#so I redrew him to be prettier

[howlljenkins]

The First Family of the Solar Republic 💫

[ask-oven]

This is a story request by @charlottebrulee It turned out a bit longer than I imagine. 

Timeline: July thirty two years ago

“Come on Borscht, this plan is foolproof,” said Alistair as they were up in the tree tops.

“For the thousandth time no, Alistair it’s against the rule,” replied the second husband.

“Bugger the rule, these are our kids we’re talking about. They deserve to know us,” said the newest member.

Forge came up the elevator as .the conversation was going on. “Hey Malbec,” he said to another husband who was listening to the argument, “he still going about his rescue  plan?”

“Yes,” sighed Malbec, “you’ve got to admire their passion when they first come here.”

Forge nodded, “So how is this one different?”

“All of us are going to sabotage the cameras and alarms, take out the soldiers, fight Linlin, and take our kids and leave.”

“I take it our freedom is happy bonus,” laughed Forge.

“Pretty much,” shrugged Malbec.

“I’m telling you we can do it, there’s nine of us and only one Linlin,” said Alistair.

“And as I’ve told you repeatedly, you greatly overestimate our strength,” replied Borscht annoyed, “Now, I want you to get this ideas of seeing your daughter out of your head. You’ve been here for a week, yes?”

Alistair looked down at the ground angrily, “Yes.”

“Good, it’s time you started pulling your weight, you’ll be on night watch with Iago,” ordered Borscht.

Malbac and Forge’s eyes got big as they listened to this order. “Oh man, that’s frightening,” whispered Forge.

“I know. I think I actually cried the first time I was left alone with him,” Malbec whispered back.

Alistair looked at Borscht not hearing Forge and Malbec. “Who the devils is Iago?”

“I am,” whispered a voice from behind him.

The other three men nearly jumped out of their skins at the whisper. Alistair turned around and faced the man, “My name is Alistair, adventurer, swashbuckler, romancer of women, enjoyer of fine foods and wines, and all around gentleman.” He gave a hearty grin, “I see that you  must be Daifuku’s father. Those features and eyes don’t lie. However I must tell your son is little albino git.”

As soon as he blinked a knife was on his neck, “Never insult my son,” whispered Iago, “It’ll be the last thing you’ll ever do, adventurer,” came a deadly whisper.

“Duly noted,” gulped Alistair. Iago redrew his knife and continued on his way. All four men rubbed their necks.  “Charming fellow,” said Alistair, “a great ally for my plan.”

“Enough of your foolish plan!” yelled Borscht, “Get some rest, you’re gonna need it.” Then each man went their separate ways.

As night fell Alistair made his way to his the watch post from hearing the others talk, Iago was definitely the man he needed. “I’m sorry we got off on the wrong  foot,” he said as he sat down.

Iago stood in a corner not saying a word just looking out at  the horizon.

Alistair continued, “You have a reputation around camp. They say you were fathered by lighting and nursed by a wild she bear, trained at a young age to be an assassin. What an amazing life.”

Iago looked out into the night not saying a word.

“So you love your son? Well you see,  he has a new baby sister, my daughter. She’s more beautiful than all the jewels in the world. I have this plan if you’re willing to hear it.”

Iago reached into his pocket and pulled out a nye. He put it to his lips and started to play. “Ah so you’re going to entertain us with some music.” The song almost sounded like a lullaby. “Mind if you tell my plan?”  Alistair asked. Iago continued play. So Alistair took that as a yes so he began to explain.

Iago stopped playing whenever the new man was done explaining his plan. He put his nye back in his pocket and said above a whisper, “Take Borscht’s advice you’re plan is foolish and risky. None of us are willing to sacrifice our children’s lives for just one more chance to hold them. Now be quiet and  watch the horizon for homies and soldiers.”

Alistair nodded not wanting to provoke this man’s wrath and did as he was told. “You’re all wrong,” he thought, “my plan won’t fail. Why I’ll go myself and prove you lot wrong.”

The next night Alistair enacted his plan. He broke into the supply closet and stole: A grappling hook, some rope, two revolvers, and a blanket. “I’m coming my little jewel,” he said to himself. He climbed down from the tree tops. As he walked away from camp he could feel Iago’s eyes on him. He turned around wondering if the assassin was behind him. He sighed when he saw no one then he yelled, “I’m an adventurer, Iago, it’s in my soul to find and confront danger!”

He was only answered by the rustling of the leaves. He walked out into the forest. Thankfully all the homies were asleep. “Phase one complete,” he thought.

He walked across the field to the castle and thought of the wonderful things he and his daughter would do together once they were free. “I’m going to change her name to Jewel, much prettier than Brulee. We’ll sail the seas together. She’ll know how to man a ship before she can walk, by gum,” he grinned to himself.

He made it the wall of the castle. He took off the grappling hook and threw it over the wall. It stuck and he climbed over. A snail went off. Alistair silenced it with two shots from one of the revolvers.  “Phase two complete. Now onto the nursery so that me and my little jewel of the sea can escape.”

“Hey what are you doing?” asked a guard who tried to stop him however he was down for the count in the blink of an eye.

“Going to see my daughter,” Alistair answered. So far his luck was holding out great. “Wait until the others see me,” he thought. He took the guard’s armor and put it on. It was a bit short, but the plan was a touch hasty. He followed the rest of the guards into the castle. Once inside he broke off and went find his daughter.

He about to climb the stairs when a small voice said, “Peacekeepers aren’t allowed in the castle.” He stopped and turned around and saw one of his stepsons, Perospero. “Go back to the barracks,” said the boy.

“I’m sorry, young master I can’t do that,” said Alistair as lifted his helmet and gave a roguish wink.

Then Perospero smiled, “Papa Alistair?”  Alistair nodded. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to get my little jewel back we’re going to leave this place and move on to the next grand adventure.”

The boy’s smile turned to a frown, “It’s impossible, Mama and the head chef have the castle littered with cameras and such.”

Alistair bent down and ruffled the boy’s hair, “Ah you just need to have a bit more faith boy. Now march up to bed and don’t tell your Ma that you saw me.”

Perospero hesitated for a moment then agreed, “Okay night Papa.” He went up the stairs.

Once the boy was gone, Alistair continued to his mission. “Now where is the nursery?” he thought. He then remembered all the times he was sent to hold Cracker, “There’s the rub of it all, you get to hold some stranger’s kid, but you only hold your own once.” Again his luck held as he made to the nursery. There was his daughter, even more beautiful then he remembered. The babe reached up to him, happy to see someone. “There’s my little jewel of the sea,” he whispered as he picked her up. Brulee cooed and reached up to him.

Alistair almost cried, “No tears until we’re far away from this place,” he told himself. He placed his daughter in the blanket and put it around his neck and shoulders, “You ready to go on adventure Jewel?” His daughter cooed.

He was about to leave when the lights came on, “I knew someone broke into the castle,” said a voice.

Alistair turned around and was greeted by the head chef. “Ah Strussy,” said Alistair, “how long have been here?”

“Long enough, now put the baby back and go back to the forest. Tell none of the others of what happened here,” replied Struesen, “Also don’t call me Strussy.”

Alistair pulled out a revolver, “What if I refuse, Strussy?”

“Then you will be placed in the dungeon and eventually killed,” calmly answered Struesen.

“I do not fear death,” Alistair lied.

Strusen sighed, “Have it your way Alistair.” He pressed a snail and in mere seconds hundreds of  peacekeepers were behind him.

Alistair placed Brulee back in her cradle, “Papa is going teach the evil men a lesson,” he grinned. Brulee simply cooed unaware of what what was being said. Alistair turned, cocked his gun and said, “Do your worst you blagards.”

He quickly lost all of his shot. He then resorted to using his fits and haki, which proved pointless. The peacekeepers were on him before he could blink. He could see that he wounded a couple of them. He grinned at his mild success.

Then Strusen walked over to him with a grin of his own and said, “I’m sorry, but you have failed. Oh it was a valiant effort, but in the end I win.” He turned to the soldiers that were holding Alistair, “Take him to the dungeon.”

“I will not go quietly into that good night,” spat Alistair as he was dragged away from his daughter.

Epilouge

Alistair didn’t know how long he had been in that dungeon. Days? Months? Years? He had been fed sure but just barely to stay alive. He never regretted his plan. Suddenly the light hit his eyes. “Alright, Mont-D’or for your first task with your new fruit, I want you to stuff this rat into a book,” said Struesen.

Strusen had aged greatly. This boy Mont-D’or was young, probably ten or twelve. He walked up to Alistair’s cage  carrying a book and said, “I’m sorry mister.”  

Alistair grinned and said, “I don’t blame ya boy.” They exchanged a few words.

Mont-D’or sighed and stuffed this stranger into the book. He walked over to Struesen book in hand and handed the book to the old man. “Well what did he say?” asked the head chef.

“He didn’t blame me,” answered the boy, “Also to tell you that he will have his revenge and he will see his little jewel again.”

Struesen looked down at the book and said, “Over my dead body.” Strusen then walked to Linlin’s collection room and placed the book on the shelf. Until one fateful wedding day.

[theticklefox-blog]

Chalk and Cheese:  A Dance of Three Partners 

Apologies to the few who read my comic for all the delays. I first drew this two part Lost Hope series near the beginning of the year but had a bunch of silly, shorter gag-based comics I wanted to share first to work my way toward the more character-based, personal stuff. But then I decided that, as much as the first version of this improved my limited drawing skill... it still wasn’t good enough, so I redrew the two series and honed the dialogue a bit more. (The next installment features full-on cosplay, but is more philosophical and wistful than naughty. Sorry if that disappoints anyone. ;) I’m still not sure how much I should push the envelope in terms of my characters flirting with each other... I’m dealing with that issue again in some new storylines I’m drawing, but haven’t resolved anything. 

I have been trying to explore my JSMN fandom a bit through these, but didn’t want to self-analyze too much, as that can destroy the magic. also, I should emphasize that while this contains elements of truth about my personal fandom, this is a fictional story. Riley is fictional and the cosplayer mentioned is fictional. I have seen several brilliant Gentleman cosplayers online (all genders) but didn’t base this character on anyone specific. 

Riley is, in some ways, both a compilation of every man I’ve ever been attracted to, but he’s not based on anyone directly either. The comic artists and writers I’ve been influenced by say all of one’s characters are in some ways facets of their creator more than of any external inspiration.  In some ways I guess Riley’s a male version of me in prettier trappings, though I didn’t conceive him with any of this in mind. It was all intuitive. Obviously he’s quite UNlike me (and my boyfriend John) in many ways too. As I said... more fun not to analyze too much. Just explore and have fun with it.

I also invested in a 72-color set of artist’s pencils which I’m using for the first time here, and still getting used to. They create rich, vibrant shades but don’t blend quite as well as the old ones... but I’ll keep playing with them.