Sly: “When they died, they left no instructions; just a legacy to protect.”
Carmelita: “So this is what it feels like to match wits with someone at your level! What the hell is the catch?”
Bentley: “Let’s hatch a plot blacker than the kettle calling the pot!”
Murray: “Give me a position, show me where the ammunition is!”
Clockwerk: “Forever. And ever. And ever and ever and ever…”
Penelope: “I’m looking for a mind at work!”
Dimitri: “I came from afar just to say ‘Bonsoir’! Tell the king 'Casse toi’ - who is the best? C'est moi!”
Dr. M: “Your father’s a scoundrel, and so, it seems, are you.”
Tennessee Kid Cooper: “AndI'mnevergonnastopuntilImake'emdropandburn'emupandscattertheremains!”
Neyla: “Why do you assume you’re the smartest in the room? Soon that attitude may be your doom…”
General Tsao: “I’m a general! Whee!”
important Pride content
"Penelope has reminded me of an important fact: Mouse girls are adorable!"
Confessed by: Anonymous
Art by ArtDexo2000 on DeviantART.com [X]
Sly: May 20 (Taurus)
Bentley: September 13 (Virgo)
Murray: February 26 (Pieces)
Penelope: December 30 (Capricorn)
Carmelita: October 31 (Scorpio)
Not sure what to give the others.
This is what their reunion in Sly 4 would have been like if that game hadn’t been written by fanboys who cared more about inserting fuzzy T&A in the game than they cared about writing half-decent female characters (and good stories to go with them). Seriously, this game wasted a GREAT opportunity to showcase these two interacting as platonic buddies. I imagine him teasing her about that old crush pretty much every time Bentley and Carmelita are out of earshot.
Yes, Thieves In Time Redux is still in the works.
Yes, it is incredibly challenging to write.
No, I'm not looking forward to writing the villains' dialogue. Or the ancestors. The worst part is improvising their existing lines from the vanilla game. And giving them new lines.
Listen to Toad Town - Blue Streamer Removal while reading this.
When it comes to rewriting Thieves In Time, one episode I can't wait to get to is Clan Of The Cave Raccoon.
I get it. Clan Of The Cave Raccoon is nobody's favorite episode. But I believe I know how to fix it.
Many things will stay the same. Our heroes being stranded in prehistory, Carmelita storming off, Bob being the ancestor in need of saving, and The Grizz being our arc villain.
One thing that won't be the same (besides Penelope now being part of the adventure) is how Murray is treated.
I stated earlier that Murray won't be going through much of a character arc in this rewrite.
While that's still true, he will fall into a bit of a depression right after the events of Getting Stronger. Not because of Bob, but because of Penelope.
You see, she's going to be sent out to demonstrate all the things Bob has to do during Getting Stronger. There's just one tiny issue... She's feeling under the weather. Still, she pushes through long enough to get it all done. After the mission is cleared, though... she passes out. Turns out she's not just a little under the weather. She's very sick.
This places our heroine on bed rest for the next several missions as per a very worried Bentley's orders.
It's understandable, then, that Murray would feel partially responsible because Penelope (or Sis as he's been calling her) passed out on his watch.
On Penelope's end, being stuck on bed rest gives her the time she needs to really think about what she's done. I'll briefly go into what leads into her change of heart...
She's seen what her treachery has led to during her journey across time.
She's also seen what her dishonesty could lead to through Sly and Carmelita, especially if she still has the gall to defend herself if she gets found out.
And finally, the boys taking care of her while she's sick ends up being the final push she needs to see the error of her ways.
Oh, and she gets better in time for OP: Jurassic Thievery.
I already spoke about how Sly and Carmelita are doing in this post. They're... worse off than in canon.
Now for the main reason I'm looking forward to this episode... The boss fight.
I've already mentioned the premise in earlier posts: Murray and Penelope team up for a boss fight. Helps that the latter has just gone through her change of heart, and without anybody knowing.
I'm also using the opportunity to follow up on a few things that happened in Episode 2. One of those things is how Bentley has progressed in his character arc.
Last episode, we saw our favorite turtle promise to tone down his overprotectiveness towards Penelope after the events of Jail Break. Before this boss fight starts, we get to see him decide not to interfere. Although maybe letting her (and Murray) fight a giant-ass ice skating bear is a bit much...
Thankfully, his faith in her pays off. But let's go over his thought process throughout that entire scene...
"She can't do this!" "He's going to snap her in half!" "She's doomed!" "Why did I bring her along with us?!"
"No. She can do this." "This amazing woman broke me out of jail and fought off a career pirate!" "She'll be fine." "Why am I doubting her?"
"I promised her." "She deserves my respect." "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still worried, but… I need to let her soar." "Penelope, show that guy exactly why you're our secret weapon. Our Wild Card. And make me proud."
At around the same time, we have our Villain Of The Week, The Grizz, recognize Penelope. She's shaken, but is able to convince Murray not to believe the villain.
(Not looking forward to writing that scene, BTW. Mainly because of a certain bear's dialogue...)
Seeing Sly, Bentley, Carmelita, and Bob watching this, she convinces Murray to let her finish The Grizz off. He agrees. Now cue what may be one of the biggest missed opportunities in the franchise.
I have to say... This Murray/Penelope boss fight might just end up being my favorite of the lot. I've got a basic outline of how I want the fight scene to go, but actually finishing it might take a while... And yes, there will still be ice skating. From both heroes and our villain.
Anyway, the boss fight ends with Penelope finishing The Grizz off, with help from Murray.
Funny how right when Bentley is learning to let go, Penelope is learning to ask for help when she needs it.
The end of this episode has our heroine, after the van gets fixed, get her chance to return home to Paris. Out of a sense of guilt and responsibility, she refuses, wanting (and perhaps needing) to see this through to the very end.
Our five heroes then set off for their next destination, with Penelope now game for anything this wild adventure has to throw at her.
"I know the bar is in hell (especially back in the early 2000's) but I'll always appreciate that Penelope was just allowed to be…a character. Sure she absolutely had some conventional love interest trappings but she was unambiguously brilliant to the point that she could outpace Bentley in some fields and was designed to be cute but not super sexualized. She's actually kinda scruffy (affectionate) in a way you don't see much with fictional women, she's got the battered overalls and messy hair and big clunky welder gloves and actually looks like she gets her hands dirty on the regular."
Confessed by: Anonymous