Blade also referes to himself in the third person - when he's being a flirt.

And, this is how he treats you when he actually considers you a friend!
(However, this was well before he started having deeper feelings for her.)


And here's the second part.

Important: I am seriously a newbie to comic-based storytelling and the art of timing, etc... I have some tiny grasp of the concepts, but am really just starting out here - 'Musicpsycho' is my maiden voyage on this journey. So, please do take that into account when viewing these.


Anyway, if you're curious [and because I'm totally unsure that any of this is actually clear in the comic - some of it of course isn't], here are the backstory and clarifications:

After they'd actually started to be friends (as you can see, it's late enough after she joined that he's growing his goatee back out again), Marijke mentioned to Blade that she loved katars; so, Blade challenged her to show him just how much in a play-fight. Being an avid collector of sharp things, he just so happened to have a pair which he loaned to her.

Now, she's about as good with them as I am (uh, I've never even SEEN any up close and in person) and that's why she looks so awkward in the first panel, but she tries anyway. Blade, a seasoned Master at this sort of thing, nimbly dances around her - even going so far as to courteously block a few of her strikes, just to keep her hopes up until she's worn herself out.

When, after he dances a little too far away from her and Marijke takes the opportunity to try and catch her breath, Blade decides it's time to finish the game.

He makes his move (I would honestly feel the same "WTF are you doing??" way if a man suddenly pulled up his skirt and showed me some leg in the middle of a play battle); then strikes with one of his hidden throwing knives (and "misses" on purpose, of course), tackles her to the ground, disarms her of her own weapons and kneels down on her to make sure she knows exactly who ruled the day - and gloat in her face about it. (Might've worked better, in the moment, if she weren't in a 'What hit me?' type of daze.)




Artistic notes:

- Uhh, I didn't look up any references for the weapons (I know they're pretty much all wrong - particularly the throwing knives).

- I tried to make Marijke's skirt look lacy on the bottom hem - to give it a feminine touch that would make it stand out from Blade's. (Fighting in skirts is totally for the win, BTW!)

- Her hair, both their skirts, gloves, and the rest of his clothing are all black - I just was way to lazy to go and colour the sketches in that much, so I may update this later.

- As you can see in other submissions further back in my gallery - I have since changed the design of Blade's feet. He does still have claws, but I've made his feet longer and slenderer/more elegant.

- And this time I didn't forget that cheetahs, even anthros, have spots, haha! (Or rather, I just wasn't too lazy this time - any type of background got the drop, instead.)




Blade and Marijke belong to me.
Pokémon belongs to Nintendo.