#i have such a soft spot for their 90s designs….

[yokyoaaa]

90s Kirby characters!

[meangirls-imagines]

Hi. A request here (ignore it it's breaking any of your rules).

I was thinking of Regina George being with masc fem!reader that is actually a softie. I like the idea of a relationship with the dynamic of a mean girlboss and a soft nerdy type, especially if Regina is significantly shorter than the reader.

Imagine the shorter Regina pinning reader against a wall. Or Regina calling reader her 'puppy' because of how she always follows her around the school like a lost puppy or how she lets Regina tell her around without complaints.

Possessive power bottom Regina x Service top Reader (with reader managing to get on Regina's nerves by talking back) 👀

Fire and Ice

Description: For as long as anyone can remember, it had always been Regina and Reader. The complete opposite from each other, it worked perfectly. But, what were the school's power couple like behind closed doors?

WARNINGS: smut, fluff, slight dom/sub dynamics, reader being a little shit

Y/N Y/L/N and Regina George.

Best friends to lovers.

The couple had been deemed North Shore's power couple before they even stepped foot in the hallway. The two had gotten together in sixth grade, proudly open ever since.

As they grew up, Y/N grew into more of a masculine person. She loved sports, hockey specifically, baggy clothes, she cut her hair shorter, got more buff. She was a completely different person now than she was in sixth grade.

Regina, on the other hand, hadn't changed a bit. She was still obsessed with the color pink, designer brands, makeup. Still as feminine as ever.

She always made an exception for Y/N, some days opting to wear the girl's hockey sweatshirts (that were too big on her), a custom made pink jersey with Y/N's last name on it. Everyone knew the two were together.

The question that wouldn't leave anyone's minds:

Who was the top?

The students of North Shore were extremely curious. Most of them assumed it was Regina. But, there was that small percentage of people that thought Y/N was the top.

That small percentage was going strictly off of physical attributes. Y/N was more masculine, she was taller, she didn't take shit from her girlfriend. She had to be the top.

The 90% that believed Regina was the top had right to do so. Y/N followed her girlfriend around school as if she was a lost puppy. It was cute, how much Regina had Y/N wrapped around her finger.

The two had the same class schedule, so they always sat together (more like Regina sat on Y/N's lap), they always went to lunch together, walked the halls together. Regina was always watching Y/N at hockey practice and always at her games.

There was also that time Regina and Y/N got into a mini argument in the hall that one day.

Regina was on a mission.

She had heard from Gretchen who heard from Karen who heard from Taylor who heard from Josh that some girl was throwing herself all over Y/N and her girlfriend wasn't trying to stop it.

She spotted Y/N next to her teammate Mark's locker, the two no doubt talking about the upcoming tournament they were going to play in.

The blonde had turned Y/N by her shoulder and fixed her with a glare. "What the fuck, Y/N?" Y/N looked at her girlfriend confused. "What do you mean, Regina?" The blonde glared harder. "You're gonna tell me you don't recall the slut that was throwing herself over you in your last class?"

Y/N rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, how did you even find out about that? Nothing major happened." The blonde got an angry look on her face and pinned Y/n against the locker, glaring at the taller girl.

Y/N just smirked, keeping a mental note for later, letting Regina have her moment. The blonde looked up at her girlfriend. "You better not let anyone touch what's mine. You got that?" They had gained an audience, everyone watching in anticipation for Y/N's next move.

The girl just smirked and allowed Regina to claim her publicly before the blonde stormed off, clearing a path in the hall like the Red Sea.

Regina got a text 15 minutes later from Y/N.

Y/N❤️: I let you have your moment in the hall. But when we get home later, you're not leaving that bed.

Regina's heart raced in anticipation.

"Fuck, Y/N."

"Take it, Regina."

The blonde was on the verge of her third orgasm. When they got home that day, Y/N had decided to show Regina that she was the only girl for her. Her solution? Making Regina feel good.

She had made her cum twice with just her fingers and mouth and was on the verge of making her cum for a third time with her strap. Regina's brain had been turned into mush as all she could focus on was Y/N.

"Fuck, Regina. You take me so well. Can't believe you thought I'd entertain the thought of another girl taking me from you."

Regina couldn't speak. Her senses were overwhelmed with Y/N. The girl was making her feel things that only she could make her feel.

"I'm all yours, Regina. Forever. I don't want anyone else. But, there's one thing I do want. And that's for you to cum on my cock." She reached a hand down in-between Regina's legs and began to rub the bundle of nerves that rested there.

The blonde felt her eyes roll back. Y/N's cock was hitting all of the right places. She felt her climax rapidly approaching as Y/N pounded her.

"Cum for me, Regina. You can do it." Regina felt her entire body tense as she came around Y/N's cock. The girl continued to slowly thrust, allowing Regina to ride through it. The blonde shook from the aftershocks of her climax and the feeling of Y/N's slow thrusts.

Y/N was peppering her face with soft kisses as she came down. "You looked so pretty, Regina. So beautiful. Wanna make you cum again, pretty girl."

Regina gushed around Y/N's cock. With the way her girlfriend was talking to her, she would let her make her cum as much as she wanted, but Regina's body had limits.

Y/N continued the soft kisses. "Will you let me make you cum one more time, sweet angel? Just one more. Then we'll be done. Please." The blonde nodded, pulling Y/N into a more heated kiss. Y/N's thrusts slowly sped up as the blonde moaned into her mouth.

Regina was officially fucked out.

Y/N smirked and sped up her thrusts. "God, Regina, I can't believe you thought I'd go after someone else. Not when you take me so fucking well. Only want you. Only want your pussy." Regina felt heat wash over her body at Y/N's words.

"'M gonna cum. Y/N, please." The blonde's words slurred together as Y/N's cock began to hammer in and out of her. Y/N smirked and began to rub Regina's clit again. "Cum for me, baby. Come on, pretty girl. Cum all over my cock."

Regina saw white as the pleasure bubble burst. Her whole body felt like it was ascending to another dimension as Y/N whispered sweet nothings to her as she came down.

Y/N pulled out and went into Regina's bathroom to grab a wet cloth. She came back and gently cleaned between her legs, whispering praise at Regina's whimpers. She threw the towel to the side, making the blonde drink some water before pulling her into her arms.

"I'm yours, Regina. Forever. No one compares to you, baby girl." Regina sleepily smiled at the girl's words and drifted off.

The next day, when the two walked into the school, everyone's question was answered. Regina walked limped while wearing the pink hockey jersey as Y/N walked next to her, a huge smirk on her face.

That 10% of the school that had guessed Y/N would never let anyone else live it down.

[tangentburd]

Digital sticker designs for the @90scartoonszine, featuring the heroes, villains, friends (and/or love interests?) from The Powerpuff Girls.

This was my first fandom and definitely one of my biggest ones, so I have a mega soft spot for it even after so many years... The biggest difference now is that I relate with the adult villains a lot more :v (not to mention my favourite designs here are Mojo Jojo and HIM, hell yeah)

I also made digital wallpapers for this project! Go check out the zine if you too love '90s cartoons with all their colour and style and wit and snark and sometimes inappropriateness that prrrobably wouldn't have made the cut today.

✨ [ Zine now available for free digital download at itch.io! ] ✨

[tjtlee]

Y'know, I know Classic Poultry-man was the most popular in the fandom, but I really have a soft spot for his edgy 90s design when the creative team suddenly decided to go really dark with his stories. And I'm also a huge fan of the 2010s redesign he was able to get on the modern comics after years of no publication.

[dapper-suitor]

After reading Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie I have come up with my own Captain Hook design....

Here's all my citations for why he looks the way he does!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

★ Described as having a swarthy skin tone, which means an olive or tanned complexion; "Hook nodded. He stood for a long time lost in thought, and at last a curdling smile lit up his swarthy face. Smee had been waiting for it. 'Unrip your plan, captain,' he cried eagerly," (Barrie 90).

★ Outfit modeled after King Charles the Second of England; "In dress he somewhat aped the attire associated with the name of Charles II., having heard it said in some earlier period of his career that he bore a strange resemblance to the ill-fated Stuarts;" (Barrie 81).

★ Loves flowers (Yes, actually.), hence the floral patterns on his vest and jacket; "Thus defenceless Hook found him. He stood silent at the foot of the tree looking across the chamber at his enemy. Did no feeling of compassion disturb his sombre breast? The man was not wholly evil; he loved flowers (I have been told) and sweet music (he was himself no mean performer on the harpsichord)..." (Barrie 191).

★ His hair is distinctly dark and curled; "As dogs this terrible man treated and addressed them, and as dogs they obeyed him. In person he was cadaverous and blackavized, and his hair was dressed in long curls, which at a little distance looked like black candles, and gave a singularly threatening expression to his handsome countenance." (Barrie 80).

★ Eyes of periwinkle blue, forget-me-nots; "Dark as were his thoughts his blue eyes were as soft as the periwinkle.." (Barrie 189). and, "His eyes were of the blue of the forget-me-not..." (Barrie 80).

★ Specifically the little thumbnail of him with red pupils represents a later trait we see in the novel, in which when he angers his eyes become red, "His eyes were of the blue of the forget-me-not, and of a profound melancholy, save when he was plunging his hook into you, at which time two red spots appeared in them and lit them up horribly." (Barrie 80).

★ Hook has a sort of sophisticated air to him because it is heavily implied in the story that he came from a high-class college in England before Neverland, "To reveal who he really was would even at this date set the country in a blaze; but as those who read between the lines must already have guessed, he had been at a famous public school; and its traditions still clung to him like garments, with which indeed they are largely concerned. Thus it was offensive to him even now to board a ship in the same dress in which he grappled her; and he still adhered in his walk to the school's distinguished slouch. But above all he retained the passion for good form." (Barrie 203).

Note: The grey hair streaks isn't really mentioned in the novel, but I thought it would be a cool (obvious) contrast between Hook and Pan.

[darlinggeorgiedear]

I have never seen this portrait of Diana before. I personally love looking at pictures of her during the 80s, since she seemed so regal. I understand why she started to change her look to a more modern 90s look, but I always have a soft spot for the old world fairy princess look she was going for beforehand.

I remember reading that the man who designed Diana's evening gowns would take inspiration from Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary. Even though she never wore as much jewelry as them, she was able to capture that true royal glamour. (I think Marina/Princess Alexandra are also to this level).

[cybertron-smash-or-pass]

I mean yeah voice actors voices are hot but also like in appearance

Corey Burton is a cutie

You know what, that's valid

You must go on a vision quest to see what the MCU is blind to (and by that I mean go find one (1) weird indie movie youve never heard of and watch the whole thing). Then you will be cleaned of your corporate media sins (/lh)

Oh good, I get to talk about this dumbass show (beloved)

RiD 01 as a whole is a SILLY fuckin show. Like they took the sillygoofy nature of g1 and went "bet," then cranked it 10 times higher. G1 still had its somber moments. Character work. Genuinely threatening and downright cruel villains. RiD 01 has occasional complex characters, but 90% of the time, this show is a fairly low-stakes comedy that's going full camp.

The autobots are dysfunctional and just straight up weird. Three of them are brothers, and it's not a trio anyone would EVER expect. Prowl is a fucking narc. Brawn is here but he's named X-Brawn bc I guess he had to get that Xtreme rebrand for the 2000s. He's also closer to Ironhide than anything, complete with the Texas accent. Their other brother is named Sideburn, he's the bumblebee equivalent as the Designated Kid Appeal Character, but he's also, and I shit you not, a sex pest about red sports cars. Not just bots with sports car alts. Any red sports car. He will drop everything to go chase a sexy red car and he catcalls it the whole time. The TFA constructicons have NOTHING on this guy. He gets so aggressively horny on main his narc-ass cop brother has to arrest him for it.

Optimus is here, and he's got his own family trouble. He has a brother too, and it's fucking Ultra Magnus. Magnus hates his guts because OP got chosen as Autobot leader and he didn't. At one point they find a cache of blank protoforms, Megatron gets to it first, and has one of them scan both himself and Optimus when he comes online, which results in Scourge, my lameass emo boyfriend i was defending through the whole Scourge War. He's literally just, like, Their Kid and he fucking hates his autobot dad so he lives with Megatron instead to try and make him proud of how Evil and Competent he is.

Megatron has like. Too many altmodes. Just too many. One of them sort of kind of counts as a sports car, that is partially red, Sideburn gets horny about it. Finding out it was Megatron did not stop him for asking for a date. Canon bisexual before IDW, even in the English dub.

The main villains serving Megatron are the predacons and they're about as threatening as team rocket and roughly half as competent. One of them is a squirrel voiced by Steve Blum. The second in command is SkyByte and he's so fucking bad at being evil. He writes poetry (which Optimus roasts the shit out of). He takes online personality quizzes and then gets legitimately upset if he doesn't get the results he wants. This was the plot of an entire episode. He has a crush on Megatron and fantasizes about doing a good job for him. He doesn't like scourge because he thinks he's Meg's new favorite. He does circus tricks on command. He has a soft spot for kids and he was so nice to them while actively trying to be evil that he ended up with a fanbase in-universe that followed him around and encouraged him to be a good guy. He is the EPITOME of a skrunkly little loser boyfailure AND he's a shark. What more could you ask for.

This is not even a quarter of the insane shit that happens in this show. It has NO chill, ever. If you want to see pure, unbridled chaos from robots that are usually at least a little more serious and intense, I literally cannot rec it enough. A lot of hot robots too, tbh. The things id do to Midnight Express...

Beeussy

[rkfollower]

Garden

Kara Danvers had never been so distracted in her life.

The wedding ceremony had been beautiful—Alex and Kelly looked happier than ever, and Kara had felt her chest swell with pride for her sister. She was supposed to be focusing on the love in the air, the vows, the music, and the shared joy of everyone around her. But 90% of her attention? Well, that had been stolen the moment Lena Luthor walked in wearing that purple ensemble.

It wasn’t just the cut of the suit, though Kara couldn't deny how the plunging neckline had made her heartbeat quicken. It was the way Lena carried herself, confident and effortless, like she was completely at ease with the power she exuded. The rich purple fabric seemed to caress Lena’s skin, contrasting with her dark hair and those striking green eyes. Kara tried—really tried—to focus on anything else, but her gaze kept drifting back to Lena every chance it got.

She had caught Lena’s eye more than once during the ceremony. Each time, Kara quickly looked away, pretending to be engrossed in whatever was happening in front of her. But Lena’s presence felt magnetic, pulling her in no matter how hard she resisted.

By the time the reception rolled around, Kara was hopeless. She mingled, congratulated Alex and Kelly, made toasts, but it was all a blur. Lena's smirk from across the room? That was what lingered in her mind.

As the night wound down, Kara found herself searching for Lena. She wandered through the reception, not entirely sure what she was going to say, but knowing she needed to say something. When she couldn’t find Lena inside, she decided to check the garden, which had been decorated with soft lights and flowers, a peaceful retreat from the lively celebration.

Stepping outside, Kara spotted her.

Lena stood among the blooms, the purple ensemble catching the dim glow of the garden lights. The suit was elegant yet daring, and while it had been designed to make a statement, here, surrounded by the delicate flowers and greenery, Lena seemed perfectly at home. The plunging neckline, which had been a bold choice in the ballroom, now looked more like the petals of a flower unfolding under the soft glow of the night.

For a moment, Kara simply watched her. Lena's beauty was undeniable, but this—this was something else. There was a serenity to her, an ease that made Kara’s chest tighten. The flowers around her, pale pinks and whites, seemed to frame her like a painting, each petal and leaf enhancing the rich purple of her outfit. Despite the boldness of her clothing, Lena didn’t clash with the garden; she belonged in it, like she was another piece of the beauty that surrounded her.

Kara finally stepped closer, the gravel crunching softly under her shoes. Lena turned at the sound, her lips curving into a smile the moment she saw Kara.

“Looking for me?” Lena asked, her voice low and teasing, but there was something softer underneath.

Kara swallowed hard, struggling to find her voice. “Yeah… I was, actually.”

They stood there in silence for a moment, the cool night air brushing over them. Kara’s heart raced as she tried to organize her thoughts. The words that came out felt clumsy in her head, but she pushed forward anyway.

“You… you looked amazing tonight. I mean, you always look great, but tonight… wow.”

Lena’s smile widened, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “Thanks. I thought I might have caught your attention once or twice.”

Kara’s face flushed, and she laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, I guess I wasn’t very subtle, huh?”

Lena stepped closer, her gaze locked onto Kara’s. “You weren’t. But I didn’t mind.”

There it was—that tension that always seemed to hum between them, electric and charged, but tonight it felt different. Stronger. Maybe it was the soft glow of the garden lights, or the way Lena’s eyes seemed to glimmer like emeralds in the dark. Maybe it was the way Kara’s heart had been beating for Lena all night long.

“You look perfect out here,” Kara found herself saying, her voice barely more than a whisper. “With all these flowers around you. It’s like… like you belong here.”

Lena’s expression softened, and for a moment, she looked almost vulnerable. “I’ve never felt like I belonged anywhere,” she admitted quietly, her eyes searching Kara’s face. “But here… with you, maybe I could.”

Kara’s breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t expected that, but now that the words were out there, it felt like everything she had been feeling all night—everything she had been feeling for months—was suddenly right at the surface, impossible to ignore.

She took another step closer, her hand reaching out to gently brush against Lena’s. “You do belong,” she said softly. “With me.”

Lena’s eyes widened slightly, and for a heartbeat, neither of them moved. Then, slowly, Lena’s fingers curled around Kara’s, her grip firm yet tender. The space between them disappeared as they stood together in the garden, the night blooming around them like a quiet promise.

Kara’s heart swelled with hope as she realized this was the beginning of something new, something she had wanted for so long but hadn’t known how to reach.

But now, standing there with Lena, hand in hand among the flowers, Kara knew they had finally found their way to each other.

And it was perfect.

[davidluongart]

For the first illustration, I dedicated this one to @capelinssm & @/saliannn on Bluesky & Discord. Currently just finishing the Lunar New Year art gift to both Japanese illustrators whose art I often admire & fell in love with the most!!!!! 🎇🧧🥂🍾

Honestly, this is the first time I drew them lovebirds Ares and Aphrodite in a much more stylized slice-of-life/ shoujo-centered anime style, tbh, inspired by the ones that I grew up in the ‘90s-mid-2000s. Boys over Flower, Nana, Paradise Kiss, Slam Dunk, etc. I have a very soft spot for their use of soft light colors and lineart a lot, as well as their use of patterns & textures in the clothing design too!!

Aphrodite’s look was still hugely inspired by Beyoncé’s outfits in the classic “Crazy in Love” music video; since there is always something both contemporary and modern with her sparking tank top, the denim jean bottoms, and candy apple red pumps that I can’t explain. The 70s psychedelic miniskirt shorts that the goddess wore were inspired by the Emilio Pucci one that I found on Vogue UK-softer colors with an experimental touch. And for the pumps, I based them on these classy but affordable Charles & Keith. 👠👠

For the second one, wanting to do something just for the Greek ladies for a long time: modern-day Ares as that hot Greek dad/fitness trainer and the main chef at their own home who just finished his early morning workout (a bit inspired from @thelonelylemonsquare and from the previous convo with @alatismeni-theitsa in this case), while Aphrodite in her hot lingerie outfit for the special occasion (recommended by my Greek fella, @konstantinos_palamidas on IG). The food that he cooked for her included Greek crustaceans fish soup, spicy seafood pasta, gyros wraps, Mediterranean salad and finally morning coffee!!!🥙🥗🍛🍲🥘

I’m so sorry for this took long enough, so have a happy belated Valentine Day also, too, everyone!!!!!

[bear-boi-5]

Silly Murderer

@tophatwearingidiot is letting me have free range and design Opposite!Shroomy and Anti and I started with Shroomy 💅

He's hyper violent and the one in control of the body 90% of the time. He's a known serial killer and is actively on the run but seemingly has a soft spot for the Smg4 crew

Tho, admittedly is there some times where he almost kills them 💔

Opposite!AU belongs to @tophatwearingidiot

Design by me

CW: Unnerving face under the cut

When he's on the hunt ✨

[zehecatl]

happy steam sale to all, here’s a 'little’ rec list for (primarily) indie games that, in my opinion, isn’t as popular as they deserve to be!

Ghostwire: Tokyo -60% the only triple a game you’ll see on this list, and my own all time personal favourite. if you like anime, japanese history and folklore, and bromance, you will very likely love this game. it also lets you explore Tokyo and pet the dogs! and cats! literally perfect game!!

Iconoclasts -70% i have been shilling this game, at every major steam sale, for pretty much four-five years. before Ghostwire, it was my all time favourite video game. it was in development, by one person, for around eight years. it is still, in my opinion, one of the most gorgeous pieces of pixel art in the whole damn medium. just. please check it out i beg

Angels of Death -40% rpgmaker game that absolutely excels at being a character driven story. it also got an anime adaptation? which i’ve actually never seen?? but if you grew up playing horror rpgmaker games, please do yourself a favour, and check this out. and if you didn’t- check it out anyway! it’s not super scary or anything, with a more psychological horror focus

Owlboy -65% tiny owl boy does his very best and will worm his way into your heart and then crush it because life is maybe a bit too cruel to him. also you can fly! did i mention you can fly??

Pony Island + The Hex -80% did you adore Inscryption? did you like the meta element? then oh boy, should you check out Daniel Mullins’ two former games! they’re good! probably has the same vibe as Inscryption! could not tell you i still have not played that thing! but these are both very good, and absolutely worth every cent

Underhero -70% it’s a bit rough around the edges, but man, this game has so much love put into it, and i think it deserves way more love than it got

My Friend Pedro -75% the action is definitely the high point here, but i have a personal soft spot for the lil’ bit of lore we do get. like, there is something there, and i want to dig my fingers in. also wacky banana is funny

Sayonara Wild Hearts -40% queer girls on motorcycles? in my rhythm game?? it’s more likely than you think!! (also, if you suck at rhythm games: me too, this is still worth picking up)

MO:Astray -50% the fact that seemingly no one on tumblr has played this... despite the fact that it feels like it’d be a right shoe in... criminal. there is a little CREACHUR! LOOK AT IT. IT IS A SLIME!!

The Messenger -75% i legit thought this game was way more popular than it, apparently, is, which i think just speaks volume of my opinion on it. it’s genuinely right up there with Shovel Knight as iconic retro throwbacks- plus! the devs are making THE most gorgeous indie rpgs, apparently set in the same universe. so that is another reason to check it out

This Strange Realm of Mine -90% an extremely weird little game that will likely not be for everyone, or even most people, but that i really liked. considering the price, i don’t really think there’s much to lose on buying this little gem

Darkside Detective -70% funny point & click game with very shipable protagonists! there’s also a ‘second season’ that i have not played (yet), but is very likely absolutely worth getting

Haiku, the Robot -33% it is, rather obviously, not as good as Hollow Knight, but if you’re suffering from ‘waiting for Silksong’, perhaps this little gem will tide you over

Transiruby -30% another small metroidvania! has really pretty pixel art, and is just a fun little time

Flynn, Son of Crimson -50% not what it was promised, but it’s a fun platformer with gorgeous pixel art, and a dog. it’s a good time, and isn’t that what we all want :]

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows -70% a cute horror game, with excellent enemy designs, and a whole town to explore. also the story is so good. i am still absolutely enamoured with this title. this is, technically, the 2nd in a series, but you can play the games standalone, and while i’m sure the 1st is just as good, i’ve only played this one. because priorities (also keep in mind!! that this is a horror game!!! i’d recommend looking up some trigger warnings, because, uh. horror game!)

A Short Hike -35% just an extremely cozy and fun little game. exploring every inch of this island was just such a good time, i still think extremely fondly of this title

Webbed -30% i am gently laying an hand on the shoulder of every bug enthusiastic on this website. you play as a spider. who is trying to get back her boyfriend from a bird. and there’s a really fun swinging mechanic. do you really need anything more?

Garden Story -60% i am once again shocked this game isn’t more popular. what do you mean a cozy adventure game with community restoration, foraging, and some fun combat with a grape protagonist isn’t one of the biggest sellers in cozy gaming spheres. there’s a frog. you can put on different hats. what else do you want!!

Donut County -70% funny little game about making holes and being a chaotic racoon. i have an extremely soft spot for the characters in this, i could not explain it <3

also Oxenfree is not on sale, but it’s cheap, and the sequel is dropping very soon! and you should absolutely check it out! because it’s really REALLY good!!

[nyaboshi]

Kimitomo? :D

@exhaustedwriterartist Answering both of you simultaneously, since Kimitomo and Koa kinda go hand-in-hand.

Be warned that there's some violence in their backstories. I won't go into detail, but it'll be mentioned.

First off. Kimitomo. My big bundle of trauma and unhinged behavior.

Kimitomo is an ex-assassin who used to belong to this notorious clan until he was about 16. When he was about 3-4, the clan invaded his village, killed everyone older than six, and took whoever was left to be integrated into their clan. Kimitomo hardly remembers his parents, but his subconscious is very traumatized.

All of these children were quite literally brainwashed to be the perfect assassins. Kimitomo in particular was among the best at his age, so he and a couple others were chosen to be experimented on to see if their physical capabilities could be enhanced. The other two died during the tests, but Kimitomo survived and was successfully enhanced.

He's quicker and has better instincts than the average human being, and he also has SUPER sensitive senses. He smells, hears, and tastes everything, and he has incredibly sharp eyes. His sense of touch is also boosted, and it kinda gives him like a sixth sense. He can sense movement from within a certain radius of him.

However, he ended up having to sacrifice a great deal of his physical strength. He's very weak, and can't take much damage at all. Defeating him isn't much of a challenge, if you can actually manage to hit him. 😭

He lived as a mindless, highly skilled assassin for years. It wasn't until he was 16 that he finally managed to break out of the brainwashing that was given him. He had been given a job where he was meant to kill off a small, wealthy family and bring a certain artifact back to the clan. He managed to kill the father, but the children's terror broke through the barrier over his kind and threw him back to his own parents' deaths. He broke out of the brainwashing enough to let the mother and the children live and abandon the job.

After that, he ran and plotted a way to take out his clan. He succeeded, killing off all of the older members of the clan. However, he spared the children and helped them to shake off the brainwashing. He made sure to send all of them to safe places where they would have happier lives.

As for Kimitomo himself, he's kinda gone off the grid. He still greatly struggles with the effects of the brainwashing. Unlike the children he saved, he was completely under its control and was only able to partially break free. The brainwash effect is still in his mind, and it takes the form of whispers in the back of his mind urging him into violent streaks. 90% of the time he's able to suppress it. But there are moments where it bottles up so much that it breaks out in dramatic fits and he pretty much goes feral.

He wants so badly to be a good person, but he feels like he'll never be able to get there. He's very pessimistic when it comes to himself, and tends to isolate himself from others so he doesn't hurt them. However, he has a HUGE soft spot for kids. Literally cannot say no to them. 😭

As for Koa, he's one of the children Kimitomo saved from the assassin clan. He was a little bit older when he was saved, so he's still somewhat affected by his old life. However, he's been able to grow up into a kind, albeit VERY broody, young man. He's currently searching for Kimitomo because he wants to express his gratitude and try and repay him for saving him from a fate of murder and captivity.

I have an image of Koa that I generated with AI as a reference until I draw him. Yeah yeah, I know, AI art is controversial and all that, but it helps me to have a visual image of my characters when designing them.

My baby 🥰

I don't have a reference for Kimitomo. I didn't like anything the AI gave me .3.

Anyways. Those are my sneaky boys! 👐

Thanks for the asks, you two!

[bluepoodle7]

#EthelMChocolates#EthelMChocolatesBobThePurpleOneEyedMonsterPlush#OneEyedPlush#MonsterPlush#CyclopsPlush#Plushies#PlushPals

This is a Ethel M Chocolates Bob The Purple One Eyed Monster Plush and this plush is pretty neat while also very unique.

This plush seems like it could be in the same Monster Mania or Giggle Monster's set from K&K Sales or K&K Games would make.

I like this plush's design because it looks dog like with the floppy ears and tail but has the cyclops eye.

This plush is 8 inches from the top of the head to the foot.

This plush's arms are posed but can easily be moved but I wish the plush maker kept the hands down when making these to make the plush more appealing.

This plush can't wear both the toy glasses but if it did it would look weird due to the plush having one eye.

This plush is has stuffing in the body, arms, feet, and the light green nose.

The belly and butt area has bean pellets while the cyclops eye has a felt cloth with something like hard plastic in the eye area of the plush.

The plush doesn't have stuffing on the arm hairs, the floppy dog ears, the light green claws, the hair with the eyebrow, the fangs, and the tail with the black hair tip.

The red orange spots feel plastic in texture but have a paint brush blot like effect to it.

This plush feels pretty soft but gives me beanie baby plush like vibes with is half being stuffing and the other half being with beans or pellets.

I still want to do research on if their are different versions of this plush.

My guess is that this plush was for a Halloween gift basket for this chocolate company that quickly got discontinued while looking like a 90's style to early 2000's styled plush.

I did look at the website and these chocolates look high quality and are very pretty to look at.

And I'm surprised this company is still around but is pricey but I guess the chocolate is high quality.

All Products | Ethel M Chocolates

[star-kissed583]

Rubber duck infestation | Jackie & septic egos

Jackie and his weird rubber duck obsession ruins the others

#3rd person POV#

Jackie had a strange obsession. While some people wouldn't think much of it at first-

Jackie has a big obsession with rubber ducks. Something about them he absolutely loves. And he's unsure if it's the cute adorable faces or the cool designs they have. But he does know-that since he has so many (a chest box or two full)-why not mess around a bit??

•

•

It first started with Jay. Jay could never get upset for the life of him. If he ever did-well that would be a shock.

Jay had woken up one morning and gone to change. Upon opening his closet door-he was meet with a dapper looking rubber duck sitting at the middle shelf-right in front of his face.

Jay could only smile, knowing full well who's duck it was.

Setting the toy aside to give it back to its owner-Jay continued with his daily routine. He changed into his clothes before heading to the bathroom to groom his mustache and hair.

When opening  the mirror cabinets-he let out a silent yelp at seeing suddenly two more ducks. One with a white cowboy hat sitting on his combing brush, and the other with a cute helmet with a propeller and some glasses on a cream he puts on his hair.

Jay blinks in shock. Gently taking those ducks off and setting them off to the side with the Dapper's duck. Deciding to leave it for now as he went and got ready.

Guess, as JJ went downstairs all prepared for the day, he wasn't expecting to see more ducks. Yet here he was, staring down his cup that he usually pours tea, seeing another duck. This one having bunny ears and tail.

In his sugar cube jar, sitting on top was another duck-and then another in his kettle, on the pot, stove, hell even inside sitting on the bread bag.

These ducks. They. Were. EVERYWHERE.

Jay didn't think he'd ever been more cautious with his tasks. Just in the first couple minutes of his morning-he'd find a little duck in the most unexpected areas! And he was the first one awake!!

Finally, Jay stood in front of the table that was filled with an army of rubber ducks. All with their own designs. Jay picked one up, inspecting it before filing it upside down-and his face paled...

Why was there a number 90 underneath...

Soon enough Henrik came down, holding about 8 ducks already. Though he froze at seeing the amount of ducks on the kitchen table. There must've been about 18 already.

"Lemme guess...Jackie?" Henrik asked with a raised brow. Jay only responding with a nod.

Jay shows the number underneath the duck he held-showing the number.

"Ughh!! So what I'm getting at is-there is at LEAST 90 ducks around??! Great!! Just amazing!! Just Vhat I needed!" Henrik groaned-heading to get his mug for coffee-only to spot another duck inside his mug. A soft huff leaving him.

Soon enough-almost everyone in the household had came downstairs with their own handfuls of ducks. It seemed to scare them when Chase found one-that was in his hat that morning-having the number 120.

Slowly Jackie pranced his way downstairs with a hum. When he entered the kitchen-he didn't expect to see everyone there and surrounding a table full of ducks.

Jackie couldn't help but smile, "Love the ducks guys??” He asked happily-having a packed bag with him.

Anti growls as he looks at Jackie annoyed, “What the hell, Red?! You know how terrifying it is to see five ducks waiting in the shower!?”

Jackie snickers as he shrugs, “Well, I hope y’all find all 150! Make sure to-“

“150?! WHAT?!” Chase shouted.

Jackie blinks like it was obvious, “Yeah, 150. I number all my duckies. ANYWAYS! Make sure to put them back in my room! I got a mission three towns over-so imma be gone for a month” he spoke while grabbing one of the waffles Jay made, “Anywho I’m heading now! Toodles!”

With that-Jackie had left the house. The others standing there in shock, feeling a sense of almost paranoia knowing they had so many ducks to find.

Marvin huffed, “We’ll pile them in one spot and then put them away. I’m sure we can find them” he says determined.

Anti scoffs, “We can shove all his ducks in his bathtub.” He says while heading to grab a box of cereal. Opening it up-he let out a groan seeing two devil ducks staring up at him.

—————————————————-

A month later-Jackie sighs as he enters the house. He stretched and popped his bones-letting out a happy groan.

“guys!! I’m back!! Guess what I found!” He hums while entering the living room, only to snicker seeing all of the others basically deep searching the living room.

“y’all what’s going on??” He asked with a snicker.

Chase looks back and glares at Jackie, “How come we found all but ONE! One duck is missing and it’s no where!! Henrik and Jay went outside, Anti went to the rooms, Marvin looked in the kitchen, laundry, basement! It’s no where!” He rambled while searching deep into the couch.

“Where’s the duck Jackie?” Anti’s arms crossed while staring right at Jackie.

Jackie grinned, eyes flickering up to the ceiling fan so quick-almost unnoticeable-before shrugging as he stared at Anti’s eyes, “You guys are gonna have to find him.” He snickered, walking off to his room, “Oh and I bought like 12 more ducks! They’re so cute!” He hummed.

His laughter leaving him hearing the groans from the others just as he entered his room.

The rubber duck #150 stared down from the ceiling fan as everyone went back to searching the room once again.

[stepswowdsen]

【YGO DM】 Kaiba Seto 🍄🐉💙

Kaiba Seto 🍄🐉💙

My first time drawing the maniac gay man 🥰🌈🏳️‍🌈

Doodled this really quickly

I tried drawing Kaiba for the first time in my life 👍

My fave YGO DM chara~ Gay autistic meow meow mf man 💞

Kaiba is so Sen-core~

(No one is surprised)

I've been experimenting with drawing his eyes!

First two have influences from YGO's art style, 3rd is a mix of both my usual style and influenced from YGO's art style, and the last one is closer to how I usually draw.

Not gonna tag this cuz I plan on drawing the rest later

KaiYami (Kaiba/Yami) has been my fave YGO ship ever since I was a kid. I have such a huge soft spot for YGO DM…

I'm also into the YGO spin-off series, YGO GX and YGO 5Ds. I grew up with those three during my childhood.

Admittedly, YGO designs are really hard for me to draw cuz YGO designs are always so detailed and complex and sharp and angular and really geometric, too… And I'm not really used to drawing those kinds of designs. I'll be practicing more in the future!

I've seen many artists who draw YGO charas in their art style soften the shapes, so I'm still experimenting and trying to decide how I want to draw YGO charas.

I took some influences from the YGO art style and drew with sharper shapes and a sharper brush than I normally would, cuz it felt more fitting. I'm not as used to this brush yet.

I saw YGO EA KaiYami/AteKai artists represent them with the star and mushroom emojis cuz of their hair… I'm gonna cry LMFAOOO 😭😂

Starfish and mushroom? ⭐🍄

YGO: DSOD

(YGO DM & DSOD: Spoilers)

My friend Cinna has been reading YGO DM lately for the first time, and I got reminded of my obsession for these two. I really want to reread the YGO DM manga and rewatch YGO: DSOD for THEM…

YGO: DSOD (Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions) is a movie that takes place after the end of the YGO DM manga (after Atem passes onto the afterlife).

Kaiba's inability to move on from the lack of closure, and his gay brooding, yearning, and obsession…

It was co-written by Kazuki Takahashi, the YGO mangaka, so this movie is canon. Bless his heart. I hope he rests in peace 🙏

2 hours of Kaiba's gay yearning, baby!!!

YGO: DSOD has really pretty colours…

(These are old screenshots so some of the ones I've saved are super saturated or in low res. I need to rewatch the movie to take new screenshots)

Me: Kaiba has issues but that makes the ship sexy. Next.

The mental illness is what makes him [Kaiba] interesting.

C: Yeah like Kaiba is just dysfunctional AKA average late 90s/2000s anime rival

Me: LITERALLY I swear like almost Rivals/Enemies to Lovers ship goes like this Kaiba is just. More obsessed than most This is on like Douman (FGO) levels tbh

C: Kaiba is a prime example of "So obsessed with someone they want to fight that it's gay"

C: Enzan (MMBN/EXE), Kaiba (YGO DM), Hibari (KHR), etc.

C: If you think about the rivals from that era, from 90s and 2000s animanga, they're all either unintentionally autistic vibed, or generally horribly dysfunctional socially.

C: Ren (SK) is pretty much the typical Rival Chara Type B (Aggressive and rash), as opposed to Rival Type A (Calm and collected), but like, genuinely well written and complex enough to work

Makes me sad Ren is still robbed of SO MUCH writing potential tho cuz of frigging SK's writing tho

Me: YEAH EXACTLY

LMAO

Me: Like the Rival Type A that is very cold, aloof, stoic, cool, calm and collected… Kaiba, Enzan, Hibari

C: DKFKSKDLSKDKSK I WAS SO RIGHT FOR THIS

Me: Hibari (KHR) is not explicitly a rival figure since he's a deuteragonist (protag's side ally) in KHR but he does conveniently slot into the "rival figure" role

Kaiba is rival type A, the very cold, aloof, stoic, cool, calm and collected type…

...

Source: (X)

Kaiba/Yami line in Duel Links (YGO mobile game) 🌈

I know Kaiba/Yami's ship name is Prideshipping in YGO's EN fandom, and it fits them so well because of their pride as Duelists, and coincidentally Gay Pride, but that ship name is so long, I don't want to have to type that everytime. KaiYami it is! Kaiba/Yami also has a good ring to it.

KaiYami/KaiAte and YamiKai/AteKai are what EA ship fans use for them.

I was, and am still insane about this ship, like there's SO much.

Kaiba is OBSESSED with Yami Yuugi (Atem)

THE DUEL LINKS LINES MAKE ME BLOW UP /POS

C: Homosexual. Why is he so gay.

They need to kiss so bad

C: Kaiba is a prime example of "So obsessed with someone they want to fight/defeat that it's gay"

Me: YEAH LMFAO

Not surprising but I find it wild how the dudebros try to insist that Kaiba is straight.

There's not a single heterosexual cell in this man's body. It's so funny.

YGO is so unintentionally gay. YGO is gayer than most shounen???

Cuz just in general, the shounen genre is infamous for unintentional homoeroticism. The shounen staple where an author/series is so homophobic and misogynistic/sexist that it actually cycles back around to being gay/homoerotic

KaiYami is a subtext based ship but the subtext with them is so good. YGO DM feeds us SO MUCH

...

Me: I should reread the YGO: DM manga and rewatch YGO: DSOD. This movie is so fucking pretty man. 2 hours of Kaiba's gay yearning!

Also I find it so funny how YGO: DSOD made Kaiba muscular. Like he was a twink in the OG YGO DM manga

S: WTF HE LOOKS SO PRETTY IN THE MOVIE

C: Two hours of gay fucking yearning Buffed up!

Me: YEA THE COLOURS ARE FRICKING GORGEOUS God I'm so glad the YGO: DSOD movie keeps YGO's sharp black lineart and saturated colours. It's honestly defining to the YGO art style

Cuz so many anime reboots nowadays have flat and bland ass colours unless they're super high end productions (ie. Fate anime productions, etc.)

C: Agghh yeah

...

S: “I hope the reboot of your favorite anime softens up the characters appearance with a new style and makes the colors look washed out“ is terrifying and it’s already happened

Me: My gay sons in their gorgeous glory thank god the colours in this movie are phenomenal

C: Why is Atem yellow though

Me: I think it's just cuz these edited screenshots have super high saturation/contrast 😭 Couldn't find clearer ones

...

S: The blue glow on his arm is making me blow up and act like I don’t know nobody

Me: OH yeah it's from DSOD Kaiba's Duel Disk that holds his deck

F: (CW: NSFW joke)

Kaiba has such a revenge/hate boner for Yami-- Wait no I mean a regular boner

Me: LMFAO. Both lmfao

F: FR THO

S: LOL

C: Canon

F: Btw I never watched that movie, now I GOTTAAAAA …..Oh man and now I wanna draw Yami Yuugi ;;

...

(YGO DM: Summary)

Me: Just gonna put this summary for my non-YGO mutuals and those who haven't seen YGO: DSOD so they can follow along with the rambles if they're curious

Also it's been a long time since I read YGO DM and watched YGO: DSOD so I'm mostly going off memory

3000 years ago, Atem was sealed away in the Millenium Puzzle and lost his memories and name. Mutou Yuugi solved the Millenium Puzzle, causing the spirit of an ancient Pharaoh, Yami Yuugi (true name: Atem), to take over his body to protect Yuugi and his friends. Eventually, others learn of Atem's existence.

Kaiba is the arch-rival of Yami Yuugi (Atem) who is hate obsessed with him after losing to him because he wants to get revenge and defeat him, thinking of him as his nemesis and rival.

(YGO DSOD: Summary)

YGO: DSOD takes place after the end of the YGO DM manga where Yami Yuugi (Atem) passed onto the afterlife. Kaiba, who was unable to find closure, and in his own way of mourning, was looking for 6 months to find a way to meet Atem again.

Kaiba Corporation (KC) develops Duel Links, a virtual reality system that links the consciousness of people around the world to play Duel Monsters.

At the start of the DSOD movie (or at least near the beginning), Kaiba recreates a perfect holographic reconstruction of Atem, down to Atem's deck, voice, appearance, and personality, but isn't satisfied because it's not the real Atem and lacks Atem's soul.

Kaiba has a whole ass space station developed, orders the Millennium Puzzle to be dug up from the excavation site it was buried in, and secures it in his space station for it to be reassembled with the highest quality tech, in the fastest time possible, heavily guarded (like encased in glass and surrounded by lasers and shit), in a safe place only he can access, to try and reach Atem in the afterlife.

F: OMG HFJFJD YEAHHH that's gay af

YGO DM: The infamous episode preview card

(YGO DM: SPOILERS)

Me: Y'ALL ARE NOT PREPARED FOR THIS VIDEO

THE MUSIC AND INFAMOUS EPISODE PREVIEW K*LLS ME LMFAO

(This one's read by Yami Yuugi)

S: I need that one video of a Yu-Gi-Oh character telling someone to not die and the title card pops in right after saying "[Character name] dies!"

Me: THAT SOUNDS LIKE JONOUCHI/JOEY FROM YU-GI-OH DUEL MONSTERS (YGO DM) WHDHHSHSHSD

S: YEAH HIM LMFAOOOOO

Me: HELP I FOUND IT

I'm downloading this video

I didn't edit a single thing, guys, this is exactly what happens 😭😂

This will always be the fucking funniest thing in YGO DM, LMFAO

S: HELPPPPPPP

This is exactly what I needed

C: JONOUCHI DIES 😭

...

Me: This scene became so popular that the infamous episode preview scene lines were read out by Kaiba and Marik's VAs at live events.

Anzu's, Kaiba's, and Marik's in order

Kaiba's VA, Kenjirou Tsuda, reads out the "Please don't die, Jonouchi! Next episode: Jonouchi dies!"

Kenjirou Tsuda is also the VA of TYL Lambo (KHR), Sigurd (FGO), Dainsleif (Genshin)

Jonouchi's VA: THIS GUY [KAIBA] ACTUALLY WANTS ME TO DIE

S: ANISBSIBSISBISBA

Me: Kenjirou Tsuda's deep voice is so good man

I LOVE YOU KAIBA AKLDSKLDSKLSDKL

Gay autistic son!

C: LMAOOO

Amazing

I love how the "Duel- standby!" is read out 😭

By Kaiba

God

C: You are valid

[mrs-foleys-baby-boy]

Some Backstory on Wrestling and Me

I was quite young when I first got into the WWE. It was something that my dad had been into for a long time, but I only really took notice of it around 2004, 2005. I was quite young at the time so it's hard to remember. My dad can be a pretty abrasive, won't take shit dude, and so his appreciation for the WWE has historically centered itself around a respect for the ability to get the shit kicked out of you. He paid attention to the kayfabe and the story arcs but they took a back seat; the star of the show was the fights.

Which for a lot of outsiders looking in at the world of professional wrestling, I can understand how you might think that wrestling... Is about wrestling. And it is, to an extent. But it's truly so much more.

Even from that young impressionable age where I was grappling with anger issues, I think I always had a lot of appreciation for the theatrical side of the WWE. Truly my budding love for the theatre and my love for sweaty men yelling at each other walked hand in hand. I loved the costumes. The character designs. The backstories. These fantastical larger than life characters that in practice boiled down to a big guy in a cool looking jacket, but by god these men knew how to sell it. Raw and Smackdown in these eras had a habit of focusing on darker, edgier characters, and a tiny me lapped it right up.

As a child, my favorite wrestler was Kane. A big, foreboding figure who by this point had stopped wearing his cool mask and shaved his head, admittedly a much less cool looking wrestler than he was when he debuted as Kane in the late 90's, but he had the dark backstory and the fire and the chokeslams so I loved it.

Despite my love for the brooding heels, I also had love for the babyfaces. John Cena was getting a lot of screen time, beginning to distance himself from the edgy gangster image he had once had where he would tell the Rock he was going to give him a Cleveland steamer (yes, really)

But I also had a soft spot for Rey Mysterio. A relative newcomer to the promotion who was a huge babyface that would play the David to many much larger, meaner wrestlers' Goliaths (particularly Big Show, another favorite of mine.)

On some level I think I saw what many young children see in pro wrestling, role models who face endless adversity and continual strife in their lives but go out and prove themselves every single week to be strong. Tough. Bigger than the hardships they had to face.

It also provided me a nice outlet for my budding artistic creativity. The time-honored tradition of hand-making signs to hold up in the audience was alive in my household, despite the fact that I never actually got to see an event live. I would draw my signs on printer paper and store them tidily in a cardboard box beneath my TV, with my Rey Mysterio mask. Frequently I would make them for wrestlers I didn't actually care all that much about, just because I wanted to make another sign.

But then at some point around 2007, (or perhaps sometime after, time dilation is a bitch) I stopped watching Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown. I don't recall there being any reason for it. When you're young these passions can burn very brightly but flicker out without a moment's notice for unclear reasons. The interest simply wasn't there anymore for one reason or another.

And so life moved on. I abandoned my wrestling hobby, although the WWE still moved on without me. As did a number of other promotions that people have come to know and love. I would carry a vague shadow of my once intense passion forward with me in life, but it didn't really come up a lot. The friends that I made didn't really have any interest, or if they did it was a long-lost childhood one like mine. That is until 2017, when I discovered what would become my new favorite band— the Mountain Goats.

If you're not familiar with them, they are a post folk band with a very eclectic and poetic lyrical style. They are much more than this, and I have much more to say on the matter, but I'll try to keep it brief for the purpose of this post; John Darnielle, singer-songwriter for the band is quite fond of concept albums. In 2015 they released Beat the Champ, a concept album about professional wrestling.

In these songs lies a haunting and deeply personal exploration of a profession that involves injuring yourself for the attention of screaming fans. It grapples with mortality, with the shortcomings of the human body when you treat it so harshly for so long, with the emotional turmoil that comes from sacrificing your own well being for the happiness of another, and in an angle that speaks specifically to John's own experiences, it explores the relationship an abused child has with his abuser, and with searching for justice in the form of a moonsault press off the top rope.

This album floored me. I loved it musically, lyrically, and the subject matter spoke to a part of that young wrestling fan that I never even knew existed until that moment.

When a long-time wrestling fan accepts you into the fold and teaches you how wrestling works, generally they're going to tell you that while the things that they're doing are dangerous and shouldn't be attempted at home, the people performing these stunts have an extreme amount of knowledge on how to perform them as safely as possible, being able to sell it for the camera but not actually sustaining (major) injury.

For much of wrestling, this is true. But it fails to consider the side of wrestling (i.e. "hardcore" wrestling) that is predicated on actually getting hurt, and much more importantly it downplays the fact that these men and women do still get legitimately injured on a regular basis. It's not unusual at all to see wrestlers going about their high impact job with a broken foot. A brace here. A cast there. Sure, many of these injuries are played up for kayfabe, but to say that the risk of injury in the sport is negligible is simply ignorant. It fails to take into account the horrifying cases of people like Jimmy Snuka and Chris Benoit.

But as a child you're more likely to accept what you're told as fact. And I watched wrestling understanding that at the end of the day, these people would be okay. But that didn't stop the queasy feeling in the stomach you get when you see someone get hit really hard, when you see them start dripping blood from the head. When I listened to that album, it put things into perspective. That fear that I felt was justified. It was vindicating. But also saddening.But though I had a newfound respect for my childhood passion, I would not get back into actually watching wrestling until August of last year. And it was all because of Mankind that I did.

I've always loved Halloween, and I've always loved putting together costumes and playing characters, so as the autumn months approach I'm on the lookout for what I can put together. As a taller, heavyset guy with a beard and hair that I prefer to keep long, I sometimes struggle finding characters from things that I enjoy to dress up as and feel like I properly represent the character. The year prior I had been Brad Armstrong, protagonist of the game LISA: The Painful RPG who is an emotional wreck who solves his problems with his fists. It's funny the sorts of characters I find myself gravitating towards.

But that August I had stumbled across Mankind, a wrestler that I vaguely knew to exist but had never really properly engaged with. Mick Foley, despite his long tenure with the WWE, was largely absent for the years that I watched as a child. The most I knew of him was his appearance as an unlockable character in the PS2 game Smackdown Vs. Raw, which did him no favors.

But as I looked more at him, I discovered how much I loved the character design. A relatively simple design, but an odd juxtaposition of deranged and disfigured while simultaneously trying to look professional. And the body type was perfect. The biggest sticking point was the mask, but I found a nice quality latex replica on Etsy. All the rest could be easily thrifted and weathered by hand.

And the more I researched Mick Foley, the more I came to discover that this was a man that was the epitome of everything I had ever loved or respected about pro wrestling. A man who played not just one larger than life character, but three interchangeably. Intriguing and iconic costume designs (Though I say this, I recognize that they probably look really fucking corny to a lot of people, but it's The Aesthetic). He explored the subtleties of these characters on a regular basis while presenting them as human, as emotionally complex people going through struggles in their lives.

And perhaps most famously, he was a man who was really good at getting hurt. You see him seemingly take massive amounts of punishment and then continue to keep fighting. He loses blood. Teeth. Appendages. Okay maybe just one appendage but that's still too many. And he wears those scars and injuries as a badge of pride. Every one is an audience full of people for whom he performed and left everything he had out on the mat. Because he loves the art. He loves the fans. Pro wrestling is historically a subculture for outcasts, and he draws on his own experience as an outcast to empathize with his audience, and to say "I see you. I will fight for you. We can make it through life together."

And by god I love the man.

He's also just a genuinely very good person with (to my knowledge) good opinions, which is surprisingly rare for WWE superstars from the era. Remember my childhood favorite, Kane? Yeah, he's the Republican mayor of Knox County, Tennessee now. Like. What. But Mick has come out in vocal support of LGBT rights (trans rights in particular) as well as donating his time and labor to various good causes. Also he plays Santa for children and makes Christmas a big part of his personality. While I try my best to keep all of my "idols" at arms length because the human experience is multifaceted and anyone can turn out to be a very specific brand of shithead at any time, everything I've seen seems to suggest that Mick is good vibes.

Which brings me to the current day, where I currently sit, progressing my way slowly through the WWE catalog at a rate that will never catch up with reality, but I'm enjoying myself nonetheless. I started, of course, with the episode of Monday Night Raw that saw Mankind's debut, April 1st, 1996, and as of now have only just gotten to June 9th, 1997. It's slow going, and it only stands to get slower as the programs get longer and they start adding more pay-per-view events. But I've found myself engaging with something I love, which is always a nice feeling.

If you've made it this far, I thank you for reading my ramblings, it really does mean a lot to me. I don't intend to post anything nearly this long going forward, but I feel like a bit of context for my specific perspective is good.

Have a nice day!