mongorr, the 7th Portal villain with a reference to Scuzzle, so this managed to be a thing outside of the lost QBORG.

That's the long and short of it.

[cardhamine]

Tiny short AU of an AU

*Christmas Breached Ficlet Under Readmore*

This technically takes place one year AFTER the end of Breached - except it's after an ending that I didn't go with. So it technically doesn't have spoilers! This is from an Alt Ending of the Breached AU I've called "5 Star Fam" since way before Ruin came out. Haha

For the uninitiated, the Breached AU is about if Vanny and the nightguard (Vanessa/'Ava') are different people and they're gay.

5 Star Fam Ending is one where everything turns out 100% fine, and they all (including a certain DID alter) live fairly normal lives after Security Breach night is over with. Although there's zero Freddy in this one. (There's a more Malhare-centric Xmas fic that does feature Freddy more, but I decided not to post it.)

Also, leave it to me to start off with a cute Xmas idea and make it emotional by the end.

TW: One mildly suggestive sentence

12/23/202X

“I think … they’re done.”

“Ooh! Lemme see!”

A little over a year after the horrible events at the Pizzaplex had been resolved, Vanny still couldn’t believe she was there. This time last year, she had only just been released from the hospital. Back then, she was still so, so afraid that Glitchtrap would come back – much too afraid to trust herself alone with the blonde ex-security guard she’d almost murdered a dozen times over. And much too guilt-ridden to allow herself the enjoyment of standing in that same woman’s kitchen doing something so innocent as decorating sweets for Christmas.

That same woman, by the way, had eagerly made her way over to get a better look at the icing-laced designs Vanny had just finished on her portion of the sugar cookies. Placing a hand on Vanny’s shoulder and peeking over, Ava’s green eyes grew wide, and she grinned. “Awe, they’re so cute! Like from a real patisserie! You’re too good at stuff, Van.”

Ava’s fawning was something she feared she’d never get used to. She huffed out a red-cheeked sigh, then cleared her throat. “It’s really not that impressive. I did all that work tinkering with tiny parts in the animatronics, and then I made some miniature models to present to the design team. Like Moon, remember? So I’m good with my hands, that’s all.”

“Oh, I’m very aware of how good you are with your hands.”

Vanny imagined her cheeks must have resembled the red of the Christmas stockings hanging a few feet away. Noticing the response, the blonde burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles, which only flustered Vanny more. Before she could muster any adequate response, though, another person stepped through the doorway to the kitchen.

Gregory’s tongue stuck out just a bit as he concentrated hard on not dropping the plate of carefully decorated cookies in his hands. Five sugary figures of what looked like the Glamrocks had been meticulously detailed in colorful icing, and he was determined to get them to their place on the counter without messing them up. Once he set the plate down, he eyed the two women suspiciously. Vanny looked pointedly away, though that made her embarrassment even more obvious. Ava, on the other hand, looked the picture of innocence with her usual sunshiny smile.

“You guys are being weird again,” Gregory commented, his eyes narrowing.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.” Ava stepped over to get a better look at his designs. “Holy cow, Kiddo! Those look amazing!” She waved Vanny over and nodded in the direction of his cookies. From the way the brunette’s expression melted free of embarrassment and into some mild surprise, it was obvious she was genuinely impressed.

“I didn’t know you were an artist,” she said mildly. “Not bad at all.”

“I know I’m good,” the boy grumbled in response, crossing his arms. “I draw a lot.” Vanny couldn’t help the tiny smile that tugged at her lips. (Ava deliberately did not bring up the very well-done but incredibly macabre comics he had been producing over the last year; she was pretty sure Vanny wasn’t aware of them quite yet.)

Vanny, meanwhile, was still looking over Gregory’s decorating skills. “Oh, you did Bonnie too.” Her eyes widened a bit as she noticed the neon-blue icing of the fifth cookie.

“Well, you said you were fixing him so he’d be back in the band again.” Gregory reached forward and adjusted the placing of the cookies so they stood in a straight row. With a low mutter, he added, “Six months ago.”

Vanny sighed. “We talked about this. You’ve done a great job helping me rebuild his frame, but repairing a CPU that was as damaged as Bonnie’s can be difficult – if not impossible. Doing things right takes time. Plus, with the M.X.E.S. programming taking up so much of my focus-”

“Yeah, yeah. You have more important things to do.”

Vanny and Ava traded glances. Before Ava could come to her girlfriend’s defense, Vanny gave a quick shake of her head, so the blonde stood down.

Gregory huffed and turned to leave. “I’m going to my-“ Abruptly, he paused, eyes trained on the space at the top of the doorway. Hanging there was a sprig of mistletoe, its white berries glaringly obvious against its green leaves. He spun around again, his face contorted in disgust as he pointed accusingly at the offending foliage. “No wonder you guys were being so weird. I can’t believe you actually put that up.”

Ava “snnrked” out a laugh but shook her head. “Good guess and all, Kid, but neither of us put that up.” Vanny groaned out a sigh, and Ava snickered again. “Either way, it’s cute! It’s just a silly tradition.”

Gregory rolled his eyes. “A dumb tradition gross adults made up so they’d have an excuse to kiss.”

Taking a few steps in his direction, Ava let out a long, drawn-out “Hmmm.” She tapped thoughtfully – exaggeratedly so – at her chin and mused, “You know, it sounds to me like someone’s jealous.”

Gregory scoffed. “Jealous? Of gross adults kissing?”

She took another couple steps. “I mean, maybe I’m just reading into it too much or something, but you’re complaining an awful lot. Sounds kind of like you’re just mad you’re missing out on all the kisses.”

The boy squinted in her direction suspiciously. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ava shook her head sadly. “I just didn’t realize you felt so left out! I’m a terrible guardian. Everyone should feel included.”

Gregory’s eyes grew wide as dinner plates, and he took two steps back. “Vanessa Avalon Andros, you’d better not!”

From her comfortable spot a few feet away, Vanny held her hand up to cover the grin growing up her cheeks. “Oh, he used your whole name, Blondie. He must be serious.”

“Not as serious as me~” In a flash, she had scooped the boy up, his arms pinned against his sides as she kissed the top of his head. Vanny bit back a laugh as she considered that the image looked a lot more like a chicken pecking at grain than a grown woman delivering a dozen obnoxious smooches to a boy’s messy mop of hair. For his part, Gregory fussed and kicked his feet back and forth futilely, but her grip around him was too tight.   

Once she was done peppering kisses, she let go, allowing him to land on his feet. "There you go, Squirt! Your share of Christmas smooches."

He huffed and pushed her away. "I hate it here," he grumbled; though there was an exasperated smile tugging at his lips that made it seem that the complaint wasn’t entirely genuine.

Still, he turned to leave for his room, so she piped up, "Oh, wait! The icing on the cookies will be dry in like, an hour or something. You're still gonna come help us eat them, right?"

"After that? I shouldn’t," he answered blandly, "but yeah. I just promised I'd do a video call with my friend. I'll be back in a little while." After he was out of sight down the hall, he called back, "But don't eat Monty before I get back like you did last year!"

The blonde turned back, eyed the plate of Christmas cookies with interest, then murmured conspiringly to Vanny, "No promises~"

Though Vanny smiled back, her mind was caught on something. "This time last year,” she asked slowly, her smile fading a little as she thought back, "he was already staying with you. Did you guys actually celebrate Christmas? Or..?"

"Oh." Ava started cleaning up all manner of messy baking ingredients from their earlier cookie preparations. "Well, sort of. I tried, I mean. But he apparently hadn't celebrated Christmas since he lost his parents a few years ago, and after everything that happened last September... He's a lot more open to celebrating this year, I guess is how I should put it. We both are."

Vanny nodded wordlessly, staring down at the kitchen counter without asking anything else.

Ava began scrubbing a little too hard at a spot of icing that had begun to stain the counter linoleum. Her voice was uncharacteristically cautious when she asked, "You-... Did you-..  I mean, Bunny said you guys never had Christmas, growing up. Is that true, or..?"

Vanny groaned. "Did she tell you every miserable detail about our life?" She sighed. "No. Our family didn't celebrate any holidays. At least, not with us. And once we lived on our own, I focused so much on work that I never got around to it, exactly."

"Oh."

There was silence again until Vanny spoke up again. "I can't think of a better first Christmas to have than one shared with you, anyway."

Ava glanced over, her green eyes bright. "You mean that?"

"Of course I do."

With a rosy-cheeked grin, Ava closed the distance between them immediately. She rested her forehead against her girlfriend's and let out a pleased sigh. "That's a relief. I was really nervous, actually."

Vanny huffed out a breathy laugh. "I could tell."

"I hate that you always know when I'm anxious."

"You wear your emotions on your sleeve, Blondie. It's something I love about you."

"Yeah, well..." Flustered, Ava nuzzled her forehead against Vanny's. "Anyway. I wanted your first Christmas to be good."

"As long as it's with you, it will be."

Ava huffed out a flustered laugh. "Then it's going to be great, because I'm not going anywhere." She planted a peck on Vanny's forehead and pulled back to return to her cleaning. A few moments passed before she changed subjects slightly. "I'm a little nervous about the Kid's Christmas, too, it being the first one without his parents and all. I'm not ... pushing things, am I?"

Vanny frowned softly. "No, I don't think so. He's come a long way since he first moved in. And you've been really careful to not push the more family-oriented traditions. He... He seems like he's doing okay."

"Christmas will be the real test." The words were spoken so resolutely it almost sounded like she was preparing to go to war.

"Christmas will be the real test," Vanny repeated with a nod, though her tone was gentler. "But no matter what, it'll be okay. You handled the nightmares and the panic attacks, then him starting school... You can handle whatever comes next." She paused. "And I'll be here. Even if he doesn't want my help, I'll do what I can."

Ava shook her head. "I know you think he doesn’t like you, but-"

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening echoed from the other side of the house. Following it came footsteps and Gregory's voice. The women paused and turned as he approached.

"Yeah, hold on, I'll prove it! I did all of them; why would I leave out Roxy?" He made his way in, holding his phone up as he facetimed with someone. He didn’t acknowledge the other two as he beelined to cookies and turned the camera of his phone toward them. “See?” He pointed towards the wolf-shaped sugar cookie. “Roxy.”

A young feminine voice spoke out through the speaker. “You got the design on her top wrong, but it looks good other than that!”

The boy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, I wasn’t a nut about Roxy like you,” he argued.

“Hey! I said it looked good otherwise!”

“Thanks, I guess.” He puffed.

“Is she still getting fixed? Roxy, I mean?”

“My friend said she is, so she is. Hold your horses, alright? Doing stuff right takes time.”

“I was just asking.” Before Gregory could respond, the girl spoke up again. “Oh, shoot. My dad’s calling. Sorry, Gregory.”

“It’s okay.”

“I’ll text you! See you.”

“See you.”

Gregory poked at his phone screen, then continued to poke around at apps for a few more seconds before a curious Ava spoke up.

“Who was that?”

Gregory looked up. Ava and Vanny were watching him with interest, but Ava was the one who was leaning forward, resting her chin in her hands with wide eyes.

He looked back at his phone. “A friend from when I was living in the pizzaplex,” he answered mildly.

Ava buzzed with excitement. “Awe, a little friend!”

On the other hand, Vanny’s eyes narrowed. She crossed her arms. “Like, one you met in real life? Not just one you only know from your VR games?”

“My online friends are real friends.”

Vanny sighed and evened out her tone. “I didn’t say they weren’t. I very specifically said, ‘one you met in real life.’ Like, in person.”

Gregory relaxed a little. “Yeah. We hung out at the pizzaplex a lot before- … before everything happened. We go to different schools now, but she plays some of the same online games as me.”

There was another question Vanny was itching to ask, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it in front of Ava. There were some things she didn’t know if Ava knew. Things that weren’t entirely hers to tell. Maybe she could get that question answered in a more roundabout way. “She must’ve been at the pizzaplex pretty often if you guys spent that much time together. She wasn’t one of those kids obsessed with going to the arcade every day, was she?”

Gregory cast a knowing look her way. He shook his head. “No. Her dad worked there is all.”

Vanny let out a quiet sigh of relief. If Gregory was spending time with the other apprentices again – if they were even still alive – that could be a problem. There was always the chance that William’s influence wasn’t entirely gone, wasn’t there? Even after everything they’d done, after everything they were still doing, the possibility was there. If there was even a single person out there that had been influenced by William, there was a risk that he could claw his way back to power. That was her fear, at least.

Ava, it seemed, did not have the same concerns weighing her down. In fact, the revelation about Gregory’s friend had brought out her golden retriever energy in full force. She practically had stars in her eyes as she asked eagerly, “Does she live nearby? Why don’t you invite her over? What’s her name?”

Used to her overzealous behavior by now, Gregory waited patiently for the deluge of questions to come to an end. Once it had, he answered in order, “She lives maybe twenty minutes from here. I haven’t invited her because I live with a bunch of weirdos. Her name’s Cassie.”

“Cassie!” Ava crooned. “Well, if she lives so close, you have to invite Cassie to meet the weirdos you live with. I can go pick her up and everything! Or I could drive you over there to hang out. Unless her dad is bad news, I mean. Is her dad bad news?”

“Blondie.” Vanny nudged her girlfriend gently. “Your savior complex is showing.” Though a charmed smile tugged at her lips, she couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit overwhelmed on Gregory’s behalf.

If Gregory was overwhelmed by the blonde’s overbearing exuberance, it didn’t show. “Her dad is super cool, actually. He just has to work all the time, and with the pizzaplex closed down, she gets left home alone a lot.”

“Well,” Ava was definitely trying to reign in her enthusiasm but failing, “there’s no need for her to be alone all the time. We have plenty of company over here, even if we’re a little weird. Oh! Maybe even for Christmas! That would be fun, don’t you think, Van?”

Vanny huffed out a breathy laugh. Noticing the boy’s thoughtful expression, she asked softly, “What do you think about that, Gregory?”

Gregory glanced back down at his phone, considering the question quietly. Eventually, he nodded. “I think that would be cool.”

[maribatz-2k]

Day 1: Strange

Max and Kim had the best idea. Which is odd with these two to formulate this kind of idea. Usually it's Nathaniel and Marc who does this kind of thing but here goes nothing.

Confused? Here lets explain. Summer after the most boring freshman year of highschool, Max was sitting at home reading over comic books with Markov instead of programming his latest invention. Well Kim had visited that afternoon and stared at the piles of comics on Max's table. After a couple pondering on what do while his friend just read, Kim decided to join him. Another hour and the pile now relocated to the side of the couch the boys looked bored. Kim looked to Max and then at the comics and back to Max.

"I got it!" He exclaimed.

"Got what?" Max asked, adjusting his glasses confused.

"We need Nathaniel and Marc for this! Oh and Mari and Adrian and Alya and..."

"Get on with it." Max cut him off glaring at him.

"Okay! So hear me out. We go outside dressed up as these comic characters we were just reading about and do a spoof video on them!" Kim stood up excited with his smart plan.

"And why?" Max asked.

"Because! We're so bored! And there isn't anymore comics to read. Plus! I'm sure Marinette would have so much fun also doing the costumes. And! Since ours friends have been separate all summer and will be back next month it be so much fun!" Max thought this over before nodding.

"Alright let's do it! I'll text everyone and see what happens." Kim threw his fist in the air in victory as Max sent a group text to his friends, instantly receiving a screen full of "Hell yeah!" It was set and stone and everyone video chatted the details.

A month later, everyone was at the park setting up the camera, sound system, and a dressing area (courtesy of Mari). Everyone took turns changing into their respective costumes, even mari was dressed up. Everyone stood to around the video camera preparing for the Nino to shout action and Alya made sure to get a group and individual photos.

"Alright everyone! It's time to get ready!" Nino shouted and everyone moved to their designated locations. "And Action." Alya, dressed up as BatWoman, moved into the center followed by Alix who's dressed up as Flash. Alix ran circles around Alya before she stuck her foot out and tripped Flash with a hefty chuckle.

Everyone stepped forward forming two groups for a fight scene. Flash had Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Robin, Aquaman, and Cyborg, where Batwoman had Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Black Canary, Starfire, Raven, and Night Wing. The teams were not exactly the same, but oddly enough, it fit according to Max and Nathaniel. As the scene played out and they recorded their fight scene three times (due to people laughing too much), Marc called it for lunch. No one wanted to change so they all just spend the day in their costumes. Marc and Nathaniel were the Riddler and Scarecrow as Nino dressed into his costume the butler of Bruce Wayne. Nino continued to keep his camera rolling as they walked around. Each person went off and did their own crazy things on their way to get food.

Mari walked with Adrien watching everyone goof off and enjoy themselves. Chloe and Sabrina holding hands talking about their vacation, Zoé hung with Luka talking, and Rose was gushing over Juleka's figure in the purple leotard and gold belt. Myléne and Ivan watched as Alix, Kim, and Alya jumped around on anything they could see and run around. Mari was thankful of her friends to have invited her and spend the nice warm day together. Or at least it was, until for some reason the sky was no longer blue but covered in puffy grey clouds and she was no longer standing on the sidewalk but on the roof of a very high building.

"What the hell?"

"Ah not again!" Two loud voices yelled from behind her making her jump out of fright. She turned around to see another teenager dressed just like her completely identical to her costume. That's eerie. The kid stepped forward with an irritated scowl arms crossed over his chest. The man next to him was just an inch or two smaller in width, clad in black and red a black utility belt. With two gold belts crossed and clicked together by a gold circle buckle or button and what looks like...feathers? For a cape. They both worse domino masks that completely covered the eyes.

"Who are you?" The copy cat asked her in a demanding tone. Marinette scowled at the question and crossed her arms in return.

"N'est-ce pas évident. Je suis Robin. Et tu sembles être un fan aussi d'après tes vêtements." She waves her hand at him raising a brow her mask moving with. "C'est pas mal quand même. Celui qui a conçu votre costume est exquis. Ils ont définitivement un bon œil." She stepped forward and moving around the teen inspecting his suit. Lifting the cape to take in the martials. Displeased he ripped the fabric away and practically hissed at her.

"Don't touch me." Robin growled out. Red Robin just watched the interaction curiously as he opened his comms to report in. Without warning, Batman landed down and walked up behind Red with Red Hood freezing up to see a smaller copy of Robin. The kid had short obviously gelled slick raven hair and well, boobs. Batman took a step forward kicking a piece of concrete grabbing both attention of the Robins.

"Ah bon Adrien tu es là!" The female copy said making Hood laughing suddenly. Night wing appeared in the other side of the building with BatWoman completely lost in the sight. The copy turns to look at the new people exclaiming. "Whoa Luka et Alya sont là aussi! Dieu merci, je ne suis pas seul dans cet endroit bizarre." The female let out a sigh of relief. Hood coughs coming back to earth from his fit and took control of the scene.

"Hey little miss. I'm sorry but we do not understand what you are saying." Hood said kneeling down more to her height. Unaware he just sinned.

Marinette looked at the man in the helmet trying understand what he said then realized he spoke English. But then he did the unthinkable. He lowered his 6'2" giant self down to her level making her feel smaller than she was. She pushed him with as much force she could muster and growled watching him fall over onto his ass.

"Don't treat me like a kid you over grown giant! I'm seventeen and average height!" Her french accent apparent. Red Robin (she remembered finally!) and the ones she assumed were Luka and Alya laughed at Hood for "falling." "I'm sorry, from this moment, I assume that I am not back in Paris am I?" She finally asked. Batman shook his head.

"No, you are in Gotham." The copy cat Robin says. After a couple blinks she speaks.

"It's real?!" She moves over to the edge of the building and looks down taking in the sites. "oh merde..." Mari's hands came to cover her face before dragging them down taking her eyes and lips with her.

"Yes Gotham is real, why wouldn't it be?" The real Robin states. With a heavy sigh, Marinette turns around and removes her domino mask to answer.

"Because you guys are in a comic book or books and on TV." She says, deadpanning. This time they blinked.

"Welp, this is strange.." Red Robin said.

@maribatserver

[seaside-lovers-archive]

I'm seriously considering adding Miguel to my F/O list and I'm thinking of 🧬 Miguel / 🧬 bite me as his name/ship tag if you need to filter them ^^ (I'm not 100% settled yet, just... considering it)

Anyway, Spidersona time. She's taken on a role of a much more untraditional spider person but I do have a story in mind for her and I would love to tie her into the Spider Verse movies...

ignore her hair clipping through the hat, I couldn't find anything better that worked

The filter looks weird but she's supposed to have a comic book effect going on. She was formerly a librarian who was bit by a radioactive spider and ends up developing the whole spider powers - her most prominent feature being enhanced strength. Instead of going the route of super hero, though, she ends up getting into MMA and starts training to enter fights.

...but uh oh, the spider bite also gave her severe bouts of rage and she severely injures an opponent! Which gets her banned from professional tournaments. So she turns to underground fighting as a source of money (or maybe she gets approached by someone idk yet lol).

I'm also seriously considering making Jotaro part of this universe and his death is what sets her onto the path of vigilantism/becoming more of a super hero because ~angst~. Also this eventually leads to her working on her well being / herself as a person, wanting to learn to control her anger. She goes the route of wanting to help protect others which leads to her becoming a more traditional Spider-Woman instead of just a fighter.

She becomes part of the Spider-Society and makes it a goal to meet every single member. It's a LOT of people but she wants to personally get to know everyone's name and a little bit about them.

Basically she's me but a lot more extroverted. Not necessarily bubbly, though - she has a flat affect facially and always just looks kind of unhappy but she is very outgoing and wants to include others. She is also unfortunately short tempered which the spider bite did not help with at all and this makes her very agitated and quick to go off. She's also an avid reader - literature is her special interest and she tends to talk a lot about whatever book she is reading at the moment.

I'm planning on adding a spiderweb patterned bandanna to her design that goes around her neck that she uses to conceal her face when she's in """superhero""" mode; I just couldn't find any decent items/CC that I liked.

This is spider me. I'm not fully settled on her story but I love the idea of non-traditional spider people so I decided to go that route.