#Also she may end up with a bit of a knightly aesthetic

[bonefall]

twig and lily found family actually means sm to me especially since canonically shes her foster parent and recognizes lily as her mother in squirrels book so even if its not canon here they somehow still find each other,, in my head bonefall!lily is the arbitrary role model that got attached to this random kid (think lin and korra from LOK)

I always try to preserve the "emotional core" between characters with my reduxes! Even if they stop being related or don't end up as the foster or mentor, I try to shuffle in a way where they're at least friends.

BB!Lily is getting some odd differences, because I am swinging a machete at canon's tendency to set "nice mom" as the default personality of background women. So instead, my Lilyheart has no kits, and she has a personality that's more reserved.

She's a bit "sharp." Aloof, seems cold, but under that, it's because she has a tendency to blame herself. Lilyheart never really got over how Seedpaw died saving her.

If she'd been stronger, hadn't gotten tangled up, if she'd said something about retrieving stupid, useless shit from the camp, Seedpaw would still be here. Her dad Dustpelt had just died saving them. Seedpaw died helping her. Ferncloud's holding her tighter and it's all her fault.

(Changes: Jay's stick is a living tree so they were not fetching the stick of the fallen. Lily's parents got swapped because Bracken died in BB!Po3)

But she's not as ruthless as her sharp eyes suggest. Lily is actually very sweet and cares a lot about people. I'm coming to view all the Dustfern kits as having a bit of a "safety crew" vibe because of their dad, and a "sit up straight dear" one from their mom.

So! Lilyheart being Alderheart and Twigbranch's buddy is very fitting for her. The poor, anxious guys can hide behind her and she stick up for them.

[grizzlyofthesea]

Imagine having your soul shipped to you in the mail.

I got distracted and accidentally bumped it off a table yesterday, so the top portion broke, but I was able to superglue it back together. (For anyone interested, this was made by WTFcharms on Etsy. It's a nice, high-quality, and affordable alternative to the out-of-production official soul gems floating around out there.)

With all that said, I'd like to take this time to gush about the magical girl designs in Madoka Magica. I will be focusing primarily on the original five magical girls; as much as I love what Magia Record introduced to the franchise, there are so many characters. I will share my favorite Magia Record design at the end, though.

Let's get stared with...

Mami Tomoe!

I've always really liked Mami's design. I don't know if I've ever articulated the specific reasons why, but that's what I'm here to do now.

The influences from historical Western fashion, like her corset and boots. They make Mami look classy and fashionable, yet noticeably older than the others.

The plume on her hat. It's a cool detail in general, but it also makes me think of pre-20th century soldiers' uniforms.

The feminine yet down-to-earth feel. She's girly and optimistic at heart like Madoka, but the relative lack of frills makes her feel more mature and veteran-like in comparison.

The purplish coloring to her hat and stockings. It's just a bit of complementary color goodness.

The very slight change in her hair color. For Mami specifically, she gets a slightly brighter, more saturated shade of yellow. All the original girls have this characteristic, which I think is pretty cool.

Now, on to my favorite character...

Sayaka Miki!

The cape. Whether you want to compare her to a superhero or a knight, it's fitting for her heroic ideals.

The multilayered gloves. They're unique, and the deep navy blue of the longer gloves varies the color scheme a bit.

The armor-like breastplate on her otherwise soft cloth corset. It's another point for the knightly aesthetic, but it also plays into her personality. Her heart (emotions, not actual blood-pumping heart) is vulnerable. She's expressive, but she keeps her true feelings well-guarded no matter how much it ends up hurting her.

The gold trim on various clothing pieces. It's cool, it's flashy, and it reflects Sayaka's pride in being a magical girl who fights for justice.

The angled skirt. Even if it doesn't prove to be especially practical, it looks athletic and good for combat.

The belts holding up her stockings. I just think they're neat.

The fortissimo hairpin (shown in the gif). It ties into her wish and reflects her bombastic emotions.

Sayaka's hair shifts from a muted cerulean to a bright sky blue. This is pretty in-line with her cheeriness and idealism.

Here, we have (arguably) one of the sanest members of the cast...

Kyoko Sakura!

Though somewhat simple at a first glance, Kyoko's outfit has quite a bit going on.

The fleur-de-lis like pattern under her soul gem. The fleur-de-lis is often used to represent Christian saints; Kyoko grew up in a Christian family.

The long dress/coat over a shorter skirt. One may compare the coat to a priest's robes.

The boots. Kyoko is the only one of the main cast to not fight in heels, complementing her pragmatic nature.

The detached sleeves exposing her shoulders. They make her look powerful and tough.

The white accents on her otherwise dark outfit. It adds variety, but it also alludes to the selfless reasoning behind her wish.

Kyoko's hair changes from a crimson shade to a lighter, brighter burgundy. Where civilian Kyoko lives in the shadows, magical girl Kyoko fights openly and aggressively.

Now, let's look at the ever-popular...

Homura Akemi!

Homura's design may not be super flashy, but it's still super cool in lots of ways.

The stockings. Solid black stockings would have worked well enough, but the purple diamond print going down the sides adds some flair.

The practicality. Ignoring the fact that she's sprinting around in stilettos, Homura's magical girl outfit looks pretty comfortable and easy to move in.

The subtlety. Whether we're discussing the past or the present, Homura was never one to desire the spotlight. Her subdued design and color scheme reflect this aspect of her personality.

The resemblance to a school uniform. She's got the classic bow and sailor collar, but she also borrows a unique element from the Mitakihara uniform specifically: the cut of the shirt. It has two downward points in the front and one in the back, though it is more exaggerated on her magical girl outfit.

Homura's hair changes to a darker shade of gray/black. It's incredibly minute, but it plays up her "dark, mysterious transfer student" persona.

Of course, we can't forget the one and only...

Madoka Kaname!

She has a lot in common with your stereotypical magical girls (think Sailor Moon and Mew Ichigo), but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to admire about her design.

The yellow on her dress' bodice. It breaks up all the pink and white while still looking good in the overall color scheme.

The points on her overskirt. They look like flower petals, specifically those of a cherry blossom.

The frills and bows everywhere. Super genre-typical, super cutesy, super Madoka.

The darker pink ribbons on her gloves. They add a bit of pizzazz to what would otherwise be one of her plainer accessories.

The crossed laces on her shoes. It isn't that important of a detail, but it's a unique approach to making her already-detailed outfit even fancier.

Madoka's hair changes from a watermelon pink to more of a bubblegum pink. This just adds to her sugary cuteness and makes you feel even worse when she suffers.

And finally, as promised, my favorite Magia Record design...

Kanoko Yayoi!

I couldn't find a good, clean design sheet for Kanoko, so I chose to use some of her card artwork--one that offers a look at the front detailing (3-star), and one that gives us a good look at her shoes (5-star). So, what exactly do I love so much about her design?

The Victorian influences, like her top hat and corset. I'm a sucker for mid-to-late Victorian Era aesthetics.

The overall "cute but classy" vibe. The gold and emerald green accents on her accessories, the black-and-white color scheme, and the long gloves make her look quite a bit fancier than some other magical girls; but her frilly shorts, Mary Jane-like shoes, and cropped jacket balance everything out so she still looks like a magical girl rather than, say, a lost Black Butler OC.

The stitched detailing on most of her accessories. It really fits her fashion designer theme.

She wears shorts instead of a skirt. This isn't a horribly rare thing in the genre, especially when accounting for other Magia Record characters, but it's still pretty unique.

The holes in her cuffs. They look like the eyes of sewing needles, looping back to her wish/theme.

Aaaaaaand she may or may not look quite a bit like me. Not identical, but enough to make me do a double-take when I first saw her. That gave me the happy brain tingles. :)

Also, can we just talk about how sick her Doppel is?

Her name is Broderie, and she's the witch of torn seams. She can destroy anything, even concepts...but she's only really interested in destroying Kanoko's work. And of course, despite being labeled as a thread trimmer, she looks like a mushroom. ^^' But yeah. My girl finally got a Doppel. I'm so proud of her. :')

Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

[bxhindxthexmxsk]

Supernatural Au

//Just for fair warning some content here may be a bit triggering bc yknow...were talking about monster people

[[MORE]]

Ryuji- A born werewolf that doesn't have the full grasp of his strength of a full blooded wolf since his mother was recently turned when she was pregnant with him so she's still learning about their biology as well. His dad was a more 'traditional' werewolf which translates to, "I'm drunk and don't wish to be responsible for what I do when I turn". As a result he forcibly turned his wife and made her mate with him which resulted in Ryuji. His father left as Ryuji grew, knowing that he was going to grow bigger than him as well as stronger. Ryuji felt robbed of a normal human life because of his father and hates that he has to hide who he is and hates the fact he made his mother suffer. Despite being a creature that can recover quickly from injuries, his leg is still bad because Kamoshida isn't human in this au either (born incubus with a full grasp of his strength and power).

Ann- I felt like making her some cat creature would be a bit too obvious but I liked the idea of her being some sort of Cupid angel considering her lovers arcana and her liking romance as a genre. It would also add to the idea of her creepy incubus gym teacher wishing to taint her. Ann's beauty also adds to the whole 'angelic' look. She's not entirely new to earth but she wasn't born there so she finds human and their things cute and fun and especially their fashion.

Yusuke- I know this is obvious but it fits his character well, a kitsune. Has about 3 tails making him around the 300s in age; being this old explains why he's so fucking awkward and socially inept but it adds to his wisdom however. Madarame as well as his parents were also kitsune though, staying true to the trait of being conniving Madarame allowed Yusuke's mother to die and raise the kid to make money off of. Yusuke is honestly horribly behind on societal norms and trends because Madarame kept him going out to a minimal over these 300 or so years. He takes a great pride in his pristine coat and tails and will throw a dramatic fit if even in his human form his hair is ruffled. He'd...often waste his money on mirrors in this au since he would like his reflection a lot even though they could out him considering for some kitsune mirrors can reveal their true self to others...that being said he tends to avoid dogs in this verse as well.

Makoto- It took me a bit to think of this one but considering her codename, her knightly aesthetic, her strength, and how frightening her anger is, I felt a dragon fit her well. Not much backstory here more so different quirks. Hates cold weather so she bundles up tighter in the winter since lizards are cold blooded, since she's a dragon it won't kill her she just gets cold easily and hates it. Her skin appears soft but its actually tough, she could grip a knife by his blade and not cut her skin. She's...very self consious about that one. Enjoys riddles and bad puns much more even if she says 'not all dragons are riddle telling gatekeepers.' 10000% has a horde but denies it, said horde being Buchimaru-kun merch.

Futaba- I like the idea of a witch because it mixes well with her mother being a scientist. Though, she is far from traditional; uses a lot of tech for her experiments and potion making. Gaining a group of supernatural friends from the phantom thieves she often..asks for bodily things like fur, blood, scales, or teeth to see what she can make of them. Also gets excited to see how they function in real life rather than reading about their species. She once had a broom she could fly on, hated it since it was hard to steer and made a better one from a roomba she can ride now. Sojiro does not find her collection of strange odds and ends weird since her mother was the same and from working with her and wanting to impress her he became something like a knowledge keeper of the strange. Can pretty easily analyze someone and tell what they are or what they could be; one things for sure he can tell if someone isn't human.

Haru- Easily, she's a fairy; it would explain her sweet demeanor and her frightening turn as Noir when she enjoys making shadows beg for their lives. In addition, people being addicted to Big Bang Burger leading to its success would be due to it technically being fae food on account of 'secret ingredients' that being fairy dust. Often makes dark or frigtening jokes as in

"Hey Haru, can you do me a favor?"

"Hehe sure~! Though, in return, I request tour first born~"

"W..what?"

"Hehe~ I'm just kidding♡"

Akechi: He would be a bastard to creation considering his whole light/dark thing with Crow and Black Mask; that being said he would be a hybrid of a angel and demon; his mother being an angelic being and his father..well you know, being a demon of pride. It would explain his sweet demeanor and his vile intentions as well as how shittily his life turned out to be. In the supernatural world as well as the human world he would be an abomination and or something to be feared from just the concept of his existence. His strong sense of justice comes from his holier aspects while his actions to carry out such justice would be questionable to say the least from his more demonic aspects.

Any way this has been my TED talk bc I love Supernatural creature aus

[thebluelemontree]

Hey Bluelemons. As a fellow Mya/Lothor shipper, what do you think will happen between them in Winds? And could help from Sansa be the straw that will make Lothor turn over to Sansa's service instead of LF's?

Oh, I am so rooting for them!  I am always happy to talk a Mya/Lothor thing.  There’s definitely potential there for something to happen between them and Sansa is positioned to be the catalyst.  She totally ships it because reasons.      

The connection between Sansa and Mya was set up way back in AGOT when we met the latter through Catelyn’s POV.  Mya tells her about her love Mychel Redfort and that he’s promised they will marry after he is knighted.  Right away, Catelyn relates her to Sansa in personality but sees how this dream will be inevitably crushed by reality:

“Mychel’s my love,” Mya explained. “Mychel Redfort. He’s squire to Ser Lyn Corbray. We’re to wed as soon as he becomes a knight, next year or the year after.”

She sounded so like Sansa, so happy and innocent with her dreams. Catelyn smiled, but the smile was tinged with sadness. The Redforts were an old name in the Vale, she knew, with the blood of the First Men in their veins. His love she might be, but no Redfort would ever wed a bastard. His family would arrange a more suitable match for him, to a Corbray or a Waynwood or a Royce, or perhaps a daughter of some greater house outside the Vale. If Mychel Redfort laid with this girl at all, it would be on the wrong side of the sheet.

And we know he did.  What’s interesting is that Mya is near 20 years old, but her innocence and optimism is exactly like that of Sansa’s at 11.  Coupled with her age, it’s not hard to guess that she’s probably not a virgin.  It’s because Mya is so in love and implicitly trusting that Mychel would never abandon her that she consented to a sexual relationship with him.  Mychel really had no right to make such a promise being raised with the knowledge that his father would make that decision for him.  Mya is the one who assumes all the social risks and has the most to lose.  Myranda points out this was a cruel thing for Mychel to do and I agree.  When we see her again in Alayne II, she’s become closed off and bitter in her heartbreak after learning Mychel was wed to Ysilla Royce.  The fact that she’s had pre-marital sex is a source of salacious gossip.  This was a girl who had sex with one partner who she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with.  Now she’s slut-shamed with the bastard stereotype of being morally loose.  It’s so unfair.   

This is the second time in her life Mya has been profoundly affected by an irresponsible, careless man.  Sansa and Mya are connected in a generational way to their fathers that cemented their friendship when they were fostered by Jon Arryn.  Mya remembers being loved briefly by her father before he abruptly exited her life, not even bothering to give her the advantages of official acknowledgment.  Again, she loved him, trusted he would be there and he left.  So it’s no wonder why Mya has enormous trust issues now regarding relationships with men.

“Men come and go. They lie, or die, or leave you. A mountain is not a man, though, and a stone is a mountain’s daughter. I trust my father, and I trust my mules. I won’t fall.“ She put her hand on a jagged spur of rock, and got to her feet. “Best finish. We have a long way yet to go, and I can smell a storm." 

Myranda says her father tried to make another match for Mya, but she refused to hear of it.  She’s now leaning toward cynicism and becoming hard as a stone to protect herself from being hurt again.  This passage is very much like Sandor placing his trust in his sword and posturing about never having to fear any man.  There are also parallels to another passage, and they have some other significant character traits in common, but that’s a bit beyond the scope of the question.  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) The point is Sansa has direct experience dealing with the essence of Mya’s hurts, both in her own shattered innocence and dreams as well as Sandor’s.  And she was able to put dents in his cynicism.  I don’t see why she couldn’t do the same with Mya.

As of TWOW, we can see that the old wound has reopened with the return of Mychel Redfort at the tourney:

“She was reading her little lord a tale of the Winged Knight when Mya Stone came knocking on the door of his bedchamber, clad in boots and riding leathers and smelling strongly of the stable. Mya had straw in her hair and a scowl on her face. That scowl comes of having Mychel Redfort near, Alayne knew.”

Here’s my interpretation of the details given.  Unless Mya jumped into a pile of hay right before entering the room for some reason, the straw in the hair and stable smell is probably referencing the old cliche of “rolling in the hay.”  Stables are often used as a choice place for a tryst.  I get why Mya is scowling from personal experience.  Sometimes in heartbreak, we become emotionally compromised and against our better judgment reconnect intimately with people that hurt us.  We just want so badly to feel close to that person again that sometimes selfish assholes seeking an easy lay will take advantage of that.  Mychel was obviously Mya’s first in many ways, and she was left reeling.  In the end, she feels worse for being with him (hence the scowl) because it doesn’t change the fact that he’s married to Ysilla, she’s now relegated to a tawdry cliche and reminded again that a bastard girl shouldn’t have expected more.  This looks bad for Mya being open to another relationship possibility, but it might just be the reason she finally closes the door on Mychel.  At least we know, Mya actually isn’t as hard as stone as she claimed before.  She still has a soft, vulnerable heart underneath.  

I don’t know if GRRM will go this route, but where there is sex, there is a possibility of a pregnancy subplot.  I would imagine that Mya does have access to moon tea through Myranda, but there’s no telling if she uses it or not.  Just a thought...   

As for Lothor, Sansa senses that he is quite fond of Mya.  Not that he ever said so directly, but:

“She’s half mule herself, that one. I think she’d leave us all to starve before she’d put those animals at risk.” He smiled when he said it. He always smiles when he speaks of Mya Stone.”  

^^^ I love that.  Alayne II is such a pivotal chapter for Sansa developing a more mature understanding of love and relationships.  She’s still somewhat caught up in her old way of thinking.  At first, Sansa does the social class arithmetic to see if they would pair well on that level, but she also wonders how Mya would feel personally about Lothor.  What would she think about his plain looks and him being a bit older?  And what is it about her that attracts him most?  She’s shipping it, but she’s still focused on the superficial.

"Do you think Ser Lothor likes her as she is, in mail and leather?” she asked the older girl, who seemed so worldly-wise. “Or does he dream of her draped in silks and velvets?”

“He’s a man. He dreams of her naked.”  

Sansa is thinking about this the wrong way.  It’s not Mya’s aesthetic that attracts Lothor.  He’s into her as a person and that makes him desire her.  Is that not Sansa’s expressed wish, to be loved for herself?  This is true about most relationships in ASOIAF.  People just want who they want.  It’s irrelevant if they are conventionally attractive or unattractive, or if they defy or typify gender roles.  That insight is another reason for Sansa to take action because it’s meaningful to her and helps her to understand her own desires.  Lothor likes Mya’s stubborn feistiness.  He likes that she loves her animals more than most people.  I’m sure he’s heard the gossip too, but it doesn’t seem like her not being a virgin bothers him one bit.  She’s got grit and courage similar to his own.  The reason he probably hasn’t made a move is that she’s been giving off a strong vibe of not wanting any suitors and he may believe she wouldn’t want him.  He’s older and not the gallant pretty boy that Mychel is.  But tourneys are bristling with that romantic and sexual energy.  If Sansa is going to play matchmaker, the timing is perfect.   

Sansa’s experience with Lothor is that he’s a quiet, reserved man.  But he’s strong, honest, steadfast, and loyal.   He has no apparent vices or skeletons in the closet.  How could you not love him for seeing Harry’s rudeness and dubbing him “Harry the Arse?”  He and Sansa have developed a warm, affectionate friendship that I think speaks well of his character.  He confided in her once that he sought out his knightly kin in Brownhollow, but was rejected by them.  He seems to be a man adrift, without home or family.  Everything he has, he’s earned himself the hard way.  His knighthood came from acts of valor during the BotBW, not from tourney performance.  That seems to be an important distinction GRRM is making between true knights and “knights of summer.”  Lothor’s service to Littlefinger is more a matter of trying to earn a living and lack of better opportunities.  There’s no sense that Lothor is any more loyal to LF than what’s expected of an employee to their employer.  There’s some reason to be concerned as Lothor does know some of LF’s treasonous crimes and secrets.  There’s probably going to be risk and danger in Lothor switching sides; however, Sansa has a sense that what Lothor really wants is a home and family.  He’s mature and wanting to settle down.  He’s not an irresponsible boy playing at manhood.  I don’t know how much better he could be set up to be the balm for Mya’s broken heart and trust issues.  The author is shipping this so hard!

So how could Sansa influence Mya to consider Lothor and in the process win his loyalty?  Well, it is a tourney, and I would expect he will be competing in the joust.  I’m 99% sure that LF has fixed the lists to ensure Harry is among the winners and Lothor is probably part of ensuring that happens.  One possibility I thought of is if Sansa has a heart to heart with Mya about there still being good and loyal men in the world.  There’s one that is standing on the sidelines and worthy of giving a chance.  As much as it’s tempting to be cynical about love and relationships considering her own situation with Harry, at her core, I think Sansa is still that romantic and optimistic.  I don’t see why she wouldn’t seize on this opportunity to see it happen when the reasons are so personally meaningful to her.  Perhaps she could persuade Mya to give him her favor, and that could result in upsetting some of the expected outcomes.  As Jorah told Dany, sometimes a lady’s favor drives a man to want to best all the competition.  It changes the way he feels about himself and he wants to win for her.  I, and I think Mya too, would be very satisfied to see Mychel Redfort unhorsed by him.  Please, George, make it happen!