Monroe Gretblit: "Good day. Anyone around here?"

Sonata: "Hello, bud. I am Sonata. Where are you calling from?"

Monroe: "I am Monroe Gretblit, calling from the Fugitive Association's main building in Mantorra, Old Lion."

Sonata: "Never heard of it."

Monroe: "Do you know the Scatterblox? We are their creators, living in a system known as the Choonieverse. Gogozoonia is our 'portal' to the Serververse. Have I reached out to another domain?"

Sonata: "You have reached out to the Dreamipalago Domains, and yes, we too are from the Serververse. Scatterblox visit our homes sporadically, but I never had insights into who created them until today."

Monroe: "I am part of a team dedicated to investigating the Serververse. While we were at it, I heard a soothing melody. I knew I needed to check it out, but I struggled looking for its source."

Sonata: "I'm the one behind that melody. Normally, I am a shy Dream Friend, but you seem trustful, despite I don't know what you are."

Monroe: "I want to know more about these Dreamipalago Domains (bud, what a hard name to get used to); we're soon to release our research and it'd be useful if we could have some insights from a local."

Sonata: "You can count on me. The Dreamipalago Domains are where the dreams and nightmares of the outside come to life and gather around. We are known as the Dream Friends, but we are not the only ones here: our enemies, the Darknights, are here to build chaos wherever they put their claws. What's worse is that our overseers are more conflicted than ever before, and we don't know why. I knew of this through my observatory, but since I don't trust many Dream Friends, I kept the insights to myself. (Until today, of course)."

Monroe: "Thank you, Sonata. In the Fugitive Association, we make sure all information is well cared for, even in public reports. Speaking of nightmares, we did find one of those nightmare-fueled creatures and tried disrupting our results..."

Sonata: "It must've been a Darknight. Beware of their presence, no matter what."

Monroe: "We'll consider it. Thanks again."

*Click...*

Greetings. This is Cryonema.

I would have recorded this message, but Ikaware insisted me to write it. It is difficult to write with legs like mine, so he helped me write and correct where necessary.

Anyway. For the first time, I see human faces. I was forced to resist the temptation of hurting them; however, these humans were anything but hostile, and they wanted information about Trigma Corporation; they had been researching a person who WANTS TO RESURRECT THE COMPANY. Do they want to bring back environmental pollution? Exhaustion? Disrespect towards machines?!

I comprehend I only have a few years since I have woken up, but I have noticed that the changes Streamisp underwent must have taken all those centuries. Alas, these humans were not from Streamisp, but from a planet called ‘Earthoon’, and belonged to an organization named the ‘Fugitive Association’. Never in life have I heard of either.

The subject in question was named ‘Axodus Wagner’, and while I have no idea who they are, just by receiving information about resurrecting Trigma Corporation was enough to ignite my fury. From what they have told me, the ‘Fugitive Association’ has a supercomputer connecting them to a ‘Serververse’, which they have researched and discovered a domain potentially created by Trigma Corporation. Even though it meant me and Ikaware leaving Sky Industry, we took them to Cryo Valley. Trigma Corporation Facility Alpha still has a long way to go with its thawing at the time of writing this.

Among the rooms I had no idea about included one holding a supercomputer. The central screen did not have as many layers of ice as everything else. With my help, the ‘Fugitive Association’ accessed the supercomputer, proving their theory true. Everything in it, however, was frozen over. We needed to look further into that domain, so I created and sent a sentry to investigate a random biome.

The sentry almost got lost in centimeters of snow, but its self-heating core could melt a small radius of its surroundings. The true surface was circuity and pulsed with each step. How was I restricted from accessing this centuries ago? We could not stay with crossed arms (or legs in my case), so we searched elsewhere in the domain. That was where we met a master machine, also frozen in time.

I pushed through layers of ice and security and deciphered it all: SMKRL (spelled ‘Smokarole’), the AVATAR of Innovation, overseer of Tetraworx Induspark, created by Trigma Corporation. I could not get close to it because its ice was not from eternal winter; I can only describe the defense mechanism as ‘malware tentacles’. The ‘Fugitive Association’ felt it gathered enough information about the domain and will send some people to investigate it further. Just maybe, they will get a Streamispian organization to help.

Ikaware has allowed me to take some time out of Sky Industry to learn more about this ‘Fugitive Association’ and who wants to bring back Trigma Corporation. Even though visitors from other planets have been friendly (from what Lavoamy and Obsoloak told me), I will be sure to keep my composure as an alien construct. (I may also ask for help with Cryobitt. I could use feedback from humans.)

Cosmagun may be younger than Tonnexa, but it was the sponsor that brought it to stardom. Its chairman: Nebulus Ultranova, self-proclaimed Captain of the Cosmos. Thanks to Tonnexa’s popularity, Cosmagun took a few weeks to become a multimillionaire company.

The generation grew old, but did not want their skills to go to waste. This was where Nebulus got the idea of a machine that would keep them active until their departure. With the earned money, exhaustive research, and feedback from those involved, Stardron was born. The Stardron Operating System (StardronOS) was conceived a few days before the project was completed.

The main purpose of Stardron was to provide an artificial, strong companion for anyone who asked for it; while Tonnexa was a big part of its identity, it could also assist with certain activities. After all, one of Cosmagun’s biggest promises guaranteed respect and accessibility. Given its demand, Nebulus instructed the creation of clones; the original model was since labeled Stardron Zero. However, it could no longer step outside to help others, only those in Cosmagun’s Sumphis facility. Despite this, Stardron Zero held no resentment; Nebulus would visit it every now and then to polish the skills of one another.

Then, Stardron Zero’s core was hijacked, converting it into a machine which purpose was only to wreak havoc everywhere it went; the culprit remains unknown. Stardron Zero entered Middle Space Kingdom and did not show mercy to anyone on its way to the command center. As soon as Nebulus was notified, he confronted it. Their fight was a feast of mauling and bloodshed. He thought it was over when he cried his vital energy; if it weren’t for StardronOS sending the first Elite clones to neutralize Stardron Zero, Nebulus would have been done for. He stood in Frutropolis during the 16 months of his recovery.

Meanwhile, StardronOS also found itself in a dead end. Stardron Zero was quarantined, but it did not want the 750 clones to suffer the same way. It moved them all inside the facility, trained them for hours at a time, and reduced its purpose to solely participate in Tonnexa. As soon as StardronOS learned of Nebulus’ return to Sumphis, it lifted its restrictions and continued producing Stardron clones.

Nebulus still had faith in the project, but he knew that Stardron Zero was too powerful for him. He injected a portion of his vital energy into the core of what became Stardron No. 1011; he had just contributed to the conception of a superweapon. It could outperform all its kind, but it had one major flaw…

Videogames are part of my identity; they have been accompanying me since I have memory. There’ve been plenty of games I just couldn’t stop playing or thinking about, like Professor Layton, Skylanders, Disney Infinity, and Splatoon.

But none has impacted me as much as ARMS. What’s seen as a simple, yet wacky sports game has shaped multiple aspects about my persona; some took a while to sprout, but it was part of the reasoning behind them. It is my idea of utter happiness and my new stress relief when times become tough.

It accompanied me since launch

May 2017. We had just bought a Nintendo Switch, and we looked forward to its first year. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe might’ve been our first Switch game, but as weeks flew by, I learned about another one, scheduled to be released on June 16th: ARMS. I didn’t buy the game until early July, when did our monthly USA shopping. By the time I joined, Max Brass was on the brink of becoming a playable character.

My interest in ARMS didn’t exactly spark from the presentation trailer, but instead, the character designs. To me, they were unlike anything Nintendo did before. Each character had its own charm, color scheme, and all had blown my mind. 

The memory of the game continued to be around me for nearly all the days I was inactive. Whether as a discussion topic or fanart, I could talk about it here and there. But then, it was announced that an ARMS fighter would come to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; this was one of my wake-up calls. I played NSO’s free trial for ARMS coming after the trailer until the very end, despite not formally returning until Late 2021. My willingness to return continued to be present after Min Min’s launch, becoming my main for every day rarer occasions I played SSBU.

After re-buying ARMS, I went back and forth, given the online presence had mostly disappeared, until just a few months ago, when I started reducing the number of games I have on my Switch at a time. ARMS was one of three (aside from Plague Inc: Evolved and Minecraft) I decided to always keep. It has stuck with me since, and I refuse to let it down again.

Its characters became an inspiration for my ideas

ARMS lacks a clear lore, but this gave me more freedom to imagine its characters to my liking, eventually creating a story that’s been in development hell since the end of 2017: The Springtron Society. It was the journey of a renegade Springtron clone who struggled to be accepted by both sides. I planned and re-planned the story multiple times, from having character arcs for everyone to having just Spring Man and this renegade Springtron as the protagonists.

The renegade was labeled Springtron No. 1011 and famously nicknamed ‘Rogue’ (renamed ‘Renegade’ in 2023). It was created as a red Springtron, but a mysterious substance corrupted its core and turned it into its characteristic blue. The corruption made it powerful enough to defeat all its kind, but there was its conflict: it did not like fighting. Instead, it wanted to learn about human life and adapt to it, with the fighters (especially Spring Man and Byte) becoming its facilitators. The Springtron Society also needed No. 1011’s intel to change all Springtronian habits, because Springtron Zero nearly killed Coyle and wanted to kill Spring Man to replace him; only No. 1011’s power could stop it.

From the start, The Springtron Society was more than a mere headcanon in which multiple Springtron existed: it was an alternate universe for them. I got the idea of the name around 2020, when I named my (now defunct) Animal Crossing: New Horizons island “Tronsciety”. Precisely, that was the name of the alternate universe until months later. 

Despite recovering my avid fanatism towards ARMS, The Springtron Society will not be developed as a fan-made project anymore. But all is not lost. It has been recategorized as an original project named Black Comet, which will retake the premise of a robot clone society, a renegade, and sports events with colorful superstars. It’s still in the earliest stages of development, given I want to try focusing on Fugitive Eagleton: Power Drive. 

Black Comet might draw influences from ARMS itself, but it will still be highlighted as something different.

Its art style shaped mine

Even though my art style became closer to anatomic proportions since Late 2022, its cartoony spirit is preserved. This is because ARMS’ style is neither too cartoony nor too anatomic, but I still wouldn’t consider it an ‘anime’ style. When I sporadically drew Spring Man after 2022, none might have noticed it, but he became closer to how he looks like in the game, style-wise. Upon polishing my art style in Early 2024, the influence became more evident when I got to drawing other characters: even when not all were humans and it wasn’t my only inspiration, one can still see that ARMS helped me find my art style.

It helped me fight my struggles

I hadn’t known of this until a few weeks ago. But these past years have been a rollercoaster of emotions. Escaping to ‘cozy’ landscapes didn’t (still doesn’t) work for me. Killing virtual monsters was a good option, but it wasn’t enough.

I thank the ARMS community for assuring it’s a respectful space for everyone involved. I opened to this when I told them about someone who’s hurt me for years; they acted as soon as they confirmed it was true. I let go of those horrible memories last month, and one of the games that helped me cope, precisely, was ARMS.

Although I wasn’t too active during 2023, I would bring it up sporadically in my animation diplomat. As I took a video editing class, I talked about it and my teacher at the time remembered it; if this wasn’t an explosion of confidence, I don’t know what it was. Because it has indirectly impacted my increasing activity and my willingness to keep talking about it with others or in public spaces like Bluesky.

Anyone who fondly remembers ARMS, actively plays it, respects those who keep it alive, and/or has hope for it to return, is someone I can rely on.

Conclusions and hopes

Min Min in Smash provides an early insight to the game’s full potential (since none of her signature ARMS is a ‘normal’ boxing glove), but it isn’t enough: each character in ARMS itself has its own qualities, attributes, and charm, so there’s one for every player. It also allows them to experiment with hundreds of thousands of combinations, master the most they can, and find a character and three weapons to define them.

I doubt that Splatoon 2 brought down ARMS simply because it launched one month later: Splatoon was born in a failed console, yet it became popular because those with one proposed themselves to show how great it was. The ones who play ARMS, me included, have shown how great it is, but there’s no understanding why others did not open to it: it makes good use of the JoyCon’s capabilities, but it’s not the only way to play the game. It may be simple, but it’s not plain. Nintendo might have stopped talking about it since 2022 (with Min Min’s amiibo launch…), but that doesn’t mean it’s forgotten.

ARMS was never dead in the first place. They make you think it’s irrelevant, unworthy, or bad, but it’s none of that. The community it forged has unlocked its full potential and does not fear rejection. Who knows what will happen if we speak loud enough…

~ LastyGhost

I don't have anything new to announce, but I'd like to talk about something:

Today, nine years ago, LastyGhost was founded under the name 'ChoonieMoonie'. Initially composed of headcanon worlds and sporadic original characters, it underwent quick transformation within fleeting time; in 2017, due to the letter limitations for Switch usernames, I named myself 'ChoonLasty', as a short for 'ChoonieLaster', named after the Choonlasters, my original avatars. The name LastyGhost was adopted in 2018 and has stuck since.

The Choonieverse has evolved from Reckon Crystal (formerly Soak Speed) to a series of interlinked projects proving that nothing fears existence. LastyGhost became from a username to the names of the creator and the destroyer. A war believed to have ended forever ago, sparking again with the Shadow Forces (formerly Negative Forces) causing the soil of every planet to tremble.

The defeat of the Shadow Monster and the freedom of Lurien Eagleton are only the beginning of Lasty's plan to strike back at the Ghost, hoping it gets annihilated after timeless omnicide. There is still so much left to do, but she has hope that seemingly common beings become the heroes of their homes.

But not all is about the Choonieverse. A connection with the Serververse has been established thanks to the Fugitive Association; with Gogozoonia, they got access to a few more domains, although they can only observe them instead of influencing them like with their creation. They expect to have a report of these new domains by January.

The path I have taken might have been slow, treacherous, and full of twists and turns, but perseverance has always been key, and there is hope that it will continue this way. We live to fight and discover. We are Lavender. We are LastyGhost.

Hello.

It is with heavy sentiment to announce that I will abandon Clip Studio Paint for mobile. In recent months, I have been using my sketchbooks to paint with watercolors. Additionally, I have not drawn character artwork, as I feel no sense of urgency in working on it. More characters will come, but now is not the time to draw them.

I have also decided to quit Medly after seven years of use. I have lost all motivation and ideas for original compositions, and I feel the last tracks I made are unprofessional for their intended quality. The music I made for CRiTORA will be unaffected.

It will take at least one year for me to draw digital art and compose music again. Despite this, I still have awesome stuff to share for the remainder of 2024 and the first half of 2025, so keep your eyes peeled. Scatterblock and Power Drive will see simultaneous development.

Thank you for supporting LastyGhost.

Hello.

No more songs will launch for the rest of 2024.

This year, I have been extremely short on ideas. When I had the ideas, I didn't have the time. When I had the time, I didn't have the motivation. And it cycles back.

I had two awesome releases in store:

• Best Day Ever (DX): I had originally scheduled this song to launch on May 1st, 2024, just in time for Spongebob's 25th Anniversary. The song was complete, but I hadn't made any artwork. I had originally pushed this song's release until November 2024, in honor of Stephen Hillenburg. It wouldn't be morally right to launch a happy song on a sad day, so I'm pushing this song's release until sometime in Spring 2025.
• The Astronaut: I had started work on this cover early this year, but its progress stood slow. I scheduled this launch for June 13th, 2024, in time for BTS Festa. However, the song was never finished in time, and I wanted to originally schedule this for an Early December 2024 launch -in time for Jin's birthday, but the given circumstances force this song's release to be rescheduled until December 2025.

From the creator of Reckon Crystal and Fugitive Eagleton (that's me) comes a new, knobby-blobby project with creatures as wacky as their home! While I have authorized my friend Daydreaming Birdie to make an animated teaser for it, it will not be an animated project.

Image description: A screenshot depicting vectors of 20 flags: Mexico, USA, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, Spain, France, UK, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, India, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and CRiTOPiA, with this last one being a fictional place, and its flag is a blue stripe on a white background with a yellow 14-pointed star on a green circle.

Further development on LastyGhost Wiki continues! This time, I want to introduce another type of asset I hinted at in the Spring 2024 log: Country flags!

These flags will further shape the character's identity and will roll out in certain articles later today. Even though only one planet is parallel to Earth -Earthoon, these flags will still be included in characters not from Earthoon to give an idea of where they might be from if they lived in the real world.

(The flag in the right lowermost corner is CRiTOPiA. The flag was designed by Garrett Eulett)

Image description: I have no idea what this is.