#and they're supposed to be designed with the idea that the colors are flipped

[quibbs126]

Okay so I ended up actually finishing off this page today

So do you remember when I talked about wanting to make Legally Distinct Transformers sometime after watching Transformers One like 2 weeks ago? Well I actually did start trying to make their designs afterwards, but then I ended up losing interest. But then listening to the Transformers Prime theme song on loop got my brain a-thinking about these guys again, so I went back and tried to at least make some of the designs in my head

Right now this is what I have in mind for their designs. The basics are that they have solid eye colors (I just shaded them like CRK to give them some more life), skin that's at least the color of metal, which tends to be grey but can be other colors as seen, and also hair. Maybe hair doesn't make the most sense, especially considering they are still supposed to be made of metal, even if it is living and malleable, but listen. When I was originally internally thinking of designs for these guys, golden guy there specifically had long, wavy, luscious golden locks, and I had to keep that. So they have hair now. Also pointy ears because why not

They also have those square cores in the middle that are the same color as their eyes, which is basically supposed to be like their heart/power source

As mentioned, they are still metal alien things like Transformers, and they still have transforming capabilities. I don't know what specifically they transform into though, at least as some sort of alternate mode. They can just transmute their metal at will into other things, like weapons if they so choose. Also most of their world is also made of living metal, so with some reformatting they can turn anything into a weapon or some other object, including severed limbs

So far, I really don't feel like I've gotten distinct enough with these guys, both in design and concept. Also their designs just aren't really that unique or special in any way, just in general. But I don't know, I don't really know what to do with these guys design wise. I think you people know I never really get too weird with my designs, at least not now. It's pretty much just humans and mostly human looking beings. I know I need to get out of that more but I just don't know how

I also want to give them clothes in some way, but I don't know what to do on that front either. They're all naked right now, but that doesn't really mean anything here since they don't really have private parts. At least not yet anyways. I'm not giving them boobs or anything though. But yeah, they maybe wear clothes, mostly because I don't know how else to make them distinct, but I don't know what kind of clothes to give them

Something I'm realizing is with the Transformers, generally what makes them the most distinct is their head/helmet design, as well as what's around their body that's part of their alternate mode. But since I don't really know what I'm doing with these guys, I don't know how to incorporate that

I don't know, I think I should move on to a different topic, I'm just repeating myself on the design front. I don't know what I'm doing and I am not skilled enough to make these guys anything exceptional, even if my brain wants to do stuff with them

I guess we can talk about character stuff? Though granted, we still only have one character named, that being (tentatively) Howler, whom I'll mention later

I've mentioned this before, but basically as a refresher, Purple and Gold here are fighting a civil war, after their people had an uprising against the previous tyrannical leader

Basically the story I have right now is that the two started out very close, at some point joining against the ruling class to elicit change and revolution for their people. Also, they were in fact, gay and in love. But then during one encounter, likely after saving Purple, Gold gets captured by their enemy and basically left to be tortured and die in some horrible punishment place they have or something. I haven't fleshed out the details of this place yet. But it did lead to him getting horribly mutilated with his eye being ripped out and by the end of it, half of his face being basically gone and ripped apart. I have this very distinct vision of him having this red line (same color as his eye) going all the way from the top of his head to at least his neck. Meanwhile, Purple and their other allies tried to get him back but failed, and they rallied more forces and eventually lead an assault on the ruling class in revolution

This is also where Gold came back, having basically done the impossible of surviving that place he got sent to, and also bringing other survivors from there to basically be the cavalry and the two both working together to defeat their tyrannical leader

But they differed when left to decide what to do after, and how do deal with the ruler, Gold's experiences making him more ruthless, leading him to personally execute their former ruler and have some sort of altercation that left Purple with his arm now gone. His yellow one is a replacement he got sometime after this fight

This event sparked the creation of the two sides of this new civil war, with both disagreeing on how they deal with the rest of the ruling class and the structure of the government going forward. But also, for Purple and Gold, who are either the leaders of the movements or people with high standing in both sides, the conflict is very personal, since they both feel personally betrayed by the other

So yeah, basically Transformers, particularly One

I really need to work on making them more distinct from Transformers, I really do. I know I eventually was able to do that with Ralia, but that was over the course of at least two years, and was when I was in junior high, aka I had a lot less responsibilities, and I actually had creative juices back then as opposed to the constant drought of nowadays. Also my attention span is even lower, and I'll probably forget these guys yet again before I do anything meaningful

But anyways, I guess we talk about the last person here, aka Howler?

To be honest I don't entirely know what her name means. I think in my brain she was originally Sparrow or Raven, but then I wanted to change it, and so my brain thought Nightshade, then Night Howler (like from Zootopia), which then just got shortened to Howler. But it's a name, so I'll take it

Note that Purple and Gold are not the characters' actual names, they're just placeholders because I don't have any for them

Basically Howler's whole deal is that she suspiciously looks like Purple and Gold's love child. She's on Gold's side of the war, and is a younger member who's quick and good with knives. Gold also does treat her nicely, though they never refer to each other by a familial connection, but also Gold isn't evil like Megatron is supposed to be, and he's not horrible to the people who serve under him, unless he just doesn't like them. She is also supposed to be young enough that she was born after the war has started, although very early on in its timeframe

In my brain, because it's also for some reason an actual series someone watches, Howler's relation to the two is supposed to be something people commonly theorize/headcanon, but at least at the beginning of the story, isn't outright stated, and I've left it semi-ambiguous in my mind. But I think I'm going with the idea that yes, she is

Also the specific setup is that Purple isn't aware of their relation and Howler maybe hasn't specifically been told of Purple's relation to her, because Gold was the one that had her and this was not that long after their split, so emotions were kind of running high for him and he didn't feel like doing that out of spite

Also don't ask me how they reproduce. I guess it's sexually based on Howler, but I'm not sure I want to think about the whole process of it. They're made of metal, but it's also supposed to be living metal or some sort of metal-like alien substance, so they have some amount of organic-ness to them. But gender doesn't matter with them, or at the very least their concept of gender is different than ours and lets this be a thing

I'm not sure I have much else to talk about, so I guess I'm done here. I just wanted to talk about these guys I suppose. I like them and I want to do more with them, but I struggle with drawing them, or at least making designs of them that aren't just really boring and uninspired

[r0swells]

hello! take some designs for an after-game PMTOK au i've had rattling around in my brain for a bit. More explanation under the cut :]

Okay so the basic premise is that a couple of months after the game something something star spirits cause the legion of stationary + Olly and Olivia get reborn as toads (except for like, 1.5 of them) and are dropped off unceremoniously in Toad Craftsman's front yard for him to deal with.

This was mostly an excuse so I could draw some Olivia interacting with everyone because we never got to see her hanging out with them and I plan to rectify that! Uh here are some design notes:

For all the LoS I really wanted to give them all different types of mushroom caps for fun so Colored pencils got a death-cap mushroom as theirs since I wanted something flat like their box. I wanted their design to be reminiscent of an art student since I thought it would be funny.

Rubber band's mushroom cap is a bunch of enoki mushrooms reminiscent of their little hair thing. I think they adjusted the best of the LoS to being a toad since they already took a pretty humanoid form when they were an office supply.

Hole punch's mushroom is a Morel mushroom since they have a bunch of holes and stuff. their hair is also supposed to look like cut up paper.

Tape has a button mushroom since I really didn't wanna distract from their hair and them having a really tiny hat seemed funny. Still the most loyal to Olly even though he literally has no powers anymore because its the FAMILY!

Scissors is an oyster mushroom since it looks kinda cut up. Also their Handaconda has been turned into one of the Underwhere hands from the river Stix. They're the one dealing the worst (besides Olly) with being a toad and keep trying to do flips and shit and failing.

Stapler is a chain chomp with really messed up teeth, thats it.

Olivia and Olly are just normal toads! Also Olivia is fine, she just spawned with the "cut" out on her cap, since she can't really wear her signature hat. Didn't really have to change much about their designs, they're already perfect. But as stated above, Olly is really not doing well being a toad, makes it really hard to make origami. I also think Olivia really doesn't like it either, she liked being who she was and this just feels wrong to her. it feels wrong to all of them tbh

I also tried my hand at an Origami craftsman design. I wanted him to kinda look like Olly and Olivia, having Olivia's hair texture, but Olly's color and shape. I've seen people head canon him to be really young and I totally agree, makes his mistake seem a little more driven by naivety then by deliberately going against what he should know. He's dealing...okay with having a bunch of people in his house.

+ some sketches

Yea the only ideas I have for plot is that Olly is trying to remake all the 1000 cranes again so he can turn them all back into their true forms and they can leave (the idea of taking over doesn't really appeal to him anymore) and go somewhere else. But there's also a time limit since the origami festival is happening soon and the Craftsman has to go to it and the others really don't know how everyone else might react to them. Also everyone only remembers up to when they die so colored pencils really has no context while Olivia knows mostly what happened. i like the idea that this creates some tension between Olly and the LoS who are questioning what happened to make him change his mind so drastically.

so yea if anyone has any ideas or questions send me an ask, I really like this au and really wanna talk about it :]

[adobe-outdesign]

sorry if you have answered already, but thoughts on the aipom line? 🐵💜

Aipom's a fun concept for a Pokemon—New-World monkeys have prehensile tails, so Aipom simply takes it to the extreme by having a hand for a tail.

What I really like about this design is the arms. Maybe it's just simplification and not meant to be read into too much, but I always saw its real arms as being semi-vestigial due to how much it uses its tail instead of them.

Other than that, the rest of the body looks pretty good. The hand-tail is pretty obvious and draws attention to itself due to its size. The paler face and underbelly break up the design, the colors are nice and high-contrast, and it has the face of a gremlin. I do think the feet would've looked better if they were purple, but other than that nitpick, it's pretty strong.

Two generations after Aipom was introduced, Ambipom was added as an evolution. I do think this was a good idea, in the sense that Aipom never had any real reason to be a single-stager.

With that said, Ambipom's design has been... controversial, to say the least. I will say that, for the most part, I do like it—the double hands make sense as a progression of the theme, the pink accents expand the palette a bit and help draw more attention to the tails, and it keeps the personality in-tact.

However, there are some weird parts of the design that don't really work. The hands look particularly udder-ish with the overall shape and pink tips, which is weird because they're supposed to be even more prehensile than Aipom's. I feel like they could've been given a shape closer to Mr. Mime's hands; maybe flip the coloration as well so the pink is over the base of the hand instead of the finger tips.

The addition of a nose also looks weird and out of place, the extra fluff around the base of the tails isn't needed (though I do like the fluff at the base of the hands), and the bowl-cut is also an odd choice. Like, the design as a whole has the right idea, but there are just some weird decisions here and there.

Side note: while this line doesn't really need anything else, I wouldn't be opposed to it getting a regional. A normal/fighting type variant with the tails taking on a boxing glove shape feels way too obvious to not be done.

Anyway, as a whole, this line is fine; the concept is simple and memorable enough, and the designs work well enough. The biggest problem is Ambipom, which has a lot of weird design quirks that don't quite work, but these are some fun monkeys otherwise.

[minijenn]

Jen Tortures Herself With Every Dreamworks Animated Movie Ever: Antz

So as I mentioned earlier, I'm watching every Dreamworks animated movie (and special) ever because... I don't know, I fucking hate myself, I guess. But for reals, this studio is so weird because sometimes they'll make the greatest movies literally ever crafted (Prince of Egypt, How to Train Your Dragon, Puss in Boots the Last Wish) and other times they'll make absolute shit like what I had to fucking watch to kick this marathon off. Goddamn fucking Antz.

I plan on doing drive by reviews of each of these movies on here because well, what's the point of watching all these films if I'm not gonna share what I think. So yeah, let's start with 1998's Antz, the first Dreamworks animated film and by god its one of their worst.

If you asked me to tell you what Antz is about, I'm honestly not sure I'd be able to give you a coherent answer because I'm not sure Antz itself knows what Antz is about. Like I think its about individuality? About breaking free from opressive systems?? About thinking for yourself? I guess? But like its annoyingly heavy handed with that message to the point that it doesn't let its audience think for itself. It does a lot of telling instead of showing and as such creates a viewing experience as dull as the dirt these ants call home.

Also lets talk about these Antz. They are Ugly as Sin like seriously who looked at these character designs and thought this was ok???

Most stompable ants of all fucking time if you ask me and the non ants aren't much better. Behold, my new sleep paralysis demons:

As for how the characters act... yeah they're not much better than how they look. The main character, Z, is an annoying asshole who just spends most of the film bitching (and yes they actually use that word, this movie is weirdly littered with swears and cussing and sexual innuendos? More on that later) about his shitty lot in life and even once he breaks free he's still agressively uninteresting. His love interest Bala is just as uninteresting, an arrogant bitch who flip flops about how she feels about him with almost no development whatsoever. The side characters are all forgettable, and the villain, General Mandible is just your generic "wants to rule everyone and get rid of anyone who opposes him" bad guy. The world they inhabit isn't really that creative tbh, they hype up this place called Insectopia but its just a trash heap where a bunch of stoner bugs live and its really not that important to the plot at all really so why do we care???

Blatant product placement what what

Also yeah that plot. It starts out as Z being incontent with his lot in life as a simple worker ant and so he switches places with his friend Weaver so he can be a soldier ant, only to be the lone survivor of a battle against a group of opposing termites. This somehow leads to him and Bala winding up outside of the colony and they go on a lame ass adventure that seems incredibly rushed while Mandible is planning to wipe out all of the "lesser" ants and take Bala as his queen i guess? idk i kinda zoned out toward the end bc i was so soul-crushingly board with this movie.

The animation can be impressive for the time I suppose, that's really the only good thing I have to say about it but even then, the colors are dirty and unappealing, the characters are, like I said, all incredibly hard to look at, the music is bland and forgettable, the set pieces are garish and boring, and the writing oh god the writing.

Ok so I have no idea who this movie is meant to be for??? Like its rated PG right but they're constantly throwing out swears like bitch and ass and anus and making sex jokes and I'm just like??? What??? Is this a kids movie? Because what kid would enjoy this thoroughly unpleasant kinda dark movie? Is it for adults? Why would adults want to watch a movie about wisecracking ants??? Who is this for? Why did they make this? Ok well I know why because Pixar was making a very similar film at the very same time as this and Jeffery Katzenburg is a Petty Bitch

Really, at the end of the day, all I can say about this movie is just... don't bother with it? It really sucks, its agressively unappealing and unpleasant to sit through, and when its not assulting you with you how gross it is, its assualting you with how painfully boring it is. I don't think I even cracked a smile once while watching it. What a fucking way to start a Dreamworks marathon off on. Jesus.

Overall rating: 1/10

Verdict: Step on these damn Antz already

Next Review (Prince of Egypt)

[inventors-fair]

Revision Commentary: Process over Product

So as you all can imagine, this is going to be a little different.

Instead of selecting a group of three winners and three runners and leaving two entries high and dry, I'm going to do a bit of a reflection. In all honesty, this contest was supposed to be just that—a reflection. Take a step back, look at your old cards, look at how Magic has changed, and go from there. The wording may have been esoteric, and I do apologize for not extracting my vision as precisely as may have been necessary. In retrospect, Magic players do love themselves some precise wording.

All of these cards, for whatever they're worth, show significant growth. I recognize the usernames, I recognize the design techniques, and I recognize the places we've been. Honestly, I can't believe we've had so many random contest ideas already. It feels like we run out of space, and then bam. Hence, throwbacks like this. But all the same...

Allow me to go through and do a little digging into the process. The ideas here are all wonderful and part of the point of this contest was to praise growth. We all grow over time, but recognizing that is hard to see. Let's all take a look-see while we're here!

@bergdg — Ashmouth Fiend/Ashmouth Crown

This card feels radically different than its origin, and also radically cleaner. There are two options: playing the trampling devil, or running out the equipment. The only place where I'd see minor gameplay frustrations are where you want a cheap creature but you get the equipment instead—but maybe that plays into the set, or this is a one-off card and there's artifact interaction! Giving trample AND having more of a madness payoff feels awesome on the flip, and hey, maybe you just want a devil too.

When you mention it clicking, I feel that too. Innistrad's DFCs and weird transformations are abundant, and I'm glad that you leaned into it for this revision in a fresh way. Sometimes stretching a card feels weird, but in this instance, it's 100% justified. You've upped both power level and complexity while remaining in the contemporary uncommon zone. Now I wonder if the demons are being all beat up in Innistrad-hell and the devils are taking over, so our next return will be a devils-in-the-playground kind of set. Innistrad: Devil's Kingdom. Ooh-hoo-hoo...

@bread-into-toast — Dovin, Consulate Inspector

In the right deck with the right protections, this card feels grindy, frustrating, oppressive, complicated, and instrumental to control. I absolutely love it. When comparing this to your previous entry, the flavorful feeling of Niko showed them with their shard powers, sure, but this Dovin feels connected to all sides of his desire for control. He's a big judge of your opponents' cards, but if your cards aren't fulfilling their potential, you can send them back too! Arrest or dismiss, those are the moods.

Oddly enough, I'm feeling Aftermath vibes from this card. What I mean by that is that there's this central flavor that happens to vibe with a specific play pattern. A love of the character... Okay, well, it's Dovin—a strong understanding of the character has led to a card where that understanding meshes with gameplay unquestionably. This is a card that would possibly be too slow in the right aggro environment, but he's got four toughness and card advantage. What's not to appreciate? From your side of the table, anyway. Cohesion is key. This is fantastic.

@corporalotherbear — One-Up

It's a little more specific, a little more specifically punishing, and feels so flavorfully sexy that every theatre kid just made it an auto-include. Compared to the pseudo-Ancestral of your previous version, I can see how this card is a little close to home without being actually there, and keeping the flavor/color while changing pretty much the whole vibe (by whittling down the flavor, no less) is pretty masterful. As a card, it's for sure a commander/limited staple in the right build; FWIW, I'd've made it "This spell costs X less to cast, where X is the number of spells your opponents have cast this turn" but there's no precedent.

What I really love is how much this makes the caster feel like a Prismari student. There's no time manipulation, there's no realities colliding, but there sure is a kid with a complex and some fireworks ready to wreak havoc. How much better can you get? If this card had been submitted to the previous contest that long ago, I would have advocated for it to hell and back. But we really can only see how awesome our progress is with growth. You took risks and this card is evident of how they can pay off with balance, flavor, and gameplay comprehension.

@hypexion — Vasilisa, Flame Event

Spectacle indeed has moved from being on ten cards to being on...eleven! Wow, but that contest. I remember sitting in a twin bed in someone else's house as I was house-sitting for them, cracking my knuckles and letting my eyes unfocus because we had, apparently, over fifty entries... Memories, dawg. If I was being stricter about this contest, I'd want to move away from the spectacle a little and ease out of drafting as-fan. Maybe that would eventually make for a better card, but I can get how tying it all in is important to you.

I also still do like the Gorgon typeline. "Flame Event" (heh) didn't quite make sense until I read it aloud, and you know how much puns can pack a punch. As for evolution, that first ability is absolutely devastating. Adding mana instead of reducing costs can perhaps be limiting, but with the number of cards that allow for big stuff to impact the board more, I'm terrified. How easy is it to lose five life? Lava Axe typal deck, here we go. It feels bigger, it feels more fun, and what more can be asked. You and spectacle can make yourselves as comfortable together as you can be. Just don't be surprised when they run out of steam.

@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes — Discard the Remnants

So, uh. What...contest was this for again? This is why I asked for y'all to include, because now I don't know on what it was supposed to be an improvement, heh. But let's back up for a second. My first thought is that this card is excellent and a bend that could be fine in the right set. My second thought is "wait, from what angle are we seeing the chute and the fire pit." My third thought is that I wish I could remember all the contests we've done in order to jump-start my brain, because this is quite specific!

Wording-wise, did you consider Turn to Slag? E.g., "Destroy target creature. Exile all permanents attached to that creature." Or maybe there needs to be a condition that the creature actually dies/leaves the battlefield, but all the same, the "then" might not do it. I think the flavor text is 90% there; my vote would be "When death just isn't enough," even if it's a random taste thing from my wording. Is getting rid of equipment too much of a bend? I would say it's super iffy. The environment decides. Let me know what contest this was for, though, so we can talk further. 

@nine-effing-hells — Kindled Hate

Looking back at my commentary for your card, I can still see how it's a clever idea, and more clever than I saw at the time. Giving your opponent's kill spells flashback is still a bad idea, unless your spells are better, but they've printed weirder things. Looking at this card, you absolutely took the commentary to heart, and this card is far more simpler and I think kinda neater in its own special ways. Again, the center of this contest revolves around that notion, so my own heart is warmed.

How does one use your creatures and resources, how does that work... There are an oddly limited number of options, but this card encourages a board state with a lot of creatures, absolutely. Using them needs to be masterful. Especially at sorcery speed, you can maximize your damage with proper planning. Shame it doesn't hit planeswalkers, but to be honest, doubling your four damage by playing on-curve to nuke your opponent's board is insanely powerful and probably fine as-is. I love how this card deals with a board state and I love the different ways you could flavor this in art. A+.

@reaperfromtheabyss — Vivien, Skalla's Last Ranger

Alright, but this card is kinda genius flavorfully. Vivien attacks, seeks the wilds, then—gasp! A marvelous beastie! It runs alongside her (tapped and attacking), and to strengthen the bond, she has to tap into her resources and knowledge of the planes in order to secure them together. The size doesn't matter because it's her attacking that gives the creature its strength.

Upping the power level was the right idea. I think the only weird wording is a corner case here. I'd have it say at the last line that the creature gains the ability of "At the beginning of your end step," etc. and there are a couple reasons, but that ability would just be better insurance. Everything else is costed well, powerful, scary, and strong. I don't know much about Vivien's backstory, but this was a year and change ago, so who knows what was happening then. I barely remember yesterday. Oh, but I'd remember being smacked in the face by Vivien and a giant monster, that's for sure.

@squeezyboi — Deep Dive

Ah, a URL change! And also, congrats, I think this is the oldest someone's gone back. How the days have passed us by. Regardless, you certainly took the advice to heart. Flavor text fits, art direction is vivid and tingly in all the evil ways, and the ability speaks to the balance of the covert and the coveted. The only question I have is whether this is a blue card or a black card. See, this puts reanimation straight into mono-blue, theoretically. That's a big break.

Black, however, can mill as much as it needs to. This should be, in my opinion, a black-based rare. Reanimation is a huge tool in limited and constructed alike! Milling is awesome, and stealing things even more so. Here's what I'd want to see: I wanna see ten Idealist cards at rare where they're mono-colored and have a leaning in either direction. Like, if this was in RTR, one green card has white idealism that destroys an attacking thing, and another green card has black idealism that creates Zombie tokens. Y'know? This opens up doors, and that's half the battle. It's definitely an improvement and it's definitely a pumped-up design.

That's all for now! I'll have something broader for y'all next time I see you.

-@abelzumi

[grumbums-ooc]

give me two facts about every oc on that sheet >:)

ALRIGHT BABY LETS GO

Part 1: OSC

long post! also the updated oc count from 55 to 57 and one of the added ocs is in this part.

RB (short for Rubber Ball)

1. first ever oc & first ever self insert*! oct 16th, 2020

2. raymon and james are different versions of rb to fit the fandom/story they're from

Hart (not a typo)

1. rb's gf, hearts and hannah are different versions/influenced by her

2. adopted! /pos

Toppie (object toppie, is a top hat)

1. originally was supposed to be an antagonist to rb and hart, now is just a mischievous friend

2. nonbinary! (this was when i avoided making queer characters due to "not seeing them as trans/gay", the nb thing was decided a couple years after)

Brownie

1. used to be a bully to rb that could never be redeemed. got redeemed.

2. got super defensive telling people "this isnt an attempt at racism!" when i told them he was a shitbag. dunno why.

all 4 of them are friends btw, and rb, hearts, and toppie are in a poly relationship

Sticker

1. rb's dad. abusive dad. does not correlate to anyone irl i just like giving my characters trauma

2. no design. just a square with a rip and a couple of stains. also drinks alcohol

Stuffy (stuffed animal)

1. rb's mom. dead mom. thats right baybee your boi accidentally just made the mary sue trope of one dead parent one abusive parent on accident i had no idea.

2. kind and caring, of course. died when rb was 7 trying to break up a bar fight bc she worked at a bar.

Kick Ball

1. i never actually decided on this but hes either rb's long lost brother or one of his friends ig.

2. blueish teal!

(just realized i flipped the order of stuffy n kick ball. whatever)

Pixel (not on the list, forgot her)

1. really small (about the size of ice cube after used to cool down team ice cube's soup in bfb 13), displays a dark gray color around #161616

2. friends with kb!

Folder

1. made to be someone who had a crush on hart in pair with sign having a crush on rb

2. basically a toppie clone in terms of personality

Sign

1. made to be someone who had a crush on rb in pair with folder having a crush on hart

2. kind of a yandere!

Lighter

1. made to be toppies younger sister. otherwise nothing else

2. i think i once used her for a daydream similar to that one movie (where a kid goes to a party but is forced to take his little sister, gets high at the party, sister has an allergic reaction, rolls down the window for the sister when driving home so she can breathe better, kills her by driving recklessly and decapitating her when driving near a wall or pole or something, and then hiding it from his parents until they find out and theres this scene where the parents are sobbing while the camera slowly pans to the room hes in and he looks full of dread. its called hereditary) where toppie goes to a party. has to take lighter. walks back and accidentally lets ligher get run over. thats all i remember

Starry

1. hart's adoptive mom.

2. changed to be male and the host of an hfjone like object show that never came to fruition, so no male host starry

Spray Can

1. hart's other adoptive mom

2. her and starry's objects were the first things i saw while i was playing subway surfers so they stuck

WHOO BOY THAT WAS A LOT. I WILL REBLOG OR DO ANOTHER POST WITH PART 2 SOON.

[pkmnomegaverse]

Cut Fankids Round 5

Once again that time for the yearly fankid cull. But I like to lay them out in a list like this to make them easy to add back if I change my mind. The theme (which is usually always the theme) is it's kids I don't wanna design. So they're getting the axe.

- Tory Lund (Omega; 37) & Pierce Sego (Alpha) (TowerFallShipping)

Avarel Lund - Omega!Boy; 15 (Twin)  (one-night stand)

Alois Lund - Omega!Boy; 15 (Twin)  (one-night stand)

The drama here was funny (so perhaps still happens anyway, who knows), but also I really am pretty stumped on a design for these two or even just who they are as characters. I really like the Max/Tory twins and a design for Rayner wouldn't be too hard if I just did it (and he's the important one with a story so won't cut him) but these two really do exist just for drama with the parents and not because I like the fankids. So just gotta cut my losses. Tory/Rafe just end up mirroring Wally/Brendan a bit more now (since that’s why they have the same age gap as Wally/Brendan, meant them as a parallel) but instead of being able to overcome the hurdles of accident baby when they're young, forcing them to make their relationship serious, they just aren't able to make it work, despite trying.

- Eusine Mori (Beta; 46)   

Feng Mori - Alpha!Boy; 14  (Unofficially Adopted/Ward of Eusine)

This isn't a direct cut per se, more moving Feng's parents around to try and save him. He's a character with enough backing I feel even were I to cut him, I'd still think about him. It's mostly Eusine as his guardian I just don't see anymore. So he's now added to Will/Karen's fam as the adopted lil bro of that family. Which since he's always been meant to be a bit flamboyant looking once I design him, I feel like it would fit right in with those two. Something something a weird Faller child with a cursed doll/Pokemon is something Will and Karen can probably handle better than Eusine. Also I’ve been kinda wavering on this fam, not sure if I want to keep them (more it’s Yumi who’s the issue, I have no idea what to do with her but don’t wanna cut her yet) so perhaps this will help shake things up enough to help with that issue.

- Tracy Sketchit (Alpha) & Daisy [Rivers] Sketchit(Omega) (HandymanShipping)

Beatrice Sketchit - Omega!Girl

This is not this ship being cut, just the kid (who in my head I always call Beat-Rice which is not endearing her to me enough to ever actually design her). But what is happening here is while I thought I cracked the code on a ship for Misty…I didn’t. Not really feeling Misty/Lorelei at all anymore as a ship. But adore the kids I designed, especially Aurora, so she gets to be a Handyman kid now. But what’s that you say, she is very clearly designed as a Lorelei kid? Don’t worry about it, she just super stans Lorelei. Thus why she’s theming her team around her and kinda styles her hair to match Lorelei’s iconic hair spike. But since she always was meant to take after her aunts a lot, in that sense, switching Daisy to her mom works fine. And Misty’s entire fam has wild hair colors anyway so why not a surprise redhead. I suppose it’s possible if Beat-Rice revives herself and a good Lorelei ship comes to me, I might flip Aurora back to Lorelei. Could even flip her back to Misty once I figure out what’s going on there. But for now she’s chilling here.

Which on that note

-  Lorelei Gail (Omega; 50) & Misty Rivers (Beta; 43) (ChestShipping) 

Aurora Gail-Rivers - Omega!Girl 

Calla Gail-Rivers - Omega!Girl  

Not the kids being cut here, just the ship. I just…can’t see them as a couple. No matter how I try to twist things around to maybe make it work. Decided on the ship out of desperation and the knowledge it would lead to good fankid designs (which it did, cracked the code in that sense at least). As I mentioned, Aurora goes to Tracy/Daisy and Calla will stay with Misty. I’m still debating who the other parent is. If I’m feeling lazy might just use Rudy (and was who I threw up as a placeholder). Say he’s that rando guy Misty is on a date with in HGSS (since I’ve always kinda contemplated if I could figure out who that guy could be, could just use him since am gameverse. Is her “canon boyfriend” in gameverse afterall). So basically going back to my earlier route where Misty has a daughter with basically an “OC.”

Also in gen, I’m thinking about shuffling some other kids around to different parents (for those whose designs either would make sense or would only need slight tweaks). As a way to trim ships without actually losing kids I designed for said ships. But still debating those so would make that another post.

[emeritiii]

Heck do all the asks

I had two more cups of coffee while working on these and my nervous system is undergoing a transformation

1. Art programs you have but don't use

I bought Clip Studio Paint on sale but still haven't dragged myself over the learning curve. I also have FireAlpaca downloaded and only use that for cropping images.

2. Is it easier to draw someone facing left or right (or forward even)

I find forward the easiest! Left and right are about the same for me, but I also do a lot of canvas-flipping, and about half the time the angle I start drawing is not the angle I end up with.

3. What ideas come from when you were little

Project-wise? I still kick around character designs from when I was a kid. In general, I think the brightest constant is that I do pretty much exclusively character art and not scenery, still life, or real-world living subjects because all my ideas are related to fiction.

4. Fav character/subject that's a bitch to draw

I love monsters and extremely complex character designs, but they're hell on my stamina.

5. Estimate of how much of your art you post online vs. the art you keep for yourself

Right now, I post maybe ten percent of my art? Most of it is just for me or for one other person.

6. Anything that might inspire you subconsciously (i.e. this horse wasn't supposed to look like the Last Unicorn but I see it)

I guarantee there are still remnants of anime influence in my art, since anime and manga were what really cemented my identity as an "artist" (insofar as I can cal myself one, which is probably up for debate). One bit of evidence that comes to mind is my love of like... knockoff chibis? I don't think I can call them chibis, but funky lil guys.

7. A medium of art you don't work in but appreciate

*Watercolor.* My sister works mainly with watercolor and it's something I have never been able to grasp.

8. What's an old project idea that you've lost interest in

At some point I wanted to make a collection of group pictures with the main characters from all of my comfort stories.

9. What are your file name conventions

You need to see the thumbnail if you're going to have any idea what the file contains. I drew a three-part series of doodles and the filenames are "BEE," "too," and "tree." I'm also fond of variations on "HELP" and "ohno."

10. Favorite piece of clothing to draw

Tailcoats or long, flowy dresses

11. Do you listen to anything while drawing? If so, what

Whatever I'm feeling! Music, a podcast, an audiobook, a YouTube video that doesn't require me to look at it, a stream if I'm on a call with ~Geoffrey~ while she's playing a game. I'm not picky but my autistic ass (affectionate) needs the sensory input to focus

12. Easiest part of body to draw

Lukewarm take, I know, but eyes. Or eyebrows if I'm allowed to be a smartass

13. A creator who you admire but whose work isn't your thing

I don't know anything about this person so it's purely from an artistic standpoint, but I respect how wildly recognizable the JJBA art style is (the actual art, the expressions and poses, the character designs, all the things)

14. Any favorite motifs

e y e s and also bones and time-related symbols

15. *Where* do you draw (don't drop your ip address this just means do you doodle at a park or smth)

Almost entirely at home at my desk, but sometimes I doodle during downtime at work

16. Something you are good at but don't really have fun doing

*U h* I don't think I'm good at a wide enough variety of things to have an answer to this

17. Do you eat/drink when drawing? if so, what

I need to have a drink nearby at all times or I will Die. Flavored water, soda, and coffee are the big three, but I also like sweet tea and assorted fruit juices. I don't love eating while drawing for sensory/cleanliness reasons, but sometimes I'll have something crunchy

18. An estimate of how much art supplies you've broken

Not too many! I do tend to mangle colored pencils because I'm too rough when sharpening them, but I don't use a lot of materials that are easy to break and I'm neurotically careful with my tablet because I can't replace it. The closest I've come to breaking that was keeping the cord in a drawer my kitten learned how to open

19. Favorite inanimate objects to draw (food, nature, etc.)

Anything That Glows

20. Something everyone else finds hard to draw but you enjoy

Armor, mechanical parts, and bones. I'm not saying I don't find them difficult, mind you, but I love it

21. Art styles nothing like your own but you like anyways

Slowly grasps Cinder's sleeve. Also Fern's. Also ~Geoffrey's~. If I have to choose someone I don't know personally, crow-caller

22. What physical exercises do you do before drawing, if any

This is a thing I definitely *should* do :)

23. Do you use different layer modes

YEAH I abuse Multiply and Screen

24. Do your references include stock images

Oh naturally. AdorkaStock is my go-to

25. Something your art has been compared to that you were NOT inspired by

Nothing that I can think of? I think that's mostly because the art communities I used to participate in heavily discouraged comparison, so I haven't heard any variant of "Your art reminds me of ____" in at least five years.

26. What's a piece that got a wildly different interpretation from what you intended

I don't have anything specific on hand, but I had a friend in middle school who jumped to sexualizing everything I drew, if that counts. There's not a lot to interpret in my art, though. It's. How do I put "shallow" nicely?

27. Do you warm up before getting to the good stuff? If so, what is it you draw to warm up with

This is another thing I should really do!

28. Any art events you have participated in the past (like zines)

I used to do Art Fight.

29. Media you love, but doesn't inspire you artistically

Most live-action media! I also don't generally feel artistic inspiration from podcasts—the exception would be TTRPG podcasts, but even those don't tend to do it for me unless the characters have canon designs.

30. What piece of yours do you think is underrated

I don't have it anymore, but there was a drawing I did a few months ago of two characters of mine. It came out to about twenty hours of work (which is a lot for me) and no one really seemed to like it, but I attribute that in part to the fact that I drew a lot of it in a stream, which kind of desensitizes people.

[reyettaclaven]

The prevalence of AI is so depressing, honestly.

Can I vent for a second?

I saw a post on a photo of a stupid AI-generated dinosaur-croissant saying something to the effect of, "AI won. Nothing can ever be impressive again." I've been chewing on that for a while. They're right, in a sense.

You know that dinosaur croissant isn't real, but maybe you can spend some time making something real. You do some trial and error and figure out you can make something that kind of looks like a little croissant-snail, with chocolate chips for eyes. It's lumpy, and imperfect, and the top of the shell got a little toastier than you would have liked, but you're proud of your work. You post it online. But anyone who believed the dinosaur-croissant was real can really only compare the two: your lumpy, bumpy, burnt kind-of-snail that you snapped with your phone at 10pm, to their glossy, perfectly layered and golden brown, majestic obvious-dinosaur with a pixel-perfect depth of field and the gentle glow of the morning sun shining through an interior-design-magazine's kitchen beyond.

That beautiful view you snapped a photo of while on your hike, the art you spent a week working on and years perfecting the style of, your pet with the cute marking that looks a little like a heart from the right angle, the video clip of you nailing a bottle flip into a cup that you spent hours practicing... it can be, and will be, and probably already has been, outshined by something someone made by typing ten words in a box and waiting a few seconds, that they can share with the whole world just as quickly. With AI becoming less and less visually flawed, it will be that much harder to distinguish that manufactured thing from reality, and that much easier to compare the two as though they are of the same cloth.

We all have ideas for things we think are brilliant, or clever, or worth bringing to life in some way in the moment we come up with them. How many of those ideas held enough water to make it to your thoughts again the next day, the next week? How many get real steps and effort towards coming into being? To being made into something real that can be recited, read, viewed, eaten, played, or used? In the age of AI, any of those ideas can be realized instantly with a few keystrokes. Sure, it can't make physical objects yet, but it can make poetry, and books, and things that pass as art, and things that pass as photos of physical objects. And in today's world, a picture of your finished work is worth more than the time spent making it.

Each of those fleeting ideas need not be seen to completion, because with the touch of a button, they can be artificially manufactured for a hit of instant dopamine and validation before you move to the next. You need not actually be clever. The machine will think for you. You need not practice your skills in baking, or sculpting, or painting. The machine takes the hard work out of the equation, and with it, your chance at learning such skills yourself, to use in your own life, to impress and delight the people around you.

Eventually, I feel as though we will grow tired of the novelty. AI is compared to reality, until reality stops trying to compete. Then, AI can only be compared to other AI creations. When everything is awash with impossible shapes and colors, and seeing a croissant perfectly shaped and posed like a dinosaur is no longer novel, you can't go back from that. You can't unsee that. The novelty will fade, and then where do we go?

The purpose of automation was supposed to be to make our lives easier. It was supposed to take the dirty, dangerous, and boring tasks away from us so we had more time and energy to do the things we enjoy. Crafting, painting, writing, expressing what makes us happy humans. But the AI to replace the creatives came first, and we're still waiting on the robot that will dig the ditches.

[kitkatopinions]

Do you ever feel like the emblems are a bit not thought through?

Like, these are generally like signatures, right? How do you reproduce them? Do you use them to sign official documents? Do you use stamps to create them, or do you draw it with pens and such? Are they just a personal decal for outfit design? What purpose do they actually have? Why do some of them have real world symbols (like Arslan and Neo) which don’t relate to them as characters? Why are some of them so overly complicated? Does someone like Sage have the time to painstakingly draw each wing and feather everytime he has to use his emblem? If Weiss is supposed to recreate her identity free from the SDC now that she isn’t the heiress (or so I assume), then why does she still have the SDC logo as her emblem? Why not just make Sun’s emblem a sun, or look like a sun? If Raven hates Ozpin now and has stopped being part of the Inner Circle then why does she still have a cog wheel in her emblem? Emblems just feel like yet another cool concept that has only surface level planning.

Here's my working theory: The people who originally made RWBY were playing Super Smash Bros, and decided they liked the little logos that would appear based on what games people were from, and they were like 'we want that for the new show we're working on, but like one for each character' and then just like the color naming rule and every weapon having a name, it just was harder to execute than they thought it'd be and they're so bad at putting that sort of thing into their worldbuilding that it really wound up failing.

Like you said, some of it makes no sense. How would they all be original? Are you assigned an emblem or do you make your own? Are you allowed to change it on a whim or is it like a name where you have to get it changed legally? And why is it that some people don't have their emblems on their clothes and other people do? See, a part of me thinks 'it's just fashion, it's like putting your first initial on your clothes,' but some of the emblems really make absolutely no sense at all. It's offensive to treat Faunus like nothing more than the animal they have traits of, so why is Sun's emblem literally just a monkey? If he made the emblem himself, why? And if it was chosen for him, wouldn't that be angering and upsetting? Why is Mercury's emblem a winged foot in the context of the world itself? Because obviously the Doylist reason is that he's meant to be Mercury/Hermes and the emblem is (outside of his name) the only thing that really connects him to his allusion, but the Watsonian reason is what?

Cinder's mark seems completely attached to being a Maiden and only appears when she steals power from Amber.

Why doesn't this exist for any other Maiden? What was her mark before this? Is it possible that this idea of emblems for everyone came from Maidens in universe? Why do Maidens get marks like this? What is this?

Here's a couple of other things: Several emblems are based on weapons, so.... Who did that? Because that means if Hunters ever decide to switch out their weapons, their emblems just look stupid. If Pyrrha ever decided she wanted to wield swords she'd have to change her emblem, do you know how annoying that'd be? And like, Ren's symbol might be important to him because of the connection to his family home and meanwhile Emerald's symbol is just a reference to her name and Penny's symbol is just her weapon, no real connection to them personally. Jaune must be bummed to just have two curved lines that every other person in his family also has. And Weiss really is super comfortable with having the brand of her billionaire family with a wide history of horrible deeds be her thing too, which is in line with her 'but I'd be a good billionaire, the only bad thing about this company is my dad' characterization, but is still incredibly annoying to me. And you're completely right about Raven, it doesn't make sense for her emblem to be the same as Qrow's but flipped and a different color, when the cogs in their emblems are a clear reference to Ozpin. And when did they get that emblem? Obviously after they joined Beacon, so what was their emblem before that and why didn't Raven go back to it after she left Ozpin?

I like the idea of some characters having emblems as just little extra designs, but why does Neon Katt need an official symbol when as far as I know it isn't even on her outfit? Why does Sun need an official emblem? It's just stupid, it's like the naming every weapon all over again. When it works, great, but they try so hard to force these things like they're trying to be original and it never actually fits in with the world building (or lack thereof) very well.

I will say that I like Roman Torchwick's emblem though. It seems very much like him to put a jack o' lantern face on things.

[elementalsight]

You asked for fic prompts in discord, right?

1) Aizawa finds one of 8th grade Midoriya's hero analysis notebooks. It and a few other things was a victim of a bad bullying day. He needs to find this kid, if only to stop sensitive information being spread.

2) Midoriya and Shinsou meet and bond on a field trip over bullying and quirk discrimination.

Ok going for #1 because I LOVE this trope. Admittedly, you either have to go the 'everyone in the MHA universe is as silly as they are in canon' route, or the 'no really Izuku is a prodigy' route, the latter being tricky I find because, well, you need to come up with the problems he finds solutions to that no one else older/wiser/more experienced/familiar with their own damned quirks has managed. And I am rather literally spitballing as I type, train of thought style, and suddenly the idea I have is this: ----- The Notebook went through quite a few hands, before it ended up in Shota's. One of the Fab Five picked it up, apparently, and it had been hot-potatoed through the underground before Annexi dropped it on his desk. "We've got even odds it's just a kid or it's a plant to distract us from the Umazaki case." Shota took the battered, water stained thing and flipped through the pages. Stopped. Slowed down to actually read the notes. Checked the cover. "This says volume 12. Any indication of any others floating around?" Annexi shook his head. "Nothing. But the fact there's notes on underground heroes in there has everyone on edge. Whoever wrote it down even figured out how to tell us apart. And he's pretty sure there's six of us." That was concerning. The Fab Five were, in fact, six. Having an extra member no one knew about and weren't supposed to be able to remember without explicit permission was their ace in the hole - that someone had any indication enough to write it down and what, leak it to the group? To the underground system at large? Was it a threat?" Shota looked at the drawings. They were colored in with a mixture of pencil and crayon. Adults didn't use crayon. And the designs seemed... juvenile. Not childish, but immature. The sort of things he usually saw come out of a first year class. Adults had better design sense - or at least, they'd tend to over or under design. Capes and too many belts or too much skin, not... a onesie with rabbit ears. "Keep this need to know, for now. I'll talk to Nedzu and look into it. Let me know if you find anything else." "What are you going to do?" Annexi looked curious, and maybe mildly annoyed he was being dismissed from the mystery. "There's notes on here about two different battles that whoever wrote this had to be there to see. So I'm going to look at the security footage and see if we have anyone showing up at both sites." Shota pauses. "Well, I'm going to have Nedzu do it. He's the one with the secret spy ring we pretend doesn't exist." "Right. Then what? Do we bring them in?" "Depends on who they are. This might be innocent." Shota sure as hell hopes so. The details don't quite fit, and that's the sort of thing that can lead to problems. The sort of person who obsesses over heroes this much might just take it one step further. The information he's already skimmed over includes a hell of a lot of details about weak points. Sure, they come with notes about overcoming them, but they're still there, printed out in damning detail. "Whoever they are, we'll find them. And see what books 1 through 11 have to say." ---- There look you got an actual-by-my-standards drabble!

[abarbaricyalp]

hi. you still taking prompts? sambucky meet cute: the lobby of some kind of really tall building and they both have to get to the to top floors. bucky gets to the elevator first, pushes the "door close" button cause he's in a hurry even though he sees sam rushing towards it, but sam gets there just in time. he saw what bucky did so in retaliation he just pushes every single button to make bucky late. now they're stuck in the longest elevator ride, having to stop at every floor

Friend, this is not a meet cute. This is full on meet ugly 😅

AO3 link in the reblog

Push All My Buttons

Bucky was being haunted. That was the only logical explanation for how someone followed him from Brooklyn to Manhattan, mostly on foot. He’d seen the same guy on two trains, across approximately a thousand city blocks, and in the dumb cafe that Bucky squeezed into five seconds after it opened.

And now, the same handsome young black man was standing in the middle of the Stark Tower lobby, looking lost. Bucky quickly hit the close door button of the elevator that he blessedly had to himself. Apparently, he hit it too loud because the guy’s gaze snapped over to him and recognition lit on his face.

Bucky hit Close Door again.

“Hey! Could you hold that!” the guy called, jogging across the lobby floor and avoiding milling people. The fucking tourists on the ground level were killer.

Bucky was not letting a stalker into the elevator with him when he had 91 floors to get up. He hit Close Door for a third time.

Finally, the guy seemed to realize what Bucky was doing and he scowled before tossing his army bag towards the closing doors. They hit the bag and opened up just in time for the guy to jog over, grab his bag, and step inside.

“You’re kind of an asshole,” he said as he slung the duffle over his shoulder again.

“I’m late to a meeting,” Bucky said, which was true. Mostly what he wanted to say was ‘don’t kill me and wear my face as a mask’ or whatever someone who’d followed him over three boroughs would want to do.

The man looked over at him from the corner of his eyes, looked at the highlighted 91 and then reached over to smooth his hand up every single button on the machine. 2-93 lit up.

Bucky stared.

The man crossed his arms. “Now we’re both late.”

92 and 93 unlit themselves. Those were Stark’s personal suites. 2-91 remained lit.

“You fucking asshole,” Bucky groaned and dragged his hands over his face. “Why would you do that? I’m meeting with Stark. I’ve got his-his-his fucking coffee. Jesus.”

“Because I’d rather be late and piss you off than be on time and let you get away with trying to close the door in my face.”

“What was the point of following me all the way around the city? Are you trying to make my life difficult?”

Now the man fully turned to look over at him. The elevator stopped on the second floor and no one was waiting. “I’m not following you. I don’t even know who you are.”

“Are you kidding?” Bucky asked. “You’ve been on my ass since Lloyd’s, in Brooklyn.”

The man frowned. The elevator eased up to the next floor. “Why would you stop at Lloyd’s if you were coming all the way in here?”

“I like to eat on my commute, that’s not the point! You followed me!”

“Pal, I dunno how to tell you that anyone coming from Brooklyn to Stark Tower’s gotta take a pretty similar route.”

“It’s Bucky, pal.”

“Sam,” the guy said and then honest to God offered his hand out like he wasn’t actively ruining Bucky’s life.

On the fifth floor, someone stepped into the elevator, looked at the buttons and stepped back out. Bucky shook Sam’s hand with a resigned sigh.

“Where’d you get that piece of machinery on your arm?” Sam asked around floor eight.

“It’s not on my arm,” Bucky answered. “It is my arm.”

Sam rolled his eyes and punched the door close button. “Fine, where’d you get that piece of machinery on your torso?”

“It’s not Stark tech,” he answered because he knew that was actually what Sam was asking about. He let his eyes slide over Sam’s body quickly, trying to discern if Sam was here for a prosthetic. The bag on his shoulder and the silver ball-chain around his neck gave away that he was military. Stark Industries had a veterans program, so there was a good population of soldiers walking around the building at any given time. Sam was wearing pants, so Bucky couldn’t be totally sure he didn’t have a bad leg, but he hadn’t clocked any limp or awkward gait since Brooklyn. “You here for a prosthetic?” he asked anyway.

Sam snorted and shook his head. The door opened again and someone got on before reaching to press the ground level button.

“Shit,” the woman said, upon seeing everything else lit up. She quickly hit the door open button and jumped back out. “You know, if you two wanted extra time together, having the doors open on every floor was probably a bad idea.”

“That’s not what we--” Bucky started to argue, but the doors slid shut in front of him.

“Anyway,” Sam started again. “I’m not here for a prosthetic. I’m here with Colonel Rhodes.”

“Wow, big man on campus,” Bucky said drily.

“Oh, right, you’re so unimportant, going up to the 91st floor,” Sam shot back.

“I work here,” Bucky said. He held up the quickly cooling coffee in his hands. “Glorified secretary most days, but I’m supposed to be an engineer.”

“What kind of machines do you work with?”

“Not the planes or the suits. Military tech, mostly. I try to stay away from weapons when I can.”

“Did you serve?” Sam asked.

Wish I hadn’t, Bucky wanted to say. “Nah, actually I lost my arm when Stark flew into an uncaffeinated rage and threw a saw at me.”

“Whatever, man. There’s a thousand ways to lose an arm. It ain’t gotta be out in the desert.” His cheeks didn’t quite color, but he crossed his arms and stared ahead.

“Mountains,” Bucky corrected. “Special OPs.”

“Oh, right, but I’m the big man on campus,” Sam said, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

“Rhodes is a big deal around here. You think Stark’s letting him out of his sight for just anyone?”

“The Air Force is testing a new gadget. Rhodes is involved ‘cause Air Force. Maybe you worked on it.”

“Yeah, maybe. It’s a big program. Stark’s got a lot of things going on all at once. Lots of engineers and designers.”

The elevator stopped on the 25th floor and Sam and Bucky both said, “We’re going up,” at the same time to keep the group of suits from crowding into the elevator with them.

Sam kicked his bag into the corner and sat down heavily in front of it, leaning back and closing his eyes. “So you’re a soldier who works for Stark Industries but didn’t get your prosthetic from him, even though he’s the cutting edge of prosthetics and has a full-paid program for those injured in duty.”

Bucky gave up and sat down too. He cradled the coffee cup between his legs, which was probably a bad idea, but this whole morning had been bad. “My story’s a little more complicated than that,” he said. “A lot more twists and turns. My arm is still high tech, though. I asked for a flamethrower, or at least a saw hand but I didn’t get it.”

Sam laughed and, for the first time all morning, Bucky thought maybe he wasn’t so angry at him anymore. Sam laughed like nothing had ever hurt him before, which made it feel like maybe nothing had hurt Bucky either. “Well, there’s your problem. Stark would’ve definitely given you that, from what I hear about the man.”

Bucky grinned over at him and dropped his head back against the wall. It was uncomfortable and the jostling of the car every few seconds rattled his brain, but it beat standing up, or keeping his eyes on Sam for too long. “You’re still in the service?”

“Well, not all of us are so lucky to get a medical discharge on our first tour.”

“Oh, yeah, real luck of the Irish, me. And it was my second. I wasn’t SpecOps until I finished my first stint in the army.”

“Right, right,” Sam said. Then, “You joined up young.”

“So did you. I mean, I assume you’re on your second or third tour too, if you’re being asked to work with Rhodes.”

“Second. I took a long leave to do some school stuff.”

“Oh, so working with Rhodes and you’re smart. You really are the whole package.”

“I’m working with Colonel Rhodes because I’m smart,” Sam corrected. “I could probably take your job. I’m real techy.”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t. I’m fond of my apartment and I definitely can’t afford it without being here.”

“Right, I assume you make buck working for Stark.”

“Eh, he’s still a multi-billionaire, he could pay us more.”

“What’s that say about the military then?”

“I’ll drink to that, bro.”

Sam chuckled again and opened his eyes to glance over at Bucky. “How does someone go from losing their arm in a SpecOps mission to working for Stark Industries.”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. It’s at least a three course discussion.”

The elevator dinged on level 39 and paused, though there was no one there.

“Almost halfway up,” Sam pointed out.

“You are good at math,” Bucky joked just to see Sam roll his eyes again, which he did. “Why Air Force?” he asked when the doors decided to shut again.

“It’s gonna sound so stupid, but I’ve been dreaming about flying since I was a little kid. I wanted to be an astronaut and a lot of astronauts were in the military. So, air force. Figured if I never got to space, at least I spent years in the air anyway.”

Bucky didn’t think that was stupid at all. “You’re right, that’s pretty dumb.” Sam flipped him off with a laugh. “Are you a good pilot?”

“Pal, I’m one of the best out there.”

“God, you chair force guys are all the same,” Bucky said. He squawked as Sam leaned over to tackle him down. “Coffee, coffee! Sam, if you spill Stark’s coffee I’ll make you explain it to him!” he threatened as Sam pulled him away from the cup that had managed to remain upright by an unlikely bout of luck and physics.

Sam was fucking strong, wrangling Bucky down and holding him still. Sure, he was on his knees and Bucky’s legs were mostly trapped under him, but still. Bucky wasn’t a small guy and the prosthetic wasn’t light either but Sam had tugged him out of the corner anyway.

“Oh my God, seriously?” a guy asked on the next floor.

Bucky took the moment of distraction to dig his knee into Sam’s ribs and flip them over as the doors shut again. He locked his fingers around Sam’s wrist and held it to the floor. Sam tugged at the hold futilely.

“Shit, what’s that made out of?”

“That’s another three course answer.”

“At this rate? No chance,” Sam said and got his foot braced against Bucky’s shoulder before shoving him off. Bucky sat back and made sure the coffee was still standing. Sam leaned up against the wall by the doors. They both took in heavy breaths.

“What are you doing with Rhodes?” Bucky asked at floor fifty, when he was pretty positive they weren’t about to leap at each other again.

“Maybe that’s a three course answer,” Sam responded with a small smirk.

“I didn’t know Stark was working on planes with the Air Force.”

“Did I say plane?”

“Helicopters, whatever,” Bucky amended with a wave of his hand. “What do you fly?”

“I’m pararescue.”

Bucky let out a low whistle. “Shit, that’s more impressive than working with Rhodes, maybe. You a doctor?”

“I’ve got triage training, but I’m not, like, ready to walk into an E.R. as soon as I get home or anything.” Sam ran his hand over his buzzed hair and Bucky suddenly wanted to know what it looked like grown out, or if he’d ever kept it long. How he styled it and if he had facial hair and what he was hiding under his shirt and Jesus Christ, he needed to think about anything else.

“Well, from what I’ve seen, your beside manner probably sucks.”

Sam kicked out his foot lamely, missing Bucky’s by a mile. “You ain’t hurt. I don’t gotta give you no bedside manner.”

“What floor do you want off on?” Bucky asked after a glance at the rapidly dimming lights on on the button panel.

“85.”

“Right, yeah, Rhodes works there. We’re at 70 now.”

“What’s it like? Just offices?”

“Nah, he’s got a whole training floor. There’re a few offices, a reception area, but there’s also a gym and some space for simulated battle, sparring rooms. It’s pretty cool. You’ll have a lot of room for whatever he’s doing.”

Sam nodded and looked over at the gaping doors with the first look of unease he’d had all morning.

“You nervous?”

“You would be too,” Sam answered. “If you knew what I was doing. But, hey,” he looked away as the doors shut, “my partner’s already up there, so I can’t make any more of a fool of myself than he probably already has.”

Bucky grinned and shrugged. “I dunno about that. You seem pretty incapable,” he said sarcastically.

Sam kicked out his leg again and then stood up and grabbed his bag from next to Bucky. “You work here every day?”

Bucky nodded and took Sam’s hand when he offered it down to him to haul himself up. “9 to too late.”

“Well, I’m around for a few weeks. Maybe we could walk together instead of around each other next time,” he suggested.

Bucky ignored the swooping of his stomach. “Yeah, if you can keep up.”

Sam jostled his ribs with an elbow. “I can keep up. You’re the one with the machine on your arm.”

“Yeah, and what about it? I could hand-walk faster than you could run.”

“Oh, I doubt that,” Sam snorted. The door opened on floor 80 and Sam’s mouth screwed to one side briefly before he looked at Bucky. “Maybe you’ll get my number out of all of this eventually.”

“Maybe I don’t want it after this stunt.”

Sam placed his hand on Bucky’s metal shoulder solemnly. “You want it.”

With a grin, Bucky shrugged Sam off and shoved him forward. “Get outta here, Wilson.”

“How’d you know--?” Sam asked, taking half a step back to the doors.

Bucky reached over to trace his fingers over the name patch on the other side of the bag. “I’m just a good guesser.”

“Hey, that’s not fair. What’s your--”

The door shut between them and Bucky sagged back against the wall with a sigh. His heart was racing like he was a teenager again and his head felt cloudy. This meeting was not going to go well at this point. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to focus on anything but Sam’s smile or the way he looked in boots or the weight of him above Bucky’s body.

When the elevator dinged on 91, he grabbed Stark’s coffee and let himself off and then almost immediately ran into Rhodes.

“Oh, hey, sorry. Hey, I was just on the elevator with your meeting,” he said. “Sorry he’s late. I hit a bunch of buttons on accident when I got in,” Bucky lied as he passed the coffee to Stark.

“No harm, no foul,” Rhodey said easily. “Clearly I wasn’t even down there. I was actually waiting on you.”

“Me? What for? I’m not working on anything military.”

“You’re not?” Stark asked around a mouthful of coffee. “You assigning yourself projects now?”

“You didn’t say anything about the wings being military. I mean, how would that even work? It’d put a soldier in the air bare.”

“Yeah,” Stark agreed sarcastically and clapped a hand down on Bucky’s metal arm. “What kind of soldier runs around without full body protection.”

“What are you calling the project?” Rhodey asked, guiding the discussion back to where it was supposed to be.

“EXO-Falcon,” Bucky said. “I was modeling it after some of Stark’s EXO-skeleton suits, but it’s much more compact, situated on the back with all support sitting around the chest and ribs.”

Rhodey nodded. “Can I see them?”

Bucky quickly dashed to his work bench and came back with the wings in their case. “They’re carbon fiber, which makes them a little more flexible and keeps them a little lighter weight. I had thought about doing interlocking plates like my arm, but it wasn’t working. I took some of the more basic structures of my arm and modeled a folding mechanism out of it instead. The wings retract into and out of the case.”

He pulled the jetpack on and stepped away from the other work spaces before clicking the wings open. They snapped out behind him, grand and proud. Not unlike how Bucky was feeling at that moment.

“And the jetpack? Is that ready to go?” Rhodey asked.

Bucky shifted from foot to foot. “Well, in theory. I haven’t tested it out yet ‘cause I’m not trained to do things like that, but I’ve put DUM-E into the air and nothing blew up.”

“Well, the Air National Guard guys here today will be thrilled to hear that,” Stark said. “Shall we?”

“You don’t wanna test the jets before you put it on someone?” Bucky asked, a little strangled. He trusted his design. But he really, really hadn’t put as much time into the whole human safety element as he did the ‘up and running’ element.

“We’ll strap a crash test dummy to them in over the mats. It’ll be fine. The fire suppression system on 85 is better than up here.”

“No it isn’t. It’s just further from your suites,” Rhodey said.

Stark shrugged and tossed a piece of pastry in his mouth. “It’s my building. I say we go down to 85.”

“Well, that’s where I left your trainee or whatever too,” Bucky said as he shrugged off the pack and packed it all back up. “Do you want me to grab the other pack?”

“No worries, I’ve already moved it,” Stark said. “I knew Rhodes was coming by. You’re welcome, those things are heavy.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t have DUM-E move it,” Rhodey teased. He made his way over to the elevator and Bucky followed with Stark on his heels. The ride down to 85 was much faster than the ride up to 91. It was a miracle what not hitting every button could do. They stepped out onto the floor and made their way to the training mats, where two other people were already standing.

“Barnes, I’d like to keep you on the Falcon project,” Rhodey said. “No one knows the wings like you do. That being said, you’ll be working with live test subjects now, so it’s a little more critical.”

“Hey, you don’t have to say it that way!” the blond man in the middle of the room said. “Call us, like, Top Guns or something.”

“You don’t get to choose your nickname around here,” Stark called over, propping himself up on a stack of sparring mats to watch from afar. “Ask Manchurian Candidate. He definitely didn’t choose his.”

Rhodey rolled his eyes. “Barnes, this Sergeant Wiatrek and Sergeant Wilson.”

Fuck.

“It’s Barnes, huh?” Sam asked, smugly crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh, Sammy, you didn’t hook up with this guy already did you?” the blond asked in teasing horror.

“Screw you, no. I met him this morning.”

“Ah,” Rhodey said with a grin. “This was the meeting you made late,” he said to Bucky.

“Yeah, we met this morning,” Bucky confirmed with a raging blush. How was this his life?

“Well, good, you can get right to work on the wings,” Rhodey said. “Let me go find a crash dummy.”

“DUM-E,” Stark called as Rhodey started away.

“I’ll find that doll first,” Rhodey challenged.

Bucky turned from their bickering and looked at Sam, then the blond next to him.

“It’s Riley,” the other man said and offered out his hand. “I’m better conversation than this one.”

Bucky doubted it. He shook the guy’s hand and then held out the briefcase like a shield between him and Sam’s teasing gaze. “Do you wanna see the wings?”

Riley nodded eagerly and Bucky moved to another stack of mats to open the case. Riley and Sam stood on either side of him. As Riley pulled the jetpack free, Sam pulled out his phone. Bucky thought he was going to film his friend inevitably crashing, but instead he turned on the auto-help.

“Hey, where’s the nearest three-course restaurant?” he asked without looking away from Bucky, without his grin faltering.

Bucky dragged his hands down his face as he looked at Sam. Riley yelped behind them after the tell-tell whoosh of the jet pack, but Sam still didn’t look away. Bucky couldn’t either.

[gastcrrific]

fifth member - chapter 2: doing alright

a/n: okay we're gonna step up the game here.... a bit more detail to the reader will also be revealed! this chapter could just be a filler and will be mostly(?) consisting of y/n and deaky.

disclaimer: history itself is connected but they're not really precise! what would be true will be the more known events (i.e. rainbow '74, live aid, some various anecdotes, etc. etc.)

contains: something soft? freddie being the biggest wingman ever

=====

૮ɦαρƭε૨ 2: ∂σเɳɠ αℓ૨เɠɦƭ

Waking up earlier before the sun is always a surreal experience. Consistently, you're awake before Deaky. You would occasionally pull out your sketchbook and draw out the view by outside of your flat when the sun starts peeking.

You were a major in arts and design, as you also loved working with colors. It was painful to not encounter your best friend much often in class since he studied in electrical engineering, knowing that you won't do well with it.

Pouring yourself a cup of tea, you set it by your table in front of your bed, which was right by a window capturing the usual view.

You flip through the pages of your sketchbook, contently observing each work that you have done. You get to the recent page, and it made you tug a small smile.

It was a drawing of you and Deaky sitting on a bench, looking at the stars. You bit your bottom lip gently, doubting that the scenario will ever happen.

Out of every sketch you've done, you never showed him that.

Softly sighing, you shook your head and flipped to a new blank page and roughly sketched the street.

Some time passed, the sun has finally come to say hi, and you hear John yawning which made you look back at the sight of him stretching his whole body. "Morning, Deaks." You smiled at him, finished with your sketch, as you closed the book. You stood up to help him get rid of his sleepy phase.

He nodded as he has a soft grin on his face, standing up carefully to hug you. Taken aback, you gave in and buried your face in his chest, the smile never leaving your faces. Even though he was shirtless, your cheeks warmed up red but John never suspected it. His hearty sigh made you a soft mess, as he rested his chin on your head.

Later it felt like a good 2 minutes or so, both of you parted away and smiled stupidly at each other.

"That felt nice... thanks for the booster, Y/N." He ruffled your H/C hair which made you pout. Your eyes follow him to the small kitchen as he pulled out 2 pairs of bread to toast. "I suppose you haven't took breakfast yet?" You shook your head no, arms crossed. "I wouldn't risk burning the flat down even if we're already moving to Freddie's." You sat back down on the seat you've previously taken. You didn't do well on cooking, but there's always a place for practice. Deaky chuckled, finally finished preparing the meal.

He placed two glasses of water and the plate of cheese on toast by your table and grabbed a piece. You followed and did the same. The two of you were discussing about when will you pack and move to Freddie's flat, along with some various topics as well.

After completing your breakfast, you stood up and took the plate and glasses to the sink to wash it. This time, John followed, resting his hand on the counter as he watched you. Without hesitation he began, "Have you ever fancied someone yet?" his tone was timid, and his eyes were focused on the floor now.

The question caught you off guard, which made you space out for a second. You finish washing the dishes, you turned off the faucet and turned to face him.

"I'm sorry, B, I shouldn't have asked–"

"No, no, Deaks, it's okay..."

Gently, you brought your hand up to trace his jawline to his chin, using your index and middle finger before tilting his head to have him focus on you. Your cheeks once again got heated up, from both his flustered expression and his bare look. The silence went on for a few moments.

You whispered sincerely, "...I'm not seeing anyone else at the moment.."

Deaky nods while he's lost in your E/C orbs, suddenly caressing your cheek. By every second, the two of you inch closer, lips nearly connecting.

But before you knew it, the telephone from the bedside table rang which made the both of you turned your heads towards the alarming object.

"Maybe another time we can... discuss this, John. I'll go get the phone." You anxiously bit your lip, rushing to answer it.

He sighed and closed his eyes in relief, nodding with a small hum as he pursed his lips.

Your fingers met playing with the cord, as you answer, "Hello, this is Y/N."

"Hey there darling! It's Freddie, I was just wondering when will you and Deaky are coming here."

"Oh! Um," You stalled and looked at your best friend to ask when. Making eye contact, he quickly inspected the wall clock, reading 6:58 AM.

"Tell him that we'll go at 7:30, we still have to pack, right?" You replied with a nod, passing the message to the lead singer. On the other side of the line he agreed and bid farewell, you did the same.

Deaky threw a shirt with a brown leather jacket on, he had already brought out your and his bags, also packing his own clothes together with other necessities. You followed and eventually complete the task.

Taking a glance at the clock again, it reads 7:25 AM.

With your friend wearing his bag and his instrument case, you made sure the two of you are ready to go.

The walk to the flat was only 5 minutes away.

"Have you written your first song yet?" You try to break the tension. John shook his head no with a small 'mm-mm', "Still haven't thought about it... How about you?"

You shook your head no too. "I don't have a single idea for it. Maybe someday, we both will..." He agreed.

Finally arriving at the destination, you gently knock the wooden door and it had opened by itself to reveal the magnificent Freddie Mercury.

Flashing a grin, he greeted, "There you are two! Come on in, dears, I'll show you 'round." You and Deaky smiled back as you set your feet inside his neat, welcoming flat. It was only the three of you present, no Roger or Brian just yet. After it had been a moment, you have gotten to the spare room.

"This is the only vacant room I have, so darlings I hope you can agree to share the bed." Freddie teased as you all went inside, which resulting John to blush, unable to protest. Luckily you immediately confirmed, "We'll manage, Freddie! Don't pinch on our noses like that!" The singer finally went off to mind his own business, leaving the two of you with a cocky smirk.

Completing several minutes of unpacking, you flop down on the nice, fluffy bed, which made your body bounce a bit. Your friend finished a minute late, though he asked, "Do you want me to ask him when are the other two coming over?" Thankful for his politeness, you nod your head yes with a small smile plastered on your face.

A few seconds passed and he came back in, he announced "They'll be here at dinner onwards." You replied with a hum, adjusting yourself in bed. The time on the clock caught your eye, which read 7:42. "Don't you wanna lie down and rest? We did woke up real early..." You suggested, now lying on your side.

"Actually yeah, I'd love to." He removed his jacket and switched to a more comfortable attire before joining in with you. The size of the bed was perfect and had enough room to possibly cuddle.

With the weird tension flaming up again, Deaky shyly asked,

"Are you okay with cuddles, Y/N...?"

Your eyes widened yet answered with a gentle, quiet tone, "Of course the hell I am! How on earth I wouldn't love 'em?" He happily laughs, wrapping his arms around you and holding you close. You did the same as you buried your face in his chest and giggled.

This was the first time you two slept together in one bed since 17 years.

Your eyes got heavier, though you let yourself fall to sleep. John was still awake, playing with your hair carefully. Later on, he whispered his thoughts out loud, but not loud enough to wake you up.

"I really wish you're mine and I'm yours, B. But I'm just a coward to tell you..."

"You're precious, you mean so much to me..."

"...That's why I love you so much. I mean it."

He continued fiddling with your H/C locks, as his mood was blue.

Suddenly the room's door creaked open, revealing a curious, yet concerned Freddie. "Is she asleep?"

Deaky nods, pursing his lips, keeping his eye fixated on you.

Freddie sneaks quietly over to him, "Do you love her?" He nods again with a hum. "You should tell her someday." John sighs, "If only I can..."

"She loves you, dear. Believe me, John."

—

@ixchel-9275

[tenebraetrash17]

how exactly are ravus and lightning alike? I think they're too different from each other since ravus was evil :/

W e l l, yeet, you have a point, Ravus was kind of “evil” but it was more of a necessary one? He was doing what he could to protect his sister and wanted to make sure she wouldn’t suffer too much.

But ok! Onto the points! I’m going to be looking at this with FACTS AND LOGIC and not a ship standpoint, so I remain a neutral ground!

Ok! 

APPEARANCE.

So first off, we can go into design choices, I’ve made joke posts about this before, but the manner of dress these two have is actually quite similar. 

Lightning’s theme is consistent with mostly white collared tops, other than her “Knight Of Etro Garb” and in her “Savior’s Garb” she adorns a strange armored piece-shield on her left arm, which looks more fancy than practical tbh.

On the flip side we have Ravus, who is only ever seen in one costume, Tenebrae Raiment, which consists of a white collared coat-thing and a gauntlet on his left arm

Interestingly enough! If you happen to put them up side by side

You can kinda see a bit of a theme here, not to mention thigh high boots and apparently battle undies. 

We’ve got the gray-black, the white, and the coloring! Which the purple and red are pretty close on the spectrum too I suppose, or are a bit of complimentary colors?I guess it depends on points of view!

Ok, but slightly similar clothing is not enough to convince anyone, I hope.

So here we go:

STORY.

Revolves around their sister.

M O V I N G O N-

okok just kidding!

But this is honestly the truth of the matter, Luna/Serah is the end goal. Serah/Luna is why they did all this. The reason they sacrificed everything? Why they gave up their childhood? The reason why they were willing to, and in Ravus’ case, give their life away? 

It was all for Serah and Luna.

Stories can often be boiled down to a single point.

Motive.

And the motive behind Ravus and Lightning? Saving their sisters from fate.

Although…in Ravus’ case, he didn’t succeed, but that will be touched upon later.

PERSONALITY/CHARACTER TRAITS (?).

Ok, so, here we go!

Two stone cold soldiers, born and raised lacking in parents, their only weakness is for their sister, yet they slowly learn to trust others.

Well that was oddly simple.

Although I feel as if I should go more in depth because I’m trying to explain…so…

Ravus and Lightning both became emotionless out of necessity, Ravus out of need to let the Empire think his loyalty remained only to them, and Lightning because she felt the need to be more mature. And since they were both young, they decided that was the best way to do it.

They both have, in a sense, a pretty fancy way of speaking, or at least talking too much. Because, alright, let’s admit it, Ravus is a chatter box who rants and Lightning vents a lot because the world is going to shit for both of them and DAMNIT THEY NEED THIS.

Also, a little thing which kind of amuses me!Sister has a fiancé? HATE THEM WITH EVERY FIBER OF YOUR BEING, THEY ARE IDIOTS AND THEY ARE UNDESERVING OF YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE LIGHT OF YOUR WORLD, HIT THEM, CHOKE THEM, A N Y T H I N G. But, y’know, eventually grow to have a begrudging respect and not hate them nearly as much as you once did. Friendship is wild yo.

The enlisted in the army part isn’t really a “character trait” and Square likes that theme, so you know, perhaps not the strongest thing going for them.

RANDOM/STUFF I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO PUT IT.

I had no idea what to call this section.

Ok, so I’ve seen a few people talk about how “Versus XIII″ was supposed to be, in a sense, an anti to 13. While XIII was meant to be about “Change your fate”, Versus XIII and XV are about accepting it.

VERSUS [vur-suh s, -suh z]

Against (used especially to indicate an action brought by one party against another in a court of law, or to denotecompeting teams or players in a sports contest):Smith versus Jones; Army versus Navy.As compared to or as one of two choices; in contrast with:traveling by plane versus traveling by train.Abbreviation : v., vs.

Versus XIII was to contrast XIII, and it carried over in XV as LITERALLY NO ONE decides. “Hey, you know what? I know it says this, but let’s do this instead!” 

Ravus remains as the only person to keep this mentality, his ffbe profile even goes as far as to have him speak about slaying the gods. SLAYING THE G O D S.

He tries multiple times to save his sister, willing to tear apart the prophecy and basically insist that she won’t die. He won’t allow it. He says follow your calling, but in reality he meant for himself overturn it. He raced through Altissia hoping he wouldn’t be too late!

And even in the end, his death is nigh, it’s probably foretold, but he believes he can win. He believes he can see it through to the end. Only he can’t. Because he’s not the protagonist. He can’t defy fate.

An interesting thing to note is that it’s Ravus who screws over the prophecy in the Episode Ignis ending, making it so Noctis doesn’t die. So I guess in a sense, he does overturn fate, although it wasn’t the outcome he wanted because Luna is still dead.

Ok, that was a bunch of rambling about the whole fate thing, but it is interesting since Ravus is the only one who had that mentality in cannon throughout the game. While the same could be said for Ignis, keep in mind that it was only the Alternate ending where he decided he wouldn’t let the gods have their say.

Oh yeah, not to mention that he’s the only one with the “Daemon Transformation” but it looks more like a Cei’th one. Just a little thing I’d throw in because I forgot this was talking about how alike Raves and Light are and not another one of my “last connections to versus” rambles oops.

ANOTHER POINT

Lightning: Serah! Wait, don’t go! Please! Don’t leave me alone!

Ravus: Oh sister, please don’t go! Please don’t leave me….

Like, sure, it’s probably a basic plea, but it’s almost word for word? 

If you want to talk parallels, let’s talk this!

Let’s also get into how Lightning was considered holy as “the Savior” while Ravus comes from the holiest bloodline? Which in fact, purges the darkness from one’s body and soul while Lightning….YEP, saves them souls! Gets them gains! whatamItalkingabouthere?

Ok, back on subject, remember how I said I would address Ravus loosing Luna again?

Well, I actually wonder if Ravus is Lightning but led astray in a sense, it might seem crazy, but his story apparently hasn’t changed since the Versus days from what most sources say. So given that he still has a stronger link with XIII, would it be so crazy to assume that Nomura would want to explore that possibility? Because rumors have it that Ravus was also going to be another ‘chosen one.’

Ravus could very well be considered as Lightning, but he never could achieve victory. Because unlike Lightning, he still lost his sister, the world still fell into ruin, and he still lost his life. And he even went as far as to fall into the chaos scourge.

Yeet, it’s a far stretch, but given the somewhat strange and weirdly specific personalities, I wouldn’t leave anything out.

But one thing to note is that while, despite similarities, they are different characters, so they will not be exactly alike!

I do realize that despite my previous posts, this isn’t an attempt to convince anyone to ship them, just kind of take note of just how many similarities the two have because it kind of is an interesting study! Especially considering the shared universe background they started out with!

This all sounded so much better in my head, it’s like, I had thoughts that were all super factual but I couldn’t write them ????

Oh well. Hope this satisfies you!!

OH YEAH, I ALSO FORGOT THAT THEY BE STORM RELATED!! SHOCKY SHOCKY BANG BANG!

[me-on-set]

Harrowingly Strange

When was the last time you had to face a moral dilemma? I am still reeling. I actually just got home. I think I invented a new selfie style. I wanted to take a photo of my makeup on and off.

As I currently write this, I am not an actor but instead have been doing background work for the past year. I've occasionally been a featured extra and was a body double once.

It's fascinating, seeing and doing the work that embodies being on set.

A couple of days ago, I received a message from a casting agency that had my headshot asking to submit my photo for a featured non-speaking role with a local production company. It was a one or two day shoot at $200 per day. I said yes and I got the gig.

When you are cast, you get an email the night before with details about the set location, start time, special instructions, and wardrobe. This show I booked was for a reenactment TV series about real world events. The exciting news was that this particular episode revolved around a crisis that occurred in my parents' homeland. I was to play someone at home seeing the news on television, and then in a second scene complain to police of their incompetence. I was asked to bring leisure clothing one would wear at home.

When I first started being an extra, I would bring my clothes in a backpack, trying really hard not to care too much. That behavior did not last. I found my interest stumbling forward into a natural evolution. I started taking luggage to neatly carry my wardrobe options. I found that I would mostly get cast as a mid-30's businessman. This led me to comfortably bring my outfits in a garment bag. It's funny how familiarity can grow your views.

For today, I packed shorts, sweatpants, t-shirts, a hoodie, a pair of runners, and a pair of flip flops. I got these flip flops during my last vacation with my mom overseas in her hometown. I also brought some henley shirts and arrived on set in khakis and a short-sleeved polo because there was also a mention of button-ups being an option.

The majority of work involved as an extra is waiting. It's a good idea to bring a book, although in this day and age, occupying oneself with a smart phone is a much more fulfilling time killer. I didn't end up using any of the clothes I had brought except for my belt and my runners. After my hair and makeup were done I decided to satisfy my curiosity by searching keywords of this specific production. I searched the name of the character I was to reenact. Adding quotations to strict strings of words, I had soon discovered the event I was going to portray. This was when my moral dilemma began.

I was born and raised in North America by immigrant parents who arrived in their early 20's. The typical experiences had by people of color paint a relatively positive mural that represents my upbringing. Having visited my ethnic country many times throughout my life, I felt, and still feel, a deep connection to the motherland. This connection is common for others like myself, powered by identity in a time where life will sometimes present it as a limitation. Conversely, this only strengthens cultural pride.

The role I was to play was an international representing their countrymen against the very country I identify with. Pangs of uneasiness flooded my body. There was another featured role performer who had an earlier call time. We sat together in the holding area. He was cast to play the part of a family member learning the news of the event. What surprised me more was the fact that he was a recent immigrant from my country of ethnicity. Us both, cast in roles of coincidental conflict of interest?

When it comes to acting, the only other time I recall having feelings of apprehension was during a big budget movie filmed in a church. I was a church goer among a sea of church goers seated in church pews. We were instructed to portray the enjoyment of a church service. Some of us were selected to stand and sway to the Christian music. Some had their eyes closed, head tilted to the ceiling, palms facing up to the heavens. As easy a physical task that is, I instead opted to clap along to the band and pretend to really feel the sounds of my favorite music. I know it's just acting but I was driven by the thought of my mom seeing me do anything other than that on camera. So, I coursed the music through my veins. I know the history of the band members, the albums, this music moves me, pretend.

I received my paperwork and read it over a cup of coffee from craft services. It was standard paperwork that I've filled out over a dozen times before. I looked at the inviting exit door. I was parked right outside. This is not that big of a deal, is it? I imagined this TV episode making its way to the news overseas, the citizens all over the world deeming me a traitor for perpetuating a negative image, not merely through action but through representation against them. Against us. Am I selling out? For two hundred bucks?

I thought about getting up and leaving. I thought about all of the hard work that people have put into this specific production. If you haven't been behind the scenes before, it is quite the trip. An assortment of heavy duty cables line the floors, taped in place. Racks of props in designated areas. The backstage crew zip around in sync, bursting with walkie-talkie sounds and hollers of instruction. There is a commonality in the many interactions, their minds tuned into the goal meant to be achieved. This is their career.

This is my hobby. I am a prop. Would leaving this put a blemish on my record in the local film community, or the film industry as a whole, because I wasted everyone's time being sensitive? As I languished, I get a message from my best friend and I tell him I'm on set. I tell him:

For some reason, that makes me feel better. I just might be able to work with that mentality. The other guy has finished. He returns his wardrobe and collects his belongings. I ask him if he knows what this show is about. We speak in our language among the English-speakers. I ask him if he thinks people back home are going to be mad at us. I ask him if he knew we were going to be doing this. He seems ok with it all. He said he was there during the actual event. He's new to the industry. We laugh about how we can pass as different races. This is his first time being on camera. He said he enjoyed the experience. I ask him if he'll continue. He said yes. I hope he does.

Finally, wardrobe is set and I am wearing a navy blue golf shirt and some gray slacks. I want to feel good, like the other times I've worked. How can I get that feeling? They're calling me on set. They adjust the lighting while I sit in front of the camera. A fog machine fills the mock living room belonging to my character. When the camera rolls, there is a fake TV in front of me that I am to watch casually at first and then grow increasingly interested as the live footage I am pretending to watch unfolds. I am supposed to build up into a frustration with the host country. My country. As I understand it, the real guy is being interviewed and I am the reenactment; the illustration of his side of the story. I do the scene. Twice. Filming took less than 5 minutes total. The whole time I was thinking about my mom. I can remember it still, a few hours ago today, the director describing the gradual transpiring of the footage to guide me. To help me see a reason to be frustrated on camera. It wasn't helping. It's not his fault. I don't think it's anyone's fault. I don't think they even knew why I would be uncomfortable. I don't think they knew much about the countries involved in the event. They even spelled the city name wrong. I don't even think the takes were that bad.

I wish it wasn't about my country. If it were different, I feel like I could have given more - like I had done at the church.

It's unsettling to perform make-believe, but for myself I have managed to apply a mental exercise that immerses me into a character; to actually be the person. The trick is to relate. To tie the emotion to a real memory and relive it. If it had only been about another country, I'm sure I would have enjoyed the process a lot more.

I'm writing this and I was hoping it would help me shake away this dread. Thoughts of regret imagining if I had only researched the keywords sooner. Maybe I would have cancelled. But that wouldn't have been better. I would be blacklisted and never cast as another role again. Or maybe I'm being dramatic. Hey, that's good for this line of work, right?

I honestly hope the final cut looks great. This is the biggest role I've ever been in. They gelled my hair funny like a nerd, I had on large framed glasses, just like the portrayed, and they put makeup on my upper lip to hide my dark, clean-shaven stubble.

When I got home, before I washed my makeup off, I took a before and after mirror selfie because my face looked comedically smooth. Taking the pictures reminded me of when I was sipping coffee in the holding area. I had taken pictures of my paperwork. I remember my mind racing. The feeling was like gathering license plates and insurance information after a collision. You know, just in case I have to stand trial, my cultural membership in jeopardy. I can review my situation with a lawyer to see what I can and can not say during a variety show interview that is getting my side of the story after viral, captioned screenshots of me flood the internet with embarrassing memes, stamped into history. Jesus Christ, that would be the worst. Here I go again with extreme maybes. It's an entertaining curse that I will forever be engulfed in my own hypothetical torture.

Anyway, here's that selfie I invented:

Yeah my bathroom mirrors are dirty.

I can't wait for my next job that I can cleanse my palate with. I really hope I can accept today as purely an actor's portrayal, and not a turncoat betrayal. This can't be my last go at acting. I ate some of my country's food for supper. I feel a bit better. I'm wearing a shirt that is emblazoned with our country's sports hero.

I have always been excited to see the final release of a production I am in, except for this one now. Uncontrollably, my perverse curiosity into the film world is only strengthening, so I don't think even the worst thoughts can slow my future participation. The silver lining is that the uncomfortable bar is set to a new level. I could reenact a murderous deviant now without batting a moral eyelash, I like to think. All for the sake of film.

- WSS, February 8, 2019