#pacha pages

[riddlerosehearts]

disney characters + tv tropes -> kuzco

[thebusylilbee]

Comment a-t-on pu en arriver là ? À mesure que l’on feuillette la bande dessinée, la question se répète, s’amplifie, jusqu’à former une tornade d’incompréhension. Dans Spirou et la Gorgone bleue, paru en septembre 2023 aux éditions Dupuis, certains personnages noirs ressemblent à des singes. D’autres cochent toutes les cases des caricatures racistes : une peau noir foncé, des lèvres surdimensionnées d’une couleur rosée et, parfois, des grandes mains et une mâchoire prognathe. 

Les représentations s’étalent sur des dizaines de pages et pourtant, l’œuvre a été relue, éditée et diffusée massivement en France et en Belgique depuis un an. Le synopsis de l’album tient en quelques mots : Spirou et Fantasio traquent une bande d’écoterroristes en lutte contre la malbouffe. Leur enquête les mène sur un porte-avions de l’armée américaine, subtilement baptisé USS Obama, dont les militaires poursuivent aussi les militantes écolos. À bord de l’USS Obama, tout le personnel est noir. Ou plutôt, « furtif », comme l’affirme en riant l’amirale Denzelle Jackson à bord, une grosse femme noire aux immenses lèvres roses et au cou poilu. 

Au téléphone, le dessinateur de l’album, Dany, tente de nous expliquer la « blague » : « On a repeint le porte-avions avec une couleur noire, qui lui permet de ne pas être décelé par les radars. C’est un navire “furtif”. La dimension furtive est amusante. D’ailleurs, la pacha [commandante du navire – ndlr] dit en rigolant que tout le personnel est furtif. Ils sont tous blacks ! [sic] C’est ça qui amusait beaucoup le scénariste et qui m’a fait rire aussi. C’était une bonne trouvaille, un équipage complètement noir... » 

Mais depuis quelques jours, une foule de nouveaux lecteurs et lectrices est loin de partager ce point de vue. « Quand j’ai découvert les dessins, j’ai eu l’impression que c’étaient des animaux qui étaient dessinés, et non des humains », s’étonne le blogueur Seumboy. 

«��Retrait de l’ouvrage »

Le militant antiraciste a, comme beaucoup d’internautes, découvert l’existence de Spirou et la Gorgone bleue après qu’une Française a diffusé une courte vidéo sur TikTok, le 29 octobre. « Je tiens entre mes mains une des BD les plus racistes de 2024 », présente-t-elle en feuilletant les pages de l’album, paru en réalité un an plus tôt. Sa vidéo est reprise sur d’autres réseaux sociaux, cumule rapidement des centaines de milliers de vues et génère des trombes de commentaires indignés.

Contactées par Mediapart, les éditions Dupuis ont répondu ce jeudi par voie de communiqué, actant que « les prises de parole se multiplient pour exprimer la colère ressentie devant la représentation des personnes noires et des femmes » dans l’œuvre mise en cause.

« Nous sommes profondément désolés si cet album a pu choquer et blesser. Cet album s’inscrit dans un style de représentation caricatural hérité d’une autre époque. Plus que jamais conscients de notre devoir moral et de l’importance que représente la bande dessinée en tant qu’éditeur et plus largement le livre dans l’évolution des sociétés, nous prenons en ce jour la pleine responsabilité de cette erreur d’appréciation. C’est pourquoi nous tenons à présenter nos plus sincères excuses. »

La maison explique avoir « mis en œuvre le retrait de l’ouvrage de l’ensemble des points de vente ». L’album se serait toutefois très bien vendu ces 13 derniers mois, selon le dessinateur Dany, qui nous informe qu’elle aurait même été réimprimée. Elle avait été tirée en septembre 2023 à 22 000 exemplaires, apprend-on sur le site BDZoom. 

L’univers de Spirou, popularisé par Franquin, est dense. D’un côté s’égraine, depuis les années 1950, la saga officielle des Aventures de Spirou et Fantasio,dont le 57e numéro est paru cet automne. De l’autre, une série dérivée« Le Spirou de... »permet à la maison d’édition de décliner la franchise en demandant à des dessinateurs de réinterpréter le célèbre héros à leur sauce.

C’est là que Yann et Dany entrent en scène. Le premier est scénariste de BD, l’autre auteur et dessinateur. À 81 ans, Dany est un incontournable du neuvième art belge, qui fait vivre depuis cinquante ans les aventuresd’Olivier Rameau, un héros rêveur et son acolyte féminine hypersexualisée en robe courte, Colombe Tiredaile. Il y a huit ans, les éditions Dupuis sont venues le chercher pour développer ce nouveau Spirou, raconte-t-il dans une interview accordée aux Amis de la BD en 2023. 

Le processus de création a visiblement pris du temps. L’éditeur qui avait démarché Dany est remplacé en 2020 par un autre, plus jeune, qui se serait alarmé en voyant la tête de certains personnages. « Le nouvel éditeur m’a dit : “Tu sais, on ne peut plus dessiner les Noirs comme ça.” Alors j’ai changé, on a refait pas mal de visages… Mais apparemment pas suffisamment », explique Dany à Mediapart. 

La bande dessinée que l’on connaît aujourd’hui aurait donc déjà fait l’objet de modifications. C’est ce qu’a confirmé Julie Durot, la directrice générale de Dupuis depuis 2021, au Parisien ce jeudi : « Le contrat a été signé il y a plus de dix ans, par des gens qui ne sont plus aux commandes. Depuis mon arrivée, nous avons à plusieurs reprises demandé des modifications à son dessinateur, Dany. C’est un homme de plus de 80 ans : il ne voyait pas en quoi ces dessins, qui sont des caricatures, étaient choquants. Nous avons sans doute commis une erreur en acceptant de la publier. »

« On peut se demander pourquoi l’éditeur a quand même publié l’album alors qu’il ne semblait pas satisfait. Refuser d’éditer ce Spirou aurait été à perte, mais cela aurait évité une grosse polémique »,souligne Lloyd Chéry, rédacteur en chef adjoint de Métal hurlant, un magazine de référence sur l’univers de la BD.

Peu de remise en question

Auprès de Mediapart, le dessinateur alterne aujourd’hui entre excuses et justifications. « S’il faut retenir quelque chose, c’est que je suis désolé si j’ai pu blesser certaines personnes, africaines ou pas [sic]», insiste celui qui se dit « interloqué » par les réactions. « J’ai peut-être un peu forcé la main, peut-être que j’ai fait une erreur… Cela dit, l’album est sorti en septembre 2023, jusqu’ici, je n’ai eu aucune critique. » 

Dany défend la « caricature » qui, « par définition, consiste à forcer le trait ». Et d’expliquer un raisonnement à faire s’évanouir des militants antiracistes : « Il est évident que la plupart des Africains, enfin presque tous d’ailleurs, ont des lèvres plus épaisses, plus grosses que les Blancs, c’est un fait. Ça fait partie de la caricature. »

Il mentionne ensuite les protagonistes blancs, qu’il considère également avoir « caricaturé » : « Il y en a un qui ressemble à Trump, ce n’est pas particulièrement gentil non plus… Et puis à ce moment-là, j’aurais aussi dû refaire le nez de Fantasio aussi ? », ajoute-t-il à propos de l’acolyte de Spirou.

Il admet toutefois : « J’aurais dû faire gaffe à ne pas dessiner les Noirs comme dans les années 1960 ou 1980, c’est sans doute vrai [...], mais je voulais me rapprocher de l’univers de Spirou. Mon modèle absolu, c’est Franquin, c’est le genre de dessins qu’il faisait. J’en suis vraiment désolé et je voudrais présenter toutes mes excuses à ceux que j’aurais pu blesser, car c’est totalement involontaire. J’ai peut-être beaucoup de défauts, mais je ne suis pas raciste, ça, c’est certain. »

Un blog qui en dit long

Sur le blog professionnel de Dany, on retrouve pourtant une autre publication, preuve d’une inclination à déshumaniser les personnes noires, qui n’est pas propre à la BD de Spirou. Le dessin montre, d’un côté, les deux personnages blancs créés par Dany, le fameux Olivier Rameau et son amie, s’opposer à un groupe de cinq personnes racisées. « Ça ne va pas être facile de les intégrer, ces deux-là », soupire un protagoniste noir aux airs de singe, avec de grandes oreilles, une grande bouche, un « museau » brun, entouré d’autres personnages racisés. Comme si les personnes blanches, devenues minoritaires, étaient victimes de discriminations, dans une sorte de mise en abyme de la théorie raciste du « grand remplacement ».

Le blog regorge également de dessins de femmes nues ou hypersexualisées, comme c’est le cas dans Spirou et la Gorgone bleue. Une autre planche, signée Dany et Tibet, montre un homme qui tabasse une travailleuse du sexe. 

« Quand on fait un tour sur le blog de Dany, on se rend bien compte qu’il ne s’agit pas d’une erreur de jeunesse, mais d’une prise de position politique dont il est coutumier, remarque Seumboy, créateur et animateur du site de vulgarisation de l’histoire coloniale Histoires Crépues. Le message qu’il essaye de délivrer, c’est que les personnes noires prennent trop de pouvoir aux États-Unis et que si l’on n’y prend pas garde, la société multiculturaliste américaine va arriver chez nous en Europe. »

Aux origines de l’esthétique coloniale de la BD franco-belge

Celui que Dany présente comme son modèle, l’iconique dessinateur franco-belge André Franquin, créateur du Marsupilami et illustrateur régulier des aventures de Spirou et Fantasio, avait lui-même une façon bien particulière de crayonner les personnages noirs.

Dans Spirou chez les Pygmées, paru pour la première fois en 1949, l’auteur de BD met en scène des personnages noirs… dont on découvre qu’ils sont en réalité « des bruns qui ne se sont jamais lavés », dixit Spirou, en nettoyant au savon un enfant noir. Une illustration qui préfigurait les spots télés pour détergents qui « lavaient plus blanc que blanc » et qu’on illustrait d’un Africain dont les membres ressortaient du bain dépigmentés. Dans un livre d’entretien, exhumé par le journaliste spécialiste Jérôme Lachasse, Franquin se défendait de tout racisme et expliquait caricaturer les Blancs comme les Noirs. 

Pourtant, dans les dessins de Dany, comme dans ceux de son illustre inspirateur Franquin, les personnages blancs ne sont pas ou peu caricaturés, et souvent dépeints sous les traits d’aventuriers en quête de frissons et d’exotisme, ont des physiques avantageux et diversifiés, quand les personnages noirs sont souvent primitifs et présentent des physiques très homogènes.

« Convoquer cet imaginaire colonial, c’est aussi faire preuve de paresse artistique, déplore Laura Nsafou, écrivaine et bédéiste afroféministe. Là où on va se poser la question de varier les physiques pour les personnages blancs, on va uniformiser le corps noir, sans jamais essayer de rendre compte des différentes carnations ou textures de cheveux. Plutôt que de faire ça, on va reprendre des attributs racistes, rappelant les singes. »

L’histoire de la bande dessinée franco-belge recèle en réalité beaucoup de ces représentations stéréotypées, reprenant l’esthétique coloniale des pubs Banania, donnant aux personnages noirs des traits indiscernables de ceux des primates et les campant dans des rôles secondaires de faire-valoir humoristiques, imbéciles et dociles. Les protagonistes noirs évoluent fréquemment dans des contextes de guerre, d’esclavage ou de ségrégation raciale, et n’occupent que très rarement les rôles principaux. 

L’exemple le plus mémorable reste le numéro de Tintin au Congo, où l’on suit le reporter à houppette déjouant les pièges d’une bande de gangsters qui cherchent à mettre la main sur la production de diamants au Congo. Cette bande dessinée était le reflet de l’esprit paternaliste de la Belgique colonialiste du début des années 1930. Et presque cent ans plus tard, les planches de Hergé continuent de nourrir l’inspiration et les préjugés racistes de bédéistes contemporains. 

Plusieurs spécialistes et acteurs de la bande dessinée relèvent la responsabilité de l’éditeur d’avoir validé, après réunion du comité éditorial, une telle publication. Mais ils saluent la décision rare de retirer des ventes le numéro et invitent à saisir cette occasion pour amorcer une réflexion plus large. « Il est nécessaire que les maisons d’édition de bande dessinée soutiennent d’autres narrations et proposent des récits actuels et respectueux des personnes noires, avec des protagonistes de différentes carnations, qui vivent à Paris, et qui ressemblent aux gens qu’on voit dans la rue et dans le métro », milite Laura Nsafou, elle-même autrice de plusieurs BD qui mettent en scène des personnages racisés. 

Marie Turcan et Yunnes Abzouz

[haticesultanas]

Hi! Previously in Ottomanladies you answered an ask about marriages of Burnaz Atike, Gevherhan and little Atike. So, some historians confused Burnaz Atike with one of Ibrahim's daughters when they claim she married Musahib Cafer Pasha (d.1647) in 1630, as according to Giorgio Giustinian in 1627, Koca Kenan (d. 1652) was already married to Murad IV's sister (Pedani, p.596). And some historians say Gevherhan was the one who married Cafer in November 1646, like Sakaoglu.

And according to Joseph von Hammer, the youngest daughter of Ibrahim betrothed to Cafer was married to the other Kenan, Sari Kenan (d. 1659). But some historians separate the wives of these pashas as Gevherhan marrying Cafer and her sister Atike marrying Sari Kenan, with Atike going on to marry Ismail Pasha.

However, in "Dubrovacka akta i povelje", a report of 1650s refers to "Ghiusciahato sultana moglie di Chieman passa", so it seems to me she married Sari Kenan after Cafer died. And the "Mémoires du Sieur de la Croix" in 1670s, pages 368, 369, 370 and 371 says: "Les soeurs du Grand Seigneur (...) la premiere fut mariée à trois ans, & eftoit à dix avec fon second mary Affaki Mehemet Pasha, Gouverneur dAlep, il fuit étranglé fous pretexte de fauffe monnoye, & elle fe maria pour la troisiéme fois avec Ibrahim Pacha Tefterdar, du depuis Pacha du Kaire, dAlep, & enfin Capitan Pacha, aprés la mort duquel Jemblat Oglou Gouverneur du Kaire la épousée en quatriéme nopces. La seconde mariée auffi jeune que sa soeur, a eu cinq maris, dont le dernier la prit vierge, à cause dun défaut de nature (...) Je ne fcay pas le nom des deux premiers, le troisiéme fut Sinan Pacha, lequel estant Capitan Pacha, perdit la Bataille des Dardanelles (...) Le quetriéme eftoit Ismael Pacha, ce grand Seigneur l ayant choifi pour und es Lieutenans generaux de l armée dHongrie (...) Le cinquiéme sappelle Kassum Pacha, il est Chirurgien de profession"

The quote says Mehmed IV had 2 sisters in 1670s. The 1st married Haseki Cavuszade Mehmed Pasha, then Defterdar Ibrahim Pasha and then a Canpulatoglu (son of Kosems Fatma?). The other, younger than the first, was married to "Sinan" who was Kaptaniderya, so it should be Sari Kenan. After him she married Ismail Pasha and then Cerrah Kasim Pasha, and also had 2 husbands before the first.

(All in all, I believe the first sister who married Haseki Cavuszade could be Beyhan instead, as in 1653, according to "Dubrovacka akta i povelje" she is called "Behar sultana, moglie di passa di Cairo", and in 1563 this was Haseki Cavuszade Mehmed; but interestingly historians believe he was Gevherhans second husband instead...)

In "Per favore della Soltana", several lists give us marriages of Gevherhan. In 1648, she is called widow of Cafer, in 1662 she is wife of Ismail Pasha, and in 1670 she is called wife of Casciu Pascia who is probably Cerrah Kasim Pasha. And in 1676 and 1680, she is called wife of a Canpolatoglu and not another Sultana as Croix claimed.

Paul Rycaut in "The Present State of the Ottoman Empire" also says Gevherhan married Ismail Pasha (and then remarried to Gurcu Mehmed Pasha): "At this tenderness of age, Sultan Ibrahim, father of the present Grand Signior, married three of his daughters, one of which was called Gheaher Han Sultan, hath had already five husbands, and yet as is reported by the world, remains a virgin; the last husband deceased was Ishmael Pasha, who was slain in the passage of the River Raab; and is now again married to Guirgi Mehemet Pasha of Buda".

So it seems to me that Gevherhan married the following: Musahib Cafer in 1646, Sari Kenan in 1647, Ismail Pasha after him, then Gurcu Mehmed, then Cerrah Kasim Pasha, and then maybe a Canpulatoglu (unless that was the other sister like Croix claimed, maybe Beyhan?), before finally marrying Palabiyik Yusuf later in life.

But after all this, I want to ask whether its possible that this sister of Mehmed IV called Atike existed at all? Because it seems quite certain that Gevherhan married Kenan Pasha and Ismail Pasha, not one named Atike, and historians did make a confusion with Burnaz Atikes marriages. And if little Atike didnt exist, was Gevherhan the full-sister of Mehmed IV instead? I know Gevherhan is believed to be born in 1642, and with Mehmed and Fatma it gets too much for Turhan, but Hammer describes her as the youngest daughter in 1647, and if the sister who married Haseki Mehmed was Beyhan, and she was reportedly married for the first time to another at the age of 3 as Croix claims, and the sister who married Sari Kenan and the others was younger than her, then Beyhan could still be born in 1645 as she married Hezarpare in 1648, and Gevherhan was born after her...

Hi! Please be patient with me because these asks take time to unwrap and I’m only doing this in my free time.

I think you’re talking about this ask. About the confusion, it’s something that Uluçay too believes:

Alderson confused the daughters of Ahmed I, Murad IV and Sultan Ibrahim, so he made mistakes.

Alderson confused the daughters of Ibrahim with the daughters of Ahmed I and Mehmed IV, and therefore made some mistakes.

and he’s right because the rapid successions plus the practice of marrying princesses as children created so much confusion.

(it’s so funny that he says that twice lmao)

Okay, so your theory is that Atike Sultan binti Ibrahim doesn’t exist and that some historians seem to have mistaken Burnaz Atike with a daughter of Ibrahim? I hope I understood well.

Everything under the read more (it's very... heavy, sorry lol)

I read Giustiniani’s relazione and the math is not really mathing because he says Murad IV put his four brothers-in-law at the highest posts of government but then mentions five brothers-in-law:

Çatalcalı Haşan Pasha: he’s Fatma’s husband

Hafiz Ahmed Pasha: he’s Ayşe’s husband

Bayram Pasha: he’s Hanzade’s husband

(Recep Pasha: he’s Gevherhan’s husband) > Giustiniani only mentions her as Osman II's elder sister

“Chinan” who, you believe, was Koca Sofu Kenan Pasha

“Mustaffà” ?? who is he??

Sicill-i Osmani says that Kenan Pasha married Burnaz Atike in 1633-34, but Giustinian’s last dispatch from Istanbul was dated 4 July 1627 so… did he foresee the future? Were there more Kenan Pashas?

(Also, who is that Mustafa??)

Now, onto Ibrahim's daughters.

So, I made this table to semplify things because I was going insane with all the information.

I think there is some confusion between Haseki Mehmed Pasha, who was strangled in Aleppo in June 1661 (like de la Croix says), and Çavuşzade/Çavuşoğlu Mehmed Paşa, who lived until 1681. Sicill-i Osmani doesn’t call the latter “Haseki” but he’s identified as Gevherhan Sultan’s husband. Now, the princess who married Haseki Mehmed Pasha could have remarried after 1661, but the one who married Çavuşzade/Çavuşoğlu Mehmed had to wait until 1681.

Beyhan is admittedly a mistery because she was married for less then a year to Hezâr-pâre Ahmed Pasha when she was little but afterwards didn’t have a husband for 11 years? It seems strange. If the Ragusian diplomats called her “wife of the pasha of Cairo” and if Haseki Mehmed Pasha was beylerbey of Egypt in 1653 (as Oztuna confirms in Devletler ve Hanedanlar), then Haseki Mehmed Pasha was married to Beyhan binti Ibrahim. Unfortunately my only Ragusian sources come from the essay Per Favore Della Soltana, and in it there’s a gap between a letter dated 1648 and one dated 1662.

About the Canpulatoğlu Pasha, I would like to add that Canbulad-zâde Mustafa Paşa had two sons with Fatma: Sultânzâde Hüseyn Paşa, who was governor of Budin and of Egypt, and Sultânzâde Süleymân Bey. Both lived to adulthood. Moreover, he had a daughter from his previous marriage: Ayşe Hâtûn. Maybe he had other sons too. It is interesting, though, that de la Croix says Canpulatoğlu is Governor of Egypt, because Sultânzâde Hüseyn Paşa was indeed governor of Egypt at some point.

About Atike binti Ibrahim:

(Uluçay doesn't believe she existed)

As we can see, Oztuna and Sakaoğlu use the same source. Oztuna, though, says that Atike binti Ibrahim was buried in Ibrahim’s mausoleum, while Sakaoğlu says that her burial place is unknown. Curiously, Atike binti Ahmed I is buried in Ibrahim’s mausoleum too.

Since Alderson gave his sources, I went to check. This is a passage from Histoire de l’Empire Ottoman, volume 12, pp. 49-50:

L'ainée, Aïsché, fiancée dès l'age de trois ans à Ipschir-Pascha, épousa à dix Mohammed-Pascha, gouverneur de Haleb; ce dernier ayant été décapité comme faux monnoyeur, elle devint la femme du defterdar Ibrahim, gouverneur du Kaire, puis de Haleb, et alors kapitan-pascha; à sa mort, elle fut mariée à Djanbouladzadé, ancien gouverneur d’Ofen, qui depuis remplit les mêmes fonctions au Kaire. La seconde, nommée Aatika, épousa d'abord le vizir Kenaan-Pascha, puis le vizir Yousouf-Pascha, et en troisième lieu le kapitan Sinan-Pascha, qui avait perdu la bataille des Dardanelles contre les Vénitiens; elle eut pour quatrième époux Ismail-Pascha, grand-inquisiteur en Asie, qui fut tué à la bataille de Saint-Gotthardt; enfin elle contracta une cinquième union avec KasimPascha, l'un des pages de la chambre intérieure, et chirurgien de profession, qui, lors de la circoncision du sultan Mohammed , sut arrêter, au moyen d'une poudre astringente, une hémorrhagie qui avait fait tomber le prince-en défaillance, service que ce dernier récompensa plus tard en donnant à Kasim le gouvernement de Temeswar. […] le Sultan, en reconnaissance du sang qu'il lui avait conservé, refusa de répandre le sien, et, pour le sauver, lui donna la main de sa sœur, qu’un vice de conformation avait empêchée d'appartenir à ses premiers maris, et qui, après dix-neuf ans de mariage, entra vierge dans le harem de Kasim. Celui-ci la délivra de son infirmité au moyen d'ine opération qu’il pratiqua pendant le sommeil d'Aatika, assoupie par un narcotique. Ce fut ainsi qu'il acquit des titres puissans aux bonnes grâces de la princesse, comme précédemment il avait mérité la faveur particulière de Mohammed IV.

Doesn’t it kind of sound like de la Croix (below)? I think Hammer’s source is him.

"La premiere fut mariée à trois ans, & estoit à dix avec son second mary Assaki Mehemet Pasha, Gouverneur d’Alep, il fut étranglé sous pretexte de fausse monnoye, & elle se maria pour la troisiéme fois avec Ibrahim Pacha Tefterdar, du depuis Pacha du Kaire, d’Alep, & enfin Capitan Pacha, aprés la mort duquel Jemblat Oglou Gouverneur du Kaire l’a épousée en quatriéme nopces. La seconde mariée aussi jeune que sa soeur, a eu cinq maris, dont le dernier la prit vierge, à cause d’un défaut de nature (...) Je ne sçay pas le nom des deux premiers, le troisiéme fut Sinan Pacha, lequel estant Capitan Pacha, perdit la Bataille des Dardanelles (...) Le quetriéme estoit Ismael Pacha, ce grand Seigneur l’ayant choisi pour un des Lieutenans generaux de l’armée d’Hongrie (...) Le cinquiéme s’appelle Kassum Pacha, il est Chirurgien de profession”

Now, I think Hammer starts with a mistake because Ibsir Mustafa Pasha was one of Ayşe binti Ahmed I’s husbands. Also, it’s impossible to say where he found that Mehmed IV’s eldest sister was named Ayşe. After these mistakes, though, he repeats what de la Croix said: Haseki Mehmed Pasha, Defterdar Ibrahim Pasha, Canbuladzâde Pasha. The second sister is named Atike (so he says) and stayed a virgin until her last husband, Cerrah Kasim Pasha, operated on her to solve some kind of physical problem she had. This story is similar to the one reported by Rycaut, but he named her Gevherhan instead:

At this tenderness of Age, Sultan Ibrahim, Father of the present Grand Signior, married three of his Daughters; one of which called Gheaher Han Sultan, hath had already five Husbands, and yet, as is reported by the World, remains a Virgin; the last Husband deceased was Ishmael Pasha, who was slain in the passage of the River Raab; and is now again married to Gurgi Mahomet Pasha of Buda, a Man of 90 Years of Age, but rich and able to maintain the greatness of her Court, though not to comply with the youthfulness of her Bed, to which he is a stranger like the rest of her preceding Husbands. — p. 40.

It’s possible that Rycaut had already left the Ottoman Empire when this princess married Cerrah Kasim Pasha. He’s the only one talking about Gurci Mehmed Pasha, though… Interestingly, Sakaoğlu corrects Rycaut’s Gürcü into “(Çavuşzade, Haseki)” but, admittedly, his quote is quite different from Rycaut’s original. In Sakaoğlu’s it is said that the pasha is 30, while Rycaut says he’s 90. Moreover, as far as I know, Çavuşzade Mehmed Pasha was never governor of Buda.

In conclusion, I’m more confused than before lol

As for Mehmed IV’s full sister, I really have no opinion on this. Usually, it’s Beyhan who is given as Turhan Hatice’s daughter but with no hard evidence.

You (and other people) can send me asks on ottomanladies now, I have re-opened my ask box. As I have already said, please be patient with me because I don't have much free time and these things need to be analyzed properly :D

[mdhwrites]

Do you agree with the basic statement "more dramatic works handle smaller casts better, more comedic works handle larger casts better?" Just curious; this is an axiom I thought up during a shower.

The Emperor's New Groove essentially has 9 characters. Not 8 main characters. 8 CHARACTERS. Maybe two or three more if you want to include a palace guard and the waitress at the diner and others like that who get maybe like five lines. Meanwhile, the movie 12 Angry Men may not actually have 12 main characters, it does use an ensemble of 12 VERY effectively and is still considered one of the best dramas of all time.

Cast size is just a tool in a writer's toolbox. In dramas, it allows for more angles on a situation, more opinions on the problem. In comedies, it allows for more dynamics between characters and ways for them to bounce off of each other comedically. For action stories, it allows for a wide variety of different ways people may fight as each as their own style. In slice of life, it brings in different backgrounds and troubles to allow for further exploration of different parts of life. A large cast can be a boon to a lot of genres.

However, a large cast can also be incredibly cumbersome. There's a reason we have terms like main characters and side characters. A good writer will know either how to create good spaces for multiple characters to interact or they'll know who to keep the story focused on for what they're trying to get across.

Like I said, Emperor's New Groove has essentially 8 characters. Pacha, Kuzco, Izma, Kronk, Pacha's wife and kids as three, and the vengeful squirrel. That's already including one reoccurring gag character because the movie knows that it's essentially a road trip movie mixed with a buddy cop dynamic. As such, it's best for them to keep focus on Kuzco and Pacha. Heck, making Izma and Kronk essentially another duo allows for the villains to parallel and contrast our two leads in fun, interesting ways but that also means you don't really need more than four characters for this story, let alone main characters.

It all comes down to the needs of your story and just like how many words to take to tell that story, trying to put even a guideline for how many to use is close to impossible. See you next tale.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[grumpybunnygames]

Steam summer sale time

Never mind the size of my backlog, I need some help choosing which of these farming sims to snap up during the sale. Sitting in my cart, I’ve got:

Echoes of the Plum Grove

Little-known Galaxy

Roots of Pacha

Sun Haven

And the black sheep option…

Circadian City

My wallet and my sanity demand I don't pick up all of them, so has anyone got any thoughts on these? Meanwhile, I’ve put together a Steam curator page for farming sims and farming sim-adjacent games (which I like to call the Pastoral RPG) that I’d love for people to join. The more followers it has, the more legit it looks to steam.

There’s also my blog where I write reviews and analysis of the farming sim genre space. Check it out if you could use some recommendations.

[dbcoatl-art]

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Hunters of Ruination

Episode 1: Human or Pokémon

Chapter 1: A Beast in the Valley [7 Pages]

A seemingly boring day in Trueno Village turns into a not-so-boring day when a young Shinx named Jin learns that one of his friends has been kidnapped by a terrifying beast that roams about in his beloved Thunderclap Valley.

--

~Thunderclap Valley~

“Now, now, dearie. Try not to wander too far away. I don’t want you getting trapped inside a Mystery Dungeon.”

“Of course, Mama! I understand!”

Pacha sighed and shook her head as the little Phanpy named George scampered this way and that, all while maintaining a smile on her face. It had been a long day, yet her son still had plenty of energy. She figured that spending an entire day playing with his friends would put a light in his mood.

He was especially close with the young Shinx who lived on the outskirts of Trueno Village – the one who lived with his aunt and uncle. Since she’d known the Luxray named Volt from her own childhood, she had a feeling that some of their friendship would rub off on their kids…even if Jin wasn’t actually Volt’s biological son.

Pacha stretched her trunk as she let loose a great yawn, then looked up. The full moon was out tonight, with not a single cloud in the sky. Perfect weather for a nightly walk. Yet, she could feel her bones begin to ache, a signal that her body was soon to crash. She began taking a few steps forward…

…and then jumped as a scream resounded throughout the night air.

“George?!” She looked around in a panic, swinging her head to and fro. Where had George gone? She swore she just saw him not too long ago.

“Mama, help!”

“George!”

Her motherly instincts kicking in, the Donphan curled up in a ball and began rolling her way towards the sound of her child’s voice. Gods forbid she forgive herself if something terrible happened to him…

She felt the earth rumble underneath her as she rolled, nearly knocking her out of her trajectory. But she remained resilient as she sped towards her destination, only stopping at a wall of short shrubs. She shoved the leaves and branches aside with her trunk, heedless of any nicks or cuts that appeared on it.

Unfortunately, she was seconds too late. By the time she got a clear view, all the Donphan could find were George’s footprints, scattered hither-tither like he was running away from something. An indentation on the ground, like some kind of snake had gotten to him. A massive hole that led underground. And – worst of all – George’s scarf, almost shredded beyond recognition.

Pacha could only stare at the scarf in horror, even as she approached it. She casually reached out with her trunk to scoop it up before holding it before her.

“George…” she whimpered, tears falling on the ground. She then raised her trunk in the air and let loose a loud bellow, one filled with the grief and sorrow of a mother.

“GEORGE!!!”

* * *

~Trueno Village~

Dawn arose upon Trueno Village, the quiet little community located within the heart of Thunderclap Valley. From within the marketplace, Pokémon were beginning to set up shop and open their wares to get ready for the day, while early-bird townsfolk paced around the plaza, waiting for the opportunity to get first pick.

“Arrrgh, this is taking bloody forever,” a Jolteon hissed, her bright yellow fur crackling with electricity with every bristle. “I know the day just started, but would it kill the shopkeepers to hurry it up a bit?”

“Not if it means tripping over themselves, scattering any produce they might have and ruining it with the rotting stench of Berries and whatnot,” a Tinkatuff pointed out, the pole of her massive hammer resting atop her shoulders. “Besides, they work hard to provide the goods for us, so you oughta be grateful for it.”

The Jolteon opened her mouth in protest, only to sigh, knowing that the Tinkatuff was right. Instead, she opted to turn towards a Poliwrath hauling a crate of seaweed to his stall, assisted by two Poliwag, a Poliwhirl, and a Politoed. Although the valley was rife with Electric-type Pokémon and not a place where Water-types could go about freely, she did admire the family for being able to adapt well to such harsh conditions.

She and her neighbour weren’t the only ones coming to the marketplace. Not too far away, a large cart came rolling down the path, pulled by a brown-and-white goat Pokémon who bore several white daisies on her leafy green mane and back and especially on her right ear. Riding the cart was a lion Pokémon with blue-and-black fur who bore two scars on his muzzle, one of which extended to just underneath his left eye. And next to him was a young lion cub with the same fur colours who wore the most bored expression on his face.

Jin was an adventurer who desired adventure. An explorer who desired exploring. A hero who desired a quest. He could be all those things and so much more – but instead, he was riding the cart with his aunt Leif and uncle Volt to the Trueno Village marketplace to shop for the week’s supplies. It was boring, and he hated it, but he knew that it would only be a matter of time before the world became his Cloyster.

“And here we are,” the Gogoat named Leif announced as she pulled up to the nearby supermarket.

The Luxray named Volt turned to Jin. “Alright, Jin, Aunt Leif and I are going to get a few supplies and things for this week. You can do what you like, but please stay within the boundaries of the village.”

Jin let out a sigh as he stretched his body. “Yes, Uncle Volt,” he replied. Oh, how he wished something exciting would happen right about now. The boredom was killing him, but if anything, they at least gave him a chance to find his friends.

Volt’s eyes narrowed. “I mean it,” he said a bit more sternly as he worked to remove the harness on Leif. “And while you’re at it, mind watching over the Egg? I don’t want anything happening to it while we’re away.” He pointed to a large egg tucked away in a corner of the wagon, contained in a special pouch to keep it away.

“Why?” Jin asked. “Everyone knows who the Egg belongs to. And it’s summer – it’s not like some Sneasel is going to swoop in and steal it.”

“No, but someone could mistake our wagon for someone else’s and snatch it away. Remember what happened last year?”

Jin opened his mouth to protest, but immediately clamped it shut as his uncle’s glare intensified. Instead, he sighed as he approached the Egg while Volt followed Leif into the supermarket. He attached the harness to himself, and nearly toppled over from its weight.

Can’t wait for this thing to hatch, he thought as he staggered forward to maintain a balance in weight.

“Geez, Jin,” a brash-sounding female voice sounded from the front of the wagon. “Your aunt and uncle set you up for Egg-sitting duty again?”

Jin sighed. He knew the sound of that voice. He turned his head to find two Pokémon standing before the wagon. One of them was a blue pollywog with a spiral pattern on her belly. She sported an orange ribbon on the back of her head…and a smirk on her face. The other was a black zebra with white stripes and a matching zigzag mane. Around his neck was a pair of blue goggles, while his expression was much friendlier.

“Hey, Polly. Hey, Zipper,” Jin said, waving to the two. “And yeah.”

Polly let out a snort as Zipper climbed onto the wagon. “Man, and I thought I was the only one who got grounded for my tiny incident last night,” she said. “What did you do this time that really ticked off the old cat?”

“Well, in my defense, I didn’t realize I’d left the lights on last night,” Jin said defensively, pausing to shoot a grateful glance at Zipper. The Blitzle nodded in reply as he removed the harness off Jin’s back and slipped it onto himself. “So, what if the Nymble infestation was my fault? Everything else I did was an accident.”

In a sense, Jin was correct. The Spelon Berries he’d dunked in the soup was supposed to even out the sourness, and he didn’t mean to ruin Aunt Leif’s favourite romance novel trying to shoo a stray Capsakid away. The lights were on him, though – and even then, he couldn’t really consider it entirely his fault.

“Anyway, it’s just…it’s just so boring around here,” the Shinx went on as he and Zipper hopped off the wagon. “All I ever get to do is go to the marketplace to pick up weekly supplies, hang out with you guys – no offense – and help out with chores.” His star-tipped tail lashed back and forth in annoyance. “I want adventure! I want exploring! I want to see what the rest of the archipelago is like, and the rest of the world as well!”

“And you think sneaking around on your own and causing havoc around the village is going to change any of that?” Polly sassed.

“I…” Jin began, only to stop when he noticed something off. “Wait, where’s George? He’s usually here by now.”

A loud crash from a few ways off answered his question. “That looks like it came from the edge of the square,” Zipper announced.

A woman’s voice, filled with despair and panic, soon followed. “Someone, please help!”

“And that sounds like Mrs. Pacha!” Polly gasped.

“Then we’d better go see what she’s hollering about,” Jin said. “Come on!”

Together, the three kids came barreling down the path all the way to the village square. A large crowd of Pokémon was already gathered there, their gazes fixed on the green plaid shawl-wearing Donphan. Her eyes appeared to be bloodshot, and tear tracks ran down her face from the amount of crying she had been doing. Her dark grey armor appeared to bear many nicks and bruises, like she had gotten into a scrape, while a tattered green scarf sat upon one of her tusks.

“There’s Mrs. Pacha,” Jin said. He grimaced when he noticed the injuries. “Ouch, she doesn’t look very good.”

“No kidding,” Polly agreed, her eyes wide with disbelief.

An orange rodent Pokémon walked up to her. He had on a blue waistcoat adorned with a lightning bolt pattern and a gold badge on its lapel, along with a white cravat around his neck to indicate his professionalism as mayor of the village. His black whip-like tail darted this way and that as the antenna-like whiskers on his yellow electric sacs twitched.

“Pacha, you look much worse for wear than usual,” the Dedenne spoke in a voice that was much deeper than his tiny stature suggested otherwise. “What seems to be the problem that you’d come barging in here?”

“It’s awful, Mayor Sparky,” the Donphan exclaimed. “My son George was captured by a horrifying beast!”

Jin’s eyes went wide upon hearing the news. His big ears twitched as shocked murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“A beast? In Thunderclap Valley?”

“Ridiculous! Everyone knows the ferals only reside in the Mystery Dungeons.”

“Has the Mysteriosity started reaching this village, too?”

“I sure hope not.”

Mayor Sparky cleared his throat and let out a bullet of electricity from his tail to the sky. “Everyone, please simmer down,” he shouted. “Let the poor woman finish!”

The crowd fell silent as Mayor Sparky turned back to Pacha. “Keep going,” he said. “Tell everyone here what this ‘beast’ looked like.”

Pacha shot the Dedenne a grateful glance before proceeding to pick up a stick. Using the stick, she began tracing a picture in the dirt. “Well, the beast had unblinking, blue eyes,” she explained. “And sharp fangs. And I think it was capable of creating holes? Not to mention that horrifying hissing sound.” She shuddered at the mention of that last part. “That’s all I know. I’m sorry.”

Mayor Sparky put a paw to his chin as he went deep in thought. “Hmmm…it seems like your boy was kidnapped by a feral Pokémon,” he concluded. “Which is odd in and of itself, since they don’t usually step outside the boundaries of a Mystery Dungeon. Nevertheless…” he snapped his fingers in the air. “As mayor of Trueno Village, it is my responsibility to make sure each and every one of my citizens is safe and sound, especially curious young children. We will capture that beast without fail, and rescue little George!”

The citizens cheered and clapped in response, relieved that their tiny mayor was able to step up to any challenge thrown his way. The sooner that beast was taken care of and George was rescued, the sooner they could go about their normal lives once again.

An idea crossed Jin’s mind, and a wide grin snuck its way onto his face. “Guys, I just had the most brilliant idea,” he said. “We are going to capture that beast and rescue George!”

“Sorry, ‘we’?” Polly questioned.

“Yeah, ‘we’!”

“But didn’t your Uncle Volt tell you to stay put and watch over Aunt Leif’s Egg?” Zipper pointed out. “How will he react if he finds out that you threw away your responsibilities again?”

“He won’t!” Jin scoffed, amidst beads of sweat rolling down his face. “It’ll just be a quick, in-and-out rescue mission. I doubt he’ll notice before he returns.”

“No thanks,” Polly declined. “Someone needs to make sure the wagon doesn’t get stolen like last time.”

“And someone needs to make sure the Egg doesn’t end up cracked,” Zipper added.

Jin opened his mouth in protest, only to clamp it shut. “Fine,” he said. “I guess I’ll go and do it myself. Just…make sure no one tries to take you on, okay?” He then turned around and headed in the direction Pacha had come out of, barely hearing Polly’s faint call of “Don’t die” before vanishing into the overgrowth bordering the village.

* * *

~Thunderclap Valley~

Jin knew Thunderclap Valley like the back of his paw. He knew what Mystery Dungeons were nearby, which ferals came out during specific points of the day, where the best foraging places were, and so on. He knew the best hiding places, which paths to take to avoid stumbling upon a Mystery Dungeon…but most of all, he knew that if he was ever in trouble, he could just set off an electric charge to the sky to alert the local Titan Pokémon. So, it didn’t take him long to find that something was off.

In a well-shaded area beneath a canopy of trees, the young Shinx noticed a clearing where the yellow grass was at its shortest. Two sets of tracks intersected with each other, and Jin easily recognized one of the sets belonging to the massive, three-toed indents from Pacha. The other set, however, was a very unfamiliar set of tiny pawprints that looked like they could have belonged to some other mammalian Pokémon.

Jin crept along the new tracks, keeping his nose low to the ground as he tried to get some kind of information. He noticed that the scent wafting from these tracks was very sweet, almost like a mix of morning dew and mint leaves. It almost would have been enough to put him in a trance had he not noticed a plump, yellow Berry nearby.

“How curious,” he muttered to himself. “What would a Sitrus Berry be doing in a place like this?”

As if on cue, his stomach let out a low grumble, reminding him that breakfast was a long time ago, and lunch wouldn’t be for a little while longer. Licking his lips, he reached over and snatched up the Sitrus Berry in his paw. He took a bite out of it and waited…and waited…

Nothing happened.

Weird, he thought to himself. I was expecting something to happen. He shrugged. Oh well, I guess this means the beast wasn’t anywhere near here.

At the same time, however, he couldn’t help but feel that something still wasn’t adding up. If this supposed “beast” wasn’t nearby, then what was up with those weird pawprints?

Finishing the rest of the Sitrus Berry, Jin resumed his investigation of the pawprints, trying to make sense of who they belonged to. As he made his way down the trail, he noticed that the prints seemed to circle about a few times before heading further up.

Now, who would do something like that, and why, he thought. He took a few steps forward, only to be overwhelmed by the same morning dew on mint leaf scent. Hissing, he shook his head to clear it of the strong scent…

…and felt something give way underneath his paw. He looked down, realizing too late that he’d stepped on a pitfall trap. He let out a yowl as the ground collapsed underneath him, causing him to fall into the pit.

“Owww,” he groaned, rubbing his head. “That really hurt.”

After checking to make sure he wasn’t injured, Jin took a moment to observe the trap. Thankfully, the pit wasn’t too deep, and the soil was still firm enough that he could get a good grip on it if he used his claws.

But just before he contemplated on climbing, he heard the rustling of a bush, followed by a series of footsteps from above – in fact, these weren’t light footsteps, but heavy thuds laced with exhaustion. Ragged breathing that sounded as if someone had run a marathon disturbed the air. And then, he heard a girl’s voice, full of frustration.

“How many times…do I have to tell you…I don’t know what you’re going on about!!”

That was definitely not Polly’s voice, Jin knew. Polly’s voice had a slightly squeaky tone that made it higher pitched than it should have been. This new voice was much huskier in comparison.

The footsteps came closer before they stopped at the edge of the pit. Jin crouched down, his body crackling with electricity as he instinctively revved up his Charge. Whoever trapped him in here was going to have to answer, and they would have to answer fast if they didn’t want a Thunder Shock to the face.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, a small green feline peered over the edge of the pit. Two dark green triangular ears twitched in annoyance while a mane of leafy green fur swayed in the breeze above. A dark green mask pattern stretched over its face, scrunched up in a scowl.

It’s…a Sprigatito, Jin thought to himself. He thought about calling for help, only to stop as he noticed something else about this Sprigatito.

Instead of the usual pink eyes he was used to, a pair of crystal-blue eyes stared back at him.

Blue eyes…like those of the beast that kidnapped George!

[boombambaby]

Crayons.

Taunting laughter trails off as Chaca and Tipo leave his line of sight, the two of them disappearing over the top of the hill once more in their rush to get away from him. For his part, Kuzco has already stopped dead in his tracks further down the hill, panting as he leans against the side of a large rock and glares balefully at their retreating forms. His hair is crunchy and stiff from the mud, standing at odd angles on top of his head and his tunic is cold and stuck to his back. It’s disgusting, to put it mildly, and he grumbles as he uselessly shakes his arms out to try and get the mud off of him one final time before admitting defeat and trudging up to Pacha’s hut to clean himself up.

Pacha and Chicha are inside when he enters, and the hut is near silent except for the soft sounds of Pacha turning the pages of his news scroll, and Chicha moving around in the kitchen just beyond the living room. Kuzco’s entrance isn’t exactly loud, but his annoyance exaggerates how forcefully he shoves the door open and it’s enough of a disturbance for Pacha to glance up from his news scroll in surprise. If he had a greeting at the ready, it’s forgotten entirely when he notices just how unkept and messy the usually prissy Emperor’s appearance is. “I, Kuz– what. . . what happened?” It’s obvious he’s trying not to laugh, and a withering glare is cast his way as Kuzco stomps his way past him and over to the staircase. “Not a word, Pacha.”

Chicha, however, doesn’t let him get too far; silently entering the room once she notices Pacha’s odd question, she watches as Kuzco makes his way through the room and tuts loud enough for them both to hear her when she takes notice of all the mud. “I know you aren’t about to walk through the house AND go upstairs with those muddy sandals on Kuzco. I just finished cleaning in here!” An emphatic gesture at the near spotless room follows, and then she’s back to glaring at him with her hands planted against her hips.

In all honesty, it hadn’t even crossed his mind. Grimacing, he glances down at his muddy sandals as if seeing them for the first time, and slips them off where he stands at the base of the stairs. An afterthought strikes him, and he pauses to look around for a moment before finding a discarded poncho– Chaka’s, probably but it serves her right– laying on the ground which he quickly tugs closer and places his sandals on top of. “There, happy? I’m taking a shower.”

Peasantville is ruining him.

Chaka and Tipo are menaces, Chicha is a cleaning monster, who’s food should be outlawed– but don’t tell her he said that– school is actual torture, and he’s bored to tears. If he doesn’t do something to get a piece of his old life back soon, he’s going to absolutely lose it. It takes a solid four wash and rinses to get all of the congealed mud out of his hair and a change of clothes later before he finally deems himself presentable enough again to go out in public.

If anyone knows what can be done about this situation, it’s the Royal Record Keeper– he knows the laws and proclamation scrolls like the back of his hand. There isn’t a doubt in Kuzco’s mind that he’ll be able to figure something out– some kind of caveat that will help him find his way back to the palace, or at the very least make living at Pacha’s more tolerable. Maybe there’s even a clause somewhere that states annoying peasant children with a penchant for mud should be banished from the Kingdom. Wouldn’t that be nice.

Having gotten used to walking from Pacha’s village to the city, it doesn’t take him long to reach the palace steps and upon noticing him, the guards . . .

– don’t even flinch.

It’s like he’s not even there– and that hurts, more than anything. Kuzco rolls his eyes as he ambles up to them, only somewhat out of breath from all of the steps– and seriously, who’s bright idea was it to have all of these again?

“ ‘Hello Emperor Kuzco, how are you today? Would you like us to fetch your golden litter, so you don’t have to walk up all these stairs?’ " He mocks in a deep tone of voice, puffing himself up to look as muscular as the two guards are. Then, back to normal; “No, not at all guys! I can handle it, really. All this unwanted exercise is worth it to see your bright and smiling faces again.” Kuzco sneers, sarcasm dripping from his voice as he shoulders past the guards at the top of the steps– or, attempts to shoulder past them.

Suddenly, there are two staffs in front of his face, crossed at the tips and blocking his entry. “You are not permitted access to the palace without proper supervision.” One of them announces, and it takes every ounce of his willpower not to scream. “I’m here to talk to the Royal Records Keeper– that counts as being ‘supervised’ in my OWN PALACE, right?” An angry shove pushes the staffs away, and he steps back to glare the guards into submission only to see the one on the right finally glance down and acknowledge him. “Do you have an appointment?”

Utter and complete disbelief gives him pause, his only initial reaction to blink at the guard a couple of times before finally uttering a low “Did you just ask me if I have an appointment? . . . with WHO? Who’s hosting the audiences while I’m not there, smalls?”

Recognizing the tone of his voice, the guards share a confused glance before the one speaking with him offers a disconcerted shrug. “Yes? You must request–“ Likely somehow sensing the danger, the Royal Record Keeper himself dashes out from wherever he had been hiding out at inside the palace, shooing the guards away and gesturing Kuzco forward. “O-Oh! Kuzco! What a surprise, of course you don’t need an appointment! Come in, come in–”

Kuzco straightens his poncho with a huff, glaring at the guards as he passes them and follows RRK into the palace, intent on finally receiving some answers.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

There aren’t words to contain his excitement once everyone finally falls asleep for the night. Blankets are haphazardly tossed aside as he slides out of the bed, focusing his attention on Chaka and Tipo’s bed to make sure he doesn’t wake them up. “It’s gotta be here somewhere . . .“ He mutters, quietly moving items around until finally settling on Tipo’s school bag which he immediately begins to rifle through. Scrolls, papers, toys– “AHA!” There it is, the box of crayons he uses for Kuzcogarten, right there in the bottom of his book bag.

Kuzco sits on the floor and picks through it, squinting at each color in the dark– he would have grabbed a candle, but he was afraid the light would wake them up– until he comes across the orange-ish red one.

The ‘Royal-health-in-jeopardy rule’; it’s perfect! Not only would he be allowed to miss school to avoid making his ‘sickness’ worse or giving his illness to someone else– he would also be allowed to live as lavishly as he did back in the palace while he recovers! He can see it now, the attic all decked out with the red and gold drapes of the palace, servants at his every beck and call, the Royal Chef here to kick Chicha out of the kitchen– he can hardly wait!

Sometime later finds Kuzco huddled underneath the blankets on his bed, tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration as he draws what he hopes are convincing circles on his face. He sneaks out from under the covers once he’s finished to survey his work in the mirror, and cackles at the sight of his perfectly blemish-free face coated in sickly looking orange spots. “Kuzco, you sly dog! You’re a genius.” He praises, flashing himself a wink before heading back to his bed for the night.

This has to work; he has to do SOMETHING to make this all better, and even if he has to bribe the twin terrors, he’s going to make sure this plan goes off without a hitch.

‘Royal treatment, here I come!’ He thinks, folding his arms behind his head and grinning up at the ceiling of the hut.

[avoskorm]

I've come to the conclusion that I really hate co-op farming sims.

I love Stardew Valley as a single player game, but as a co-op game I kind of hate it.

Idk what it is, maybe it's the fact I've got considerably less control over it as a co-op experience, and getting side tracked can mean wasting much more time.

Roots of Pacha is another example: I got it for my sister and I to play together, but I wasn't really gelling with the game at all until I started a single player just to get the achievements out of the way. Which is hilarious considering the game's own store page insists it was designed as a co-op experience.

I love things like Valheim or The Planet Crafter in co-op, though. Maybe it's because there's not really any penalty for staying out too late (except, y'know, extra mobs in Valheim's case), and I can do whatever with no time constraints.

[stoicallygroovy]

I've been reading the emperor's new school (or skool) series bible and there's a lot of little details about the characters and just the way the bible itself is written. the thing is 60 pages long and here are bunch of my favourite details from there

EXTENSION: No-callie-me

"Listen everybody, my movie was damn funny. Screw the box office. Did you track the video sales? Boo-yah!"

They still don't explain why Yzma is still in the line for the throne. I'll just say that Kuzco forgot to make it clear she had been fired after the movie. let's be honest, he'd do that.

It says that Kuzco doesn't really know if he likes or hates Kronk, so he mostly just makes fun of him. it's kinda cool that they were aware of their dynamic of "friends but one has and still tries to help get him off the picture"

Malina had a completely different look and was more boy crazy and in love with Kronk to the point he would make her "into a complete puddle of clumsiness"

Most of her character introduction is not from Kuzco's perspective unlike the rest of the characters, and I like to think it's cause someone else had to write it as Kuzco would just drool about her for four pages

Kuzco thinks Chicha is "pretty cool"

Yupi (the baby) was originally named Cuti

Kuzco calls Tipo a devil-child because he could give him puppy-eyes to make him feel guilty. also Tipo tries to outdo Chaca who's an overachiever but is always flawed at his attempts. also he considers Kronk his idol

this picture (that background pattern went way back)

Kuzco implies he'd like to use a potion to turn into Malina's hair brush (this guy XD)

Yzma's sister was supposed to appear

Yzma's mother had a "Rascal ®" and I don't know what that means

The theme song guy's name is Tom (for his voice actor Tom Jones)

The new village leader was considered as a possible villain who wanted Pacha's hilltop house

Mr Purutu was a "Depressing, downer of a fella who sees no reason to strive for academic success in this oppressive monarchy." I don't remember if this reason for his personality was stated in the final product

it seems kind of implied that Kuzco and Malina might have not ended up together from their original dynamic, so they changed some stuff like taking away Malina's crush for Kronk and listening to feedback about showing more of "Kuzco’s softer side and his struggles with interpersonal relationships"

[soloragoldsun]

PSA: You can still buy Roots of Pacha from Humble Bundle. The Steam codes work, even though the page is down.

[linuxgamenews]

Roots Of Pacha disappears from Steam but now offers a native build

Roots of Pacha farming and life simulation game gets pulled but now offers a Linux with Mac as well as Windows PC. Thanks to the unwavering dedication of Soda Den, the talented developer behind the game. Which was available on Steam but is on Humble Store? Let's talk about Roots of Pacha. It's a farming and life simulation game set way back in the Stone Age. The game is now available for Mac along with Windows PC. But also sports a native build for Linux, thanks to a recent email from Soda Den. So get gear up for some prehistoric good times.

We decided to try a native Linux build. And so far, we're pretty happy with the results! Our initial stance was to provide Linux support through Proton. And while our internal tests didn't discover any issues, we had some feedback about the game not performing as expected from some of our Steam Deck users. We've thoroughly tested the new native build on our Steam Decks, but we don’t have the hardware or resources to test it in the various Linux distros. That said, we have every reason to believe the native build will have better performance for all Linux players as well.

Roots of Pacha is created using Unity 3D, which is fantastic news for Linux and Steam Deck users. Developing the game natively for these platforms will result in improved performance across the board. It's a smart move by Soda Den to ensure that players have the best possible gaming experience In Roots of Pacha you get to join a community of Stone Age people and experience what their lives were like. You can team up with your friends and build your own village. But before you can do that, you'll need to explore the world around you. Fish in streams, find cool plants and animals and even venture into mysterious caves to find resources.

Stone Age Adventure - Roots of Pacha is Out

Once you've gathered enough resources, it's time to start farming. You'll invent new tools and techniques to help your crops grow. It's like starting your own agricultural revolution! And as you progress, you'll come up with new ideas to make life even better. Maybe create a sundial to keep track of time or figure out how to make watering your crops easier with a well. Expanding your village is another big part of Roots of Pacha. You can construct a range of buildings and invite others to join your clan. Together, you can transform your village into a bustling place. And remember, the ideas you come up with will lead to new buildings and even better ways to irrigate your fields. But it's not all about farming and building. You'll also interact with the people in your Roots of Pacha village. You can make friends, find love, and have a lively community. How you treat them and the choices you make will affect how they react to you and the world around them. So help each other out. And here's something interesting: there's a spiritual side to Roots of Pacha too. You'll stumble upon a mysterious structure that will lead you to explore deep caves. Along the way, you'll meet special animal totems and uncover their secrets. One more thing, you can customize your character's appearance. Choose from different hairstyles, outfits, and skin tones. You can even pick your body type and mix and match facial features. Plus, you can design and decorate your home to show off your unique style. If you want, you can even invite up to three friends to join your village. You can live together, share talents and resources, and even celebrate festivals together. But due note, the game page is not on Steam.

Pulled from Steam:

Roots Of Pacha has been pulled from Steam, following a dispute “over the rights” of the game between developer Soda Den and publisher Crytivo.

pic.twitter.com/l9K0zFn8k4

— Roots of Pacha (@rootsofpacha) May 13, 2023

Crytivo’s reply: “On April 27th, just two days after a successful release, we received an unexpected message from the Soda Den team, informing us they were claiming to unilaterally rescind the contract we had worked under for three years, treating it as void.” That would essentially nullify the revenue-sharing agreement set out before release. So, for those who already own the games, get ready to step back in time to the Stone Age in Roots Of Pacha. Now available on Linux, Mac, and Windows PC (SteamDB). Plus this Linux game is also Steam Deck Verified. That was priced at $22.49 USD / £19.79 / 22,49€ with a 10% discount on Steam. But is listed on Humble Store.

[riddlerosehearts]

speaking of tv tropes i hate that the page for kuzco from the emperor's new groove has him listed as ambiguously bi because he's into malina in the tv series + "has some odd overtones" with pacha in the movie 😭 shut upppp that's literally his found family dad. if you want to call him ambiguously bi using malina as evidence then you can also use the character ramon from the series, who's supposed to be a rival for malina's affections but who kuzco talks about like this:

[fashionbooksmilano]

Trance

Ariel Bernardo Pascuali

Texto Martin Esquivel Viveros

Mec Museo en los cerros, Tilcara Argentina 2021, 38 pages, 21,3 x 31,5 cm

euro 120,00

email if you want to buy booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

A la comunidad de Maimarà, Tilcara, Uquia y Yavi. A los Diablos

Este viaje fotográfico nos sumerge como un sueño en las quebradas de la memoria y nos conecta con mundos suprasensibles. La alegría del carnaval es custodiada por el Diablo carnavalero, entidad vistosa e imponente, que cada verano brota desde el vientre mismo de la tierra e irrumpe en la cotidianidad de la gente que habita los pueblos andinos. Cuerpos ágiles ceden sus carnes para transformarse durante días y noches en celebrantes extasiados. Cautivado por el sonido de los cascabeles y el olor de la albahaca que enamora, o enlazados por las serpentinas de vibrante color, viven el instante maravilloso del desentierro del Diablos del Carnaval. Al final del carnaval los caminantes de la noche se hacen presentes ante la luz y deciden revelarnos sus rostros. Se suspende el tiempo dedicado a la alegría, una alegría que habita en lo profundo de la tierra. En la concepción andina del mundo, el mundo de abajo, el ukku pacha es el lugar donde moran los ancestros, los espíritus y lo milenariamente oculto; un espacio simbólico y mítico de la cosmovision quechua y aymara ancestral, que irradia una poderosa energía denominada saxra. Estas imágenes, como un manuscrito antiguo, nos develan la memoria viva de los cuerpos. Una alegría efímera y poderosa que se manifiesta en las noches estrelladas de verano y que, embriagada de chicha madura, nos alienta a desatar lo diabólico que nos habita - y que somos - en tiempo de carnaval.

28/04/23

orders to:     booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

ordini a:        booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

twitter:          fashionbooksmilano

instagram:   fashionbooksmilano, designbooksmilano tumblr:          fashionbooksmilano, designbooksmilano

[artistporelsalva]

🌈 𝗛𝗲𝘆 ! ✨ 𝗷𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝗶 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶 𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝘁 🅒🅞🅔🅤🅡 💜 ! J'ai compté sur tous mes comptes et réseaux : 5k #follow #abonnés environ* : 🥰 𝗔𝗹𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗜 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 ! (je ne fais pas vraiment de campagne de pouces pour cette page car j'attend encore la grosse actualité ! Comme la sortie de l'album, un clip qui déboite, une médiatisation, une expo de ouf !) Même si le gros projet est toujours un peu là, et a déjà été vécu, je ne sors pas de ma 🐚 alors Merci d'être là, et de m'encourager, je ne sais pas si je ferai la démarche "d'inviter tous mes ami.es à liker la page, mais 800 c'est cool un petit chiffre rond qui m'a fait plaisir, j'avoue. 😄 𝗨𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝘂𝘅 𝗾𝘂𝗶 𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗾𝘂𝗶 𝗺'𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. : sur cette page https://www.facebook.com/MARICELALIXAartista 𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 #𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 😜 𝗾𝘂𝗶 𝗺'𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲́𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 : 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝘂 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗰 𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 ! 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 ⓁⓄⓋⒺ 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 *Je connais des supers artistes (bien-sûr qui ont +, c'est sûr et je suis contente pour elleux), mais aussi des supers artistes qui ont moins que ça ! Merci ça fait super plaisir d'être reconnue en tant qu'artiste et dans ma démarche qui est en évolution constante...! J'espère toucher un peu plus de monde toujours dans le simple but de partager et pouvoir offrir ce que j'aime et sais faire de mieux, qui me rend heureuse. Sans parler de mon grand Amour pour Pacha Mama 🌳... (Bon, j'extrapole là 🌎 même si quelque part parler des humains et de la terre c'est relié ainsi que cet amour commun du vivant...) 🅛🅞🅥🅔 🅨🅞🅤 🅧🅞🅧🅞 ✌️ #artiste #plasticienne #électro #experimentale #improvisation #performance #progress #process #vie #couleurs #art #musique #recyclage #diy #production #programmation #date #booking #évenement #actualité #tournée #tourneur #manager #agentartistique #communauté #people #like (à All over the World) https://www.instagram.com/p/Coj1qtcssRV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[newsssc]

from her discreet vacations to the times when her breasts were on the front pages

Caroline of Monaco (67 years old) is one of the most popular, elegant and Influential people on the international sceneFor years, it was common to see the Princess of Hanover on the front pages from her family holidays aboard the yacht Pacha III. However, for some time now, the plans of Carlota Casiraghi's mother seem to be a state secret. Some days ago, Carolina reappeared in the Italian city of…

[dbcoatl-art]

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Hunters of Ruination

Chapter 2: Awkward First Impressions [7 Pages]

After falling for a pitfall trap, Jin finds the so-called "beast of the valley"...or so he thinks. Despite bearing blue eyes and being able to create pits, the scrawny Sprigatito named Mila doesn't seem like someone who could qualify as some kind of monster at all.

--

Jin’s heart hammered in his ribcage as he stared up at the Sprigatito. There was no doubt about it – she definitely had blue eyes, and she seemed crafty enough to create pitfall traps like this one. And she even had sharp fangs protruding from her upper jaw, like two very little daggers.

This had to be it. This had to be the beast of the valley!

Yet, a small voice from the back of his head suggested otherwise. What if she wasn’t the beast? She seemed much too intelligent, and she was even capable of speech. Many ferals he’d come across lacked those capabilities, save for maybe the Rookidee line.

…What if the real beast of the valley was hiding elsewhere?

After a while, the Sprigatito blinked as she took a step back. “Oh,” she said. “You’re not the Donphan I ran into earlier.”

A strong mix of relief and anger washed over Jin. The Sprigatito wasn’t the beast that Pacha had made her out to be, but that didn’t change the fact that Pacha could have been injured if she had fallen for the pitfall trap. These feelings quickly faded, however, when a green forepaw reached down to him.

“Want me to help you get out of there?” the Sprigatito asked.

Jin hesitated for a moment. Then, he sighed as he released the charged-up electricity from his body. “Sure,” he replied as he reached over to grab her forepaw. It took some effort, but the two of them worked together to pull Jin out of the pit.

Now that Jin was free from his little trap, he could get a better look at his captor-turned saviour. He noticed that the Sprigatito’s fine green pelt was ragged and unkempt, with bits and pieces of twigs and leaves clinging to it in some places. The tip of her tail bore the same dark green that adorned her face and ears, while her legs were long and slender. He also noticed a few of her ribs poking out, as if she hadn’t eaten in a while.

A pregnant pause passed between the two of them before Jin finally made the first move, as he usually did. “So…” he said. “I’ve never seen you around here. Then again, I’ve never actually met a Sprigatito myself.”

The Sprigatito looked at him, unamused. “Really now?” she retorted. “Cause that’s the exact same thing that Donphan told me.”

“Ehehehe, yeah,” Jin chuckled as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with one forepaw. “Normally, you’d mostly only be able to find them in the Misty Woods, just a few ways northwest of here.”

The Sprigatito flicked her tail. “Heard that one, too,” she sighed. “I don’t even know what the Misty Woods is. Or where I am, as a matter of fact.”

Jin blinked. A Sprigatito who had never heard of the Misty Woods. Now he’d seen and heard everything. But at the same time, he knew she couldn’t have come from any of the bigger continents on the other side of the world.

He was about to say more when a loud roar suddenly sounded nearby. The duo spun around, trying to search for the source of the noise. A series of more sounds soon followed – the snapping of wood, the trampling of leaves, and even something that sounded like the spewing of fire.

A massive green head swung forward, the jaws connecting to it chomping down on the shrub behind the Sprigatito, ripping it effortlessly out of the earth. An identical, red-coloured head soon followed, letting out a menacing snarl. The green head tossed the shrub aside, revealing both heads to be connected to a singular green body that stood on two legs that ended in a single claw, a pair of leafy arms and a thick tail.

“Wh-what is that?” the Sprigatito asked, backing away from this new creature.

As if in response, the two-headed Pokémon took one look at the small felines. Then, both its heads reared back to let loose a singular, massive roar.

“Scovillain!” Jin shouted. “Run!”

The Sprigatito didn’t need to be told twice. She immediately scrabbled to get a hold on the earth before scampering away. Jin tried to follow suit, only for a jolt of pain to shoot through his foreleg. Wincing, he fell forward with a thud, realizing that he must have injured himself in that pitfall trap.

The Scovillain stomped closer to Jin as the jaws of the red head began to let out a series of sparks. Jin braced himself, expecting to be burned by a devastating Flamethrower that was sure to end him!

But just before the Scovillain could unleash its attack, it suddenly let out a pained shriek as something hard hit its eye, throwing the Fire-type move off-course. The jet of fire shot into the sky, where it fizzled harmlessly. A second hard object soon followed suit, also nailing the green head on its eye.

As Jin wondered what could have happened, the Sprigatito burst from the bushes again, holding a rock in her jaws and another in one of her paws.

“Stay away from him, your two-headed jerkface!” she yowled around the rock in her mouth. Jin could only watch in amazement as she tossed that rock at the Scovillain, scoring a hit on the green head’s other eye. She then scampered around and tossed the other rock at the red head, hitting that head’s other eye.

The Scovillain screamed as it blindly stumbled about, trying to rub out the pain in its eyes. Unfortunately, it didn’t anticipate the pit Jin had fallen in before, and by the time it realized what was happening, it was already slipping off the edge and into the pit.

With the Scovillain roaring in the pit, the Sprigatito quickly scampered her way back to Jin. Clamping her teeth down on the scruff of his neck, she dragged him into the bushes and out of that clearing.

Jin could only stare at the pitfall trap that the Scovillain was in right now, blinded by rocks and shrieking in pain. He shuddered as he saw the occasional jet of flame shoot out of the pit, realizing how close he had been to getting cooked to death.

He didn’t notice that the ground beneath him had stopped moving until the Sprigatito released her hold on him. He slowly stood up, hissing at the pain his foreleg.

“Wait here,” he heard the Sprigatito tell him. “I’ll be right back.”

Jin could only mumble in response as he licked his foreleg to at least ease the pain. Now that he was out of danger, he noticed that there was a small bruise just above his wrist.

The scent of morning dew on mint leaves came back to him, and he turned to find the Sprigatito return to him, holding an Oran Berry in her jaws. She dropped it in front of him and rolled it towards him. “This should make you good as new,” she told him.

Jin took the berry in his paws and chomped down on it. As he did, he instantly felt the pain in his foreleg disappear, allowing him to stand on it again. After making sure he was alright again, he turned his attention back to the Sprigatito.

“You saved me,” he said.

The Sprigatito’s ears and tail shot up in surprise, before she turned away, blushing. “W-well,” she said. “I just couldn’t bear the thought of you getting hurt…or worse.”

A wide smile curled up on the Shinx’s face as he scampered around her. “Man, to think you were the beast of the valley everyone’s been talking about,” he said. “Boy was I wrong!”

“Beast? What beast?” The Sprigatito was confused by what Jin meant.

“You’re no beast at all!” Jin answered. “You’re a hero! A raggedy hero, but still a hero nonetheless!”

The Sprigatito blinked. Then, she smirked. “Call me raggedy again, and I might toss you back into that pit.” She turned away, her tail swishing with amusement. “Not that I’d bother doing so anyway.”

Jin chuckled. “I know you wouldn’t,” he said.

The two smiled at each other for a moment. However, that moment would soon be interrupted by a loud grumble from nearby.

“Crap,” Jin hissed. “Did that Scovillain manage to get out of the pit?”

“N-no,” the Sprigatito whimpered. Jin turned around to find her sitting on her haunches, clutching her belly in embarrassment. “It’s me.”

Jin looked at the Sprigatito’s ribs again. It looked like she hadn’t eaten very much in a while. He looked around before looking up at a nearby tree. He smiled. “I can help with that one,” he said.

The Sprigatito watched as Jin approached the tree. Then, suddenly, he spun around and kicked at the trunk with all his might. He spun around and kicked a second time. There was a snap from above before a large, bright red object landed with a thud right in front of her.

“An apple?” she asked.

Jin smiled and shook his head. “Not just any Apple,” he corrected her. “A Perfect Apple! They’re always abundant at this time of the year.”

The Sprigatito glanced down at the Perfect Apple. She didn’t think it looked “perfect” – to her, it was just an ordinary red apple, complete with a green stem and a large leaf. Still, her hunger drove her to pick up the Perfect Apple and reluctantly take a bite out of it. Then, her mood brightened, and she quickly chowed down on the rest of it.

“Wow,” she said. “I feel full again. Thanks!”

“You’re welcome,” replied Jin. At least he knew she had good taste.

The Shinx approached the Grass-type feline and sat next to her. Without her ribs poking out and her belly completely full, Jin now noticed that there were several bruises that he’d missed earlier. “How long have you survived out here?” he asked her.

The Sprigatito’s ears twitched. “You mean out here, in this strange new world where Pokémon are capable of speech?” she asked. She sighed. “I dunno…maybe a day, at most?”

“And how did you get here?”

Silence fell between the two of them. “… I don’t remember.”

Aha! So she must have amnesia, Jin thought. Though, it would be nice to at least know something about her.

He pressed his forepaws together. “You know…” he began, averting eye contact while trying to find the right words. “You are pretty weird. F-for a Sprigatito, at least.”

“Yeah, I know,” she replied. “Don’t know anything about this ‘Misty Woods’ place, don’t know where I am…nothing.”

“Do you have a name, at least? I’d feel bad if I just called you Sprigatito.”

Jin had said that sentence right before he even realized what it was he’d exactly said. His eyes widened as he backed off. “S-sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to— I should’ve been more considerate— I’m sorry, I—”

“No, no, it’s alright,” the Sprigatito said with a giggle. “I would’ve told you anyway.” She held out a forepaw. “I’m Camila Holt…but you can just call me ‘Mila.’ What about you?”

Jin looked at the offered paw, then up to the Sprigatito. Even though she had some of the descriptions of this supposed “beast of the valley” (blue eyes and enough intelligence to create pitfall traps), he couldn’t detect any sort of malice within her. All he could see was a warm smile, and eyes full of laughter. Not to mention she was much too sentient to be considered a feral.

He smiled back as he shook her paw. “Jin Lightfang,” he replied. At last, he had one part of the valley beast mystery resolved.

“So, Jin,” Mila said. “Do you know if there’s a village or town nearby? I was hoping I could at least get some help from the locals.”

Every hair on Jin’s pelt stood on end as he recalled why he came out here in the first place. And what an angry mob of townsfolk were planning to do.

“I… I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said.

Mila frowned. “Why not?” she asked.

Jin took a deep breath, carefully formulating his next sentence. “Well, you see, the villagers who live nearby…to put it lightly, a friend of mine got kidnapped, and he’s well-liked among them. The kidnapper is said to make holes and have blue eyes. And also makes a hissing noise.”

“So?” Mila scoffed. “I have blue eyes. And I made that hole pretty well enough that the Scovillain won’t be able to get out any time soon.”

“Yes, well…think about what would happen if they found you. They’d probably cast you out before you even set foot in the village. Or, you could get arrested and brought for questioning.”

Mila’s eyes widened. Then, she looked guiltily down at her paws. “I-I didn’t think of that,” she admitted. “I didn’t know. But, at the same time, I can understand why.”

Jin blinked. “What do you mean?”

Mila took a deep breath before looking up at Jin. “There’s something you should know about me,” she said. “The truth is, I’m not a Sprigatito. I never was. I’m actually—”

“JIN!”

Oh, crud.

In his haste to find the beast of the valley (and instead having his hide saved by his new friend Mila), Jin had completely forgotten about Uncle Volt! And when Uncle Volt roared like that, he knew he was in trouble.

Big trouble!

“Jin?” Mila asked warily. “Who was that?”

Jin took a deep breath to calm himself down. “OK, so here’s the thing, Mila,” he began. “You know that Donphan?”

“You mean the one who wouldn’t stop pestering me about her lost kid, George?”

“Yeah, that’s Mrs. Pacha. She told everyone in the village about the supposed beast roaming in the valley. Thunderclap Valley, to be more specific.” He bit his lower lip nervously. “If they find you here, I don’t know what could happen.”

“So I just hide and wait until they pass by?” Mila asked, her tail-tip twitching. “Sounds easy enough.”

Jin shook his head. “That won’t be possible with my Uncle Volt,” he said. “He’s a Luxray – and everyone knows that Luxray have superb X-ray vision. No matter how much you try to hide, he’ll always find you.”

“Oh.” Mila’s tail drooped. “So, what can we do?”

“JIN LIGHTFANG!” Volt’s voice was getting much louder now.

Jin hesitated. If Mila tried to run and hide, Volt would find her anyway. If she presented herself, the villagers would likely mistake her for the beast like he did and attack her. Either way, he’d only end up putting her in danger.

Yet, if there was one thing Jin hated more than most, it was lying. And he was an honest mon through and through.

He sighed, turning to Mila. “There’s only one thing we can do,” he admitted. “I’ll need you to come with me. And we’ll need to explain what happened – together. It’s the only way we can prove you’re not the beast of the valley.”

Mila didn’t need to ask why. She simply got to her paws and nodded at Jin.

Jin smiled. “Then, let’s get going.”