I’m usually not a fan of Fliqpy x Flaky but I like what you’re doing with this.
Most fall into two categories: one has Flaky visibly uncomfortable and scared while Fliqpy’s enjoying it, some sort of abusive relationship: the other has Fliqpy as he normally is and Flaky flanderised into “I love my boyfriend who likes to kill everyone!”, completely removing Flaky’s anxiety.
I’ve seen art of Flaky blissfully dreaming of Fliqpy holding Cuddles’ beheaded head, which seems a bit out of character for them.
Can’t wait to see more from you, your art is peak
Personally i think the appeal (that i personally find) in the two is that Flaky is anxious and fearful, but because of that, they know ways to help Flippy/Fliqpy cope with his triggers.
Loud noises and social gatherings too much? Well, i have an extra pair of noise cancelling headphones you can have, so you don't get overwhelmed. The smell of smoke or fire upsetting? I've got an extra face mask--and a little solid perfume helps block it out.
I think alot of people like to keep Fliqpy just as violent as in canon when they pair him with Flaky, but i prefer to tone down the murder-hobo-ness in favor of delving more into him as a means of survival now spiralled out of control/no longer fit for the environment he lives in, shaped by the W.A.R. and discarded afterward. In short, i see him more as "cornered shelter dog" than "murder-happy", and i think, even if he laughs it off when he's set off--he doesn't want to always find himself tripping into warzones, killing to survive (by his perception).
And, well. Flaky knows how that feels. Not the killing part, but, about feeling like the world is a minefield. But they can walk it together. (Yes they will explode a few times, in HTF fashion. But hey--maybe they keep eachother from misstepping when they can.)
I need u to know ur version of the Tiger General has singlehandedly made me interested in him as a character... hes become a part of the happy tree friends universe in my mind palace so thank you for that ❤️🔥
Awwwww, im so honored to hear that!!! Im glad you like him that much! Here, i wanted to make you a little mini-comic thing as thanks, plus to give you more content of him to enjoy-
Me when my nemesis doesn't see my attempts to kill him as such. ("Oh he's so silly, that old bear." "YOU SHOULD BE DEAD-")
Let it be known that with like, 90% of my SamLyle posting, unless explicitly stated otherwise, Sam is unaware of the stalking.
I say this because i need to devise a way for their relationship to crash and burn in most spectacular and devastating fashion when the secret comes out, and for that i must work on it until it is perfect. I need betrayal and grief and fear of the highest caliber, my good sir. In the meantime it's simply stacking the cards higher with each nice moment they have. Unfortunately for them i have a particularly large sledgehammer readied and im gettin' antsy.
im curious how is general tiger still alive in your au? and are sneaky and mouse kaboom still alive aswell or are they still dead in a ditch somewhere lol-
Very glad you asked! Admittedly i didn't think of a reasoning at the time, but i have one for you now! Yes it involves the Idol.
Okay so: Specifically at the base involved in O:TB, they had the Idol there and were studying it/keeping it from enemy hands while they waited for further orders regarding it. This is when Flippy and his buddies launch their attack. As things do, and as Flippy at the time was very inept at actual combat, everything goes cattywampus, as we know. However, since Flippy has his first little episode here and promptly scurries off to another base to wreak havoc--he's not around when the remaining researchers at the initial base pry at the Idol a liiiittle too sharply--and by some strange means, find not only their previously mangled troops trudging back to their posts, but their General himself, though barely alive, alive nonetheless at the bottom of a nearby cliff.
As for Sneaky and Mouse, suddenly finding themselves in critical condition and stranded in enemy territory, scramble whichever way they first turn and get the hell out of there. They both have their own feelings regarding what happened, which we'll get into--
Now! Character specific rambles, au story, and headcanons under cut!
MKB: The last thing he remembers is a massive explosion, (fitting, he figures) and a mad scramble out of the jungle to the coastline at it's edge. Not keen on lingering behind enemy lines, he scraps together a vessel from cargo crates and broken vehicle parts and gets himself the hell outta there. He mostly does the same now--with an admittedly more impressive ship that he sails--finding that he can find a surprising amount of discarded explosive ordnance on the beach from shipment mishaps. He's quite pleased with himself all things considered. He's something of a pirate now, he supposes, scouring any and all the beaches he can find and promptly exploding anyone who gets in his way. He wouldn't admit it to most people, but--the explosives were the only reason he joined the military. Anyway--he's set up camp on one particular shore for now, more and more dangerous and outlandish munitions seeming to turn up by the day at his doorstep--shipstep? Either way, he's got no reason to leave for now. Besides, the forest here is quite pretty.
Sneaky: Similarly, he woke up in a mess of blood and shrapnel behind enemy lines, and with a horrible pain in his chest to boot. He tried to make his way back to his side's encampment, to no avail. He did, however, eventually stumble upon normal civilization. Though his morals told him to turn back, to not dare leave his duty behind--he couldn't will himself to carry on such a task. Hunkering down in back alleys and dark corners of society, still with his ruined pride and admitted taste for blood, he took up the mantle of a hired killer. Though he could no longer camouflage himself fully, he still made quite the proficient mercenary. He rarely divulges any of his own past to his employers, or really anyone who asks--believing himself permanently on the run for "deserting" his squad and place in the fight. Going by "Jackie" now, and having travelled far from where he started this new trail of bloodshed--he hasn't forgotten his original mission, nor the hollow pressure against his ribs. His own personal hit has him heading to a small town, quite far away. If his information is right, maybe he can finally rest easy knowing he finally fufilled his task from years ago.
Tiger General: Recovered in quite the sorry state by his soldiers and subsequently sent off for proper medical attention, TG was promptly and honorably dismissed from his position in the army. Now, he didn't actually mind this one bit, you see. Though hazy, memories of gruesome fighting and bone-splitting pain were enough to have him not object to his early retirement. Besides, he wasn't in a state to have to do similarly again--his intestines and stomach sewn back together, bones in splints and casts from his assumed fall off the cliffside--and his face, though not recovered, replaced with the closest approximation the surgeons could manage. So he left, in more pieces than he arrived, and for awhile was somewhat aimless. He didn't really have anyone to go back to, nor anything he expected to pursue afterwards. He hadn't imagined there'd be an afterwards. But--he did like cooking. That was the strangest thing about all that commotion he had emerged from. That soldier, the one that went on to brutalize him and his soldiers--had brought, and failed to execute an assault with--a...pizza. And it was good, too! One pleasant thing about all that mess...so he figured he'd latch onto that, for what it was worth. He's no more than a stay-at-home chef, but he enjoys it greatly. He tries to recreate that pizza from time to time, never perfectly, but still. He's moved around a bit now, trying to find a nice place to properly settle down--when he hears about a nice little town in the middle of a forest. Though far away, it sounds oddly enticing, almost supernaturally so. Hopefully the neighbors are nice..!
SAM MONSTER POLYUCLE WHERE SAM AND SHADOW HAVW COMMUNICATED AND SAM LOKE. GETS IT/KNOWS RHAT ITS. OH MY FOD!! SCREAMS!! THE ART IS SO GOOD AND CUTE AND . AMAZING BTW. They mean so much to me oughhh
Hehee, i like shadow as a fragment of Sam that broke off and exists as a kind of paradoxical part of him throughout his lifetime. In non in-depth writing i take the literal path of "mask", thus masking, a personification of possible neurodivergent traits/experiences that goes through life with him. So now since they're essentially the same person and Shadow is content not trying (and repeatedly failing) to reclaim it's portion of their humanity, they kinda just exist together and it finds that in a way, they kinda get that humanity back anyway via being entwined with the human Sam in this new lifepath that they haven't relived or bounced around moments of thousands of times.
Anyway uhhh yeah existing with a compartmentalized part of yourself not as a stranger but as in fact a part of you and feeling more whole as a result or something, SamShadow lives on in my heart.
HI SAME ANON WHO SENT THE PREV ASK ABT THE MONSTER POLYCULE POST HERE. THATS SO REAL AXTUALLY OH MY GOD. SCREAMING REALLY REALLY REALLY LOUD/POS I too am neurodivergent (if it. Wasn’t obvious from how I type/j) and. that’s actually so real idk how to explain it’s just !!!AGHHHHH/pos. Only semi related but tbh that’s sorta part of why I like Leigh as a character sm:3 her whole thing just sorta screams like. finally being able to stop pretending ur someone ur not etc (she also lowkey can be read as trans coded for similar reasons + her . 2.0 stuff). I was going to say something cooler and smarter but I forgot
Im so glad you like my take on them!! I feel like Shadow really works for that type of symbolism give their mannerisms and way of interacting are very distilled verisons of traits that i'd associate with neurodivergency, at least in my experiences. While im not formally diagnosed, i feel like the way Shadow acts is very relatable, very "quiet kid who wants to make friends/interact with people but doesn't quite understand how it all works" type of way. Quiet, giving what would be considered odd gifts (i will give you rocks and dead insects personally), not understanding social norms and/or potentially boundaries. I suppose even though they're the mask itself, they're kinda the opposite in character with how im portraying them. Of course i wanna make them much more nuanced than this, but i have alot of various small projects im bouncing between as of rn and i have not gotten to getting in depth with what exactly they represent for Sam-
Leigh, she's a fun one. I do quite like her character, letting loose after being so pent up from having to keep up appearances, leaning fully into the monster the visitor made of her. Very cathartic tbh-
In the same vein, its nice to see her story continued on in 2.0, the potential for her to be Leigh and the Beast. I hadn't realized, but i guess i did a similar dynamic with Sam and the Shadow in that regard.
Im biased as hell since im a Tomato fan but honestly with all the silly nasally voices he does it works imo, but point is he's my personal headcanon voice for Lyle. Also just go watch Tomato he's funny.
The temptation to make a pre-visitor Lyle ask blog is growing within me. Basically an interest check but theres a ramble under the cut.
Totally not because of my fic. But i also want an excuse to draw more of my human Lyle for responses. I love him. And i need him tormented by anons who know the horrors he's both perpetrated and is due to go through.
BUT WHAT IF
I DO A 15 DAY ASK BLOG GIMMICK ADJACENT TO THE FIC-
I should probably finish the fic first though. For spoilers sake. Oh whatever. I'll make it and then start the gimmick once it has some traction.
