#designer fusion set for Girls

[scrollnshops-blogs]

Designer Fusion Sets for Girls at ScrollnShops

ScrollandShops.com - A trendy multi-designer online store in India. It houses multiple designers under one roof who believe in curating exquisite and premium handcrafted styles by local artisans and designers. ScrollnShops offers an extensive array of Pret and Couture including Western clothing, Indian Wear, royal designs, and classic styles for women, men & kids. At ScrollnShops, we have something for everyone that will complement your style and enhance your wardrobe. Hello, fashionistas! The festive season is quickly approaching. This is the perfect opportunity to update the wardrobe for your little princess to show off her unique style and leave a memorable impact at every festive event and party! With ScrollnShops. While traditional Indian outfits have long been the heart and core of festive fashion, a fashion revolution is underway: the magical realm of fusion sets for you and your young ones.

Categories Related to Kids Wear

Kurta Sets For Boys

Shirts For Boys

Bottoms For Boys

Jackets For Boys

Suits For Boys

Siblings Sets

Co-ord Sets For Boys

Presenting the Exquisite Fusion set for girls by Indian Designers At ScrollnShops 

Little Brats | Littleens | Not So Serious By Pallavi Mohan - KidsFusion Jacket set overlays have become a stylish statement in this modern era. Its majestic embroidery and ornamentation make it truly extraordinary. This set includes a variety of designer jacket styles, such as a Blazer, Flared Jacket, Oversized Coat, and more, which may be worn over Trousers, Shirts, or Skirts, as well as a Long Dress. It results in a versatile look that may be worn for both formal and informal occasions. Embellished jackets lend a sense of elegance to an outfit. 

Top and skirt is one of the most popular fusion ensembles for girls. Designers have combined Traditional Skirts, Wrap Skirts, Pleated Skirts, Asymmetrical Skirts, Draping Skirts, and more with various styles of contrasting Tops, Crop tops, Off-the-shoulder or Clod Shoulder tops, Floral applique tops, or even Shirts with integrated embroidery to create an exquisite skirt and top set. This style is an ideal combination of elegance and gorgeous beauty. This trend is perfect for weddings, parties, and other special occasions.

Dhoti and tops are inspired by traditional Indian dhotis of various forms, such as pleated Dhoti skirts, Dhoti pants, and more, and are combined with Modern tops to produce a lovely and comfortable look. It has a sparkling appearance thanks to beautiful needlework and embroidery like cut dana or sequence. This Fusions set is ideal for pujas, holiday parties, and even semi-formal events. 

Sharara Saree's set has achieved enormous popularity in recent times. It is a three-piece attire with a Crop top or Blouse, a Sharara, and a Shrug or attached saree drape that provides a rich appearance. Its included embroidery genuinely distinguishes it and showcases saree flair without the hassle of transporting a saree for your little darling. Prepare to steal the show since it's ideal for weddings and festive occasions.

Other Categories

Women Indian Wear

Women Western Wear

jewellery

accessories

men

kids

Visit Scrollnshops To Buy a Designer Fusion Set for girls at ScrollnShops for all occasions

Embroidered Palazzo Set | Red Embroidered Palazzo Set | Thread Work Co-ord Set | Cherry Blossom Jacket & Pant Set | Red Embroidered Sharara Set | Blue Sharara Saree Set | Embroidered Bib & Pants Set | Blue Ruffle Top & Shorts | Lavender Ruffle Top & Pants | Fruit Printed Top & Palazzo Set | Poncho & Dhoti Set | Carrot Print Top & Dhoti Set | Floral Applique Top & Skirt Set | Flared Trouser Set | Tailored Jacket & Skirt Suit | Buttoned Corduroy Set | Flared Jacket & Dress Set | Oversized Coat & Dress Set | Embellished Corduroy Set | Classic Blazer & Skirt Set | Embroidered Saree | Floral Sharara Saree | Handcrafted Jacket Set | Ruched Co-ord Set | Cold Shoulder Skirt Set | Sharara Saree Set | Coat & Dress Set | Blazer & Skirt Set | Jacket & Dress Set | Jacket & Skirt Suit | Top & Palazzo Set | Top & Shorts Set | Jacket & Pant Set | Fusion Co-ord Set | Fusion Set Designer wear for all your special occasions:Valentine's Day | Party | Holi | Republic Day | Independence Day | Ganesh Chaturthi | Raksha Bandhan | Navratri | Diwali | Christmas | New Year | Wedding | Mehendi | Sangeet | Cocktail | Roka | Reception | Haldi | Festival | Birthday Party | Casual & Daily | Women’s Day | Eid | Travel | Holiday | Vacation | Beach | Work | College and more!

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[kimikitti]

Design round ups for the week!

Obi is getting a revamped magical girl phantom fusion form with Riddle's Phantom. I decided it needed to be more Obi so I mixed in more elements of a jester into the design. And of course the guy gets a big hammer to smash things with. I bet he says stuff like "It's time for you to lose your head!" and then bashes you with the hammer. (I likely wont make any finished pieces with the phantom fusion designs it's mainly for fun and for lore)

Obi can fuse with the phantoms depending on their relationships with him. Each one gives certain added abilities. However, these forms are unstable. The longer Obi maintains these fusions the greater risk he is at losing himself in them. (Imagine he's fighting an overblot and his face starts to melt) The phantoms all have different relationships with Obi and have differing perspectives on it.

OOf, I want to draw Obi fighting malleus so bad, switching between fusions to the point where he loses track of them. And starts mutating. (the body horror! the angst!!)

Next up is my very traumatized son Tenjin. He's getting a less goofy hairstyle now. And I'm thinking of making him more of a short king. He's still built like a brick shithouse that can fuck you up. But he might not be as tall as you would expect. (Nothing is set in stone yet, but I do enjoy characters who take up the room without needing to be physically the biggest)

In the interest of keeping my ideas in a place I'm gonna monologue some of Tenjin's lore here.

Early childhood: Tenjin grew up with a parent who was definitely not equipped to take care of a child. Due to his parent's narcissistic tendencies, Tenjin was often neglected and put down. His involvement in gangs led him to find a dangerous but sought after sense of community and safety.

He holds himself in very low esteem and has internalized very rigid power dynamics. Tenjin believes that there are only two kinds of people in the world: those who were meant to lead and those who are meant to follow. He believes himself to be a follower, the muscle for most people.

Tenjin initially did not want to go to NRC. But when his acceptance was discovered by his parent, they flipped out. Tenjin and his parent had a big fight that resulted in his facial scar. (I'm not going to go into too much detail on what went down here) After being practically kicked out and with nowhere else to go, Tenjin begrudgingly goes to NRC.

(hehehehe.... can you imagine how bad this is going to get before it gets better? Let me tell you, its only down hill from here for a bit.)

[amf-studios]

You know what, fuck you! *cat girls your Nate, Whisper and Jibanyan*

I've been on an Academy Y kick lately, so I decided to make a hero form for my transfem!Nate! (I mostly did this because there a like, 3 girls to get transformations in academy y, it's a total sausage fest.)

The hero forms are by and large fusions of the human and their yokai/onryo companion, so I fused Natsuki with both Whisper and Jibanyan to make: Calicutie! (Calico + cutie)

Fun fact, Calico cats are an almost entirely female breed, so it's actually fitting for a cat girl yokai! For the design, I mostly took inspiration from Taokoko

Honestly, using her for a vase worked not only with the Lolita style I usually put Nat in, but gave me the inspired idea of using braids to represent Buchinyan's tails!

Personality wise, Calicutie is a chaotic mash of Natsuki's sass, Whisper's poor memory and Jibanyan's lack of attention span. Leading to an airhead who can punch like a professional boxer!

Calicutie is an A rank of the charming tribe, and a fire attribute.

Unlike regular yokai, Yokai heros actually have a few different soultimate moves at their disposal. Here's two I think Calicutie would have;

Obviously, she'd have Buchinyan's flurry of fury, with some added weight behind those punches.

And a unique one to this form: Liar Liar, spit fire! Where she lets out a cloud of Whisper's inspiritment mist, then ignites it with Jibanyan's pyrokinesis, setting anything caught in it ablaze!

I hope you guys enjoy!

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

Tuesday McGillycuddy by Angelica Banks

When Tuesday McGillycuddy and her beloved dog, Baxterr, discover that Tuesday's mother ― the famous author Serendipity Smith ― has gone missing, they set out on a magical adventure. In their quest to find Serendipity, they discover the mysterious and unpredictable place that stories come from. Here, Tuesday befriends the fearless Vivienne Small, learns to sail an enchanted boat, tangles with an evil pirate, and discovers the truth about her remarkable dog. Along the way, she learns what it means to be a writer and how difficult it can sometimes be to get all the way to The End.

Windsingers by Megan Lindholm

Harpies don't give up of blood debts. Neither do the men who serve them. A life must be given in return. Devastated by the slaughter of her family and haunted by memories of her own violent revenge, Ki rejects the comfort of her husband's gypsy people and wants only to wander in solitude as an outcast. Across mountains sheathed with ice, through the treacherous shadow of the impassable Sisters, Ki finds herself running for her life, pursued by frenzied Harpies sworn to vengeance; and by one stubborn, dark-haired man who seems intent on being part of her future.

Rodzina by Karen Cushman

In 1881, 12-year-old Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski wishes she didn’t have to board the orphan train in Chicago. But she has no home, no family, and no choice. Rodzina doesn’t believe the orphans are on their way out West to be adopted by good families. She’s sure they will become slaves to strangers. Anyway, who would ever adopt a large, tough, stubborn girl of Polish origin? As the train heads west, all Rodzina has is a small suitcase and her family memories from the past. Will Rodzina ever step off the train to find the family that deep in her heart she’s searching for?

Dark Fusion by Neal Shusterman

Tara’s eyes are always hidden behind designer sunglasses, and her hair, blond with glimmering spirals, seems almost alive. Parker watches, fascinated, as one by one Tara chooses high school students to befriend; he even helps her by making the necessary introductions. Over time, her "friends" develop strange quirks, such as drinking gallons of milk, eating dirt, and becoming lethargic.

By the time Parker realizes what Tara is doing, he is too embroiled to stop her. In fact, she has endowed him with certain cravings of his own. . . .To say more would spoil the spooky fun of this wild thriller—let the twist speak for itself and leave you still as a statue.

Myth-O-Mania by Kate McMullen

Puts a modern spin on the Greek myth of how Zeus became the Ruler of the Universe, as told by Hades, Ruler of the Underworld, who insists that Zeus cheated.

Knights of the Borrowed Dark by Dave Rudden

Denizen Hardwick is an orphan, and his life is, well, normal. Sure, in storybooks orphans are rescued from drudgery when they discover they are a wizard or a warrior or a prophesied king. But this is real life—orphans are just kids without parents. At least that’s what Denizen thought. . . .             On a particularly dark night, the gates of Crosscaper Orphanage open to a car that almost growls with power. The car and the man in it retrieve Denizen with the promise of introducing him to a long-lost aunt. But on the ride into the city, they are attacked. Denizen soon learns that monsters can grow out of the shadows. And there is an ancient order of knights who keep them at bay. Denizen has a unique connection to these knights, but everything they tell him feels like a half-truth. If Denizen joins the order, is he fulfilling his destiny, or turning his back on everything his family did to keep him alive?

The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis

At first glance, the small seaside town of Whitby seems quiet and charming, but eight year-old Ben and his older sister Jennet soon learn that things are not always as they seem. Moved about from foster home to foster home, Ben and Jennet hope to make a fresh start in Whitby. But Ben sees things and people others cannot. There's something unusual about Alice Boston, their new guardian. And what is that horrible howling Jennet hears late at night? Something wicked's brewing in Whitby. Can Ben and Jennet put it to rest?

The Vengekeep Prophecies by Brian Farrey

“You can’t convict what you can’t confirm.” That’s the motto of 12-year-old Jaxter Grimjinx and his infamous family of thieves. And while Jaxter may not have his father’s burglary prowess, his mother’s forgery skills, or his little sister’s mastery of sleight-of-hand, his book-fed knowledge of non-magical solutions to magical problems makes him invaluable to the family’s heists.

But the Grimjinxes may have pulled one con too many in their hometown, Vengekeep. After swapping the prophetic tapestry used to guide Vengekeep’s actions for a fake concocted by Jaxter’s mother, the Grimjinxes are stunned when the false prophecies begin coming true, bringing destruction in their wake.

Suddenly, Vengekeep is besieged by “natural” disasters and rampaging monsters, courtesy of the secretly enchanted counterfeit tapestry. With his family forced to stay and combat the impending doom, Jaxter must leave his hometown in search of a way to keep the increasingly dangerous prophecies from wiping Vengekeep off the map.

Earthaven by Katherine Roberts

When Natalie is captured, she discovers that she has amazing powers and wonders if she can free herself and save Earthhaven, the mystical world beyond the Thrallstone Gateway, where enormous soultrees spin a web of unique magic.

Edgar and Ellen by Charles Ogden

Fire ants. Fraud. Footie pajamas.

Twins Edgar and Ellen live alone -- their parents disappeared years ago, and who can blame them? -- in the quaint, little town of Nod's Limbs, in a grim, gray house overlooking the cemetery and the junkyard. They spend their days avoiding Heimertz, the mysterious accordion-playing caretaker; pestering Pet, a hairy, one-eyed creature of indeterminate species and gender; and wreaking havoc on the hapless citizens of Nod's Limbs.

But wreaking havoc can incur expenses, so the twins come up with a unique fund-raising scheme: They'll nab the pets of Nod's Limbs and transform them into exotic animals they can sell for big bucks. Not a bad plan, if one of the purloined pets wasn't a lethargic python with a raging appetite....

[elderflowergin]

A little rant about MBC My Dearest, purity and men who weaponise it:

(Trigger warning: sexual assault, rape as a war crime)

Fusion sageuk or not, this world has some set rules around purity, even in the relatively loosey-goosey Neuggeunri, where women and men can and do commingle, chat and meet in groups. The last barbarian invasion hangs over them; the old ladies in Gil-chae’s hometown tell the girls that death is better than allowing the barbarians to touch you and that if they do, you should kill yourself for the sake of said purity. Death is preferable to lost purity in this time/place; that’s firmly established from the beginning of the show. (It’s reinforced midway when Injo’s court reports of women who jumped off cliffs into the sea at Ganghwa rather than be taken by barbarians, no doubt perceived not as an avoidance of pain and torture, but a praiseworthy act designed to retain and restore purity).

Gil-chae and Eun-ae have to grapple with this when Eun-ae is attacked by a barbarian. Eun-ae was violated and felt violated by what happened. They know what they are supposed to do, what the old ladies told them to do; and yet Gil-chae holds Eun-ae close and says, nothing happened. We were hurt and our clothes were torn because we rolled down a mountain. Nothing happened to us. She rewrote that story, in the face of everything that said Eun-ae didn’t deserve to live anymore. Consummate survival requires rewriting stories, even the ones that are the hardest to paper over.

Because it appears again in Hanyang, in relative peacetime, when Eun-ae feels she cannot accept Yeon-jun’s proposal, because even if Gil-chae rewrote that story, it’s harder to reconfigure shame when it’s under the skin, when it’s attached to the thing that makes you valuable as a woman. Yeon-jun may never know what it took for his future wife to survive, and that ignorance too, is a privilege. But Eun-ae knows, and perceives her value differently now than before. It’s Gil-chae who persuades her again, who reminds her that they rewrote this story together, two women who survived against all odds.

In this postwar, still somewhat vulnerable time, the possibility is high that there are assault survivors around, just as there are women who may have had to sell their bodies to feed their families, or broken any number of rules around purity for survival. It’s foreseeable that women survivors have been through or seen unimaginable things happen to other women, to their friends and have experienced it themselves. I’m not saying this to undersell the general trauma of war on men - just to say that war crimes hurt women in a very different, very intensely long-lasting way* as compared to theatres of war and fighting.

All of this to say: it didn’t take Jang Hyeon very long to go from “you’re not as pure as you think you are for loving a taken man” a few episodes ago to “you couldn’t live without a man for a day? If you were going to give it away you might as well come to me at least once.” I am truly horrified that he pretty much gets away with it; Gil-chae moves with the punch and gets in a hit of her own, but that’s a bone-chilling thing to tell a woman, any woman. It would be a terrible thing to say to a woman now, let alone in a time when that mattered so much to women, let alone in a time and place where it was forcibly taken from so many women, many of whom died so it wouldn’t be.

This callous attitude continues later when she’s run away with him and they’re in a room for the night. She tentatively asks about marriage, saying that it would be hard for her, since she’s almost a married woman, and people would consider her “used”. (Her fiancé later tells Yeon-jun that he is permitted to kill his partner and the adulterous lover, so this isn’t a gossip without consequence.) In essence, Gil-chae put her life on the line for a man who still says “Husband, no. I am your servant and my body is yours”, a promise that carries little substantive meaning in their world. Marriage isn’t a luxury good that she’s asking for as a whim. It’s what protects Gil-chae and her family from harm; it’s what will allow her sister to find a suitable match later on.)

Jang Hyeon is shown from the start as a man of his own ideas, someone who who doesn’t truck with traditional Joseon morality. He can and does reinvent rules for himself, and clearly doesn’t think that much of notions of purity, but he’s fine using them against Gil-chae.

Yes, Jang Hyeon saved her life during the war, but Jang Hyeon also had the choice of participating or not, the luxury of stepping back if he so chose. Gil-chae had no such luxury, no such choice, an open target on the run. He no doubt understands that the barbarians are raping women, that to survive as a woman is fraught, that sex has become fraught. To use purity to attack a woman he claims to love, to reduce her momentarily the way those old women did - to express his anger by lashing out in this way, in a way calculated to hurt, to violently pierce at the foundation of what it means to be a woman in this time and place is a cruelty that is hard to countenance. It’s telling that his anger at her leads him there, that it escalated with all that time, because he knows that’s what hurts. He knows it’s valuable, knows it hurts when he strikes at it, and yet will do little to protect it for her. I don’t know if there’s any amount of growth that will change this, whether it’s something he can change at all.

There are many upsetting things about this episode, but Gil-chae’s choice to stay at the end is the least upsetting part of it, and the most conceivable, intelligent choice she could have made in the face of a man who - in her perspective - can only offer her fervent words and a feverish gaze, things that will not feed her family or protect her reputation, her business or her heart.

[tsenya]

brief overview of some movies ive watched and rewatched over the last few months.

first time viewings:

strange darling - i liked it ! i waited months to watch it and deliberately avoided reading reviews and watching trailers for it and im glad i did.

leave my girl alone - honestly one of the funnest movies ive watched in months. i already want to rewatch. the last 30-60 seconds are glorious.

vhs beyond - ok i was a LITTLE harsh in my review. ok i was entirely petty because [SPOILER] they put real life youtubers in the movie and i was so discombobulated like what are YOUTUBERS doing in my HORROR MOVIE! i also have gripes with the 'little green men' subgenre that mostly stem from the fact that my dad believes in aliens and like im gonna be so honest with you i have 1000000 other things on my mind i dont have time or room to think about whether aliens are real and if the US government is using their technology or whatever i do not care. unless theyre giving me free healthcare i do not want to hear about it.

SEGMENTS I LIKED: Stowaway, Fur Babies, and Dream Girl. (tw for body horror, gore, animal death, etc etc etc)

cuckoo - i wanted a little bit more from it but it was good! i liked hunter schaefer as the lead. i think dan stevens should pull a brad dourif and play scuzzy dudes the rest of his career hes good at it and always looks like hes having fun. i will not pretend to understand what was going on i'll prolly have to rewatch

longlegs - full disclaimer i probably set my expectations too high and it's entirely possible that this movie simply wasnt for me. i really wanted to like it and expected to but. i did not. theres more i could say but i think i said enough. i'll try rewatching next year and see how i feel about it.

dracula 3000 - im not bringing this movie up because it's good, it was horrible, i just want to say that it's been 20 years can someone please make a movie about a vampire in space that's GOOD i know someone out there can do it PLEASE

rewatches:

pandorum - i couldnt tell you if this was a good movie or not i really couldnt i cannot objectively assess movies i watched when i was younger very well. all i can tell you is that i really really really liked the sci-fi/horror fusion. also the creature design still holds up i need to know who did it bec it looks better than some of the stuff out today

lake mungo - found footage horror movie OF ALL TIME

sunshine - im in love w this movie i love everything about it. also something i thought about was that it was weird watching chr*s ev*ns in something not marvel is was actually refreshing for once. we need to get cillian murphy into horror/suspenseful sci fi PLEASE.

the slumber party massacre - idk what to say other than 1) idc what i thought when i first watched it i was WRONG i love this movie so much and i do recommend all the reviews i liked if u want to know some of my thoughts/stuff i agree w 2) valerie bates is currently no. 1 girl in horror for me. as u could probably tell from my icon. and header. and sidebar image. and blog page. and

[bathoarchives]

Exploring Mpho Sebina's Artistic Appreciation of her African and Setswana Roots

By Atang Moalosi and Tefo Kosie

Hailing from the Kgatleng District’s capital Mochudi is Mpho Sebina, a singer-songwriter who has immersed herself in producing and creating the continent's best jazz, soul, and afro-fusion music. A self-proclaimed Pan-Africanist, Mpho's music has been a true reflection of expressing her African and Tswana roots through cognizant use of local rhythmic instrumentation and vocal progressions, to say the least.

The love and use of indigenous elements prevailed notably in her 2015 debut single 'Loves Light' which she explains was inspired by the song Tselane by BLK JKS which is loosely based on a Tswana folktale 'Tselane'. The song, produced by local legendary beatmaker Favi includes elements of the staple beats and claps of traditional folk music production fused with soul. The music video features a cameo of traditional dancers and showcases the landscape of Botswana from the luscious water basins to the barren semi-desert land with the soundtrack playing behind the eye-catching visuals laying a foundation of Mpho’s start to dominance in the music scene.

stills from the 'Tjuele' music video directed by Thina Zibi

It would take a whole two years for Mpho to return and release two songs leading up to the release of her debut EP 'Neo' with very memorable moments such as the song ‘Tjuele’ which is a rendition of another famous setswana folktale with the same name. The song features ATI, another local music giant who sings the chorus repeatedly in the background. This music video in contrast only features Mpho (Tjuele's mother) and a young girl (Tjuele). In the first scene, Mpho is seen caressing the young girl’s hair, both draped in white dresses. Behind them is a famous portrait of a black woman and her son, which is beloved among the black community directly linking to the thematic affectionate scenery painted by the song and the visuals. The song has this continuous click-clack sound, reminiscent of the tune of clapping hands and matlhoa or traditional leg rattles used as a part of uniform for typical traditional dance. Remarkably Tjuele is the only song in the project sung in Setswana.

stills from the 'Slip Away' music video directed by Mpho Sebina and Motheo Moeng

‘Slip Away’ is another beautiful 5-minute song from the Neo EP of Mpho harmonizing over a midtempo beat, the song was also accompanied by a set of visuals that captures the hustle and bustle of the city of Accra in Ghana. The video includes many beautiful shots including Mpho having her hair plaited in the streets, women dressed in beautiful African attire and women carrying their belongings over their heads which is a very common practice amongst African women.

‘LORA’

'Lora' album cover designed by Tebogo Cranwell and Neo Rakgajane

‘Lora’ is Mpho Sebina's debut album, released in 2020 five years after introducing the world to her very enigmatic sound. The album cover itself is quite a striking piece. With its shade of blue background, it only highlights certain parts of Mpho's half-bodily features. The first thing noticeable is the pink highlighted corn rows, her lips and some African beads which include cowrie shells deemed very valuable in most African cultures. This album is easily Mpho's most definitive record, both sonically and visually as it sets her among the most highly decorated singers the continent boasts.

stills from the 'Pula' music video directed by Yannis Sainte-rose

The lead single 'Pula' is taken from the setswana song 'Pula Nkgodisa' which translates to ‘Rain, help me grow’ and the “Rain Rain Go Away” song. She uses rain as a metaphor for pain and shows struggle with the lyrics 'Rain Rain Go Away, I wanna go out and Play’. Later in the song she employs rain as a metaphor for growth posing a divergent perspective with lyrics 'Pula Nkgodise, Pula Mphodisa'. This song reflects on times of struggle and hope as it was released in 2020 when the world was heavily gripped by the coronavirus pandemic and a worldwide lockdown. The music video includes shots of Mpho wearing an African print headwrap and cardigan along with her Bantu knots. The conscious use of Setswana lyrics and visual nuances further displays Mpho's love for making music that centers her heritage as a Motswana.

stills from the Melodi music video directed by Yannis Sainte-rose

The song ‘Melodi's’ music video features Mpho Sebina in a few shots where she is covered by cloth and some other noteworthy scenes with her in front of the backdrop of the abstract painting which matches the colour of her African headwrap. The constant use of African clothing and artefacts in and around her visual presentations accompanying the already Afrocentric sonics just solidify the passion behind the endemic standard she has set for herself.

stills from the Dumelang music video directed by Mpho Sebina

‘Dumelang’ is a very warm and welcoming song that pretty much highlights a very important aspect of Botswana's culture-the standard gesture of greeting. The song hosts a confident Mpho giving the listeners a brief tour of the beautiful country and her own experiences within the context of the song. It also boasts visual excellence, a highly decorated facet of Mpho Sebina as an artist by showcasing parts of Botswana's culture, including scenes of her dressed in clothing sourced from local brands, also sweeping with a traditional broom/ ‘lefeelo la ditlhokwa’ close to a three-legged pot which is quite reminiscent of a traditional home in a village. Other shots include local art persons cameos including Dato Seiko, Nature Inger along with Mboko Basiami the founder of Glotto, a pan-African clothing brand from Botswana. Notably, Mpho is also seen wearing Zulu female head attire called “isicholo”, and the Basotho hat known as “lekorotlo”. Throughout the video, Mpho is dressed in clothing sourced from local brands.

‘Ntsha Nkgo’ is another rendition of a traditional song with the same title, which is often sung during ceremonies. The song touches on aspects of typical traditional celebratory ceremonies, including the culture of sharing traditional beer among family and friends especially older men hence the line ''Ntsha Nkgo re kgaritlheng le bannabagolo''. The sacred events normally include the slaughtering of an animal to be feasted during the ceremony ''Ko Boseja go tlhabilwe Kolobe hoki''

Renditions of traditional folk songs remain a constant theme in Mpho's music as she also reworks 'Sananapo' a song from a well-known folktale in 'Sananapo's Interlude'. Folktales and songs are essential in traditional culture as they are often used as a form of entertainment and an opportunity for the elderly to pass on and teach the younger generation about customs and values which are indigenous to us. Mpho's modern twist to these songs helps revive the connection between Batswana and their culture especially in modern times where most of the older generation believes that our culture is being eroded.

As we await the release of Mpho's sophomore album, It is well evident that Mpho will always centre her African heritage on her music. Alkebulan, which is the name of the next album, is quite an interesting name as it is believed to be the original name for Africa according to the oldest nubian and kinetic texts. In her interview with Drum Magazine, Mpho reveals that her album will feature female artists from different parts of Africa to celebrate the women and their africaness. She also stated that she was influenced by the various sounds of African music. 

[wordsandrobots]

IBO reference notes on . . . the Turbines, or 'Tekkadan done right'

In my notes on an act of unspeakable cruelty, I described the Turbines in Iron-Blooded Orphans as an example of having one's cake and eating it. Pun very much intended, I stand by this assessment: the Turbines are a great example of writing justifying a genre trope; to whit, an anime aimed at teenage boys featuring a group of attractive women in a relationship with a lone man.

Whether that's a worthwhile exercise or not will depend on the viewer's tastes. Personally, I think it would have worked fine without overtly 'cheesecake' designs, though I don't take that as an argument against including them when Tekkadan are walking around shirtless half the time.

And indeed, it's the wider comparisons between the two groups I want to talk about today. There's a clear parallel established throughout the series, which I summarised in that previous essay as 'the Turbines are a successful version of what Tekkadan aspire to be'.

So let's dig into that a little, with full spoilers as usual.

Who are the Turbines?

When they're introduced, we learn the Turbines are in charge of the transportation division of the Jupiter-based Teiwaz conglomerate – an organisation that provides the Japanese-Italian fusion mafia representation sorely lacking from much of popular sci-fi media. Teiwaz is a supposedly reputable enterprise, yet is widely known to be functionally yakuza. Likewise, while the Turbines are described in terms approximating an above-board logistics company, they know how to circumvent official shipping lanes via highly suspect detours.

Of course, this is hardly unusual for IBO, where fine and permeable lines between legal and illicit activities are a fact of life. The Turbines are as legitimate as most people get in this setting and can't reasonably be called criminals (not without being aggressively framed, anyway), yet they aren't wholly 'above-board' either. There is no such thing in the Post Disaster timeline.

Now, the most important detail I want to centre about the Turbines is that they have over 50,000 members. Fifty thousand. Teiwaz is not some nickel-and-dime set-up; they're one of the most powerful (if not the most powerful) organisations in the outer-spheres and their transport subsidiary is correspondingly massive. We don't get the precise number until midway through Season 2 but we are told repeatedly what a huge deal it is for Tekkadan to be in cahoots with them; quantisation simply underlines the point. Naze's 'threat' to split the boys up such that they don't see one another again is far from idle.

This scale is the result of unifying a large number of individual shipping companies under one banner. Specifically, all-women groups that had previously been on the bottom rung of the solar system's transport ecosystem. The society Teiwaz exists in is depicted as a deeply sexist one. None of the high-ranking leaders are female and we are told outright that women forced from their homes have to turn to extremely dangerous work in order to survive. At least prior to the formation of the Turbines, this involved running cargo along pirate-infested routes, cheaply, with minimal defences.

Here is our first big parallel to Tekkadan. Like the child soldiers of the CGS, these women (and let's be realistic, girls) were rendered vulnerable by their social position and exploited for their labour as a result. I think it's commendable the writers chose to present their situation in this fashion: as easy – and correct – as it is to feel moral outrage about people being exploited for sex, this is a subset of the work dispossessed people are forced into. It would have been easy to give the Turbines a more lurid origin, particularly as this show is not shy about depicting actual sex-trafficking. To focus on something more 'mundane' reinforces that societies run on exploitation are literally that: even innocuous industries like freight haulage are driven by underpaid, under-protected workers.

It is into this situation that a young and ambitious Naze Turbine stepped and via him that at least some of these women found a better position in life.

A family business

We largely see the Turbines through the lens of their flagship, the Hammerhead, and its crew-slash-polygamous-family. When we talk about 'the Turbines', this is usually who we mean, rather than the wider transport company, which mostly exists in the background of the show's events.

The Hammerhead's pursuit of the Isaribi marks the arrival of the Turbines into the plot, first via Lafter's delight in the chase (in a scene leaning heavily on the overt sexualisation of her design) and then with Naze announcing himself to Tekkadan directly, initiating a brief battle between the two groups.

Naze's moral character is established in his reaction to Maruba dismissing Tekkadan as a bunch of 'space rats'. His disgust is aimed squarely at the perpetrator of the risky implantation surgery, setting him apart from the likes of Gaelio and, by extension, the Earth-based taboos against augmented people. We can assume Naze is familiar with both the Alaya-Vijnana system and the consequences of its use, and his ire switches immediately from what he had been told were a bunch of thieves to the man they've 'stolen' from.

With the conflict resolved and Naze willing to negotiate, we begin to learn about the Turbines as a group. Notably, while he refers to his crew as his harem, his agreement with Kudelia that they are his wives is a 'sure, let's go with that' kind of deal. The English dub states 'they are sworn to me' while the sub has him describing them as 'my women'. In either case, the legal status of the arrangement is left ambiguous. But the gist of the matter is that Naze openly presents his crew as a harem, in line with a playboy persona he presents to the world.

In Season 2, we jump back to see how this arrangement came to be. Amida describes him as a 'maverick trafficker' who hired her for protection on a dangerous gig (we never do find out what he was transporting). They got along well and fell into bed together, but Amida wouldn't make the arrangement permanent as she'd promised her services to an all-women freighter company tackling even more dangerous work – a choice implied to stem from having once in their situation. On hearing this, Naze asks the question that distinguishes him from his eventual blood brother, Orga: 'how can I help?'

Orga never asks this aloud, despite everything he does having the stated aim of helping his comrades. It's not hard to see why when his point of reference is Mikazuki, who places absolute faith in his ability to provide solutions to their problems. This fundamentally unfair expectation screws with Orga's sense of responsibility, especially once coupled to the top-down structure of a military unit and an absence of people pushing back against it.

But Naze and Amida meet as adults, not children. They've already grown-up and learned who they are. They engage from positions of mutual respect, each appreciating how the other's skills can help with their goals. Rather than declaring some nebulous, far-off dream, Naze offers assistance to solve a specific problem Amida was already working on. He provides the ability to make connections between disparate groups of exploited woman and a face to present to a misogynistic world.

On top of having the luxury of pre-existing social capital, he can afford to invest years of his time in growing the Turbines to the point where they bring something to Teiwaz's table. This slow, careful approach puts them in a much stronger position to deal with the big dogs, all while aiming for the same things Tekkadan will later rush to seize: security, legitimacy and respect.

This last item bears some scrutiny, because it illustrates the importance of being precise about your goals. We know nothing about Naze prior to meeting Amida, so we don't know why his sexism (because it is still that) eschews looking down on women in favour of elevating them above men. But he feels no shame about achieving business success via a women-only organisation, freely admitting to have gotten where he has thanks to them and holding Amida back from defending him from insults against his manhood that ensue. Naze knows who he needs to impress and it's not loud-mouths like Jasley Donomikols but men like McMurdo Barriston, who value results above all else. Where Tekkadan insist on making as big a noise as possible to establish their credentials, Naze can shrug off disparaging remarks. Why start a fight when he's gained the confidence of the most powerful man in the Jupiter-sphere?

Besides, he adores being where he is. He's actively unrepentant about having enough 'wives' to crew a spaceship and if this partly works to downplay his shrewdness, it's also just who he is. The narrative presents him in an entirely positive light for it, too. Of all the authority figures in Iron-Blooded Orphans, he's easily the kindest, going out of his way to support other people, often irrespective of personal gain.

Tekkadan's recruitment over the course of the series is characterised by radical acceptance. Human debris, repentant murderers, Teiwaz pen-pushers, ambitious college kids – they're all welcomed and placed on equal footing. In light of this, I find it significant that when we see Amida pre-Turbines, she's dressed in a rather understated manner, masking past wounds and presenting in a stereotypically 'professional' fashion – likely to offset the concerns her clients have about hiring a woman mercenary. After years living with Naze, however, she's adopted a much more revealing outfit and attitude, no longer hiding who she is in either words, actions or appearance.

Amida's design is one of the most cheesecaky of the set but it's positioned as a sign that she – like everyone in Naze's orbit – is loved scars and all.

A ship of wives

Gundam has a history of featuring men surrounded by a faithful cohort of women. Starting with Paptimus Scirocco in Zeta Gundam (a decidedly evil example, though oddly enough, also hailing from Jupiter), through Chibodee Crocket in Mobile Fight G Gundam (a much closer match to the Turbine's model), and all the way to Shaddiq Zenelli in Witch From Mercury (where, like a lot of G-Witch's secondary details, it feels like a call-back for the sake of itself), the 'harem' trope is one the franchise has made use of time and again. Rarely, however, has it been as explicit about dropping pretences as with the Turbines. To dip into crudity for the sake of succinctness: yeah, they're fucking.

We are left in no doubt over this. Not only do we see the many children that have resulted, Naze's wives make it clear they expect and enjoy him exercising his spousal responsibilities in the bedroom. And here is where I wheel out my media literacy soapbox because whatever you personally feel about this as a concept, the text presents it as consensual and as free of coercion as it can possibly be.

Yes, there is an inherent power imbalance with Naze being head of the organisation and, quite literally, the man who saved these women's lives. Yes, some of them were clearly recruited to the Turbines as teenagers (as we see in Lafter's backstory). And yes, it's a fantasy that often extends out of sexist perspectives, ones the presentation here does not work especially hard to refute.

However at no point is there any suggestion in the text that Naze pressures anyone into having sexual relations with him. The opposite, if anything. Amida is the only member of the Hammerhead's crew he initiates with – his partner, in every sense of the word. Lots of the others come on to him and he doesn't remotely discourage them, sure. But you've also got Azee, who explicitly choses not to act the same and is just as much part of this core family (while this doesn't rule out her being sexually involved with Naze, it shows there is no expectation of uniform behaviour). Furthermore, when Lafter starts developing romantic feelings for Akihiro – as contrasted with familial ones for the Turbines in general and sexual ones for Naze – literally everyone encourages her to follow them, treating it as perfectly natural and a sign of maturity.

(To head off a rather trite misread, Naze describing his wives as 'like his daughters' in some respects does not invoke literal fatherhood. His 'paternal' statements are in line with the attitude he takes to Orga as his 'little brother' – that of someone with more experience taking responsibility for a more naïve dependent – and I think it's really worth stressing that non-nuclear family dynamics do not map to those of nuclear families. Though unquestionably a patriarch figure, Naze is happy Lafter going to go get what she wants and proud of her choices. The literal opposite of infantilising her.)

Thanks to the Urdr Hunt mobile game, we get a canonical glimpse into how Naze interacts with members of the Turbines beyond the Hammerhead's crew as well. Tamami Rakou is leader of grey-ops team the 'Rakou Pirates', who handle missions it would be better weren't directly associated with the Turbines (yes, their flags is the Turbines' logo with a skull painted over it, why do you ask?). When she reports to Naze halfway through the game, their relationship is revealed as one of friendly mentorship; again not a million miles off his attitude towards Orga. Tamami explains to another character that the Turbines took her in as a hot-headed youth and trained her in business matters. She seeks to repay what she perceives as a debt, with the ultimate goal of sharing sakuzuki cups with her boss. Naze, by contrast, already firmly recognises her worth (that's why he put her in her current role) and cautions her against taking too many risks.

Naze and Amida gently rib the junior captain over the course of these scenes, while Tamami tries way too hard to impress them. The joke is that she's presenting herself with loud, military seriousness in the face of the couple's customary informality, and it hinges on her having nothing to worry about. Naze already values her and cares about her safety. They even end their meeting warning each other not to do anything to make Amida sad, indicating shared affection for Tamami's 'Big Sis'.

All this is positioned without any hint of lasciviousness. When Naze looks forward to hearing stories of Tamami's exploits over drinks later, there's apparently no expectation of anything more. I bring this up to highlight the boundaries in the Turbines' living arrangements. Naze expresses admiration for women as a category, but he's no skirt-chaser. The polygamy is not mandatory and his support and generosity are not predicated upon it.

Also, and I fully appreciate this is its own brand of male bravado, the sexual side of the Turbines is mostly described as Naze pleasing his wives rather than the other way around. The story goes out of its way to make clear how OK everyone is with the arrangement, including an obligatory 'harem strike' joke to underline that while Naze may have institutional power, they outnumber him.

It should scarcely need stating that Iron-Blooded Orphans is not depicting relationship dynamics one should aspire to. Then again, I'm posting this on the internet, where reductio ad absurdum is treated as winning, so let's state it outright: pretty much every relationship in this show is some level of borked. From Shino and Yamagi's teenage inability to communicate, to McGillis indulging Almiria's childish fantasies of adulthood within a marriage they've been forced into, to Mika and Orga's entire deal, everyone is doing the best they can while setting each other up for a lifetime of therapy they're not going to get.

The flip side of this is that those same relationships are a source of support and joy for characters experiencing extremely harsh, miserable lives. In almost every case, the toxicity is intertwined with genuine love, and for the Turbines, the toxicity gets firmly minimised, counteracted by Naze's personality and by how his wives interact with him.

I am not going to stand up and say the Turbines are a model of healthy polyamory. Being married to your boss is rarely a good thing in reality. Within the show, however. it's presented as wholly positive and supportive to a degree that the other entanglements can only aspire.

Sunset

Nothing lasts forever though. Isn't that the saying? Part reproach, part reassurance, it asserts that all is ultimately impermanent, no matter how much we might hope or fear otherwise. Orga sets his stall out in the name he gives his newly-liberated band of fighters: an iron flower, never wilting and never dying. Something impossible, that is ended prematurely by his rush to ensure its existence.

The Turbines are firmly established by the time they enter the story and as I've discussed, their rise is depicted as a cautious, time-consuming process. They have a fierce reputation – nobody messes with them, at least not without some high-ranking Earth bigwig offering plenty of money – but it's one tied to Teiwaz as a whole and that coupling of fortunes is both strength and weakness.

When the hammer comes down and Gjallarhorn begin interdicting Turbine ships, Naze wonders if McMurdo himself might be responsible. This suspicion comes after half a season of internal politics following Tekkadan's unexpectedly rapid ascent within Teiwaz. Their victories reflect well on Naze, since he brought them into the fold, but also cause the other high-ranking members to fear what they perceive to be his ambition. Things come to a head when Tekkadan align themselves with McGillis's attempt to seize power. With the youngest, upstart members of the organisation promised sovereignty of Mars (and its lucrative half-metal mining operations), a target is painted on Naze's back.

Of course, it isn't McMurdo who acts against him but Jasley, envious of Naze's position as the boss's favourite and wanting nothing more than to seize control of the transport division. There's no doubt he'd have sent the Turbines back to square one, exploiting them for his own gain. Jasley is very much in tune with the ambient misogyny and a conniving bastard to boot. He imagines by inciting Iok Kujan to destroy his rival, he will become next in line for control of Teiwaz itself.

He doesn't get away with it. The damage is done nevertheless.

When I say 'the Turbines are Tekkadan done right', it is a statement regarding success at their shared goals. Providing marginalised people with safety and security, enriching them through employment on their own terms, and establishing their long-term legitimacy – these represent the aims of both groups. The Turbines, however, achieve them at scale. Over 50,000 members! Operations from Jupiter to Venus! The ear of the head of Teiwaz! And, via groups like Tekkadan and Foundling (who Tamami is still mentoring at the point of writing; the survival chances of doofy gremlin children may go down as well as up), the opportunity to guide a new generation in a changing world.

But – and of course there's a 'but'; there was always going to be a 'but' – 'done right' does not mean 'perfect'. It does not mean 'forever'. For all the benefits the Turbines accrue for themselves, theirs is still a dangerous business. The risk may be reduced by solidarity but it doesn't go away. They still have to fight pirates and undertake jobs of dubious legality. Furthermore, as Jasley proves, they amass enemies as well as allies. Disruption to the social order creates ripples even – especially – when done with the best of intentions.

Above all, there's the question of whether their methods are sustainable. Throughout this piece, I have consciously centred Naze because that's what the Turbines' strategy is. Using him as a focal point around which to gather and an acceptable representative to men who wouldn't otherwise give them the time of day. While they might have achieved much simply by cooperating and are implied through Tamami to have retained considerable autonomy, it is Naze personally who allowed these women to escape the bottom of the heap.

This leaves them with a hideously dangerous vulnerability. The Turbines are inextricably tied to Naze's personal fortunes and those plummet in a second the instant Jasley shops him to Iok. By the rules of Teiwaz and his own sense of honour, Naze cuts ties with McMurdo to prevent Gjallarhorn pressing charges against the conglomerate. He expends all the good will he has accrued over the years to beg his now-former boss to take his people in. And then he and Amida sacrifice themselves in a nearly-vain attempt to safeguard their immediate family.

Worst of all, the catalyst for this is the very generosity of spirit that got Naze involved in the first place. He gives Tekkadan a chance and keeps doing so even as the cracks begin to show. He indulges Orga's ambitions out of the sense he's looking at his family's younger selves. As a result, he ties himself to them and is sent to his death by the wider consequences of their actions.

Amida describes Naze's love for her in terms of food: it is better to share a fine meal with others than to settle for average fare kept to yourself. That Naze was willing to share himself with so many people is laudable. But it is also his downfall and marks the harsh limitations of using the systems of the Post Disaster setting to imrpove a situation.

When you make deals with tigers, you have to remember what will happen should they get hungry.

A future even so?

Officially speaking, the Turbines end with Naze and Amida. The survivors are folded into what we might call Teiwaz-proper, directly under McMurdo's authority. When we next see them, they are clothed in drab black jackets, save for Azee who has traded her pink jumpsuit for a version of Naze's customary white suit. As the last remaining member of Amida's mobile suit squad, it seems leadership of this rebranded fleet has fallen to her, a position she uses – with McMurdo's blessing – to rescue Tekkadan's own dwindling numbers in their time of need.

Here we find the two groups paralleling one another once again. Lives are spared at the expense of identity. A leader who truly cared is lost and the outcome is decided by a pragmatist. We don't see much of what happens to the Turbines now they've been consumed by Teiwaz's male-dominated hierarchy. What we do know is that, in the short term at least, they have been forbidden from carrying weapons and doing the kind of escort work the Hammerhead excelled at. This alone marks a steep reduction in their power.

While McMurdo certainly looks favourably on his new subordinates, he is no replacement for the man who saw them as the sun. His decision to cast Jasley to the wolves was motivated as much by heading off a rival as by avenging his preferred 'son' – and he's clearly not getting any younger. One can only speculate where a few years might land everyone in this new arrangement (indeed, one has).

The Turbines' story contains remarkable achievements and at the same time showcases the fragility of any achievement made within an unjust society. It took Jasley a single phone-call to annihilate everything Naze and Amida built. Many good people died and the happiness Naze's wives found with him did not last. His children can hardly be considered orphaned but their fate is left up in the air, albeit weighted more kindly than their parents' lives began.

Which is something that should not be dismissed. Iron-Blooded Orphans reflects a lot of harsh, miserable realities about what happens to those unfavoured by the world's structures. But it refuses to downplay the steps they take towards a better future. Amida was already fighting to protect those left in the cold and Naze followed her lead. Even if the very things that enabled him to do so much eventually turned into a trap, it still matters that he did what he could. It still counts.

There may not actually be a way to 'do Tekkadan right'. Its context is flawed, harmful and frequently vile. In a just society, nobody would need the strategies the Turbines use to carve a place for themselves – there would be no ladder for anyone to fall to the bottom of. Yet in its absence, there are and have always been people who try their best to rebalance the scales, resisting the narratives they are fed in whatever ways they can. That needs to be valued. I'm glad IBO does so.

Because fleeting joy is joy all the same. Love exists under the toughest conditions. And, in the end, Azee and Eco follow the example of those who've gone before, stepping forward to ask:

How can we help?

Other reference posts include:

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (Part 1)

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (Part 2)

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (corrigendum) [mainly covering my inability to recognise mythical wolves]

IBO reference notes on … three key Yamagi scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Shino scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Eugene scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Ride scenes

IBO reference notes on … the tone of the setting

IBO reference notes on … character parallels and counterpoints

IBO reference notes on … a perfect villain

IBO reference notes on … Iron-Blooded Orphans: Gekko

IBO reference notes on … an act of unspeakable cruelty

IBO reference notes on … original(ish) characters [this one is mainly fanfic]

IBO reference notes on … Kudelia’s decisions

IBO reference notes on … assorted head-canons

IBO reference notes on … actual, proper original characters [explicit fanfic – as in, actually fanfic. None of them have turned up in the smut yet]

IBO reference notes on … the aesthetics of the mobile frame

IBO reference notes on … mobile suit designations

IBO reference notes on … the Gundams (part 1)

IBO reference notes on … the Gundams (part 2)

IBO reference notes on … the Gundams (part 3)

[isan0rt]

Actually, @lightandfellowship asking about other Dark Road historical fashion thoughts on this post did kind of get me thinking about it and you know what I think is really interesting? Is that there are only two students that are at any point wearing entirely Western-looking (non-Japanese) clothing without an obi and obijime, and that’s Xehanort (pre-arrival at Scala)...

And Baldr.

Even Master Odin is wearing an obi and obijime despite otherwise dressing like Gandalf, but we’ll leave him aside for the sake of this discussion.

For the most part the students are wearing fusion clothing, but that’s typical of the Taisho era. The Taisho period, which immediately followed the end of the Meiji Restoration, was a period of great change in Japan, and of Westernization. It was very common for people to wear a mix of Western clothing with traditional Japanese clothing. You can see a lot of this in the Dark Road students; 

(This got really long lol. Discussion of the secondary and tertiary Dark Road students’ design choices, culminating in discussion of Eraqus, Xehanort, and Baldr’s designs and what they might mean in the context of a Taisho-period-adjacent setting, under the cut).

- Most of the male students, plus Urd, are wearing very loose, bloused pants, probably tobi trousers or karusan-bakama. 

- Vidar, Vali, and Vala have some of the most traditionally Japanese silhouettes among the upperclassmen. Vidar is wearing a sleeveless lapped garment that isn’t strictly traditional, but has a very Japanese look to the way it’s assembled and to the color styling, while Vali is wearing pretty authentic-looking Japanese faulds, and is obviously supposed to make you think of the kabuki ideal of a ninja. Vala also looks EXTREMELY Taisho-period; the wearing of silk-painted or embroidered, brightly-colored hakama with an obi and furisode or kosode was extremely common for girls in the Taisho period. Vala has some sort of fantasy puff cuff-sleeve-thing instead of furisode, but her hakama and obi are lifted straight out of the 1910s. Interestingly, these upperclassmen, like Eraqus in the lower class, survive the longest.

- Heimdall, Sigrun, and Bragi are all wearing a mix of actual traditional Japanese clothing and Western elements. They are all wearing short kimono, with Sigrun having a very classic obi styling, Bragi is wearing traditional workman’s clothing (a hanten and sarubakama, with an obi without obijime, interestingly), and Heimdall appears to be wearing a kosode, with obi and obijime. However, Sigrun is wearing leggings and gaiters, Heimdall has some WILD thigh-high Three Musketeers boots and that very intensely high-collared, French-looking bolero jacket, and Bragi is, as previously discussed, wearing a bomber jacket (and also Chuck Taylor sneakers, Bragi you sneaky, deeply anachronistic guy).

- Helgi and Hoder, interestingly, appear to be blending Japanese and Chinese clothing styles; they’re both wearing obi and obiage, but Hoder appears to be wearing a cheongsam, and while Helgi is wearing a sleeveless kimono as a shirt, his fur ruffs very much evoke some traditional theatrical depictions of Son Goku (the Monkey King not the DBZ character); but I’m not that knowledgeable about Chinese clothing so I won’t make too many conjectures here.

- Urd and Hermod and Vor all have very fantasy-like designs, with the girls having fewer garments from either real Western or Japanese styles. Hermod and Urd as discussed have the bloused pants, Vor’s coat looks VERY much like a traditionally silk painted kimono that’s been altered to have a Western tab-collar, but has a traditional Japanese rope bow on the back, and all three are wearing obi and obiage. However, Urd’s robe/cape thing is VERY Western Fantasy Wizard, meanwhile Vor is wearing actual pumpkin pants. Hermod’s looks the most period, with his haori retaining the traditional lapels but altered to have Western bishop sleeves, and he’s wearing VERY WWI-style gaiters.

Now lets talk about the other three, who are actually our main characters; Xehanort, Baldr, and Eraqus.

Eraqus is absolutely wearing nothing but traditional Japanese clothing (aside from the obvious Kingdom Hearts elements of the turtleneck and crossed suspenders). He is wearing extremely traditional hakama, with the most traditional haori of any of the cast. His hair is partially loose but what is pulled back is pulled into something like a topknot; Eraqus is designed in every way to evoke the look of the samurai class. What I think is significant with that is that, as mentioned, the Taisho period followed the Meiji Restoration, when the samurai class in Japan were more or less disbanded in the face of modernization of Japan. I don’t think it’s unrelated that at this point, the Scalan society that considers Eraqus a ‘blueblood’ is also in decline, and is ultimately ended within Eraqus’s lifetime. He is the last of his kind, and he is dressed like it.

Then, there’s Xehanort. When he leaves Destiny Islands to go to Scala he’s dressed in an outfit that calls to mind Ephemer’s, and is extremely Western and modern-looking; which makes sense, since he was raised by Player, and the KHUX time period has very modern and Western fashion (remember Bragi’s Chucks?). But once he’s a student, he’s replaced his button-down shirt and collared sleeveless duster with a turtleneck (Kingdom Hearts, lol) and haori of his own, an exact photo negative of Eraqus’s haori except that Xehanort’s is sleeveless. But Eraqus is a blueblood, and as far as anyone in Scala knows, Xehanort is a nobody and a foreigner; he is still wearing Western pants in a Western style, held up by a Western belt and without any obi in sight. Xehanort was born in Scala, and he resents being seen as Just Some Guy, but he doesn’t belong there like Eraqus does; his haori on top is trying to make him part of that world, an equal to Eraqus, but what’s underneath reflects that Scala doesn’t consider him either of those things.

And then, there is Baldr. 

I’ve seen other posters point out that his clothing is all black, under a white jacket (I’m sorry I don’t remember who pointed this out!), but also, Baldr has the most Western and contemporary clothing of all of the characters in Dark Road. In contrast to Xehanort, with his loose, pre-WWI-era jeans, Baldr is wearing contemporary skinny jeans with a wallet chain and fashionable low-buckled boots. He’s also wearing a waistcoat, and a bolero jacket with what looks like knit cuffs. He doesn’t fit in with the others at all, even less than Xehanort does.

And pointedly, like Xehanort, he is not wearing an obi.

I feel like it’s not a coincidence that this game visually sets its characters in the Taisho era, the time period that transitioned Japan from the traditional Japan to the modern, Westernized Japan of the 20th century, and the character who puts a permanent end to Scalan society is the only character dressed entirely in Western and modern clothing. Obviously I can’t say for sure what the intent was, but at the end of the game, the three characters left standing are Eraqus, dressed in the most traditionally Japanese fashion, Baldr, dressed in the least, and Xehanort, the fusion, who is dressed like Eraqus on the surface, but underneath, is dressed like Baldr.

[iwanthermidnightz]

Not only did Lana Del Rey start her Coachella headlining set early, but her entry was epic.

On Friday, April 12, at 11:16 p.m. the festival main stage screens showed an aerial view of Del Rey and her entourage rapidly approaching. As she neared, it became clear her crew was not rolling up on the expected golf carts that often shuttle stars around the Indio, Calif. fest, but rather motorcycles. And as a snippet of her never-to-be-officially-released song “Jealous Girl” played – with the lyric “Baby, I’m a gangster too” on loop – Del Rey’s motorcade took a lap through the crowd as she smiled and waved to the thousands of fans gathered for this very moment.

“What’s up, Coachella,” she asked casually, after making her way to center stage and offering a small smile before performing “Without You” into a fusion of Sublime’s “Doin’ Time” with “Summertime Sadness.” “I’m so happy to be here,” she added with another faint, and even briefer, smile. But keep in mind, this is Lana Del Rey – sad girl pop president and eternally committed to the bit, whether she’s headlining Coachella or not.

As such, her demeanor matched the elaborate set design that looked much like a dilapidated version of the Gatsby Mansion long after it had thrown its last party. Making it, of course, the perfect imaginary scene for Del Rey to host a late-night shindig of her own complete with a swing band and roaring 20s-inspired backup dancers.

Early into the set, Del Rey noted that she last played Coachella “exactly 10 years ago to the day” (during which she debuted single “West Coast”), before softly speak-singing, “We’re still doing it.” Yet, it’s not the fact that she is still here a decade in that’s impressive, but more so that she is still entirely and unapologetically herself after so many years – or at least, that the persona of Lana Del Rey is still so intact. In fact, across her nine studio albums, Del Rey has seemingly become even more herself, taking bigger experimental swings and offering longer, more eyebrow-raising track titles along the way.

And tonight, her headlining set seemed to be a quiet celebration of such, during which Del Rey sauntered across the stage performing career-spanning hits that, in a festival setting like Coachella, felt almost like underground gems that she was carefully unearthing. Even the expected “headliner stunts” were delivered with a delicate touch: She performed “Ride” while slowly spinning from within a circular, leaf-covered swing; delivered a gorgeous a cappella rendition of “The Grants” alongside her trio of backup singers; and, most notably of all, sang “Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have – but I Have It” via hologram accompanied by collaborator and close friend Jack Antonoff on piano, who co-produced the track. (Earlier in the night, she was joined by Jon Batiste on piano for an extended version of “Candy Necklace.”)

The hologram – though a bit morbid, especially considering the lyric, “Hello, it’s the most famous woman you know on the iPad/Calling from beyond the grave” – perfectly punctuated the spirit of the set. As evidenced by her closing song selection of “Young and Beautiful” (which was prominently used in The Great Gatsby), it became increasingly clear that Del Rey had come to make a statement.

As she sings on “Young and Beautiful: “I’ve seen the world, done it all, had my cake now. I’ve seen the world, lit it up as my stage now.” All the while, the song’s primary question loomed: “Will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful?”

Earlier in the night, Billie Eilish delivered an affirmative answer.

Following online rumors that the superstar would be making a guest appearance during Del Rey’s set (an artist Eilish has long been a fan of), she appeared toward its end atop the arched trellis to duet on “Ocean Eyes” and “Video Games” with Del Rey. After the two were done, they sat a moment longer, seeming genuinely stunned by one another’s presence. “Get the f–k out of my face,” laughed Eilish, speaking to her hero.

“Yep, that’s the voice of your generation, the voice of our generation,” replied Del Rey. “I”m so f—ing grateful she’s standing next to me right now.” To which Eilish replied: “This is the reason for half you b—-es existence, including mine.”

That simple sentence cut to the core of the evening. Sure, the set was spotty at parts – with moments of darkness and silence in between many songs and a handful of issues with mic volume, all of which Del Rey audibly called out. And yes, Del Rey’s soft-spoken tendencies on and off stage may have not made her the most obvious headlining act to kick-off Coachella. But it’s her impact that remains undeniable.

But don’t take my word for it, take it from “the voice of our generation.” The artist who we may not have had it not been for an artist like Lana Del Rey doing what she has and will always do best: being Lana Del Rey.

As she delivered the final note of “Young and Beautiful,” the band picked up steam and her dancers reappeared with champagne bottles in hand as fireworks exploded into the night sky – all the makings of a signature Gatsby blowout. And as Del Rey rode off on motorcycle, just as she came in, the party on stage continued long after she was gone. And that’s the point.

Her undeniable impact is also unforgettable – and exactly what makes Lana Del Rey the icon she is. And one well worth the celebration.

[saxophone-siphonophore]

Currently reworking a set of characters from a campaign that never took off into a standalone story idea. Design not 100% final, but here is the main character(s).

The original lore was that she was one person who got split in three by a misuse of her own power. While that works for a side character, for a group of protagonists that's just three people with the exact same backstroy and I don't like it. So this time around I'm envisioning them as a trio of magical girls who, through a strange set of circunstances, all got bound to the same Marketable Transformation Trinket™ and thus can only transform one at a time. That is, unless they but their differences aside and work together as the fearsome tricolor hero, Black Gamut. Pff, like that's ever gonna happen!

If it weren't apparent, her/their whole theme is the CMY color model and how paints mix together. And also that fusions are cool af. I'll talk more about her components (aka the actual main characters) eventually©, once I'm finished with their redesigns.

[lizhly-writes]

for villain fiance - a thousand words and/or fusion dance with classic fantasy setting isekai 👀

classic fantasy isekai…  not otome isekai, hmm?  actual isekai? okay!  i have aged everyone down accordingly (everyone's like, 16 in these kinds of stories, right?)

...

In fantasy land, they called Chen Lihua Lady Saintess, or Lady Hero, or just Hero.  Never her name, but then again, no one used her name back at home either.  “Hero” was, frankly, a lot more flattering than “Ungrateful Waste of Space” or “Dead-faced Little Bitch” or “What, It’s Her Again?”  

Truly an unimaginable improvement. Truthfully, everything was an improvement.  Anythiing and everything she could eat, instead of her family’s leftovers; anything and everything she could wear, instead of bargain-bin rejects.  No insults, no sneers, no whispers.  Everyone treated her with more kindness and respect than she had had in the last five years combined.

This was the best kidnapping that Chen Lihua had ever been involved in.

The only person who hadn’t been 100% friendly towards to her was Knight Jovis, who was her designated guard by virtue of, as far as Chen Lihua could tell, being the most talented knight that happened to be around Chen Lihua’s age.  This seemed to be more important than the fact that Knight Jovis hated Chen Lihua with every fiber of her body.

There really didn’t seem to be anything Chen Lihua could do without provoking her, which is the reason why Chen Lihua had decided to deliberately provoke her, just to see what would happen.  The results were entirely uninspiring. Some gritted teeth, sure, but no violence.  Maybe a comment, about how Chen Lihua could be making better use of her time, but no snide remarks at her appearance or parentage or anything.  

People really were very nice to her here, even if Chen Lihua wasn’t particularly nice back.

“She’ll warm up to you!” Prince Yulan said, who had vastly higher standards for niceness than Chen Lihua did.  “Eventually!”

“You really think so,” Chen Lihua said.  Chen Lihua was not the kind of person that people warmed up to.  Chen Lihua was not the kind of person that people liked, in general.

Prince Yulan nodded enthusiastically.  “Of course!  You have plenty of good qualities!”  He even really seemed to mean it too. Chen Lihua wondered if he had something wrong with his eyes.

Prince Yulan, the third-born prince of House Zether, was quite possibly the most optimistic person Chen Lihua had ever met.  This was most likely why he was her tour guide.  He was sunshine-y and cheerful and perfectly willing to account anything and everything in the best light possible, which was probably a bonus, if people were trying to get her to like the place enough to truly protect it.  He never got frustrated or annoyed; he didn’t seem capable of getting frustrated or annoyed. 

It was disturbing.  Chen Lihua almost preferred dealing with Knight Jovis, because at least Knight Jovis openly hated her.

“It’s not really you,” Prince Yulan said.  “Truthfully, Micaiah doesn’t much like anyone, ahaha. She’s not really a people person.  The only person she really does like is Haakon – aaah, don’t look at me like that, Micaiah!  It’s the truth!”

“Haakon?” Chen Lihua said.

“My fiance,” Knight Jovis said, deigning to speak for the first time today.  There was a warning growl to her voice.  It reminded Chen Lihua of girls warning her to stay away from their boyfriends.

What fun memories.

“What, you have a fiance?” Chen Lihua said, more to irritate Knight Jovis than out of an actual disbelief.  “You?”

Knight Jovis bared her teeth.

Prince Yulan blithely ignored their interaction.  “Haakon’s nice!  He’ll actually be accompanying you next week, by the way, instead of me.  I’m going to be called away on business…”

“So Knight Jovis’s fiance will be around me all week?”

“....That’s an odd way to say it, but yes?”

Chen Lihua smiled brightly at Knight Jovis.  Knight Jovis gave her a look that said she would like to set Chen Lihua on fire.

Chen Lihua would love to see her try.

unusual fic-specific asks for authors

[skyflyinginaction]

Clamp Art Style Analysis: Series styles: Kobato

While I was writing this there was a reason I couldn’t elaborate on Kobato it was because I lacked context. I missed a lot of things on Kobato due to the lack of context. Clamp art is extensive so I predicted I may not be able to cover it in one post. This post is written based on an interview I read so I am going to explain the art in Kobato to the best of my abilities.

Kobato ran in two magazines, monthly Sunday GX magazine and new type, Sunday Gx was the first magazine from Kadokawa that published Kobato and the Newtype was the second. Both magazines had male readers whereas Newtype had a male readership and Sunday Gx was a senine magazine. In Sunday Gx, there were lots of works with many screen tones and gradients all of them had ink but had a clean print without screen tones and gradient on them had a lot of ink but had clean print without the screen tone becoming blurred clamp couldn’t cramp to 20 panels in one page for Sunday Gx. While Clamp was drawing Kobato in Newtype there were a lot of problems, clamp found drawing Kobato in Newtype tough because of the tight deadlines which caused them to end up falling behind schedule to finish it. Though Netype had a large format Clamp, it couldn't cram 10 or 20 clamps and could only draw 14 pages which didn’t allow for story progression. Clamp even said they didn’t want to read a cramped shoujo manga. 

Kobato was created while Clamp was working on Tsubasa during the time, Clamp knew Tsubasa would have a darker storyline as it progressed so Clamp wanted to depict a brighter story Clamp wanted to create a story with a cute girl as the main character and decided that the story Kobato was intended for a happy ending. 

When it came to creating the character Kobato, the editor from Sunday Gx magazine said wanted a character to become a muse of the magazine. in creating a divine character clamp had no clear image of what a goddess is since the idea of a goddess can change over time so it is hard for them to picture it. However, clamp misinterpreted the desire when in fact the editor didn’t ask Clamp to create the goddess of the magazine but to make a character that readers can fall in love with something that both girls and boys would enjoy.

Kobato may have come off as regular shojo manga but the manga seemed to be created with a much older audience in mind judged by how it ran in a senine magazine it had some properties as shojo manga sprinkled in. Kobato has a bit of realism in it and references the supernatural but there is nothing too serious going on. It was drawn to be aimed for a relaxed feel so there were no constant dramatic events and intense pursuits. Despite how real the manga can be the tone of the manga is very relaxed that was what Clamp is creating it for. 

When it came to describing the contents of the series they discussed it with their editor like with the lines of argument 

drew sketches made various changes and corrections clamp had the story ready in two to three minutes but the character designs took 20 minutes. when it came to creating character designs in Kobato, Kobato took the longest

deciding what type of hairstyle for Kobato is difficult it had a hard time they didn’t know whether to make it long or short when it came to kobato’s hairstyle clamp did not know whether to make it long or short it wasn’t a minor manner since Kobato is supposed to be the main image of the magazine. 

They wanted to draw girls with long hair as a reaction to Sakura from Tsubasa who has short hair, but long hair gave Clamp less room for variations of style but was difficult to ink all the time in manga, and in truth, Clamp can invent unreal hairstyles that would cost less to draw her hair. Clamp strived to create a hairstyle that could be reproduced in reality but clamp disliked the fact the set of the hairstyle looked unnatural. so for the hairstyle, they created a fusion of short and long hair.  

When it comes to drawing and making stories Clamp pays good attention to the details of the story they are creating clamp needs background information of the story they are working on this is seen in the way the the characters in Clamp wore different clothes each time they appeared. In Tsubasa, the main characters wear different outfits because they are traveling across different worlds so the clothes are created to reflect that. That's more groundbreaking in a sense since people change their clothes every day it feels like you're watching real people for this aspect.

For Kobato her clothing is fundamental to her concept. Kobato clothes change all the time. This aspect goes over people's heads since the characters in Clamp in different clothes are nothing new that may be something we don’t notice at first due to Clamp always their character changing their clothes. However one may ask how someone who is carrying minimal stuff carries all those clothes. This aspect causes readers to question how she got all those outfits despite the fact that she barely carries anything with her. her changing her clothes each time makes readers wonder where she is carrying her outfits despite not carrying anything due to her lifestyle

It was revealed that Kobato’s clothes changing is a result of a mysterious ability that references that Kobato is not an ordinary human, and having to reveal that ability may spoil her true identity. the reason why Clamp drew Kobato's clothes change every day is that Kobato wearing the same outfit would be a spoiler to her true identity since people don’t wear the same clothes every day and having Kobato wear the same outfit would be much of spoiler clamp keeps Kobato's true identity ambiguous Kobatos a character whose never changes but wears a different outfit

Clamp had fun designing cute hats for Kobato. Clamp struggled with whether or not Kobato leaves the hat on or takes it off when she went to sleep but ultimately decided to leave it on asleep

Clamp wanted to create a new type of heroine that they hadn’t invented until now, someone suggested that Kobato is derived from Anne of Green Gables though Kobato was not much of a reference to it was more like Mary Poppins. 

Kobato's character design is based on Mary Poppins. Both are mysterious entities, wear hats, and carry a bag and umbrella. Kobato wearing many different outfits reference to Mary Poppins’ never-ending bag the umbrella is a clever nod to Mary Poppins which is seen in the colored illustrations

that appeared in Clamp in Wonderland

and mentioned briefly in the main story Kobato is an easy call back to Mary Poppins in both character and design and her role in helping people in the stories. Kobato's design referenced Mary Poppins and Clamp had wanted some elements of Comet, a manga character from the 1960s, but Clamp gave up since it didn’t fit the profile of a clumsy character they were looking for. 

For Ioryogi’s design: His design came from a doodle Nekoi did that was seen on the official clamp website, Nekoi first drew him in clamp no Kiseki about a blue stuffed dog Ohkawa liked the idea it became the partner for Kobato they decided to use Ioryogi’s design in the manga because they needed a partner for the protagonist someone that Kobato could talk to. While they were designing Ioryogi's true form, they settled to make Ioriyogi more beast-like this is from Ohkawa who thought that beast-like characters that get into conflicts with heaven as punishment were turned into stuffed animals this is made to explain why he is stuck in a stuffed animal form that his stuffed animal form can be from how he was beast-like in his form Designing his true form took some time Ioriyogi has a wolf-like appearance. Nekoi and Mokona settled on creating animalistic elements in the designs for the rest of the characters in Kobato to draw the others the true forms as more beastlike 

Next up is Fujimoto, Fujimoto is named after Kiyokazu Fujimoto the chief of the project department of Pyrotechnist, the company that works as a clamp managing agent. This isn’t the first time that Clamp took the name of someone they know and used it to name their character in their works; they did that before as seen within the character seichiro aoki of x taken from their editor. They take the names of people that they know and use the names on their characters to put a bit of themselves in the works. Fujimoto's distinctive features in his design are his glasses and long ponytail. However, Fujimoto's ponytail is cut off at the end when he's a lawyer, a reference to a sense of having aged over the years and gives the sense that he changed to maintain the same hairstyle while also showing change made the tail longer in his lawyer outfit.

Although Clamp loved drawing glasses, they found glasses in terms of drawing in manga hard. The lens is difficult to handle when drawing because it affects the expressions in the eyes of the characters Sayaka was drawn with glasses because Clamp wanted a female character with glasses.

Nekoi created the character designs from Wish; it was Nekoi who originally designed the characters for Wish and had a hand in designing and creating Suisho’s clothes Suishou’s clothes look similar to what the angels in Wish wore.

Mokona created the world for Kobato. Mokona found it challenging to create a new world in Kobato and decide how to design it. 

Kobato Reference to other works that crossed over like Wish but are more casual compared to Tsubasa and Holics tightly connected works

As I pointed out before in Kobato’s character design section, drawing long hair is challenging due to the amount of lines to ink, Clamp wanted to create characters with long hair only to change midway when they realized the difficulty. clamp found drawing long hair to be challenging due to inking it and the number of lines that go with long hair

Clamp aimed to create an atmosphere that was close to shoujo manga. Kobato uses thin lines in the manga similar to the lines of card captor Sakura and less ink which gave it a similar shojo manga appearance. 

Clamp tried to not make the panels too dark and didn’t have many characters with dark hair having many characters with dark hair darkened the visuals. They were careful about it. This Clamp uses less toning in the pages which has a lighter feel similar to how Clamp aimed for something bright and light and the paneling flows well is to make it as relaxed so they make it bright and light

The colors that are used for the illustrations had a soft watercolor touch they didn’t paint too heavily with Kobato illustrations so they did it by not layering too much paint and the brush strokes could remain visible which causes it to go beyond the edges.

So this is my post on Kobato art style analysis. This is something I missed and tried to explain but I could botch explain the artstyle in this post but I’m glad I expanded on Kobato's section.

[rhetoricandlogic]

Whale Riders

By Austin Grossman

Nov. 5, 2009

Scott Westerfeld’s “Leviathan” is a tightly paced young adult novel set in an alternate version of the First World War and a welcome addition to the steampunk genre: a neo-retro period adventure. Just as cyberpunk reimagined science fiction with computers, steampunk reinvents it through a fantasy of the technological past. Its signature style is a whimsical Jules Verne-ian, 19th-century take on high technology — gadgets, gauges and goggles take the place of circuits and fusion reactors. Its genteel heroes and heroines display both the pluck of idealized Victorian adven­turers and their understanding of formal dress.

Westerfeld is best known for his sci-fi Uglies series (“Pretties,” “Specials,” “Extras,” etc.), about a future society in which people have a surgical procedure at age 16 that makes their faces beautiful but their minds frivolous and easily controlled. “Leviathan” is different. If it poses a big question, that question would be, Wouldn’t it be cool if the First World War had been fought with genetically engineered mutant animals, against steam-­powered walking machines like the ones from “The Empire Strikes Back”? And the answer is, Yes, it would.

The book begins the night the Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated and his son, Aleksandar, flees his home near Prague to escape being made a target or a tool as the potential heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. (Aleksandar is an invention, but like Ferdinand’s real children, he is not a fully legitimate heir to royal lands or titles, since his mother has “common blood.”) At the other end of Europe, a working-class Scottish girl named Deryn disguises herself as a boy to join the British Air Service. Intrigue and political instability sweep the teenagers out of their normal lives and into a world at war.

It’s not quite our world. In this version of history, Europe is divided between two rival technological cultures, a Mac-versus-PC contest on a geopolitical scale. The British, the “Darwinists,” have mastered the science of bioengineering. The Central European powers are the “Clankers,” and they use airplanes, zeppelins and walking machines that tramp through forests and fields. (We aren’t told what the French do, and I think that’s for the best.)

“Leviathan” shines when it lets us inhabit these cultures. British society is permeated by its signature technology, an inventive living infrastructure of a thousand elements, from lizards that can mimic and record voices to tigerlike beasts of burden to the leviathan of the title, a living dirigible grown on the genetic chassis of a whale. This marvelous creature makes a lovely entrance:

“The Leviathan’s body was made from the life threads of a whale, but a hundred other species were tangled into its design, countless creatures fitting to­gether like the gears of a stopwatch. . . . The motivator engines changed pitch, nudging the creature’s nose up. The airbeast obeyed, cilia along its flanks undulating like a sea of grass in the wind — a host of tiny oars rowing backward, slowing the Leviathan almost to a halt. The huge shape drifted slowly overhead, blotting out the sky.”

Westerfeld’s imagery is enhanced by Keith Thompson’s old-fashioned black-and-white illustrations, which lend an extra dimension of reality to this world. And the Darwinist and Clanker jargon crackles with an authentically techie feel. Who wouldn’t want to go up in a “Huxley ascender” or pilot a “Wotan-class land frigate”? If Westerfeld has a signature foible, however, it’s a weakness for vintage slang that ends up being more distracting than colorful. No amount of repetition made “Barking spiders!” feel like a natural exclamation.

I also wanted to like Deryn and Alek more. There’s something a little mechanical (or bioengineered?) about this pair; they resemble something called a “young adult protagonist” more than they do actual teenagers. It’s not that they’re not pleasant to be around, and each one passes a dramatic series of trials, overseen by a mysterious British lady scientist and a cranky Teutonic fencing master who both possess a charisma that makes you miss them when they’re offstage. Deryn and Alek lack the psychological sloppiness that makes for a living presence rather than an expert piece of craft. Where their feelings are concerned, the prose is a little vacant, as if scrubbed of the messiest and most personal aspects of growing up.

And then there’s the unpleasantness of fighting in World War I. The Great War in “Leviathan” is a little too picturesque, a little too much of a lark. As novels like “The Red Badge of Courage” show, it’s possible to reach young readers without editing out the catastrophe and confusion of wartime.

This isn’t to say that “Leviathan” is a superficial book. As Westerfeld writes in his afterword, the novel is “as much about possible futures as alternate pasts.” Its larger themes are less apparent and more deeply buried than in the Uglies books, and are the more powerful for it. The novel is a study in opposites, of boy versus girl, working class versus aristocracy, British versus German, and its overlying thematic division of Darwinists and Clankers gives all of these a distinctive torque, while avoiding mapping neatly to any specific agenda. The novel’s concluding set piece features a grand, elegant and very satisfying hybridization that suggests that opposites can meet, collapse and mingle, and that this story has natural sequels, which I will undoubtedly read.

LEVIATHAN

By Scott Westerfeld

Illustrated by Keith Thompson

A correction was made on

Nov. 22, 2009

: 

A review on Nov. 8 about Scott Westerfeld’s “Leviathan,” a young adult novel depicting an alternate version of World War I, misstated the nature of some of the language used in the book. It is vintage vernacular appropriate to the period, not “invented teenage slang.”

[catfox1310]

Humanity's Hope D-Sides concept.

Hey everyone! So one day while I was looking at fanmade FNF D-Sides stuff, I had the thought to do a D-Sides version of the Humanity's Hope AU for fun. (Some links for those unaware of what the AU is)

It was pretty hard to do this concept, since Maria is the main villain in D-Sides Sonic. But I had an idea on how I could make it work while still somewhat following D-Sides Sonic's lore.

Here it is:

"Years ago on a space station known as the Space Colony ARK. There lived a young girl named Maria Robotnik and her cousin Ivo Robotnik. Their grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, had suddenly dissapeared one day, leaving them all alone by themselves.

One day, Maria was wandering around the ARK and came across Gerald's lab, curious, Maria checked around the place to see what he had built before his dissapearence. One of the inventions would catch her attention, some sort of platform with a keypad and a power switch. Turning it on, she fiddled around with it, accidently hitting a button and getting zapped, knocking her out cold.

When she awoke, she found herself lying on the ground, and face to face with a purple hedgehog, kneeling down and looking at her. This was Sonic The Hedgehog, the guardian of the Master Emerald. Something that Maria saw behind him, it was a georgious-looking gem. But Maria noticed something... strange, about it.

While Sonic was confused, Maria could swear that she was hearing a faint voice calling out to her from within the emerald, and so she placed her hand onto it. This action caused lots of energy from the Master Emerald to flow within her, causing her to collapse.

Getting back up on her feet, Maria wasn't even sure what happened. Unsure what else to do, Maria set off to explore her surroundings.

Eventually Maria would find some sort of camp run by two robots with (fake) mustashes named Prisbot and Cylbot. It was there where someone would suddenly greet her, the spirit of an echidna girl named Tikal.

Tikal would tell her that the power she gave her could actually transform her into a magical girl by pointing up to the sky and saying the phrase "Magical Maria, powerup!" It worked! And everyone was amazed by it.

Maria spent the next few days getting taught how to use her newfound powers, after everything was done, Maria returned to Angel Island and showed Sonic these powers too.

Maria would then live a peaceful life with her new purple friend, but this peace was soon shattered once someone dicided to steal the Master Emerald for infinite power. And Maria was shocked to see who it was...

It was... an older version of her...?

Maria knew what she had to do, and raced after this "impostor" to get the Master Emerald back, Sonic had some trouble due to his shoes becoming heavy from being far away from the emerald, but eventually his shoes malfunctioned and unlocked permanently, allowing him to run as fast as Maria and to finally be able to explore the land. Eventually, Maria defeated the "imposter" and brought the Master Emerald back.

Little did young Maria know that this "faker" really was the real deal from the future, and that her older self would harness a bit of the Master Emerald energy, allowing her to become a Dark Magical Girl and fight her younger self so that she can have the Master Emerald all for herself. And thus, the story would begin..."

And there you have it! Obviously I didn't touch on the other Magical Girls and the storyline with the plague created by D-Gerald (NIDS), the Chaos Emeralds, D-Shadow, and D-Ivo. But those ideas are still in this version of the AU.

One thing that I should tell you all is that some of the companions are changed here. Young D-Maria has Sonic, D-Helen now has Claws, D-Sara has Cream, and Older D-Maria has Shadow and Fang/Nack. (And yes, Older D-Maria's role is a fusion of Eggman and Eggette's roles in the OG AU.)

I also imagined that Young D-Maria looks like the regular D-Side Classic Maria design, but without the Eggman infuences. A mix of the normal and D-Side designs if you will. (But I'm unsure what Hope, Sara, Helen and Frances' D-Side designs will look like yet. I could ask Deacon, but I don't want to bother him.)

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this concept, and if you have any questions, whether it'd be lore, or ideas for the D-Side versions of the characters mentioned above (trust me, I don't have any ideas right now for the rest of 'em apart from Sage and maybe Elise). Let me know!

[silver-leaf-girl]

Legos!!!

For a friend (@cyanoferret)'s combined Christmas/Birthday gift, I made the iconic characters from the Sailor-Moon-inspired tabletop RPG that they've been designing. Because they're individual minifigures, rather than a full set - and because I come from the 40k miniatures tradition - I ended up painting them / sculpting onto them (Lego is a strange and unfamiliar land - does that make them MOCs?)

The box (it had to be given in a box, for the bit)!

The party!

This next character is a 'punk catgirl' type of character - hard-bitten, a little on the edge, cool and Void-Queen-May-Care. Cloak is a modified Batman cloak, bell is a de-winged Golden Snitch, and the hair/ears are sculpted onto the bandana.

Next up, we have a more 'familiar' Magical Girl type character, in the Sailor Moon model. Due to the mini I used, she's ended up a bit more like a businesswoman? Based on a Hagrid body, with a sculpted mantle, and a staff made out of Loki's helmet's horns (the only suitably crisp 'crescent' I could find). The coat is meant to be 'mother of pearl' coloured - I couldn't do the full opalescence on a flat matt plane, but figured that the glints of white/purple/green do the job OK.

Upsetting robot fairy. I've always been struck by the fact that the character in question is rendered more realistically, so I ended up using a Bellview character for the moulded face and more 'human' proportions - I think it worked?

Horrible/lovely space alien disguised as a traditional Sailor Moon type character. The armour and legs are from Atlantis, the head is a modded Groot (with a spray of Milliput 'eyes'), and the mask is a Toy Story Wendy head that I sawed down to fit (VERY disturbing to do).

Sailor ... Sun, I guess? Carrying a big fusion reactor hammer. This one was the first I did, and the gold is (imitation) gold leaf). It's a bit scratched in places, but it's worth it for how much it glows, more than gold paint could ever do. As the leader, she's also the tallest - since she has the Hagrid 'coat' body, normal legs, and a bit of extra height on her neck where I rebuilt the epaulettes.

In all but a few cases, where I had to sculpt the model together, they remain perfectly 'functional' lego figures, too - hands can grip objects, they can stand on blocks, bend at the legs, rotate heads, etc.

All in all, it was super fun to do (I was shocked at how cheap and more-ish Bricklink is, especially when you're just getting a few common bits and don't care about the colours), and the painting worked really well - separate them up into individual pieces, superglue them onto a wooden stick, prime them, paint them (I used gouache because it was what I had to hand and what I'm used to), but acrylic would work too), and then give them a ton of matt plastikote sprays. It gives a kind of satiny- finish once you're on the third spray, but for everything other than the grips on weapons etc., it's pretty robust.