#It's actually kind of uncanny how similar these two are

[pruneunfair]

"Maybe in another universe, I wouldn't be abandoned and abused by almost everyone in my life and suffering at the hands of wealthy men."

The other universe:

[flippinpancakes64]

How would the Cullens react when they meet a human with their last name who physically resembles them too much? And when they investigate it they realize that it is some kind of granddaughter or niece, And who is your only living relative?

I really love your writings!!!

The Cullens with a Relative! Reader

Thank you so much for the kind words!

This story is obv going to be with a platonic reader so just know that. And don’t come at me for the ages or specifics for family relations. I did not think about it so uhm… just get creative!

Thank you for requesting and I hope you enjoy!

Edward:

His original name was Edward Anthony Masen Jr

Masen is not an incredibly common last name

So when the Cullens show up to a new school and he sees you, reddish hair and defined jawline with his last name, he gets a bit suspicious

He starts combing through every newspaper article and obituary he could

He eventually traces you back to his mother’s cousin

He has no clue what to do with this information

Eventually, he gets closer to you, helping you with school stuff, inviting you over to the Cullen house

After a while, he tells you about how you’re related

Which also means telling you about vampires

You take it all surprisingly well

Your family never knew what happened to Edward

The story had always been that him and his mother had died in the hospital but his body had gotten lost somewhere in the process

You’re also so happy to find another “living” relative

Y’all become best buddies

He’s happy to find out that you also love to play the piano

Family bonding ❤️

Alice:

Her name was originally Mary Alice Brandon

So it’s not like a super uncommon last name

She’s met people with the same last name as her before

But none of them looked so similar to her as you did

The small stature, dark brown hair, and striking similarity to her personality

She had seen a vision of you not too long ago

It was nothing special, just you and Alice going out shopping and hanging out

She didn’t know who you were at the time or what your significance was, but now she’s sure that you have to be related somehow

She talked to you for a bit, pretending to just want to make small talk

Eventually, you got to the part of your family tree where your great-great-great grandma was Alice’s sister, Cynthia

You, again, had heard stories about your great-great-grandma’s sister who went crazy and eventually died

And here she was, right in front of you, definitely not crazy

You two became inseparable

Going shopping together, watching movies, going to every class together, everything

Alice is so happy to finally have a piece of her family

She’s always been so upset that she can’t remember any of her human life

Being around you makes her feel more connected to that part of herself that she can’t remember

Jasper:

His name is definitely one of the most original ones

Jasper Whitlock (no middle name mentioned sorry yall)

He has never, in his almost 200 years of living, ever met someone with the same last name as him

So he’s already a little sus when he hears your name

And then of course the blonde hair and the piercing (scary) eyes, the resemblance is uncanny

He’s more hesitant to talk to you at first

He does all of his research online

He starts with his younger sister, and from there he follows her bloodline and finds you at the very end

He also sees that everyone else in your family is dead

Your parents died not too long ago, and you’re living with some family friends now

He feels really bad, so even though he knows he shouldn’t, he starts to get closer to you

You start to get your own suspicions when you start to notice how similar he is to you, too

The more quiet, reserved personality

The love for Alice

Alice ends up being the one to tell you that you guys are actually related

You’re so happy to have someone from your family again, even if he is your great-great-great-great-great granduncle

Your favorite thing to do with Jasper is just to sort of coexist

He sits on the couch reading a book and you sit on the other side crocheting while a movie plays

Rosalie:

Her name was originally Rosalie Lillian Hale

She’s one of the few who kept her last name while pretending to be human

She might have met a couple of people with the same last name as her

But to be honest she does not pay attention to the humans at the school

She’s not too fond of them anyway so why would she care

But one day she passively noticed the sub teacher call your name during attendance

And then she really looked at you

Blonde hair, strikingly good looks, beauty mark, and a constantly annoyed look on your face

Instantly, you reminded her of one of her little brothers, and when she got home that night she did some digging

She hadn’t thought about her family in so long, it was very bittersweet for her to look back through all of the obituaries, marriage licenses, birth certificates, everything

Everything she was supposed to be a part of

But now you’re here, and she wants to get to know you

Instantly, she takes on the older sister role for you

You two hit it off instantly

Bonding quickly over your hate for stupid people and your love for cars

She asks you so many questions about your family, what everyone was like, how everyone died

She’s so sad that she didn’t keep up to date with any of this stuff

But of course, before the internet it was really difficult to

When she learns that the rest of your family is dead, she begs Carlisle to take you in

She feels such a maternal instinct for you, even if you’re the “same age”

She wants you to be safe

And she wants you near her

You’re family after all, and that’s all she’s ever wanted

Emmett:

His name was Emmett McCarty

Again, not a super common one but not like super uncommon either

He has never noticed if anyone else had the same last name as him

And he didn’t even really notice you either

Rosalie was the one who pointed you out, and that’s when he saw the similarities

Same last name, dimples, dark brown reddish hair, super tall

He just approached you straight up

“Hey. McCarty was my last name before Dr Cullen adopted me and we look pretty similar, who’s your dad?”

Just super blunt about it

He’s curious, so why would he beat around the bush?

Together, you two trace your family tree back to one of Emmett’s younger brothers

And of course, he has to drop the news that he’s a vampire then

You two are attached at the hip after that though

You both love to go outside and run around, he loves to play wrestle with you

You’re like having one of his siblings back

It’s nice for him

Canonically, he watched over his family for a while after he was turned and asked Carlisle to drop some money off for them

So he obviously cared about them a lot

So he’s happy to have a piece of them back

He’s not happy that the rest of your family is dead, though

He is moving you into the Cullen house instantly

You’re his family, family watches out for each other

No way he’s letting you live in a foster home or orphanage

Esme:

Her name was Esme Anne Platt

Another one that’s pretty uncommon

But when she first sees you, he mind doesn’t immediately go to you maybe being related to her

She sees the similarities, the dark brown hair, the nose shape, the face shape

But she doesn’t necessarily connect it

After all, she didn’t have any siblings or any kids, so realistically her blood should have ended with her

But after a while of getting to know you, the similarities just become too much

She ends up looking into her father’s side of the family and finds that he had a brother she had never met

And of course, it traced back to you

Making her your seventh cousin or something

She doesn’t know what to do with this information

Similar to Rosalie, she’s always wanted a family

She was never able to have that, and as far as she knew, the rest of her family died a long time ago

She’s stuck between wanting to be close to you, to tell you the truth, but also not wanting to put you in danger

She remembers all too well the danger that Bella was in just because she was close to the Cullens

The idea of putting her own flesh and blood in danger scares her

I feel like it would have to be extreme circumstances for her to do anything

Maybe the foster family you’re staying with is pretty abusive or you’re about to die or something

Only then would she tell you

Selfishly, she wants to turn you

She loves you so much, you’re like a sibling or niece/nephew to her, she just wants you to be safe

And she can’t imagine living without you anymore

Carlisle:

His name is just Carlisle Cullen

Keeping it simple

Cullen is not a very common last name, but at the same time, he’s been so many places and met so many people

The chances are pretty high that he’s met someone with the same last name as him

But he can instantly tell there’s something different about you

Blonde hair, blue eyes, square jaw, and affinity for helping people

Not to mention that you remind him so much of his aunt on his father’s side

It’s easy for him to do the research into your past

He’s pretty good with that kind of stuff

He does end up tracing you back to that aunt, and he’s so happy

He never had any siblings (that we know of), his mother died during childbirth, and his father would have been more than ready to kill him

So he never got to feel very close to his family

He sees you as an opportunity to do that

He doesn’t tell you outright who he is to you

He prefers to just hang out with you

Showing you around the clinic, taking you into town, giving you life lessons that your father might have not done

I can see him taking on a fatherly role for you

He would be perfectly content with never telling you

The only time he would would be if you were on the verge of death and he turned you

He would be secretly so happy

He has come to love you over the months/years since he’s known you

You are his family, flesh and blood, and he doesn’t want to leave you

Yippee for family

Vampire! Bella:

Isabella Marie Swan

Talk about a weird last name

She’s never met anyone else with it

Admittedly, she hasn’t been around for too long, but still

So she’s shocked when she sees you for the first time, dark brown hair, brown eyes, perpetual look of discomfort

She almost doesn’t believe it

But then she does the mental gymnastics

Charlie’s brother who died forever ago, his kids, you’re probably one of their kids

Making her your second cousin

The smallest age gap here tbh

Nice change of pace

She also doesn’t know what to do now

She’s socially awkward enough as is

She can’t even begin to think of how to approach you with this

“Hey, did you have a grandpa who died before you were born in a motorcycle accident? Cause if so then I’m your cousin!”

Like yeah no she’ll pass

She can’t stay away from you for too long though

You guys are so similar

Similar tastes, dislikes, personalities, senses of humor

She loves hanging out with you

She doesn’t want to tell you about her being a vampire or about her relation to you, but eventually it just comes out

Oops

Oh well

She’s not mad about it

Now she can spend forever with you

[b1asho]

Say hello to Azel, a muttreazik who i designed randomly a while ago and then got brain rotted with. Here, I wanted to figure out what he’s looked like through the years (and kind of draw what he looks like now ha) ; it’s pretty much been downhill from his illegal natural birth on a small remote farm.

Transcribed handwriting after some fun facts:

Azel is what happens to most E congruency muttreazik, meaning that he's an outcast that many people find frightening and dangerous.

Many muttreazik like him have similar life experiences, but his was a lot rougher and took a sharper turn into the “I will play the part of the monstrous outcast” thing because of his body plan, which is uncomfortable at best and freakish at worst (an X-ray of what his internal organs look like would not be pretty, stuck between the layout of a bird, human, and some type of canine) , with the cherry on top being his massive size and capacity to throw a large chunk of metal at you with his mind

Other fun facts:

he has a sword that he carries around that he made in the ‘forest beast 20s’ era, only because he didnt know how to make a gun)

His wings are completely useless for flight (not that the rest of his body is adapted to that anyway) and can only make his jumps a little more impressive.

Up until recently, he had never really seen or even heard of the xenos before. It was a bit of a shock running into someone that wasn't a human or muttreazik (and in the case of Prectikar, someone who's as tall as him)

He doesn't specifically use "he" as a pronoun, but he arbitrarily likes it better than she or they.

Due to several factors (namely his muzzle, tongue, and dog-like airway) he can't actually speak human languages well, if at all.

He's an obligate carnivore, which with his current living situation is like a sqeamish wolf trying to survive in the suburbs

His best friend is fellow low-congruency societal reject Lewis, who he calls coyote on account of his face's uncanny resemblance to one. They met when he saved Lewis from getting mugged, and after which Lewis helped him out with the pesky gunshot wound he'd sustained from a farm a couple miles over. You can see the doodlebob Lewis right at the end there.

Starting at the first drawing and going to the left:

'Newborn (human-baby sized)

3 y.o. (about the size of a Rottweiler) -raised out with the animals, kicked off the farm when he started trying to talk

10 y.o. (when "standing" he's as tall as an adult human) pointing to the jacket on lower torso 'only this part of his torso will fit human clothes' 'like this'

- trying to figure out what he is, under care of a stray welfare organization-rapidly developing mancer abilities-inability to read, write, or talk in human tones causes repeated problems (he can understand peopls,though(. Combined with his appearance and abilities, he is not popular

Teens -now larger than most adults- withdrawing further from society due to repeated bad experiences in the city. Now living on the outskirts. -taking some work as a mancer from anyone who will talk to him (some crime involved)- still trying to fit in, losing hope

The 20s (?) - has finally stopped growing (unfortunately still at "giant monster" size). - fully a hermit, getting into constant conflict now with civilization and other rural muttreazik.-lost sense of self, abandons trying to act like a person to the people who don't see him as one.

-> two normal depressed best friends. Present: -a bit older (he doesn't remember)-has a friend, and fewer run-ins with literal torches and pitchforks

[aamputation]

SVSSS AU ... Benevolent System 0.5

Shen Yuan | [1st][2nd][3rd][4th][6th]

The Warm Red Pavilion is an oasis of warmth and indulgence for those who have grown weary from the ruthless demands of the real world. Shen Qingqiu has visited the brothel on many occasions, though never for the pleasures most come here for. Instead, he seeks something far more elusive—a moment of peace, a brief respite from the crushing weight of his responsibilities as Peak Lord of Qing Jing. While his trips here make most believe him to be some kind of womanizing scum, he doesn’t care enough to disabuse anyone of that notion. He doesn't trust many people—especially not men—and has long since learned to avoid intimacy in favor of calm companionship with his many jiejiemen and meimeimen. The matron of the brothel has known him for a long time, and all of her girls call him A-Jiu, despite his status. It’s… a relief, to be welcomed as nothing but himself when he comes here, poor temperament and all.

This visit, he finds himself sitting in a private room, sipping a fragrant tea while engaging in casual conversation with a few of his meimeimen. The company is pleasant as always, the atmosphere relaxed, and the dim lights cast an almost ethereal glow over the room, perfect for hiding his tired eyes. His jiejiemen will be by later, with their instruments, to lull him to a peaceful slumber.

The door to his room opens unceremoniously, stirring him from his moment of calm and alarming his meimeimen, who scurry back into the more shadowed corners of the room. Shen Qingqiu's sharp gaze flicks up, prepared to dismiss yet another intruder, when he freezes.

The man standing in the doorway is... him.

Shen Qingqiu blinks, his composure faltering for a split second. He has no time for doppelgangers—and certainly not here, in his safe haven.

But, no, actually, that’s not quite right. This is someone who looks almost exactly like him.

Because upon closer inspection, while still handsome with similar sharp features, the interloper in the doorway is overall softer than Shen Qingqiu, despite bearing the same air of quiet authority that Shen Qingqiu wears like armor. The differences become blatantly obvious the more he stares at this doppelganger, as the man in the doorway is shorter than he is, maybe a cun or two below Shen Qingqiu’s height. He has actually lopped off his hair, the ends coming to rest just below his chin while the rest is tied back with a ribbon and informal guan. He wears modest robes of only three noticeable layers, which—were it not for how immaculately clean the man is—would make Shen Qingqiu think him one of the ordinary folk. He has a fan slipped through his belt, a simple white of an elegant make, and a pair of round, gold or perhaps brass spectacles that rest across the curved bridge of his nose, an attached chain looping low around the back of his neck. His fingers are inkstained but callused, so perhaps a scholar as well as a cultivator? Those are particularly rare, at least if they aren’t charlatans. His irritation tips over into interest, wondering if perhaps after his original family sold him off they’d had more children...

Somehow, despite his overall unassuming appearance, this stranger bears an ethereal quality, as though he is both present and elsewhere, his entire being faintly out of place as though he should be someone or something else entirely.

Shen Qingqiu narrows his eyes, pushing aside the sense of uncanny allure. 

“This Master asks what it is you think you are doing?”

The doppelganger blinks, eyes darting around the room as he seems to take it all in. They widen, recognizing the occupancy and most likely Shen Qingqiu’s own status. The interloper’s arms shoot up in front of him as he makes a deep, apologetic bow.

“This humble unbound cultivator apologizes to the Master Cultivator. I– This humble one was merely looking for a quiet place to work and did not realize the room was already occupied. This one shall take his leave, if Master Cultivator forgives.”

Shen Qingqiu’s eye catches on the object clutched in the interloper’s hand: a book, or what appears to be one, spying the word Compendium peeking out from beneath subtly palms. Interesting, he thinks to himself, this one is nervous around me… perhaps he knows of my reputation? Humming, he wonders how much more he can torment this man for the offense of barging into his space. Flicking open his fan, he stares at the figure bent double before him. 

“Hm. What sort of work could a humble unbound cultivator such as yourself possibly be working on? This Master wishes to know.”

The man straightens like he’s been struck by lightning, shockingly green eyes wide with what Shen Qingqiu assumes is surprise. He is clearly able to school his expressions, but his eyes give him away if one knows what to look for. Unfortunately, Shen Qingqiu is far too shrewd to miss such an obvious tell. 

“Yo– I– Master Cultivator wants to know of this humble one’s work? Truly?”

With a wave of his hand, Shen Qingqiu glares at his doppelganger over the edge of his fan, “Are you questioning this Master?”

“No! Of course not, begging Master Cultivator’s forgiveness.”

Hmph. At least he has manners.

“May this humble one sit so that he may show Master Cultivator his progress?”

Dismissively, Shen Qingqiu gestures to the table. His meimeimen titter quietly where they’ve backed off, voyeuristically watching the interaction with barely concealed entertainment. His new… guest lowers himself gingerly to the table, once again exercising remarkably good manners. Absently, he questions the shorter man’s lineage. Maybe he’s a relative, rather than a brother, despite their uncanny resemblance. Perhaps he’s the Young Master of some wealthy estate off on a lone journey, privileged as that is. 

His thoughts are interrupted when the book gets settled on the table between them. The title catches his eye.

“A bestiary.”

The man nods, smiling, and for a moment Shen Qingqiu is speechless, because seeing such soft enthusiasm on a face so similar to his own is… jarring, but something about the man across from him keeps him from lashing out. He clenches his molars.

“Yes!” The excitement in the other man is sparkling, earnest in a way that both charms him and honestly makes Shen Qingqiu a little nauseous. “I’ve been travelling, studying all manner of beasts in my journeys. I plan to publish once I’ve finished my observations.” He gingerly pushes the book across the table, his placid expression betrayed by the shyness reflected in his eyes. “Would Master Cultivator care to look at my research?”

With a noncommittal hum to hide his actual curiosity, Shen Qingqiu lifts the book, keeping his impassive mask firmly on his face. He is interested, of course. A man so unassuming, so weak-looking is studying such wild, dangerous creatures? There’s simply no way he could get close enough to garner new information, thus surely nothing contained in these pages will be worth his time, and it will justify him bringing his wrath upon this horrid doppelganger. He opens the book and is immediately disabused of the notion.

Because what he holds in his hands? Is artistry.

He fights to keep his expression schooled as he reads the first entry, taken aback by the sheer competence overflowing from the pages. There is more detail here than in any bestiaries within the Qing Jing library, and he would bet his best fan that the same could be said for Ling You’s archives. The illustrations are impeccable, brush strokes pristine as the creatures on the pages seem to come to life beneath his fingers. He knows, instinctively, that what he holds in his hands is undoubtedly an untold treasure. He raises his eyes to meet the nervous gaze of the man before him.

“What is your name?”

“Shen Yuan is this one’s name, having never been granted a courtesy name.” Shen Qingqiu raises an eyebrow, another mark on the list indicating that the two of them may in fact be related. He’d have to check the way this man’s name is written to be sure, however. 

“This Shen doesn’t publish under his own name, instead using a hào: Peerless Cucumber. It’s…” he chuckles to himself, clearly embarrassed. It’s… oddly endearing. “... a sentimental joke of a nickname, to be honest, but this humble one simply couldn’t let it go.”

Humming, Shen Qingqiu goes back to reading. It really is quite remarkable. The detail the entries go to is far beyond what he’s used to seeing in these types of books; there are no hypotheses here, only facts, which appear to be backed up by evidence. Much of it makes sense, clarifying behaviors of a few beasts that Shen Qingqiu knows Duan-shidi has been puzzling over for years. He’ll have to let the man know to look for this particular bestiary—if Shen Yuan is to publish, that is.

“Does Master Cultivator find himself pleased with this Shen’s work?”

“This Master is…” he pauses, choosing his words carefully, “surprised by the quality of cultivator Shen’s research,” he finally replies, finding it impossible to be disingenuous. The man across from him lights up, his placidity failing him and all at once Shen Qingqiu is hit with a violent, sudden urge to keep praising the other man, which is absolutely absurd. He wonders if it could be some odd familial impulse, ingrained into his very genetics. He hides a horrified shudder.

“This Master would like to request a copy of this bestiary when it is complete.”

“Oh! Of course!” Shen Yuan smiles, his eyes curving softly into crescents. “This Shen would be delighted to grant a copy to Master Cultivator! Where and to whom would this humble one be addressing it to?”

“Peak Lord Shen Qingqiu of Qing Jing, Cang Qiong Mountain Sect.”

The man’s eyes go wide and round behind his glasses, his face going pale. “Sh- Sh– Peak Lord Shen?!”

Ah, so he hadn’t identified me earlier. But he does seem to know my reputation. Annoyingly, Shen Qingqiu finds no pleasure in the other man’s sudden fear. He doesn’t reply, continuing to stare down the other man.

“This– This one apologizes for his ignorance–!”

“This Master is here for some quiet,” Shen Qingqiu replies, his tone deliberately calm and nonchalant,  “This Master is curious,” he says, his voice laced with measured coolness, “What brings Shen Yuan to this particular establishment, then? This Master assumes Shen Yuan has heard of the... company here.” 

He can’t quite keep the desperation to quell a misunderstanding from creeping into his voice. Never before has he wanted to clarify that he only comes here to visit and sleep. There’s something about Shen Yuan that calls to him, and that makes him dangerous. Dangerous things are not to be trusted—not right away, at least—and he’s not about to allow himself to drop his walls to a man he’s just met, no matter how much he wants to. Something about Shen Yuan is off, and he’s going to find out what that is.

At his question, Shen Yuan’s smile falters; just a fraction of a second, “This one… this one is only here for a meal and somewhere to work...” His hesitation is enough to confirm Shen Qingqiu’s suspicions that the man across from him is hiding something. What that something is remains to be seen, but it’s enough to put a freeze on his immediate interest in the man. “This one is afraid he doesn’t know what Master Shen means by his inquiry…”

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes harden as he gazes across the table at this man who both intrigues and infuriates him. He’s particularly protective of his jiejiemen and meimeimen, and even if this man shares his face, or writes some of the most beautiful work he’s ever laid eyes on, he’ll not be swayed by such simple things. 

“That’s unfortunate," he says, tone icy as he rises from his seat, his movements slow and deliberate. “This Master doesn’t trust men who have too many answers and not enough questions.”

Shen Yuan’s gaze lingers for a moment longer and then he too stands, giving a half-bow, as if he understands the unspoken warning in Shen Qingqiu’s words. “This humble one apologizes, Peak Lord Shen. It seems he’s more than overstepped.”

Shen Qingqiu doesn’t respond immediately, simply staring at the man before him, unable to shake the unnerving feeling that this entire encounter has been more than just a simple coincidence… like it was engineered by fate that the two of them would cross paths. The man in front of him—Shen Yuan—isn’t just a gifted author, he isn’t just a stranger. Somehow, someway, he is connected to Shen Qingqiu and the world at large in a way Shen Qingqiu can’t yet grasp.

As Shen Yuan turns to leave, there is something else—something subtle, but palpable—that lingers in the air between them: the faintest thread of destiny, of a meeting that neither of them would have predicted, but one that would undeniably alter both their futures.

And in the back of Shen Qingqiu’s mind, a single, troubling thought echoes. This man... is far more important than he seems.

[1st] | [4th] < > [6th]

shout out to adornedwithlight for the reblog banner

[chalkodareal]

robot tmbg okay okay. let me cook i want to explain this. john linnell is NOT a robot actually hes an automaton. which are very similar but still a little different. he's an older one probably from the late 1800s eventually refurbished sometime in the 70s or 80s that plays accordion (think the vaucanson automat flute player or floutiste) mainly made of wood and the rustiest metal around. hes very uncanny looking and as a mix of this and this novelty of something like an automaton being able to play the accordion he's often brought out as bizarre entertainment. too polite he says he hates it. too shy to sing despite gaining rudimentary vocal chords during his refurbishment

john flansburgh is an actual industrial-grade capital r Robot. personally i see him as a kind of cheesy looking robot almost like the ones from RUR but you know. just generally the idea is that he is a bit newer and perhaps more modern than linnell. he has printing capabilities (i think he has a miniature printing press of sorts in his torso compartment) and absolutely artistic ones but he keeps getting stuck at factory jobs where all he does is Sort Thing. refine Thing. process Thing. hes pretty pissed off about this and very rightfully so. lucky thing he has enough control over his hands to play the guitar i suppose!

anyways i think they form tmbg for kind of obvious reasons. both are wronged by the world in distinctly different ways and almost envy the role the other gets to play but are brought together by this and write their Soungs yay <3 yayyy

okay more about robot stuffs bc i apparently care. flansburgh doesnt really need glasses because he doesnt have Human Eyes but he wears them almost as like a statement? i do really think his vision is a little jacked up and i think hes very peeved that its considered to not matter because he doesnt "need it" but the glasses dont really fix it. i think the way he dresses is likely super similar to how the human workers dressed anyways. so its kind of part of that

linnell is. kind of falling apart? his paint is chipped and his hair (wig basically) is kind of messy but his torso and arms aren't particularly pretty. his strings and joints arent covered up in the slightest and his vocal chords werent installed in a particularly seamless way. this is probably one of the reasons why he adopted turtlenecks. they hide a bunch of that sort of thing.

the way the two of them read music is super duper different. flansburgh's memory works a tiny bit like an old casio where chords and notes can just be Saved and either thats it and he keeps them in there or he's keeping track of that data in the form of things a little more like midi files and stored on things much more similar to floppies and lazerdiscs. i havent decided dont look at me. anyways linnell still uses a musicbox-like wheel system. its decently small (this may contribute to their songs being under 3 minutes so often admittedly) but it is still kind of impractical for storage. flansburgh nags him to just get a more efficient system installed and he doesnt do it definitely NOT because he doesnt want a bunch of hands in him. hes actually not freaked out by that at all and doesnt mind it in the slightest.

i think a lot of their aging process is just. Thing broke down and needs to be repaired. almost paradoxically though flansburgh is newer he is in need of more repair than linnell who has kind of been perpetually near-broken since they started playing. he holds out for a while but still has to get a few things done over time. i think flansburgh eventually drags him to a shop when his wheel reading system starts getting choppy and he clearly starts writing Around certain notes to avoid playing them. he complains about getting fixed the whole way home (to their once shared and now two seperate supply closets)

they still marry human women

[wolfsrainrules]

Vampires in Omegaverse

So. For Context- AOB AU is one of my favorite worldbuilding hyperfocus topics, and I got into Vampire Dick Grayson territory and the topic came up wherein I said- Did You Know I Have A Fusion of Vampires and Omegaverse Thoughts and was told I needed to share them so I did and then questions got asked and I got to world build about it. I then rambled to @deathwalkerberry about it, and she said I should share the thoughts so it can then be put into fanfiction and she was RIGHT so Welcome To My Ted Talk. @north-peach for you as well.

I actually have two different versions of how these two AU can fuse involving how the dynamics themselves interact with being turned. This is just one of them

Find my World Building under the cut

This AU kinda jumps off the idea that Vampires can shift what dynamic they are perceived as by the 'standard' AOB AU. It does that by playing with what a "Vampire" actually IS in here.

For the purposes of this AU there's two 'subtypes' of vampire. Those that came to Earth, and those in the AOB verse that get turned. As an aside, when they get turned, they keep the body-make up of whatever their secondary was before they were turned. This means the 'those that came to Earth' vampires don't actually HAVE any dynamics.

Which is why I started thinking about how we all have the "Uncanny Valley" effect thing in real life- and how it's possible through various studies to have genetic memory from those in your family line. My logic was well in order for all of humanity to do that, there has to be SOMETHING out there- more than one thing even- that caused it.

That makes it so very instinctive for humans to look at something that looks, acts, reacts like us and isn't and just know that something is off. That has something just slightly off that makes all of our instincts latch onto it like it's a threat, or something we need to be aware of.

So in this AU, my thought was that part of that reason was Vampires. The very first introduction of vampire species happened ages ago in this AU. Since this was built around DC as the basis for the AU I figured aliens are standard anyway so-

It was an alien species introduced, that looked like humans but wasn't. They're a creature that is meant to adapt, to be an apex predator. To be THE predator wherever they went. Most Vamp AU play with the 'ancient functioning immortal' thing- and these aliens that landed are to be fair.

But I wondered what it would be like, to have a vampire that has...adaptability. Rather than going the old and stuck in their traditions and ways route in the way standard Vamp lore does, I wanted to change it up. They're a hunting species. They are built to travel to different universes/worlds/across space and fit in.

It's not instant of course, they cant just like...shapeshift. So what they do, is they look for races that are of similar make up in at least looks first. If they can land and blend in, they have time to adapt as needed. They're long lived and just as clever as humans can be.

When they first landed on Earth, they looked like AOB standard humans- but they didn't have the secondaries, they didnt fit quite right. And they hunted. As they spread across the world, and stories of these beings that looked human, but didn't smell like them, didn't have quite the right body build for an omega, an alpha, or a beta, were just so slightly OFF, the stories humans would tell about creatures (the long white faces, the solid black eyes, the sharp teeth, the avoidance of sunlight, the things that could maybe be human but are just the slightest bit NOT, enough to get your attention and make you wary) across the world spread. Stories that said be wary told children be careful.

The longer they stayed, the more they adapted: faces shifting to closer to standard, learning to mimic the kind of scents AOB verse has, the structure of the body changing. Adapting to deal with the sun instead of burning in it in a way a human didnt- still sensitive to it but no longer deadly if managed correctly. Learning that humans were clever and creative, were INTERESTING, changing often enough to keep an immortal on their toes. But also enough to kill them if they werent more careful. That the pack instincts would make whole neighborhoods turn on them if they stepped wrong And thats just the ones that came TO Earth.

Then you have the people who were CHANGED. The ones that were on Earth and earned the regard of a vampire enough they chose to change them. Those that started in an AOB verse, who had dynamics. Some were changed out of love, yes, but a lot for control.

The turned blend better- it's not an adaption to look like AOB humans, they ARE, their just MORE now. Those that had to shift to blend still set off the uncanny valley effect now- but humans at this point are not as aware of the supernatural possibilities that are REAL in DC verse (and maybe vampires helped that be so, so only certain communities remember and still learn and pass things down) The turned that might at some point leave Earth, that would travel space in any capacity will find they adapt to places across the galaxy and unless they have a teacher dont know why. Don't know the race of vampires are BUILT to adapt to species and hunt them, to blend in and feed, are built to spread the 'virus' that originally created vampires on their original home world before they ever steps food into the wider verse.

This does mean that BORN Vampires (at least of the generations that came before this Earth) can only breed to make born vampires with those that have the right parts to their standard (since my brain works with AOB dynamics having the parts needed to have children in omega). Thinking the vampires that come to earth have functioning "sire and carrier" gender subtypes, but their make up might be a bit more...alien than standard AOB.

But it works in functionally the same way. Once AOB verse people start getting changed, they still have their sexual secondary body make up and if they want biological pups would still have to make it work by standard- though there is always the child by adoption or child by bite.

Speaking of child-by-bite! Since it's an alien based take on Vamps that can and will adapt to blend with other species (again it's not shapeshifting in full, so they cant shift too far from human base looks hence looking for species that CAN be blended with) children that get turned or are born vamps actually age to prime before they stop. Better to blend and hunt with later, so the cells allow for change to continue until it's in prime shape.

So for this AU I'd get to play with alien vamps, how old they actually are, bringing in bits and pieces of culture, tech, and knowledge of various species across numerous galaxies, and maybe even eventually dimensions, when they figure out that it's possible to jump those.

VS

AOB turned Vampires who are learning some of the stories passed down all over the world are actually based off THIS creature, are real and something they should have been aware of and are now part of.

I wanna play with how Bonds present from their packs when they die, vs Bonds made by turning someone, how a pack that WILL be having their packmate back, vampire or not, that want the bonds back would mix across in "a vampire capable of making bonds that aren't turning, but instead built on pack bonds" and the virus that adapts to hosts when it changes them, and is BUILT to adapt the host to new environments and take advantage of everything it can to make sure they survive.

I wanna see a virus based in adaptability that MADE vampires what we would know them as running straight into Human's are space orcs and their world is a death world mixed with all the things that come with having pack bonds and AOB dynamics. Because the virus is going to latch onto everything it can once it enters a new host, and in learning how the body functions, read what should by optimal from every blood-drink, and possibly change its host to work with that, and adapt

If AOB verse vampires leave the Earth to travel elsewhere, and were to change someone, the virus would work to adapt their body to AOB standard. Maybe not the secondaries as a regular AOB human would know them, but the bonds created through pack? the senses? the differing body make up to let them hunt and be dangerous from pre-city days? the differing pathways in the brain that are lit up?? It's going to change all of that. Add it, use it.

Turning is painful, and often deadly due to the fact the virus DOES that. That it uses everything it's picked up from all the races to come before, and it will work on making the best adaptable hunter it can, will make it so it has more change of being passed on, of living. A pack-based world like an AOB?? The virus would have a wild time.

So- the more willing a turn, the more likely they are to survive! Mind over Matter sort of- it's still really dangerous of course, still very much possibly deadly, but a willing change makes the body more likely to survive all of it. If they're utterly unwilling, it's much more likely to kill them! Which means most vampires when they decide I want to keep this one actually TRY to get consent, to win over their chosen, because they WANT them to survive it! (Some of it can be love, but some can also be done through manipulation and lies, or other such things so it's not always HAPPY and willing.)

Hunting is done with the intent to blend in and feed- a good chunk of the vamp population- turned and born, earth-made and other, nowadays are all careful to only take what they need, to be careful with how MUCH they take, and to vary whom and where they take it from. Never to turn, but to simply feed.

You have, of course, the bad eggs that will just take that want a thrall not a partner or family or just manipulate people into following them without making them a thrall depending. That turn many, and break them through the bonds made, bend them to their will but that's more likely to bring hunters.

(Its also why the rumors about vampires are so much LIKE that- the ones found are often new and not in control, or just plain don't care and will rip through whole populations. But the good ones? The ones that want to adapt and hunt and thrive? they're very very good at being careful. Of making it just some tick- a kink they have with bloodplay, or working together to get blood bags, of finding a way to make it odd, yes, but not dangerous and worthy of being hunted over. So a larger population that normal vamp lore in this verse are actually willingly turned one way or another. Or those that didn't want to be turned, but are absolutely the type to want to survive no matter what. (The brain is fascinating and I wanted to play with that and how it might effect survivability of a turn)

Animals can't be infected by the virus in my head, cause it needs that bit of sapience to actually latch in and change them properly. I just absolutely believe some of the original vampires took various other planet pets with them if they could. And unless the creature already had the ability to make a sort of mental bond, it wouldn't actually have a bond with their vampire, or through them to others. They can be trained to respond to things and do it well of course but not linked into the mind in my head. Though if it IS an animal from another planet that DOES have the right level of sapience to actually change and it manages to survive that change...I'd say it has a bond with the 'sire' that changed it, Should they later be added to a pack, the pack would be able to sense the 'familiar' but not quite so well or as close as the one it's bonded to.

Running past animals I had some thoughts about Heat and Rut and how it plays with vampires verse. Vampires being present as predators to packs absolutely contributed to the way they synch on rut and heats, on the denning down for better defense among other things. I like to imagine the rut and heat hormones- since my AOB AUs do not allow actual mating or pack bonds to be formed when they're in heat or rut cause the pheromones fuck up the bond settling right- develop that as a partial defense against vamps in this au. or at least it works unexpectedly in their benefit, since my AOB au has that even in non vampire aus.

The level of wild chemicals and pheromones and everything going on means that Vamps CAN drink blood during someone's heat or rut, but it would mess with the vampire. Those who came to earth- their bodies dont know how to process or handle those chemicals and it makes them all kinds of off and unbalanced. Makes them want to drop the meal and just NOPE right out of it most of the time. Or makes them kind of high or drunk. Body just cannot process it.

The cocktail of chemicals in the blood CAN be addictive to some of these kind of vampires cause it's so different and can lead to a serial killer type problem that needs to get handled but the normal response for most is to decide not gonna drink that when they're bodies are all over the place and then sometimes to go find their mate cause they end up kinda horny.

AOB turned vamps get shoved into a kind of...phantom or pseudo heat/rut because their brains REMEMBER this cocktail and what to do with them- so it doesn't lean into a feed frenzy or something, it's more likely to set them into whatever habits they had when they went into heat or rut- to convince their body they are in one. So around pack theyre gonna nest down and/or caretake, maybe go find their mate, around enemy pack, it makes them aggressive and dangerous, which just leads to messy fights they dont want to set off. So they're careful about that. Brain functions and are again fascinating, and the vampires CAN breed so I've been debating if turned AOB vamps still get some version of a heat or rut still.

Vampires turn each other with bites, draining, and shared blood. So I think pack-bonding would work with a bite as well, since their bodies are literally built off of it, and an AOB turned vampire would have all the right glands to bite too, so it works on 'came to earth' and 'turned AOB Vampires' too.

Since I imagine an almost-pack bond between those who get turned and the one who turned them, they DO have the mental bonds! They're not QUITE as deep as a pack bond, but it does give them the awareness of each other, the emotional sharing, and a bit of sway. AOB Vamps tend to have an even deeper bond to those they change, though it's still not quite pack. Not unless the INTENT is there, because I imagine AOB all have venom sacks of their own that let them add to their packs, or give mating bonds, and the vampire venom is just...a newly added sack. AOB Pack bonds are deeper. What I'd refer to as "soul level" in my head. More open, thicker, stronger. More able to support communication on them, more varied uses. Vampire Turning Bites are more...surface level? An awareness of the person they turned, a little sway on them, but none of that emotional vulnerability or give and take in the same manner. A double bond- pack that was then turned by pack- is more akin to the soul mate bond in my head. all of what you'd get as pack but deeper still- now able to send images and share senses between them, make each other stronger. Things like that.

I do love the idea of some areas having packs that worked with and bonded to Vampires as pack or mates, who adapted to coexist and may not remember it now (or maybe theres some that DO so you have pockets of interesting worldbuilding and safe spaces for not only vampires but those that want to learn about them and know where or who to ask. Places for vampires to bring humans they want to turn so they can learn and get a second opinion from. So those that adapted with the vampires are more prone to be...enticing to a vampire. Their scents, how they move, what they know. Vampires are- in my head- actually built to BE social if not with the pack bonding they once had- the virus wants to spread- it needs to meet people to do that, build.

So packs that react well to vampires and welcome them actually usually end up with generations worth of protectors from them! In the know towns or buildings, people- they act as a sort of...underground railroad type but for blood and the things vampires need. Maybe even other supernatural creatures that can learn to function and live in relative peace with each other. Genetically, I feel like these people who blended with vampires, maybe were born far enough down the line to NOT be vampire on birth- are more likely to survive and thrive with the change, smell better, have a bit more predator to them, a bit danger to them.

Now to jump back to the original verse I built this for because I saw DC Vampire Dick Grayson and my brain went HELLO???-

My thoughts about this AU in specific were more Dick's circus is a traveling set of vampires Some of them are came to Earth vampires, are very old, and it makes their circus remarkable because there's things from literally other worlds in there that can blend as props or normal enough.

Mary and John- Dick's parents- are actually TURNED vampires. They have Dick as a born vampire, but he grows up in a troupe that shares all the stories he needs to know so he knows a lot more than most turned vampires do.

They also survive this AU. they end up discovering Batman and Bruce Wayne while there, and are fascinated (eventually leading to a polyship there and an eventual (but not without some major thinking and planning on B's part and only in this case talks) turn on Bruce's part!)

So Robin does still take to the skies if a bit differently- and there may be some extra capes depending on Mary and John. I still want Tim to see Dick at the circus and maybe the Grayson's still fall but as vampires dont actually die and Bruce as Batman KNOWS about the supernatural and is able to help them get out of there? And I know Talons and the Gray Son were a thing in regards to the circus that leads me to the fun thing about them in this AU-

Talons aren't native to Earth in this AU either!! They're a previous world's attempt to kill off vampires and they like to hunt them down from world to world, and turn their own soldiers, make them undying so they can match up to a vampire and possibly kill them.

You could technically still set Dick up to be Vampire King if you wanted in this au, or not but it lives rent free in my head now.

To those of you who read this far- if you DO write this AU in any way PLEASE come back and put it in the replies for me to devour

[1863-project]

I've been thinking a lot lately about my experiences as an autistic adult and how difficult certain things actually have been for me, and one of the things that really hit me recently was how I can tell the patrons at the library I work at are judging me. They say things to me they'd never say to my co-workers, because my co-workers seem "normal" to them. But I can think of two different cases in the last year or so that really stand out to me that illustrate this.

The first was a patron who wanted the writing address of the governor of New Hampshire. I found it and went to write it down for her. She didn't want it that way, she wanted it printed. Of course, Wikipedia wasn't going to print well, and she was starting to get difficult about it, so I came up with a solution - I'd type it into a Word document and print it for her. I was excited that I'd come up with something, and I enthusiastically expressed this excitement by raising the volume of my voice. She decided I was "weird," told me so to my face, and left instead of letting me help her.

More recently, I showed similar excitement when showing a patron how to use Google Maps, excitedly reassuring her that we'd do it together and that I wasn't going to just tell her to do something she didn't know how to do. This patron told me my enthusiasm made me seem "like a schoolgirl." I deflated immediately, pointed out I was actually 34 years old, and did everything else with an extremely dampened mood.

Being an autistic adult in the workplace - or anywhere - is an uncomfortable experience. The first patron decided I was scary. The second patron infantilized me. The dichotomy of being an autistic adult is that some people decide you're uncanny and scary and some people decide you're actually a child. Both are microaggressions. Both are ableism. The third option is, of course, to mask so well they can't tell, and then get told "But you don't seem autistic!" when you drop the big reveal on them (if you do). There's no winning here.

I think, often, of Ingo and Emmet, autistic adults who, like me, are in the workplace, are really good at their jobs and take them seriously, and are really enthusiastic about what they do. I think about what sorts of things people must say to them, about the judgment they likely experience from passengers and trainers. I think about how gratifying it must be for them to repeatedly face trainers like Hilda, who only cares about battling and not who she's up against, because in those moments there's no judgment, just Pokemon battles. Just as my regular patrons who know me and are okay with me are a comfort to me, so too must their returning trainers be one to them, a beacon of acceptance in a world that refuses to understand.

I think sometimes about how I can't go into the tags for these characters that are just like me, because there's content that treats them the way the real world treats me. It isn't all of the things people make, but it's enough that I can't take the chance of looking myself, because you never know. It's been this way since 2010, and it shows no signs of stopping. I think about how all fandoms have this problem, about how many people experience this, and it hurts deep in my chest. I wish desperately for a kinder world in which people like me aren't treated as "weird" because we're enthusiastic about work, because we don't have volume control, because we can't mask, because we're not like most people.

I do what I've always done - I generally just talk about the things I like with trusted friends who also like the things I like. It's safer that way. I don't have to worry about stumbling upon the things I already experience in real life. If my friends find something safe, they bring it to me, a wonderful show of kindness and affection that I am always deeply grateful for.

I just wish I lived in a world that thought about how things affect people more, about how a respectful portrayal can give someone hope and help them love the person in the mirror. But every "unhinged" or "scary" depiction of normal autistic traits reminds me how far we still have to go, how Autism Speaks and other hate groups still dominate the narrative even as they fade into the background.

Everyone can do what they want in fandom, but it's supposed to be an inclusive space, not an alienating one, and I think it's good to be thoughtful. You never know who you may be helping or hurting.

[aevellewritessometimes]

TS OCs Part Two

Note: Not only can I not draw, I also do not have the tools necessary to make art anyway! Therefore, I am just going to use a Picrew for my OCs and just type everything else :)

Cal, A Derelict Scoundrel

Playlist: YouTube {} YT Music

Full Backstory: TBA

Physical Description:

Height: 5'1" (154cm)

Scar from a stab wound on their left abdomen

Eye bags

Thin to an almost concerning degree with a sleeper build

Character Bio:

Pronouns: She/Her

Day of Birth: November 8th

Celebrated Birthday: November 8th

Personality: Deceitful Storyteller

Likes: Spicy food, heights, bustling atmospheres, shiny things, dogs

Dislikes: Alcohol, waking up early, being cornered, unwarranted touch

Fatal Flaw: Once she decides to trust someone, she will overlook or try to justify any flaw they have---even if it causes her harm in the long run.

Other: An absolute slut for good gossip

"The heart is a fool, always follow your head."

Narrative Description:

Despite only just arriving in Eridia, Cal managed to make it known to the most observant locals that she wasn't to be trusted at first glance---not with the uncanny way she would seemingly slip on a new mask and spin a new tale for each person she spoke to. The only two consistent traits she kept up with each act was how she always avoided touch, whether it be her touching someone else or the other way around, and she always made sure to try and call attention away from her bandaged hands whenever given the chance.

-=-=-=-=-

For as long as Cal could remember, her life was always guided by the words of a long-dead friend: "When it's your own life you're fighting for, nothing else matters." For as long as Cal could remember, she's been fighting for her own life, and being in Eridia didn't change anything. She would use and betray anyone to get what she needed, and she would not grow to care enough for anyone to start being merciful. Mercy was a luxury she could no longer afford. Besides, it's not like there was anyone who would care for her while she was cursed, so why not treat others the way they'd eventually treat her, anyway?

Reasons for Attraction:

(Why are they attracted to each LI?)

Kuras: A sense of indebtance. As far as she's concerned, nobody does anything for free; and so, she doesn't trust that Kuras would just help her out of the kindness of his heart. And since she can't just pay him, it looks like she'll just have to offer help whenever she can spare the time in order to try and pay off some of her supposed debt and figure out what it is he really wants.

Leander: Familiarity. Leander's charming and heroic act is something she's already fallen for once. She thinks that thanks to her prior experience with his type, she'd be able to gain an advantage when dealing with him. Though, she'd have to be careful about how she's apparently able to actually touch him…

Vere: A lack of options. Kuras hadn't yet done anything to indicate that he could cure a curse, and Cal didn't want to chance an even larger debt if he was. She didn't trust Leander, and because he's so similar to someone she once knew, she doubted she ever would. Cal doesn't know if Ais has anything other than the Seaspring to offer, and that's an option she had already crossed off the very night she met him. Mhin is at a dead end, and they seem to prefer working alone anyway. And although Vere practically outright stated that he couldn't be trusted, he was her last viable option. As long as she kept her guard up, she'd be fine.

Ais: Curiosity. Ais was an enigma to her; he scared the shit out of her, but apologized and offered to buy her a drink after. He's a flirt, but not to an obnoxious degree. She picked a fight with a guy who was being an ass to her, but she couldn't quite figure out if it was some weird notion of chivalry or if he just wanted to fight someone. And when he almost killed the guy, his main worry seemed to be what kind of impression he was leaving on her. Ais was almost exactly like the hardened criminals she left behind in her hometown, yet almost the exact opposite at the same time. Even if he couldn't help her, she just couldn't help but be intrigued.

Mhin: Rationality. From what she's able to see, both of them are aiming for the same target. Mhin, however, appears to be at a dead end. She could tell that, although they were stealthy, they weren't a thief. Cal, on the other hand, was. She figured that she'd be able to use her skills where Mhin's were lacking; managing a way in for both of them to get what they needed. All she had to do was convince them of her skills, then they'd figure out the rest from there.

Stats:

Strength: 2

Luck: 2

Wisdom: 3

Healthy Coping Mechanisms: 1

Honesty: 1

Lore:

Few remember the days of Kelna's prime. The city which was once cheery and bustling; famous for housing some of the most renowned artists of all time, now little more than a particularly large, spaced-out village with a crumbling wall. The only people left remaining were the few raised by the pride of their elder's stories of the glory days, and the many who simply did not have the means to go elsewhere.

The worst part of the city was what the locals called Uptown; a place once known for being where all the rich folks lived in their extravagant mansions, now little more than a dilapidated dump where the city's wall looked more like a poorly constructed fence. Among the shadows of ramshackle manors and fading whispers of past wealth lived a gang of thieves; locally infamous both in Uptown and the more fortunate sections of the city.

Throughout the years, this gang seemed to change their allegiances at the tip of a hat; going from refusing to bring unnecessary harm to their own to stringing a child up on a lamp post for the Soulless, simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. And now, seemingly overnight, they've become acquainted with enough money to make even the wealthiest residents look middle-class at most. Fortunately for everyone, it appears that they've all grown bored of what little Kelna has left to offer. Now, they've left in search of bigger prospects and more interesting challenges.

Flower:

Death

Black Rose

Renewal

Anger

Some old fables tell a tale of two lovers grew a garden of blossoming red roses together, leading to the red blossoms becoming the renowned symbols of love they were today. However, most people forget to tell the ending of the tale; the story of how the passion between the pair shifted from love to hatred, turning the lovely red blossoms black.

Name:

Meaning: Dog, war-strife, beautiful

Full Birth Name: Calypso Graham

Meanings: Calypso: She who hides. Graham: Grey home.

Other/Past Name(s): Silver (code name), various aliases.

Meaning(s): Earned her code name because 9/10 items she stole were made at least partially of silver.

Other: She does not know that Cal isn't her full name. She does know what her last name is, though. Even if she hasn't made use of it in years.

Miscellaneous:

Voice: Something similar to Aime Atkinson, who played Katherine Howard in the studio recording of Six: The Musical. The main difference is that she has a bit more of a Brumie accent.

Culture/Language(s): Speaks the TS universe version of English. Her hometown is roughly inspired by Bowerstone from Fable II; the specific part she grew up in was similar to Old Town.

Age: 29

Talents: Parkour. She is aware of her ability, though she vastly underestimates it.

Extra: Knows how to do the cherry stem trick. Hates talking to Kuras because of how she needs to crane her head up. Always seems to be one more bad day away from forming a nicotine addiction. Accidentally snuck up on Mhin and almost got stabbed. Would've been taller if she had more access to food growing up. Suffers from Vere's jokes about how short she is, but takes them better than Mhin does. Not a virgin; versatile switch. Mostly hangs around Ais just to hang out with Princess. Has briefly dabbled in sex work and hated it. Lightweight. Extremely suspicious of Leander.

[fadobeijaeu]

in my humble opinion rddk is lowkey deku's best ship and it shows in their mbti. ENTP x INFJ is infamously known as a "golden pairing" because they're complete opposites of each other in ways that challenge, energize and inspire both parties, while still being fundamentally similar enough to understand each other easily.

One of the many ways this shows itself is the how INFJs are known as the most extroverted of the introverted functions while ENTPs are known as the most introverted of the extroverted functions, so the two are excellent at meeting each other half way and bouncing off of each other.

In Deku's case, his INFJ shows up strong in how formal he is around most people, even his closest friends, thanks to a mixture of anxiety and the desire the to please others and keep the peace, rather than risk the chaos & uncertainty that might come with revealing their overly emotional and passionate selves.

ENTPs, with their impish charm and sense of humor, have the uncanny ability to disarm INFJs completely. They are the INFJ's chill pill, excellent at making them at ease, safe to reveal all of their passion, their ideas, their personality. The ENTP's knack for chaos makes them appreciative of other people's uniqueness, which in turn makes them attracted to the basket of quirkiness that always come with INFJs.

That last scene of rddk laughing their asses off despite the world almost ending and the both of them casually bleeding from severe wounds is like the most INFJxENTP shit I've ever seen.

We've rarely, if ever, seen Deku treat such dramatic situations with such gaiety because while many people wouldn't, INFJs much less so. INFJs can be such serious, intense people with very set ideals of what's okay and what isn't. But with the ENTP at their side ready to crack the perfect joke at the perfect moment to break the tension, everything goes out the window and the INFJ realizes that things don't have to be so serious when actually they are quite fucking funny because what the hell. From the outside, it'd look as though the INFJ becomes a different person around the ENTP. In reality, that person has been there all along, but requires the right kind of energy to show themself.

Deku has a lot of other ships that are totally valid for all sorts of reasons but man you've gotta admit none of them unveil Deku the way homeboy Rody does~ <3

[freelanceexorcist]

OK. I watched the first chapter of Ever Crisis First Soldier episode 2 and of course I have thoughts.

Cut for spoilers and length.

Sephiroth has officially become a sympathetic character. I mean, he always was, but there's no doubt about it being official now.

The way he's acting toward people, pushing them away? He's not being arrogant or sullen or a dick. He's a sad, traumatized kid with crappy self-esteem. He's in pain and grieving the loss of Glenn, Matt and Lucia's friendship. He's trying to convince himself that he's a soulless machine because machines don't have to feel what he's feeling. He's pushing everyone away because he doesn't want to make the choice he had to make between saving Rosen and saving himself and his friends. If you're cold, calculating and ruthless, such choices are a lot easier.

Except he's not any of those things or he wouldn't be acting the way he is. He wouldn't care, but he obviously does here. If you push everyone away and keep them at arms length, it doesn't hurt so much when they inevitably leave.

Except Angeal ain't havin' none of that. He's gonna make Sephiroth his bro if it kills both of them. The dynamic between these two so far is

And you know it works, too, and at least they get ten good years as friends after that.

So yes, the Sephiroth from Episode 1 is still there, but he's depressed and traumatized. If he returned to Midgar between episodes, he probably got a good dressing down from the top brass at Shinra and suffered who knows what at Hojo's hands. He's hurting and I think on some level Angeal knows that, which is why he's trying so hard to break through.

Now let's talk about Sephiroth's dream. I hope that was just a regular dream and not Jenova fucking with him because that would be a real kick in the nuts. I'm going to say it was an actual dream triggered by seeing Alissa "Definitely Not Jenova" Goldie and her uncanny resemblance to Lucrecia. And he was handed an empty bowl and told it was pumpkin soup because he doesn't know what pumpkin soup looks like. He just knows it would be good and that his mama would make him some if she could.

And speaking of Definitely Not Jenova. Nope, definitely not Jenova or Hojo mindfucking him. Not at all.

But since I'm a glass half full kinda gal when it comes to these things, I'm considering another angle. Yeah, purple and purplish pink are colors associated with Jenova, but those lights swirling around Alissa remind me of will o' the wisps or spook lights. Depending on which culture's folklore you're looking at, these can represent elemental spirits, the fae or demons (demons as in "spirit that never walked the earth in physical form" and not the Biblical nasties).

What if a forest spirit or similar entity took an interest in Sephiroth and wanted to get a closer look to see what makes him tick? Such an entity wouldn't really understand humans, so throwing Hojo in his face wouldn't strike it as being cruel or malicious. It was just curious to see how he would react.

Yeah, it's probably Jenova. "Those you hate, those you fear, those you love" after all. The other idea is worth considering, though.

Some odds and ends:

*i'm glad that the existence of female SOLDIER operatives has been confirmed. Not sure how I feel about them having to wear coochie cutters while the guys get real pants, though.

*I wonder how Sephiroth will get Masamune from its namesake. I'm going to be optimistic and say Mr. Epic Eyebrows will deem him worthy of receiving it, because that's how that seems to be shaping up at first glance. My prediction is that Masamune will pop up at times throughout the story to observe Sephiroth and test his mettle. He already knows Sephiroth is worthy, and these interactions will serve to verify that.

*Bachman's kind of a pain in the ass, isn't he? Sephiroth isn't your show pony, dude. He didn't even know you'd be tagging along.

*EC is really playing up how innocent and good these kids were back in the day. Angeal certainly had it helped along by his upbringing, but it took work for Sephiroth to maintain his goodness. He's the way he is despite his childhood, not because of it.

*I know I sound like a broken record but bog standard villains just don't get that kind of development. We're not supposed to see them sympathetically. At least not the ones for whom a redemption arc isn't in the works. We're supposed to cheer when they get what they have coming in a movie or on a show. We're supposed to feel accomplished when we beat them as the final boss in the game. We're not supposed to see their inevitable defeat as the heartbreaking last act of a tragic life.

*EC took pains to make the connection between the purehearted pre-Nibelheim Sephiroth and the Sephiroth at the Edge of Creation. It's looking more and more to me like EoC Sephiroth and the Sephiroth menacing the party are two different people. Or, more accurately, two versions of the same person from two different universes/timelines and one of them isn't answering to Jenova anymore (if he ever did in the first place).

*I mean come on. The symbolism. The white feathers (which pop up all over Rebirth, too). This:

*That's not there by accident or because it looks cool. It's a single white wing to contrast with Jenovaroth's single black wing and highlight the differences between the two. The battle theme that plays during the behemoth fight is called White Winged Angel, fercryin' out loud! I will die on this hill.

That's all for now. Thanks for sticking around to the end of this if you did.

[deathbringerdragon]

SO, MY FAN RACE FOR MONKEY WRENCH THAT IVE BEEN ITCHING TO TALK ABOUT FOR AGES NOW

Vulture Osteons.

This is the kind of osteon that my oc, Pyre, is.

Vulture osteons are a sub-race of osteons. The closest example i can think of would be like Neanderthals to humans.

Just the difference isn't that v!osteons are "less evolved".

Vulture osteons are characterized by the following traits. All of which the intensity of which differs from v!osteon to v!osteon. Just like normal traits with normal osteons:

Muzzles instead of flat faces.

Digitigrade legs instead of flat footed bipedalism.

Pointed fingers or claws instead of rounded and smooth fingertips.

Sharp teeth.

Sharper features over all.

The physical dietary need to consume bones or calcium rich foods.

More fragile bones.

Higher speed and agility.

Vulture osteons aren't really a separate race from normal osteons. They're still osteons.

And just like Neanderthals and many other human species that crossed with modern humans and thus causing groups of modern people to have those genes and features from those species. V!osteons are mixed with normal osteons. There's very few v!osteons who are more vulture than not.

To the point that most v!osteons are actually born from two normal osteons.

The reason being due to genetics (or the closest thing to it for space skeletons)

In normal osteons, the genes that code for. Well. Normal osteon features are more dominant. While the genes for v!osteons is non-dominant.

Meaning that in a family, several generations of normal osteons can go by without anyone having kids with a v!osteon. But still suddenly a v!osteon can pop up in the family.

In v!osteons, the genes that cause their vulture traits are a bit more dominant. Meaning that if they were to have a kid with a normal osteon, the chances of it being a v!osteon is much more likely. Though it's still below a 1/4 of a chance.

With two v!osteons however, the earlier example of normal osteons, is reversed.

Several generations of v!osteons can go by without normal osteons. But still have one pop up from time to time

However thats much more likely to happen than the vultures popping up in a normal osteon family.

Due to just the nature of v!osteons appearances, dietary needs, and extreme uncanny valley. There is a great prejudice against them. *especially* on the osteon home world.

Such as the things said in the screenshot above

ALSO

The name "vulture" osteon is a bit missleading. There's no bird features. The muzzles are like mammal muzzles. like dog snoots and cat muzzles and stuff.

the "vulture" in the name actually is for three reasons.

in lore, its like.. sorta derogatory? But nit exactly?... It was the original name, but then general osteon public turned the "vulture" term into something derogatory.

irl reason is cuz i had used the term "vulture" when describing some of the insults that might be used against V!osteons, and then decided to just keep using the term because one, i accidentally already established that, two, it sounded cool.

and then three, is because when i decided that Pyre, and thus by extention Other V!osteons had to eat bones, the inspiration for that was Bearded Vultures. Aka, one of my favorite birds ever.

but like, physical appearance wise- ye. no borb features sadly.

Oh before I forget.

I've decided that some Vulture osteons can have what's called a primordial claw.

It's a 4th toe, located low on the "ankle" instead of the foot

Where the cybernetic claw on Pyre is.

The primordial claw varies in functionality and size.

For some, it's no different than the "thumb" toes located higher up from the rest of the toes on a cat or dogs front paws.

For others, it can be used for grasping, similar to how birds of prey can grab things with their feet.

In others it might be similar to a raptor claw.

And for others in might just straight up be an entire 4th toe to walk on, rather than a claw.

Having a primordial claw is quite rare, as it's a "primitive" trait. Think, like claws on wings for a bird.

Not many have it. And those that do always have an overall more "primal" or "feral" or "predatory" appearance. Like longer and Sharper claws and teeth. Muzzles that are even more better shaped for heavy bite force. More animal like eyes. And so on.

These kinds of osteons are believed to be more closely related to, or at least look similar to, what the original form of vulture osteons was waaay back when osteons as a whole where just beginning to enter the stone ages. Maybe even before vulture and normal osteons intermingled.

If I were to make an example...

Normal osteons are common dogs. Like labs and retrievers.

Regular vulture osteons are the dogs more closely related to wolves, but still dogs. Alaskan malamute, Shiba inu, the like.

V!osteons with more "primitive" features and primordial claws, are the wolf-dogs.

And then then theorized "true/original" vulture osteons are wolves.

[galvanizedfriend]

Any chance for a snippet for the next chapter Yokan? Or any idea when the next chapter is is going to come out ♥️ I’m re reading the Wolf 3 right now and am nearing the end of the updated chapters lol 😭

Hii, friend! ❤️ I can't promise when the next chapter will come because this is turning out to be a monster. 🥲 I'm at about 80% now, and have been making decent progress, but editing this is going to be🙃 So I hope to have it finished soon, but I don't know when. But since you asked, I can give you a little snippet. 😁 This is a scene I had been working on earlier today, Kol and Eve having a 1x1. Don't know if that's the kind of thing you wanted from this chapter, but I was actually having some fun writing this. 😂 Bear in my mind that I have not edited anything, so this could all change. But I hope you enjoy it. 🥲

From TW4x03: "Hello," he greets her, only half her face visible from where she's hiding - quite poorly, mind you - behind the kitchen door. Eve blinks up at him, but stays remains quiet. "Cat eat your tongue?"

She abandons her cover, stepping fully into the kitchen now, all pink pajamas and pigtails.

She is... Big. Kol is definitely not used to following humans' growth spurts from up-close. It's perfectly normal, he supposes, but it still comes as a bit of an irrational shock to see how she went from a little baby to this fully formed mini-person. A mini-Niklaus, nonetheless. Though with none of the malice and aggression and the annoying hubris ingrained into every line of Niklaus' body after a thousand years of living in pure rage. That aside, the similarity is uncanny. It's easy to forget there was once a sweet boy somewhere before the moody tyrant took over.

"My mom says I shouldn't talk to strangers," she tells him as though reciting words she's heard countless times before.

"Ouch. Out for blood, are you?" he retorts flatly. Her wariness doesn't bother him as it seemed to bother Niklaus earlier. In Kol's experience, it's smart to remain watchful around this family. "I'm not a stranger, though. I'm your coolest uncle. My name is -"

"Kol," she finishes for him. "I know."

He smiles. "See? You do know who your coolest uncle is."

"I don't really remember you, though."

A frown appears on her little brow, as though she's straining to remember, sweeping through her admittedly short tapestry of memories after any moments the two of them might have shared. The fact that he knows she won't find any does cause a bit of a pang, he must admit.

Kol doubts he would've spent much time around his niece anyway, seeing as he was always trying to free himself of his family's clutches, but the reasons why he didn't are still a sore spot. Niklaus didn't even trust him enough to tell him about his daughter at first. And when he finally did, Kol ended up murdered by another one of his brothers before he could even be properly introduced to Eve.

"Yes, well. A sore shame if you ask me. I'm rather delightful," he remarks, detracting from the bitterness. "Isn't it a bit past your bed time anyway? Are you up to no good, by any chance?"

"What are you going to do if I am?"

Kol coughs up a laugh at her unexpected show of defiance. "That depends," he bargains. "Are you planning on putting a frog under your uncle Elijah's pillow?"

Eve giggles. "No."

"Filling Rebekah's pillowcase with flour?" More giggles. "Oh, I know! You're going to spread spicy pepper on your father's toothbrush."

That gets a full-out belly-laugh from her, blue eyes twinkling with delight at the thought of playing pranks on her family. Kol likes her more and more by the second.

"That's mean!" she exclaims in-between waves of laughter.

"You say that because you haven't seen his face. Then it's just hilarious. But if anyone asks, I never told you that." He punctuates it with a wink.

[redjoey1992]

So, I finally managed to see the live action remake of Disney's Snow White, and here's my honest thoughts on it. It's nowhere near as awful as people were saying before the film was even released. Actually, it's kind of okay at best. I feel like there is some potential in there.

First, let me talk about the positives. Rachel Zegler is clearly perfect for the role because she's basically a real-life Disney Princess and the best part of the whole film. The hate that Zegler received before the film's release is just ridiculously overblown and didn't matter. Also, the relationship and chemistry between Snow White and Jonathan is actually a clear improvement over the original. Don't take me the wrong way, I respect the original, but the Prince just shows up in just two scenes, and that's it. While him kissing Snow White is important, but...

As for the rest of the positives, the set designs, costume designs, cinematography, and some of the visual effects work very well. It's clear that a live action cartoon could actually work.

Now that the positives are taken care of, let me talk about the negatives. I wasn't impressed with Gal Gadot's performance as the Evil Queen. Sure, she looks the part, but she doesn't have the same menacing presence as the original, but I did enjoy her interactions with Snow White.

As for the Seven Dwarves, their CGI looks pretty uncanny to look at. A lot of people keep complaining how Disney didn't use actual dwarves, but I think CGI dwarves could've worked. You people complained about Sonic's old design and look how that turned out?

As for the songs, they're a mixed bag for me. I did enjoy "Waiting on a Wish", and the updated versions of "Heigh Ho" and "Whistle While You Work" but as for the rest. Some of them are forgettable at best.As for the Evil Queen's villain song "All is Fair," while it does have the making of a classic Disney Villain song, the execution fell flat. I think we all owe King Magnifico and his song "This is the Thanks I Get" an apology. To be fair, it's not a bad idea to give the Evil Queen a Disney Villain song, but since the original Evil Queen is more of a cold, menacing, and threatening presence, the song should've been similar to "Hellfire" from the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Overall, Not the worst, but not the best either. Just okay at best. A live action version of Disney's first animated feature could've worked, but it needs a lot of improvements in order for it to be the fairest of them all.

[contacthigh520]

✨🎪 circus event (part 1) liveposting thoughts!

this will not make much sense if u haven't read the event lmao! - YAY!!! we’re in solaria!!! (i thought we might be considering pv dante mentions something abt an inaugural bonfire?)

…. the shadow circus 👀 - i really dig the aesthetic of this event… the card looks didnt entirely sell me but the dark circus + the mix of soft pastel circus is v nice. i like the patterns too - garu the drawerrrrrrrrr

- theyre friends frfr.........

- DANTE AT THE CIRCUS!!!!! (offtopic, but i like that the chapter titles for this one are 'uncanny'.... good vibes....) - 'i asked first' ok enten sama. that's your boyfriend bro, be nice - ooooo honorary ringmaster..... i guess the circus is kind of a big deal for him to be coming out to do that? - oooo around the world. i wonder if dante was the sort of kid to dream about running away and joining the circus - ooooo eiden u care so much about solaria and dante that ur talking to him about the economyyyyy - and dante 🧐u were going to invite him to see the circus. interesting. almost as if you. like him or something - DANTE COMPLIMENTS FOR GARU!!!! CON-CRIT FOR THE PUPPY!!! - hehe handsome devil - bro is so weak to garu...... the power of puppy... - "we?" <-- guy about to get roped into hijinks - SOOLEY MENTION!!! (I HOPE HE SHOWS UP...) - guy who is tempted by rare beasts and praise... they got u hook, line and sinker bro..... - awww eiden made the outfits.... - he made them so fast........... in one night??? - EIDEN HAS A PIGEON??? BRO U ARE NOT AN ANIMAL HANDLER... THAT BETTER BE STUFFED. - oooo so rock paper scissors in this world is boulder wind claw… interesting📝garu fr likes dante…. very funny for him to tip the scales like that. brotherly squabbling - oh eiden... your naming processs.... it really is too beautiful to comprehend - upon closer inspection that thing (the pigeon) is def alive or at least charmed by magic. eiden.... if that is a real bird....... - friendship huddle.... theyre so cute... (also this is out of order, but karu's atheticism and dante's skill are such a fun combo, esp since they rile each other up) - LMAO..... ZACK??? (normal ass name) - (jotting down notes) anti-yokai sentiment in solaria? - p impressive performance (jotting down more notes) dante can form shapes with his fire.... - YAY!!! im glad this is going so well!! its a very sweet precursor to what im hoping is some creepy darkness - oooo i like zacks design (at least, what i can see of it) - looneytoons stack peering through the curtains - OOO ZACKS DESIGN FUCKS ACTUALLY? its v nice... red white and black... the best palette.... the bg music being slightly slowed is such a nice uncanny touch - mmmmm v fun and unsettling.... - dante's expression in this card are so full of attitude lmao... - that's right play nice dante ASDKKLSAD garu was just trying to have a nice moment man - ah... ur social skills, sun lord.... - eiden translating right in front of his face.... it is v funny (and sweet) to me that dante, presumably, pushed everything in his schedule a little forward so he could compete with them <3 - oh his name is bruin... two named npcs! huh! garu do not go with him....... - 'absolute perfection'...... - LETS GO KARU!!! - karu creep sense activated........ - yokai microaggression moment - i rly like how the event highlights how similar karu and dante are... or at least, how their ideals align... they feel like such a rare duo - 'identity is not determined by titles' is a very interesting quote from dante…. 📝📝 - dante backstory mention..... enei moment real... have a little fun sun lord - three... three named npcs (ah ah ah) - the conflict is v good... i didnt expect it to veer this way when the pv came out but this is a v circus appropriate conflict - ah... dante and eiden putting the puzzle pieces together - ooooo v interesting that being a 'yokai' would be so desirable performance-wise. to go to this extent... - erm bruin yokai fetish - [its always sunny titlecard] "The Gang Busts Circus Abuse" now to await part 2...

[adobe-outdesign]

omg can you review the mighty poogle 🥺

The Poogle is one of those really abstract Neopets wherein it's just a Creature(TM). What kind of creature? Who knows. I guess they're meant to be vaguely dog-like (seeing as Poogle racing is a thing, and it does sound vaguely like "poodle"), but they really don't lean towards any one specific animal, which is always something I enjoy.

What makes Poogles appealing is undeniably how chubby they are; it makes them look extra cuddly and is part of what gives them their distinctive noses (or lack thereof) and double chins. It also comes with a bit of lore about them living primarily in cold-weather regions, kind of like how seals have blubber to keep them warm.

Beyond that, I also like their stripes; they break up the design just enough without feeling too distracting, similar to their underbellies. The shape of the stripes is also mimicked by their distinctive ears.

I will fully admit though: Poogles got the raw end of the deal when it comes to customization. Not the absolute worst conversion job, mind you, as for the most part they look pretty dang similar—same pose, same proportions, same markings, etc.

However, what got completely messed up is their faces. Originally, Poogles had a soft, fleshy snoot that had two sets of lines to indicate that it was mostly fat and that it went back in space a bit. Removing this upper line makes their snouts look hard, and also has the side effect of making their snout and even their entire head look too wide.

Likewise, the chin got messed up. The Poogle originally had a pretty distinct double chin/fat neck that, once again, showed how chubby they were. More importantly, their chin lines weren't closed off, so their heads bled directly into their bodies. On converted Poogles, they now just look like they have one weird normal chin instead of a chin and neck. The end result is actually kind of uncanny if you stare at them for too long. It's a shame, because like I said, everything else about the conversion works, and there was no reason to change the elements they did. They're still cute, mind you, just slightly less so.

Favorite colours:

MSP: Species-specific colors always tend to be iconic and a delight, and MSP Poogles certainly are no exception. They're basically the same thing as a regular plushie Poogle, except Evil(TM), with red eyes and a nasty set of sharp teeth (side note: canonically, all Poogles actually have sharp teeth; you just rarely see them). The unconverted version also is bipedal, unlike the regular unconverted plushie, which was quadrupedal.

Both converted and unconverted MSPs have a super fun chaotic gremlin energy to them, and both designs are good depending on which stance you prefer (I kind of like the converted quadrupedal, though granted, the loss of some stitching and extra softness is a bit of a shame.)

Toy: This color literally just released last month, but a toy Poogle based off of the good old iDog is just delightful. Even if you don't know anything about iDogs, the design is still good, with the eyes serving to complete a multi-colored hexagon that draws attention to the head, and the rest of the body considering of just a smooth off-white and black.

Zombie: The mindless eyes on this one are just absolutely delightful and give it a ton of personality. I also like the details, such as a few stitches here and there, a scraggly mouth, scratch lines against the usual stripes, and liver spots. As a bonus, it looks good both with PB clothing and without.

BONUS: I don't normally mention "recolor" Neopets as much on these reviews just because they tend to be mostly by-the-numbers, but the pastle Poogle is honestly gorgeous, with subtle gradients and a low-contrast blue and pink color scheme, helped by colored lineart. It's nothing fancy, but it's definitely one of the all-time best pastels out there.

[sosadraws]

SOSA I’ve got a fun question but who/what are your muses and/or inspirations when it comes to your style? Like are there any specific artists or pieces of media that you can say heavily influenced your arts/you want to take influence from?

HI Lynx, I LOVE this question! Sorry for the wait, but first I had to gather enough visual references and gather my thoughts so I wouldn't be fangirling all the way around, sorry 😅 (btw sorry if some of the images look like shit, I made these collages on paint 😅)

Some nudity and gore/body horror under the read more

I think my most obvious/recent inspiration is Haruko Ichikawa. No long ago someone (hi Jay) mentioned that my characters are quite elongated and have very long necks, AND I BLAME THIS MANGAKA FOR THAT! (what drawing gems for two years does to a mf). She has such nice panel composition and has this trope going on in most of her stuff where a character looks like a normal human, but it's actually some sort of inhuman being, which leads to really interesting (and almost surreal) body horror that it's oddly beautiful in it's own way (ngl all the artwork of the gems characters being shattered to pieces has such a morbid quality to them, a but it's so pleasing to see and draw...). Very good stuff.

Have I mentioned that I LOVE creatures? I have a weak spot for monster design, SPECIALLY the animal types with human/humanoid faces and weird taurs. My fav artists on this domain are @silicon65, with his creatures that transmit such a melancholic feel to them (and lots of critters with human faces!); @bwubwuart, with VERY unique creatures that still feel grounded in reality thanks to her knowledge in anatomy.

There are also manga artists such as Ryo Sumiyoshi, who has such an appealing way to design creatures and furries (and has written peak human/monster relationshipscofcof), and Ryoko Kui, who doesn't really need introduction, but I feel it's still worth mentioning that I love the diversity in design when it comes to her most humanoid characters.

There are two aspects of @ccasino's art that I really enjoy, one being THIS particular shading/rendering style that gives an uncanny feeling to some of her pieces, and the other being how transformative she can get, even if it's the same muse in some of her art. That's really inspiring, I need to step up my game.

And since we're talking about creepy stuff, I love deadlymelodic's (Molly Brown), art for two reasons: in one part, there's the terrifying creature designs she paints or sculpts, but there's also the characterization. You see, along with those very scary renders, there are also the cutesy doodles that (if I'm not mistaken) include their canon personalities (I love when a creature is also a character, if you get what I mean). So, while pretty much all of them look very creepy, very few of them are actually evil, and that's beautiful.

In a similar vein and to finalize, there's Q Hayashida, whose love for masked characters (as well as buff/creepy characters) I 100% support. But there's also how she writes relationships/bonds?? One of the things I really enjoyed about Dorohedoro is that despite all the gore and weird fucked up shit going on, there was still this level of silliness an the different depictions of familial/platonical bonds. I would call it quite wholesome if not because those characters are quite messed up on their own way, and will later kill brutally some guy, but you get the idea. I really enjoy that kind of stuff.

So yeah! there's that! Special mentions as well to transformers/mecha art, Felix Colgrave, Junji Ito, weirdcore, low-poly 3D models and that type of vintage art that has that grainy (airbrushed?) texture to it. Thanks for asking, and now you know!!~ ✨