#is this a design change or is my art style shifting?

[androgynouspenguinexpert]

nobody's bought him flowers before

[creatingblackcharacters]

Lesson 1: "White Man Painted Black"?

Okay, I recognize that this is a strong foot to step off on! But! If you learn nothing else from this series, if you decide for whatever reason to forsake me: this is the ONE perspective I'd like you to take away!

You may have heard this quote before, when Black fans deride a character design as 'a white man with the brown bucket tool'. On its face, it means exactly what was said. But specifically, what it means is that we recognize that whomever designed the character drew the way they normally draw for a 'default' character in their mind- default usually meaning White/Eurocentric features- and they added a shade of brown within the line art to make that character now 'Black'.

Now if you're feeling defensive, wait just a moment! This discomfort is not inherently a bad thing!

I'm going to use both a 'real world' example first, to show you what your Black fans and peers are seeing, and perhaps you will also understand our discomfort!

(if anyone was curious, my folder for this lesson is titled 'brad' lmao and you'll see why)

(I'll have y'all know that I actually worked very hard to make Blackface Brad look mildly presentable lmao I'm sorry, I'm wheezing, I can hardly breathe looking at him 🤣)

You see how, despite knowing where this was going, and using one of the darkest shades of brown in my Skin Tones arsenal, you still know that that's Brad Pitt? That nothing about his hair texture, his lips, his nose, or really anything other than the palette change... changed? And you can still see that?

It's incredibly hurtful to be told that that's supposed to be you. You know it's not, you know why it's not, but rather than hearing how it makes you feel unseen and what they could do to be better (since they wanted to draw a Black character!), the artist lashes out at you.

And as an artist, you might have worked VERY HARD to do this! That might be a real handsome guy you drew!! But... is he really Black? Did you walk into it with the intention, that you were drawing a Black Character, or did you draw a character that just happened to be Black? It seems like a silly thing, but it matters!

Okay. I just finished laughing over Brad. Now let's get into some more perspective changes:

Now, imagine you drew a character. You want to make her Black, so you change the hair and skin colors. All right! You have your Black character... right?

Changed ONE feature about her? (You should obviously change more than one feature, but let's just go with the simplified example.)

What if, instead of just changing her palette, we changed her:

Hair?

There isn't nearly enough time in the world, let alone in this little scribble and blurb, for me to describe the IMPORTANCE of Black hair in Black character design. There are so many ways to do curls, afros, braids, twists, locs, SO MANY HAIRSTYLES!! Get used to searching in the 3C-4C hair textures!!!! I plan on doing an entire lesson or two on hair alone, but suffice it to say, Hair Texture is thee BIGGEST giveaway that you 'painted a white person Black'- from cartoon styles to realistic! It reveals itself in your writing as well- just based on how your character takes care of their hair, how your describe the texture, how other people might perceive it... it lets me know just how much research was done. Because we can have straight hair! But again, that's a conversation for a whole 'nother lesson so- come back later 👀?

Lips?

I love our lips, I really do. There's a long history of shaming Black women in particular for the way our lips look. So when I see them done in all their glory, it makes me very happy. Two-toned lips vary in shade and intensity, so make sure you're using references if you want to be 'realistic', but it doesn't have to be that hard. Even a little subtle shift like this in the design/story description lets me know that a creator was thinking about me.

Nose?

One thing I've noticed ever since I starting drawing is that... people in a lot of mangas/manhwas barely have noses! I admit, out of all the features on the face, the nose isn't the most important. I think they should be, especially when you want to emphasize that your characters look different! People have different types of noses! I especially want to gear this towards those with a goal of drawing realistic portraits and the like- there, the nose is ANOTHER dead giveaway. There are Black people with aquiline and straight noses- we aren't a monolith- but is that why you drew it? Consider why you went for that nose specifically. That's part of the intent, in all this!

Now, you might be looking at me and going "Ice... this is just character design". To which my answer is: Yes! It is! It feels so basic, and yet if you ask your Black friends/peers how often they've come across this feeling of not being properly drawn/written, from fanart to professionally produced works, it's unfortunately common despite how simple of a concept it is.

I hope that you can walk away from my first lil lesson with new eyes. Remember, it's the thought that counts, but the action that delivers!

[yamujiburo]

The art style for the pokemon anime and manga has shifted and changed quite a lot over the years. Is there a specific series or era style that you particularly prefer or that you think your art style is inspired/affected by when drawing the characters?

Ugh amazing question I have 3 answers (for the anime since im an anipoke girlie)

I'm a big fan of the OS anime style. The colors, the sharper style and the grainy look. I also really love the proportions from that era. Everything just felt so solid and blocky in a nice way. I also really love the expressions. There was a lot more subtlety at that time and it was really effective.

Next one and maybe the bigger influence on my own style is the SM anime. I LOVED the design change. Incredibly simple, bouncy, round fun to draw, less tied down, etc. It's just so fun! I feel like my default style has always been a bit of a mix of anime and modern western cartoons and this is the pokemon series is the closest to that vibe. Also those EXPRESSIONS. I have so many random screenshots saved from this series just because of how bonkers the expressions would get.

My #1 influence without doubt is not a specific series style or era but rather a specific artist! His name is Akihiro Tamagawa and he was one of the animation directors on pokemon from OS to I beliiiiive XY? He also did a lot of the movies! Everything about his style is just so appealing to me. The proportions, the posing, the composition, the expressions, EVERYTHING. I've definitely taken inspiration from how he draws eyes and mouths. I draw a lot of low mouths and big smiles because of this guy. I feel like once you see it you won't be able to unsee it in my work hahaha. I made a post about it before!

And here's a guide of all the episodes he directed on!

[statusexile]

Michelin Star Treatment and My Body's On The Menu

Summary: You work as a naked sushi model in a high-end Japanese restaurant and professionalism was the name of the game. But when Ghost and Konig walked through the door, your composure was put to the test.

Pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x Reader x Konig

Warnings: afab!reader, dub con, exhibitionist, nipple play, fingering, squirting, wakamezake, mask kink, reader goes by she/her pronouns.

Word count: 1,804 words

NSFW. MDNI!

a/n: Nyotaimori (女体盛り) is the Japanese practice of serving sashimi or sushi from the naked body of a woman. This fic probably wouldn’t be 100% accurate to the real-life practice because I’m not Japanese. Nonetheless, feedback and suggestion are always welcome, along with reblogs and likes. Thank you for reading! ❤️

Working as a naked sushi model for a high-end restaurant was never your dream. Your friends and family always find your job as peculiar. They always ask you why would you want to be a human sushi platter for wealthy people. While some people see your job as an art form and others think it’s degrading to women. You didn’t care about their opinions anyway; it kept food on the table and paid your bills and that was all that really mattered to you.

Still feeling a bit groggy from the long shift, you sat down on a bench in the fitting room and began counting your tip money. The day had been long, but the customers were generous, you are pleased with the amount of money you have made today. Even though one group of customers that you got earlier were a bunch of drunk and obnoxious business men. They’re not trying to grope you or anything, but they’re just really rowdy and it hurts your head so bad. Unfortunately, you can’t say anything because you're not allowed to speak while you're on the job.

You get up from the bench and begin tidying your hair and make-up. There’s only one more reservation for the day: a table for two people. Perhaps they’re a couple, you think to yourself. At least it shouldn't be as disastrous as the earlier group, as you walked out from the changing room into the private dining room that was booked by the pair. The interior of the room was opulent. Soft lighting and the sounds of waterfall provided a serene atmosphere, while traditional Japanese motifs of cherry blossom and zen gardens adorned the walls. The restaurant was clearly designed to create a serene and elegant ambience that would enhance the dining experience for the guests.

You took off your kimono, leaving you bare, and climbed onto the dining table, lying down on top of it. The sushi chefs began decorating your body with a variety of sushi and sashimi, placing them on top of leaves that had been sanitized to prevent direct contact with your skin. After that, they covered your nipples and your genital area with flowers. And now all you have to do is wait for the customer to arrive at the restaurant.

It doesnt take very long for the pair to arrive. They’re two tall, muscular men in military attire, and you can see the outlines of their muscles on their clothes. Both of them are wearing masks: one is wearing a skull-printed mask, while the other is wearing a draped style mask.

Your heart skipped a beat when the two men entered the dining room. You’ve always been intrigued by masked men - there's something alluring and mysterious about them. You didn’t know if they were hot or ugly underneath their masks, it doesn’t matter to you, it was the mystery that made you so intrigued and turned on about them.

They sat down on the tatami and ordered sake from the waitress; it didn’t take long for the waitress to come back with their drinks. They began eating immediately, taking some of the sushi that was placed on top of your stomach. The dinner went well so far. You could hear both men talking about their jobs in the military - the one with the skull-printed mask spoke with a deep, husky British accent, while the one with the draped mask spoke with a thick German accent. Soon you learned their names were Ghost and Konig.

They spoke about an upcoming mission, using fancy words, code names, and military slang that you didn't understand. But all you could focus on was their sexy voices - it was as if they were trying to turn you. You couldn't do anything about it - you couldn’t even move your body an inch while you were still with the customer. So, all you could do was stare at the ceiling, trying to not let it bother you.

They were nearly finished with their meals, and you felt a bit disappointed because it means they would leave soon - but you didn't know that the real fun was about to begin.

Suddenly, you felt Konig’s fingers graze your thigh. You were surprised by his sudden action - this felt so wrong that you should have stand up and called the manager at this point - but you were already so turned on at his touch. You could feel a shiver running down your spine.

“So beautiful,” Konig mutters so himself, still grazing his fingers on your thigh, “Shall we have some fun with her, Lieutenant?”

“Your call, Colonel. I’m down if you’re down.” Ghost replied while he stares at you. You could only see his eyes, but you could feel the lust in his stare. It looks like he’s going to devour you whole.

“Alright then,” Konig said as he removed the flower that covered your fold. You’re already so turned on at this point and his action made it even worse.

“Clench your thigh real tight, schatz.” You didn't know why, but you immediately complied with his command, so you clenched your thighs as tight as possible. You could see Konig pouring the sake between them. You could feel the cold liquid grazing your hot skin as you let out a soft mewl from the sensation as it’s slowly running down in between your thighs. He lifts his mask up and starts slurping the sake directly from your crotch, you could feel his soft lips touching your fold. This is so inappropriate, and you could definitely get fired if your supervisor found out that you allowed a customer to do something like this. But your body could only succumb to his action. You’re already way too deep in it anyway and there’s no turning back at point. “So delicious,” Konig said after he finished drinking, wiping his own lips with his hands. “Your turn, Lieutenant.” he added as he passed the sake bottle to Ghost. Ghost did the same thing Konig did earlier. He poured some more sake between your clenched thighs, slurping them, but suddenly after he finished drinking, he opens your legs a bit and give a single lick at your labia. You let out a moan, still trying to keep quiet, but now it’s getting harder. “She’s indeed delicious, Colonel.” he said to Konig in a satisfied tone, “Don’t worry love, we’re gonna make you feel so good” he added. Konig started to remove the flowers that covered your nipples, you could sense the chilly air gently brushing against them.

Konig and Ghost scooch over from their seats, and now their faces facing your breasts. “Open your legs real wide for us, sweetheart. Please, allow us to return the favor for your hospitality this evening.” Konig hums in your ear. Both of them slowly opens your legs, revealing your now dripping cunt that’s been covered with your own liquid and the sake from earlier.

“Shall we enjoy the dessert for the night, Colonel?” “After you, Lieutenant.”

Suddenly, both of them start latching to your nipples, as Konig’s hand starts rubbing your damp cunt with his calloused hand. You let out a loud gasp as you jerk your head back from the sudden sensation. One of Ghost’s hands pinning you down, ensuring you stay still in your place. You tried to wiggle your body, but his hand was so strong, keeping you in your position.

“Be quiet, love. We don't want anyone outside to know we're doing this, do we?” Ghost purred in your ear in between sucking your breast. You could only nod at his words, feeling absolutely lost in the pleasure they’re giving to you. Konig starts to insert two of his fingers inside you and start thrusting them. You bit your lips so hard they’re probably bleeding at this point but you didn’t even pay attention to it as you lost to the overstimulation and pleasure.

“So fucking wet for us” Konig whispered while his mouth is still latching to your breast, now he’s using his thumb to play with your clit and adding another finger inside you. You've already surrendered to them, letting them do whatever they want to you at this point. You could feel your holes stretched thin with his fingers as if he shoved his entire fist inside you because of how thick his fingers are.

Your body shudders as they keep sucking your breasts without mercy and Konig finger-fucking you relentlessly. You’re trying so fucking hard to stay quiet, only letting out soft moans and pants, making everything even more painful than it already is.

“I could feel you’re clenching around my fingers, schatz. Come on, I know you’re so close. I know you can do it.” Konig whispers seductively in your ear. You could feel your brain becoming mush. Your body feels like it's about to explode as you start mumbling nonsense words. You didn't care at this point if anyone outside could hear it, you just want to cum so fucking bad.

It only took a few more thrusts of Konig’s fingers before you cum, your body shakes violently and your vision turns static from the orgasm he gave you. He still thrusting them over and over, milking your orgasm dry. You squirted all over the table, basically drenching the entire surface with your cum.

“Ah, there you go… I know you can do it. Was für ein gutes Mädchen” Konig finally gave one last thrust and pulls out his fingers from your cunt. Both of them give your nipples on last lick after finally letting them go. Your body seems like it can't stop trembling. “So good, so fucking good...” you mumbled softly, your voice is still shaking.

“I guess we have to clean up this mess. We can’t let your supervisor know you’re doing this with customers.” Ghost chuckled as he took a couple of napkins to clean up the mess you made on the table. It takes you around five minutes before you're able to regain your composure.

Both of them stand up from their tatami. Konig pulls out his wallet from his back pocket, takes out some money, and slips it into your hands, giving you a very generous tip.

“Compliment to the chef, the food was delicious.” Ghost said as he opened the door, and both he and Konig went out from the dining room, leaving you alone.

After a few more minutes, finally manage to sit and starts counting the tip that Konig gave you, which basically covers two months’ worth of rent. You can only laugh to yourself, still confused by everything that happened earlier, but you are very satisfied at the same time.

Maybe this is the best job that you could ever have, after all.

[cripplecharacters]

Hey so first off, absolutely love your blog. I have learned so much and I can hardly wait to implement it! My question is: I have a character with vitiligo (and’s Celiac’s and rheumatoid arthritis) in a comic book I’m working on, and I want to represent that, but the problem is the comic is abstractly colored to display the characters’ emotions rather than their actual physical appearances, and my art style is designed to be pretty minimalist so I don’t need huge amounts of time and energy to actually make the comic itself (I’ll attach a picture at the bottom for easier reference). My current plan is just make lighter patches of the abstract color in place of skin color, but while that works great in theory, in practice it doesn’t show up well in lighter colors, including his default color, and since absence of color indicates absence of emotion, I don’t want to just leave them blank for the lighter colors either. Do you guys have any suggestions for alterations so I can more clearly represent that?

Thank you so much in advance!!

This is the guy in his default color. This was also the drawing I first ran into the light color problem with

Hi!

So I don't really think there are other ways to draw it than “lighter skin” for vitiligo, as that's kinda what it is, visually speaking.

What I'd keep in mind is that vitiligo isn't always super visible.

[source for images: 1 2 3 4]

If the character's skin color changes, then the vitiligo patches will be less visible when it's lighter. That doesn't mean he suddenly doesn't have it, just like how people with pale skin still have their vitiligo, no matter how apparent it is at first glance.

Regardless of skin color, vitiligo patches will tend to be of a very similar color - it's not just lighter skin (an incredibly wide category), but loss of pigment.

However, if his skin isn't human-colored but instead gray or green (or anything else), the shade of the patches will slightly shift to be less saturated or have a different undertone. But if he goes between going dark blue and light blue, the vitiligo would still be the same shade of very light blue, rather than getting darker when the rest of skin is darker. I see this a lot with how people draw characters with vitiligo, and it just Doesn't Work Like That (top right on the image above, also featuring the trope of pale people never having vitiligo for some reason).

If his skin color constantly shifts, then his vitiligo will be more visible one time and less at other times - there's not much you can do about that, it's just how contrast works. That said, sharp-edged and larger patches will be more apparent to readers than smaller ones.

So basically his vitiligo patches should probably float at a similar amount of pigment regardless of how the rest of the skin looks like, with slightly different undertones depending on the skin color at the moment. Sometimes it will show up more, sometimes less, if you want to make it clear to the readers then you can first show him in a color that makes it more obvious.

Either way, he has vitiligo!

Hope this helps,

mod Sasza

[beatcroc]

a year!!! as of today i have now been drawing these funny little pizza freaks, to the exclusion of almost everything else, for!!! an entire year!!! i wanted to do a nice group shot/lineup of everybody to compare to when i first started trying to draw them because oh boy were they bad. i never even posted most of them anywhere because they were so bad. but im posting them here, now, to see how everything's changed/evolved.

this is probably the hardest time i've ever had trying to figure out how to work with a style, but we got there eventually; i'm pretty happy with the handle i've got on everybody now...dont let ur memes be dreams. lots of unimportant journaling and idle thoughts abt it below.

older pics

the first one is the VERY first time i drew them, before i thought i was going to actually have any interest in drawing them [lmao]; it was just the one isolated image, for my friendserver, to illustrate the funney message, so there was no attempt to make it Good or actually understand anything going on w/ the designs or style.

second is the original run of practices sketches to start trying to figure them out for real; done after i started having ideas for the comics and such and realized oh god maybe i am actually gonna draw fanart for this. [again, lol, and lmao.]

third one is the first pt art thing i posted on here. there were a couple weeks of sprite studies between this one and the previous image. the one on the top right wasn't part of that post i just threw it on as space filler; i'd intended to shift to doing Sprite Redraws But Stylized to explore tings more, but that was the only one i did. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

individual characters

peppino: by far the hardest dear god. bro what ARE your shapes how DOES your face work. jesus christ. everything i have trouble with this style for, peppino has it in excess. i draw in polygons! i need consistency! and that is the last thing this kind of style is concerned with. they are made of squarshy clay and i do not understand how to mold them. i was really hoping trying to learn this game's style would GIVE me that kind of flexibility for fun exaggerated facial expression but i don't think much came of it in the end 😔. anyway on the bright side all this means once i got peppino figured out a little bit everybody else clicked way easier.

fake peppino: honestly i never did anything with him on purpose except for how his eyes work + the perma-smile thing. i figured ok hes supposed to look weird and off model so whatever happens with him happens. and it did. and it kept happening. it is still, in fact, happening.

noise/ette: somehow, for every bit that peppino was the least natural thing i've ever tried, these two worked pretty much right off the bat. i still don't understand it, seeing as pretty much all the things at play for peppino are also at work for them. i think the new sketches are actually a little worse than older ones but not enough that i care.

gustavo: really funny bc i drew him on model twice and just went 'okay, cool nice, easy, um. he doesn't have any fucking legs?' fortunately he was the only one i had a strong idea for how to stylize him [square] and it worked exactly as i was hoping so wahoo.

brick: is an animal and therefore 5000x easier and more natural for me to draw/stylize than anything else in the cast. that is Just a rat bro. i can draw a rat.

gerome: i think the funniest one here. the most drastic and least necessary change imo. i was gonna have him be really small at first, like smaller than the noises, but then i just... didn't. he's just peppino-sized now. also i gave him like. actual human facial structure, which is funny bc in most cases i'd do anything to avoid, but it works well for his being A Rock to give him some angles and definition like that+ to differentiate his vibe from the rest of the cast who are all very squishy. also since he is essentially Just A Head it's good to emphasize that too ig.

john: i only drew john a couple times but he gets to be here because i like him. and because most of the stuff i applied to gerome was readily applicable to john, though i did try to keep him a little more uncanny because he is a Huge And Lanky Freak. i hate that he is barefoot btw but idk how to make his color balance look right with shoes.

pizzahead: i did not want to put him on here honestly but i Have drawn him a handful of times and more importantly i didn't know what i was gonna do with john's pose if i didn't have him there to be glared at. the only thing that's different with him is giving him wider-bottomed pants, which i got from when i tried to draw these guys in clone high style [i never posted that one either][i will eventually]

snick: he gets to be here because 1. he's like 6 lines 2. i like him and 3. ive scribbled him a few times offhand and it went pretty well

misc

there are some guys missing because those are guys i didn't draw enough [or at all] to have gotten comfortable with them. sorry

i would have Liked to shade these but for the time being i have accepted that my grasp of light/shadow has decayed to the point im not going to be happy with anything i try there, so For Now i am working on my presentation with flats i guess. gerome has a shadow only because he's shaded like that ingame and looks naked without it

anyway if you are still reading [hi?] i get to shamelessly plug now. i'm over the hill of my pizza run now, and while i still have plenty of things i want to make here, most of the bigger more in-depth ones have passed. pizza tower was the first thing in THREE YEARS to get me out of my oc groove to doing fanart, and once i am done with my ideas here i will be going right back to it. if you like my art or how i write characters/interactions you should check out my oc/webcomic blog @jamverse . i can't promise people who like pizza stuff will be terribly into my designs, but i can guarantee i treat my guys with the exact same sort of tone i handle the pt guys with. and hell, i've mentioned it a few times before, but like 70% of my characterization for fake pep is just copied off one of my characters, so if u are going to miss him... he will still be there in spirit >;p

and if you dont care about any of that and are still reading thank you anyway. actually making these comics + seeing how shockingly well-received they've been has done a lot for my confidence, and for seeing that my kind of stuff IS something people enjoy :')

[bowtiepastabitch]

Let's talk costuming: Angelic Robes and The Unreliable Narrator

It's two am, I have to be up at six, but this has been fermenting in the back of my head for the past five hours I've spent doing homework and if I don't get it out I shan't sleep.

The costumes we see representing angelic character in Season Two are VASTLY different from those we see in Season One. (See my post on Aziraphale's Job Robe for an in-depth art history analysis of this individual costume piece.) In season one, the angelic flashback clothing we see is rather humble and uncomplicated. As all things in this show, this serves a very important narrative purpose.

Let's first compare these gorgeous gorgeous girls to their S1 counterparts, shall we?

Just look at the collar on that robe! In S1, we're introduced to Aziraphale in a very plain tunic-style robe with an unfinished neckline. Aside from a slight gold decoration and draping on the shoulders, this could easily be mistaken for rather primitive human garb. S2, by comparison, introduces angelic costume as non-ostentatious but still refined with a gold-trimmed gathered neckline and wide sleeves. The fabric itself, on a textile level, is much finer and softer. Overall, the robes give an air of innocence and angelic purity that is lacking from Aziraphale's S1 'fit. Let's look at another example:

Their Rome costumes are strewn with so many incredible details (check out this incredible post from 2019) but they still retain a bit of that historical ruggedness. Same for these:

The argument could be made for pure historical compliance, sure, but to claim a lack of anachronisms in this show would be a flat-out lie. No, S1 Crowley and Aziraphale are very distinctively human in their dress. The cloth has a wider weave, the ornamentation is minimal, all around it serves to highlight their fitting-in with humans and the humanization of their characters. They're 'going native,' as it were, no doubt about it.

So why, in S2, is Aziraphale suddenly showing up looking like he just popped out of a renaissance painter's wet dream?

Simple. Suddenly, Aziraphale isn't an angel among humans acting human, he's an angel being an angel doing angel things. We get to see the rest of the heaven gang in full angelic decadence as well, a bold departure from the starkness of 'modern' heaven. If this is, as many of you lovely folk have speculated, a series of flashbacks from Aziraphale's memory, the design choices designate very clearly Aziraphale's perception of himself as an angel. A perception which, mind you, would likely be influenced by later human ideas of angelic and heavenly aesthetics. As an unreliable narrator, Aziraphale is showing us not his actual wardrobe as an angelic being but his perception of his past self.

Crowley, too, is affected by this shift in dress. Bildad the Shuhite is everything S1 flashback Crowley is not: fashion-forward, smooth-talking, and impeccably well-dressed. We've got three different fabric textures (that's three times as many as any of his biblical S1 robing) and a definable silhouette. He's practically a fashionista.

If this were all taken as an objective narrative, the shift back to billowing-void peasant Crowley at Golgotha, where we next see her chronologically, would be strange to say the least.

So why is the costuming of the S2 pre-modern flashbacks so much more elaborate? There's three possibilities I can imagine for a change in costume design for any show:

Budget: this is highly unlikely an instant rule-out for me. I've seen what costumers can do on a shoestring budget, and besides the later period costumes make this demonstrably false.

Change in production design team: Technically possible, yes, but if there's one thing Good Omens does well between seasons it's continuity. I mean, they burned the fucking bookshop and then hand-painted tiles to recreate it exactly for the second season. This is not Harry Potter. This isn't it.

An intentional design: Everything, and I mean everything, in this show is intentional. While not everything the wardrobe team does is easily decodable (see Crowley's shapeshifting sunglasses) we've got a pretty comfortable bit of time to figure such things out. This is the only option that makes a lick of sense.

Wonderful, so we've established that this is a narrative choice.

So if it's a narrative choice, and it's distinct from the stylistic choices of Season One, then someone is lying to us. Or rather, we have an unreliable narrator somewhere along the way.

Most of the buzz on ye olde tumblr focuses on the idea of Aziraphale as narrator and memory-holder for S2, and that would certainly make sense from both a story and design. Of course he would see Angel Crowley as adorable and innocent and angelic (the hair is not helping his case either omg I love her), and of course he would see himself as grandly, exaggeratedly, almost dissonantly angelic at the major turning point in his faith.

If Crowley is narrating, then it calls into question why he would choose to remember himself this way. It holds a sort of nostalgic sadness, a memory of a joyful innocence permanently lost to God's cruelty. When we see Aziraphale in angelic splendor later, we're reminded again of what Crowley has lost. It echoes the aesthetic of his former angel self, the gathering and gold trim and bright white fabric, but also introduces a much more elaborate silhouette that reflects the shift toward heaven's new high-and-mighty attitude.

Finally, I'd like to point out that by contrast Season One focuses heavily on themes of humanity rather than ethereality. Narrated by God, no less, who probably has thoughts on their assimilation. While I think we can assume God to be a more reliable narrator than Crowley or Aziraphale, it's not out of the question that She would have her own story to spin about our Ineffable Idiots' shared history.

Ultimately, I think it's safe to say that whatever's going on in costume design is a Clue to the story we're being told in S2 and the one we will be told in S3.

[rockybloo]

I’m sure you’ve been asked, sorry if you have, but what’s the little lines on Jack’s cheeks in older designs? Art style thing, or like the equivalent to blush lines just permanent? Sorry if this seems rude I’m just genuinely curious ;w;

This isn't rude at all because I love talking about Jack so much (y'all will never truly understand how much I will never get sick of talking about this lad)

SO back when I first started Beanstalked, I would give him these dirt smudges on his cheeks since he tend to do a lot of stuff on the farm so sometimes he'd get smudges on him

But when I would draw him on paper, I would shorthand the smudges with hashtag lines since I used to always sketch stuff in pen. So I just carried that over to digital since it was also a time saver when working on pages.

And eventually they stopped being dirt smudges and just shifted over to being protagonist cheek markings like Ash and Naruto have since Jack is basically a dumping ground for my favorite protagonist tropes.

Over the years though, I realized "Jack actually looks really cute with freckles and stuff on his face...too bad I can't change it" only to remember I am god of my world and I actually can change things.

AND HERE WE ARE TODAY!

Jack's design evolution is one of my faves out of all my OCs tbh

[sixeyescurseuser]

Tattoo/Neurosurgeon

Modern AU where Satosugu were best friends in high school but Gojo who went off to the best uni for his medical studies and Geto who went off on his own to find his calling. 

Gojo got really busy with uni so he couldn’t reach out as often and Geto had known (read: assumed) he was no longer a priority in Gojo’s life. So they drifted apart. 

Ten years later, a lot has changed. Geto is now a respected tattoo artist whose style is very bold and usually black/white. He has his own tattoos that really speak to his identity over the years, being an artist, struggling to find his path, joining a gang, coming out as gay, etc.

Satoru was always in the back of his mind; the best friend who he never thought he’d part from. A lot of his art portfolio pieces were sketches he had refined that were originally inspired by Satoru... 

Meanwhile, Gojo has been studying to become a neurosurgeon, and is currently in residency. He’s very sharp, swamped with work, and takes great pride in helping his patients.

Gojo could not give less of a fuck about tattooing his skin, which is why he didn’t pay much attention to Shoko as she was showing their colleagues the social media page of the tattoo parlor she recently went to. The place is called Ink Domain, with three tattoo artists and one piercer to pick from. 

Who would’ve thought that when Shoko scrolls past the tattoo designs and onto a post introducing the employees, Gojo does the most wicked double-take that leaves a sting in his neck. 

Discreetly, Gojo scans the picture: he sees a man with purple makeup and twin buns, a younger man with pink hair smiling widely next to him, another man with pink hair and black markings on his face, and a woman with long blond hair who has her arm around the shoulders of a man in a baseball cap and black a face mask pulled over the lower-half of his face.

Black side bangs peek out from the cap.

Gojo stares hard at the last figure, a rush of complicated feelings pooling in his gut.

“Who did you say did your tattoo again?” Gojo shakily asks, holding his breath.

The moment the name “Geto Suguru” leaves Shoko’s lips, Gojo feels as if the air has been punched out of his gut.

***

Gojo thinks long and hard about what his next steps should be. Long and hard meaning he books a consultation appointment with Suguru for the next week.

Gojo is sweating. 

Why did he do that? Especially on one of the few days he doesn’t have to go in at the crack ass of dawn into the hospital? To get a consultation for a tattoo he hasn’t given a second thought about, with the best friend he lost touch with nearly a decade ago?

Gojo isn’t sure what he’s hoping to get out of this. He just… he’s missed Suguru, and wants to see how he’s doing.

When Gojo walks into the studio fifteen minutes before his appointment, a boy with pink hair and the name tag “Yuji” greets him. 

“Hi, welcome to Ink Domain. Do you have an appointment?” Yuji asks.

“Yes, a consultation appointment with Geto,” Gojo answers, feeling light-headed and ready to pass out. “My name is Kento Nanami.”

“Okay, checking you in riiight now, and yep! You’re good to go. You can wait on the couch, Geto-san will be with you shortly,” Yuji says brightly.

Gojo waits while anxiously tapping away at his phone, checking his calendar to make sure his shifts are all in order, then takes a look around and sees all the portraits of the artist’s past work - pictures of small moments that they seemed to want to frame. 

Before Gojo knows it, a tap on his shoulder has him looking up into familiar soft hazel eyes, narrowing in mischief.

Gojo swallows thickly, eyes sliding from Suguru’s signature bun and bangs combo, to the tattoos that peek out from his black t-shirt, and the muscles that strain the said t-shirt.

Suguru looks good. No, MORE than good. He looks fucking delectable, giving Gojo the same expression he’d give when he’d catch Gojo stealing his clothes whenever Gojo had slept over.

Oh ho ho, Gojo was screwed.

“Sorry for the wait, Kento,” Geto says while smirking. “Ready for your consultation appointment?”

Gojo stands up abruptly, choking out a weak “yep” to Geto’s question while the rest of his mind is too scrambled to say anything else. Geto chuckles, lifting his chin slightly once he noticed Gojo had surpassed him in height.

“All right, follow me into the back.”

Once they arrive at Geto’s station, Gojo plops his bum onto the patient seat.

Geto rummages around for his sketchbook, lightly lecturing: “Whose poor soul did you commit identity fraud against, Satoru?”

Gojo gives a small smile, happy to see Geto isn’t angry with him. 

“A friend. And a co-worker,” Gojo answers, crossing a leg over the other. Geto hums, searching his station for a pen, a pencil, and a sharpie. 

“Where is work for you?” Geto asks. He pauses for a moment, then remembers he had placed the sharpie in his bun, and proceeds to pull it out.

“JR Tokyo Hospital.”

“In Shibuya?”

Gojo nods, eyes following the way Geto’s biceps bulge when he brings a water bottle to his mouth, gulping it down quickly.

“I’m in residency right now. Gonna be a neurosurgeon,” Gojo says.

Geto’s eyes widen, and he puts his water bottle down.

“A neurosurgeon? Satoru, that’s- that’s amazing,” Geto says, voice filled with awe. He scoots his roller-chair close enough so their knees are a hair away from touching. “I always knew you were going to excel at whatever you pursued. But neuroscience? God, that’s incredible. You’re incredible.”

“Okay, okay stop. Enough about me. Believe it or not, I’m very much interested in what you’ve been up to. A tattoo artist? You never talked about wanting to tattoo!” Gojo exclaims.

Geto’s eyes crinkle, becoming bashful under the slightest amount of praise. As per usual.

“Yeah, well, I must say it was quite a road to get to this point. Doesn’t feel real, sometimes. Getting to do art and make a living out of it? And also loving what I do? I never imagined it before either, trust me,” Geto says, gaze becoming softer as he reflects on the past decade of his life.

It’s bittersweet, thinking about how much time has passed, spent without Satoru by his side. 

It’s never too late though. Satoru is here now, in his shop, listening to his every word.

Satoru and his brilliant brain, and drive to be the best, bound to do great things, which now includes being a fucking neurosurgeon! He’s insane, Geto thinks. Insane in the best way possible. 

Geto is so proud of him.

“But we can save that story for another time. After all, it’s a tattoo consultation you’re here for, isn’t it?” Geto questions, readying his pencil on his sketch pad.

Gojo wants to melt into the ground. Can't Suguru just drop it already?

But after sending a pleading lookover to his former best friend, expressing that he did not fucking come all this way (into a tattoo parlor) for a stupid tattoo, Geto still won’t bite. 

He’s gonna make me say it, Gojo thinks with vengeance. This bastard.

“What if we…skip the consultation part and…just talk?” Gojo suggests. He belatedly shoots two finger guns Suguru’s way for effect.

Geto raises a brow. “But you paid for a consultation.”

“No, I paid for your time,” Gojo clarifies, leg bouncing nervously waiting for Geto’s reaction. “And I would love to use it to catch up.”

Geto’s blinks once, then twice. Slowly, a fond smile spreads across his lips. He puts down the sketch pad, pen, and pencil - and slips the sharpie back into his bun.

“There’s this cafe down the street that I know you’ll love. Give me five minutes and we can head over together,” Geto says, standing up to reset his station.

“Gah! You remember! I hope they have mochi, maybe some cheesecake!” Gojo cheers, standing up as well. He readjusts his pants that had slipped down a little while he sat, then makes his way back to the front.

A hand on his wrist stops him.

“Satoru,” Geto says in his honeyed voice. Crystal blue eyes lock on the face that’s been the subject of bone-deep nostalgia and yearning that’s already made a home in Gojo’s heart. “I’ve missed you.”

Instead of answering, Gojo wastes no time in wrapping his arms around Geto’s shoulders, bringing him in for a long hug. Geto melts into the hug, as if it was the most natural thing on earth, holding Gojo’s waist because he was precious precious precious. 

He still smells the same, Gojo thinks. A little more mature, a little more cinnamon-y, but still the same Suguru.

“I missed you more,” Gojo murmurs, nudging his nose in Geto’s neck. “I’m sorry for losing touch.”

“Don’t be. I didn’t do the best job either,” Geto responds, rubbing comfortingly up and down Gojo’s back. “But we’re here now. You found me again, Satoru.”

“Hehe, I did, didn’t I?”

《2》

[literallyjusttoa]

First thing first I LOVE your art style. Second your Apollo design and headcanons are amazing. And third I would love to see some kind of colored reference sheet of Apollo, because I would love to make Fanart of your design!

Ok I made a re-made a lil reference thing I made about a year ago with color for you! + I'll add some notes I keep in mind while drawing Apollo in different forms bc I'm kind of inconsistent with my art lol

Pre-ToA Apollo: Covered in jewelry, bc he's fancy like that. No shoes, I used to draw him wearing sandals but it was actually rly important in antiquity that the gods didn't wear shoes as a sign of their divinity, so no more of that. At most he wears cool gold anklets. I also use his chiton as a bit of a mood ring. When Apollo's is having a great time, it's gold or has gold accents. When he's in stressful situations, it's got more orange and red.

Lester: Shift all colors a bit closer to red, just for cool symbolism-y reasons. I've done blue-eyed Lester before, but I'm ngl brown-eyed Lester still holds my heart. Also the most consistent part of my Lester design is the red hoodie, I will never let that thing go. Lester is a short king, and he always, ALWAYS has some pudge. (I feel kind of bad bc I always draw him in a baggy hoodie so you can't tell sometimes, but I swear I always keep it in mind) I usually show time going on in the trials by adding scars, making the hair longer, and making him a little bit bigger (callback to my hc that all of the physical things Apollo saw as "flaws" got worse in the 5th book, but bc Apollo has grown as a person he genuinely doesn't notice/care as much)

Post-Toa Apollo: Everything is a mix of the first two designs. Two eye colors, two hair colors, clothes that are modern while still referencing antiquity. He even wears sandals, right in between barefoot and sneakers. This design changes a lot, but that's bc I think Apollo is still rapidly changing after the end of ToA, and figuring out how to settle back into himself. The only consistency is that I’ve drawn him wearing crop tops alot? I honestly can’t tell you the reasoning behind that it just keeps happening. So yeah, really with this one, go wild!

[corinnetheanime]

As promised by the poll, here is the entire first part of the prologue (first six pages) for Soul of Stardust! This will be pinned. Minor warning for ectoplasm (Danny is bleeding).

The change in style was mostly from the shift of Autodesk Sketchbook (first two pages) to Clip Studio Paint in March (last four pages). Also give a big thanks to @lonleyghostpostsart for coloring page 3! You did amazing and I’m happy to be able to show it here with the other pages finally! It looks great!

Sooooo about that delay…to be frank, my motivation has dipped in May since a lot of stuff happened that more or less drained me. And usually it negatively impacted my health in some way, or resulted in losing energy. But I am getting back into my old mojo long enough to also hopefully get an attack in tomorrow for Art Fight!!

As for the story, the plan after this is mainly to finish my notes for the story and basically make sure it’s all fleshed out before I plan out the second part of the prologue. I still have at least some of summer left to do that, and hopefully update more character designs AND concept art! But hoping to do this at my own pace and not feel pressured, haha! I have my own life ahead of me to write and draw it out.

Also, this comic takes place after D-Stabilized, but PP never happened. Meaning AGIT likely wouldn’t happen either. Just a heads up.

Enjoy!!

Part 1 Summary: Danny faces the First Ghost in battle in a dark realm.

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Hobie's Boathouse

The S.S Anne Ark

[Headcanon Concept]

Here it is in all it's Grungy Glory. [Mentions of OCs below - Including my girl Disco-Spider Diane]

About Anne Ark:

The S.S Anne Ark is a modified wide-beam canal boat. Completely off-the-grid, and DIY'd by him, it's Hobie's pride and joy. The Anne Ark is three levels tall - a 'ground' floor, and upstairs, and a locked basement below the deck. The Anne Ark has two 'bedrooms' and one 'bathroom'. Hobie's bedroom is what was once the control room, gutted and converted and the second bedroom was once a small equipment space. Hobie has had Anne for four years, and after years of homelessness as a street kid, he happily calls it his forever home.

The Rooms:

The Living Room - [ Read more about Hobie's Living Room HERE ]

Hobie's make-shift art studio/recording booth/library/cat play area, the Living Room is where Hobie spends most of his time. It features his ratty old couch from Tower Hamlets, a ceiling mic for recording, and Hobie's pride and joy - his jukebox.

Hobie's Workshop

To the left of the jukebox is a hallway that leads to Hobie's workshop, and the staircase down to his locked basement.

Hobie's workshop if full of rubbish and metal that he'll tinker away with for hours. In fact, he made every prototype of his watch in that workshop (and there were many prototypes). Despite what one may assume, it's impeccable in there. He also keeps some gear for protests, as well as somethings he's working on for Spider-punk (barbed wire webs anyone?) OCs: Diane hardly goes in there, blessed with organic webs and cursed with technological incompetence. But sometimes he does invite people like Angel and Ale in.

Outdoor Back Deck

The 1st floor Back Deck houses the main parts of the engine. Hobie maintains and upgrades it regularly, trying out things like clean energy, and emission free designs. ________________________________________________

Behind the cat tree in the photo of the living room, there is a staircase that leads up to the second floor. The stairs open to: Hobie's Bedroom

Covered in army green shag carpet and a king size bed, Hobie's bedroom is nowhere near as put together as his workshop. I mean, the guy uses an amp as a nightstand.

There's usually clothes everywhere, thrifted or hand-made, but there's also a set of bean-bag chairs, dozens of posters, and an old busted-up (but working) TV.

His room as a large window facing his bed, what was once the main window of the boat's control room. The second floor stairs open up into his room, with a glass sliding door to the left that leads to the hallway.

Gwen's Bedroom

Gwen's bedroom is barely that - but she still appreciates it more than anything in the world. Hobie understands how important it is to have your own space when housing insecure, so he wanted her to have somewhere cozy, especially know that sometimes Gwen just wants to be alone. Most of Gwen's stuff his here, and she only keeps her clothes at the Society dorms.

The Decks

Front A hot spot Diane is known to throw raging parties after the band plays, and if you're looking for an encore, head down to Floor 1 and look up - Hobie is known to drop the red banner and play a show or two up there. Or night's off, it's a great place to have a smoke. Back The best place to be. During parties, this is dancefloor. Plus, it's a good place for snogging and looking out on the water. When not in party mode, Hobie cooks most of his food on the outdoor stove and grill. Having dinner out while watching the waves. ____________________________________________ The Colors:

Like Hobie, Anne has a whole spectrum of colors - and it's affected by a whole number of things.

Ranging from black and white to full on rainbow (on one rare occasion - now THAT was trippy), Anne Ark changes color the moment Hobie, or someone else, steps on board.

Sometimes, it can even adopt the art style of those inside - running watercolor when Gwen is upset, or going full harsh-shadow when Noir comes aboard.

Every person has a different color, ranging from yellow for people like Percy and Sacha or pink for Angel.

The Cats:

(pictured are Moto (left), and Pierogi (right)) [Read more about The BoatCats HERE] Other cats he has are: Acid & Viper (siblings), Creampuff (named by Diane) _______________________________________________

FAQ:

What's in Hobie's locked basement?

I don't know. He won't tell me. But it's something that means a lot to him. The basement spans the entirety of the lower-level of the boat.

How many cats does Hobie own?

If you ask, he'll say he doesn't own any. They're free to come and go as they please, and none of them have collars. All of his cats are adopted street cats - either too old, or too weak, or those who just wanted to live with him.

But if you ask Diane, she'll say 5. He's been mentioning bringing aboard a 6th.

Does Diane live on the houseboat?

No. Diane has her own Barbie Dreamhouse - a.k.a an all pink apartment back home in 1294's Harlem. She divides most of her time either there, or at the Black Panther Chapter House she was raised in a block or two away. She rarely stays with Hobie (maybe once or twice a month), and since Hobie messes up her throw pillows and always takes something from her closet, he hardly stays with her either.

Does Gwen live on the houseboat?

Mostly, yes. She has a dorm back at Society, and she sleeps there about 3 days a week. But the rest (including all weekends) is at the houseboat. Does Hobie sail/fish?

Yes, he does both.

What are Hobie's favorite colors?

He hates consistency. But Green, Pink, and Orange.

____________________________________

Yeahhhhh so that's the houseboat. Whenever I mention Diane being on the boat, it's this I'm seeing :) And I just added in the favorite colors thing because why not

Welcome to my incredibly detailed mind palace of Hobie's house boat that does even look anything like the actual concept art lol

Stay as long as you like. Take your shoes off, make yourself comfortable. Hobie's grilling out back and Diane's making the Kool-Aid (sweet as hell for no reason smh).

Now per usual, take this photo of Hobie, and if the police ask about a boat or sumn tell em u aint seen shit ok

Bye.

_______________________ OCs mentioned:

Disco-Spider Diane @mothmothmothmothmothmoth 's Sacha

@thewolfsoul 's Percy

@onmyownside1 's Angel

@spidey-bie 's Ansi

@suchholydebauchery 's Asa

anon's Alejandro

(i think that all I mentioned lol)

[rapha-reads]

IWTV rewatch

Season 2 episode 1 [What Can The Damned Really Say to the Damned] - part 4/4

- And now... Mood shift, setting change, back to Dubai, 2022, and the 77 year-long lie. And lord oh lord, we jump right into it with the shot of the bedroom being a cell and Armand selling Louis' art without even telling him the works are up for sale. Greaaaat. This is gonna be fun.

[Louis] "'Could I see the pages we removed? Of Claudia's diaries?'

[Armand] 'We made an agreement.'

[Louis] 'I don't know what else is blurred or misremembered.'

[Armand] 'My name is in some of those pages.'

[Louis] 'I sit across from him and reckon with the knowledge I don't know what other misrememberings made into it. I won't share them with him but I need to read them again.'"

Brb, need to SCREAM. Oh, the control Armand us exercising over Louis... The way he micromanages every aspect of his life. The way Louis has to bargain for everything he wants, and the way he thanks (thanks!!!) Armand for every breadcrumb thrown his way. The way Armand cares more about his image, his reputation, his grip on Louis, than Louis' well-being and peace of soul and mind. And the way the scene is shot and designed, the bars behind the bed and the skyscraper settling, the lack of any colors and any homey furniture, the huge bed with an ocean separating them, contrasting with the comfy house and room of 1132 rue Royale, and how Lestat and Louis used to sleep entwined in each other's embrace... I will go mad.

- BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THE ENTRANCE HAND IN HAND, ARE THEY SERIOUS. Oh, this is too hilarious. And how they drop the hands as soon as they're seated, yeah, real convincing, fellas.

- Oh, Devil's Minion's crumb! Armand responding to Daniel by mimicking his "Yeah" and those big eyes looking so amused and fond at that old man. Couldn't care less about the Loumand, I'm here for the Devil's Minion. What a performance, Louis rubbing Armand's shoulder, lmao.

- Daniel shutting down Armand immediately is hilarious. "Sure, sire, you're on the record, but you still haven't made an appearance in the story so for now stfu and wait for your turn". No wonder Armand goes crazy about Daniel, that guy doesn't know how to be afraid. And second shoulder pat, Lou, hon... You're enjoying this, aren't you. You are enjoying the way Daniel puts Armand back in his place, something you haven't managed to do in years, despite what you both like to pretend.

- Oh, I love that piece of music! That one is "The Whole World Was Ready to Return" and it is gorgeous. It's played here, as Claudia and Louis go to Paris, and at the end, when Louis issues his threat/warning to the vampires in Dubai. Very thematic. The music in s2 is different from the music in s1, by the way. S1 soundtrack had very folk/blues undertones, New Orleans style, while s2 is much more orchestral/symphonic, Paris style. The music adapts itself to the setting, and I adore that. It gives so much more texture to the story.

- [Louis] "The war had turned off the lights, stripped its streets of their beauty, sent its avant-garde into exile. But now, the whole world was ready to return, to remake their lives. Pilgrims, on their hopeful way."

Nah, the avant-garde, at least artistic, was there, just, waaay underground or dangerously flirting with censorship and hidden meanings. In Paris itself during the war, there were several plays written and played against fascism while the Gestapo was patrolling the streets. Notably, though conflictingly, Jean Anouilh's famous "Antigone", in 1944, Josephine Baker singing and spying , as well as Sacha Guitry, who was arrested after the Liberation and accused of collaboration without any evidence, but who managed to save a lot of Jewish artists and personalities by playing double agent, or good ol' Sartre (who hilariously makes a cameo later on in the show) who writes a lot of stuff between '40 and' 44. Anyway. There's more but I ain't have time right now to do serious research. Back to Louis.

- [Louis] "'I wanna say something to you. I don't need to hear anything back I just need you to hear me. Hard words and soft words. The hard. Our life is shit. It's been shit. It is shit. It's gonna be shit again. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. No one's watching, no one cares. A shit life beats no life. But where we're going now we can't be running away again. Doesn't mean we forget what we saw. What she did in front of us. I see you going that way I'm gonna pull you back. I don't need that from you. As long as you walk the Earth, I'll never taste the fire, you understand me? We're going to find others like us. Aind if it ain't here, cos life is shit, or I fuck it up again, or you fuck it up, we'll go to the next place. We can't be the only good ones out there. Soft words. If you were the last vampire on Earth... it would be enough. It's you and me. Me and you. You and me. Me and you. You and me.'"

And my hallucination of your dead father.

Anyway that's his child, that's her parent.

Gotta give it to Louis tho, he doesn't lie. Embellishes, obfuscates, but lying, no. As long as Claudia's alive, he's not gonna try the sun. But if she dies... All bets are off.

Also Louis is right and hey, actually needed to hear that right now, thanks bae. Now someone needs to tell him back his own words, I think he needs to hear it back.

Episode insider:

Jacob talking about the heart full of sugar and how he spent the rest of the night on a sugar high is so adorable and hilarious when the part that comes next is Dreamstat. Also hey, "Dreamstat" was coined by Jacob himself, nice!

[Jacob] "Anne Rice's vampires are so human. This is kind of a departure from these sort of beautified, glamorous vampires. It's just really fun." - yeah, I like the glam vamp, but the monstrous vampire, a bit like Mike Flanagan does in Midnight Mass, is also a thrill.

Love Delainey saying she loved doing her stunts and all the physical stuff!

[Assad] "Armand wants to protect himself, but also wants to protect his relationship with Louis, what they have. He feels he has no choice except to come in, sharing the narrative with Louis." - yep. Protecting himself. Protecting what he has with Louis, even at the expanse of Louis' own will. Because what does Armand fear above all else? To be unloved. Not necessarily alone, like most vampires, but to be considered unlovable and unworthy of people's care. So if he can't be sure that people's feelings for him are genuine, he will orchestrate and manipulate them to tie them to himself. That's Armand's schtick.

season 1 masterpost

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

episode 2 | episode 3 | episode 4 | episode 5 | episode 6 | episode 7 | episode 8

[pjblob]

OC time! Prolly a bit early considering I made this tumblr alive again like a week ago but yk what i dont care.

Meet my PJ Masks OC Kitsu! To be honest, she was my first OC ever made… back then I was still trying to find a nice art style and I was too shy to make OCs. But yeah I saw other people making OCs so i was like “yo why not try it myself!”, so i made her back in 2017? 2018? Somewhere during season 3 of the show. She has gotten so many redesigns, but i’m pretty chill with this one for now :]

Her personality:

She is cunning and mischievous, always trying to find new ways of entertaining herself. She’s sharp-witted and a quick thinker, but can make very stupid decisions sometimes, especially when she’s full of herself. She normally can’t take criticism and will most likely take it as a joke, if not insult you back. She does love to tease people, trying to push them to their limits for the soul purpose of entertainment. She rarely takes anybody seriously, which is why she sees herself as higher than others. But below that, she’s very loyal and does care for the people she trusts the most.

She doesn’t know what her purpose is in this world, so she tries to just make the best of her experience by doing anything she wants. And the best way to do that is by causing conflict between everyone else. She’s not on anyone’s side really,, She will change sides depending on how fun it’ll be for her. Which does make her quite lonely at times. girly just needs some friends 😭😭💔

So her powers:

Kitsu has shape shifting powers, can take the form of anyone and anything she wants, but won’t inherit the powers of the one who’s trying to mimic. She can hold the form for as long as she likes. Her second power is Agility. She’s quite fast, can climb easily and dodge with no problem.

Now her backstory:

It’s pretty hard to talk about her backstory, because it’s very similar to munki-gu. Again, she was created wayy before him and it just so happened that the writers came up with the same idea. So I was kinda forced to change it 🥲

So in her verse, before mystery mountain was a floating island above the city, it was a part of a different universe. The mountain was on a land, where there was a village protected by 4 mountains, all on different sides of the land. The Dragon mountain of the East, the Vermilion Bird mountain of the South, the White Tiger mountain of the West and the Turtle mountain of the North(yes this is a reference to the four symbols, look it up). In the middle of these mountains was a town, which was protected by these mountains. An Yu lived on the dragon mountain. Since she was born of the “dragon blood”, she would be trained to become the protector of the mountain. (yes i have made designs for the other protectors too >:3)

There were loads of magical creatures living amongst the humans, most of which were harmful to them. So An Yu’s ancestors, having so much power and control, decided it would be best to imprison the creatures to prevent further harm. (hence why Munki-gu was imprisoned too) Kitsune’s were a big harm to society however, that their magical box prisons weren’t enough, considering they could shapeshift. So they decided to exterminate them all. An Yu witnessing all of it, decided to secretly save just one (that being Kitsu).

Years later, there was a war between the mountain guardians and ninjas, who wanted to steal their powers (I thought Night ninja and his ninjalinos could be descendants of them). It ended up in the universe getting completely destroyed, with An Yu having to sacrifice herself to save her mountain, getting imprisoned in the gong as a result. An Yu, after getting rescued, still held the burden of her ancestors imprisoning Kitsu’s species, so ashamed of their past actions, that she never tried to set Kitsu free. She was too scared to confront her, since she thought her and other magical creatures would rise against her and blame her for everything.

A few days after the PJ Masks rescue An Yu in the show, one day, they decide to give her a visit. While An Yu was showing the PJs around the pagoda, Catboy becomes a bit too curious and finds the box where Kitsu was imprisoned, accidentally letting her out in the process. When Kitsu was set free, she needed to give herself a new physical form, so she chose to mimic the first person to let her out, that being Catboy. But since she can only mimic the physical appearance of someone and not their powers, her “PJ Mask” suit didn’t include an animal symbol on her chest. Her suit can still light up when using her own powers though. Finally let out, she fled into the city, until she was ready to start causing mischief. After that, An Yu forbid the PJs from entering the mountain for a while, but still blaming herself for letting her guard down and letting Kitsu free.

so that’s what I have so far, the rest will be decided with time since the show is episodic annd literally anything can happen xd

hope u enjoyed reading this paragraph 🫶🫶ndhdhdhjd

[kusakabesimp]

Kusakabe's Hazy Moon - Jian Zhi and Tsuki no Ken Techniques

In my previous analysis post [here], I touched on Hazy Moon in the context of the Kusa vs Sukuna fight, but I'd like to go more in-depth to show the true genius of his swordsmanship. Kusakabe's expertise goes far beyond traditional Japanese martial arts and kenjutsu, and I want to highlight his remarkable ability to transition and blend various sword styles in real-time combat.

After Atsuya throws hands with Sukuna and dodges Dismantle, we see him make this move:

This is called Sword Hand—Jian Zhi (剑指), which is prevalent in Chinese martial arts but is known by different names in other martial arts around the world. The two extended fingers (index and middle) symbolize the blade of a sword, and the movement has several practical applications.

Directing Qi/Ki through the Body:

The fingers play a key role in directing the flow of vital energy (qi or ki) through the body. Jian Zhi can help concentrate this energy and enhance the precision and effectiveness of specific movements. This is the first reason Atsuya uses this gesture -- to gather cursed energy at his core and begin to direct it into his next attack.

Directing Qi/Ki through the Sword:

Just as Jian Zhi channels qi through the fingers, it can be directed through a blade. ***I'm breaking this application into smaller subsections, as each piece is connected to the overarching concept of Hazy Moon.***

Stability:

Jian Zhi helps maintain balance during complex techniques or transitions. As Kusakabe performs Jian Zhi mid-air, he conceals his broken katana in his suit jacket, holding it in his right hand. As he prepares to land, he quickly switches the jacket to his left hand, using Jian Zhi as a feint while also ensuring stability as he dodges another Dismantle and makes a safe landing.

Kusakabe's next movement has a different gesture with a different purpose.

Transition to Open Hand (Zhǎng Fǎ 掌法):

Kusakabe reveals the katana in his left hand, and his right (dominant) hand transitions from the Jian Zhi into an open-hand Zhǎng Fǎ gesture. He already channeled and focused his cursed energy with Jian Zi, and Zhǎng Fǎ leads us into Hazy Moon.

The purpose of Zhǎng Fǎ is to establish an initial point of contact for the gathered qi, then release and redirect it into the surrounding environment — in this case, Kusakabe's shattered blade. He draws the energy out from the break near the habaki and down to form the cursed blade.

Kusakabe uses techniques rooted in Chinese martial arts, but it is fascinating how he seamlessly blends them with his traditional kenjutsu.

Tsuki no Ken Technique:

While there hasn't been any official confirmation from Gege (as far as I know), I believe Kusakabe's Evening Moon Sword Drawing is based on Tsuki no Ken (月の剣), which draws inspiration from the moon and its changing phases. This sword style emphasizes controlled strength and precise timing rather than sheer power. Techniques often involve circular motions resembling the path of the moon, which can be used defensively to deflect energy or offensively to set up counterattacks.

Canon Kusakabe.  

But wait, it gets better.

Here are some techniques from Tsuki no Ken:

Mikazuki Giri (三日月斬り - Crescent Moon Cut): A crescent-shaped cut made with a wide, arcing motion to generate quick power and cover distance. Battō Sword Drawing in a nutshell.

Tsukikage Sen (月影閃 - Moon Shadow Flash): Quick, darting movements to close distance and strike with precision for rapid engagement and disengagement. We witnessed this several times during the Sukuna fight and once in combination with the technique below.

Shingetsu Arashi (新月嵐 - New Moon Storm): A calm, defensive stance suddenly bursts into a flurry of rapid, aggressive strikes. This technique is designed to surprise and overpower with a sudden shift in speed. See this in action in the fight with Sukuna below.

Mangetsu Gō (満月剛 - Full Moon Strength): Channels the user's full strength into a single, powerful blow, often aimed at a vital point. This was, in essence, Kusakabe's decisive finishing move as he aimed at Sukuna's injured heart.

That wraps up my analysis of Hazy Moon -- just another example of his genius. WE RESPECT KUSAKABE ATSUYA IN THIS HOUSE

[loud-sound]

(part 1 of part 2!!)

for shits n giggles, i tried my hand at redesigning dr stone characters (read: three)

i have too many emotions when it comes to this show's character design lmao. a vicious hate-love of the century

a couple of my process notes if anyone's interested: (vague spoilers up to season 3 of the anime)

there's a criminal lack of skin tones that i immediately wanted to take advantage of; and before Certain People start saying race-swapping; none is happening here, it's all just taking account of tanning and sunburns. sunscreen is a thing of the past here and a lot of time is spent outdoors in order to gather food

dramatic shifts in skin tones from what's given at birth happen pretty frequently in real life even with A/C and sunscreen; a huge missed opportunity to play with this in the color department methinks, but here we are (don't even get me started on the massive range of skin tones in east asian genetics alone)

so i played around a bit with contrast, nothing outlandish aside from giving Kohaku noticeable sunburns and freckles from (1) having caucasian blood in her to begin with and (2) not having access to any of the skin products our moderners would have

that being said, realism in the clothing color department was just about entirely thrown out the window. the blue dyes we know about are nowhere (naturally) near Japan, and here Ishigami village is in canon with deep navy on every villager; Inagaki and Boichi decided realism specifically here wasn't as important as color symbolism (which i personally think was a good creative decision), so cut me some slack-

so for colors it was just my personal taste on streamlining the palettes-

Gen in particular i thought would benefit from exposed shoulders without taking away how he needs bigger sleeves to hide shit up there. a lot of the guys have plain shirts and sleeves or just go shirtless entirely and i felt like it'd be fun to have him wear something in between to really push the magician/entertainer vibe

hairstyles were changed mostly to be easier to draw and to make their silhouettes just a bit easier to distinguish from each other. (hair colors were untouched except for Kohaku, purely because i have a personal preference for the more natural blonde color than any actual design significance lmao)

partial exception for Kohaku, cuz it annoyed me that the other characters say she has super thick, unruly hair...but then her hair is drawn no differently from everyone else's 💀

didn't wanna play into the stereotype of naturally curly hair being seen as something to be fixed (especially within the context of a makeover-), so i tried to imply chronically unbrushed hairdsjfsdf

can you tell from how many bullets are here about Kohaku how i feel about her design? last thing: body types.

Gen is supposed to be significantly tall, Kohaku is one of the strongest characters while being one of the shortest; it is very hard to tell that from their designs alone. it's mostly just the limitations of Boichi's art style,,,proportions that's i'm aware is nitpicky, but i wanted to show it here anyway 💀💀💀

smth smth disclaimer about subjectivitydsfsdfsd-

uhhhh, congrats for reading all that, have some silhouettes!