#I HAVE. SO MANY DESIGNS I CAN'T PICK WHICH ONE WOULD FIT HER BEST <\333333< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[kizykoolors]

Heyyyy.... Guess who’s ALIVE!!!! 💥💥💥💥

Very sorry for the lack of posts, i’m still busy with ONE more big project! And i’ve been busy with other things in my life so i haven’t been abke to be active on Tumblr jzhzieje

BUT!!! I’VE TAKEN A BREAK FROM the PROJECT AND DECIDED TO DO A BIT OF CHARACTER DESIGNING!!! PARTICULARLYY...

QUEEN OF THE GODS AND OF MARRIAGE, HERAAAA

Genuinely, her design has been PAINFUL to design. I’m trying to make her both elegant and fun. And the peacock colors are a genuine struggle to understand hejdbdjrnrj HOW DO PEOPLE DO IT

[sleepytoycollection]

Barbie Dream Besties "Brooklyn": A review

Barbie Dream Besties is a newly released doll line by Mattel, and is a spin off of their main Barbie line. Looks wise, they seem to be a spiritual successor to My Scene, Ever After high, and the more recent Barbie Extra/Barbie Extra Minis. Also trying desperately to compete with LOL and Rainbow High.

They are $20 USD each retail.

I was interested in these for three reasons: 1) I liked Ever After High and My Scene. 2) They have much more quality outfits than I tend to see from modern Barbie. 3) @queenofsquids enjoyment of them made me hopeful I'd like them too.

So do I? Let's find out.

I choose the character Brooklyn as I like her face up the best.

Her packaging is the standard plastic clam shell that seems to be all over the doll aisle anymore. I can't say I love it. I miss the cardboard boxes, so much easier to open and so much less plastic.

This box isn't super great aesthetically either. There's a lot going on in the service of nothing.

Which is a shame, because I do really like the actual character art on the box. It's super cute and matches the dolls really well. It would pop even better if the rest of the box was a smidge simpler. Sometimes less is more.

The back of the box.

We get more of this delightful artwork, showing of the full set of characters available at the moment.

We also get a short character bio for Brooklyn. She wants to be a choreographer, loves making dance routines, video editing, and creative writing. Despite her favorite color being listed as pink, she has no pink in her outfit and only one pink accessory.

Here is the box without the cover. This is what I meant when I said the box design was doing a lot for nothing. Over packaging isn't just a problem with Mattel dolls of course, MGA is arguably worse, but it's still frustrating.

Brooklyn herself is very pretty though. I tried very hard to pick one without a wonky face, but the way she's posed makes it very hard to tell.

I think one of her eyes is slightly bigger than the other. It's not enough to bother me at least. That said, so many of these were VERY wonky at the store. I would not buy these online unless you can see the specific doll you're getting. The QC is all over the place.

Here are all the accessories she comes with.

I do appreciate that all her accessories tie into her interests and character. That said, these are hit and miss.

The purse is nice, and does open.

The dog is okay, but I don't really care for these types of doll pets. It looks more like an in-universe toy than what's supposed to be an animal.

I initially liked that the phone and case were separate, until I tried to put the phone in the case and it didn't fit. It will not go in there. If I force it in, it just pops right back out.

It's a shame because I liked the 80's Barbie logo case, but without the phone in it, it looks weird when the doll is holding it.

At least the phone fits into the ring light stand.

May I also say some of these accessories feel really flimsy? The phone and Ipad are VERY thin plastic.

The boom box in hollow and unpainted.

I wish instead of having seven mid accessories we could've had two or three really good ones. Or nixed all of them and given her a stand. The doll herself is nice enough to deserve a stand I think.

Let's look at Brooklyn. She's pretty darn cute. She stands at the standard 11", and has saran hair with tinsel.

Her outfit isn't my favorite though. Mattel stop giving your dolls ugly fur sleeved varsity jackets challenge. This could've been so cute as just a regular varsity jacket.

Despite being ugly, the jacket is made pretty well. Though a button was already falling off mine. That poor QC strikes again.

Though I suppose it's moot as I doubt I'll ever put this jacket back on her ever again.

Now that she's free of that ugly thing, you can see how nice the rest of her outfit is. I didn't realize how much I missed dolls getting to wear neutrals until I saw her plain denim skirt and white tank top.

It's simple, but she's dressed like a real person. Plus, I can easily pair these pieces with a lot of other outfits. Doll wardrobes need pieces like this for mixing and matching.

Body wise she's a bit smaller than Barbie, and her feet are a little bit larger. This body reminds me a lot of the current bodies for the Disney Princess line now that Mattel has it back, though those have larger feet. If I can find the one I have, I'll do a body comparison to those later.

Her sculpt in three views. The Ever After High comparisons are very apt, though the screening itself is more reminiscent of My Scene mixed with a little bit of G3 Monster High.

For comparison, here's an actual EAH doll next to her. Brooklyn's head is just a smidge larger, but balanced out better with larger eyes, thicker brows, and bigger lips.

After this, I got Brooklyn redressed with just a few changes...

I replaced her jacket with this vintage Barbie and the Rockers one, added a necklace, and hey! Now she gets to wear her favorite color.

Final thoughts?

It's a good doll, but the quality control issues, on top of the same BS Mattel throws on all of it's dolls anymore, is dragging it down.

The fact you have to look through every single one of the shelf to make sure you're not getting a crappy one is exhausting. Plus, kids don't do that. They're going to get home with their new doll and then realize as they open it something's wrong. Kids don't deserve that.

The accessories are mostly cheap and not special enough to justify their existence. The purse, phone with case, and ring light would've been enough if they were made a bit better.

The outfit is well made, and a huge improvement over what I see in the main Barbie line, even if I don't like all the design choices, but again, that's if you get one without QC issues.

The doll herself is super cute though, and screw it, I like the tinsel. Fight me.

Overall I really love this doll, I just wish picking one out wasn't a hassle. Hell, I even bought a second one already.

I got inspired enough I wanted to repaint one, so I purposely bought this wonky Renee because she had the worst face up out of everyone at the store.

So I think there's definitely potential here. If this line continues, I hope they can improve the way G3 Monster High has improved from it's first wave.

I hope this can be the start of Mattel revitalizing it's Barbie line as well. It needs it. See ya next time.

[femminger]

Art practice by trying some other artist's styles that I'm a huge fan of!

From Top Left to Bottom Right:

@ghostishere0 - the original reason I started this doodle, as I wanted to draw a "shepherd lovers squad" and their OC (who I don't know the name of F) was the perfect fit for it.

@luminesparkz - the best interpretation of Pom pikmin. If I were Mr. Nitendo, I would make them the official comic creator along with the manga comics.

@marblyso - If I was a little more unhinged and made a shrine to Erma Shepherd, it would be mostly marblyso's art of her, it's my absolute favorite Erma depiction <3

@rexscanonwife - another OC that I don't know the name of, but she makes such a cute pair with Shepherd and has such cute art that why not, let Shepherd have multiple canon wives at this point.

@citruscrisp - I think this is secretly Alph in an alternate universe where he makes comics about himself, because citrus has Alph's character SPOT ON, and also loves to put that boy in a situation (which I am happy for, I enjoy seeing that boy in a situation)

@daisythecomic - oooaaaaaaaaaa they look like little mice people they look so soft and sweet I love them so muuuuuuuuuccchhhhhhhhh

@louie-posting - I can't not include actual Louie Pikmin on this list.

@kiwilittle - the soft, the sweet, the one who makes the best family style art, really making me wish I was an inch tall so I could go to holidays with the olimar family, also their wife design is so cute that if Olimar didn't already get it I would shoot my shot for her m a a m

@pikbugz - really nails the soft aesthetic that makes pikmin such a calming series, and their coloring style is so soft and good that it gives me the ratatouille nostalgia flashback moment.

@splitster - more than just the wraith au guy, they are the one who makes incredible and funny comics; I've seen so many fics with the rescue corps where I can pick up that yes, this trait came from a splitster comic, and that's a GOOD thing. Made me actually LIKE Dingo, the nerve.

@diesaur - I can't do diesaur's incredible, unique art justice, they are amazing at using geometrics and have the best charlie (his little teefs...)

@solluxander - Cars, one of my favorite pikmin Ocs I've ever seen! Collin deserves a slightly unhinged sentient fluffball boyfriend, and I always love seeing the new ways Cars will interact with him.

@sillypikmin - all hail the best pikposter, who I'm still convinced is an actual leafling living on actual pnf-404, literally every time I have a bad day I look at drawings of Moss and feel better.

@eggpathy - thank goodness they came back to give us old man yaoi. I keep their drawing of olimar kissing the pikmin good night on my phone and look at it before I go to sleep and so far I have yet to have a single nightmare.

@the-knife-consumer - the only person I trust with Louittany, toxic yuri my beloved, I just adore their beasty brittany design so so much, I wish I could have a small brittany to live in my house...

anyway they have the best headcanons for our beloved blorbo hamster people

@natibranch - there's a voice line of Louie going "wa-ha!" in this really cute sing-song voice and every time I see any art by natibranch I hear that sound in my head as a little burst of serotonin, they just nail that exact feeling so so well.

@pikked-min - Another of my favorite Pikmin OCs, Yuva! A really interesting and unique character concept with a lot of thought put into the worldbuilding, followed by a strong unusual personality that had me looking at the pikmin world through a new perspective entirely. Please, someone, give them some sunglasses. Read the fic it's so good

@ssserf - artistic and deep while still somehow looking like official nintendo tm art, genuinely the best at the pikmin proportions, how could I resist trying my hand at the classic amazing beautiful Brittany Fruit Sweater moment, literally SO iconic

@kashi-pon - while I was working on the part of this that was just kashi's various highlife dresses there was a part of me that wanted to dedicate the rest of the space to paying homage to the joke comic of Louie lifting his skirt to show Olimar that he's wearing shorts, except this dress....well......

@diamondwerewolf - the reason we got louie in a little bunny outfit anyway, and thus why we got kashi's dress version. you single-handedly turned Louie into a tumblr sexyman, how could you

[faislittlewhiteraven]

So seen a few 'What if the ISAT cast were in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon' posts...

And I'm gonna put my hat in the ring because darn it I've been thinking about this for over a week now and I want to infect others with these ideas.

Siffren: Hisuian Zorua - White, adorable AND comes free with a neck ruff to hide their face in, but well, doesn't it fit Siff extremely well lore wise too? Just a cute little guy that's a remnant of a home and life forcefully taken away, Normal enough to be among the living with no issues but also Ghost because there's something missing... Something lost that shapes them, tears at them but they just can't let go... Also they eat a lot, have a good amount of mischief in their nature and use 'illusions' for self protection so like. It's a perfect fit really~ XD (Also the 'red' aspects during the Vs Friends fight makes me wonder if in the PMD version of ISaT Siffrin is evolving so wrong somehow that the universe is breaking and a huge chunk of the fight is the party basically mashing B button in utter terror~ XDDD)

Isabeau: Ditto - No joke, Isabeau had me really stumped for ages because what kind of pokemon species goes from nerd to buff to eventually somewhere in the middle during their evolution line but then I realized 'Wow I'm an idiot. There's a pokemon all about Change that can be any form right over there!' and thus Isa-Ditto was born in my mind. I like to think he's almost always in the form of a Marchoke, Zangoose or Scrafty or something that to the others is big and buff but Isa's warm smiling ditto face always stops him from ever looking intimidating, and back in the 'nerd' days Isa probably stuck to being a Gothita/Gothorita, if only because they're about the only mon I can think of with braids and they do seem like a good form if one wants others to stay away so they can focus on studying and stuff...

Mirabelle: Minccino/Cinccino - Ok, most of my reasoning for this one is because Mira visually reminds me of the Minccino line (those eyes <3 And her ribbon! <3) but like, she IS pretty studious and helpful and probably cleans up after everyone and that's Cinccino as anything to me, plus the sheer way this mon blitzs with Skill Link... IDK I just really feel the line suits her.

Odile: Kanto Persian or Purugly - After realizing Siff, Isa and Mira were all Normal types I decided to make it a thing and since under this logic Odele couldn't be a Kadabra (as was my first instinct), the idea of her being this big old book reading cat affectionately rolling her eyes at everyone else's nonsense just had so much appeal <3 Leaning Persian if only because its design matches her visuals better but the thought of her as a Purugly feeling comfortable enough around the others she doesn't puff up her fur via her tail around them is pretty cute/very 'seems standoff-ish but is secretly affectionate Odile' so I'm still struggling to choose between them.

Bonnie: Zigzagoon - Bonnie was probably the hardest to pick out because there were so many possibilites (Aipom for the mischief? Munchlax for the cooking/food vibes? Oh but what about Meowth for their weird hug face???). But then I realized pokemon of all sorts could do all of those things and what really stands out about Bonbon is their 'NPC somehow on the big adventure and doing their best' vibes so a spunky little Zigzagoon using their 'Gluttony' expertise in food to 'Pick Up' the party's sprits felt really fitting (also they way they dart in and out of combat with their Quick Feet just. It works you know? XD). Not sure which Zigzagoon form would be most fitting for them but currently leaning Galarian if only because Siff being weak to Bonnie fits hilariously well, it matches with Bonnie's 'desire to be edgy despite still being adorable' vibes and the mental thought of them far off in the future, all grown up and protecting their family as a big bad Obstagoon gives me a ton of warm fuzzies so yeah~ <3

Euphrasie: Lopunny - Look, it's just the hair, the affectionate personality and her being really really tall compared to the others alright? Only the party is actually Normal locked to me! X'D (I could see her as an Altaria or a Mega Ampharos as well but Lopunny just feels more 'right' somehow.)

The King: Hisuian Zoroark - . . . In my defence, he's an incarnation of malice born from the loss of his home/life with long long hair who acts as Siffrin's foil, pushes them towards 'discovering the red' and yoyos between tragically lamenting and being a ruthlessly, cruel monster who would hurt a child. There was no other option.

Loop: currently torn but leaning Cosmog/Cosmeom or Mimikyu for most of the game and Necrozma/Ultra Necrozma for the Act 6 secret fight - Finally the one non Normal type! And the fact it's the eldritch feeling Loop is kinda perfect? Helps them stand out more at least, and well you really can't beat Ultra Necrozma for 'star shaped thing that is both terrifying, potentially world ending and in immense amounts of pain'. (...Also its weak to Siff's H!Zorua and Bonnie's potential Dark type so it fits type wise also XD).

Change God: Mew - Do I really gotta explain why? (Legendary, has Transform, cute and sweet but also a little bastard, etc- It ticks all the boxes XD

So... Yeah. Those are my In Stars and Time 'what Pokemon would the main cast be' thoughts.

[laura1633]

Have you ever written secret omega for lestappen?

I have written a secret omega lestappen but it was also an alternative universe with Charles as a secret omega F1 driver and Max as an alpha cuddle therapist. I actually removed it off ao3 as I wanted to work it into a longer story so I can't link it but I have included it below the cut.

Max could still very vividly recall just how surprised everyone was when he presented as an alpha. He too had long suspected that he was an omega. It was a reasonable assumption, he seemed to possess all the qualities people liked to associate with omegas and very few alpha traits.

His dad had been overjoyed, apparently alphas were strong and far more likely to succeed in business. He tried his best to look at the positives, his father was technically correct, society seemed to have some very outdated views about omegas in the workplace. At least presenting as an alpha gave him more opportunities in life. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

During his teenage years he tried to fit into the mould that had been laid out for him. He was boisterous which at times spilled into anger and aggression. He tried to go into everything full on without fear and take what he wanted. For the most part he got away with it. When he picked fights people wrote it off as just something young alphas did, when he argued people mostly backed down or backed away. It never came naturally though and as he got a little older his behaviour started to feel more erratic and out of control rather than strong and stable.

A complete misjudgement in his early twenties changed the course of his life for the better. After a few too many drinks he had gotten himself into a fight with a much, much larger alpha and had ended up in hospital. When he was eventually discharged, still battered and bruised, he decided to stop pretending to be something he wasn’t and set out to become the alpha he always wanted to be. He let himself be vulnerable and display his emotions openly, he softened and calmed. The best part was that the more he settled into his new ways the more he realised that everything he had learnt about omegas and alphas was based on oversimplified ideas.

Whilst his new outlook may not have impressed his father it did lead him to his job and he loved his job more than anything because he was finally doing something good in the world.

The alpha buzzed the apartment for his newest client. Today was the first meeting, a time to reassure and explain all the benefits that came along with cuddling. It was also a chance for the client to set their boundaries and really think about their needs. Max was realistic, he knew a lot of people did not understand the virtues of cuddle therapy but he one hundred percent believed in it. He had evidence to back it up too, he had helped so many people.

Yesterday he had spent the morning cuddled up to an elderly omega who had lost her husband a year prior and just wanted to feel some level of intimacy and warmth without the guilt or hassle of trying to find someone new. Then there were clients who were dealing with stress but had no-one else to turn to, he would feel them settling into his arms and slowly relaxing. Then there were omegas who had had traumatic experiences with alphas and needed reassurance. When it came down to it most people had a basic need for comfort and kindness but didn’t always have a support system in place to provide it and he was more than happy to be there to help them through the tough times.

This client was his first ‘celebrity’. Not that they would be treated any differently. Each client was special and unique and the sessions were designed around their individual needs. It did however mean he had had to sign a very lengthy non disclosure agreement, and that was how he came to discover that F1 World Champion Charles Leclerc was not an alpha but an omega.

Max knocked on the door and patiently waited, when Charles eventually answered he looked a little hesitate but let him in.

“I don’t know how we start..” Charles mumbled, clearly a little stressed.

“We can just talk first” Max smiled reassuringly.

“You can’t tell anyone any of this can you? I just, if people find out then I will not be allowed to drive” Charles chewed on the sleeve of his oversized jumper.

“No I can’t and I would never. The whole point of this is for you to relax. Why don’t you tell me what you are hoping to get out of this?”

“Honestly, I just… I just want to be held. I have to spend all my time pretending that I am something I am not, sometimes I just want to lie in an alpha’s arms” Charles felt his face blushing red.

“That is understandable”

“It is?” Charles looked up hopeful.

“Of course. Human interaction is so important, genuine human interaction”

Charles smiled, “See this is what I mean, I can get a friendly hug or a pat on the back but I just.. well I am off my suppressants for winter break and I just.. I just need…to be myself and feel nice”

“We can do that” Max assured, he knew a little about trying to be something you weren’t. He may not have had to go on suppressants but he had certainly suppressed his true self for years. He would never push Charles to reveal his true designation but he would certainly give him as much comfort as he could.

“Can we just .. I mean I would prefer not to talk much”

“That is fine, this is your time, whatever you need” Max reassured. He preferred to talk first, to find out what the client needed so he could plan appropriately but some clients just wanted physical contact straight away, which was fine, he found those same clients opened up eventually.

“Do you do it here or like on a bed or in silence or ..”

“It is however you are most comfortable. We can of course cuddle in bed but I find most clients prefer something a little less intense the first time. Maybe cuddle here, in front of a movie if you would prefer”

“Sure, yes that would be good” Charles exhaled deeply, already flicking on the television and finding something inoffensive to put on.

“Okay I am going to hug you now Charles, let me know if you want me to move away or if anything is uncomfortable or overwhelming”

Charles nodded, he wasn’t entirely sure how a hug could be overwhelming but then again he had never actually snuggled up to alpha properly before. He had pretty much given up intimacy for racing. He took breaks in his suppressants and lived as an omega in the confines of his home during winter break but he could never chance a hook up or a relationship.

The omega shuffled a little closer into the alpha’s arms and tried to settle against their chest. Max’s body was warm, his chest broad and soft, his arms large and muscular. It was exactly what Charles was hoping it would be. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of cedarwood that blended so beautifully with his own sweet scent.

As Max wrapped his arms around him and held him close Charles felt himself drifting in and out of sleep, each time waking up to hear himself purring contently until he felt like he was floating. The omega took steadying breaths, moaning softly as he concentrated on Max’s chest rising and falling and the sound of his heartbeat.

“Are you okay Charles?”

“Yes, I …I…” Charles suddenly realised he was crying, Max’s t-shirt was wet where he had been resting his head, he moved away quickly, completely embarrassed, “Sorry I am not sure why I am crying”

“It is normal” Max tentatively soothed an arm up and down the omega’s arms and ushered them back closer to him, “It is just a lot, yes?”

“Yes” Charles mumbled, he really hadn’t expected such a physical reaction to being held but it truly was overwhelming.

“Just relax Charles, I’ve got you. You are safe”

“Okay” Charles tried to let go of the tension in his body, thinking about each of his muscles in turn until he felt weightless again, only being held down by the alpha’s strong grip., “It…. It feels nice”

“Good, would you like me to talk to you?”

“Maybe” Charles looked up to meet the alpha’s eyes, “And say what?”

“Just the truth” Max smiled, “That I think you deserve only good things. That you deserve to be able to be yourself”

“I wish” Charles hummed contently at the thought of finally being free, of finally letting everyone know that their precious alpha world champion was actually an omega.

“Perhaps one day” Max held Charles tightly, the omega’s body relaxing more and more as they held each other.

“One day” Charles closed his eyes and relaxed. One day he was going to do it, he was going to turn up as his true authentic self, was going to pave the way for other omegas. Today though, today he was just content to be in Max’s arms.

[inventors-fair]

Hybrid Legend Commentary: From Across the Multiverse

I'm glad to see that a lot of people were excited for this contest, and I think that swinging for the fences in terms of what we know people will like pays off. There's no specific balance that needs to be struck, no lessons to be learned as if we're taking a test. Knowing what's fun is its own test, really, when you compare it against base desires. Is this getting a little too philosophical? Fine, let's get personal.

Sometimes I have contest ideas that are cerebral and weird and make sense only to me. Frankly, I have a lot of those, and those ideas are also based off of the notion that I know more about MTG than I actually do. Shocker: I'm just a dude playing cards. And I'm also someone who sees cool things happen and forms emotional attachments to them. Wort really was just a card that I fell in love with when I was looking at ways to make my very first precon deck happen back in the day. I played random Spirit cards, random creatures—and it worked, and it was fun. Now that we're in the present and I can think critically about card design, I still love those memories. Applying them here and watching everyone else apply them is what makes this all worthwhile.

As we get into commentary, don't forget that JUDGE PICKS are cards that either had an awesome idea I wanted to point out, challenged me in a cool way, or were just plain good and limited by the fact that we can only have so many slots in the top six. Carrying on:

@corporalotherbear — Glissa, Flame of Evolution (JUDGE PICK)

Giving haste in mono-green is super aggressive, but not entirely unheard of; without looking it up, green is either secondary or tertiary in it, right? On a legend, it's a bit of a push but WAR Samut did it, right? I think with the combat trigger, expanding the combat damage trigger from Glissa herself to other creatures is a nice twist on tradition. A curious thing to contend with is the integration of red... Who is the tyrant to which she is referring? Elesh Norn, Vorinclex? The red feels like it's coming from a non-Phyrexian philosophy, ish. Urabrask is a complicated character. Still, her role in the Hunter Maze feels fairly freeing to me. 

For the record, the abilities here are pretty great as it stands. Green and red could both use the growth ability, and it makes T5 plays (and small creatures, too) into Sliths, which is really damn neat. There's a chance that this could be a 5-drop just because of the benefit it brings to your board presence, but that's also assuming they can connect, so who knows? As an aggressive legend, she's pretty hard to deal with, and even if she attacks and dies the turn she comes down, it'll beef up your board and make for a wild time. I think GU would be the wildest combination, honestly—hasty blue creatures in the shell are nasty if they have the right evasion.

Unrelated to the card, back to the color philosophy questions: evolution is a strange beast when it comes to red philosophy. Is there inherent self-drive with how individuals are affected by their environments, or would a red-aligned character resist evolution and its involuntary chain of relationships? There's a wild conflict there that's really cool to think about.

~

@cthulhusaurusrex — Teysa, Envoy of Law

As far as non-interactive cards go, this one is certainly one that fits the bill. I think that first strike is one I'd have to hear an argument for in terms of blue's slice, but if there's enough relevance with the return, well... I get what the argument might be, but I don't think I'm swayed, especially since this card isn't the most fun for a board state. Only having one is probably best since it muddies up the board and is essentially a good taxing defender. Without the ability to utilize the stall on this particular card, I've got the current impression that this card wouldn't do much beyond being a big brick in the middle of combat. Nobody gets in, nobody gets out. Can't say that it's a fun incentive.

But the flavor is something I suppose I can roll with. Once more, we have a maze runner running with a different crew, and I'll admit that the Dragon's Maze version of Teysa was pretty great and had some power going for it. I can imagine that that's where you got your inspiration, since this card doesn't seem to have anything to do with either of Teysa's other cards. Fine by me! I just wish there was something more that she did besides gum the battlefield here. Still, the combat orientation is a nice touch.

~

@curiooftheheart — Gaddock Teeg, Paranoid Cenn

I want to defend this card because it feels remarkably fun and hateful; I used to play hardcore Azorius control back in the day, and having something like this on the battlefield is sometimes even better than Grand Abolisher. I mean, Grand Abolisher is incredible, but this also stops triggered abilities from triggering, it looks at abilities of lands... Oh, wait, it looks at the abilities of lands. Might want to clarify that your opponents can do mana abilities, because otherwise things will get real litigious. IIRC mana abilities can't be countered, right? I'll need to read up on that a bit more.

All the same, I think you were the only person who shifted a Lorwyn character, which makes sense because there actually weren't too many. Brion, Nath, and Wydwen were the only others, right? Maybe so. No matter! In another world, on a shadowy moor, the paranoia increases. Honestly even though it's already established as something that's been tried and true I like the approach you took to this prompt in a way that's actually canon-adjacent. Unless Gaddock died. In which case, shame on you. But yeah, I'm personally a fan of hatebears. I am also of the mindset that cards like this might be too complex for some players. They can just keep a Gaddock count or something, though. Not my problem.

~

@damndroid — Adrix, Unparalleled Genius

Ambitious, granular, and weird! Let's talk about it and start with the flavor. This is a dark turn for sure, and I have the feeling that we'd have to really dig deep to find what happened in the past. Nothing wrong with that, though! From childhood friends to adulthood fiends, you've got an evil genius who uses their friend's body for unethical experimentation. Or something. See, I get the gist, but I'm a little muddled in how the mechanics are supposed to convey the flavor.

Speaking of mechanics, your wording is all over the place, captain. Let's break it down. To the best of my ability, this card should say: "Whenever a non-Merfolk token you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, create a copy of that token, except its name is Nex, Research Assistant, it's 0/1, and it's a legendary Merfolk Zombie in addition to its other types. It gains haste. This ability triggers only once each turn." I'm a little stumped on the flavor of copying things like Treasure and Blood, or how the haste in blue is okay here. I think that aspects of this card would be okay, but perhaps a little more flavor explanation and mechanical directness could serve you well. Right now I'm not as on-board as I'd like to be.

~

@edenzom — Liesa, Vengeful Valkrie

Something tells me that this one wasn't supposed to be common, but the rarity didn't get added in? Don't worry about it too much. I'll assume rare or mythic, probably rare. With that, I do like the triggered ability, and I like the concept of the unearthing. Unless unearth is a big mechanic, I think you could've spelled it out as just an activated ability of this Liesa, but that's your call. I feel that there are a few too many restrictions on the cost of the unearthing, though. Sacrificing humans may be enough. You're also in a trap, though, where you want to run high numbers of humans, but you also probably want the relevant demons, devils and vampires to make this card work the way that it wants to. Is that going too wide? I have the feeling that we're playing with too much flavor and not enough archetyping here.

Still, I'm definitely okay with Liesa going a little bloodthirsty here. She's tapping into the red of the plane and coming back with the power of the demons with which she once forged allyships with. There are costs to everything, but one would be forgiven for assuming that she was a demon herself were it not for the typeline there. With all the avenues that people went for this week, I think this one is really cool conceptually and aligned with the real possibilities that Innistrad's past could have gone down. What if the demons come back, y'know? I think a little mechanical smoothing could've made it go down quiet well.

~

@feyd-rautha-apologist — Reyhan, the Dragonslayer

The flavor of this card from an Abzan standpoint, as well as a warrior standpoint, is pretty on-point for me. I'm curious what you were envisioning for the remainder of the timeline—did Reyhan succeed in defending her clan? If I'm interpreting right, then I can see a world where she becomes an outcast of sorts, a vigilante among the dragon-tribes. It's certainly an interesting angle, focusing more on the individual character rather than their role as a stalwart leader. White's heroic focus isn't often touched upon, at least when compared to the sometimes solitary nature of green and/or white's focus on the group and community.

The mechanics are a little iffy for me, specifically because of the keywords. The eternal hybrid problem is finding a way that both colors can have the overlap, and I feel that some flavor got in the way of in-pie reasoning. Reach is tertiary in white at best, and practically never appears in black (unless it's on a spider-themed card from what I can see). Deathtouch is out of white's pie. First strike is where there would be the most overlap, and that one's fine; it's still overshadowed by the other two. Regarding the wording choices, it's hard to find proper templating but I believe this card could read as: "Reyhan has X as long as it has at least one +1/+1 counter on it, Y as long as it has at least two +1/+1 counters on it, and Z as long as it has at least three +1/+1 counters on it." What would be the best XYZ abilities, I wonder? First strike could be a good aggressive baseline to start, but black and white together have flying, lifelink, double strike and in corner cases indestructible... It's up to you how these things stack and maybe keywords aren't the best place to go, honestly.

~

@helloijustreadyourpost — Zegana, Conclave Visionary (JUDGE PICK)

Oh my goodness, it's supposed to be HAND, that's why the flavor didn't make any sense to me on the first readthrough. Anyway, let's ignore the ribbing that I had planned and point out instead that yes indeed, we have another maze-runner-turned-strange here on stage, and I'm living for it just like I was then. Now, people who are deep into the Ravnican lore might give me crap for this but I like the idea of there being inter-Selesnyan conflict, a little bit. Kkkkinda. Conflict isn't the right concept, but like, different points of view I suppose? Green and white merfolk are bizarre but everyone's accepted, so there's that. Zegana's a cool character from what I remember, so this would be a cool break indeed.

And there's one thing that Zegana's known for, and you've brought that to life here for sure. I wanted to commend this card as a judge pick because of how much of a pain it would be in limited and how the Selesnyans really needed a card like this to go hog wild. It's a card that probably would entice commander players with its swinginess and it fits perfectly into the shells that already want the +1/+1 counters. Board buffs make the world go round and she's no exception. It's also super interesting that everyone BUT her gets the counters. That benevolence is a good touch to show the differences between both card and character.

~

@hypexion — Feather, the Fallen (JUDGE PICK)

Angels without flying definitely get my attention. Looking up Feather's past (again, I'm not super deep into Ravnica), the fact that she had her wings bound makes this card agonizing to see. An angel that has to walk among the blood-soaked streets and make her mark known, disgraced in her power, sword in hand... What's really cool to me is how not-Rakdos she is here. There's no sense of joy or revelry, no art in what she does. There's business to attend to, refracted through the blood covering her eyes... I'm reading too much into this but the POINT is: it's cool.

The mechanical thoughtfulness is also a good touch. While it's a little close to home, the fact that it has to target Feather herself is a good step. Removal begets removal, and buffs mean more removal. I do think that she should be rare and not mythic, but only because opening her would mean a hyper-narrow combat deck if you're gonna build around her aggression. I don't think there's that much real estate to be had. Now, cantrips in the right shell might make her far stronger than I'm initially thinking. Right now, though, I'm landing in the camp of decreased rarity, one line of flavor, and you're golden. Unlike Feather. Poor angel.

~

@kalinary — Etrata, the Consumption

I always thought that oozes were more of a Simic thing, but I'm willing to buy that the murky and stinky under-sewers would be home to a nasty character like this. As for the how and the why... Well, I think that we're missing a couple things on this card. I'd like to have known more about what this card really represented, what she does here, what part of her is still vampyric and the like. "The Consumption" is a pretty big title. I'm not currently getting a sense of story scale.

Mechanically, I'm also underwhelmed. Having to pay a cost that's also contingent on combat damage, AND the fact that it has to eat a creature, AND the fact that it has no evasion and the body is really underwhelming for a mythic... There's a lot left to be desired with this card. When making these big mythics, the things to consider aren't just how the character on them is depicted, but also: if this card is filling in a powerful slot in a set, what can you do to make it theoretically stand out above the theoretical rares? What's the floor/ceiling for that balance? It's a fine card conceptually and I don't dislike the ability. It just feels like a bulk uncommon that's missing flavor text more than a big Golgari legend.

~

@maypletreeway — Gor Muldrak, Trailblazer

I think that I'd've wanted to be told more about Gor's journeys through an attached blurb rather than the flavor text we have here. In that limited space, what I would have wanted to see was how Gor changed completely. What about the red separates him from the blue of his research? From the beginning, I mean—because here and now, I can definitely sense the gist: crazy research guy cuts down the land, makes the paths, discovers the salamanders. That I'm on board with. With how the flavor text is written, I feel like this is more on the continuation of a timeline rather than the alternate/twisted universe.

What I don't fully understand is why, mechanically, Gor has protection from salamanders here. It made sense on the Commander card, but not as much when you're looking at a table where you're the only person making them. Flavor as justification only goes so far. Frankly I think that a solid protection from blue would've been fine. IMO the only reason his first card has any kind of protection is because it was intended for folks to turn salamanders against one another. What I really like about this card is the aggression that you're putting on display. Sacrificing a land to get a 4/3 is pretty bonkers even if it's not as fast as Titania + Safekeeper or something. I'd run a version of this in Gruul aggro.

~

@misterstingyjack — Vargus, Wrathful Raider

Vargus is one of the hottest pirates to sail the multiverse seas, so you've got a lot to make up for in that department. What's happening here, I think, is that you've made a strange Commander-y card that's an odd duck in limited. The thing about goading is that you've got this scenario where you're encouraging folks to attack in a multiplayer manner—goad's specific wording implies it. With a standard set, is that the most grokable? I don't think so, not to the extent that it should be one's first choice for mechanics here.

Still, the vibe of the card is significantly different. Cutting the blue takes the seafaring nature out of the pirate and replaces it with the brutality of plundering. Brutal indeed—a strong way to spread the love. If we're just looking at this from a multiplayer perspective, this card does everything it needs to do well, and the small pirates get to swing in and create trouble for an already troubled opponent. Giving them creatures that deal damage is pretty nuts even if they might not stick around, y'know? In 1-v-1 limited, you're going to get your hits in and I think that this card can hold its own. I'll contend that this design is better in a Commander set than a standard set. I'll also contend that it's pretty slick regardless.

~

@nine-effing-hells — Kruphix, God of Whispers

You're gonna have to make a pretty strong argument for having a mechanical shift from devotion being less than five to less than seven, and why you changed the wording when Phenax is available for a template. As for scrying and surveiling, I think that highlights a personal pseudo-frustration that we live in a world where both of those things are viable in a standard environment. As far as the gods go, I have to say that this card itself feels weak comparatively. There's Eligeth who does it without the life loss, and the build-around is asking for more than I feel is reasonable.

A lot's not changed between this and the original Kruphix with same mana value, same stats. With the manifestation, though, I'll admit that you've made a super cool connection between Kruphix as a prophetic god of knowing re:possibility and as a god of knowing re:accruing that knowledge. Greatness at any cost and whatever, right? The people demanded knowledge and there came a god that rewarded both cunning and ambition. That much I'll absolutely give to you. The rest of the card isn't making me super enthused.

~

@spooneater457 — Tolsimir, Bane of the Conclave

The alternative history you've presented here is concise and pretty well-done. What's up with everyone bringing up Ravnican legends in cool ways this contest? Anyway, not knowing much about Tolsimir beyond the wiki, I think the sense of story you've made is quite interesting. Tolsimir lives, and the dryad is punished, and there's a lot of shakeup in the guild. If nothing else, you can take the joy in knowing that your card made me actually look up the Karlov Manor story to fully understand what was happening.

I do know my mechanics, though, and I know that you've given lifelink to a creature that's red and green, and neither one of those colors have access to lifelink even on their own. Riot's another story, and I appreciate that, although it could've used some reminder text. The damage trigger is, AFAIK and unfortunately, out of red's pie. Green can get some contingent damage, but this is pretty widespread. I think that this card's the sum of its parts and some of its parts are really messed up to the point of being way out of line. As much as I think your story path is one of the coolest divergent splits, I would go back and check the hybrid relationship.

~

@stareyedesper — Dack, Enduring Scoundrel

As you might've seen by now, this was a hybrid contest, not just a multicolor one, where you had to change (e.g. replace) one of the character's colors. Additionally, this was supposed to be based on legendary creatures and not planeswalkers. I'll make some quick judgements, but do keep in mind the contest requirements for next time.

Mechanically, I think it was ambitious to have the specific haunt clause on there. For ease of access, I feel that it could've been easier to just have a death trigger that was contingent upon Dack remaining in exile.

Flavorfully: this is where I'm also a little bit lost. Where is the alterternate aspect happening here? As far as I can tell this takes place right after War of the Spark when Dack dies, and thus becomes a ghost, but that's just one possibility and not a full change of timeline. 

~

@tanknspank — Kaseto, Orochi Maverick (JUDGE PICK)

The orochi are a weird bunch, aren't they? I think you're really pushing the limits of green recursion here, but hey, green gets cards back, red gets the temporary reanimation—there's nothing technically being broken here. It's a great modification staple, and I feel that seeing the orochi reclaim their wild side is an interesting move. Reading up on Kaseto, I can see where you've gone for the change of timeline pretty exactly: he rejects his ancestors and fights against the encroaching world centuries later.

And as far as limited goes, this one feels like a beater, and there's not much more to say about it. I can see the late game having some awesome auras coming down from the creature that had died before with the auras on them, and equipment in the form of reconfigured creatures makes the aggro deck that much more aggressive. Zero complaints here. I think he's a fun casual commander, a fun limited card, and you can use a lot of natural development and sacrifice to make him worthwhile. Maybe I'm not having my heartstrings tugged at with this change of life experience, but that hardly matters when the snake kicks butt—hence a well-earned JP.

~

@wildcardgamez — Killian, Memory Mage (JUDGE PICK)

Young Killian embracing his light side and kindling it with the fires of independence? Yes please! That's a nice change, and as much as the Strixhaven story was...something I didn't really follow, reading up on it makes this card far more unusual. The question the becomes whether or not the Lu family was now all Lorehold in their history (complete alternate universe) or whether this is the path where Killian has broken completely free of his father's shadow. I dunno about the rest of the Lorehold folks, but Killian here certainly feels more education-oriented and down-to-earth. Mechanics are pretty rad for heroic nonsense as well. The timing window restricts this card, but you've got to learn when to play it so that you can maximize the value. Additionally, there's no reason you can't run it out for exile-from-graveyard synergy, but what happens afterwards? Well, maybe it was a mistake to do that, or maybe not, and you learn as you play the cards more. I think the benefit of an school-themed set is that it's fun to have meta moments in that vein. It feels meta to me, anyway. One note is that it should be "exile an instant card" and not just "an instant," because of the way that objects in zones are referred to. I like how it's utilized both for removal and for combat benefits. Neat all around!

Tune in tomorrow for the heat death of the universe. Love yall! @abelzumi

[angelkitty54]

Yet another Sonic AU idea, coz I can never focus on a single one for very long! Also, was rewatching the Incredibles movies and had thoughts(tm)!

So! An AU set in a world kinda like the Incredibles wherein Sonic and the other hero characters were like proper Superheroes, but then were forced to retire and go into hiding when laws were passed that made superheroes illegal.

Sonic is in a committed relationship with Sally and Shadow, the three of them being former Supers now trying their best to live as a "normal" family with their four kids. All of which have powers, except for the baby.

Sally was one of the few Superheroes without any powers. A lot of people forget that about her, partly coz she later gained cybernetics after a terrible accident (ironically unrelated to her hero work) that took her limbs nearly took her life too. Still thinking abut her hero name but she spent many years struggling to balance her superhero career with her civilian life. She has a lot of complicated feelings about it all now that she's been forced to give up one side of her life. These days she reluctantly works at her father's company, trying very hard not to draw any attention to herself, or her family.

(Nicole is also here, integrated into Sally's cybernetics. She's quite literally in Sally's head, which kinda makes them a package deal. Her bond with Sally is incredibly strong, tho neither see it as romantic, same goes for Sonic and Shadow. They all consider her as part of the family, and the unofficial fourth parent.)

Sonic and Shadow didn't really have secret identities. Shadow had to invent an identity, going by Terios while dyeing the red parts of his fur and quills black to blend in better. He now works a boring desk job and also tends to wears grey sweaters or plain button down shirts. Shadow is very dissatisfied with his life. He's supposed to be the Ultimate Lifeform! He was meant to protect the world! He made a promise! And now he's just Terry, a boring guy working a mind-numbingly dull office job, barely able to protect his own family much less anybody else. (Yeah, Shadow be Mr Incredible here.)

Now Sonic, he pretty much lived as his superhero identity full time, so very few people actually knew he even had a secret identity. See Sonic used to be Nicky (like from the manga), a quiet, timid kid with freaky powers that always got picked on. One day he ran away from the orphanage he lived in, changed his hair, changed his whole look, changed his attitude, and started calling himself "Sonic". Becoming a superhero was never the intention, but after his first run in with Eggman, well, it all just snowballed from there.

Sonic had the hardest time adjusting to the new status quo in the beginning, having always thought he'd just be Sonic forever, even if he ever got the chance to retire from the hero life. He's had part time jobs, but was never able to hold one for very long. His lack of formal education makes things a little harder on that front too. These days he's settled down as a househusband, being the primary caretaker for their children. He loves his kids and wants to give them all the things he never got to have growing up, like loving parents and a stable home. It would be a lie to say he didn't miss his old life, but if was a choice between that and the life he has with his family, he'd pick his family every time.

I feel like Infinite would fit the role of Syndrome here. With Gadget (that's what the custom avatar is called right?) as Mirage.

Thinking maybe Knuckles and Julie-su would be Frozone and his wife?

Can't really decide who would be Edna. Maybe Rouge?? She kinda has the style for it... There's also Honey the Cat who is a designer I think? Dunno if she fits the Edna Mode vibe tho...

[cheapsweets]

The garrulous Slagzogg

My response to this week’s BestiaryPosting challenge from @maniculum

A little rough this week, but wanted to get it out there (perfect is the enemy of good :p).

Jinhao shark fountain pen with fine, hooded nib, with Monteverde Raven Noir ink, over initial 5.6mm HB pencil sketch.

Process and resoning notes below the cut...

"The Slagzogg marks the watches of the night by its constant cry. No other creature picks up the scent of man as it does.  There are two kinds of Slagzoggs, domestic and wild. Wild Slagzoggs fly high, in a an orderly fashion, signifying those who, far away from earthly things, preserve a rule of virtuous conduct. Domestic Slagzoggs live together in villages, they cackle together all the time and rend each other with their beaks; they signify those who, although they like conventual life, nevertheless find time to gossip and slander. All wild Slagzoggs are grey in colour; I have not seen any that were of mixed colour or white. But among domestic Slagzoggs, there are not only grey but variegated and white ones. Wild Slagzoggs are the colour of ashes, that is to say, those who keep apart from this world wear the modest garb of penitence."

Okay, we know they fly. We know they have beaks. Hence, it's pretty obvious what kind of creature this is...

A pterosaur! Er... Well, there's no mention of feathers (which is probably reasonable...), perhaps I'm just tickled by the thought of medieval domesticated pterosaurs? I probably spent way too much time trying to draw a wattle fence, too. We have a farmer feeding her flock of domesticated miniature azhdarchid pterosaurs, while a few wild slagzoggs fly high overhead, looking down on their cousins below.

I went with azhdarchid pterosaurs since I felt that would be more visually distictive, and fit better in the picture given their more upright and distinctive method of locomotion on the ground. I also love the idea of a slagzogg 'village' cackling (like the one spreading its wings on top of the fence), clacking beaks, preening themselves, and generally making noise!

We also know that 'no other creature picks up the scent of man' as well as the slagzogg... We do know at this point that the bestiary authors love their superlatives almost as much as Pokedex descriptions, but we have no reason to doubt it. So, looking at modern archosaurs with a great sense of smell... Apparently, crocodiles actually have a fairly good sense of smell, but we're looking at birds to work out how best to represent this in a creature with a beak. Now kiwis have nostrils at the end of the beak, vultures also have a great sense of smell (though they completely slipped my mind until I was most of the way through), which left me with petrels... Petrels are diving seabirds with a distinctive 'tubenose' (their nostrils form a tubular nasal passage atop the beak), and use their sense of smell to detect prey (and their colonies) at sea. It's definitely a distinctive look!

What do they use their great sense of smell for (apart from identifying their keepers, one assumes)? Maybe these are truffle hunting pterosaurs? ;)

Actually, my first thought on reading the description was the dog vultures from the Judge Dredd comics (unfortunately I can't find any pictures online), until I re-read the description and noticed the reference to beaks!

This all raises an interesting question about how I (we? I don't want to assume too much) approach these challenges.

I feel like most of the time, I'm trying very hard to approach the prompts with a completely open mind; in many ways, a lot of the fun of these challenges is seeing what designs we come up with compared to the bestiary illustrators, given the same prompts.

Occasionally I'll have a pretty good idea what the creature is meant to be, in which case I will sometimes exercise a form of 'malicious compliance' where I'm either sticking as closely as possible to the description, or more rarely pursuing a parallel direction that I know is not the 'correct' one, in order to avoid drawing anything too close to the animal I believe the prompt is referencing.

Most rarely, I just have a cool idea from the prompt (like the Blisheag) and head off in that direction instead.

Guess which one this is :D

So what I'm also learning here is that I need more practice drawing humans, and drawing pterosaurs!

As an aside, this week I discovered this site;

It's basically a giant repository of links to various images and sites relating to medieval life and culture (so for example, I looked up the links for straw hats to get some medieval straw hat references this week...). There's so many links in here that some of them will inevitably have moved or expired, but it's potentially a really good source of references! I was able to find this image (partway through drafting the drawing) that I ended up taking heavy influence from;

[fizzingwizard]

Went to see Across the Spiderverse so I can fiiinally join in the hype hahahaha.

It was fantastic. The whole time I kept thinking how much I wished there had been a movie like this when I was a teen. I loved it as an adult, but as a teen I'd have been like next level obsessed.

Spoilers in between general squee

So Miles Morales is officially the coolest Spiderman. Well, at least he has the coolest movies, haha. Take your pick what Spiderman you like but seriously, I can't get over how this movie is conceptualized. Of course I felt the same with the first one, but this one lit up even further. It's artistic, it's musical, it's action-packed, it's comedic, it's full of heart, and somehow it balances all of that - never seeming too sentimental or too callous or too rushed or too cliche. It could have been any of those things, but instead of running from it, the movie embraces weakness and takes advantage of it. Heck, the core concept of the movie - that there's a "canon," a destiny, which must be fulfilled - could be a metaphor for how a story doesn't feel cliche no matter how many times it's been told if the characters have individuality and agency of their own.

The whole thing was good but the art and music, THE ART AND MUSIC. As for the art, it's so creative, such an innovative marriage of comic book style and computer animation. It doesn't say "This is too much, we won't be believable." Because it's not afraid of itself, neither is the audience. I think what makes it great is that it's got a clear idea tying all the different styles together, that idea being that this is a celebration of art styles throughout the decades, the same way the story is a celebration of our shared human experience.

The music is very Now. It's interesting and fits really well with each character and each scene. When Hobie appeared and it got all awesomely punk rock I could barely resist banging my head hahaha.

Also Hobie is THE BEST. From his character design to his personality to his role in the story, he's just so, so memorable and cool. He's got a small role, but he takes full advantage of it.

Loved Pavitr too, adorable, charming, annoying sweetheart. Really hope we haven't seen the last of him. "This is your daughter who I do not know" x'DDD My one complaint about this movie: I wanted more of Hobie of Pavitr so badly!!

Also Jess!! Pregnant, riding a motobike, and fighting evil. This movie pulled zero punches.

My favorite was Gwen. Gwen was everything. I was so super into her. Anecdote time: When I was growing up, I loved action and adventure stories. My favorite characters and ships almost exclusively involved boys and not girls. I felt bad because I wasn't supporting female characters - but I couldn't help that I didn't like them, or at least not as much as the boys. And I hated any time it seemed someone treated me like a "fan girl" who's just "in it for cute boys." But here's the thing. I did like female characters... in shows made for girls. Like Sailor Moon, CardCaptor Sakura, Utena - in all those shows my favorites were girls, and my ships were het or FxF. But the shows for girls weren't as popular as the shows for boys, because girls would watch both but boys mainly wouldn't. So the boy shows had bigger fandoms and more content and lasted longer.

What I'm trying in a roundabout way to get at is: Gwen Stacy is the proof that I, and many other unfairly labeled "fan girl" types, were really just desperate for great female characters in action shows that were popular with boys too. Your choices back then were: the love interest who is mainly a cheerleader, the love interest who does have some cool skills but never as cool as the boys, the love interest who is really cool and interesting but the story is only told from the boy's perspective, or the strong independent woman who doesn't need a man (aka a horrible, one-dimensional, token example of a "strong female character"). But Gwen. Gwen is none of that. She's strong, she's vulnerable, she needs help, but she's independent, she's fierce but also soft, and she's so far very much got her own natural, organic role in the story. She's hands down my favorite. And if there had been more female characters like her when I was a kid, I'd have loved them as well. So there. Fuck everyone who says otherwise, lol. And I know that there is a theory that Gwen is trans, and if so I will support it for all the same reasons. Just make characters who are fleshed out and real, whether they are boys or girls or trans or nonbinary. Just make them all like that and we won't have to have silly arguments about it! :P

Anedcote over. So, I love that Gwen got her own mini-movie in the first bit. I love the storm clouds in her relationship with Miles. It's not the usual stuff - I mean it is, but it's done in a way that feels really fresh. Her story almost predicts Miles's, or what Miles's could be. She's already lost a Spiderman, and when her father, a cop just like Miles's, discovers her identity, he isn't supportive. So when she hears that part of her canon as a Spiderman may mean her father dies, she's so heartbroken and depressed that she accepts it must be. When she tells Miles that in every universe a relationship between Gwen and Spiderman ends badly, and he responds something like "Then let's make this the first which doesn't," omg. My heart. I love them so much.

And more on Gwen. When it was clear that she was more or less betraying Miles, "for the greater good," I was a little disappointed at first. I loved her bit in the beginning so much and felt sad that she was then degraded to "girl from the wrong side of the tracks who needs to be saved by the hero." But that doesn't happen! Of course she's inspired by Miles, he's a big part of why she's able to stand up again. But he's not all of it. When Miguel throws her into the machine to send her back to her reality, I was so afraid she was going to cry and plead for another chance. But again, she doesn't. She just fights, and when she can't fight anymore, she says "We're supposed to be the good guys." And when she gets sent back, the thing she most feared, she discovers what can change when you take a risk on a second chance. And I think she realizes that her resignation was really fear. A false sense of control felt safer than accepting that our world is really chaos. That's where Miguel, I assume, is still... interesting to see what will go down with him in the future.

And last, Miles. He's just the perfect hero for this movie. He feels deeply. He's got conviction. I never believed The Spot was his real nemesis, so when it turned out to be his doppelganger in the other reality, I was like, omg so fitting. Yeah, it's overdone, but it doesn't feel like it is! Because it fits so well with what the story is trying to do. Miles was able to resist Miguel's rationale in a way the others couldn't because he has those deep convictions and that raw human hope in the future. But for that same reason, if things go wrong, if he fails when he's staked his whole heart on succeeding, the danger is losing his sense of self and turning into Miles the Prowler. It's such a great analogy for grief and suffering and why we struggle through our hard lives.

Just every moment was good. I kept waiting for one that I'd think well this could have been done better, but it didn't come. Maybe Gwen's dad was a little too quick to be ok with the whole portal jumping thing, lol. I really don't care. Such a fun movie and incredibly well made. I know the music and art made a huge difference for me - one reason why I feel like I could stand to watch it again, when I really haven't bothered to rewatch any other superhero movies. (Except the first Avengers, I think I'd still enjoy that if I watched it again.) It just never got stale and held my interest the whole time. And I gotta say: MilesxGwen 5 ever. Hahaha. Idk what the future holds for them (I mean Margo is also a sweetheart and nothing lasts forever...) but anyway I SHIP IT!!!

[xserpx]

Hey! I saw you mentioned in the tags of something you've used the Cypher system. I've looked into that one before but I haven't tried it. Would you mind telling me a little more about what it's like/what you like about it? If not nbd feel free to delete. Thankies! Much love~! ♡

I have to caveat by saying I'm not a GM, and we have only used Cypher so far for one-shots and campaigns of 3-4 sessions, though one of our GMs has voiced his desire to do a longer campaign using the system. We haven't played it nearly as much as with DnD5e or with the Warhammer Dark Heresy rules, both of which we've played for multiple years-long campaigns, and both of which have fairly extensive rules and pretty heavy world-building/lore built in.

Cypher is a whole different kettle of fish in that there's very few hard and fast rules. It's easy to pick up and makes it very easy to create characters - the first time we played I didn't even roll a character before hand, it only took about 10 minutes to fill out a character sheet.

The crux of Cypher is that all tasks and encounters are decided by passing a difficulty level on a d20. 10 levels, with the maximum you need to roll being a 30. The GM decides on the difficulty level of any particular check, and gauges the consequences of failure/success. You can reduce the difficulty by using your character's skills and focus points, or by using the help of your party. Beyond that mechanic, the rest is pretty much all customisable flavour.

There's only 4 classes (aka types): Warrior, Adept, Explorer, and Speaker, and the rulebook provides guidelines for the kinds of levelling up abilities, but nothing is set in stone. The flavour you give those classes is entirely up to you. For example, an Adept could be a wizard, alien, superhero, psychic, or something else usually associated with intelligence/magic-based characters. There's also no set list of items or abilities that you are allowed have, you're simply able to ask the GM "is it OK if I have a notebook/mobile phone/bionic arm/whatever? Is it OK if I can talk to animals/hack computers/be charming?" during character creation, and as long as the GM allows it you get to decide how to apply that item or skill to any given situation. Likewise, there is no hard and fast spell list. There's outlines for how magic works in the rules book, but what that magic looks like is created by the players and the GM. The book provides the skeleton, and you get to flesh it out.

You are able to pool abilities and reduce the difficulty of rolls using team mates' skills, which also helps build collaboration between players. This might not suit every campaign (particularly ones where characters are prone to stabbing one another in the back) but I think it does reduce my 5e pet peeve, which is that DnD does not provide enough of an intrinsic incentive for the players to stick together as a group at the start. You benefit from each other so much more in the Cypher system than you do in 5e.

It's also more versatile for world-building. I think it suits contemporary/futuristic settings much more than fantasy, but it's still more flexible than 5e. One potential downside of the system is that the GM needs to essentially generate their own world and populate it, which again might not suit everyone's play style. But the upside is that this freedom makes it easier for the GM to decide what happens without having to fudge rules. Our big campaign at the moment is set in 18th century Paris, and our GM has done her best to adapt 5e rules to fit the world, and I've enjoyed it well enough, but 5e clearly isn't designed to be adapted in this way. I can't help but think if we were playing with Cypher instead, she could have had so much more freedom to create exactly the world she wanted, rather than essentially having to gut the magic out of 5e in an attempt to make it more historically accurate. Combat is so integral to 5e, too, with classes riding or dying by their use in battle, and many players will ignore fluff & character-based skills in an attempt to minmax in combat, which can leave the actual character feeling shallow or samey from campaign to campaign.

Combat in Cypher by comparison is very loosey goosey, fast-paced and smooth. Because everything is based on passing those difficulty rolls, again, it makes it very easy to fit to any style of combat, with any kind of creatures. There's no pouring over spell lists or features/traits to work out the best strategy, no measuring the squares to calculate if the radius of your fireball will take all five enemies without singeing the coat of your allies. All you need to do is work out how best to beat the difficulty level. It really prioritises storytelling and improv far more than rules.

It's a great game for one-shots because it is so very quick and easy. I do wonder if using it for longer campaigns might make it start to feel a little thin though, mechanics-wise; out of the gate the characters are already pretty skilled, which might make levelling feel less rewarding. But what little levelling up we've done so far has been fine, and again that sense of skill also makes the game as a whole feel like less of a slog compared with the first 1-3 levels of a DnD character.

If you have a group that prefers structure, or finds it hard to negotiate with a GM, then I probably wouldn't recommend Cypher, but for people who like improv, don't love lengthy combats, and just want the freedom to be able to weave their own story out of whole cloth, it's brilliant.

[thewertsearch]

Asks Compilation 11/12

I never considered that Aradia could be feeling sincere gratitude towards Equius - that's a good point, and might partially explain her flushed feelings for him. Similarly, I never thought about how difficult and impractical a relationship would be for Equius, given he has this kind of strength paired with this kind of dexterity.

Anyway, I half-agree with your thesis. I can imagine a hypothetical kismesissitude between an older, more mature Equius and Aradia, and I think that relationship could potentially be healthy, for the reasons you describe.

But the one we're getting is doomed from the start - Equius's mind-control shenanigans have pretty much torpedoed the whole thing. I don't think he can have a healthy relationship until he figures out why that was wrong.

I'll give you a freebie right now - most of the Jojo villains would fit right in with the Felt!

Yeah, it's not like romantic rivalry is a new idea. Really, the more I think about it, the more I think Hussie's riffing on real relationship tropes with all the quadrants.

Hell, I could probably list some fictional characters that work pretty well as Moirails - and I'm not just talking about The Locked Tomb!

[ sent when you posted your troll ranking! - C ]

She's the best, she's the worst, and she's destined for great terrible things.

Sorry Eridan - someone had to nab last place!

He does have a great design. The cape and scarf work well together - I can see how he'd be easy and fun to cosplay.

We have two opposing views here, and they both make good arguments. Aristocrats do tend to be egotistical by nature - but Alternia would expect him to act that way, even if it wasn't his natural tendency.

I personally don't think Eridan ever intended to exterminate the land-dwellers, but I'm not sure he ever realized that himself.

Don't forget Insane Clown Hussie, which is when your webcomic author keeps putting more harlequins in their story.

Toby, what are you doing back in my ask box? Get outta here, you scamp!

Ayy!

It's funny, I never considered that many people are reading through the liveblog/chrono/ tag. I'm almost never on my blog's page; I see it through the dashboard!

Happy belated birthdays, Jade, Dave, and, Rose!

Odd. It really looks like John's birthday should be December 2nd. Maybe something went wrong with his meteor.

The Newtonverse is a corruption of Homestuck, but Homestuck is already a parody of a million other things. It's one layer too deep, and feels 'wrong' as a result.

Unless Cool and New Webcomic is a similar style of parody, in which case, who knows? Maybe the Newtonverse is simply real, and trying to break into our reality.

Yeah, that makes sense. She certainly looks like a classic eldritch monster.

I can't see the commentary - I assume because some of it contains spoilers. For comments that don't spoil anything, feel free to send them along.

It's always very tempting to check out other livebloggers so I can compare and contrast. I won't, though - quite aside from any worries about spoilers, I just don't want to influence my own opinions!

This has always been a blind spot with me, and it always will be. Try as I might, I will never recognize the difference between Rouge and Rouge.

I knew the comic had about 8000 pages, but it's good to know it clocks in at 8128.

It annoys me more than it should that it's not 2^13, or 8192. It would have been a nice round number to finish on!

Thank you, and welcome!

Eridan's beliefs don't really make sense - but it makes sense that they don't. It's bigotry, after all.

He knows trolls like Kanaya, and can clearly see that there's nothing inferior about her - but he can't let go of what he's been taught, so he just doesn't address it, and continues on as normal.

This comic is damn long, so it's a fun reference to make.

I'd probably pick one. No special reason - I just sort of vibe with the number, and it's the closest to something kooky like zero, or a negative number.

I would have picked the cueball, but I don't think I want Scratch as a rival...

Ok, that's fair, actually.

I love how she's trying to 'cull' them.

It's a good bit. I wonder if this means Hussie's trollsona is a green-blood, like Kanaya?

Read it!

It's not intended to! The others all link to the post where the work was recommended to me, but Con Air wasn't recommended - it's just a movie slightly relevant to Homestuck. I have it up there for completeness, and it's underlined for consistency.

[famwhy]

In Grief and In Mourning I

Yandere! Various X Reader

Part I

Next Part

Character Appearances Sheet

Word Count: 3,478

"So what do you think?" 

Your eyes flitted from one dress to the other, fingers laced underneath your chin as you contemplated which would look the best on your person.

The black dress was fitting but didn't leave much room for movement - something which would greatly inconvenience you considering the fact that you were quite an active person. The blue dress was more free however the design didn't suit your preference as much as you would have liked.

"Dunno, they both have pros and cons." You shrugged your shoulders.

"You know, for someone who's given a lot of freedom, you sure aren't one to make decisions." Your companion rolled her eyes, jutting her hip out to the side in all of her sassy glory.

"What does that have anything to do with decision making?" You rose a brow, amused.

"I'm just saying, you're so lucky your dad is laid-back. Mine screams if I'm out for longer than 3 hours."

"You're twenty-three though."

"That's what I'm saying!"

You chuckled. Amrita had always been cooped up in a shell, her father never let her out of his sight. The overprotective type - because of this, she envied you.

You were the complete opposite of her, your father gave you the creative freedom to do as you wished - even encouraging you to sneak out for long periods of time to get your party on. If you told him about how you scored a guy, he'd high-five you and go 'atta girl, scoring as many guys as her dad once did chicks'. 

Now this wasn't to say he wasn't protective of you at all. At the end of the day, you were female and unfortunately, it wasn't a safe world out there for women. Knowing this, your dad made sure to have you attend at least some form of self defense class. Nothing too extreme, just enough so that you could fend off a creep long enough for police to arrive. If you were to be honest though, you didn't pay much attention in those classes. 

What? Can't a girl stare at anime men pictures on her phone in peace?

"Alright, let me go pick out some different ones. I'm sure one of these dresses will have you falling in love." The asian rolled her eyes.

"Why are you acting like I hate all dresses? B-tch, those two just don't appeal to me is all." 

Amrita ignored your words, choosing to leave the changing rooms instead.

"The audacity."

Left to your own devices, you chose to observe the room around you, having been unable to do so before due to Amrita rushing you in to try on outfits.

It was a relatively plain room. A few sofas here and there. Three pods to change in. A weirdly-shaped oval showcasing a marble floor and a man within.

Wait-.

A weirdly-shaped oval showcasing a man within?! What the fuck?!

You blinked twice, surprise flooding through you as you stood rigid, frozen in place and unable to utter a word.

"WELL?"

"It's her, your highness."

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR THEN?! BRING HER TO ME!"

In a swift motion, the man on the other side of the oval seized your arm, dragging your whole form towards him with an iron-clad grip. 

His sudden actions were enough to snap you out of your daze, "WHAT THE FUCK?! HEY! LET GO OF ME!" 

You were an active person, sure, but you weren't that active. As a result, you weren't that strong either. This man easily overpowered you in terms of strength (unfortunately for your ego). 

Fuck!

You were never taught anything about what to do if a man came out of a fucking portal and suddenly grabbed you with the intent of taking you into it. 

Alright, alright, let's see. There was a tiktok you saw once about what to do if a man were to grab your child suddenly. You didn't have a kid but maybe you could use it for yourself here?

You took in a deep breath before pushing down on a part of his hand with your thumb.

...

"What on Earth are you trying to do?"

Fuck! You knew it wasn't gonna work! Never trust anything you see on the Internet!

Your attempts to escape the man's grasp were thwarted the moment the tips of your fingers passed through what you safely concluded was a portal. 

"What the fuck?"

Your eyes enlargened, gaze transfixed on how your nails suddenly grew longer and sharper before your very eyes. The noise around you grew deaf to your ears as your heart beat picked up both in pace and volume. 

It was like magic; watching the sleeves of your outfit disappear to reveal the soft skin of your arm on the other side of the portal. Inch by inch, as more of your body stepped through, more and more changes began to appear.

The short dress you were wearing morphed into a longer, pure white gown that cascaded down your hips - your jeans jacket practically becoming non-existant on the other side. The locks of H/C hair framing your face grew longer and more healthy, no longer the wild mess they once were. 

A breeze passed over your bare arms and chest, sending a shiver down your spine; one that you didn't register due to your astonishment of... well, whatever that just was.

"Finally."

When you stumbled over your feet, you were snapped back to reality (if this even was reality and not some weirdly realistic dream your mind just conjured up while sleeping).

Before you could trip from your little stumble, however, you were caught within the arms of another man - face planted straight into an incredibly firm chest.

"Gah!" You waved your arms about frantically, struggling to push away from whoever had you trapped within their extremely tight grasp. 

"Aww, how sweet."

"Shut up, Marizza."

Gathering as much strength as you could, your arms planted themselves onto the solid chest of the person holding you before exerting a large enough force to at least allow your eyes some space to see something other than clothes.

Your head tilted up, eyes meeting with a teary set of crimson ones lovingly gazing down at you. "My lovely turtle dove, you're finally back in your papa's arms."

"Papa? I'm sorry- WHAT?!" Now it was your mouth's turn to open wide.

"Yes, papa." He frowned. "Don't you remember?"

"Your majesty, if I may, she will not necessarily know you as she is from another world." The man, who pulled you into this place, piped up.

The other man casted him a narrow glance you could only assume was that of annoyance. "Nonsense, my little girl is my little girl, regardless of what world she's from." 

"Um? Excuse me- what? What do you mean 'from another world'?" You rose a quizzical brow.

"Apologies, your highness, I suppose you would like an explanation?" The male who seemed to be of the lesser status spoke up.

Was he talking to you?

"Are you talking to me?"

"Indeed."

"Oh uh, well in that case, yeah. An explanation would be nice."

.

.

.

"Okay so... lemme get this straight," They stood patiently, eyes gazing at you with no pressure to rush you in any way. "The 'me' in this world died so you got a mage to open a portal to my world so that you could take me and no longer have to deal with grief?"

Every maid, butler, and knight nodded along with the king and the mage.

"You do realise this is kidnapping right?" Your hands planted themselves onto your waist. "This is seriously messed up in so many ways."

"Well-."

"Also-" You cut off the mage. "Why the fuck did my appearance change when I stepped through the portal?" 

"That... I'm not too sure of. You essentially look exactly like the late princess now." 

You sighed.

"Look, this has been fun and all but, if you don't mind, I gotta get back to my world 'cause I kindaaa have people waiting for me back there."

With that, you turned around and started to walk away - only to have your waist seized in a very tight and strong grip.

"Leave? Now why would you ever want to do that, turtle dove?" It was your supposed 'father', the King. "I just got you back, you are heavily mistaken if you think I will let you leave me again."

Oh great, he's a psycho.

"Now, you will go to your room and you will settle down in this world like it is your own." The grip grew tighter. "Do you understand?"

"Can't... breathe..." 

In an instant, your waist was released and a gasp left the lips of the person behind you.

"Oh, my precious daughter, my lovely little turtle dove, papa is so sorry." You were spun around before having your face cupped and being forced to stare into a pair of crimson eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I would never forgive myself if something were to happen to you again."

You quickly shoved him off, ignoring the hurt that flashed across his face in favour of rubbing your now-sore waist.

"Guards, escort my daughter to her room and get the best healer in the kingdom to check up on her. Make sure not a hair on her head is harmed during this or it will be your head rolling on my floor."

"Hey! Hold on! This is still kidnapping!" Your arms were seized by two guards and you were dragged off while hurling insults at both the mage and the frowning King.

"There is nothing to fear, your majesty, I am sure she is just a little confused - anyone would be in her situation. She will warm up to you eventually."

The King's drooped ears rose once more, eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree as a grin crossed his face.

.

.

.

"Please hold still, your highness, I wish you no harm." 

"Get off me, you fucking pieces of shit-!" You tugged at your arms, gaze narrowed at the man who was about to lift up your dress. "Oi! If you do what I think you're gonna do, I'll kill you!"

"I need to check you for any wounds, your father underestimates his strength sometimes." He pinched his nose, sighing as though he was the one who had been transported into an unknown world with a crazy king pretending to be his father.

"I'm fine! Leave me the fuck alone!"

"Very well." 

You were suddenly let go, causing your body to jolt forward a little due to not anticipating the sudden action and still being in the middle of pulling away.

"Ahem. That's what I thought."

"What a sleezy little brat." Scoffed one of the maids. "Honestly, I can't see why his majesty would ever want to bring someone like you back."

"Careful with that mouth of yours, Bridget. Remember, you are disrespecting the next in line for the throne, his majesty's daughter herself. You, nor anyone else in this kingdom, do not have the status to even insult her in the slightest." The half-lidded gaze of the man who tried to lift your dress up seemed a bit uncaring despite the words he'd said.

"Ridiculous." 'Bridget' scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." You rolled your eyes. "Are you gonna leave now or what?"

"Hmph." 

With that, they left, that bitter maid continuing to murmur under her breath about you as she walked - again, not phasing you in the slightest.

Once they were gone, you noticed a full body mirror by the door, immediately rushing over to it to observe the changes in your looks.

First of all, your hair was longer than it once was, less of a mess too. You didn't lose your hair colour or eye colour thankfully. Another thing you noticed was your longer, sharper nails you had a sneak peak of when you first entered the portal. It wasn't crazy long though, nothing like those high-school girls you saw around the mall.

There was another thing you noticed, the golden headpiece resting on your hair. If that didn't scream royalty, perhaps the dress you were now donning did. There were literal crystals all over the chest area and the whole thing screamed 'I'm a princess'.

"This is what their princess looked like?" Your hands moved to feel the headpiece you adorned. "I mean, I'm pretty but damn, she's ethereal." 

It was then that you noticed two sharp bits poking out on either side of your head. With furrowed brows, you tried to tug on them.

"Ow!"

Your hair parted to allow you full view of the sharp things sticking out of you. 

Were those... elf ears?

"What the fuck..?" 

You had to get the fuck out of here.

You tugged on the doors, eyes narrowing once you found that they didn't budge a bit. 

You tried once more but to no avail.

"Ugh!" 

Angered, you slammed your whole body into it.

Yeah... needless to say, that wasn't a good idea.

"Your highness!"

"My lady!"

"The princess!"

in an instant, the guards stood by your doors rushed to your aid. This would have flattered you on any other occasion but, the fact that there was about ten of them, was incredibly overwhelming to say the least.

"I'm fine! Stop it!" Your words caused them to immediately retrace their steps, although their concerned faces did not let up. "Where is that stupi-?"

"Ah! My lovely turtle dove!" Red floating lines(?) lifted you up carefully bringing you to the King's arms as he gave you a once over in concern for the second time that day. "Are you okay? What happened?" His eyes then narrowed at the guards. "How could you have let harm come her way?! I should have you executed!"

"Woah! Hold up! No need to kill people. The fuck kinda messed up mindset is that?" You tried to pull away but those dumb red lines kept you in place. "Also- the fuck is this?"

"It's part of my power, dear. That isn't important though. What is important is that I have just the thing to cheer you up!" He whisked you away, ignoring all your protests in favour of happily humming while patting your head as though you were a baby.

"Wow, I haven't seen his majesty this happy since forever."

"Even with the late princess, he wasn't so eccentric."

"I think he's just excited to have her back, give or take a couple of days and he will have mellowed out."

"Does he not love her more than anything though?"

"Mellowed out does not mean he will not spoil her rotten. It just means he will not be so loud."

Hearing the whispers of the servants only made you more sure of the fucked up scenario you had landed yourself in.

.

.

.

When you were finally placed down by the king, you were in front of a new set of double doors - this one, however, led not to a room, but to the outside. Or well, a caged outside.

"Go on. I swear to you that you will love it." He smiled eagerly.

For some reason, you didn't believe him.

However, you obeyed regardless, seeing no way out of this and having nothing else to do anyway.

You pushed the doors this time, opening them with ease.

What greeted you... was a very large garden. And by very large; you mean very large. This place was huge, the plants were ten times bigger than the tallest tree you had ever seen.

Like, holy shit, is this what princess-you was spoiled with her whole life? Damn.

The feeling of two hands placed on your shoulder was accompanied by a light shove, ushering you out into the sunlight.

You stepped out, skin immediately becoming privy to the warmth of the sun's rays shining down on you. Unlike in your world, these rays weren't uncomfortable in the slightest. They didn't make you wish to live in front of a million fans at once, instead making you want to bask in them for... well, a very long time.

"Wow... this is..." You paused, still in complete awe. "...beautiful."

"Wait until you reunite with your bestfriend."

"Bestfrie-?"

You were abruptly cut off when the ground disappeared underneath you and your legs were suddenly hanging in mid-air.

"WHAT THE FUUU-?!" Wind flowed around you like razors and the large world you lived in suddenly seemed smaller.

Holy shit. You were flying.

You were actually flying!

Your head tilted down, your vision meeting with scales of black, glowing in a shade of blue unlike anything you had ever seen before. You slowly trailed the scales, head tilting further and further up until...

"GAH!" It was a dragon! A real life dragon!

In your surprise, you slid right off.

The terror you once felt from seeing the dragon, now shifted into fear for your life. 

You fell through the wind, slicing right through the air particles like they were nothing, nearing the ground little by little, surrounded by air and yet... being unable to breathe.

It was a weird experience- falling to your death. Certainly wouldn't recommend.

You expected it to be brought to an abrupt end; and it did.

Though not by the ground.

Instead... by the dragon itself.

A sharp attempt at an inhale failed miserably, causing you to start to cough while rested on the back of the dragon; the beast tilting its head back to look at you in concern as a result. 

"I'm fine." You reassured it. "I'm fi-" a cough, "-ine."

It was then that the beast decided to return to the ground, probably way too concerned for you to keep going.

"Well?" The king looked at you with excitement in his gaze. "What do you think?"

"Uhhh..." Your gaze casted to the side. "I don't know what to say..."

You felt very awkward, to say the least. The feeling of both the beast's eyes and your 'father's' eyes overwhelming you.

"We don't really... have uh... dragons in my world." Your hand reached to the back of your neck, finding refuge there from all the pressure to respond.

"Oh? I suppose you don't keep companions by your side then." The man nodded in understanding. "Very well then, if you do not wish to keep him, I can send him off into the wild."

Immediately, the ears of the creature sank, it's expression shifting into one of dismay that had your heart clenching.

"Uh! I didn't say I didn't like him!" The creature's ears lifted up once more, its expression instantly lighting up. "I just... meant that I wasn't used to him is all."

"So you wish to keep him?"

With one last glance the creature's way, you let out a sigh of resignation. "Yeah, sure, I'll keep him."

A roar of delight left the mouth of the dragon, his tail reaching out to wrap around your waist and pull you towards him, stopping only when you were snuggled against his body.

Your 'father' smiled after the interaction. "Would you like to rename him?"

"What's his name right now?"

"Sir Reemus Cutey-bunny McFluffins The Third."

.   .   .

"HUH?!"

Hello and welcome to the first book I haven't pre-written (I have like 15 drafts yet to publish lmao). Sorry if you didn't like what I did with the Reader's appearance. I didn't touch (and will never touch) the Reader's hair colour, eye colour and skin tone. I only made slight changes to the ears, texture of the skin, and hair length in order to establish clear differences between the real world Reader and the deceased princess Reader. It's all to show the fantasy feel of the new world that the real world Reader was dragged into. The idea of Reader being kidnapped and taken to a fantasy world was brought to me very suddenly during a shopping trip a while ago so I just had to write it down lmao. That's all, enjoy.

DISCLAIMER! I do not condone any sort of Yandere behaviour,  it's toxic and incredibly wrong. If you, or anyone you know, exhibit(s) this sort of behaviour - please contact a professional for help.

Next Part

Masterlist

[irlcaosdemon]

I'm not a fashion expert nor costume designer but I can't help (pointlessly) daydreaming over potential styles they could give Penelope in S3. Naturally I have a lot though on what I expect to see and what I hope to see from her glow-up in S3, mainly from a storytelling pov.

Bridgerton itself has a certain look to its design that isn't the most historically accurate, especially given their intricate embroidery and patterns. No better example of this would be the Featheringtons of course, since while gaudier their choices are more obviously modern. Because of this though, I want to see Penelope's dresses in S3 to be as different from her mother's style as possible-- not just without yellow. I'm sure they will change her style dramatically, but there's a lot of ways they could do that. Since she is a fairly "modern" character, I imagine that will be reflected in her style especially by the end of the season. However, in the earlier half of the season at least, my main hope is for them to revert to more historically accurate silhouettes and fabrics. Specifically given Penelope's Greek name and the Greek/odyssey references specific to her and Colin's relationship, I want them to give Penelope a more neoclassical look which is quintessentially regency.

Penelope's green dress in S2 is a clue for the 3rd season on its own, but besides the color the style is more simple with only detail at the neckline and near the hem, which are aspects that help distinguish her from her family's style. The style and shade of it though are nowhere near her endgame style I think. I wish I knew more about fabric and fashion in general, because I cannot adequately put into words how much I don't like a particular aspect of the costume choices in S2, but I'm glad the designer from S1 will be coming back for S3.

My favorite Penelope dresses in S1 were the much more flowy, pink dresses: one she wore dancing with Colin and the other was their conversation in the hallway about Marina. They suit her figure well. Perhaps they were trying to make her seem slightly more grown up by giving her certain dresses in S2, but they can achieve that by ditching the flowers and color palate alone. We are no doubt stuck with the unflattering empire waistline, unfortunately, but what would suit Nicola best I think is to have looser fabric that is also form fitting (Portia does and to a historically inaccurate degree!) Ideally, I love when their dresses have the main fabric overlaid with a more detailed transparent one (tulle? idk). As form fitting near the natural waist and bust would be a must though I think - her S2 pink dress which Colin never got to see (!) is case in point. Though there's still room for improvement.

S2 was still just not it for Penelope and hopefully on purpose.

Just to pick an example, Edwina's dress fabric and silhouette particularly in the way it gathers at the hem (if I'm even describing it right) is similar to many styles Daphne wore in S1. The dress on the right is everything I don't like about a lot of Penelope's S2 dresses. It just looks stiff and the A-line is so pronounced...I can't stand it. This is the #1 thing I want S3 to fix for me.

The bust is another aspect I guess, but S2 was already a big improvement. Edwina has a bigger bust than Kate or Daphne have, but they styled her right to fit her and accentuate. I once watched a video of an historian (iirc) critiquing S1 dresses for not appropriately fitting the bust, but none were as bad as Pen's dress. However, this is 100% intentional at least for Penelope because her dresses do not fit her literally and figuratively. The empire waistline should come up to just below the bust to accentuate it, whereas Pen's dresses often cut her mid-bust which looks terrible. The yellow dress at the end of S1 is the worst offender. Otherwise it seems like they push her boobs up a ridiculous amount to fit the dress to achieve the "look". I'm hoping S3 will be willing to break rules where needed. Though like I said S2 was a big improvement, but Pen's dress at the end of S2 is yet another offender IMO:

Besides the color, the fabric and gold detailing are wins but the structure of it...the waistline...is a crime. Hopefully, it will be the last time.

For Season 3, a lot will depend on how and when Penelope earns her style independence from her mother. They could make it a plot point early on, but my hope is that it happens off screen. In the books, it happens over time as Penelope is gradually put on the shelf at 28. Timeline for the show makes that unrealistic, but S2 already gave us a Portia who openly thinks Penelope has no marriage prospects. So, I can see her putting all her eggs into the get Prudence married basket more than ever given her failed attempt in S2. If she starts seeing Penelope as even more of a lost cause and Pen puts her foot down about picking out her own clothes, then Portia might not put up a fight.

I would much prefer this approach so that the season will have enough time for Penelope's true style to evolve. She shouldn't just wear whatever is the opposite to her family, nor more Bridgerton family style dresses, but she'll need to grow into her own style as she gains her ideal freedom.

Re: color, there's so much they could do to evolve that, but I hope they don't jump straight into the blues and greens. Penelope's best looks and more personal style (as far as she could get away with) in S2 seemed to be muter tones and pinks. I would love to see her start the season wearing purple - not lilac, though I wouldn't complain if it was. She will be in a "darker" place emotionally so I would love to see her wearing darker hues which would suit her better. Additionally, the more bold the color, the more she would stand out. The bright colors she has to wear try to do this, but fail because the colors don't suit her and wash her out. Colin might be in the earlier stages of first love/infatuation, but Penelope has matured into it and is likely resigning herself to it being unrequited therefore I would like to see her wearing a traditional or darker shade of purple.

Most importantly, purple is on the opposite side of the color wheel to yellow, hence it is the perfect contrast.

The Lady Whistledown reveal at the end of S1 put her in a gorgeous purple cloak:

That was a moment. I want more.

In my opinion, as Pen leans into Lady Whistledown and starts to show off that side of her personality, her wardrobe should reflect that when possible.

I can't but imagine Megara from Hercules now but redheaded lmao. Whatever the regency era version of Meg is...I want that moment.

Alternatively, they could start her out with more gold and white as a debut 2.0. Penelope looked amazing in her debut dress imo. Additionally, the stars imagery from S2 if incorporated into 3 could be useful visual storytelling. Pen's sisters wore beautiful dresses in S2E1, but hers was of course a brighter, yellower color which was noticeably different.

After all the above, I am sure they will work in more blues and greens. I just would love some purple and above all, she has to get more consistently fitting and accentuating dress at all cost. Not to mention better wigs. I think I have even stronger opinions on the wigs, but that's its own post.

[somewhatgreatexpectations]

Walk Away (Wanda Maximoff/ Reader)

Hello!

Double Lizzie! All I will say is be prepared for chaos. Enjoy! :)

Summary: How will Y/n handle developing feelings for Wanda and an intricate history with Leigh? Will it all boil over on their birthday?

It was a mistake. It had to be. That’s the only way you could rationalize the invitation glaring obnoxiously back at you from the screen of your laptop. You pinched the bridge of your nose to ease the tension that had built from being in the situation.

As much as you wished you didn’t, you couldn’t help but feel the familiar sensation of irritation that began to crawl under your skin. It seemed that no matter how many times you played this game, you were always the one at the disadvantage.

Again, and again, and again.

The routine of her pushing you away and pulling you close was familiar, but you expected things to be different this time around. That was your own fault. You were foolish to think that anything would change.

The cycle would never end because you would never have the strength to break it.

Figuring there was nothing to lose, you pulled out your phone and dialed the number you had memorized years ago. It wasn’t like you expect her to answer anyway. She hadn’t since your night together and you were quite comfortable with her voicemail at this point.

“Hello?” The surprise of Leigh actually answering caused you to choke slightly. In an attempt to breathe through the fit, you began coughing. “If you’re choking you should’ve called 911, not me.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

You adored the woman, but nothing would’ve given you more satisfaction than to be able to flip her off in that moment.

With a final cough you rushed out a reply. There was no point in beating around the bush with formalities. She might hang up before you got to the point. “Was it a mistake?” The words clumsily tumbled from your lips without allowing your mind time to process how they may sound.

“Are you seriously-”

“The invitation to your party.” You clarified over the sound of Leigh’s response.

There was a brief pause. “Oh. That.” You furrowed your brows. “No, it wasn’t. You should come. I mean, if you want to come. I know it’s last minute.”

If Leigh wasn’t infamous for her brutal honesty you would have thought that was the opposite of what she wanted. “I’ll be there. I think it’s only fair since I missed your last one.”

Her last birthday must have been much harder than this one and the guilt that you left her alone for it still weighed heavily on your conscious.

An awkward silence hung tensely in the air. “Right. Well... See you then. Bye.”

“By-” A small frown tugged at the corners of your lips when the dial tone interrupted your parting. “Of course.” Leigh was always an enigma but lately you had been getting whiplash from the uncertainty of it all.

You couldn’t help but feel like you always seemed to lose a piece of yourself to her whenever you spoke.

There was one person who's conversations didn't come wrapped in barbed wire. One person who stole all your words away in the best way possible. Just the thought of her eased the tension that pressed heavily against your chest.

It was as if she knew you were thinking of her because your phone began ringing almost immediately after thoughts of her began to float through your mind. You couldn’t help but smile that appeared when you saw her name flash across your screen.

Your spirits had been lifted before you even heard her voice. “Hey, I was just thinking about you.”

A quiet hum drifted over the line and you could see her soft smile so vividly in your mind that it was almost as if she was there with you. “Is that so?” You hummed in response. “And what exactly was it that you were thinking about?”

Absentmindedly you began fiddling with a pen that was on your desk. “Oh, just that I kind of miss you, Maximoff.”

The sound of her laughter made butterflies erupt in your stomach. “Only kind of? Guess I should ask them to extend my time over here until you fully miss me.”

You gasped in mock indignation. “Don’t you dare.”

“I kind of miss you too, Y/n.” She said softly, and the butterflies multiplied. “I was actually calling for a different reason though.”

Again, you gasped in mock indignation. “So, you mean to tell me you didn’t call just because you couldn’t bear to go another minute without hearing my voice?”

The laughter that floated down the line was even more boisterous than before which caused your own smile to grow. “That and I have a question.”

“I might have an answer.” You replied easily.

You could hear the sounds from where she was become louder, but she didn’t seem fazed by it. “Are you going to Leigh’s party tomorrow?”

The pen slipped from your grip. “Technically your party as well. Tomorrow is your birthday too.”

“Parties aren’t really my thing. It’s Leigh’s party.” There was a shyness to her words that you found so endearing. “You didn’t answer my question.”

You picked the pen up again. “I’ll be there. I wouldn't miss it. I wasn't around for her birthday last year and it was after she lost-” you stopped yourself, not sure of how much Wanda knew about Leigh’s life yet.

“Her husband.” Wanda finished quietly. You nodded even though you knew she couldn’t see it. “Why weren't you there last year?”

On reflex your fingers formed a fist around the pen. “It’s a long story. A story for when you’re not who knows where.”

You dreaded the day you’d have to explain the complicated web of history that you shared with Leigh. The thought alone filled your body with anxiety.

It was as though Wanda could sense your discomfort, as she changed the subject. “I’m pretty sure I told you where I was.”

“I’m positive you didn’t. Keeping up the mystery.” You teased lightly. “Will you be back in town in time for the party?” The obvious hope that slipped into your words made you bite back a groan. You hoped she didn’t think you were desperate as you sounded.

There was a bit more commotion coming from Wanda’s end. “I actually should be touching down right before Leigh’s party begins. I wasn’t sure if I should go or not.”

“You have to go. Please. Then I can give you your present on your actual birthday.”

For a moment there was silence. “You got me a present?” She asked quietly.

Again, you nodded even though she couldn’t see. “Of course I did. You’re- I- We’re friends.” You stuttered out nervously even though friends was the last thing you wanted to be with Wanda.

“Oh.” She mumbled and suddenly the commotion became even louder. “Hey, Y/n, I have to go, but I’ll be there. I can’t wait to see you.”

A small blush spread across your cheeks. “I can’t wait to see you either, Wanda. Safe travels.”

Maybe tomorrow wouldn’t be as bad as you thought it was going to be.

_______________

From the sound of it, the party was in full swing and you couldn’t help but feel nerves build in your chest as you knocked hesitantly on the door. “Y/n!” Jules greeted happily as she ushered you into the home.

“Hi, Jules.” You mumbled, still feeling the residual embarrassment from the last time you saw her.

She nudged you playfully. “If you plan on sneaking out tonight after your extracurriculars with my sister, just make sure you plan ahead.”

You shifted uncomfortably. “That’s no-” But she had walked away before you could finish your sentence. Looks like that ran in the Shaw family.

With a sigh, you ambled out into the backyard where it seemed everyone was gathered. You didn’t see a point in lingering inside when the memory of the last time you’d been there was still so fresh in your mind.

It only took a moment, but you finally found Leigh by one of the tables speaking animatedly to one of her friends. Your heart dropped at the sight of her in that black dress. You almost wanted to turn around and leave rather than run the risk of saying something you know you shouldn’t.

When she looked like that you knew you probably would.

The opportunity disappeared when she looked up and met your eyes across the yard. You took a steadying breath and made your way over to her, listening to her excuse herself from the other person. “Hey. You look lovely.” You said with a small smile, hoping that even if it was just for a night, everything would be okay.

The storm in her eyes seemed more subdued. Maybe you’d be able to stay afloat. “Thank you, Y/n. You look… nice as well.” The small smile and compliment she returned nearly sent you into shock.

“Happy birthday.” You offered her the wrapped package timidly. You ignored the small tingles that arose on your skin from where her fingers brushed.

The intricate design on the front of the gift appeared as Leigh slowly tore away the wrapping paper. “Is this what I think it is?” She asked quietly as she turned the book over in her hands.

You nervously rubbed your forehead. “It’s okay if you don’t like it. I just figured since In Time of Daffodils is your favorite poem, it’d be nice to have a first edition. Which, thinking back now, was kind of ridiculous since I’m sure you have a copy already and-”

Your rambling was brought to an abrupt halt when you felt Leigh’s arms wrap around your waist as she pulled you into a gentle embrace.

Despite everything in your mind telling you to leave, you couldn’t help but melt into her as your hands hovered tentatively over her waist. “Y/n. I love it. This might be one of the most thoughtful gifts anyone’s ever given me. I can't believe you remembered my favorite poem.”

The smile on your face was inevitable when she spoke to you like that. "Of course I remember." You mumbled softly. When she stayed in your arms, you allowed your hands rested lightly over the middle of her back.

You could feel your heartbeat racing in your chest when you felt her arms tighten around you.

“Hey, lovebirds. Break it up. You’re not in Leigh’s room yet.” Jules joked in passing as she made her way over to the snack table.

As if coming to her senses, Leigh abruptly stepped back and tossed the book on the table like it had burned her. The storm in her eyes was back in full force. You mentally cursed Jules. “I’m going to go mingle. Enjoy the party, Y/n.” Before you could say anything, she had rushed off.

All you could do was breathe out a heavy sigh as you rubbed a hand down your face. You looked around the party and recognized a few acquaintances, but no one you could actually talk to. They were all Leigh’s friends. Jules was your only other friend there, but you didn’t think you could handle the teasing.

With nothing else to do, you picked up the book Leigh had carelessly thrown aside and began reading. You just needed to pass the time until Wanda arrived.

You were lost in one of the poems in the book when you heard the volume of the white noise around you shift, almost like everyone began talking all at once. You decided to ignore it.

“Hi.” You heard a quiet voice say by your side.

That voice. The one that had begun to infiltrate your dreams. Your head shot up as your eyes met the sparkling emeralds before you. “Wanda.” You breathed out happily as you gently placed the book to the side.

She’s a dream that keeps coming back and I don’t think I ever want to wake up. You thought to yourself dazedly.

The corners of Wanda’s lips turned up in a genuine smile. A subtle hitch of her breath caught your attention. “Y/n.” Before you could even process what you were doing, you leaped in her arms. The sound of her surprised laughter filled the air around you as her arms pulled you closer.

“Happy birthday. I missed you.” You said into her shoulder, allowing yourself to relish in her touch.

In response Wanda buried her face in the crook of your neck, her lips lightly brushing your skin as she spoke. “I missed you too.” The warmth of her breath fanning across your skin sent a shiver down your spine.

I think this is happiness. Was the only thought in your mind as you remained wrapped in her embrace. You could feel Wanda shiver as her arms tightened around you.

Eventually Wanda pulled away and you couldn’t help but feel a sense of emptiness. “You look beautiful.” You said sincerely, allowing your thoughts to escape the confines of your mind for once.

Wanda ducked her head bashfully. “Thank you. You look quite beautiful yourself.” Your cheeks burned with her words.

Reaching into your jacket pocket you pulled out a small, neatly wrapped box. “When I saw this, I couldn’t help but think of you.” You explained as you bashfully offered her the box which she shyly accepted.

You watched with bated breath as she opened the box and pulled out the dainty necklace with a small crescent moon attached to the chain. “It reminded me of the night we spent at your spot. When we looked at the stars.” You added after a moment of silence, feeling your nerves build the longer she went without saying a word.

“Y/n. It’s beautiful. I love it.” Wanda finally said as gaze shifted to meet yours. There were constellations in her eyes. Your heart thudded heavily against your chest at the sight. “Can you help me put it on?”

Wordlessly you took the necklace from her hand and moved to stand behind her. Your breath became heavy when she pushed her hair to the side. You clasped the necklace and quickly moved to stand in front of her again. “Beautiful.” She blushed.

The rest of the night was much easier to get through with Wanda by your side and the hours passed by in a blur. “So, what exactly is it you do?” You asked with a quirked brow. “I mean, I know you get sent crazy places, but you always avoid saying what you do exactly.”

Wanda shifted uncomfortably at the question which you didn’t understand. “Oh. I do humanitarian work.” She began to play with her fingers which you now knew was a nervous habit. “With a really obscure company.”

You could sense that she was desperate for you to drop the subject, you just didn’t understand why. “Okay, Wanda.” You couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed that she didn’t want to tell you whatever it was she was hiding.

There was a brief moment of silence. “You know, I hadn’t acknowledged my birthday since I lost Pietro. I expected this night to be so hard.” Wanda admitted suddenly, her eyes clouding over.

You took her hand in yours. “We celebrate him today too, Wanda. Even if he’s not here with you now. He’s here.” You pointed to the center of her chest with your free hand, “And here.” Your pointer finger lightly tapped her temple. “And he always will be.”

A shaky breath escaped her lips and your heart hurt for the woman before you. “I know. I miss him. Everyday. Especially on days like today.” You squeezed her hand lightly in comfort. “But being here with you made today a little easier.”

“I know there’s nothing I could say that could ever fix the hurt, but I’m here for you.” You told her quietly. “You deserve the world, Wanda.”

A small smile formed on her lips, “Thank you. Hopefully we’ll see it together.” Wanda’s eyes widened slightly as if she wasn’t meant to say that out loud. You heart fluttered.

Almost immediately she ducked her head, her hair falling gracefully in her face. You reached a hand out to gently brush away a piece of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes.

Your hand lingered as your thumb lightly caressed her jaw. Wanda leaned into the touch, her eyes fluttering.

What I wouldn’t give to be able to kiss her. How can I be just friends with someone who I want to kiss? You thought to yourself as you became lost in her eyes. Wanda’s cheeks flushed as she raised her hand to rest over yours.

Her lips parted slightly, and your eyes were almost immediately drawn to the action. Your breathing became more ragged as you fought against every instinct to stop yourself from leaning in and feeling her soft lips against your own.

Am I dreaming or is she leaning in? You wondered in disbelief.

“Alright, sis! Time to sing happy birthday!” Leigh interrupted with a clap of her hands. Both you and Wanda sprung apart, matching blushes on each of your cheeks.

Your brow furrowed at the overdramatic smile on Leigh’s face. It was obviously fake and being fake was so out of character for her. “Looks like the spotlight is calling, birthday girl.” You whispered in Wanda’s ear with a playful smile.

A quiet laugh fell from her lips as she met your eyes. “Looks like it.” She bit her lip shyly. “To be continued?”

Your body vibrated with excitement. “To be continued.” You promised.

Leigh took Wanda by the hand and dragged her away just as she opened her mouth to respond. You could see Leigh’s jaw was clenched from where you stood.

A moment later everyone in the yard was singing to the two women and you couldn’t, for the life of you, tear your eyes away from Wanda and the way she shifted uncomfortably under the all attention she was receiving.

When her eyes met yours, her shoulders visibly relaxed and you played up the way you were singing in hopes of easing her discomfort. The smile that overcame her features made making a fool of yourself in front of all of Leigh’s snobby friends more than worth it.

As you were making your way over to Wanda after the cake had been distributed, you saw Leigh storms off out of the corner of your eye. You worriedly watched her disappear into the house.

“Hey, do you mind if I go check on Leigh? She looked upset.” You asked Wanda when you were finally stood in front of her.

Wanda shook her head with a small smile. “Not at all. I’ll go talk to Jules while I wait.”

You easily returned her smile. “I’ll be back.” You assured her as you turned to head inside, following the path you had seen just seen Leigh take.

When you walked into the kitchen you saw Leigh slam a bowl into the sink, the glass shattering on impact. Your eyes widened in concern. “Leigh!” Instead of answering, she took a plate and threw it into the sink as well, the shattered pieces mingling with the fragments of the bowl. You rushed over to her as she picked up another plate. “Leigh, stop.” You took her hands and gently pulled her away from the sink.

Her breathing was shallow, and her jaw remained clenched angrily, but no words left her lips. “Look, I know today is hard for you.” You began cautiously.

Leigh ripped her hands away from yours. “You don’t know anything.”

“Let me help.” The words bordered on pleading as you could see that all her defenses were up.

“I don’t need your help. You can’t do anything for me.”

Going against your better judgement, you continued. “I know you’re suffering, Leigh, and I know that you feel suffering is all you are but you’re more than that-”

Her words were so faint you could barely hear them. “Stop.”

“It can be a part of who you are, but don’t let the pain push away the people who care about you.”

“STOP!”

You recoiled in surprise, taking an involuntary step back. “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to help.”

Leigh pushed a frustrated hand through her hair. “Well you’re not helping! Stop trying to fix me!”

“I’m not trying to fix you, Leigh.” You insisted as you took a cautious step forward.

“You are though!” Her eyes were wide with fury.

The last thing you wanted was to make her feel like she needed to be fixed. You just wanted to help ease her pain. “I really wasn’t, Leigh. I was worried, and I wanted to see if there was something I could do to-”

“You’re pathetic! I just use you and you keep coming back.” A dark chuckle fell from her lips. You flinched. “I’m not yours! I was never yours and I will never be yours! I’m never going to want you back so just stop!”

There was a heavy silence in the air as Leigh’s chest heaved from the force of her words. It was a low blow and she knew it. You’ve had plenty of experience being burned by Leigh’s words, but this time felt different though. It was final. She finally said how she truly felt. You were done avoiding that.

You schooled your features and nodded slightly. “Okay. I’m sorry. Have a good rest of your night, Leigh. Happy birthday.”

Leigh was a hurricane, what more did you expect than to be caught in the downpour?

“Y/n-” You left before she could say another word, so you didn’t see the way her face dropped as tears welled in her eyes.

If Wanda wasn’t still there you would have left and never looked back, but you knew you couldn’t leave her without an explanation. In a useless attempt to gather your emotions, you paused before entering the backyard and took a deep breath, clearing your mind.

The sight of Wanda’s smile brought you a small sense of peace, but it couldn’t take away from the fact that your precariously healed wounds had been ripped open. Ashes within yourself had been set ablaze in anguish once again. You needed to tend to the flames on your own.

“Hey.” You softly called, your hand on her elbow. She turned from Jules who quietly excused herself. “I'm sorry, but I have to go. I’m not feeling well.”

Wanda’s brows furrowed, and her eyes filled with worry. You mentally cursed yourself because you knew she didn’t buy it. “Are you okay?”

You nodded in hopes of reassuring her, your lips quirking up halfheartedly. “I really am not feeling well.” Which wasn’t entirely a lie. “Do you maybe want to do something this week though?”

The worry never faded from her eyes as she nodded faintly. “That sounds great, Y/n.”

“Perfect. I’ll call you. Happy birthday, Wanda. I hope it was a good one.” You leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, smiling slightly at the blush that was left in your wake.

Wanda began fidgeting with her fingers. “It was. Bye, Y/n.” She said shyly as you walked away. When you had disappeared out of view, Wanda turned to face the house. If something had happened with you, she figured she should check on Leigh. She was her sister after all.

When Wanda entered the kitchen, she found Leigh leaning against the counter, her face buried in her hands. Wanda knocked lightly on the wall to get her attention. “Hey, Leigh. Are you okay?’

Leigh’s head shot up, her posture relaxing slightly when she saw it was Wanda. “Why? What did Y/n say?”

Wanda blinked in surprise. “Nothing. I just wanted to check on you.”

A smile that didn’t reach her eyes formed on Leigh’s face. “Right. Well, I’m fine.”

“Okay, I just wanted to check.” Wanda eyed Leigh skeptically but didn’t push. “I think I’m going to head home, it’s been a long day. Thank you for inviting me. I had fun.” Leigh just nodded as Wanda began to exit the kitchen.

“Hey, Wanda?” Leigh called. Wanda stopped and turned to face Leigh, her eyebrows raised in question. “Look, we’re sisters now, right?”

Hesitantly Wanda nodded, unsure of where Leigh was going with her words. “Yes…”

Leigh shifted slightly. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Of course. What is it?” Wanda worriedly walked over to the other side of the counter, so she was face to face with Leigh.

There was a brief moment of silence before Leigh met Wanda’s eyes again. “I need you to stay away from Y/n.”

The surprise of the statement made Wanda laugh. Her laughter quickly faded away when she realized Leigh wasn’t joking. “You can’t be serious.”

Leigh rubbed at her temple, avoiding her twin's gaze. “I am. I need you to stay away from Y/n.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that.” Wanda eventually replied, her head tilted slightly. Leigh’s eyes hardened when she met Wanda's determined stare.

And we have concluded part 3! Chaos has ensued. Thank you all so much for all the positive feedback this story has been getting! I hope you all enjoy this part just as much. Are we team Leigh or team Wanda? I would love to read your thoughts!

As always thoughts and comments always welcome. :)

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[quarthly]

Twilight characters as random animals that I think are oddly fitting

(Also yes, I am roasting the animals as well)

Edward: He would be a Cheetah. Now I know, seems like a cop out just because of his speed but hear me out. Cheetahs are, at face value, pretty cool. They used to be my favorite animal as a child, but then I grew up.

Cheetahs, through no fault of their own, are severely inbred. Now thats mainly because of poaching, but the cheetas anxiety also comes into play. In captivity, cheetahs are usually given emotional support dogs. I will admit it is cute but it negatively affects the population. Excluding one in the wild, cheetas can be to anxious to breed and thats not good for conservation efforts.

Cheetahs can hit up to 80 miles per hour in a couple of seconds. They are designed for fast running and agility. Their claws are similar to that of a dogs for better traction and they have elongated spines for longer strides. They have a thin build, long legs and a long tail for balance.

This has downsides though. Many times after making a kill, it will get stolen for them by larger predators. Thats right, they get absolutely bodied by the other animals. I should probably make these shorter but I'm on a rant now, so I guess this will be semi educational.

Throughout the series, we see Edward over estimated his abilities and value, constantly getting bodied by others. He's essentially a perfect mormon, though thats on S'meyers. He constantly judges others, dehumanizing them to their baser flaws, without doing any self reflecting. Him viewing himself as a monster doesn't really count to me. While he definitely hates himself, the only thing he is truly demonizing is being a vampire.

Bella: Picking up from Edwards, Bella is a Chocolate Labrador. Yes, she is his therapy dog. I feel like this is really fitting for her. I know Golden retriever would make more sense, as thats the most common breed for service animals. However, I kind of focused on her appearance. Only at first though! I just know that Edward raved about her human qualities and that would pass over as animals as well. Her chocolate eyes and brown fur, very average and boring. Thats essentially Bella. Even Edward wasn't into her until he got a wiff. Labradors a very loyal dogs and while they have more personality than Bella, I just couldn't shake it. Their also very stupid. Ok that's kind of mean, they're not stupid but when it comes to love, then yeah they are stupid.

I used to have a lab, loved him to death, but god he was something else. Very much danger prone, from their own stupidity or their lack of survival instincts. I know that labs are almost aquatic. They love water, swimming, all that jazz. We can just say that bella has a few screws loose in her dna and is just "not like other labs."

Rosalie: Now she was hard. There are quite a few animals that I think would fit for her. I'll list the other ones, but that one I went with is the Swan. Like Edward, seems a little on the nose, but I have my reasoning.

I was going to pick a predator for her, as she is shown to be very vengeful and viscous. I would have pick some type of cat, most likely a purebred, from a rich family. It could still work, but the swan just speaks to me on this one.

Swan's are known for being beautiful, graceful, and are pictured as the symbol of love. They are also very vain. Edward constantly brings up Rosalies vanity. She was constantly valued for her beauty as a human, so of course that crossed over in the transformation. She was raised to be married into wealth, she was used as a bargaining chip to increase the family's standing.

Rose has a very strong character and makes her opinions known. She's assertive and aggressive at times. She's not afraid to get dirty.

Swans mate for life and like geese, are known for being great parents. I was also going to choose geese as an option for the maternal instincts. I was wary at first because swans can be really aggressive. Like actually, you think geece are bad? Yikes bestie...

I was conflicted because swans are known for drowning dogs and sometimes people. However, I can actually see Rose drowning Bella. It's not that unbelievable lmao.

Emmett: Now this one is just ironic. I only associate him with bears. Its inevitable, but picking a Grizzly or Black bear is too obvious. So I went a slightly different route...

So I was going to pick the Sun bear just because of looks alone. Like, I'm not exaggerating, it looks like someone wearing a bear costume. I don't think it fits him but I know for a fact that he would dress up as a sun bear and sneak into a zoo to see if anyone would notice. I'll put a pic of it here

Like look at this thing. I have no words...

Anyway, what I picked was a Sloth Bear. Now Sloth bears are mostly nocturnal, which either way works consider vamps don't sleep. Their diet is also odd but honestly so is the cullens. They're native to the Indian subcontinent, and are known for being aggressive towards humans. Its said that for the most part they're pretty calm, so I think its just fear of humans that make them act aggressively. Honestly, that's a good thing because they are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red list.

They have some similarities with sloths, which is where they get the name. They have long claws and unusual teeth. They are known to hang upside down from tree branches, and is described as having a messy appearance. Honestly, Emmitt has a messy personality. Sorry bestie but you're a lot of work.

Now heres the biggest reason for choosing this bear. Aside from Baloo from the jungle book being a sloth bear, they are known to run fades with Tigers. Honestly, how fucking badass is that!? Now I don't think there are recorded instances of a Sloth bear killing a Tiger, but when push comes to shove, they can hold their own and I find that incredibly impressive.

Carlisle: This one was somehow the easiest as well as the toughest. I know Owl seems like the obvious choice, and I can see it. However, I believe Carlisle values emotional intelligence as much or if not more than academic intelligence. He is so charismatic and values other's above himself. He might not be as Saint like as Edward thinks, but he does try and I think he genuinely cares about others. For that reason alone, I choose a Elephant.

Elephant's are very social animals and are extremely intelligent. I could rave about them for ages, I love them so much.

Now elephants live in a familial unit and are usually matriarchal. Bulls usually are on the outer edges of the herd or form little groups with other males. Honestly, they're not that bad aside from when their in musk.

In the group of males, the elder ones will teach the younger where to get the best food, water, how to use things as tools, and every other thing that will increase their odds of survival. This is really cute to me tbh, they do this because the females usually choose the older males because they've proved that they are intelligent and strong, that they have survived and will continue to for awhile. Teaching the younger males these things are to make the odds of them getting chosen to mate more likely. The whole unit just reminds me of a father that has to deal with rowdy teens.

Carlisle likes to take in strays, he might not have a herd but he will make one and teach them to thrive. That's how he envisions it anyway. He just has a found family and is trying his best.

Esme: Now this might seem like an insult, but I promise it's not! This is in no way misogynistic. I love cattle and ever since I took animal science in highschool, I have appreciated these grass puppies like they deserve. Call me Castro because I love cows.

Yup! I chose a Cow for her. Specifically a beef cow. That might sound weird but its because beef cows have higher maternal instinct than dairy cows. I'm thinking Scottish Highland based on vibes alone.

They are nicknamed the Gentle Giants of Scotland. Super maternal and sweet and ugh look how cute they are!

Esme came from a abusive marriage and had just lost her child, she was depressed and desperate. Her changing was, in a way, salvation. She just fits in. She adopts all these strays along with him and will protect them to the death. She might be gentle by nature, but don't fuck with her family. She lost her first one and she isn't going to lose this one.

Alice: She's an odd one. There are so many possibilities and maybe I'm biased, but I feel like she would be a Crow.

Ok listen, I'm definitely biased but it just feels right. Crows get a bad rap, they are so cool! They are so intelligent and have the ability to actually sit and think about the past, prest, and future. I forget what its called, but this was only seem in humans! Maybe other apes, I can't remember exactly, but either way its awesome. They do live in groups, or murders, and remember people and faces. They remember locations and are able to pass down information through generations. They essentially have their own language! They are able to use tools too!

Alice's story is really sad. When we first meets her, it revolves around the death of her mother and her institutionalized. She was essentially tortured and forgot everything from her past. All she had was the future and even that wasn't constant. Crows a often viewed as omens, they are associated with death. I personally believe that instead of being the cause, they just know something is going to happen. They are very inquisitive and can be creative.

If you befriend a murder of crows, sometimes, depends or the group, they will bring gifts. Its can range from food to shiny metals and colorful plastic. Hell, I think I've seen a post of one stealing things from people just to gift it to their human.

Alice's love language is gifts. Even if they are focused around fashion, she still goes out of her way to get something that will look good and at least be a little comfortable. By that I mean she tends to forget peoples comfort zones, but she means well.

Jasper: Honestly not to sure what to put for him. I know a predator would be more fitting, but for some reason I can see a donkey working. I know, seems like I'm clowning on the confederate. Fair, but I'm serious about the donkey thing. Honestly, it would be perfect if it wasn't a herbivore. Porcupine would also work.

Being a predator would make more sense. Given his backstory and his characterization, it wouldn't make sense for him to be a prey animal. Usually I wouldn't count this, but given his gore filled past and trouble with the diet, it seemed fitting.

I see him as a Big Cat. Honestly, vamps in general just give cat vibes. Jasper though especially have some cat like qualities, which originates from hunting and being a soldier.

I specifically see him as a Mountain Lion. Aside from him being blonde, he just has the predatory stealth to him. In midnight sun, we see him use his gift to make the nomads overlook him. He's honestly really powerful.

Mountain lions are known for being stealthy with an air of grace and power to them. They are stong animals. And I mean strong. They can jump 40-45 feet.

They're very elusive and quite. They stalk their prey and tend to attack from behind but don't think they won't hold their ground if need be.

Jasper was changed during the Civil War and forced to fight in the Newborn wars. He was a soldier as a human and as a vampire. He's able to feel and manipulate others emotions. He's covered in scars and is very intimidating.

He still struggles with the diet and honestly I hate how the others handle it. Like they have no room to talk. I don't want to defend the confederate but it just pisses me off. He has to deal with his hunger on top of everyone else's. Like damn, besties always on edge! Everyone doubts him which I don't think helps any.

Also, Mountain lions and Cheetahs can purr!

@aquanova99 I'll do a Volturi one too. That one will be fun lmao

[zzyoma]

Kaede Akamatsu Rework!

So I decided I wanted to redesign/rework like every DRV3 character let's see if I actually do :> For reworks I'm either creating a backstory (since most of the kids have like no history) or really changing things if I find their ingame writing to be problematic. After each design I'll describe why I made the changes I did and then include the rewrite! These character sheets are mainly for me so I can draw the characters I like more comfortably but if you wanna use em go ahead!

Design Details

My style is very simplistic so I simplified a lot! Especially the skirt omg

Very round! Roundness = friendshaped and Kaede is 100% a friend

Slightly brighter colors because I feel like they fit her personality

I felt like she could be more piano-themed so I modified her skirt and hairclips

Gave her sweater vest a simple pattern for extra cuteness

Gave her Mary Janes cuz I thought it was cute

Tie > Bowtie because I like bowties

Short sleeves because, again, I like short sleeves

I suppose if you have any questions just ask!

Story Rework (more like "story addition")

Kaede grew up in a upper-middleclass family with a grand piano passed down from a great grandmother. From a young age she was adept at playing it but quickly became a pro all on her own. Pianos (specifically gran pianos) hold a sentimental place in her heart.

She's an only-child with two very loving and supportive parents. They have always supported her in playing piano and would look out for her when she became so invested in her music that she'd forget to eat. They helped teach her how to be the kind and compassionate person she is. Neither of them are very adept at music but they do their best to keep up with her and will sing along when she plays.

Kaede had never been great at playing outside or prolonged periods of activity. Such events would always make her incredibly tired, out of breath, and dehydrated. Because of this she was drawn to play piano all them time as many other activities tired her out. She found out during a doctor visit that she was anemic the whole time. Taking iron supplements allowed her to be more active but she still wanted to avoid a lot of sports due to her worry that she might injure her fingers, therefore inhibiting her ability to play piano.

Kaede is a sweet and caring person but she's also very stubborn and snaps when angered. She goes out of her way to help others but isn't afraid to tell them what she thinks is wrong with them. She does this in an attempt to help them better themselves but it can be seen as rude. She's also rather headstrong in her ways and will become unintentionally forceful in some situations if she sees only one way of doing something.

Random Tidbits

If Kaede isn't actively doing something with her hands she will gently move her fingers as if playing piano. She never intends to do this and gets very embarrassed if it's pointed out to her.

Kaede has sharp ears, perfect for catching if notes are even a little bit out of tune. However, she's also very good at picking up inflections in voices because of this. This helps with her often oblivious nature.

She's got very specific music tastes and isn't afraid to share them. She prefers instrumental, classical music as she thinks it conveys emotion to a finer degree than modern songs. There are some genres she simply can't stand and she will force you to either put on headphones, shut it off, or change it.

Kaede is very affectionate and loves to show it. She hits hard with meaningful compliments and also loves to hug. Or any form of physical affection, really. Hand holding, headbutting, back pats, you name it. She often forgets to ask others if they're comfortable with that, though, which leads to awkwardness.

Her ahoge is expressive, don't ask questions. So if her bowtie.