I can only assume this is what he meant.

The Shadow of Takeryuu, Chapter 3

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7

The faerie Vandagyre’s antennae quivered. “Come on!” Eunji squawked to Ganzorig as she sprinted in the direction of the scream, toward a mess of chaotic energy she could feel throughout her whole body. She would have flown, but the forest here was too dense and she did not want to risk snagging her delicate faerie wings on branches.

“You’re just going to charge on in?” Ganzorig asked as he loped after her.

“Someone’s in trouble!” Eunji replied. “We must aid them!” It was only right.

The Tyrannian Lupe sighed and pulled on his Razumi mask. “You and your idealism,” he muttered.

Soon, she began to hear sounds of a scuffle, panicked cries and fierce snorts, and then saw movement in the undergrowth ahead. A pack of wild Pygui were trampling around the trees, angrily attacking something on the ground.

Another cry rang out and a beautiful curved blade thrust upward from the fray—and then a Pygui tossed it away with its tusks.

 

 Can you really call yourself a successful criminal organization if every single one of you gets defeated by the first 10-year-old to wander into your hideout? Elementary school kids are putting the police out of a job, apparently.

 Made another fake paleo film poster. Clearly I have way too much time on my hands to sit around thinking about paleontology.

 Let's get our priorities straight here, people.

 Sometimes, NPCs in video games are so clueless that it's almost painful.

The Shadow of Takeryuu, Chapter 2

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7

The first couple of days of Eunji’s journey passed peacefully. These mountains were covered in thick, ancient woodland, very sparsely populated save for the occasional temple, but she was not headed close to any of them. She was aiming for the farmlands to the west—and to the Imperial City, if need be. If that was where darkness festered, that was where she would probably find her answers.

But that seemed very far away as she hiked through the forest, breathing in the abundant life there. Plants and Petpets all lived harmoniously in this place, and there was a voiceless hush that came with being the only Neopet around for possibly leagues. Eunji supposed she could feel very small and alone, but it was difficult to feel that way when she instead got the sense that Neopia itself was looking out for her.

By the morning of the third day, she had begun to notice signs of civilisation. Sometimes she would see smoke from fires far off in the hills, or would come across a patch of trees that had been felled by a woodspet. It reminded her that all her journey would not be a leisurely communion with nature.

As she passed among the shadows of enormous old pines, her faerie antennae quivered and Eunji stopped short. Something was disharmonious about this place.

 

 It's........ actually kinda weird if you stop to think about it.

(To be perfectly fair, the Japanese term for when a Pokémon has fainted implies more that its health is in a critical condition, not necessarily that it is unconscious. So I suppose a Pokémon in a critical state could still have the awareness to use a field move for you.

....... It's still a little mean though.)

 I dunno what to tell you, man. It's not like you can control wild Pokemon. Pretty sure if you put up a sign saying "USERS OF SUPERSONIC WILL BE FINED", the Zubat are just gonna ignore it because, y'know, they don't have eyes.

Also, maybe don't stand too close to Firebreathers.

The Shadow of Takeryuu, Chapter 1

After I wrote The League of Adventurers, I realized the campaign and characters that the Neoquest crew were cooking up sounded like a really fun story. So I decided to just go all-out and write it as a full-blown narrative.

Since college, I've been really interested in East Asian history and culture, and I wanted to try something a little different here. Shenkuu in canon seems to be very much based on medieval East Asia, such as feudal Japan and the Ming Dynasty, so I thought it would be fun to write a story set in ancient Shenkuu with the flavor of Qin Dynasty China, Yayoi-era Japan, and Three Kingdoms-era Korea. I also wanted to write a Neopets story with the feel of a wuxia fantasy novel, with four intrepid underdog warriors setting out to fight injustice. Also, the prose sounds a more old-fashioned than usual because I wanted the story to have the feel of a Chinese classic translated into English in the early 20th century. Yeah, I put way too much thought into all of this. :)

I think the story is even more fun if you imagine that this is how the actual Neoquest campaign played out--it's honestly pretty easy to figure out which characters in this story correspond to the Neoquest players. Also, yes, the Yuezhi in this story is the same character as in Worth Searching For. I purposely left it ambiguous as to how much of her role in this story Blynn made up. It's entirely possible that she and Yuezhi kept in touch and Yuezhi ended up telling Blynn about some of her past.

I didn't change much in this revision from what got into the Neopian Times, mostly a few minor prose alterations. However, I did completely change Eunji's and Ganzorig's conversation with Takeryuu during the climax to give Takeryuu a little more character development, as well as get a few more jabs in at tyranny and legalism.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7

Thousands of years before Neopia’s present day, the Circle of Twelve, with the wizard Jahbal at their head, rule the Great Empire in the area of what is now Neopia Central. But the Circle have overstepped their bounds and begun misusing their power, succumbing to greed and anger. Even now, the southern city of Kal Panning plans for a revolt, but it will not end well for them.

Meanwhile, far to the west, on the other side of the Mountains at the End of the World, lies Shenkuu.

Life at the Lotus Mountain Temple was bliss for Eunji. The faerie Vandagyre could feel the harmonious energies of the area flow and meld with the rocky crags, the ancient pines, the mists that twined through the valleys below, and the merrily painted pillars and roofs of the temple. Bright colours attracted positive energies, Master Cheol always said. That was why Eunji and the other geomancers kept the temple well-painted.

Eunji’s pink wings flittered as she bounded up the narrow wooden steps to the waterfall where the acolytes obtained their daily water. Chores were a joy at Lotus Mountain Temple. Everyone’s work helped keep the place running, and through their joint efforts, harmony was maintained and energy flowed as bounteous as a river.

A pole stretched across her shoulders with large pails on both ends, and Eunji deftly kept her balance on aged steps that wound up the cliff, hugging the sheer rock. Even had she not possessed wings, the distance to the valley below would not bother her. Master Cheol had taught them the importance of being stout-hearted, as immovable as these great mountains.

 

 I just think it's weird that Union Cave is the only way to get from Violet City to Azalea Town, and yet this Hiker is treating it like some kind of out-of-the-way location.

(Also, ever notice how the Pokémon world tends to have a lot of roadways that go through really inconvenient obstacles like multileveled cave systems and labyrinthine forests? It's a transportation engineer's nightmare. Hmmmmmm it's almost like the regions were designed to make the player traverse multiple dungeon-like environments to progress, instead of being logistically feasible.)

Here are the latest graphics I've made for my RedBubble store!

Self-explanatory. Obey the cat.

It's the 90's hip hop/British cryptography mashup nobody was asking for. I dunno. This is just what my imagination does.

The world needs more goblin shark merchandise because goblin sharks need more love. I've fangirled these critters ever since I was a kid, and now I have fulfilled my lifelong dream of having one available on a t-shirt.

It's been a month for creepycuteness; I also just had to make merch for the incredible Scotoplanes sea cucumber genus, because they are amazing. Tube feet that they use to literally walk across the seafloor? A mouth surrounded by tentacles tipped with more tentacles? Giving free rides to juvenile king crabs? Don't put limits on sea cucumbers!

 I took a picture of the Moon and Venus a few nights ago and... it was totally overexposed by my phone, and didn't look anything like how I had actually seen it.

So, I thought I might as well put my art skills to work, and I painted what I had actually observed with my human eyes that night. 

I believe painting and illustration will never go extinct, because as convenient as photography is, it rarely captures what the human eye actually sees, which can be just as beautiful (or even more so) than the mere record of photons hitting a CCD (or film I guess).

And let's not even talk about how unoriginal and uninteresting AI-generated images are.

 You thought this was a comic about Pokémon but actually it's a comic about economics! Edutainment at its finest. :)

 What, you thought you'd seen the last of zombie Lass? :)

Giving Day at Black Keep, Chapter 4

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4

The next morning dawned grey and snowy once more. Kass was glad the stone walls of Black Keep were so thick and sturdy. Snow was pleasant to look at, but miserable when one actually had to deal with it.

He was grateful for the Neopets who worked hard to clear the snow around Black Keep after a day like this, but he thought he should also hire a pyromancer or two, for the sake of convenience. Market Town tended to be a bit short on magic users, as they mostly clustered around Brightvale with its illustrious magic department at the university, but after the holidays Kass would put the word out and see if there were any takers.

The Pokémon world is actually a pretty stressful place if every time you make eye contact with somebody, you have to have a Pokémon battle with them. (And definitely wouldn't help with social anxiety.)

 You ask your mom to put some of your prize money in savings, and she pulls this on you.

Giving Day at Black Keep, Chapter 3

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4

Two white paws slammed down on the table. “Mother!” Celice barked, ears perked forward and fur bristling. “That is quite enough!” Kass’s eyes snapped up at her in shock. “Lord Kass has shown our family nothing but kindness and hospitality, and this is how you repay him?” The sorceress leaned over the table toward her mother. “How dare you insult him! You think yourself superior just because of your family ties, but Lord Kass is ten times the noblepet you will ever be with that attitude!”

Minevra’s jaw dropped. “Celice—darling,” she stammered. “How could you say such awful things to your own mother?”

“Because they’re true,” Celice growled. “And it’s time someone calls you out on it before you become even more of a monster.”

“Well, I—“ Minevra took a few halting steps back, obviously not used to someone actually standing up to her. “I just—oh, this is rotten!” she wailed. “You’re all being perfectly beastly!” In a flurry of expensive fabric, she turned and ran from the hall, sobbing loudly.

 

 Not everybody can have a Pokémon like Ash's superpowered Pikachu, I guess.

 I just always found it very odd that a) a major route in the center of the Johto region that connects multiple large cities is only wide enough for a single person to pass through, and b) a 4-foot-tall Pokemon can completely block traffic and derail an entire region's transport logistics. #videogamelogic #gatedprogress

Giving Day at Black Keep, Chapter 2

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4

The lord mayor had picked out some nice rooms for his friends on the same floor as the guest quarters Celice usually stayed in, and he and Celice enjoyed watching them admire the décor.

“Wow, this is so neat,” Terra said as she inspected the plush bedding in her room. “It’s like we’re staying in a castle!”

“And the floating crystal centrepieces in the sitting rooms are a nice touch,” Pharazon said from outside the bedroom, leaning over the table to inspect one of said centrepieces.

“That was my idea,” Celice said as Blynn reached out to poke one of the violet crystals. It bobbed slightly and then went back to its stable position. “Flowers don’t quite seem to fit the theme of this place.”

“Unless you used dark thorn vines and dragonbuds,” Pharazon said.

Kass chuckled. “True,” he said, “but I was going more for ‘darkly elegant’, not ‘unnervingly macabre’. I’m a Draconian, after all, not a Haunted Woods Neopet.”

 

Giving Day at Black Keep, Chapter 1

This story came about because I just had so much fun writing The Spirit of Black Keep that I wanted to revisit Kass and Black Keep and see how they were getting on. It was also the holiday season and I just wanted to write something festive and fun about a group of friends simply enjoying each other's company. 

In fact, this story was originally conceptualized as just what ended up being the first chapter. But as I introduced Celice's dysfunctional family and had Kass tease the prospect of them interacting with Terra's quirky clan, I realized I couldn't just talk about the possibility of that happening and not deliver; hence, the story ended up being about three times as long as I had expected. Not that I'm mad.

I had a lot of fun writing Black Keep as an actual functional castle; I imagine it's actually a rather nice place to live when it's not being utilized as a video game dungeon. Plus, with Celice and her interactions with her family, I wanted to send a message about the importance of putting up boundaries and communicating clearly, and not assuming that your relationships with those closest to you don't need any work just because you've known them all your life.

I had way too much fun writing Celice's terrifying nieces and nephews. Kids are wonderful and unsettling all at once. Also, I'd teased at Celice being a member of the nobility since her first appearance where she introduces herself as "Lady Celice Anfel", so I thought now would be an opportune time to really explore that and show where she was coming from in Draik Expectations, and how family pressures molded her into a workaholic.

Just made a few minor edits to this one from the version that got into the Neopian Times; mostly some prose fixes, as well as a few tweaks to the characterization to better get the story across and make sure it was all consistent with the updated versions of previous fics.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4

“This is fantastic, Kass, just fantastic!” Celice Anfel the white Lupe said to her Darigan Eyrie friend as they strolled down the wintry, holly-bedecked streets of Market Town, laden with bags of groceries.

Lord Kass looked over at her and smiled. Her tail was high and there was a spring in her step as her boots splashed through piles of slush on the cobblestones. Although the sorceress had a penchant for sarcasm, he could detect none of it now.

“I must say,” he said, “I didn’t take you as one to enjoy Giving Day.” Shifting the weight of the groceries in his arms, he adjusted the striped scarf around his neck—an important gift from an important friend. The heavy aroma of warm mince pies wafted up from one of the bags, making his mouth water.

 

 I mean, really, it's a bit uncanny that this 1500-year-old Unown script perfectly correlates to the modern English alphabet.

Also kinda weird that no researcher seems to have noticed this, but the 10-year-old player character can figure it out. #videogamelogic #maincharactervibes

 Also, I found a 1500-year-old Berry in a secret room, so I went ahead and fed it to my Pokémon. Shouldn't be a problem, right?

 I have a lot of questions about the way the Ruins of Alph are handled as an ancient archaeological site. Methinks it's time for an audit.

Fall From Grace

I always thought Xandra from the Faeries' Ruin plot was a really compelling villain. She's not all "muwahaha gonna take over everything because EVIL" like Dr. Sloth, or avaricious like Captain Scarblade; rather, Xandra is on a twisted social justice crusade. She used to be the faeries' best student, but something happened to turn her against them, and I found myself wondering what that might have been.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to lay out some ideas I'd been tossing around, actually since Worth Fighting For, concerning the ancient history of the faeries and why there are old faerie weapons scattered around Neopia but nobody seems to know why. So, even though this story about Xandra on the surface doesn't seem to be at all related to the adventures of my main Neopets cast, it contains some important lore that plays a role in those stories. That's why I decided to include it here.

There are some important questions raised in this story that I think are even more relevant now than they were when I wrote this, about the ethics of digging up dirt on someone just for the sake of knowing the truth, and about not forgiving people, even when they're trying to fix things. Nobody is perfect - not even very good people - and I think it's wrong to pass permanent judgment on people based solely on their mistakes, especially if they've tried to make things better. (Astute readers will also notice that Fyora never actually did anything wrong and has always been a benevolent ruler, but Xandra decided to detest her because she was a faerie and therefore had to be evil in Xandra's mind.)

This story is also about the dangers of deciding you're a special snowflake who is above the rules. Xandra didn't have any reason to go snooping around the faeries' private business except to satisfy her own curiosity and nurse her wounded pride, both of which are very bad reasons to go sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Xandra claims the faeries betrayed her trust, but she is an unreliable narrator--if one reads between the lines, Xandra's really the one who betrayed the faeries. Of course, she's completely unable to see it that way because she's so convinced she's right and they're wrong. Hence, the title of the story is a double entendre--while ostensibly the narrative is about the faeries falling from Xandra's high opinion of them, the subtext is that Xandra herself has fallen from being a friend of the faeries.

As to whether it was right for Fyora to cover up the faerie wars, I'll leave that to the reader to think about. Contrary to what Xandra claims in the narrative, Fyora never lied to her or to anyone, but there are certainly subjects she's not comfortable discussing and wishes to remain in the past. I imagine the faerie wars were traumatic for everyone involved, including the faeries, and it's something they don't like to be reminded of (they can't forget the wars, though, for reasons I elaborate on in a future fic). So it's questionable for Xandra to assert that the faeries shouldn't hide anything from Neopets (or, more specifically, terribly clever Neopets like her) if there's sensitive information that isn't actually necessary for them to share.

Lots to think about with this one. That's why I enjoyed writing it.

Also, I know in canon the Library Faerie has been named Seshatia. I wrote this years before her canon name was revealed, and I don't even play the website anymore so I don't feel like changing it. I'm sure there's lots in my writing that contradicts more recent canon material, but I don't feel like trying to make it fit. These fics are kind of an ode to the way Neopets used to be and I don't feel like muddling that with newer franchise lore.

Also, I'm annoyed that recent content shows the Library Faerie using a wheelchair or crutches. It's not that I have anything against characters with disabilities, but a faerie, of all things, really? Aren't they supposed to be magical? And can fly? It's one of my fantasy and sci-fi pet peeves when characters have physical disabilities in a universe where the technology/magic clearly exists to either fix or adequately compensate for those those disabilities. If Neopia has potions that can instantly restore hundreds of health points to a Neopet, imported Virtupets technology that far surpasses that of modern Earth, and a sizeable community of highly skilled magicians, why in the world is someone using an ordinary wheelchair to get around?

It's not that I don't want people with disabilities to feel seen and included in the media, but it's really important that fiction writers keep in mind what would make sense according to the state of technology, fantasy/sci-fi elements, and overall rules of a universe. Think of how much it would break suspension of disbelief if, for example, there was a smallpox outbreak in the Star Wars universe, or Thor broke his leg and spent an entire Marvel film hobbling around in a cast. I think one of the reasons why imaginary worlds appeal so much to people is because they're places where we can temporarily escape from a lot of our real-world problems and let our spirits run free. I don't see anything wrong with a fantasy world where nobody is disabled because the technology and magic exists to fix those disabilities. 

(As a former huge Star Wars geek, I learned that the franchise is very intentional about not having anybody wear glasses in the Star Wars universe because it's implied that the technology to fix vision problems has existed for thousands of years and is ubiquitous throughout the galaxy. And as cute as glasses can make somebody [shameless plug], I have to say that it would be nice to go through life not having to rely on two pieces of glass perched on my nose for the world not to be blurry. It doesn't offend me or make me feel excluded that nobody in Star Wars wears glasses. That's just the way their universe works.)

I'm also just not a fan of the idea of faeries being susceptible to mortal frailties. I liked them better when site lore portrayed them as extremely powerful, mystical, and immortal entities, pretty much akin to demigoddesses, not just sparkly women wearing nightgowns (with wings that only exist for show, apparently). It's one of many examples of things I dislike about the direction the newer creative team has been taking the franchise and why I stepped away from it. It really bothers me when a new generation of writers and artists steps in to take over from the team that built a fictional universe, and proceeds to completely misunderstand what made that universe interesting and fun to begin with. I've been seeing Pokémon kinda struggle with the same things lately and it's worrisome.

“Good morning, Xandra,” said the Library Faerie to the speckled Xweetok who’d just walked through the doors of the royal libraries of Faerieland. The brown-haired, bespectacled Faerie placed one last book on the volumes she was sorting and then smiled over at the young witch.

“Good morning, Sybella,” Xandra said, returning her smile as the Xweetok adjusted her own spectacles. Her arms were full of books, as usual. “I’ve come to return these and check out more.”

Sybella’s eyes widened. “More? But you just checked those out last week!”

“I read too quickly,” Xandra said with a sigh as she placed the books on the front desk.

 

 I feel like kids in the Pokémon world take on an unusual amount of responsibility.

Which, when you're a kid is a dream come true because you're like "oh yeah, I'm ready to ADULT" but then as an adult you're more like "oh no honey, let me do everything for you until you're 30". (Except the moms in the Pokémon world seem strangely eager for their kids to take off on their Trainer journeys already.)

When you talk a big game like that, but you're the first Gym Leader in a region with wimpy little level 8 unevolved Pokémon, it's just kind of awkward, y'know?

The League of Adventurers

Writing Roll for Initiative was a supremely enjoyable experience, and a few years later I found myself wanting to pen more tales of a bunch of weird geeks doing tabletop roleplaying. I thought it would be fun to get Celice involved because she usually takes herself so seriously, I decided it would be hilarious if she was one of those people who really cut loose when roleplaying and get super into it. I also wanted to show that Pharazon doesn't care for Neoquest and that's okay--it's not for everyone.

This story doesn't really have any Life Lessons or big moments in character development--it's just pure fun. But, it also sets up for a longer story I wrote a few months later. When I wrote The League of Adventurers, I honestly wasn't really planning on doing anything else regarding Blynn's Shenkuu campaign... but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how fun it would be to write the plot of that campaign as an actual in-universe happening. But I'll save the details of that for when I add it to the blog. :)

Edits here from the Neopian Times version are minimal, but I did take out any mention of Hyren and Isengrim still slightly being at odds with each other, because I'd thoroughly erased that part of their dynamic with the revisions I'd made to Worth Searching For.

On yet another cold, rainy afternoon in the month of Storing, Hyren sat in his comfortable library in his Altador villa, smugly ignoring the inclement weather as a fire roared in the hearth and his family and allies relaxed around him.

The blue Grundo’s faerie Draik brother Pharazon and Pharazon’s friend Celice were perched on one of the sofas, reading through a stack of books they’d bought earlier that day, and occasionally making comments to one another about whatever they were studying at the moment. Their sister Blynn was—well, Hyren wasn’t quite sure, but the disco Zafara was probably off doing Blynn things like trying to set a new puddle-jumping record or baking quintuple-chocolate cookies.

Hyren, meanwhile, was locked in a rather intense round of Armada with his owner and the Werelupe King. Hyren enjoyed Armada—it reminded him of his days in Dr. Sloth’s Virtupets military. Virtupets programmers had developed a similar game, and Hyren had purchased it for his electronic devices in order to relax during rare down times in his operations. It utilised the Virtupets information networks to pit players against each other, and Hyren took pride in his elevated place in the rankings. He’d taken naturally to the game because the strategy involved was similar to what he employed as a commander of troops.

 

 If you're just playing the game, this is cute. But this exchange takes on a whole new level of meaning in the context of this comic.

Bleeearrrgghhh social media is the worst. Again.

I’ve previously written about all the reasons I hate social media, and really only use it a) to stay connected with friends and b) try to get my work out there because I draw and write things so other people can enjoy them, not so they can stay hidden away in my hard drive.

A really horrible and stupid experience I had with Instagram a few weeks ago, though, just solidified why social media is more stress than it’s worth 99% of the time.

Before I want to get into that, though, I want to take a minute to explore and explain why social media is so stressful for me. I’m not just complaining to be a complainer. I’m complaining because I’m an introvert and the fast-paced, superficial, quantity-over-quality world of social media is just about the complete opposite of how introverts like to socialize.

So, the starters for Pokemon Winds and Waves have been announced, and I have to say I'm not super impressed. The Grass-type and Water-type look like knockoffs of preexisting Pokemon, and the Fire-type... do we really need another fire puppy?

So to vent my frustration I thought it would be fun to make up totally hypothetical final evolutions for these guys that take their concepts in different directions from previous Pokemon. And I gave them all an Australia and New Zealand theme because I just really want a region based off those two countries.

Moatipu (from "moa" and "tipu", Maori for "plant") is a Grass/Ground type based off the extinct moa of New Zealand. It grows Berries in its feathers which drop to the ground while it walks, dispersing seeds. It can often be seen walking around burned forests dropping Berries--for this reason, it is sometimes called "the parent of the forest".

Thylacleo (from "thylacine" and "leo" but also a play on the extinct Thylacoleo) is a Fire-type based on the extinct thylacine, a.k.a. Tasmanian tiger. While most of its coat is pleasantly warm to the touch, its stripes are white-hot with energy and should be avoided. It races across deserts and grasslands with its flaming tail held aloft like a banner as a form of communication among its kind.

Torrentie (from "torrent" and "perentie") is a Water/Poison-type based off the perentie and monitor lizards in general. The thick portion at the end of its tail is full of venom, and when it swings its tail at enemies, the venom is exuded through the skin through the force of impact.

I'm sure the actual final evolutions won't look anything like this, but one can dream.