#plus the Goldi ref was done months prior I believe

[camping-with-monsters]

Beware! For just beyond the taller trees and thorny bushes lurks a dangerous and terrifying entity known simply as… The Beast!

Yikes, even muttering the name manages to chill a spine! This dastardly Beast is spoken to be quite the monster. A bear-like face with glowing evil eyes, a pair of tusks that pierce from the sides of it’s mouth, a long hairy body that trails when it runs, and to top things off, it even has razor sharp bear traps for hands! What a horrible sight indeed! You’d best tread carefully if you find yourself in the quiet ends of Whistlegrimm, for if the breeze around you suddenly comes to a halt, and you feel the hair on your neck stand, you bet that The Beast is already on your trail, and it’s recommended you start hauling now. Most of the time, it’s very secretive in its tactics. Despite being such a hulk of a creature, it trails softly through the underbrush, already deciphering exactly what angle is the only one you won’t look before it pounces and roars— and you better believe it— it’s got one mighty roar! The kind of shrill grumble that will have you quaking and scurrying away faster than you can even perceive it’s already daunting stature!

Not many know of The Beast’s origins. Some say the heart-shape pattern on its head bears a mystical power to read the minds of feeble minded victims. But whatever its deal is, it gets a pretty hefty rep when it comes to putting on such a scene. But that ol’ Beast doesn’t seem to have a care in the world about the reputation. All good beasts are feared— it’s exactly what this Beast wants! To get a reaction out of unsuspecting passersby who happen to linger right into its teeth. But should someone manage to find themselves paralyzed and unable to make a getaway in time before it gets close enough, they may be graced to hear one last thing… its mighty laugh as it seems to taunt your terror. It’s then and only then this creature’s truth is revealed.

For this Beast… is only a facade.

BEHOLD! The Beast unmasked and exposed to truly show the real nature of such a character! A true trickster at heart, Goldilocks, the real name of this falsified foe, is only here to make some noise!

Though hardy, she’s actually a good-hearted goofball who’s got a knack for pulling elaborate stunts to get some good reactions— but to her, it’s all in lighthearted fun! With a giant mop of hair stretching long and far— quite similarly to Rapunzel, actually— this eccentric gal has figured out how to use her own head to create the perfect costume, figuratively and literally. Taking on a bear-like disguise in the hopes of making some tomfoolery, Goldi loves to trot aimlessly and listen for a wandering soul to joke around with. It’s really up to the eye of the beholder whether this elaborate stunt is truly witty, or way extra, or whether the fun can be appreciated or is taking things too far and really creating too much of a scare. Miss Goldilocks would digress. She both loves the persona for its scaring potential and makes her feel closer to nature and all its kindred.

It’s hard to say whether those bear trap cuffs around her are even real bear traps. She’s a tinkerer, so it can only be assumed that the lot of her props are all handcrafted by her’s truly. Quite the designer, and very efficient at making things seem all the more authentic. Perhaps those “bear traps for hands” are simply just stilts made to hoist herself upright and run on all fours easier. Or maybe they are? We just don’t know. But regardless, even if she gives you quite the spookin’, it’s important to remind yourself that she bears no ill intent— the woman probably couldn’t even hurt a fly. At least, not intentionally, of course. Having a lot of body strength and being all rough and tumble is bound to leave someone out of breath if they can’t keep up with her. Gonna have to take someone without a pair of lungs, or hell, a need for breathing at all to match this gal’s energy…

——

I originally told myself I wasn’t going to create a Goldilocks based character cause I wasn’t sure how I could outdo her portrayal in Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. And then an idea (initially sparked to me by @menthum-mint) and my own creativity inevitably got the best of me with this one :)

And honestly? She might be one of my favorite designs in DDG. When I tell you this character was in design hell for a while, and that I jumped some hurdles to get this character to work in terms of making her feel authentic to the cast (cause the original concepts did something very different with the hair), it was a doozy getting her to work. In the end, I settled with… character who’s anatomically her own quadsuit. I… yeah! That’s certainly a way to describe it!