Here’s Part 2 of my fanfic, Seven Systems. If you read my Baron theory posts from 2022 (here and here), then everything mentioned here should be familiar to you. Be sure to catch Part 1 here if you haven’t yet!
“Tempest” by HeartOfEnder
THE SEVEN SYSTEMS Part Two: Uneasy Alliance (Continued from Part 1)
TEMPEST is dragged down into a dark room, so dark she couldn’t even see your own hands in front of you. In the darkness, she could hear the sound of engines running and the airship moving up, as if it was taking off right this second…
TEMPEST:
Wait! Where’s Amelia? What do you want with me?
There’s no answer. TEMPEST lets out a low-pitched growl, her ears twitching to catch any and all sound around her. Most of the sound was covered up by the loud engines, but there seemed to be another sound hiding from her. A twinkle of magic.
TEMPEST:
Where are you?
The yellow eyes from earlier appeared in front of her. TEMPEST picked up a chair that happened to be nearby and threw it at the pair of eyes. There was a loud roar that followed shortly after, and the darkness dispelled to reveal—
Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by HPuterpop. Enjoy!
Like with Cobalt in Part 1 of my adventures in meeting Poptropica friends IRL, I had known Pixel by many names throughout our years of adolescence. But through all the names, she was still the Nice Dragon I had met on that fateful day in 2013. It wasn’t until 11 years later, on January 7, 2024 in Franklin, North Carolina, that we met in person…
The morning air was filled with optimistic adventure, and the two-hour drive from my home in Greenville, South Carolina had felt like 20 minutes with the destination in mind. We were meeting exactly in the middle: she had driven two hours from her home, too.
I got out of my truck and gave Pixel a long overdue hug. For years, I yearned to meet her and bridge the gap from the internet to real life. Upon meeting, there was nothing but love between us. As digital as our relationship was, the truth was that we knew each other better than all of the people I had developed friendships with in person.
Then off we went on our real-life Poptropica adventure. On our way into Franklin, we had both spotted plenty of places to check out, starting with the Franklin Cafe.
Waltzing into this small town diner, both of us larger than life, we made ourselves at home at a booth. The walls were decorated with entirely discordant memorabilia, which was perfect for both of our focus-devoid brains. We had years of catching up to do, and the chefs at the Franklin Cafe seemed to take notice, as they took their sweet time preparing our food. But after what felt like forever, our food arrived — well worth the wait!
After the cafe, we drove to the American House Cat Museum, which was every bit as amazing as it sounds. Walking through the entrance, which itself was a large wooden depiction of a kitten, we were bombarded with everything feline — and I mean EVERYTHING. Cat carousel, cat pipes, cat paintings, a 6,000 year old cat mummy, a cartoon-sized Garfield clock.
We were even fortunate enough to meet the owner of the museum, Dr. Harold W. Sims (hey, that’s an interesting name, isn’t it?). He and his cat Mimi seemed to follow us around the museum, and he gave us the unique experience of listening to his collection of cat-themed music boxes. While the mechanically melodic chords chimed away, he told us facts and trivia about his museum, and cat art in general. On our way out, we picked up these simply unforgettable key chains, which we both kept on our car keys. If anyone asks, this guy was my grandpa!
We then headed to Lighthouse Baptist Church, which had a replica lighthouse in the front of the building. Echoing concepts from a Poptropica fan game we dreamed of years ago, we took pictures: Meridian and Sorrowyn, standing by Meridian’s lighthouse in the Skylands north of River City.
It felt like more than coincidence being in this small town, where these perfect Poptropican treasures were waiting to be discovered by the two of us.
Once we were satisfied with the lighthouse pictures, we returned to downtown Franklin. Most shops were closed, but we found two open seats at an outdoor table with a checkerboard set up. So, we did what Meridian and Sorrowyn might do in this situation. We fought a good fight, and both pulled out all the stops. But the truth of the game was inescapable: for one to win, the other must concede.
Pixel and Spencer are more real to me than the friends I made in high school or college, and they serve as a testament to the power and persistence of love itself. These experiences have made me even more appreciative of my time spent in the Poptropica community, and has made me want to honor it in the best way I know how.
Poptropica, as a game and as a community, was and is so important to me. Back in 2016, I began work on a fan game titled “Orb Legend”, featuring characters like Cobalt, Meridian, and Sorrowyn. This was a huge undertaking for adolescents with a little too much free time. Even though we had a team of around 11 volunteers at the height of its production, it wasn’t meant to be that time around. Simply put, we would have needed funding to bring the game to life, which we as kids didn’t have.
But we are no longer children. We’re now in our 20s, with the skills that we once dreamt of. And with how the game’s been going lately, on top of the recent branding changes that Poptropica has undergone, I think it might be the perfect time to try this once again. With a crowdfunding plan to launch soon, I am very excited to present to all of you…
The teaser trailer for Poptropica: Legends will be dropping on February 15! Be sure to follow us on all the socials so you can be the first to see it.
I often think back to my time writing on the PHB, and while I made a lot of mistakes and let my ego get the best of me far too often, I also have many treasured memories in this community. It was an extremely unique experience at the height of the Poptropica community, one that I’m afraid will never really happen in the same way again. We were all born at the right time, in the right place, to experience the magic. A fandom run by children, all with a simple shared passion for a game that wasn’t too incredibly popular, to prevent any one person from taking the spotlight.
Thank you all for being such an influential part of my story. I hope I made a positive impact on yours. And with Legends, I hope to continue that alongside the rest of you.
The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. Interested in writing for the PHB? We’d love to hear from you!
Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by HPuterpop. Enjoy!
Hi Gs (guys, gals, and of course my lovely nonbinary folk),
It’s been a while! Longtime readers of the PHB may recognize me, but for those who don’t, I’m HPuterpop, a former PHB staff writer. Recently, I had the chance to meet up IRL with two dear friends from the Poptropica community, and wanted to share those special experiences with you all. Without further ado, let’s jump into the first of two parts!
I had known them by many names throughout our 10 years of friendship — Spencaey, Captain Spencer, Cobalt, Koi. While our friendship began in the Poptropica community (including blogging together on the PHB), behind our screennames, I had come to know them as simply Spencer, one of my best friends.
One Friday evening, on April 14, 2023, the stars finally aligned for us to meet. I was waiting in my car to pick them up at the Greenville-Spartanburg airport, and the minutes leading up to our meeting felt like hours. “Why does it always take so long to get off a flight?” I thought to myself. I watched the countless people pour out of the airport, scanning each individual in hopes of seeing my friend.
Finally, after what felt like forever, they appeared through the airport doors. I jumped out of my car and gave them the biggest hug. It was a hug 10 years overdue. The feeling was extraordinary: after being so used to seeing someone on a screen, once you see them in real life, your brain gets confused and there is an indescribable phenomenon of lucid dissociation (but not in a negative way).
This was the person who, for so many years, I wished had lived closer to me. My best friend, the one who knew me better than anyone else. I finally got to see how they were in person. How does Spencer act in public? How do they walk? How do they smell (not bad, FYI)?
After an excellent Mexican dinner, we ventured to where we would be staying. My friend had opened her beautiful and eclectic home for me to use for a photoshoot for my up-and-coming clothing brand, which I’d been working on for around four years.
The house was a treasure trove of sacred geometry, fantastical trinkets, and books about spirituality and existence. A former floral shop, her property had four separate buildings, multiple stories, nooks, and crannies, and two huge terrariums in the main foyer. Every single square inch of this mythical abode was utilized in the most awe-inspiring way. “This place is magical,” Spencer kept saying as we explored.
The next day was the photoshoot. I had friends far and wide coming together to participate, and it couldn’t have gone smoother than it did.
Afterwards, me and Spence were standing in front of a large mirror in the foyer, and I had a sudden epiphany. This fantastical place I had found myself in, surrounded by my closest friends from diverse backgrounds, was a mirror of my past life on the PHB and my desires as a kid. The floral shop felt like a location that you might have found in Poptropica.
I looked in the mirror, with my red beard and goofy smile, and all of a sudden recognized an echo of the past — I had unintentionally turned into my Poptropican, Meridian Sinker, as he was all those years ago. Spencer, similarly, had matured into his character, Cobalt.
We were still the same, only now in 4K resolution. It was a metaphysical, cosmic feeling.
Come back tomorrow for Part 2, where I’ll share about meeting another Poptropican friend, Pixel, and give an update on Poptropica: Legends!
The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. Interested in writing for the PHB? We’d love to hear from you!
Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Invisible Ring. Enjoy!
Silver Screen: It’s one of our favorite famous monsters of filmland.
You may know that previews are the commercials that come right before a movie in the cinema. Guess what? My long-awaited Poptropica fan movie “Pirates, Camera, Action!” is almost here! And what is a movie premiere without its annoyingly long list of ads and trailers?
…Yes, for this guest post, I’m showcasing every Poptropica commercial I’ve made. But although the list is unbearably long, I doubt you’ll think the ads themselves are unbearable. These commercials have all been made with fun and quality in mind.
As for my pirate movie, stay tuned, for soon, it will premiere right here on the PHB! Until then, get some milk to drink and enjoy the previews…
Welcome back to the Favorite Poptropica Island Tournament! 🏝️🏆
From Round 1 of voting, 16 islands have been eliminated, and 16 others have moved on to Round 2!
We still have a lot of voting to do before reaching the finals, so let’s get back to it! The voting period for Round 2 ends Friday, February 9 @ 11:59 p.m. EST.
🏝 Poptropica Help Blog 🗺 