Issue 925 Discussion Thread

[RielCZ]

Issue 925

With all of their adventuring days over swamps and desert, a little beach sand did little to slow the two of them down. They raced into the brush, dodging hanging vines, moss-covered trees, and ornate orchids that dangled from branches. Squeaks and squawks from tropical petpets bombarded their ears as they uncovered a roost of Pawkeets. Everything changed when they made it into a forest clearing. Instead of raucous petpets, they heard… nothing.

—Carolyn

Articles
10 Cheap Ways to Celebrate Sloth Appreciation Day by alaynaweb
Neo Year Resolutions by aurorapearl
Top Ten Household Items to Slothify Your Neohome by pregnatress
On Popular Neopets by mahaut_the_old

Short Stories
Beware the Robot Petpet... by hyper_heather1
The Giant Squid Looks For a Friend by _polonius_
The Other Jobs by the_spirit_realm
Adventures of the Black Pawkeet (No, the Other One) by cookiez101

Comics
Doodlebook by fluffy_bumbkin
Spoons - Lab Zap! by xixiwang242
A Cyzable Mistake: Part 1 by sunbathr , bea , and ghatna
You Are Currently On A Quest... by keoshky, Nyala, Are, you, and lost
Trading NC Items by romina_r
Be Yourself! by andypopo
Is it Time for Training Yet? by shehadaname1 and trilce
Dr. Sloth Crossword by eleganza_lights
Pack Your Bags by freehanded and rorylorelai333
Cautious Approach by rescur
A Trunk Travesty by heathernel193, sportsagain, and aftershockkkk
Sloth the... Villain? by goosesticks
Unexpected Art by carmyyyyy and crazy_mia
As Sloth Says by varshajoseph
Sloth Appreciation Game: 7 Errors by belindaword, gabi100pitty, and emanuelle_rockgirl
Sidekick by verna_ and theofloppy4135

New Series
Trouble in Paradise by Carolyn

Continued Series
Brothers in Stars by Kat
The Case of the Missing Acara by sunbathr

And don't forget The Editorial.

SPOILER: Click to show

NOTE: As per June Scarlet 's request, this is sample output from a script I wrote to auto-produce discussion threads.

KNOWN ISSUES: I see for the comic "You Are Currently On A Quest..." it adds some extra "authors". Looking into it, it is because "Also by Nyala." is written before the description, rather than after (which is where I'd seen it everywhere else I looked, even everywhere else in that issue). I'm not sure how regularly that happens, but if it's rare it could probably be ignored in the script and left to "post production".

[Liou]

A Cyzable Mistake: Part 1 by sunbathr , bea , and ghatna
I love it when a single typo can send our imaginations straight into a funny scenario, and this comic illustrates just that. Hehehe. Pteri dishes. This comic seems to make use of site art and wearables, but in a really good way, with the background being suitably blurred out. Smart move using a Koi, a floating pet who can be placed above the bench without having to go behind. And good use of the classic pets' expressions and gradual zooming further in with each panel.

The Other Jobs by the_spirit_realm
I enjoyed the narration here, omniscient but conversational, gave me the impression of a dry, no-nonsense travelling storyteller. I liked the more realistic take on poverty in Neopia. Nothing pushing too hard towards "edgier and darker", simply practical, with many little examples helping to envision the details of Baelia's daily life and the reality of poverty. The setting and the progression were intriguing, and the twist was something that had been in front of us all the whole time, but it got me good, because I did not remember that one particular place. A memorable take on the Grey Faerie.

Adventures of the Black Pawkeet (No, the Other One) by cookiez_101
I got caught up reading this one because it was so sweet.
The main character really felt like a cute little bird in his demeanour. The initial scene was very recognisable to me as the beginning of the Curse of Maraqua plot, even described through the eyes of the Petpet, without direct mention of the plot. The visit to Lutari Island was an original idea, and again, the description of the region through the Petpet's eyes was both recognisable and vivid. The plot reminded me of many stories of a lost pet finding its way back to its carer through trials and tribulations, and the piece of the Black Pawkeet's wreck found just in the right place was very convenient, but overall I found this cute and well done.

Is it Time for Training Yet? by shehadaname1 and trilce
Simple concept based on one of the pets' automatic catchphrases, but good execution, the visuals really did it for me and got a laugh out of me, between the Grundo's expression of anguish and then their hulking silhouette compared with the tiny pea.

Sloth the... Villain? by goosesticks
Another simple concept, but the art in the second panel is really pretty and surprisingly detailed, it's so fabulous and over-the-top with the flower field, the rainbow and of course, that pose.

Sidekick by verna_ and theofloppy4135
Okay the visual Batman references were really fun but even without them the image of Sloth just vaulting athletically over a balcony is hilarious. The batty shape of his cloak conveys the reference without being too direct, and the visual pun with the holiday Pteri just doubles the reference.

You Are Currently On A Quest... by keoshky, Nyala, Are, you, and lost
the extra authors were too funny to leave out
My goodness I don't know if the creator really got a quest for this item or if they saw the item and thought it'd make a funny Fyora quest, but either way that was inspired. There could have been more visual fun with an image of Fyora literally looking for her missing balcony, or showing empty space where it should be. The art is pretty, and sheepish little Fyora is adorable, at the risk of sounding like a fossil I could just hear her say "Nyoro~n"