The Monster Under the Bed by Brandon Shane is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
The Monster Under the Bed
“Embrace your fear.”
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Oh hey, it’s the other main character. Haven’t seen him since last year.
Yes, 8 months! I did the math.
Finally… Well, Brandon, even more time since both main characters were in the same page, I wouldn’t be surprised if it is more than a year… Long time, too long !
Completely unrelated question to what’s happening here, but as a new reader there’s a bit of unknown lore instilling a lot of curiosity. What do the monsters get out of collecting fear, and why’s it even the status quo? Surface life seems better than theirs, so what’s stopping them from just murdering humans at night and taking over as the dominant species?
Genetic disposition, essentially. They do it because it makes them feel good. Shadow talks about it way back.
Something just seems off about their society. You established they enjoy eliciting fear, but the huge role it plays in their lives made it seem more like they’re collecting it for a greater purpose whether they know it or not. Then there’s whatever Terminus is trying to accomplish, which makes it sound like Nox is more like a prison regardless of whether they originated there or were mostly sealed off from the surface. Knowledge was lost over time and even though they can portal between worlds, most are just accustomed to their current lifestyle and don’t see a reason to question it.
Whatever that doctor’s abduction was about adds another layer to challenging the current state of affairs, but since that may play a larger role in the plot there’s no point in spoiling it.
It’s a cozy post-apocalypse. Just inside a maze full of arcanotech and with slightly weird population.
The Axle remains broken, Nox is filled with ruins yet to be cleared and those old security doors stay closed.
But the locals are mostly safe, and have enough of infrastructure up and running, including logistics of feed-on-fear. Even if they eat hydroponic slop and have access to very few useful sub-networks of portals (practically they use 2).
So the current generation is at the point where youngsters get bored wander off to hug some humans and/or get ambitious and pursue dangerous grand ideas. It’s not quite common, but we have seen 2.5 in 2 groups already (Nightmare counts as 1/2 because she wanted something great, but is a follower, not a trailblazer).
They aren’t collecting fear at all. The Aegis simply reads and tabulates it as a number. The numbers add up and that creates a ranking system.
It seems like they’re not in prison, except to the extent that they’re in a prison of their own making. After all, *they* can leave. It’s the humans who can’t get to them.
They’re basically in an ideal stronghold. From where they are, they can get to their prey all over the world. But their prey can’t get to them. Thus, they have no need to be at war with the humans, regardless of what the normal human reaction would be to knowing that Nox has at least two portals to every affluent child’s bedroom and uses them to terrorize their children.
Pouting time while eating pizzas? Giga lol! Aren’t they like the teenage ninja turtles?
So, Tim has invited two classmates to meet Shadow, whose existence is a secret, without telling her, and the last time he saw her they got into a fight over one of the aforementioned classmates? Why don’t I envision this ending well?
Because you’re not aware of the “it’ll be fine” meme.
Don’t worry. I’m sure it’ll be fine. How could it possibly go wrong?
That said, you have neglected to mention the relationship Shadow and Marcy had prior to this. Of course, there’s no reason to, as I’m sure that won’t play *any* role in the impending disaster that we’re not about to see, because everything will be fine.
Wait what? Shadow & Marcy? How did you figure that out….?
And now for something completely different.
There’s a change of the wind and Marcy is STUCK with this as her pernanent expression.
All the while hitching up her bosom like some elderly matron. 😀
Shadow & Midnight emerge from under the bed and recognise Craig the Bully. After a shock-horror and some unsatisfactory explanation Midnight rips Craig’s chin-fluff right off (gaining a daily record of fear points) while Shadow carries out her earlier plan of shearing Marcy’s head with scissors (unevenly).
Should I continue?
Midnight has never met Craig, and she doesn’t much care for Tim either! So… yeah. She probably won’t enter this scenario!
But otherwise pretty spot-on, Brandon?
Depending on whether Nightmare followed after overhearing about Tim and knows where to enter his room now, she could crash the party before Shadow even gets there. It’d be a hell of a way to sideline the current relationship drama.
Although Middnight’s already been to Tim’s place (to threaten him, see P92 & 93) so SHE knows the way, I dunno what Nighty knows.
Is Middy strong enough to hold out against torture and keep Tim’s address mum?
Does she think it’s important enough even to try or would she spill?
Midnight wasn’t a factor in the previous reasoning, it was all about how far along Terminus’ plan really is and the fact Nightmare’s gotta be pissed for being brushed aside. If she doesn’t have enough information on Tim to confront him personally in an attempt to regain favor, imagining her attacking Midnight for it while Shadow is in Moonlight’s care sounds believable.
Will we ever get to see Marcy naked, I wonder?
I certainly agree that Nightmare is so angry at Terminus’s actions that she would torture ANYBODY just for her own emjoyment.
Let’s hope that Brandon doesn’t give her the idea that Midnight knows worthwhile information to be extracted. {After all, the Author’s in charge}
Small query, but why does Marcy dress like she’s headed to an office? She’s wearing a pink and maroon Anne Taylor loft ensemble that I’ve never seen on anyone under 40 rocking a double buttoned midi demi skirt complete with her v neck being tucked in. Which is, kinda redonkulous.
FWIW from the female perspective here, if I was a hot chesty blonde teenager trying to get this exceedingly Sean-faced Tim here to like me (Which, I was, and 2 were actually named Sean, one Brandon (No relation), and a couple others) the approach would be completely different. I’d be in a tight, I mean 2 sizes too small, video game themed shirt (I used Devil May Cry/Soul Calibur II) for instance, with a choker necklace and low rise dark, dark jeans and leave the hair long because all the stupid hot video game characters do that. Then know just as much as him about the nerd stuff he likes, then beat him at said video games 2 times and let him win on the 3rd.
Poor Marcy here looks like she’s stuck in an office where they deliver condescending pats as rewards for good phone call answering, while both the guys more or less have spot on clothes for what I’d expect them to wear.
From a male perspective, I’ve now been told for at least 30 years, that it’s inappropriate for me to comment on female choices of attire.
IRL it’s dangerous, in these days of the “MeToo movement” even to admit that (as a man) I notice and can differentiate between the outfits women chooose.
Other than that I’m not prepared, Emmy, to comment on your thesis.
Being real, if you didn’t want to be creepy about it, you could have like, just not replied instead of being highkey sullen about it. But to hopefully provide some positive context it’s not “Dangerous” to comment on a woman’s outfit. It’s dangerous to creep on people. Critical difference. There’s quite a lot of difference between “I like your outfit, really dig the skirt it has a good lay and the material’s awesome” and “Girl butt look good”. One’s an actual comment, the other’s more of a statement of intent. Is that… in some way helpful? Like no one should be scared to talk to each other. That’s not a good way to be. It’s just a good idea to also remember we’re all people and deserve a bit of mutual respect.
Emmy, I’ve learned that I know (and care) little about the technicalities of textile and tailoring, so that the “good lay” of a fabric is totally a mystery to me.
I can comment in no more detail about an outfit that “I like it” (or not) so it IS danerous for me to voice my comments at any time. The response that I expect and have received is “Who cares what you like?” witha varying emphasis on either the second or fourth word.
Ihave no idea what a “highkey sullen” might be but I shall receive it as uncomplimentary.
Well, I was responding to the confrontational comment you had made, in short, it sounds heavily like you’re coming off as if you’re throwing around all sorts of commentary, even going so far as to lump women talking about harassment as some sort of inane privilege. If that’s not what you meant, you may wish to reword it. It was very demeaning and insulting.
Also, you don’t seem to be too concerned about leaving commentary about much anything else, as you literally reply to everyone across this comic, about anything. I replied earlier as an effort to instead of argue to bother with it further, to hopefully explain and uplift, but it appears you’ve doubled down on idle insult and elitism. With respect, I probably won’t continue, but I don’t think ill at all, I just don’t want to have trouble on a web comic.
Now now, everybody get along, or simply ignore whatever you don’t like!
Well, wow. It seemed to me that Tomokato simply wanted to give some diplomatic answers. I don’t see how any of those are “demeaning and insulting”.
IMO, the dress Marcy’s wearing should be accepted simply as her own style. I’m not saying that she’s not a bit off with whatever she does for getting Tim’s attention, but we’ll see how it’s gonna work out. Personally she doesn’t give me this “stuck in an office” vibe, it’s really not that bad.
Thank you, Salborg.
That is not at all how I would see that. Clearly I’m not alone either.
Way to come across as a butthurt Red Pill neckbeard type tho. :/
Haha, honestly, I just like the look. I never pictured Marcy as the videogame type, or even the pants wearing type. She’s sort of a prissy, too-good-for-you, out of your league-type girl. I think she may be a rich girl.
Fair enough. Well, I can say as a reformed “Ashley” if ya dig me, in my meanest mean girls days I’d probably be sporting a cami or low box cut (The 90 degree angles show off the assets) and I will say if you’re searching for bratty, twintails is def the right choice. But the skirt would likely be a pleat. It infers that you have bodacious thighs without directly showing them off. Leaving multiple crucial days between having to wax/shave. It’s probably just the skirt if I think about it that looks really out of place. It’s a very mature look for a very immature type.
Oh god damn it no!!!! I find this comic and read the whole thing in 2 hours, rip.
Oof! 😅
The dates started so long ago, it’s not my fault, how would I know I 100% needed to pace myself. ;-;
2 hours!? That’s dedication
I’m hoping that there will be an update soon.