next up, for @robustlaser! i don't usually do the shrinky-style ones, so this was a fun challenge. i love joltik

The universe is ending! The law for the new universe is you can reuse your characters but you have to change their species. Phi, a fairy/didaskaloi hybrid is basically my self insert and what am i not gonna have a self insert for the next one??

Anyways a friend who has a species of bugs who build bodies out of fruits was telling me about some of the unlikely things that are technically fruits and that means this is his fault.

The flower is magically infused so like. Be careful if you smoke it.

Recently made a new member of the Trick family, whomst I have apparently never posted. Figure I should post all of 'em at once. The original Trick in the orange vest was before i decided on making full ref sheets. A lineage of magicians, the Trick family passes their entire identity down to pretend they're actually just a single person that's lived forever. They do this despite not looking identical and having different aesthetic preferences. Orange Trick is otherwise known as the Impossible Trick, who in current canon is the mother of the red Trick, otherwise known as the Firestarter, and is the father of the very brightly colored Trick, who is of course, the SparkleTrick.

These characters are from the Cosmosdex, which generally takes place in a game called Fortuna. In any given generated universe in the game, the order that they show up in is random. I think there are like, two other variations that exist by default.

Nea Kalliope Brumhare entered the mall when looking to get some parts to upgrade her pc. But like, Venture has got future tech and stuff, so she managed to get parts better than even existed in her home universe. After a mild adventure that she brushed off as having picked up a particularly strong strain, she managed to get back to Venture and find even more benefits than just sick pc upgrades. Like. The internet! These wireless speeds are as good as wired back home? And wired has literally no latency???? Across multiple universes??? She was pretty quick to find a way to move in. No rent even! Only downside is that her near constant state of high makes her somewhat susceptible to the experiments and shenanigans of the more mischievous members of the mall. But hey, the benefits are worth it.

i needed more characters in Venture that aren't shopkeepers to have available for miscellaneous things and I was like "what should I make" and my friends were like "just do whatever appeals to you" and I searched my heart and what appeals to me is a lanky stoner bunny lady it turns out

Hymn to the Earless God has 7 days left on Kickstarter!

If you liked Sea of Stars and Chained Echoes and want another Chrono Trigger inspired RPG that still feels unique, support it now while you can!

clowns that make you suddenly remember your adblocker has a ‘block element’ feature that you’ve never used before

https://artfight.net/~RobustLaser

I'm artfighting come fight me at art

Sahara Saber was an accomplished space military captain in her home universe, where political turmoil spanned across the galaxy and oft-centered around great godlike machines that paired with capable pilots dedicated to attuning themselves with them. This is not a Friends at the Table fan-character. This is just a tribute. She had attuned and allied herself with one of these machines before, but war is... well, it's war. Things happen. She managed to get out of there, and thanks to a desperate, but clever final maneuver, the battle was won and we was awarded for her actions. She would choose not to go into battle with another of these. Was this really worth commendation?

The greater military structure she served under, Signal (so named after the god-machine central to its organization), would for years after this largely send her on scouting missions. Sometimes leading a squadron, other times alone. Her reconnaissance skills were noted, and she had the clout to request less front-line combat missions with little issue. On one of these missions, the signal she was sent to investigate (it's what Signal does) was particularly peculiar. It took her to an allegedly abandoned asteroid research station. Practically a shack meant to study ore samples, or so it should have been. The front door of the station slid open effortlessly, thought it should have been secured with an electric lock. Inside it, instead of what she expected (a lab and crude living quarters), there was an entire shopping mall. Classically styled, as if it came straight from thousands of years in the past.* And certainly much larger than the meagre laboratory should have been able to hold.

She'd been seen upon entering by one of the mall's inhabitants, but they'd seemed uninterested. Had she been transported elsewhere in the galaxy? Not entirely unheard of, particularly with god-machine powers. But the signal was still in here, so surely Signal would have found a duplicate of the signal if it were elsewhere. Further investigating, she'd managed to find that the signal got stronger and weaker as she explored the mall. She also found that things were a little bit of a mess here. Clearly there had been fighting between the staff of various stores, half of them shuttered up, apparently working on repairs. Asking the inhabitants, they seemed to revere the shopping mall as if it were alive, and uncaring. She had not been the first to stumble her way upon the mall, and in fact, everybody here came from different worlds entirely, hoping for something better, and finding chaos. (Most of them also still claimed it was, actually, still better despite the complaints) As she approached the source of the signal, a simple, empty back office sized room, the presence felt familiar. Not distinctly recognizable... but a certain power to it like she'd been able to feel in an old friend. Was this mall one of them..? Certainly some god-machines were large enough to be considered locations into themselves, but most of them were mobile. Still... she may be uniquely qualified to do what the others within the mall were either unable, or unwilling to do. Talk to it. Closing her eyes and feeling the strongest source of the signal, she had what may have been the first conversation the mall actually had with anybody in a long time, if ever. It mostly seemed confused. It seemed like it wanted the best for those within it, but not everybody was enjoying their time within itself. It seemed to thrive on chaos, but gone unchecked, the chaotic elements it imported would simply cause problems for others. It wanted to be a home for those with nowhere else to go. At least, these were what Sahara managed to interpret its swirling mess of emotions and thoughts as. It was not human, and did not understand humans, or most living species really, as it certainly had more than just humans living within it. Sahara made up her mind faster than she had expected. She would stay and help. Nobody else could interpret the mall, at least, not like she could. She had a knack for management, and could relay information from the mall's occupants to the mall itself, and the other way around. She would be the Interpreter. The war back home... could do without her. She no longer believed in what she had fought for anyways, and perhaps this was the excuse she needed to escape. She tried to get a name, but mostly got a vague sense of what it stood for. Which, of course, she was no stranger to. That was how God-machines worked anyways. The mall stood for keeping things interesting, and exciting experiences. It stood for ushering others into the unknown. Given its form, naturally it stood for commerce. She called it Venture. *A different calendar of years was used by her time, since months and days by Earth standards doesn't make sense across hundreds of planets, but by our standards, her year would have been about the 4500s.

The year is 22XX.  Aliens have landed and war has been declared.  On their side is Dr. Fuschia Lorrè (an assumed name, obviously), defected from her kind to use their advanced technology to help develop incredible weapons for the Earth military forces.  Arguably this is because she didn't agree with the other aliens' assault on the planet, but she's got mad scientist tendencies and the humans gave her way more freedom in what she was allowed to make.

Eventually, however, the war ended, and in a move surprising everybody, a true lasting peace came between the two worlds and even largely on the worlds themselves!  Even Dr. Lorrè's defection and subsequent war criminal status was forgiven. wow incredible also nobody needs her cool weapons any more. She tried opening up a commercial defense shop (named it Stopper) to sell her wares to the masses.  Less destructive, due to like, laws and stuff.  But nobody was biting.

Failing store, however, makes you a prime candidate to be picked up by Venture.  Venture is like, a little bit weirdly antiviolence. Not that it's weird to be antiviolence but there are several stores in the mall that specialize in swords or spears, but guns are a no-go?  Dr. Lorrè wasn't completely happy, but... she could make it work.  She likes a challenge.  There's wilder technology than even she was familiar with before, and maybe she could work in some of this literal magic that's available. Yeah. Yeah this could work.

So, hey. She might not be allowed to permanently harm or kill anybody with her weapons, but there's a lot of interesting ways you can stop people regardless. Come to stopper for unique methods of security... or, if you come at a bad time, possibly experience it firsthand.

SCAVENGER, a popular cartoon about a boar adventurer named Claribel Scavenger, and a rotating selection of sidekicks, including her son, Sonny Scavenger, who in season 2, touched a cursed idol that changed her into a girl. This plot point for some reason goes unresolved by the end of the episode and just kinda sticks. 

The show was vaguely 30sish, like, Indiana Jones sort of setting, with occasional anachronism for retro-futuristic technology and such.  

Claribel is boisterous and lucky, always ready to venture into ancient tombs full of traps and curses, a little bit for treasure, but mostly for the excitement.  Often there’s an excuse as to why plundering these ancient treasures is totally cool but like. Y’know.  She’s absurdly lucky, far moreso than her companions. The recurring gag is of course that she makes stunts and evasion look effortless and then whoever’s with her this episode just totally pratfalls their way through.  Her luck extends to pretty much everything, too. Never play cards against her. Never play cards against her.

Sonora was the shy, quiet type who got dragged along adventures largely against her will.  She was a little nerd who would rather have spent all her time in the movie theater or maybe just school in one place for an extended period of time, although by the start of season 3, she became notably more confident in her adventuring. Still would rather watch movies.

By the end of the series, Claribel opened up her own little curio shop, to show off and sell some of the treasures she’d acquired over the years, with Sonora, grown up now, being absolutely pleased to manage the store.  Despite the famous name attached to it, the fact that Claribel was never there (a true adventurer never retires!) and the fact that everything was either too expensive or just straight up cursed meant that it was not a popular destination.

Naturally, some of the multiverse out there shows up as tv shows in other universes. Infinite possibilities and all that. That’s how Claribel’s Trades got picked up by Venture and Sonora was whisked away to a world much different than her own.

This is where she discovered Hot Topic, and fell in love immediately.

Claribel, after reconnecting with her missing shop, was absolutely ecstatic about the possibility of visiting other worlds.  Think of the new and exotic tombs to explore that she had never dreamed of! Now she truly never had to retire!

Claribel loves being recognized and recounting her escapades with fans.  Sonora mostly just finds it uncomfortable when people know very specific details about her life.  Still, she likes it here. It’s cool, and now you can watch videos on a phone, which you can take with you. Crazy.

Evelyn was created by a monster, and the villagers that were out to spill his blood would have agreed, had she not beaten them to it.  Not being as mindlessly destructive as the scientist’s other creations did much to dissuade the angered townsfolk from immediately taking out their aggression on her, but it did little to gain their trust.  Her attempt at integrating in with their society went poorly, being nearly twice as tall as the average of them.  Her tailoring work was exquisite, but the business was doomed from the start, perhaps setting a new record for time from business opening to being captured by Venture.

Evelyn is stone-faced and fucking massive, which even in a mall full of weirdos and monsters, tends to unnerve people.  Yet, despite her demeanor and the fact that she absolutely has killed (see above), she’s calm, empathetic, and tries to be helpful in as few words as possible.  

She runs the shop Stitches, a tailor that’s easily one of the best in the mall.  Also despite her size, she’s got a fine hand with a needle. She’ll be the first to admit creative design isn’t her strong suit, and the ready-to-buy clothes on the rack are extremely well made, and very functional, but not particularly eye catching.  But you can be sure that if you’ve got fabric needs and know what you need, it will be done flawlessly. Clothing is the most common, but she’s been known to do plush-making, furniture upholstery, and... well she picked up a thing or two about surgery from her upbringing.

Evelyn actually is a bit annoyed at how often people come to her instead of one of the myriad of healers in the mall for patch-ups.  Of course her creator was a mad scientist, which means she’s a bit more talented than many mudnane surgeons.  She can attach limbs practically like lego, even if they’re limbs that shouldn’t be there, and if she’s out of fresh skin for a graft, she can use some fabric in a pinch and it’d feel so natural you’d almost swear you were born with a floral patterened shoulder. 

But she’s a people pleaser.  So once one person got a cool fabric skin graft, people started occasionally showing up just for aesthetic surgery without even being injured.  It is what it is, she supposes.

Evelyn is dating Wrenfall Dander, another mall store owner who’s shop is usually located right next to hers.  Evelyn is the responsible one.  She is also generally fine with Wren getting up to shit, she just makes sure that xe doesn’t get too many people upset with xir.

Wrenfall Dander is one of the storeowners in the mall that’s quick to try and be all buddy-buddy if xe notices you’re new to the place.  Because it’s much easier to take advantage if you don’t already know xir reputation.  It’s fine, xe helps you out, and you do xir an easy favor later.  Nothing to it.

Xe will collect on that favor.

Wren runs a store called Copy Cat, which is described as a sort of antique store, holding all sorts of things on the shelves with no obvious category to tie them together.  “Replicas,” xe says xe specializes in.  Xe can put together a realistic copy of anything you bring in.  So, y’know. Counterfeitting.  Xe’s a counterfeiter, in a shopping mall.  Xe can even replicated enchantments or curses if you need!  Magic’s a bit unpredictable but it should be close enough.

Xir girlfriend, Evelyn, does try to keep xir relatively in check. Also gives xir these fun patches when xe gets into a scrape.

Back on xir home world, xe was considered a bit of a freak, due to the excessive level of ‘beast’ features on display. It was what forced xir business into near closure at the hatred of the other people of xir world, and being rescued by the mall. Even though the mall is a more inclusive place, xe still tends to keep xir paws covered up where it wouldn’t be overly weird.  Luckily boots and magic gloves are a very functional excuse for that.  

now admittedly getting a bit carried away with scams probably didn’t help xir business back home but let’s not talk about that

Sunny! Venture’s friendly* IT** robot. 

I mean, she acts friendly for sure. And yeah, IT is part of her job. Supposedly it’s one of the more important parts, maybe less so than logistics (it takes a lot to make sure places can get deliveries from countless multiple universes).  Security is where she really says she’s relied upon.  Being plugged into the surveillance system gives her a good overview of the mall, and many of the mall’s security bots come from her server room. She’s not the head of security but definitely acts like it.

Of course, with all these responsibilities, her resources are just so strained! Venture is very large and there are all these interdimensional internet lines to keep open, she could surely use more help, or more security bots to help keep track of things or maybe at least an extra copy machine in here for all these invoices that go through her.  Hey, maybe you can be that copy machine?

Her wire body contains connections for all imaginable plugins for any device, and even some unimaginable plugins, including at least one that can plug directly into a person.  It turns out if you feed the right information into somebody, they can start thinking like a machine, and even become a robot or machine themselves!  It is encouraged that she lets people know fully in advance what is involved with being 'hired' by her.  She doesn't see what's the big deal.  Now where did she keep that extra toner?

I should do a little explainer post for Venture but it’s really just an excuse to put a whole bunch of different character types into one setting to play with.

Venture is an interdimensional shopping mall that exists definitely outside of space and possibly outside of time?? Questionable.  Basically, it keeps a look out for shops throughout different worlds that are struggling, on the verge of disappearing, and most importantly: being staffed by somebody with nowhere else to go.  It then abducts them and their whole store while they aren’t paying attention, lets them go on a little journey of self discovery to decide if they want to stay with it (they almost always do), and then has them join the myriad of interdimensional weirdos that staff the mall.

There’s more to it, like how it gets customers that aren’t just shopkeepers, but that’s the gist.  Ros here comes from a world much like our own.  They were working at a board game store called CARD-BOARD when they got scooped up. Met a dwarf who gave them some magic pixie transformation lotion, a girl with detachable limbs, and the IT robot for the mall with some questionable motives.  After that, they were pretty happy to take over the store, especially since it turns out being a fairy is Pretty Gender.  

jfc the last time I posted art was 2020. I should do that again.

Professor Phosis has sent out her acceptance notes and it's time to get these kobold bots into the lab to help out 🔧 … or be experimented on :> don't worry, they'll be restored to factory settings eventually!

this is the only one of these i can post on tumblr -- if you want to see the rest of the robolds i've been posting them at hhazardart@twitter!

mawile tf for robustlaser!