#!ddpi

He moves to Alternia with the rest of the remaining Prospit-Derse officials after Derse wins, the mass evacuation and migration occurs and they all show up on Alternia to find Scofflaw leading a budding city-state. The Prospit-Derse governing bodies soon to become the Metropolis Central government take over the place, which is expected and somewhat welcomed, but Scofflaw is ousted from any kind of leadership position and isn't allowed to be a civil servant because of his Heretical status, so he turns to the followers who are still loyal to him and turns to crime. Innovator is getting sick of blind adoration at this point and joins him, eventually making himself indispensable, and Scofflaw inevitably believes that he cannot complete his own goal of an undying legacy without Innovator, and that he is nothing without him on his side. Also: Innovator takes a horrorterror patron after finding a book in Alternian ruins, an ancient deer of life, putrefaction and decay. During the analogous events to the Problem Sleuth comic, Rather than simply become god, an imaginary version of Pernicious Innovator replaces his own deity, consuming the foul deer, and becoming: Demonhead Pernicious Innovator, The Loathsome Ooze, The Soul of Conceit, The Patron of One. It isn't GPI in nature- rather DPI. Ironically, as GPI is meant to be the master of all universes and not simply the one the comic takes place in normally- GPI already exists in this alternate universe, but has no personal connection to Innovator, creating a near paradox that makes them (DPI and PI) sick to think about. He can also do nearly anything within reason with his horrorterror magic because he is his own patron- so as long as DPI agrees, he can pull a LOT of power from him, considering he's in a committed 1 on 1 patronage and all that power can only go to him- DPI wouldn't take another disciple under just about any circumstance.

He's smart and capable enough of running the Twilight Scoundrels himself but he doesn't want to, he wants to run his funny magic shows and do whatever he wants, not make deals and contracts and worry about paperwork and legalities and trade negotiations! That's awful boring pointdexter shit. Which is why Scofflaw does it (he doesn't trust anyone but himself to do it because what if he gets betrayed and cheated, or someone else fucks it up). So he just has a really good time doing big crazy magic, and takes specific pride that his magic is REAL and NOT A TRICK and he's NOT a fake at all.

Unlike PI he's at this point, intentionally and consistently medicated for his schizophrenia, has a lower alcohol tolerance, and no top surgery. He does still stutter and have some anxiety issues, but they're much easier for him to push through and he lives for the stage. His posture is also really good in comparison. His health improvements counterbalance with his horrorterror patronage however- so he's about the same weight as PI. scoff and innovator have an absolutely nightmarish codependent-adjacent little relationship and drive each other nuts and i like them soooo much. Also Innovator is REALLY on that Hannibal shit with Deadeye and tries to convince him that his regular intrusive thoughts about graphic violence are his secret real desires and that he's fucked up inside and he should embrace it and be cool like him and they should get married and kiss and stuff. God they're all so awful and compelling