#it is more fun when it is complex

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Happy one year anniversary to In Stars and Time!

[voiice-of-the-soul]

It irritates me alot when people say that making medic more compassionate is ''missing the point of his character'' when he is literally shown to be in the comics.... did you miss the part where he showed concern for both sniper and miss pauling's well being in comic 5 and 6.

His actions are a combination of genuine attachment + clinical interest and these things do not cancel out one another. He is always pushing boundaries and going against the grain and i think this is what led to him losing his license in the first place. He felt stifled by the rules imposed on him.

He is shown to be extremely passionate so it makes sense that he would use his endless fascination with medicine as a way to show his affection. He loves his friends so he will find a way to make them borderline indestructible. Malpractice is his love language.

[arcanegifs]

Here's more comparisons of Arcane Gifs before and after I color and sharpen em!

[sebille]

Oh the little change in his expression

[angelwishess]

Kyra’s Design & Symbolism

I just wanted to ramble about how I designed Kyra, and all of the tiny details behind why I did so! Hehe!!

Inspiration

First of all— Why did I base her on the Disney Princess Stereotype?

If you think about it, its honestly perfect. Someone thats based on the Disney Princess Stereotype, trapped in a school of villains and unable to escape??? Its hilariously perfect, and such a good way to poke fun at tropes. Shes quite literally the perfect “Damsel in Distress” , especially how shes always somehow involved in each and every overblot.

It was pretty interesting and fittingly cliche. It feeds into the whole “damnsel in distress, captured by the villlain!” Cliche, and it kind of pokes fun at the fact many stereotypical princesses in media usually find themselves in unsavory situations, and need to be “saved”.

I will continue to expand on this more— but I also wanted to make it obvious that Kyra does not belong at NRC.

I wanted to make sure she stands out somehow, just to make it obvious that Kyra does not belong here, and was never meant to be at NRC in the first place.

A princess in a school of villains… Its just too funny of a concept to pass up!

General Design

Like I said earlier, Kyra was designed with the goal to stand out. To make it obvious that she doesn’t belong at NRC at all, and be the complete opposite of most of the NRC cast.

Kyra is meant to oppose NRC itself. She goes against what NRC represents, and the student body itself as “villains”.

A magicless student in an academy for mages, a foolishly selfless and (mostly—) humble girl surrounded by prideful students, a representation of light in a place that is a place of darkness as the “Villains’ World”.

Kyra is meant to stand out not only as my technical “MC”, but also to represent and have her as a symbol for change at NRC. With her arrival to NRC, and through the events of the main storyline, Kyra obviously has an effect on everyone she meets, and somehow I wanted to make sure that when you see her, it was someone you’d never forget. Not just from her actions, but from how memorable she is in general.

Even her name, Kyra, was purposeful. Depending on what language you check, it has different meanings, but every one of them suit her perfectly.

In Greek, the origin language for her name, it means “Queen”, “Ruler”, “Lord” or “Lady”; yet in Japanese it can mean “Glittering” or “Shiny”.

And in many other languages, Kyra has other meanings.

“Sun”, “Far-Sighted” and “Throne” in Persian, “Beam of Light” in Sanskrit, “Leader Of The People”, “Beloved”, “The One People Look To” in Russian, and “Beloved”, “Precious”, “Valuable” in Turkish.

I could go into detail on how all of these meanings fit her perfectly, but this post would get too long HAHAHAH

While Kyra is meant to oppose the NRC cast in some way, she was specifically designed and written in a way to directly parallel Malleus. I will make a post talking about how and why, and when I do I’ll link it Here!!

In a nutshell: Kyra was designed with the intent of being a contrast to NRC itself. She was designed and written in a way that is meant to set her apart from the cast, not only as the technical “MC” as my Yuusona, but also because of what shes based on.

But !!! She is also meant to be a physical representation of change at NRC. Of new beginnings, and love.

Color Scheme

Besides Pink and White being my favorite colors (SHHH IGNORE THAT FACT FOR NOW!!) — Kyra’s color scheme is actually meant to parallel Malleus. Like I said before, they are direct parallels personality and lorewise, and I wanted to show their parallels even through their designs.

Black and White are obvious opposites; Pink and Green are also directly across from eachother in the color wheel!

Buut, its also meant to parallel Disney Villains in general! Like I mentioned before, she is meant to parallel NRC and, by extension, the student body. See, one of Disney’s favorite things to do for their villains is using a bright green when animating scenes with their villains.

Soo, it was just too perfect and fitting to pass up!

That, alongside the main color for NRC being black, gave me the perfect idea. It fits so well, as the symbolism of both the colors pink and white perfectly fit Kyra’s entire concept! Her color scheme is not only the opposite of Malleus’, but also the colors commonly used for Disney villains in general.

White being a famous symbol of purity and innocence, and hints to the naive, innocent, sheltered princess stereotype.

Pink being a famous symbol for femininity, love and compassion. It is also very affiliated with princesses.

Furthermore, white also symbolizes perfection, honesty and beginnings.

Uniform Design

Oh lawwdd here we go… *cracks knuckles*

Kyra’s uniform is, again, supposed to somehow represent how she doesn’t “belong” at NRC despite wearing the uniform. Its heavily customized, and also represents her love for fashion and her desire to express herself.

Kyra’s uniform is mainly inspired by two kinds of fashion. Lolita fashion and Himekaji fashion!

Her sleeves are inspired by Lolita fashion, while her cropped jacket, innershirt and skirt are all inspired by Himekaji, a Gyaru substyle!

Himekaji is actually her main inspiration, and I have a few different reasons! Though, one is just because it suits her perfectly, theres one other!

“Himekaji” when directly translated, is “Princess — Casual”. And Kyra IS a princess trying to act casual and hide her royal background. Its a funny little way to hint at something, but its a fun fact I love about Kyra hehe

Furthermore, both Lolita fashion and Gyaru fashion are alternative fashion styles meant to fight back against the usual beauty standard and societal norms! Both are styles meant to represent dressing up for fun and for yourself, and not for others.

Lolita Fashion~

Additionally, Japanese culture emphasises the importance of motherhood as a “sacred mission” and discourages women from pursuing a career as it distracts her from her main task of motherhood and running the family home.

Thus girls and women who wear Lolita are rejecting the societal expectation of low-importance careers and homemaking in favour of a fantasy in which they can “fulfill their own sense of princess-like aesthetic beauty” and avoid growing up in a more mundane world.

Lolita fashion appears to be a rejection of societal expectations in favour of a luxurious, responsibility-free life.

Hehe, get it? Kyra was told her whole life her only purpose in life was to be beautiful and get married. She lacked any sense of identity other than the one that was forced upon her— and now, she dons a sense of fashion that is deeply rooted in fighting against those exact same ideals!

Gyaru Fashion~

The term “Gyaru” In Japan is usually used to refer to young women who are cheerful, sociable, and willing to convey their feelings and emotions through actions such as adopting trendy fashions.

The fashion subculture was considered to be nonconformist and a rebelling against Japanese social and aesthetic standards during a time when women were expected to be housewives

Also!— Gyaru girls in particular, are often associated with a carefree and rebellious spirit, challenging traditional Japanese norms of appearance and behavior. This ties in very well with Kyra’s own views of living, and which is why I made her main style lean more towards Himekaji, yet still made sure that there are hints of lolita fashion in her outfits, too!

In short— both of the fashion cultures I took most inspiration for with Kyra’s style both were created with the intent to rebel against what was expected of women in society.

Its kind of silly, but I thought it’d be a really fun way of representing who Kyra is and even hinting parts of her backstory through her uniform!!

Coffin Symbol

Man I really need to remake this😭😭

You might be thinking— “A dove? Isn’t that kind of random??” And, yes, thats what I thought too at first.

But, the thing is, even if Kyra’s character began as being inspired by the Disney Princess Stereotype; Kyra herself has her own story. And if I gave her a symbol that resembled her background and status of royalty, that would just completely throw away her entire character.

While Kyra may be royalty, during the course of the storyline she is actively trying to get away from it. Of course, it will always be part of her, and you can’t erase the past. But she strives to be more than just her beauty, and more than just her status.

And so, I decided to give her a symbol that represented who she truly is perfectly. A symbol of who she is and what she believes in.

Birds in general are a famous symbol of freedom. Something that is vital to Kyra’s character development and beliefs.

But ! I decided on a dove specifically because it represented her own beliefs the best, but also her role in the main storyline.

The dove has always been a famous synbol connected to the heavens. But it is also a symbol of peace, inner tranquility, harmony, purity, as well as love and freedom.

Personally, have always seen doves as a symbol for a new, prosperous era. The dove is the perfect symbol for Kyra! Freedom, love, and rebirth is everything she values and believes to most.

Similarly, ever since coming to NRC she's brought with her a new era of renewal. Spreading love wherever she goes whether people realize it or not, her effect on others is undeniable!

Honestly, the reason I chose the dove is also because of the story from the Bible with Noah’s arc.

Genesis 8:6-12: After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark.

He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.

This story is why the dove in her symbol is specifically holding an olive branch! The dove being the symbol of the coming of a new era after a great disaster, isn’t it fitting?

Anyways— Another reason that I have is that, again, I wanted her to somehow act as a parallel/opposite to the NRC cast. While NRC is represented by a raven, I simply thought it’d be fitting for Kyra to be represented by a white bird.

Its also a way for me to once again poke fun at stereotypes. Ravens are commonly seen as bad omens and “evil” in media, while doves are much more praised and beloved and commonly related to the heavens.

Buut !!! There is more !!! Continuing on my raven - dove symbolism…

Ravens are often symbols of death, while Doves are symbols of rebirth.

If it wasnt obvious already, I really like it when there are parallels within themes and characters WHAHAHAHA

Kyra herself is going through a period of rebirth and renewal throughout the main storyline. She is slowly discovering herself and the life she wants to lead, thus beginning her new, personal journey of life.

While she helps others— they help her, too. Without even realizing it.

Kyra’s character development focuses on Freedom, Love (romantic, platonic, self-love and familial—), Rebirth/New beginnings, Inner peace, and Hope in spite of a terrible past. Remaining full of love and hope regardless of the situation, and slowly coming to terms with who she is as a person.

HOLYY YAAPP😭😭 I put in a little TOO much thought into Kyra’s silly self methinks… only for me to mostly post only crack about her LMFAOOO

@screamintoad since I yapped to u abt this before hehe …

[celtrist]

Controversial opinion: Vox's design sucks

...

Because he should be wearing a NORMAL TIE. not a BOWTIE. It would:

Add to his businessman persona

Give a place for that wifi symbol to go that isn't awkward

Be a good opposing design to Alastor's bowtie

Potentially give the idea he's moved away (or attempting to) from Alastor. Especially if they had it that Vox USED to wear a bowtie.

Also, we joke about it but seriously, why does everyone have a bowtie when it doesn't make sense for some characters like Husk--

I rest my case your honors.

...

Rebuttle:

Vox having the bowtie could signify him latching onto his past with Alastor and not being able to move on

[g0tmilkx3]

new fandom culture is interesting especially surrounding shipping. specifically with wicked why do so maybe fans think canon ships are the only legitimate or acceptable ones?

[chickenchirps27]

Bill is so special to me I just want to study him under a microscope and watch him make bad decisions.

[andhumanslovedstories]

New Chapter ft. Bad Coping

[Emotionally devastate a disciple. +50 B-Points.]

[Welcome back to the plot! This System was wondering when the pacing would pick up again.]

“He’ll be fine.”

[Trait: Poison Tongue. You’re never unarmed. In conversations, you have an instinctive sense for the most hurtful thing you could say.]

“Shut up.” Shen Qingqiu was slumped over his desk, his head buried in his arms. He couldn’t stay like this for long. It was too comfortable a position. He couldn’t risk falling asleep. At the same time, wow, his arms sure made a nice pillow.

[Trait: Ambusher. Win the fight before it even starts. Gain a significant bonus on all actions against a currently non-hostile enemy.]

[sk-yay-sk]

I've gotta say I'm not a huge fan of putting Dragonese into the HTTYD movie franchise. The concept of a full-on dragon language they all share, that can just easily be translated into English, just really doesn't fit imo

I imagine they're a lot more like Orcas

There are universal ways to communicate with strangers of different species, like it's pretty easy to signal things like "i want to fight you" "i want you to leave" "it's dangerous here" "i'm in pain" etc. by just body language and vocalizations- but ways to communicate more complex ideas have to be developed and learned as unique dialects by different groups, especially flocks of dragons consisting of different species.

I imagine a terrible terror flock or a group of Speed Stingers have a lot of an easier time communicating with each other than a Thunderdrum and a whispering death do.

Dragons with their own dialects, cultures, and habits depending on location and group is really cool- I just don't think it should be a direct translation of how humans do these things, such as straight up language or mythologies or such.

[shannonsketches]

I grabbed a bunch of caps for that last post so here's a few more in my favorite genre of bejíta

[molagboop]

Noise game.

[sysig]

Maybe something with Mousey being jealous of Hunter and Smoker for one reason or another? hehe

Day 7 - There might be a reason for that

Bonus:

[averlym]

litany of the martyrs (click for better resolution!)

[d8tl55c]

oh boy !! ! ! ! !!! ! thANK y0u all for the kind words on my last art posts. you all get it and i was/still am so happy about it

as promised, here's some close-ups of the comic for image quality's sake, and other screenshots i rescued from the community whiteboard (and something else)

first up another sketch of mystery gender-ambiguous being. (please send me more name ideas for them if you got one- i like to hear em! (reminder it's the side character that appeared for <10 seconds in AvM Ep. 30))

a few fav scenes

emotional support cwab

they weren't meant for this purpose exactly, but i do have countless "fluffy sticks" loose in my notes and homework sheets from the school years.

papery critter.

even when i wasn't confident in fur or feathers, they helped me practice posing and create some satisfying gradients/flowing poses. (im a sucker for good tail poses) (oh yay! i found a good pic...)

and finally, little sneak peak for you for reading so far ;3

i realized that whiteboardfox is pretty great for my working needs. simple and to the point and all. feels nice with the mouse and the tablet.

so i started hashing out a big project idea just to see if it holds up and

[

several hours later ...

]

oh

oh man

it's a little bigger than i expected

<next>

[jackklinemybeloved]

Will the umbrella academy writers ever remember that being a monkey man is not actually Luther’s power? The world will never know.