#I cheated a little with the colour palettes...just a little!

[chthonianblast]

Hot Shot requests @breeeezybrioche and @millidew !

[authorhjk1]

I got no idea what colour to describe this lol. But Taeyeon is Taeyeon. Hope you can make something out of it. Thanks! KUTGW. 👍🏻

https://kpopping.com/documents/28/4/2000/Taeyeon-for-LEGEND-Magazine-April-2021-Issue-documents-3.jpeg?v=9cf9e

Color Palette

(Kim Taeyeon X Male Reader)

You know that this is wrong. You know you're a bad person for doing this. You know you will be caught.

"Try some of this."

Ms. Kim places a piece of salmon on your plate.

You slowly pick it up. You put it in your mouth. You chew.

The date was her idea. It was her idea to kiss you that night. Her idea to seduce you. And it was her idea to ask you to date her. Your girlfriend's mother. To cheat on your girlfriend with her mother. Her idea.

That's what you tell yourself.

And that's what you keep telling yourself. Even as you take her back home to her place.

Chaewon is on a school trip.

And so, you have a whole weekend.

You don't even make it inside.

Shielded from unwanted eyes by the hedge around the house. You've pinned Ms. Kim against her house's wall. The piece of clothing she is wearing can't be called a dress. But it's not a blazer either. Something in between. And it doesn't hide what is underneath at all.

"That's a good boy."

Ms. Kim's moans echo through the neighborhood. You're fully inside of her, pressing her against the wall. Nailing her into it. There was no reason to remove the dress. And she wasn't wearing panties either.

"Make them hear me, baby."

She whispers into your ear.

You stop your thrusting for a moment. A disappointed sigh leaves her lips. You reach for her foot. Both are still wearing the red heels. Slowly lifting her leg, you watch how Ms. Kim's dress slowly rides up her leg. It exposes more and more of her, until you finally see her pussy. Her foot is resting on your shoulder.

"You make me so wet."

She moans, knowing what comes next.

You push yourself inside of her again.

"Oh, god!"

She cries as you kiss her neck.

As you lean forward and thrust your hips, you push Ms. Kim's leg further towards her own body. You bottom out inside of her. Your noses touching. Your eyes barely an inch apart from each other.

A heavy sigh leaves her lips. As if you're pressing the air out of her body.

Ms. Kim doesn't need to say a word. Her eyes beg you to make her scream.

You slowly unsheathe your cock from her pussy. It drags along her walls, making her shudder. For just a second, only your tip remains inside of her.

Your hips snap forward. Ms. Kim's foot is almost next to her ear.

"Fuuuuck!"

Her loud scream wakes up the neighborhood. From the corner of your eye, you see someone's room light up.

You keep fucking her into the wall.

Her loud moans and cries fill your eardrums. Her wet pussy massages and squeezes your cock. Her nails dig into the shirt on your back.

You lazily thrust into Taeyeon. A weekend of sex has cured you from only calling her Ms. Kim. Her wet pussy has taken more loads than you can count.

Now, she is lying on her side, just like you. The both of you, partially covered by the blanket of her bed, watch the sun rise. It's a beautiful feeling. Being deep inside of Taeyeon. A feeling, you will never forget.

Your thrusts become a little quicker. It earns you a lazy moan. One that shows how sleepy she still is. One that shows you how much she loves this feeling as well.

"Taeyeon."

You mumble her name into her neck.

"Hmmm?"

Her lazy hum makes you sigh in pleasure. The fact that her thighs lie on top of each other makes her pussy just that tiny bit tighter. That pussy that is way better than your girlfriend's.

"I love you."

You said it. It wasn't her idea. She didn't force you to say it. This is all on you.

Taeyeon reaches behind herself, holding onto the back of your head. She slightly turns her head. Both of you look into eqch other's eyes.

"I love you too."

With her last word, you shoot your last load inside Taeyeon.

"I love you so much."

Her whisper makes you shudder.

You know that this is wrong. You know you're a bad person for doing this. You know you will be caught.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Three for One 2

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, cheating, customer service abuse, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: As a customer service associate, you’re used to work with a wide variety of characters. Your efforts to go above and beyond draw the attention of a certain set of customers who want more than what’s on the shelf.

Character: Andy Barber, Lloyd Hansen, Ransom Drysdale

Note: The ho-lidays are the daddies and the baddies.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

Love you all. Take care. 💖

You bob around to the tinkling of carols as they waft over the store. Unlike your coworkers, you enjoy the repetitive tunes. They are so fun and bright and help the time pass between customers and stocking. Not that there isn't more than enough to keep you busy.

In the rare moment where you aren't distracted, you let yourself browse the colourful lipsticks and shining perfume bottles all around. You don't have anyone to shop for, not even yourself. You have your dollar store glosses and discount nail polishes. You don't see the need to spend too much on those things. Or maybe you just prefer what you know. Simple and cheap.

Around lunchtime, traffic really picks up. Several customers ignore your approach and brush by you before you can entice them into buying some Chanel. You've already hit your sales targets but you never really think of numbers.

A woman stops you and asks for a very specific palette. You know just the one. You think it's cute, it looks like a cupcake, and while you adore the aesthetic, it isn't worth the price tag. It's just powder!

You show her where it is and Luanne comes over to take the reins. She's the makeup genius, her flawless contour is proof enough. You turn to float back to your zone and see a man watching you. You recognise him! Vaguely. You see a lot of people in a day.

"Good afternoon," you sing as you near him, "anything I can help you with?"

His throat bobs as he cheek ticks, "uh, yeah, er..." he pushes back his gray jacket, tucking his hands in his pants pockets, "you remember me?"

You smile as you try not to show your cluelessness, "I think..."

"I came in last week," he says.

You think, scrunching up your face as you tap your chin, "yes! You bought Liz Taylor for you mother."

"Mother-in-law," he corrects you, not unkindly.

"Yes, that's it," you jab your finger upwards, "you complimented my sweater."

"Yeah, that was me," He finally smiles, "anyway, I was thinking of getting a gift for my wife. Just a little stocking stuffer."

"Oh, that sounds so cute," you nearly squee. You get so excited to help people shop for a loved one. At the same time, you feel that void. Maybe one day you'll have a husband thinking of you. "We have some great gift sets, actually. They come with different scents so you're wife can figure out which one she likes best." You direct him over to a shelf, "oh, and if she has a favourite, you can get her a full bottle for Valentine's!"

He gives you a look. His eyes narrow just a bit and his cheeks round, "that's a good idea."

He glances over the shelf and you wait patiently. He turns back to you, his eyes flitting over your name tag as he reads it out, "do you have a suggestion?"

"Me?" You perk up, "well, I actually like the Coach. It's not too expensive and it's nice and subtle."

"Is that what you wear?" He asks.

"I don't... I use some cherry blossom body spray but I usually smell like the whole store by the end of the day," you shrug.

"Cherry blossom," he nods, "oh, by the way, I'm Andy."

He offers his hand in an overly formal way. You giggle but take it nonetheless. You don't really get that often.

"Sorry," he squeezes your hand firmly before letting go, "lawyer, habit."

"No, it's fine," you assure him, "I'm just a perfume salesman, is all."

"Well, you're really good at your job," he praises.

"How do you know?" You say.

"You're friendly and helpful. I have no complaints," he reaches past you and claims the Coach pack, "she's going to love this. I owe you."

"No problem. Do you need me to ring you up?"

"Actually," he sighs, "she has this idea. Christmas card. I'm supposed to find a sweater. So, I need to look around some more."

"Oh, that's so cool. A Christmas card? The sweaters are just over in the men's, right near the east entrance," you point, "they have some really cute Charlie Brown ones."

"Charlie Brown," he repeats.

"Anyway, I'll let you go," you clutch your hands together, "I hope your wife likes the perfume."

"I'm sure she will," he agrees, hesitantly clapping the kit between his hands, "uh, thanks. Again." He leans back on his heel, "oh and, that's a really nice colour on you."

"Uh," you look down at your gem green blouse, "thank you, sir."

"Andy," he insists, walking backwards, "again, you're a life saver."

You grin proudly and he spins on his heel, nearly knocking into Luanne as she comes over. He apologises as he side steps her and continues on. She gives you a strange look.

"Geez," she grumbles, "people. This time of year makes everyone so crazy."

"Well, he was nice," you say.

"Kinda cute, too," she intones.

"He was shopping for his wife."

"Lucky lady," she scoffs, "so, you wanna go on lunch first? I'm dying for a latte."

"You can go, I don't mind," you say, "I'm not very hungry."

"Deal," she winks, "I'll get you a hot chocolate for your trouble."

"You don't have to do that."

"I don't have to, I want to, sweetie," she preens.

"Fine, fine, I accept your coerced hot chocolate.”

🎀

Another day close to complete. It's like checking off items on a list. Each evening seems to darken sooner than the last, every morning rising too soon.

You yawn at the empty fragrance section as it’s only you left for the last hour. There isn't much to do except balance the till. Your headset keeps you entertained as electronics calls out possible shrink and home goods argue about their numbers.

“We need a body at returns,” Lucille cuts through the chatter. “Now.”

No answer comes and you slowly slide your hand up the wire. Before you can hit the button, your name is snarled from the other end. You're ordered up to cash to assist with the hordes.

You leave the ghost town that is beauty and as good as skip up to the front. You calm your step as you see Lucille sneering at you from behind a machine. You give a tiny smile and claim the extra screen behind returns. 

“I can help the next person,” you call and wave your hand in the air.

You stand back and wait for your first customer. A man comes up and throws a torn open package on the counter, the item bouncing out of the plastic. You flinch and barely catch it before it can slide off the other edge.

“Hello, sir,” you bat your lashes, “how are you today?”

“Not fucking well,” the man snarls. His mustache tickles your memory; do you know him? “It’s a piece of shit.”

“Oh, okay,” you look down at the trimmer and examine it, “you’d like to do a return?”

“Yes, I’d like to do a return,” he snaps, “are you dim?”

“Of course, sir,” you punch in your ID and passcode, “I’ll just get you going. Do you have your receipt?”

“A receipt? I bought the damn thing here, look it up.”

“Ah, alright, when did you buy it?”

“You don’t remember, little trigger finger,” he sneers.

“What do you mean?”

“Pfft, right, you think spraying people with skunk spray is fun?”

“Um, no?” Your cheeks tremor as you withhold a frown; you think you know him now as you’re hit by a sudden wave of Gucci cologne, the scent of a memory. “Did you have the card you purchased this with?”

“You don’t think I have money?”

Everything he says is aggressive. Your questions bounce off him like accusations. You don’t know what to say that won’t agitate him further, He huffs and kicks a foot out, leaning on his back heel as he reaches in his back pocket.

He flicks a black card onto the counter, “put it back on this.”

You nod and take the card, examining the nameless front. You turn it over and swipe it in the machine instead to search the number. He scoffs, “bet you never seen one of those up close.”

“Sir,” you smile bigger, letting the insult ping off of you. All the money in the world and he has no manners.

You find the purchase with the same sku and put his card back on the counter. He snatches it up as you start the return. You scan the barcode and continue on to the next screen, “what’s your name, sir?”

“Lloyd,” he answers curtly. You type, waiting, then look up at him, “Hansen.” He finishes sharply, “with an E, got it?”

“Yes, sir, and the reason for return?”

He rolls his eyes, “it doesn’t fucking work.”

“Alright. So it doesn’t cut the hair or–”

“It won’t turn on,” he growls.

“Right,” you take the trimmer and turn it over. It looks fine enough, even after he threw it. You slip the door of the battery compartment off. It’s empty, “and you had double As in it?”

“Double As?” He repeats.

“It needs batteries, sir.”

He pauses, eyes flaring, nostrils flaring.

“You think I’m stupid? That I don’t fucking know that? You’re not getting free fucking batteries from me.”

“Of course, sir, of course,” you rarely feel this addled, even this time of year, “I’ll get you your money back on a gift card–”

“Gift card? I want my money,” he holds up his card between two fingers.

“Yes, sir, I understand. As per our return policy, personal care items, once opened, are only eligible for a store credit return. Or you can exchange for another item. Would you like to look at our other trimmers? I can put this aside while–”

“What? How would I know that?” He hisses.

“It says on the receipt, sir.”

“I don’t have the goddamn receipt,” he barks.

“I know, sir, sorry. I can only refund this amount on a gift card. I can’t override the option.”

“I want a manager. NOW!” He demands as you jump in your shoes.

“I… I’ll see if she’s avail–”

Lucille has you jumping even more as she appears beside you, no doubt drawn by the raging man in front of you. She elbows you out of the way, not even acknowledging you as she puts on her mask. She leans on the counter just slightly.

“Sir, is there something I can help with? I’m the manager,” she says.

“I want my money,” he echoes once more. “I bought a defective product and I don’t want store credit. I drove out here twice for this bullshit.”

“Oh, certainly sir,” she brushes you with her hip, further edging you out, “right back on that black card, right?”

She scans her keycard, overriding the safeguard, and proceeds to the refund screen.

“Yes, exactly,” he snorts, “not like I don’t have even more money to spend here. Even if the customer service is lacking.”

You back away, unsure what to do. Do you just stand there for the transaction or do you go back to your department? You twiddle your fingers and bob on your heels.

Your eyes meet that man’s and he smirks smugly, wiggly his credit card at you. It’s fine, you won’t let him ruin your day. He’s already ruined his own getting so worked up.

🎀

It’s another busy shift. Your hot chocolate has gone cold from your neglect and you long to sneak away and shove it in the break room microwave. You can’t mourn the lukewarm drink as the line before you stretches on. You’re only a week from Christmas.

You finish wrapping the Prada bottle and hand it over the iron-haired woman with her cute curls. You wish her a good day as she waddles off. The next customer comes up, slamming down a cup so hard, the foam of the drink spits through the slot in the lid.

“Hello, sir,” you croon, “how are you today?”

“Here for a pickup,” he ignores your question.

“Right, can I get a name?”

“Why?” He challenges.

“For… for the package,” you sputter.

“Oh, uh, Drysdale,” he sniffs.

“I saw that earlier. I’m the one who called,” you brighten up.

“So you’re the annoying songbird,” he grabs his drink again, “took you fucking long enough. Line’s a mile long.”

“It’s very busy, yes. Everyone’s catching up on their Christmas shopping,” you bounce, “are you almost done yours?”

“Yeah, I bought myself cologne. So, chop chop, sweetheart.”

You nod and quickly spin. People get so impatient. You go into the small back room housed behind the shelves of lockup and you search the shelves. Drysdale. You pluck up the box and hurry back out.

“Right here,” you announce, “I have good news, too.”

“Tell me you’re gonna stop yammering,” he snickers.

“Um, no, the uh… the cologne is currently on markdown so I can do a price match and give you your money back.”

“Why would you do that?” He asks.

“Er, because… it’s policy?”

“You think I can’t afford it?”

“N-no, I didn’t say–”

“Look, I don’t need some department store busy bee to judge me, got it? This scarf costs more than your whole wardrobe,” he touches the patterned scarf around his neck.

“It’s a very nice scarf,” you agree.

He narrows his eyes, “you’re mocking me.”

You shake your head, “no, sir, I like the colours–”

“Give my goddamn package," he reaches and rips the box out of your hands, “and a tip, shut up and do your job. Maybe then you won’t have half the city waiting to get their shit.”

“Thanks,” you swallow down his anger. “Have a great day, sir.”

He doesn’t reply as he takes his cologne and storms away. You watch him and notice his cup still beside your till. It’s too late to call him back. You’ll just put it aside, you’re sure he’ll come back for it.

You move it to the other end of the counter and face the next customer, “hello, how are you?”

“Good,” the blonde woman answers with a gentle smile, “some people…” she tuts, “don’t let the grinches get to you, honey.”

“Thanks,” you feel the ice melt away, “I won’t.”

“Adorable cardigan,” she adds, “I really love the collar.”

“Oh, thank you,” you trill, “is this everything for today?” You gesture to the bottle of Calvin Klein on the counter.

“That will be it. And I’d love to have it gift-wrapped, thank you, hon.”

[vhsc1ty]

thinking about lexi and her fashion sense... i think it'd be cool if her style evolves with her and reflects her state of mind (like it does w characters in euphoria) am i thinking about it too much ? maybe

obviously they don't have colour palettes or many canonical outfits other than ash's unfortunate wardrobe malfunctions ... i just thought it'd be fun and she seems interesting to style !!!!

yaaaa long rant under cut no images though im not that advanced ok my style analysis skills are so bad

anything im very unsure of is in small text

when she's dating ash it's probably very colourful and bold that contrast ash who i feel like would be in Depressing Mens Basics colours and not stand out as much... outdressing her bf but not in a way that is unique or anything (i feel like she definitely has a "uniform" / "formula" when making her everyday outfits)

nor do they complement each other at all . i think at good points in their relationship they do but closer to the start of mgfl they don't complement as much

lots of pinks . like pink is her confidence yes girl slayyyyy but i don't wanna restrict her to just pink but it's like a confidence colour... wears it to the movie audition and such

at the start of mgfl when they're in the diner she COULD be in something more coral pink / closer to yellow as an implication that she cheated w thaddeus (it's so far fetched but whatever) but idk . maybe that'd be a more ambient / environmental lighting thing where the light just doesn't seem right for her colours that'd probably make more sense

when she breaks up with ash she totally googles the aquarius colours . i think it's something like blue purple and white??? defo wears that in her yoga tiktoks and classes. for yoga stuff it's always matching sets like very put together putting on her "uniform" for the persona she puts on for her audience and also as a personal branding thing. also in light shades

uhhh when she goes to the clurbbb she's probably wearing something contrasting to dennys just to visually show they're enemies lol. maybe something darker like a dark red or black to reflect her true personality i dunno man. something not as lexi-like cause she's probably losing it internally. the outfit slays though

when she comes over to see ash for the last time ive always pictured a baby blue sun dress type thing. very cute and innocent and blue is a colour of trust and also her uhhh aquarius empath senses lol. also a closer colour to ash's colour palette that doesn't exist but i made up in my head that's full of blues and greys especially when he's depressed. maybe loses a bit of the glam makeup look too and goes for something a bit more toned down

probably has a pink cardigan over it when she gets in her car and cries her eyes out. using her usual fun confident colours from their relationship to comfort herself when she's feeling anything but

in season 2 it'd be cool to imagine her in more earth tones like greens and browns and beiges. gets more in touch with herself and yoga and yannah.... maybe in mid range shades between light and dark as she addresses what she's really like and finds the good in herself.

totally still slaying with the pink but she loses that uniform a little and branches out with other styles. maybe she goes crazy with patterns idk. maybe she leans into the 2000s more than 2020s i think that'd be so cute actually y2k style lexi i dunno

if she does get in a relationship i think she'll have a complementary or closer colour palette to the person she's with instead of sticking out as much as she did with ash. maybe they're slay like her or maybe that colour is green because like. ash is blue and thad is yellow and those make green and her relationship is reminiscent of both for them IDK I DIDNT THINK THIS FAR OKAY... just. yea

lexi she's so slay the worst person you'll never know. i suck at style and fashion but it never hurt to think about it. if mgfl were a show or movie it'd be nice to consider!!! she might be facetious but i feel like she wears her heart on her sleeve in the most literal sense lmao

[callsignhood]

Would König be with a overweight/chubby girl?

TW: Anxiety on body and appearance

Also I didn’t proofread anything lol

Of course, why not? He’s just grateful of you to be here with him. He doesn’t really care about how your body looks like. Doesn’t matter if you have scars or body hair or a lil’ tummy. He’ll be fucking pissed if someone ever said something mean about your face or body.

But he’d be worried if you are worrying about yourself.

💕Gender neutral Y/N stressed out with weight

He will support you if you’re dieting or exercising. As long as you seem happy and enjoying it, he will cheer you up and help you achieving your goal. But if you’re stressing out about overtaking or missing calories, or if you’re exercising beyond your usual sets, he will stop you and have a time-out cuddling session together.

“Hey, look at me.” König holds you on his lap with a firm hug, trying to make eye contact with an ordering tone, then regrets of letting his military habits slip through — “please?” He adds. You lift your head a little, just to meet with his worrying blue eyes. He hates to see you hurting yourself like this. He’s afraid to lose you.

His hands slides on your back, slowly down to your waist to feel your body, and letting you feel him. He kisses your temple once then twice, holding you just a little tighter. “I can take you on a date and we can have a cheat day. Just slow down for a while. Ja? Because you’re not calories or numbers, you are you.”

He closes his eyes while you both feel the warmth of each other. Comforting and familiar. “It’s gonna be okay.”

💕F Y/N struggling with makeup

You’re trying to look good for him, but you’re struggling with makeup today. Those perfect faces on your Instagram and TikTok are slowly dragging you down to insecurity. You find your eyeliner looks not symmetrical, eyebrows are not sharp enough, even the lipgloss colour is kinda weird. König notices your silent frustration, and he sits beside you.

You look back at him, trying to conceal your sadness, but he always knows what you’re thinking about. He doesn’t quite understand anything about makeup, but he focuses on your face for a short moment, staring at your eyeshadow and your lashes, then gives you a smile. “You look pretty, Süße.”

He sucks at giving compliments on makeup. They might be bland and boring, but he really wants you to find the confidence in yourself. “Your — uh… your lashes are cute. They are very long today.” He struggles to tame his tongue, trying very hard to find some fancy words to cheer you up — and it makes you laugh. “They are long because they are fake lashes, König.”

“Ah.” He nods, stares at your eyes for a little longer before looking down at your palettes. He picks up one of them, opening the lid and speaking softly. “I know you put them on for a reason. But you know that I’m not canceling the date even if you fell in the shower and looked like a wet cat.” He turns his gaze back on you with a grin, hoping his joke will lighten your stress. And it sure did.

You roll your eyes at him and snatch back the palette from his hand. “I’m too pretty to be a wet cat, excuse you.” He chuckles and gives a kiss on your hair. “Ja, Schatz. Always pretty.”

💕M Y/N feeling down about body size

You sigh at the mirror. You find yourself not muscular enough, and sometimes you want to let König feel he’s protected, just like what he does to you. He’s massive and built like a brick wall, you sure find that attractive as hell, but it made you worry a little bit too much.

König sneakily walks up from behind and wraps his arms around you, giving you a kiss on the cheek. “You’re staring at yourself again.” He gently sways you away from the mirror, then falls on the bed, with his body being your mattress. He smiles, putting a hand on the back of your head, trying to keep you laying on him. “I gotta say, you have the perfect huggable size.” You let out a slight chuckle. You can hear his voice vibrating through his chest. “You don’t have to change, you’re more than okay to me.”

If you shake your head to disagree, he will use his hand to massage the back of your neck, staying silent for a bit before suggesting something. “Well… you can join me during my morning jogs. Only if you could wake up at 6.” He laughs. He’s not being sarcastic or mean by saying that, he’s just trying to drag you out from anxiety. “You can be however you want to be. I’m here with you.”

[wooyoungisbaby]

@starhwa-1117 : Do you have any tips for me?:D

Art tips with Isak ✨

I won't sit here and pretend i'm some kind of amazing artist, but here are some of the things that have really helped me:

Avoid tangents This possibly sounds weird if you've never heard of the concept before, but it's the closest thing I've ever found to an actual art hack. It was a pretty easy way for me to understand something that had always bothered me about my art. I won't waste time explaining it here, because there are several great youtube videos about it. Take your pick! :) I think I watched all of them when i was figuring this all out, because i was so fascinated and happy that I finally understood what had been bothering me.

Use reference! As much as you can! Find reference for the poses, the character, objects, lighting, colour palettes, anything you can think to look up. Using reference is never cheating, unless you like... Trace someone else's work, or it veers into plagiarism in some other way. And even if it does, that's okay if you're just practicing.

Think of art as communication When you've finished a sketch, take a step back and look at it. Think to yourself, - What did I want to communicate with this piece? - Did I accomplish that so far? - If not: What can I do to communicate what I want to convey more clearly? What you wanted to communicate might be something really simple like, say, Character A is sleepy. Look at what you did to communicate that. If you want it to be even clearer still, look up reference of sleepy characters in the same art style you're drawing in, see what other artists have done to communicate sleepiness, and then steal their techniques lol<3 (but like fr)

Avoid overcomplication Of course some pieces are meant to be super complicated with teeny details, and if that's your thing, go for it! However, I find that especially with character design, it's often a good idea to try to go as simple as possible. And I don't mean boring!! Let me make an example,

See how 2 gets across the same idea, but a lot simpler, easier to read? In picture 2, each item is bigger and has its purpose, whereas in picture 1, some of the items are very small and can drown out when the viewer is trying to take it all in at once. This is not to say that 1 is bad or wrong, not at all! If you're drawing a close up portrait of someone with that style of 984343 hair accessories, by all means draw all of them! But if for example you're designing a character that's going to be shown in a full- or half body shot, or even landscape shots, it can be really helpful to think about how you can easily get the design across as simply as possible, without sacrificing your character's uniqueness.

Doodle :) Draw little sillies that are just for fun, and aren't meant to be good. In tandem with reference, find out what works for you, how you can most easily - and enjoyably - get your drawings to express what you want them to. Experiment with materials or different brushes and programs, see what feels good to use :)

Drawfee Just a little plug here at the end, Drawfee is a youtube channel where the hosts do art, talk, and have fun. They do patreon art lesson streams with a WIDE variety of topics, and they upload the lessons afterwards on youtube for free! This is one of my favourite ones, just two one of them doodling and chilling :) They have a lesson on making fonts, perspective, several on anatomy and character design, effective ways to practice, composition, animation, and the list goes on. This is hashtag not sponsored lol, i just really love them and their content :)

[lapsthings]

BLLK MATCHUP EXCHANGE WITH @xxchthonicreaturexx

Your best match is...

🐆CHIGIRI HYOMA 💗

I wanted to pair you with one of the Wanimas as a false pairing prank, but I haven’t come up with a solid idea to better conceal it—so you’re safe this time. Lucky you!

Back to the main point: I kinda struggled to choose from a few characters, but ultimately, I think Chigiri is your most compatible match

First things first, you’re literally his type—someone who’s calm and understanding (which is great because he can be pretty intense)

You both have attitude: he’s got sass, and you have smartass remarks, so playful banter between you two would definitely be a regular thing

Once you’re close enough, he can be very playful. He, too, finds yelling matches entertaining and funny, so expect those to be a common part of your relationship—mostly when it’s just the two of you in private

These yelling matches could start over something as small as who left the lights on, whose turn it is to pick the next show to binge, who’s hogging all the blankets, whether pineapple belongs on pizza…(spoiler alert: they do)

He’ll try to persuade you away from trespassing or climbing onto trains since he's worried about you and doesn't want you to get into too much trouble...but whether or not he succeeds, he’ll always remind you to be careful (He's secretly impressed tho lol)

But he’s more than happy to tag along on your less…extreme adventures

Road trips with him? Expect a lot of impromptu karaoke sessions, girl gossip and spontaneous snack stops at quirky little cafes

Now onto his hair, he completely trusts you with his. Do whatever you want, just don’t tug too hard, he might actually kill you

Spiders don’t scare him, but they do gross him out, so he’s eternally thankful when you handle them for him

You're his knight in shining armor

He absolutely loves your style, especially the way your color palette blends cute and cool elements. You two would have matching outfits, it is inevitable.

or at least matching accessories

Onto the topic, since he’s a cat person and you like rodents, you'd probably have some Tom & Jerry-themed accessories stashed somewhere

He’ll try to guess what color you’ll dye your hair next, sometimes throwing out suggestions on colours he thinks will look good on you

When you first show him your doll collection, he’s a bit startled—not in a bad way, just impressed by the level of detail. He thinks they’re cute and might even consider getting some for himself…

Chigiri fully encourages your idea of getting a cherry blossom tattoo, but he understands your fear of needles so he’ll try help you overcome it, one step at a time :)

He doesn’t mind your routine; he’s got one of his own, so he totally gets it

As for your eating habits, he doesn’t mind those either. He’ll even gladly peel bananas for you—and, funny enough, he’ll discover he has a weird talent for peeling them perfectly in one swift motion

You get along with his sister btw, she teases him, so maybe you'd both gang up on him

Quality time together is a must. It could be as simple as scrolling through social media (he’ll show you cute cat videos), painting each other’s nails, doing each other’s hair, or going on cute little dates

Night routines with him are so fun I cannot emphasize this enough

Doing skincare, applying face masks, maybe even a little contest to see who can finish their night routine first

Unfortunately, he always wins. After all he never loses in a contest of speed

He's not really the type to let you win just because he feels bad, so you'll have to cheat lol

Hide his products somewhere, make sure he doesn't get his hands on yours and your hard earned victory will be secured

Chigiri is familiar with DC; he’s well-read and not THAT uncultured. But feel free to fill him in on whatever he’s missing

Your conversations will shift from his stories from Blue Lock to something DC related

Whenever you’re dissociating, Chigiri will pull you back to reality and reassure you. Don’t worry, he’s always there for you

Staying up late isn’t great for the skin, but he hasn’t been following his bedtime schedule as strictly since he started hanging out with you more

He sleeps for at least 8 hours a day, but there’s no rule stating which part of the day he’s having his beauty sleep right?

Once you’re with him, your skin will always be smooth, and your hair will be healthy. He’s sharing all of his hair tips and tricks with you, even his products

He must really love you, huh?

All that said, just remember you’re someone who’s extremely important to him, he loves you lots and will pamper you. You’re in good hands

Power couple btw

(In case if you’re wondering, your runner-up was Kunigami/Otoya)

[the-travelling-witch]

Hi hi holly! Hehe Can we hear more about Carmilla? (and if you’ve decided on who her potential partner is 👀)

hi tato!! omg ofc you can!! where do i even start though… probably by saying this is going to be messy ^^; i may have a lot of thoughts but that doesn’t mean that any of them are connected or possible to translate into words jshshs

first of all, i put a little thought into her name that i think sums up her vibe pretty well. carmilla sounds a lot like camilla (harmless little plant, also good for calming down) but it’s actually taken from the vampire carmilla (dangerous, seductive, draining people’s energy yk like her unique magic). her last name comes from the hawthorn tree (but with an e tagged on for aesthetics), which are also called fairy trees and i think the magical, whimsical and mischievous vibe of fairies is exactly what i want her to be ^^

she wasn’t actually twisted from a disney character at first but i’ve went and kinda assigned her the will-o-wisps from brave, which would also fit the fairy/fox fires i’ve described floating around her before; i haven’t settled on a definitive incantation for her unique magic yet but it’ll be sth along the lines of “I’m your light in the darkness, you’ll follow me blindly. If you take, you must give. Share the Love.” or at least that’s my last draft of a spell jshhsh

since she’s not a beastman but a fae, i was thinking that she gains an additional tail with every 100 years she’s lived like a kitsune (though she would always just show one anyway). i was thinking that she’s close to 200, kinda like malleus, and would get a third tail “soon”.

as for the partner i’ve picked for her, he has not changed since the last time we spoke (or well, i rambled). he shares her partially teal colour palette, he schemes and plots, he is… jade leech!!

dramatics is what they would want

my reasoning is still pretty much the same as it has been when i first thought of it. for one, jade is one of my faves, so putting him in more hcs is always a win in my books. but also, he’s mature and confident enough to handle a relationship with an idol who flirts her way into many hearts (that unique magic has to be fuelled somehow) without taking it personally. sure he might activate the fake pout for sympathy afterwards but both of them know he’s just being funny. also i just want to see what these two would get up to (sorry azul, sorry nrc)

i’ve already rambled about how i can see carmilla visiting mostro lounge after a concert. it’s already past closing time and jade is the only one still there, wiping down the counter and the glasses behind the bar. she’d slip onto one of the bar stools, watching with a smile as he’s already making her favourite drink, asking if everything went well (he can already tell by the way she’s basically glowing with her unique magic). they continue their small talk until they go to bed… how fortunate that jade always happens to be the one closing up when carmilla has a performance~

(yes floyd is used to it but if azul or jamil ask about where carmilla has been, neither of three know anything about it)

also, as an idol, carmilla is quite used to being involved in rumours and fortunately jade seems to find them amusing instead of getting bothered by them

i can see them chilling in bed, watching a movie or being on their phones after spending the day together as she happens across a headline trying to pin her in a dating scandal

carmilla, on her phone, snuggled up against jade: hey did you know i was spotted in a restaurant i’ve never been to with a male idol this evening?

jade, fake gasping: to think that you would cheat on the mostro lounge like this, dear, i’m very hurt

carmilla, wiping a fake tear: i’m so sorry, i just can’t help myself

your honour, i just think they’d be fun together. also going hiking with jade would be great for her to clear her head and get away from it all while still exercising <3

(+ she was born in a briar valley forest, she probably knows some whacky mushrooms and plants she can tell him about)

[softt-t]

Soft's 2025 flight rising skin challenge - Month 1

Hey all! I've challenged myself to make an entry for every single Flight Rising festival this year, and perhaps a few more along the way! I thought a diary entry series would help keep me accountable.

Here's my crystalline gala entry for 2025 titled Dancing Lights 💃 ✨️

My inspiration behind this was the northern lights, as I couldn't remember ever seeing a winner with those colours. I wanted something with that pop of green I love so much. The rest of the piece came from throwing stuff at the canvas until I liked the outcome. Definitely not time efficient.

I always roll a rng to decide breed and gender as I find it hard to choose myself (although this time I did cheat and change from an M pose to an F pose as it suited the vision in my head a little better). Personally, trying to work an idea onto a canvas helps me a lot more with creativity.

My main struggle was trying to figure out how to colour the aurora. Originally i had a purple/pink stripe in there but it just reminded me of a poisonous frog too much (or the colour radioactive). It just felt too out of place. I loved that colour scheme but it didn't pass the aurora vibe check. Maybe I'll revisit it for another entry this year, would nature flight fit that kind of vibe? Maybe lightning? I'll figure it out. The opacity of the lights was also an issue, I couldn't figure out how to make them look like northern lights and not just ribbions. I hope the way I coloured gives the right impression.

Oh and the jewellery! I looked up so many metal colouring tutorials and could not figure out how to achieve a metallic finish. Maybe I achieved it, but it came from slapping random coloured blobs down and using the blur tool. Never trying a metallic technique again!

Looking back now I'm a bit upset the green didn't turn out as strong as I had hope, I think in the end the piece leans more blue/purple toned than I had originally wanted. I should have shifted my colour palette and removed the blue/purple part of the aurora and made that lime? Maybe that would have balanced the colours better. I did rush a little towards the end, and to me it feels a little unfinished, but I am too tired to make any changes now with the deadline being later today.

I did also do a silver metal version last minute because I felt like it felt too warm with the gold? Cooler colours come to mind when thinking of ice. Personally I enjoy the gold better.

Do I think it's a winner? Not at all :). Writing this post made me realise all the things I should have done differently, but the point is to take these ideas on board and try again next time. I am also so bad at determining whether the clip shadow and lineart actually follows the rules. It's the part of the process I dread, and usually zaps the fun out of it all for me. The purple shading on the hands is questionable at best.

I already have ideas for next month, and can't wait to write my next little diary detailing my process and thinkings. I'll remember not to delete my sketch layer and maybe take a few pictures of my progess to share, that would be fun. And congrats to everyone who made an entry, some of them are stunning. Until next time ✨️

[drakomod]

I'm always trying to work towards making my guys look different from each other, so I've started making myself little cheat sheet refs to remind myself what I want them to look like. I think they're also pretty good references for other people too! And just interesting to look at in general, maybe? lol

The little stick-like figures are absolutely amazing little easy access colour palettes, I highly recommend them for any ref. The colour dots are common colours I associate with each character and what I often use in clothing.

[arctic-shard]

I like the idea of there being different shades of the three/four colours, it makes it much nicer than just four harsh colours and nothing else adds some ✨variety✨

Someone with better skill at colour blocking than me could make a harsh-coloured yet beautiful Alagadda out of just four colours. Me, I need to cheat a little and use shades. If I was really clever or, like, getting paid, I'd try to come up with a palette with no blue whatsoever. But I will continue to cheat because this isn't my job. ;)

You'll never find something you would call a proper orange or pink or gray in Alagadda, but there are many shades of red, yellow, black, and white.

[thevulturesquadron]

Hi! I just want to say that WOW you are an amazing artist. Your anatomy and colouring are just breathtaking. How long have you been drawing?

I am a thirty year old baby at art and trying to improve and push through being bad at art, but i'll be honest, it's frustrating having hands that just cant make what i am seeing in my head! Basically... how long do you think it took you to make art that is kind of good? And do you have any tips?

What??!! Thank you so much!!!!! 💜💜💜

I have no words, really. I always feel like I am such a fake when it comes to art because I draw once every 5 years under the impulse of a hyperfixation or another, and I feel like I never take the time to improve. You are too sweet, I don’t deserve it!

I’ve been doodling here and there since I was in highschool, but only seriously picked it up in my 20s. And trust me when I say ‘here and there’. I used to try my hand for a couple of months and then it would take years to go back into the mindset of wanting to do more and better. It’s been like this ever since. I just do things when I have too much love for something and I need to let it out somehow. But in all honesty I feel like I started to be confident with myself and my range only when I hit my 30s so what I am saying is - it’s never too late, as long as you return to it no matter how rusty you feel. But that feeling of never being good enough compared to what you envision - be it art or writing - that’s never going to go away, you just need to conquer it and accept that every piece you make is another step towards getting better. And I know it sounds like a cliché but try not to put any pressure on yourself because of that either -  even if you end up drawing once in a blue moon like me, it counts. It really does! And sometimes you get a bit proud of what you do, sometimes you’ll feel like you learnt nothing. Knowing and understanding that - that it’s not just a way up, that it has highs and lows - has been the one thought that has always kept me going. Gosh, when it comes to tips I feel like there are so many other artists here that are better equipped to help than I am, but I’m happy to share a couple of ‘quick/dirty first stops' that have saved me from giving up:

References!!! Don’t EVER be afraid of using references especially when learning anatomy. Look for poses that inspire you, gather angles for hands, feet, eyes. You are not cheating, you are learning. If you are like me also, and drawing/sketching is a hobby and not a career, using references for poses comes with no strings attached. I can’t stress enough how important it is to use references. 

Colours: I. suck. at. picking. colours. Trust me. Most of the things I draw I leave as sketches because my brain can’t comprehend colour theory so when I do end up adding colours it feels like a miracle each time it looks ok. So I use palettes. There are sites online but also most tools for digital art offer ways to create colour pallets. Sample & drop is your friend! 

Also depending on what tools you are using, don’t shy away from playing with colour balance, brightness, curves or from experimenting with colour overlay layers to unify the look. 

In general, based on what program you use to draw - look for simple tutorials to get familiarised with it. I use Procreate and to this day I am amazed about how many ‘cheats & tricks’ it has. 

Probably a beginner move but one thing I rely on is Pinterest - I create boards for poses, references, colour pallets. So that when I get an impulse to draw and I am not sure where to start or what colours to use I have a library of things I saved in time! 

Hope this helps! Again, I don’t consider myself a real artist, I don’t sell any of my work and I just post what I create here out of love for a fandom or another. BUT I am always happy to share the little I know or learned along the way so don’t hesitate to ask! <3 

[b-else-writes]

The Great CLAMP Re-Read Part 5: CLAMP School Detectives

Part 1 (RG Veda) | Part 2 (Man of Many Faces) | Part 3 (Tokyo Babylon)| Part 4 (Duklyon)| Part 6 (Shirahime)| Part 7 (X)| Part 8 (Chunhyang) | Part 9 (Miyuki-chan)| Part 10 (Rayearth)| Part 11 (The One I Love)| Part 12 (Wish)

I don't know about all of you, but one of my first fond fanfic-adjacent writing experiences was painstakingly creating a magical school rip-off story where mine and all my friends self-insert OCs could go on adventures. And we wrote all this by hand in a notebook! I bring this up because CLAMP School Detectives says so much about CLAMP's doujinshi roots and how that thinking, of a vast playground for their characters to mess around in, was going to shape their opus. I also bring it up because this is self-indulgence to its core, in the way the best and frankly, worst, of fanfiction is. Despite having an expanded anime adaptation, CLAMP School Detectives did not have the lasting cultural memory that their other adaptations did.

CLAMP School Detectives ran from 1992 to 1993, concurrent with all of their early series, and bridges several, with dozens of other references to their doujinshi and uncollected early abandoned works. It is out of print and only had a 2000s Tokyopop English release, of 3 volumes comprising 13 chapters. Again, I read this entirely online and wouldn't pick up a copy unless I wanted to be a completionist. "Spoilers", I guess?

Synopsis: Imonoyama Nokoru, Takamura Suoh, and Ijuin Akira are members of the Elementary School Student Board at CLAMP School. Nokoru has the incredible ability to detect when a woman needs help, and the three precocious children decide to form a detective team that solves the problems of fair maidens everywhere - if only Nokoru could get his paperwork done, to Suoh's despair!

The Story: If Dukylon and Man of Many Faces had barely a story, this is even less than that - it's a bunch of barely mysteries that the trio solve every chapter, with the finale being a flashback to explore Suoh and Nokoru's past and bond. It's a gag manga that relies on whether you think the gimmick of Nokoru being able to sense a woman in danger is funny, and find the little adventures cute, and it just did not land for me. It feels like an overly saccharine attempt at Enid Blyton type school boys solving mysteries (but in Japan), and it was just plain boring. Mostly because they're barely even mysteries - I felt cheated as a huge mystery lover! This is either going to read as really cute, or really boring to you, and it was the latter for me.

The Themes: Uhh.....help out fair maidens. It's a gag manga, if you're doing analysis on this, good for you, but I have a very packed life and I don't think CLAMP wants me to learn anything but "Nokoru cutie".

The Characters: The characters are largely enjoyable but quite plain. Nokoru is basically the perfect little elementary school boy dream, but it's done sweetly enough that he reads as funny rather than irritating. Suoh is textbook tsundere who devotes his life to Nokoru (Ashura & Yama you will always be famous), and Akira is ditzy. There's not much here beyond Nokoru secretly feeling distanced from people because he doesn't want to hurt others. If you like cute wacky elementary school stories, you'll like them. I found them fine. Though I did squeal in fondness when they showed up in X. CLAMP knows how to charm you despite yourself.

The Art: I find this some of CLAMP's weakest character design - Nokoru and Suoh look too similar to me beyond the colour palette, and the different women featured are unimaginative. It's overall decent art, but nothing special or groundbreaking. As someone who devoured RG Veda, Tokyo Babylon and even Man of Many Faces for just how damn pretty and creative they could get, it's lacklustre.

Questionable Elements: I don't know if this is a translation issue, but Nokoru's behaviour is referred to as "feminist", and it is not. This is Victorian era paternalism that women need taking care of and can't be held responsible for our actions because we're the emotional and fairer sex. While satirical, the sexism is still irritating. Also there's another "older person x literal minor bad, but only because older person is a woman". Are CLAMP ageist? One wonders.

Also. There is overt fascist imagery in CLAMP School Detectives:

CLAMP draws them in Nazi uniforms on another cover, and there are MULTIPLE images of the Rising Sun Flag (which is a symbol of fascist WW2 imperial Japan). It's abhorrent and there is much to discuss frankly about how fascist imagery is so ubiquitous in manga.

Overall: Putting aside the REALLY bad elements, CLAMP School Detectives is probably the most unmemorable so far of CLAMP's oeuvre. The characters are charming and the premise itself is not bad, but it never lands. It's a very cutesy, almost slice of life manga, which is just really not my thing because it never succeeds in at least being funny or exciting or anything substantial to linger on. Not something I'd recommend to anyone beyond devoted CLAMP fans, besides the adorable main trio. Say what you will but CLAMP really knows how to make you love their characters.

[lumiosemuseum]

Here's some info about Nerine 🫶🏾 super simplified because I'm lazybones right now 😭

Like I mentioned she's Also 3000~ years old due to the effects of the Ultimate Weapon 💔 her height didn't increase like how AZ's did but it did affect her hair and eye colour 😱

Currently thinking of her as like an early chemist, like ah... I forgot her name 😭 that ancient Assyrian perfumer girl.

AZ had an interest in building machines, and Nerine had an interest in science and humanities. This is how they initially connected...

Because I'm a big fan of cheesy tropes I do like the idea of a "forbidden love" between a noble and a lower class woman 😭💔 not sure if I'll go that route tho

Also considered the idea of AZ taking notes from Nerine's research in order to construct the Ultimate Weapon... something she absolutely did not give him permission to do 🙊

Her Magearna is a prototype of the "official" Magearna, which is based on old concepts and diagrams by AZ. Nerine's Magearna has a deeper colour palette as well as a keyhole in her chest protecting her soul-heart. Its eyes also appear to be constantly closed... AZ had created it as a gift for Nerine 3000 years ago, so there is no other exactly like it in the world.

Nerine's doublade is straight up just the soul of a famous knight who died during the war 3000 years ago.

Nerine's name comes from a type of spider lily... Her spider lily theming as well as palette are meant to tie her to yvetal. She looks a little suspicious; there's certain things about her that could easily tie her to team flare, and the fact that she's not particularly emotive doesn't help........ (The reality is that she's just autistic)

AZ's floette sometimes comes to visit her, tho she's never made herself a permanent companion. Floette is waiting for AZ to let go of the anger and grief he's held onto for centuries now...

Floette isn't quite sure if she can forgive AZ. Neither is Nerine... but 3000 years is a very long time. The world has changed and so have the people within it...

AZ only finds Nerine again after Floette returns to him. They've led two very different lives in their time apart. While AZ was once a king he seems to be nothing more than a vagabond to most people. And Nerine is now a deeply respected academic and fashion historian (is it cheating if she's lived through it all?)!

[warabola]

top 5 favourite ssea locations? 👀

OH NO. Do you know how hard that is going to be to narrow down??

Alright, disclaimer: I haven't actually played the zubmarine DLC. I own it. I could by every means play it. It is hand crafted to appeal to me. I just keep getting lost at sea instead (starting a new file and dissociating as I travel the boundless depths of the zee and sink into the impeccable atmosphere). So I'll take that into account, and also consider most of these from primarily a Sseas perspective.

5. Visage

Why is this port not mentioned more in Fallen London. Did something happen to it? Are the zailors collectively in agreement not to ever mention it? Visage has a fascinating culture and I am weak to everything mask related, as well as it's a good port on the Iron Republic - Port Carnelian - Polythreme cycle for reducing terror.

4. Venderbight

I'm a simple man, okay. I really like Tomb Colonists. Unlike Fallen London's exile, I find Venderbight rather serene, and the First Curator's storyline both fascinating lore and a comfortable ritual? I do it in every playthrough like clockwork, partly for the reward and partly for the ritual of gathering the Neathbow again.

3. The Gant Pole

Alright this one I'm cheating a bit on. I know it primarily from the ES Leviathan. But how can you not be compelled by the place where The Zee Goes To Die? Of the passage of the Midnight Whales? Of haruspicy and monstrous change and the colour left behind when there is nothing else left?

2. Kingeater's Castle

1. The Avid Horizon

So many stories come back to this location and it stands like a monolith in a lot of my characters' stories as a result. But it's also incredibly peaceful in Sunless Seas. A place to repent your crimes and seek forgiveness from an empire-- does Fallen London ever even mention that? That unspeakable traitors and criminals make the pilgrimage to write down what they've done, and that the Admiralty takes note?

My impression of the Avid Horizon was largely formed before understanding what it actually is, and before any knowledge of Seeking. I admit I'm a bit biased as a Finn/Canadian because the mention of the stars reflected in the waves and the biting winds and the design itself feel somewhat nostalgic. Its colour palette reminds me of the northern lights.

That said.

This is so hard to do. The lore in Sunless Seas is amazing. Mt Palmerston is fleshed out in Sseas in a way you don't see in Fallen London, but that is so interesting with the context of Hell's history and politics. Frostfound contains so much deep lore that it takes multiple reads to really take all of it in. Aigul and Nuncio are fascinating, and also criminally underused in Fallen London. Diving off the Salt Lions and harvesting it for the Bazaar. Knowing the backstory to Port Cecil and the implications for the Great Chain. I can genuinely talk for hours about any little bit of Sunless Seas, anyone and everyone has permission to yell about it at me. Favourite game of all time.

[beyond-the-lewdiverse]

Lewdy Review - Borderlands

A solidly fun looter shooter that leaves a desire for more to drag you into the sequels~

Gameplay: ★★★★★★★★★★

Mechanics: ★★★★★★★★★★

Characters: ★★★★★★★★★★

Voice acting: ★★★★★★★★★★

Graphics: ★★★★★★★★★★

Difficulty: ★★★★★★★★★★

Glitches/Bugs: ★★★★★★★★★★

Story: ★★★★★★★★★★

Intro

Being the first entry to one of the most infamous looter shooters series, the first Borderlands boasts a lot of the elements it's successors has, though in a more unrefined capacity.

Ratings

Gameplay 6/10

Though more of a midrange score, the gameplay is solid and quite fluid-feeling compared to other titles of the time, though nothing revolutionary or unique to truly make it stand out in terms of the actual feel of the game itself.

Mechanics 8/10

With a solid foundation on what's built in, the driving mechanics are something different to most games which makes vehicular travel and combat a little more fun than most, though this does feel limited by the quite empty world.

The shooting mechanics are quite playful given the variety of weapons able to be used and finding exactly what works for your build and play style definitely adds to the fun of this title.

The skill trees allow for a variety of builds that each specialise in different areas, giving both individual and cooperative buffs to add to the mix and more thought towards how you want to make your character.

Characters 6/10

Again a midrange score as the characters of the game do feel standout in their own way, but leave more to be desired compared to the subsequent games in the series.

Voice acting 5/10

Definitely nothing exceptional, but also far from awful. Each character does feel part of the world and the voice acting feels anything but just being read from the script.

Graphics 8/10

While the graphics of the game are brilliant for utilising cell shading and giving the look of the game a unique aesthetic, something that many games would adopt following Borderlands' release, the drawback would arguably be the very bland colour palette of the world.

Difficulty 7/10

With a good range of difficulties to pick, each difficulty setting feels as strong as one could want and most importantly feels fair on the player. To further this point, the difficulty at the beginning always feels on the tougher side but balances out as your build grows and you gain better equipment.

Glitches/bugs 9/10

Almost a perfect score, the game played near perfectly on my different runs with the main issue being getting caught on terrain, and even that issue happened rarely.

Story 6/10

Though not a strong score, I feel it's in the nature of the game as it isn't played on a level-by-level basis but rather an open world so the story doesn't feel as linear. The story itself is a fairly simple one, no real surprises but equally it's a nice change of pace to have a simple, old fashioned story without loads of convoluted plot twists.

Unique qualities

The main unique points of this game come forward in it's appearance. As mentioned before, the game is cell shaded giving it such a fun and recognisable look to it. On a more developmental/mechanical level, it also means the game isn't operating to look realistic so focus can go into other areas of the game while still preventing the game from looking awful.

The second unique part to this game is that it definitely popularised looter shooters as a genre, using random generators to give enemies weapons that you could then obtain, or that cheats always contained different loot for different playthroughs, giving the game a lot more replayability. It also adds to the fun of knowing you could just get a random OP weapon that you stick with for the game, something I did and made me rethink my entire build.

The third point that I think definitely helped Borderlands stand out is arguably it's most famous quality, the humour. From the silly references (such as Mad Mel and his war rig, or Chuck Durden and his fighting ring) this game excels at putting in Easter eggs and references to find and laugh at. Not yo also forget the iconic Psychos in the game and their unforgettable voice lines that always leave me chuckling.

Personal overall thoughts

To tidy up my thoughts on this game, it's definitely a precursor to the sequels and feels similar to how Saints Row 1/2 or Demon Souls feel compared to SR 3 or Darksouls feel. The elements of what makes Borderlands 2 great can easily be seen in the first entry, from the daft humour to the actual mechanics of the game.

Summary

In complete summary, Borderlands walked so that it's sequel could run, and run far it did. The original is definitely a fun game to play, but leaves the player feeling as though it just didn't hit the spot.