Still going with this series, but nobody's told me to stop yet, so...

This one should more accurately be titled "Infamous Cats in Science", but that just doesn't have quite the same ring to it and I wanted to keep things consistent. At any rate, Cope and Marsh played a pivotal role in popularizing paleontology in the late 19th century and especially bringing to global notice the wealth of dinosaur fossils to be found in the American West--before the Bone Wars, most substantial paleontological finds had occurred in Europe.

I thought it would be fun to make them both black cats to show that, despite their bitter feuding, the two of them really weren't all that different, and could have - indeed, one might argue should have - been friends, if their stubborn pride and refusal to forgive each other hadn't gotten in the way. I'm not sure one can say whether or not they would have ultimately found more fossils if they had been cooperating, but they certainly both would have led much happier lives, which is more important.

Easter eggs:

- The bone they are fighting over is very specifically a Brontosaurus humerus. Marsh was the one who described Brontosaurus in 1879. Although I'm sure Cope wishes he'd gotten there first.

- Pawthniel Marsh is based off my own very fluffy black cat. Cope kinda resembles my sister's short-haired black cat. Neither of them have Victorian facial hair, I hasten to add.

 Honestly, Silver didn't turn up until this point in the comic because none of his dialogue before this had given me anything to riff on. He's not an obnoxious braggart with delusions of grandeur like Blue--he's just angsty and dark and obsessed with power. I mean, I'm sure you could make that kind of character funny if you tried, but nothing was coming to me as I was playing the game, and forced humor is never funny.

... But also I just really wanted Kris to bean this guy with a Poke Ball.

Shadow Play, Chapter 1

This was one of the last things I ever submitted to the Neopian Times before I quit playing the website (for various reasons which I have ranted about on this blog elsewhere). But I'm of the opinion that I at least went out with a bang, because this is one of my favorite things I ever wrote for the Times, and I've enjoyed all the Neopets stories I've written, so that's saying something.

The nucleus for this story was the fact that in Dances With Werelupes, Terra and Isengrim visit Neopia Central, and Isengrim takes the opportunity to pay Malkus Vile a visit for some business matters. With Isengrim's character progression through subsequent stories, I began to realize that he had reached a point where he no longer felt comfortable associating with (and identifying as one of) Neopia's villains, and would much rather be helping bring them to justice. Barring rare in-universe mentions of the Chia Police, the main law enforcement agency in Neopia appears to be the Defenders of Neopia, and bringing superheroes into the mix would be way more fun than a real-world-ish police force anyway. :)

As I fleshed out the plot and decided to introduce elements of magic and urban fantasy as well, I decided to incorporate Malum from the Wraith Resurgence plot. That plot was happening at the time I was brainstorming for this story, and I thought Malum was a really interesting character who definitely looked like he could also have ties to Isengrim.

... But then the finale of Wraith Resurgence came out and revealed that Malum actually did not look like a glowy beast-warlock all the time--he was a regular Lupe who'd just been cursed. And his backstory did not square at all with the history between him and Isengrim I'd been developing. So, I decided to replace Malum with a completely new original character, and I'm glad I did, because I ended up having a lot of fun writing Zoltan and he's kind of become part of the main cast now.

Besides all the fun superhero fantasy action, this story is sort of my love letter to big cities. I based my idea of Neopia Central heavily off New York City, specifically around the mid-20th-century, and I really enjoyed trying to immerse the reader in that busy atmosphere where there's always something interesting going on. 

Edits from the version that got into the Times are pretty minimal; mostly just some prose cleanup and some slight alterations to make sure everybody's in-character and consistent. One big edit I made was giving Zoltan a Transylvanian accent; in the original version, I pictured him having more of a British accent, but as I continued to tighten his character design and flesh him out through subsequent stories, I realized how much he was inspired by Hungarian and Romanian culture, so I had to give him the accent to match. Besides, more good guys in the media need Transylvanian accents. :)

Also, I wrote this for a summer NaNoWriMo challenge I was doing, which ended up being my last NaNo because the next one I tried, when I was writing Earthkeepers, I ended up quitting after a few days because the stress was starting to give me panic attacks. At least I had a lot of fun with Shadow Play, but I am not ever putting myself through that kind of self-imposed pressure again. Not worth it. (I also wasn't housesitting and trying to take care of an insane dog while writing Shadow Play, so that may have had something to do with it, but still. Not doing that to myself again.)

(I guess it goes without saying, but this story may contradict canon regarding Malkus Vile's role in the Void Within site plot. Not only did I write this years before Void Within, but I no longer try to keep my Neopets fics current with new canon developments; I don't follow the franchise anymore anyway, and I'd much rather be able to develop my cast without worrying about needing to drastically alter something if a new piece of lore comes out, which would also necessitate me having to pay more attention to the franchise than I currently care to. At any rate, I'm no longer submitting anything to the Neopian Times anyway, so I don't strictly need to pay attention to canon anymore. I guess you can think of these fics as sort of an alternate timeline diverging from canon around the time I quit the site.)

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

Terra loved Neopia Central at night. The bustling metropolis was already fascinating enough during the day, but at night it turned into a symphony of light and motion. Faerie-dust lamps set down a rhythm of soft light on endless sidewalks, magic signs blinked a syncopated beat above shops and restaurants, and a choir of Eyrie cabs and Uni-drawn lorries streamed along city blocks like a grid-shaped river.

A chilly spring wind picked up and the pale-skinned, blue-eyed human woman zipped her jacket closed. Her long copper hair was tied back in a braid, and she carefully wadded it against the back of her neck before throwing the hood of her jacket over her head, pushing her glasses up her nose, and putting her hands in her pockets. Low clouds hung overhead, illuminated by the collective glow of uncountable city lights. It had rained earlier that day, and it looked poised to do so again tonight. Not that Terra would mind—she loved rain, too. Visits to Neopia Central were always a wonderful experience.

 

 It always kind of baffled me as to why researchers would quit their perfectly legitimate positions at real companies to go work for a criminal organization. This seemed like the most likely explanation.

 Again, bad idea to assume you know what someone looks like based on their voice.

Personality's more important than looks, though!

Alan Turing may not be not a scientist in the strictest sense of the word, but once the pun popped into my head, I knew this illustration had to happen. :)

(Dr. Toebean has gotten himself rolled up in punch tape for a Turing machine, in case you were curious.)

 Least helpful Gym Guide ever.

Although, to be fair to the guy, Jasmine switched from being a Rock-type specialist to a Steel-type specialist, so it must be hard when the Gym you're supposed to be a guide for suddenly changes to a type you don't know anything about.

But still, considering this is this guy's sole role in life, you'd think he'd be up on his research.

 This joke was just begging to happen. :)

 I have a big, long list of scientists I've been meaning to turn into cats, and I'm glad I was able to get the Herschels on there.

Cats for days!

P.S. Rendering telescopes is hard. I'm so grateful for the straight-line tool.

 Foiled again by obsolete technology nobody has anymore. :(

 I have so many ideas for scientists as cats. Unfortunately my ideas are limited by whose names I can make cat puns out of. But I am glad I got Carl Sagan in there.

(Seriously tempted to draw "Sir Pawtrick Moore" one of these days...)

 It's probably a good idea to exercise caution about which Pokémon you hold onto.

The Shadow of Takeryuu, Chapter 9

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

Chapter 8 - Chapter 9

The throne room was the most lavish place Eunji had ever seen. Crafted out of expensive stone, every surface was painstakingly hand-carved and accented with gold, silver, and precious gems. A few thin windows let in misty daylight, while lanterns filled in dark corners with a subdued glow. Altogether it seemed a grim room, where no thought was given to happiness or comfort.

It also seemed like a shrine to the occupant of the large, gold-plated throne at the other end of the hall. Relaxing on a cushion there, surrounded by a complement of guards, listening to a Moehog courtier read the latest tax report, was a middle-aged green Acara in a gold-and-black robe. His face was somber and his eyes sharp and shrewd.

Eunji grimaced at the aura he gave off. This was very clearly a Neopet who saw life as a power struggle and other Neopets as his pawns. It reminded her quite a bit of how Wai Ren used to be. No wonder there was such a shadow hanging over Shenkuu—its ruler had no love in his heart for anything but power.

 

 Maybe the harbor authorities are just really trying to make more employment opportunities.

 More science cats! Please don't let your cat poke radium. Not a good idea.

I just thought it would be funny if this NPC was only pretending to have a boyfriend. At least you don't ever have to worry about imaginary significant others dumping you.

 Was in the mood for some painting, so I whipped this together. I was watching a video about a turaco, a type of ground-dwelling bird native to Africa, and it struck me how well birds can disguise their long necks in their plumage. It got me to wondering if fluffy dinosaurs may have done the same thing. So here's Velociraptor nestled snugly in its feathers during another chilly night in the Gobi Desert of the Cretaceous.

 Literally anywhere.

And yeah, that third panel is a reference to how you can fish in Lorelei's room at Indigo Plateau in Gen I. :)

 Another illustration for my series of illustrations reimagining historical scientists as cats. Because that's what science geek cat moms do.

The Shadow of Takeryuu, Chapter 8

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

Chapter 8 - Chapter 9

It was rainy and cool on the morning Eunji first saw the Imperial City. Built on a flattened mountain top, the sprawling complex of buildings was surrounded by a thick wall, on top of which tall banners flapped imposingly. Below, the mountain dropped off in sheer cliffs, its roots hidden in mists that swirled around it and the other pillar-like peaks in this mountain range.

Eunji stared at the place in amazement, but at the same time her heart sank. “It looks inaccessible to Neopets who cannot fly,” she said.

“It is very well-defended,” Wai Ren said as rain dripped off the rim of his bamboo hat. “But there is a way in.” He pointed further down the road, to what looked like a dock that jutted out from the side of the mountain. “Those dirigibles are the only way in and out of Shenkuu for non-flying Neopets.” One of the unusual craft that bobbed at the docks released its moorings and took off across the gaping chasm, over the mist and toward the city.

 

 Compared to what goes on in a lot of future core series games, Team Rocket taking over a radio tower is pretty tame.

(Also, you can tell when I drew these because the Generation V games are the most recent ones mentioned.)

 Gotta learn the difference between burning resolve in your heart and acid reflux.

The Shadow of Takeryuu, Chapter 7

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

Chapter 8 - Chapter 9

 

The trip to the mines was not easy. Faerie shadows constantly swooped down at them, eyes aglow, but Eunji and Min were quick to dispatch them. Eunji let the flow guide her as she led her friends into a dark shaft in the side of a mountain, a hole that looked like a bottomless pit.

Wai Ren held a fire mote in its lantern as they wandered down hewn-out tunnels that led from cavernous rooms to low-ceilinged corridors. Every once in a while, they would stumble upon a faerie shadow or two, and while it would attack them on sight, it was nothing the girls couldn’t handle.

Then they started finding rooms that weren’t empty. These areas were full of Neopets, their clothes worn, clutching their arms to stay warm as they slept on the floor, guarded by shadow sentinels. These must have been all of the Neopets who were taken away by the spectres, Eunji realised.  She wished she could help them, but the shadows there were too numerous for her and Min to take on alone. They would have to keep going to find the source.

Finally, deep into the heart of the mountain, Eunji’s senses led her to a corridor that glistened with gems still set in their native rock. Around a bend shone a dim purple light, and Eunji’s feathers bristled. She looked back at her friends to see if they were ready for this.

They nodded, and Eunji smiled at them. She was fortunate indeed to have such wonderful friends. Taking a deep breath, she stepped around the bend and her eyes widened.

 

 Not gonna lie, this is one of my favorite comics in the whole series.

I guess when I was a kid, I took it for granted, but as an adult, I just find it wild that Bill invented actual time travel and everyone acts like this is completely normal. So clearly it means he's a Time Lord.

Also that the Pokémon world has the technology to manipulate time and yet all they do with it is transfer Pokémon between the present and three years ago.

Also I'm shocked that this hasn't caused any reality-warping temporal paradoxes.

... And also I should probably just stop overthinking a video game.

 Here's a bonus science cat! I couldn't leave out the Archduke of Physics himself.

 I understand the translation teams like to give Twins matching names... but this is taking it a bit too far.

(Although, I love that one of the sets of Twins in the Battle Tower in FireRed and LeafGreen are named Jen and Kira which is an obvious reference to the 1983 fantasy film The Dark Crystal. We can keep that one.)

 More amigurumi! I decided to make an adorable li'l Smilodon because carnivores are cute too! My secret goal is to make scientifically accurate plushies of underrepresented prehistoric animals. When I told my niece, she thought I was ridiculous. Never underestimate a pedantic nerd, kid. :)

In learning amigurumi I am also learning a surprising amount about embroidery! It's like two skills in one! A lot of the patterns I see call for safety eyes, but I've been trying to work on embroidering eyes instead because a) I'm too cheap to buy safety eyes, b) safety eyes aren't 100% safe; you can get them out of crochet if you try hard enough, and toddlers are always capable of more mayhem than you expect, and c) embroidered eyes can give a plush more personality and individuality.

Learning a new skill (or more like two new skills at once) is fun! Give it a go if you've been feeling down. Few things lift the spirits like expanding your horizons!

 When you're playing Crystal on the 3DS Virtual Console 15 years after the Game Boy Color days, this guy's dialogue comes across as a bit... smug.

I never owned a Game Boy Printer, but I suspect it would have been one of those things that I'd play with for half an hour and then never touch again. So I think my parents were smart not to buy me one. #superfluousperipherals

 The next illustration in my line of scientist cats! This one was fun. Not the least because I got to draw Galapagos tortoises.

P.S. Darwin Cat is a British Shorthair breed. It just seemed to fit him.

The Shadow of Takeryuu, Chapter 6

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

Chapter 8 - Chapter 9

“Ah, I cannot wait to sleep in an inn instead of on the ground,” Wai Ren said.

The four travellers stood on a hill overlooking a village nestled deep in the woods, only two weeks away from the Imperial City. Smoke rose out of holes in rooftops, and reinforced tunnels dug into the nearby hills suggested mining activity here.

“This village must be prosperous,” the Kougra continued, rubbing his paws together eagerly in the sunset. “When I become emperor, I must remember to look into their trading activities to make sure most of their bounty is being directed to the capital.”

Min snorted in disgust. “Listen to yourself,” she said. “Is the capital all you think about?”

“The Kingdom of Shenkuu is great and glorious,” Wai Ren said. “The purpose of its subjects is to serve the state.”

The Aisha put a paw on her hip. “Sounds like something some emperor made up as an excuse to be selfish. Have you ever asked the subjects of Shenkuu what they think about that philosophy? Oh, wait. You’re talking to one right now.”

 

 With this one, I just wanted to poke fun at the fact that, very often, people look totally different to how you might imagine from their voices.

Oh, and don't worry, this won't be the last you see of this particular iteration of DJ Mary. :)

My niece wanted to get into amigurumi and asked me to teach her, which necessitated me having to do lots of research and try to stay one step ahead of her, because I've been doing other types of crochet for a while but haven't tried amigurumi until now. I've actually become hopelessly addicted to it, and I've been having fun both learning from tutorials and trying to come up with my own patterns for things you don't normally see amigurumi of.

Here's my pattern for Stygiomedusa gigantea, a.k.a. the giant phantom jelly, one of the most beautiful cnidarians in my opinion. I was going to give it more tentacles, but I ran out of yarn. Still, I think it turned out really nicely.

I used this tutorial to make plushie loaf versions of my dear cats.

Chewie feels his plushie does not adequately capture his majesty.

 Yep, he actually considers giving train passengers piggyback rides in the game. Go for it, buddy.

The Shadow of Takeryuu, Chapter 5

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

Chapter 8 - Chapter 9

 

Wai Ren was obviously not supposed to be anywhere but the fortress, but thankfully the relic Kougra’s own colouring provided a convenient solution. He created an animated clay replica of himself and ordered it to pretend to be ill. With this effigy of himself huddled under several blankets, by the time the servants discovered the real Wai Ren was gone, he would be too far away.

Having done that, the general hid his ornate armour under a travelling cloak and donned a wide bamboo hat, and then he and his three companions stole away to a side gate to watch the wagons leave for Saro Village.

“You couldn’t have just changed armour?” Ganzorig asked as they leaned against the cool earthen walls.

“This armour is expertly made and enchanted with several protective spells,” Wai Ren said. “I would not exchange it for a lesser set. I am sure Miss Min understands well what the value of proper armour is to one who wields a blade.”

Min flinched, fidgeting with the strap that kept her pudao fastened to her back. “S-sure.”

 

There is a distinct difference between "dressed like a Team Rocket member" and an actual Team Rocket member.

 I couldn't resist another paleontology parody poster. :) Yi qi is an adorable little theropod from the Mid-Late Jurassic of China. Its name 翼奇 means "strange wing" because it appears to have had membranous, batlike wings. So basically it was the closest dinosaurs ever got to being actual dragons. <3 Its name is pronounced "ee chee", so... you can see how this happened.

 Silly Collector. The friendship mechanic doesn't have any battle perks until Pokémon X and Y.

... But also I just really wanted to draw a Lickitung with an afro.

 I mean, when you talk to this guy in Ilex Forest, he doesn't appear to actually have a Pokémon with him, so...

 I'm launching a new line of merch on Redbubble that's all about... reimagining historic scientists as cats. Yep. That's what cat moms do.

First up is Mary Anning, because she's my friend Ashley Hall's favorite paleontologist and I wanted to give the woman her due. Accompanying Meowry Anning is her furry friend Tray, who is also featured on Mary's statue in Lyme Regis.

Meowry is specifically excavating the famous holotype specimen of Temnodontosaurus that the real Mary Anning and her brother Joseph discovered in 1810-1812. Mary was actually just a tween at the time, but I wanted to include a real and recognizable fossil of hers in this illustration. (I mean, if you care that much about accuracy, she also shouldn't be a cat, so.)

More coming in following weeks!

The Shadow of Takeryuu, Chapter 4

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

Chapter 8 - Chapter 9

Eunji had never seen anything like Muyang Brook Fortress. Its rammed-earth walls were thicker than she was tall, and instead of the bright reds and greens of her temple home, the materials that made up the fortress were more subdued and sombre in colour. Overall it gave the impression of being a very severe place. The officers who stared at the group as they passed by did not help matters much, either.

Wai Ren’s residence within the complex was a little livelier, with golden Belonthiss statues perched at the points of its tile roofs and a small garden in the courtyard. The interior of the mansion was decorated with all manner of works of art—jade carvings, elaborate metalwork, and painstakingly crafted silk tapestries. Ganzorig admired all of this as well, and although Min tried to remain focused on her objective, it was clear that their opulent surroundings awed the farmgirl.

The general gave orders to a servant to prepare a large lunch, and then led his guests to a banquet room that looked out on the courtyard. Here, a myriad of pillows were arranged around a low table. Eunji flinched—something was warping the flow of energy here.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” Wai Ren said, folding his paws behind his back. “Lunch should be arriving shortly.”

 

 That's... not the best choice of Pokémon to send out if you're trying to convince someone of the merits of Bug-types.