Okay, lots to unpack here LMAO!
I'm very proud of the Negi comic and I love that Mari is a part of it! I want to make more comics with that style, I think it lends itself to real quirky moments that I enjoy, and it allows me to be creative beyond my own characters. Also, at the end of The Goddess's Journal you see Mari and Negi interact once again, proving that Mari is a strong presence in Negi's life despite gallivanting around the world.
About the work stuff, I'm reconsidering moving to something else, but last time that happened, I spent TWO WHOLE YEARS without a damn job. That is something I do NOT want to go through again.
And about the CNC Baby Redux, it wouldn't change things too radically. I just think I could expand on a few things instead of resorting to using flashbacks in future issues to explain what should have been there since the beginning. So that would be the main reason why I prefer to add to the first issue instead of using that space on other issues to fill in the blanks.
As for "Alter Dani", I think it would be nice to go the Fate route, where you get Alter versions of characters like Saber, Jeanne, Rin and Sakura. But I am not really a supporter of the Multiverse shtick because it renders all struggles for characters futile and irrelevant. So, I prefer the version of Alternative versions, like what you did with Serena! That would finally give me the chance to use her! The only problem is that I would need an unscarred skin for her in that case. That would actually be a fantastic idea! And like I said, I don't plan on changing Dani THAT much physically as she grows older, but the fact that her thicker version exists allows me to use her in different contexts.
That takes me back to the R34 comment, which actually works perfect for what this universe represents. So it would definitely allow for weirder crossovers that make sense WITHIN my universe.