#I love pattern clashing and I would honestly wear some of these combos

[uhoh-here-we-are]

Ummm just in case anyone would be interested 🧍‍♀️I wanted to have his pattern clashes on hand. He’s giving unhinged fashion girly.

[yakool-foolio]

see maybe this is just me, but As A Character Designer Myself i think the rain code designs are some of komatzuzaki's best work yet. they're weird and campy and yet they work so well. i do think the characters' personalities shine through on first and second glances. I don't even usually like neon colors but I think the combo of bright neons with understated neutrals is so fascinating and memorable. no one else does it like this. a lot of the small details on the designs are actually packed with symbolic meaning (esp. yakou's - I'd love to see you unpack all that) and the overabundance of logos is evocative of the corpo-cyber-future setting. the rain code designs feel much more cohesive in terms of that setting than the DR designs do - which makes sense bc DR is more about disparate people being united by their circumstances - dialed to 11 in v3 where the designs are at their wackiest. but this ain't about her this is about rain code.

I love that characters you wouldn't expect (zange, fubuki, priest...) have weird facial piercings and tattoos. I love that the animal ears are never explained. I love desuhiko's tboy swag and yeah, the golden yellow and the dirty blonde and the neon yellow accents don't look great together - and I think the clashing colors work wonders to establish his personality. this kid dressed himself and thought it would make him look cool. you idiot. aphex's hat is stupid. zilch's ears are stupid. vivia's bandages-instead-of-clothes are stupid - and yet reading into that choice is very insightful. (he puts on a lazy air but if he was really lazy he'd just put on an oversized emo band tee instead of wrapping himself up like a mummy every day. he actually does care about how he comes across to people.)

there's a few videos about fashion YouTubers judging the DR fits, and at one point they brought in Yuma and shinigami and they hated yuma's outfit so much because it's dorky and they wouldn't wear it. but like!!! that's the whole point is that it's dorky!!!! his little trainee shorts. his stupid fkin bowl cut making him look like a little boy whose mom still cuts his hair. (which of course turns out to be a meaningful deception. his haircut influences how the audience and other characters see him to great effect.) and yet he has the coolest fkin shoes ever and when he puts his hat and cape on he's got such an iconic silhouette. teru teru bozu lookin ass /pos.

anyway yeah. i wasnt a fan of komatzuzaki's designs in the beginning but over the years ive come around. I'm a firm designer that a character design doesn't necessarily have to look good to be a good character design. I like it when they aren't afraid to make the characters look cringe - I love cringe. I eat it up. thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

Even more perspectives! I think your take of 'bad-looking designs can be good actually' is a great way to look at Rain Code's characters. To put it simply, it's unique! 'Nobody does it like Komatsuzaki'-kind of campiness. Honestly, Rain Code's designs remind me a lot of Danganronpa 2's designs in terms of color. That cast is full of much brighter colors compared to the lesser saturation of DR1 n V3's cast colors. And it makes sense cause it's a brighter game overall in terms of setting and upping the ridiculousness of the killing game in every way! Rain Code sorta follows that with its own designs by crankin' up the neons to really ride the idea home that this game is wacky right from the get-go and it's a Resident Evil game in disguise! And y'know what Resident Evil loves to indulge in? Campiness! Rain Code wears its inspirations on its sleeve, and that's totally chill.

As a sidenote to your sidenote regarding Yakou's clothing details, I have actually written a bit about how he might perceive them, but I haven't yet written about what they could truly mean in terms of how they relate to him narratively. The meaning of the phoenix patterns are painfully obvious though heh. And I also greatly appreciate the recognition that Vivia really does care about his appearance despite his 'laziness'. His hedonistic lifestyle includes his own attire, wearing whatever he pleases no matter the effort! Like I've preached before, Vivia has the energy, he just prefers to use it only when necessary.

Thank you for the TED talk *golf claps*

[oh-boy-me]

Casual Outfits Discussed

@themarchinghare Ok >:3c

These hot takes analyses and opinions are based entirely on the concept art of the demon brothers’ casual outfits.  So any in-game features not present in the concept art aren’t discussed.  We’re looking at the outfit as a whole, but occasionally we do talk about individual features.

Also please don’t take this seriously, we just had a lot of fun shitting on the Seven Power Avatars of Sin, Rulers of Hell Itself™’s questionable fashion sense.  I would still die for these boys, terrible taste in shoes or not.

Participants in the discussion were

Jo ( @jodaneko ), my roommate and an art major with storyboarding and character design experience

Justin ( @justinlester0629​ ), my go-to fashion expert for at least a decade and very possibly a future male model

Noodle (Me), untrained eye and resident fashion decade disregarder

With the exception of a few choice quotes, our thoughts and conclusions are all mixed in with each other.  Quotes are mildly paraphrased.

Lucifer:

The colors are good; the blacks and grays are all in the blue-gray family, and there’s a pop of color with the gold belt and red vest.

But he paired a black suit with brown shoes????  SIN

“You should always match your belt with your shoes and those shoes are not gold.” —Justin

Justin on the coat: “I love it, the pattern of the inner lining is throwing me off but it’s not bad, and the fur is perfect because it’s associated with power.”

Me on the coat: “I don’t know about you but I bet that coat looks dumb as shit if you put your sleeves through it.”

WITHOUT the coat though his cuffs scream “I am dealing for blackjack and rolling craps.”  Lucifer looks like he could walk into and out of a casino whenever he pleases and everyone would assume he works there.

“Dress shirts don’t work like that.  He got a size too big.” —Jo

The belt isn’t doing anything functionally, but it’s very important because it balances things out from being too top-heavy.

Out of the belt, shirt cuffs, and coat cuffs, two of them should have matched.

We’re nitpicking because in general it’s a good design.  Lucifer has no taste in shoes but that aside is capable of dressing himself.

Mammon:

“That’s western Danny Phantom if I’ve ever seen it.” —Justin

Very nice coat 10/10 would wear.

The colors are odd, he mixes black and brown too, but the other colors mixed in makes it work in a cute way.

“The only things that clash are the shirt and jeans, he could replace the gray shirt with either a black one or a lighter one to match the boots.” —Justin

He’s got a cat toy on his belt.  I admire his preparedness for feline encounters.

The cat toy also balances out his rings nicely, since the toy is on his left hip and the rings are on his right hand.

The yellows in the shades, belt, and cat toy are placed very nicely and are the best part of the outfit.

Honestly except for the shirt color and the fact that fur-lined boots are out of style we don’t have much bad to say about his design.  Mammon’s casual outfit lives up to his model career.

Leviathan:

“Ugh, god.” —Justin

The headphones don’t match with anything, and ever color he’s wearing is so bright they REALLY don’t match.

Headphones aside he chose ok colors to supersaturate, but also like, supersaturation is very very loud.

It kind of looks like he bought two different tracksuits and forgot they were two different outfits.

The pants don’t match themselves.

“He color coordinated his pant cuffs and his shirt and thinks it makes it ok.” —Jo

The jacket itself is nice, the pins are really good and I appreciate that they’re opposite the stripes in his shirt.

Justin hates the gray stripe though because it looks like either part of the jacket or a girl scout sash.

“That shirt should not be collared.” —Jo

“The shoes look like what Kanye West would design but if they were sold on Wish.” —Justin

It’s kind of just… he took the RGB color wheel and went with it.  It’s just loud.  If he just changed some colors he’d be fine.  Leviathan please I have hope for you.

Satan:

“He looks like a gay prep school person.” —Justin

Satan wore 100 shades of green and said “yes this is peak fashion.”  And you know what, it objectively sucks but I’m kind of living for it?

Rip off jeans that can’t actually be ripped off because of the VERY stylish belt?  Iconic.

Green deep v-neck sweater over a gradient t-shirt and a jacket with the sleeves too short, this man only shops at Goodwill.

The one-shoulder jacket look gives the outfit some personality and I’m really glad he isn’t wearing it properly because looking at it alone I wouldn’t be caught dead in that jacket.

“While good for the design, it’s a mix between business and athletic and I’m not sure how I feel about that.” —Jo

(Jo also said some jackets are designed with sleeves like that but with the color choices it’s just… not good.  Justin pointed out that the sweater and jacket do match though.)

The chocolate loafer-style shoes take away from the rest of the outfit.

“Any other shade of green besides Crayola green would have been better for his nails.” —Justin

Listen it’s so bad it’s good, Satan’s fashion sense is “blue-green.”  We basically ripped into it the whole time but I’m pretty sure it was the universal favorite.

Asmodeus:

“Just from the back he looks like a cool dude and then the front of him screams douche.” —Jo

Asmo’s outfit is actually ok, but he has one fatal flaw: If he takes off his jacket it’s way too plain, but with the jacket it’s kind of too much.

It’s also kind of confusing, because it looks both casual and formal from different angles.  “I’m not sure I like the cut in the front with the t-shirt showing underneath.” —Justin

The shirt is nice but a color that contrasted his skin more would have been nice.

The pants are killer, and the white stitching matches the jacket really well.

The gold accents on the jacket are also good and would match the belt really nicely if the belt wasn’t some ugly mustard color.

This boy is wearing mustard belt and ketchup pants.

Inoffensive shoes which is really the best I can ask for with these boys.

“The scarf.  I like it, but I’m not sure how I feel about it because there’s just so much going on with both it and the jacket.” —Justin

“That’s not a scarf, it’s too long.  It’s like.  A really long strip of cloth.” —Jo

Anyway all in all there’s a little much going on in the front but it’s one of the better looks, good job Asmo.

Beelzebub:

Justin looked at the picture and immediately put his phone down.

“First impression is he looks like Naruto if he got his head lodged in Doritos.” —Justin

“He looks like he’s the carpet of the arcade portion of a skating rink.” —Jo

“He shouldn’t be wearing orange tones.” —Justin

Legitimately we were at a loss for words for a considerable time.  We just kept staring at it.

To start he’s got a lot going on but it feels like he looked in the mirror before leaving his room.  Not saying he did the best job but at least he looked at himself.

The jacket alone is great, but why is it fur-lined?  It throws off the urban design.

But finally some good fucking shirt.  We have mixed opinions on the triangles (I like them, Justin doesn’t but appreciates that the pattern continues on the back) but all like the cut.

Living for the necklace-bracelet combo.

Jo says the biggest problem is that there’s color-matching but in weird places and not enough of it.

Jo hates the pink belt and Justin hates the green suspenders; we concluded that one of them should have been excluded.

His choice in sneakers is not as bad as Levi’s but still not very good.  The laces shouldn’t be green.

This sounds like a lot of complaining but if he cleaned up the belts and ditched the fur it’d be a fine look.

Belphegor:

“Oh shit oh god.” —Justin

“The top half is for sleeping and the bottom half is for riding.” —Jo

Absolutely disgusting, mustard yellow pants tucked into brown lace-up combat boots?  Disgusting.

The shoes alone are nice but the mustard pants don’t work at all.  There’s no cutoff between blue and mustard.

Also he has really broad shoulders, just noticed that looking at this.  That has nothing to do with this but it does affect how his cardigan sits on him.

I personally would wear that cardigan, a hooded cardigan?  Everything I’ve ever wanted.

Justin pointed out that the button lining is weird, and the inside is a weird contrast with the pocket.  He’s right, but I think it’s an endearing mess.

Why do I look at him and feel like he needs to do laundry?  I think it’s the t-shirt.  It would have been better as a collared shirt, taking the hood off the cardigan in return.

You can’t convince me the avatar of sloth laces those boots every day, he sleeps with his shoes on and that’s a worse sin than sloth.

“The pillow’s not part of the outfit?  Oh thank god.” —Justin

Jo said we were being too mean and that it’s not the worst outfit out there, and from the waist up they’re right.

But damn Belphegor the condiment war called and they want the bottom half of their uniform back.

[zuzuslastbraincell]

Ty Lee or the Duke, whichever you prefer (or even a combo of the two) for the headcanon ask

I don’t have any thoughts about the Duke so I’m going to go for five more Ty Lee headcanons.

I feel like Ty Lee’s feelings for Azula and Mai go in different directions across the series.

1. For Azula: I imagine she starts out super close to Azula and Azula’s favourite and she likes that because she’s been picked first for once and just goes along with everything because she’s been chosen and feels special. But it becomes more difficult, especially as Azula begins catching feelings for her childhood friend, and Ty Lee feels like she has to accommodate those feelings without really having the space to process exactly how she feels about Azula - because I imagine she doesn’t really know? There’s too many pressures on her to really parse it. And then Azula pressures her into joining her for her Avatar Hunt, and Azula’s gotten worse and it all feels wrong now and what could-have-been has become something she’s not comfortable with and she’s walking a tightrope the whole time. (Maybe in another universe where Azula wasn’t the princess she might feel the same, but I think in another universe their friendship would be entirely different.)

2. For Mai: Meanwhile, I imagine Ty Lee always thought Mai was beautiful (and maybe had an initial infatuation with, a little) but a bit cold, at first, and very much saw Mai as someone who turned her nose down at her at first, and Ty Lee resented that, but because she was Azula’s chosen as well, they ended up trying to get along, and had a slightly rocky start to their relationship at first. I really like the idea that they didn’t quite understand each other at first but actually only got really close during their time Avatar Hunting, and began to understand each other’s way of being, their outlook, I think Mai realised Ty Lee was in some ways as cynical as her, and began to understand each other’s language, so to speak. I like to imagine Ty Lee ended up staying at Mai’s while in the Caldera during the first half of S3 because she didn’t want to go home, and by the end of the series was the person she was closest to. If they’d been thrown in the same prisons I imagine they would have finished up as partners, maybe (dependent on Mai and Zuko really). Although, honestly, I like the tension of Mai and Ty Lee as ‘we could have dated but we never did for various circumstance reasons and now our lives are in completely different places’.

Basically, I love the messiness of a situation where Azula has a big crush on Ty Lee, Ty Lee has a slight crush on Mai, and Mai has a maybe imagined crush on either Azula or Zuko (and perhaps she herself is not sure which - and it might be because she’s expected to crush that she does, I like the idea that expectations and actual desires have become muddied somewhat for Mai). Each crush is different in nature (I like the idea of Ty Lee always liking Mai but thinking Mai never would consider it / care / ever like her, and just dismisses the idea, so when they become close during Avatar Hunting it’s too good to be true (for a lot of reasons) and Ty Lee is like ‘well Azula likes me so I can’t be too close with you’ and it’s MESSY.  

3. Ty Lee puts stickers on literally everything you can imagine because she can. She likes to collect cute sets of stickers but also weird sets of stickers and put things with clashing styles and colours together. I can also see Ty Lee as someone who does her own unique nail art on each finger, with little glittery stickers or different shades of nail polish in patterns, but either ends up biting them short out of nervousness or else clips half of them short so she can do gymnastics and art and whatever other hands-on things she does with her hands, so she definitely does not have the classic rich bitch nails look that Azula and Mai have.

4. Ty Lee customises her Kyoshi Uniform. She likes to collect and decorate her hair ribbons so they’re unique, and often likes to put flowers into her pocket (which leads to a trend of girls trying to date her giving her lots of different unique flowers haha). She also wears pink sneakers underneath her Kyoshi Warrior uniform. Of course it’s short enough that you can see her pink shoes but does she care? Absolutely not. I also think Ty Lee likes to doodle on her shoes with metallic markers and each shoe does not match. She’s known as a little bit of an oddball and an eccentric but she’s very much loved for it.

5. Okay this is silly but you know the dance arcade game Dance Dance Revolution? Ty Lee absolutely kills at that game. Like, ‘could plausibly go to tournaments and win’ level of good. I think it actually frustrates Azula how good she is at the game - she often tries to compete with Ty Lee (and Ty Lee actually has to play worse for it to be competitive, which just irritates Azula further).

(For the record: Mai refuses to play, she thinks it’s lame. Zuko also refuses to play at first because he thinks it’s too girly, but is pressured into playing it and he’s actually really good? Not Ty Lee level of good, but like, surprisingly decent. He does well in co-op with Ty Lee actually - and Ty Lee actually enjoys playing co-op with him - although they only do that when Azula wasn’t around, because the last time she convinced Zuko to play DDR while Azula was there the two siblings ended up playing several rounds of hotly competitive versus which Azula only really won by throwing Zuko off his game by making comments and goading him and trying to get him to lose his temper and it lead to the machine almost getting destroyed.

Ty Lee also introduces the game to Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors and they have a great time. Suki replaces Zuko as Ty Lee’s favourite co-op partner after that even though Suki isn’t initially as good - she learns to get better though :).)

[style-beat-webzine]

How to style a bold print skirt 6 ways

I bought this skirt at the beginning of quarantine (March 2020), which is probably a likely story for most of us, for me I find comfort in new purchases. The real reason we’re buying so much shit in quarantine is because we need some control in our lives, and that’s okay at least we got some cute things, right?! I bought this skirt on sale so I didn’t feel too guilty about the purchase and knew I had a few ways in which I would style it once it was mine. If you’re like me the bolder the print the better, but if you’re not like me and want to venture out with trying to wear something out of your comfort zone, I’ve got you covered. I think a bold skirt would be the perfect item to start with if you’ve been wanting to try something new with your style. Skirts are easy to style with pieces you probably already own. A bold pattern on any article of clothing makes that piece the “stand out” item of the outfit, the showstopper if you will. Here are a few of my favorite ways to wear a bold print skirt and why I think the outfit works so seamlessly, so here we go!!

1. Band tee styling

I think a band tee is super universal on how you can wear it, styled up or styled down it’s definitely a wardrobe staple. That's why it makes pairing it with a bold print skirt such an easy-breezy combo, it’s simple but fancy. Depending on how you accessorize you can wear it to a party with heeled boots, or honestly anything platform would be cool,( but that’s my humble opinion.)  In the photograph, I styled it like I would if I was wearing it to a day of school, or somewhere casual. My one suggestion for causal dressing is to wear comfortable shoes, NO HIGH HEELS!! Or wear them if you dare I’d make sure it’s something easy to walk in, but that’s just me. As you can see I’m wearing my dirty checkered slip-on Vans because they are comfortable to walk in. I guess that’s the point I’m trying to get at, is just make sure it’s something you’re ok to spend the whole day in. If you're like me you’ll get super lucky that the only classes you need will be across campus from one another and be back to back haha, but for your sake I hope that’s not the case!!

    2. Mixing prints in a sneaky stylish striped kind of way

If you love mixing prints then I hope you find some inspo from this outfit, but if you’re not familiar with mixing prints and feel the urge to try it out then this combo is an easy one to pull off. It’ll make you feel funky too, in a good way!! For me a black and white striped shirt is an essential item in my wardrobe because it’s so versatile. A stripe shirt is also easy to pair with a bold print making the outfit look effortless, but fashionable. Throw on a solid color blazer or cardigan and you’re good to go. For the shoes I chose to go with a pair of mint faux crocodile skin square toed boots. When stying this outfit I wanted to mix colors as well as prints, but if you’re not feeling like that’s your cup of tea that is quite alright, just put on a neutral color cardigan as well as neutral color shoes. If you’re like my mom and have to have things matching you can match your cardigan with your shoes to make sure at least something is matching. This look will be the perfect school or work outfit that doesn’t feel to restricting, or over the top.

    3. Solid shirt styling

This type of styling is simplistic, but looks very put together and requires minimal effort, doesn’t that sound fantastic?! You can wear this combination to a casual gathering or for a day of classes. Just throw on some flat shoes such as tennis shoes, mules, ballet flats, and you catch my drift. Then after a day of classes or if you just want to spruce it up for a night out you can toss on a pair of fun shoes!! For the picture I decided to pair olive green platform sandals with a fuzzy vest, and a bold statement necklace. If you know me you know how much I love playing with colors especially in my outfits. This look satisfies that love of playful color mixing with the pastel pink of the skirt, the faded blue t-shirt and olive green shoes, eeeekkkk I’m in love!! Have fun with your outfits, play around with mixing different things and see how you feel after you’ve tried it all on together, remember your clothes should make YOU feel fabulous :)

     4. Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl styling

Do you ever buy an item of clothing because you fall in love with it at the store then later realize it was because you binged half of a series on netflix the night before? Yup, hello it’s me, I subconsciously bought this burnt orange (in some lighting a deep red) blazer because of the Duke of Hastings :)

heart eye emoji, amiright? After not only lusting over Simon, but his blazer I knew I wanted something of the sort in my wardrobe. To my lucky stars I found one that resembled his on the clearance rack at my local Target. I’m so smitten with those puff sleeves :) and the frickin’ color, come on, it’s a perfect design!! This outfit gives me Gossip Girl in the 70s feels, and I’m so here for it. This outfit works because the main focus will be on the bold print skirt. The other articles of clothing are just to accentuate the skirt. I don’t know why but I love the color combo of pinks and reds or in this case an orangish-red color together!! The darker hue of the blazer makes the lighter pink stand out. I just put a cream color blouse with fishnet tights and some chunky boots to complete this look. This could be an outfit for work or a nice dinner out with the girls :)  

    5. Andy Warhol’s Factory Girl styling

(Sorry the photo is such shit, I’m currently using an iPhone 8 and the quality sucks, broke girl problems. Although, I do love the blurriness of the image, but know others are probably hating it haha oh well.) Moving on, I just had to put an over the top outfit onto this list. This outfit was inspired by my daydreams of being one of Andy Warhol's fashionable friends at his famous Factory (his art studio) in New York City. It’s definitely the silver boots that’s giving off those Factory vibes, isn’t?! To be honest this outfit would’ve been something I would’ve worn to a day of classes, just because I’m extra af. Remember earlier in the post when I said to play around with mixing your clothes to get fun funky ensembles? This outfit was a result of playing around with clashing prints because I knew I wanted to mix some  bold prints for this post haha. I mean would it have been a fashion post from me without prints clashing?  To quote some lyrics by Gary Clark Jr, this outfit “got me feelin’ like a million bucks.” There’s something powerful and transforming when you wear bold prints together. For me it feels like I can take on the world :) never underestimate the way your clothes make you feel. 

     6. Sweatshirt styling

You’ve gotta rep the biggest city near you, especially if it’s Chicago!! I was a kid in the 90s so I remember the later years of the Chicago Bulls victories. I randomly got the idea to put this Bulls sweatshirt with this skirt while laying in bed one morning. And let me tell you, I’m so happy I did because I’m in love with red and pink together as I mentioned earlier. Of course I had to throw on a faux fur leopard coat for good measure and to get my little fix of mixing prints. Color me in love :) Not to mention how warm this outfit is which is perfect for these Chicago winters that visit us every year and always seem to over stay their welcome. For bragging rights, I thrifted that Bulls sweatshirt and got that baby for $2, what a deal!! This is another easy outfit you can put together for a cold winter day. Just add any sweatshirt you’d like to a skirt. I tucked mine in, but if you left it untucked the outfit would still work. I felt this outfit needed a pair of shoes that weren’t loud and in your face, so I went with a solid color that was also a neutral.  

That’s all I’ve got for this post, I hope you enjoyed it. I plan to make some more of these in the future. I had a lot of fun styling one piece from my wardrobe to make 6 different outfits, I’d say that’s a bang for your buck. It also makes the purchase worth every penny!! Until next time you little rockers, enjoy your moment and have fun creating your story.

Sincerely,

Michelle 

[kog0ruhn]

Lair Review: Desmodium (302820)

This has been a long time coming because I’ve been having the hardest time concentrating, and for that, I am sorry. I have literally had the thumbnails for my choices sitting here in my review folder for twenty-one days.

That said, the fact that I’ve taken so long is all the more reason for me to forego the Top 5 request you sent and bulk that shit up to a top ten because goddamn son, your lair is smokin’. You have some of the most vivid, unique, varied dragons I’ve seen with some of the cleverest apparel combos, beautiful color combinations, and in-your-face personalities that I have ever seen. Diversity is the spice of life and your lair needs a menu warning because it’s up there with the Carolina Reaper.

Also, I’m doing this for free because I am an asshole.

Lyani was the first dragon in my lair that I selected, a nice and sleek astronomer with a mystical, ethereal vibe that just draws her to my attention. I’m typically not a huge fan of dragons who are too “flat” in terms of color, but in the case of Lyani, it pays off in spades. How her skin and her apparel match up is absolutely divine, and the lighter blues of her grasp match up majestically with her Lightning eyes. Everything about her is soft and “deep” looking, bringing to mind staring into deep water or blank twilight skies, and she’s simultaneously unnerving and relaxing to look at. I always feel like picking a dragon off the first row is cheating, but this lady is right in the spotlight where she needs to be.

Ripley is unique in a lot of ways, with touches here and there that immediately make him an attention grabber. Firstly, he rocks those flowing silks and that gown way better than I ever thought such a bulky dragon would, with a soft and elegant touch that just screams sophistication. His accent, being more bluish-green, helps tie together his bright Wind eyes with his more watery/shadowy colors, and I love his smoke gene (which I never thought I’d say about a dragon) and how it seems to glow and build from said accent. All and all, he’s probably my favorite, fullstop, and I hope he keeps being amazing in your lair.

Mesarthim is a walking dragon kaleidoscope, with beautiful natural colors and flowing genes that are complemented by his apparel and accent. Typically, I’d find such a dragon cluttered, but for whatever reason everything just seems so appropriately chaotic. The color coordination is on point, and the use of the more primastic touches help tie in colors on his apparel that just otherwise wouldn’t give, and help the purple of his shardhide and sage apparel clash less obviously with his darker blues. The layering is actually impressively done, and I like how you’ve managed to make it look like the shadhide and crystalhide are one and the same, extensions of his being that taper off and meld into his accent.

I was hesitant to pick Valeraine because she’s in your Hibernal Den, in a section marked “Guest Rooms.” I figured that meant that you were holding her for somebody or she was a traveling dragon (addendum after this was originally written: She’s still there 20 days later so I guess she’s a permanent fixture??), but I can’t not pick something so beautiful. First of all, you have managed to use ringlets in a way that isn’t obnoxious, and have utilized her apparel to cover up more problematic areas in a way that made me bewildered about how she was using Shining Peacock Feathers as an accent. Her colors are gorgeous, he genes are beautiful, her apparel is elegant, and she has a beautiful but cutting appearance that makes me think femme fatale. 

SommerRegen is another Hibernal Den dragon I couldn’t pass up, with beautiful colors, genes, and a lot of personality in a tiny package. I’m usually no fan of just cramming festival apparel on a dragon and then calling it a day, but I have not seen it look so cohesive on a dragon before. This is helped entirely by the stained glass appearance of her Bee gene and her beautiful secondary and tertiary gene, with a nice, dark primary to help colors pop. I’m also a huge fan of the little corn snake peeking out just above her scarf, and the layering of her mask and lantern so that there seems to be more wisps that usual emanating from the lantern itself. It’s a nice way to detract from the normally weird way the smoke from the mask typically curls around the wing.

Azar is fuckin’ gorgeous. This is despite his troublesome tertiary color which, honestly, I’m surprised you made such good use of. He now has a bit of the same color scheme as the haunted flame candles, only subtle enough to not detract from the beautiful, night sky aesthetic that he has going on. The wisps of black from his hand/feet apparel add an air of etherealism to him, and I cannot think of a more fitting dragon to wear that accent than this beautiful boy with his perfectly matching midnight starmap.

I... don’t remember Elif from my first sweep through your lair, but when I was going through for five extra to add, she immediately stood out. That filigree with that accent and those cyan NoN apparel bits? That is absolutely spot-on. I love how her tert flows into the blues of her accent and, with the aquatic aesthetic she has going, the smoke from her feet just seems to be whorls of water floating up from beneath her toes. The gold chains of her jewelry add enough warmth to detract away from the reds in her filigree, and all in all she’s a beauty to look at.

Iseya is a simple dragon, but I got an appreciation for simple as much as I have an appreciation for snappers. First of all, I love the fact she’s simple; the single mantle keeps her from looking bare while, at the same time, not covering up her tertiary or her accent. The accent itself is adorable and matches surprisingly well with her noxtide, and gives her firefly gene a bit of life that firefly usually lacks. Essentially, it looks like those beautiful little bugs are interacting with the succulents themselves and that is just straight-up adorable. She’s just such a happy, cute, and calming dragon to look at, and well-thought-out to boot.

Rashad is a boy that I wanted to pick for my original Top 5, but he didn’t make the cut against SommerRegen. Now that I have the chance to include him, holy smokes is this guy a beaut. Everything about him is just so perfectly laid out, from the coordination of his colors to helping integrate his accent into the rest of him with the use of the amber NotN apparel, which shares the same vividness. The Crystalcourt apparel looks like it was made with this dragon in mind, and that ghost gene? Everyone loves a good ghost gene, and the blueish tint (rather than the more neutral colors folks lean toward) was a wonderful choice for him (I say like you picked the color, but you know what I mean... I hope).

And last and not least is Hades who I, well, I’m honestly surprised I like as much as I do. I’m usually not a fan of busy dragons and this guy keeps your eyes going constantly from nose to tail tip. I think what won me over is just how freakin’ fantastic that accent looks on him, how the colors and the patterning add to his lionfish gene and natural patterning/coloration instead of detracting. There’s no need to cover up problem areas because it all creates this wonderful pattern that brings to mind polished, striated stone. And considering his name is Hades, that’s very suiting. Ghostly colors like a king of the underworld should have, and a nice, mineral look to coincide with the fact the mythological figure governed precious stones and mineral wealth as well. He’s a great dragon!