#simple design but i think its neat :3

[nixotinix]

Soso! In some funky book I bought a while back, i read a little fact I didn't know before- Holt plays Roller Maze! I think it's absolutely criminal that it isn't even brought up in Friday Night Frights, even more so the fact that he didn't get a doll. So, I had to change that! Say hello to my SKRM holt design!

(please click Tumblr crumpled this poor fella)

[nyatbinary-81]

@vulpixisananimal sifstem art jumpscare!! more specifically i got bored and decided to mess around with sif and mal's outfits.

[smelt-starverse]

On the Amphibia Timeskip Designs

Hi! I know I normally don't do analysis posts like these, but I got into an interesting conversation (read: infodumped hard to a couple of unsuspecting friends) about the subject on Discord earlier and I felt like it might be enjoyed by you all. Anyways, to begin...

I think the best place to start is Marcy. The thing that jumps out to me about her new design the most to me is her color scheme.

Across the board, everything is brighter and more saturated. Her dark blue coat has been swapped for a bright blue jacket, her dull green skirt has been traded for some vibrant green pants, her shirt has gone from a light gray to an off-white, and her debatably brown boots have been replaced with light brown, almost orange shoes.

Through the entire series, her hair is neat, properly combed (when not messed up by water or helmet-hair, anyways), and it's got this layer of gloss to it. It's a pretty innocuous set of details...

...but I think the picture comes together better when we compare it to her hair in the finale. It's less neat, it's messy in places, but it's not greasy anymore. It's not constrained at all, it's healthy and doing its own thing. And I think, in a way, that applies to her outfit as a whole. Throughout the "present" of Amphibia, Marcy is nearly always wearing a uniform of some kind; her school uniform, the Newtopian Night Guard uniform, the Core's greaves, it's always a look forced on her. In the finale, though, she finally gets to make her own decision on what to wear. It's casual, but it's her, emphasized by the personal touches like the pins on her jacket and the figures on her bag that expand out from little expressions of freedom on her original design. She's even got ear piercings, something typically associated with rebellion and freedom. She's finally allowed to be her own person. Not anybody else's, just... herself.

My thoughts on Sasha and Anne are a bit less in-depth, but there's definitely interesting stuff to mention regardless.

It might not seem like Sasha's changed much visually during the timeskip. Her hair is cut pretty much the same way, she still has a pink accessory on her head, she's still wearing a skirt and a jacket (like she did over her school uniform), and... I think that's intentional. It's a subtle sign that most of Sasha's growth wasn't off-screen during a ten-year time jump...

...it was during Season 3. With every redesign she got from her Barrel's Warhammer redesign onwards, her design got softer. Less spikes, more rounded edges, less rigidity. She even undid her ponytail, not holding her hair back anymore. Her reds got less area on her design, until on the timeskip look they were pretty much replaced entirely with a simple purple skirt. All that aggressiveness is gone, replaced with a comparatively soft design...

...and with the addition of a blue shirt to her color palette. It comes off as a little random, but considering her new profession as a therapist, I think a light and soft color palette featuring hues that are easy on the eyes is an important part of that. It's subtle, but I think it helps a lot.

And finally... Anne.

I find Anne's timeskip design to be the most difficult to talk about in this context, because it's mostly just a regular uniform. The green polo, beige shorts, white undershirt, and lanyard are just what she has to wear to work, and I find it a little difficult to find meaning from it... but that doesn't mean there's nothing there.

Let's get the obvious one out of the way. The leaf scrunchy is a cute way to call back to Anne's hair leaves, a pretty defining aspect of her original design dating all the way back to the first episode of the show that followed her all through her journey in Amphibia. It's a fun little way to reminisce on her past... but it's not the only part of her outfit dedicated to reminiscing.

That little blue flower band on her wrist is also easy to miss, but pretty obvious what it's referencing once you notice it.

It's most obviously a callback to the blue flower crown from earlier in the same episode, but Anne's almost always been associated with blue and flowers, with even her energy aura in her Calamity form taking the shape of blue flower petals.

But those are just simple callbacks. I think the two things that tell us the most about Anne's growth and who she is now... are these.

For her entire exodus in Amphibia, Anne's had one ragged shoe to keep her company. She wasn't ready for an adventure in the swamp. Now, she has proper rain boots, something designed to actually withstand the kind of work she does now. She's fully become comfortable with where she is and who she wants to be. And, of course, there's that little bandage on her leg. Perhaps it's a sign that she's still going out there, undergoing little adventures, taking risks and getting into trouble. Maybe it's a sign that that spirit we come to know so well over the course of the show is still alive and well... or maybe it's where she takes her estrogen shots

[as-i-watch]

have you ever ranked pirate flag designs? i think i really need to know your take on that… and also who you think designed them in the crew?

Oh this is a good one, i havent done it and havent even thought about it before!

Im not gonna rank all the flags bc im sure i'll forget some, so...

Top 10 Jolly Roger 💀

10. Hawkins Pirates

It has a bit too much going on but i like it, i think its creepy and gives off black magic vibes, true to Hawkins powers and aesthetic

9. Kid Pirates

There so much going on but its badass. It feels like a 13 y/o boy assisted in the choices but its also feel honest, like he genuinely is that. Very true to Kid's personality

8. Thriller Bark Pirates

They showed a bit more restaine than the other two, more clean. Strong aesthetic game in desing and colors, you just know they have a haunted mannor dracula shit going on

7. Whitebear Pirates

Instant classic. Neat and to the point. If you have a physical trait like that use, brand on it. I also like the angry eyes on the skull

6. Buggy Pirates

Speaking of physical traits. No messing around, clown, bosh. I also like it looks silly, it doeant strike fear but its so funny looking that i like it

5. Red Hair Pirates

Against what i've saying, i love they resisted the urge to give their jolly roger red hair (there are other red haired people, its not that unique). Its a classic timeless look. The red streaks bring it together to look like Shanks scars but also an eyepatch but also blood.

4. Heart Pirates

Law does not have a jolly roger he has a Brand™. The jolly roger has nothing to do with his physical appearence of name of the crew but it has a story, or backstory rather. Its a unique shape, it has its own color scheme, he slaps it on on everything. Its a logo, and i like it

It also if you look at it for long enough it starts to look like a surprised egg with striped piyamas on

3. Straw Hat Pirates

Talking of branding. Simple, effective, a pop of color on the hat. Silly looking and you inmediatly know who is behind this crew. A personalised classic and bc its so straight fowards just beats Law's desing to the top three

2. Cook Pirates

Its so silly i cant not give it high marks. Can you even imagine been terrorised by a crew that sails around with that? Amazing. And from the man nicknamed Red Leg Zeff bc of the blood that his kicks drew, duality of men

1. Kuja Pirates

Now that is a look. Its simple yet scary af. It really intimidates you, and its related to Boa but not in a too obvious way, a call back to Medussa and gorgons, badass and dangerous women. Impactful, effective and iconic.

And as for who made them: Hawkins(?) (dont know any other members) / Kid and Killer helped / Hogback / Whitebear but i think he consulted Rogers and they sortof copied eachother / Shanks age 14 as a joke / idk why but Lucky Roux / Law. / Luffy and Usopp helped (as we know) / Zeff (he is quirky like that) / Amazon Lily's CM

[ziseviolet]

Qipao/Cheongsam Taobao Shop Recs

A while ago I received a direct message asking for recs on where to buy qipao/cheongsam, and I figured I’d make a post for others who’d also be interested. 

First of all - I think qipao should be tried on and bought in-person if at all possible, since having the right fit is important - especially if it’s for a formal occasion like a wedding. However, since that’s often not possible, I’ve compiled a list of online shop recs, mainly for more casual occasions.

Since English-language online qipao shops are plentiful and easy to find, I’ll be focusing this list on Taobao shops only. Please note that these are my personal recs, based on my own aesthetic preferences. Thus most of the recs are for shops focused on retro-inspired, minguo-style qipao made using the traditional 平裁/pingcai (flat tailoring) method. Also, I have not actually purchased qipao from any of these shops (all my qipao were bought in person) - this is based mainly on how appealing I find the designs.

1. 嬉姷/Xi You - Elegant qipao modelled closely on historical designs, mainly from the Republican era/minguo. Careful attention paid to historical details. My favorite qipao shop to browse for fun:

2. 海上芳时/Shanghai Fancy - Specializes in chic minguo-style designs of the 1920s-1940s. Recently came out with a neat art deco-inspired collection:

3. 唐之语/Tang Zhi Yu - Retro-style qipao in a variety of bold prints, with a focus on the form-fitting designs of the 1950s-1960s, including those from the film “In the Mood for Love”:

4. 繁莳/Fancy Dream - Dreamy, delicate retro-inspired qipao and modified qipao. Also has a nice selection of winter majia (vests):

5. Top Ulara - A large selection of classic, retro-style qipao with a hint of glamour. Offers lots of long/thick/layered qipao suitable for colder weather:

6. 梦回故里/Menghui Guli - Nostalgic, conservative retro-style qipao for all seasons. Old-fashioned in a good way:

7. 晴山制衣/Qingshan Zhiyi - Retro-style qipao in fresh, vivid colors and an interesting variety of designs and patterns:

8. 限时赏味/Xianshi Shangwei - Streamlined, retro-style qipao in subtle colors and prints that exemplify understated elegance: 

9. 茉茉/Momo - Tons of options for simple, cute, and casual retro-style qipao suitable for daily wear. Designs tend towards monochromes and all-over prints. Another review/rec here:

10. 如及/Yu Gallery - Simple yet elegant retro-style and contemporary qipao. I love the shop’s use of sheer fabrics & layering in its designs:

11. 向南飞FLY - Offers a selection of casually stylish retro-style qipao and modified qipao for daily chic:

12. 川黛/Chuan Dai - Soft, feminine, pastel-infused qipao & modified qipao in retro-inspired and contemporary styles:

13. 四斤自制/Sijin Studio - Creative, avant-garde takes on (modified) qipao & qipao-inspired outfits:

14. 密扇/Mukzin - Colorful, playful, and irreverent modified qipao and qipao-inspired outfits. There’s also an English website here:

If you like the above qipao but still want an English website, there are several Taobao resellers that carry similar designs - for example, Beth and Brian Qipao. The hanfu shop Nuwa Hanfu also offers a carefully curated array of qipao, including plus-size qipao.

Finally, when it comes to in-person shops, I want to highlight Xiangjiang Silk Co., a relatively new boutique in New York City specializing in actual vintage 1950s-1960s qipao. There’s an article here on the boutique and its founder Heather Guo (who was featured in Vogue). Store visits are appointment-only, so you’ll have to reach out to Heather via her social media if you want to drop by.

If anyone has reviews of the above shops and/or more qipao shop recs, please share! ^^

Bonus: I also have online shop recs for hanfu (1, 2), modified hanfu/hanyuansu (1, 2), hanfu accessories, weimao, and hair accessories. 

[rabioa]

Collar-ful Engravings

Vox x Hellhound!Reader - Fluff - Gender Neutral

Vox gets a hell hound, you, as a business gift. He doesn't really care about you until he sees how much your presence bothers Alastor. Now he's all about you, spoiling you and flaunting you around. Now, he's even got a gift with your name on it... its not too tight now, is it?

TW: Unsexualized petplay(? Reader is a Hellhound so it comes with the territory?), any Hazbin Hotel warnings

Hello hello!!! This is my first attempt at publishing a fanfic. I know it's not perfect so if you have any feedback then please let me know!! Remember to stay hydrated and remember you are loved! <3

You cleared your throat; the sensation of something against such a vulnerable place felt odd. The collar sat proudly around your neck, the design wasn't anything over-the-top, which was how you preferred most things. It was black with a simple silver buckle but in neat cyan cursive engravings read “Vox”.

Vox stood next to you as you stared in the mirror, you hands gingerly testing the fine leather. 

"So what do you think? Pretty nice, right? I had Velvette pick the material. It's not too tight now, is it? If you don't like something about it then I can get it altered, or better yet, get you a new one. I think a neat collection would be nice, wouldn't it?" The T.V. head rambled behind you, his hands resting firmly on your shoulders. Occasionally, his hand would lift off to do some gesture, ever the animated talker. 

"No, it's..." You struggled for words. Oddly possessive? A bit kinky? Really fucking embarrassing to wear? "It's something. Nice quality it's just... a bit much, don't you think...?" You chose your words carefully, not hoping to incite his wrath. You were never a disobedient hellhound after all. 

He laughed off your concerns. "Of course not! You're now a face in the brand. You need to represent, y'know? People have to know who you belong to, that you're associated with the best of the best," he explained, turning you around by your shoulders. He didn't seem to understand how his words sounded. People have to know who you belong to. 

You tried to school your face into something a little more pleasant, so he at least knew you were receptive to his generosity. "Thank you, sir. I believe this luxury is wasted on me though. There are better ways to allocate your resources and money rather than on some random mutt,” you tried your best to explain your thoughts gently. You winced at his unamused expression. It felt like you were letting him down simply by letting the emotions slip.

“No, no, no. None of that” he chided, booping your nose with his index finger. Your snout wrinkled up as it always did when he booped you. “Are you judging my taste? My impeccable eye? Keep your head up high. You aren't just some mutt. No, you are among the big players, so show some respect for yourself. Anyways, it'll show off your brand-new accessory better if you keep your chin up,” he hummed, grabbing your chin to tilt your head higher. He always spoke in such a theatrical way that lifted your mood. Your thoughts may not be kind to yourself, but he was plenty proud of you to make you feel better. 

You instinctively straightened up, not wanting to let him down. He smiled, clearly pleased. “There we go. Now then,” he wrapped his arm around your shoulder, leading you out of the loft and into the elevator. During the long trip down (seriously, it always took a bit to get from the top floor where all the Vee's usually buzzed around in to the bottom) Vox's screen split into two.

On one side was his face, on the other were designs for another collar. The sight of him going split-screen always amused you greatly, reminding you of the silly reddit story videos trending in the living world. “I was thinking for the next collar we go all out. There's this trend of really decked out chokers with charms, charms and all the ribbons. We can easily apply it here, so look, what do you prefer? Black or silver chain? Ah, actually let's just get both variations,” he seemed to be more of talking to himself as he guided himself through a collar shopping spree. 

You were flustered at all the spoiled attention he was giving you. You felt like a cute doll with how he pampered you, meant to sit still and look pretty as he handled all the rest. It was funny, to think a few months ago you were simply another hell hound in your old master's army of hell hounds, doomed to do menial labor for the rest of your life. Now you were on T.V. screens, even a few posters. You were a mini celebrity, the latest gossip when people talked about Vox. 

“How about we leave it to Miss Velvette? It's more of her department,” you suggested meekly. You hoped Velvette would have some mercy and create less flashy collars. 

He snapped his fingers, creating finger guns pointed at you. His face maximized, no longer sharing two windows. “You’re right. She'll make sure it's perfect. We can even get some new outfits to match,” he agreed much to your relief. 

The elevator doors opened and it was like being seared by a million blinking suns. Vox's hand traveled to your waist, pulling you against his side as he flashed a charming grin. You blinked, trying to look pretty and charming to some degree as your eyes adjusted to the flashing cameras. He guided you out, the reporters parting like the Red Sea for the two of you. You were always impressed that they never tried to block him, but you supposed frying a few daring reporters and stepping over them when they tried him was an effective message. 

You shifted closer into his side, a feeble attempt at shielding yourself from the lenses. To the outside perspective it was a sultry move, as if bragging that only you could get close to him. The news articles for the next few days would rave about this, much to your future dismay. 

“Sir, where are we going?” You muttered to him, a shy smile on your face. 

“There's a new VoxTek megastore opening. We are doing the opening. You want to hold the scissors for the ribbon?” He teased you, his claws pressing into your side slightly to convey his joking intent. It wasn't a threatening gesture, but rather a comforting one. The pressure was like a gentle reminder that he was here, with you, holding you, and his grip was firm, ensuring no rascal could steal you away. 

His smile seemed to grow even larger as you both walked down the street. You glanced around, noting nothing of interest or joy around the two of you. He looked down at you, as if understanding your confusion.

“They're already posting about your latest accessory. I wonder, if they're going so wild over a collar, what will they say when the leash comes in?” 

Ah shit, he got you a leash too?

[weirdmarioenemies]

Hey you know Snood? I've been thinking about Snood lately. It is fascinating, in a "weird old game series that I have never thought about very much" sort of way. It's not the first Matching Icons Puzzle Shooting game, since that was Puzzle Bobble, but it was ONE of the first, and replaces bubbles with some little freaks, so it is neat enough to me!

I started this post with the intention of reviewing every single Snood individually, but then I realized, I don't really care about the Snoods themselves at all! Sorry Snoods! I appreciate you being weird little guys, you're just not my kind of weird little guys.

But who's that weird little guy in the bottom right...?

Name: The Robot

Debut: Snood

Oh hell yeah! A The Robot? Now that's my kind of weird little guy! The Robot is NOT a Snood, but I think it is the most important character. The game is ABOUT the Snoods, but The Robot is the HERO. The Snoods are all trapped, and must be freed by matching three or more together! And who is loading up the cannon with snoods, allowing for this to happen at all? That's right! The Robot!

The Robot's design is very simple and very 90s shareware game. This thing has gradients like nobody's business, and they sure do make it look metallic and cylindrical, so that's good! Its "head" is a glass-looking dome, and most notable is probably its single arm, that it uses to transfer Snoods. However, it's kind of easy to view the claw as a pair of lips on the end of a stalk.

Like Sy Snootles, the best Star Wars character! Wait... Sy SNOODles? The implications are staggering! (I will not elaborate about what the implications could possibly be)

In Snood Plus, The Robot receives a bit of a redesign, which I don't like all that much. That's not colorful... where's the love, in the soul of this robot? I know it's in there somewhere. This one floats, which is cool and maybe more efficient, but it's just much more bland and generic, especially its claw arm, which no longer looks like ANY part of Sy Snootles. Next!

YES! YES! AWESOME! This is how The Robot appears in Snood Slide, a Match 3-style spinoff, and it is the best! I love this cartoony style, keeping the bright and eye-catching color of the original, while making it look more like a thing that exists, rather than just some shapes! There's a light bulb in its head, it wears SHOES, and it has TWO arms now! Is that canon? Has it always had two arms, and we only ever saw it from the side? Is Snood Slide canon to the greater Snood series? Well akshually, Snood HD, the version of Snood released in 2009, completely redesigned all the Snoods, and said that the original style was just a simulation. I bet the Snood loreheads were furious about that!

I'm sure you aren't wondering how The Robot factors into Snood Slide, considering there is not a Snood-O-Matic Cannon to be loaded. That's something only Snoodheads would worry about. But the answer is that The Robot will appear and move a line of Snoods if you use the hint feature! So kind of it.

Hey... The Robot is not in Snood HD, and that game decanonized the original Snood! Is The Robot even real? Is it a fictional character in the Snood universe too, and therefore fictional TWICE over? I don't know. Snood is a mess.

They released a game in 2022 where the icon looks like this. That's so quaint to me. Never change, Snood.

[pinkrose05]

Random thought: Silver Wolf's virtual companions seem to loosely correspond to the other Stellaron Hunters (+ a bonus)

Warning: Long post

For those not in the know, SW's weapon holds an A.I of her creation, which she calls Prometheus (hmmm). Prometheus comes with five modules -the chibis pointed out above- each of which has its own special name: Friend, Demon Lord, Whitecollar, Servant, and Preschool Classmate.

I'm unsure if they all look and act the same as they did upon creation, so the theory here is that she based or modified them using her colleagues as inspiration after joining the Hunters. Now, here are the parallels I think make the most sense:

1) Friend -> Kafka. Most of SW's appearances are on joint missions with Kafka specifically, and that -along with the banter they exchange all the time- leads me to assume she's the closest colleague to our tiny hacker. Friend is also the first and currently only companion that actually talks to us ingame and outside of the game (she shows up in one of SW's lines and in her Keeping Up With Star Rail video), and who was the first Hunter we encountered in the story?

Yeah.

2) Demon Lord -> Ren. According to SW's second character story, the companion is inspired by a poster she saw one time, and she based it off the idea of a veteran who lost the ability to speak. Ren isn't perpetually silent, of course, but he's a man of very few words, and is strongly associated with demon imagery as well (that one vidyadhara elegy, the kit icons, the clothing design, etc.). I also think Demon Lord is the chibi on the top left with the sword, right next to Friend, and what would you know- there's only one Hunter we know whose signature weapon is a sword!

(That and he's also seen a lot alongside Kafka. Neat.)

3) Whitecollar -> Sam. Admittedly there's pretty much nothing to go on in regards to Sam, and that makes him a weak link in this theory, so I hope for some future crumbs that can clarify things. All we know about him so far is that he's a more straightforward and efficient sort of guy who doesn't fool around on the job- if SW's express visit line is anything to go by. That makes for a veeeery threadbare argument that he'd make a good whitecollar with these qualities, but honestly they apply to any job, and Sam obviously doesn't sit around in an office all day...

4) Servant -> Elio. This is a pretty simple one: Elio is literally called Destiny's Slave. If that's not Servant, then who is? More crumbs are always welcome to give further proof or contradict this assumption, but for now it seems pretty reasonable to me.

Bonus:

5) Preschool Classmate -> Trailblazer. This one is the most interesting to me because, here's a fun fact: Preschool Classmate was actually deleted soon after its creation. This parallels the Trailblazer being left behind to join the Express and set the script in motion, in a way, and might explain SW leaving alongside Kafka without talking to them at all. But then this raises the question of why she personally visits them at the express, and why she became their gamer buddy.... hmmmmmm.....

Overall, I think this is a pretty nice design element, and while my theory has little substance to go on, I think it would be better if this wasn't a mere coincidence. If anyone has anything more to share on the topic, then by all means, go ahead! I love hearing about small tidbits and trivia and fuel for the found family agenda!

[eurydicees]

pls can u tell me everything about fhq and esp fhq iwaoi i don’t really know what it is but every time i see you repost one of those beautiful heart wrenching artworks i want to die in the best way

YES GLADLY I WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING I CAN !!! under the cut because you're getting everything.

ok so some of the history lesson portion of this may be a little off, it's been a hot minute since i've done much research into this lol. but final haikyuu quest first appeared as a spread in one of the bonus pages in the manga! throughout the manga's run were occasionally drawings of the characters in little fake movie posters, one of them being an action/fantasy movie called final haikyuu quest:

this first poster and the original character designers are drawn by furudate! from there, it went on to become a mini bonus game in the haikyuu 3DS game, which is kind of crazy if you think about it too hard.

there's a playthrough uploaded on youtube here, but it's obv in japanese and i don't think there's been a translation of the game. there's a translation of part of it here on tumblr, but i don't think it's complete. poster from the 3DS game:

from there, it went on to be a CD drama (videos 8-10 on this youtube playlist, with subs), which is super neat. it's also one of the haikyuu light novels, but i have yet to find a full english translation of that.

i haven't read the novel or watched the videos with the CD drama audio myself, so i'm not sure how much it differs from the 3DS game. i assume they're pretty similar though.

so the premise at its most simple is that hinata and his party of adventurers are off to defeat the demon king oikawa and his henchmen! those are the basics.

the "canon" characters in hinata's party are hinata, kenma, aone, iwaizumi, and kageyama. on the opposing side we've got oikawa (the demon king), kuroo, and kiyoko. kiyoko has servants in the form of tanaka and nishionoya (they don't care for oikawa, they're just there for kiyoko). there's also michimiya, who is in the "fair princess kidnapped by oikawa" role that hinata & co. are trying to save. the full character profiles can be found here (everyone in game) and here (heroes only)!

now this whole premise is like. a little silly. the whole deal is a little silly. this is a volleyball manga.

with THAT being said, though, sometimes the most fun to be had is when you take the silly thing and make it devastating. and it's so easy to do that with FHQ. so let's talk abt iwaoi now <3

so in the story, oikawa is the demon king. because the premise is so simplistic and boiled down to good v. bad due to, like, this not being a real piece of media, oikawa is objectively on the "bad side." iwaizumi, on the other hand, is a knight, presumably human, and "oikawa's (former) friend."

iwaizumi being oikawa's former friend is literally his speciality and i think about that all the time btw. for context, kageyama's specialty is "prodigy" and hinata's is "strongest decoy." and fucking iwaizumi is out here like yea hey guys i used to be on the bad side but im mad at oikawa so now i'm with y'all. also my specialty in this fantasy universe is that i used to be oikawa's friend :)

like. what the hell. as you may imagine, the iwaoi angst potential here is ENORMOUS. iwaizumi who has betrayed oikawa and joined the heroes' side to take him down, iwaizumi whose greatest strength comes in knowing oikawa in and out, because the villains you love are both the hardest and the easiest to destroy. iwaizumi who loves oikawa, and who cannot save him.

(**side note, there's a lot of kuroken angst potential involved in this au as well, but let's focus on iwaoi for this post and save kuroken for another day)

so, as i said, the game's interpretation of all this is pretty simplistic and pretty silly. but personally i love thinking too hard and finding depth in things that are so not that deep. and it seems like most fhq fans also employ this as a favorite hobby because holy shit the angst people put in this au is INSANE.

the way i've interpreted it myself has been that iwaoi were besties/lovers/unclear situationship until oikawa kind of "fell into the dark side," because this is an au of every fantasy trope possible, and his reign over aoba became corrupted and "evil." iwaizumi betrays him to join hinata and take him down--save the world, at the cost of the demon he loved so much. but that demon, who oikawa was, is gone already, isn't he?

one of my favorite comics about them is here by @/ichigomaniac, where oikawa falls to the dark side and iwaizumi kills him to save the kingdom he loves. another FAVORITE similar one is here by @/hawberries! the premise of a lot of fics/art in this au run along these lines <3333

another super fun interpretation is a 5 part comic by @/duskisnigh, where oikawa and iwaizumi are running a kind of underground rebellion/safehouse in a world demons are oppressed by the human race. but as oikawa sees more and more evil on the behalf of humanity, he gets more and more unhinged until iwaizumi feels that he no longer knows him--and runs away with kageyama, with the intention of taking oikawa down.

personally i think the BEST aus are where iwaizumi--so loyal, so in love--is forced to leave because he can't stand to watch oikawa fall to more darkness, while oikawa himself is so devoted to iwaizumi that it's his love for iwaizumi that is corrupting him.....

in the fic i wrote, it's a story about forbidden love and how oikawa just wants to be allowed to love iwaizumi and he'll fight a war in order to do it. but iwaizumi can't watch oikawa fight this war anymore, because he's getting more and more dark as the war rages on. so he leaves, and was any of this ever worth it?

ggaahadhgjkadg . fhq. its crazy. i have a tag for it here, where i have been curating my favorite art. special shoutout to @/amezure who has some GORGEOUS pieces in their tag. OH ! and some of my fave fics in this au :

in the arms of loyalty and the hands of devotion (iwaoi, 23252 words), self promo lol

i can go anywhere i want (just not home) (kuroken, 3662 words) by keplcrs

wondering if your heart's still open (iwaoi, 683 words), by birdintheriver

Diorama (iwaizumi & kenma, 2027 words) by PlumTea

the ao3 tag is beautiful everywhere you turn, but i have a special love for those fics <3

so yeah that's the general deal! if you ever want to talk more about it, i am HAPPY to discuss !!! pls pls plsplsplsplsplssplsplslpslslslss!!!!!!

[drjdorr]

Guess who got some new pins abit ago but experienced isolation enough to dip into some minor depression and since no longer being isolated hasn't had enough stability to recover enough to share them till now? This girl.

Anyways, here are the pins(and other goodies I'm deciding to share) starting with some Overly Sarcastic Production stuff

A nice cancer zodiac crab pin because I am a cancer (given my history of depression that sounds way worse then it should) and with knife crab being a meme, Red designed a knife crab variant, which I chose because... knife crab, duh. It also apparently glows(I'm assuming the pale green bits) though I haven't tested this feature.

As is standard for OSP pins, limited time thing but here is a link to the pin section when they are on sale

2 rubber backs

And because I've was asked general prices of pins at one point and realized I don't know, I'm adding a new section for prices. $9.99

I also got a cool mug

Decent mug, I like the words on it, that's all I need out of a mug

Unlike pins, mugs aren't limited time, link

Should I price other things? Eh, I don't collect mugs

Lastly from OSP, stickers. When I enviatavly need to replace my computer (it's batter capacity is apparently 7% what it should be, one of the hinges has been broken for months, and at times it's getting hot enough I have to be careful not to burn myself so not long before I'm going to have to) I'm definitely going to slap atleast one of these on it because I'm tired of living my life were I'm not allowed to indulge myself or leave a mark, and putting cool stickers onto my electronics seems like a good starting point

Again only pins are limited time but here's a link to all the stickers. There are some other good options too so I definitely suggest checking them out

Next up have some oxventure pins

Pretty decent, they slightly bow outwards which is a good look for them, great stylzation though I'll admit I'm not a big fan of using that green to shade Eggert in this style but beyond that bit, they all look great

They seem to be on sale right now so if you like them... link

Each one seems to have 2 rubber backs, one above the other as one would expect.

Now I paid about 36 bucks which is also about its current sale price but apparently is usually $46.21

An Astor Innoventions pin. A simple but really nice design from their Blades in the Dark campaign, what else is there to say about it.

Also on sale. Link

Single metal back. I did try using it shortly after getting it and the tip has some metal fuzzies on it which understandably made me not able to use it but I'm sure I can ask my uncle to deal with that, doesn't seem like that hard of a problem.

Apparently I also got this one on sale for about 10 buck, usually it's $13.20.

Also was given a random pin from Pride Knights and-

Man is it pretty(the yellow and purple are nicer in person. Same with the glitter). I may not be nonbinary but I think I know someone who might be that I can give it to and I can't wait for the ones I ordered.

They are still on pre-order and there are several pride flag versions for dragons and swords and 3 large designs for the progress pride flag with a dragon, sword, and castle and you should definitely check them all out here, though if you specifically want the enby dragon, this link will take you there

Mine has 2 metal backs though the site says they will be rubber. Actually the site also shows more standard silver glitter look but mine has red... was I given an earlier design version? Still doesn't match me but it's still super neat.

Now I got mine as a gift(given how much I talked them up I suddenly feel I should stipulate, gift for something completely unrelated to this post, I just say good things about good stuff.) But they are priced at $12.99 both swords and dragons, the bigger progress flag ones though are $14.99

Those are all my new pins for now, though with alot of kickstarters I backed looking like they are about to start sending stuff out and the Pride Knights pins being sent out in September, not going to be too long before there's probably going to be more

[adobe-outdesign]

Wait, you haven’t done a review of regular pikachu? Will you?

Have you reviewed raichu?

(Ironically I have literally reviewed every part of the Pikachu line except for Pikachu itself. Review links: Pichu, Raichu, Alolan Raichu, Pichu and Pikachu forms)

Pikachu is such an iconic design that it's actually hard to approach it from a normal standpoint, given how heavily ingrained it is in both Pokemon as a brand and modern culture. I'm more of a Raichu person myself, but Pikachu is obviously a pretty great 'mon on its own.

Originally, the creators actually intended Clefairy to be the mascot, but I think they made the right choice in going with Pikachu instead. What makes Pikachu work is that it has simple but very clear visuals—those red cheeks and black-tipped ears pop instantly, to the point where only its head can be used as an icon and it will be recognizable. Clefairy doesn't really have a single visual element like that. Pikachu also manages to be cute but not to the point wherein you can't see this thing battling, which is an important balance that i don't think Clefairy achieves as much.

In terms of said visuals, the lightning-bolt tail helps communicate the typing immediately and is a fun twist on a squirrel's tail (and yes, Pikachu is partially based off a squirrel, as confirmed by its designer Atsuko Nishida.) Likewise, the red cheek pouches pop instantly and play off of the idea of rodents storing food in their cheeks by having it store electricity instead. The brown stripes on its back help to fill the space in the backsprite and keep it from being too plain, and the little :3 face is always a winner as well.

Obviously I wouldn't actually change anything about the design, but if I were to be hyper nitpicky the way I usually am, the brown gradient at the base of the tail might've made more sense as a black tip, to match the ears. (Ironically, apparently a lot of people actually do misremember it being like this, though I'm not one of them). You could even make the brown back stripes black for contrast. But yeah, overall, very effective design even if it wasn't the face of the franchise.

And no Pikachu review would be complete without talking about the OG fat Pikachu design. Originally Pikachu was supposed to be more of a mochi pastry than a rodent, and some of that roundness was retained in Pikachu's early designs. Over the years, it was slimmed down to make it easier to animate. (It also had a white underbelly, though I actually like dropping this, as it gives more of a sense of progression to Raichu.)

While I do love the original design, I do think slimming it down a bit doesn't hurt anything, and making the tail shorter and wider makes it stand out more. I think sometimes it can get too slim in modern media, but the official art shown above feels like a good weight.

Thankfully, we get to have our cake and eat it too, as Pikachu's g-max design is a throwback to the original sprite. This is both a clever concept and feels appropriate for the g-max theme of "thing, but really big". There are a few obvious changes—most notably the tail, which has been lengthened far beyond what it originally was and is now all-white with a yellow outline, to look more lightning-y. It also has an extra stripe and bigger cheeks to better balance the space.

I'm not sure making the tail white adds all that much, but making it longer makes it so the g-max clouds can swirl around it like a storm, and I think that's pretty neat.

So overall, iconic Pokemon that deserves its status as series mascot. Don't think I need to say any more.

[amethyst-marshmallow]

Objectober Day 16!

Today's theme was Warm!

Such a silly little guy,, ik their design is simple but this is honestly what the embodiment of warmth and light would look like to me lol

ik they aren't TECHNICALLY a fairy light, but whatever its a cool name (also, they're nonbinary they/it :3)

bonus drawing under cut :3

School doodles so yeahhh

I was still kinda figuring out their design, took me a minute to decide that i wanted the more complicated eyes

Personality wise, i thin they're very wholesome and spacey, and always sleepy, just kind of floating around and going with the flow...They can also make others sleepy cuz yk, warmm

They do the burst thing whenever they get shocked or excited, which for a person like them is kinda rare to happen lol but it happens sometimes

also I havent made an object oc with no legs and yes arms so thats cool (i also think its kinda neat how their mouth cna just dissapear lol)

[colourful-void]

alright closing umineko for the night!! i had a great time with it so far!! i really like the writing style, and for the most part its actually a lot less dense than i was expecting. I thought it might be some house of leaves stuff but no this is pretty easy to read, at least so far! im rlly glad for that like it doesn't feel too simple, not too complicated, its good!

current character thoughts run down, though i've barely started so i dont know much yet: ginzo: he sucks he totally sucks and im convinced that he made some kidna deal w/ beatrice in order to take advantage of the earthquake and war and such. not entirely convinced hes not about to just murder the whole family bcs he seems like he would do that. krauss: also sucks. just a real dick, but in like. he's a standard asshole really. natsuhi: much in the same vien, but she's got that matriach of the family thing going on i hope will b explored more <3 jessica: she's neat i like her! looking forward to more on her. Eva: i was digging for her a while and then i saw how she treated shannon and it went out the window hideyoshi: ive yet to expirence a thought on this man George: he's very tropey in a good way and i enjoy he's friendly guy swag. looking forward to it inevitably falling to pieces rudolf: DICK!! kyrie: girl leave your husband. i can treat u better <3, im glad she has some decency but my mind aint set on her yet battler: HES SO CRINGEEEE <333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 sometimes he does genuinely offput me but mostly he's just stupid <3 rosa: be a bit nicer to ur daughter, but beyond that shes chill i think. no big thoughts here. i do like her dynamic in relation to the rest of the siblings so far maria: MARIA MY DARLING MY DEAREST SHES SO SWEET AND SILLY AND CLEARLY OMINOUS I CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT DARK MAGICS OVERTAKE HER OR WHATEVER <333 maria for whatever the fuck she wants 2024 love her so much no crazy thoughts on the head butler or doctor but i think in a different world the butler and ginzo had crazy gay sex shannon: shes soooo sweetie <3 suspiciously so this game wants me to like her so bad and i do <3. i am aware of one key spoilery fact about shannon uncovered in some content warnings i recieved, but its kinda fun seeing the set up for that! everyone be nicer to my girl kanon: hes suspcious but overly so and i wonder what his deal is. i also think all the servants need to be treated better this fucking furnature stuff <3 its awful i love it narratively gohda: i think he would kill someone with very little hesitation. i wanna try that panna cotta. kumasawa: shes like a grandma to me <333 i like her!!

i havent met beatrice yet but im looking forward to it she looks super neat.

i also apperciate how slow burn this is, a few hours in and very little has happened yet it's nice. there's already a lot building but like. nothing big yet it's nice. i like it. it feels like it's moving at exactly the pace it wants to and i enjoy it a lot. the sound design is also rlly good. the music is really nice a couple times i got distracted and just listened to it in the bg. the sfx r nice too.

i do not regret my sprite choice i like these designs they're fun, but i do think maria looks a little off for her alleged age of 9, but it's easy to ignore after a min or two.ironically when i was loading the game and saw her on the steam page it def aligned better, but at the cost battler to my eyes is now yassified. he cant be a pretty boy to me he's too lame.

voice acting is great everyones putting fucking everyting into it and i enjoy that. fully commited to the enviroment and its great.

where i left off: everyone just finished having lunch! kumasawa covered for shannon not knowing the red sauce's ingredients. that's all for now! not sure when ill paly more, probably tomorrow, but its been good!! good game so far i like this setg up!! im also eagar to get more into the murder and violence and witch stuff but like, it does a good joib of setting up the characters so i dont feel impatient, and unlike a lot of games w/ murder n mystery that get right into it i kinda find it refreshing how slow this one is to start its like we all know itll get there so the tension of everyone being relatively calm is great.

anyway, umineko day 1: it was good =D

[squigg-les]

hey there!! just wanted to pop in and say i absolutely adore tbohh, its probably one of my favourite webtoons i have ever read<3

going to point out some of my fav things;

- the character designs!! even though i did mistake mallory for esperanza and leo for damien at first, later i started noticing little things that made them distinguishable from each other! juliette's design reminds me of medusa and i like the implications of that (also her monster form is gorgeous, i love how you draw it)

-the relationship between characters are exceptionally well done, i loved seeing sam's and mallory's beef, mallory's compassion and tenderness regarding juliette, and how she stood up to damien and lucas when protecting her. i think you did an amazing job at "showing, not telling"!

- feelings you convey through character expressions. even though your artstyle is pretty simple, i can tell what a certain character is thinking/feeling because i can see that through their body language. i just think that's neat.

- you really got me captivated in that story. i binged it in one day and i'm super interested in how it will play out!

im definitely going to read your other works!! thank u so much for sharing your story, it has really inspired me to tell my own<3

Thank you :)! I usually draw near a mirror so I can make expressions at myself and like. Cartoonify them in order to put complex emotions on the page with only a few lines.

[year2000electronics]

what were your thoughts on isat, if you’d like to talk about it? it’s one of my favorite timeloop games so i love hearing others talk about it :)

AH YES lemme copy and paste some of my thoughts from discord

that was quite good i liked it! definitely up there with undertale and oneshot as a Real Good Meta Game. i think i *just* miss the target audience who really REALLY enjoyed it (i have a couple friends who loved it too) where the types of characters siffrin and the gang are just remind me of ocs that maybe some friends of mine would have but not me. but i say that very fondly.

likes:

- combat system! both simple and engaging

- art/character design! like i said, they feel more like ocs of a friend than true blorbos but i loved the aesthetics of the sadnesses. my favourite character design is odile!

- looping game mechanics! everything that was purposely designed to be tedious felt tedious in the exact “oh god i’m stuck in a time loop” way. i enjoyed how all the things you needed to get were scattered through different bits of time so eventually, every last bit of new stuff was squeezed away from me. it was neat. i remember doing odile’s companion quest too early and my heart sank as i realized i would have to do it *again* at some point. the act 5 stuff especially was neat because i saw my own mid-grinding thoughts being reflected in siffrin’s own dialogue and monologue towards our “friends” (who were exp-losing obstacles at that point!)

dislikes/neutral:

- this is my only real actual *game design* gripe, but i felt like some of the puzzles in act 3-early act 4 were a bit obtuse. a lot of them required talking to loop at a specific moment, or warping back and forth between the king. but the issue is that loop’s required text is often still greyed out! and also, they give you a “call loop for convenience” button but you can’t use it for the IMPORTANT conversations? idk. it was a little frustrating.

- some of the games dialogue/moments didn’t land for me quite as impactfully as i know it would for some others (namely just some stuff about the group dynamic, the way they interact, how they deal with the de-escalation at the end) but again like i said i think that’s just another side effect of the game catering to a niche of people that i’m very close with, sometimes even belonging to, but i’m also a “little to the left” of. i thought siffrin’s family was sweet, even if i’m not exactly like “i would die for them” so i think it does its job well despite siffrin the character clearly caring for these people way more than i do

- i was originally a bit confused and miffed that there were SO many unanswered questions about siffrin and the king’s country, about colours, about LOOP, and when act 6 ended i was like “wait hold on. WAIT COME BACK I HAVE QUESTIONS.” evidently, some of my friends let me know you do get answers WRT loop if you do secret stuff, so i know about Them now, and as i sit with the game more i do understand that it’s very much a “does it really matter what happened?” thing. but i want to know :( (also i thought the twist was gonna be that the king was another version of siffrin. uh oops that one was my bad.)

overall though it was very fun. i liked the story!

[silvershayde]

(crash lands in ur inbox) merfolk lore 👀 i am here to bombard you with questions

1. I think the mammalian skin + tropical coloration is very neat, but is the coloration only gradients/simple solid divides (ala orcas), or is it possible for them to have patterning?

2. Is the coloration of their tail determined separately from the coloration of their upper body?

3. ARE there common upper body/tail "type" combos? ex. "hedgehogs tend to have more dolphin style tails etc."

4. Thinking about the glitter thing their skin have 🤔🤔🤔 I wonder if it's like. an evolutionary thing that makes them harder to spot underwater

5. Is the back fin size indicative of anything or is it just biological rng???

6. are they affected by pressure changes?? what depth zones do the merfolk usually hang out at?

YES QUESTIONS!!!!

Okay okay so!

I imagine them only having the gradient/ solid divided. The only time patterning would possibly occur is if they aren’t fully Merfolk (e.g. crossed with a Sirelian or maybe even a Melusine. Not the Nymphs/Nereids though but that’d make more sense once I post about them)

Yes, the colouration of the tail is independent from the body, like the classical mermaid design. Reason being is that it’s one of the visual identification markers that someone should focus on if they want to know if they are looking at a Mer or a Sirelian. So Sirelians would have tails that are coloured similarly to the upper body, not Merfolk.

Honestly I haven’t thought about common combos being a thing. I was just gonna go with what kinda vibe the character had lolol. For example I paired up Skylar’s with a dolphin because I wanted her to be fast underwater (for lore reasons).

I guess you could say it’d help them be harder to spot since the glitter thing only works when there’s light shining on the tail. So you’d only be able to see the shine relatively from above or if they are out of the water completely, never from below.

So I wanted to follow the whole dorsal fins are bigger on males thing but I also know I’m probably not gonna follow it that well. But there is genetic rng regardless of whether I follow that rule or not.

The max I’m running with is the Twilight Zone, no Mer would choose to live past that or try to dive past it, lest they succumb to the ocean pushing them down. This is also the reason why I’m still on the fence about the whole gills situation. Anyway, you’ll mostly find them out in open waters but sometimes you might find some colonies near coral reefs and the like.

Oh!!! Also I saw you asked about how sidefins would affect maneuverability and such in your tags and yes!! It does!!

The way I imagine it for Mers is similar to the spine thing Toothless has from httyd 2. In the movie those extra spine things helped with making tight turns and such. I imagine the pectoral fins that Merfolk have help in a similar fashion, and can additionally act as an emergency break. Though not having them doesn't mean they can't do those tight turns and emergency break and stuff, its just that its easier for those who have them to do so!

Heheee I like answering questions if you got anymore HIT ME with them!!!!!