While Cat Nine isn’t horror/the place for horrible transformations, Hibi would’ve attempted to control Tammy’s transformation. Diwatas are powerful, but there’s only so much she can do with a goddess’ curse.
Hibi-Hibi: Indeed I can but... transforming is dangerous if you aren't a natural shapeshifter or without magical safeguards.
Cruz: my pants need a safeguard
Hibi-Hibi: Imagine a clay figure representing a person, and magic the hands that will shape it. Underneath its touch, the body is fragile, pliable. The mind even more so.
Hibi-Hibi: You can guess what'll happen if you aren't careful! A properly enchanted agimat can protect you from most of these dangers.
"Magic": whoopsie!
Hibi-Hibi: Tammy's lucky that she merely became a werewolf. It's not the worst thing that could've happened to her!
Tammy: So lucky, yayyyy...
On a whim, I tried used vector layers for the lineart this time. It has some convenience, and resizing/correcting is a breeze, but yeah, like BlueDavrial says, it kinda looks too clean. I can kind of agree, and while I use some Post Correction when drawing lineart, it’s a lot more obvious with vectors. It’s not bad though, and I say it’s a lot closer to my “style” when I was using Adobe Flash before this Episode.
Time for a little bit of worldbuilding even though I’m not sure if I’ll ever use it here in Cat Nine!
I figure that transforming is pretty complicated (and dangerous), but some are more complicated than others. Here are my reasons for them:
Generally, the farther the transformation is from their original form, the harder it is. Hybrids like wifwolves (I don’t care, I like the word) are a tad easier compared to Tammy turning into a complete wolf.
Age is the simplest since everyone was young at one point, and will get old eventually.
Minor body modification is changing simple stuff like hair, eye, or skin color. Also includes hair style, length, whatever. Mostly to do with physical appearances.
Sex is surprisingly more complicated since it involves something much deeper appearance, particularly chromosomes and genitals. I mean, even that fact is reflected in reality, and people can’t change their sex (for now) even if they take all the drugs, hormones, or operations they can. People have to first figure out how to rewrite our DNA completely without harming the person. Now, if only it took a splash of some hot or cold water to change sex that’d be great!
Major body modification is very broad, and probably covers a lot of transformations. Things like changing size and growing/removing one’s organs or appendages, especially if they can move or have senses. Maybe more combat-oriented stuff like harder skin or growing claws falls on this too.
Species shouldn’t be surprising why it’s difficult. And you also have to think about if for example, a human transforms to an animal that’s bigger/smaller than them (think Animorphs). Where is that mass coming/going? At least I can use “magic” as the reason! And yes, this means Myan’s magical collar is pretty advanced!
Matter. Well, turning into fire or some other thing that shouldn’t be alive is hard as heck, or else they’ll end up like Midas’ victims. I also imagine that a huge part of the magic transformation is trying to keep them alive and moving.
Cruz: What, you're gonna change me back into a kid?
Hibi-Hibi: If you'll allow me!
Hibi-Hibi: Changing one's age is the simplest of physical transformations, so I can do it quickly.
In order of difficulty:
1. Age
2. Minor body modification
3. Sex
4. Major body modification
5. Species
6. Matter
Cruz: Alright. Better me than using actual kids as a lure.
Myan: You have to call me Ate¹ Myan! (¹big sis)
Hibi-Hibi: Right. Like with Myan's collar though, I'll need something to enchant and turn it into an agimat². (²amulet/talisman)
Hibi-Hibi: Now... give me your belt!
Cruz: {gasp} H-Hibi?!
Tammy: Take.it.off! Take.it.off!! (awoo awoo)
Keith: Can't you just... magic him directly?
♫ Hide yo kids from the big bad wolf, big bad wolf, big bad wolf ♪
Or maybe there’s no need, cause an angry Haliyan mom is more than enough.
EDIT: Thanks for your input guys! Poll’s closed, and I’ve applied the changes!
Also I’d appreciate it if you guys can help out with the poll below! I was thinking of adding in the “told to Keith” text again just to remind you guys that Keith cannot see or hear Haliya, so everyone near him have been repeating what she’s been saying to him. Not all of you will remember that face though, so I think it’s good to put remind people of that fact every now and then.
Our Discord mod and my patron BlueDavrial propose overlapping speech balloons, with the text/bubble colored according to the speaker (pink for Hibi for example).
I like the text reminder since it’s just a simple reminder, it’s less work, I’ve seen it used in manga a lot, and space in the comic is usually limited. Meanwhile, the overlapping speech balloons make the panel more visually interesting and breaks the immersion less, albeit making it slightly cramped. I’ve really only seen overlapping balloons used when they’re interrupting someone though. What do you guys think? I’ll maybe change the first panel depending on the result of the poll.
Haliya: You see, this whole mess started because of my little brother Bulan. He was soo adorable, everyone loved him! Bakunawa included.
Keith: Jealousy can literally turn you into a monster huh.
Tammy: If the Haliyans have sons, maybe they can help? They might need to remove their masks though.
Hibi-Hibi: Um, let's not.
Tammy: You're right, let's not expose the kiddies to danger.
Hibi-Hibi: Y-yeah, danger... (for us!)
Cruz: Not to brag, my Ma said I was a handsome boy, see?
Myan: All parents say that!
Haliya: But your mother's right!
Cruz: Yeah, too bad I can't go back to being a kid!
Hibi-Hibi: Well now, this is where I come in!
AHHHH I guess I got a lil better since then. And oh boy I still have no idea how to render water, much less the ocean haha.
Fish waifus coming soon obviously, though maybe not this Episode. I bet there are some things that’ll cause anyone to scream if they’re real, like Pokemon. Which one would be yours?
Haliya: We have our weapon now thank you, but we still have to decide the battlefield, lure her there, and then deal with her serpent form.
Cruz: No prob!
Hibi-Hibi: That's one down I suppose.
Haliya: Like our previous battle, open waters far from land and humans will suffice. Still, it won't be easy fighting in her element again even with the tawlis' and mermaids' help.
[whoosh]
Tammy: Waait... Mermaids are real?!
Haliya: Yes they're-
Tammy: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Keith: Get a hold of yourself woman! Your howling could replace the fireworks!!
Tammy: AHHH!! B-but mermaids-! AHHHH!!
Tammy: Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?! Will it work?!!
Cruz: Yeah, but we'll need way more than what we have.
Haliya: Did you think of something?!
Hibi-Hibi: Fireworks!
Myan: Ehhhh? Those things?!
Haliya: Yes, fire will work! Let's start a big bonfire, then perhaps the whole village can bang drums together!
[Tammy tells this to Keith]
Keith: No no no, "fireworks" are the flashy things that go boom at night! (I feel like I'm talking to myself...)
Haliya: Ohhh those! My followers banned them in this area long ago to "not disrupt the sanctity of the moon".
Yep, it is indeed time to bring out the fireworks from page 155. I don’t know if “fireworks” would be the first thing you think of that’s hot and loud, but I’d say the fireworks they’ve brought is still somewhat fresh in their minds since they planned on launching them tonight and it’s only been what, an hour or two since they got Bakunawa’d.
And they might just only be video games, but it helped Cruz not panic when the Bakunawa showed up.
[Keith was filled in on the details, and the group take a seat...]
Keith: Hmm, the best result would be stopping the Bakunawa without a fight...
Tammy: Not that I'm an expert or anything, but how realistic is that?
Haliya: If it can't be avoided... then fighting without us killing each other would suffice.
Hibi-Hibi: And don't you worry Keith, we'll relay what Haliya says to you.
Cruz: Is there anything we can use against her? Some sort of weakness perhaps?
Haliya: Well... she was always sensitive to loud sounds and heat.
(flashback from page 155)Cruz: I think it's time to bring out the fireworks!
Darn, I forgot how I did the textures or brushes in page 156’s background. Oh well!
Thanks to BlueDavrial for trying out different words in the transliterator I’m using. Now I changed the symbols in the first panel from “sero” (zero, duh) to “bago”, which can mean “new” or “before” in Filipino. It didn’t even occur to me after all this time that Filipino doesn’t really have an original word for zero until this page!
Haliya: Not even my followers know this, but the Bakunawa is actually my cousin, and the zeroth moon goddess representing the New Moon.
Haliya: I want to get her back to her long-neglected duties as a moon and underworld goddess. And while I'm still committed to stopping her for good, I'm reluctant to kill family, if possible.
Hibi: Oh dear...
Haliya: So if you can help me come up with a plan before my followers find her...
Cruz: Oof, I don't know if we can help...
Tammy: We can try at least!
Keith: Uh, is something important going on?
(Still can't see/hear Haliya)
(Myan is bored)
It’s not like there’s someone to teach gods how to god… except in Black and White I guess. And boy, tawlis do love moving/blowing things like skirts, flags, masks, I tell you hwat. Yeah, last panel is sorta a “prequel” for this comic.
Haliya: It's good to see you again Hibi!
Hibi-Hibi: It's only been a few centuries!
Tammy: So... the guy Hibi knows is a goddess huh.
Cruz: Well, we know a Hibi.
Tiger Haliyan: Some diwatas are deities in their own right, so it's no surprise for Haliya to have friends of the same sort. Never heard of this Hibi though.
Keith: We're neighbors.
Myan: She turned me into a human.
Tiger Haliyan: Wow.
Blonde Haliyan: Speaking of friends... come say hi little one! Haliya often comes up here to play with the Tawong Lipod*.
(*literally "wind people" I'll shorten it to tawli)
Blonde Haliyan: Well... these wind elementals can't actually say hi because they only speak in-
Tawli: whoooooosh~!