#not like this is much of a cosplay anyways it is LITERALLY just a robe and wig

[risingsunresistance]

hey guys barry is in ark's house what do we do answer quickly

[hifuminto]

Have you see new Hypnosis Mic A.R.B? Part 1

Man i didn't play this game but i suddenly invest with these game after seeing their recent event called "Detective Six Part 1".

Sorry for my Bad English and writing, I am not native speaker and I don't really understand how to write bcos my dyslexia but I really want to make this long post bcos I really exicted! Here we go!

So this event is now about Badass Temple and Fling Posse Cosplaying as some detective to solve mystery. If i am not mistaken this is not first time this game do this. I remember previously they make similar event with Sherlock Holmes's theme with Samatoki, Gentaro and Rei as characters.

I don't really understand Japanese, bcos i can only read Katakana for now. But i like detective stuff, so i will have fun to write my guest here. In the moment i saw the character artwork I recognize some of them. If i am mistaken, please inform me.

Let us starting first with Kuko's base on his card title. 【波羅夷家の一族】 is pretty similar to a Japanese novel name 【犬神家の一族】 or in English title The Inugami's curse.

Kousuke Kindaichi is detective created by Seishi Tokomizo. He is describe as a shabby looking young man with a short height. But have a strong observation skills and logic thinking. His character is feature on 76 novels and appearing in a numerous FIlm, Television and Stage Adaptation.

The Inugami's curse was novel written by Seishi Yokomizo, a mystery novelist as part of Kousuke Kindaichi's series. So of course I think he's cosplaying as Kousuke Kindaichi. Minus the robe but he wears the iconic hat base on the statue. I also doing google a bit and later find out the hat is also part of the costume for 2006 film adaptation. This is a neat reference!

Next is Jyushi. Jyushi card is 【アルゴξ急行の殺人】 that literaly translated in google translate as "Murder in Argo Cart". This is clearly referring to Agatha Christie's novel "Murder in Oriented Express" and who is the star of the novel? Of course its Hercule Poirot!

Hercule Poirot is one of Agatha Christie most famous character. Not much know about his history beside he came from a large family with little wealth in small town on Europe. But he's a former police officer turn into private detective who solve many mystery in his later career. Poirot operates as a fairly conventional, clue-based and logical detective. But sometimes he willingly to hide some important detail of his plan if necessaries. Another fun fact is, Poirot sometimes refer to himself in third person.

Actually before i notice his card name, I already knew he cosplaying either as Hercule Poirot bcos his outfit is pretty familiar to this detective. But i have second thought and think maybe he's cosplaying as John Watson, considering what Hitoya wearings.

But after seeing the card name. I am pretty sure he's cosplaying as Hercule Poirot! But still I am still supersize finding out about this!

And then last, the third member! Hitoya! His card is written 【医師が相棒】 which is literally translate as "Your partner is a doctor". Now who is the famous detective with doctor as their partner? That right. its one and only Sherlock Holmes!

Sherlock Holmes is a detective that no need introduction. Currently he's IS the most famous fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that still relevant in this age thanks to numerous modern adaptation.

Hitoya maybe the fourth person who cosplaying as the famous detective from Arthur Conan Doyle story. But I think his outfit is the closest one that similar to the legendary detective compare the other three. I mean look at the old Sherlock Holmes picture that i found as reference.

(But I do admit, maybe not his belt thou hahhaa.)

Anyway here some picture of other Detective trio wearing Sherlock Holmes's inspired outfit!

But then i think He IS the perfect choice to portrayed as the famous detective <3 he just need to put the hat on his head XD

Anyway i finish with BAT for now. I will do Fling Posse soon after this.

[gren-arlio]

CAUTION: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS CRIMINAL?

(Image made by @kirstenonic05. Huge help on this, so thank you.)

Hello, one and all, it's Gren here. Today is Witch's birthday as well as Halloween, and to celebrate such a momentous occasion for the girl who appears in oh so many of my posts, I'm gonna to do two things besides say happy birthday to her.

An in-depth look on what The Witch has committed, her devious crimes.

How to handle/deal with/tolerate her if you're a random person, or you're a special guy.

Possible prosecution of her. Keyword "Possible".

I basically became Schezo's Private Investigator for a solid few months and today, I'm here to drop it all out for the press to see. Puyo fans are gonna be in shambles tonight.

This will be a detailed tutorial on what happens if you see The Witch, how to deal with her, and what happens if she approaches you. Hope you enjoy this overly elaborate shitpost.

-----

What IS The Witch?

For those blissfully unaware, The Witch is a wanted criminal, a young 15 year old felon who often resides in the realms of Madou Monogatari and Puyo Puyo, owned formerly by COMPILE, now by SEGA.

(A rough draft of what the suspect looks like. Be careful. Actual draft of her from Madou Monogatari Saturn.)

She seems harmless, but that's how she gets you. Never trust teenage girls who can brew potions, I learned that the hard way.

Commonly, she's a blonde haired, blue eye teenage girl, about 5'2 (158 CM) and 99 pounds (45KG), seen with a blue robe with tints of white and red, a blue hat and some of the worst shoe game I've ever seen.

However, she has been seen in a green robe with a red amulet, a steampunk outfit, and even cosplay as either Arale Norimaki from Dr. Slump, a literal cat, and Emilia from Re:Zero. (Besides the cat one, all really good alts in Quest design wise and Puyo-N just has good designs.)

(Video recording of The Witch cooking something malevolent)

-----

What? Crimes?

You heard me right good folks, as the guy who has documented her misdeeds for weeks on end, (AKA I've been casually researching other games and she appears,) I have found many of her criminal acts, some worse than others, and some shit I definitely made up. Here are a few cases, some of which are somewhat stretching the definition, but it's alright:

Attempted Murder:

Most notably committed in Madou Monogatari Saturn, where whilst getting kidnapped by Incubus, she absolutely torched the man. Could claim self defense but still.

Harassment:

Mostly to Schezo, when you stretch the definition long enough, it can be considered verbal harassment. If you count 4Komas and Compile Club Underground Edition, visual harassment is...certainly on the table.

(Attempted) Petty Theft:

More notable in Waku Waku Puyo Puyo Dungeon, where she tries many-a-times to get Schezo's robes, even threatening assault if he didn't.

Assault:

Threatened Schezo with it for his clothes in Waku Waku Puyo Puyo Dungeon, saying she'll rip them off.

You may ask, "Aren't Puyo matches assault cases?" And to that, I say...no. Usually, it's a joint agreement. The same goes for Waku Puyo, it's part of the attraction itself, the person somewhat signed up for it. However, I don't think personally trying to rip someone's clothes was part of the rules.

Drugging:

Most noticeable in the Tottemo Puyo Puyo Manga, where she drugged Arle with a love potion to make her fall in love with them, but it failed. Badly.

(Not many people know this one too much, so I thought I'd show the time where the crime occurred.)

Possession/Distribution of Alcohol to and as a Minor:

In Puyo 20th Anniversary, she just so happened to have something that made our boy Klug feel a tad unwise. Apparently happened to Lagnus too in Quest, but we're unsure, since it came from a 2nd source.

(Also, I know she didn't mean to give Klug it, but...why did she have it anyways?)

Crimes Against Schezo Wegey:

Along with almost every crime here, during the run of Compile, she's committed the worst one of them all: Being a Simp.

Easily the most notable for me, In Waku Waku Puyo Puyo Dungeon, she's normal to almost everyone else (she has beef with Rulue for some reason,) but the minute Schezo is in a 2 mile radius, she "forgets" to take her normal pills.

(Image recording of her harassing Mr. Wegey. She's just saying "it" looks super cool, leaving Schezo confused on whatever she meant, and yes. It's about his clothes.)

Second most notable (for me) is PuyoLympics, where the SECOND he takes off his robe to show the uniform he got, she starts acting a little unwise, to put it bluntly.

(Prelude image seconds before The Witch commits her worst crime yet. Being a Simp. Also the NicoNico video I saw for this had some of the most down bad dudes ever, don't become them please)

We also must speak about her acting unwise when she saw Madou Saturn Schezo, asking to touch the man.

And how could we forget when she got possessed by Marle, who totally gave her back her Madou conscious after laying dormant for God knows how many years and began her quest of simping yet again?

Saying submit to me, saying that she doesn't know why she feels so desperate for him all of a sudden, and then prolongs the word fun? Marle was scheming that day...

(First off, somehow I got this with both her eyes closed. Didn't expect that. Second, why does it look like Schezo is grabbing his own name box?)

We can forgive many of her crimes. But we can't forgive this crime specifically.

-----

What Do You Do When You See The Witch?

Now, most likely, you'd want to report her to the feds, the police if you will. But her world doesn't have police somehow, and that's rough buddy. However, The Witch is a very social person, and might want to talk to you.

This will be a step by step guide on what to do if you're a normal person near The Witch or if you're Schezo. Gotta look out for everyone.

However, for all:

The Witch is incredibly dangerous, and unless you're a relative, odds are, something malicious WILL be brewing.

Willingly going near her is dangerous as well, but if you live for danger, ignore this section.

For the Everyday Guy:

Keep your distance. The easiest thing to do, thankfully. If you don't approach her, odds are, she won't interact with you unless she wants something.

Don't own a Meteor Grimoire. She can sense that.

If she decides to go near you, do not panic, nor run yet. She has magic, you don't most likely, so unless you want a fireball or a Meteor hitting you, don't run.

Keep the talk short and brief. Prolonged exposure can be detrimental to your health in the long run.

If she asks for something, there's two ways to go around it. You can either give it to her quickly, or be the innocent victim of her next robbery/crime.

Don't try anything she gives you. Ever.

This is a split path. If she tries to take something from you, you can either choose to finally run or fight. Thankfully, she's pretty average at Puyo, so a good player can fend her off.

If everything goes well, she will leave you alone. And if you run, she probably won't chase you that much since you're just kinda a random dude to her.

For Schezo Wegey: (Or People in a Similar Scenario)

Before you even go out, don't wear cool-looking robes.

Don't own a Meteor Grimoire. She will sense that, especially if you're Schezo.

Same with the everyday man, keep your distance. If she spots you, it's absolutely over. Schezover, even.

If she spots you, everything changes now from the everyday man. She wants to approach you, she wants you...r items, or actually legit you. Don't show visible panic. Pretend she's not coming.

There's no shot you're going to be able to keep conversations short, she probably knows that you're trying to leave fast. However, try to keep your responses short enough, but not short to the point that she catches on.

If she asks for You, do NOT panic externally, which is easier said than done. Try to ask to elaborate. If she doesn't, you're fucked. If she does, give the thing to her...unless it's your clothes.

If you run, she's will very much chase you. There's several pieces of evidence for that, and unless you can run 100 meters in maybe 12 seconds, she will catch up to you with her broom. Even then, stamina issues for people, and she flies. Don't risk it unless you're absolutely confident.

This is a situation where you want her to leave first. If you noticed with some of the times Schezo gets harassed, she tended to leave first (Puyo 20th, Waku Puyo,) while in some cases, Schezo got out first (Madou Saturn, PuyoLympics but that went poorly), so try to make her leave first by doing...God know what.

If she tries to fight you, fight back. Self-defense is always good, and if you're Schezo or have a body similar to his, odds are her Meteor will hit you, but you'll survive. He's survived worse, you probably can too.

If everything goes well, you're free. Least for a little longer.

If you lose the fight, and everything else failed, FUCKING RUN. If Schezo can do it upon losing to her in Waku Waku Puyo Puyo Dungeon, you can too. Probably. Maybe.

Proof you can probably survive a Meteor:

(The Witch uses her spell...for 66 damage.)

-----

Let's Say, Theoretically, She Gets Arrested. What Happens?

(Old image my girlfriend made years ago. Little did we know how it'd end.)

Prosecuting her will very much be a challenge because simply put, there's no damn police in Madou/Primp. Well, good ones at least.

For you see, there ARE police in Primp or Madou as a whole. But in Quest, there's police in Intral City, the place Atari's from, but unfortunately, even in there, they don't exactly do much.

Call up Miles Edgeworth and teleport him here, then we got a shot, or even some other stupid good lawyer.

I'm no Laywer, but I think she'd go to jail for her crimes.

-----

Conclusion:

The Witch is a very dangerous felon. Armed and Dangerous, it's best to stay as far away as possible, especially if your name is Schezo Wegey or occasionally Arle Nadja. If you see her...well, you have the steps, or you can say fuck it and ball. Your choice.

-----

And Now, Actual Updates:

I enjoyed writing this, it was fun. With this, I'll repeat myself from last posts.

I'll be taking a 2 week break from this. I'm experiencing minor burnout and I do need a break, I've been doing this consistently for a couple of months now.

I'll also be taking a break during Thanksgiving week, Christmas, and New Years week as well to spend time with family.

Thank you all for your support, it means an absolute ton to me and I'm grateful I have people who actually love my work. Hell, I've even made a few new friends from this, and I couldn't be any happier with the progress I made.

I began this stuff on the notion that no one will read these, but it'd be better to document these sorta things just for fun. Little did I know, a little over 35 followers later, that people would enjoy what I made and the info I share, even if some of it is... somewhat peculiar. The support I've gotten from the community is unreal, and it's genuinely appreciated that you guys care so much. Even you reading this means a lot to me.

Thanks guys. Happy Halloween. Hope you enjoyed the show.

[stewardofningishzida]

Chapter 2: Discovery

We’re continuing the fic! Hold on tight! Also, guest appearance by Trickstress!

Rating: T for language.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 2:  Discovery

*I give Stephen a tour of the house and he looks around each room.*  

Me:  My parents are on vacation for a month.  So, we don’t have to worry much about them walking in on us.  Now to tie up other potential loose ends…

*I pull out my phone.*

Me (texting):  Hey, Trix.  I know we were going to have lunch together today, but something came up.  I’m sorry, but I have to cancel.

Stephen:  Sounds legit.

*I nod and go about business until my phone pings.  I look.*

Trix (text):  You okay? I’m fine with cancelling but you don’t cancel so close to going.

Me (to Stephen):  I’ll play it off.  Don’t worry.  

*I reply to the text.*

Me:  Yeah.  Sorry it was so sudden.

Trix (text):  Np, just let me know if you need anything! I’ll check on you later!

Me (to myself):  Crud…

Me (text):  Thanks!  I’m good, though.  Don’t come over.  I think I might have caught something.  That’s all.

Me (to Stephen):  Let’s see if that works.

*Trix sends the big eyes emoji.*

Me (text):  Don’t worry about it.  I got meds and such.

Trix (text):  Okaaaay! Feel better soon!

Me (text):  Thanks!  Sorry again!

Stephen:  Think she bought it? 

Me: Hope so.

*Trix, out of concern for her friend and neighbor, decides to bring over some soup.  I hear the doorbell and curse quietly under my breath.*  

Me (quietly):  Crap, crap, crap.  I gotta look sick…Stephen, hide.  

*He heads to the guest room and shuts the door.  I put on a robe to look more convincing and answer the front door, trying to look tired.  At least I’m sweating badly.  So, that counts, right?*

Me:  Ehh…Hi, Trix…

Trix (lighthearted):  I’m respecting your privacy by waiting but asserting my authority as your friend when you’re sick and coming over anyway!

Me:  Thanks for checking on me.  Been feeling off all day.  Probably food poisoning.  Anyway, you doing okay?  *I’m trying to play it cool.*

Trix:  I’m fine, don’t worry about me! I’m here to worry about you! Go lay down on the couch, I got things handled here for you!

Me:  It’s okay.  Honest!  *Something falls over in the guest room.  Apparently, Cloak is curious.  I’m trying to stay calm.  Though I’m screaming internally.  Trix looks at the guest room door and then back at me suspiciously.*

Trix (slightly hurt):  Is this a new significant other thing? Cause if you said so I wouldn’t have minded.

Me:  It’s just the dumb dvd stack in there.  It doesn’t fit right.  Anyway, no significant others here.  It’s…my uncle.  He decided to drop in for a visit.  It was kinda sudden.  *I’m silently praying that the lie works.*

Trix (giving me a weird look):  ………So, are you sick or are you just trying to hide your uncle?

Me (uneasy):  …Both?  

*I feel terrible about this, but I’m starting to realize that the jig is up.  I sigh.*  

Me:  Okay…Come in.  *I whisper*  Just don’t tell anyone about anything here.  Promise?

*Trix raises her hand*  

Trix:  Scout’s honor!

Me:  Okay.  Don’t freak out.  *I let her in.*  Maybe sit down.  It’s…a lot.

*Stephen walks out resignedly and looks at Trix.  She stares at Stephen, then me, then she wheezes.*

Trix (flustered):  Yup.  Understand now. Absofuckinglutely.  That’s a damn good cosplay!

Me:  Yeah…Actually, it’s really him.  I know I sound insane, but he literally fell through a portal into my bedroom earlier.

*Trix looks at me funny and then looks at Stephen again, noticing something missing.*Trix (asking Stephen):  

Is the Cloak of Levitation with you?

Stephen:  Yes…Levi’s been checking the place out.  CLOAK!  

*It flies into the living room from the guest room, landing on his shoulders.  Trix squeaks, both startled and amazed.  She’s fangirling.*

Trix:  I would like to state for public record that I am absolutely delighted and I can die happy now.

Me:  He’s stuck here and I’m trying to keep him secret so he can get back home.  If anyone important saw him…Well, we know how that could go.

Trix (ecstatic):  So what you’re saying is we should get the group together and brainstorm because if the others found out he was here and they weren’t called you would be murdered.*I’m fidgeting nervously.*

Me:  Crap…We have to keep this quiet.

Stephen (confused):  Wait…I have a fan club here?

Trix (grinning):  Oh boy…. Well, I’m not saying we announce he’s here but- *She gestures at Stephen.*  Come on!

Stephen:  Is anyone possibly going to leak this to the authorities?

Trix:  They like you too much to do so.

*Stephen stares at Trix, processing this.*

Me:  Okay, but we do have to be quiet.  The only thing going for us is I doubt anyone important would believe an actual sorcerer showed up in some random suburb.

Trix (amused):  Cosplay saves the day again is what I’m hearing.

Stephen:  Wait…People dress as me too?  *He has many mixed emotions about this.*

Me:  Oh boy, are you in for a shock, Stephen. Trix:  

There are many things that you do not want to be aware of.  Tread lightly.

*He looks as if he doesn’t know whether he should be flattered or horrified.*

Trix:  Question so we don’t fuck things up: what has happened recently for you?

Stephen:  I was in a fight against Shuma-Gorath and he hit me with an appendage, knocking me through an interdimensional portal.  One of his other tentacles must have gotten my Sling Ring.  Now, I’m trapped here.  So, I need Wong to find me and get me back home.

Trix:  Oh no. Ohhhhhh no.  First off: I will actually cry if I get to meet Wong because he is amazing. Secondly: we have a lot to go over about things that have already happened. Because we are gonna fix a travesty in your universe dammit.  It’s not related to the current situation but I am too invested in this and I can’t help with magic things.  We don’t have to focus on it now, but before you leave we are having words.

Stephen:  Words?  *He’s a bit overwhelmed right now, but trying to take it in stride.*

Me:  We also have to do some research and figure out if there’s a way for him to get Wong’s attention.

Trix:  True. But we also don’t wanna get other attention either. Oh shit- certainly not anything from ‘What If’.

Stephen:  Another universe, I assume?

Me:  Yep…You do NOT want to get involved there.

Trix:  We know the stories of least 7 different ones and a multiversal entity.

Me:  The ‘What If’ version of you went rogue and started absorbing demons and another version of yourself.  It was like some sort of mystical self-cannibalization to boost that Stephen’s powers.

Trix:  Yeah, he ended up destroying his universe and was stuck in a husk of its shell. Probably the most powerful Stephen Strange and he’s learned his lesson but still. There is a universe with zombies in it and I will just end myself if they get involved.

Stephen:  …Okay…Note to self — Watch out for other Stephens.  Got it…

Me:  So, we need to alert the correct Wong to get you out of this mess.

Trix:  Yeah, you’re the reasonable Stephen. Just don’t think you are the one to make the final call on everything and you’re golden.  

Stephen (unsettled):  I’M the reasonable one, huh?  That’s not reassuring. 

*Trix thinks.*  Trix:  Since Stephen channels magic through the universe, Wong would be most familiar with his so it would be like- a certain flavor versus other ones, I’m guessing.

Stephen:  Yeah, Trix has a point.  Every sorcerer has their own unique signature, so to speak.  Though without my Sling Ring, I’m not sure how to show myself through the multiverse.

Me:  Well, if we’re going to confer with our group, one of us should contact Laer.  She’s excellent at research.

Trix:  Absolutely. I’m mostly just good at writing comedy.” *Trix looks towards Stephen.*  Sorry, but I wouldn’t have thought you were anything but fictional. Now we shall move on and contact Laer. We just have to be convincing!

Stephen:  I’m not just going to become some sort of show pony for a group of fangirls, right?

Trix:  Slightly but that just means that you have a team who is primed to help you because we have a good idea of how you and your magic works.

*He looks exasperated, but reluctantly agrees.*

Me:  We’ve seen how dangerous it can get if someone from another universe stays outside of their home for too long.  The responsible thing would be to send you back.  As much as we’d love to have you, you have far more important things to do in your own universe.

Stephen (looking at us both funny):  Okay…Trix, you scare me a bit, but at least you both seem willing to help me.

Me:  Okay.  Trix, mind contacting Laer?  I know of a few others who might help us out too.

Trix:  I scare a lot of people a bit but I make up for that in being able to roll with the punches! Also, I don’t mean to scare you with the words I mentioned before, but I AM invested in helping save a kid’s life and you can help with that and we can’t! *She turns to Steward*  Gotcha! I will send the warning flare! But first-*She pulls out her phone and puts it on camera mode.* Hey Stephen, can I get a quick video of you and the Cloak waving so I’m not considered crazier than I already am? I need proof as a lure.

Stephen:  …Okay.  I can understand why.  Just keep it in the group.  This doesn’t go into the outside world.

Trix:  Oh absolutely. I’m not a savage.  *Trix starts taking the video and narrates a bit.*  Hey Laer, we have a bit of a situation and need your assistance!

*Stephen waves and Cloak floats off of his shoulders to copy him, showing that it’s not just a puppet or special effect.*

Me:  Okay.  Awesome.  I’ll start contacting the others too.  That way, Stephen has multiple places to stay if things get messy and we have multiple people working on research to figure something out.

**To be continued**

[fey-changeling]

please infodump!!! i am interested!! tell me things i do not know!!

I have been Enabled. I'm so sorry. (I literally wrote an essay so I've reduced it to the most interesting parts—hopefully! Includes footnotes!)

My Cosplaying At A Glance

Technically been cosplaying for 10 years, I only count it as cosplay from 2020 though.

I have A Thing about accuracy which can make the creative process veeeery stressful.

I've made one cosplay from a live-action film/series¹ and I hope never to repeat the experience because of the above.

I hate being photographed, I'm awful at modelling, I'm very slowly getting better.

I hate doing The Social Media more than modelling.

I love when my vision starts coming together and I feel like the character.

2023 Plans!

Modern/dark academia/pre-Fate Arrnodel closet (ish) cosplay (stockings dilemma because stripes (a bit witchy) or snakes (nude colour might not work over blue). I have no clue where I'm going to shoot this but probably my room or in the woods.²

Various small projects for basics/accesories/the cool trousers I've always wanted/alterations

Hopefully I'll be able to do a rusalka shoot but it does depend on finding a good location, there's a stream in the big woods but it's a long way and much more popular area for *people*.

The Wyrd Sisters in april/may because bluebells and wood anemones, current plan is to do a different outfit (and maybe hairstyle) for each sister. I just think they'd be so much fun to cosplay. (Oh, how darling! Mortals!!!!!)

Right now I really want to dress up in my Isolde cosplay because I love it so much. It makes me feel so powerful because there's A Lot fabric in the skirts, so when I'm wearing the underskirt (ankle length full circle skirt) and the robe (which has godets³) there's so much weight and swish to it when it moves. The only problem is (i'm ill and i can't be bothered) it's a lot of stuff plus prosthetics, remembering jewellery, and I never know what to do with the wig.

I'm pretty sure I do this because I'm a dancer and how people move is very interesting but my cosplays (Rem and Isolde especially) have specific body languages.

Rem is very open, a little bit masc, she's confident, has a relaxed-but-not-too-relaxed posture, can't sit properly on a chair (manspreading, legs over the arms, cross-legged), she talks with her hands, she fidgets, something cat-like but basically her body language downplays how dangerous she really is.

Isolde is much more closed, her arms are often across her body or behind her back, she has ballet dancer posture, she moves very smoothly and elegantly, sits legs crossed or ankles crossed, hands in her lap, minimal superfluous movement, holds herself like she's better than you.

anyway here's a photo I love from my recent Rem shoot (I'm wearing fluffy socks), and a photo from my first Rem shoot (I hate the wig, I was literally freezing but the vibes). Isolde underskirts (before I hemmed them), and an edit I made that I love (before I got the right prosthetic ears)

Thank you so much for enabling me and also if you read all that. i'm always happy to talk about this if you want to know more :)

[three--rings]

Our Flag Means Death Finale

Spoilery edition. I.e. Where I try to be somewhat coherent. Despite the fact I'm fucking vibrating and both incredibly pissed and also so pleased and also fucking scared and just...ANGRYHAPPYFULL.

Okay. So. We got it. We won. We got the kiss. It was everything we were hoping for, but it happened in the second to last episode so you knew they were gonna fuck it up but we HOPED they'd end happily but NO because fuck everything they needed to give us a cliffhanger.

So I HATE losing the beard, first of all. I guess it's like, metaphorical, but I don't even like people with facial hair and I am a SIMP for Blackbeard. Like without the beard he looks like Taika Waititi, which is fine, nothing wrong with that, but he's too familiar honestly. With the beard he's Ed. Yanno?

And okay, it made total sense that Stede freaked out after the kiss (not really BECAUSE of the kiss) but because his family thinks he's dead and he thinks...he ruined blackbeard. I think that's really what it came down to. He thought he owed his children and MAry and that Ed and his crew would be better off without him.

And he's 100% wrong about that.

Still sad about Doug and the fact that Mary didn't start a lesbian harem while he was gone. But everything else about MAry is literal perfection. She is fucking top class, ultimate, I want her and I want to be her. Literally perhaps because I realized if I just got a vest I can cosplay her. Okay and a wig. I have a month before HAvencon, can I make a vest by then? Normally yes but my back is FUCKED RN.

Anyway. So much to be said about Sad Breakup Ed the Emo Rockstar. Well, okay that much. WEARING STEDE'S ROBE.

Seriously, though, Ed it's not like you confirmed nothing happened to Stede. You didn't go check on him or make sure he wasn't dead or captured.

But anyway, the conversation with MAry when Stede finally realizes, or finally admits he's in love. And says it's a HE. OMG all the gay fairies got their wings. It was pandamonium in the group chat.

Okay, all I'm going to say about Izzy Hands is that he so badly needs a Dom. He's way too into Ed choking him, and even Ed feeding him his fucking toe.

Like, honestly, as much as I was screaming no, I'm also really glad we got Dark!Ed angst because that's really what I've been wanting from this ship and didn't think the show was going to give me because it's all Rom Com. So, PROVIDED that Lucius is really okay, I'm fine with it because it's so meaty to explore.

Speaking of Lucius, NO HE CAN'T BE DEAD I DON'T ACCEPT IT NO. Like this show wouldn't do that, right? The most queer of queers? They wouldn't bury him, right? Surely he's actually alive. Like Fang actually saved him or something.

And the fucking FLAG and the hearts the silk from his mother was a red herring actually the hearts are made of Stede's clothes.

Finally, THANK GOD they gave us the gift of showing us Ed crying after all that because otherwise there would be so much speculation and we'd have to wonder an argue about whether he has actually lost himself again. But no, baby's just broken and trying to shut off the hurt with violence and returning to his former persona.

The fact that he looks like the worst mall goth ever with that face paint isn't helping though. Again, it's symbolic, yeah. But really, ed? Fucking drama queen.

Seriously, though how was that last episode SO FUCKING FUNNY and SO FUCKING TOUCHING and also SO FUCKING FULL OF PAIN. Like, if the show was capable of going THAT HARD the whole season they need to stop holding back.

Also once again, if we don't get season 2 someone has to die.

[marzipanandminutiae]

Murder Sleeves: The Mock-Up

First mock-up of Lucille’s nightgown is complete!

(Look, black cotton voile was what I could get 6 yards of cheaply that I knew I would use for other things post-mockup. Because I’m a big goth trash fire.)

As a reminder, I’m working from Reconstructing History’s “women’s Irish leine” pattern.

I’m actually REALLY pleased with how this came out. I’d heard some people had issues with the neckline and armsceyes of this garment- such as they are -but since the originally patterned leine is pleated down to a neck-band piece and I just nixed that in favor of a drawstring, I think I may have avoided some headaches

(I won’t get into how much time I spent waving the sleeves around and giggling in a way Lucille would heartily disapprove of.)

There are a few issues: obviously it’s too short, and I’m debating whether I need to add more volume to the body and make the sleeves even longer. I also have to make the wrist holes a bit smaller, since you can’t do murder in your Murder Sleeves if they’re constantly slipping over your hands.

I also might try to raise the back a bit? the sleeves are attached with gussets under the arms, and even with the drawstring pulled as tightly closed as I can get it, the back neckline is wanting to sit like 6″ below the base of my neck. Though, to be fair, we never really see how low the neckline of the movie nightgown sits when it’s not literally falling off her shoulders, so maybe I won’t fuss too much with that. I’ll never be wearing it without the robe in a cosplay setting anyway

So with the initial mockup satisfactory, I turn my attention to a mystery:

What The Hell Is With The Smocking?

There’s something going on at the neckline that’s either smocking or gathers- or so I thought. But when you watch the scene where Edith catches her and Thomas together, whatever that is seems to have smoothed out somehow with the nightgown stretching over her shoulders:

Now, I’ve never done smocking, so maybe it has more stretch. But this puts me less in mind of smocking OR gathering, and more in mind of like...actual modern elastic. Which makes me wonder if that’s not what it is- some sort of elastic tape in there that gives the nightgown a smocked/gathered appearance when it’s closed more tightly, but allows it to be fitted when it’s completely off-shoulder

And if that’s the case, I’m not sure how on earth I translate that into a non-elasticated garment (because I’m not a huge fan of elastic in my clothing).

So anyway, if this is at all interesting to anyone, that’s where we are. Thoughts on the gathering vs. smocking vs. elastic situation would be greatly appreciated!

[elsewhereuniversity]

When I first started here, I called myself Ada, because my wordpress as a teen was adamantiumhalfdragonx523 and it was the first thing I thought of when they said I should pick a nickname.

...I know, it’s kinda ridiculous, and I was hoping to present a somewhat more mature persona at college. But at least Ada is an actual name, and I could claim it was after Ada Lovelace instead of my RP blog.

Anyway, I dove into class quickly. Engineering, with an accidental minor in physics: I liked the required courses so I took a few electives, then realized I was only like nine credits away from qualifying for a minor so I went for it. Got immediately bogged down by homework as usual, barely scraping C minuses through humanities requirements and getting extensions wherever I could. I’ve never been good with time management? It’s the adhd.

There were always rumours of strange things happening on campus, but I mean, it’s college. You get drunk larpers and people hallucinating moving shadows from lack of sleep and old buildings with confusing layouts and it’s enough for weird rumours to be spread for months.

There was this weird girl who moved in a couple doors down from me: she turned up around March, I think she was a transfer? Her roommate literally burst into tears and ran away down the hall when I mentioned her, so I didn’t push it. It was a bit weird but I guess they were close with their previous roommate? Don’t know why they left, maybe they dropped out. Anyway, near the end of the semester the girl — she went by hazelnut, I think — invited me to this pre-finals rager out in the woods. I think it was late April, maybe the first of May? Mysty (my roomie) said not to go but I was feeling pretty prepared for my exam so I figured I’d go check it out. She kept, like, tutting at me, and made a big show of pouring salt lines at the window and door and around her bed? I don’t know how you can pour salt sarcastically, but she managed.

It was a pretty decent party, honestly, all through the woods. There was obviously much wilder stuff happening deeper, bright lights and screams and music and stuff, but I met up with a group I vaguely recognized from some class or other, spent a good couple hours playing, like, a music-based chase game around this awesome spiderweb of a slackline rope course someone had set up in the trees, falling off laughingly as we got progressively drunker. Also Cuttlefish (trans dude, marine bio major) with the Bluetooth speaker started skipping erratically between songs with dramatically different genres and beat structures until we all ended up tackling him to make him stop. I was just thinking of heading back to dorm when this girl with really cool dark-fantasy makeup stumbled out of the trees, obviously in distress.

She was dressed in this kinda ragged-but-flowing translucent robe thing over incongruous muddy cargo shorts, barefoot, exhausted-looking, and screaming about being chased. Lark (short girl, I think geology major?) immediately grabbed some big hoola hoops I’d been ignoring (I mean, when there’s a huge multi-tiered rope course with ladders and slack lines and trapezes, hoola hoops don’t stand out) and threw one over Spider-makeup-girl immediately, who kinda collapsed to the ground sobbing in apparent relief, and Lark yelled for everyone else to sit in one as well. Something something salt circles? So we did, kinda bemusedly, two to a hoop.

Spider-girl’s chasers burst out of the trees a moment later, and, like, I had figured Elsewhere must have a pretty substantial cosplay community, considering the larping I’d heard people talking about, but damn these guys’ costumes were good. One had to have been like six and a half feet tall, but they were on tall digitigrade stilts that raised them closer to eight, if you included the mask, and the other had this really clean 4-arm rig and I swear the arms were moving separately. Like, I’m an engineer and I couldn’t figure out how either had put the costumes together, the movements were so smooth they looked practically natural. I hope they get into whatever film studio or props company they want, the prosthetics were definitely movie quality.

Anyway, they came bursting out of the woods, making growling sounds, but they both stopped abruptly when they saw the probably-ridiculous sight of nine twenty-somethings sitting in plastic circles on the grass. I expected them to start laughing, but they were really deep in character.

They kinda circled around us for a moment, sniffing the air. I wanted to comment on their costumes, but everything seemed super serious all of a sudden. Then one of them spoke.

“Have they trapped you, weaver? Do you take salt chains over calm oblivion? Do you think they can hold you against the hunt?”

Their voice was kinda deep and raspy, oddly resonant in the chill night air, like I was only hearing part of it. This was obviously part of some scene, but I dunno. Spider-girl was curled into a ball, shaking, and I felt these guys were taking it too far.

There were a couple moments of tense silence, then Lark spoke up.

“Our bargain is with her, not with you. Leave, or wait out the dark. We aren’t moving.”

The four-armed one literally hissed at that, raising up this ragged crest along their back and flexing all four of their clawed hands.

“If you take her, human, then you take her debts. How certain are you, that you believe yourself capable of filling them? Do you think her gifts worth the cost of her entrapment?”

I still couldn’t tell how the rig was working, there wasn’t much space in their costume for complex pneumatics or anything, which was kinda annoyingly obscure. Was it just puppetry? How the fuck did they get the arms to DO that? And the tall one’s mask, were those articulated eyelids AND ears?

“She is ours, human, hunted and caught. You mettle in affairs of what you know not.”

The big one was circling faster now, striding long-limbed on those stilts. They sounded ominous, but I saw a loophole there, so I spoke up.

“You obviously didn’t catch her? She escaped long enough to find us, and if I understand the setting of your game well enough, we count as scenery or props, not players on the same level as you. So it sounds like she got away on her own and found a hiding place she can wait out the sun, which means you lost and she’s free. Go bug someone else.”

They both roared at that, making charging motions towards us, but thy kept pulling up short about two feet away from the hoola hoops. I’m not gonna lie, it was super intimidating, but they didn’t seem like they were going to get any closer? After like five minutes of this, the tall one broke and ran into the trees and the four-armed one followed, both shrieking.

We stayed in the hoola hoops after that. I would have liked to go back to the dorms, but any time any of us moved Lark started shrieking at us to stay still because it was “dangerous” or whatever. Cuttlefish turned the music back on and we ended up playing a trivia game someone had on their phone. It was super uncomfortable but it could have been worse, especially since I was still pretty drunk, so it was all a kinda pleasant foggyness. I must have dozed off at some point because next thing I knew it was a bit brighter and spider-girl was standing over me.

Her makeup was even better in the twilight, extra eyes and weirdly-textured skin and everything.

“If you are, as you said, merely scenery in which I have found my own escape, then I owe you nothing.”

She looked around at all of us, then at Lark, who was getting up with a murderous expression, then back to me. Up close, I could see my reflection in her eyes, including the six fake ones. They looked intimately real.

“Your words unwind me altogether, even from your would-be friend,” she whispered, just to me, “and I owe you, gift for gift.”

Then, suddenly, she was gone. I saw her bolt to the rope course and up one of the support ropes, much further up than I’d noticed it went, until she disappeared into the treetops. It was impressive.

Lark yelled at me a bit, something something she could have made us all rich? I don’t know, I don’t understand the larp setting well enough to understand the context. And then I went back to my dorm and collapsed into bed. I only got three hours of sleep before I had to get up and take my exam, but I did pretty well on it anyway, got a solid 83%.

Couple days later I heard a sound at the window, and when I went to investigate I found a bundle of fabric on the sill. Unwrapping it, i found a hooded knee-length asymmetrical vest thingy with this really cool greyscale-geometric pattern on it, made from the same flowing material as spider-girl’s robe. It fits perfectly. Mysty made a bit of a fuss when she saw it, but calmed down a bit when I told her the context. I’ve been wearing it ever since, it looks really good over jeans.

Anyway, yeah. Probably the weirdest story I have, though there are some solid contenders, actually....College, you know. Stuff happens.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21751201 (wrote this back in December, forgot to submit it)

[beyondthetemples-ooc]

--Oh, that post reminds me!

I spent a solid three hours at work today contemplating how I’d make a Harrow cosplay.

And what I’d want to do with it, since the book goes into a fair amount of detail, but not enough that I Know For Sure how the robe/etc. are canonically built and worn.

I don’t know of any robes that have clasps in the front? But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I could always give it a cape/cloak aspect.

I’ve never worn a Full Face of Paint before. Everything I know about body paint is theoretical, never actually used it. Can you use body paint on your face? Or would I have to find face-specific? Would I be able to get away with using the “smoky” dark gray-toned eyeshadow I have (because I know it doesn’t irritate my skin, which is Super Rare for me), or would I want to go all-out Shock Value and find something pitch black I can wear? Hell, I have a jet-black liquid eyeliner (also of the non-irritating variety), maybe I could use that on a sponge or brush?

I usually stick around cons for 6-8 hours a day. How much freaking makeup fixative will I have to use to keep the face paint looking halfway decent? (Primer’s a given, especially if I’m doing body paint. That ?might? help?)

And the rib thing! Would I do it as one torso pieces with the “ribs” attached? An under dress and a corset, maybe? A (literally) ribbed corset?

I weighed the odds of being able to afford Real Actual Bones, or at least a rib cage, and how bad of a state they’d be in, and whether I’d be able to wear Real Actual Bones in a convention center or not... I have no idea what the laws are on human remains though. That seems like something I might need a license for.

Universities are usually good places to hit for science-y things, and yes I considered what I’d say to Ohio State University and decided I would definitely be willing to drive two hours to pick them up if I reached that point.

Depending on how heavy they’d be. I don’t “have asthma” according to doctors, and I wasn’t slacking in 8 years of choir so I know my diaphragm is strong, but in the heat I get really breathless, I’ve had two experiences that felt a hell of a lot like asthma attacks, and I’m kiiinda concerned that if the extra rib cage is too heavy, it would make it hard for me to breathe. Especially if it’s hot inside. Or outside. I have a history of passing out in the heat, and passing out in a hard, probably-pointy-at-the-bottom exterior rib cage sounds like it would bruise something.

..........Thinking logistics more than aesthetics now, I’m thinking I’d have to outfit a Real Rib Cage with hinges to get it on and off... I don’t think you can fit your head through your rib cage. I could be entirely wrong though because I’ve never studied human anatomy. (Just animals.)

...I’ll proooobably go with foam because it’s lighter, not to mention that way I can make SURE it fits, and it’ll be helluva lot easier to replace if it breaks, but the thought’s still There. My mystic ass has never touched human bones and I don’t know what it’d be like, but let’s just say I’m Willing To Find Out.

Honestly, if I went to a convention as Harrow, I don’t know if anyone would even recognize her. Not the ones I usually go to, anyways, which are comics and pop culture but skew very heavily towards comics. Maybe if I found a SciFi convention it’d be more likely... but I don’t know how well-known this series is.

I haven’t even done a cosplay since... gods, whenever I made White Raven for Indy PopCon. That’s the last cosplay I’ve made. (Just checked; that was 5 years ago.) I have 4 yards of 2 types of white material for Dove’s cloak and I have fabrics I’d use to make Lapis’s wings, but I never got around to Actually Making Them.

This one..... Gods, I’d need so much black fabric. Wearing black is my default fashion statement, but that is gonna be a LOT of fabric.... I’d have to make sure it’s a light, breezy material. Heavy fabric has a neat fall, but again: passing out. I imagine this would cover nearly every inch of me. Not gonna risk it.

...also, I can’t remember. Did the narration say Harrow shaves her head? I have...... 2-3 feet of hair, and no desire to get rid of it. Gotta figure out if I’d opt for a bald cap, tie my hair back, or just “edit” the cosplay and keep my hair behind me in the robe. Though on that last thought, if the way it interacts with cloaks is any indication, my hair will manage to escape the confines and wind up laying over my shoulders anyways, so is there any point? Would it do the same thing with a bald cap? I dyed all of my hair purple for Raven because I didn’t want to deal with a wig. I hate bobby pins, can only tolerate them for an hour or two before they start Severely Hurting my Skull....

I’d have to reread the book (oooh, SUCH a chore /s), paying attention to the details before I assemble a real cosplay. I don’t even remember anything about the legs or feet being mentioned, but I don’t Usually pay Much Attention to clothing details. Anything visual, really. Hence: reread the whole thing and take notes.

But I think maybe someday it’s gonna happen.

[aurorajay]

I love making costumes but I always feel bad about my skill level being far below everyone else’s. Even though I love making costumes they never look good quality. Any advice?

It's easier to answer specific questions about a project vs. a general "how to be good”, but I'm gonna give it my best shot.

First off, go easy on yourself, you're learning! I know I'm still learning. Hell, the seasoned pro of 3 decades is still learning! Every fuck up and mediocrity is a step of improvement. I won't tell you that practice makes perfect, because it doesn't. It will make you better, great even. But it won't make you perfect. No one ever achieves perfection. And that's okay! Literally every single piece I've ever made has multiples elements I would change if i could. Even the ones that look good, like the now-popular moth cape. I will do lots of things differently when i make my next one.

Also, I know from experience how hard it is to avoid comparing yourself to others, especially online. So when we (inevitably) do, I think it's important to remember that there can be a BIG difference between in person and photos. That cool looking cosplay armour? Upon closer inspection it might be held together by hot glue. That pretty formal gown? It might have a real shitty fraying seam down the back. All we see is a carefully curated version of reality.

It's hard offering practical tips without more info to go on, but hopefully some of this will help. I think what makes a good looking costume can be broken down into 4 basic elements, so here’s what I think are the most important things to consider

Design: This is the part that people seem to have the easiest time with, and I can help the least with. Coming up with the idea. And when you’re costuming just for the pure enjoyment of it, there are no bad ideas! Now everyone approaches this differently, whether it's sketches, moodboards, or diagrams. Unless someone else is executing the concept, it doesn't even need to look remotely good! As long as you understand what the design is supposed to be, it works.

I will say to design with practical considerations in mind though. Think about where, how, and why it will be worn. Plan for things like zippers and buttons to get in and out, the weather where it will be worn, how much movement will be required, etc. You don’t want to end up sweaty and stuck in a polyester bodysuit that can only be opened with the help of two assistants in say, an outdoor summer event in LA.

Materials: This can be tricky, because it’s dependant on your resources. Materials are expensive, and quality ones even more so. But researching options and picking the best fit for your project is important. Making a historical piece? Stick to natural fibers. Cosplaying a superhero? You're gonna need spandex.

If you're short on funds, going through second hand stores can be real handy. Bigger ones will sometimes have actual yardage, but you can find sheets, curtains, saris, and all sorts of things to take apart and use. Get familiar with the properties and names of different textiles. You'll eventually develop a skill for spotting the nice stuff.

More specialized tools/materials like say fosshape or sewing machine attachments are harder to stumble across, but there will be online sales. If i find something good for cheap I buy it and hang onto it for later projects. If possible, take advantage of sales and rare finds while you can. You're a dragon and materials are your hoard!

Construction: Obviously you want your costume to be well-made, but this means knowing and mastering different techniques. It's a slow process, but one everyone is capable of undetaking! Firstly, you need to familiarize yourself with technical terms to make finding the actual tutorials easier. One of my go-to resources for this is The Sewing Book, by Reader's Digest. (There’s also a newer version available, I’ll include it below). It covers a wide variety of techniques, materials, etc. and has fantastic diagrams. Can’t recommend it enough

Companies that sell specialized stuff like thermoplastics or casting resin often have tutorials on their websites which can be indispensable to learning to use them properly. As well as very important safety precautions. They will also sometimes list external how-to sources or sell instructional books.

Take a close look at clothes and costumes you own to understand how they are put together. Figure out what techniques are appropriate to use where. A flat fell seam is great for jeans and french seam is perfect for chiffon, but try the reverse and it will be a pain. Take pictures and make sketches of interesting details that catch your eye. You can come back to them for ideas later.

I try and incorporate at least 1 new technique into every project I make, that way I'm always learning. But don't jump straight to trying it out on the final piece! Always make a sample (or several) beforehand. And keep the samples for later reference! I'm trying to amass a big scrapbook-style binder of samples, which is sooo so handy to come back to when it's been a while since you've done something.

Fit: This is the final, and possibly most difficult element of costuming. No matter how cool the design, how fancy the materials, and how good the construction, if something doesn’t fit right it’s going to look and feel wrong. Most of us here are making costumes for ourselves, which means you're going to need help. Measuring and fitting clothes on yourself is a nightmare, so enlist a friend or family member to give you a hand.

The other thing you can do it is to get a dress form/mannequin. These are pricey, and will probably need to be customized with padding and such anyways, so I recommend you DIY it. Again, you will need a helper, because the easiest way to get a custom dress form it to just straight up duct tape yourself into a crappy old shirt, cut it off, then stuff it. There’s tons of tutorials online for this, it’s a tried and true cheap method.

I highly recommend learning some basic pattern drafting, and that’s honestly the hardest part. You can rely on store bought patterns, but they are extremely variable in quality, and unless you’re in the rare minority who are a sample size, it will need some altering to fit you right. They can be a good starting point, but ultimately I think pattern drafting from scratch is much faster and more adaptable, if you're able to learn it. This is where you will need some good books or video instructions. I don’t have one single resource to recommend for this, but I will list some books at the end. If you personally know ANYONE with this skill, try and get them to teach you everything they know, because they are worth their weight on gold.

It’s important to note that some pattern drafting is easier than others, Stretch fabrics are MUCH more forgiving in this area, and that’s how i got started. Because the fabric will accommodate your form, the pattern requires fewer parts and darts, and there’s more leeway for mistakes. The one downside is that stretches can be more difficult to sew. Personally, I feel like they more than make up for it by being simplicity of drafting. The resources I’ve linked are geared toward drafting for non-stretch, but if you’re not following a similar tutorial i recommend stretch.

One last thing in regards to fit. ALWAYS MAKE A MOCKUP. You can work out so many fit issues just by making your costume in crappy material first, taking note of the fit issues, and adjusting them with pins, marking them with a sharpie, etc. Then you can change your pattern accordingly. Whether it’s a breastplate made of cardstock or a dress done in old sheets, you should always make a mockup. Sometimes several! The material doesn’t matter as long as it behaves roughly like the good stuff you plan on using. Don’t use a heavy blanket for if your costume is going to be a gauzy nymph robe, for example. But it doesn’t have to look nice. It just has to be wearable.

Resources:

*These are mostly tailored towards women’s garments. A lot of the same principles apply, but making men’s costumes will have some separate considerations not covered here. Just something to keep in mind if you want to draft for guys. These are all just starting points anyhow. There’s tons more out there

https://www.amazon.ca/Sewing-Book-Alison-Smith-2014-02-03/dp/B01JXQQ9Y2

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Sewing-Step-Step/dp/1606522086

https://www.handimania.com/diy/your-own-shape-sewing-mannequin.html

https://www.fearlessmakers.com/measurements-for-pattern-making/

https://opensourcestitches.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/pattern-drafting-101-drafting-the-basic-bodice-block/

https://opensourcestitches.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/pattern-drafting-101-the-mens-shirt-block/

http://isntthatsew.org/pattern-making-101/

https://sewing.wonderhowto.com/how-to/draft-basic-pant-pattern-0126850/

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/063206501X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[determinationisnotcrash]

Gasterblastober Prompt 3: A Moment of Fear

This takes place in my variant of the Blaster AU (in other words, on the Surface one year and a bit after Undertale), shortly after the situation with Wingdings Gaster was resolved.

When dressing up for Halloween with Asriel, Papyrus (in the ‘horned skeleton’ partial Blaster form he’s stuck in) causes the goat to flash back to one of his worse Resets.

In it, a feral GB!Papyrus gives Flowey a cruel and unusual, but entirely deserved death. As such, content warnings apply for extreme violence. And JoJo references.

For Gasterblastober, which is by @gbpack-discord

Papyrus’ House

The horned skeleton let his classmate in, bony tail wagging with excitement in preparation for all the delicious treats they would get. No matter how old they were, they were never too old to go trick-or-treating! Asriel in particular had to make up for six years’ worth of missed treats!

“What are you dressed as, Asriel?”

The self-proclaimed God of Hyperdeath puffed his chest out proudly as he spun around, revealing the Sword of Luck and Pluck attached to the sleeveless blue tank top with shoulder pads to make his slender frame appear bigger. “Jonathan Joestar, of course! I had no idea how to dress, considering, y’know, I’m already a monster. Alphys gave me the suggestion!”

His friend was enthusiastic, but… a bead of sweat slid down Papyrus’ skull. “It’s Halloween, not a cartoon cosplay convention. Why don’t you go in your robes as the God of Hyperdeath?”

Asriel face went so red, if the lights were switched off, Papyrus swore it would illuminate the room. “R-reasons. Anyway, what’re you going as?”

“Glad you asked~ The Great Papyrus is in casual clothes before you now, but soon, you shall be amazed, as he transforms into a bone dragon knight! It’s as radical as it is cost-effective! With my Blaster-like mutations, and everything. All I really needed to design were the armour, helmet, and wings.”

Even after all this time, he still had no idea why he had Blaster-like features now. But horns, paw-like feet, claws, and a tail were unobtrusive enough from his daily life, so there wasn’t really any reason to go investigating. Especially with his final year of high school around the corner.

He ran into his room, disappearing from Asriel’s sight, then returned wearing armour. “The armour is customised Royal Guard armour-” The skeleton turned around, revealing the very mobile wings, “the wings are courtesy of Alphys’ assistance, and most importantly of all…!” Papyrus plonked the helmet he was holding on his head.

At the completed look, Asriel went as still as a statue. A Gasterblaster-like helmet…!? The design brought to mind the lower points of his Resets. Given how awful his Resets past the first few were, that was really saying something. Out of the entire Underground, the most terrifying one of all wasn’t Sans, but…

***

Flowey dodged a rain of sharpened bone attacks, but the moment he thought he avoided it, his enemy made them change course, homing in and piercing through him. “Blugh…!” Blood spewed from his mouth and vines.

This was marginally better than the last hundred times – then, he had been torn apart by claws and fangs outright! This was frustrating! This ‘boss’ wasn’t something he could defeat once ‘triggered’!

He could easily take Papyrus in his ‘base form’ and kill him as easily as an infant, but once he started mutating, it was the end! But there wouldn’t be any achievement unless he killed him as that bone demon creature!

Papyrus’ face had pushed out into a vicious muzzle, filled with razor-sharp teeth. His gloves and boots had been shredded by cruel claws, whereas the remnants of his battle body hung off him. The hellbeast he had become looked like a cross between a skeletal werewolf and a dragon – still vaguely humanoid, but the resemblance to the person he once was ended there.

Flowey had a secret weapon, too: DT he stole from Alphys’ lab. He couldn’t steal the souls from Asgore, but with this…!

A surge of power and pleasure coursed through his body as he grew to enormous size, dwarfing the freshly mutated bone dragon. Green (but otherwise human) hands appeared, forming finger guns. From the ends of the digits, missiles launched out!

Papyrus leaped out of the way and dashed across the walls of New Home on all fours, trying to evade the missiles. But Flowey knew his exact movements – this ‘script’ he had experienced before!

The beast jumped to the Judgement Hall, unintentionally scattering the dust of his older brother. The moment his paws made contact with the floor, the foundation shattered! Barbed vines wrapped around him, constricting him like a vice. A gasp escaped its jaws, as they tightened further.

Flowey brought his face up to where the skeleton was suspended, leaning towards him, his face mere millimetres away from Papyrus’. “I’m the one who’s the Player here. You’re just a stupid NPC.”

Papyrus opened his maw, as if to answer, but then bit down on the flower. Hard. Flowey mentally cursed. Of all the stupid things he forgot to account for! The flower screamed and dropped him to the ground, before falling to the floor himself. Papyrus pinned the flower’s face down with a claw, causing a further screech of pain.

The DT leaked out of him, Papyrus lapping it all up with a blue magic tongue. Drool seeped out of his maw as he hungrily continued to consume the substance, tearing up Flowey’s vines with his free claws to obtain more.

The dragon’s body shuddered and grew as he took in more and more of the substance, the remnants of his battle body all but exploding off as he became more and more draconic.

With his elongating neck, he continued to methodically rip open every last part of Flowey and extract the substance within, dagger-like teeth and claws easily piercing his ‘skin’ as painfully as possible. The turquoise substance his tongue left on the flower burned like acid.

Then, once Papyrus had drawn all he could from the flower… stuffed the soulless creature into his jaws. Slowly, but surely, the jaws started to compress – letting the flower know exactly how he was going to die, and just how excruciating it would be.

Out of every possible timeline he had encountered, and ever would… Flowey had never been more scared in his life. Then and there, the flower learned the true meaning of fear.

***

“ASRIEL!”

The splash of ice-cold water snapped the former prince back to reality.

Papyrus, his helmet removed, laughed in relief. “Thank God…! You were staring into space for ages! I thought I would have to use a 23rd bucket!”

“Haha… sorry, you really were terrifying.” Asriel’s chuckle was nervous, but deep down, he was pleased.

Such a situation no longer had the potential to occur. Resets and anything associated with them were no longer possible. Thanks to their achievements, this world was free from the curse of Determination. No one would treat real people’s lives like a worthless game. Papyrus would stay as Papyrus.

The horned skeleton in question bowed his head in apology. “I’m sorry for frightening you – this costume is clearly too much. I should donate it to a horror house later. But…” He stroked his bifurcated jaw. “What can I go as last-minute…?”

A mischievous smile crossed Asriel’s face. “I have an idea…”

***

“So cool, mister…!”

“Do it again, do it again!”

“As you wish, here we goooo…!” Another twirl of Papyrus’ head, and the top hat went spinning through the air again, drawing a cheer out of the crowd of children who gathered around him. It drew an arc, before landing right where it was earlier. It didn’t have a razor like in the source material, but it was just as fancy and entertaining to use.

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ

Suddenly, purple projected menacing symbols started hovering around the area – those weren’t illusions created by the atmosphere, they were actually 3D hologram projections! Papyrus and Asriel, turned around, and at the sight, they grinned. Looked like some people had the same idea for costumes…!

Mettaton, RG01, and RG02 were dressed in the fabulous Pillar Men outfits, each of them practically glowing with over-the-top fabulousness. No, wait, they were just literally glowing and sparkling. That was MTT™ bishounen sparkle spray for you!

At any rate, he decided to play along – Papyrus issued a very convincing “KYAAAAAAAAAA! They’ve awakeneeeeed!”

Asriel added onto that, “Even the Great Papyrus is afraid!”

[actuallyvady]

So I am working on a thing

... well. I’m planning a thing. A thing I have wanted to plan for a very long time. 

I’m a nerd. I’m sure you all knew that. Specifically, I am a Tolkien nerd-- even more specifically, The Silmarillion. It’s my favorite. I like it more than Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, though I usually don’t recommend people read it like I do with my other favorite books. Anyway, my favorite character in all of it is Fëanor. 

Fëanor, for those who are not familiar, is the best and brightest of all the elves. His name means “spirit of fire” and he burned so brightly that his mother, exhausted from his birth, literally died-- the first elf ever to do so, lol. Fëanor was the prettiest and smartest and most skilled Mary Sue of an elf every to live. He invented all the things. He invented the art of gem crafting. Not the making of jewelry, actually creating gems. Some of his greatest hits include the palantiri-- remember that scary orb thing Saruman was using to talk to Sauron? The one Pippin accidentally looked into? That’s a palantir. Also, you know that pretty script that’s on the ring? He invented that writing system. What he is most known for, though, is creating these magical gems called Silmarils... and, after they are stolen, fucking up everything for everyone for an entire age. I’m not even kidding, he and his sons start killing other elves and all kinds of other horrible shit, it’s great. Fëanor is my original problematic fave. 

Anyway, since I first started cosplaying, my elf-obsessed ass has wanted to be Fëanor. The fact that I have never done a Lord of the Rings cosplay has a lot to do with the fact that the one I wanted to do would be difficult and obscure. I’ve been afraid to even think about it, until recently-- designing things for myself has always terrified me, and as there is no Silmarillion movie, there isn’t exactly a canon design for the bastard (figure of speech, his parents were happily married. then his dad re-married and that’s like, half of Fëanor’s problem for a long time) 

...anyway I’m actually going to do the thing. I’m going to cosplay the Actual Worst, Fëanor. 

As I said, designing things is hard, so at first I went and looked at fanart and other people’s cosplays. There are some really gorgeous things out there-- seriously, go look at all the pretty art, it’s great. But I noticed pretty fast that everyone dressed him in black and red. Which. Don’t get me wrong, the colors suit him-- that whole “spirit of fire” thing he has going on, coupled with him being the actual worst, it makes a lot of sense. 

Only...

Tolkien designed a sigil for him. Actually Tolkien designed a bunch of sigils for people and families, most of whom don’t appear in the properties that have become movies. But! The important one is Fëanor. It looks like this:

It is very similar to his father’s, really-- Finwë’s sign is more plain, in blue and yellow, and looks like the sun. Fëanor has the colors and general shape of his father, with two elements added: flames and colors. His half-brother, Fingolfin, has the flames and the blue, so the fire is not entirely Fëanor-- though that whole “spirit of fire” thing is, again, appropriate. Fëanor’s flames, unlike his brother’s, are almost rainbows. They’ve got the blue flame thing happening, burning hotter, I suppose? And the symbols at the center seem to represent his gem-crafting; it may very well be that the center itself is supposed to be a silmaril. So, what makes this Fëanor’s sign, different from everyone else in his family? Color. Because he is the prince of sparkly things. 

So I didn’t want to put him in None More Goth colors. He’s a god damned peacock. 

That much of the design I’ve been certain of for years: I didn’t want edgelord Fëanor, I wanted Prince Mary Sue Fëanor. Which meant blue and gold and fire and rainbows and above all, sparkles. So many sparkles. 

Recently I began thinking about it again, and truly, I went back and forth on whether to put him in black... or white. Either would be great for making him prismatic. Rainbows and sparkly things pop pretty well on black, even though I was really entertained by turning the common idea of his design on its head by putting him in white. I did know that there would be nothing in between-- either black or white, no greys and definitely no colors other than adornment. But it wasn’t until a friend got me thinking about symmetry-- or the lack of it-- that things started to click. 

Elves are symmetrical. It’s part of why we think they’re beautiful. They have these gentle, sweeping, organic lines, curves, flowing robes and many layers, but they are always symmetrical. (Haldir and the guards in Lothlorien do have an asymmetrical curve to their tunics, but it is a soft, subtle thing; the overall effect is still largely symmetrical.) Elrond? Galadriel? Thranduil? Pick a level of drama, doesn’t matter-- you’ll still find symmetrical design. 

Fëanor, though. Yes, he is beautiful, but again and again he is noted as different. He’s better, stronger, brighter. He burns. And, well, he’s not exactly the most stable of people. I read some meta a while back about Loki’s costume design being symmetrical in the first movie and asymmetrical afterwards, and how that obviously reflected his chaotic nature. Say what you will about that, it got me thinking about Fëanor. He is not exactly a paragon of stability; perhaps a lack of symmetry was called for. 

Now, technically Fëanor has two signs-- the brightly colored sigil above, and this: 

... I’m not actually sure what the Star of Fëanor is, but it appears on the door to Moria, of all places. Anyway, this is much easier to incorporate into costumes and doesn’t clash with the usual aesthetic, so it gets incorporated into costumes of Fëanor and his family fairly regularly. I hadn’t planned to use it much-- I am much more fond of the sigil I spoke of before-- but as I thought about symmetry I had the thought of creating a design around the Star of Fëanor as a shooting star, off-centered, with a trail of... something behind it. 

Which of course doesn’t work on white, but I had already thought about doing a more casual ensemble, probably with other things layered over top of it, so I came up with this:

The trail from the star is chiffon, and the colors follow the colors in the flames of his sigil. It’s asymmetrical-- if you look carefully, I don’t even have the neckline symmetrical-- and filling the black field of the coat with little swarovski stars was a concept that appealed greatly. I could even make them iridescent, if I wanted. 

That left me with the formal version, which I quickly realized was going to be its own thing rather than layered over top of this. I started with two vague ideas and a general purpose: use the sigil, mimic the spiral of the black coat, and make it as Extra™ as possible. In my mind, that last part meant “lots of layers! lots of details!” Only... as I started drawing, I found myself wanted to do something else. Rather than adding layer upon layer, I could remove one, or part of one, not by removing the piece of the ensemble, but by making it transparent. If I was using crystals as a jumping off point, it made sense. 

So, after a bunch of sketching and playing around, I have this:

The lowest layer is simple-- white pants, white shirt, white boots. Which I’ll be making, because of who I am as a person. On top of that I have a fairly traditional elven robe-- similar in design to things that appear in the films-- only it’s made of the most transparent chiffon I can find. It’ll probably have embroidery on the trim, though design is still in question-- I don’t picture Mr. I Make Gems But Never Bothered Learning To Make Boats being all that in tune with the natural world, so the usual vines and things are out. 

On top of that, I have an asymmetrical coat similar to the black, casual coat above. On this one the spiral continues around the back, and it is just gold, rather than the gradient... though this layer may be lined in the gradient. It is on this layer that the sigil appears; it, the details above it, and all the blue on (the outside of) the tunic will be done in colored crystals-- which they make in a curved leaf shape that resembles the flames on the sigil, something I plan to take full advantage of. I decided I needed another detail, when it hit me: dude invented the tengwar, I should put script on it. The fact that I will have black elvish writing on a gold element amuses me, because anyone who has seen anything about the LOTR movies will find it familiar at least. The fact that I am planning on having the script be the Oath of Fëanor is my own personal in joke with myself. 

The cape was a whole other challenge, as it needed to be just right to pull the whole thing together looking elfy enough. I finally settled on this design, having tried a few others-- Elrond wears a cape like this a couple of times. But the cape is probably my favorite part, overall. It is probably velvet. It could be worn with the black, too, giving me several ways to be my trash fave. Anyway. It’s lined with, you guessed it, the gradient of the flames, and is white on the black-- including that Star, that will be in clear, maybe iridescent gems. It has more of the transparent-ish organza (no idea how that will move but I love the concept too much to not) in an asymmetrical cut on one corner. The idea here is that from the back he is cloaked entirely in white, but when he turns (dramatically tossing his cape, probably), the colors are revealed-- it is designed for maximum Drama™, just like Fëanor.

Anyway, it’s not happening any time soon as all of this is going to be hideously expensive, but I’m excited that it’s actually a thing. 

[albion-est]

Cursed Commentary (E1)

the time has come to share my experience of this show!

already off to a good start with some on screen text don't you just love reading things when you go to watch something?

wow those bubbles in the water look so fake

aaaaaand we also have a voiceover at the beginning who woulda thought? me? certainly not

those flashbacks didn't need to be there. would have been much more interesting to see the scene play out and then do a flashback later

add fire to the list of bad cgi in this show

there's an eclipse...guess it's time to attack the fire nation

Nimue's mother's voice for some reason bothers me and I don't know why

so far they've said cursed/curse about 5 times

woah what is with that transition? although if we are comparing it to the book, it's actually fitting bc in the book the transitions are just as abrupt and nonsensical so

idk what it is about the slow zoom that the camera does with wide shots but it gives me a headache

lol the red paladin robes look like snuggies, which is ridiculous since their supposed to be mass murderers and everything

I mean can you imagine being murdered by a man in a snuggie? Cuz I can't. Guess we'll just wait and see it happen on screen

also, if for any reason, you ever wanted to cosplay as a red paladin, all you would need is a red snuggie and belt around your waist

like even the part around the collar is exactly the same asjgfksjsh (snuggie on the left, paladin on the right)

and yes I paused the show just to compile those images together

ok so like there's a scene of the paladins riding on horseback and it's so trippy because they have the same footage spliced together??? man I wish I knew how to make gifs to show you. you can see at 14:36

this is a bad photo but you can see that those are the same people with the exact same movements (guy who looks like he's trying too hard to ride the horse and the guy with the flag) also, not pictured but keep an eye on the guy on the white horse

had to turn off subtitles to get that last picture and then a guy starts whispering. couldn’t hear what he was saying so i turned subtitles back on to find this as the subtitle: [whispering]

tv!uther is gay just calling it like I see it folks

this is my obsession with bbc merlin here but they way uther says "merlin" at 17:57 is reminiscent of how arthur says it in bbc merlin with the stress on "mer" and it really took me back

I actually really like merlin's robe

add that town (Hawksbridge???) to the list of bad cgi

Pym: what if they find out you're a girl? Nimue: they won't *proceeds to not even try to hide her figure or her long hair*

pym's expression when nimue sees arthur is so funny

man the show did not do a good job with this scene bc nimue was drawn to arthur like how she is drawn to the hidden and there is no indication of that here...not that the book really delivered on that anyway but just saying

that juggler could have lice and now nimue has it too

man I was really excited to see arthur juggle in the show like he did in the book but alas I was deprived of this

In the book, nimue is the one who wants to stay, not pym and the way that the show portrays pym as encouraging nimue to talk to arthur and then do a complete 180 and urge nimue to go home makes no sense. either have pym encourage her or nimue go against her

how no one saw the fingers of airimid on nimue's face when she rolls the dice has the same energy as bbc merlin when merlin's eyes go gold as he plays dice against arthur and arthur doesn't notice despite looking right at him

I was hoping not to see the creepy three faced baby onscreen but there it is1

this scene where nimue is waving a sword around with arthur was bad in the book and I'm not surprised that it's worse in the show

the sounds of the horse's hooves is so out of sync lmao

why did they choose to have a horse on fire ride by when they could have easily seen the smoke from the fire from where they are

nimue charging directly into the path of the paladins in search for her mother is the stupidest thing. they didn't notice her yet and she could have snuck around undetected

also she just dragged pym with her despite her protests and then pym got taken smh

why did they paladin that took pym not just hit her with the axe he was holding? why take the effort to carry her?

The photo is kinda too dark to see but this paladin on the horse just ran over a paladin on the ground lmao

nimue was in the paladin's direct path to be butchered and then he turned away. so convenient for nimue

so what you're trying to tell me is that nimue can easily call to the hidden to play dice but can't use her powers at all when her village is being burned down and her people being murdered?

ok I guess they want to burn people alive on the cross so that's why they took pym alive? but how do they determine who to burn and who to just kill? is it random?

squirrel would be faster without both the sword and his little cape but whatever

how exactly does burning someone reveal their true form? they burn just the same as other people and they've been burning the fey for a while now so what evidence do they have of this???

where have the archers been this entire time?

that blood is too red. it's like paint

ah yes the bad guy dragging his sword on the ground to announce his arrival honestly this just dulls the blade and makes it more difficult to killed people but you do you

add the storm to the list of bad cgi

that knight is just asking to be struck by lightning

how it is that the rain was normal at first and then only after the reveal in the hall does the rain become blood? logistically, the rain had to have been blood before this because someone collected it in the bucket and they should have been drenched in blood trying to collect it. unless the rain just magically turned into blood after the fact which would make sense but there's nothing to indicate that

nimue: I have to find mother and pym *finds her mother and forgets about her best friend*

convenient giant rock is convenient

add wolves to the list of bad cgi

look I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure the wolves should be faster than nimue by like a lot. it looks like they're running at the same speed as her here which is ridiculous

she literally just punched that wolf in the face and won?

there's no way that she knew where to kick so that she'd hit that wolf. apparently swinging your legs around is an effective method of warding off wolves

the fact that a wolf clung onto her arm and another bit her leg twice and neither of them drew blood is also ridiculous

the wolves literally stop trying to get on the rock to give her time to take out the sword when that one wolf that had the advantage of being on another rock could have easily jumped up there and killed her

she wasn't even facing that wolf and managed to spin around completely and kill it

when the sword is stuck in the stone (lol) why did the wolf just wait? ot could have just pounced on her, knocking her to the ground, and then they all could have attacked her

like that wolf on the left jumped away from her even though she wasn't even pointing the sword at it like this wolf pack sucks

it's 2 against 1 and nimue doesn't even know how to use a sword and somehow she still manages to kill them all

what is with that blood splatter???

and that's apparently the end of the first ep...? doesn't leave much to be desired

it took me 2 hours to watch this 50 min ep because of my comments lol

overall, the show seems to follow the book pretty closely. some scenes are shortened to fit the episode but other than that it’s pretty much the same thus far

considering that the book reads like a screenplay, this is not surprising

stay tuned for episode 2 folks

[fortes-fortuna-iogurtum]

I said I was going to bed but then I saw this so I’m gonna see if I can do it in mobile without destroying myself and my will to live (and yes I’m stealing it from you anyway Lu even tho you didn’t tag me muahahaha >:))

favorite Doctor outfit, as in which one you think looks best as an outfit? I really love Three’s outfits and also the Fugitive!Doctor’s costume! they have very similar vibes so maybe that’s why XD but also of course Eight’s costume. it’s amazing, I love it, I’ll never get tired of staring at it.

favorite Doctor outfit, as in which one you love because it fits the character/it makes you smile/etc? I love everything Twelve wears especially in series 9-10. It all just looks so comfy and genuine?? like here is a time-space-traveling dude who teaches physics at a university because he’s promised to keep his BFF locked up in the basement until she learns better manners and adopts the cafeteria worker right after meeting her the first time, of COURSE he dresses like that!! and he should!! also Thirteen’s costume, because it’s not very far off from the way I tend to dress (if my fashion-conscious sister doesn’t get to me before I get out the door) and it also looks quite comfy.

most stylish companion in general? Jo Grant, hands down. have you SEEN that woman’s outfits?? but I mean she is played by Katy Manning, the literal most fabulous woman on this planet, so it really shouldn’t be any surprise.

favorite individual companion outfit? Romana’s Shada dress is gorgeous and I love it. also it’s v Normal and Not Flashy, but Romana I has an outfit in the serial where they’re in a swamp that I’ve completely forgotten the name of now that’s really nice and I like a lot.

super dated companion outfit that you love anyway? ditto Lu, actually, Zoe’s sparkly jumpsuit is just awesome and I love it XD

least favorite companion outfit? probably Leela’s outfit, specifically her second one, just because I have Issues with them constantly trying to make her “sexier” and show more skin :P and also of course there are a few things that Tegan and Peri wear that are just like. why. my poor eyeballs. who was the costume designer for this show and why did they hate their job so much. oH and Ace’s terrible jumpsuit thing from some of the VNA covers. *shudders*

best ridiculous space clothes/side character getup? ok it’s not Doctor Who ProperTM but I have to answer with That One Outfit of Benny’s from That One Book Cover. the shoulder pads one. yeah. that. it’s so STUPID but also kind of impressive in a incredibly confusing way?? (are those?? flipflops?? but she’s wearing socks with them??) but she gets top points for hairstyle and earrings because those aspects are 👌🏻 additionally, Penguin Robes.

should they keep The Orange Spacesuit or switch it up? um excuse me, that spacesuit is the whole reason I watch the show at this point!! they have to keep if!!

best Romana look? (lbr this has to be its own question, she’s an icon)* definitely the one from the Vampire serial. but also her outfit from her last serial and like I already mentioned, the Shada dress is amazing.

what would you like to cosplay, if time and money were no object? probably the Sixth Doctor. (except I’m Actually going to be cosplaying him eventually and just throwing time and money to the wind XD)

what could you most easily closet-cosplay right now if obliged to do so? (be honest! and give us a pic if you like! no pressure tho) I’ve actually be low-key collecting stuff for a Benny closet cosplay 👀 so probably her. but I think I could maybe pull off Eight, too? given I have several Fancy Waistcoats and a couple green jackets I think would capture his vibes :D

Doctor Who fashion questions

I bet there are enough people interested in Doctor Who’s clothes and costumes to get this meme off the ground! Repost, tag friends, and answer:

favorite Doctor outfit, as in which one you think looks best as an outfit?

favorite Doctor outfit, as in which one you love because it fits the character/it makes you smile/etc?

most stylish companion in general?

favorite individual companion outfit?

super dated companion outfit that you love anyway?

least favorite companion outfit?

best ridiculous space clothes/side character getup?

should they keep The Orange Spacesuit or switch it up?

best Romana look? (lbr this has to be its own question, she’s an icon)*

what would you like to cosplay, if time and money were no object?

what could you most easily closet-cosplay right now if obliged to do so? (be honest! and give us a pic if you like! no pressure tho)

*If you’re doing this and you’re not a Classic Who fan, don’t worry! I’ll make it easy for you: the correct answer is “whatever it was she had going on in Full Circle.”

Tagging @fortes-fortuna-iogurtum and @ladyverachtung, plus anyone else who’d like to do it–seriously, I would love for lots of people to do this!

I don’t know @unprofessionalfashionreviews so I don’t feel comfortable tagging them in the meme itself, but I’m really enjoying their series of “Every Companion Outfit” reviews, which you should check out if you like the clothes of Who! (and if they see this and would like to do the meme, they’re of course welcome to!)

I’ll post my own answers in a bit :)

[magnvs]

KNOWING YOUR PARTNER CAN POTENTIALLY MAKE WRITING TOGETHER A LOT EASIER. REPOST, DON’T REBLOG.  

*  BASICS.  

NAME / ALIAS :   zelda. PRONOUNS :   she / her. SEXUALITY :   bi bi bi !!! TAKEN OR SINGLE :   single.

*  THREE FACTS.

ONE :   i was homeschooled for kindergarten  &  part of the first grade,  and thanks to my mum,  i was reading books like harry potter by the time i was three. TWO :   speaking of harry potter,  i am . . .   a major fan.  the movies  &  books were basically my entire childhood,  and to this day,  if i say i’m watching a movie in the bg while i do anything else,  you can bet that it’s probably harry potter.  we weren’t super well off when i was younger,  so we didn’t have the money to buy costumes or anything,  but i bought my first hogwarts robe in 2015 for a hermione cosplay  &  literally burst into tears when it arrived in the mail.  is that weird,  or heartwarming?  maybe a little bit of both,  which kind of fits,  for me.  THREE :   i’m spending the majority of my summer in malaysia for my grandparents’ 50th anniversary  &  america !!!!!  i’m super excited,  but i don’t think i’ll be putting my blog on too much of a hiatus during that time  ( particularly while i’m in malaysia )  because not being able to write stresses me out.

*  EXPERIENCE.

HOW LONG (MONTHS / YEARS?) :  mmmm,  5ish years ? PLATFORMS YOU’VE USED :  skype,  twitter,  viber,  plurk,  discord,  text,  tumblr. BEST EXPERIENCE :   just . . .  the entire experience that has been my magnus blog.  honestly,  it’s done a lot of wonderful things for my mental health  &  weird case of internet shyness !!!!

*  MUSE PREFERENCES.  

FEMALE OR MALE :   i like to think that i’ve had a healthy blend of the two,  but i was making a list of muses for a potential multimuse blog ......  and i think i lean a little towards a male majority. FLUFF, ANGST OR SMUT :   i love some good angst,  but i’m also a major hoe for fluff.  smut is not something that i’ll ever specifically set out to write in a thread,  but i don’t mind if it leads into it  &  i’m comfortable with who i’m writing with.  ngl,  i think it’s only come up once so far on this blog.  PLOTS OR MEMES :   plots plots plots !!!!!  especially like,  detailed storylines that can span across multiple threads hoo boy,  sign me up. BEST TIME TO WRITE :   honestly,  whenever i have the time??  i find that i write  FASTEST  during the morning  &  night,  but my magnus muse in particular is pretty strong,  so i’m good with writing whenever as long as i have some good tunes playing in the background. ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S) :   oh,  of course.  that’s usually how i pick muses,  anyway!!!  i’m infatuated with magnus in particular because of our  CULTURAL  similarities.  indonesia  &  malaysia have a ton of similarities regarding food,  language,  weaponry,  heritage etc,  and every time something about his past is addressed on the show  ( i’m so hyped about todd’s tease about nasi goreng on twitter,  for example !!!! ),  i get super excited,  because it’s so wonderful to have a character on tv whose heritage is so similar to mine.  we’re both bisexual  &  biracial,  we’re both very protective of our friends,  we both like fashion  &  makeup but also  LOVE  learning,  even though we prefer doing it on our own terms.  we both have a tendency to be a little moody,  and are wild perfectionists,  even though we’re confident in our abilities.  we’ve also had similar experiences in regards to mental health and an ex who’s hard to hate because they pulled us from the situation...  we also both have the same kind of humour and are a lil sassy,  which is fun.  anyway,  i don’t wanna speak about this toooooo much and annoy anyone who bothers reading this,  but yes!  i do like to think i’m kind of similar to him  ( who wouldn’t want to be like magnus bane,  anyway ? ),  which is why i understand a lot of his motives etc and don’t find writing for him to be an extraordinary challenge.

TAGGED BY :  @selfulfilling  ( love youuuuu. ) TAGGING :  if you’re reading this,  consider yourself tagged!!!!

[daeris-cosplay]

Time for an Elizabeth Swann WIP post

It has been way too long since I made a post like this! Granted though, in the entire year of 2017 I only made this costume, so there was little to write, This year was crazy, so many things of life happened, I just had no energy to make anything. Anyways, I had been a sleeping member of the Dutch Pirate Crew for a year, and with no pirate dresses to fit the group, I really needed that to change. And so project number five was born!

Overdress

What a wild ride this pattern was. Maggie’s write-up from thecostumersguide.com (here) was the best help I could have found. I did not go with the suggested Butterick pattern, I grabbed a historically accurate pattern for a Robe á l’Anglaise by J.P. Ryan. This dress is zipperless, and closes in the front with hooks and eyes. The actual dress has an additional diagonal seam in the front panel, and the back seams are princess seams instead of the back seams the pattern came with, but other than that, it’s a really close match! I went with 6,5 metres of this gorgeous burgundy silk that appears red in artifical light and reddish purple in natural light. (as you can see, I use Instagram a lot these days, pictured here is my lining) 

My skirt is essentially a rectangle of three times the fabric width. I realised too late I wanted a short train on the dress so the middle panel is a bit bumpy. I would recommend a more gradual curve. The straight line was attached to the bodice lining by hand. First attach the burgundy layer, as this is the outer layer. Just pleat the hell out of it until the entire width fits your bodice waist.

Do note that historically, this dress should be worn with a bum roll, bum pad or panniers. Adjust the waist seam according to your undergarments. For the cosplay, I don’t wear a bum pad, but for a historical costuming event I will definitely wear the dress with both stays and a bum pad. 

But I’m drifting off topic. The bodice and the skirt shape are the easiest parts of this dress. The sleeves are an absolute pain and the literal definition of hell. The pair of sleeves that ended up in my dress are the third pair. First, I went with a pleated rectangle. Didn’t work out, because the rectangle doesn’t fit in the dress. Eventually I went with a massively stretched bishop sleeve, which seemed to do the trick. I still think I could have stretched it even more, with more fabric the sleeves become even more lush and piratey.

After assembling the sleeve, there are three pleats in the sleeve under the golden trim. I don’t know if it actually serves a purpose, but my pleats fell out after my first event and I haven’t gotten around to fix them. 

Another pleat / gathering is to be done in the skirt. I had no access to my mannequin when making this gather, so I roughly measured where my skirt was at kneeslength and pulled that up to mid-thigh, where the side seam would have been if you had one. I would have measured it if I would have done this carefully. Check the undergarments photo for a clear side view of the overskirt. 

Next, the overdress has a black underlayer. I used cotton and a swirly lace overlay, the original has a texture that looks like many ribbons are applied to the fabric, but honestly I think every black fabric is fine as long as it isn’t shiny.

I took two fabric widths for the underlayer of the skirt, with the lace overlay only on the front side of the skirt. The black skirt also attaches to the lining of the bodice, however, this skirt ends at the opening of the bodice (in the middle), whereas the burgundy skirt opens at the hips, where your princess seam would have been if you had one. 

As you can see, the black part of the dress also extends to the top of the bodice. I did not make an entire second bodice, but made a rectangular inlay of the layered fabrics, finished with fine black lace. I also inserted a bone in the seam allowance of the closure to add strength to the hooks and eyes that would be added on in the middle and to prevent the wrinkling that is already happening in this photo. You can also choose to make a full black dress, with a burgundy overlay. It’s unclear in the film how this dress is shaped, so I went with a heat-friendly version of a silk lined bodice with a cotton inlay. 

The inside of the burgundy panel was both lined with silk lining and with fine black lace. This is also the moment where you cry about the amount of trims that need to go on this dress: the major part goes around the neckline, the front closure and the bottom of the bodice, a part around the armpits, a part on the bottom of the sleeves and two short pieces on the back seams. Then the burgundy skirt is finished with black lace with another, broader golden trim on top. I also added a trim on the black skirt for a rich finish.

Then there are a total of ten decorative frogs, involving seven golden buttons (I handpainted them). I was unable to find a picture of my finished frogs, because I hurried them the night before the con (I have zero planning skills). The gold button is in the middle. Extending from there is a piece of black elastic, ending in a point. the flat side is decorated with a chinese frog (that’s what I got, you can also make your own, but it takes an endless amount of time for ten pieces). The pointy side of the elastic is then decorated with two black mini buttons. I placed the four on my bodice over my shoulder seams, two more at the top of my hooks and eyes, and there should go two per sleeve right under the horizontal pleating. The sleeve is then finished with some beige lace. (mine was done too hastily, I need to get it redone, because my lace is super tiny).

Underdress

If you thought you were done, you are wrong! You do have an overdress, but what’s the use if you have no rum shift?

You can obviously dirty it all the much you want if you are wearing it without the plum dress. 

I made the mistake of making this monster without a pattern, so the fit is horrible and my skirt is nowhere near as wide as I would like it to be. I just did two panels with two godets (because Keira has that too and I didn’t want to overspend on my shift, unfortunately I am not a little stick like Keira is, so I would definitely recommend using a pattern. I would have gone with magic pattern Simplicity 1551). The sleeves have an obvious seam on top, so you could either make a two piece sleeve, or a one piece sleeve with the seam on top instead of out of sight, which is what I did for mine. 

I still think my first rope was a little bit too thick, so I got some other cotton thread. The one in this picture is 3mm, whereas my newer one is just 1mm. I think 2mm is the perfect width of the thread needed. Mine was thin enough not to sew any eyelets, but the wider the thread, the more you actually need eyelets. For the front, I just made a cut and closed it with the thread. Basic shift, horrible fit (I need to shimmy in and out if I wear it)

I wear the shift and I use the plum overdress as a coat (that’s how I put it on anyways). Don’t forget to dirty the shift, as this was the one piece of clothing people almost never took off, and also the Caribbean were warm as hell, so you generally sweated a lot in the shift. Plus off-white looks better in photos anyways. So I threw mine in a tea bath! It needs a new bath, because it can be dirtier. If you make a pirate attire, you are never dirty enough!

Wig

For the longest time I thought I was going to use my own hair for Elizabeth, but eventually it occurred to me my own hair is too brown in comparison to Keira, so I went wig hunting. After a month, I came across a girl who resold a Royal Enchantments wig, styled like Elizabeth’s English gowns. It was half priced, so I bought it. 

I then did what I now think of as the stupidest cosplay move ever: I took out all the pins to create Elizabeth’s nightgown and dinner-with-Barbossa look. This ended up like this:

Which I obviously found more fitting than the English hair at the pirate ship. The next con, I decided the wig was too curly, so I straightened all the curls out in hopes to create the messy beach look (I have never seen that in wigs). I am now considering a new wig, since this one also turned out to be too blonde for Elizabeth anyways. New adventure: actually curling a wig to get it back to the English style it was when I bought it.

The final result

The bottom picture shows my ‘beach’ wig. There are so many things I would like to change about this cosplay, but I am so happy I managed to complete this project!