#i haven't drawn a human in my own style for more than a one off commission since like 2019

[lightnersdream]

[ssiggss]

Hello! I've always loved your Trollhunters content, and I really love your characters and storyline for the Arcane Order.

I just wanted to share my own design for Skrael, who I reworked a lot for my own rewrite of the Trollhunters series, as you'll see in the paragraphs to come, and the sketch itself.

(Sorry it's so messy!)

He's actually one of the first human-like figures I've been able to draw in a way I'm happy with. I based him more off of Inuit culture, and Inuit / Scandinavian viking clothing. (He has Scandinavian-style braids under that hood and skull)

This is just a sketch, but he's wearing a Walrus skull instead of that weird deer-thing.

I turned his shawl into a traditional Inuit garb that goes over his shoulders (since he can't freeze to death, it's not needed, and shows off his tats).

Speaking of his tattoos, since he's a god and doesn't really need a gender, I gave him both face and chest/arm markings. Traditional Inuit tattoos are usually given to women for events like childbirth or reaching maturity, and are located on the face. Male tattoos are not usually on the face, instead primarily on the arms and chest, to stand for a big whale they killed.

His pants are the same as traditional male Scandinavian pants, along with the boots, that cut off at the ankles so he can be barefoot. (Ignore the feet, I don't like drawing feet so it's just blocks).

I love Skrael. 🥰

I haven't answered an ask for this blog in a VERY long time, I'm pretty inactive, but I really like this!!

It is clear you put a lot of thought and work into this redesign, I really like it!! It's drawn very well, you did a good job!!

I love the Inuit inspiration, I've always held the conception that the Arcane Order is coded in many Native cultures, and I always recommend doing the most extensive and in depth research into the culture you're drawing inspiration from so you maintain a good respect and understanding in your creations!!

There's so much to learn and it's all absolutely fascinating and fun to study, I wish you luck and enjoyment in your research!!!

Deers are known to hold great significance in many Native cultures, and that's more than likely the reason his headdress is designed after one!!

I do love the walrus skull, it makes sense for the alterations you made to his character!!

I am so attached to Skrael being bald LMFAO but I like the idea of braids for him! Overall, I love this reworking you did!

I've always wanted better for the Arcane Order, I feel like all of them deserved to be redeemed and they have so much potential as gaurdians of the earth and stewards of the balance, and as powerful allies to Jim and everyone else, so seeing people adore them as much as I do is wonderful!!

After watching the last movie (we do Not talk abt that movie It Did Not Happen) I kinda immediately ignored pretty much all of it and did my own thing, because they could NEVER make me hate the Arcane Order.

I loved this take on Skrael, thank you so much for sharing!!

[tristringerloveblog]

spent all day making a logo + fake album covers for my inkling's metal band, hadalpelagia! i think they're going to be an experimental black metal band, but i change my mind about their subgenre a lot. the logo text is based off the splatoon square script.

progression under the cut!

first i wrote the name "hadalpelagia" (derived from the hadalpelagic zone of the ocean) in the splatoon square font. i wrote it once in my own handwriting.

the second row i enlargened the first and last letters. the third row, i settled on a runic effect and started enclosing the rest of the text with the first and last letters. i wrote it one last time to clean up the letter designs.

i added some flavor to the bits sticking out and then enlargened the letters in the middle to give it some more variation. next i messed with the line weights and cleaned up the edges.

i knew i wanted the logo to look a lot gnarlier and less legible than this, but a lot of the band logos that do that incorporate symbolism that's either too much effort for me to draw (and doesn't fit their band anyways), like trees or veins; or they incorporate more mythical elements that wouldn't have had the same meaning to my inklings, like crosses, pentagrams, and celtic knots. i wanted the logo to give the same feeling to a human viewer as looking at a band logo with a pentacle/pentagram on it, but i couldn't include satanic imagery because it felt strange to say my inklings knew what that is. (i already had rune-based text, which is already a stretch, but i didn't want to include two stretches LOL).

i settled on basing the logo off a giant squid, but heavily stylized, with the shape of the tentacles and head forming a pentacle. the pentacle didn't really come through, but i'm happy with the design i ended up with. it has the two tentacles and eight arms of a great squid... kind of lol.

the last step was to recreate the drippy graphic style a lot of these illegible metal logos had. and that's where we get the final result!

i haven't even drawn all the oc's for this band yet. but they're all named partly after protagonists from other, older, shooter games.

the lead singer and guitarist, dynamo dacote, is named for buddy dacote, a cut character from doom. the bassist, jethro siemens, is named for jethro "jet" bradley from tron 2.0. (jet's father, alan bradley, was likely named for the allen-bradley electronics company. siemens is the name of a competitor.) lastly, b.j. thresher, the drummer, is named for b.j. blazcowicz from wolfenstein.

[juncojuncojunco]

lapvona semi-quick thoughts

I picked this up at a bookstore 2 weeks ago having barely scanned the summary and reading the first page and a half, drawn in by the pure savagery of the revenge a village reaped on a bandit. thankfully i did not look into any reviews of the book beforehand because i just did now after finishing the book today and ?? i guess people are mad?

tw: sexual violence, general violence, incest, abuse, pretty much all of the stuff

it's pretty uninteresting to call this book gross, and any complaint against it being gross is just...? But one of the repeating charges I've watched/read about this book is that its violence and disgust leads to nothing, is pointless, and generally doesn't seem to send any message. Which is somewhat more of a worthwhile point, but why is it that we demand a message at all? I guess the TLDR of this is that I was fairly entertained by this book, and the tone and style of the writing was so emotionally detached that I never felt the pressure to sympathize with a character, to blink an eye with disaster hit or a major character dies, or be surprised by the book's ending. does this make it a bad book? it depends on what you're reading for. This wasn't the best book I've read by a long shot, but it was a bold, compelling one.

Not interested in talking about religion or feminism or socialism--those themes in the book are extremely on the nose and simplistic, and I think serve more matter-of-factly than to say anything (which is the exact complaint that people have that's fair) illuminating. I haven't dug into any author's notes or interviews but i have heard that Ottessa Moshfegh considers this an apolitical novel, which both makes no sense and a lot of sense at the same time, and might propel me to read more of her commentary on the work. I usually don't like hearing author's notes on their work but this does leave me scratching my head.

What grabbed me the most through this book was the disintegration of the human-animal divide. Ina as a character most obviously embodies this, as someone abandoned by her own kind and survived while blind with the help of birds; her fluency in birdsong, the way she's described as emitting a chirping sound when she sleeps. In the famine she has cannibalized both humans and birds in an attempt to save herself, and at the last leg of the book she manages to regain sight by replacing her own eyeballs with that of a horse's, rendering her part-animal in the flesh.

Marek and Jude both read as the ram described in the beginning--a wretched creature isolated in a pen on its own, unloved and uncared for, who nevertheless does not escape their dreadful life despite the shabby fence that prevents its freedom. Jude also naturally leads to Judas, and then for me to the Judas goat--an animal trained to lead its herd into slaughterhouses. Considering the way Jude and the book at large calls lambs "babes" even more often that it does for human babies, the lambs can be seen as children, or Jude as a sheep, sending his flock off to be eaten every season in tears. And while Lapvona starves and begins to cannibalize each other in the village, up on the hill, Marek cannibalizes his pseudo-siblings by consuming mutton for the first time.

Agata is the character most treated like livestock--chased, bound, and assaulted, mute and named by her captor; I don't even like saying or thinking about her name, knowing that this was a name forced upon her after Jude's mother. In the beginning she was quietly dead, then quietly wedded to Villiam, then quietly dies--there's no struggle there, and she is, along with Lispeth and maybe Dibra, the only characters to empathize with.

Lapvona's villagers all being vegetarians in the onset also mirrors nicely with Jacob being the only named hunter. I don't have much to add with this train of thought except that it's cool!

Anyway. Maybe this is just a personal brain worm. But I think the book cover being a bound lamb really emphasizes the role of the animal in this book to at least rival all of its political, social and class undertones. Taken in that light, this was an interesting read that honestly is not as grotesque as some reviewers say it is, and the grotesque does not need a reason to exist let's just be gross!! 8/10 for this one it was fun. The writing was snappy and kept me turning the pages, the characters' psyches so foreign it felt like I was a tourist in their world, the intertwining and payoff of every character (this was a dense, useful cast) was rewarding, and the ending cruel enough that it feels like its own brand of satisfaction. throw that baby down the mountain!

[canigetacupofugh]

Let's talk about AI "Art"

I was watching a comment section spiral into arguments about what is or isn't wrong with AI "Art" and I have thoughts. You've been warned! I'm going to address all the pro-AI argument points people were making and my thoughts.

(I'm assuming you know what AI "art" is for this)

"It's just automation, you just don't like it because of capitalism

No, even if I don't need the money from my skills, I still feel like the title of Artist and Art matters to me. This leads into the next one-

"It's a tool - if you can be an artist as a photographer, then you can call people making AI art artists." This is a weird one and super rude to photographers - see, if you take a photo that doesn't make you a photographer. You have to develop some kind of skill here. Even if you're using a digital camera, you have to understand what you're doing, and be able to produce these good results over and over - one good photo doesn't make you a photographer. If AI image generation continues to be wonky, then I'm ready to call a person who is good at producing NON-wonky images with AI an AI Artist. But if you just say, "gimme a blue duck." and it spits out a blue duck - no. Just like I'm not going to call a person who builds flatpack furniture a Carpenter. That's rude to the craft. Let's stop calling it art.

"It's just leveling the playing field/making art accessible to all." Art is already accessible to all- you just haven't put in as much work as me. I know plenty of differently-abled people who are artists- this isn't about that kind of access. I can't speak for them, but I'm fairly certain they aren't on your side of this either. This isn't a stylus holder for somebody who doesn't have hands. "Leveling the Playing Field" is also disingenuous. We aren't talking about making Drawful or Pictionary with your artist friend more fair. We're talking about big companies not hiring an artist and using AI images instead, we're talking about people circumventing commissioning an artist to get AI to make images in their style. The problem isn't with your GM who has no money getting the AI to make them a quick portrait for the BBEG - This is a much deeper problem than that, and I'll cover the actual issues I have with AI generated images in a moment.

"It's just a tool - like a stylus, the undo button, or a camera."

It is - but it's also not. I've played with AI image generators and they're great for concepting, or making a quick image when I don't have time to draw it myself (for personal use, not monetization). I'm not completely against AI Art, and I don't think other artists should be either - BUT I believe our concerns over it are very valid. Let's use photography as an example because I think it does well in this instance - the big complaint artists had when photography became more widely available is that this would take their jobs, and it did. They weren't wrong. The good thing about photography is no one was trying to pass off photos as being drawn by humans and the title for humans who took the photos is Photographer - they don't get considered an artist without a level of skill in the photography.

Capitalism makes this issue suck- but if I offer you a photo-realistic painting vs. a photograph, you understand the difference in value. AI image generation is going to take jobs away. Just like photos did. We artists will be okay so long as the same level of understanding and respect is applied like it is between a photo vs. something drawn or painted by a human.

Some Thoughts: The problem isn't a one off image. It's not somebody playing with their own photo in an AI generator. It's not the GM making a quick portrait for an NPC, or a commissioner making a quick reference to show an artist they're paying to make them something custom. It's not the little guy that's the problem. The problem isn't even necessarily the shitty companies who are now going to use AI instead of hiring an artist - they weren't going to pay them well anyway.

The problem is that getting people to actually value what it takes to make art, to be an artist, is already a problem for a lot of us. The problem is people trying to pass off AI images as art they created. The problem is a person developing a unique art style and having that reproduced by an AI and either having these fakes passed off as their work, OR having people decide they don't want to pay. The problem is in art budgets getting cut as large companies devalue art because the machines can just do it. The problem is the terrible art that's going to get slapped on things as a result of greedy upper management not valuing a job well done.

If AI images get the same value as a photo or an Ikea chair - if the title of Artist is respected, and people still value it, then I have no problem making room in my heart/life/whatever for AI Images- but right now it doesn't. It prowls the internet looking for images to add to it's database without the consent or at least consideration of the person who made them.

This brings me to my last point-

"Human artists study each others work all the time and copy from it - that's all the AI is doing."

Only it's not. If somebody see's my work online and goes, "Oh, I like how she draws -insert aspect here-" and copies that, then I don't care. If somebody looks at my style and wants to emulate that themselves? Well, it's going to take them learning the skills to do that at least - though generally speaking, a fan learning from me is going to add their own spin to differentiate us from each other. I don't know enough about AI image generators to tell you -exactly- how they're making their images. Some study data points I'm told, but some straight up mix images together - and if a human took some of our art, mixed it together, and just presented it as their own art without acknowledging us in any way- we wouldn't like that.

Ultimately I think what I want from AI developers and the people who want to use the AI to make images is 2 things; honesty and consent.

Call it what it is- AI generated images. And stop pulling from the whole of the internet without the consent of artists. Let's add available for AI or something to the creative commons licensing types. Let's have open submissions. Let's have searchable AI resource databases so we can see if somebody submitted our art without our permission. I'd be happy to teach an AI how to draw- so long as I consented to it. I bet I'm not alone here.

Is this too much work? Well, guess what - this is the price of being an artist. You want the title? Work for it.

[sca-rian]

pairing: grian/scar words: 767 notes: small fluffy wip from my drafts. enjoy the little treat while I work on my actual projects <3

"Alone on a Friday night?"

Scar smiled at him from where he was sitting, on one of the tallest branches of his tree. Grian wondered how he got up there without dying, but it was Scar—he most likely did die, however, that was never enough to stop him. 

"What next? Are you calling me pathetic?" Scar replied, his voice high enough that he could almost be shouting. Good thing they were by themselves. "Besides, aren't you alone as well?"

Grian smiled.

"Not anymore."

"Well, if you can get up here, I'd appreciate some company."

Grian missed having his wings—that was the worst part of starting on a new world—, therefore, he had to climb his way to the branch Scar was, as a regular human would. Grian made sure he was paying close attention to where he stepped, carefully enough to not die (Scar would never stop teasing him if he did).

"Why are you up here anyway? It's very inconvenient." He sat down opposite where Scar was, their knees brushing against each other. They both smiled.

"The view is nice," he answered, simply—and no misstatement to be found. "Besides, I just finished my tree. I have to give it a purpose while I don't work on the interior."

Ah, yes. Scar's starter treehouse—which was neither a starter nor a house, at least for now. Still, it was exactly what one would expect from him: impressive. Big enough for one to question’s Scar concept of what a first build should be like, but beautiful enough that no one would dare to criticize.

"It looks amazing, Scar. But don't you think you… overdid yourself a little?"

Scar smiled.

"I got a bit carried away with the size, I'll be the first to admit that." At least, he knew. "But I had fun, and that's what matters. Building trees is therapeutic, don’t you think?"

Grian wasn't sure if he agreed with such a statement. If anything, man-made structures and whatever the heck The Entity was were more of his style. Still, Scar always had a good eye for organic, nature-related buildings. He was talented, unbelievable so almost, and Grian knew he put a lot of thought into everything he did.

Grian was proud of Scar. Way more than he allowed himself to be out loud.

Scar stretched and then lazily rested his back against the tree branch.

"Tired?" Grian asked, gently bumping Scar’s leg with his own.

"Yeah." He yawned, and Grian had to hold himself back from yawning as well. "Haven't got decent sleep in a while."

Grian sighed, once again bumping Scar’s leg, although a bit stronger this time.

"Why'd you do that…" 

Scar shrugged, but he still smiled. 

"I don't have a decent bed yet."

You can always use mine. 

But he stayed quiet, because they always took things slowly, and never really talked about it. In every single world, they would be drawn to each other: first as neighbors, then as business partners, until sharing a bed and a routine together felt natural and easy.

Then, it was a matter of time until they crossed the line; until Scar asked, gently, for a kiss or two. He would always receive permission, not only for a kiss. 

Grian watched as Scar closed his eyes and his breath became lighter. He noticed the bits of dirt on Scar's face and his clothes, the leaves on his long hair—signs of hard work—, and smiled.

He came closer, his right hand on Scar's face, his fingers cleaning the bits of dirt off his cheeks. Then, he moved to Scar's hair, carefully—he knew Scar was protective of his hair. It felt soft on his fingers, despite the knots and the leaves, which he did his best to remove. 

Scar smiled.

"Come here."

And so Grian did.

He sat on the middle of Scar's legs and rested his back against him. Scar hugged him from behind, and Grian felt adored. He felt it all coming back—the chills on his body every time they got too close

They couldn't avoid it. 

"Your hair smells nice," Scar said, and Grian could hear his breath getting fainter.

"Shh." Grian closed his eyes, his head on Scar's chest. "Sleep, sweet prince."

"Promise you will wake me up early?"

Grian smiled.

"I promise."

…

Grian woke up hours later to their death messages and took him a minute to figure out what happened. When he respawned, Grian sat on his bed, laughing by himself, wondering how he could have been so naive.  

But even with over thirty levels less, he still thought it was worth it.

[henry-and-the-seven-lords]

Hello @gluttonousfruit you are in fact my first request. (I did not forget about you in moving my blog.) I am super excited to have anyone ask me to write something! Also I would love to be friends! Feel free to message me through asks or in private DMs! I hope you enjoy the imagine!

Warnings: Fluff with a small amount of angst because Levi doubts himself 😞

Brothers Masterlist | Dateables Masterlist

Levi with an Animator S/O

"Okay MC, I know we just finished 'Swimming Only Leads to Hot Mermaids,' but I was thinking since we are already watching otomes, we should watch another series that everyone is recommending online!" Levi says this as he begins to pull out one DVD and place in another while bouncing on the balls of his feet like an excited puppy.

"I guess I could watch one more series, but it better be a good one. Sure the mermaids were attractive, but there wasn't much of a plot." MC says with a yawn. A quick look over to the clock, and it reads 11:48 PM in a blinding blue light. Not too late for one of Levi's normal bingefests, but a little too late for MC when they have classes tomorrow.

"No, I promise this one is good. Everyone is talking about the art style. They say it is so original that it's captivating." Levi walks to the small futon briskly and plops himself down next to MC as he continues to ramble about the art. His voice slowly trails off as the opening begins to play.

As the music fills MC's ears, they perk up and a small smile appears on their face. "Levi, could this perhaps be, 'I Went to Hell For a Weekend and Got Stuck in a Love Heptagon with Seven Incubi'?"

Levi faces MC in shock. The look on their face is quite smug. (In all seriousness, it reminds Levi of Mammon when he wins poker, but he doesn't want to be think about his brother while looking at MC. So he pushes that thought away.) This anime came out only the day before their bingefest. And even then, Levi had this copy pre-ordered for this very occasion and it arrived before any stores were selling physical copies. There is no way a normie like MC could have heard about its release. Does this mean MC isn't such a normie after all?

"You heard of this show already?" The surprise in his voice was impossible to hide.

"Yeah, I have heard of it." MC smiles and chuckles quietly, "I have never actually seen it, but I have heard the opening quite a few times."

"Oh..." Levi sighs. He was so stupid. Of course MC had heard the opening. It is all over his Devilgram and they were on their phone for part of the last show, so they obviously just heard it on there. Levi deflates looking solemn. It was just a pipe dream that MC would ever be interested in his yucky otaku interests.

"Hey! There is no reason to be all sad just because I know the name of the show. I still haven't seen the whole thing. My first time watching will still be with you Levi, isn't that special enough?" The smile on MC's face seemed sincere enough, but the words that came out of their mouth made blood rush up to Levi's cheeks. Their first... did they really mean to say it like that?...

As thoughts begin to flood Leviathan's head the show began. It was true the art style was captivating. So captivating in fact, that he forgot about his embarrassment. But MC's words still lingered in his mind as he watched the show.

---------------------------------------------------------

"Well, I am dead tired." MC stands cracking their aching joints as they look at the clock. 2:37 AM. It was that late already? "I think I need to head to bed Levi. I have classes in the morning and I need at least a few hours of sleep."

"Are you sure?" Levi was just starting to enjoy MC's presence. At the beginning of the night, he was on edge trying to make everything perfect. Levi did want to mess up by being a yucky Otaku and give them a reason to leave him all alone. But as the night progressed, (and more snacks were consumed) he felt increasingly more comfortable with sharing his favorite shows with MC. "I have other shows we could watch to pass the time, or we could play this new game I got-"

MC walks over to Levi and gently sets their hands on his shoulders, "Games and anime are great, but what I need right now is sleep." MC watched as Levi's face filled with a blush and his eyes flashed with hurt. "I am not leaving because I am mad... or sad... or anything really. I just need to sleep, Leviathan." Their voice was barely above a whisper as they said his name. How could he disagree with them when they said his name like that; all the while, looking deep into his eyes. He felt like he could explode.

As MC turns away, the demon in question then sighs mutters a quiet "okay" under his breath. "Don't worry, Levi. This isn't the last time I will watch anime with you. I promise we can do another one of these when another new anime comes out." MC begins to pick up their things. A blanket they brought with them to keep warm in Levi's cold room and the rest of their human snacks. "Besides, I really liked that one, and I have heard they are already making season two." As they speak, MC makes their way across the room to the gigantic tank.

"Wait. How do you-"

"Good night Henry. Good night Levi." And with that, MC leaves. Closing the door behind them.

How did MC know about a second season? Even he, the Great Otaku Levi, has not heard about a season two on any forums or on any other website... After thinking about it, Levi suspects it's probably on Devilgram like the opening was. To prove his theory, he pulls out his D.D.D. and opens up Devilgram to the 'I Went to Hell For a Weekend and Got Stuck in a Love Heptagon with Seven Incubi' page. He scrolls through their posts and finds the opening, like he predicted, but what he didn't predict was their most recent post.

"This show would not have been possible without MC. Thank you for making such a great story and great art to go along with it!"

Levi reads the caption once, twice, thrice and is speechless. The photo for this post is none other than his MC standing with a hand drawn piece of the protagonist. He can even see their signature in the corner when he zooms in! He knew that they liked to draw, but he never thought they would make an anime.

Without thinking, Levi gets up and begins to run to MC's room. He needs to know that this isn't some sort of elaborate prank that MC and Satan brewed up to make him like a normie more.

The door to MC's room busts open, "MC!" The room is completely dark except for the light shining in through the doorway.

"Levi...? Is that you? Is something wrong?" MC's voice is soft and laced with sleep. If this were any other time, Levi would have screamed over their cuteness, but today he had a mission. He immediately marches up to the half asleep MC and promptly shoves his phone in their face.

"Did you make 'I Went to Hell For a Weekend and Got Stuck in a Love Heptagon with Seven Incubi'?" MC sits up and squints as their eyes adjust to the blinding screen and look at the post.

"Um... yeah. That's me isn't it?" Silence takes over the room, before Levi begins to scream.

"WAHHHHH! MC, why didn't you tell me!" Thankfully with the phone only being pointed at MC, they can't see the blush spreading across his face.

"Well, I didn't want you to treat me differently because I make anime." Laying back down as they speak, MC tucks a pillow under their head and looks up to where they guess Leviathan's face is. "Besides, I thought it was really cute how you were fanboying, and I didn't want you to stop because you knew you were in the presence of the creator." A small smile makes it's way on to MC's face as Levi feels his own get hotter.

Now covering his face, Levi quickly makes his way to the door while muttering, "You can't just say things like that..." As he begins to close the door, he pauses and opens it up again while looking back, "Can you tell me more about your show tomorrow, MC?" His voice sounds small compared to his previous scream.

"Of course Levi. We can talk for as long as you like."

[zoe-oneesama]

Serving up some LOOKS! I love Mylene's Ivan sweatshirt! Would you be willing to talk about what sort of style elements you use for each character? (If you already have and I haven't found it, please ignore the question, that's on me)

I mostly did this for Mendeleiev’s class back when Punch was starting Leave for Mendeleiev, and I did a small run down for how the Main 5 fashion will change in Scarlet Lady, but not Bustier’s class sooooo:

Marinette -[I’m copy/pasting from an earlier ask]- When she likes a color, she sticks with it. She has a versatile wardrobe, but pink must always be present. She has the hardest to nail style because she experiments all the time, but no matter what she doesn’t feel comfortable unless she has an outer layer. Summer, Winter, Shorts, Pants, she needs to the comfort of a jacket - for Tikki to hide in when her purse isn’t appropriate.

Adrien -[Also C/P]- Basic B*tch. He thinks he’s fancier than he is. Oh sure, his clothes are well tailored to him and fit well, but they’re basic as hell. Gabriel isn’t as “innovative” as he thinks he is. Most of his clothes have the Gabriel logo and he sticks to the brand…because Adrien has no fashion sense whatsoever. Oh, he knows in theory what works and can put an outfit together, but he doesn’t want to. If it were up to him, he’d wear tshirts with physics puns and cat themed jackets. But alas, when one is an icon…

Alya -[C/P]- Mom Vibes. Fashion is not her priority. She knows enough to do good for her figure, but otherwise can’t really be bothered. Flannels and jeans in varying heights and a snappy tshirt are all she needs. But she is drawn to things that remind her at least of superheroes or superpowers. Her ridiculous high tops with the spiky tongue? She thinks it makes her look fast. She’s also the one who’s going to embarrass Marinette by wearing trendy but “garbage” fashion: fanny packs, Jellies, ugs with sweatpants. Dammit Alya, you’re a beautiful human being, do you mind NOT dressing like a hobo on vacation?! (Secretly her favorite outfits are from Martinique, but she saves them for special occasions).

Nino -[C/P]- Precious trash goblin. Wash your shirts and the neckline won’t be so worn out! He likes graphic tees with his favorite bands and DJs logos on them (he’s partial to ones without the name of the band or DJ so he can find other fans) and prefers things to be loose. He’s also drawn to colors and he’s super chill when his “garbage” girlfriend rolls up to a date looking like she’s going to an amusement part with her four kids, because it means she can’t dump on him for not looking “put together” (she would never!). He’ll try to dress up every now and then for a fancier date or when Adrien manages to snag him a spot at an event with him, but it’s pretty clear he’s uncomfortable without his hat and headphones. He has a few Moroccan outfits that he brings out in the Summer.

Chloe - Expensive Fashion Forward Chic. She made a staple out of shaming anyone else who dared to wear her favorite color yellow over the years. She was extremely smug about being the first in her grade to experiment with makeup that she never bothered to get good at it. Her clothes are expensive with just a smidge of impractical - only someone with cash to burn would constantly wear white pants! She’s also the kind of person to put off dressing for the cold as long as she can- if she puts on all these jackets and layers, how will these peasants see my brand name clothes underneath?! A lot of her fashion decisions are based on long forgotten advice from her mother - gold over silver jewelry, always have something on your head, brand or nothing. She’ll only abandon a well worn trend if her mother directly contradicts it.

Sabrina - Nerdy, geeky, almost like she’s wearing a uniform. She’s preparing to be Chloe’s assistant best friend for life so she has to look the part. She’s long abandoned any hope of shining next to Chloe, so being flashy and showy is out of the question. Luckily, Chloe isn’t drawn to patterns, so that’s a field of fashion that Sabrina can claim for her own. Doesn’t matter where it is, something she’s wearing needs to have a pattern. Leggings are her favorite accessory and she’s taken to collecting Chat Noir merch (though it’s less out of admiration for the hero himself and more for her “role” with Chloe. It reminds her of the rare times when Chloe acts like they’re friends.)

Mylene - Bohemian, and a touch artsy. Peace is important to her and her vibe reflects that. She’s not super up for showing a lot of skin, but neither are a lot of girls in her class. She leans towards a muted color palette so that her hair doesn’t clash, though she usually tries to match one piece of clothing to some color in her hair. Her accessories are a bit childish and kitchy, like her monster head bead, and she has a huge collection of hair accessories, like bandannas and headbands. She has a lot of different passions with various levels of seriousness, so she’ll come to Marinette for advice on how to use her wardrobe to fit the level of professionalism she wants.

Alix - Sporty but on the lazier side. Fashion is such an anti priority. She’s the one Marinette will go to for her more out there ideas because she has no recoil to pants made of buckles or shapeless over shirts, but that’s as far as it goes. Her clothes are made to be weather resistant and easy to slip on (and so that her dad won’t be pissed if she wipes out and rips something). If it were up to her, she’d just shop out of thrift stores and pick out all the color blocked 80s windbreakers, but when your whole squad is held together by a fashion designer, you can only get away with so much. Her nicest clothes are made by Marinette for her professional races and competitions and her favorites have nods to Egypt mythology and history.

Ivan - Punk but like…beginners guide to punk. Let’s be honest, when you’re built like a brick house, shopping is hard - or at least not that much fun. Ditto when you’re a dude that just…doesn’t particularly care. Ivan has a bunch of cargo pants because they fit, they’re grungy, and they’re practical. SO MANY POCKETS!!! Beyond that, like Nino, he prefers to wear band shirts of his favorite groups. His hiking boots are the nicest things he owns and he has a few bracelets that he only brings out when he’s “dressing up”. The most colorful thing he owns is a hoodie/pants set from the Cartoon Monster Show that Mylene’s hair bead is modeled after.

Kim - Sporty and Serious. Sweatpants and running shoes. That’s the make of his wardrobe. After all, you need to be able to challenge anyone to a race at ANY TIME!! Dressing up for him means putting on a pair of jeans, and he’s pretty much always under dressed but also completely oblivious to the fact. Red is his favorite color and he’s partial to that one brand of sports wear that’s on his hoodie-shirt and sweatband. If something is waterproof (and therefore, sweatproof) he’ll give it a try AS LONG AS IT’S REEEEED!!!

Max - Geek Fashion. Max dresses like he’s already 65 years old, and with his best friend being Kim? He might be. He has invested in some good walking shoes because when your bestie is running off at any and every moment, you gotta do SOMETHING to keep up. His pants are higher up than most guys and his shirts are always tucked in. He prefers sweaters over sweatshirts and cardigans to jackets. We are comfortable in this house, not trendy!

Juleka - Electro Goth. Black is the main attraction, but she likes that punch of something neon - purple, green, even blue (Rose can tell she’s feeling romantic when she puts on some pink). She’s tall and likes clothes that accentuate that and she’s a fan of the details - shoulder cuts, lace inserts, epaulets. And despite covering half her face, she’s really into makeup (and she’s way better than Chloe). Does she have colored contacts? She’ll never tell.

Rose - Decora Kei is probably the best shortcut to describing her look, followed by Kawaii Fashion. Doesn’t matter if she burns to look at, she IS the embodiment of soft and cute! Obviously pink is her favorite color, bu she also likes pairing it with some other bright colors. Rainbows. Are. EVERYTHING. And she’s a sucker for bunnies and strawberries and angel wings ^^! How else is she supposed to have an amazing day if she’s not decked out in sunshine?!

Nathaniel - Basic but like Colorful Basic. He definitely hopped the skinny jeans phase and will continue to do so until he finally grows a bit. He holds onto clothes pretty long because there’s only so many times you can buy new shirts after getting paint and charcoal on them before you just stop caring. He aims for durability instead of fashionable, but also collects clothes with the logo from the show he likes. (And no one knows about his secret Ladybug merch collection that he only wears around his house).

Lila - Gyaru was the search term I used. She’s one of the few with a not super saturated color palette, sticking to dark neutrals. She’s drawn to patterns, like polka dots and zebra prints, and tries to balance it with neutral colors. Plus anything that makes her seem “exotic” and foreign and more interesting, she’ll wear (as long as it’s stylish enough for her.) She cleverly toes the line between fashionable and trashy, showing just enough skin or using a just flashy enough pattern. Every piece she wears she’s crafted a whole story around how she got it, like her bracelets being a gift from street kids in Belize or her earrings being a prize she won when impressing an East Asian Prince. 

[theangrypokemaniac]

Contests Part 2/2

6. Loser Jessie

Screechy harpie Jessay has even more of a raw deal than Mavis and Dawn of the Dead.

From the outset I knew she'd never be champion, but she ought to rise above the tiresome berks clogging up procedure.

Sufficient popularity at Pokémon Towers ensured the girls were allotted coverage of all their award ceremonies. They had a moment in the sun.

What has Jessie in comparison?

I can't recall Hoenn, but I don't expect it was much.

Sinnoh however carried naught but a single paltry episode.

This for a main character.

This for someone there from the beginning.

This for an ardent fan favourite.

This for a wench who, should we include all her various mutations, has featured in more installments than either of 'em.

But no, treat Jesseee as worthless, even lower than Dawn's groupies. It's not like anyone watches it for her.

Looking back, it's obvious what they were intending to do come Unova.

What's the score then?

• One paltry Contest on screen.

• A couple happen elsewhere, marked by a few seconds per mention when the script oh-so generously moves away from the thrilling main plot.

It's gotta be the small-town concerns for Jessuhleenuh, nothing major. She deserves no better.

• One won by James, so not hers. Press her inadequacy upon us!

• One obtained as a gesture of pity from Kate Middleton.

And how did that work? What's the good of allowing 'Dawn' entry again?

She'd already qualified. If winning here, that gives her six, therefore there aren't enough Co-ordinators for the culmination.

And when Jessie showed up with a Ribbon recorded as belonging to Dawn, how was she taken as fulfilling the quota?

The slapdash way these Contests are run!

God forbid Jess should be shown as excelling at anything. It must be scraping into the final undeservedly.

Bitch gotta know her place.

7. Bumpkin Jessie

...

Ain't no description I can give that don't rhyme with 'hit', or variations of the theme.

You thought the shafting Jessica got coverage wise was bad enough? Yer ain't heard the 'alf of it.

Sinnoh was a period of peak Moron Team Rocket, where the one surprise was how stupid they could be.

You may remember an early episode when James designed her clothes for the catwalk. She thought it'd complement his work by applying lipstick all across her mug.

Obviously Jessie would do that, clueless as to how make-up functions.

Come on kids, she's thick!

Even at that numskull nadir it's difficult to comprehend anyone choosing this get up without severe duress.

Picture the scene: you debut on stage, before an audience of thousands and television cameras, in an event preoccupied with superficiality.

What do you wear?

• Giant, oversized glasses out of fashion since the Seventies.

• Bootlace tie last worn in the nineteenth century Wild West by a barman serving sarsaparillas.

• Colour scheme of brown and orange, the nation's favourite hues.

• A man's old shirt fraying at the cuffs.

• Voluminous apron dress.

• Massive yellow bows last seen decorating an Easter Egg. Always a winner.

• Heavy, clod-hopping boots.

• PIGTAILS!!!

Even the name is unattractive.

Ah yes, very common for those under six. Unheard of later.

You have reached puberty haven't yer Jessie? I can't tell anymore.

They couldn't get enough of that combination in Cosmo, which is why it's no longer in print.

Not only is Jessie denied success, she's deprived of the chance to be pretty in a realm where nothing but that carries weight.

Worse, given how her face disintegrated, this is the best she's been for five generations.

Yeah, because the inbred milkmaid style is such a good look, eh?

SEXAY!!!

8. So Long, Tsundere

Remember tsunderes? What happened to 'em?

The curse of Pokémon was draining the well of inspiration too quickly, throwing away interesting characters as mere guests.

This is particularly noticeable regarding the ladies. Back then, we got Misty, Jessie, Jessibelle, Cassidy, Aya, Giselle, Tyra, Sabrina, assorted crones Brutella, Nastina and Lacy, plus Joy, Jenny and Dame Ketchum provided parental authority.

How did a series that began with ball-breaking birds like that end up with insipid, glassy-eyed dullards like Zuhreena, Banana Lana, Marsh Mallow and Lilliput?

Ooh, Zuhreena is a pwincess!

Ooh, Banana Lana bwows big bwubbles!

Ooh, Marsh Mallow wuvs phallic waddishes!

Ooh, Lilliput won't pwet wanimals bwecause of Secwet Pain!

Can you imagine such weak specimens finding any place in the anarchic atmosphere of the classics?

It's SO boring!

Where's the punch? Where's the human spirit?

Where's the entertainment gone?

This squishy attitude began in Hoenn. Misty left, Jessie's hair symbolically changed from volcanic red to pink, and Contests introduced a cuddly theme where glitter glue and sequins are top priority.

Every sharp corner, every jagged point has been filed smooth. Now its substance hasn't the hardness to even develop edges, not when it's all cushions and candyfloss, where catching Pokémon rests on them deigning to grant permission, rather than 'avin it out.

Tsunderes, exuding untamed charisma and independence, besides a soupçon of danger, simply don't fit the cardboard box we habit now.

Nor do yanderes, kuuderes, tsuntsuns, or even derederes. It's just nothing but smiley-smiley creeps.

I wouldn't mind any of these tropes as long as there was some sign of colour to be had.

9. The Sacrifice of Misty

Misty bid farewell under the feeble justification that the lack of a longterm goal made her vulnerable to sacking.

Such a line uttered as if her own choice, being beyond them as writers to invent a purpose.

This implied her replacement would have an exciting quest aiming for excellence, something just beyond Misty's capabilities.

What did we get?

Dressing up and collecting Ribbons!

Is that...is that it? Is that the great idea? Is that all the girls are worth?

I lost Misty for THIS?!

Perhaps it makes no difference. By Hoenn they'd rendered her a leaden blandness sucked dry of all that made her special.

Going by the greasy-toothed bastardisation that swanned up in Alola, Misty was simply too wild for the safe, stifling atmosphere of today.

Her departure ensued she remains frozen as a funny, beloved presence, unlike those she left behind.

Now there was a lucky escape, as once the fanny-flapping starts, the bints have it on the brain.

May had Max to beat on the side, but Dawn developed monomania.

Hardly an episode went by without some reference to Contests, or how today's plot spurred her on to the next opportunity.

Yer need help, love!

Rather than Ash's new friend being a fascinating person who so happened to enter vanity projects, the competition defined them to the exclusion of life.

It is but moths drawn to the candle flame waiting to engulf them.

Contests are this world's version of Tom Riddle's diary: they promise sympathy and validation, but they eat your soul.

Like Tumblr.

10. Completely Unoriginal

Seems to me it wasn't so much Misty had no goal, it was more that Contests were the supposedly hot concept wedged into an existing property.

If earlier aspects failed to accommodate the invader, the onus certainly wasn't on the new kid to change. Oh no, stuff it in and chop off whatever gets in the way.

In the eyes of the post-Shudo regime, Misty was too volatile to last, and so had to go.

What idiots.

She's a tsundere. The softer, more feminine side is a defining component.

Would it really have been so problematic to retain her as an entrant? If Jessie can, why not?

Even if failing to fit, so what? Since when was established characterisation a barrier?

Isn't twisting likeable folk into unrecognisable pods the modus operandi of the writers?

That canon is immaterial, and must always give in to whatever fancy they currently have?

Well then, what's the big deal in infantilising Misty to promote it rather than pensioning her off?

Viewers will be more invested in the challenges awaiting a familiar face rather than a stranger.

What reduces the above to the risible is the original Misty and Jessie both participated in the Princess Festival.

All Contests are is that very scenario on repeat and robbed of all meaning.

Think about it:

• Beauty round

• Battle round

• Jessie loses

Same bloody thing.

Not only have I got to suffer this draining spectacle, it's got the nerve to possess not one iota of fresh ideas!

Contests are a low rent rip-off. The Princess Festival had a worthy reward in the shape of one-of-a-kind Dolls.

It'd already been revealed that ordinary Princess Dolls were ruinously expensive, therefore the special Pokémon edition have to be priceless.

What d'yer get for the trouble of a Contest but a bit of plastic tat taped to bargain basement frippery?

And they demand you get five of 'em!

Contests themselves were then resurrected as Showcases, although mercifully slimmed down to only three, with the emptiness ramped up in compensation.

Perhaps ironically, Princess Versus Princess is one of my favourite episodes. I love its critique of female avarice and accurate portrayal of clothing sales as reminiscent of the zombie apocalypse.

I don't mind the Festival as a single adventure, but I may have felt less favourable had it been a constant presence.

Except it isn't the competition at stake. This is a framework to explore Jessie and Misty as people.

Through its device we learn their history and therefore how they came to develop as the girls we know.

The setting serves as an opportunity for both to confront the misery and isolation of their childhoods, with the promise of overcoming that old torment with the balm of victory.

In the final, they aren't so much battling an opponent as fighting to be free of the past.

The tragedy is only one can be granted that reprieve. The other must remain unhappy in the ruins of memory.

It matters, unlike vapid Contests, where posturing is king. What depth can they provide in comparison?

Despite identical content, they are inverse counterparts, with the Festival presented as merely a light affair concealing a rather dark tale of neglect.

Contests however are paraded as this worthy nourishment for body and mind, a major point in one's journey towards enlightenment, when all they really amount to is an organ grinder and his monkey arsing about for the slack-gobbed plebs.

Bread and circuses.

Best of all, Misty won, not some side twat, as it should be.

Note how Jessie dressed: in delicate, vivid robes and golden decoration. The boys thought her beautiful.

Not as a gormless dweeb you'd cross the street to avoid!

And why the need to disguise herself anyway?

The Twerps had no issue with Jessie of Team Rocket joining the fun back then, so what happened?

At least she received the consolation of gaining Lickitung as a friend, with James and Meowth desperate to comfort her.

What do Contests bring? Sod all!

[trickstermelon]

Do the OCs asks you haven't already

A character you rarely talk about?

I’ve got multiple that I like to doodle but are still in development/don’t have names. I’m hoping to put myself on a schedule where I develop like one group of characters per week

If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be?

Hmmmm that’s hard. Cinna is sorta the protag of the vague story I’m cooking up so I feel like the honor should go to her, but Liam, Dus or Avaral are some of the more complex characters i have developed. 

Are your OCs part of any story or stories?

I’ve been using almost all of them in my main DnD campaign, and I’d like to make them into their own narrative-- but idk in what form. A game or comic could be cool.  

Do you RP as any of your OCs? If you do, introduce one of your RP OCs here!

As much as @bass-fucker wants me to, not really cause a lot of them are defined by their reality 

Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else?

I’d whore them out i’m on the fence there cause i get excited when others enjoy my ocs but at the same time, they become an au version of themselves. Overall I’d let someone borrow them

Introduce an OC with a complicated design?

Beliel and Haniel have complicated designs in some of their less humanistic forms, esp when they’re full on and (o), which have extremely intricate moving parts

Do you like to talk about your OCs with other people?

Again yes and no because I’m super excited for others to know about them/enjoy them, but it’s a level of vulnerability that can be difficult to open, esp irl

Any OC OTPs?

Ahahhaha they’re all queer: Liam/Nerin, Nerin/Beliel, Brynhildyr/Jinn, Lukas/Dus, Belienda/a centaur I still gotta name, technically Haniel/Beliel tho that gets a bit weird-- I need to make Wyn and Cinna some gfs. 

Any OC crackships?

Nerin gets between Beliel ‘n Haniel and has a wild time. 

Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)?

This could have it’s own post, but Liam and Kaly are fantastic singers, Avaral cant technically sing but has a great ear for mimicry; Belinda, On, Tanu, Beleil and Tyko aren’t too shabby. Most of the others are just okay but Cinna and Nerin are fuckin terrible

Your most artistic OC

Ni!! Likes landscapes n getting really creative w mixed media. On is actually great to but denies it cause he thinks he has no creativity 

Introduce OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what the character would be like?

A lot of characters have gone through various cycles of slight personality tweaks, but most haven’t gone through dramatic visual changes-- besides Cinna. I would actually like to play around with different variations to find the coolest

If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why?

Liam because I would love to be his friend but also, I wanna kick his ass into being a better person

Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song?

No actually, though many of their story arcs or relationships have been inspired by songs. That could be a fun way to make new ones tho

Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonist and why?

Jinn fuckin loves solving puzzles and kicking ass send her in. Nerin would p be able to make it pretty far but as soon as he sees one (1) demon pretending to be a child he’s gone for cause he has to adopt it

Your shyest OC?

Dus, Ragdoll, and On have difficulty putting themselves out there

Do you have any twin characters?

I tend to refer to On and Ni as the Twins all the time but.. are they? Hmmmm

Any sibling characters?

So many. Wyn/Dus/Nerin/On/Ni are all sibs, plus Belinda/Lukas/Dyan, arguably Avaral/Ragdoll, King/Clay, and a few more I need to develop

Introduce an OC who is not quite human

Legit all of them. The magi are the closest things to humans I have and thats questionable

Which one of your OCs would be the best dancer?

Liam, Cinna, Brynhildyr, Ni and Twoth all have their own styles. Dus, Wyn and On are more professionally trained. Liam and Ni like to have dance offs but I think Cinna would win

Has anyone drawn fanart of your OCs? If yes, maybe show a picture or two here (remember sources & permissions!)

Nope, tho it might be fun to an art trade with them sometime/get a commission-- its just hard to pick who. (actually an ol DA friend drew me some ol 2P hetalia ocs that were cute)

Something you like about your OCs in general

I really really want them to be flawed and make thousands of mistakes, and utterly fall to their own vices-- but in the end, all come out of it better than they were before. Except Ni she’s mostly perfect.

A character you no longer use?

Lamo I have some fantrolls and hetlaia ocs that I might lowkey turn into tieflings and drow. 

Has anyone ever told you that you treat your OCs badly?

Hahahahahaha yeah at least 4 people have

Has anyone ever (friendly) claimed any of your OCs as their child?

Bassfucker is the biggest adopter, tho @tiffy-the-grizzly has p much taken in Dus and Ni

Which one of your OCs would most likely enjoy memes

Lukas and Avaral hands down. Cinna pretends she doesn’t get them so Avaral has to painstakingly try to explain them. Wyn also is extremely well versed in memery