Weasel Overlord
2nd April 2009, 07:49 AM
The April RPG News
Well, this would have been posted yesterday, but we all saw what happened in misc., so it… well… wasn’t. Yeah. This issue we totally have like, loads of stuff! It’s insane you guys! You’re all magnificent! And I say that from the bottom of my currently-in-bed heart. ♥
We have our customary article from Mew Master, a piece on writer’s block by Drusilla, a lovely piece of RPG fanart by Crystal Tears, and two fanfictions based on the popular Final Fantasy: Darkness Descends, by River and Crystal Tears.
Hope you all enjoy the articles!
-----*-----
The PokéMasters Proudly Presents…
Interview with an Art God
This month: Blademaster
Hello believers, non believers, followers, and those of a different breed. I am ~DR, the ART GOD… with 6 followers. *head-desk* But, today is not about me, it is about someone else! This month we take a look at the self-proclaimed God-King of Random, the dark-minded individual who brings to us tales of dark and twisted things. Your own... Blademaster!
~DR: *Summons them in a puff of smoke and sparkles* Welcome Mortal!
Blademaster: OK, first off, I'm not a mortal. Second, the smoke and sparkles is getting stale. And probably expensive, too. You coulda just called a cab to pick me up or something...
~DR: I'm a God.. I can get away with it.. Sides, what do you think all the money gods get from their followers go towards?
Blademaster: ......Researching the field of achieving eternal peace and a personal Nirvana?
~DR: You'd think that...but not really. Anyway! Thanks for willingly volunteering to be interviewed BM, Let's start with asking just how long you've been a member of TPM.
Blademaster: Please, call me Blade. That's what all my friends call me... All my enemies, too. Go figure. Anyway, I've been on TPM for... approximately 3 years, 5 months, and 3 weeks. Give or take several hours.
~DR: What first brought you to the boards? Why?
Blademaster: The tl;dr version is that Fanfic is the board that brought me to TPM. I was scared of leaving it for... God, I dunno... At least three months, lurking included. But eventually I decided to take a chance and go look around the other boards...
~DR: So why Fanfic?
Blademaster: I was a fan of Dark Sage's work, as most of Fanfic knows by now. I wanted to be like him, so I did what all teenage boys with a literate idol do: Half-assed fanfiction! ...........That ended badly. ^^
~DR: Was it really that bad?
Blademaster: In one word? Hell yes.
~DR: So what did you write?
Blademaster: Can we edit this out? This story has been rehashed to death. All of Fanfic's YGO writers pretty much know it. Lemme just change my "So why Fanfic?" answer and we can continue from there, OK? Please?
~DR: Fair enough you don't have to answer. So the next question: What are some of your favorite Forums on the Boards?
Blademaster: Mmm... In order, I'd say RPG, ASB, and Misc. are my favorites. You might not believe I like RPG more than ASB, but in a few ways, what RPG has given me is far more meaningful than ASB, which I mostly like for the simple fun factor.
~DR: What drives you to the boards? What makes it enjoyable for you?
Blademaster: Depends on the board, really... ASB is fun for me because it was the first place I really got into after Fanfic, and because I was a big fan of the games at the time (still am), and it was a totally new thing to me. You guys gotta understand, I'm a n00b at the Internet. I only even started using it regularly in 2003 or 2004. So I'd never seen anything like ASB before I came to TPM. So I got into ASB, made a team, met a lot of new friends, and since then, I've kept coming back for the fun and challenge. And because my Random needs an outlet. Those arenas I come up with are pretty fun to put together... Sometimes disturbing, but mostly fun. As for RPG, I'm sure you can appreciate one half of what keeps me coming back there: my artistic side. ;)
~DR: And Misc?
Blademaster: I like the people and the sarcasm. And the fighting. Heald, Roy, Razola, and back in the older days folks like Master Rudy and Mewtwo-D2. Lots of debating that I could jump into and annoy people with.
~DR: Not so much anymore?
Blademaster: Nowadays Misc. is less about debates and more about... well, Misc.. I'm still there. Just not as... loudly.
~DR: Why do YOU Role Play?
Blademaster: Partly because I love to imagine creative new ideas, characters, and settings. You know I love video games. Same basic scenario. And partly because it allows me an outlet. Sometimes for myself, and sometimes for my MPD.
~DR: MDP?
Blademaster: It stands for "multiple personality disorder." It's what most inaccurate TV shows/movies call 'schizophrenia,' despite that being a totally different disorder. What MPD means is that I have more than one little voice in my head telling me what to do.
~DR: How many do you have? If you know.
Blademaster: I have three that I know of. We all have our own names and personalities, and two of us can freely 'switch' ourselves.
~DR: So you all have some control over the same body?
Blademaster: ...What you mean, like one of us controls the left half, one controls the right, and one controls the middle
~DR: More like they can freely switch between the three. Or rather two in this case.
Blademaster: In a sense... my first 'self' (Blade) and my second (Culex) can switch back and forth freely. The third, Lecter, is the problem. He doesn't switch. He attempts to totally take over and has to be fought off. Which is mentally draining for the current 'controller.' Sometimes both of us, actually. Oh, and of course Lecter is the psychopath of the group, which just adds to the fun even more.
~DR: Charming. What would you consider your top five Favorite RPGs that you have participated in?
Blademaster: All the ones I made. Everything else sucks horribly.
~DR: … --U
Blademaster: ...OK, OK. Seriously, now, in no particular order, I'd have to say... The Scourge, definitely. Dragonball: Spirit Unleashed, which is currently going on, It Sucks To Be Us!... Oh, how could I forget? World of Heroes, without a doubt. And fifth would have to be... ...Uh... I dunno. Anything where I've played as Enigma. XD
~DR: Which is how many?
Blademaster: Since his debut, at least 3 times. Four if you include World of Heroes. He just increases the entertainment value of everything he appears in... Increases the ESRB rating, too.
~DR: What have been some of your own RPGs that you’ve started?
Blademaster: I was the 'mastermind' behind Here Comes The I-Squad, Super Paper Mario: Recrudescence, Killing Time, and most recently, The Greatest Show on Earth. ......And I just realized that that is also the order of successfulness they've all had. ): HCTIS got like 80 posts before dying, SPM got 13, KT got ONE, and TGSOE has gotten one sign-up. Epic sadface.
~DR: Gotta remember, it could always be worse.
Blademaster: ................. NEXT QUESTION!
~DR: Who are some of the players/characters that you enjoy to RP with?
Blademaster: I actually have a list of my favorite characters. Enigma, Ivan Faust, Roy Budokai, Basawe, Cleft the Hedgehog, Chase 'The Ace' Larsen... They're all up there because I love their personalities and/or their origin franchises. There's more, but they're the highest on the list that I can think of right now. As for the RP-ers, my favorites are the friends I've made in RPG. Mystic_clown and Crystal Tears are definitely at the top, just ahead of you, actually... Heald's always fun to play alongside of. Paradox is a total newbie to RPG and I have a blast with him 'cuz he's, y'know, fucking crazy.
~DR: I was refering to the other RPers characters. Actually ^^U
Blademaster: …. Fuck. Edit that out. >> Other characters...
~DR: Nah, we'll just tie both questions together. The other question was: What have been some of your favorite characters that are someone else’s?
Blademaster: Well, I can't think of a lot of characters off-hand, really. Mystic_clown's entire cast pretty much is cool. Easy to understand, not that annoying or uppity... I like that. Simplicity is key for me. 'Cuz I have ADD. :D Lemme try and specify, though... Crystal Tears' character Joey is great. So much like Crys herself: a cute, hyperactive little runt that'll kill her friends with love and will kill her enemies with... explosive water. Paradox's Van Osiku is an interesting character, as well. Mysterious, yet he doesn't flaunt it. He's pretty casual about being... whatever on God's green Earth he is. And of course, there's your awesome line-up. My favorites are...
Drako
Drako
Drako
Drako
Denny
Drako
Denny
Denny
Drako
Oh, and Drako.
~DR: Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. What do you think are some of the problems in Role Playing?
Blademaster: FANTASY. Dear God, it's like 70% of RPG is made of elves, dragons, magicians, Square-Enix fodder, and elementals. The whole place thrives on unoriginality and shuns anything that tries to be different. I can think of so many great RPG ideas that didn't even get STARTED because they lacked the 'necessities' and were cast by the wayside. I know, different strokes for different folks, but come ON. Will trying one new idea kill you? Another problem is that RPG, like most of TPM outside of ASB, gets no new members. Like, ever. So in time, the entire place just becomes one big rehash and mixing bowl of old ideas. RPG is slowly stagnating, and it needs some new life injected into it pretty fast. New ideas, new blood, and yes, I'm still harping on this, new rulers. Kalah left at the worst possible time.
~DR: So you feel a complete revamping of the entire boards is in order?
Blademaster: The way RPG is run, yes. There are ways to stimulate activity without having everyone running around ramshackle doing as they please. ASB is both fun and organized; RPG, for a good many people, is neither. You tell me.
~DR: I'm the one askin' the questions here. Anything else that you enjoy to do in your spare time besides Role Play?
Blademaster: Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeellll... There's that wall lined with video games downstairs. And my dA account and my sketchpad. And my Youtube videos of people blowing snowmen's heads off. But other than that, nah, I lead a pretty dull life.
~DR: Blowing snowmen's heads off? How'd that start?
Blademaster: Lots of beer and lots of inbreeding. But that's just an educated guess, really.
~DR: I see... It’s been going around that improvements need to be made to TPM or it will truly die. What are three things that you suggest be done?
Blademaster: 1. Get the new super-TPM that Jeff and mr_pikachu are working on up and running as soon as possible. 2. Tighten security a bit more, like I suggested with RPG. We don't need a Reich, but some areas of TPM right now are indeed too 'loose' to function properly. 3. Make me Supermod plz.
~DR: If I didn't know better that last one sounded like a shameless plug for power.
Blademaster: ......Then it's a lucky thing for me that you don't know better.
~DR: As we come down to the last question, if you ascended to God/Goddess-hood, would you destroy the world and start anew, let it continue on as is, or join a Pantheon with yours truly?
Blademaster: Bitch I'm already the God of Random and my Pantheon can kick your Pantheon's ass! ...Unless your Pantheon has a Burger King nearby. Then yeah, I'd totally sign on with you guys.
~DR: Um... we run the world... so yeah. Well I'd like to thank the Randomness Personified Blade Master for taking the time for this interview. Any words of advice/wisdom for teh interwebs?
Blademaster: Yes. Kids, never stick your pee-pee in the toaster unless it is unplugged.
~DR: GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY! That was Blademaster, one of the more eccentric members of The PokéMasters. If you would like to be interviewed by the Art God himself, don't be afraid to stop by Interview With an Art God (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/group.php?groupid=15) to sign up. Until then...
Later!
Oh Writer’s Block, Ye Foul Villain!
By Drusilla
Sitting down and writing an article for the newsletter has proven to be a much more difficult task than first imagined. I have pondered, started writing, changed my mind, and started over more times than I can count. Why, you ask? Complete and total writers block.
We have all faced it by now, that aggravating feeling of wanting to write but just not being able to pull it together, for whatever reason. Sometimes, it's as simple as turmoil in our offline lives, sometimes it's just there with no apparent cause. The more you fight it, the worse it becomes, until you're so frustrated that you either give up or eat your keyboard. (Note: Drusie does NOT encourage the eating of one's keyboard. Bad for the digestion.)
What can a mere writer do to combat this evil beast? Fear not, mortals, for there are answers!
First off, the best thing you can usually do is walk away. Again, the more you fight it, the worse it's likely to become. Go for a walk, call someone, read a book, play a video game. Let your mind reset and come back to what you're working on later; it's not going anywhere. Even with a deadline, there is usually enough time to take a five minute sammich break.
Second, exercise your writing muscle. I, personally, blog when I get serious blockage. Letting your mind take up any topic and run with it is not only great for the writer's block problem, it's a good way to improve your writing over all. Let it flow. It doesn't even have to make sense. You can ask anyone who has access to my blogs that quick, rambling points tend to pop up more than coherent postings. If you don't have a blog, open up a word processor and just let loose. You might even come up with an idea for a new RPG - I've come up with several by using this method (Blood and Magick, anyone?).
Third, if you're one who can stand to work in silence, or at least doesn't mind some background noise, try building playlists in your media player for various characters, RPGs, or situations (ie, I have one for fight scenes). If you need quiet for absolute concentration, listen to your playlist(s) while you brainstorm your posties, then write it all out once you have enough material. Music is often what fuels my writing (listening to VNV Nation right now), so either of these two methods are highly recommended by yours truly.
Fourth, if you use a messenger, try to get in contact with someone else in RPG-land to roleplay for a little while. The material that's cooked up doesn't have to be useful in and of itself; this method is best to get you into a character mindset. Who doesn't love alternate realities, anyway?
These are only a few ideas that I employ, and are in no way all encompassing. Come up with your own ideas, and find what works for you. Use that pineal gland, get out there, and CREATE! There is nothing we can't do when we put our minds to it.
VERSUS
By Crystal Tears
There is a place, between the worlds of all sorts, where the indecision and dead lay. From this pit of darkness are born the villains of the universes, what creatures or people could be horrible enough to do such things as mass murder and torture? Everything has this darkness, every creator, player and world. Like a shadow in the back of your mind, it lies in wait until you can express it.
But to cast against this darkness is light, pure and unwavering it creates the heroes, the people and creatures that will fight against monsters. They were with you when you were little, and they are with you now. Warriors prepared to fend off your nightmares and terrors, the things that go bump in the night no longer have free reign when they meet an armored knight on a white stallion.
Your heroes become more than yours, but everybody’s. They are the beacon of light for everyone, and joined together, the darkness is no longer a terrifying monster, but simply a labored beast, struggling to keep alive.
I am going to change that.
This new world is different, though small in comparison (being a simple coliseum), it feeds on the darkness. The evil is attracted to this place, and makes its home here. The result in a crumbling arena, with a single massive tower in the middle, on the ground below is pieces of rubble and rock, with crevices filled with magma here and there.
But high in the tower, at the peak, stands a white robed figure, looking like a young boy who hides most of his face behind a blank mask with no holes for his eyes or nostrils.
“You wish something of me?”
There was a deep growl, and suddenly the pale lighting of the room went out. In the darkness something shifted, something moved. In the corner two, lidless eyes appeared, glowing with an aqua light.
A task for you; little one. I wish for the heroes to play a game.
The voice rumbled, but had no distinction between male or female. The boy took from his pocket two marbles, both pure, flat black. With a slight flick of the wrist the objects were throne onto the stone floor and bounced hard off the surface. Within seconds they had rolled to a stop and began to change all sorts of colors. The boy watched with slight curiosity.
Red and Green.
“Christmas colors.” The boy commented with a small innocent smile, and fell silent when the shadows chuckled.
Christmas colors indeed child. Now come with me, we have a show to watch…
Far below the tower, on the cracked and burnt ground, two portals on opposite ends of the stadium open up. One expels heat and flames, energy crackling as a shape pulls itself away from the rift. The figure forms into a fantasy warrior, with tan skin, red hair, long pointed ears and a suit of sleek, silver armor. He blinks, looking around with crimson eyes as the new surroundings.
“Where the hell am I?”
Across from the red-haired knight, the other portal has a definite flare to it, multitudes of color flutter over each other like ripples in a pond. Making the light dance around the edge of the spell, the show abruptly stops and a girl falls over, landing roughly on her backside. She pauses, blinking a couple of times before she heaves herself up and fixes her purple scarf.
“Alrighty, definitely not Luca.” She notes, carefully climbing up on a rock. “Can’t wait to hear Selene’s opinion; ‘Shayna, did you go fighting chocobos again?’ She’ll mock me for the rest if my-”
VERSUS
Something clicked, in both of their minds. They knew what they had to do, Shayna had to defeat Drake, and Drake had to defeat Shayna. It was simple logic, if one could overcome the other, the victor could go home. They were from different worlds, with different rules, and this place seemed to say that it could even it out. Everyone was on a level playing field, or so they were told. Could anyone from any of these worlds truly be put on an even field with each other? Could someone simply just shut out some of their knowledge and power, and increase the mind’s of others?
Shayna inched up the rock as quietly as she could, twin shuriken strapped onto her back. Slowly she peered over the edge and saw only the edge of the tower’s side and an empty wasteland of charred ground and magma. She admitted she had never been much for fighting, but she wasn’t helpless. In fact she felt rather confident in her abilities.
That was, until a blade came crashing down in front of her, a near miss, the woman leapt back quickly. Propelling herself from the rock she spotted her opponent, a knight with red hair and eyes, he had struck the rock so hard bits and pieces of stone went flying into the air. He looked confident, much more than her, who had landed on the ground and skidded backwards.
“Hey now, that’s not very nice!” She called, and frowned. She could see the hint of a smirk on his face, hidden behind that silver scarf.
Drake grasped the rock with one hand and flung himself over, as she was scrambling to free a shuriken he charged. He attacked quickly, his sword shining red with the fire’s glow. The dragoon was caught off-guard when his weapon clanged against metal. The blow sent Shay skidded back another couple of feet, but she was alive, and with trusty star in hand.
He growled, and began to come at her again. The girl gritted her teeth together and brought her hand back. It sparked, a little at first but as she flung her hand forward it increased until a sharp bolt of lightning flew from her and crashed into him; halting him dead in his tracks, and making his muscles freeze up. Shay narrowed her eyes and attack, rushing forward she went for his neck, the shuriken inches from his neck the girl’s eyes widen when he caught the blow on his blade and completely deflected it. The force of the block almost made her lose her weapon.
Then she was forced back again by a sharp kick in chest.
“Ow… Oooh…” She grimaced as she fell roughly on her backside, she looked up and her heart began to race again.
His arm, his entire left arm was engulfed in flames. His face was cruel, like a hawk eyeing the mouse in its clutches. Drake attack, much like her thunder spell his arm came forward and pointed at her. But it wasn’t just a fireball, it was a stream of flames, and the tip of it was forming a cruel looking smile.
“SHELL!” She cried, and over her head desperately. Drake’s eyes widen in surprised as a faint turquoise dome formed around the woman and shaved off most of his attack.
The only thing reaching Shay were embers and an occasional wisp. Not enough to do any sort of concrete damage.
His ears lowered just a little in annoyance and he charged. She still hadn’t gotten up, she was going to die now whether she liked it or not.
Then I can go home…
Only she didn’t die, she moved. She moved so fast she left a trailing double image. Shay came back around behind and landed a decent blow on his back, but she attacked again and again. Once, twice, thrice before leaping high into the air and whipping both shuriken at the stunned Dragoon.
Drake roared, not sounding human what-so-ever he unleashed a fireball at one star (sending it spiralling off course) before deflecting the second at a ridiculous speed.
He charged sword hungry for a fresh kill.
That kind of thinking
Starts a chain reaction
You are a time-bomb ticking away
You need to release
What you're feeling inside
Let out the beast
That you're trying to hide
Step right up and be a part of the action
Go get your game face on
Because it's time to play
You're pushing and fighting your way
You're ripping it up
VERSUS
Special thanks to ChobiChibi for letting me use Shayna in this article.
Drake (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=390162&postcount=5) from It Still Sucks to Be Us
Shayna Xanthrope (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=378912&postcount=10) from Final Fantasy: Darkness Descends
Featured Song: Violence Fetish (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMJnW7t5ec4&feature=PlayList&p=88F9BF9FCBA613CC&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=29)- Disturbed
I am looking for characters to participate in VERSUS.
Requirements
They must be a hero/light-sided
They must have some sort of power
They can be from any RPG
Please PM me if you have a character that you believe suits the criteria, also please state which RPG the character is from.
Of Furniture
Based on Crystal Tear's Darkness Descends RPG
By River
“Mathias! Mathias!”
A giggling nine year-old boy tore down the wooden stairs as fast as his ungainly legs would let him. He took the stairs two at a time, full of that fearlessness that all children have against injury. The worn material around his knees, and the multitude of scrapes beneath were proof positive of his limitless desire to test everything solid.
“Mathias! When I catch you, you are going to get SUCH a beating that the previous ones will look like pleasure sessions!”
A woman somewhere in her early thirties glided down the stairs, a corner of her red silk dress tightly gripped in her left hand as the other slid down the banister. A grace that had been trained into her since she was a child Mathias' age prevented much noise from issuing from her feet; even as she moved with speed. The exuberant child lacked such elegance so it was not difficult to follow him even as he slipped from her sight.
Mathias giggled again as he grabbed the railing of the next set of stairs and swung around onto the steps, “Pleasure sessions? Like Anok's?”
His mother paused as she reached the foot of the first set of stairs, and glared balefully down the hall adjacent to the them. Had she any magic in her one particular door would have been incinerated, but the sound of Mathias' retreating footsteps (and laughter at her silence) caused her to resume the chase. Her face became a bright red however, which her current exertions had not been able to accomplish.
“ANOK! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN TELLING MY SON?” she bellowed as she flowed around the corner and practically flew down the stairs after her unapologetic youngster.
No words answered her highly irritated query and she fumed as she fluttered down the last few stairs. She was determined to apprehend her son and get him out of his current embarrassing get up. Then she would deal with her sister-in-spirit. The rest of her sisters and brothers were trying to look solemn but she could see the mirth in their eyes as she slipped past them. They quickly backed out of the way of both her and her son which annoyingly proved just how amusing they found her current predicament.
Her son, one Mathias Darwin, had decided to play 'dress-up'. Which wasn't such a big deal really. Except.... she dealt in the business of selling bodily pleasure, and he had chosen a decidedly WRONG get-up.
For a man anyway.
Currently he was sporting a midnight-blue bra that was flopping around like mad as he leaped down the last four steps, then dashed through the ground floor hallway and into the interior courtyard. His face was done up 'to the nine's' and his chin-length tawny hair was festooned with jewelery. He would have almost been alluring if he had been a girl... and not still retaining his worn charcoal trousers.
As the sunlight hit his skin it almost seemed to sparkle with diamonds and his mother groaned as it was obvious he had gotten into a few other things as well. His feet were bare and he jumped across the small pond in the center of the court before he skidded into the public building. Thankfully he did not dash into the public lounging room but scurried up a set of servant stairs to the right of the entrance to the courtyard. She huffed and yelled a few more curses at him, snatching a broom leaning by the archway.
“Mathias!” she hissed at him, unsure who may be working at this time. The law of the Companion House said there must be no noise above a whisper at all times within the public dwelling. Praise be to Yevon her son had managed to quieten his tread to a nearly acceptable level as he zipped up the stairs.
The downside was he lost a considerable amount of speed. So she, in turn, could reach out with the handle of the broom and just manage to hook him by the back the of his (her) bra and yank him back down the stairs. She didn't give this a great deal of thought (only to catch her son and beat him soundly). So when he grunted, and came sling-shotting back at her at the bottom of the stairs, she squeaked and declared herself an idiot.
The broom smacked her in the shoulder followed quickly by the gravity driven weight of Mathias. He slammed into her chest and they both crashed to the ground, the wind being driven out of her by the impact.
He leaped off her and spun around, worry creasing his features. She made vague motions of violence against him, weakly motioning with the broom. He quickly took it from her and backed away.
“Mom?” he said from the safety of the courtyard, clutching the broom like a lifeline. “Are you okay?”
“Okay?” she hissed, still regaining her breath, “OKAY? You... you scoundrel! You nearly killed me!”
“No I didn't. Your lack of inellience did.” He said this with the honest innocence of a child. Which was surprising he retained an smidgen of it considering where he lived. The glee of escaping his mother's wrath had evaporated the instant he thought she may have hurt herself. He looked at her with wide, worried eyes and she gave a pained sigh.
She rolled onto her knees and Mathias turned slightly, unsure if he should still run or not. His mother folded herself into a kneeling position and gazed at her son. Anger, amusement and forgiveness warred within her as she looked at her ridiculously attired son. His skin was sparkling again as he shifted from foot to foot, glancing from his feet, to her eyes and back down again.
“I'm sorry mama. I just... I just wanted to look pretty like you, and none of the others would help me so I—I just did it like I see you do. I thought, I thought if I was nice looking you wouldn't leave like you do every night.” he said this all in a rush and she looked at him sadly. “And... and... I like rainbows. They're beau-ful.” He looked down at his forearm and waved it up and down, watching the sparkles.
She smirked and chuckled a little, getting up slowly. He looked up at her, still unsure, but she just gave him a gentle smile and reached out for the broom. He handed it to her and she placed it back on the wall.
“Mathias... one of these days you're going to get into a scrap you can't charm a lady into getting out of.” She said and ruffled his hair.
He grinned and hugged her tightly, “Never! The ladies will always love me!”
Laughing she divested him of her bra and placed it in one of the pockets sown into her dress. “Not if you insist on being a cross-dresser they won't.”
He looked up at her utterly perplexed, “I look like furniture?”
She laughed again but an angry shushing noise from the Companion House made her cut it short and usher a confused Mathias into the Dwelling House. “No dearie, but that's a word you can learn at a later date. Still,” she gave him a severe look, “no more dressing up in mom's clothes. Understand?”
He nodded and meekly turned to go back to their rooms. She followed him and when he started up the stairs his trousers slipped down a bit and she noticed the lacy top to his under-drawers were midnight-blue.
“Mathias... you're not wearing mommies underwear are you?” she asked, a dangerous tone in her voice.
As with all rhetorical questions from his mother Mathias had long since learned to just start running.
“MATHIAS!”
Magical RPG Artwork of Awesomeness
Sori - based on the character created by Classy_cat18 in Final Fantasy: Darkness Descends
By Crystal Tears
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/jingleweasel/Ivalice_Moogle_by_Crystal_hime.jpg
Personally, I love the soft, feathery lines that CT used in this drawing. They capture the spirit of a moogle perfectly - that is, they're fluffy and adorable! And Sori's pom-pom totally makes me want to stroke it, which as anyone who is in Darkness Descends knows, is not a good move. XD
-----*-----
Thanks for reading! Next month's Newsletter will have the rather exciting issue of our new Moderator election to focus on, so keep posted!
As always, we're open to suggestions for new things that could go in our newsletters. So far, we've mostly had articles and the occasional story/picture, but we can't do the News without you guys! Any input you have on new things to put in is welcome - I'm going to create a thread in the Lounge specifically for this purpose, because I don't think the group system thinger that we currently have is much use.
Well, this would have been posted yesterday, but we all saw what happened in misc., so it… well… wasn’t. Yeah. This issue we totally have like, loads of stuff! It’s insane you guys! You’re all magnificent! And I say that from the bottom of my currently-in-bed heart. ♥
We have our customary article from Mew Master, a piece on writer’s block by Drusilla, a lovely piece of RPG fanart by Crystal Tears, and two fanfictions based on the popular Final Fantasy: Darkness Descends, by River and Crystal Tears.
Hope you all enjoy the articles!
-----*-----
The PokéMasters Proudly Presents…
Interview with an Art God
This month: Blademaster
Hello believers, non believers, followers, and those of a different breed. I am ~DR, the ART GOD… with 6 followers. *head-desk* But, today is not about me, it is about someone else! This month we take a look at the self-proclaimed God-King of Random, the dark-minded individual who brings to us tales of dark and twisted things. Your own... Blademaster!
~DR: *Summons them in a puff of smoke and sparkles* Welcome Mortal!
Blademaster: OK, first off, I'm not a mortal. Second, the smoke and sparkles is getting stale. And probably expensive, too. You coulda just called a cab to pick me up or something...
~DR: I'm a God.. I can get away with it.. Sides, what do you think all the money gods get from their followers go towards?
Blademaster: ......Researching the field of achieving eternal peace and a personal Nirvana?
~DR: You'd think that...but not really. Anyway! Thanks for willingly volunteering to be interviewed BM, Let's start with asking just how long you've been a member of TPM.
Blademaster: Please, call me Blade. That's what all my friends call me... All my enemies, too. Go figure. Anyway, I've been on TPM for... approximately 3 years, 5 months, and 3 weeks. Give or take several hours.
~DR: What first brought you to the boards? Why?
Blademaster: The tl;dr version is that Fanfic is the board that brought me to TPM. I was scared of leaving it for... God, I dunno... At least three months, lurking included. But eventually I decided to take a chance and go look around the other boards...
~DR: So why Fanfic?
Blademaster: I was a fan of Dark Sage's work, as most of Fanfic knows by now. I wanted to be like him, so I did what all teenage boys with a literate idol do: Half-assed fanfiction! ...........That ended badly. ^^
~DR: Was it really that bad?
Blademaster: In one word? Hell yes.
~DR: So what did you write?
Blademaster: Can we edit this out? This story has been rehashed to death. All of Fanfic's YGO writers pretty much know it. Lemme just change my "So why Fanfic?" answer and we can continue from there, OK? Please?
~DR: Fair enough you don't have to answer. So the next question: What are some of your favorite Forums on the Boards?
Blademaster: Mmm... In order, I'd say RPG, ASB, and Misc. are my favorites. You might not believe I like RPG more than ASB, but in a few ways, what RPG has given me is far more meaningful than ASB, which I mostly like for the simple fun factor.
~DR: What drives you to the boards? What makes it enjoyable for you?
Blademaster: Depends on the board, really... ASB is fun for me because it was the first place I really got into after Fanfic, and because I was a big fan of the games at the time (still am), and it was a totally new thing to me. You guys gotta understand, I'm a n00b at the Internet. I only even started using it regularly in 2003 or 2004. So I'd never seen anything like ASB before I came to TPM. So I got into ASB, made a team, met a lot of new friends, and since then, I've kept coming back for the fun and challenge. And because my Random needs an outlet. Those arenas I come up with are pretty fun to put together... Sometimes disturbing, but mostly fun. As for RPG, I'm sure you can appreciate one half of what keeps me coming back there: my artistic side. ;)
~DR: And Misc?
Blademaster: I like the people and the sarcasm. And the fighting. Heald, Roy, Razola, and back in the older days folks like Master Rudy and Mewtwo-D2. Lots of debating that I could jump into and annoy people with.
~DR: Not so much anymore?
Blademaster: Nowadays Misc. is less about debates and more about... well, Misc.. I'm still there. Just not as... loudly.
~DR: Why do YOU Role Play?
Blademaster: Partly because I love to imagine creative new ideas, characters, and settings. You know I love video games. Same basic scenario. And partly because it allows me an outlet. Sometimes for myself, and sometimes for my MPD.
~DR: MDP?
Blademaster: It stands for "multiple personality disorder." It's what most inaccurate TV shows/movies call 'schizophrenia,' despite that being a totally different disorder. What MPD means is that I have more than one little voice in my head telling me what to do.
~DR: How many do you have? If you know.
Blademaster: I have three that I know of. We all have our own names and personalities, and two of us can freely 'switch' ourselves.
~DR: So you all have some control over the same body?
Blademaster: ...What you mean, like one of us controls the left half, one controls the right, and one controls the middle
~DR: More like they can freely switch between the three. Or rather two in this case.
Blademaster: In a sense... my first 'self' (Blade) and my second (Culex) can switch back and forth freely. The third, Lecter, is the problem. He doesn't switch. He attempts to totally take over and has to be fought off. Which is mentally draining for the current 'controller.' Sometimes both of us, actually. Oh, and of course Lecter is the psychopath of the group, which just adds to the fun even more.
~DR: Charming. What would you consider your top five Favorite RPGs that you have participated in?
Blademaster: All the ones I made. Everything else sucks horribly.
~DR: … --U
Blademaster: ...OK, OK. Seriously, now, in no particular order, I'd have to say... The Scourge, definitely. Dragonball: Spirit Unleashed, which is currently going on, It Sucks To Be Us!... Oh, how could I forget? World of Heroes, without a doubt. And fifth would have to be... ...Uh... I dunno. Anything where I've played as Enigma. XD
~DR: Which is how many?
Blademaster: Since his debut, at least 3 times. Four if you include World of Heroes. He just increases the entertainment value of everything he appears in... Increases the ESRB rating, too.
~DR: What have been some of your own RPGs that you’ve started?
Blademaster: I was the 'mastermind' behind Here Comes The I-Squad, Super Paper Mario: Recrudescence, Killing Time, and most recently, The Greatest Show on Earth. ......And I just realized that that is also the order of successfulness they've all had. ): HCTIS got like 80 posts before dying, SPM got 13, KT got ONE, and TGSOE has gotten one sign-up. Epic sadface.
~DR: Gotta remember, it could always be worse.
Blademaster: ................. NEXT QUESTION!
~DR: Who are some of the players/characters that you enjoy to RP with?
Blademaster: I actually have a list of my favorite characters. Enigma, Ivan Faust, Roy Budokai, Basawe, Cleft the Hedgehog, Chase 'The Ace' Larsen... They're all up there because I love their personalities and/or their origin franchises. There's more, but they're the highest on the list that I can think of right now. As for the RP-ers, my favorites are the friends I've made in RPG. Mystic_clown and Crystal Tears are definitely at the top, just ahead of you, actually... Heald's always fun to play alongside of. Paradox is a total newbie to RPG and I have a blast with him 'cuz he's, y'know, fucking crazy.
~DR: I was refering to the other RPers characters. Actually ^^U
Blademaster: …. Fuck. Edit that out. >> Other characters...
~DR: Nah, we'll just tie both questions together. The other question was: What have been some of your favorite characters that are someone else’s?
Blademaster: Well, I can't think of a lot of characters off-hand, really. Mystic_clown's entire cast pretty much is cool. Easy to understand, not that annoying or uppity... I like that. Simplicity is key for me. 'Cuz I have ADD. :D Lemme try and specify, though... Crystal Tears' character Joey is great. So much like Crys herself: a cute, hyperactive little runt that'll kill her friends with love and will kill her enemies with... explosive water. Paradox's Van Osiku is an interesting character, as well. Mysterious, yet he doesn't flaunt it. He's pretty casual about being... whatever on God's green Earth he is. And of course, there's your awesome line-up. My favorites are...
Drako
Drako
Drako
Drako
Denny
Drako
Denny
Denny
Drako
Oh, and Drako.
~DR: Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. What do you think are some of the problems in Role Playing?
Blademaster: FANTASY. Dear God, it's like 70% of RPG is made of elves, dragons, magicians, Square-Enix fodder, and elementals. The whole place thrives on unoriginality and shuns anything that tries to be different. I can think of so many great RPG ideas that didn't even get STARTED because they lacked the 'necessities' and were cast by the wayside. I know, different strokes for different folks, but come ON. Will trying one new idea kill you? Another problem is that RPG, like most of TPM outside of ASB, gets no new members. Like, ever. So in time, the entire place just becomes one big rehash and mixing bowl of old ideas. RPG is slowly stagnating, and it needs some new life injected into it pretty fast. New ideas, new blood, and yes, I'm still harping on this, new rulers. Kalah left at the worst possible time.
~DR: So you feel a complete revamping of the entire boards is in order?
Blademaster: The way RPG is run, yes. There are ways to stimulate activity without having everyone running around ramshackle doing as they please. ASB is both fun and organized; RPG, for a good many people, is neither. You tell me.
~DR: I'm the one askin' the questions here. Anything else that you enjoy to do in your spare time besides Role Play?
Blademaster: Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeellll... There's that wall lined with video games downstairs. And my dA account and my sketchpad. And my Youtube videos of people blowing snowmen's heads off. But other than that, nah, I lead a pretty dull life.
~DR: Blowing snowmen's heads off? How'd that start?
Blademaster: Lots of beer and lots of inbreeding. But that's just an educated guess, really.
~DR: I see... It’s been going around that improvements need to be made to TPM or it will truly die. What are three things that you suggest be done?
Blademaster: 1. Get the new super-TPM that Jeff and mr_pikachu are working on up and running as soon as possible. 2. Tighten security a bit more, like I suggested with RPG. We don't need a Reich, but some areas of TPM right now are indeed too 'loose' to function properly. 3. Make me Supermod plz.
~DR: If I didn't know better that last one sounded like a shameless plug for power.
Blademaster: ......Then it's a lucky thing for me that you don't know better.
~DR: As we come down to the last question, if you ascended to God/Goddess-hood, would you destroy the world and start anew, let it continue on as is, or join a Pantheon with yours truly?
Blademaster: Bitch I'm already the God of Random and my Pantheon can kick your Pantheon's ass! ...Unless your Pantheon has a Burger King nearby. Then yeah, I'd totally sign on with you guys.
~DR: Um... we run the world... so yeah. Well I'd like to thank the Randomness Personified Blade Master for taking the time for this interview. Any words of advice/wisdom for teh interwebs?
Blademaster: Yes. Kids, never stick your pee-pee in the toaster unless it is unplugged.
~DR: GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY! That was Blademaster, one of the more eccentric members of The PokéMasters. If you would like to be interviewed by the Art God himself, don't be afraid to stop by Interview With an Art God (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/group.php?groupid=15) to sign up. Until then...
Later!
Oh Writer’s Block, Ye Foul Villain!
By Drusilla
Sitting down and writing an article for the newsletter has proven to be a much more difficult task than first imagined. I have pondered, started writing, changed my mind, and started over more times than I can count. Why, you ask? Complete and total writers block.
We have all faced it by now, that aggravating feeling of wanting to write but just not being able to pull it together, for whatever reason. Sometimes, it's as simple as turmoil in our offline lives, sometimes it's just there with no apparent cause. The more you fight it, the worse it becomes, until you're so frustrated that you either give up or eat your keyboard. (Note: Drusie does NOT encourage the eating of one's keyboard. Bad for the digestion.)
What can a mere writer do to combat this evil beast? Fear not, mortals, for there are answers!
First off, the best thing you can usually do is walk away. Again, the more you fight it, the worse it's likely to become. Go for a walk, call someone, read a book, play a video game. Let your mind reset and come back to what you're working on later; it's not going anywhere. Even with a deadline, there is usually enough time to take a five minute sammich break.
Second, exercise your writing muscle. I, personally, blog when I get serious blockage. Letting your mind take up any topic and run with it is not only great for the writer's block problem, it's a good way to improve your writing over all. Let it flow. It doesn't even have to make sense. You can ask anyone who has access to my blogs that quick, rambling points tend to pop up more than coherent postings. If you don't have a blog, open up a word processor and just let loose. You might even come up with an idea for a new RPG - I've come up with several by using this method (Blood and Magick, anyone?).
Third, if you're one who can stand to work in silence, or at least doesn't mind some background noise, try building playlists in your media player for various characters, RPGs, or situations (ie, I have one for fight scenes). If you need quiet for absolute concentration, listen to your playlist(s) while you brainstorm your posties, then write it all out once you have enough material. Music is often what fuels my writing (listening to VNV Nation right now), so either of these two methods are highly recommended by yours truly.
Fourth, if you use a messenger, try to get in contact with someone else in RPG-land to roleplay for a little while. The material that's cooked up doesn't have to be useful in and of itself; this method is best to get you into a character mindset. Who doesn't love alternate realities, anyway?
These are only a few ideas that I employ, and are in no way all encompassing. Come up with your own ideas, and find what works for you. Use that pineal gland, get out there, and CREATE! There is nothing we can't do when we put our minds to it.
VERSUS
By Crystal Tears
There is a place, between the worlds of all sorts, where the indecision and dead lay. From this pit of darkness are born the villains of the universes, what creatures or people could be horrible enough to do such things as mass murder and torture? Everything has this darkness, every creator, player and world. Like a shadow in the back of your mind, it lies in wait until you can express it.
But to cast against this darkness is light, pure and unwavering it creates the heroes, the people and creatures that will fight against monsters. They were with you when you were little, and they are with you now. Warriors prepared to fend off your nightmares and terrors, the things that go bump in the night no longer have free reign when they meet an armored knight on a white stallion.
Your heroes become more than yours, but everybody’s. They are the beacon of light for everyone, and joined together, the darkness is no longer a terrifying monster, but simply a labored beast, struggling to keep alive.
I am going to change that.
This new world is different, though small in comparison (being a simple coliseum), it feeds on the darkness. The evil is attracted to this place, and makes its home here. The result in a crumbling arena, with a single massive tower in the middle, on the ground below is pieces of rubble and rock, with crevices filled with magma here and there.
But high in the tower, at the peak, stands a white robed figure, looking like a young boy who hides most of his face behind a blank mask with no holes for his eyes or nostrils.
“You wish something of me?”
There was a deep growl, and suddenly the pale lighting of the room went out. In the darkness something shifted, something moved. In the corner two, lidless eyes appeared, glowing with an aqua light.
A task for you; little one. I wish for the heroes to play a game.
The voice rumbled, but had no distinction between male or female. The boy took from his pocket two marbles, both pure, flat black. With a slight flick of the wrist the objects were throne onto the stone floor and bounced hard off the surface. Within seconds they had rolled to a stop and began to change all sorts of colors. The boy watched with slight curiosity.
Red and Green.
“Christmas colors.” The boy commented with a small innocent smile, and fell silent when the shadows chuckled.
Christmas colors indeed child. Now come with me, we have a show to watch…
Far below the tower, on the cracked and burnt ground, two portals on opposite ends of the stadium open up. One expels heat and flames, energy crackling as a shape pulls itself away from the rift. The figure forms into a fantasy warrior, with tan skin, red hair, long pointed ears and a suit of sleek, silver armor. He blinks, looking around with crimson eyes as the new surroundings.
“Where the hell am I?”
Across from the red-haired knight, the other portal has a definite flare to it, multitudes of color flutter over each other like ripples in a pond. Making the light dance around the edge of the spell, the show abruptly stops and a girl falls over, landing roughly on her backside. She pauses, blinking a couple of times before she heaves herself up and fixes her purple scarf.
“Alrighty, definitely not Luca.” She notes, carefully climbing up on a rock. “Can’t wait to hear Selene’s opinion; ‘Shayna, did you go fighting chocobos again?’ She’ll mock me for the rest if my-”
VERSUS
Something clicked, in both of their minds. They knew what they had to do, Shayna had to defeat Drake, and Drake had to defeat Shayna. It was simple logic, if one could overcome the other, the victor could go home. They were from different worlds, with different rules, and this place seemed to say that it could even it out. Everyone was on a level playing field, or so they were told. Could anyone from any of these worlds truly be put on an even field with each other? Could someone simply just shut out some of their knowledge and power, and increase the mind’s of others?
Shayna inched up the rock as quietly as she could, twin shuriken strapped onto her back. Slowly she peered over the edge and saw only the edge of the tower’s side and an empty wasteland of charred ground and magma. She admitted she had never been much for fighting, but she wasn’t helpless. In fact she felt rather confident in her abilities.
That was, until a blade came crashing down in front of her, a near miss, the woman leapt back quickly. Propelling herself from the rock she spotted her opponent, a knight with red hair and eyes, he had struck the rock so hard bits and pieces of stone went flying into the air. He looked confident, much more than her, who had landed on the ground and skidded backwards.
“Hey now, that’s not very nice!” She called, and frowned. She could see the hint of a smirk on his face, hidden behind that silver scarf.
Drake grasped the rock with one hand and flung himself over, as she was scrambling to free a shuriken he charged. He attacked quickly, his sword shining red with the fire’s glow. The dragoon was caught off-guard when his weapon clanged against metal. The blow sent Shay skidded back another couple of feet, but she was alive, and with trusty star in hand.
He growled, and began to come at her again. The girl gritted her teeth together and brought her hand back. It sparked, a little at first but as she flung her hand forward it increased until a sharp bolt of lightning flew from her and crashed into him; halting him dead in his tracks, and making his muscles freeze up. Shay narrowed her eyes and attack, rushing forward she went for his neck, the shuriken inches from his neck the girl’s eyes widen when he caught the blow on his blade and completely deflected it. The force of the block almost made her lose her weapon.
Then she was forced back again by a sharp kick in chest.
“Ow… Oooh…” She grimaced as she fell roughly on her backside, she looked up and her heart began to race again.
His arm, his entire left arm was engulfed in flames. His face was cruel, like a hawk eyeing the mouse in its clutches. Drake attack, much like her thunder spell his arm came forward and pointed at her. But it wasn’t just a fireball, it was a stream of flames, and the tip of it was forming a cruel looking smile.
“SHELL!” She cried, and over her head desperately. Drake’s eyes widen in surprised as a faint turquoise dome formed around the woman and shaved off most of his attack.
The only thing reaching Shay were embers and an occasional wisp. Not enough to do any sort of concrete damage.
His ears lowered just a little in annoyance and he charged. She still hadn’t gotten up, she was going to die now whether she liked it or not.
Then I can go home…
Only she didn’t die, she moved. She moved so fast she left a trailing double image. Shay came back around behind and landed a decent blow on his back, but she attacked again and again. Once, twice, thrice before leaping high into the air and whipping both shuriken at the stunned Dragoon.
Drake roared, not sounding human what-so-ever he unleashed a fireball at one star (sending it spiralling off course) before deflecting the second at a ridiculous speed.
He charged sword hungry for a fresh kill.
That kind of thinking
Starts a chain reaction
You are a time-bomb ticking away
You need to release
What you're feeling inside
Let out the beast
That you're trying to hide
Step right up and be a part of the action
Go get your game face on
Because it's time to play
You're pushing and fighting your way
You're ripping it up
VERSUS
Special thanks to ChobiChibi for letting me use Shayna in this article.
Drake (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=390162&postcount=5) from It Still Sucks to Be Us
Shayna Xanthrope (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=378912&postcount=10) from Final Fantasy: Darkness Descends
Featured Song: Violence Fetish (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMJnW7t5ec4&feature=PlayList&p=88F9BF9FCBA613CC&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=29)- Disturbed
I am looking for characters to participate in VERSUS.
Requirements
They must be a hero/light-sided
They must have some sort of power
They can be from any RPG
Please PM me if you have a character that you believe suits the criteria, also please state which RPG the character is from.
Of Furniture
Based on Crystal Tear's Darkness Descends RPG
By River
“Mathias! Mathias!”
A giggling nine year-old boy tore down the wooden stairs as fast as his ungainly legs would let him. He took the stairs two at a time, full of that fearlessness that all children have against injury. The worn material around his knees, and the multitude of scrapes beneath were proof positive of his limitless desire to test everything solid.
“Mathias! When I catch you, you are going to get SUCH a beating that the previous ones will look like pleasure sessions!”
A woman somewhere in her early thirties glided down the stairs, a corner of her red silk dress tightly gripped in her left hand as the other slid down the banister. A grace that had been trained into her since she was a child Mathias' age prevented much noise from issuing from her feet; even as she moved with speed. The exuberant child lacked such elegance so it was not difficult to follow him even as he slipped from her sight.
Mathias giggled again as he grabbed the railing of the next set of stairs and swung around onto the steps, “Pleasure sessions? Like Anok's?”
His mother paused as she reached the foot of the first set of stairs, and glared balefully down the hall adjacent to the them. Had she any magic in her one particular door would have been incinerated, but the sound of Mathias' retreating footsteps (and laughter at her silence) caused her to resume the chase. Her face became a bright red however, which her current exertions had not been able to accomplish.
“ANOK! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN TELLING MY SON?” she bellowed as she flowed around the corner and practically flew down the stairs after her unapologetic youngster.
No words answered her highly irritated query and she fumed as she fluttered down the last few stairs. She was determined to apprehend her son and get him out of his current embarrassing get up. Then she would deal with her sister-in-spirit. The rest of her sisters and brothers were trying to look solemn but she could see the mirth in their eyes as she slipped past them. They quickly backed out of the way of both her and her son which annoyingly proved just how amusing they found her current predicament.
Her son, one Mathias Darwin, had decided to play 'dress-up'. Which wasn't such a big deal really. Except.... she dealt in the business of selling bodily pleasure, and he had chosen a decidedly WRONG get-up.
For a man anyway.
Currently he was sporting a midnight-blue bra that was flopping around like mad as he leaped down the last four steps, then dashed through the ground floor hallway and into the interior courtyard. His face was done up 'to the nine's' and his chin-length tawny hair was festooned with jewelery. He would have almost been alluring if he had been a girl... and not still retaining his worn charcoal trousers.
As the sunlight hit his skin it almost seemed to sparkle with diamonds and his mother groaned as it was obvious he had gotten into a few other things as well. His feet were bare and he jumped across the small pond in the center of the court before he skidded into the public building. Thankfully he did not dash into the public lounging room but scurried up a set of servant stairs to the right of the entrance to the courtyard. She huffed and yelled a few more curses at him, snatching a broom leaning by the archway.
“Mathias!” she hissed at him, unsure who may be working at this time. The law of the Companion House said there must be no noise above a whisper at all times within the public dwelling. Praise be to Yevon her son had managed to quieten his tread to a nearly acceptable level as he zipped up the stairs.
The downside was he lost a considerable amount of speed. So she, in turn, could reach out with the handle of the broom and just manage to hook him by the back the of his (her) bra and yank him back down the stairs. She didn't give this a great deal of thought (only to catch her son and beat him soundly). So when he grunted, and came sling-shotting back at her at the bottom of the stairs, she squeaked and declared herself an idiot.
The broom smacked her in the shoulder followed quickly by the gravity driven weight of Mathias. He slammed into her chest and they both crashed to the ground, the wind being driven out of her by the impact.
He leaped off her and spun around, worry creasing his features. She made vague motions of violence against him, weakly motioning with the broom. He quickly took it from her and backed away.
“Mom?” he said from the safety of the courtyard, clutching the broom like a lifeline. “Are you okay?”
“Okay?” she hissed, still regaining her breath, “OKAY? You... you scoundrel! You nearly killed me!”
“No I didn't. Your lack of inellience did.” He said this with the honest innocence of a child. Which was surprising he retained an smidgen of it considering where he lived. The glee of escaping his mother's wrath had evaporated the instant he thought she may have hurt herself. He looked at her with wide, worried eyes and she gave a pained sigh.
She rolled onto her knees and Mathias turned slightly, unsure if he should still run or not. His mother folded herself into a kneeling position and gazed at her son. Anger, amusement and forgiveness warred within her as she looked at her ridiculously attired son. His skin was sparkling again as he shifted from foot to foot, glancing from his feet, to her eyes and back down again.
“I'm sorry mama. I just... I just wanted to look pretty like you, and none of the others would help me so I—I just did it like I see you do. I thought, I thought if I was nice looking you wouldn't leave like you do every night.” he said this all in a rush and she looked at him sadly. “And... and... I like rainbows. They're beau-ful.” He looked down at his forearm and waved it up and down, watching the sparkles.
She smirked and chuckled a little, getting up slowly. He looked up at her, still unsure, but she just gave him a gentle smile and reached out for the broom. He handed it to her and she placed it back on the wall.
“Mathias... one of these days you're going to get into a scrap you can't charm a lady into getting out of.” She said and ruffled his hair.
He grinned and hugged her tightly, “Never! The ladies will always love me!”
Laughing she divested him of her bra and placed it in one of the pockets sown into her dress. “Not if you insist on being a cross-dresser they won't.”
He looked up at her utterly perplexed, “I look like furniture?”
She laughed again but an angry shushing noise from the Companion House made her cut it short and usher a confused Mathias into the Dwelling House. “No dearie, but that's a word you can learn at a later date. Still,” she gave him a severe look, “no more dressing up in mom's clothes. Understand?”
He nodded and meekly turned to go back to their rooms. She followed him and when he started up the stairs his trousers slipped down a bit and she noticed the lacy top to his under-drawers were midnight-blue.
“Mathias... you're not wearing mommies underwear are you?” she asked, a dangerous tone in her voice.
As with all rhetorical questions from his mother Mathias had long since learned to just start running.
“MATHIAS!”
Magical RPG Artwork of Awesomeness
Sori - based on the character created by Classy_cat18 in Final Fantasy: Darkness Descends
By Crystal Tears
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/jingleweasel/Ivalice_Moogle_by_Crystal_hime.jpg
Personally, I love the soft, feathery lines that CT used in this drawing. They capture the spirit of a moogle perfectly - that is, they're fluffy and adorable! And Sori's pom-pom totally makes me want to stroke it, which as anyone who is in Darkness Descends knows, is not a good move. XD
-----*-----
Thanks for reading! Next month's Newsletter will have the rather exciting issue of our new Moderator election to focus on, so keep posted!
As always, we're open to suggestions for new things that could go in our newsletters. So far, we've mostly had articles and the occasional story/picture, but we can't do the News without you guys! Any input you have on new things to put in is welcome - I'm going to create a thread in the Lounge specifically for this purpose, because I don't think the group system thinger that we currently have is much use.