#no seriously i have no idea what a catboy is

[everythingsinred]

Sorry-- this is about the poll post you reblogged:

Natsume was in a poll??? A catboy poll??? He's not even a catboy!! The stupid fecking mask isn't even something he wants to wear, and he doesn't even wear it for most of the series rrraaahhhhhh I'm gonna go flip a table

i'm kinda unreasonably ticked off by that idk why

he was indeed in a catboy poll. i understand why you'd be a lil annoyed bc yeah the cat mask isn't his choice. i do believe he IS catlike anyway, just based on his behavior (he is a cat, really)... but im gonna be entirely honest i dont really know what a catboy is supposed to be. i'm not really hip w the kids.... lol. like, is it a boy who acts like a cat? bc then... yes he could fit bc he's catlike in his personality. not even in a cringe way. or is a catboy a boy who dresses as a cat? bc if thats the case, then no he shouldnt win on the basis of the cat mask being a torture device, etc (tho i DO wish he wore it more bc it was supposed to be his symbol and he was supposed to wear it on all his missions and tbh it feels like higuchi tachibana just forgot abt it and that bugs me).

i think natsume deserves to win whatever poll he's in just because he's perfect, but it's a little unfair to pit him against much more popular characters from trending anime. i'd rather ppl just NOT include him, especially since he was only included to create more rounds on the poll, not bc op actually cared abt him as a character, but i can't enforce that even if i wanted to so. cest la vie and all that.

[grimmjowjaegerjaquez]

i very much subscribe to the idea that outside of the ones where its pretty much confirmed they are a single personality (think szayel and yylfordt in like. the light novels), most of the arrancar are pretty much an amalgamation of everything theyve eaten and become an individual force/personality over time. HOWEVER i do enjoy the idea of grimmjow being some like. british punk from the 70s-80s. and im pretty sure thats billy idol's fault lol

[circuscountdowns]

Hello! I’ve sent messages before (such as asking about the bishops’ fate much later in the timeline) but this is my first time asking something off of anonymous!

During the 1000 years or so they lived as mortals, did your lamb and the bishops eventually consider each other friends?* Playing Knucklebones together makes me guess “yes”, but well

Your comment about the lamb slowly waiting for them to request natural deaths made me curious

*In what I assume is a complicated sort of way for obvious reasons

oh yes I loved that ask! I thought about it the whole time i was working on that comic! (And to answer that second half oops) Aym and Baal got whatever Forneus got going on that keeps her alive, and traveled overseas after their explorations of the land of Old Faith. After that contact was lost, and Lamb and Narinder were never really sure what happened to them. They Empty Nest Narinder’s ass in a whole new way asdfghjkl he’d never have to grieve their death really just their departure (if they ever do die idk I’ll leave that open. Makes me sad to think of kitties dying :( skdjsksj)

Friends is a fun word. I think the idea of friends implies choice, and for the Lamb there really was no choice. Complete in-laws situations. The bishops are more than just ex-gods they wish to punish, they’re their catboy’s siblings. And though for a while Narinder tried to cold-shoulder the Bishops, that’s still he family and the cult is only so big. At one point you cross paths on the way to the outhouse yknow. Does the Lamb feel a kinship with these last few people to experience Godhood? Yes. Do they see themself a lot in Shamura and hate them with every fiber of their being? Yes. Are they going to make sure their injury is treated seriously and they get whatever they need? Yes. Are they a little sad when the day comes they ask for death? Sad for Narinder’s sake.

At the very least they were all comfortable together and it brought entertainment. With how long the bishops have been alive, they bring a lot of funny stories to the table.

Heket to the day she dies remains Lamb Hater #1. They may have introduced her to her wife (who IS actually friends with the Lamb. Go figure), but she can hold a grudge like no ones business. It is on sight insult the moment Lamb’s in the room. But also if the knucklebones tournament taking too long, she’s taking the lamb’s bed for herself everyone else get da floor.

leshy has chronic youngest brother disease and it works on the lamb begrudgingly. As long as he stays funny, he can probably get away with a lot. Kallamar is just content to be alive and will push at Lamb’s patience as far as it can go. Shamura sometimes forgets why they should hate the lamb and sees only the thing that makes Narinder happy.

leshy dies once on a mission and it is to the lamb’s delight when the bishops look at them with clenched fists and a blasphemous (to the Old Faith’s beliefs) demand on the tip of their tongues.

this is longer than it needed to be I just love complicated dynamics. I can talk about it for hours. Thanks for the asks!!! <3

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

Art References for Chapter 4 of underneath of your sunrise (show me where your love lies)

(Is this the longest one yet? Maybe. Listen, this was the finale, I went all out.)

Paloma à la Guitare, Françoise Gilot, 1965

"But Monty also thinks about Francoise Gilot, an accomplished painter in her own right. She and Picasso spent ten years together, him cold and distant and cruel, but in the end, she was the one who left him. There was this one friend of the family, Antony Penrose, who said that it was “proof that she never gave up her own spirit.”

And despite two years of letting Tommy color his relationship with Charles and Edwin, Monty’s not going to do that anymore."

Apocalypse Tapestry, Jean Bondol and Nicholas Bataille, 1377-1382

"Monty’s fingers drum against the steering wheel. Just because he logically knows that things are alright- that they are more than alright- he can’t help the slight sting of unease, of doubt, of insecurity that is sewn through him like revelations through the Apocalypse Tapestry."

Arches of the Great Mosque of Córdoba, 785-787

"Because to be touched like this, to be bare beneath their attention, their touch, is like the first time he stood inside of a mosque, looking up at the arches, understanding how geometry could truly be divine."

Persian Ceiling, Dave Chihuly, 2008

"Though, of course, nothing takes Monty’s breath away like the two men highlighted by the glimmers of blue and green and yellow and orange reflecting and refracting off the sculptures above their heads, like walking beneath the kaleidoscope swimming above their heads in an aquarium."

Woman In A Yellow Dress, Max Kurzweil, 1899

"Monty is pushed back against the bed, laid out like a yellow dress draped over a Kurzweil lady, and he goes without protest. He goes with fucking reverence."

Electric Fan (Feel It, Motherfuckers), John S. Boskovich, 1997

"Such an idea would have been staggering a couple of weeks ago. It would have been impossible to believe, like someone trying to argue that modern art is garbage, seriously, have you ever seen Boskovich's Electric Fan (Feel It Motherfuckers) and not felt the absolute agony of the ghosts of your community screaming out at you louder than any painting ever has?"

Madonna painting on caterpillar silk, Chester Cathedral

"He feels as fragile as a gossamer painting, art painted on delicate cobwebs, as he catches his breath."

Radha and Krishna Walk in a Flowering Grove, the Kota Master, c. 1720

"The woman looks rather familiar. In fact, Monty’s pretty sure he’s seen her photo in their apartment, all long dark hair, a striking profile, and warm, familiar brown eyes, as beautiful as Krishna walking in the garden with Radha- if Krishna’s golden earrings gleamed against a pea coat."

At the Moulin Rouge- The Dance, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1890

"This is what Kala and Edwin walk in on: Charles dipping Monty in the middle of the kitchen, helpless laughter spilling from Monty's lips, like two dancers in a Lautrec painting of the Moulin Rouge."

@deadboy-edwin @icecreambrownies @anonymousbooknerd-universe @ashildrs

@tragedy-machine @just-existing-as-you-do-blog @orpheusetude @mj-irvine-selby

@pappelsiin @itsbitmxdinhere @rexrevri @sweet-like-h0ney-lavender @saffirez

@the-ipre @sunnylemonss @days-light @agentearthling @helltechnicality

@sethlost @catboy-cabin @secretlyafiveheadeddragon @vyther15

@anything-thats-rock-and-roll @queen-of-hobgobblers @every-moment-a-different-sound

@nix-nihili @mellxncollie @tumblerislovetumblerislife @lemurafraidofthunder

@likemmmcookies @wr0temyway0ut @thelakeswillbreakourfall

[velvetvexations]

I went to check out that post from strawberry-crocodile mentioned from another anon.. and it was a reblog which doesn't really matter but the thing that threw me for a loop was that like

She claimed that 'men' (where she just mean transmen) are stealing terms and ideas from transwomen and making them for men.. and one of the ones she brought up as an example is... Catboy??? Like transmen stole catgirl and make it for men and how dare they do that >:(

I honestly lost my shit over this.. she said it so seriously to. Like using the term catboy is honestly causing problems for literally anyone.

The only one she brought up was the term himbo??? Which like.. I feel like himbo wasnt made by men and I useally hear straight women using it?? And even then is bimbo really a super important word? Since like it's useally used as an insult. If anything I would think it's more misogynistic to call a women a bimbo when she doesn't want to.. then the word himbo just.. existing.

Plus like so much of the shit over the force masc is just.. it's a kink... That they don't have? Also like.. I thought we as a trans community agreed that people shouldn't be judged for the kinks they have?? But I guess that goes out the fucking window the moment it's a trans person they don't like.

It's completely insanely delusional on a scale not thought possible before now. I wish I had more to say because it's such a basic point but what else can be said about "the term catboy is appropriation". It makes me want to slam my head through a wall.

Also, yeah, the kink hypocrisy is SO ANNOYING. Especially because the person people are mad about it at was simply indulging his girlfriend's kink.

[crispys-records]

a very normal post abt meifwas

im just airing out my meifwa thoughts and concerns as a certified catboy

for starters all meifwas being japanese isn't something i ever rlly want to subscribe to. all meifwas being some part asian is slightly more plausible, bc there are just so many asians in the world yk. but like japanese? no. there are cats everywhere. it only makes sense there would also be catppl everywhere.

thats why juno is pinoy and puertorican. i was gonna make him chinese and ecuadorian (like i am) but i have way too many chinese-ecuadorian ocs haha.

and im so sad that theres not enough information on meifwas in canon!! like what do we know:

they use magicks

they can turn other ppl into meifwas temporarily with curses and potions

they are like cats

THATS IT??? no cultural specifics, no societal norms and taboos, no mythology or historical understanding, NOTHING. youd THINK for someone who gets turned into a meifwa and/or a cat multiple times throughout mystreet, thered be more importance on this race!! for crying out loud, there are only 4 ish races in this stupid world. catppl. dogppl. regular degular humans. demons. the focus on werewolves is so out of left field to me and i dont get it. seriously, what is this

plus the antagonism and overall weirdness of them is so strange. and its not even well written either. like you can tell not all meifwas are inherently evil. its just that every time they decide to add a meifwa character, theyre either very strange, actively antagonizing aphmau, or just forgettable. i am a meifwa defender and i will not stand for this

ok yeah thats all i got. eventually ill get my thoughts together enough to write my own thoughts and ideas on meifwa culture and biology, but its 9 pm and its too late to put my thinking cap on

[favouritefi]

If you’re happy to, please could you drop the lore for sexual mores of the catboy AU?

And a Happy New Year!

happy new yearrrr

ok so when i first tried to write this i ended up regurgitating foucault and david halperin and rictor norton and then i was like "oh my god im not gonna write a history essay as the prelude for lore about my catboys au thats a crazy thing to do" so im just gonna assume ppl know about the established literature on victorian sexuality and the pathologization / invention of the homosexual and jump right into how i think catboys fit into that:

legally cat/dogboys cannot be prosecuted for their actions because they lack moral agency. they can't be charged with buggery, that would be like charging a horse with buggery, but on the flip side of that they can be put down without trial or just cause, you don't trial a horse for trampling someone to death, you just kill it. which is all to say that homosexual acts between cat/dogboys are generally permitted and permissible EXCEPT if it causes what humans might consider to be harm. eg. your annoying orange catboy keeps seducing my guard-dogboys and distracting them from their duties if you do not control him i will shoot him the next time he is on my property etc.

theres also a patronizing element of "aw look how cute they are trying to mimic human courting" and the idea that cat/dogpeople aren't capable of the depth of love humans are capable of so their samesex relationships aren't a threat to society because their relationships generally speaking aren't taken seriously. i mean, this is a world where you give birth to children knowing you won't get to keep them and you get studded out like a turkey baster, its fucked up to the nth degree. before you start worrying about "will they hate me for having a boyfriend" first you gotta wonder "will they acknowledge that i am capable of having sexual autonomy and forming meaningful relationships that are not based on animal instincts" (the answer is no).

[mastercrownmonday]

Without further ado (Kirby reference?!): new Mistilteinn pfp!!! Magolor Soul banner is still on the way.

If you don't remember (and I wouldn't blame you), the subject of this pfp was decided in March with a poll. I haven't really commented on the results yet—so if you want to see my thoughts and ALSO discover the lore behind my love for the Master Crown, read on, because it has a whole lot to do with this titanic and terrible tree!!!

Here are the results for your reference. There were 48 votes:

I guess I was slightly? ish? surprised Mistilteinn won; I had my not-so-strong bets on Magolor Soul, which came in second. But hey! The ranking was a nice surprise, because clearly the BEST Master Crown is the Master Crown, pure and simple—without some... begrudgingly hijacked, weak-willed catboy wizard in the mix.

I didn't vote officially, but I did ask myself the question: which Master Crown is best!? And I think, if I had voted... I might have gone with the tiny, classic version. (I guess that's why I had to sneak it into the pfp anyway.) I mean, it's so cute! I am sure it would never become a literal accessory to any sort of evil!

If I remember correctly, @katlynthecat bravely arrived on the last day of voting to represent the OG MC. I was happy it got at least one vote, so special thanks to you :)

I was also pleasantly surprised that every form got a vote. Even the cutscene-exclusive Crown shards (which is actually a really cool form imo. it's ominous: inexplicably moving and spitting out a magic aura but showing no other signs of life. spooky)!

With all that in mind, I still don't know if I could pick any one of the Crown's forms as the true overlord. The tree has the most historical significance, though, because the Kirby buzz that RTDLDX caused is what got me seriously invested in the series again (I've been a longtime fan off and on).

Clearly, I was a weakling in terms of Kirby extended lore expertise, because at that point I knew nothing about RTDL and I had never heard of this Magolor character. He seemed popular though. Wonder what his deal is.

...OH! So that's why everyone jokes about the fandom having trust issues from multiple adorable offenders. (I did already know all about Marx. Gotta love that guy.)

Hey... wait a minute. Is the boss of Magolor's game mode... the very artifact that consumed his soul? That's pretty metal. I guess it's sapient? A living little conglomerate of hatred, back after over a decade to torment the fandom darling? Though it would earn no thanks... no acknowledgement... it crafted a perfect, Bible-referencing hellscape for Magolor's torment, returning long after time had forgotten its days as the big bad to prove to theorists once and for all that it was alive, it was autonomous, and it was angry!?

...I had to respect that. I respected that a lot, actually. I liked Magolor but I liked the Crown even more. (That renewed passion for the Kirby series is actually what brought me here to Tumblr!)

For a little comparison, here are some of my first drawings of the Master Crown (circa June last year?) compared to this most recent one:

In the left image, you can actually see the first inklings of Master Crown Soul! 😳 It didn't take me long to start cooking up some ideas to flesh out its backstory, and I think the design and themes have come a long way since then. (some of which anyone interested will eventually get to experience in all their glory via my fic. prommies)

In summary: thanks for growing on me, Mistilteinn, and congratulations! It's a great day to be a tree-hugger :)

[downtroddendeity]

All these people reblogging my NNK2 thread and tagging it "WHAT???" have no idea. They haven't seen HALF of my Rolandposting. They don't know his son has daddy issues and thinks his fantasy outfit looks stupid. They don't know he has an awkward smile so gruesome that I cannot believe it wasn't an electoral liability, and that the catboy starts imitating it. They don't know about the time Leander was very seriously explaining that another country relies not on magic, but on a mysterious arcane art known as "science," and Roland's poker face didn't so much as budge. They don't even know about that time he slew a dragon over a grudge against some kids in elementary school. This is like Underappreciated Drac Facts all over again. :::')))

[yandere-daydreams]

Not too sure if you keep up with jp twst updates but have you seen the new Halloween update with the fox dude, Honest Fellow? (Yes that's his name, I'm just gonna call him honest John cause his name's an adjective). I am seriously loving how expressive he is, his devious expressions are so good

i am keeping very up to date with what y'all are doing over there and so far i've been delighted by the idea that, while half of the school's named population is experiencing a prolonged hatecrime in a french catholic school, the other half will be running away to nonconsensual join a circus led by a catboy and nick wilde's humansona. i don't know enough about him to have any major thoughts, but rollo was so fun and it seems like they'll be going just as hard for this event as they did for the glorious masquerade. any event with an ortho ssr is bound to slap and i have no reason to doubt that honest fellow (because i refuse to disrespect such a brave naming choice) will contribute to that.

i don't usually read translations for events but i think i might at least find a summary or something, this time. there's just something about a deceptively charming ringleader with a habit of luring people into his pocket-reality fantasy land that feels like it would go really well with what i do here.

[scottyfreaks]

I am in fact going down the list of mobs in minecraft to make ideas from

Allay - done, set free into the world for others to expand on

Armadillo - newest mob will think on this later

Axolotl - haven't considered this before...

but it would be cute!!!

Scott living in a lush cave, swimming in the shallow pools until suddenly a player mines into his home

and since they discovered him, it's only fair that they get to keep him, right?

Bat - this is just vampire scott, honestly a spectacular version of scott I'd let him suck my blood any day, I'm sure everyone agrees and those who don't can be made to see the error of their ways. I really need a fic where vampire scott drinks jimmy's blood, expecially during afterlife smp and then he kidnaps jimmy, I need it sooo bad I'm probably going to end up writing it

Camel - uhhhhhhhh no idea

Cat - catboy scott, give me catboy scott, that catboy is yowling in the rain, that catboy is purring by the fire, that cat boy is fucking someone with his barbed dick, that catboy is getting pounded by someone, catboy scott brings his friends dead birds and rodents he caught and killed himself as a sign of loyalty and affection

Chicken - ...avian scott, he has white wings and tries to pretend it's because he's some sort of elegant angle or something but really he's a chicken

Cod - this is an au where he was born in the codlands and has a romance book level romance with codfather jimmy

I'll get to the rest later

I'll try to just give small notes on each of these unlike last time...

Axolotl: I really love the idea of someone just keeping such an "exotic" lil' animal like Scott all to themselves <3 he'd be treated so well while he's put on display in a big glass tank thing

Bat/vampire: he can suck the blood from every part of me and that includes my penis. I'm mean. Yeah that's hot 👍 also if you do write that let me know!!!

Cat: Awehehhhh what a silly little guy!!! I love him!!! do you think some people wouldn't understand it and take offence from him bringing them dead animals? Maybe that's why they pound him ykyk. He's left all wrecked and confused because he could've sworn he did everything a good mate should do but he still got punished :( (not that you'd ever find him complaining they much about him being treated rough)

Chicken: I would say this is the perfect opportunity for an overconfident Scott to be taken down a peg. But I don't think you'll ever find a world where I can take "ngh... You're just a little chicken..!" seriously.

Cod: I can only hope he's a peasant (or atleast just citizen) & it's super scandalous that Jimmy's with him so they have to keep it hidden. Pls.

[tinysweetnight]

Thinking about it. Might as well do a world-building updates once in a while, just talking.

So what’s TinySweetNight up too? Let me tell you about it in small bullet lists containing updates about each world I have (if can be applied).

Vivarium

Newest world-building project to date. I seriously haven’t actually created a world I plan to stick with since STC and Pantheon like.. 4 years ago? I think Pantheon might be older but that is debatable if you go by which has the oldest character.

This world is like a perfect balance of interests for me personally, it’s an alchemist steampunk world that has almost like a Jim Henson crossed with treasure planet vibe. Homunculi, stained glass windows, bright open skies, and a bit of evil science.

First time I am experimenting with standard fantasy races like Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, etc.

I’ll have to dedicate a post solely for this because it’ll take me a while to explain the magic system here.

Pantheon

Everyone gets animal hands!!! And also an animal form unless your Calypso. I think this ties things better than having very strange specific rules about everything, this is supposed to be fairytale-like. Plus I should make the gods stronger.

Maybe removing Kostas and Aegeus. I love those suckers but, again, they make things too overly complicated and their influence has only been in backstory stuff, never in the main story- besides from a small one-off story with Mars, heir to Alynth. But I think I can remove them if I just say magic is just a bitch like that, monsters are might be Locke’s fault since he’s the god of magic. (But oh, Aegeus banter headcanons are so so funny) I would also have to figure out a different skill set for Charis if I do remove them.

Hydra finally got a title, aka what they were supposed to be the god of. Judgement!

Maverick is still not a catboy and never will be a catboy.

STC

Honestly, still pretty burnt out from this. Everything doesn’t seem.. good. Too edgy. Maybe I’m growing out of aahhhh blood, gore, fun spooks, etc. That usually doesn’t bother me as I’m a fan of campy slashers, but all the time it feels like the characters aren’t acting right. I can’t get them right when I think about them or plan anything with them, especially pertaining to Zstlo. There’s too much I want him to be but it’s all conflicting.

Maybe there is too much stuff going on in the STC, but that’s the point since it’s my sandbox do what I want, I’m not limiting myself to rules world. I have been thinking of boxing storylines into named stories so I can better manage everything.

But there is also the side that everyone else.. seems to like it way more than me. Maybe because I interact with people way more about it, and I found that people seem to like it way more than Pantheon because you get these crazy cool ideas, the setting itself is awesome, and the characters I come up with are cool in concept. But idk. I wish Pantheon or I hope Vivarium gets the same attention. Maybe it’s because Pantheon is more of a story than a setting other people can mess around in. Idk how Vivarium will turn out.

Outlander that is physically apart of the STC and rips open reality.

WhatsMyFace? Added.

Shepard got edgier but same problem as Zstlo.

[wolfgirlguts]

For the ask game, 🐰, 🍪, and 🌸!

(What do you think says the most about someone, if you were a cookie what kind would you be, and what's the best compliment you've received? Also haihi! I think your blog is cool and I offer Catboy belly rubs, Myaow :3)

Hi! Absolutely taking you up on those belly rubs. Now let's see

I think what says the most about people is how they treat others which is SUCH a generic answer I know but like. It's the best I've got really. I actually think that's what matters the most. And I usually don't bother finding that out about people because I'm more interested in how they taste. So that probably tells you what you need to know about me.

Kinda cookie I'd be: chocolate chip and razor blades

But seriously though I do feel like chocolate chip suits me. Being a wolf furry had me feeling a bit generic at one point but that doesn't make me less awesome. Classics are classics for a reason.

Best compliment

Impossible question. I've received so many from so many amazing people. And of course I have. Look at me. But it makes it SO hard to narrow down to just one. So I'll go with the one that's felt the best in the last few days. My gf lovingly called me a monster recently and I've had some other folks saying some similar stuff that kinda feeds into that idea and it's had me feeling so good. And uh honorable mention goes to a random stranger who told me my voice would be good for doing narration and stuff I was so happy all day after that

Thank you so much for these! I'm glad you like my blog

[that-spider-witch]

Mythological animals that I think should be used for Arknights character designs

I posted this on Reddit, might as well post it here too.

Arknights has a lot of myth-inspired characters already beside the obvious dragons, angels and devils: We have Pegasi (the Nearl family), Griffins (Archetto). Hippogryph (Hellagur), Phoenixes (Fiammetta), Kukulkán (Ho'olheyak), Cerberus (Ceobe), Typhon (well... Typhon)... you get the picture. 

So... why not add some more mythical animal-inspired designs? Here are some that I think would be awesome to have in the game.

Cadejo:

What they are: The Cadejo (Spanish pronunciation: [kaˈðexo]) is a supernatural spirit that appears as a dog-shaped creature with blue eyes when it's calm and red eyes when it's attacking. It roams isolated roads at night, according to Central American folklore of indigenous origin. In some variations of the myth, there is a good white cadejo and an evil black cadejo. Both are spirits that appear at night to travelers: the white cadejo protects them from harm and danger during their journey, while the black cadejo (sometimes an incarnation of the devil) tries to kill them.

What I think would be cool: A Perro Dollkeeper that switches between "white" and "black" mode in battle, giving some really nice flavor to the "doll" mechanic. Bonus point if HG goes the Archetto/Ho'olheyak route and give them Sarkaz or Caprinae horns while still having them be of Perro race, as lots of Cadejo artwork represents them with goat horns and/or hooves in line with the whole devil aspect of the legend.

Kamaitachi:

What they are: Kamaitachi (鎌鼬) is a Japanese yōkai often told about in the Kōshin'etsu region. They appear riding on dust devils and they cut people using the nails on both their hands that are like sickles. One would receive a sharp, painless wound. The name is a combination of the words "itachi" meaning weasel, and "kama" meaning sickle. In the Musashi region and Kanagawa Prefecture, they are called "kamakaze" (鎌風, "wind sickle"), and in the Shizuoka Prefecture they are called "akuzen-kaze" (悪旋風, "evil whirlwind"). 

What I think would be cool: Seriously, why do we not have an Anaty operator based on these guys yet? Why wasn't Shirayuki one? It is not like Arknights has not based characters on yōkai before (Suzuran and Utage immediately come to mind), so where's our sickle weasel at?

Tatzelwurm:

What they are: In the folklore of the Alpine region of south-central Europe, the Tatzelwurm, Stollenwurm, or Stollwurm is a lizard-like creature, often described as having the face of a cat, with a serpent-like body which may be slender or stubby, with four short legs or two forelegs and no hindlegs. The creature is sometimes said to be venomous, or to attack with poisonous breath, and to make a high-pitched or hissing sound. Anecdotes describing encounters with the creature or briefly described lore about them can be found in several areas of Europe, including the Austrian, Bavarian, French, Italian and Swiss Alps. It has several other regional names, including Bergstutz, Springwurm, Praatzelwurm, and in French, arassas.

What I think would be cool: ...okay, I will be honest, I just find the idea of a lizard or serpent-tailed catgirl or catboy really cute (Bonus points if they have cute venomous little fangs). Yes, the idea of putting serpent tails were you wouldn't expect to find them has already been used for both Utage and Ho'olheyak, but not only are both of those examples also based on mythology (The Nue for Utage, Kukulkan/Quetzalcoatl for Ho'olheyak), but their designs also seem to be decently popular with the fandom, so why not repeat the formula?

Simurgh:

What they are: The simurgh (/sɪˈmɜːrɡ/; Persian: سیمرغ, also spelled simorgh, simorg, simurg, simoorg, simorq or simourv) is a benevolent, mythical bird in Persian mythology and literature. The Simurgh is depicted in Iranian art as a winged creature in the shape of a bird, gigantic enough to carry off an elephant or a whale. It appears as a peacock with the head of a dog and the claws of a lion – sometimes, however, also with a human face.

What I think would be cool: As with the Tatzelwurm, I just want to see what HG could design based on this. There's no doubt in my mind that such a character would have to be a Liberi, just like Ho'olheyak, Archetto and Hellagur before it. I want HG to give us what initially seems like a new Perro or Lupo waifu, fluffy wolf/dog ears and tail, with just a easily missable peacock feather on her hair to foreshadow her true inspiration... and then when the character actually comes out they reveal her as a Liberi seemingly out of nowhere, big majestic Simurgh on her E2 art background, all Lupoknights players utterly jebaited. Let's keep this trend of weird Liberi going, please!

[beevean]

On the topic of nfcv and its inconsistent; i tend to feel im harsher on nfcv and it's usage of representation since i dont tend to pay much attention to it ( It is good to let ppl see themselves on screen and its important to not fall into harmful sterotypes but it wont make or break a show for me unless its really bad). And castlevania has multiple historical/mythological inconsistencies (Matthias Corvinus rolling in his grave) and could have better representation ofc (the only poc main character i can think of is Ortega the were-lion antagonist from Legacy of Darkness the obscure n64 game). But you know? Cv's half goofy tone from it's origins as a monster smash makes it work w that, plus it's not the main focus. Meanwhile a huge selling point for nfcv has been it's ""gritty realism"" and ""seriousness"", and it's been praised to hell and back for it's "representation", when said rep isn't really good. So, i can be fine w SotN using a funny n completely historically innacurate mummy boss or having an skeleton serpent named Qetzacoatl (even if you can debate how those stereotypes can be harmful like egyptologists having to debunk the mummy curse myths), but the whole Sekhmet catgirl n aztec Orlox parts just makes me roll my eyes bc it will be blindly praised. I fear to be hypocritical here so that's my argument, and apologize for rambling in your inbox i swear this was shorter in my mind-

Pd: Yes Ortega is the og catboy, respect for him

I use this logic for Isaac lol. Yes, he relies on old and potentially offensive gay stereotypes, such as being in-your-face sexual, kinky in a creepy way, and even effectively molesting Trevor in the stabbing scene with his little kiss. And he's the villain contrasted with the more masculine hero. And he dies in the end. Yeah.

But aside from the fact that the game series overall is old-ish so outdated writing is to be at least expected, I don't get the feeling that this is meant to be "representation". And I'm certainly not meant to ohhh and ahhh at it. It is what it is, you know? The story says "here's the antagonist, he's very fruity", and you decide how to take it.

NFCV wants to be praised, and it is praised, for representation, for adding POC and gay people and cultures from all over the world, and it does so in a far less goofy setting that forces me to apply real-life logic to it. It also began in 2017, definitely at a time where writers were asked to pay attention to what the hell they're writing.

CV as a series was born as a love letter to Hammer horror movies, so it's a mishmash of monsters without rhyme or reason. NFCV wants to have a serious, real-adjacent world building, so that's why I ask "why is a Hungarian vampire worshipping an ancient Egyptian sun god"? Why are there Japanese people in Europe about a century before Europeans contacted Japan? Why is your idea of bi representation a threesome turning into rape?

So yes, I do believe that the show, in its arrogance, needs to be put at a higher standard than games written between the 80s and the 2000s. Not that they're exempt from criticism, ofc, I will always complain about stuff like the fridged women. Just... The games don't expect an applause for what they did.

[favouritefi]

I would be super fascinated to learn more about how Peglar's views re. If humans get to be people why can't I, affects his relationship with Bridgens - and really just about how they came to be in/navigate through that relationship. Your art is adorable and I love it doubly more so for the amount of care and consideration you have for the inner works of creating a dog/cat boy world. :)

aw thank you this au really is my brain going "crack treated seriously" and somehow making This and im glad other ppl enjoy it too. i have a lot of thoughts on this in terms of how much history to keep and how much to disregard so its under the cut:

so apparently in the book (which i have not read and do not plan to read) bridglar met on the hms beagle and as far as i can tell thats completely made up bc peglar was sailing w the east india company at the time.

then theres the show weirdness of bridgens being like in his 50s/60s when irl bridgens was in his 20s and this makes more sense bc as far as i can tell the position of steward was usually one reserved for younger men so for 50smth bridgens to be jfj's steward is a little odd and esp odd if hes a human in a position that is typically meant for cat/dogboys so my logic for this is that either 1) jfj requested bridgens to be his steward or 2) bridgens requested to be jfj's steward and either option would mean giving bridgens and jfj a slightly closer relationship than what they have in show canon which is fine that just means peglar and bridgens likely met during the first opium war but then how they met is still a mystery bc peglar would be aboard the wanderer with hodgson and bridgens would be on the cornwallis/clio with jfj so like ???

POINT BEING for all the reasons above ive handwaved away exactly how they meet but AT SOME POINT they do meet during the first opium war. peglar was the one who initiated the relationship tho the two of them did have mutual feelings for each other before committing to anything and bridgens is deffo the kinda guy who would go all "i would love you no matter what species you are" and actually mean it and peglar. ok so. i have a lot of thoughts about peglar.

so irl peglar was lashed for drunkeness and mutinous conduct while serving with the east indian company and for catboy peglar i like to imagine that travelling to places where cat/dogboys arent treated the way they are treated in england really opened his eyes and his mind to the idea of being treated like a person and this is obviously not a mindset that human officers want him to have and hence why he was lashed. he then served on the wanderer fighting against the slave trade and thats another chance to see a different type of human-to-cat/dogboy relationship even if he wouldnt have had as many opportunities to live amongst the locals as he did while with the east india company. and peglars like, smart. part of the reason why bridgens falls in love w him is bc of his intelligence and cheek and wit and peglar knows that britiannia's "civilizing mission" is bogus because while they are trying to abolish slavery on one hand they are also actively enforcing Company rule in India on the other and bc peglar has seen both sides of that he has Thoughts about it, Thoughts he didnt dare share with anyone until bridgens coaxed it out of him and to his surprise bridgens agreed with him.

bridgens, being well read and well educated, also knows that the way england treats cat/dogboys is the exception and not the rule and really like cherishes peglar and loves him like truly loves him and is thus completely aware of and careful of their uneven power dynamic here and wouldve never been the first to initiate anything for that very reason. and its not easy to navigate this forbidden relationship but peglar makes it worth it and both of them did worry that maybe this was merely a maritime romance but in the months between the war and the expedition they managed to sneak in lowkey dates on land and found that they were still very much compatible and it really makes things all the more tragic that bridgens cant afford to adopt peglar outright and ensure that henry lives out the rest of his days in peace curled up next to the fire with a good book and smiling whenever he catches john staring at him and god, they are so in love.