Issue 927 Discussion - Valentine's Day

[Rabbit ♠]

Issue 927 – Valentine's Day

The first part of my life that I remember was this moment, so I refer to it as the first day of my life. A mother, her voice so gentle and sweet, singing softly to her newborn baby girl. The girl was cradled in her arms, both eyes closed, somewhere with the Faeries in dreamland. A soft patter of rain was audible, just beneath the melody of her voice, pressing against the windows.

—sophieecanfly

Articles
Buyers Guide: Valentine's Day Cards by trubiekatie
How to Not Celebrate Jhudora Day by amplificationsseasy
Jhudora: Truly a Good Faerie by midnightsmores
Wearable Jewellery for Your Friend or Valentine by _brainchild_

Short Stories
Usuki Singing Stars #52: Scary's Secret Admirer by downrightdude
The Protector by sophieecanfly
Heart Of Hope by harvestmoon66
The Tale of Two Artists: A Valentine’s Story by superkathiee and honorrolle

Comics
A Cyzable Mistake: Part 2 by sunbathr , bea , and ghatna
Valentines Day Wordsearch! by zed16
Fabled - Valentine's Day by dylan_the_ninja
Friend or Foe? by rescur
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall by crazy_mia
A Valentine's Day Surprise by ngf57 and varshajoseph
Dinner with the Scarlets: Best Neopian Ships by June Scarlet
Valentine's Day Wordsearch by xlorally
Random Oddness: Valentines by mistyqee
Royal Pain: Valentine's Day by winner19955
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told. Kadoatie Edition by thisistehdan
Very Good Cards by verna_ and theofloppy4135
A Valentine's Find the Difference by eleganza_lights
Lennys Mini Conundrum by mandypandy667 and friends_rock2135
Un-Valentines Wishes by freehanded and sportsagain
Keep Warm this Valentine's Day by ajekdur
Crokabek Comic — Valentine's Day by _corvus
Do the Right Thing by crazyjoe99
The Off Season - Valentines by pokemon_master_a74
And... we're out! by luuvii
A Colourful Valentines! by andypopo

New Series
None

Continued Series
Trouble in Paradise by Carolyn
Si & Jay by cookiez101
A Hero's Journey: Masquerade by Kat
Thompkens Jenkins, Master of Disguise by dewdropzz
Neopia Central: The Musical! by RielCZ

And don't forget The Editorial.

All reviews of all pieces are welcome! However, if you would really like your piece to be reviewed, post and let others know!

(This Neopian Times Discussion has been brought to you by Riel's NT scraper and formatter.)

[June Scarlet]

Thank you Rabbit ♠ and RielCZ both, for your part in making the thread.

I thought I'd go ahead and note the prize for getting into this issue:

Subject: Neopian Times
Message: Congratulations! For your entry in the Valentine's Day issue of the Neopian Times, you have been awarded a Pink Paint Brush. Everyone needs a little pink on Valentine's Day!

I'll also note I'm really pleased with how the art for my comic turned out. I love the way the sky transitions between types of sky in one smooth layout.

A lot of good stuff this week. I've read the comics so far, and glanced at the other sections.

If there's a Times this coming Friday, I won't have time to make a thread this weekend until maybe Saturday evening. Is anyone else available?

[Liou]

Usuki Singing Stars #52: Scary's Secret Admirer by downrightdude
It's my girls!!
I KNEW who the secret admirer was! What I really liked in this story was how the secret admirer's gesture was sweet and well-intentioned and felt valid, but Scary's attitude and the fact that she's truly all right not celebrating Valentine's was also validated.

Dinner with the Scarlets: Best Neopian Ships by June Scarlet
I love the visual concept of this entire comic, how you managed to pick one ship from each atmospheric layer to make the most of the gentle gradient of the sky. The art is smooth and very pleasing to my eyes. I like how the punchline leans on the fourth wall, with cutie Yibit helping the reader preserve the irony of the ships being used here.

The Off Season - Valentines by pokemon_master_a74
I found this one surprisingly bittersweet, I felt so sorry for the Lupe character clearing up what they'd clearly taken time and effort to prepare without any possible recognition from the Kougra, who had no idea of the disappointment they might have caused... but then again, yeeting everything so as to focus only on the needs of the one you like is very much a mood. ;u; The Valentine decorations might have got cleared out but it was in the spirit of Valentine's, in a way. Painfully cute? The art is definitely very cute, I like the simple backgrounds that make the locations clear and distinct.

And... we're out! by luuvii
It's a very classic coming out scene and it's magical to see it in the Neopian Times on Neopets dot com in twenty twenty-one.
I like the art, Moehogs are cute and underappreciated pets in my opinion so I appreciate the main character's design.
I like the movement from shadow to light in the first panels and the casual symbolism of it.
I found the character's expressions very relatable - and realised we don't actually see characters cry very often in the Neopian Times.
The parent's wonderful colourful style and cheer and the reveal of cutely-drawn friends was a nice release of tension. Bonus points for coming out of the Safety Deposit Box instead of the closet as a Neopian idiom! =D

[June Scarlet]

Liou Ah, thank you! I was really pleased with how the art turned out, and the concept was fun as well. Glad you enjoyed it!