#ask: bondwidth

[rockybloo]

Old news is old, but I think a compromise for the loss of Nova's jacket would be to just steal one of Pluto's--that girly could rock a spiked jacket

Oh, Nova has a new little gamer jacket now

It shows off her body much better (which is def important)

However, I HAVE made a mini comic where she has stolen Pluto's jacket once

[ramble-bloo]

Aight so the city Nova and Pluto call home doesn't have a name yet...but it ain't the futuristic cyberpunk city you're thinkin of. So scrap that stock image cyberpunk from your head bc we are making ours homemade here.

For starters, it's located in the desert and is much smaller than you'd expect. It's also split into two main locations. You got the larger city where all your average Joes live and the smaller yet more fancy (and expensive) city that you need to take a train through said desert to get to. Many can't afford the rent there but there's plenty of well paying jobs so the train winds up becoming a daily commute.

Much of Bondwidth takes place in the larger city tho Nova does get some gigs way in the smaller one.

Together tho, the cities are puny to the other urban locations. Due to this, it's kinda brushed under the rug so there's not much government interference.

It's also got a rather high population of aliens since deserts and outer space go hand in hand (lookin at you Roswell). Due to this, Nova has an easier time vibin than say one of the bigger metropolises (theres some alien vs human conflict but thats for a diff info dump).

Another perk to Bondwidth's main location being such an ignored city is the fact they just...dumped cops. There are none. At least in the large Average Joe city. They were replaced by a group of citizens specially trained to help others and calm down intense situations. This force is led by Nova's best friend, Sunny. They do their best to handle disputes without any casualties and are hella good at their job. At the moment there are 8 active members in total with Sunny being a 9th occasionally if a situation is super important.

Language in this future has expanded due to aliens bringing their own lingo with them. Of course, this means the already expansive list of languages is even longer and potentially endless now.

Thankfully technology has advanced so almost anything can be translated which allows many to cross bridges they couldn't before. And if there's a language that isn't well known enough for technology to help-well translators are still a thing and they are more than willing to help you.

Nova is only fluent in English and Meowling so she relies a lot on that futuristic google translate. Theres some lingo she's picked up from jobs but don't ask her to try and say a sentence for you.

Pluto is built different so they have a built in translator and can understand whatever the hell someone said to them. It helps with the job...and bullying Nova.

Speaking of Pluto, they reside in the larger city bc it's easier to hunt there since crime is both under control and rampant at the same time. There's a whole underground thing going on and it's super complicated and boring but it pays the bills and thus, Pluto makes heads roll.

It should be stated that Pluto isn't from either city. They are from a totally different metropolis that they have no desire to head back to. Their parents are big names there and they do not wanna deal with any of that shit.

So they live in the small speck in the desert with their cat girlfriend.

[rockybloo]

....Isnt Nova 5'3? I though It was considered average height for a woman 🥹? (*cries in 5'3*)

Nova is in fact 5'3

But she is also dating Pluto, who is 8'0 (8'5 when I am having a good day)

So even an average height looks bitesized to them.

[rockybloo]

Does Pluto ever get flustered?

Sometimes.

They often get "nosebleeds" when they do

[rockybloo]

Could you give us a comp of your oc's being their most gremlin please, I love the way you draw them as those chaotic little chibis. Something about that energy is just perfect

YESSS IT IS TIME TO RELEASE THE LITTLE FELLAS

Jack and Nana

Nova and Pluto

Sweetheart and Bitterbat (ft. Cackle, Redhot, and Dear)

And a bonus Mariana

[rockybloo]

Are the people on Nova n Pluto planet aware of Earth existence?

Yep.

It's just that many on Earth are unaware that their governments came together in the late 1940s and crafted a manmade planet with hopes of creating a neutral environment to coexist with aliens.

Said planet being Nova and Pluto's home planet.

So everyone including them knows bout Earth since all humans descended from past humans that came from Earth back in the 50s.

Earth just don't know about them.

Earth don't know bout Lore either.

Earth in my storyverse is very oblivious to like...all the planets I have in my storyverse.

[rockybloo]

Is Kerby taken? Does he need a spouse? Cause I’ll gladly

He is single (and SADLY too tired to mingle)

He is a bartender and he has had his fair amount of people trying to hit on him.

The poor man is just trying to enjoy his hitman retirement but keeps getting numbers alongside his tips.

[rockybloo]

I know you've said Sweetheart and Bitterbat don't think twice about killing abusers, what about Jack and Nana? or Nova and Pluto?

Pluto's hitmen targets are frequently, but not always, abusers of some sort but they're also known to kill them for free for the victims that approach them and Kerby.

Nova would fuck an abuser up to the point they wish they were dead.

Jack and Nana I cannot imagine killing without hesitation like Bitterbat and Pluto...well Jack definitely. I also just don't see abusers being something they run into frequently enough in Beanstalked to form a solid idea of HOW they would react since the other two stories have a more modern setting so the other couples have better experience.

Jack would def get involved to help a victim to get them to safety. Nana is the one who comes in and threatens the abuser to knock their shit off with threats of murder. If she gets an attitude then she pulls out the good "for every response I don't like, I break a finger" technique.

[rockybloo]

When Nova changes into her Monster form, does she change in size (like does she shrink at all), or does she stay relatively the same size?

Nova's monster form is very small. She goes from 5'3 ft to a teddy bear basically

Pluto is around 8'0 ft so they make her look extra small (she practically its in the palms of their hands)

I kept making my monster forms for my OCs big so I thought it'd be funny to make Nova have one that makes her puny. She's ironically even more dangerous in that form though because it's harder to keep track of her so she can rip off people's ankles

[rockybloo]

What does Pluto think of Nova's updated look?

Things I cannot share aloud due to the general rating on this account

[rockybloo]

Can the people on Nova n Pluto planet travel to earth? What about the other way?

Nova and Pluto's planet is a manmade world meant to be a lure for aliens to land and live on instead of bothering Earth.

It's highly classified, not meant to be known by anyone on Earth. And if someone on Earth is aware of it, and they aren't part of the government or some fancy three letter organization with clearance, they will be in big trouble terminated.

It's very difficult to get clearance to leave Nova and Pluto's planet because it's supposed to be a secret, something people only theorize exists in 5 hour long videos that receive an endless string of "THIS IS OBVIOUSLY FAKE - GET A LIFE" comments in the comment section.

It's not impossible to visit Earth but you will need to have someone from higher up chaperone you. And then you'll be on constant surveillance while on Earth.

The hassle is deemed too grand by so many residents so they just throw the idea out.

The closest both planets can get to interacting with minimal legal repercussions is using the internet and using VPNs on steroids.

[rockybloo]

So we've seen art/aus where Jack and Nana are swapped with Jack becoming a lupine, TECHICALLY Sweetheart and Bitterbat swapped with those art pieces you did of Beloved Batty and Bitterbat/Villian!Sweetheart (Bittersweet??)

So what's your thoughts on what Nova and Pluto would look like swapped? A canine and/or t-rex half-alien Pluto and Nova with alien goo that begam embedded with?

So there is a swapped concept between Nova and Pluto...but not exactly in that way.

It's basically Nova getting the alien gooped and Pluto being the normal civilian. Nova is still a catgirl so she'd basically become a BIG catgirl (dunno the exact height but seeing as human pluto is 6 ft while gooped pluto is 8 ft, she'd probably boost up to 7 ft tall) while Pluto remains completely human.

And honestly, compared to the other two Rockstar ships, they would change the MOST in personality because their canon current personalities are basically the by products of their life events and how they coped with them.

So Nova may have a personality similar to Pluto where she is more playful and mischievous (and maybe less bitchy) but she also could be more mellowed out like before she dated her ex.

And Pluto...well Pluto would be the biggest change as human Pluto is practically golden retriever energy. They're the sweetest thing and just wants to help people. I actually drew them before if they never got alien gooped by their parents.

[rockybloo]

rip Cybertron even though ur a far away panet you're still under the capitalism crutch poor Nova 🚶

I got your other ask correcting yourself (it's Cyberus (at least for now as a temp name) not Cybertron)

Nova and Pluto's planet thrives off capitalism. She is a mascot for hire and Pluto is a hitman.

Money makes the world go round, even in a retro ass space colony.

[rockybloo]

What did you change with Pluto? I can't really tell tho I also don't look at them enough so maybe that's why

Barely anything other than add sharper shapes to their hair

Their design was already peak before and I live by the motto of "If it ain't broke, don't fuck with it"

[rockybloo]

since Nova n Pluto planet serves as a sort of neutral ground for aliens to live so they don't come bothering Earth, how common are alien species on our planet? Are they allowed to take legal residence here if they don't have any ill intentions? (Also idk if we could count Monstrum as 'aliens', since they technically don't come from an alien planet, but from a complete alternate dimension?)

Honestly...I can't answer. At least not in a normal way.

Nova and Pluto's planet is in the shared universe of my storyverse. And Earth is a hotspot for a lot of my stories...when I am lazy and don't want to world build.

Which means, when it comes to questions about "How many [insert monster species] is on Earth?" or "How common are super powers on Earth" or anything of that matter - It drags all my stories that take place on Earth into the mix. Because there's the potential I may make up a story that ISN'T Bondwidth that has aliens on Earth - Like Scotty who is part of Karrie's monster boyfriend crew or I might make some alien hero for Glitter and Guilt who resides in Decking City.

I'd say that how common it is depends on the story I want to tell. But by default it's very very very very very very very very very rare because I don't want my Earth to be completely unphased by the otherwordly as that'd suck the fun out of some of my stories following characters trying to blend in. At the same time, there are certain areas in specific stories where the otherworldly are normal - such as Decking City to an extent.

Typically, if we want to narrow the viewport to just Nova and Pluto's planet, it's meant to KEEP aliens there. It's not so much a "You start here and then you work your way to Earth", it's a "You start here, you live here, you stay here"

Whenever you see me talk about exceptions, I'm talking very special exceptions the average alien joe doesn't have access to.

But Bondwidth isn't about Nova and Pluto trying to get to Earth, or even Earth at all, and is focuses purely on Nova and Pluto and their junkyard of a planet. SO all that overly complicated government conspiracy stuff I occasionally mention in regards to their planet is more of a background dressing.

[rockybloo]

Silly ask, but between your main ocs, has some of them ever struggled with loneliness?

Loneliness is one of my top favorite bits of angst to write honestly so all of them have struggled with it.

Every member of the Fabled Five have dealt with loneliness.

Jack truly doesn't have any friends prior to the comic aside from Malt because he never really got along well with other kids his age. Throwing in the fact his eyes went green when he got too emotional and he's do irrational things occasionally and you have plenty of parents who didn't care too much about having their children around him. He spent a good chunk of his childhood just on the farm being homeschooled or wandering around the forest exploring.

Pinokuni is an automaton, and one made under special circumstances so he felt outcasted by both actual automatons and humans because of his origins. His family was the only one to really be there for him, especially after he started to hang out with Romeo and his group of troublemakers where he learned the hard way some humans will really never truly see him as a being with emotions. Plus, Pin spent a good while in the stomach of a sea monster before getting fished out by the giant and being rescued by Jack so he had rather long stretch of solitude.

Nana didn't grow up with any friends. The closest she had was her father and when he passed, she was devastated. Her mother was rather sheltering...a bit too much so she never really left the Lupine Forest save for going to Briar Patch. And even then, she is very introverted and isn't the type to really start conversations with people she doesn't know if it isn't important. Toss in the fact she has a resting face that looks like she doesn't want to be bothered and many people tend to hesitate on approaching her. The people in Briar Patch are very nice but it really takes Jack's oblivious ass to help build a bridge between the two.

Kai was a very sheltered prince back in his home kingdom. When he got cursed and winded up having to flee for his life due to a misunderstanding, he winded up going from a castle full of friendly faces to a world that often screamed at the first sight of him. Up until he encounters the Fable Five, he spent a good chunk of time by himself just trying to make it by via foraging and finding safe yet isolated places to use as shelter for the nights.

Ashe grew up practically outcasted by by her step family because she was Bookmarked and awakened her Märchen at an early age. She was limited to the house and her room was the literal attic. She didn't have ANY friends growing up because her stepsisters would spread around lies and rumors about her that'd scare people away.

Nova, after the situation with her ex where she found out he was using her to cheat on his girlfriend he had been dating WAY longer than her, was outcasted by the online world due to a slander campaign run by him to paint her like the homewrecker. Due to him and his girlfriend being big internet influencers and having large follower counts, many believed them over Nova who was just starting with her singing career. The only friends she managed to keep were the ones she had prior to meeting her ex but even then, they couldn't save her from the isolation of knowing damn near everyone had a screwed up false image of you.

It's the reason she's so quick to snap now because prior to the incident, she was literally a sweetheart and "cinnamon roll" as the kids say.

Pluto didn't even have the benefit of having friends as as kid as they grew up sheltered by their parents. And not in the good way where they worried about their safety but in the "We want to make sure you only hang around the people we want you to" and often that meant they were limited to only interacting with business partners to try and strengthen relationships for their parents. After the alien goop experiment which lead to them becoming their cyborg self we know now, those interactions stopped...as well as any actually. They went from being the neglected child to a research subject in a containment room.

Toss in the fact their parents had a new child over to replace them and Pluto was not in the best space mentally as a teen. Especially one who literally had their body torn apart and put back together for an experiment just to get their parents to love them and see them less as a hassle.

Bitterbat's time as a baby was tragic to be real with ya'. His dad didn't want anything to do with raising him until he could walk and talk so he spent much of his time crying in his crib without anyone to come in comfort him. And if someone did come, it was often a servant that snuck into his chamber because his cries were so pitiful and saddening that they felt the need to do something. It was important that these servants snuck in because if Lord Vile discovered they were "babying" his living weapon, he would make quick work of them. The man had a very strict "You will interact with this thing only when I tell you to" policy.

Bitterbat was fed and bathed to keep him alive and healthy but even as a grown man he still has nightmares about his time as a baby and toddler due to just how isolating it was.

Sweetheart was also deemed a bit weird as a kid. Not too weird it was concerning but she did struggle a bit with maintain friendships at an early age. It took her becoming Charmed, leading to the eventual creation of the Beloveds who each have their own struggles in social situations leading to them being known as the weird kids, that led to her having an eventual lifetime friendship. After Angel's death and the team breaking up, Sweetheart threw herself into a solo hero career. And going from having a big squad to being just yourself is a big jump. Especially when you winded up separating from someone from an entirely different dimension who you thought was the one for you with a single digit percent of a chance to ever meet them again.

Sweetheart's has stated that her solo years prior to Bitterbat's returned have been the worst years of her life.