#aw i love how that fullbody turned out

[miscellaneous--bones]

my MAN

[emperorcrest-blog]

im not too familiar with felix, but maybe write a drabble about the aesthetics you associate with him? you could spin that into writing about his past or even incorporate them into a small snapshot of his life. he could be sitting down, simply remembering his past or he could be fighting. the setting is up to you, but i'd love to see you write about his motifs/aesthetics/whatever you liken to him!

    fraldarius was a cold place to grow up in. the manor was all high empty corridors, and heavy doors to keep out the snow. cold steel locks, cold steel suits of armour everywhere. the heavy weight of knighthood followed you down the halls. the floors were stone, the walls were stone, all deep, sheer grey, all dark and bold. in the larger halls, portrait after portrait hung, ancestors with eyes that were blue like the sky on a cool day, or the first frost glittered on the walls. you grew up with the knowledge that you would not be one of them. you never resented it - after all, glenn was more suited for glory in almost every way. it was just a fact that, until you were thirteen years old, seemed unshakable. 

 you had a sword pushed into your hand and told to get on with it, to learn fast, or it’ll be the death of you. girls had swords in hands as much as boys, but for all your skill, you’d been aware, so aware, that you were a prize more than a gift. your blood - rare, beautiful, inticing, would make a fine present for some other house. seven years old, and the thought made you shudder, as did the dresses, and the makeup, and the maids calling you a tomboy, and the sound of your name on everyones mouth. you’d burst out to glenn one night, that you weren’t a girl, you hated this. 

 and there had been raised voices - your father and glenn rarely clashed, and you felt so guilty, so so ugly. the next morning, your father looked at you with cold eyes, and said if you want to be a boy so badly, you better start acting like one. you chose the name felix because it meant lucky and happy, and that was all you wanted. seven years old, and you had all the dresses thrown out, and a new wardrobe pulled in. 

 didn’t you have a daughter? people would ask at balls, and your father would smile, too sweet, while glenn’s hands tightened protectively on your shoulders. in public, your father never slipped up once. in private, he’d sometimes call you the wrong name, or she or girl, and you’d flinch, fullbody, and glenn would jump in and snap at him. 

 your father and glenn fought a lot more after you changed your name, and not just about you. but there was one thing they could both agree on: glenn would become a knight. dimitri and ingrid would talk about it for hours, all voices raised with excitement and awe, and sylvain would listen and chuckle. you were a wild little beast, all muddy legs, and running out in the cold with no boots on, and hands cut and scarred from sword training far too young, face stained wet with angry tears.

 if you want to be a boy so badly, you better start acting like one. it rang through your mind like a church bell, and threw yourself into brawling, felt the bitter sting of defeat at the hands of the village kids, bigger and stronger as they were than you, threw yourself at the sword. compliments from your father were far and few between, but once he’d patted you on the head and said felix, you will make a wonderful sword.

 you didn’t truly understand what he’d meant until years later, when people had called him the shield of faerghus. ( what is a sword to a shield? a shield protects, a sword has no function but to maim and slice. a weapon. you had nothing else. )

 your brother, fifteen years young, babyfaced and bright, a sword touched once on each shoulder by the king, and a smile split over his face, as you and dimitri and ingrid and sylvain cheered for him, was born to be a shield.

 your brother, two years later, died protecting dimitri in duscur. so he had fulfilled his role.

faerghus raised lions ; noble and proud beasts with all white teeth. ( it’s a fucking lie - lions don’t live in the snow. lions live in far off lands where it’s warm and different. you’ve never even seen a real lion in your life. they could have wings for all you know. ) you were never meant to be a lion. a major crest means you are born with all of the fire, and none of the longevity. you’re born canine, born a wolf with broken legs and white teeth made for slaughter. lions have pride and grace. wolves survive.

 wolves also thrive in the snow. you have seen wolves with your own eyes, heard their howls in the fraldarius hills, calling to one another. 

 the night your brother died, you cried flame. you cried furious and hot and wet, shook into your mattress for hours, rocked back and forth and back and forth, terrified and angry and cold, cold, cold inside. 

 your father had touched his armour , all they could fucking find of him, and said ‘he died like a true knight.’ and then smiled sadly, and said; i am so proud of him. you had snarled, snapped, screamed at your father. how could he be proud of death? how could he smile at a time like this? how could he? how could he? how could he?

at the funeral, everyone told you how proud you must be. everyone said how brave glenn had been, how strong, how noble. how wonderfully he had died. how it was every knight’s dream to die protecting their charge.

 you hated it. everywhere you looked: self sacrifice was lifted upwards, some unattainable ideal for some afterlife that may or may not even exist, to martyr yourself for an uncaring or absent God. in faerghus, no one worshipped the goddess. they all worshipped death. it made you sick. honour, chivalry, it was all bullshit. it wouldn’t help anyone survive. it hadn’t saved glenn, or anyone else in duscur. 

 you took glenn’s place in at least one way : after the funeral, you and your father screamed at each other, your tears dropped like fire from your eyes and you bared dog teeth in threat.

                            if only you had died instead of him. 

 it stopped you. it made you hurt. it cut deeper than any wound your father could have given you. you turned, and left. perhaps once you had been a wild and naive child, with laughter on your lips and smiles in your eyes. that child had been as warm as summer, but winter had to come. winter was here to stay. you frosted your old self over, and took a sword, and drove it into his chest. 

 ( your father never called you a girl again after glenn died, hands hungry and reaching for any son he could find. you, ungrateful little pup, bit the hand that fed over and over and over. you would not be his puppet or his doll. you would not be glenn in his eyes. you were yourself. there was no one else you could possibly be. ) 

[ayumiyui]

One Piece 852 Thoughts

These are some of my thoughts after reading One Piece Chapter 852.

Going back to the chapter parallels, Chapter 53 is the first chapter that we actually see Sanji fight (his fight with Fullbody was off-paneled in the manga). It’s also when the Baratie’s ultimate weapon (Sabagashira #1) is revealed, and Sanji kind of takes charge of defending the Baratie.

So I wonder if that means next chapter we’ll finally see Sanji take some action? I hope so, but I always expect Sanji to do something the next chapter, and it always turns out to be too early. Since he finally admitted that he was naive to think that he could sacrifice himself and marry Pudding to save his friends, I hope this is the turning point in the arc for him.

Overall, I really liked the chapter, even though it was a relatively calm transition after all the crazy revelations that we got in the past few weeks. We still got a lot of important information -- and this chapter was packed full with info -- and also an emotional scene between Sanji and Reiju. 

Sanji and Reiju

I really loved this scene, because the relationship between Reiju and Sanji was always kind of an enigma to me. I always felt there was more to their relationship than was shown earlier, and that Sanji cared more about Reiju than he expressed. In spite of the fact that Reiju and Sanji’s last parting during their childhood was very emotional (with Reiju rescuing little Sanji from his cage, and both of them parting in tears) we didn’t get any touching reunion between them and Sanji was even pretty cold to his sister when we first saw them together. So I always wanted to know how these two really felt about each other. Overall, I really love Reiju but her character was really mysterious and I’m glad I finally got to know how she really felt about Sanji, their mother, and the Germa kingdom.

I loved seeing Sanji’s mother again, and it’s interesting that her name is Sora/Sola ( ソラ ), which means “sky” in Japanese (according to my friend, it also means “seashell” in Korean?). It’s also the same name as the hero in the comics that Vito mentioned. According to Vito, this Sora fought against the evil Germa army and could walk on water, and had a seagull and robot sidekick (when I think of transforming robot, somehow I think of Franky and Vegapunk :)). I wonder if the seagull is important? All I could find was that it’s a scavenger, very opportunistic, and the “gull” comes from “gullible” because seagulls swallow anything you put in their beak. They also stand for freedom. 

It’s interesting that the comic Sora can walk on water, because Judge wanted his children to become superhumans. I think it’s fitting since both Soras fought against Judge and the Germa kingdom (it would be cool if Sora could actually walk on water). Anyways, I wonder if this possible connections between the 2 Soras will become important later. 

I think it’s pretty sad that Sora was so happy that Sanji told her to get well again (to the point she was crying like a baby and calling him such a good kid), because telling their sick mother to get better is something any normal child would say.

It seems like self-sacrificing tendencies run in this family, and Sanji must have gotten his sacrificial traits from his mother. Not only did Sora sacrifice her life for her children, but now Reiju is planning on dying with Germa, and putting Sanji’s life before hers. The three of them are so alike, and yet so different from Judge and his other sons (who use their soldiers as human shields to die for them). Why did Sora marry Judge in the first place??

Sanji’s kindness is really emphasized a lot in this arc. After all the emphasis on his kindness, I feel like it wouldn’t make sense for him to leave Reiju, or even the rest of the Vinsmokes, to their death. Sanji hasn’t really been the type to just leave people to their death.

Also, I think it’s important that Reiju said she was investigating Pudding and was suspicious of Pudding all along, because she was too good to be true. This kind of adds weight to Pudding being really evil for me, because I don’t think Reiju would have been suspicious of her for no reason. If Oda makes Pudding a good person, then it will make Reiju look pretty stupid, for suspecting an innocent person for no reason. It also kind of explains why Pudding shot Reiju , even though Reiju is supposed to die during the wedding. Reiju was probably caught snooping around by Pudding (and maybe found out something that would endanger Big Mom’s wedding plans), and the latter had to immobilize her and alter her memory. I know some people think Pudding shot Reiju to mess up the wedding plans, but I think Pudding had to shoot Reiju, to prevent Big Mom’s wedding plans from getting messed up.

Well, next time I see a character in OP who seems too good to be true, I guess that means I should be suspicious of them.

I also love how Sanji can be so stealthy, that he snuck onto Pudding’s balcony (probably) unnoticed, and now took out the infirmary guard and snuck into Reiju’s hospital room without anyone noticing in a castle where Homies are watching everything, but in the meantime, Luffy is raising a huge ruckus running around and yelling for Sanji.

Luffy, Nami, and Jinbei

Switching to Luffy, Nami, and Jinbei -- I’m kind of sad they burned the book, but I hope the other prisoners were also able to escape. It’s probably better to set the prisoners free and create some chaos, so that the Strawhats can escape more easily later.

Nami got a new outfit. I’m a little sad, because her WCI little dirndl dress was one of my favorites from her. I like that she gets to wear different costumes in this arc, rather than just bikinis, because I love seeing Nami cosplay (Note: I just realized she has her hair in 2 ponytails, kind of like Pudding...is this a coincidence?). Her new outfit seems to be stolen from a soldier and look like overalls? It’s not as cutesy as her dress, but she still looks cute in it (Oda has been making her look really pretty lately). And it’s probably easier to move around and fight in, so I’m wondering if this is a sign that she’s getting a fight soon. I’m sure Usopp didn’t upgrade her climatact for no reason so I’m hoping we’ll really see her use her new moves this arc. 

Besides, out of the Strawhats, we had: 

Luffy (w/ Nami’s help) vs Cracker (winner: Luffy)

Chopper and Carrot vs Brulee (winner: Chopper/Carrot)

Luffy & Nami vs Enraged Army(winner: Enraged Army)

Brook vs Big Mom

Pedro vs Tamago. 

This leaves Nami. She was an essential help during the Luffy vs Cracker fight and really put up a fight against the Enraged Army. She was really badass and useful this arc, but Oda offscreened a lot of her moves, so we didn’t really get to see her using her new climatact. I feel like this means she’s going to take down someone (hopefully). Since there’s so many women on Big Mom’s crew, it’ll probably be a female? Maybe Smoothie, since we haven’t seen her fight yet either, or Pudding, whose fighting skills we still don’t know a lot of? At this point, I can’t really tell. 

And Luffy -- somebody, Sanji! please feed this boy! His hunger is brought up again this chapter, and I really feel it’s time for him to get some food. I hope he’s the first one to run into Sanji and eat that bento. 

One more thing: it seems like most of the obstacles Sanji has been facing, are being almost magically removed in this chapter. But the way Oda seems to be tying things up so smoothly makes me nervous. I get the feeling that something really awful is going to happen to throw everything off again. Also, since this chapter didn’t end on a huge cliffhanger, and we have a break next week, I kind of get the feeling that Chapter 853 might bring some kind of huge plot twist. 

Vito’s whisper?

Also, we still didn’t get confirmation about what Vito whispered into Sanji’s ear, back in Zou. I think the whole head-in-the-box threat that Pekoms mentioned could be a red herring from Oda to throw the readers off, and Vito’s threat is something that us readers either don’t know about, or something almost impossible for us to predict. We had 2 whispers in 2016 -- Pudding’s whisper to Luffy and Nami, and then Vito’s whisper to Sanji. Although Sanji’s reaction to Vito’s whisper was not as shocking as Luffy and Nami’s reactions to Pudding’s whisper, Pudding’s whisper was revealed only 2 chapters later, while Vito’s whisper has still been unrevealed for almost a year. Seeing how shocking Pudding’s whisper turned out to be, it’s possible Vito’s whisper is going to be something really shocking. But either way, even if Sanji’s cuffs are fake and Big Mom really doesn’t care about Zeff’s life, the Vito threat could still be an important threat for Sanji.

Anyways, Oda’s chapters are usually fabulous when we come back from break, so I have very high expectations for OP 853. 

[thisiswarfmp]

Artist Research - Polaris-Rose

1. Gals:   One of my all time favourite pieces of art by Polaris-Rose, these head shot busts are the perfect combination of lineart and painting and they each portray the personality of each character perfectly, as well as representing their ethnic backgrounds in a mature and realistic way. The first character is simplistic, and the style of having no shading on the hair whilst having shading on the body is one I rarely have seen but really do enjoy the look of. It also has a fantasy feel to it, as though her hair is ethereal; but whether or not the artist intended this remains to be unseen. The second head shot is similar, once again having a mixture of both line art and painting styles, however this one's hair has been shaded. This takes away that previous ethereal feel to them and roots them into reality. The third and final piece shows a war-torn heroine, this time with even more detail than the last. She has more intricate shading, more texture with her hair and skin, and her personality shows through rather than the pin-up feel to the other two. I overall love the colours used, the backgrounds creating such a contrast to the humans that are presented on them, even the hair colours compared to the skin tones create such a delicate feel to them. I wish to practise the painting/lineart mix for my own work, as I feel as though it may be a fun thing to try.   2. Me Me Big Boy:   This has to be one the cutest pieces of art I have come across during this project, and one that I love for more reasons than it being a cat. Polaris' style brings this kitty to life, showing how they are spoiled with the amount of food they get by adding a slight chubby ness to them, as well as using facial expressions such as the side-eye look to convey the sense of insecurity and suspicion so that even if the information about the character wasn't on the reference sheet, you'd still get an idea about what kind of personality they have. Another thing I love about this character design is the simplicity and the inspiration of real-life cats such as Siamese and tabbies, whilst also adding in unnatural designs such as the upside down triangle on their forehead. Whilst you cannot get a back story from this piece, you can get a sense of what this character would do in specific situations. Overall, I love how they were able to use a cartoonish style to exaggerate the characteristic of a cat to create not only a humorous image, but also a relatable one for people who are fellow cat owners, for they can see their own cat in Nelson. This is something I'd want to add to my work; treatability to my character, even if it's just appearance wise.   3. Kiamara Auction and Flatsale:   Another example of a character designer trying a variety of different colours, styles, and designs in order to make characters rather than just sticking to one idea, but rather to be inspired by an idea and creating off of it. For these characters, Polaris-Rose had the idea of space in mind, and from that they created three different designs: Galaxy Afro, Space Explorer, and Alien Friend. These three designs, whilst all holding the theme of Space, are completely different design wise. I love how the Galaxy Afro takes themes of 60's Psychedelia and adds it to the theme of space and using the colours of a galaxy for their pelt. For the Space Explorer, I love how they are based off of the colours of the moon, the only other celestial body that humans have laid foot upon, having the worried expression of the unknown for even though humans are curious about what lay amongst the stars, we have always had a fear along side it. And lastly, the Alien Friend is the most interesting; brightly coloured and wide eyed, giving a sense of uncanny valley, with random feather placements to give it an odd look. This is due to the fact we have no idea what an alien may or may not look like and so we have this perception that aliens may be weird creatures that may look threatening but who may also be just as curious as us; and Polaris has captures that perfectly. Overall, I love how they have chosen to stick with a theme and then create designs based off of said theme, without sticking to a singular idea and not branching out of it.   4. I've Been Feeling Weird One of Polaris' vent-art pieces, this brings us more insight into the creator's own life and personality rather than the character that they've drawn's. In this headshot, Polaris has used what appears to be the marker tool with a different texture setting to make it look as though she has drawn them on paper, or on a textured surface. I love how she has decided to use a purple pen instead of a black one, as it really brightens up the piece as-well-as complements the blue/pink gradient. I also love how the techniques she has used has made it look as though she's drawn this piece in a watercolour marker or even painted it, even if it is but a sketch. Another thing I admire is how she's managed to capture the emotion of confusion and weirdness into a visual form; something not many are able to do due to the emotion being so complex to even explain let alone draw. I think overall, whilst this piece may have a sad origin, it's simple, it's sweet, and it captures the viewer's attention with both the colours and with the hope that the creator is okay.   5. Hello My Dear I had to include this piece in my artist research due to how creepy and unsettling they are, thus proving that a character does not need to be beautiful or approachable, but can be horrifying and make someone uneasy. When I look upon this character, I get the feeling of dread, as though I have done something wrong or that I am about to be hurt in one way or another. It simply screams run, danger. The unsettling, uncanny, cartoonish wide grin and dilated pupils give us the sense that this creature is not in the right state of mind, hell bent on whatever morals they may uphold. The bent and twisted, unnatural way the body contorts and bends sends shivers down my spine - I know something's not right with the anatomy and because it's been exaggerated it puts me on edge. Looking at this creature makes me feel as though I'm not safe, that it could literally jump out of my computer screen at any moment to harm me, and that's why I love the piece. Overall, I think this piece is a good example that characters don't always have to be the hero, or the one you're meant to fall in love with; they can be the ones you despise, pity, or in this case the one's who truly horrify you.   6. River:   Not only am I jealous of Polaris' ability to draw hands so well, this art piece leaves me in awe with the creativity and skill needed to come up with something like this. The first thing I like about this piece is the pink highlight on the blue body; it gives off a sci-fi feel to them, the colours fit in so well together, and, from what we have seen, they have been a favourite combination of Polaris'. Another part I love about this piece is how they've drawn the arms. Instead of simply connecting them to the body, they have sectioned off some parts of them, as if they're only partially there or that they have the ability to part some of their body from the rest. It's an interesting way of drawing and is very surreal, taking a piece which could have been an beautiful fullbody or bust and turning it into a beautiful, yet interestingly mind-baffling, one instead. Overall, I'd like to try this sort of surrealism with my pieces to see where it could take me, and what it may inspire. Original Links:  1. http://polaris-rose.deviantart.com/art/Gals-676921306  2. http://polaris-rose.deviantart.com/art/me-me-big-boy-670215759  3. http://polaris-rose.deviantart.com/art/Kiamara-auction-and-flatsale-1-open-604691341  4. http://polaris-rose.deviantart.com/art/ive-been-feeling-weird-668984335  5. http://polaris-rose.deviantart.com/art/hello-my-dear-608135510  6. http://polaris-rose.deviantart.com/art/River-593463980