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Latest Posts by jenna12381 - Page 5
Petition for Sly 3 to get a proper sequel that’s just the girls kicking ass
…..does the sly cooper fandom still exist
did the sly cooper fandom ever exist
betrayal and trust prompts
“i never thought you’d be the one to betray me.”
“after everything we’ve been through, this is how it ends?”
“i told you my deepest secrets, and this is how you repay me?”
“you’ve broken my trust, and I don’t know if I can ever forgive you.”
“i thought you were different, but you’re just like the rest.”
“i wish i could turn back time and see the truth sooner.”
“i don’t know if I can ever look at you the same way again.”
“you’ve shattered everything we built together.”
“was any of it real, or was it all a lie?”
“you were the last person I expected to hurt me.”
“i trusted you more than anyone else, and you broke that trust.”
“how long were you planning this? how long have you been lying to me?”
“you’ve left me with nothing but questions and a broken heart.”
Hey! So I’m a fairly new ambulatory wheelchair user with EDS writing about a character who is also an ambulatory wheelchair user. I feel like I keep using the same words over and over to portray movement though (rolled, propelled, “pushed themself,” etc) so I would love to hear if you have any more ideas for alternatives! I’ll take as many as you’ve got!
Thank you!!!
Hello dearest asker!
This is the list that we have provided over time plus others:
Moved/Moves
Went
Wheeled
Rolled
Pushed
Sped/Spun
Propelled
Pulled (by a service animal etc)
Maneuvered
Turn/Turned
Scoot/scooted
Travel/traveled
Rock/rocked
Drove
Crossed
Cut
Stroll/Strolled
Navigated
Drift/Drifted
Swung/swinged
Popped ("Popped up their wheels/chair" to get over a surface etc)
Tip/tipped (Tipped themselves over something etc)
Advanced
Migrate/migrated
Inched
Zoomed
Rushed
Hurried
Raced
Skid
Ram/Rammed
Roamed
Shift/Shifted
Slid (In rainy or icy weather)
Followed
Circled
And a lot of many other verbs that would take me a long time to list! Consider what type of wheelchair the person has, as mention Here. And also how the person moves or places their hands can be another detail to include.
If the actual definition of the verb doesn't involve the specific actions of one or two lower extremities (ex. walk, run, stepped, trot, stride) then it's otherwise good to use! Other words like Moseyed, sauntered, paced, I think depends on the writer. A particularly mischievous character may saunter of a manner in their wheelchair. And a character who is nervous would pace—although possibly tiring—back and forth. And Moseyed, well, I just particularly like this word—but, a character could mosey on by in a certain fashion. Happy writing!
(last ask about verb terminology on wheelchairs per this post we made about it)
~ Mod Virus 🌸
Creating Compelling Character Arcs: A Guide for Fiction Writers
As writers, one of our most important jobs is to craft characters that feel fully realized and three-dimensional. Great characters aren't just names on a page — they're complex beings with arcs that take them on profound journeys of change and growth. A compelling character arc can make the difference between a forgettable story and one that sticks with readers long after they've turned the final page.
Today, I'm going to walk you through the art of crafting character arcs that are as rich and multi-layered as the people you encounter in real life. Whether you're a first-time novelist or a seasoned storyteller, this guide will give you the tools to create character journeys that are equal parts meaningful and unforgettable.
What Is a Character Arc?
Before we go any further, let's make sure we're all on the same page about what a character arc actually is. In the most basic sense, a character arc refers to the internal journey a character undergoes over the course of a story. It's the path they travel, the obstacles they face, and the ways in which their beliefs, mindsets, and core selves evolve through the events of the narrative.
A character arc isn't just about what happens to a character on the outside. Sure, external conflict and plot developments play a major role — but the real meat of a character arc lies in how those external forces shape the character's internal landscape. Do their ideals get shattered? Is their worldview permanently altered? Do they have to confront harsh truths about themselves in order to grow?
The most resonant character arcs dig deep into these universal human experiences of struggle, self-discovery, and change. They mirror the journeys we all go through in our own lives, making characters feel powerfully relatable even in the most imaginative settings.
The Anatomy of an Effective Character Arc
Now that we understand what character arcs are, how do we actually construct one that feels authentic and impactful? Let's break down the key components:
The Inciting Incident
Every great character arc begins with a spark — something that disrupts the status quo of the character's life and sets them on an unexpected path. This inciting incident can take countless forms, be it the death of a loved one, a sudden loss of power or status, an epic betrayal, or a long-held dream finally becoming attainable.
Whatever shape it takes, the inciting incident needs to really shake the character's foundations and push them in a direction they wouldn't have gone otherwise. It opens up new struggles, questions, and internal conflicts that they'll have to grapple with over the course of the story.
Lies They Believe
Tied closely to the inciting incident are the core lies or limiting beliefs that have been holding your character back. Perhaps they've internalized society's body image expectations and believe they're unlovable. Maybe they grew up in poverty and are convinced that they'll never be able to escape that cyclical struggle.
Whatever these lies are, they'll inform how your character reacts and responds to the inciting incident. Their ingrained perceptions about themselves and the world will directly color their choices and emotional journeys — and the more visceral and specific these lies feel, the more compelling opportunities for growth your character will have.
The Struggle
With the stage set by the inciting incident and their deeply-held lies exposed, your character will then have to navigate a profound inner struggle that stems from this setup. This is where the real meat of the character arc takes place as they encounter obstacles, crises of faith, moral dilemmas, and other pivotal moments that start to reshape their core sense of self.
Importantly, this struggle shouldn't be a straight line from Point A to Point B. Just like in real life, people tend to take a messy, non-linear path when it comes to overcoming their limiting mindsets. They'll make progress, backslide into old habits, gain new awareness, then repeat the cycle. Mirroring this meandering but ever-deepening evolution is what makes a character arc feel authentic and relatable.
Moments of Truth
As your character wrestles with their internal demons and existential questions, you'll want to include potent Moments of Truth that shake them to their core. These are the climactic instances where they're forced to finally confront the lies they believe head-on. It could be a painful conversation that shatters their perception of someone they trusted. Or perhaps they realize the fatal flaw in their own logic after hitting a point of no return.
These Moments of Truth pack a visceral punch that catalyzes profound realizations within your character. They're the litmus tests where your protagonist either rises to the occasion and starts radically changing their mindset — or they fail, downing further into delusion or avoiding the insights they need to undergo a full transformation.
The Resolution
After enduring the long, tangled journey of their character arc, your protagonist will ideally arrive at a resolution that feels deeply cathartic and well-earned. This is where all of their struggle pays off and we see them evolve into a fundamentally different version of themselves, leaving their old limiting beliefs behind.
A successfully crafted resolution in a character arc shouldn't just arrive out of nowhere — it should feel completely organic based on everything they've experienced over the course of their thematic journey. We should be able to look back and see how all of the challenges they surmounted ultimately reshaped their perspective and led them to this new awakening. And while not every character needs to find total fulfillment, for an arc to feel truly complete, there needs to be a definitive sense that their internal struggle has reached a meaningful culmination.
Tips for Crafting Resonant Character Arcs
I know that was a lot of ground to cover, so let's recap a few key pointers to keep in mind as you start mapping out your own character's trajectories:
Get Specific With Backstory
To build a robust character arc, a deep understanding of your protagonist's backstory and psychology is indispensable. What childhood wounds do they carry? What belief systems were instilled in them from a young age? The more thoroughly you flesh out their history and inner workings, the more natural their arc will feel.
Strive For Nuance
One of the biggest pitfalls to avoid with character arcs is resorting to oversimplified clichés or unrealistic "redemption" stories. People are endlessly complex — your character's evolution should reflect that intricate messiness and nuance to feel grounded. Embrace moral grays, contradictions, and partial awakenings that upend expectations.
Make the External Match the Internal
While a character arc hinges on interior experiences, it's also crucial that the external plot events actively play a role in driving this inner journey. The inciting incident, the obstacles they face, the climactic Moments of Truth — all of these exterior occurrences should serve as narrative engines that force your character to continually reckon with themselves.
Dig Into Your Own Experiences
Finally, the best way to instill true authenticity into your character arcs is to draw deeply from the personal transformations you've gone through yourself. We all carry with us the scars, growth, and shattered illusions of our real-life arcs — use that raw honesty as fertile soil to birth characters whose journeys will resonate on a soulful level.
Happy Writing!
The time has come for Act 3. This covers the final two missions of the episode.
You might have to fill in some of the blanks yourself, but Penelope somehow winds up in a final duel with her impostor, with her signals jammed.
It's during this duel that Robo-Penelope reveals something to the player. The real Penelope designed Le Paradox's blimp. Robo-Penelope did everything else.
With this reveal, we finally understand why Penelope has been behaving so strangely. She's been acting out of guilt. She feels undeserving of the boys' friendship. Even so, she's willing to pull every last bit of her weight to make sure they never get hurt again.
Note: Imagine this playing during the Penelope/Robo-Penelope mirror match.
After defeating her impostor, Penelope, now consumed by an overwhelming amount of guilt, feels the need to confess her treachery to someone. She decides on telling Bentley, knowing full well doing so would break his heart all over again.
Then again, he does deserve to know the truth, does he not?
Cue Penelope's painful confession to Bentley. The only thing she doesn't reveal is her true motive, as she doesn't want to justify anything she or her impostor did.
And that "motive" relating to money, fame, power, and Bentley's potential? All fabricated by her impostor.
After that and a tearful apology, she tries to leave the Cooper Gang forever... only to be stopped. Bentley asks her if any of her treachery was worth it. She says it wasn't, and all she did was lose everyone she cares about.
Guess what? Bentley is satisfied with that answer. He forgives Penelope, believing that being kidnapped, impersonated, and hated by everyone she loves was the perfect punishment for her attempted betrayal. He also refuses to leave her or punish her further, now that she's learned her lesson.
Sly and Murray are spared from learning the truth until after our heroes leave Conquest Island.
Finally, the rest of the Robo-Cooper Gang is destroyed, followed by their creator, Sir Raleigh, getting royally clapped.
Penelope remains reinstated, even after Sly and Murray learn the truth.
As for what happens afterwards... I'm not sure. This is all during Episode 2 of 6.
I want to believe Penelope was kidnapped and impersonated. She still designed the blimp. Her impostor (an evil robot) did everything else. Even her motive was fabricated.
Here's something that could happen in Sly 5.
When the boys (Sly, Bentley, and Murray) eventually find out and take her back, she's going to be a guilt-ridden mess hell-bent on destroying her impostor and her creator for breaking Bentley's heart and making everyone hate her, with several measures of self-loathing for nearly doing the same thing herself.
The reunion scene would need to happen early in the episode in which this story takes place, during the second mission, and no later. That way, the player can get used to her being fully playable for the first time ever before the boss fight.
All three boys, while elated to have Penelope back, will quickly notice that something is seriously wrong with her. They think her impostor did everything, including designing the blimp. When they ask her what's wrong, she refuses to elaborate.
Bentley is especially concerned, but incredibly proud of his reinstated girlfriend for her enduring loyalty.
Cue Penelope pulling her weight several times over during her return episode and defeating her impostor, only to be consumed by all the guilt and confess to none other than Bentley about her treachery by the end. The only thing she doesn't reveal is her motive, saying it doesn't matter because what she did was wrong.
And because I love a good, happy ending, she will be forgiven. She's already spent the entire episode proving herself in spades. As for Sly and Murray's reactions? I'll leave that for you to decide. Would Sly drive himself crazy over not knowing her motive? I think he might.
I realize she will need a very sympathetic motive for this idea to work.
Today’s mouse is Penelope from Sly Cooper!
i was thinking in the shower about how things would have turned out had Bentley managed to break into the Cooper Vault without needing to recruit anyone. for starters, there wouldn't be a Sly 3 lol... i mean Sly and Bentley would definitely have gone after Murray so An Opera of Fear and Rumble Down Under would have happened i guess but for the sake of the post let's say they wouldn't have asked the Guru to join the gang. so no Netherlands and no China meaning no Penelope and no Panda King, and by extent no Dimitri because of no deal in Netherlands.
removing Sly 3's secondary characters kinda puts things into perspective in terms of character development. in Sly 1 we collected Thievius Racconus pages as we got closer to the truth and Sly learned new tricks and honed his skills in preparation for his encounter with Clockwerk. Sly 2 was just a traumatic trainwreck altogether like SP really put the gang through the wringer idk how they survived.
in Sly 3 this development is brought about through the secondary characters and their relationships with the protagonists. Penelope drives a wedge between Sly and Bentley forcing the latter to muster up the courage and step outside of Sly's shadow for a minute; Panda King's return demands Sly to mature and let go of the past; Dimitri tests the gang's patience; both Penelope and Panda King contribute to the Murray van storyline which kinda exhibited that yea! in the long run, Murray might be the dummy of the group as Dr Michael chastises at the end but he is definitely the heart of the gang.
but if all this never happened then how would Honour Among Thieves play out? funny thing is, even if they recruited the extended gang, shit hit the fan almost immediately upon arrival so i'm assuming the same would apply if the original trio had tried to pull it off on their own? no? as a sidenote: i'm also thinking that Sly 2 is the only game in the series that kinda had like the aspect of urgency if you think about it. someone stole the Clockwerk parts and they were going to rebuild him so tick tock bitch. Sly 1 and 3 however don't really have that sense of time pressure. the Fiendish Five were sitting on their asses for literally a decade before Sly popped up for the pages and don't even get me started on the possibility of Dr Michael managing to crack the Cooper Vault open like what a loser lmao. with this in mind, Bentley would have the time to develop his tech in order to do the tasks that the extended gang members would have done. i mean if he managed to build a time machine surely he could make his tech waterproof ?
so the entire heist goes according to plan with the possibility of them tripping that stupid alarm still at play. i never intended to do a full play by play "what if...?" of Honour Among Thieves but suffice to say Carmelita would 100% show up to save the day even with the change of context. i think the most important change would be that Bentley's run-in with Dr Michael would go down very differently. i don't think he'd defend Sly; i actually think Dr Michael would get to him even without Penelope's introduction because she only brought out feelings that were brewing deep in Bentley's subconscious (especially after the end of Sly 2, becoming disabled for a cause that was never his and that dedication arguably never being reciprocated). he might not have shown it in the moment but i think that conversation would significantly shape Bentley's character and if Sly got out of the episode unscathed, the gang would probably split. leaving the Guru behind would also give Murray the motive to go his own way.
it's clear that Sly 3's secondary characters helped the gang get over some unspoken issues they had between them, even if they got resolved behind each other's backs (because Bentley only vents to Penelope about his feelings and doesn't go straight to Sly, who, in turn, doesn't even know there's an issue to begin with). personally, and i feel kinda stupid for suggesting something so simplistic in relation to how this game would be better like 7-8 years after being on this godforsaken website and analysing it to the point where it feels like the bible, i feel like one more episode would help really flesh out the problems the gang had. we never get direct acknowledgment or accountability from Sly and it feels like he's too focused on entering the Vault to care about Bentley's feelings, or anyone else's for that matter (there's like 7 anon asks gathering dust in my inbox about why i have anti-Sly sentiment and that number better not go up). all it takes is a 'you know what guys? you should enter the vault with me after literally sticking by me since childhood and risking your lives fighting my own battles' and they shoot up the van like it's a guest on Wendy.
Sly 2's ending proved that the protagonists aren't Riverdale characters who just go through weekly life-threatening events without any guilt, trauma and anxiety; and then in Sly 3 we get high-stake situations akin to the ClockLa saga, like the Dragon snatching Penelope, but because it's crammed between episodes instead of games, the characters come out of it seemingly unfazed. the complete lack of recognition for all of this makes it seem like Sly is an awful leader for the gang. like i think Penelope would genuinely snap when she got taken hostage by LeFwee after the dragon thing.
i think the internal politics of the gang could have been explored way better but i understand that juggling that and the introduction of one new character per episode would be impossible. i'd love to see Bentley confronting Sly, Murray realising that he's getting more support about what matters to him (the van, the Guru's wellbeing) from the literal strangers they've recruited than his best friends, Sly realising that his lack of involvement in the gang's friendship is what turned Dr Michael against ConnEr. maybe Honour Among Thieves could have been a two-parter honestly. maybe the Dimitri Dr Michael piranha hybrid bossfight should have never made the cut.
attempting to copy sly cooper's art style lmao
Time for Act 2. This covers several missions. Oh, and Penelope is now fully playable. She's seated between Sly and Bentley. I'm giving her those Morph Wrenches I previously talked about. She also has a title: The Wild Card.
With the threat of the Robo-Cooper Gang looming, our heroes agree that solo missions are temporarily off-limits. They will now only go out in pairs or as a group of four... at least until those robots bite the dust.
Most of the gang's missions revolve around shutting down charging stations for the Robo-Cooper Gang.
Penelope is put to work very soon after her reinstatement. While she does pull more than her fair share of weight, it's clear there's something seriously wrong with her. She refuses to elaborate whenever the boys try to ask her.
Bentley is especially concerned, but incredibly proud of his girlfriend for her enduring loyalty. He's fallen in love all over again, doting on her every chance he gets.
Robo-Penelope becomes quite the thorn in our heroes' side, especially Penelope's. The latter sees the former as a very personal enemy, jumping at any chance to take her impostor down. She even manages to save Bentley from the robot's wrath at least once.
As for Sly and Murray...
Sly now feels bad about ditching everyone back at Kaine Island, and has even apologized to Penelope for doing so.
Murray is happy to have his younger sister back. He now refuses to call her anything other than "Sis".
With the Robo-Cooper Gang now severely weakened, our heroes are ready to scrap their impostors.
Final act coming soon.
I want to believe Penelope was kidnapped and impersonated. She still designed the blimp. Her impostor (an evil robot) did everything else. Even her motive was fabricated.
Here's something that could happen in Sly 5.
When the boys (Sly, Bentley, and Murray) eventually find out and take her back, she's going to be a guilt-ridden mess hell-bent on destroying her impostor and her creator for breaking Bentley's heart and making everyone hate her, with several measures of self-loathing for nearly doing the same thing herself.
The reunion scene would need to happen early in the episode in which this story takes place, during the second mission, and no later. That way, the player can get used to her being fully playable for the first time ever before the boss fight.
All three boys, while elated to have Penelope back, will quickly notice that something is seriously wrong with her. They think her impostor did everything, including designing the blimp. When they ask her what's wrong, she refuses to elaborate.
Bentley is especially concerned, but incredibly proud of his reinstated girlfriend for her enduring loyalty.
Cue Penelope pulling her weight several times over during her return episode and defeating her impostor, only to be consumed by all the guilt and confess to none other than Bentley about her treachery by the end. The only thing she doesn't reveal is her motive, saying it doesn't matter because what she did was wrong.
And because I love a good, happy ending, she will be forgiven. She's already spent the entire episode proving herself in spades. As for Sly and Murray's reactions? I'll leave that for you to decide. Would Sly drive himself crazy over not knowing her motive? I think he might.
I realize she will need a very sympathetic motive for this idea to work.
Here’s your intermittent reminder that Penelope the mouse
is introduced as explicitly a better RC specialist than Bentley
a top-tier engineer and mechanic
so good at dogfighting than when she became a combat pilot “at a young age” she was instantly elevated to celebrity status
very convincing at pretending to be a different age and gender???
apparently wasn’t lying about being a trained boxer
can hack pretty good
easily matches and contends with Bentley’s intellect and could, therefore, plan heists pretty good
just fuckin picked up a sword and used it to murder a guy who had dedicated his life to being an old-timey pirate captain, and, by extension, swordfighting.
Penelope could kick the ass of the collective Cooper Gang at any point and the only reason she doesn’t is to be polite
Thieves In Time Redux Meme #11
You knew he'd try again...
And maybe zoom out to reveal Sly and Murray also not amused...
Let me spell out the first act of this episode. This would consist of the first two missions.
Our three heroes tail a certain "mouse" to a place called Conquest Island. They find out she's found a new boss: Sir Raleigh, who escaped from prison a while ago. The boys don't know what their plan is, but they're going to stop it.
It's Bentley who tails this "mouse" into Raleigh's fortress, only to make a shocking discovery. He's been following a robot this entire time!
Raleigh, thinking he's already won, brings out the real Penelope to gloat to her. Turns out she's been kidnapped and impersonated.
And that impostor? Turns out it was her our heroes fought back in Medieval England. It was her who broke up with Bentley. And her who built that blimp for Le Paradox. The real Penelope is innocent.
It also turns out Raleigh has an entire Robo-Cooper Gang at the ready, and he's hoping to have everyone eventually kidnapped and turned against each other.
The villainous frog basically goes "Your name's been thoroughly ruined! Those friends of yours hate you! Why not work for me?"
Only to be told to stuff it. The real Penelope says she only wants to work for one person; that being Sly Cooper. She also hasn't forgiven her impostor for breaking Bentley's heart. She says these things knowing full well she might never be allowed back in the Cooper Gang.
Bentley, who witnessed this entire scene, orders an immediate rescue mission. When the boys find her, Penelope is terrified (thinking they're here to kill her), but she does agree to go with them after a tearful reunion.
After having Penelope reinstated, our heroes swear revenge against Raleigh for what he did to her. Bentley also takes her back.
Penelope has her life back, but... something is seriously wrong with her. And she's not talking about it.
Second act coming soon.
I want to believe Penelope was kidnapped and impersonated. She still designed the blimp. Her impostor (an evil robot) did everything else. Even her motive was fabricated.
Here's something that could happen in Sly 5.
When the boys (Sly, Bentley, and Murray) eventually find out and take her back, she's going to be a guilt-ridden mess hell-bent on destroying her impostor and her creator for breaking Bentley's heart and making everyone hate her, with several measures of self-loathing for nearly doing the same thing herself.
The reunion scene would need to happen early in the episode in which this story takes place, during the second mission, and no later. That way, the player can get used to her being fully playable for the first time ever before the boss fight.
All three boys, while elated to have Penelope back, will quickly notice that something is seriously wrong with her. They think her impostor did everything, including designing the blimp. When they ask her what's wrong, she refuses to elaborate.
Bentley is especially concerned, but incredibly proud of his reinstated girlfriend for her enduring loyalty.
Cue Penelope pulling her weight several times over during her return episode and defeating her impostor, only to be consumed by all the guilt and confess to none other than Bentley about her treachery by the end. The only thing she doesn't reveal is her motive, saying it doesn't matter because what she did was wrong.
And because I love a good, happy ending, she will be forgiven. She's already spent the entire episode proving herself in spades. As for Sly and Murray's reactions? I'll leave that for you to decide. Would Sly drive himself crazy over not knowing her motive? I think he might.
I realize she will need a very sympathetic motive for this idea to work.
Thieves In Time Redux Progress Meme #2
I can't wait to share everything I picked out. So I will.
As you may have already seen, each episode, including Episode 0, has a piece assigned to it. All of these are from Paper Mario: The Origami King.
Paris Tutorial: Musée Champignon
Turning Japanese: Toad Town Ghost Town
Go West, Young Raccoon: Toad Town Red Streamer Removal
Clan Of The Cave Raccoon: Toad Town Blue Streamer Removal
Of Frogs And Mechs: Toad Town Yellow Streamer Removal
40 Thieves: Toad Town Purple Streamer Removal
Paris Epilogue: Toad Town Green Streamer Removal
Aftermath: Title Screen
Yes, I'm also giving the boss fights music as well. Not everything will be from Origami King.
The only boss I haven't assigned anything yet is Miss Decibel. Any ideas?
Here are my boss selections...
El Jefe: Boss Fight + Thinking (Paper Mario: The Origami King)
Toothpick: Vellumental Battle + Thinking (Paper Mario: The Origami King)
The Grizz (Phase 1): The Shifty Sticker + Thinking (Paper Mario: The Origami King)
The Grizz (Phase 2): Battle! (Ash) (Pokémon Masters EX)
Robo-Penelope (Phase 1): Battle! (Wally) (Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire)
Robo-Penelope (Phase 2): Battle! (Wally) (Pokémon Masters EX)
Sir Raleigh (Phase 1): ???????????
Sir Raleigh (Phase 2): Chain Attack (Xenoblade Chronicles 3)
Miss Decibel: ?????????
Le Paradox: Battle With King Olly + Thinking (Paper Mario: The Origami King)
Murray, dancing around covered in glowing radioactive oil: Look, Sly! I’m glowing!!
Me, alarmed: Murray, honey, no….
Two underrated interactions between Murray and Sly, first from 2:
Sly: “You know how much I love messing with Carmelita.”
Murray: “Yeah…it’s weird.”
And in 3:
Sly: “-pry off that mask of Dark Earth and maybe we’ll get back the Carmelita we all know and love.”
Murray: “I do not love her!”
Usually it’s Sly sneaking some good natured jabs at his friends because he’s a sarcastic little shit, but those two moments are a rare glimpse at Murray’s perspective on Sly’s whole fucked up dynamic with Inspector Fox.
Firstly, that he thinks Sly’s a fucking weirdo about the whole thing, and secondly that it is very important for him that Sly knows that he’s the only one in the group who has this fucking hang up about Carmelita and to leave Murray the fuck out of it.
Murray is usually all about wanting Sly to think he’s cool cause he looks up to him, but those two times are a rare time of him just looking at his good friend Sly and going “dude what the hell is up with you…” because even a life long friendship is not immune to those moments where you just have to look at your friend and wonder just what the fuck is going on in their head…and deciding that you would really rather not dig that up.
He might not look exactly like his profile picture but he's a gentleman, that's for sure!
Commission for @swampythesweetsketch :3c
Thieves In Time Redux Meme #10
This happens during the events of Jail Break (Episode 2).
And the best part? Penelope not only gets what she wants, she also gets to see a dark future for herself and Bentley through what happened to Sly and Carmelita.
The boys are confined separately unlike canon so Penelope and Carmelita can individually save their boyfriends. Tennessee, meanwhile, gets stuck with saving Murray.
Thieves In Time Redux Meme #9
For context, we see this happen midway through the El Jefe boss fight.
Before the boss fight, Penelope ran off towards the blimp without anyone seeing her. She has a decision to make when she sees Sly and El Jefe having their duel...
Yes, she does end up doing the right thing. She provides aerial support for Sly.
The others are fully aware she's gone missing. Yes, she does get scolded for running off when she comes back... primarily by Bentley. Though she is partially let off the hook for helping Sly.
The fact that she's being targeted by kidnappers doesn't help her case in the slightest.
At least she's only scolded for running off. That definitely beats getting reamed for the act of betrayal... That secret is still safe, BTW.
Something I've been thinking about lately is the shame around writing slowly, and how prevalent it is for people to be upset about not being able to write a lot really quickly. About how so much of writing advice is "how to write more faster," and how many people seeking advice are asking how to write a thousand words a day, and how big of an annual thing NaNoWriMo is because it's difficult but there's this general vibe of condescension for those who don't participate or who don't "win."
And I used to feel ashamed too. I'd get frustrated by my apparent inability to write more than a few hundred words in a sitting on a good day. I'd beat myself up for only managing my bare minimum of fifty words, I'd try again and again at NaNoWriMo and hate myself for not being able to do it.
But I've realized that if I didn't write slowly, my stories wouldn't be what they are. I wouldn't love them so much, because they wouldn't have become what they did - because they had time to bloom.
And I've also realized that while I have had moments in time where I wrote like that - multiple thousands of words a day for days or weeks on end - that's... not something I aspire to.
I write slow! That's okay!
I'm proud of writing slow. I'm proud of having gotten to the point where I put myself and my process before what others expect of me.
You don't need to be fast. You don't need to be ashamed.
And you don't need to want to be fast, either.
I certainly don't.
Thieves In Time Redux Meme #8
We all know where we want her to go...
One path leads to an epic redemption quest.
The other... Well, the less we say about that, the better.
DK House Donkey Kong 64 Rare / Nintendo Nintendo 64 1999
Thieves In Time Redux Meme #7
During Something's Fishy (Episode 1), instead of a hacking segment, we get a "protect Bentley" segment...
What Bentley thinks happened: Murray took out most of the guards. He's sure Penelope got at least a few of the smaller ones.
What actually happened: Murray and Penelope each took out half of the guards. Murray swears she took out a little more than half.
Is Murray trying to make his little sister look good? Maybe. But both of them did pull their weight. Too bad Bentley didn't see any of it...
Moral of the story: Don't underestimate this mouse girl. Sadly, that's a lesson Bentley won't fully learn until Episode 2's Jail Break...
Thieves In Time Redux Van
Remember the view of the van's sun visor? Those three photos it had? Instead of the Bentley/Penelope photo, we get this...
And at the end of Episode 4, it's replaced with a new photo starring these four as they are now, with Murray picking his brothers and sister up from behind. Cuuuuute!
I'd love to see someone draw that. Have Penelope sandwiched between Sly and Bentley. She is the main protagonist of my fanfiction, after all...
I'm assuming Carmelita takes the picture for them...
I'd draw it myself, but I'm no good at drawing art. Again, I'm just a writer with big ideas.
The other two photos can stay the same.
Another thing I like in Sly Cooper is how each game opens with the Cooper Gang having a conversation before a big heist– but the conversations are all very different because the characters are Growing Up™.
Like– in the opening Paris heist, Sly 1 Bentley is anxioUSLY SCREAMING about how nervous he is. But in the beginning of the Cooper Vault heist, Sly 3 Bentley is confidently and excitedly telling Sly that they’re going to pull off the Crime of the Century.
Sly 1 Murray is waiting in the van, Sly 3 Murray is “PUMPED” and ready to go out into the field.
Sly 2 Sly rolls his eyes at Bentley and makes fun of his dorky attempts to use code-names….. Sly 3 Sly is TOTALLY on board with Bentley’ dorky code-names and takes them very seriously, because he’s grown to respect Bentley so much more over the events of the previous games.
It’s just really sweet! The little thief children are growing up…..
Penelope: Who hurt you?
Bentley: What, you want a list?
Penelope: ...
Penelope, with her sword: Yeah, actually.
Penelope: It's amazing that Sly always looks so calm and composed.
Penelope: I wonder how he does it!
Sly, internally: fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck f