Trouble Beneath

Standing, feet deep under dark waters
As dripping echoes, instilling great fear
Stalagmites dangle, piercing jagged teeth
My frozen limbs hang from their weary joints
Feet trudge through the dank gloomy darkness
Hands searching and grasping at air
There seems no end to this empty expanse
As my eyes just see darkness of night
I wander endless awaiting some light
Praying for some life, a way to escape

Slithering tentacles slice through the night
Crying out I stumble, falling through an expanse
My body hits nothing, plunging through air
Hands and feet flailing out, a deepest fear
Gasping, my eyes are now greeted by darkness
I see it, a bright and welcoming light
The sudden truth relieving my clenched teeth
But even so, I feel my screaming joints
As I trudge away from the unforgiving waters
A reminder of my welcomed escape

UC Mutant Jetsam

Many have asked me, why the UC Mutant Jetsam? I have always loved the concept of the mutant Jetsam. Sharks are cool in my book, but a sea monster takes the cake. Mutant Jetsams have to be my favorite mutant pet because of the colour, posture, tentacles and overall scariness.

In my opinion, conversion ruined a lot of pets, alien aishas included. Some pets went through so much of a drastic change that you could barely recognize them anymore. You might not think the mutant Jetsam is one of them, but here's my problems with the converted version.

Figure A

Figure B

Here we have the Mutant Jetsam. In figure A, you have the converted version, the product of customization. In Figure B, you have the UC or Unconverted Mutant Jetsam, what they used to look like. Many would argue they are practically identical, but they're not. I have listed what I see as how the ruined Mutant Jetsams, with what bothers me the most at the top.

1. The Head: Unlike the converted version, UC mutant jetsams DON'T HAVE A HEAD. The body, running the full length of the creature, is the same thickness all throughout the "head" and torso. No neck is present, like it should be. In the converted version, there is distinct separation between the head and the rest of the body. 2. The Arms: When I think of a sea monster, I think of a giant beast who feels itself superior to others around it. UC mutant jetsams make me feel just that. With its "arms" at its side in the manner they are, he looks as if he is saying "I'm better then you, have a problem with that?" The converted mutant jetsam tells a whole different story. Instead of being an intelligent product of revenge, destruction, and terror, the converted version looks like he enjoys lifting imaginary weights. He puts on the bravado of a surfer dude, showing us his /lack of/ muscles. "HEY GUYS! CHECK OUT THESE GUNS! Think I could pick up some chicks?" 3. The Mouth: Simple rule of thumb: monsters should look scary. Yes, both versions have a very nice set of sharp teeth to do some damage with. My problem? The converted mutant jetsam has a smile. SCARY MONSTERS SHOULD'T BE SMILING. Ahem. Sorry about that. The UC jetsam looks like its going to bite the head of a dolphin that's a little too happy at the moment. Converted jetsams have the most corny and cheesy smile I have ever seen on a neopet. It freaks me out, seriously. It looks as if it's posing for a photo OP, not planning to wreck havoc on the marine populace. 4. The Nose: This explanation is quite simple. Converted mutant Jetsam's noses are way too big and squishy. It somewhat reminds of old people when they're noses are drooping off their faces (no offense to old people sag). The UC version is nice, firm, and it has sharp clean edges. In short, UC mutant jetsams are 100% better than their converted counterparts. They look stronger, scarier, and won't put up with any dung. I can't say the same for converted mutant jetsams.

You mean these guns aren't scary?



I'm not a big fan of customization, but its a preference I guess. I believe that pets stand out more, and seriously, pets don't wear clothes. I believe that if you want a unique pet, draw it uniquely. I realize not everyone it an artist, so I accept customization. Each one to his own. What I'm going at is, I have no need to put clothes on pets, or have them hold flowers, wear a top hat, etc etc. Currently, mutant pets cannot wear these things, but I believe they will be able to eventually. I will never be interested in putting clothes on my sea monster, so I will never be interested in converting him. Ever.

The art I've drawn of Arbanaba, from newest to oldest. His old design is at the bottom.