#(also a struggle. i know like 2 male hairstyles.)

[slayersins]

why is that when i don’t have the mental capacity to draw i have many ideas and when i finally do have the strenghto do it then i forgor and just come up with whatever on the spot 2 seconds before i draw it. i want to draw already, not just think about what to draw.💀

[gepperl]

TRANS MALE PASSING PROTIPS

Targeted specifically at trans men who have not begun medical transition, but for anyone. Of course, this is just what works for me and everyone is different.

Shorts that fall mid thigh and are baggy can work really well to make a more masculine figure. This is a trendy style with cis men, and if they are looser on your thighs you can look more rectangular. Basketball shorts are always fine, but for bigger people can end up sticking to your thighs and making you look like a masc lesbian. Looking like a masc lesbian is so so common guys this is what we are trying to avoid. See here for reference

2. WALK WITH YOUR SHOULDERS. Walk like your shoulders are the widest part of your body. Move them kinda forward and backward. Watch a video of a man walking next to a woman for context on what I mean. Women walk with their hips, and it makes all the difference for you in someone's head. Practice in the mirror before doing it so you don't look like a fool.

3. Hair!!!! I know you guys don't want to let go of the 2020 fluffy boi haircut and that is ok. If you don't want a skin fade short haircut, there are other options. Also, if you belong to a subculture, like punk/emo/whatever else there is, look at male styles as it can be very different than what is normally accepted ( for example, men have long hair in metal subculture, you can style it like them). In general, hair is very meticulous, as for some people too short is masc lesbian and too long is woman.

This kind of hair can do wonders. For men of color/curly hair people, if you are not out locs are a very good option as they are typically read as masculine but are gender neutral. Afros, braids, even skin fades with a lot of hair at the top can read feminine. Another style option could be short cornrows that end at the neck, twists, or a fade with less hair at the top like this.

I am not black, so I cannot speak for how this would be read in a black community, but this is how, from my experience, I would view the hairstyles. Sorry if this is not appropriate. Also, I am not here to tell you not to dye your hair. It can work if you style it with masculine clothes and are dressed in a specific style like emo or scene or something. Do what you will with that.

4. If there is ANY peach fuzz on your face, make the most of it. I know I have high testosterone levels naturally, so I grow facial hair a little, but if there is enough to dye it, dye it. If there is like barely any, if its not visible in the mirror if you're really looking (not INSPECTING), it's probably not worth it, and that is fine. use your judgement, and if it is not enough, just shave it. It's better to look clean shaven than desperate for face hair. Eyebrows, mustache hair, sideburns can all be darkened with eyeshadow, brow brushes, and just for men beard dye.

5. LAYERS. I know you guys have seen this one before. Flannels, button ups over black t-shirts, zip up hoodies. It might get a little hot, but it covers your sweat stains anyways. I promise guys it helps so much with shoulders, hips, boobs, it makes you look more masculine. Don't get that ugly ass red and black checkered one though. Think if you would see a masc lesbian wearing it and use your best judgement. I heart layers.

6. Pants. Woah. Pants. I HATE pants I know you fat trans men get me. Old navy women's jeans...and you guys won't like this one...are actually pretty good. SPECIFICALLY the sky high wide leg ones. Get those a size up and cuff them, wear them low on your waist, perfect. Other than that, jeans are shit. I don't really waste my time with men's pants anymore because of my hips but cargos are great, baggy sweats with the band at the bottom are great, PJ pants good, dress pants are a struggle but I've heard dickies work well for people with a smaller body. Not sure though. My tactic is I go to a thrift store for hours and try on all their pants, then find similar ones online or take pictures of the brand for the ones I like and find more.

7. Accessories and jewelry. Iffy. Anything you could describe as dainty, if it's not a family thing or important to you, probably not. Friendship bracelets are good, pendants are good, earrings depends on where you are and what you are wearing. Studs in men are common where I am, so I wear them. Observe the cis men at your disposal. Accessories, bags don't really matter unless they're like the strawberry hot topic mini bags. Don't get those at all those are fugly. Mini bags are not great in general, just better to get something else. Watches are heavily loved here they look very male and also you have the time always even a cheap watch is fine just not a woman's watch. It has to be a men's watch. You can tell when it is a woman's watch don't get those. Nail polish is fine no one cares, it's more popular now with boys. Especially if you're a little girly pop already. Of course that also depends on your environment.

8. Stance. Sitting with your ankle on your knee is comfortable and way more masculine than crossing your legs. Confidence. Fake it until you make it because cis men are so arrogant guys. This is what I mean btw

9. Don't be afraid of being feminine. Don't give up being yourself in order to be masculine. Your happiness matters the most. Love you bye, I'll update this if I think of anything else.

[sonic-love-island-official]

Shadow (Bio/Character design ramble)

Behold, my sweet baby. Boy, do I have a lot to say about him. And some things I want to say about him can't really be incorporated fully into the fic, so what better place to infodump than here ?

Info under the cut x

Shadow is a 28 year old ex-G.U.N. agent. He was 'born' within the ARK, but moved to Westopolis later in life to rediscover his (then lost) identity. He joins Rouge on the Island with the intention of being her moral support.

Being a more reserved character, Shadow arrives full of scepticism, but with an indescribable, intricate set of standards. Shadow is the kind of man who knows exactly what he wants from a partner and a life going forward. He is stubborn to deviate from his plan of settling down and hoping to raise a family with someone who doesn't make him feel uncomfortable in his own skin. Normally on edge or awkward, Shadow typically struggles to interact with new people, but once he becomes comfortable with someone, he lets his true colours shine (both to his benefit and detriment). He can be gentle, deeply caring, passionate, even. However, he can also be sly, sharp-witted and harsh at times. Regardless of how anyone perceives him, Shadow's strong sense of identity drives him to pursue what he wants to have in his future. But having something entails having something to lose…

External design choices !! (visual appearance - incl. formation of base sim, references taken, makeup choices, fashion style… etc.)

You will never know how much time I spent trying to perfect this man 😭 Again, I immediately took inspiration from his Sonic Adventure 2 character design because he is both so striking in appearance but also has this soft cuteness (which initially did not make it into his sim version, until later modding the game). Along with Rouge, for Shadow I had a distinctive creative vision and although I can never make a sim exactly how I imagine them in my head, Shadow's design came close enough that I can't complain too much.

The real tough thing with Shadow came down to translation. Shadow has incredibly sharp/angular features that replicating it accurately in the sims would destroy any realistic appeal for his character in a more human form. So, my compromise was to do the best I could, while still keeping Shadow's features relatively human enough so he wouldn't look like he crawled out of a nightmare. Of course, I chose to keep the angle of his eyes and brows, but softened the degree to something still recognisable and so it didn't warp any of his other facial features. I kept the red colour of his eyes too. I could have went down a more realistic route, but I just thought it was so iconic of his character that without them, he'd just look weird. Same can be said for his makeup, actually. I gave him a simple black liner that runs from the top lash line, into the bottom and through his waterline, pairing that with a subtle red eyeshadow that mimics the red, triangular accent in the outer corners of his eyes (looking at sim Shadow without either of those is jarring, believe me). His nose I made a little pointed, characteristic of all the male hedgehogs. As for everything else ? It was purely up to my interpretation and working within the limitations of the game.

I couldn't get anything that was similar to Shadow's upturned quills, so I went for a hairstyle with a little bit of volume, just so there was enough resemblance. The hair I used was from the Supernatural pack (which is notorious for ugly CAS items, in my opinion) and surprisingly I don't hate it as much as when I first picked it. The red streaks are in his hair, but a little muted in comparison to the reference pictures, due to the fact it looked ridiculously bad when I tried the accurate, bright red streaks. I also wanted Shadow's sharp features to carry through into the base structure of his face, hence why he has a more squared jawline than what is seen on some of the other characters. He used to have more prominent cheekbones, but that that feature was softened out significantly after the modding (again, another 'for the best' situation). Overall, Shadow version 1 (pre-mod) wasn't all that attractive but once we got that visual overhaul for all the characters, he looks quite Pretty (I call him 'babygirl Shadow' due to his softer features). His skin tone evened out heaps better than before and looks quite lovely in-game (4th screenshot) but looks off when taking model photos in Stylist for the gallery </3

Over time, I've come to really appreciate Shadow's sim version !! He portrays everything I wanted him to be. Displaying a lot of his iconic features, while also representing my further, more abstract intentions for his character. Occasionally he makes expressions that do make him look a little older than the other characters and depending on who he's with, he can look the total opposite and look sweet, gentle and youthful. Other times he looks straight up creepy and all of these things blend so well for his character to an extent where it's both joyful and comical to witness. Nevertheless, I adore him, could you tell ;-;

*I forgot to mention here that although Shadow's sim does not have many tattoos (again, the selection we're given in TS3 is horrific and impossible to work with), he does in the AU. The red triangle designs on his forearms and calves are carried over (except they're not solid, rather more detailed with fluid lines and coils), his/the symbol of the Black Arms adorns his chest and creeps up to his neck and he has a small flower tattoo in memory of Maria <3

Shadow's fashion falls under three categories:

Stereotypical 'bad boy' outfits (leather jackets, boots, torn up jeans etc.)

Outfits typical of the show (plain t-shirts, baggy pants, chains, sneakers)

Outfits I personally think Shadow would pick and feel/seem comfortable wearing (tidy button-ups, dress pants/straight leg jeans)

They're pretty interchangeable throughout the series but the idea is that Shadow morphs to the expectation of being a Love Island contestant and wears things to fit that, but over the course of the series, gradually drops the act and becomes more himself. In any case, it gives a lot of variety and opportunity to try different clothing styles on Shadow and that in itself is fun to play with. Sometimes we even surprise ourselves seeing what items actually suit Shadow and which don't.

Internal design choices !! (personality, characteristics, psychology)

I am such a nit-pick when it comes to how Shadow is characterised in both official Sonic media and in fanworks. The two things that annoy me most is:

He's stuck in this constant loop of reliving his trauma, finding a sense of closure and learning/moving on from it. Repeatedly. He learns these beautiful, relatable life lessons and then. Forgets it. And has to do it all over again. For no real reason. (06 made that annoyance seem not as bad, seeing as Shadow had moved forward in his life but still kept to his ideals… but of course, they had to go and ruin that for him, didn't they 😒 Leading into my next point-)

He's reduced down to Edgy and Has No Friends

I am so so sick of seeing both of these things ?? So, I'm mostly just serving myself by helping Shadow along in this AU to be neither of these things because it doesn't at all fit the premise of the series. Most of the characters are a wild blend of their portrayals throughout Sonic media, so shitty Shadow pops up on occasion (for justifiable reasons, though) but primarily I've cherry-picked his better portrayals to represent him in the series, like the more introverted, soft-spoken Shadow from SA2 and Heroes, as well as the more level-headed, matured Shadow seen in 06. Of course, I don't write all of Shadow's moments in the series, as this fic is co-written alongside my sister, but my best efforts go towards representing Shadow in a way that makes him seem like Just A Guy.

Shadow enters the fic in a completely different stage in life. He's put his past behind him and is looking towards a brighter future. Naturally, he hasn't let his past go entirely and more so made a sense of peace with it. Here and there, there are a few blips where that is not the case and shows some of his old wounds haven't fully healed, but that's to add the ✨realism✨. The idea for Shadow is that he was once in a far worse state than when he entered the Island, but he isn't perfect. He has his own arc to go through, but for once it's fairly disjointed from his canon-typical baggage.

Simply enough, I want to allow Shadow the opportunity to develop connections — to make new friends (Rouge is his one pre-established friend), to express love. He has so much potential to be soft and kind and selfless and loving, without being locked behind bars of Edge and past horrors. As an introvert, he expresses things in his own subtle way that isn't easily understood by everyone, but he's constantly making the effort to show he cares for the people important to him.

Fun facts / trivia :

Shadow is older than Sonic by three years in this AU purely due to the fact that Shadow's character is more lore-heavy than Sonic's. Additionally, they're both at different stages in life, shown by their behaviour and actions and that, I feel, should also be realistically represented in the ages given to them. There is so much discourse surrounding Shadow's 'age' (now retconned) and it's exhaustingg.

Shadow's time in the Villa reveals some interesting themes around social relationships, such as making/maintaining friendships as an adult (a topic I find incredibly real and unique to this project)

I couldn't fit this anywhere else, and it might be a little self-serving but I allude to the fact that Shadow is on the aro/ace spectrum, which is a wild contradiction from the expectations of the show. We've also kept the genders of his previous partners vague-ish. Firstly due to the Twitter Takeovers, where Shadow has never expressed a gender preference (I think that's correct ?) and that's a detail I wanted to remain loyal to. Secondly, I didn't want to tie him down to any specific gender preference ?? I thought it banging just to leave it as is, because it does give some moments within the series an extra impact. Nevertheless, Shadow specifically doesn't experience sexual attraction and rarely/infrequently experiences romantic attraction. Alas, there seems to be this mutual consensus that Shadow's a bit of a horn monster and… funnily enough, I agree with that too- So AU Shadow's sexuality is incredibly layered and somehow it all still makes logical sense :)

There is a lot of Shadow's lore that transferred to the AU in a creative/slightly more realistic way, but I can't talk about it here, else this post will be longer than what it already is

[idkiwillfindone]

Headcanons on how the Bowers gang MILFs look like (except ms Hockestetter since we see her in the movie)

Ms Bowers is basically the female version of Henry except she’s shorter, skinnier and has longer hair, she has dark circles under her eyes that are more noticeable when they aren’t darkened and sickly pale skin, every time Derry citizens saw her around they always mistaken her for a ghost

I imagine ms Criss to look like Martha from the first episode of Helluva Boss except less expressive, if i would ever make a comic about the Bowers gang i would give Victor dot eyes for the whole time and then there would be a joke where the others look at a family picture and ms Criss has it too and they comment “i see you got your mother’s eyes”, also she may or may not bleach her hair like her son

We already established that ms Huggins is a 6’0”+ feets strong lady, she has an hairstyle similar to lady Dimitrescu but her hair are dark brown instead of completely black, she doesn’t wear many dresses because it’s always a struggle to find female clothes her size so she mostly owns male clothes, and she uses a pair of round glasses to see

I don’t have much for ms Bowers 2 (Connor’s mom) but i think he got his blond, curly hair from her, also i know she probably doesn’t live in a farm but i imagine her with a country aesthetic

[notsuchacleverboyq]

Headcanon

✨ Q is Transgender ✨

Alright, I've seen a lot of Headcanons and read fics about it. A lot of fans seem to agree on Q being trans and I kind of like the idea of Q being ftm, genderfluid and bigender.

So I'm going to make it all in a post.

1) FTM

Q started transitioning during his teens, with his mum's full support. He had top surgery a few years before Skyfall, but is still considering a bottom surgery and waiting for the moment in which he'll feel ready for that;

When he started working for the MI6, he was scared that the double-0s (due to their reading people skills) would have immediatly noticed he's trans (which Q is willing to keep a secret). The double-0s rather pointed out his juvenility, rather than his still feminine and slender body, which left Q more than relieved;

The only people that Q confided to, in the MI6, are M (both Mallory and Mansfield), Tanner and Moneypenny. M thought that, due to security matters, it was indispensable for Tanner to be aware of such and Q couldn't argue with that; however, Moneypenny found out on her own;

He struggles with periods, not only because they can cause episodes of dysphoria, but also because Q's afraid that others might notice his physical state;

Periods are the reason why James and Moneypenny found out Q is trans. Moneypenny, who clearly isn't extraneous to menstruations, caught some strange behaviours and distress in the quartermaster; when Q was eventually forced to ask Eve for a pad (having his periods caught him off guard), she undestrood what the problem was and took care of Q during menstruations since then. On the other hand, James (after spending the night to Q's and doing nothing but cuddling) found a tampon package and testosterone supplements in the cupboard above the sink of the bathroom; he was slightly surprised by it, but decided to act as nothing had happened and just wait for Q to tell him himself;

Moneypenny and James got over protective of their quartermaster, even if he precisely asked them not to. Bond and a technician ended up in M's office after fighting over Q: the agent had heard the technician referring to the quartermaster's body as womanly and faril; knowing how such comments could cause Q to feel bad with himself, James reacted against those words, to then unvoluntarily start a fight and cause both him and the technician to end up in M's office, covered in bruises.

2) Bigender

He still sticks to he/him pronouns even after finding out that his gender is both male and female. He doesn't completely feel half male and female: his gender rather feels like a mixture or more feminine or masculine;

Q had never felt the need to question his gender identity, until he was asked "How do you feel about your gender?" by a queer friend;

He doesn't care if ohers misgender him, since he's the first to misgender himself, being used to refer to himself as male. It just doesn't bother him: he rather thinks that others are referring to his body when calling him a man, rather than to his actual gender;

Q sometimes uses to wear dresses. He was once caught by James wearing a purple dress on his way home, after hanging out with a friend of his. As Bond stared at him with a rather confused look (probably because he didn't fully recognised the quartermaster), Q walked over with his usual confidence, despite expecting some inappropriate comment; instead, Bond coplimented him and the quartermaster found himself more than surprised about it;

He does get body dysphoria episodes, mostly when his female part overcomes the other. It's simply a day, or a few more, in which he'd like to experience life in a different body; however, the feeling fades after some time.

3) Genderfluid

Q has multiple sets of pronouns, depending on the day and on how their gender feels: it can either be he/him, she/her or they/them. To get others aware of their daily gender identity, the quartermaster wears different bracelets, which get buried under the shirt sleeves most of the time when they're at the MI6: blue is for female, green is for male and orange is for anyhting else;

Q usually refers to they/them as "confusion pronouns", since they use them specially in days in which they're mostly confused over gender and don't want to question it too much. Because of this, their first boyfriends adressed them as "confused nerd";

They get annoyed when people misgender them, even if it is not done on purpose. Q finds it a vexing situation and hates to be forced to open a discussion about gender every time they try to defend their identity;

Their appereance changes with their pronouns, trying to find a look in which they feel more comfortable. Q's gender can affect clothes, colour of the clothes, whether they wear make up or not, hairstyle and basically anything that helps them feeling comfortable in their body. However, during their workshift they dare to get creative only with colours due to professional matters;

Despite what people usually believe, Q dislikes nail polish: working in a laboratory, it uses to ruin pretty frequently and quickly and they'd have to fix it multiple times per day; they don't even know how to apply since Q got help from their sister the first time they wanted to try it; also, the quartermaster doesn't feel so comfortable with showing their gender at work, in fear of being judged because of it.

I ask, again, for forgiveness in case I said something rude or offensive against trans people.

[emf005]

Like Me for Me Part II

Sirius x Reader

Warnings: Probably some language

Part 2 out of 3

You were sitting on the bed staring at the wall when your friends came in.

“Hey, Y/N.” Lily greeted.

“Guess who’s going with James Potter?” She frowned. “To be clear it's you.”

“You got a date?” Marleen asked happily, jumping onto your bed.

“Sadly.”

“With who with who with who?”

“Sirius.”

“Hallelujah! Thank Merlin!”

“Instead of thanking a dead guy, try thanking Remus.” You offered. “He convinced him into taking me, for some reason.”

“You still don’t want to go?” Lily asked and slid next to you on the bed. You shook your head.

“Nope. I tried to get out of it, but he was persistent.”

“Come on, Y/N! It's going to be so much fun! Now we can really have fun!”

“Come on, Y/N/N.” Lily said with a nudge. “At least attempt to have fun. For us?”

“He’ll probably go out and dance with the girls he actually wants to dance with so I’ll be free the whole time.” You smiled. They both frowned at you. You had no faith in any type of male. “Fine. I’ll try and have fun. Ok?” They nodded excitedly and bounced to get ready for bed. But you weren’t as sure as them. You never would be.

“So she said yes.” Remus clarified with a wide grin on his face.

“Sort of.”

James sat up with a confused look on his face. “What do you mean, ‘sort of’?”

“Well, she actually turned me down at first because she claimed I was only asking her because Mooney told me to.”

“Which is true,” James reminded him.

“Right. So she didn’t want to go. She actually wasn’t planning on going at all, for some reason. She’s going to be here, so why not just go?” He directed his question at Remus. And, though he knew the answer, he just shrugged. “She also said her and I were doing You two a favor.”

“Like what?”

“I’m guessing asking her out was the favor for Remus. But I’m not sure what her favor for you was.” James shrugged.

“Maybe she’s going to get Lily to go with me,” he had a dorky smile on his face as he laid back and stared at the top of his bed.

“Sorry, mate. But no one’s that persuasive.” James threw a pillow at Sirius and mumbled a shut up.

“Hey, just don’t go being… you to her. Alright?” Remus asked. Sirius raised a brow at his friend.

“And what do you mean by that?”

“I hate to say flakey but flakey. She already has self-esteem issues-”

“Wonder why,” one of the boys in their dorm scoffed. They glared at him.

“And trust issues,” he continued. “I just broke the surface, please don;t make her worse. I am begging you.”

“Why would you even suggest I ask her? We aren’t each other's type, first off. Second off-”

“No second offs. Just be nice to her. Ok?”

“Ok.”

“Sirius. Promise me.”

“Ok, ok, I promise. Jeez. Protective much?”

“Very.” Remus answered, making Sirius a little worried and scared. He had seen Remus make that face only once before when someone had made a comment about Peter and always hoped he would never be on the receiving end of it.

A few days had gone by and you had sent a letter to your mum about picking out an appropriate (emphasis on appropriate) dress for you to wear. You had yet to receive a response. No doubt she was struggling to figure out how to send it. She had trouble even sending a letter. You were muggle born so she wasn’t exactly uccumbstened to anything magical.

“So the dance is tomorrow, what are you wearing?” YOu shrugged and set your goblet down.

“Don’t know. Mum hasn;t sent me anything y-”

Hoot hoot hoot.

You three looked up to see your owl, Diana, soaring into the room. With her was a large box which she dropped in front of you and then sat on your shoulder.

“Oh no.” Your friends pounced up and began to take the lid off. “Not here,” you hissed. You didn’t like the looks you were getting from the rest of your table. “Who knows what she could’ve put in here.” They nodded and picked up the box, which was much heavier than just a dress would be. What had she done this time?

“Oh my god,” Marleen gaped at the dress in the box. You had hid your face in your hands and Lily was making the same face as Marleen.

“Y/N, we haven;t even pulled it out yet and its-its-its-”

“Gorgeous! Merlin, Y/N! You are going to be stunning! Look at these shoes and these hairstyles suggestions. And the makeup and the jewellery.” She was practically salivating.

“Mar! Snap out of it!” You snapped your fingers in front of your friend's face. She shook herself out of it and wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth.

“Sorry! Sorry! But my goodness! Y/N!This is going to be beautiful on you!” You sighed and sat down on your bed looking at the mass of fabric in the box.

Maybe.

You finished Lily’s hair and looked at her through the mirror.

“What do you think?” She smiled brightly.

“I think you still haven’t even begun to get dressed!” She scolded, looking at your attire. Sweats and an old tight t-shirt.

“I told him eight. No earlier. Now go get dressed! James’ll be waiting.” She smiled giddily and bounced out of the room to put on her knee length red dress. Marleen leaned on the doorway and looked at you with disappointment as you started to clean up your station.

She had been the first one out of your friends that you had done so she was in charge of getting everyone in their dresses. Lily was your last one before you could finish getting dressed. You looked up.

“What?”

“Nothing. But hurry up. I want to see you there no later than eight sharp. Got it?”

“No promises, Mar. Have a good time. I’ll see you in a bit.” She frowned but went out to help Lily finish putting her dress on. You pulled out your mother’s drawing of the make up she had suggested and the hairstyle you had chosen and set them up on the counter so you could get ready yourself.

Your dress was a simple, straight dress that hugged the top of your body to show off your figure/ The sleeves were lace and it left your back exposed, only with one strap along the top of your back. The front had an identical strap going across your collar bones and dipped a bit lower than you would have liked. Which meant that your mother had chosen a dress where the smallest bit of your chest was exposed, you would have prefered a turtle neck.

The color of your dress was a deep crimson color with gold sparkles sprinkled throughout, making it glimmer. Your shoes were the same style as the dress, and the jewelry was gold and crimson, like the dress. When your mother shopped she shopped hard.

Out of the thousands of hair styles she had sent you, you had opted for the most simple. Hair wavy with a braid around the back of your head with crimson flowers. Your makeup was simple with red and gold and light blush and sparkles. You were glad that your mother had sent easy make up. You really didn't like to put it on yourself but sometimes it was a necessity.

You glanced at the clock and saw that it was seven fifty nine when you had finally finished getting ready. You were going to be late, but only by a few minutes. You took off your shoes and bolted out of the dorm room, through the common room and out into the hallway. You jumped on the banister, like you always did, and slid down hoping off and bolting to the great hall stairs. You looked up at the clock on the wall.

8:10

A new record.

You dusted yourself off and put your shoes back on and fixed your hair before you turned down and stood at the top of the stairs. You saw Sirius leaning against the wall. He looked bored and you couldn’t blame him. You hadn;t even started going into the dance and you were bored. You were also nervous as hell, but that's besides the point.

You began down the stairs and the clicking of your heels made him look up.

XX

“I’m going to go out,” Sirius said, looking up at the clock. It said seven fifty five. “She should be here in about five.”

“Ok. And please-”

“I know, I know. Relax, it's not even a date. Ok?”

“Alright.” Sirius left his friend. He spied Lily and James on the dance floor. Lily was smiling, looking like she was actually enjoying herself. That put a smile on Sirius’ face. He felt bad for his friend sometimes. James really had always loved Lily, he was just super immature and didn;t know how to act around her. But this past summer he had really grown up, some.

Sirius leaned against the wall and looked up at the stairs waiting for you to show up. He g;anced back at the clock, 7 fifty-nine.

Where were you?

Not like he cared too much. He just didn;t want to waste his time if you were going to be a no show.

The minutes ticked by and just kept ticking. He was about to go back in, deciding that you had decided not to come and left him dateless when he heard the click of heels. He looked up and his jaw dropped.

You were drop dead gorgeous. Your Y/H/C was over your shoulders a bit and the top of your dress hugged your body in the right ways and places. Your eyes popped and the way you had done your make up wasn’t overpowering, but just enough that certain features popped, there was definitely an element of natural beauty.

You quickly walked down the stairs to him and stood in front of him, awkwardly and nervously. You put your hands behind your back and sucked your lips into your mouth, a bad habit you had picked up.

“Hi.”

“Uh… Hi. You look lovely,” he held out his arm and you took it with a giddy smile.

“Thanks, you clean up nicely yourself.”

The two of you entered and you looked around, giving a shy wave to Marleen who was hanging by the punch table with her date. She gave you a thumbs up and you replied with the middle finger, causing her to laugh and blow you a kiss, mockingly. You were so going to kill her later.

“Y/N!” You looked up to see you were in front of Remus and his date, Maria. You never really talked to her, but you knew she was a quiet ravenclaw in your grade.

“Remus!” You gave him a hug.

“You look beautiful. No surprise though.” You rolled your eyes.

“You look nice too. I love your dress, Maria.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly, looking at the floor. “You look very beautiful too.”

“Thank you.”

“Want to dance?” Remus asked his date. She nodded and drug him out onto the dance floor, leaving you and Siirus alone at the table.

You stood in an awkward silence for a few songs. You had never actually ever been to one of these dances so you weren’t sure how to act or what you were supposed to do. You were also waiting for Sirius to leave the table to go dance with someone he wanted to. But he surprised you by staying by your side.

Finally he broke the silence.

“So, do you want to dance?” You looked up from where you were fiddling with your dress.

“Uh, yeah!” He smiled and you two walked out onto the dance floor. You looked around at everyone to see what they were doing and how they were dancing and tried to mimic it but you had no idea what you were doing. You still felt really stiff and awkward.

“You have no idea what you're doing do you?” He asked half way through the third song. You laughed.

“That obvious?” He laughed and you two kept on dancing to the music till it ended and a slower song began to play. You glared at the band playing. You had no idea how to dance, let alone slow dance. Sirius was about to say something but you interrupted him.

“I’m thirsty. Are you? I’m going to go get some drinks, do you want one? Great!” You literally ran off the dance floor leaving him standing there. He slowly headed back to the table, wondering what your reaction was about.

You were pouring some punch into two glasses, thinking about how stupid you had acted when you had heard the song come on. First off, you didn;t want to embarrass yourself dancing like you knew you would. Second off, the last time you had slow danced was with your father when you were a kid and that brought up some unwanted memories.You headed back to the table and set a glass in front of Sirius and sat down across from him.

“Going to talk about what that was about?”

“Nope.” He nodded and took a sip of his drink when he heard your stomach grumble. You cringed and he laughed and stood.

“I was going to grab something from the buffet table. Do you want anything?” You smiled gratefully.

“Anything you grab would be lovely.” He left you sitting alone at the table. You hadn’t realized how hungry you had gotten. Apparently having a good time would do that to you.

“Hey doll face.” You froze when you heard the voice. You weren;t sure whose it was, but you did know the tone of it. “You're looking a bit lonely over here by yourself. Why don;t we go for a dance, or a,” he put his hands on your shoulders and leaned down to your ear, “walk.”

“I’m just waiting for someone, thank you but I’m fine.”

“No boy in their right mind would make a lovely lady like you wait. Come on, just one dance.”

“I’m fine.” His hands stayed rooted on your shoulders.

“Come on. Someone as pretty as you-”

“I think she said that she was fine.” A familiar voice said from behind. Both you and the boy who had been asking you to dance turned to see Sirius with a plate of food in his hand and a raised eyebrow, looking anything but happy.

“I was just-” he stopped when he noticed Sirius’ eyebrow raise higher. He grumbled something and left you alone, but not before squeezing your shoulders as if to say I’ll be back. Sirius sat down and sat the heaping plate of food in between you two.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, thank you . I never thought he’d leave.”

“Must say, never thought you were one to get shy like that. I half expected you to punch him like you did.. What is his name?... Albert Killingsby.” You laughed and reached for a piece of ham he had put on the plate.

“You remember that?”

“How could anyone forget that? We were first years and you punched a seventh year. Broke his nose if I’m not mistaken.”

“Yes, and knocked out his two front teeth.” He began to laugh again and popped something or other into his mouth from the plate. “Not to pat myself on the back or anything.”

“Oh of course not.” He paused. “It was an excellent punch, though.” You smiled.

“It was indeed. He was livid after that. I think I was almost expelled. He was some pure blooded creep or something or other,” you rolled your eyes. “Not saying all pure blood are bad. That is not what I was-”

“I know.” He smiled again. This one wasn’t teasing, but reassuring. It actually made you feel more at ease.

You and Sirius fell into an easy conversation full of a lot of laughter. The night wore on but you two really didn’t notice. Neither of you had ever had a real conversation yet the talking just kept going. Soon you grew tired of sitting and eating and talking (More the sitting rather than the eating).

“Care to go for a walk? My legs are falling asleep.”

“Sure.” He stood up and the two of you walked out of the Great Hall.

“Remus! Remus!” Lily shook him.

“Hm?”

“Look!” she pointed to you and Sirius leaving the Great Hall. He smiled.

“Yes!”

“What?” James asked, walking over with two drinks for him and Lily.

“Sirius and Y/N just walked out of here together!” She said excitedly.

“And you're ecstatic because…”

“Because she’s had a crush on him since third year!”

“And he might like her.” James’ eyebrows shot up.

“That's why you wanted him to take her?”

“That and she needed an evening where she got dressed up herself.” Remus answered.

“She was very beautiful tonight. I didn;t know you and Marlene were so good at makeup, Lily. Not saying anything in an offensive way.”

“That's all her.”

“Heh?”

“She actually gets the girls and I ready every time we’re going out or anything.”

“So the other day at the lake when you asked her about getting ready?”

“I was being serious. She has the best style of everyone in the entire school.”

“Huh.”

You leaned on the banister, suddenly wishing you had brought a jacket. It was snowing and your backless dress was just making you shiver, but it felt nice. You let out a sigh and you could see your breath fog in front of you.

“Legs still falling asleep?” Sirius asked, leaning next to you.

“Thankfully, not anymore. That is one of the worst feelings. Just pins and needles,” you shivered from both the thought and the cold. Sirius chuckled and looked out over the Hogwarts ground. “I’ve always loved snowy scenes.”

“Really?” You nodded.

“Really. Just something so calmingly chaotic about them. And everyone dresses in sweaters and sweatshirts, so I never really feel like the odd man out anymore.”

“Why do you dress the way you do? Not being rude, but-”

“I feel better in it around people. Boys, more specifically.”

“Do you mind if I ask why?”

“No.” He waited for you to elaborate.

“Not going to explain?”

“You only asked if I minded if you asked, never actually asked.”

“Well then, why?”

“I don’t like being pretty. I mean… I do, and it does make me more confident but… but the way boys can treat girls because of their appearance is just terrifying. You even saw an example of that tonight.” You let out a sad laugh and shook your head. “I’ve seen a lot of that at home. Men using girls for their looks only to just toss them away when they’re done.”

Sirius wasn’t sure what to say. You had always been so confident in sweaters. Never seeming to be shy or self-conscious around anyone. No fear or anything. And the fact that you had said that you were around it at home…

“Sorry. I said far too much.” You laughed awkwardly.

“No. I don’t know much about you. What else?” You laughed.

“You want to know more about my messed up home life?” You laughed. He didn;t answer and when you looked over at him his expression only said one word: “Yes”. “Wow, uh, ok. I had a twin brother, Nick. I live with my mum who is an independent fashion designer. Um… nothing much else, really.”

“Had?”

“Uh… I guess I got caught, huh? My brother died saving a kid from getting hit by a car. He shoved the kid out of the way but couldn’t get out of the way in time.” You kept your gaze out at the Hogwarts grounds. You and your brother had been very tight and you were still dealing with the loss, it had just happened a few months ago and no one knew around Hogwarts. You didn’t like pity, one of the reasons why you liked to be head of your class.

“I’m sorry.” You smiled weakly and looked over at him, only to see that he was already studying you.

“It's not your fault. It really wasn’t anyone's fault.”

“You're not angry?” You shook your head.

“What good would that do? It's not going to bring him back. And who would I even be mad at? The kid running after her ball? My brother for being brave? The man driving? It wasn’t his fault. It was just an accident.” He kept staring at you and you smiled. “What?”

“You're just… different. Not in a bad way, just different.” You shrugged.

“My dad used to say that a lot too. So did my brother. And my mum says it often now that I think about it.” You creased our eyebrows and thought about it for a minute. Were you really that strange? Sirius laughed. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh come on, that's just mean. I’m not a funny person, so something must be making you laugh. Come on, tell me.” You jumped up onto the banister, regretting the decision immediately since you sat in a layer of snow. You slid back off quickly and he snorted again. You hit his arm playfully. “Come on, tell me.” You said through chattering teeth.

“Not a smart idea to wear a backless dress to a christmas dance.”

“You're avoiding the question.”

“And your freezing.”

“Come on. Why are you laughing! I get enough of that in the hallways, but I at least know what they are laughing about then.” His smile dropped.

“How often does that happen.”

“What?”

“The comments around the school.”

You shrugged. “Often I suppose. Still better than being hit on. I’d rather be called nerd and ugly or four eyes rather than having the opposite.”

“Oh! Where are your glasses?”

“They’re actually fake. I have perfect vision, I just don’t like to be without them, they cover up some of my face and make me look different.”

“I don;t think I’ll ever understand you.” You laughed.

“You’ve been talking to me for a few hours and you think that's enough to understand my intense way of thinking?” You joked. You started to shiver again as the wind picked up. He took off his jacket and offered it to you. “Won;t you be cold then?”

“Nah. I’ve survived worse. Come on.” You took the jacket and threw it over your shoulders, it immediately warmed you up.

“Did you charm this? It's really warm.”

“Nope. It's just really expensive.” You touched the inside.

“Fur lined? Wool? Christ this is an expensive brand.” You mumbled and he was slightly surprised.

“You know clothing?”

“My mum is an independent designer. I am well versed in cloth and styles and brands.”

“Oh that's right. I forgot you said that.”

“Yep. I am very stylish and very good at hair and makeup, the works.” He nodded and noticed a small smile play on your lips. “My dad though, he was a wreck.” You laughed. “Sorry. Saying too much again. Please just get the subject away from me.”

“Nope, I want to hear more now.” You groaned.

“I really hate you sometimes.”

“No you don’t. Come on.”

“Um well… he was a school teacher. He taught at a very prestigious college, that's where he and my mum met, actually. They went to the same college and he was writing a paper on fashion and got assigned her as the designer to interview. He fell head over heels, how my mum tells it at least. She was just insulted by his lack of fashion. He became her new project. Very romantic,” you added sarcastically. “Um… my mum is beautiful. But he loved her for her, not her looks. They were the weirdest couple I have ever met. I came down stairs one night to find them arguing one night.”

Sirius’ heart stopped. You had always said had or was when it came. And his curiosity overtook his capability to keep his mouth shut. He was waiting for divorce or something like that.

“And when I snuck in I started to laugh. They never fought, ever. And they were staging in the kitchen at three in the morning arguing over who got the last chocolate pudding.” You smiled and shook your head. “They ended up sharing it. They were the definition of perfect.” Your smile fell. “He died when me and my brother were seven. After about a year, mum decided that we needed a father figure. She asked if it would be alright if she got back out there and, of course we said yes but… but no one could be our dad. None of them love her… or even really like her. They despised me and my brother when he was alive. They’re just.. Horrible. They’ve aged her. And it's all because she’s beautiful.”

“So you don’t trust looks.”

“If I fall in love, I don’t want to have someone love me because I’m pretty. I want them to love me. That may be naive or foolish. But I guess that's me.” You hugged the jacket around your body again. “This is why people need to stop me from talking. I get way too personal way too quickly. Please change the subject.” He laughed for a moment and threw a friendly arm around your shoulders.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that around all us. James has his eyes on Lily, Remus is Remus,” you laughed. “Peter’s already got a girl and I hop around.” You rolled your eyes and laughed. But that last part hurt a bit. Here you were finally talking to the boy you had had a crush on since forever, but, then again, so did half of the girls in Hogwarts.

“Yeah, well, doesn’t matter. I’m fine how I am. My friends are pretty and popular and I’m the nerd who opens her mouth too much.” You shrugged. “What can you do? So, now you have to tell me something completely and utterly embarrassing so I don;t feel alone here.”

“Is that how this is supposed to work?” He asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“Yep,” you hummed and started to walk away. He smirked and followed you.

You two continued to walk around Hogwarts for hours after that. Talking and laughing until you had finally reached your common room with (empty) mugs of Hot chocolate in your hands. He had your heels in his hand and you were still wearing his jacket. You had never had so much fun in your entire life.

“Well, thanks for putting up with me tonight. I hope you had at least a little bit of fun.”

“I had a great time, actually.”

“Actually?” You whisper-shouted, acting offended. He smiled and bumped his shoulder against yours.

“Shuddup, Y/L/N.” You laughed and leaned against the back of the couch.

“But in all seriousness, no pun intended, thanks for taking me. I honestly would be in the library right now if it weren’t for you.”

“Any time, Y/N. Really, I had a lot of fun. We should hang out more, if you’d like.” You were practically beaming.

“I’d like that a lot, actually.” You shrugged off his Jacket and reluctantly handed it to him. “I guess I’ll see you then.” He took it and handed you your shoes back.

“Yeah. I guess I will.” You turned and started up the stairs. “Hey, Y/N!” You turned and looked at him with a smile.

“Yeah?”

“Goodnight.” You smiled, a bit disappointed that's all he had to say, but what were you expecting?

“Good night, Sirius.” You left him standing in the common room. Everyone was already asleep, so you silently took your hair out and got changed for bed, making sure to get all the makeup off your face. You sighed as you looked at your self in the mirror. The wet wash cloth in your hands. It hadn't touched your face yet.

“Good night to you too. Who knows when you’ll come back out.” Then you gingerly removed all the makeup from your face and went to your bed for some much needed sleep. But that wasn't how it went for Sirius.

Part 2 done! I hope you're all enjoying! Let me know what you think! Part three will be posted tomorrow(Probably).

[echthr0s]

#i'm gonna try to replay it and be like *ben affleck smoking jpg* ''this was a mistake''

I hate how right I was about this but what I had conveniently forgotten was how awful the game is from the moment you enter character creation

everything about this feels bad. even from a sensory perspective -- the responsiveness of the sliders is abysmal, the way things load in is awkward (also the time it takes for every individual feature to load -- like hairstyles -- is insane. it's a good 2 seconds for every hairstyle. which like I don't even know why I was bothering to cycle through them more than once, they're all wack), and the textures and colours are OOF. I would have rather they just not included some of these hair colours at all rather than make them look THAT bad. skin colours are firmly middle-of-the-road and of course the darkskin option is nearly nonexistent. the faces??? HORRIBLE. every preset is either mid or awful (most are awful, a couple of the fem ones are mid). I have been here for 20 minutes trying to just make a character that I can stand to look at for 90 hours or whatever and I... am not succeeding :V

my intention for all this was to make Noah and that is not happening as such -- the male appearances are terrible. so I thought, fine, femNoah it is, multiverse theory doesn't care about gender and neither does Noah. but I'm still struggling! all because I have the audacity to want my character to be pretty in a game made in the late 20-teens by a company that has had experience making games like this for most of my life

like. when I say this was the best I could do.... this was TRULY the best I could do.

knowing that it really doesn't get much better from here is giving me reverse dopamine ngl.

[recurring-polynya]

I have to say I knew that at one point renji, ikkaku, yumichika and iba were in the same squad with kenpachi but good god you managed to paint a beautiful picture for me. I simply assumed that for them it was simply party time all the time along with a few bald jokes but this is much better. Emotionally healthy squad 11 which still love fighting more than anything. I always cringed when someone would just describe them as hooligans that do nothing but fighting. I mean they do that too but I love the idea that they are all emotionally healthy and mature, a loving and supportive family to their own - in their own wakka doodoo kind of way thats endearing - and of course they are in my opinion they single capable force against sexisim. Because they don't care about anything else - gendere, sexuality, gender performances, race, mentality or anything - other than if you fight good you respectable and if you fight good in squad 11 you family. ( like when kenpachi just became captain he made yachiru his lieutenant and no one was against it no one thought it was beneath them, sure thru nag at her sometimes but that's mostly in a banter like way because she call them stupid nicknames but no one hates her for being unrightfully their superior. One day they got a new captain and a new lieutenant that's a child and they just went with it.) I admit their disdain and disrespect to squad 4 is still frowned upon but I do believe some squad 4s can handle their own, it's just that we saw the really peaceful ones. Anyways sorry for ranting. Just wanted to say that yeah, I really like how the past squad 11 with iba and renji in it was a great place in general. I think if they found out some one was being sexist - for whatever reason - they would be there right next to nanao - or iba's mom protesting. Kenpachi and yachiru as well. And that makes me want to be squad 11 ,despite not being much for fighting, so bad.

So, for starters, thanks! I try to have fun whenever I write Squad 11, and I’m glad you enjoy my take on them.

My Squad 11 is just... really not very canon, though. Canon Squad 11 is actually pretty gross and sexist. Yumichika is transphobic, Kenpachi makes homophobic remarks about Yumichika, they bully Squad 4, there’s a filler episode devoted to a guy that Ikkaku bullied for, like 100 years because the guy lost his reiatsu saving Ikkaku’s dumb ass.

When you write fanfic, you occasionally run into these more problematic aspects of the source media, and you can choose to dig in and analyze them, or just... remake them in your own way. Take for example, Gin. If you read fanfic about Gin, there are some people who will peel away the layers of him and his fears and insecurities and still make him be a horrible gremlin, and it’s really stellar writing. Other people prefer to write him in an AU where maybe less bad stuff happened to him, and he’s more mischievous than sociopathic, and this is a less meaty interpretation, but it’s also more fun. Sometimes fanfic is a meal and sometimes it’s candy. It fulfills different needs and different fantasies and all of it is welcome.

Yumichika, who for me is the fulcrum of Squad 11, presents this problem. I really don’t like the way his “appreciation for beauty” plays out in canon. He doesn’t actually appreciate beauty, he just likes telling other people they’re ugly. I don’t think he’s ever pointed out beauty in anyone else aside from himself or his zanpakutou. I remember the first time I watched his fight with Charlotte and it struck me as so off -- why wouldn’t he find her beautiful? I mean, I know it’s a transmysogynistic joke, that’s why, men dressed as women is funny, hurr hurr, but Yumichika is gender nonconforming himself. This was an opportunity to make a cool character point, and Kubo took the cheap laughs road instead. Going back to what I said last paragraph, a skilled writer could, in theory, write about his insecurities and his brittleness and meanness and write a pretty compelling story, but a) Kubo certainly doesn’t, and I have never actually found a Yumichika-centric fanfic of this nature, and b) this doesn’t fit the role I need him to play in my stories. I am rarely really interested in writing about Squad 11 for its own sake. I like to write them as a backdrop for the period of Renji’s afterlife where he hit absolute rock bottom and bounced back up again. We already know the role Ikkaku played in this, except that Ikkaku is a complete moron in terms of mental health, and I really, really felt like this is where Yumichika needed to come in.

I like to massage Yumichika’s character a bit, but I do want to keep the flavor of some of his character flaws-- he’s still shallow and mean and judgy, and I love that for him, but I like to add in a positive side to his appreciation for beauty. Having Yumichika make fun of Izuru’s pores is funny but it’s even funnier if he’s just given Renji a compliment on his hair first. The idea that a Yumichika compliment is attainable makes all his drags the more vicious. Yumichika also judged people by their beauty instead of their moral character, which is humorous to me. He dislikes Byakuya as a person, but is obsessed with his haircare regime. I like to have him treat Rangiku as an equal, beauty-wise, and a person whose opinion he respects based on her aesthetic. Rangiku is actually a pretty savvy and very emotionally intelligent person whom many people write off because she likes to present herself as a lazy airhead, so in an extremely convoluted way, this all works out. I like to think that Yumichika’s ideas of beauty are also caught up in boldness and risk-taking and having one’s outward presentation ring true to their inner self. To me, this is the core of why he loves Ikkaku. To him, Ikkaku’s devotion to doing the most Ikkaku thing at all times, no matter how stupid, is irresistibly sexy. 

Aside: At some point, I decided that the fact that a lot of people in Bleach have colorful marks on their faces and elaborate hairstyle and accessory games implied that make-up in Soul Society is gender neutral. I like to think there is actually more of a divide between the nobility, who like their make-up to follow rules and be classy, and, well, Squad 11, who like to get make-up ideas from Jem and the Holograms. I don’t even wear makeup (I don’t know how and it’s expensive and I am ashamed of myself, we can talk about my own gender presentation later) but I like to write about both my male and female characters wearing make-up. I don’t actually know how my readers feel about it, but it just falls under the “Is that what people want?”/“It’s what we do” philosophy of all my writing.

I think one of the theses of my writing is that middle management is more important to the character of a squad than the person at the top. Captains sort of act as ideals to strive for, but they are generally unapproachable for one reason or another. Yachiru is more like her captain in this respect (which makes sense, since she is, in fact part of her captain). Ikkaku and Yumichika present this dual idea that 1) strength is awesome, fighting and being the best is awesome, and 2) part of strength is presenting yourself to the world in a bold and confrontational way. (The fact that both of them are hiding huge parts of themselves is laughably ironic). Kenpachi and Yachiru are shining examples of Do Whatever You Want and Be So Strong That No One Can Stop You. 

What really makes this work is that you need someone one layer down-- does anyone actually subscribe to this nonsense, and that’s why Iba - Abarai Squad 11 is Best Squad 11. I really, really enjoy the genre of Reddit posts where a total bro will find out that his girlfriend is trans and react by becoming a vehement advocate for trans rights. I love the bodybuilders typing encouragement to each other meme. Our world is flooded with disingenuous messages from concern trolls trying to tell us why being kind and inclusive to one another is bad or that you should reject help because struggle makes you stronger and the idea of a Himbo looking at something like that and saying “that seems dumb" is delightful to me.

I actually feel like there are a lot of awful people with bad ideas in Squad 11, it’s just that Renji and Iba don’t put up with their shit, and over time, that becomes the culture of Squad 11. I think that Squad 11 has incredibly turnover, but the ones who stay are the ones who subscribe to the ideas you mentioned-- fighting is what matters, if you wanna go argue about shit, go join Squad 5. In the IkkaYumi story I wrote, which happens shortly after Zaraki takes over, a ton of people leave. The Bount Arc (which I know a lot of people skipped) features a dude who was extremely pissed off because he had liked the old Kenpachi and thought Zaraki sucked and was so mad about it that he betrayed Soul Society. You might think that this arc would feature Zaraki caring about this in some way shape or form, but he really didn’t. So, I think there are a lot of Soul Reapers that took issue with serving under a little girl as a vice captain, they just aren’t in Squad 11 anymore.

Oh, one last note on Iba’s mom. I am of an age where a number of my friends have mothers who were Second Wave Feminists. The moms in question are a real mixed bag, because they Came From a Different Time, and on one hand, you have to respect what they went through, and on the other hand, they are very difficult to get along with. I liked the idea that Iba has always chafed against his mom and her big personality, and then Renji comes in, and is like, “hey, your mom is strong as hell and she has a lot of ideas that I never thought of but they make sense” and Iba realizes that, even though she’s still a huge pain in his ass, his mom is the person who made him who he is. Moms are complex.

Uhhhh, I have definitely lost the thread of wherever I was going with this post. Thank you for enjoying my Squad 11, which is nothing like canon Squad 11. Hopefully maybe this year, I will actually finish my Squad 11 Self Care story, where Renji stops being a drunk disaster person after Yumichika teaches him how to fill his brows; I got stuck on a part where Rangiku gives Renji a talk on ethical sluttery.

[chaossmagic]

ahh please don’t be lonely ☹️ here’s a few questions for you 💖

top 5 bucky moments?

fmk: bucky, steve and sam

what’s the one talent you wish you had?

long haired bucky or short haired? and why

your main otp? and the reason why they’re your main

thank you gina <3 you are too sweet!

top 5 bucky moments

oh god just 5?

1. 'LOOKING STRONG JOHN!'. just because it's hilarious and makes me die laughing every time because he's so right and he should say it, john walker is a piece of shit and deserves to be heckled while he's getting beaten up by three beautiful wakandan women. eat shit, walker.

2. when he pulls steve out of the water at the end of winter soldier and waits for a second to make sure he starts breathing again before being sure enough to leave him there. GETS ME EVERY TIME.

3. the wakanda flashback in ep 4 of tfatws where he breaks down sobbing out of relief and happiness because he's finally free of hydra's brainwashing and he has his life back, for good. it's such an overwhelmingly euphoric scene that has so much heart to it after seeing him struggle for so long throughout the movies. it feels necessary and earned and it's also really important because a male character gets to show real emotion in the moment and it's portrayed as something natural and healthy as a reaction to a huge life event.

4. the 'but i knew him' scene from winter soldier. because it's heartbreaking. that's all i have to say about that.

5. the superhero landing in ep 6 of tfatws because DAMMIT HE'S EARNED IT HE'S A HERO OKAY

+bonus moment

6. "not bad, for the end of the world" scene in infinity war. he looks so glowy and happy in that scene because steve is there

lbr there are hundreds i could have chosen because he's so iconic but anYWAY

fmk: bucky steve sam

fuck - bucky. you know why. (it's the metal arm, okay?)

marry - steve. i'm a broke lesbian studying for a masters' degree, i need the marriage benefits

kill - sam. I DON'T ACTUALLY WANT TO KILL SAM. IT WAS THE ONLY CHOICE LEFT. (ily sam)

what's the one talent you wish you had?

i wish i was athletic enough to be a runner and do enjoy running. sadly, i am not.

long haired bucky or short haired? and why

you know what? i love bucky with the short hair he has now. i love the symbolism behind it, because it's a physical manifestation of him being free from hydra and moving on from being 'the winter soldier'. it looks good (so, so good) and probably makes him feel a hell of a lot better too without that very obvious reminder of hydra on his body.

that being said...i do miss the flowy, luscious long hair, especially at the end of infinity war/in the endgame battle when he had that super cute half up-do. (when did he even do that?). i like it both ways. but i think for the meaning behind it and what it means for bucky personally to not have the 'winter soldier' hairstyle anymore, short hair bucky wins out this time (sorry, gina)

your main otp? and the reason why they're your main

STEVE AND BUCKY. duh. they were (are) soulmates, they loved each other more than anything or anyone else in the world and would die for each other (kill for each other) and protect each other no matter what. they were in love and you can't convince me otherwise.

failing that, i'm partial to steve/natasha, sam/bucky/steve as a throuple, sambucky and also bucky/sarah

i just want happiness for bucky and for him to be loved and cherished, alright? i'm not too fussy about by whom.

[aion-rsa]

Every Cyberpunk 2077 Controversy So Far

https://ift.tt/2L1A5cF

Cyberpunk 2077 may be the most anticipated game of 2020 but its long road to release can be measured by numerous controversies that have often attracted the wrong kind of attention.

From delays to questionable tweets, Cyberpunk 2077 can easily be considered one of the most controversial games in recent memory, and it hasn’t even been released yet. While time will tell if Cyberpunk 2077 can “usurp” The Last of Us Part 2 and become 2020’s most divisive game, the project is already at the center of several heated debates that are causing fans to take sides.

If you’re wondering where you stand on the game’s most contested topics, here’s a rundown of every notable Cyberpunk 2077 controversy (so far):

The Numerous Delays and Long Development Time

Believe it or not, there have only been three official Cyberpunk 2077 delays so far and all of them have happened in 2020.

Cyberpunk 2077‘s first official release date was April 16, 2020. While developer CD Projekt Red noted early in the year that the game was “complete and playable,” the studio delayed the game to September 17 as part of an effort to better optimize its performance.

On June 18, the Cyberpunk 2077 team announced via Twitter that the game’s release had been delayed again and was now (at least at that time) scheduled to be released on November 19. Again, CD Projekt Red cited a “huge number of things to iron out” as the reason for the delay.

Finally, on October 27, CD Projekt Red announced that Cyberpunk 2077‘s final release date had been rescheduled for December 10. This time, the team cited not just bug fixes and optimization as the reason for the delay but the challenges presented by their desire to release the game across so many platforms.

Before we dive into some of the other delay related controversies, we should point out that much of the fan frustration regarding Cyberpunk 2077‘s delays are closely related to the fact the game was revealed via a teaser trailer released in 2013. While we don’t know what the status of the game was at that time, the popular perception is that Cyberpunk 2077 has been in development for seven years. That means that each one of the game’s 2020 delays has stung some fans harder than they otherwise may have.

The Crunch Schedule

You can’t talk about Cyberpunk 2077‘s delays without talking about the game’s controversial crunch development schedule.

We’ve covered this topic before in greater detail (you can read our full report on this subject here), but the gist of the situation is that developer CD Projekt Red had previously stated that they would not force the Cyberpunk 2077 team to work through a crunch schedule. In September, though, CD Projekt Red boss Adam Badowski confirmed reports that the studio asked employees to begin working additional hours. In exchange for the extra work, they would be compensated with overtime pay and additional funds offered by the company’s profit-sharing program.

That information triggered two additional debates. The first saw those who opposed the company’s crunch schedule battle those who claimed the company’s employees were being fairly compensated for their extra work. While it was generally agreed the company was compensating its employees for overtime more than other game developers have done in the past (and that some employees anonymously stated they were fine with the schedule), many argued that crunch development is an industry problem which needs to be addressed whenever it appears.

Finally, there’s the matter of the game’s delays. The latest Cyberpunk 2077 delay was confirmed after the report of the company’s crunch schedule had broke. If the insinuation was that the crunch schedule was implemented as a desperate measure intended to ensure the game was released on time, then could CD Projekt Red have skipped the crunch schedule and just delayed the game a little longer?

The PS4/Xbox One Controversy

When news broke that the most recent Cyberpunk 2077 delay was partially attributed to the struggles of launching the game across so many platforms, it didn’t take long for some fans to worry about the PS4 and Xbox One editions of the game.

Why? Well, some people expressed their concern that the previous-gen versions of Cyberpunk 2077 may hinder the day one quality of the next-gen editions. CD Projekt Red has stated that the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of Cyberpunk 2077 will benefit from day one upgrades, but the “full” next-gen versions of each title will not be available until a later date.

Others had the opposite concern and worried that the next-gen editions of Cyberpunk 2077 would be the “real” versions of the game and that the PS4 and Xbox One versions would suffer from serious performance downgrades. There’s currently no evidence which strongly supports that claim, but it does ring loud at a time when it’s nearly impossible to find a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S.

The Gender Tweet

One of the earlier Cyberpunk 2077 controversies involved this now-deleted tweet from the Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account:

The tweet itself was sent in the midst of a greater debate over the use of that term and whether or not it had become a way to mock transgender people or those who sympathize with the struggles of transgender people. Basically, there was some concern that the Cyberpunk 2077 team’s use of that term was meant as an insult

CD Projekt Red deleted the tweet and issued the following statement regarding it:

“Sorry to all those offended by one of the responses sent out from our account earlier. Harming anyone was never our intention.”

As some noted at the time, this controversy was amplified by another incident in which GOG (a digital store owned by CD Projekt Red) tweeted a GIF of a Postal character urinating on a tombstone that read “Games Journalism” and “August 28th, 2014.” That date is believed to be a reference to GamerGate.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The Transgender Poster

Arguably the most infamous Cyberpunk 2077 controversy involved this in-game poster:

The poster showcases a transgender model advertising a soda with slogans could be interpreted as references to transgender people. Given that this poster was circulated shortly after the aforementioned tweets, some felt that this was another example of CD Projekt Red using transgender people as a punchline.

In an interview with Polygon, the CD Projekt Red artist who designed this poster, Kasia Redesiuk, explained her thought process behind it.

“Personally, for me, this person is sexy,” Redesiuk said. “I like how this person looks. However, this model is used — their beautiful body is used — for corporate reasons. They are displayed there just as a thing, and that’s the terrible part of it.”

Redesiuk also stated that she had no intentions of directly offending people but did note that she was aware the image was inherently provocative.

“I would say it was never the intention to offend anyone,” Redesiuk said. “However, with this image of an oversexualized person, we did want to show how over-sexualization of people is bad. And that’s it.

The Gender Choice Character Creator

Cyberpunk 2077 would once again find itself at the center of a gender-related controversy, but this one was a bit different than the others.

In an interview with Metro, Cyberpunk 2077 artist Marthe Jonkers explained that the game would not offer simple male and female gender options during the character creation process.

“You don’t choose, ‘I want to be a female or male character’ you now choose a body type,” Jonkers explained. “So you choose your body type and we have two voices, one that’s male sounding, one is female sounding. You can mix and match. You can just connect them any way you want. And then we have a lot of extra skin tones and tattoos and hairstyles. So we really want to give people the freedom to make their own character and play the way they want to play.”

While some felt that this was the company’s attempt to cover up for their previous actions, much of the blowback in this instance came from fans who saw this as an example of the Cyberpunk 2077 team “pandering” to critics. There is currently no information available that suggests the game’s character creation process was drastically altered in response to any such criticisms.

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The Animals and Voodoo Boys

The reveal of Cyberpunk 2077‘s gangs caused some to question whether or not the game was relying on racial stereotypes.

This debate focused on two gangs: The Animals and Voodoo Boys. Some fans felt that the “Animals” name was intended as an insult directed towards a gang that appeared to largely be comprised of people of color. As for the Voodoo Boys, there were concerns that the gang’s name, design, and background were designed to exploit racial and cultural stereotypes.

CD Projekt Red later stated that The Animals is actually a multi-racial gang and that that the initial portrayal of them as a gang that consisted entirely of people of color was based on the specific scenario of the gameplay demo they were showcased in. Cyberpunk 2020‘s creator also offered this response in regards to these controversies:

“As for the Animals–the WHOLE FREAKING POINT is that they think of themselves as POWERFUL, DANGEROUS, WILD ANIMALS. You’d have thought the Lady named ‘Sasquatch’ would have given them a clue…The original Voodoo Boys were a scathing commentary on cultural appropriation. I LOVE the idea that real practitioners of Voudon moved in and took back their turf. And they even got the Creole right…Who the (bleep) do YOU think you are to tell ME whether or not MY creation was done right or not?”

The Microtransactions

Earlier this year, CD Projekt Red’s Adam Kicinski caused a stir by implying that Cyberpunk 2077 would have microtransactions despite previous implications that the game would not.

“We’re never aggressive towards our fans!” Kicinski said during an earnings call. “We treat them fairly and we’re friendly. So of course not – we won’t be aggressive – but you can expect great things to be bought. The goal is to design monetization in a way that makes people happy to spend money. I’m not trying to be cynical or hide something; it’s about creating a feeling of value.”

The Cyberpunk team later clarified that statement somewhat with the following tweet:

Nothing changed. Cyberpunk 2077 is a single player game with zero microtransactions. One single purchase. No tricks. Don't believe the clickbait. https://t.co/qX0iZwsAf2

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) September 7, 2020

The issue of microtransactions is typically controversial in and of itself, but the debate was amplified in this instance by CD Project Red’s apparent “anti-microtransaction” culture and outward consumer-friendly image. Furthermore, Cyberpunk 2077‘s multiplayer has been its own source of controversy due to the mysterious nature of the concept and concerns its development has further delayed the release of the Cyberpunk 2077 campaign.

The First-Person Controversy

It feels so quaint now, but one of the earlier Cyberpunk 2077 controversies involved the game’s first-person perspective.

In 2019, the Cyberpunk 2077 team confirmed the game would largely take place in first-person with third-person angles being used for certain cutscenes and driving sequences. This upset some fans who were not only led to believe the game would be third-person based on early footage (and The Witcher 3) but were concerned by the implications of a first-person game. Namely, they worried that the game would end up being a first-person shooter and that first-person cutscenes would not be nearly as “immersive” as the third-person storytelling featured in The Witcher 3.

Some fans also felt that a first-person perspective would limit the impact of the game’s character customization options, but CD Projekt Red later clarified that you’ll be able to see your character in mirrors and on the inventory screen.

The post Every Cyberpunk 2077 Controversy So Far appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[kr210]

Love at First Sight

This is Chapter 4 of my KHR fic. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Sakura’s Character Sheet

Summary : Our little Yakuza Princess finally meets Hibari and boy does it throw her for a loop. 

The first day of any new school is supposed to be nerve racking but that’s not how Yakumo Sakura felt. In fact the 11 year old was very excited to show off her new level of confidence. Over the summer she had been more involved in her family business. Kai and Bai made sure to take time to teach her not only how to defend herself but also how to properly fight. They also show her the business aspect of the family business including the properties her family had owned for generations. Then there were the four ports they also owned on the north side of town where their imports of goods came in.

One would think that these ports would be sneaking in illegal goods but you’d be wrong. In fact like most Japanese Yakuza’s the Yakumo Yakuza is all about helping out those in need. The goods that were being brought in were all items that were possibly illegal in Japan but legal in other countries. Either way they were all items that people needed and the Yakuza provided.

The other half of the business was real estate. The Yakuza owned a couple of properties in Namimori that includes, one apartment building, two outdoor shopping malls and the Yakumo compound which was a large traditional Japanese home that took up a large city block where all the business happened.

Learning all this totally gave the 14 year old Yakuza Princess more confidence than any normal 14 year old would have. The contrast was clear as day when other first years of Namimori Middle School walked through the front gate. Sakura carried herself tall and confident while her best friend Hinamori Yuna looked beyond scared and nervous. “I don’t know how you do it, Sakura,” Yuna said, holding on to the arm of her friend. Sakura glanced at her as they entered the school and walked over the announcement boards that shared which classroom each student was assigned. “It’s all about how you want others to see you. I want people to notice me and I want them to be aware of my pretense.” Sakura commented. Yuna looked at her. “Because of your family business?” Sakura nodded.

The girls walked over to the board where Yuna let go of Sakura and started on one side of the boards. Sakura went to the other and they both looked for their names. Sakura noticed both their names on the second board. They were in the same class which was a relief for both of them. The princess went over to her friend and pulled her out of the crowd. “We are in the same class. Class 1B” Yuna lit up and hugged her friend. “Oh thank goodness” They shared an excited giggle.

Just then a rogue gust of wind blew through the crowd of students. Sakura turned her head to avoid her soft light brown hair flying into her face. Her eyes then met another. A young man dressed in the proper male student uniform with a red band on his right arm. It was like time had slowed down as her breath hitched staring at this young man. His eyes met hers but only for a brief second before he turned his attention back to the other students. It was then she noticed the other male student standing next to the one that was making her heart race. It was the outdated hairstyle that this man was wearing that she noticed about this second one. But the air around the other one that made her face flare up. She couldn’t take her eyes off him as she openly stared.

“Sakura come on we’ll be late” Yuna pulled her back to reality. “Who is that?” Sakura asked instantly, looking at her friend. Yuna looked over to where her best friend was staring. “That’s Hibari Kyoya. He’s a second year in charge of the Disciplinary Committee here at Namichu. And the guy standing next to him with the weird haircut is his right hand man, Kusakabe Tetsuya” Yuna explained. Sakura looked back at the young man named Hibari once more. “Hibari Kyoya huh” she muttered with a slight smirk on her face.

The girls made their way into the main building to switch out their shoes. Their classroom was on the second floor as most club rooms were on the first. They made their way up the stairs to find their classroom. They were almost swept away by the crowd of students trying to find their own classrooms when Sakura grabbed Yuna’s arm and pulled her into their classroom. A sign above the door said, 1-B, on it. Yuna was thankful that her best friend pulled into the classroom as she continued to watch the first years rush to their classrooms.

“Why is everyone in such a hurry?” she asked no one in particular. A male student in the classroom turned to look at the new girls. “Don’t you know Hibari-senpai?” he asked them. Yuna and Sakura looked confused. “Hibari-senpai will beat up anyone at the school who doesn’t follow the rules.” another male student said. “I heard a rumor that the teachers let him do whatever he wants because his family has power and money” another student spoke up. “Either way” a female student intervened. “You don’t want to get on his bad side” she commented, taking a seat. Yuna and Sakura had more questions but the bell for class rang and the rest of the students quickly took their seats. Yuna and Sakura assumed it was in fear of Hibari.

At lunch time students were allowed to eat in the classroom or go eat in the cafeteria. Yuna and Sakura opted to go to the cafeteria to grab food but eat in the classroom. The walk to the cafeteria was uneventful but inside the cafeteria, that was bustling with students, Yuna struggled to decide what to eat.

“Should I get Curry bread or Yakisoba bread?” Yuna asked Sakura. Sakura glanced at the bread available for purchase. “Why not both?” she asked, shrugging. Yuna looked at her and frowned. Sakura sighed and rolled her eyes as they got to the front of the line. “Two Curry breads and two Yakisoba bread” she ordered. The man reached into the cased and handed the girl the bread. Sakura handed the bread to Yuna then pulled out her wallet. “9,600” He told her. She easily pulled out a 10,000 yen bill and handed it to the man. He handed her four one hundred yen coins back and the girls moved out of the line. “Thank you Sakura,” Yuna said both grateful and ashamed. Sakura thought nothing of it.

The girls were walking back to the classroom when Sakura noticed something outside the second floor window. Yuna noticed her friend distracted and looked out the window as well. “Eh?! Isn’t that Hibari-senpai that our classmates told us about?” she asked, seeing one man beating another student right there in the courtyard and everyone ignoring it. Sakura was staring at him. “I think so yeah” she commented smiling as she watched him. Yuna looked over at her. “Sakura?” But Sakura didn’t hear her. She was focused on this young man and the way he was fighting. She was watching and studying his moves.

“Sakura?” Yuna called for her again but Sakura was still distracted by this unruly hair prefect. Her eyes full of admiration. Her body itching to fight with him as well and experience his strength. “Sakura-chan?!” Yuna raised her voice forcing her best friend to look at her. There was a smug look on Yuna’s face. “You like him,” she said, smirking. “What?” Sakura asked, still coming out of her admiration trance. “You. Like. Hibari-senpai.” Yuna said it slowly and deliberately. The Yakuza Princess felt her ears burning. “I do not,” she retorted. Yuna started giggling as she headed back to the classroom. Sakura followed behind her trying to calm her fast beating heart.

After school Yuna was switching out her shoes while Sakura stood next to her locker. “Does Kai-san mind giving me a ride home today?” she asked her friend. “Do you need a ride home or do you want to sleep over?” Sakura asked. Yuna shook her head. “Just a ride home. Mom is working today but she’ll be home for dinner” Sakura nodded. “Yeah we can give you a ride no problem” she assured her friend as they made their way towards Sakura’s locker so she could switch her shoes as well.

Together they left the school and headed towards Kai who had the car around the corner. “Good afternoon Sakura-sama, Yuna-san” he greeted them both. “Thanks for the ride Kai-san.” Yuna said, smiling as she got in the car. Sakura got in after her. Kai got in the driver’s seat. “Sakura-sama and I never mind giving you rides anywhere, Yuna-san. Please continue to relax.” he told her as he started the car. They took off towards Yuna’s house.

The drive started quiet before Kai noticed his princess distracted. “How was school?” He asked them trying to see what had the princess distracted. “Sakura has a crush” Yuna right away teased her best friend. Sakura’s eyes widened and her face flushed. “Yuna!” she yelled in a very high pitched girly voice. Yuna started laughing. Kai noticed the blush on her face. “It sounds like you two had a good first day” he concluded out loud as the girls jokingly fought in the back seat.

They dropped off Yuna who told Sakura she would see her in the morning at school. Kai asked if she would need a ride in the morning but Yuna said her mom would drop her off which pleased Kai. “Please remind your parents if they need anything to ask” he told her. She nodded and waved before she entered the front gate of her yard that would lead to the front door.

From there Kai began to drive the Yakuza Princess home. “So a crush Sakura-hime?” he asked her. Sakura felt her ears burning. “It’s nothing” she quickly said trying to calm the burning sensation of her cheeks. Kai smiled to see her acting like a normal 14 year old instead of young Yakuza leader. “What’s his name hime?” A small fond smile appeared on her face. “His name is Hibari Kyoya. He’s a second year and the leader of the Disciplinary Committee. I saw him fighting today Kai and...He looked so cool. And strong. I want to fight him” she said smiling as she looked up at the rear view mirror. Kai smiled. “I will find out all the information I can about him,” he told her. She nodded her head. “Thank you.” Kai glanced back at her. “If he’s part of the Disciplinary Committee then he must be very strict with the rules of the school” he commented to her. “Yeah… I think I want to challenge him so he’ll notice me. But I’ll need you to back me up in case I get in trouble” she told him. “Leave everything to me Hime” he told her. She nodded her head as a small smirk tugged her lips. “Middle school is going to be fun”

“You’re out of your mind!” Yuna said, staring at her friend. Sakura and Yuna were about a block away from the main gates of Namichu. “He’s going to kill you dressed like that. It’s only the second day of school and you’re really going to upset the Disciplinary Committee leader?” Yuna questioned, staring at her best friend. Sakura had her hair tied up in a high ponytail so the ends of her hair were brushing her shoulders. Her uniform shirt had the first two buttons undone showing a bit of cleavage and the bottom three buttons showing off her bellybutton. The uniform skirt was rolled up so high that it barely covered her ass. She had no socks on and was rocking a pair of pink three inch high heels.

“He’s going to kill you the moment he sees you.” Yuna said, shaking her head. Sakura was smirking, “That’s the goal” she commented as they started walking towards the main gate. “So you’re dressed like this to purposely get him to notice you?” Yuna asked. Sakura nodded her head. “Don’t worry Yuna. You won’t get in trouble; this will be for my own amusement.” she said smiling.

One could say it was almost instant. As if Hibari himself felt something off in the universe that surrounded his school. He could sense the troublemaker entering the campus ground like a rabid bear looking for its next meal. And when he noticed all the male eyes staring at this first year girl disrespecting the Namimori Middle School Uniform, he nearly imploded. His tonfa’s were drawn as he stalked over to this disrespecting herbivore. But this first year was a trained fighter and she could sense his hostile spirit instantly. “Yuna leave.” Sakura used a tone of voice that Yuna hadn’t heard since the day her and Sakura became friends. Yuna quickly stepped away from her friend but didn’t want to leave her alone completely.

Hibari was so much quicker than Sakura expected. She nearly didn’t dodge that first strike. Her eyes were wide as she landed her first flip, but Hibari was faster and went to strike again. The princess was aware of his speed and was ever so gracefully able to dodge his second attack by throwing her weight over him and landing on the opposite side of him. Hibari felt her hands use him as a launching pad to land her flip. He turned to look at her; his piercing gray eyes glaring at her. “1st year, Class 1-B Yakumo Sakura” he stated her name. Sakura could not help the smile that appeared on her face. “So you know of me Hibari-senpai,” she said smiling. “I know every student at Namichu” Well… that made the smile on the girl’s face disappear. “How Disappointing.” She commented, pouting a little.

“Your uniform does not meet the dress code. Fix. It.” he spat at her. “No.” Sakura calmly challenged him. His piercing gray eyes met her soft brown eyes. Hibari’s eyebrow twitched as he took a stance to fight the girl again when the main bell for class to begin rang. “Welp this was fun Hibari but I don’t want to be late” she told him smiling before she could at top speed rushed to switch her shoes out. “Wait…” he yelled at her but she was long gone. He would normally chase after her but he didn’t want to damage his precious school. He wasn’t sure this herbivore would feel the same way either.

“I can’t believe you.” Yuna muttered to Sakura as they entered the classroom. Sakura had not changed her uniform at all. “It was worth it.” she said smiling. Yuna shook her head. “He’s going to kill you the moment you leave school grounds.” she pointed out. “That’s what I’m hoping for.” The cherry blossom said with a huge smile on her face. Yuna leaned closer to her friend. “Sakura do you really like Hibari-senpai?” she asked her in a hushed voice. Sakura looked away, her ears burning, and face flushed. “Yes. I guess you could say it is love at first sight.” she commented, smiling a little to herself.

[alexadru]

His hair

Part 2 of this.

xxx

It had only been one day, but Weiss was starting to get used to her new hair style, a braid which Jaune had expertly crafted with his own hands, much to her surprise. While it wasn’t a striking visual change from her regular ponytail, the way it felt was different. A higher center of gravity which had been a slight inconvenience, but something which the boy had also helped her with in the form of a neck massage. Again, he had been surprisingly skillful in that department too. If she were to guess from their talk the other day, both the braiding and massage were skills instilled into him by his sisters throughout the years. She silently wondered to herself what else he was capable of.

Unfortunately, there was little time to explore how deep his domestic skills ran, for they were still on a mission to save the world. Even these brief moments of reprieve in which they were to gather their strength were almost coming to an end. Their final errand before they would set for Atlas proper was a wardrobe upgrade. Something everyone was most looking forward to. She too was excited for the prospect of finding a new outfit. Something that would carry on a message, one that would tell everyone of her growth and maturity. Besides, it had been a while since she bought something herself and wasn’t handed to her by one of her father’s servants. This time the girl would get to shop with everyone.

Even so, as she descended the stairs from their accommodation place in Mantle, a house Winter had managed to procure for them, she could not help but have the blond in mind. Jaune had come a long way from the boy that would trip on his own legs at Beacon. He stood taller, held more presence than before and his resolve to fight for his friends and those he cared for was admirable in her eyes. Weiss would not find it hard to admit that she enjoyed their talk the previous day, he had been great company. As she had enjoyed his service on both her hair and the massage. Speaking of which, she intended to ask for another one after breakfast. Perhaps they would retreat to a private room where they could share thoughts again. That sounded like an appealing prospect.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she saw a commotion in the hall leading to the living room. Her eyes could discern a distraught Nora surrounded by Ren, Ruby and Yang. Sensing the desolate mood, Weiss approached them, intent on finding the cause.

Weiss: What happened here?” She voiced her question, eyes watching each of them, prompting them to answer her. Her partner was the one to respond.

Ruby: “Uh, well, there’s been a bit of an accident, you could say.”

Weiss: “An accident?”

Nora: “I didn’t mean to do it! I mean, I did, but… not like this. I didn’t think he’d react like that.” The girl deflated at her own words, a contrast to her usual self. Next to her, Ren held a hand on her shoulder, her only source of comfort.

Yang: “You did jump him with a shaver and ran it through his hair without any warning. If I were in Jaune’s place, I would have been royally pissed too.”

Those words only made Nora slump even more. Weiss had never seen the girl so deflated.

Ruby: “Yang…” Ruby tried to scold her sister with no success. “Look, Nora, you know Jaune’s not really upset with you. He’s probably still shocked and processing the…uhh, change. Once he’s done looking at himself in the mirror, he’ll come right out. You’ll see.”

Yang: “He locked himself in the bathroom.” Yang added with the subtlety of a bull.

The leader of RWBY looked at her sister again with another frown. Said girl only shrugged. Apparently, she was the unforgiving sort when it came to hair or anyone messing with it, despite not being hers. Maybe she disagreed with Nora’s method that left Jaune with no word in the matter.

Weiss: “How long has he been in there?”

Ren: “Approximatively 20 minutes.”

Ruby: “We tried to talk with him and convince him to come out, but…” Her silence was enough of an answer.

Weiss looked at the door of the room where Jaune had apparently barricaded himself and frowned slightly. It was hard for her to imagine Jaune being self-conscious about his hair, but then again, she had not seen what Nora had done with it. On some level, she could understand Yang being upset with the pink themed girl for deciding to cut Jaune’s hair without his consent. But right now, given the situation, she figured it was best to try and get him to exit.

Weiss: “Let me try to talk with him.”

At her partner’s nod, Weiss walked past her and stood in front of the wooden door. “Jaune? Jaune, can you hear me. It’s Weiss. Can you open the door, please?” She knocked lightly.

Jaune: “W-weiss? Did you need to use the bathroom? I… I’ll be done in a bit. Just another 10 or 15 minutes and I’ll be out of your hair.”

Weiss: “I heard what happened with Nora.” When he didn’t immediately answer she continued. “Listen, no matter how bad you think you look, no one here will say anything about your hair. Would you be willing to come out?”

Jaune: “I can’t... it’s just, no. My hair looks awful.” His whimpers came from the other side.  

Hearing him speak like that made her feel for him. “I’m sure it’s not even half as awful as you think it is.” Weiss tried words of encouragement, despite having never done something like this too often.

Jaune: “You’re right, it’s not bad… it’s worse!”

The approach was not working, Weiss realized. Then she would have to be more direct.

Weiss: “Jaune, open the door, please. You don’t have to come out. I just wish to see your hair for a moment. No one will laugh at you, I promise.” She looked at the rest with a stern look, making them silently promise that they would keep the promise.

Jaune said nothing for a few moments: “Okay, but… only enough for you to see.”

As soon as those words were spoken, the door cracked open and moved slowly, revealing the person inside. Jaune stood in front of her now, having stopped before the door could even open halfway. He only wanted her to see, it seemed. Perhaps he trusted her word enough to know that she would not break it.

Weiss appreciated that. She would stand by her promise and not judge. If anyone behind her would make the briefest of sounds resembling a laugh, then she would turn on them like a wintry storm. For everyone’s sake, the quiet remained and Weiss could finally see the state of his hair. It looked messy, like he had been trying to get cut it on his own, and given the scissors in his hand, he probably had. What stood out the most was the horizontal slash left behind by the blades of the shaver. They cut deep on the right side of his head near the temple. From what she could tell, it had cut the long bang he usually kept on that side along with everything else in the way, leaving the area almost devoid of his blonde tresses. That was a lot of hair to have lost suddenly.

Jaune: “Yeah, pretty awful, huh?” He gave a pathetic smile.

Weiss’ eyes softened at his look. She did not like seeing him down, not after he’d done quite a lot for her recently and started to get along together. With a serious expression, she put her hands on his chest and gently pushed him back inside the bathroom.

Weiss: “Come on. Let’s get you looking presentable.”

Both were inside the room and Weiss made sure to close the door behind her.

Jaune: “Weiss?” He looked at her in confusion.

The girl didn’t answer and instead motioned for him to take a seat on the chair that was in front of the sink and mirror. No doubt he had tried to fix what he could himself, but there was no doubt that he had struggled. Taking a towel, Weiss tucked it around his neck, making sure to cover his clothes. Gingerly, she took the scissors from his hand and grabbed a comb.

Weiss: “Word of warning, I haven’t had much practice with cutting hair, but I’ll do my best to fix this.”

What little practice she had had was when she was younger and attempted to cut her own hair herself, much to the disagreement of her father. Weiss had managed to experiment a few times before being forced to stop and go to a professional, again, courtesy of her father. At least he hadn’t dictated how her hair should be from that day and she could freely ask for her hair to be styled in her signature side ponytail without worry. A small win in her book, but a win, nevertheless.

Jaune: “Weiss… you really don’t have to do this.”

Weiss: “You’ve helped me with my hair. Let me do the same for you. Like I said before, I’m doing this because I want to.” When Jaune didn’t say another word, she began working.

Her moves were slow and inexperienced, but she tried to be as precise and meticulous as she could. As her fingers ran through his golden locks, she couldn’t help but note that his hair wasn’t as rough as she had expected. In a way, that made it easier for her as her fingers pushed to cut another bit of his hair.

As for what she was going to do with it, Weiss was unsure. She did not claim to be an expert in male hairstyles or what the latest trends were, so she settled on cutting his hair in a style that she deemed appropriate. Something she liked and found appealing.

Weiss: “Nora is pretty depressed over this. I’ve never seen her so down before.” She made small talk regarding the situation they were in. “I’m sure she’ll apologize to you once you see her.” And Weiss wished for him to forgive the girl. They were all close friends, her second family.

Jaune: “I know. I’m still upset, but I’ll probably forgive her in a few hours.”

Weiss nodded. That sounded like him, alright. He cared too much for them to be truly upset over something like this.

It took her a good 15 minutes, but Weiss believed she was finished. Discarding the utensils, she regarded the boy next to her making sure to inspect her handiwork with a sharp eye. Weiss had been surprised to discover that his hair was naturally spiky, but she decided that it suited him. Unlike the well-groomed men of Atlas with their tidy hair, Jaune’s hair had an edge to it because of that. It reminded the girl a bit of herself and her own choice in hairstyle. Her lips twisted in a big smile, she was pleased with the result.

Weiss: “Well, are you not going to comment on my work?” She urged him. Weiss really wanted to hear his thoughts.

Jaune: “It looks… okay, I guess.” Jaune responded after a few moments in which he checked himself in the mirror

Weiss: “You guess?” Raising an eyebrow, she waited for him to explain his thoughts.

Jaune: “You did a great work, Weiss. Honest.” He gave her a small smile and his tone suggested that he was genuine with his words. “It’s just different than what I expected. Not really how I would have cut my hair.”

With a small hum, Weiss took a step forward and entered in his range. Not perturbed by his surprise, she grabbed his face with both hands and began to closely look at him. With slow moves, the girl moved his head from left to right, up and down, basically inspecting him from every single angle. Under this much attention, Jaune could not help but blush. The way she looked at him and her soft hands touching his face, those had a huge effect on him.  

Weiss: “Well, I believe that I did you a good service then.” Weiss released him and maintained her proud look. “This is much better than that scraggly mop you previously had.”

Jaune looked to the side: “My hair wasn’t that bad…” He mumbled, defending his choice.

Weiss: “Regardless, I still believe this clean look is an improvement.” Her smile widened minutely as she gave him a… was that a teasing look? Leaning forward, she spoke again: “You actually look handsome for a change.” Weiss had a playful look on her eyes, cheeks dusted in a pretty pink.  

Jaune: “W-what!?” If his cheeks weren’t red before, they were now.    

Weiss: “Make sure to clean up the mess and join us for breakfast. Also, do try to forgive Nora soon. It would be bad if we started our mission while at odds with each other.” Finding satisfaction in his lingering reaction, she turned around and made to exit, though not before stopping right as her hand touched the handle and turning her head to give him a side glance, smile still in place. “One more thing. I would like for you to give me another massage before we leave for our shopping trip. I’ll be waiting for you in my room after breakfast. Don’t keep me waiting.” With those words, she left the room.

Jaune was left to stare at the door for a few seconds, before he released a breath and ran his hand through his freshly cut hair. A chuckle escaped his lips as he turned to look at his reflection in the mirror. “How does she do it?” He asked himself in the mirror. Jaune did not get an answer, but he could feel his strong heartbeat in his chest. Perhaps that was a clue.

[dippedanddripped]

Founded on the streets of Flatbush, Brooklyn, in the '90s, Carl Williams founded his iconic brand with "$1000 and a dream". Born in an era where your outfit was social currency, Karl used his passion for style to develop the influential brand we now know and love as Karl Kani. A self-taught designer, Karl's designs have been worn by icons such as Tupac, Nas, Jay-Z, Aaliyah, and Snoop. Building his own baggy-fit, hip-hop ready blueprint, Karl used his "hustle-hard" upbringing and a savvy eye for street-influenced fashion to create a globally-renowned brand.

Coming for an era where nobody believed hip-hop culture could become pop-culture de rigueur, Karl faced skeptical detractors, unsure if a street-influenced label could go global. Despite being confident, Karl would always ask himself "Can I do it?" This existential question was the launching pad that drove Karl to legally change his name from Carl Williams to Karl Kani. So, the question of "Can I?" morphed into the brand name "Kani", and with that, a legendary label was born.

Fast forward to the global pandemic of 2020 - in a time of uncertainty, many creatives are asking themselves: "Can I keep my business going," "Can I still perform," and "Can I stay fit and healthy?"

Looking to Karl's story for inspiration, an overarching message prevails - together "we can" do this.

In this candid video, Karl touches on his storied journey, from getting up at 5:30 am to sell newspapers so he could buy clothes, to gaining inspiration seeing his father visit tailors as a child. Ever the optimist, Karl touches on how he overcomes setbacks, remains grounded and healthy, and how we can grow as a community.

Volume 90%

As our community of creative talent grows stronger and stronger, we look to a diverse range of talents who provide individual stories of creative fortitude. With the effects of Covid-19 taking a toll on the industry, this inspiring set of creatives prove that an "I Can" attitude can overcome any obstacle. From rappers to visual artists, their stories provide hope during tough times.

KOBY MARTIN – ARTIST

A proud export of Ghana, London-based artist Koby Martin uses traditional and digital mediums to illustrate his work. His emotive style fuses Ghanian and British influences, articulating his life experiences through personal struggles and tragedies, turning them into artistic triumph.

With collaborations with the British Council, and The British High Commission - for which he was commissioned to create a live painting for 2019's Afrochella concert at the El Wak Stadium in Accra, Ghana. Koby's artwork spans over a variety of subjects, often using bright colors - a reflection of his heritage and spontaneous personality.

How has the current climate impacted your art and the way you create?

The current climate has me in a very reflective mood - in regards to how I use my time - whether spending time with family, friends, and even working. It’s also made me aware of how fragile & short life really is. Creatively, I always work in isolation, so it was quite hard to differentiate the climate from my normal routine. But, it also pushed me to experiment with other materials and learn new techniques. I also started reading more, which I rarely do, because of my short attention span. Although we have had a lot of tragedies and losses, I personally believe it's made me stronger, tougher, and smarter for any challenge ahead!

How can I make a change?

Change comes about through self-belief and the realization of who we are as individuals. It's a domino effect that begins with the man/woman in the mirror. I set out to express that through my gift of creating, collaborating, and having yearly exhibitions, which I believe brought together a sense of awareness, togetherness, restoration, and healing, especially within the black community.

How can I inspire others?

Inspiration starts with self and comes from within. To inspire, one has to believe in self and take action on the standards and goals they have set out for themselves. In doing that, it sparks a viral sense of awareness, belief, and motivation with the people you are around.

How can I create in the current climate?

The current climate has taught me to be still. I have learned to put everything at a standstill when it's time to create, a momentary pause from all the stresses of life. This allows me to get lost in my work. I step into a different world, a whole new dimension that allows me to create with joy. Something like stepping out of the business of a matrix and skip-hopping into a Teletubby world is the best way I can explain it.

TORI TAIWO – PHOTOGRAPHER

Photographer Tori Taiwo runs Hercuts, an empowering haircut page for women who have embraced shaving their hair, favoring unique and charismatic low-cut hairstyles. After leaving home and falling out with a family friend, 33-year-old Taiwo was given a place in a hostel. Too terrified to stay there, Taiwo was determined to change her life. She continues to empower, inform, and inspire others via her art.

How has the current climate impacted your art and the way you create?

The current climate has allowed me to explore and revisit my prior passions. During the first lockdown, I started shooting products, this allowed me to gain new skills and open a new revenue. I have started booking clients, and shooting and filming products, which I can do from home. How can I make a change? By being open to trying new things and willing to allow for changes that are unforeseen, as well as collaborating with other creatives to keep morale up and encourage others to try new things too!

How can I inspire others?

By sharing the process of pivoting and exploration - high, lows, and everything in between.

How can I create in the current climate?

By changing my outlook on the creative process - stripping back and using what I have at my disposal to create; trying new things & exploring.

STEFANI NURDING – SKATER/ ENTREPRENEUR<

As the founder of skateboard brand Salon Skateboards, Stefani Nurding hopes to destroy the "boys only" stereotype that plagues the skate scene. A skater who was once told she was "too pretty to skate", Stefani is passionate about promoting diversity within the skate community. With a respected brand, Stefani juggles being a mum and pro-skater in a male-dominated industry.

How has the current climate impacted your art and the way you create?

Before the lockdown, I would say that it really made me think about being disconnected from people. I felt much more like I wanted to film and photograph others skating, as opposed to focusing on myself. One of my projects was to shoot instant photos of friends or strangers skating, then give them the photo afterward. Now that we're in lockdown, I feel even more disconnected from people, so I try to make my content fun and positive to try and uplift people.

How can I make a change?

I realized that I have a lot of knowledge about how to make money as a self-employed person. My friends were losing their jobs around me, and I became aware that some of them had no idea how to make money other than having a job. I coached a few friends that needed help, and I also set up affordable online courses about time management and setting up your own business.

How can I inspire others?

After I had my baby, I felt so lost with skateboarding and my own identity. It felt like I didn't know what I liked anymore and had no idea if my body would return to my previous level of fitness after my cesarean. Fast forward 20 months, I am in peak health, doing pilates regularly and skateboarding 2-3 times a week. I am 32 and a new mum. I just really hope that others who see 30 as old, or think they can't do things after becoming a mother will just maybe think "screw it, she is doing it and so can I".

How can I create in the current climate?

I have my skate brand Salon Skateboards as a creative outlet for my graphic design which is nice, but I love to create sporadically and get ideas all the time which I need another outlet for. I have been creating a lot of different things - painting, experimenting with Photoshop, photography, printing clothes, and just generally having fun with making art. There are a lot of things where I just think "meh, will never use it", but occasionally I come out with a gem.

ROXXXAN – ACTIVIST/RAPPER/MODEL

Birmingham-raised rapper Roxxan represents the LGBTQ community with enormous pride. For the last ten years, the queer rapper has built up her own unique identity. A self-proclaimed tomboy, Roxxxan has expressed her want to create a space for women who adhere to non-gender specific traits. After relocating to London, Roxxx has displayed perseverance and determination - from coming to London to get a job at a major label to then being signed as an artist eight months later.

How has the current climate impacted your art and the way you create?

The current climate has affected the energy around me and where I go for inspiration. Before lockdown, I would meet friends, be around family, different energies, and walks of life, which made it easy to be inspired or do things that spark creativity. Now I go for walks or sit on a park bench so I can soak up all around me, then process it and let it out my way.

How can I make a change?

I can make a change by being visibly patient and open to change and growth. I aim to make a change by also being present for any women POC or fellow LGBTQA's. A lot of people are finding it hard to cope, I can make a change by being there for any and all of my people.

How can I inspire others?

I try to inspire others by living in my truth and fully accepting who I am; using my differences or things that have held me back in the past as my gifts to the world. I understand times are a lot different now, but had some of the artists and people I looked up to like Missy Elliot and Queen Latifa been open about their sexuality, I believe I would have found mine a lot sooner. Which also would lead to me finding myself sooner. I aim to be that for younger people growing up.

How can I create in the current climate?

In the current climate, I create at home with my iPad studio. Through spring and summer, I sat with and felt all the highs and lows of 2020. It’s only recently that I’ve finished processing, and now I’m ready to put everything into words and my outlet and art.

SILAI ESTATIRA – SPOKEN WORD ARTIST

Silai Estatira aka Mishaal Javed is a young British hip-hop artist, spoken-word poet, micro-influencer, and full-time international relations student. A brave artist, Mishaal has gone against the grain of what is expected from her culturally by venturing into rap, spitting socio-political raps with a unique and fresh take on streetwear style.

How has the current climate impacted your art and the way you create?

During lockdown, music almost became a lifeline. It has always felt like my purpose, but I realized how much I needed it. I’ve been writing more, going back to the basics of it, sometimes just freestyling in my room or with my best friend and having fun with it again. I’ve been revisiting some of my favorite projects too. Retracing the steps of artists I admire, just taking it all in.

How can I make a change?

I want to fight for the world to be more inclusive. To be a space for everyone, not just a representation of some voices. Fighting for all diaspora, the people who are othered, and everyone who doesn’t feel represented. Music can make a big change. I want my music to comfort people, and to give company, the same way it does for me.

How can I inspire others?

I want to let people know it’s okay to ride their own wave, step outside the box, and live outside it. It’s okay to venture into spaces you’ve never ventured into before, especially when people tell you that you can’t do it. Never stop. Keep perfecting your art. It belongs to you, it is yours. Everyone has a destiny, we can’t let anyone - including ourselves - stop us from chasing it.

As Muslim women, people talk over us (metaphorically). Everyone has an opinion, and there’s so much dehumanization and categorizing that happens. I know girls that have had to fight that. I still fight it. But we’re still here, going. For us, It’s a movement.

How can I create in the current climate?

Because there have been no gigs, I’ve had so much time to write and experiment with sounds. I’m lucky because I’ve always recorded in my room so I’ve just been continuing that. I’ve had more time to think about how to present and reflect on my pieces too. There are so many ways to create, it’s just about being present with yourself, and knowing what story you’re trying to tell.

KANAH FLEX – DANCER / MOVEMENT ARTIST

Born-and-raised in south London born, self-taught dancer and movement artist Kanah Flex was discovered busking by FKA twigs in 2014. The autistic dancer struggled to express himself, before finding his calling in the world of dance. A free spirit with a dedicated following on social media, the father of two challenges society’s ideas of normality, pushing his followers to achieve their goals.

How has the current climate impacted your art and the way you create?

I feel as if climate change has forced me to exercise all of the other gifts that I have shunned in the past, due to sheer laziness or the comfort of being inside the box. I feel like even though my physical might be on lockdown, my spirit is free.

How can I make a change?

The only change I am going to start with is myself, it’s impossible to change anything before that  - I must start with me. Self-discipline is very key to change.

How can I inspire others?

By staying true to myself, my family, and my people

How can I create in the current climate?

I make things work with what I have and what I am surrounded by. I cannot play the victim in these times, even though the climate has changed, my creativity hasn’t. I’m always thinking of innovative ideas.

[sour-badger]

Art style challenge: reflection

So, during this very challenging months and 3-4 weeks of social distancing I was stuck. Drawing became boring and I was in state of stale purgatory and it was annoying me. However, my sate of monotony came to a halt whenever I watch “Cheer Up!”, a show/DnD campaign created by Wrapped Lamp that was set in the world of JoJo, but in a bleak setting. It's wonderful, and the characters are brilliant. (This a link of the first episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVF6ShkYqU0 )

As I was watching the show I decided to challenge myself, I have never drawn in Hirohiko Araki’s style before. I have never tried to draw like that because it is a simple but complex approach to illustration that is very hard to draw, let alone replicate, but I tried and I proud of the results. So because of this I set myself some rules:

1. The illustrations must be based on the player/character icons in “Cheer Up”

2. They must look like protagonists that could be in the anime but are not copies of existing Jojo characters. (Because that's cheating)

3. Each illustration must be done within 3 days. (A personal thing for me, I get bored of drawing the same illustration for more than 3 days, if you want try this you don't have to follow this rule)

With these rules, Photoshop and google images by my side I was ready. And this is how it went!

 (I am putting each reference of every character in groups of eyes, face, hair and body because I had to to a lot of research for this style, I have put the main influencers down there were more but are not important)

My process 

At the start of all my attempts I create a beginning sketch of original icons. I am going in blind so doing this shows me how they created it without tracing it, sort of like life drawing. I then made a rough line drawing to see what the design looks like without making it official. I sometimes draw a second outline to figure out the details and then I compose the final line work but I also have the original art, the many characters in Jojo Bizarre Adventure and real life examples at all times. Paint the hair, skin, clothes and then create the shading and then they are done.

The first sketch 

rough line work

The final outline with the shading

I also chose to try not to use part 3 as reference material. I personally dislike  the seasons animation and character design. I don't know what happened in that season but they look terrible. It took me 3 tries to finish Stardust Crusaders and the art work was the main reason.

  The Characters  

Isadora 

Played by jay (Stabbyness)

Isadora was the first character I drew. I chose her because the next live “Cheer Up” episode was in 3 days and with that time I decided to give myself a fighting chance by drawing her first (I find women easier to draw than men).

With Isadora I had to also decide what Jojo season they would be in from the start, I wanted consistency because they are the protagonists. I decided to do a mix of part 4 but was mainly based in part 5. For me I liked the colour shading of part 4 but loved the structure and graphic style of part 5. This made shading and highlights easy and consistent.

Because I had never drew anything like Jojo I had to use multiple characters as a frame of reference, (I did not copy the originals, if I did then there would be no point of doing this challenge in the first place). I thought it would be good to show how many characters I referred to to help with this process.  

Isadora was the easiest to draw out of the 4. She has a traditional female design, her only challenge was her eyes. As the first one this one was done in time and and looked good at the time. However now that I have got the hang of drawing in this style I want to redraw her again to show myself how much I have grown during this challenge.

Characters that i used for art style reference

Eyes: Trish Una, Narancia Ghirga and Yukako Yamagish 

Face: Trish, Erina Pendelten, Yukako

Hair: the whole part 5 crew (I had know idea how draw Jojo hair at this point)

Body: Joylne Jostar, Yukako  

 Donna

Played by Will (bigmovingtarget)

Donna was the hardest overall draw. She is a wonderful character but she does not typical female build. She is a MMA fighter, a tattoo, wears a hoodie and jaw that could cut glass. This created some problems, Araki characters rarely wear hoodies and his female characters are not normally drawn with strong features, they don't ever have a massive tribal tattoo. Also Araki’s female cast have a very small range of hair styles so I had to look at the male cast for inspiration and information because donna is an unusual design!! 

Her tattoo was very difficult and I was in a pickle for the whole first day. The original icon has only a few red marks on her face and the thumbnail of “Cheer Up!” (created by Six) depicts Donna with her back to the camera and looking with side of her face without the tattoo! 

This was driving me crazy.

In the end I had to reference real life tribal tattoos and the famous tattoo  from the movie “Dusk till Drawn”. I like the result. 

Her hoodie was also an unusual problem because I couldn't find a single character in the cast sporting a hoodie at the time of drawing her. So I wanted to draw her with a hoodie that the cast would wear. So when I was looking at fashion editorials I found Billie Eilish wearing the perfect hoodie and had to try to replicate it. (Elle 2019 interview, just incase you want to find it. Its the red coat!!) I also referenced part 1 and part 2 for her body because the those characters where drawn to fight, they are not frail and fawn like in appearance and think that is perfect donna. 

Characters that i used for art style reference

Eyes: Josuke Higashikata, Yukako, Lisa Lisa and Gyro Zeppeli 

Face: Gyro, Jolyne and Lisa Lisa 

Hair: Enrico, Yoshka Kira, Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli and Koichi Hirose

Body: Lisa Lisa, Gyro, Leone Abbacchio and Jolyne

Jack 

Played by Christian

Jack was easy to draw because he looked like a Jojo character. Like Isadora, Jack has a typical male design for Jojo. This meant I had a pool of reference material for him and had finished him in 2 days, the only real problems where his hat, stubble and jewellery. Lucky most of Araki’s cast have jewellery and chains and Jotaro Kujo has hair as a hat! Jack was heavily based on Jotaro Kujo but I made sure that he wasn't a copy! 

Stubble...stubble doesn't exist in Jojo.

Jojo’s Bizzarre Adventure has magnificent beards or clean shaven men, and sometimes they have facial hair. This was the main issue with this character because with stubble you don't have Jack.  So I had to take the beard of Joseph JoStar and looking at real life stubble finally got his lovely 9 o'clock shadow that we have now. 

 Characters that i used for art style reference

Eyes: Joseph Jostar (part 2), Jonathan Jostar 

Face: Leone, Jotaro Kujo and Burno Bucciarti 

Hair: Jotaro and Robert E. O. Speedwagon

Body: a mix of the cast of part 5 with a little bit of Johnny Jostar (like Isadora)

This one was the start of really using real life as a reference. Although really started using them in Donna illustration, drawing men has always been a challenge for me so drawing from real life actually made it more like Araki’s style. I realised that Jojo art style is based in realistic body proportions. I honestly think that this looks better than the other 2 because of the life drawing I had to do.

JJ

Played by Arimnaes

This was the last Icon I had to draw. I left this one last because I needed the practice to give this guy any chance of working. 

his face and body were not the issue because most of the main casts (in their respective seasons) have similar features but slightly different body heights and proportions. However, JJ’s hair was a difficult.

 In my research I found a total of 2 characters that could have his ethnic style  or texture for his hair. They were Enrico Pucci and Muhammad Avdol, and no one else. This ended in failure because their hairstyles are wacky and imaginative and JJ’s dreads just flat out don't exist in the Jojo universe. If they have his hairstyle then I must of missed it because I wasted a whole day solely on research!!!  Anyway, after that that I looked at male braiding and box braiding to figure out the hair line. Although I had the hair problem with Enrico I personally loved his design, he was drawn with an attitude and I thought it worked for JJ.  

Characters that i used for art style reference

Eyes: Enrico, Bruno, Joseph, Gyro and Giono Giovanna

Face: Enrico, Muhammed Avdol, Johnny and Bruno

Hair: Giono and Josuke, 

Body: Enrico, Bruno and Caesar 

Reflection 

Although the process was difficult, I had fun drawing these characters and have gained new techniques in drawing that I struggled in the past. I can draw stylised shading, tattoos, clothes and male characters better than I could before. I also learnt that I can draw surprisingly quickly and had finished both Isadora and jack in 2 days. After this challenge i also gains a new appreciation for Araki and the show Cheer Up and the number of literal hours it must of taken them to create an immersive show. 

However now I have to find something else to do whilst being stuck indoors!

[trans-advice]

Hi! Y’all are amazing. Do you have any passing tips for amab girls?

a trend to follow: if a cis woman does it for basic hygiene, then you should be fine when you do it.

do price comparisions for all of these supplies because trying to get all of these will need to become part of your budget.

moisturizers are needed in order to remove makeup & heal skin after shaving. the moisturizer you use needs to be fragrance free because we sometimes develop skin allergies to the fragrances. ponds, nivea, vaseline, coconut oil, are good ones i hear. in a quick pinch, chapstick can work out, but it can be too precise for the job when you need broad strokes.

for shaving, if you have a thick beard, then should probably only use one disposable razor per shaving session shave once per day. if you miss a day it can take several days to get back undercontrol. stypic pencils, hydrogen peroxide, band-aids & neosporin/triple-antibiotic ointment, anti-acne pads are all helpful friends. you won’t need some of those supplies depending on how fast your blood clots/scabs. buy your razors at the dollar tree. buy them in bulk online if you need to. avoid buying razors at walgreens.

avoid shaving your legs because there’s a lot ligaments that you have to stay flat on. you will knick yourself & have to apply bandages to awkward places. this means if you have to shave by while you’re alone, then you shouldn’t do it. i would suggest using an electric razor for these purposes. i have also found that for arms & fingers you can get a lot done without shaving cream & that it is actually better to not use it to avoid nicking yourself by going off the plane. basically with shaving you need to stay on smooth/flat services with the razor. you’ll probably get better with time with recognizing these, but basically look at: 

the muscles in your arms, 

the bones in your hands,

 the way your fingers line up,

how your veins & nerves stick out of your hands.

shave your armpits a little bit. you merely need to brush your razor on it once you get it mostly off. an electric razor would be a good idea. there’s some feminism accepted with keeping the armpits unshaven, but bushes get deem male as heck so hence you need to keep them trimmed. like you need to be able to see the skin. if the hair starts obstructing the view to the armpit skin, then people start seeing it as weird.

you don’t have to shave your pubic region or near it actually. this is because people actually support people who don’t because it filed under sexuality & people tend to be less kinkshamey when they think about sex conceptually & you don’t want to talk about sex to begin with. personally, i only shave because i’ve actually gotten urinary tract infections because of too many fecal germs or whatever in that region. so i just try to trim that for purposes of harm reduction, not style. basically do what makes you comfortable with regards to your pubic hair because everyone tends to respect the live & let live principle with that.

for purposes of cutting down on acne, make your room as cold as possible when you sleep & wash your pillowcases & bedding frequently. (i only get to do laundry once a week because i have to use a laundromat. however, if you have a washer/dryer of your own, then i’d do it like everyday or so.) also avoid touching your face as much as you can (that is why wearing foundation actually helped my acne). go to a dermatologist if needed.

most drug store foundations are “anti-comedogenic” which means you won’t get clogged pores from it. so that means avoid the makeup that aims to clog pores because “smoothness”. i am paying attention to the clogging of pores here because acne will make shaving & makeup worse. perhaps going to a makeup consultation can help with finding the right foundation.

the foundation i use, which i will disclose so you can gauge my complexion when i talk about colors: rimmel stay matte foundation 081 fair ivory. it’s like $6 or $7 at walgreen’s, but $3.29 at target, 2 for $5 online at target. 

when you apply foundation, you’re going to want to: 

take a pea size dot onto your fingers

rub it upward 

in circles 

going from nose to the edges of the face (like towards the sizeburns, but always going upward).

remember to cover the part by the hair line.

it might take several minutes to do, but eventually you’ll get the hang of it to where it’s like brushing your teeth.

use moisturizer to remove makeup from your eyes. wash your face off with like dove soap or some sensitive soap. (do the moisturizer first to avoid getting soap into your eyes)

you need to avoid smelling bad. using a roll-on deodorant that smells more feminine will help out (i like “lady speed-stick” which is strong. i also like suave because tradition, but secret is cool. also fragrances lotions can help in small quantities as a form of like perfume. cis women use fragrances to help cover up menstrual blood. therefore applying little amounts after a showerlike at the elbow crevices, the shoulders, the armpits, the breasts, some parts of the torso, legs, is a good idea. avoid the crotch & butt of course because cross-contamination with feces.)

painting your nails, lipstick/lipgloss, eye-makeup & earrings are definitely stronger ways to pass. 

like red nail polish tends to bleed remnants onto your nails afterwards so i would avoid red nail polish. go to the dollar store & build a spectrum of your favorite colors. (types of pink, types of blue, types of green, types of purple, types of orange, some glitter kinds, etc).

also get a cuticle cleaner/pusher that has a rounded tip for scooping. smelling bad will be bad. it will be super important in order to remove dirt or crud or nasty stuff out of there.

you do foundation before lipstick if you’re having trouble staying in the lines, you can basically put lipstick towards the lip/mouth-gums border & then use your finger to like spread it out. i also suggest curling your lips in & looking for lipstick that goes over the edges. when i put on lipstick it’s often over the lines at the edges of my mouth. if i put on too much lipstick it can be offensive (because of how blackface lips are illustrated), so try to avoid going over as much as possible. if you are still struggling or prefer different feels then using chapstick or lipgloss or flavored chapstick are awesome.

with eyeshadow you put darker eyeshadows next to the eyelashes & lighter eyeshadow towards the top by the eyebrows. if you do the reverse, then you will look more masculine, & like goth/emo dramatic. overall, not a good idea. like doing colorful eyeshadow is already artsy, you don’t want to push it too hard. if you do like darker versions of flesh colors like purple or brown in the spectrum order i just said of light colors by the brows, dark by the lashes, then it might seem “mature”. personally, i prefer artsy, but i’m also an eccentric person. 

i have heard that doing foundation or concealer first, before eye-makeup, is the pro-tip for easy application, but for me eyeshadow sometimes looks too pale when i do that. eyeliner is definitely easier to put on if you have concealer or foundation on. i also like using lipstick instead of eyeshadow sometimes because it’s bolder colors. however, you must be aware of cross-contamination possibilities. 

i’ve also heard about brow trimming, but i do not know anything about it & if you do it wrong it is super noticable. so basically just brush those so they look like uniform/lined-up instead of bushy. but yeah, when you get a haircut, maybe chat them up about it.

for eyelashes, you can simply just take your finger and push your eyelashes away from your eyes to curl them. at dollar tree & family dollar etc, their mascara is never usable, and therefore that product is always a scam.

if you get earrings, then go to an actual piercing shop. do not go to a earrings at like claire’s with air guns… no. air guns break/shatter ear bones. you’ll have to keep those clean as hell. 

hair varies with everybody. hairstyle is very intimate to one’s style identity/aesthetic. (i bring this up because that’s is the point of solarian, lunarian, stellarian, as labels)  so i can’t give much on that. i have heard wigs can be good for when you want to do wild hair. if you die your hair, it can damage it severly. so i’d suggest hair chalks which are like eyeshadow, and those cans of color that goes away in 1 wash. color the tips not the roots, because while it may be messier, you can just cut the tips it gets botched instead of losing your entire head of hair.

so for buying bras, you go by your chest size. the letters a, b, c, d, dd, etc add 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc inches to hold (what would be) your breasts. if you’re in europe (or some other fashion lines) then replace dd with e & carry on. so a 44D is 44+4, a 38C is 38+3.

getting a bra that hooks in front is such a relief. however, if you have to get one with hooks on the back, then you can put it on backwards, hook it while they’re in front of you, from bottom to top, and then turn it around so it’s on correctly.

if you push against the bra & it deflates, you’ll need padding because boobs would fill that in basically if you’re holding like books in front of you or someone pushes into you, that can look like a cone pushed inward. while getting silicone breast cups or breast forms used in sewing would be the most economical, using overnight bladder or period pads for each side of the bra is able to be done when you don’t have a shop for breast forms around. family dollar sells bras for like 2 for $9, but if you can’t fit into those (their biggest size was 44D last time i checked. i’m a big woman, like 5′10″, 230lbs, mid 40′s on the chest.) if you go beyond these bras, it’s easy to find prices of like $25/bra. you’ll probably need 7 to get thru a week, 1 per day.

you will want to put baby powder into your bra to minimize rash development, bra sweat, and help with reusing the bra in case you’re not able to wash it before you use it next.

bras must be handwashed in cold water with soap, one at a time. i use the bathroom sink. if you don’t have a drain plug, then in order to do so, you take a washcloth & roll it up until you can stuff it up/into the drain. to dry the bras, you’ll want to use hangers on clothes line or shower rod or a like a dining room chair.

also in order to have more range, look into like spandex stomach slimmers that also go over the chest. they function like corsets, but look like a-shirts. they can hurt the back like binders do, so i would suggest bras instead of these, but they can be a more low-key way of having some ability to have control over your body & breasts. cis women also use these so basically that’s a trend to follow: if a cis woman does it for basic hygiene then you should be fine when you do it. i’ve thrown my spandex stomach slimmers into a washing machine, and it came out fine. i don’t remember if i thrown them into the dryer, but if you’re worried only keep it in for a few minutes.

if you want to wear like feminine underwear, but want it to be basic, then buy some “granny panties”. they usually come in basic colors, that can be fun. again, family dollar sells some. (at least in my area).

goodwill thrift stores don’t harass trans & gender-non-conforming shoppers. i am not sure of what shops you have around you, but again, save money when possible. also check out target & kohl’s if possible, but they’re more expensive. kohl’s gives coupons to their credit card holders. wearing blouses & dresses will be a big step towards passing.

to cancel erections: flex a large muscle for about 30 seconds or more, like both thighs. If you’re sitting, rest your feet on your toes and push off the ground as if you’re just about to stand up. for me this usually involves like squeezing my thighs near my knees. if you do the wrong muscles (the ones who hold in urine or poop), then you’ll accidentally do kegels which actually prolong erections. therefore, i would suggest practicing this skill in private.

not so much for passing, but for general health: purses, make sure you can fit your entire head in those. never get thin straps (neither width or thickness). if possible get the kind where the connection between the strap & the purse is a hole, because if the strap breaks, then you can possibly replace it with some sort of string, chord, rope, chain.

good luck, peace & love,

eve