#this art also just ended up being my favorite thing ive drawn somehow so thats nice

[almalex24]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITEST GAME EVER!!!!!

this game and the characters mean the world to me and im so happy i can celebrate the anniversary like this... it means so much to me that people r making art for this silly niche indie game and like my art for it. im gonna keep drawing for said silly niche indie game!!! my passion can still go for so long!!! i have so many ideas i wanna draw. this game has inspired me both creatively and as silly as it sounds in my own personal life as well... im so happy for u existing crosscode. thank u so much to everyone in the community for just being so fun to be with and being so kind and welcoming!!! let the celebrations continue!!! thank u everyone for joining along my anniversary tag it means so much to me ;w;

[kosmicdream]

Ode to Togashi

Stream of conscientious incoherent rant about manga/hxh below, read at your own discretion as i AM NOT EDITING IT: 

While I’m still in the mood to talk about art and what i love about manga, i feel like i wanted to share (some) of my thoughts on why HXH continues to be one of my favorite stories. Togashi’s writing method continues to be probably like, the closest one that i aspire to replicate in my own work, partly because i love to see how much it builds and learns from itself, reinvents itself, ect. But i DONT think Hxh is perfect, even if i wouldn’t change anything about it or togashi’s writing style. 

When I first got into HXH, it was actually through the old anime. I watched that all the way thru before reading the manga, and when i was watching the anime it was during a period of time when i hated all shonen. I still kinda hate “the shonen” model, despite loving many shonen series, but something abt HXH pulled me in to give it a try and i was quickly hooked. I of course, already had experience with YYH growing up as a teen but i somehow missed HXH completely until my early 20s. I had already started trying comics by then, but it was EGGSHELLS and i had not started FFAK at that point.

HXH almost lost me at greed island my first round, ngl. I appreciate it now, andi still think the set up for Greed island was amazing but the arc itself.. I was not into it, mostly cause i think the villain for it was kinda lackluster and i didn’t really think the world of greed island had a strong design sense. There was interesting aspects, i enjoyed Bisque as a new character and she helped carry a LOT of the weight of that arc for me, but it was kind of a drag. IDK if it was also partly the adaptation for that arc, but i didn’t enjoy it much more in manga form either. It just went a bit faster. However, the end of that arc and the final fight was surprisingly brutal and enjoyable, which made me optimistic and helped me to continue. And then the chimera ant arc was the first arc i read ONLY manga first and i truly fell in love with it, obsessed even. That arc, as many readers already know, is probably like the closest thing to FFAK’s “Parent” for inspiration. Obviously, FFAK draws from a lot of things (Trigun is probably the 2nd strongest influence on FFAK) but it isn’t quite the same as HXH. As MUCH as i adore hunter x hunter part of me does cringe and laugh that like, in the end, a battle shonen manga still excited me that much but like.. As MUCH as i clearly love battle manga.. I am so over them. You know? Who cares. IMO. No matter how great it looks, i probably am never going to be more impressed (visually) with an action scene than the ones Yukito Kishiro drew. He did it, He won the action manga game to me. I have no idea what’s actually happening in Gunnm most of the time but as far as the visual spectacle of it all, it literally doesn't even make sense how good his action scenes look. (I could talk a lot about Gunnm too, but i’ll save that for another time IG) Like how the fuck does someone draw that good and it just made everything else by comparison just like, not.. Matter too much to me anymore. Which is great, because I can then look at other aspects for a work rather than just being drawn in by the visuals. And stuff. 

Where i’m at now.. I dont want to read another, even if its drawn well and .. the powers are SO powering or whatever. And i love to draw action scenes, they’re really hard and i still have so much more to go to learn about them. At best, I think im okay at them. But even when i work, i just get tired now so i cut them down a lot. Thats partly because i jsut dont have the time to draw fighting scenes. So i kind of feel embarrassed by a lot of them that ive made, i know I was lazy. Lazy in a way I’m not proud of the result, but im proud of the compromises to get the shit done. Which is the most important think in the end, to juggle your own expectations and limitations with the timeframe you have to get somewhere you need to go. I will still read more action/battle manga in the future.. But im in no rush. And im certain, for the most part, they arent going to teach me anything I don’t already know. They might entertain me and i might be like “..huh!” at a few things, but my expectation for them to do more than that is pretty low. I’m delighted when im wrong, but i cannot deny the apathy towards them is super deep. Togashi to me, is one those authors, that makes me really wake up and realize there’s still a lot of unexpected territory out there. 

He writes like an enthusiastic newbie, not a seasoned old timer that he is, who basically helped popularize the “tournament arc” and “dark edgy shonen” stuff with YYH. All his characters in HXH are geniuses, which is kind of a valid critique and can be annoying as hell too… Id say most readers dont really get how the hell nen works, yet somehow the story still functions so well in its character motivations/conflicts that it kinda doesn’t matter too much that.. It doesnt really make sense? We have to relearn what nen is basically every arc. Its not gonna stick. And yet im just so excited every time it updates and i really want to know what he wants to do with his new arc, if he is going to be able to do it. Nen to me is like a fake fantasy science that is tangible and real yet also you’re in a dream and you try to read the letters on a page, and you can read it but if you stare hard at it. The words are just blurs, or it doesn’t really connect. I like that there’s this malleable illusion that it functions in a way, that is concrete, but it isn’t really. But its enough that i can believe that for the characters, who are also not real, it is real for them. 

The fact that i can talk about “”””NeN””” like this to me is essentially why it becomes the perfect shonen to me because it takes itself so seriously, so genuinely, yet it also is nonsense but not in the way where its like.. Irony poisoned, “gotcha” twists? Im sick of all these subverting shonens that arent subverting anything. Or even just the attitude that is what makes a good shonen these days is to subvert, diminish, laugh, ect at shonen while completely stepping inside the same footprints again and again. So much manga just wants to be dragon ball, but dragon ball was good cuz it was just a fun, well drawn action manga that wasn’t trying to BE dragonball. It was just dragon ball. (maybe now its trying to be dragon ball, which is why i dont care about whatever sequel attempt we’re at now, but that’s another story.) Its fun to me that i dont know if Gon is gonna come back in Hxh. like, maybe he will and his powers will be restored ect.. But at the time of writing this, and for YEARS we just.. Have the main pals of the manga separated. Their friendship has changed. There’s a great shift in it. Gon met his dad, who sucks, but that kind of was his main quest. Sure, we have kurapika’s arc, and many other routes to go - but in a weird way HXH is done and it isn’t done at the same time. I’m just like, what are we going to do now. TOGASHI said flat earth real and was like, the other half of it is UNEXPLORED AND SO DARN DANGEROUS and theres SOM BIGGGGG DINOSAURS THERE and it just feels so gleefully like.. You’re on the swingset and some kid just keeps having to up the stakes but in the most kid-like way possible. For serious. But Togashi’s 58. But he’s right too, the dark continent IS so cool.. I just imagine leorio going there and getting so sick and shitting mutant diahrea and dying the SECOND he sets foot there and its awesome. That’s NOT what’s going to happen but im delighted at the opportunity.

This is the point where I’m writing something when i take a pause and wonder how the hell i got here. I have skimmed the above written text. Whatever point i think i was going to make, wasn’t made, but i expressed.. good feelings here. This is how i write. I typed all of that in about 15 minutes with no idea where it was gonna go. Part of the process now would be to go back, organize, edit, ect. To *TRY* to make it a little more comprehensible, as with all writing. Believe it or not i have gotten better at editing my own work. But the true nature of it all is still the same. And its the same in the way that i dont want, no matter how much i improve at my craft, i dont want to lose that enthusiasm i feel when i reach 58. I think that would be such a triumph, id be so lucky to be able to muster that energy. When I think of togashi, i think he has that. He has that real artistic spark that no amount of time/experience has ever diminished and that’s why i think he’s truly my personal favorite mangaka.  (maybe tezuka too)

[devilbombers]

Claymore review

7.8/10

An extremely overlooked cult classic. It's probably the butch lesbian fantasy of all time.

For a good time for the most part I still think everyone should read it!

The Anime

this is probably the first time ive preffered watching the anime than the manga. Personally i found the beginning of the manga drawn too plain and thought the story telling was illustrated in a rather boring way and honestly i dont think the Norihiro Yagi was at the level he needed to be with choreographing fight scenes in a comprehensive way at the time and i just had to go ahead and watch the anime instead mostly because i could finally understand what was happening in scenes.

I really liked the anime however in the i am always inevitably a manga over the anime fan til the bitter end. It actually made me really angry to find out they had to drastically change a bunch of major plot elements and even make up a bunch of shit just so they could wrap up the anime in a nice way. Like i kind of understand why but it was actually such a corny and confusing ending it actually made me really angry lmao (ESPECIALLY HOW THEY REPLACED THE SCENE WITH JEAN SAVING CLARE WITH RAKI INSTEAD)

The Characters

For the most part I really liked everyone but of course I absolutely despised Raki. I do not blame anyone who couldnt bring themselves to continue or even start the series because of him because it took so much out of me to continue regardless of his almost pointless presence.

Like I kind of understand its because hes sort of supposed to expose and ground Claire's humanity but i really think it was still possible to do that without him even existing. hes kind of really a walking character device isnt he? Like im pretty sure Jean's existence was enough.

So anyways i think everyone else was really cool.

setting/genre/lore

I really dont know how to start with how much i admired everything. I really liked the legion of really cool/scary/pretty butch lesbian warriors, the concept of youma/awakened beings is so interesting and i love how horrifyingly beautiful they all are, I was super into how little i fucking knew about the organization.

In general everything is so unique and fresh I like everything about it. It pains me to no avail acknowledging that this is the only series asides from berserk thats a dark fantasy and even worse understanding both of them are technically over and its extremely maddening knowing nobody wants to draw dark fantasy manga anymore

creature design

i fucking love monsters so of course I have to discuss the unique appeal of the creature design in this series. One of the greatest things i absolutely adore from Yagis designs for the awakened beings is the stark contrast of a creature that is frightfully elegant.

I have to praise Yagi for also being the only other artist asides from Kentaro Miura whos considerate about exploring different shapes and forms for the overall silhouette of his creature designs.

Another specific aspect I greatly admire from his designs is that hes probably the first artist ive come across whos capable of mixing mostly scaled/armorlike textures on a monster while still retaining an air of tension and an organic looking design.

from my own personal art and observation from other creature designs from all sorts of artists I find it almost impossible to have these textures while retaining said elements of design because i think it gives it more of a "cool" vibe than a scary one.

Up until this point I was quite convinced its only feasible to have scales/armor-like textures on a monster if you balance it with a fleshy texture (approximately 70-80% fleshy and hard textured for the 20-30%) but Yagi truly is a genius or something because hes the only artist i know whos capable of making designs that are like 90% armor but its still somehow gives you chills.

So anyways heres a list breaking down my deepest feelings about my favorite awakened being designs:

1. The destroyer

I actually havent ever seen a monster design so grand it took my breath away. Theres too much to love about it. Out of all the awakened beings nothing radiates such a thick aura of radiance and absolute terror than this design alone.

The whole idea of two sisters lovingly trapped together to become a greater and unstoppable creature is so overwhelming it really makes me shiver with delight and terror. Ive never felt so strongly about a design before so I really think nothing else will outdo this unique sensation.

Its just so fucking cool!!!!!!! I'm obsessed with religious iconography so i really adored how it was shaped like an angel and devil at the same time. i thought it was super fascinating how it would relentlessly and indiscriminately shoot everything and everyone in its radius with pieces of itself warped into more awful abyssal creatures that could even manipulate and transform anyone it stabs itself into. its all just so coollllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!

2: Isley

i thought isley was a really weird guy and i probably hated him but i cannot deny how I think his awakened form was soooo cool. Isley is the prime example of what i was talking about with balancing textures on a monster. Super cool design i like it a lot

3: the awakened girl that showed up during ophelias first appearance

god i really wish i could properly admire her with knowing her fucking name. Quite an ephemeral appearance but she had such a unique look to her despite everything I've seen throughout the series i could never forget her. She's probably the defines the general features and theme of what awakened beings should look like. A trend setter dare i say.

4: Cassandra

VERY interesting silhouette. its not often you get to see a humanoid like body be treated like somewhat of a quadruped. Its interesting how its something vaguely erotic and terrifying at the same time. The multiple heada that snaps its jaws on anything that gets near it is a fantastic touch.

5: Riful

overall a relatively simple design but its the simple things that are always the most fascinating isnt it? I really like tangled looking monsters. Not much to say except slay honestly lmao

6: Jean

She was only in this form for such a brief moment but it was such a striking design I couldn't forget it. If find the most unforgettable things are usually the most fascinating things in turn. Such a gorgeous yet terrifying thing. I hope i dont sound like a psychopath saying this but the visible helplessness being trapped in an awful and radiant body is very beautiful to me.

7: Miata

quite a short appearance but i really liked the silhouette of her awakened form. I wish there were more panels showing more closer details of it. not much to say about this other than i think its really neat!

8: europa

literally just a ball with several spines attached to it and i could say its a bit lazy in comparison to everyone else but theres sm attention to the finer details of the spines i cant get mad at it. I know you're supposed to focus on the arms with this design but i actually like this design the most for just the face. The upside down doubled face is really interesting to me and i admire it a lot for some reason.

9: the abyssal eaters

probably one of the most terrifying creatures in the whole series and maybe somewhere up there in my hierarchy of the most scariest monsters in a manga. i LOVE LOVE LOVE the whole idea of them so much bc theyre so fucking scary!!!!!! Very simple design but i never get to see stitches ENOUGH in media (which is a huge shame because its one of my favorite features to draw with body horror) so it makes me happy that all of their faces is just stitches.

THE STORY and the series as a whole

i really wish i could say i loved everything about it but everything I loved about it in the beginning basically disipated in the end. I think the main issue lies in the fact it all started in a very simple but effective manner but yagi ended up over complicating everything by adding too much. I don't scorn Yagi at all for the almost sudden and utter collapse in quality writing because its sort of an inevitability with titles that go on for a very long time. But I still think it's important and valid to explain my fascination with it in the first place.

I really liked the overall simplicity it had with everything. The plot at the start was very simple and straightforward: a woman who gives up her humanity to avenge the death of her only family. Not a unique plot of course but it obviously was the main character herself and companions (excluding raki ofc lmao) who really makes up the story.

I really liked how Claire was never the strongest. She really appeared to be but comparatively speaking to her fellow warriors she pales immensely. And I think its that remaining humanity I really liked the most about Claire. I REALLY liked how cohesive her group was and I was so impressed with the storytelling and character building in the beginning because at the time I thought this was the only other series I like I could think of other than Dorohedoro where theres a lot of characters that show up but you actually manage to sincerely remember them because they all have meaning. Too many times i run into series who introduce too many characters solely just to keep the story fresh; but none of them have any real purpose to them.

I also was obsessed with how well Yagi was with building tension throughout the story. To me I think its really hard to find series who are able to capture their readers with a good sense of tension.

The characters in this series are quite overpowered, but In the beginning I found it extremely admirable how Yagi was still able to make the reader feel anxious about whether or not the protagonist or their companions would persevere againt their adversaries. Yagi had a very good sense at balancing everyones strengths and flaws in a very balanced way.

But again with the sands of time it couldn't stay this good forever. To be completely honest it took a lot out of me to read the rest of it. It came to the point where i was so lost and frusturated about how confusing everything got i was just trying to read it just so i could be done with it?

I think my main problem with the series as it ended was how unfocussed it got with the plot. I feel like everything immediately got so muddled after the fight with Rigardo. Maybe it's just me but I honestly was ok with never understanding the organization I was mostly just interested in what was going to happen with the main cast with the abyssal ones and such. It actually made me really angry how the battle scenes got so stupid overtime with how it became one of those series where they overexplain the characters' tactics for a very long time. I initially really liked the battle scenes because they dont talk too much and they just simply fight, i really really hate it when anime/manga does the latter actually.

I don't really know how i feel about the ending honestly. I don't know if im satisfied with how claire somehow turned into teresa and she killed priscilla instead but i guess it was nice? I don't know how i thought it was all going to end but i would have never expected it to be like this and i dont say that in a good way but more of a confused way if anything. I wouldn't say it was a bad ending? but I guess thats okay???

anyways, despite all my criticisms i still think its worth the read and the credit it deserves in the end. It's really weird how it went on for so long but no one ever seemed to care? that makes me quite upset actually.

[exnvhilo]

━━  ❛ ☆  KATIE MCGRATH  /  CISFEMALE  /  SHE&HER. anytime i hear queen of peace by florence + the machine i think of alexandra decker. the thirty-two year old has been living in hollywood as a director. since then they’ve built the reputation for being ingenious & cavalier. if you were to ask them if they were hades from greek mythos they’d probably say no.

wow i’m late as fuck. sorry guys ! i was making this extremely pointless & unnecessary template and procrastinating. i’m truly sorry. btw ! i’m ron. i’m 23 years old and a huge Heaux for mythology. any kind of mythology, ya know??? but my mom is a history teacher and she always loved greek myths so i kinda inherited that from her. i live in the gmt -3 timezone, & my pronouns are she/her. i also read like 2 issues of wick + divine and it’s so fucking good so i had to join this. but hennyways. let’s get to the Flavor, shall we?? 

--------------- THE PAST

i. for some unknown reason, perhaps a trick played by the fates or a plan from the titans themselves, the king of the underworld, feared & respected ( not particularly loved ) incarnated on a child in the middle of the desert of nevada in 1986. alexandra decker’s parents were simple, reserved & owners of a funeral and embalming business ( i know, i’m so smart ). growing up with death around her never really phazed alexandra. other kids might have been squeamish within the line of empty, soulless eyes, but not her. it was almost like an enigma to alexandra. what makes a soul, anyway? and why is the human body just flesh once its gone?

ii. although never an emotional child, it could be said that alexandra loved her parents. in a way that you love a bird, understanding that life itself is limited and extremely fragile. but they were good people. on sundays, after mass, they would eat breakfast food at a diner and take her to the latest showing of whatever was on in the small town’s movie theater. alexandra loved it, especially the movies of old hollywood. the glamour and opulence. and how it inevitably these gods of the screen ended up just like the mortals on the other side. decadent in the twilight of their lives. ( not the movie twilight ya know?? although thats an idea )

iii. greek tragedy follows the master of death, and alexandra got a taste of what loss feels like when you’re in mortal skin. at eleven years old, the decker funeral home crumbled under an unexplained fire. alexandra was at school at the time, returning to only the ashes of her parents. it was notable, however, that she didn’t cry ------- not even once. to what the child psychologists attributed to shock. her destiny was now foster care. with black hair, fair, smooth skin & icy green eyes, every prospect of parent was instantly fond of the girl. she was quiet but intelligent, extremely mature for her age. an elderly couple, the montgomerys, loved the girl from the moment they saw her. they were older than alexandra’s biological parents, but educated & comprehensive. and they made sure alex didn’t have to change her last name if she didn’t want to.

iv. growing up with the montgomerys was wildly different than what alexandra was accostumed to. they were old money as old money comes. terribly inclined to art and music and everything alexandra believed transcended the mortal experience. they coaxed her out of her shell, turning the intelligent but shy girl into an well-rounded, outspoken woman. gone were the days of embalming and smelling formaldehyde in the basement, and in with art history & piano classes in a lavish mansion in beverly hills. always draped in expensive clothing, always balanced. it was a life that suited alexandra, although she still felt weirdly drawn to death. feeling as if, somehow, for a weird twist of destiny, it was her own fault that her parents died.

--------------- THE PRESENT

i. alexandra’s first feature film was a homage to her favorite movies. the old hollywood glamour, somehow an homage to the deckers in their small, burned down funeral home. it was a goodbye of sorts to alexandra, an omen of things to come. and they did come. the first movie was a success, and soon enough the young director was the talk of the cinematic industry. over ten years have passed and now, alexandra is a well-known director, with over twenty movies under her belt and a few flashy awards to show for it.

ii. fame suits her well. she’s outspoken, educated & the owner of an acerbic wit. the secret is never taking herself too seriously, or so she likes to say, since we’re all just dirt in the end. the reminder of death has been constant in alexandra’s life. the montgomerys are long gone, with alex being the sole heiress of their fortune. mr. montgomery died when she turned eighteen, with mrs. montgomery following suit when alexandra was twenty-four. over the next few years lovers & friends all met their unrevokable end, and though alexandra was never involved in any of it ------ it seemed like she only brought death to those she was close to loving.

iii. that particular trait has left her a bit hesitant to get too close to people, fearing that somehow her strange luck will bring on their demise. she has colleagues & even friends that she keeps at arm’s length. she’s had companions but mostly sexual, never truly settling down or getting too close. but she is extremely charismatic & alluring, an irony of destiny ------ being so inviting but never letting anyone in.

iv. extremely educated due to the montgomerys, speaks five languages, plays the piano and the violin and paints. really artistic although her heart really resides in filmmaking. she is also known to fool around with hollywood heartthrobs, having an especial preference for the women.

v. overall, not a terrible person though she can be a bit obnoxious sometimes due to her upbringing. years of accolades have sort of gone to her head and she believes she’s the best thing since méliès happened to cinema. loves dogs ( and i think its bc of cerberus ok ), has an extremely expensive taste & gives people inappropriately expensive gifts because no one has ever told her you’re not supposed to do that. occasionally a bit on the brooding side, but she likes to be where the people are, so you’ll probably find her in reserved booths of exclusive clubs around l.a.

wow, this got really long & i’m truly sorry. really i made her sound v serious but she’s kind of a lonely sweetheart bc we love hades in this household. so if you’d like to plot smth juicy pls pls like this or quietly say ‘can i sing for u’ & i’ll hear u & come for plots. thank u so much if you’ve read thus far u r great i love u. also if you’d like to plot thru d*scord, i’m lil d pression#2978 over there. thank u

[maniactypewriter]

the backlog week 5 [new years edition]

New year, new format. Instead of going in alphabetical order, i shall now be letting the whims of fate decide what I play. The magic dice bot on discord I used first pointed me to the T section, but then so many of the games there had some kind of issue that i decided to re roll. That led me to the W section. And thus, these five games. Keep in mind i do not have to play a lot of games, just enough to get a good enough impression of it to give my thoughts. 

Waking Mars play time: 85 min

Waking Mars is a game about astronaut, botanist, and 2 time NBA champ Liang delving deep inside a Martian cave. You are accompanied by your chipper scientist friend and a quirky AI, on your quest to research the heck out of martian life. Said alien life forms are a lot like weird plants. Each room of the cave has a whole bunch of fertile spots where you can Kobe some alien seeds into. The plants will grow, and each plant will have a different effect. From my play time, there was one that healed you, one that shot wet seeds everywhere, and one that was super aggressive and stabby. A big part of the game is research. You have to examine the flora and fauna and experiment on them. You do this mostly by chucking seeds at them and seeing what happens. There is a small problem with the research window if your playing with a controller like i was. You can not easily scroll through the menus with the controller. From the 3 minutes of research ive done, I can safely say that this game came out on IOS first, and was ported to PC later. That would explain why the game prefers mouse and keyboard to gamepad.  Otherwise, the game looks decent. Having a sort of hand drawn art style. The dialogue windows are a bit weird though. Liang’s big head is on the left side, while your companions show up in smaller windows to the upper right. I don't really know why they aren't the same size. Liang doesn't have many expressions aside from “determined” and “determinedly curious” 

Wandersong  play time: 45 minutes

Wandersong is a game about a bard on a quest to save the world. The first thing the game tells you is that you are not a hero. You are a bard. You wield song not sword. The second thing your rainbow haired spirit friend tells you is that you that the world is getting rebooted. Problem is, you live in the world and if the world reboots, you don't have anywhere to live! So off you go on a grand quest to save the world the best way you know how, with SONG! Game play is simple, left stick moves, right stick opens up a color wheel that represents different notes you can sing. A lot like one of last time’s games Aquaria. But instead of using song to move rocks and transform yourself into a war goddess, you use your song to get birds to help you and bust ghosts. The whole game revolves around the song mechanic, and it goes into more than just the notes. The game takes advantage of the fact that you are using a color wheel to select your notes. In one of my favorite puzzles from my little demo, you have to befriend a jump boost bird on the other side of a small ridge. Problem is, you can't jump over the minor bump because you'd use your bird. So you have to maneuver the song directed plant platform under you, and have it move you to the other side where you can use your jump bird to get to higher ground. Thats some nifty puzzle design right there. The game is also made to look like adorable paper cut outs and everything has the right blend of charm to make it a game worth checking out. Definitely going to keep playing this one later. 

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 play time: 2 hours

good ol Warhammer. The warhammer brand is so vast that you can make almost any kind of game out of some piece of warhammer fiction. Case in point, the vermintide series is Left 4 Dead, but replace zombies with rats, and put a bigger focus on melee weapons.  Sure guns exist, but are you really going to use a slow firing fantasy gun when you have a massive sword in your hands you could use instead? Anyway, in vermintide 2, you can play as the same 5 dudes as you could in the last game, each one with their own unique equipment sets and special abilities.each of the 5 characters also has two unlockable alternate forms that change up the play style a bit. Meanwhile, the Scavin race has recruited the chaos faction from Warhammer lore and are wreaking havoc with double efficiency. So now you and three other real live human beings (or in some cases, bots) have to go and wreck some rat faces all over again. Players are tasked with going out and doing missions. Missions result in loot and level ups, more loot means you can take on harder missions. There are also hidden tomes in the big open levels. I never found one but apparently they can make things harder somehow, but result in better loot at the end of the level. Now, the game does have loot boxes. However, as far as i can tell you can not purchase them with real money, only earned in game. As I was writing this, I went to check a fact in the game, and after I looked, I went and did a mission. That's how you can tell a game is enjoyable. 

Way of the passive fist play time 12 min

Not every game is complex enough to deserve a long play time. WotPF is a post apocalyptic style brawler. You play as the wanderer, a man who has mastered the titular way of the passive fist, a unique fighting style that involves dodging and parrying your enemies attacks and then poking them into submission once they tucker themselves out. You also have a robot arm that you can falcon punch with if you build a high enough combo so that's cool. I played this game up to the first boss where I was stumped on how to beat it so I quit. It's an interesting gimmick dressed in fancy pixel art. It's worth looking at if you're into brawlers and want a different experience. 

Western Press play time 12 min

This game is also not very complex, and I am also terrible at it. Another pixel art game, set in the old west. Western press is a dueling game where two players have to hit a series of buttons on their controllers to shoot their dueling partner. And that's about it. There is online, and a single player mode… it's really simple all things considered… the duel abides. Now draw you yellow bellied varmint! 

[comicteaparty]

November 2nd, 2017 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on November 2nd, 2017, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on Kindred Skies by Margot Jane & Jaime Camille.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

Good day everyone~! This week’s Comic Tea Party is now officially beginning. Today we are discussing Kindred Skies by Margot Jane & Jaime Camille~! (http://kindredsuncomic.com/) For those new to CTP, discussions about the comic are freeform, so please feel free to bring up whatever you wish. However, every 30 minutes I will be dropping in a discussion question to help those who would like a prompt. These questions are totally OPTIONAL to answer so pay them no mind if you wish~! Remember, constructive criticism is allowed, but the primary focus here is to have fun and appreciate the amazing comics that the community makes~! Each chat a top comment will be picked and featured on an ad for this chat, so let’s have a great discussion~!

With that said, let us begin with this first question~!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

Superjustin of Time and Space

I'M HERE

snuffysam

As am I

Draco Plato

I really liked the water battle pages, they were super gorgeous to look at

snuffysam

Visually, the water battle was incredible

Superjustin of Time and Space

yo can i jsut take a moment to appreciate Khehaic's hairdo

snuffysam

Hairdo noted

and appreciated

Draco Plato

I like Rofaryn's design most, haha

Superjustin of Time and Space

i always like when characters have "out there" haircolors/styles- they're super easy to appreciate imo(edited)

If I had to say one thing

this is a pretty epic shot too

Draco Plato

oh yeah that page I think is my fave visually too

such gorgeous lighting

Superjustin of Time and Space

Yea

RebelVampire

yeah that is a visually beautiful page. i love the addition of the flora in the foreground because i think it really adds a great touch for making an excellent focal point

mariah (rainy day dreams)

I really liked the final part of the confrontation with water baddy. I thought he was really interesting in general and secretly hope he is somehow not actually dead :p

MathTans the Pun Prince

Hiyo. Regards scene, I actually liked the conversation between Cel and Cin as they came back to the village. I thought it was a clever time to cut away, added some character depth, and at one point there was the mention of "why are they choosing a female" and I thought "ohmigod, clever world building now I understand the two husbands thing".

(Of course, that could have been referenced earlier and I'm slow.)

Superjustin of Time and Space

lol

MathTans the Pun Prince

Though the water scenes were very well drawn too.

RebelVampire

@mariah maybe hell come back as a zombie O_O

snuffysam

I think it was referenced earlier, but not as in-depth

Superjustin of Time and Space

Only thing I wished is that the sky started to get darker in the last few pages leading up to Page 56

mariah (rainy day dreams)

@RebelVampire god I hope so!

snuffysam

Yeah, story-wise, I loved the character development between Cel and Cin

Superjustin of Time and Space

sicne on this page it's as bright as it was the past few pages

MathTans the Pun Prince

(I do have a tendency to focus on story, I'm like that.)

Superjustin of Time and Space

but it's something minor

so no harm done

snuffysam

I'm ready for whatever villain the next chapter holds. See if they can top our water wizard

RebelVampire

thats a good point justin. the sky is pretty bright.

Joichi

I'm currently checking out this comic, so just reading people's comments on it

RebelVampire

i do like the scene between cin and cel. i think of all the scenes in the comic is was the most interesting for character cause it did allow for that moment of depth. although i also liked how even tho it was the two of them, we also learned mor about rofaryn

Superjustin of Time and Space

I didn't realise I was already following it on Tap(edited)

lol

Draco Plato

yeah same rebel

camillabluejay

Yeah @RebelVampire that was one of the things I regretted, was too many group scenes and not enough one on one. More character development is easier when it's less characters

Superjustin of Time and Space

Yeah

Joichi

I agree, character development is easiest with less than a group.

MathTans the Pun Prince

It's an interesting format overall though, the band of travellers encountering new people all the time.

RebelVampire

at least in the largest scope it should work out tho. groups cant be developed in a day. most stories generally have to take turns when they focus on groups

MathTans the Pun Prince

I imagine it's also dangerous to split the party.

Superjustin of Time and Space

lol Math

camillabluejay

The next chp they're going to split up haha

Superjustin of Time and Space

YOU JINXED IT

camillabluejay

each group will have a different objective

hahaha

no fun if it's not dangerous

MathTans the Pun Prince

"Your group needs to find the antidote to this love potion..."

Superjustin of Time and Space

Tru

How many lives are you gonna risk?

camillabluejay

Because they accidentally drank it, Math?

haha all of them

MathTans the Pun Prince

"Accidentally", yes, of course.

Draco Plato

as far as group stories go I think it was well done. I like that they were already together vs. having them meet each other and be beginning their friendships

RebelVampire

math look at the havoc youve caused, goodness

Draco Plato

so that we learn about them as the journey goes on but they're not just learning about each other per say

MathTans the Pun Prince

I bring the havoc! It's a skill!

Superjustin of Time and Space

yeah, Draco's got a really good point

camillabluejay

YES Draco. I adore layers of buried history in relationships

MathTans the Pun Prince

Yes, it was good to see them as a group. And with Cin as kind of the outsider character.

RebelVampire

yeah for the group setup i agree that i like the way its portrayed. where most of the others know each but we have newcomer cin who helps us be our learning eyes.

MathTans the Pun Prince

Kind of interesting that Cin's sort of the "white guy" too.

Draco Plato

yeeeees I love relationship layers

Superjustin of Time and Space

How many layers can ye handle?

Draco Plato

I can handle a lot of layers

camillabluejay

hahaha

snuffysam

Especially since that means characters can talk to Cin about their thoughts on the other group members, building more character. Like how Cel was talking to Cin about Rof.

Joichi

ehehe

Superjustin of Time and Space

@snuffysam Seconding this

MathTans the Pun Prince

I wonder how long they have been together? Was that mentioned?

Superjustin of Time and Space

gotta milk all the chances for character developing you can

snuffysam

If they all already knew each other, that wouldn't work- but since everyone knows each other except Cin, it works well

RebelVampire

oh that'd actually be kind of interesting if cin becomes like group psychologist. everyone just naturally comes and spills their problems on him. and also could lead to some interesting conflicts too. like if everyone goes to cin for problem solving, who does cin go to?

Superjustin of Time and Space

lol

That sounds fun

Draco Plato

he goes to rofaryn

snuffysam

What if he has a problem with Rofaryn?

Draco Plato

can still go to him

MathTans the Pun Prince

Probably the smart guy with the blue hair.

I like that he picked up on something being wrong.

RebelVampire

OMG Rofaryn: So what seems to be the problem. Cin: You. You're the problem.

Draco Plato

well he's bonded with celyid so he could go to him

LOL

MathTans the Pun Prince

Rofaryn: I'm also the solution...

Superjustin of Time and Space

Oh you, Math

camillabluejay

I can't tell if I should actually be answering anything, or just enjoying the convo, hahaha. Math is right though, Blue-haired one is usually the one people go to with problems

Superjustin of Time and Space

Sit back and enjoy the show

camillabluejay

hahaha

MathTans the Pun Prince

(I'm bad with names, for the record. They can be very blatant, I'll still end up picking up on art things.)

Superjustin of Time and Space

I feel ya

snuffysam

Fortunately, there is a cast page

RebelVampire

http://kindredsuncomic.com/characters/

snuffysam

http://kindredsuncomic.com/characters/

jinx

Superjustin of Time and Space

dat double post

snuffysam

whoops

RebelVampire

yeah high five

we were both ready

Draco Plato

i almost posted it too

snuffysam

nah ive just had it open the whole time

because i can never remember names

camillabluejay

Oh yeah, you reminded me I need to update that for the second chp too, them drawings are oooooold

MathTans the Pun Prince

Cast what? Yeah, so that silver haired guy, he's good with weapons.

Superjustin of Time and Space

Aw ye new drawings inbound

RebelVampire

me too XD i usually have them open for ctp not necessarily cause forgetting names but wanting to be sure i spell them right

snuffysam

that too lol

almost wrote Raforyn a few minutes ago

MathTans the Pun Prince

So it's useful as a Raforence.

Superjustin of Time and Space

tru

RebelVampire

math no. no.

anyway while were on the subject of the first question still, i wanna say that i like the opening scene to this comic as well. i like that the comic upfront establishes that their fighting skills dont just magically exist out of nowhere

Superjustin of Time and Space

dat's good

snuffysam

And their specialities

MathTans the Pun Prince

Yeah, I thought that was a good way of setting the scene/setting too before getting into the thick of the plot.

Draco Plato

i like the opening scene too

MathTans the Pun Prince

I also can't draw fight scenes, so kudos.

Draco Plato

yeah i was impressed with how it was drawn too

RebelVampire

i also liked that we got to see rofaryn be boss like. estbalish himself as the one true leader

QUESTION 2. Kindred Skies features a varied cast of characters, from the leader Rofaryn to the rambunctious Fayden. Which character did you connect with the most and why? Do you have theories about how they wound up with Rofaryn and/or why they’re a mercenary? Who else in the cast would you like to see this character interact with? Is there anything else you want to mention about them (i.e. they have a cool design, etc.)?

Superjustin of Time and Space

IS THAT ANOTHER QUESTION

On a serious note

snuffysam

love my blue explosive boy

Superjustin of Time and Space

I cannot resist blue haired characters

You put in a bunch of characters with nornal hair colors and then you give someone an anime hair color

Draco Plato

I like Rofaryn best, his design appealed to me most XD I'd like to see him more with Cin

plus the boss is most important

MathTans the Pun Prince

That's a good question! I gotta think more about that one...

camillabluejay

Blue haired boy has a MUCH bigger part in chp 2 :3

Superjustin of Time and Space

OMG

YESSSSS

MathTans the Pun Prince

I feel like maybe I relate to Celyid, just for the whole coming up with a weird plan involving trip wires and things, only to have the whole plan get torpedoed. I'm not as suave as him though.

thezachbales

I am so here for more page time for everyone's favorite blue-haired boy.

snuffysam

I also really like Cin. His fish-out-of-water dealio really works well in the story.

Superjustin of Time and Space

hell yeah \m/

camillabluejay

Zach! Hi! :3

Superjustin of Time and Space

Hi dere Zach~

thezachbales

Oh, hi all!

MathTans the Pun Prince

On the flip side, I find Fayden way too spontaneous, though of course that's part of his personality and he's played well for that.

Superjustin of Time and Space

since we're talknig about characters

Draco Plato

hiiii zach~!

Superjustin of Time and Space

...

eeh I got nothin

MathTans the Pun Prince

I really do kinda wonder what Cel's plan would have looked like if the water hadn't appeared.

Superjustin of Time and Space

was gonna sday maybe the characters could get a bit mor oomph to their designs

but that'd make them hard to draw constantly

camillabluejay

Oh, I'd like clarification on that comment, Justin Do you mean clothes or body?

RebelVampire

idk im kind of fond how they look more normal-ish. i think its a better fit for the tone of the story.(edited)

Superjustin of Time and Space

well, they seem kinda basic to me

camillabluejay

They are getting new outfits for chp 2 I'm literally in the middle of redesigning. And they're party clothes, so they are fancier...ish?

Superjustin of Time and Space

I'm all for that!

MathTans the Pun Prince

Suits and bow ties?

snuffysam

Their faces are different enough to distinguish, and they're different heights, so that's enough for me

MathTans the Pun Prince

"It's strangling me!"

camillabluejay

Yeah, usually I just think that they're kinda poor, and travel a lot, so they're not gonna be fancy. But I also don't want them boring

snuffysam

Looking forward to party clothes though

Superjustin of Time and Space

that's a fair reason as to why their outfits are pretty basic

mariah (rainy day dreams)

Yes good, very excited for fancy party clothes

Superjustin of Time and Space

so much fancy

MathTans the Pun Prince

I tend to distinguish characters by hair style and colour, and those are different, so I'm good. ^^ (I can be pretty shallow.)

Superjustin of Time and Space

ye

MathTans the Pun Prince

I wonder if any of the group is more superstitious than the others. The land seems to have superstitions in it.

RebelVampire

nah thats generally how i first differentiate too, math. i got by hair style and color. its the quickest until i get a better feel for other attributes

none of them felt particularly spooked and were like "this land is cursed."

what we can say for sure

is that fayden is definitely the least superstitious

climbing all over that sacred mountain O_O

Superjustin of Time and Space

dem sacred mountains

Draco Plato

i thought the clothes fit the story and who they were even if they were plain

MathTans the Pun Prince

Heh. He just does his own thing.

Sometimes people have different triggers though. Like, a person can say they're not superstitious until they're faced with a black cat or a 13th floor or something.

Superjustin of Time and Space

lol

MathTans the Pun Prince

"I can't wear that, bow ties are bad luck."

Superjustin of Time and Space

"bad luck"

RebelVampire

cel feels like the character id peg for being rando superstitious

tho for no reason other than he was like "eh nah just let that chick get sacrificed"

MathTans the Pun Prince

I could see that.

There was a cool analysis there, by the way, now that I'm reminded of it. The idea of there not being a "bad guy", it being a self sacrifice sort of thing. That was an interesting take.

Superjustin of Time and Space

Yeah

Stores without antagonists are intresting if done right

MathTans the Pun Prince

Stories with green haired antagonists with delusions of godhood are also interesting.

What he was going to do to Raf, with the "you'll be on the cusp of drowning" that was, whoa.

Draco Plato

adrei was also an antagonist in a way

RebelVampire

i like that the story teaches us that banishing your problems away isnt always the best solution

snuffysam

It can be a mix, of course. Each town they visit has a tangible antagonist, but the overarching plot doesn't. Or something like that.

MathTans the Pun Prince

Rebel: Good point.

Superjustin of Time and Space

aah

and yeah Snuffy has a pint there

RebelVampire

i found the ending to be bittersweet because they got banished from a town. i kept screaming dick move to myself the whole time.

snuffysam

Cin got to keep the sacrificial outfit though. so you win some, you lose some

MathTans the Pun Prince

I kinda get it though, like, they did mess up the ritual, and then the sacrifice. Probably not wise to spend lots of time there.

RebelVampire

no def not wise. but still a dick move. cause i always imagine how id feel if i risked life and limb for a town and then they were like "eh but you also trespassed on our sacred mountain."

i would not be happy

not happy at all

camillabluejay

Would you say it was a dissatisfying ending, or just an unhappy ending?

snuffysam

just unhappy

Draco Plato

i didn't find it unhappy or dissatisfying

snuffysam

i mean, it wasn't satisfying for the characters

mariah (rainy day dreams)

I guess for me it seemed like kind of a wash. Yeah they got banished, but it wasn't like they were emotionally attached to the town as a whole anyway.

snuffysam

but i was cool with it

Superjustin of Time and Space

yea

Draco Plato

yeah same mariah

MathTans the Pun Prince

I was okay with it too, I mean, I guess I didn't really look at it from the perspective of the sacred mountain thing, more that this was just a stopover on the way that went a bit pear shaped.

I also tend to be somewhat emotionless. ^.^

Superjustin of Time and Space

Lol Math

RebelVampire

still sticking with bittersweet. cause im not saying technical craft wise it was either of those. i think craft wise the ending was exactly what it needed to be. just on personal reader level made me feels emotions.

MathTans the Pun Prince

(It's legit a thing with me. I idolized Spock for a while as a youth.)

snuffysam

yeah people can be dicks in stories. if it was always "here's the key to the city", it wouldn't be as good

RebelVampire

yeah and since its about mercenaries, mercenaries arent expected to get those endings anyway

RebelVampire

but still man, was so sad.

not everyday you fight a wouldbe god

Superjustin of Time and Space

^

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. The world of Kindred Skies is one where sorcerers are normal, sometimes mercenaries just do farm work for a living, and sacrificing people can be shrugged off. Amongst all this are themes about family, sacrifice for the greater good, and dealing with hardship. Which theme stuck out to you the most and why? Are there any aspects of the world you’d like to see explored further? Likewise, are there any themes you think could be possibly touched on more?

Superjustin of Time and Space

"mercenaries just do farm work for a living"

snuffysam

yeah that was far from the most outlandish thing in the story, lol

Superjustin of Time and Space

Something like this, because I like seing people use powers to do mundance things

Draco Plato

the theme of family stuck with me most, and i'd like to know more about the nature of magic within this world

snuffysam

"people who do things for pay do things for pay"

MathTans the Pun Prince

For aspects of the world, I'm kinda curious about what it takes to learn sorcery. Like, could one of the group pick up some weak skills somehow?

Joichi

I like the theme of deailing with hardship, that often stick out to me the most. Also families

snuffysam

sorcerers are supposedly rare

Superjustin of Time and Space

Families is a must

MathTans the Pun Prince

But yeah, the whole "band of people as a family" thing rings true, particularly with Cin being sort of adopted into it.

snuffysam

Yeah, family is the biggest theme

i mean everyone was kind of adopted into it

but most recently Cin

MathTans the Pun Prince

Ooh, or could one of the group be a sorcerer and not know it? But the skill gets unlocked? I dunno, I just wonder if all sorcerers are feared or freaks or something. Leading to the superstitious undertones.

It'd change the dynamic of the group if so.

camillabluejay

Are these questions for me, or just in general?

Superjustin of Time and Space

I'm guessing in general

MathTans the Pun Prince

Just general questions, unless you want to jump in with some remarks.

snuffysam

I mean, are you ever planning on expounding on sorcery?

RebelVampire

yes youre free to jump in

even lead us astray

camillabluejay

Eventually, but not for a long while

It is important though, maybe I should look into it

snuffysam

Well then, I can wait

so you don't need to answer that now

camillabluejay

Sorcery is very rare, because it's something that has to be unlocked inside. You can't do it on your own, another sorcerer has to teach you. And it's super illegal and looked down upon

MathTans the Pun Prince

Certainly seems tricky to kill a sorcerer. Or at least that one. I think maybe that's why I'm curious, we basically have a sample of one so far.

Superjustin of Time and Space

oooohhh

MathTans the Pun Prince

Ahh, so it is illegal, okay.

Superjustin of Time and Space

Intresting

camillabluejay

illegal as much as anything is in the desert. it's a little lawless. But they definitely don't like it

snuffysam

i imagine there isn't exactly much of a central government in the wilderness. so what's legal in this town might not be in the next one over

camillabluejay

yup

MathTans the Pun Prince

My other world wonder is the large male population. I wonder if that's just kind of always the way things have been, or if that came about due to something in the past. (Again, don't feel like you need to answer.)

Snuffy - Interesting point.

camillabluejay

Oh yeah that was answered on the patreon. Basically magical curse from their goddess hundreds of years ago

MathTans the Pun Prince

Ohhhh, magic again.

camillabluejay

There's a lot of exposition I don't want to cram into the comic that I'll pepper in here and there, but go into detail on the patreon

Yeah,it's one of the reasons they don't like magic

MathTans the Pun Prince

That makes sense, you don't want to just exposit, particularly if it's stuff the characters already know.

Superjustin of Time and Space

^

camillabluejay

But the next chp goes into themes about the mercenary families and how they work in the world, rather than themes of magic

so it'll be awhile before I'll get back to this in depth

MathTans the Pun Prince

That cool, sounds like it builds well off of Ch 1. There's no rush.

Draco Plato

oooo

Superjustin of Time and Space

Yeah, take as much time as you need

Get all the details you can in there

Joichi

I really like traditional methods where; to gain magic, you learn from a mentor or passed in family. Especially if its something dangerous, which it can be

snuffysam

I mean, looking forward to more themes of family

MathTans the Pun Prince

I'm probably not your main audience anyway, I'm a huge girls love fan.

Superjustin of Time and Space

lol

camillabluejay

hahaha @math, I was literally about to say if I could draw faster I have a side-story about two lesbian sorcerers that might clarify some things haha

Superjustin of Time and Space

The story is definitely intresting, though I think it has a lot of potentinal

snuffysam

i will say, i really like the boys love aspects of the comic

Joichi

lol as long as it's more of an inclusive idea than a fanservice attempt.

MathTans the Pun Prince

Yeah, it's cool that you decided to continue.

Superjustin of Time and Space

lol fanservice

Joichi

I like boys love in general, I feel there's alot you can write about the relationship and keep it subtle and also as equals.(edited)

snuffysam

usually a lot of bl stuff (especially if it's written by two women) isn't that great at representation

Joichi

as I also write LGBTQ queer stuff in super subtle ways

MathTans the Pun Prince

I saw nothing blatant. There was that funny strip somewhere in the middle, granted, but that wasn't in continuity.

snuffysam

but this is well done

MathTans the Pun Prince

And it was funny.

snuffysam

yeah, besides the joke strip, nothing too fanservicey

MathTans the Pun Prince

As to the themes side of Q3, I'm not so good with recognizing themes. ^.^

Joichi

I'm super picky about romance, I'd rather like to vouch for bros with good chemistry and have different love interests but remain friends.

friendship goals!(edited)

Superjustin of Time and Space

all the friendship in the world~

RebelVampire

i can definitely say im looking forward to more themes of family. i like stories like this that are about impromtu families. i feel so many stories emphasize blood over anything else, so i find it more refreshing to have stories that illustrate heavily on how groups like this can be just as much of a family.

MathTans the Pun Prince

I imagine in a close knit group, you need to be careful about making things too romantic. Because if it goes sour, you're not able to give much space, you're still together.

Joichi

yess yes! I really agree about blood. and also alot of tragic scarred heroes I'm seeing around webcomics

snuffysam

i mean the gang might have tragic/scarred backstories

Superjustin of Time and Space

I'm seconding this

snuffysam

we don't really know enough about them to say either way

Joichi

LOL

MathTans the Pun Prince

They might have scars. When their shirts are off.

Superjustin of Time and Space

well then again a lot of characters of mine don't really have tradgic backstories for the most part

or scars

but that's prolly cause i have like 100+ and counting OTL

Joichi

rofl scars building good character xD

actually it just means they didn't have medication and so it dried that way, which could be quite possible considering that your cast travels

Superjustin of Time and Space

I only got like, three characters with scars right now

Draco Plato

we know at least something happened with Cin's brother

snuffysam

depends what kind of medicine H'ran does, i suppose. maybe he's able to close up wounds without scarring

Superjustin of Time and Space

either that or the scars leave a really badass mark

Joichi

I'm still reading the comic btw, so I'm not entirely able to ask questions in case, it may sound dumb

MathTans the Pun Prince

Yeah, that's an ongoing mystery, his brother.

RebelVampire

speaking of medicine i really want to know about h'rannith

Joichi

anyone's a trained doctor in the group?

snuffysam

yeah, H'rannith is

MathTans the Pun Prince

Joi - Don't worry about it. It's good to get perspectives partway, I haven't always read to the end before doing CTP.

snuffysam

i mean, i don't know if he went to med school

but he's the team healer regardless

MathTans the Pun Prince

He hasn't needed to do doctoring yet though.

Joichi

@Superjustin of Time and Space very true about badass marks.

snuffysam

yup, which is why i wasn't sure if his medicines left scars or not

camillabluejay

Yeah, H'ran got the short end of the stick this chp, I'll admit it. He gets more in the 2nd chp

RebelVampire

thats awesome

Joichi

ooh, that is true. like sometimes there is in-house stitching he'd have to do on the fly. Sorry I'm excited about doctor characters.

Superjustin of Time and Space

Well doctor characters are fun

RebelVampire

cause i def felt he had the least screentime in chp one. and i was like "who are you mysterious man"

MathTans the Pun Prince

"Drop your pants." "I got hit in the shoulder..." "Who's the doctor here??"

Superjustin of Time and Space

what about docs with scars

snuffysam

"He gets more in the 2nd chp" for a healer? that's not good news...

camillabluejay

lololol

MathTans the Pun Prince

Maybe they come across a town suffering from a plague.

Superjustin of Time and Space

Ooooooh

Joichi

i just imagine alot of wounded people having to come to him, as the healer. oh damn...

Superjustin of Time and Space

and there being no other healers around?

MathTans the Pun Prince

The healers are the first ones you kill with a plague. Everyone knows that.

snuffysam

if you think about it, H'ran should be covered in scars. or at least on his right hand, back, and face

since he can't stitch those up and there's no other healer

MathTans the Pun Prince

Maybe he gives really good instructions.

snuffysam

fair enough

camillabluejay

He does have scars on his hands! I just haven't done close ups of them yet :3

MathTans the Pun Prince

(For some reason I'm reminded of "Spock's Brain" where Spock's giving McCoy advice on brain surgery...)

Superjustin of Time and Space

Oooohhh!!

RebelVampire

oh thats interesting to know he does have scars on his hands. nice detail touch

snuffysam

well there you go then

manny melancholy

have you decided where the scars will be or how they will look like? It sounds like it will be tricky

snuffysam

called it

MathTans the Pun Prince

Good call.

Superjustin of Time and Space

yeah

camillabluejay

And tbf, if H'rannith gets hurt, Khehaic has a steady hand, he'd probably step in

Superjustin of Time and Space

Aw yeah~

camillabluejay

and @manny, yeah we know where the scars are, most are just under clothes. Drawing them everytime would be a pain

MathTans the Pun Prince

"It's fine, I got these explosives here..."

RebelVampire

makes sense tho. Khehaic seems pretty capable in general. like of the group hes the one i feel would be safest entrusting important things to.

Superjustin of Time and Space

Agreed @camillabluejay

snuffysam

@MathTans the Pun Prince that's one way to amputate a limb, i guess

camillabluejay

@math gotta cauterize the wounds first, dontcha know

Joichi

haha I love this scar talk, makes me think about character scars

MathTans the Pun Prince

incites Havoc again

camillabluejay

And yes, Margot and I joke the whole team would fall apart without Khe haha

Superjustin of Time and Space

Well scars are fun

just throwing another character of mine here with a scarf

it's supposed to be shaped like a shark tooth

(on his left cheek)

Joichi

ohh i see it

camillabluejay

Aw, him and Ro are scar buds

Margot

work slowed down, so now I can hop in for a few minutes! and yes, Khehaic is the glue-iest

Superjustin of Time and Space

Hello~

all the scar buds in the world

Joichi

Hi there

Margot

hey there! great to see so many familiar names

Superjustin of Time and Space

likewise!

RebelVampire

@Superjustin of Time and Space I'm glad you're passionate about your characters but please try to keep sharing to a minimum since we're tlaking about a diff comic. ^^;

QUESTION 4. In the background of the first chapter is a hidden conflict about Cin looking for his brother, Seti. Though the tension this causes between Rofaryn and Cin is addressed within the first chapter, numerous questions about Seti are left. Do you have any theories about why Seti is missing? Do you think the group will be able to find Seti or will they just find trouble? Is it possible Cin or someone else is hiding a secret about Seti? Is there a larger conflict going on than we realize?

snuffysam

we haven't had any outlandish theories yet

Seti was abducted by aliens

he's named after SETI, which is the clue

camillabluejay

lolol

Superjustin of Time and Space

is it even possible to have theroies about webcomics/

MathTans the Pun Prince

Have you met me?

Superjustin of Time and Space

If that aliens thing becomes true I'll be impressed

Oh you

Draco Plato

lol of course you can have theories about webcomics XD

snuffysam

all seriousness, i'm guessing he was kidnapped by wilderness bandits or something?

MathTans the Pun Prince

Cin's last name is Alpha. They're actually looking for Alpha Seti, it's in a whole other galaxy. Hence the aliens late in Chapter 2.

Draco Plato

LOL

well could be

RebelVampire

maybe or maybe seti just ran off. got married. was like man this is great. no bro no weirdo mercenaries.

snuffysam

got married and didn't tell his brother?

Superjustin of Time and Space

I'm prolly gonna focus on main chat for now, see ya all around!

manny melancholy

if they are looking for Seti then does that mean he might be kidnapped? maybe he went somewhere and just never came back for what ever reason we need answers @Margot

MathTans the Pun Prince

In all seriousness though, I wonder if maybe Seti ran off to protect the others. Like, he made a bad deal or something, and went into hiding to protect them, and when they find him he'll be all worried.

Others of his family that is.

camillabluejay

hahaha @many, we're not supposed to be answering

Joichi

@Superjustin of Time and Space alright see you in main chat

camillabluejay

it's our seekrit

thezachbales

Is there a butler wherever they're going where they'll be wearing party clothes? If so, I HAVE A HUNCH of who made him disappear.

Margot

hahaha oh no @manny realized i'm the weak link in the secrecy chain

Superjustin of Time and Space

cya Joi

RebelVampire

see ya justin thanks for coming~!

Margot

bye Justin!

camillabluejay

bye Justin! thanks for chatting

Margot

thanks for reading and chatting :3

camillabluejay

@Zach, I could ADD a butler, just for you

Joichi

Since i'm not far in the comic, I'll be back later.

MathTans the Pun Prince

Like, what reason would anyone have to sort of run off? I guess it could be kidnapping, but you'd think there'd be more people missing than just Seti then.

snuffysam

I mean, if he was alone when he got kidnapped, it's not so weird

Superjustin of Time and Space

np Rebel, Margot, and Camilla~

thanks for having me stick around~

snuffysam

maybe Seti and Cin had a falling-out that Cin isn't telling the gang about

MathTans the Pun Prince

That could be, hmmm.

RebelVampire

or maybe cin doesnt know either

MathTans the Pun Prince

Maybe they're not really brothers?

RebelVampire

cause sometimes you can make ppl angry and not realize if said person never says anything

MathTans the Pun Prince

As to finding Seti, I feel like that'll only happen once Cin is really vibing with the group, or maybe one of them in particular. Which creates the question of whether he'd stay with them or not. Or maybe Seti would join the group, but mess up the dynamic? I wonder.

camillabluejay

>:)

RebelVampire

oh thatd be interesting and not something id expect. cause my expectations are that seti is like last conflict. but if they find seti soon and then it mucks up the dynamic, that definitely yields interesting possibilities

especially if cin is with them for a while

snuffysam

Finding Seti will create drama regardless of what specifically happens. it's a bit of a lose-lose situation

RebelVampire

cause then you can have arguments between rofaryn and seti about who knows cin better

snuffysam

Cin leaves the group? drama. Cin decides to stay with the group and leave Seti? drama. Seti joins the group? drama.

MathTans the Pun Prince

Maybe Seti's a sorcerer now, and they're all "we're not having no sorcerer in our group!". But he's trying to be a good sorcerer.

Cin gets Seti's blessing to marry Cel? Drama.

RebelVampire

or seti goes all darth vader and is like cin, come to the dark side. look at my cool magic.

MathTans the Pun Prince

"You're not my father!" "No, I'm your brother." "Oh yeah."

Maybe they find someone who's pretending to be Seti. Like, how much time has passed since Cin's seen him? Would he still be recognizable?

snuffysam

or maybe Seti will be in disguise at some point? like, he's trying to start a new life as a masked vigilante and/or villain

MathTans the Pun Prince

Beards can really change one's appearance.

It does feel like one of the main arcing ideas of the comic though. If they do find Seti, there would need to be a new big arcing plot, in my mind.

snuffysam

that's what the drama is for(edited)

MathTans the Pun Prince

But like, Seti would have some new quest for them. Or something. Maybe.

I dunno.

RebelVampire

that is a good point that maybe cin might not recognize him if enough time passes.

idk why but the idea of "Seti's quest" made me laugh

a weird word combo for me

MathTans the Pun Prince

bows

camillabluejay

Yeah, one of the frustrating parts of webcomics for me, is I really want to write it like a tv show. So we're technically starting ep 2 of season 1. And Seti would be the first season arc. But I can't draw that fast, so we'll see. haha

MathTans the Pun Prince

I know that feeling. No one can draw at the speed of thought. ^^

camillabluejay

Yeah XD If I had all the monies, it would be an animated show, OR I would hire a different artist for every 'episode'

RebelVampire

yeah speed of webcomics can be a real downer for sure. D:

MathTans the Pun Prince

I wonder about the hobbies of mercenaries now. If any of them's into art, or if it's mostly about survival.

RebelVampire

but gotta keep trucking and the comic is doing a good job so far~!

camillabluejay

yeah this whole first chp shoulda been like one 20 min episode haha

instead of a year's comic pages

MathTans the Pun Prince

They find Seti, and he wants to draw a comic of their adventures. Very meta.

RebelVampire

thatd be cute. to see them stop by the side of the road for some rest and someone is like "cin what are you doing?" and cin jsut stares and is like "painting"

camillabluejay

Oh, I don't seeharm in answering that! Khehaic does metal work, makes weird jewelry. Ro whittles

They also all play music and dance together, or play cards

MathTans the Pun Prince

Oh, neat! Hadn't thought of whittling. Can make tools that way.

Margot

fayden likes cooking

MathTans the Pun Prince

pictures Rofaryn with a banjo

RebelVampire

i wanna see some of this weird jewelry because that sounds awesome

MathTans the Pun Prince

Just had another quick look at the site. I notice mention of drugrunners. Maybe that's another place where a medic would be useful.

Margot

....If Ro were in modern day, he'd play some mean guitar, just sayin''

thezachbales

I'm going to need a whole arc about Fayden cooking.

camillabluejay

lolol

RebelVampire

its gonna be the filler ep where fayden has a cooking show to see if its a worthwhile spin off franchise

MathTans the Pun Prince

Gotta get the spices just right.

"Irony Chef"

Margot

there's a fayden & h'rannith cooking themed story in the works for patreon, actually haha

thezachbales

BLESSED

camillabluejay

Bc H'ran is terrible at cooking. Just....terrible.

RebelVampire

AHA. learned something about h'ran. terrible at cooking.

MathTans the Pun Prince

You definitely know your characters! All the best with your continued efforts.

camillabluejay

yeah, there's just a lot of them, and trying to make them all shine the best we can is our goal

since it's wrapping up soon, do you guys have any advice for us?

Now that we're starting up chp 2

any mistakes you see us continually make, or things we could do better

MathTans the Pun Prince

scratches head Keep at it? I dunno, I'm not great with advice.

camillabluejay

ch 2 will be the next year of our lives, might as well be the best it could be

Margot

can i just say, as an ending note... i don't know who made the 'ro-ference pun'... you're the worst... and i love you

camillabluejay

lololol

MathTans the Pun Prince

I didn't see any major mistakes, but I'm not always observant.

RebelVampire

id say just more time with two on two or small group. because admittedly i found it to be somewhat hard to get to know all the characters. which isnt surprising either cause group size

camillabluejay

@Margot did you see they want the Y'linstra/Tori lesbian sorcerer side-story? We better get on it.

MathTans the Pun Prince

Yeah, and the cutaway at a cliffhangery time worked well I thought. Good pacing.

camillabluejay

Yeah, we realized that too, @RebelVampire

even just drawing them on every page was rough

Margot

dropping chapter 2 immediately, @camillabluejay sorcerer lesbians is go

camillabluejay

thank you guys!

No, BOTH

Margot

you're all the best!! my heart is melty

camillabluejay

ALL THE STORIES

snuffysam

thanks for creating a great comic!

MathTans the Pun Prince

Heh.

RebelVampire

Unfortunately, the scheduled Comic Tea Party is now complete~! Thank you everyone so much for joining this week’s chat~! That being said, if you would like to continue discussing the comic, we encourage you to do so~! We want to give a big thank you to Margot Jane & Jaime Camille, as well, for volunteering Kindred Skies for our reading queue. If you liked the comic, please be sure to support Margot Jane & Jaime Camille’s efforts. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions about CTP, please feel free to PM me, or e-mail me at RebelVampire@startfaire.com.

With that said, next week’s Comic Tea Party will focus on Infected Blood by Infected Blood. Please use this week to read as much of the comic as you would like. Also, please note that this comic is on the more mature side. Hope to see you next Thursday (November 9th) from 5PM to 7PM PST~! Until then~! Comic: https://infectedbloodcomics.com/