War of the Forums

[Sike Saner]

And pop goes the monkey-man... girl... creature... person. Yeah. Well, now that the slayer of Jay (which is fun to say!) has gone and killed again, I'm even more interested in that mystery character since she seems like a force to be reckoned with indeed. o.o

[mr_pikachu]

Phoenixsong: Good point. It does seem like that's something only a "corrupt admin" could do. But perhaps there's a difference between account resurrection and regular unbanning...

Blood+ is an anime that stars a girl named Saya. She's the new character... but what TPMer does she represent?


Shuppet: Nooooo! I must not hear the spoilers! *covers ears* Lalalalala...

You won't have to wait long for the next page. I can guarantee that.


B4: Hooray for blood and guts!

Heh, a few people have mentioned Suzie. Some others have brought up Gabi's name. But is anyone correct?

And hey, I don't mind criticism. If you see anything you don't like, let me know! I want to get better, after all. ^_^


Hypotenuse: Is she stronger than Martin? Or just a little more crafty? After all, Jay and Kiyone overpowered Martin, and they were both just regular members... victory doesn't necessarily follow rank.

You're the first person to think she might be Andrew. I applaud you, good sir! XD


Gavin: She's quite a looker, ain't she?

Who's the girl? There are a lot of possibilities. As others have mentioned, she looks very similar to Ada... maybe she's a clone! Wouldn't that be a twist?

One thing's certain. Whoever this new character is, she's a force to be reckoned with.


Blade: Thirded.

Uh, I mean...


Andrew: Request denied. But if you do appear, you'll be someone respectable. Or feared by all. Either way!


Gabi: Thank you for your forgiveness. ^_^

And yes, I had a good laugh when I came up with the idea for the ape Kiyone.


Sike: Even monkeys bleed when you carve them with a sword. That's the lesson here. And Jay's down and out... but who did the deed? Should the mods be concerned about this potential threat?


All will soon be revealed. ...Okay, maybe not all. But some things!

#89: This new character's incredibly strong, lightning-fast, and... knowledgable?

"To Know the Unknown" was also the title of an Innosense single that was featured in Pokémon 3: The Ultimate Soundtrack.

[Dark Sage]

Hmm... This mystery woman seems to have nigh-ominiponence, in addition to being powerful. She's got to be one of the Administrators. Which one? Hard to say.

I have a feeling her identity is going to be kept in the dark for a long time. At least she seems to be benign...

...for now.

Keep it up.

[Phoenixsong]

Okay, NOW I think it might be Suzie. Yeah. Maybe.

...Kristian?

I R Baboon confused. Also, shouldn't Gavin's question actually end in... you know... a question mark? Perhaps using a period was your intent, but it looks funky.

[Shuppet Master]

This is way too weird. Gavin's real name is Kristian? That's my real name! (Well Christian, actually.)

[Sike Saner]

"Martin's replacement will be revealed to you."--This brought to my mind the question of how the identity of the next moderator will be revealed, exactly. That, I can't guess, beyond that it probably won't be appearing in a bowl of alphabet soup.

Ms. Monkeyslayer does certainly seem to have access to information that no one else in that scene does--the keyword being "seems". I wonder, does she actually know the identity of the next moderator, or does she only know that the current moderators will not be choosing Martin's replacement? o.o

[Crazy Elf Boy]

Whoa

*creeps out of shadows*

Like how this fanfic is coming along, so much mystery and romance all tied in together with senseless but hilarious killings. You should sell this to a television company.

Though it is still living up to my expectations in the violence catergory.

^_^

[Bulbasaur4]

I say Gabi! ^_^ Anyways, great chapter! I like the screenshots you chose for this one and I eagerly await the next.

It'll be interesting with so many plots going on at once...

[mistysakura]

... Ouch.

Who is this person? We don't know her? Well obviously there goes the smod/admin idea then. And we're not choosing the next mod? If this person has the power to dictate who the next mod is, but she's not a smod/admin... I have no idea. It would be funny if the new mod ended up being Faiz anyway. So Martin's really dead, unless you're doing a dratinihaunter13isnotdead.com on us). That's one question answered, but you've thrown plenty more at us. You're keeping up the suspense nicely. I think the mods are in trouble...

EDIT: "To Know the Unknown" reminds me of "To Expect the Unexpected" by... um... mental blank here. If you're still on TPM, feel free to shoot me.

[Weasel Overlord]

Okay... so what if I haven't commented for years!? I've still been readin', leave me alone!

I LIKE the addition of Saya there. She rocks socks. Didn't know you were a Blood+ fan Brian! *thumbs up*

Lemme see, what else to say... Ooooh, drama! Go mystery lady! Kick Jay+Kiyone's arses! Whee! And I wonder who the replacement mod will be, if there's gonna be one. Will it be Faizy?! Who knows!! *runs*

[Lady Vulpix]

Well, unless he's pulled another gender bender, I'd have to go with the only female one.

(Spoiler:) What? You had to check? Don't tell me you don't know who the admins are.

[Mega Horny]

That mystery woman has disgusting lips. Hurray! Martin had it coming! Wish the ape dude didn't die though, he should become the star of the comic.

[Phoenixsong]

Actually, they do know who Ms. Mystery is; Gavin said "It's you!" or lines to that effect at some point. Therefore, at least he recognizes her.

[Goodnight Seadra]

Hehe, no wonder this fic was nominated and won at the Golden Pen Awards (had been keeping up with the awards while as a guest ). Quite a lot of suspense here. My favorites are Becca and Mega Horny's engagement, Dark Sage's planning to overthrow the mods (which then backfired ), and that mysterious lady that killed Jay and his partner. Yep, lots of good stuff here.

Hm...so how we go from comedy to dramatic, ey? The way the plot's direction is going reminds me a bit of another fic called "Pokemon Revelation: Cross of Fates" from another forum I went to (Sike knows this ). That fic went from comedic to dramatic and the fic ended very beautifully and with a very memorable ending line. I bet this fic will end very dramatically and that no one expects. Expect the unexpected. XD

The only thing that bugs me is the Mega Horny and Becca plot seemed to be set aside now. Yeah, still want to know what is the deal with that .

Anyways, great fic you have here. Hehe, can't wait for the next chapter!

[mr_pikachu]

DS: Is she an admin, or just a regular member with special powers? Not all Fanficcers have the same traits and skills, after all...

I guarantee her identity will continue to be a secret, at least until the end of this sentence. But how long will it remain that way?


Phoenixsong: Anything's possible. But there are a number of possibilities... I've tricked you all in the past. Maybe I will again!

Yes, Kristian. Heh.

And I did intend to end that with a period, in order to show the change in tone. Once Gavin realized the woman was gone, there was no point in asking the question. So he just dully uttered the last few words.


Shuppet: Small world, eh? Imagine how I feel with another Brian hanging around...


Sike: It's a curious question, isn't it? I predict incense and astrology!

This new character is highly unusual. But for all we know, her words could just be part of a ploy to confuse the moderators. Maybe she's part of Dark Sage's little "diversion"! Hard to say. But one thing is certain... you don't want to get hit by her sword.


CEB: Hey there! It's been awhile. ^_^

Heh, I don't know about selling it. For one thing, I don't think anyone outside the forum would get any of these references. And for another... I'm not about to sell out to the TV industry! XD

And you know the old saying. Explosions fix everything!


B4: Another legitimate possibility. But really, it could be anyone. And finding pictures can be fun, but it's annoying when their quality is degraded.

And yes, I love simultaneous plotlines. Although sometimes writing in that style can be slightly tricky.


Ada: Ouch indeed.

Good point. It would seem to make sense that you'd know the higher-ups, wouldn't it? So then who could she be? And yes, the mod may end up being Faiz regardless of that woman's words. What did she mean? And what's a dratinihaunter13isnotdead.com, anyway? ...Or is that some sort of spoiler for something I don't want spoiled?

Anyway, I'm glad you like the suspense. But will the problems ever end?


Weasel: Hehe, I understand. Don't worry about it.

Yeah, I've been watching Blood+, although I've missed enough episodes to make it impossible to understand at this point. It makes things slightly difficult.

Dramarama! It's a bloody day in the neighborhood... and who will the new mod be? Maybe it'll be a cheeseburger! Yes, anyone would follow a cheeseburger... mmm...


Gabi: Oh, I know who the admins are. But is she one of them?


MH: Yeah, I don't think she'd appreciate you insulting her lips. Nor does Martin care for you dancing on his grave. Although I suppose it's better than you and Becca going and... um, that is... er... y'know...


Phoenixsong: He recognizes her, yes. But does he recognize her identity of simply as "that chick who killed Jay and Kiyone"?


Seadra: Hey, welcome to the fold, and to TPM! I'm honored that you read through the previous pages so quickly. Thanks for the compliments, too! Not sure I deserve such high praise, but thank you nonetheless!

The fic has really changed its tone, you're right. To be honest, I've never heard of that fic, although it must be good for you to have remembered its name. If that's the case, thanks for considering WotF in the same light as that one. I hope this fic lives up to your expectations... it certainly sounds like you've set the bar high!

To be honest, I'm glad you're still wondering about the MH/Becca thing. Nobody else has mentioned it for awhile, and I was trying to get people to wonder about it. That plotline's gone for now, but I certainly haven't forgotten it. Perhaps it'll be one of the "loose ends" to tie later.

Thanks again for your compliments! I hope you keep reading and stay with us on TPM!


Before this next page, I want to briefly thank Gavin. He hesitated to allow me to reveal his real first name to the general public (although I thought he did so himself in the mod contest of old, despite my inability to find the thread now), but consented anyway for the sake of the fic. I appreciate it, Gav... er, Kristian! ^_^

#90: Although "Miss Congeniality" was a stage name of former professional wrestler Amy Dumas, I was really trying to reference the hit 2000 comedy.

This visitor doesn't seem to care much for Eyebrows Man, whoever he is...

[Lady Vulpix]

Come to think of it, these two could be me and Andrew! Even if the real Andrew would never offer me a meal.

[Shuppet Master]

*BAAAAD time to listen to Harry Potter music *

Great strip. So we see more of these mysterious two from a while back and it looks like the woman isn't very friendly.

[Sike Saner]

Huh, I guess that'll teach Mr. Eyebrows to offer anyone some food. o.o;

And so he's not a moderator, hmm... He just "sensed her presence"... but does he mean that he sensed it in some perfectly ordinary way (maybe she was wearing too much perfume), or that he does indeed have some sort of EYEBROW POWER? (No, I don't imagine that I will stop saying such things about that character anytime soon. XD)

[Goodnight Seadra]

Huh, I guess that'll teach Mr. Eyebrows to offer anyone some food. o.o;

And so he's not a moderator, hmm... He just "sensed her presence"... but does he mean that he sensed it in some perfectly ordinary way (maybe she was wearing too much perfume), or that he does indeed have some sort of EYEBROW POWER? (No, I don't imagine that I will stop saying such things about that character anytime soon. XD)

Haha, I was thinking the same thing. That guy's eyebrows might have some powers! =O

Hm... not sure if the Eyebrow Man is being nice or maybe he put something in the food. Most likely the latter because of how that woman said to not mess with her and such XD.

Probably the next chapter will shed some light of this ordeal with the woman and the Eyebrow Man. XD

[Dark Sage]

If there's one thing I learned from popular media, it is to always stay away from chicks who are packing heat. Mr. Eyebrows has a gun pointed in his face by this dame, and he offers to share his lunch with her?

Personally, I don't think he's stupid. I think he knows that he's far more powerful than he looks and he can handle this unruly visitor with no problem. But for some reason, he'd rather talk first.

Why? We'll just have to see...

[mr_pikachu]

Gabi: Hehe, perhaps. Then again, sometimes fighting is the surest sign of caring...


Shuppet: Harry Potter music, huh? Never gotten any of those CDs.

Is the woman unfriendly, or is there something more to this situation? Hard to say...


Sike: Generosity is for the foolish! XD

Yes, he sensed her presence. The question is how... did he hear her? See a shadow? Feel the wind from her ship? Or is it something more?

Eyebrow man, eyebrow man... does whatever an eyebrow man can...


Seadra: Who knows what those amazing steak-munching eyebrows can do!

It certainly could be a trap. But why would he try to trap her? For that matter, did he have time to plan for that? She was expecting an ambush, so perhaps she's assuming something wrong... or maybe it really was something devious. Like I'm gonna reveal that!

Will I keep the focus on Eyebrow Man and Miss Mystery, or will we switch to another plotline?


DS: Altruism knows no logic. But is that equivalent to foolishness? Or, as an additional option, could he have some other plan?

It's possible that this guy has something up his sleeve. Or maybe he's just trying to call her bluff. Furthermore, he could always be a fool with a meal to offer. It's fun to debate in circles!


What comes next? We'll see...

#91: It seems that mr_pikachu's network is down. But why? And what does it mean for the mods?

Furthermore... who's "Kristian"?

[Bulbasaur4]

Gavin of course. XD

Anyways, neato! I'm glad Jay's dead and Kiyone too. Poor Martin... ;_;

Oh, and I caught your subliminal messaging back there too. XD

[mistysakura]

Last chapter: yay to eyebrows power. Offering her food was a weird approach... especially with teh gun pointing at him and whatnot. So he can sense her presence, although she's in invisible mode. Maybe he's... a search engine spider! Also, although he said he's not a mod, he could still be an admin... I have a theory that the mods from different planets don't actually know each other. Or maybe they know each other's names but not what they look like. It depends how the mod network works, I guess. But it means the lady could still be Gabi or Suzie or someone like that.

This chapter: more of the 'real' names/usernames stuff. I wonder if knowing a mod's real name gives a person some sort of power over them or something. It seems that when talking over the wireless/whatever technology they use they refrain from using 'real' names in case they're overheard or something. I wonder why Brian's network's down. I'd say something to do with Dark Sage; either that or the lady's overruled the mods' powers.

[Gavin Luper]

Far out, didn't realise I hadn't replied for so long.

#89: Gasp! This woman is incredibly skilled and somewhat omniscient! How did she know Gavin's true identity?

#90: Hehe, eyebrow man is kinda cool now. Offering a meal to the chickwho's threatening to kill him. Wait ... a guy who's unperturbed during a fierce conflict with a certain woman? Andrew and Gabi! *cough*

#91: Gavin's angry with that woman. No wonder, she blew his cover and now Ada's asking questions. I'm still not entirely sure about the use of screennames/real names here though: Gavin goes "oh, forget it" and calls dh Martin, then yells out for "mr_pikachu" ... confusing. Anyway, I wonder why mr_pikachu's computer network IS down. Suspicious indeed.

You're welcome for the name thing, Brian! If anyone starts calling me that, though, I'm afraid I'll have to infract you!

[Perfect Chaos]

Oh nos, heaven forbid Gavin from using Infraction Level Two on us for calling him "Kristian" . No Kristian, that would just not do [I'm j/k, not that mean ]

Anyways, I wonder what happened with Brian's network. Another internal attempt at sabatoge? Is this a means to spring Rebecca? What will happen with DS's gang of cronies? Why am I asking so many questions? Dun dun duhhhhhhh (don't know if that came out right)

See you for #92

[Sike Saner]

Uh-oh, mr_pikachu's experiencing some technical difficulties. My immediate thoughts regarding that is that someone's trying to get Becca free, but that may not be the case...

[Gavin Luper]

Oh nos, heaven forbid Gavin from using Infraction Level Two on us for calling him "Kristian" . No Kristian, that would just not do [I'm j/k, not that mean ]

*infracts with Infraction Level Three*

Cop that!

Huhuhu ...

Uh yeah, just so this isn't spam ... uh ... Once again, Brian, I really admire the subtle nuances and gentle poetics of this fic. You've woven a rich narrative filled with complex character relationships and a light-hearted ambivalence that truly endears the reader to the plight of the protagonists. [/thinly veiled nothingness]

[mr_pikachu]

B4: So it would appear.

Yeah, they've both been slain. But is that victory worth the damage incurred? You didn't see any subliminal messages! Now give mr_pikachu all your money!


Ada: Maybe he's just a kind fellow. Generosity knows no bounds! Or maybe he is a search engine spider, after all... but those are usually malicious, aren't they? And perhaps the mods don't have all the information about each other. Fanfic and company didn't have a clue who The Missing Link was until mr_pikachu pulled that hack... Is there a mod network, anyway? Or is Fanfic sort of like earth, clueless about intelligent life elsewhere in the universe?

There are some things that people like to keep secret. For instance, I don't exactly share my real last name with everyone else on TPM. Perhaps that works in the same manner. But why is my network down? What could be the reason for the crash? Has Dark Sage tried another tactic, or is the mystery lady really that powerful?


Gavin: The power... the power! Who could that woman be?

Eyebrows Man definitely has guts to go against her with a sack lunch. But their identities shall remain a secret... for now.

And Gavin's cover has been blown! Wait... what cover? Why didn't Ada know his name? And as for the last part, I have a simple explanation for you. And it's in the form of a question... What makes Martin different from his fellow mods?

Thanks again for the name thing. As for infracting me... I invented literal flaming. Don't make me practice my fire-breathing on you! *grins maliciously*


PC: What's up with the system going down? Is this an attack by the aliens? A ploy from the rebels? A tactic for someone else? Or is it just some coincidence? All will be revealed soon enough...


Sike: There are a lot of people who want to make things difficult for the mods. Therefore, there are a number of reasons for the network crash. But which one fits?


Kristian: Nice thinly-veiled nothingness.


Care to see the aftermath of all that action?

#92: I'll bet Martin never expected to be demodded in quite this manner.

[Bulbasaur4]

Well, I say if you have to go... go out with a bang. ^_^

Great silent shot at the end!

[Sike Saner]

I loved that one. I loved how mr_pikachu was smiling and so sure that everything was fine--and then he got that news. Although, maybe he wasn't really as sure that things went well as he appeared there in the third and fourth panels; maybe that was just him trying to drown out his worries... o.o At any rate, the impact of the news he just received was expressed very nicely by the choice of image for the last panel. ^^

[mistysakura]

I thought someone else was going to be demodded when I read the title. Yeah, Brian seemed in denial there... but my favourite thing about this chapter is the return of panel 5. And it isn't as lighthearted as sewage any more.

[darktyranitar]

Me too. My first assumption upon seeing the title followed with Brian's happy face was something among the lines of him getting demodded. Alas, poor Martin...

Hm, so who's exactly this non-mod eyebrow guy? Or is he actually a mod in disguise? Still, he must be either fearless or brainless to offer a meal for a gun-wielding intruder.

Oh I see... so Gavin's real name is Kristian? Why hasn't this being mentioned before?

[Blademaster]

Gavin's real name is Kristian? Why hasn't this being mentioned before?

I'll PM you with the answer - I don't wanna get in trouble.

In other news, that face in the last panel was priceless... Poor Brian...

Well, here's to hoping he doesn't get CADS.

(raises glass)

[Shuppet Master]

Poor mr_pikachu.

Sorry guys, I spent all night playing something on the computer, so I have to get beddy-bye right now. Catch you later.

[Lady Vulpix]

Poor Brian. That must have come as quite a shock.

[mr_pikachu]

B4: Yeah, Martin went down fighting. And I've used that picture once or twice before in different forms. It's very useful for that major shock.


Sike: Yes, that news. That's probably the last thing he wanted to hear. But you may be right about him simply trying to convince himself in vain... the question may be whether or not that self-delusion actually worked. ^_^; And yeah, that must've been painful to hear. It's been hard for me to minimize my use of that picture, just because I've found it to be so effective. But I can't overuse it, or else it won't work as well at times like this. Oh well.


Ada: Hehe, I didn't think about the title being deceptive in that manner. I was wondering if anyone would recognize panel #5... the shading makes it a very useful picture. Is that stuff goop or guts? Who's to say?


Faiz: Why would Brian's happy face make you think he'd been demodded? You think that would please me? o_0

I love keeping Mr. Eyebrow's identity in the dark. It's been so much fun to torment you with both him and the visitor! As for whether he's fearless or brainless, your guess is as good as mine.

And why hasn't Gavin's real name been mentioned before? Why indeed...


Blade: Get in trouble? Why would you get in trouble?

I would agree with you about the "poor Brian" part... if we didn't have to compare him to his fallen comrade.

And, uh... CADS?


SM: Again, isn't Martin the one we should be pitying?


Gabi: ...See above.


It continues!

#93: This announcement may be a lot more troublesome than Gavin's babbling in #46.

[Goodnight Seadra]

Ouch...poor mr_pikachu. The way his feelings were protrayed were very realistic because there are times when someone dies the people close to him or her really do not want to believe that. Very nicely done and dramatic but not too overdramtic that makes it very cliche. Again, great emotions from mr_pikachu. Good job once again!^^

[mistysakura]

I agree with Goodnight Seadra. Very realistic emotions. It's interesting seing how the mods are handling this individually. Gavin's trying to take care of teh official stuff and get back to business as well as mourning, 'I'm' just wallowing in my own misery (how spot-on) and Brian can't believe it. Panel 5 reminds me of way back in chapter 3 when Brian was telling 'us' about trouble rising and 'me' not wanting to ask if he thought it was April Fool's Day. How things have changed since then... Also interesting to see that Gavin does the public stuff, Brian does the tech stuff (as if) and the behind-the-scenes stuff and 'I' just do... whatever?

Hang on, where's Becca while all this is going on? The 'prisoner' could have escaped by now!

[Dark Sage]

So now the surviving mods are trying to get over a tragedy that, unbeknownst to them, couldn't have come at a worse time. I count at least two groups that could profit from this, and strike when they are vulnerable...

Sure, it isn't sporting, but this is war...

What will develop?

[Blademaster]

Just as I suspected... Brian is already beginning to show signs of CADS... He's already in stage 1... Let's just hope he pulls out before all five stages overtake him.

But now that Martin is dead, what could happen next? I have a suspicion, but I won't say anything... yet...

EDIT: OF COURSE!!! WHY DIDN'T I SEE IT BEFORE!!?!?

I know who Eyebrows is! I'm sure of it now!