#plus my fave costumes of all of them

[shroomystar]

goobers

[ennaih]

Every Film I Watch In 2023:

78. Mr Skeffington (1944) -- a rewatch

bonus cos i couldn't resist:

[honey-dont]

stex month day 13: flat top!

favorite actors: SO many. ross dawes is my forever fave but i also love delano williamsen, dennis courtney, luuk hartog, todd lester, mark davis, richard mylan, marcel brauneis, and paul treacy! plus whoever played him in tuacahn, i've never been able to find a cast list </3

i think a lot of actors tend to play him pretty one-note so i love when people balance his jerk asshole side with his softer caring side! plus he's always fun comedic relief, shoutout to ross for smacking himself in the face with his own brick. and how can we forget dennistop's goofy helium laugh. love him

favorite songs/scenes: watching him mess around in freight and the blues is SO fun he's so funny <33 the lil spin and suspender snap paul does is adorable, also love him bothering this poor random woman in the audience with his brick. i mentioned ross above but him climbing around on the set like a jungle gym is so so cute!! also tuachan flats getting super excited to see rusty and waving at him!!

love literally all of his and dustin's interactions too, esp when he waves off the rockies for teasing him ough. their little goofy solo in freight!! <3

AND ofc all of his and rusty's interactions! him being a little shit to poppa and rusty jerking him back by his couplers....peak sibling behavior. love him giving rusty his helmet back after he gets beat up, esp how ross does it bc he doesn't tell him to give up!! he still believes in him!! brb exploding

him and poppa/momma are rly fun too, flat top is definitely their least favorite child but they still care about each other <3

honorable mentions to dinah giving him a cheek kiss too it's so cute

OH wait one last thing. when he hears about cb's plan and he looks SO disappointed in greaseball bc that's him finding out that his hero isn't who he thought he was and UGH. it's so good

wait i lied one more. him and rocky messing around during the megamix and throwing the brick to each other <3

favorite costumes: london!! oh my god all the little details are so good like he's quintessentially 80s london punk and it shows. his little socks! the steel toes on the skates!! the bigass frankenstein bolt collar <3 i'm especially fond of his earlier fluffy black & silver wig, it's adorable

i also loooveee the 3d glasses makeup but the bit where he just had graffiti scribbled all over his face is so funny like "hey what should we put on him to show that he's rebellious?" "just write SEX + DRUGS" "ok got it"

also brick on a chain my beloved <3 AND in late london where his belt was made of wood planks to show that he's a flatcar!! so good

i also have a fondness for on ice flats. his stupid nail boots. and tuacahn bc i respect the decision to put him in a crop top and chaps

favorite ships/friendships: flatdust is my train otp i love them i love them i love them <333 they have it all....friends to lovers....sunshine/grumpy....introvert/extrovert....good stuff. their friendship is so sweet to me bc they're total opposites and yet! special shoutout to that one boot where it genuinely looks like they're about to start making out onstage

i love him and rusty too, they're absolutely siblings to me and wind each other up all the time but they still care for each other! also him and cb in a frenemy situation bc cb thinks it's funny to push his buttons

his hero worship on greaseball is also really interesting bc it ties into his whole self-discovery arc imo

headcanons: he's physically the weakest of the freight and he absolutely has a chip on his shoulder about it </3 i hc him as a bulkhead so engines tend to dislike him too due to him being prone to derailing at speed, so he's desperate to prove that is he is cool and strong actually!! he's also like 5'4" without the boots lmao little guy

he's scared of thunderstorms but won't admit to it so dustin will hold his hand and pretend that he's the one who's scared ;-; he also helps dustin out in his garden sometimes but he sucks at it so he just gets to stand there and be moral support. guy who doesn't get the concept of seeds and will just rip up whole flowers for dustin to plant

also very rarely smiles bc he doesn't like his tooth gap :( dustin thinks it's cute tho

unpopular opinion: flat top is such an interesting character bc like. he does NOTHING and yet he has one of the strongest character arcs in the whole show! it's all about him figuring out who he is and where he belongs and it's so fascinating to watch unfold in the background. him racing with rusty in the final would've been such a good culmination of that

also i don't think this is unpopular but on my knees begging him to be punk again like that's his whole point

anyway sorry for writing an entire essay i'm normal about him.

(last two pics are commissions from arachnidal and sparemayonnaise!)

[vasito-de-leche]

A short (or not) ramble of scenarios and questions for reverse: 1999 self aware. (sorry if this bothers you, I just don’t have enough confidence to post it on my own blog (plus I love your content))

- Okay so first of all, in the main page of the game, when you click on the upper left corner with your level and username, you go to a screen with Vertin looking fly as ever along with some user information.

So if Vertin can see the game’s ui, then she can see the year in which the player has joined the game (2023-2024). I haven’t dived deep into Vertin’s character so I can’t portray her reaction to much, but I feel like she would tell this info to someone close like Sonetto.

Also our motto: I put “When in a rush, say ‘runs in high heels cutely.’”. I’d be so embarrassed if anyone (even fictional sentient characters) saw that. Like im dead.

On that topic, when you mentioned in your Sonetto self aware post that she can sometimes see us, and honestly, I’d be even more embarrassed. Cause like, if any of the characters from games I played, were sentient and could see me, id pray they didn’t see my bad angle. Like imagine looking up to the sky to see, just for a second, the chin of a head as the hands go to scratch their nose. Like the first impressions I would make.

- P2p players. Imagine the player spending money on the game (at the risk of Vertin possibly seeing their credit card number) to help level up or get costumes for their fave characters.

(Some misc. questions)

-what would happen if player didn’t log in the game for a while (a week to a month as best) cause I would ditch some games to spend more time on others

- What does Vertin think of the mail messages that the player gets? Like the latest mail I got was the discord event invitation. Upon closer inspection and critical thinking, it would hint that there would be more players other than us because it says the winners get 60 clear drops (oh and money too)

- If I remember correctly, I think you mentioned about Vertin hearing the player sometimes. So imagine her hearing us trash talk certain character *cough* Constantine *cough*.

(Anyways, I love your content ❤️ especially your fmn headcanons, can’t wait to see more posts!!)

;R1999 - Self-Aware AU (2)

Answering some questions and discussing the Self-Aware AU. A follow up of this post.

not a bother at all, you bring up really good questions and details that are fun to explore! I'm glad you like my stuff, have a nice day o7!

On the subject of Vertin seeing the player's profile.

With the way I intended to portray Vertin within the AU, I don't think she would be affected by the date on the Player's profile!

This is the date you came into contact with her from your perspective, whatever time and space that flows within your world, not hers─the world behind the fourth barrier that she cannot see nor hear nor even fathom, let alone try to make sense of. In a way, it's like expecting ants to care about concepts we made up, such as time. They understand night and day, they do not understand 3PM nor 8AM.

Is it truly proof that time can go beyond 1999, when this is something that only she can see? When it doesn't affect a single thing within her universe by being part of a game menu meant for your eyes only? There's also the fact that she finds out the proper time of the world in the 1.4 update, in Chapter 05.

Her dynamic with the Player is something I like to keep vague, so that everyone can fill in the blanks, but ultimately it is something so complex and private for Vertin─who sees it as a one-sided relationship, since she cannot hear nor see you, unlike other arcanists who may reach the 100% bond─that I don't think she would talk about it with anyone, not even Sonetto! The name on your profile and whatever message you've written there are secrets she will take to her grave. The idea of Vertin being the eyes and hands of the Player, but having no way to truly see or hear them makes for a really fun concept to explore!

And on the subject of messages, let's be honest, if you've written something funny or some modern shitpost, chances are she won't understand it LMFAO so it's okay! I literally just have my socials and "men enjoyer" listed there.

Oh! But since you brought it up, the message section could be a fun, little way to communicate with Vertin, since she can read what's on there!

As for P2P players, Vertin wouldn't see any information from the Player's credit card since that's something that happens outside the app lolol. Like, to me, it directly opens to google play transaction stuff.

On the subject of the player dropping the game for long periods of time.

Hmm, in the first post I said that there might be characters ouside Vertin and her suitcase who may be self-aware, with their own goals and such. But nothing truly "matters" unless the Player is there to witness it. So to keep including these possibilities and details, I feel like there's two options, pick whichever you like the most!

One, time continues as usual within the game─but once it reaches an important date where the plot is meant to kick in with some important event, it simply resets back to where you left it. This is a world that exists outside of your perception, but cannot continue without you.

Two, time freezes entirely within the game─but only for those who are not self-aware. Keep in mind we're talking about long periods of time, this wouldn't happen if you log in every day, or every few days. This is what happens when your phone picks up the fact that Reverse: 1999 is one of the unused apps taking up space in your phone. This is a world that stops existing once you stop looking at it.

In both options, the Wilderness would remain unaffected as it seems to be entirely disconnected from the flow of time and space outside of it.

On the subject of the game's mail.

Since the messages auto-delete and all, I can't check but I'm pretty sure Vertin receives mail too? There were a few ones from a few characters a while back like Druvis III or An-an Lee, and I think the implication is that they were vaguely addressing Vertin?

If someone has screenshots and can confirm this, please let me know!

Either way, the easy answer is that yeah, she knows this is a game, so she could make the assumption that there's more players. She has access to your friend list, after all! And even if you don't have anyone added, the fact that it exists is enough for her to start connecting the dots.

I don't remember saying that Vertin can hear the Player, though! I think I was pretty consistent with her not being able to see nor hear you, to have the Player as some sort of eldritch, unknowable entity. But I also write so much stuff in this blog that it's hard to keep up sometimes lolol, if I've mentioned somewhere that Vertin can hear the player, it was a mistake!

[thestarsmakemedream-art]

ART MASTERPOST - SUPTOBER24

So this is it. The finished project. Here you can find all of them:

1. Autumn 2. Spa Day 3. Royalty 4. Birthday 5. Scars

6. Electric 7. Thankful 8. Witch's Brew 9. Moon 10. Mushroom

11. Myth 12. Harvest Festival 13. Monster Mash 14. Fave Episode 15. Sigils

16. Falling 17. Wings 18. Family Business 19. Dark&Stormy Night 20. Limbo

21. Cozy Treats 22. Ladies 23. Fever 24. Branded 25. Parody

26. Enchanted 27. Prayer 28. Graves 29. Blue 30. Nostalgia

31. Halloween / Costumes

Shout out to @wigglebox for organizing this year's suptober!!! Plus check out her work, I loved all of the drawings.

My thoughts about this experience under the cut:

So I'm quite happy with the fact that I finished a long drawing challenge (first time in my life).

In a way it was good for my perfectionism, because ain't no way that all these would turn out good, with sometimes short time for it. Now I can appreciate more when I have time for one drawing. :D

It's so weird how long the first few prompts were. It's only a month and I feel like it was several months ago, like during the summer or something.

The routine. I did not draw anything today and I have an itch for it :D

And one more interesting thing was what the people like. Not necessarily what I like, so anyway here are my favourites: 1. Autumn, 5. Scars, 8. Witch's Brew, 9. Moon, 12. Harvest Festival, 14. Fave Episode, 18. Family Business, 22. Ladies, 25. Parody, 29. Blue, 30. Nostalgia, 31. Halloween/Costume.

[dabruzzy]

More Legion redesigns feat. the Espionage Squad

Thought process for my redesigns under the read more:

So for Lyle I didn't want to change too much because I like his Reboot costume the best, though I think it's a bit bland. A bland design works well for him but he's my fave so I wanted him to have a better costume lol. I decided to go all in on the spy look, it's not like it's a secret anyway so he might as well look the part even more than he already does.

Tinya I wanted to make her look like a ghost, so it's basically a mix between her cartoon design and her Young Justice design. I like how in YJ she's wearing a hoodie, it feels like what a teenage superhero would wear, so I incorporated it into the cape.

Vi is mostly a mix between Retroboot and the cartoon, but I gave her shorts and combat boots as a bit of a callback to 5YL Vi because I love her. Also I wanted her to be visibly shorter than everyone else but I probably overdid it. She's really tiny.

Now you might be wondering, what the hell is going on with Cham's costume? Yeah, me too. He's the one I had the hardest time designing. I don't particularly like most of his costumes, I think a lot of them are pretty generic so I wanted to try something different but I don't think I accomplished what I wanted to do. I thought a really asymmetrical costume would fit a shapeshifter pretty well, and I also wanted to give it a water-like look to it since water doesn't have a shape. Something like Inque from Batman Beyond. But I didn't know how to do make it look good and also make him look like he belonged to the same team as everyone else so it's a bit meh.

And for Luornu I mainly took from the cartoon, now with more triangles. I also decided to stick to the Reboot's color scheme of purple and orange because her powers are more effective if she can trick people into thinking she hasn't split, and that's not doable if each duplicate is a different color. Plus Luornu Neutral is the balance between Orange and Purple and I like the idea of visually representing that by making her both orange and purple.

[lesbianlanarcher]

Archer x Reader Halloween Headcanons

another year without any archer halloween content, so i'm making my own!

credit to @lovingwanda for the idea :)

How Halloween plans would go with each of my fave characters!

🎃🧛🏽‍♀️👻🧟‍♀️🎃

STERLING

"Batman and Catwoman? Really? Isn't that, like, as basic as you can stoop?"

Halloween, like all festivals, is an excuse for Sterling to get shit-faced. More so than usual, so he's game for whatever dumbassery you've got in mind... plus his own.

More likely than not, he'll wanna go to a strip club. Practically insists on it and whines like a little kid until you give in and agree.

"What? I've never been to a strip club for Halloween. Are you gonna deny me of hot vampire tits now? After you coerced me into this ridiculous outfit? Wow..."

If you got him drunk enough, he'd agree to dress up as whatever you want him to. He might grumble and say you're demeaning him by sticking a pair of bunny ears on his head, but, secretly, he's enjoying it. Plus, those ears attract a lot of attention so... he's basking in it. But he won't tell you that. He can see your little smirks and smiles, but he's so totally not lapping all of it up. No, he's embarrassed! Sooooo embarrassed that he's having suuuuuch a good time with you.

As for trick or treating? As much as he wants to go out and get free candy from strangers, he recognises that he's far too old for such a thing. However, he absolutely will drag you out to "chaperone" AJ and her friends when they go out trick or treating. And takes a 40% cut for looking after them. Then, uses you as a scapegoat when Lana finds out about it. Obviously.

LANA

"Slutty nun is kinda on the nose, no? Also, who told you about that?"

Halloween is a little... overwhelming for Lana. The very idea makes her uneasy, which is ironic for the absolute force she is in and out of the field.

She wants AJ to have a good time, of course, but there's a lot going on with all the mayhem of trick or treating and running about the streets of New York at night. And the fact there are people dressed as murdererous psychopaths, covered in blood etc. Well, that sends her already worrying brain into overdrive.

"Is this a good idea? I mean, everyone does it. Trick or treating. So... yeah... fine... right? Maybe you should come with me. No. You should definitely come with me. AJ would appreciate it too."

She's not one for partying until the sun rises, but she'll indulge in some of the festivities like staying at home, sharing a bottle of wine with you, and answering the door for other trick or treaters once you've both done the rounds with AJ. She leans into the whole domestic mom thing even more and dresses up in matching outfits with you! (whether that's slutty or savoury is up to you...)

Steadily throughout the night, she does get more and more pissed off, though. The constant getting up to answer the door, hearing the same phrase screamed at her over and over, and the general lack of quiet agitates her to no end. Still, she'll try her best not to blow a fuse since she knows how much you enjoy Halloween. She can, after all, be very caring.

ZARA

"I swear to god, if you don't come up with an original idea for a costume, I'm blowing the building up."

Halloween is one of Zara's favourite holidays, if not her number one favourite. She wants to do it ALL, and she's taking you as her prisoner for the night.

First on the checklist (yes, she made an itinerary, it's that serious) are couple costumes. She already has it planned out, you don't get a say in it, she knows your measurements, she's bought you a custom costume and you WILL wear it.

"Aww, see? You look adorable, like I knew you would. Now, smile for the camera."

Then, the night unfolds as such : carving pumpkins, apple bobbing (look it up), witch hat ring toss, Halloween scavenger hunt, and ending the festivities off by rolling around a bar until some truly unholy hours.

She used to go trick or treating a lot as a kid, but she's definitely outgrown that now. However, she always makes sure she has sweets to give the kids who knock on her door. She won't admit it, but seeing all the little kids in their adorable costumes is her favourite part of it all.

CHERYL

"You call that scary? What are you? Five years old? I was reciting Suspiria when I was five, not Hocus frickin' Pocus!"

Halloween for Cheryl imbues her with an especially sinister energy. She's already crazy as it is, but tonight? Watch out.

Due to her strange, eccentric upbringing, she never really had the chance to go trick or treating like a regular, non-billionaire child. She doesn't get the appeal and she has absolutely zero desire to get free candy that was – in her words – bought from a store (the dollar store) she wouldn't set foot in even if she were dying of a disfiguring disease and it housed the only cure on Earth.

"God, that really is a pathetic attempt of a costume. Like, did you even try? A month? This took you a month to put together? Why do you even bother?"

All being said, she will spend her Halloween with you, provided you do exactly what she wants.

That includes : sitting through the most fucked up films you've ever had the misfortune of watching, using a oujia board (since she thinks those are fun and doesn't take your cautioning against 'doing it properly' serious), only saying "trick" to all the kids who knock on her door and laughing in their faces when they don't know what to do, and listening to all her crazy conspiracy theories at 3AM because she refuses to go to sleep and you're now too scared to.

KATYA

"I do not get it... You want me to dress up as... тыква?"

Halloween for Katya is a foreign concept since it's not a widely celebrated holiday in Russia, but she is curious about it.

Most of what she knows has come from various western films, a little from what you've told her, and a little from Sterling. Although, he was mainly talking about the vampire tits at the strip club which wasn't all that useful. So, when you have your first Halloween with her, she's both excited and only slightly confused.

"This costume is scratchy and poorly made. Where did you say you got it from? Spirit? Well, there was absolutely no spirit put into the production of this polyester abomination, I tell you that."

She would love to experience what it's like to go trick or treating, but when you tell her that it's only for kids, she gets super frowny and demands you take her anyway. Which you do 'cause are you really gonna say no to her?

So, when you inevitably end up in a crowded bar, slurping Halloween themed cocktails, she agrees and says trick or treating is for kids... but she lets you in on her candy haul nonetheless.

PAM

"Fuck yeah! Weirdest but hottest couples costume award here we come!"

Halloween, much like Zara, is basically a holy holiday for Pam. Up there with no socks day.

Your agenda is simple : dress up good and drink even better. It's an absolutely foolproof plan.

"You want me to carve a pumpkin? Right now? After I had, like, seven of these scare-o jell-o shots? Alright. Gimme the knife."

Something that surprises you is to find out just how incredible her special effects makeup skills are. She can give you a gnarly gash on your face like it's nothing. That open zip wound thing? Yeah, she can do that too. A pus-filled boil? Pam's your guy. Any gory thing you can think of, she's got you covered.

Once you're done letting her decorate you with some truly horrible looking injuries, you spend the rest of the night at her place, watching horror films, knocking back those aforementioned scare-o jell-o shots that she prepared earlier, and having a damn good time until you both pass out on the couch.

so... yeah! that was all very silly n self-indulgent, hence why i only did my faves. if you want me to come up with stuff like this for other characters or anything else for any character, inbox me! and happy halloween!

[ironbloodaika]

Happy Halloween 2023!

This is something long overdue. Even though I stopped posting my commissions on here that doesn't mean I've stopped getting them!

I've especially enjoyed getting Halloween commissions because those are really fun to conceive, order, and see made into reality. I've especially enjoyed getting them from Aeolus06 and he's never disappointed. Sadly due to me being between jobs I couldn't get any this year. :( That said I've decided to use this as an opportunity to show what I've got over the last few years and hopefully you'll love them as much as I do! :)

These first four are unique in that these were all from the same year (2020 to be exact). Since Aeo has a cool down period between commissions, I actually got these all done over a period of a few months. XD Took a lot of luck and prayer, but I got all the ideas I wanted done!

First one was probably the most complex, but was worth it because of how well it fit. Star, Marco, and Hekapoo from Star vs The Forces of Evil as AndrAIa, Matrix, and Older!AndrAIa from Reboot! Much like Matrix, Marco had a bit of age jumping that fit naturally (especially body types and eye scars). Plus Star and Hekapoo are shipped pretty hard with him so it was natural they dress as the different versions of Matrix's lady love.

Also, Fun Fact: Marco's scar/prosthetic eye is on the wrong side compared to his costume, but I felt it was better to ignore it than have Aeo flip the entire costume. XD

Next up we had some classic hotties from Canada, Lindsay and Courtney. Everyone with a pulse will know I'm a Courtney fan, so I'm always eager to give her some love. And while I'm not AS big on Lindsay, she's a fun character and I have some friends who love her too so I didn't mind them sharing the spotlight.

Obviously the theme/inspiration behind this pics conception is the fact Lindsay and Courtney pack the biggest T and A on the island respectively, so they needed some costumes to illustrate that. Thus we got Courtney as everyone's fave lady wrestler Rainbow Mika from Street Fighter and Lindsay as the boxing cheerleader Tiffany Lords from Rival Schools. Both ladies who kick ass and look good doing it! Give these ladies some love folks!

Another Fun Fact: This one took faster to do than I expected, mostly cause I didn't realize my refs were thigh high. In the end I feel it still looked good and didn't bother bringing it up. XD

Here's another cute couple and one I think deserves more love. Eclipsa Butterfly and Globgor are also from SVTFOE and honestly very sweet and adorable. While they're regarded as evil by less tolerant folk, they're honestly some of the sweetest characters you'll see on the show. I feel this is a nice contrast to their costumes, Sindel and Shao Kahn from Mortal Kombat. I went with the MK9 versions of their outfits since they were both modern and simple. Didn't wanna be THAT guy who commissions SUPER complicated outfits. I'm not a sadist! While later games would retcon Sindel into being just as evil as Shao (something thankfully corrected in MK1) I still feel this outfit and character works for Eclipsa, even if she and her hubby are as far from evil as you can get. XD

Final pic of this year is another couples pic with Danny Fenton and Paulina Sanchez. I ship these two and take no shame in it. This was originally gonna just be Paulina as Phantom Girl from Legion of Superheroes since the name and colors matched Danny perfectly. But then I figured just having Paulina in costume wouldn't be fair, so I had him dress up as Timberwolf, since I recall them having a few moments in the cartoon. A cartoon, much like this pairing, is very underrated. XD

Now to 2021! This was a fun crossover and and me deciding to avoid "themes" and combining two character pin-ups in one! Once again we have Hekapoo and this year she's dressed up as Otedamako. Who's that? Only my fave Monster of the Day from Sailor Moon! :3 To her side with have a humanoid Rarity showing off her darkside as Martha from Helluva Boss! This one came from the animated opening in G5 that had Rarity showing off some spiky teeth and a crazy look in her eyes. IMMEDIATELY brought Martha too mind. All and all, very happy with how these two came out!

And now to the prior year of 2022. By this point Aeo started coloring the stream commissions and honestly, it was worth the price increase. Dude is a machine! If this one has a theme it's basically me taking the waifus of my close friends (Chill, Terrible, and Raccoon) and dressing them as other sexy waifus. From left to right we have Himiko Toga from My Hero Academia dressed as Harlequin, the Harley Quinn of the Gods and Monsters film. A very hot/underrated design for a VERY twisted take on the character. Toga makes it work! Front and center we have Wilhamena Mettle from OK K.O.! as Starfire, specifically the comic book version for obvious reasons. XD Finally we have Juri Han from Street Fighter dressed in the tight leathers of Penelope Spectra from Danny Phantom, specifically her second form. Lot of specifics in this piece. XD

Final Fun Fact: Was tempted to have Wilhamena as Star Canary, the fusion of Starfire and Black Canary from the Batman/Superman comic. Very hot design. XD

And a bit of a bonus! I ended up really helping out a new friend on deviantART back in 2020 and got to get a bit of art as a thank you. Courtesy of XJKenny we have Meteora Butterfly, daughter of Eclipsa and Globgor as Mileena. Also her MK9 design, this not only works for Meteora herself given her story, but also matches up with her parents' costumes as well!

Well that's everything I wanted to share this year! This has been a rough year for me personally and for the world as a whole. But I'm hoping we can turn things around a bit with what bit of the year we have left.

Happy Halloween everyone! Stay scared and stay safe! 👻 🎃

[sanstropfremir]

ok nana unsubtly kicked me in the ass about this and i realized they were mostly done anyways so here we go! only four months late!

best stylings 2023 - first half

runners' up

rising - triples

there are two good stages with funky athletic wear, but it wasn't enough to bump it up to the overall category. mcountdown 230216, the show 230221

abyss - woodz

didn't promote it which is a shame, but the variety in the costuming for the different versions of himself is well done and it's a beautifully shot bottle mv.

moody - superkind

you got a fake member you gotta make it spooky!!! he's not real that's inherently spooky!!! anyways this is what i wanted them to do right off the bat some i'm glad they finally got my psychic memo.

golden hour - mark

absolutely fucking crazy. fantastic imagery. i think i talked about it earlier in the year but it's such a stupid and hilarious idea to make a whole diss track mv about a several year old meme and then actually make it strange and weird art. obsessed with it still.

sos - kang daniel

i'm also including the wasteland music sequence here because holy shit when this dropped i lost my mind. i'm always surprised by what kang daniel does bc i can never predict it, which over the last few years i'm coming to enjoy. and i absolutely did not expect him to produce basically an entire wild west mad max movie with equal the production value???? literally how did he do this. how. and then everyone paid it dirt??? it's an amazing mv and one of my faves of the year, the only reason it's not bumped up categories is bc although the styling was actually one of the only times tactical gear has been thematically relevant to a cb, its been so overused that it has no punch anymore, which makes me sad bc the tactical gear was good! and a good choice! and i feel bad saying it has no punch bc it should have!

small talk - kim sungkyu

we love when sungkyu acknowledges that he's annoying and a loser. all these outfits were so losercore. i loved this deviation from form for him; he's normally king wailer supreme, but he does smooth upbeat rock very well and it's a nice contrast with the capital y yearning that's in the bsides. it's only here bc he didn't promote much and i'm mad at him for putting dancing in the mv and then not dancing in any of the stages. mcountdown 230629, music core 230708, inkigayo 230709

ay-yo - nct 127

this is just here for taeyong's urchin outfit. well i'm a bit of liar it is actually a really fun early 00s inspired mv, but we all know the urchin outfit stole the show.

stamp on it - got the beat

i will hear NO slander against got the beat in this house, this was a great mv i love hot women planning a heist.

tricky house - xikers

FANTASTIC debut. does a really great job of establishing a character for them as a group and it's got such unique flavour. kq has made great use of their ateez money and also the lessons that they learned with ateez. i'm excited to see where xikers goes in the future, and since i'm writing this section from the future i can say that i do like where they've gone with full confidence. the only reason it didn't make the top list is bc the styling is kinda average for this era of kpop.

best overall

rose blossom - h1 key

i was aware of h1key before this but they hadn't really grabbed me, but damn this cb was so good. the mv is a nice mix of story and dance sections. plus a surreal section in the middle! and by virtue of being like the first cb of the year, they got the jump on this alt girl look that would be the dominating look for ggs this year. and i do think first did it best in this case, all the looks are smart with good group synergy and and a lot of creativity; when you do this type of alt-y punky style it's important that there's a diy element to it, which a lot of groups fail to grasp bc stylists are obsessed with luxury branding. h1key manages to avoid that mostly by being flops, but i'd like to believe its also bc their creative team cared about capturing the true spirit of the style.

stages: music bank 230106, mcountdown 230202, music bank 230203, mcountdown 230119, inkigayo 230108

tic tac - 8turn

honestly i was kinda ready to not like these guys since mnh shat the bed with chungha, but then i remembered that the mnh creative team is very good at their jobs, so here we are. this is one of the few debuts/cbs this year where every single stage was a hit and it was very hard to narrow down to just a few for here; lots of good emphasis on shape and colour and accent pieces with repeated motifs, which was a big part of the fashion in the 00s that they are remixing here. very strong debut especially for so early in the year and i'm looking forward to more.

stages: show champion 230208, mcountdown 230202, music bank 230203, show champion 230222, music core 230211, mcountdown 230223, music core 230225, inkigayo 230226

bonus: this absolutely hysterical 4minute cover (they even got the name bucket hats! not in the stage, but they had them in photos)

sweet juice - purple kiss

i'm not normally a fan of wes anderson or wes anderson inspired aesthetics because i find them too twee and perfect, but this wasn't too direct in it's inspirations and definitely had the spooky purki flavour. i really liked the uniformity of the costuming, both literally using uniform motifs and using the same fabrics; i really do miss the days when kpop costumes were design to actually be costumes with the group image in mind.

stages: mcountdown 230216, inkigayo 230219, music core 230225, music bank 230224, inkigayo 230226, music core 230304, inkigayo 230305

sour & sweet - bambam

bambam again proving that he's one of the few idols that knows his shit in terms of interesting styling. also if anyone knows where he filmed the mv/performance vid please tell me i need to know bc its so beautiful.

stages: mcountdown 230330, music bank 230331, inkigayo 230402, music bank 230407, music core 230408, inkigayo 230409,

bsides: music bank 230331, inkigayo 230409,

macarena - blitzers

i'm so so so glad blitzers got a bit more attention this year bc they deserve it and macarena was so good. perfect culmination of their goofy ass talents and the unusual creativity of their performance + creative directors. i'm even linking the mv teaser here bc its so goofy and offbeat and different. honestly i'd recommend watching as many of the stages as you can find bc they do different intros every time and it's very funny, but unfortunately tumblr has a link limit so i can't link them all.

stages: show champion 230426, music bank 230428, music core 230429, inkigayo 230430, inkigayo 230514, music core 230527

bouncy - ateez

yea yea yea nobody is surprised so sue me. this was a crazy followup to halazia and proved that ateez can deftly switch between serious dramatic performance and comedic but no less dramatic. i'm very happy to see how much work has been going into the main ateez mvs in the last year because it has very clear and striking direction that fits both their performance style and their creative ambition, as well as their growth as a group. also yea i'm not immune to neon cowboy shit.

stages: inkigayo 230618, music bank 230616, the show 230620, mcountdown 230622, music bank 230623, mcountdown 230629, music core 230701, inkigayo 230702

kick it 4 now - tnx

tnx had an absolutely banging 2023 and although kick it 4 now is has superior and more comprehensive production, love or die is also a very good cb, and both of them together have shown that they have a really good grasp on the genre of teen listlessness, from two different directions. kick it 4 now has been i think the most successful cb to actually capture the feel of first gen, and the creative team did a lot of extra work in order to pull that off. from all the graphic design to the goofy lil 90s style music show promos, to the styling, they had a clear goal and achieved it. i think it will be quite difficult for any other group to pull it off this thoroughly.

stages: music bank 230609 (the giant lyrics!!!), music core 230610, show champion 230614 (more giant lyrics!!), music core 230617, mcountdown 230622

shooting star + left right - xg

we all already know that left right was my most listened song this year, but the fact that the mv was b movie sci fi star trek themed? it's like simon made everything about this specifically for me thank you. xg blew everyone out of the water this year on every front; music, styling, choreography, you name it. i said i wanted groups to commit to their bits and i got it. they were completely unafraid to actually commit to the y2k nostalgia AND to harajuku styling; a lot of groups have weakly pawed at it but always back away due to the fact that harajuku and y2k are not actually 'pretty' fashion trends, which leaves their attempts half assed with no real understanding of why and how those trends happened. xg came saw and conquered the current trend in a way that only a japanese gg can do. my only annoyance is that they tone down the stylings when they promote on music shows, and i know why they do it, so it's not an annoyance at them, it's an annoyance at everyone else.

stages: shooting star - mcountdown 230202, con-tour 230217, the show 230221, inkigayo 230212, inkigayo 230205, con-tour 230224

left right - the show 230228, show champion 230222

circle - onew

absolute masterpiece. album of the year in every way. it's a profoundly beautiful unpacking of grief and the sadness that comes with acknowledging that things change, and the way that in that change life and humanity and story is eternal. a circle. the theatre imagery combined with the 60s style children's tv show use their similar but contrasting forms to illustrate the same point: something can be eternal and fleeting at the same time, and that heightens its value rather than diminishing it. the promo campaign was so thought out as well, i love the integration of the theatre imagery into the highlight medley and i highly recommend you watch it if you haven't. one of the best cbs from a solo artist in years.

stages: mcountdown 230309, music core 230311, music bank 230317, inkigayo 230319

--

ignore the fact this was almost five months late even though i started writing in like. november. i'm busy ok. it's planting season and i have to send so much post. the choreos post is the next most finished so that will probably be out before the styling second half one.

[per-the-jellicle-magician]

Thank you for getting me the thousand boop badge >:3

What's your second favorite nonreplica? And why?

You're welcome :3

My second favourite non replica is Brno XD

I know, I know, but what can I say, I like the weird ones XD

But seriously I do really enjoy it!

The costumes maybe aren't phenomenal, but i do like most of them. My faves are def Skimble, Victoria, Jelly's Aria costume and ofc Gus and Asparagus in their mirrored suits. And Munk's t-shirt with printed on tie is just funny XD I know most people dislike the lack of catness they got going on, but I don't care that much and it doesn't take me out from the show. Probably cuz Warsaw is weirdly cat-but-not-cat and I'm used to it XD

I do like the vocals, my favs are hands down Gus, Asparagus and Jelly in "Gus..." and the Aria. And i like Skimble's voice too. And since Czech and Polish are somewhat close I can understand bits here and there of it so that's a plus XD

I like the choreography well enough, some bits are better than others. Once again Warsaw being my number one probably helps cuz if I had to compare I'd say the choreography is closer to it than to regular Cats XD

Also Tugger actually kisses a guy in there so that's a win XD

Besides that I like how they used the space they got and the props. Skimble's train and Misto's Ms Paint moment are my favs XD Plus ofc the motorbike

Also it has my favourite version of the Italian Aria and in my opinion the best handling of the Growltiger situation: Cut it out, but leave the Aria and play it totally serious and straight so Gus can have his moment, without taking Munk's moment earlier. I love Asparagux' voice and the mirrored costumes and Jelly and Gus lip-syncing to it. Just yeah, I love it

Speaking of characters, I do like their takes on most of them. Some are better than others (I don't really like their old D XD) but for the most part I think they did a great job. Especially Tugger, the guy playing him really put his everything into it XD Drunk Bustopher is also a choice and I think it's a fun take

And I love the added lvl to Griz' storyline. I like that she is old and disfigured and there's some letter and she's not been invited and there's clear family drama. Idk what exactly is going on but like yes, I like that it's more than just the regular "old lady is not welcome, for reasons". I just like that both Brno and Warsaw added some more connection between Griz and one or more tribe members besides Old D and implied reasons why she got kicked out, sue me XD

I like that sure it's human world, mafia/cult vibes, but there's still magic there XD Misto straight up kills Mac and then is a technology wizard, Gruz turns into an actual cat and it all take place in a clocktower or smth XD

And last but not least, there are some things in there that I think may or may not have been inspired by Warsaw XD Whether they were or whether it was just a coincidence, I always have fun noticing them XD

Like yeah overall I really really like it, I love the weird and bizzare bits and how messy and different it is. And just how fun watch it is

[sharpth1ng]

Binged debaser and now my brain is obsessively waiting for chapter 12. The characterization is too fucking good! I wasn’t in the fandom before and randomly looked for fic because I revisited the movie recently and forgot how gay it was omg. Speaking of do you have any stuilly fic recs ?

Hey thank you so much! And yeah the movie is incredibly gay, was written by a gay man, has since admitted that the gayness was there in coding, ITS GAY.

I did a pass through my bookmarks for you- and tbh I'm bad at remembering to bookmark stuff sometimes so there are def some missing, don't take this as a definitive list. They're all from AO3 so I'm def missing stuff posted elsewhere too. Also most of these are 18+, always read the tags.

Some recs for completed fics:

cut me, sharpen me by gay villains This is hands down my fave stuilly fic, it got me to start writing debaser and also inspired the bathroom scene in chapter 9. HOT AS HELL. (oneshot)

Forever and Ever and Ever & those deep waters by Negen These have a really interesting, poetic and slightly abstract writing style, a little angsty, but also beautiful.

Some kind of Soulmates by somethingscarlet13 This is some fluffy old man shit. They're married. It's soft. Billy is SOFT. (oneshot)

Within these bones is an evil unknown by StuartLoomis Billy is smitten in this one. its pretty dang sweet. He still manages to convince himself he's being manipulative tho. I also really like the way they wrote Stu.(oneshot)

Full dark, no stars by savantgard This one is a dark little piece of smut, definitely angstier but hot tbh (oneshot)

Queer as in fuck you by touchydynamite A rare trans Billy fic! I really like the character exploration in this one but also watch out for the end, its canon compliant if you're wanting to avoid that (oneshot)

On the hunt (for costumes) by Urboyfriendsbraininmypocket Them being the worst, but it's also silly and smutty and they compare dicks in a changing room. What more could you want? (three chapters)

Love struck idiot by Pokeshadow Exploring your best friends body by choking him and seeing where it goes. Pretty fun tbh, pretty hot. (oneshot)

Die to feel your touch by empirestrikesback Short piece of character exploration, has some really great lines (oneshot)

You'll be the death of me by nayfem Another shorter character exploration, a little angsty but also funny in parts, and the Stu and Randy interactions are a lot of fun. (oneshot)

Incomplete fics:

Time to cash in by liver alone Really promising start, might be abandoned but still a good read. Author also has a Randy/Stu oneshot if you're into that.

All aboard again (crazy but that's how it goes) by manubibi Set after the newest scream movie, with an alive Stu who just got out of prison and wants to be there for Sam. Good tragic shit. Plus ohhh the Billy hallucinations that Stu has (😭)

Two Pandora's Boxes by CrystalClear201521 Loving the characterization of kid Billy in this, gave me the drive to start writing my own young Billy and Stu. Angsty also, ngl.

The Bends by dogmeatstew Angsty again, but not too much, just like, the amount that comes pre-packaged with Billy Loomis. Also the Bends (like the full album) is definitively a Billy album, I used it in debaser too (the song he listens to on repeat in chapter 11 is from this album).

[spacehostilityy]

Okie well I can't shut up ever so I'm going to compile my thoughts here on Tumblr as I rewatch nnt fom the beginning !! Also pls feel free to scream and/or rewatch with me👉👈👀

Kinda long so more thots below the cut

Season 1, episodes 1-6

I forgot how good the writing and animation are in the first season, like they truly thrived under aniplex😔 the brief white blood period in I think season 3 shows us just how good we had it

I love seeing Hawk and Meliodas's relationship, and his star Boar earring😭 plus having the Boar hat as the main location is just so comforting !!

Also I JUST realized his name is hawk because of a ham hok😭😭 this is like when I realized toe mater's name was tomato at the ripe age of 18

I miss the holy knights being powerful. Like I get that the Sins are always more powerful than them, had a long way to go in terms of power ups, and meliodas straight up had most of his power sealed but like DAMN. They were so cool in season 1 !! Gil was such a badass😭 I guess I just wish that the holy knights powered up along with the Sins

Seeing the very first episode got me thinking about the original pilot Manga (chapter 0) and how cool it might have been !! Like I love the story we got, but I do think those versions of Mel and Elizabeth maybe would have been better than the ones we got😳 like I just really like Meli's original design, I feel like he looks a bit older, and chapter 0 Elizabeth is simply superior ngl. She's funny, brave, and assertive - a lot more like Liz and goddess Elizabeth, except funnier

The first half of season 1 has one of my fave intro and outros like damn I forgot how fucking cool they were. Some of my fave songs to !! (my all time fave is def howling from season 3 part 2 (i think lol) tho)

Like look how cool this is !!! It reminds me of this pic from the manga

Speaking of intros, I miss the title cards !! Like look how cute this is !!

Everytime the fiddle (?) Music plays I get SO FUCKING HYPED BRO like damn Ik it's through all the seasonal and I'm so glad it is because it's rlly the perfect hype song - here it is on Spotify

Also Gil is such a badass in early episodes, I love his strength !! This moment is the fucking coolest and you can't convince me otherwise

Overall, I think the attention to detail is just better, the sounds the armor makes, the animation and drawings (esp background characters), Meliodas just sounds a bit older too (and I have theories on his voice here if u want them 👀)

The whole perv thing is really exhausting really quickly. Almost surprised 14 year old me made it through this as the 2nd anime I ever watched and the 1st I watched alone

I feel like Diane got shorter through the seasons. Like she doesn't compare to Hawk Mama like she did in season 1, and I think that's a damn shame. Let my giant girl be giant !!

She's also a decent bit more violent and I enjoy that thoroughly. She's just a silly goofy kween😌

Also her original costume is superior, her boots are just👌

Just realized that Meliodas was like an older brother/mentor to Gil and now they're brothers in law 😭😭

Also young Elizabeth and Gil are so cute😭 I always forget that they grew up together too

I love Hawk, but I feel like kicking him would just be so satisfying 😔

HOLY SHIT I forgot how badass Ban is when weren't first introduced to him !!

The humming while impaled and bleeding out he really is that girl tm

He's such a masochist. A damn if it isn't kinda hot.

Wow they really introduced Diane's body issues and then almost never bring them up again

Also my plus size Diane headcanon is so real like damn. Body issues girlies are being represented by her fr😔

Ban's slutty waist. That's it. That's the thot.

Also his pre series hair. First season reminding me why I love Ban sm

Lowkey miss the dragon handle sword. The broken blade was so cool:( Lostvayne still cool tho

I think it's so funny how they always wore their armor as holy knights, and yet anytime they wear armor in the present time line, it just immediately cracks off😭

Really anything except pants is going to be blasted off🤪

Okay SO in episode 5, when Ban is about to get his scar from the dragon handle sword, he tells Meliodas "you and me have been hanging together for a lot of years now." This scene takes place 12 years before present (bp). Does this mean Ban and Meliodas were friends before the formation of the Sins? Or was Ban the first after him and Merlin? Ban has been immortal 20 years BP, leaving 8 years in between present and the flashback. 8 years before this scene, Meliodas was still in Danafal/Danfor and would be for another 4 years. What does any of this mean? Idk, just thot it was intriguing lol.

Also how did I not notice this is the first time we see demon!Meliodas !! Baby's first sighting as an unnatural creature with otherworldly rage🥰🥰

Also the fact we never see the scar Gil gave him again lol. Plus him presumably needing to do demon mode so hellfire can heal him is actually rlly cool

Just thought about how Elizabeth laying her hand on his chest to check the scar was the first time in years his love touches him with gentleness or concern🥲🥲

The fact that it took me 6 years to realize that when Meliodas says he'll keep the promise he made to Elizabeth, even if she should die is referencing the promise he made to her originally to break their curses🥲😬😤😭😭😭😭

6'11 Ban thinking that he even had a chance in fitting in Jericho's armor is just so... him

Diane calling Elizabeth kiddo is so fucking cute🥺

Also they definitely get away with a lot more innuendos and swears. The words badass and foreplay in the same episode? Impressive

[lonelypond]

Purple

Maki & Rin, NicoMaki RinPana mentions, Love Live, 695 words

Maki and Rin have a not so serious conversation.

Purple

“It was a one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater Sure looks strange to me”

“Does it sound strange to you, Maki?” Rin slid into the opposite side of the booth from Maki, tray full of deep fried finger food ready to be shared

“What were you singing?”

“Kayo-chin’s finding all these weird Halloween songs for the party playlist. That my fave so far.”

“Did she get the werewolf ones I sent her?” Maki started on the french fries, dipping them in her chocolate milkshake. Rin fake gagged, then chugged a handful of jalapeno poppers to chew while singing.

“I lose control, I just can't stop You look so good, like a big pork chop Ripped my pants, ripped my shirt I'm going to eat your mother for dessert”

“That’s disgusting.” Maki snapped.

“I know. Does Nico know you like that song? Or your Mom?”

“I meant eating while singing. And who said I liked that song?”

“It was first on the list.”

Maki lowered her eyes, pretending to be focused on sipping her shake, slight flush on her cheeks. “I like to be thorough.”

“Thorough like a chainsaw.” Rin sawed back and forth through the air. “Does Halloween bring out the beast in you, Maki-chan?”

“There is no beast in me. And you’re practically a cat.”

“Nyat what we’re talking about, Fang-y.”

“Did you decide on your costume.”

“No no, no hints. Nobody will recognize Rin.”

“There’s only so many of us going to party. Line up heights, stare at the tiniest two, realize that one’s not Nico and…” Maki flipped her hands open.

“Rin could wear platforms. Or…did Nico decide on a costume?”

Maki grimaced, grinding a french fry to pulp, “She won’t listen to reason.”

“She still thinks you want to go with Eli?”

Maki hesitated. “Not really. But she got really mad when I suggested she could go as Frankie.”

Rin giggled. “You could have said Bond.”

“That would have made it worse.”

“Nozomi and Eli are coming as Sailor Neptune and Uranus anyway.”

“Yeah, they got Stars. Lucky. What else were we supposed to do with ‘Deadly’?”

“Yeah, that’s tough. You can’t really dress up like a heart attack. Maybe you could be a werewolf attack. Nico likes red. And you could sing about chainsaws: Eat you cooked, eat you raw, I'm going to rip you up like a big chainsaw.”

“Nico’s love for red would not include ‘covered in fake blood,’ Rin.”

“You don’t know if you don’t ask.”

“I do, I really do.” Maki leaned back, smirking. “Plus, my costume looks good, Kotori gave me some tips. Nico will only fake complain that there’s no way I can be hotter than her, but not really mind.”

Rin still had no idea how Nico and Maki worked as a couple, but their friction had sharpened into public flirting that kindled fiercely private contentment. That made her happy for her friends.

“What is Nico coming as?”

“Like you, she won’t say. Just that it’ll be killer.” Maki frowned, “I think Hanayo knows. She and Nico keep giggling on the phone and sending pics back and forth.”

Rin hadn’t noticed. Her head tilted, eyes blinking. Kayo-chin told her everything.

“Don’t go there, Rin. Curiosity killed the cat.”

“Kayo-chin would never hurt me.”

“But she’s keeping a Nico-chan secret.”

Nico-chan would feel hurt, betrayed. It would be Rin’s fault and Nico would be mad at Kayo-chin.

Rin squared her shoulders, “Rin won’t ask.”

Maki's phone pinged, “It’s time to meet them anyway. Nico wants to watch something called “Werewolf By Night” Honoka says Umi passed out during.”

Rin stood up, “People are weird.”

“How?”

“If Honoka were actually attacked by a werewolf, Umi would chop it in half before it could bite anybody. But on a TV screen…”

Maki chuckled, “Well, I’m glad Umi faints instead of chopping screens in half.”

“Yeah.”

“But people are weird.”

“Says Fangy with a chainsaw.”

“Don’t even start.”

“Already did.”

“Leaving you behind.”

At that, Rin sprinted off, “Last one there’s a werewolf loser.”

Maki sent Nico a “meet us at the corner instead” text. Rin couldn’t win if she didn’t know where the finish line was.

A/N:

I love not so serious Maki and Rin conversations. And werewolf-ery, but you probably know that already ; ) Rin and Hanayo's word was "Witchcraft." Any costume guesses?

[the-type-a]

Duncney couples costume ideas✨

Debbie & Fester from Addams Family (Gimme a kiss. Gimme a $20.)

Bowser & Princess Peach (Duncan does special FX to give himself scales & horns, it ends up being one of his favorite costumes they’ve done)

Roger & Jessica Rabbit (The moment Duncan seen her dressed up, he stfu and threw those rabbit ears on lmao)

Frankenstein & Frankenstein’s monster! (Originally I thought of them being Frankenstein’s monster & his bride but i can definitely see Courtney as a mad scientist, plus the costume also matches Duncan’s big ass forehead 💀)

Chucky & Tiffany (related to the option above, and cuz Bride of Chucky is one of my all time faves, I can see their toxic selves as them 😂)

Queen of Egypt & a Mummy OR Anubis (ok but like Courtney covered in gold & making her eyes pop with kohl liner? 😩 and I can definitely see Duncan doing Special FX to make himself look like he’s decomposing, but omg him dressed as Anubis, the god who protects and guides souls to the afterlife?? Oof)

Catwoman & Deadpool (Ok so this is one costume that doesn’t really match, at ALL. But! The reason is because everyone’s always like “Hero/Villians” but no, I see both Duncney as more of Anti-Hero’s, not necessarily evil but not good either lol plus, Courtney as catwoman?? Hello?? They definitely fought hard on this costume and couldn’t agree so they both just did their own thing, one Marvel & the other DC lol)

OBVIOUSLY VAMPIRE & WEREWOLF (yes duncney fam, even tho I’ve been gone I’ve been keeping up with what’s going on a lil 👀)

The way I can vividly see them dressed in each of these. Just not Chucky and Tiffany. Not because I don’t agree, but because I’m so absolutely terrified of those movies. Kid trauma rocks :)

[zahri-melitor]

15 & 16 :)

what, someone has to ask you about skartaris

I love you so much right now of course. So thoughtful! Letting me talk about my faves!

15: Ted Kord or Jaime Reyes?

Look I did hesitate for a moment here when picking, but it's gotta be Jaime, sorry Ted. I love Ted to pieces and he's a great side character in DC, but Jaime's a charming protagonist in a way Ted just doesn't manage, and he hits my 'he's a good boy trying his hardest' character preference straight on.

The great things about Ted as a character are in his place in the network of DC that sort of hovers above the books. He's Booster's best friend and available for silly shenanigans with him and he's a hero because he thinks it's fun, but there's also a more serious side to him in Kord Industries and in some ways he's more iconic to me outside of costume than in it. He retired and he put on weight and felt middle aged and human. And he died a hero's death despite it all (and pointlessly at the same time).

However. Jaime. Jaime. I cannot give up this kid. Jaime and Khaji-Da are an even more amazing pairing and I adore their bond. Jaime's always trying to do the right thing. He doesn't like hiding things or lying to people so he mostly just...avoids that. His family and friends know who he is and support him as Blue Beetle. He grew up so much during his original preboot run, and he's having a lovely 'facing young adulthood' arc right now. He and his supporting cast are this beautiful little self contained unit that are perfect for storytelling, but due to legacy reasons Jaime's got connections all over DC.

Plus, it's nice to have another character book that can do space adventures if needed that isn't heavily focused on them. Gives a bit of variety.

16: Skartaris or Gorilla City?

The citystate of super-intelligent apes or the country inside the Hollow Earth of eternal sunshine? Well given you all put up with me going on about one of these two every week, I think you all know which I'm gonna pick.

Not even a question. Gotta be Skartaris, with its weird mix of 'every hollow earth and Atlantean conspiracy theory you can think of is real' vibes mixed with dinosaurs, evil sorcerers, terrible costuming decisions and Conan the Barbarian aesthetic.

What Skartaris brings to the narrative is a whole complexity nobody is ever willing to look in the face. DC's Earth is HOLLOW and time travels differently inside. This is never, ever referenced outside of stories that deal with Skartaris. The earth is also laced with underground railways built by the ancient Atlanteans that let you get out to the normal side of the earth, but nobody else uses them! What does modern Atlantis think of Skartaris? I have not yet discovered.

Anyway, vote Skartaris, Mike Grell is fantasising another way to crucify Travis Morgan and work out his kinks even as we speak.

[epickiya722]

There's something about the mint green jumpsuit... idk I just kinda like it more than all the later ones. Yeah, it looks kinda dumb, but in a charming way, like Silver Age superheroes.

Plus his mom made it for him, so it's full of love! Wish people would stop dunking on it. We need more of the toothpaste bunny.

I had to find my post I written about his first costume because OMG YES!!!

Out of all the first costumes, and just overall costumes, that costume is my favorite because compared to everyone else's? It has the most meaning behind it.

I'm not even just saying this as someone who has Midoriya as her #1 fave. (Y'all already know who is tied with him when it comes to my faves.)

Again, I reblogged the post but here are some bits of it I wanted to share as to why I like it so much. Pretty much the same reasons you stated!

💚

First off, the color. I love that light shade of green. I don't know if this is intentional or not, but the light shade of green reminds me of how much of a beginner he really was, how "innocent" he was. As the series continues, Izuku's costume gets darker as he matures.

The color made him stand out to me compared to the other characters. That shade was bright, unique and in your face. A visual reminder that the main character was right there.

Then there's the sentiment behind the design.

His mom made it! Inko, best mom of BNHA I take no arguments, made that suit! Which serves as a base for the later suits. That's so touching. Like ever time he puts on that suit, it's like Inko is there at his side. Who else in 1A, let alone anyone really, can say their family made something for them? I won't even say Iida here, because it's a given that of you're Ingenium you gotta have on the knight like suit. They're like hero royalty. Taking the crown. Expected.

On top of that, Izuku was inspired by All Might so of course he was gonna have the smile and ears on it.

Another reminder that Izuku is still a fanboy at heart. It doesn't matter if All Might is literally at his side almost 24/7, gave him his quirk and mentors him. He's still his idol and favorite hero and that is too cute.

💚

I also want to add on the note about Inko making that costume. It's one of those examples as to how good of a relationship Izuku has with his mom. In a way, because that first costume serves as the base for his later costumes, his mom is always by his side when he's on the field doing hero work.

It's just... 😭😭😭

I'm sorry, the Midoriya family just always touch my heart with their wholesome moments and whatnot. Like...?

Also, also! One more thing!

With the mask and ears up like that, it kinda looks like Shiina from Horikoshi's previous work, Oumagadoki Zoo. Like that crazy rabbit grin...