Prime Hunter Page 01 (Patreon)

Welcome to the first page of weekly illustrated series I've tentatively named, "Pick Up Line." The stories will revolve around a handsome young man named Guy, and his attempts to seduce a variety of ladies from the world of popular fiction.  His choices along the way will be voted on by supporters with access to polls, and the art and accompanying stories will be posted here exclusively.

These will be open and closed adventures, and there will likely be breaks between finished chapters depending on my schedule. Anyway here goes!

     The dark green walls of Jack's Bar do little to stave off the humid jungle air of Planet Titan. Guy takes a heavy breath and looks at Conrad, who is sipping his drink and meeting his gaze evenly from across the sticky table.

     "Not a chance," says Guy.

     "Pussy," says Conrad.

     "You have any idea who that is?"

     "Yeah, a hot blonde who may as well be naked and she's drinking alone."

     "She's alone because she scared everyone off. Christ even the bartender bolted after he served her."

       Conrad finishes his drink and stands up, his chair scrapes loudly across the metal floor. Guy glances over his shoulder at her, she hasn't turned around. Her pony tail hasn't so much as twitched at the noise.

      Seeing Samus Aran in person is the type of thing that becomes a story you tell for the rest of your life. Her fame, or, depending on who you ask, her infamy, is known in pretty much the entire charted universe. Guy is always up for meeting a beautiful woman, and she has that going and then some in that painted-on blue suit. But he also knows to steer clear of anyone who has ever been accused of blowing up a planet.

      Conrad leans over close, his voice a patronizing whisper:

     "What's the worst that could happen sport?"

     "Well, she could freeze me solid," says Guy with forced nonchalance.  "And then use my  icy corpse as a platform to reach somewhere formerly out of reach."

     Conrad claps Guy hard on the shoulder. "Best of luck, let me know if she really turns into a ball." And in a few steps he's gone, and Guy swishes the last of his drink around in his glass. The buzz of neon seems deafening in the stuffy little bar.

     Guy turns to get up and stops suddenly. His breath catches and he can't help but be still for a moment. She had turned around, and she is staring right at him.

     It's a strange, otherworldly feeling for Guy, facing down a living legend. It seems like her eyes are the only thing that exist in the world right now. Her expression is blank and dangerous, like the barrel of a gun. Conrad called Guy a pussy for not making a pass at her, but in this moment Guy is quite certain that you don't hit on someone like this any more than you hit on a blazing comet flashing by overhead.

     Still, a challenge has been posed. And Guy doesn't want to remember the time he met Samus Aran as the time he ran away scared. Guy straightens himself and steps toward her. His decision made.

     But what in the world should he say to her?