We interrupt the current Episode with a Valentine comic! A bit late I know! Excuse their Episode 1 outfits/hairstyles, I consider those their “default” outfits/hair… aaand if I’m not in the mood or don’t have the time to come up with new outfits/hairstyles.
Also, check out the new KitTens tier mention below, nice eh! Thanks for upping your pledge my new KitTens, and thank you, new patrons that just started pledging!
Myan: Valentine's Day troubles? Myan: The Love Master is here to help! Myan: Wha? Me as your Valentine? Myan: Nyahaha~! I'm flattered!! But I only like big cats, sorry!
Myan: Here's my top tip for guys! Tammy: Your cat's giving love advice now? Keith: Just go with it Myan: Approach a woman from behind... Tammy: Ooh, gimme a backrub while you're at it! Myan: ...then push her down, bite her neck and have your way with her! Tammy: w-what're you gonna do to me?!! Keith: NOTHING!
Myan: Dad said all of my advice are illegal, whatever that means! So here's Kuya Cruz with some pick-up lines, whatever those are! Cruz: hmph! Cruz: I'll be the valet to your nine! Myan: I have no idea what you just said, but I'm angry for some reason! Cruz: Are you a cat? Cause you're purrfect! [Myan learned about hate that day...]
Myan: Hibi you're the oldest out of all of us, got any advice? Hibi-Hibi: Oh my, I don't know anything about romance! Myan: No way! I bet You've got a ton of mates, and children, and grandchildren by now! Hibi-Hibi: GOODNESS, NO!! Myan: ... Hibi-Hibi: [blush] Myan: Well, I have some advice for you...
The scene demanded a Feast, therefore I must show a Feast… boodle fight-style! It was a pain to draw I tell you what, but as usual I always need the practice! I’m also starting to see the appeal of using multiply/screen layers for shading/highlighting… I do not want to figure out the color palette for each and every background character!
Around here, “boodle fights” are just eating lunch/dinner with hands, and restaurants even market some meals like that, but apparently it’s also military practice according to that Wikipedia link so… it seems fitting for warrior women! Tammy should take a leaf out of Myan’s book (not that she can read), while Keith should learn from theseguys.
Tammy: Arfgh!! How do you even eat with this mouth?! Hibi-Hibi: Try literally eating like an animal? Myan: Another All-I-Can-Eat! Cruz: Now, where to start... Keith: ...
Keith: Excuse me...? Villager: {nom} Yes?
Keith: Is it against your religion if we take these off so we can eat? Villager: Oh no, take them off if you wish! We don't expect unbelievers to be used to wearing masks, much less eating with them on.
Villager: Find a room first because we consider it extremely erotic to uh t-take it off in front of someone...
Navy and Blue characters again, and Hothead’s character wearing some sort of scarf + sash (scarsh?) thingy. Finding it hard to come up with “proper” outfits for them, so I’ve just been doing whatever!
I’ll also probably need more character designs again, so feel free to make more suggestions… if my patrons don’t that is!
Villager A: 'tis a nice evening indeed! Villager C: Hunted it myself! Villager B: The plates are over there!
Keith: I guess there was nothing to worry about. Cruz: They've been nothing but friendly so far. Tammy: But that's how cults get you don't they? Myan: [hungers]
Hibi-Hibi: Well... you boys might want to watch out. Cruz: W-what, are they actually dangerous? Keith: I knew it!
Hibi-Hibi: You'll see what I mean. Don't worry about it and just enjoy the food. Tammy: Oh that's not ominous at all.
Can’t have a typical Filipino celebration without some lechon, mmhm! Oh, and Merry Christmas everyone!
Oof. They might be silhouettes, but drawing the last panel still took some actual figure drawing. Surprisingly, I had an easier time drawing them aside from them being silhouettes. Perhaps it’s because I’ve just started wearing glasses this month? Combined with turning up the monitor brightness whenever I work, I can certainly see more detail!
The villagers are Blue, Navy, and Hothead’s characters.
And yes I’m referencing Undertale, Doom, and Goblin Slayer in the alt text
Forgot if I mentioned it before but getting a bit sick about drawing them walking haha. Well, I’m really only getting sick of it since I feel the poses for walking are limited, but yeah, there are only so many poses possible when walking. Might as well accept the fact that some poses are “repetitive”, and at least I’m getting some slight animation practice with it since it’s basically the walk cycle.
Oh yeah, these two girls are Muse’s OC and Jugemu’s “Rias Gremory” from High School DxD.
Keith: ...you celebrating something or going to war? Isog: Ah, the party's already started.
Isog: During eclipses in the past, loud noises were believed to disorient the Bakunawa. That was before our cult was formed so we're not sure how true that is, but the tradition stuck.
Isog: Now it serves to celebrate Haliya's victory too so it turned into the Eclipse Feast as we know it. You can guess when the feast is held.
Isog: Just so you know we're not all slacking off! The Bakunawa is likely to appear during eclipses, like this evening. Waywoods Guard: (I hope Isog brings back some food...)
Isog: That's why guard duty is important so I deserve a quick stop at the Feast before we continue riiiight? And I'm sure you're all hungry from all this walking. Keith: Uh sure, why not.
If you’ve been wondering what the symbols are from, they’re from Baybayin, an old Filipino script. Apparently, they’re originally read/written from bottom-top though when the Spanish came here they changed it to left-right (or rotated), which wasn’t a bad idea actually. Anyway, I just like it cause it looks cool. Play around with Baybayin yourself using this translator.
Not that I want to focus on religion or politics into the comic, but the Philippines is majority Roman Catholic, so it’s no surprise some of the characters will be Catholic/Christian.
Haliya worshippers were possibly real. Dunno their actual name, if any, and excuse me if I took some creative liberties with them.
Sorry it’s been taking so long guys, I’ve been finding it difficult to write the dialogue/narration for the 2nd set of panels for this page. Just can’t seem to articulate it properly and I’ve realized I can’t really improvise the story every page, at least for these story-heavy Episodes. So I’ve been brushing up on my writing and English skills (English is my 2nd language), and doing as much research as I can regarding the manga industry. That last part seems unrelated, but I was thinking that I might pick up on some of the useful habits and techniques of mangakas (particularly with efficiency), and I’m interested on how the heck some of the famous mangas make around 19 pages per chapter/week (like One Piece). In short, they have insane schedules and their lives basically revolve around their manga so… I’ve given up on playing video game (again) so I’ve also been a bit cranky the past week or so haha.
Cruz: So Isog is it? Mind telling us more about yourselves and your uh... indie religion? You have an interesting culture here!
Isog: Not at all, and it's fine to call us a cult! Now, where do I start...?
Isog: We are the Haliyans, named after our Goddess Haliya. Cruz: Oh, like Christians. Isog: She is the goddess of masks, the moon, and battle, so naturally we're all about those! Cruz: Oh, not like Christians.
Isog: Yes, except our Goddess is real. Like, these other "religions" should be the cults am I right? Cruz: Oof, quite the bold claim! Okay so... what about your masks?
Isog: Before facing the Bakunawa when it was rampaging long ago, Haliya donned her enchanted mask and vowed to never remove it until one of them is slain. Haliya won in the end, but only managed to seal her away that time.
Isog: We wear masks to show our resolve like our goddess, but as time went on, now we also wear them for other reasons like art, fun, or work. More importantly, Haliya also taught us the Mask Arts, the secrets to making enchanted masks. The one I'm wearing for instance enhance my senses. Helps with guard duty you know? Plus it's cute.
Isog: In fact, the masks you're all wearing have Night's Vision, and I think you can already guess what it does. Us Haliyans are already blessed with it so we don't require a mask, but you'll need them since the only lighting we have in the village is moonlight. Unfortunately it doesn't let you see colors that well. Keith: Hmm, apparently the Bakunawa cursed me so I can't perceive the moon at all, therefore I can't see moonlight. Thanks for letting us borrow these. Tammy: It might be dark for us "normal" people anyway because of the eclipse.
Isog: I-is that what the Bakunawa cursed you with?! What a truly horrifying curse!
Not exact translation but she said *”Good evening darlings!”. They’re using one of the other dialects in the Philippines, which I have no idea how to speak, though I can sort of understand it even with the main dialect of the country with the help of dictionaries and Google Translate. Combined two words that mean “cover, shield, protect… or maybe hide, secret/hidden” + “moon, or moonlit” to come up with Hinabulanon, so it’s something like Hidden Moon Village (what is this, Naruto? haha).
Dunno if it follows proper naming conventions, but it sounds cool enough to me. “Isog” means “brave” and seeing that she’s based on Polt the Kobold, I think something like that would be fitting for a warrior/guard. Could also call her “Ido” for dog. in the end it doesn’t matter that much, and Fishmeistercod (the suggester) went for Isog anyway.
The new guards here based on Skye and Nikky’s suggestions. Sorry Nikky, couldn’t make her that short for storytelling reasons!
[Back to reality - Hinabulanon Village] Isog: Ma-ayong gab-i mga inday! (Good evening darlings!) Guard A: Halt you...! Oh it's just Isog. Guard B: Oi oi, what's this?
Guard B: Found some husbands out there for yourself didn't you? Guard A: Can I have one please?
Isog: ...fiiine. Cruz: At least buy me dinner first. Keith: hey.
Guard A: Haha! Well guests, just be on your best behaviour and you'll find no problems with your stay! Guard B: I'll be your dinner~ ...I'm winking if you can't tell. Isog: come in, come in!
