#There were all these different ways to combine human and animal elements

[strangebiology]

Seraphim Angel Anatomy

What are our thoughts on the anatomy of a seraph angel with 6 wings? How does that work? (Outside of it being magic. Let's have fun with science.)

The biblical description of the six-winged Seraphim angels is super minimal (Isa 6:2, 6, with some interpretation here.) But let's just say for reasons they look like people with 6 wings.

To start: What is a seraph related to? In both biblical and Hazbin Hotel lore, it's implied that (maybe some?) angels can breed with humans, which suggests that they're mammals, and very close to humans. But...I wonder if that has to do with shapeshifting or other magic? Bible nerds chime in. It's also just as interesting/valid to consider bug anatomy, and I encourage bug artists to draw a human-ish body with wings attached in dragonfly or spider style or something.

A number of people have explored the concept of angel anatomy by looking at humans and birds, like DCRoleplays on Deviantart. I also recall this image by Uzlo on Deviantart pointing out that you need pectoral muscles to move your arms/wings, so...if you have two arms and two wings, all of which move independently, you might need four pecs.

Alternatively, here's an extremely cool gif by @squidlife-crisis showing a human ribcage with human arms, the keel of a bird, and what looks like layered pectoral muscles for arms and wings. So, rather than multiple visible chests, an angel with the skin on would appear to just have a bigger chest.

But now add MORE wings. Would we have a huge chest with lots of layers of pecs attached to the keel...and would you need to change the shape of the keel to handle so many attachments?

Or, is someone gonna draw Lucifer or the other seraphim with 8 pecs? Will it be me? For science, obviously.

What are your thoughts?

[triptychgardener]

What does becoming a furry in Homestuck mean? (In reference to your recent Nepeta post)

Okay so the thing is the way that Homestuck treats furries is honestly kind of equivalent to how it treats queerness. As in, Homestuck initially treats it like a joke or a thing to mostly sneer at. Homestuck was very much part of the wave of disaffected ironic assholes of the Newgrounds and Something Awful type, especially to start with, and that sort of relied on shitting on demographics that were seen as weird and permissible to find cringe and make fun of.

Jade comes onto the scene, and a lot of people sort of groan at her whole furry shtick. Jade is largely, however, just a pretty sincere character, and even though she feels some embarassment over the idea of BEING a furry (i.e. her distaste for the idea of actually wearing a fursuit) she nonetheless begins the admirable refrain of combining the finest qualities of humanity with the elegance and nobility of the animal kingdom.

Her earnest affection for all things anthropomorphic sets up more than just her excellent taste. And as much as she is a bit of a pattern-breaker, one pattern she doesn't break is that of having a Signature Animal.

The four beta kids have a bunch of different things associated with them: the four elements, four items, four musical instruments. But the animals are practically integral to who they are as people and characters.

John's attachment to the bunny is obvious, and helps to spur on one of the most emotional scenes in the comic. (For him. Him specifically.)

It's also something deeply precious to him, as it's a gift from every single one of his friends in a very roundabout fashion!

For Rose, Jaspers is half the reason she decided to play the game in the first place. She missed her dead cat so dearly she was willing to play a game that might end the world for it.

(Pictured above, Rose lying about her feelings, water is wet.)

Dave seems to at least feel some affection for crows, or at least shame when he kills them.

And his fusing to become Davesprite is what allows him to survive as a "copy" of the original Dave. Once again, Dave's disaffected irony giving way to the necessity of becoming a furry to save the world.

And for Jade, of course, Bec.

And it's notable that, by the end of the comic, at least THREE of our main beta kids have merged with their animals, and, in a way, become the best versions of themselves.

Jade obviously gets to achieve her dream of becoming a furry, and in doing so gaining power and agency that she was always denied due to her position in the story.

Davepeta, as I stated in a previous post, is the true Final Form of Dave, the pawn that made it to the end of the board, the only surviving character from Homestuck's "original" timeline, and is truly happy with themselves.

And Jasprose appears to have fully hurled herself through the walls Rose put up around herself to protect her image, and thus absolutely mortifies Rose. She just seems to be having a great time.

Homestuck evolved from a story that was deeply cynical and mean-spirited about furrydom, to a story where three of our four starting protagonists, in their truest most powerful forms, combine the qualities of man and beast to achieve self-actualization. And to bring this back around to queerness, these three characters also happen to be canonically queer. So there's that.

This isn't even to get into how this might relate to Troll Lusii and the concept of "growing up" to be more like one's parent on a planet raised by animals, but that's for another day.

[1000sunnygo]

Law's artist side isn't talked about enough, so here's a smooth brain ramble.

He prefers abstract arts over realism. Unlike Kid who forms animal or skull figures with metals, Law creates strange 'sculptures' with his victim's bodies/belongings:

And, of course, the tattoos.

I like how all of his tattoos accentuate the shapes of his torso and arms, especially the joints and muscles. Combined they look like a single stylized drawing of human upper torso.

Seen theories that the tribal style could be a lost trend from Flevance (as seen on the arm of a miner in his flashback), but it could just be his personal style. That said, his upper arm's heart tattoos look similar.

(Something that artists probably noticed long ago but I'm only noticing recently: Law's upper arm's tattoos have been simplified over time. There used to be two spiral-like protrusions, but Oda has been omitting them in later arts)

The "DEATH" tattoos have a straightforward message. According to the Law novel, these were his first tattoos.

Speaking of death, ghosts and spirituality have been implicitly a theme for Law, especially during Dressrosa. Doflamingo referred to Law as Cora's 'vengeful ghost'. Law's (cursed) sword Kikoku's name means 'wailings of a restless ghost". Ironically, Law having a hidden name was also a tradition that related to dead people.

The orange jolly roger (red in the sail) could be many things, I think it's a stylized way of drawing the sun.

Sun symbols are everywhere in the One Piece world. Law's lower arm tattoos are different types of 'suns'. Law might've subconsciously carried those symbols from his hometown for their aesthetic appeal.

The tattoos on the back of his hands reminded me of the church lady's cross, which is slightly different from the cross seen at Kuma's church. It's possible that various faiths in One Piece world are interconnected, leading to a prophecy about the sun god and Dawn. Law, at the very least, believes in the will of D and his own fate being tied to a purpose.

The chest tattoo, clearly a tribute to Corazon, could have some elements of catholicism. Kikoku also has crosses all over its sheath. Originally this wasn't my observation, but Law seeing Cora as a sacred being makes a lot of sense.

Carving a heart at the dead center of his chest by creating small wounds - the process itself reminds of Cora doesn't it

The custom-made Dressrosa coat is another tribute to Corazon, but IMHO he designed it specifically for Doflamingo, as a mockery.

A cross and circle like dangling a pistol target for Doflamingo's shooting practice, with a grinning face copied from Doflamingo's own jolly roger, but it's Corazon. Like his brother has returned to face his pistol again. A vengeful ghost indeed

And boy did it work...

Doflamingo shot it until the mark was completely drenched and unrecognizable.

Assuming he draws for all of his clothes himself, here's this masterpiece:

Or maybe it's gifted by his crew mates. Either way, it's adorable.

Since he's a surgeon (and a comic nerd), he should be skilled at drawing human anatomy. How does he draw realistic arts? Does he doodle while taking notes?

We've seen his handwriting in punk hazard arc and it wasn't particularly stylized. Regardless, it'd be nice to take a proper peek at his notebook.

[thesharktanksdriver]

Determination (Platonic)

As you can tell this is kinda based off of Undertale in the whole. Not a lot but some elements from it that I changed

This isn’t really linear and I’m just jumping from character to characters

Cause screw the timeline

Warning of a lot of child death and spoilers

part 2 part 3 shanks beast pirates

Determination : a Paramecia type devil fruit shaped into a four pointed star. This mysterious devil fruit allows its user to essentially become immortal. When the user dies they “respawn” at a different location randomly. Oddly, when dying via water the effects of the fruit still occur though it takes longer for the user to “respawn” and the user doesn’t age after eating the fruit.

Determination was something that was sewn into the fabric of the human soul

From the dawn of time humanity fought to survive against nature and itself

This blazing emotion called determination propelled them forwards against all odds

A blazing spark that had pushed them again and again

Through every conflict and tragedy

If is perhaps one of the most important things of the human spirit along with the capacity for compassion

It’s no surprise that determination was a strong thing but even stronger would be the devil fruit you one day ate that you decided to name after that one blazing emotion

It took a long while for you to figure out the ability of the fruit since nothing happened at first all those years ago

You didn’t transform into an animal of any sorts

Nor did you change your body or make something like flames appear

It left you confused…well until you died by accident

In your defence you were a young kid (you still are to be honest) without any spacial awareness

So you didn’t notice the tiger that snuck up on you

There was a small moment of pain and then black

A pure black much like the ocean at night

There’s was confusion and then something appeared in front of you

A glimmering star that glowed softly and appeared out from your chest

Pulsating gently as you stared at it

You touched it and then woke up

Sand beneath between your fingers as you got up confused

It’s there that you saw the ocean stretching out beyond your view and into the horizon

Cerulean blue sparkling with the sunlight

Bits of golden light shimmering around you now fading as you sat up confused

It took a while after that as well to figure out the specifics but you figured out that you died

And that seemingly despite that you were brought back somewhere new, an island across the ocean from what you once knew was home

It’s a lot to take in but with time it settles in on you as you navigate what to do next

You’d always had wanted to explore and sail the seas

What always held you back was the danger of it all

Your parents once warned you of it before their deaths

How you shouldn’t do something so risky that could end up taking your life

But now there was no worry of that

Of leaving them

It was just you on your own in this big world

Now leaving you with that once far off Dream being your only reality

So after that you geared up and set sail

Your ship…er if you could even call it one was Basically a couple of barrels combined together into a small vessel

At least 8 barrels served as the base whilst two were combined together into a hut with a small cut out to make your bed area

There was no wheel or proper sail

You used a umbrella attached to a big stick and turned it manually to control the direction

But you rarely did that

You kinda just let the boat take you to wherever

It was fun that way

Partially because all the friends you’d met were made through this method of letting the waves take you wherever it deemed you go next

How your ship has survived for decades you don’t really know nor care about

All that mattered was that it floated and was a serviceable vessel (many would disagree with that)

Through the years you stayed the same as the world changed

You never aged from when eating the devil fruit and though you become more mature you were still a kid at heart

One filled with determination

Gol.D Roger

Ironically for someone seen as the “pirate king” you’d think that he’d be more mean

But surprise surprise when you pull up on your boat near his own the pirate king himself invites you aboard

Smiling brightly as he offers you a hand and his men tie your boat to his own so it doesn’t float away

Your friendship with Roger was something that you’d consider priceless

He is considerably kind and gentle with you

Almost treating you as if you were his own child

His crew is equally welcoming to you as they all share the thought of how in the world had you survived this long (key point technically you hadn’t lol)

That day in which you had first met him they throw a small party where your their guest

Drinks are shared all round, you even get to sneak in a sip as Roger laughs whole heartedly at a joke

For the first time in a long while you eat and sleep in a real bed on his ship

And the next day he’s sitting you down to have a serious talk with you

Roger may be childish and oblivious but he can tell there’s more to this than meets the eye

He isn’t pushy or threatening like you had expected

Just asking what your situation was

So you tell him

Perhaps it was because you were still naive or because you knew your secret would be safe with him

But something in you told you to trust him and your gut was never wrong

You expect the reaction to be something like asking you how you got it

maybe even jealousy

But what you get in return is sympathy

He thinks of how lonely you must be

Something more akin to a curse despite its benefits

You’d never really saw it that way but his gentle gaze full of forlorn sadness makes you open your eyes a bit

In many ways, yes, never dying was a curse of loneliness

You’d outlive everyone

But in your eyes that time spent and having the opportunity in meeting them i the first place made up for that

Forever sharing their stories and carrying their memory kept you from being alone

He smiles

While you never officially joined his crew you ended up traveling with them for months on end

Becoming apart of their family as the crew took turns letting you sit on their shoulders

Your favourite thing to do though was stealing Rogers coat and hat

Parading around like him as everyone else held in chuckles as you fake ordered them around

It became something of a tradition as Roger would randomly announce to the crew their real captain was here as you walked out

He became a lot like an older brother with fatherly qualities

Fun and caring

Despite knowing you couldn’t really die he always remains careful around you

Especially when their fighting marines

He doesn’t want you targeted for affiliation so he does his damn best in hiding you away during fights

Hell, he even once punched someone across a bar for trying to pick on you

Like when you trusted him with knowledge of your immortality he trusts you with knowledge of Rouge and his unborn son shortly before his death

Perhaps in some ways he knew his death was soon but he entrusts you with something only his most trustworthy allies are allowed to know

You aren’t there when he died but you know for sure he did so with a smile

Clutching one of his coats to your chest you cry with a soft smile as his son is born

Rouge let’s you hold the young baby she named Ace

A fitting name for someone who you knew was bound to be an Ace in the deck of cards that was the world

Monkey D. Garp

You meet Garp cause of Roger

Shocking right (note the sarcasm)

Particularly because Roger entrusted you to show Garp where Rouge was hiding out

It is…tense at first to say the least especially since you knew Roger was likely being walked to his execution

The one person you grew to trust more than yourself

But as usual, with time you both began to talk

He asks if your apart of Rogers crew and you answer truthfully

Your not but they had accepted you as their own

Taken in a small child afloat on the ocean without any hesitation

They all respected that your a free spirit that couldn’t be tethered to one place forever and accepted that

Garp had already respected Roger but it grew as you talked of the pirate king

This the talk time goes away though when Rouge begins to give birth

Your left panicked and doing your best to comfort her as best you could

Your still a kid, there isn’t much you can do but your trying for her sake

For the sake of her unborn child

For Roger

Despite how tears stung your eyes from how hard she held your small hand

You held them back and focused on her

And it’s through that Garp sees how you are indeed not a pirate

Your just a child, one who was alone in this world clinging to a piece of driftwood

Floating from place to place and helping others despite the fact you needed it as well

When Ace is born and Rouge passes away your left to cry as you comfort the young baby boy

The marine carefully takes Ace from your arms and lets you mourn

Not only for a woman who showed you nothing but kindness but also for Roger

And for Ace having to grow up without either parents, for being doomed to a fate of death if anyone else found out of his linage

You end up going with him since you can’t yet peel yourself away from Ace

It feels too soon and you need more time for a proper goodbye

He’s fine with this though

Dare you even say he encouraged you to come with him

Despite your…lacklustre experience with marine’s you find Garp to be nice company

It’s Odd but he acts almost fatherly?

There’s a hidden longing in his eyes of wanting familiar connection

Something that you can relate to after the loss of your mom and dad

A craving for a connection you once thought lost

Eventually though you know it’s your time to leave

With a last goodbye to Ace in the form of a kiss to the forehead and a small handmade charm you set off

Garp is already waiting there though with your boat and a box of supplies

And Garp tells you that you’d make a good marine

You laugh

Never in a million years

And despite knowing your answer he isn’t angry, he smiles and waves as you begin to sail away on your dinky “boat”

He probably should’ve at least bought you a real boat

Maybe next time he muses

Next time

The cycle begins again

Doflamingo and Rosinante Donquixote

After a long while of traveling you ended up at Dressrosa for a pit stop

But decided to stay a bit longer than you anticipated when you met two boys your age

Both were battered and bruised Beyond recognition

Blond hair muddied with clumps of blood and mud

The two brothers were apprehensive at first but eased up when you offered them the pie you bought yourself

Apparently the entire island HATED them with a passion

Something because of them being celestial dragons which you didn’t care about nor understand why that would lead to how others treated them

It’s messed up to you that their practically beaten for something they can’t control

So you stand up for them

Taking the hits for the two brothers as people focus their anger on you apparently betraying them or something

You don’t care

Not like you can die anyways but the two blonds don’t exactly like seeing their only friend beat up because of them

But that doesn’t stop you since you were their friend

And friends help friends

Nor would you stand for such an injustice in your eyes

Rosinante enjoys playing games with you

Out of the two he is more immature in the sense he’s more like a regular kid

He is compassionate and kind despite the circumstances

One who would tend to your wounds as his brother stewed in frightening anger

It scared him…how his brother had some sort of darkness in him that grew

Your the only person he confides this to

And you can’t help but also be worried for his bother but also himself

How this could affect him when considering that he brother was one of the only people dear to him

But that was a worry for later

In the moment you focus on keeping him happy and distracted from the cruelties directed towards him

You’d buy sweet treats, toys and a scavenge bits of pretty shells as gifts

Letting the two keep the small signs of your friendship as a way to at least brighten their days

At some point you had even picked up on his like for heart themed stuff and incorporated that into the stuff you wave gave him

Safe to say he might’ve cried some tears of happiness

Sometimes you worry for him out of the two

Doffy knows that fighting is sometimes the answer but Rosinante doesn’t

Along with the fact he trips over thin air

You don’t know how many times you’d bandaged him up

But everyone has their quirks you suppose

And you wouldn’t change them for the world

Doflamingo on the other hand is very much the opposite of his brother

He doesn’t exactly play, he more so soaks up the knowledge you spill of your travels

Stuff of how the world worked

The politics of some of the islands you’d visited

He’s innately interested to a degree you hadn’t exactly expected

But in some sense you appreciated it

Everyone just lumping it under the ramblings of a child

But Doffy doesn’t

Speaking of which your the only one permitted to call him that lest they get a swift kick to the ass

It’s an honour you hold in high regard

Especially since he even gives you a nickname of your own

“Knight”

It’s cause apparently your like their own personal knight, something fitting cause he one day swore to rise up back to their proper birth right

Before their parents abandoned it

He’s strong and knows it but still insists that your their protector of sorts

You don’t really argue with him about it anymore

In fact you kinda lean into the name

Making a makeshift sword out of a stick and waving it around in mock sword fights

It brings back fond memories of your old friends that have probably long forgotten you

Except for the fact you had to save Rosinante from almost poking his eye out

Nothing however as usual can last forever

You don’t know what had led up to this point but eventually everyone had enough of them

And also you protecting them

Some men dragged you into a town square of sorts one night

Their yelling obscenities at you that you don’t flinch at

Even as they tie you in ropes that bite at your skin and walk you towards a chopping block

The crowd holds you down on the block as flames illuminate your face

You can only watch in pity as the Donquixote’s are forced down to watch as the blade rises above your head

Your only shred tears for your two friends having to watch your death

A smile finds its way on your face

Tears lining your eyes as they cascade down your cheeks, shining due to the warm light of torches

There was cheering from the crowd

Screaming from Doffy

Crying from Rosantine

And the air splitting as the blade came down

And then darkness before a familiar gold shining light appears before you once more

The cycle begins again

What you don’t know is that both boys notice your kicked away body dissipate into golden stardust that travels up into the sky before their both blindfolded and strung up

Whitebeard pirates

During your time with Roger he had several encounters with Whitebeard but your first real encounter happens when you end up at an island in their territory

You once again died and ended up there and almost immediately ran into the well known member of the group Marco

Now in his perspective you were a random child who stumbled out an alleyway with scrapes and bruises

How was he not supposed to be worried?

His mind goes immediately to possible conclusions even as you argue with him that your fine

To please not take you to a medic

In reality you really wanted to avoid Whitebeard in case of unearthing memories of Roger

But you don’t have much of a choice when this blue bird boy is dragging your ass back to the ship to be properly healed

You don’t go down without a fight though…doesn’t do much but it sure does look like a rabid animal attacked him so it’s something

But your brought to the ship, the good old Moby dick which looks even bigger up close and personal

And there sitting down with tubes attached to him is Edward “Whitebeard” Newgate

Otherwise known as Roger’s kinda rival/friend?…it was complicated, too complicated for you to understand at least

Everyone aboard welcomes you with a smile even as you keep punching the (in your words) “oversized chicken with a pineapple for a head”‘S back in vain

Safe to assume the crew grows to like you as your kinda just adopted on board

Their docked at the island for awhile so they haven’t just taken off with you being dragged along

Though from what you heard of their track record you wouldn’t have been surprised

Marco is the one who interacts with you the most at first mostly cause his devil fruit helped with injures

Despite your petty aggression you do have to admit he is nice company

He’s rather levelheaded and exceedingly caring

It’s why he (literally) dragged you here in the first place

Cause he couldn’t just leaven an injured kid on their own

You get the sense that due to his fruit he’s older than he seems, it makes sense with the whole Phoenix thing

So you often pose questions of immortality to him to see if he had differing views to you

Surprisingly he didn’t

He also carried the mindset of it being worth it due to all the experiences you couldn’t have in a lifetime

It’s nice in a weird way

Just knowing you weren’t alone in having to watch the world change as you stay the same

You don’t say this aloud of course but he seems happy in discussing the “possibility’s” with you

He takes to looking after you even after your better and interacting with others on the ship

A sense of responsibility for the fact he brought you aboard in the first place

Along with a possible hint of Kinship and a mother hen instinct (Thatch got smacked on the head for that)

Occasionally he likes to change fully or half shift into his Phoenix form to fly around

It’s a pretty sight

Even more so when he offers to taking you flying as well

Feeling the wind swish past as you soar through the air isn’t something you’d ever experienced before

It is ingrained in your mind that sense of adrenaline and rush of a mixture of fear and excitement

Its single-handedly an experience you’d likely never forget

And everyone seems to know it as he places you gently back down on the deck, shaky legs paired with a bright smile and wide eyes

Sometimes you wonder if he has bird instincts but he doesn’t answer the question (the crew says yes he does)

Thatch is extremely friendly and because of that (and the food) you end up hanging with him in the kitchen quite a bit

Food had always kinda been an afterthought to you and you’d forgotten what having good food was actually like

But with Thatch he changes that quickly

The food he makes brings back nostalgia of old

The home cooked meals in your mouth after a long day, sitting yourself down at the table as she placed a hot plate in front of you

The scent and steam still rising off of it

He has her smile, bright and gentle

The first time you ate one of his meals and he gave you that look you cried

Which caused an angry Marco to try and yell at him for doing something before you stopped him

While you stay on the ship you unofficially become his little helper

Bringing others their meals and prepping up the buffet when they had a party (which was seemingly every other day of the week)

you tease him about his hair and it then becomes a running joke between you two

The others catch on and they all laugh when you call his pompadour something to piss him off

And then he proceeds to whine about it

He won’t admit it but he sneaks food to Stefan

He of course denies this but you catch him late one night and now use that as blackmail to let you lick the spoon used for the batter for pancakes

Sometimes he styles your hair

The crew laughed their asses off when he made it look like a pompadour

While on your stay at the ship he makes sure to memorize your favourite foods

Especially when he catches glimpses of you being especially sad

Speaking of sad

You almost cry when seeing the familiar freckled face of Ace again

Body freezing over and going stiff as the cowboy hat wearing son of tiger gives you a jolly smile

In a lot of ways he’s not like Roger

But in other ways their more alike than you’d ever expected

It’s hard being around him

Especially since all you want to do is cry and hug him

To explain that Rouge and Roger loved him more than you could put into words

That you missed him but your glad to see he found a place where he’s accepted

But you can’t

You know you can’t when your permanently stuck as a child

Never aging even as the world kept changing

Plus you don’t know how he’d react to it. You’d probably sound crazy

So you keep all of it to yourself

But to everyone else it’s obvious that something is going on with you

Sure, they hadn’t known you very long but their all good at reading people

Around Ace everyone notices that there’s a obvious shift in your behaviour

You become reclusive, a look of distant sadness lingering as you avoid him

It doesn’t help that he wants to get to the bottom as to why your seemingly afraid of him

You occasionally hide in random closets when you hear him nearby

Thatch and Marco can’t get a word out of you as to why you act this way around him

But eventually you begin to let up a bit

Being able to have a proper conversation with the freckled male as he has to hold himself back out of excitement

It’s still hard but you push through it

Especially when seeing him smile as wide as he did when you looked after him

He still has the charm you gave him

It’s a little worse for wear but it’s there

As is your matching one that you hide from the crew in your pocket

He likes to show off his powers to you

Watching as your eyes stare at the swirling flames that dance on his arms

What he likes more though is when you question him about his tattoo and brothers

Apparently he has two sworn brothers

One who had sadly passed named Sabo and the other who was still alive named Luffy

His voice is tinged with a certain fondness as he talks about them that you can relate to

In a moment of weakness you ask him about the charm that hangs off his white and red stripped bracket and he smiles

He talks about how someone looked after him when he was younger according to his gramps

They had to leave, but was still out there

They had a matching one to his own

And one day he hoped to find them

You have to turn away and hide your eyes for a moment

With a smile you wish him luck and he replies back that he doesn’t need it

He’d find them

He was right and didn’t even know it

From then on he approaches you regularly while your on the Moby dick

Taking you on mini adventures and letting you sit on his shoulders with your hat covering your head

The crew laughs with glee

He jokingly tells you that your already apart of their crew but you know there’s truth to the words

He’s always a bit crestfallen at your answer, but even with that he retains hope you’d join

First time he passed out you nearly died again and began crying until Marco comforted you

Not your proudest moment but he seemed particularly touched that you were so emotional about his well-being

Kinda like with Ace your initially on edge around Whitebeard

Sure, he’s welcoming you with a smile and is generally warm but seeing him brings up Roger again

You remember the times you’d sometimes peak out to watch them battle with Shanks and Buggy

Honestly your very relived he didn’t recognize you

Nor the coat that you drape over your shoulders

Even moreso cause you can tell he knows something is up with you

Like Ace it takes a lot of time for you to begin to get close to him

But like Ace once again this man is stubborn shit who is patient enough to be able to crash down your barriers but by bit with time

It starts off as him inquiring of your home, your family and if their waiting for you

You respond that your birth family is long gone but you prefer to travel anyways. Finding new friends along the way

The answer worries him but he makes no mention of it

The questions then progress to you asking about some of his experiences

What it was like being rival to the greatest pirate in the world

He laughs at that, mumbling about how Roger was a stubborn pain in the ass

But one whom he considered a friend

Someone he missed

You ask him how he deals with grief, with losing someone close to you but being reminded of them

He says that it’s hard but with that comes a sort of melancholy happiness

That there are still traces of them in the world, even if it’s through simple actions

Like a gentle reminder of their importance and affect on his life

You’d never thought of it that way..but you think it’s nice

It helps you ease into spending time with Ace and him some more

Both of them are happy about it

At some point he begins asking if you’d like a place here

A home on their ship and crew

You smile and tell him that the sea itself is your home, but you know that this place and it’s people are family

But you also have family elsewhere as well

He accepts that but he does seem saddened and worried

In general a lot of what you do makes him worried

Specifically the disregard of your life and safety

To be fair to him though he doesn’t know your basically immortal

Well until…the attack

Everything was fine, a party was happening and Thatch had brought back a devil fruit

Drinks were shared all around as was the food

Thatch was pretty drunk and you decided to bring the fruit he found back to the pantry to be locked up for now

You didn’t see the person follow you

It’s a bit of a blur but all you removed was burning pain as you heard a chilling laugh

And then there was the screams of voices familiar

Through blurred vision you stare up at a crying Ace as he yells for Marco

He goes to run and get him but you grab him with bloodied hands

Shakily you reach into your pocket pulling out the charm as his eyes widen

You smile through the pain as tears swell in your eyes

“You found me”

Whitebeard holds you gently as you hear Ace sob

You fade away cradled in the large warm hands of Whitebeard

The charm matching Ace’s in your hand

They all watch as you crumble away into golden star dust that scatters off into the wind

It is then that the captain of the ship is reminded of what Roger once said

“There’s one star out there that never dies, their just in a different place in the sky. You just have to find it again”

“Hmf….sly bastard. Their out there, we’ll find them again”

The cycle begins once again

Buggy

You come by him as a complete accident

Just finding yourself adrift at sea once more when a boat quickly pulls up

And before you know it your met face to face with your old friend

Almost immediately your dragged aboard by him as his crew watches on confused as to why he’s acting all nice?

He looks he’s about to cry

Hint: he is

Immediately your whisked to his private quarters and you quickly get a large hug from the blue haired man

And he is absolutely SOBBING

The poor bud can barely make cohesive sentences as you pat his back

After a few minutes he places you down

And then he realized you hadn’t aged a day from when he was a kid

So it’s safe to say you have to explain yourself to him

He’s amazed while simultaneously horrified

Especially since you brush off your own deaths as an afterthought

But then that goes away when he asks if Shanks knows

And you reply that he doesn’t

He begins to laugh his ass off, talking about bragging rights which leaves you confused

Sure, you knew him and the red haired boy had kinda a rivalry but you weren’t sure why he wanted bragging rights

So he then explained what happened after Roger died and you disappeared

Apparently after Roger’s death the two began to drift apart

Petty Arguments growing bigger and bigger before they whet their separate ways

You can’t say your surprised but it’s sure sad in your eyes

That his death caused them to go their separate ways

The dynamic duo you’d come to befriend and see as bigger brothers now separated

But even with that your happy to see that Buggy is still his normal self

Sure, he’s brash and at times arrogant. But you wouldn’t change him

He was Buggy, unabashedly himself

You stay on his ship for awhile and in that time get to know his crew

Their all still kinda confused how their captain knows you but brush it off

Just accepting it as it is

You end up napping with Richie a lot despite that fact many of your deaths was via animal mauling

The lion enjoys your company, especially as you brush his lavender mane and braid it

After seeing that the captain may or may not have asked you to braid his hair as well

You oblige

During your stay Buggy lingers by you a lot

Perhaps a bit scared to let you go

The crew won’t mention it aloud but somehow your presence makes him more agreeable

Also less…aggressive

They reallly hope they’ll be seeing you around more often

Some might have partially cried when you left due to that

The other half is cause they got attached

[canmom]

inadequate definitions of a computer game

I'm a game dev! So I make these things called computer games. But what is it that I'm making exactly?

One simple answer is that a computer game is a string of data. That is, after all, what Steam sends you when you buy a game. The data consists of instructions, art assets, text strings, metadata etc which can be 'executed' by a suitable computer to play that game. And if you copy that data without paying the right person you're a criminal doing a crime etc etc.

But is that data the game? It can't be, because you can have completely different data that is still 'the game'. A Windows build and a Linux build of a game are probably no more similar than any two random binary strings. If you know what you're looking for you could correlate them piece by piece - that string of data represents that texture, which is present in both - but only if you know, and you decompress the data the right way etc etc. But they're the same game, because they do the same thing when you run them.

So it seems a computer game is defined by what it does rather than how it's represented on the computer. This isn't a unique property of computer games - consider how many ways you can encode a movie for example.

But which of the things it does define a given game? Computer games have a remarkable number of pieces to them, and as you soon find out when you're making one, they can all be swapped out pretty freely.

For example, a game's music is often a pretty integral part of 'the experience'. But you can easily mod a game to have different music. We don't usually consider such a modded game to be a different game entirely. Well, it's a matter of degree, it's not absolute... swap out a game's music and it's still the same game. Replace all the models, levels, etc etc as in a 'total conversion' mod and it is a 'new game'. Where we draw the line is ultimately arbitrary...

But this is pretty remarkable, I think. Most artworks in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction(TM) have a pretty fixed form. A movie is a sequence of images and sounds arranged in time, a novel is a specific string of characters. Computer games, though, are flexible things.

A computer game is assembled from lots of little elements. Each of them on their own might be more or less specific, but it's how they're put in relation to each other that gives a game its identity. You glue together these elements in the mind of the audience: play the song City Ruins (Rays of Light) and if you've played the game, it will likely conjure the image of 2B's dress, the feeling dodging the machine lifeforms, the story about the androids and their existential tragedy, all unified in this thing we call "NieR Automata". In another universe, we could imagine that some other elements were tied together in this way - another game that happened to compose the 'same song' with a different aesthetic or mechanics. But the game is beloved because all these things are considered consonant.

Computer games share this in common with film, comics, etc etc. - they're all combinations of other art forms. But computer games have this extra thing that's more or less unique to the medium, the element of direct interaction with some kind of mutable 'state' inside the computer.

At a lower level of abstraction, when you interact with a computer game, data is sent from a controller (keyboard etc) to be read by the game, which modifies some stored state in computer memory; another part of the program 'reads' that state and displays pixels on the screen. Which means there is this separation between the presentational aspect and the 'mechanics'. You look the screen and see a human running but I, the game developer, can 'know' that what's 'really' going on is that a capsule collider is moving across a plane, and we change the position and rotation value based on your input. Then, to 'draw it', another variable holds animation state, and we're sampling the animation data, and doing some IK, and deforming vertices on the GPU, and pumping it through a fragment shader and so on... but all of that graphics stuff could be swapped out and the game would still 'play the same' in the sense that the same inputs would change the game state in the same way with the 'same outcome'. There are even some games, like NetHack and Dwarf Fortress, which support many different 'frontends' which look quite different.

But which is more 'real'? We can't see the game state. We might say that given this game state we update this enum to the value we consider to mean a player has won (let's say... 0b00000010), but the only way that the player knows they've won it is if we display a corresponding message on the screen. That's the only reason we care, as well. The presentation is absolutely integral. All that internal state is just there to make sure that 'you won' and whatever other information is displayed on the screen at the right time to maintain the illusion that 'there is a game' which we're working so hard to convey.

And the state of the program is not exactly what we're trying to convey. The player is not imagining floating point values changing, let alone cpu instructions changing a binary field, or voltages in silicon; they're imagining an object in a location. 'A character jumping.' We are trying to make sure that fantasy is believable. Every layer has to work together to make this happen. Ultimately what we're creating is a rectangle of flickering lights but if we do our job well enough, and it's approached with a willingness to suspend disbelief, it will come across as something like a place inhabited by something like people...

So a game isn't any particular element of its aesthetic presentation, and it isn't the way its data changes in response to interaction. It's some kind of gestalt created from the two, only when a human interacts with the whole system, which allows them to conjure a fantasy in large part designed by another human - and have this external thing reinforce it and make it feel concrete. That's what it's my job to create. What a marvellously abstract entity...

[bitter-bats-cult-of-the-moon]

Energy Explained in Other Systems

There is a lack of measurable evidence because any person that has worked with energies have had different experiences but were able to understand and manipulate energies according to their own will.

Energy has been used in many ways within culture and religion and have set beliefs depending on the system being practiced.

Next, are some given definitions defining energies within diverse philosophies.

Hindu = Prana

Chinese = Qi /Chi

Japanese =Ki

Greek = Pneuma

Hawaiian = Mana

Tibetan Buddhism = Lung

Hindu Philosophy

A Sanskrit word for "life force" or "vital principle" is often referred to as Prana. It is described as first coming down from the Sun and connecting all elements of the Universe. It has been invoked within the Hindu scriptures of the Vedas and Upanishads.

Prana is the belief of vitality surrounding all living beings. This energy is responsible for all bodily functions. There are five types of pranas, collectively known as the five vāyus.

1. Prāṇa:              Beating of the heart and breathing. Prana enters the body through the breath and is sent to every cell through the circulatory system.

2. Apāna:             Elimination of waste products from the body through the lungs and excretory systems.

3.Uḍāna:              Sound production through the vocal apparatus. It represents the conscious energy required to produce the vocal sounds corresponding to the intent.

4. Samāna:          Food digestions, repair or manufacture of new cells and growth, and heat regulations throughout the body.

5. Vyāna:             The energy that is needed for the body to have proper circulation, and the functions for the voluntary muscular system in which there is expansion and contraction processes throughout the body.

Chinese Philosophy

The earliest texts in which Qi or Chi is described was in 'Analects of Confucius' where it could mean "breath" and was combined with the Chinese word for blood.

Xue-qi, "blood and breath."

Living beings are born because of an accumulation of qi, and as the beings live out their lives the qi declines eventually resulting in death. This indicates that xue-qi referred to all living things, but it is believed that qi or chi exists within all things tangible.

For example, the wind is the qi or chi to the Earth, and the cosmic concepts of yin and yang are "the greatest of qi"

Yin and Yang which means "bright-dark," and "positive-negative" are the opposing forces needed in order to complement the concept of balance. There are thoughts that this duality symbolizes contradicting energy forces which manifest as light and dark, fire and water, expansion, and contraction. With this said, Chinese medicine states that the balance of negative and positive forms in the body are believed to be essential for overall satisfactory health.

Japanese Mythology

During the sixth and seventh centuries the Chinese word qi (or chi) was written using the same kanji script for their interpretation for energy being "Ki"

However, the meanings are a tad different.

While the Chinese use chi or qi to describe that energy exists in all things, animate and inanimate objects, the Japanese believe it is the creative flow and expressions used within our daily lives, martial arts, and symbolizes aspects of nature, and thusly the spirits. It is the transfer from living, animate beings in to inanimate which can change and manifest into various forms. It is the necessary intentions one wields.

Greek Mythology

Pneuma, "The breath of life" or "vital spirit" is composed of kinetic energies within the vessel, while Ignis is composed of thermal energies. All human beings need both kinetic and thermal energies in order to properly function.

In Greek medicine, pneuma is the form of circulation throughout the body's vital organs. Due to this the role, pneuma plays within the body to sustain consciousness. Some physiological theories suggest that the pneuma mediates between the heart, and the heart is regarded as the seat of the mind, and the brain.

In similar, Stoic philosophy, pneuma is the active and generative principles that are organized between the individual and the cosmos. The highest forms are the Gods, and the human soul. The human soul is believed to be fragments of the gods given life force in order to be born and given a vessel upon the physical plane. This exists within all animate and inanimate objects as energy transfers and changes.

Hawaiian Mythology

Mana, the spiritual energy of power and strength. This energy exists within places and people; however, it is said that mana is both external and internal concepts.

The Hawaiian people believe that individuals can gain mana or lose it depending on one's actions in everything that they do.

In mythology there were two ways to gain mana, and this was either done sexually or through violence.

To sexually gain mana one must invoke the god, Lono, deity of peace and fertility.

To gain mana through violence one must invoke the god Ku, deity of war and politics.

Tibetan Buddhism

Lung means the wind or breath. Exists as a key concept in Vajrayana traditions. Generally, it's concept relates to the understanding of the subtle body, and Three Vajras. Those three are the body, speech, and mind. Lung relates to the subtle flow of energy and the five elements. (Fire, Water, Earth, Space, and Air) Lung is mostly closely connected to the Air Element.

Lung has also been used to describe the winds or prana being used in conjunction with the subtle body during a time of exercise, but also more importantly everyday functions of the body and its own senses. There are five psychic winds which manifest into mahabhuta. These five relate to the lifeforce that animate the body-mind (namarupa) of all sentient beings.

The Five Root or Major Winds

The root winds support an element and is responsible for a function of the human body.

    The 'life-supporting wind' (Tib. སྲོག་འཛིན་རླུང་, sok dzin lung; Wyl. srog 'dzin rlung). Located in the brain, this lung regulates functions such as swallowing, inhalation, and concentration.

    The 'upward-moving wind' (Tib. གྱེན་རྒྱུ་རླུང་, gyengyu lung; Wyl. gyen rgyu rlung). Located in the chest and thorax, this lung regulates, among other things, speech, the body's energy and vitality, memory, mental endeavour and diligence.

    The 'all-pervading wind' (Tib. ཁྱབ་བྱེད་རླུང་, khyap ché lung; Wyl. khyab byed rlung). Residing in the heart, this lung controls all the motor activities of the body.

    The 'fire-accompanying wind' (Tib. མེ་མཉམ་གནས་རླུང་, me nyam né lung; Wyl. me mnyam gnas rlung). Found in the stomach and abdomen area, the fire-accompanying wind regulates digestion and metabolism.

    The 'downward-clearing wind' (Tib. ཐུར་སེལ་རླུང་, thursel lung; Wyl. thur sel rlung). Located in the rectum, bowels and perineal region, this lung's function is to expel faeces, urine, semen, and menstrual blood. It also regulates uterine contractions during labour.

The Five Branch Winds

The five branch winds enable the senses to operate.

    The naga wind (Tib.ཀླུའི་རླུང་, lu'i lung; Wyl. klu'i rlung). This lung connects with the eyes and sight.

    The tortoise wind (Tib. རུ་སྦལ་གྱི་་རླུང་, rubal gyi lung; Wyl. ru sbal gyi rlung). This wind connects with the heart and the sense of hearing.

    The lizard wind (Tib.རྩངས་པའི་རླུང་, tsangpé lung; Wyl. rtsangs pa'i rlung) associated with the nose and the sense of smell.

    The devadatta wind (Tib.ལྷས་བྱིན་གྱི་རླུང་, lhéjin gyi lung; Wyl. lhas byin gyi rlung) related to the sense of taste.

    The 'king of wealth deities' wind (Tib. ནོར་ལྷ་རྒྱལ་གྱི་རླུང་, nor lha gyal gyi lung; Wyl. nor lha rgyal gyi rlung). This wind connects with the body and the sense of touch.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Image Prompts for the Signs

Aries / Taurus

Gemini / Cancer

Leo / Virgo

Libra / Scorpio

Sagittarius / Capricorn

Aquarius / Pisces

If this prompt inspires you in any way, do tag me or send me a link. I'd love to read your work!

Artwork by Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1526 – 1593)

Born into a family of painters in the northern Italian city of Milan.

Remains best known for the highly original “portraits” he composed by imaginatively arranging objects, plants, animals, and other elements of nature.

The Seasons

In The Seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter), created in 1563, Arcimboldo combined plants associated with a particular season to form a portrait of that time of year.

The series was extremely popular in the Habsburg court, and Arcimboldo reproduced it several times so the emperor could send versions to friends and important political figures.

The 4 Elements

Three years later he completed a series on the four elements (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water).

The Professions

Arcimboldo also made witty composite portraits of different professions, such as a librarian, jurist, cook, and vegetable gardener, using objects associated with each occupation.

In these innovative works, Arcimboldo fills the paintings with dense details that come together harmoniously to create a human form.

A Fusion of Art & Science

When Arcimboldo arrived at the court of Emperor Maximilian II, he found his new patron was passionately interested in the biological sciences of botany & zoology.

The study of flora and fauna grew as a result of the voyages of exploration and discovery that were undertaken to the New World, Africa, and Asia in the sixteenth century.

Explorers returned with exotic plants and animals that created an explosion of European interest in the study of nature.

Maximilian transformed his court into a center of scientific study, bringing together scientists and philosophers from all over Europe.

His botanical gardens and his zoological parks with elephants, lions, and tigers caused a sensation.

As court painter to the emperor, Arcimboldo had access to these vast collections of rare flora and fauna.

His nature studies show his skill and precision as an illustrator and his knowledge as a naturalist — but Arcimboldo went beyond illustration by building fantastic faces out of the natural specimens he observed.

His paintings not only demonstrate a unique fusion of art and science, but they also provide an encyclopedia of the plants and animals that Maximilian acquired for his botanical garden and menagerie.

[fancoloredglasses]

RWBY (a rather Grimm tale)

(Thanks to Story Teller's Corner)

[All images are owned by Rooster Teeth VIZ Media. Please don’t sue me or sic a Grimm on me]

RWBY (pronounced “Ruby”) is an “American Anime” (as in Anime style made in the US. Yes, it IS a genre. Yes, it IS anime; even the Japanese say so!) created by Monty Oum (who, at the time, was lead animator for Red vs. Blue) for Rooster Teeth Productions (sadly, Oum died due to a severe allergic reaction during the third season of the series. It was then taken over by head writer Kerry Shawcross, who worked from Oum’s outline for the series, trying to keep to Oum’s vision as closely as possible)

Nearly all characters are loosely based of myths, legends, tales, and folklore in our world (I will explain who everyone is based on as they are introduced)

The series takes place in the world of Remnant, which humans share their word with…

Faunus, human-like beings with animal traits. Often treated as second-class citizens, a number of them founded a group known as the White Fang, that worked to improve Human/Faunus relations. Unfortunately, the group slowly morphed into a terrorist organization thanks in no small part due to the actions of…

Adam Taurus, who seized control of the group. (I will explain who Adam is based on later, as he is tied with another character)

Also in this world are the Creatures of Grimm (or simply, the Grimm), soulless creatures who are drawn to negative emotions and will eat any living creatures that stand in their way.

Humans and Faunus are in constant danger from the Grimm, so members of both races were forced to step up to become the defenders of the world. These individuals are known as Hunters and Huntresses. Each of the 4 Kingdoms of Remnant have set up schools to train those who would be these defenders to fight and use their abilities, with an elite Academy set up in each capitol to serve as the official training ground for them.

In Remnant, all Humans and Faunus have an Aura that provides limited protection from damage (meaning students can go all out in their combat training until someone’s Aura in exhausted). Hunters and Huntresses are trained to hone their Aura into accessing special abilities called Semblances. Each Hunter and Huntress’s Semblance is different, reflecting the individual’s personality.

Additionally, the weapons used in the series are powered/loaded by a substance known as Dust that can cause elemental effects (such as fire or lightning) Any “firearm” in the series fires cartridges filled with powdered Dust (Dust’s pure form is crystalline)

RWBY centers on four Huntresses-in-Training at Beacon Academy in the Kingdom of Vale known as Team RWBY (At Beacon, the teams are named after the initials of the members’ names)

(Thanks to RWBY)

Leading the group is Ruby Rose (based on Little Red Riding Hood), a prodigy who managed to single-handedly thwart a robbery by a gang of armed mobsters. This got the attention of the Headmaster of Beacon, who immediately admitted her two years earlier than would be the norm.

Her semblance is incredible speed and her weapon-of-choice is a combination scythe/sniper rifle known as the Crescent Rose.

(Thanks again to RWBY)

Weiss Shnee (based on Snow White) is the heir to the Shnee Dust Company (the largest producer of Dust in Remnant) While Ruby considers Weiss her best friend, Weiss considers Ruby an annoyance (though their relationship improves as the series progresses)

Her weapon of choice is a rapier that can be charged with Dust cartridges, while her Seblance is the ability to make circles of power (Glyphs) that can be used as platforms, launching points, or speed boosts. Additionally, all Shnee have the ability to call forth phantoms of Grimm they have defeated.

(RWBY once again)

Blake Belladona (based on Beauty (some say the Beast as well) is a Faunus (her animal part is feline) and former member of the White Fang and Adam Taurus’s ex-lover (What Adam’s based on depends on how you view Blake: is she’s not also the Beast, then Adam is (I lean this way since the Beasts’s name in the tale is Adam); if she is, then Adam’s Gaston. Adam did NOT take the break-up well, and is obsessed with getting Blake back) She’s a bit of a wallflower, preferring to hide in the shadows than deal with people.

Blake has a number of stealth skills based on her time with the White Fang. Her Semblance is the ability to create phantom clones of herself as distractions, while her weapons of choice are a pair or weapons that are combination small automatic pistol, short sword, and whip (she’s nothing if not versatile)

(yep, RWBY again)

Ruby’s sister, Yang Xaio Long (based on Goldilocks) is a hot-headed happy-go-lucky brawler. Technically, Ruby and Yang are half-sisters (they have a common father: Tailong Xiao Long (voiced by Rooster Teeth founder Burnie Burns))

Her Semblance is a buildup of strength the longer a fight goes, while her weapons of choice are gauntlets that pack an extra blow due to dust cannons (that can also be used as firearms or booster rockets to for a speed and/or jump boost) within.

I would be remiss in discussing Team RWBY without discussing “Bumbleby”. Early on, it was hinted that there’s chemistry between Yang and Blake, which only increased as the series progressed (Black + Yellow = Bumbleby)

But Team RWBY aren’t the only students the series follows:

Meet Team JNPR (pronounced “Juniper”) From left to right…

First up is the leader Jeane Arc (based on Joan of Arc), who bluffed his way into Beacon and had, in fact, never did any initial training to become a hunter. As such, he doesn’t have a Semblance when the series begins and is mostly used as comic relief. Fortunately, he does learn tactics fairly quickly. His weapon is a sword that can expand into a shield.

Nora Valkyrie (based on Thor) is a headstrong warrior who tends to charge in without a plan (similar to Yang, but with less anger issues) She uses a Warhammer that can use Dust to rocket-charge her blows. Her Semblance allows her to gain strength when she’s hit with electricity.

Pyrrha Nikos (based on Achilles) was a youth combat champion (with her face on cereal boxes and everything!) before attending Beacon. She has a crush on Jeane and spends a lot of time behind the scenes training him to become the leader he fakes being. Her weapon of choice is spear and shield and her semblance is a form of magnetism (which allows her to make her opponents miss her)

Finally, Lie Ren (originally voiced by Oum before his death; based on Mulan) is a quiet individual who shares a history with Nora (they are the sole survivors of a village that was razed by Grimm) He carries his father’s daggers, as well as bladed pistols that can be thrown like boomerangs. His Semblance allows him (and any in his proximity) to be ignored by the Grimm as long as he remains calm

Teams RWBY and JNPR have other allies as well…

Penny Polendina (based on Pinocchio) is a robot from the kingdom of Atlas who has somehow gained an Aura. She befriends Ruby and has been an ally in a number of fights. Her mechanical nature means she is stronger and faster than a normal person and more resistant to injuries. Her weapons of choice are a set of at least 8 short swords that she can control remotely. Her Semblance boosts her already impressive strength.

Beacon is headed by Professor Ozpin (based on the Wizard of Oz), who is the wise mentor to the students of Beacon, as well as running a global surveillance network looking out for threats to the world’s stability. His semblance is unknown in the first few seasons, and his favored weapon appears to be his walking stick.

Qrow Branwen (based on the Scarecrow) is Yang and Ruby’s uncle (Yang’s mother’s brother) who is a bit of a drunk and lot of a scoundrel who is one of Ozpin’s main agents in the Kingdom of Vale. His semblance is unknown in the first few seasons (though it’s hinted and later revealed that he can transform into a crow; Yang’s mother Raven has a similar ability) and his favored weapon is the a gun-sword that can transform into a scythe (who to you think trained Ruby to wield her Crescent Rose?)

Finally (isn’t this cast of protagonists large enough?) Weiss’s older sister Winter (based on the Snow Queen (AKA Elsa from Frozen)) is another of Ozpin’s agents and is an officer in the Kingdom of Atlas’s military. She has a fierce rivalry with Qrow, seeing his as a layabout while she exudes military discipline.

(Thanks to Nightcore Dimensions)

Like Weiss, her semblance is Glyphs and calling files she’s defeated, though she wields a longsword instead of a rapier.

While it would be nice to say the series is all about hijinks and battling monsters, there are some very real threats to the world besides the Grimm in a coalition that includes Adam Taurus and the White Fang, plus…

Roman Torchwick (based on Romeo Candlewick/Lampwick from Pinoccio, though he resembles Alex from A Clockwork Orange) and his mute sidekick Neapolitan (or simply “Neo”; based on the goddess Hecate but resembles Neapolitan ice cream) are a pair of scoundrels hired to steal as much Dust and cause as much havoc as possible. They got sideways with Ruby when they tried to rob the Dust store she was shopping in (the same incident that got her early entry into Beacon)

Torchwick wields a cane that doubles as a sniper rifle and his Semblance is never revealed, while Neo wields a combat umbrella and her Semblance creates illusions that can be seen by everyone present.

The coalition’s field commander is Cinder Fall (based on Cinderella) She is young enough to pass as a visiting student from another training school. She spends her time reigning in Torchwick and the While Fang while also fomenting discord among the population.

Her Semblance allows her to superheat objects, allowing her to either reshape them or cause them to explode, and her weapon of choice is a pair of glass swords that could be connected to form a bow.

Cinder’s minions are Emerald Sustrai (based on Aladdin) and Mercury Black (based on the god Mercury) Emerald was a street urchin who Cinder found and recruited, and as a result Emerald is totally devoted to Cinder, while Mercury was an assassin on the run when Cinder recruited him, so his loyalties aren’t quite as fanatical. Mercury also lost his legs some time in his past, so he sports mechanical legs with guns within (his weapons of choice).

Emerald’s weapons of choice are a pair of blades chained to pistons and her Semblance allows her to project illusions to a single victim. Mercury is adept at martial arts to supplement his leg-guns and has no Semblance (his father somehow stole it)

The first couple of seasons (or “Volumes”, which consisted of episodes that usually lasted at most 15 minutes (though the finale could be half an hour or longer)) were mainly setting up the world and cast, and was mostly the students being students feeling out their abilities and relationships in the silliest ways possible.

(Thanks to Dorraj)

However, the seeds for the rest of the series were planted in Volumes 2 and 3, with the show taking a very dark turn (which saw the deaths of a number of cast members), which saw Teams RWBY and JNPR teaming up to leave Vale to take on the shadow coalition.

The show lasted for 9 volumes when it went on hiatus due to Rooster Teeth being closed by Warner Bros-Discovery. However, this would not be the end of RWBY as Shawcross managed to sign a deal with VIZ Media to allow him and his team to finish RWBY’s story (based on the progression thus far, I would guess they have 3 more volumes left)

Unfortunately, with Rooster Teeth gone there’s very few options other than a paywall to watch the series (though I did find it on Internet Archive)

There are also two spin-off series as well

RWBY Chibi has the cast re-imagined as cutesy (or “chibi”) characters doing short skits that are little more than fluff (but very entertaining fluff, such as when Ruby writes, directs, and stars in the original production “Little Red Riding Hood” (with Blake wondering why SHE has to be the Big Bad Wolf) or when Jeane becomes the masked vigilante the Huntsman (and fails miserably at it)). The series is available on YouTube. [SPOILER ALERT: Episode 6 contains a MAJOR spoiler for RWBY Volume 3]

RWBY: Ice Queendom is a re-imagining of the first volume of RWBY in which Teams RWBY and JNPR must fight a Grimm that attacks its victims through their dreams. It’s available on Crunchyroll.

If you would like to see any volume reviewed, let me know!

[demon-ness]

Today, guys, I will tell you about the interesting/funny differences between Russian dubbing and English

In fact, Russian dubbing is often no less a free interpretation of the original than English. Usually, violent scenes/rude words are not so much cut out in our country. But the strangest and most harmless things are censored. Sometimes it's not even censorship, the translators just come up with something that wasn't in the original. So today I'm going to tell you about some examples of such situations, mostly mentioning meaningless renaming.

For some reason, our translators really like to add the word "death" to children's anime. For example, (despite the fact that the Russian translation is based on English, not Japanese) the Doom Dimension and Doom Cards were renamed the Dimension of Death and Death Cards. Destroy Vanish has also been renamed the Instrument of Death. Funnily enough, because of this, in the Russian part of the fandom, Masquerade is much more often associated with death than in yours.

The "Chaos of Darkness" ability has been renamed the dumbest combination of words that has ever been created by humans. "The Light of my Darkness." It sounds as bad as it looks.

For no apparent reason, the Cores were renamed Zones. Also, the Silence Core was named differently. I'm not sure if there is a suitable word in English. The new name sounds something like "Zona Bezmolviy". "Bezmolvie" is a word that means not just silence, but something like Absolute Silence when no one can say anything. Also, it is a partially obsolete word, and it is very rarely used nowadays.

Infinity Dragonoid has been renamed Immortal Dragonoid. Strangely, Infinity Core in the Russian dubbing remained the "Infinity Zone", and not the "Zone of Immortality". So the reason for the name change of Dragonoid is unknown.

Let's quickly go through the changed names of Bakugans. The Wavern has become just a Wave. Bee Striker is A Combat Bee. Fear Ripper has become the Grim Reaper. Fortress - Multi-faceted (sounds better in Russian). Harpus - suddenly, Orpheus. Manion is a Sphinx. Siege is a Knight (And there was also a strong fuck-up of translators once, so specifically Knight that Rikimaru used got his own name "Water Blockade"). Sirenoid has become just a Siren. Stinglash is a Scorpion. Storm Skyress - Hurricane Skyress. Tentaclear is the Eye of Light (yes, in the real game there are versions of this bakugan of other elements, but they are still called the "Eye of Light"). Of course, there are other changes in the names, but this is what I remembered.

Despite the tendency of translators to make our version more violent, it has happened the other way around. The Great Revolution, somehow, became a Magical Coup. It doesn't sound very grand.

The best renaming, in my opinion, happened with Perfect Core. In our translation, it is called the Center of Equilibrium. Which, again, in my opinion, sounds 1) cooler, 2) better symbolizes the harmony of all the elements.

As I mentioned in one of the previous posts, in our translation the name "Masquerade" was shortened to "Mask". A feature of the Russian language is the presence of gender in each word. And the word "mask" is feminine. So the voice actors were often confused, which is why sometimes Masquerade got female pronouns. Also, many lines had to be rephrased, since "Masquerade took off his mask" sounds normal, and "Mask took off his mask" is very stupid.

As many people know, the name "Alice" is Slavic. In our language, it is pronounced a little differently than in yours. Nevertheless, the translators still did not change the pronunciation to the one we are used to.

Despite the fact that the names of many Bakugans were simply translated directly, the translators could not decide on the Mantrises. His name was translated for several early episodes, but then he was left with an untranslated name. There was no such confusion with other Bakugans.

In the Russian dubbing, Dan is voiced by a fairly popular voice actor. A lot of the main characters of the animated series get his voice. For example, to my horror and regret, Johnny Test. Johnny Test and Dan speak with exactly the same voice in our country. This… Terrifying.

The death scene of Shun's mother is a crime. If you think that everything in your translation has been cut and distorted, you have no idea how bad everything is in ours.

What I think is VERY strange, the name of the team of the main characters in our dubbing is "Desperate Bakugan Fighters". I don't know what the translators meant by that. However, considering everything these children have been through…

Obviously, this is not all. Someday I'll compare the episode titles. Also, I haven't touched on the other seasons at all. In general, there are many other interesting points, but I will tell you about this some other time.

[mi4011-elrenrikvagbandara]

Class Research. Glen Keane The Legend Of Disney Animation

Glen Keane: The Man Who Drew My Childhood (and probably yours too)

So I'm supposed to be writing this research paper on animation influences but instead I'm having an existential crisis about how one man basically shaped my entire childhood aesthetic without me even knowing his name until college??? Like, we need to talk about GLEN KEANE RIGHT NOW.

The Legend Himself

Okay so Glen Keane is literally animation ROYALTY. Son of Bil Keane (the Family Circus cartoonist), he joined Disney in 1974 where he animated some of the most iconic characters that basically WERE my childhood:

Ariel from The Little Mermaid (her hair movements alone changed animation forever???)

Beast from Beauty and the Beast (the transformation scene still makes me SOB)

Aladdin (that "one jump ahead" sequence is literally burned into my brain)

Pocahontas (problematic narrative aside, her animation is BREATHTAKING)

Tarzan (the way he moves through the trees like LIQUID???)

Rapunzel from Tangled (her HAIR is practically its own CHARACTER)

After nearly 40 years at Disney, he left to pursue independent projects and founded Glen Keane Productions. His first major independent project was "Duet," this gorgeous hand-drawn interactive short film for Google. Then he directed "Dear Basketball" with KOBE BRYANT which won an ACADEMY AWARD. And recently he directed "Over the Moon" for Netflix which is just... chef's kiss.

What blows my mind is that this man has had a direct hand in creating the visual language of wonder and emotion that shaped not just MY childhood but GENERATIONS of us. Like, we all collectively gasped at the same Beast transformation scene and didn't even know who to thank???

His Soul-Stirring Style

What makes Glen Keane's work so unmistakable:

This incredible sense of WEIGHT and PHYSICS that makes his characters feel alive even though they're 2D

The way he captures EMOTION through movement (his characters don't just look sad, they FEEL heavy with sadness)

His obsession with creating the illusion of three-dimensional forms on flat paper (he literally draws THROUGH the paper, thinking of his drawings as sculptures)

Those signature "Keane eyes" that are so expressive they can convey an entire emotional journey in a single blink

The way he uses hair as this incredible expressive element (Ariel's underwater movements, Rapunzel's flowing locks)

His process is fascinating too - he immerses himself completely in whatever he's animating. For Tarzan, he studied gorillas and gymnasts. For Ariel, he watched his wife swim in their pool. For Beast, he combined animals at the London Zoo. The man literally BECOMES what he's drawing.

And can we talk about his line work??? His rough animation sketches are more alive than most finished animations. There's this beautiful urgency to his pencil lines, like he's desperately trying to capture something alive and moving before it escapes.

Why His Work Makes Me Feel Things

I've been thinking a lot about why Glen Keane's animation hits different, and I think it's because:

His characters move the way emotions FEEL. When Ariel stretches toward the surface, reaching for a world she can't have, it's exactly how yearning feels in your body. When Beast transforms, it's how it feels to be unmade and remade by love. Keane somehow translates inner emotional states into outer physical movement in a way that bypasses your brain and goes straight to your heart.

There's this incredible contradiction in his work - his animation is technically masterful, but it never FEELS technical. It feels organic, emotional, almost spiritual. In his own words, he's always trying to animate "the things that cannot be seen" - belief, longing, joy, heartbreak.

What kills me is how he treats animation not as a technical challenge but as this deeply human art form. He talks about animation as "bringing invisible feelings to life" and that's exactly what it feels like watching his work. He's not just moving drawings around - he's creating vessels for emotion that feel more honest than reality sometimes.

I think what I'm realizing is that Glen Keane taught me (and probably all of us) how to visualize feelings before we had words for them. His characters showed us what transformation looks like, what longing feels like, what it means to yearn for something beyond your world.

That scene in Little Mermaid where Ariel stretches up through the water toward the light? That's basically been my internal visual reference for hope my entire life and I JUST NOW realized it was drawn by this specific man's hand. Like, how do you even process that kind of influence?

Well thats my research about glen keane i hope this is enough. I'm so tired now on to the next one

[thetempleofthemasaigoddess]

Hunted by a sunless city that never sleeps (part 3)

Dracule Mihawk x werewolf!reader. NSFW!!!

This fic is part of the Beast in Black series.

This is part three of five. This fic is dedicated to @alphaash99. Kuraigana Island is Mihawk's home in the manga/anime.

Shanks being in a relationship with his crew's doctor is an allusion to this headcanon list and then to this fic, even though they take place in a different continuity.

*****

The next five days are like all those you spend in the company of your lover: happy and peaceful.

The two of you spend much time together. There is no one else on the island apart from the two of you (at least, if one doesn't consider the large colony of baboons populating the woods) and you have made clear during your first visit you don't expect Mihawk to entertain you from morning till night, since you can find your own ways to pass the time. You lover spends a few hours every day training, and has no objections to you observing him, as long as you keep quiet; you sit in rapt silence at the corner of the clearing, enthralled by the elegance of his movements, the apparently effortless way he handles his heavy sword, the deadly grace with which he deals a blow capable to split a mountain in half. He ignores you, acting as if you weren't even there for hours, but in the end, when you walk up to him with a water bottle in your hand and your eyes full of admiration, he allows a pleased smile to form on his lips. He doesn't care for compliments, and he has been at the top long enough not to need to have his abilities acknowledged, but you know he is secretly flattered you are impressed by what he can do.

You also take advantage of your brief vacations on Kuraigana to train, which you often lack the time for when you are at home. Besides your beloved derringer, which you always keep within reach, you have brought two other guns, and Mihawk did tell you to make yourself at home. You just need a line of jars on a low wall, or a wooden board on which you have drawn the shape of a human body and mounted on a pole, or a fruit hanging from the branch of a tree. You shoot at a close range and from a distance, with one hand and the other (the difference is minimal, given the fact your grandfather taught you to use both and you have been functionally ambidextrous since you were ten) standing still, running and turning, closing one eye and the other, and with whatever other combination or element of difficulty you can think of; being a mercenary is perhaps less exciting an activity than being one of the Seven Warlords, not to mention one you will one day have to abandon when your mother leaves the responsibility of ruling your island in your hands, but you sincerily enjoy it, and there is no moment you feel stronger and more in control than when you are holding a gun in your hand or in both, ready to aim and fire.

Sometimes, Mihawk attends your own practicing sessions, and while you are not as good as he is at ignoring the fact you have a spectator, his presence pushes you to do your best, and impress him. Sometimes he even accepts to help you with your training; his favourite trick is tossing a coin in the air, and have you hit it from farther and farther away. You once bet you could put a bullet through his hat without hurting him; he thought you were joking, but you weren't, and you took advantage of a moment he was distracted observing the waves from the castle's porch to shoot, missing the surface of his cranium by less than an inch. Your lover wasn't amused, since unfortunately that day he was wearing his favourite hat, but he admitted he was impressed. He doesn't like guns himself since, he told you once, he finds nothing honourable about killing someone from so far away the other person doesn't even realize they are being shot at and can retaliate, but he appreciates your dedication and talent, especially considering your activity as a mercenary is something you will have to abandon one day, to succeed your mother as your island's ruler.

If you and your lover ever had a child, you let yourself fantasize sometimes, they could inherit both of your talents; Mihawk's ability with a sword, and yours with a gun. They would be unbeatable, the greatest warrior the world has ever seen, and you would be proud and happy to give your loveran heir, to love and protect and educate. It will never happen, but it is nice, sometimes, to wonder.

The two of you are all alone, and even the most passionate couple can't spend the whole day in bed; still, when you are with Mihawk, you are never bored, never wish you had company or entertainment to help you pass the time. You and your lover spend your days together in many different ways: you read, taking advantage of the castle's well-stocked library; you cook for and with each other, each secretly surprised of the other's talent in the kitchen; you swim, sometimes without even bothering with bathing costumes, in a little bay not far from the pier. During your first visit you have discovered your lover has an interest in agriculture, having started farming and tilling the once fertile fields of the island, and you enjoy helping him, not letting the long hours of physical labour scare you. Sometimes you take long walks in the woods, walking for hours without uttering a single word, simply content with each other's presence; in those moments, he doesn't oppose holding your hand. Sometimes, he is the one taking yours.

And every day, as the light filtering through the master bedroom's windows falls on his face and wakes him up, Mihawk turns in his bed and finds you, either peacefully sleeping, as at ease as you would be in your own bed, or already awake, silently admiring him in the ephemeral moment between sleep and wake. "Good morning." you murmur as you stretch towards him for the first kiss of the day; sometimes he doesn't even answer, but takes you in his arms, feeling the precious warmth of your naked body against his skin.

Any day, any moment, you can spend with your lover is happy and pleasant, but those five days are a veritable dream. Apart from the paper the News Coo delivers every day, allowing the two of you to keep informed about the latest news, it is as if the rest of the world had disappeared; you have asked your mother to only call in case of extreme necessity, and everything else can wait until you return home. Every night, after making sure your lover cannot see you, you make sure to drink from your flask, each time a sip more than the previous day; but beyond that, you do not think about the plenilune ritual, you do not think about anything that is not the man you love, and who you are determined to keep by your side whatever the cost.

Even if it means lying to him.

In the end, it is the last day of your stay; determined to spend as much time as you can with your lover, but aware of what would happen if you were to miss the monthly ceremony at your island, you decide to leave in the early afternoon, so as to have plenty of time to reach home before sundown on the next day, even in the absence of a favourable wind like the one that accompanied you to Kuraigana. You spend the morning in the kitchen preparing your lover's favourite dishes for lunch, feeling melancholic at the prospect of having to say goodbye, but otherwise content and relaxed... until Mihawk joins you, taking his cape off.

"Is your day's work already over?" you ask; he had told you over breakfast he was planning to sow a large field today, a job he thought would keep him busy for most of the day "Lunch will not be ready for two hours at least..."

"I know; I had to stop because of the storm."

"Because of the... what?"

It is only now that you realize your lover's cape is sopping wet, as well as his hair and clothes. "It started raining, a few minutes ago." he explains as he gestures to the closest window, as if inviting you to see for yourself "There was not a cloud in the sky when I got out, and suddenly, in the span of a few minutes, a storm broke out."

He is not lying, you realize as you approach the window. So focused you were on your cooking you paid no attention to the weather, especially after five days of sunny skies and warm temperatures, but as any sailor or pirate can attest, things can change rapidly and meteorological conditions are not something you can rely on or foresee. During your stay on Kuraigana, the sky has always been of a perfect, almost unreal azure, as if the Gods were blessing you and your partner with the perfect weather to enjoy your time outside.

If so, you must have inadvertently, gravely offended those very Powers, because the storm unleashed on the island is much more than a simple, innocuous summer drizzle: it's raining violently, the sky covered by menacing grey clouds, and a strong wind bending the trees.

"Oh, no..."

Mihawk's hands rest on your shoulders. "There is nothing to be afraid of; the castle is old but solid, not even an hurricane could destroy it."

"That is good to hear; but I'm not worried about that. I... I had to leave in the afternoon, remember? Otherwise I won't be home in time for the plenilune ritual."

"Oh. Right."

Your lover is pensive as he regards the cloudburst raging outside; now that you actually pay attention attention to what is happening out of the kitchen, instead of focusing on making sure the food you were preparing was good enough to satisfy Mihawk's good palate, you can hear the thunder rumbling among the clouds, the rain falling copious on the fields and the paths... and high waves rising from the sea's surface, in the background.

"These summer storms are often violent but short-lived; I wouldn't be surprised if by the time we are done eating the weather had turned again."

"Oh, I hope it does..."

You sigh, turning towards him and mentally reminding yourself the roast beef has to remain in the oven for fifteen more minutes before you take it out. "I'm sorry, Mihawk. It's not that I couldn't wait to leave, far from it, but..."

"... the ceremony is important for you; I know." he finishes for you, before kissing your forehead "I'm going to put some dry clothes on. On another note, whatever you are preparing smells heavenly."

"Just wait till you can taste it, then..."

You force yourself to smile until your lover has left the kitchen; then, frowning, you return to contemplate the storm out of the window, praying whatever God is listening it subsides soon enough to let you return home before the full moon.

*****

Mihawk sincerely appreciates your efforts in the kitchen, taking even a second helping of roast beef - not a small feat, given his refined tastes.

Unfortunately, that's the only thing you have to be happy about, since the sudden rainstorm you both hoped would pass soon and let the sky return to the cloudless blue you have enjoyed for five days, proves instead to be unusually persistent; it keeps raining, and raining, and raining still, a veritable flood pouring down on the island, deafening thunderclaps making you jump even through the castle's thick walls, the sun hidden behind a blanket of iron-grey clouds.

Not even the craziest, or most capable of sailors would dare set off by sea under these conditions, and you, who are neither, know it would be impossible, akin to suicide, to attempt to leave, even if you were travelling in a much larger and more solid vessel, given the violence of the wind and the height of the swells.

You have no choice: you have to stay (stay on the island, stay at the castle, stay with Mihawk) for at least one more day, or until the storm passes... which is much less happy a predicament one would imagine, given your relationship.

"You know you can stay as long as you want, in any case; I love having you here." he murmurs in your ear that night as you join him in bed, and you nod silently, because you know he's being sincere in extending his offer, and you love him for it, but that changes nothing - in particular, it doesn't change the fact that you are both in danger like never before.

You barely sleep that night, and on the next day, the first thing you do after waking up is to slip out of bed to anxiously look out the window. Even if you departed immediately, and were to find favourable winds to push you towards home, you would never make it on time for the ceremony, and a full moon night is the worst possible moment to spend alone on a vessel in the middle of the sea, but you would be ready to take your chance, if only to stay as far away as you can from Mihawk, breathtakingly beautiful as he still sleeps peacefully, lying on his back with a blanket covering only half of his nudity.

There is nothing you wouldn't do to keep him safe, but unfortunately you are spared the need to decide what to do, because the island is still shaken by the storm, with heavy rain, violent squalls and flashes of lightning crossing the sky. It looks even more violent than last night, you think with a sinking heart, which means that you will have to contrive another plan to keep your lover safe.

You hurry to return to bed, seeing Mihawk is beginning to stir. "Is it still raining?" he asks as soon as you have said good-morning with a kiss or five; he suffers from a mild form of halitosis, but since he appears to be unaware of the fact, you have never told him, and that doesn't make his kisses less sweet.

"An out-and-out deluge."

"Which means you are struck here with me. How unfortunate..."

You force yourself to grin, not wanting to make him worry (or suspicious) but in your heart you are shaking, and pretending everything is fine and normal and missing the plenilune ritual is something you are sorry and embarrassed for, but not completely terrified about, is harder and harder as the day goes by.

Your flask is empty but for a few drops you drink after breakfast, but the hope it helps you control the effects like it has done on the previous nights is nothing more than wishful thinking, even if you had gallons of draught to drink; the full moon is upon you, you can feel it approach even in the middle of the day like the hot breath of a predator on the back of your neck. You wait until Mihawk has headed for the castle's armory for his daily training (carrying with him not Yoru or the Kogatana but, you notice proudly, the sword you have gifted him) and then you call your mother, who expects you to be back well before sundown, on her transponder snail.

"I always did think it was incautious of you to make plans away from the island until the day before the full moon." she considers; she is not exactly scolding you, like she had to do with the unruly child you sometimes were, but she is very worried, and that fills you with guilt.

"I am sorry, mother."

"You don't have to apologize, my love. What are you going to do? With... your friend, I mean. Is there a way you can keep both of you safe?"

That is the million-berry question, as well as one you have no clear answer to. You promise to call her tomorrow morning after all is over, to reassure her you are fine, and "I love you." you murmur; there are (were, in one case) exactly three people in the world who have heard you utter those words, and she is the sole woman as well as the one you have told more often.

"I love you too, (name). Please, take care of yourself."

You promise you'll try.

For the first time you feel prisoner in the castle, walking back and forth in the corridors and attempting in vain to focus on something, be it a book, practice with your guns, or the preparation of a new delicacy for lunch... something that is not the rising hunger inside you, and that threatens to be unleashed as soon as the sun disappears behind the horizon. There is nothing you can do to stop it: avoiding the sight of the moon or sleep, in particular, is completely useless, and being alone in a new place, without the comfort and the calming presence of your people all around, for the first time in your life, makes the whole ordeal even more unpredictable. Having no sleep medications at hand, you decide to get drunk, hoping it will make you less reactive and dangerous when the time comes; you take the least expensive wine you find in the pantry, carefully avoiding the one you have gifted Mihawk and the two of you have enjoyed one glass at a time per dinner together, and start chugging.

Your lover cannot quite contain his bewilderment when an hour later he sees you enter the library (why is he so attractive?, you wonder numbly, even now that he is simply reading a book in his favourite chair? Why do you just need to set eyes on him, to feel your love overflowing like the tide breaking a dam?) completely sloshed, tripping over your own feet because of it, and naked save for your bra and underskirt, having abandoned your dress on the kitchen's floor.

"(name), what in the world...?"

"Carry me to bed."

"What?"

"I said, carry me to bed." you repeat clinging to his shirt, your lips barely a breath away from his "I want to make love - no, I need to fuck. Please, Mihawk, just help me. I need not to think for a while."

The fact that he asks you no questions, at least to make sure you are all right, should be enough to make you suspicious, but in the state you're in you wouldn't even notice if he grew wings and flew out of the window; you smile when he obediently picks you up and carries you to the master bedroom, where you quickly remove his clothes and what is left of yours before pushing him on the bed and kneeling on his lap.

"Now. Please." you beg him; a frenzy you have never known before has taken hold of you, hunger and lust and fear all in one, a strange, scary feeling you have to let off somehow, or it could destroy you. Your mother did tell you it was dangerous for one of you to face the full moon alone, but you thought she meant the loner could lose control and endanger innocent lives; what you feel is different... a solitude so crushing and encompassing you fear your own body would be torn apart, and a monster raise from the remains "My love, I need you; please, take me, do whatever you want with me, hurt me if you want, I don't care. I just... I don't want to be alone."

Your wish is granted. Mihawk doesn't hurt you, even though he is a little more heavy-handed than usual, and as he makes you scream loud in the night, kneeling on the bed behind you as your buttocks slap against his pelvis, the downright obscene sound of your lovemaking filling the room, he holds you tight against him, caressing your hair and face and kissing every inch of your body he can reach, letting you know, without the need for words as is customary between the two of you, that you are not alone, that he doesn't fear you, and that you are going to be all right.

It doesn't work, of course; not even a God could reassure you in this moment. But you appreciate the effort, and in the end, exhausted by the intensity if your coupling and already sleep deprived after the previous night, you fall asleep against his side, just as the sun disappears behind the horizon.

The storm is still raging outside. Exactly an hour later, the beast inside you rears its head.

[zel-shadedreviews]

Peter Ramsey, one of the masterminds behind Sony’s Into the Spider-Verse, made his directional debut with a sloppy start, resulting in his first flick receiving a painful box office. This was such a blow towards DreamWorks, almost bankrupting them entirely, where the film went underneath the radar from that point. From what I’ve heard, it spawned a strong cult following, which was appreciative, so more power to those who saw the love.

Based on the book series, The Guardians of Childhood, this is basically every old-fashioned children’s crossover with all these holidays icons banding together. These icons are known as the Guardians where they protect the children by giving them happiness and joy, such as Santa Claus delivering toys and the Sandman allowing dreams. However, this movie opens with a jarring beginning to the whimsical premise by featuring our main character, Jack Frost, already dead, before he’s picked to be a Guardian with the power of ice. Centuries later, Pitch Black the Boogeyman returns from hiding where he plots to bring fear towards children in order to make himself recognised.

I mainly liked this movie for its other aspects, where the overall story was fine, but like a gem, needed some polishing here and there. Don’t take this the wrong way, but the story was all over the place, picking itself up and down when needed. attempting to fix the damage from the villain by revisiting every single location of the main heroes. One time, they’re showcasing everything they’re working on and then the scenery is immediately shifted into another. That’s not to say the story was awful, but it could have used a few more minutes in the tumble dryer to work out the creases. Above all, the movie attempted to replicate an epic crossover with all of these superhero-inspired icons coming together, pretty much being similar to The Avengers. The film doesn’t dip into any tired cliches, but they do force out a scenario where everyone loses faith in the main character.

It also relies on the whimsical formula which was to be all about believing in characters in order to see them. In this case, the icons won’t lose their abilities and turn invisible. This almost brought back the same preachiness that The Polar Express exploited, but it’s not to the point where the storyline forces you to downright believe; the writers journey one step beyond by allowing the element of believing becoming a goal for Jack, as he remains unseen without proper acknowledgement for many years. By the end, seeing Jack’s excitement was very satisfying so it saved the trope, at least.

The animation was some of the most fluid I’ve seen from DreamWorks, which I swore that’s what they spent most of their budget on. The characters would move swiftly across the scenes, either during tooth-delivery of services, or transporting themselves to other locations. A greater example would involve their fights with Pitch, where they utilise their powers and abilities, sometimes even combining each-other’s for stronger attacks. Seeing the sufficient animation on these characters made me forget its pacing issues with its plot. While these characters moved around the same pace, they each bared different designs, ranging from the square structure of North and small and plumpish body style of Sandy. However, there’s some some slightly uncomfortable designs involving a few of these characters, such as the Tooth Fairy baring feathery features around her human-like face, while there’s this one kid who looked like a Monster House reject.

Even if we don’t spend a lot of dedicated time in each of their locations, I liked each of them and their attentions to detail, such as the North Pole’s housing toy-making yetis, an underground Easter egg-making grove and the tooth-keeping floating palace.

What I enjoyed more were the characters, each baring twists on their designs. The main star is Jack Frost, who’s shown suffering a crisis over his lack of real identity as no-one else could see him. With Jack’s massive sense of enjoyment and legacy as a lifelong prankster, he knew when to dwell into the seriousness, especially when against the villain. Jack grows as a character in this; fuelled by fun, he embraces that as his own power and so accepts himself as a Guardian, fulfilling his crisis over his identity. I found myself sympathising with him during the third act and immensely satisfied when he finally got a child to embrace him. Chris Pine did a solid job of capturing the teenaged atmosphere of this character, lightening the voice during the moments where he wanted to have nothing but fun.

There’s also Jamie Bennett who acts the key towards Jack’s eventual acknowledgment, only acting as the stand-in for any whimsical kid who couldn’t stop believing.

Other characters consisted of the Guardians, who were chosen by possibly the DreamWorks mascot, The Man in the Moon. Who lead the gang was Nicholas St. North, presented as a dual blade-wielding eccentric, acting as the stern yet understanding grandfatherly type, assisting Jack with his arc of finding himself. Who voiced him was surprisingly Alec Baldwin with a Russian accent, where you wouldn’t have guessed whatsoever. Instead of using his Minion-inspired elves to do his toy making, he relies on yetis as his assistants and bodyguards.

There’s the Easter Bunny, E. Aster Bunnymund, given an Australian spin, especially when baring a rough voice by Hugh Jackman. He’s portrayed as the grouchy and sarcastic elder sibling, showing a distaste towards Jack’s pranks during the festivities, even triggering his lack of identity during his introduction. While he does warm up to Jack later on for his efforts, there’s then one moment where he snaps at how they shouldn’t have trusted him. Bunnymund’s overall not the most unlikable character as he’s clearly got a way with kids, but the fact that it’s his harsh words towards Jack is followed with a way to get his believers back felt a tad undeserved. I understood that characters yell out statements in anger and then feel regret afterwards, but in this case, it came out of left field.

Toothiana, while baring far too many expressive facial features, is the enthusiastic bird-fairy, keeping check of any baby teeth that hold the children’s most important memories. Besides her creepy obsession with checking any baby teeth across others, she’s overall a decent character, playing a role as one of the vital Guardians with childhood memories stored away. Her excited tone was done by Isla Fisher, picking up the pace to go along with her hummingbird aesthetic. Accompanying her was one of her kindred, Baby Tooth, who immediately attracts to Jack’s side.

The Sandman is my favourite character as he never speaks a word and communicates with sandy images. While as the first Guardian, he plays the most important role by sailing across through a sand ship, delivering dreams to the children. This would eventually put him at odd’s ends with the Boogeyman, a bringer of deep nightmares, especially by the middle and third act.

As for the villain, Pitch Black the Boogeyman, he does pose a legitimate threat towards the Guardians, but it’s his motivation that stopped interesting me; what we get is any generic scenario involving the bringer of nightmares obliterating the children’s hopes and dreams. That’s not to say that he’s an overall terrible villain as there’s aspects to admire, from how he had this dynamic with Jack and manipulating him, while being capable of destroying one of the main characters. His voice on the other hand by Jude Law I couldn’t take that seriously from how hammy the performance was, leaning heavily towards the pantomime side.

I can see why this film has earned quite the attention years after its release, as those who almost placed the studio in jeopardy with its money usually earned the praise they deserved. Overall, it’s not a masterpiece in my eyes, but I do recommend checking this out.

Final Rating: B

8/10

[deckof-dragons]

i've also never really understood why people think the bugs aren't bug sized, tbh, since their weapons are literally called nails and needles and (in silksong) pins.

It's a combination of multiple things for me personally. One of them is the Hollow Knight bugs are bipedal and are basically the furry equivalent of bugs. You don't look at a bunny furry character and think its the same size as a normal bunny because 'that's a person, therefore it's probably person sized'.

The biggest reason though is absolutely nothing in HK gives the impression that normal sized bugs is the scale they're going for. Compare HK to the movie A Bug's Life. All the background stuff in that movie, plants, rocks, etc. maintains the normal bug scale; it's bigger than the characters. While the opposite is true for Hollow Knight. There's grass everywhere in Hallownest, a lot of it smaller than Ghost who is small next to most of the rest of the characters, meaning they're all much taller than the grass. And then there's the rain. Again, in Bug's Life, when it rains, the rain drops are gigantic next to the characters, maintaining that 'normal sized bugs' scale. Whereas in the City of Tears, the rain is animated the way it would be if the characters were normal humans.

The scale of characters compared to their environment is essential for the way the viewer sees the size of said characters. The world around the HK bugs, including all the naturally occurring elements, is portioned to them as if they were human sized. You can not deny this fact.

And then there are the Wyrms, specifically the Pale King's old body that is seen in game. Wyrms in mythology are always huge, big enough to swallow humans whole with ease. Making a Wyrm that small is blasphemy. (I'm joking about that of course but a small Wyrm isn't a real Wrym but instead a worm.)

Also, as I said before, giant bugs living on their own planet that's entirely inhabited by just them is cooler than the alternative. Though this reasoning is purely opinion and thus not a compelling argument for anyone who disagrees on how cool giant bugs are. It's important to me though because I'm passionate about non-human characters.

Literally the only indication they might be bug sized bugs is the fact that the weapons are called stuff like 'nails' and 'needles'. That detail can easily be be chalked up to just being a cultural thing though. We have different names for different types of swords after all maybe theirs include 'nail' and 'needle' because of some historical context not present in game. Basically I'm saying I don't find this to be an compelling argument.

Not that I think you're trying to convince me, just stating why you think the way you do. And in turn, I'm not really try to convince anyone either, just stating why I think the way I do about it. You did basically ask for an explanation after all.

[resident-idiot-simp]

I’m so glad you liked my idea! :D

In this Au I don’t think people would be born as hybrids. Around the age where kids start developing personalities that’s when they’re the most open to absorbing the ambient magic around them. The forms they take being dependent on a combination of the persons spirit and the local magic. It requires a lot of magic so it’s pretty rare and mythics require even more magic so are rarer still. It’s unusual to have more than one hybrid in a family let alone siblings and one being a mythic to boot is basically unheard of.

There’s room to change what creatures Price, Gaz and Ghost are I just went with lions because it’s England’s national emblem. I love Irish roach too but DRAGON.

Farah and Hadir are unequal opposites both hybrids but Farah is a mythic and they represent different elements and want different things in the end freedom vs retribution (I also wanted a hybrid antagonist instead of making all the bad guys human).

Farah x Alex = roast beef :,D

Laswell isn’t a mythic but she is also very rare she grew up on or near a hidden fossil when other hybrids (especially reptiles and some birds) get near her the feel like they’re in the presence of something ancient.

Golden eagles mate for life (Alrudy) and the snake the eagle eats on the Mexican flag is a rattle snake but I think it was originally a different one and Valeria does work better a a viper

You are so right with nick btw polar bears are one of the few animals to actively hunt humans and they’re smart to.

I think the first thing to change for soap were his eyes, they went from blue to BLUE and ever since everyone’s been to afraid of tainting the pure little Unicorn to even touch him. Being viewed as near holy did not help the religious guilt. This could also work with him being trans masc or just gay. Also did I say this was Ghoap yet?

Everyone listens to a mythic they are put on pedestals and viewed as nearly holy and hurting one purposefully is nearly unthinkable for most regular people, so having several in the military even if they are fierce creatures is nearly unheard of let alone with Soap. They usually become celebrities or spiritual leaders.

Shepherd mission in life is basically “if I can’t have special magic then I’m gonna make those who do suffer”. Makarov’s is to wipe out the walking talking crimes against nature. He’s one of the few deadend to magic like the opposite of a hybrid but that does mean magical tracking, attacks or other affects don’t work on him.

Nearly everyone has a bit of magic in them they can use and feel, hybrids and mythic hybrids have more Laswell has more then most still.

Thank you for letting me word vomit I hope you like some of the background info.

I LOVE THAT AS A WAY TO EXPLAIN HYBRIDS THAT WORKS SO WELL! THERE IS SO MUCH POTENTAL!!!

I see why you chose that but honestly it almost to many lions. What you could do is have Ghost's transformation happen around the Roba period. I know that goes against the premise, but it would be an explanation if you wanted to do something else. Maybe a chupacabra or OOHHH A BLACK DOG!!!

Agreed Irish Roach is based but DRAGON!!!

Good thought process on Farah that absolutely makes a lot of sense as well as some of the bad guys being also hybrids.

FARAH AND ALEX MY BABIES!

I like that a lot Laswell gives the ancient knowledge vibes.

THE SYMBOLISM WITH ALRUDY AND VALARIA 10/10 (I'm a bitch for symbolism)

My thoughts exactly it also narrows down presumably a wide range of other bear hybrids. Polar bears are so cool and I have never seen one be used in a hybrid AU.

I love the Soap angst (I'm also a bitch for Soap angst) lovely ideas for potential angst it works very well. I did figure it was Ghoap when is it not.

That is such a cool concept and it really makes a lot of sense. Do you think you will have any hybrids that are disliked and on top of that to what extent do mythic hybrids extend to. Ie what counts as something you can be a hybrid of because there is fae and other stuff (yes this is a roundabout way to ask if wendigo hybrids could exist)

Both motivations are just perfect chefs kiss. It fits both of their personalities and Shepard strikes me as a spiteful old bastard. And Makarov is just pure evil.

I like that addition I think it really ties the premise together.

I WILL TAKE ANYTHING YOU WILL GIVE ME!!! Feel free to drop by and give me more whenever you want I am living for this!

[matthew-s-j]

Handing the cup to the guest, he was surprised to notice the kitten, he had just been thinking about, that had managed to sneak into the room and climb onto the southerner's lap. Ramiro laughed, his eyes twinkling, and stroked the animal.

– You're a heretic, er Alan.

– And you?

– I'm a godless, as everyone knows. Maybe there is someone somewhere, but they don't care about us, and I, accordingly, don't care about them. If I had been waiting for someone to come and rescue everyone, I would have stayed in Alvasete. Why do something that someone else will do for you, faster and better? – he laughed again and raised his cup – For the cats and their owners – or the Lord?

Alan, without knowing why, laughed too and drained the cup. They're all going crazy. From hopelessness, hatred, idleness. That's where these nasty dreams and the booze came from. Is the Lord of the Rocks drinking to the cats with the half-blood? Well, they drink, what should they do if they don't drink?!

– Do you know Left- handed, Ramiro?

– No, unfortunately – the guest sipped the wine, and Alan remembered that Alva is the owner of the best vineyards in the world, and the white wine brought from the Mountain Mark was mediocre at best.

– I wouldn't mind talking to him – Ramiro set down the cup – Cats are more difficult to subdue than humans. Speaking of demons, by the way. Oakdell, would you be so kind as to tell me about the Four and their inheritance?

Alan stared at the guest in disbelief. Ramiro is the head of the House of Winds, he should know everything.

– You're surprised, I see, but how does the marechiara's brat know the secrets of the People of Honor? The House of the Winds is extinct, we were called Lords, but your rituals, passing from father to son, are still unknown to us. We live and fight by our own rules, but since I have come to die for King Rakan, tell me how he differs from the same Francis Ollar.

How is he different? How are they all different from ordinary people? Perhaps nothing. Maybe once upon a time, the People of Honor really commanded the elements, but now there are only coats of arms, medallions with strange signs and pride, or rather arrogance. Ramiro is smarter and luckier than all of them combined, and the Homeless King…We can laugh at him as much as we want, but he won't miss his chance.

Oakdell reached into his shirt and pulled out a silver disk with an engraving. Instead of the holy espera, the heads of the Great Houses wore them, the rest of the People of Honor were content with gold copies. Aggaris didn't approve of this tradition, but it was still followed in Taligoya. Alan handed the thing to the interlocutor.

– That's all that's left of the greatness of the past, if there was any. That is, we had power, of course, but we probably didn't have magic, although for three thousand years any magic will end.

Alva looked thoughtfully at the disk in his palm. If the southerner's hair had turned golden and his eyes green, he would look like the Lord of Cats.

– You should have the same one, Ramiro, but with the sign of the Winds. We, the Lords of the Rocks, are the children of Sunset and Midnight, the guardians of the Northwest. You're born at Sunrise and Noon, you command the Winds and guard the Southeast, or rather, you did in the Galtar times. Didn't you know that?

– Even the cats know that – Alva grinned – and I do have the Lord's medallion. Alan, I want to understand if there is any truth in talking about the old powers and why Hernani the Saint betrayed the old gods. I don't know about you, but for me, there's nothing more disgusting than "rats" with candles.

A strange night and a strange conversation, although Ramiro could be understood. He's the Lord and has the right to the truth, even if no one else needs it. But is there any truth in the old fairy tales he was told as a child?

– Ramiro, when you turned sixteen, did you bequeath your soul to the Winds?

– Should I have? – the southerner raised an eyebrow – No, I didn't do anything like that.

So Alva doesn't know about the ritual, which doesn't stop him from being smarter and luckier than Prydd.

Taligoya's Golden Past – Wandering Towers, Galtara's Stone Rings, Rakan's Sword, Law and Honor…Alan was born and raised when it all became a legend. Ever since Hernani the Saint heeded the words of the esperatists two Circles ago and moved the capital from demonic Galtara to new Kabitela, everything related to the Four was forgotten. But the past kept reminding of itself, old songs, antiquities fished out of the water or found in the ground, incomprehensible predictions or curses coming from lips.

– Strange things – the southerner returned the medallion to its owner – Do they give you anything?

– I put on the sign of the Rocks the night my father died. I don't know how old this medallion is. It's believed that it belonged to the first of the sons of Midnight and Sunset, and gives power over the rocks.

– And what – Ramiro asked – does the Oakdell's medallion really gives power?

– No, at least I don't know about any of that. We're called the Lords, the bastard called himself the Dragon Slayer. When I put on the medallion, it still held my father's warmth, but I didn't feel anything. Just like on the night of my coming of age, when I answered Questions and took the Oath.

– What kind of questions?

– Every House has different questions – Alan smiled ruefully –Charlot… Lord Épinay, just like me, doesn't understand anything. Maybe there is some meaning hidden in these words, or maybe not. You haven't lost anything, Ramiro, by not being initiated and by not wearing the medallion.

– Why? – the southerner objected – I do. Frankness for frankness. Here's my medallion, you can open it.

Alan carefully took the exquisite moriscan medallion, inside of which was a light brown curl.

– Octavia?

– Yes, the only deity I pray to.

'Red on the Red'

[idswolf]

Hehehe Hello! Tis your secrettttt skeletonnnn!

I noticed on your wishlist you wanted to yap out some details about your goobers! I would love to draw either 4 armed Eclipse, Sunny Bunny, or Hallow, though you can yap to your heart's content about as many of your OCs as ya want! I do wanna see if these extra details will sway me even more onto one of your OCs hehehe

Btw, I am completely fine with gore too, so if your duders got some extra gruesome backgrounds I am able to handle them o7

OH MY GOSH HEWWO!! Let me just *scrambles to find my notes* alright so going down the list I’ll start with Eclipse!

Eclipse✨: Here’s so basic info I already had written down

• This Eclipse is from my security breach au called Won’t Die, they end up being one of Gregory’s protectors in it.

• I said they’re fusion of Sun and Moon and I mean that literally, in this au Sun and Moon are two separate beings in their own body and they literally combine together to make Eclipse.

• They’re kinda like Opal from Steven Universe in the sense they have a very one track mind and tend to focus on one thing and end up forgetting about other things they were meant to do

• They’re move around in the same creepy manner that Moon does in the games

• They’re 9’1 ft tall (not including the rays)

• They technically have 3 tails, the two ribbons on their backside and the hood of their lil cloak can move around like tails and the ribbon ones are strong enough to pick up Gregory!

• They are very willing to fight and or destroy stuff in order to complete their main goal

• They’re very protective and very strong (examples vvvvv)

The White Rabbit 🐰:

• So his name isn’t Sunny bunny, I just call him that to differentiate from my other Suns, he’s from my wonderland au and in it he’s either called Sun or the rabbit

• Sun is really kind to children but HATES adults, in fact he’s murdered multiple before in very gruesome ways, never in front of kids tho

• I want to make sure you know he genuinely cares about kids and loves making them smile whether it’s by doing fun activities with them or doing something silly to amuse them

• Him, along with most of the others from wonderland, want to kidnap kids so they can entertain them for forever, he actually lured Cassie (the Alice of this au) into wonderland without her knowing it was a trap

• He’s very manipulative and persuasive, this is how he helped keep kids from leaving wonderland in the past and how he got Cassie to help him in freeing the residents of wonderland

• He genuinely doesn’t think murdering people and kidnapping kids is a bad thing

• He’s an animatronic but he’s also semi organic

• He has a magical ability that lets him shift into a smaller form that looks like a rabbit(I sadly haven’t drawn it before), tho it’s smaller then his normal size it’s actually just a bit bigger than Cassie (she’s 3’9 ft for reference)

• He’s like 6’5 ft?? I never really figured out his height but it’s around that

Hallow 🎃 : Here’s some info I had written already

• The au Hallow is in is my seasonal au, basically magical creatures are the living embodiment of each season and of the four elements, other creatures there are also the embodiment of different things too like Hallow being the embodiment of Halloween

• The farm they live on isn’t in the human realm at all but is instead in a realm where magic and such run wild, the farm is ran by Maple (my grim Foxy) whose the embodiment of fire and autumn

• Hallow can only go to the human realm on Halloween but normal animals and humans are able to cross freely tho the areas to do so are very hidden so humans very rarely encounter the magical realm

• The character Hallow is most similar to is Jack Skellington, they’re both the embodiment of Halloween, tall spooky looking guys, mischievous, kind, and protective of their friends

• They can open their mouth and they have a very long goopy black tongue, I sadly don’t have a drawing of this but I have a drawing of a different character who has a tongue that’s similar to Hallow’s just not goopy like theirs is

Highly recommend looking at this art of Hallow as an example of the flames “leaking” out :] https://artfight.net/attack/7869231.dare-gone-wrong